Dragon Oath Paladin

North Wind Fortress, Hall of Governance.

Keosius lay sprawled on the massive Iron Throne, looking down at Freed kneeling on the ground, his voice slightly languid.

"Freed, you are one of the seven knights commanders of the Lionheart Knight Order. Why did you choose to betray the Bosque Duchy and submit to me?"

"Look at me, Freed."

"To survive, and to gain greater power."

"Also, in order to choose one's own destiny."

After a moment's hesitation, Freed answered truthfully, mustering his courage to raise his head and look directly into the Red Dragon's Golden Vertical Pupils.

After only a moment of silence, his heart began to pound, and his back was already soaked with sweat.

Finally, the Red Dragon's voice rang out again.

"Very well, you're not lying, otherwise I would have burned you to ashes."

"The Embers of the Burned Kingdom needs ambitious people. As for loyalty... ha, that's not a problem for me."

Keosius slowly rose, bringing his head closer to observe him carefully.

[Based on your own strength, you can observe the following information] [Black Lion Knight - Freed]

Basic Abilities: Level 10 Lionheart Knight

Challenge Rating: 10 (5900xp)

Evaluation: The last of the seven knight Lionheart Knight Order " of the Bosque Duchy, he is exceptionally skilled in sword and shield combat and successfully became a knight commander based on his outstanding performance in battle.

As expected of one of the seven knight commanders, although he lacks loyalty, his strength is undeniable.

A level 10 Lionheart Knight would be considered a high-level combatant even in the Embers of the Burned Kingdom, only slightly inferior to top-tier combatants like Lang Pu and Dolo.

However, his current state cannot be maintained for long. The Lionheart Knight is a faction subclass derived from the Crown of Crown Oath Paladin. The moment he surrendered to the Red Dragon and betrayed the Duke he served, he broke the Lionheart Knight's oath of loyalty—to keep one's word. Without loyalty, oaths and laws are meaningless.

Within days, the breaking of his oath will cause him to lose the power of the Lionheart Knight, all his Holy Oath Spell will be lost, and he will become Oathbreaker similar to Mezhuolash.

The transformation of Freed was imminent.

Using Bloodline Gift on such high-ranking relatives is a sure-fire way to make money, and failure is very rare.

Moreover, according to Keosius's experiments, combining one's own Bloodline Gift with one's original profession can create faction sub-professions unique to the Embers of the Burned Kingdom, and can even bestow these professions upon players, making them die-hard loyalists of the Embers of the Burned Kingdom.

The Lionheart Knight Order highly versatile, proving invaluable in both positional and skirmish warfare. Dolo had long expressed the need for such an army to provide cover for Line Infantry, and even the Red Dragon had coveted it for a long time.

Keosius exhaled a Sulfur Scent breath, a sense of anticipation rising within him.

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

Are you ready?

"Yes, Master."

Freed answered without hesitation.

After experiencing this battle where the odds were stacked against him, he understood the simplest thing: those who resist this Red Dragon will not have a good end.

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

"Let's begin."

Keosius narrowed his eyes, emanating a powerful, almost solid dragon's might that temporarily blinded Freed's senses.

A drop of scalding blood floats in the air.

[Bloodline Gift]

In his plan, this new profession does not require cooperation with Dragon Vein Creature, and it also takes into account the players' preferences to some extent, so the Dragonification Degree is not as exaggerated as that of the Red Scale Conqueror.

Even so, the power of dragon blood is still beyond the capacity of ordinary creatures to withstand. One player even bought Dragon Blood Potion, but unfortunately failed the physical test and died instantly from an explosion.

Blood rushed into Freed's mouth, and the violent elemental energy flowed down his throat into his body, gradually spreading throughout his entire being.

"Ah--"

Freed let out painful groans as his body underwent a dramatic transformation. His muscles became stronger, scales appeared on his cheeks and neck, and his eyes turned into golden vertical pupils.

His pores spewed out Sulfur Scent white smoke, and even his mouth and nose emitted faint Mars.

"Ugh—"

The smoke obscured Freed's figure, and only his continuous wails and blurry silhouette could be heard.

The figure struggled, rolled, and curled up in the smoke.

Soon, a man with Dragon Vein Traits emerged from the swirling smoke—that was the current Freed.

If you ignore the scales that are hard to conceal, his appearance is not much different from before, but his inner essence has undergone earth-shattering changes.

This is the dragon vein, capable of endowing living beings with the essence of magic.

Freed knelt on the ground, struggling to open his eyes, feeling the powerful pressure of the Red Dragon before him, and the absolute suppression from his bloodline. His only thought was to submit.

He finally understood why the Red Dragon didn't care about loyalty.

Because the brutal, simple, and instinctive power of bloodline suppression far surpasses the so-called Knightly Spirit.

For a fleeting moment, Freed even regretted seeking out a more powerful being to bind him, but this thought was only a flash and vanished instantly.

Now that things have come to this, everything has lost its meaning.

He was once one of the seven knight commanders of the Lionheart Knight Order, holding the title "Black Lion Knight".

But now, Freed only has one identity left—a member of the Red Dragon's retinue, a traitor who surrendered to the Embers of the Burned Kingdom. He knows he has no way out and can only cling tightly to the Embers of the Burned Kingdom. Once his identity is exposed, Grand Duke Leo will relentlessly hunt him down and take his life at all costs.

Freed stretched his body, still somewhat unaccustomed to the power, and said, "Master, thank you for your blessing. I can feel that this power is very strong."

"Very good."

Keosius watched Freed, who had obtained the dragon vein, and browsed the panel, a hint of joy on his face.

He could sense Freed's thoughts and that moment of regret, but that didn't matter. The powerful bond of Bloodline Gift was enough to extinguish any dissent, especially since he was already completely bound to the chariot of the Embers of the Burned Kingdom.

[Faction advancement sub-classes completed.] Class advancement requirements:

Join the [Embers of the Burned Kingdom] faction.

Become a follower of the Faction Leader, [Embers of the Burned King - Keosius].

Possess a Paladin Class Level of 3 or higher and be proficient in Military Weapon such as shields and swords.

It possesses a certain degree of Dragon Bloodline.

[Please name your faction's subclass—] Keosius glanced at Freed, who was kneeling on the ground, deep in thought.

[Named: Dragon Oath Paladin]