Chapter 2
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Chapter 2: The Rebellious Giant Dragon
The golden giant dragon, which had endured a level nine magical scroll spell "Ice Seal a Thousand Miles," scratched its now imperfect tail, which should have resembled a beautifully crafted spear, feeling extraordinarily vexed. Its sharp claws unwittingly grazed the back of its knight, Morin.
Last night, during a chaotic battle, the golden giant dragon had the worst luck imaginable when it got hit directly by a strategic-level magical scroll that flew in from who knows where. If it weren’t for Morin, its knight, unleashing all his battle energy to dispel the magical effects in time, the dragon would have plummeted from a kilometer in height, frozen into a huge ice cube. Although the golden dragon prided itself on its bodily strength, it wouldn’t have shattered into pieces upon impact, but it would have likely been frozen for a century, captured, and made a prisoner; humans have countless ways to deal with such incredible beings.
Even though giant dragons are among the most powerful creatures under this starry sky, they are just as valuable as treasures. Besides bestowing glory upon a dragon-slaying warrior, they could easily be torn apart by enemies and turned into various magical weapons. In that case, seeking justice would be utterly impossible.
Every golden giant dragon is a master of cold weapon craftsmanship. Feeding on metal and arming themselves with it, they are born as favorites of the golden energy. While they lack magical offensive power, each golden giant dragon can evolve into a one-of-a-kind fighting weapon. In ancient legends, golden giant dragons were regarded as weapons wielded by deities in battle, transforming into the fabled sword of Damocles, possessing immense combat strength. They are also the most bloodthirsty and violent among the dragon kin, and every one of them is rebellious and untamed.
Even with the ancient alliance between the dragon kin and humanity, very few golden dragon knights can successfully sign a pact without being torn to bits. This rarity makes golden giant dragons one of the few dangerous contract dragons; not every golden giant would willingly become a flying mount for a human knight.
This golden giant dragon, named "Gold Coin," lay lazily, seemingly acting carelessly, yet only Morin knew the dangerous aura surrounding his movements. If Morin had been unguarded just a moment ago, the trajectory of its tail could have easily severed his head.
As long as it could kill its knight, it could rid itself of the damned dragon knight contract and enjoy its freedom without the concern of being forcibly summoned. The idea of living freely without constraints was extremely appealing. How unfortunate it was that it had forged a soul bond with a human named Morin under the oppressive contract of the dragon deity, reluctantly signing the knight’s pact. Thus, the golden giant dragon constantly pondered ways to eliminate its knight.
Morin, born as a homeless orphan, struggled for survival, fighting wild dogs for scraps of food and relying on the occasional kindness of others or selling whatever labor he could manage. Since he could remember, he had never known the meaning of giving up. A mere leftover meal often represented the thin line between life and death. Having witnessed peers of similar age helplessly die from hunger and sickness, he seized every opportunity with dogged determination, refusing to let go, tolerating any humiliation, bullying, or insult, all for the chance to survive.
During the conscription in the Su Lan Empire, Morin demonstrated potential as a dragon knight and was sent to a brutal training camp. No matter the dangers or hardships, he was unwilling to easily relinquish this chance to change his fate.
To survive meant never abandoning the principle ingrained in his bones. Morin gritted his teeth and held on, even paying a far greater price than others, eventually standing out amid numerous candidates. He coincidentally resonated with one of the waiting giant dragons, a particularly ferocious golden giant dragon notorious for its rebellious spirit, making it one of the most dangerous dragons to become a mount. Curiously, Morin’s battle energy was of the light attribute; while their attributes did not counteract each other, they did not create synergies either. The combination was awkward and yielded no enhancements, far from the rapid training effects of either matching or complementary attributes.
Amid the gloating gazes of the eliminated candidates, the complex expressions of the training camp instructors, the sympathies from other fortunate dragon knights, and the threatening and murderous glare from the chosen golden giant dragon, Morin steadfastly accepted the dragon flute. Regardless of attribute compatibility issues or the inherent dangers of a golden giant dragon, Morin had already recognized during training camp that the dragon named Gold Coin was just a wild dog that was a bit too cunning and ferocious. As long as he remained careful, careful, and more careful, he could protect himself and become a dragon knight of noble status who could entirely alter his destiny.
Morin always maintained a cautious demeanor, wary of being backstabbed by the dragon. With the dragon flute in hand to suppress the giant dragon, a single thought was enough to forcibly place the dragon into the contract space for rest. For now, the rebellious and wild golden giant dragon found itself at a loss against Morin, who remained incredibly vigilant even in sleep, always on high alert.
If it failed to achieve a conclusive strike, Morin might surrender the dragon flute and his identity as a dragon knight, permanently sealing the dragon within the flute—a fate nearly indistinguishable from death. This outcome was something Gold Coin did not wish to see.
Since the establishment of the ancient alliance, many dragon knights have met their demise at the hands of their own dragons. Some knights, frightened by forming a pact with golden giant dragons, have even thrown away their dragon flutes, letting the dragons roam free, becoming dragon knights without dragons.
The might and danger of golden giant dragons evoke both love and fear, yet not everyone can choose such a path; soul resonance is the key to a successful contract.
The so-called symbiotic contract does not exist, as dragons are not so kind as to share their long lives with the short-lived humans. It is merely a battle cooperation agreement; if either party dies, the contract dissolves, and there will be no mutual demise.
The rare war that has engulfed the Texi Empire and the Su Lan Empire, including the Helar Campaign, which has claimed nearly 1.6 million lives from both nations, has seen countless fleeting heroes emerge.
Yet the causes of the war are remarkably laughable and hardly worth mentioning.
It all began with a minor dispute over half a gold coin between a member of the Texi Empire’s envoy and a palace servant of the Su Lan Empire, exacerbated through petty factions and incitement among low-ranking individuals, spiraling out of control and pulling higher-ranking figures into the mix, escalating to matters of national dignity and interest.
With a single spark, the two nations, initially feigning mutual courtesy and discussing peaceful development, simultaneously tore off their hypocritical masks, erupting into a bloody war. The ensuing battle for supremacy in the Helar Mountains, which lasted five years, has been mockingly dubbed the "Half Gold Coin War" by historians, showing no signs of resolution even today. The war has drained both nations’ resources, leaving their rulers helpless and aware of the immense losses yet unable to back down.
Swoosh…
In the distance, a blazing white meteor sped by, trailing a long tail of flame and a booming sonic burst as if alive, soaring toward the icy peak above. The frozen summit appeared as though it had been doused with scalding hot water, thick layers of ancient ice melting instantly into boiling water cascading down. Several waterfalls burst forth from the peak, shrouding the summit in thick white mist and creating a sweeping wave of heat, as if the mountain sported a white hat.
“Akka! Are you trying to roast me?” Smelling the pungent scent of sulfur in the air, the black-clad man turned sharply, watching as the white mist enveloping the peak dispersed. A colossal crimson fireball, radiating immense heat, charged directly at him, seemingly intending to turn him into a roasted chicken.
“Morin! It seems I still can’t compare to brother Geldael—I mean, he’s the one who makes people jump!” Accompanied by hearty laughter, the gigantic fireball exploded into hundreds of sparks, revealing a dragon and a person, landing steadily before the black-clad man.
Upon landing, the earth beneath the immense dragon claws emitted sharp hissing sounds as white smoke billowed up. In an instant, the red and white flames carried by the dragon’s claws seemed ready to heat the rocks that had dried up from melted snow into blistering magma.
“Haha, Akka, you and Misael are a flashy duo as fire dragon knights; how could that compare to brother Geldael’s shadow dragon and its stealthy prowess?” Morin lifted the visor of his helm, revealing an expression both exasperated and amused, his black pupils and hair pairing perfectly with the black and gold golden giant dragon, pretending to rest nearby.
Akka, clad in fiery red heavy armor matching his dragon, towered over Morin by a full head. In the training camp, he was one of Morin’s few close friends, coming from humble beginnings in a rural family and having a younger sister. Compared to Morin, Akka’s upbringing had been considerably happier.
“Humph!” Gold Coin, the golden giant dragon, disdainfully flicked its tail, effortlessly smashing a massive rock revealed from the melted snow into fragments, thinking of the young fire dragon before it, nearly a hundred years its junior, capable of being shredded with a single claw—what could fire breath do to it? After all, it had devoured liquid magical gold and was born to control the golden elements. Despite lacking any magical power, no ordinary flame could melt it unless it reached incredible levels of magical fire, otherwise, the golden giant dragon had nothing to fear.
