Chapter 27 - The Dragon King's Relic
Time seemed to stand still.
Kai's blazing spear raced toward the Corruption Core.
Behind him, the hooded controller's blade of black lightning descended with murderous intent.
There was no escape.
Only one path forward.
Kai tightened his grip.
"If I stop now..."
"...everyone dies."
The Crimson Flame Fox's voice echoed within his heart.
"Then we finish this."
---
BOOM!
The spear struck the Corruption Core.
For an instant...
Nothing happened.
Then a brilliant crack spread across the black crystal.
The crimson chains binding the Bone Dragon trembled violently.
The controller's eyes widened.
"No..."
"Impossible!"
He poured more dark energy into the crystal.
The cracks disappeared.
The Corruption Core began repairing itself.
Kai gritted his teeth.
"It's healing!"
The Book of Infinite Beasts burst open.
Golden pages fluttered wildly.
A single sentence appeared.
"A Sovereign never fights alone."
---
Across the battlefield, the Bone Dragon slowly lifted its head.
Its ghostly blue eye brightened.
"Little Sovereign..."
"Take my strength."
A stream of ancient azure energy flowed from the dragon's body into Kai's spear.
The Crimson Flame Fox's flames changed.
Crimson became brilliant sapphire.
The spear glowed with the power of both beast and tamer.
Kai roared.
"For freedom!"
He thrust forward once more.
CRAAACK!
This time...
The Corruption Core shattered.
---
A deafening roar echoed across the heavens.
The crimson chains exploded into fragments of black smoke.
One by one, the corrupted wyverns regained their senses.
Their crimson eyes turned clear blue.
The Bone Dragon's skeleton radiated silver light.
The corruption vanished.
The hooded controller screamed in disbelief.
"No!"
"My Dragon King!"
His body began to crumble.
The shattered Corruption Core released a violent backlash.
Dark energy engulfed him.
"You know nothing..."
"...about the true masters..."
With one final cry, he disappeared into ash.
Only the broken crimson staff remained, falling toward the valley below.
---
Silence.
The battlefield became strangely peaceful.
The Bone Dragon slowly folded its wings.
It looked down at Kai with gratitude.
"You have given me back my freedom."
"I owe you a debt beyond measure."
Kai smiled.
"You owe me nothing."
"I simply did what was right."
The dragon's ancient eyes softened.
"That answer..."
"Is why you are worthy."
---
The Bone Dragon opened its jaws.
Instead of fire...
A glowing silver scale floated into the air.
It drifted gently into Kai's hands.
The Book immediately identified it.
---
Dragon King's Scale
Rank: Legendary
Origin: First Dragon King
Status: Sovereign Relic
---
The scale dissolved into golden light.
The Book trembled.
Its pages turned faster and faster.
---
Main Quest Complete
✔ Bone Dragon Freed
✔ Beast Controller Defeated
✔ Dragon King's Relic Obtained
---
Rewards Granted
- Second Beast Contract Unlocked
- Bloodline Awakening: 5% → 10%
- Authority Level: High
- New Skill: Sovereign Domain (Locked)
---
Suddenly...
A brilliant golden circle appeared beneath Kai.
The air itself vibrated.
Aurelius landed beside the Bone Dragon.
The other three Divine Guardians descended one after another.
For the first time in thousands of years...
The Four Divine Guardians stood together before a human.
Commander Arcturus, Lyra, and every hunter in the fortress dropped to one knee.
Not because of Kai...
But because of the Guardians.
Verdantis, the Emerald Dragon, spoke first.
"Kai Dragonbane."
"You have passed the Second Trial."
The White Thunder Tiger stepped forward.
"Strength without mercy creates tyrants."
"Mercy without strength creates victims."
"Walk the path between them."
Finally, Aurelius looked into Kai's eyes.
"The Book has unlocked your Second Contract."
"Somewhere within the Dragonbone Frontier..."
"A beast has waited centuries for your arrival."
The Book of Infinite Beasts opened one final time.
A map of the Dragonbone Frontier appeared.
Far to the north, a single golden point pulsed within a mountain shaped like a dragon's skull.
Words slowly formed beneath it.
Next Main Quest
Travel to the Dragon's Heart Cavern.
Find the beast chosen by destiny.
Second Contract Candidate Detected.
As Kai stared at the glowing marker, the Crimson Flame Fox smiled.
"Looks like our family is about to grow."
Far beneath the Dragon's Heart Cavern, hidden in a chamber untouched for ten thousand years, a pair of molten-gold eyes opened.
A deep voice echoed through the darkness.
"At last..."
"My Sovereign has come."