Chapter Fifty-Four: The Fire Dragon’s Prophecy

Seeing the Hurricane Wolf King slain in an instant, I couldn't help but gasp, but the Gatekeeper immediately lunged at me, his leg swinging toward my face. I quickly leaned back to dodge, then straightened up and retreated. The Gatekeeper pressed forward, launching a left hook, which I ducked under, only for his knee to strike my chest. The blow sent me stumbling back several steps.

He charged again, and I feigned an attack, raising my shield against his flurry of punches and kicks. Still, I was forced to retreat with every strike. With a crack, my shield shattered; at that moment, I landed a punch on his face—230 points of damage. He retaliated, and I countered with another punch—776 points of damage. Blood spurted from my mouth as I staggered back, barely able to steady myself.

But then he swept my legs out from under me, grabbed my waist with both hands, and hurled me aside—944 points of damage. As I lay on the ground, he lifted me again and threw me even harder—1000 points of damage. That nearly killed me, so I quickly took a healing potion. The Gatekeeper snarled, "Damn you, daring to provoke the Lord of this place—you must have nerves of steel!"

I stood up and replied, "It's not over yet." As the roar of a dragon echoed, Dragonwar descended. I announced, "Finish him off."

"Yes, master!" With that, Dragonwar lunged forward, his massive form wielding a black sword and slashing down upon the Gatekeeper—4333 points of damage appeared, followed by a torrent of dragon flame that engulfed the Gatekeeper.

When the flames subsided, the Gatekeeper was charred black. I rushed forward, my fists striking the shadow of his face, then launched a flying kick into his abdomen, spun, and kicked with my left foot. After connecting, I spun again and kicked with my right foot. Pressing down with both hands, I crouched low, then darted forward, my right leg arching up and landing a direct hit on the Gatekeeper's temple, sending him sprawling backward.

I pursued, stepped onto him, raised my fist the size of a sandbag, and slammed it into his face. Then I kicked his stomach, sending him sliding away. Dragonwar seized him, lifting him up, but at this moment the Gatekeeper cried out for mercy, "Spare me, hero!" His name turned white, meaning I could no longer attack him. I cursed the game company—damn it, just when I was about to defeat the boss, this happens.

I said, "I can spare you, but you must agree to three conditions."

The Gatekeeper looked confused, but Dragonwar squeezed him until he howled in pain. He finally pleaded, "Spare me, hero! Not just three, even three hundred conditions, I’ll agree!"

"First," I said, "return all items to Luke and apologize to him."

"Alright."

"Second, leave Flame City. Never let me see you again. If I do, I’ll beat you every time." I declared.

"Yes, yes, yes."

"Third, I haven’t decided yet. Let me think for a moment." As I finished, Dragonwar spoke up, "Master, may I have the last condition?"

"Fine, but what do you want?" I asked.

"Master," Dragonwar replied, "I, Dragonwar, have always despised those who bully the weak and fear the strong. If we merely drive him away, he’ll surely return someday. If you don’t uproot the weeds, they’ll sprout anew. Mercy to foes is cruelty to oneself. Therefore, I wish to devour him."

"Alright," I said indifferently. Dragonwar opened his enormous jaws and stuffed the Gatekeeper inside. The Gatekeeper screamed pitifully, but with no one to rescue him, he was swallowed whole. I heard crunching and chewing, then a gulp as he was swallowed. Witnessing this, I felt that I had summoned something far more dangerous than I’d expected.

Having dealt with the Gatekeeper, I returned to the Fire God Tower and reported to Luke. "Ding~! Quest 'Luke's Request' completed. Gained 1,000,000 experience, 10 gold coins, and 1,000 reputation points!" It had been a while since I’d seen a reputation reward. "Now you can tell me, right?" I said.

Luke replied, "Alright, she lives at Number 74, Scholar’s Lane. Just follow this street to the intersection, turn left, and walk a few dozen meters—you’ll find it!" So close, yet he’d made me go through so much trouble. I wanted to punch this mischievous old man—or perhaps it was a bug in the program—but according to the system rules, attacking an NPC without cause would incur severe penalties. I didn’t know where the boundaries lay and saw no need to risk it.

After that, Luke resumed his seat and his drink, and I made my way to Number 74, Scholar’s Lane.

It was a shabby, old street with low buildings on either side, suggesting it had been here since the city’s founding. After countless days of wind and rain, these structures bore the marks of time.

The door creaked open, and a pale, frail woman appeared before me. She looked malnourished, but the crow’s feet at her eyes could not conceal the beauty she once possessed.

In the game world, even among NPCs, there existed vast differences in status and rank. Many players questioned the game company about this, but their reply was always: "A perfectly equal world has never truly existed." Such a simple statement.

"Hello, are you Madame Sasha?" I asked, bowing slightly.

"Yes, I am Sasha. Adventurer, may I ask what brings you here?" she inquired, her voice weak but gentle.

"My name is Weiwei Long," I explained. "While out treasure hunting, I stumbled upon something but don’t know its purpose. Someone said you might know, so I’ve come to find you."

Madame Sasha smiled faintly and opened the door wider, gesturing invitingly. "Please come in, adventurer. Let’s see if I can help you."

Her house was tiny, furnished with the bare essentials, showing her difficult circumstances. Carefully, I sat on a chair that looked ready to collapse, worried it might give way beneath me.

Madame Sasha served me a cup of tea, apologizing, "I’m sorry, it’s only the cheapest tea."

I smiled, "Don’t worry. I’m the one intruding, after all."

With that, I took out the Fire Dragon Stone and handed it to her. "Do you recognize this?"

She accepted the Fire Dragon Stone and examined it closely, her hands caressing its surface. A look of confusion crossed her face. "This stone is beautiful. It seems familiar, as if I’ve seen it somewhere before," she murmured, searching her memory. Her dull eyes began to brighten, her expression changing.

"The Crystal of the Fire Dragon! Yes, that’s its name—the Crystal of the Fire Dragon, a gemstone imbued with the power of the fire dragon!" Madame Sasha exclaimed excitedly. "I remember now. Many years ago, when I was young, I encountered a fire dragon in Windforest Mountain. Its wings were badly injured, and I used many medicines to heal it. After it recovered, to thank me, it gave me this. It said it contained a portion of its power and could help me in times of great peril. Later, during a trade, I was attacked by bandits, but thanks to it, I escaped. Unfortunately, I lost it afterward. Did you find it there?"

"I can’t quite recall," I replied with a smile. Although the item’s attributes clearly labeled it as the Fire Dragon Stone, Madame Sasha called it the Crystal of the Fire Dragon, claiming it contained the dragon’s power. If it could be used, it would be incredible.

"Perhaps it’s fate! Maybe you’re the hope that dragon spoke of," Madame Sasha said, her tone calm, her eyes reflecting nostalgia.

I was puzzled. At this moment, she gently raised her right hand, bit her index finger, and smeared her blood onto the Fire Dragon Stone.

A miracle occurred. The blood was absorbed instantly, as though by a sponge, and the strange pattern on the stone began to spin rapidly.

With a crisp click, a perfect six-pointed star appeared on the surface of the Fire Dragon Stone, while the original emblem vanished.

"Try it yourself," Madame Sasha said.

I followed her example, and another miracle unfolded. The stone displayed a perfect six-pointed star, and a red light shot skyward, piercing the clouds. When the light faded, the stone transformed into a rectangular red token, adorned with a vivid image of an Oriental dragon. She suddenly looked up at me.

"Adventurer, you truly are the hope. This must be destiny. You can now use this token at the lava fissure before the Sacred Land of Fire behind Windforest Mountain. That child will be glad to see you."

"Ding~! Do you accept the quest: The Fire Dragon’s Prophecy?"