Perhaps sensing the dangerous aura of the metallic dragon Gold Coin, the fire dragon instinctively took a few steps back, staring nervously at its counterpart. One wing half-shielded its own knight, afraid that Gold Coin might suddenly lash out and harm its rider. The unruly nature of metallic dragons is famous among dragonkind, and they are also known as some of the most dangerous contract dragons for knights.

Seeing the fire dragon’s reaction, the metallic dragon merely snorted, curled up, and pretended to doze, too lazy to bother with this weakling.

Michael was a young fire dragon, still in its growth phase and not yet a thousand years old. It was hard to imagine a fire dragon—naturally flamboyant, wreathed in eternal flames and sulfurous smoke, always drawing attention wherever it went—trying to sneak around in a clumsy attempt at stealth. It was almost comical that this poor fire dragon had been persuaded by Arthur to imitate a shadow dragon’s stealth technique, something it was never meant to do. Clearly, this unfortunate dragon had been led astray by its knight, wasting time on such pointless efforts.

Probably after being thoroughly schooled by big brother Goddard, the fire dragon knight Arthur was constantly thinking about how to make up for his shortcomings and turn the tables in a situation where he was completely outmatched. Even with just a little thought, Morgan could easily guess the reason behind Arthur’s recent odd behavior.

“Morgan, of course you’re not afraid. Metallic dragons may not be fast, but their physical attack and defense are both high—only the black dragon clan can really compete with them. I’ve been put through the wringer by big brother Goddard these past few days. He keeps saying that Michael and I have too much offense and not enough defense, that our strength is unbalanced, and that it’s easy for opponents to find a weakness and strike hard. So, I wanted to learn some of big brother Goddard and his shadow dragon Skyler’s signature moves. What’s that saying—using the opponent’s own skills to pay them back in kind? That’s the best way to get under someone’s skin.” Still radiating “Ninefold Blazing Sun Battle Aura,” Arthur removed his helmet, revealing brown hair and a handsome, youthful face—definitely the kind of sunny young man who would make girls scream. Yet his bitter expression was almost comical.

The techniques practiced by dragon knights and their mounts are almost always of the same attribute, so they can fully unleash their combined power.

Of course, there are a very few dragon knights and dragons who, despite being able to form a soul resonance and contract, do not share the same attribute. A small number of these lucky pairs can create a beneficial synergy, such as wind and fire, or water and lightning—combinations of unparalleled power, far more than just the sum of their parts. But this also requires extremely high levels of attribute control and mutual understanding.

Only when one’s strength reaches a very high level can one use their abilities in the right place and at the right time to achieve the greatest effect. The limitations of mismatched attributes can only be overcome with extraordinary wisdom, turning the impossible into the miraculous.

Some dragons, for reasons unknown, don’t care whether their attributes match or complement their knight’s, and still choose to become partners with humans. In tens of thousands of years, such lucky individuals have been extremely rare, with only a handful of cases ever recorded.

Therefore, soul resonance is the foundation of becoming a dragon knight. Even so, it does not guarantee that one can truly become a dragon knight. There are many so-called “dragon knights” who are abandoned by their dragons, unable to control their mounts, and ultimately have their dragon flute forcibly reclaimed.

Few people can handle such dramatic ups and downs. Many once-promising geniuses, burdened with high expectations, have never recovered and have faded into obscurity.

It’s easy to imagine, then, just how glorious and respected it is to become a true dragon knight, given all the risks and unknowns involved.

Arthur and his dragon partner Michael share the same attribute. Arthur’s “Ninefold Blazing Sun Aura” perfectly complements the fire dragon, and the strength of a dragon knight’s cultivation is said to grow by leaps and bounds.

Morgan, on the other hand, and the metallic dragon Gold Coin are a rare combination of light and metal attributes. When Morgan’s mentor, dragon knight O'Hagan, first learned of their soul resonance and contract under the Dragon God Pact, he was extremely surprised. In this world, besides the basic attributes of metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, lightning, light, and darkness, there are also rare ones like ice, poison, space, time, and blood. Although light and metal are neither complementary nor opposing, their pairing is unprecedented. The number of dragon knights in history has never been large, and cross-attribute knight-dragon pairs are even rarer, with little reference material available. Most such knights have had to forge their own unique paths through trial and error. How to fully realize their potential is something Morgan must discover for himself.