Dragon King: Throne of Demons and Gods
Chapter 64: Chains of Ambition

Chapter 64: Chains of Ambition

Bel’s breath came out in thick mist, swirling around him.

He opened and closed his hands slowly, watching the blue aura that danced across his skin like frostfire.

"Wow... I knew this would be good," he muttered, staring at his palms. "But not this good."

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[Draconic Evolution System]

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Name: Belzerion

Title: Abyssal Tyrant

Race: Dragon

Class: Abyssal Lindworm

Level: 44

EXP: 64,200/90,000

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Core Stats:

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HP: 1,850/1,850

MP: 670/670

Strength: 194

Toughness: 184

Intelligence: 184

Speed: 184

Agility: 169

Stamina: 177

Pressure: 85

Unassigned Stat Points: 5

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Draconic Core: 73%

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Unlocked Traits:

- Final Wyrm

- Burning Soul (Advanced)

- Sheer Cold

- Enhanced Perception

- Lingworm’s Ascendance

- Lingworm Armor

- Abyssal Pressure

- Dragonheart

- Elemental Convergence – Stage 1

- Elemental Absorption

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Unlocked Skills:

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- Imp Slayer

- Fire Mastery (Abyssal)

- Greater Ice Mastery

- Toxic

- Reptilian Slayer

- Piercing Strike

- Draconic Regeneration

- Conceal

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He blinked.

"Where the hell does that come from?"

He stared harder at the stats, stunned. Three stats had jumped levels like leveling up several times in one go.

"Just from one core? How?!"

But then it hit him. A slow realization crept into his brain.

"Wait... this was a boss. A boss from a category D dungeon... stronger than the snake."

He looked at his glowing hand. The frost from earlier still lingered, curling in thin tendrils around his fingers.

"So... what if I ate more?"

His eyes widened.

"Stronger cores. Bosses from Category C... B... or even A."

His breath caught. The idea exploded in his head like a thunderclap. He could get stronger, way stronger.

Each core didn’t just give him traits or techniques, they evolved into something better.

And not just a little. The stats he had just gained... it was the kind of jump that took him a long time farming for a mere 5 points to allocate.

He clenched his fist. A soft crackle echoed, and a small burst of blue frost flashed between his knuckles.

"I can get anything," he whispered. "Any ability. Any trait. As long as I keep eating... I just keep growing."

A slow grin pulled at his lips.

"Vezalia... looks like you win. I’ll call your name. But I won’t be the same one you fought."

Days later, in the courtyard of the palace, a beautiful carriage waited for the Duke and his followers.

Standing near the carriage were the Duke, and his wife, with Crest, Elysia, Will, and Sienna gathered around to say goodbye.

The duke adjusted his cloak, glancing thoughtfully at his son.

"So, Crest," he began softly, trying to sound casual. "You’ve been rather busy lately. Is everything... going well?"

Crest smiled faintly, nodding.

"Yes, father. Everything’s fine. Our party just conquered another dungeon. We’re becoming stronger. We also found something important, but we decided to only mention it to the guild. Our leaders are planning to reveal it soon."

The duke chuckled warmly.

"I see. You’re truly set on this adventurer’s path, aren’t you?"

Crest straightened a little.

"I am. I’ve made my decision. I know I have to be your successor in the future, but..."

He paused briefly, gathering his courage.

"Right now... I want to become strong on my own terms. I don’t want to be powerless again. I want to protect our people by my own strength, not just by my name. And fight hard enough to become the next hero."

The Duke watched his son carefully. Deep inside, a small smile tugged at his heart. He had always wanted Crest to follow his own path, though he knew that one day, Crest would inevitably stand where he stood now.

Still, he couldn’t help but secretly cheer for his son’s bold spirit. He placed a firm hand on Crest’s shoulder, his eyes warm with pride.

"If becoming an adventurer is truly your wish, then you have my blessing. Just remember to uphold the honor of our family."

"Of course, Father," Crest responded earnestly.

Beside them, the duchess watched nervously, her eyes glistening slightly.

"Crest, my dear, promise me you’ll stay safe," she said softly.

Crest smiled gently at his mother.

"I promise, Mother."

With final hugs exchanged, the duke and duchess turned to leave. Crest turned quickly toward Will and Sienna.

"Alright, you two should go back home with my parents."

Will immediately protested.

"But I’m your future knight! It’s my duty to follow you and protect you!"

Crest sighed, turning fully to face him.

"Protect me? Will, don’t take it wrong, but let’s be honest. You’re not strong enough yet. You’ve seen what’s out there. Go back, train properly, and next time we meet, we’ll fight side by side."

"But—!" Will started, only to be silenced by Elysia’s hand gently placed on his shoulder.

"Crest is right," Elysia said softly. "You’re brave, Will, but bravery alone won’t protect anyone. You need more training."

Will’s shoulders slumped slightly. His fists tightened even more, shaking a little as he tried to hold back his disappointment.

"I just... wanted to stay by your side," he said quietly, voice cracking a bit. "It’s finally getting fun, and I thought... I could keep up."

Crest watched him, sensing Will’s struggle. Elysia stepped closer, gently placing her hand on Will’s shoulder, offering a comforting smile.

"Will, you know it’s not forever," she said softly, with a little sadness in her voice. "You’ll get stronger, and soon you’ll stand beside Crest without hesitation."

Will took a slow, reluctant breath, the fight going out of him. He nodded slowly, his voice quiet.

"Fine... I’ll go. But I swear, next time I’ll be strong enough."

Elysia smiled sadly, squeezing his shoulder gently. Crest exhaled with relief, then turned to Sienna.

"And you too. You should—"

"Actually, I can’t leave," she said promptly.

Crest paused, confused, his brows drawing together tightly.

"What do you mean you can’t leave?" he asked.

Sienna looked away briefly, her voice remaining calm and gentle.

"I’ve... recently become a knight for another noble who plans to stay here in the capital."

There was a heavy silence afterward; Will, Crest, and Elysia all stood stunned, unable to immediately process her words.

"Another noble?" Crest repeated, his voice rising slightly. "Since when? Who even..."

"Dusteria," Sienna interrupted, her tone casual as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "She needed a new knight since Bel isn’t her knight anymore. And, well, I was already fighting alongside everyone, so it just... made sense."

Crest stared at her, eyes wide in disbelief. It took him a moment to process everything.

"You’re joking, right?" he said, his voice rising. "This sounds like something you planned together. You both just wanted a reason to stay!"

Sienna widened her eyes innocently, feigning surprise.

"Planned? Oh no, no, it’s just a coincidence. Dusteria’s father wants to stay close to Bel, apparently, so she’s staying, and she’s still a noble, so she needs a knight, and I’m her friend and was available... Simple as that."

"Sienna," Crest snapped, his voice sharper than he intended, "after what happened in that dungeon, you should know better. The time for games is over. You still want to mess around?!"

Sienna’s cheerful façade faded slightly. She looked aside, her expression softening into a quiet sadness.

"Maybe you’re right, Crest," she murmured. Then, slowly, she lifted her gaze, meeting his eyes with quiet determination. "But you really should be nicer to your friends. At least say directly what you want... or don’t want. But you know what? Don’t worry. We’re not doing this because of you."

Crest stared at her, momentarily speechless. Something in her words, or maybe the look in her eyes, made him realize that Sienna had truly changed, and the reason why was exactly the answer to her declaration.

Days later, the guild was buzzing with whispers. News about the strange girl who appeared inside the dungeon quickly spread.

Rumors said she was a demon and that Bel had defeated her single-handedly. The guild leaders were alarmed. They quickly informed the kingdom, planning important meetings to discuss this event.

At the same time, Bel’s incredible achievements did not go unnoticed. For his remarkable achievement and skills, the guild promoted him to an Iron Rank adventurer.

The news stirred excitement and jealousy among the adventurers. No one in a long time had risen through the ranks this quickly before.

Some admired Bel, calling him a prodigy and a hero, while others quietly questioned if he was really as strong as they said.

Bel, however, paid no attention to the whispers. He had bigger plans on his mind.

Standing before the swirling purple vortex of a dungeon, Bel massaged his hands, preparing for the challenges ahead.

"Ready for another adventure?" Lyraen’s cheerful voice interrupted his thoughts as she stepped beside him.

"Always," Bel replied, simply

"So? What’s on the menu today? We let you do your thing a wait outside again, or you let us have some dignity?" she asked casually, adjusting her gloves.

Bel smiled faintly.

"Depending on what we’ll find inside. I hate leftovers, so I would hate if you killed something I really wanted."

Just then, Ronan joined them, looking a little tense.

"Are we really going to do this? Three dungeons in three days?"

Bel glanced at him calmly.

"It was just an excuse to let us have them. It’s optional."

"Optional?" Ronan blinked. "What’s optional?"

Bel stretched his fingers, his eyes glowing slightly.

"The number of days. I only chose three as an experiment."

He stepped toward the rift.

"And that experiment starts now."