The core area of the Undead Lair.
Garros stared unblinkingly at the changes on the altar.
The first Dragon Scale Modification Ritual was quietly nearing its end; the time spent on the entire process was much shorter than expected.
Black Dragon Serafina chanted the final syllable.
Green Dragon Ludwig's tail tip, dipped in Dragon blood, traced the last stroke of the complex pattern.
Hum—!
An invisible ripple of energy suddenly spread across the altar.
Representing death and ending, the cold and silent negative energy flowed along the runic chains, coiling and penetrating the human body on the altar like a living thing.
At the same time.
Representing life and vitality, the warm and vigorous natural energy suddenly burst into spots of soft yet pure radiance along those Red Dragon blood scale patterns that had just been drawn.
Two completely opposite energies met and surged within the human body at the center of the altar.
The human, in a state of deep unconsciousness, began to tremble uncontrollably, as if enduring some internal pain.
However, compared to a normal Dragonblood Transformation ceremony, which could almost burn the subject to ashes from the inside out, the scene before them was very peaceful.
It was only like experiencing a trivial, brief nightmare during a deep nap.
Along with the slight trembling of the human body, under the joint infiltration and shaping of the energies of life and death, the patterns carefully outlined with Dragon blood gradually sank beneath the skin like brands, merging with his body.
Immediately after.
Black scales, shimmering with a cold, metallic luster, sprouted like bamboo shoots after rain at a visible speed along those merged patterns, growing and covering him layer by layer.
Occurring simultaneously was a world-shaking change in the human's appearance.
The deep, ravine-like wrinkles on his face were rapidly fading one by one.
His skin, withered like rotten wood, quickly filled with moisture, becoming elastic and lustrous.
At a visible speed, he transformed from a dying old man who looked like he could be blown over by the wind at any moment into a tall, powerful middle-aged man with clear muscular contours.
His life aura, which was originally as weak as a candle in the wind, began to soar.
Finally, he jumped from an ordinary human with no supernatural talent and a Rank of zero to a strength equivalent to a Level 2 practitioner.
This was roughly equivalent to the power level of a five or six-year-old White Hatchling.
Furthermore, a faint but undeniably real Dragonkin aura emerged from him.
"It's complete."
Black Dragon Serafina and Green Dragon Ludwig breathed a sigh of relief almost at the same time.
Although the first Dragon Scale Modification Ritual was theoretically the most basic and simple part, not really troublesome or complex, there was still a certain probability of failure during the process.
Fortunately, the entire ceremony did not encounter any accidents or troublesome interference.
They did not fail the leader's trust.
On the altar, the trembling of the human body completely subsided.
His chest rose and fell with long, steady breaths, and his closed eyelids began to quiver.
A faint light gradually tore through the darkness before his eyes.
"I... I'm actually... still alive..."
After his consciousness slowly cleared, Nick's lips moved as he murmured.
When he stepped onto this altar with a determination to face death, his heart was actually filled with despair and doubt.
He had never heard of any twenty-stage modification ritual; he almost believed this was a sacrifice with no return, only stepping onto the altar with a final sliver of weak hope.
He hadn't expected it.
This seemingly impossible modification ritual actually succeeded!
He felt his condition was better than ever before.
His turbid and blurred vision became clear and sharp, his heavy and difficult breathing became smooth and long, and those aching joints and organs that had troubled him for years were now restored to healthy operation.
His heart was beating powerfully in his strong chest with unprecedented vigor.
This was simply... a rebirth!
With the mature Heart-Nature Nick had tempered through decades of ups and downs in the business world, he was completely unable to suppress the surging ecstasy and excitement in his heart at this moment, weeping for joy.
Then, he propped up his body.
Trying to calm the surging excitement in his heart, he began to observe his brand-new body.
His thick pectoral muscles bulged like two shields.
His well-defined abdominal muscles were tight.
The muscular lines of his limbs were smooth and full of explosive power.
These were all parts of a strong physique he had never possessed even in his prime.
Without a doubt, this was a miracle brought about by the Dragon blood modification, making him look like an adventurer who frequently exercised his body.
And those pitch-black Dragon scales, forged like fine steel, did not cover his entire body.
Each Dragon scale was like carefully designed armor, mainly dotting and distributed on key areas such as the outside of his forearms, his broad chest, his straight back, and his sturdy calves.
Nick stood up vigorously, reached for the robe placed nearby, and draped it over himself.
The once loose-fitting robe was now slightly stretched by his sturdy muscles, outlining a silhouette full of power.
It was only then that he suddenly noticed a majestic and grand giant Dragon shadow silently watching everything happening here.
"Dragon Lord! My great and noble Dragon Lord!"
Nick's reaction was very fast.
Before he could fully tidy his robe, he immediately jogged toward the direction of the Dragon shadow.
Before even reaching the front of the Dragon's massive body, his knees obediently knelt down, sliding several meters on the mirror-smooth metal floor, and finally knelt in the humblest posture before Garros's huge Dragon claws.
"Thank you for your mercy and the grace of rebirth!"
"It is you who granted me this brand-new and precious life!"
"I swear by the life and Soul I now possess! From this day forward, I, Nick, will become your hardest scale and your most loyal claw! I will execute all your will perfectly!"
He lowered his head deeply, almost pressing his forehead to the cold floor.
Although he had only undergone the first Dragon Scale Modification Ritual, just as all creatures transformed by a Dragon would develop a loyalty rooted in the depths of their Bloodline toward the transformer, he also felt a natural dependence and awe toward the Dragon before him, and this feeling would only deepen as the modification ritual continued.
"Rise, Nick."
Garros signaled the kneeling human to stand up, noticing the scales belonging to the Iron Dragon on his body.
Nick had inherited the traits of the Iron Dragon Bloodline, rather than the Red Dragon.
The Bloodline bias inherited through Dragonblood Transformation likely has a deep connection with the transformer's own personality, Garros thought to himself.
The Red-Iron Dragon asked: "How do you feel about the brand-new state you have obtained?"
Nick stood up obediently.
He slightly clenched his fists, feeling the abundant power contained within his knuckles.
"Excellent! Great and noble Dragon Lord!"
"I feel... I feel like I could tear a tiger or leopard apart with my bare hands!"
This kind of excitement, almost like a teenager's spirit, produced purely by the abundance of power, had long since vanished without a trace in Nick's past decades of decay.
Now, along with the rejuvenation and strengthening of his body, this long-lost vivid feeling re-emerged.
He did not reject this feeling; it was precisely what proved his rebirth.
Garros pondered for a brief two seconds and decided to satisfy the idea expressed by this newly promoted Dragonborn.
"Ludwig."
Green Dragon Ludwig nodded.
He used a summoning skill from his own path, and in an instant, a sturdy, muscular adult tiger appeared in the center of the area.
It had sharp claws and teeth, and its patterned fur stood on end, making it look difficult to deal with.
"You, Nick."
Garros said to the human: "Go and try to subdue this tiger with your bare hands."
The excited expression on Nick's face froze instantly.
He was just carried away by the new power and rejuvenated mindset, and couldn't help but talk big in the heat of the moment; how could he have imagined that Garros would take it so literally.
Looking at the tiger with its sharp claws and teeth, Nick's expression was clearly stiff.
"You seem to be in fear."
The Red-Iron Dragon said: "Remember your current identity and Bloodline. You are a Dragonborn born from bathing in Dragon grace. The one who should feel fear is the beast in front of you."
Hearing this, Nick took a few deep breaths.
His palms opened and closed repeatedly. As the feeling of power far exceeding the past came from his palms, his mind gradually settled, and his demeanor returned to being steady; and under this steadiness, there was also the toughness belonging to a Dragonborn.
Whoosh—!
The tiger in the field seemed to be provoked by Nick's posture, letting out a deafening roar as its strong hind legs suddenly kicked off the ground.
Its massive body, carrying a stench of blood, was like a yellow and black bolt of lightning.
It lunged fiercely toward the seemingly weak human!
Nick's pupils contracted slightly.
He Instinctively, I wanted to dodge backward..
But in the next second, he was stunned to find a startling change.
The tiger's pouncing movement, which should have been as fast as the wind, now appeared in his eyes like a slow-motion film.
He could capture every single hair standing up on the tiger's body with extreme clarity, see the sharp fangs in its wide-open bloody mouth, and even predict the trajectory of its swinging claws.
His reaction was faster than imagined, allowing him to respond with ease.
Bang! Nick raised his right leg almost instinctively.
At the critical moment when the tiger pounced in front of him and its claws were about to touch his body, his right leg was like a Dragon's tail flick, carrying a sharp whistling sound as it whipped against the tiger's ribs.
In the dull sound of impact.
The tiger's massive body was kicked flying through the air, crashing heavily onto the ground several meters away, letting out a painful roar.
Nick did not follow up, his eyes locked onto the tiger struggling to climb up.
A sense of pressure originating from the depths of his Bloodline naturally began to emanate from his body.
Although extremely faint, it was genuine Dragon Might.
The tiger let out a fearful whimper, its massive body involuntarily crawling on the ground, shivering, having lost even the courage to raise its head.
"Familiarize yourself with and master your transformed brand-new body as soon as possible."
Garros's voice sounded again.
"Recognize the changes that have occurred in you as soon as possible. This concerns your identity recognition and way of existence as a Dragonborn; it is very important to you."
For a veteran subordinate who had followed him for a long time and had made no small contributions, he didn't mind giving a few more pointers.
"As you command! My Lord, Nick will keep it in mind."
"Please rest assured!"
Nick straightened his body, facing Garros's direction, and responded with extreme solemnity and a serious attitude.
Garros's huge Dragon head nodded slightly, showing approval of his attitude.
"You can prepare to return to the South."
The Red-Iron Dragon issued a new command: "Remember the mission you carry now. Utilize the chaotic situation in the South to procure those alchemy technologies and industrial blueprints that were strictly controlled in times of peace for the tribe."
In times of war, danger is everywhere.
However, opportunities also follow like a shadow, born alongside great risks.
In this world, there is never a lack of desperate individuals or forces who dare to take risks for staggering interests.
Those Advanced technologies and products that were held tightly and strictly blocked by all parties during peaceful times are now at the best moment to break through the blockade and incorporate them into one's own pocket.
High-precision alchemy furnaces.
automated core components that support the operation of a massive industrial system.
Accompanying cutting-edge manufacturing processes. These are related to the future development of the Molten Iron Tribe.
Just like the strategic resource of black oil crystals, Garros hoped in his heart that one day the Molten Iron Tribe could establish a complete industrial chain and achieve total self-sufficiency, rather than being forever controlled by others.
To be sure, his current cooperation with Princess Lothern is in a honeymoon phase, and he can relatively stably obtain black oil crystals and some other controlled materials through her channels.
But the future situation is unpredictable; who can guarantee that this mutually beneficial relationship will remain stable forever?
Therefore, although he can rely on the Crystal Princess's line to obtain some materials, he must never give up on the continuous investment and development of the Gem Merchant Guild's channel.
Prepare with both hands, and plan for a rainy day.
Afterward, Nick, the head of the Gem Merchant Guild who had gained a new life and carried a heavy responsibility, first returned to the Ximu Territory for a brief rest and preparation; he would soon return to the South to execute his mission.
And Garros also prepared to return to the area where he usually stayed to continue his own training and tempering.