A single dragon had revolutionized Lucian's combat capabilities.

  This treasure-hunting expedition had been fraught with peril, but every second was worth it.

  "Gaooo—gaooo—" The hatchling continued to nuzzle against Lucian, her movements thick with affection.

  Lucian snapped out of his reverie, suppressing his excitement as he beamed at the little creature. "What's this? So clingy. I guess it makes sense, seeing as you're a little girl."

  "If you were a boy, would you be this much of a pest?"

  Fwoosh—

  The hatchling seemed to understand his teasing. She let out a huff, venting a small plume of searing flame in protest.

  Lucian let out a hearty laugh at the little princess’s temper, reaching out to stroke her head. "Alright, alright, I'm not complaining. Be as clingy as you want—I like it."

  "Oh, right. I need to give you a name, don't I? A cute little thing like you... calling you Black Dragon King or Doomwing just doesn't fit."

  "Gao!" The hatchling let out a sharp cry, looking visibly thrilled at the prospect of receiving a name.

  "Hmm..." Lucian propped the dragon up with one hand, sinking into deep thought.

  "How about Sooty? No, no... that's too cute. Not enough 'oomph'."

  "Black Titan? No, that won't work either. You’re a lady, after all. That name is way too brutish..."

  As the hatchling listened, she visibly stiffened, a look of mounting horror dawning in her eyes.

  She was genuinely terrified that every time Lucian summoned her in the future, he would scream, "Come forth, Black Titan!"

  If that happened, she would never be able to show her face in the Dragon Realm again.

  "I’ve got it!" Lucian’s eyes lit up with a sudden spark of inspiration. He smiled at the hatchling. "Since you're so dark, let's go with Nyx."

  "It's a bit common, but it's got a nice ring to it."

  "Gao!" Hearing that her name wasn't something utterly barbaric, the hatchling finally exhaled in relief. She let out a happy trill and nuzzled Lucian's cheek again, clearly satisfied with the choice.

  After a moment of affection, Nyx suddenly beat her wings and took flight. She hovered in front of Lucian, using a tiny claw to point pointedly at her belly.

  Lucian chuckled. "What? You're hungry already?"

  Nyx nodded, putting on a pitiful, starved expression.

  Lucian rubbed his nose and laughed. "You just polished off that entire massive eggshell. I figured you'd be stuffed."

  "Gaooo—gaooo—" Nyx began gesturing wildly with her claws. Through the telepathic bond between master and familiar, Lucian grasped her meaning.

  The eggshell was packed with nutrients to jumpstart her growth and survival instincts, but it wasn't exactly a "meal." It hadn't filled her stomach.

  Lucian frowned, realizing he couldn't let his "daughter" go hungry, but he realized he didn't actually have any proper dragon food on him.

  He reached into his inventory and pulled out a few remaining steamed buns, waving them in front of Nyx. "If you're that hungry, will you eat these?"

  "My aunt made them. They're actually pretty good."

  Nyx leaned in to sniff them, then opened her mouth and pointed inside with a claw.

  Lucian took the hint and tossed a bun into her maw.

  Nyx swallowed it whole without even bothering to chew.

  However, her expression immediately soured. She looked profoundly disappointed; the bun clearly wasn't to her liking.

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  Lucian sighed. It made sense. Dragons were apex carnivores. Even though his aunt's buns had meat filling, they were hardly enough to satisfy the palate of a dragon.

  He tucked the remaining buns back into his bag and shrugged helplessly. "This is the only food I've got. If you don't like it, I'm out of options."

  "That said, what do you eat? Ferocious beast meat, I assume?"

  Nyx nodded. Realizing Lucian didn't have what she wanted, she beat her wings violently, surging ten meters into the air.

  "Gao!" With another cry, Nyx seemed to have spotted something in the distance.

  Lucian followed her gaze and spotted a Blood-crazed Grey Fox lurking within a dense patch of shrubbery.

  The Blood-crazed Grey Fox was a cunning creature, known for its high intelligence and preference for ambushing prey from the shadows. It had likely been stalking Lucian since he started digging for the treasure.

  But now, the fox remained pinned to the ground, paralyzed. It trembled violently, its primal instincts utterly shattered by Nyx’s gaze. The overwhelming pressure of The Dragonflight had turned the low-tier predator into a shivering wreck, too terrified to even attempt an escape.

  A mental inquiry from Nyx flashed into Lucian's mind—she was asking if she could eat the little fox.

  Lucian gave a small nod of approval.

  Nyx’s excitement spiked. With a sudden flap of her wings, she blurred into a dark streak, hurtling toward the Blood-crazed Grey Fox.

  A resonant, exhilarated roar echoed as Nyx soared through the air. Her tail swept out in a graceful arc, slamming directly into the Blood-crazed Grey Fox.

  A crisp crack rang out. The Blood-crazed Grey Fox shattered instantly, meat and bone erupting into a cloud of gore that sprayed into the sky.

  Nyx had a refined palate; she banked mid-air, snatching the most succulent bit—the heart—straight out of the flying debris before swallowing it whole.

  An insta-kill!

  Even though Lucian had expected this outcome, his pulse hammered with excitement.

  The Dragonflight was truly in a league of its own. Its power was staggering.

  Previously, encountering a Level 10 beast like a Blood-crazed Grey Fox would have been a massive headache. Even if he could win, he would have likely walked away with injuries.

  Now, the creature hadn't even stood a chance to flee. It was pulverized in an instant, reduced to nothing more than a snack for Nyx.

  The Stony Barrens, once a place of mortal peril for Lucian, had suddenly lost its teeth.

  With Nyx by his side, he could simply steamroll his way through the entire region.

  Having devoured the heart, Nyx let out a chirping cry from the sky, clearly unsatisfied. She looked toward Lucian, asking if she could venture further out to hunt.

  Lucian chuckled and waved him off. "Go ahead if you want, just don't wander too far."

  Nyx let out a jubilant roar and took off toward the horizon, her wings beating with excitement.

  A moment later, the desperate yelps of a Level 12 Plains Hyena echoed across the waste, followed by that same sharp crack. The howling stopped abruptly.

  Given Nyx's stats, anything below Level 20 was likely a one-hit kill.

  Lucian felt a surge of energy; as Nyx dispatched the two monsters, both he and his companion received a massive influx of experience.

  As his pet, Nyx’s kills provided the experience necessary for both of them to level up.

  Lucian had originally planned to head back after finishing the treasure map, but he decided to stick around the Stony Barrens for a few more days.

  The Awakening Trials were less than a week away. Most students were using this precious time to grind levels and sharpen their combat strength.

  While he was certain The Top Ten Academies would be tearing each other apart to recruit him because of Nyx, Lucian wanted more. He aimed to become this year's Provincial Champion of The Southern Province.

  The rewards granted by The Southern Province for its champion were legendary.

  At the very least, he needed to get Nyx to Level 10 before the trials began.

  He decided to push deeper into the Stony Barrens to hunt higher-level monsters and power-level before heading back.

  "Nyx!" Lucian shouted toward the sky. "Let's head deeper. We'll find stronger prey—and tastier treats."

  A sharp roar answered him, followed by the whistle of rushing air. Nyx swooped down and promptly clung to Lucian's back.

  Lucian didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The dragon had a perfectly good pair of wings, yet she insisted on being carried like a lazy toddler.

  But what could he do? This was his dragon. He had no choice but to spoil him.

  And so, man and dragon ventured deeper into the wasteland under the glow of the setting sun.

  ...

  Four days passed in a blur.

  Deep within the Stony Barrens, the landscape grew jagged and treacherous. Scraggly shrubs towered over six feet tall, and the terrain was far more complex and dangerous than the outskirts.

  Aggressive predators prowled the shadows here, most of them exceeding Level 25.

  Usually, only a well-coordinated team of Level 30 Monster Hunters would dare to venture this far.

  "Jaw Strike!" Lucian commanded.

  Nyx, whose wingspan now reached nearly eight meters, dived from the clouds. A crimson glow ignited on his lower jaw as he slammed into a massive, three-headed lion with a coat as red as gore.

  The Three-headed Blood Lion, already battered and charred from the previous exchange, couldn't withstand the impact.

  Despite its massive, rugged frame, the Jaw Strike sent it tumbling through the dirt. It spat out a mouthful of blood and, after a few weak twitches, went still.

  "Good work," Lucian said with a grin, praising the dragon who had already grown several times its original size.

  Nyx chirped happily and performed a playful mid-air somersault, still a child at heart despite his size.

  Suddenly, a brilliant golden light washed over Lucian.

  He beamed. Another level?

  It made sense. The Three-headed Blood Lion was no ordinary mob; it was a Level 25 Mini-BOSS, a true tyrant of the deep Barrens.

  The experience payout for taking it down was more than enough to push Lucian over the threshold for his next level.

  Over the past four days, Lucian and Nyx had carved a path of destruction through the region, hunting nothing but Level 20+ monsters. The experience gains were staggering.

  In just four days, Lucian had skyrocketed from Level 10 to Level 14. His progression was nothing short of meteoric.