Dragon King: Throne of Demons and Gods-Chapter 10: The Heir and the Hunter

Bel stared at the glowing words floating before his eyes, his entire body frozen in disbelief.

[ Level Up! ]

He blinked, his breath catching in his throat. Did he read that right? He quickly glanced at the system window immediately after.

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[ Draconic Evolution System ]

Name: Belzerion

Title: None

Race: Dragon

Class: Lesser Wyrmling

Level: 2

EXP: 28/150

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Core Stats:

HP: 60/60

MP: 20/20

Strength: 14

Toughness: 14

Intelligence: 12

Speed: 13

Agility: 13

Stamina: 18

Pressure: 1

Unassigned Stat Points: 5

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Draconic Core: 1%

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Unlocked Traits:

Wyrm's ResilienceSlightly enhanced endurance and recovery.

Bel's eyes widened, a surge of exhilaration coursing through him. His heartbeat echoed in his ears, drowning out the sounds of the forest. This was far beyond anything he had anticipated.

All those hours spent training, all those exercises that felt painfully slow, even the spider he had killed the day before, none of it compared to the sudden explosive progress he'd just experienced.

He clenched his fists tightly, his mouth breaking into an uncontrollable grin.

"Level up..." He glanced at the floating numbers and stats once more, noting each increment.

All his attributes had increased, his strength, toughness, intelligence, every single one had risen slightly, except for his pressure and the draconic core.

"So, leveling up means getting stronger," he muttered, piecing the logic together.

It was a simple yet crucial realization: defeating monsters granted experience, and experience led to growth.

But there was more. Bel's attention was quickly drawn to a new section of the screen: Unassigned Stat Points.

"Five points?" He murmured, intrigued. "These weren't here before... they must have appeared because I leveled up."

He considered their purpose carefully. They had to be related to his current stats, strength, toughness, stamina... maybe he could use them to boost himself even further?

Curious, he first attempted to mentally push the points into his 'Stamina,' picturing the number increasing, but nothing changed.

Frowning slightly, he then tried physically touching the floating screen, pressing the points towards 'Agility.' but the screen wasn't touchable.

Frustration began to set in. Taking a deep breath, he imagined himself physically growing stronger, visualizing his muscles expanding, yet again the system remained unresponsive.

For a long moment, Bel stood frozen, his mind racing. Then suddenly, almost instinctively, a strange clarity struck him.

Without conscious thought, as if he had unlocked a muscle memory, his mind reached out, effortlessly pushing all five stat points directly into 'Strength.'

Instantly, the number changed, increasing visibly on the screen.

[Strength: 19]

Bel's eyes widened in astonishment, and then excitement surged through him once again, far greater than before.

He flexed his arms experimentally, feeling a subtle yet noticeable difference in his moves. His heart pounded, this was it. This was the formula.

Killing, leveling, gaining stats and stats points, putting them in his stats to improve further. This was the recipe to become a better version of himself.

While Bel was having his new goals on life enlightened, Aldric ceased his diversion tactics, looking over curiously.

The knight raised an eyebrow, puzzled at seeing Bel frozen and staring at nothing.

"What's wrong, boy?" Aldric called out, guiding his horse closer. "Did killing your first monster shock you that badly?"

Bel snapped out of his trance, quickly hiding his elation behind a neutral expression. He shook his head quickly, regaining his composure.

"N-no, sir! I'm alright! Just... a bit surprised, that's all."

Aldric stared skeptically for a moment, then shrugged.

"First kills are always hard. But get used to it. If you freeze up every time, you won't last long."

Bel nodded swiftly, but internally he was still reeling.

The system was far more powerful than he'd ever imagined, and now he knew exactly how to exploit it.

With this new change, Bel wasn't curious anymore, he was excited.

He charged forward, gripping the short sword tightly, his heart racing with a newfound thrill.

His hesitation was completely gone, replaced by eagerness and determination shining in his eyes. This time, he didn't pause or hesitate, he attacked immediately, moving swiftly and confidently.

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With his increased strength, the sword now felt lighter and easier to handle. Each strike cut deeper, the tough hides of the boars becoming far less daunting than before.

The first boar fell quickly, caught off-guard by his improved agility.

Bel spun toward the next boar, eyes wide with adrenaline. The creatures were still incredibly fast, darting unpredictably, forcing him to constantly adjust his stance and timing.

The second boar nearly escaped several times, but Bel's enhanced stamina allowed him to keep up the relentless pursuit.

After a fierce chase, he managed a clean, decisive blow, bringing it down.

Facing the third boar, Bel breathed heavily but wore a determined grin. His strikes grew sharper, more precise.

Even as the beast attempted to escape, Bel's increased speed let him anticipate its moves. Another accurate slash ended the chase.

[ Level Up! ]

Bel froze briefly, glancing at the glowing message with pure excitement. His stats had increased again: Strength, Toughness, Intelligence, Speed, Agility, and Stamina, all rising by two points. Plus, another five free stat points awaited allocation.

Remembering the feeling from earlier, Bel managed to reproduce it and allocated all five points to Speed. Immediately, his movements felt lighter and faster.

Testing this newfound agility, he sprinted toward another fleeing boar, surprised by his improved speed.

Though the boars were still swift, the gap was closing. Each kill became easier, each dodge smoother.

Nearby, Aldric watched with initial skepticism, but soon his expression turned impressed. He gave a low whistle of appreciation.

"Not such a shrimp anymore, eh, boy?" Aldric called out approvingly.

Deciding Bel was doing just fine, Aldric dismounted lazily, stretched, and lay down on the soft grass, folding his arms behind his head.

"Wake me if anything dangerous comes along."

Bel barely heard him, already absorbed in the thrill of the hunt. With a wild, joyous grin, he charged back into battle, eager to test himself against anything that moved.

As Bel continued his decimation deep within the forest, a grand spectacle unfolded at the Duke's estate.

Carriages bearing the proud crest of House Verholt rolled smoothly down the driveway, flanked by knights whose armor gleamed brilliantly in the afternoon sun.

Servants and maids hurried into position, forming a disciplined line along the pathway.

In her chambers, Dusteria stood nervously in front of her mirror. Her heart fluttered anxiously as she smoothed her dress once more and fussed with her hair, determined to look perfect.

Taking one final, steadying breath, she dashed out toward the estate's main entrance, excitement sparkling in her eyes.

Outside, everyone's attention was fixed on the young man gracefully stepping from the lead carriage.

Crest, heir of House Verholt, was sixteen, tall and strikingly handsome, with warm blond hair framing his bright, welcoming face.

His clothing was pristine, befitting a noble, with an elegant sword resting at his side.

His charismatic smile lit up the crowd as he greeted everyone graciously, earning admiring murmurs from the gathered nobles.

As Crest warmly exchanged pleasantries, his gaze caught sight of the Baron. His smile widened instantly, and he eagerly approached the older man with open arms.

"Baron! It's truly wonderful to see you again," Crest said warmly. "Is Dusteria here as well?"

Before the Baron could even reply, a voice called out sharply from behind, unmistakably playful yet fierce.

"Did you really think I'd miss welcoming you home, Crest?"

Crest spun around, his expression brightening, as he saw Dusteria approaching, cheeks tinged with a rare shyness. He reached out, gently taking her hand for a brief moment.

"I'm so glad to see you. I heard about what happened at your estate," Crest said softly. "Are you alright now?"

Before Dusteria could respond, a boisterous voice interjected dramatically.

"Not so fast! Who gave permission for this closeness?"

Everyone turned to see a young knight with unruly black hair, Will, stepping forward and theatrically placing himself between Crest and Dusteria, earning an eye-roll from Dusteria and an amused chuckle from Crest.

"Will," Crest sighed, "give it a rest."

Will stood firm, proudly placing his hands on his hips.

"Rules are rules, Crest, and they say..."

His words were cut short when a shovel was abruptly shoved into his hands. A tomboyish young woman with short hair and sun-tanned skin appeared beside him, shaking her head with mock seriousness.

"It's "my lord", you idiot," she scolded, "show some respect."

"Sienna!" Dusteria exclaimed, her shyness evaporating instantly. "Been so long. Thank goodness you're here."

Sienna returned her greeting, but immediately forced a serious face.

"It's great to see you too, my lady."

Dusteria laughed softly, placing a reassuring hand on Sienna's shoulder.

"Relax, there's no that between us, we've been friends forever. Let's go inside and catch up properly."

Will and Sienna straightened quickly as an older knight nearby coughed loudly, reminding them of their positions.

Crest and Dusteria exchanged amused glances, eyes twinkling with suppressed laughter.

Standing slightly apart, the Baron watched the scene unfold with immense satisfaction, his grin wide and proud.

Everything truly felt perfect theses days.