Almost instantly, a thousand meters away in the northern sky, Coal Ball’s figure reappeared, already just a black dot.

Raylo’s eyebrows shot up.

A thousand meters!

One Space Flash, and it had covered a thousand meters!

Just a few days ago, when the little guy was still in its Juvenile Dragon Stage, the maximum distance of a single flash was barely a few dozen meters.

Now that it had broken through to the Growth Stage, its Space Ability had taken such an incredible leap forward!

’This rate of growth is simply unheard-of.’

However, before Raylo could even celebrate the massive power boost of his Minister of Logistics, something even more astonishing happened.

The black dot a thousand meters away didn’t pause for even a moment. It flickered once more and vanished again, farther to the north.

’Where is it going?’

Raylo was deeply puzzled.

Coal Ball could be mischievous, but it never strayed far from Moonlight’s side, and it certainly wouldn’t leave the castle without reason.

’What was its purpose in heading north so urgently?’

"Sun."

Raylo acted decisively, looking up at the Golden Dragon beside him.

Sun let out a low rumble in response.

"Let’s go after it."

The Golden Dragon’s massive head dipped slightly. With a gentle nudge, a soft force lifted Raylo and Moonlight, setting them down steadily on the wide, flat expanse of its head. Its two Dragon Horns, which looked as if they were forged from gold, formed perfect natural railings on either side.

The next moment, its golden, membranous wings unfurled with a thunderous sound, blotting out the sky.

WHOOSH!

A fierce wind howled as Sun’s enormous body lifted off the ground.

With a single beat of its wings, it transformed into a streak of golden light, speeding off in the direction Coal Ball had vanished.

This was Raylo’s first time truly "riding a dragon."

The top of the Golden Dragon Sun’s head was as wide as a moving platform and incredibly stable.

He didn’t even have to try to keep his balance. He could simply stand there as the behemoth beneath him tore through the clouds.

The howling winds were held at bay by an invisible barrier of the Power of the Giant Dragon, reduced to a gentle breeze that merely caressed his robes.

Every flex of the muscles beneath him held cataclysmic power. With every flap of its wings, the mountains and rivers below receded at an incredible speed, blurring into indistinct patches of color.

This was speed born of pure power—raw, direct, and unstoppable.

Riding a Giant Dragon was an experience that no other Flying Magical Beast could ever hope to match.

Yet, even as Sun pushed its speed to the absolute limit, streaking across the sky like a golden comet, the distant black dot that was Coal Ball continued to pull away at a speed that defied all logic.

It wasn’t flying continuously.

The tiny black dot would appear for a moment, then vanish without a trace. When it reappeared, it would be thousands of meters away in a different spot.

Its trajectory wasn’t a straight line, but a series of disconnected points.

Space-jumping!

’Raylo was utterly shocked. A Space Young Dragon in its Growth Stage could use Space Travel so fast that not even a Golden Dragon could catch it with raw speed. This isn’t just ’fast’ anymore. This is a profoundly deep understanding of the very essence of the Law of Space.’

Soon enough, the black dot disappeared completely over the distant horizon.

Moonlight, nestled in his arms, let out a low whimper. Its silver body tensed, and a hint of anxiety flickered in its pale golden eyes.

It clearly couldn’t lock onto its little brother’s position anymore.

"Don’t worry."

Raylo patted its smooth back reassuringly, then closed his eyes.

Deep within his Spiritual World, the Companion Contract he had signed with Coal Ball was emitting a faint but resilient light.

He immersed his full concentration into it. Soon, a vague sense of direction emerged in his mind, like a distant, faint beacon in the pitch-black night.

"Sun, head in that direction."

Raylo opened his eyes and pointed toward the northern horizon.

Sun let out a low rumble in response. Its massive body carved an arc through the sky as it unhesitatingly changed course.

It, too, seemed to have taken an interest in the little creature that had managed to slip away right from under its nose.

And so, the man and two dragons chased an unseen target across the vast, empty sky.

「Several hours later,」

The rolling Black Stone Mountain Range appeared on the horizon.

This was Black Stone Territory’s natural barrier—a treacherous landscape infested with Magical Beasts and rarely trod by man.

Following the guidance of the contract, Raylo directed Sun to circle above a particularly treacherous peak covered in black rock.

"This is it."

Raylo gazed down at the mountain peaks below, a sense of familiarity washing over him.

He recognized this peak.

He had been here a few months ago with Master Barnaby.

It was just that Coal Ball had already left by then, and the peak had been taken over by an Earth-shaking Bear Dragon.

’To think that after the most important transformation of its life, the first place the little guy would return to was its birthplace.’

Sensing Raylo’s intent, Sun slowly descended, folding its massive wings and landing silently on a protruding slab of rock.

The area was silent, save for the biting mountain wind that moaned as it passed between the towering cliffs.

The connection from the contract told Raylo clearly that Coal Ball was somewhere on this very mountain, and it was extremely close.

Just as Raylo and Moonlight were surveying the area, a low, furious roar erupted from below.

ROAR!

The roar was filled with boundless fury and a hint of unconcealable panic. It was immediately followed by a violent tremor that shook the very ground.

A moment later, a massive Magical Beast scrambled out from a hidden cave entrance a hundred meters below them, an entrance concealed by a large boulder.

It was an Earth-shaking Bear Dragon.

Its frame was only slightly larger than that of an adult grizzly bear, but its entire body was covered in thick, grayish-black Scale Armor that glinted with the hardiness of solid rock.

Its stout limbs seemed rooted to the ground, and its every move seemed to make the very mountain rock resonate in sympathy.

This type of Subspecies Dragon Beast was renowned for its absolute Power and physical defense, which were unparalleled among beasts of its rank.

But right now, this mountain overlord was a pathetic sight.

It was covered in wounds of varying depths, and fresh blood stained its tough Scale Armor. Its once-fierce eyes were now filled with nothing but fear and panic.

’What was it afraid of?’

The answer was revealed in an instant.

A faint spatial ripple suddenly spread out, and a figure as black as ink appeared phantom-like behind and to the side of the Earth-shaking Bear Dragon.

It was Coal Ball!

Mysterious, silver-gray runes flickered in and out of existence on its pitch-black scales, radiating an unsettling Magic Power.

Before the Earth-shaking Bear Dragon could react, Coal Ball struck.

It moved like Lightning, snapping its jaws open and sinking its sharp teeth viciously into the Earth-shaking Bear Dragon’s relatively unprotected flank.

RIP!

A chunk of bloody Scale Armor and flesh was torn clean off.

AWOO!

The Earth-shaking Bear Dragon let out a pained roar, violently twisting its massive, clumsy body as it tried to retaliate with its claws.

But its opponent was already gone.

In almost the same instant it turned, Coal Ball’s figure flickered and reappeared on its other side.

The Power of Space granted it unparalleled mobility, causing every one of the Earth-shaking Bear Dragon’s mighty, heavy-handed attacks to strike nothing but empty air.

A cold glint of light flashed as Coal Ball’s sharp foreclaws raked across the Earth-shaking Bear Dragon’s chest, instantly leaving behind several gashes deep enough to show bone.

What followed was a one-sided spectacle of torment.

Coal Ball continuously executed short-range Space Flashes around the Earth-shaking Bear Dragon.

Every time it appeared, it left a new wound on its foe. And every time the Earth-shaking Bear Dragon tried to fight back, Coal Ball would vanish just beforehand, causing its rock-shattering attacks to miss.

On the platform atop the mountain, Raylo now understood everything.

’It all made sense.’

It was obvious now. Back when it was just a hatchling, Coal Ball had been driven from its own nest by this Earth-shaking Bear Dragon, a latecomer who had usurped its home.

The weak being prey to the strong is the law of nature. Back then, aside from chewing on rocks and using limited, short-range flashes, Coal Ball had no combat ability and could only flee for its life.

And today, having completed its transformation and with its Power now magnified, it had rushed back across a vast distance for one single purpose.

Revenge.