2025-04-22 09:45:34Morning in Avelline broke with a golden cascade of sunlight that poured over slate rooftops and chimed against the cobbled streets like music. The city stirred from its slumber, and with it, so did Ethan Lockwood and Celestia Draconyx.
They stood at the threshold of the grand Adventurers' Guild hall—a towering stone structure with steel-framed windows and the emblem of a phoenix engraved on its twin wooden doors. As Ethan pushed the doors open, a wave of noise, warmth, and clashing personalities washed over him.
Sword tips glinted under chandeliers. Quest boards stretched from wall to wall, covered in yellowed parchments. Burly mercenaries laughed over mugs of ale, while cloaked rogues studied maps with whispered urgency. Hawkers offered magically-infused trinkets, trying to tempt every newcomer with "limited-time enchantments."
No one paid Ethan and Celestia much attention at first. They were just another pair of would-be adventurers, eyes wide with ambition. But Ethan knew this moment mattered.
Today, they would officially begin their journey toward recognition.
Ethan approached the registration counter. Behind it sat a clerk with tousled hair and a faraway stare. Her nametag read: Tessa.
Tessa (monotone): “Fill this out. Then proceed to the aptitude circle. Don’t skip steps. Don’t argue.”
She slid him a clipboard without looking up. Celestia rolled her eyes.
He filled out the form quickly. For place of origin, he simply wrote: “Distant.” For skills: “Tactical combat, enhanced reflexes, limited elemental fusion.” Once done, he returned it to Tessa, who wordlessly pointed to a glowing rune circle nearby.
Tessa: “Stand inside. Wait for the examiner.”
The examiner—Lance, a squat mage with round spectacles and coffee-stained robes—ambled over, muttering incantations.
Lance: “Alright, kid. Stand still. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
As the runes pulsed to life beneath Ethan’s feet, something unexpected happened.
A burst of radiant light surged upward, blinding and brilliant. The magic flared so strongly it rattled nearby weapon racks. All eyes turned.
A drunken warrior spilled his ale. A sorceress dropped her staff. Even Tessa sat bolt upright.
Lance (stammering): “Impossible… this output… He’s beyond Class-A thresholds. This is S-tier resonance!”
A murmur rippled across the guild hall.
Bystander (whispering): “That kind of flare only shows up for legendary bloodlines…”
Ethan stood stunned, the afterglow still shimmering around his boots.
Celestia (smirking telepathically): Congratulations, hero. You’ve just become everyone’s favorite mystery.
Within moments, two senior officials strode into the chamber.
Garret, a grizzled swordsman with a battle-scarred pauldron, and Lysa, a sharp-eyed tactician in silver robes.
Garret (gruff): “You. Name.”
Ethan: “Ethan Lockwood.”
Lysa (studying him): “And that surge… it wasn’t fabricated?”
Lance: “Genuine. He nearly overloaded the test array.”
Tessa now looked at Ethan with newfound reverence. Her fingers trembled slightly as she unrolled a set of quest scrolls.
Tessa: “Mr. Lockwood, you’re eligible for high-tier commissions. These are our most critical—and dangerous—missions.”
One scroll caught Ethan’s attention. Bound in crimson wax, marked with an infernal sigil.
Eliminate the Hellhound Pack – Northern Crags
Estimated Danger: S–
Targets: Alpha-tier hellhounds exhibiting elemental fusion—flame, frost, poison.
Recent casualties: Two advanced teams missing.
Mission reward: 2,000 gold, enchanted gear, territory access.
Ethan let out a slow whistle.
Ethan: “We’ll take it.”
Lysa: “Just like that? Do you understand what you're walking into?”
Celestia (calmly): “We’ve survived worse.”
With their registration complete, Ethan used his new guild badge to access high-tier vendor stalls.
He purchased frost-resistant boots and fire-warding cloaks. Celestia selected a black-glass dagger laced with anti-poison runes.
He then upgraded his amethyst arrows with engraved runes—one set for freezing, another to explode on contact.
Celestia reviewed maps alongside him.
Celestia: “Hellhounds use terrain. They ambush, flank, retreat. We’ll need to isolate them.”
Ethan nodded.
Ethan: “We’ll hit them at dawn. Split the pack. Eliminate the alpha last.”
By dusk, word had spread like wildfire.
Guild members whispered in corners.
Rogue: “That guy from the flare—he took the hellhound quest.”
Healer: “He’s either a prodigy or a dead man walking.”
Even taverns began murmuring of The Dragon Knight and the Dimensional Blade. Ethan’s legend had begun to grow—even if he hadn’t asked for it.
The following morning, Ethan and Celestia passed the city gates. The mountains loomed ahead—snow-dusted, jagged, unforgiving.
Ethan (adjusting his blade): “No heroics. We plan. We adapt.”
Celestia (half-smile): “You mean no reckless charging… unless I do it first?”
They shared a laugh and pressed forward.
As they moved deeper into the forested foothills, Ethan’s detection magic pulsed—tracing heat signatures, magical traces. Charred earth. Frost-burnt grass.
Signs of recent hellhound activity.
That evening, they made camp on a ridge. Celestia kept watch. Her tail flicked once.
Celestia (telepathically): Movement. Small pack approaching.
Ethan (quietly): “Let them come. Time to see if our plan holds.”
He dipped his arrows in frost tincture and pulled his hood low.
Minutes later, the first hellhound padded into view—eyes glowing amber, fur flickering like embers. Two others flanked it.
Celestia stepped into the moonlight.
“Come and try,” she whispered.
As the beasts snarled and charged, Ethan loosed his first arrow—freezing the lead hound mid-pounce. Celestia met the second with a burst of lunar flame, driving it back.
They moved like dancers—precise, graceful, deadly.
The ambush worked. The first skirmish ended with three hellhounds sprawled across the snow, their cores cooling rapidly.
But in the stillness that followed, Ethan felt it—
A deeper growl.
A presence behind the tree line.
Much bigger.
Celestia stepped beside him, eyes narrowed.
Celestia: “The alpha’s watching.”
Ethan gripped his blade.
Ethan: “Then let it watch. Tomorrow, it’ll bleed.”
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The Dragon Emperor of Another World: Awakening of a Legend CHAPTER 12: Hellhounds
The blood-red sun clawed its way above the jagged horizon, staining the peaks of the Northern Crags in hues of fire and shadow. Ethan Lockwood and Celestia Draconyx stood at the final ridge, overlooking a scorched plateau marred by melted stone and sulfuric steam. This was the hellhounds' den.Charred pine stumps jutted from the earth like broken spears, and the acrid scent of brimstone clung to every breath. Ethan tightened his grip on the Void-Cleaving Blade, knuckles white beneath his gauntlet."They’re close," Celestia whispered through their mental link, her claw resting over the lunar runes etched into her cuirass. "I can feel the heat pulsing beneath the rock."Ethan gave a slow nod. "Let’s test our plan."Sliding down a loose slope of shale, they reac
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The city of Avelline had never known such silence.When Ethan Lockwood and Celestia Draconyx stepped through the towering doors of the Adventurers' Guild, they were met not with the usual bustle, but with a hush so deep it seemed the walls themselves held their breath.The pair stood side by side, battle-worn and exhausted. Ethan's armor was scorched and dented, a makeshift bandage wrapped around his shoulder. Celestia's obsidian-scaled armor was dull with soot and streaked with dried ichor. And yet, their eyes gleamed with an unmistakable fire.The silence shattered."They did it!" roared Garrett, the grizzled senior officer whose voice rarely rose above a bark. "They actually cleared the hellhound den!"The guild erupted.
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The deeper Ethan Lockwood and Celestia Draconyx descended, the heavier the air became, weighed down by the spiraling mist that clung to their cloaks like ghostly tendrils. Each step down the crumbling, bloodstained stairs was a battle against the oppressive aura pressing on their minds. The very stones beneath their boots wept with ancient memories—of blood spilled, of lives offered, of hopes crushed.Celestia moved ahead, her wings half-unfurled for balance, the light clack of her talons the only sound in the gloom. She glanced back sharply. "Stay close," she warned, her voice sharper than usual. "This land is steeped in curses. It won't forgive intruders."Ethan adjusted his grip on the Voidrend Blade, feeling it vibrate faintly against his palm, eager for battle.
The Dragon Emperor of Another World: Awakening of a Legend CHAPTER 19: Sacred Light
The gates of Avelline City loomed ahead, their iron-bound wood flecked with morning dew. Ethan Lockwood and Celestia Draconyx stumbled through them, cloaks torn and stained from the marshes, the stench of cursed magic clinging to their skin like an invisible shroud.Inside the Adventurers' Guild, the mood shifted the moment they entered.Tessa stood behind the counter, her usual playful smile vanished, replaced by a grim tightness around her lips. She immediately dropped the bundle of quest parchments she had been sorting."You’re back," she breathed, hurrying forward. Her gaze flicked to Ethan—and paled. "But you're... cursed."Ethan gave a ragged nod before his knees buckled. Only Celestia’s quick reflexes kept him upright. Tessa cried for help, and s
Latest Chapter
CHAPTER 19: Sacred Light
The gates of Avelline City loomed ahead, their iron-bound wood flecked with morning dew. Ethan Lockwood and Celestia Draconyx stumbled through them, cloaks torn and stained from the marshes, the stench of cursed magic clinging to their skin like an invisible shroud.Inside the Adventurers' Guild, the mood shifted the moment they entered.Tessa stood behind the counter, her usual playful smile vanished, replaced by a grim tightness around her lips. She immediately dropped the bundle of quest parchments she had been sorting."You’re back," she breathed, hurrying forward. Her gaze flicked to Ethan—and paled. "But you're... cursed."Ethan gave a ragged nod before his knees buckled. Only Celestia’s quick reflexes kept him upright. Tessa cried for help, and s
CHAPTER 18: Blood-Stained Cathedral
The deeper Ethan Lockwood and Celestia Draconyx descended, the heavier the air became, weighed down by the spiraling mist that clung to their cloaks like ghostly tendrils. Each step down the crumbling, bloodstained stairs was a battle against the oppressive aura pressing on their minds. The very stones beneath their boots wept with ancient memories—of blood spilled, of lives offered, of hopes crushed.Celestia moved ahead, her wings half-unfurled for balance, the light clack of her talons the only sound in the gloom. She glanced back sharply. "Stay close," she warned, her voice sharper than usual. "This land is steeped in curses. It won't forgive intruders."Ethan adjusted his grip on the Voidrend Blade, feeling it vibrate faintly against his palm, eager for battle.
CHAPTER 17: Bone Dragon
The shadows deepened as Ethan Lockwood and Celestia Draconyx descended the winding staircase beneath the ruined basalt tower. The spiral path was slick with algae and time-worn carvings—rituals of death etched into the very stone. The air reeked of mildew, ichor, and unspent magic. With every step, the low thrumming of the cultists' chant grew louder, more fevered.At the bottom lay a cavernous chamber, its ceiling lost in gloom. Bioluminescent fungi clung to jagged walls, casting a sickly green glow. At its center loomed a massive black altar, pulsing with crimson veins of necrotic energy. Around it, cloaked cultists circled like moths to a flame, their voices weaving a ritual that felt older than the swamp itself.And rising from the altar, wreathed in thick mist, was the skull of a dragon—enormous, hollow-eyed, and grotesquely adorned with bone s
CHAPTER 16: Eastern Marsh
At the break of dawn, Ethan Lockwood and Celestia Draconyx departed from Avelline, cloaked in moss-hued, guild-issued marsh cloaks woven with enchantments to repel humidity, disease, and spiritual miasma. The trail to the Eastern Marshes wound like a serpent, bordered by twisted reeds and knee-deep brine that slurped greedily at their boots, threatening to drag them down with each sluggish step.Celestia bent her wings low to maintain balance, every motion deliberate and quiet. Ethan’s cloak dragged through the saline muck, trailing ripples like ghostly fingers brushing the surface.“Stay close,” Celestia muttered, her nostrils flaring at the stench. The air reeked of rot, decay, and something older—tainted. “This swamp is cursed. Every stone here holds a memory of suffering.”Eth
CHAPTER 15: Darkness Whispers
The sun had barely kissed the rooftops of Avelline when Ethan Lockwood and Celestia Draconyx strode through the guild’s towering bronze doors. Inside, the main chamber buzzed with the low murmur of steel, ink, and ambition. Tessa was already waiting, scrolls and commissions stacked high at her side."Early as always," she greeted with a yawn, offering Ethan a wink. "You’ve got fans waiting outside, you know. Again."Ethan ran a hand through his hair, exhaling. “Maybe they’ll follow someone else for once.”Tessa chuckled and slid a bundle of missions across the desk. Each one bore a red sigil—the symbol of S-Class danger.“Take your pick, Dragon Knight.”
CHAPTER 14: Banquet
The torches along the marble columns of Avelline’s Adventurers' Guild flickered like fire spirits in revelry, casting jubilant shadows across rows of newly stocked commemorative merchandise and food stalls. The celebration of Ethan Lockwood's legendary victory was in full swing.Rumors of his triumph over the elemental hellhound pack had spread like wildfire across Avelline—tales of a mysterious man clad in godslayer armor, wielding void-bending powers with the strength of an S-rank elite. The whispers had become declarations. Awe had turned into obsession.Celestia Draconyx lingered at the edge of the festivities, alabaster hair cascading down scaled shoulders like a waterfall of moonlight. Her crimson gaze swept over the crowd—nobles, mercenaries, spellcasters—all drawn to Ethan like moths to a flame. Her tail flicked in quiet warning.
CHAPTER 13: Brand-New
The city of Avelline had never known such silence.When Ethan Lockwood and Celestia Draconyx stepped through the towering doors of the Adventurers' Guild, they were met not with the usual bustle, but with a hush so deep it seemed the walls themselves held their breath.The pair stood side by side, battle-worn and exhausted. Ethan's armor was scorched and dented, a makeshift bandage wrapped around his shoulder. Celestia's obsidian-scaled armor was dull with soot and streaked with dried ichor. And yet, their eyes gleamed with an unmistakable fire.The silence shattered."They did it!" roared Garrett, the grizzled senior officer whose voice rarely rose above a bark. "They actually cleared the hellhound den!"The guild erupted.
CHAPTER 12: Hellhounds
The blood-red sun clawed its way above the jagged horizon, staining the peaks of the Northern Crags in hues of fire and shadow. Ethan Lockwood and Celestia Draconyx stood at the final ridge, overlooking a scorched plateau marred by melted stone and sulfuric steam. This was the hellhounds' den.Charred pine stumps jutted from the earth like broken spears, and the acrid scent of brimstone clung to every breath. Ethan tightened his grip on the Void-Cleaving Blade, knuckles white beneath his gauntlet."They’re close," Celestia whispered through their mental link, her claw resting over the lunar runes etched into her cuirass. "I can feel the heat pulsing beneath the rock."Ethan gave a slow nod. "Let’s test our plan."Sliding down a loose slope of shale, they reac
CHAPTER 11: Guild Assessment
Morning in Avelline broke with a golden cascade of sunlight that poured over slate rooftops and chimed against the cobbled streets like music. The city stirred from its slumber, and with it, so did Ethan Lockwood and Celestia Draconyx.They stood at the threshold of the grand Adventurers' Guild hall—a towering stone structure with steel-framed windows and the emblem of a phoenix engraved on its twin wooden doors. As Ethan pushed the doors open, a wave of noise, warmth, and clashing personalities washed over him.Sword tips glinted under chandeliers. Quest boards stretched from wall to wall, covered in yellowed parchments. Burly mercenaries laughed over mugs of ale, while cloaked rogues studied maps with whispered urgency. Hawkers offered magically-infused trinkets, trying to tempt every newcomer with "limited-time enchantments."
