Nihility [ Isekai • Dragon Evolution ]

I eventually hit the ground hard enough to lose my breath and it took some effort for me to be able to breathe in again. Looking around all I could see was the storm of temporal energy raging around me, forming a 30 meter radius circle around me with nothing but a black floor. Confused, I tried to use [Knowledge Library] for information about where I was, but the skill failed. I don't mean the usual response of "no information available", I meant it didn't even activate, as if something blocked the skill in its entirety.

"That won't be necessary" A booming voice that I instantly recognized as being the God of Time's voice echoed throughout the place, and when I turned around I saw the black lion with emerald green mane and next to him was a dragon. The dragon was bigger than me and had green scales that seemed to slowly fade in and out of my vision. He had what looked like energy running underneath the scales, giving an effect of movement on them, but I couldn't quite understand before the formed image changed. He had an elongated neck and his head had a more protruded muzzle and a pair of softly curved horns that extended from the top of his head and moved backwards, following the shape of his head. In the middle of his head and moving down his neck to the base of it was what looked like liquid green that flowed with a non-existent wind, mimicking hair on humans. And lastly his eyes were a deep green with wisps of a dark blue. There was something familiar about him that I couldn't put my finger on.

Noticing my gaze, the dragon opened his wings, which were easily five meters in diameter each, and extended his neck, as if he wanted to show off. I even noticed a small smile in his mouth. Then the dragon looked at the God of time and faked a cough, retracting his wings and then, while still looking a little embarrassed, looked at me.

"Hi" His voice sounded familiar, but I don't think I met any dragon besides myself. Who is he? "You're right" He said, which only confused me.

"You never met another dragon beside yourself. This is still true… for now, at least" He said.

I paused. Does he mean…

"Yes. I'm the future (,) flash" He said, citing a reference for the tv series of the flash. Yeah, that confirms it. I'm looking at myself from the future.

"Why?" I asked. Why would I be here? Did I make something wrong that the God of Time brought myself from the future here? And, wow, I'm cool.

"I think so too. I made a great choice" He said, but continued before I could ask what he meant by that. "But no. I'm here because I had this exact conversation with myself when I was you, and you will be having it when you become me…"

"Paradoxes…" We both said at the same time.

"Anyway. I'm here because I need to be. The loop needs to be closed. It has to happen. I know you don't understand what I mean, but when you get on my place you will understand" He said with a smile, probably remembering when he was me and thinking these very thoughts. Does that mean free will is an illusion and that everything will happen as it always has?

"No. Free will does exist, but there are also fixed points that can bend what constitutes free will" My future self explained. "But I'm not here to discuss philosophy"

"So… Why are you here?" I asked.

"To make sure you become me"

"I don't understand"

"Neither did I, until it happened. Anyway" He became serious and looked right at me, staring right into my eyes. If I was being honest, it was a little intimidating.

"You already have asked [Knowledge Library] about names" He stated. "While the skill gave you the information about it, it doesn't convey everything. What I learned is that receiving a name is much more than what people call you. It defines you. It goes deep into one's soul, so that is why naming creatures is so important, even for dragons. Right?" He asked the last part to the God of Time, who just nodded once.

"The majority of creatures do not have the luck of being named, and those who are usually have names that do not fit them, hindering their growth potential."

I was starting to see where this was going. "You're here to give me a name" I declared. Myself from the future just smiled.

"You are familiar with the bootstrap paradox. The reason one travels to time becomes the reason itself" He continued when I nodded. "They have a two word phrase to this exact situation. It is an ancient language but can be translated to "The creator of his own creation". And it's those two words I name you "Denaru Theris"

The moment he stated that, I felt something reach inside my own soul and take root there. It filled that void inside my soul that I saw there when I entered my own soul. It spread throughout my soul, resonating with the very core of my being. It was who I am, and I knew it.

It took me a while to process what I received by the system and as I did so, my future self just looked at me with a warm smile.

Shaking my head, I looked at the last information panel the System gave me, telling me to choose an evolution and that I would be able to become a true dragon, not the subspecies that are white dragons. I looked at my future self.

"I don't suppose you can tell me what to choose?" I asked

"I can't. But you will choose the right one" He answered.

I looked at my choices again and, just trying to see if it would work, I pushed the options through [Knowledge Library]

[It is said that the Ouroboros Dragon exists beyond the normal flow of time, its very being a paradox that defies causality. An Ouroboros Dragon is both the cause and consequence of its own existence, with no clear beginning or end—an entity without a definitive birth or death. These beings wield control over time itself, able to slow its passage, hasten its flow, or even weave temporal loops that trap events in an endless cycle. Their shimmering scales are said to reflect the infinite possibilities of the future, granting glimpses of what may come to those who dare to gaze upon them. Merely standing in the presence of an Ouroboros Dragon is enough to distort the temporal fabric of reality, rendering cause and effect uncertain in their wake. Few can truly comprehend the paradox they embody, and fewer still can challenge them in battle—for to stand against an Ouroboros Dragon is to fight against the inexorable march of time itself]

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[The Arcane Dragon is a being of pure mysticism, its very existence intertwined with the essence of magic itself. Its scales are inscribed with ever-shifting runes of unknown origin, their meaning lost to time and comprehension. It is said that all magic bends before an Arcane Dragon, as if the very laws that govern the flow of magicules recognize them as their rightful master]

[The Water Dragon moves with fluid grace, its body covered in smooth, reflective scales that shimmer like the ocean's surface. Highly adaptable, it thrives in lakes, rivers, and even deep-sea trenches. Water Dragons can manipulate water at will, shaping tides, summoning rain, or creating powerful currents]

[The Fire Dragon is a creature of heat and destruction. Its scales glow like molten rock, radiating intense warmth, while wisps of smoke often rise from its body. Fire Dragons have complete control over flames, able to breathe searing infernos or ignite the very air around them]

[The Wind Dragon soars effortlessly through the skies, embodying the freedom and unpredictability of the wind. Its sleek body and feather-like scales reduce air resistance, allowing it to move at incredible speeds. Wind Dragons can generate powerful gusts, manipulate air currents, and even create storms in the right conditions]

I read through the descriptions and noticed that the choices I have been offered were directly related with what I did until this point. The last three dragons were the elements I most used of them all, the Arcane Dragon is there because of my usage of magic, and the Ouroboros… Yeah, it almost describes me to a Tee. Living outside of the normal flow of time? Temporal loops. No clear birth? Responsible for their own existence? My name is literally that.

I looked at my future self, his scales shimmered with countless ever shifting images. It was confirmed, and even if I didn't have the literal proof of what I chose in front of me it would be Arcane Dragon or Ouroboros, and I liked Ouroboros more. The other three were basically a joke in this context.

"I choose the Ouroboros Dragon" I said out loud. The moment I finished speaking, I was hit with an immense dizziness that I couldn't fight. My eyes slowly closed and I fell asleep.

I don't know how long I slept, but when I woke up I felt more alive than ever. I was still somewhere inside a temporal storm, but I felt as if they wouldn't hurt me.

I looked at myself and saw I had changed. My scales were green and shimmering with countless images I couldn't understand. My wings were bigger and stronger. I couldn't exactly look, but I knew my eyes were a deep shade of green.

Looking around I was inside the temporal storm, but I couldn't find the God of time or myself. I started walking through the temporal storm. Eventually I came face to face with a small white figure being thrown around, hitting pockets of temporal energy so hard I could hear bones cracking. I knew what it was.

"I remember this" I said. The small white dragon, myself when I first caused the temporal explosion, looked at me. "The next part is going to hurt. I'm sorry" I said. I remember the pain I felt after this, it was still fresh in my mind after all. I honestly felt bad for myself there, but I couldn't do anything.

I felt it. Everything here is fixed. I can't change anything even if I try. I still could do whatever I wanted, but I just knew that the results would be the same, like the universe is forcing a specific outcome.

I kept walking, eventually reaching a clearing in the temporal storm, right behind a small white dragon. The God of Time then appeared right beside me

"That won't be necessary" He said with a booming voice.

My past self turned around and looked at the black lion besides me and then at me. I felt a small amount of pride of my new evolution and wanted to show off, so I spread out my wings and raised my head high in the air. I glanced at the God of Time and he had a deadpan face, so I faked a cough while retracting my wings and facing myself.

"Hi" I said. I watched as my past self made a confused face because of my voice. I remember what I was thinking at the moment. "You're right"

"You never met another dragon beside yourself. This is still true… for now, at least" I was confident I would meet other dragons sooner or later, but until then. I was the only dragon I ever met. Does this classify as schizophrenia? I don't think so.

"Yes. I'm the future (,) flash" I said after I saw the recognition in his eyes. This Savitar line is perfect for moments like this, I couldn't just not use it.

"Why?" He asked. I waited for a moment as he thought that I was cool before answering.

"I think so too. I made a great choice" I said, taking a moment for myself to register what I said before continuing. "But no. I'm here because I had this exact conversation with myself when I was you, and you will be having it when you become me…" Oh wow. I'm not even trying to remember what I said. It's just coming naturally to me and it just so happens to match what I said before. I think this is why I know I can't change events, because whatever I do I will repeat the same actions I already took.

"Paradoxes…" we both said, but I said for a different reason from my past self.

"Anyway. I'm here because I need to be. The loop needs to be closed. It has to happen. I know you don't understand what I mean, but when you get on my place you will understand" I said with a smile. Now I knew why. I needed to create myself, literally a bootstrap paradox.

"No. Free will does exist, but there are also fixed points that can bend what constitutes free will" I explained after I knew my past self thought about what free will entails in this. "But I'm not here to discuss philosophy"

"So… Why are you here?" He asked.

"To make sure you become me" I answered. This is the core of this paradox, after all.

"I don't understand"

"Neither did I, until it happened. Anyway" I said, and then looked right at my past self, staring right through his eyes. I knew how intimidating I was being.

"You already have asked [Knowledge Library] about names" He stated. "While the skill gave you the information about it, it doesn't convey everything. What I learned is that receiving a name is much more than what people call you. It defines you. It goes deep into one's soul, so that is why naming creatures is so important, even for dragons. Right?" The last part I asked for confirmation from the God of Time. This information came from myself, I wasn't exactly sure how much it was correct.

"The majority of creatures do not have the luck of being named, and those who are usually have names that do not fit them, hindering their growth potential."

"You're here to give me a name" My past self said with confidence. I just smiled.

"You are familiar with the bootstrap paradox. The reason one travels to time becomes the reason itself" I waited for a moment as my past self nodded and continued "They have a two word phrase to this exact situation. It is an ancient language but can be translated to "The creator of his own creation". And it's those two words I name you "Denaru Theris"

The moment I declared my own name, I felt a massive amount of magicules leaving my own body and entering my past self's body, it almost took the wind out of me, but I managed to maintain dignity in front of my past self.

"I don't suppose you can tell me what to choose?" My past self asked me after I recovered a little.

"I can't. But you will choose the right one" I said. There was only one correct answer, and I had already made the decision before being here… Paradoxes…

I then moved towards the God of Time.

"I said I would be waiting for you for when you closed the loop" He said to me. I just nodded.

"I wanted to ask you. Everything I heard and spoke to myself came from myself. Does my name even mean what I said it meant?"

"Why don't you ask your skill?"

I sighed but did as he said, putting my own name on [Knowledge Library]

[Denaru Theris is a phrase in the Origin Language that can be translated to "The one who makes himself"]

"Origin Language?"

"Maybe another time. Does this answer satisfy you?" The God of Time said.

"It does. Thank you" I answered honestly.

"There is no problem. This needed to happen. I was here mainly as an observer. But now, you must return to the normal timeline. The hole in reality you opened is closing" He said and, with a blow, the temporal storm divided itself in two, revealing a pathway to a dark hole in the middle of the air.

"I choose the Ouroboros Dragon" I heard myself saying out loud, and when I looked over I saw myself collapse from the dizziness and then vanishing inside the storm.

"I must now go. I wish you well in your journey, Denaru Theris Nahala" The God of Time said, which I nodded…Wait, what?

"How do you know my…old surname?" I asked, but the God of Time was nowhere to be found anymore.

With a sigh I walked to the hole in reality and stepped over its edge, darkness consuming everything.