The road back to the capital was quiet.
Too quiet.
The caravan had been saved.
The bandits defeated.
But something in the air felt heavy.
The knight captain rode slightly ahead of the group.
Karnan followed beside two younger knights.
None of them spoke much.
From time to time they glanced at him.
Not suspicious.
Not hostile.
Just curious.
Word had already begun spreading.
The Dragon Bearer had fought in his first battle.
And he had won.
Not with strength.
But with strategy.
The castle walls appeared on the horizon by afternoon.
Tall stone towers.
Blue banners moving in the wind.
But before they reached the gates—
One of the scouts suddenly raised his hand.
"Stop!"
The horses slowed immediately.
The captain rode forward.
"What is it?"
The scout pointed toward the forest edge beside the road.
"Movement."
Karnan's eyes sharpened.
He followed the direction carefully.
At first he saw nothing.
Then—
A shadow moved between the trees.
Then another.
And another.
Too many.
Bandits.
But not the same group as before.
These ones were organized.
Armored.
Waiting in ambush.
The captain cursed under his breath.
"Second group..."
A trap.
The earlier bandits had only been bait.
Before the knights could reorganize—
Arrows flew from the forest.
Two knights raised shields just in time.
Steel rang as arrows struck.
"Form defense!" the captain shouted.
Soldiers moved quickly.
But the terrain here was worse.
The road was narrow.
Forest close on both sides.
Perfect ambush territory.
More bandits rushed out.
At least twenty this time.
Karnan watched carefully.
Their movement was faster.
Better coordination.
These were not desperate thieves.
These were trained raiders.
One man stepped forward from their group.
Taller.
Better armor.
Leader again.
But this one looked stronger.
More disciplined.
He pointed his sword toward the knights.
"Leave the Dragon Bearer."
"Or die."
The knights immediately moved closer to Karnan.
Protective circle.
The captain's voice was firm.
"Not happening."
The raiders attacked.
Steel clashed again.
But this time—
The knights were losing ground.
Two enemies for every soldier.
Pressure from both sides.
Karnan stepped back slightly.
Analyzing.
Too many enemies.
Limited space.
If the formation collapsed—
They would be surrounded.
Radiant Sync flickered suddenly.
Radiant Sync: 7%
His chest felt hot.
Hotter than before.
The system numbers changed again.
Radiant Sync: 8%
Heat spread through his arms.
Up his neck.
His heartbeat accelerated.
Something inside him reacted to danger.
The dragon voice whispered faintly again.
"Awaken..."
Karnan clenched his fist.
Control.
He needed control.
A raider broke through the knight line.
Charging directly toward him.
Sword raised.
The soldier guarding Karnan was knocked aside.
The raider swung.
Karnan moved instinctively.
Not away.
Forward.
His hand shot out.
Something inside his chest surged violently.
And then—
His vision flashed red.
For a brief moment—
His eyes glowed.
The air around his hand grew hot.
Very hot.
Then—
Flame erupted.
Not a massive explosion.
Not uncontrolled fire.
A focused burst.
Short.
Precise.
Like a concentrated blast.
The raider froze.
Fire struck his chest armor.
The impact threw him backward across the road.
He landed hard and didn't move.
Silence spread across the battlefield.
Even the raiders stopped for a moment.
The knights stared.
Karnan slowly lowered his hand.
Smoke drifted from his palm.
System text appeared.
Skill Activated: Radiant Flame
Control Level: Stable
His breathing was heavy.
But the fire had obeyed him.
It had not burned everything.
Only the target.
Precise.
Strategic.
Just like he intended.
The captain recovered first.
"Advance!"
The knights surged forward again.
Their morale had changed.
The enemy had seen something impossible.
And fear had entered their ranks.
The raider leader looked directly at Karnan.
Not angry.
Worried.
"Fall back!" he shouted.
The remaining bandits retreated quickly into the forest.
Within seconds they vanished into the trees.
The road became quiet again.
Only the sound of armor and breathing remained.
One of the younger knights whispered.
"Did you see that..."
Another spoke softly.
"His eyes..."
"The Dragon Mark awakened."
The captain walked toward Karnan slowly.
He studied him carefully.
"You controlled it."
Karnan looked at his hand.
The heat was fading now.
"I think so."
More knights gathered around.
Their expressions had changed.
Not just respect now.
Something deeper.
One of them knelt.
"Blessed by the Radiant Dragons..."
Another followed.
Then another.
Karnan felt uncomfortable.
Divine.
Blessed.
Chosen.
Those words carried expectations.
Dangerous expectations.
Inside—
He felt something very different.
Fear.
Because that power—
The flame—
It did not feel entirely like his own.
It felt ancient.
Alive.
Watching.
Radiant Sync dropped slowly.
Radiant Sync: 6%
The heat inside his chest cooled.
But the whisper remained faintly in his mind.
"You grow closer..."
Karnan looked toward the forest again.
The raiders were gone.
But this attack had confirmed something important.
People already knew about him.
Someone had sent those raiders.
Someone powerful.
The captain finally spoke again.
"We return immediately."
He looked at Karnan once more.
"The king needs to know."
The group began moving again.
But now—
The knights rode differently.
They kept glancing toward Karnan.
Whispering quietly.
The rumors had already begun.
The Dragon Bearer.
The Radiant Flame.
Divine warrior.
Karnan stared ahead at the distant castle.
His expression calm.
But inside—
Questions filled his mind.
Why did the flame obey him so easily?
Why did the dragon voice feel familiar?
And why did the system say his class was still incomplete?
Whatever power he carried—
It had only just begun to awaken.
And that frightened him more than the bandits ever could.
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