Mr. Dragon Knight, the dragon girls are chasing you!

The room fell silent.

The light of the Shadow Crystal flowed silently between the two, making the deep wrinkles on Eldron's face exceptionally clear.

Luo Ye didn't speak, but listened quietly.

Eldron continued, his voice growing softer:

"Moreover, for hundreds of thousands of years, no human has been able to withstand the shadow essence of the Eternal Night Dragon Clan without being corrupted and dying. All humans who attempted to form a pact with the Eternal Night Dragon Clan have exploded and died before the pact was completed."

"You are the first human dragon knight in history to successfully form a complete soul contract with the orthodox dragon king of the Eternal Night and survive."

"Therefore, you are the only person in this world who is qualified and capable of sacrificing your heart's blood to save His Majesty."

"The Shadow Core Rift: If a dragon enters in its true form, it will trigger the Abyss Guardian's deadly restriction. Only with the dual blessing of your human body and soul contract can you bypass the restriction and obtain the fragment."

"Only you can ask to borrow the Heart of Silver Moon, because the Silver Dragon and the Eternal Night Dragon have been sworn enemies for millennia, and even His Majesty himself cannot enter the gates of Silver Moon Peak."

"And your lifeblood—the bloodline of your own—is the only one in the world that can break the curse and redeem the Dragon King."

Eldron lowered his head again, his forehead almost touching the ground:

"On behalf of tens of thousands of my people, on behalf of the Dragon Kings who died tragically throughout the ages, and on behalf of His Majesty who is struggling alone, I implore you, Dragon Knight, to come to my rescue."

Luo Ye quietly looked at the old figure kneeling on the ground, his heart churning with a myriad of emotions—complexity, heartache, and determination intertwined.

[Ding! Non-mandatory hidden storyline detected: The Curse of the Eternal Night Dragon King.]

[New mission unlocked]

【Quest Name: The Redemption of the Eternal Night Dragon King】

【Task Description:】

[You have learned the truth about the curse of the Eternal Night Dragon Clan's bloodline. Eluvia's lifespan is locked at under 6000 years. On the day she reaches adulthood, she will face the backlash of the Shadow Origin, collapsing and perishing.]

As the dragon knight who has formed a soul contract with her, you are the only one who can save her.

[Mission Requirements: Obtain the sacred relic and rescue Eluvia.]

[Each injection of 10 years of human lifespan can remove approximately 5% of the curse's corruption.]

[Current remaining lifespan of the host: Due to the combined effect of the Twin Dragon Contracts, it cannot be accurately calculated at this time.]

[Quest Reward: Max out Eluvia's Affection and Possessiveness, unlock the ultimate bond with the Eternal Night Dragon Clan, and unlock "Heart of the Eternal Night".]

Mission Failure: Death (Lifespan Expired)

[Current remaining lifespan of the host: Due to the combined effect of the Twin Dragon Contracts, it cannot be accurately calculated at this time.]

[Note: This operation is irreversible. Please make this decision carefully.]

【Is it accepted? 】

【whether】

Luo Ye stared at the cold system text and remained silent for a long time.

He recalled Eluvia's languid appearance as she squinted her eyes while sunbathing on the dragon's nest base.

He remembered the smug and triumphant expression on her face when she flicked his forehead with her tail.

He recalled her petite yet resolute figure as she stood in front of him on the battlefield of the Rift Valley.

I remember her saying it in that awkward yet earnest tone before she went into seclusion—

"You are not allowed to see Seraphina."

"Don't let her touch you."

"Don't run around."

Those seemingly domineering and unreasonable rules, those childish and petty jealous prohibitions—behind that proud exterior lies a sentence she never uttered—

"do not leave Me."

Luo Ye opened his eyes and glanced at the note on the system panel again:

[Current remaining lifespan of the host: Due to the combined effect of the Twin Dragon Contracts, it cannot be accurately calculated at this time.]

He blinked, then chuckled inwardly; he almost got too into character.

He's a gamer, after all.

In this world, he was just a game character who had transmigrated here.

Lifespan, to put it simply, is just a string of data.

Even if he gave it all to Eluvia, as long as it was enough for him to survive until he completed the main quest, defeated that arrogant princess, and obtained the exit permission, he could just pack up and leave.

When we return to the real world, everything will be over.

As for Eluvia—she's an NPC anyway. Once she gets enough lifespan and continues to be the Eternal Night Dragon King, it'll be a perfect ending for him as the player.

The more Luo Ye thought about it, the more he felt that he was simply a genius.

He could save the damsel in distress and win the Dragon King's favor without having to pay any real price—perfect!

He gave himself a mental thumbs up, then looked up at Eldron kneeling on the ground, a slight smile of relief and composure on his lips.

"Elder, please rise. I will accept this matter."

"I will gather all three sacred artifacts—the Shadow Core, the Silver Moon Heart, and my heart's blood—to completely break the curse for her."

Eldron looked up abruptly, his dark purple dragon eyes filled with disbelief, shock, and ecstasy. His voice trembled slightly as he said, "You...you really want to? But sacrificing one's lifespan comes at a great cost. The slightest mistake could damage one's foundation or even lead to premature death—"

"I know." Luo Ye interrupted him, a slight smile of relief playing on her lips.

"But there are some things in this world that are far more important than a long and boring life."

"And..." he paused, his voice softening slightly.

"I owe my life to her. On the battlefield of the Rift Valley, she was the one who stood in front of me. When I was recuperating in the forest, she was the one who fed me Shadow Fruits bite by bite."

"She saved me; now, it's the dragon knight's turn to protect his dragon!"

Eldron stared blankly at the boy before him, remaining silent for a long time. His dragon eyes, which had accumulated over 27,000 years and witnessed the coldness and warmth of human nature and the rise and fall of races, slowly welled up with a layer of warm water.

He offered no further words of dissuasion, but bowed deeply once more, his posture respectful and devout.

"On behalf of the tens of thousands of souls of the Eternal Night Dragon Clan, on behalf of the Dragon Kings of all ages, and on behalf of His Majesty, I thank the Dragon Knight for his great kindness."

Luo Ye steadily raised his hand and helped the old man up completely, his tone gentle yet earnest: "Elder, there's no need for such formality. Eluvia is my contracted partner, someone I care about. I do these things for her willingly and without regret."

Eldron steadied himself, suppressing the surging excitement in his heart, and quickly asked, "When does Your Excellency Dragon Knight plan to begin preparations? I will immediately mobilize all the resources of my clan to fully cooperate with you."

Luo Ye's gaze was calm, and his tone was decisive: "The sooner the better."

"You plan to wait until His Majesty emerges from seclusion before taking action?"

"No." Luo Ye shook his head gently, his eyes resolute. "I need to get everything sorted out before she comes out of seclusion."

"I don't want her to know the truth about the lifespan of the sacrifice, and I don't want her to feel guilty or pressured."

"I just want her to live peacefully and carefree, free from the constraints of fate and the inevitable death at the age of six thousand."