novelraw Chapter 269: Uninvited Guests, Jin Long's 'Blackmail'
Chapter 269: Uninvited Guests, Jin Long's 'Blackmail'
"Captain of wisdom, and all you brave sailors!"
With their destination nearly in sight, Alberto's face shone with radiant enthusiasm as he addressed them in a clear, bright voice. With an elegant motion he drew from behind his waist a finely crafted harp that gave off a faint woody fragrance.
"Thank you all for your generous passage and care along the way. I once adventured through the legendary Everbright Forest and was fortunate enough to learn an ancient tune imbued with the rhythm of nature from the forest faeries who live there."
He bowed slightly, performing an adventurer's salute with undeniable grace.
"Allow me to offer this song as my humble repayment for the journey."
Before the words left his mouth, he moved in a blur and light-footedly leapt to the most open part of the deck.
Under the curious, expectant gazes of the captain and the sailors, Alberto's expression instantly grew intensely focused.
His long, elegant fingers, almost as if guided by magic, brushed the harp strings with gentle precision.
Ding— the first ethereal, crystalline note leaped out, breaking the hush over the river. Immediately following, a string of distant, pure melodies—like the heartbeat of the earth and the depths of the forest—began to flow, smooth as a mountain stream, drifting among the ship's rails and masts. The listeners' taut nerves unwound without realizing it, as if in a single instant they had been transported from the monotonous river voyage into an infinite, vibrant ancient wood where breezes caressed faces and tree shadows danced.
What was even more astonishing was that, as his fingers nimbly plucked the harp, Alberto's tall, lithe, and vigorous body seemed to be animated by the music. He began to dance to the rhythm, his movements blending the grace of elves, the freedom of humans, and an ineffable exotic flavor—sometimes like a deer leaping through the forest, sometimes like vines swaying in the wind—radiant with life and irresistible artistic charm."Great! Fantastic!"
"This youngster’s got real skill!"
The audience was thoroughly captivated by the brilliant performance, erupting into enthusiastic applause and genuine shouts of praise.
At the center of it all, Alberto's face beamed with a pure, dazzling smile. His eyes were enraptured, as if he were wholly immersed in the supreme joy of music and dance, savoring that brief, simple happiness.
No one could imagine, nor perceive,
that this warm, talented, sunlit young adventurer before them… was in fact the apex of the Metal Dragons, the living embodiment of wisdom and power—a Gold Dragon!
Gold Dragons are masters of perfect disguise into all kinds of humanoid forms.
This method lets the typically aloof Gold Dragons temporarily cast off the burdens of heavy responsibility and taste the ease of companionship and shared simple pleasures.
It is also worth noting:
regardless of a Gold Dragon’s true nature—benevolent, proud, impartial, or like Alberto, harboring a hidden ambition to conquer—once they select a "disguise role," they adopt it with near-fanatical professionalism. They strictly follow the role's behavioral logic, emotional expressions, and even habitual details, never breaking the constructed persona on a whim or due to emotional turbulence.
Before long,
the adventurer Alberto bid a radiant farewell to the captain and sailors with a wave, then, in a flash of lightness, slipped into the dense, vine-tangled thicket along the riverbank and vanished without a trace.
Night poured down like thick ink, gradually soaking the vast vault of sky.
Stars glittered like scattered diamonds set in deep-blue velvet, their cold light spilling over the undulating surface of the Estonian Great River.
At a fortified watchtower platform on the riverside outpost,
Yinji Zachary led a squad of hardened centaur marksmen, standing ready in formation.
Their muscular arms were taut, bows drawn like full moons. Hawk-like eyes pierced the cool night wind, fixated on the river below, where the waters churned and foamed, looking ever more violent in the dark.
Minutes passed.
Splash—!
The once-regular sounds of waves suddenly turned wild and unnatural.
The river's center burst into towering sprays as several massive black shapes darted rapidly beneath the surface, stirring chaotic whirlpools.
"Raise the net!"
Yinji Zachary's gaze sharpened as his low command thundered like a muffled explosion.
—!!!
Accompanied by the heavy creaking of winches and ogres' raw roars, the strong ogres hidden along both riverbanks heaved with force. Thick iron chains and a massive net woven from special metal were pulled up in an instant, forming a steel barrier across the current that clamped down on the fierce aquatic beasts trying to surge upstream.
Splash! Splash!
Water sprayed like a torrential downpour.
Several huge, tusked river monsters, caught off guard, slammed into the resilient iron-net with a dull crash; others relied on raw power to leap high from the water, attempting to clear the barricade and carving wild arcs through the air.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Almost simultaneously, the centaur marksmen loosed their arrows. The hum of bowstrings tore through the air as the specially structured, faintly alchemical-glinting, razor-sharp arrows—like eyes of their own—pierced with deadly accuracy into the hearts of creatures that had leapt free or tried to smash the iron net.
Thud! Thud!
The dull sounds of blades biting flesh mingled with the monsters' agonized roars. Crimson blood quickly stained the river, and a strong metallic tang filled the night wind.
The Estonian Great River system sprawled vast, its channels branching and intertwining.
The ferocious water beasts living in deep waters often attacked passing merchant ships, naturally including the river routes now overseen by the Molten Iron Tribe and relied upon as vital trade arteries.
Thus, the Molten Iron Tribe's kin stationed at various river outposts regularly organized hunts and exterminations of river beasts—an absolutely crucial task.
It ensured safe navigation for trade, upheld the tribe's commercial lifeline, and yielded a large supply of energy-rich beast meat for the tribe to consume—a win-win.
—!
Another arrow, loaded with fierce force, screamed through the air and drove straight for a giant fishlike monster that had just leapt to its highest point, trying to clear the iron net.
Just as the arrow was about to strike the monster’s scale-armored body,
an abrupt mutation erupted.
"Roar—!!!"
From the mouth of that seemingly ordinary fish-monster came a low, majestic, pressure-filled dragon roar!
Under the terrified, wary gazes of the centaurs, ogres, and goblin aides,
the beast's body inflated, warped, and twisted as if being pumped full of air. Its ordinary fish scales, in the blink of an eye, were replaced by brilliant, molten-gold metal dragon scales that flowed with a liquid-gold sheen. A thick dragon neck lifted proudly, rugged dragon horns pierced the night sky, and broad dragon wings sprung open, blotting out the stars and moon.
A gigantic, awe-inspiring behemoth, gleaming in resplendent golden light and radiating pure, powerful dragon might, had manifested in place of the fishlike monster, hovering above the waves.
A Metal Dragon! And not just any Metal Dragon—the pinnacle of Metal Dragons: a Gold Dragon!
"Before unnecessary bloodshed breaks out, I would prefer a... civilized conversation first."
Alberto Aurelius's molten-gold, majestic dragon pupils slowly swept over the stunned or heavily guarded faces of the kin onshore. His deep voice rolled like distant thunder over the river: "Wanton slaughter of innocent river beasts, attacking a noble dragon who was... peacefully frolicking with them..."
His great dragon snout curled slightly as he continued: "Monsters, you must prove to me that your actions do not stem from pure malice."
Yinji Zachary sucked in the icy night air and forced himself to pull back from the shock of dragon might.
Damn it! A Gold Dragon?! This is big trouble!
In any case, the immediate priority was to stabilize this obviously ill-intentioned and overwhelmingly powerful Gold Dragon.
"Ex... esteemed Gold Dragon!"
Silvermane Zachary suppressed the tremor in his voice, straining to maintain a respectful posture as he loudly replied, "Please understand, noble one! These river beasts are far from innocent! They frequently attack passing merchant ships, causing casualties and cargo losses. They are threats we must eliminate."
He bowed lower, lowering his posture even further: "As for the offense against you... this is surely a terrible misunderstanding. We meant no disrespect! We simply failed to see through your noble disguise."
Knowing dragon temperament well, the centaur leader spoke quickly and decisively, then waved toward the rear with a curt motion, urgently ordering in a lowered voice: "Bring the chest of the finest gold coins from the storeroom."
Several trembling goblins practically crawled toward the warehouse and, after much effort, lugged out a heavy metal chest.
Yinji Zachary stepped forward and presented the treasure with the utmost humility. "This represents the Molten Iron Tribe’s deepest respect and reverence for your exalted status! A meager gift—please accept it to atone for our ignorant offense!"
However,
the golden dragon hovering in the air did not, as expected, soften at the sight of treasure.
"A gift?"
Alberto's voice abruptly turned cold.
"What do you take me for? Road bandits? Greedy thieves?"
Terrifying dragon might surged down like a tangible tide, forcing the kin onshore to their knees, nearly suffocating them.
Cold sweat soaked Silvermane Zachary's mane. He immediately made his posture even more abject, nearly prostrating himself: "Never! Great Gold Dragon, you misunderstand. This is not ransom or bribery—this is merely... a token of our sincere reverence and deepest respect for your majesty. Please... please accept it!"
He nearly shouted as he urged the goblins, piling every valuable, recently seized or traded item they could find onto the riverbank, forming a small glittering "mountain of respect" before the dragon.
The resplendent golden dragon hovered silently, its gaze like a probing instrument, fixing on the centaur leader's face as he desperately feigned composure. The silence stretched, heavy as solid lead.
Suddenly,
"Hahaha!"
Alberto burst into a loud, hearty laugh that seemed to slice through the night, his dragon visage breaking into pleased delight.
"Respect? Reverence? Excellent! I like that word!"
His massive head tilted, and his tone carried the pleasure of magnanimity: "If this is a gift offered out of 'reverence'... then this time, I will mercifully forgive your ignorant offense."
With an apparently casual sweep of his broad wing,
Whoosh—! The coins, gems, and valuables piled on the shore were swept up as if by an invisible tornado, vanishing in an instant beneath those gleaming golden wings.
"Remember this is a lesson—do not let it happen again!"
Leaving that majestic warning behind, the enormous golden dragon unfurled its wings with a powerful shudder.
Boom! The gust carved a huge depression in the river as the dragon shot upward; in a flash its gilded form became a streak of gold tearing through the night and was gone into the starlit sky.
Yet...
the matter did not end there.
Not long after,
at another riverside outpost belonging to the Molten Iron Tribe on the Estonian Great River, an almost identical scene unfolded again.
The Gold Dragon’s actions clashed with the rumors of noble, benevolent Gold Dragons; instead it resembled a golden-scaled marauder systematically and greedily extorting the tribe’s riches.
At the same time,
a biting north wind, carrying the chill from the Ser Wilderness, howled across the scale-ringing rocks of Dragon Valley.
Alberto the Gold Dragon’s deeds, like cold news on the wind, spread swiftly.
In the valley, Garoth finished his training with a trace of gravity crossing his eyes. His head rose slightly as an invisible mental pulse traveled through bloodline connections to the iron dragon Sorog.
"A Gold Dragon..."
"His actions seem not merely aimed at looting wealth. This feels more like... a deliberate provocation, or a probe of some kind."
The red iron dragon's pupils contracted slightly as he mused.
"Sorog."
After a moment's thought, Garoth issued the order: "Notify red dragon Samantha and nurturer Trixie. The three of you go first to meet this... unwelcome guest who has come with ill intent."
He would not remain idle in Dragon Valley waiting for updates.
He would shadow them in secret, letting Sorog and the others make the first appearance to scout the Gold Dragon’s true purpose. He himself would act according to the situation—and, right, take Deborah along to ensure nothing went wrong.