Akuniryas was drenched in cold sweat. He began to doubt whether this was really a dream or not.

But everything felt so real, including the wind pressure and oppressive feeling from the dragon called "Dolores" behind him.

"Can you hear me speak?"

He wanted to get clarity, so he began silently chanting in his mind, thinking this so-called "god" should be able to communicate telepathically, which was probably the only way to converse.

Sure enough, that holy voice responded: "...You are quite rational...not the attitude of a pilgrim...Dolores..."

These syllables grew increasingly cold towards the end. Akuniryas clearly felt the oppressive force from behind draw nearer, accompanied by the grating, rusted sound of iron armor scraping. That iron giant undoubtedly had murderous intent!

"No! No! I'm willing to convert!" he hurriedly chanted loudly in his mind. "I remember being blessed by a purple goddess herself! That crown even fused into my body! Look!"

He turned around to show the back of his hand with the crown mark to the giant that had extended its iron claws extremely close, ready to capture him.

As if to verify his words, the crown mark on the back of his hand slowly manifested, and the giant claws paused momentarily.

"See, I'm not lying. You and that goddess must know each other...probably..." Akuniryas inwardly chuckled to himself.

"...It has been a long time since I had news of it...not fallen yet..." The holy voice now had a tinge of humanized melancholy. Akuniryas sensed a feminine quality.

"...But that would mean you could not possibly be here in person...just how did you arrive..."

"May I first ask about your background?" He was a bit uneasy about his situation. What if this was some dragon god or beast god? After all, the other had a dragon as its knight.

"I am the damp and cold god presiding over the main world's caves and winds and rains! You may call upon my name when praying for rain or lost in the mountains."

"The damp and cold god? What a strange title," Akuniryas mentally noted down this god.

He then hurriedly chanted out his own experience, including the conflict with the demoniac dragon.

"That's what happened! That demoniac dragon slaughtered the innocents and encroached on the lands we humans had cultivated through hard labor. It even enslaved my kinsmen as laborers. If you truly possess immense divine power, please lend a hand and smite it with heavenly punishment!"

Akuniryas fervently prayed from the depths of his heart, hoping to find a solution right here.

"...A demoniac dragon...there is no such species among the scaled dragons. Among the unscaled dragons, only the white dragons were once called that name...was it a white unscaled dragon spreading conspiracy?"

"No, it's a red dragon. I've never heard of white dragons."

"...I've also never heard of red dragons...only toxic dragons, frost dragons, steel dragons and the like...my knight Dolores is a wise dragon..."

"A wise dragon?"

Akuniryas turned his head to look again. He completely did not understand what this god meant.

Dolores' draconic form was more akin to the human body structure - less beastly, with slender limbs, proportionate wings, suitable for upright walking.

"In any case, my kinsmen are suffering, and I must kill that dragon..." As he said this, he paused to observe Dolores' reaction, but the other showed no awareness.

"...I understand now...you have come in pursuit of power..."

"If you could take direct action yourself, that would be even better," Akuniryas quickly added.

"...That is impossible. My power does not excel at acting upon the physical world. And my knight would not be able to go and subdue the unbelievers either, as their actions do not constitute blasphemy against me."

"...The power you seek still requires you to excavate it yourself. Let Dolores guide you to undergo the trial..."

"What?"

Before Akuniryas could react, he was instantly seized by the massive, rusted-armored claws!

Dolores then knelt and retreated backwards to the edge of the cliff, tumbling down from the Moon Temple.

"Uuuh!!"

The acceleration from the rapid descent and intertwining forces made him feel like his internal organs were going to leave his body.

But it was immediately followed by an abrupt halt in mid-air, inducing a powerful urge to vomit within him.

Dolores had spread open her four wings and was now flying amidst the cloud-piercing mountain peaks, the round moon growing increasingly distant behind them.

...

"Hah!"

Akuniryas suddenly woke with a start. As soon as he opened his eyes, the spirit wyrm was curiously staring at him, still holding the reins that should have been tied to the tree in its mouth.

The sun hung high in the sky like an undercooked sunny-side up egg. In the southern regions of Mu Continent, sunlight always graced them, unlike the northern territories constantly beset by blizzards obscuring the skies.

"Was that really a dream...or..." Cold sweat drenched his back as he sat slumped in the tent that the spirit wyrm had made a mess of, recalling every detail from the dream.

"But if it was real, then that god whose true form I could not see should know the one who blessed me...know? It also mentioned a 'supreme one', and seemed unaware of my current state, thinking I had gone there in the flesh. Was it the supreme one's power that allowed me to enter the dream?"

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He unconsciously raised his hand to look at the crown mark on the back of it - the mysterious figure who sent him off said this was a divine artifact.

"Slurrrp~"

The ignorant spirit wyrm thought this temporary master was trying to play with it, so it obediently leaned forward to lick the back of his hand, its coiled serpentine body floating lazily in the air.

"Alright! Let's head to the imperial capital!"

Akuniryas shook his head to dispel these conjectures. Regardless, he could re-enter the dream realm in a month's time. Before then, he should prepare properly to probe for more useful clues.

...

Dragon Domain.

After a morning of accelerated flight, Raphael and Arnold finally arrived at the frozen forest in the northwestern corner.

"Say Raphael, why did you have to choose winter to come here? Wouldn't spring be better?" Arnold complained as he looked at the demonic forest completely sealed off by the blizzard.

Crimson Dragon remained silent. He could hardly admit it was because he was eager to find experimental materials for Shena and bring Nana back.

"I've already found a way to heal her, so I must have her return to give it a try," Raphael gave a straightforward explanation.

For the sake of his two best friends, Arnold could only endure it and follow Crimson Dragon forward into the darkness filled with biting cold winds and blizzards.

"Be careful. The last time I came, I fell into a terrible illusion. We need to proceed slowly," Raphael warned as they reached the entrance.

"That wasn't an illusion, but a form of mental suggestion that deceived your nerves. It doesn't even qualify as draconic magic. The forests where green dragons dwell year-round become tainted by their special draconic secretions, gradually infecting and corroding the plants. Outsiders may get these secretions invading their bodies, affecting their brains and nerves. As long as you have proper physical protection, there's no issue."

Arnold shook his head as he gave Raphael a lesson on common knowledge.

"Is that so? Draconic secretions?" Crimson Dragon had long discarded the knowledge taught at the Hatchling Academy as excrement.

The golden dragon had to continue explaining, "Yes, we dragons could change our environments through our innate traits before discovering magic. This is also why there can be active volcanoes amidst this frozen domain."

"Furthermore, black dragons corrupt and erode their dwelling places into swamps shrouded in toxic mists. Silver dragons trigger constant quakes to raise the land into mountains. Blue dragons like yourself bring forth endless blizzards to freeze the lands. Your kind, I recall, liquefies terrain into lava. In our golden dragons' abodes, all kinds of metals become more abundant."

"Oh! I get it now!" Raphael's head started spinning from this lecture-like speech, letting it go in one ear and out the other carelessly.

Arnold gave his close friend a sideways glance. Since childhood, Raphael was always extremely restless, constantly trying to sneak away to play whenever the elder dragons imparted knowledge. And then there were his two inseparable raven companions, Huginn and Muninn.

Though the one named Muninn was executed, a fact that made Arnold somberly reminisce the past.

"Alas, if only I could have found evidence back then, Raphael probably wouldn't have become like this..."

He soon regained his focus and flew forward, using the draconic magic: Kin Sense.

This allowed individuals of the same draconic bloodline within a certain range to receive messages as voices from the depths of their hearts.

Soon, the pitch-black demonic forest ahead began to emanate light. The towering trees bent their branches to clear a path, and a green dragon with a pale purple chest slowly flew out.

"Greetings, Aunt Delores. I am Arnold, heir of the Draconic Sages. I pay my respects," Arnold smiled and bowed politely.

But Raphael acted like a ruffian, immediately issuing threats, "Hey! Aren't you going to return Nana to me?"

Originally, upon seeing Arnold's courteous demeanor, the lingering resentment in Delores' heart had dissipated, and she was prepared to let her daughter return to her mate.

But Crimson Dragon's vile attitude immediately ignited the flames in her heart.

"Hmph! Return her to you? You truly see Nana as nothing but a tool deep down - your egg incubator or a sacrifice to take blows for you?" Delores sneered indirectly with a pinched voice.

Raphael bared his fangs. "I knew you wouldn't let her come back, so I specially called my close brother to help me go to war!"

"Huh?" Delores stared at the dumbfounded Arnold in disbelief.

"You...want to join forces with him to invade my domain?"

"No! No! No!"

Arnold shook his head frantically. "I came to help persuade you to let Nana return to Raphael!"

The golden dragon then grabbed Raphael's shoulders tightly. "Old friend! Didn't you call me here to mediate? I didn't get any message about invading the domain!"

"My good brother, many things cannot be achieved through words alone - the truth lies in action," Raphael wore a wise expression. "Just last night, your father taught me many draconic magics - a perfect chance to test them out."

"No, don't!" Arnold protested, voice full of reason. "You stay put! I'll go speak with Aunt Delores and guarantee you a satisfactory answer."

Without waiting for the ice crystals showering down, he flew over to converse with the green dragon.

Soon, the golden dragon returned, looking utterly drained. "Alright, Aunt Delores now understands you were simply too excited to properly express seeing your mate again. Whatever you do, don't mention violence anymore - this is Nana's home, and Delores is the mother she loves dearly."

"Much thanks, good friend!" Raphael clapped Arnold's back powerfully, nearly knocking the latter into the snow.

Had he spoken for himself, he likely wouldn't have even gotten through the entrance. Bringing the well-bred and reputable Arnold proved immediately effective.

"I'm glad you and Nana are happy at least..." The golden dragon grimaced, rubbing his aching wing as Crimson rushed headlong into the domain's depths.

Ignoring the twisting branches peering at his passing, Raphael's superb flying let him weave effortlessly through the tangled forest canopy. His razored wings and horns sliced cleanly through any obstructing twigs and leaves, the hail and blizzard buffeting his scales unable to slow his pace.

CRASH!

Crimson Dragon rapidly drilled through the outer freezing woods. A black citadel nearly camouflaged with its surroundings now loomed before him. But it was the familiar blue-white draconic figure on the upper gardens that instantly captured his gaze.

"Raphael?" Nana felt the abnormal wind pressure high above. Looking up in surprise, she saw her soul-bound mate merely a stone's throw away.

Crimson Dragon slowly descended. Nana witnessed expressions she had rarely seen flicker across his face - delight, trepidation, unease, and the fear of loss.

"Have you come for me?" The blue dragon smiled sweetly, her crystalline voice like pure snowflakes drifting onto Raphael's blazing heart, turning to vapor.

"Yes..." For some reason, after so long apart, Crimson Dragon suddenly felt very shy, unable to meet Nana's pale golden eyes.

"You're just like when we first met." Nana approached boldly, nuzzling her head against his chin and stretching her forelegs to embrace one of his.

"Back then, you thought you were so hidden, secretly watching me. But I noticed you right away."

"Is that so? I've forgotten those early days..." The words stirred unwanted memories in Nana, but she quickly pushed past the regret and heartache.

"But we're together now, aren't we? Ladies Tomiray and Vattier told me how distraught you were while I slept - a side of you never seen before...We can't bear to be apart any longer, can we?"

As she spoke, a tear unexpectedly rolled down her cheek into the corner of her mouth, tasting bitterly.

"Let's forget the past. From now on, we'll never separate, together until death. We still haven't had any children yet, have we?" Raphael remained silent but tightly embraced the blue dragon, twin streams of tears silently trailing down.

Witnessing the tender reunion of the devoted mates, Arnold and Delores could not bring themselves to intrude on such a sweet scene of love, watching quietly from the air.

"You have no objections now, do you?" the golden dragon eventually asked the green dragon wiping her eyes.

"If Nana has a mate willing to stay by her side forever, then so be it..." Delores said wistfully. "But I still worry about Calamity Demon. He has already committed unforgivable crimes, only going unpunished through his power and influence. I fear when the hatred he's accrued comes back to haunt him, Nana may be dragged into it as well."

"Rest assured," Arnold said resolutely, looking at his two dearest friends who had found happiness.

"I will stand guard over them, like the knights protecting deities in the human churches. No one can take Raphael and Nana's lives while I still draw breath!"