After the curse was lifted

He carefully slid down from Ehm's back and stood to one side, watching with interest as the three dragons-a Black Dragon restored to health,

a weathered Red Dragon, and a lively, adorable little golden dragon-shared this "visiting gift."

The air was filled with the smell of blood and the charred aroma of roasted meat, along with the dragons' heavy breathing.

Redd knew that once they had eaten and drunk their fill, it would truly be time for him to show his sincerity.

He waited patiently, his gaze occasionally sweeping over the old red dragon as he considered how to make him acknowledge him as his master.

Redd stood to one side, watching the three dragons burp contentedly or lazily lie down to bask in the sun.

He knew that winning one over was no easy task, especially an old red dragon like this one, who had lived for who knew how many years.

The system in his mind displayed cold text, reminding him:

There were no coercive means. Only with the other's willing acceptance could that unbreakable contract of eternal loyalty be signed.

This meant he had to win its trust, or even... friendship.

Simply bringing food clearly isn't enough, Redd thought.

Though this old dragon looked battered, its intelligence was certainly no less than an adult human's, and might even surpass it.

It could surely understand human speech; it simply could not respond in human language.

Laying everything out directly might be too abrupt. I should address its most pressing problem first.

Redd took a deep breath and made his decision.

He had to help the old dragon break its curse first. This was both a gesture of goodwill and the best way to prove his worth.

Once it recovered from its pain and weakness, its state of mind would naturally be calmer, and it would more readily accept his proposal.

He opened the system storage again, this time taking out his longsword and a rather antique-looking goblet.

The longsword made a clean cut across his palm, and warm blood immediately welled up. He steadily brought the goblet close, filling one small cup with crimson blood, no more and no less.

Watching the blood sway in the cup, Redd calculated inwardly.

I used my blood to lift Ehm's curse too, and the results were remarkable.

This amount should be enough to remove the curse inside the old dragon.

He glanced at the cut on his palm. It had taken less than five minutes for the wound to heal completely!

Redd was inwardly astonished. This recovery was even faster than yesterday. It seemed the enhancement from King Ghidorah's power was becoming increasingly apparent. It really was getting more and more impressive.

After confirming that the wound had healed completely, Redd carefully returned the longsword to the system storage,

then held the cup of blood, containing his bloodline and vitality, steadily in both hands as he slowly approached the old red dragon.

It had just finished eating and was lying lazily on the ground. Its enormous head turned sideways, its hollow eye sockets seeming to study him.

Redd remembered that on the previous occasion, he had briefly touched the old dragon's snout, and it had not attacked.

He tentatively reached out and gently patted its rock-hard nose, keeping his movements as gentle as possible.

The old dragon seemed somewhat impatient, a low rumble rising in its throat, but it showed no hostility.

"Easy, old fellow." Redd tried to make his voice sound gentle. "I've brought a 'gift' that can help rid you of your trouble."

He lightly patted its snout again, then made an "open" gesture, signaling for it to open its mouth.

The old dragon seemed a little puzzled, tilting its enormous head slightly,

but eventually, slowly and with a trace of wariness, it opened its gaping maw, large enough to swallow several adults.

A strong stench of sulfur and decay washed over him.

Redd seized the opportunity and carefully poured the cup of blood into the old dragon's mouth.

The blood slid down its throat, and a peculiar swallowing sound rose from within.

Redd immediately stepped back several paces, watching its reactions all the while.

He knew that now, it was time to wait for a miracle.

Redd had just taken a step back when a familiar, slightly warm pressure pressed against his back.

He turned to see that Ehm had gently nuzzled him with its enormous head,

seemingly very satisfied with the feast it had just shared with King Ghidorah, and wanting to share in this closeness too.

Redd smiled knowingly and reached out to gently stroke Ehm's hard snout. Feeling the warmth beneath its rough scales, he grew a little more settled.

His attention was soon drawn back to the old red dragon ahead.

Redd held his breath and watched with complete concentration.

At the very instant the blood slipped down its throat, he seemed to hear something-a faint, shrill sound,

like a human's dying scream, or some invisible life-form wailing and struggling.

The sound was extremely brief, as though it existed only in his imagination. When he tried to catch it again, he heard nothing but the old dragon's heavy breathing.

But illusion or not, the changes in the old dragon's body were very real.

Before Redd's eyes, the old dragon's formerly dull, lusterless crimson scales

seemed to regain their sheen inch by inch, growing brighter, as though new vitality had been poured into them.

Even more astonishing were the fleshy growths that had once densely covered its entire body like tumors,

which were now visibly receding and shrinking, as swiftly as melting snow and ice.

"It's working!" Wild joy surged through Redd, and he clenched his fists.

He knew that the blood he had offered had truly begun to work. The curse on the old dragon was being stripped away little by little!

The next hour seemed to stretch out.

Redd stood motionless, watching the old dragon with tension and anticipation.

As time ticked by, those troublesome growths vanished completely, and the old dragon's skin became smooth and tough once more,

and though it was still covered in crimson scales, that heart-wrenching sense of misery and horror had disappeared without a trace.

In its place were crisscrossing scars beneath the skin, some deep and some shallow, marks left by time and countless battles.

Its pair of membranous wings, once as ragged and rotten as torn cloth, still looked somewhat damaged,

but the rotting flesh and pus-filled sores covering them had vanished too, exposing the sturdier bones and tendons beneath.

Now, although the old dragon still bore traces of injury and illness,

it gave off an entirely different air-the calm, sharp majesty of a weathered battlefield veteran who had endured the baptism of blood and fire.

What surprised Redd most were its eyes. Those draconic eyes, once dull and clouded as though coated in dust,

had become extraordinarily keen, like two masses of burning lava, shining with a light that seemed to see through everything as they stared fixedly ahead, as though assessing Redd.