To upgrade the Silver Half-Dragon’s Lament to Gold, Han Wu needed to kill 100 Silver half-dragons and one Gold half-dragon. For ordinary adventurers, this task would depend heavily on luck. Finding a Gold half-dragon in the vast palace was exceptionally difficult. Only a rare few talented half-dragons could ever hope to reach Gold. Even then, defeating one was no easy feat.
Han Wu had a solution. Thanks to Gene Recombination, he could synthesize Gold, Platinum, or even Diamond half-dragons as long as he had enough half-dragons to use as materials.
He ordered his ten Gold monsters to capture as many half-dragons as possible and used Gene Recombination on them. In just half a day, the world’s first half-dragon with four tails and eight claws came into existence. As it struggled to adjust to its new body, Han Wu struck it down with his greatsword and obtained the Gold title.
The new title did not grant him any new skills but instead strengthened his existing ones. When he used Half Dragonification again, he noticed both his arms had turned completely black, now resistant to most elemental and physical attacks.
Elated, he set his sights on fully unlocking the Black Dragon King Transformation here in the Title Civilization. Achieving that could elevate him to a High Lord life form. Driven by this goal, he started hunting every half-dragon he encountered.
Three days passed as he continued his relentless slaughter. He had killed so many that the half-dragons’ default affinity toward him shifted to Nemesis. Any half-dragon that spotted him would launch a reckless attack, caring little for its own survival.
This worked to his advantage, drawing even more half-dragons into his path. Among them was Bakir, the strongest half-dragon on this floor and their undisputed king, who now also launched an attack against him.
Bakir towered several times over a typical half-dragon, was a master of lightning skills, and possessed sharp intelligence. When it saw Han Wu cutting down half-dragons left and right, it flew into a rage and ordered the others to stop approaching.
With no more half-dragons left to kill, Han Wu turned his attention to Bakir itself. As a Platinum monster, Bakir possessed formidable strength. Han Wu activated Half Dragonification and wielded his Genocider-crafted greatsword, yet he was surprised to discover that their power was evenly matched.
At the same time, Bakir sensed the blood of the Great Dragons coursing through Han Wu’s veins. Half-dragons were said to descend from unions between Great Dragons and humans, and they held that bloodline in deep reverence. Bakir saw a chance to lead the half-dragons out of their prison. It recognized Han Wu’s extraordinary skill and the strength of his Great Dragon heritage.
As their king, Bakir’s lifelong goal was to free all half-dragons from the cursed Sky Palace. Still, despite being a Platinum monster, Bakir had never found a way to escape using only the strength of half-dragons. Han Wu’s arrival gave it new hope.
“Human, let us cease fighting and talk,” Bakir proposed. “I want to negotiate.”
Han Wu lowered his greatsword but remained wary. Bakir did not press and sat down, explaining the plight of the half-dragons and its plan. “My life is yours to command if you agree to free the half-dragons from the Sky Palace’s prison.”
Han Wu scoffed. “And what if I go back on my word? I could kill you now and leave the rest to rot.”
“I’m afraid of that. But I have no other choice. As their king, I’m prepared to give everything for even a sliver of hope,” Bakir answered truthfully.
Han Wu felt a flicker of respect for Bakir’s sincerity. To sweeten the offer, Bakir revealed a secret. “If you accept, I will tell you how to obtain a certain Diamond title.”
Han Wu’s interest peaked. “Speak.”
“The Sky Palace is alive,” Bakir said quietly. “But none of the adventurers here know this unless they earn the Sky Palace’s approval.”
Han Wu recalled a rumor from before entering. Those who cleared every floor perfectly would receive the Sky Palace’s blessing. Now, he wondered whether it really was true.
Bakir nodded, confirming the rumor. “To clear a floor perfectly on your first try, you have to kill the strongest individual on that floor the first time you enter. If you kill me, you will clear the first floor of the Sky Palace perfectly.”
Han Wu frowned. “What’s the point of that? Even if I clear this floor perfectly, there are still six more to go. I doubt the other floor leaders will just line up and surrender.”
Bakir had already considered that. “Don’t worry. I’ve sensed the Great Dragon bloodline in you, and it’s on the verge of awakening. If you kill me, your title will upgrade and your bloodline will fully awaken. You’ll become powerful enough that none of the kings on the remaining floors will be able to stop you.”
Han Wu could tell Bakir was serious. It genuinely intended to sacrifice itself for the sake of its race. But the more sincere it became, the less Han Wu wanted to kill it. He wanted to bring Bakir into his divine realm; killing it would be a waste.
He considered for a moment, then proposed a solution. “You say I have to kill the strongest being on every floor to clear it perfectly, right? I have an idea.”
Bakir nodded. This was a matter of its own life and the future of its race. It would never lie.
“Then it’s simple. I’ll just nurture a half-dragon far stronger than you,” Han Wu said with a calm smile, then gave Bakir its instructions.
Though unsure of his intentions, Bakir obeyed without question. Han Wu activated Gene Recombination, merging 1,000 half-dragons into a Diamond half-dragon. The result was a powerful but unwieldy half-dragon, burdened with too many limbs to move or attack effectively. In the end, Han Wu stabbed it to death. As it died, a notification appeared, confirming that he had cleared the first floor perfectly.
Han Wu glanced at the interface and let out a long breath. “It’s done.”
At that moment, his Half-Dragon’s Lament title turned into a Diamond title called Half-Dragon’s Hope. Its effects had also changed drastically. The first effect became Black Dragon Transformation, which fully awakened his bloodline and granted him the power to transform into his Black Dragon Form. The second effect set the affinity of all half-dragons toward him to Reverence.