Chapter 6: The Temple

“Finally, the opportunity has come.”

The deep, dark cyan vertical pupils reflected the dazzling aura emitted by the scattered gold and silver treasures. In the silent cave, the rhythmic breathing of the young dragons echoed, clear and distinct. Dyril exhaled softly, his expression tense yet filled with anticipation.

He was about to verify something, and if his findings were correct, his long dragon life of thousands of years might take on a different hue.

He had waited a considerable amount of time for this perfect opportunity. The dragon father and mother had both left the nest—the bronze dragon couple was currently engaged in battle with the evil dragon, though Dyril was unaware of the specifics.

However, even so, most dragons that are particularly protective of their young will have one of them stay behind to guard the nest, leaving only in very rare circumstances.

To ensure the safety of the hatchlings while they were away, the bronze dragon couple spared no expense in setting up numerous arrays and restrictions within the nest.

When Dyril first awoke from his dragon slumber, his elder sister, Elina, was managing the nest through an alchemical array. This moved him, leading him to suggest alternating guard duties.

The request he made at the time, which was merely a passing thought, now facilitated his actions. He naturally gained control of the dragon nest. Although this was not a remarkable achievement, it made his next steps more convenient.

“It can’t be here.”

Dyril surveyed the cave before him. This cave, which stored the entire wealth of the two bronze dragons, was the main part of the nest but not its entirety.

Dyril didn’t know where his parents had chosen to build their nest, but according to the descriptions in his inherited memories, bronze dragons like his kind preferred rocky islands, granite cliffs overlooking the sea, or locations near the coastline for nesting.

Even when choosing a seaside location, bronze dragons typically preferred caves with underwater entrances, while keeping the interior of the nest dry.

Because of this, when Dyril was newly hatched, he even had the illusion that the nest was completely sealed off. In reality, the entrance and exit of the nest were just located underwater, out of sight, while the main part of the nest was above the water.

Of course, Dyril wasn’t foolish enough to think about leaving the nest. To him, the world outside was unfamiliar and full of unknown and uncontrollable dangers. The nest was the safest place for a young dragon like him.

Within the area covered by the alchemical array, he found a “room” roughly large enough to accommodate three hatchlings. The dragon nest had been modified from a natural cave, so such “rooms” were not uncommon.

Folding his wings, Dyril crawled into the small room he had chosen. Through the alchemical array, he confirmed that his siblings were still in their dragon slumber, and his parents, who had left not long ago, wouldn’t return anytime soon.

And so, under the starlight, the young bronze dragon curled up in a narrow crevice of the small cave. In an instant, he vanished from the nest as if he had never existed.

A vast, desolate, and ancient aura enveloped him as the young dragon sat crouched on the hard, rocky ground, gazing up at the eternal and boundless starry sky above. For a moment, his body and mind were frozen in awe.

Although he had seen this scene many times in his dreams, even when his consciousness was clear, he knew he was dreaming. No matter how vast the sight appeared, it always felt somewhat illusory and blurred.

But now, he had personally arrived at the floating land in the void, where his dream-self had once roamed. The once distant, star-filled sky, which had only served as a backdrop, was now a reality.

Dyril was certain that every star in the sea of stars before him was real. However, in his current state, he could not hope to reach any of them. He couldn’t even leave the floating land beneath his feet.

“Incredible!”

Dyril’s head tilted slightly as he gazed at the sky, and then he saw it—a towering pyramid, majestic and imposing like a mountain, dominating his entire view.

It was a grand structure, seemingly built by giants, constructed from massive stones. The entire pyramid was a grayish-white color, with no peak at its top. Instead, a square temple stood at the summit, with broad stone steps stretching all the way down to the base.

Upon seeing the temple perched at the top of the pyramid, Dyril immediately knew the purpose of his visit.

This vast and distant rocky land stretched beyond the horizon, and besides him, no other living creatures existed here. Naturally, there was nothing else worth exploring; the pyramid temple was the only structure present.

After only a brief hesitation, Dyril spread his wings. He had to explore this place because he could feel a deep, soul-level connection with this floating land in the void.

Besides, as far as his eyes could see, there was nothing but the vast and boundless starry sky, magnificent to the extreme. On this floating land, there was no threat in sight, and it seemed as though he was the only living being to have visited this place in millions of years.

The hatchling, who had never left the nest before, leapt into the air, his four claws easily lifting off the ground. For dragons, flying was as natural as breathing or eating; it was an innate instinct that required no learning.

Even so, Dyril, experiencing flight for the first time, maintained a height of just three meters above the ground. This ensured that if he made a mistake and fell, it would be nothing more than a shake of the head.

Even though the pyramid seemed to be within reach, Dyril spent what felt like an incredibly long time in his perception to finally reach the steps at its base. From there, he flew up the stairs all the way to the entrance of the temple.

During this process, he encountered no obstacles—no anti-flight laws or restrictions forced him, as an intruding dragon, to obediently climb up the mountain-like pyramid step by step.

Dyril descended from the air, glanced up at the still dazzling starry sky, and let out a small burst of electric sparks. Then, like a cat, he landed on all fours and stepped through the massive temple doors, large enough for even titans to enter in their true form.

As his surroundings shifted, Dyril was suddenly startled to find himself standing in a vast desert. As far as his eyes could see, there were no boundaries. The sky and land seemed to merge into one, with no horizon in sight.

Amid the nearby sand dunes stood a stone pillar, towering like a celestial column, requiring one to look up to see its full height. The pillar bore the marks of erosion from wind and sand. In the distance, another similar stone pillar was visible, and with his keen draconic eyesight, Dyril could discern even more pillars, faintly seen and stretching far into the horizon.

From the outside, the temple occupied only about twenty to thirty square kilometers, but inside, it was vast and boundless, extending beyond what any dragon could see from the air, resembling a small world of its own.

Nevertheless, Dyril soon found his target: a stone platform rising amid the sand dunes, the site of sacrifices and the very center of the temple.

Upon seeing the stone platform for the first time, Dyril understood its significance; a concept was implanted in his mind, revealing the importance of this place.