Rebirth: 100 Days Before Doomsday

The water pulsed with power as dragon's glowing blue eyes locked onto Grace. Its massive body coiled within the dark depths of the pond. Its presence was suffocating, its sheer size overwhelming. The energy radiating from it felt almost alive, pressing against her like an invisible force trying to crush her into submission.

But she held her ground... well, as much as one could while being suspended in water.

And then... the dragon moved.

It was a slow, sinuous motion, almost lazy - except there was nothing lazy about the way its body tensed. Its massive tail shifted, stirring up the water into violent currents.

2025's voice crackled in her mind.

[Master, it's reacting to your presence. It's assessing whether you are its prey or a threat.]

Either way, it was going to eliminate her. She knew that. And she also knew, if she failed this test, she wouldn't get a second chance.

The dragon's gaze burned into her. She could sense its strength, its overwhelming dominance in this space.

And yet, she didn't back down.

Slowly, carefully, she reached into her space and pulled out a vial - Concentrated Beast Essence. It was a rare magical substance she had recently developed. It was made of the extracts of a mutated plant and crushed level four red Spirit Stone.

It was something she had been using to momentarily fluctuate the attention of the Infected Beasts' during the fights. But considering how strong the dragon was, she wasn't sure if the product was going to work on it or not.

The moment she uncorked it, the energy exploded outward in the water.

The dragon's head snapped forward, nostrils flaring as it caught the scent. Immediately, a low, rumbling growl vibrated through the pond.

Its body tensed for a moment, and then... it lunged.

Of course, it didn't work.

Grace barely had time to react. She dodged, twisting her body just in time as the dragon's massive jaws snapped shut inches from where she had been. The sheer force of its movement sent powerful currents rolling through the water, nearly knocking her off balance.

But instead of panicking, she moved with the current, letting it propel her back as she kept her eyes on the dragon.

The beast circled her, watching. Testing.

She knew what it wanted. It wasn't just attacking out of instinct - it was challenging her. Testing if she was worthy.

[Master, you need to show dominance,] 2025 urged. [Taming a creature of this caliber requires more than just luck. It must submit to you.]

Right. But it was easier said than done.

Yet, she had one advantage - she had fought powerful creatures before. And more than that.. she had killed them. Obviously those beasts were nowhere near like what she was currently facing, but they still counted for something.

Taking a slow breath, she concentrated her attention and called her powers. Killing the beast would have been easier, but taming it needed a plan - one that she didn't have at the moment.

When she set out for restricted zone, she wasn't expecting to come across a Beast. And when she jumped into the pond to find the Beast, she wasn't expecting for 2025 to suggest her to tame it instead of killing it.

Thus, she had no prior planning to deal with the current situation.

As her power came to the surface upon her call, golden light surrounded her, curling around her like ink dissolving in water.

The dragon froze. Its gaze flickered toward the swirling energy around her, and recognition sparked in its intelligent eyes.

A beat passed, and then... it attacked.

The water erupted as the dragon shot toward her like a lightning bolt.

Grace reacted instantly. She kicked off the pond floor, darting upward just as the dragon's tail whipped through the space she had just occupied. The sheer force of the movement sent a shockwave through the water, cracking the pond bed below.

Her heart pounded. She couldn't afford to make a single mistake.

Summoning her dagger, she infused it with her energy, same golden energy curling around the blade as she twisted her body mid-water and slashed at the dragon's scales.

The impact barely left a scratch. But it did something more important - it got its attention.

The dragon let out a deep, reverberating snarl. It twisted its massive body, its tail coming around faster than she was expecting.

She crossed her arms in front of her just in time. The impact sent her flying backward, pain blooming in her arms. But she used the momentum - spinning, redirecting herself in the water.

She couldn't rely on brute force alone. She needed to be smarter.

The dragon watched her, its movements slower now, more calculating. It had felt her strength and power - it wasn't overwhelming, but it wasn't insignificant either.

More importantly, it had felt the Shadow Rain energy within her - the same energy that coursed through its body.

And that had made it hesitate.

Grace exhaled sharply, steadying herself. Then... she spoke. "I am not here to kill you."

The dragon's massive head tilted slightly, its eyes narrowing. It was listening.

"But if you don't submit to me..." Explore hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire

She let her energy flare, letting it feel her strength. She wanted it to know that she could kill it, if she wanted to. It had been taking her too lightly just because she had been holding herself back, but it shouldn't take that as her weakness.

"... I will make you." She finished, keeping her gaze fixed on it.

A long silence followed.

Then the dragon moved.

Not to attack this time, but to test. Not like it hadn't been doing exactly that all this time - testing her, playing with her. It swam forward slowly, circling her. The tension remained thick and heavy in the water.

And then, it stopped.

A deep rumble vibrated through the water. And in that moment, she knew - it had accepted her challenge.

But it wasn't about to submit to her... at least, not yet.

This was only the beginning.