The announcement hit the world like a Tsar Bomba detonating in the heart of global public opinion. Suddenly, the Dragon King's actions took on a new light. This wasn't a being of destruction, nor was he wandering the world out of idle boredom. He was racing against time to save humanity itself.
The announcement laid out the truth: HYDRA, knowing they couldn't match the Dragon King's power and fearing he would thwart their plans for world domination, had planted more than a dozen nuclear devices across the globe. Their desperate gambit was to threaten and coerce the Dragon King into submission. The revelation sent shockwaves through 90% of the world's nations and its citizens.
A dozen nukes might seem insignificant on a global scale, but the terror lay in the uncertainty. Was one of those devices lurking in your own backyard? It only took one to spell doom. Even those who survived might face the horrors of radiation poisoning. And what if this sparked a full-scale nuclear war? Was humanity teetering on the brink of extinction?
For the countries and regions the Dragon King had visited, relief washed over them like a tide. His departure without any nuclear detonations signaled that the threats had been neutralized. At least they no longer had to live under the shadow of a potential atomic catastrophe.
Now, people found themselves torn. On one hand, they hoped for the Dragon King's arrival, knowing he could dismantle the nuclear threat. On the other, they prayed not to see him in their skies—a sign that their land was free of danger. This emotional tug-of-war pushed many to the edge.
In some areas, chaos erupted as if humanity had collectively decided to seize the moment. Why not indulge in life's pleasures while there was still time? Money? What did it matter when the world itself seemed poised for destruction? Theft and looting surged as despair gave way to recklessness.
The nuclear explosion in Egypt had been misunderstood. It wasn't a failure on the Dragon King's part, but the result of interference from a sudden, unanticipated force—the Sun God. Despite the Dragon King's attempts to explain, the deity refused to listen, demanding his immediate departure. Video evidence backed these claims, and the timing of the subsequent nuclear explosions lent credence to the Dragon King's swift withdrawal.
Rather than wasting time in Egypt, he chose to move on and save lives elsewhere. It wasn't a matter of choice but necessity, forced by the intervention of Ra, the Sun God. While the tragedy in Egypt was mourned, humanitarian aid was swiftly organized to support the victims. Yet, the lingering question remained: Could there be another god waiting to interfere elsewhere?
In Paris, France, the sky above the Eiffel Tower split open as a massive portal materialized. The White Dragon surged through like a tempest, his arrival met with a cacophony of reactions from the city below. Surprise, disappointment, anticipation, and fear mingled in the air. His presence meant one thing: a nuclear device was hidden somewhere in the city.
Hong Fei, the Dragon King, glanced down at the clamor below. His massive form circled the Eiffel Tower before his four powerful claws gripped the structure. His body coiled once around the tower, and his head came to rest at its pinnacle. His golden eyes glowed like twin lanterns, casting an ethereal light over the scene.
Facing the massive dragon head, a family of three at the tower's summit stood frozen, as silent as cicadas in winter. The father stepped protectively in front of his wife and child. The mother clutched her daughter tightly, while the young girl—no more than five or six—peeked timidly from her mother's embrace at the colossal creature before her. Hong Fei instinctively offered her a gentle, affable smile.
However, perhaps because he had changed species, the usually reliable 'Affable Smile' skill card suddenly lost its intended effect. The man and woman trembled and shrank back in fear, while the little girl was first stunned and then burst into tears with a pout. The White Dragon's smile stopped abruptly: this human cub was really not cute at all.
The parents hurried to cover the girl's mouth, seemingly terrified that her crying would anger the White Dragon. Hong Fei shook his head and spat out a stream of multicolored Light Energy, which transformed into a bubble to envelop the family. The bubble then rose with the wind, carrying them toward the distant ground.
Meanwhile, people elsewhere on the tower were evacuating quickly, and tourists or locals on the ground were sprinting away. Hong Fei breathed out scorching energy to melt the metal at the top of the tower into liquid, and soon found his target within the gap. The White Dragon turned and leaped into the air, the nuke held firmly in a dragon claw.
At the sight, the ignorant humans burst into cheers in unison, thanking the Dragon King while simultaneously hoping he would leave quickly. The sight of him holding a nuke was just too damn terrifying. However, in the next second, a cluster of brilliant white light suddenly exploded in the void above the city.
The shimmering white rays split and scattered, and the city instantly shed its pre-dusk yellow, replaced by a clean white glow that made it look like broad daylight. But the change didn't stop there. The white light grew more intense over time, and soon, the entire city was completely enveloped in a milky-white radiance. It wasn't blinding; instead, it was soft and incredibly comfortable.
After a moment, the exploding white light quickly retracted inward, converging from both sides toward the center to form three pairs of snow-white wings. Then, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, a flawless and clean body quickly manifested. At this moment, the noise on the ground ceased.
People stared blankly at this symbol of sacred life, something they prayed to thousands of times but never expected to see, and their hearts were suddenly wrapped in an inexpressible sense of happiness. Everyone, regardless of gender or age, and regardless of their faith, showed smiles full of longing, yearning, conversion, and piety on their diverse faces.
In Hong Fei's perception, this suddenly appearing body was condensed from the Light Energy he was familiar with and some special-natured energy. It existed between the virtual and the real, as if part of it were on Earth while another part remained in another dimension. The white light on the body gradually faded.
On that clean and handsome face, the eyes were slightly closed, and thick, flowing golden hair suddenly billowed in the wind. At the same time, a red greatsword with a cross guard appeared beneath the hands folded over the abdomen.
"Archangel Michael!" someone on the ground shouted in surprise and joy. The White Dragon frowned.
As if hearing the voice from below, the handsome Angel suddenly opened his eyes, and a white glow seemed to shoot out from his pupils simultaneously. Hong Fei turned to look at the ground, watching the people who had suddenly become immersed in vacant hallucinations in a strange way and at a strange speed, and couldn't help but chuckle for a moment. Michael quickly cast his gaze over.
"The power you have conspiratorially stolen from the realm of God is undeniable evidence of your guilt."
Hong Fei was stunned upon hearing this. Then, he looked at the other's golden eyes with amusement and asked back, "Conspiracy? Stealing? Evidence? Are you sure you're awake?"
Michael was not angered by the words. His fingers closed around the hilt of the red-crossed sword as he muttered to himself, "Outer God, your only path is to return what belongs to divinity, confess your sins, and beg for forgiveness."
Hong Fei's eyes narrowed. He glanced at the nuclear device in his grasp before opening his maw and swallowing it into the Dragon Dimension.
Looking up, Hong Fei demanded, "Do you even understand what you're doing?"
"Maintaining divine order. Opposing God's enemies."
"Speak plainly!"
Michael's head tilted slightly before he replied in that same emotionless tone, "Outer God, once you've paid the appropriate price for your arrogance and guilt, I shall permit your departure."
"Is that so?"
Hong Fei turned his gaze earthward again, then stretched his draconic jaws wide. A thunderous roar infused with Dragon Power and searing Light Energy rippled across the city. ROAR!! The invisible sound waves became visible to mortal eyes, shimmering with golden and prismatic energy. Where the waves passed, citizens trapped in their fantasy trances began awakening one by one.
Hong Fei's massive dragon form hovered in the sky as he addressed Michael, "I've no time to waste on you. I'm not this 'god' you keep babbling about. Do I believe gods exist? Certainly. But in my view, gods are merely another species—vastly different from humans, with their own hierarchies of strength and temperaments both benevolent and cruel."
"I know your name, Michael, but that doesn't grant you the right to command me in any divine capacity!"
With that, Hong Fei turned to leave, a Portal already shimmering into existence before him.
Michael's sword flashed. A white beam lanced out, collapsing the half-formed Portal mid-air. The White Dragon jerked to a halt, swinging his massive head around.
"Leave behind the power you stole from God's domain."
"When exactly did I steal anything from your precious god?"
"Just now. Now. And in the future."
This absurd declaration left not only Hong Fei but also the newly awakened citizens below utterly baffled. What kind of nonsense was this? Then realization struck Hong Fei. Faith. It had to be about faith.
He had indeed received it—not just today, but before. Yet without actively merging with the blank divinity, the trickle of faith had been negligible. Since Hong Fei had no interest in godhood, he'd paid it no mind.
But when he'd removed the nuclear threat, the surge of gratitude and admiration from the people had generated a fresh wave of faith power. The blank divinity he carried provided a vessel for this energy. And somewhere, a god had noticed his followers' devotion being diverted elsewhere.
This god didn't care why Hong Fei inspired faith. Didn't care that the faith was freely given. Only that within his territory, faith was flowing to another. Good deeds or bad—if it involved faith, it was forbidden. The truth was simple: 'God loves the world' was a pretty lie. Gods only love worship.
The previous trickle of faith had been insignificant. Today's surge, while still modest, represented more than double his usual intake across a wider area. Such a noticeable dip in offerings would make any deity restless.
"So you've been watching me all this time?" Hong Fei asked bluntly.
"Correct. Yet instead of repentance, you escalated your theft. Today I crusade in God's name."
"No room for negotiation then?"
Michael's voice took on a haughty edge, "Return. Confess. Pray. Submit—"
"Enough!"
The White Dragon's sudden bark cut him off. Golden eyes appraised the angel.
"A six-winged Archangel. Impressive plumage."
The dragon dipped its head slightly, its massive form shimmering as it reshaped into human form. Sunlight glinted off the crimson armor plates, the golden dragon motifs blazing against the blood-red base.
"I've already shaved two minutes off my schedule elsewhere," the transformed figure said, checking an invisible chronometer.
"That leaves you one minute and seventeen seconds. Since you seem so confident... let's make it an even minute."
As he spoke, Hong Fei clenched his fists, and the Ten Rings whirled to life around his wrists, their golden radiance pulsing like miniature suns. His lips curled into a razor-edged grin.
"Sixty seconds."
The rings hummed with gathering power.
"Try to stay alive."
Before the last syllable faded, space itself seemed to tear as Hong Fei vanished—reappearing inches from Michael's face in the blink of an eye.