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TWL Chapter 355: Power, Pride, and a Dragon’s Debt
🕑 Added 2025-04-08 20:52:39 +0000 UTCLann glanced at his [Follower] system panel, then turned to survey the Red Dragon’s hoard—piles of treasure and magical relics glittering in the dim light of the cave. He wondered how many of those enchanted items could be used to extract ability points.
At the moment, he had only one ability point left. What’s more, he hadn’t anticipated that the Red Dragon would be this fertile—she’d laid four eggs.
And that wasn’t even counting the skill points he would need to spend contracting with Keltullis.
...
Elsewhere in the cave, as the Red Dragon processed Lann’s words, the temperature around them plummeted for a heartbeat—then flared back up with volcanic intensity.
Her eyes were blazing with fury, but before she could roar her outrage, Lann raised a hand, cutting her off mid-breath. He had no intention of wasting time arguing. Instead, he laid out the facts, clearly and coldly: “The moment you saw me, you called me a ‘Child of the Elder Blood.’ That means you know exactly what those words imply.” Lann shook his head. “It’s a power foretold to save the world. Saving a few of your hatchlings shouldn't be a problem.”
“I can absorb naturally occurring or artificially concentrated sources of high-density chaotic energy and use that energy to give a creature a second chance at life.” He deliberately avoided mentioning his [Follower] system, choosing instead to reframe it. “Each creature can only undergo this infusion once. But I doubt your children will need a second shot any time soon.”
Given dragons’ obsession with collecting valuable things, Lann was certain that this ancient beast—who knew how many centuries or millennia old—had items in her hoard that could be converted into ability points. Using her own treasures to make contracts with her hatchlings? Lann found the idea perfectly poetic.
“In exchange for saving your children,” he continued, “I want you to kneel and offer me your most sincere gratitude. Then, you will swear to dedicate every ounce of your power to my cause.”
That vow would significantly reduce the experience cost of forming a contract with a Red Dragon.
His last demand was like oil thrown onto the fire. The temperature in the cavern surged to a blazing peak, as though a volcano were about to erupt—but then... it didn’t. It was as if a divine hand had clamped down on the eruption, suppressing it completely.
Because Lann had seized the Red Dragon’s most vulnerable point.
Her pupils contracted to narrow slits. After a long, tense pause, her voice rumbled through the cave, making the walls tremble: “Even injured, I am still one with this volcano. At any moment, I could trigger an eruption or collapse this entire cave. The ice giant and my kin might survive, but you, human, would not. If you truly can save my children, then—”
Before she could finish, Lann’s body erupted in a burst of bright amber light.
A blink later, he stood atop the Red Dragon’s massive head.
His left foot rested on a bony ridge on her snout; his right foot was braced on a shattered scale that hadn’t yet regrown. In his hand, the Sword of the Lady of the Lake gleamed with golden light, its blade hovering just above her eye socket. The tip of the sword was poised to pierce the narrow slit of her pupil.
Keltullis, with her sharp perception, immediately realized what had happened. That wasn’t a simple movement spell. Lann had used spatial teleportation. Which meant he had a way to instantly escape the cave—her threat meant nothing.
“Or,” Lann said coolly, “I leave here today with the title of ‘Dragonslayer,’ four priceless dragon eggs, and a treasure trove of alchemical materials. What do you think, Red Dragon?”
The sulfur-laced heat of her breath whipped Lann’s cloak around him. Keltullis stared at the tip of his sword—and at the dark golden lion’s eyes behind it.
“Keltullis?” Saskia, who had been watching their confrontation with growing anxiety, suddenly cried out, “Your children—!”
Even as they argued, another of the eggs stopped pulsing with life.
The sight was like a countdown to catastrophe—and it shattered the Red Dragon’s mental defenses.
As she had said earlier, dragons were once the rulers of the continent. Their cultural values surpassed those of modern humanity—especially when it came to protecting their young.
“…Child of the Elder Blood,” she growled at last, “you said your power requires high-density chaotic energy, whether naturally or artificially formed. What exactly do you mean?”
“Special magical items. Or naturally formed gems that carry chaotic energy,” Lann replied, glancing at the still-tense Red Dragon. “You’re still clinging to your pride. Still pretending to be a mighty dragon above it all. But for a mother... I’m willing to be a little more forgiving.”
Keltullis blinked, then slowly replied, “All my chaos-infused treasures are gone. I consumed them—whether ore or artifact. We dragons can absorb chaotic energy to strengthen ourselves. The things you’re talking about... are precious resources to us.”
“Except for...” Her gaze shifted to one corner of the nest. “Those.”
Following her line of sight, Lann saw four glowing red stones beneath the dragon eggs. They were raw gemstones—rough, uncut, full of impurities. Worthless for trade. But despite the flaws, they still contained traces of chaotic energy. Probably gathered by Keltullis as snacks for her hatchlings.
“Let’s hope your children are lucky.”
Under Keltullis’ sharp and watchful gaze, Lann approached the dragon eggs. He didn’t touch the eggs themselves, whose shells hadn’t fully formed. Instead, he placed his hand on the rough red gemstone beneath them.
[Source of Magic Detected]
The system notification chimed in, perfectly on cue.
A second later, a warm current—like soaking in a hot spring—flowed through his left hand and into his body.
[Ability Point +1]
Even though the stone looked substantial, it wasn’t refined. The amount of chaotic energy inside was minimal—barely enough for one ability point. Still, Lann was satisfied. One by one, he absorbed energy from all four gems.
Four ability points gained.
Then, he placed his hand on the first egg that had lost its life signal.
The [Inventory] screen didn’t display it as an 'item', which meant it hadn’t fully died—it still held a spark of life.
Spending one ability point, Lann opened a new [Follower] panel. As the contract formed, he felt his experience bar dip slightly—two digits down.
[Follower: Unnamed
Gender: Male
Race: Red Dragon
Level: 1
Talent: Creature of Chaos
Experience: 0/1000
HP: 4/100
Mana: 2/50
Inventory: None
Skill Slot: None
Quests: None
[Shared Follower Talent: Creature of Chaos]
[Creature of Chaos]: A being naturally capable of absorbing chaotic energy. It can instinctively draw in the ever-present chaos to strengthen itself.
…
Still unhatched, the dragon egg’s stats were as bare-bones as it could get. But that talent alone was a pleasant surprise to Lann. Perhaps this was why the dragon race could grow stronger even while doing absolutely nothing.
This innate trait gave Lann a whole new path to power.
From not far away, Saskia suddenly noticed a strange yet familiar aura emanating from Lann. It was something that felt like kin—but different. There was just enough similarity to stir a subtle sense of closeness in her draconic heart.
As for Keltullis, it didn’t spare Lann a second glance. Its full attention was locked on the dragon egg.
The moment Lann placed his hand on the cracked egg, something incredible happened. The broken shell began to regrow at a pace visible to the naked eye. In just seconds, the shattered, membrane-exposed object transformed into a flawless, vibrant dragon egg.
Had it not been for the other three broken eggs still cradled in its arms—and its own grievous wounds—the red dragon would have thrown its head back and roared to the heavens in sheer joy.
"Quickly! Hurry!" the red dragon urged, barely able to contain its excitement. "Child of Elder Blood, there are still three more!"
But Lann suddenly withdrew his hand.
Turning to the stunned red dragon, he said calmly, “I was willing to be a little more forgiving—for the sake of a mother. But that forgiveness ends now.”
“I’ve proven I possess the ability to save your children. So now, it’s your turn.”
His tone was deliberate and powerful, each word landing like a beat of a war drum.
“I want you to lower yourself with the utmost humility and offer me your most sincere gratitude. Then swear—swear that you will devote every ounce of your strength to serve me.”
This wasn’t Lann suddenly raising the stakes or toying with emotions. It was simply that this red dragon couldn’t be trusted.
Throughout the process—approaching the egg, performing the rescue, and succeeding—Keltullis had kept its claws, its tail tip, and its enormous maw all trained on Lann with unwavering focus.
And after Lann successfully bound the first egg, that quiet menace reached its peak. He could almost feel the air grow hotter inside the lair.
Think back—when the dragon first realized Lann could help the eggs, its first reaction wasn’t to beg, but to threaten. That alone spoke volumes about Keltullis’ nature.
To be fair, Lann understood. And precisely because he understood, he dared not relax his guard or place even a shred of trust.
Dragons had high moral standards when it came to raising their young, but none whatsoever when it came to honoring pacts. Lann had no doubt that once he revived all four eggs, the red dragon—no matter how wounded—would immediately start plotting how to get rid of him or even kill him outright.
Under those circumstances, not even burning an entire level’s worth of experience would be enough to make Keltullis willingly form a bond. And the moment Lann left the lair, the dragon would vanish with all four eggs without a trace.
Leaving things to someone else’s sense of morality? That was never Lann’s style. He preferred to control every step of the process himself.
That’s why he began with just one egg—restore it, reawaken hope in the dragon’s heart, then use the love for the remaining three eggs to crush any resistance. That was his true plan.
And it was working. Despite Keltullis’ visible anger at Lann’s demand, the temperature inside the lair didn’t rise. The red dragon's fury was clear, yet its gaze couldn’t stop drifting back toward the newly restored egg.
[Thud... Thud...]
The ice giant stepped forward, oak staff gripped tightly, eyes blazing with caution.
With a long, reluctant sigh, Keltullis finally lowered its head toward Lann.
Its throat rumbled deeply, each vibration echoing through the dragon’s lair like the start of a sacred ritual.
From the sidelines, Saskia finally relaxed. The red dragon had set aside its brutal pride. The hatchlings would live. Peace had been achieved. And soon, this ancient being might even come to work alongside her in Cintra.
To her, this was the best possible outcome.
But Lann frowned.
The red dragon might be repeating his words of gratitude and vows like a machine, but Lann could see the pride and scorn still deeply rooted in her heart. Winning over someone like this would burn through an absurd amount of experience points.
Maybe he should let the ice giant talk some sense into her.
Lann glanced toward his towering companion, mulling it over. But before he could act, something completely unexpected happened—something even he hadn’t foreseen.
The dragon egg he had contracted as a [Follower] had been developing steadily, infused with life force, growing whole and healthy. But the changes it had undergone didn’t stop there.
Just as tension was mounting between Lann and Keltullis, the egg began to tremble violently.
[Crack! Crack!]
Under the astonished gazes of everyone present, hairline fractures suddenly spread across the egg’s surface. Inside, a vigorous lifeform struggled with all its might to break free, to reach the world beyond.
With one final jolt strong enough to lift the entire egg off the ground, the shell finally gave way—splitting open with a jagged crack.
Out came a slimy, ugly head—covered in mucus, yes—but very much alive, healthy, and brimming with strength.
“Grahhh—ROAR!”
In that instant, every trace of defiance, suspicion, hostility, and scheming vanished from Keltullis’s eyes. The massive red dragon stared, wide-eyed, at the newly hatched wyrmling. All of her sharp edges seemed to soften in a blink, her titanic form suddenly more like a warm, gentle boulder of jade.
Seizing the moment, Lann placed his left hand on the red dragon’s hide—the pact was sealed.
His experience bar dropped by three digits. A significant cost, but still within acceptable limits. He had roughly half a level’s worth of experience left.
[Follower: Keltullis]
Gender: Female
Race: Red Dragon
Level: 1
Talent: Creature of Chaos
Experience: 0/1000
HP: 4792 / 20000
Mana: 3678 / 10000
Inventory: Empty
Skills: Lava Veins, Flame Breath, Advanced Occultism, Advanced Dragon Lore, Intermediate Common Knowledge, Basic Dragon Magic, Rapid Metabolism
Current Quest: None
[Sharing Follower Talents]
[Already Have Talent: Chaos Creatures]
[Sharing Follower Skill...]
[You have acquired Skill: Rapid Metabolism]
[Matching with Witcher Skill: Enhanced Metabolism]
...
None of the Ferenc dwarves would ever forget the sight they witnessed that day.
The long-dormant volcano, claimed centuries ago by the red dragon Keltullis, erupted without warning—its fury awe-inspiring.
Amidst the billowing clouds of volcanic ash, Keltullis soared into the skies, roaring as she streaked across the Mahakam mountain range… and disappeared, destination unknown.
