NOVEL NEXT Chapter 202: Battlefield
"AAAAHHH!!" he screamed, bolting upright. "WHAT IN THE SEVEN HELLS WAS THAT?!"
"Ah," Fluffy said innocently, stepping forward. "My leg slipped when you fainted. Pure accident."
Blackie blinked. "Are you injured anywhere?"
Damien's eyes twinkled. "Are you that weak?"
Zhenlong's face twisted into righteous indignation. "What?! WHO IS WEAK? I AM STRONG! STRONGER THAN ALL OF YOU COMBINED!"
"Then pay up, please," the forge master chimed in cheerfully, holding the still-glowing scroll between two fingers. "No discount for drama."
Damien grinned.
Rage Monkey grinned.
Fluffy, of course, grinned so hard his eyes were twinkling.
Zhenlong's mouth twitched violently. His hand trembled as he reached into his interdimensional pouch. He rummaged through his hoard of treasures—sighing, muttering, fuming—before finally pulling out a small, dark crystal that pulsed with tremendous energy.
"This should cover everything," he muttered, eyes full of anguished reluctance.
The forge master's eyes lit up. "Ah! A supreme-grade darkness energy crystal! The quality… pure, dense, and uncut. Magnificent. Yes, this is worth nearly the entire purchase. I'll take it gladly!"
Zhenlong stared at the crystal for a moment longer like a man giving away his child, and then dropped it into the forge master's hand with the solemnity of a funeral.
As the transaction completed, the forge master beamed and bowed deeply. "It has been an honor. Please, visit again soon."
Zhenlong turned away, dead inside, clutching his chest. "My soul… my beautiful crystal…"
Blackie offered him a polite nod. "Thank you, Zhenlong."
He looked at her with watery eyes, his pride in tatters and his fortune lighter by a dragon's ransom.
"I… I would do it all again… for you," he whispered heroically, then stumbled out of the forge like a man who had just lost a war.
Damien turned to the others.
"Well," he said, slipping the invisible sword into its phantom sheath. "That was convenient."
"Very," Blackie murmured, spinning one of her new daggers with a little smile.
"I call dibs on crashing the next rich idiot's wallet!" Rage Monkey declared proudly.
"Not if I do it first," Fluffy said, still admiring his massive sword.
"Is that Darkness Crystal very valuable?" Damien asked curiously as they exited the Armory, the cool breeze of the forge district brushing past.
"Very," Blackie replied without hesitation. Her tone was calm, but there was no mistaking the weight behind her words.
"That was a Supreme-grade Darkness Energy Crystal. If Zhenlong had absorbed it instead of giving it away, it could have elevated his cultivation by at least a full major realm."
Damien's brow twitched. "Cultivation? Realm? Break it down for me."
Blackie nodded, shifting effortlessly into her teacher's voice as they moved through the shadowed streets. "The dragons of Drakonia follow a structured power hierarchy—based on the quality of their bloodline, the refinement of their energy, and their control over elemental laws. We measure it in two major axes: Rank and Realm."
Damien listened, absorbing every word.
"There are six universal ranks recognized across Drakonia," she continued.
Hatchling Rank - Young dragons, newly awakened. No mana core. Raw strength only.
Wyrmling Rank - Basic mana awareness. They can breathe elemental breath and take basic humanoid forms.
Drake Rank - Full mana core developed. First step into proper dragon combat. Usually comparable to Earth's A-Rank awakened beings.
Dragon Lord Rank - Elite tier. Elemental mastery, flight, regeneration, and territory dominion. This is where nobles like Zhenlong begin to shine.
Ancient Dragon Rank - Venerable beings who command laws, not just elements. Their breath attacks distort space. Their roar can tear mana apart.
Sovereign Beast Rank - Extremely rare. Capable of rivaling true Sovereigns. Only one in several millennia reach this.
Damien frowned. "And the Realm part?"
"Each Rank is broken into Realms," Blackie explained. "Like climbing stairs within a Rank. The exact terminology varies by clan, but most use a standard four-stage system:"
Lesser Realm → Core Realm → Ascendant Realm → Apex Realm
Zhenlong, she explained, was at the Dragon Lord Rank, Ascendant Realm. He had plateaued there for nearly a century.
The Darkness Crystal he gave away would've pushed him into the Apex Realm, possibly qualifying him for Apostle candidacy under the Matriarch.
"And he gave it up… for a few smiles and daggers?" Damien asked, half-impressed.
Blackie glanced sideways at him, a faint smirk playing on her lips. "Dragons fall hard."
Fluffy snorted. "As they should, when faced with such overwhelming beauty. I fell too, but I fall with grace."
Rage Monkey pointed at himself proudly. "I fell! And got back up with bananas!"
Damien didn't respond. He was still digesting the ranking system—and what it meant for him.
"So which rank would I fall?" he asked Blackie quietly.
Blackie considered him seriously, her eyes faintly glowing. "You… don't register properly. Your death core doesn't follow traditional dragon resonance. But if I were to estimate based on pure combat effectiveness… I'd say your base state rivals a Dragon Lord Ascendant. When you let loose… maybe Apex."
Damien nodded slowly, gaze sharpening.
"Let's go. We have much to discuss." Damien said.
Within minutes, they were seated in a private room in a secluded inn by the edge of the Black Dragon Territory.
Damien sat down, leaning forward, returning their conversation to focus. "We have little time. The temple trial is a gathering of the strongest of the Dragon World. This is our chance to locate the inheritor quickly or at least a clue about the Gravewalker's key."
"Agreed." Blackie nodded. "We must take this chance to meet as many warriors as possible so that Fluffy can identify him. Once we know who is the inheritor, we would be able to make further plans on what we can do."
"What about Zhenlong?" Rage Monkey asked. "He would definitely talk about meeting Blackie and her "circus clowns". In a state of such high alert, such news would definitely put Blackie under great scrutiny."
Blackie nodded firmly. "He'll spread rumors. It will draw even more attention."
Fluffy huffed loudly, folding his arms indignantly. "Let him! His pathetic pride will shatter beneath my supreme might!"
Damien exhaled calmly. "There is nothing we can do about it. We go as planned, but remain cautious. Our goal hasn't changed."
Blackie agreed. "The Matriarch will send powerful dragons inside. Her Apostles might enter too, given how important this opportunity is."
Rage Monkey leaned forward eagerly. "Then we fight them?"
"No," Damien said calmly. "We use them. Follow them, let them clear the way, then move decisively."
Fluffy's eyes glinted eagerly. "I can sense opportunities for heroics approaching!"
Blackie ignored him, addressing Damien directly. "There's something else you must know. The battlefield isn't just filled with treasures—it's also dangerous. Ancient curses, sealed guardians. Some who enter never return."
Damien nodded calmly. "We expected as much."
She met his gaze steadily. "Then let's use the chaos to our advantage. But stay alert. Now that she would fail to find the Crown Prince's murderer, the Matriarch would send in her strongest this time to deal with it within the secret realm."
Fluffy smirked confidently. "Let them come. I eagerly await another opportunity to demonstrate the power of Fluffy!"
Damien stood again, his decision firm. "Prepare yourselves. Rest while you can. Once the portal opens, our opportunity begins."
Outside, the dragon territories buzzed louder, Apostles and soldiers scouring every street and cave, chaos growing.
But Damien felt strangely calm. He'd come to find the inheritor and the key. This hidden battlefield was the next crucial step.
Around him, his team nodded decisively. Rage Monkey's eyes shone with determination, Blackie stood coolly resolute, and Fluffy remained dramatically confident.