The first light of dawn slipped through the palace curtains, brushing against the quiet room. Dong sat on the edge of his bed, a steaming cup of tea in his hand. The soft aroma of roasted leaves rose with the faint warmth, but his mind was far from calm. His thoughts were sharper than the morning chill.
He slowly brought the cup to his lips, eyes half-closed, thinking about last night's meeting. The king agreed far too easily, Dong mused. All I did was tell him that the entire dragon body would cost four hundred fifty million gold coins. And he swallowed it.
A faint smirk curved on his lips. He thinks I don't know the real price. But I do. Three billion gold coins that's the true value of a whole dragon body.
He let the thought settle while the tea gently burned his tongue. Three billion… in a world where even the richest man alive holds only three trillion, that's not a small sum. A kingdom with one hundred billion in its treasury is already considered wealthy beyond most imaginations. And ours? He looked at the faint reflection of his eyes in the tea's surface. Ninety-seven billion. Just three billion away from crossing that invisible wall.
He leaned back slightly, resting one hand on the polished wood of his bedframe. Every kingdom dreams of becoming an Ultra Facilities Kingdom. Why? Because it changes everything. Not just money. Not just reputation. It shifts the ground beneath your feet.
Another sip. His voice was a whisper, though no one else was in the room. "You only need three things wealth, strength, and order. A hundred billion coins to open the gate. A strong army to guard your name. A civilization that doesn't crack when storms come."
His gaze drifted toward the rising sun. Our kingdom already has two of those. What we lack… is only the coins.
The cup clicked softly as he set it down. When a kingdom becomes Ultra, its tourism multiplies, merchants flock like bees, and the world's respect bends in your direction. But the true treasure… is the right to send the king's children to register at the World Bottom of Kingdoms.
He paused. The very name carried weight. That registry was not just a symbol it was the gateway to opportunities most kingdoms only dreamed of. A place where alliances were forged, secrets were traded, and names were carved into history.
Currently, only ten kingdoms had risen beyond Ultra. Ten among thousands. And beneath them? Thirty thousand kingdoms holding the Ultra status like a badge of immortality.
He picked the cup again, drained the last sip, and chuckled faintly. Complicated, isn't it? But this is politics. This is the game they all play counting coins, measuring pride, and selling their future for scraps.
And in that quiet morning, with tea in hand and schemes brewing in his mind, Dong already saw the path forward one that no one else in that council room had the courage to walk..
The clock struck ten. The palace corridors were silent except for the soft echo of approaching footsteps.
A knock came. Tok, tok.
"Young master, may I come in?" a gentle voice asked from beyond the door.
Dong raised his head from the low table, where an empty cup of tea rested. "Yes… come in."
The door opened, revealing a young maid dressed in formal palace attire not one he recognized. His eyes narrowed. "Huh? You're not my personal maid. Who are you?"
The girl bowed deeply. "Young master, I am the king's personal maid. I have been sent to deliver a message. And do not worry, I will not leak this information your two monsters have been delivered. They are in the secret warehouse behind the kingdom."
Dong's expression shifted slightly, a faint gleam in his eyes. "Oh? I see. Fine. Go. I was heading there anyway."
The maid bowed again and departed swiftly, her presence vanishing down the hall like mist.
Dong stood and slipped into his royal clothes dark fabric with streaks of purple, the embroidery of a coiled dragon glowing faintly. As he fastened his cuffs, a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. From tomorrow… the destruction of this kingdom begins.
Minutes later, he stood before the colossal iron gates of the secret warehouse. The area was deserted no guards, no workers, no prying eyes. For five kilometers in every direction, nothing stirred but the cold wind.
Then came the sound deep, guttural growls that rattled the earth. Two monsters, restless within their sealed chambers.
Dong exhaled once, placed his hand on the first gate, and with a low rumble, the heavy door creaked open.
A monstrous silhouette emerged massive scales glinting in the dim light, claws like scythes scraping the floor. The first beast had arrived.
Without hesitation, Dong flicked three enchanted stones from his palm Spell Stones: Stone Throw. They whistled through the air.
The monster twisted violently two stones zipped past, but the last struck its abdomen with brutal force. The creature let out a deafening roar as pain flared across its stomach, making the ground quake.
It lunged, claws slashing in a blur, but Dong stepped aside effortlessly. Flames ignited in its throat fwoooosh! A torrent of fire engulfed the hall, scorching the stone walls. Dong's half shirt was burned away, smoke rising from the charred fabric.
His eyes glinted. "Not bad."
He turned, flung open the second gate. The second monster burst forth with an ear-splitting roar.
Dong's lips moved Lion Fear. A spectral lion's roar echoed, crashing into their minds like thunder. Both monsters collapsed, trembling, then fell into unconsciousness.
Dong raised his hand, a fireball swirling into existence, heat distorting the air. Boom! Flames consumed them both.
When the smoke cleared, silence returned.
Dong extended his hand, palm glowing with dark energy Void Devouring. The corpses crumbled into nothing, their essence pouring into his body. Power surged through his veins. His body repaired muscles tightened, wounds faded. Forty percent stronger, he thought. And that's not all…
A ripple of energy erupted in his mind new knowledge etched itself like ancient runes: Dimension of Fire Dragon.
Its description whispered into his thoughts:
When activated, the target and user are transported into the Fire Dragon Dimension. There, the mightiest dragon manifests. One bite from its colossal jaws erases sixty percent of the target's body. If multiple targets appear, the dragon unleashes the Fire of God, incinerating them at once. Minimum size of the dragon: six mountains.
Dong's fingers curled slowly into a fist. "Perfect," he murmured.
The warehouse was silent once more, but the air was heavier, as if it sensed the shift one that would soon shake the kingdom itself.
After Few Minutes
Dong sat silently, his mind still echoing with the power he had just gained. The warehouse felt eerily quiet now, with only the lingering smell of scorched metal and the faint heat of the slain monsters. His shirt was half-burned, his breath steady yet heavy with calculation.
He whispered to himself, "This skill… it's forbidden. I know it. I've read about it once."
His eyes narrowed as the memory came back an old, dust-covered book that spoke of a terrifying power: Dimensions of the Fire Dragon.
"This skill was last used by the Fire God… and that Fire God is now long dead." He sipped the memory like bitter tea. "To cancel this skill, there are only two ways. First become stronger than the user of this skill. Second if that cannot be fulfilled, then you must be larger than the Fire Dragon itself to take less damage."
Dong clenched his fists. The thought of that ancient, colossal dragon sent a chill through his body. "The Fire God's dragon was far more massive than me. Right now… I am not even close to that level of strength."
His eyes flickered with both ambition and defiance. "But one day, I will surpass even that."
With a deep breath, he turned away from the lifeless warehouse, the corpses of the two monsters still warm behind him. Each step echoed his determination as he walked back toward his chambers.
---
The Quiet of His Room
Dong closed the door behind him. The heavy, royal clothes felt like unnecessary weight now. He unbuttoned them, letting them slide from his shoulders, revealing the burn marks left by the fire breathing attack. Steam curled in the air as he prepared his bath.
Warm water embraced him, the heat easing his tense muscles. Drops ran down his neck as he leaned back, eyes half-closed, mind already moving toward the next step.
"Enjoying the best life… that's me," he murmured with a faint smile, though his gaze was far from peaceful. The best life wasn't just about comfort it was about control, power, and the sweet taste of domination.
Tomorrow would not be just another day. It would be the beginning of the end for his father's kingdom.
Chapter End...