Melina blinked, seemed to think of something, turned her head, and looked at the headless dragon corpse beside her. The blood flowing from Smarag had dyed most of the lake red, and the glintstone covering its vital areas had long since shattered and scattered.
Southwest of the academy, the mirror-like lake had been dyed red, and a headless dragon corpse lay by the shore, its limbs twitching with reflex.
Melina had been traveling with Throne for a long time and thought nothing could shock her anymore, but this time, she stared blankly, feeling somewhat overwhelmed.
Crystalline stones, like outer armor, grew from Throne's skin and then vanished, only to reappear on the other side. At first, she thought Throne was mutating and wanted to perform emergency aid, but she soon realized this guy was actually experimenting!
"It can be dispelled, avoiding the risk of becoming a monster. It would be inconvenient to be stuck with a hard shell all the time."
"The growth and dispelling time are about five seconds. It cannot be used in emergencies and requires preparation."
"The growth consumes a lot of focus, but there is almost no consumption after the growth is complete."
"The coverage area is about twenty percent. Whether it can be increased further requires killing a few more Glintstone Dragons for reference."
Throne rubbed his chin, entering a sage mode, thinking rigorously about every inch of change in his body. As for defense...
"Melina."
"Hmm?" The girl regained her senses.
"Come over and slash me with your sword."
This request was unexpected, but Melina wasn't stupid. Knowing what he wanted to do, she walked over with her short sword.
"How much strength should I use?"
"Increase it from thirty percent to full power. Use an incantation first, then this axe."
Throne said very rigorously, his pupils turning golden again, condensing a sheet of glintstone crystal armor on his back. Melina estimated it was about three inches thick. As an honest person, she didn't overthink it and slashed down with thirty percent force.
The clanging sounds echoed across the lake, continuing until the light dimmed. Melina leaned on the great axe, panting heavily, while Throne looked at his bloodied back. When Melina used eighty percent of her strength, he felt he couldn't hold it anymore and hurriedly called to stop. As a result, she had formed a cognitive habit and slashed down directly, causing blood to spray on the spot.
"Sorry, my hand was too fast just now."
"Uh, remember to operate safely when experimenting. Sometimes that is more important than the result."
Throne didn't blame her. He waved his hand weakly, looking listless, but excitement surged in his eyes. The defense was very strong, no less than a steel tower shield.
If paired with a full set of outer armor, it would finally make up for a major concern of his. Throne had always had speed, technique, and burst power, but he lacked defense.
At his current level, ordinary knight armor could no longer block enemy attacks, let alone the fact that he often fought in cloth clothes to hide his identity.
'The joints cannot be covered; the added weight would affect agility, but the gains outweigh the costs.'
Throne put on the Carian armor unhurriedly, took a deep breath, his excitement reaching its peak as he looked at the headless dragon corpse nearby.
"And, I have seen a new path!"
It was not a complete superposition of Dragon Heart; it was different from martial arts and magic. It was a brand-new skill tree, which would bring many changes and make him even stronger.
Ancient Dragon red lightning, freezing mist, or the breath of rot? Throne grinned and looked at Melina, who was hesitating to speak: "My gold-medal wingman, ask whatever you want."
What exactly made a gold-medal wingman? The girl caught the compliment buried in his words. Her blank stare flickered to life.
"This isn't Dragon Communion."
True Dragon Communion in The Lands Between followed strict rites—a specific altar, a Dragon Heart offered, flesh twisting into draconic forms with each use. Deeper communion meant eventual madness, the body warping into a frenzied Magma Wyrm.
Yet Throne stood unchanged. As the gold faded from his pupils, she detected no corruption, no trace of that savage power gnawing at him.
"A mutated version," he said. "Relax, I won't sprout a dragon head and roast you alive."
"How?"
"How should I know?" Throne scratched his chin. The Dragon Heart seemed like a foundation—something to build upon by stealing traits from other dragons. "Maybe dragons just like me."
Melina's lips pursed. "Fine. Keep your secrets."
She let it drop. This man had swallowed a Great Rune whole; dragon power was hardly worth fretting over.
"Raya Lucaria next?"
Throne tossed her a curved sword instead of answering. He raised two spirit-calling rings, light glinting off their surfaces.
"Patience. Good materials shouldn't go to waste. We peel it first."
......
Raya Lucaria Academy
"Smarag has fallen."
Leon's voice rumbled through the academic discussion chamber. Built like a bear, the Haima Classroom director loomed over Oritis with the bad news.
Oritis kept his gaze on the window. "I saw the signs last night. Inevitable."
Beyond the glass stretched Liurnia's lakes, half-visible above a sheer cliff. The azure barrier divided water from sky—a view Oritis usually found soothing. Not today.
"We betrayed Smarag," Leon growled. "Should've let it inside. At least it could've fought."
As military overseer, watching allies die needlessly rankled him.
Oritis turned, icy calm. "The academy can't accommodate its wings. And you know why it became a Glintstone Dragon."
The Mage Eater. That fragile alliance had always been doomed.
Leon exhaled sharply through his nose. The noose of Caria tightened daily. With nothing left to bind the Glintstone Dragon's loyalty, betrayal was inevitable.
"Don't mourn yet. Its death serves a purpose." Oritis adjusted his robes. "I've sent word to the Altus Plateau."
"The Altus—? You don't mean—"
"Precisely. Smarag was no minor player. An Ancient Dragon will come investigating soon."
A thin smile crept into Oritis's voice. He'd never planned to rot behind these walls. Without reinforcements, a siege meant slow death.
Especially now. The Carian Knights had mastered Thopss's Barrier. Their strength grew while the academy's defenses—
Leon's fists unclenched slightly. He tallied their assets: battlemages, puppet soldiers, the fluid puppets churned out by the workshops. On paper, they could hold the labyrinthine halls indefinitely.
But paper burned.
"They moved too fast. The Cuckoos fell in a single day." Leon's voice dropped. "Caria's stronger than we thought."
The Cuckoos' obliteration had sent shockwaves through every remaining defender.
The academy's perimeter was clear. Only the high walls and the barrier stood between them and the enemy. Fear crept into the mages. Some were already whispering about "clearing the monarch's side."
They hadn't done evil, they argued—they'd been deceived.
"This is a problem," Leon muttered.
Caria's tactics weren't just physical. She played psychological games too.
"'Only punish the chief culprit,'" Leon scoffed, slamming his fist into the wall. Cracks spiderwebbed across the bricks. "That's us. Me, you, maybe Aila."
Oritis's expression darkened. Chelona, the other magic professor, had ties to Caria.
"That's the hidden danger," Leon said, his voice low. Even with all their preparations, he didn't feel safe.
"The interior's unstable. The barrier has a loophole. We might not hold out until reinforcements arrive."
Both knew the flaw in the barrier—the crystal cave at the academy's base. The enemy could sneak in there. Defending it was a nightmare. No mage would volunteer; it was suicide.
"The army can't get through there," Oritis said. "Even if individual strongmen come, they can't sneak in from the spire. I've set up two layers of early warning barriers."
He glanced at the academy's highest tower, its spire piercing the sky. Once used for stargazing, it had been abandoned since the starry sky closed. The height difference was over a hundred meters. Unless the enemy could fly, how would they get in?
Leon wasn't convinced. "This 'individual strongman'—how strong are we talking?"
Oritis hesitated. "I heard a new Carian Knight has emerged. Their strength is… unfathomable."
"No matter. I'm prepared." Leon snorted. "Those Tarnished? Forgive me, they're not qualified."
He paused, then sighed. "Fine. We need melee powerhouses, at least for cover."
Oritis raised his voice. "Come in, my lords."
The door creaked open. Two figures entered, draped in ancient robes, their faces shadowed under wide brims.
"'Festering Fingerprint' Alperich? 'Recusant Sorcerer' Vilhelm?"
Leon's eyebrows shot up. These Tarnished heroes weren't weak, but with the enemy's divine skills against mages, he'd hoped for someone like the Knight of the Bloody Finger or Vargram the Raging Wolf.
"Just these two? I'm afraid it's not enough—"
He stopped. Heavy footsteps echoed in the corridor. A shadow over two meters tall loomed closer.
Oritis straightened, his tone deferential. "Welcome, Lord Premia."
Leon's eyes widened. Dark red armor shaped like a tree. Spears like roots. A mountain of oppressive force.
"Let me introduce," Oritis said, extending a hand. "This is the legendary hero, the powerhouse who once walked across the entire Lands Between—"
"The Crucible Knight."
......
The small boat drifted through the darkness, nearing the shore. Raya Lucaria loomed ahead, its massive form growing larger, more imposing. It felt like staring into the jaws of an ancient beast.
Throne didn't know yet—the magic academy had struck a deal, trading useless things for immense gains.
He was just very happy that the furiously impotent Smarag had helped him, tearing a gap in the original puppet soldier blockade line. The academy was built on a cliff. Looking up, there was a faint layer of light curtain.
Melina was exhausted last night and had to release several Golden Order Incantations to recover.
"What should we do? The rock wall is at least a hundred meters high, and this barrier is very powerful. I may not be able to pass through."
"Don't worry, don't worry. Bring the boat over first." Throne smiled and jumped onto the shore first.
It was very narrow here, right under the cliff. Apparently, the magic barrier could not wrap this foundation. The lake water tapped gently against the shore.
Throne walked along the rock wall and really saw a cave in front. The entrance was surrounded by white mist, and there was a small imp statue at the door, clearly some kind of seal.
"This is it. There is an elevator inside that leads directly to the top of the academy. There is no barrier coverage there."
"It's that simple??" Melina looked dull, as if asking if the person who made the barrier was a fool, leaving such an obvious loophole.
"Don't look at me with that retarded expression. This is the Crystal Cave. Mages who make mistakes will be exiled here to labor. The elevator at the innermost side is top secret; no one knows."
"But you know."
Throne rubbed his nose. He was almost sentenced back then, and he knew this intelligence thanks to the 'Prophet'.
"This place is not a good place to sneak in. It's easy to be detected, not to mention that no one can get in at that height."
Throne walked to the entrance and turned back with a smile: "But this cannot stop us!"
Not knowing Gravity Magic is equivalent to jumping off a building, and warning magic cannot stop Melina. This is indeed the best combination. As for the seal at the door, it is also very simple.
Throne touched the red spirit-calling ring and took out two strange things. Their shape was like a short sword, the whole thing looked like it was cast from rock, exuding strange energy.
"Stonesword Key? Where did you get it?" Melina blurted out. This thing is a key to open many secret realms. It will self-destruct after one use, which is undoubtedly quite precious.
"I am not an ordinary Tarnished. What treasure can't I get?" Throne smiled and inserted the Stonesword Key into the statue's recess. "Godrick gave it to me. He looted a lot of good things from Leyndell before running away."
When the two keys worked at the same time, a strange energy radiated to the surroundings, and the fog gate seal that made people feel extremely headache was immediately lifted. Throne sneaked a look inside, confirmed that no one was bored enough to guard the door, and let Melina spirit-call, sneaking inside quietly.
Stepping into the Crystal Cave, the field of vision was dim. Those glintstones were dim and lusterless, obviously needing processing to be effective.
Throne held his breath, cast an 'Unseen Form' on himself, jumped directly to the cave roof, and moved forward by gripping the rocks with his arm strength. There was a lot of living waste in the cave.
It could be seen that the mages' retreat here was very hasty, and many magic traps could still be seen on the ground. They were buried in the corners, and one would step on them if not careful.
So damn insidious. Throne stopped slightly. It turned out that the strength of power was not the key to successful sneaking.
This required the knowledge of top scouts, and ordinary Carian Knights clearly would not have it.
"These traps all have early warning functions. As long as they are touched, the caster will know." Melina returned to Throne and was observing silently.
"And then, along with the top of the tower, we will be blasted into slag by dozens of high-level spells."
Throne sneered and advanced. The cavern yawned before him, vast and hollow. Stone hammers littered the ground like discarded bones. White mist coiled thick in the air, swallowing visibility whole.
He narrowed his eyes, listening—no breath, no heartbeat. Only then did he unclench his fist, releasing a single wisp of starlight.
The slowly rising light group illuminated the entire empty cavern. Throne surveyed from above, scanning the shadows once more. Nothing moved. No ambush waited.
His shoulders loosened as he exhaled.