Ashen Dragon

Chapter 234: Chapter 160: New Life (Part 2)

Unknowingly, the group had already reached the end of the road, and in front of them stood the steel-forged main hall.

This palace was completely different from the usual style of the Northern Nobility. It lacked the so-called luxury of the nobles and was instead filled with a simple and straightforward aesthetic of violence, giving a strong sense of visual impact and oppression. It made mere mortals shiver before its doors, deeply feeling their own insignificance.@@novelbin@@

Frederick turned to observe these carefully selected youths, only to find that Anthony seemed to be distracted again.

“Everyone, snap out of it.”

“What you are about to see is the one and only master of this land.”

He actually had high hopes for this youth called “Anthony.”

Just seven months ago, under the attack of the Tiefling army, the entire Kaven family led by Earl Brandon was eradicated. When the Tieflings pursued Soli Kaven, the second son of Earl Brandon, this baron was found dead in the basement of the Baron’s Mansion, his clothes in disarray.

A sharp wooden spike was deeply lodged in his throat.

Discovered alongside the corpse was a thirteen-year-old boy.

He had a bare upper body, gripping a broken stick tightly, his body trembling with extreme tension. His delicate face was covered in blood, and his eyes showed a determination far beyond his years—that was the former Anthony.

Frederick had to admit he had some personal feelings, giving extra attention to Anthony.

Because the “White Lion Knight” Tarik, who once treated him like a brother, had also killed the bestial headmaster this way and had taken him from the orphanage. That memory was so deeply engraved that he still remembered it, and Anthony’s experience undoubtedly brought back those memories.

Fortunately, Anthony did not disappoint him. Through relentless training, he became the best youth in the selection.

“But what does this have to do with me?”

“It’s just… completing a task.”

Frederick smiled faintly and thought this.

With a heavy sound, the main hall’s doors slowly opened to them.

“Follow me.”

Frederick led the way in front while the youths carefully formed an orderly queue behind him.

Frederick knelt before the steps and respectfully said, “Master, I have followed your instructions and found candidates who meet the requirements and can accept the great gift. I hope you will be satisfied.”

As he knelt, the youths behind him followed the prior instructions, kneeling uniformly and lowering their heads.

Anthony’s breathing was rapid, and he seemed to smell a hint of sulfur.

The air inside the hall was much hotter than outside, causing sweat to drip down his forehead, but he maintained his kneeling posture without daring to move an inch.

“Not bad, raise your heads.”

A voice filled with authority rang out from above, echoing in the spacious hall.

Kneeling on the ground, Anthony slightly raised his head and carefully looked up, finally seeing again the towering figure deeply engraved in his memory—the massive and strong dragon body lazily coiled on the steel throne, with magma-like patterns flowing on its surface.

On that ferocious dragon head, the golden vertical pupils were filled with majesty, and the backward-swept horns resembled a crown.

That was an absolute symbol of strength, the entity that shattered the old order of the North and created the kingdom’s order—the King of Ashen, Cassius.

Anthony’s heart pounded wildly. He had never been this close to such a powerful being. When he thought about having great strength and a position of supreme glory to completely overcome his humiliating past, his heart became fervent, filled with ambition and anticipation.

The voice from above sounded again.

“What is your name?”

Seemingly feeling the scrutinizing gaze from above, Anthony’s heart started beating frantically, thinking excitedly, “Is he calling me?”

The humiliating experiences of the past planted deep seeds of inferiority in his heart, making it hard for him to believe he had caught this Monarch’s attention.

He quickly lowered his head and answered, “Your Majesty, my name is Anthony.”

“Oh? You are Anthony?”

There was a hint of surprise in Cassius’s tone.

He knew about Anthony’s experiences, as this story had been used by the Kingdom’s cultural propaganda department as a typical case of “Northern Nobility’s persecution of commoners and the Kingdom’s order rescuing the commoners,” appearing in the pamphlets distributed to the Northern Countries, becoming an important tool for public opinion propaganda.

But Anthony himself was apparently unaware of this.

This youth was extremely overjoyed at the moment, even somewhat flattered, “He actually knows me!”

He never thought that someone as humble and lowly as himself, who was barely considered more than livestock under the old Northern order, could be remembered by this Monarch, and the other youths were even more envious of this.

This was the benevolence of the superior to the inferior. When the gap in status and power was too great, every movement of the superior was viewed as the ultimate gift, but Cassius was already quite accustomed to this.

If a few words could make his subordinates loyal, why not?

After symbolically inquiring and praising a few words, Cassius yawned and ordered:

“Frederick, begin the ceremony.”

“Yes, Master.”

Frederick stepped forward, faced the youths, and calmly recited the oath:

“Extinguish the enemy’s fire of hope, enforce order with an iron fist, the Dragon Lord above all.”

The youths loudly recited the oath.

Anthony, in the midst of the group, was also overwhelmed, reciting the oath word by word while kneeling as he had rehearsed countless times in his heart:

“Extinguish the enemy’s fire of hope, enforce order with an iron fist, the Dragon Lord above all!”

“Very good.”

Feeling the power of the contract, Cassius said.

The magma-like patterns on his body flowed, releasing one by one the glimmering fire seeds.

Now owning the Ancestral Dragon Bloodline, he no longer needed to use the primitive method of “bloodletting” to bestow gifts. He only needed to expend a trivial amount of strength to release the bloodline sparks with a magical essence, which could grant mortals the ferocious Red Dragon Bloodline.

Those flickering flames entered the bodies of the youths.

They turned the mortal’s blood into dragon blood filled with elemental power, coursing through their veins.

Even though he was mentally prepared, at the moment of dragon blood transformation, Anthony still gritted his teeth, almost crushing them. He even heard his companions around him screaming in pain.

Hot, it was unbearably hot!

His body felt like it was submerged in magma, about to burst into flames.

Anthony curled up on the ground in pain, rolling back and forth, his skin turning red and emitting scorching white smoke.

In an instant, Anthony seemed to be back on that unforgettable afternoon. Before him once again appeared Baron Soli, and that man was reaching out his monstrous hand to his younger self.

“But… I need this power!”

“Even if I become a monster, even if I become a follower of a giant dragon, at least I won’t be treated as livestock to vent desires…”

“I want to be a real person!”

He roared in his heart.

This time, Anthony was not violated as in reality but spewed blazing fire, burning that despicable man to ashes.

Under his skin appeared faint scales, and a series of spiny scales emerged on his back. His originally thin body greedily absorbed the surrounding energy, becoming stronger.

When the smoke cleared, Anthony’s appearance was still vaguely human, but with features characteristic of the Dragon Vein.

The same happened to the remaining eleven youths.

All twelve who received the gift successfully transformed into Dragonsworn Holy Warriors without exception.

However, apart from Anthony, the others’ minds could not withstand the impact of this immense power. They were unable to control their newly forged Dragon Vein bodies and temporarily fainted, unconscious.

Only Anthony supported his body with a dragon-scaled arm, slowly rising, and half-kneeling again.

His lips moved slightly.

“Dragon Lord…”

At this moment, he was finally reborn, completely bidding farewell to the boy who once curled up in the dark corner.