Have you ever loved a videogame so much that you wished you were somehow magically transported into it? Tough luck, this isn't your typical isekai story where the protagonist ends up in a different world. The videogame becomes the new reality in thi...
After lunch, I meet with our newly established research team. I was looking forward to it, these bright people will be making some of the most exciting scientific and magical discoveries soon. I wish I could be a part of it, but my role is different, I know that. At least, I'll still be able to contribute from time to time, Liana assured me. My magic is the most potent, after all.
"Your Majesty, let me introduce the team," Rina says proudly and full of enthusiasm. "This is Danaheim, the head of genetic research and healing."
A young Earthborn man steps forward. It's hard to tell one's age after the transformation, but I can feel his mind is very young. A high schooler still? His looks are very androgynous and I'm happy to see another person similar to me. His red tentacle hair is tied into a cute knot and his red eyes are almost glowing.
"Your Majesty," he bows. "I don't mean to boast, but I was one of the best Earthborn healers ingame. I'm honoured to work for the benefit of Draconians."
Again, I'm presented with proof that real age doesn't mean anything to us. It might become an important factor in future when we start having children, but, for now, it's all about ingame experience and eagerness to master skills in real life. Danaheim doesn't need a PhD degree in science, no Earthborn does. It comes naturally to them.
"Hi, Namphiel," I smile at Evaniel's and Forent's daughter I already met yesterday. Namphiel bows and returns a shy smile.
Of course, Haldis is also here. They would normally be part of the crafting division that's exclusively Dragonkin, but since that didn't work out for them, I'm more than happy to have Haldis in the research division. We will need a skilled artisan for many Celestial projects and I want to avoid asking the Dragonkin crafting guilds for favours unless it's absolutely necessary.
"This is Nestelle, my assistant," Rina smoothly continues with introductions.
A Celestial man with sun-kissed skin and bronze curly hair with golden streaks steps in front of me and bows deeply. He has dichromatic wings that were quite rare ingame. Both of his wings have a bronze basis, but one is more golden and the other more greyish.
"Your Majesty, it's the highest honour to be here," Nestelle says.
I want to continue getting to know the rest of the team, but I suddenly feel something is wrong. Very, very wrong. I can't describe it properly, but it's as if every fibre of my body is warning me that something sinister is coming. Somehow, I know it has nothing to do with me being a Celestial. It's my other part—the part I inherited from my father. The part that makes me a telepath.
I'd love to turn to Erik or Gotrid for support, but neither of them is here. Gotrid is helping the Minister of Commerce and Erik is with the Minister of Foreign Affairs who's meeting Bauerova for the first time. I quickly touch the minds of all the Draconians in the building, but none of them is feeling anything, so it's not another rift opening.
It's something else, but not less threatening. And it's coming. Fast. We have just a minute, maybe two. There's no time for any preparation. I glimpse the horrified and totally confused faces of my guards when I rush to the window, but I don't have even a moment to explain to them what's going on. I don't know anyway.
I break the glass with telekinesis, quickly steering the shards safely onto the floor, and jump off. I flap my wings mightily and use my Emperor speed to get above the skyscraper in a matter of seconds. Something is coming. Something deadly. I get goosebumps and it makes my feathers stand. I've never felt this terrified, not even when the first rift appeared.
But my mind clears. It's obvious, what I have to do. I'm the protector, so I have to protect. Simple as that. I reach for mana storage in my feathers and channel all of it at once. I'd never be able to do it under normal circumstances, but the adrenalin and the feeling of imminent danger are breaking my restraints.
Since I don't know what I have to protect my people against, I decide to protect the whole building. I was experimenting with shield spells before, but shielding a huge skyscraper is an entirely different level. It's not even level 80, it's the Emperor level.
I'm the embodiment of magic. It's not just a fancy title and I'm forced to fully accept it, now or never. The air around me sparkles with magic as I materialise dozens of transfiguration symbols all at once. The minds of my subjects are boosting me, and the wish to protect my people is making the impossible possible.
Dozens... hundreds... still not enough. Thousands! I don't know where the danger is coming from, so I have to cover every centimetre. The space a few metres around the skyscraper starts glowing with thousands of shields that are perfectly interlocking into each other, creating an impenetrable barrier.
I finish at the very last moment because it's here. That... thing. It hits the shield above me and the blast is overwhelming. But nothing gets through, not even the shockwave. We're safe. My beloved partners, my subjects, all Draconians in the skyscraper.
But relief comes with total exhaustion. I put everything I had into creating that shield. I suddenly feel weak. So weak and light-headed. My wings stop moving and I use the last shreds of strength to wrap myself in my feathers before my vision goes dark and I lose consciousness.
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