Rayder made sure not to show any favoritism. After feeding Er Lang, he gently divided the remaining eggshell fragments and distributed them evenly to Da Lang and San Lang. Each of the three little dragon heads received their share, crunching on the golden fragments with satisfaction.
He lovingly stroked their heads, offering a few words of comfort, and then turned his focus back to the system interface, eager to better understand the features that had just been unlocked.
While browsing, Rayder noticed a small plus sign beside Kidora's name on the system panel. Curiosity piqued, he tapped on it.
The panel redirected to a new screen, revealing a brand-new feature: he could now use Evolution Points to enhance his pet, accelerating its growth and unlocking greater power. His heart leapt at the prospect.
But when he glanced at the number of Evolution Points available, his enthusiasm plummeted—the panel displayed a glaring zero.
No Evolution Points.
That meant, for now, he had no way to boost Kidora's growth. Rayder frowned, realizing the system wasn't going to hand him everything easily.
Still, he tapped through the panel again, this time to see how many Evolution Points were required for Kidora to evolve to its next stage.
(0/10)
Only ten Evolution Points to begin evolution. That didn't seem too difficult, but it raised a new question: how was he supposed to earn those points?
Rayder paused, remembering that he had gained Evolution Points before—but always through combat. Killing creatures, eliminating threats, and destroying parasites had given him a few points in the past. Did that mean violence was the only route to growth in this world?
He decided not to stress over it just yet. There would be plenty of time to explore. For now, he turned his attention to something far more pressing—Black Dragon Im's condition.
On the system panel, he clicked on the "Cursed" status beside Im's name. Previously, the system had denied access, citing insufficient permissions. But now, with full system rights unlocked, the information loaded almost instantly.
> Curse Identified: The Resentment Curse
According to the system's description, this dreadful curse had been formed by the souls of zealous followers who had voluntarily sacrificed themselves to a deity. Their spiritual remnants had not moved on, but instead morphed into vengeful entities—phantoms of rage and loyalty twisted by death.
Once inside a living being, these spirits latched onto flesh and vitality, feeding slowly and weakening the host. Worst of all, the curse was nearly immortal—when the host died, the spirits didn't perish. Instead, they persisted in nearby organic matter, searching for a new vessel to infest.
Rayder inhaled sharply. This curse wasn't just malicious—it was a plague that fed on life and outlived death.
So it hadn't been a natural disaster that brought the fall of the Valyrian Freehold, but a divine punishment. A god had intervened directly in the mortal world. But what could the ancient Dragonlord families have done to provoke the wrath of such a being?
Rayder couldn't help but be drawn into imagination—he pictured the rise and fall of Valyria, their skies ruled by dragons, their cities sculpted with fire and magic, their rule absolute. They must have believed themselves invincible. And perhaps that arrogance had been their undoing.
He stood silent for a while, letting the weight of history settle in his thoughts.
Despite their tragic downfall, Rayder felt admiration for those long-gone rulers. Their power, their command of dragons and magic, their ambition—it was staggering. To anger a god was one thing, but to be feared by one? That spoke volumes.
Rayder made a silent vow to explore the ancient ruins nearby. If the remnants of Valyria still held knowledge, he would find it—books, scrolls, relics, anything that could teach him more about their magic, their bloodlines, and perhaps a way to lift the curse plaguing his dragon.
But first, he had to see if there was any way—any way at all—to remove the curse from Black Dragon Im.
Rayder dug into the system panel again and finally found an entry titled: Curse Removal Conditions.
> Two possible methods:
1. Use the power of a deity to dispel the curse.
2. Use a powerful bloodline to wear it down over time.
Rayder frowned.
The first method was completely out of reach. He had never even seen a deity, let alone interacted with one. How could he possibly obtain their divine power?
The second method seemed more plausible—but only just. It required a bloodline powerful enough to resist and gradually break the curse.
Rayder immediately thought of Kidora.
Though still small, Kidora was no ordinary creature. Three-headed, golden-scaled, born of a legendary egg, and already connected to Rayder through ability-sharing and telepathy. Since Kidora's hatching, Rayder had also noticed new bloodlines appearing in his system—bloodlines he hadn't possessed before.
Could these changes have strengthened his essence?
Could his blood alone now hold the power to resist the curse?
There was only one way to find out.
Rayder glanced down from the back of the dragon. The volcanic terrain below was cracked and scorched. Streams of lava pulsed and gurgled through fissures in the rock. He shuddered. If he dismounted here and tried to conduct the blood ritual, he could easily burn himself—or worse.
Too risky.
He patted Im's massive scale, signaling the dragon. "Take us home."
Im lifted its giant head and gave a low, guttural growl in acknowledgment. Then, the black dragon beat its massive wings, sending a gust of hot wind rippling across the lava. The sound of powerful wingbeats echoed like thunder as the dragon ascended into the dark pre-dawn sky, the volcanic plume behind them glowing dimly with molten light.
As the dragon soared, Rayder sat quietly in the saddle, his thoughts occupied with everything he had learned.
The curse, the gods, the lost legacy of Valyria… and Kidora's potential.
Even the stars above seemed to whisper of fate.
Eventually, the dragon reached the broken volcanic peak that served as the entrance to the Dragon Lair. With a powerful thrust of its wings, Im landed with surprising grace. Dust and ash scattered in all directions.
Rayder leapt down lightly, his boots crunching on cracked obsidian.
He walked to Im's snout and placed his hand gently on the black dragon's scaled face, stroking it like one might calm a warhorse. The connection between them had deepened, and he could sense Im's pain—constant, dull, heavy.
Determined to try his theory, Rayder drew his longsword. Without hesitation, he slashed a deep cut into his palm. Blood immediately welled and dripped down his fingers, warm and vivid.
Gritting his teeth, Rayder stepped forward and pressed his bleeding hand against Im's snout.
"Take it," he murmured. "My blood. My will. Let it resist what plagues you."
Im's nostrils flared. Its golden eyes narrowed as it inhaled the scent of Rayder's blood. The dragon opened its mouth slightly, and Rayder extended his palm inside, allowing his blood to drip onto its tongue.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then, suddenly, the runes engraved on Im's dark scales shimmered faintly. A low hum—like distant thunder—vibrated through the lair. Rayder staggered back, heart pounding.
The system chimed in his mind:
> Bloodline resistance detected. Curse resistance activated. Progress: 3%
Rayder stared in shock. It was working. His blood was powerful enough.
Not completely—but enough to make a difference.
Im's eyes softened. The dragon bowed its head slightly, nudging Rayder's shoulder in gratitude.
Rayder winced, wrapping cloth around his wounded hand, and smiled. "Hang in there, old friend. We'll beat this."
Then, without wasting another moment, Rayder returned to the system panel. Now more than ever, he was determined to learn everything the system could offer.
He opened the Bloodline tab.
Ancient Valyrian Dragon King Bloodline
Dragon Rider Bloodline
King Bloodline
Titan Bloodline
Each came with its own set of traits, and as he read through them, Rayder realized the synergy was incredible. The King Bloodline amplified presence and command. The Titan Bloodline gave physical resilience and endurance. Dragon Rider allowed for natural affinity and communication with dragons. And the Ancient Valyrian line granted latent magical talent and flame resistance.
He was no longer just a boy.
He was becoming something far greater.
Then he checked Kidora's status:
> Pet — Kidora
Stage: Hatchling
Abilities: King's Might, Gravitational Beam, Storm Control, Electrical Manipulation, Super Regeneration
Status: Satiated
Evolution Points: 0/10
Rayder turned to the golden three-headed dragon perched on a rock nearby. Kidora yawned, each head letting out a high-pitched chirp, still too young to roar.
He grinned.
"We've got a long way to go, little one," he said. "But one day... they'll know your name."
Kidora blinked in unison, each head turning to him, then curling close together in a warm knot of scales and tails...
Rayder stood at the edge of the lair, looking out over the ruined landscape.
The sun was finally rising.
And the path to becoming King had only just begun.
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