[You have triggered a quest]

[Quest: Dragon Knight's Legacy]

[Description: Complete the Dragon Knight Trial]

[Time Limit: 12 hours]

[Reward: Dragon Crystal]

[Do you accept?]

[Yes / No]

"Hmmm…" Axton rubbed his chin, eyes narrowing slightly. "Yes."

He didn't even hesitate.

If this quest had anything to do with strengthening his dragon, then it was already worth the risk.

His mind was made up.

If he wanted to push his companion to the next level, then whatever lay ahead, he'd take it head-on.

[You have accepted the quest]

[Good luck]

Drake smiled faintly at Axton's response, a glint of approval flashing in his eyes.

"That's good," he said, his voice deep and calm. "Good that you agreed to take the trial."

Then, extending his hand, Drake's palm shimmered with a surge of light.

Within seconds, a mysterious key materialized, its handle engraved with intricate dragon runes that beat faintly with power.

Axton watched closely as Drake knelt, pressing the tail end of the key against the ground.

The moment it touched, the floor beneath them responded.

A large circular symbol spread outwards in a radiant purple glow, runic letters swirling into a perfectly symmetrical array.

*Click*

Drake then turned the key, and the entire symbol lit up as though breathing to life.

A swirling vortex of energy erupted from the center.

A massive portal materialized — translucent, luminous, and pulsing with energy that distorted the air around it.

Axton's eyes widened slightly.

Even after everything he'd seen in New Eden, the spectacle still left him stunned. "This is…"

"This is the Gate of Entry," Drake interrupted, rising to his feet.

"It was left behind by my ancestors. A passage for those who choose to undergo the Dragon Knight Trial."

The elder dragon stepped aside, gesturing toward the glowing gateway. "From this point onward, your strength alone will decide your fate. Pass through, and the trial shall begin."

Axton took a deep breath.

He didn't waste time.

"Got it."

Without another word, he stepped forward and walked into the gate.

[You have entered the Gate of Entry]

[Welcome to the First Stage of the Dragon Knight Trial]

[Monster attributes will be applied and boosted]

[Good luck]

[The First Stage tests your offensive capability]

A blinding light swallowed his vision for a brief second.

When his sight returned, Axton found himself standing on a wide stretch of a forest.

The sky was dim and tinted red, cracked with lightning.

The air was heavy, humming with a faint metallic scent, and then he heard a bone-chilling sound.

A low, guttural snarl echoed from the darkness ahead.

The sound multiplied — two, four, six — and soon, glowing red eyes began appearing all around him.

Axton tensed, his senses sharpening instantly.

From the shadows emerged a pack of wolves, but they weren't normal wolves.

Their bodies gleamed like forged steel, their fangs shaped like sharpened blades.

Each movement they made produced a clanking sound — the sound of metal grinding against itself.

[Steel Armor Wolves]

[Grade: 1]

[Level: 30]

[Attack: 30]

[Defense: 1400]

[HP: 1400 / 1400]

[Skills: Steel Body, Jarring Bite]

Axton raised a brow as he glanced at their stats.

"Attack power of… thirty?" he muttered under his breath. "That's pathetic."

But the defense… that was another story.

Their defensive power was massive.

It was far beyond what was normal for Grade 1 monsters.

He instantly understood the logic behind the test.

'So that's it,' he thought.

'A stage that tests my offensive strength… They gave me punching bags with high defense and almost no attack.'

It made perfect sense.

To assess one's offensive capability, you needed targets with strong defense.

The question was simple — could his attacks pierce through?

Axton smirked slightly. "Guess we'll find out."

The wolves encircled him, growling low, their movements cautious.

They didn't rush to attack, likely aware that their offense couldn't harm him much. Still, their instincts screamed danger.

*Shing*

In an instant, their bodies glistened like light reflecting off a metal surface.

Each wolf activated its skill simultaneously.

[Steel Body Activated]

[Defense increased by 20%]

Their once-gray metallic hide turned darker, the sheen more pronounced, the air around them vibrating faintly under the weight of their reinforced bodies.

Axton could feel their combined pressure rising, but it didn't faze him.

If anything, he looked amused.

"Defense increase, huh? Let's see how that helps you."

He flexed his fingers and rolled his shoulders, the faint sound of bones cracking echoing through the air.

A faint aura began emanating from his fists, condensing into visible energy.

Even without using [Battle God], his raw attack stat at level 30 was over 2000. It was more than enough to crush through defenses like these.

He clenched his fists tightly.

*Crack*

The wolves tensed.

The metallic sound of claws scraping the floor filled the air.

Axton lowered his stance, took a slow breath… then smirked.

"Alright," he muttered, voice low and calm. "Let's start the show."

The wolves lunged.

The instant they did, Axton vanished.

*Boom*

A thunderous shockwave exploded from his previous position.

In the blink of an eye, he reappeared amidst the wolves, his fists moving so fast they blurred.

"Supreme… Iron… Fist!"

*Boom* *Boom* *Boom*

Each punch detonated like an explosion!

Wolves were sent flying, their metallic hides crumpling like tin under the sheer force of his strikes.

The ground cracked beneath the pressure as waves of energy rippled outward, sending dust and debris flying in every direction.

Red coloured system notifications began popping up like fireworks as HP bars dropped massively.

The wolves didn't even have time to react.

The armor that was supposed to make them invincible shattered like glass before Axton's fists.

When the dust finally settled, only silence remained.

Broken, metallic corpses of the wolves lay scattered across the battlefield, smoke rising from the dents in their bodies.

Axton exhaled slowly and straightened his back, brushing the dust from his hands.

"Test of offense, huh?" he muttered with a grin. "That was barely a warm-up."

Then, as if on cue, a soft chime echoed in his ears.

*Ding*

[Congratulations!]

[You have completed the First Stage of the Trial]

[Status: Successful]

[Are you ready to proceed to the Second Stage?]

[Yes / No]

Axton glanced around the now-empty forest and let out a low whistle.

"That was easy," he said, smirking. "Guess the next one won't be."

He raised his head, looking up at the sky above.

Lightning flashed in the distance as if the world itself was warning him that what came next wouldn't be as simple as this.

"Fine by me," he said, his eyes glinting with determination. "Let's keep going."

He reached out and selected [Yes].

The moment he did, the ground beneath him trembled violently.

The world around him began to blur and twist as though space itself was being tampered with.

Axton's body was lifted into a vortex of light, pulled deeper into the inner realms of the trial.

[Transporting to the Second Stage of the Dragon Knight Trial…]

As the light consumed him, a single thought flickered across his mind.

"If this is what it takes to obtain the Dragon Crystal… then I'll crush every single stage they throw at me."

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