A Chronometric Defect

I gaze across the vast lands of my Shridenia. It's sad, but this beautiful landscape will be carved out of existence within the next few minutes.

I feel another stab in my chest. As this damn thing keeps continuing despite my efforts. Which is not good. But— it'll be over as soon as I get the all clear.

I've tried a lot of different things. Inventing spells and skills, creating a new puppet body and separating it, generating alternate quantum states and subjecting my body to them. Nothing seems to work. I can't understand how this thing is persisting no matter what.

The bulb's white seeds aren't nearly this persistent, so it's some kind of unique attack. It costs the bulb something to maintain, for sure, so I've tried to drain the bulb's power in various ways. I presume it's sucking up more Mana via its roots, though. I can't detect any change in its Mana levels. It isn't taking my Mana; at least not that I can detect.

All of this points to it being a talent. Which will doubtlessly be mine in a few minutes. Whichever talent it's using to parasitize me would be a solid attack against my tougher enemies. Except, I don't like slow acting poisons. I'll see if it can be reconfigured to blast my opponents all at once.

Dragons enjoy grand shows of force— and by dragons, I mean myself. Which is precisely why I'll be going all out on this bulb. It's making me VERY excited.

My tail flips behind me a little. I wanna rawr! Reah!

...

Hrm, come to think of it; I should've used the status inscription on the bulb. Maybe I could've learned something.

Curses, that was a foolish oversight. It's too far away right now. I could transfer—

A green inscription pops up above my hand.

I press 'accept.'

"Lord Chronomet, the evacuation is complete. My team calculates a ninety-eight percent success rate. Two percent remained because one town refused to move; they insisted they could 'fight the monsters.' We tried to explain that you were going to blast the entire region with grand magic, but they were having none of it. Frankly, they don't believe you exist."

If I was in my prime, I'd go convince them myself. I strongly doubt they'd be so stubborn.

"Their loss is unfortunate, butler, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Make sure their passing is publicly memorialized."

A pause.

"That's very kind of you, lord Chronomet. Or perhaps you want them to be a warning to others. Either way, I appreciate you thinking about the future of our Shridenia."

Ahrah? I hadn't thought of it like that, but he makes a good point. I always manage to be threatening even if I don't intend on it. I suppose acting overbearing is a standard requirement for being a dragon. Can't be helped.

"Then, it is time. All shall perish."

I cut the connection.

Whow, I really DO sound horrific, hrah? That was a super-ominous closing statement. Very nice. Very 'dragon.'

I feel another stab. This time the weakness spreads significantly, as if it knows something bad is brewing.

Reah, bad is coming right your way, so please: die.

I raise my head up high and take in a deep breath. My huge lungs fill with air like a set of powerful bellows. My scaled chest bulges out, my tail exuberantly swishing, my orange wings scintillating in the bright morning sun.

And I breathe out.

‡‡‡‡‡‡SHRAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRR‡‡‡‡‡‡

‡‡‡‡SHMKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE‡‡‡‡

A sharp cutting shriek blasts my hearing; its shrill volume just below my deafeningly percussive roar. It's the sound of a massive black particle cannon exiting my maw.

The shape of the beam is cylindrical, not conical, but it's somehow still larger than my entire twenty meter tall body. The beam almost instantly connects with the ground far below, then spreads out in the shape of a pitch black dome.

The dome rapidly expands to the full scale of the monster's form, plus a little extra...

Then vanishes.

I feel a flood of power pour into my body. It's like nothing I've ever experienced. The sense of strength I have right now? It wipes away my weakness, then climbs to infinity.

I ate a country. An entire country.

At the height of my revelry— something goes wrong. My mind shakes like my entire being was slapped. My Mana vanishes and my wings lose lift. My body begins to fall.

As I fall through the air, I struggle to maintain my vision.

Until all goes dark.

What is this?!

Status!

Name: Π||¿

Stats:

Str: Π||¿

Sta: Π||¿

Int: Π||¿

Wis: Π||¿

What the heck?

Status, Name!

Name: Π||¿

You are Π||¿

Rank: Π||¿

I can't understand. What is 'Π||¿' supposed to mean and why is it everywhere? Is it 'nil?' How can I have nil everything? Am I dying? But I'm still conscious! Why is this happening?

All at once, I feel something else in here. Like back when Parasite tried to make my body its own. But this time— no. This time it's already succeeded.

It's not Parasite. It's something else.

It has no consciousness. None.

Like... Like a plant?

Damnit!

There's gotta be something; maybe the weird symbols...

Status, Π||¿!

Π||¿: You are the Origin.

...

That. That can only mean I've been stripped.

Stripped of everything. The plant took my entire body, but it's not taking my mind, perhaps because it doesn't want my mind. In the moment I attacked it, it must've used my attack to take over completely. Then, that means...

The only thing I have left is myself.

My Origin.