Dragon King: Throne of Demons and Gods-Chapter 14: The Divide Between Man and Monster

The nobles enjoyed their day in the city, weaving through the lavish streets filled with the finest shops and establishments high society had to offer.

Crest, Dusteria, Will, and Sienna strolled, enjoying the luxurious atmosphere.

Dusteria, with subtle yet intentional gestures, continuously attempted to create moments between herself and Crest. Whether it was lingering slightly closer to him while admiring an elegant display or purposefully engaging him in conversation separate from the others, her intentions were clear.

Crest, however, remained his usual composed self, seemingly oblivious or choosing not to acknowledge her efforts.

They moved from one boutique to another, observing the latest imported fabrics, fine jewelry, and rare perfumes. Will delighted in testing expensive colognes, while Sienna found herself admiring the intricate craftsmanship of glass figurines.

At one point, they stopped by a renowned bookseller, where Crest casually browsed through a selection of military strategy texts.

As the afternoon stretched on, they made their way to a luxurious café, an exclusive establishment known for catering to high society. The scent of rich coffee, spiced pastries, and aged wine filled the air as they settled into a private section, velvet seats, and golden candlelight adding to the sophistication of the space.

The conversation remained lighthearted, filled with chatter about the shops they visited and amusing gossip from the nobility. That was, until Will leaned back in his chair and smirked.

"I can't help but think how stupid your knight must feel for missing a day like this," he mused, stirring his drink absentmindedly.

Dusteria immediately tensed, her fingers tightening slightly around her glass.

"I don't want to talk about him."

Crest, however, looked thoughtful.

"I never quite understood. What happened between you two? Why does it feel like you despise him so much now? And the way he talks to you..."

Dusteria sighed in frustration, unable to provide the truth. How could she even begin to explain that he was a dragon? Who would believe her? Even Bel himself was oblivious to it, it was what she thought at least.

Forced to stay silent to protect her father's plan, she merely shook her head.

"It's complicated. Just leave it."

Will scoffed, swirling the wine in his goblet.

"What's there to understand? He lacks everything that makes a knight. He isn't worthy of Lady Dusteria."

Sienna, who had been quiet until now, frowned slightly.

"That's not really fair. He trained the whole day, you should have seen that. That was really impressive."

Dusteria turned to her, brow furrowing.

"Whose side are you on?"

Will smirked, leaning forward.

"Training means nothing if you can't get strong. Anyone can train, but not everyone can actually become strong. Like, really strong."

Sienna merely shrugged, unfazed.

"I'm just saying, I'm impressed by his drive. Besides, didn't we all see how much bigger he got?" Her gaze flickered to Dusteria. "I'm actually curious how he managed that."

Dusteria let out an irritated sigh and took a sip of her fruit juice, her expression carefully neutral but her mood clearly souring. The conversation was veering into territory she wanted to avoid, yet there was little she could do to steer it away.

At nightfall, in the forest, the floor was littered with the bodies of slain monsters, their bodies twisted and lifeless.

Despite the time passed, Bel remained in motion, his movements sharper, his strikes more efficient. Each battle was becoming easier, and he was beginning to see the rhythm of the fight more clearly than ever before.

His mind worked methodically. A monster to his side, one leap would be enough to close the distance. 0.7 seconds to move.

The moment he landed, the beast would react, giving him a 1.3-second window to attack before it could retaliate.

The weight of his strike would force it backward, creating an opening of 2.1 seconds before the next enemy could reach him.

In the air, his calculations continued. He saw another monster preparing to strike, claws raised. 0.5 seconds before the attack reached him.

He adjusted, dodging at the last possible moment to let the force of the first attack create a delay in the second beast's movements. 0.9 seconds before the second could recover, enough time.

With fluid precision, Bel dodged the first swipe, shifting his weight to the side before avoiding the second. As the first beast recoiled from its missed attack, his sword flashed, cutting deep into its exposed flank.

Spinning, he adjusted his footing and drove his blade through the forehead of the second beast before it could react.

[Level up!]

Bel exhaled sharply, catching his breath. His muscles trembled from exertion, his body screaming for rest. Around him, a few remaining beasts hesitated, stepping back.

The urge to continue fighting surged through him, but as the sky darkened and night fell over the forest, he forced himself to stop.

Closing his eyes, he focused inward, seeking the familiar sensation of stat allocation. But this time, something was different. Instead of instinctively distributing points, his system screen appeared.

He could summon his system screen at will, so he didn't have to keep it in front of his face at all times. That was a useful discovery he made earlier.

With a thought, the screen appeared before him, revealing his updated stats.

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[Draconic Evolution System]

Name: Belzerion

Title: None

Race: Dragon

Class: Lesser Wyrmling

Level: 11

EXP: 62/1400

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Core Stats:

HP: 190/190

MP: 60/60

Strength: 42

Toughness: 44

Intelligence: 28

Speed: 32

Agility: 37

Stamina: 53

Pressure: 1

Unassigned Stat Points: 25

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Draconic Core: 3%

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Unlocked Traits:

Wyrm's Resilience: Enhanced endurance and recovery.

--------------------------------------------

Bel's gaze lingered on the numbers. He was growing stronger, but he could already tell, leveling up was getting harder. The same monsters that had given him a solid boost before were now worth significantly less experience.

If he wanted to keep progressing at this pace, he would need to find stronger prey.

Bel's gaze lingered on the enormous amount of unassigned stat points. This was the most interesting part of his progress.

"What to improve?" He muttered to himself.

Stamina was already his highest stat, so adding more seemed excessive.

Intelligence was the only stat that didn't increase with physical training, and he wasn't even sure of its exact effect. And then, there was Pressure, the most intriguing of all.

Among all his stats, it was the only one that had never changed, even as he leveled up.

With that in mind, he made his choice.

10 points in Intelligence, 3 in Speed, 2 in Toughness, 5 in Agility, and 5 in Pressure.

As he finalized the allocations, his eyes widened slightly. He expected a failure but it he could really allocate points into Pressure. That alone was a great news.

He clenched his fists, expecting to feel something significant. At first, nothing happened. But then...

A sudden burst of warmth radiated from within. It spread outward in waves, a strange force pulsing around him. His senses sharpened.

Every sound, every scent, every shift in the air became clearer. His vision sharpened beyond what it had ever been before, allowing him to see details in the dark.

For several seconds, he was overwhelmed by the surge of perception. He instinctively steadied himself, trying to make sense of the change.

The sensation faded just as quickly as it had arrived, leaving him breathless.

"What... was that?" he muttered.

He quickly checked his stats again, scanning for any abnormalities. At first, everything seemed the same, until his eyes landed on Draconic Core.

His breath hitched slightly.

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[Draconic Evolution System]

Name: Belzerion

Title: None

Race: Dragon

Class: Greater Wyrmling

Level: 11

EXP: 62/1400

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--------------------------------------------

Core Stats:

HP: 220/220

MP: 80/80

Strength: 42

Toughness: 46

Intelligence: 38

Speed: 35

Agility: 42

Stamina: 52

Pressure: 6

Unassigned Stat Points: 0

--------------------------------------------

Draconic Core: 8%

--------------------------------------------

Unlocked Traits:

Wyrm's Resilience: Enhanced endurance and recovery.

Wyrm's Perception: Heightened awareness of surroundings.

--------------------------------------------

Bel stared at the system screen, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing. His Draconic Core had surged forward, increasing drastically, but it wasn't just that.

His HP and MP had risen as well, without any need to level up.

His breath came slowly, steady but uncertain. This was different.

"What...?" he muttered under his breath, his eyes flicking over the stats again, searching for an explanation.

The Draconic Core percentage had jumped significantly. Why? How?

He clenched his fists instinctively, feeling a strange warmth coursing through his body. It was subtle, but undeniable, he felt stronger, more solid. It wasn't just numbers on a screen; this was real.

He inhaled deeply, trying to shake off the disbelief. Was this because of Pressure? His gaze trailed back to that stat, the only thing he had never been able to raise before today.

The moment he allocated points into it, something like that happened.

His core had evolved.

He exhaled sharply. If his Draconic Core kept increasing like this, what exactly would happen?