-Sundown. 3RD POV-
...
In the last Winter quarter of the year 239 of the Alkalis calendar, the renown Dragon with the same nickname met his end at the hands of unexpected schemers wielding powerful armaments of his own design. Now, inside a crater 200 meters wide on the side of a mountain bathed by the yellow rays of the setting Sun near his birthplace, a damaged Soul leaves the realm hoping to reunite with his loved ones, yet not knowing the calamity that would befall the world after his death. Most of Alkalis' lairs scattered throughout the world were raided, and his inventions stolen before the culprits repurposed them for their own goals and began the planned assault.
The dragonian cities were destroyed one after the other with Atomic bombs and the land rendered inhospitable for ordinary lifeforms while opportunists flocked to plunder adding to the turmoil. The proud immortal Dragons who survived the blasts fought to the last against the mysterious group acclaimed as heroes by those who despised the apex predators treating them like livestock and their allies. The World turned a blind eye at first, but the slaughter started creating power vacuums triggering territorial disputes, Mana veins changing owners, and kingdoms falling in a snowball effect throwing the whole world into chaos.
By the time other species realized the true extent of the devastation and started taking action, thousands of Dragons had been slaughtered in the land and oceans along allied races. A large number of immortals died trying to stop the dragon-killings in the following couple of years, and Demigods who disregard worldly affairs decided to enforce an old Law to stop the annihilation. However, those responsible suddenly disappeared from the stage, and the massacre finally stopped, but High-ranked dragons were still being hunted with less frequency.
The Dragon Society which had lasted since time immemorial had collapsed in but a few years and most of the knowledge was lost in the rubble. The Bloodline Clans with superior genetics were mostly wiped out, and the few individuals that survived scattered leaving behind their precious Mana veins, and everything else they once held dear. The small number of lucky immortal Dragons immediately went into hiding and did everything they could to survive without means to replenish their magic resources. The dispersed and decimated dragon population found it difficult to find the right mates and produce high-talented offsprings which led to a genetic decline of the species highly dependant on magic.
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Meanwhile, a 16-meter tall black-scaled Dragon hiding deep inside a cave in the northern desert of Telum continent was desperately reading instructions to understand certain knowledge left behind in English by the previous owner of the lair. The dragoness mourned the loss of her clan who stubbornly fought to the death while she flew away like a coward, and tears weren't enough to describe the sorrow and regret for not helping them, but she had a mission...a mission to save the dragon race. The worst-case scenario that took place was thought of already and contingency plans were written in sturdy paper well-preserved in this very desert.
The world of immortals had just learned an important lesson on ignoring powerful individuals that emerge suddenly and neglecting to impose the unwritten ancient Law to protect species from annihilation. Since then, worldly affairs would be under more scrutiny and the eradication of dragons was impeded despite the incessant efforts...
...
The vicious cycle of death and rebirth continued for centuries as the powerful Soul was bound to the Dragon race forever, but a number of iterations later, around the year 1050 of Alkalis calendar, the copy of James finally remembered how he died. This Soul that once lived on Earth and transmigrated to this World that now carries his name was furious! How could something so atrociously cruel be allowed to happen to him? It was frustrating beyond measure, yet there was nothing he could do now, so he decided to wait for the original James in the new Guardian's pocket Dimension instead of reincarnating again. He was allowed to see his other self trapped, suffering, and despairing as well as other things happening in the world. But he was patient, he would plan for the future. He only needed Urifen to die and be free from his captors.