GOT King of Dragon

After bidding farewell to Yara, Rhaegar mounted his dragon and departed from Whispering Keep. 

It was said that the last swamp marigold had appeared in the Despair Marsh, located in the central region of Crabclaw Peninsula. 

That was the largest swamp in the entire peninsula. 

It was perpetually shrouded in miasma and teeming with venomous insects. 

In recent years, no one had dared to approach Despair Marsh. 

Rhaegar believed that by riding his dragon across the swamp, he might be able to find the long-lost swamp marigold. 

With that thought in mind, he acted upon it. 

Upon reaching the edge of Despair Marsh, Rhaegar looked up at the sky. 

It was still early. 

If he could find a swamp marigold quickly, he could return to Fear Hollow Keep before nightfall. 

"Hiss… grrr…" 

Circling above the vast, seemingly endless swamp, Glutton let out a low growl, unwilling to move forward. 

Rhaegar gently stroked its scales, puzzled. "What's wrong, Glutton?" 

Glutton shook its head and flapped its wings in midair. 

"You sense danger in the swamp?" Rhaegar guessed. 

"Roar…" 

Glutton's vertical tail lifted and nudged Rhaegar's shoulder. 

"I… will be in danger?" Rhaegar was momentarily stunned. 

With a growl, Glutton flew over the swamp and unleashed a torrent of dragonfire at a patch of mud-covered land. 

Boom— 

Before the dragonfire even touched the bog, it ignited in midair, triggering an explosion that sent a rancid wind surging through the air and churned up a wave of sludge. 

Seeing this, Rhaegar frowned deeply. 

"This… is miasma?" 

He recalled hearing about it from the maesters during lessons. 

In places where the air remained stagnant, harmful gases could accumulate, becoming highly flammable upon contact with fire. 

Despair Marsh had existed for countless years, allowing its miasma to become incredibly dense. 

Glutton's dragonfire had ignited it instantly. 

"You're afraid I might inhale the miasma?" 

Rhaegar patted Glutton's back, feeling a surge of appreciation. 

Glutton was truly the strongest and largest wild dragon, possessing an instinct for self-preservation that rivaled human wisdom. 

"Hiss… grrr…" 

Glutton turned to look at its rider, its green slit pupils flashing with warning. 

"You've been here before?" Rhaegar immediately understood. 

"I'm looking for a flower with incredible vitality. Do you know where I can find it?" 

As he spoke, Rhaegar took out a sigil bearing the emblem of House Kleib—an exquisitely carved swamp marigold. 

A hint of confusion flickered in Glutton's eyes before it clamped its jaws around the sigil and flapped its wings, carrying Rhaegar in another direction. 

Its speed was astonishing, and its flight path erratic. 

In no time at all, the rider and dragon reached another corner of Despair Marsh—an area where patches of swamp had encroached upon a pine forest, creating a quagmire. 

The miasma here was significantly weaker than in the main swamp. 

Glutton turned its head and let out a low growl toward Rhaegar, as if trying to communicate something. 

Rhaegar looked down at the eerie, decaying bog below and immediately understood. 

He retrieved a handkerchief from his bracelet, poured some water over it, and covered his nose and mouth. 

Seeing this, Glutton snorted disapprovingly and descended slightly. 

It had intended for its rider to dismount. 

The foolish dragonrider clearly hadn't understood. 

Glutton glided over the swamp, its massive body casting a shadow over the land. A few sparse pine trees brushed against its underbelly but were snapped in an instant. 

Its ferocious head turned from side to side, searching for something. 

Rhaegar knew—it was looking for the swamp marigold. 

Glutton must have seen it before, perhaps even consumed it. 

When they first arrived at Crabclaw Peninsula, Glutton had been gravely injured and had hidden him away in a valley before leaving on its own. 

Rhaegar had never asked where it had gone. 

Now, it seemed likely that Glutton had been searching for the swamp marigold—also known as the "flower of life." 

Otherwise, its wounds wouldn't have healed so quickly. 

Glutton soared through the air, sniffing around with no concern for the swamp's foul miasma. 

Rhaegar remained on the dragon's back, taking occasional deep breaths whenever it ascended, waiting patiently. 

Glutton was already a full-grown dragon. 

It would find what its young rider needed. 

Suddenly— 

A chill ran down Rhaegar's spine. 

He felt as though something was watching him. 

Turning back, there was nothing but swamps and pine forests.

"Glutton, I have a bad feeling. Stay on alert."

Ever since being framed and set up on Dragonstone Island, Rhaegar's sense of caution had heightened significantly. 

Even the slightest rustle would now catch his attention. 

"Hiss... Caw…" 

Glutton screeched, its call echoing through the air. Lowering its head, it continued searching, though the change in the rhythm of its wingbeats indicated it had acknowledged its rider's command. 

They flew on for a while longer. 

*Swish!* 

A shadowy tendril suddenly extended from the darkness, slithering like a serpent toward the gliding dragon. 

Glutton was prepared. At the moment the shadow appeared, it shifted its body to one side, lowering its altitude just enough to evade the attack. 

"Dragonfire!" 

Rhaegar, perched on the dragon's back, issued the command almost simultaneously. 

A stream of dragonfire erupted from Glutton's maw, engulfing the shadowy tendril in mid-air. 

*Sizzle!* 

The tendril crackled harshly upon contact with the flames, disintegrating into droplets of black, viscous liquid that dripped to the ground. 

Rhaegar locked his gaze on the source of the shadowy tendril: beneath the shade of a withered old pine tree. 

"There!" 

Over their time together, the bond between Glutton and Rhaegar had grown strong. With precise aim, the dragon directed its fiery breath toward the old pine tree. 

In the blink of an eye, the flames consumed the tree, reducing it to charcoal. 

But the shadowy tendril was nowhere to be seen. 

*Rustle, rustle, rustle!* 

Before Rhaegar and Glutton could make sense of the situation, shadowy tendrils emerged from all directions, forming what looked like a massive, enclosing net. 

Sensing imminent danger, Glutton flapped its wings forcefully, ascending rapidly into the sky. 

From above, torrents of green dragonfire rained down, inundating the shadowy tendrils below. 

Within moments, the tendrils were all incinerated. 

Rhaegar gazed sternly at the ground, remaining vigilant against another attack from the shadowy creature. 

However, after waiting for some time, no further movements occurred. 

"Glutton, let's go. Finding the Marsh Marigold is more important right now." 

Without the shadowy creature making another appearance, there was little they could do with dragonfire alone. Reviving the Shadowbinder's head remained the higher priority. 

Glutton scanned the area once more to confirm the absence of any lingering shadowy tendrils before changing direction and flying off. 

One thing the Crabclaw Peninsula never lacked was swampland. 

And in one of these swamps lay treasures that ordinary people could never hope to reach. 

---

As the sun began to set, Glutton flew over several small patches of swamp. 

It eventually landed in a swamp near a stream. 

The swamp was littered with bleached bones—victims of the nearby beasts who had unknowingly inhaled the toxic miasma. 

Glutton descended to the center of the swamp, its talons snapping a few pine logs to use as a makeshift platform. 

Before them, on a slab of muddy greenstone, grew a single golden flower, radiant and dazzling. 

Still seated on the dragon's back, Rhaegar immediately recognized the plant. 

"That's it! The Marsh Marigold!" 

Overjoyed, Rhaegar couldn't help but praise his dragon. 

"Glutton, you're incredible!" 

Glutton raised its head proudly, giving its rider a disdainful glance, as if to say, *You've only just noticed? Foolish human.* 

Rhaegar didn't mind the slight and slid gracefully down the dragon's neck. 

Stepping cautiously onto the pine logs sunk into the mud, he approached the greenstone and cupped the golden flower's roots in his hands. 

"Rare organism detected. Contains trace amounts of magical energy. Commencing analysis…" 

"Analysis complete. Identified as the Flower of Deathroot. Exploration quest activated." 

The system's notification startled Rhaegar as it sounded abruptly. 

His eyes lit up with excitement as he stared fervently at the Marsh Marigold. 

"To think this flower could unlock an exploration opportunity for me!" 

He opened the system panel to check its details. 

**[Flower of Life]** 

*Exploration Progress: 0.5%* 

---

(End of chapter)