The air in the volcanic basin was a suffocating blanket of heat and sulfur. Sebastian and Kael remained hidden, silent observers of the Challenger Ignarok's relentless, grueling training session. For hours, the colossal dragon attacked the unyielding twenty-foot boulder with a furious discipline that was both awe-inspiring and heartbreaking. Its movements were strong, its magma-infused power immense, yet the boulder remained intact, merely scorched and scarred. The Ignarok was trying to bridge the gap between instinct and intellect, but its raw power lacked the finesse of true mastery.
Sebastian watched every Inferno Charge, every frustrated tail-slam, his mind calculating the dragon's mana consumption, its flawed footwork, and the moments when its powerful focus momentarily fractured. Kael watched with a growing sense of respect for the defeated creature's sheer will.
As the sun reached its zenith, casting a relentless, orange light over the desolate landscape, the Ignarok finally faltered. Its internal glow dimmed, the flames along its spine subsided into faint embers, and its heavy breathing became audible over the hiss of the vents. The dragon lumbered away from the barely-scathed boulder, its massive body collapsing onto the ground, leaning against a separate, larger rock formation. It was utterly spent, physically and emotionally drained, its shoulders slumped in the universal posture of frustrated defeat.
"Get up, Kael. The waiting ends here," Sebastian commanded, his voice sharp and low. "It's time to approach it."
They emerged from the shadows, their presence a sudden, stark contrast to the desolate environment. Sebastian's figure, cloaked and composed, seemed out of place against the backdrop of fire and rock. The Ignarok was so consumed by its exhaustion and failure that it barely registered their appearance. Its molten gold eyes were fixed on the scarred boulder, its mind still replaying the moments of fruitless impact.
Sebastian walked straight up to the massive dragon, stopping just beside its colossal head. Kael followed, positioning himself cautiously a few paces back, his hand subtly resting near his Beast-Ring, ready to release the Duskmane should the Ignarok's territorial instincts flare up.
Sebastian spoke, his voice cutting through the heat and the dragon's defeat with clinical clarity. "How much longer are you going to train like this? With this kind of brute-force repetition, you will only succeed in hurting yourself, not improving your skill."
The Ignarok shifted its head slightly, acknowledging the presence of the small, cloaked human, but dismissed him instantly. It viewed the human not as a threat, but as an annoying insect that had wandered into its self-pity. With a low, exasperated grunt, the dragon prepared to rise, its body fueled by a fierce, unyielding will. It attempted to return to the boulder, determined to repeat the painful cycle of failure.
But the moment the Ignarok tried to move, its body protested. A jolt of pain shot through its overtaxed muscles, and its inner magma reserves, still recovering from the last night's battle, refused to surge with the required power. The pain forced it to collapse back against the boulder, another fresh layer of humiliation settling over it.
The dragon let out a deep, mournful growl that wasn't directed at Sebastian, but at its own inadequacy. It had the will, the desire to ascend, but it was trapped by the limits of its current form and intellect.
It was in that moment of profound stillness and self-reflection that the dragon remembered the human's words. "...you will only hurt yourself." and the earlier, fleeting thought Sebastian had sent to the dragon's mind via the faint resonance of his Beast Whisper talent when they first saw it: "I know what you are trying to achieve. I can help you achieve mastery."
Sebastian and Kael, having said their piece, began to calmly prepare a small meal of high-energy rations and water, a deliberate show of peace and normalcy. The sight of the humans calmly eating beside a defeated dragon was the final trigger. The Ignarok, swallowing its fierce pride, turned its massive head toward them. It watched them eat for a moment, the burning question in its molten eyes more eloquent than any roar.
Sebastian looked up from his ration bar, meeting the dragon's intense gaze. "Finally decided to ask for help?" he asked, his tone devoid of judgment, merely stating a fact.
The Ignarok, a creature that respected strength above all, knew it had to make a choice. To continue alone was to guarantee failure and probable eventual death at the claws of the Dominant Male. To ask for help from a weaker species was an affront to its draconic pride, but the promise of mastery was a call too strong to ignore.
With a heavy sigh that sounded like the venting of a steam pipe, the Ignarok did the unthinkable. It slowly, deliberately, bowed its massive head in agreement, a primal acknowledgment of its need for guidance.
Sebastian's expression remained neutral, yet a silent triumph pulsed through his mana reserves. He knew the cost of that single gesture for a creature of the Ignarok's aggressive pride. "Good," Sebastian said, packing away his unfinished meal. "I will help you. I will give you the knowledge you need to achieve the mastery you seek. But a contract of this scale is not free. In return, you will follow me. You will become my companion and explore the world outside this island with us."
The Ignarok lifted its head, its molten eyes filled with suspicion. It let out a questioning rumble, a deep, inquisitive sound that demanded explanation. Why leave the fire? Why follow a human?
Sebastian didn't hesitate. He opened his mind, not just through the superficial mental link of the Beast Whisper, but through a profound projection of memories and knowledge. He showed the Ignarok what lay beyond the Trial Island.
He showed it the soaring canyons of the Rainmere Territory, where storms of incredible power raged, ready to be mastered. He showed it the shimmering, ancient forests of the Springshoot Panda's homeland, vast reservoirs of elemental power that dwarfed this small volcano. He showed it the Mysticrium Academy's archives, vast libraries of tactical knowledge and elemental theory that could complete the dragon's incomplete mutation. He showed it the sheer, raw power of his own companions—the cunning of the Stribane Tiger, the aerial mastery of the Thunderjaw Wyvern, the divine presence of the Seraphaquor, and the fierce loyalty of his entire squad.
The Ignarok's mind reeled. The scope of the world was staggering. Its current fight for a single, hot basin was insignificant compared to the potential for conquest and strength that lay outside. The images Sebastian showed it—of colossal, ancient Rune-Beasts and vast, untamed elemental zones—ignited a powerful, innate desire for true power. The fire in its heart demanded more than a small, desolate volcano.
After a long, contemplative silence where the only sound was the hissing of the vents, the Ignarok rumbled a low, deep agreement. "I will follow. I will be your companion."
But the dragon then sent a clear, non-negotiable condition directly into Sebastian's mind: "You help me defeat him. The one who defeated me. Only then will I leave this territory with honor."
Sebastian smiled, a cold, calculating expression. "Done. That is a small price. But the shortest path to defeating your previous opponent is not through more repetitive training. It is by fundamentally changing who you are. The only way to surpass a dominant male of that magnitude is by achieving an immediate, profound leap in power: a powerful mutation."
The Ignarok tilted its massive head, its confusion apparent. "Mutation?"
"Yes," Sebastian confirmed, his voice regaining its intense, professorial clarity. "Your natural drive has begun the process, but it is stalled. We must force it. We must accelerate the evolution of your Ascendant Trait and increase your natural Rune Power Level beyond your previous rival. I have the knowledge and the resources to do it."
Sebastian reached into his spatial ring and brought out his Book of Beast Records. He quickly flipped through the final appendices, which contained theoretical data on forced Rune-Beast ascension. "The process requires a unique catalyst, a confluence of extremely rare materials that can force the Fire/Earth mana within you to merge and evolve your dormant mental capacity. Specifically, we need a refined Obsidian Heartstone—which you have naturally—a concentrated essence of Terra-Magma Core, and a stabilizing agent of pure Elemental Focus Crystal."
Sebastian paused, a dark glint in his eyes. "The process will be agonizing. You must be prepared to face the most heart-wrenching pain of your entire life. It will feel like the fire inside you is tearing your very soul apart. Your body will be molten and reconstructed. It is a necessary sacrifice for the power you seek. Are you prepared?"
The Ignarok did not hesitate. Its immense form shuddered once, and then its eyes locked onto Sebastian's. The fear was there, the primal dread of dissolution, but it was instantly eclipsed by the burning desire for strength. It let out a single, powerful roar of acceptance. "I am prepared."
"Good," Sebastian said, his voice now filled with a focused intensity. He turned to Kael. "We need to gather the materials. We will establish a secure perimeter and prepare the fusion site. But first, you, Ignarok, must prepare yourself mentally and physically. Go back to your magma pool. Absorb every ounce of energy you can. Achieve the highest state of physical readiness you have ever known. The process starts at sundown."
The Challenger Ignarok, its pact sealed, turned and, with a powerful, focused gait, stomped back toward the pool of restorative magma, ready to face the crucible of its own evolution.