No! I don't want to be a Super Necromancer!

Beside him, Fluffy smirked confidently, leaning casually on his massive sword. Blackie and Rage Monkey exchanged glances, their expressions wary but understanding.

The Bloodroot Ginseng represented a significant opportunity, not just for immediate power, but for something deeper, a connection to an ancient lineage that could complement Damien's newly forged Timespace affinity.

He met the Matriarch's gaze steadily. "Very well. I accept your offer."

She exhaled slowly, satisfaction flickering in her violet eyes. "Good. The five dragon clans agreed that each contingent would consist of five individuals. You have four. I shall send one of my generals as your guide. You may choose freely."

Damien glanced sideways at Fluffy. "Pick the strongest from among them. We need someone who won't slow us down."

Fluffy stepped forward with exaggerated arrogance, swaggering down the line of Apostles and elites gathered behind the Matriarch. He stared intently, inspecting them closely. "Hmm. No. Weak. Pathetic. Ugly. Wait—"

He paused dramatically before a towering dragon general, whose black scales gleamed like polished obsidian, eyes sharp and cold, aura fierce and disciplined. "You. You're barely adequate. Your name?"

The general met Fluffy's gaze steadily, not flinching at his theatrics. "General Hei Tian. Leader of the Matriarch's Vanguard Legion."

Fluffy grinned broadly. "Excellent! You shall accompany us. Try to keep up."

Hei Tian bowed his head slightly, acceptance clear in his disciplined posture. "As you command."

Damien nodded firmly, satisfied. "Then let's go. The portal awaits."

With no further delay, Damien turned toward the shimmering gate.

Fluffy led the way boldly, his massive blade swinging casually over his shoulder, a confident smile on his lips. Blackie walked at Damien's side, calm and graceful, her new daggers humming faintly with frost. Rage Monkey bounded forward eagerly, Emberfang Rod crackling with barely restrained flames.

General Hei Tian moved quietly at their flank, disciplined and alert.

Together, the team stepped into the glowing portal, vanishing into the ancient hidden battlefield, ready for whatever lay ahead.

Behind them, as the portal closed, the Matriarch watched silently, her expression shifting into something darker.

Once alone, she turned away, stepping into the shadows of her throne room. From the folds of darkness, she conjured a translucent crystal, shimmering with a faint blue hue. It pulsed softly, resonating with distant energy.

She activated the crystal with a whispered incantation, its surface rippling. Moments later, a second presence appeared in the crystal's depths, a majestic, ice-blue dragon with eyes like frozen sapphire, the Matriarch of the Blue Dragon clan.

"Greetings, sister," said the blue dragon matriarch smoothly, voice cold and powerful. "You contacted me sooner than expected."

The Black Dragon Matriarch smiled, eyes glittering with a darkness that shimmered just shy of malevolence. Her breath came slow and measured as she traced her claw lightly across the surface of the communication crystal. It pulsed, humming with ancient energy as it connected to its twin in another dominion.

A moment later, the crystalline surface flickered, then sharpened into clarity. On the other end appeared a regal figure bathed in a soft blue aura. The Blue Dragon Matriarch. Her scales were an iridescent glacier-blue, her horns like curved spires of frozen steel. Her gaze, sharp as ice, met her sister's with calm, piercing interest.

"I have a gift for you, sister," the Black Matriarch said smoothly, her voice dipped in silk and venom. "A priceless opportunity."

The Blue Matriarch's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, her long tail curling with subtle anticipation. "Oh? You rarely give gifts without thorns."

"This one," the Black Matriarch purred, "is both thorn and bloom. A powerful human has entered the battlefield. One who wields Timespace energy."

The crystal shimmered slightly as tension spiked across the connection.

"He seeks the Thousand-Year Bloodroot Ginseng," the Black Matriarch continued, each word slow and deliberate. "He walks with companions, dangerous ones. They have broken the hierarchy of my clan, shaken the authority of my Apostles, and brought death to my firstborn."

The Blue Matriarch leaned closer to the crystal, her expression unreadable. "The outsider your Apostles warned me about? The one who slew your heir in a single strike?"

"The very same," hissed the Black Matriarch, a flare of ancient grief flickering beneath her composed fury. "He is more than a threat. He is a storm given form. But in that battlefield... he will be isolated. Vulnerable."

"And you want me to strike the killing blow," the Blue Matriarch murmured, lips curling into a slow, calculating smile. "While you remain uninvolved. How convenient."

"I offer you more than blood," her sister replied. "I offer you the chance to seize the Bloodroot Ginseng for yourself. Think of what it could do for your line. For your empire. That ginseng is no ordinary root. When consumed, it awakens the Primordial Thread in one's blood. The scrolls say the last to consume a full matured Bloodroot Ginseng gave birth to the Crimson Line, the first dragon who dared fight beside the Darkness Sovereign himself."

The air in the chamber grew colder. The Blue Matriarch's wings flared slightly behind her.

"That power... was thought lost to time."

"And now," the Black Matriarch said with a whispering smile, "a human dares reach for it. Stop him. Take it. And your legacy becomes immortal. Have no fear, my strongest generals will lend you their strength. With their support, the other clans won't be able to stop you."

The Blue Matriarch didn't respond immediately. She closed her eyes for a moment, considering the scope of what had just been laid before her. Power. Legacy. The chance to eliminate her sister's greatest threat and emerge with the most prized treasure of the century. All at no cost. All with her sister's blessing.

"You offer me the Ginseng and the chance to remove your greatest enemy," she said at last, voice soft as snowfall. "At no risk to yourself."

"Precisely," said the Black Matriarch, tilting her head with predatory grace. "Consider it a gift. One that strengthens our long-standing alliance."

A long pause.

Then the Blue Matriarch smiled. But it wasn't a warm smile. It was the smile of a dragon that had just smelled blood.

"I accept."

Her voice was like ice cracking over a frozen lake.

"I will send my best hunters. Not just warriors—those trained to stalk and kill in silence. They will intercept him in the battlefield and claim the Ginseng. He will not escape."

"Excellent," the Black Matriarch murmured, her own smile curling into something cruel and knowing. "But remember, sister… he is no ordinary human. Do not underestimate him."

The Blue Matriarch's eyes flashed. "We never underestimate prey."

The last thing visible in the crystal was the glint of her fangs.

The crystal faded into darkness, communication ended. Alone again, the Black Matriarch turned toward the empty portal, eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

Yes, she thought silently, watching the swirling void. Fate had been unkind, taking her heir. But now, by guiding Damien toward the jaws of another matriarch, she had turned disaster into a perfect gambit.

One way or another, the outsider's journey would end. If he fell, her enemy would vanish. If he triumphed, she would reap half the reward. Either way, she emerged stronger.

She smiled bitterly, whispering softly into the emptiness of her throne room.

"Good luck, Damien Bloodbane. May your strength carry you far… And if not, may your death serve a greater purpose."