Sanctuary: Safe Haven

When Canna saw Tonitrum, the ancient dragon was laughing, its thunderous chuckles echoing through the vast chamber. Tonitrum's laughter was not the warm, friendly kind; it was the sound of amusement at someone else's expense, a rumbling noise that shook the very air around them.

Canna stepped closer, trying to maintain his composure, but he knew this was going to be rough. Tonitrum's piercing eyes were already locked onto him, glowing faintly with mana that radiated an aura of power and menace.

"You really are an interesting one," Tonitrum said, his voice thick with mana, resonating like distant thunder. "I warned you not to let that dragon step out of your domain, yet you chose to do so.

Lucky for you, I was in a good mood and had already set up a barrier—just enough to keep any nosy gods from peeking in." Tonitrum paused, his lips curling into a wide, toothy grin before he erupted into another fit of laughter. "You idiot! You realize your mistake now, don't you?"

Canna's cheeks burned with a mix of shame and frustration. As much as he hated to admit it, Tonitrum was right. He had been reckless, and it could have cost them everything. With a reluctant nod, Canna acknowledged his mistake, feeling the weight of his misjudgment.

"Well, you are an idiot, so that's about what I'd expect from you," Tonitrum continued, his tone shifting to one of blunt criticism. "Before you even engaged, you should have transformed into your dragonkin form. You're nowhere near strong enough to keep your cards close to your chest. The only reason you're still alive is because of pure luck and the strength of your subordinates."

The words stung, but Canna knew they were true. How could he deny it? He had led 25,000 fighters against 1.5 million orcs, seasoned warriors who lived and breathed battle. It was a ridiculous mismatch on paper, one that should have ended in total annihilation.

Canna's side had won not because of his own strength but because of his powerful allies—the three legendary beings who had fought beside him and, ultimately, Stormbringer's intervention that had turned the tide.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Canna's own skills as a harbinger were formidable, but they were not limitless. He could only maintain his abilities for so long before his power waned, and the orcs had almost overwhelmed them. Flora had nearly been lost, and he himself had come far too close to death. The entire battle was a stark reminder that, at higher levels, the gap between ranks mattered more than anything else.

If not for his subordinates—each a force of nature in their own right—the outcome would have been very different.

Canna stood there, absorbing Tonitrum's harsh words without protest. Criticism was easier to swallow when you knew it was warranted, and Canna had learned to accept his faults. He let the ancient dragon speak, enduring the lecture until Tonitrum's laughter finally subsided, and the dragon seemed satisfied that he had made his point.

With a dismissive snort, Tonitrum shifted his massive form, the ground trembling under his weight as he moved. He raised one clawed hand, and a red portal materialized in the air, swirling with dark energy. Canna watched intently as several corpses tumbled out of the portal, hitting the ground with dull thuds. Some were small, barely recognizable forms, their features twisted and nearly intangible.

But three of them stood out, their bodies distinct, even in death.

Tonitrum's eyes glimmered with a knowing look as he regarded Canna. "Well, I don't need to explain, now do I? You know what to do. Use the spell and summon your subordinate."

Canna's gaze fell on the corpses, recognizing the faint residual mana still clinging to them. These were not just any beings—they were entities tied to powerful forces, and Canna knew exactly what Tonitrum was suggesting. It was time to call upon his bahamuth ring once more and use the create elder undead spell, to bind and summon a powerful being as subordinate in his service.

He hesitated for a moment, still feeling the weight of his earlier failure, but Tonitrum's presence was a reminder that dwelling on the past would do him no good.

Drawing a deep breath, Canna extended his hand, feeling the familiar surge of mana flow through his veins. His fingers traced the air, weaving the intricate symbols of summoning, each movement deliberate and precise. The chamber darkened, and the air around them hummed with energy as Canna chanted the incantation, his voice resonating with power.

The bodies on the ground twitched, mana threads pulling at them as if awakening something long dormant.

One by one, the corpses began to rise, their bodies slowly lifted in the air and started to mix. The process was draining, but Canna held firm, focusing on the task at hand. He could feel Tonitrum watching him, the dragon's gaze heavy with judgment, but also with a hint of something else—expectation, perhaps? Or maybe even approval?

As the summoning completed, Canna's new subordinate stood before him, or more precise it was flying. Canna lowered his hand, feeling a rush of satisfaction mixed with exhaustion. The ritual was complete, and with it, a new chapter had begun.

Canna turned to face Tonitrum, who was observing the new addition with a keen eye. "This was a hard lesson learned," Canna admitted, his voice steady. "But it's one I won't forget. I'll be better prepared next time."

Tonitrum snorted, a puff of smoke escaping his nostrils. "See that you do, Canna. You can't afford to make the same mistakes again, especially when so many lives are on the line." Tonitrum's expression shifted, a hint of something playful flashing in his eyes as he raised his claw once more.

Another portal opened, this one swirling with a dark, otherworldly light, and from it, a large, oblong object fell to the ground.

Canna's eyes widened as he inspected the object. It was an egg, but unlike any he had seen before. It was an odd, elongated shape, and its surface shimmered with an unnatural blue hue, like a storm cloud captured in glass. The dragon's grin widened as he watched Canna's expression turn from confusion to shock.

"What's this?" Canna asked, his voice edged with both curiosity and dread. He reached out, touching the egg's surface, feeling the cold, electric charge that ran through it. A faint glow of mana pulsed beneath its shell, revealing intricate patterns that seemed to shift and move as he stared.

The "information status" text flashed before his eyes, and what he read made his heart skip a beat.

[Hydra Egg]

Rank: Low Calamity

Hatching Requirement: 1,000,000 corpses

Canna froze, staring at the egg as if it were about to explode. He turned back to Tonitrum, who was watching him with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Was this why I had to take all those lives?" Canna's voice was low, almost a whisper, filled with a mix of horror and realization. He had thought the slaughter was purely strategic, but this… this was something else entirely.

Tonitrum's grin only widened, a knowing, almost cruel smile that held no answers—only more questions. "Enjoy your reward, Canna," the dragon said with a sly, mocking tone. "And be careful what you wish for."

Canna stood there, the weight of his actions suddenly crashing down on him like a tidal wave. The egg's faint glow reflected in his eyes as he grappled with the gravity of what he had just acquired. A Hydra—a creature of legend, born from death and destruction, a being that would either become his greatest weapon or his ultimate downfall.

As the reality of his situation set in, Canna felt the room spin around him, leaving him standing at the edge of a precipice, staring into an abyss of his own making.