Chapter 12: The Price of a Dragon
"Because I am."
Ethan's smile was almost lazy, a flicker of mischief dancing in his emerald-green eyes.
Lucas frowned, studying his younger brother.
Ethan had always been the laid-back one—more interested in playing around than serious training.
And Lucas never minded.
No, he preferred it that way.
He had long decided—he alone would shoulder the family's burdens.
After all, he was Lucas Yagami.
The one said to have a chance at SSS rank—a Stage 1 God.
A being on the verge of immortality.
If it was for his favorite and only brother, he would make sure Ethan lived forever without any problems to worry about.
But now?
Now, as he looked at Ethan, something felt different.
His aura—calm, peaceful, yet… commanding.
It wasn't overbearing. It invited trust.
And the longer Lucas stared, the more something within him stirred—a deep, inexplicable urge to protect him at all costs.
That… wasn't normal.
"What happened to you?" Lucas asked, eyes narrowing. "What kind of talent did you awaken?"
Ethan shrugged. "Just a C-rank support talent—Heart of Benevolence."
Lucas blinked. C-rank? No way. Something was off.
Ethan leaned back, crossing his legs. "And this is the talent that'll help you tame that legendary beast."
Lucas exhaled sharply. "And how, exactly, is that supposed to work?"
Ethan smirked.
"Simple. Whatever I give away out of goodwill… I receive five times its value in return."
Lucas stiffened. His mind raced.
Five times?
And he's been doing this for five years?
Ethan continued, voice casual. "I've bought and gifted a lot of things to the family over the years. One of them? A rare-grade rune parchment for beast taming."
Lucas's breath hitched.
A rare-grade rune. That alone was insanely valuable.
But if Ethan's ability was real…
Then that rare-grade rune would've returned to him as something far greater.
A terrifying thought clicked into place.
His parents' power growth.
Eva's cold aura, now strong enough to counteract his own flames.
The servants, the estate, the sheer wealth and dominance of the Yagami name.
It all traced back to…
Ethan.
Lucas abruptly stood. "Wait. All of this—everything that's changed—is because of you?"
Ethan nodded. "Yes."
Calm. Unbothered.
As if it wasn't a big deal.
Lucas eyes were wide.
What kind of cheat talent is this?!
Across the room, Iris beamed with pride. "My baby is amazing, isn't he?"
Lucas then grinned. "Incredible. Right, Mother?"
Iris nodded sagely. "Indeed, indeed. Our Ethan is incredible."
Their smug expressions mirrored each other perfectly.
Ethan sighed. "You're both insufferable."
Lucas chuckled. "And the rune?"
Ethan pulled out a golden parchment.
Not rare-grade.
Legendary.
Lucas froze.
Ethan tapped the scroll lazily and said with a smile. "Just throw this at the beast. The moment it touches him, he'll be bound. No struggle, no rejection. The contract will hold until he willingly accepts."
Lucas slowly exhaled. "You're joking."
Ethan tilted his head. "Am I?"
Lucas ran a hand through his hair. "…This is ridiculous."
A legendary-grade rune… just like that?
To understand the absurdity—
Outside the Tower, on Earth itself, the best taming runes available were only Unique-grade. And those comes from the Tower.
Humans could barely create rare-grade runes, much less anything beyond.
And Ethan just handed one over.
A legendary.
Casually.
Lucas dramatically clasped his hands. "Forget little brother—you're big brother now. Please take care of me."
His crimson eyes shimmered with excitement.
He had been racking his brain for a way to tame this beast, and Ethan just… solved it.
Just like that.
Ethan ignored his dramatics and asked "What kind of beast do you want to tame?"
"The Ashen Fire Wyvern. I think it suits me."
Ethan nodded slightly and asked his system interface.
'What can I give this beast to make it accept the contract willingly?'
[A Wyvern's greatest dream is to evolve into a True Dragon.]
[Grant it the opportunity, and it will follow your brother for life.]
[As a True Dragon, its pride and loyalty will make betrayal impossible.]
Ethan nodded. Logical.
'And how do I give it that opportunity?'
[You can purchase a vial of True Dragon Origin Blood.]
[As a dragon subspecies, the Wyvern only needs a single drop to evolve.]
'Show me my Karmic Points balance.'
[Karmic Points: 500 million.]
Years of giving freely had stacked up.
'How much for the Origin Blood of a Fire Dragon?'
[All True Dragons are at least Stage 1 gods.]
Ethan winced. 'So… expensive, huh?'
[It is pricier than a drop of Phoenix God's blood.]
'…Shit. I didn't even bought that one for Mei yet.'
[It will cost half your total points.]
Ethan's eyes widened.
And before he could stop himself, he blurted out—
"WHAT?!"
The room went silent.
Everyone turned to stare at him.
Then—
They went back to eating and discussing.
This wasn't the first time Ethan randomly shouted at nothing. They were used to it.
Lucas, however, just stared, utterly confused.
Ethan grumbled. Five years of careful stockpiling… gone just like that.
Originally, he planned to create a powerful bloodline for himself once he entered the Tower. That way, he could just claim it was a lucky opportunity when his family asked.
But now?
That plan would take a long time to happen.
He exhaled. "Fine. Give it to me."
[Ding! You have purchased the Origin blood of the True Dragon Vyraxion, The WorldScorcher.]
A vial materialized in his hand.
A Vial of deep red blood. The blood seemed to burst from time to time. You can see inside Some red rune like gravures, giving it a mystical vibe.
And the moment it appeared—
The temperature skyrocketed.
The walls began to melt.
The air shimmered.
Iris and Lucas immediately snapped their heads toward the vial.
Their bodies tensed.
They felt it.
The pull. The hunger.
As two beings with SS-rank fire talents…
They knew.
If they drank that blood—
They wouldn't be SS-ranked anymore.
They'd surpass it.
And that's true.
Because this wasn't just power.
This was the blood of a being at the god level.
—End of chapter 12—
A/N:
12 chapters. A milestone for me.
I would love to know your thoughts about the progression of the story till now.
Please reviews and comments it will help me know what to improve and what to drop depending on how you explain it.
And if you like it ? Add it and support with power stones. It will motivate me.
Thank you for reading this book of mine.