"Ultimate Fear?"
Leon focused, searching his memories for any mention of such an entity, but he came up completely empty.
"Please, Tower Master," he requested, his voice earnest. "Elaborate."
The Tower Master nodded gravely and began to speak, his words slow and deliberate, heavy with the weight of epochs.
"In the most ancient of times, after the Dragon God Tiamat accomplished the magnificent feat of 'Creating the World,' a profound schism occurred. Tiamat split its own being into two opposing halves.
"One half, embodying all that was just and orderly, became the being we now revere as Noah, the Primordial Dragon King—the legendary hero who ended the century-long civil war and saved our race.
"The other half, a manifestation of pure chaos and disorder, became... this entity known as the Ultimate Fear."
Leon listened, utterly captivated. This was a history completely unknown to him. Even Claudia, with her vast knowledge of dragon lore, had only ever heard fragmented rumors about Noah. She knew nothing of these primordial origins.
The concept was staggering. That the creator dragon god would bifurcate into two opposing forces was nearly incomprehensible from a human perspective. Yet, after years living among dragons, Leon had learned to accept the incredible. He kept listening, his focus absolute.
"Noah and the Ultimate Fear are natural opposites," the Tower Master continued, "destined adversaries from the moment of their creation.
"After the separation, Noah took upon themselves the solemn duty to hunt down and eliminate the Ultimate Fear. They traveled across the entire Samuel continent, searching tirelessly for any trace of their other half.
"They clashed in countless battles, but each time, the Ultimate Fear managed to escape. And with every subsequent meeting, it had grown stronger.
"In time, Noah discovered the terrifying truth: the Ultimate Fear feeds on the negative emotions of all living beings—hatred, despair, fear, rage. It draws strength from them. And since such emotions never truly vanish from the world, but only multiply... the Ultimate Fear could never be truly destroyed."
The ancient dragon's voice grew even more somber.
"In their final, cataclysmic battle, Noah expended nearly all their power to forcibly seal the Ultimate Fear away, an act that cost them their consciousness and cast them into a deep slumber.
"When Noah eventually awoke, the great dragon civil war was already raging."
The Tower Master paused, his wise eyes studying Leon, who was hanging on every word.
Leon's mind raced, connecting the dots. He interjected, "The civil war... it would generate a massive surge of negative emotions. If the Ultimate Fear absorbed them, it could break free from Noah's seal and return, correct?"
The Tower Master smiled, a faint, approving curve of his lips. He nodded.
"Precisely. Whether it was out of compassion for the Dragon God's descendants, or the strategic need to prevent their enemy's return, Noah intervened and ended the civil war.
"Fortunately, they succeeded. The Ultimate Fear did not break free in that age.
"But Noah understood, all too well, that conflict and war are inherent to sentient beings. The Ultimate Fear breaking free was not a matter of 'if,' but 'when.'
"And so, after quelling the civil war, Noah retreated to the farthest reaches of the extreme north and transformed into a statue, entering a long slumber. They wait there still, ready to awaken and bear the title of 'Primordial' once more, to save the dragon race when the peril returns."
The Tower Master took a deep, slow breath, as if steadying himself against the weight of the history he was recounting.
"The struggle between Noah and the Ultimate Fear is eternal. It will only end when one of them is truly, permanently destroyed.
"Justice and chaos. Order and disorder. Holiness and decay—"
Leon clenched his fists, his voice firm and clear as he finished the Tower Master's thought.
"Light... and shadow."
"Exactly." The Tower Master's gaze was sharp. "That is why I believe the 'Shadow' you investigate, and his so-called 'Great Being,' is none other than the Ultimate Fear itself.
"Throughout history, there have always been those who succumb to the allure of corruption, willingly becoming followers of the Ultimate Fear. They tirelessly gather the negative emotions required to break the seal for their 'Dark God.'
"Do you recall the recent human-dragon war? The one you helped end? Many Dragon Kings were secretly colluding with certain humans, deliberately prolonging the conflict."
"I suspect that was all orchestrated by 'Shadow.'"
The analysis clicked into place with perfect, chilling sense. The moment the Tower Master revealed that the Ultimate Fear fed on negative emotions, Leon had begun connecting it to the protracted, bloody war.
"Shadow" had manipulated kings and leaders, prolonging the slaughter. On the surface, the motive seemed to be power, territory, or the twisted immortality granted by stolen dragon scales. But Leon had always felt the true motive ran deeper.
If Shadow's goal was to feed the Ultimate Fear, to create a feast of suffering to empower it and break its seal... then everything became horrifyingly clear.
After all, Noah had once stopped a civil war specifically to prevent this very outcome.
"The logic is sound..." Leon murmured, his mind reeling as the scale of the conspiracy dawned on him.
The Tower Master gave a soft, humorless chuckle. He then retrieved a small, milky-white crystal from his palm and offered it to Leon.
"This is a modified Primordial Crystal. It is attuned to detect traces of Noah's soul within a certain range. Veronica and the other searchers have already taken others like it. Please, Prince Leon, take this and add your strength to the search."
Leon accepted the crystal. It was cool and smooth in his hand, and it glinted with a faint inner light as the sun finally cleared the horizon.
"I will do everything I can. Thank you, Tower Master," Leon said, his gratitude profound.
"You and I share the same goal. There is no need for thanks between us," the Tower Master replied, his smile finally reaching his eyes, warm and genuine.
As Leon stepped out onto the balcony, fully into the morning sunlight, the Tower Master watched him. In the young prince standing before him—a human who had become a dragon, a slayer who had become a savior—he sensed a potential as boundless as the sky itself.