The deeper I moved into the section containing historical records and geography, the more subtle the shelves, orbs and books rearranged themselves.
It didn't take long before I found a shelf holding what I wanted. As I approached with the intent to read, orbs and books containing exactly what I needed drifted toward me on their own, which subtle remove of the ones not within my access drifted out from it.
Only the ones my status as heir permitted access to came my way, of course.
I picked one up — it read, *"Nine Realms: Geography of the World."*
The moment I touched it, disorientation hit, my breath rushing deep and fast — clearly overwhelmed.
*You're feeling that because you're essentially seeing the world through the eyes of whoever recorded this, imprinted directly onto your sea of consciousness,* it explained candidly.
"Okay," I said, distracted.
I mumbled to myself, "So this is the world I'm in. Massive scale. Is this really the right one?"
As the name suggests, this realm is divided into nine vast, boundless domains, each with its own laws and governance, plus a central domain — vast in its own right, though different from the rest.
Five of the domains are land, including the central one. Of the remaining five, one is made up of countless scattered isles, ranging in size from something as small as a room to something as massive as a galaxy.
The final four are pure ocean — nothing but water as far as the eye can see. Finding an island in any of them is close to impossible, though a rare few apparently exist.
Each domain has its own distinct terrain. The Northern land is icy, mountainous, though not overwhelmingly so.
The Eastern land is dense with forest, trees, and swampland — life flourishes there, vibrant and abundant.
The Southern land holds temperate forest and mountain ranges. This is where my former race — humans, before I entered into this dragon body— is dominantly based.
The Western land is scorched desert, but rich in treasures tied to fire and its related laws.
While the Center land contains what the other four land has and also the center point of the world making it a paradise in it's own way. And this is where my clan is.
"Hmm. Can't wait to actually explore this world someday — especially the Southern realm. It's been a long time since I lived somewhere humans actually dominated." A flicker of real enthusiasm, though I kept it well hidden so as not to dent my image.
I left that section and headed toward the area holding racial knowledge, information the clan had gathered — not even the Celestial race, the number one during the ancient event, had a complete record of every race that existed.
It was tucked into the northwestern part of the library. I found a book titled, *"Encyclopedia of Known Races."*
I grabbed it without hesitation, flipping through, and decided this was a good chance to get a basic grasp of every known race in the world.
First entry: *"Blood-Devouring Mosquito."* *So mosquitoes exist here too. And here I thought I'd finally escaped them.* I scowled.
Next: *"Heavenly Silkworm."* *Interesting. Every fantasy world seems to have one of these.*
*"Succubus Race."* *Right, I remember these — voluptuous, and they drain a man dry.* A chill ran through me.
*Are you scared host. You will meet one in the future* the system said with a chuckle.
I flipped past that one quickly. After some more browsing, I found the race I'd actually been looking for, tucked near the very end of the book — an entry roughly the length of my arm, though the page itself was burnt.
*"Legend of the Mortal Race."* *Time to actually pay attention.*
The text began:
*Some legends claim mortals existed before cultivation itself; others disagree. Regardless, they remain a distinct race — one that cultivates neither body nor spirit. Instead, they're born with ten unique fingernails, each carrying its own power. Some can defy the heavens outright; others are no stronger than a common mortal-grade spell.*
*So that's where the word "mortal" actually comes from — Granny Wen's race,* I thought, then kept reading.
*Crucially, their fingernails are tied directly to their lifespan. Every billion years, the Dao tests each of them individually. Failure costs them a nail — and accelerates their aging.*
The record ended there. "So because of my prank, Granny Wen lost a nail. Which means she's aging faster now, because of me." Solemn.
*It's already happened. Don't let it weigh you down. Though — are you actually feeling guilty? This is new for you,* the System said, comforting at first, then a little amused by the end.
*I'm not okay with it. But like you said, it's done. No point wallowing when I can repay the debt once I'm strong enough.* Plain.
"I think that's enough for today," I said, tired, standing and heading for the exit.
As I stepped through the door and looked up, I froze for a second. "What the— it's already dawn." Genuinely shocked.
*So it's time already. Wonder what she's doing right now.* A trace of concern I kept carefully hidden.
I made my way out toward the mountain's exit — the man and his beast exactly as I'd left them. The beast huffed once as I passed, eyes still shut. The old man hadn't moved an inch since the day before.
I reached the spot where I'd left Mei, then looked up again — something bright had caught my eye in the sky. The same way she'd arrived was the same way she left, though the feeling behind it wasn't.
I stood there, watching, until I felt a gaze settle on me, then fade. "Farewell, Princess," I said, once she was fully gone from sight.
I sighed, then made my way to the light bridge connecting the floating mountains which pulse with energy and cold to touch. I reached the vessel at its center and stated where I wanted to go.
I was teleported straight into my courtyard — though something looked off. The three primordial eggs sat at the center, shifted from where I'd originally left them.
"Very soon. This world we know how to kneel" I said, approaching the Sun-Eater Wyrm's egg. Then, glancing at the other two: *Wonder when you two will hatch.*
"Tomorrow I'll get an appraisal on you both — let's see what you actually are." With a bit of curiosity.
I walked to the center point between the three, settled into a meditation pose, and tried to feel their qi directly. Nothing at first, but after some trial and error, I started to sense them.