Li Lan stared quietly at the pitch-black void ahead.
He vaguely remembered what had happened a short while ago.
Cybertronians were incredibly heavy-handed; a light touch from one, and he had ended up in this godforsaken place.
Li Lan did not know how long he had been here, nor did he know what state he was currently in.
He could not sense if his body was still there, nor could he shift his field of vision. He could only stare straight ahead like a fixed camera.
He could not even feel the existence of his eyelids.
Fortunately, however, he could still think.
Li Lan tried countless times to look upward or tilt his vision even slightly in another direction, but he failed without exception.
Not only could he see nothing, but he could not hear a single sound.
After a long time, Li Lan gave up on thinking.
Since his vision was entirely black, he would just wait patiently until a turning point appeared.
Li Lan felt he was still quite patient. Before he was “isekai’d” by a truck, he was the type of person who could watch a film from start to finish without any fast-forwarding or doubling the speed.
So, he waited patiently.
A long time passed.
Logically, a normal person confined in such a dark, silent, and enclosed space would likely go insane before long. Li Lan, however, did not feel the slightest bit of discomfort; he was merely a little bored.
Finally, the space around him changed.
He did not know when it started, but the boundless darkness seemed to take on a physical form, trembling like waves.
A sound came from afar. Li Lan immediately focused his mind to listen, but the sound was muffled, as if it were coming from underwater.
There seemed to be things moving around him, flickering like silhouettes.
Li Lan struggled to see the shapes of those dark shadows clearly, but he quickly met with failure.
Gradually, he suddenly felt as if he had gained a bit of a physical form.
Li Lan became instantly excited. ‘After being in solitary confinement for so long, am I finally going to regain my ability to move?’
Behind his field of vision, a body seemed to be taking shape piece by piece. He could feel the existence of other body parts, though he still could not move, as if he were stuck in place by an invisible force.
Drowsiness washed over him, and Li Lan’s consciousness gradually blurred.
—
Saint Tiriel Empire, Eternal City.
The capital of the human empire was no different than usual. Everything was functioning in an orderly fashion according to its established patterns.
This included the Dragon Taming Ritual that Princess Vilaniel Adrian was about to face.
The girl stood on the observation deck at the top of Twilight Tower, looking down at a corner of the imperial city. As the night wind blew, her petite frame shivered, and she could not help but pull her thin mage robes tighter around her.
This was Vilaniel’s residence.
The palace complex stretched across Mount Paladin in the center of the city, and Twilight Tower was built on a high point. Looking down from here, she could see half the imperial city.
Vilaniel took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
Whenever she was nervous, she would climb to the top of the tower to feel the wind and calm herself down.
Not long ago, a gryphon from Dragon Cliff had brought news: the dragon egg she had claimed showed clear signs of cracking and was expected to hatch tonight.
This day had finally come.
The Saint Tiriel royal family had a tradition. When a direct member of the royal family reached adulthood, they had to claim a dragon egg and then tame the hatchling to serve as a symbol of their own ability.
In reality, however, this tradition was merely for show.
Most direct royals did not personally tame dragons. Instead, they handed the task over to a team of dragon tamers who were loyal to them. They only needed to make an appearance riding the dragon on major occasions.
Vilaniel was 14 years old this year. According to the empire’s standards, she had reached adulthood and was expected to carry out the dragon-taming tradition.
But the problem lay in her identity.
Vilaniel’s father had been a powerful contender for the throne in the previous generation. After his failure, his children had either committed suicide alongside him or fled. She was the only one left.
Over the years, she had been driven to live in Twilight Tower in a corner of the palace. She had no power or influence, and her only companion was an old butler left behind by her father.
Asking a 14-year-old girl, whose casting level had only just reached Level 3, to tame a dragon was no different from asking for her life.
No, perhaps someone truly did want her dead.
Her existence was an eyesore, and the fact that she had lived safely until now was an absolute miracle.
Vilaniel knew this all too well.
According to the information gathered by the old butler, the dragon egg selected for her by Dragon Cliff had been identified by the dragon tamers as a Black Dragon. It was a species with a violent temperament that was difficult to tame.
Even though she had been frantically studying everything related to dragon taming over the years, with stacks of notes and ancient books piling up in her room, she still lacked confidence.
That was all just theory on paper.
A newly hatched dragon did not have the size of an adult, but it still possessed sturdy scales and high magic resistance. It could also breathe high-temperature flames or acid.
In other words, a dragon was a precision killing machine from the moment it was born.
Without professional dragon-taming expertise or powerful magic, the outcome was predictable.
Vilaniel quietly gazed at the sprawling buildings and lights at the foot of the mountain.
Directly below Twilight Tower was the Golden Rose District. It was an area exclusive to the nobility, where the lights never went out and luxurious mansions stood in rows.
Perhaps because Winter Veil was approaching, colorful magical fireworks were shining over the Golden Rose District. They were brilliant and grand, reflected in her ice-blue pupils.
It was beautiful, but it had nothing to do with her.
Behind her, the sound of slowing footsteps broke the silence of the moment.
“Princess, the people from Dragon Cliff… have arrived.”
The low voice of Heinrich, the old butler, drifted over.
“I understand.”
Vilaniel nodded, her expression remaining unchanged. She took her staff from the wall and held it in her arms.
It was time to go.
Heinrich’s expression was complicated. He wanted to say something, but in the end, he only sighed and gently stroked Vilaniel’s silver-white hair.
“Princess, take care.”
“You take care as well.”
Vilaniel walked down the stairs. The magic lamps hanging on both walls emitted a dim light, illuminating the mottled stone.
The heart that had just calmed down began to race once more.
When she reached the bottom of the tower, a guard had already been waiting for a long time, looking at her with a faint, mocking smile.
The guard wore specialized magic armor. Judging by the design, he clearly belonged to the Dragon Cliff Guard.
“It is time to go, Princess.”
He did not bow, nor did he show any respect.
Vilaniel struggled to straighten her back, trying her best to maintain a calm and composed demeanor, refusing to let even a trace of fear show.
“Lead the way.”
Even if she was truly going to die… she would die with her head held high, not in a state of breakdown.
But her slightly trembling hands still betrayed her state of mind.
The guard said no more. He turned and marched toward Dragon Cliff, with Vilaniel following closely behind.
The interior of the palace was connected by pathways stretching in all directions, so transportation was not an issue.
Dragon Cliff was not far from Twilight Tower. It was carved into the cliff of the back mountain and featured specialized facilities for hatching dragon eggs and training various dragon species.
Vilaniel walked along the mountain path. The protective and heating arrays of the walkway had been activated. The howling mountain winds were steadily blocked out, so it was not cold inside.
Looking out from the walkway, the magnificent buildings were distributed according to the mountain’s terrain, extending all the way to the horizon like a glitzy cage.
She had been trapped here for 14 years, able to escape only briefly when she went to study at the Royal Academy of Magic at the foot of the mountain.
But now, it was all going to end.
Vilaniel’s thoughts drifted. By the time she snapped back to reality, the guard in front of her had stopped.
Before her, a tall cliff rose high, vanishing into the dark night sky. A massive Purple Steel Arch embedded into the mountain was particularly striking.
This was Dragon Cliff.
A Blackstone Bridge spanning the valley connected Dragon Cliff to the land where Vilaniel stood. The area beneath the bridge was bottomless, with nothing but darkness as far as the eye could see.
“If you please, Princess.” The guard placed one hand on the hilt of the longsword at his waist. Mana surged around him as he spoke with a mocking grin.
His mission was not just to lead the way, but also to supervise Vilaniel to prevent her from running away.
Vilaniel took a deep breath of the cold air and strode toward the giant arch.