Chapter 555: Rune: Dream-Eating Toad

Rhaegar closed his eyes, immersing himself in the haunting sound of the horn. His skin gradually turned red, his forehead beaded with sweat, and his breathing became heavy and erratic.

"Roar!"

"Roar..."

Accompanied by the sound of the horn, the fog slowly stirred, and the dragons roared in the clouds.

Whoosh!

A gust of wind swept over his head, causing Rhaegar's silver hair to fly about. He felt the wind but not its sting or burn. Deep down, Rhaegar knew better. A dragon flew out of the Fourteen Flames, gliding past him.

"That horn sound, it came from the dragon's horn," Rhaegar thought, wanting to open his eyes and see the Dragon Horn and the Fourteen Flames.

A gentle hand covered his eyes, and Daenys said calmly, "The dragons are restless, and the dragon horn helps to calm them."

Rhaegar was taken aback, beginning to doubt Daenys' actions. She continued, "The House's dragons are injured and may be banished from The Lands of the Long Summer."

Rhaegar's ears twitched, the sounds he heard slowly blurring.

"The family's ancestral property will be sold. Do you want to know where it is?" Daenys described the location of the ancestral estate in detail, seemingly indifferent to whether those around her wanted to know.

Rhaegar's hearing was failing, but he still heard everything. It felt like she was telling him specifically. He had a thought: Daenys was the first clear Dreamer in the house. Could it be one dream for two people?

"Woo-woo-woo..." The horn continued to play, without any dramatic ups and downs, just a fascinating low tune.

After listing the family's holdings, Daenys paused and hesitantly asked, "Gaemon, are you doing well?"

Rhaegar's face changed slightly, his doubts crystallizing at that moment. He couldn't speak, his eyes were covered, and his hearing was fading. In desperation, he nodded his head lightly.

"That's good." Daenys visibly relaxed, her tone a little lighter. "Balerion is the youngest dragon in the family, and you will definitely meet again in the future."

Rhaegar remained silent, nodding again. In a way, he was very familiar with Balerion.

"Woo-woo-woo..." The horn gradually faded, and the tune became more indistinct.

Hum...

Rhaegar suddenly felt a ringing in his ears, and his vision changed from light filtering through his fingers to a blurry haze. All five senses were lost, leaving only a vague consciousness. At this moment, the world seemed to become illusory. He began to panic, and a trace of fear grew in his heart. Behind the fear, however, was an uncontrollable anger.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Rhaegar tried to use his dream vision, but the surrounding sensations became increasingly fragmented. Gradually, his forehead began to bulge, and blood oozed from his reddened skin.

"Gaemon, don't be afraid."

All was silent, and then Daenys' voice suddenly rang out. Rhaegar felt a sense of relief at the sound, trying to suppress the negative emotions that had suddenly arisen.

"Croak."

A wet feeling came from his neck, accompanied by the familiar sound of a toad. Rhaegar was not disgusted; instead, he was surprised to realize that his sense of touch had returned. Not only his touch but also his hearing, smell, taste, and sight were all restored.

Hula—

The blood on his body suddenly burst into flames, turning into a wisp of black fire. Rhaegar did not open his eyes, but he felt an unprecedented sense of ease, a pleasure that came from the depths of his soul. Everything around him became clear, as if seen from a gray, third-person perspective.

At the same time, the sky slowly cracked, the fog quickly dissipated, and the Fourteen Flames and earth rose and fell. Rhaegar had been plagued by nightmares since childhood and knew exactly what it meant: He was waking up!

"You have kindled the fire," Daenys crouched down and looked Rhaegar in the face, which was beginning to blur as it was wrapped in black fire. "Remember the sound of the horn. Only a Dragonborn can play it."

Rhaegar remained silent, absorbing the knowledge Daenys imparted.

"Dreams are always a source of confusion." Daenys' eyes were full of emotion as she cupped Rhaegar's face and kissed his cheek. "Goodbye, my brother."

"Croak."

With these words, the toad leapt up and into Rhaegar's brow.

Pop!

Like a dream bubble, it turned into a black and white snowflake.

...

Meereen.

The Great Pyramid, the Tapestry Gallery.

"Chirp, chirp..." Birds cocked their heads, curiously eyeing the few humans lying on the ground. A headless corpse in black robes lay alone on one side, blood slowly flowing from its severed neck.

Hum...

Suddenly, two silver-haired bodies piled on top of each other emitted an invisible, colorless gas.

"Chirp, chirp~" Startled, the birds jumped out of the window in a panic.

Hula—

The tall silver-haired youth's forehead sprouted scales and dragon horns, with black fire oozing from his pale skin. Rhaegar's fingertips twitched slightly as his consciousness gradually returned. His eyes didn't open, and he didn't even lift his head.

A soft touch squeezed into his arms, accompanied by the smell of something burning.

"Sssssssss..."

Rhaegar's body trembled, waking with a sharp intake of breath. "Daenys!" he called out softly, confused, suddenly realizing there was a delicate body in his arms.

Rhaegar immediately opened his eyes, thinking Daenys had escaped from his dream. He saw a woman with silver hair covering her face. His heavy body was pressed against her, and black fire burned through his clothes.

But the silver-haired woman seemed to be asleep, her skin burning red and hot but not causing any harm. Instead, her silver hair was burning vigorously.

Rhaegar froze for a moment, then raised his hand to call back the black flames.

No wonder it smelled burnt.

Plop!

Rhaegar stood up, and the silver-haired woman immediately fell to the ground, hitting her forehead again.

"What's going on outside?" he wondered aloud, his feet unsteady, and his mind still a bit dreamy. Glancing around, he noticed the black-robed wizard's decapitated body, with the dragon-taming whip having smashed the dried-up head.

Rhaegar's eyes narrowed as he muttered, "The corpse is destroyed and the curse is broken."

A flash of inspiration struck him, and an inexplicable force burst forth from his spirit. He slowly closed his eyes, and the world turned gray. Within a three-meter radius, everything was affected by an invisible force. Rhaegar thought of something, and the power turned into an invisible tentacle, picking up the fallen dragon whip.

Whoosh!

The dragon whip seemed to be summoned, flying into his hands instantly. Rhaegar was amazed and whispered, "This is the power of the spirit."

"Croak."

A gray toad appeared out of nowhere, croaking in his mind. Rhaegar opened his eyes in surprise and said, "You're here too." The gray world disappeared, and the real world came into view. The toad did not vanish with the gray world but instead jumped out of his head and sat on his shoulder.

"Croak."

Its hollow, dead fish eyes seemed to have a hint of life. Rhaegar didn't have time to investigate further as his right hand twitched slightly.

"Sssss..."

A wisp of black smoke emerged, turning into a black snake with no eyes or nose. As soon as the Serpent appeared, it climbed up his arm and onto the other shoulder, snarling menacingly at the toad.

"Croak."

The toad remained unmoved, like a cold, lifeless sculpture. Rhaegar was puzzled, looking left and right. He called up the explorer system panel.

Rhaegar Targaryen

Talent: Dreamer (Gold)

Bloodline: Dragonborn (+60%)

Runes: Bronze (Green), Serpent (Blue), Dream Eater (Purple)

Blood magic: Binding Spells (Blue), Dragon Dance (Purple)...

Relics: Blood and Fire, Dreamscape, Pure Water...

Comment: "What you gain in dreams is not necessarily false."

(Word count: 1,288)