Chapter 2: The Tribulation Approaches

On the other side of the island, a young man with blond hair and blue eyes was running shirtless, carrying a boulder five times his size along the outermost perimeter of the island.

Beads of sweat constantly dripped from his forehead. However, his calm and steady breathing indicated that he was not struggling.

This was already his third lap around the island.

Yet, the mere act of running on the path his beloved dragon had prepared specifically for him filled him with immense joy.

“Hm?”

The young man, barely eighteen, suddenly halted his steps. It wasn’t due to exhaustion, but because he sensed an abnormal flow of air.

Based on his experience, this anomaly was caused by Theresia flapping her wings as she flew towards him!

The young man set down the boulder behind him and stood his ground, awaiting Theresia’s arrival.

A colossal gust of wind surged forward, sending vast amounts of sand and pebbles swirling into the sea. The young man’s feet remained rooted to the ground, unmoving, until the magnificent, adorable, and aesthetically stunning Theresia descended beside him.

The young man, Theodore, gazed at Theresia with eyes full of longing and adoration.

‘What majestic dragon horns, what razor-sharp limbs, what sleek dragon scales, what a perfectly sculpted physique.’

‘Truly, this was Theresia’s dragon form.’

Theodore swallowed, his mouth watering. He forcibly suppressed the fact that he was a complete dragon fanatic.

With a flash of black light, the colossal dragon rapidly shrank. Soon, a black-haired girl in a white T-shirt appeared before the young man.

The girl’s waist-length cascade of black hair swayed in the wind, and her brown eyes shimmered with a captivating allure. Her curvaceous figure was undoubtedly the goddess many men only dreamed of.

However, this goddess’s attire was exceptionally unique.

She wore a white T-shirt with the words ‘Never Yield to Fate’ emblazoned on the front and ‘Invincible With Me’ on the back. Her lower half was clad in knee-length denim shorts, and combined with her stern gaze, she looked every bit like a formidable gang leader.

Nonetheless, this did not deter Theodore from gazing at Theresia with adoration.

‘Though her human form was slightly less impressive than her dragon form, she was still so beautiful.’

Just as the young man pondered what his opening line for their first meeting of the day should be, Theresia spoke in an extremely serious tone. “Theodore, three days from now, I will undergo my tribulation. Are you prepared? This is a battle that concerns my future, and it concerns yours as well. If I fail, you may have to endure extraordinary trials.”

Theodore responded with unwavering confidence. “Lady Theresia, I am fully prepared. I’ve been undergoing high-intensity endurance training every day and consuming large quantities of special energy food. There will absolutely be no problem!”

“However, speaking of which, although Lady Theresia has taught me quite a few combat techniques over these past three years, most of my training seems to have focused on endurance. And after eating those foods…”

As Theodore spoke, his cheeks flushed slightly, and he scratched his head, finding it somewhat difficult to articulate.

Having once been a man herself, Theresia instantly understood the feeling. She patted Theodore’s shoulder encouragingly, saying, “Young man, enduring the Dragon Race’s trial is no simple feat. Perseverance leads to victory. All your special training is for the trial three days from now, and it might not even be necessary then, so relax a little.”

Theodore sounded a touch regretful. “Is that so? Does that mean I might not even be able to help?”

He had fantasized about a dragon and a human facing life and death together, forging a profound bond, and then forming a Dragon Knight duo to reach the pinnacle of life.

Though it was a plotline from stories, for anyone aspiring to be a Dragon Knight, the ideal never faded!

Seeing his reaction, Theresia mistakenly thought Theodore was lamenting the wasted time. She offered comfort. “However, I won’t let you waste these three years in vain. I’ve prepared a substantial reward. It’s a reward that an ordinary person—no, even a bounty hunter—would most likely never acquire in six years.”

“It wasn’t entirely for that,” Theodore said, hesitating. In the end, he couldn’t bring himself to ask, ‘Can I ride you afterward?’ Instead, he inquired, “Is that challenge really so mysterious? As an employed bounty hunter, you should at least tell me what I’m supposed to do, shouldn’t you? That way, I can at least make some preparations.”

Theresia’s body stiffened.

‘The challenge is to endure the estrus period, and your task is to help me get through it if I can’t. As for the means of helping me get through it…’

How could she possibly say that aloud?!

Although Theodore’s question was perfectly reasonable, and theoretically, as the employer, Theresia should have informed the young mercenary of the specific details of the mission.

Theresia’s hands went from stiff to trembling, her eyes bloodshot, and her cheeks flushed as she yelled at Theodore, “It’s a secret, an absolute secret! A secret that absolutely cannot be revealed until the very last moment!”

“You’re a seasoned mercenary, aren’t you? A seasoned mercenary should do their utmost to fulfill the employer’s requests! Even if it means facing mountains of blades and seas of fire, or a storm of blood and gore.”

“Even if that challenge ultimately overturns your worldview, you must be fully mentally prepared, forge ahead bravely, and rise to the occasion! Right!”

‘That challenge is definitely highly unconventional!’

Theodore gave Theresia, who was overly agitated, a deadpan look. Usually, this was Theresia’s most telltale sign of a guilty conscience.

‘But she’s really so cute. She’s usually so majestic and imposing. This contrast truly makes her more endearing the more I see her.’

Yet, Theodore’s words remained unsparing. “For employment tasks with unclear information and a secretive employer like this, bounty hunters have the right to refuse. In fact, most bounty hunters wouldn’t accept them.”

“Eh, eh, eh! Are you saying you’re going to refuse now?!” Theresia looked incredulously at the perfect contingency plan she had spent three years cultivating. If he backed out now, a huge problem would arise!

An absolutely enormous problem.

The thought of all the scenarios that would unfold if Theodore abandoned the employment struck Theresia like a bolt of lightning. The entire Black Dragon turned ash-gray, and a wave of despair continuously spread outwards.

“This, that, please, at a time like this…”

Theresia couldn’t even form coherent sentences.

Just the mental preparation for doing *that* with Theodore had taken her six whole years. During this time, she had repeatedly observed Theodore to ensure he had no peculiar fetishes and that his character was reliable.

Ultimately, it was only through a bit of self-suggestion and hypnosis that she reluctantly accepted.

If she suddenly had to switch to someone else midway… why did life suddenly feel so meaningless?

Although it wasn’t certain she would fail, the thought of failing and being *that-ed* by someone completely unprepared made Theresia want to smash this innocent little island into pieces with her dragon horns, as if it were a block of tofu.

There was no other way. Although she truly didn’t want to force him, and she was a dragon who valued human rights, and he indeed had the right to refuse.

The aura of despair gradually solidified into black mist.

****

On the verge of the Black Dragon’s transformation into darkness, Theodore keenly sensed something.

‘It seems this truly isn’t a small matter to joke about.’

He also felt he had teased her a bit too much and quickly explained, “Naturally, I wouldn’t accept commissions from other similar employers. But if it’s for Theresia, I absolutely have no reason to refuse.”

If he were love-struck, he might have found these words a bit ambiguous, but Theresia didn’t think in that direction at all.

After all, they had spent three years together, and living side-by-side had made them ‘buddies.’ Although there was a one percent chance (Theresia’s estimated probability) that she might have to do something with this buddy in three days that wasn’t exactly ‘buddy-like.’

But there was nothing she could do about it, was there? Besides, in addition to their friendship, they had an employment relationship, with the raw interest of money involved!

So she had no need to feel guilty. Even if it was a close friend or relative, what did it matter?

She was paying them!

Theresia grasped Theodore’s hands, her eyes shining brightly as she declared, “Rest assured, the price I’m offering will definitely satisfy you! It’s enough money to ensure you’re well-fed and clothed for the rest of your life, even to support several girls without any problem!”

Listening to such unromantic words, what could Theodore do but respond dryly, “Is that so? I’m looking forward to it.”

Just as Theresia was about to continue with more morale-boosting words, an incredibly oppressive aura emanated from afar.

Theresia’s brows furrowed, her black, waterfall-like hair stirred without a breeze, and her brown eyes gleamed with sharp light. Her lips parted slightly, revealing fierce little fangs, and her intense hostility was completely unconcealed.

Her greatest enemy among the Dragon Race was approaching.

“Theodore, an uninvited guest is approaching. You should hide far away. That old geezer is not only stubborn but also cunning. Try to minimize contact with him to avoid being led astray!”

Theodore looked at Theresia, opening his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately held back.

“Understood. I’ll excuse myself then.”

“No need! This old man is looking for you.” Before Theodore could leave, a deep voice resonated from a great distance.

“Theodore, don’t listen to that stubborn old fool! He’s certainly up to no good. Hurry and go, I’ll hold him off!” Theresia transformed into a protective mother hen.

She immediately shifted into her Black Dragon form, revealing her colossal and fearsome appearance, and stood righteously in front of Theodore.

However, this magnificent and reliable figure, less than a second after she spoke those words, was buried in the sand below, accompanied by a massive shockwave.

In her place stood a white-haired elder in front of Theodore, his upper body bare and covered in muscles, wearing only a pair of large shorts.