The Dragon Realm roared beneath the crimson heavens.
Hot winds tore across endless volcanic mountains while rivers of molten magma illuminated the dark terrain like burning veins flowing through the body of an ancient world. Gigantic winged shadows crossed the skies far above while distant dragon cries echoed endlessly beyond the horizon.
And amidst that brutal realm—
Kel ran alone.
BOOM!
His figure shot across shattered obsidian cliffs like black lightning while heated winds exploded behind him. Loose volcanic ash scattered violently beneath each step as he leaped from mountain ledge to mountain ledge without slowing even once.
The time of night approached quickly.
And the White Lily of Blue Valley—
Only bloomed beneath moonlight.
Kel's dark eyes remained fixed toward the distant mountain range far ahead while mana surged continuously through his body in smooth spiraling currents.
Sairen's voice echoed through the soul-link.
"…You're pushing yourself again."
Kel landed atop a broken volcanic ridge before immediately launching forward again.
"I don't have much time."
The sky had already begun changing.
The burning crimson heavens slowly darkened toward deep violet while ancient stars gradually appeared beyond drifting ash clouds.
Night approached.
And somewhere within the Dragon Realm—
Blue Valley awaited.
The same place mentioned within the ancient civilization records Duke Kael discovered years ago.
The only known location where White Lilies bloomed.
The only cure for his son's madness.
Kel still remembered the duke's face that night atop the castle.
Exhausted.
Broken.
Yet desperately holding onto hope.
The memory quietly passed through Kel's mind as he accelerated further.
Sairen softly asked—
"…You really intend to save Duke Kael's son?"
Kel calmly cut through a charging draconic beast mid-run.
SLASH!
Black blood scattered across volcanic stone while the lesser creature collapsed instantly behind him.
Kel never slowed.
"Yes."
"…Why?"
Kel leaped across a burning magma fissure while heated air distorted around his body.
"Because a father waited years hoping for a cure."
Sairen fell silent briefly.
Kel continued calmly.
"And because if I can save him…"
A faint pause followed.
"…then why shouldn't I?"
The guardian quietly listened.
Sometimes—
Kel sounded terrifyingly practical.
Cold even.
And other times—
He casually risked himself for reasons most powerful people would ignore entirely.
The contradiction remained impossible to fully understand.
The volcanic mountains gradually changed as Kel advanced deeper toward Blue Valley.
The terrain cooled.
The air softened slightly.
And eventually—
The black volcanic wasteland gave way to gigantic dark forests glowing faintly beneath moonlit mist.
Then finally—
Kel reached the cliffs overlooking Blue Valley.
The sun had nearly disappeared completely beyond the distant mountains.
Only the final traces of crimson twilight remained beneath the darkening sky.
Kel quietly stopped atop the cliff edge.
And for the first time since entering the Dragon Realm—
He looked genuinely surprised.
Blue Valley was beautiful.
The enormous valley stretched endlessly beneath silver moonlight while glowing blue rivers flowed softly through fields of luminous flowers. Ancient trees with pale silver bark surrounded the valley edges while floating blue particles drifted endlessly through the air like fragments of stars.
And at the center of that dreamlike landscape—
White Lilies bloomed.
Thousands of them.
The flowers glowed faintly beneath the rising moon, their pale petals radiating soft silver-blue light throughout the valley.
The atmosphere looked unreal.
Sacred almost.
Yet Kel's attention immediately shifted elsewhere.
Because he was not alone.
At the entrance of the valley—
Two groups already stood facing one another beneath the moonlight.
And they were not entirely human.
Kel's eyes narrowed slightly.
Scales.
Horns.
Golden slit pupils.
Draconic humanoids.
The beings standing below possessed mostly human appearances, yet subtle draconic traits covered their bodies naturally. Some carried dark scales across their necks and arms while others possessed curved horns rising from silver or crimson hair.
Their mana pressure alone surpassed ordinary humans heavily.
And instinctively—
Kel understood immediately.
Draconic species capable of living in humanoid form.
Not transformed monsters.
Not half-breeds.
A true draconic civilization.
Sairen's voice echoed softly through the soul-link.
"…So they really exist."
Kel quietly observed the scene below.
"Yes."
The two factions clearly opposed one another.
One side wore dark crimson battle robes reinforced with black-scaled armor plates. Their expressions remained sharp and aggressive while crimson dragon insignias decorated their cloaks.
The other faction dressed more elegantly in silver-blue robes embroidered with flowing draconic patterns. Their posture carried noble refinement rather than military hostility.
Rival factions.
And based on the atmosphere—
Their relationship looked terrible.
Several draconic warriors glared toward each other openly while hands remained near weapons constantly.
Meanwhile—
The White Lilies continued glowing peacefully beyond them.
Kel carefully lowered himself behind the cliff edge while observing silently.
Sairen whispered immediately.
"…You're thinking something dangerous again."
Kel's dark eyes calmly analyzed the two groups below.
"They're gathering White Lilies."
"…Obviously."
"And they likely know this region."
Sairen instantly understood.
"…You want to infiltrate them."
Kel quietly smiled faintly.
"It's efficient."
The guardian sighed deeply inside the soul-link.
"…One day you'll casually infiltrate divine realms too at this rate."
Kel did not deny it.
Which somehow made the comment worse.
Meanwhile—
Below the cliff—
The tension between both draconic factions intensified gradually.
One crimson-scaled warrior stepped forward aggressively.
"The Moonscale Clan has no right to harvest lilies from this valley tonight."
A silver-haired draconic woman from the opposing side answered coldly.
"And yet your Ashfang Clan still crawled here anyway."
Mana pressure subtly rose between the groups.
Several warriors behind them revealed partial draconic transformations instinctively. Sharp scales spread along arms while glowing eyes narrowed beneath moonlight.
Kel quietly observed every detail carefully.
Clothing.
Speech patterns.
Hierarchy.
Behavior.
And slowly—
A plan formed inside his mind.
These draconic humanoids lived in human forms for convenience.
Meaning—
Their civilization likely operated similarly to human society in many ways.
Which meant deception remained possible.
Kel's fingers lightly touched the black mask hidden beneath his coat.
Transformation potions.
Scale adaptation extracts.
Illusionary mana layering.
Several methods immediately surfaced within his thoughts.
Sairen sounded deeply suspicious now.
"…Kel."
"Hm?"
"…You're smiling."
The black-haired man quietly watched the arguing draconic factions beneath the moonlit valley.
"Yes."
The guardian immediately sighed.
"…That expression always leads to trouble."
Kel calmly stood from behind the cliff afterward.
Moonlight reflected softly across his dark eyes while the glowing White Lilies illuminated the valley like a dream beneath the ancient sky.
Then quietly—
Almost amused—
He spoke.
"Let's go meet dragons pretending to be humans."