Chapter 947: The Realm of the Great Dragons

The massive blue dragon began its final deceleration. Melita expertly adjusted her descent angle as the grand continental shield of Tal’Rond loomed ever closer. Ahead, she spotted the slowly rotating circular gateway—the entrance to the passage. A faint glow radiated from the ring device, standing out vividly against the night sky. Omega had already received the returning travelers’ identification signal; the portal was now open.

Gawain stood just behind Melita’s neck, the foremost position on the dragon’s back. He fixed his gaze on the breathtaking panorama above Tal’Rond: a dazzling interplay of starlight and artificial illumination. For a fleeting moment, he almost shouted a warning to halt their approach, sensing something amiss on the continent below. But at the last second, he forced himself to hold back.

Amber, beside him, stared wide-eyed at the radiant dragon realm, occasionally letting out soft exclamations of awe. Veronica watched the continental shield thoughtfully, as if analyzing the mysterious technology behind it. Melita, clearly in high spirits, had been enthusiastically describing Tal’Rond’s landscapes since moments ago—none of them had witnessed the unsettling scene Gawain had just seen.

What was that monstrous, chaotic, and indescribable “creature” sprawling across Tal’Rond, its countless chains snaking outward? How long had it been entrenched there? These questions remained unanswered for now. But one thing Gawain was certain of: this entity was deeply intertwined with the dragon realm and was by no means a recent arrival.

It was part of Tal’Rond itself—the very thing he had come to face on this journey. Though unexpected and perplexing, Gawain suspected that this “monster” might be the greatest discovery of his expedition. To turn back now would mean a wasted trip.

After all, everyone had prepared themselves to confront a godlike presence before setting out. The horrifying vision he’d glimpsed, while chilling, hadn’t shattered his expectations entirely. Still, the anomaly was undeniable, and he needed to stay vigilant.

That creature… perhaps it should be referred to as “It” with reverence—or rather, “They.”

Gawain fell silent, his expression graver than ever. Melita glided steadily toward the brightly lit land below, paying no mind to the passengers behind her. Amber and Veronica noticed the change in Gawain’s demeanor and quietly moved closer. Veronica whispered, “Did you see something?”

“You probably didn’t,” Gawain replied without hiding anything. He felt it necessary to alert Amber and Veronica. As for how he had perceived what others hadn’t… such details were irrelevant here. “Tal’Rond is shrouded by a colossal ‘presence’—something with mythic qualities.”

Veronica’s face instantly mirrored Gawain’s seriousness. Amber instinctively stepped half a pace closer, lowering her voice: “Should we run? I know the drill…”

“We came here for ‘It,’” Gawain shot her a sidelong glance. “We’re this far in—where else would we go?”

“I might have some connections in the Shadow Realm…” Amber teased, then quickly reined herself in. “Just saying…”

“Stay alert. This is a world utterly alien to humans,” Gawain said softly, exhaling. “Don’t wander alone in Tal’Rond. Report any findings directly to me.”

Both women nodded in agreement. Gawain’s gaze drifted upward, toward the crystal-clear, dazzling polar sky.

The stars twinkled, but none of the facilities left by the Voyagers were visible. Yet every clue whispered a warning: the dragons, active since ancient times and seemingly imprisoned by some indescribable force, were far more deeply connected to the Voyagers than he had initially imagined.

As Gawain, Amber, and Veronica spoke, Melita’s deceleration and glide finally came to an end. Ripples spread across the nearly transparent energy shield enveloping Tal’Rond’s skies. A passage, seemingly forged from condensed light, appeared on the shield’s surface. Simultaneously, a massive metallic structure floated in from nearby, rotating to cover the entrance of the portal.

Suddenly, a trembling circular interface materialized in the air. A synthetic voice echoed from nowhere: “Welcome, guests from the human world—your visitation permit has been pre-authorized. Omega salutes you. We hope your journey in Tal’Rond will be unforgettable.”

“Wow…” Amber let out a small gasp. She wanted to nudge Gawain’s arm and quietly ask what this impressive thing was, but quickly realized it might be embarrassing. So she stifled the impulse, instead staring wide-eyed at the holographic projection and the enormous floating metal apparatus behind it. She couldn’t see the device generating the projection, nor understand how such a huge structure hovered without any visible anti-gravity components. Even its magical aura was strangely unfamiliar…

“Hello, Omega—I’ve heard of you from Melita. You’re the advanced intelligence maintaining many of Tal’Rond’s systems,” Gawain said, surprised but composed. Standing behind Melita, his expression calm, he added, “I look forward to a pleasant cooperation.”

The edges of the glowing ring shimmered. “Omega stores the world’s most comprehensive personality database—we shall get along well, Your Majesty, Emperor of Humanity.”

As it spoke, the interface became transparent. The metallic structure behind it rotated half a turn, completing authentication and login for all aboard. The gateway to Tal’Rond opened. Melita immediately beat her wings, skillfully and lightly gliding through the portal and into the continental shield.

Flying at low speed, she lowered the strength of the protective barrier, allowing more outside air to flow inside. A warm, comfortable breeze brushed against Gawain and the others’ faces. Amber’s eyes widened in surprise—inside this frigid Arctic ice ocean, the air within Tal’Rond’s shield felt like a gentle spring breeze.

This was no ordinary shield.

“You’ve built a controlled ecosystem inside Tal’Rond?” Gawain couldn’t help but ask. “This continental shield doubles as an ecological dome?”

“Exactly,” Melita replied proudly. “Without a controlled ecosystem, the North Pole wouldn’t be a livable place. Though many ballads describe dragons as creatures thriving in extreme environments, building palaces in volcanic craters or ancient glaciers, most of those tales are our own inventions. In reality, who doesn’t prefer a warm, temperate climate?”

“Wow,” Amber exclaimed. “I thought you guys really liked sleeping in lava and icebergs…”

Gawain was curious. “Then why spread those misleading stories when you travel among humans?”

“For the cool factor.”

Gawain, Amber, and Veronica exchanged silent, awkward looks. The atmosphere on the dragon’s back fell into a brief, uneasy quiet.

Melita swiftly followed a sky route marked by guiding lights. Her massive wings beat steadily, and with a low, resonant dragon’s roar, she soared over a mountain range on Tal’Rond’s outskirts. The next moment, a majestic cityscape and numerous colossal structures nestled between peaks unfolded before Gawain and the others.

They saw towering mountains, their contours reshaped by artificial intervention. Layer upon layer of enormous palace-like buildings clung to the slopes. Columns and walls were adorned with exquisite, grand sculptures. Carefully arranged lighting and projection devices dotted the palace walls and domes. Massive holograms and lights intertwined, infusing these ancient, ornate palaces with a unique blend of classical architecture and modern technology.

Yet beyond these grand mountaintop edifices, what astonished Gawain most were the sprawling cities at the mountain bases, scattered across plains and valleys.

These were cities unlike any he’d ever seen in this world—or even in the memory of the Gondorian era. Countless towering man-made structures rose like forests across the plains, each designed to accommodate the dragons’ immense size. Nearly every building surpassed the Silver City of Saint Suniel in scale. Between the skyscrapers were gardens and artificial jungles, supported by massive pillars or anti-gravity devices, each enclosed within its own ecological dome, maintaining distinct seasonal landscapes.

Vast areas between cities housed even larger buildings—factories or other infrastructure—supported by numerous pipes, beams, and tanks. Bands of lights connected these complexes to the cities.

Though it was the polar night, the factories, palaces, and towers glowed as brightly as daylight. Amid the seemingly eternal illumination, Gawain saw streams of light moving along city streets and even multiple orderly layers of glowing traffic in the sky above—some were flying dragons, others various vehicles. Traffic was meticulously coordinated by floating signal devices. Near the busiest aerial routes, enormous holographic billboards displayed advertisements, event promos, cryptic art snapshots, and even random strings of characters—perhaps a form of “dragon art.”

From this distance, Gawain could only see the images, not hear the sounds from the bustling districts. Yet the spectacle alone revealed much.

For the first time in this world, the well-traveled traveler’s eyes widened in genuine astonishment.

Amber, however, was less surprised—Tal’Rond’s wonders far exceeded the half-elf’s usual frame of reference. Beyond a certain point, “degree” of amazement no longer mattered. To her, whether dragons lived in volcanic craters or apartment buildings made little difference—it was all equally incomprehensible, all equally “Whoa, what is this incredible thing?” So after her initial exclamation, she settled into curious observation.

Veronica shared Gawain’s amazement. As an ancient dissenter who had witnessed Gondor’s glory days, she hadn’t seen anything like Tal’Rond before, but she could discern many hidden truths from these urban structures. Clearly, this “realm of dragons” was far different from what she had imagined before setting out.

It was nothing like what Gawain had imagined.

“How’s that? Spectacular, isn’t it?” Melitta’s proud voice came from ahead. “This is one of Talrond’s busiest places—the Aurora City of Agondor. The Council’s headquarters are right here, and so is the secret treasury of the Mithril Vault.”

“…This is nothing like the dragon realm I pictured,” Gawain said after a few seconds of silence, shaking his head. “It’s completely different from anything any human bard or scholar would imagine.”

“Ah, you don’t actually think we build castles in lava or icebergs, do you?” Melitta joked. “And fill them with piles of gold and princesses kidnapped from all over the world…”

“My imagination wasn’t quite that wild,” Gawain replied. “I expected you to have a highly advanced civilization, but I never thought your cities would develop to such a…” He faltered, searching for the right words. Seeing these cities stirred more than just awe in him. As someone who had witnessed so much as a ‘satellite elf,’ he also sensed a certain… constraint beneath the grandeur. After a few moments of thought, he finally settled on a fitting description: “I didn’t expect your cities to reach this kind of ‘extreme’ level.”

That was the most neutral way he could put it.

Melitta had probably assumed that, as a ‘human king,’ Gawain would be overwhelmed and amazed by Talrond simply due to lack of experience. She hadn’t expected his first impression to be the word ‘extreme’—a term that sounded like praise but carried a deeper, more complex meaning. Having dealt with humans often, Melitta immediately sensed the true implication behind his choice of words.

She was both surprised and intrigued. Her gaze drifted over the sprawling cityscape that stretched across the land, sweeping past the massive factories and corporate conglomerates nestled between the urban sprawl, taking in the advanced, bustling, breathtaking scenery that had remained fundamentally unchanged for countless years.

“…It really is quite extreme,” the dragon lady said, her voice tinged with a dullness. “After a while, it just starts to feel… stagnant.”

(End of chapter)