A Tier-5 dragon? Aiden raised an eyebrow. He knew dragons were divided by tiers. From Tier-1 to Tier-5, the higher the tier, the stronger the adult dragon. In his past life, that man and his dragon had destroyed an elite guild's Netherwyrm. It was said to be a Tier-3 dragon. A Tier-3 dragon could already destroy a guild. And this Radiant Dragon is the most powerful Tier-5 among all dragon species. If I can get this egg, it might be even more valuable than I thought. Aiden's heart started pounding fast. Coming to the Wyrm's Lair had been the right choice after all. "Merrick, do you think we can handle it?" Aiden turned to look at Merrick. "Are you kidding? That's a Tier-5 adult dragon," Merrick said seriously. "And it's a pureblood Holy Judgment Dragon. Charging into its lair has less than a one in ten thousand chance of success." "You're that powerful?" Aiden frowned.The stronger the Radiant Dragon, the greater the egg's potential. But that also meant it was harder to get. Even Merrick, a divine-level sorcerer, looked cautious. That alone showed how terrifying this Radiant Dragon was. "Let's leave. This place isn't for you," Merrick said. He stared at the Radiant Dragon, too afraid to relax even for a second. A portal scroll had already appeared in his hand, ready to crush it at any moment. "I'll pay more. I'll double your reward," Aiden said through gritted teeth. Merrick shook his head. "Marks won't help. It's not that I don't want your marks. But going against something like that means certain death." Aiden said in a low voice, "We don't need to fight it head-on. Can you buy me some time?" "Well…" Merrick hesitated for a moment. He leaned against the wall, looking conflicted. "I don't know if I can even hold it off." "Triple," Aiden said flatly, holding up three fingers. "D*mn it! I'll do it even if it kills me!"Merrick suddenly jumped up, his face turning dark red. "I'll give you three minutes!" He shouted loudly as his muscles bulged. His veins popped like coiled snakes. The skinny old man instantly turned into a muscle giant. His biceps looked huge, like something straight out of a comic book. "I can only hold it off for three minutes!" he yelled. "No more than that. Make it count." "What are you doing?" Aiden was stunned. What the hell? Were sorcerers this wild now? "Don't ask! Don't talk!" Merrick shouted. "How else do you think I survived all these years? On the surface, I'm a sorcerer. In truth, I'm a close-combat fighter! Didn't see that coming, huh!" "Yahhh!" Merrick roared, leaping high into the air like a man on a mission. He came crashing down toward the Radiant Dragon. Boom! The ground shook as dust and smoke filled the air. The massive dragon, over three hundred feet long, was slammed into the ground by a single hit."Holy crap. He's a real beast," Aiden muttered. Now he understood why Merrick had given him so many buffs earlier. With all those attribute boosts, the divine-level close-combat sorcerer had a body and strength beyond imagination. He could even stand against a Tier-5 dragon for a short while. In terms of power, Merrick could easily rank among the top five strongest people Aiden had ever met, even counting his previous life. Having both magic and combat skills made him truly terrifying. But Aiden didn't have time to admire him. He moved fast, sprinting straight into the Wyrm's Lair. The dragon egg should be at the far left, in the deepest part. The cave was dark, and not even his hand was visible in front of him. But that didn't bother him. He had studied this place many times in his past life. The layout was already burned into his memory. He moved through the lair as if he were walking through his own home. He was incredibly fast. "That kid…" Merrick caught sight of Aiden darting through the lair like a fish in water. He couldn't help feeling surprised. The Wyrm's Lair didn't have other beasts, but the pressure from a Tier-5 dragon's presence alone could make anyone tremble. A normal person could barely walk. Yet Aiden moved swiftly and confidently. His control of distance and movement through narrow paths was perfect. His calm and practiced movements made it clear he was no newbie who hadn't even completed his advancement. "No wonder he's paying three hundred million marks for one job," Merrick muttered. Even with all his experience, he couldn't find fault in Aiden's actions. Roar! The Radiant Dragon let out a deafening roar. Its heavy aura shattered several nearby mountains. "D*mn beast! On any other day, I'd be afraid of you," Merrick shouted. "But for these three minutes, even a dragon has to kneel before me!""Hyaaaaah!" He roared again, throwing punches faster than rain. Every strike could level a mountain. Under his insane barrage, even the mighty Radiant Dragon couldn't fight back. While the dragon was pinned down, the lair stayed calm. Aiden ran as fast as he could and finally reached the deepest part of the cave. It wasn't very big. A half-human-tall blue dragon egg stood in the center, surrounded by a faint glowing light. Not far from the egg, something shiny was lying on the ground. It looked like a piece of equipment or an item. "This is it!" Aiden's eyes lit up. He rushed forward and quickly stored both the egg and the glowing item without a second thought. He took a deep breath to calm down and started heading back the way he came. Thanks to Merrick's buffs and his knowledge of the lair, he made it out in under three minutes. By the time he came out, Merrick was still throwing punches like thunder. "I'm done, Merrick!" Aiden shouted. "That fast?" Merrick looked up sharply. His body suddenly shrank back down like a balloon losing air. A flash of light appeared under his feet, and he instantly appeared in front of Aiden. He placed one hand on Aiden's shoulder. The portal scroll shattered. Aiden saw the world spin around him. When his vision cleared again, they were already back in the Hall of Supremes. Next to him, Merrick looked pale as a ghost. His eyes were dull, and his whole body looked drained. He looked completely wiped out. "M-Merrick, are you okay?" Aiden asked, alarmed. "My mana… It's all gone," Merrick said, trembling. His lips were shaking. "Do you know what I was punching just now? That was a Tier-5 dragon, almost divine-level. If we hadn't run fast, we'd both be dead. Only because I trained in both magic and combat could I last three minutes. Anyone else would've been gone in seconds.""You've worked hard, Merrick," Aiden said. He knew that even a Tier-3 dragon raised by players could destroy an elite guild. That was a native Tier-5 dragon. Even if all twelve top-ranked powerhouses from Aurisia joined forces back then, they wouldn't have stood a chance. Merrick waved his hand weakly. "It's fine. Just… about the remaining two hundred million marks?" "No problem," Aiden said without hesitation. He opened the trade window right away. Two hundred million marks was a fortune. But compared to what he had just gained, it was nothing. That blue dragon egg might be a Tier-5 egg. An absolute divine-level pet.