Chapter 330: Seria, The Crimson Lightning Dragon

Just by looking at it, Gray could already sense the deadly traps hidden within them.

There were spikes erupting from below, sudden gravitational shifts, illusory clones, and bursts of destructive energy.

He didn’t hesitate.

Gray stepped forward, his body dissolving into silver mist as he used [Dream Mist].

He reappeared on the first platform in a flicker, barely touching the ground before swapping positions with a point further ahead using [✧Swap✧].

BOOM!

The moment he left the first platform, dozens of razor-sharp obsidian spikes erupted violently from the abyss below, piercing through where he had just been standing.

The sound was deafening, like thunder cracking through the void.

Gray didn’t even glance back. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

He continued moving, a silver streak dancing between the platforms with effortless grace.

On the third platform, gravity suddenly inverted, trying to slam him upward into a ceiling of crushing stone.

He simply used Dream Mist again, slipping through the spatial distortion like smoke and reappearing on the next platform.

Rumble!

A horde of shadowy clones, perfect replicas of himself, emerged from the fifth platform, attacking with his own techniques. Gray didn’t slow down.

He unleashed a casual wave of [Nine Heavens Thunder Claw], golden-blue lightning exploding outward in a wide arc, erasing every single clone in an instant.

CRACKLEEEEEE!

The lightning lit up the entire abyss for a brief second, revealing just how deep and endless the darkness truly was.

Gray kept moving through the platforms.

Trap after trap tried to claim him, sudden bursts of soul-piercing wind, illusory mazes that tried to trap his mind, platforms that collapsed into lava, but none of them could touch him.

He was simply too strong for this kind of trial.

After what felt like only a few minutes, Gray landed on the final platform.

The abyss behind him fell silent once more, as if acknowledging his dominance. The blood-red text in the sky dimmed and disappeared.

He stepped through the newly opened passage at the end.

The space opened into a colossal underground cavern, far larger than anything he had seen before.

The walls, floor, and ceiling were covered in clusters of high-grade crystals, with each one of them glowing with an intensely pure mana.

These were not ordinary crystals.

They were Earthly-grade and even a few Heavenly-grade ones, insanely rare even to the strongest factions in the world.

Their glow cast a beautiful, ethereal light across the entire cavern, making it look like a hidden treasury of the gods.

Gray’s eyes widened slightly at the sheer wealth before him.

But his attention was quickly drawn to the center of the cavern.

There, curled up on a massive bed of crystals, slept a dragon...

An actual fucking dragon, but if that wasn’t enough...

It was a four-winged dragon.

Its body was pure, pristine white, the scales shimmering like fresh snow under moonlight, each one perfectly formed and glowing with inner power.

The edges of its scales had a faint, pearlescent sheen that shifted colors subtly as light hit them.

Its four wings were folded elegantly against its body; the main wings were a soft, creamy white, while the inner membranes and edges carried a delicate golden-yellow hue.

Thin veins of crackling red lightning danced lazily across its scales, even while it slept, giving the dragon an aura of raw, contained destruction.

Its head was regal and majestic, with two long, elegant horns curving backward, tipped with the same golden hue.

Its snout was refined, almost noble, and even in sleep, its presence remained both elegant and filled with strength.

The dragon’s body was enormous, easily over fifty meters long, yet it possessed a graceful, feminine beauty that made it look both powerful and ethereal.

Thankfully... it was sleeping.

Gray stared at the majestic creature for a long moment before speaking inwardly.

’How the fuck did you put a dragon as the last trial?’

Jasmine’s voice came back, carrying a hint of pride and nostalgia.

[This was my bonded beast. It’s called... Seria, the Crimson Lightning Dragon. Back in the day, many gods fought desperately to get the egg that would eventually hatch into this beast. But of course... I was the one who beat all of them to it.]

Gray was silent for a moment, truly impressed.

Thrumm...!

A stone slab suddenly rose from the ground in front of him, ancient text glowing upon its surface.

[Final Trial]

[Deem worthy by Seria, the Crimson Lightning Dragon.]

Gray frowned slightly.

’...I need to get her evaluation?’

[Yes... it should be easy since Seria can probably feel my presence within you.]

Jasmine replied confidently.

’Probably...?’ Gray was a little cautious.

A four-winged dragon’s power was definitely miles above the Monarch Realm, not to mention the next realms.

’...How to approach it, though?’ Gray pondered.

He knew about a dragon’s nature... inherently arrogant, incredibly lustful... and all of them liked shiny stuff.

But this was a dragon that Jasmine herself raised... so.. he knew how to deal with it.

So, he made a decision, and directly opened his dimensional storage and began removing every weapon he carried.

The Sealed Unnamed Rapier, the two Enchanted Demon Hunting Daggers, several poisoned needles, smoke bombs, and even the Demon Converging Gourd... he placed them all neatly on the ground to his left, far enough away that they wouldn’t disturb the dragon’s sleep, but close enough for him to reach if absolutely necessary.

It was a clear gesture of trust.

Then, slowly, Gray began walking forward.

His footsteps were soft as he closed the distance toward the majestic creature.

His eyes never left Seria’s form... after all, she was truly breathtaking.

Her head was the pinnacle of draconic beauty: long, elegant horns curving backward with intricate ridges, a refined snout that balanced power and grace, and a neck that flowed into powerful yet feminine shoulders.

Even in sleep, an aura of dominance radiated from her... the authority of a being that had once made gods tremble.

Yet there was also an undeniable feminine elegance to her: the gentle curve of her jaw, the subtle grace in how her body rested, the way her crimson lightning occasionally danced softly across her scales like living jewelry.

Gray stopped roughly three meters away from her majestic head.

He didn’t approach any closer.

Instead, he simply stood there, taking his time to truly appreciate her.

Honestly... he hadn’t seen such a beautiful creature... even compared to Atrinae, that was a snake that was purposely made to be beautiful because of its bloodline... it still lacked in comparison to this dragon.

Maybe because his childhood dream was to become a dragon rider... ahem, but he was truly smitten by the beauty of this dragon.

"...Beautiful..." he whispered under his breath, almost involuntarily.

At his whisper, the dragon’s eyes suddenly opened, revealing a pair of stunning light blue pearls.

They were stunning, containing a brilliant light blue with a sharp, vertical crimson-red slit running down the center of each iris.

The moment those eyes focused on him, the entire cavern seemed to grow heavier with her presence.

A majestic yet undeniably feminine voice echoed directly into his mind, carrying both curiosity and authority.

"...Mortal, how long are you going to keep staring?"

Gray snapped out of his trance.

He met her gaze calmly, showing no fear, but only honest admiration.

Seria tilted her massive head slightly, studying him. For a brief moment, even she seemed taken aback.

First, by his appearance... the strikingly handsome face, the black hair and eyes that somehow carried both danger and elegance, and the gorgeous Mark of Beauty glowing on his forehead.

Second, by the fact that he wasn’t afraid.

There was no terror in his posture, no desperate attempt to hide or flee.

Instead, he looked at her with genuine appreciation, as if he were beholding the most precious treasure in existence.

...She found that gaze surprisingly pleasant.

Gray remained calm, meeting those piercing crimson-slit eyes without flinching.

Then, he smiled softly at the dragon.

For a brief moment, he closed them, as if savoring the sight he had just witnessed. Then, in a sincere and respectful tone, he spoke:

"I apologize if I disturbed your rest. But I couldn’t help but admire you. You’re... magnificent."

Seria’s eyes narrowed slightly, though a faint trace of interest appeared in them.

She slowly lifted her head, the movement graceful despite her enormous size. The red lightning around her body crackled a little stronger, illuminating the cavern further.

"You are quite bold, mortal. Most who see me either run... or kneel. Yet you stand there and call me beautiful."

She leaned her head slightly closer, studying him more intently. Her warm breath washed over him, carrying a faint scent solely unique to a female dragon.

"...Oh? So you are the one my contractor chose," Seria revealed a hint of relief in her majestic tone.

Gray nodded lightly, still visibly smitten by her gorgeous appearance.

Honestly, he couldn’t tear his eyes away.

Thankfully, Seria didn’t seem to mind that gaze at all. If anything, the way he looked at her, with pure admiration, seemed to please her.

After a moment of silence, Gray asked curiously, almost innocently:

"Can... I touch your head?"

Seria was taken aback.

Her massive body shifted slightly, and even Jasmine and Sanguina inside Gray’s mind reacted with visible shock.

[Sanguina: ’Does your husband have some kind of kink for dragons or something?’]

[Jasmine: ’That... even I don’t know why he’s so smitten.’]

Seria stared at him for a long second, as if evaluating him.

Then, with a soft huff that sounded almost like a chuckle, she slowly lowered her majestic head until it was within reach.

"...I’ll allow it," she said, her voice carrying a hint of curiosity.

Seeing this, Gray’s smile widened softly.

Rustle...♡

He reached out with his right hand and gently touched the smooth, shimmering scale on her forehead, right between her horns.

His fingers brushed against it delicately, almost reverently.

"H-huh...?"

The moment his hand made contact, Seria’s entire body seemed to melt.

A low, involuntary rumble escaped her throat, not a disgusted growl, but a strangely contented purr... as if she wasn’t a dragon but a cat!

Her crimson-slit eyes relaxed instantly, half-closing in pure comfort, as if Gray’s touch was something divine, something she had been missing for centuries.

In an instant, her massive body moved.

Thrum... curl~

She curled around him protectively, her long neck looping gently so that her head rested near him, her wings partially folding to create a cocoon of safety.

The red lightning on her scales softened into a gentle glow, crackling warmly instead of aggressively.

Gray’s smile widened in happiness as he gently continued stroking her beautiful scales.

The two of them fell into a peaceful moment...

But inside his mind, two beings were shocked beyond belief.

[Sanguina: ’What the actual fuck? Did your husband just seduce a fucking dragon with a mere touch?!’]

[Jasmine: ’...Fuck.’]

Both goddesses were so shocked that even Jasmine, who rarely cursed, let out an actual swear.