The Brother's Bond
The Seal of Fire!
A wave of heat surged outward, scorching his face.
The seal revealed itself, wreathed in flames.
The fire circling around it moved as though it possessed a life of its own.
At a glance, it resembled a heart cradling living flame.
How long had he stared, entranced by the seal that drew his gaze?
When Perdikion clenched his fist, the flames flowed into his palm and vanished without a trace.
“Do you like it?”
His voice carried unmistakable satisfaction.
“Yeah. It’s incredible.”
Rune nodded honestly.
The seal contained the very source of fire, a power even the elders of the Fire clan could not treat lightly.
Holding it felt like grasping a mountain-shaking inferno in the palm of his hand.
Yet it was not his to claim just yet.
One final step remained before he could receive the Seal of Fire.
Rune and Perdikion moved to the location Christina had told him about beforehand.
“Welcome, Pel.”
“Peep!”
Baekya, perched on Christina’s shoulder, spread his wings in greeting.
Heungmi stood right beside him, eyes wide and round as she stared.
“Yes. Thank you for contacting me, Lady Christina.”
Perdikion’s gaze shifted to the child whose black ears twitched upright.
“Is that the servant you gained while you were asleep?”
Heungmi, who had been fidgeting nervously, clasped her small, plump hands together and spoke.
“My name is Heungmi!”
Perdikion shrugged.
“Heungmi? Unusual name. I’m Rune’s older brother. Call me Perdikion.”
“Rune-nim’s brother?”
The wariness in the child’s eyes softened into curiosity.
“Are you close with Rune-nim?”
“Close? We’re about to become the closest brothers there are.”
“?”
Rune shot him a puzzled look, but Perdikion simply nodded to himself, looking proud.
“That’s right. Nothing like a mere servant.”
What’s with that weird sense of superiority?
Rune was fighting back a wry laugh when Heungmi glared at Perdikion, lips pursed in clear displeasure.
“No! Heungmi was born because of Rune-nim!”
“Still just a servant.”
“Hngh!”
Too childish to watch.
Expecting Perdikion’s temperament to improve beyond this was asking too much.
Well, that’s what ten years as a hatchling is like.
It was already impressive that he had returned with such a decent disposition after what amounted to little more than a long nap.
Rune chose not to side with either of them and mediated calmly instead.
“Both of you are precious to me, so settle down.”
“No way. Heungmi is the best!”
Heungmi grabbed Rune’s hand at once and stuck her tongue out with a defiant “bleh.”
“Oh, really? What a shame. I came here today to give Rune something amazing.”
He’s enjoying this way too much.
The sight of one child teasing another made Rune decide it was time to step in, but Christina spoke first.
“Heungmi, we’re about to help Rune. Will you lend us your strength too?”
Heungmi’s eyes sparkled at the chance to be useful. Her black fox tail swayed.
“If I help, will Rune-nim like it?”
“Yes.”
“!”
At Rune’s answer, Heungmi clenched her fists tightly and dragged Baekya along with her toward Christina.
“Baekya! Come here! If we do this, Rune-nim will like it!”
“Peep!”
The moment Christina gave them suitable tasks, the two threw themselves into their work with full concentration.
She glanced back and gave Rune and Perdikion a small nod.
Thank you.
Rune returned a light nod of gratitude.
A barrier of light spread around them the instant they stepped inside the magic circle.
A gentle, bright energy.
It felt like basking in pleasant sunlight.
At that moment, the transmitted knowledge activated and appeared before his eyes.
Gold Dragon Elder’s Light Barrier
A barrier created by borrowing the power of the Gold Dragon’s core.
Additional effects increase according to the caster’s abilities.
Caster: Gold Dragon Elder Christina
Applied Effects:
- Light-attribute blessing series
- Ally healing and protection. Increased resistance.
- Regeneration ability increased
- Highest compatibility with fire abilities
- Drastic increase in agile physical abilities and mana control
As time passed, the amount of information steadily grew.
Looking at the endlessly expanding list made Christina’s power as the Gold Dragon leader feel all the more real.
These are abilities that prioritize safety over offensive power.
He wondered what would happen if she ever unleashed her attack-type abilities.
The thought both tempted and intrigued him.
“All right. Let’s begin.”
“Okay.”
That aside, I need to absorb the Seal of Fire properly first.
A hint of tension crept in.
The reason they had come all the way here to receive the seal.
The energy contained within was so intense that it would melt not only nearby objects but even the very earth.
Asking for Christina’s help really was the right choice.
Her power surpassed everyone else present.
Moreover, as a Gold Dragon specialized in protection and light, she was the best at handling any unexpected situations.
Finally, a red light began to glow in Perdikion’s eyes.
Then the complete form of the Seal of Fire appeared in his raised right hand.
A burning heart wrapped in chains.
So even when he showed it briefly earlier, it was still sealed.
The overwhelming heat was enough to make him flinch.
Yet that flinch quickly turned into desire.
This is what it should be like. After all, it’s the seal given directly by the successor of the Red Dragon leader, not just anyone.
Perhaps this was what it felt like to hold condensed fire and vitality.
The chains slowly unraveled.
Thump! Thump!
The violently living power of fire writhed.
“Here. This is the Seal of Fire I will give you.”
“……”
Perdikion spoke with a rather stern expression to Rune, who simply stared in silence.
“Accepting the seal means becoming part of the Fire clan. It means you must never betray your fire brothers and must uphold loyalty.”
“I know.”
“While you were asleep, I thought about it. Whether it would be all right to give you the seal simply as repayment for trust.”
Suppressing the urge to snatch and swallow it immediately, Rune looked at Perdikion.
“And over the past ten years, while ruling my lair, I realized something. Just like the residents of my lair, you are someone I absolutely need. Not because I am weak, but because I want to become a more perfect elder.”
Perdikion smiled.
The smile carried traces of his old self, the elder who valued a burning heart and cold reason above all.
“That is why I placed my authority into that seal. If you accept it, we will become sworn brothers.”
Rune recalled the closest example from his previous life.
They called it the Oath of the Peach Garden, didn’t they?
Thinking back, in his past life he had been an imugi with no sworn brothers, not even a minor faction.
If this guy has changed, then I must have as well.
Just as Rune had changed Perdikion’s temperament, he himself had been influenced in return.
For someone who had always lived alone on an island, this new experience planted expectations for the future.
“I also plan to grow and become stronger as the Black Dragon elder. I’ll be counting on you from now on, brother.”
When Rune reached out his hand, the seal settled into his palm.
It felt as though he were gripping raw, raging vitality.
That strange sense of exaltation.
Rune clenched the hand holding the seal.
Whoosh!
Flames engulfed his entire body as if to burn him away.
Hot.
It felt as though he had been submerged in lava.
Black Dragon hatchling scales briefly appeared near Rune’s neck, and red energy seeped into them.
He, once filled with the power of darkness, completely swallowed the Seal of Fire.
Information in his mind updated, and text began to line up.
(Bound)
Created by accepting the Red Dragon’s token.
Effects:
* The body becomes immune to fire damage.
* Can withstand intense heat.
* Greatly increases fire-attribute affinity.
※ Special Note: Penalty occurs if another target who has obtained the Seal of Fire is killed.
The name and description were the same, but new information had been added.
Fire and Darkness have merged, granting a new attribute combination!
Slither.
In Rune’s red eyes, the pupils of darkness and the mark of the Seal of Fire intertwined alternately.
He had not tried it yet, but he could tell.
The temperature of the air, the heat that moved as naturally as breathing.
An intense power that made him want to roar right away.
His heart pounded as though it would burst, then gradually calmed once the new power fully settled.
It’s done.
A satisfied smile formed on Rune’s lips.
The light barrier slowly faded, and outside sounds rushed in all at once.
“Peep-peep!”
“Rune-nim!”
“You’re popular, Rune.”
Baekya, Heungmi, and Perdikion spoke in turn.
Christina let out a soft sigh behind them and stretched her shoulders.
“Good work, both of you.”
“Thank you, Christina.”
In a good mood, Rune expressed his gratitude first.
“Is there anywhere that feels particularly off?”
“Not at all. I absorbed it perfectly.”
At Rune’s answer, both Christina and Perdikion widened their eyes in surprise and looked at each other.
“Perfectly?”
“Hmm…… Are you really all right?”
Why are they acting like that?
Confused, Rune checked his own condition again before replying.
“It feels completely natural, like it was always my own power. Isn’t that thanks to your barrier, Christina?”
Christina spoke with a strange expression.
“My barrier does reduce rejection toward other attributes, but accepting it well and controlling the power that has entered you on your own are two different things.”
Wondering how to explain it so the still-young hatchling could understand, Christina continued.
“The power of fire is a highly destructive force. It must feel unfamiliar to you, who carries the quiet silence of darkness. After ‘absorbing’ the power of another race, one usually feels a sense of dissonance.”
Dissonance?
Rune pondered her words carefully.
“I don’t feel anything like that at all.”
Far from dissonance, the power flowed as naturally as if it had always been his.
“How strange. I don’t know how many times I’ll end up saying this to you.”
While Christina looked puzzled, Perdikion folded his arms and nodded with a proud “As expected of my little brother!”
Rune silently scratched his cheek.
He had realized why the problem Christina mentioned had not occurred.
I spent almost my entire life doing it. Training to control raging energies.
It was none other than the 999 years of training as an imugi, all for the sake of ascension, that had borne fruit.
They said effort never betrays you.
The power to fuse any energy and make it his own!
In his previous life, he had died before ascending, rendering the ability useless.
Only now, in this life as a hatchling, had it finally bloomed.
That means, if I obtain the seals of other dragons, I’ll be able to control those powers as well?
The moment the thought surfaced, he brought his hand to his face.
The expression he wore was far too worldly for a young hatchling.
Calm down.
Fortunately, Christina and Perdikion were deeply absorbed in their own conversation.
To hide his greed-tainted expression, Rune rubbed his face with his hand.