Rayder stood silently to the side, a vague sense of loss weighing down on him.
Unlike his deep bond with Im, he hadn't managed to connect emotionally with the massive dragon before him. There was no resonance, no shared feelings—only distance. It was clear the ancient dragon hadn't fully acknowledged him.
Still, Rayder wasn't willing to give up.
He opened his system panel, hoping for some sign or update, but there was nothing new.
Could it be that one person could only bond with a single dragon?
Sighing, Rayder pushed the thought aside and turned his full attention to the dragon before him. As he studied it more closely, a heavy feeling settled in his chest.
The creature's condition was dire. Its massive wings were riddled with holes, like torn sails after a storm. They looked as though they'd been pierced by countless sharp weapons, and Rayder wasn't even sure if it could still fly.
Even more alarming was its body—covered in grotesque, rotting chunks of flesh that squirmed slightly in rhythm with the dragon's shallow breathing. It was as if these things were alive.
A memory jolted into Rayder's mind—his encounter in the forest. The beasts that had attacked him back then had similar wriggling flesh stuck to their bodies, although smaller in size.
Later, beneath the ground where a dragon's skeleton had lain, those same parasitic organisms had emerged again.
Now he was certain. These flesh-like growths weren't mere wounds or infections—they were parasites.
Rayder's brows knitted together. Unease twisted in his gut.
Where did these parasitic creatures come from? And why were they targeting such powerful beings as dragons?
Were they the result of a curse, some dark magic, or a previously unknown threat?
Rayder couldn't answer those questions yet. But deep inside, he sensed that the key to unraveling the mystery might lie with him.
The old dragon finally finished its slow, labored meal. It raised its head and locked eyes with Rayder again. This time, there was something different in its gaze—a trace of expectation behind the cloudy, ancient eyes.
Rayder took a deep breath and clenched his fists. He made a silent promise: he would uncover the truth behind these parasites.
If memory served, killing these parasitic flesh creatures could generate magical energy that the system absorbed.
With renewed determination, Rayder unsheathed the longsword at his waist. The blade gleamed coldly under the sunlight.
He held the sword in front of him and waved it slowly in the dragon's view, watching closely for any reaction.
To his relief, the old dragon remained calm. It showed no signs of fear or aggression. Its massive body stayed still, its eyes fixed steadily on Rayder.
Encouraged, Rayder cautiously stepped forward, aiming the tip of his sword at a protruding chunk of parasitic flesh on the dragon's neck.
With a swift motion, he swung the blade. The lump fell to the ground with a wet thud.
Rayder knelt and examined the severed piece. To his horror, he realized something unsettling—more than half of it had been deeply embedded into the dragon's flesh. The parasite wasn't just stuck on the surface; it had grown roots into the dragon's very body.
Worse still, even after being severed, the piece began regenerating. Tiny buds of flesh wriggled and grew, rapidly restoring the parasite's form.
Rayder gritted his teeth, thinking hard. Did he need to carve out entire chunks of the dragon's flesh to fully remove them?
He lifted his gaze again. The dragon's entire body was densely covered in these parasites.
If he went about removing them by force, the old dragon might be left as nothing more than a skeleton.
He felt trapped. Torn between action and mercy.
Perhaps… unless the dragon died, these parasites would never be truly gone. Once their host perished, the creatures would likely lose their energy source and become easy to eliminate.
That's what had happened before—after he fought the ones near the dragon skeleton, they had been easy to destroy.
But killing the dragon now? No. He couldn't bring himself to do that.
Despite its pitiful state, the dragon wasn't yet at death's door. And Rayder still held a sliver of hope that it could be saved.
He sheathed his sword and stepped back a few paces, sinking into thought.
He had to find a solution—one that could both remove the parasites and preserve the dragon's life.
Maybe, somewhere in this strange world, there existed a technique or artifact that could do just that.
For now, he would put this issue aside. His top priority was hatching Kidora, the three-headed dragon. Once that was done, he could continue seeking ways to help the old dragon.
Rayder turned to face both Im and the ancient dragon. He gave a small nod, silently promising to return with a solution.
The old dragon rumbled in response, a low growl echoing from deep in its chest. Gratitude glimmered faintly in its tired eyes.
That faint spark warmed Rayder's heart.
If he could save the dragon, he might gain its trust. And if he succeeded, he could end up forging a bond with not one, but two dragons.
A single person, riding two dragons—an unimaginable feat.
For creatures as powerful and mysterious as dragons, the more allies he had, the stronger he would be.
With that thought, Rayder climbed onto Im's broad back and gave one last wave to the old dragon.
A flicker of sadness passed through the dragon's cloudy eyes, but it nodded slightly, as if giving its blessing.
Rayder took a deep breath and gave the command.
"Im, take off."
The black dragon let out a deafening roar—an ancient farewell call spoken in the language of dragons. It pounded forward a few steps, then spread its massive wings. With a powerful flap, it launched into the sky, carrying Rayder high above.
Below, the old dragon released its own thunderous roar in response—a cry filled with sorrow, strength, and perhaps hope.
Rayder looked back, watching as the old dragon's figure grew smaller and smaller. A swirl of emotions rose within him.
This wasn't an end. It was the beginning of something greater.
He turned his attention to the horizon. This time, he needed to explore farther.
Over the last two days, Im had already burned away nearly every visible enemy creature in the area. Now, it was time to find new targets.
From high above, Rayder scanned the landscape. His sharp gaze soon locked onto something unusual—patches of black mist swirling across several concave valleys below.
His instincts flared. That mist…
It reminded him of the sandworms he'd fought before—the ones wrapped in black fog.
Those creatures weren't supposed to be in this region. But if they had spread here…
Rayder remembered the bounty the system had granted for killing them. He grinned.
"Let's go hunting," he muttered.
He patted Im's scaly neck.
The dragon responded instantly, banking in the sky before descending sharply in a smooth arc. Its massive wings sliced through the air as it dove toward the misty valleys.
Rayder tightened his grip on his sword, his eyes gleaming.
As Im neared the black mist, it opened its jaws wide. A torrent of blazing Dragon Flame burst forth, lighting up the sky and incinerating the fog.
The black mist vanished in a flash, revealing the hidden horrors within.
Sandworms. Just like before—huge, armored, and writhing just below the surface. Only their heads peeked above the earth.
The fire struck them directly.
The scent of scorched flesh filled the air—thick, bitter, and overwhelming. It hit Rayder's nose like a sledgehammer.
"Ugh—" he sneezed violently..
The stench was unbearable, like burnt hair and rotting meat mixed together..
But Rayder didn't complain.
Instead, he leaned forward on Im's back, eyes locked on the burning ground below.
A new battle had begun—and he was ready for it.
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