Chapter 128: 04

The tension between Jack’s forces and the dragons was palpable. Despite their gratitude, the dragons remained distant, their trust not easily earned. Jack stood before the largest of them, his sharp gaze unwavering.

“You say we should talk,” Jack said, smirking. “But words alone won’t convince you. So what will?”

The dragon’s eyes glowed faintly as it studied him. “Our kind does not pledge allegiance through words alone. You wish to stand beside us? Then prove your worth through trial.”

Jack’s smirk widened. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

Katrina stepped forward, cautious. “Jack, are you sure about this?”

Jack nodded. “This is how they work. If we want the dragons as allies, we have to earn it their way.”

The Elven Queen, standing beside the Goblin King, spoke next. “The Trial of Fire is legendary. Many have attempted it. Few have survived.”

Jack cracked his knuckles. “Good thing I’m not like most people.”

The trial was set. The dragons led Jack deep into the heart of their volcanic domain, where molten rivers twisted through jagged obsidian cliffs. The heat was suffocating, but Jack remained unfazed.

“You must retrieve the Ember Stone from the core of the inferno,” the leading dragon declared. “It is guarded by the Wyrm of Ash, a creature that devours the unworthy.”

Katrina clenched her fists. “This is madness.”

Jack grinned. “No, this is strategy.”

Without hesitation, he stepped forward. “Let’s get this over with.”

The ground trembled as he entered the cavern alone.

Inside, the air was thick with the scent of sulfur. Glowing red veins pulsed along the walls, and the sound of something massive shifting in the darkness sent vibrations through Jack’s bones.

Then he saw it.

A titanic serpent, its body formed from blackened rock and flowing lava, uncoiled before him. Its eyes were burning embers, and as it exhaled, waves of heat distorted the air.

Jack smirked. “You’re uglier than I imagined.”

The beast roared, shaking the cavern, and lunged.

Jack dodged effortlessly, his mind working a mile a minute. He couldn’t brute force this fight—this was a test of wit as much as strength.

Observing the terrain, he noticed something. The Wyrm’s body was sluggish when passing over certain patches of ground. The heat there wasn’t as intense.

“Got you.”

Jack dashed toward one of these zones, drawing the creature’s fury. As it lunged again, he rolled aside at the last moment, causing the Wyrm to slam into the cooled ground.

A deafening crack split the air as the creature’s rocky form fractured.

Jack wasted no time. He sprinted up its back, using the fissures as footholds, and reached its head. Before the Wyrm could react, Jack plunged his blade deep into one of its burning eyes.

The beast let out a final, earth-shaking roar before collapsing into a pile of smoldering rubble.

Jack landed smoothly, dusting himself off. “Too easy.”

He turned toward the glowing Ember Stone at the cavern’s heart.

Taking it in his hand, he felt a surge of warmth, but it didn’t burn him. Instead, it pulsed with energy, as if acknowledging him.

Jack smirked. “Trial complete.”

Jack emerged from the cavern, Ember Stone in hand. The gathered dragons widened their eyes in shock.

The lead dragon stepped forward. “You have done what few before you could. The stone has chosen you.”

Jack twirled the Ember Stone in his fingers. “So, does that mean we have a deal?”

The dragon let out a deep, rumbling laugh. “Not yet. There is one final step.”

Jack raised an eyebrow. “Of course there is.”

The dragon lowered its head, leveling its gaze with him. “You must withstand the Flames of Oath. Only then will we acknowledge you as one of us.”

Katrina’s expression darkened. “Jack, this is—”

Jack raised a hand, silencing her. “Bring it on.”

The dragon inhaled deeply, and in the next moment, unleashed a torrent of golden fire.

The flames roared toward Jack, engulfing him completely.

For a moment, silence fell over the crowd.

Then, through the swirling inferno, Jack’s silhouette remained unmoved.

As the flames subsided, he stood untouched, the Ember Stone glowing in his hand. His eyes, sharp and unyielding, met the dragon’s.

The dragon lowered its head. “You have proven yourself. From this day forward, the dragons stand with you.”

A cheer erupted from his allies. Katrina exhaled, relief washing over her face.

Jack smirked. “Took you long enough.”

The Elven Queen stepped forward. “With the dragons on our side, the tides of war have changed.”

The Goblin King grinned. “And now, the real fight begins.”

Jack glanced toward the horizon.

The darkness was still coming.

But now, he had fire on his side.

And he planned to use it.

The dragons had accepted Jack, but that was just the beginning. Now, they had to integrate the mightiest creatures of the sky into an already complex alliance.

Jack stood atop the fortress walls, overlooking the vast war camp below. Dragons rested in massive enclosures, their scales glinting under the sun, while elves, goblins, and humans moved between tents, exchanging strategies.

Katrina approached, her armor polished and her sword resting at her side. “You’ve done something impossible, Jack.”

Jack smirked. “I tend to do that a lot.”

She sighed. “But we’re not done yet. With the dragons on our side, we have a massive advantage. But if we don’t use them correctly, it could be meaningless.”

Jack turned to her, his mind already working through dozens of scenarios. “Which is why we’re holding a war council.”

Inside the grand war tent, the most powerful figures of the alliance gathered.

The Elven Queen, her elegant robes flowing as she took her seat, her piercing gaze analyzing every detail.

The Goblin King, his expression unreadable, yet his sharp eyes held a devious intelligence.

The Dragon Elders, their scaled forms barely fitting inside, their deep, rumbling voices adding weight to every word spoken.

Jack sat at the head of the table, fingers tapping against the map spread before them. The battlefield was laid out in perfect detail—mountains, rivers, fortresses. And at the center of it all—the Iron Dome of Dragons, the last true stronghold before the heart of enemy territory.

Jack’s voice cut through the murmurs. “We know the enemy wants the Iron Dome. They attacked before, and they’ll attack again. If they take it, we lose a strategic point and one of our strongest alliances.”

The Elven Queen nodded. “Our scouts report enemy movement near the Shadowed Hills. They’re massing an army.”

Katrina crossed her arms. “And I assume we don’t have the numbers to meet them head-on?”

The Goblin King chuckled. “Even with the dragons, we’d be fighting at a disadvantage.”

Jack’s smirk deepened. “Then we don’t fight them head-on.”

Silence filled the room.

Jack leaned forward, pointing at a narrow pass leading toward the Iron Dome. “This is where we make our move.”

Jack’s fingers danced over the map as he explained.

“The enemy will march through here. They have no other option. If they try to go around, they’ll lose weeks of movement, and they know time isn’t on their side.”

The Dragon Elder narrowed his eyes. “You suggest we set an ambush?”

Jack shook his head. “No. We let them reach the Dome.”

The Elven Queen frowned. “That’s a dangerous gamble.”

Jack smiled. “Only if you don’t know what happens next.”

He pointed to the cliffs surrounding the Dome. “We position the dragons here, hidden from sight. Goblin sappers will rig the lower paths with explosives, forcing the enemy into a bottleneck. Meanwhile, elven archers will be stationed here and here.”

Katrina nodded, seeing the brilliance unfold. “And when they reach the Dome?”

Jack’s grin turned sharp. “We don’t let them leave.”

The room was silent as the weight of his plan settled over them.

The Goblin King burst into laughter. “This… this is insanity.”

The Elven Queen’s lips curved slightly. “No. This is genius.”

Days later, the trap was set.

Jack stood atop the cliffs, watching as the enemy forces marched into the valley below.

Their leader, a monstrous warlord clad in black armor, rode at the front, his massive blade resting on his shoulder. Thousands followed behind him—orcish berserkers, corrupted elves, and dark knights sworn to the forces of the abyss.

Jack exhaled.

“Showtime.”

He raised his hand. A single signal.

Flames erupted from the mountainsides as the goblins’ explosives detonated, collapsing the valley’s only escape route.

The enemy forces turned in panic—only to find the sky ablaze.

The dragons descended.

Roaring flames engulfed the battlefield as the enemy ranks broke in chaos. Arrows rained from above as the elven archers fired with deadly precision. Katrina led the charge with her cavalry, striking the disoriented forces like a storm.

Jack watched it all unfold, satisfied.

The enemy had walked straight into their doom.

But something wasn’t right.

The warlord, despite the destruction, stood unmoving in the center of the battlefield.

And then, he laughed.

The air grew heavier. A sickly aura spread across the battlefield as the warlord raised his sword.

Dark energy pulsed from the blade, spreading like a living shadow. The flames dimmed, the dragons faltered, and suddenly—the battlefield was no longer theirs.

Jack’s smirk faded.

“Katrina, fall back!”

But it was too late.

The warlord moved—faster than anything Jack had ever seen. One moment he was standing in the flames, the next he was among them, cutting down knights in a blur of black steel.

The battlefield turned in an instant.

Jack clenched his fists.

This wasn’t just a battle anymore.

This was war.

And he would not lose.

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