Chapter 88: The “Dragon Rider” Experience

“How does it feel to be a Dragon Rider?”

“……”

Lee Tae-sung forced a smile, trying his best to maintain his composure.

Currently, he was riding on Kelson’s back.

Having transformed into a Dragonian about 3 meters tall, Kelson was racing through the sky.

Since Kelson was looking straight ahead, he couldn’t see Tae-sung’s expression, but one could never be too careful.

If Tae-sung looked even slightly displeased, Kelson might take offense.

“Hmm? Why no answer?”

“Ha, haha. It’s nothing. I was just lost in the view because the scenery is so beautiful.”

In truth, the view was actually quite good.

Tae-sung sat on Kelson’s back, gripping the scales tightly to keep from falling as he gazed at the distant landscape.

Objects on the ground looked tiny, and the wind whipping against his face felt refreshing.

It would have been much better if Kelson could transform into a real dragon.

However, right now, he was just a man who had grown a bit larger in bulk and height.

Sitting on top of him felt more than a little awkward.

Kelson, however, didn’t notice Tae-sung’s discomfort at all.

“Right? Honestly, even for a magician, flying through the sky like this isn’t easy. It’s even harder for a martial artist.”

Only high-ranking magicians could fly like this using Fly magic; others could only manage to hover in the air for a short while.

For martial artists, flying was impossible unless they reached a realm high enough to ascend to the heavenly planes.

“Ah. I see one.”

Kelson pointed downward and lowered his altitude slightly.

A monster resembling a wild boar was visible on the ground. It had been wandering the plains before spotting people on the road and charging toward them.

The people, realizing too late that the boar was approaching, were panicking.

Protecting people like this was precisely why the Dragon Knights patrolled this road, which fell under their jurisdiction.

“Ashaka.”

Tae-sung immediately called Ashaka and aimed with his index finger.

*Whirrr!*

A beam of light shot out and pierced the monster on the ground.

The creature collapsed instantly.

Its head had been skewered by a bolt of light from the sky that it hadn’t even imagined, killing it on the spot.

The humans, startled by the monster’s sudden death, belatedly looked up at the sky.

Upon seeing Kelson flying above, they broke into cheers.

Rather than paying attention to them, Kelson was busy being shocked as he looked at Tae-sung and Ashaka on his back.

“An Intermediate Spirit… well, I’ll be. I thought you could only summon a Lowest-class Spirit at best, but an Intermediate Spirit? I still can’t believe it even after seeing it again.”

Kelson muttered in disbelief.

Even summoning a Lowest-class Spirit was enough for one to proudly introduce themselves as a Spirit Magician anywhere.

An Intermediate Spirit put one on par with a middle-ranking magician from a major Magic Tower.

Kelson had been surprised to hear Tae-sung was a Spirit Master, but he never dreamed he would be at this level.

“I was lucky,” Tae-sung said modestly.

In fact, he was right.

When they first contracted, Ashaka was a Low-class Spirit, but she had evolved into an Intermediate Spirit after obtaining the Spirit Essence of light in China.

“Luck is a skill, too. At my age, that saying really hits home. Don’t you feel it often yourself?”

“I do.”

Tae-sung felt it more than anyone. He was growing strong at a rapid pace by acquiring various fortuitous encounters.

“As I thought, won’t you join our Dragon Knights? I think you’d adapt incredibly well.”

This was the second time Kelson, who held a fairly high rank within the Dragon Knights, had made the offer.

Last time, it had been half-joking and was immediately shut down by Elder Dam Ho-pung, but this time, he was much more serious, and there was no one around to interfere.

“Hmm… the Dragon Knights….”

Tae-sung was also conflicted.

He had personally felt that summoning spirits was a huge help in the real world.

The White Light Saber he used by merging with Ashaka possessed power equivalent to Sword Qi and had become his finishing move.

In such a situation, the Dragon Knights, who contracted with dragons and used dragon power, were certainly attractive.

‘Besides, wouldn’t dragon power not consume mana in the real world?’

Ashaka had certainly become stronger after becoming an Intermediate Spirit, enough to kill a monster with a single beam of light from a distance.

However, while summoning Ashaka and using magic in the Dream World didn’t even make his breathing heavy, it was quite a burden in reality.

As Ashaka grew stronger and her size increased, her mana consumption had also risen.

Since Tae-sung’s mana was required for both maintaining the summons and using magic, it wasn’t something to take lightly.

But what if dragon power didn’t have such a cost?

“You seem interested. Want to experience it? What dragon power is like?”

As Tae-sung seemed to be contemplating, Kelson seized the opportunity and spoke in an enticing voice.

“I feel like I’m experiencing it well enough right now.”

“Not what I’m showing you. I’ll connect you with a real dragon.”

“?”

As they were flying, Kelson folded his tail back and brought it toward Tae-sung’s side.

There was a small accessory hanging from the tip of the tail, shaped like a magic circle.

The magic circle accessory began to glow and vibrate.

“Those like me who have already contracted with a dragon can communicate with the Dragon Realm from time to time. Since dragons live long lives, they are wise, so we sometimes seek their advice. You can gain enlightenment just by having a few words with them, and though it’s just their voice, you can feel their power.”

Kelson recalled the first time he had communicated with a dragon.

Even though he had only heard a voice, he had felt the unimaginably vast power of a dragon.

The desire to form a contract had followed immediately.

Tae-sung wouldn’t hesitate about joining the Dragon Knights once he communicated with one.

There would be no more room for doubt!

*Hummm!*

The magic circle on the tail vibrated and flashed. Immediately after: “Master Bobergorneu. My apologies. I have been busy lately.”

‘I see….’

Tae-sung, listening from the side, was impressed.

The dragon’s voice—it was massive and grand, just as Kelson had described.

The voice wasn’t loud, but it possessed an aura that naturally dominated its surroundings.

Tae-sung’s interest in the Dragon Knights grew.

“Hello. My name is Lee Tae-sung.”

Perhaps Bobergorneu had experienced this situation several times before, as he skillfully engaged Tae-sung in conversation.

“Is more than just communication possible?”

“Yes. Please do.”

The idea of a dragon giving advice was quite intriguing.

It could serve as a stepping stone for Tae-sung to advance further.

‘Ah, wait a minute.’

At that moment, an ominous thought flashed through Tae-sung’s mind.

He remembered how the spirits in the Spirit Realm had gone wild upon sensing his energy.

‘…No way. Surely the Flame Emperor didn’t go all the way to the Dragon Realm.’

Tae-sung thought he was being overly anxious.

“???”

“????”

With a strange scream, Bobergorneu cut off the communication.

Kelson’s eyes widened at the unprecedented situation.

“Wait… Why would he…?”

“……”

Tae-sung, who had a rough idea of the reason, simply remained silent.

—

Kelson tried to initiate communication several more times to recruit Tae-sung.

However, Bobergorneu did not respond, and they eventually arrived at the city of Hyrax after killing a few more monsters and bandits along the road.

Landing a short distance from the city gates, Kelson spoke in a bewildered tone.

“This has never happened before…. I’m worried that something serious might have happened to Master Bobergorneu.”

“……”

“Anyway, I’m sorry. You must have had high expectations.”

“Not at all. These things happen.”

“But don’t worry too much. When I return, I’ll ask the Ancient Dragon-class contractors about you. Since the Ancient Dragons are practically demigods, nothing like this should happen with them.”

“…It’s fine. I appreciate the thought.”

Tae-sung declined, fearing another strange situation might occur.

He liked the current Flying Dragon Clan, and above all, he had a gut feeling that contracting with a dragon wouldn’t be easy.

Kelson expressed his regret and bid farewell, saying they should meet again later.

Afterward, Tae-sung passed through the city gates of Hyrax.

Hyrax was the city of culture and art.

Perhaps due to that title, it was the most flamboyant city Tae-sung had seen in the Dream World.

Fountains that sprayed water while creating mysterious patterns, brightly painted bridges and buildings, and even the paths on the ground were made of unique patterns that were entertaining to look at.

Tae-sung first stopped by the Flying Dragon Clan branch.

“Mission complete.”

“You are Special-class Disciple Lee Tae-sung. I’ve heard the rumors, but to complete even an entry request from the Dragon Knights this quickly… you are truly amazing.”

The Branch Manager looked at Tae-sung with admiration.

Even here in this distant city, the Branch Manager had heard the rumors about Tae-sung.

He was a terrifying rookie who had started as a Third-Class Member and quickly climbed to the core of the Flying Dragon Clan.

Furthermore, despite being an Outsider, he had great potential, and even the Elders were said to look upon him favorably.

‘The rumors weren’t exaggerations. I only received word that the request had started a short while ago, and he’s already finished.’

A request from a major power wouldn’t have been easy, so he was truly impressive.

The Branch Manager recorded that Tae-sung had succeeded in the request, and a notification immediately appeared before Tae-sung’s eyes.

-Ding!

**[You have completed the Quest]**

**[Rewards: 15 gold coins, 25 skill points, and a massive amount of XP]**

**[Level Up!]**

**[Level Up!]**

Gold coins, a large number of skill points, and even level-ups!

Tae-sung smiled brightly.

Although the contract with a dragon had failed, Kelson’s request indeed yielded massive rewards.

Since it was a request given by a core member of a major power and required someone at the rank of Special-class Disciple or higher capable of long-range attacks, the conditions were demanding.

Because it was such a difficult request, the reward for success was also enormous.

After leaving the branch, Tae-sung stopped a passerby and asked for the location of Guryong Bookstore.

“Guryong Bookstore? You must be from out of town. Anyone who has been to this city even once would know it. It’s right there. You’ll see it after walking just a little further.”

“Thank you.”

Tae-sung thanked the citizen and set off.

It didn’t take long before he saw a place that definitely stood out.

It was a location where a plaque reading ‘Guryong Bookstore’ was elegantly displayed.

People were lining up in droves to enter through the massive entrance.

Guryong Bookstore wasn’t just a single building.

It was a place that wouldn’t be strange to call a village, occupying a specific district of the city with dozens of buildings and roads within it.

‘So it’s in there.’

Tae-sung’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

— You don’t have a sword technique?

But solving that is simple.

Go to Hyrax and find Guryong Bookstore.

It’s so big that it probably hasn’t gone out of business.

If you go there, you’ll find something decent.

Those were the words the Flame Emperor had said when Tae-sung told him that he had learned the hybrid cultivation, palm, and footwork techniques he had created, but lacked a sword technique.

A sword technique created by the Flame Emperor.

It would be inside that place.