Ashen Dragon

Northwind Castle, Council Hall.

Cassius lay sprawled on the massive iron throne, looking down at Frederick who was kneeling on the ground. His voice was slightly languid.

"Frederick, you are one of the seven great knight commanders of the Lionheart Knights. Why did you choose to betray the Boske Duchy and submit to me?"

"Look at me, Frederick."

"To survive, to gain greater power."

"And also... to choose my own destiny."

After a moment of hesitation, Frederick answered truthfully. He mustered the courage to raise his head and look directly into the red dragon's golden vertical pupils.

Just in that moment of silence, his heart pounded, and his back was already soaked with sweat.

Finally, the red dragon's voice sounded again.

"Very well, you did not lie. Otherwise, I would have burned you to ashes."

"The Ashen Kingdom needs ambitious people. As for loyalty... heh, this is not an issue for me."

Cassius slowly stood up, leaning his head closer and observing him carefully.

[Based on your own strength, you can observe the following information]

[Black Lion Knight - Frederick]

Basic Ability: Tenth-Level Lionheart Knight

Challenge Level: 10 (5900 xp)

Assessment: The last among the seven knight commanders of the Boske Duchy's Lionheart Knights, excellent in sword and shield combat techniques, he became a knight commander through outstanding performance in battle.

He was indeed one of the seven great knight commanders. Although lacking loyalty, his combat prowess was undeniable.

A tenth-level Lionheart Knight would still be considered high-level combat strength even in the Ashen Kingdom, only a notch below the top-tier forces like Ramp and Dolores.

However, his current state could not be maintained for long. [Lionheart Knight] was a faction subclass derived from the [Oath of the Crown] Paladin. The moment he surrendered to the red dragon and betrayed the duke he served, he renounced the loyalty oath of the Lionheart Knight—words turned into action. Without loyalty, oaths and laws were meaningless.

In just a few days, the shattering of the holy oath would cause him to lose his strength as a Lionheart Knight and all his holy oath magic, turning instead into something akin to Mezulash's Oathbreaker.

The conversion of Frederick was imminent.

And bestowing the bloodline gift upon such a high-level retainer was very profitable, with very few chances of failure.

Moreover, according to Cassius's experiments, combining his bloodline gift with existing occupations could create unique faction subclasses for the Ashen Kingdom, even bestowing these to players to make them die-hard loyalists of the Ashen Kingdom.

The Lionheart Knight Order possessed comprehensive capabilities, playing significant roles in both positional and skirmish battles. Dolores had long proposed the need for such an army to shield the line infantry, and even the red dragon coveted this for a long time.

Cassius exhaled a breath of sulfur-scented air, feeling a bit expectant.

"Frederick, this is your choice. You will become a retainer of the True Dragon. Remember, you will completely sever ties with your past."

"Are you ready?"

"Yes, master."

Frederick answered without hesitation.

After experiencing this battle with a vast disparity in power, he had come to understand one simple truth—those who resist this red dragon would meet a grim fate.

If he wanted to save his own life, he had no other choice.

"Then let's begin."

Cassius squinted slightly, exuding a powerful and nearly tangible Dragon's Might that temporarily obscured Frederick's external senses.

A drop of scalding blood hovered in the air.

[Bloodline Gift]

In his plan, this new occupation did not need to be paired with Dragon Vein creatures, also somewhat considering the players' tendencies. The degree of dragonification was not as exaggerated as that of the Red Scale Conqueror.

But even so, the power of dragon blood was not something ordinary beings could endure. One player, after buying the Dragon Blood Elixir, had bad luck, failed the constitution check, and immediately exploded to death.

The blood flowed into Frederick's mouth, and the frantic elemental energy coursed through his throat into his body, gradually spreading throughout.

"Aah—"

Frederick let out painful groans, his body undergoing drastic changes, with muscles growing stronger, scales appearing on his cheeks and neck, and his eyes turning into golden vertical pupils.

Sulfur-smelling white smoke spewed from his pores, and weak sparks even flickered from his mouth and nose.

"Aaaargh—"

Smoke shrouded Frederick's form, with only his continued wails and a vague silhouette visible.

The figure struggled, writhed, and curled in the smoke.

Soon, a man with Dragon Vein traits emerged from the swirling smoke—that was now Frederick.

If one overlooked the conspicuous scales, his appearance was mostly unchanged, but his essence had undergone a complete transformation.

This was the Dragon Vein, capable of bestowing magical attributes to creatures.
Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire

Frederick knelt on the ground, struggling to open his eyes, feeling the overwhelming pressure of the red dragon before him, and the absolute suppression from the bloodline. The only thought that came to his mind was—submission.

He finally understood why the red dragon did not care for loyalty.

Because the brute, instinctive suppressive force of the bloodline far surpassed the so-called knightly spirit.

In an instant, Frederick felt a tinge of regret for binding himself to a stronger existence, but the thought vanished as quickly as it appeared.

At this point, everything had lost meaning.

He used to be one of the seven great knight commanders of the Lionheart Knights, known as the "Black Lion Knight."

But now, Frederick had only one identity—that of the red dragon's retainer and a traitor who had surrendered to the Ashen Kingdom. He knew he had no escape route now. He could only cling tightly to the Ashen Kingdom. Once his identity was exposed, Duke Leo would hunt him down relentlessly and spare no expense to kill him.

Frederick moved his body, still feeling somewhat unaccustomed, and spoke:

"Master, thank you... for your gift. I can feel this strength is very powerful."

"Very good."

Cassius observed the Dragon Vein-influenced Frederick while browsing through the panel, showing a slightly pleased expression.

He could sense Frederick's thoughts, and that fleeting moment of regret, but it did not matter. The strong bond of the bloodline gift was enough to eradicate any treacherous intentions, not to mention he was now firmly tied to the war chariot of the Ashen Kingdom.

[Faction Advanced Sub-occupation Constructed Successfully]

Occupation Advancement Requirements:

Join the [Ashen Kingdom] faction.

Become a retainer of the faction leader [King of Ashen, Cassius].

Have at least three levels of Holy Warrior occupational level, proficient in military weapons like shields and swords.

Possess a certain degree of dragon bloodline.

[Please name your faction subclass—]

Cassius glanced at the kneeling, thoughtfully looking Frederick.

[Named: [Dragonsworn Holy Warrior]]