Chapter 248 – Olivia (I)
The Iron Dragon Wing Palace remained as majestic and grand as ever, yet after the Red Dragon’s Deep Sleep, much of the steel within the annex had melted and flowed downward, forming jagged spires of silver, while rivers of solidified metal sprawled across the ground. The place now resembled a forest forged entirely from iron—monumental, yes, but also pulsing with a primal, raw Strength.
“Is this it…”
“This is the Royal Palace of the Red Dragon.”
Olivia Stealth stood motionless beyond the palace’s threshold, breath held, senses straining.
The closer she drew to the Royal Palace, the heavier the oppressive pressure became—crushing, suffocating. A towering Aura of Intimidation pressed down on her, stealing her breath. Even now, she could barely reach the Fourth Layer of the Weave of Magic.
And beneath that, another sensation gnawed at her—deep within her Bloodline, a primal warning.
Olivia was still just a young Silver Dragon. Along the way, she had nearly turned back more than once. But each time, she clenched her jaw and pressed on.
“I will fulfill your request.”
“Don’t underestimate me.”
Was it just her imagination?
She couldn’t shake the eerie feeling—somehow, she was certain the Gold Dragon hadn’t died.
Anher was here. Watching her.
That unmistakable Golden Vertical Pupil—steady, calm, yet still draped in that familiar, pretentious Arrogance.
Memories could be beautified.
Though Olivia had only met Anher a few times, spoken with him only briefly, the weight of duty and the emotion tied to his final words had etched his image into her mind—clearer with each passing day.
After all, it had been like a dying promise.
One she could never forget.
“Huff…”
Olivia exhaled sharply, forcing herself to maintain the [Invisibility Spell] and [Silent Breath Technique]—normally effortless feats.
But now, even these low-level spells demanded every ounce of her focus.
Each time she wove the Spellcraft Model, it felt like battering against an unyielding fortress. She could barely breach the outermost barrier.
After a moment of hesitation, she stepped through the ruined, crumbling archway—fully entering the palace.
The instant her foot touched the floor, her hair stood on end. The sense of danger surged, sharpening to a knife’s edge.
“What… is this place?”
But she gritted her teeth and moved forward, guided by the message.
Suddenly—
A familiar, low voice echoed through the silence.
“Olivia… here.”
“Anher?”
Olivia’s eyes widened in shock. She looked up—only to find nothing.
Yet she knew it wasn’t a hallucination born of stress.
That voice—clear, unmistakable—was real.
It was a Summoning Spell.
She turned, scanning the shadows, and soon found it: a tiny, exquisite carnelian stone nestled in the corner, etched with runes designed to capture sound.
“Of course.”
Heart racing, Olivia followed the sound, darting down a narrow, shattered corridor until she reached the vast, empty hall at the palace’s heart.
Protected by a hidden Rune Array, this space was one of the few untouched by the infernal heat. The original architectural style—simple, solemn, dignified—still stood. The dome soared nearly twenty meters high, supported by several stone pillars.
But the hall was eerily empty. No furnishings. No seats. No tables. Only faint, orderly patterns etched into the floor—like markings for some ancient ritual.
“What secret does this hall conceal?” Olivia wondered.
She stepped inside, cautious, scanning every corner.
The message’s source lay directly in the center—
A single, massive scale, crimson as blood.
Olivia’s breath caught.
“That’s… a huge Dragon scale. Could this be the scale of the ‘King of the Burnt’?”
“How did Anher even obtain this?”
Suddenly, the scale flared with faint magical light.
A translucent, ghostly image flickered into existence above it.
And there he was—
The familiar young noble, Black Hair, Golden Eyes—
The “Youthful Gold Dragon,” Anher.
But the image was grim. His expression strained. His voice heavy.
“Olivia… this may be your last chance.”
“I set up a… a…”
The words trailed off.
The image fractured—wavering, stuttering—then abruptly died, like a candle snuffed out.
“Why?”
Olivia frowned, her chest tightening.
A cold dread crept in.
Had the trail ended here?
After risking her life to come this far… only to be met with silence?
Then—
A shiver ran through her.
A primal fear, deep in her bones, surged to the surface.
The world went dark.
A vast shadow swallowed her whole.
She caught the acrid scent of sulfur—sharp, choking.
What is that?
Her mind already knew.
A terrible, crushing premonition settled in her gut.
Slowly, she turned her head—forced to tilt her chin upward just to see it.
And what she beheld nearly shattered her balance.
“By Bahamut…”
She whispered, voice trembling.
Before her stood a colossal Red Dragon.
As a natural enemy of the Silver Dragon, Olivia had inherited knowledge of the Red Dragon’s weaknesses. She thought she understood the Five-colored Evil Dragon—its strength, its nature, its flaws.
She had prepared herself.
She had braced for the confrontation with the so-called “King of the Burnt.”
But she had never seen a Red Dragon like this.
Not in her Heritage. Not in any record.
This was no ordinary beast.
On its massive head—beyond the two retracted horns—rose a pair of spiraled, demonic-looking curved horns, like the fangs of a fallen god.
And at the center of its chest—embedded deep into its flesh—glowed a Scorching Red Crystal.
It pulsed with a lava-like ripple.
Around it, the scales cracked in radial patterns, glowing with an ever-brightening flame-light.
The dragon’s body stretched nearly thirty meters long—older than any living Red Dragon, perhaps even an ancient dragon.
Its eyes—like molten lava balls—burned with violent fire, staring down at her with overwhelming, merciless intensity.
Its wings were not spread wide—but the shadow they cast alone was enough to swallow the entire passage.
“This… can’t be real.”
“No record of a dragon like this in the past hundred years.”
“This isn’t possible.”
Olivia’s face paled. Her head shook.
She finally understood why Anher had spoken with such solemnity.
This was no mere Red Dragon.
This was an ancient one—perhaps even a legendary beast.
Even as Silver Dragons scorned the Red Dragon’s rage and short-sightedness, they could not deny their overwhelming power.
A dragon of this age—this stature—was among the mightiest in all of Ailezegai.
Olivia, a fledgling Silver Dragon, stood no chance.
And yet—
The dragon’s immense body blocked the only entrance.
Her last path of retreat was sealed.
A low, rumbling voice spoke—
Just one sentence.
But it sent a wave of searing heat crashing through the air.
“…I’ve been waiting for you.”
(End of Chapter)
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