Although it felt like Ash was showing too much emotion, in reality, he was doing it deliberately—only to make himself appear vulnerable in front of the young dragons.
’Fifteen minutes have passed... my core is only halfway filled with mana. I need to stall for at least fifteen more minutes. If I can manage that, I’ll have just enough mana to escape this place safely.’
BOOM!!!
Another burst of fire breath swept past him, the intense heat grazing his body. His clothes caught fla at the edges, and patches of his skin burned, but both were quickly healed.
Ash’s figure moved like a blur through the forest. He was no longer suppressing his strength. Each of his steps cracked the earth beneath him, and the resulting force pushed him forward like a missile, propelling him faster and faster through the trees.
If he truly wanted to escape, he could have simply activated Absolute Concealnt and used Transcendent Step to vanish completely. The dragons wouldn’t have found even a trace of him.
...but he didn’t do that.
I want to test my strength. I don’t really know how powerful I’ve beco... but fighting a dragon, even briefly—wouldn’t that be kind of fun?
With that reckless yet eager thought, he surged forward with even more speed, like a wild gust of wind tearing through the forest.
Swish.
Swish.
Swish.
He moved in a sharp zig-zag motion between the trees, deliberately weaving through them to block the line of sight of the dragons chasing him. It wasn’t just for escape—it was to confuse and irritate them, force them to make mistakes, and buy him the ti he needed.
’But first, I have to make sure the egg is safe. That’s the most important thing right now.’
Ash glanced down at the egg securely cradled in his arms. He muttered quietly to himself, "Even if it will consu a portion of my mana... it’s worth the cost to protect you."
{Absolute Concealnt x Transcendent Step.}
The mont he activated the skills, his figure shimred and disappeared, vanishing from the senses of the dragons behind him.
***
On the Dragon Continent, in a place hidden by illusion and layers of deceit.
Solareth stood silently, his figure half-concealed by the dense trees, while his glowing eyes stared ahead with a calm intensity. Those mystical eyes shimred like burning embers in the night as he watched Ash running across the forest floor with a dragon egg securely held in his hands.
"Did he really steal a dragon egg? That guy is truly insane..." Solareth muttered under his breath, still trying to process what he was seeing. He had originally thought Ash had co here searching for sothing important, sothing with greater purpose or aning.
"But to think he actually ca here just to steal an egg..." he trailed off, feeling a faint sting of disappointnt in his heart. His own child had once been taken from him, and now, thinking about how the dragon parents would feel after losing their unborn young, his chest tightened with a dull ache.
He then shifted his gaze to the five young dragons that were chasing Ash closely. They moved like swift shadows, following his trail without hesitation or delay.
"But why is no dragon waking up? I thought all this noise and chaos would be more than enough to wake them," he wondered aloud, his brows furrowed in thought.
As he watched, the five dragons suddenly ca to a stop and began looking around with sharp, alert eyes. They were clearly confused, and to Solareth’s surprise, Ash was nowhere in sight.
"Where did he disappear to...?" Solareth muttered in confusion, still scanning the area.
But just then, a calm voice sounded beside him, low and steady, yet entirely without presence.
"Who are you looking for...?"
Startled by the sudden voice, Solareth instinctively prepared to strike, his energy flaring—but at the very last mont, he paused as he realized who it was.
"You...? How are you here? I just saw you running seconds ago..." Solareth said in disbelief, his voice still laced with shock.
Ash didn’t answer the question. Instead, he asked one of his own, his tone calm and completely serious.
"Will you hold onto this egg for a mont? I’ll be back soon. I just want to spar with those dragons for a bit."
Hearing such a shaless and absurd request, Solareth’s eye twitched. He imdiately grabbed Ash by the collar and lifted him slightly, his expression filled with restrained fury as he demanded an answer.
"Why did you steal a dragon egg?! Do you even realize what that ans? Do you understand how much pain a parent—"
He stopped mid-sentence, just as his anger reached its peak.
It was the egg.
At a distance, he hadn’t noticed anything strange about it. But now that it was so close, now that he could feel its aura more clearly, sothing began to feel... wrong.
What is this...? he thought, his gaze narrowing. His eyes glowed faintly as he peered deeper into the egg’s surface.
This isn’t... a dragon egg.
His body stiffened slightly, and the grip on Ash’s collar loosened as his thoughts raced.
But how can this creature still be alive...? I thought every single one of them had perished long ago...
His expression turned complicated, full of emotions he couldn’t na. He slowly let go of Ash, his hands trembling faintly from the sudden shift in realization.
Ash had been ready to apologize, sensing the rising anger in Solareth’s voice. But before he could say a word, Solareth interrupted him and spoke calmly.
"Well... it’s fine. I’ll look after the egg. Go wherever you want," he said casually, waving his hand as if brushing away a fly. But his eyes, now wide and gleaming, remained locked on the egg with an intense, almost childlike curiosity.
Ash was confused by the sudden change in behavior, but he knew better than to question it. He didn’t want to test his luck, especially not now. The Dragon Elders could arrive at any mont.
Though I still don’t understand what’s taking them so long to get here...
With that thought, he canceled his Absolute Concealnt and activated Transcendent Step, disappearing without leaving a trace behind.
***
"What is happening? Why are you all still here?" Taylor asked sharply, his eyes narrowing as he saw the other Elders gathering inside the egg chamber instead of pursuing Ash. The only one missing was Ariel, who was still stationed at the library, keeping watch.
"We were just about to go after him. We even received word about his location," Stellaris replied, his tone calm yet cautious.
"Then what are you doing here?" Taylor demanded again, visibly irritated. His voice echoed slightly in the chamber, filled with tension.
Stellaris looked at him and sighed before answering, "I don’t know. Alarion stopped us. He told us not to chase after the thief and instead ordered us all to gather here."
Taylor’s expression grew darker, and his patience began to wear thin. He took a step forward, glaring directly at Alarion.
"What is the aning of this, Alarion? We follow your orders out of respect, not because we’re bound by them. But that doesn’t an you can make us dance to your whims without giving us a reason. What exactly are you trying to do here?"
The other Elders also turned their eyes to Alarion. Though they didn’t voice their discontent openly, their sharp gazes made their dissatisfaction clear. There was anger simring beneath their silence.
Alarion, however, said nothing at first. Instead, his gaze shifted to the center of the chamber where the small red egg used to rest. That spot was now empty. A quiet pause followed.
Then, without a word, he slowly pulled out an old identity token from within his robes and held it up.
The token was palm-sized, forged from deep black tal streaked with crimson veins that pulsed faintly like a living heart.
At its center, a golden dragon eye was carved from crystal, glowing softly with power. Surrounding it, the curved outline of dragon wings ford a circle, as if guarding the eye in silence.
The mont the token ca into view, the atmosphere in the room shifted drastically.
Every Elder froze in place. Their anger vanished like smoke in the wind, replaced by shock. Their eyes widened, and even Taylor’s mouth fell slightly open.
"Do you all recognize what this is?" Alarion asked softly, his voice completely composed. The fury and frustration he had shown earlier when the egg was stolen were gone, replaced by calm solemnity.
Kristos stepped forward, his voice trembling as he spoke, "How could we not recognize it... That is the identity token of... the Dragon King."
"Yes. It is," Alarion confird with a nod. "Before the Dragon King vanished, he told sothing... sothing only I was allowed to know."
Then, with the egg chamber silent and everyone listening intently, Alarion began to share the Dragon King’s final ssage—words that would change everything they thought they knew.
***
[Flashback of the Dragon King’s Words]
"Take this, Alarion."
"But my king, this... this is..." Alarion stuttered, his voice filled with hesitation. He was still not strong enough, yet the king was entrusting him with such a precious identity token.
Looking at the young and unsure face of Alarion, the Dragon King let out a light chuckle and said, "Don’t worry about it. Just keep it with you and don’t tell anyone. I know that in the future, you will beco much more capable than now, capable enough to look after our race."
"Think of it as a responsibility I am passing down to you."
Hearing the King’s words, Alarion’s heart began to beat wildly, his chest rising and falling as the weight of the mont settled in.
He imdiately knelt even deeper and said with unwavering determination, "Please tell , my king, what this subordinate needs to do. I will fulfill it, even if I have to lay down my life for it."
He spoke those words in the ancient draconic tongue, forming an oath that would bind him through blood and soul. His vow was absolute.
Looking at Alarion, the Dragon King smiled in satisfaction before speaking again.
"Do you know about the egg placed at the center of the egg chamber?"
"Yes, my king. The egg you brought with you one day. If this is about protecting it, then I swear I will—"
"No, it’s not that," the King interrupted gently, shaking his head. "That egg is not mine, as everyone believes. I do not even have a mate, so how could I have a child? That egg was entrusted to by a close friend... soone who gave it to on her deathbed."
The Dragon King’s voice beca quieter, more tired, as if burdened by invisible weight.
"My own life span is also reaching its end. Unless I manage to break into the next realm, it will be nearly impossible for to survive much longer."
"My king..."
"Listen first, Alarion. Do not speak yet."
Alarion instantly fell silent, his expression turning solemn as he waited for the King’s next words.
"Rember this well. Once I am gone, many people will try to infiltrate our lands. They will co with many reasons, so with greed, others with hunger for power. But among them, there will be one—soone who is fated to take that egg. If you see such a person, let him leave peacefully. Do not try to stop him."
"I am giving you this token because it will alert you the mont that egg is removed from its resting place. That way, you will know when to act—and more importantly, when to stand still."
"Rember, my child, the future I can see is broken and full of darkness. Every ti I try to look ahead, I lose more of my life force. But I have seen enough to know this—if you harm that person, it might bring ruin to our race."
"You can capture or kill other intruders as needed. But if it is the one fated to take the egg... let him go."
"No weapon will work on him. No force can stop him. And if you do anything to him, you will only be calling a disaster upon us all."
"I understand, my king," Alarion said, his voice heavy with resolve. "I will rember your words and carry them as law. I swear it."
***
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