Chapter 7: The Dragon’s Pact
Months passed beneath an endless desert sky.
The last survivors of humanity wandered through a sea of burning dunes with no true destination They moved forward guided by nothing more than the desperate hope that somewhere beyond the endless wasteland, life still existed.
Day after day, they marched beneath a merciless sun.
Their food supplies steadily dwindled.
Their water disappeared.
The elderly collapsed first.
Then the wounded.
Even the strongest warriors had begun walking like ghosts, dragging exhausted bodies across the endless sands.
At night, freezing winds swept across the desert.
Children cried from hunger beside dying campfires.
During the day, the heat scorched their skin until their feet split open and bled with every painful step.
Still-
Ragnar Vael continued walking at the front.
And behind him followed the last remnants of mankind.
High above the world, Vlox silently observed everything.
At first, humanity’s struggle amused him.
Fragile creatures desperately crawling toward a future that seemed impossible to reach.
Yet after watching them suffer for more than a month beneath endless sands and relentless hardship-
Even Vlox grew bored.
Without emotion, he turned away from the world and stepped beyond reality once more.
The Omniverse unfolded before him like an infinite ocean stretching beyond imagination.
Countless universes drifted through the void.
Each contained civilizations, gods, wars, heroes, and histories that would one day disappear into nothingness.
Vlox traveled through them casually.
To him, entire realities were no more significant than grains of dust drifting through the wind.
Then-
Something unusual caught his attention.
Far away, within another universe, floated an enormous arena suspended in the cosmos itself.
The structure was so vast that entire planets appeared insignificant beside it.
Around the arena sat countless beings of unimaginable origin.
Some resembled divine entities forged from starlight itself.
Others appeared as ancient titans, humanoid beasts, or creatures whose very existence seemed to defy logic.
At the center of the arena sat a childlike figure smiling innocently while reality bent unnaturally around him.
Beside the child stood a tall purple feline-like being whose divine power was great enough to erase galaxies effortlessly.
Vlox watched in silence.
Inside the arena, two warriors were fighting.
One was a bald warrior with pale skin and emotionless black eyes.
His movements contained no waste.
No hesitation.
No unnecessary motion.
Only absolute mastery refined through endless battle.
His opponent was completely different.
A battered warrior with silver-black hair and the tail of a divine ape race.
His body was covered in wounds.
Blood stained his clothing.
Yet he remained standing.
At first, Vlox paid little attention.
Battles between powerful beings were common throughout existence.
But gradually-
The battle intensified.
The bald warrior moved faster than light itself.
Every strike distorted space.
Every impact shook the colossal arena.
Again and again, the tailed warrior was overwhelmed.
His bones shattered.
Blood covered his body.
He was thrown to the ground repeatedly.
Yet somehow-
He continued rising.
Then suddenly-
A blinding white aura erupted from his body.
Silence swept across the arena.
Even the gods watching from above stopped speaking.
The wounded warrior slowly stood once more.
But something about him had changed completely.
His movements became effortless.
Perfect.
His body no longer moved through conscious thought.
It moved through pure instinct.
The bald warrior attacked again with enough force to destroy worlds.
Yet every strike missed by mere centimeters.
The silver-haired warrior flowed around each attack like water slipping through cracks in stone.
The battle surpassed mortal comprehension.
Their fists collided with enough force to fracture space itself.
Shockwaves tore through the surrounding void.
Entire sections of the arena collapsed beneath their power.
For the first time-
The bald warrior began losing ground.
The silver-haired warrior’s speed increased beyond reason.
His attacks became unavoidable.
Precise.
Absolute.
Then finally-
A single strike ended the battle.
The arena erupted into chaos.
Some screamed in disbelief.
Others remained frozen in silence.
Vlox watched for a few moments longer before losing interest.
Even battles capable of shaking universes were temporary.
Meaningless.
Without another glance, he returned to his own world.
When Vlox arrived back, he discovered something unexpected.
Humanity had survived.
Beyond the endless desert, the survivors had found a frozen valley hidden between colossal mountains.
Crystal-clear rivers flowed through the land.
Dense forests stretched across snow-covered cliffs.
For the first time in centuries-
Humanity had found hope.
Stone houses were already being built beside the riverbanks.
Survivors gathered wood.
Hunters searched for food.
Farmers planted seeds into fertile soil.
Vlox observed silently.
Peace had finally arrived.
Or so it seemed.
Suddenly-
The sky darkened.
A colossal shadow descended from above.
The entire settlement froze.
Warriors instinctively reached for their weapons as an enormous creature landed beyond the river with enough force to shake the valley itself.
The beast dwarfed every demon humanity had ever faced.
Black scales covered its body like armored obsidian.
Crimson eyes glowed beneath the storm clouds.
Its wings were vast enough to eclipse the sky itself.
Panic spread instantly.
Children screamed.
Warriors formed defensive lines.
Even Ragnar Vael’s expression darkened.
Using his power, Vlox examined the creature.
Dragon.
One of the Ancient Calamities.
A race capable of annihilating kingdoms within minutes.
Yet strangely-
The dragon did not attack.
Instead, it spoke calmly.
"I did not come here for war."
The gigantic creature slowly transformed.
Its monstrous body dissolved into streams of dark light.
Moments later, a tall woman stood where the dragon had been.
Long silver-black hair flowed behind her.
Golden eyes glowed faintly beneath the dark sky.
Despite her human appearance, overwhelming pressure still radiated from her existence.
"My name is Astraith," she said quietly.
"One of the rulers of the Black Mountains."
Ragnar Vael stepped forward cautiously.
Standing beside him was Neel.
The crimson aura within Neel had long since stabilized, but traces of terrifying power still lingered beneath his calm expression.
Astraith studied both men silently.
Then she asked,
"Why has humanity entered this land?"
Ragnar answered honestly.
"We seek only peace."
His exhausted eyes met hers directly.
"Our people have suffered enough We no longer desire war."
The dragon narrowed her eyes slightly.
"What suffering could reduce humanity to this state?"
And so-
Ragnar told her everything.
For over seven thousand years, humanity had endured the tyranny of demons.
Entire bloodlines had vanished.
Villages were slaughtered countless times.
Children were born into fear and often died before reaching adulthood.
Generation after generation suffered beneath creatures that viewed humans as little more than livestock.
But eventually-
Humanity rebelled.
Led by warriors such as Ragnar Vael and Neel, mankind fought a final war against the demons.
And although they survived-
The cost nearly destroyed civilization itself.
After hearing the story, Astraith remained silent for a long time.
The valley became completely still.
Then finally-
She spoke.
"If humanity truly desires peace..."
Her golden eyes swept across the exhausted survivors.
"...then you may remain here."
Relief spread instantly through the crowd.
Some nearly collapsed from exhaustion alone.
But Astraith’s expression suddenly became cold.
The pressure radiating from her existence intensified.
Violently.
"However..."
The mountains behind her trembled.
"Never enter the Black Mountains."
Her voice echoed throughout the valley like a divine decree.
"That land belongs to dragonkind."
"If you disturb our slumber..."
Golden light ignited within her eyes.
"...I will erase your species without hesitation."
Ragnar immediately lowered his head respectfully.
"We understand, Great Dragon."
"Humanity will never trespass upon the Black Mountains."
Astraith studied him for several long seconds before finally nodding.
"Then ensure your descendants remember this warning."
With that-
The dragon spread enormous wings forged from darkness and ascended into the storm-filled heavens.
Silence lingered long after her departure.
Eventually, Ragnar and Neel informed the survivors about the agreement.
And finally-
Humanity began rebuilding properly.
Stone houses rose beside frozen rivers.
Massive walls were constructed for protection.
Fields spread throughout the valley.
For the first time in history, mankind possessed a land they could truly call home.
Years later-
The settlement evolved into the first kingdom of the new era.
Ragnar Vael was crowned the First King of Humanity.
Meanwhile-
Neel received a new title.
Supreme General of Humanity.
And from that day onward-
He became known throughout the kingdom as:
Neel Draven.
Together, the two men guided humanity toward a future no longer ruled by extinction, fear, or demons.
Yet deep within the silent Black Mountains-
Ancient dragons still slept beneath the darkness.
Waiting patiently...
For the day they would awaken once again.