Rebirth as a Time Dragon

Mount Celestia, Seventh Heaven, the Radiant Paradise.

After a century or so, Garon once again entered the Radiant Paradise of Mount Celestia, this time accompanied by the God of Light.

The scene before him was just as he remembered: an expanse filled with infinite, boundless holy light, engulfing his entire field of vision with no other material substance in sight.

The God of Light's divine realm was located in the Radiant Paradise.

Under the slight ripple of the sacred light, the silver dragon, wrapped in divine radiance, descended alongside the God of Light.

Unlike their first arrival, there was no crossing of the Bridge of Heaven or the company of other deities this time. Yet, Garon couldn't help but recall the scenes of the gods of Mount Celestia questioning the Dragon Pantheon as if they happened just yesterday.

"It seems that without realizing it, the Dragon Pantheon has already reestablished its dominance."

Although Garon thought this, he hadn't forgotten the arduous battles and perilous challenges the dragon race faced during their resurgence.

"Thank you, Garon. This time, I really owe you," said the God of Light.

Back in the Radiant Paradise, the God of Light's condition had stabilized considerably.

The surrounding holy white light, seemingly alive, flowed like water towards the God of Light, continuously infusing his body. Although not as direct and effective as life energy, it made the God of Light look much better, no longer appearing as if he could collapse at any moment.

Watching the magnificent silver dragon nearby, the God of Light's expression softened. "I once thought we might fight side by side someday. I just didn't expect it to be like this."

"I feel embarrassed, nearly falling in the Prime Material Plane. I'm sure you must find it laughable."

"As a member of the High Council of Gods, I almost became the first high-tier god to fall, bringing disgrace to the High Council."

Mentioning his near demise, the God of Light was visibly shaken and sighed deeply.

Had Garon not arrived or been delayed, he would have indeed perished in the battle with the God of Sun and Malignant Fire and the World Devourer.

Given the intensity of the fight and the dire situation, with no other powerful deities able to intervene, regular mid-tier gods would be walking into certain death by entering the battlefield. Only Garon, the unique Time Dragon, could have broken through the crisis and brought light in that moment.

"You did your best."

"Facing both the God of Sun and Malignant Fire and the World Devourer simultaneously, any other high-tier god would have struggled just as much."

Garon's words were not meant to console but were a factual assessment.

Even Garon himself would find it difficult to contend with two high-tier divine beings at once in the Prime Material Plane.

The fact that the God of Sun and Malignant Fire retreated upon Garon's appearance was not out of fear of him but rather because he realized he could no longer seize the Solar Authority from the God of Light. Staying would have been pointless, and the World Devourer shared a similar thought; having severely wounded the God of Light, it considered the battle won.

The God of Light surveyed the surroundings, his eyes reflecting the endless holy light.

"My injuries are severe. Burning my divine body for power will require millennia to heal."

"For the duration of the Second Dawn War, I won't be able to contribute as I once did."

As he spoke, the God of Light's face was filled with sorrow and regret.

A benevolent god revered by countless kind beings, the God of Light deeply cared for all living creatures and was committed to rescuing those in distress and punishing evil. When Garon was in Noah's continent, the Church of Light was the first to stand against the primeval gods' invasion, sacrificing everything if necessary.

In nearly every Prime Material World, the Church of Light was known for its goodness, bravery, and willingness to defend the light with their lives.

Now, with the primeval gods invading the Prime Material World, causing untold destruction every second, the scale of death was unimaginable, with trillions of beings perishing in this catastrophe.

Darkness, despair, and terror spread unchecked, dimming the light.

This situation weighed heavily on the God of Light, whose kind heart was burdened with the plight of the world.

Especially now, given his current condition, he found it difficult to actively participate in the war to support the gods.

After a brief pause, as if making a significant decision, the God of Light turned his gaze to Garon, looking at the silver dragon he had seen grow from a small being into a formidable force.

The silver dragon lowered his eyes, sensing that the God of Light had something important to say.

Under the dragon's attentive gaze, the God of Light's expression grew solemn. He spoke slowly, "Garon, in my name, I ask you to give your all in this war. Protect all living beings, bring them dawn, and free them from the shadow of the primeval gods."

Garon nodded. "For the sake of the multiverse's balance, I will do as you ask."

The Pantheon was founded with the purpose of maintaining the multiverse's order. Good and evil were both parts of this cosmic structure, so the Pantheon didn't exclude evil gods, including those like the Storm Lord Talos or the Orc God Gruumsh, who were unequivocally malevolent.

With the Dragon Pantheon now at the helm, having established the Pantheon, they were the rulers of this timeline's multiverse. Naturally, it was their responsibility to address the threats posed by the primeval gods that threatened their reign.

For Garon and the other gods, participating in this war was primarily about safeguarding their interests rather than purely out of altruism for all beings.

However, there were exceptions, like the God of Light, who fought selflessly for the well-being of all creatures.

Hearing Garon's words, the God of Light nodded and continued, "I can see that you are irreplaceable in this war."

Pausing, the God of Light spoke in a deep voice, "Garon, I wish to lend you a portion of my power. Let me continue the battle of dawn in another form."

Garon was taken aback for a moment.

"What do you mean?" he asked, looking at the God of Light.

The God of Light closed his eyes. His already cracked and scarred divine body began to radiate endless light, converging into his outstretched right hand. Eventually, the light coalesced into a perfectly round, radiant crystal in his palm.

Light, gentleness, warmth, and intensity – Garon sensed these attributes, perfectly aligned with the essence of the sun, within the crystal.

A tangible manifestation of the Solar Authority. Garon recognized its true nature and pondered silently.

"What are you planning to do?" Garon asked again.

In relinquishing the Solar Authority, the God of Light looked even older, his face lined with deep creases, and his eyes dimmed significantly. He appeared frail, like an elderly figure on the brink of collapse.

Already in a poor state, the voluntary relinquishing of the Solar Authority worsened his condition.

"Take this Solar Authority."

"It will become your wings, tearing through the darkness and bringing the dawn."

The God of Light smiled slightly, ignoring his weakened state.

Garon didn't immediately respond but took a moment to think.

Looking at the relinquished Solar Authority, feeling its power, he couldn't deny his interest.

Garon had a strong desire to collect valuable items, and the Solar Authority was no ordinary prize. Every deity who had ever wielded the Solar Authority had invariably become a powerful divine being.

It wasn't just a collector's item; it could provide immediate strength in battle.

"Are you giving me the Solar Authority?" Garon inquired.

The God of Light had two core Authorities: the Solar Authority and the Light Authority. Without the Solar Authority, his strength would diminish, but he would undoubtedly remain a high-tier divine being.

Hearing Garon's question, the God of Light's glow flickered, and he coughed twice before replying, "Well, the Solar Authority is too important to me. I can't give it to you permanently."

"I'm only lending it to you temporarily."

Upon hearing this, Garon felt a slight, almost imperceptible, twinge of disappointment.

He quickly composed himself and said, "Very well. Since you trust me so much, I will accept it."

"I will wield the Solar Authority, and with your power, shine brightly in the Dawn War."

Although it was a loan, the fact that the God of Light was willing to lend his core Authority demonstrated his immense trust in Garon. After all, if Garon refused to return it later, it would be a significant problem for the God of Light.

But having just been saved by Garon, the God of Light's trust in him was at its peak.

Given time, he might not have made this decision.

Noticing Garon's slight disappointment, the God of Light joked, "The Solar Authority is mighty. I'm lending it to you, so you won't refuse to return it when I need it back, right?"

The silver dragon smiled faintly. "Of course not. I'm not that kind of dragon."

After a pause, Garon asked, "How long do you plan to lend me the Solar Authority? For the duration of the Dawn War?"

The God of Light thought for a moment and said, "Until my wounds are healed, the Solar Authority will remain yours."

Hearing this, Garon's eyes lit up.

Given the severity of the God of Light's injuries, it would take thousands of years for him to recover.

"Good. During this time, I will make good use of the Solar Authority."

Garon said.

Given his rapid growth,

 by the time thousands of years had passed, Garon would likely have ascended to become a quasi-high-tier deity, possibly even surpassing that. At that point, he wouldn't need the Solar Authority and could return it to the God of Light without issue.

Moreover...

"Once the Dawn War is over, we will need to address those gods who avoided contributing and hid behind the Pantheon."

"The God of Sun and Malignant Fire also has the Solar Authority. Perhaps I can obtain my own Solar Authority from him."

Garon had his eyes on the God of Sun and Malignant Fire.

"And there's the Dawn Lord... No, he's an ally, and it's already hard enough being labeled a great evil god. Let's not target him."

Garon refocused his thoughts.

At the same time, he extended a claw towards the God of Light, gesturing for him to hand over the Solar Authority.

He was eager to try out this new power.

On the other side, the God of Light hesitated.

If the Light Authority was like his wife, then the Solar Authority was akin to his daughter. Now, he was about to lend his daughter to Garon. At the moment of parting, he couldn't help but feel reluctant.

However, the God of Light was not one to be indecisive.

After a brief moment of hesitation, he waved his hand, tossing the solidified Solar Authority towards the silver dragon. "Take it."

"Garon Aurelian, it is yours for the time being. Use it well."

As the Solar Authority approached Garon, it transformed into a stream of light, merging with him instantly.

Simultaneously, a pair of new, radiant wings of light unfolded from Garon's back. Though slightly shorter than his Time Dragon wings, they were dazzling and bright, spreading wide.

It was as if they were forged from the sun itself. No, not as if – they were indeed formed from the essence of the sun.

"The Solar Authority is challenging to control. I've turned it into wings to make it easier for you to familiarize yourself with it."

"Later, you can retract it or transform it into other forms as you see fit."

Garon turned his head, curiously examining the Solar Wings.

In these wings, he felt a strong presence of solar light and heat.

Moreover, he could guide and command them to a certain extent, according to his will.

Since it was newly acquired and the Solar Authority was quite potent, Garon couldn't immediately wield it with complete freedom.

Like a child with a new toy, the silver dragon spread his four wings, radiating brilliance as he soared through the Radiant Paradise, stirring up waves of holy light.

"I have removed my will from it. This Solar Authority is now unclaimed. You must master it well and quickly convert it into usable strength. If you have any questions about the Solar Authority, you can always come to Mount Celestia for guidance."

Watching the enthusiastic silver dragon, the God of Light spoke gently.

The God of Light was magnanimous. Having lent the Solar Authority to Garon, he didn't leave any trace of his own will within it, which would have hindered Garon's use of it.

After experimenting with the Solar Authority for a while, Garon retracted his wings and hovered in front of the God of Light.

"Your Solar Authority is quite useful."

"I will wield it and these Solar Wings to bring a new dawn to the multiverse under threat of destruction."

Garon said.

"I believe in you."

The God of Light smiled and said, "I must return to my divine realm to heal. In the upcoming Dawn War, I hope you will achieve great victories and use the Solar Wings to shelter all beings from the storm."

After a brief farewell, the God of Light returned to his divine realm to rest and heal.

Garon prepared to return to the Prime Material Plane. He planned to avoid directly engaging high-tier primeval gods for now and instead use the power of the Solar Authority against mid-tier primeval gods to gain practical experience.

However, just as he was about to leave, a piece of information reached him, causing his expression to turn serious.

Hero's Realm, Pantheon.

An ordinary evil god, whose divine realm was in the Abyss and who had joined the Pantheon, opened his eyes in his avatar and urgently relayed a message.

On the Infinite Plains of the Abyss, the God of Sun and Malignant Fire had fallen.

When the divine battle erupted in the Abyss, the surrounding space was sealed, concealing the identity of the being who caused the fall of the God of Sun and Malignant Fire.

Whether it was a god, a primeval deity, or a demon lord, no one knew.

"The God of Sun and Malignant Fire fell at this moment. It must have been right after returning to the Abyss when he was ambushed."

"...He expended significant power in the Prime Material Plane. This was indeed the opportune moment to strike."

Garon pondered silently.

The God of Sun and Malignant Fire had taken advantage of the God of Light and the World Devourer's battle, attempting to seize the Solar Authority.

He didn't expect to become prey himself, unaware that there was another "sparrow" in the wings.

"Regardless, to cause the fall of the God of Sun and Malignant Fire on his own territory, even in a weakened state, indicates that the unknown entity is far from simple."

"Who could it be?"

With insufficient clues, Garon couldn't determine who had struck down the God of Sun and Malignant Fire.

The attacker was clearly prepared and unwilling to reveal their identity.

Still, to kill the God of Sun and Malignant Fire and remain undetected spoke volumes about the unknown entity's formidable strength.

Immediately, Garon used the Eye of Time, gazing into the Abyss to glimpse the future.

Unfortunately, his vision was blurred, with only faint threads of golden light visible, revealing no further information.

Given the outcome, Garon had expected as much. To kill the God of Sun and Malignant Fire required a being of high-tier divine power, and he couldn't foresee futures involving high-tier beings.

Yet, despite the lack of concrete details, Garon's intuition told him that this was indeed an uninvited guest.

_________________________

[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!] [[email protected]/INNIT]