Supreme BeastTamer: I Can Copy and Upgrade Skills 10x!-Chapter 492: First Encounter [2]

Zara stepped forward slightly, as if shielding Nox. "Stand down, Valen. He is with me."

Valen’s eyes narrowed. "With you?" He studied Nox again, his gaze lingering as if searching for any excuse to attack. "A human? You know what you’ve done, don’t you, Princess?" His voice dropped to a warning growl. "Bringing him here is the same as inviting war."

The others shifted uneasily, their hands twitching at their sides, as if resisting the urge to attack.

Zara’s fists clenched. "I am well aware of what I’m doing. He is my guest, and I expect him to be treated as such."

A scoff. One of the other dragons, a red-haired woman with golden slit-pupiled eyes, crossed her arms. "A guest? You can’t be serious." She turned her gaze to Nox, her lips curling into a sneer. "You’re lucky she’s standing in front of you, human. If she weren’t, we would’ve already torn you apart."

Nox smiled at that—actually smiled. Not because he was intimidated, but because it was amusing how predictable they were.

"I appreciate the warm welcome," he said smoothly, tilting his head slightly. "Really, it’s always nice to be acknowledged so quickly."

The sarcasm in his tone didn’t go unnoticed. Valen’s eyes flashed with cold fury, but before he could speak, Zara cut in.

"I didn’t bring him here without reason," she said firmly. "He’s strong. Stronger than you think."

Valen scoffed. "Strong? He’s a human. Do you expect us to believe that?"

Nox’s smile widened slightly. He wanted to say Feel free to test that theory, but he wisely held bac, after all these people weren’t the enemies.

"Now if you’ll excuse me, we have somewhere to be."

Zara didn’t wait for a response. She turned on her heel and strode forward, her presence commanding. Nox followed, his steps casual, as if he hadn’t just been threatened by a group of dragons itching for a reason to attack.

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Valen and the others stood frozen for a moment, watching them leave.

"She’s lost her mind," the red-haired woman muttered.

Valen’s jaw tightened. "No. She’s desperate."

Another dragon, a stocky man with dark gray scales along his arms, folded his arms. "Even if she is, this is reckless. She expects the king to just accept a human? What if the other kingdoms find out?"

A tense silence stretched between them. Then, Valen exhaled sharply. "We report to the king."

The red-haired woman frowned. "And say what? That the princess brought a human into the city? That’ll cause an uproar."

Valen’s eyes darkened. "Good. The king needs to know." He glanced in the direction Zara had gone. "Because if she really thinks this human will be accepted… she’s dead wrong."

—---

Zara didn’t slow down until they reached a clearing. Then, without a word, she shifted.

Ice-blue scales rippled across her form as her body expanded, wings unfolding with a powerful gust of wind. A moment later, a magnificent frost dragon stood where Zara had been.

Nox watched the transformation with mild interest. He had already seen her dragon form before, so the sight didn’t surprise him. What did surprise him, however, was what she said next.

"Get on."

He raised an eyebrow as he glanced at the city which was just some miles away. Walking by foot could do the job easily. "You sure?"

Zara gave him a pointed look, as if daring him to argue.

Nox smirked. "Alright then." With a single leap, he landed smoothly on her back, settling between her wings.

The moment he was secure, Zara launched into the sky.

Cold wind rushed past them as they ascended, the ground shrinking beneath them. Nox glanced down, watching the landscape blur into a sea of white and blue. The further they went, the more the terrain changed, shifting from wild, snow-covered forests to towering ice formations.

And then, the city came into view.

Massive structures made entirely of ice and frost loomed ahead, glowing faintly under the pale light. The city sprawled beneath them, intricate and majestic, with bridges connecting the massive ice towers. Dragons—both in humanoid and dragon form—soared through the air, moving between buildings with practiced ease.

Nox observed them carefully. Despite the city’s beauty, he could already tell that Zara’s warning hadn’t been an exaggeration. If the five from earlier were hostile, he could only imagine how the rest of the population would react.

Zara, for her part, maneuvered carefully, avoiding other dragons as much as possible. She flew low, weaving through the city’s structures easily.

’So that’s why she opted to fly.’ Nox eyes gleamed. ’if we had followed foot, we’ll encounter even more dragons. Although the air is also pupulated it’s easier to avoid other dragon.’

Some time later, their destination came into sight—a towering ice castle, its spires reaching high into the sky.

Zara circled once before landing smoothly on a large balcony. The moment her claws touched the ice, she shifted back, stepping forward as if nothing had happened.

Nox hopped off, glancing around. "So, this is your home?"

Zara didn’t respond immediately. She simply exhaled, her breath visible in the cold air. "Yes."

Then, she turned to him, her expression serious. "From here on out, be careful."

Nox smirked. "I’m always careful."

Zara sighed. "That’s what I’m worried about."

Zara retrieved a thick cloak from her inventiey and tossed it to Nox. "Wear this. It’ll help you blend in."

For common dragons, there were always frost and scally deatisl on their bodeis especially the neck. With the cloak it will be difficult for anyone to spot this difference.

Nox raised an eyebrow but complied, draping it over himself. The heavy fabric covered his entire body, leaving only his face visible.

Zara frowned. Even with the cloak, his scent stood out. "This won’t be enough. They’ll still notice—"

"No need," Nox interrupted. He raised a hand, activating Phantom Cloak. His figure shimmered before vanishing completely.

Zara blinked. Even though she knew he was there, she couldn’t sense him. A small part of her was impressed.

"Better?" his voice murmured beside her.

She huffed. "Fine. Stay close."

With that, she stepped forward, moving through the grand hallways of the castle.

As they walked, several dragons in humanoid form paused, turning to greet Zara with polite nods and murmured titles. Some looked surprised to see her, whispers breaking out behind them.

Zara ignored them all, her steps steady as she continued forward.

Finally, she reached the massive doors of the throne room.

She exhaled sharply.

It was the moment of truth.

Beyond these doors, the kings and the strongest dragon in frostpire awaited.