Game of the World Tree

The buzz of anticipation filled the air as players gathered in droves, drawn to Florence by the recent news of the imminent hatching of the five dragon eggs.

Word of the event spread rapidly through informal channels, fueled not by any official system announcement but by the accounts of players who had been loitering in Florence’s plaza out of sheer boredom, watching and waiting for the eggs to hatch.

When they noticed the eggs finally moving from the temporary dragon nest, excitement spread amongst the watching players like wildfire as they scrambled to message everyone they knew about it, flooding their friend lists and guild chats with frantic updates.

As such, word of mouth immediately worked its magic—one player told ten, ten told a hundred, and soon enough, the entire server was already buzzing with anticipation.

Now, Florence’s plaza was jam-packed with a sea of people vying for a spot to witness the moment the five dragon hatchlings finally emerged from their eggs.

Thanks to the official claim that ‘everyone has a chance to form a bond with a dragon’ each person was brimming with anticipation over the possibility of being that lucky one to gain a dragon companion.

After all, dragons were vastly different from ordinary magical familiars.

To players, these majestic creatures clearly used the same artificial intelligence schematics as other NPCs, allowing for full interaction like with regular people.

Not to mention their imposing appearance and incredible growth potential.

Surprisingly, despite the growing crowd, the plaza remained relatively orderly. Yes, there were indeed some playful tussles and lively chatter as players exchanged stories and jokes, while others lounged or sat in peculiar poses, making themselves comfortable for the long wait. A few of the early arrivals had even pitched mats and tents on the plaza.

But overall, they still resembled a group of decent people—totally unlike the chaotic bunch of 300 lunatics who had once scared the Saintess Alice half to death upon their initial descent into this world, singing, dancing, and acting like a complete madmen.

There are two reasons for this change in behavior.

One reason is, of course, that the players had, by this point, been immersed in the game long enough to understand its core mechanics and thus knew better than to act out in front of NPCs.

Moreover, the high degree of immersion had led many players to treat this world as their second life rather than just a game.

The second reason was, simply put, the presence of the golden dragon, Alexius, guarding the dragon eggs.

Although this demigod-rank dragon had yet to converse with any players, his sheer presence—calmly guarding the eggs with his eyes closed—radiated an intimidating aura.

Hence, players instinctively grew quiet and respectful as they neared him.

This was the effect of Dragon’s Might or, more precisely, Alexius’ divine aura.

Unlike the divine aura of gods of faith, which primarily acted on the soul, a mythical dragon’s divine aura originated from its Dragon’s Might, a power that can resonate with both the body and soul.

As a result, while players might not consciously feel the pressure, their bodies instinctively reacted to it, influencing their emotions and behavior.

The same was true of Eve’s divine aura, which could influence players without relying on the game’s network.

After all, despite having a divine kingdom, Eve’s essence remained that of an ancient god.

Enough digression—back to the present.

The crowd in the plaza swelled by the minute as every spot closest to the plaza’s center, near the dragon nest, became exclusive VIP areas.

Some people who arrived early even started selling their spots in exchange for contribution points, while others decided to set up their own live streams to broadcast the event.

It was a classic case of ‘if you can think of it, players will do it.’

All eyes were on the dragon eggs at the center.

The five eggs, each with a unique color, already showed faint cracks upon their shells.

Though the hatchlings still hadn’t broken through yet, the whole hatching process had clearly already begun.

The eggs occasionally trembled, accompanied by the faint sound of cracking.

With each tremor, the cracks widened slightly.

Each time this happened, the players grew visibly excited:

“It moved! Look, the crack’s bigger!”

“Come on! You can do it!”

“Ahhh, why is it taking so long?!”

They stared at the gradually cracking eggs, their expressions a mix of excitement and impatience.

If not for the golden dragon Alexius standing guard, someone might have already rushed forward to help.

Of course, even if anyone tried to do so, they’d be swatted away by the golden dragon in an instant.

After all, breaking out of their shells was a critical process of growth and transformation for these hatchlings.

Therefore, any external interference during this phase could stunt their development and potentially prevent them from ever advancing to legendary status.

That being said, breaking out of the shell is inherently risky for a dragon.

It isn’t uncommon for hatchlings to fail to break free, ultimately starving within their shells.

However, even if a hatchling were to starve to death inside its egg, an adult dragon would never intervene to help it.

Because for dragons, a hatchling incapable of breaking free from its shell on its own would never truly thrive in life if it needed external forces to aid its birth.

This belief was the reason for the subtle mix of anticipation and tension in Alexius’s golden eyes as the mythical dragon gazed at the five eggs before him.

Becoming a dragon egg and bearing the dragon markings was just the first milestone.

It was a monumental event, to be sure, but the true test lay ahead.

—Hatching!

As the ancient golden dragon, whose lifespan spanned centuries, wrestled with his excitement and nervousness, a gentle, radiant light descended once more upon the city plaza.

Whilst accompanied by faint, ethereal hymns, a radiant brilliance poured down from the sky, as it envelops the five dragon eggs.

Faintly, a divine presence seemed to cast its sacred gaze upon them.

It was the power of the Goddess.

The players, long familiar with the Goddess’s influence, immediately grew excited:

“It’s the light of the Goddess!”

“Is the Goddess descending in person?”

“Will she use her new avatar? the one without holy glow?”

“Yes, please!”

They looked around eagerly, searching for her appearance.

But the Goddess did not descend.

Only her divine light graced the scene.

This left the players slightly disappointed.

Unlike the players, Alexius became even more elated upon seeing the light:

“Divine Gaze!”

The Divine Gaze was a manifestation of a true god’s direct attention, granting their target a measure of divine favor.

It surpassed the Blessing of the Goddess of Life that Evé had bestowed upon Alexius earlier.

Any being marked by this Divine Gaze carried Eve’s insignia, signifying her protection.

In essence, bearing this divine favor declared:

‘This one is under my care.’

However, this didn’t elevate the target to the status of a Godwarden but placed them somewhere between it and a blessed individual.

The Divine Gaze also provided some measure of enhancements to its recipient.

In the case of these dragon eggs, Eve’s gaze naturally strengthened them in regards to the domain of life.

Bearing these would no doubt grant these five unhatched dragons unparalleled vitality, thanks to her favor, which ensured that hatching out from their egg was no longer a concern.

Fully understanding this, Alexius turned toward the direction of the Temple of Life, lowered his head, and reverently declared:

“Thank you, Benevolent Eve, Your Grace!”

The act of purifying their bloodline, coupled with the Divine Gaze, was a testament to the Goddess of Life’s sincerity.

Yet, while the golden dragon expressed his heartfelt gratitude, a certain someone hidden in the crowd—known as “Féng” among the players—rubbed her nose awkwardly.

She could guess why Alexius was offering thanks.

But truthfully, Eve wasn’t worried about these hatchlings’ ability to break free.

Her Divine Gaze wasn’t intended to help the unborn dragons hatch.

If, even after their bloodlines had been purified by the Scepter of Life, these little ones still couldn’t break their shells, then Evé might as well give up being the Goddess of Life and start selling sweet potatoes instead.

The real purpose of her favor wasn’t for the hatchlings but for the players instead.

Evé had noticed the players’ fervent desire to have dragon companions.

While the choice of a contract partner was left to the dragons themselves—aside from any Evé personally designated that is—she was well aware of the players’ tenacity.

If left unchecked, some players would undoubtedly resort to extreme measures just to secure a dragon partner.

Attempts at bribery would likely be the least of it and outright kidnapping wouldn’t be surprising at all for that matter.

Sure, the players wouldn’t dare try anything while Alexius was around but the golden dragon wouldn’t stay here forever.

Once the hatchlings emerged from their shells, Alexius would probably depart.

Leaving the elves to care for these baby dragons?

That was a recipe for disaster.

So to protect these hatchlings and ensure they could stand against the players, Eve’s Divine Gaze served as their safeguard.

With this favor, combined with the game system’s rules, the players would be unable to forcefully compel the hatchlings or harm, capture, or otherwise exploit them.

With these safeguards in place, allowing the hatchlings to freely choose their contract partners now felt like a reliable solution.

This was also Eve’s way of demonstrating her sincerity towards the dragon race.

Dragons were inherently proud beings, and such an approach was a mark of respect toward their autonomy—one that would naturally earn their favor.

Still, the Divine Gaze did provide some benefit to the hatching process.

Shortly after the divine radiance faded, the first dragon egg emitted a soft cracking sound and split neatly in two.

From within it, a hatchling the size of a calf emerged, covered in translucent fluid. Its scales were predominantly yellow with hints of green, glinting under the light as it struggled to free itself.

Alexius’s eyes immediately lit up at the sight.

The players were equally ecstatic:

“It hatched! It finally hatched!”

“What an unusual color… What kind of dragon is this?”

They were itching to cast Appraisal, but with Alexius standing watch, the players hesitated.

Experience had taught them that using Appraisal on NPCs or creatures without permission was seen as rude and often led to a loss of favorability.

Reluctantly, they held back.

While the players were unsure of the hatchling’s identity, Evé recognized it immediately.

“It’s a Bronze Dragon.”

In the realm of Seigües, pure-blooded dragons were divided into two major factions: Chromatic Dragons and Metallic Dragons.

Chromatic Dragons came in five varieties—Red, Black, Green, Blue, and White—while Metallic Dragons also had five types—Gold, Silver, Brass, Bronze, and Copper.

Chromatic Dragons were typically malevolent and aggressive, whereas Metallic Dragons leaned toward benevolence and often sought interaction with other sentient beings.

These two factions alternated between conflict and cooperation.

For instance, the Black Dragon Meryer belonged to the Chromatic faction, while Alexius, the golden dragon, represented the Metallic faction.

Of course, Meryer, at this point, was more of a ‘banana’ Black Dragon—soft on the inside despite his fearsome appearance.

That newly hatched yellow dragon was unmistakably a Bronze Dragon.

Known as coastal dragons, Bronze Dragons were amphibious creatures with an affinity for rare lightning magic and the ability to unleash powerful lightning breath.

Typically, they wouldn’t be found so far inland.

However, Alexius hailed from the dragons’ central stronghold in Seigües—Dragon Island, which was home to the ancient Progenitor Dragon.

Under the Progenitor Dragon’s rule, all kinds of Metallic and Chromatic Dragons coexisted, so bringing along a Bronze Dragon egg wasn’t surprising at all.

With this thought, Evé turned her attention to the remaining four eggs.

The eggs were of varying colors, but a dragon’s species couldn’t be determined from their eggshell alone.

That said, given Alexius’s role as a staunch defender of justice and an enemy of evil, Evé doubted the golden dragon would bring Chromatic Dragon eggs.

Her suspicions proved correct.

Following the first hatchling’s emergence, the other four quickly broke free from their shells:

One with reddish-yellow scales was a Copper Dragon.

Two with brownish-yellow scales were Brass Dragons.

The last, however, was the most striking one amongst them—a shimmering Golden Dragon.

This newly hatched Gold Dragon’s brilliant scales immediately drew gasps from the crowd.

“A Gold Dragon! It’s a Gold Dragon!”

“So beautiful!”

“Who will get to form a contract with it?”

The players’ excitement was palpable.

Seeing all five hatchlings safely emerge, Alexius’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction.

The older golden dragon once again bowed slightly in the direction of the Life Goddess’s temple and said reverently:

“Thank you, great Goddess of Life, Your Grace Eve!”

The five hatchlings appeared robust and healthy.

Immediately after their birth, they instinctively turned back to their broken eggshells and began devouring them.

This was their first act of nourishment and also their first transformation.

Newly hatched dragons started with upper Iron-rank strength, typically levels 31–35.

However, upon consuming their eggshells, their strength would swiftly rise to the peak of the Iron-rank at level 40.

Within a year, they would likely step into the Silver-rank.

After observing the hatchlings and confirming their good health, Alexius finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He didn’t wait for the hatchlings to sign form their bonds.

Instead, Alexius chose to bid farewell and take his leave immediately.

This was another gesture of respect toward the elves—a demonstration of his goodwill and trust.

After the golden dragon flew off, the players erupted in excitement.

Amidst the expectant gazes, the elder priest Samuel stepped forward.

With him being one of Eve’s earliest followers, Samuel was now an intermediate Silver-ranked priest. He had been overseeing the church in Florence, and the responsibility for the dragon contract ceremony fell onto him.

Clearing his throat, he activated an amplification spell and spoke amidst the players’ joyous commotion:

“Everyone, please quiet down…”

Gradually, the players calmed themselves.

Samuel felt a wave of satisfaction as he observed the chosen ones’ growing maturity.

He still remembered how chaotic it had been when they first descended into this world a year ago—no amount of shouting could rein in these heroes from another realm.

Ah, the Mother Goddess’s “Favorability Aura” truly works wonders.

With a sigh of gratitude, he continued:

“Brave chosen ones, the Goddess has entrusted me with the task of overseeing the dragon contract ceremony. I will guide you in forming your bond with these hatchlings.”

“The Goddess has decreed that those selected for divine blessings during this task may enter into a pact with one of the hatchlings, chosen at random.”

With that, he retrieved five slips of paper, each marked with the name of a dragon, and announced:

“These Chosen ones, please step forward to draw lots. The dragon you draw shall be your partner.”

His words sparked another round of fervent chatter among the players.

“What? People have already earned pact opportunities?”

“Who are they? I’m so jealous!”

“Rumor has it that it’s Boxlunch and his team…”

As speculation ran rampant, five well-equipped, high-level players ascended the platform, which had been temporarily turned into a dragon nest.

It was the Boxlunch team.

“Look, it’s Boxlunch himself!”

“Wow, he looks so cool. He’s definitely the top player in the entire server, no doubt!”

“Wait… isn’t that the guy from the video who carried the Goddess? The one in heavy armor?”

“You mean Optimist?”

“Damn, how is he not getting hunted down yet?”

“Lucky bastard!”

“Wait… are they all getting dragons? Are they going to claim all five?”

“Surely not… I heard they only earned one slot.”

Amidst the buzzing discussions, Samuel hesitated as he noticed all five stepping forward. After confirming their identities and qualifications through the task system, he addressed them:

“Chosen ones, you only have one slot. You’ll need to decide who among you will form the bond.”

Boxlunch’s teammate, Calabash, chuckled and replied:

“We already heard.”

“But it’s tough for us to pick just one, so we thought of a compromise. After drawing lots, instead of deciding ourselves, we’ll let the dragon choose. Whoever it picks from among us will be the one to form the contract with.”

“After all,” Calabasg added with a grin, “dragons are said to pick the partner best suited to them. Since we’re a team and work closely together, we thought this would be the fairest method.”

Letting the dragon choose? Samuel considered the idea and nodded.

“That’s a reasonable approach,” he said with a smile, preparing to have a representative draw the lot.

But before he could proceed, something unexpected happened.

The five hatchlings, who had been busily gnawing on their eggshells, suddenly froze.

As if sensing something, they turned their heads in unison and, to everyone’s astonishment, all five swiftly began waddling toward Optimist.

The calf-sized hatchlings scrambled to him, rubbing against his legs and licking him affectionately.

All five surrounded him, completely engulfing him in their enthusiastic display of affection.

The plaza fell silent.

And then, it erupted.

“W-What the hell just happened?”

“Are all the dragons showing their favor at once? Is this some kind of insane luck?”

“Unbelievable! How is it him again? This is too much!”

“Optimist! We’re going to hunt you down, for sure!”

“Count me in for the hunt! I still haven’t settled my issues with you carrying the Goddess!”

Optimist: “…”

Eve, whilst observing the scene, rubbed her temples in exasperation.

Unlike the frenzied players, she had an inkling of what was happening.

It was likely due to the trace of divine life energy that Optimist had inadvertently absorbed during the previous quest when he had carried her.

Since he hadn’t died since that quest, the residual divine energy had still lingered within him.

Evé had modified the dragon eggs’ bloodlines and bestowed them with her blessings.

So when these hatchlings sensed the lingering divine power on Optimist, they likely mistook him for their mother.

An uncanny stroke of luck.

In this case, Optimist truly lived up to the title of “Emperor of Luck.”

— 463 —

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欧皇 – It’s literal translation is European Emperor which is a chinese meme term for lucky players

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