The party has officially began.
The tension in the air dissolved as guests resumed chatting and drinking. Soon, rows of elegant dining tables and chairs materialized across the ballroom, and the grand dinner commenced.
Aeon sat quietly in his seat after finishing his meal. With a moment of peace at last, he turned his attention to a system notification that had popped up the very moment he set foot on this floating continent.
[DING]
[You have 1x location sign-in.]
[Do you want to sing-in]
Focusing his mind, Aeon mentally commanded the system. ’Sing-in.’
[DING]
[Using 1x location sing-in chance]
[congratulation! You have gained Dao Fruit Of The Cosmic Dragon. On signing-in at the dragon palace][origin]
Aeon stared at the glowing text, his eyes widening in shock. ’origin rank item,’ he thought. A playful, confident smirk labeled on his lips.
He mentally prompted the system for more information: ’Show me the item description.’
[DING]
[Doa fruit of the cosmic dragon]
[Rank: origin]
[Type: Conceptual consumable]
[Description: Before the birth of the cosmos, the Original Dragon exhaled, fracturing the timeless void into a fragments of realities. This fruit is the physical manifestation of one that fragments.]
[Effect 1: passive:-Conceptual Immortality]
[As long as even one fundamental concept connected to the consumer remains, complete destruction of their existence becomes extraordinarily difficult.]
[Effect 2: Passive:- Cosmic Domain]
[Manifest a dimension around the host. The host gains absolute omnipotence within the domain. Within the domain, the host has control of every think. You can create planets, rewrite local laws, or instantly execute or take away every think they have to any being that is five major ranks above you]
[Effect 3:???]
[Effect 4:???]
[NOTE: Master is advised not eat the fruit now. You are un-awakened and weak. It is best to wait until you reach Ex- rank]
Aeon’s eyes sparkled as he read through the interface. ’As always, the location sing-in never fails to amazes me,’ he thought, marveling at the description of the fruit and its effects.
Noticing the hidden details, he questioned the system mentally. ’Sytem, why these effects have question marks. Also I never asked why my the rewards I got didn’t show any effects’
[DING]
[The host is too weak to unlock the other effects. About the rewards, because they are sealed. When you are awaken and they are unsealed the effect will show up.]
Hearing the system’s blunt explanation, Aeon looked down. He did not look sad, but determined.
’I can’t wait the day I go awaken,’ he thought.
Clink! Clink!
The sharp sound of a spoon striking glass shattered his train of thought.
Every head in the ballroom turned toward the head table. Emperor Drakon stood tall, raising his glass as he calmly swept his gaze across the gathering of nobles.
"Welcome once again, everyone," the Emperor spoke, his voice echoing clearly. "Today is a joyous occasion for myself, my family, and the entire empire. Most of all, it is a special day for my daughter."
He looked down at the young princess with deep fatherly love before addressing the crowd again.
"Many of the races gathered here who possess the path of cultivation—or enjoy long lifespans even without it—only celebrate birthdays during their youth, or when they desire. For us dragons, the age of five marks our very first major milestone. It is the age where a hatchling officially becomes a youngling. It is the moment they begin their training to become a force to be reckoned with."
He poised for a moment and raised his glass a fraction higher.
"Let us raise our glasses and wish a happy birthday to my little treasure. Happy birthday, my love."
As one, the entire room stood up, raising their glasses in perfect unison. "Happy birthday, Princess Elysaria!"
With the toast completed, the lively chatter filled the room once more. It continued until a noble stood up, drawing something shimmering from his spatial ring—an artifact accessible only to those who could cultivate.
"Your Majesties, Your Highness," the noble announced politely. "I am your humble servant, Count Eric Blaze. Though it is a modest offering, please accept this gift. I wish you eternal life and glory."
He presented a sleek black sword that seemed to shimmer with a tiny galaxy of trapped stars.
"This is the Star Cleaver. A Unique-rank sword forged from a fallen star. Anyone who wields it can cut through anything beneath the Legendary rank."
With a gentle wave of his hand, the weapon floated smoothly through the air, suspending itself respectfully before the Emperor.
Emperor Drakon smiled warmly. "Thank you, Count Eric, for your generous gift."
With the ice broken, the other guests began presenting their offerings one by one. Some items drew gasps of awe from the crowd, while others failed to impress.
The heads of the ducal families presented legendary-rank treasures, while their children offered unique-rank items, clearly demonstrating the vast gap in their status, power, and resources.
Then, it was Aeon’s turn.
Calmly, Aeon slipped his hand into his jacket pocket, accessing his system inventory to pull out the Aegis of the Transcendent Mind. The necklace materialized silently in his palm as he withdrew his hand.
He stood up gracefully and bowed to the royal family. "Good evening, Your Majesties, Your Highness. I am Aeon Astaraeas, son of the Duke and Duchess of Astaraeas."
He paused briefly, holding up the necklace.
The moment the artifact was exposed to the light, it began to shimmer with a dazzling, ethereal radiance. It wasn’t blinding, but its pure energy immediately commanded the attention of everyone in the room.
A sharp gasp broke the silence as a noble pointed a trembling finger at the jewelry. "T-That... that is a Transcendent-rank item!"
Whispers and murmurs instantly erupted across the ballroom like wildfire.
"A Transcendent-rank item? Judging by that pure energy signature, it really is!" a noblewoman whispered, her expression a mix of profound shock and deep jealousy.
A man beside her nodded, equally stunned. "Yeah, an item of that caliber isn’t something you see every day. Let alone from a child."
As the chatter grew louder, Duke Aurelius Crownshield spoke, his voice booming with absolute authority to silence the room.
"Silence."
The ballroom fell dead quiet. The Guardian Duke turned his eyes toward Aeon, his tone softening. "Continue, child."
Aeon nodded politely. "I didn’t initially know what this item was, so I asked an expert to identify its rank. However, its exact functions remain a mystery to me. I originally found this piece in a regular market, where it looked like nothing more than a dull, albeit beautiful, trinket. Then, one night, I accidentally spilled a Soul-Strengthening Potion over it, and it transformed into what you see now."
The nobles exchanged confused glances. ’You found it in a normal market? What kind of ridiculous luck is that?’
The Emperor narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Aeon to see if the boy was fabricating a story. But Aeon didn’t flinch. He maintained perfect, unwavering composure, looking the Emperor directly in the eyes.
Taken aback by the child’s absolute confidence, Emperor Drakon let out a soft chuckle. He turned his attention to a specific guest. "Count Jonse, I am well aware of your legendary appraisal skills. Please, take a look and discern what this necklace can do."
Count Jonse was a middle-ranking noble from the Kargard Empire—the legendary land of the Dwarves. Although this was an imperial dragon celebration, other powerful races had been invited to maintain political ties.
Jonse bowed respectfully and raised his hand. Wrapped in a soft blue cosmic energy, the necklace floated from Aeon’s palm across the room, landing gently in the dwarf’s hands. Jonse closed his eyes, and a bright golden energy flared within his pupils as he activated his appraisal skill.
The guests didn’t have to wait long. Within two minutes, Jonse’s professional composure completely crumbled, replaced by absolute awe. His voice shook with excitement.
"T-This... this is marvelous! Hahaha! Genius! Absolute genius!"
He held the necklace delicately, admiring it as if it were the greatest masterpiece ever created.
To the Dwarves, who stood at the absolute pinnacle of blacksmithing and crafting, an item like this was a mythical rarity.
Emperor Drakon leaned forward, his voice laced with commanding curiosity. "Explain, Count Jonse."
Snapping out of his trance, Jonse coughed into his fist to hide his embarrassment.
"Ahem! Crucial apologies, Your Majesty. This artifact is indeed a genuine Transcendent-rank item. It is a defense-type armament equipped with a single, high-tier counter-attack charge per day. It grants the wearer absolute protection against soul/spiritual, magical, or physical attacks up to the caliber of Mythical-grade entities."
He paused, letting the weight of his evaluation sink into the minds of the stunned audience.
"Furthermore," Jonse added, his voice dropping to a reverent whisper, "it grants the user absolute immunity to all forms of mental corruption, manipulation, mind-reading, illusions, and curses of equivalent rank."
With a gentle flick of his hand, Count Jonse released his cosmic energy control, allowing the necklace to float smoothly through the air until it landed safely before the Emperor.
Whispers broke out once more. Everyone in the room was thoroughly shocked by just how powerful and incredible this artifact truly was.
Transcendent-rank items were not something easily given away as casual birthday gifts. They ranked as the third-strongest classification of items ever known to exist.
Even within the massive, wealthy Dragon Empire, there were fewer than fifty of them in total existence.
Emperor Drakon looked down at the glittering necklace resting in his palm. A moment later, he threw his head back and laughed whole-heartedly.
"Hahaha! Tonight is getting better and better! A Transcendent-rank item of this caliber, given freely to my daughter as a gift."
He turned his bright, golden eyes back toward Aeon, his face breaking into a wide smile.
"Aeon, was it? You have generously presented the absolute best gift for my daughter’s birthday. For that, you will be richly rewarded."
The Emperor then shifted his gaze toward the boy’s parents. "You have raised your son incredibly well, Duke and Duchess Astaraeas."
Hearing the praise from the throne, Aeon’s parents stood up and bowed slightly in gratitude.
Truthfully, even they were completely surprised by what their son had just done. When they shot him a questioning look, Aeon simply winked back at them with a playful smile.
Following Aeon’s turn, the rest of the guests continued to present their offerings. However, none of them could match the sheer awe and impact of Aeon’s Transcendent gift.
Hours passed, and after a long night of endless celebration, the party finally drew to a close. The crowd of nobles slowly dispersed, each heading back to their assigned luxury guest suites within the palace.
Aeon said a final goodnight to his family before walking down the grand corridors to his own guest room.
Exhausted from the day’s events, he took off his clothes and stepped into the bathroom for a long, relaxing shower.
Once he finished, he climbed into the massive, king-sized bed and let his body sink into the soft sheets.
He stared up at the ceiling, thinking about his schedule. ’The day after tomorrow, we have to return to our own state,’ Aeon noted mentally. ’I should definitely spend tomorrow exploring the rest of this floating continent.’
With that final thought, he closed his eyes, rolled over, and fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.