On the other side...
In the Stin Empire, just beyond Norton, lay the Wergon Sea.
Across the sea, there was Boren Island.
This island, once under the dominion of the old Count Walt, was now occupied by subdragons.
It was the largest of the five island territories lost by Count Walt.
The island was overrun with bipedal pterosaurs and quadruped sea dragons.
A young boy, wearing a banana leaf apron around his waist, strolled across the island, accompanied by a small 'Firebird Dragon' from the order of Saurischia, suborder Theropoda, and the infraorder of feathered dragons.
The 'Firebird Dragon' had the wings of a parrot, striking wing feathers, and its lower limbs covered with the scales typical of a lizard, or more precisely, a dragon.
It chirped merrily.
The boy, Henry, stroked the vibrant bird crest of the 'Firebird Dragon' beside him, then looked at the system prompt in front of him.
[Your affinity with the Firebird Dragon has increased by +1]
[You have gained the Melodious Chant ability of the Firebird Dragon!]
At this moment, hearing the system prompt, Henry felt a surge of joy.
"Not bad!"
"Though it's not the flame control ability, it's still a useful one. Glad it's not just mimicry."
Henry murmured to himself.
"Indeed, it's always rewarding with these higher-level extraordinary species."
The next moment, he leaped onto the back of the 'Firebird Dragon' and took to the skies.
They circled in the air and then headed towards a small mountain on the higher part of the island.
There, a group of gryphons resided.
Soon, Hunter approached a gryphon, petting the mane on the back of its head just like before.
Subsequently, his affinity with the gryphon began to increase as well.
Without a doubt, Hunter was also a protagonist.
Moreover, his "cheat" was remarkably simple.
It allowed him to increase his affinity with certain animals through contact, turning them into friends.
Additionally, when his affinity reached 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100, he could acquire different abilities from these animals.
At this moment, he had already mastered abilities such as "Wolf's Howl," "Earthquake," "Venom," and "Cat's Footsteps," among others.
Having acquired abilities from ordinary animals, he was no longer satisfied with just befriending them.
Instead, he yearned to befriend more exotic and powerful spellbeasts.
Thus, with the help of a gryphon, he successfully arrived at this island.
Of course, his visit was spurred by rumors of a unicorn appearing in Walton.
He quickly made his way there, came into contact with the unicorn, and gained the "Rainbow Blessing" ability, which granted him a special rainbow energy protection.
Following this...
While in Norton, he heard about the subdragons on the offshore islands, and with the aid of a gryphon, he flew over.
He had already befriended many subdragons on the island.
However, his ambitions weren't limited to the few weaker subdragons he had encountered so far.
After all, based on his previous experiences, the stronger the spellbeast he connected with, the more powerful the skills he acquired upon reaching a certain affinity level.
For instance, he once petted an elemental creature, the Water Sprite Cat, and gained the ability "Water Control," allowing him to manipulate water flow to create objects and launch them at enemies.
Now, his sights were set on the pterosaurs and several more powerful subdragons.
Take the [Molten Subdragon], for example.
This was a ten-meter-long subdragon.
Among the subdragons, it was a significant presence.
Moreover, it was an offspring of the crossbreeding between a [Molten Hound] and a dragon.
Its body glowed red, and its belly was covered in molten fire.
If he could cultivate affinity with it, Hunter believed he could acquire the formidable ability to control magma!
It was well-known that even in the current court magic academies, magic that controlled magma was considered a higher level than that controlling mere flames.
Hunter was contemplating how to approach the [Molten Subdragon].
Currently, his cheat, like himself, was at level 1, which prevented him from instantly gaining the favor of powerful creatures.
Only by enchanting perhaps hundreds of spellbeasts, increasing his affinity for them, and advancing his cheat to level 2, could he easily gain the favor of some of the more formidable spellbeasts he currently viewed.
By then, it would be easier for him to win the favor of powerful spellbeasts.
For now, to get close to the [Molten Subdragon], he needed to find the right opportunity.
Additionally, there was a [Silverback Dragon] in the sea, at least thirty meters long!
It was also a target Hunter was keen to connect with.
However, the [Silverback Dragon] was an aquatic subdragon, and since Hunter had limited interactions with aquatic creatures, he was yet to ascertain its safety.
According to the rumors from Walton, the 4-star general-tier [Molten Subdragon], although it didn't allow anyone within ten meters, was mostly indifferent to those outside this range.
So, Hunter believed he still had a chance.
Furthermore, Hunter had a very clear understanding of his cheat.
It was, in fact, quite remarkable.
On one hand, having many friends opened many paths.
His animal companions could spot dangers from afar, whether in the air, on the ground, or in water, and quickly alert him, allowing for a swift escape.
On the other hand, this ability could also be upgraded and advanced.
Once his charm with these spellbeasts reached a certain level, he planned to seek out and befriend some legendary and powerful beings. After that, he could practically reign supreme on the land.
After all...
In this world, Ancient Dragons were beings that could rival some deities.
However, most had fallen in the previous demon world invasion, while others might still be in deep slumber.
Ancient Dragons were colossal, starting at tens of meters, with some reaching over a hundred meters in length!
Just thinking about it filled Hunter with excitement.
After hearing the news that two protagonists were swiftly eliminated by an antagonist, he had chosen a path of steady development.
In other words, he was laying low.
On this deserted island, if he could successfully gain a 60% affinity bond with a 5-star General-tier spellbeast, his safety would be much higher than other protagonists.
After all, subdragons could fly.
And they were fast, surpassing the court's gryphons.
Moreover, their combat strength was a tier higher.
Even if the antagonist's strength reached half-step lord-tier, or even lord-tier, with a 5-star General-tier subdragon as a companion, he might not be able to defeat the antagonist, but he could at least escape.
While pondering this, Hunter hummed a tune.
In his previous life, he had been a corporate drone, yearning for a pastoral island life. Now experiencing it, he didn't find it tedious in the least.
This felt like the life he had always pursued!
Now, steadily and securely growing his power like this, ruling the continent, and leading thousands of dragons to descend upon the world seemed within reach!
At the moment, he was considering whether to find some delicacies or treats that might interest the [Molten Subdragon].
He had heard that [Molten Subdragons] liked tequila, though he wasn't sure if it was true.
Hunter wondered if he should try brewing a bottle.
Last time, he had purchased a bottle of tequila, but its scent of humans from outside the island had angered the [Molten Subdragon], who glared at Hunter fiercely, nearly scaring him out of his wits.
This time, he planned to win the formidable subdragon's favor through his own cooking.
It wasn't his first time attempting such a feat.
Just as he was about to gather some food and spices, a golden dragon suddenly appeared on the coast ahead.
It seemed as if woven from golden light.
Although its size was similar to the [Molten Subdragon], this immense dragon radiated not a wild ferocity but a brilliant luminescence, so dazzling that Hunter could barely keep his eyes open.
The next moment, the [Golden Subdragon] lunged at him and swallowed him whole.
Thus, Elizabeth, riding the dragon formed from [Light], took the captured Hunter and flew off into the distance.
They passed outside the surveillance of the sea magic tower and teleported directly to Beaconburg.
At that moment...
The square in Beaconburg was already filled with numerous young boys and girls.
They, it seemed, were all protagonists captured like Hunter.