I Received System to Become Dragonborn

A scream, raw and full of pain, echoed through the entire forest. It came from the bird man, now sprawled on the ground with his wings pinned by thin, sharp spears of earth jutting up beneath him.

The spears were narrow enough not to shred his wings completely, but the damage was crippling — enough to ensure he would never fly again.

Blood soaked his feathers, and he didn't stop screaming. This was the worst pain he had ever felt in his life. He had always been the talented one, the unbeatable one — no one could challenge him.

But this man… no… this is not a man. This is something else. And he don't know what.

For the first time, fear gripped the bird man's heart. He looked up and saw Eccar walking toward him. The black scales that had once armored Eccar's arms were gone now, his tan skin restored.

Eccar sat beside him calmly, knowing the bird man couldn't move anymore.

The forest had fallen into silence. Mist curled back through the shattered trees. The faint creak of falling branches still echoed here and there, but the woods were still now, holding their breath.

"I want to ask you some questions," Eccar said. "Tell me more about this old god of yours, the one that's about to wake up."

The bird man glared up at him, his gaze sharp despite his wounds. His twisted, avian face somehow managed to show both rage and fear at once. A mixture that made Eccar pause, even impressed by it.

"Who are you?" the bird man rasped. "Are you here to stop the revival? Are you a servant of another god? Or… are you one of the gods, hiding among humans?"

"Another god that blends in with human life?" Eccar's brow furrowed. "He said 'another'… so there must be more than one."

It intrigued him. But right now, that wasn't important.

"No. I'm neither," Eccar said. "I just want to stop it."

"Why?" the bird man demanded.

"Because it's dangerous," Eccar answered.

"Says who?" the bird man spat. "The humans? What makes you think they're more important than us?"

Eccar blinked. He hadn't really thought about it that way. He was always simple like that. He fought first, acted first, never overthought things. But now, what the bird man said… it did make some sense.

"I just do what Erend's power tells me to and so far, that power has never been wrong. It's always led us to do the right thing. So there was no reason to doubt it now."

"I have a great source for that," Eccar said simply.

The bird man let out a bitter scoff. "That's why we must revive the old god — to destroy this civilization and return life to the forest. Humans will always destroy. They kill what they dislike, they burn forests, they tear open the earth for minerals and profit. Did you know how much they've already burned? How deep they've dug?"

Eccar shook his head. "Listen, bird. I'm not even human. So you can't debate human rights and wrongs with me, or who's the most righteous creature walking this world. But I do know one thing, there's a power greater than any of us. A power that knows the future and the past. And based on that knowledge, it knows what must be done. My friends and I… we're just its enforcers."

At those words, the bird man's face twisted further, his expression warping into something close to shock.

Eccar could tell the bird man was shocked. He just gave a small nod, as if he understood.

"Shocking, isn't it?" Eccar said, his voice edged with dry humor. "Yeah, man. The world's bigger and scarier than just your forest."

The bird man had no words now. His beak stayed shut, his sharp gaze flickering with uncertainty.

"So answer me," Eccar pressed, his tone firmer this time.

The bird man hesitated, deliberating in silence. But then, with a bitter breath, he spoke. "The Old God of the Forest… it is the oldest of all gods. Older than any that exist in these worlds. A primordial being. It was meant to hold the greatest power among them all."

"And how? Where will it be resurrected?" Eccar asked, leaning in.

"In every forest," the bird man replied. "You can't pinpoint where a primordial forest god will rise. It owns all the forests. So when it wakes, it will wake in every one of them."

Eccar clicked his tongue in frustration. "Great. This is even more troublesome than I thought. How the hell are we supposed to stop 'all the forests' from waking up? Burn them all?"

"You can't stop it," the bird man said, a cruel edge creeping into his voice. "No one can. You should just give up. And this is only the beginning. After this… the others will awaken too. The Praetoris will rise."

At that, Eccar's eyes narrowed. "Praetoris, you said?"

"Yes," the bird man confirmed. "That's the name. The group of old, ancient primordials. Gods from before your time."

Finally, another piece fell into place. Praetoris…

He and Erend had been wondering about that name — it had appeared in Laston's records, vague and ominous. So this was what they were. The ancient primordial gods of this world.

"Or maybe… they exist in other worlds too. Other dimensions. That would explain why Laston knew about them — even though they were supposed to be long dead."

Based on the records Erend had shared with him, Laston had faced these Praetoris before and knew their strength firsthand.

Eccar let out a long sigh. Then asked, "What ele do you know?"

"I know no more thing. You can just kill me." The bird man looked like he already making peace with his own death.

"No. I will not kill you. You need to bring message to your kind, say that there were people who will stop the revival of your gods. Tell them about me and what can I do. And if they interfere I will not give them mercy like you. I will kill them all. So its your job to stop them."

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