Dragon King: Throne of Demons and Gods-Chapter 147: First Flame of the King

After a few minutes, Novaria calmed down.

She remained kneeling before Bel, calmer now.

Bel listened as she quietly explained what she could remember. She had no memory of who placed them under the curse, only that it had been described, somehow, as a "gift" meant for him.

Bel nodded slightly.

"So nothing useful from the curse itself. Then let’s focus on you."

He questioned her, trying to clarify what she knew about her condition. Novaria described it with a thoughtful tilt of the head.

"I remember my past," she said. "I know I was Sienna... and everything I lived through still feels real... but like a memory of someone else. Like I’m watching a story I’ve already seen."

That made Bel pause. From her point of view, she hadn’t changed just in form, but in essence.

"And now?" he asked.

"Now... I feel right. Better. Grounded. Stronger," she replied. Her voice grew softer as she looked at him again. "And I feel even better when I look at you. It’s like... I finally see what I was meant to see. You’re perfect, Bel. You’re not just strong... You’re right. You’re the King."

Bel crossed his arms.

"If you remember you’re Sienna, where’s this devotion coming from? Don’t you want to know how you became a dragon in the first place?"

Novaria paused. She actually considered it for a moment.

"No... not really," she admitted. "I kind of know. I think I saw... images."

"Images?"

She hesitated.

"Not exactly images... More like... pieces of your point of view. What you saw. What you felt. It’s... hard to explain. But I know you saved me."

She lowered her head again.

"And for that, I swear my loyalty. From this day on, no matter what happens, I am yours. I will serve you, and I will make the world see your army rise."

She smiled proudly, tears still in her lashes. Bel stared at her, his mouth parting slightly in disbelief. Then, to her surprise, he smiled.

"It might be worse than I thought," he muttered.

She blinked.

"Worse?"

"I wanted to save you, and test my power. But in the end... I turned you into someone else."

She shook her head quickly.

"Wait, no. I’m sorry to interrupt, but... no. I’m still me. From my point of view, I’m the same person. Just—"

She touched her chest lightly, feeling her heartbeat.

"Just more alive. I’m more honest with what I feel now. And I want things I didn’t want before."

She looked up at him, her eyes soft.

"Being this close to you. Knowing you want to take care of me. It’s... better than life ever was. Before, I didn’t have a purpose. I just wandered. But now... I feel at home. I know what I want. I am me... With new wills."

They locked eyes. Her breath caught, and suddenly she grew flustered.

"C-could you... maybe... cover up a little...?" She covered her face, peeking between her fingers. "It’s kinda hard to look you in the eyes when I keep seeing... everything."

Bel blinked, then actually smiled, shaking his head.

"The worst part is... I can feel what you’re feeling. You’re happy."

Still hiding her face, she peeked.

"Why is that bad—?" but then gasped as he stepped forward.

He stopped in front of her, solemn, and extended a hand.

"I’m sorry," he said. "For the consequences of my selfishness. You got dragged into my war. I killed what your normal life... and put you into something far more dangerous."

Then, shocking her, Bel knelt down on one knee.

"So I swear this: I will become the king of an invincible army. And I’ll make sure we shine above all others."

He gently brought his forehead to hers.

Novaria froze. Her lips quivered, her eyes wide and shaking. Tears returned, hot, unstoppable.

"A king... shouldn’t apologize..." she whispered.

Bel stood tall again.

"I’ll never kneel to an enemy. But to my people, I can put one knee on the ground."

He stepped aside, giving her space as her tears increased.

"Cry all you want. That’s the most human thing left in us. What’s coming... will need monstrosities. I’ll forge you to forget how to spare with honor... and teach you how to shred with thirst. Until your prey is reduced to nothingness. This is your new path now, the path of destruction."

Novaria wiped the tears from her face, still kneeling. She looked up at Bel with a steady breath.

Bel folded his arms again.

"Now, as the first step as lindworm, you must choose your attribute."

"Attribute?" she asked, tilting her head.

"You’re a dragon now," Bel said simply. "You need to learn how to be one. One part of that is elemental energy. I can choose one attribute to grant you. The others, you’ll have to unlock by consuming elemental energy cores."

She listened intently as Bel continued.

"I possess all the basic elemental types, fire, water, wind, earth... and some special attributes: lightning, ice, and demonic."

Novaria’s eyes widened slightly.

"You have all of those...? Wow..."

Bel nodded.

"Lightning’s powerful, but it’s too mana-intensive. Water and ice are trickier to handle. Fire is the most balanced. Demonic, I’m not even sure it’s really..."

Before he could elaborate, she immediately blurted.

"Fire! I want fire!"

Bel raised an eyebrow.

"Hm? Well, this is what I thought was the best for a starter. But still, tell me why."

She beamed. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

"It... it’s really not very deep. I always loved dragon stories. If I got the chance, then I want to be a fire dragon bringing hell on battlefield."

Her eyes sparkled with childlike excitement, and Bel smirked.

"Alright. Novaria, your first affiliation will be fire."

He turned to face her fully and focused. The screen shimmered back into view.

[Elemental Attribute Assigned: Fire] [Novaria has obtained Fire Mastery Lv.1] [Bond Lv.1 effect activated – Fire Mastery increased to Lv.3]

A fiery aura burst gently around Novaria, wrapping her in warm, flickering flame.

She looked at the glow around her hands with awe, like a child marveling at a legendary toy.

"This should be a good beginning," Bel said.

He summoned the system again, this time opening the shop interface.

[Current Gold: 7,922,500]

[SHOP ITEMS AVAILABLE – System Refresh in 28:17]

Infernakar Blade (Ultra Rare) – 960,000 Gold+320 ATK, +50 toughness

Effect: Emits searing waves with each swing; grants ’Dragonflame Surge’, a cone of fire that scales with level.

Mantle of the Ash Monarch (Mythic) – 1,280,000 Gold+200 DEF, +180 Magic DEF, +Fire Resistance

Effect: Fire damage heals 15% of total HP; passive aura causes burning terrain within a 10m radius.

Tempest Shard Halberd (Ultra Rare+) – 830,000 Gold+275 ATK, +30% Crit Rate

Effect: Deals wind and lightning damage; activates ’Storm Spiral’ on crit, hitting all enemies in a small radius.

Glacial Bastion (Artifact) – 1,100,000 Gold+320 DEF, +80 Ice Affinity

Effect: Immunity to freeze effects; automatically casts ’Permafrost Wall’ when HP drops below 30% once per battle.

Cindersoul Bracers (Rare+) – 450,000 Gold+120 ATK, +40 DEF

Effect: Adds fire burst to melee hits; stores fire damage dealt and allows instant release as an AoE burn.

Veil of the Moonbound (Rare) – 390,000 Gold+100 Magic DEF

Effect: Reduces aggro and grants stealth for 5 seconds upon taking a critical hit.

Hellroot Greaves (Ultra Rare) – 710,000 Gold+160 DEF, +80 Fire Resist

Effect: Boosts speed by 20% on scorched ground; ignites trail when sprinting.

Molten Eye Circlet (Epic) – 570,000 Gold+60 Magic DEF, +30 Fire Affinity

Effect: Reveals invisible enemies; adds ’Sear Vision’, can detect enemy weak points for 10 seconds.

Draconic Forgepass (Unique Consumable) – 800,000 Gold

Effect: Randomly unlocks one draconic skill from a user’s attribute. One use only. Cannot be traded.

Bel smiled faintly as he saw the number displayed at the top of the shop screen. Over seven million in gold.

"Must be the Trial of Ascension," he muttered. "Though... considering what I had to face, I expected more."

Still, he turned his attention back to the items. For now, Novaria would need fire-exclusive weapons, something she could grow into. He glanced at her.

"Do you have a preferred weapon?"

Novaria tilted her head.

"As a knight, I always used a sword. But now..." She glanced at her clawed, scaled hands.

"I feel like I could do anything."

Bel gave a small nod. That was expected.

His eyes flicked back to the shop screen. Fire gears, weapons, rare equipment... He glanced at the timer: 27:55.

"Did the system adjusts its content right before I opened it?" He smiled.

Without hesitation, he made his selections:

Infernakar Blade

Mantle of the Ash Monarch

Glacial Bastion

Cindersoul Bracers

Hellroot Greaves

Molten Eye Circlet

Then his gaze fell on the Draconic Forgepass. A consumable capable of granting a draconic skill from one of the user’s attributes.

"A skill from an attribute... like Abyssal Flame, Eternal Ice, or even Bolt Mode?" He thought quietly. "I got Abyssal Flame really early. Maybe she could get it too from something like this."

Tempting, even for himself. But he had a duty now. He needed his soldiers strong.

He frowned slightly.

"It doesn’t say you can pick the attribute. So it’s random..."

He turned to Novaria.

"I’ll need to see how you perform before I hand you something special."

She nodded immediately.

"Understood. I’ll do my best."

Bel removed the selected items from the inventory. Novaria gasped as they appeared seemingly out of thin air.

"As a dragon, your body is your primary weapon," Bel said. "But equipment makes a difference. Consider these bonuses."

He handed her the bracers first. She hesitated.

"Won’t they be too big?"

"Just wear them. They’ll adapt."

One by one, she equipped each item. The gear shimmered, then vanished on her body. She stared at herself, patting her arms and chest.

"Where did they go...?" she asked, stunned.

"Internalized, and you’ll add more on them," Bel explained. "Depending on your performance."

Finally, he pulled out the Infernakar Blade.

It was a masterpiece of destruction, gleaming obsidian layered with molten crimson lines that pulsed like a heartbeat.

Serrated edges glowed with heat color, and its hilt curled like a dragon’s claw around a core.

Novaria’s eyes lit up, dazzled.

"It’s beautiful... I’ve never seen a weapon like this."

She took it in both hands. It was heavy, but not too heavy.

"Try it," Bel said. He pointed toward the edge of the clearing. "Over there."

Novaria hesitated for a moment, gripping the blade. Then, with a deep breath, she stepped carefully outside the zone where the frozen people remained untouched by time.

She raised the sword, muscles tense, then swung.

A blazing torrent exploded from the weapon, carving a fiery line through the trees. A shockwave rippled outward as flames consumed a long stretch of the forest.

Novaria stumbled back, wide-eyed.

"W-Whoa... I... I did that?"

Bel watched the blaze crackle and roar.

Then, he smiled.

"Yes. That’ll do."

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