Chapter 248: Olivia (Part 1)
The Steel Dragonwing Palace remained as majestic as ever, though much of the steel in the secondary halls had gradually melted and flowed down during the red dragon's slumber, forming sharp silver pillars, with solidified rivers of metal on the ground.
The place looked like a dense forest forged from steel—beyond its grandeur, there was a raw sense of primal power.
"So, this is it."
"The palace of that red dragon."
Olivia concealed herself, holding her breath as she crouched outside the palace.
The closer she got, the more oppressive the feeling became. The overwhelming aura made it hard to breathe; she couldn't even touch the fourth layer of the Weave now.
Moreover, there was a deeper threat, one that resonated within her very blood.
After all, Olivia was still a young silver dragon. Several times along the way, she thought about abandoning the mission halfway, yet each time, she gritted her teeth and pressed on.
"I will fulfill your last wishes."
"Don't underestimate me."
She wasn't sure if it was merely a trick of the mind, but Olivia had an inexplicable feeling, as if that golden dragon wasn't truly gone—that Angel might be nearby, watching over her. His signature golden eyes, unwavering and gentle, still seemed to be looking at her with a hint of aloof pride.
Memories had a way of being beautified.
Though she had only met Angel a few times, and their conversations were brief, his image was etched deeply into her mind, growing clearer with each passing day—spurred by the responsibility she had taken on, and another emotion she couldn't quite describe.
After all, it had felt almost like a final testament, and that kind of weight was not easy to forget.
"Huff."
Olivia took a deep breath, struggling to maintain her [Invisibility] and [Mask Breath] spells.
These spells, usually trivial for her, now demanded all her concentration. Constructing each spell matrix felt like attacking a fortress wall—all she could manage was barely breaching the outer defenses to cast these minor spells.
After hesitating for a moment, she stepped through the ruined door, fully entering the palace.
The moment her feet touched the floor, Olivia felt her hairs stand on end, the sense of danger growing even stronger.
"What on earth is in here?"
She gritted her teeth, inching cautiously forward, following the signal.
Suddenly, a familiar, deep voice echoed.
"Olivia, over here."
"Angel?"
Olivia looked up in surprise, but saw no one in sight.
She was sure it wasn't just a hallucination born of tension—it was Angel's voice, transmitted by some sort of messaging magic.
She quickly found a small, intricately crafted piece of agate in the corner, with runes carved into it for recording sound.
"So it really is here."
Olivia hurriedly ran towards the source of the voice, entering a long, narrow, damaged hallway, eventually arriving at an empty main hall.
Protected by some sort of magical array, this area was one of the few that hadn't been destroyed by the extreme heat. It retained a simple, solemn architectural style. The carved dome rose nearly twenty meters, supported by several stone columns.
The hall felt eerily empty, with almost no decorations—no seats, no long tables. The floor had patterned grooves.
It looked like it was prepared for some kind of ritual.
"What secret does this hall hold?"
Olivia couldn't help but wonder.
She walked into the hall, carefully surveying her surroundings, finding the source of the message at the center—a large red dragon scale.
Olivia couldn't help her suspicion:
"What a huge scale. Could this be the 'Ember King's' scale?"
"How did Angel get his hands on it?"
Suddenly, fine magical light flashed across the dragon scale, and a spectral image materialized above it.
In Olivia's eyes, filled with joy, the familiar black-haired, golden-eyed noble youth appeared in the magical image—the young gold dragon, Angel.
But in the image, his brows were furrowed, and his tone was grave.
"Olivia, this might be our last chance."
"I have set up something here—"
"Set up—"
Just as Olivia was fully absorbed in listening, the image began to flicker, and then abruptly vanished, as if snuffed out.
"Why?"
Watching the message cut off,
Olivia frowned slightly, feeling anxious and a growing sense of foreboding.
Could the lead end here?
Did she risk her life coming here just for this?
Suddenly, she began to tremble, a primal fear rising from deep within.
Darkness loomed over her; she could smell the choking stench of sulfur.
What was it?
An inkling of despair had already formed in her mind.
Olivia stiffly turned around, needing to lift her head slightly to see it clearly. The sight almost made her legs give way.
"Bahamut above..."
She strained her neck upward, her voice trembling as she muttered.
It was an enormous red dragon!
As natural enemies, silver dragons had even woven knowledge of red dragons' weaknesses into their heritage. Olivia thought she knew this formidable, malevolent breed well.
She had prepared herself mentally for the possibility of encountering the "Ember King" before entering the palace.
But she had never seen a red dragon like this.
Even in their lore, there were no records of such a dragon.
Not only did the dragon have two backward-curving horns, but there was also a spiral, devil-like horn growing from its apex.
Most striking of all was the blazing red crystal embedded in the center of the red dragon's chest. Molten patterns flowed across its surface, with cracks spreading outwards, glowing intensely through the scales.
The enormous body was nearly thirty meters long—a size typically reserved for ancient dragons.
Its eyes burned like molten orbs, glaring down at her from above.
The wings weren't even fully spread, but their massive shadow enveloped the surroundings.
"Impossible, a dragon like this couldn't be undocumented."
"This can't possibly be a red dragon from the past hundred years!"
Olivia's face turned pale, shaking her head repeatedly.
She finally understood why Angel had been so solemn all those years ago.
This was clearly an elder red dragon, perhaps even an ancient one.
Though she despised the impulsive, shortsighted nature of red dragons, even a silver dragon had to admit the sheer combat prowess of red dragons. One at this age was among the strongest beings in all of Erezaghe—far beyond what a young silver dragon like her could handle.
Yet, the massive body of the red dragon blocked the only exit, cutting off her last means of escape.
"I've been waiting for you for a long time."
Merely opening its mouth to speak sent a wave of searing heat washing over Olivia.
The very air seemed to twist, as though about to ignite.