Michael raised his eyebrows, intrigued at these new guests that came all the way from the Queens region.
He asked Lolo to bring them in, and he came back a few minutes later with a few individuals behind him.
His [Superior Golden Nose] itched, meaning that he was in the presence of someone who had great potential yet to be awakened.
With his enchanted vision, he was able to catch a glimpse of his guests.
He noted their snake-like appearance, having flat noses and eyes that slightly bulged out of their heads. Their skin was covered in matt grayish scales, which didn't look to be in too great of a condition.
"Boss, these are the guests. They are called Komodos," Lolo said, officially introducing them to Michael.
"He–hello, sir…" the Komodos greeted him timidly.
After the Komodos saw how advanced everything was in the Nation of Reborn, they couldn't help but put Michael up on a pedestal. They thought that whoever created such a paradise for demi-humans was a being that they were not worthy of meeting.
The only reason why they took up the courage to meet him was because of their desperation. They wanted to join the Nation of Reborn and be part of their community full of amazing and talented demi-humans.
Michael observed the Komodos and saw that there were eight of them, and they all looked alike.
"Can you introduce yourselves to me?" he asked them.
The Komodos looked at each other and scrambled to see who would talk first.
One male stepped up and faced Michael with a determined look.
"My name is Jaku, and I am the eldest of my siblings here. We have originally come from the Queens region…"
Jaku began to tell the tale of their family history.
It seemed that their living conditions back in their previous place were less than ideal. Because they lost their parents at a very early age, these eight siblings had no one to support them while growing up. They had to beg on the streets and scavenge for food and scraps just to survive.
Despite the hardships, Jaku persevered till adulthood when he could finally work jobs to support his siblings.
However, he quickly found out that there were no great prospects for demi-humans like him. Without a proper education, he wasn't given a chance to apply for good jobs. The only thing left for him was low-paying menial work that was barely enough to support his family.
"We had enough of that life," Jaku said emotionally. "When our parents were still alive, they told us stories about our ancestors and how we were once part of a great race. They told us we were once dragons!
So, we came to the Parched Lands to go back to the roots of our species to try and rediscover our hidden heritage."
Michael was surprised when he heard their story.
They were once dragons? Is this true, ChatJK3?
[Yes, records suggest that there was once a link between the Komodos and the Draconian race. However, there was a sudden break in the bloodline around the same time that the GodForge was destroyed.]
[Komodos]
— Species: Lizard-human Komodos
— Difficulty: ★★
— Element: Fire, Earth
Michael looked back at the Komodos and saw no resemblance to the image of dragons he had in his mind. Although he hadn't seen one in real life, he guessed that they weren't much different from the fantasy depictions of dragons in his previous life.
The only similarity they had to a dragon was their scales. That was it.
"We were ready to search high and low in the desolate desert of the Parched Lands for an answer. But we are incredibly fortunate to find out that our answer could be found here in your nation! Please take us in as your loyal citizens! We will do anything!" Jaku begged, prostrating on the ground.
The rest of his siblings kneeled as well, showing their respect and their desperation to Michael.
Of course, Michael wouldn't refuse new recruits, especially since his [Superior Golden Nose] told him that there was at least one talented individual among the Komodos.
"Sure, anyone is welcome in our community!" Michael said to the Komodos, eliciting a joyous celebration from them.
Jaku's eyes showed determination as he faced Michael. "We are ready for our training, boss Michael! We will walk through fire and break mountains with our fists! We will do anything it takes so that we can evolve into a superior bloodline!"
Michael tilted his head. "There's no need to do that, though… just stand still and I'll awaken your talent."
He raised his hand before Jaku could even ask a question.
The male Komodo was suddenly enveloped in a blinding light as Michael activated his Supreme Skill.
[Jaku]
[Potential Talent]
— SS class Lightning Asura Sword Whisperer
[Potential Skill]
— Thousand Bolts
—— The user will gain tremendous speed and lightning-fast reaction times as they unsheathe a sword, allowing them to attack multiple times within a fraction of a second.
[Potential Evolution Paths]
— Superior Komodo Snake
— (A-class)
—— This species of Komodos will discard most of their human-like attributes and gain the body of a large serpent that could eventually eat a mountain. The strengths of these species lay in their bodies. The bigger they are, the stronger they become.
— Ocean Trekker Komodos
— (B-class)
—— This species of Komodos gains a pair of wings that allow them superior maneuverability in the air. Their wings are capable of crossing large distances without stopping or taking a break.
— Dragonborn
— (???-class)
—— This species of Komodos has reached back into the deepest parts of their bloodline and reunited with their ancestors. There is not sufficient information to ascertain the potential of this evolution path.
Michael was incredibly curious about the last evolutionary path he found for Jaku. Although the exact benefits of the evolution were unknown, it was exactly what they had been searching for all this time. This path gave them a chance to reconnect with their lost heritage, especially since the name of this evolutionary path had the word 'dragon' in it.
He didn't have to ask to know which one Jaku was going to pick.
He chose the last option.