Balerion's Skull

Stepping out of the room, Rhaegar shook off his attendant and walked down the stairs alone.

He seemed a bit flustered.

Who wouldn't be flustered after hitting the Queen's son?

Of course, he wasn't afraid.

Just as he blew out the candle, he heard a voice.

"Explorer System loaded successfully. Please find the lost treasure."

Rhaegar thought it was a lingering effect of his nightmare.

However, when he opened his eyes.

He was not only greeted by Aegon's cream attack.

But also a strange panel.

[Rhaegar Targaryen]

Talent: Dreamer (Gold)

Bloodline: Valyrian Dragonlord (5%)

Skills: Literature (Beginner), History (Beginner)

Relics: None

Evaluation: "A frail human cub, destined to die before the age of ten. A pity for such precious talent."

A simple, clean panel that described Rhaegar's personal situation.

Rhaegar was shocked, Rhaegar was confused, Rhaegar accepted...

While Alicent wiped the cream off him, he sorted out his thoughts and rejoiced at the system's appearance.

In the three years of nightmares, he had dreamed of many things.

Including scattered fragments of another unknown continent.

Green-skinned serpents, giant steel dragons, concrete skyscrapers...

He had some impression of the word "system."

It seemed to be a tool to help the useless achieve a comeback, perfect for him, a pathetic, weak, and helpless human cub.

In his joy, he couldn't help but give his dear brother Aegon a reward.

He hoped he would like it.

"Explorer, relics..."

"Coupled with the system's reminder, I should be looking for some ancient, valuable items."

Rhaegar analyzed rationally, his young face surprisingly serious.

Before leaving the room, he had already thought of something ancient and valuable enough.

Passing through the crowded great hall of the Red Keep.

Rhaegar arrived at an empty great hall where a statue of the Virgin Mary was displayed.

In the center of the great hall, a circular platform was built of stone.

On it rested the skull of an enormous dragon.

This was the skull of Aegon the Conqueror's dragon, Balerion, known as "The Black Dread."

Balerion was a legendary dragon.

From the time the Targaryen family migrated from Valyria, it had escorted the fleet.

And after Aegon the Conqueror came of age, it helped him conquer the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros in his campaigns.

After Aegon the Conqueror's death, it was tamed by his descendants and continued to serve.

Until Balerion was over 200 years old, it was tamed by Rhaegar's father, Viserys.

This dragon, which had swept across the continent of Westeros, soared over King's Landing three times with a young Viserys.

It was the last time it appeared before the public.

Shortly after, Balerion died.

It was over 200 years old at the time, the maximum lifespan for a dragon, and died of natural causes.

To commemorate this dragon of great merit, the Targaryen family placed its skull in the great hall of the Red Keep, where it was worshipped by future generations.

Rhaegar looked at the incomparably massive dragon skull before him, unable to think of anything more ancient or valuable.

"Balerion, thank you for your contribution to the Targaryen family. Please help me one more time."

Rhaegar's eyes were filled with anticipation as he prayed silently before the altar.

Stepping on a round stool, Rhaegar climbed onto the altar, which was over a meter high.

He touched the ferocious, crisscrossing dragon teeth on the skull. Each one was taller and thicker than he was.

Rhaegar carefully walked into the skull from the unobstructed rear, his small hands stroking the pale bone.

"Exploration mission started. Target: the skull of the Black Dread, Balerion."

The system prompt sounded abruptly, startling Rhaegar. He nervously looked around.

Little kids who crawled and jumped around were always punished.

He was also a child, afraid of his secret being discovered.

Fortunately, few people came to this great hall.

Rhaegar breathed a sigh of relief, and a prompt panel appeared before him.

[Skull of Balerion]

Exploration Progress: 0.2%

"What does this mean?"

Rhaegar withdrew his hand, and the panel changed.

[Skull of Balerion]

Exploration Progress: 0.2% (Paused)

"To explore a relic, I need to touch it with my body?"

Rhaegar suddenly understood and touched the skull again.

As expected, the exploration progress continued to increase.

"So that's how it is. All that's left is to wait patiently."

Rhaegar sat down with a plop, leaning against the skull to rest, occasionally touching it with his face and feet.

His body was too weak; he would pant after just a few steps.

He could only persist in exploring Balerion's skull today thanks to the adrenaline boost from his excited state.

Dusk fell as the sun gradually set.

A voice rang out, waking the sleeping Rhaegar.

"Exploration complete. Please collect the lost treasure."

Rhaegar, groggy with sleep, saw the system panel appear.

[Skull of Balerion]

Exploration Progress: 100%

"It's done. What treasure is there?"

Rhaegar immediately perked up.

He checked the panel, which only had a few lines of text.

Rhaegar tilted his head in confusion, recalling the word "collect" from the prompt just now.

He stood up and scanned his surroundings.

A red halo, the size of a watermelon, floated above the dragon's closed teeth on the giant dragon skull.

Rhaegar curiously stepped forward and slowly reached out to touch it.

Poof~

It seemed to pop like a bubble. The red halo exploded, turning into a small cluster of red light points that shot into his hand like fireworks.

"Relic collected successfully. Analyzing..."

"Analysis successful. Classified as a Legendary Relic: Dragon's Legacy."

"Legendary grade. I think I hit the jackpot."

Rhaegar murmured softly, and a dragon scale called Dragon's Legacy appeared in his mind.

With a thought, the dragon scale appeared in his hand.

The dragon scale was entirely black, covered in scars, and only the size of an adult's palm.

"A dragon scale, how do I use it?"

As Rhaegar examined the dragon scale, the text on the system panel changed.

"Blood of the Dragon. To claim the Dragon's Legacy, you must first be a true dragon."

"Blood of the Dragon..."

Rhaegar had a flash of inspiration.

As everyone knew, dragons were synonymous with flames.

Therefore, the activation method must be blood.

It must be the blood of a true dragon.

Rhaegar smiled.

He wasn't a dragon, but he was a pure Targaryen.

He held a dragon scale in one hand, his other hand close to the sharp edge of the scale.

He gritted his teeth, "I'll risk it."

With a shing, the dragon scale cut his thumb, and a trickle of blood flowed.

The dragon scale was stained with blood and emitted a red glow.

"Congratulations, Dragon's Legacy activated. You have obtained..."

[Blood of the Dragon]

Level: Legendary (Red)

Effect: Flame Resistance +50%

Evaluation: "True dragons do not fear flames, and neither do Targaryens."

The dragon scale shattered, turning to dust that blew away in the wind.

Before Rhaegar could react, a blush appeared on his pale face, and his skin gradually grew hot.

The sensation wasn't unpleasant.

It was a bit like snuggling in a warm bed on a winter day with a cozy fireplace nearby.

His body was filled with warmth.

The feeling came and went quickly.

The burning sensation disappeared, Rhaegar's skin became smoother, and his originally pale face improved.

At least, he was no longer in a weakened state where he could die at any moment.

He looked like someone who had just recovered from a serious illness.

"Increased flame resistance, what kind of ability is this?"

Rhaegar walked to the edge of the altar, where candles were densely arranged in a circle.

He lit a candle and placed his hand over the flame.

Thinking is useless; it's better to try.

When his hand touched the flame, the first sensation was warmth.

As time passed and he felt more heat, it began to feel scorching.

A drop of candle wax dripped onto his hand, and Rhaegar frowned slightly, feeling a slight pain.

He blew out the candle, and Rhaegar now understood the effect of flame resistance.

"Being burned by fire still hurts, but the damage taken is limited."

This is a new book by a new author. Please forgive any imperfections; the author will strive to create.

Language is a sharp knife that can wound. The author has a fragile psyche and is easily affected by some reviews, leading to burnout.