Chapter 22: A Special Dream  

The banquet lasted until late, with the nobles indulging in their passions under the dim ambiance. 

Before the ballroom dancing began, Rhaegar excused himself and returned to his room, drowsy and eager for rest. 

--- 

At midnight, the silvery moonlight filtered through the crystal windows, casting a glow on Rhaegar's bedside. 

In his slumber, Rhaegar frowned unconsciously, mumbling incoherently. He was trapped in a nightmare. 

A younger version of himself drifted on a vast, boundless sea. The sky above was dark and oppressive, shrouded in mist that obscured direction, leaving him unable to see even an inch ahead. 

Standing on a small island in the midst of the sea, he called out loudly, but no sound escaped his lips. Around him, there was an eerie silence. 

Before he knew it, the calm sea turned turbulent, waves gradually rising. 

The tide crept up the island, the icy water covering his ankles and forcing him to retreat to higher ground. 

The island was no larger than a speck of land, and even its highest hill was no match for the overwhelming ocean. 

Desperately, Rhaegar climbed a coconut tree, only to find the water already halfway up the trunk and rising steadily. 

The fear of being engulfed consumed him. Helpless, he could only watch as the water rose ever higher. 

Suddenly, a shadow passed overhead, casting a large portion of the area below into darkness. 

Rhaegar wanted to look up, but his body refused to obey. 

"Hiss... Gah..." 

As he panicked, a familiar yet foreign roar echoed from all directions. 

The piercing sound shattered his eardrums, leaving him gasping and overwhelmed by a painful sense of suffocation. 

"So much water... It's so cold..." 

The sudden turn of events rattled his nerves. 

In the real world, his small, sleeping body shook its head uncontrollably, sweat beading on his forehead. 

"No! Stop!" 

In the dream, as the water rose past his ankles, fear jolted Rhaegar awake. His eyes snapped open as he cried out in panic. 

**Knock, knock.** 

A knock at the door broke the tense silence, followed by the voice of Sir Elric. 

"Are you all right, Your Highness?" 

"Huff... There's no water... I'm still in my room..." 

Rhaegar glanced around in confusion. The familiar furnishings and soft feather bed grounded him. 

After a moment, as Elric contemplated entering to check on him, Rhaegar responded. 

"I'm fine, Sir Elric. Just a nightmare." 

Relieved, Elric replied gently, "If you need anything, just call out." 

Having spent some time with Rhaegar, Elric was no stranger to the prince's frequent nightmares, though he felt sympathy for the boy's restless sleep. 

Rhaegar said no more, curling up under the blanket and clutching his pillow tightly. 

This nightmare had been exceptionally vivid, far more terrifying than any he'd experienced before. 

Feeling the rapid thumping of his heart in his chest, he knew just how deeply it had shaken him. 

"Another nightmare. If this is what having a dreamer's gift means, I'd rather not have it," he muttered bitterly, recalling the golden talent described on the system panel. 

For some time now, he hadn't had any dreams and thought his sleep had returned to normal. 

But tonight's nightmare had struck without warning, leaving him defenseless. 

Rhaegar couldn't help but think he must look utterly miserable—like a stray cat or dog shivering in the cold wind. 

"Exploration complete. Please retrieve the lost treasure." 

Just as he sank deeper into his melancholy, the system notification broke through the gloomy atmosphere. 

Rhaegar extended his arm, glancing at the silver bracelet on his wrist and remembering the unfinished exploration task. 

**[Mysterious Valyrian Steel Bracelet]** 

Exploration Progress: **100%** 

The system panel appeared, reminding him of the exploration's duration. 

This task had begun around two or three in the afternoon. 

Looking at the faint flicker of the wall-mounted flame, which typically extinguished in the early hours, he estimated it to be about 10 p.m. 

"Seems like it took about eight hours..." 

He calculated silently while picking up the blue glow that had fallen onto the bed. 

"Treasure retrieved successfully. Analyzing..."

"Detection successful. Identified as an exceptional relic: the Fire Mage's magical artifact." 

"The Fire Mage's artifact? I wonder what kind of treasure this could be?" 

Curiosity about the magic overcame his fear, and Rhaegar activated the relic without hesitation. 

"Congratulations! The Fire Mage's magical artifact has been activated. You have obtained..." 

**[Spatial Bracelet]** 

- **Grade**: Exceptional (Blue) 

- **Effect**: Contains an internal space of three cubic meters; cannot store living beings. 

- **Appraisal**: "A magical creation dating back to the ancient Valyrian era. Its spatial properties make it priceless, a treasure coveted even by noble dragonlords!" 

*Clink—* 

The Valyrian steel bracelet on Rhaegar's wrist trembled slightly. Its surface cracked, and a layer of fine dust flaked away. 

When Rhaegar looked at the bracelet again, all signs of wear and age were gone. 

The color had shifted to a subdued silver-gray, and the patterns adorning it became more intricate, as if a master artisan had just re-etched them. 

"A bracelet crafted by magic, a treasure once pursued by Valyrian dragonlords?" 

Removing the now-mystical bracelet, Rhaegar couldn't help but marvel at its transformation. 

He hadn't expected to stumble upon such a valuable treasure by sheer chance. 

"I really ought to thank Uncle Daemon again for this incredible gift," Rhaegar muttered, filled with gratitude. 

Along with the bracelet came a user manual. Rhaegar read through it carefully. 

"So that's how it works! Valyrian steel contains magical properties. By engraving spatial runes onto this enchanted metal, one can create a spatial artifact." 

Rhaegar was deeply moved, awestruck by the wisdom of ancient craftsmen. 

Valyrian steel was exceedingly rare, and mages capable of mastering spatial runes were even rarer. 

Creating a single spatial artifact, even once in several centuries, was considered a significant achievement. 

During the ancient Valyrian era, only the most powerful dragonlord families could afford such artifacts, treating them as heirlooms of immense value. 

Among the forty dragonlord families, the Targaryen family ranked in the lower-middle tier in terms of power. 

As such, there were no known records of spatial artifacts within the family. 

Meanwhile, the dragonlord families who did possess spatial artifacts had long since been wiped out by the apocalyptic Doom of Valyria, their treasures buried in the ruins of the ancient empire. 

Clutching the spatial bracelet, Rhaegar's breath quickened, his gaze turning dreamy. 

"I must never reveal this to anyone. Otherwise, it'll inevitably cause a dispute." 

Without hesitation, Rhaegar grabbed a fruit knife from the bedside table and made a small cut on his fingertip, smearing the blood onto the bracelet's surface. 

*Buzz—* 

The bracelet emitted a faint, hazy glow before the light vanished entirely. 

At the same time, Rhaegar felt an indescribable connection between himself and the bracelet. 

"The bracelet was forged by a master Fire Mage and is equipped with a bloodline recognition mechanism." 

"My Targaryen bloodline is sufficient to form a bond with this bracelet." 

Now the bracelet's owner, Rhaegar focused his mind, and the bracelet shrank to fit his wrist perfectly. 

Rhaegar slipped the bracelet on, touched the fruit knife, and silently commanded, "Store!" 

With a faint whoosh, the knife vanished into thin air. 

Rhaegar could sense the previously empty space inside the bracelet now contained the fruit knife. 

This newfound experience sparked Rhaegar's curiosity. He spent hours repeatedly storing and retrieving the fruit knife, and even experimented with other objects in the room. 

Exhausted from playing, Rhaegar stumbled upon unexpected "treasures" inside the bracelet: 

A small mountain of gold coins, several stacks of books written in ancient Valyrian script, and a badge engraved with a dragon emblem. 

The rest consisted of unfamiliar clothing and miscellaneous items that seemed like junk. 

The gold immediately caught Rhaegar's eye. 

Though he was a prince, the royal treasury was not his to use. 

His life had previously been confined to the Red Keep, leaving him with little need for money. 

Now, however, he had gained freedom, and this gold would serve as the perfect allowance to support his independence. 

**Not every Targaryen can hatch a dragon egg.** 

**Aegon and Aemond were prime examples.** 

Soon, the protagonist will tame a dragon of their own in an ethical struggle. 

Care to guess which dragon it will be? 

*(End of Chapter)*