The Adamant Dragon Sovereign didn't hesitate for even a second.
He swallowed the black orb whole.
A fresh wave of violent, chaotic energy exploded from his body, shaking the ground and sky alike.
"Vorath! You truly are a friend to the Adamant Dragon clan! Hahaha!" the Sovereign roared with laughter, his voice echoing like thunder across the realm.
But beside him, the Skyfiend Overlord—Vorath—smirked, a glint of madness and mockery flashing in his eyes.
In an instant, the dark energy surged outward, sweeping across the battlefield like a plague. It seeped into the Adamant Dragons, infecting their bodies, their minds, their very souls.
And just like that, a huge portion of the Adamant Dragon warriors fell under Vorath's control.
Puppets. Every last one of them.
Meanwhile, deep in the forest, Ethan and Idra had managed to slip away into the dense undergrowth. With their power, evading pursuit wasn't too difficult—but fighting off the entire Adamant Dragon clan? That was a different story.
They had no choice but to retreat for now.
Still, Ethan couldn't shake the shock.
He hadn't expected this.
The Adamant Dragons—once proud, unshakable warriors—had become pawns. Corrupted. Twisted. If this continued, the entire clan would fall under Sky Citadel's control.
And when that happened… things would get very bad.
"Father," Idra suddenly said, her voice low and uncertain, "I think… there's something here."
Ethan blinked. "What do you mean, something?"
Before she could answer, the ground beneath them exploded.
A massive chasm tore open at their feet, revealing a bottomless abyss that seemed to stretch into the core of the world.
"What the hell…?" Ethan muttered, stunned.
"It's down there," Idra said, her voice steady now. "I can feel it."
Ethan hesitated for only a moment—then dove in.
As they descended, the earth trembled around them. And then, a voice echoed up from the depths—ancient, powerful, and laced with suspicion.
"A Dragon God… with pure Primordial Celestial Dragon blood? Impossible. Who are you? How do you possess such power?!"
The voice was old—so old it felt like it had been buried for centuries. But the pressure behind it was immense, so heavy it made Ethan and Idra's bodies tremble involuntarily.
"Great," Ethan muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Another monster-level powerhouse…"
As they reached the bottom, his expression shifted.
There, in the shadows of the abyss, chained to the jagged stone wall, was an old man.
His body was battered and broken, wrapped in thick, rune-etched chains. Golden blood oozed from countless wounds, pooling around him and casting a soft glow that lit the cavern in a haunting light.
Despite his condition, the power radiating from him was insane. Wild. Untamed. Even in this state, he felt like a force of nature barely held in check.
And something about that power… felt familiar.
"This is Adamant Dragon energy… Who the hell are you?" Ethan asked, stunned.
The old man let out a dry, bitter laugh. "Me? I'm the Adamant Dragon Sovereign… or at least, I was. That was a long time ago."
His voice was laced with sarcasm and self-mockery.
"Let me guess—you're being hunted, right? Chased down like dogs? Yeah… sounds about right."
Ethan and Idra froze.
The previous Adamant Dragon Sovereign?
Ethan stood in silence for a long moment, his gaze fixed on the old Sovereign. He still wasn't entirely convinced—until he slowly extended his hand and let a stream of Dragon God energy flow into the old man's body.
The Sovereign didn't resist. He just sat there, letting the power seep into him, his expression calm, almost resigned.
Time passed—how long, Ethan couldn't tell.
Eventually, he withdrew his hand, his expression darkening.
"…Why are you here? Still chained up ? If you were the Adamant Dragon Sovereign, then who the hell is that guy outside?"
The old Sovereign let out a long, weary sigh.
He yanked at the chains binding him, the sound echoing through the cavern like a funeral bell.
"Our clan… was betrayed," he said bitterly. "By someone I trusted more than anyone—my own second-in-command. He was seduced by the Skyfiend Overlord's dark power. In secret, he allied with Vorath of Sky Citadel and began corrupting the minds of our people. One by one, they fell—first their power spiraled out of control, then they lost themselves completely. Now they're nothing but puppets."
He looked down at the chains, his voice low.
"I tried to stop him. But they turned on me. Together, they overpowered me and sealed me here with these cursed chains. Now… most of the Adamant Dragon clan is under Vorath's control. And soon… there may be nothing left of us at all."
Ethan's eyes widened. "You're serious?!"
"I wish I wasn't," the old Sovereign muttered, his voice heavy with regret. "But that's the truth. And now… this is all that's left of me."
Ethan stepped closer, inspecting the chains. His eyes narrowed as he examined the runes etched into the metal, then activated his system to scan them.
Over a hundred different energy signatures.
Compressed into a single set of runes.
The sheer density of power was staggering.
No wonder the old Sovereign couldn't move. These weren't just chains—they were a prison forged from a hundred different kinds of suppression magic, all woven together with terrifying precision.
"Can these be broken?" Ethan asked, running his fingers over the glowing symbols.
He was already thinking ahead. The Adamant Dragon clan was spiraling into darkness. If they were allowed to fall completely into Sky Citadel's hands, it would be a massive blow to Emerald Castle.
But if he could free this man…
If he could restore the true Sovereign…
There might still be hope.
The old Sovereign gave a bitter chuckle and rattled the chains again.
"Don't waste your strength. These things were made to hold me. You won't break them."
Ethan frowned. "That's not what I wanted to hear."
Idra suddenly let out a sharp cry, her wings flaring wide as she jumped back. The source of thɪs content is N()velFire.net
"Father! Look—there!"
Ethan's head snapped up—and his heart dropped.
The walls around them weren't made of stone.
They were made of bone.
Massive, interlocked bones—white, ancient, and cold. They weren't just placed there. They were embedded into the rock, fused with it, forming a seamless, grotesque lattice.
And every single bone was covered in runes.
Some were scorched black, as if branded by fire. Others glowed with a sickly red light, like they were still bleeding. The runes twisted and writhed, forming a massive, interconnected seal that pulsed with dark energy.
Ethan's breath caught in his throat.
This wasn't just a prison.
He could feel it now—the whispers, the low, guttural moans echoing from deep within the walls. The cries of the dead. The rage of fallen dragons.
These weren't just bones.
They were the remains of the Adamant Dragon clan.
Used as the foundation of the seal.
Their bodies had been carved into runes. Their souls twisted into chains. Their deaths turned into a weapon.
Vorath hadn't just imprisoned the Sovereign.
He'd butchered the clan.
And used their corpses to build the cage.
Ethan's fists clenched. His jaw tightened.
This was beyond cruelty. This was desecration.
The Skyfiend Overlord had slaughtered the Adamant Dragons, ripped their souls from their bodies, and fused them into the very walls of this place. Their bones had been branded with blood magic, their spirits bound into a massive curse array that kept the old Sovereign locked in place.
And now, those same spirits—twisted by pain and rage—were the very force suppressing him.
A prison made from the corpses of his own people.
A curse forged from their hatred.
Ethan could feel it pressing down on him, thick and suffocating. The air was heavy with grief, fury, and despair.
"…Vorath," he growled, eyes burning. "You sick bastard."
He turned to the old Sovereign, his voice low but firm.
"We're getting you out of here. I don't care what it takes."