I Received System to Become Dragonborn

Erend still felt confused as he stared across the strange landscape with a frown on his face. How could he not be confused, and even a little concerned, when something he had always considered a deeply guarded secret within his soul had apparently been discovered by another force?

The Dungeon World was not something he had ever expected anyone else to know about. It was a place connected directly to his System and his own existence. Yet somehow, the Trial had recreated something that looked almost exactly like it.

Perhaps it had happened when he entered the portal.

The strange energy he had felt flowing through his body had not simply transported him into this place. It had felt as though it was examining him.

In the short period of time he had experienced as only a few seconds, perhaps the Trial’s power had searched through his body and soul and uncovered things that even Erend had never revealed to anyone.

It took him some time to recover from the shock.

Eventually, however, Erend managed to calm himself. He had experienced too many strange things throughout his life to allow one more unexpected situation to completely overwhelm him.

Once he controlled his thoughts, his mind gradually became clearer and he could finally examine the situation rationally.

First, he should have expected something like this.

Askar had already warned them that the Trial would be difficult, even for Dragonborns. That difficulty clearly did not only involve physical challenges.

Erend was certain that the Trial could examine their minds, memories, fears, and perhaps even their souls before creating situations specifically designed for them.

This was probably one of those situations.

Maybe the Trial could only replicate the Dungeon World. Erend considered the possibility while looking across the endless darkness.

It should not have been capable of creating the real Dungeon World. That dimension contained countless different worlds divided into levels. Each level had different environments, different creatures, different challenges, and countless other elements that Erend himself still did not fully understand or even see for himself.

Recreating all of that should have been impossible.

Or maybe it can? Erend could not be certain.

He finally stopped thinking about it and steadied himself. Whatever the Trial had prepared for him, there was no point standing still and worrying about it.

Erend took his first step forward. Whatever happened inside this Trial, he would face it. That was the only way.

—

Eccar dropped onto a solid stone surface.

Fortunately, he managed to control his body during the brief moment before impact so instead of landing face-first on the ground, he landed on both feet, although he stumbled slightly before regaining his balance.

He immediately looked around. Eccar realized that he was standing inside an enormous underground tunnel.

The stone passage stretched far ahead and behind him, with both directions eventually disappearing into complete darkness.

The tunnel was wide enough for several people to walk side by side, and the ceiling rose high above his head. Yet despite its size, there was nothing around him except earth and stone.

Eccar frowned. What was he supposed to do here? Why had the Trial placed him inside an underground tunnel?

Then he remembered Askar’s warning. The Trial was supposed to be difficult.

Eccar clenched his jaw. He could not afford to underestimate anything just because the situation looked simple.

At least there was one advantage. He was surrounded by earth.

As an Earth Dragon, Eccar could manipulate Earth Magic much more naturally when surrounded by large amounts of stone and soil. If the Trial intended to test his abilities, then this environment should have been perfect for him.

Eccar began walking deeper into the tunnel.

However, after only a short distance, another thought entered his mind.

The Trial knew he was an Earth Dragon. It knew that Earth was his primary source of power.

So why had it placed him in an environment that seemed to support him so perfectly?

If the Trial was designed to challenge him, this should have been an advantage rather than a disadvantage.

Something was wrong. Eccar could feel it.

He continued walking into the darkness while remaining alert. His eyes constantly moved on the walls and the path ahead as he tried to determine what the Trial was hiding from him.

—

Aesa landed on a completely flat surface. Her feet touched ice.

She immediately looked around and saw an endless landscape of ice stretched in every direction as far as her eyes could see.

The ground beneath her was covered in smooth white and pale-blue ice, while the distant horizon disappeared into a vast frozen emptiness.

Aesa slowly lowered her gaze toward the ice beneath her feet. Then she looked around again.

She was an Ice Dragon. Ice was her power. But now the Trial had placed her in a world made almost entirely of ice.

Aesa’s cold expression became slightly puzzled. Her thoughts were almost identical to what Eccar had in mind.

Why had the Trial placed her in an environment that seemed perfectly suited to her abilities?

If this was supposed to be a difficult Trial, then this should have been an advantage.

Aesa narrowed her eyes as she stared across the frozen horizon. Something about this place did not feel right.

The Trial had separated all four of them and she was sure it would give them different challenges.

Aesa took a cautious step forward across the ice. She did not know what the Trial intended to show her yet. But she knew that it wouldn’t be easy. This could be the hardest challenge she ever face.

—

Meanwhile, Sylven landed softly among the trees. His feet touched a thick layer of leaves and damp soil as he immediately steadied himself and looked around.

A dense forest surrounded him in every direction. Tall trees rose toward the sky with branches intertwining overhead and blocking much of the sunlight.

Vines hung from tree trunks, small plants covered the ground around him, the air carried the fresh scent of leaves and earth.

Sylven slowly narrowed his eyes. As a Plant Dragon, this environment should have been perfect for him. He could already feel countless plants responding to his presence.

But something felt wrong.

—