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Northwind Fortress, Council Hall.

Cassius lay sprawled on the massive iron throne, gazing down at the kneeling Fried with a lazy tone.

"Fried, you are one of the seven knight-captains of the Lionheart Knights. Why have you chosen to betray the Bosk Duchy and pledge allegiance to me?"

"Look at me, Fried."

"To survive, to gain greater power."

"And to choose my own fate."

After a moment of hesitation, Fried answered truthfully. He mustered his courage and raised his head, meeting the golden vertical pupils of the red dragon.

Even in just a brief moment of silence, his heart pounded wildly, and sweat soaked his back.

Finally, the red dragon's voice rang out again.

"Good. You did not lie; otherwise, I would have turned you to ashes."

"The Ember Kingdom requires ambitious people. As for loyalty... heh, that is not a concern for me."

Cassius slowly stood, lowering his head closer to observe Fried intently.

[Based on your own strength, you can observe the following information]

【Black Lion Knight - Fried】

Basic Ability: Level 10 Lionheart Knight

Challenge Rating: 10 (5900 XP)

Evaluation: The lowest-ranked of the seven knight-captains of the Bosk Duchy's Lionheart Knights. His skill in sword and shield combat is exceptional, and his distinguished battlefield performance earned him the title of knight-captain.

Indeed, as one of the seven captains, his raw strength is undeniable, though he lacks loyalty.

A Level 10 Lionheart Knight qualifies as advanced combat strength even within the Ember Kingdom, just a notch below top-tier forces like Langpu and Dolo.

However, his current state won't last long. 【Lionheart Knight】 is a factional subclass derived from the Paladin base class of 【Crown Oath】. When he surrendered to the red dragon and betrayed his allegiance to the duke, he forsook the loyalty bound to the Lionheart Knight's oath—an oath that holds no meaning without loyalty or law.

In a matter of days, the shattering of his sacred oath would strip him of his Lionheart Knight powers, leaving him devoid of sacred spells and transforming him into an Oathbreaker, akin to Medrolash.

Converting Fried required urgent attention.

For high-level subordinates like him, using Bloodline Gift was a low-risk and highly rewarding process with minimal chance of failure.

Cassius had already observed that blending his Bloodline Gift with existing classes could create factional subclasses unique to the Ember Kingdom. These subclasses could even be granted to players, forging loyal devotees of the kingdom.

The Lionheart Knights possessed highly versatile abilities, excelling in both positional and skirmish battles. Dolo had long advocated for such an army to shield line infantry, a notion that even the red dragon found enticing.

Cassius exhaled a sulfurous breath, a flicker of anticipation in his heart.

"Fried, this is your choice. You shall become a vassal of a true dragon. Remember, this means severing all ties to your past."

"Are you ready?"

"Yes, my lord."

Fried answered without hesitation.

After experiencing a battle of such overwhelming disparity, he understood one simple truth—those who defied the red dragon met only destruction.

If he wished to save his own life, he had no other choice.

"Then let us begin."

Cassius narrowed his eyes, emitting a powerful, nearly tangible dragon's aura that temporarily dulled Fried's external senses.

A single scalding drop of blood floated in the air.

【Bloodline Gift】

According to Cassius’s design, this new class wouldn’t require coordination with draconic creatures and was somewhat tailored to player preferences. The extent of dragonification wasn’t as pronounced as in the Crimson Scaled Conqueror.

Nevertheless, the power of dragon blood was not something ordinary beings could easily endure. Once, a player who purchased a dragon blood potion failed a Constitution check and exploded on the spot.

The blood flowed into Fried's mouth, and the violent elemental energy coursed through his throat and spread throughout his body.

"Ah—"

Fried let out pained groans as his body underwent dramatic transformation. His muscles grew stronger, scales emerged on his cheeks and neck, and his eyes turned into golden vertical pupils.

White smoke with a sulfurous stench poured out of his pores, while faint sparks flickered from his mouth and nose.

"Ugh—"

Smoke obscured Fried's figure, leaving only his continuous cries of anguish and a hazy silhouette.

That silhouette writhed, twisted, and curled within the smoke.

Soon, a man with distinct dragon-blood traits emerged from the swirling smoke—Fried in his new form.

If one ignored the conspicuous scales, his appearance hadn’t changed much, but his essence had undergone a complete transformation.

This was the power of the dragon's bloodline, capable of bestowing a magical essence upon a being.

Fried knelt on the ground, struggling to open his eyes, overwhelmed by the immense dragon aura of the red dragon before him and the undeniable suppression from the bloodline. The only thought in his mind was—submission.

He finally understood why the red dragon didn’t care about loyalty.

The crude, instinctual suppression from the bloodline far surpassed the ideals of knightly virtue.

In an instant, Fried even regretted binding himself to an even more powerful entity. Yet this thought vanished as quickly as it came.

At this point, everything else was meaningless.

Once a renowned "Black Lion Knight," one of the seven captains of the Lionheart Knights...

Now, Fried had but one identity—vassal of the red dragon, a traitor to the Ember Kingdom. He knew there was no turning back. He had to cling tightly to the kingdom’s protection. If his identity were exposed, Duke Leo would relentlessly hunt him down at any cost.

Fried stretched his body, still somewhat unaccustomed, and spoke in a strained voice.

"My lord, thank you for your gift. I can feel it—this power is immense."

"Good."

Cassius observed the dragon-blooded Fried and reviewed his interface, a hint of satisfaction on his face.

He could sense Fried's fleeting regret, but it mattered not. The strong bonds of the Bloodline Gift eradicated all dissent, and Fried was now irrevocably tied to the Ember Kingdom.

[Factional Subclass Construction Complete.]

Class Advancement Requirements:

Join the 【Ember Kingdom】 faction.

Become a vassal of faction leader 【Cassius, the Ember King】.

Possess at least Level 3 Paladin class and proficiency with military weapons like swords and shields.

Possess a certain degree of draconic bloodline.

[Please name your factional subclass—]

Cassius glanced at the kneeling Fried, deep in thought.

[Name it: 【Dragon-Oath Paladin】]

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