Derek’s awareness sharpened as the cosmic realm faded, a dull ache blossoming into sharp, relentless pain. His consciousness, tethered to his rapidly changing body, registered the seismic shifts within. His muscles and bones expanded, fueled by a ravenous consumption of food and mana. Horns sprouted from his temples, and a web of dense bone integrated into his skeletal system. His heart, now a hybrid of dragon and angelic traits, swelled, reshaping his internal anatomy to accommodate its new form.

The door swung open, with Janet and Marie rushing in, their concern a distant echo against the backdrop of Derek’s transformation. As his body contorted in response to the changes, scales began to pierce through his skin, starting from his shoulders and tracing down his arms. The bones, growing at a supernatural pace, emitted audible cracks, signaling their rapid expansion. This cacophony of physical metamorphosis enveloped Derek, leaving him in a catatonic state, only aware of his own body.

As Marie took in his altering form, her voice trembled. “What’s happening?”

When the realization of what was happening to him, all she could see was the demon from her vision as a set of bloody silver horns rapidly grew from his head. The memory of that demon’s gaze made her soul quake.

Her eyes focused on the real issue that her mind didn’t, his pain was evident and she needed to help. Marie knelt next to the bed and placed her hands on his chest. They ignited with the glow of healing magic, the light casting eerie shadows as Derek writhed in pain.

“Hold on, Derek,” she whispered, her voice steady despite the chaos.

The room filled with the sound of cracking bones echoing eerily through the house. Derek’s solitary scream punctuated the air, a harrowing sound that set everyone’s nerves on edge.

Phil, standing at the doorway, called out, “Do you need more help?” His voice was tense, reflecting the room’s urgency.

“Yes, anyone who can cast a healing spell, now!” Marie ordered, not taking her eyes off Derek.

Carson, James, and Phil stepped forward, their faces set with determination as they joined in the effort, their hands glowing with the same healing light. The room was a flurry of activity as they all worked to stabilize Derek. His body spasmed, his breath coming in short gasps as his lungs reshaped. Marie poured every ounce of her magic into him, her focus unyielding.

“Just a bit more, we’re almost there,” she encouraged.

After a tense, seemingly endless hour, Derek’s body finally stilled, his breathing evening out. Marie’s shoulders slumped in relief, exhaustion setting in.

“Looks like he’s stabilized,” she announced, her voice barely above a whisper, but it carried the weight of their collective relief.

As the immediate crisis subsided, Phil’s voice emerged, tinged with disbelief. “What happened to him? Those horns...”

“I don’t know.” Marie said, sitting next to him on the bed.

There was a moment of collective breath-holding as everyone processed the scene. James, breaking the silence with a measured tone, remarked, “He mentioned using his stat points earlier.”

Gradually, Derek’s senses returned to the present. He blinked open his eyes, focusing on the familiar ceiling fan above. “Fuck, is it over?” he inquired, his voice hoarse as he turned to Marie.

“I think so.” She said. “What happened?”

Derek tenderly sat up as the remnants of the pain faded, leaving only an incredibly sensitive body.

“Oh, good lord,” Carson muttered.

Derek looked at him, but before he could say anything, Marie repeated her question.

He took a deep breath, steadying himself. There was more strength in his voice than he expected and was able to speak without strain. “When I hit 30 in my physical ability, the system prompted me for an evolution. It’s a fundamental evolution. It changes you down to your DNA.”

Phil raised an eyebrow. “Horns? Kinky. Can I call you Daddy?”

With that, the tension seemed to vanish from the room and the atmosphere lightened as Carson chuckled.

Derek rolled his eyes with a grin, extending his arm to show the scales. “It wasn’t intended. It started out with scales. There were certain traits that came with the change that I couldn’t control. It was better than the tail that would have come with the wings. I mixed the dragon traits with an archangel. I’ll give you more information in the morning, but I need food and sleep.”

At that, everyone except Marie filed out of the bedroom after telling nobody to hit level 30 in any state before they could have a conversation about it. Marie helped him out of bed, but he was very uncomfortable as his brain resynced with the changed nervous system.

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“I can bring you something if it’s easier.”

Derek attempted to rise, but his body responded awkwardly to his intentions. Each movement was met with a chorus of pops and shifts, as if his bones and muscles were learning to coordinate anew. The sensation was disorienting, but somehow familiar and foreign, like a well-known path suddenly strewn with unfamiliar obstacles.

“Yeah, no. Get back in bed. I’ll bring you something,” Marie cautioned, her hands gently but firmly pushing him back to the bed. “You need to take it slow.”

Derek didn’t bother protesting. He didn’t have the energy for it. Marie helped him back into the bed and elevated the head of the bed for him to sit up. As she disappeared into the kitchen, Derek took a moment to experimentally flex his muscles, testing their response. The power was there, but it felt atrophied. He attempted to pull at his mana, but his body was completely devoid of it. There wasn’t a single iota available and as his body recovered, consuming the mana to heal him.

Marie returned, setting down a bowl of leftovers which Derek immediately started eating. She settled into an office chair beside the bed, watching him quietly.

“Can you tell me why you made such drastic changes?” She asked tentatively.

“Not attracted to me anymore?” He half-joked.

“Not to a hobbled creature who can’t get out of bed.” She retorted with a firm look.

He didn’t reply, just shoved a fork into his mouth and opened his interface to see the results of his evolution.

Congratulations:

You have evolved your race, leaving the fragility of normal humans behind.

New Race: Echo of the Divine Dragons

You are an echo of the Divine Dragon, a living relic bearing traces of a once-majestic lineage. While you can’t replicate their original splendor, your essence reverberates with their celestial grandeur. The heart of a divine dragon beats within you, its ancient magic coursing through your veins like a remnant echo of their divine lifeblood.

Divine Dragons combined the divinity and power of archangels with the ferocity and vitality of dragons, creating a blend of overwhelming power that only the gods could surpass. Before their extinction, the Divine Dragons were cosmic titans allied with the gods during the primordial Epoch of the Abyss to cleanse malevolent forces from the multiverse, before the birth of mortals. More than just titanic warriors, they were fonts of arcane wisdom and mystic power. Protected by scales that could repel cataclysmic assaults and wielding breath capable of either birthing stars or devastating realms, they traversed the higher cosmic planes as stewards of equilibrium.

+5 to all stats

Quest: Path of Evolution (Divine Dragon)

Congratulations, you have taken your first step on the path of evolution. But this is not the end, unless you allow it.

To advance to the next stage of your evolution, you must gather the following items.

Core of an Elemental

Heart of a Dragon

Tears of an Angel

Whisper of the Abyss

Ice from an Ancient World

Fire from the Forge of the Gods

Reward:

2nd Evolution

+20 to all stats

Quest Status: In Progress

“I’ll be fine. My body is adjusting to the changes.”

“Did you intentionally choose this, or did it just happen?” She asked, her eyes rereading the notification he had shared.

“I chose traits that I made me stronger. Aspects of a dragon, their horns, scales, toughness… But to balance it out, I added the aspect of an archangel. The… being who was assisted with the evolution helped me resolve some of the biological issues with what I created and, well… this is the result.” Derek hesitated for a moment, mentally preparing himself for his next bomb.

He saw her face fall as he opened his mouth to continue, and she was already on the verge of tears before he got the first word out. “One of the consequences,” He started, his voice slow and heavy with the weight of the confession. “My DNA had to be altered to support my body, which made me incapable of reproducing with humans.”

“We… we can’t have any more children?” Her voice was a whisper, the implications of his words slowly sinking in.

“No, most likely not.” Derek shook his head sadly, unable to meet her gaze. “I thought only of protecting us, of being strong enough. I accepted the cost in exchange for power, I'm sorry.”

Marie reached out, her hand trembling as it found his. “You sacrificed your humanity to protect us?”

He looked up, his eyes reflecting a mix of regret and resolve. “I didn’t know if I would get another opportunity. I’m tired of losing fights. I can’t even stand up for myself.”

Marie shook her head, a tear rolling down her cheek. “It changes nothing about how I feel for you, Derek. We’ll face this together, as we always have.”

He nodded. She cried. Derek tried to comfort her, but it wasn’t enough. Unless she found another man, she wouldn’t have another child. Their hands remained clasped, a silent reaffirmation of their love. His thoughts of their unborn filled his mind as they held each other.

Derek’s eyes returned to the half-eaten stew, but his appetite had vanished. Still, he forced himself to eat when she retracted from his embrace. As he ate, the muscle soreness faded and after several protein shakes, he was both full and tired. He dumped the remainder of his points into his physical ability, but there wasn’t any obvious effect, or it was just that his body was so spent that any change in his physiology was like a drop in the bucket. His body started feeling lethargic and exhausted. Marie accepted his dishes and he fell asleep before she even made it to the door.

Marie paused at the door and looked back at her husband, the man she choose to be her life partner was so desperate to protect her that he was willing to give up his entire being. He wasn’t the man she married anymore, he was so much more. Not because of what he became, but he had been more open in recent days, before all this started. She knew she needed to support him, but she didn’t know what she needed to do.