=== Chapter 01 ===
THIRD PERSON POV:
A fierce adult Red Dragon the size of three house spread it bats like wings and spat out his fiery breath to a human knight, the wind whistles as it swung its razor-sharp claw to the knight direction its thick metal like red scale glisten as the light from the sun reflected on it.
The knight, wearing a blackened steel armour with golden eagle engraving wields a reddish colour long sword as he masterly dodged and counter the Dragon attack.
As the two fight the grown beneath them crack, claw mark and sword slashes were littered everywhere on the battle ground, the grown burned by the fire left no plant in its wake setting up a fiery ring for the two creatures to fight in.
Sir Raven withstands the onslaught of the dragon flame head on then he quickly counterattacks, his sword has been coated with his Mana as he slashed at the Dragon chest cutting a shallow cut to the hard scale of the Dragon, none the least it manage to enrage the Apex Behemoth as it was an insult for him to be cut by what it thin as an inferior species.
ROOOAAAARRR!!!!
The Dragon let out a loud furious roar and look at raven murderously, the air whipped as it whipped Raven with its tail throwing Raven to a nearby wall of the Dragon lair.
“HUMAN!! you come to my Lair uninvited and now you plan hunt me down? I will grant you a torturous and painful death for this insolence!!”
The Dragon said arrogantly as it prepared to launch another attack.
On the other side Raven has already stands back to his feet, his helmet was thrown off revealing an aged old man, his white hair, his wrinkly yet handsome face that can still pull the string of young maiden hearts.
He holds his sword tightly as a glowing particle coated the sword, unlike mana, the glow gave off a sharp and oppressing power on it, raven sword is now being coated by his sword Aura.
The legendary Sword Aura that can only be wield by a Sword Grand master.
Sword Grand Master is someone who have reach the peak of the sword path and can freely manipulate the mana around them and turn it into sword aura.
Sword grandmasters are rare, and raven is one of the three sword grandmasters exist in Findel plain.
The old grandmaster start can be said to haven’t been one of the greatest, his house was sweep by the monster tide, losing his family at an early age.
he was then pick up by a mercenary band as a porter.
his talent with the sword would then notice by a wandering sword master who took him as disciple.
he then joins the kingdom knight order at the age of twenty and fought against the empire invasion.
for his service Raven were granted the rank of margrave and was given a fief by the king that he may restored from the devastation during the war.
Many look down on him after he was given the baren fief.
Raven painstakingly brought his fief into prosperity more so than the other regions in the kingdom.
during those years raven also have miraculously reach the legendary rank of Sword Grandmaster.
He became the hero and sword of the kingdom the commoner cheer for him, and the kingdom status globally have risen.
But even after all he done for the kingdom, he still garners the envy from other nobles and lord while the new king who didn’t like his popularity with the common people despise him even more.
So, to get rid of him, the new king sends him to a dangerous task to slay an adult red Dragon that live inside the kingdom border, a region that while in the kingdom sphere of influence was inhabited by beast lead by the red Dragon.
Raven have already had some suspicion but still receive the new king order as prove his loyalty to the kingdom.
This is how raven end up fighting the red Dragon alone in its lair.
Hours passed and the red Dragon is slain.
Raven breathes heavily, blood from himself and the Dragon stained his armour, his sword still embedded in the Red Dragon’s chest.
The dragon’s final breath had left as whisper of smoke, curling away into wind.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Raven wipes the blood and soot from his brow, staring down at the beast he had fought so hard to vanquish. Victory, at last.
His armour, now worn out from the scorching blaze of the Dragon breath and its razor like claws, he took off his armour as he felt it would be useless to wear a worn-out armour, beside it only hinders him from now on.
As he was about claim the Dragon head as his trophy a barge of arrows assaulted him
He dodges and deflect some but unfortunately for him two bolts of strange arrows still struck him piercing his left thigh and right arm.
He looks toward the source of where the arrow come from and spotted the enemies who assaulted him, they’re surrounded him with archers pointing their arrows at his and knights quickly rushing at him, the leader of the assailant approach him, he wore the same armour as the other, the kingdom royal guard armour, but his was adorn with more decor.
“Sir Raven, thank you for your service of slaying the Dragon, we come to retrieve the Dragon treasure for his majesty the king, I suggest you to not resist”
The knight leader said with a bit of mocking in his tone, he raise one of his hands and signal his men to begin the looting.
Many soldiers start entering the lair and gathering the dragon treasure, while the leader himself go to the slain Dragon and began to search for something.
Raven on the other hand was surrounded by the other royal guard with their weapons pointing at him.
After some time, the leader of the royal guard come back after not finding what he’s looking for.
“Sir Raven where is the Dragon Heart?”
He asks as he unsheathed his sword and point it at Raven direction, this heart was something that he was saving for himself as he deems that the heart will be useless for the king, and he consider this as his payment for with the Dragon heart could possibly ascend to the level of grandmaster.
Raven tries to move his hand to defend himself but quickly found something wrong with his body, he felt his body began to fail him and unresponsive to his command.
The leader knows this and sneer as he said toward Raven.
“it’s useless old man, the arrow was lance with poisons! It capable of dispersing your mana and it also have the capability of killing a grandmaster, so stop resisting and tell me where the Dragon heart is! Maybe then, we can give you the antidote~”
The knight said under his helm, he approaches raven cautiously.
At this point Raven didn’t even resist the poison anymore, he has lived his life only to serve the kingdom and the former king, but the successor of the king never like him.
Now he is but a lonely old man at the edge of his life expectancy, he looks at the sky, all the comrade and people who are close to him already passed, with this he accepted his fate.
But before that as one last act of defiance raven took out a red gem like stone, it sometime gave out a weak pulse like vibration, this stone is what Raven collected after slaying the Dragon.
“The Dragon heart!”
The Royal knight captain exclaimed in excitement, but before he can even demand the heart from raven for him to hand the heart over raven hand already move to swallows the Dragon heart.
The leader of the royal guards tries to move as quickly as he can to intercept raven action, he aims the blade at raven chest.
With a thrush the leader blade pierce Raven Heart, unfortunately for him raven have already achieves his goal and swallow the heart.
“This is my win”
Raven said his last word before he fell to his death.
<><><>
Earth, USA, Ohio.
An old man was sitting on a rocking chair in front of his home, he was reading a book about agriculture.
Wiliam is a veteran of the US military, he is now in his 90s, he has serves in WWII and in both Korea and Vietnam war earning him many experiences and story.
He currently waiting for his grandchildren to visit him, they usually ask about his experience and would proudly tell them about it until they fall asleep.
As he waiting the wind blow upon the humble terrace, he reminiscent about his life an how he got to this point in life.
Born in the US William inherent his parent German heritage, his parent moves from German to US after WWI looking for better life.
His grandparent serves in the army of the kaiser and would sometime visit and told young William story about their past when they fought for the kaiser and the fatherland.
His father starts from scratch in America, after accouple of years of work he eventually has the capital to set up a small workshop for himself and provide for his family.
When WWII happened, he enlisted as a soldier and fought in the Europe theatre before voluntarily enlist to be transferred to the pacific theatre, after the war end, he stayed in the military.
When the war broke out in Korea, he fought in it and when Vietnam erupted, he also fought there.
Later he was discharge with various medal for his feet and achievement during his services, when he gets back home, he inherits his father workshop.
he gets married and have two children, he spends time with his wife until her death.
During his later years he would inherit his workshop to his eldest son and enjoy himself in books just like when he is young, he could remember all the content of books he already read at least once as he have the rare photographic memory.
History, war, Mechanics, agriculture, he even began reading light novel his grandchildren would enjoy and share with him.
In his retirement nothing beat spending time with his grandchildren within the country that he helps to defend, he has watch with his own eyes as how his country from year to years began to change technology, Culturally, environmentally, and event politicly.
Though he saw many positive things appear he also saw how the country he has serve began to fall apart bit by bit and how their action and inaction slowly shaping the world environment.
He was worried about what kind of world will his grandchildren be left with.
As he continues to reminisce about his pass and future, he fails to realize that an out of controlled truck have made it course toward him in high speed.
BIIIIIINNNNNGGGGG!!!
The last thing heard and seen was the sound and sight of an oncoming truck toward him, he saw the driver trying his best to change the truck course without any result.
‘Ah, I haven’t finish telling my story to those brat…’
That was William last thought before his death.
<><><>
Inside one of the many cold stone camber of an impoverished castle, a handsome black-haired young man lay weakly on his bed, his handsome visage was slightly ruin by his shallow cheek because malnourishment and prolong coma, this young man’s name is Wulf Vou Eisenerz he is the eldest son of the Vou Eisenerz Margrave household.
After falling into a coma state, he has been laying on his bed for the last five years with no sign of waking up.
But on his 18th birthday something happened when no one was present in his room, two glowing orb like light slowly descended toward the unconscious young man, the two orbs of light began descended and enter the young man body and an invisible change happen to the young man.
A couple hours after the phenomenon happened Wulf finger which had never been moving in the last eight years began to slightly move.