I Received System to Become Dragonborn

Saeldir wasted no time. He moved quickly through the grand halls of the Elf Palace, his robes flowing behind him like a shadow cast by his urgency.

When he reached the king's chamber, King Gulben was not seated on his throne, instead he already seated at the head of the long table with his advisors flanking him. Their expressions ranged from mild curiosity to indifference as though whatever Saeldir had to say could surely wait.

But Saeldir had no intention of waiting. He strode into the room with clear purpose, his eyes meeting the king's eyes.

"Your Majesty," he began. "I must speak with you immediately. It is a matter of great urgency."

King Gulben raised a brow with calm yet questioning look. "Very well, Saeldir. Advisors, we will reconvene—"

"Your Majesty, I think they should stay and listen too," Saeldir interrupted.

The advisors exchanged uneasy glances, their postures stiffening as the weight of his words sank in. If Saeldir was this insistent, it could only mean something serious was unfolding, or about to unfolding.

King Gulben studied him for a moment before nodding. "Speak, then."

Saeldir took a deep breath, stepping closer to the table. "This morning, my detection orb picked up a foreign Magic signature near the palace barrier. Then I immediately did more research on it and found out that it was layered, unnatural, and distinctly not of this world."

Murmurs rippled through the room. One advisor, an older Elf with streaks of silver in his hair, leaned forward. "The barrier held, did it not?"

"Yes, for now," Saeldir confirmed. "But based on my research, I think the Magic was probing it, searching for weaknesses. It was deliberate. This was no random occurrence."

Another advisor frowned. "You're certain it wasn't a lingering trace of the Magic from those otherworldly visitors? Elena, Darek, and Tovan?"

Saeldir shook his head. "The energy was similar but far more aggressive. It wasn't them." His gaze returned to King Gulben and he spoke with steady but grave tone. "I believe this Magic came from another world, but I cannot yet determine its purpose or its source. What I do know is that it was here, probing our barrier, and now it is gone."

King Gulben's expression darkened, his fingers drumming lightly against the table. "What are you suggesting, Saeldir?"

"I suggest we prepare, Your Majesty," Saeldir said without hesitation. "This was not a random anomaly. Whoever cast this Magic is powerful and calculating. If they're testing our defenses, it means they have plans. Plans that likely involve breaching the palace."

The room fell silent, the weight of Saeldir's words settling heavily over the assembled council.

The advisors exchanged anxious glances. The implications of a potential attack against the Elf Palace sinking in. They had already suffered a lot before when the Great Calamity come, and now maybe something that equally dangerous will come again.

Finally, King Gulben broke the silence. "And how do you propose we prepare?"

"I will suggest that we spend resource to strengthening the barrier," Saeldir said. "Double our patrols and increase surveillance on the surrounding lands. We must also inform Erend and Eccar, if this Magic truly originates from another world, it may be connected to the threats they have faced before. And we cannot ignore the possibility that… Laston may be involved. He was after all, not dead."

The moment Laston's name mentioned, it immediately caused a ripple of tension to pass through the room. Even those who had never seen the former traitor did it in person knew of his betrayal and the chaos he had sown.

King Gulben nodded slowly. "Do as you suggest, Saeldir. Strengthen our defenses but don't alert Erend and Eccar yet. If this Magic is a precursor to something larger just like you said, we must be ready."

Saeldir inclined his head in acknowledgment. "I will see to it immediately."

As he turned to leave, the air in the room felt heavier than when he had entered.

The advisors' whispered conversations followed him out, their unease was the same as Saeldir's own anxiety.

Something or someone was coming, and the Elf Palace would need to stand ready. King Gulben clenched his jaw and his fists. If its really Laston, then he would be the most prepared person there.

"That traitor… Is he really gonna come back?" King Gulben thought with fury.

---

Aurdis who were just fresh from her chambers and still adjusting the delicate braid in her hair, stepped into the corridor.

Then she noticed Saeldir striding purposefully away from the throne room. His face was marked by a tension she only saw when big problem happened.

"Saeldir," she called.

He slowed, turning to face her, his expression softening slightly at the sight of her, though the weight of his thoughts was still evident.

"Aurdis," he greeted with a small nod.

She stepped closer, concern etched into her features. "Is something happening?"

Saeldir sighed. "Yes. Something is happening."

Aurdis let out a sigh of her own. "It feels like the problems never end for us," she said. "Now, what is it?"

"I will explain later," Saeldir replied, his tone curt. "There are things I must attend to first."

Aurdis nodded, sensing his urgency and deciding not to press further for now. "Alright."

Before he turned away, Saeldir paused, as though weighing his next words. "Later, I will need to speak with Aerchon as well."

Aurdis raised a brow, surprised. "With Aerchon? Is this about—"

"Later," Saeldir interrupted gently and firmly. With that, he resumed his brisk pace, disappearing down the corridor.

Aurdis watched him go. Anxiety and worry settling again in her chest. Whatever was happening, it was serious enough to leave even Saeldir unsettled.

---

In his private chambers, Saeldir entered with a long breath of sigh. The room that lined with shelves of ancient tomes and artifacts felt more like a sanctum than a living space. That's is originally his purpose, so that he don't need to go far away from the place he sleep to take the tome and artifact he needed in the dire moment.

He closed the door behind him and exhaled deeply, allowing himself a moment to collect his thoughts before diving into his next task.

He approached a locked cabinet then muttering a quiet incantation to disengage its magical seal. From within, he retrieved a large scroll, its edges worn but its surface smooth.

He unfurled the five meters square scroll. It was one of his most precious tools, an enchanted canvas designed to map and analyze Magic traces in intricate detail.

It was a one time use so he was hesitated to use it. But now there was no room for hesitation.

Spreading the scroll across the floor, Saeldir knelt and began to work. With precise strokes of ink infused with his own Magic, he sketched the patterns of the foreign energy he had detected earlier.

His hands moved quickly, each line and curve carrying his knowledge and the urgency of his purpose.

Minutes turned into an hour and the diagram finally took shape. When it was finally complete, he sat back on his heels and studying the intricate web of symbols and lines before him.

The diagram pulsed faintly already, resonating with the lingering echoes of the strange Magic he had detected.

Saeldir narrowed his eyes, his mind racing to decipher the patterns.

"Layered... probing... But why does this feel familiar?" he murmured to himself.

He reached for a small crystal orb that was nesting on the bottom of a large wood chest in the corner of the room together with many other orbs. Then hee channeling a thin stream of his own Magic energy into it.

The orb glowed, projecting an overlay of the Magical signatures inside the orb onto the scroll. As the projection merged with his diagram, Saeldir's expression darkened.

"There," he whispered, his finger tracing a faint but unmistakable mark within the pattern. "This isn't not foreign Magic. This was Laston's Magic. But this also different."

His grip on the orb tightened, his heart sinking as the realization settled in. Laston's return was no longer a distant possibility, it was a looming reality.

Rising from his position on the floor, he moved to one of the tall shelves that lined his chambers. His fingers traced over the spines of countless tomes that each containing centuries of history, Magic, and secrets of the Elves.

Finally, his hand stopped on a thick leather-bound book.

Pulling the tome free, Saeldir carried it to a nearby desk. He opened the book and read the record of one of the darkest chapters in the history of the Elf Palace.

The account began with the betrayal of Laston who had turned against his family and kingdom.

Driven by ambition and resentment, he had unleashed a dark curse upon the palace when Aerchon found out about his plan. It was a spell so vile that it transformed Elves into undead.

Saeldir's eyes lingered on the description of the curse. First, he need to research more about this cause Laston might be using it again.

He turned to the passage detailing the fight. Aerchon had faced Laston directly. The battle was fierce and Aerchon was defeated.

Saeldir's fingers traced the next paragraph, recounting the moment Erend arrived. The Dragonborn transformed into his full Dragon form.

Erend had not only defeated Laston but also the king of the Daemons, who had allied with the traitor.

Laston had fled, wounded and humiliated, leaving the Elves to rebuild what they could of their shattered lives.

Saeldir closed the tome, his mind racing. The similarities between the curse unleashed by Laston and the Magic he had just detected were undeniable. But there was something more.

---