Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Dragon Monolith – Guidance In A Strange Form!
The lesson was short, as Lorem said.

She checked everyone was in attendance, gave a short speech about the academy and then just left, leaving the helpless princess to hand out everyone’s dorm documents and magi-key that allowed you to enter.

Asura was looking at his sheet of paper when Xavida pulled her fingers apart.

Nevertheless, he already gained what he needed before a sharp pain exploded in the back of his head, causing him to curl down onto his desk, crumpling his Dormitory sheet.

“Ugh… this…”

It hurts… It hurts like my brain is being boiled in lava!

⁜ Dragon Monolith – Stage One Awakening

His body began to feel hot and moist from a strange sweat caused by this pain that started to travel around his entire body, words and runes engraved into his brain as blood oozed from his nose.

‘Damn, it… Something is crawling under my skin!’

Asura covered his face to hide the situation from others while the taste of iron and copper filled his nose and mouth.

[Xavida POV]

*Ba-dum*

Xavida’s slit pupils narrowed as she snapped towards Asura’s body the moment he curled up as she watched the mana and strange pattern swirling from his head.

Her eyes were special due to her race, able to see the movement of mana and the strange runes that each race emitted when using or generating magic.

She felt stunned, once told that dragons were all but extinct except the apocalyptic dragons that slept in the seven pillars of the world.

“Why… An extinct black dragon…?”

Her voice was quiet as the other classmates were all happy about their future.

Even Mu Xue was smiling and having an enjoyable conversation with the girls, sitting at her seat blushing as she showed her dorm number and partner.

Xavida stepped closer, almost instinctively reaching out as her heart raced at the scene before her.

“Nngh….”

Asura’s voice was muffled, but it looked like he was sleepy or resting to others.

To Xavida, who saw the black scales pulsing and forming on the back of his neck, blood seeping down before rapidly healing to hide there was ever an issue in the first place.

The moment her fingers touched his neck, stroking ever so lightly, feeling his sleek, still soft raven black scales, causing her to feel something akin to static electricity shooting down her arm as she bit her lower lip.

A feeling of kinship?

This idiot is so annoying, but why is he the one who turns out to be trustworthy?

She didn’t know but wanted to help his suffering as she remembered her first awakening.

Under her fingers, his skin continued to split and tear as more scales formed around his neckline and upper back while her purple mana began to seep into his body.

Her eyes were gentle and nothing like before when he was teasing her.

Hmph! See when I make you help me in exchange for this.

Xavida wasn’t a bad girl, but she was alone and lacked supporters; thus, before she felt his changes, there was never a chance she could trust him.

Because her bloodline was one of the thickest of her family, or rather she was more dragon than demon compared to her uncle, who barely had specs of dragon blood in his veins, but this was why she felt Asura was trustworthy.

Due to her uncle’s pride.

A foolish man who seeks to impregnate his niece.

Only with the desire to have her birth him, a male heir with thick dragon blood, could he carry the prestige of their clan as the next northern demon king.

How could such a foolish male accept a true male dragon appearing at my side? I bet the jealousy would kill him… Hahahaha.

Xavida looked over to Mu Xue, who was still busy chatting but sometimes checked Asura. Seeing him resting, she felt relieved and turned back, giving Xavida a chance to stroke the pained Asura’s cheek gently.

‘Sorry, but I need him for my own life to be safer. I hope you can forgive me for meddling in your little relationship.’

After sorting her thoughts, seeming to have psyched herself up, Xavida leaned close to Asura’s ears, which were slightly more pointed due to his changes. There was a pretty raven-black scale on the tip of his ear.

***

⁜ Asura POV

“I will help you deal with the pain, so please remember you owe me one I-d-i-o-t.”

The soft but teasing voice of Xavida entered Asura’s hazy ears as he was engulfed in pain as if his entire body was being burned from the insides.

‘Eh? Xavida?’

Immediately after her words, a cool breeze filled his body and helped him regain his focus so that he could read the monolith prompt on the huge screen for the first time.

That pain was like my organs and muscles were melting, and my bones burned to ash…

⁜ Choose Your Evolution ⁜

⁜ Claws — You can unleash your dragon bloodline using sharp claws in battle.

⁜ Wings — Black wings allow short flight and combat agility.

⁜ Breath — A high damage non-elemental black flame attack from the mouth.

⁜ Scales — Increases the natural defence of your body, boosting magic resistance.

⁜ Heart — Evolve your heart to control and manage your Anima and magic more efficiently.

“Wow…”

‘What’s Anima?’

Asura stopped feeling his body, became immersed in the monolith, and wondered which to choose as he saw a small movie of each skill on the screen with his name and the strange runes and numbers that didn’t make sense yet.

‘Hmmm? What is this information tab about.’

He pressed the button, hoping for feedback and information on the best choice.

Suddenly, a hologram with the same image as himself formed from the ground, flickering with a blue light and looking at him with a strange smile.

“Hello there, I am the interface for the Monolith type evolution system from planet XG4666NA, also known as Neo-Earth of the Beatrice Galaxy.”

“This system is designed to evolve the subject to the very limits of their genes.”

“Because you are of a strange, inhuman race, we could only match it with fantastical creatures that were but myths or fiction on Neo-Earth. Do forgive the lack of complete information.”

Asura stood listening to his voice with a slight mechanical twinge before wondering if this projection could understand him or if it was just a recorded message like memory stones sold in the central continent for dying family members or special events.

“What is strange about me, also Neo-Earth? I have never heard of such a realm or planet as you call them.”

Interestingly, there was another planet… A planet with only the human race?

“One moment, please, master.”

The hologram’s eyes flickered rapidly with strange runic numbers and green lights before it stopped and looked at Asura again.

“Confirmed destruction of Neo-Earth over ten thousand years have passed since the extinction of the human race from Earth.”

Oh…

Asura’s interest died instantly as the planet was destroyed due to a huge blast from the dark skies, and breaking apart was shown on the monitor.

I guess I will never need to care about this then… but the monolith system they built, how does it have other races if their planet was only human?

“Deleting irrelevant data and formatting to suit this world and your needs better.”

The projection began to flash green, like before; countless strange runes now travelled around its body and made Asura feel a little nauseous due to the speed.

*Beep* *Boop*

⁜ Formatting Complete – Asura Fenix Digital Companion Now Configured ⁜

“Forgive me, Lord Fenix.”

“Thanks to your memories and the artefact’s memory, I now have sufficient information about your world.”

Asura nodded but still felt overwhelmed and had many questions to ask, but the main one was how this could help him.

“What can you do to help me?”

The hologram’s image changed instead, taking on the form of an older male in a lab coat.

‘It seemed to understand I was uncomfortable speaking to myself?’

“First, I can help you understand the large monolith that carries your name, and all the language written on the slab will be given to you mentally. Ah…”

“But since you are evolving, would advice on which part to take first be better?”

‘I just worried that I might be unable to pick the others if I chose one…’

Suddenly, the male nodded and hammered his fist onto his palm with a smile.

“Do not worry; before you reach the true levels of evolution, you must build all the blocks and links that form that race.”

“The first five levels of the monolith will change your body and genetics so you can reach the important Sixth Stage and achieve a true transformation. However…”

“Why your system has five choices, and they are all somehow working in sync is beyond me; I will try to learn during your daily life if possible.”

Asura was taken aback by his words, wondering if this meant he was special, but he wouldn’t let it go to his head for a lifetime as someone who could not use magic and be weak could never be forgotten.

He needed to cool his head.

“I would like to inform and congratulate you on becoming a First Stage Dragon.”

“Now you can convert the purified mana in your body that was devoured into a special magic unique to dragons and yourself.”

“What is that special magic?”

The eyes of the image flickered several times before it continued.

“Anima. A special type of energy, the purest source with double the power and effect of mana and qi, but volatile and only usable by those with the correct constitution. One unit of Anima would be five units of mana or three units of qi.”

Do I have to call on those selfish spirits that betrayed me when I was lost in despair?

“No need for spirits or the worship of gods.”

“You can channel the elements themselves, and how to do so will be slowly taught over the next few days while you sleep.”

“!!!”

“Thank god… I held grudges against them and didn’t think I could honestly channel their chants and praise except for Sylphir, who tried to help me.”

“By the way, what’s your name?”

“BR-1ANZ6623359. Model Two. Hmm… You can just call me Brian, as it’s easier.”

“Okay, Brian! Then what would you suggest as my first Evolution.”

He looked towards the eager Asura, the blue light fluttering as a beam seemed to trace over the entire body of the young male from his eyes to his feet before the image flickered.

“I have analysed that your body lacks too greatly despite the physical improvements to fight this world, Knights and Warriors…”

“Ask your wife to help you train vigorously and take the Scale Evolution.”

“The Scales aren’t as bland as they seem, offering a passive increase to your physical and magical resistance, but also increased muscle and bone durability while you can summon the black dragon scales for a short time as an extremely strong defensive ability.”

“Summon them?”

“Well, they are yours, right?”

“Then why can’t I use them all the time?”

As if mocking Asura, the old man image shook his head and played a strange, jarring laughing sound before turning back to the young male.

“Can a baby wear full plate and chainmail armour?”

“No… they would be crushed under the weight.”

“There is your answer; just because you reached the first stage, you are a true dragon in blood and name, not physically.”

‘I see… Let’s not rush things—I was too excited.’

Asura took a deep breath before looking at the monolith, choosing the scale’s evolution and hoping this strange ghost-like thing wasn’t tricking him.

The moment he did, his mind returned to the real world, where a true, painful baptism awaited him.

***

In the dark space with five monoliths, the image of the old man transformed into a beautiful woman with black wings fluttering from her back and a long plume from her hair as she looked at the screen with his details.

She was no longer an image or hologram but a living woman with beautiful fair skin and dark feathers covering most of her voluptuous figure.

For a moment, the [******] monolith began to vibrate and resound with the strange cries of an excited bird.

“So, you were here on a strange little planet in the middle of nowhere, born without your memories and in such a poor body…”

A strange glint flashing in her golden eyes.