I taper off, then examine his form. He's still only a fraction of the power of Pride, yet I think he'll be big enough to eat a galaxy. Never mind a blue supergiant star. Good thing we didn't test Pride's full size. Or mine. I've grown continuously since eating the Abyssal— I'm finally approaching Pride's raw stat count.

It dawns on me. Isn't it interesting how a Demigod's stats are normalized at one million times a mortal of the same species? Yet, no such recalculation happens at any god rank. It just hides the stats entirely. I wonder who designed the stat panel. Or how. As a god of fate, I have ideas—

No, no use thinking about this. The stat panel has been around longer than anyone knows. Such detailed information must be long forgotten. I can make changes if necessary, but... Normalizing stats is pointless.

Or is it?

I think back to those huge, barely quantifiable numbers. The exponents are useless after a certain point, aren't they? Should I? No. Let's not waste time.

Instead, I should begin my announcement. To every sapient being in existence. Even to the gods who are more powerful than myself! Fate guides us all.

The message can be put on hold, though. This is going to be a video with voiceover. I can't broadcast it like earlier.

It'll pick out moments when they're not busy, focused, or stressed, and also check for danger through fate— then they can accept it manually. If they don't, they'll see it in their dreams. The idea is that this shouldn't harm anyone. And, since it's optional when it can be viewed, it won't take away anyone's free Will. I hate the idea of compulsion.

Of course, it wouldn't matter if I could stop time, since I wouldn't be interfering in their fate. It's not really a compulsion if nothing is surrendered; not even time itself. While I may be a time dragon in addition to controlling fate... I don't have that level of power.

Hrem. Yet? Hreh hreh.

I set up the video.

I'll introduce his final form, then show a 'before and after,' then back to his final form again. When it talks about punishing dragons who behave poorly, it'll show Dracosect beating a dragon who'd done so in the arena.

Said dragon did, sadly, die later from his bad behavior. At MY claws— except, through my control of fate. I'm the final arbiter of my species. I won't make anyone else take on that gruesome role.

His death won't be in the video, though. The way he died was rather gruesome. While I can choose the specific way fate will flow, I generally don't for broader rulings. Said dragon got himself beheaded by a meteor while fleeing his pursuers through space. It was almost comical, if it wasn't so horrific. I vividly recall the way it shattered his whole body into a spew of draconic viscera despite only hitting his head.

Apparently, immense amounts of kinetic energy don't disperse the same way I'd seen in movies. Reugh. It reminds me of that poor town in The Purified Heavens. I'm getting mentally off-track, though. Back to Dracosect.

Next, when I talk about bad folks of all species hurting my lovely dragons, I'll show his growth and transformation as a bit of intimidation. Then, at the sigil part, I'll show his true scale from a human perspective. Which is like an ant examining a galaxy, but, reh! I'll make it work.

Annnnd— play.

"Today, you all are witnessing the birth of the first ever Draconic Paragon: Dracosect! He'll be a guiding light for the dragon species from this day forward. We dragons will become more powerful, more intelligent, and more swift from this day onward— but solely when we are righteously driven to claim our glory. Just like Paragon Dracosect."

Here comes the important part. More important than advertising my amazing Paragon. But, Dracosect's going to represent the draconic ideal, so he asked me to make his announcement being a lesson rather than a showy parade.

"As for dragons who wantonly defy their draconic lineage? They will weaken, be punished, and in the end— simply die! Their victims will enjoy the luxury of their plentiful draconic scales, blood, bones, and boundless Mana. These will all be their compensation for dragons who veer outside the bounds of our venerable draconic propriety."

The non-dragons are probably cheering right about now.

Hreh!

"However, this— is a double-edged sword. Those who so much as attempt to violate or kill well-meaning dragons will find their draconic opponents growing powerful at an unbelievable rate! These dragons will gain absurd strength specifically for punishing such wrongdoers. We dragons shall NOT be taken lightly."

Here comes the screw. Reah, sorry guys.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"To that end, from this day forward, the Dragonblood sigil will be a reminder. It will remind both dragons and non-dragons alike of the dangers of wrongful bloodshed! A reminder, yes; but merely that. It shall no longer seal the dragon lineage. You've all been warned! Thus, I hope, and I pray. Please. Do act wisely."

I still feel a bit bad about using his Paragon ascension to announce my Dragons' changes, but he insisted we pair the two. He wants to represent a proper dragon, so, he wanted to advertise what a proper dragon looks and acts like. I can see how that's more desirable than random praises of his best features. It just kinda bugs me.

Hreh, bugs.

I wonder if—

*bzzzzz*

Alessica Ordol

Justice

Queen Yenim Shridenia

Sheesh guys! Chill.

I split off two copies to deal with my contacts. I'll see Justice with my main body then visit Alessica again. I gotta make sure the sidewalk outside her house isn't, I don't know, swarmed by piles of thieves with broken legs and dead assassins or something.

I never knew what to expect from humans in my previous life, so I instead expected nothing. I can't possibly know what to expect as a dragon.

*bzzzzz*

Paragon Dracosect

Wha— what are you doing Dracosect? I just made you my Paragon, don't prank me! Ragh!

I split off another copy anyway, shaking my dragon head. He always knows how to keep me grounded. Even with these silly little things.

I transfer my main body back to the temple. I bop a smol hydra on one of its heads.

"Hra, Justice. Where'd you get a contact inscription?"

Two of her heads turn toward me. I see the other three heads remain happily buried in books. Weird to see a hydra reading— but sure, whatever. Can't be any weirder than the dragon I've become.

image [https://timjames.net/data/acd/images/162.png?v=2]

"Hi, Chronovoid. We figured out how my Will was restricted! It wasn't the Will leech that was controlling me, that was just Gluttony's eyes to see what I was doing. He'd altered my Will itself. I was unable to use the mind link properly, and I also couldn't remember what I'd wanted to warn you about. It came undone because I believed you'd fixed it, but then it started to lock me down again."

As expected. Glad I didn't get eaten by that thing.

"Roh, is this why you have the inscription? Another method of contact?"

"Yeah! It's perfect for non-follower contacts, since sharing a mind link requires a certain amount of Mana. Your inscription uses almost nothing and it's not as intrusive!"

"Great, so I presume you've checked the rest of your Will, then? No other intrusions?"

"Nope! He was pretty fixated on you. Thankfully, he didn't seem able to do much, so I doubt you were ever in danger."

"Ruhhhh. Justice. No."

I spread my transparent gooey mind out from my body. Justice looks on in abject horror. She raises her other three heads from her books so all five can stare at me.

I wave an 'arm' of my mind at her, like a slimy goo friend saying hello. I then slither the goopy blob back inside myself. It listens so long as there's no noms nearby.

"He got me quite good. If I'd been less powerful he might've turned me into a new and improved Annihilation Maw. The nutcase killed himself, but that abomination now lives on inside me. It's a part of me."

She keeps looking at me in horror.

"I'm— I'm so sorry! What IS that thing? How much of your power, uh. Well, how much does it take to keep in check?"

"It's not your fault, and, believe it or not— that's my mind. The clear bubble that usually surrounds the Will. Thus, it doesn't take anything. Gluttony simply changed my mind."

I want to chuckle at my intentional pun, but, it's an inappropriate pun. As is typical of puns.

"Uhm, would you mind sticking that out again?"

"Sure, I guess? What for?"

I slide it back out, making a small wall of goo.

Justice slams one of her heads into it. It stretches like a wet sticky mess, then engulfs her head. She bites her own head off with another head and watches the goo devour it.

"Justice, WHAT THE HELL are you doing?"

"As I thought, you don't have full control. It's eating my head without your intention."

"You didn't need to do that, you could've asked!"

"It's my way of ensuring I never make such a stupid mistake in the future. If I'd come sooner or not foolishly trusted Martissa, none of this would've happened. I need to remind myself, and as a hydra— this is nothing much."

I watch as her head regrows rapidly.

Hrr. I should add fast regeneration and extended lifespan to my dragons' lineal growth. In fact, if a dragon becomes immortal near death, they should return to their prime. Sure, we dragons are already crazy strong, but I don't care! Dragons must always become stronger.

"That's some impressive regeneration. I knew hydras were strong, but you're like a representative of your species."

"Believe it or not, that's almost true. Hydras are smart but ugly. We tend to face a lot of injustice simply for existing. My species? While we don't all embody justice, many do strive toward it. I'd wondered if you were part hydra rather than a pure dragon, Chronovoid. No offense, but you've never fit the dragon aesthetic. You've never acted like one, either."

Dracosect pops up from somewhere.

Damn he looks good.

"Justice, you're being rude to my god. Not only didn't I fit the dragon aesthetic, I was neither dragon nor hydra. I was a bug! Now look at me."

He gestures to himself.

Now THAT'S the attitude of a dragon.

"My god accepted me as a dragon long before I looked the part. He personally told me I was a better dragon than many of his pure-blooded dragons. Which is because I'm willing to give up anything to improve myself. Even everything I once was."

He shakes his dragon head. His golden halo blazes with a sleek sheen as it turns.

"Justice, I must tell you. Blood is not the determinant of our identity. Blood is the basis of our strength, of our compulsions, and of our familial connections. Above all, it determines how we appear to others. But! Appearances can be deceiving. You should never deceive yourself into living a lesser life for vanity. Of course, what you said is literally true. But you should also not deceive others into feeling lesser merely because in your eyes— they look wrong."

Justice looks stunned and ashamed.

I slowly nod my dragon head.

Bravo, my Paragon!

I slap him on the back, surreptitiously gifting him a bit of my power. I need to also modify fate to reward proper attitudes like his. That was incredible!

He looks at me with much surprise and confusion.

"No more waiting for grand ceremonies for you, my most brilliant Paragon. I'm giving you only the best at the precise moment you earn it. If I don't, I'll end up back in debt. You keep earning accolades far too quickly."

He smiles a toothy draconic smile.

"Rawr!"

I happily roar back at him.

"Rawr!"