It spread its wings and returned to its perch atop the highest peak.

It opened its mouth and gently placed the hard-won Dragon Egg into its nest, which was lined with Gold Coins and Treasure.

A storm once again shrouded the cape.

Until the Young Dragon hatched, this place would be enveloped in the storm, barring any creature from approaching.

...

The breeze was warm, the sun just right.

Raylo rode on Astra’s back, flying steadily at an altitude of ten thousand meters.

The tension and anxiety from the journey here had long since vanished, replaced by an unprecedented sense of ease and soaring ambition.

The gains from this trip to the west far exceeded his imagination.

Not only had he successfully eliminated the greatest hidden danger for Black Stone Territory’s future access to the sea, but he had also forged an alliance with a Catastrophe Level Flowing Wind Giant Dragon, securing its promise to help.

A promise from Airelia.

The value of this promise was immeasurable.

It was like the ultimate trump card, enough to give Raylo an extra measure of composure and a greater chance of survival when facing fatal crises in the future.

And the "gift" Airelia had given him at the end had benefited him immensely.

He could clearly feel that the Fighting Spirit within his body was several times more refined than before.

His control over his Fighting Spirit and Magic Power had reached a completely new, unimaginable level.

Especially since the draconic essence Airelia had given him contained pure Wind Magic Power, he could clearly feel his control over the Wind Element had ascended to a whole new level.

’I even have a feeling that, if I wanted, I could stir the surrounding Wind Element and whip up a small storm at any moment.’

This was a quantum leap in his power.

"Hnnngh."

A low, draconic cry pulled Raylo from his reverie.

It was Astra.

Its enormous eyes, like two suns, swiveled to glance at Raylo, its mental fluctuations carrying a hint of inquiry.

Raylo smiled, reached out, and patted its neck, which was as broad as a mountain ridge.

"I’m fine, Astra."

"Just thinking about some things."

Astra gave a slight nod and didn’t disturb him further, continuing to fly at a steady pace toward Black Stone Territory.

The three little ones—Moonlight, Coal Ball, and Lightning—chased each other playfully on Astra’s broad back, having the time of their lives.

When the familiar silhouette of the Black Stone Mountain Range appeared on the horizon again, Raylo knew they were almost home.

Even from ten thousand meters up, Raylo could still clearly see the bustling, vibrant scene at the construction site below.

A dense crowd of people, like ants, scurried about the construction site.

The colossal figures of the Hill Giants moved like small, mobile mountains.

Convoys of Earth Dragons and Mammoths flowed in an endless stream, transporting massive blocks of stone to their designated locations.

A majestic city, filled with a sense of power, was being built from the ground up at an astonishing speed.

The thunderous light dissipated as Astra’s enormous draconic body slowly landed in the clearing in front of the camp.

Its pair of massive Thunderbolt Dragon Wings, as large as mountains, folded gently. Its thousand-meter-long, azure-scaled body coiled in the clearing like a continuous mountain range.

Raylo leaped down from the dragon’s back, and the feeling of solid ground under his feet snapped him out of the daze from the hyper-speed flight that seemed to transcend space.

He looked up at Astra.

"Thank you, Your Excellency Astra."

Raylo bowed slightly, performing a standard Knight’s salute.

"If not for your help, the matters at Seagull Port and Storm Cape would never have been resolved so smoothly."

Astra’s enormous eyes, like two suns, slowly turned to rest upon Raylo.

It made no sound, only giving a slight nod.

The three little ones—Moonlight, Coal Ball, and Lightning—also jumped down from the dragon’s back.

’Astra is the Guardian of the Thunder Dragon Duchy, the Duchy’s most powerful trump card.’

’It’s already a stroke of immense luck that I was able to borrow its power to handle two difficult matters in a row.’

But Raylo greedily spoke up again.

"Your Excellency Astra, I have one more thing..."

"In the mountains north of Black Stone Territory, a Black Dragon is entrenched. It is cunning and full of ambition. I plan to go and subjugate it."

"I will need to borrow your great power to make it submit!"

Astra’s voice sounded.

"A Black Dragon?"

"Raylo, as companions, Black Dragons are never a good choice!"

Raylo nodded and then explained.

"Your Excellency Astra, the threat from the Jade Swamp is imminent. I need to strengthen the power at my command. Therefore, I want to subjugate this Black Dragon and form a Master-Servant Contract with it. Both the Black Dragon and the tens of thousands of Demons under its command will be a powerful asset in confronting the future crisis from the Jade Swamp."

"Subjugate a Black Dragon to be your servant?"

Astra’s voice seemed to carry a hint of amusement.

"Then, as you wish!"

"I can stay here for a while longer."

Astra nodded slightly.

It slowly closed its enormous eyes, and its massive draconic body fell into a deep, silent slumber, like an eternal mountain.

Raylo bowed again to express his thanks.

’With Black Stone Territory’s current power, defeating the Black Dragon entrenched in the Black Stone Mountain Range wouldn’t be difficult. But to subjugate a Domain Level Giant Dragon? Without Astra’s help, I don’t even have a ten percent chance of success.’

Afterward, Raylo found Ed and Kado and briefly described his upcoming plans to them.

Ed was very calm and asked,

"My Lord, what preparations do we need to make?"

"Relay my orders!"

Raylo commanded.

"Assemble the Giant Legion and the Moonlight Knight Order. We set out at dawn tomorrow. Target: the Black Stone Mountain Range!"

"Yes, My Lord!"

The sun sank in the west, and the blood-red afterglow dyed the clouds on the horizon with magnificent, brilliant colors.

Astra rested in the clearing outside the camp.

Its massive body cast a long, enormous shadow in the twilight.

Although as a Catastrophe Level Giant Dragon, it could go for months without eating after a single meal,

Raylo still expressed his sincerest respect in his own way.

A dozen or so heavy flatbed carts, pulled by Earth Dragons, formed a long procession and slowly made their way toward the high ground where Astra was resting.

Each cart was piled high with a small mountain of Magical Beast Meat that emanated the thick scent of blood.

When over ten tons of Magical Beast Meat, radiating a rich aura of energy, were piled up in front of Astra, the dragon, which had been resting with its eyes closed, slowly opened them.

It glanced at the mountain of food before it, then opened its colossal mouth.

"WHOOSH!"

An invisible, terrifying suction force suddenly erupted from its mouth!

The mountain of Magical Beast Meat, weighing well over ten tons, seemed to lose all its weight under that terrifying suction.

It lifted off the ground, transforming into a dark-red torrent of flesh and blood, and was sucked into Astra’s stomach in a single gulp.

The entire process was clean and efficient, without the slightest extraneous sound.

It was as if it hadn’t swallowed over ten tons of flesh and blood, but merely a trivial mouthful of air.

Having done all this, Astra licked its lips in satisfaction.

It closed its eyes once more and fell back into a slumber.