Chapter 19 – Baptism of the Dragon's Blood
The next day, Ashton woke with a low groan, his head pounding as if struck by a hammer.
"Damn… what happened? My head is killing me," he muttered under his breath, pressing his palms against his temples.
For a moment, panic flashed through his mind.
He quickly raised a hand to his face, feeling his cheeks, nose, and chin.
Then he sighed in relief.
"At least my precious face is still here."
Around him, the soldiers were stirring as well, clutching their heads and groaning.
Dino rolled over with a grimace, muttering curses, while Syph rubbed his forehead with a scowl.
"My head feels like it's splitting open," Dino rasped.
Syph's usually sharp tone was dull and weary. "I don't remember… anything about last night."
One by one, the other soldiers echoed the same confusion.
Their memories were blank, their bodies aching.
Then, a smell drifted through the air.
The rich, savory scent of roasting meat wafted from somewhere nearby.
It was heavy with fat and smoke, enough to make empty stomachs growl in unison.
"What is that smell?" one soldier asked, already stumbling toward the source.
The group followed until they reached a clearing. There, crouched before a blazing fire, was Kyen-Seen.
He was turning a massive spit of meat, its juices sizzling as they dripped onto the flames.
"Good morning," Ashton said as he dropped down beside him with a sigh.
"Good morrow, mine companions!" Kyen-Seen declared, grinning broadly as he waved with one hand and rotated the spit with the other.
The soldiers gathered quickly, forming a hungry circle.
Dino's eyes were glued to the meat, and even Syph's composure cracked as his stomach growled audibly.
Ashton eyed the roast carefully. "Which beast is this?"
Kyen-Seen's grin stretched wider.
He slapped the sizzling meat with his hand, the sound sharp against the fire's crackle.
"Lo! 'Tis wyvern flesh!" he boasted proudly.
"Aye, weaker than dragon, yet its meat be top notch, fit for banquet and bard's song alike!"
Ashton froze mid-thought.
A wyvern. One of the apex predators of the land. Entire hunting parties could be wiped out by a single one.
Yet here was Kyen-Seen, cheerfully roasting it like it was no more dangerous than a deer.
This man… He is the strongest I have met in this world so far.
Without further comment, Ashton accepted a slice and bit into it.
The flavor burst across his tongue—smoky, rich, and almost sweet with the thickness of its fat.
The soldiers followed eagerly, ripping into the meal like starved wolves.
When at last the meat was devoured and only bones remained, Ashton rose to his feet. The chatter fell silent.
His voice was steady and firm.
"Today, we go deeper into the forest. We need more experience.
We need to tame stronger beasts. But most importantly, our goal is to drink dragon's blood.
Only then can we grow strong enough to face what lies ahead.
The villagers await our return, and our deadline is two months."
He turned toward Kyen-Seen. "You'll help us, right?"
Kyen-Seen placed a hand dramatically over his chest. "Verily! Leave all to me.
By bow and blade, by wit and song, I shall aid thee!"
Satisfied, Ashton faced the soldiers once more. "Then do your best. Understood?"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" the soldiers roared in unison.
"Good. Syph, you're in charge."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Syph replied crisply before moving to rally the others.
Ashton returned to his tent. Methodically, he donned his armor piece by piece.
Five daggers he strapped to his side, a spear across his back, a sword at his hip, and a bow with quiver over his shoulder.
When he stepped outside, the men were already prepared.
Dino stood steady, Syph by his side, while Kyen-Seen leaned lazily against a tree, humming some strange tune to himself.
"Then let the training begin," Ashton declared, stepping forward with resolve.
I'll master all weapons, he thought.
And I'll teach them the techniques I remember from my past life.
We'll become strong enough to survive anything.
Time blurred into blood and sweat.
Two months and a half passed.
At first, their battles were against lesser beasts: wolves, bears, horned boars.
But soon Ashton drove them deeper.
They faced serpents spitting venom, insectoid horrors with armored shells, and beasts with wings that struck from above.
Each fight honed their blades sharper and their resolve harder.
Kyen-Seen became both mentor and tormentor.
He corrected their stances with booming laughter.
"Nay, fool! Thou hold'st thy bow as milkmaid clutching bucket! Stand straight, spine proud, lo! Watch me!"
He would loose an arrow that pierced clean through two trees, vanishing into the shadows.
The soldiers gawked.
Other days, he sang strange rhymes as he skinned beasts.
"Slice not thus, lest thou ruin fair hide! Dost thou not see? 'Tis like peeling onion, but onion with claws!"
Even Ashton trained beneath him.
And though he never admitted it aloud, he grew sharper, faster, deadlier for it.
Through endless battles, Ashton's [Clairvoyance] evolved, deepening to reveal weak points no ordinary eye could see.
His Ether Heart Technique also grew, its flow steadier, more potent.
By the time the deadline neared, they had become something greater than men. Warriors forged through trial.
One evening, exhausted from another hunt, the camp was quiet.
The sun dipped below the trees, and the men prepared to rest.
That was when the air shifted.
A crushing pressure settled over them, heavy enough to steal breath.
Trees shook, birds scattered, and the earth trembled.
Then it appeared.
A dragon.
Without a word, Ashton snapped into command. "Formation!"
The men moved instantly, surrounding the beast in a perfect circle.
"Attack!" Ashton ordered.
Arrows laced with Ether whistled through the air. They struck the dragon's scales with sharp clangs—then bounced harmlessly away.
"Damn… it didn't do a thing," Ashton muttered under his breath. "Defensive formation!"
Five soldiers stepped forward, their massive shields slamming into the ground. Ether surged through their arms as they braced.
The dragon roared, fire building in its throat, then unleashed a torrent of flame.
Heat washed across the clearing, but the shield wall held.
"Formation three!" Ashton barked.
Syph, Dino, and the close-combat soldiers surged forward as soon as the flames ceased.
Ether-coated blades slashed at the beast, each strike powerful enough to kill a wyvern.
But a dragon was no wyvern.
Its massive tail swept the ground, knocking men flying. Some crashed into trees, coughing blood. Others lay unconscious.
"Formation one—attack!" Ashton commanded.
Archers fired again, but the arrows did little more than scratch.
Through it all, Kyen-Seen leaned against a tree, watching idly.
His bow rested at his side, his expression amused.
He had already slain a dragon once before.
There was no need for him to intervene.
"Ashton!" Dino shouted, staggering back into formation.
"Make time for me!" Ashton called. "I'll finish this!"
The men didn't hesitate. They threw themselves at the dragon, buying precious seconds.
Ashton drew an arrow and closed his eyes.
Ether pulsed through his veins as he invoked the Ether Heart Technique.
Slowly, steadily, he poured it into the arrow's tip.
The shaft glowed, brighter and brighter, until the air trembled.
Leaves swirled upward, drawn into the gathering power.
His eyes snapped open. [Clairvoyance] activated, sharper than ever before.
He searched the dragon's form, ignoring the chaos of battle.
Then he found it.
A small gap between scales at its chest. Barely visible. Barely there. But enough.
With a smirk, he raised the arrow.
The dragon sensed the danger. It reared back, fire building in its throat for a final devastating breath.
The two unleashed their attacks at once. Flame and Ether collided mid-air with a thunderous crash.
Heat seared Ashton's skin, but he held steady, pouring every drop of power he had left into the arrow.
"Pierce!" he roared.
The arrow ripped through the blaze, cutting it apart, then struck true.
It pierced the dragon's chest with a deafening boom.
The beast gave one final roar before collapsing, the earth shaking beneath its fall.
Silence followed.
Then—
Clap. Clap. Clap.
All eyes turned.
Kyen-Seen stood beneath the trees, clapping slowly with a wide grin.
"Magnificent! Truly, a most wondrous display! Well done, young king!"
He placed a hand on Ashton's shoulder. Ashton twitched.
The bastard didn't even lift a finger…
But there was no time to dwell. Ashton turned back to his men.
"Now… let's drink the dragon's blood. It will be painful, but you must endure. Understood?"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
One by one, they drank.
Then they sat cross-legged, closing their eyes, forcing themselves into meditation.
The pain was instant.
Bones snapped, cracked, and reformed stronger.
Flesh seared as Ether coursed through it. Muscles tore only to rebuild, denser and sharper. Screams filled the clearing, the agony unbearable.
Even Ashton's vision went white.
His Ether Heart pulsed wildly, breaking through its limits again and again. His body was remade in fire and torment.
Syph and Dino endured as well, their techniques evolving, their strength soaring.
The soldiers, though lesser in talent, gritted their teeth and survived. One after another, they broke through.
And through it all, Kyen-Seen sat nearby, humming. Then he opened his mouth and began to sing.
"O dragon's flame, burn their bones,
Crack and snap, like breaking stones!
Drink, drink, thy cursed brew,
Cry and wail, 'tis good for you!
Lo, thy pain is proof of might,
From bloody dusk to shining light!
Endure, endure, break and bend,And rise anew, more strong, my friend!"
"Damn it," Ashton groaned through gritted teeth. "This is hell…"
The men agreed silently, though none dared stop.
And yet, as the agony raged on, their bodies grew stronger.
Their skills involved. Their strength, stamina, and speed surpassed what they once thought possible.
Hell had forged them anew.
And Kyen-Seen, grinning ear to ear, sang them through it all.
Hey readers! What do you think.
Please leave a comment.