Chapter 25: Two Bonds, Two Dragons

The moment the ancient runes of the soul-contract dissolved into glowing dust, a sudden, searing heat surged through Craig’s right forearm.

He pulled back his sleeve to reveal a vivid, dark-red dragon mark etched permanently into his flesh.

The unmistakable brand of a completed bond with Chaosbringer.

The colossal 5th-Tier dragon let out a soft, low rumble, all its hostility vanishing as it bowed its head peacefully beside its new master.

The purple female dragon, who had been watching nervously from the entrance of the cave, tilted her head.

Seeing her stubborn, notoriously wild mate accept the human so placidly, her curiosity overcame her caution.

She stepped closer, her soft golden eyes studying the youth who had accomplished the impossible.

THUMP-THUMP!

Before Craig could even admire the mark on his arm, his chest buckled.

A sudden, violent violent spasm racked his frame, forcing him down onto his knees with a sharp groan.

"Aaargh!"

His heart pounded against his ribs like a war drum, beating so fervently that the blood rushing through his ears sounded like a roaring tempest.

Pure, unadulterated draconic mana erupted from the center of his chest, violently burning through his pathways and surging into every blood vessel.

DING!

The transparent cyan system panel flickered abruptly before his eyes.

[ Genetic Awakening Triggered! ]

[ You have successfully activated your Dragon’s Heart. ]

Craig gritted his teeth, his knuckles turning white as he punched the scorched earth to suppress the agonizing, exhilarating pain of the transformation.

When he had first merged with the Divine Draconic Physique, his body had naturally possessed the Dragon’s Heart, but it had remained dormant.

A mysterious, quiet entity within his chest whose true function he couldn’t grasp.

Now, ignited by the completion of his first draconic bond, its dormant power exploded into full bloom.

The physical changes were instant and staggering.

Craig felt his body become impossibly light yet terrifyingly dense.

His baseline physical strength doubled in a matter of seconds, his muscles compacting with raw, monstrous kinetic force.

Even more miraculous was his mana supply—his reserves expanded to thrice their previous volume.

While his standard mana core acted as his primary energy reservoir, his newly awakened Dragon’s Heart functioned as a secondary, high-output mana engine, pumping refined, ultra-dense draconic mana continuously through his body.

Furthermore, his senses expanded to a terrifying degree.

His vision sharpened until he could see the tiny micro-cracks in the obsidian rocks dozens of meters away and trace the flow of thermal heat in the air.

His hearing picked up the faint crackle of distant lava flows and the steady, rhythmically heavy breathing of both dragons beside him.

He felt more alive, more dominant, than he ever had in both of his lives combined.

Suppression turned into pure exhilaration.

Craig slowly rose to his feet, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead as a lopsided, confident grin spread across his handsome face.

His golden eyes shimmered with a dangerous, terrifying brilliance.

He turned his gaze toward the purple female dragon, who had remained standing just a few feet away, her eyes fixed on him the entire time.

DING!

[ Proximity Intent Detected. ]

[ An Elder Dragon wishes to form a Soul-Bond with you. ]

Craig’s smile widened. He stepped forward, walking smoothly toward the 4th-Tier female dragon.

Chaosbringer remained calm, nudging his mate with his massive snout as if reassuring her that the human was worthy of their trust.

The purple dragon instinctively took a half-step back, her scales shifting nervously, but seeing how completely relaxed Chaosbringer was, her anxiety melted away.

She stood her ground, lowering her long, elegant neck to allow Craig to approach.

Craig extended his hand, gently caressing the cool, smooth violet scales along her snout.

He leaned in close, his voice splitting into the ancient, double-toned cadence of the High Darkstarian language.

"Zul’Var, vael’maestar."

(Will you acknowledge me as your master?)

The purple female dragon threw her head back toward the ash-choked sky and let out a triumphant, echoing roar, spreading her magnificent wings wide as violet mana erupted from her frame like a brilliant aura.

DING!

[ Soul Resonance Established. ]

[ 4th-Tier Dragon: ***** accepts you as its Master. ]

[ Please assign a name to your Dragon. ]

"A name, huh?" Craig murmured, resting his hand against his chin as he looked up into the dragon’s bright, intelligent eyes.

He knew better than anyone the profound significance of a dragon’s true name.

In draconic lore, a name was not merely a label.

It was an anchor of power, a conceptual source that dictated a dragon’s growth potential and ultimate destiny.

That was precisely why Chaosbringer, named a century ago by the legendary founder of House Darkstar, had been destined to become an apocalyptic calamity.

Craig stared at the sleek, ethereal purple dragon for a few quiet moments, observing the majestic, hypnotic mist drifting from her scales.

"From this day forth," Craig spoke clearly, his voice carrying absolute authority, "you shall be called Soul Dreamer."

DING!

[ The Name "Soul Dreamer" has been successfully registered. ]

[ Congratulations! You have completed your second Soul-Contract. ]

[ Available Soul-Contract Capacity: 2 / 3 ]

A second blinding flash of crimson and violet light erupted around Craig.

Another wave of power washed over him as a second draconic mark formed on his body—this one winding elegantly along the left side of his neck like a stylized, violet dragon crest.

Craig took a deep, steady breath, feeling the dual mana signatures of two powerful adult wyrms humming in perfect harmony within his soul.

He had done it.

He had shattered yet another absolute law of his lineage.

For the first time in the decades of recorded Darkstarian history, a single warrior had successfully bonded with not one, but two dragons.

But Craig wasn’t done yet.

"Since I’ve confirmed that I can bond with more than one dragon thanks to Soul-Dreamer" he slightly tilts his head.

"Perhaps I should bond with another" Craig’s lips curled faintly.

The Temple of Dragons is not a place anyone could just enter even if they were trueborn Darkstarians.

After today’s Dragon Calling Ceremony, he would need the permission of the Duke to bond with another.

So he only has today to bond with the last dragon.

And he is not going to miss this opportunity.