NOVEL NEXT Chapter 89: "You don't have to protect me anymore."
Ethan's eyes sharpened.
He could feel the shift the title brought. A silent recognition of his connection—no, his dominion—over dragons. Over Kaeryx. Over a power that made even Heaven falter.
And the title didn't just affirm his strength. It acknowledged something deeper. That he wasn't just a vessel for Kaeryx's flame. He was the master of it.
The fire didn't control him.
He controlled the fire.
Ethan's chest rose as he took in a breath that no longer belonged to the weak or uncertain. His feet stepped forward—not rushed, not desperate, but deliberate.
Unstoppable.
Every step he took radiated confidence born not from arrogance, but certainty.
Because now he knew.
He could save her.
He could crush the Drake.
He could rewrite fate itself.
And as he walked toward the battle, that quiet fire within him erupted into a silent storm.
The ground beneath his bare feet hummed faintly with power. The very air bent slightly around him, like it had recognized a sovereign had entered the battlefield.
At that moment, everything stilled.
The Drakes froze mid-motion, their instincts screaming warnings their minds could barely comprehend. Even the Rank 4 Thunderwing Drake, just moments ago locked in combat with Mia, backed down. Its massive wings lowered, and it slowly landed with measured steps, bowing its head ever so slightly—its eyes locked on Ethan with something close to reverence.
Not fear. Respect.
Mia stared wide-eyed, her body trembling with disbelief. Her lips parted, her voice soft and breathless.
"Ethan?"
It was both a question and a hope. A desperate, joyful whisper that trembled from her lips as if she didn't dare believe what her eyes were showing her.
Ethan didn't speak right away. He simply walked forward, each step steady, assured.
"Mia…" he finally said, his tone calm, gentle—but firm.
He stopped right in front of her, passing the Thunderwing Drake like it was nothing more than air. The towering beast didn't even twitch, its limbs locked under a pressure it couldn't defy.
Mia was still in shock, but something in her heart clicked. She didn't know how, or why—but she understood. He had changed. The boy she'd sworn to protect… wasn't a boy anymore.
Then she did something that surprised even herself. She stepped forward and embraced him.
Tightly. Desperately.
Even though he stood there completely bare from the evolution, she didn't care in the slightest. Her arms wrapped around him, and her soft, full breasts pressed against his warm, firm chest. She buried her face in his shoulder, her breaths shallow, shaking with emotion.
Tears spilled from her eyes, her armor still bloodstained and scorched from the battle, but she didn't care.
For the first time since arriving in Nexa, the warrior goddess wasn't a force of destruction.
She was just Mia.
"I was so scared…" she whispered, voice cracking under the weight of her emotions.
"I thought… I thought you were going to die. That I failed. That I'd have to face Gareth knowing I couldn't protect his son—how would I live with that?"
Her sobs grew softer, her grip tighter, her words tumbling out with no restraint.
All the walls she built… crumbling in an instant.
Ethan gently patted her back, his voice calm but filled with warmth.
"You don't have to protect me anymore."
She froze at those words.
"I'm strong enough now. I can fight. I can survive… and I can win."
He gently lifted her in his arms, carrying her effortlessly like she weighed nothing.
Mia's breath hitched, her cheeks flushed—but she didn't resist. Her eyes were still wet with tears, but they slowly began to clear.
"You can rest now," he said softly.
With a thought, Kaeryx appeared beside him.
The dragon's presence was instant, majestic, and commanding even in his compact form. His scales were pitch black, subtly shimmering with hints of crimson fire underneath. Even though he wasn't in his massive future form, the power he exuded was undeniable.
Currently, he was about the size of a modern-day armored truck—but leaner, more agile, like a coiled serpent ready to strike at any moment.
Ethan approached Kaeryx, the bond between them pulsing like a second heartbeat.
Without a word, Kaeryx lowered himself, allowing Ethan to carefully lay Mia on his back.
It wasn't the most comfortable surface—smooth scales, hard ridges—but right now, comfort wasn't the point.
It was safety.
Mia looked up at Ethan, her expression a mixture of awe, relief, and something deeper. Something warmer.
"Rest," Ethan said again. "I'll handle the rest."
Kaeryx's eyes shimmered with silent loyalty as Ethan turned back toward the battlefield, his bare feet touching the earth like the steps of a king reclaiming his throne. The quiet fire within him had now become something far more—a storm waiting to erupt. Controlled. Focused. Ready.
He walked toward the Dread-stage Thunderwing Drake, each stride calm and deliberate.
The Drake remained perfectly still, its hulking form grounded as Kaeryx's pressure weighed down upon it like a mountain.
It wasn't just fear—it was reverence.
Though Ethan now carried the title of Draconic Overlord, Kaeryx was something even greater. Dragon Emperor. Dragon God.
A divine being in the hierarchy of dragons.
Even if his strength was currently restricted by the system, the sheer authority he held over dragon-kind was absolute.
The Thunderwing Drake, a beast that had relentlessly attacked only moments ago, now stood frozen, its wings tucked close, its claws twitching slightly beneath the invisible weight pressing on its will.
Ethan's gaze remained steady.
He couldn't help but think back to the earlier chaos—during his evolution, the effect of Loki's contract had clearly been nullified. And yet, the Drakes continued to attack, as though driven by something deeper. Something instinctive.
His brows furrowed slightly as he looked up at the towering beast before him.
"You can hear me, right?" Ethan asked, his tone calm but direct.
The Drake let out a low grunt. Its golden eyes locked on him, and for a brief moment, something flickered behind them—understanding.
It understood him.
But it couldn't speak.