Chapter Seventy-Nine: Dragon Rider

Dragon Knight?

He imagined a fierce, colossal dragon, wings unfurled, spewing brilliant flames from its maw, himself astride its back, wielding a battle axe, majestic as a god descending from the heavens...

Shaya couldn’t help but drool, wiping his mouth vigorously. “Dragon Knight… Can I become a Dragon Knight? Where’s the dragon… Wait, are you suggesting I ride you?”

That last remark touched upon the dragon’s taboo! One mustn’t forget, before him stood a female dragon, and from Shaya’s crude mouth, the word “ride” carried a lewd undertone.

Dora’s fury ignited; Shaya heard an enraged dragon’s roar deep within his mind. His whole body trembled as an overwhelming dragon’s might enveloped him, its oppressive force stifling his breath.

“Despicable human, do you dare insult me?!”

The dragon’s wrath transformed her presence; Shaya felt his heart nearly stop, his chest tight and uncomfortable. He pounded his chest, gasping for air, then shouted, “What are you raving about?! You’re the one who mentioned Dragon Knights! Without a dragon to ride, what’s a knight? And right now, aren’t you the only dragon before me?!”

Dora fell silent for a while; only then did Shaya sense the oppressive force ease, his chest relaxing, breath returning, though anxiety lingered—this creature, though reduced to a mere soul, still wielded such formidable dragon’s might when angered.

Dora’s aura continued to weaken, her voice betraying fatigue, evidently strained by the sudden outburst. “Enough. No more nonsense. Listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”

Dora seethed with sorrow and indignation—how could her noble status be reduced to the hands of such a vulgar, base, and depraved human? If her true form remained, she would have crushed him with a single claw!

“Listen well. Dragon Knights, such exceptional beings, have long vanished from the continent. Hmph, humans have become greedy and vile—how could you possibly be worthy to stand alongside us dragons?”

“Then you—”

“Silence! I said, no more nonsense. Listen to the end! Don’t you want to learn combat techniques?”

Shaya closed his mouth, thinking: Hmph, once I’ve emptied out everything from your mind, I’ll deal with you properly.

“Dragon Knights have disappeared; our dragon race no longer deigns to cooperate with humans. But, about ten thousand years ago, Dragon Knights were nearly the most powerful warriors on the continent. In ancient legend, the primeval continent endured a cataclysm threatening the extinction of all races. That dark era lasted for centuries, forcing every race to unite against a formidable enemy—the Undead of the Netherworld, a powerful dark race we called the Demons. The Undead were nearly immortal warriors, led by the Demon God Emperor, who broke through the barriers of the Netherworld and invaded this world...

To resist the mighty Undead, ten thousand years ago, a select group of brave and powerful human warriors was chosen. Each of these warriors possessed immense strength and pure, noble souls. Only these truly exalted individuals were recognized by the dragon race; some dragons willingly entered into soul-sharing contracts with these humans, becoming their mounts and forming the formidable Dragon Knights, who battled the Undead on the field.”

Dragon Knights became the strongest warriors in the world, their power founded on three pillars.

First, in battle, elite human warriors and powerful dragons fought side by side, coordinating seamlessly—a given.

Second, each warrior entered a soul-sharing contract with their dragon mount, sharing vitality, magic, and soul power in combat! This allowed knights to wield dragon-like strength, even unleashing dragon spell magic, regardless of their previous magical ability. When attacked, their bodies also inherited the dragon’s formidable defenses and magical resistance...

(Strength like a dragon, magic like a dragon, defense like a dragon… Isn’t that the same as a humanoid dragon?) Shaya’s heart thumped wildly.

“…Even when wounded, the soul contract enabled some of the damage to transfer to the dragon. Dragons possess far greater vitality than humans, so this effectively multiplied the knight’s life force several times over. Though not quite immortal like the Undead, they were not far off.”

Shaya began salivating again, itching to ask: Is there any way to sign that soul-sharing contract now?

But remembering the dragon’s furious reaction earlier, he prudently kept his mouth shut and buried the thought.

“…As for the third point, it’s the Dragon Knight’s combat technique! Riding a dragon in battle differs greatly from horseback or any other mount. To maximize the synergy between knight and dragon, the continent’s greatest warriors developed a new martial art, harnessing the full potential of warriors with dragon attributes. This technique was called ‘%$#@&(*’…”

“What did you say? What was it called?”

Dora repeated in Shaya’s mind: “%$#@&(*.”

A string of ancient, melodious notes.

Shaya protested, “What nonsense is that, dragon tongue? How does it translate into human language?”

“…I don’t know, because I don’t understand this particular dragon language either,” Dora’s tone faltered.

“How is that possible?” Shaya fumed. “How can you not understand dragon tongue?”

Dora sounded displeased, “You’re human—do you understand Odin language? Or the language of the Lantis Kingdom across the sea?”

“…Uh, fair point.” Shaya paused.

“This phrase belongs to the oldest dragon tongue, from ten thousand years ago, which differs greatly from the modern dialect. Legend says it was spoken by the Dragon God, and only the chieftains of each clan could barely comprehend a bit.”

Shaya smacked his lips, tilting his head in thought. “So… about that soul-sharing contract, can you tell me more?”

“Hmph! Greedy fool, don’t get your hopes up. After the war ended and the Undead were defeated, humans became increasingly corrupt and depraved. The dragon race severed ties completely, and today no human is worthy of having a dragon as their mount.”

“Oh, come on, just tell me… Even a story needs finishing.”

“…I told you, you have absolutely no chance of becoming a Dragon Knight. To be one, you must not only be powerful but possess a pure, noble heart! You, greedy, base, and vile, couldn’t hope for it even after a hundred lifetimes!”

“Hey! Telling the story is fine, but insulting people is uncalled for.”

Dora took a deep breath and finally sneered, “There’s one more crucial condition: those who became Dragon Knights were the strongest among humans, known as ‘heroes.’ The soul-sharing contract was bestowed by the supreme Dragon God, and there was only one such contract! From then on, only descendants of ancient human heroes could inherit that contract’s mark and become Dragon Knights. The Dragon God established this because the war lasted centuries; though Dragon Knights were powerful, human lifespans were short, and even the strongest lived just over a hundred years. Many fell in battle. If a Dragon Knight died but his dragon survived, the knight’s offspring could inherit the title, becoming the new master and rider.

Legend says only one such contract existed, and none ever followed. In the final battle of that ancient war, nearly all Dragon Knights perished, and the bloodlines of ancient human heroes were extinguished. So… without descendants of those heroes, no one can become a Dragon Knight now.”

Descendants of ancient human heroes?

Shaya sighed, deeply disappointed.

“In the ten thousand years since, your kind has endured countless wars. Greed, slaughter, and internal strife are ingrained in your nature. You build civilizations only to destroy them again and again. Now, most ancient legacies are extinct; even the combat techniques of Dragon Knights are lost, surviving only within the dragon race. I am an earth dragon, and our clan once had Dragon Knights, so we preserved some techniques. I can teach you what I know, but…”

“Another ‘but’? What condition now?”

Dora’s voice hesitated. “But… it’s complicated to learn. Ancient human heroes possessed extraordinary strength, especially in their mastery of battle energy, reaching the pinnacle. These techniques essentially fuse the human warrior’s battle energy with dragon power. Imagine the immense strain on the body from such fusion; if pushed too far, the flesh can’t withstand it and collapses… Ancient Dragon Knights could share vitality and damage with their dragon mounts, distributing the burden. But you…”

Shaya snorted, “Are you worried I’ll train myself to death?”

“Hmph. If you die, who will return me to the Sacred Tomb?” Dora finally sighed. “But, without the dragon’s blessing, your own power is limited. Still, given your physical toughness, you should be able to bear the strain.”