Chương 96: Reborn as the Dragon — Chapter 96 - Dragon's Word Inheritance

The system's description was thorough. This ability was essentially a divine manifestation mechanic, a tool for dramatically impressive posturing in front of an audience. Not only could you pose dramatically, you could also recruit followers and expand territory. Su Nian's response to all of that: hard pass. He was a fourth-tier Juvenile Dragon with a wife to support. Taking risks just to look cool was not on the agenda. Staying hidden until he was untouchable — then looking cool. That was the correct play.

Unless absolutely necessary. [Summoning detected. Respond?] The system prompt barely finished before Su Nian felt it: a faint, strange pull, like something out there was calling for him. Needing him. A vast, mysterious sea of stars bloomed in his mind. The stars had all been dark before. Now one of them was lit, a pale white thread stretching through the void, connecting to his dragon body. Su Nian had a feeling. He could follow that inexplicable thread and teleport directly to wherever the summoner was.

And once he accepted, the summoner would become his subordinate. Efficient. Tempting, even. He ignored it entirely. Su Nian curled his lip and let the star flicker. A moment passed. The light dimmed, faltered, and went out completely. The summoner was dead. Probably hit something they couldn't handle, made one last desperate gamble, willing to offer up their own soul. Su Nian simply hadn't bothered to pick up.

"One second of silence for you~" He went back to digesting Draconic Magic and gave no further thought to the Sacrificial Ritual. The ability had teeth, but it cut both ways. Whatever danger had killed that summoner was exactly the kind of danger he'd be walking into. Powerful tool, double-edged sword, no thanks. Draconic Magic was nothing like ordinary spellcasting that burned through mana reserves. Activating it felt less like casting a spell and more like invoking a fundamental rule of the world.

Depending on the type, some Draconic Magic did draw on ambient mana, but that mana came from the surrounding environment, not from within the dragon itself. The dragon's internal mana was more like a switch, a trigger, a spark. What magic a dragon could inherit through its bloodline was partly random and partly a matter of innate talent. The more gifted the dragon, the more Draconic Magic it unlocked with each inheritance. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen.

Please report the violation. Su Nian's talent, evidently, was not remarkable. First Advancement Inheritance. Three spells. [Lass Yah Nir] Breath Whisper: Through low, murmured incantation, reveals all life and terrain in the surrounding area. No disguise can hide from it. [Zire Kaal Zoor] Rousing Roar: Through a roaring cry, bolsters the morale and capabilities of all followers.

Under the influence of the Dragon's Word, followers gain a comprehensive boost to their strength and will fight without fear of death for a sustained period. No side effects. [Zun Haal Viik] Disarm: Through the Dragon's Word, causes steel to disintegrate. Strips weapons and armor from unprepared enemies. Overall, perfectly practical. And somehow, as if the system had read him cover to cover, every single one of these spells was tailor-made for someone who preferred to never be seen.

These Dragon's Words were all, to put it plainly, the tools of a rat. The first one needed no explanation. A proper rat's job was to flush out every other rat and eliminate them, leaving only itself. That was just good sense. The second was ideal for someone commanding armies from the shadows rather than leading the charge himself. Cautious. Efficient. The third was basically Expelliarmus from Harry Potter, except with significantly more range. Anyone who heard it would be caught in the effect.

No need to single anyone out. Now came the work: inside the inheritance dreamscape, no cooldowns, no rest, just drilling these Dragon's Words over and over until they were muscle memory, until his body knew them the way lungs knew breathing. Only then would the dream release him, and he would wake. Time moved strangely in the dream. Outside it, three days had already passed since he went under. On the evening of the third day, a player team of over two thousand people reached the edge of Silver Moon Forest.

At the front: Mei Magogoko. She'd skipped Sakura Island's No. 1 Newbie Village entirely. To avoid drawing the attention of the monsters besieging the starter area, she'd swung wide and taken a long, deliberately indirect route. Standing at the treeline, she noticed the difference immediately. Silver Moon Forest felt different from the first time she'd been here. Quieter. The prickling sense of being watched from every shadow had gone. That confirmed what Yamaguchi Village Chicken had told her.

The area around the dragon's lair had been cleared out. Or close enough.

"Those kobolds are supposed to have all kinds of nasty traps laid out," she muttered, eyes drifting toward the direction of the lair.

"And rocket towers near the lair with serious firepower. My life has value. I'm not throwing it away on some pit trap." She fell quiet for a moment, staring. One day left. That was all. When the timer ran out, her storyline quest would fail, and every shred of power she'd built up would evaporate. She'd snap back to baseline like nothing had happened. This was it. Last chance. No room for failure. Mei Magogoko turned to the crowd of freshly acquired male consorts behind her.

"You're scouting ahead. Watch yourselves — the whole forest is riddled with traps. If you're going to die, at least die during the actual assault on the lair. Don't waste it on something stupid."

"Ah~! Miss Gogoko is worried about us — that's really... that's really too much for my heart!"

"Trash. I'm absolute trash. Miss Gogoko, please, a few more insults? Just a few more?" The men trailing behind her lit up like something had been switched on behind their eyes, cheeks flushing pink. Seventy or eighty of them, all players who'd spent recent days learning magic from Mei Magogoko. She'd broken them completely. They'd submitted to her knowledge, her presence, her entire existence, and they had never recovered. Each one of them was her dog.

As long as she kept teaching them magic, they would do anything she asked.

"Performance determines rewards," she said, licking her lips, her expression effortlessly charming.

"Do well tonight, and there might be extra lessons. Now stop talking and move." She drew out the tracking array and pointed her mine-clearers at the dragon's lair's exact coordinates. Neither she nor any of her players noticed. Deep in the trees behind them, tucked into the dim cover of shadow, a pair of bright eyes had been watching everything. Silently, the figure dropped to the ground, pressed low, and shot toward the dragon's lair at full speed. ➤ Next: Enter the Dragon's Nest, Slay the Evil Dragon