CHAPTER 419: CHAPTER 419: EPILOGUE (V)

"That’s it? That easy?" Raymond had expected to spend a great deal of time and effort searching for the Golden Lion armor and the Dragon Slayer’s spear. Yet to his surprise, the moment he stepped into the council hall, he saw them—half buried in ice and snow, but gleaming unmistakably—right in the center of the room.

He had imagined they would be hidden away in some secret location, requiring a long and arduous search. Never had he thought they would be so easy to find.

"Could it be a fake?" Raymond muttered suspiciously. He hesitated for a moment, then approached. Taking out a crystal-like object from his belt, he placed it atop the armor. Instantly, the crystal lit up with a dazzling white glow, brilliant and intense.

"It’s real." Seeing the reaction of the crystal, Raymond couldn’t help but marvel.

According to records, although the Golden Lion armor and the Dragon Slayer’s spear were not forged from Valyrian steel like the Banished Knight’s set and greatsword, the metals used were still of magical origin—exceptionally pure magical metals, unmatched even in later eras of craftsmanship.

It wasn’t that later metallurgists were incapable of refining high-purity magical metal. Rather, such purity was unnecessary for normal users, and excessively pure metals often caused unpredictable side effects. Only the God Emperor Lynd Tarran could wield such materials safely.

The crystal in Raymond’s hand was a testing device used by Black Cave alchemists to measure the purity of magical metals. Any magical metal would trigger a light reaction, with the intensity of the glow corresponding to the metal’s purity. The intensity displayed just now clearly confirmed the extraordinary quality of the armor and spear before him.

Satisfied that he had indeed found the Golden Lion set once owned by the God Emperor, Raymond eagerly set about freeing it. He drew an ice chisel and a brush from his belt, preparing to clear the packed ice and snow from the lower half of the armor.

But before he could begin, he heard footsteps crunching in the snow behind him. His entire body froze. A chilling surge of primal danger swept over him, raising the hairs on the back of his neck. He dared not move. Every instinct told him that the slightest wrong action would trigger a lethal strike from whatever lurked behind him.

This intense sense of danger triggered the training forged into him during the Divine Emperor’s trial. His mind shed all fear and emotion, locking into a state of absolute clarity. In that brief moment, he devised a plan.

Before the unseen attacker could make a move, Raymond tightened his grip on the chisel and brush, then hurled them backward with all his strength. Simultaneously, he executed a rapid roll, positioning himself behind the Golden Lion armor to use it as a shield against the first wave of assault. In one smooth motion, he drew the Banished Knight’s greatsword from his waist, falling naturally into his strongest offensive and defensive stance.

Yet, to his astonishment, no attack came. He saw no enemy. It was as if the threat had been nothing but a trick of his mind.

"Was it just my imagination?" Raymond thought, beginning to relax slightly. He let his eyes sweep the snow-covered ground—and then froze again, his muscles tensing.

"No. It wasn’t a mistake!"

His heart pounded as he spotted something that hadn’t been there before: several huge footprints in the snow where he had just walked. They were beast prints, massive and alien, confirming that some kind of creature had been stalking him.

Just as Raymond refocused, searching for the source of danger, he suddenly felt a rush of hot breath against the right side of his face. It swept across his cheek, warm and rank, carrying with it the unmistakable stench of blood and raw meat.

"When did it get behind me?" The question flashed through Raymond’s mind, and at that moment, his body went completely rigid. He could feel it clearly—whatever was behind him was extremely close, so close that the hot breath from its nostrils brushed against the back of his neck with every exhale.

"It’s over!" In that instant, Raymond couldn’t think of any way to save himself. Although he had the Storm Dragon Rune, it would take too long to summon its power, and the danger behind him wouldn’t give him that much time.

Just as despair threatened to overwhelm him, the crunching sound of footsteps on snow rang out again, and the hot breath on his neck began to fade. The presence behind him seemed to be moving away.

The intense curiosity in his heart pushed him to turn and glance over his shoulder—and the moment he did, he saw the mysterious presence that had brought him such mortal danger step out from beside him, locking eyes with him.

"Seven Gods’ Holy Beast, Glory!" The name instantly popped into Raymond’s mind and slipped from his lips.

It was well known that among the divine beasts tamed by the God Emperor Lynd Tarran, the three great dragons were the most famous—such as Cannibal, the Wrath of the Sea; the lava dragon Neltharion from the Seventh Layer of Hell; and the sacred dragon Deltos. But aside from these dragons, the Seven Gods’ Holy Beast, Glory, had also been one of Lynd’s most renowned companions. Statues of the God Emperor in the Temple of Magic, the Temple of Storms, the Temple of Natural Disasters, and the Sept of the Seven all included the figure of Glory. To highlight its distinct appearance, almost all sculptures of Glory were carved from black-and-white marble.

That was why Raymond instantly recognized the enormous shadowcat before him as the Holy Beast Glory. Its fur was black and white—something no other shadowcat possessed.

Besides its unique fur, its size was another giveaway. Glory was far larger than a normal shadowcat. Even standing on all fours, its shoulder height was much higher than Raymond’s own, and it had to lower its head to meet him at eye level.

At the sound of Raymond’s voice, the shadowcat paused for a moment. A human-like flicker of nostalgia passed through its eyes before it stepped out from behind Raymond and crouched in front of the Golden Lion Armor and Dragon-Slaying Spear.

Raymond realized that the reason Glory hadn’t attacked him earlier was entirely because of the Banished Knight armor and great sword he wore. He immediately removed his helmet, revealing his face, bowed respectfully before the beast, and introduced himself.

"Lord Glory," he said, "I am Augustus Tarran VII, son of the Regalus and descendant of the Divine Emperor Lynd Tarran I."

While introducing himself, Raymond couldn’t help but look at Glory and compare it to his own Copper Fire. Although Copper Fire was a giant dragon and much larger in size, Raymond couldn’t shake the feeling that if the two ever fought, Glory would most likely emerge the victor.

Back then, the Divine Emperor Lynd Tarran had sent Glory and the Child of the Forest to the continent of Sothoryos, but Glory, unable to endure the harsh environment there, had returned to Westeros, where it had lived ever since.

A long time ago, people had assumed Glory was dead. After all, the longest recorded lifespan of a shadowcat was just over thirty years, and even as a sacred beast, it was thought impossible for Glory to live beyond that limit.

And yet, everyone had been wrong. Three hundred years later, Glory was not only alive but thriving. Legend had it that Glory possessed the regenerative power granted by the Seven Gods, and now it seemed that legend might be true—perhaps it was that very power that had given Glory a lifespan comparable to a dragon’s.

Facing Raymond’s self-introduction, Glory showed no reaction. It simply crouched in front of the Golden Lion Armor, as if performing some solemn ritual. After a long time, it stood up again and began to walk out of the hall.

"Lord Glory," Raymond couldn’t help but call out, "I hope you will permit me to take back this set of golden lion armor and dragon-slaying spear that belonged to His Majesty, the Divine Emperor Lynd I..."

Before he could finish, Glory instantly disappeared from his sight. When he spotted it again, Glory was already beside him, jaws open toward his neck, as if daring him to speak another word so it could snap his neck.

Raymond froze in terror, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

But once again, Glory did not bite him. It moved its mouth away from his neck, walked past him, and cast him a look of open disdain.

At that moment, Raymond couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger. He had never imagined that one day he would be despised by a mere beast—even one bearing the title of a sacred beast and carrying the blessings of the Seven Gods.

After all, since his birth, Raymond had been hailed as the royal descendant closest to the Divine Emperor Lynd I. He had made that his motto, and the abilities he had displayed throughout his life had never fallen short of that title.

At first, after taming Copperfire, Raymond had even thought that if he had been born three hundred years earlier, he might have become a legendary figure like the God Emperor Lynd I and founded a dynasty of his own.

However, the appearance of Glory shattered all his pride. He realized that the abilities he had been so proud of were utterly fragile in the face of Glory. Glory could have easily killed him, and even with a giant dragon by his side, he posed no threat to it at all.

It had to be understood—Glory was merely considered a companion, a pet of the God Emperor Lynd I. Yet he, who had thought himself comparable to the Divine Emperor, couldn’t even overcome a pet. This realization dealt a heavy blow to his confidence, leaving him standing motionless for a long time in the cold, bone-chilling halls of Summerhall Castle.

It wasn’t until he heard a series of roars from Copperfire that he snapped out of his daze. Glancing at the golden lion armor and spear, he chose not to continue digging. Instead, he walked out of the council hall toward the Dragon’s Nest Platform.

At that moment, he no longer intended to unearth the golden lion armor and spear, nor to don them and impersonate the Divine Emperor Lynd I in an attempt to tame the lava dragon. His earlier vulnerability before Glory had made him realize he was not as strong as he believed. It also made him recognize that he had been lost in the chorus of praise, claiming to rival the Divine Emperor while needing the Divine Emperor’s relics just to tame a dragon—and yet, he couldn’t even best the Divine Emperor’s pet.

The last shred of pride left in his heart would not allow him to go on as he had planned. He decided to return to the capital first, then travel to the Black Cave to undergo the secret trial. Only after mastering the power of three dragon runes would he rely on his own strength to tame the lava dragon Neltharion and reclaim the dignity that Glory had just torn away.

Mounting Copperfire again, Raymond put his helmet back on. It was then that he noticed Glory standing atop the highest tower of the castle, gazing up into the sky.

The sight drew Raymond’s attention, and he looked in the same direction.

What he saw stunned him. Above the clouds, an enormous dragon shadow loomed—larger than any he had ever seen. The vast body easily cast a shadow over the entire Town of Redemption below. And with its appearance, a fierce blizzard swept across the sky, filling the world with swirling snow and ice.

"Damn it! Ice Dragon! It’s an Ice Dragon!" Feeling the immediate threat, Raymond reacted at once, ordering Copperfire to ascend and flee at full speed.

In truth, Copperfire didn’t need the command. It had already sensed the danger. Spreading its wings wide, it leapt from the Dragon’s Nest Platform, gliding briefly before flapping its wings powerfully and shooting forward, skimming low over the Town of Redemption.

As it flew, it drew upon its lava dragon heritage—its wing veins pulsing with molten light and heat. This heat vibrated outward with each wingbeat, creating a thrust that further accelerated its flight.

In the blink of an eye, Copperfire soared past the Town of Redemption and into the rugged Red Mountains, racing toward Miracle Harbor.

Meanwhile, the massive shadow above the clouds began to descend, revealing its true form.

Just as Raymond had feared, it was indeed an Ice Dragon—and it was even larger than the Ice Dragon that had been created by the Queen of the White Walkers.

Despite its colossal size, its speed was terrifying. With each beat of its wings, the blizzard surged around it, propelling its massive body forward at astonishing speed.

In no time, the Ice Dragon was directly overhead. Its enormous head lowered, and its gaping jaws opened wide, lunging straight at Copperfire.