Chapter 357 Dragon People
The core area of the undead lair.
Galos stared intently at the changes on the altar.
The first dragon scale transformation ceremony is quietly drawing to a close, and the entire process has taken much less time than expected.
The black dragon Serafina uttered the last syllable.
The tip of the green dragon Ludwig's tail, dipped in dragon blood, also outlined the final, intricate pattern.
Buzz—!
An invisible energy fluctuation suddenly spread across the altar.
Representing death and the end, the cold and silent negative energy meanders along the runic chains, swirling and permeating the bodies of the humans on the altar like a living thing.
at the same time.
Representing life and vitality, the warm and vigorous natural energy suddenly bursts forth with soft yet pure radiance along the newly drawn blood-red dragon scale patterns.
Two diametrically opposed energies converged and surged within the human body at the center of the altar.
A human in a deep coma begins to tremble slightly uncontrollably, as if enduring some kind of internal pain.
However, compared to the scene of a normal dragon vein transformation ritual, which can almost burn the recipient to ashes from the inside out, the scene before us was very calm.
It was like experiencing a trivial, brief nightmare during a deep nap.
With a slight tremor in his body, and under the combined influence and shaping of the energies of life and death, the patterns on his body, meticulously drawn with dragon blood, gradually seeped into his skin like a brand, merging with his body.
Immediately afterwards.
Black scales, gleaming with a cold, metallic sheen, sprouted like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, growing and spreading layer upon layer along the fused veins of the skin at a visible speed.
At the same time, a dramatic change occurred in human appearance.
The deep wrinkles on his face, like ravines, are fading away rapidly, one by one.
The withered skin, like rotten wood, quickly filled with moisture and became elastic and shiny.
He transformed at a visible speed from an old man who looked like he could be blown away by the wind at any moment into a middle-aged man with well-defined muscles and a strong, upright posture.
His life force, which was originally as faint as a candle flickering in the wind, began to rise steadily.
Ultimately, he rose from an ordinary human with no extraordinary talent and a level of zero to a level equivalent to a level 2 professional.
This is roughly equivalent to the power level possessed by a five- or six-year-old white dragon hatchling.
Furthermore, a faint yet undeniably real dragon aura emanated from him.
"It's done."
Black dragon Serafina and green dragon Ludwig breathed a sigh of relief almost simultaneously.
Although the first dragon scale transformation ritual is theoretically the most basic and simple step, and not particularly troublesome or complicated, there is still a certain probability of failure in the process.
Fortunately, the entire ceremony proceeded without any unexpected or disruptive events.
They did not betray the leader's trust.
On the altar, the trembling of the human body completely subsided.
His chest rose and fell with his long, steady breaths, and his tightly closed eyelids began to tremble.
The faint light gradually tore through the darkness before them.
"I...I'm actually...still alive..."
As he gradually regained consciousness, Nick's lips moved, and he murmured something.
When he stepped onto the altar with the resolve to die, his heart was actually filled with despair and doubt.
He had never heard of any twenty-step transformation ritual, and he was almost convinced that it was a one-way sacrifice, only stepping onto the altar with the last glimmer of hope.
Unexpected.
This seemingly impossible transformation ritual actually succeeded!
He felt better than ever before.
His murky, blurry vision became clear and sharp, his heavy, labored breathing became smooth and long, and the joints and organs that had troubled him for years, which had been aching, now functioned healthily again.
His heart was beating with unprecedented force and power within his strong chest.
This is simply...like being reborn!
Even with Nick's mature mindset honed by decades of ups and downs in the business world, he was completely unable to suppress the surging joy and excitement in his heart, and burst into tears of joy.
He then propped himself up.
Trying to calm the surging excitement in his heart, he began to observe his brand new body.
His thick pectoral muscles bulged out like two shields.
His abdominal muscles were clearly defined and taut.
The muscles in his limbs are smooth and full of explosive power.
These are physical strengths he never possessed, even in his prime.
Without a doubt, this was a miracle brought about by the dragon blood transformation, making him look like an adventurer who regularly exercises his physique.
Those jet-black dragon scales, forged from fine steel, do not cover the entire body.
Each dragon scale resembles a meticulously designed suit of armor, primarily adorning key areas such as the outer forearms, broad chest, straight back, and sturdy calves.
Nick stood up nimbly, grabbed a robe that was placed to the side, and draped it over himself.
The once loose-fitting robe was now slightly stretched by his muscular physique, outlining a powerful silhouette.
Only then did he suddenly notice that a majestic and imposing dragon shadow was silently watching everything that was happening here.
"Dragon Lord! My great and noble Dragon Lord!"
Nick reacted quickly.
Before he could even properly straighten his robe, he immediately jogged toward the direction of the dragon's shadow.
Before he even reached the dragon's massive body, his knees had already obediently buckled, sliding several meters across the smooth, mirror-like metal floor, finally kneeling in the most humble posture before Garus's enormous dragon claws.
"Thank you for your mercy and for giving me a second chance!"
"You gave me this new and precious life!"
"I swear by the life and soul that I am now radiating! From this day forward, I, Nick, will be your strongest armor and your most loyal henchman! I will execute all your will flawlessly!"
He lowered his head deeply, pressing his forehead almost to the cold ground.
Although he had only undergone the first dragon scale transformation ritual, just as all creatures transformed by dragons develop a deep-seated loyalty to their transformers, he also developed an innate dependence on and awe of the dragon before him. Moreover, this feeling would only deepen as the transformation ritual continued.
"Get up, Nick."
Galos gestured for the kneeling human to rise, noticing the iron dragon scales on his body.
Nick inherited the traits of the Iron Dragon bloodline, not the Red Dragon.
The bloodline bias inherited through dragon vein transformation is most likely deeply related to the personality of the person undergoing the transformation. Garos pondered to himself.
Red Iron Dragon asked, "How do you feel about this new state you've achieved?"
Nick obediently stood up.
He clenched his fist slightly, feeling the immense power contained between his knuckles.
"Excellent! Great and noble Dragon Lord!"
"I feel... I feel like I could tear a tiger or leopard apart with my bare hands!"
This kind of youthful excitement, purely born from an abundance of power, had long since vanished in Nick's decade-long decline.
Now, with the rejuvenation and strengthening of the body, this long-lost feeling of vitality is re-emerging.
He doesn't reject this feeling, which is precisely proof of his rebirth.
Galos hesitated for a brief two seconds before deciding to grant the newly minted dragonborn's request.
“Ludwig.” His gaze shifted to the green dragon waiting nearby: “Summon a normal adult tiger.”
Ludwig the Green Dragon nodded.
He used his summoning ability, and in the blink of an eye, a large, muscular adult tiger appeared in the center of the arena.
It has sharp claws and teeth, and its mottled fur stands on end, making it look quite intimidating.
"You, Nick."
Galos said to the humans, "Go and try to subdue this tiger with your bare hands."
Nick's excited expression froze instantly.
He was simply blinded by the new generation and youthful spirit, and couldn't help but blurt out something impulsive. Little did he know that Galos was so genuine.
Nick's expression stiffened noticeably as he looked at the tiger with its sharp claws and teeth.
"You seem to be afraid."
Red Iron Dragon said, "Remember your current identity and bloodline. You are a dragonborn with the grace of the dragon. The one who should be afraid is this beast in front of you."
Upon hearing this, Nick took a few deep breaths.
His palms opened and closed repeatedly, and as he felt a power far greater than ever before emanating from his palms, his mind gradually calmed down, and his expression returned to composure. Beneath this composure, there was also the fortitude that belonged to the dragon's offspring.
call--!
The tiger in the arena seemed to be enraged by Nick's posture, letting out a deafening roar and slamming its powerful hind legs into the ground.
Its enormous body, accompanied by a foul stench, resembled a bolt of yellow and black lightning.
It lunged fiercely at the seemingly weak human!
Nick's pupils constricted slightly.
He instinctively wanted to dodge backward.
But the next second, he was stunned to discover an astonishing change.
The tiger's pounce, which should have been as fast as the wind, appeared to him as a slow-motion scene.
He could clearly see every single hair standing on end on the tiger's body, clearly see the sharp fangs in its wide-open jaws, and even predict the trajectory of its claws.
His reaction was faster than expected, and he was able to handle the situation with complete ease.
Thump! Nick almost instinctively raised his right leg.
Just as the tiger pounced and its claws were about to touch his body, his right leg, like a dragon's tail whipping, lashed out at the tiger's side with a sharp whistling sound.
A dull thud.
The tiger's massive body was kicked through the air and sent flying, crashing heavily onto the ground several meters away with a painful roar.
Nick did not give chase, his eyes fixed on the tiger struggling to get up.
A sense of pressure originating from the depths of his bloodline naturally began to emanate from him.
Although extremely faint, it was nonetheless a genuine dragon's might.
The tiger let out a fearful howl, its massive body involuntarily collapsing to the ground, trembling, having lost even the courage to raise its head.
"Get familiar with and master your transformed new body as soon as possible."
Galos's voice rang out again.
"Recognize the changes that have occurred in you as soon as possible. This is about your identity as a Dragonborn and your way of being, and it is very important to you."
He didn't mind giving a few more words of advice to a veteran's family member who had followed him for a long time and made significant contributions.
“Yes, my lord. Nick will remember this.”
"Please rest assured!"
Nick straightened up, facing Garros, and responded with utmost seriousness and earnestness.
Garus's massive dragon head nodded slightly, indicating his approval.
"You can prepare to return to the South."
Red Iron Dragon issued a new order: "Remember the mission you bear now: take advantage of the chaos in the south to procure for the tribe the alchemy techniques and industrial blueprints that are strictly controlled in peacetime."
In times of war, danger is everywhere.
However, opportunities are always accompanied by huge risks.
In this world, there will never be a shortage of desperate individuals or forces willing to take risks for astonishing profits.
The best time to break through the blockade and acquire those advanced technologies and products that were tightly held and strictly embargoed by various parties during peacetime is now.
A high-precision alchemical furnace.
The core components of automation that support the operation of a massive industrial system.
The accompanying cutting-edge manufacturing processes are crucial to the future development of the Iron Melting Tribe.
Just like strategic resources like black oil crystals, Galos hopes that one day the Iron Smelting Tribe can establish a complete industrial chain and achieve complete self-sufficiency, instead of being forever subject to others.
Admittedly, his cooperation with Princess Lorthene is currently in a honeymoon period, through which he can obtain black oil crystals and some other controlled materials relatively stably.
But the future situation is unpredictable, and who can guarantee that this mutually beneficial relationship will remain stable forever?
Therefore, although he could rely on the Crystal Princess line to obtain some resources, he could not give up the continued investment and development of the Gem Merchant Guild channel.
Prepare for both possibilities and plan ahead.
Afterwards, Nick, the newly reborn leader of the gem merchant group, who was now shouldering heavy responsibilities, returned to Riverwood Territory for a short rest and preparation. He would soon return to the South to carry out his mission.
Galos is also preparing to return to his usual training ground to continue his honing his skills.
(End of this chapter)
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