Last Egg: Reincarnated as a Dragon in a Game - Chapter 472: Run or Fight?

(AN: Alright, after this, there will be one more chapter, and then there will be a short time skip to the end of the month.)

Amidst the cold winds carrying snow, the silhouette of the massive dark dragon stood on the frozen plain. Obscured by the darkness, he stood like a massive black spot in the whiteness of the surrounding landscape.

As he gazed upon the velvety night sky strewn with glimmering starlit jewels, he felt a profound bond with his very own star, reaching deep into the vastness of the cosmos.

‘So my star isn’t the local one.’ The realization brought a twinge of disappointment, but understanding soon dawned on him. His eyes sparkled with the radiant gleam of stars and the fire of anger—for someone had dared to claim what was rightfully his.

‘Solaris, the goddess of the sun, that thieving good for nothing, must have already claimed the local star for herself.’

Vesuvius shuttered his eyes, drawing his attention to the pulsating beacon of light far away, linked to him. The fabric of reality seemed to twist and fold around him, and in a mere heartbeat, a torrent of scorching warmth and boundless energy surged through him, awakening every fiber of his being.

Vesuvius, bathed in unimaginable power, felt as if he had transcended mortal comprehension. The urge to roar, to release the pent-up supernova within him into the vast expanse, was overwhelming.

‘This star, this radiant heart, belongs to me.’

Though the star’s potent force and searing heat enveloped him, he felt no agony, only the euphoric thrill of unbridled power.

As he opened his eyes, all he witnessed was a sea of burning and compressed gases, a tempest so fierce and destructive that, by any logical measure, he should have been obliterated. But he remained comfortable and empowered.

‘This is truly a great environment.’

With a mighty thrust of his wings, he launched forward faster than the swiftest comet, carried by the inexorable pull and power of his star.

Emerging from the fiery abyss, Vesuvius found himself amidst the silent, vast void of space. In this boundless expanse, even he, with his colossal stature, felt minuscule, a mere droplet in the cosmic ocean.

The lack of air didn’t bother him for even a bit, and the sensation of emptiness around him brought a refreshing sensation that he had never felt before.

‘This brings up the question of why there are so many gods and powerful existences concentrated on a single small planet like Lorenia.’ He witnessed with his own eyes how vast the existence was and how insignificant a single planet was.

‘Even I have the power to travel across the universe, so why are all the gods paying so much attention to a single planet? Why are they fighting when they could just leave?’

The moment he stared into the endless black canvas of glowing stars, he felt like he was missing something. ‘Are dragons also somewhere else? What about angels and demons?’

In a blink, a mystical wave encased Vesuvius, distorting the very space around him. When the universe righted itself, he found himself at a vantage point further away from his star. What was once an infinite blaze now revealed itself as a magnificent, blazing sphere stretching from one corner of his vision to another.

This immense orb, a radiant fusion of radiation and gases, shone brilliantly against the backdrop of the cosmos. Its grandeur, even from afar, radiated heat that danced upon Vesuvius’s scales. The intricate play of immensely powerful forces stirred great pride within him.

‘What is a tiny planet compared to a star?’

It was all his, only his. The entire star was solely for him, like a giant cosmic jewel.

‘Only white? It should still be hotter than yellow stars like the sun, but it isn’t enough for a dragon of my status and glory.’

The realization that, with all its formidable power, his star was still categorized as a mere white star sent ripples of hunger coursing through Vesuvius. Superheated plasma dripped from his formidable maw, each tooth within it gleaming like deadly crystals, the very embodiment of his insatiable desire.

‘I will grow you! I will feed you!’

A primal urge welled up within him, not just of ownership but of enhancement. He yearned to nurture it, to feed it, and to escalate its grandeur. He envisioned it growing in size, its intensity magnifying, and its heat becoming even more scalding—

Transforming it into a beacon of unparalleled brilliance in the vast cosmos.

‘How much energy and power would I get from a star like a blue giant?’

In the inky tapestry of the cosmos, a minuscule light sparkled, immediately captivating the dragon’s gaze. Yet, amidst the vastness that surrounded him, this glimmer was too faint for even his keen eyes to identify.

‘It is shiny—it must be something good!’

With a mighty beat of his wings, space contorted around him, and he emerged closer to the luminescent point. Now, the once far-off star lay fully within his sight, resembling only a tiny marble.

Drifting through the void was a metallic sphere adorned with azure solar panels. Clearly, it was not a creation of nature but a product of an advanced civilization.

‘Could this be a probe or a satellite?’ The potential of his find sent waves of exhilaration through the dragon’s thoughts.

Vesuvius looked over the tiny flickering dots in the distance that were the local planets. The satellite and everything else led him to a simple conjecture, ‘Is one of those planets habitable?’

The likelihood of stumbling upon a star system harboring intelligent life seemed remote, further deepening the dragon’s unease.

‘Is it just a coincidence, or is the administrator messing with me by offering me the path out?’

For a fleeting moment, the allure of instantaneously traversing to that world, observing its wonders, and plundering its treasures tempted him. The prospect of unimaginable wealth sent both of his hearts racing with fervor.

‘The entire planet of treasures just for me.’

However, he suppressed his greed. His own homeworld was in a mess, enveloped in chaos and destruction.

‘Not just treasures. I don’t know what civilization resides there. What if there are more gods? How long it would take to conquer the entire world so it would be safe to leave my minions behind?’ Even though the prospect of exploring the unknown world brought excitement to him, it also brought even more terror.

‘Worlds will be connected to Lorenia through systems. How many? Five? Ten? Hundred?’

The idea of evacuating his best minions had already passed through his mind, but throwing them into some unknown situation filled with threats he couldn’t predict might be even worse than leaving them where they were, hidden in his polar fortress, under his watchful eyes.

‘We are all members of the greater draconic races…’

If he ran away, he would forever live with that. If he ran away, he would forever live with that shame. “Also, my minions would have to live with their shame. They have the blood of dragons.’ He himself was a dragon, so he knew how prideful they were. The shame of simply abandoning the entire world to their enemies would be too devastating.

‘Even if we swallow our pride, there is no guarantee the enemies won’t just grow stronger and find us later.’

At last, there was the matter of Lorenia, the planet that attracted so many powerful existences. ‘What if this world is truly special? Even the humans living there are so powerful when compared to those on Earth. There must be something. What if powerful creatures like four balanced races and gods need it to grow stronger?’

The cosmos, no, the reality, was too vast and scary. ‘What if there are worse things than gods out there? In Lorenia, there is at least the dragon god, and now even the rest of the hands of Genesis to provide security against truly transcendent foes that I or my minions can’t face.’

Vesuvius was now sure of his decision. Even though there was a path for him to escape, he refused to take it.

‘I will not run away. I will win the war.’ The dragon, one last time, looked at the satellite, ‘Maybe I will return later. However, not as a coward running away from his enemies, but as a conqueror!’

With the flap of the dragon’s wings, a bright golden light flashed as he disappeared into thin air.