Edrik had been born with an innate talent for the sword, a gift so frighteningly natural that even veteran knights found it difficult to believe.
While other children struggled to steady wooden practice blades with trembling hands, Edrik had already learned how to control the weight of steel before he could properly read.
By the age of five, his grip was firm enough to leave bruises across his palms from relentless training yet he never once loosened it.
To him, the sword was not merely a weapon.
It was instinct, survival and purpose.
Years later, that very talent earned him a place within the Draconum, the most elite military force beneath the Silvaris Household.
Among countless knights who dreamed of standing close to the dragon Duke, Edrik rose high enough to become a proud member of the Vanguard Order, warriors who answered directly under the Duke’s command.
The Vanguard were not raised to fear death.
They were trained to walk toward it without hesitation if it meant fulfilling their duty.
And Edrik had accepted that long ago.
Whether it was protecting the Duke, defending the estate or standing against enemies powerful enough to reduce entire battalions into corpses, he never once considered retreat an option.
Loyalty had already rooted itself too deeply inside him for that.
Yet even with all his years of experience, nothing could have prepared him for the existence standing before him now.
The moment Edrik laid eyes upon that being, his instincts screamed louder than they ever had in his entire life.
Ancient.
That was the only word his mind could form.
The pressure pouring from the figure did not resemble ordinary mana.
It was far too dense and suffocating, as though the air itself had gained weight under its presence.
Every breath Edrik took became heavier than the last while cold sweat slowly rolled down the side of his face despite his efforts to remain composed.
It felt less like facing a living creature and more like standing before a natural disaster wearing human skin.
Even the ground beneath them seemed to tremble quietly in response.
At a single glance, Edrik already understood the truth.
This was likely the moment he would die.
Not because he lacked skill and his resolve faltered but because the existence before him stood on a level far beyond anything a human knight could hope to overcome.
Someone on par with the dragon Duke himself.
In his arms, Lewis had already lost consciousness completely.
The young man’s complexion had turned frighteningly pale, almost devoid of color, as if merely remaining within the range of that overwhelming mana was enough to drain the life from him.
His breathing had become weak and uneven while his body trembled faintly against Edrik’s hold.
The sight caused Edrik’s expression to darken further.
Lewis could not endure this much longer which meant Edrik only had two choices left.
Fight an impossible opponent…or die buying enough time for Lewis to survive.
“Aww… what a pitiful little thing. Aren’t you getting tired of holding such a fragile human? Come, give him to me, hmm?”
The being’s voice flowed smoothly through the air, soft and pleasant enough to almost sound harmless yet beneath that gentleness was something deeply unsettling, something that made every knight present stiffen instinctively.
As he spoke, the ancient being descended completely with one foot landing gracefully upon the ground before the other with unnatural elegance.
Not even the dirt beneath him dared cling to his clothes. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
Then, with a faint smirk curving across his lips, he slowly stretched both arms toward Edrik as though inviting him to simply hand Lewis over willingly.
“Come now, young man,” he continued while tilting his head slightly.
“I won’t hurt him…”
But Edrik did not believe those words for even a second.
There was something disturbingly strange hidden behind the being’s gaze.
Like a hunger far too intense to be called simple curiosity.
The way his eyes remained fixed on Lewis’ unconscious form felt almost obsessive, as though he could barely restrain himself from snatching the human away immediately.
Edrik could feel that clearly.
Every instinct inside him screamed danger while the mana surrounding the creature grew heavier with each passing second.
Without realizing it, Edrik tightened his hold around Lewis protectively and shifted him slightly closer against his chest, placing himself more firmly between the unconscious man and the ancient being.
The surrounding knights reacted as well, several immediately drawing their swords despite the fear pressing heavily upon them.
“Sir, I apologize,” one of the knights suddenly spoke up, forcing steadiness into his voice as he stepped forward.
“But he is not someone you may lay your hands on. He belongs to our liege.”
For a brief moment, silence fell across the area.
The ancient being merely stared at the knight.
Then, without warning, a violent gust of wind exploded outward.
The knight’s body was sent flying instantly as though struck by an invisible force.
A loud crack echoed the moment he slammed violently against the ground several meters away with his sword slipping from his grasp while blood immediately spilled from his mouth upon impact.
The force alone was enough to bend portions of his armor inward.
Despite the brutality of the attack, the knight somehow remained conscious, though barely, trembling violently as he coughed blood onto the dirt beneath him.
The atmosphere froze completely afterward and not a single knight dared move recklessly anymore because all of them understood the terrifying truth at once.
That attack had not been serious since the ancient being had not even moved a finger.
“Oh dear…” the creature murmured softly, sounding almost amused instead of apologetic.
“How rude of me.”
Yet despite those words, there was no remorse visible within his expression.
Instead, his gaze slowly returned toward Lewis once more and this time the possessiveness within his eyes no longer bothered hiding itself.
‘How interesting…’ The ancient being observed Lewis carefully while amusement flickered across his eyes.
‘To think my little dragon has already acclimated so much of his magic to his human bond.’
The dense mana surrounding the area swirled faintly around Lewis’ unconscious body as though drawn toward him instinctively.
To ordinary humans, exposure to such ancient draconic mana would have been unbearable, enough to crush their body and soul under its pressure alone yet despite Lewis turning pale and losing consciousness, his body had not completely rejected it.
That alone was abnormal.
‘Though I suppose it is understandable,’ he mused inwardly.
‘The human has long been exposed to the little dragon’s mana, so naturally his body has begun adapting to it over time but mine is different so it is no surprise that he reacted this way.’
Still, something else had caught his attention far more than Lewis’ fainting making his smile slowly deepened.
‘Even so… his womb recognized my mana as belonging to a dragon as well.’
The reaction had been subtle, nearly impossible for ordinary beings to notice yet nothing escaped his senses.
‘How fascinating.’ A low chuckle almost escaped him at the thought.
‘I wonder how that little dragon would react if he learned this.’
But after a brief moment, the ancient being simply dismissed the thought carelessly.
‘Well… it hardly matters.’ His gaze lingered over Lewis’ unconscious face once more.
‘The human bond is not pregnant yet.’
Silence stretched briefly before another dangerous thought surfaced naturally inside his mind.
‘So perhaps… I should simply take him first.’
The moment that thought settled, the mana around him distorted violently.
Before Edrik or the other knights could even react, the ancient being vanished from his spot entirely and a sharp pressure swept through the air.
Then suddenly, he was standing directly in front of Edrik.
The movement was so impossibly fast that Edrik’s pupils shrank instantly.
His body reacted purely on instinct, attempting to step back while tightening his hold around Lewis yet he was already too late.
In less than a second, Lewis was gone from his arms.
The ancient being now held the unconscious human effortlessly against himself, one hand supporting Lewis securely while the other lazily brushed strands of hair away from the pale face.
A satisfied smirk immediately formed across his lips as though he had finally obtained something he had been wanting to touch from the very beginning.
“Mm… much better,” he murmured softly.
“Y-You!”
The moment Lewis was ripped away from his arms, Edrik’s composure shattered completely.
His hand immediately moved toward the sword hanging at his waist while the surrounding knights reacted almost at the same time, several rushing forward despite the overwhelming terror crushing their instincts.
Steel rang sharply as blades were unsheathed one after another yet before any of them could properly advance, the ancient being merely smirked.
Then he released his mana.
The pressure exploded outward from beneath his feet like a violent storm finally breaking free.
The ground cracked instantly under the sheer force while the surrounding air distorted heavily from the overwhelming density of magic.
Meanwhile, Draen suddenly felt a sharp throb spread across the back of his hand.
His gaze immediately dropped toward the bond mark connecting him to Lewis and seeing that it remained intact, he knew Lewis was still safe.
However, the moment Draen tried to search for Lewis through their bond, his expression darkened completely.
There was nothing.
He could not sense him properly at all as though something immense was interfering with the connection itself.
The familiar pull he always felt toward Lewis had become distorted and distant, enough to make a dangerous feeling settle heavily inside his chest.
Then faintly, Draen sensed it.
“Fuck…” he muttered under his breath before immediately turning toward his knights, his aura turning terrifyingly cold.
“Move,” he ordered sharply.
“We’re finding Lewis. Now.”