The Last Dragon Heir

The Chase

Kaelan continued to run, tree branches whipping his face, large roots making him almost fall several times. His breathing became heavier, while the tears that had been flowing began to mix with sweat.

Behind him the sound of clashing swords had disappeared, the silence felt even more terrifying.

"Master..." Kaelan tightly gripped the old map Garrick had given him, he wanted to go back.

Wanting to make sure the old man was still alive.

But Garrick's last words kept ringing in his head.

"Never believe that you are an illegitimate child."

Those words made Kaelan's steps slow down.

"What does that mean? Didn't the entire Drakon Clan say since childhood that mother had disgraced the clan? Even father himself never denied the accusation? If so, then why did Garrick say otherwise?" These questions filled his mind.

Crash!

Kaelan crashed into a large rock until his body fell, his knees torn, his palms bleeding.

But the pain was nothing compared to the chaos in his mind.

"Sir… Who am I really…?"

He gritted his teeth and stood back up.

Whatever the answer, he had to live because only the living could find the truth.

****

Elsewhere, the forest that had been a battlefield was now filled with the smell of blood. Dozens of fallen trees, the ground cracked, Elder Garrick's body knelt with his sword still stuck in the ground. Blood dripped from the corner of his lips.

Four members of the Order of Eclipse surrounded him, their leader staring coldly at Garrick.

"Where is that child?"

Garrick laughed softly. "If you want to know… find out for yourself."

Sret!

A sword pierced his left shoulder but Garrick didn't scream, his gaze remained sharp.

"I ask again, where did he go?"

Garrick spat on the ground. "Fifteen years ago, you asked me the same thing and my answer is still the same."

The black-robed leader raised his hand.

"Finish him."

Four blades were drawn simultaneously just before the attack hit his body. Garrick smiled.

"Finally… I can keep my promise."

BOOM!

A powerful explosion shook the entire forest. White light soared into the sky. The members of the Order of Eclipse were thrown tens of meters away.

"Damn it! He blew up his Dantian!"

Their leader stood up with a grim face, Garrick's body had disappeared, all that was left was a large crater.

The man clenched his fists.

"Send the order, that boy must not escape. Find him, even if it means turning the entire Forbidden Mountains upside down."

Meanwhile, Kaelan finally stopped by a river.

His breath hitched as he washed his face with cold water. Only then did he realize the old map was stained with blood—not his own, but Garrick's.

His hands trembled, tears fell again.

"Master… I swear… I will find out who they are and one day… I will avenge them all."

He had just put the map away.

Crush…

The sound of footsteps was heard from behind the bushes. Kaelan immediately stood up. Whoever comes must not be careless anymore.

A man dressed as a hunter appeared, carrying a bow. Behind him were two other people, they looked ordinary.

But their gazes immediately fell on Kaelan.

"There's someone here."

"Hey, young man."

"Did you just come from the north?"

Kaelan nodded slowly. "Yes."

The man smiled kindly. "We're looking for a fugitive. He said he was around eighteen years old."

"His clothes were shabby, his face was covered in wounds."

"His name is..." The man took out a roll of paper. "Kaelan."

Kaelan's heart was beating fast.

"They know his name. How is that possible?" Kaelan thought.

The man smiled again. "Have you seen him?"

Kaelan looked at the three people in turn. His instincts told him they were no ordinary hunters.

Slowly his hands clenched into fists behind his sleeves for the first time since leaving the Drakon Clan. He realized that the world out there was far more dangerous than he had ever imagined and now the hunt for him had truly begun.

Kaelan forced himself to remain calm.

His gaze shifted between the three men before him. Their clothes did look like ordinary hunters, but they were too clean for people who had just come out of the forest. Even the bows and swords they carried looked much more expensive than the usual hunter's equipment—they were in disguise.

"How?" asked the mustachioed man with a smile. "Have you ever seen a young man named Kaelan?"

Kaelan shook his head slowly. "Never."

The man continued to stare at Kaelan's face without blinking.

The atmosphere became silent, only the sound of the river could be heard. A few seconds later, the man chuckled.

"Then, sorry for bothering you." He turned as if to leave.

Kaelan breathed a sigh of relief. However…

"Surround him."

The smile on the man's face disappeared instantly. His two friends immediately moved to block Kaelan's path, Kaelan's heart beating fast.

"What do you mean?"

The mustachioed man took out a scroll. On it was Kaelan's face, though simple, it was very recognizable.

"Kaelan Drakon, eighteen years old, banished from the Drakon Clan this morning. Dead or alive." He rolled the scroll back up. "Not bad. Ten thousand Gold Coins for your head."

Kaelan's eyes widened.

"Ten thousand gold coins?" Kaelan said, staring at the scrolled recording. "Who would pay that much just to capture me? I don't even know you guys."

"We don't know you either." The man shrugged. "But money is money. Don't blame us."

One of the other men grinned.

"Besides, you're just a brat without a Spiritual Core. It won't be difficult."

The three of them slowly approached. Kaelan took a step back.

He knew that if he fought, his chances of winning were slim to none. But surrendering would mean death.

"Attack!"

One of the men shot first, his sword slashing straight at Kaelan's neck. Kaelan fell backwards.

Sret!

The tip of the sword only managed to graze his cheek, blood flowing thinly.

Before he could get up, the second man kicked him.

Thud!

Kaelan was thrown until he hit a rock on the riverbank, his chest felt tight, he coughed up blood.

"Hahaha! Are you already dying like this?"

The mustachioed man walked leisurely towards him.

"I'm starting to feel sorry for you, you said you were the son of the Clan Chief. Turns out you're weaker than a beggar."

Kaelan gritted his teeth as he picked up a fist-sized rock.

The man laughed. "You want to fight us with rocks? How funny."

Kaelan didn't answer when the man was close enough, he threw the rock with all his might.

Whoosh!

The man tilted his head easily. "Missed."

But Brak!

The rock hit a giant beehive hanging from a tree.

A moment later a loud buzzing filled the air.

Bzzzz… Bzzzz…

Hundreds of fist-sized forest bees burst out of their nest. The three men's faces changed immediately.

"Shit!"

"Black Needle Bees!"

"Retreat!"

Kaelan didn't waste the opportunity, he ran as fast as he could into the forest. Behind him came screams.

"Aaaarggh!"

"Drive them away!"

"Damn it!"

The bees attacked indiscriminately. Although the hunters were able to kill some, there were too many of them. Kaelan continued running without daring to look back. His breathing was getting heavier, his wounds were starting to hurt, but he couldn't stop because he knew those people would definitely chase him again.

The sun was starting to set. Kaelan finally arrived at a narrow valley filled with mist. He leaned against a large rock while catching his breath. His stomach was empty again, his body was covered in wounds.

His clothes were torn in several places, only six days ago he was still living in the Dragon Clan.

Now he even had to fight for a piece of bread.

"This is what the outside world looks like..." He smiled bitterly.

Suddenly, his eyes caught something. Behind the bushes grew some wild red fruit. Without thinking, Kaelan picked it. Just as the first fruit was about to approach his mouth...

"If you want to die, go ahead and eat it."

The hoarse voice made Kaelan freeze. He turned quickly, on a large rock, about ten meters away, sat an old man dressed in rags. His hair was long and messy. His beard almost covered his entire face.

Beside him lay an almost empty jug of wine. The old man looked like an ordinary beggar.

However, Kaelan had not sensed his presence at all before the voice rang out.

"That fruit is poisonous. Five breaths after you eat it, your heart will stop."

Kaelan slowly lowered the red fruit in his hand. His gaze was full of wariness.

"Who are you?"

The old man smiled faintly. "A better question would be, who is hunting you, boy?"

Before Kaelan could answer, several birds above the forest suddenly flew away.

Followed by the sound of footsteps from a distance.

The bounty hunter leader

reappeared with a dozen others.

He looked at Kaelan with a cold smile.

"This time… You won't be able to run away again."

Meanwhile, the mysterious old man simply sipped his wine without showing the slightest intention of help him.