The valley stretched endlessly before Lui Quiboloy. Mist swirled through floating mountains, rivers defied gravity, and forests glimmered with ethereal light. He had survived his first true challenge beyond the forge. His body ached, but his mind burned with questions, and one question eclipsed all others.
Arthur Alpha walked beside him, calm and measured. The golden light around him pulsed faintly, as if resonating with Lui's curiosity.
"Arthur," Lui said, his voice quiet but tense, "who is Prince Val Alpha? I… I feel like I've heard the name before. Even during the trials, there was something… overwhelming, watching. Something older than the world itself."
Arthur's gaze turned distant, eyes narrowing as if recalling memories older than time. "Prince Val Alpha," he said slowly, "is the First Dragon. The original architect of heroes, of mortal and immortal existence alike. He existed before the dawn of creation. He is not merely a being of power. He is the origin of power itself, the spark from which the first legends of the world were born."
Lui's breath caught. "Before creation? You mean… before the world existed, before even this place?"
Arthur nodded. "Yes. His presence permeates all realities, even those not yet formed. He is eternal, changeless, and flawless. The first spark of divine will that shaped the cosmos into order. Many call him a god, but even the term falls short. He is the measure against which all power is weighed. Mortals, heroes, and even those who claim divinity trace their existence to him, directly or indirectly."
Lui struggled to comprehend. "Then… the trials… the awakening… it's all because of him?"
Arthur looked at Lui with calm intensity. "Not entirely. The trials are designed to awaken the potential within you, but the reason the world itself recognizes your presence… is the trace of Prince Val Alpha's will. He watches, silently, even now. Not as a tyrant, but as a force that ensures the rise of those capable of shaping the fate of existence. Every hero, every threat, every trial carries a fragment of his design. Even I, as your guide, exist because of his will."
Lui's mind raced. "So… he created Arthur too?"
Arthur's lips curved faintly. "In a sense. I was shaped to guide those who awaken to the path of heroes. Prince Val Alpha's influence runs through me, through this realm, through every force you will encounter. But do not mistake me for him. I am a teacher, a witness, and a sentinel. He is… beyond all comprehension."
Lui clenched his fists, his aura flickering faintly. "If he exists… if he watches… then the power I awakened… it's connected to him? My path… is meant to intersect with his?"
Arthur's golden eyes softened. "Yes. But understand this, Lui Quiboloy. The First Dragon is not a being to serve blindly. He is a measure, a standard, a force that challenges heroes to rise. You must grow on your own, or the world will not allow you to endure. Prince Val Alpha does not guide, he observes. He tests. And one day, you may meet him directly. The encounter will define the course of your destiny."
The mist swirled thicker around them as Lui absorbed the weight of Arthur's words. A being older than time itself, the First Dragon, the origin of all heroes and powers—he had survived challenges guided by traces of this ancient will, and yet he had only begun to understand the true scale of what awaited him.
"Then… my journey isn't just about surviving these lands," Lui said, voice steady now, filled with newfound determination. "It's about rising to meet the standard he set. About becoming someone worthy of even existing in a world he watches."
Arthur nodded. "Precisely. And every step forward, every trial you face, every victory and failure, will be recorded in the currents of this world. The awakening you began is only the first spark. Prince Val Alpha is the fire that will temper it. But you, Lui Quiboloy, are the one who must learn to wield it."
The valley ahead stretched wider, more mysterious than ever. Mountains, forests, rivers, and unseen realms beckoned. Shadows stirred in the distance, hinting at the challenges to come. The first true civilization awaited beyond the mist, and with it, the first glimpses of allies, rivals, and enemies who would shape Lui's path.
Lui took a deep breath, his chest rising with determination. The First Dragon existed. He was eternal. He was flawless. And one day, Lui Alpha would meet him.
But for now, he had a world to explore. He had trials to survive. He had a path to carve through reality itself.
And he would not falter.