"Crimson Flame Dragon King Constantine... wasn’t he defeated in the Silver Dragon Battle several years ago?"

Even Yuna of the Thunder Dragon Clan had heard about that war. "How is he here now?"

At this moment, Constantine had already transformed into his human form, appearing as a man in his thirties.

Although most of his body had been replaced, with only his head remaining original after the fusion, shapeshifting fell squarely under the domain of magic. By adopting a human form, he could move more conveniently while avoiding the excessive energy costs that came with his massive dragon body.

"This is a long story, little one."

As Constantine spoke, his gaze gradually shifted to Noa.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, taking a closer look at her face. After a moment, he said softly,

"Oh, I know you. You’re Casmode and the Silver Dragon Queen's eldest daughter. I’ve seen your picture in the intelligence Morin sent me years ago. You were much smaller then."

Morin was Constantine’s spy, who was sent to the Silver Dragon Clan. Though she had been exposed and captured by Leon in a baiting operation.

When Constantine spoke, his tone was utterly neutral, as though they were distant relatives casually catching up.

But Noa had no desire whatsoever to engage this guy in conversation. A maniac who had once attacked the Silver Dragon territory and later the Red Dragon Sanctuary could hardly qualify as someone peaceful by nature.

"Casmode? Your Majesty, if she’s Casmode’s daughter, why not kill her now and take revenge for everything he has done to you?" one of the Crimson Flame Dragon guards bit out through gritted teeth.

The grudges between Leon and Constantine spanned many years. What’s more, Constantine’s prolonged torment at the hands of the Empire wasn’t entirely unconnected to Leon.

Now, with Leon’s daughter in his hands, wouldn’t it be best—and utterly satisfying—to eliminate Noa here and strike at Leon’s very heart?

And yet—

"The vendetta between Leon and me doesn’t need to involve the next generation. Besides, do you really think I, as a Dragon King, would stoop so low as to harm a child not even ten years old?"

This was what perspective called.

Though General Leon had dealt Constantine two major blows over the years, the venerable “Old Constantine” still remained the sort to handle things case by case.

And as he himself pointed out, taking revenge by harming a mere child would indeed sully the name of a Dragon King.

For Constantine, defeating Leon Casmode in a direct confrontation would be far more satisfying than executing some convoluted plan for vengeance.

He retracted his gaze and slowly turned. “Keep a close eye on the six kids. Don’t let them cause trouble.”

Six kids?

Noa stiffened and looked up, finally noticing the presence of three others in the spacious room.

Helena, Diana, and Raymon were also here.

They, too, were tightly restrained by several guards, held nearby.

“Helena!”

“Noa...”

"Quiet! Enough noise!" one of the guards barked, his voice sharp. The next moment, Noa and the others were forcibly sent over to join Helena and the others.

“I saw the strands of hair you dropped along the way,” Noa whispered under her breath.

Helena gave an exhausted but somewhat relieved smile. However, that smile quickly faded into one filled with hopelessness. “But now we’ve all been caught. Nobody’s coming to rescue us.”

Nobody...

Not exactly.

Noa’s "servant father" and Silver Dragon Queen mother were likely somewhere nearby.

All throughout the journey here, Noa had been curious why her parents had chosen to venture into this place. After seeing Constantine, however, pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place.

She couldn’t say for sure what sort of game her parents and Constantine were playing, but their presence in this desolate northern land was undoubtedly tied to Constantine—or to Primordial Power itself.

And based on what Noa knew of her parents, that couple would NEVER come to such an unforgiving wasteland for a simple date.

When they did sneak around to enjoy some private time, the excuses they gave her generally ranged from "We’re off patrolling the border together" to "Grown-ups also have grown-up assignments to complete."

That said, even knowing her parents were in the vicinity, Noa couldn’t just sit idly by, waiting for help.

After all, pinning her and her friends’ lives on the uncertain timing of someone else’s intervention? That didn’t sit well with her.

Noa raised her eyes toward the front of the room, finally noticing what Constantine seemed to be focused on—the central point of this relic—

A colossal dragon-shaped statue.

Equal in size to a Dragon King’s physical form, the statue’s half-unfurled wings exuded an air of elegance.

Though it was merely a sculpture, the oppressive authority and awe radiating from it were palpable to everyone present.

Noa furrowed her brows slightly. "Whose statue is that?"

“It’s the Primordial Dragon King, Noa,” whispered Helena.

She continued, “I overheard Constantine and his men decoding the ancient writings on the wall earlier. To put it simply, this is the resting site—or tomb—of the very first Dragon King in our history, Noa.”

Helena paused briefly, then added with a forced upbeat tone, “Funny, isn’t it? You share the same name as the Primordial Dragon King.”

Noa pondered for a moment before responding, “It’s not entirely a coincidence. When naming me, my mother deliberately took inspiration from this ancestor of the Dragon Clan.”

She glanced around the area and then asked, “We fell down here through a stone slab under the snow, but how did Constantine and his group get in?”

Helena gestured with her chin for Noa to look upward.

When Noa followed Helena’s cue and looked up, her jaw dropped slightly in astonishment.

Above them was an enormous opening that extended straight up to the surface—a hole over a hundred meters high.

Melted snow and smoldering fragments continued to fall and trickle down the inner walls of the gaping passage, landing sporadically on the ground below.

Cold winds funneled down through the opening.

Noa swallowed hard, still struggling to process what she had just seen. “Constantine... burned through the ice of the Far North?”

Helena nodded. “That’s right, he did it. I used to think those were just exaggerated tales adults told to emphasize how harsh the environment here was.”

Apparently, not all of the “Little Dragon Storybooks” were pure nonsense—Old Constantine clearly had some skills to back up his name.

“And why is he here?” Noa pressed.

“I’m not entirely sure, but it seems like he’s after a certain power... and that power is sealed within the Primordial Dragon King’s statue.”

“Quiet, brat! His Majesty said he wouldn’t kill you, but that doesn’t mean you’re safe from a world of pain,” another Crimson Flame Dragon guard barked, a fresh threat added into his voice.

The two young dragons fell silent.

But Noa continued her covert observation of both the statue and Constantine.

Constantine slowly approached the Primordial Dragon King’s statue, spreading his arms wide and closing his eyes, like he was immersing himself in the unseen but immense force radiating from it.

"I can feel it... the resonance of Primordial Power."

Constantine’s body had been reconstructed by Primordial Power, distinct from Roswitha’s self-generated version of it. This difference allowed him to clearly sense residual traces of this ancient energy.

And it was even stronger when he was standing this close.

"Shall we begin? My lord. This ultimate power will soon be yours," said Iron Wing Dragon King Fael, slowly stepping back to give Constantine plenty of space.

Constantine began the "ceremony".

Energy gathered steadily in his chest, forming a bright white beam that connected him to the Primordial Dragon King’s statue.

With a sharp crack, pieces of the statue began to crumble away.

Then, the purest, oldest, and most potent Primordial Power in existence started to flow through the beam into Constantine’s body.

In the instant he felt the surge of power, Constantine’s eyes flew open. The fiery red dragon pupils had turned pure white, and faint patches of scales started to form near the corners of his eyes.

"This... this is Noa’s power... the Dragon Clan’s most ancient strength! It’s mine now!"

Radiance filled the chamber, and massive energy ripples made the ground tremble violently.

Noa stared at the scene, forcing herself to remain calm and think logically, just like her father always did. No matter how dire the situation, Leon always found a solution.

If Constantine was here to absorb Primordial Power, then turning the situation on its head, her father and mother must have come here to stop him.

Even if they hadn’t shown up yet, she could count on one thing: once Constantine absorbed the power, his first objective would unquestionably be revenge against Leon.

Her parents might not yet realize their daughter was held captive here. Which meant only one person could do something to intervene. Herself.

However, Noa was crystal-clear about the overwhelming difference in strength between her and Constantine.

Ambushing a Dragon King? She was adept at such tactics. But facing a Dragon King head-on? Even the most tenacious or clever would be powerless against that chasm separating her age, experience, and raw strength.

Biting her lower lip, Noa carefully examined her surroundings, desperate to spot something she could leverage.

Soon, her gaze landed on a massive stone colossus to the side of the statue—the same kind she had brushed against when first falling into this chamber.

Yet the stone titan did not seem to have been activated; there was no white crystal on its forehead.

"Crystal..."

Noa's thoughts stirred.

She suddenly remembered: after dealing with the first stone titan, she had pocketed the crystal from its forehead.

She had planned to use the crystal to exchange for her exam results once she returned to school—yes, our genius Involuted Queen managed to think about her grades even while searching for her best friend. If she didn’t claim first place, who would?

"Placing the crystal back on the titan's forehead... could activate it, right?"

Noa glanced at the Crimson Flame Dragon guards behind her. At that moment, they too were spellbound by the sight of Constantine absorbing the Primordial Power.

What a stroke of luck!

Noa swiftly unleashed her lightning magic.

The sudden burst of searing pain caught the guard behind her off guard, causing him to release her.

Seizing the opportunity, Noa bolted toward the stone titan.

"Dammit! Stop that brat! Don't let her stir up trouble!"

The guards rushed forward, attempting to block Noa's path.

Relying on her nimble movements and the "disadvantage" of her shorter stature, Noa managed to barely dodge a few of them.

But the number of guards quickly grew, and they were closing in on her fast.

At that moment, Helena broke free from the guards holding her and unleashed a Dragon Flame behind Noa—it exploded, temporarily stalling those chasing her.

"Not sure what you're trying to do, but give it everything you've got!" Helena shouted.

The next instant, she was pinned to the ground by two guards.

Still, she continued to encourage Noa, shouting, "Go! Noa, you’ve got this! You absolutely can do it!"

Seeing Helena's actions, Yuna joined in on the distraction.

She managed to free one arm and sent out a blast of Dragon Flame, throwing the already chaotic scene into further disarray.

"Run, junior! Don't let them catch you! Run!"

Even Raymond and Diane pitched in, doing whatever they could to buy Noa some time.

Even Anton, who had initially wanted to play dead out of fear, decided to contribute however he could.

“You brat! If I end up with my legs broken, it’s absolutely your fault! Ouch! Watch it! This face of mine is my fortune, you know!”

Fortunately, his legs weren’t broken, but a guard did pin half his face down against the ground.

Noa's companions had bought her enough time.

She broke into a full sprint, her small frame now carrying the group's singular hope.

The Crimson Flame Dragon guards chased her, inching closer and closer.

At the final moment, Noa leapt high into the air and placed the white crystal into the stone titan's forehead.

In the next second, the titan's eyes shot out sharp beams of light. Slowly, it began to move, stepping past Noa and heading toward Constantine, who was still absorbing the Primordial Power.

The guards shifted their attention to the stone titan, unleashing magic attacks one after another—but all of it proved ineffective.

Even Fael joined to offer his help. However, it was evident what the titan's target was:

Constantine.

As a guardian of the ruin, the titan, once activated, would exclusively attack anyone who touched the Noa statue.

The stone titan barreled through Fael’s attempts to stop it and charged straight for Constantine.

At this point, Constantine could not afford to stop absorbing the Primordial Power, or everything would be for naught.

Left with no choice, he raised a hand, intending to use his formidable fire magic to take down the titan.

But recalling how magic attacks had been completely ineffective earlier, Constantine realized that only physical attacks or... Primordial Magic would work against the titan.

With this in mind, Constantine promptly gathered Primordial Power—after all, he now had plenty of it—and hurled a devastating blow at the titan.

Sure enough, the pure damage of the Primordial Power caused the titan’s body to explode.

Constantine scoffed coldly, "Is that all?"

However, the very next moment, through the dust and debris of shattered rocks, a shadow darted forth.

Using the broken titan as cover, she charged directly at Constantine, lightning coursing through her hand.

A resounding bird cry echoed through the ruins.

Noa’s knack for ambushing Dragon Kings was no exaggeration.

Constantine, having just finished condensing his Primordial Power, had no time to retract his energy. Before he realized it, Noa was already in front of him.

"I absolutely despise this move!"

That man’s signature technique was burned into Constantine’s memory.

And now, even his daughter had learned it—couldn’t that man have taught his princess something more elegant and refined? What civilization was this, with all this fighting and brawling?

"Constantine!!"

Noa roared, striking out with the lightning in her hand, aiming straight at the Crimson Flame Dragon King before her.

In an instant, the clash between Primordial Power and lightning magic erupted into a blinding flash of white light, consuming both Noa and Constantine.

Noa was thrown back by the violent impact, briefly losing consciousness.

Her world turned dark, but suddenly, in the midst of the blackness, scenes began unfolding in her mind—scenes without warning:

The ancient frontier, engulfed in war, littered with corpses, swords and blades thrust into the barren earth, spreading as far as the eye could see; dust choked the heavens, and colossal Dragon King bodies dropping from the sky, causing the ground to quake.

Mountains collapsed, rivers ran backward, dragons tore into one another, and blazing dragon's blood dyed the icy plains scarlet.

This was the war of the most feral creatures in the Samael Continent, where life was only the most inexpensive and ubiquitous resource.

Undoubtedly, this was the Dragon Clan’s darkest chapter in history: one of bloodshed, brutality, and primal savagery.

The force that ended this war stood high above all others—a majestic white dragon.

It perched on a mountaintop of ice, its wings blanketing the sky, its roar shaking the heavens and the earth.

That was the Dragon King—the very first Dragon King in the history of the Dragon Clan: Noa.

…

It was as if waking from a long dream, and Noa was utterly exhausted.

But faintly, she seemed to hear Constantine’s voice.

"Why do you keep tormenting me, you persistent ghost!"

Persistent ghost?...

Was he talking about me?

Or...

Suddenly, a soft warmth enveloped her, and a familiar, comforting scent reached her nose.

She slowly opened her eyes and saw silvery strands of hair.

"Mom..."

Roswitha embraced her brave daughter, smiling through her tears. “You can rest now, sweetheart. From here… leave it to me and your father.”

“Dad?…”

Noa turned her head and saw that imposing figure standing between her and Constantine.

Blue lightning flickered in Noa’s eyes as she heard the man’s dashing and iconic opening line:

“I’ll send you to hell for the third time, Constantine.”