Talent Awakening: Draconic Overlord Of The Apocalypse

Axel, Anzo, Blitz, Beatrice, and Lila moved swiftly, guiding the last group of civilians toward Alister. Some were still dazed, others shaken, but at least they were alive.

Lila approached Alister, her hands clasped together, her expression serious.

"We've rounded up as many as we could. A total of seventy-three civilians were found within the area. Four were unresponsive, but… they hadn't turned yet. We've separated them for observation."

Before Alister could respond, a burst of purple lightning crackled through the air. Fenris materialized, her violet eyes glowing as she knelt before him.

"My lord, some of them had already turned before I could reach them. I had no choice but to put them down."

Alister exhaled, his gaze heavy. "That's unfortunate."

Silence lingered for a moment. Then—

Lila stiffened as Mar'Garet suddenly locked eyes on her, her crimson slit pupils narrowing, she then leaned in close, her sharp gaze fixated on her.

Without warning, Mar'Garet sniffed the air around her... once, twice... before her expression changed into something unsettling... sweet yet serious, a dangerous glint in her eyes.

Lila swallowed, shifting uncomfortably. "Um…?"

Mar'Garet turned to Alister, her expression both sweet and deadly serious.

"Darling," she murmured, "why does she reek of your blood?" Her head tilted slightly, her golden eyes gleaming. "Better yet, why is she now a lesser dragon?"

Axel let out a low whistle. "Well, this just got interesting."

Alister crossed his arms. "She was dying. I couldn't just stand by and let my teammate perish when I had the means to save her."

Mar'Garet hummed. "So, you healed her… with your blood."

Alister locked eyes with her. "There was no other choice. And I'd appreciate it if you didn't question my decisions."

For a moment, Mar'Garet said nothing. Then, she sighed, flipping a strand of her silver hair over her shoulder. "I understand," she admitted, though her gaze lingered on Lila, leaning back in she whispers something into her ear. "Be careful what you wish for, I'll be keeping an eye on you."

Lila stiffened again, but Alister chose to ignore it. Instead, he turned toward the union commander, who had been observing the interaction with barely concealed apprehension.

"You need to call for transport." Alister instructed. "Get these people quarantined before we have another outbreak on our hands."

The commander hesitated for only a moment before nodding. "Understood. I'll get it done immediately."

The union commander exhaled deeply, rubbing his temples before glancing at Alister.

"Your guild master is going to have his hands full explaining this mess to the press."

Alister's gaze sharpened. "You mean they'll blame us for all this?"

The commander hesitated for a moment, then let out a weary chuckle. "Blame? Of course. That's how people work. They can't feel safe unless they have someone to hold responsible." His voice carried the weight of experience behind his words.

"It doesn't matter how many lives you saved today—there'll always be those looking for someone to vent their pain and frustrations on."

Alister sighed. "I see… So instead of being relieved that we stopped a disaster, they'll be angry we let it happen in the first place."

The commander nodded grimly. "Exactly. It won't be about the lives you saved—it'll be about the ones you didn't. About the destruction, the chaos, the fear and the loved ones lost. People like to believe someone should have had control over everything… even when that's impossible." He let out a dry laugh.

"It's easier to be angry at you than to accept that sometimes, no one is in control."

Alister ran a hand through his hair, letting the words settle in. It wasn't as if he didn't understand it—he'd seen it before. People needed someone to direct their frustrations at, someone to blame for their helplessness.

"Yeah… I get it," he said at last. His tone was calm, but there was a hint of exhaustion beneath it. "Doesn't make it any less irritating, though."

The commander smirked. "It's the business. It's never about what you actually did—it's about what people think you should have done."

Alister let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. "That's a hell of a way to put it."

The commander clapped him on the shoulder. "Regardless, I appreciate what you and your team did here. You saved lives, and that's what matters. Don't let the noise drown that out."

Alister nodded. "You are welcome."

The officer straightened, turning back to his men. "Alright, get to the transports. The rest of you, stay back and start moving the civilians. We don't need anyone wandering off or causing a scene."

As his men followed orders, Alister turned to his team. "We should patrol a little longer—make sure the area is completely secure."

Anzo, leaning against a nearby wall with his arms crossed, gave a lazy smirk. "Already scanned the place. We've wiped it clean—nothing left."

Fenris gave a nod. "I can confirm that. No more threats remain."

Alister let out a slow breath, rolling his shoulders. "Then, I guess we're done here."

As they began to walk away from the scene, Axel stretched his arms over his head and let out an exaggerated sigh. "Man, I need a drink. All this running around has me exhausted."

Anzo scoffed, shooting him a skeptical glance. "You didn't even do half the work I did. How the hell are you tired?"

Axel placed a hand over his chest, feigning offense. "Not all of us can fly around lift things with our minds, Sir Anzo. Some of us actually have to use our hands and legs."

Blitz snorted but quickly grimaced. "This whole thing was insane. I swear, I fought the urge to throw up inside my mask multiple times."

As their little chat carried on, Alister suddenly tensed. A familiar voice echoed in his mind.

'My lord, I've found an answer to what you wished to be investigated.'

His eyes narrowed as he slowed his pace.

'Terra, what did you find?'

'My lord, tis world is encased in a massive golden construct made of your father's ether. It serves as a barrier, preventing this planet from colliding with several others that are dangerously close to it.'

Alister's fingers twitched slightly. 'Are you suggesting this planet should have already merged with those several others?'

'Yes. And the reason your father isn't as strong as he should be is because he is constantly exerting himself—holding these worlds apart. As for the reason he left was because a particular section of the barrier had cracked.'

Alister's breath slowed.

Terra continued.

'Some celestial force is pulling these planets together, and if they are allowed to merge, the resulting chaos will tear this world apart. Creatures from those other realms will spill into this one, bringing utter devastation. What little remains of humanity here… will not survive.'

A cold silence settled over Alister's thoughts.

If what Terra said was true, then his father had been shouldering an unimaginable burden this entire time. And worse—something was actively pulling these worlds together.

Something… or someone.

Alister's thoughts churned as he processed Terra's words.

"Perhaps this is why I was warned to protect him?"

He exhaled slowly, his steps slowing as his mind raced. If his father was the sole force keeping these worlds from merging, then his survival wasn't just important—it was essential. Without him, everything could collapse into chaos.

'And yet… something still isn't right.'

His fingers curled slightly as he pondered the connection. The calamities. The ruins. They're set to appear soon. They all seem to be individual events. Could all of this be linked to the darkness?

There were too many missing pieces. Too many unanswered questions.

'And then there's Yu'Keto… why does he need to die? I still don't have a clear reason.'

His instincts told him that all of this—his father's struggle, the world's fragile state, the impending calamities—was part of something much bigger.

But the more he tried to piece it together, the less sense it made.

Terra's voice remained steady in his mind.

'But for now, our focus should be on finding the rest of our people and the missing pieces of the Dragon God Sword.'

'Thanks to the help of my new clansmen and the texts we recovered from that desert library, I've discovered a way to track the fragments. From my search, one of them is in that megacity.'

Alister's thoughts racwd. A piece of the Dragon God Sword, Restria—hidden in plain sight?

His mind shifted gears. If they were to retrieve it, they would need to be careful. A relic of such power wouldn't remain unnoticed.

Others would be searching for it.

His Fateless trait already made it obvious that beings existed that wished to make what was his theirs.

'Excellent work Terra,' Alister finally responded. 'Point me in the right direction.'