The night in Greenwood Forest had grown colder.
Mist drifted slowly between the trees like wandering spirits, and the faint glow of moonlight filtered through the dense canopy above. The forest that once felt calm and alive now carried a subtle tension—an invisible weight that pressed against the air itself.
John could feel it.
Perched atop a jagged rock formation overlooking the riverbank, the young black dragon stared into the distance, golden eyes reflecting the pale moonlight. His wings were folded neatly behind him, but the muscles beneath his dark scales remained tense.
Soone was moving pieces.
And he intended to find out who.
Below him, the three cloaked agents from earlier knelt on the ground, their weapons discarded. They had learned quickly that resisting was pointless.
John’s massive presence alone was enough to crush their will.
Smoke drifted lazily from his nostrils as he observed them in silence.
"...So," he finally said, his deep voice rumbling through the clearing, "you were sent by soone higher in the guild."
The tallest of the agents hesitated before answering.
"...Yes."
John’s tail slowly swayed behind him.
"And who exactly is this ’higher authority’?"
The man lowered his head.
"We... don’t know."
John narrowed his eyes.
"...You expect to believe that?"
"We receive orders through magical communication," the agent replied nervously. "Anonymous orders. They pay well. We follow instructions."
John stared at them for several seconds.
The forest was silent except for the gentle sound of water flowing nearby.
Then he exhaled.
"...Disappointing."
The agents flinched slightly.
"I was hoping for sothing more useful."
The tallest agent quickly spoke again.
"Wait! There is sothing!"
John tilted his head slightly.
"...Go on."
"The one giving orders always signs the ssages with the sa symbol."
John’s interest sharpened.
"...Symbol?"
The man nodded slowly.
"A broken crown."
John’s eyes narrowed.
A broken crown.
Interesting.
He filed the information away in his mind.
"...You may leave," John said calmly.
The three agents blinked in surprise.
"You’re... letting us go?"
John shrugged his wings slightly.
"You were never the ones I was interested in."
The agents quickly gathered their belongings and fled into the forest without another word.
John watched them disappear.
Then he turned his gaze toward the distant horizon.
"...A broken crown," he murmured quietly.
The ga was becoming more interesting.
---
Far away from Greenwood Forest, beyond mountains and rivers, stood one of the largest cities in the kingdom.
Ironcrest.
The city was a fortress of stone and steel, built along massive cliffs that overlooked a deep valley. Towering walls surrounded the outer districts, while the inner city held noble estates, guild headquarters, and governnt offices.
At the very center stood the Adventurer’s Guild Grand Hall.
Inside one of the upper floors, a young woman sat quietly beside a large window overlooking the city.
Her na was **Elena Virel**.
She was twenty-two years old and already held the rank of **Silver Adventurer**, a rare achievent for soone her age.
Her long silver hair cascaded down her back, and her sharp erald eyes scanned the report in her hands with quiet focus.
The docunt described a creature sighted in Greenwood Forest.
A dragon.
Elena sighed softly.
"...So the rumors were true."
Across the room, another man leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, and carried himself with the confidence of soone who had survived countless battles.
His na was **Marcus Hale**, a veteran Gold Rank adventurer.
"You look troubled," Marcus said.
Elena set the paper down.
"I don’t like this situation."
Marcus raised an eyebrow.
"Because of the dragon?"
Elena shook her head.
"No."
She stood up and walked toward the window.
"Because soone inside the guild is manipulating things."
Marcus frowned.
"Explain."
Elena pointed to the report.
"Look at the mission logs. Several private hunting groups were sent to Greenwood Forest without official authorization."
Marcus’s eyes narrowed.
"...Soone bypassed the guild council."
"Exactly," Elena said.
Marcus looked thoughtful.
"And you think this has sothing to do with the dragon?"
Elena nodded slowly.
"I think soone wants that dragon found."
Marcus scratched his beard.
"Or captured."
Elena’s gaze hardened.
"...Or killed."
Silence filled the room.
After a mont, Marcus chuckled.
"Well... whoever sent those hunters is probably regretting it now."
Elena crossed her arms.
"You sound confident."
Marcus shrugged.
"If the reports are accurate, this dragon isn’t normal."
Elena glanced back at the report.
"...Intelligent."
Marcus nodded.
"And powerful."
Elena’s voice beca quieter.
"Which ans this could turn into sothing much worse."
Marcus pushed himself off the wall.
"...What are you planning?"
Elena grabbed her cloak.
"I’m going to Greenwood Forest."
Marcus blinked.
"You’re serious?"
"Yes."
"You might be walking straight into the dragon’s territory."
Elena shrugged.
"That’s the point."
Marcus stared at her for a mont before sighing.
"...Fine. I’ll co with you."
Elena smirked slightly.
"I wasn’t asking."
Marcus grinned.
"Too bad."
---
anwhile, deep inside Greenwood Forest...
John sat beside the river, watching the water flow past.
His reflection shimred on the surface.
For the first ti since arriving in this world, he was beginning to understand how complicated things truly were.
At first, survival had been his only priority.
Then curiosity.
But now...
Politics.
Conspiracies.
Manipulation.
John chuckled quietly.
"...Mortals really do enjoy making things complicated."
He dipped one claw into the water, watching the ripples spread outward.
In his previous life, he had observed countless civilizations across countless worlds.
The patterns were always the sa.
Power.
Control.
Fear.
And now those sa patterns were beginning to appear here.
"...A broken crown," he repeated softly.
Soone was hiding behind that symbol.
And they were clearly interested in him.
Which ant one thing.
Eventually, they would co again.
John’s eyes glowed faintly in the darkness.
"...Good."
Because he was curious too.
---
The next morning, Greenwood Village was already bustling with activity.
Villagers moved through the streets, rchants opened their shops, and adventurers gathered around the notice boards searching for quests.
Inside the small tavern near the village entrance, Lythriel sat at a table studying a magical map.
Aerion and Sylvara sat nearby.
"The mana fluctuations in the forest increased again last night," Lythriel said.
Aerion nodded.
"John encountered sothing."
Sylvara leaned forward.
"...Did he fight them?"
Lythriel shook her head.
"No."
Aerion frowned.
"That’s unusual."
Sylvara smirked.
"Maybe he’s starting to enjoy the mystery."
Aerion crossed his arms.
"That dragon is far more thoughtful than most people realize."
Lythriel looked toward the forest through the tavern window.
"...Which is exactly why this situation worries ."
---
Two days later.
The road leading toward Greenwood Village echoed with the sound of horses.
A small caravan approached the village gates.
At the front rode Elena and Marcus.
The guards at the gate looked up as they arrived.
"State your business."
Elena handed over a small silver badge.
"Silver rank adventurer. Investigating reports from Greenwood Forest."
The guard’s eyes widened slightly.
"...More adventurers?"
Marcus frowned.
"What do you an ’more’?"
The guard shifted uncomfortably.
"You’re not the first ones who ca asking about the dragon."
Elena and Marcus exchanged a glance.
"Who else?" Elena asked.
The guard hesitated.
"...A man arrived yesterday."
Marcus leaned forward.
"What kind of man?"
The guard lowered his voice.
"He wore a black cloak... and carried a staff with a strange emblem."
Elena’s eyes narrowed.
"...What emblem?"
The guard swallowed.
"A crown."
Elena felt a chill run down her spine.
Marcus muttered under his breath.
"...This just got interesting."
---
High above the forest canopy, John watched everything.
From his perch atop an enormous ancient tree, he could see the village road clearly.
His sharp dragon eyes observed the arriving adventurers.
"...New players," he murmured.
One of them felt different.
The silver-haired woman.
Her mana was calm.
Focused.
Disciplined.
John tilted his head slightly.
"...Interesting."
For the first ti in several days, he felt sothing unexpected.
Curiosity.
Not the dangerous curiosity surrounding the conspiracy.
But sothing else.
Sothing more personal.
And far away, hidden deep within the forest shadows...
Another figure watched the sa scene.
A man dressed in black robes.
His staff bore the symbol of a broken crown.
He smiled slowly.
"...Everything is proceeding perfectly."
The dragon.
The adventurers.
The village.
All of them were moving exactly where he wanted them.
The board was set.
And the real ga was about to begin.
---
100 ps = 1 extra Chapter
200 ps = 2 Extra Chapter
10 Golden ticket = 3 Extra Chapter
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