The two immediately immersed themselves in their tasks as soon as Christina assigned them appropriate chores.
She glanced back and signaled to Rune and Ferdikion.
Rune nodded lightly to express his gratitude.
A gentle and bright aura enveloped them as they entered the magic circle.
It felt as if they were basking in a pleasant sunlight.
At that moment, the inherited knowledge activated and appeared before his eyes.
<Gold Dragon Elder's Light Barrier>
: A barrier created by borrowing the power from the core of a Gold Dragon.
The effects increase according to the caster's abilities.
* Caster: Gold Dragon Elder Christina
- Light attribute blessing series.
- Healing and protection for allies. Increased resistance.
- Enhanced regeneration ability.
- Optimal synergy with fire abilities.
- Drastic improvement in agile physical abilities and the ability to handle magic.
As time passed, the amount of information that appeared steadily increased.
Seeing the endless list, Christina's power became all the more tangible.
'The stats prioritize safety over offensive capabilities.'
He wondered what would happen if she were to use offensive abilities.
'But first, I need to absorb the Seal of Fire properly.'
The reason they moved to this place to receive the Seal of Fire was because the energy it contained was so powerful that it could melt not only the surrounding objects but even the ground.
'Indeed, it was a brilliant choice to seek Christina's help.'
Christina's power was stronger than anyone else present.
She was a Gold Dragon specialized in handling guardianship and light.
She was the best person to handle any unexpected situations.
Finally, a red light began to glow in Ferdikion's eyes.
Then, the complete form of the <Seal of Fire> appeared in his raised right hand.
The burning heart was wrapped in chains.
'The seal was even sealed when it was briefly revealed.'
The overwhelming heat made him feel slightly nauseous.
However, that nausea soon turned into a sense of greed.
'This is what it should be. After all, it's a seal given directly by the successor of the Red Dragon.'
If the life force of fire were condensed, it might feel like this.
The intense, living power of fire stirred violently.
"This is the Seal of Fire I will give you."
Ferdikion, with a rather stern expression, said to Rune, who was silently staring at him,
"Receiving the seal means becoming part of the fire clan. It means you must not betray your fire brothers and must uphold loyalty."
"I thought about it while you were asleep. I could give you the Seal of Fire as a token of trust, but also because you are someone I need, not because I am weak, but to become a more perfect elder."
That smile contained his former self, the elder who prioritized a fiery heart and cold reason.
"So, I imbued my authority into the seal. If you accept it, we will become sworn brothers."
Rune recalled the closest example from his previous life.
'They called it a sworn brotherhood, didn't they?'
Thinking about it, in his past life, Imugi never had a sworn brother, let alone a small faction.
'If this one has changed, I probably have too.'
Just as Rune had influenced Ferdikion's temperament, he himself had been affected.
This new experience gave him hope for the future, having always lived alone on the island.
"I also plan to grow and become stronger as an elder of the Black Dragons. I look forward to working with you, brother."
As Rune reached out his hand, the seal was placed in it.
It felt as if he was holding the wildly surging life force in his hand.
That strange exhilaration.
Rune clenched his hand around the seal.
Flames enveloped Rune's entire body as if to burn him.
It felt like he was submerged in lava.
A black dragon hatchling's scale appeared near Rune's neck, infused with a red aura.
He, who was once filled with dark energy, completely absorbed the Seal of Fire.
The information in his mind was updated, and text began to list.
<Seal of Fire> (Affiliation)
- Created by accepting the emblem of the Red Dragon.
* Your body becomes immune to fire.
* You can withstand intense heat.
* Greatly increases your affinity with fire attributes.
* Special Note: If you kill another who has the Seal of Fire, a penalty will occur.
The name and description were the same, but there was additional information.
* Fire and darkness have combined to form a new attribute combination!
Rune's red eyes alternated between a dark pupil and the mark of the Seal of Fire.
Although he hadn't used it yet, he knew.
"I don't feel anything strange."
It flowed as naturally as his own power, without any sense of foreignness.
"Amazing. I don't know how many times I'll have to say this to you."
While Christina was surprised, Ferdikion crossed his arms and nodded, thinking, 'Indeed, my brother!'
Rune silently scratched his cheek.
He realized why the problem Christina pointed out didn't occur.
'I've been doing it almost all my life. Training to control surging energy.'
It was the 999 years of training he did as Imugi to ascend, which finally paid off.
The power to assimilate any energy into his own!
In his past life, this ability was useless because he died before ascending.
Now, in this new life as a hatchling, it had finally blossomed.
'If I can fuse any power like this...'
His fists clenched involuntarily.
'Then I can control all kinds of magical energies.'
All he needed was a vessel to contain the power, i.e., a properly developed body.
With the inherited knowledge, he could easily discover the sources of various powers.
Rune, who was trying to suppress his greedy expression, finally smiled with one corner of his mouth.
Just then, Ferdikion's call reached his ears.
Thanks to this, Rune, who had been lost in thought, returned to his gentle expression and looked back at him.
"I called you because your opinion is important. Should we leave now, or stay here to check your condition just in case?"
Hearing this, Ferdikion laughed proudly and nodded.
"Right, brother. There's no need to delay."
Christina, who had been watching, shrugged as if to say, 'If that's your wish, I can't help it.'
"But, take a moment, please."
Christina smiled kindly in response to Rune's question.
"It's your first outing. I need to take care of you as a guardian before we go."
"Black Mi! Black Mi wants to go too!"
Christina gently shook her head at Black Mi, who raised her hand, and White Night, who flapped her wings.
"If Rune is fine with it, you can go to the lair together. But please wait here for a moment."
"Yes. Ferdikion, as a guest, can you stay here with them?"
While saying this, she signaled, and a luminous spirit took its place between White Night and Black Mi.
"Right, Rai. Please take care of the children."
Rai blinked in response to Christina's request.
Black Mi, with her lips pouting, muttered regretfully.
"Black Mi wanted to go with Rune-sama..."
At that moment, White Night flew up between Black Mi's black ears and perched on her head.