While Khasavar made his quick escape, Ezra redirected his path towards the AlphaNova headquarters to meet with Sidal.

It was an unplanned detour, prompted by the realization that he hadn’t informed his long-time ally about his potential departure from the Black Dragon galaxy cluster.

The imposing metallic spires of AlphaNova loomed ahead as Ezra entered the central complex.

Sidal greeted him with a curious smile, already sensing something significant was on the horizon.

Sidal gestures for Ezra to sit across from him in his spacious chamber.

Ezra shook his head and reclined in his seat. "Not yet. There’s something I need to tell you first. If things go according to plan, I’ll be leaving this cluster soon. The opportunities at the top clans are too significant to ignore"

Sidal’s expression hardened momentarily, though his calm demeanor quickly returned. "Leaving the cluster, huh? I can’t say I didn’t see this coming"

Ezra smirks, leaning forward. "What can I say, life happens. If I succeed, I’ll have a foothold among the most prestigious clans in the universe"

Sidal chuckled. "And if you don’t?"

"I will," Ezra replied confidently, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

Their discussion continues, with Sidal providing advice and encouragement while also expressing his gratitude for the warning.

Before departing, Ezra reassures him that he’d maintain contact, ensuring their alliance remained intact regardless of where his journey led.

After concluding his business with Sidal, Ezra finally made his way to the Red Dragon Clan’s domain.

The massive gates of their fortress opened to welcome him, though the atmosphere felt tense.

As he steps inside, a messenger quickly approaches, summoning him to the main hall at the request of the clan leader, Asadon.

Upon entering, Ezra finds the hall filled with the Red Dragon Clan’s elders and leadership, their expressions a mix of curiosity, displeasure and skepticism.

At the head of the table sat Asadon, his piercing gaze fixed on Ezra.

"Welcome, Ezra," Asadon began, his deep voice resonating through the chamber. "We’ve gathered here to discuss a matter of great importance."

The vice clan head, Kovar, stepped forward, his tone calm but firm. "Your potential is undeniable, and after extensive deliberation, the clan has decided to fully support you. However, we cannot allow you to leave as an outsider. To solidify your position within the Red Dragon Clan, we have decided to proceed with your bloodline integration ceremony"

Murmurs erupted among the elders, some nodding in agreement while others voiced their objections.

"This is too soon!" one elder exclaimed. "What if he fails? The bloodline of our ancestors is not something to be bestowed lightly"

"Enough!" Asadon’s voice silenced the room. "The recommendation has already been granted and this decision has been finalized. The bloodline integration will proceed immediately"

Kovar smirks, casting a glance at Ezra.

With a subtle wink, he conveyed his approval, his expression silently adding, You owe me for this.

Ezra remains composed, though the gravity of the situation was not lost on him.

Integrating into their bloodline meant branding him as a formal member of their race, as though becoming part of a new family.

This in turn would put him on the same level as all the other elders as he would no longer be an outsider, but rather a fully acknowledged member of the red dragon clan, and a one of the many variant species of the dragon race.

Of course, it wasn’t without reason or benefit for the clan either.

Not integrating him into their bloodline meant leaving Ezra open to offers from any other clan and while this wasn’t much of an issue normally.

But with the potential he had shown, Kovar knew Ezra would be flooded with offers eventually.

And with the situation of their clan, there was no way they would be able to compete.

Moreover, with the chance that Ezra could leave for the center of the universe in a few days, it would be utterly impossible to bind him here once he left.

Therefore, for the clan, with the expectation of a positive outcome, they could not afford to let this opportunity slip away.

Ezra bows slightly. "I am most appreciative"

Though his tone said otherwise.

With the bloodline integration ceremony being of utmost importance, Ezra is escorted by all the elders including the clan leader to watch the process.

While heading there, Kovar arrives by Ezra’s side and starts small talk with him.

Turns out that as the vice clan head, he had advised the clan head to go all the way in terms of supporting Ezra, vouching for his potential having trained with him for a short time.

To this, Ezra gives perfunctory thanks, not wanting to owe any more favours, making Kovar shakes his head in rueful laughter.

As he continues talking, Ezra’s poker face breaks.

"Why did you go that far?"

"Hmph. So now you’re surprised?" Kovar questions with a smug face.

From his words, Kovar had not only pushed for the integration ceremony to take place, but he also pushed for Ezra to be infused with only the true blood of highest purity!

To get the context better, by pushing for Ezra to undergo the integration ceremony immediately, he already solidified Ezra’s position in the clan before the assessment.

However, Kovar didn’t stop there—he advocated for Ezra to be infused with the purest form of their ancestral blood, a resource so rare and potent that it was usually reserved for only the clan’s highest elite to boost their potential.

The decision was a bold one, not without controversy.

Infusing such pure blood into someone without a longstanding history in the clan risked alienating traditionalists, who believed the privilege should only be extended to full-blooded descendants.

Though in Kovar’s view, Ezra is the most elite member they had gotten within the past two if not three centuries, so it only made sense.

Regardless of his opinions though, Kovar and Asadon kept such details to themselves, being the only ones currently in the know to avoid stirring up a storm.

Yet, Kovar’s gamble was calculated.

He understood that branding Ezra as a true Red Dragon—one with lineage linked to the purest origins—would elevate not only Ezra’s status but also the clan’s, should he succeed in the trials.

Through this act, Kovar shows that he places an immense amount of faith in Ezra’s potential.

Yet at the same time, it was also a shrewd scheme in place to raise his own standing within the clan’s hierarchy once Ezra succeeded.

To Ezra, the unspoken message was clear: You owe me for this.

At this point, even Ezra isn’t thick-skinned enough to shrug off such actions, so he simply sighs in defeat before letting out bursts of laughter.

Truly, this old fellow certainly knows how to play politics.

Ezra is escorted to a secluded facility within the clan’s compound, a building rarely used and shrouded in secrecy.

As the doors open, the lights flicker on to reveal a well maintained state-of-the-art laboratory.

Five operators in pristine uniforms were performing last-minute checks on an array of advanced equipment.

While walking toward the integration chamber, Asadon explained the process.

"Long ago, bloodline integration was crude—simply drinking a vial of blood. But such methods were unpredictable, often leading to uneven absorption or even death. Now, we use a more refined process"

He gestured toward the chamber, which is a cordoned off from the rest of the building, with a see through glass for those outsiders to watch the proceedings through.

In this room lay multiple beds to lie down on, with a series of tubes were connected to a central blood reservoir held up by a metal contraption.

A section of chambers wall is held with transparent glass of the room to allow others to observe the process from a safe distance.

"The blood will be infused through your limbs and your midsection simultaneously, ensuring even distribution throughout your body. It will be painful, but the results will be worth it"

Ezra nods, preparing himself mentally.

As he steps into the chamber and lays on one of the beds, Ezra takes off his clothes leaving his vest and body hugging underwear.

It would be a lie to say he didn’t feel a bit embarrassed but his poker face pulls through for him.

Lying on the bed, the operators first put the metal rings attached to one side of the bed in place.

This is done to restraint his movement and hold the Ezra in place during the rigourous process. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

But also to protect the operators as they are cases of the patient going on a rampage and killing all those in sight.

From there, the operators attached tubes to his arms, legs, and both sides of his stomach, their sharp openings cutting open a precise portion of skin to form the entrance for the blood transfusion.

It is so efficient that not a droplet Ezra blood leaks.

The integration began.

At first, Ezra felt a sharp pain as the blood entered his veins, spreading rapidly through his body.

He groans, clenching his fists as his muscles tense up.

The operators monitored his vitals closely, expecting the violent reactions typical of such a procedure.

But then, something unusual happened.

Ezra’s expression shifts from agony to tranquility.

His breathing steadies, and his body relaxed as if he were meditating.

The operators exchange worried glances, unsure whether this calmness is a good or bad sign.

"Is he... dying?" one of them whispered.

"No" the team leader replied, pointing at the monitors. "His vitals are stable, even improving. This is... unprecedented..."

Minutes passed with no signs of distress anyway on Ezra’s body.

The spectators grew restless, with some elders muttering dismissive remarks.

"Perhaps he wasn’t strong enough" one elder scoffed.

But just as doubts begin to take hold, Ezra’s eyes snap open.

He casually yawns, stretching as if waking from a nap.

The operators stared in disbelief. "He’s awake?"

For the first five seconds, everyone seemed to have been caught in a trance, before the operators team leader hurriedly called the operators back to attention.

Snapping back to action, he orders the other operators to check whether Ezra’s cognitive abilities were intact.

Shining light in his eyes, the operators stretch out different number of fingers for Ezra to identify.

While still groggy, Ezra’s cognitive seem to have no problem with him answering.

All of sudden, his head violently shakes.

Before the operator can react, Ezra’s body began to convulse.

Thankfully, the metal rings wove around the bed held him place without an issue.

His skin darkens and hardens to showcase scales all in the shape of a rhombus, taking on a crimson hue that matches the scales of a red dragon.

His heart races, pumping with such intensity that it seemed on the verge of bursting.

Then, in a flash, his entire body transformed.

His internal organs undergo rapid changes, strengthening and optimizing themselves.

His heart glow with a fiery red light, its texture hardening like tempered steel.

Even his skeletal structure shifted, his bones becoming denser and more resilient.

The transformation was swift, almost surreal, as if his body was adapting at an accelerated rate.

Within a minute, the changes subsided, leaving Ezra panting but alive.

The operator hesitates before calling out to him. "Mr. Sylvester, can you hear us? Are you alright?"

He nodded weakly, managing a faint smile. "I’m fine... just tired"

With that, his eyes closed again, and he fell into a deep sleep, his body finally at rest after the ordeal.

The elders and clan leaders watched in stunned silence as the operators confirm that the integration was a success.

Kovar smirks triumphantly, whispering to Asadon. "It seems our gamble paid off"

The hall erupts into quiet but hopeful discussions as the clan elders wonder about and prepare for the results for the next steps in Ezra’s journey—a journey that would determine not only his future but the future standing of the Red Dragon Clan among the galaxy’s elite.

And so, Ezra’s fortune would continue to unfold, his path now intertwined with the legacy of the Red Dragon Clan.