Draco and Hikari watched pensively as Worldly Energy got dragged in torrents by their first egg, which was covered with red inscriptions written in a strange language.
As more and more energy was absorbed by it, the inscriptions turned more vivid and clear to the point that they started to glow. The egg itself trembled as it shifted to the right and the left slowly, showing that the life within was trying to break out.
As much as Hikari wanted to help her child, Draco stopped her. This was a process every oviparous species had to go through, the cracking of their own eggshell. If they cracked it for their young one, it would have a detriment to their future.
Right now, the egg had the best conditions for hatching, unlimited ambient energy and the protection of its parents. There was no need to do anymore than this.
The egg shook even harder to the side, the life within growing stronger with every passing moment, doing its best to break free. Each second felt like a year for the anxious Hikari, and Draco had to transform into a Black Dragon lest she stomp him to death.
Even with the suppressive effect of the Black Dragon, Hikari was still irritable and restless, leaving Draco helpless. He might the first Black Dragon in history who had ended bitten and scratched by his White Dragon, right?
However, just like a husband accompanying his wife in labor, Draco gritted his teeth and accepted all the abuse hurled at him for it was his duty in this situation. He was not as anxious as Hikari because he had confidence in his genealogy.
Eventually, the first crack showed itself on the eggshell. This made the world pause. Hikari specially froze as her eyes gleamed, staring at the egg with anticipation. Once the first crack occurred, a successful birth was practically guaranteed.
The energy gathered at an even greater pace through the hole, and more cracks began to form around the first one, expanding rapidly. Soon, the entire eggshell was covered in cracks, and a single push would release the youngster inside.
Immediately, a grand torrent of Aetheric Energy was pulled in like a storm as the egg cracked and the claw of the young one pushed the shell away from it. All the Aetheric Energy entered its body and formed the base of its Dragon Soul.
A relatively large - for its age - Black Dragon emerged from the egg, his bright red eyes filled with incomparable majesty and aloofness. Clearly, the quality of energy had formed a very potent soul for it, which was a good thing.
Hikari's eyes softened greatly as her whole body shivered. She gently walked over and rubbed her snout on her firstborn baby, who responded by rubbing against his mother. There was such love and affection flowing out of Hikari's bright blue eyes that even Draco felt touched, for a moment wishing he had such a relationship with his own parents.
Even though the young Black Dragon was quite aloof, it was still a baby and therefore unable to speak. It also needed the milk of its mother and the protection of its father in order to grow.
Draco walked over and lowered his snout to poke his son on the head. The youngster couldn't yet do anything but stand, so the light poke directly sent him rolling around helplessly.
Chalk it up to Draco to establish his prestige by bullying his newborn son!
Hikari's face changed as she quickly helped their son up, followed by a glare at the father, who merely chuckled. Draco gazed at his son and for the first time realized that he still had to name him.
Since he was a true blue Black Dragon, Draco spoke out the perfect name for him.
"From now on, your name will be Little Black!"
The moment Draco made this proclamation, the heavens suddenly rumbled as lightning dropped in thick batches, lancing the area where Draco stood. Hikari and the youngling held each other as their eyes bulged, watching the fellow get bombarded by the most powerful lightning the heavens conjured for over 10 minutes.
Eventually, the bombardment came to a stop, revealing Draco who had reverted to his human form. His entire body was blackened as if he had rolled his soot, and only his bloodshot eyes were left visible of his features.
"Peh… H-his name… shall be… Kuro…"
After squeezing that out, Draco directly keeled over and fainted.
Hikari panicked and threw a bunch of heals over to Draco, but he didn't wake up. Was the wrath of heaven and the External Origin Gods easy to bear? No!
As for the newly named Kuro, he simply walked over to his father's body and flicked it, checking if he was still alive. Seeing that he was out cold, the little tyke sighed and thanked the heavens for being fair to punish his wicked Dad while not overdoing it!
｢Name: Kuro Morningstar - Rank 0 Hatchling
Str: 10
Dex: 10
End: 10
Int: 10
Spr: 10
Cha: 10
Lck: 10
Abilities: Destruction Claw
Traits: Supreme Bloodline, Darkness Immunity.｣
｢Destruction Claw – Active Skill
Effect: Strike with a claw coated with Destruction Energy, ripping apart the defense of any enemy and dealing 500% Destruction damage to a single target.
Cooldown: 1 minute.｣
｢Supreme Bloodline – Trait
Effect: Possessing the bloodline of a Dragon Primogenitor class parent along with a mixture of Ultima Sunt, Devil Primogenitor and Demon Progenitor bloodline, this being has no limits.｣
｢Darkness Immunity – Trait
Effect: Total Immunity to all darkness and destruction damage and their related effects.｣
Roma and Zaine soon came over to see their step-son, and marveled at how much he resembled Draco in his Dragon Form. Naturally, the two mothers were accompanied by their own children. Loki and Rosella hovered in the air using their own powers as they checked out this new sibling of theirs.
Once they felt that bloodline resonance, a sense of intimacy developed in their young minds and there was no rejection towards each other in their hearts.
While everyone was still fawning over the newest addition to the Morningstat Clan, Clarent and Qiong Qi wore smelly socks on their heads as they approached Draco's passed out body. They cackled continually while thinking of the evil they would beget on this fellow.
However, their evil plan was foiled by the Dragon Ancestor who slammed a heavenly palm down and blasted the two into the sunset. The old man collected his beloved disciple's body and acted as his guardian until he woke up.
After that, Draco his mentor and the Phoenix Ancestor to see his child. The Dragon Ancestor laughed uproariously as he boasted about Kuro being the grandson he had always wanted, while the Phoenix Ancestor rolled her eyes.
Kuro gazed at the Dragon Ancestor and felt a Draconic aura from him, telling him that this old man could be trusted...
After Kuro's birth, the second egg had around 100 days to go until it hatched. By that time, Eva should have long since given birth, so she would be present for the second hatching.
Speaking of his Soulmate, Draco noticed Hikari was a bit down after everyone congratulated and fawned over Kuro.
When he asked why, Hikari claimed it was because she wished her big sis could be here to see. Draco laughed and told her that Eva had already seen everything, as they would interface when he went out. This comforted Hikari a bit, and managed to lift her spirits.
As for Kuro, he would remain a Hatchling for the next 300 days before advancing to a Youngling. It wasn't like with Clarent who was treated like Draco's Battle Pet, meaning every Rank Up would evolve him, or with Hikari, where due to her long time in captivity, she had grown to the adult stage without ever increasing her Rank.
He was an orthodox Dragonling who would grow just as all Dragons normally did, by aging.
Seeing that the new mother was busy managing and fawning over her own son, Draco heartily took his leave as he had things to do.
He entered the Tower once more and gazed to the sky, his gaze telling the Tower Spirit that its days were numbered.
Off to Floor 91!
From here on out, the Tower had only 9 floors to ready its butthole for the chainsaw that was about to be shoved in… literally.
When Draco appeared on the floor, he found himself in a large hall with two other people here, each standing on either side of himself. On the left was a woman with fair skin and three white foxtails waving around her nervously. To his right was a fellow with long rabbit ears and cute looks, definitely a femboy type.
Both were nervously staring ahead, and Draco noticed that they were all wearing stainless white robes, similar to a toga. Before them was a long set of stairs with braziers on either side which were lit with auspicious flames.
The stairs seemed to be held by clouds and mist, the light of the sun emerging from the top of the seeming infinite stairs. From the platform where the group stood, it looked just like mortals gazing up into the heavens.
｢The Nintey-First Floor – Divine Quest
Description: Filthy mortal, you have been chosen among the rubble of the various worlds to partake in the once in a lifetime event that the Gods have established to grant your lowly kind a chance to ascend beyond your meager limits.
Welcome to the Stairway to Heaven!
This set of stairs has a total of 100 steps for you to climb, each one twice as difficult to climb as the last. Only those filthy mortals with the grit and will deserve a fleeting chance at Godhood! The realm of the Gods does not need anyone weak willed to lower its prestige!
For this floor, you are to climb the first 10 steps to pass.
Limitation 1: This is the final set of floors! Each floor is connected to the others in a sequence, and each floor requires one to walk ten steps.
Limitation 2: You may retreat from the floor at any time, but upon re-entry, you would have to resume from the exact situation you were in at the time.
Limitation 3: There is a heavenly pressure descending from the realm of the Gods that will land on you, each step will be twice as hard as the last to climb, and death - True Death - is all but certain if one fails!
Limitation 4: If you falter and are knocked back down to the ground, you will forever lose your chance to climb the Stairway to Heaven. This is an opportunity you can only take once, so grasp it thoroughly!
Provision 1: You are in possession of your full power and entirety of your means. You can use any item, skill, Tradeskill, technique, ability or title to assist you in climbing the stairs, for this shows your foundation as a mortal ascending to godhood!
Provision 2: You have been temporarily boosted to the peak of Rank 7, as that is the threshold required to become a God. Your stats and powers have been increased to reflect the power you would have at Rank 7 if everything progressed normally.
Provision 3: You can call any helpers you want in the climbing of the floor. Even if they are knocked down, they will not be killed or disqualified, and you will not suffer any backlash from it.
Provision 4: There are two competitors with you. They can be used or abused in any way to assist you in reaching the top, and their auxiliary uses are plentiful!
Rewards: Score Points, 1 Supreme-Tier Reward Selection.｣
After reading this, Draco's lips curled into a grin. He couldn't believe that this was the final set of floors, but at the same time, it made so much fucking sense.
He had been so lost in his beef with the Tower that he had long since forgotten that this thing's original purpose was to train new Deities!
Draco then read the rules and found an obvious exploit, one that he was happy to take advantage of. As such, he waved his hand and created a giant portal, from which many shadows emerged, happy to have crossed their realm to end up in this one...
