After finishing breakfast and pleting his daily task, Juliahe Gardevoir Hotel around nine in the m and headed toward the Drake family residence.

  On the western side of the Imperial Capital y a vast expanse of a-style courtyards, backed by the White Mountain Rahe area was not only picturesque but also carried a certain level of danger.

  The White Mountain Range was one of the restricted zones in the try, though the prohibition mainly applied to the mountain's tral region. The outskirts, while home to numerous wild Pokémon, were inhabited by Pokemon of retively low levels.

  At the entrao the Drake family estate, Julian desded from his Dragonite.

  Wade approached him, apanied by Dyn.

  "Professor Drake"

  Juliaed Wade respectfully, then nodded slightly at Dyn.

  Julian and Dyn weren't particurly acquainted. In fact, Julian's success had ily turned Dyn and Modu Academy into the biggest backdrop of the Hundred Schools League that year.

  Dyn's feelings toward Julian were plicated. While he admired Julian's strength, he couldn't help but feel envious of how someone his age could be so powerful.

  "Let's go"

  Wade said, showing no for Dyn's iurmoil. Bringing Dyn along was eo facilitate more iioweewo. After all, they were peers in terms of age.

  Julian was the heir to the Walker family, and Dyn was the heir to the Drake family. Encing unicatioween them could only be beneficial.

  As Juliaered the Drake family's estate, he was struck by the vibrancy of their rge family. The Drake family boasted over a hundred members, most of whom were from colteral branches, but even their direct lineage included more thay members.

  This was a stark trast to the Walker family, whose entire popution didn't even exceed ten. With such a small he Walker family might not survive a signifit disaster.

  "Rest for today a Dyn expin about the Dragon's Den to you. You e tomorrow"

  Wade instructed, leading Julian to a small courtyard that seemed to be prepared as his aodation for the night.

  Julian nodded. Since he was a guest of the Drake family, he naturally followed their arras.

  After Wade left, Julian and Dyn found themselves standing in awkward sileneither knowing how to start a versation. The atmosphere became dull and unfortable.

  Julian wasn't particurly outgoing, and Dyn still felt humiliated after beied by someone younger. He had no idea how to initiate a discussion.

  "What are you two doing just standing there at the door?"

  A voice suddenly interrupted the tension.

  Oroached with a curious expression.

  "Julian, I'm Owen, Ian's older brother. Thank you for looking out for him at uy," Owen said, extending his hand.

  "I didn't look out for him, so there's o thank me"

  Julian replied as he shook hands with Owen.

  Owen: 'Is this guy serious?'

  The polite exge had been intended as mere courtesy, but Julian had taken it literally.

  Owen's stiff expression briefly flickered before he let out a hearty ugh to ease the awkwardness.

  "Brother Dyn, Julia's head io talk"

  Owen said, gesturing for them to follow.

  Owen and Dyn were cousins, with Dyn being a year older than Owen.

  The three of them walked into the small courtyard, which was about the same size as Julian's vil at the Imperial Uy.

  However, the decor had a more natural aesthetipared to the vil.

  By the courtyard pond, there was a small tea table with several attendants standing nearby.

  "Try this, these tea leaves were picked from a perilous area in the White Mountain Range."

  Owen said, p tea for Julian before serving Dyn and himself.

  Julian accepted the tea but didn't drink it right away.

  "Don't like it?"

  Owen asked curiously, notig Juliaating.

  "It's a bit hot," Julian replied truthfully.

  Owen: \(￣0￣\)

  Tea was something that lost its fvor if left to cool.

  Owen began tret ing here.

  One Dyn was already enough to dampen his mood, and now there was another reserved presen Julian.

  'If I've itted a crime, let the w punish me, not these two stoic statues sitting beside me,' Owen thought silently.

  Deg not to speak further, Owen focused on drinking his tea.

  Sihe tea was rare aher of the others seemed ied, he figured he might as well enjoy it himself.

  "Have you both been to the Dragon's Den before?"

  Julian asked softly, sipping the tea o had cooled down.

  He was set to ehe Den tomorrow, so he wao gather some basiformation in advance.

  Owen g Dyn and said, "Among the younger geion of the family, only Brother Dyn has been inside."

  Although the Drake family mahe Dragon's Den, a rare and advanced secret realm, access wasn't granted freely. Each year, they had a fixed number of entry slots.

  These slots could either be used for family members or sold as trade items.

  As a rge family, the Drake family required enormous resources to sustain themselves, so they often traded most of the Dragon's Den slots for resources.

  In trast, the Walker family's smaller size worked to their advantage. With fewer members, resources could be trated on just a handful of people.

  For the Walker family, only three geions of trainers existed: Julian's grandfather, John, his father, Jake, and Julian himself. This allowed the family to focus all their resources ohree individuals.

  John, having already reached Champion status, no longer required many resources. Julian, with the support of his system, also used fewer resources than expected.

  As a result, the sed geion, Jake, beed the most from the family's resources.

  "The Dragon's Den's energy is currently at its peak, making it a great time to enter," Dyn expined.

  "However, it's also more dangerous than usual. High energy levels mean the Pokémon inside are ier spirits and highly agitated, which makes them more likely to attatruders."

  Dyn tio expin the dangers of the Dragon's Den iail, pointing out the most hazardous areas. As he spoke, he sent Julian a detailed strategy guide for the Den via his phone.

  This guide, piled by the Drake family, was an internal dot far more prehehan the simplified versions given to outsiders entering the Den.

  With John, being the sixth Champion of Drakoria, the Walker family's influence had grown signifitly.

  Furthermore, Julian's rumored e to the mysterious and newly emerged first-css Legendary Pokémowo, made the Drake family take him even more seriously.

  Adding to this, Ian was Julian's cssmate, and Wade was his teacher. With these two yers of ties, the Drake family naturally maintained a favorable retionship with Julian.

  "I'm so jealous that you and Brother Dyo ehe Dragon's Den. I haven't been to any special advanced secret realm yet," Owen said, looking at Julian and Dyn with envy.

  "It's dangerous inside. I barely made it out alive st time," Dyn replied ftly.

  Even an ordinary advanced secret realm was filled with tless dangers, let alone a special advanced secret realm like the Dragon's Den.

  Owen winced, recalling the time Dyn had emerged from the Den, covered in blood. He had spent aire day in the emergen, a month iensive care unit, and only then was he moved tur ward.

  The memory made Owen decide that entering the Dragon's Den wasn't worth it—at least not until he reached the Elite level. As a pseudo-Elite, the risks were simply too great.

  The three chatted for a while longer before Owen and Dy.

  With Julian scheduled to ehe Dragon's Den tomorrow, they didn't want to disturb him further. Everything that o be said had already been discussed.