Chapter 25: The Ultimate Test of Endurance

The Old Patriarch stroked his beard, a smug grin spreading across his face as he declared, “Did she truly believe that pausing deliberately in that decoy room would be enough to pull the wool over my eyes? Alas, to execute such a maneuver, one must inevitably leave behind a spatial transfer magic array within that very room.”

“Admittedly, that magic array automatically erases its spatial signature after use, making it untraceable. But what if it hasn’t been used yet? To deceive Theresia, I didn’t even reveal my plan to my old comrades before she could activate the transfer array. Hehehe, hahahaha!”

The Old Patriarch let out a boisterous laugh, reminiscent of a grand villain.

Old wisdom always prevails.

The Old Patriarch had successfully taught Theodore this lesson through his actions.

Yet, his arrival brought Theodore an unexpected sense of reassurance. He knew this man would never allow Theresia to fall into true peril.

“Patriarch, how is Theresia doing now?”

Theodore was certain the Patriarch held inside knowledge of the situation.

“Oh, she’s doing quite well. For now, everything is proceeding exactly as she anticipated.”

With that, the Patriarch waved his hand, tearing a gaping hole in space as if ripping through a veil. Within the rift lay the emergency center.

Dragon Guards methodically transported a series of equipment and supplies into this confined space, even bringing in a massive office desk.

Opposite the desk, a magic projection displayed Theresia’s vital signs in real-time.

The Patriarch then transformed into his dragon form, settled onto a colossal chair, and began reviewing Dragonkind’s official documents.

Each sheet of paper was larger than Theodore himself, and all the text had been meticulously etched by the Patriarch using a magic ring on his dragon claw.

Theodore, leveraging the rock wall, leaped onto the Patriarch’s desk. His gaze swept over Theresia’s vital signs, settling on a pink curve that periodically spiked to a peak before plummeting to its baseline. This particular curve lacked any textual explanation.

“What is this?” Theodore inquired, puzzled.

The Patriarch responded meaningfully, “That is her state curve while resisting the trial.”

Seeing that the Patriarch had no intention of elaborating, Theodore shifted his query. “Is there anything I can do now?”

“Do something? Of course, you should stay put and conserve your energy.” The Patriarch paused, then asked, “What’s wrong? Restless, feeling idle?”

“Well, mainly because I can’t see Theresia’s current situation, and it always…” Theodore’s words were cut short as the Old Patriarch pointed a finger at him from across the space.

Theodore’s vision instantly went black, and he collapsed into unconsciousness.

Having effortlessly resolved Theodore’s ‘problem,’ the old dragon nodded contentedly. This young man was still unaware of what awaited him—an ultimate test of his endurance.

He truly hoped the boy’s ‘hoe’ had sufficient durability.

****

Theresia remained oblivious to the fact that her ‘home’ had been ‘stolen.’

As time ticked by, the Dragon God’s Curse intensified, transforming from a gentle stream into a raging river.

The low temperature had long ceased to be effective. Dozens of sacred magic spells designed to quell physical desires, along with various alchemical potions and even curses capable of blocking sensory perception, alternated their effects upon her.

The sandbags of resistance against desire had grown into a formidable mound, constantly repairing and perfecting itself.

The mountain of materials and items was continuously consumed. Theresia had already shifted into her black dragon form, white steam perpetually rising from her body.

Elven clear springs, capable of purifying the mind, were poured into her mouth without restraint.

Two days passed in this manner.

For Theresia, these two days felt like an eternity.

Only 24 hours remained!

A fierce fighting spirit ignited within Theresia’s heart. In the past, no predecessor had ever endured past midnight on the second day.

Now, she had shattered that record.

The saga of resisting the curse had turned a new page with her!

This was the indomitable soul of a man!

Theresia’s heart swelled with emotion, but she quickly regained her composure. Although she had achieved something unprecedented for Dragonkind, it also meant venturing into unknown territory.

Theoretically, if the Dragon God’s Curse continued to strengthen at its current rate, she would be fine.

However, it was better to be safe than sorry, so Theresia still had a final trump card she hadn’t deployed.

Sure enough, as the clock struck 6, the intensity of the Dragon God’s Curse instantly doubled.

Theresia didn’t even have time to react. The earthen rampart formed by the magic arrays, potions, and curses was directly overwhelmed by the torrent of desire.

But in that critical moment, her last resort—a magical artifact constructed around a core of Silent Crystal—shone with dazzling brilliance.

Before the surging flood of desire, a massive dam rose from the ground, safeguarding Theresia’s final vestiges of rationality.

‘Hahaha, I anticipated this!’

‘I knew things wouldn’t be that simple!’

Theresia doubled the operating frequency of all her magic arrays and curses, as well as her potion intake.

Another 17 hours passed.

Only one hour remained until victory.

Dawn was within reach. From the current situation, her triumph seemed assured.

A glimmer of tears welled in Theresia’s eyes. Yet, at this exhilarating moment, the Dragon God’s Curse underwent a profound change.

If before it had been like a flood, crashing recklessly with brute force, now it seemed to have gained sentience, transforming into a conscious giant dragon. With a single claw, it tore a gaping hole in the dam of silence.

‘It’s over!’

At this point, the Dragon God’s Curse had reached its strongest phase. Theresia had no time to offer any resistance.

Vaguely, she seemed to see an illusory dragon shadow smiling triumphantly at her.

She thought it was the Old Patriarch, but somehow, its form seemed even larger than his.

However, she no longer had time to ponder. ‘Lift the barrier isolating inside from out! Let Theodore in!’

Accompanied by a cry of humiliated anguish, desire swallowed her rationality.

****

“Old friend, save me!”

Theresia’s voice echoed through the cave—a prerecorded plea, filled with desperate agony.

“She failed.”

It had to be said, Theresia had truly exhausted every means. With only an hour remaining, the Old Patriarch had almost believed this dragon could overcome the Dragon God’s power.

Ultimately, it was a failure at the last hurdle.

The Old Patriarch first glanced at the young Dragon Guards, who involuntarily trembled under his gaze.

Fortunately, his eyes quickly settled on Theodore. A gentle tap from his dragon claw woke Theodore from his slumber, simultaneously restoring the memories that had been erased.

Theodore slowly awoke amidst a throbbing pain in his head, vaguely hearing the Old Patriarch’s voice.

“Drink some refreshing potion.”

Taking the potion, Theodore gulped it down. His mind quickly cleared.

Theresia’s recorded plea still reverberated, sending shivers down Theodore’s spine.

‘What was this dragon thinking, recording such a strange voice message?’

But that wasn’t important now. With his memories fully restored, Theodore knew the contents of the trial and what he needed to do if Theresia failed.

Still finding it hard to believe and accept, Theodore asked with a hint of trepidation and anticipation, “Has Theresia failed?”

Watching the eager Theodore, the old dragon stroked his beard, lamenting the impetuousness of youth. They only thought of riding a dragon, unaware that what awaited them was the terrifying prospect of a dragon riding them.

“Indeed, she failed.” The old dragon clapped Theodore on the shoulder, handing him a bottle of water. “Now, only you can save Theresia. Come, drink this ‘wine.’ There’s no turning back. You will conquer the black dragon alone. How about it, do you have confidence?!”

“Of course!”

Theodore glanced at the draconic script on the bottle. It seemed to say ‘Kidney Tonic’?

‘Did he really need this?’

Though disdainful in his heart, his body obediently drank it down.

This wasn’t a lack of self-confidence; it was about ensuring greater certainty in thoroughly conquering a black dragon.

But what Theodore didn’t expect was that this was merely the appetizer.

Various amplification spells were cast upon him without restraint. From mind to body, Theodore suddenly felt so invigorated that he could wrestle a dragon.

Even more unexpectedly, he was fitted with a thick layer of armor, completely encasing him.

‘Was he going to deal with her heat cycle?’

‘Why did it feel more like he was going to fight a black dragon?’

Theodore said, troubled, “Patriarch, if you do this, it’ll be hard for me to take off later.”

The Old Patriarch replied meaningfully, “Don’t worry, this armor is very fragile. You won’t need to take it off yourself. Trust me, I wouldn’t harm you.”

Considering the Old Patriarch’s infallible foresight, Theodore chose to trust him.

“Well then, I’m off, everyone!”

“Theodore, good luck! Believe in your strength!”

“If it gets too much, just scream!”

“We will forever remember your sacrifice!”

“You must hold on, Theodore! Believe in yourself, you can overcome your limits!”

The young Dragon Guards standing nearby cheered on the fully armed Theodore. Though strangers, at this moment they were like long-lost brothers reunited, showering him with blessings. Some even transformed into human form, gripping Theodore’s hand tightly, tears welling in their eyes as they said, “You must hold on! You must win!”

Perplexed by the reactions of these unfamiliar dragons, Theodore found their enthusiasm difficult to respond to. He could only manage a strained smile. “Thank you for your support, I’ll do my best.”

“Not ‘your best,’ you idiot! Burn your life away!” Another Dragon Guard transformed into human form and rushed to Theodore, grabbing his tie, tears streaming down their face. “You’re carrying more than just your own will! Think about the consequences of failure!”

“You two, don’t get so agitated; it’s easy to put too much pressure on Theodore.” Two hands appeared on the shoulders of the two Dragon Guards. It was a third Dragon Guard, who spoke in a calm tone, but with a disturbingly broken look in their eyes. “At worst, our graves will be stacked together afterward. Life is inherently a journey towards death, wouldn’t you agree, Theodore?”

‘No, brother, don’t ask me.’

‘You’re putting more pressure on me than the previous two combined.’

The other Dragon Guards also crowded around, seemingly eager to express their thoughts and impress upon Theodore the severe cost of failure.

However, the next second, the Old Patriarch’s voice boomed, “Theodore, squat down.”

A massive danger signal blared in Theodore’s heart. He instantly squatted down, covering his head.

Then, he heard loud screams. The Dragon Guards, who had been passionately lamenting on the table moments before, were summarily ‘cleaned up’ by the old dragon’s claw.

“Don’t mind their words; they’re just children.”

The Old Patriarch’s lighthearted voice reached Theodore, making him relax slightly, thinking those dragons had merely been fear-mongering.

“Once you’re in there, they won’t need to be so redundant; you’ll fight for your life on your own.”

Theodore: “…”

‘Why did it sound like he was going in there to be Theresia’s sustenance?’

He put on the spatial ring the Old Patriarch had prepared for him, brimming with various bottles and jars. Additionally, he carried the spatial ring Theresia had given him, which contained similar items.

He then resolutely walked towards the depths of the cave, exuding an air of ‘the wind howls, the Yi River is cold; a brave warrior gone, never to return.’

His retreating figure appeared exceptionally tall in the eyes of the assembled dragons, like their savior.

The Old Patriarch cast another glance at the young Dragon Guards lying scattered like corpses in various corners of the cave, then yelled to his team, “Brothers, it’s time to show our strength! Begin!”

“Oh!”