The First Dragon God-Chapter 131: True Strength Starts At Exalted Rank

Tatiana finally stopped flying after she was sure they had gotten far enough from the rift. The weight of their encounter with the Abyssal Fiend still lingered in the air like an unseen force pressing down on them.

She loosened her grip and let go of Leo, dropping him onto the solid ground below.

Leo landed with a soft grunt, rolling his shoulders as he stretched his limbs. His body was still aching from the battle, his muscles stiff from exertion.

The cool air felt sharp against his skin, carrying the scent of damp earth and distant fires. He exhaled, turning back toward the rift they had just fled from, his gaze narrowing.

Tatiana stepped beside him, her crimson eyes flickering in the low light. She was watching him carefully, gauging his reaction.

"So, what now?" Leo finally asked, his voice steady despite the storm brewing inside him.

Tatiana crossed her arms. "We get stronger," she said simply. "Fiends aren’t one to give up easily. The next time we enter the Abyssal Realm, it’ll be waiting for us, and it won’t be toying with us like it did today."

Leo nodded, his fingers curling into fists at his sides. "Then we’ll need to prepare. But how long before we can go back in?"

Tatiana glanced back toward the rift. Its glow pulsed, casting eerie shadows across the broken landscape.

"The Abyssal Realm only has one rift per realm. Unless we find another one, which is highly unlikely, we’ll have to wait," she explained. "The only other way to return would be to travel to another realm and use their rift."

Leo absorbed the information in silence, his thoughts racing. The Fiend wasn’t just some monster. It was one of the apex predator of the Abyss, something that existed outside the boundaries of normal strength. Facing it again would be a death sentence if he wasn’t strong enough.

"I see..." He ran a hand through his hair, his mind already working through scenarios. "Then the only real option is to increase my strength as fast as possible."

Tatiana smirked slightly. "That’s the only option you ever had. The Abyss isn’t going anywhere, and neither is the Fiend. But your real problem isn’t just the Abyss anymore."

Leo frowned. "What do you mean?"

Tatiana’s expression turned serious. "The demons," she said simply. "They make up half the leaderboard. And something tells me they didn’t come here by chance."

Leo’s jaw tightened. He hadn’t forgotten about the leaderboard, but now that she brought it up again, he realized how convenient—how deliberate—it all felt. The demons being here… it was too much of a coincidence.

"You think they’re here because of me?" he asked.

Tatiana nodded. "It’s a feeling more than anything. But if I’m right, then you need to prepare. And I must tell you, demons are very strong."

Leo let out a slow breath, staring into the distance. If she was right, then his problems were only just beginning.

The silence stretched between them for a moment before Leo spoke again.

"Tatiana, I noticed something about the tournament," he said, his tone shifting slightly. "It seems… stacked in favor of the Off-worlders. And I can’t help but wonder—what’s the actual reward for winning?"

Tatiana’s lips curled into a knowing smile. "You caught on," she mused.

Leo tilted his head. "So? What is it?"

Tatiana let out a small breath before answering. "The winner gets the opportunity to become a god."

Leo blinked. Of all the answers he had expected, that hadn’t been one of them.

Tatiana continued, watching his reaction carefully. "The tournament was designed to see who can reach the Celestial Rank the fastest. And whoever does gets the chance to ascend."

Leo frowned. There was something about it that didn’t sit right with him. The whole setup—this grand event that conveniently gathered the strongest fighters, pushing them to their limits—it felt like a game with hidden rules. But he wasn’t at the level where he could challenge the system itself.

At least not yet.

"I see…" He exhaled. "I guess that’s not something I should be worrying about right now."

Tatiana nodded. "Exactly. You need to focus on the immediate future. The tournament. And your own survival."

Leo clenched his fists. The path ahead of him was clearer now. He needed to get stronger. No matter what it took.

.....

Tatiana didn’t waste any more time. She grabbed Leo by the arm again, her wings unfurling as she took off into the sky, carrying him with her.

The wind howled past his ears as they soared through the night. The city lights below were dim and sparse, remnants of a world that had once been filled with life. Now, it was a battlefield, and he was just another fighter trying to carve out his place.

Leo glanced at Tatiana as they flew. "So… when do I get to fly?" he asked, half-joking, half-serious.

Tatiana smirked. "Exalted Rank."

Leo raised a brow. "That late?"

"That’s when true strength starts," she said. "Anything before that is just a warm-up."

Leo absorbed that information. Exalted Rank. That was the milestone he needed to reach. The real beginning of power.

They flew in silence the rest of the way, the wind carrying them effortlessly through the sky.

When they finally arrived, Tatiana didn’t waste time. She dropped Leo off at the balcony of his bedroom and, without another word, turned and vanished into the night.

Leo watched her disappear before stepping inside.

.....

The moment he entered his room, the tension in the air shifted.

Ves was there.

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The second their eyes met, the weight of their last conversation and the incident of the previous night hit them both like a crashing wave. The room suddenly felt too small, and the silence too loud.

Ves sat on the couch, her hands clasped together, her gaze flickering away the moment he stepped in. There was something unreadable in her expression.

Leo stood in the doorway, unsure of what to say. He had fought an Abyssal Fiend today, had barely escaped with his life, but this? This felt just as daunting.

Ves finally broke the silence.

"You’re back," she said quietly.

Leo nodded. "Yeah."

Another pause. The tension remained, thick and suffocating.

Ves exhaled, her fingers tightening around each other. "You should rest."

"I will," Leo said, but neither of them moved.

For a moment, it felt like they were standing on the edge of something neither of them knew how to cross. And maybe they weren’t ready to. Read new adventures at novelbuddy

Leo finally took a step forward, heading toward his bed.

"Goodnight, Ves," he said.

Ves hesitated before responding. "Goodnight, Leo."