CHAPTER 68: DECISION

"Me, becoming a dragon?" Jett asked.

Yes. You have an immense backing from Skytianeus, the current Sky Dragon Clan’s leader and Dragon Guardian. With his bloodline, he’d utterly devote himself to you and help stabilize your lineage as well as make it a truly significant part of your overall power,

The unexpected offer left Jett hovering, utterly confused, before the man. He sank into deep, quiet thought, knowing this decision couldn’t be taken lightly. Surely he wouldn’t be able to revert to a human form again in the future if he later decided he genuinely disliked the dragon bloodline, right?

I’ve only thought a few times about picking up a different bloodline, mainly because of my average looks. The Dragon Empress looks hot as hell, and Skytianeus is handsome too. With a dragon bloodline, I’d become more handsome and gain a pair of cool horns and wings, also a tail, and, well, maybe even a dragon form. Nah, surely I’ll get a totally epic dragon form.

As the wise Papa Omnipotence once said, dragons are apex predators. In the world of Fayralia, their race commands a realm adjacent to the continent, and their strength terrifies many. Jett would gain far more than improved looks by becoming a dragon.

I need to think it through. First of all, if I become a Sky Dragon, there will be both a Dragon Guardian and a Dragon Warden above me. That hierarchy will make life complicated when all I really want is to finish this quest and travel freely between the two worlds.

NovelBin

Frankly, Jett just wanted to have some fun. So much had landed on his shoulders so quickly that he longed for a simple escape—just return home and unwind. Yet every action carried its own consequences, and those consequences stretched ahead like endless dominoes in his path.

I need a straightforward fix. Rather than turning into a dragon, I’ll take a fragment of the bloodline and tell the 17th that I intend to craft the ultimate Warden lineage by merging together Sky and lightning‑based bloodlines gathered from every corner of the world.

Jett coughed, then spoke solemnly to his predecessor. "Accepting a full dragon bloodline would burden both me and Skytianeus with greater responsibilities. We’ve each endured a lot, and my position calls for a rarer, more distinctive lineage that truly reflects my identity and ambitions. Therefore, I’ll take a portion of the dragon bloodline and forge my own by personally traveling the world along every step of the journey."

"You have matured in such a short time," the 17th Warden said with a firm nod of approval. "Splendid answer. Honestly, if you had chosen a standard dragon bloodline, I’d be disappointed. Even dragons sent one of their talents to the Warden Mansion; you cannot merely become one of them. You have thought far beyond your own standing and Skytianeus’s. Well done, truly, Successor."

Jett deadpanned at the man’s glowing praise.Bro, I just want to go back home and be done with this shit already. Don’t praise me for this. Please don’t deepen this misunderstanding, or I’ll never keep a straight face. And why does he sound like he knows all my past struggles? Did he actually read my memories? Freaky. That would be beyond creepy, seriously, though.

Just then, colorful veins resembling tree roots laced the dark sky, transforming it into a mysteriously charming vista that stole Jett’s breath and wonder. He recognized each vein—each tied to a representative dragon clan, its hue hinting at its power and heritage. He’d glimpsed them once in the Dragon Lineage Origins, but seeing them blossom across the heavens was far more breathtaking than he’d ever witnessed before. He remained still, wishing his maids were here to admire the spectacle with him. Jett also observed a minute of silence for Holdrake, honoring the man’s wishes.

After the solemn pause, the 17th Warden parted his lips to speak again. His timing was so impeccable that Jett listened without irritation ever at all. Years spent conversing with countless races had taught the man how to remain both eloquent and tactful during such delicate exchanges.

"Because of my ties with the dragons and the contract I forged with their Guardian, I can aid you in crafting a perfect lineage. Select whichever bloodline or combination of bloodlines you desire," the 17th Warden said with calm, unwavering assurance to you.

Tilting his head back, Jett studied each hovering lineage. The obvious pick was the Sky Dragon bloodline, yet if he could claim more, why not? He weighed which line would suit him best—until something else caught his attention. Beyond the others lay a spot he couldn’t quite see, yet it beckoned him. He raised his hand, baffling the 17th Warden. Instantly, Jett’s Cerven manifested and shot toward the void. Thunder roared across the sky, scattering the assembled bloodlines and plunging the realm into darkness. Then Cerven expanded into a colossal lightning dragon that spanned the heavens, its crackling presence turning the sky crimson. Electric arcs danced along its vast silhouette, each bolt roaring with ancient authority, while rolling clouds of scarlet storm gathered beneath its wings, illuminating the realm with raw, otherworldly light for every onlooker to truly witness.

Jett watched Cerven, unable to suppress his widening grin. Meanwhile, the 17th Warden narrowed his eyes and swallowed hard in visible disbelief.

He thought,This kid’s powers can assimilate with other bloodlines without altering his own? He didn’t even undergo any process—he simply devoured the long‑lost lightning dragon lineage. Even I never sensed it still existed once within the Dragon Lineage Origins.

Cerven soon descended, pouring back into its master with full weight and a newly forged form, stretching the moment into what felt like eternity. Jett’s grin never faltered; he felt the enhanced spirit flood him, expanding his mana pool. When the process ended, he closed his eyes, sensing fresh boons in every cell, his excitement rising. Opening them, he glanced aside to find the 17th Warden holding a small porcelain object in his palm, as though presenting a priceless treasure personally to him.

"Is that the Sky Dragon bloodline?" Jett asked.

"Yes," the 17th Warden said with a nod. "It functions like a pill you must fully absorb to properly assimilate the line. Simply swallowing it won’t make you a dragon. The procedure is more intricate, but I’m confident you’ll eventually master it during your journey as the Warden."

Jett nodded and took the bloodline.

The 17th Warden lifted his gaze to the sky. Though it appeared he admired his own display, he was really watching the battle raging between the Dragon Empress and the Dragon Guardian far beyond in the distance.

He sighed. "May I have a selfish, last request?"

"Yeah," Jett nodded.

"I request you convey my apologies to both Skytianeus and the Dragon Empress," the 17th Warden said, closing his eyes.

"I will," Jett replied. "...have you ever regretted your choices?"

"Plenty of times," he replied, turning back to Jett with a faint smile, "but I never run away from them."

— — — — —

Mia suffered the most among those outside the 17th Warden’s realm. She couldn’t draw nature into the chamber, nor allow her own to sprout. The combined pressure of the Dragon Guardian and the Dragon Empress made things nearly unbearable. If she pushed hard enough, she could establish her own dominion, yet why bother? Jett remained in another realm, and she needed to conserve mana for him. Besides, any reckless display might provoke the draconic titans and jeopardize the fragile balance she was striving to maintain there.

I also don’t have Master Jett’s pillow for strength boost! Mia lamented inwardly.

That said, Skytianeus had begun to impress her. Dragons had branded him a coward, and Mia’s own view hadn’t differed. He hadn’t offered much to Jett and had asked only for favors. Yet, since standing with Jett against the Dragon Empress’s proposal, Skytianeus had grown steadily stronger. His aura now shimmered with fresh confidence, startling allies and unnerving observing servants.

Even the Dragon Empress felt the change in her bones. Skytianeus’s strikes had shredded the long sleeves of her yukata, and his claws had scored her skin. He had hurled her from the Dragon Guardian Palace and carried their battlefield into the open sky, where he hovered with unmistakable confidence. Not a trace of his former timidity remained; he was leagues removed from the coward he had once been in those fearful days.

"Now that I understand the cause of my clan’s downfall, I know exactly what must be done to mend our situation, Your Majesty. Your void palm can devour anything, chewing it until nothing remains; your void breath can even erase time itself, but neither art can erase the thrill surging through me right now," Skytianeus declared, floating like the elder dragon he was. "I am the Dragon Guardian of this generation, charged with keeping the Dragon Lineage Origins intact—and I have fulfilled that duty. Now, as Sky Dragon Clan Leader, I hereby relinquish the Guardian’s privileges so I may battle you fairly and squarely, Your Majesty. No chains bind my spirit, no fear clouds my heart, and I will prove the sky itself remembers our forgotten glory today. Let us fly."

Mia simply couldn’t believe her ears at all.

Noctlisa whistled loudly. "Oh, old dragon’s finally stepping up to his role."

Eleonora quietly nodded. "Indeed."

"He’s nowhere near the coward we once believed him to be," Mia admitted, faintly smiling back then.