Darkness faded.
Light slowly came into Jin's eyes.
He blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then again.
His body felt warm.
Soft wind touched his face.
He heard birds singing.
Leaves moved in the trees above him.
"…Where… am I?" he whispered.
Jin sat up slowly.
His arms moved without pain.
His chest felt strong.
His legs were no longer heavy.
He looked at his hands.
The stone was still there, but different.
It was smoother now.
Stronger.
A faint glow ran through his arms—like mana flowing in his body.
He touched his chest.
His core—the energy center inside him—was quiet now.
But it was full.
Full like a calm lake before a storm.
Jin breathed deeply.
His lungs felt fresh.
His mind was clear.
He had rested.
He had healed.
"I'm awake," he said.
His voice sounded deep.
Firm.
Stronger than before.
He looked around.
The place was quiet.
He was lying under a tall tree.
There were smooth stones around him in a perfect circle.
Someone had made this place for him.
With care.
With respect.
"Did they… wait for me?" he asked softly.
Then he heard footsteps.
Light.
Careful.
He turned his head.
A tall figure walked toward him.
The figure had smooth bronze skin.
Long black hair.
Sharp yellow eyes.
Scales ran down the arms, shining like armor.
Two short horns came from the forehead.
The figure smiled.
"Stone Lord," he said.
"You have awakened."
Jin's eyes widened.
"You… who are you?"
The figure bowed deeply.
"I am Korr. You gave me this name. I was a village chief of Lizardmen. Now… I am something more."
Jin stood up slowly.
His legs felt steady.
He looked past Korr.
More figures came from behind the trees.
Ten… twenty… thirty.
All of them tall.
All of them strong.
Some had wings.
Some had tails.
All had glowing eyes.
All looked human… but not fully.
They were like dragons in human form.
And they were all smiling.
Bowing.
Kneeling.
They had changed.
Evolved.
Because of him.
Jin's heart beat fast.
He looked at the people in front of him.
He remembered their faces.
These were the lizardmen he saved.
But now… they were different.
Very different.
One had golden eyes that glowed like fire.
Another had black wings folded behind his back.
A third had sharp claws and silver scales on his arms.
Their bodies were strong.
Their backs were straight.
They looked proud, like warriors.
Jin took a step forward.
No one stopped him.
No one moved.
They just watched him.
With respect.
With hope.
"You are not lizardmen anymore," Jin said slowly.
Korr, the one who first spoke, nodded.
"Yes, Stone Lord. After you named us… something changed."
"What changed?" Jin asked.
"We felt energy inside us. Warm. Bright. Strong. It came from your voice, from your power."
He paused, then added, "Your names gave us life. A new life."
Jin looked around.
He could feel it too.
The air was full of mana.
The ground was alive.
Even the trees looked greener.
He looked again at Korr.
"You evolved," Jin said.
"You became more than before."
"Yes," Korr answered. "We are still us, but better. Faster. Smarter. Stronger."
Jin walked between them.
They made a path for him.
They bowed as he passed.
He stopped near a tall warrior with silver hair and green eyes.
She had a soft smile.
She looked kind but fierce.
"You were the small one with the broken leg," Jin said.
She nodded.
"My name is Veyra now. You gave it to me. My leg is strong. My heart is stronger."
Jin felt a strange warmth inside.
He didn't understand all of this.
But he was happy.
They were alive.
And they were growing.
He looked at the group again.
Wings. Horns. Claws.
Some looked like dragons.
Some like beastmen.
All looked powerful.
And they were all looking at him.
Waiting.
Jin stood still.
He looked around the village.
It was not the same place he remembered.
It was changing.
Before, there were only huts made from leaves and wood.
Now, there were houses made from stone.
Strong walls. Smooth paths.
Fires burned safely inside clay ovens.
Water moved through small stone channels like tiny rivers.
He saw children.
They laughed and played with small stones and sticks.
Their eyes were bright.
Their skin had scales, but their faces were gentle.
Men and women worked together.
Some built houses.
Some carried water.
Some trained with wooden swords and spears.
Korr walked beside Jin.
"This is our home now," Korr said.
"We call it Drakos Village. It means 'Stone Gift' in our old tongue."
"You built all this… while I was asleep?" Jin asked, surprised.
Korr nodded.
"Yes. You slept for two days. But we did not stop. We felt your power still here. We worked hard to honor you."
Jin saw a tall tower being made from black stones.
"What is that?" he asked.
"It will be the Heart Tower. The center of our home. A place to protect and remember you."
Jin felt strange.
"I never asked for this," he said.
"But we give it with full hearts," Korr said. "You gave us names. You gave us change. You gave us future."
Jin looked at a group of young warriors.
They stood in rows, training with focus.
Each had armor made of wood and bone.
Each moved with grace and strength.
"We are learning fast," Korr said.
"We make rules. We choose leaders. We protect the weak. We grow food. We build homes."
Jin saw farms in the distance—fields of mushrooms and root plants.
He saw water wheels near the river.
He saw watchtowers with guards.
A civilization was being born.
And at the center of it… was him.
Jin felt proud, but also heavy.
So many people were depending on him.
They looked to him like a father.
Like a god.
He was just a tired man who once wanted to be a stone.
But now… he was the heart of something new.
The sun began to set.
Orange and red light filled the sky.
Jin stood on a high stone platform in the center of the village.
He could see everything.
The homes, the tower, the people.
A horn blew.
"WOOOOOH!"
Its deep sound echoed across the land.
One by one, all the lizardmen came.
No… they were not lizardmen now.
They were something new.
Stronger. Taller.
Their arms had powerful muscles.
Their eyes glowed faint gold or green.
Some had small horns.
Some had tails with sharp tips.
All looked proud.
They stood in a wide circle.
Children, workers, and warriors.
Elders, mothers, and hunters.
All looked up at Jin.
Korr stepped forward.
He had a cape made of soft furs.
His armor was made of black bone and metal.
"KING!" Korr shouted.
The whole village repeated it.
"KING! KING! KING!"
Jin stepped back, surprised.
"I'm… not a king," he said quietly.
But they did not stop.
"You gave us names," Korr said loudly.
"You gave us strength. You gave us new life.
You are not just a leader. You are not just a protector.
You are our King of Beasts!"
The crowd cheered.
Jin felt his chest grow tight.
He never wanted to be king.
He wanted peace.
He wanted quiet.
But he also remembered the fire.
The giant spider.
The fear in the lizardmen's eyes.
He remembered their small hands reaching to him.
Their tears. Their trust.
Now they were strong.
Now they were proud.
Because of him.
Korr kneeled.
Then the warriors kneeled.
Then the children kneeled.
Soon, the whole village bowed to him.
A boy stepped forward.
He had bright green eyes and small white horns.
"Stone King," the boy said, voice soft.
"Will you stay with us? Will you help us grow strong?"
Jin looked at the boy.
He felt something warm in his heart.
"I will stay," Jin said.
"I will protect you. I will guide you. I am your King."
The cheers became louder.
"LONG LIVE Stone King! LONG LIVE Stone King!"
And so, the King of Beasts was born.
Not by power.
Not by war.
But by love.