Kaelira had just stepped forward to investigate when—

Ethan suddenly reached out and grabbed her forearm.

In that instant, power surged between them like a tide breaking loose.

"Your Majesty," he said, his voice low and steady, carrying a weight it had never held before.

"I didn't expect you'd share such immense power with me. From this moment on, we're on the same side."

Kaelira froze.

She'd assumed that once Ethan got what he wanted, he'd vanish without a backward glance.

But his first words weren't about freedom or power—they were about allegiance.

We're on the same side.

Her heart gave a sharp thump. Her breath caught, just for a second.

Then, for the first time, she smiled—truly smiled.

"Good," she said softly.

She raised her hand and placed it firmly on his shoulder, the gesture solemn, almost ceremonial.

"From this moment forward, you are the First Champion of Sol'Rakka. My First Warrior."

The hall erupted.

Gasps and murmurs burst like sparks across the chamber. The title wasn't just an honor—it was unprecedented. No outsider had ever been granted it.

But Ethan—

He'd slain the great serpent, crushed the enemy warlord, saved the Sol'Rakka army from annihilation…

No one could say he hadn't earned it.

The crowd was still reeling from the announcement when—

BOOM—!!

A deafening explosion rocked the palace.

Dust rained from the vaulted ceiling. A soldier in iron armor stumbled into the hall, barely upright before collapsing to his knees with a metallic thud.

"Y-Your Majesty!" he gasped. "The east gate—it's been breached!"

"What?!"

Kaelira shot to her feet.

The soldier was panting hard, hands trembling.

"Something huge… came through. We don't know what it is—but it's powerful. Our forces at the gate can't hold it back—"

Ethan frowned.

—What's the point of all this stammering? Just say "we're under attack" and be done with it.

But Kaelira and the generals didn't interrupt. They listened to every word, faces grim, not a flicker of impatience.

Clearly, in Sol'Rakka, city defense was no joke—and every report, no matter how panicked, was treated with care.

"Move out," Kaelira commanded, her voice sharp as a blade.

Power flared from her, rattling the very stones of the hall.

"All forces—follow me. We meet the enemy outside the walls!"

She shot forward in a streak of golden light, vanishing through the palace doors. The Sol'Rakka generals surged after her, weapons drawn, eyes blazing.

As Ethan followed Kaelira and the palace guard up onto the streets, he finally understood—

Why that soldier had been too shaken to speak clearly.

At the shattered eastern gate, a monstrous creature loomed.

Half-buried in the earth, it still towered like a spire. Its serpentine body coiled with bone spurs and glowing sigils—markings only seen on dragonkin.

Its scales gleamed like molten metal, each one pulsing with raw, volatile energy, as if the beast could tear the city apart with a single breath.

It roared, a sound that cracked windows and rattled bones.

But…

It was trying—deliberately—to avoid the civilians on the street.

Ethan's brow twitched.

—That much power, but no malice?

Kaelira, meanwhile, remained perfectly calm.

She rose into the air, graceful as moonlight, and extended her hand. A soft pink glow shimmered from her palm, drifting down to touch the creature's forehead.

A hum filled the air.

The beast's massive form began to shrink. Bone spurs folded in, dragon horns receded, glowing sigils dimmed. In seconds, it had become a small serpent, no longer than an arm, floating gently in midair.

Silence fell over the street.

Kaelira exhaled, her expression unreadable.

"Sol'Rakka is facing more threats than ever," she murmured.

The guards around her all stiffened, faces darkening.

She continued, voice low and steady.

"The Corroth Brood beneath the surface… they've begun to lose control. Soon, every serpentine species living underground will be corrupted by Vaedoroth's influence."

Ethan felt a chill crawl up his spine.

So it wasn't just one creature—it was an entire subterranean race going mad.

And judging by the soldiers' reactions, this wasn't the first time.

Once-docile serpents were now bursting from the ground with increasing frequency, driven by madness, tearing through the city with unnatural strength.

Kaelira's tone grew heavier. "Those too far gone—we have no choice but to kill. The ones we can still save, we try to restore… but their numbers keep growing. This isn't sustainable."

Ethan was quiet for a moment, then stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, I have an idea."

His voice was firm, eyes locked on hers.

"If you let me enter Sol'Rakka's Dungeon—track Vaedoroth to his lair and destroy the source—could that end this for good?"

Kaelira's eyes widened.

Then, slowly, she shook her head.

"No."

Her voice, for once, carried a thread of fear.

"We've sent troops in before. Entire battalions. None made it far. Most were driven back… others were corrupted, even transformed."

She turned her gaze toward the dark, endless dunes beyond the city walls. For the first time, her voice faltered.

"That power… it's not something mortals can endure."

The guards fell silent.

The danger was overwhelming.

And they had no answer.

…

Ethan didn't wait for her to say no again.

He finished his thought, then unleashed the power within him. Light exploded from his body as he shot forward, a blazing streak diving straight into the gaping maw of Sol'Rakka's Dungeon.

"Wait—! You actually went in?!" Kaelira's eyes flew wide in alarm.

She knew too well what lay beneath.

Ethan was strong, yes—but the force down there… even she didn't dare linger long.

Before the words had fully left her lips, she raised her hand and summoned a sphere of soft pink energy.

Threads of light unfurled around her, weaving into a tight, shimmering barrier.

She clenched her jaw—and leapt in after him.

…

He didn't know how long he'd been falling.

Thud.

Ethan hit the ground hard, knees bending to absorb the impact. He grimaced.

The air here was thick, like swamp mud laced with venom. Every breath burned.

A cold, invasive energy was already clawing its way into his body, trying to worm into his mind.

If not for the purity and sheer force of the Dragon God's power within him…

He'd already be lost—just another twisted monster in the dark.

He drew a deep breath, forcing his energy to stabilize.

A low hum vibrated through the air as a dense barrier of power formed around him, sealing out the corruption.

"Alright," he muttered. "Find the core. Fast."

He surged forward, a streak of light cutting through the gloom.

He'd barely taken a few steps when—

Whoosh—

Something lunged from the black mist.

It looked like a fox—at first glance.

But its skin was etched with warped runes, its eyes a sickly violet, like they'd been soaked in blood. The power spilling from its mouth twisted the air itself, warping space like torn fabric.

...