Chapter 928 Ryze's Ultimatum
It was already expected that things would turn out this way from the start.
Rex already suspected that the arrival of Elder Tilrith and Elder Rancaladra was a little bit odd, he could feel that the two of them were not close enough to be going together aside from dealing with matters regarding the entire Supernaturals as a whole.
So he suspected that Elder Rancaladra was here for a specific reason of his own.
True enough, he was here to meet with Ryze.
Zaddrass the Lord of Red is one of the Heavenly Dragonman, the supreme being of the Dragonman race, and its power is absorbed and resides within Ryze's body, turning him from a regular human to a Heavenly Dragonman.
Maybe if it was a couple of days ago, Rex wouldn't have cared too much about this.
However, the conversation he had with Adhara changed his mind.
Despite the strain and weird tension between the two of them ever since their separation, the fact that Ryze has immense potential as an ally is not debatable, it was even more so when he remembered the time when Zaddrass threatened to break free from its seal.
Back then, they were only trying to suppress Zaddrass' soul and were having a lot of trouble.
Had Zaddrass broken free, there would've been nothing he could do.
Just that incident alone clearly shows that if Ryze is cultivated properly to harness Zaddrass' power, he would've been a great asset for Dargena City, greatly improving the city's military. And thus, he wasn't willing to let him go.
<nulli>I haven't done anything, there's a big chance that Ryze would've followed him.
Rex attempted to hide Ryze from Elder Rancaladra's scrutiny, but he underestimated the formidable senses of a Dragonman, renowned for their acute perception, which rivaled, if not surpassed, even the keen senses of the Werewolves.
A moment is all it takes for Elder Rancaladra to find Ryze amongst the crowd.
Witnessing Elder Rancaladra shooting a portion of his azure draconic energy, he felt his heartbeat start to increase, as Ryze, despite his appearance is still a kid, and his naivety must nurtured to have a sense of belonging with the city.
If Ryze was given a chance to be together with his own race, then Rex would lose.
<nulli>I need to do something about this, I can't let him go.
<nulli>Glancing over to Adhara, he found a great idea that could save Ryze from being taken.
But he was halted in surprise when a powerful growl came from the side, and when he turned to look, he found Ryze was burning with blazing draconic fire and was also glaring at Elder Rancaladra dauntingly.
"Let go of me..."
Swoosh!
Embers of fire splashed around as his draconic energy resurfaced on his skin.
Upon seeing this Elder Rancaladra's eyes sparkled in excitement, the flames that Ryze's body exerted made contact with his azure energy, and he instantly knew the Heavenly Dragonman's power that was residing with him.
"Lord of Red, Zaddrass!" Elder Rancaladra muttered excitedly.
It was quite a pleasant surprise to find that Ryze has Zaddrass' power for Elder Rancaladra.
"What is your name, young one?" Elder Rancaladra asked.
Ryze breaks free from the azure energy's shackles before his eyes burn brightly, a pair of fiery eyeballs before his skin is slowly covered in scales again, "Someone that doesn't deserve to be probed with your power, is who I am. I don't appreciate it one bit"
Just the tone and the answer alone put a frown on Rex's face.
<nulli>Quite prideful and hostile, his personality must be influenced every time he uses his power.
<nulli>Seeing this puts a smile on Rex's lips as this encounter might not lead to astray.
Knowing that he wouldn't get through Ryze without doing something, Elder Rancaladra also activates his draconic power, his entire body glows with a pompous royal blue, and the same thing happens, his humanoid body slowly being covered by dark azure scales.
A transformation that heightens his power to a higher degree.
Upon finishing the transformation, he breathed easily as two horns jutted from his head.
Like a spirit that the Awakened possessed, a shadowy figure with gleaming blue insides coils around Elder Rancaladra's body as he raises his gaze, exposing his sharp reptilian eyes that made powerful eye contact with Ryze.
Grr...
Eerily, the shadowy figure with a dragon's head emitted a low, baritone growl.
A growl that shakes the hearts of the onlookers.
Ryze who was hostile to the unknown Supernatural that seemed to be aiming at him could feel an immense suppression from Elder Rancaladra, a suppression that even bypassed Zaddrass' power.
On the side, Rex watches this exchange with an evident frown.
Keeping his eyes locked onto Elder Rancaladra, his mind raced and produced a question.
<nulli>Hmm... This pressure, it's way stronger than he was before.
Despite already meeting with Elder Rancaladra before, knowing the burning and sharp energy that he emitted, Rex frowned as the aura he was emanating right now was way stronger than Elder Rancaladra ever emitted.
A drastic change, almost akin to him turning into his Werewolf form.
<nulli>System, scan him.
<Rancaladra - Scaled Ancestry Form>
Race: Heavenly Prime Dragonman
Power: Seventh Rank(Peak) - Celestial Stars
Mental: 4,500
Strength: 31,000 -> 44,500
Agility: 19,200 -> 26,350
Endurance: 27,300 -> 40,500
Intelligence: 0
Just as he thought, Elder Rancaladra's power was increased tremendously.
<nulli>Scaled Ancestry Form...? Rex pondered with a frown.
Most of the opponents he had faced lacked the means to surpass their physical limitations, with only a select few, such as the ninth-rank realm Awakened possessing such abilities. However, Elder Rancaladra appeared to possess an additional form beyond his humanoid one.
But even more troubling than that, it seems Elder Rancaladra still has another form.
Currently, he looked to be a half-dragon.
Features such as the horns, an enlarged body, a more menacing aura, and even the presence of shadowy figures were retained. However, it wasn't a complete transformation into a dragon form, which led Rex to suspect that he might be capable of assuming another form.
It was now clearer that Elder Rancaladra was a formidable individual.
<nulli>Rex squinted his eyes as he probed further, a thought occurring to him. <nulli>Could it be that the Dragonman was once a human who underwent a strange transformation to turn into this? It appeared to be like that.
A thought came to mind because of the shadowy dragon-like figure.
Judging from appearances alone, Elder Rancaladra and the shadowy figure are different.
On top of that, Ryze who was a human also turned into a Dragonman.
"Listen to me," Elder Rancaladra said, his eyes still firm and resolute. "We share a common origin, and our powers stem from the same source, young one. You must sense the kinship that binds us. Join me, and together, we can harness our shared potential to shape a future where our kinds will thrive"
Exactly as Rex expected, Elder Rancaladra takes the family approach.
Knowing that things will end badly if he lets this continue, Rex takes a step forward, activating his King Mark which is halved of black and red. "I told you to stop, Elder Rancaladra. I don't care about your situation, nor about your grandeur plan... He is a part of my force"
"Dragonman is never a part of any other forces other than our own" Elder Rancaladra replied.
Following that, Elder Rancaladra sneered.
Nudging his chin at Adhara, who stood resolutely behind Rex, he then posed his question with a dominant voice, "If your Female Alpha were a part of my force, clearly in the wrong place, would you simply stand by and allow her to stay lost? Or will you attempt to take her back to her rightful place?"
Upon hearing this, Rex remained silent, finding no answer to give.
Elder Rancaladra scoffed in response, seeing Rex's stance as nothing more than selfishness.
It was obvious that the answer was to attempt her back to her rightful place.
Rex intervening in this process of persuading Ryze to come with him is nothing but a selfish act, wanting Ryze to be a unit of his force without actually thinking about his well-being and future.
Just from his reaction alone, he understands what Elder Rancaladra was trying to say.
<nulli>Damn it, there's nothing I could do right now.
<nulli>Similarly, Adhara felt troubled when she found that Rex had no answer and already receded.
Leaving the choice to Ryze and Ryze alone.
Adhara quickly turned to look at Ryze and the two made eye contact, she tilted her head with her eyebrows furrowed helplessly, delivering a telepathic message that his decision would be the ultimatum of this exchange.
"Now, what do you say, young one? Come with me, this is for the best of you"
"Best for me..."
Upon hearing this, Ryze looked down and contemplated.
It was at this moment that his mind sprinted like a thoroughbred, wrestling with this matter.
A sudden silence enveloped all of them as Ryze contemplated.
Just like that, a minute passed, and Rex had resolved that there was no need to prolong this situation when the answer was crystal clear, and he saw no point in forcing things to go his way, despite the unfortunate circumstances.
Logically thinking, it's best for Ryze to come with Elder Rancaladra.
"I understand what yo-"
"No..."
Out of nowhere, Rex's sentence was cut short by the sudden answer from Ryze.
Elder Rancaladra frowned, displeased with the response.
Surprisingly, the exchange hadn't gone the way he had initially hoped.
Ryze should've followed his instinct as a Dragonman and come with him, but he refused, suspected due to an established emotional connection. Thus, he insisted, "Choosing to come with me doesn't mean you won't have the opportunity to meet with the Royal Black Prince again, young one. This is for your better future, your path is clearer if you come with me"
"I said no," Ryze repeated instantly. "I will not be going anywhere"
Upon hearing this, Adhara's eyes widened excitedly, this was the answer she had hoped.
'Great answer, Ryze. Now you're making progress...' She pondered.
Knowing that his desire is to be accepted by Rex again, this answer is the right one.
However, it was not the same for Elder Rancaladra.
"Don't let your emotions cloud your judgment and lead you down the wrong path, you can't hide from your true lineage. So let's not waste any more time and join me" He implored, his authoritative tone tinged with a tint of desperation.
Seeing the hesitance in Ryze's expression, he gritted his teeth in anger.
Just as he was about to take a step forward, a figure appeared and blocked his way.
Rex decided to intervene.
Even though he was also surprised by Ryze's answer, thinking that he would definitely follow Elder Rancaladra, he decided to step in with an evident smirk on his face. "Following your hypothetical situation earlier, you're right, my answer will be to try to bring Adhara back. But if she refuses to come back, then I will not insist" He said with a playful smile.
But this made Elder Rancaladra even more frustrated.
"You heard his unbiased answer, now step back" Rex added, his tone low and commanding.
Not wanting to let this go, Elder Rancaladra pushed forward and roared, "Stop obstructing me, Royal Black Prince. You don't understand his importance. I am the logical answer, this is simply not right!"
Since it has come to this, Rex could now do anything he wants.
Perhaps when the answer was still uncertain, he had refrained from acting too much lest he risk appearing selfish. But now it was different, the situation had completely changed and turned in his favor.
Ryze has provided a definitive answer, effectively resolving the issue.
Now, if Elder Rancaladra insists, he would be the one who would look driven by selfishness.
As Rex contemplated his next move, Ryze stepped forward, locking eyes with Elder Rancaladra. With unwavering determination, he declared, "I don't know you, and I know Rex better. If you persist in trying to force me to join you in the name of our same lineage, then don't blame me for what I might do"
"If I wanted, I could ask Rex to turn me into a Werewolf instead..." He added, raspingly.
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