The arena fell completely silent. It was so quiet that it seemed everyone had stopped breathing as they turned toward Arthur on his throne. The man leaned forward, gripping the handles of his chair so tightly that the metal began to bend beneath his fingers. His attention remained fixed on the projection in the center of the arena, particularly on the severed head of Aeger that Quinn had raised into the air like a challenge. Several emotions crossed Arthur’s face. There was curiosity, a trace of joy, and even a little pity. “Is this the real child of the Dragon?” Only then did the lords and nobles finally breathe again. They had never seen or even heard of a bastard defeating and killing a legitimate Drakemont before. Yet Quinn had done exactly that in the span of a few minutes. He had completely suppressed one of the family’s children and killed another, proving himself to be the stronger of them. Below the throne, Isolde blinked slowly. She showed little emotion at firs

The first thing Quinn did was harvest all eight Blood Fruits and arrange them in front of himself. Once they were gathered, he sat down and began to eat.The first taste was something he could not properly describe. The Blood Fruits were sweet and bitter at the same time, with a sharp flavor that seemed to linger on his tongue in a way he could not quite identify.He ate two of them almost immediately.“Huh? Isn’t this supposed to work and expand my Domain somehow?”Quinn sat cross-legged with the remaining fruits before him, trying to figure out what he had done wrong. This was the first time he had eaten Blood Fruits in either of his lives, so he had no previous experience to compare it with.“Maybe I’m missing something or!”Without warning, something like a fire pit opened inside his body.Lightning replaced his blood.Quinn jerked violently as every muscle in his body locked at once. His pores opened, and brilliant light began pouring from his skin. His eyes burned with an intens

It did not take long for the remaining children to be brought back to the arena.Of the more than two hundred children who had entered the forest, fewer than thirty had survived.Those who were injured received treatment, and food was provided for everyone who remained. Under normal circumstances, Arthur would have turned the occasion into a celebration. The return of the survivors should have been followed by a grand feast.This time, however, Arthur remained strangely quiet.A massive projection occupied almost half of the sky above the arena, displaying the rankings of the children according to their overall performance during the rite.Quinn was ranked first.The next ranking did not begin until fifth place, where Taurus had been placed, followed by Canute and then Freya. Everyone else was left without a ranking.“I guess I didn’t do too badly,” Quinn said.In his previous life, he had not even been ranked.This was the first time he had ever seen his name at the very top of a lis

Quinn spent his childhood training.If it could even be called childhood.In truth, none of the children at the Blood Heart Outpost could really be described as ordinary children. They were young Dragons, raised in an environment where weakness could get them killed and where the expectations placed upon them were far beyond what most children could bear.Their innocence had been worn away by the brutality of the world around them.For Quinn, it was even worse.He had already seen the future. He knew exactly how cruel the world could become and how little mercy it would show to those who were unprepared.The purpose of the outpost was simple. It existed to defend the Blood Heart Tree and protect the surrounding territory from the monsters that roamed the wilderness. Occasionally, orcs from the northernmost regions would also venture into the area, giving the children and knights regular opportunities to encounter real enemies.For Quinn, the outpost provided everything he needed.So h

Quinn’s frown deepened as he stepped out of the carriage.“I am simply sad that I won’t have the opportunity to apologize, but then again, you are the one that killed him.”The Knight stared at him with confusion.After a moment, he shrugged. His expression became cold as he raised the hand covered in deadly acid and casually rubbed his chin.“You are the only red-eyed bastard here.”The other three Knights moved over and joined him.All four stared at Quinn.There was no amusement in their expressions now. No trace of a smile remained. They looked at him with nothing but hostility.Quinn raised a hand, his face twisting into a slight grimace.“Is there something wrong with the carriage? Is that why you called us out?”One of the Knights glanced down at the body lying on the ground. Blood and fleshy remains were still dripping into the leafy forest floor.He then looked back at Quinn and snorted.“I heard you are a cold bastard, but I didn’t think you would be like this.“You Drakemon