Amon stared at the Golden Dragon, unaware of what to say.
He was brought here by Yue's [Spatial Transfer] and was unaware he would meet such an ancient creature. Yue did mention that she was bringing him to meet the last Golden Dragon, but never in his wildest dreams would he expect it to be the Progenitor of all the Golden Dragons.
The Dragon named Yval fully zoned in on Amon, perhaps due to her bloodline resonance with the young Solaris boy. Yet, the one who answered wasn't Amon.
"Sister Yval! You shouldn't scare Amon like that!"
Yue's clear voice echoed in the chamber, drawing attention from the archaic monster. The Golden Dragon turned its snout towards the tender, soft girl and exhaled a torrent of mist.
[Sister? Child of humanity, why do you call me so?]
The Dragon's sonorous voice reverberated within the pair's minds. There was no ill intent behind her question, just genuine curiosity. But facing the gaze of the mighty demi-god was too much for a regular human to handle. Just hearing Yval's voice was enough to make men with lesser minds fall into a frenzy. Yet, Yue showed no signs of such mental distress.
"It would take too much time to explain."
Yue stepped forward and looked eye-to-eye at the colossal lizard. It was a surreal scene, watching a girl who was barely ten years of age step up to a Dragon who had existed for thousands of years. Amon couldn't breathe a word as he waited with bated breath for Yue to handle the majestic beast.
"Scour my soul and read my memories. You can do that, right?"
[Child… Are you sane?]
"It's the fastest method to explain everything. And besides… I trust you, Sister Yval."
To scour a soul meant leaving oneself at the mercy of the other. If the Golden Dragon wished to, she could permanently break Yue's soul, leaving her in a vegetative state till the end of her life. Therefore, Yval looked at Yue as if she were utterly crazy. However, the Golden Dragon was abnormally curious about everything to deny Yue's request.
How did they break the barrier and illusory spells protecting the Necropolis of the Gods? Why did they come to the North Pole, a place that was devoid of life? How did they know of her existence?
These could all be answered if she just scoured Yue's soul.
[Child… Prepare yourself.]
Yue nodded and stared right into the Golden Dragon's eyes. The two golden orbs of the demi-god illuminated themselves, and a surge of mana attacked Yue's petite body. Instantly, Yue fell backwards as consciousness was ripped clean from her soul. Amon twisted his body to absorb her fall, making sure that at least her physical body was safe from harm.
Her spiritual state, however… was in the claws of the Golden Dragon.
The young girl and Dragon remained motionless as their souls were conjoined together. Yue was the vulnerable of the two, but it seemed that Yval was doing her best to keep the girl safe while she scoured her soul.
And it wasn't long until the Dragon awakened from her stupor.
[Heavens above! Such a future!]
The Golden Dragon Progenitor exclaimed with great vigour. The mana density in the chambers instantly doubled, forcing Amon's body to tense up as he feared the worst. Fortunately, the abominable Dragon's breath never came. Instead, the Golden Dragon Progenitor pointed her snout in Yue's direction, sending a torrent of golden mana to envelop the young girl.
In no time, Yue awakened from her temporary coma and flickered her eyes towards the massive Dragon.
"S-Sister Yval… Are you satisfied?"
[Child… You have this one's thanks.]
The Golden Dragon withdrew her wings and quickly absorbed the mana she emitted. Her attention, zoned in on Amon before, was entirely focused on Yue as she tenderly nudged the young girl with her snout.
[Your bravery in the past and current timeline will save Hyades. This one is sure of it.]
"Hah… Hah… T-Thanks!" Yue panted heavily while catching her breath. "Sister Yval, now that you know the events of the future, will you be able to seal the Necropolis from the Herald?"
[Unfortunately… Her actions throughout the years have weakened the seal without me knowing. This one can delay it and prevent her from entering so violently as it occurred in your timeline, but the Titans' resurrection is inevitable.]
"That's… unfortunate."
Yue let out a bitter smile.
[Do not fear, child. Now that this one has knowledge of the future, this one will prevent the tragedy you faced.]
"Hehe, I knew I could count on you!"
The bitterness within Yue's smile disappeared instantly as she happily hugged the Golden Dragon Progenitor's snout. One would be hard-pressed to find such a ridiculous scene elsewhere, a young, tender girl who was less than the weight of the Dragon's fangs gleefully entrusting her body to the monster. But that was precisely what Amon saw.
And since he couldn't follow the pair's conversation, he could only stare blankly at the Dragon and human girl hugging it out like long-lost relatives.
[Child, how much does he know?]
It was only when Yval suddenly turned her attention towards Amon that Yue finally snapped out of her reunion jitters.
"Nothing, Sister Yval." Yue slyly giggled and glanced over her shoulders.
Locking eyes with the triumphant Yue sent a tingling shiver down Amon's spine. Now that she had gained the alliance of the Golden Dragon, she could easily obliterate Amon into pieces if she so chose. No matter how powerful Amon was in his past life, he couldn't match up against the Golden Dragon Progenitor, the being that was akin to a demi-god.
"Hehe, you don't have to be so tense! I'll explain everything to you!"
Fortunately, that gruesome thought never once crossed Yue's mind. Instead, she walked over to Amon's side and whispered: "I was thinking of teasing you, but since you hugged me earlier, I'll pass on that."
Yue's impish voice simultaneously accelerated Amon's heart rate and eased his tension. At the very least, his life wasn't in danger. But the same couldn't be said about his sanity. This current event gave Amon a deep impression, one that would last him the rest of his lifetime.
His fiancée wasn't one to be trifled with.
"Hah… Let's just get on with it."
❖❖❖
Yue's explanation was a comprehensive one.
Firstly, while the Dragons have won the war and sealed the Titans, they required a guardian to protect the tomb. And the Dragon, with the most life force and power, was the only one who could fulfil that role. Left with no other candidate, Yval, the Golden Dragon Progenitor, was selected as the Guardian of the Necropolis of the Gods.
However, even the mighty Dragons weren't immortal. Even if Yval agreed to spend the rest of her lifetime guarding the Necropolis, there would come a time when her mind, body and soul would erode, leaving the seal vulnerable to nefarious means.
Hence, Yval made the ultimate sacrifice.
Yval abandoned her physical body and merged her soul with the Necropolis. At the same time, the remnants of the demi-god were used to build the dome that housed the seal. The Dragon Progenitors of her time also included their essence in draconic runes, further enhancing her soul so that her mind wouldn't go mad and strengthening it so much that the seals placed on the slumbering Titans wouldn't be touched for aeons.
In essence, the Golden Dragon Progenitor had created the perfect, hidden graveyard where she would guard the sealed Titans until their life force was naturally returned to Hyades.
As for why Yue was so familiar with Yval…
"During the Fifth Calamity, Sister Yval was the one who helped us weaken the Titans and fight back against the Demon invasion! We wouldn't have stood a chance otherwise. Unfortunately, even with Sister Yval's help, we could not overcome the combined power of the Titans and Demons. But, this time, it will be different!"
Yue enthusiastically jolted her fists as passion burned within her eyes.
"Now that we know what's coming, Sister Yval won't be blindsided when the time to defend comes! She'll be able to weaken the Titans even further and hide the location of the Necropolis for much longer!"
[This one shall not betray your trust, Child…]
The massive Dragon nodded her head in agreement. Amon wasn't aware of what happened during the soul scour, but Yue and Yval seemingly formed a familial bond immediately after. The pair were like a real pair of sisters, praising each other gleefully.
[But still… A soul that defied time and a soul from another dimension… And this one thought this one had seen it all…]
The Golden Dragon Progenitor turned her gaze away from Yue and landed solely on Amon. The curiosity within those golden spheres couldn't be hidden.
[And the Child from another dimension is the world's best hope? Heavens, Hyades… What have you done?]
'... What?'
Yval's words hinted at something, but Amon dared not speak up. Watching the colossal Dragon edge closer towards his body was enough to freeze his feet and paralyse his mouth. The Solaris bloodline was born through the Golden Dragons. It made sense for Amon's body to be utterly powerless against them.
But Yval was about to change that.
[Child, you want this one to inject this one's blessing into him?]
"If it's not too much trouble for you, I would like that, Sister Yval!" Yue hurriedly affirmed the Golden Dragon's question. "The imbalance in Amon's body is causing his mana problems. You have seen my memories and how strong he will become. Imagine how much stronger he'll become if you bless him now!"
[Save your breath, Child. This one will bless him regardless.]
Yval's casual word caused a stir between the two irregulars.
One has to remember that a Golden Dragon Sovereign blessed the Solaris Founder, who was likely to be Yval's descendant. And his abilities were enough to wreak havoc during the ancient Dragon War, slaying dozens of mighty Dragons in the process. Imagine how much more power Amon could obtain if blessed by the original Golden Dragon?
[The world will be destroyed even if this one doesn't bless him. So why would this one be stingy about losing a fingernail's worth of mana? But Child from another dimension…]
Yval gently placed her snout on Amon's head, and the pressure he'd felt weighing on his soul increased tenfold. It felt like an ocean had appeared above the sky, and Amon desperately tried to control his legs to stay standing.
[Will you be able to withstand it? This one's blessing?]
Amon felt like his heart was being ripped apart, and his soul was laid naked for the Golden Dragon to see. The pressure he was facing only intensified while his body was screaming at him to kneel and submit. But Amon… The Transcendent within Amon… remained defiant.
Bleeding from the corners of his mouth, the young boy said determinedly.
"I will withstand it. Even if it kills me."
Yval's eyes glowed ever so bright as the back of her razor-sharp jaw cracked upwards.
[Very well…]
Those were the last words Amon heard before a searing wave of pain engulfed his body. Convulsing with involuntary spasms, Amon felt his throat constricting and his tongue swelling up. His four limbs now felt like he was being injected with a million needles, plugging every pore that rested on his skin.
The following tremendous impact Amon felt was the moment he fell to his knees. That simple movement was enough to feel like he was thrown into hell's depths. Beads of sweat turned into an utterly wet shirt, soiling his perfect image of a boy from high heritage instantly. The pain was relentless, radiating from every corner of his body and racing towards his inner core.
Amon's heart rate accelerated wildly like a prancing horse, and his brain lost control of all his senses. Only sight remained, but Amon's eyes were covered with tears, giving him vague photographs of only white light.
And just when he'd thought the pain couldn't get any worse…
"ARGHHHH!!!"
A loud cry escaped Amon's drooling mouth. He had been enduring it without letting out a single call for distress, but he could not hold back the next phase of the blessing.
A tremendous heat, one that Amon had never felt before in his entire existence, ignited within his core. The heat was akin to a miniature Sun being born, and he felt like he was being cooked alive. A guttural retching sound broke through Amon's lips as the contents of his breakfast came hurling out. And it didn't end there.
Blood mixed with impurities was thrown out from his body while his muscles were reforging. The heat grew hotter with each passing moment, eventually engulfing almost every corner of Amon's body.
And it was only a matter of time before the blessing reached its final destination.
Amon felt his heart contract. The flames ignited within had turned into a wildfire. There was no stopping its siege on his most vital organ… His heart.
Burning with sweat dripping down by the buckets, Amon grabbed onto his chest with both his hands. Even during his past death, he'd never felt such pain before. But Amon persisted. Enduring whatever pain there was, the young boy willingly guided the fiery blessings into his heart, increasing the suffering he endured a thousandfold.
A mixture of heat, sharp pain, and pounding suffering were all conjoined into a symphony of agony.
Time lost all meaning in the face of such despair. Did a second pass? A minute? An hour? Amon had no idea. The only thing keeping him awake was his mental willpower. He'd lost all sense of reason and thought. There wasn't any desire to become stronger or thoughts about being rewarded. Those things left the conversation the moment he fell to the ground, as pain was the only thing occupying his mind.
Amon's mental resilience and determination to never submit were the only things that endured throughout the blessing.
And it paid off…
"Hah… Hah…"
As abruptly as it began, the paroxysm of suffering dissipated into nothingness, as if it never existed in the first place. Torn mentally and physically, Amon was unaware of the mess he'd made or the shocked faces of the Golden Dragon or his fiancée.
With the suffering gone, all he wanted to do… was rest.
Toppling onto the floor with his body sprawled out like a broken doll, Amon's vision faded into black as the last remains of his consciousness escaped his petite, juvenile body.