I am Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes.

As time ticked by, the preparations before the start were finally completed.

The cheers from the spectators on the sidelines reached a climax.

The air was thick with the tension that was typical of the race before it started.

"Contestants, ready!"

Rebecca's voice came from mid-air.

Rebecca, dressed in her uniform, rode on Pal's back. This was basically a violation of school rules, but since it was the annual Dragon Riding Festival, no one objected.

Rebecca stood with her hands on her hips, majestically atop Guflin's head, her spirited figure immediately attracting everyone's attention.

Guflin's body was too large to find a suitable saddle, and Rebecca also publicly stated that she did not like to restrain her beloved Pal with reins and saddles, which is why this unique riding posture evolved.

Rebecca raised her magical musket.

A suffocating silence enveloped the entire room.

All that could be heard was the pounding of the heart and the dragon's deep breathing.

Even the usually bustling audience seats fell silent.

"preparation--"

The muzzle of the musket was aimed at the sky.

As the flash of dragon magic illuminated the sky, a deafening roar erupted from the gun barrel.

"Fly, Arthur!" Jill jerked the reins, and Arthur roared, his wings flapping simultaneously, unleashing a gust of wind, and he took flight.

"Roar!" The earth dragons roared and charged forward, the ground shaking under their trampling.

"Roar!" The pterosaurs flapped their wings and soared into the sky, braving the atmosphere.

"Splash..." One after another, water jets rushed into the waterway not far away, splashing water everywhere, and disappeared from everyone's sight.

The sight of nearly a hundred dragons performing together was breathtaking for everyone present.

"Oh!"

Amidst the grand cheers, each dragon passed directly through the gates of the Ansari Dragon Riding Academy and entered the city of Ansari.

Due to the different dragon race systems, the tracks for earth dragons, pterosaurs, and water dragons are also different, and the student council has made very detailed track regulations.

Otherwise, the pterosaur with its flight advantage would certainly have a much greater chance of victory than the earth dragon, which could only run obediently on the ground, and the water dragon, which could only swim in waterways.

Therefore, for the sake of balance, the tracks for pterosaurs, earth dragons, and water dragons are all different, and they only overlap when they reach certain specific paths or a section of the path before the final finish line, but this does not appear to be unfair in terms of conditions.

Therefore, the conditions for each contestant are basically the same; the only difference is based on individual circumstances.

Jill and Silvia were naturally on the pterosaur's runway.

"Whoosh!" Arthur flapped his wings, trying to shake off Lancelot.

Arthur, who is still a pterosaur for the time being, is very similar to Jill in some ways.

First, there's his exceptional speed; even Lancelot, who is already a Holy Dragon, is slightly slower than Arthur in this aspect. Second, there's his magical power; with his terrifying magical reserves, Arthur is in no way inferior to Lancelot, and may even be slightly stronger.

It's probably because when Jill's soul hatched Arthur, it brought these characteristics into Arthur's body, causing Arthur's changes.

Physical attributes are something you can't control, but Arthur's unique physical abilities set him apart.

"Arthur, let's slow down for the last stretch," Jill patted Arthur's head and whispered the instructions.

Arthur nodded, then flapped his wings again, widening the distance between himself and Lancelot once more.

"Chase after him, don't give up, Lancelot!" Sylvia also gave Lancelot the order.

Lancelot let out a defiant roar and flapped his wings to catch up.

Lancelot, the Holy Dragon, was incredibly fast, catching up with Gil in the blink of an eye.

Ashbridged followed closely behind Lancelot, minimizing the impact of air resistance while gradually climbing the rankings.

However, as Gil approached St. Darram Square and was about to enter the narrow city streets, she finally encountered a hindrance.

Four contestants lined up side by side, blocking the way ahead.

Upon closer inspection, Gil immediately realized that the other party was the four female students who had maliciously slandered Sylvia before the match.

The narrow city roads are winding and long, with many challenging bends. It seems I'll have to be patient for now before leaving the city.

Jill's eyes sharpened.

The four female students seemed to have come for Sylvia, and Jill was included as well, simply because of a sentence she had just said.

Once other contestants approach from behind, they will automatically make way for a small space, allowing the other contestant to overtake them directly.

"Phew... Arthur, no need to hold back!" Jill flicked the reins. "Fly sideways!"

Arthur let out a roar, then suddenly spun around, passing through the girls' obstruction from the side at a narrow angle, and then leaving them all behind!

"What...!" The girl who was the leader among the group of girls' expressions changed drastically. She never expected that Jill would break through their encirclement in this way!

Moreover, the powerful shockwave instantly knocked over one of the four girls, causing her earth dragon to crash directly into another girl's earth dragon!

The four female students' formation immediately collapsed. After a moment of chaos, they all fell to the ground in a sorry state by the roadside.

The female student's hysterical roar and the earth dragon's furious howl echoed endlessly through the narrow city streets.

Gil chuckled softly as he gestured for Arthur to readjust his flying posture. "Hmph, you're a hundred thousand years too young to play with me!"

Chapter Ninety-Nine: Just jump from here.

Sylvia, who was lagging behind, deftly dodged the obstacle formed by the female students and the earth dragon, and picked up her speed in one go, catching up with Jill.

Ash, riding Bridged, gave chase.

These little tricks don't work on Jill at all.

……

A few hours later.

With Gil deliberately letting her win, Silvia took first place.

Jill calmed down the somewhat defiant Arthur, promising to give him extra portions for dinner and all three meals the next day, successfully appeasing him.

So aren't foodies the easiest to please?

Jill thought so.

Just then, Jill saw a figure running towards her.

"Rebecca!"

Below the platform, an instructor, panting heavily, ran over and called out anxiously.

"One player hasn't returned yet!"

Jill raised an eyebrow, then looked around, her face darkening.

He didn't see Ash, so that means... the missing student could be...

On the platform, Rebecca asked, "What's going on?"

"An hour has passed since the competition ended, but one competitor still hasn't returned!" the instructor said breathlessly. "In the forest, a guard found the earth dragon that competitor was riding, but the rider is nowhere to be found. Something may have happened to him!"

Rebecca's expression changed slightly, and she immediately said, "Form a rescue team and head to the forest to carry out the rescue!"

"Yes!" Although he was an instructor, he was following Rebecca's instructions as the standard, which was quite strange.

“I’ll go too!” Rebecca turned her gaze to the instructor.

"What is the missing rider's name?"

"It's that problem student who rode someone else's Pal to participate in the competition, Ash Blake, a first-year student in the advanced course!"

Jill gritted her teeth, patted Arthur's head, then looked up and said, "I'll go help with the search and rescue too!"

Jill's voice made Rebecca look at Jill.

Rebecca didn't hesitate for long and quickly nodded, "Then you should join in too."

“I want to go too,” Sylvia said.

Jill glanced at Sylvia.

I guess it's... a refusal to admit defeat?

After all, Arthur's sudden slowdown at the end seemed a bit odd...

Jill jumped up and landed on Arthur's back.

Having been entrusted with a task, one must be loyal to it. Since I promised the Dragon Mother to help her protect the descendants of the Avalon Holy Dragon Royal Family, I must fulfill that promise.

……

Above the Fiana Forest.

Jill unleashed her senses to the fullest extent.

At this moment, Gil couldn't help but lament how wonderful it would be if Enkidu were here.

If Enkidu were here, finding someone would be a piece of cake...

Jill looked down at the forest below, feeling rather troubled.

His perception range is limited; as for the forest in front of him, it would be better for Arthur to fly around it first...

At that moment, Arthur seemed to sense something and flew off in a certain direction.

"Arthur, did you discover something?" Jill asked, patting Arthur's head.

“Woo woo…” Arthur whimpered twice, seemingly in response to Jill’s words.

“Take me there,” Jill said, gently patting Arthur’s head.

Arthur let out a cry and swooped down towards the edge of the forest.

“There’s a canyon there… Could it be…” Jill activated her clairvoyance and looked in that direction.

A faint light flickered in Gil's crimson eyes. There was no sign of anyone above the canyon—Ash had probably fallen in.

After Arthur landed slowly, Jill discovered that Rebecca and Gufflin had also landed there.