Before their guests from the Sea Dragon Clan—well, *friends* from the Sea Dragon Clan—arrived, Leon needed to recover from his injury.

After all, fulfilling the promise he made to Claudia would require a healthy body.

Speaking of injuries, the recent battle with the Empire made Leon aware of his limits.

If it hadn’t been for the double mana reserve provided by his second dragon mark, or Rosvisser’s protective dragon scale, then *Night’s Armor* would have been Leon’s final dance.

Even the strongest dragon slayer could not withstand the backlash of opening all nine gates.

It was no wonder that the ancient text of *Nine Gates of Hell* repeatedly emphasized, “Few in the world can open all nine gates.”

This was a constant reminder that to achieve power beyond one’s limits, a price must be paid, and sometimes that price was greater than one could imagine.