Chapter 188 - 183: The Guardian Awakens
The cavern shook.
Dust fell from the ceiling as another deep laugh rolled through the darkness beneath the enormous dragon.
Nobody moved.
John stared toward the two red eyes below.
They were enormous.
Far too large to belong to an ordinary creature.
Yet the ancient dragon in front of them didn’t attack.
It simply watched.
Waiting.
John tightened his grip around the metal key.
"What is that?"
The dragon’s golden eye shifted toward him.
"The reason I remained here."
Its voice was quieter now.
"How long?"
John asked.
The dragon didn’t answer immediately.
"Long enough to forget the taste of the sky."
There was something strangely sad in those words.
John looked at the chains surrounding the dragon.
"Why are you imprisoned?"
The dragon looked down at them.
"I am not imprisoned."
It lifted one massive claw.
"I am holding something imprisoned."
Another tremor shook the cavern.
The red eyes below moved.
John finally understood.
The chains weren’t binding the dragon.
They were connected to the darkness beneath it.
The dragon was part of the seal.
---
Darius stepped forward.
"Can the seal be repaired?"
The dragon looked at him.
"Perhaps."
Darius waited.
"But not as it was."
"Why?"
"Because the world has changed."
The dragon’s gaze returned to John.
"The blood has changed."
John frowned.
"You keep mentioning my blood."
"You are the descendant."
"Of whom?"
The dragon’s expression softened.
"Of the one who made the first oath."
John’s heart skipped.
"Who was he?"
The dragon closed its eyes.
"Not yet."
John frowned.
"Why not?"
"Because knowing his name is not enough."
The dragon opened its eyes again.
"You must understand what he chose."
---
Lythriel stepped closer to John.
"Can you explain what’s happening without speaking in riddles?"
The dragon looked at her.
For a moment, it seemed almost amused.
"You speak boldly."
"Someone has to."
John almost smiled.
The dragon gave a low rumble.
"I like you."
Lythriel blinked.
"What?"
"You are not afraid of speaking."
It looked back at John.
"Keep her close."
John raised an eyebrow.
"I was planning to."
Lythriel looked away.
"Can we focus?"
---
The dragon shifted.
The entire cavern trembled as its enormous body moved.
Several remaining chains snapped.
Golden energy rushed through the chamber.
John instinctively raised an arm to shield his face.
The light faded.
The dragon was now standing.
Its size was difficult to comprehend.
Its head alone was larger than a house.
Its wings stretched across the cavern.
Blue-black scales reflected the golden light.
John had seen powerful creatures before.
He had fought monsters.
He had reached places where ordinary adventurers could never survive.
But this was different.
This dragon felt ancient.
Not simply powerful.
Ancient.
Like it had existed before many of the kingdoms John knew had ever been founded.
---
The dragon looked down at him.
"You have grown strong."
John froze.
"What?"
"I can smell it."
"The worlds have touched you."
John’s expression changed.
"What do you mean?"
The dragon tilted its head slightly.
"You have traveled beyond the place of your birth."
John remained silent.
The dragon continued.
"You have crossed realms."
"You have seen things that should not have been seen."
John’s hand slowly tightened.
"How do you know?"
The dragon smiled.
"Because I was once like you."
John looked surprised.
"You traveled?"
"Not in the way you do."
The dragon’s eyes became distant.
"I guarded borders between worlds."
Darius immediately became interested.
"Borders?"
"Between realms."
The dragon looked toward him.
"Your world is not alone."
Darius nodded slowly.
"We suspected as much."
John looked at the dragon.
"Then you know about other worlds?"
"Yes."
"How many?"
The dragon laughed softly.
"Enough to know that counting them is pointless."
John smiled faintly.
That answer sounded familiar.
---
Suddenly—
A violent shockwave erupted from below.
The cavern floor cracked.
The red eyes disappeared.
Then something struck the underside of the stone platform.
**BOOM!**
The entire cavern shook.
The dragon spread its wings.
"Stay behind me."
John didn’t argue.
Everyone moved back.
The dragon lowered its head toward the darkness.
"You have slept long enough."
The answer came from below.
**"And you have guarded long enough."**
John felt the voice inside his bones.
The dragon’s expression became cold.
"You cannot leave."
**"Neither can you."**
Another strike.
The golden chains surrounding the dragon began glowing.
Several broke.
The dragon roared.
Not in pain.
In anger.
The sound shook the cavern so violently that John had to brace himself against the wall.
Lythriel covered her ears.
Even Darius looked shaken.
Then the dragon suddenly inhaled.
The air itself seemed to bend.
A massive torrent of golden fire erupted from its mouth.
It plunged into the darkness below.
For several seconds, the cavern became brighter than daylight.
Then the fire vanished.
The red eyes remained.
Unharmed.
The dragon’s expression darkened.
"It has grown stronger."
John looked at it.
"Can you defeat it?"
The dragon was silent.
That silence was enough.
---
John stepped forward.
"What do you need?"
The dragon looked at him.
"The seal."
"How do we repair it?"
"I cannot do it alone."
John looked at the metal key.
"You said the blood survived."
"Yes."
"And I’m the descendant."
"Yes."
"Then what can I do?"
The dragon lowered its head.
"You can awaken the inheritance."
John’s expression became serious.
"What inheritance?"
"The first oath."
John frowned.
"What does that mean?"
The dragon looked at the strange key in his hand.
"Place it upon the altar."
John followed its gaze.
A small stone platform stood near the center of the cavern.
He hadn’t noticed it before.
A circular indentation was carved into its surface.
The exact shape of the metal key.
John approached.
Lythriel grabbed his arm.
"Wait."
He looked at her.
"Are you sure?"
"No."
"Then don’t."
John smiled.
"I have to."
"That’s not an answer."
"I know."
She sighed.
"I hate when you say things like that."
John gently removed her hand.
"I’ll be careful."
"That’s what everyone says before something terrible happens."
"I’ll try not to disappoint you."
Lythriel glared.
"That wasn’t funny."
John smiled.
Then he walked toward the altar.
---
The metal key fit perfectly.
The moment he placed it inside—
The entire cavern went silent.
The wind stopped.
The dragon stopped moving.
Even the creature below became silent.
Then a heartbeat echoed.
**Boom.**
John’s eyes widened.
Another.
**Boom.**
The sound wasn’t coming from the dragon.
It was coming from beneath the altar.
A golden circle expanded across the floor.
John stood at its center.
Images appeared around him.
A young dragon.
A human warrior.
A dragonkin child.
A massive city.
A battlefield.
A dying dragon.
And finally...
A man standing before the same ancient dragon that now watched John.
The man’s face was hidden.
But John knew one thing.
He was holding the same metal key.
A voice echoed through the chamber.
**"If you are seeing this..."**
John froze.
The figure continued.
**"...then the first seal has failed."**
Darius stared.
Lythriel whispered.
"What is this?"
John didn’t answer.
The recording continued.
**"I don’t know when you will arrive."**
**"I don’t know what the world will look like."**
**"But if you carry my blood..."**
The figure slowly raised his head.
John still couldn’t see his face.
**"...then you carry my responsibility."**
The image flickered.
**"Do not seek power."**
John’s eyes narrowed.
**"Seek understanding."**
The message ended.
The chamber returned to silence.
John stared at the altar.
He didn’t know why...
But those words affected him more than anything else.
Not because they were powerful.
Because they sounded like advice from someone who knew exactly what kind of person he might become.
---
The dragon watched him.
"You heard him."
John nodded.
"Who was he?"
The dragon finally answered.
"His name was Arkan."
John repeated the name quietly.
"Arkan."
"Your ancestor."
John looked at the altar.
"What happened to him?"
"He died sealing the creature below."
John’s expression hardened.
"And you?"
"I helped him."
"Why didn’t you leave afterward?"
The dragon looked toward the darkness.
"Because the seal required a guardian."
"Someone had to remain."
John looked at the dragon.
"For how long?"
The dragon smiled sadly.
"Until the descendant returned."
---
Another crack appeared.
This time, the sound came from the deepest part of the cavern.
The red eyes opened again.
But they were different now.
Brighter.
Closer.
The dragon immediately turned.
"Enough."
It spread its wings.
Golden energy gathered around its body.
John stepped back.
"What are you doing?"
"Buying you time."
"For what?"
The dragon looked at him.
"To awaken what Arkan left behind."
John frowned.
"I don’t know how."
"You will."
The dragon looked toward the altar.
"The inheritance is not power."
"Then what is it?"
The dragon smiled.
"Choice."
Before John could respond, the darkness below exploded.
A massive claw emerged.
The dragon launched itself forward.
The collision shook the entire cavern.
Golden fire filled the darkness.
The sound of roaring dragons echoed through the mountain.
John stared in shock.
Then he looked down.
The altar beneath his hands had opened.
A staircase was appearing.
Leading even deeper.
At the bottom of the stairs...
A faint golden light waited.
John looked at Lythriel.
She stared back.
Neither needed to say anything.
They both knew.
The real secret wasn’t above them.
It was below.
And whatever Arkan had left behind...
Was waiting for John.