Aurora's Visit

Avendell Dan, the fortress that has stood in Blackstone Mountain for thousands of years, is now a ruin, scarred and broken.

The Dwarf and Elf silently gathered the bodies of their fallen comrades and burned the orc corpses piled up at the city gate.

Thick wisps of gray smoke rose, and a somber atmosphere permeated the city. As the Dwarf craftsmen repaired the city walls, they murmured ancient songs.

"Accompanied by the clanging sound of hammers striking the ground, the Dwarf built a magnificent fortress."

A desolate war cry echoed from the northern grasslands, where savage and evil creatures gathered.

After this fierce battle, the outskirts of Avendell Dan were almost reduced to ruins, and nearly six thousand Dwarf heroes were buried underground.

Keep in mind that there are only about 30,000 Dwarf in the entire Avendell Dan, and almost every resident has lost a familiar relative, lover, or friend.

The remaining nine thousand or so Dwarf Fighter, along with the Elf of Serenia, were stationed outside the city, forming patrols to eliminate any scattered orc cavalry scouts and to investigate the next move of the Red Blood Tribe in the north.

"The wine we once shared has spilled on the ground, and a soul more radiant than gold and jewels shines in Solania. Farewell, my friend."

Ed. Klein stood atop the city wall, softly singing the Dwarf Farewell Song that had been passed down through generations.

He gazed at the vast, boundless Ugo Prairie and let out a long sigh. In this battle, the Dwarf paid a terrible price.

But they won.

The millennia-old legacy of the High Mountain Kingdom and the glory of the Shield Dwarves were ultimately preserved, but what will become of them in the future? Bjorn appeared behind him, leaning on his cane, his voice filled with concern.

"Your Majesty, we have clearly achieved a glorious victory, so why are you lamenting like this?"

"Bjorn, you should be able to see that too."

"."

The old Dwarf did not answer, but silently gazed at Ed's pale, weak face.

The Dwarf king gave a wry smile and continued, "I never imagined that I would outlive an old man like you who is over four hundred years old."

I am not afraid of death, but I do not want to die yet; I cannot let go of the High Mountain Kingdom.

"Your Majesty, you..."

"."

Immediately, the two Dwarf fell silent. They had worked together for a hundred years, and even without speaking, they could guess each other's thoughts.

Ed knew that after fusing his body with the Rock Hammer, he was already nearing the end of his life. If it weren't for the "Dawn Dragon" saving him, he wouldn't even be alive now.

The Soul-Forging Fire contained within the Rock Hammer was too intense. Now, not only his body but also his soul were slowly burning, irreversibly heading towards annihilation.

This process is difficult to reverse even with resurrection spells, let alone since Dwarf are not a race proficient in magic.

Now, the situation on the mainland is so chaotic. Not only the orcs in the north, Abyss, the Nine Hells, and the Three Great Kingdoms, all kinds of forces are eager to make their move and should not be underestimated.

When the next crisis arrives, how will the High Mountain Kingdom survive without the support of this "Furnace Controller"? "Let's venture into the deep underground caves to find that alluring golden color."

Ed and Bjorn gazed into the distance together, silently listening to the songs echoing through the city.

The old Dwarf hesitated for a moment, his lips trembling slightly. "Your Majesty, I have a method that may protect Avendell Dan for at least a hundred years."

Ed met his gaze, seemingly guessing Bjorn's thoughts, and asked calmly, "Do you really think this is feasible?"

For thousands of years, we Shield Dwarves have always been self-reliant, establishing ourselves in the world with our hammers and unwavering perseverance.

Bjorn lowered his eyelids and said with a helpless bitter smile, "Your Majesty, this is only the last resort."

"Aww—"

Suddenly, a loud howl came from afar, Dwarf and Elf all looked up to see a blurry black dot appear on the horizon.

What is that?

"Look, it's in the sky!"

"Are these people friends or foes? Could they be allies of those orcs?"

"Alert! Defend Avendell Dan to the death!"

The patrolling Dwarf and Elf immediately picked up their weapons, as if facing a formidable enemy, and began to discuss amongst themselves.

Ed and Bjorn were no exception; they also looked solemn and gazed into the distance.

The black dot grew larger and larger in their field of vision, eventually transforming into a golden dragon more than ten meters long.

"Is this yet another Golden Dragon visiting?"

Ed quickly raised his hand, signaling his soldiers to put down their weapons, and gave the order in a deep voice.

"Everyone, lay down your weapons! This is a kind and noble Golden Dragon, a kinsman of His Titus, our eternal benefactor of the High Mountain Kingdom!"

"It's Golden Dragon!"

"As expected of Titus's kind, she is truly an elegant and beautiful being!"

The soldiers on and off the city wall breathed a sigh of relief, put down their bows, crossbows, spears and other weapons, and their expressions became exceptionally relaxed.

They witnessed firsthand how the Golden Dragon had gone to great lengths to help them, burning their enemies and killing the chieftain of the Red Blood Tribe.

In the past few days, Titus has often hovered above the city, showering down his warm light to heal the wounded, for which the Dwarf are even more grateful.

In the hearts of the Dwarf and Elf, the Golden Dragon had become the embodiment of justice and their staunch ally.

If that's the case, then how could Titus's own people be enemies?

The unfamiliar Golden Dragon had a graceful, winding form. It flew with its signature wave-like motion, almost as if it were swimming through the air, before gracefully landing on the city wall.

It resembles a giant golden moth, folding its wings over its back.

The Dwarf observed the unfamiliar Golden Dragon Golden Dragon, which was considerably smaller than Titus.

Its body was more slender, its movements more elegant, and its golden scales were engraved with intricate and delicate patterns. It was also filled with the scent of saffron and spices.

Ed nodded in greeting and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Noble and elegant Golden Dragon, welcome. I am Ed, the Lord of the High Mountains."

Why do you wish to visit our city, which has just experienced war?

The Golden Dragon slowly opened its mouth, and a clear, melodious, yet somewhat childish female voice echoed on the city wall, "Your Majesty Ed, my name is Aurora, Golden Dragon from the south."

I've come to visit the venerable Titus, the ' Dawn Dragon,' whose deeds in helping the Dwarf fight off the invasion are truly admirable."

Ed's face showed an "I knew it" expression, and he pointed to a cave in Blackstone Mountain.

"No problem, Titus will stay there for the time being. He should be resting in the cave right now."

He was indeed a kind, righteous, and responsible strongman, and our High Mountain Kingdom's eternal benefactor.

During the time following the war, Titus would often hover over the city, healing the wounds of our Dwarf Fighter.

"Ed, Your Majesty Ed."

The female Golden Dragon, who called herself "Aurora," spoke with great sincerity.

She simply nodded, then lightly flapped her wings, took off from the city wall, and flew towards the cave.

Watching the Golden Dragon's retreating figure, Ed sighed, "Bjorn, perhaps you are right. The High Mountain Kingdom may indeed need a more steadfast and powerful ally who can protect us for hundreds of years."

"Good day, senior Titus. I am Aurora, daughter of Akalov, Golden Dragon from the south. Are you available now?"

Flying to within a few dozen meters of the cave entrance, Aurora landed on the rock and cautiously asked.

Even for a Golden Dragon dragon, trespassing into its lair is considered impolite, since it's where the dragon stores its treasures.

Aurora appeared exceptionally cautious; she did not want to anger the mysterious senior or incur his displeasure.

After all, she didn't know the other party's personality, and based on her experience, those ancient Golden Dragon were often stubborn old men.

"Come in."

Not long after, a deep voice came from inside the cave.

Aurora was overjoyed and hurriedly entered the cave. She even followed the etiquette of the Golden Dragon and deliberately controlled her gaze.

However, there wasn't much treasure in this temporary lair. The Dwarf did send a lot of gold, but Keosius kept it deep inside the cave.

Emerging from a relatively narrow cave entrance, the young Golden Dragon finally arrived at the "hall" of the nest, where he saw the true face of the senior who had recently made a name for himself.

Aurora quickly and obediently lowered her head, folded her wings, bent her forelimbs slightly, and greeted again softly, "Good day, Senior Titus."

She quietly raised her head and saw that the "Dawn Dragon" had a huge body over thirty meters long, completely covered in golden scales, and exceptionally wide wings.

A dozen gill whiskers grow from its mouth, and its deep eyes are like pools of molten gold, giving it a mysterious and wise feel.

In Golden Dragon's aesthetic view, this senior is a thoroughly "handsome man".

It really is an Ancient Gold Dragon!

Aurora was overjoyed, knowing that older Golden Dragon often chose to go to Mount Paradise to serve His Bahamut Your Majesty, and rarely stayed in the Material Plane.

Almost every Golden Dragon that remains in the Material Plane possesses an extremely strong sense of responsibility and justice.

Meanwhile, Titus, or rather Keosius, was also observing the visiting Golden Dragon with his golden eyes.

Aurora Vipsania Agrippina

Challenge Rating: 16 A young female Golden Dragon, who looks rather green, but is more powerful than ordinary Golden Dragon, and her strength is comparable to that of an adult Golden Dragon.

What's particularly peculiar is that her scales are etched with intricate and delicate patterns.

Golden Dragon of this age is most likely not an envoy sent by Bahamut.

So, in a calm tone, he tentatively asked, "Young fellow clansman, why have you come here?"

Could it be... the day of the Gold Dragon Council has arrived?

In fact, Keosius was trying to elicit information from the Golden Dragon, who had a global hierarchy, with a leader at the top who was revered as the "Consul."

This leader is elected by the entire species from the ranks of the Ancient Gold Dragon and serves for life until he or she decides to resign. Every few hundred years, a council is convened to discuss various matters.

Aurora a little puzzled, but still answered, "Senior Titus, if I remember correctly, the next Gold Dragon Council should be in thirty years."

Moreover, I am merely a young Golden Dragon, and I am not qualified to invite you.

Keosius shook his head helplessly and said with a wry smile, "Ha, it seems I've been away from this world for too long since that war."

I can't quite remember the exact time.

The Riddler.

By making things vague and ambiguous, you can make others feel that you are unfathomable.

Aurora listened quietly to what her senior had to say, and sure enough, she imagined a poignant and tragic past in her mind. However, it would be very impolite to ask such a question.

"As expected of Ancient Gold Dragon who has lived for over a thousand years!" After a moment of reflection, the young Golden Dragon dared to continue speaking.

"Senior Titus, I have only heard of your heroic deeds and admire you greatly, which is why I wanted to come here to visit you."

Keosius chuckled and said, "Aurora, I suppose it's not just about this. Tell me, what else do you want?"

The young Golden Dragon scratched his paws and said somewhat embarrassedly, "You are indeed wise. In that case, I will speak frankly."

"Senior Titus, your upholding of justice and order is admirable. We cordially invite you to join the Skincarver Organization and become an elder of our ' Loz '."

Skin Carving, a familiar term.

Keosius looked at the exquisite carvings on Aurora's body, he immediately recalled the meaning of the word.

The Skincarver Dragon, a member of a mysterious organization composed of dragons and half-dragons.

Their names come from the markings etched on their scales that give them incredible, mysterious protection.

In terms of strict discipline, dedication to personal perfection, and mystical transcendence, the dragons of the Skincarver Organization are similar to monks among humans.

But the Skincarver Dragon do not establish monasteries; instead, they gather in small groups called "Loz".

These communities, consisting of many dragons or half-dragons, share a large territory and occasionally gather together. If a member is threatened, they will quickly assemble to help.

Suddenly, Keosius was overjoyed. He had been planning to find this organization, but he hadn't expected them to come to him.

As an advanced class similar to the Monk, the Skincarver Dragon possesses an iron will of order, capable of resisting many supernatural forces—including the Chaos Power.

After acquiring this advanced class, Keosius will have even greater confidence in Contend Against the Abyssal Devil.

At the same time, he can better maintain his own rationality and no longer be influenced by Kareks's will.

Despite his inner elation, Keosius remained outwardly composed, calmly stating, "The Skincarver Dragon, huh? I've heard of that profession; it is indeed a lawful organization."

That sounds pretty good.

Aurora quickly replied, "Senior Titus, we will provide you with the complete legacy of the Skincarver Dragon, and..."

She gritted her teeth for a moment before continuing, "We will also pool together some Gold Coin as your salary."

Keosius, however, gave a gentle, elder-like smile and said softly, "I agree, as long as you strive for justice and order."

Aurora was overjoyed and stepped forward, saying, "Senior Titus, you are indeed as kind and powerful as the rumors say. Welcome to the team."

Inside the cave, the genuine Golden Dragon and the counterfeit Golden Dragon smiled at each other, creating an exceptionally harmonious scene.

Aurora was delighted that the organization had gained strong reinforcements, while Keosius was secretly pleased that he had gotten a new advanced class for free and infiltrated the Metallic Dragon's ranks.