Buffs

Viserys gently rested his hand on Silverwing's head.

Silverwing gazed at Viserys with gentle eyes, and a relaxed smile crossed his face.

He lowered his hand.

An idea suddenly struck Baelon. "Father, would you like to try riding Silverwing?"

"I can't."

Viserys looked up at Silverwing and sighed.

"I can't, Baelon."

With buffs on his mind, Baelon was in no mood to say anything more at this.

Once Viserys and Orwyle had slowly returned to the safety of the castle, he immediately rode Vermithor at a furious pace to the cliffs beneath Dragonstone Castle's Sea Dragon Tower.

But Silverwing refused to approach Dragonstone Castle, despite Vermithor's repeated roars.

In the end, after circling the sky a few times, Silverwing spread her wings and flew toward Dragonmont.

Great waves struck the black rocks, spraying foam like snow. Dragonstone was dark and craggy, with few lush meadows.

Baelon stroked Vermithor affectionately. That ferocious big head-so handsome!

That flat chest was nothing like the bulging, birdlike chests of other dragons!

So unique!

And that big belly...

Well... so distinguished!

Baelon closed his eyes, his face full of adoration.

"For dragons, strength is everything!"

"Once you get a round of buffs, you'll set the standard for dragon beauty."

He explained carefully, "Vermithor, you're a grown dragon. When we enter the Trial Space, we'll slaughter everything together!"

Let's set a small goal first!

One challenge attempt, one life, a no-damage speedrun through ninety-nine stages!

Baelon chose a spot dozens of meters away from Vermithor, lest the dragon shift while receiving a buff and accidentally injure him.

He tucked the unwashed sleepwear he had never used beneath his head as a pillow, lay down, and went to sleep.

[Host: Baelon Targaryen

Strength: 2.1

Agility: 3.2

Constitution: (+2)

Charisma: 12 (+9)]

[Pet-"Bronze Fury" Vermithor (selected)

Current affinity: level 2

Note: the talent module will unlock when the host's affinity with the dragon reaches level 4.]

[Talent one: Blood and Fire as One (unlocks at affinity level 4)

Talent effect: the host will share the dragon's resistance to the high temperatures of flames.]

Baelon's eyes lit up.

Good, good, good!

Although this still did not make him truly The Unburnt, it would be enough to keep him alive in most flames!

Besides, this talent was perfect for playing supernatural tricks... no, for pretending to bestow divine blessings.

Better still, since there was a talent one, there would be a talent two!

[Currently available stage: Death Forest, stage one

Stage monster: white wolf

Challenge attempts: 3

Enter?]

[Yes!]

The next second, Baelon's vision went dark.

When he opened his eyes again, there was the familiar grass, the familiar forest, the familiar moonlit night.

The only unfamiliar thing was Vermithor, who was entering the Trial Space for the first time and looking around warily.

Three white wolves the size of calves slowly emerged from the deep, dark forest and charged at Baelon.

[White wolf lv.1

Health: 500

Attack: 30

Defense: 50]

As before, Baelon kept an inscrutable smile on his face.

He calmly turned around, putting his back to the wolves.

Baelon spread his arms to soothe Vermithor, who was somewhat agitated by the sudden change in surroundings.

[Vermithor

Health

Attack

Defense]

Baelon turned his head and watched the white wolves charging fearlessly and bravely toward him.

Over the past six years, it was not as though he had never tried entering the Trial Space to hone his combat skills.

But he entered this damned place as a soul!

In other words, he could not bring weapons in, leaving him to suffer narrow defeats at the white wolves' paws again and again.

But now, things were different.

His chance to wash away his past humiliation had arrived!

The three white wolves closed in menacingly, their eerie green eyes filled with the desire to kill.

Vermithor stared fixedly at the white wolves, a low rumble rising in his throat, displeased as though he had been provoked.

Baelon leisurely took a step to the left and stopped beside Vermithor's head.

He said softly, "Dragonfire."

The next second, light and heat erupted.

Beside Baelon, that towering mountain split open.

It revealed a row of sharp black teeth.

A torrent of fire hundreds of times brighter than a torch surged out, vast flames sweeping over the ground.

Green grass, white wolves-everything vanished beneath a sea of fire.

Baelon stood quietly where he was, smiling as he admired the molten-gold sea of fire amid the rolling heat.

It was truly dazzling and violent.

The Dragonfire a dragon breathed was usually the same color as the dragon.

Three transparent cards appeared on the system interface.

[Available buffs (choose one of three):

1. Field of Fire · Blue lv.1: Dragonfire temperature +3%

2. Behemoth · Blue lv.1: size +2%

3. Sharp as a Blade · Blue lv.1: damage dealt by claws +5%]

Although the third option offered +5%, he ruled it out immediately.

Between the Field of Fire and Behemoth buffs, Baelon chose the second, Behemoth, without hesitation: size +2%.

Hesitate?

There was no need to hesitate at all!

Leaving aside the fact that, given Vermithor's damage output, the two of them would definitely earn plenty of buffs today.

Although Dragonfire was a dragon's primary means of attack.

Vermithor could melt a knight's armor into molten iron. His Dragonfire's temperature exceeded 2,000 degrees, so a 3% increase meant around sixty degrees more.

But Vermithor was a hundred meters long, and a 2% increase in size could add around four meters.

The bigger a dragon was, the better.

The only concern was growing too large to fly, like Balerion in his later years.

The next second, the card turned into a streak of golden light and shot into Vermithor's throat.

Vermithor's huge pupils abruptly contracted!

As though enraged, the dragon sent wisps of black smoke streaming from his nostrils, twisting his neck back and forth and baring his sharp teeth as he searched restlessly for an enemy.

"Vermithor, calm down!"

"Calm down!"

Ever since the system's notification had sounded for the first time in ages, Baelon had been able to vaguely sense Vermithor's emotions.

A semi-two-way connection had formed between him and Vermithor. It was no longer just the dragon sensing his rider's emotions.

"Don't be afraid!"

"No matter what happens, I'm right here."

Dragons could already sense their riders' emotions.

This wondrous connection made it easier for them to resonate with their riders' emotions, rather than be directed by commands in Valyrian.

When anger burned in a rider's chest, the dragon would likewise be set aflame with fury.

When a rider died, even at a great distance, the dragon could sense the rider's passing, sink into grief and sorrow, and turn savage.

According to the Dragonkeepers, when Daemon fought in a rage in the streets, Caraxes, far away in the Dragonpit, would also become more savage at the same time.

When Daemon was wounded, Caraxes, though unharmed, would seem to have been struck as well, crying out in pain along with him.

The dragon's roar was Daemon's voice.

At that moment.

Affected by Baelon's calm emotions, Vermithor grew docile. His tail no longer thrashed violently against the ground, and he no longer twisted his neck restlessly.

Baelon let out a breath of relief, his gaze falling to his left hand.

Originally, the fingertips of his left hand had rested against the edge of a bronze scale.

But now, that sharp edge had suddenly moved nearly a centimeter away from his fingertips.

Baelon stepped back, about to take a closer look at the dragon.

Suddenly!

Vermithor thrust his head forward, scattering the sea of fire. His sharp teeth snapped shut, swallowing a scorched piece of prey.

He moved so swiftly that Baelon had no time to react!

Holy shit!

"Spit!"

"Spit it out!" So startled that he immediately unleashed a Great Wilderness Imprisoning Heaven Finger at Vermithor, Baelon shouted.

You don't even know whether that's edible, and you're eating it!

One day you'll eat yourself to death, and then you'll learn!

And it hasn't even dropped any loot yet, but you've swallowed it whole?!

He pointed a finger at Vermithor's nose.

Vermithor snorted two streams of air from his nostrils, clearly rather unhappy.

"Spit it out!" Baelon said firmly.

At last, Vermithor opened his mouth with a low growl and used his tongue to push out half a wolf carcass.

The wolf carcass was covered in foul-smelling saliva.

The dragon used his mouth to push the prey in front of Baelon.