Skincarver Dragon

"But my good fortune didn't last long. The Five-Colored Dragon Queen and her evil retinue still set their sights on me, but I didn't know that an even greater calamity awaited me."

"On that day, the sky was shrouded in the disheveled wings of the Chromatic Evil Dragon, and blood stained the earth. My allies, wife, and children fell one after another before my eyes. The dragons wanted to slaughter the city, and I could only watch all of this in despair."

Just then, a voice appeared beside my ear, and pitch-black sludge surged from the ground. A chaotic yet incredibly powerful force enveloped me, and the voice told me—accept this power, and I can take revenge on them and stop the Five-Colored Dragon ' rampage.

Beatrice gazed at her kin, whose face involuntarily betrayed indignation and sorrow, and asked in a deep voice, "So... you chose to accept it?"

Titus looked bitter and did not answer directly, but continued his story. "The evil fire of the Abyss burned my enemies to ashes, but I know that I am now entangled in sin, and before long I will be little different from the things I once hated."

I know that I am no longer qualified to see my family and friends, no longer qualified to enter Mount Paradise, and certainly no longer qualified to meet His Bahamut Your Majesty. My body may appear normal, but within me surges the most evil and chaotic fires of the Abyss.

"Whoosh—"

At this point, another burst of black flames erupted from behind the Golden Dragon. Titus let out a painful groan, but he forced it down and spoke with difficulty.

"So I exiled myself to the Astral Plane and sealed my body in a place where Time Stop. I don't know how much time has passed."

Until one day, the long years caused the seal to gradually weaken, and I did not choose to return to my original world, but instead came to the unfamiliar Material Plane of Erezege to seek a new path.

At this point, Beatrice's face was filled with regret and sadness; she now believed "Titus's" words without a doubt.

The spreading despair moved her deeply, and the apocalyptic scene that Titus had described kept replaying in her mind.

Following conventional thinking, why would a noble and kind Golden Dragon actively seek the power of the Abyss?

The story of Titus provides a plausible explanation.

He had no choice but to sacrifice himself to save his family and companions. Although he wielded the power of the Abyss, his actions were not evil.

Titus, or rather Keosius, raised his head and looked at Beatrice, saying with a sigh, "Your Beatrice Your Excellency, I have told you everything. If you are worried about the safety of the Eternal Order Realm, you may banish me at any time, and I will leave on my own."

"My only reason for joining the Skincarver Organization is to find a way to suppress the power of the Abyss. If this condition continues to worsen, don't worry, I will end it all myself." His tone was firm and deep, and a faint light flickered in his golden pupils.

Beatrice could tell that by then, this kinsman might indeed commit suicide without hesitation to rid the world of evil.

This is the dignity of the Golden Dragon dragon, the leader of the good dragons and a son of Bahamut; it cannot be desecrated or damaged, and even in death it must remain as pure as a jewel.

But she never imagined that the "Golden Dragon" in front of her was actually a Red Dragon that she hated and loathed the most, in disguise.

After a moment's hesitation, Beatrice hesitated, but finally blurted out, "Wait, Titus, perhaps I can help you. Your character and deeds are enough to make Skincarver, and the runes of the Eternal Order Realm may be able to suppress your symptoms."

However, the Abyss power within you still poses a certain threat to the Eternal Order Realm. Protecting the Landis' Scale is my duty; I cannot allow you to approach the monastery. You can only cultivate in the Unforgiven Valley."

"Thank you, Beatrice Your Excellency. I am already very grateful to have been accepted by you with such a sinful body."

Titus slowly rose, his beard swaying, gratitude radiating from his majestic Dragon Face, and his voice sincere and solemn.

Having finally managed to trick the Ancient Gold Dragon into a state of disarray, it seemed that he would soon be able to steal the legacy of the Skincarver Dragon, Keosius thought to himself with secret delight.

Despite possessing the powerful ability to Demon-Slaying, Keosius 'Kareks mad and chaotic will still lingers within him, posing a significant threat.

The [Skincarver Dragon] class, similar to a monk and pursuing pure order, allows Red Dragon to gain stronger willpower and resistance, making up for their weaknesses.

He was actually quite impatient, but he didn't show it, instead slowly observing the exquisite carvings on the wall.

Suddenly, "Titus" let out another soft groan, as if he were forcibly suppressing the pain and desire, trying his best to maintain his rationality.

"Lord Tris, if I completely lose my mind and kill me, do not hold back." His voice was broken and extremely hoarse, and the veins all over his body were bulging.

Beatrice stood there, stunned, unsure of what to do. Did she really have to kill this respectable and pitiful member of her own clan with her own hands?

Only after that power was suppressed did Golden Dragon, panting heavily, give a weak and helpless smile, "I'm sorry, Beatrice Your Excellency, I'm sorry to have made you laugh."

Beatrice's expression was solemn, and her tone was quite anxious. "There is no time to lose, Titus, I will perform the ritual for you now."

She didn't notice the barely perceptible smile that flickered in "Titus's" eyes.

"Very well, obediently offer up the inheritance, the sooner the better, "Keosius thought.

Beatrice spread her broad Dragon Wing and took out the items needed for the ritual from the space of the Demiplane. With the fluctuation of space, several silver-blue adamantite carving knives that shimmered with metallic luster appeared beside her and floated in mid-air.

Adamantite, this special metal is incredibly hard and possesses abundant magical affinity; it can only be mined from the deepest, monster-infested underground.

Beatrice stretched out her claws, grasped the carving knife, and looked at Titus's massive body.

"The power of the Skincarver Dragon comes from the runes engraved on our scales, which grant supernatural power. Only a carving knife made of extremely pure adamantite can carve the hard scales of the Golden Dragon."

Unbeknownst to her, tens of thousands of miles away from the material node of the Eternal Order Realm Anzeta Great Wasteland, Dragon Blood Mountain in the Anzeta Wasteland, an unusually large, hill-like Red Dragon exhaled a plume of Sulfur Scent white smoke and commanded to its side, "Lang Pu, prepare one hundred catties of refined gold for me."

At this moment, Keosius, with his own will, simultaneously controlled several giant dragons that were tens of thousands of miles apart, or even separated by the ethereal space, and memorized everything Tris had said.

He is stealing the legacy of the Skincarver Dragon.

Meanwhile, in the Unforgiven Valley in the Eternal Order Realm, Beatrice continued, "The runes on each of the Skincarver Dragon are different, each carved according to its own needs, but the original runes are basically the same, only divided into different schools."

For example, evil Blue Dragon and Green Dragon often have special beings such as Hell, tyrants, and demons carved on their bodies, and they may even carve the face of the Dragon Queen, as well as evil spells.

Our Eternal Order Realm carvings do not contain concrete objects, but rather runes written in the Draconic concerning the laws of world order.

The original runes only occupy 5% of the scales. The Skincarver Dragon needs to gradually follow the precepts and perfect itself, while the most successful Skincarver can cover 70% of its body with carvings.

This is the reward my father received from Lord Landis; it must not be revealed to anyone.

"Of course, keeping secrets is a virtue that every Golden Dragon should possess." Titus spread its wings and bowed its head in obedience.

Heh, of course I won't tell anyone else, but it's okay to "tell" myself, right? Keosius chuckled to himself.

"Alright, let's begin." Beatrice nodded slightly. After spending this time together, she had come to trust the noble character of this fellow tribesman and had no doubt that he harbored any ill intentions.

How could someone who has considered themselves a sinner and sealed away for thousands of years in order to suppress evil possibly covet their legacy?

Beatrice closed her eyes, recalling the primal runes her father had taught her. The adamantite carving knife flew through the air and landed on Titus's chest.

"Clang—"

A crisp sound rang out, like two pieces of metal rubbing against each other. Under Beatrice's control, the fine gold carving knife sliced across the "Golden Dragon's" chest at an extremely fast speed, sparks flying out.

Keosius could feel the scales on his chest being carved into by a fine gold engraving knife, revealing an exceptionally complex pattern.

—That is the word "order" written in the Draconic.

As soon as he finished writing the word, a faint light flashed in his chest, and a powerful force surged forth, pressing on his spirit and causing him to let out a muffled groan.

Beatrice's voice came. "Skin Carving is not only about carving scales, but also about cultivating the soul. The soul of the one being carved will also experience the same pain."

But this pain should be nothing to you, Titus.

The clanging sound rang out continuously as the fine gold carving knife danced in mid-air, repeatedly touching the scales of the Golden Dragon and leaving behind exquisite and harmonious carvings.

Where the fine gold carving tools had slashed, a faint light rose, making the carving marks particularly noticeable.

Keosius felt an incredibly solid fortress of order being built step by step, its walls growing higher and higher, gradually enveloping his body and mind.

This is the Skincarver Dragon, dedicated to perfecting the individual through intricate carving and long-term cultivation, in order to achieve a mysterious transcendence of the body, spirit, and even soul.

The ceremony lasted for several days. After all, the Ancient Gold Dragon's body was exceptionally large, and even for Tris, it would take considerable effort to leave a carving on its scales, which had become exceptionally hard due to the accumulation of time.

The head, neck, chest, abdomen, back, Limbs, and even tail of Titus are covered with interconnected and exquisitely coordinated runes.

"Truly... incredible power." Feeling the power of the runes on his body and the clarity of his mind, he murmured.

At this moment, the Ancient Gold Dragon's body resembled the most perfect work of art in the world, with supernatural power of order emanating from it.

"Titus, congratulations on becoming Skincarver. I hope you can suppress that power during your training and not fall into the Abyss," Beatrice said, looking at Titus's body, which was now covered with carvings.

Several days later, in the Anzeta Great Wasteland, Keosius withdrew most of his will. Although the clone in the Eternal Order Realm could only be considered a projection of his soul, it still required a considerable amount of energy.

"Clang—"

The Red Dragon mimicked Beatrice's actions, manipulating the carving knife to cut across its scales and carve marks on them.

However, his path to Skin Carving was not smooth. It should be noted that the scales of Keosius's body are known as "Gilded Scales," and their hardness is comparable to that of refined gold.

To this end, he added various enhancement spells to the adamantite carving knife, and with his own powerful strength, he was able to barely break through his own scales.

Even so, his seal carving was still extremely laborious, so much so that his progress was several days slower than Beatrice's.

"Piling up too much defense isn't always a good thing. Carving on your own scales is more tiring than fighting."

Keosius's hand holding the carving knife trembled slightly, and he couldn't help but sigh.

"Keng"

After painstakingly creating the last engraving, the Red Dragon finally completed its carving.

Instantly, that solid fortress of order appeared outside his body and mind, and a faint light emerged from the exquisite and intricate engravings.

[You have completed the Skin Carving Ritual and obtained the advanced profession path: [Skincarver Dragon]] To qualify as a Skincarver Dragon, a dragon must meet all of the following conditions.

Race: Any dragon.

Alignment: Arbitrary Lawful.

Natural Armor bonus: +20.

Base bonus: Willpower +12.

[You have met all the requirements to become the [Skincarver Dragon]. Do you confirm accepting this advanced class?] [Confirm.] Keosius chose to accept without hesitation. The inheritance he had tricked from the Golden Dragon would also enhance his physical and mental strength.

Such good things don't happen often.

[You gain an additional advanced class: [Skincarver Dragon]] The Skincarver Dragon are members of a mysterious organization composed of dragons and half-dragons. Their name comes from the markings etched on their scales that grant them incredible, mystical protection.

The Eternal Order Realm is one of the oldest and most ancient Skincarver Organization. Six hundred years ago, the Ancient Gold Dragon Fernant, with runes covering his entire body, killed an Abyss Lord had descended to earth in hand-to-hand combat.

[You gain a special ability: [Spell Resistance]] As Skincarver Dragon, the mysterious runes on your scales grant you supernatural protection against spells, spell-like abilities, and all special powers.

[You gain a special ability: [Poison Resistance]] You can block all toxins from entering your body, and even toxins that have entered your body will be expelled by the power of the runes.

[You gain the additional feats [Iron Will] [Suppress Weakness]] Iron Will: Through long training, you have used those mysterious symbols to forge an indestructible fortress within your own mind.

Even the most chaotic demons can hardly corrupt your mind, because your will is already as strong and hard as steel, and you gain the upper hand in all checks Contend Against chaos and fear.