Westminster Bank

She flashed a casual smile at a Demon Hunter who was scrambling about in a panic. Just as she expected, he blushed and looked down. She pouted. "How boring."

"Would I be more interesting company?"

Bronze Saint Elvin appeared from behind the two of them. He had a jaunty air about him and was unfazed by Camilla’s eye-roll.

"I went to speak with the Patriarchs. By their estimates, the Trial Takers should have reached the Dragon Gate to the inner circle by now. Once they pass through the Dragon Gate, the Dragon Spear Trial will begin... The person we’re looking for might just appear during this Trial."

Lian asked, "How long will it take?"

Elvin said, "I don’t know what exactly the Dragon Gate is either, but I heard from the Patriarchs that it’s mainly an ancient Alchemy Technique used to prevent Poachers from accidentally entering the inner circle...

The Dragon Spear Trial also seems to only activate in the inner circle behind the Dragon Gate. They have to open it.

The difficulty of opening the Dragon Gate increases with the Tier of the Dragon Species living in the inner circle. It primarily tests the Dragon Guide’s skills and the Trial Taker’s Dragon Heart."

"Dragon Heart?"

"A powerful heart, one that dares to face an Ancient Dragon. Only a person like that is a qualified Dragon Slayer, and only their blood can be used by a Dragon Guide as the material for the ritual to open the Dragon Gate... The Patriarchs are currently guessing who will be the first person to open the Dragon Gate."

Elvin shrugged. "It’s just opening a door. What’s the big deal?"

"I really hope we see our Mr. Constantine soon... I’m just so infatuated with the sight of him covered in blood." Camilla licked her full lips. "And I’ve never tasted a Dragon Knight before."

.........

「Dracul Mountain Range, Inner Circle Dragon Gate.」

The mountain walls on either side rose high like the spine of a colossal beast, curving inward to form an enormous, arcing surface. This surface was perfectly smooth and flat, as if hewn by God himself with an axe.

It was impossible to tell how many feet it stretched upward; looking up, one would think the protruding cliff face simply merged with the sky. Perched upon these cliffs was a host of Dragon Descendants far more formidable than those in the outer areas—a group of sixth and seventh generation species known scientifically as the "Welsh Giant Flying Dragon."

Occasionally, a Cyan Flying Dragon with a wingspan of over ten feet would soar past, blotting out the sun. A shower of hot, stinking red rain would then fall upon the Trial Takers’ shoulders and arms—bodily fluids digested by the Cyan Flying Dragons, intended to be regurgitated for their young.

The red rain trickled down the arced surface, where huge, forked tongues covered in barbs rasped against the rock wall with a rustling sound.

At a glance, they looked like clusters of eerie, round, blue flames, burning and writhing within the vertical curtain of rain.

But upon closer inspection, they were clearly colossal Earth Dragons, coiled and huddled together.

Silver faces, blue scales. Their tails were like sharp blades held ready. Raindrops landed on the blood-streaked blades, blurring into a brilliant wash of color, like comets streaking across the sky.

This was why the Dragon Guides called them "Comet Dragons."

Though called Dragons, it would be more accurate to say that, aside from their formidable horns, they more closely resembled snakes.

Thus, they also had another name: "Comet Dragon Snake."

At that moment, behind these behemoths on the smooth, flat, arced wall, an irregular protrusion was finally visible. It was an ancient stone door cast from Bronze, engraved with an image of the Poison Dragon Glanville. Every single scale was rendered with lifelike detail.

It was said that to open it, a Dragon Guide had to perform a special ritual, using a Trial Taker’s blood to fill the patterns on the carved scales. When the scales were full, the gate would open.

Upon it, written in the Ancient Celtic Language, were the words, "This place leads to the Otherworld"—this was the Dragon Gate.

In a mountain pass directly across from the arced wall and the host of Comet Dragons, the Trial Takers and their respective Dragon Guides were crowded together, discussing their strategy.

While the powerful Law Enforcers could leap up the rock face, doing so would attract harassment from the swarming Flying Dragons. The sky was not their domain, and what’s more, they had to bring along their Dragon Guides, who were merely ordinary members of the Old Race.

But if they attempted a direct assault, the swarm of Comet Dragons guarding the entrance to the Dragon Gate was not to be trifled with.

Jose asked his Silver Dragon Guide, "Besides the Dragon Gate, are there any other paths into the inner circle?"

"There are, but those areas are inhabited by far too many groups of Dragon Descendants of the Fifth Generation Species or higher. Plus, we would be highly likely to encounter Fourth Generation or higher Dragon Descendants patrolling their territories."

Fourth Generation and above meant the Third Generation Species and that mysterious subspecies that had roared earlier.

"Aside from that, all other parts of the inner circle have been sealed with Barriers."

Jose’s Dragon Guide added, "When we scouted this area initially, there were no Comet Dragon Snakes blocking the path. It’s possible the fluctuations from that mysterious subspecies in the inner circle caused them to migrate here."

"Is there a way to lure them away? Just waiting around like this is no solution," Tune spoke up.

Tune’s Dragon Guide said, "If we lure them away, given the Comet Dragon’s ecological Tier in the middle circle, it’s highly likely to trigger the next Dragon Tide. A single misstep could even cause a Dragon Calamity."

"We can’t just waste our time waiting here," Dewey interjected. "Why don’t we have the Dragon Guides lure them away one by one? Then we can hurry up, open the Dragon Gate, and regroup in the inner circle."

"Good idea!" Tune’s eyes lit up. "The Dragon Guides are all professionally trained. They know how to evade Dragon Descendants better than we do. It’s the perfect solution!"

He looked at his Dragon Guide. "Master, what do you think?"

The two Silver Masters hesitated. "Although all Dragon Guides have learned techniques for luring dragons solo, we are ultimately just ordinary members of the Old Race. The risk is still too great."

Tune, however, was completely blunt. "Isn’t this what we paid you all that money for? I can overlook what happened with the Thunder Wolf Dragon Beast Group as a mistake, but if you can’t even get us past this stage, I have every reason to suspect that Master Jack is the real deal, and you’re all fakes—"

"Shut up!"

Seeing the expressions on the two Silver Dragon Guides’ faces harden, Jose frowned and snapped, "Tune, what do you think you’re saying? How dare you insult the two Masters? Do you think you’re still in Beowulf’s courtyard?"