Giant Dragon Lord: Starting from Daily Intelligence-Chapter 233 - 227: The Golden Dragon Reappears in Black Stone Territory
A wave of boisterous laughter swept through the crowd.
The Dragon Lizard Knight who had boasted yesterday flushed red. But spurred on by the jeers and stares of his comrades, he steeled himself and stepped forward.
"Baru, you got this!"
"Show him the power of the Dragon Lizard bloodline!"
The Knight named Baru took a deep breath and walked up to the Armored Rhinoceros.
He stared at the giant beast before him—it weighed several tons, its body was covered in thick hide, and the long, coarse horn on its nose glinted with a cold, metallic light. He swallowed hard.
’I was just completely carried away by excitement when I said that yesterday.’
Now that he actually had to face it, the pressure was immense.
"Thor, tell your rhino to take it easy. Don’t actually send Baru flying," a nearby Knight joked.
Thor snorted and whispered a few words to his Armored Rhinoceros.
The Armored Rhinoceros, still in its Growth Stage, snorted, blowing out two plumes of white air. It aimed its massive head at Baru, its hooves restlessly pawing at the ground.
"Are you ready, Baru?" Thor shouted.
Baru spread his legs, sank into a low stance, and instantly tensed every muscle in his body. A faint, earth-yellow glow materialized on the surface of his skin.
He crossed his arms in front of his chest, assuming a purely defensive posture.
"Bring it on!"
"’Iron Head,’ charge!"
At Thor’s command, the Armored Rhinoceros let out a low roar. Its massive body, like a siege hammer at full throttle, charged violently toward Baru.
The very ground trembled slightly.
The spectating Knights all took a few steps back in unison, their faces a mixture of excitement and nervousness.
Just when everyone thought Baru would be sent flying in an instant, a colossal sound like the beat of a war drum exploded across the field.
"BOOM!"
Baru’s feet plowed two deep furrows in the ground as he slid back several meters before barely managing to stop.
His arms were locked desperately against the Armored Rhinoceros’s horn. His entire body was bent backward by the immense force, his bones groaning under the strain, and his face had turned the color of beet root.
But, in the end, he held his ground.
The square first fell deathly silent, then erupted in thunderous cheers.
"Gods! He actually blocked it!"
"Is the Dragon Lizard bloodline really that powerful?"
"Baru! Way to go!"
Even Thor’s eyes went wide with disbelief.
He knew better than anyone how terrifying the Power of his Armored Rhinoceros’s full charge was. Even a Knight of the same Level would never dare to face it head-on.
Amidst the crowd’s cheers, Baru felt a satisfaction he had never known before. A bestial roar escaped his throat as the muscles in his arms swelled once more, and he actually managed to force the Armored Rhinoceros’s head upward by a fraction of an inch.
The Armored Rhinoceros, as if sensing its authority had been challenged, pushed forward with even greater fury.
Man and beast, locked in a contest of strength in the center of the square, created a truly powerful and striking image.
Raylo watched this scene from the castle walls, a wide smile spreading across his face.
’This is exactly the kind of atmosphere I want.’
The entire territory was filled with vigor and power. The Knights competed with and motivated one another, creating a virtuous cycle.
The morale and spirit of this army were growing stronger at a visible rate.
He didn’t go down to disturb them, instead turning and returning to his study.
The clamor from outside gradually faded, and tranquility returned to the study.
Raylo’s gaze sharpened. He pulled his attention away from the boisterous square and began to review the intelligence reports that had just come in today.
He quickly skimmed through the routine reports—mostly trivial matters concerning neighboring territories or traces of Magical Beast activity on the outskirts of the Black Stone Mountain Range.
Raylo’s eyes scanned quickly, but his pupils contracted abruptly when he reached the final report.
[10. The Young Black Dragon ruler of the eastern Black Stone Mountain Range, self-proclaimed "Black King," engaged in a fierce battle yesterday with a Golden Dragon that trespassed into its territory. The fight was over the ownership of a ’Dragon Blood Ancient Tree.’ The Golden Dragon was no match for the "Black King’s" legion, was defeated and injured, and forced to retreat from the Black Stone Mountain Range. The Golden Dragon is expected to pass over Black Stone Territory at dusk today. Due to its severe injuries, it has chosen to land in Black Stone Territory to rest for a few days.]
A Golden Dragon.
The study was utterly silent, save for the crackling of the flames in the fireplace, which cast his shadow on the wall, making it dance and stretch.
The Golden Dragon was a creature that stood at the apex of legends across the entire Continent—proud and exceedingly rare.
And not long ago, he had happened to encounter a particularly unconventional Golden Dragon.
The very one that prided itself on possessing "knightly spirit" and had even gifted him a Dragon Flame Crystal Stone.
’Could it be the same one?’
Raylo mused.
For any territory, an injured Golden Dragon was both a heaven-sent opportunity and a catastrophe capable of bringing utter ruin.
The wealth of a Giant Dragon was the stuff of endless legends, and the value of a dragon’s corpse was enough to drive a Kingdom to madness.
But by the same token, the final desperate struggle of a Giant Dragon was enough to wipe a city off the map.
’Save it, or not?’
The thought lingered in Raylo’s mind for only a moment before he extinguished it.
That Golden Dragon’s "knightly spirit" might have been a bit eccentric, but Raylo could sense its integrity.
It was against his principles to stand by and watch a "friend"—one who had shown him recognition and even given him a gift—die.
Besides, risk and reward went hand in hand.
If he could earn the friendship of a Golden Dragon, it would be an immeasurably huge boon for the future development of Black Stone Territory.
He stood up, walked to the study door, and pulled open the heavy wooden doors.
"Take my orders to Master Barnaby’s laboratory."
Raylo summoned a Personal Guard.
"Tell him I need the highest-Level Healing Potions in the territory, especially those effective on powerful life forms and the Dragon Race. I don’t care what methods he uses, I want to see them within half an hour."
"Yes, my lord!"
"Also," Raylo added.
"Summon the Griffin Knights and Mammoth Knights to be on standby below the main castle tower. Order all Crossbow Cannons on the walls to be loaded and aimed at the eastern mountain range. They are not to fire without my command."
"Yes, sir!"
The Personal Guard acknowledged the order and turned, departing with quick steps. The sound of his heavy footfalls stirred a gust of wind in the corridor.
By the window, Moonlight leaped silently onto the sill, watching Raylo with its pale-gold, vertical pupils.
"A big one’s coming. This might be a little troublesome," Raylo said softly.
Moonlight gave a lazy yawn, seemingly unconcerned, and merely twitched the tip of its tail.
From behind it, the jet-black Coal Ball peeked its head out.
The little guy had finally escaped its "cat pancake" state and regained its energy.
Raylo’s heart settled a bit.
He took stock of his trump cards.
The Soul Horn, and the Dragon Flame Crystal Stone gifted by the Golden Dragon.
Both could pose a direct threat to an injured Golden Dragon.
His mount, the Storm Griffin King, possessed considerable aerial combat strength. It could attack or flee, and an injured Golden Dragon probably wouldn’t be able to match its speed.
Moonlight, a powerhouse hiding many skills.
And Coal Ball, the Space Young Dragon whose combat strength was still unknown.
Facing a Golden Dragon at its peak might be beyond their capabilities, but a Golden Dragon that had just endured a bloody battle and was heavily injured...
...they weren’t without a fighting chance. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂
He prepared for both possibilities.
If the dragon was hostile, it would be met with Black Stone Territory’s most powerful Thunderboltous Strike.
If it was truly that "Knight Dragon," then Black Stone Territory would offer it its sincerest friendship.
Time slowly trickled by. The sky transitioned from a bright azure to a warm, orange-yellow.
Just as the last rays of the evening sun were about to be swallowed by the horizon, a small black dot appeared on the distant skyline.
