Chapter 257: Draconic Arbiter

Alistair let out a long breath as the final battle ended and the system confirmed the edict had been fulfilled.

Three more levels. Several new Slayer titles.

It had been a long time since he’d earned that many titles in such a short span—perhaps not since the Trial. Even then, this would’ve been exceptional. He could feel the strength radiating through him—the stat gains were significant. And he wasn’t alone.

Most members of their clan had earned at least one or two Dragon Slayer titles. The elites had claimed as many as five.

Now, their forces had shifted to recovery. The troops were securing the battlefield and collecting bodies, though the leaders of the Korretesh and other flights had placed clear limits. While they allowed the marked to be taken, they insisted their own fallen be gathered and interred in a mass grave.

Alistair had found the demand wasteful—but they’d relented, out of respect.

Still, as he looked out over the growing field of draconic dead, the image that came to mind was of an ancient elephant graveyard. And he felt certain: it wouldn’t stay a simple resting place for long. With so many powerful corpses buried in one place, it was only a matter of time before the site became something more.

Something potent.

Sotarr had advised them to respect the local customs and announced he would be hosting a grand gathering of dragons—to initiate them into the multiversal draconic laws and evaluate potential stewards.

The chosen steward would be required to join their clan. But given the opportunity, they also intended to persuade the remaining candidates to align with them as well.

That kind of integration, of course, had to be handled carefully. Expanding their draconic ranks aligned with their long-term goals, and with them agreeing to act as the Lyraxis's representatives on this world, it would make future integration into their sphere of influence significantly smoother.

They weren’t a draconic faction like the Lyraxis Ascendancy—yet. But if they continued to bring dragons into their ranks—and depending on how his and Riseth’s upcoming evolutions unfolded—that status might not be far off.

For now, though, Alistair and the other non-draconic members had been asked to keep their distance from the gathering.

He wasn’t particularly fond of the secrecy surrounding draconic law… but he wasn’t about to complain if it meant skipping another lecture.

So he and Riseth found themselves overlooking the recovery of the fallen dragons.

“Almost makes me think we wasted our effort getting that bone garden,” Riseth mused.

“I don’t think so,” Alistair said. “Much like the Wendigo cores, we’ll run out eventually. Having a steady source is still invaluable.”

“Then maybe we should track down more bone gardens,” she replied. “We’ve got quite the diversity in concepts and species to work with now.”

Alistair let out a low grunt of agreement. She wasn’t wrong—but bone gardens were rare. They’d gotten lucky with the Everrest Sect.

“We also never finished our vacation,” Riseth added with a huff.

Alistair smiled and slipped an arm around her waist. “Let’s invite Kujo and Nomura out for dinner—since we dragged them all the way here.”

She perked up slightly at that, so he continued, “After that, I wouldn’t mind a bit more exploring.”

Riseth leaned in and kissed his cheek. “Sounds like an excellent plan to me.”

Alistair gave her a gentle squeeze, then turned his attention back to the work below.

Alistair hoped they wouldn’t be interrupted again, but they both knew they were still in a tumultuous time. The conflict with the Blackmarket Syndicates remained ongoing, with the Coalition locked in open war against them—and the next expansion of the bridges wasn’t far off either.

While he was confident the Coalition could hold against that wave as well, he was far less optimistic about the third. They needed to strengthen their position and root out malefactors from their universe as best they could.

In the end, it was only a matter of time before one of their closer allies came under attack and called for aid. Still, they had certainly done their part in weakening the Syndicates, and they would continue to do so.

"Do you already have a destination in mind?" Alistair asked, noting the excited flicks of her tail.

"I'm browsing some of the more interesting planets in our system—ones that are still mostly unexplored," Riseth replied.

"As much as I love tropical destinations, I'd like to switch it up a bit," Alistair mused. "Got any snowy or mostly temperate worlds?"

Riseth hummed, a smile tugging at her lips. "I suppose we could change things up." She paused, then her grin widened. "I think I’ve got something nice."

"Oh? Care to share?"

"Nope," she said smugly. "I don’t want to ruin the surprise."

"Alright then, keep your secret," Alistair said with a chuckle.

"Oh! That’s a good idea—we should watch that movie again," Riseth added.

Alistair couldn’t help but smile as he kissed the top of her head. "Sure thing, Trouble."

It hadn’t taken much—if any—convincing on their part, as both Kujo and Nomura readily accepted the invitation to check out Rathos.

Alistair had already sent a request for a small feast to Barton, who seemed downright excited by the idea. And knowing the halfling, he’d undoubtedly overdo it—which, honestly, Alistair was looking forward to.

It had also been a while since he’d last delved the Platinum Lily, and he knew exactly how they could work up an appetite.

Wrapping up their business on the planet took the better part of a day. The world had now been named Korretesh in honor of the flight that had stood at the forefront of protecting hatchlings and served as a bastion against the other flights—those who had invited their own doom.

Before departing, Alistair glanced once more at the new titles he had acquired, still in awe of how far he had come.

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Titles:

Tier: [Legendary]

Name: Draconic Arbiter

Effect:

Grants a residual aura recognized by all Dragonkin, marking the bearer as a former Arbiter of Draconic Law. The user may invoke an [Edict of Annihilation] if they bear witness to an individual or group in breach of the Accord of Broods.

Origin: Bestowed upon the Ryser Clan for executing an Edict of Annihilation against those who violated the Accord of Broods on the world now named Korretesh.

-

Tier: [Supreme]

Name: White Dragon Slayer

Effect:

Grants a 10% bonus to [Power] and [Body] statistics and significantly enhances affinity for [Ice] & [Pulse].

Origin: Acquired through the slaying of Silarim, a powerful white dragon.

-

Tier: [Rare]

Name: Green Dragon Slayer

Effect:

Grants a 10% bonus to the [Body], statistic, and significantly enhances affinity for [Poison].

Origin: Acquired through the slaying of Kydione, a green dragon.

----------

Interestingly, Nomura, Kujo, and Sakiyama had also earned the Draconic Arbiter title—likely due to their leadership roles within their respective clans. As far as Alistair could tell, only clan leaders had qualified for it.

The rest of the titles had been predictable—though the green dragon had apparently only warranted a rare title, which was somewhat underwhelming.

Alistair closed the notifications and boarded the Artemis alongside Riseth, Kujo, and Nomura. The latter two had taken him up on the earlier invitation, curious to finally see the vessel for themselves. Once aboard, they were clearly intrigued—especially by the Tactical Map, which allowed them to zoom in on planetary surfaces and visualize fleet deployments in real time.

“This is incredibly useful,” Nomura said as she studied the projection. “Would you be willing to sell us this tech?”

Riseth turned her head in surprise. "No need to pay—I’ll have one of our people send you the schematics."

"Are you sure you’re willing to just give us that?" Nomura asked. "We’d be more than willing to pay for it."

"We’re close allies, and this tech is already widespread," Riseth insisted. "There’s no need for payment."

Alistair noticed that Nomura still seemed a bit hesitant, so he added, “If you’re not comfortable just taking it, think of it as a token of gratitude—for your quick response when it mattered.”

Nomura gave a small, appreciative nod. Kujo, meanwhile, let out a hearty laugh.

“I feel more indebted to you for giving us the chance to fight such magnificent opponents,” he said. “If we ever stumble across hunting grounds like that again, you’ll be the first to know.”

“Something tells me you’ll have a hard time living up to that promise,” Alistair replied with a smirk. “But I appreciate the sentiment.”

Their banter continued all the way down to Rathos. Once they disembarked, Alistair led them directly to the Platijum Lily—Barton had asked for a few hours to prepare, and it gave them time to settle in.

“Your clan’s quite the mix,” Kujo remarked, watching as a group of quadrupedal Ixpir padded down the corridor.

"We were careful in our selection," Alistair replied. "But yes, since we weren’t an established faction before the initiation, we needed a fair amount of fresh blood."

"Interesting phrase," Kujo mused. "I like it."

"How is your population handling life underground?" Nomura asked. "The screens and decorations help, but it still feels a bit claustrophobic."

"Ah, that’s just for the corridors," Alistair assured her. "We’re about to reach one of the teleportation platforms—it’ll take us to the central hub."

They led them to the teleportation pads, and as they stepped through, both oni froze in disbelief.

The Heart of Rathos was bathed in golden sunlight, courtesy of the massive illusionary array overhead. The towering structures that once disguised the cavern walls remained, but nearly all the empty space had been filled—housing, shops, restaurants, and various other facilities now lined the streets. The array even emulated a gentle, warm breeze, completing the illusion of an open sky.

"Incredible," Nomura murmured, her gaze sweeping upward, taking in the bustling scene—shops, balconies, flying carpets, and countless individuals weaving through the vibrant city.

"Even the sun rays feel real," Kujo remarked, stretching out his arm to catch the light.

"Sun essence," Riseth explained. "Not particularly hard to come by, but incredibly useful with a ton of applications."

Taking the scenic route, they boarded an elevator to the Platijum Lily’s floor, pausing now and then to greet passing citizens. From the balconies, they had a perfect view of Rathos’s main square, a sight well worth the relatively slow ascent.

They paused for a moment, leaning against the railing, simply watching.

"Such sights truly impart the weight of responsibility, do they not?" Nomura mused.

Both Alistair and Riseth nodded almost in sync before exchanging a knowing smile.

"Mr. Legendary over here has been brooding over that forever," Riseth teased.

"Why do you call him Mr. Legendary?" Nomura questioned.

Riseth perked up at the question, a mischievous smile spreading across her face.

"It's a pet name from the early trial days," she explained. "Mr. Legendary over here thought he was decked out in legendary skills and gear—only to realize he'd horribly mismanaged the naming convention of his tiers."

With a flourish, she pulled out a rather basic Amulet of Protection, roughly equivalent to an epic-tier item for a grade 10 individual.

"Behold!" Riseth declared dramatically. "I present to you both... one truly legendary piece of gear!"

Nomura shook her head, a smile tugging at her lips, while Kujo bellowed with laughter, drawing the attention of everyone nearby as he clapped Alistair on the back.

Alistair shook his head as he stepped away from the railing. "Let’s get a move on before Riseth starts roasting me in earnest."

"I suppose I could be appeased by kicking your ass in the Platijum Lily," Riseth teased as they made their way toward the dungeon, passing a steady stream of people entering and leaving—most of them all smiles.

"What kind of dungeon is this?" Kujo asked, glancing around. His eyes widened as he watched a gaggle of human and demon children spill out of the now much larger dungeon entrance, its doors embedded in the rock.

"It’s an entertainment dungeon," Riseth explained. "Everyone is lifeguarded at all times now, and combat is restricted."

"No combat at all?" Kujo asked, mild disappointment creeping into his tone.

"There are events where you can bet on dungeon-created monsters duking it out, as well as pet battles and other competitions," Riseth said.

Kujo's expression lit up slightly. "Curious… what are pet battles?"

"You'll see," Riseth replied with a smirk as she led them into the dungeon.

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