Chapter 42: Bloodsource Peak

Under the gaze of Aegon's family, the Targaryen fleet gradually shrank into the distance, finally disappearing beyond the horizon in the golden afterglow of sunset.

Daenys and Daenylis nestled against him on either side, while Illya held tightly to his waist. Everyone silently watched the vast sea. It wasn't until the sun was about to sink below the waves that they turned back, urged gently by Aegon.

The Targaryen main castle was the only remaining property of House Targaryen yet to be sold. Now, only a few servants remained inside, making the ancient stronghold feel especially empty and desolate. The butler Farlen, unwilling to leave his homeland, had chosen not to follow Aenar. Aware of the prophecy of destruction, he had resolutely decided to remain and share the fate of the thousand-year-old castle.

That night, after comforting his wives to sleep, Aegon opened his attribute panel. During the recent Champion Dragonbattle, he had successfully slain a Dragonlord, earning an epic achievement—though he hadn't yet claimed his reward. Now that things had settled, he tapped the draw button.

[You have one purple-tier draw available. A purple item is guaranteed. Proceed with the draw?]

"Yes."

[Congratulations, you have obtained a dark purple item: Emerald Dream.]

"Dark purple is considered the top tier within the purple grade. Not the best result, but not the worst either," Aegon thought to himself, then focused his mind to inspect the item's details.

[Item: Emerald Dream]

[Type: Solidification Domain]

[Quality: Dark Purple]

[Rating: 259]

[Function: Allows you to create a personal domain within the void, up to the size of a village or town. You can send family members into this space to clear all negative conditions and transform them into spirits.]

[Note: Let weary souls find a place to rest.]

[Emerald Dream] seemed like a perfect sanctuary for his wives and the elders of his house. Once he completed his main quest and ascended to godhood, perhaps he could find a way to bring them back.

With that thought, Aegon closed the panel, held his wives close, and drifted into deep sleep...

After the Targaryen fleet departed, Aegon's two wives were only about six months from giving birth. He didn't rush to Bloodsource Peak to study Blood Sorcery, instead choosing to remain at Targaryen to care for them.

During this time, messages from the Dragonblood Guards at Bloodsource Peak came one after another, urging him to send Tiamat over as soon as possible. But each time, Aegon calmly suppressed the requests.

In the blink of an eye, six months passed.

As Daenys approached labor, Aegon sent word to Aenar, who was busy with large-scale construction on Dragonstone, to come welcome the newborn.

A week later, Daenys gave birth to a baby boy.

Aegon named his firstborn son Rhaegar.

With this, Aegon's millennia-long main quest officially entered its countdown phase. A new option appeared on his attribute panel, allowing him to view information related to his house.

Aenar arrived a few days later, riding Balerion in haste.

The reunion between Aenar and Daenys was filled with joy, and Aenar updated Aegon on the developments of the house on Dragonstone.

Dragonstone, the westernmost outpost of Valyria, spanned the Gullet and firmly controlled the vital maritime passage into Blackwater Bay.

House Velaryon, House Targaryen's most powerful vassal, had been granted Driftmark. They used migrating merchant ships to establish a small navy responsible for collecting tolls from passing travelers and merchants on behalf of House Targaryen.

Another vassal, House Celtigar, had been granted Claw Isle. With the assistance of Targaryen aerial dragons, they controlled the central waters of the Narrow Sea.

In this way, House Targaryen had successfully established a foothold near the continent of Westeros. They now possessed their own territory and a stable source of economic influence.

Aenar also mentioned to Aegon that before leaving the peninsula, Pan had gifted him a Dragonbone dagger.

He had discussed the prophecy carved into the blade with Daenys, but they couldn't decipher it. The prophecy was too vague to be of any use in the current situation.

Aenar planned to stay for a month, after which he would take Aegon's son Rhaegar back to Dragonstone. With so many matters awaiting attention in the newly established territory, it was only thanks to Daenys's earnest pleading that Aenar agreed to stay that long.

Half a month later, Aegon's eldest daughter was born—Daenylis gave birth to a baby girl.

Aegon named her Elaena and decided she would be sent to Dragonstone with Aenar at the end of the month.

The warm days of family reunion passed quickly. At the end of the month, Aenar prepared to leave on Balerion. Daenys and Daenylis, unable to bear the pain of parting, chose not to see them off.

As he left the Valyrian Peninsula, Aenar looked back at the land shaped like a coiled dragon, hoping Elder Pan would appear once more and offer clarity about the dagger's prophecy. But despite his repeated glances, Pan never showed. In the end, Aenar could only turn toward the western reaches of the Summer Sea and fly on.

Back at the Targaryen main castle, Aegon consoled his wives. For any mother, being separated from her own child was unbearably cruel.

After spending a few days with them at home, Aegon made his way to Tiamat's dragonpit.

Tiamat's massive body—over three hundred meters long—lay curled in the nest like a mountain. She had already entered the twilight of her life. In just half a year, Tiamat had rapidly declined from a dragon in her prime to one on the verge of death.

Even with Aegon at her side, Tiamat merely opened her eyes slightly. There were no affectionate gestures.

She was simply too old. Even the smallest movement seemed to drain her strength.

Aegon walked up beside her massive body, gently running his hand over the wrinkled skin of the great dragon. The marks of time were etched deeply into what had once been an awe-inspiring frame. Her bony armor plates had long lost their sheen, and the scales that once gleamed like obsidian now appeared mottled and dull in color.

It felt like the cycle of life itself—his newborn son and daughter heralding a new beginning, even as Tiamat neared her end.

Tiamat half-closed her golden eyes, quietly enjoying her master's touch. At last, she slowly raised her head and gave Aegon a soft nudge. Once fearsome and majestic, she now moved with the weary sluggishness of old age. Her massive dark-gold eyes had turned cloudy, no longer burning with the sharp, fiery light of her youth.

"Old girl..." Aegon murmured, gently pressing a kiss to Tiamat's snout, his forehead resting against her dragon teeth. He whispered, "Let's fly once more—toward rebirth."

Roar! Tiamat sensed her master's intent and let out a deep, powerful cry. Then, slowly, she began to move, unfolding her towering form.

The Dragonkeepers in the dragonpit were startled by the noise and rushed over to see what was happening. Since the Champion Dragonbattle, the Mother of Dragons had not left the pit once—yet today, she suddenly roared.

Aegon stood firmly atop Tiamat's head, one hand gripping the tip of her horned crown as he shouted, "Fly, Tiamat!"

Roar! Tiamat roared in response and began to move her massive, heavy body. Her thick legs, as strong as stone pillars, slowly lifted her weight, each step causing the ground to quake slightly. At first, her movements were clumsy—like an old warrior trying to rouse stiffened limbs after years of rest. But as she continued forward, her pace began to pick up, her stride growing stronger and steadier.

She charged forward faster and faster, her colossal form like an unstoppable land-borne warship rumbling across the earth. Her vast wings unfurled, darkening the sky, and with a mighty beat, she stirred up a roaring wind. Slowly, she lifted off from the ground, soaring northward toward the Fourteen Flames.

As Tiamat flew low over Valyria, the people in the city looked up. The figure atop the dragon's head was unmistakable—Aegon, the Champion Dragonlord, the dragonrider who had fought that legendary battle. At the sight of him, the citizens instinctively bowed their heads in quiet reverence.

After all, the Dragonlord War had only been half a year ago. That dazzling battle had captured the hearts of an entire generation, and Aegon had since become a household name—an idol to countless Valyrians.

After passing the gates of Freehold, Aegon looked down to see the familiar network of canyons below. It brought back vivid memories—more than a year ago, he and Daenys had flown this same route to attend the Dragon Taming Tournament.

As they flew deeper into the Fourteen Flames, Aegon spotted a number of man-made trenches—marking the core runes of the Bloodline Land Array. Bloodsource Peak was close now.

Two Dragonblood Guards, already alerted to Aegon and Tiamat's arrival, waited ahead to greet them.

Each rode a fully grown dragon more than twenty meters long. They flew up alongside Tiamat like small escort ships flanking a skyborne mothership, guiding her forward.

Passing peak after peak, Tiamat was led to a massive abyss several kilometers wide. Towering cliffs surrounded the chasm on all sides, dropping straight into unseen depths like a gaping wound into endless darkness.

"This is Bloodsource Peak?" Aegon called out to the Dragonblood Guard flying beside him.

She nodded, then shouted back, "Bloodsource Peak is an inverted mountain—it lies beneath this abyss."

From her voice, Aegon realized the Dragonblood Guard was a woman. As she led the way downward, Aegon urged Tiamat to follow closely behind.

As they descended, Aegon was surprised to see trees and lush vegetation clinging stubbornly to the steep cliff walls. Ferns in particular grew in abundance—and they were enormous, far larger than ordinary plants, as though thriving in some oversized, alien ecosystem.

The deeper they went, the dimmer the light became—until at last, all natural light vanished completely. Only the faint blue glow emitted by the ferns flickered in the darkness, like scattered, mysterious stars. The air was thick with the sweet, heady fragrance of flowers, casting a serene and otherworldly stillness over everything.

A moment later, they descended above a circular city built into the depths of the abyss. Along the cliff walls, countless suspended pavilions had been constructed, connected by stairways. Dozens of humans in gray robes moved busily between them.

However, the two Dragonblood Guards did not stop there and continued leading Aegon deeper downward.

Eventually, Aegon caught sight of a vast steel platform at the bottom of the abyss. The surface was engraved with countless intricate runes, and atop it lay fifteen enormous shackles, each over a hundred meters in length.

Of these, fourteen shackles on the outer ring each held a King-tier Dragon, bound tightly by massive chains.

Strangely, none of the dragons reacted to Tiamat's arrival. Their eyes remained shut as if they were locked in a deep, unshakable slumber.

The steel restraints were rusted with age—it was clear these dragons had been imprisoned here for a very long time.

At the very center stood a massive, newly forged shackle—completely empty. Aegon understood instantly: this spot had been prepared for Tiamat.

No wonder the councilor houses fear Tiamat so much. Their own Dragonlords must have all been spent here, Aegon thought to himself.

Just then, Pan's figure slowly materialized in midair.

"You've finally arrived. Let Tiamat land in the center. The steel needle tubes on the shackles are linked to the immortal divinity of a demigod. It can restore Tiamat's lifespan."

Aegon gave a small nod, then guided Tiamat to descend gently onto the central ritual platform.

With a deep, resonant thud, Tiamat touched down firmly.

Several Dragonblood Guards hurried forward to fasten the restraints. As the hollow steel spikes pierced the soft flesh between the seams of Tiamat's bone-plated armor, she let out a roar of fury. With a sudden snap, she lunged at a nearby adult dragon that failed to evade in time—biting it clean in half in a single strike. The unfortunate dragon didn't even have time to cry out before it was dead.

Tiamat swallowed the carcass whole. The surrounding Dragonblood Guards, stunned and terrified, quickly scattered to a safer distance.

Pan simply shook his head and raised his hand, flicking his fingers toward the shackles.

The massive iron restraints—each weighing tens of thousands of pounds—rose effortlessly into the air, then slammed down, locking around Tiamat's limbs and neck.

Once the restraints were secured, a translucent tube connected to the platform began to pulse. From within, a stream of violet liquid was slowly drawn out and channeled into Tiamat's body.

...

Aegon immediately tuned into Tiamat's mental state. As the purple fluid entered her, he sensed a wave of elation—an intense, euphoric stimulation, not unlike the effects of Blood Orchid. Her golden eyes, which had still been open, gradually closed. She was on the verge of falling into sleep.

He opened Tiamat's attribute panel. Her talent [ -S: Life Code ] was visibly dimming—the minus sign in front was slowly becoming translucent. Through their mental link, he could feel that her lifeforce was also gradually returning.

"What is that purple liquid?" Aegon asked, his voice filled with curiosity.

Pan remained calm as he answered, "It's the divinity of a demigod. The very first Dragons were created using it. If a human can withstand the backlash of divinity, even a single drop is enough to transform their True Dragonblood into the bloodline of a Dragonlord."