This damn stone… what's it going crazy about now?" Raymond grumbled, feeling the Light Stone's agitation. Ever since entering the volcanic cluster, the fragment of the Light Stone hanging around his neck would occasionally vibrate like this, with such force that it almost broke free and flew away. Yet, he couldn't store it in the Stone Gate space, so it could only remain around his neck. With a try-anything attitude, Raymond followed the Light Stone's guidance and climbed a volcano.
Reaching the summit, he looked down into the depths of the black smoke in the crater, where dark red, magma-like substance churned. Its viscous appearance inexplicably reminded Raymond of the red curry his third brother cooked. So, he used his [Perception] ability to observe, and a string of text flashed across his retina: [Dragon (Subspecies of Dragon?): Bred by the ancient Valyrians from dragon-like magical beasts, augmented with fire magic and blood magic. High-level magical creature?]
"Huh! So 'Perception' really works. Targeting a creature truly only reacts to creatures, which isn't bad…" "Perhaps I can develop it into a skill similar to an Eye of Insight… But what does this question mark mean?" Raymond's heart first skipped a beat, then he realized what he had just seen. "Hmm! That target just now… was a Dragon? Looks like I didn't come to the wrong place."
Passing through the half-collapsed obsidian archway, Raymond felt as if he had stepped into the lair of a prehistoric beast. The surroundings were all constructed from obsidian, and the ground was covered in dense, deep, web-like cracks, like fractured wounds on the earth itself. Viscous, dark red light pulsed like blood deep within these fissures. Raymond suppressed the pounding in his heart and carefully deciphered the patterns covering the ground—they were High Valyrian script.
"What are these runes for? Such strong energy fluctuations," he muttered to himself, his voice echoing slightly in the empty cavern. "Could it be… some kind of confinement or seal? But… does this world have sealing magic?" As if possessed, he instinctively leaned closer. The moment his fingertips tentatively touched the hot stone surface, the Light Stone fragment in his palm suddenly emitted a sharp, almost splitting hum!
Fire suddenly erupted from a fissure near Raymond. He stumbled backward and dove behind a toppled stone pillar. From the very crack he had just touched, scorching magma burst forth and exploded as if it had found an outlet! A wave of heat, mixed with a strong, pungent smell of sulfur, assailed him, burning his nostrils. When his fright subsided and he looked up again, the runes on the ground were fading at a visible rate, as if their power was being drained.
At the same time, a deep, pain-filled roar echoed from within. The sound was as low as a thousand-ton boulder grinding against the earth, more like a dull knife slowly scraping across his eardrums. Raymond subconsciously clutched the Light Stone fragment, the light source in his palm continuously injecting its glow deep into the ground. He took a deep breath of the scorching air—an action that brought no comfort whatsoever—his back pressed tightly against the cold, rough rock wall, holding his breath and moving step by step towards the source of the roar.
When he finally glimpsed the full scene by the light of the lava lake, his pupils instantly constricted to pinpricks the moment his gaze met the sight! Beside the lava lake, a massive, silver-white figure was coiled. This creature's enormous body was covered in wounds, its scales, as bright as moonlight, were shattered in many places, exposing charred, necrotic flesh beneath. With every heavy breath, it exhaled clouds of white mist mixed with fine streaks of blood, as if its life essence was slowly evaporating.
Its massive Dragon wings, which should have blotted out the sky, now softly enveloped its emaciated body, made gaunt by prolonged torment, in a protective posture. Around it stood 12 obsidian pillars, covered in runes. They glowed eerily, like a cage, suppressing the giant beast in the center. This dying beast seemed extremely sensitive to the scent of an outsider, and its weary eyelids suddenly opened!
When its amber, bloodshot, majestic Dragon eyes gazed upon the intruder, a flicker of surprise and an… indescribable curiosity passed through the depths of its eyes. Raymond's heart felt frozen in that instant, cold fear clamping his throat, his breath catching. "The ancients mocked Lord Ye's love for Dragons, but when one truly appears before your eyes… who wouldn't be afraid?"
But that feeling of fear lasted only a brief moment, quickly replaced by an immense shock at witnessing a legend come alive before him, a mortal gazing upon a mythical creation, and an extreme, pure excitement. "Is this… in this world… the true pinnacle of power, below the gods?" Raymond murmured, his voice trembling with disbelief. He felt his blood boiling—it truly was boiling, as if a special power was awakening. Slowly, a warm current gathered in his heart… and it seemed it wasn't so hot here anymore?
"Hello, big guy, I mean no harm." Raymond steadied himself, calmed his boiling blood, and greeted the creature in High Valyrian, using the clearest and most stable tone possible. "Hiss-garr…" The Dragon's response was an extremely deep, weary guttural sound, yet still containing terrifying penetrative power. Just that single, extremely restrained growl was like an invisible heavy hammer striking his eardrums, making Raymond's head buzz.
He shook his head, dispelling the dizziness, and summoned unprecedented courage, slowly approaching this suffering apex predator step by step. When he was finally able to reach out and gently place his hand on the Dragon's snout, the Dragon's action startled him—it slightly turned its head and very gently pushed him back with its snout. This movement was so gentle, unlike the fierce beasts of legend, more like a senior's kind warning. The meaning within it was crystal clear: Leave here! Danger!
"What a smart big guy! This is almost two different species from those beasts of the Targaryen in the TV series." Raymond couldn't help but exclaim, an unprecedented excitement surging in his chest. This ancient Dragon, while enduring its own pain and on the brink of death, didn't immediately threaten or defend itself, but instead tried to protect him, the intruder! This unexpected wisdom and kindness moved him.
Raymond used his [Perception] ability again to observe the Dragon. [Dragon (Subspecies of Dragon?): High-level magical creature? Gender: Female Status: Weak (Curse Erosion)]