《The Dragon of Dreams》 Chapter 1: The Mistake of Man Chapter 1: The Mistake of Man 09 : 30 AM : 2/2/2026 *Beep* *Beep* Uuwaahh.. Slowly waking up to the beeping of my alarm, I reluctantly turned over to look at the clock. It was 9:30 but I decided to just lay in the warm embrace of the bed sheets for a bit. After a few minutes, I finally got out of bed, my bedsheets falling off of me allowing for a wave of cold air gets blown across me. "Brrrr.." As the chill ran up my spine I was immediately woken up fully. -Did the temperature really drop that much?!- I looked over towards my window and saw snowflakes. "What a rare sight.." Finally jumping out of bed I quickly threw on some cold clothes and checked my phone to see if there was anything important and like usual there was nothing besides bots and spam. "Haaah.." Letting out a sigh I made my way down the hallway and hopped on my computer to see if any of the manga or novels I was following had updated. "Oh my.." -There''s more than usual!- With a smile on my face I quickly got comfy and read through them. After finishing the new chapters I realized it was time to go so I tossed on my shoes, grabbed my things, and left the house in a pretty decent mood. -Maybe I should swing by my parents after class..- Little did I know.. I wouldn''t have that opportunity. 05 : 00 AM : 2/2/2026 : Darpa Labs - Kevin J. ~ 5 miles below the surface of the United States Pentagon were the Darpa Labs, the most secretive and advanced laboratory in the world. We were completely out of the world''s line of sight, doing experiments with technology that wouldn''t be seen by the public for nearly 5 decades. Even the president of the United States doesn''t have the authority to access some of our information. "How long until everything is ready?" I looked down at our experiment programmer, Jack N. Jack was fairly short but well built and pretty smart. "Everything is ready except for the capacitors. They are 7 hours from being fully charged, sir." His program controlled almost the entire experiment so he had the success of it solely on his shoulders. I was completely focused though. -Where is it.. come on, come on!- The robotic voice came back over the intercom again. "Commencing experiment in 5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1.." *RUMBLE* *Crash* A massive earthquake-like shaking occurred as the countdown ended. Almost everyone in the lab fell over and several computers and papers were shaken off their desks.. "Huh?" Even Kevin couldn''t hide his confusion as he stood back up. A small amount of black mist started filling the room from where the ball was, liquifying the meter-thick reinforced glass of the testing chamber. -What.. was that?- I slowly stood back up and noticed the otherworldly black mist floating towards them. -What.. the..- It wasn''t just me that was frozen, everyone in the room simply stared at it as it got closer, stunned from awe and fear. "AHHHHH!!!" A woman across the room screamed as she ran across the lab to leave, knocking over everything in her path. The woman''s panic incited everyone else''s as we all sprinted to the door, ignoring everything in our way. As I ran to the door with everyone else, I noticed Kevin was in a daze while staring at the mist. "That must be our GOD." He wore the face of a man who had lost his mind. -F*cking psyco..- I turned back to the door, but we couldn''t get out. The door was locked. As some of my colleagues tried to hack or break the max security lock, the mist finally made it through the glass and began to spread around the room, liquifying everything it touched. Not long after, it finally reached us, we all slowly, one by one, layer by layer [1], started turning to dust as the cloud slowly absorbed us. As an unfathomable pain rippled through my body, I heard Kevin yell out. "This is our Savior! Our Salvati-" His head disintegrated before he could finish. -Haah..- I calmed my thoughts as the pain started to disappear and memories played in my mind. -It was a good run..- Chapter 2: Death and Rebirth Chapter 2: Death and Rebirth 11 : 55 2/2/2026 : Kennesaw Georgia *Thump* Closing the door to my car after parking on campus, I started heading to class. -Only have a few more months left..- I was a 23 year old who nearly had a Masters in computer game design, it''s basically computer science except in the realm of games. I had always enjoyed coding, to have the freedom to create my own world in the form of a game let me realize at least part of my unrealistic wish for true freedom. It let me turn my dreams into something I could show to others, and it helped me realize my talent for visualizing things, even if they were super complicated. -Man if only I lived in one of those novel worlds with magic, I think id be pretty good at it.- As I thought about what Id do in a fantasy world, I let out a little chuckle with a smile on my face. -Haah.. if only..- Walking through the campus, I smelled the food trucks that made my mouth water and my stomach growl. -I wish I could grab something but..- I checked my phone and saw the clock display 11:59 on the screen.. -15 minutes till class starts..- I quickly tried to put my phone back in my pocket but I was froze. It felt as if time had been paused. Reluctantly looking up, I saw a baseball-sized black sphere a few meters in front of me. I never thought I had a fear of death, but looking at that black sphere made my legs go weak. But I didn''t fall over.. I couldn''t.. I was stuck, unable to move. After what felt like an eternity I managed to calm down some. I took deep breaths trying to not panic, to bring my focus back and process the situation but blurry memories started to flash in my mind. -Is this.. death?- Suddenly an unfathomable darkness encompassed everything. I couldn''t see, hear, taste, or feel anything. It felt like the air got sucked out of my lungs and I couldn''t breathe.. I couldn''t do anything except exist.. -what.. is happening...- Winding up my front leg to break out of the ''egg thing'' I was in, I suddenly realized, -wait I have 4 legs and... are those wings and a tail?- Just as I was about to break out of the shell, some knowledge randomly surfaced in my mind.. -Ah right.. I''m a dragon now.. The dragon named Vasilias Ragnarok..- Breaking out of the shell, I was hit with a sudden yet extreme hunger and began eating the shell like it was muscle memory. After feeling a little satiated from eating the egg I finally took some time to look around. I was in an absolutely gigantic circular room with fancy gold trim and carvings on the various pillars supporting the freakishly tall ceiling. The entire room was white and gold, with a massive pile of gold and treasures in the middle. I was sitting on top of it with 2 other eggs next to me, a small bundle of feathers below each egg so we weren''t laying right on the treasure. It was truly beautiful but now wasn''t the time to be admiring it. Looking down at myself I noticed I had white scaled forelimbs with a very slight blue shade when looking at an angle. On my feet there were small, snow white nubs I assumed were supposed to be claws. I spread out what I hypothesized were wings, and surely enough, behind me were two large wings with the same bright white scales. Looking back by my butt I noticed I also had a pretty long tail. "Hehehe" -I''m beautiful- With a bright, childish smile, a sudden wave of confidence washed over me. I truly felt like I was the strongest in the world, it was a very euphoric feeling. Looking around the room again, I noticed something that had caught my attention. Slightly covered by the massive pile of gold was a purple and black cube, slightly bigger than me. Although it looked like a cube, it was fundamentally different. -A tesseract?- Although it was just a guess, it was the best I could think of. It didn''t make any noise even though it seemed to move in place. It had a very surreal beauty to it and after staring for quite a while, a deep desire started to surface. Everything in my body was telling me to touch it. Almost as if in a trance I slid down the pile of gold and touched it. The moment I did, a mechanical voice appeared in my mind. "Conditions Met: Activating Procedure ??=???ҡ?????????????????"" Chapter 3: Change Chapter 3: Change xx : xx x/x/xxxx (present) : Home "Conditions Met: Activating Procedure ??=???ҡ?????????????????""Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com The cube immediately started shining a blinding purple light and it spoke in a completely foreign language. I once again found myself again in a dark place without light. -What in the..- Cutting off my thoughts, the mechanical voice spoke again. "Severe damage and instability detected." It was a language I have never heard but I somehow understood it clearly.. -Instability?- "Damaged Soul of higher dimensional being resides weak 3rd Dimensional Body: Invalid" -What? A soul of higher dimensional bei..- My thoughts were quickly cut off by a series of errors. "-Error: Invalid Error: Invalid Error: Impossible Commencing Repairs." -Huh? What do you mean commencing repa..- An extreme searing pain coursed through my body again that made my mind go blank again. After an unknown amount of time passed, the mechanical voice spoke again. "Repairs and Modifications Complete. Experiment successful." "HAAAHH.." As I violently gasped for breath, my eyes shot open. -I''m.. I''m back..- I was back in the white room with the cube I touched being nothing more than a pile of fine powder. As I glanced around, I felt an inexplicable ''change'' in my body, but before I could move, I passed out from both mental and physical exhaustion. - Zachari Ragnarok ~ Perched at the edge of a towering oceanside cliff, I looked out towards the setting sun and let out a deep sigh. "Haahh.." -I wonder if any of them have hatched yet- It wasn''t until an hour or so later that I finally got up and started flying home. The forest below me had a thick canopy. But, as I flew over, I could sometimes see some monsters through small openings. A slight look of concern appeared on my face seeing some of the larger monsters. -This forest is a dangerous place for the kids..- After a moment of thinking though, my concern shifted to confidence. -I''ll just need to protect them until they get strong enough to wipe this forest clean!- -Ah, right.. I should get something for them to eat..- After killing a small field bison for food, I finally landed in front of two massive white and gold doors. Not wasting any more time, I opened up the doors and walked in, carrying the dead bison with me. -Today, I''ll figure out what that weird cube thing is..- As the thought crossed my mind, I noticed that one of the eggs on the pile of treasure was missing. -Oh, it looks like one hatched.. but.. where are they?- I didn''t see anything out of the ordinary until, -Huh?- Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that the cube had turned into a powder and laid just next to it was a small baby dragon. The dragon was laying completely flat against the floor as if to take up as much space as possible which made me want to laugh but something was wrong. -Its not white..- It was a small void-like black dragon, slightly bigger than what would fit into the egg. There was a purple and blue light flowing between the scales and it had black-purple horns and claws. There wasn''t a single trace of me or Osto in the child. -But..- When I leaned closer, I could clearly feel the connection between us. -its Vasilias.. but.. what happened to him..- A mix of confusion and anger started filling me. I thought someone might''ve tampered with his hatching process but looking around the room revealed that nothing else had changed except the cube. -The cube artifact.. thing.. turned into sand.. is that what tampered with my sweet baby?!- I glared at the small pile of sand but quickly calmed myself down, purely grateful that Vasilias seemed to have hatched successfully and looked healthy. I walked over and lightly picked him up with my mouth, moving him back up onto his small bed of feathers. I stood there and watched him sleep for a moment. The sight of his peaceful smile made me feel an unfathomable joy and melted away all of my stress and worry. After shaking myself out of a small trance I got caught in, I curled around the pile of treasure and fell asleep with him. -No matter how his appearance changed, he''s still my baby boy..- Chapter 4: My New Sister Chapter 4: My New Sister xx : xx x/x/xxxx (present) : Home *Cracking* Upon waking up I noticed I got a tad bigger, I was now moderately bigger than what could fit in the egg but that wasn''t my concern. *Crack* -Are one of my siblings hatching?- Just before I noticed the other physical changes I looked up and saw an absolutely massive, but familiar white dragon coiled around the mound of gold my siblings and I were on. As I looked over the huge dragon, a name appeared in my head. ''Zachari Ragnarok''. -My mother..- I couldn''t help but stare at her, I felt like I was in a trance. -How b.. beautiful..- "Oh you''re awake Vasilias." A soft smile appeared on her face as she looked at me Her smile made my mind go blank and gave me an inexplicable joy that made me subconsciously smile. After bathing in the childish joy for a bit, I finally took some time to look at myself with the first and most obvious thing being my change in color. My scales were a void-like matte black with a blue and purple glow flowing between them. -I look.. F***ING AWESOME!- From my human life, I always loved matte black, I thought it made things look majestic and powerful, so now that my scales had changed to that beautiful color, I was inexplicably happy. That joy was cut short though. After thinking about it for a moment, I became worried that Mother would think of me as a freak. Luckily though, those worries were washed away after looking up and seeing Mother''s pure motherly smile again. Finally calming down and going back to checking myself out, I noticed my wings had become a bit thicker and bigger. Now my wingspan was easily as long or longer than I was and I had grown some horn-like spikes towards the end of my tail. I felt pure bliss seeing my changes. -Thank the heavens I''m a good looking dragon..- An imaginary tear of joy fell down my cheek. After I finished checking myself out I sat up straight and held my head high with a childish smile on my face. Mother looked at me with a look of curiosity. "Vasilias, y.." -What is that glorious smell..- It smelled so good it made my stomach growl. I froze hearing it growl but it made Mother let out a chuckle. "Haha, oh right.. Vasilias, would you like to eat while Krystallo is sleeping?" -So my sister''s name is Krystallo..- Her name was important but I quickly put that thought aside and vigorously nodded my head -Yes please mother, I''m so hungry I could eat a horse.- Mother stood up and walked into the hallway, dragging back a massive Bison-looking creature into the main room. My mouth started watering as the massive creature was dragged to me. I slid my way down the mound of gold coins and treasure just to be unprepared when I hit the bottom. Steadily speeding up while sliding down the mound, I completely neglected to put more strength in my front legs for when I hit the bottom. My legs folded under me, causing me to slam face first into the ground. *thud* Mother stopped and set down the bison just to see me face down tail up at the bottom of the treasure. "Pfft" She quickly put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. I quickly straightened myself up and stuck my head up with confidence, letting out a, "Hmph.." -You saw nothing!- As I sat there, my confident look slowly turned into a warm smile. -I''m just glad Mother seems to be really caring and loving..- I tried to think back to my past life on earth to reminisce but struggled to remember anything about my family. A sudden wave of sadness took over making me instinctively look back up at Mother. The sadness that felt like a dark and heavy blanket wrapping around me disappeared upon seeing her pure smile. A deep sense of gratitude surfaced from deep within me and a smile crept onto my face without me realizing it. Chapter 5: Exploration! Chapter 5: Exploration! xx : xx x/x/xxxx (present) : Home With a childish smile on my face, I happily trotted up to the huge bison. -Even though it''s uncooked it just smells... so good..- Standing next to the huge body, I looked at it questioningly, -Now how in the world am I going to eat this..- After going up to bite it I had to pull back.. I couldn''t figure out ''how'' to eat it, but mother seemed to believe I couldn''t bite through the hide "You want me to cut into the hide so you can bite into it?" -I guess I should just go for it..- Giving one more glance, I chomped through the hide as if it wasn''t even there and chewed on the soft, warm meat. A sudden gleam appeared in my eye.. -Oh my.. it''s so good- I immediately slammed my face into the huge bison and started eating my fill. - Zachari Ragnarok ~ "Haha" I couldn''t keep myself from chuckling as I watched Vasilias go to town on the Field Bison. -That gleam in his eye is just like his fathers.- Seeing he was eating properly, I walked back and curled around Krystallo. I ended up laying down and watching him as he ate. "Pfft.." I had to hold back a laugh. Vasilias had chewed a hole big enough for his whole head and neck to fit in. Hearing me, he quickly popped his head out and gave me a curious look. "It''s nothing sweetie, you can continue eating" -He really is an odd child, I feel like he understands far more than he should for his age.. He hatched today yet by the time he woke up he had intent in his eyes.- While questioning his abnormal intelligence, my eyes slowly drifted to the purple sand piled where the cube was. -What did that cube really do other than change his appearance..- I took a while to try and sort my thoughts on the issue before giving up and laying down to just watch Vasilias. "Haah.." -I guess time needs to pass to find out what else it did..- Almost as if in a dream-like trance, I watched Vasilias eat the bison. -His scales are really.. beautiful..- Not long after, my eyes started to feel heavy and I drifted to sleep. - Zachari Ragnarok ~ Suddenly waking up from what felt like a great dream, I realized Vasilias had finished his dinner and was walking around the room. Looking back towards the bison I noticed something unusual again. -What!? He ate the whole thing!- I was in complete shock as I peeked at him again. -He seems full of energy after that huge meal, maybe I should get more for him in the future..- After a lap around the room, Vasilias looked down the hallway and glanced back at me before walking continuing down the hall. -As long as he doesn''t go outside it should be fine..- I just kept an eye on him just in case. After a short while, Vasilias seemed to find something he liked. He started into a jog towards the side of the hallway. -The fountain? The water will probably be too hot for him- Thinking about whether I should get up to stop him, he arrived at the edge of the fountain and looked into the water. While looking into the water he started smiling. -Is he looking at his reflection?- Seeing him give a proud look after looking into the water, my question was answered. -He really was.. So that really was intent..- Although it was quite shocking, I understood it as him simply being a prodigy. While bathing in the wave of proud happiness that washed over me, I saw him jump into the water. My face paled and it felt like my heart skipped a beat. I failed to get up and save him before he landed in the steaming water, but it seemed fine. I laid there in awe as I watched him float in the hot water with a face of pure relaxation. His wings were totally stretched out to make it easier to float as well. -There was definitely more to that cube than just changing his appearance..- Although the water wasn''t considered hot for dragons, it was definitely enough to cause a newborn without their scales thermalized [1] to be extremely uncomfortable or even cause pain. -He looks so relaxed though..- Finally easing up, I released the mana I had ready to cast a freeze spell. After a few minutes, he jumped out of the water and started coming back to the main room. -I''m gonna need to give him a stern talk once he gets back.. I cant have him doing reckless things like that while I''m not watching..- As Vasilias rounded the corner he saw me looking at him and froze on the spot. Chapter 6: Bonding with my Clumsy Sister Chapter 6: Bonding with my Clumsy Sister xx : xx x/x/xxxx (present) : Home I was completely frozen in place.. I came back to the room feeling great after my warm bath but Mother was staring at me. -Uh oh.. I didn''t do anything bad.. right?- My face had trace worry on it as I didn''t want to get scolded "Haah.." Mother let out a sigh. I finally started relaxing as her gaze turned away from me. "Vasilias, please don''t do something so reckless again.." Her voice was riddled with concern. -What did I do that was reckless? Maybe she was worried that I might drown..- "That water was hot you know, I was worried you''d scald yourself.." She looked back at me with a much warmer gaze this time. -Oh that''s what she was worried about... Wait, that water was hot?- I stood there completely confused as I thought it was just somewhat warm water.. far from what I would consider hot. Mother stood up and walked up to me, opening her mouth as she bent down towards me. Fear washed over me as I thought she was going to eat me or something, but she just gently picked me up with her mouth and carried me to where my sister was sleeping. -I really shouldn''t worry about getting eaten.. I guess I haven''t really accepted her as my mother yet..- Deep down I still struggled to accept the situation that I was actually a dragon and that I had already died as a human.. I hadn''t thought about it yet, but my morals as a human had already been completely overwritten, I was steadily becoming a dragon more and more on both the inside and out. -I need to accept reality before it keeps me from moving forward.. this isn''t a dream and I need to accept that before it causes my family to get hurt..- Burrowing that thought deep into my mind a newfound sense of self surfaced. I had come to terms with myself and with reality.. at least more so than before. -I am a dragon now.. the superior race of this world.. the kings.- While basking in the happy thoughts, I reached up and bit off another piece of meat for my cute little sister. After a while of that, she finally finished eating. After she finished her last bit of meat, she simply plopped down just like after she ate her egg, completely satisfied. She ate significantly more than her own weight, but it was a far cry from even being close to the amount I ate.. or maybe consumed is a better word. As I looked at her sleeping, feeling a huge sense of accomplishment, a huge wave of hunger washed over me. The hunger was so extreme it made my instinct to eat take over and I walked back up to the bison. There wasn''t much left, only about 1/8 of the whole bison left, but after finishing it all I was still ferociously hungry. "Ahh you''re going to have your dragon sleep already?!" -So I''m going to step out of the newborn stage huh..- A dragon sleep is when a dragon goes into a very long and deep sleep to transition from one stage to another. I was currently going from the newborn stage to the child stage.. at least I thought I was. As much as I wanted to take my time to think about things, my stomach was dying for food so I couldn''t help but speak to mother for the first time, "Mother.. hungry." Mother looked back at me, completely stunned that I talked, before finally saying, "Right let me go and get you some food before your sleep." She instantly disappeared from where she was, appearing down the hall and opening the door before dashing into the forest. I looked back towards the bison that was now simply a pile of bones except for the head. As my hunger grew, my instinct started to take over. I walked up and grabbed a rib of the bison before chomping down, shattering the bone as if it was nothing. *CrAcKkK* Chapter 7: The Dragon Sleep Chapter 7: The Dragon Sleep xx : xx x/x/xxxx (present) : Local Forest - Zachari Ragnarok ~ "Why now.." My mind was in a wreck. "He hatched yesterday, how in the world is he already having his dragon sleep" Trying to think of a reason, I approached a large opening in the forest where there was almost always a Field Bison or two. -Huh.. where is everything..- At last, I finally noticed things were too quiet, I thought back and realized that I hadn''t even seen a rodent since I left the cave. "Roaaarr!!" Off in the distance, I heard a roar I was all to familiar with. "Tch, a wyvern.." A monster race with the same intelligence as a small bird. To dragon folk, wyverns were considered an invasive species since they would wreak havoc to the ecosystems they were exposed to. Over time, dragon folk have come to kill them on sight. -I didnt think they were in this forest..- Quickly flying towards the source of the roar, I spotted a gray colored wyvern eating a field Bison it had killed. "My child is going to starve because of you bastards!" Letting out some pent up frustration, I slammed my feet into the head of the wyvern. *CRUNCH* Its head got completely pulverized and the bison it was eating turned into a pool of blood and meat. -Tch.. no time..- Running out of time and unable to find any high nutrient species since the wyvern pushed them out, I hurriedly picked up the 8 meter wyvern with my mouth and flew as fast as possible back to the cave. "Bleh.." The taste of the wyvern was awful but I didn''t have a choice. -I''m sorry Vasilias.. I cant let you starve..- On my way back, I thought back to Vasilias saying he was hungry. -I guess I wasn''t imagining it when I thought he could understand what I was saying earlier.. he really did have ''intent'' already..- Worried he was going to get mana poisoning, I rushed over, but Vasilias began moving again and dashed past me to the wyvern body. -What is that speed?!- He arrived at the body nearly instantly. Once he bit into the wyvern, the nearly freezing temperatures in the room started to finally stabilize, the glow between his scales returning to its original purple. -Oh right, Krystallo!- I quickly whipped around in a panic to see Krystallo still sleeping soundly with a thin layer of ice around her. -Oh thank the heavens..- After nearly having 3 heart attacks, I finally took a moment to sit down and breath. A few minutes later Vasilias finished the wyvern completely, the only exception being the bones and the head. "What a ridiculous appetite.." Turning around, Vasilias had his eyes half closed, looking incredibly sleepy. -Looks like his appetite is finally satisfied..- Before he fell asleep, I walked up and brought him back over to the pile of treasure. As I set him down, he muttered. "Thank you.. Mother.." "Just enjoy your rest sweetie" With my reassurance, Vasilias finally closed his eyes and went to sleep. With a moment to myself, I started to think about the cube artifact that caused so many issues. What was that cube.. it would give me a headache whenever I looked at it closely... It felt as if I was looking into something I shouldn''t..- After pondering about the various possibilities, I decided there wasn''t anything else I could do besides help Vasilias grow even if I knew everything the artifact did. I slowly looked over at Vasilias in a peaceful sleep next to the mound of treasure. -No matter what changed.. Ill make sure he grows up strong..- Chapter 8: A Dream? Chapter 8: A Dream? PLEASE DONT WORRY IF YOU DONT UNDERSTAND THE DETAILS! [1] Time Error - D?D????=???ҡ????????????DD??? : Location Error - D?D??=??ҡ?????????D?D? *FLASH* *GASP* Hah.. hah.. Hah... I jolted awake to the sight of a blue sky. Hah... hah... Finally calming my breath after feeling like I woke up from a nightmare, I tried to look around. But I quickly found that I didnt need to. I could already see.. everything. -W..woah...- I was laying on grass, in a field I had never seen before. -But.. calling this grass.. might not be accurate...-?iscover new chapters at novelhall.com The world I was looking at was unlike anything I had ever seen. It was made up of what could only be described as raw information, as something akin to math, and geometry. But although it looked so unfathomably foreign, I could understand it. Looking closely at one of the blades of grass seemingly inside of my current, cloud-like body, I felt like there was something I was missing.. something I couldnt see, yet I could manipulate. -What if I...- Focusing on the single blade of grass, I pulled an intangible string and saw the grass slowly begin to multiply into hundreds, then thousands, then millions of versions of itself, each almost identical to the one next to it, yet ever-so-slightly different. It took a moment, but eventually, I understood what I was seeing. I was looking at everywhere that blade of grass had ever been, where it was, and where it would ever be.. all at once. It only took an instant for the amount of information flowing into my consciousness to grow beyond what I could handle. AAGHH! I let out a helpless wail as I panicked and let go of the intangible string connected to the blade of grass. *Vwop* In an instant, the world froze once again. Hah.. hah.. Hah... The world around me looked exactly like it did before I touched the string, with every blade of grass, every cell, and every atom around me being in the exact same spot it was when I first woke up. -Maybe its best.. that I dont touch that again...- Taking a moment to catch my breath, I subconsciously lifted my cloud-like body off the ground, with seemingly no effort in the slightest. It was so easy it caught me a little off guard. -W..woah...- I moved without restrictions. There was simply no momentum, no inertia, and most of all... -No gravity...- But even though I wasnt being affected by gravity, it was still there. My surroundings, from the blades of grass to the dust in the sky, were still being pulled by it. -But why...- As I idly thought to myself, I slowly rose into the sky to look around, but only saw a world that would look familiar, had it not been wrapped in a blanket made up of an infinite number of invisible strings just like the one I manipulated earlier. A part of me felt like I could move the whole blanket at once, but another part of me was fearful of what would happen if I did. -Maybe.. I should save that for another time...- Finally turning my attention away from the ground below me, I looked toward the distant horizon and finally noticed some small floating islands. But unlike everything else that was frozen, the blanket wrapped around the islands looked like it was being pulled, ever so gently, to allow the leaves in the trees to blow. W..woah... It was something that, in theory, pointed to a somehow even more impossible conclusion. -If I could manipulate time.. and time is the 4th dimension.. then that would mean I was...- But my fragile thoughts shattered like glass before I could finish them. "Mom, Bwother is up!" The unfamiliar childs voice ripped through my mind in a flash and jolted me awake. *GASP* With a cold sweat I looked around in a panic. -Everything is.. normal...- Although it took a moment, the familiar room I was in managed to calm my nerves. -But it feels way smaller than it used to be...- Standing at just over 6 meters tall, I looked down to see a small white dragon sitting down, and looking up at me like a curious puppy. It was around 2 and a half meters tall but she looked just like Mother. -Is this.. Krystallo? Why is she so big now.. and why am I so much bigger?- (She was around 35cm or so before the dragon sleep) "Big Bwother is awake!" A huge, childish smile came to Krystallos face as she ran up and wrapped herself around my leg. It was an adorable sight but was still unable to lessen my lingering anxiety. Unsure of what to say, I turned and looked at Mother, but she just wore a smile forced through worry and anxiousness. Finally piecing together everything I saw around me, I finally muttered a few words. "M..mother... My voice felt unfamiliar, but I tried to ignore it. How long was my sleep?" Mother''s forced smile faded immediately. "It''s been.. a year and 2 months..." "WHAT?!" My no-longer-childish voice boomed throughout the room. Seeing Krystallo suddenly shrivel up and tighten her grip on my leg, I leaned down and gently rubbed my cheek against hers. Sorry, Krystallo... I was nervous I accidentally scared her, but thankfully, a warm smile returned to her face after a short moment. Mother wasnt so easy to cheer up though. Looking back over at her, I noticed her expression started to warp as she struggled to hold back tears. Gently creeping over to me, she lowered her towering body and laid her head on mine. Th..thank you... Her voice was weak. Thank you for waking up... Finally letting her pent-up emotions flow, she started crying without tears. [2] Feeling truly awful for causing her so much worry and stress, I tried my best to comfort her. "I''m sorry for making you worry, Mother..." But it was truly terrible timing. My mind was still in a knot after the dream, so I could only let her lean against me and cry. I could only give her the chance to let it all flow. It only took a moment for Krystallos smile to fade again as well. *sniffle* "Whaaaaaaa..." Slowly moving my wing around, I gently pressed it up against Krystallos back and embraced her. But even with all of the things that needed my attention, a dangerous thought still loomed in my mind. -What.. was that world...- Chapter 9: My Brother... Chapter 9: My Brother... xx : xx x/x/xxxx (present) : Home After letting my mother and sister let out their tears for a while, mother finally calmed down and sister had fallen asleep. "So.. what all did I miss.." Managing to put my thoughts about the dream to the side for a moment, I tried to make sure nothing major happened. Mother stood up and started walking to the side of the room. "Well, Krystallo went into her dragon sleep a little over two months after you did, hers lasted 4 months, which was already much longer than average.." "Well she seems to have grown quite a bit, she can speak somewhat fluently now." "Haha.. she definitely didn''t change as much as a certain someone though." she looked back at me with a face of worry before continuing. "How long.. did you know how to speak." "Well..." there was a moment of silence while I was thinking about what to do before deciding to just be honest.. "since I hatched mother.." I held my head low, feeling a little guilty after deceiving my own mother. "You really are an oddball aren''t you.." A heartwarming smile reappeared on her face. But it quickly disappeared when I asked a question I shouldn''t have. "What about my other sibling? The 3rd egg." Her face was completely washed with sadness, it only took me a moment to realize what that meant. "Oh... I''m sorry I shouldn''t hav-" Mother interrupted me. "He.. never hatched.." Female dragons can only lay eggs once in their life, and even the luckiest of mothers can only lay 4 eggs. She was already proud to have my sister and I but not having the 3rd egg hatch brought her pain. Mother stopped walking and sat down in front of a large silver egg on a pedestal. -So mother has already made a memorial..- There was text on the base of the white pedestal, ''In memory of Fengari Ragnarok'' my younger brother. I leaned down and gave a small prayer that he was in a better place now. -I got reincarnated so anything is possible.. I just hope his future is a bright one..- "Are you nervous Krystallo?" I tried asking in a normal tone but it sounded mocking. "Hmph.. why would I be nervous" She desperately tried to hide her nervousness now that I pointed it out. Turning back to the massive doors at the end of the hallway, my heart was racing, my eyes filled with curiosity.. The doors slowly swung open. -It looks.. oddly beautiful..- Although I was kind of disappointed at the plain sight, my incredibly improved vision made the sight beautiful. I hadn''t had the chance to appreciate it since I have been inside this whole time, but my vision was genuinely incredible. Every bug on a tree, how many veins each leaf had, I could even see extreme details in the bark on the tree line. "Wow.." the words slipped from my mouth as I observed the beauty in the details of the forest in front of the cave, but my sister didn''t seem to share my enthusiasm. "Id wather lay on the pile of mothers tweasure.." Mother responded before I could. "If you want to go back in, you can, but I''m going to stay out with Vasilias a little longer." "Hmph, fine then, I shall stay here to pwotect bwother." A face filled with confidence as she sat in the shade of the cave entrance. I decided to walk out of the cave to feel the sun but as soon as I stepped out of the shade a wave of warmth and comfort washed over me, to the point where I just plopped down. Just suddenly plopping down without warning scared mother and sister though. "Vasilias!" "Bwother!" As they run over to me I just lift up my head. "I''m fine.. the sun just feels.. really good." Mother understood my words but Krystallo was still in panic, seemingly misunderstanding. "Bwother! Don''t you dare die on me!!!!" Chapter 10: The Desire for Adventure! Chapter 10: The Desire for Adventure! Late Afternoon - Spring : Home -Ahh the sun is pure bliss..- I was feeling truly relaxed, until my Krystallo yelled at me, seemingly misunderstanding something. "Bwother don''t you dare die on me!!!!" -Huh?- I quickly jolted up and saw her flying towards my face. I thought about dodging but I was too lazy to move out of the way. *thump* "Krystallo, I think you''re misunderstanding something.." I try to explain a little and set her down.. "I''m glad you''re worried about me though." She looked up at me in surprise. "Hmph, I don''t know what youre talking about.." She was quick to calm down and avert her eyes. "Pfft" I nearly couldn''t hold back my laugh. "Haha, it''s nice to see you two getting along." Mother finally said something after enjoying the atmosphere for a moment. Seeing her good mood, I decided it was a good opportunity for me to ask a certain question. "Mother, when can I go hunting?" I was super excited, full of hope just to get completely crushed by Mother. "It''s tradition to take you hunting on your 15th birthday.." -What?! I''m barely over 1 aren''t I?- I was a bit sad, but I understood why. -But most dragons at 15 are barely even bigger than I am currently.- "So.. do I really need to wait 14 more years before I can go hunting?" After realizing I wasn''t gonna get better conditions I reluctantly walked back inside, waiting for Mother to return. After around an hour, she returned and we went back outside for the rest of the day. I ended up quickly falling asleep under the comfort of the sun. Night quickly enveloped the sky and, no longer feeling the warmth of the sun, I got up and noticed it was already dark. -I definitely fell asleep didn''t I..- As I got up, I saw Krystallo next to me, waking up as well, but as I looked up to the sky with curiousity my breath is taken away. "Its.. beautiful.." The night sky in this world was unbelievably beautiful, no pollution plus a dragon''s eyes made it an incredibly surreal experience. I was completely entranced by the stars. The sky I could see wasn''t a dark abyss that you''d see from a city on Earth, but instead it looked like a whole different world. While I was still human, I loved space. I would love to theorize about complicated concepts in my free time, and space was an easy way to think about those theories because space was as close as we could get to the concept of infinity.. It was an unknown world full of mysteries that we struggled to explain since we couldn''t travel to experience them first hand. -We couldn''t even leave our solar system with the exception of the voyager satellites.- Shaking me out of my daze, Krystallo said something that caught me off guard. "It looks like bwother.." Completely confused, I turned around to see what she was talking about, but she was also looking at the stars. -How could I look like space..- I looked down at myself to see the void-like scales with the blue and purple glow flowing between them.. -I can kind of see the resemblance.. but only in color..- I may have had lots of confidence after becoming a dragon, but it was nowhere near enough for me to think I was even comparable to the beauty of space. Maybe it was because I came from a world where we were beginning to explore and understand space, but space was something special to me that very few people would be able to understand.. especially in this world being that likely hasn''t reached that frontier. Being reincarnated to another world had already rekindled my thirst for adventure, but seeing the night sky made me crave it.. -What is the outside world like.. how strong are the creatures roaming this world.. what are the main races of this wide.. new world..- My rekindled desire to uncover the mysteries of this world exploded, all caused by looking into the starry night sky. Chapter 11: Snow Fight! Chapter 11: Snow Fight! Early Morning - Mid Winter : Home Time ended up slipping away.. we spent our days sunbathing, star gazing, eating, sleeping and simply spending time together for just short of 2 years until my sister and I''s 3rd birthday arrived. There was a thin layer of snow (around 30cm) on the ground and I got a fun idea. "Hey Krystallo, there is finally enough snow for a snow fight, weren''t you arguing with mother the other day? You can finally settle that disagreement, and I''ll be the judge to make sure neither of you cheat." Krystallos eyes lit up. *Gasp* Catching up to pace instantly, she darted over to mother and quickly asked for a snowball fight. "Ho~ so what are the rules?" Mother seemed interested as well. "All is fair!'''' Hearing Krystallos response, Mother gave an unusual smile that Krystallo didn''t seem to notice. Seeing them both ready I let them start preparing. "Okay, go ahead and start preparations!" Krystallo quickly began building a snow fort in preparation for Mother''s onslaught. As Krystallo was building what she believed to be an unbreakable wall, she finally looked over towards Mother. "Moommmm, that''s cheating!" She cried out as she saw Mother create a gigantic snow fort using magic. "Huhu, you never said I couldn''t use magic, isn''t that right judge?" She looked over at me with a smug smile "Haah.. yeah, Krystallo you never said she couldn''t." I''m not sure how but Krystallo forgot the one necessary rule for her to have a chance at winning. "But brother! I have no chance if she uses magic!" -I don''t think you''d have a chance anyways..- I was quite pessimistic about her chances of winning, although she had grown to 4.5 meters over the past 2 years, compared to mother, she was tiny. I had also grown to a whopping 9 meters, my growth slowed down a bit but I was still over double the size I should be. "Well maybe you''ll learn to be more thorough with your rules next time." I give a blunt answer with a smile. She was going to retort but Mother interrupted. "Your brother is very smart, you should take his advice sometimes." "Hmph.." Not wanting to agree she just went back to working on her snow fort. After a few hours, the sun was high in the sky and Krystallo had finally finished her fort.. if it could be called that. She had built a wall just big enough for her to lay behind so she could throw snowballs towards mother, simple but effective. Mother on the other hand... -ahh poor Krystallo..- Mother had built a massive fortress of dense snow with magic with tons of holes in the wall just big enough for a snowball to fit through. -Is she going to use magic to throw the balls through the holes?- The more I looked at it, the more I noticed how serious Mother was taking this. "Mother isn''t this a little much?" I spoke out of concern for my poor little sister''s pride. "Okay the fight will begin, now!" Mother was the referee for this fight and started the match without even asking if we were ready first. "Hehe, brother, are you afraid of losing? Quit hiding behind your wall!" She tried to antagonize me while I prepared a secret weapon. While preparing it, I picked up a small snowball with my tail and launched it from the bottom hole. *poof* The snowball smacked Krystallo right under the chin, "WHATTT?!" being completely unaware of how I threw it, she decided to just throw her snowballs as hard as she can against my fort to knock it over. But sadly I had finished my preparations! I reach down and picked up the huge 3 meter ''snowball'', getting ready to lob it over my fort and onto my sister. But she started her barrage before I could throw it. *thud* *thud* *thud* *thud* The snowballs were peppering my fort, slowly causing my wall to crumble, -Oh.. should I give her some false hope- Wanting to give her a crushing defeat.. my competitive spirit took over a little bit. As the wall began falling towards me I laid down to let it bury me, grabbing a snowball with my tail beforehand. *poomf* The wall fell and Krystallo thought she won, "see!! I told you I''d win!" But suddenly my tail appeared from the pile of snow, hurling a small snowball at her face. "You only act tou.." *thud* The snowball landed in her mouth as she was talking. *Coughing* "What a cheap shot.." Finally looking back up, she saw my tail wrapped around a 3 meter snow ball and a grin on my face sticking out of the snow. The sense of victory drained from her as I hurled the massive snowball at her. "Never celebrate too early!" *poomf* The snowball engulfed my sister, burying her for the 3rd time. Her head quickly popped back out though. "Mother didn''t I win when his fort fell?" Mother was smiling looking at her. "You may have lost but at least you learned two good life lessons today." "Hmph" Krystallo looked over at me, upon seeing my head held high with my eyes closed she quickly made a snowball and threw it at my face. Moving my head just slightly, I dodged the snowball and opened one eye. "Missed me." A mocking smile appeared on my face. "Hmph, I refuse to lose to you.." "Haha, well I''ll always accept your challenge." I gave her a warm smile as I walked up and patted her lightly on the head. -How can I let the one I''m supposed to protect be stronger than me..- Chapter 12: A Little Friend Chapter 12: A Little Friend Early Morning - Mid Winter : Home "Haah.." Mother let out a sigh seeing me poke fun at Krystallo "You should be nicer to your sister Vasilias.." "Awe, I can''t poke fun at her once in a while?" I continued in a low voice so Krystallo couldn''t hear. "Shes obviously competitive so poking fun at her will just keep her motivated to grow stronger." "What am I going to do with you.. well Vasilias won. Krystallo, it may have sounded like a joke, but you do need to remember the lessons you learned today.. okay?" "Haah.. fine mom.." I looked at Krystallo with a warm smile when I remembered a question I had been holding for over a year. -Oh right, I''m finally 3- "Hey mom!" I hopped over to her with a pep in my step "Can I go hunting with you now that I''m big enough?" Mother looked away trying to avoid the question. "No, you''re only 3 Vasilias." "But I''m nearly half your height now!" "Size isn''t the problem anymore, you can''t even use magic yet since you''re still in your child phase." -Ah right.. forgot about that..- A dragon cant use magic until they enter their adolescent phase (after child phase) because their attribute nodes and reserve have not grown in yet. [1] "Krystallo still has around 10 years till her next sleep, but you''re an oddball so who knows. Dragon''s your age should only be around 3 meters tall.. and that''s on the larger side.." She looked up and down the 9 meter tall 3 year old in front of her, seemingly at a loss of words. "So once I reach adolescence I''ll be able to hunt?" Excitement washed over my face as I waited for her answer. "Haah fine.. but until then, no hunting!" "Woohoo!" A childish joy filled my soul as I looked forward to the day I had my next dragon sleep.. -I''ll also hopefully get to figure out if that dream world was real as well... I''m not looking forward to that part though..- "Brother, next time, don''t take so long to wake up from your sleep.. you worried mom.." Krystallo was clearly worried about me too, but she didn''t want to show it for some reason. "He doesn''t have control over that sweetie.. although I hope you don''t take too long either... In the meantime, you should start looking for a place to lay down for your next sleep since it might be early again." Mother was worried, but she still gave a good suggestion. As it got closer, it looked into my eyes but unlike what I expected, it kept moving towards me at a steady pace. "Brother if you get eaten I''m not gonna forgive you!" Krystallo still insisted that I came back into the cave, but I just ignored her. After only a second longer, the puppy got right in front of my face. It was so small that its whole body was smaller than my head but it wasn''t the slightest bit scared. Once he got close, he smelled me a little and simply sat down. -What does this little guy want.. Ill give up anything to have it as a pet..- While I was unsure of what it wanted, I just assumed it was food. Slowly standing up, so as to not scare it away, I carefully walked over to the field bison corpse Krystallo was eating just outside the cave entrance. "Brother, that''s my food, don''t feed it to that creature!" Krystallos face was a mix of fear, panic and jealousy. "Shush, I''m thinking of a name for it." Wanting to make it my pet, I was trying to think of a name for it while ignoring her complaints. Gently biting down into the bison, I cleanly cut off a leg before creeping back to the puppy, setting the bloody leg in front of it. As I got close, it stood up and walked to the leg, letting out a cheerful bark as it chomped down. I laid my head down next to it to watch it eat while I thought of a name. -It seems to be a boy..- "How about Ilios?" [2] As I said that, it stopped eating and looked at me with its tail wagging. "Huff!" It made an adorable attempt at a bark after hearing his new name. A proud smile quickly appeared on my face seeing he liked it. "Hehe, you like it?" As I was drowning in the adorableness that was Ilios for a moment, he ran over to me and hopped onto the top of my head before laying down. A pure and childish happiness filled my soul seeing him get comfortable. -Hehe, he is so cute..- Chapter 13: Sorry Mother Chapter 13: Sorry Mother Mid Afternoon - Mid Winter : Home Seeing Ilios casually lay down on my head, Krystallo started to creep outside the cave again. "Brother, how could you just let that creature jump onto your head.." Her voice was a bit shaky. Hearing her nervousness, I lifted my head up and looked at her. "It''s not just a random creature, this is Ilios!" "You named it?!" "Of course I did! He''s adorable, plus he''s just a puppy so as long as the parents aren''t around, it should be safe." I was still occasionally scanning the treeline to make sure its parents weren''t gonna come kill me but it had been completely silent. -Did something happen to his parents?- Krystallo gave me a nervous look. "But mom said-" "I''ll explain to Mother when she gets back. Just don''t worry about it and come say hi to him!" Successfully convincing her, she slowly started creeping towards him but when she got close, Ilios opened his eyes and glared at her. "That glare isn''t normal brother!" She immediately retreated while shaking a little bit. "Haah.. how could you be afraid of something so cute?" I looked up at him sitting on my head with a warm smile. *Bang* Catching me off guard, the ground suddenly shook and a huge amount of snow was launched into the air behind me. Whipping my head around to see what it was, I accidentally knocked Ilios off my head. As the plume of snow fell back to the ground, I saw Mother with a huge, blood covered panther looking creature in her mouth. "Haah, I cleared the mountain, so you ready to go look.. up the.. mountain.." Her worlds steadily slowed as she looked at me, noticing the little puppy climbing up onto my back -Oh it''s just Mother..- When the ground shook so violently, I was worried it was Ilioss parents. "Vasilias, don''t move! She glared at Ilios with clear killing intent but he didn''t seem to care at all as he finished climbing up onto my back before laying down again. "Oh yeah, this is Ilios. Can I keep him, Mother?" Trying to give in to mothers desires I give the ''puppy eyes'' look.Upstodatee from But Mother didn''t seem to understand what I meant anyways. "Keep it? Like as a slave?" "No, as a pet. He''s super cute isn''t he?" "A pet? What''s the point of keeping it if you don''t put it to work? Plus compared to us it''s an extremely weak species.. it''s only a Frost Wolf." -Its honestly perfect..- It was exactly what I was hoping for, the ideal spot for my next dragon sleep, but my endless curiosity was quickly sparked. "Mother, can we go all the way to the top?" The mountain had a single tall peak, but I wanted to get a better view of the area since I didn''t get a good look earlier when I flew too high. Mother was clearly reluctant and wanted to dodge the question but she caved after a moment. "..sure.. But you must stick closely to me, there have been some pesky birds flying around recently." I didn''t think much of it and quickly followed her up the mountain. The peak of the mountain was also very flat, almost as if the peak got cut off by something, it was an unusually flat surface around 100 meters across. Getting a crazy idea I whipped around to Mother with a gleam in my eye. "Mother! Could I-" "No!" She harshly cut me off with a serious look, completely anticipating what I was going to ask. -Awe..- It was a bit disappointing but it was nothing to be sad over. Turning away from her again, I walked back towards the edge of the peak and finally noticed the stunning view. Looking down the mountainside, I could see the snow covered clearing in front of the cave and the edge of the bordering forest which stretched to the horizon. There was something odd though. -Is this mountain out on a peninsula?- I could see cliffs around the edge of the forest followed by an endless ocean. Walking along the edge of the peak to the other side, I noticed that the mountain simply dropped into the ocean. "Mother is where we live, a peninsula or an island?" I asked out of curiosity without thinking. "We live on a rather Isolated Peninsula. Since the cliffs are so tall and the forest has some dangerous creatures living in it, other intelligent species avoid it." Krystallo immediately became worried and scared as she misunderstood. "Even dangerous to mom?" "No sweetie, we dragons are the strongest of this world! Plus even though I''m.. older.. I''m also stronger than those my age, so you have nothing to worry about!" She leaned down and pressed her head against Krystallo to comfort her Then, letting my curiosity speak again, I asked something stupid. "How old are you mother?" She froze, giving me a cold glare before taking a deep breath and smiling. "Haah.. I''m a nice and ripe 98 years old!" Her demeanor changed as she lightly slapped me with her tail. "For future reference, never ask a woman her age. Okay sweetie?" A chill quickly found its way down my back as I shivered. -G..good to know..- Chapter 14: The Time has Come Chapter 14: The Time has Come Early Evening - Mid Winter : Peak of the Mountain As we sat on the top of the mountain overlooking the ocean, we talked casually for a while until the sun started to set. As the sun approached the horizon, the sky slowly turned from a deep blue to a stunning light orange. -Wow..- The sunset was so beautiful that all three of us went completely silent. "It really is a pretty sunset tonight.." Even Mother seemed surprised how pretty it was. -So it''s beautiful even for this world huh..- I partially thought that this world''s sunsets would simply be beautiful more often since everything I had seen in this world so far had been far more beautiful than earth, but that was a thoughtless assumption. As we watched the sun set further below the horizon, I started to reminisce about everything that had happened since I got reincarnated. -It''s only been 3 years, but I already have so many fun memories with my new family. Krystallo is a clumsy mess sometimes but she is also my cute little sister, and Mother is always so caring for us, it even feels like she spoils us..- My mind was filled with happy thoughts, a loving warmth like no other filled me as I laid down. Once the sunset started setting below the horizon, my eyes slowly started getting heavier before I fell asleep. After that, time continued to flow. The next morning, Mother woke us up and we headed back down the mountain where I found Ilios waiting for me. Mother wasn''t too happy with him at first but overtime he had steadily become a part of the family. Both Mother and Krystallo loved doting and playing with him after a while, but he always stuck next to me and would never leave line of sight for some reason. After that, time kept slipping away. I spent all of my time either playing with Ilios or Krystallo, sleeping, or watching sunsets and stargazing with Mother. The time I spent was fun and peaceful, but before I knew it, 5 years had passed. It was Krystallo and I''s 8th birthday. I had grown to 15 meters tall and Krystallo had grown to 7 meters. We were both already significantly bigger than our ages but my next dragon sleep was just going to make that all the more extreme. Neither of us had experienced any dragon sleeps or growth over the 5 years that passed, but over the past few months, my hunger had been growing exponentially. Mother said it was a sign that my dragon sleep was coming and had been stockpiling huge amounts of food in preparation, but with how big I was now, that food was a massive pile. Ilios, who had grown to nearly 2 and a half meters long now, still stuck to me like a magnet and wouldn''t leave my side. Mother was a bit worried that he would get caught up in my dragon sleep but I kept telling her it would be alright. Little did I know, he would. "Haah.. I have no idea.. but it''s not good to call your brother a monster Krystallo.." She immediately felt sorry after realizing what she said but her actions were interrupted as she saw a white creature dash down the mountain. "Wait Ilios!" She spread her wings and got ready to go stop him but I put my wing in front of her before she could move. "He should be fine, the dense mana accumulating around Vasilias should be somewhat beneficial to him.. he could even evolve if he is lucky." [1] After a short moment, Ilios finally reached where Vasilias was sleeping and curled up next to him. After watching for a while longer, Krystallo started to get anxious, but thankfully not about Vasilias. "Mom.. how long till I have my dragon sleep?" She looked up at me with determined eyes, not wanting to fall too far behind her brother. -How cute..- "I''m not sure, but likely before he wakes up from this sleep. If his last sleep is anything to go by, this one will take far longer than normal too.." While getting caught in my own thoughts, I glanced down the mountain and saw a sphere of mana forming around Vasilias, so dense that it could be seen with the naked eye. "Just what in the world.." I couldn''t help but freeze from awe. Just before the visible mana encompassed Ilios, he hopped up and ran out of the ball of mana, thankfully not getting caught up in it. -That''s enough mana to poison me.. and I''m nearly 100 years old... Just what kind of monster will he be when he wakes up..- Finally snapping out of my thoughts, I was slightly ashamed that I thought of him as a monster but it wasn''t the time to worry about that. I quickly grabbed Krystallo and started moving down the mountain, being sure to use magic to keep the mana away from Krystallo since it was so dense it would be extremely poisonous even if she was exposed only for a second. Finally arriving at the entrance of the cave, I dispelled the barrier and Krystallo felt the massive change in mana density. "Mom.. can brother really handle that.." She was exceptionally concerned seeing me, who she believed to be the strongest, start sweating just from flying around it. "I hope so.. because if he can''t there isn''t anything I can do to save him..." Worry was written all over my face as I looked up the mountain at the ever growing sphere of mana. Looking back down I noticed the doors to the cave were slightly open. -Hm?- I quickly made my way up and opened the door to see Ilios collapsed and panting heavily. "Sh*t! He got mana poisoning!" I acted as quickly as I could, immediately coming to Ilios''s side and getting ready to cast magic but before I could, Ilios started sucking in even more mana. -What?!- Although nothing like the suction from Vasilias, it was nothing to scoff at. I couldn''t help but stare at Ilios in shock. -Is he actually going to evolve.. Just like that?- Chapter 15: What am I.. Chapter 15: What am I.. Time Error - D?D????=???ҡ????????????DD??? : Location Error - D???D??????i???n???v???a???l???i???d???D???D??? Mmmm.. As I slowly opened my eyes, I found myself in a familiar, time-frozen field. -So it was real..- I looked over and saw that the floating island had moved much closer, but I don''t see the ''woman'' anywhere around it. I didn''t see any creatures for that matter. -If I could avoid running into anything that''d be great..- I just wanted to look around and explore some. Double checking to make sure nothing was around I checked myself out. My body was much more defined than last time but was still only in shape. My body was much more human shaped but I had two pointy things on the top of my head and a tail of some kind. -Are those horns or animal ears?- I tried to reach up and touch them but my hand simply phased through them. Haah.. -What am I even made of..- Even though my body was somewhat humanoid now, it was still just an amalgamation of ''black lines'' so I had no clue what I was. -But.. if anything its an improvement from the last ''dream''..- After finishing checking myself out, I started moving away from the floating island as fast as I could. I simply wanted to avoid that ''woman'' at all costs. -I''m way faster now..- An odd feeling of euphoria filled my body as I was zooming across the open plain. I was moving far faster than a jet, the islands behind me quickly disappeared over the horizon and only a few minutes later, I found something new. It was a large forest with extremely thick trees, similar to live oaks except without the drooping branches. As I got closer to the forest though, time started to flow again. -What causes that.. Does it mean I''m approaching another creature?- Although a complete guess, looking at my past experience with the woman, it was entirely possible. On top of that, the forest didn''t feel as dead as the field. There were definitely living things in the forest, I could feel their presences but none of them seemed dangerous so I didn''t hesitate to explore. As I was moving through the forest, time continued to speed up until it seemed to pass like normal. *CrAsH* -What was that?- It sounded like a tree fell in the distance but it was just a guess. To go check it out, I quickly flew up above the canopy and dashed towards the source of the sound. Only a short moment later, I found a collapsed tree and an opening in the canopy. As I flew back below the shield of leaves, I found a large black creature. -It looks similar to me..- It was made up of the same seemingly random black lines just like me, but it was in the shape of a big bear. I could also see everything in its body. Although it was made of the same black lines, I could see it had several familiar organs mostly only being vitals. The disgusting part was that I could see everything inside each organ all at once too. It was a surreal but disgusting experience. As I was trying to figure out what to do about it, it glared at me and let out a deep growl before lunging at me. It was only a theory, but it was entirely possible. I took a bit of time to think more about it before realizing a major problem. -Wait.. if this is the world I know of.. then what am I?!- I was once again set back to a basic question I still couldn''t answer. -My body isn''t physical and I can''t seem to interact with things like the trees directly, but that creature I blew apart.. the shockwave from it being slammed into the ground damaged the trees and ground. It also clearly had momentum but I don''t.. Even when I let time flow..- The more I tried to answer questions, the more that surfaced. "Haah, whatever.." Letting out a deep and agitated sigh, I gave up on trying to think of answers for a moment and floated over to the hut. -I guess it can''t hurt to take a look, maybe I could get a clue.. to.. anything..- I was honestly desperate for answers of any kind but just before I got to the edge of the clearing again, time suddenly froze and I heard a voice I was all too familiar with. "A?r???e???n???t??? ???h???u???m???a???n???s??? ???i???n???t???e???r???e???s???t???i???n???g????" The mature voice resounded through my body, sending a chill down my spine and scaring the hell out of me. -Good lord.. I need to calm down..- As I tried to catch my breath, she started talking again. "I like the look in your eyes~ You look at them like ants, just like you should." -I guess I learned whatever awful language that is..- Finally managing to catch my breath, I decided to just play it cool as if I didn''t nearly sh*t myself. "What do you mean by that?" "You look at them as worthless beings, ones that are far inferior to yourself." The meaning in her words was simple, but a part of me resonated with it. "Of course I would, I''m a dragon after all." I had moved on from the mindset of a human many years ago, I had become a dragon through and through. "Oh? You should look down on dragons too though, they are inferior to you too~" -Welp you lost me..- "How could I think my own species is inferior to me. I may be a dragon but I''m not that self confident.." I was genuinely confused, my fear had already dissipated and now I was just trying to get some answers out of her. "That''s because you''re only a dragon on the outside cutie~, and unless you somehow modified your body to handle it, even a dragon''s body won''t be able to handle what you really are. She reached out and set her hand on my chest. Your vessel [1] would crumble before you could do anything since you''re a rather.. special existence" She just made me more confused, with every question she answered, she just raised 5 more for me to ask. "What does that mean?" "Well~, you''ll find out in due time. Here.. before you leave." She slowly moved her hand up towards my neck before a soothing sensation coursed through me as my body became stronger and more defined once again. The sensation felt heavenly but I was too nervous to enjoy it. "What did you just do.." "Hmm~ Let''s call it.. some repairs" She said it with an innocent smile, but it just made me all the more suspicious. "Why are you being so nice to me.. I know you''re strong enough to simply dispose of me.." "Well let''s say I find you interesting, how about that?" She leaned down and looked into my eyes with her void-like pupils. It felt like she was looking into my soul, they were so dark it was terrifying. I felt like I was going to be swallowed by the darkness in them but she blinked and broke the trance. "Well your growth was good, but it should be better, so I''ll leave you with one last present." She casually reached out towards my face but my body screamed at me to move. I was frozen though, I couldn''t move no matter how hard I tried until she grabbed my face and everything returned to black. Chapter 16: This Idiot.. Chapter 16: This Idiot.. Early Morning - Mid Spring : Shelf On Mountain-side Ugh.. I woke up with a sore body but I felt full of energy. Before I fully opened my eyes though, I took a minute to sort my thoughts. I tried to figure out what the ''woman'' did to me as well, but I felt nothing that stood out. There was definitely something, but I simply couldn''t put my finger on it. Haah.. whatever.. -I''m sure I''ll figure it out at some point..- Finally looking at myself, I noticed that I had gotten significantly bigger. I was now around 23 meters tall and I felt incomparably stronger than before. I slowly stood up and started stretching before getting interrupted by an unfamiliar male voice behind me. "Get away from my family you bastard!" Feeling a threat, my instinct kicked in and I retaliated before seeing who it was. *CRACK-BANG* I whipped my tail around and slammed the creature into the side of the mountain. A loud banng resounded through the entire mountain. -The hell was that?!- Turning around as fast as I could, I saw a huge snow white dragon embedded a few meters into the wall. "Who the hell are you?" I got irritated since someone interrupted my stretch, the glow between my scales turned orange and red along with my irises as a rippling heat was exuded from my body. I was prepared for a fight but before I acted I noticed the dragon had completely stopped moving. -There is no way that hes dead right?- As I stood there, unsure of what to do, Mother flew out of the cave at the bottom of the mountain. "Vasilias what''s going on?!" There was a look of concern on her face after feeling the slight shake of the mountain. "I don''t know, I just woke up and some random dragon tried to attack me." Mothers anger quickly exploded as she prepared herself to kill whoever the dragon was. She quickly started flying up the mountain as fast as possible. "I''d like to see who dares hurt my-" As she got high enough to see the dragon embedded into the ground though, she froze and let out a sigh. "Haah.. Honey.. what the hell are you doing.." The white dragon started moving again, quickly popping its head out of the wall. "I should be asking that! Who is this?! Are you cheating on me!?" Mother visibly held back her anger before casually walking up and putting her foot on his head, driving it back into the wall with a stomp. *Crunch* -Ah I guess that was her hint..- After moving over and picking up Father, I hopped off the ground and glided down the mountain. -Hes.. oddly light..- Once I reached the bottom of the mountain, I set him down in front of the cave. -Hehehe..- I stood there with a childish excitement, I was filled with anticipation while waiting for mother to come down the mountain and teach me some magic. "Ugh.." Groaning while getting up, Father looked at me in shock as I gave him a scornful look. "Good morning father.." My voice was no longer childish, it didn''t belong to a 10 year old dragon, but instead sounded like a young adult''s voice. "Are you really Vasilias?" "The one and only.." "What.. happened to you.." He spoke with a sense of worry, unlike what I expected. "No idea.. all I know is the day I hatched I touched a purple tesseract which made some.. ''changes''.." I considered saying ''repairs'' but I was unsure how he would react to that. [1] "Tesseract?" "A cube looking thing, it was towards the bottom of mothers mound of treasure." "Oh that artifact?" Finally getting a hint at what that thing was, I threw all bias I had against him away instantly. "Where did you get it?" "I got it from a large human kingdom north of the western continent when I was younger as payment for helping them win a war. I was disguised as a wandering adventurer at the time." [2] "Was there anything special they knew about it?" "They said it was an artifact of the gods. They found it in a heaven rock [3] and whenever anyone would look at it for too long, it would make them lose consciousness." -So it came from space. It''s not much of a hint but it''s a step in the right direction I guess..- "Haah.. whatever -I guess I''ll need to look into that kingdom more when I get the chance..- What was the name of the Kingdom? "I believe the humans call it the Holy Kingdom" -Ah hell..- Hearing the name I knew it was going to be much more of a pain in the ass than I was anticipating. After a moment of silence, Father continued. "Well other than that, where is Krystallo and Fengari?" "Krystallo is up the mountain with Mother." I lightly motioned up the mountain where Krystallo and Mother had started flying down to us. A slightly saddened expression came to my face seeing his odd excitement. -He doesn''t know about Fengari.. Does he..- Chapter 17: A Rebellion.. Chapter 17: A Rebellion.. Early Afternoon - Mid Spring : Home "Brother are you okay?!" As soon as she landed, Krystallo rushed over to me. "Im fine, Im fine. I lightly rubbed her head a bit to comfort her a bit before realizing I was forgetting someone. -Oh wait, where is Ilios?!- I quickly looked around but didn''t see him anywhere, making me panic a bit. Where is Ilios?" I was worried something might have happened to him while I was asleep. "Hes in the forest. Mother walked over and glanced towards the tree line. After he evolved he started going into the forest but we don''t know why." -Wait what?- "Evolved?" "I''ll explain all of that to you later, just be patient for now.. we have a more important subject to talk about." She glared at Father with an annoyed look. Catching her glare, he quickly averted his eyes. Instead of looking like a mighty dragon, he looked like a mouse in front of a lion. There was a short silence before mother started her.. interrogation. "So after not coming to visit for 10 years.. you came and attacked Vasilias on sight. I know you''re not the type of dragon to make a rash decision like attacking before figuring out who the enemy is.. so why?" Father finally lifted his head a little except he wore a serious look this time. "Right.. About that. There has been a rebellion among the dragons.." Mother froze. "What? What group dared-" "The half breeds.." They were a race of dragons that werent pure. Put simply, they were a dragon race where one parent was a dragon, and the other was some other mixed race. More often than not, they were a male dragon and a female from some other race, with the birth of the child resulting in the death of the non-dragon mother. They were known as the Halfies, or the Half Breeds. They were not nearly as strong as pure dragons but their mating cycles were far shorter which allowed them to lay more than one batch of eggs in their life. Over time, this caused a huge population difference to develop which most pure dragons were not fond of. The Halfies were viewed in a distasteful light by pure dragons and were incredibly discriminated against, but they accepted coexisting anyways so they wouldn''t be pushed out of Bahamut and get wiped out by adventurers or other dragons. The discrimination against halfies was so deep that even I felt a bit of disgust just from my knowledge inheritance. Mother wasn''t much different. "So theyre just accepting their fate aren''t they.. Have they made any moves yet?" "Haah.. yeah. They seemed pretty confident about it too. They took the initiative to attack a few of the housing islands before spreading word of the rebellion. One of the elders even had to step in to make sure there were no casualties but a couple still died." Father showed a slightly annoyed expression. "Haah.. I guess that makes some sense of why you attacked Vasilias now... He looks vastly different from those dumb*ss halfies though. Just look at him a little closer, he is a truly.. beautiful dragon.." Mother glanced over at me with a trance-like look before changing back to her motherly smile. The way she sounded made me incredibly uncomfortable but her pure motherly smile soothed everything. Krystallo went on to say something but I noticed something on the tree line. There was a huge white wolf, around 5 meters long, staring at us. Somehow though, I recognized his face. "Ilios?!" Hearing his name, he darted across the field and jumped on me, licking my face. "It''s good to see you too buddy." Trying to calm him down I just let him jump up and lick me for a moment. But he never stopped licking so I had to lightly push him away. "My goodness, you must''ve really missed me huh?" Woof! Ilios gave an instant confirmation. Krystallo sat next to me with a disappointed look. "How come Ilios never gave me kisses like that.." -Well he was unusually attached to me since the moment we met, so..- "I''m sure you''ll get there eventually." I tried to give a few words of encouragement before looking back towards Ilios. -So what actually happened to you..- Ilios had changed a huge amount in an extremely short time. [1] -Maybe it was that evolution thing Mother mentioned.- I sat there and looked at him from different angles for a bit before deciding to not think about it too much. Well, how about we play some? Krystallos eyes instantly lit up as a childish excitement came to her face. Let''s play tag! Haha, alright. So who should start as- Before I could finish talking, Krystallo ran up and smacked my leg. Youre it! Oh you little- I quickly chased after her, being sure to hold back a bit so as to keep it fun for her. We continued to play for a while longer before Krystallo got tired, but just before we stopped, the doors to the cave opened and Mother walked out with a saddened face. She looked as if she had been crying inside. She looked over towards me, while I was petting Ilios. "Osto.. I mean.. your father needs a moment to himself." -So fathers name is Osto..- "Haah.. what am I doing all sad.. She lowered her head and rubbed her eyes before looking up at me with a gentle, loving smile. How about we start our first lesson, Vasilias." I immediately was filled with a youthful excitement. -Its time!!- Chapter 18: History and Magic Chapter 18: History and Magic Late Afternoon - Mid Spring : Home A wave of excitement filled my body upon hearing mothers words. -Its time!!- "Let''s go up to the top of the mountain for our lesson. Krystallo if you want to come up and tune in.. you can." Krystallo shook her head and started walking towards the cave entrance. "Ill wait for father" She seemed to want to bond more with father, but I was far more interested in magic. It wasn''t that I didn''t want to bond with Father, but to me currently, learning magic felt more important. I contemplated whether my lack of interest in bonding with Father made me a bad son, but I shook off the thought since it wouldnt do me any good to dwell on it. Mother nodded after hearing Krystallos response, and started to fly up the mountain. "Bring Ilios, he might pick up a trick or two." Looking over at Ilios, I leaned down a bit and let him hop on my back before following Mother up the mountain. Once on the peak, my eyes were filled with anticipation. -I cant wait!- I quickly moved over and sat down, ready for mothers lesson. "You seem oddly interested in this, is it because you want me to take you hunting right after?" "No.. well.. partially..." The main reason was because I had been cooped up in one mountain for the last 10 years, and I wanted to stretch my legs some. I had started becoming increasingly bored as time passed and I needed to be able to move around a little more freely if I wanted to solve that boredom. -Magic simply seems really fun and cool too.- Magic was a great method to solve my boredom. "Huhu, well you seem to be looking forward to magic. She paused for a moment and gave me a sly smile. But first comes history!" In that instant, my hopes got crushed like an ant. "Aweee, come on!" I was pretty disappointed even though I was still very interested in learning some of the history of this world. "History is important, Vasilias. Just push through it." "Okay.. Let''s just start." I wanted to get to the new things as soon as possible.. I couldn''t wait any longer. -Interesting.. but it makes sense that their classification would change after never even seeing any for several millennia.- "So.. what about magic?" Although the history of this world was really cool, I was dying to learn about magic. "Haah.. fine, we will continue history some other time. I need to explain about magic from the beginning though.." I felt a sudden wave of excitement wrap around me hearing her words. -Finally.. I can learn magic!- Hooh.. Mother took a deep breath as she prepared for a long lecture. "Okay, are you ready? I gave a hasty nod that was full of excitement. She smiled a bit more seeing my boundless excitement. Haha, alright. The world is filled with a type of energy called mana, it gives beings the ability to manipulate and change the world around them in various ways. Nearly all beings are innately able to control mana to some extent, but to make it usable you need one of two things. You either need an attribute node, or a rune because unattributed mana is far less useful. For example instead of forming a ball of fire, it would create a ball of pure mana that would simply dissipate into the air." As mother explained this, she used magic to show what she meant. I was so unbelievably focused on her lesson that I was unconsciously memorizing every detail. "So what are attribute nodes and runes?" "Good question! Attribute nodes are natures runes. They allow you to give an attribute to mana by passing it through the node and are something creatures are born with or acquire later in life. Not all creatures have attribute nodes, for example, very few humans will ever grow even one attribute node. Those that do though, have high potential to become strong magicians since they don''t need to use a rune to put an attribute on their mana. A rune is something humanoid species have developed that works the same as an attribute node, except it is far less mana efficient which causes their magic to be weaker. Luckily, we dragons are usually born with one or more nodes, all in various areas around the body." She said the last part while full of pride. -Man dragons really are born with a gold spoon..- "The closer the node is to your breath gland [2], the higher your affinity because it is easier to flow mana through it before moving it into the breath gland. For example, my best attribute node is water. For me, I pass mana through the node to give it the water attribute, then my natural affinity with the cold (ice) will freeze it in the gland. You could also mix a fire rune and water rune to create ice, but it is far more difficult and costly." [3] Trying my best to absorb the huge mass of information from the lesson I was put into a trance. After a moment had passed and I had finally digested most of the information, I raised my next question. "So how many possible attribute nodes are there?" "There are only 6 possible nodes: Earth, Fire, Water, Wind, Lightning, and Light. There is also a 7th attribute, it can only be used with a rune. It is something that has been mostly lost to time known as the ''space'' rune. We dragons are the only species with access to space runes, but we can only use them along with a specific artifact in a specific location. Dragons use them all the time because flying tens of thousands of kilometers is rather inconvenient.'''' After she finished, she gave me a moment of silence to let me process the information. "So how many nodes do you have? You can check by controlling the mana in your body and moving it around. Think of it like a cloud you move through your body to look at it." Following her instructions I used the smooth energy flowing through my body (mana). -Hey.. This is pretty easy..- I quickly got control of a fairly sizable amount of mana and scanned myself from head to toe, simply looking for whatever might be a node. -What am I supposed to look fo..- Before I could finish my thought, I found exactly what I was looking for, but something was odd about them. They were all in a perfect formation around my breath gland. "I.. I have 7.. Nodes.." Chapter 19: I Nearly Killed Everyone.. Chapter 19: I Nearly Killed Everyone.. Early Evening - Mid Spring : Home "You have what?!" Mother was taken aback at my statement. "Are you.. sure?" I responded with a bit of hesitation. "..Yeah.. there are definitely 7.." She stared at me in shock for a moment before finally breaking the silence. "W..well where are they? What''s your main attribute?" -My main attribute node should be whatever node is closest to my breath gland.. but..- "Uhm.. I''m not sure.." I didn''t know what to say. "What do you mean?" She tilted her head, not understanding my response. "Well.. the 6 known attribute nodes form a perfect circle around my gland.. and the 7th is in the middle.." "WHAT?!" She was taken aback for a moment finding out that I was a multi-element dragon [1] of every attribute. "Haah.. my god what in the world did that cube do to you... She took a moment to think before putting her thoughts aside. Well.. whatever.. Let''s just move on for now... I want you to do a basic breath now." Putting stray thoughts aside, I quickly got prepared for her instructions. "So let''s start with something simple, you can simply pass mana through the fire node and into the gland, from there your instinct will take over. If you want to try something a little more practical and fun though, you can make a simple explosion in your gland as you use that as your breath, this will have far greater power than basic fire, but it''s far more complicated and expensive." (expensive mana wise) -Just using fire is boring so..- "How do I do.. an explosion?" I understood the general concept, but was confused at the details. "You can do one of two things, put a bunch of mana into the fire attribute node, build up pressure then release it all at once, or, since you have the earth node, you can use it to create a fuel to cause the explosion. Most human mages use earth magic to create gunpowder as a fuel for explosion spells, but you can use whatever you can think of." Her words made a lightbulb go off in my head. -Wait so I can just create chemicals with the earth node.. then blow them up in my breath gland?- With this thought, I started to focus, pouring a huge amount of mana through my earth node. It took an incredible amount of focus to figure out how exactly to do it, but I quickly found a way to manipulate matter with mana. Using mana I could vaguely tell what each atom was and using my knowledge from earth, I could manipulate the atoms however I wanted. -As my control improves this should get easier too..-?iscover new chapters at novelhall.com Once I finally figured out how to do it with at least a tiny bit of efficiency, I used earth magic to create two very special types of elements, plutonium and uranium, albeit in an extremely small quantities since it took a mind boggling amount of mana and concentration to unnaturally form them. -I also don''t want to blow my own head off.- After creating an extremely small quantity of plutonium surrounded by a little uranium, my once vast mana reserve only had around 1/5th left. After mentally preparing myself for a moment I walked over to the edge of the mountain, overlooking the ocean. Seeing my smile, Mother looked at me questioningly. "Mother please plug your ears and stand behind me.. also put a barrier around Ilios and use something to plug his ears. I don''t know if this will be strong at all but I don''t want to risk it." Although the amount of plutonium and uranium was hardly anything (about 1 kg), I didn''t know the specifics of how big the explosion was going to be or if I could even get it to explode, but I took some preparations to play it safe. Snapping back to my senses, I shook the thought out of my head and looked over towards Mother with my head held low. "I''m sorry for scaring you mother.. I got.. a little ahead of myself..." My words werent lies, if I was thinking rationally I wouldn''t have done it since if I wasn''t such a freak of nature I would have blown up, not just myself, but also Mother and Ilios. Speaking of him, the shockwave knocked Ilios over the side of the mountain but he was fine. That aside, I was still astonished that the inside of my gland felt fine, there wasn''t any damage from the heat or the shockwave.. -I guess my insides are abnormal too..- While I was thinking to myself, Father tried to walk over to the edge by me, but wasn''t able to get too close because of the heat. "What in god''s name..." He was completely stunned, but instead of looking afraid like mother, he looked at me with a prideful smile. "My son must be Bahamut''s incarnation! But I need to set a rule first.. He glanced down the side of the mountain before looking me in the eyes with a serious expression. Vasilias, be careful with that.. that kind of firepower could cause harm to not only you, but also your friends if you aren''t careful." It was my first life lesson from Father, even if it was common sense. "Yes Father.. I promise to be more careful in the future." I gave him a forced smile before I turned back to Mother. At this point the heat finally started to subside and the glow between my scales returned to its usual blue and purple along with my irises. I quickly made my way over to Mother to try and comfort her before I sat down next to her to apologize again. "Im sorry for scaring you, Mother.." My guilt had finally started overtaking my shock. She was quick to respond seeing my guilt though. "No, no.. I wasn''t scared.. I was worried that you blew up your breath gland with that.. how damaged is it?" Her voice was far less shaky now but she now spoke with deep concern. "Well.. it doesn''t seem damaged at all actually.." No matter how thoroughly I looked at it with mana, I couldn''t see even the slightest damage to it. She looked at me in shock for a moment before lightly shaking her head. "Oh, well.. thank the heavens you''re safe... Just promise me that you won''t use that power recklessly.." She looked up at me with a motherly concern. I felt a wave of relief after seeing that she wasn''t actually scared of me. -Oh thank goodness..- "Of course mother, that kind of power is meant to be kept away anyways.." As awesome as it felt, nuclear power was not something that could be used casually. What I used here was far from even partially optimal in terms of explosive power. Compared to even moderately optimal nuclear reactions, it was like a hand grenade. Slightly more optimized explosions could cause massive climate shifts and cause massive radioactive fallout. [4] It wouldn''t be a stretch to say that I would be able to wipe out entire nations in a single shot once I got bigger and could handle larger, more optimized explosions. In this case, I got lucky since the way the explosion was aimed and where it was fired sent nearly all of the radiation into the ocean. -What was I thinking..- I felt an extremely heavy wave of guilt again as I thought about what couldve happened if I wasn''t as lucky. -I need to be.. far more careful with that..- -Hm?- Feeling Mothers hand lightly rubbing my head, I looked back up at her with a guilty look. She looked down at me with a warm, proud smile. "Let''s go ahead and go back down the mountain.. I think it''s time I take you hunting." As if my guilt was a facade, a child-like joy welled within me. -I can go hunting!- Chapter 20: The Hunt Chapter 20: The Hunt Mid-Evening - Mid Spring : Home After Mother told me she was going to take me hunting, I flew back down the mountain. She seemed to want to talk to Father about something. As I landed and let Ilios off my back, I saw Krystallo staring at me with a face of worry. "What''s with that look?" She was quick to respond with an anxious look. "What was that explosion... It was so big it scared dad.."Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com "Ahh.. sorry I happened to get a little too carried away.." I gave a slightly guilty look. -Man I really did just scare everyone in one go..- Krystallo looked at me, confused before realizing what I meant. "What? Her confusion slowly morphed to shock. You.. caused that explosion?" "All I did was use ''explosion magic'' for my breath, but got a little carried away.." -Im such an idiot..- We continued talking for a bit until she finally calmed down. It took a bit of explaining but once Krystallo figured out what happened, she relaxed again and laid down next to me. As she was falling back asleep, I took my time to fiddle with magic a bit. I started by creating a small fireball by visualizing a ball of fire with condensed hydrogen as the fuel. *pshhh* The fire burned a hot blue and sounded like a blowtorch. It was a truly beautiful color but I was more interested in how strong it was. To test its strength, I simply tossed the fireball towards the ground. As it hit the ground, it scorched the grass and charred the dirt, but the instant I stopped giving it mana, it dissipated. -So does it dissipate because of lack of fuel or because I stopped holding it together?- To test my idea, I formed a ball of clay and dirt to act like a sponge with earth magic, and filled it with a flammable oil before using fire magic to ignite it. *fwoosh* A yellow and orange flame quickly engulfed the ball. Throwing it at the ground, the, now hardened, ball shattered and spread the burning oil onto the ground surrounding it. It was a simple experiment and a simple reaction but it answered my question. -The fire didn''t go out this time.. So it really was just fuel related.- After getting lost in thought for a moment I looked up and noticed that the oil fire had started spreading. "Whoops!" Just before I created a ball of water to dump on it, I remembered that it would just make the fire worse. -Let''s try to use wind magic to create a temporary vacuum then..- My idea was to try and use wind magic to suffocate the fire. Entering a trance like focus, I visualized the cloud oxygen around the fire being removed. *puff* The fire was instantly extinguished. -Man thats.. really convenient..- I was truly amazed but at the same time, I could already see several limits to it. Mother then dashed forward but it was nothing I couldn''t handle. I casually sped up and started flying alongside her, looking towards the ground for prey. Even though I was flying at an altitude of around 1 kilometer, I could easily see details on the ground. -A dragon''s vision really is something incredible..- After a short moment we heard a roar off in the distance. "Rooaarrr!!" "Tch, another wyvern.." Mother sounded incredibly annoyed before she glanced towards me like she had an idea. "Actually this could work. Larger wyverns are between A and S rank so give it a shot, that will be your prey." [2] So my prey is going to be able to fight back is what you''re saying.. -Interesting..- An excited smile crept onto my face as I flew forward. It only took a second to find the source of the roar. There was a large 14 meter tall wyvern fighting another 12 meter one. Dashing towards the ground, I took my time to think of how I should start the slaughter. -I''ll use physical force on the bigger one and magic on the smaller one..- I couldn''t just let the chance to test my strength pass. Putting my front legs together, I slammed into the body of the large, unsuspecting wyvern. *CrUnCh* A cloud of bloody mist floated up around me as the body of the wyvern exploded from the excessive pressure. Glancing towards the smaller wyvern, I saw that it was looking at me while shivering, frozen from fear. -Hmm, what magic should I test..- I thought for a moment before a genius idea came to mind. I quickly used earth magic to create a rod of strengthened iron, then, using lightning magic, I decided to try and launch it like a railgun. (lightning magics magnetism*) After making sure everything was ready, I opened my mouth and aimed at the wyvern. *CRACK* The dart reached the horrified wyvern instantly and, as if the wyvern wasn''t even there, ripped a huge hole through its body. *Cr-cr-cr-cr-crackle* *Th-th-th-th-thud* A crackling noise from the dart slamming through everything it touched filled the air, followed by the noise of several trees falling over. I immediately jolted back slightly seeing how shockingly effective it was. -W..whoops.. maybe I should have.. aimed it more towards the ground..- - Bonus ~ Little did I know back then, the metal rod got deflected into the air slightly by an old tree before traveling another 6,500 km south-west before embedding itself deep into the ground in front of the capital city of the Sinder Kingdom. The shockwave of it hitting the ground was so strong it collapsed several buildings in the city including part of the royal palace. The citizens ended up calling it ''a Message from Heaven'' and used it as an excuse to rebel against the tyrannical royal family. After the rebellion succeeded, the metal rod became known as the ''Heavens Message'' and remained as a priceless treasure of the newly appointed royal family for many years to come. Chapter 21: A Proud Mother Chapter 21: A Proud Mother Late-Evening - Mid Spring : Unknown Forest - Zachari Ragnarok ~ As I flew over the forest with Vasilias, I was trying to think of what I should let him hunt. -What would be a good match for him..- Before I could settle on anything though, a distant roar broke my train of thought. "Roaaarrr!" "Tch, a wyvern.." Although it wasn''t too surprising, it was incredibly annoying. Over the past several months, I had been constantly slaughtering wyverns. For whatever reason, there were more than usual flying through or trying to live in the forest. "Actually this could work. Larger wyverns are between A and S rank so give it a shot, that will be your prey." -He is nearly as big as me so he should be able to handle a big wyvern no problem.. Even without magic.- "So ''my prey is going to be able to fight back'' is what you''re saying.." He looked back at me with an excited smile. Haha.. I let out a chuckle seeing his smile. -I guess I shouldn''t be surprised..- Hearing me give him the go-ahead, he quickly darted forward. As he was about to dive down and fight, I finally got close enough to see the situation. It was a 14 meter tall wyvern and a 12 meter one having a territory dispute. -Its a bit more than expected but it might be nice for him to have more than one enemy to focus on..- Interrupting my thought, Vasilias dove and slammed into the larger wyvern completely mutilating it. -Welp.. so much for multiple enemies..- I felt a bit of pity for the wyvern as its body got mutilated beyond recognition. I was honestly in awe seeing his strength. -But what is he going to do to the other one?- He stood still for a moment before he opened his mouth in the direction of the other wyvern. -Is he using a breath?- I preemptively braced myself just in case. But nothing could have mentally prepared me for what happened. *CRACK* *Cr-cr-cr-cr-crackle* A deafening noise filled the air as a massive hole appeared in the wyvern. -What the..- *Th-th-th-th-thud* Behind the wyvern, several trees in a straight line started falling over. -Just what.. did he do..- I was completely speechless. I had never seen or even heard of magic that could do what he did. I couldn''t even see what happened to even be able to guess at how he did it. The only evidence of it ever happening was the deafening noise and the aftermath. I looked at the scene in awe before looking down more at Vasilias. An incredible and unfathomable sense of pride welled within me. Ugh.. I winced a little as the headache continued to get immensely worse before I shrunk the volume of aura I was reading. After lowering the amount I was reading until the pain subsided, I could only sense things within 5 meters of me. It wasn''t a lot, but it was the most I could sustain at the moment. Snapping out of my focus, I noticed that Mother was looking at me, awestruck. "My goodness you really are a quick learner.." Although I wasn''t really happy since I thought it was a ''poor performance'', a slightly childish smile came to my face from Mothers praise. "It''s just because Mother is such a good teacher!" "Well I guess now that you have the basics of that, we should head back. It''s nearly morning already." Oh! I looked up at her with a gleam in my eye. "Can I explore the forest on my own now?" She immediately tensed up before awkwardly responding. "Let''s go back and have a family meal first.." Not wasting any time, she immediately flew up into the air. My anticipation got completely destroyed by her dodging the question but I didn''t plan on giving up so easily. Haah.. -I can''t blame her for being reluctant..- With a small sigh, I hopped up and flew after her. After a short moment of flying, I arrived at the field in front of the cave and saw father playing with Ilios. -Its good to see that theyre getting along well..- As I landed at the edge of the field, Ilios stopped what he was doing and sprinted towards me. Haha, I was only gone for a few minutes. Ilios ran up and jumped on me, fervently licking my face. "Welcome back, how was your first hunt?" Father walked up to me with a bit of jealousy. "It was a little easier than I was expecting, but it was still super fun. I also learned about aura from Mother." Mother finally landed behind me since I had flown ahead. "He is an incredibly talented child, he was able to use complicated spells and read some of his aura on his first try." Father looked back towards me and expanded his aura to envelop me, curiously watching for my reaction. It caught me completely off guard. Sensing an aura as strong as Fathers made my nerves jump, but it wasnt nearly as oppressive as I was expecting. Father looked at me in shock. "My goodness.. it''s so dense... How much mana do you have left in your reserve Vasilias?" "About a sixth. The breath I used earlier sucked up.. a lot of it." Fathers jaw hung open. "You mean that you only have a sixth left and your aura is that dense?" Mother chimed in before I could answer. "His total reserve is several times larger than mine, did you not notice his aura earlier when his reserve was full? It was honestly suffocating.. it was comparable to Mothers.." "Asimi is one of the stronger elders though.." Father wore a look of disbelief. (Asimi is Mothers mother and Vasiliass grandmother) He slowly looked over at me in awe, but after a moment I noticed a gleam appeared in his eye. -What idea could he have come up with from this conversation?- I was genuinely confused since I had no clue what he could possibly think of so suddenly. But, once Mother spoke, he seemed to put his thoughts aside. "Well let''s eat!" Chapter 22: What are You Guys Worried About? Chapter 22: What are You Guys Worried About? Early Morning - Mid Spring : Home After Mother said we should eat, she gave us each large Field Bison that she had prepared earlier. They were simply divine. -So juicy.. so good..- The meat melted in my mouth and tasted more juicy than normal. Mother gave me a curious look as I was enjoying the food. "So Vasilias, what was that magic you used on the wyvern? I''ve never seen anything like it. Although I''m also curious about your breath from earlier, I think this will be easier to understand." Snapping out of my thoughts, I took a second to think about how to explain it. "Well, first I created a metal rod with earth magic, then used lightning magic to launch it out of my mouth.." I tried my best to word it in a way she could understand, but her not knowing what magnetism was made that a more complicated task. Mother sat up straight and looked at father in complete confusion. "Sweetie, can I get more detail? Like how does the lightning move the metal rod at all, let alone fast enough to do that much damage?" Father was confused about something else though. "What did he do?" "He completely eviscerated a large wyvern along with a few kilometers of forest behind it.." Father stopped eating for a moment and just froze. With a metal rod? "Well it''s not that complicated.." I decided I would just try to explain the basics of magnetism. "So on a basic level, certain metals are known as magnetic." I created a small iron ball in front of me, and used lightning to make it float. "See? I can control how it moves by using the lighting because the lightning has charge." Mother still looked confused. "So you''re trying to tell me you moved an iron rod faster than I could catch a glimpse of.. by using lightning?" "By using magnetism, yes. See?" I quickly used magic to throw the iron ball into the side of the mountain. *Bang* Father was the first to break the silence that followed. "Vasilias.. Could you show me what you did to the wyvern earlier?" I lightly nodded my head and aimed at the iron ball embedded in the mountain. *CRACK* The metal rod instantly left my mouth and plowed straight through the mountain [1]. Krystallo and Father''s jaws both dropped seeing a hole dripping molten rock appear in the side of the mountain. Silence encompassed everyone for a moment before Father spoke up. "Vasilias." He looked straight at me with a gleam in his eyes. "Would you like to come with me on a mission to a humanoid city?" Mother froze as if she was going to intervene but I spoke up first. "Mission?" "I have some business with the royalty in the Kingdom of Kaelallan in two months, it will only be a quick trip, there and back, but it might be a good experience for you." "But won''t I have to learn transformation magic first?" -I can''t just walk into a human city as a dragon can I?- I thought it was incredible that Ilios was not only stunningly beautiful and adorable, but he was also crazy strong. "But what did you mean by I copied his race? I didn''t feel like I copied anything though.. Mother stiffened up and her face was covered in an inexplicable expression. Father was quick to take over for her. "Well.. when choosing your ''temporary form'', you would be able to mimic the appearance of any race.. but you.. actually changed races.." Father looked at Mother with a face of concern and worry. I wasn''t following what they were talking about. I had thought that I did something cool but seeing their reactions was a little worrying. After finally sorting some of her thoughts, Mother chimed back in. "So.. Vasilias.. how much of your mana reserve can you use?" "Huh? Uh.. all of it." Mother and Father both froze. "It''s not full at the moment but I do have access to all of it." "W.. wh.. what about your attribute nodes..." Mothers voice was getting a bit shaky. "I have all 7, even my breath gland is untouched.." I didn''t know how to react to their expressions anymore. "Are you sure? Mother looked at me in disbelief. Here.. aim at that tree and use a breath.. Just be very careful.." "O..okay.." I was a bit nervous but I was excited to experiment with my breath again. -This time, not nuclear..- I was thinking of what possible explosive I could use before I settled on ammonium nitrate, simple to make and moderately strong. It was a dirty explosive but it was SIGNIFICANTLY more affordable mana wise than anything else I could think of. -Maybe I should try TNT next..- TNT was cleaner, but it was crazy expensive compared to ammonium nitrate. (Ammonium nitrate is NOT toxic enough to harm dragons!) After creating a moderately substantial amount of ammonium nitrate, I aimed towards the tree mother pointed towards, and opened my mouth. *Crack* This time I used some wind magic to help keep the explosion together, focusing the blast into a beam that instantly reached the tree. *BoOm* The explosion completely obliterated the bottom half of the tree and stripped the bark from a couple trees nearby it. -Affordable with good firepower, a good combo..- I looked at the scene in satisfaction, somehow overlooking the tense and awkward atmosphere behind me. Chapter 23: True Form.. Chapter 23: True Form.. Mid Morning - Mid Spring : Home Mother and Father were once again frozen in place with their eyes locked on the poor tree that was on the receiving end of my breath. Finally snapping out of her trance, Krystallo mumbled something under her breath. "Brother''s humanoid form is beautiful.." She was still staring holes into me until she suddenly shouted. "Wait, mother, isn''t his humanoid form supposed to be weak!? That breath could kill me!" Mother finally spoke up, still unable to take her eyes off the scene. "Y.. yea.. its supposed to be.. but that rule is different if.." She nervously turned her gaze to me. "If what?!" Krystallo was getting impatient. Father ended up being the one to respond. "If it''s his true humanoid form.." His voice wasn''t any less full of shock though. "But aren''t elders the only ones with them?" Krystallo was just as confused as me. "Also shouldn''t a dragon''s true humanoid form still be a dragon?" "Ah.. yes.. it should be..." It looked as if Father didn''t know what to feel. A moment of silence followed as Mother and Father sorted their thoughts. I was the first to break the silence with a bombshell question. "So lets say this is somehow my true humanoid form.. does that mean I''m not actually a dragon?" Mother jolted a bit before looking at me with a face of worry. "We don''t know if this is actually your true form or not, so please don''t jump to conclusions sweetie..." She forced a smile. Figuring I couldnt just leave them to figure everything out, I fell into deep thought as well. -Okay so let''s start simple.. no need to worry about anything other than if this is my true form or not, and how I awakened it already if it is..- It was as I thought this that a realization hit me. -THAT''S WHAT SHE DID?! At the end of the ''dream''.. That woman said she left me with a gift... That was awakening my true form wasn''t it!- [1] I was unsure of how, but I was confident that''s what she did once I thought about it. [2] Shortly after figuring it out for myself, Father confirmed my conclusion. "It is his true form.. he isn''t using mana to stay in that form, nor was his strength or mana reserve limited as much as they should have.." Mother pupils shrank and her face paled. "So.. h..he.. isn''t a dragon?" She couldnt believe it, she didnt want to. Seeing her expression, I felt like I got the wind knocked out of me. It became harder to breathe. "That''s not true.. Vasilias, you can still go to your dragon form right?" "Y.. yeah.. Why wouldn''t I?" Just before transforming back I suddenly feel like there is something other than my dragon form I can change into, but something kept me from transforming to it. -Maybe it''s best to take this one step at a time..- I quickly shook the thought out of my head. The entire back side of the rock exploded causing the entire thing to collapse into a pile of rubble. *crumble* Both Father and Mother were looking at the poor rock, awestruck, but Krystallo was looking at me with a prideful smile. "I knew Brother would be the strongest!" I smiled in response, happy from the praise even though my hand had heat pulsing through it. -I hope I didn''t break something..- I slowly broke into a nervous sweat. Although the punch felt great and looked crazy, it was incomparable to my dragon form.. -I could do that amount of damage with a flick..- Dragons take pride in their strength and size, so being small and weak made me feel incredibly uncomfortable. I didn''t really have a choice though, since it''s not like I could waltz into a humanoid kingdom as a huge dragon. -I need to try and get used to the discomfort..- "Zachari.. you felt that too right?" Father glanced at Mother with a look of awe. "Haah.. yes.. that was basically peak A rank.. (meaning his true form is on par with an adolescent in dragon form in terms of pure strength) Mother and Father continued talking for a moment as I made sure nothing was broken and enjoyed the feeling of having a proper hand for a moment. After a few minutes, Father finally calmed down and pulled me out of my thoughts. "Well.. I guess that settles it. In 2 months we will head to the Kingdom Of Kaelallan as father and son!" He puffed up his chest and wore a proud smile. -Oh, right, I forgot about that. Well it''s good that I''ll get to bond with Father some..- At the same time though, I was more interested in seeing what a humanoid kingdom in this world was like. "Mother, Father, can I see your humanoid forms?" I was curious what races they would pick for their temporary forms since they weren''t elders yet. "Oh of course sweetie." Mother was the first to start her transformation, but Father immediately followed suit. A short moment later, the light dimmed and I saw a beautiful Avian woman with large ''angel like'' wings on her back and a tall and handsome elf man who was very muscular. They looked like quite the perfect couple. Mother looked like she was in her early 30s and father in his mid 30s, but both were inhumanly good looking. Krystallo seemed to agree.. at least with Mother. "Mom is so pretty!" "Hehe, thank you sweetie.." Mother gave Krystallo a motherly smile as she extended her wings to show them off. -She really does look just like an angel..- Chapter 24: Aura Control Chapter 24: Aura Control Late Morning - Mid Spring : Home Mother looked over at me as she was rubbing Krystallo''s head. There was something so surreal seeing an angel-like woman rubbing the head of a dragon that I got completely entranced for a while. Once I finally snapped out of the trance, I turned to look at Father and saw him break out into a cold sweat. "Father, I noticed earlier but why is it that when I look at you, you start sweating?" Although I didn''t expect him to be all lovey like Mother was, not even being able to look at me was a little pathetic. "Ah, right.. Mother wore a troubled look. Well, there is an old phrase I read in a book that was, even dragons have to bow before the Ancient Fenrir. It seems like that phrase wasnt just a metaphor.." "What do you mean?" "Well, as an Ancient Fenrir, your aura has a very special.. majesty to it. A bead of sweat slowly formed on her forehead. Majesty? It just means that your aura enchants the weak and oppresses the strong." She finished with a proud smile before mumbling something under her breath. "I even caught myself staring at times.." -Oh.. so that''s why it sometimes felt like Krystallo was staring at me, but won''t that become problematic?- "Is there any way I can control that part of my aura?" "Well, to an extent. You can make it easier for people to resist but you can''t totally remove it unless you completely pull your aura away from them." [1] -I guess that''s good enough..- "How do I make it easier to resist then?" "The thinner the aura, the lighter it''s effects are. When we go to Bahamut I''ll see if mother knows anything more. But for now, Honey.. She turned to Father. You just need to at least try and resist his aura.. don''t let it make you that uncomfortable. It didn''t bother you that much before, right?" "Well.. it did.. but I just used my aura to resist it." He looked incredibly uncomfortable. "So use your aura now. Mother wasnt having it. It''s not like you don''t have plenty of aura to work with even if you''re in your temporary form. Plus I''m sure you''ll start to get used to it like Krystallo and I have." She looked away from father with a slightly annoyed look. After watching them have their little moment, I remembered something. -Ah, right..- "Father, you said you wanted to bring me along to a humanoid nation for something?" Father had started using his aura to resist mine but he still didn''t make much eye contact with me (he didn''t before either). "Ah, yes.. I have some business with the royal family in the Kingdom of Kaelallan. I need to be there in a few months at the latest." *Crunch* Fathers face paled seeing me eat the mana core. "Vasilias! Quickly spit that out!!" He was in total panic but before he could get up to force me to spit it out, Mother stuck her wing in front of him. "Hes fine, honey. He''s eaten several already. He even had one the day after he hatched.." Color slowly started to return to his face, but he was still in awe. "He did.. what?" He looked down at me in shock just before I cringed. "Blegh.. this one was bitter.." Instead of savoring the flavor, I just swallowed it like a pill and started absorbing its mana. I had to go take a big bite from my bison to try and wash out the bitterness in my mouth. After absorbing it for a bit and finishing my bison, I moved to the side and prepared to try and control my aura. Krystallo was still eating her bison and Mother and Father were talking about something I didn''t care to listen to. "So, Mother.. Do I just control my aura like a spell?" She quickly paused her conversation with Father to answer. "Yep! The only difference is that you don''t pass it through a node." -Simple enough..- As I sat there with my eyes closed, I focused completely on my aura. As soon as I tried to control it, more than half of it, spanning nearly 50 meters in all directions, stopped flowing. -Wow.. That was really easy..- Mother and Father instantly realized what I had done once they felt my aura stop flowing. They both just stared right at me in disbelief. "There is no way right?" Father was paying close attention to my aura. Controlling 50 meters of aura was an impossible task for someone controlling their aura for the first time, but compared to my nuclear breath, it was practically nothing. -If I''m going to be in a big city, I need to find a way to keep my aura off of people..- But I quickly ran into an unexpected complication with my ideas. I had no way to reabsorb my aura. At best I could compress it as much as possible to form a thin layer around my body. The instant I gave that a try though, I realized a major problem. -Ah..- I managed to compress nearly all of my aura into a 10 cm thick layer around my body but the mana density was so high that it became visible. -Well that''s a problem..- Chapter 25: With Every Answer, Comes Another Question Chapter 25: With Every Answer, Comes Another Question Mid Afternoon - Mid Spring : Home -Well that''s a problem..- I just stood there and looked down at myself, watching the beautiful array of colors flow around my body. I quickly fell into a trance, but I didnt stop pulling in my aura. It only took a couple seconds to reach my limit though. The layer of aura was around 5 cm thick which was quite thin, but I quickly realized an even bigger problem. -This is less than a quarter of my total aura when my reserve is full..- I tried as hard as I could to think of a solution but nothing came to mind. -Sh*t..- As I snapped out of my thoughts, I looked down and stared at the flowing colors again. -At least it''s quite pretty..- "What in the world.." Mother was the first to break the silence. "Vasilias.. is that your mana control?" The amount of mana I was controlling was completely out of the realm of a young dragon and would even be considered a lot for adults. Mother simply didn''t know what to think after seeing me control it so casually. As I looked over to her, she mumbled something under her breath. "Were Ancient Fenrir.. really such monsters?" Not paying attention to the awkward atmosphere, I decided to ask about my problem. "So, Mother.. I can''t seem to suck back in my aura, so what''s a different way for me to keep my aura off people?" Even though it was only a thin layer, it was still far too much to be able to walk around a town with, visible or not. Ah.. She quickly snapped out of her trance. "Ahem. You can''t suck aura back in, sweetie. A better way is t-" Father stuck his wing out in front of Mother. "Don''t just tell him. Let''s see how long it takes for him to find a solution." He pulled his wing back and looked at me. If we give him all the answers, hell become too dependent on us. It was a little frustrating, but he was right. -Plus, I''m sure I''ll figure something out eventually.. hopefully..- As I sat back down and started brainstorming what I could do, I remembered something I wanted to test. -Right.. what if I try to read that dense mana?- As soon as I went to read the mana, an incredibly detailed view of the space around me filled my mind. I could only really see what the 5 cm wide layer of mana touched, but what was there was freakishly detailed.?iscover new chapters at novelhall.com I could see the dust in the air, the individual cells in the grass and anything from large molecules to singular atoms of whatever I looked at. It was quite a surreal experience seeing living cells with such detail, but at the same time, it wasn''t nearly as detailed as the dream. In the dream, I could see each part that made up atoms, and even what made up those parts themselves in extreme detail. (talking about quarks) But just because it was incomparable to the dream, didn''t mean it was a useless experiment. -So the density of the mana I''m reading correlates directly to the amount of detail..- "What do you want me to do?" Ilios just stood there wagging his tail, splashing around water. Walking out to him, I dipped my feet in the water and leaned down to smell the lily. It had a very sweet smell similar to mana cores. Before I could think, I subconsciously opened my mouth and ate it. It had an incredible taste, similar to honey, but once the taste faded away, it seemed like that was it. -It had some mana but not nearly as much as I was expecting..- As this thought crossed my mind though, an extremely familiar soothing sensation wrapped around me. The sensation felt so good that my knees buckled and I nearly fell to the ground and passed out. After what felt like only a few seconds, the sensation started to fade and I slowly stood back up and gathered my thoughts. Hooh.. -I really need to figure out what is causing that feeling..- On top of the enjoyment from the sensation, I also simply felt stronger, not physically, but mentally. My thoughts were significantly clearer and a bit faster. Out of curiosity, I closed my eyes and focused on my aura again. The instant I started reading it, I noticed a clear improvement. Unlike before, I could now read out to around 9 meters. -Its still not much but its an improvement.- A proud smile popped onto my face before a revelation hit me. -Man, I have no clue why that took me so long to think of!- It was an easy solution to my previous aura control problem. Since I couldn''t suck back in my aura, I had thought I had to layer it around my body. -But what if.. instead of pulling in, I just push it up..- Quickly taking control of my aura, I created a massive column of aura climbing several hundred meters into the air. -Wow.. even my control got a bit better..- As I was feeling proud of coming up with a solution, the mood was killed by another major issue popping up. -Wait.. what if I want to go inside a building?- My mind drew a complete blank as I tried to think of something. "Haah... Whenever I answer one question, 3 more pop up.." Chapter 26: The Sleep Lily Chapter 26: The Sleep Lily Mid Morning - Mid Spring : Home After first seeing the effects of the lily, I laid down and did some general practice for what felt like several hours, but when I opened my eyes, something was clearly wrong. -It''s.. still morning?- The rays of sunlight that pierced the dense canopy were coming in at the exact same angle as they were when I first got to the pond. It would make sense if I was only here for a few minutes to not notice much of a difference, but it had felt like several hours. -Was my instinct.. wrong?- "Haah.. I tried not to think about it too much as I shook the thought out of my head. Even if it really has been less than an hour, I should probably get heading back.." As I slowly stood up and stretched, I looked over and saw Ilios splashing around in the middle of the pond. *Splish-splash* -How adorable..- I ended up just sitting there watching him roll around in the pond for a bit before he finally noticed that I had gotten up. As soon as he saw me, he sprang to his feet and started happily trotting towards me. Although he was a massive 5 meter long Ancient Fenrir, to me he just looked like a puppy trying to show off to his big brother. As he got close, I leaned down a bit and he hopped up onto my back. He promptly found a good spot and laid down as well. After taking my time to make sure he wasn''t going to slip off, I started to head back home, carefully controlling my aura along the way. -Theres no such thing as too much practice right?- A few moments later I arrived back home where I saw father walking out of the cave with Krystallo. "Where''s mother?" I interrupted their conversation as I landed. "She said she was going to check on something and get some food to snack on." "Ahh.. okay. -So she didn''t panic seeing that I wasn''t home?- I took a minute to think to myself. -Maybe I have more freedom than I thought..- Anyways, when she comes back tell her I''m at the top of the mountain."Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com "Sure thing, just be careful." He clearly wasn''t as overprotective as Mother was. Seeing Father wave me along, I didn''t waste any time flying up the mountain. -I wonder what Mother said she needed to check on..- A short moment later, I made it to the top of the mountain and carefully set Ilios down. Such ridiculous isotopes were far too unstable to exist without my assistance, so when I released my hold on them, they just spewed out their excess neutrons. I figured that could those released neutrons to act as a primer to help force nuclear fission. It was a truly fascinating idea, but I wouldn''t be able to utilize it for a while because of the ridiculous mana consumption. At this time, my mana reserve simply couldn''t handle it. -Knowledge is never a bad thing though. Plus, just because I can''t currently think of any other uses now, doesn''t mean I never will.- A proud smile crept onto my face after the successful experiment. -Hmm.. What should I try next?- - Zachari Ragnarok ~ -Where was it again?- I was flying above the forest looking for a small opening in the canopy. -Oh, there it is..- It didn''t take too long to find. I quickly slowed down and lowered my altitude before landing next to a small yet beautiful pond. "What.." -Where is it?!- The lily that was supposed to be in the middle of the pond was gone. I looked around in disbelief until I saw a dragon''s footprints lead into the pond. -How did they get that close?- For context, this pond was home to a ''sleep lily'', a priceless treasure that takes thousands of years to mature. [1] On top of that though, they were also nearly impossible to harvest. Around each and every sleep lily was a small bubble that kept anything from even getting close to it. It seemed as if everything within the bubble was simply frozen in time, unmoving and unchanging no matter what methods you used. Over time, the notorious barrier earned the name, the time bubble. Dragons didn''t believe the barrier was truly unpassable though, because at one point in history, there was a creature who could harvest them. Adding fuel to the fire, dragons denounced the possibility that a creature could do something they couldn''t, so they assumed it came down to a specific method they needed to figure out, but their efforts were fruitless. Over the past ten thousand years, not a single lily had been harvested. Even still, dragons never gave up. Although very few actually tried seriously to harvest them, some that lived near one would occasionally try. Coincidentally, I happened to be one of those folk. Although I knew any efforts I put into it would be for naught, I couldn''t help but occasionally try. Today I had high hopes though. I wanted to try using the magnetism thing Vasilias mentioned, but once I showed up to test it out, the lily was gone. -What couldve..- As I looked back at the dragon footprints, I couldn''t help but feel like they were extremely familiar. -Theres no way right?- Not questioning it any further, I sprang into the air and flew towards home as fast as I could. Chapter 27: A Caring Mother Chapter 27: A Caring Mother Early Evening - Mid Spring : Home I looked out over the ocean with a satisfied smile as the sun started to set. -That was a great session..- I didn''t manage to make any more major discoveries but I did manage to become far more efficient with my magic. Thanks to learning that the cost of manipulating materials was dictated by their atomic stability, my mana efficiency in those spells increased immensely. With just a bit of fine tuning, the mana needed for matter manipulation spells dropped by 25-30%. On top of that, the more I experimented with my mana, the more proficient I became. Instead of just being able to control the direction of my aura, I was able to control its shape to an extent. -Small steps!- (Similar to saying one step at a time) I felt an incredible sense of accomplishment as I started to finally unwind. -You know what..- Right before I sat down on the edge of the mountaintop, I backed away from the edge of the mountain and changed back to my dragon form. Haaah.. -Much better..- The stuffy and weak feeling I had dealt with all day vanished immediately. Mmmmm.. A muffled groan interrupted my stretch. -Hm?- As I looked towards the noise, I saw Ilios laid on his back with his feet sticking in the air. His paws were moving a bit as if he was running in his dream. Huff.. He let out a muffled bark. The scene simply made my heart melt. I wanted to run up and love on him, but at the same time I didn''t want to wake him up. -I should let him sleep..- A warm smile crept onto my face as I walked back to the edge of the mountain. The sun was steadily approaching the horizon, bathing the sky and ocean in a beautiful orange as a cool, steady breeze flowed up the mountain side. *Deep Breath* A familiar scent of the ocean filled the air. Hooh.. It felt incredible to be able to finally slow down and simply think of nothing after being in deep focus most of the day. There was still a lot to think about, but I simply cleared my mind and relaxed. It only took a second for me to get sleepy, but as I went to lay down and fall asleep, I felt an incredibly heavy aura flying up the mountain. Even though I knew who the owner of the familiar aura was, my instinct still jolted me awake. -Why is she in such a rush?- As I turned around, I was met with a shiny orange dragon giving me a serious look. -Mother?- (Her white scales reflected the light from the sunset) - Zachari Ragnarok ~ After flying nearly as fast as possible for a few minutes, I finally made it back to the cave. *Bang* My hard landing cracked the ground a bit but I didn''t care. The silence that encompassed us was suffocating. Mother seemed to be deep in thought though, so I didn''t say anything for a while. Haah.. Mother broke the silence with a deep breath. "Mother? I had a question but I didn''t know if I should ask yet. What is it sweetie? She wore a proud smile as if her serious expression earlier was just a facade. I''m not sure if now is a good time to ask, but what was that lily?" I felt a bit guilty after I saw her reaction to me saying I ate it. -It clearly had more worth than I thought..- "Haha, don''t look so guilty, it''s actually a good thing you ate it. Her words let me ease up a bit, but I still had a lingering nervousness. That flower was known as a sleep lily. If a dragon eats one they are given a slim chance of being able to survive the ancient dragon sleep. That''s how it got its name!" [1] She seemed incredibly happy to tell me about it. -Wait, is that it?- Its effect sounded incredibly underwhelming at the time, but it was just because I didn''t fully understand what she meant. It may sound simple, but the effect is truly priceless. Her expression quickly turned more serious. "Just promise me that you''ll NEVER tell anyone that you''ve eaten one." I tensed up a bit, but I was more confused than anything. "O..okay. But.. why?" "Those lilies take thousands of years to bloom and are near impossible to harvest. If news gets out that there is someone who can harvest them, a revolution will start among the dragons." I still didn''t quite understand but the more I listened, the more concerned I got. -Is the effect really that great?- "In any case. I''m glad you were the one to eat it.. Her serious look slowly faded again which allowed me to relax a bit. There was a short and awkward silence that filled the air before she changed subjects. So, anyways, how is your aura control and reading coming along? Any progress?" "It''s coming along well, I can read out to about 10 meters and can control the shape of my aura to some extent." She seemed fairly shocked hearing my improvement, but her proud smile only grew. "Well.. since you seem to be progressing so quickly on your own, I''ll just leave you with a small tip. A dragon''s eyes are incomparably more sensitive to mana than humanoid species, so if you really need to layer your aura around you, you can." She gave an encouraging smile. -Well, I guess that''s a temporary fix for restraining my aura indoors..- It definitely wasn''t a solution since I could only compress it into a layer for a bit before my aura would start to overflow, but it at least gave me some head room. [2] Noticing I was deep in thought, Mother slowly got up and walked back to the edge of the mountain top. "Well, I''m going to head down first.. She paused and glanced back at me as she spread out her wings. If you want to sleep in the cave again.. there is plenty of room." Her gentle voice pulled me out of my thoughts just fast enough to see her glide down the mountainside. -Maybe I should find a way to spend more time with them..- Chapter 28: I am Speed! Chapter 28: I am Speed! Mid Morning - Late Spring : Home After mother left, I spent a fair while stargazing before falling into a refreshing deep sleep. My nap lasted around 2 days but I woke up feeling alive and energized. "Uuwwahh." As I woke up, I stood up and stretched. "Mmmm.." -That felt good..- My muscles were a bit tight, which made the stretch feel that much better. As I sat back down, I circulated my mana to check for any changes. Thankfully the only change was that my reserve had filled up. -Sweet, I got a full tank to work with!- After making sure nothing else had changed I gleefully walked to the edge of the mountain and looked over the extremely calm and glass-like ocean. *tap-tap-tap* "Woof!" Ilios walked up behind me and rubbed against my leg. "Haha, good morning Ilios!" I leaned down and nuzzled against him before turning back to the ocean. "Alright! Now, what to practice today.." -Offense? Unnecessary.. Defense? Also fairly unnecessary..- After a few minutes of thinking though, a good idea came to mind. -Maybe I could make some kind of magic to make me faster..- Speed was something I hadn''t really touched on since my current top speed had been incredibly overkill till now. -But, if I''m going to go to Kaelallan, I should get faster so I can come home quickly if I need to..- Currently my top speed was just shy of Mach 2, which, although very fast, was far from satisfactory if I needed to cross several thousand kilometers quickly. -What could I try first... I could create a vacuum around my body and the top of my wings to reduce drag, maybe..- Although a plausible option, it would only increase my speed by so much. -I guess it can''t hurt to test though..- Stay here for a bit Ilios, I''m going to do some tests. I lightly rubbed his head before leaping into the air. Once I got to a decent altitude, I leveled out and got up to speed. -Alright.. let''s give it a try..- I quickly created a thick vacuum around my body, shaping it with a long and sharp front to give me nearly perfect aerodynamics and make me completely silent even when supersonic. The vacuum simply acted as a buffer to allow my wind magic to move the air out of the way before it hit me and created drag. As the blissful silence of the vacuum wrapped around me, I once again started accelerating and instantly noticed a huge decrease in strain on my wings. -Wow.. To think that issue was so easily fixable..- Previously, when I flew and forced myself past Mach, the amount of drag on my wings would increase exponentially. Although it was manageable below Mach 2, the strain on my joints kept me from being able to go much faster. -But thats no longer a problem!- As I realized I was getting a bit too far from the mountain, I turned around and tried another experiment. -What if I push all the air I''m pushing up above me, below my wings as well?- It sounded a little crazy, but I tried it anyway. With a bit of tuning, although my speed stayed the same, it massively affected my ability to glide and climb in altitude. -Wow..- It felt like I could glide forever. Quickly catching my breath, I noticed that the mountain that was once on the horizon was no longer that far away. -SH*T!!- I quickly tried to slow down some but at this speed it was useless to try and slow down normally. In a panic I created a huge amount of liquid hydrogen in my mouth and used my breath as a reverse thruster. *Pshh-FWOOOSH* The sound of the flame rumbled through the air like a rocket and the thrust from it felt like it was crushing my neck but I was slowing down extremely quickly. The issue was, it wasn''t fast enough. The mountain that was once all the way on the horizon, was right in front of my face. -Ah sh*t.- I folded in my wings as fast as I could before I hit the rocky mountainside. *WWHHHAAAAAAMM* Although the reverse thruster helped a ton, I still slammed into the side of the mountain while supersonic. *crumble* The feeling of rubble falling onto my back was a good sign. -Well, I''m not dead.. I don''t even seem to be that badly hurt for that matter..- I tried to look around, but couldn''t see anything other than rock rubble in the darkness. -Am I embedded in the mountain..- Although I was strong enough to freely break my way out, I was nervous it might make something worse and instead just cranked up the temperature around me and melted away the stone. The glow between my scales turned to a bright orange as the stone around me liquified. -Much better..- Finally able to move more freely, I turned around and saw a short tunnel with light at the end. -I must have broken something and I just don''t feel it yet..- I was embedded around 60 meters into the mountainside. Thankfully the tunnel was just big enough for me to walk through so once I cooled down a bit, I started making my way outside. The glow between my scales quickly returned to its original purple and blue as I finally made it back outside. Looking up the mountain, I saw Ilios looking down at me. "Phew.."-Thank goodness I didn''t get him hurt..- Before heading back up the mountain, I did another quick scan of my body in disbelief. -How.. how is nothing broken..- Chapter 29: Dangerous Emotions Chapter 29: Dangerous Emotions Early Afternoon - Late Spring : Home -How.. how is nothing broken..- I couldn''t believe it. *Crumble* The collapsing of the tunnel entrance quickly pulled me out of my thoughts. -Right.. I should head back up.- *Flap* With a strong flap of my wings, I threw myself up the mountainside. Once I landed, I was greeted by Ilios jumping up and licking my face. Haha, I''m alright buddy. Seeing that he wasn''t going to calm down any time soon, I sat down and just gently rubbed his head. Sorry I made you worry so much.. A short moment later, Ilios finally started to calm down and Father flew up and landed next to me. "Vasilias, what was that bang?" He seemed slightly panicked. "I was just testing out some new spells to let me fly faster, but when I tried to slow down, I lost altitude and slammed into the side of the mountain.." His nervousness was quickly replaced with confusion. "How fast were you going when you crashed to cause the entire mountain to shudder?" "Well, too fast to say the least... Probably close to Mach 1.5 or so." I responded honestly, not thinking much of it. "Mach?" -Ah..- I had totally forgotten that this world was one that obviously wouldn''t know what Mach was. -Its odd enough that they use the metric system in all honesty..- "Mach is just a unit that quantifies the sound barrier. It''s around 340 m/s, I think 343 to be exact." He paused and just blankly stared at me for a moment before letting out a deep sigh. Haah.. it''s not good to exaggerate things like that, Vasilias. -I didnt though..- "I can nearly reach Mach 2 without magic, as for with it, well.. I''m not sure where the limit is. I figured it was best to leave the speed limit of my thrusters to the imagination. Huh? Y..you''re not exaggerating? It looked like his mind froze, as if he didn''t know how to react. No? Is it not normal for dragons to be able to fly that fast? W..well.. Older dragons can, but they''d need to at least be old elders or ancients. He stared at me with a mix of emotions, but unlike Mother, he ended up letting his negative emotions get to him. (Things like jealousy) "Haah.. whatever." His reaction made my heart skip a beat. It felt like a huge ball of anxiety was building in my chest. Seeing my reaction, he quickly forced a smile. "In any case, I just came up to check on you and make sure you were alright. I''ll be down the mountain with Krystallo if you need anything." His voice lacked the concern and care I was used to.Upstodatee from "A..alright... I''ll be down later.." I gave a reluctant response. As father flew down the mountain I just plopped myself down and pet Ilios until my mind settled down. After a while, I started getting worried that it wasn''t enough food, but just before she finished the second bison she slowed down and came to a stop. -Is that it?- I didn''t know what to expect. *thump* Her body went limp as she fell asleep. "Phew.. Mother wore a look of relief. I was getting worried.." Gently picking her up, Mother carried her to the middle of the room and set her down. "I was getting nervous that I was going to need to leave before she entered her sleep.." Father spoke with a refreshing fatherly joy seeing Krystallo safely enter her dragon sleep. -She did cut it down to the wire..- We were due to leave within the next couple weeks, whether Krystallo entered her dragon sleep or not. -If she didn''t start her sleep in time, I would''ve had to stay here to help Mother.- Although I wasn''t against staying home to help Mother, I was definitely excited to finally see what this world''s human civilization looked like. Father was also aware of my anticipation. "Well now that she has gone into her sleep, it''s time we start getting ready to leave.. He turned to me with a sly smile. -Huh? Are we leaving early?!- "Before we go though, it''s time for your test Vasilias." Father quickly flashed an unusual smile that made me a bit uncomfortable. "What? Test?" I hadn''t heard about this so-called test so I was totally caught off guard. "Before we go, I want to test the strength of your humanoid form!" Although he knew what my strength was like, even in my humanoid form, he never saw me fight in it. Even if I had a freakish amount of strength, without any technique, fights in my humanoid form would not be one sided. Unless I relied on my magic of course. "So.. are we just gonna fight in our humanoid forms?" Fathers grin widened. "Nope! I''ll be in my dragon form!" -EXCUSE ME?!- I tensed up and looked towards Mother for help. She was looking at Father with a look of shock, seemingly objecting to the idea like me. "Honey, don''t you think it''s too extreme to have him fight your dragon form.." "I''m not allowing any objections, he needs to experience a real fight with someone strong while there aren''t consequences." He puffed up his chest a bit as if proud that he came up with the idea. -Oh you have to be kidding..- "Father, I''m just gonna get destroyed.." My enthusiasm was draining by the second. "Maybe you''ll naturally learn some techniques if I push you to the limit." What he was saying was that I was going to get bullied by him until I figured out how to fight back. -Why don''t you just teach me techniques then?- "Mother.." As I turned back to her, she dodged my eyes. -OH YOU TOO?!- My one and only ally here decided to sit on the sideline. "Haah.." As I realized I wasn''t going to get out of the predicament, I slowly accepted my fate. -This is gonna suck..- Chapter 30: The Thrill of a Fight Chapter 30: The Thrill of a Fight Late Afternoon - Late Spring : Home Haah.. -This is gonna suck..- As I walked down the hallway, I changed to my humanoid form and desperately tried to think of a way to beat Father. -How am I gonna do this..- I walked outside while rubbing my head. -I guess I''ll actually hav..- My thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of something huge coming at me from behind. -WHAT THE?!- I instantly threw myself to the ground, barely dodging the massive tail. -THAT''S NOT FAIR!- "CANT YOU GO EAS-" As I turned over, I saw a massive dragon foot falling towards me. In that split second, my instinct took over and threw a punch into the side of the foot. *Bang-CRUNCH* Barely managing to redirect the stomp, I took the opening to create distance. Turning back to him, I saw Father standing on newly shattered ground. -Is he seriously trying to kill me?!- Leaning down a bit, I tried to slow my heart rate. -I need to calm down..- But Father wasnt going to give me a chance and dashed at me, throwing a heavy kick. *Wooshhh* I barely dodged again, but it''s not like he''d give me time to breathe. The next thing I knew, I saw his mouth open towards me with an orange flame growing in his mouth. -SH*T!- *Psshhh-FWOOSH* *Crackle-Fwooooosh* I blasted thruster magic to get away from it, managing to launch myself into the air just before the ground got covered in an orange blaze. -This psycho..- While I was falling towards the ground, my stomach was met with his tail. *Crrraack* *FWOOSH* The instant before I hit the ground, I used thrusters to blast myself across the clearing to make more distance. -Sh*t..- My ribs were broken, but my heart rate had calmed and my mind had cleared. -I have a slight speed advantage.. It''s possible..- Although only barely, I was more nimble and quicker than him. It wasn''t much, but I was going to have to abuse that difference if I wanted to have a chance. -I just need to throw him off his rhythm..- *Wooshhh* Charging at me again, he tried to bite me. -It''s a feint..- My gut told me he''d swipe his leg at me. *Psshh-FWOOSH* Abusing the mobility given by my thrusters, I dodged his attack and channeled my momentum into a punch to his chest. *WHAM* My goal was to knock his breath out but it felt as if I just punched a steel wall. -OW!- The force from my punch channeled back into me and further cracked my ribs. While I was stunned, Father grabbed me with his tail and hurled me into the forest. *Wham* *CRACK* The tree I hit was blown apart and splintered. Without knowing it, a smile started to creep onto my face. -You think that''ll stop me?!- Father looked so guilty he didn''t even know how to respond. I felt the same sh*t you did, but instead of falling victim to it like you, I instead felt proud. Mother gave him a look of disdain. Our son will become one of, if not the strongest dragon to ever exist, and here you are nearly ruining that for the sake of your stupid pride. Quickly catching on to what was happening, I changed back to my dragon form and walked over to Mother. I''m fine for the most part, Mother. Can you try to look past his mistake for now? I think we both just got too absorbed into the fight... Plus.. if he went easy on me, it wouldn''t have been as fun.. Although I didn''t lie, the main reason I stepped in was to stop their fight. -It hurts to watch..- Mother quickly caught onto my intentions and calmed down. Haah.. sorry sweetie.. She leaned over and rubbed her cheek on mine. Suddenly remembering what started everything, I looked over at Father. "So, Father. Do I pass your test?" "Ah right, I nearly forgot about that. You passed easily." He tried to force an uncomfortable smile. "Well, in that case, I''m going to go lay down and start healing.. I glanced towards Mother as I walked past, her agitation was still clear. I can''t really blame him for getting absorbed in the fight, so.. at least don''t punish him too harshly.. Haah.. alright.. Mother reluctantly gave in. Continuing past her, I walked up to the outside of the cave and laid down. -Thankfully these injuries shouldn''t take too long to heal in my dragon form..- As I got ready to close my eyes and fall asleep, Ilios darted out of the cave and started licking me. "I''m fine, I''m fine.." Even though I tried to motion that I was fine, he didn''t stop licking me. -Arent ancient Fenrir supposed to be like.. gods? Why does Ilios act like a golden retriever?- Although I was curious, I wasn''t complaining. Ilios acting like a puppy was incredibly cute after all. After petting Ilios for a while, Father walked up behind me. "We don''t have much time before we are going to make our trip so be sure to heal up." "Ah right, what about Ilios? He can come along, right?" Ilios managed to brighten my mood and make me forget about Mother and Father''s fight. "Of course! Why wouldn''t he?" "Well I just don''t know how he can get into the city.." -He''s huge.. there is no way they''d let him through the gate..- "He can use transformation magic to make himself smaller, so there shouldn''t be any issues." -Excuse me?- I turned to Ilios. "Can you actually shrink down?" Ilios quickly nodded his head before a white light exuded from him. Once the light cleared he had shrunk down to around 1.25 meters, still very big for a dog, but it should be enough. "Wait, so does that mean I can change my size too?" "Well yes you can control your size and age, you just can''t go bigger or older than your full size and it''s fairly useless." -Simple enough..- "Well, since we have that figured out, what all do I need to do before we leave?" "Be sure to eat a lot.. humanoid food is quite expensive when you have the appetite that we dragons do." Although he seemed to be joking, it got me thinking. -I wonder what the cuisine is like in this world...- My expectations were honestly at rock bottom since, from what Mother had taught me over the last month, the kingdoms were barely into the middle ages. -As long as it''s alright, I''ll be happy..- Although I loved food, to me, most of it was either terrible, alright, or absolutely heavenly with very little in between. While I was lost in my thoughts, Mother walked up behind Father. "Well in that case, how about we have a family meal? It''s been a while since weve had one, and I have a surprise prepared. I couldn''t help but feel like the way she said it was ominous, but it made me curious. That''s fine with me. In that case, I''ll go catch a good bison for you." Mother flashed an excited smile before quickly leaping into the air and flying into the forest. -What kind of surprise will it be..- Chapter 31: Final Preparations Chapter 31: Final Preparations Mid Evening - Late Spring : Home While waiting for mother to come back, father and I sat in complete silence. -God this is so awkward..- The silence was simply deafening. Hey.. Vasilias. Father awkwardly glanced over at me. Im.. sorry about earlier.. Hearing his guilt filled apology, I looked over and saw Father wearing a look of defeat. Mother is the one you should be apologizing to, not me. He quickly lowered his gaze and stared at the ground. -Did he seriously think saying sorry to me would do anything?- For future reference though.. I gave him a serious look. If you said sorry to a broken sword would it piece itself back together? Glancing back up at me, his face showed a bit of surprise. Haah.. I gave him a judgmental look as I took a deep breath. -Just what did Mother see in him to bear his kids..- The silence quickly wrapped around us again, but thankfully not long after that, Mother returned. -What is that?- Cresting over the treetops was Mother with a huge creature in her grasp. It was a giant bison, the biggest I had ever seen by a huge margin. *Thud* The bison shook the ground as Mother dropped it in front of me. "Where did you even find this thing.." Although I didn''t explore the forest too much over the past month and a half, at the very least I figured I knew what the largest creatures in the area were. Mother gently landed next to me, brandishing her warm, motherly smile. "This guy was someone I found on the far edge of the forest a little while ago, I was saving him for a special occasion." As I enjoyed the warm feeling I got from her smile, a heavenly scent reached my nose. Looking back at the bison, my mouth slowly started to water. Something I had come to realize recently was that the larger the bison, the better their meat. Their muscles would be much denser and since my jaws were so strong, the tougher meat gave a better texture. Instead of feeling like I was biting through pure fat, it felt like I was actually biting into a steak. Desperately keeping myself from biting into it preemptively, I leaned back and looked back at Mother. "So how are we going to divide this?" "Well, I was saving it just for you to have so.." she leaned down and nudged the bison towards me. -I can really have all of this?- I looked back down at the bison with greedy eyes, but I quickly suppressed it. -It feels a bit wrong to have this all to myself..- "What are you guys going to eat?" Seeing Ilios walk up and bite into the bison, a question popped into my head. "So, will you just shrink like Ilios?" "No, my temporary form is much stronger than my shrunken form at that size.." -Ahh well.. I guess I just need to be extra careful then..- "Okay then. Let''s plan for that." After that, we continued to eat for a while and casually discussed things like directions on how to get there and a bit of magic theory. It wasn''t long before we had all finished eating. -My lord, that bison was heavenly..- "So when are we going to leave?" "Well since you''re the one flying, whenever you feel rested enough to make the flight.. as long as it''s within a few days." "In that case, I''d like to get there somewhat soon so let''s-" "Hold up Vasilias.." Mother quickly interrupted my plans. "You need to change your.. attire for your humanoid form first.." She spoke with an unusual urgency. Her urgency stemmed from the fact that dragons in their humanoid form would always make and use clothes that looked luxurious, even for nobles, but not me. I wore grey sweatpants and a casual shirt in my humanoid form. -It''s what''s most comfortable..- But comfort in clothes didn''t seem to matter in this world since it was all about functionality or appearance. The examples Mother gave for what I should wear, although they looked quite good, they were very stiff and rather uncomfortable looking. -Could I just change around the materials to make them more comfy though?- To test my idea, I picked the best looking one that looked like assassins creed clothing. It was white with purple accents which went well with my black hair and purple eyes. [1] I wanted to wear black, but according to Mother, that made me look too much like an adventurer, so instead of arguing, I just went along with it. -It''s not like it looks bad.. just a bit flashy for my taste.- As I changed to my humanoid form and made the clothes on myself, I changed around the materials to mix in cotton and polyester. It simply made the entire outfit 1000x more comfortable. -The tight fit is quite nice but.. I should probably strengthen it if I can..- To fix the issue of it ripping if I moved too quickly, I wove in thin, unnoticeable threads of titanium. -That should work..- "So is this everything I need before we go?" "Ah! One last thing!" Mother quickly ran into the cave before returning with a tiny platinum coin in her hand. "This will be your allowance for the trip, so spend it wisely." Although it was only a single coin, it was a platinum coin that was something worth around 100 gold. (around $1,000,000 USD) I froze for a moment seeing the coin. -THIS IS MY SPENDING MONEY?! What am I going to do.. buy a mansion?!- It was a sum of money I could barely fathom, be it in my past life or this one. -Well I guess dragons have a different sense of wealth after all..- I glanced towards the cave entrance and envisioned Mothers giant pile of coins and treasure. The pile was a conglomeration of gold, platinum and royal gold coins and countless treasures. Even though it was part of my instinct as a dragon to desire a hoard of treasure, Mothers pile was incredibly intimidating. -How many billions of dollars would that even translate to..- Haah.. I glanced down at the small platinum coin laying in my palm. -Can I even call this being born with a gold spoon anymore?- Chapter 32: The Untouched Night Sky Chapter 32: The Untouched Night Sky Mid Evening - Late Spring : Home After receiving mothers generous ''allowance'', she flushed out warnings and life lessons that I figured were common knowledge until morning rolled around. Once the sun came up and I could finally relax in silence, I took a short nap. When I woke up though, I got another earful of Mothers lectures until it was finally time to leave. You know to stay away from strange people right? Yes, Mother. If some man comes up and tries to lure you into his carriage, you know not to follow him right? Although it sounded like a joke, her face was serious. Haha, yes Mother. I still remember everything you said last night so please don''t worry. Have you been able to heal some? Yeah, the only things left to heal are small fractures. -The healing capabilities of dragons are truly frightening..- Haah.. good. She took a deep breath as she calmed herself before looking back up at me with a relieved smile. "Well, it seems like I can''t stall any more.." Her smile turned warm as she walked up for a hug. The warmth of her hug was incredible so I couldn''t help but enjoy it for a moment. "Don''t worry mother, I''ll be safe."T/his chapter is updated by "I know you will but I can''t help but worry.." Her hug tightened before she let me go with a kiss on the cheek. Finally physically, and mentally prepared to leave, I turned to Ilios and Father. "Alright, Ilios, Father, go ahead and shrink down." Once the light faded I sat up and used my arms to form a seat for them. "Sorry if it isn''t very comfortable.. I haven''t thought of a better solution yet." Father looked at me questioningly before reluctantly climbing on. "Come on Ilios. He patted his lap for Ilios to jump up, but Ilios ignored him and sat on the edge. Father wore a dejected look that nearly made me chuckle before I looked back towards Mother. "Well, it seems we''re off.." "Yes, just please be safe." She still had a bit of worry on her face, but she was suppressing it. "I will, Mother, I promise." I gave a confident smile to see if I could ease her worry before leaving as I spread out my wings. I''ll be back! Seeing her lightly nod and give a wave goodbye, I leapt into the air. The flight started slowly, but I remembered to mention something important before I started really speeding up. "Father, if you or Ilios need something, tap my stomach a few times. I won''t be able to hear you no matter how much you yell at the speeds we will be going." Ilios on the other hand seemed totally fine, trotting up to me with a joyous smile as I changed to my humanoid form. "Haha, do you feel alright Ilios? I couldn''t help but reach down and pet him as he nodded in response. Well, we have quite a walk so let''s get going shall we?" Father stopped me with shocking urgency. Give me one second.. Before we go.. - Michael Cotorel ~ It was late at night when I was in the Kaelallan Adventurers Guild, hearing some long awaited words. "Michael, head to the royal palace in the morning to finish your promotion. Again, congratulations on becoming Kaelallans 3rd Nation rank!" My personal receptionist, a young demihuman named Ellen, gave me a warm smile as she slid a paper across the desk. Haha, it''s not totally finalized yet. I still had to meet with his majesty and receive his approval and gifted nobility before it was finalized. You know that''s all just formality. I wouldn''t be giving you this paperwork if I wasn''t confident that you would be okay. Her bright smile was as joyous as ever. "Thank you for your confidence, Ellen." I wore a thankful smile as I picked up the paper listing my national merit and achievements that were of note. Well, its getting late so Ill be heading out. Alright, be sure to rest up before you go to the palace! Haha, sure thing. Waving Ellen goodnight, I walked out of the guild with a deep warmth in my chest. As I walked up the road, I started to reminisce about the past. -Ahh how far I''ve come..- I reminisced of the days that I was just an average peasant boy saving up money to apply to the guild, the days of making my first friends, and even meeting who I believed to be the love of my life. -I hope shes doing well..- Shaking the thought out of my head, I looked up and quickly noticed I had already made it to the inn I was staying at in the noble district. Walking inside, I made my way up to my room and got a drink before walking out onto the balcony. Haah.. I tried to clear my mind as I looked over the bustling city streets. -Now that I''ve reached the top of the mountain.. Where do I go?- Before I could think too much though, I saw a strange blue light falling through the clouds before disappearing behind the horizon. -What was that?- After thinking about what it could be for several minutes, I was interrupted by a bright orange flash that came from the edge of the forest. -What an odd color..- It was a shade of orange I had never seen from an explosion before, but before my curiosity could take over, I stopped myself and turned to walk back inside. -Right.. I just need to focus on resting up for tomorrow..- I couldn''t risk missing the meeting tomorrow to settle my curiosity. I gave a reluctant glance back towards the edge of the forest as I walked inside. -If it''s anything new, I''m sure the guild will let me know..- Chapter 33: Aura Problems Chapter 33: Aura Problems Mid Evening - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan A couple minutes after we landed, Father finally finished gathering himself and we started making our way out of the forest. As we walked, Ilios was glued to my side. A part of me expected him to wander around to explore the new area like a dog from Earth would, but it was just me continuing to forget what kind of creature he was. I glanced down at Ilios with a curious look before he looked back at me with a smile. -I sometimes forget how smart he is..- As we continued out of the forest, we eventually came up to an empty road leading to town. As we walked onto the road though, an arrow came flying from somewhere behind us. *Woooosh* With a slight tilt of my head, the arrow zipped past me. -We haven''t even gotten to the city, how is there already trouble..- I glanced up at Father as if to ask what to do. Noticing my gaze, he glanced back and let out a sigh. "Haah.. they''re probably bandits, just use some magic to dispose of them." Glancing back through the darkness, I saw a small group of 3 guys crouched in the bushes and sensed 2 more behind them with my aura. -Well they''re close enough together I guess..- I planned to try something new with my ammonium nitrate breath. With a casual movement, I faced my palm towards the group and formed and compressed the same amount of ammonium nitrate that would fit in my (currently human sized) breath gland. *BANG* A blinding flash filled the area as a thin beam left my hand before expanding and vaporizing the bushes and bandits. [1] -Maybe that was a bit much..- Although the test was successful, it was extremely overkill for the bandits. The entire area of forest in front of where I released the focus of the blast was burnt to dust or unrecognizably blown apart. -In any case though.. I don''t sense anyone anymore..- There was a short moment of silence as I slowly realized that the detail of my aura was abnormally high. -OH WHOOPS!- As it turned out, I hadn''t been controlling my aura at all. -Glad I caught that before we went into the city..- Quickly redirecting all of my aura up into the air, I left only a thin cloud around me so I could sense my general surroundings. -I need to make sure to remember to layer my aura when I''m indoors too..- -Oh, whoops.- I felt a bit bad since I jumped to conclusions. "Well, I''m gonna go to the guild first, do you know where it is?" He pointed up the street. "You see that building with the star on it? (a compass star) That''s the guild. Just be careful with the adventurers, they aren''t dangerous to you but they can be stupid sometimes." He wore a playful smile as he lightly patted me on the back. "Sure thing. Well, be safe! Ill see you in the morning." I gave father a smile and a light wave before heading up the street. The streets had quite a few people still walking around. The majority seemed to be human, but there were some elves, avians, and demihumans among them. -There was even a dwarf by the gate.- The liveliness of the city was quite refreshing and it was quite clean, but there was at least one major problem. -Ugh.. everyone is staring at me..- Everyone around me, especially demihumans and elves were staring holes into Ilios and I. -It must be the ancient fenrir part of my aura..- I quickly tried to think of a way to fix it but after a while I decided I just needed to get used to it. Thankfully though, it didn''t take long to get to the guild building. As I walked onto the porch, I sucked in my aura and formed it into a thin layer only a few centimeters thick and sat Ilios down. "Ilios, you stay right here for me okay? I''ll be quick." I ended up sitting there and petting him for a bit before eventually taking a deep breath and walking into the guild. - Ellen ~ It was late at night and I was incredibly tired, but at the same time, I was limitlessly happy. -Today is a good day.- The adventurer I was contracted to was being promoted to Nation Rank. That meant I was due for another promotion and even a hefty pay raise. In other words, my life was set beyond this point. -And Michael is the one to thank for it.- I wore a wide smile as I thought happy thoughts. -I wonder if he has a woman..- *Creaak* My thoughts were interrupted by seeing a new face walk into the guild. It was a young boy, only around 12 or 13, but he was beautiful to the point that I didn''t think was possible. He was moderately tall for his age with a strong build, black hair and purple eyes, but above all, he carried an air of strength and majesty that made me feel the need to kneel. It was at that moment that a single word popped into my head. -God..- Chapter 34: Identification Chapter 34: Identification Late Evening - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan As I walked up to the mid-western tavern-like doors, I could hear several conversations. "What quest should we take.." "Is there an orc quest up?" "You spent HOW MUCH ON THAT?!" "Can I make a deposit?" The noise was a bit refreshing but I knew what was going to happen as soon as I walked inside. *Creaak* With a light push, the doors swung open and everyone in the room looked at me. "Haah.." Silence encompassed the entire guild. -At least I''m starting to get used to it..- Scanning the room, I quickly found a few booths with some receptionists behind them. -I guess I''ll go with her..- The receptionist at the booth I walked up to was staring at me with a look of awe that almost looked like worship. She was a dog demihuman with floppy ears and was fairly cute but I was still too young in this life to have developed any ''desires'' yet. "Hello, Miss." *tap-tap* I tapped the desk to try to snap her out of her trance. "H..huh? Ah yes.. wh.. what is it you need?" Her voice was quite shaky. "I need to get an ID, it''s my first time in town." "Ah.. okay, sure thing.. ju.. just give me a second!" She quickly turned around and ran to a table in the back of the room before shuffling through papers and running back to me. It was a basic forum asking for things like my name, birthdate, magic aptitude ect. -Pretty basic stuff..- "P.. please take your time.. the ID w.. will be 500 copper when you finish.." Her breathing was heavy. -Sweet..- "Can I get change for a platinum while I''m filling this out?" I casually took the coin out of my pocket and set it on the desk. *Clank* The noise echoed through the silence as I felt nearly everyone in the room focus on the coin. Almost immediately after, a small card popped out that she handed to me. "This will be your ID and your bank card, this light in the top means the card is active and its color determines your criminal record.. if you want to see your balance, please place your thumb here.." She pointed to a blank corner of the card. Pressing my thumb on it, a number was displayed at the top of the ID. ''99,999,300.00c'' (copper) -So it was 500 copper for the ID and 200 for the account... How cool..- It was truly amazing to see just how advanced and cheap the artifact was. "Is there anything else you need?" The shakiness in her voice finally started to subside. "Actually yes, do you know of any good restaurants around here?" Her eyes instantly lit up. "Yes! If you go out, take a left then take your first right, the 3rd building on your right will be a nice bar, it''s a little expensive but the food is good." "Okay, thank you!" Standing back up, I got ready to leave. "Well if that''s everything, I''ll be going." "Y..yes, please enjoy yourself! If you ever come back and need anything, my name is Ellen." She gave a polite bow. -Ellen... She was quite helpful..- I made a mental note to help her if the situation arose as I left. "Thanks for your help." The instant I walked outside, chatter erupted within the guild. "Who was that?!" "He absolutely DESTROYED Iron Bull!" "He was quite dreamy.." "You like guys?!" -Pfft..- Their conversations caught me a little off guard. "Haahhhh.." Letting out a long sigh Ellen leaned back into her seat and looked down at the ID form. "I wonder how much of this is even real.." Trying to ignore the commotion inside, I picked up Ilios and started heading to the bar. "How about we go get some food?" Following Ellens directions, we ended up turning onto a narrow and dimly lit road. It was a bit sketchy but was also quite beautiful. As we continued down the road, we eventually came up to building with a sign of a fork and wooden mug on it. -That must be it..- *Creaak* I enthusiastically pushed open the doors and walked inside with Ilios. -Lets see what this world''s cuisine is like!- Chapter 35: Hows the Food? Chapter 35: Hows the Food? Late Evening - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan *Creaak* The doors to the bar opened with a creak. There was various chatter inside, but just like with the guild, everything went silent as soon as I walked in. "How do you order food here?" I asked bluntly to try and break the atmosphere, and it seemed to have helped. A few of the people started talking again, if only a little. "Have a seat over there, would you like anything special?" The man behind the bar had a lean but muscular build with a good face, but it was clear he wasn''t just a bartender. -No normal bartender has so many people guarding him..- Using my aura, I could roughly make out how many people in the room were hiding weapons, all of which were staring holes into me. "I''ll just have whatevers the best." I called out to the barkeep as I sat down at the table he pointed to. Alright, I''ll bring you something special here in a moment. He wore a bright but slightly forced smile as he set down the mug he was cleaning and walked into the back. As I tried to pass time by petting Ilios, the unkempt man at the table next to mine tried to start a conversation. "What''s a nobles kid doing here?" "I just asked for a place with good food and the receptionist at the guild told me to come here." A sly smile slowly crept onto his face. "This isn''t a place where just anyone can come into, kid." He tried to sound all ominous but it just made me roll my eyes. "It''s a bar.. anyone with money can come in, quit trying to sound cool." The small chatter in the bar became a deafening silence once again. "I like your guts kid." Coming out of the back room was the bartender. In his hands were two plates. One had a bowl with some kind of soup and the other was a plate of meat. -I guess it was too much to expect vegetables, but the meat looks seasoned with something and it seems cooked well. The soup also seems to use actual broth..- Needless to say, the quality of food was exceeding my expectations so far. "So are you new around here?" The barkeep was quick to try to figure out who I was. "Yeah, I''m visiting since I have some business with the royal family." As if momentarily breaking character, he flashed an odd look before shifting back to a smile. "Ahh so you''re a big shot, huh... I guess that explains why you''re so calm." "The reason I''m calm is because no one in this room can touch me, not that." As I turned to the food, the man at the table next to mine stood up. "How about you bet on that?" My ears twitched a little as I paused before chowing down on a chunk of meat. "What kind of bet are we talking about?" "How about a gold?" He stood up and flicked a gold coin out onto the table. *Cling* The ring of the coin attracted the eyes of everyone in the room. He hesitated for a moment before responding. "Lewis Rowe.. it''s nice to meet you sir Whyte. We gave a quick handshake before I continued eating. So what kind of dog is that?" I gave a reluctant response as I handed a chunk of meat to Ilios. "Hes a frost wolf.." "Hes quite imposing for a regular frost wolf.." When he glanced under the table at Ilios, Ilios glared at him and he immediately broke into a cold sweat. "H..he has a very similar aura to you.. are you related?" He sounded like he was half-joking. "I guess in a way..." There was a short and awkward silence that followed until I finally finished eating and stood up. "Well, I think that''s enough for tonight. I''m not sure how long I''ll be in town but I''ll be sure to come back if I get the chance." Seeing me get up, Ilios hopped up and stuck to my side. "Well, I guess I''ll see you around Sir Whyte. Good luck with your business." "Thanks. Have a good night!" "You too." He put on a friendly smile and mumbled something under his breath as I walked outside. "Maybe it''s my turn to have a kid.." Although I heard his mumble, I didn''t think much of it and continued outside. Feeling the cool evening breeze blow down the street, I hopped up onto a nearby roof and looked out over the walls towards the horizon. -Still an hour or so till sunrise huh..- After thinking of a way to kill time, I decided to walk around and explore the city some. -It''d be boring to sit and do nothing for an hour..- To my disappointment though, the city was more bland than I was hoping. Most of the city was composed of slums that I didn''t have any desire to walk through, the smell was atrocious and the streets were dirty. The upper district on the other hand was much cleaner. The layout of the buildings was understandable as well, with upperclass markets and trade centers at each compass point. (north, east, south, and west) Of all the sections though, one caught my eye. The red-light district. It was extremely clean with many wealthy looking people strolling the street alongside women in skimpy clothing. -That''s to be expected though..- "For such a cute kid to be alone in this area... Young boy! A curvy human woman called out to me. You need to be extra careful in this area, one of those other vixens might try and eat you up.." She showed a shockingly genuine concern. "Haha, I''m confident in my strength. Thank you for your concern though." I gave a confident look to try and ease her worry. "Well your wolf does look strong, but that doesn''t mean you should be alone... How about I give you a little tour of the place? I''d feel bad if I left you all alone.." -Man did she really need to raise a flag like that?- But at the same time, I thought she might lead me to something interesting. "I guess I don''t mind." Her face instantly lit up. "Okay! Give me one second though, I just need to tell the miss that I''ll be gone for a moment.." Quickly running back to the building she walked out of, she poked her head in and yelled. "Emma! I''m going to head out for a little, it won''t be too long!" The voice that responded carried a motherly tone. "Okay, be safe! Don''t drug any cute young boys like last time!" "Haaaaahhhh..." It was at that moment that I facepalmed harder than I ever had in my entire life. Chapter 36: A Questionable Relationship Chapter 36: A Questionable Relationship Early Morning - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan "Okay, be safe! Don''t drug any cute young boys like last time!" "Haaaaahhhh..." My face felt like it got heavier as it sunk into my hand. -She can''t be serious..- After getting completely exposed, the woman turned around with an ashamed look. "S..sorry.." "So uh.. What did she mean by that?" I was more curious than anything. "Umm.. uh.. I didnt drug them.." "So what did you do?" "I like kids.. a lot.. NOT IN A SEXUAL WAY, just.. if they ever ask for something I can''t simply say no.." She wore an incredibly embarrassed look like she expected my pity. -Yeah.. sure..- I gave her a scornful look. "So what does that have to do with them being ''drugged''?" "Well.. all the boys around your age ask for alcohol.. So.." -Ah.. well.. I guess that could count as drugged..- "Haah.." -I knew it was a bit odd for her to be a child abductor since she wasn''t carrying any weapons or drugs..- "So.. can I um.. give you a tour?" -God I hate this tension..- She was acting all cutesy and embarrassed which just left a bad taste in my mouth. "Sure, whatever, I still have half an hour to kill." There was finally some light on the horizon. "Where are you going, maybe I can walk you there." Her eyes had quickly started to lighten back up. "The royal palace, but.. I gave her a judgemental look. I''d be surprised if they let you even get within viewing distance.." "I actually know the royal family so I can atleast get through the gate." She quickly reached into her pocket and pulled out a gold token with the Kaelallan crest on it. -How the hell..- To see if it could be real, I checked what it was made of and it turned out to be genuine gold and platinum, not something just anyone could make a fake of. "I stand corrected.." -But what kind of people are the royal family to give that to someone in the red-light district?- But before I could think much about it, she spoke up. So does that mean you''ll let me give you a tour? Haah, yeah I guess.. I figured that having company would at least make things a bit less boring. Quickly stuffing the medallion back into her pocket, she straightened up her clothes and turned to me. "Okay I guess I should start with my name, my name is Sarah Clere, I''m 32 and I''m a.. gold prostitute." She gave a complicated look. "Gold?" "Yes, it''s a term used for.. high end prostitutes..." There was a short pause before she continued. "I get to pick my clients, what to do and the price... I''m good with-"Discover new chapters at novelhall.com "Okay you can stop.. I don''t need to know everything. Can we just start the tour.." I quickly cut her off before she could go into detail. "Y..yeah.. Let''s get going" It wasn''t long after she started showing me around that she asked for my name. So what''s your name? "Vasilias Whyte." I gave a quick response, not thinking much of it. "Oh so are you Osto''s kid? I guess that would explain your confidence.." She spoke so casually that it made my mind stutter. Immediately stopping mid stride, I glanced up at her in pure confusion. -Excuse me?!- "H..how do you know my father?" Jumping to conclusions, I got a bit mad thinking father had cheated on Mother. "Well just give him some time... She casually glanced around to make sure no one was near. So what did his race change to?" Father did the same. "He changed to a halfie.. half dragon.. half Ancient Fenrir.." "Fenrir?!" "Not just Fenrir, Ancient Fenrir.." Sarah''s face of shock turned to one of confusion. "I''d be more surprised if you knew what they were since youre human, but.. they are the creatures the elves and demihumans used to worship.." "So Ancient Fenrir are gods?" Her eyes went wide and her face paled slightly. "We don''t know the details of them either.. just that there can only be 2, one white, one black." "Don''t tell me.." "Yeah, that dog with him is the other one.." He slowly glanced up towards the palace. "I thought he was just a really abnormal frost wolf.." Turning his gaze back to the ground, a look of disbelief crept onto his face. "According to Zachari, he was at first.." There was a short pause as Sarah sorted her thoughts. "I think it''ll be better if we just don''t think about it.. that sounds like a rabbit hole we shouldnt peek much into.." "Agreed..." There was a short moment of silence before Sarah started a new conversation. So do you have any others?" "Yeah I have a daughter and I would have another son but.." Quickly realizing what he meant by that, she decided to avoid the topic. "How''s your daughter?" "She''s great, she is still far more immature than Vasilias but she is coming along quite well.." A warm and thankful smile crept onto his face. "Yeah, how old is Vasilias again? He is more mature than most humans in their late 20s.." "Yeah, he was 10 as of a few months ago." "Gosh he is just an all round oddball.." "His oddities don''t end there, but if I decided to say them all we''d be here for ages... Well, let''s continue inside. I should at least let Oliver know I''m here. If you want to stick around, feel free to join us. We will probably spend a while socializing." With a bit of hesitation, a refreshed smile came to her face. "I guess I''ll adjust my schedule then, I wasn''t doing much today anyways." Finally getting up off the bench and turning towards the palace, the knights opened the gate and stepped aside. "It''ll be the first time I''m seeing them since they had the ''princess''.." "She''s adorable, you''ll love her." Sarah wore a pure and innocent smile. Father didn''t seem to believe it though. "Haah.. of course you would be the one to say that.." Chapter 37: The Princess Chapter 37: The Princess Early Morning - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan The garden of the palace was not far from the gate but it was still well out of sight, thankfully though, it was massive so it wasn''t hard to find. It was full of a variety of brightly colored flowers and even had some that reminded me of ones from earth. The scent that filled the air was incredible as well. -Is it just that my sense of smell is better as a dragon or do the flowers of this world just give off a stronger aroma..- The smell in the air was quite heavy, but it was soft enough that it was still quite appealing. Other than that though, there wasn''t much else. -Not sure what I expected to be honest..- There was a fancy fountain, some brightly colored birds and a small hedge maze, but none of that was really interesting. To pass time, I decided to look towards the palace and look at its beautiful carvings and gorgeous architecture. -Whoever built this was both an artist and a genius architect..- Although there was nothing too unbelievable, it had such integrity and detail, itd put Rome to shame. As I looked around though, I locked eyes with a young avian girl who was out on a small balcony on the 3rd floor. She was a kid, only 9 or 10 years old but her features were flawless to the point that saying she looked like a doll would be an understatement. -Shell be a killer when she grows up..- [1] The instant I locked eyes with her though, her bright skin lost its color and she disappeared behind the railing. -Whats with that reaction?- She was quite far away and was well outside of my aura. -If it''s not an aura thing what is it? Maybe she thinks I''m an intruder?- As unlikely as it was, it was a possibility. -Well whatever.. if that''s the princess I''ll probably meet her soon anyways.- Turning back around I started heading towards the entrance to meet back up with father and Sarah. - Lucy Kaelallan ~ "Ughhh.. huh? As I woke up, I looked out the window and saw the sun still just below the horizon. Why''d you wake me up so early?" It was a very early morning for me. As the only heir to the throne I was always quite busy, whether it was being taught politics, mathematics, history, or even magic, I always had something on my plate, but that didn''t mean I always woke up early. In fact, I was usually able to sleep in quite late. "The missus said you need to be ready for something very important in an hour.." It was my stunningly beautiful, elven maid, Martha. She was 73 years old at the time, but looked like she just turned 30 because of her elven blood. Although I was still extremely young, I was always jealous of it. "Hmph... What could possibly be so important that it needs me to get up so early?" I had seen the aura of various incredibly strong people over the years, including several nation rank adventurers, but nothing even came remotely close to this. -I.. need to warn someone..- Eventually squeezing out a rational thought, I tried to move but my body was simply frozen in place with my eyes locked on the boy. It was at that moment that the boy turned around and looked at me. His features were flawless beyond reason, a beautiful face with a well built body, but my awe was quickly squashed. His vibrant purple eyes were truly stunning just like the rest of his figure, but they made me feel a sense of inferiority unlike anything I thought possible. It felt as if the boy could see everything about me with a glance, I felt like an open book that he could read through at any time. It was a feeling that caused such a deep and instinctual fear that it clouded my mind and made me limply fall to my knees. I had seen kings, adventurers known as monsters and even priests said to wield the strength of god, but the beings on the other side of the railing.. they were rulers.. ones that not only me, but everyone would have to submit to for their own survival. After what felt like an eternity passed, the door to my room opened. "Young miss, have you finished ea-" The instant Martha saw me, still slouched by the railing, her face paled. "Young miss!" As she rushed over to my side, I glanced up at her with a pale face. "W..wh..o.. w..as.. t..th..that.." My voice was impossibly shaky. "Miss what happened?!" Martha quickly reached down and picked me up in a panic before bringing me over to my bed. "J..just w..who is m..mee..ting us.. t..to..day.." I tried to calm my shaky breath as I spoke. "Young miss, please calm down and take smooth breaths... Please try to calm down and breathe.." Marthas face was covered in sheer panic as she darted to the door and yelled into the hallway. "Someone go get the missus, tell her to hurry!" It was only a moment later that Mother finally got here. "Lucy, this is a very important meeting you can''t ski-" As she walked through the door, she saw me shaking in bed with a deathly pale face and instantly broke into panic. "What happened?!" "I think the young miss saw someone in the garden.." Martha gave an ashamed look as she backed away to let Mother come next to me. "That was probably Osto.. but why.." There was a short pause before she looked like she suddenly understood something. Did you see a big aura? I gave a nervous nod as I forced myself up. "I n..need to go to t..that meeting... I h..have to.." As I swung my legs off the side of the bed, Martha tried to stop me. "No, young miss, please lay down. Your health is far more important than the meeting.." Her worry was genuine, but I didn''t care in the slightest. "N..no.. no, no, no. Y..you dont understand.." Lightly pushing Martha away, I got up and shakily ran into my wardrobe. As I scanned through my clothes in a panic, I overheard Mothers worry-filled voice. "Did Osto do something?" Chapter 38: An Innate Ability Chapter 38: An Innate Ability Early Morning - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan After exploring the garden some and catching a glimpse of the princess, I returned to the front of the palace where Father and Sarah were waiting for me. "Welcome back!" Sarah gave an innocent smile and a small wave. Ignoring her, I quickly turned to Father. "So how long till the meeting?" "30 minutes or so, but we can wait for them inside now, there were some security issues before.." T/his chapter is updated by Following Father after he got up, we walked up to the entrance to the palace, it was a very extravagant door but wasn''t anything crazy. Walking inside, we came into a long main hallway with a fairly tall ceiling. "It''s quite well built.." I couldn''t help but voice my admiration towards the architect. "Yes this palace is quite beautiful, not enough gold though." Father held his head high in confidence. -Of course you want more gold, you''re a dragon..- But, although I retorted in my mind, I couldn''t help but agree with him. After following a young maid down a few hallways, we came out onto a low second story porch with a very fancy round table. "This is where the meeting will be held, the Lord and the missus will be out shortly. Please feel free to make yourselves comfortable." The maid that guided us gave an elegant bow before quickly leaving the area. -Why is she in such a rush, did something happen?- Turning back towards the table and finding a place to sit, I decided to try one of the cookies that were placed in a basket on the table. Although I was never a fan of sweets, I figured it couldn''t hurt to try one. -Hey.. it''s pretty good..- The cookie had a very home made taste to it, something that was hard to find on earth, but even though it was quite good, I only had one. On the other hand, Father was munching them like he had been starved for a month and Sarah.. well she was eating a slice of cake so fast I couldn''t tell if she was even chewing. "Ahh I miss Helens sweets so much.." Father looked like he was gonna cry. "She''s gonna make me gain weight again.." Sarah pouted as she looked down at her flat stomach. As time passed, the sweets steadily disappeared, but before Father and Sarah could totally finish them, someone gently opened the door. It was a tall avian man with blond hair and a short but thick beard wearing a very shiny crown. Father and I froze the instant we realized what that meant. -What... If it was seeing denser mana I could understand, but aura?!- The reason this was so shocking was because humanoid beings couldn''t see dense mana even if it was so dense it could kill them, but she could see a low enough density that I found it hard to believe. [1] Father slowly turned to me with a look of worry. "Uh... That''s a problem.." Oliver didn''t seem to understand. "What do you mean? What''s the problem?" Fathers aura wasn''t an issue because he was using his temporary form and his reserve and aura were greatly limited, but I on the other hand had a full, unrestricted reserve. To add to that, my reserve was massive even for dragons, so my aura was far beyond the realm humans could reach. "Uhm.. Vasilias''s aura is uh.. a lot.." Fathers worry went unwarranted though. "She has already met our Nation rank adventurers, so I don''t think there will be any problems." Although he gave a confident smile, Father and I knew better. "Well I guess we will find out shortly.." Fathers voice was filled with worry and pity. It was only a second later that things finally started to make more sense. -Sh*t.. was that why she looked so scared earlier?- - Lucy Kaelallan ~ After hastily getting dressed and calming down, I finally came out of the wardrobe. "Mother, how long until the meeting?" She gave a look as if she didn''t know how to respond. "Um.. they should be waiting for us at the eastern patio.. Oliver went down there a few minutes ago." -Crap.. Already?!- I felt an indescribable mix of fear and anxiety. "We need to hurry.." As I turned to the hallway, Mother looked at me with a deep concern. "Why are you in such a rush?" I quickly glanced back at Mother with a completely serious face. "We need to do everything to please them, we can''t make those ''beings'' wait.." Mother and Martha followed me with a look of worry as I walked down the hall, but I didn''t expect them to understand what I was talking about. -If they saw what I did.. they''d understand..- Chapter 39: An Uncomfortable Meeting Chapter 39: An Uncomfortable Meeting Early Morning - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan Things calmed down as time went on. Oliver, Father and Sarah happily chatted and munched on sweets while I played around with mana. It wasn''t too long after that though, that the doors to the balcony opened again. Standing in the doorway was a well dressed, mature and voluptuous avian woman with sky blue eyes and blond hair. -That must be Helen.. the Queen.- "Sorry for being late to the party. Did I make you guys wait?" Her face showed a bit of worry. "Not at all." Father gave a comforting smile, likely assuming she was worried about making us wait, but that wasn''t the case. Standing just behind her was the young avian girl from earlier. Her face was still a ghastly pale and her legs were shaky. -What''s with this reaction? Is my aura that imposing?- Truth be told, it was a bit of a jarring reaction. "Miss Lucy, I''m not sure what I did to scare you, but I didn''t mean to. There is no reason to fear me.." I tried to speak up to calm her down, and it seemed to work if only slightly. Her legs stopped shaking as much and she finally started walking out to the table. Finally seeing the state of her, Oliver looked towards Helen in a panic. "What happened?!" Immediately tensing up, Helen glanced at me and Ilios. "I thought she originally saw Osto, but I guess it''s that boy''s aura that shes afraid of.." Her face was covered in a motherly concern. As Lucy went up to sit down at the table, she turned to Father and I and gave a shaky but polite bow. "M..my name i..is.. Lucy K..Kaelallan.. it''s an h..honor to m..meet you sirs..'''' There was a short moment of silence as she sat down. "F..father.. w..we can b..begin.." Her voice was incredibly shaky. -Maybe I can lessen her stress by layering my aura..- I figured lowering the profile of my mana might help subside the fear. As soon as I layered it, Lucys shaking slowed and her eyes changed from fear to shock. -Well.. I guess that''s a bit better..- As I leaned back in my chair and relaxed a bit, Oliver finally started the meeting. "Okay.. um... So, Osto. What did you need to inform us about?" His eyes darted back and forth between Father and Lucy as he struggled to stay formal. (noble formality stuff) But it wasn''t just Oliver who was uncomfortable. "R..right, I guess I will get straight to the point. The half breeds on the main continent have started a rebellion, and the elders have initiated a kill order for all of those involved." Helen, who just sat down, was caught by surprise. "Wait, doesn''t that just mean all the halfies on the main continent will be put to death?" The truth was that, although half breeds were already hunted by adventurers, it wasn''t uncommon for some kingdoms or cities to secretly house half breeds in their humanoid form to act as guardians of sorts. Usually this would be a win-win, but in dragon society, it was extremely illegal for someone to use their identity as a dragon to gain merit or benefit. If someone was caught, they would be executed. But, this of course didn''t stop everyone. [1] "Please don''t worry about a human war sparking from this. Bahamut is quite thorough when it comes to stuff like this." Father had a serious look in his eyes. "Alright, now I need you two to be honest. Is Kaelallan housing any halfies.." Both Oliver and Helen broke into cold sweats. "At the very least, we don''t personally know of any." Helen''s eyes quickly locked on Father as if wanting an explanation. Father just found the whole situation funny. "Haha, you guys must have forgotten that not only my physical strength but also my mana reserve and aura are limited in this form." His laugh quickly lightened the mood. Lucys face was washed with confusion though. "Uhm.. excuse me... Um.. what did you mean by that?" Seeing an opportunity she couldn''t let pass, a sly smile came to Helen''s face. "Sweetie, you remember that story I used to tell you about my adventures with a dragon?" "Yes?" Lucy wasn''t quite following. "Well those stories were true, and Osto over there is the dragon in it." As if her world blew apart, she blankly asked a question without thinking. "So you two are.. dragons?" Father and I both nodded, but Lucy didn''t even react. Her gaze just slowly fell to the ground as she tried to think things through. Giving her mind a moment to catch up, Helen brought up a good question. "So why is Vasiliass aura so.. ridiculous compared to yours?" "That''s because of the form I''m using, Vasilias awakened his true form whereas I have to continue using a temporary one." She tilted her head slightly as if to try and remember something. "What''s the difference again?" "A true form is a dragon''s true humanoid transformation. They can''t change their race or appearance unlike with temporary forms but it comes at the cost of limiting our mana and physical strength far more than true forms. To be fair though, even the mana in my dragon form can''t compete with Vasilias.." Slowly breaking out of her own thoughts, Lucy finally looked back up at us. "W..wait.. so what determines a dragon''s race in their true form then?" "Well if they are a true dragon, they have a dragon humanoid form, if they are half breeds, it''s the race of the non dragon parent." Lucy nervously turned her gaze to me. "So is Vasilias not a true dragon?" "Well, he was born one.." Father gave an awkward response. "Long story short, because of an artifact he activated when he was a newborn, his race was.. altered." Father gave me a guilty glance. Stepping in for Lucy once again, Helen looked at me. "So what''s his race then?" "Half dragon, half ancient fenrir." An awkward silence ensued as everyone stared holes into me After that, Father and I continued answering everyone''s questions until Lucys mind finally started catching up. It wasn''t until things finally started calming down that I got bored and said something that would lead to a deep rabbit hole. "So how about you tell us some of the stories from when you all were adventuring together, Father.." Chapter 40: Fathers Adventures Chapter 40: Fathers Adventures Mid Morning - Late Spring : Kingdom of KaelallanT/his chapter is updated by "So how about you tell us some of the stories from when you all were adventuring together, Father.." I casually asked without thinking of the rabbit hole it would lead me down. Each of the adults ended up taking turns telling stories, all about general adventures they had in the past. Father was a swordsman, Oliver was an archer, Sarah was an assassin along with a man named Lewis, but the most surprising of all was Helen. She was a brawler. Even though the makeup of the party seemed odd, it worked out quite well with Father and Helen as the vanguard, Sarah and Lewis as rear guard and Oliver as the ranger. But I was far more concerned about something else. I simply couldn''t see the elegant woman in front of me as a brawler. -Is that what Oliver was talking about when he mentioned her personality? She seems.. normal..- After a bit more thinking, I shook out the thought and continued listening to the other stories. It wasn''t for a decent while that they finally got to telling the story I had been waiting for. The story of the fight that exposed fathers identity as a dragon. It was quite a long story but an interesting one nonetheless. It all started when they were on a private ship to the Kingdom of Elynnor when a strong sea serpent strayed out of its normal path and ran into the ship. The fight took several hours before the ship got damaged enough to where it was about to sink. They couldn''t let it sink the ship at all costs since they would be sitting ducks in the water and were already over 3,000 km offshore. But even with this urgency, both Oliver and Sarah were knocked out by the serpent and the fight turned for the worst. The serpent''s next attack was a strong one that finally broke past Father and blew a hole into the hull. The ship was going to sink and they were all going to die, but Father couldn''t continue to hold back and let that happen. In a flash, he transformed back into his dragon form and one sidedly beat the sh*t out of the serpent. As the water filled with blood, Father quickly swam around and put everyone on his back with all the rations he could find. The silence following a fight didn''t last long though. "That was a long swim.." Father looked down, as if traumatized about something. "Of course it was, it was a few thousand kilometers." "That''s not what made it long, Helen... It was all of your questions since everyone else was too tired to worry about it." "Of course I''m alright, you know me better than anyone." Lucy just went along with the embrace of her maid, letting her calm down some. "Martha," Helen called out to the maid. "Please clear the Main Hall." Martha gave a shocked expression before nodding and quickly leaving the area. Making our way down several hallways, Helen and Oliver would periodically touch the corners or edges of paintings. Although I couldnt exactly see what they were doing, I didn''t question it much. After several minutes, we finally came into the main hall, a massive hallway-like room with a fancy throne on top of several stairs at one end. The room was devoid of people which made it feel very empty. -Its quite a beautiful room though..- Quickly making our way up the stairs, Oliver leaned down and touched something on the underside of the throne. *Click* As the switch was flipped, the area behind the throne lowered to form the top of a staircase. -To think those paintings were really the password..- Although I thought that might be the case earlier, I figured if it was, they would''ve been more sneaky about it. Looking over at Father, I noticed he wasn''t very surprised either. "That''s a pretty secure secret passage." Helen puffed up her chest with pride. "Yeah, it took a very.. very long time to set up." Following Helen down the stairs, we eventually made it to a small room. "This is where we will take the lift down." She spoke like a tour guide. -What? She can''t mean an elevator right?- "A lift?" "Mhm! We use a very strong artifact for wind magic to let us go up and down long distances, we''ve started calling it a lift." -It really is.. an elevator- Walking out onto the floating slab of stone, it shook slightly. -Oh lord.. that''s a little too unstable isn''t it?- But as I looked around, no one was worried. Everyone casually walked out onto the lift, not paying mind to the shake before we started our descent down the dark ''elevator shaft''. It was an odd sensation being lowered into the ground on a primitive, shaky platform. -This is so sketchy..- Chapter 41: A Deep Discomfort Chapter 41: A Deep Discomfort Mid Morning - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan *hmmmmmmm* As we descended, no one spoke and we were left with only the hum of the artifact below us as company. Although it was quite a nice hum, the lack of conversation made my mind wander. -It really seems like Helen is the one who runs the relationship.. doesn''t it..- Although Oliver was the king, I couldn''t help but notice Helen was always the one walking in front and taking the lead with things. -Maybe it''s just my imagination..- Pulling me out of my thoughts, I could finally sense an opening below us. -Man.. this is like 200 meters down... How did they even manage to dig this?- I found it hard to believe that they could dig out a room with a tall enough ceiling that a dragon could stand in, let alone one that was this far under the ground. -Well, I guess I''ll find out soon enough..- Needless to say, my expectations were quite low. Finally making it to the bottom, a faint glow flowed into the elevator shaft through a decently sized door. -It''s about time we made it to the.. bo..ttom..- My thoughts slowed down as we finally got to the bottom and looked into the room. As Helen walked out, she wore an unusually confident smile. "It took our small group of mages nearly 8 years just to dig all of this, I hope you will be able to use this space to relax some." It was an absolutely colossal room with an 80 meter ceiling and openings to 3 other similarly sized areas. The area to the right had a small cottage-like house and a large stone shelter of some kind and the one directly ahead of us was something resembling a bedroom with 4 massive cushions, each easily big enough for me to lay on in my dragon form. But the area that caught my eye the most was the one to the left, it was a hot spring! It was quite deep as well, being deep enough for me to submerge myself with plenty of room to spare. Outside of the pool, the ceiling of that room had a ring of white lights and ice artifacts that would cause the steam from the spring to condensate and fall back into the pool. -So those artifacts keep the air outside of the spring cool and keeps the moisture in.. how smart..- As I was thinking to myself, Ilios walked out behind Helen and Oliver and quickly transformed to his normal size. Everyone''s eyes immediately went wide seeing his size change. "Oh.. why did I even think he would be a normal wolf.." Both Helen and Oliver were taken slightly aback. Not paying mind to them, I turned to Father. "Well, you first I guess." I figured it would be better to let Lucy have her moment before I changed forms. And my decision was a good one, Lucy''s eyes lit up as soon as I spoke. Not taking any extra time, Father walked out and quickly changed into his majestic dragon form.Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com "Wooooowwwww.." Lucy had eyes of admiration and wore an ecstatic smile even though she started breaking out into a cold sweat. "You got bigger.. didn''t you.." Oliver sounded a little dejected, "Well of course I did!" Father puffed up his chest and posed a bit as Lucy looked on in awe. *Yawn* I woke up extra early to give myself more time to prepare for the meeting. -But I ended up waking up a bit too early..- As I looked towards the rising sun, I took a sip of a warmed cup of tea. -Maybe I should go by the market... Maybe I can catch up with him some..- After thinking a bit more, I finished off my tea and walked back into my room to get ready. Once I finished, I didn''t waste any time making my way to the slums. -What a nostalgic place..- As I walked into a rundown bar, my nose was assaulted by the smell of alcohol and my mind was filled with old memories. I don''t see many new faces around here.. The barkeep gave me a threatening look. But my smile remained unchanged. "Well that''s a shame, this is a great bar. Can I get 6 beer and 4 shots on the house?" The man''s face quickly eased up as he waved me to the back. To think there would be a VIP I didn''t know. Well, the world is always full of mysteries. As we walked into the back, the barkeep lifted up a trapdoor that revealed a stairwell. Please have a good day, sir. He bowed his head as I walked by. Giving the man a small nod, I started making my way down the path. -Haah.. it''s been a while... The last time I came here, I was barely S rank.- Walking down the dirty staircase, I came into a large and open plaza-like room with stalls around the wooden pillars and beams that supported the dirt ceiling. The market was deep enough underground that the dirt ceiling was compact like sandstone, but it still required immense amounts of support. -To think it hasn''t changed over the years..- As I walked around, I found a stall with a small orange cloth on it. "Do you know where Udalls stall is?" The large demihuman man behind the stall gave me a forced but friendly smile and pointed down the street. "He is 9 stands down that way." "Thanks a bunch." Casually flicking the man a gold coin, I turned to head down the street. -If I dont give these greedy rats some money they''ll just give me more trouble..- The man''s smile quickly became more genuine. "Thanks for business sir, if you come again I''ll give ya a discount." With a light wave, I continued down the row of stalls. It only took a minute for me to come up to one of the only buildings in the entire market. -So he upscaled a bit, huh..- Walking into the building I could hear the clanging of metal and the sizzle of boiling water. "Who is it now.." A raspy deep voice came from the back of the building. "It''s been a while, Udall!" An extremely muscular elven man pushed aside the curtains to the back and walked up to me with a refreshing smile. "Michael! It really has been a while!" Chapter 42: An Unusual Reunion Chapter 42: An Unusual Reunion Mid Morning - Mid Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan - Michael Cotorel ~ Seeing my old friend, I quickly walked over and gave him a hug. "So how have you been?" "Ive been great as you can see! I retired as an adventurer and finally settled down, using my fame to make a big blacksmithing shop here in the market." Udall had previously been an S rank adventurer, one of the best in Kaelallan, but the fate of an adventurer wasn''t made out for everyone. "Udall! The hell are you doing?!" A female voice radiated from the back room.T/his chapter is updated by It was an extremely familiar voice. "So you tied the knot, huh? Udall awkwardly scratched his head. "Haha, it''s a long story, why don''t you come in, we can talk for a bit." Being one who couldn''t refuse an offer from a friend, I quickly made my way into the back. Behind the curtain was a moderately large room with everything you could possibly need for blacksmithing. The equipment was completely abnormal though, with each tool having a level of quality I didn''t think possible. -How beautiful..- Quickly snapping me out of my thoughts, I turned to look at the young looking elf woman with defined muscles staring at me over her anvil. -To think she''s even prettier than she used to be..- "How are you doing Mollie? It''s been a while!" My smile spread cheek to cheek seeing another old comrade. Before responding though, she launched her heavy blacksmiths hammer at me. *Thump* *Thud* With a casual motion, I caught it and tossed it on a small table by the door. "How rude. It''s been 3 years and this is how you greet me?" "Hmph, you deserve it! You left us without even saying goodbye! We figured you went and got yourself killed while experimenting with magic." "Mollie, give him a break. He did tell us that he would be gone for a few years, you probably just weren''t paying attention." Mollie crossed her arms with a youthful pout. "I still don''t believe you." -Good to see they haven''t changed..- It was a scene that triggered several old memories. "Well I did leave one last message to you guys even if it wasn''t enough.. sorry about that." "Don''t worry about it man, all that''s important is that you came back." Udall walked up and put his arm around me. "So what do you want to drink? I''ve got some strong stuff you''ll love." Although a tempting offer, I couldn''t accept. "Sorry but I can''t drink right now. Maybe later though." "But she was a monster when it came to both magic and martial arts.. and to top it all off, she still looks like she''s in her late 20s.. what guy wouldn''t fall for her.." I had quite a pessimistic look on my chances. "You know how picky and stubborn she was, quit sulking and just ask her when she stops by." A long silence filled the room as I fell into thought. "Haah.. alright, I''ll give it a go... In other news though, I need to give a commision, are you still doing those?" Mollies eyes quickly lit up. "Of course! What are you wanting made?" "I need a new staff, I''ve got the crystal and the mythril for it, I just need you guys to make it. "Okay, what kind of crystal are we talking about? A core?" "Yes, I''ve discovered a way to take a monster''s mana core and use it as an external storage for mana." Udall and Mollie''s eyes immediately went wide. "Isn''t that a huge deal?! Like wouldn''t that allow people with small mana pools to become strong magicians?" But I was quick to shut them down. "Not quite, you can''t go straight from the core to a rune, you must take it from the core, and then into you first.. so it just works similar to a really big and refillable mana potion." Although they calmed down a bit more, they were still shocked. "Ohh, that''s still pretty groundbreaking though, have you told the tower yet?" "No, I split from them a little over a year ago now. They started asking for a little too much..." Mollie was quick to try and pry some more information out. "What were they asking of you?" "They tried to use me to gain the favor of the royal family here and let them set up a tower, and since I was so close to Nation rank, I didn''t want to ruin my chance by making the royal family mad. They ended up getting a little too heavy handed when I rejected them too." "What?! But they let you just leave after that?" "Haah.. of course not, I had to force my way out. They only left me alone recently once I made it to the capital where they don''t have free reign." Mollie looked appalled. "Just what is the tower thinking?" "I have no idea, but they''ve been making some pretty aggressive moves on other nations recently. There was an eerie silence that followed my ominous words. In any case, I need to get going again. I don''t want to be late." "Alright well, just leave the materials for the staff here, we will start working on it today." Mollie motioned over to a table in the middle of the room. "Alright, sure thing. I quickly walked up and set everything down. Well, I''ll be coming back later tonight so be sure to save me a drink!" Giving a short goodbye, I made my way out of the smithy and started calming my mind. It was time for the meeting that would determine my future, but instead of anxiety, I felt an unusually deep excitement. -If I make a good impression, maybe I can become friends with them..- Chapter 43: Preparations Chapter 43: Preparations Mid Morning - Mid Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan Seeing Father and Sarah arguing about something, I turned to go and explore the rest of the room but was stopped by Oliver. His forced smile looked a bit uncomfortable. "So how about I give you a little tour while they''re.. doing that." -He sure has good timing, huh..- "Sure, that''d be nice." "Alright, well, let''s start with the house and storage then." Seeing me casually agree, he finally started to ease up. As we walked, I decided to ask a question weighing on my mind. "Isn''t this place a bit too secure to just be a shelter? Is the vault or treasury here as well?" The question caught Oliver a bit off guard but he still answered without much hesitation. "Yes, although this place was mostly built to give our family a place to come if something major happens above ground, it also contains our vault. It''s in that building over there along with a few years worth of food supply." He casually motioned towards a crude stone building not far from the cottage. -Isn''t that a bit crudely built compared to the house?- The storage was crudely cut out of stone, compared to the gorgeous 2 story wooden cabin. -They''re both sturdy but man is that storage ugly..- "Out front we have a small grass area, and in the back we have a basic garden. The ''real'' garden is in the stone building over there though." -Im sorry, what?- As I was thinking, Oliver turned around and looked at me like he was waiting on me. "Do you want to take a look inside?" -Oh whoops..- Quickly turning back into my humanoid form, we made our way inside. The layout of the house was simple, with a large open area by the entrance, an office, full size kitchen, and 4 bedrooms with 2 baths. It was far beyond what I was expecting considering the era this world was in. Everything even had running water, albeit using artifacts. Next was the storage building, although it was simply stone on the outside, the inside was rather intricate. The building was divided into 3 sections, with the largest being a solid farm, easily enough to sustain a family. It used artifacts to regulate everything from temperature and humidity to light cycles to simulate time of day. -Wow..- "This is quite the feat of engineering.." "Engineering?" "N..nothing." As we walked back into the main hall, we peeked our heads into the next area. Simply put, it was a massive produce freezer, using artifacts to keep everything frozen. It was filled with everything from quality meats, to various sauces, vegetables and even juices and alcohols. - Michael Cotorel ~ Finally making it to the palace, I was stopped by the guards at the gate. "Sir please show your ID and reason for being here." Already having them out, I handed the knight the meeting notice from the guild and my ID. "I have a meeting with his highness to actuate my promotion." "Hm. Sir Cotorel, please wait a moment while I confirm this information." He showed forced formality as he walked inside the gate and called over his superior. The man he handed the papers to gave a harsh glare before handing the ID back to the knight. "You''re free to pass, congratulations on your promotion sir Cotorel." The knight handed me back my ID as he opened up the gate. "Thank you." Putting it back in my pocket, I quickly made my way inside. -I wonder what kind of person the king is..- For the citizens of Kaelallan like me, the king was not seen very often and had even earned the name ''Hidden King'', but that didn''t mean people didn''t like him. It was actually quite the opposite, the citizens absolutely loved him. Not only was he a king who was a strong leader, but he was also someone who loved his people, and went as far as to give policies and opportunities for peasants to climb into the middle class. It was something almost never seen elsewhere. He was a king I could take pride in serving so I wanted to make the most of this opportunity. -I need to make a good impression at all costs..- "Sir Cotorel, his highness is getting ready. Please wait here for a moment." The maid I followed inside motioned me into a room just inside the main door. As I sat down, I reached onto the table and grabbed myself a bit of buttered white bread. -Wow.. That''s really good..- Truly fluffy white bread was a rarity even for royalty in other kingdoms so to be able to have any at all was bliss. But my enjoyment quickly came to an end. "Sir Cotorel, his Highness will see you now, please follow me." Quickly wiping my mouth, I set down my plate and cup of tea to follow the maid. -Alright! I need to look good, feel good, and sound good. I got this!- It didn''t take long to arrive at the room. "This is the meeting room, his highness will be with you shortly." She gave a polite bow as she opened the door for me. Behind the door was a simple room with two couches facing each other and a table between them. The table also had a small basket of sweet pastries on them but I dared not touch them. -They''re probably for the royal family and not me..- As my nervousness started to build up, there was a long and eerie silence that filled the room. It made my gut feel like something bad was going to happen but I was quick to suppress it. -Now isn''t the time for doubt.- *Click* Hearing the door open, I quickly fixed my posture and calmed my nerves. -There''s no reason to be worried..- Chapter 44: An Unconventional Meeting Chapter 44: An Unconventional Meeting Late Morning - Mid Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan Finally making it back into the throneroom, Oliver reached over and flicked a switch to close the trapdoor behind us. Peeking my head around the throne, I saw the same elven maid from earlier as the only person in the room. -She must be pretty high up the hierarchy, huh..- "Martha, has our guest arrived?" Oliver called her over as we walked down the steps. "Yes, he is in the waiting room." "Okay, go bring him to the meeting room, we will be there shortly." Giving an elegant bow, the maid quickly disappeared down a hallway and in her place, two younger maids walked in, both keeping their heads low. Helen was quick to call one over. "Could you get us a few drinks while we wait? Would you like anything Vasilias?" She seemed like she was still a bit lightheaded but since she was acting normal enough to not seem out of place. "Uh, no thank you.. I''m alright. Why don''t we just go and meet with him now though?" "Well if the king was seen waiting on someone that wasn''t extremely close to him, itd cause some political problems." -I guess that makes sense..- Seeing me nod in understanding, Helen turned back to the maid and whispered in her ear. "Well we have a few minutes left so how about I give you two a little overview." Oliver casually turned to Lucy and I. "This meeting is going to be very simple, I''m going to look over his adventurer log and make sure everything is alright, and if it is, he will be promoted to nation rank. Along with his promotion I will grant him some territory and nobleship as well. -Simple enough..- Vasilias, I know I can''t make you act in any certain way, but if you could, please refrain from anything unnecessary." Oliver bowed towards me which made the maids eyes go wide, but they didn''t dare say anything. "I only plan to act as an observer unless something happens, then I''ll be a bodyguard." "Well, we will be in your hands then!" There was a short pause as he took a sip of tea before he handed his cup back to the maid. "Alright. He should be there by now, let''s start heading over." Excitement welled in me as we started heading over and, although it may sound bad, deep down I was hoping something would happen. -Does that make me a bad person? I mean it''s not like there is much I can''t handle. I''m a dragon after all!- An excited and prideful smile came to my face as I thought about it. As we finally made it to the room though, my expression turned serious and I quickly moved in front of everyone. -That''s suspicious...- Within the room, I clearly felt the aura of the nation rank, but my aura that I let naturally flow in the room wouldn''t flow in certain spaces. It felt as if there were three bubbles my mana couldnt naturally flow into. This simply meant that the mana density in those areas was significantly above normal, but considering it was in a meeting room, it could only mean one thing. -People..- Let me go in first. Hearing my clear and serious demand, the maid froze and backed up to let me open the door. *Click* Inside there was only one visible person, a middle aged man in a nice robe sitting in the middle of the couch. -To think people would actually sneak into a meeting like that..- Although I was able to tell where they were, I decided not to force my way into their aura since I didn''t want to alert them. Sure, what they were doing was already something akin to treason and I could kill them now, but it would be more fun to let them reveal themselves first. -Their concealment is quite impressive in all honesty though..- Their aura was contained in a moderately dense bubble and they used light magic to conceal their bodies and coincidentally their aura. Basically, as long as they didnt move, they would be almost completely invisible. Deciding I would let things roll for now, I finished opening the door and walked inside. "There are actually a few people, they''re just quite good at hiding." Finally exposing them, I released my aura in the room, just being sure to create a bubble around the royal family. *CRUNCH* The entire floor and all of the walls cracked under the pressure. As for the people, not only Michael, but the 3 people who were hidden all exposed themselves and fell to their knees while struggling to not get crushed and breathe. Michael glanced over at the three in shock, but he was far more worried about himself. -Either he is a really good actor or he really isn''t with them..- "You guys were really disappointing, I thought you would be more interesting." As I walked up to them, I probed their insides with my aura to make sure they couldnt commit suicide. As I glanced back, I saw Oliver staring at the three people in shock. Although I really wanted to kill at least one, I figured Oliver wouldn''t want me to do it in front of Lucy. "What do you want me to do with them?" Finally snapping out of his shock, Oliver yelled out into the hall. "Please bind them, guards!" Hearing his call, guards quickly opened the door and entered. By now I had already layered my aura once again so as to not scare more people than necessary. Not seeing the three extremely suspicious looking guys on the ground behind the couch, the first knight to enter swung his sword at me. "How rude." *Tink* Seeing the opportunity to blow off a bit of steam, I swiftly caught the blade and threw a punch into his stomach. *Crunch-WHAM* Zipping past the other two knights, he was launched through the doorway and embedded in the opposing wall. The other knights froze from fear after watching their comrade fly past them, but before it got out of hand, Oliver solved the situation. "HE ISN''T THE ENEMY!" Finally taking another moment to get a grasp of the situation, the knights finally noticed the three black robed men passed out on the floor. The knight who was now embedded in the wall outside of our room quickly realized what he had done. (Drew his sword on someone with a close relationship to the king) The pain he felt throughout his entire body vanished in an instant as panic arose from the deepest parts of him. Various thoughts shot through his mind, ''Am I going to be executed?'' ''Will I be exiled?'' ''What about my family?'' But those thoughts didn''t last long before he finally passed out. *Thud* Hearing something fall in the hallway, I peeked outside and saw him lying face down on the tile floor. You, the maid over there. I pointed to a maid staring at him and not knowing what to do. Take him to a medical ward or something, and when he wakes up tell him not to panic about anything. -As thanks for being the one to let me blow off steam, I''ll make sure you get something nice..- Chapter 45: Shattered Pride Chapter 45: Shattered Pride Late Morning - Mid Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan Take him to a medical ward or something, and when he wakes up tell him not to panic about anything. Although my words were meant to calm down everyone by showing I wasn''t mad, it seemed to have an adverse effect. Immediately dropping to their knees, the other two knights started begging. "I''m very sorry sir! I have failed at my job and am prepared for whatever punishment Your Highness gives me." The man was trembling a little bit, but we had far bigger problems than dealing with him. "You''re fine, just take a deep breath and get back to your job. These three attempted to assassinate the king so please deal with them. Get general information from them like what they wanted to accomplish and such. I gave laidback orders but my gaze quickly stiffened up. Just keep in mind, if one of them dies, so will each of you. If you can''t get information out of them, I will personally take over." The guards, both still kneeling, were trembling as they gave fear driven nods. Seeing they understood, I turned back to the royal family. "Sorry Oliver and Helen, I didn''t mean to take over your job of ordering them but I''d rather let you sort two things out first. Also give the knight that attacked me a decent bit of gold and don''t punish him." Hearing my demand, the guards, maids, Michael and even the assassins all froze. The same thought shot through each of their heads, ''did this kid just give an order to the king?!'' Oliver, though, simply nodded. "Thanks.. so how long did you know those three were here?" "Since before we walked in, they probably followed Michael inside." Everyone in the room immediately gave Michael a death stare as I spoke.T/his chapter is updated by His demeanor quickly changed as the pressure was turned on him. Things didn''t end there though. Walking over to him, I squatted down and looked him in the eyes. -Hes still thinking too much..- *Crunch* The ground beneath him cracked as I increased my aura pressure even more. He immediately fell to his elbows as he tried to fight the pressure with only surviving still on his mind. "Ill let you live if you tell the truth, no matter what the truth is. I eased up my pressure a bit so he could shift his focus to my voice. Did you know about them?" His pale face immediately shook side to side. "Do you know who they are?" I glanced back at the men being tied up by the knights. Their faces were bloody from nosebleeds, but their hoods were off and still easily recognizable. As Michael looked over at them, his expression did not change and he shook his head again. -People will always bend before death.. that''s just how humans evolved.- Releasing the pressure on him, I stood back up. "I''m fairly certain he isn''t with them, but do as you may." Finally managing to sort out his thoughts, Oliver spoke up. "Michael, I''m sorry to disappoint you, but I will have to delay your promotion until after this incident gets cleared up. I wont jail you because I believe you are innocent, so please head home. Milton!" Hearing his name called, a handsome butler appeared in the doorway. "Please walk Michael out." Milton quickly bowed his head in understanding before waiting for Michael. "There was an attempted assassination of the king just before I could sign the last paper." Both Udall and Mollie froze, immediately understanding the implications of my statement. "I''m guessing you stopped them?" "No.. they concealed their aura to an incredible degree.. I had no idea they were even there.." "Then.. what happened?" "The meeting was going fine until his highness gave me the forum for the transfer of territory and granting nobility. As I reached for it, one of the assassins threw a poison coated knife from behind me at his highness''s neck. Thankfully there was that ''thing'' otherwise things would have been worse.." "That thing''?" "It was a young looking wolf demihuman boy with black hair and purple eyes... At the start of the meeting when I looked at him, I felt like I was being swallowed up by the void.. like an endless abyss was going to swallow me up if I didn''t listen to him." My face paled once more as the memory surfaced in my mind. Silence filled the room as I washed away the fear with alcohol. *Slam* Slamming the empty mug down, I continued. "He caught the knife and exposed the assassins I had no idea even existed before that.. pressure returned. I felt like I couldn''t breathe, my legs went weak and my heart started beating out of my chest. When I looked up, I saw the assassins on the ground in the same situation." "A person with that kind of pressure can.. exist?" Mollie struggled to believe me. "Those two instances were not even the worst part, after another series of events he walked over to me and stared into my soul with a pressure so immense I felt like I was literally going to get crushed... Finally easing up the pressure, he asked two simple questions, simply asking if I was involved with the assassins before letting me go.." There was a moment of silence as Udall and Mollie processed the information. Udall was the first to speak up. "If he could ask the king to let you go he must have some authority too.." "Ah.. about that.. I think he is actually above the king in authority.." Everyone froze again. "Excuse me?" "After the assassination attempt, the guards came in and one swung towards him. The ''kid'' just grabbed the blade and sent the man flying into the wall. After the guards realized what was wrong though, the kid gave them orders and even demanded the king forgive the knight who swung at him. His highness just nodded in compliance after that." Mollie and Udall went silent and stared at me with wide eyes. Pushing another drink towards me, Udall decided to move on. "So what comes next for your promotion?" "His highness said he would send a messenger once this incident blew over.." Immediately grabbing the mug, I took another large gulp. "Well at least you should still get promoted." Mollie quickly tried to put on a comforting smile. "Yeah.. we can only pray.." "Well, how about we play cards like we used to.. to ease the mood some." Feeling warmth came back to my cheeks, whether from the alcohol or my improving mood, a much awaited smile came to my face for the first time. Yeah.. lets do that.. Chapter 46: My First Commission Chapter 46: My First Commission Early Afternoon - Mid Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan Hearing Helen call the maid for drinks and bread, I was expecting a long and arduous talk about why I didn''t do anything about the assassins earlier. "Vasilias, please take a seat.." Helen leaned back on the couch, stretching out and taking a deep breath. "I''m not sure what the reason you wanted to come to this meeting was.. but thank you... Sincerely.. from the bottom of my heart, thank you.." Hearing her words, Lucy looked like she was about to start crying. -I guess she is finally realizing the gravity of the situation..- "Ah right, are you okay?" Helen had a face of worry as she looked at my hand. -Ah right, I still have poison on my hand- "Im fine as far as I can tell" Quickly accumulating some water, I cleaned the poison off my hand and created a small aluminum vial to store it in. -Well it shouldn''t be corrosive.. hopefully..- Seeing my display of magic, Lucy''s urge to cry subsided. "How did you.." "How did I what?" I casually responded as I made a little stand to keep it from spilling. "I''ll set this here for you to examine later, maybe it''ll give a hint on who they were." Lucy wasn''t the only one stuck with a look of awe though. Helen couldn''t understand either. "How did you use so many attributes so swiftly.. and how did you make that container out of nothing.." "Well I have attribute nodes of every attribute, and I created the vial by using earth magic on the air. Just think that I took the materials to make it out of the air." "Huh? W..what? Lucy looked like her whole world was turned upside down. Her expression was truly priceless. Helen didn''t try to understand it though and was much better off. Haah.. I guess dragons are just blessed by the heavens, huh.." Helen let out a deep sigh, finally easing some stress from the incident. -Well, I can''t deny that..- "I''m not normal even for dragons though, so don''t feel bad." I tried to put on a comforting smile. Thankfully Helen was quick to move on. "That doesn''t change the fact you made such a beautiful vial out of nothing so quickly.." Carefully picking up the small vial, she admired its shine. A smile slowly crept onto my face from the compliment. "Thank you for the praise." Finally returning to the room, Martha set a plate of bread and several cups of tea on the table and Helen gave her some more instructions. "Martha, please get the alchemist to come in and look at this vial of poison. See if he knows anything about it." Seeing her give a quick nod and leave the room once more, Helen handed me a piece of bread. "Thanks.." Even though I had lost my preference for it when I became a dragon, I decided not to reject it. -Its not bad, I guess.- It tasted pretty similar to white bread from earth, just less fluffy. "Well now that we have some food, I feel like I need to ask something.." At long last, Oliver finally finished sorting his thoughts. -Is he going to ask for a favor?- "Go for it." "I heard from your father that you two planned to leave in a few days, but I was wondering if I could be so shameless as to ask you to stick around a little longer.. I could really use your help in this.. ''case''." Although I was curious about the situation myself, it wasn''t much beyond that. "What''s in it for me then?" Hearing my response, Lucy snapped out of her existential crisis and gave me a shocked look. -I guess she didn''t expect me to be so upfront.- "I will let you take any single artifact from the vault." Oliver understood what dragons wanted from father, treasure, money, or something interesting. -He really knows how to rope a dragon in, huh..- "Alright sure, I''ll help you out." A humble smile quickly came to his face. "Thank you... Well let''s go inform your father of the situation, by then our knights should''ve gotten some information out of the assassins." "Alright, well, I''ll be back in a bit then. Let''s go, Ilios." Quickly turning around I made my way onto the lift and left the vault with Ilios. - (out of earshot) ~ "So what did you give him for payment?" Osto gave Oliver a curious look. "I told him he could take one thing from the vault." "Hm.. I guess that''s a fair payment.." "Did you expect something else?" "Haha, I figured you''d try to hit him with gold first." "Haah, Im not dumb enough to try and take advantage of his barely even existent childishness.." Ostos demeanor quickly changed. "Yeah.. his maturity isn''t normal.. but to be fair, if he wasn''t mature and had that kind of strength itd cause some major problems.." "He has a good personality for his strength as well.." "Mhmm.. I still can''t believe he had the thought to keep the assassins alive to get information from them... A 10 year old who hasn''t even seen the world shouldn''t know things like that.." "He is still your son though, no matter what kind of oddities he possesses." Haah.. A warm but complicated smile crept onto his face. "I can''t wait to see how he will grow.." Understanding his words from a fathers perspective, Oliver showed a similar smile. "Only time will tell how he turns out, especially since he brings a new definition to the saying ''blessed by the gods'', haha." Oliver spoke with a bit of sarcasm but Osto took it seriously. "The gods would never bless a being such as Vasilias.." Oliver''s laugh was cut short by Ostos somber statement. "Huh? Why is that?" "They wouldn''t bless something more perfect than themselves.. they are too selfish.. they hated Bahamut for the same reason..." Deciding he was in above his head, Oliver just gave an awkward nod. The room fell into silence except for the two girls hollering behind them, causing the guys to look over. "Oh look at how you''ve grown!" "Sarah, don''t touch me there!!" Oliver watched the scene with nervous eyes. "Haah.. a part of me wishes Lucy would mature like Vasilias. She is mature when it comes to politics but with people.. I''m still too nervous to even let her go to school..." "When is she supposed to start?" "In a week. Helen wants her to go and I also think it''ll be a good experience for her but I''m too nervous currently.." "She needs to meet others.. as a royal heir she needs to be good at dealing with people." Turning back to the girls, the two fathers both wore warm smiles. "She reminds me of Krystallo.." Chapter 47: Real Torture Chapter 47: Real Torture -----Mild Gore Warning----- Mid Afternoon - Mid Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan Finally arriving at the top of the lift and walking into the main hall, I saw Helen leaning up against the back of the throne. "Sorry if I made you wait." Still seemingly a bit lethargic, she took a second to respond. "Ah.. no worries. Are you ready?" With a light nod, we started heading towards the upper prison. We didn''t talk too much as we walked, but thankfully it didn''t take too long to get there. As we walked in, I finally got back to the topic at hand. "So is there anything special I need to know before this?" "Not that I know of, but, just a heads up.. this isn''t something a kid should see. I''m sure you will be fine, but if you ever need to step out, please do so." Her smile was a bit awkward but I could understand where she was coming from. Walking past several guard posts and through several gates, we finally entered the main building. "The farther down, the stronger the offender. We would normally go down to the 7th floor since those assassins were around S rank, but they are being kept on the 2nd for, ahem.. ''interrogation.''" As she said the word interrogation, an out of place smile appeared on her face, but I didn''t think much of it. Going down a stairwell we came into a long hallway lined with several metal-barred jail cells, each made of smooth stone. -They sure gave this place a lot of attention huh..- As I was admiring the craftsmanship of the cells, the people inside gave me disgusting looks. I didn''t pay them much mind since they might as well be insects but Ilios didn''t take kindly to them and pressured them with his aura. As he pressured the entire room except for where Helen walked, everyone simultaneously paled and turned their gaze elsewhere. Ilios quickly trotted up next to me, holding his head high as if expecting praise. Seeing his adorable confidence, I couldn''t help but lightly rub his head some. -Hehe... He''s so cute..- Finally coming to the end of the hallway, there was a large metal door with a certain, extremely oppressing ''stench'' coming through the small window. It was so strong it caused my instinct to go on guard. -My goodness... How much blood does it take for it to smell that strong..- Assuming I shouldn''t bring Ilios inside, I was quick to sit him down. "Ilios, you stay here and guard the door, alright?" Woof! He puffed up his chest as he sat down. Being unable to hold myself back again, I reached down and gave him a few more pets before walking inside. Behind the door was a room divided into 5 parts, with each part having a chair and several torture devices lining the walls. Of those chairs, 3 of them were seating the assassins. They each seemed to be rather roughed up and were bleeding quite a bit, but there was nothing too extreme. Next to the one that was least beat up though, was a knight cleaning some bloody tools. "Ah your grace. Welcome!" He quickly set down his things and gave Helen a deep bow. Helens face was serious, but she seemed to be suppressing a smile. "You may rise. So have you gotten any information out of them yet?" "Nothing of note yet..." He looked a little ashamed. "It seems they''re rather tight lipped." "Alright, in that case, you try and get information from the one on the left, I will take the right. Vasilias, would you like to give it a shot on the middle one?" "Sure, I don''t see why not." Looking at the man, his glare was sharp and his face was full of arrogance. -I guess he''s confident I can''t pry information out of him.- I took his glare as a challenge. "Alright, well if you can''t handle something, feel free to step out." Her serious look was slowly replaced with an excited smile as she spoke. -Whats with that look..- I couldn''t help but feel like she seemed a bit too excited. "I think I''ll be alright, but thanks for the reminder." Huhu, in that case I will get started first. With an ominous chuckle, she turned around and made her way into the right stall. Something about her demeanor made me extremely uncomfortable but I was quick to shake off the feeling. -Im probably just imagining things..- Turning back to the man in the middle stall, I walked up and gave him a good look. "That look in your eyes.. I''m not too fond of it... I''ll give you the benefit of the doubt though.." I bent down to get to his eye level and increased the pressure of my aura some. "If you tell me everything right now, I might leave your body in one piece." His face paled some, but the look in his eyes didn''t change. Quickly using his tongue to move the rag out of his mouth, he spat at me. "F*ck off you noble b*stard." I used wind magic to block the spit, but the look in my eyes turned dark. "Haah.. so you wanna take the hard route. That''s fine. So what''s your name?" "As if I''m going to tell you sh-" *Crack* I casually broke his thumb to start easy. The man just gritted his teeth as his arrogant glare got sharper. "Tch.. weak bi-" -Hm... What could they be planning?- "Is there anything else you know about their plan?" "All.. I k..know.. is that theyre.. ARGGH.. t..trying to gain.. c..control of.. as many.. nations as possible... They say.. they have an.. unopposable power.." -How ominous..- Even my thoughts carried sarcasm. "Okay. So how about the tower itself now, what''s the hierarchy like." "They are divided.. by strength..." -Simple enough- "Where is their HQ?" "The Kingdom.. of Deacia.." After asking a few more questions, I ran out of things to ask and wrapped things up. -This guy was nice and compliant after I broke his pride and arrogance..- "Alright, that''s all I''ve got for questions. You were pretty easy to work with, so do you have any last wish?" The man didn''t give much thought before responding. "I wish to live.." "You know that''s not possible." My eyes were cold, and he seemed to notice as despair washed over his face. "In that case.. can I make an oath?" -Hooh?- An oath was a type of magic that simply made it impossible for someone to do something without dying. For example if the rune made it so you could never say a name, if you then said it, the oath magic would go off and kill you on the spot. Although I didn''t know exactly how it worked, Mother told me it was very risky since they would sometimes misfire and just randomly kill the person under oath. -This could be a good opportunity to see it in action though..- "Alright, I''m listening." "The tower will never see me again, I will change my identity and I will live quietly as a simple citizen." "Okay. Add on top of that, that you can never injure an innocent person." Although to me it didn''t matter if he died now or killed 100 innocent people, I was more interested to see how the oath magic would try to abide by a condition like that. He quickly nodded before gritting his teeth from pain again. "A..absolutely.." "What about your arms, you sure you wanna live without arms?" "Well.. my muscles are.. still there.. only the bone is gone... I think.. I can repair or.. heal some of it.." His statement made me look at him like he was insane. -I don''t know how the hell you could heal that man, but if that''s the case..- Cutting off my thoughts, I used wind magic to slice off his left arm before using more magic to stop the bleeding. *Splat* As the arm hit the ground, the skin and muscle desperately trying to contain the mix of bone powder and blood ripped open and splattered everywhere. "Aaargghh, w..what was.. that for.." Although it still hurt him, it was nothing compared to earlier. "Getting away alive is already asking for too much, let alone with both arms." He couldn''t refute as he held his head down, likely just grateful he was alive. I didn''t care to wait on him though. "You ready?" My curiosity was making me impatient. R..right, sorry. He quickly closed his eyes as a bright rune was illuminated in front of his head. Simply put, it was the combination of earth and water runes that would trigger a lightning rune if triggered. -So it uses lightning magic to kill them but earth and water to check if they break it?- It was an incredibly complicated rune even for me, but I could vaguely get the idea of it. -How fascinating... What psycho came up with this though? It must''ve been a dragon..- I simply couldn''t imagine a human having remotely enough understanding about runes to create something so intricate. In any case, you can make the oath now. As I said that, thousands of small characters wrote themselves on the runes before engraving the entire rune into his skull. -How intricate..- The characters that were written were barely understandable and were closer to math than an actual language. After a short moment though, it finished and vanished from the air, now being completely engraved into his skull. "Alright, you stay there for a little, I need to discuss some things with someone first." Seeing him give an exhausted nod, I turned around and walked around the divider towards Helens area. As I rounded the corner, I was met with quite the odd sight. Helens wings and clothes were covered in blood and the man she had been torturing looked dead. Gashes in his flesh were everywhere and he had too many missing parts to count. -How in god''s name is that guy alive..- It was a scene that would cause anyones stomach to churn, but to me it gave the same feeling as seeing an insect''s guts on the wall after killing it, a little gross but that was it. -Ive truely become a dragon huh..- But my lack of sympathy was the least of my concerns at the moment. -She looks like she''s enjoying that a little too much..- Feeling my presence, the queen turned around, shining her white teeth with a somehow innocent looking smile. "Ah, are you done already?" The crimson blood on her face and wings gave her the look of an angel that just slaughtered a bunch of demons, but her smile made her seem like more of a demon herself. Chapter 48: A Corrupted Leader Chapter 48: A Corrupted Leader --Mild Gore Warning Again-- Mid Afternoon - Mid Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan - Shir ~ My name is Shir, the leader of an elite assassin group within The Tower. We had a record of never failing a single assassination over the years, but things were currently looking bleak I was sitting in a secluded bar in the lower district at the time. "Have you heard back from them?" Sitting across the table from me was a newer and younger member of the group. "Nothing yet sir." "Has anyone seen them since they went in?" "No sir." Tch.. -Are those incompitent bast*rds really going to mess up our record..- The face of the man across the table paled slightly and his posture lowered. As a newbie he still had the fear of getting killed by his superiors on their whim, it was simply how the assassins branch worked. -Its crude but it raises them well..- As I tried to get my mind off the topic of the mission failing, another man in a black robe walked in. Seeing his signal to leave, the young man at the table traded seats with the person coming inside. I have a report on the assassination squad, Captain. He was quick to get to business. I''m listening. The three have been spotted being moved into the imperial prison. And what about the mage? "He is on his way to the slum market, Captain." "Hm... Unlike what I expected, hearing that they actually failed didn''t change my demeanor and I kept my calm. Go deal with that mage personally and order the others to meet up. We need to clean them up before one leaks anything." The atmosphere quickly darkened as the man understood exactly what I meant. "As you order." With a light bow of his head he disappeared from his seat. As I finally stood up from my seat, the deep uneasiness in my gut only got worse, but I didn''t pay it mind. With a bit of stretching, I tossed a silver onto the table and made my way outside. Haah.. -Why am I always the one that has to clean up..- - Vasilias ~ "Are you done already?" "Y..yeah.." I started feeling awkward seeing Helen acting so happily while covered in blood. "You seem to be enjoying yourself.." "Why of course, they dared to try and harm my Oliver." Her smile that I thought looked innocent contained a slight craze. -Well then..- "Ahem, in any case, I got the information I needed.." "Ah right, sorry I got a little sidetracked." Helen glanced back to the poor man she tortured as if expecting him to say something, but he wouldn''t respond.. well, it was more like he couldn''t. Pulling what was left of his head off my knee, I tossed him to the side and looked up to see the other three looking at me, wide eyed. "Wow you just let your comrade die like that? What awful people." At my slight provocation, the two other weak ones charged at me, one with a lightning rune one with a light rune. A blinding light filled the room immediately after. -To try and blind a dragon!- Sensing the one with the lightning rune reach for my back, I took a step to the side and grabbed his arm, then moved it to intercept the poison coated knife flying at my face. *Shink* The knife cleanly passed through the man''s hand and got stuck in the bone. "Uh oh! Watch out for friendly fire!" Taking a step to the side, I let the light fade and let the assassins realize what happened, but they didn''t pay it mind and lunged at me again. Mid lunge, they both activated earth runes to strengthen their muscles for hand to hand combat. -You can do that?!- "Why didn''t I think of that before?!" With my new realization, I immediately strengthened the muscles in my arms and back. *CrAcK* With a heavy punch into the poisoned man''s forehead, his skull shattered and his neck snapped like a twig. As his body went limp and fell to the floor, I couldn''t help but feel a bit disappointed. -Hmm.. it''s not as much of a strength improvement for me as it is for them..- As I was thinking, the other weakling threw a punch that I casually caught. To interrupt my thoughts, how rude. As my smile grew, a ball of liquid hydrogen formed around my hand. *pshh-FWOOOOSH* Connecting the back of the thruster to the walls behind me, the entire room simultaneously shattered. A dense and hot fog filled the room before I used wind magic to make it vanish. Standing there at the end of the hall was the nation rank aura I felt before the fight. It was an older man with a very tempered attitude but I couldn''t help but notice the beads of sweat on his forehead. It filled my mind with confidence as I got excited to continue playing around. "How could there be such a heartless man to let his subordinates die like that." "They were nothing but slaves." His voice wasn''t totally calm, but it carried quite a bit of confidence. "You make it sound like you''re different, do you maybe know something about what the tower is planning? You seem strong enough to have some actual authority." His eyes immediately went wide. -So he does know something..- My playful smile quickly turned sly. "I''ll give you a chance just like I did to the guy inside. If you spit everything out, I''ll let you live." "Sorry kid, but you''re not the one to decide that." A sudden swirl of mana appeared around his hands, on one hand an earth rune, on the other a fire rune. "Hooh? Two runes at once?" A grin slowly crept onto my face. -You''ll be a fun mouse to play with!- Chapter 49: A Beating Chapter 49: A Beating Late Afternoon - Mid Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan - Shir ~ *Thud* *Thud* Two guards limply fell to the ground as my group and I removed our cloaking magic. "So does anyone know exactly what floor they will be on?" "The second floor has the secure torture rooms, Captain." Number 3, the youngest of the group, was quick to respond. Alright, don''t hold back and leave no witnesses." "Yes sir." Immediately making our way down to the second floor, we were met with a huge metal door. *Pshhhh* We used fire magic to heat up the edges of the metal before kicking it in. *Bang* Inside was a hallway lined with prison cells that my group was sweeping through, being sure to kill each prisoner. -The rooms must be at the end..- When I looked to the end of the hallway though, I saw a young demihuman boy. His facial features were simply perfect, beyond what could be considered human but above all, I could feel the ''child''s'' presence. Although it wasn''t too heavy, it felt more tempered and controlled than anything I had ever felt. Somehow though, I seemed to be the only one to notice. "Hey kid, get out of the way or else." Number 3 was totally oblivious to the child''s presence. "Or else what?" Although his demeanor was calm, his voice carried an overwhelming confidence. "Haah.. kids these days.." Likely annoyed by the childs confidence, Number 3 sprang at it full of the intention to kill. Seeing the kid not even reacting, I started second guessing myself. -Maybe I just misunderst..- Before my thoughts could finish, he finally moved. "Awe come on, don''t use such boring magic!" *CrUnCh* Number 3''s head was crushed like a grape on the kid''s knee. The scene sent a massive chill down my spine. -To kill an S rank.. so effortlessly..- "Wow you just let your comrade die like that? What awful people." As Number 3''s lifeless body was tossed to the side, I did my best to calm my nerves. Hooh.. -I can''t lose my cool in a fight like this..- But the others in the group couldn''t do the same. The other two immediately sprang at him, blinding him and taking him out together. "Uh oh, watch out for friendly fire!" The light subsided and revealed a poison coated knife stabbed into one of their hands. -These idiots! He is playing with them like toys..- "Why didn''t I think of that before?!" *CrAcK* Number 8s neck snapped like a twig as the kid hit him in the face. Although most people would likely mourn the loss of their comrade, my thoughts were elsewhere. -If I made him a slave.. how much would I be able to sell him for?!- Although he was physically strong, it wasn''t nearly enough to give me a challenge. As I was lost in thought though, he caught number 9s punch. "To interrupt my thoughts, how rude." -He''s alive?!- Falling out of the wall, he took a wide stance and cupped his remaining hand, using a fire rune on each finger to create a small ball of light. I knew it was stupid to let your enemy charge up their trump card, but at this point I was more curious than anything. -What a resilient human..- Just as I finished my thought he repositioned his feet and threw his hand forward. *Bang-WOOOSH* A ridiculous beam of fire left his hand and blasted towards my face. It was both several-fold hotter than the wall of fire earlier and was too big for me to dodge. -Uh oh.. this one could actually hurt!- *FWOOSH* The flame blasted past me and melted everything it touched, only sparing the area it couldn''t reach because of my vacuum magic. -That was a little too close for comfort..- The flame from his magic was so fast I could barely get my vacuum magic up in time. *crackle* As the blaze died down, the room was left filled with smoke. "Is he.. dead?" The man spoke to himself as he staggered to his knees. *tap* *tap* *tap* Hearing me walking across the still nearly molten floor, his face paled further. With my now released aura, I made all of the smoke vanish and looked the man in the eyes. That was a good final attack. You can take pride in it being your last. His eyes went wide as I picked him up by the neck and set my other hand on his stomach. *tink-CRACK* Using a huge amount of mana, I blasted his reserve and blew it apart. Ugh-blugh.. He immediately threw up blood as I dropped him to the ground. Reading my aura I could still sense his heartbeat, albeit faintly. -Count your lucky stars that I''m leaving you alive..- Although I wasn''t able to get any information out of him yet, he seemed to be high up the ladder so he was a good source. "Awoo!" Ilios let out a joyful howl as he ran up to me with a wagging tail. "Haha, thank goodness you''re alright." I was quick to lean down and pet him. I was a little worried that the beam of fire hurt him but it was a needless worry. Where he was sitting was the only other spot on that half of the room where the floor looked untouched. "Uhm.. is everything alright now?" Helen peeked her head through the now slightly melted doorway, being sure to keep herself cool with a temperature control fire rune. -Thankfully shes alright as well..- "It should be fine now." "Phew.. so what happened?" She carefully walked out, being careful to not step on any of the still molten sections of the floor. "Well there were some people that, I''d assume, came to rescue the assassins we captured but the 4th managed to put up a decent fight so I took my time to enjoy it.." Although it didn''t look like it, I was totally fine with the exception of my hand. -All the blood on me isn''t mine after all.- Helens worry was aimed elsewhere though. "Where are all the bodies?" "Well.." As I looked around, the only corpses on my half of the hall were scorched prisoners who got caught in the crossfire. "I think that guy''s last attack got rid of the bodies of the other three." I casually pointed to the guy covered in blood on the floor. "What?! Was he a Nation Rank then?!" Chapter 50: Memories Chapter 50: Memories Late Afternoon - Mid Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan - Udall ~ Haah.. I sighed deeply seeing Michael finally pass out at the table. Mollies face showed a similar concern. "You think hell be alright?" "Yeah it''s odd seeing him drink so much, but I guess his lifetime of work and effort could be destroyed so I can''t really blame him.." "Haah.. yeah. I just haven''t seen him so stressed since she almost died.." "Theres nothing we can do besides letting him sleep and giving him company. Go turn on the muter for him so we can get back to working on the staff in the meantime."Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com Walking over to the table, Mollie tapped a small sphere and activated a small barrier that formed around the table. "This artifact has really come in handy." It was an artifact that created a very thin barrier around itself that allowed objects and people to walk in and out, but people on the inside couldn''t hear things outside and vice versa. (it''s a silencing artifact) It naturally wasn''t perfect, but it was enough to act like ear plugs to let Michael sleep. "Yeah, although it was crazy expensive, it was worth it compared to the ever increasing cost of privacy around here." "Haha, it''s been a while hasn''t it.." Mollie gave a small chuckle, ignoring Udalls rambling. "Hm? Since what?" "N..nothing.. I was just thinking that it''s probably been a while since he''s slept so soundly." Looking over at him, I finally noticed just how knocked out he was. "Haha, you might be right. In any case though, let''s try to finish up his staff. It''ll be a nice surprise for him when he wakes up." A gentle warm smile came to my face as I glanced back at Michael again. -Ill make sure to show you how much Ive improved from last time!- With a newfound excitement filling my chest, I made my way to the forge and got started. Just as I put the mythril in the forge though, I heard someone knock on the front desk. *knock-knock* -Ah.. I bet that''s him..- Setting down the clasp holding the red hot mythril, I turned towards Mollie. "I''ll leave the start to you, this might be what''s-his-name coming for his sword." As I walked towards the front, I tried to think of the man''s name but gave up halfway through. -Ill just look at the commission sheet..- Walking into the front room, I saw a man in a large black coat waiting at the desk. -Well, it''s not him..- "What can I help you with, sir?" "I was wondering if Michael was here? I need to speak with him." -Is this guy the messenger Michael talked about? This feels far too fast..- "He is sleeping currently, can you leave a message or letter if you''d like, or you can come back later." "Ahh, you see this is fairly urgent so I''d like to see him now." The man''s voice was quite rough and lacked formality. -Well, he''s too pushy and sketchy to be the messenger..- "Sorry but I can''t wake him, please come back later." "No idea, but his right shoulder is basically destroyed so he''s a cripple now." "He may not be much use as a labor slave, but that doesnt mean he doesnt have a use." A well dressed young woman appeared in the doorway with a joyful smile. "It''s been a while, Aurie." My voice was drained of energy just from seeing her. "It has indeed! I''ve been up in the upper district selling my ''goods'' and been busy establishing a few new checkpoints in nearby cities. Sorry I haven''t been able to visit!" She winked as she looked me up and down. "I still wish a hottie like you wasn''t so loyal though." "Ah, truly a shame." My sarcasm was palpable. Thankfully, Aurie was quick to get to business. "Well putting that aside, if you don''t want to do anything with this guy, I''ll take him!" "I''m not sure if you should.. this one could become complicated." "Hm? What makes you say that?" Seeing her shy and quirky look, I cringed so hard it felt like a part of my soul crumbled. "Haah.. pretty sure this guys friends just tried to assassinate the king, I cant go into detail but I wouldnt recommend making this guy a sex slave." "Awe that''s a shame.. he''s quite good looking.." There was a moment of silence until a smile slowly crept on her face. "Wait, if the royal family is looking for him, couldn''t I just sell him to them for even more?!" I immediately facepalmed at her conclusion. -Why do I even care if it causes her trouble..- "You know what.. you do you.. he''s all yours." Motioning Aurie to take him, I turned and walked into the back. -If she wants that responsibility, it''s all hers.- "If you ever get tired of your wife, let me know!" She gave him a gleeful smile as I left. -My lord, just how annoying can one woman be..- As I pushed aside the curtain door to the back, I reached over and turned over the sign. ''Closed'' As I walked back inside, I made my way over to the forge and sat down. -Something doesn''t add up..- "I heard that whores voice... I thought she finally gave up." Mollie looked at me like she was suppressing the urge to kill someone. It made me shiver slightly. "She wanted to take that ''assassin'' as a slave so I let her." "Ah, so she didnt come to try and reach into your pants this time?" "Thankfully no.." I cringed as I thought back to my past experiences with Aurie. "Man I could use a drink.." "Not now, we need to make sure no more messengers come. If you''re drunk and another guy shows up-" "I know, I know. Let''s just get back to the staff, I need a distraction. The mythril is ready too.." Mollies face finally started relaxing before a smile crept onto her face. "To think we would get hunted again... It reminds me of the old days.." Chapter 51: Accumulating Annoyances Chapter 51: Accumulating Annoyances (Continues directly from Chapter 49) Late Afternoon - Mid Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan "What?! Was he a Nation Rank then?!" "Uhm, I think so? His aura was around Michaels." "So he was then.." She took a moment to think as she walked across the no longer molten floor. "Did you figure out what force sent them? To be able to send a Nation rank as a backup.. they must be pretty big." -W..what? She didnt get information that basic from the guy she tortured?- Noticing my look of disbelief, she quickly realized what I was thinking. The man I was interrogating was just really tight lipped. She crossed her arms and pouted slightly. Immediately giving up on trying to understand, I just went along as if she knew nothing. "Haah... Their captain was from The Tower." Helen didn''t seem too shocked by my answer though. "I guess they''re finally making a move, huh.." Her nonchalant response threw me off a little, but I didn''t let it weigh on my mind. -Its probably not important anyways.- "Well, since it seems my job here is done, I''m going to go back and report to Oliver. Would you like me to escort you back to the palace?" "No, I''ll be fine. The knights will escort me once I finish everything here, so go ahead and head back if you''d like, make sure Sarah isn''t getting too touchy with Oliver if you could as well. As she spoke, an unreadable smile came to her face. "Haha, okay. I gave a nervous laugh since I couldn''t tell if she was joking or not. -What a scary woman..- Alright, let''s go Ilios." "Woof!" Hastily making my way out of the room, I started heading up the stairs, but immediately ran into a group of knights. Without taking time to ask questions, the knight in the front thrust his spear at my face. "Die, intruder!" *Tap* Catching the spear just before it hit my face, I felt tempted to retaliate. Just before I could do anything though, Helens voice echoed through the stairwell. "HE''S NOT THE INTRUDER!" The knights, immediately recognizing her voice, froze in their place and paled slightly. Tch.. With a click of my tongue I let go of the spear and started walking around the group. As I walked past them, one of the knights bowed. "We are very sorry sir, please forgive us!" His bow was deep and his voice carried a mix of sincerity and fear but I quite literally didnt care. "Don''t bow and just go help the queen." "Thank you sir!" His face quickly lit up as he gave one final bow and continued down the stairs. -Man I could really go for a nap right about now..- Quickly making my way up the stairs and outside, I had the joy of getting stopped by every knight group between the jail and the palace before finally making it inside. Noticing my slightly annoyed attitude, Father gave a look of guilt and hung his head a little lower. Finally managing to catch his breath in the silence, Oliver spoke up again. "So how strong were they?" "It was a group of 4, the 3 weakest were just a little stronger than you and the 4th was around Michael from earlier." "So, 3 S rank and a Nation Rank?!" "Yeah, that sounds about accurate. Is there something wrong with that?" "Yes, very wrong. I dont know of anyone capable of sending a force like that... Unless it was a nation.." His eyes went wide for a moment as he quickly made his own assumptions. -Man.. Is it just a human trait to jump to conclusions?- "It was the tower, not a nation." Ah.. that would actually.. make sense.. His expression quickly darkened as he fell into thought. "So did you manage to figure out why they tried to assassinate me?" "They wanted to kill you and frame Michael for it. They saw you two as in the way for some grand plan they have." "Do you know what that plan is?" "No, the assassin just said that they were trying to gain control of as many nations as possible." His face quickly became more troubled. "Just what are they thinking.." There was a long silence that filled the room as he tried to piece things together, but after about a minute of waiting, I got bored and tried to leave. "Since it seems like that''s all the information you needed, I''m gonna go take a bath and take a nap. If you need me for anything else I''ll either be in the hot spring or resting on one of those glorious cushions in the other area." Oliver stopped me. "Alright, that''s fine. Before you go though, what happened to that Nation rank you fought in the prison?" "He''s alive but just barely, I did a number on him. Helen is there to make sure things go smoothly though, so if all goes well you should have quite a good source of information." "Oh, good, thank you for that. Thank you for protecting Helen as well.." He gave me a warm smile as he bowed his head. "It''s just part of the contract so don''t get all emotional." "Ah, sorry... Well, go enjoy your nap. Feel free to make yourself at home.." Not wanting to waste any more time, I quickly opened the door and walked outside. *Click* The instant I walked outside, Father and Oliver quickly started up on a new conversation. Why would the tower be trying to gather the force of several nations... Just what are they trying to do?" Oliver was clearly still distressed. "I''m not totally sure, but it is definitely suspicious that they sent such a powerhouse to kill you specifically. It just feels like there are some pieces missing." "Yeah I feel the same.." "In any case, Vasilias left the Nation rank alive so let''s just go ask him tomorrow. I''ve got some.. questions for him." Unable to continue to suppress it, Fathers bloodlust started oozing out into the room. His eyes had a slightly crazed look to them. "I really wonder where he got his audacity from.." Chapter 52: Long Awaited Rest Chapter 52: Long Awaited Rest Early Evening - Mid Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan As I walked out of the cottage, I changed back to my dragon form and stretched. "Ahhh.. mmm.." A wave of sleepiness started overtaking me before something caught my attention. -Oh.. My ID melted..- While fighting the assassin, I never regulated the temperature around me since it was unnecessary, but it seems like it was still too much for my ID. -Oh well..- Although it was definitely an inconvenience, I wasn''t too worried about it -Maybe I should ask Oliver if I can get one made out of a material that won''t melt so easily..- Finally making it to the hot spring, I tossed my ID to the side and hopped in. "Haah.. that''s nice.." A wave of nostalgia washed over me as I floated in the warm water. -Although I only did it once, it was nice to swim in that little fountain..- [1] As I layed there and bathed in the memories for a moment, a suppressed desire crept through. -I really wanna take a dip in the ocean.. Mother would probably freak out though..- Growing up, Mother would give me countless warnings and tell horrifying stories about the vast abyss called the ocean, but somehow I still wanted to explore it for myself. From what I pieced together through Mothers lessons about it, the oceans were filled to the brim with dangerous creatures that only got stronger as you went deeper. It was a simple principle that was even visible on Earth with the exception of larger fish struggling to sustain themselves on food, but for whatever reason, I put way too much faith into it. -Even with the help of mana, I find it hard to believe fish can live in water as deep as what Mother talked about..- According to what I assumed to be an outlandish exaggeration, Mother would always mention that some parts of the ocean could get down to well over a hundred kilometers deep, with some parts being too deep for even the oldest of dragons to handle. There was still an ounce of doubt lingering in my mind though. -What if the ocean really is that deep..- Almost immediately, a chill went down my spine and a mix of curiosity and anxiety filled my gut. Haah.. Quickly trying to ease the conflicting emotions, I tried to calm my mind and sank into the water. I ended up floating in the water for the next several hours, simply getting lost in my thoughts as I used water magic to float weightlessly. It wasn''t until I heard an unusual hum that I finally came back up to the surface. *Quiet humming* -Huh? Oh, it''s just the lift..- Not paying mind to it, I laid my head back down on the surface of the water and closed my eyes. "I''m glad you enjoyed your shopping trip Lucy.." Sarahs voice was drained of energy. In contrast, Lucy was the complete opposite. "Of course! Thank you so much Auntie!!" "You seem to be quite well informed, you knew more than I expected.." -To think the science of this era is this young though..- "Well that''s to be expected.. gathering information is one of the biggest parts of my job." She looked down and awkwardly played with the water as she spoke. "What''s the other big reason?" -That cant be the only reason she chose to be a prostitute..- She stopped swirling around the water before her expression darkened slightly. "..money.." -What?- "Weren''t you an adventurer? Don''t they get paid really well?" "Well I wanted to settle down just like the rest of our group since adventuring without a party is a death wish, but I had no where near enough funds saved up to retire and I didnt have a talent like cooking so I decided to make a prostitution company in the red light district." "Oh so you''re the owner?" "Yes, technically. A close friend of mine does most of the managing though." "Well even so, it''s quite commendable that you were able to make a successful business. What''s the money like?" "Thank you.. the money is quite good actually. I make several times what Lewis does from his bar, but that''s been changing in recent years." "What''s been happening?" "Theres been a huge influx of immigrants. People have been coming from the Kingdom of Sinder and our surrounding towns in droves recently." -Hm.. I wonder why... Is it the Towers doing?- "Do you know what happened in Sinder?" "I''m not entirely sure, people just keep saying something about the rod of god''." -Pfft... If that''s the Towers doing, that''s hilarious...- "What about nearby towns though?" "Well, bandits have started becoming more and more of a problem and there has been a huge spike in extremely strong monsters appearing recently." "What''s considered extremely strong?" "Haah.. I guess around S rank? I''m not entirely sure... They''ve been causing some major problems and have been killing a huge number of adventurers though. Kaelallan has already lost a few S ranks.." -Ah.. That could be something..- Although it was only a gut feeling, I felt as if there was some sort of connection between the bandits and the monster wave. -Maybe I should look more into that..- Chapter 53: Word Spreading Chapter 53: Word Spreading Early Morning - Mid Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan Sarah and I talked for quite a while before she finally had to leave. Although mostly idle chatter, it was quite refreshing to casually talk with someone outside of the family even if they were human. Once she left, I was once again left alone with Ilios and decided to play with him in the spring before drying myself off and moving over to the cushions in the other area. As I walked up to the cushions, I couldn''t help but feel like they would be too soft for my weight, but as I stepped onto them, my worries were washed away. -Ahh.. that''s the stuff..- For the first time since I reincarnated, I could lay on something that wasn''t either rock or ground. "Come lay down Ilios, it''s nice." Ilios, who had laid himself next to the cushion, quickly hopped up and instead of climbing onto the cushion next to me, climbed up onto mine. A warm smile quickly appeared on my face as he positioned himself so I was curled around him. Hehe.. I truly felt at peace seeing him slowly drift to sleep, and followed him shortly after. -Hes so cute..- - Ellen (the guild receptionist) ~ "Did you feel that shockwave last night?" "Yeah does anyone know what that was from?" "Oh, I thought it came from somewhere near the palace. Did something major happen?" Questions were being raised about the situation everywhere throughout the city and the guild was no exception. Haah.. -This.. is gonna be a long day..- My face fell into my palms as I thought back to last night. Since then, I had been busy filling out a massive amount of paperwork and crunching numbers for new quests with no time for rest. Before I knew it, the morning light was already shining through the doors. Each and every morning, I, along with the other receptionists, would pin a few dozen quests to the quest board within the guild that adventurers would come and pick up. These quests could be anything from helping clean someone''s street and helping in bars or restaurants to exterminating monsters or guarding towns. The issue was that there had been a huge influx of more dangerous quests recently, leaving too few strong adventurers to handle the other quests. In a way, it felt like Kaelallan was running out of stronger adventurers even if we had more than ever before. -We already sent people out yesterday to check on that explosion the other night, but they haven''t come back yet... Don''t tell me something happened again?- A deep anxiety filled my heart the more I thought about it. -I haven''t heard from Michael yet either..- Just as I thought about that though, a very well-dressed man walked into the guild. Wearing a clean black suit with a golden emblem on his chest and collar, I knew exactly who it was. -A royal messenger! It must be about Michael!- Feeling a wave of refreshment wash over me, I ran up to the counter. "What can I help you with, sir?" Gently pulling a letter out of his pouch, he held it delicately in front of him. "I need to give this to the guild master." "Sure thing, I will giv-" As I reached for it, the man pulled the letter away. "He must receive it in person. This is a very important matter, Miss, please don''t make things difficult." Quickly pulling my hand away and giving a nervous nod, I gave a reluctant reply. "Y..yes sir." "Did the letter contain information about that shaking we felt last night?" "Haah.. yeah, it did. According to the letter, it was because of a fight between two nation ranks, with one of them being a part of the assassin group." Ellen immediately fell into thought. "So is that what the wave of construction labor requirements was for?" "Yeah, the royal prison is going to be completely rebuilt." "What about the prisoners? Will they be moved to the slum prison?" "No, all of the prisoners from the second floor to the sixth were killed in the crossfire and the stronger ones on the bottom floors will probably be ''cleaned''." "Haah.. There was a moment of silence as she leaned back in her seat and looked up at the ceiling. So what about other things? Are we changing any policies?" "Actually yeah, we are going to send all of Kaelallan into lockdown, even backwater towns will be searched for the assassins'' accomplices." "So a full border lockdown as well? Her face turned grim seeing me nod. So.. what do I need to write for the announcement?" "I''ll do that today, you haven''t slept since the day before yesterday. The bags under her eyes were clearly visible. Just go get some rest. I''ll lend you the loft." Thankfully, she started cheering up once I gave her some rest time. "Yes sir. Thank you very much!" She gave a somewhat lethargic bow as she stood up. Tapping my desk and deactivating the silencing barrier, I casually motioned her out of the room and got to working on the announcement. -This is gonna be a real pain in my ass..- - ~~~ - [1] As the day continued, adventurers continued to flow into the guild waiting for the early morning quests and announcements to be posted, but there were far more than normal. After the receptionists pushed through the crowd of people and posted the quests, the idle chatter only got louder. "Damn, just what happened? ''300 D rank or above needed for rebuilding royal prison.''" "Did you not feel that weird shaking last night? That might''ve been the prison collapsing." "I doubt it.. my father was sent there for work once and he said that even a Nation rank couldn''t destroy it." "Haha, who knows, it doesn''t matter to me though, look at that pay!" ''50-100 Silver per person per day depending on the amount of work done.'' Before long, word of the unusual quest along with an announcement about border control spread like wildfire. Adventurers quickly lined the streets in an attempt to join the build quest with most not thinking much about the announcement at all. Although they all read the announcement, they didn''t think much of it. Immigration and border control mattered to very few of them. Most had lived in Kaelallan all their lives and had no plans of changing that, but news of it still spread quickly and gathered the attention of the regular citizens and merchants. Rumors quickly started to spread as people started coming up with explanations for everything, but not a single one was correct. To be fair though, who could have guessed the prison collapsed because of a fight between a kid and a Nation Rank? Chapter 54: Ominous Information Chapter 54: Ominous Information Mid Afternoon - Mid Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan - Michael Cotorel ~ *clang* *clank* Uwwahh.. Hm?" With a yawn and a stretch, I woke up to the muffled noises of hammering metal. -Oh, it''s a silencing artifact..- Finally coming to my senses, I reached over and turned off the artifact. *Clang* *Clang* "Oh, you''re up! Udall noticed the artifact turning off immediately. How''d you sleep?" -He seems to be in a decent mood..- "I slept pretty well actually, I feel a little better." "That''s good to hear." Although he was slightly turned away from me, I could still see his warm smile. "So what time is it?" "Some time in the afternoon. Youve been out for quite a while.." -Damn.. I guess I really needed some sleep..- "Did anything happen while I was knocked out?" There was a bit of hesitation in his response. "Nothing worth worrying about." "You know you can''t hide a lie from me, we''ve known each other for too long." There was another short pause, likely from Udall thinking about what to say before he just let out a deep sigh. "Haah, well.. they sent an assassin to clean you up." Although subtle, there was a hint of a smile that had crept onto his face. "Considering your expression, I''ll take a wild guess and say they weren''t strong enough to do anything?" His smile slowly became more pronounced as he turned back to look at me. "The dumbass didn''t even make it through the door!" His bright smile wasted no time in cheering me back up. "Haha, it''s good to see your blade is as sharp as ever." "Well of course, how could I let myself fall behind you? Just because I''ve settled down doesn''t mean I grew old and weak!" As he pulled up his arm and flexed, I was instantly reminded of the good old days of our adventures together. Haha.. A thankful smile quickly came to my face. -It''s good to see that time hasn''t gotten a hold of him yet..- We continued to chat and mess around like that for quite a while after that, but once sunset rolled around, I remembered the mountain of things I needed to take care of. "Alright, well, I need to go by the guild to give an update to Ellen. Thanks for cheering me up." "Yeah.. I wasn''t involved in that, but I do think I know who it was.. I feel bad for the assassins honestly.." "What?! Why?" "Well, considering that.. ''being''.. could squash me like a bug, I''d be surprised if someone on this half of the continent could put up a fight.." I shivered slightly as I thought back to the moment I was pressured by his presence. (aura) Ellen''s face was simply blank as if she didn''t believe it. "Who could possibly.." -I probably should say anything since the king is hiding his identity but..- "I can''t say much besides the fact that it looks like a demihuman kid." "It?" "I refuse to believe that that.. thing.. is actually a demihuman." Without knowing it, my face had lost a bit of color. Ellen gave a nervous response. "Was it a black-haired wolf demihuman that looked 12 or so?" I gave a subtle nod without questioning how she knew. "Please keep this under wraps." "O..of course.." There was a short and awkward silence that quickly filled the room before she changed subjects. "So have you gotten any additional information on your promotion?" "No, nothing yet. They will probably send the messenger to you though. I don''t think they know where I''m staying currently." "What? Where are you staying?" "With some old friends in the slum market." "Oh... Without me noticing, a rosy color had come to her cheeks. You know, I''ve got a few extra rooms if you need one.." Although a tempting offer, something felt morally wrong about it. "No, I''m alright, thank you for the offer though.." I ended up giving a somewhat awkward rejection. Looking a little dejected, Ellen held her head low and tucked in her shoulders. "Well if you ever need a place to stay, just let me know." Trying to escape the awkward atmosphere, we ended up chatting in that room for quite a while. She went and updated me on all of the happenings in the kingdom and I tried my best to sort things out and understand them. -No matter how I think about it though.. something about this whole situation just feels wrong..- A deep sense of foreboding filled my stomach the more I thought about it. Chapter 55: A New Guest Chapter 55: A New Guest Late Morning - Mid Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan - Oliver Kaelallan ~ "Haah.." Leaning back in my chair, I looked out the window and took a breather. I had been working all night trying to figure out how to handle the whole situation around the tower but was yet to come up with anything concrete. -It''s been 2 days and I haven''t made an announcement.. people are going to want an explanation for the border and security control changes too..- After spending the last few days dealing with some intrusive nobles, I needed to come to a decision, and fast. -Since I can''t declare war on the tower since they aren''t a country, should I declare hostility? Hopefully, I can get the backing of those in the Bay Alliance..- [1] I had already discussed the situation with Helen and had even gotten another Tower Assassin through an extremely stingy slave trader, but there were still too many gray areas. The assassin Vasilias subdued in the prison had ended up being one of the higher-ups of the tower, but somehow he still didn''t know all of the details about the plan. -At least he knew more than the regular assassins though..- According to him, should his information be accurate, nearly all of the smaller nations near Kaelallan that were in neutral standing with us had been taken. Finally deciding it would be best to just declare hostility through a simple public speech, I did my best to shake off my nervousness. That nervousness still lingered though. -I made a deal with Vasilias, but he''s been sleeping for a few days now... I know Osto said it was normal but I''m nervous something might happen while hes asleep..- According to Osto, I couldn''t wake up Vasilias under any circumstances and that, should something major happen, he would personally give some assistance. -It''s nice to have some reassurance but...- Haah.. With a deep sigh to shake off the remaining uneasiness, I reluctantly pulled out a piece of paper to start thinking of what to say during the speech. -It''s gonna be a long day...-Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com - Maria ~ Haah.. -What an annoying trip...- At long last, I had made it to the Capital of Kaelallan. As I finally made it to the gate, I was met with an extremely unhappy guard. "ID please." -Such a rude guard...- I was still quite annoyed from the trip but didn''t want to make a scene and just showed him my ID. Name: Maria Age: 24 Height: 162.5 cm Hair Color: Silver Eye Color: Silver National Residence: Kaelallan Adventurer Rank: S'' As he looked me up and down, the man''s whole demeanor changed. "Oh, I''m very sorry Ma''am, please enter." Seeing nothing went wrong, I let out a light breath before walking into the city and making my way towards the slum market. As I walked, I could overhear various conversations but most of them revolved around the same topic. -The king is going to give a speech? I wonder what it''s about...- I didn''t dwell on that curiosity for too long though since I quickly arrived at a specific rundown bar. -Oh sh*t..- "Is he alright?" "He''s fine, he got away without much of a punishment thankfully. He actually should be coming back sometime soon." "Oh, good. it''d be nice to see him again." -I wonder if hes changed...- As we walked inside, we made our way over to the table and sat down. "Would you like a drink?" Udall casually continued talking as he started cleaning off the table. "Sure, what are my choices?" Seeing him casually point to the side of the room, I looked over and noticed the shelves lined with alcohol and even a few juices. -Oh they have fresh juice?- Feeling a bit excited to try it fresh, I reached for the bottle of grape juice. "I guess I''ll have one of these." Udall just gave a warm yet conflicted look as he looked me up and down. Mmm.. -That''s some really good stuff...- After cooling the juice with some magic and taking a sip, I walked back to the table and sat down. "So where''s Mollie?" "She had to run some errands. We got a seriously important commission and were running low on materials." There was a short yet awkward silence as I didn''t know how to respond. "So how''s the shop been?" Seemingly too busy to sit and relax, he moved back over to the furnaces and started prepping one. "Oh, it''s been quite good. We''ve gotten pretty famous in recent years too, even the royal family just gave us a commission." "That''s good to hear... So have you and Mollie had a kid yet?" Udall froze and didn''t seem to know what to say. As the silence filled the room, it was broken by a voice coming through the doorway. "No, it''s hard to have a child with how good smithing is right now." It was a voice I instantly recognized. "Hey, Mollie!" I immediately sprang up from my seat to give her a hug. "Oouuhh... Youve gotten stronger again and you somehow look younger!" Mollie groaned from my bear hug. "Well of course I got stronger! I can''t fall behind you guys!" I held up and flexed my arm which lacked toned muscle. "Haha, Michael is the strongest in the group now actually." "What rank is he?" "Well he is still technically S rank but he is just waiting for some formalities for his Nation rank promotion." "Oh, that''s awesome! I knew he had that potential!" "Haha, yeah, he should be back soon, I saw him at the tavern getting a bite to eat. Seemingly distracted, she quickly turned to Udall. Actually, honey, the king is going to be giving a speech tonight and I think it''s best if we attend this one." "Right, it can''t hurt to go. Plus there might be something important mentioned with all the chaos happening recently." I just sat and sipped my juice as I saw Mollie and Udall hug and give each other a little kiss. It made me feel like quite the third wheel. -Maybe I should look for a guy...- Chapter 56: A Royal ID Chapter 56: A Royal ID Late Afternoon - Mid Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan - Michael Cotorel ~ After running a few errands around town and getting lunch at the tavern, I was finally on my way back to the market. I felt refreshed and although not totally at peace with how things turned out, my anxiety had settled enough for me to be able to deal with it. -I need to go to that speech though...- Although unlikely, I was hoping the king would announce some sort of conflict I could earn some reputation back with. -It couldn''t hurt to attend though...- Continuing to idly think about my plans for the future, I arrived at the smithy before I knew it. *Clang* *Clang* "So where are you staying?" Udall''s voice could be heard as I walked into the reception area. -Whos he talking to?- As if to answer my question, another, instantly recognizable voice responded. "Up north, remember? I gained the favor of the lord up there." "Ah right... Oh, welcome back, Michael!" Udall was the first to notice me. Lightly pushing aside the cloth doorway, I immediately locked eyes with Maria. "It''s been a while, Maria. You''re even more beautiful than I remember." My voice was soft and warm, but it seemed to go straight over her head. "Well of course! We, women, get better looking with age." She gave a familiar youthful smile as she glanced over at Mollie. Haha... -That''s not what I was talking about...- "In any case, it''s good to see you doing well, Maria." Finally reading the atmosphere, Maria got up and gave me an unexpected hug. "Likewise... I heard about the whole situation with the king from Udall, I''m glad you''re alright." I wasn''t too sure how to react but decided to just enjoy the moment. "It was thanks to someone else that everything worked out... I couldn''t even sense the assassins in the room..." Maria gave me a shocked look as she started pulling away. "Someone better with aura than you? Who could that be?" "Ah.. it''s a black-haired demihuman.. kid..." Seeing my awkwardness, Maria got curious. "Oh, a kid strong enough to make you scared? I''d like to meet him." Although sure that wasn''t a good idea, I assumed she wouldn''t do anything stupid. "Well you might see him during the speech, but I doubt you''ll be able to talk to him." Maria gave a slightly bothered look. "And what makes you say that?" "Well I think he has more authority than the king, and to make things worse, he is strong enough that if he wished to destroy the entire capital, no one could stop him." She looked a bit surprised before seemingly brushing off my warning. "Then I''ll just have a talk with the king." Her confidence seemed to get on Udall''s nerves. "You can''t do that here Maria. This isn''t that tiny city you''re living in, it''s the royal capital. The king isn''t someone you can just talk to." "Hmph, well see about that." Although it took a bit longer to notice, I couldn''t help but feel like her old, beautiful confidence had turned to arrogance. -Just what happened to her...- We ended up talking there for several more minutes before finally getting ready to leave for the king''s speech with everyone in a good mood. It was great to walk through town as a group for the first time in years, but deep down I could shake off this odd feeling of premonition. - ~~~ - I''ve been taking care of the royal family while you slept but hurry up a little, I have a hunch you''ll be needed soon. Anyways, go ahead and get a new ID and get back to your commission! Dragons must stick to their word! -Love Father'' A warm smile appeared on my face as I tucked away the small card. -Well, I guess it''s time to get a new ID.- Quickly transforming to my humanoid form as Ilios got smaller, we started making our way to the guild. Unlike how it had been in the past, things went much smoother this time. As I walked out of the palace, I got a lot of bowed heads, be it knights, maids, or butlers. -I guess Olivers word has started to spread.- Continuing out of the palace and across town, it only took a moment for me to get to the guild. -It''s pretty empty today, isn''t it?- No one other than a single receptionist was in the room. She quickly sat up straight once she saw me. "What can I do for you, sir?" "I need to get a new ID." I tossed up my old one on the counter. "This one melted." The receptionist paused to look at it in disbelief for a moment before replying. "So... you just want a new ID card?" "Well, I have the card, I just need it initialized." Not really thinking about it, I casually set the card on the counter. The receptionist just froze in place and stared at it with wide eyes. "Ah.. yes.. one moment please, sir..." Her voice was a bit shaky as she ran into the back and brought a muscular dwarven man up to the desk. -His aura is actually not bad...- "What''s the situation? Someone wants a royal ID? We can''t do th-.." His voice was cut short as he finally noticed the card on the counter. It only took a split second for his whole demeanor to change. "Oh, I''m very sorry sir, please wait one moment while I verify and initialize it for you. Nervously reaching up and pulling it off the desk, he examined the card and set it in a different artifact on the desk. A short moment later a green light lit up and the card popped out. Quickly examining it again, he carefully set it back on the desk and pushed it towards me. "Thank you." -That was nice and easy...- "So how much do I pay?" I casually tapped my thumb on my ID and noticed it was the same balance that I had before. "Oh no sir, I couldn''t dare charge someone of your majesty for something so simple." He spoke incredibly formally. I couldn''t help but feel shocked. -I guess I was wrong to assume dwarves were all going to be unmannered blacksmiths...- "You didn''t need to do that, but thank you." With a short exchange of farewells, I made my way out of the guild but couldn''t help but read the announcement board. -So Oliver is giving a speech soon?- Figuring I should attend it, I set a change of course for the central plaza with Ilios in tow. - Voddog Orebane ~ "Why were you so overly polite to him? He was just a kid." The newbie receptionist looked a little troubled. *Bonk* "You''ll really lose your job if you call people like him ''just a kid''." -A royal ID for someone who isn''t in the royal family and someone with that suffocating of an aura... That must be him.- The newbie receptionist rubbed her head where I bonked her, simply assuming that the kid was someone she needed to treat like a noble and not quite understanding the gravity of the situation. "Haah... Thank goodness I didn''t leave for the speech yet." My head unknowingly fell into my hand as I walked back into my office. -I should probably get going...- Chapter 57: A Dangerous Declaration Chapter 57: A Dangerous Declaration Early Evening - Mid Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan Finally leaving the guild, Ilios and I were on our way to the plaza in the upper district, but it ended up being much closer than I expected. -Man, he has quite the audience...- The plaza was absolutely full of people from all walks of life. Merchants, adventurers, mercenaries, knights, nobles, and peasants could all be seen in the plaza, but the part I found most surprising was how happy most of them were. -To think even the nobles are eager to be here...- It was truly odd seeing even the corrupt-looking nobles smiling and idly chatting with each other or the women they came with. -Now hes got me interested in how he leads the country...- Finally deciding I should go meet up with him, I made my way around the crowd and started walking up the stairs to the memorial. "Who''s that child? He dares walk up those stairs before an important speech? Impudent." A chubby and corrupt-looking noble in the front gave me a look of distaste. Guards, stop that child! A few of the guards around him immediately started moving toward me, making me pause my step. "Since you haven''t been informed, I''ll just brush off that remark." Deciding not to execute the guards in front of the huge crowd with children in it, I just used earth magic to weld the knee joints in their armor together so they couldn''t bend or straighten their legs. As I glanced at them, the three guards simultaneously stumbled and fell to the ground. *Thud-Clank-Clunk* A wave of silence washed over the crowd as they heard the noise. "What did he do?" "I don''t know, I think it was some kind of magic." "Wow, to think such a young boy can use magic so effortlessly. It''s a shame that he will just get caught by the royal guards... Like clockwork, 2 more knights brandishing the royal crest on their armor walked down the stairs towards me. "Kid you can''t get past here, the king is preparing for a speech. Please retu-" Trying not to get any more annoyed, I pulled out my ID and flashed the golden crest towards the knights. -I can''t believe I''m having to use this already...- Almost immediately after seeing the ID, both knights took their hands off the hilt of their swords and knelt down. "I''m very sorry sir, please excuse us. We apologize for failing to recognize your majesty." Casually walking past them, I tapped one on the shoulder. "You knights are too uptight." The crowd immediately erupted with chatter after a moment of silence. "Did the king have a bastard son?" "That can''t be, we would''ve known about him. "What''s wrong Maria?" Michael quickly spoke out to her. "N..nothing, I just really don''t like the look in that kids eyes." She seemed a bit annoyed. Finally looking on stage, Michael noticed me and froze in place. "What''s wrong Michael?" The man next to him showed a concerned look seeing his pale face. "N..no..nothing-" *Bbwwaa* Cutting his words short, a knight on stage blew a horn. "Our great King Oliver will now be speaking, please show your respect!" At that moment, everyone in the crowd paid their respects. The nobles stood and bowed, the knights kneeled, and the peasants put their heads to the floor. Everyone in the crowd was showing their respect with the sole exception of the halfie woman. -It seems halfies still have a dragons pride...- Although she was on the very edge of my range for magic, I was going to use wind magic to make her bow, but Michael beat me to it. He reached up and pulled her shoulder down, forcing her to bow. She looked incredibly unhappy to the point that it nearly made me laugh. -Poor girl got her pride crushed!- They didn''t hold the bow for too long though, since after a short moment everyone stood back up or sat back down. As they did so, they each looked up to notice Oliver now on stage. "Thank you everyone for attending my speech. I know you all have important things to be doing so I shall make this quick. As many of you know, a few days ago, there was a huge amount of money used to ''rebuild'' the royal prison. No matter what your speculations may be, I will be clearing that up now. The damage to the prison was done by a Nation rank assassin. A few days ago, there was an attempted assassination of me. With their failed attempt, they were taken captive. Little did I know, the group of S-rank assassins was led by a Nation rank. To be able to send such an oppressive force, many of you may be wondering who it was that sent them. I wish to publicly announce that the Magic Tower has attempted to assassinate a king within the Bay Alliance! I now declare that the magic tower is to be eradicated and would like to request the help of the other nations in the Bay Alliance! We will not wait patiently as the Tower does as they wish. We will no longer allow them to push others around. The Tower has pestered Kaelallan far too much over the years, from interfering with trade to destroying our towns and killing our people. If they wish for war, we shall bring it to them!" As Oliver threw his fist into the air, cheers rang out from the crowd, but not everyone was cheering. The halfie towards the front and a few black-robed men who were spread throughout the crowd remained silent and straight-faced. A smile of excitement crept onto my face seeing their hostile eyes. -It looks like I''ll be able to have some fun!- Chapter 58: The Towers Move Chapter 58: The Tower''s Move Early Evening - Mid Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan *Loud Cheering* -Shes an impatient one, isn''t she.- Seeing my condescending smile, the halfie started pushing her way through the crowd with clear hostility. Looking just past her, I noticed the several other men in black robes moving as well. -So they aren''t going to wait... I expected them to at least report back to their superiors before making a move, but I guess the methods of this era are a little behind.- With a slight shrug of my shoulders, I walked up to the edge of the railing and looked down at the halfie. It only took a second for my smug smile to push her over the edge. "You dare look down on me like that!" Her yell quickly silenced the crowd as everyone assumed she was talking to the king. Guards! Detain this woman! The chubby noble from earlier was the first to move. You pesky rats! I''m not fighting you! *Clank-Crunch* *Clunk* In an instant, she mercilessly slaughtered the knights charging at her and lunged toward me. Before the crowd could even erupt into chaos, she closed the distance and threw a punch at my face. *Tap* She didn''t even have time to react as I grabbed her by the face. How underwhelming... *WHAM-Crackle*Discover new chapters at novelhall.coming her down into the floor, the stone platform shattered. Tch... -To think I got my hopes up for nothing...- As I clicked my tongue, I kicked her limp body through the stone railing and onto the plaza. *Crumble-Thump* The scene of me mercilessly kicking her body off the platform was instantly etched into the minds of everyone present. Some stared at me in awe, some with reverence, and others with fear. Although on Earth, I would have felt incredibly nervous having the attention of so many people, now that I was a dragon, I simply felt nothing. -I guess the attention of ants doesn''t mean anything anymore...- As I thought to myself though, one of the black-robed men appeared next to Oliver. -Right on time, huh...- *CrAcK* The noise of bones shattering filled the air as my fist plowed through his skull. But before his limp body could even fall to the ground, two throwing knives aimed at my head entered my aura. *Clang-Clang* Casually stopping them mid-air, I turned around with a slightly crazed smile. "Nice throws, you were just a bit too slow!" Dashing over to the two men before they could react, I grabbed one by the leg and slammed him into the other. *Splat* Their bodies simply exploded from the impact. "Alright, who''s left?" Standing back up with a refreshed but slightly crazed smile, I turned back towards the crowd to find the other black-robed men but noticed a serious problem. There was a blinding light coming from just below the platform. -She dares?!- Throwing everything else aside, I jumped in front of Oliver and threw up a thick vacuum barrier between the light and him. The sound of the sound barrier ripping apart quickly brought everyone back to their senses. "Knights don''t let anyone else out of the plaza!" Oliver shouted his order to the knights in an attempt to contain the remaining spies within the plaza. Haah... That was pretty refreshing- *Clang* The metal clang of metal came from within the memorial. -Did an assassin go inside?! They mustve gone for Helen or Lucy!- *Rumble* Immediately blasting thrusters I threw myself into the building. The inside was in shambles. -I missed a fight,- but there was nothing to worry about. On the scene was a black-robed man squirming to get out of Helens tight grip. "Vasilias, are you okay?!" Father ran up to me in a panic seeing the blood all over me. "Of course I am, but come outside, Oliver probably needs help with cleanup and I need to know what to do with something." Back outside, Oliver had already rounded up everyone who was still in the plaza including Michael and his crew. "Haah... Sorry to everyone for this inconvenience, but I will need to screen each of you to make sure you aren''t with the assassins. If you aren''t, then you have nothing to worry about. Thank you for cooperating." Oliver spoke up with confidence to calm the crowd, but he clearly wasn''t calm. As he turned away from the broken railing, his face fell into his hands. Seeing the opening, the final assassin dashed forward and swung his knife towards Oliver. -Sh*t!- Unable to kill him with magic without hitting Oliver I cranked up a thruster, zooming forward to grab his leg before the knife could hit Oliver. -Got ya!- With his leg in hand, I used the momentum from the thruster to throw him across the plaza and through a wooden building. *Crackle* "Sh*t, sorry for letting him get that close Oliver..." After having a second to process what happened, Oliver comforted me. "Please don''t apologize. I''m alright, aren''t I? Plus, I should be thanking you instead of accepting an apology." Oliver gave a deep bow causing everyone nearby to tense up, but they all understood why. The kid in front of them just beat the hell out of a dragon and killed several assassins. Following Oliver''s lead, all of the nearby knights gave me a deep bow as well. As I was looking around to make sure there were no other assassins nearby, a huge demihuman man came up and groveled next to Oliver and me. "I''m sorry my liege!!" -Who is this guy?- Chapter 59: Fearful Gazes Chapter 59: Fearful Gazes Mid Evening - Mid Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan "I''m sorry my liege!!" A young and youthful voice unfitting the man''s body rang out. -Who is this guy?- Looking him up and down, he was clearly quite young, but his body was toned like a top-notch bodybuilder and his aura was tempered and calm. "Lawton, please stand up." Oliver gave an embarrassed look as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I''m sorry my lord." Finally standing up, he wore a shy look. "How many times have I said you should just call me Oliver." "I wouldn''t dare call my benefactor so casually!" -Benefactor?- Seeing how Oliver wanted him to speak casually, I started getting curious about who he was. "So, who is this?" "Oh right, you haven''t met him. This is Lawton Keen, Kaelallans strongest and youngest Nation Rank adventurer." -Yeah, I''m not too surprised...- Although the amount of aura he had was significantly less than Michaels, it was immensely more worn and tempered. -It''s really impressive for a humanoid...- But what are you apologizing so aggressively for?" "Because I failed at my job to protect the lord... again." Lawtons face was washed with guilt. "Again?" "Well, the last time you were the one to protect him, it was during the meeting with that... mage." He glanced over at Michael with a distasteful look. Oliver was quick to ease Lawton''s anger though. "We have confirmed that Michael is uninvolved, so try not to hold a grudge. Plus, aren''t I fine?" Oliver showed an oddly fatherly smile to Lawton before turning away. "In any case, now isn''t time for small talk. Since you were missing during that fight, go order the knights to start screening everyone in the plaza." "Yes, sir!" His shyness instantly vanished as he gave a deep bow and turned to the group of knights. "Alright! Everyone sift through the civilians and question them. If something seems off about their answers, put them into one group, if they are clean, let them go!" The huge contrast from his shy personality around Oliver to the one he used with the knights was like night and day, reminding me of a certain someone. -At least his alternate personality isn''t a crazy one...- Finally realizing I was getting off-topic, I turned back to Oliver. "So where do you want me to ''lock up'' and interrogate the halfie?" "Ah, I assumed it was too hard to move and figured we would just tie it down here." It was nothing I couldn''t get used to or ignore, but with my reserve at around 90% full, that pressure was completely gone. Haah... -That feels much better...- Quickly double-checking to make sure I was completely done with my steel contraption, I made my way back over to Oliver who was now comforting Lucy. Seeing Lucy''s pale face, I assumed she got scared by my mana and covered her in a bit of my aura, but Oliver got caught up in it as well. After a short moment, their heart rates started to level out, and the color returned to Lucy''s face. "Do you feel a bit better now?" Although I was talking to Lucy, Oliver was the one to snap out of his trance and respond. "Ah yes... Sorry for staring..." He was quick to bow his head. "Haha, it''s alright, I''ve gotten used to it." Although at first, I resisted my draconic instincts in favor of my past lifes human morals, as time passed, my entire psyche shifted. At this point, humans had fallen to be as low as animals, with very few being placed above them. -To think I used to have sympathy for such weak creatures...- Feeling something brush against my leg, I looked down to see Ilios looking up at me with a proud look. During the fight, he was sitting on the railing and watching, but no one seemed to notice him since I stole the eyes of everyone around. "Sorry for stealing the spotlight, buddy." Leaning down, I gave a little apology and scratched his head. "Hhoouu.." He let out a noise of satisfaction as I scratched behind his ears. -Hehe...- Feeling the warmth in my chest grow, I couldn''t help but smile. -He''s so cute...- Finally realizing the tense atmosphere, I stood back up and looked at Oliver and Lucy. "Sorry for scaring you two." Almost immediately, Oliver broke into a slight panic. "We were not scared of you! Please don''t think that!" "Haha, it''s fine. It''s fine. It is totally normal." My words of comfort were followed by a short silence before Sarah''s familiar voice rang out from behind us. "My goodness, just what did I miss?" As I turned around, I saw both Lewis and Sarah walking up together, staring wide-eyed at the dragon pinned to the shattered plaza. Chapter 60: A Crumbling Plan Chapter 60: A Crumbling Plan Mid Evening - Mid Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan "My goodness, just what did I miss?" As Sarah walked up, her eyes were glued on the halfie pinned to the plaza. "The assassins tried to kill me again, I guess that was their backup this time." "No kidding..." Slowly turning towards Oliver, the bartender I met right as I entered the city, Lewis, noticed me. "Oh, it''s you!" Seeing how close he and Sarah were, I immediately connected the dots. -So he really was the same Lewis from Fathers adventuring party...- "Hey Lewis." Sarahs face instantly washed with a mix of confusion and disappointment. "You two already knew each other?" "Yeah, when I first arrived in Kaelallan, I stopped by his bar and got a bite to eat. It was actually a pretty good experience too." A smile appeared on his face from the compliment, but it didn''t last long. "So what exactly happened here? Sarah was just telling me about what happened over the last few days, but..." As he looked around and got a closer look at the several mangled bodies, his look of concern worsened. Oliver was quick to try and explain though. "Well, to say the least, the Tower really wants me dead." "So Sarah didn''t just mishear it, huh..." His face looked troubled as he fell into thought. "Wait, so how many assassins did they send? I only see 4 bodies here, and I heard from Sarah that there were 7 previously, but that only totals 11..." "Well, there are 3 others with one in the monument, one over in that collapsed building, and the last technically being the ''dragon''. I immediately tried shooting down his concerns, but they all fell short. That change much. His face was still troubled. For some context, most real assassination groups run in teams between 15 and 20, but for a huge association like the tower, they are likely closer to 50 or even more. So? What are you getting at? I wasn''t quite picking up what he was putting down. What I''m saying is that this wasn''t all of them. In groups that big, they leave a few stragglers to report back to their leader even if the assassination attempt fails. Lewis was still deep in thought, but I quickly shut down his worries. "Youre worrying way too much about it. It was clear he was already trying to find a solution. Things have escalated a bit beyond the point of just involving Kaelallan." I looked over towards the halfie in the plaza with an odd look. -Depending on what I learn from her, the entire Tower may just disappear...- "Man, we have the whole gang!" Ripping me out of my thoughts, Father walked out of the monument with blood-covered sleeves. Hm? Oh, hey, Osto. Lewis gave a light wave as he tried to shake off my ominous words. Where is Helen? Fathers enthusiasm immediately dried up. "Well, she''s.." He glanced in other directions, clearly wanting to avoid the question.Discover new chapters at novelhall.com It only took a second for Lewis to notice. "Ah-AHEM!" Understanding what Father meant, Lewis cleared his throat and tried to change the subject. Olivers look of confusion deepened as he clearly wasn''t understanding. -Wait... There''s no way he doesnt know... right?- - ~~~ - (Omnipotent) Haah... From there, the executive continued back to the hideout. -If that dragon is alive, it will leak our plans to save itself...- Although the man had minimal knowledge about dragons, he clearly understood that they were very selfish creatures. -I''m impressed the higher-ups managed to win them over...- Over the past couple of years, there had been some huge advancements in the tower''s plans because they were able to gain the help of a large group of dragons. The Tower was able to take control of several nations exceptionally easily due to their support. Simply put, dragons were creatures humanoids stood no chance against. Haah... Finally making it back inside the hideout, the executive sat down at an empty table and started flicking around a gold coin. -I wonder how much they spent to win em over..- - Vasilias ~ Back in Kaelallan, things had steadied to a calm. Father, with everyone in his group, moved back into the monument to chat while I sat by the railing with Ilios, waiting for the halfie to wake up. -I wish she would wake up faster...- "It''s a little chilly tonight..." Lucys voice was quick to pull me from my thoughts. -What is she doing out here?- "I thought you were inside." "I got bored... They were talking about things I didn''t care to talk about." "Well, there is no need for you to do anything else out here. I''d honestly recommend staying inside in case more assassins show up." I really wanted to just send her away so I could do other things, but my kind suggestion fell short. "Am I not safer with you if one showed up?" "..." I couldn''t refute her words. "Well, anyway, you want a drink or snack?" She stuck a piece of white bread towards me as she sipped her water. "No thanks. My rejection was blunt. By the way, where did that other nation rank go? That knight, Lawton Keen." "He was just going around giving orders to knights, I think he went to the barracks for something though." "Ah..." -That''s a shame.. now would be a good time to chat with him...- Looking back over the plaza, I laid back and got lost in the sea of stars. After a while, Lucy got bored and ended up going back inside and I was once again left alone with Ilios under the starry night sky. After a while, Ilios shifted over and laid his head on my stomach. As I ran my fingers through his fur, my mind got lost in an ocean of thoughts and memories. Haah... -To think I miss Mother already..- Chapter 61: A Very Large But Very Sneaky Man Chapter 61: A Very Large But Very Sneaky Man Late Evening - Mid Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan - Andre Pinero ~ (The Executive) *Shink* *Shink* "Sir Pinero, the scout has returned." -Took him long enough..- Setting the blade I was sharpening down on the table, I looked up at the messenger with a serious expression. "Bring him in." It had been several hours since I sent the scout to Kaelallan to check if the dragon was still alive, but the scout had taken far too long. -I wonder what kind of problem I''ll have to clean up this time...- Right as I started to get annoyed, the scout finally came in and gave a deep bow, being sure to hold the position until he got permission to speak. "You look a little pale. Assuming things really did go wrong, my agitation started to worsen. Don''t tell me you failed?" The boy immediately broke into a cold sweat. "No sir, nothing of the sort. It was just my first time seeing a dragon." Although my gut told me he was telling the truth, his body language said he was lying. Discover new chapters at novelhall.com -He isn''t dumb enough to lie that blatantly, right?- "So what did you find?" "T..the plaza, w..where the king gave his s..speech, was devoid of people besides the royal guard, but in the middle was a dragon''s body that was pinned to the ground. Likely noticing my unhappy mood, he immediately broke into a cold sweat. There was also a pile of 5 bodies on the monument''s platform, likely belonging to the assassins that were sent last week." -Did one survive?- I took a second to think about it before assuming they were just being kept alive for information. "So what about the dragon? Was it alive?" "I believe so since it was pinned to the ground, but it was in rough shape." My eyes immediately went wide. "What do you mean by ''rough shape''?" "Well, its nose was crushed and it had a rather large wound on the top of its head from something blunt. It had blood coming from its head, nose, and mouth..." The scout''s voice had become slightly shaky. -What?! It wasnt damaged by a sword but instead by something blunt?- Lawton was, although extremely strong, someone who relied on their sword, blunt force just wasn''t his style. -But to be able to damage a dragon so severely with blunt force... Just who...- "You said it was pinned down?" "Yes... Uhm..." "Spit it out." Although I tried to suppress it somewhat, my agitation started to show. The scouts face only continued to lose color. "Its head, legs, and wings were pinned to the ground by huge refined metal rings." -What?!- Although up to that point, I had been steadily piecing together and visualizing what happened, that singular piece of information destroyed it all. The scout had no reason to lie about something like this, and even his body language told me it was the truth, but it was something I simply could not believe. Several questions flew through my mind before I finally decided to try and move around it. "Did you end up figuring out who fought the dragon?" His face immediately lost its last remaining color. "Ahh, yes actually-" *Shing* His voice was cut short by the sound of a sword slicing through the thick stone door. *Shing* Cleanly slicing the thick stone slab in half, I looked into the room and saw two people staring at me, one of which had a considerably strong aura. "Hm... Are you the boss?" Although I could see them, I couldnt see any details through the dust. -What a dusty ass room...- - Vasilias ~ *distant chatter* Slowly opening my eyes, I noticed the night sky still hanging over me. Feeling Ilios still laying on my chest, I looked down to see him looking at me with his tail wagging. -You are the cutest thing!- Feeling the wave of warmth overtake my heart, I reached down to rub his head but was cut short by some loud noises *THUD* *THUD* -Well, I guess shes finally awake...- slowly sitting up, I looked into the plaza and saw the gray halfie trying to break itself free *THUD* *THUD* "Uwwaaah... I''d recommend you stop making so much noise, you''ll wake people up..." I let out a nice yawn as I hopped off the platform and walked toward her. The entire plaza fell into silence following my voice. "Who-" Hearing her attempt to speak in her dragon form around humans, I immediately darted up to her and threw a hammer kick down on the top of her head. *Crunch* The plaza cracked as her mouth was forced shut with immense force. Her pupils dilated and locked onto me, clearly absolutely furious, but that anger vanished the instant I looked her in the eyes and spoke. If you say a single word before I put up silencing magic, I''ll skin you. Her face immediately washed with fear as she clearly understood it wasn''t a hollow threat. -That''s a better expression.- "I think it''s time we have a little talk. What do you think?" *Crackle* The cracks in the plaza spread as I pressured her head with my aura. She vigorously nodded her head the instant I finished talking. "Good, that makes things easier." In the next instant, a 10-foot wall of stone and a thick vacuum barrier formed around us. "Ill get straight to the point... What is a halfie like you doing cooperating with the tower?" Chapter 62: A Na?ve Dragon Chapter 62: A Nai?ve Dragon Late Evening - Mid Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan "I''ll get straight to the point... What is a halfie like you doing cooperating with the Tower?" Her eyes went wide with shock and fear. "How do you know about half breeds?" -She hasnt connected the dots yet, huh...- "That''s because I''m a dragon." "..." She didn''t quite know how to respond as she broke into a cold sweat. "Alright now answer my question, why are you helping humans?" Even though she still had a touch of disbelief on her face, she clearly understood that I could kill her and ended up caving. "My father told me to assist the tower in whatever way they asked when I was young, and ever since then, I did just that." -So she was basically sold into the tower. Do they know she''s a ''dragon'' though?- "What were they asking you to do?" "Um... Over the past few years, it was mostly to find and retrieve strong mana cores, through hunting or stealing, but recently they wanted me to use my identity as a ''dragon'' to take over Kaelallan from the inside... -So they really did know...- "You do understand how illegal that is, right? Not only you but everyone connected to your identity will be executed." Her anger suddenly worsened as I spoke. "How so? Wasn''t that a law of the pure dragons? Weve already split from those jerks. Plus, do you think I''m the only half-breed helping the tower? There are too many of us for you jerks to handle." Her arrogance had started to show again, and it just pushed all the wrong buttons. -You must be kidding, right?- Getting closer to her, I increased the pressure from my aura severalfold and looked deep into her eyes. "You seem to be gravely underestimating the strength of real dragons." Her face paled once again as every ounce of arrogance drained from it. But that was when something suddenly clicked. -Wait... If there are that many halfies assisting the Tower, they obviously wouldn''t be doing it without compensation, so...- It was a bit of a stretch, but it made several stray dots suddenly connect. -Is the Tower the human organization funding the rebellion?- The theory was a missing puzzle piece that made everything suddenly fit together, but no matter how good it was, it was still a theory with no real evidence backing it up. -But if I do manage to find evidence, my job with Oliver will get immensely easier.- As things were currently, I was on my own against the Tower, and although I wasn''t too worried about fighting an organization of humanoids by myself, with the halfies and rebellion involved, things were bound to get dangerous, but things didn''t need to stay that way. Now, all I needed was to find some concrete evidence connecting them to the rebellion and then simply let the elders do the dangerous part for me. It had been a long and arduous fight, but at long last, Lawton managed to come out on top. Hah.. hah.. Lawtons strength was by no means low, he was actually quite a monster, but this executive gave him a real run for his money. That was.. too close... They were fairly evenly matched throughout the entire fight, each dealing significant damage to each other before Lawton finally got through an opening and chopped the executive''s legs off, but this also left Lawton with several serious injuries. Sh*t... I need to make it back to the city! Forcing himself up, he looked around the room and ripped a large piece of cloth off the wall to bandage the huge gash along his arm. Just before wrapping it up though, he grabbed a bottle of booze from the table and drenched the cloth in it. -Okay.. 1.. 2.. 3..- "Aaarghh!" Gritting his teeth as the alcohol seeped into his deep and open wound, he hastily finished wrapping it and tied off the ends with a bit of rope. The cloth didn''t take long to start filling with blood, but now it had become a race against time. Turning to the door he dashed out and started heading back to Kaelallan in a hurry. He was already exhausted from the fight, so the running started pushing his fatigue beyond its limit. Every muscle in his body was screaming at him to the point that he even ditched his priceless armor to lighten up. Thankfully, it didn''t take too long before he arrived at the castle gate, but he was immediately met with resistance. "Halt sir!" Seeing a huge demihuman man sprinting towards the castle was bad news to the gate guards. But as the knights drew their weapons and prepared for a fight, their captain yelled out. "That''s Lawton Keen! Let him through immediately!" -How is he so heavily injured?!- Immediately realizing the severity of Lawtons wounds, the gate captain cleared a path for him, letting him into the city without issue. But Lawton didnt stop to thank him at all, he simply blasted through the main gate and sprinted all the way to the royal barracks, leaving a trail of blood the whole way there. Throwing open the door to the medical ward by the training grounds revealed a few other knights that got caught up in the prison incident and a couple of doctors. The doctors each recognized Lawton immediately, but their looks only took a moment to turn to shock. "Sir Keen, what are you-Oh goodness!! Get some alcohol and stitching equipment quickly!" Seeing his pale face and the blood-drenched cloth on his arm, they knew he was in trouble, but before the doctors could even come to help him lay in a bed, he collapsed to the ground. *Thud* Chapter 63: Complications Chapter 63: Complications Early Morning - Mid Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan *tap* *tap* *tap* Hearing Fathers footsteps, I turned around to see him walking away from the stone wall. -That was fast...- You were qui- Can you raise up the wall some? He interrupted me with a clearly unhappy voice. Y..yeah, hold on for a second... Immediately understanding what he wanted to do, I moved over to the wall and took my time increasing its height to about 30 meters. Not long after I finished, while I was fiddling with magic not too far away, the entire plaza shook so violently that the wall nearly collapsed. Thankfully, I noticed and fixed it before having to worry about Father''s dragon form being revealed. After another hour or so, Father eventually came out and I started breaking down the wall which quickly revealed Maria laying there with a defeated look. The ring around her neck was buckled and the top of the ring was smashed in, clearly showing where Father tried to drive the massive steel ring further into the ground. -Dragons really are some insane creatures...- Turning back to Father, I noticed his oddly indifferent expression. "So.. I''m guessing you want her to stay there?" "Well, I damn sure won''t let her go. She still has some useful information. I just figured we would leave her here since there is no chance she can break out of that ring..." As he spoke, he glanced at the bent ring with a suppressed look of awe. "Well, if we want, I can just remove and rebuild that ring wherever." Father looked at me with wide eyes for a moment. "No, she should be fine here. She knows what will happen if she attacks someone... Anyways, where''s Oliver and the others?" "Lewis and Sarah went to the bar a few minutes ago, and everyone else should still be inside." "Hm, Okay. Do you have any plans for the next few days?" -Why the odd question?- "No, I was just planning to practice some magic or explore the city a bit." "Oh alright, in that case, do you mind staying here on your own for a few days? I need to go back to Bahamut to report my.. unusual discoveries with the elders." "So you came to the same conclusion as me, huh?" "Probably.. I think that the tower and the rebellion are connected somehow..." -Somehow?- "I thought that the tower was the one funding the rebellion." As if a light bulb went off, his eyes went wide and a smile came to his face. "Oh, wow... That would actually make perfect sense!" He ended up standing there, deep in thought for a moment before looking like he needed to leave. But I had no plans in stopping him. "You should pay Mother a visit while you''re out." Fathers smile immediately turned warm. "Haha, alright. I''ll stop by there on my way back from Bahamut. In any case, this information is pretty time sensitive so tell Oliver where I went, I''m going to head out." "Here, how about this? I think it might be cool to explore the campus or sit in on a few classes, but I, under no circumstances, will enroll." -Why would I ever want to spend so much precious time with humans...- Thankfully, Lucy didn''t notice my slight look of disgust and responded happily. "That''s okay! You can work that out, right, Mother?" "Sure, sweetie." Helen''s smile was warm and pure, causing me to think of Mother. Haah... -I hope she is doing well...- - Oliver Kaelallan ~ Making my way into the medical ward, I quickly noticed Lawton laying on a bed covered in bloody bandages. But as much blood as there was, I let out a deep sigh of relief. "Phew..." -It''s nothing too serious...- Although it was a gruesome gash, it was nothing that wouldn''t heal when given time, especially for a Nation Rank. "Sorry I''m late, I came as soon as someone told me you were injured, it just took them a while to get through the security in the Plaza." Lawton lethargically looked up at me. "Please don''t apologize, my lord, I''m simply happy that you''ve come to see me." "Well of course I would. I''m just glad to see that you''re doing alright." After I spoke, a young nurse walked in to rebandage his wounds. "Greetings your highness. She gave a short but elegant bow before starting to take off Lawtons bandages. He got quite lucky since none of the major veins in his arm were severed even with such a deep wound. He should be out of the ward in a few days, but he won''t be able to fight for at least two weeks." -Two weeks to fully heal... Nation ranks really are incredible...- "Right, who was it you fought to end up like this? I thought you were in Kaelallan, but I heard some people say they saw you run down the main road dripping blood." "R..right... Let me just start from the beginning.." We spent the next several minutes talking about everything that happened before I was finally up to speed. "So did you manage to get any information out of them? I''d assume they were part of the tower." "Yes, they were. They were the top group within the assassin division of the tower. Their boss, whom I killed last night, was the current leader and executive of that division." -If just a branch manager was that strong, how strong are the tower leaders?- I tried my best to ignore the ominous feeling in my gut when I thought about it. -I''m sure we will be fine.. hopefully...- "Haah, go ahead and get some rest. Once you feel healed enough to leave AND the doctors agree, come report to me. Lucy starts class in a few days so I''d like you to look over the academy at that time. It should give you a good bit of time to work with the kids and recuperate." His eyes seemed nervous though. "What about defending the city?" "It will be fine, you just need to rest up. I have a plan to handle the tower and protect the capital, so don''t worry." Finally managing to ease some of his worries, he finally started to relax. We sat there in silence for a moment before he continued in a soft voice. "I know I say this all of the time, but thank you, my lord... If it weren''t for you, I would''ve died in that dungeon all those years ago..." As the memory flashed in my mind, I felt my chest tighten up slightly. "You shouldn''t thank me for that. Just.. get some rest..." Chapter 64: A Receptionists Strife Chapter 64: A Receptionists Strife Mid Morning - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan - Ellen ~ It was a beautiful, sunny morning, and the guild was packed like usual, but the crowd was lingering far longer than normal. Instead of dispersing after the few dozen quests were ripped off the board, they stuck around and gossiped. But it wasn''t just the adventurers. Today, even regular citizens gathered to question Sir Whytes identity, be it through gossip or relentlessly questioning the receptionists. "Who was the kid who beat the dragon?" "What family is that kid from?" "How old was he?" "What kind of demihuman was the kid?" They were all questions I had been asked countless times that day, and eventually, I just got tired of it. "Haah.." As my head fell into my hands, I finally gave up trying to politely turn down everyone who came to ask me questions. -I should just make an announcement...- Standing up on the receptionist''s desk, I quickly grabbed everyone''s attention. "Attention everyone! If you are here to ask about the identity of the man who beat the dragon in the plaza last night, please leave. We cannot release any information about him without the Royal Family''s permission. If they decide to tell us anything, we will be sure to post an announcement." The chatter in the room was immediately subdued. "Phew.." I let out a deep breath as I sat back down and enjoyed the silence, but it was only temporary. Shortly after, the chatter in the room erupted again. "Who is he?" "Could the king actually have a bastard son?" "No, there''s no way. I''ve never seen a demihuman with such black hair, even in all of the nations I''ve been to." "He was really enchanting." "Since when were you attracted to kids? He definitely wasn''t of legal age." "You know what I mean! You can''t tell me you weren''t enchanted as well." "Haaah..." -Maybe I should just head home early today...- "Miss, are you alright?" Hearing the unfamiliar voice, I looked up to see a man wearing a brown mask and robe leaving only his eyes clearly visible. "Im doing okay. Thank you for your concern." Looking him up and down, his attire screamed ''suspicious'', but after looking a little closer, I noticed he only had one arm under his robe and the way he held it made it seem like it was broken. -He must have been in an accident...- "So what can I help you with, sir?" "He should be fine. It''s only been a single night. He doesn''t come every day anyway." But even though the Guild Master managed to casually brush off his worries, I couldn''t quite do the same. "Right.. I really shouldn''t be worrying about him." Anxiety built in my gut the more I thought about it. "Haah... Well, that''s all for now. I need you to go out and help the other receptionists now. They sound like they''re having a hard time." Outside the door, I could still hear the endless chatter of people mixed with the pitter-patter of the receptionists running around. "Haah. Okay..." Although a little disappointed that I needed to go back into the chaos, I figured it was for the best. -Hopefully, it can get my thoughts off of Michael...- - Michael Cotorel ~ "Good morning Michael." Udall''s voice was the first thing I woke up to. "Uwwah... Good morning..." As I rubbed my eyes, I tried to remember what happened before I fell asleep, but my mind drew a blank. "What happened last night?" "You don''t remember?" He looked at me like I was crazy. "No, not really..." No matter how much I thought, I couldn''t remember anything other than an awful feeling in my chest. *Clink* The clink of glass bottles pulled me out of my thoughts as I looked over to see Udall setting two empty liquor glasses on the table. "My goodness, did I drink that much?" I gripped my head as I felt a headache coming on. "Yeah.. all by yourself." His face looked a bit worried. "So... What happened?" Udall immediately cringed and hesitated before speaking. "Well, we were in the plaza for the speech and, uh.. Maria.. ahem.. turned into a dragon and tried to kill the king... She then proceeded to get beaten up by that demihuman ''kid'' you mentioned the other day..." Almost immediately, a wave of memories from the event washed over my mind. "Oh.. right..." Remembering it made me want to shrivel up in a corner and cry. "Maybe I do need another glass..." But Udall''s face turned stern. "No, you need to try and face it... Maybe you can go talk to her. I''m sure she has a good reason... Hopefully..." "R..right... Is she still in the plaza?" "Y..yeah, she''s still pinned there..." "Haah, in that case..." As I stood up, I glanced around the room and noticed Mollie wasn''t anywhere to be seen. "Where did Mollie go?" As I said that, the curtain door behind me was pushed open. "I''m up here sorting contracts. Are you going to head up to the plaza?" "Yeah... I need to try and talk to her. If I''m honest, I don''t think I''ll be able to think about anything else until I clear things up." My heart was in turmoil as countless contradicting emotions fought within my mind. Mollie seemed to notice it as well. "I think I know how you feel... I think we all have some things to clear up with Maria, but.. you should take your time." Her smile was warm, but I couldn''t help but feel like my heart was oddly cold. -Maybe... no, I shouldn''t think that...- Quickly shaking the dark thoughts out of my mind, I tried to put on a smile. "Well, let''s see if we can even get permission to see her first..." Chapter 65: Complicated Emotions Chapter 65: Complicated Emotions Early Afternoon - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan - Michael Cotorel ~ "Hooh.." Finally turning onto the street that looked into the plaza, I had to take a deep breath to calm my nerves. Slowly looking up, I noticed I could finally see Maria. Her eyes were closed and her head was lying in a pool of dried blood. It was a sight that made my previously subtle emotions rush forward. That horrible cocktail of emotions ravaged my mind, but it only got worse when I went to sort it out and calm down. I felt sad, worried, and even scared, but those feelings were comparatively easy to suppress. Deep down, in the deepest and darkest part of my soul, the scene made me feel an out-of-place, yet instinctual happiness. The happiness of seeing my betrayer in pain.Discover new chapters at novelhall.com It was only a subtle feeling, but it was more than enough to completely destroy my mental state. "W..why..?" Before I knew it, my face drained of color and my legs went weak. -She was someone I was closer to than family... So, why do I feel..- "Are you alright?!" Seeing me collapse, Udall immediately broke into panic, but Mollie was quick to get under my shoulder and lift me back up. "Are you sure about this?" Her voice carried a familial worry. "HooOoH.." Even my breath was shaky. "I''m.. fine..." Using Mollie''s voice as a foothold, I somehow managed to calm down fairly quickly. As a mage, I had very fine control over my mind, so once I actually got a grip, I could at least hold it together. "Hooh..." -I just need to talk to her... I''m sure she didn''t mean to betray m.. us...- "Let''s.. just go try and talk to her.." Still being supported by Mollie, I continued down the road. Once we got close to the plaza, a knight rushed over to see if we needed help. "Are you okay, sir?" "I''m.. fine... I need to go speak with that dragon. " "T..talk?" The knight immediately froze in place and looked at me like I was crazy. "Sir, we were told to not let anyone other than the royal family or our superiors through here, so please understand." Immediately reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my ID and handed it to the knight. "Here, sir.." "What are you giving me this for?" "I have lots of contribution points, I''d like to spend some to be allowed to see her.." Looking at my card, I still had ''1,173,650'' Contribution Points, 173,650 more than needed for my Nation Rank Promotion. -That should be more than enough...- But things didn''t go as I expected. "Sir, I don''t think you understand. This isn''t the same as the prison, you can''t spend contribution points to get past security here.." When she eventually noticed Michael''s unusually pale face, her mind washed with grief and sadness. She couldn''t stand the fact that her friends looked so heartbroken and betrayed, but to a humanoid, those saddened eyes looked cold and heartless. That seemingly cold glance at Michael pierced his heart with the force of countless blades. Unable to continue looking at him without breaking down herself, Maria closed her eyes and blew a small flame at the letter, immediately turning it to ash. That scene alone was enough to rip Michaels heart apart, but it only got worse when Maria glanced at him once again before turning away and closing her eyes. Maria did it to keep herself from crying and protect her pride as a dragon, but even her prideful heart ached. Almost immediately, Michael fell to his knees. -There''s.. no way.. right?- It felt as if his heart was collapsing in on itself, as he watched his worst nightmare finally come to light. Udall and Mollie could only watch the scene in silence, even they didn''t know how to react. They couldn''t believe their eyes either. On the other hand, Michael''s heart nearly stopped. He did his best to stay calm up until this point because he wholeheartedly believed in the fact that her feelings over the years were real, but seeing her cold, heartless eyes as she burned the letter broke the dam. As Michael''s eyes drained of vitality, a huge amount of mana began to channel into him. His mind, trying to deal with the massive surge of emotions, converted everything into rage. Feeling the huge mass of mana, the knights immediately broke into a panic. "Get the Captain!!" But before the knights could do anything, Udall snapped out of his shock and instinctually threw a heavy chop into the base of Michaels skull. *Thud* As Michaels body fell limp to the floor, the mana started to subside, but it was already too late. The knights had already rushed over and surrounded them with weapons drawn. "Please cooperate, sir!" The knights were brandishing their weapons at the group of 3, but Mollie lowered herself to the ground and took a closer look at Michael. "Michael?!" Her eyes went wide when she set her hand on his head. "He has mana poisoning!" Finally looking around at the situation, she quickly realized how bleak it was. "You knights are here to protect the people, right?! So help this man or he''s going to die!" Udall was starting to let his emotions get to him. But even with his angry words, the knights didn''t budge until their superior arrived. "What is the situation?" "Sir, that mage there was going to attack us-" "He needs to go to the medical ward or he will die!" Mollie was crying in panic. She could easily run with him to the clinic, but they''d never make it with the entire royal guard on their backs. Thankfully though, her plea made it to the captain''s ears. "Escort them to the clinic, and keep a close eye on them. They need to answer some questions once their friend gets treated." Grasping the dim ray of hope, Mollie picked up Michael''s limp body. "Thank you, sir. Truly, thank you..." After giving a quick thanks, she started dashing to the clinic across town with several knights in tow. Chapter 66: Advances Chapter 66: Advances Late Afternoon - Late Spring : Kingdom of Byria (7,000km SW of Kaelallan) - ~~~ - (Omnipotent) In the Noble district within the Kingdom of Byria, two people were speaking in a well-lit office lined with bookshelves. "Come again?" The well-dressed nobleman at the desk clearly voiced his annoyance at the black-robed messenger kneeling in front of him. "The entire hideout was destroyed without a single survivor left, but the confidential letters sent to him were confirmed to have been disposed of and were not leaked." The messenger was clearly afraid of the noble, but he did all he could to hide it. "Who was it?" "It was likely Lawton Keen, my lord." "Hm, that would make sense, but how do you know it was him?" "We found a trail of blood leading from the hideout to the city, and on the same night, he was seen running through the streets while dripping blood." "Have you sent anyone to finish him off?" The man hesitated before speaking. "No, sir." "Why not?" The nobleman squinted his eyes with suspicion immediately. "T..there is not anyone left to order, sir..." "So every person I gave to Audre (Pinero) to kickstart his branch is dead?" "That is correct, sir." The noble''s face twitched as if he wanted to kill someone, but he held himself back. "Have you found Shir''s body yet, or is he still missing?" "We believe he died within the prison after being tortured." "Tsk..." *shatter* The glass cup in his hand shattered, spilling the alcohol all over the floor. The messenger immediately paled slightly before opening his mouth again. "My lord, what if I went to personally kill Lawt-" *CrAcK* His voice was cut off by the noble shattering his collarbone with a kick. "AAAGH!" As he fell to the floor, the noble gave him a look of contempt. "Not only is Lawton not the only problem in Kaelallan, but Audre was the only human I had control over that was capable of killing either Lawton or ''her''. You seem to be grossly underestimating those damn Nation Ranks..." Worried that saying another word would get him killed, the messenger stayed silent. "..." As the noble walked back to his desk, he quickly settled on the plan going forward. "Tell the messengers and scouts to pull out of Kaelallan. Only leave the best spies we have stationed there. We have already wasted too much time and resources on Kaelallan trying to lay low." "A..as you wish." The messenger winced and grabbed his shoulder before disappearing with light magic. After making sure the messenger was gone, the noble sat back down at his desk and poured himself another glass. *sip* "I think it''s time we moved to a more aggressive plan..." - Oliver Kaelallan ~ "Uwwaaahh..." I let out a long yawn as I laid my face down on my desk, wanting to do nothing more than nap under the warmth of the sun, but that was not an option currently. -Why am I procrastinating so much...- I had a massive stack of papers I needed to sort through today, and I hadn''t even started looking at them yet. -But maybe.. a 30-minute nap would be alright...- But before I could fully close my eyes... *Knock* *Knock* A maid knocked on the door. "Your highness, Lucy is here to see you." -Uh oh..- "What about?" "Vasilias." "What? What about him?" I couldn''t help but raise my eyebrows in confusion. "I think it''s time you adjusted your contract with him." Her statement made me freeze. Although I didn''t want to pay more than I needed to, it was also true that the situation had escalated beyond the terms in the initial contract. -But that''s not such a simple task...- "What makes you say that?" "The public saw the fight in the plaza. If you don''t put out a public statement saying you rewarded him, no one will want to serve you in the future." "..." I couldn''t refute her words. "Adding another trip to the vault on the contract couldn''t hurt. Most of the stuff in there is useless to us, and nothing in there is worth more than your life. He saved you twice now... Come on, I know he''s a dragon, but he is also a kid.. your best friend''s kid... Can you not try and use him without considering the risks he must take?" The was a short moment of silence as I fell into thought. "Haah.. how about this then... I''ll take him into the vault once I finish these papers as personal thanks." I looked at her as I set my hand on the tall stack of paperwork. "That''s fine, just don''t miss dinner." "Haah... Alright, I''ll see you then." Seeing me finally give in, she trotted over to my desk and gave me a quick kiss before leaving. "Hooh.. alright. No more procrastinating!" Giving myself a bit of pep talk, I sat up straight and finally got to work. - Vasilias ~ In the shelter, I had just finished roughhousing with Ilios and was busy repairing the floor and walls while he napped. -Maybe we got a little too rough today.- Although we were solely using physical strength in our play fight, it was still more than enough to shatter the simple stone walls and floors. -Hmm.. maybe I should think of a way to spruce up the place while I''m at it...- With a quick look around, it was immediately apparent that the rooms were all made of regular stone and lacked any kind of carvings which, although made it easy to repair, made the entire place just feel like a big, lifeless cave. As I finally finished the repairs and sat down though, I glanced towards the spring and figured I could at least make it a little easier to look at. -I''ll at least give it a little makeover...- At first, it started as just a few minor changes, like smoothing out the edges, but after getting caught up in the process, a couple hours passed and I had unknowingly redone the whole area. The outside edge was now lined with a white stone and gold trim, and the inside was cut into two separate areas. There was now an extra shallow area for humans, where I added ledges to sit down on and stairs to get in and out, and a deep area for Father or I to enjoy that was about 50 meters deep. There were not a whole lot of changes, but I truly felt satisfied with it after finishing. -Now I can actually try swimming!- Although I was an incredible swimmer during my life on earth, swimming in my dragon form was completely new to me, so I had no idea what to expect. And it went about as well as I thought it would. -My lord, how does this even work?- But, although I was slow at first, it didn''t take too long for me to figure out the basics and come to really enjoy it. -The water resistance is a good workout!- It was at that moment that I subconsciously set my sights on the next hill I would climb. ''Learning to fight underwater!'' Chapter 67: The Vault Chapter 67: The Vault Early Evening - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan - Oliver Kaelallan ~ *Thump* *Bang* The entire lift shook from the distant vibrations as I descended towards the shelter. -What in the world is happening down there..- *Thump* Once I finally got to the bottom of the lift, I heard the sound of a mass of water hitting the ground. *Wshhhh* *Thump* -Just what..- Looking over towards the source of the noise, I saw a huge pillar of water coming out of the hot spring. -What is he doing?- Making my way towards the spring, I wanted to look into the water to make sure everything was alright but got distracted by the new white and gold trim along the edge of the spring. -Gold?- It took a moment for my mind to process what that gold really meant. -He can make gold too!?- At the time, I assumed he could only make basic, silver-colored metals, but that assumption was destroyed just as easily as it was made. As I looked around at the rest of the hot spring, I noticed that the amount of white stone and gold were not small. -It can''t be real gold, right? That much could make several gold coins...- Continuing to get closer, I knelt at the side of the pool and pressed my nail into the gold trim. -Oh my lord... Its rea...- *BANG* Cutting my thoughts short, a massive plume of water was launched out of the spring, completely soaking me in the process. *Wshhhh* Through the pitter-patter of the water hitting the ground, a youthful draconic voice met my ears. "Oh, welcome back Oliver." - Vasilias ~ I was sitting at the bottom of the spring playing with implosion magic when I faintly felt someones presence outside. -Oh someones here. Is it Oliver?- But when I pulled my focus away from the spell I was holding to reason who it could be, the spell set itself off. *Bang* The water around me instantly vanished as it was all thrown into the air. -Dammit, again?!- After letting the water eventually crash back down, I finally swam back up to the surface and started sucking the moisture out of the surrounding air to return it to the spring. As I did that, I finally noticed Oliver standing there with soaked clothes. "Oh, welcome back Oliver." Not bothering to apologize about getting him wet, I moved my magic over him and quickly dried him off. -There, good as new...- But even after drying him off, he just stood there, frozen with a look of awe. "Hello? Oliver?" I lightly nudged him with the back of my nail to try and snap him out of his thoughts. "Ah right sorry. I was just.. shocked is all." His voice was a bit shaky but I didn''t pay it mind. -It''s probably nothing...- "So what do you need? You wouldn''t have just come down for a bath, right?" "No, of course not. His normal, noble air started to return as he calmed down and brushed his clothes. I came down to give you a bonus reward for saving my life again." It was as if money signs appeared in my eyes as I hopped out of the spring and changed to my humanoid form. "Lead the way!" "Okay, but first of all, how did you get that gold?" His eyes were still locked on the edge of the spring. -Hm? That?- "Well, I thought the spring looked a bit dull so I made it." It was clear he didn''t believe me though. "What do you mean, you made it?" "Hmm... I''ll look around first." I spent the next hour or so looking through the various chests and thinking about what I really needed currently. -Don''t need a weapon. Don''t need the gold. Don''t need any of the artifacts...- But as I was looking through everything, I noticed a small black rectangular thing laying on the ground. -Hey, that looks like a phone!- A smile came to my face as it brought back a wave of nostalgia. Picking it up, I looked around for buttons but couldn''t find anything. -Haha, imagine if it had a home button.- As a joke, I tapped my thumb on the bottom of the screen. *Beep* Both Oliver and I instantly froze, letting the noise of Ilios walking down the hall echo through the silence. -This thing.. might actually be a phone...- Following the beep, an unfamiliar symbol formed on the screen before disappearing and displaying 0. -Is that, its charge?- An instant later, the display returned to black. In a desperate attempt to try and give it life, I scanned through its insides to look for a battery I could charge, but every bit of technology within it was insanely foreign. -What am I even looking at?- I ended up spending the next several minutes just trying to find something that even resembled a battery, but to no avail. But that didn''t mean I gave up on it. "I''ll take this." -I''m sure I''ll eventually figure something out...- Oliver just stared at me with a confused look. "That''s an artifact we found quite a while back. It came from the sky along with a bunch of unusual scrap. We ended up selling and reusing the scrap but we kept this since it was still intact." -So this came from space just like the cube, huh...- "Yeah I''ll take this." Although the core was very enticing, I assumed it would only expand my reserve. I couldn''t just pass up the opportunity to get a step closer to finding out what that cube was. "Alright, well I hope you don''t regret it." Oliver was humble on the surface, but under that facade was joy. A joy that I took something seemingly worthless over his family heirloom. As we eventually walked out of the vault, we didn''t talk at all. I was busy inspecting the ''phone'' and Oliver didn''t care to interrupt, but once we got out of the warehouse, Oliver looked like he wanted to speak up. "What is it?" "Ah, I was just wondering if you could do one last thing for me." He seemed a bit awkward as he spoke. -Sounds troublesome..- "And that would be?" "Could you go with Lucy to school tomorrow? She seemed down when I said you probably weren''t going to go at the same time as her." "How about you get me a decent-sized monster core as payment?" The huge core in the vault made me hungry for one, even if it was small. "A..alright, I''ll see what I can do." Although I could see he wasn''t super happy with it, he still accepted so I complied. "Well, I guess I''ll see her tomorrow morning then." "Haah..." Letting out a deep sigh, Oliver walked back over to the lift and left the shelter. Well then, what now? As I glanced back to Ilios, who sat next to me, I saw him let out a big yawn. -Hm...- "How about a nap?" "Ouu-Woof." With a lethargic nod, he looked up at me with a wagging tail. -Haha, I''ll take that as a yes.- Seeing how tired he was, I made my way over to the cushions and curled up to let Ilios lay in my embrace. Seeing his adorable smile as he closed his eyes made me move my head over and nuzzle against him. Haah... -Petting his fur is true bliss...- Chapter 68: The Academy Chapter 68: The Academy Early Morning - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan - Lucy Kaelallan ~ *Shing* "Good morning Princess." I woke up to Martha opening the blinds and filling the room with morning light. "Ugh.. hmm? I sat up in bed with a disheveled look. Oh good morning. Uwwaah..." I was incredibly groggy after having a rough night''s rest. "Did you not sleep well?" "I slept okay, just.. had an interesting dream." I felt my cheeks warm as I remembered what I dreamt of. "Want to explain what the dream was about?" Martha spoke without really thinking, simply wanting to chat. But it just made my cheeks flush even more. "I''d rather not..." "Hooh? Was it about a boy?" "No, of course not!" My face was red as a tomato. "Haha, in that case, I''ll take your word. It was clear that she didn''t believe me, but I was too young to recognize it. Well, what would you like for breakfast?" Thankfully, I was quick to shake off my embarrassment and make a decision. "Egg Toast!" Marthas smile turned warm. "Haha, alright. Go ahead and get ready then, you have school today. Want me to send in the maids?" "No, no, I want to dress myself today." "You''re quite daring for your first day of school." "Hmph..." Unable to retort because of my nervousness, I just pouted. "Well, let one of the maids know if you need help. I''ll be right back with breakfast. Seeing Martha leave the room, I finally suppressed my nervousness and hopped out of bed, feeling ready to conquer the day. -I wonder if Vasilias is going to come...- - Vasilias ~ "Mmm.." Although my nap wasn''t really a nap for a dragon, only lasting a few hours, I felt fairly refreshed when I got up. -I guess I should probably get going...- As I stood up and stretched, Ilios did the same. "Want to come along and see the academy with me, Ilios?" "Woof!" He gave a strong nod as his tail wagged. "Haha, alright then, shall we?" Quickly making our way up the lift and out of the shelter, I found two maids cleaning the throne room, one in her early 30s and one who looked to be in her teens. -They must be pretty high up the hierarchy...- "Where should I go to meet up with Lucy to head to the Academy?" I spoke bluntly. The maids paused for a moment before the older one spoke up, "She will be out front in a few minutes where she will take a carriage to the Academy, Young Master." She looked a little shocked at how effective it was even though she didn''t realize I assisted her with my aura. "T..thanks for the advice..." She gave an awkward thanks. "No worries." *Click* "We have arrived Miss." The well-mannered carriage driver opened the door with a bow. Looking through the door, I could see a tall, lavish building made of white stone with gold-plated statues and details. It was truly a beautiful piece of architecture, but it felt out of place as an academy. -Itd be more believable if you said this was a church...- But as I looked around, I noticed everyone was well dressed. "Where do the commoners enter?" She was a little taken aback by my question. "They enter on the other side where they are washed and dressed so they can blend in with the nobles." Her response was incredibly unexpected. -A non-discriminatory against social standing school in this setting?- I was genuinely impressed, but that positive impression was shattered when we walked inside. Inside the building, there was a significant change in how people looked. Most of the noticeably less well-kept ones wore frowns, whereas the ones who were tidy wore smiles. -So it''s still nobles versus commoners here...- The ones I presumed to be nobles picked on commoner students around every corner, and the teachers simply ignored it. The inside of the building was still beautiful, but the bullying ruined the atmosphere. -I should give Oliver some tips... Maybe they can impro..- "Hey cutie, your face is new around here." A well-kept noble boy, maybe 15 or 16, interrupted my thoughts as he walked up to Lucy. She was quick to give a formal curtsy. "Yes, this is my first time here." "Oh, well how about I give you a tour?" He wore a lustful look that just made me uncomfortable, but I didn''t do anything about it. "No thank you." Lucy''s responses were cold and blunt, so I assumed the kid would leave her alone, but that didn''t happen. "Look, I tried to be polite. Be my girl and I''ll let you roam The Academy where no one will be able to look down on you. Pretty good deal, eh?" -What does he mean by that? Is there an in-school mafia or something?- Although the boy was rude, it was understandable. Almost any 15-year-old with power or authority would let the power go to their head. "No, I''ll have to refuse." As Lucy refused, she inched closer to me. "Listen girlie, hiding behind that pip-squeak with his dumb pup-" *CRACK* His shin immediately turned 90 degrees as I casually kicked it in. "Whoops, my foot slipped." As he fell over, I gave him a look of disgust. -I would have just scared you away with my aura if you didn''t insult Ilios.- "AHHH!" His scream filled the halls and quickly grabbed everyone''s attention, but I couldn''t have cared less. "Well, shall we head to class?" I gave Lucy a satisfied smile after being able to vent my frustration and disgust a little. Lucy had likely half expected it since she didn''t look too shocked, but she was definitely queasy seeing the boy''s shin bent in the middle while it bled profusely. She did her best to avoid looking at his leg and tone her voice before responding. "Y..yes... I will lead the way." Chapter 69: A Rough First Day Chapter 69: A Rough First Day Mid Morning - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan "Y..yes... I will lead the way." Lucy nervously turned away with a slightly pale face. *tap-tap-tap* As we walked down the hallway, the group of people in front of us moved to the side to make way. Although most of the kids couldn''t think straight because of the overload of emotions, a few of them could be heard whispering amongst themselves. "No uniform? Who is he?" It was a question that everyone was asking themselves, but several of them already knew the answer. "The dragon slayer..." It was a nickname I had gotten after the incident in the plaza that I was too lazy to voice my dislike for. It was truly ironic how I got the name, even when I was more of a dragon than the one I subdued. -I guess its not like they would know that though...- Continuing further down the hallway, the panicked voices of the adults could be heard behind us. The knights and teachers had finally arrived. "Oh, you poor child... Knights, take him to the clinic!" The loudest voice was that of the middle-aged woman crouched next to the kid''s side. Her face turned pale, as if she was sick, whenever she looked at his leg. "Do you mind telling me what happened?" Trying her best to not throw up, she managed to ask the boy on the floor a question. "I was j..just t..alking to some..one when s..some kid came up an..d did this!!" Tears were flowing down his face as he struggled to form the sentence. -What an ugly cry.- He had one of the most inelegant crying faces I had ever seen. -It just makes his face look even more punchable...- "Who is the kid you are referring to?" "It was him!!" He pointed his finger straight at me. The teacher didnt waste any time the instant she saw me. "Knights, detain that child!" In the next moment, a few of the knights charged down the hall at me and one even pulled out their sword, but just like during the plaza incident, when I welded the armor on their knees together, they all fell over. *Clank-Clank-Clank* But in the end, I left one standing. The one who brandished a sword and was looking at Lucy with an indescribably disgusting, lust-filled expression. -He shouldn''t be a knight.- *tap-tap-tap* As I turned and walked toward him, he didn''t hesitate to raise his blade. -Are you serious?- "Knights exist to help protect all citizens." As the blade came crashing toward me, I closed the rest of the distance and grabbed his head. "Not just bratty nobles." *CRUNCH* The back of his head exploded as it was driven into the floor, immediately creating a cobweb of cracks spanning several meters. The room went completely silent. The boy even stopped screaming as he looked at me in horror. *Click* Walking inside the room revealed a large, lecture-hall style room with about 30 seats that sat 2 per table. There wasn''t a teacher in the room yet, and only around half of the desks were full, but it immediately reminded me of classes on Earth. -The resemblance is uncanny...- After quickly scanning the room, Lucy walked up to the back middle desk and sat down. "Uhm.. I guess you can sit here.." She shyly pointed to the seat next to her. "I''m only going to sit in for a bit, so I''d rather stand." Thankfully, she picked the back desk, so I could simply lean against the wall behind her and be out of the way of the class. But while I waited for the class to actually start, I leaned down and petted Ilios until he drifted to sleep. -Hehe... He''s so cute...- Wanting to let him sleep, I stood back up and just fiddled with magic. Most of the people in the classroom were staring at me at that point. Whether it was my aura or simply them watching me play with magic, they all had their eyes locked on me. But while I had my head down and focused on my aura, a young girl walked up to Lucy. "Hey, do you mind if I sit here?" Lucy glanced back at me before turning to her. "Yeah, of course. My name is Lucy." "I''m Viviana. Nice to meet you." She wore a childish and youthful smile, a sharp contrast to everyone else in the room. "So is today your first day too?" "Yeah, I just turned 9 a few weeks ago... I barely managed to make the cutoff." As the conversation continued, they each steadily spoke more comfortably, and even managed to become friends in a matter of minutes. -She truly has royal blood... She''s great with people...- *Click* "Sorry I am late, class. I ran into a.. complication." The middle-aged woman came in and set her books on the desk. "Nice to meet you, everyone. I will be your teacher for the next few years. My name is-" Before she could finish introducing herself, she met eyes with me and paled. She stared at me with fear-filled eyes, but I just gave her a look of indifference. -Oh, it''s her again.- Chapter 70: A Massive Source of Information Chapter 70: A Massive Source of Information Late Morning - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan "Nice to meet you, everyone. I will be your teacher for the next few years. My name is-" She froze the instant she noticed me, but after a short pause, she managed to continue with a shaky voice. "A..hem, s..sorry. As I was saying, my name is Judy Casas, and I will be your teacher for the next few years. I hope we can all get along!" She put on a forced smile as she finished her introduction. Surprisingly, she seemed to quickly gain the liking of most of the class, the commoners included. -Even if she favors nobles, she still takes pride in being a teacher, it seems...- "So how about we start with some introductions? Just your first name and a cool talent or hobby you have." Seeing everyone''s joyful expression, her smile slowly turned more genuine. "Well, let''s start in the front." The introductions went smoothly, with all of the students wearing beaming smiles. The last two to go were Viviana and Lucy. "My name is Viviana, and my hobby is alchemy!" "Wow, that''s one I havent heard in a long time. Maybe I''ll have you teach the class one day!" Viviana immediately got embarrassed. "W..well, t..that''s not-" "Haha, it''s okay. I won''t make you do anything you aren''t comfortable with." Seemingly managing to ignore me, she seemed to be in an improving mood. "T..thank you..." "Haha, and last but not least..." As the teacher moved on, the entire class''s attention turned to Lucy. "My name is Lucy, and I have a talent for magic, and as for my hobby..." There was a short pause that filled the room with silence. "I like reading about d..dragons..." "Oh.. another interesting one. Maybe I should have a history lesson about them later in the year." She paused as Lucys cheeks became flushed. "Haha, now that our introductions are out of the way, I will start class." Some people looked back at me, maybe wanting me to introduce myself, but I didn''t remotely care enough to give an introduction. "So for everyones first class, we will start with history from all the way back to the Great War!" For the next couple of hours, she lectured about very general information regarding the great war and the influential figures on the human side. She kept the lecture decently interesting and engaging for the students, but.. -Mother already taught me all of this without any human bias...- I was getting unreasonably bored. After another few minutes, I just gave up thinking that anything I didn''t know would come up and decided to just go to the library. Casually walking up to Lucy, I leaned down and whispered to her. "I''m going to the library. You''ll be able to find me there if there is anything urgent." After she nodded in response, I walked out of the classroom. Miss Judy even stopped her lecture to stare at me, likely thinking I was coming for her because she let out a deep sigh of relief as I walked out. - Lucy Kaelallan ~ *Click* The moment the door closed behind Vasilias, the teacher let out a deep breath of relief. "Phew.. sorry about that everyone." "Miss teacher." A young boy in the front raised his hand. "Yes, Johnny?" "Who was that boy?" It was a question on everyones minds. Quickly winding my way down the halls, I was, thankfully, not met with any resistance and managed to get to the library quite quickly. *Click* As I pushed open the door, I noticed it was quite heavy and nearly 10 centimeters thick, but as I closed the door behind me, the extremely loud chatter from the cafeteria across the hall vanished. -To think the library has soundproofing...- Turning back to the inside, I noticed the room was also gargantuan, with six floors each lined with 5-meter tall bookshelves. "Hm?" An old-looking elven man gave me an odd look from behind the desk. "A new face... Are you a newly enrolled student?" Quickly turning my attention away from the endless shelves, I made my way up to the man''s desk. "No, I''m just visiting for a bit." "Hm, that would explain you not being in uniform." "Yeah, so, I''m just gonna take a look around." Noticing how laid back he was, I turned to walk towards the lowest level of books, not expecting to be stopped. "Visitors and new students must stay on the first floor." I immediately stopped in my tracks. -Well, that''s not going to work...- Quickly reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my ID and showed the man. "How about now?" "Oh, a royal ID." His face quickly lost a bit of color. "Sorry I failed to notice earlier, sir." "You can speak comfortably. I plan to spend a lot of time here in the coming days." "I would not dare address your majesty without honorifics." He started to break out into a cold sweat. "Do what you want, I guess." Not caring what he did, I turned back to the walls of bookshelves. "I will always be here in case you need anything, sir." His voice carried a bit of disparity like he was desperate to get on my good side. -I''m really not sure whether he''s suspicious or just smart...- As I walked out of the line of sight, he fell back into his chair. "Phew.." But after a short moment to catch his breath, he hastily pulled out a piece of paper and started writing with a slightly worried look. -Hm... Maybe I should keep my eye on him...- Finally moving away from the front of the room, I took my time looking around, but quickly found out that most of the books on the bottom floor were for entertainment, with only a very small number being informational. -I hope the upper floors are better...- Before I continued upstairs though, I pulled out a few of the fairy tales and skimmed through them. One was of a hero that, through many trials and hardships, became a god''s apostle and killed a tyrannical king to take his position. Another was a similar story, except with a female lead, and another was just about a man''s adventures with his dog. There were countless others as well, far too many to read, but it was genuinely surprising how developed the literature of this world was. I originally expected the prince charming style of stories, just super basic and cliche? but still enjoyable, but was pleasantly surprised by the large variety. -But that''s not why I''m here.- Quickly tossing aside my desire to look through other stories, I decided to move on to the second floor. Looking up at the several other floors, I couldn''t help but be hopeful that I might be able to find some of the information I was looking for, even if the fact that it was a human library destroyed those chances. -Well, it can''t hurt to look around, right?- Chapter 71: Words of Wisdom Chapter 71: Words of Wisdom Mid Afternoon - Late Spring : Northeastern Bahamut - Osto Ragnarok ~ *Knock* *Knock* "Who is it~?" A warm, mature woman''s voice rang out as I heard several heavy footsteps on the other side of the door. *Clink* As the heavy lock was released, the door swung open to reveal a 43-meter-tall white-silver dragon looking down at me. "Hey Asimi, it''s been a while." I gave her an awkward smile as I tried to anticipate how shed act. "Oh, welcome back! Come on inside, I was just getting ready to eat." She motioned me in as she happily spoke. "So how''s my cute son-in-law doing?" "Haah..." -There it is...- "I''m doing well. I''ve been on that business trip with Vasilias in Kaelallan recently." Asimi''s eyes lit up upon hearing the name. "Oh! How are my grandbabies doing? Zachari hasn''t even written home once since they were born." She stared at me with a deep eagerness. "Uhm.. Krystallo is doing quite well, she''s in her Adolescent Sleep right now. As for Vasilias, well.. he''s an oddball." "Wow, so Krystallo is already such a fine gem. That''s good to hear, but what do you mean by Vasilias being an oddball?" "Well.. I think it''d be better for you to see him in person.." I really wanted to avoid explaining the situation to avoid a misunderstanding. -She won''t understand unless she sees it anyways...- "Hmm..." She took a moment to look me up and down. "In that case, I''ll just have to take your word for it. It''s just a shame that I can''t just visit myself because of the Elder Halls pestering..." "Is it because of the rebellion?" "Haah, no, it has to do with Siratha. You remember them saying their God had returned? Well, we just got word from Amphitrite saying she talked to a wandering god that confirmed it." -There is still a wandering god left?- "It''s fine that you can''t visit though. Zachari said she was going to bring the kids down here once Krystallo wakes up." "Oh, really?!" Her spirit immediately brightened. "So how''s Fengari doing? I still believe he will be one of the strongest dragons in Bahamut one day! That''s only to be expected from the child I named!" "Ah.. about that..." Seeing my off-putting stance, she froze in place. "Don''t tell me something happened to him..." The mood continued to darken as I carefully thought about how to say it. "According to Zachari, he.. never hatched..." Asimis face immediately lost its color and her pupils dilated. Feeling my heart tense up slightly, I tried to think of how to possibly cheer her up and settled on Ilios. "Although he never hatched, Vasilias found us a new family member that, somehow, doesnt fall behind him by much." T/his chapter is updated by is face started to darken once again. "Continue." "Well, after taking the several events and piling together the information we gathered, Vasilias and I have a reason to believe that the tower is the one funding the rebellion." "But we cant intervene unless you find actual evidence of the funding. Just because humans knew she was a dragon doesn''t mean we can eviscerate a random organization, you know that. I know where you''re coming from though, it does sound plausible." "So is that a no for requesting military assistance?" "Haah.. I can''t send anyone without the other elders'' or Myles''s approval, and the elders would never agree to such a grand assumption." As she glanced at a maid in the corner of the room, she seemed to have an idea. "Do you know where the headquarters is?" "Deacia." "Haah.. I''ve got an idea, but I''m not sure how you''ll be able to pull it off." She looked a bit troubled as she thought through other possibilities. "I''m all ears." "Although we aren''t supposed to intervene too much in the human world, that doesn''t mean we can''t. You either need to manage to lie low and get some physical evidence so we can intervene directly, or.." The atmosphere in the room darkened significantly. "Leave no witnesses." I couldn''t help but break out into a cold sweat and hang my head towards the floor as her aura filled the room. -She got this much stronger?!- Forcing myself to look up at her, I noticed her devious smile. "It''s not a crime if you aren''t caught." - Vasilias ~ *Thump* Closing the book I was looking at, I set it back on the shelf on the third floor. -How the hell has this world even gotten to the medieval era...- The book I just finished discussed the mathematics of this world, something I had wanted to see ever since I came to this world. The issue was, after extensively looking through the books, the most advanced math I found was moderately advanced algebra called, The Language of Merchants. I had originally expected that there would be some precalculus since the structures were so well built, but it seems I was wrong. Somehow, this world managed to build huge medieval palaces and academies without the help of advanced mathematics. -It must be because of magic.. right?- There was simply no other possibility that I could think of. Continuing to look around, I couldnt find anything really science-based besides some biological logs talking about different species and how they acted. -Maybe magic is the science of this world... It wouldnt be a grand assumption to think that they sum chemistry up to its just magic.- It was also entirely possible that what I classified as science was just integrated into magic, but at the very least, I couldn''t find anything beyond the extreme basics. "Haah.." Closing yet another book and setting it on the shelf, I looked up at the other floors above me. -I still have 3 more floors to go... The upper floors have magic theory, so maybe the more advanced stuff is in there...- Chapter 72: A Grand Plan Chapter 72: A Grand Plan Early Evening - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan Several hours had passed since I planned to go up to the fourth floor, but I was yet to actually do it, simply because I found a bookshelf giving me a much better idea of where this world was at. -Entry-level physics, and even some pretty advanced algebra, but it''s all marked as theory even though it''s correct...- Quickly flipping through the book once again, I made a few corrections before hearing some noise below. "Uhm.. sir?" It was a young girl''s voice. "Excuse me, Miss, what can I do for you?" She seemed to be talking to the librarian. "I was wondering if someone named Vasilias was still here." Her voice carried a slight nervousness. -Lucy is still here?- Thinking I could use a short break anyway, I put back the book I was reading and started making my way downstairs. "Ah yes, he is. He is on the upper floors though. Would you like me to get him for you?" "Ah no.. if he is busy, I shouldn''t bother-" "It''s alright, I''m done for today anyway." I came walking out from behind several bookshelves with Ilios in tow. Lucys nervousness quickly compounded once she saw me. "Are you sure? I don''t want to pull you away from whatever you were doing." "It''s fine, I could go for a bite to eat anyways." As I glanced at Viviana, she tensed up with a look of aspiration. -What''s with that look?- Trying not to make my displeasure apparent, I turned back to Lucy. "So is she coming home with you?" "Y..yes, we got permission from her parents to stay with us tonight." -So that''s a thing in this world too...- "It''s good to see you making friends." Lucy immediately got embarrassed. "W..well, let''s just head back." "Alright, lead the way." Before I left, I glanced back at the librarian. "I''ll be back tomorrow, Mr. Librarian." With a light wave, we quickly made our way outside. It wasn''t until we got all the way into the noble gate courtyard that Viviana finally voiced her worries. "Wait, this is the noble gate, I think you went the wrong way." But what she said made me jolt slightly. -Wait, what?- "No, this is the right way?" Lucy tried to give her some reassurance with a look of innocence. "You''re a noble?!" Viviana started to freak out. I wanted to facepalm, but held it back and just played along. "What made you think she was a commoner?" "Well.." She started getting more nervous as she took extra caution to make sure to not offend Lucy or me. "You can speak clearly, we won''t judge." Lucy gave her some reassurance. "It was Zidek, I think..." Her voice lacked any confidence, and Martha definitely noticed. "Haah, in that case, dinner will be ready soon, so be ready soon. Young Lord, if you''d like to join them, the Lord said you are welcome at the table." "Ah..." Although I was actually fairly hungry, the food I had a slight craving for was something far more substantial than a human meal, but even still, I figured it couldn''t be a bad idea. -He might need to tell me something...- "Then I will take him up on that offer. Have them bring out some larger portions for me." Lucys eyes immediately lit up as her anxiety quickly vanished. "I will do my best to notify the chef, young Lord. I will be busy tending to Miss Viviana here, so please have a good night." "You too." And with that, Martha left down the hall, and I followed Lucy to the dining room. -I wonder whats on the menu...- - ~~~ - (Omnipotent) Meanwhile, around 7,000 km southwest of Kaelallan, within the Kingdom of Byria, a certain noble finally started to push plans forward. The man was standing in his office, staring out the window and looking towards the sunset. "Sir, your orders are-" "I don''t think you have the right to question my orders." He glanced at the robed man kneeling behind him with agitation. "Y..yes sir.. I will carry it out to the best of my abilities." The noble immediately showed his teeth. "If it''s not done, you''re dead." Giving a scared nod, the robed man immediately vanished. Turning back to the window, the sun finally started reaching the horizon, turning the sky to a beautiful gold. But, even though it was a stunning view, the color reminded the noble of something unpleasant. -Just how much are those greedy dragon bastards going to ask for..- As he sipped his tea, he gave a disgusted look. "I can''t even enjoy my tea anymore because of them..." But his look of displeasure quickly turned to a crazed smile. "Soon enough, Ill show them that humans cannot be looked down on!" His plan was nearly complete; he just needed to clean some unnecessary variables and butter up the dragon one last time. "Haah, to think I was such a genius strategist all along!" -They think they can just use me so freely?! I''ll show them. - *Shatter* He crushed his glass in his hand, accidentally spilling the tea on his new, white shoes. "Oh, dammit... I liked these shoes too..."Discover new chapters at novelhall.com Chapter 73: Looming Danger Chapter 73: Looming Danger Mid Evening - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan - Viviana Zidek ~ "Mmmm.." Slowly opening my eyes, I looked up at a pure white ceiling as if it was normal. "How are you feeling?" As the mature woman''s voice entered my ears, my mind finally realized how out of place everything was and jolted me awake. "Ah!" Hastily sitting up, I looked straight at the unfamiliar elven woman. -An elven maid?- "W..where am I?" "This is the guest bedroom of the Royal Palace." I felt my heart skip a beat as memories of the carriage ride with Lucy resurfaced in my mind. "S..so that wasn''t a dream." My voice was a little shaky. "Would you like me to get you anything to help you relax? Any tea or snacks?" Looking over at her, I noticed a tray of tea and white bread, unlike anything I had ever seen. "N..no I wouldnt dare ask-" "It''s alright, you''re Lucy''s first real friend. How could I not show some basic hospitality?" The maid quickly turned to the bedside table and poured a glass of tea. "So where are you from?" "Um.. the inner edge of the lower eastern district." "Oh, so you don''t live in the slums? That''s good to hear." She casually walked over and handed me a cup of tea as we talked. "T..thank you..." Reluctantly taking it from her, I took a sip and felt warmth fill my body. -Wow...- "It''s.. really good..." "Haha, I''m glad you like it. I will prepare some for you to take home." But even though it was a wonderful thing to be gifted tea by the royal family, I couldn''t help but feel sad. -So they are sending me home...- It only took a moment for the maid to notice my mood. "What''s wrong? Is there an issue with me sending some home with you?" "Oh, no! It''s not that!" I panicked slightly as I jumped to conclusions, but quickly calmed down. "I was just excited to finally make a friend, is all.." "Hm?" The maid only looked confused. "Why do you look sad then?" "Well, because I passed out and ruined the date... Now I have to go back home..." "Oh? I thought you were staying the night?" "Huh?" The sadness on my face vanished in an instant. "Are you not sending me home?" "Haha, no, of course not. What made you think that?" "Uh.. well... Nevermind... I''m sorry..." I immediately threw out an apology when I realized how grand my assumption was. "It''s alright, darling." The beautiful maid then came over and rubbed my back to comfort me, and it worked like a charm. It only took a moment for me to calm down once again. "So, where is Lu- I mean, the Princess?" "Haha, she should be having dinner right now." "Oh. So, I missed it?" "I''m sure they won''t mind if you show up a little late." "A..are you sure?" To be honest, I was incredibly nervous about meeting the Royal Family and genuinely thought it might have been better that I missed it. But the maid immediately destroyed that possibility. "Of course I am. As long as you are feeling well enough to go, I think you should join them." I sat there, frozen in place for a moment, before eventually managing to pep myself up enough to swing my legs off the bed. -I can do this. I can do this. It''s only the king and queen... I got this. Come on me! I got this!- The maid showed me an oddly motherly smile as I patted my cheeks and forcefully gave myself some confidence. "Since you seem ready, I will lead the way-" "My parents are merchants, so we moved here for better business." Their idle chatter continued for a decent while before the subject shifted once again. "So I heard there was an incident at the academy this morning." Lucy tensed up. "I heard a knight was killed and a student''s leg was.. according to the medical report, ''unrepairable''." She looked over at me like she wanted a response. Not backing down at all, I looked her right in the eyes. "I''m sure you wouldve done worse if you saw the way they looked at Lucy." Her serious look immediately disappeared. "Haha, true! Thanks to you killing that knight, several young commoner girls finally came forward and exposed some of his.. vile crimes.." Her face shifted to one of disgust. "On top of that, we might have gotten a lead on a money laundering noble. That one might be a false lead though-" *Click* Interrupting her voice, the door to the dining room swung open and Oliver came charging through. "Sorry for being late, but, Vasilias, I need to make another request.." -What is it now?- "I''m all ears." Quickly glancing around the room, he noticed Viviana staring at him. "Miss Viviana, sorry for not being able to greet you yet, but could you please step out for a moment?" Not questioning anything, Viviana hopped out of her chair and quickly made her way to the door. "Do I need to stay?" Lucy gave a guilty look after seeing Viviana leave the room. "No you can join her, I just need to talk with Vasilias privately for a moment." Giving a nod, both the young girls disappeared out of the door. "Okay now that we are alone.." He slid a silencing artifact onto the table before quickly activating it. "I need to request your help." "Okay? What do you want me to do." "I want you to save Kaelallan.." -Talk about a grand request..- "Sounds heavy." "If you wish to decline, I completely understand." "Well, tell me the details first." "Right. So, an hour or so ago, I got news from a messenger in the western part of the main continent. A week ago, a new alliance was created. They''re calling it the Great Alliance, and it''s made up of nearly 60 nations, large and small. The only nations that were left untouched were those allied with the Holy Kingdom, the Bay Alliance, and various other smaller alliances." "So what makes you think they will declare war?" "I got a list of nations from that nation rank assassin from the tower, and nearly every nation he listed is in the alliance. The alliance is also centered around Deacia, a country far too small to lead such a massive alliance." "So you''re saying that it''s the towers doing?" "Yes." His eyes were filled with determination. "The Bay alliance is fairly strong, so how much will I actually have to do if they declare war?" "I just want you to assist Lawton in protecting the capital. I will not ask you to assist beyond that, even if the Bay Alliance falls back." "Hmm.." -No matter what he wishes to give me as payment, this request is a bit much...- "Father should be back tomorrow or the next day. Do you mind waiting to let me ask him?" -He might get help from Bahamut if he can convince the elders..- "Of course." "Alright then. So, what were you thinking of giving for payment?" "You can have anything you want from the vault. Even if it''s dozens of items, including the family heirloom." Silence fell across the table immediately. Chapter 74: What is Real, What is Fake Chapter 74: What is Real, What is Fake Mid Evening - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan "You can have anything you want from the vault. Even if it''s dozens of items, including the family heirloom." Although Oliver kept a serious face, I could tell he was reluctant to speak. But even still, I felt my mouth start to water. -I wonder what itll taste like...- Looking over at Helen, I assumed she was going to object to it, but she seemed to be in agreement. "So how long is the contract valid?" "I''m not too sure." "So, if I went on the offensive, and destroyed the Tower myself, would the contract end?" "Yes." -So if Father manages to get Bahamuts support, I can get that juicy mana core for free...- Although I didnt want to show it, I made my decision at that moment. "I still need some time to think about it, but consider it valid unless I say otherwise." The serious expression on his face slowly shifted to one of relief. "Take your time." After discussing a few more minor details, he eventually tapped the silencing artifact again and had everyone come back in. "So Viviana, I heard about you from Martha, but tell me a little about yourself." As the conversation progressed, the joyful and caring family atmosphere steadily filled the room and caused a distant, blurry memory to surface in my mind. It was simply the scene of me sitting at a small wooden table with three people around it. At first, I felt nostalgia and loving warmth from the memory, but after another moment, it shifted to unfamiliarity and discomfort. -Is this really my memory?- "Are you alright Vasilias? Is something wrong with the food?" Olivers voice was drowned with anxiety. "Ah, Im fine... I was just reminded of.. something." Silence filled the room as I reached for the silverware to finally eat. -When I was first born in this world, I was so confident that I was that human on Earth, but as time passes.. those memories feel so.. unfamiliar...- Not wanting to think about it too much after that, I started eating and sparked some idle conversation among everyone. Thankfully, my mind got sidetracked with the discussion, and I ended up actually having a decent evening after that. The food was only moderately good, but more importantly, there was a lot of it. I ended up eating over a dozen plates. -I could really go for a field bison right about now...- "So, Oliver, are there any big field bison around here?" I leaned back in my chair to enjoy my temporary satisfaction. "Field Bison? Ah, you must mean War Bison. We don''t have them around here, thankfully. If they were common, towns would be destroyed constantly." -Were field bison really that strong?- Struggling to believe that, I thought back to how Mother would bring them back like they were a couple fruit she, stumbled upon. -I guess dragons are just on a different scale...- "Maybe I should fly home and grab one..." Oliver immediately tensed up, likely thinking I was going to leave. "What are you looking for?" "Something big to eat. I''m just used to field bison." "Then that sucks for you." Noticing a bit of deterioration on the metal, I reached up to repair it. "Youll be sitting here till things get figured out, so you might as well nap or something." There was a short pause before she looked away from me. "If death is the only thing waiting for me, just kill me now." The acceptance of her demise was honestly quite impressive. "The thing is, death may not be what is waiting for you. You never know. You might end up being a slave though." Her fiery eyes immediately locked on me again. "I''d rather die than be a slave to a damn dragon like you-" *DING* The entire plaza sank a few centimeters as I drove the ring into the ground a bit more. "Your tongue is really sharp for the situation youre in." "Eck.." She groaned as the ring pressed her neck to the ground. "I''ll be back in a day or two, so don''t get too comfortable." Hopping off her back, I noticed her eyes were full of resistance, but I couldn''t really blame her. -I''d be upset if I was in her situation too...- "Alright, let''s go Ilios." We left quite quickly after that, not wasting any time leaving the city and heading into a nearby forest. We ended up scaring away just about everything in the vicinity as we got there, but it didn''t really matter. -I think hobgoblins are the strongest thing in this forest anyways.- Glancing down at Ilios after changing to my dragon form, I noticed he was looking up at me with unbridled joy. "Haha, you can hop on, Ilios!" Almost immediately, he leapt onto my back and climbed up to my head. Usually, dragons would never let anything ride on them, and I was no exception. To dragons, letting a creature ride on them was equivalent to saying you were below them, but to me, Ilios was a different story. Instead of feeling inferior like most dragons, I just felt like I was letting him have a fun time, similar to how I would let Krystallo ride on my head if she asked. "Well, if you sit up there, you need to hold on!" As my wings spread, Ilios casually sat down and looked up at the sky. *FWOOOSH* Getting above the clouds in a few seconds, we finally looked up into the clear night sky and over the world around us. "No matter how many times I see it, it''s truly beautiful isn''t it.." "Woof!" "Haha!" Looking down, I could see the city with stunning clarity. The various markets, homes, and even people walking along the streets gave the city a special type of beauty. A small part of me was reminded of cities on Earth, but as I reminisced about them, an odd thought crossed my mind. -Does it really matter if I was that human on Earth?- Quickly sifting through the countless memories, I couldn''t find a single reason to return to Earth. To me now, it was simply a world I had no attachment to. -But maybe... Maybe one day I''ll find it to see if my memories are really just illusions...- Chapter 75: A Surprise Chapter 75: A Surprise Early Morning - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan It wasnt until sunrise that I finally headed back to the palace. I had spent nearly the entire night just flying around and stargazing, but also took some time to get the lay of the land. -Although there isnt much other than forest here...- At present, I was winding my way down a few hallways in an attempt to get to Helens office. Thankfully though, it didn''t take too long to find. -This should be it.- *Click* As the door swung open, I came into a room lined with bookshelves with two couches, a coffee table, and a desk in front of a large window. -I wonder what these books are about...- "Good morning Helen." "..good morning..." Hearing her lethargic greeting, I turned back to see Helen sitting at her desk with bags under her eyes. "You should really get some sleep." "I will, here shortly..." *Yawn* "So I called you this morning to inform you about some things. It should only take a second, but if youd like to sit and have some tea, feel free." "No thanks, I''m heading to the academy library right after this, so..." "Alright. In that case, Ill be quick. First things first, the librarian at the academy is a top rank information broker. If you need any information about this half of the continent, he can get it for you. Just be aware that, on top of the information being absurdly expensive, he only answers the bare minimum, so be very careful what you ask." -I knew something about him felt off...- "Alright, good to know." "Second, please keep your eye out while you are at the academy. If you see anything suspicious, please at least report it." Her lethargy vanished as she spoke. "Since the attempted assassination of my husband, we have found several spies among knights and nobles. I feel bad to ask more from you but-" "No, it''s alright. It''s not like it''s anything major." "Phew... Thank you..." "Haha, no worries."Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com We continued talking for another moment after that before Helens sleepiness eventually caught up with her. *Tap* As she laid her head down on the desk like she was going to take a nap when we finished the important stuff. "Want me to call in a maid to get you a pillow?" "No, it''s alright..." "Haha, alright then... Well, have a good nap." "Mmm.." She let out a lethargic groan as I walked out of her office. *Click* I made my way out into the courtyard after that to wait for the carriage to the academy but ended up casually playing with Ilios to pass the time. Playing made time pass quicker than I expected though. "Good morning!" -Hm?- Stopping just short of Ilios, I turned to see Lucy and Viviana walking out of the palace with beaming smiles. "You guys must''ve had a good night." "Well of course!" Lucy seemed to be in an especially good mood. -Seems like Viviana got used to everything after all.- It took her a while to warm up, but things eventually worked out. After that, we quickly boarded the carriage and made our way to the academy. The ride was filled with Lucy and Vivianas gossip about class and classmates, but I simply muffled their voices with magic until we finally arrived and I could head to the library. "Do you plan to be in the library all day again?" Lucy stopped to look at me as I reached for the handle to the library door. "Yeah, at least thats the plan." She gave me a disappointed look before I finally opened up the door. *Click* -No ones here again?- "Ah... Let me check." He immediately went rummaging through his drawer again before pulling out a fairly thick stack of papers. *flip-flip-flip-flip* "Uh.. 4 mages, 3 archers, and 5 melee fighters." -Damn...- They had a good layout on top of the fact that, even without counting their teamwork, I would need to actually be somewhat careful. -Even for me, 12 Nation ranks at once is too much...- "Alright, thats all I need to know for now. Thanks for the information." Although I wanted to continue looking through the library after that, the information I got was a bit too urgent. -I need to talk to Oliver ASAP...- Immediately leaving the library and dashing across rooftops to get back to the palace as quickly as possible, the scenario finally started to weigh on me. -I''m sure I could take care of them quite comfortably in my dragon form, but itll be troublesome for my humanoid one...- The only thing I could think of was the consequences of letting Kaelallan get destroyed. -I think Mother and Father would actually disown me...- Finally making it to Olivers office, I watched as a maid opened up the door with a carefree expression, reminding me of the librarian. -Wait.. Wasnt he a bit too carefree even after knowing that information?- But before I could think much about it, the door swung open. *Click* "Oh, you''re still here?" Oliver likely thought it was odd seeing me enter his office just a couple hours after leaving for the academy. But now wasnt the time for small talk. "We need to talk, now." His face immediately turned serious as he set aside everything on his desk. "I''m going to need the payment for the contract early, or else Kaelallan will be in one hell of a predicament." In all honesty, my confidence against all of those Nation ranks wasnt low, but it wasnt high enough either. Oliver furrowed his brow seeing that I wasnt joking. "Those are some alarming words. Where are you getting the information to make that conclusion?" "From an information broker Helen recommended me." -The more I think about him, the more suspicious he is, but I don''t think spies are what I should be worrying about right now.- "Oh, him..." Oliver cringed slightly. "You can take whatever youd like when you feel like you need it, but I need you to explain just how Kaelallan will fall without it. We aren''t weak enough to fall so easily." He seemed quite unhappy that I implied Kaelallan would fall without me. So I quickly gave him a quick overview of the information, but he immediately got nervous. "T..twelve? How did I not hear about any of that?" "I don''t know if my father will make it back in time, but I dont want him fighting alone anyway. I plan to go out tonight and either catch them off guard or intercept them so we can fight without eyes around." "In that case, I will get the academy grandmaster and Lawton to go with you-" "No, they can''t come." Oliver paused for a moment. "And why is that?" "If things go south.. I don''t want any allies in the area." Likely assuming what I meant, he finally agreed. "Please take anything you may need from the vault.." "Thanks. I''ll be sure to stop them, so don''t worry." I gave him a confident smile as I turned to the door and left. *Click* - Oliver ~ *Click* As Vasilias left the room, I turned and looked out the window. "How could I possibly agree to let you go alone." I knew deep down that Vasilias wanted to be alone so he could simply wipe them out in his dragon form, but.. -12 Nation Ranks is simply too much...- Finally working up some determination, I called in an older butler. "Greetings to your highness." He gave a deep bow as he walked in. "Summon Lawton Keen and the Grandmaster please." -Two people knowing youre a dragon is just a cost that must be paid to save your life, Vasilias.- Chapter 76: Failing to Think Things Through Chapter 76: Failing to Think Things Through Early Afternoon - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan *tap-tap-tap-tap* As I walked down the stairs behind the throne, I continued to think about what my plan was going to be, and, although I actually had quite a few options, I was in quite a troublesome predicament. Currently, my best idea was to simply abuse railgun magic, but that idea had a.. unique complication. -Will they even be able to react to it? Itll be no fun if I just slaughter them when they cant fight back...- Even though it was a fight that could even get me killed if I charged into the situation carelessly, I still somehow felt excited. The more I thought about the thrill of a kill-or-be-killed fight where I had to use everything I had, the more my heart fluttered. But before I knew it, I had arrived at the vault and needed to halt my excitement for a moment. -Alright, let''s see if I can remember the code.- Just looking at the vault, I couldn''t actually see the buttons, but that changed with a quick aura scan. -To think someone could make a button that precise in this era... It puts machinery to shame...- *click-click-click-click-CLANG* -Sweet, first try!- Quickly making my way into the vault, I eyeballed the massive mana core for a moment, but turned to the few dozen weapons lining the wall first. -Maybe I could use one of these?- They were all masterfully crafted weapons, but they were a little big for me. There was one weapon that really caught my eye though. It was a massive greatsword that looked like something straight from Monster Hunter. It was definitely too big for my body, but I at least had the strength to wield it comfortably with two hands. -I just have no experience with any of these weapons..- "Ugh..." Scratching my head while trying to think of what to do, Ilios brushed past my leg and picked up the sword. -Hm?- As he pulled it off the wall, the sword started to glow and became slightly smaller, just enough that it wouldnt be too inconvenient for me to swing. "Woof." As if it was nothing, he turned around and set it in front of me with a smile on his face. "You can do that?!" Quickly reaching down and patting his head, I reached for the blade and picked it up. "Oof..." -It''s heavier too?- Although I could still wield it with two hands, its weight was not as minor as it previously was. -It does feel nice in the hands though...- I ended up contemplating whether I should take it for a couple more minutes after that before eventually going, might as well and setting it outside. "Now..." -Time for you...- As I walked up to the mana core, I finally realized something important. -How am I going to absorb this?- It was a little too big to realistically swallow, but I didnt have the time to absorb it slowly. -Should I just try to force it down?- Finally picking it up off the pedestal and bringing it outside, I changed to my dragon form and examined it a little more closely. -It might actually fit...- Although it was close, I figured I could actually swallow it. -Even if it gets lodged, I can just crush it a bit and swallow it then...- "Well, here goes nothing!" *tink* As I carefully put it in my mouth, an indescribable yet heavenly taste spread through my mouth. -If only I could take my time to enjoy the taste...- *Gulp* Immediately forcing it down my throat, it quickly made it to my stomach. "Alright, time to control the mana-" *Shatter* My thoughts came to a screeching halt as I heard a sound similar to glass shattering in my stomach and had my instinct scream at me. *Vwooom* A wave of mana, thousands of times larger than I expected, exploded from the core as it disintegrated in my stomach. Before I could even react, my reserve absorbed too much, too quickly... ..and exploded. *VWOOOM* The colossal wave of mana that erupted within my body instantly shredded my organs and shattered my bones, sending a nearly unfathomable pain through my body. - Maria ~ Outside the palace, within the plaza of the Upper District, I was in a deep sleep. I had nothing else to do, after all, but that day, I was woken up by an unusual flow of mana. -What the...- Quickly opening my eyes, I looked towards the palace to see it mostly encompassed by a dome of mana. Just the thought of what could possibly cause the phenomenon made me shiver, but that awe quickly turned to fear when I noticed the bubble grow even larger. My face continued to pale as the sphere grew and the immense suction of mana finally reached me. The thought of escape was nowhere in my mind as I couldnt even muster the strength to prevent my reserve from being drained. *thud* Minutes ticked by like hours as all the energy was sapped from my body. Eventually though, I, just like the countless humanoids around me, ran out of mana to be drained and passed out. -In front of the strong.. I guess we are all the same...- - ~~~ - (Omnipotent) On the opposite side of the upper district, Lucy was enjoying her lunch with Viviana when she noticed something odd. People''s auras, instead of simply exuding in all directions, were being pulled in a single direction. "Is something wrong, Lucy?" Viviana gave her a worried look. Quickly turning back to Viviana, Lucy tried to put on a smile. "Ah, n..no everything is f-" "Hello students of the Academy, the school is going into lockdown." An old male voice resounded through the cafeteria through a transmission artifact. "An anomaly has occurred within the royal palace, causing people in the vicinity to collapse on the spot. Please stay calm and find a place to rest your head until you are instructed otherwise." Lucy''s heart dropped the instant she heard the first part of the announcement. -People are collapsing in the streets.. and the source is the palace...- Her mind immediately jumped to conclusions as she hastily got up and ran outside, managing to get around the knights standing at the door. *Click* After slamming her way through the door, she looked up towards the palace and noticed that it had been completely enveloped in a gargantuan hemisphere of mana. The mana bubble had stopped growing and even started to shrink, but the suction was still just as strong. "N..no..." Lucy''s legs went weak as her mind landed in all the wrong places. It was only a short instant later that she passed out from shock. *pat* Managing to get to Lucy just in time, Viviana caught her as she fell over. "Lucy!" The scene of Lucy laying limply in her arms made her break into a panic. "GUARDS! PLEASE, ANYONE!" Hearing her yelling, a couple of young knights came rushing over. "What is it, miss?!" "My friend! She started freaking out inside and ran out here, b..but-but then she just collapsed!" She was crying incredibly heavily, being unable to keep composure any longer. The knight quickly reached down and took Lucy from Vivianas arms. "Please follow me miss, we need to bring her to the clinic immediately." Viviana shakily got up and ran after the man, but that was when the students began dropping like flies, and children''s screams could be heard through the entire building. Viviana could do nothing but try and resist the encroaching feeling of exhaustion as she ran down the hallway. -Please... Just a little.. more...- *thud* Chapter 77: Impossibility Chapter 77: Impossibility Time Error - D?D??????i???n???v???a???l???i???d??????DD??? : Location Error - DD????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????D???D??? *Gasp* "Haah.. Haah.." I woke up in a panic, gripping my chest after having my reserve blow apart my insides, but an instant later, I realized the pain was gone. *Heavy Breathing* -Am I dead?- Hastily looking around, I noticed I was in a small clearing in a forest next to a familiar hut. -So.. I''m here again...- As I laid back to catch my breath I idly checked to make sure everything was as I remembered, which it was. -That should mean I''m alive... Hopefully...- I ended up laying there for a couple more minutes to sort my thoughts before eventually sitting back up and taking a look at myself. -Im not sure why Im even surprised by the changes anymore...- My body was actually quite similar to my true form, but I was much taller and less childish, with a much longer tail and ears. -I look to be around 15 or 16 as well.- It was quite a jump from the 12-year-old body I was used to, but it was a welcome change. -Such a small body was really inconvenient...- But that was when I subconsciously controlled a part of the energy around me like mana and noticed some more concerning changes. Inside my body, there was not a single thing that looked even remotely familiar. No reserve, no organs, no bones. I was simply made up of what felt like an infinite number of tiny black tubes, too small for even the nucleus of a hydrogen atom to fit into. -Am I actually dead and just dreaming of all of this? What are these tubes even made of?- I struggled to wrap my mind around the abysmally tiny scale of them, but things only got worse when I finally noticed that the energy I was controlling wasn''t even mana. Wait.. what.. is this? Although it felt extremely similar to mana when comparing the energy of individual particles, the particles themselves were hundreds of millions of times smaller. They were so small in fact, that if I was more proficient at controlling it, I could look inside of singular particles of mana and even manipulate whatever composed it. -But currently, I can''t even look at mana with any detail...- It was quite disappointing seeing that I couldnt answer many of my long-standing questions about what mana was, but nonetheless, I was excited to have discovered the new energy itself. But even though I felt like I could spend decades simply experimenting with the energy, I stopped myself before I got carried away. -Alright, I need to stop before I waste all my time here...- Remembering back to my previous experiences in this place, I figured it was safe to assume that my time here was limited. -I need to make the most of what time I have left...- Finally pulling myself from my thoughts, I hopped up and looked around with haste. -Let''s start by exploring this cottage, shall we?- Quickly moving inside, I found a table full of unusual equipment made of both glass and metal, with dozens of books thrown about. It honestly looked like some mad scientists den, but even though it sounded like a joke, I couldnt deny that possibility. Looking down at an open book on the edge of the table, I read: ''Step 24: Pour flask in b and c with equal proportions. Step 25: Add powder 2a to flask b. Step 26: Heat flask b until contents match orange 1d. The flask should glow slightly.'' -Hm... It really is quite scientific...- Deciding I probably shouldn''t touch any of it, I continued to look around but didnt really find anything of interest. I couldnt hold back my look of disgust seeing her expression. "Awe~, don''t look at me like that, you''ll love me soon enough~." "I doubt that." "Oh come on~." As if she teleported, she appeared behind me and wrapped her arms around me. "I spent so much effort to find your physical body so I could watch over you and you end up nearly killing yourself. How do you not feel sorry for me at all?" She tried giving me ''puppy eyes'', but it just made me cringe further. "What''s wrong with you all of the sudden?" The first time we met, she looked at me like I was food, the second she looked at me like I was a toy, but now she treated me more like she was my mother. -What could even cause that kind of change...- "Oh, so am I supposed to be emotionless even after seeing the person most important to me almost kill themselves?" "It wouldve made me less uncomfortable at the very least..." But as I spoke, her exaggerated expression turned warm. "You don''t believe me, do you?" It felt so genuine that it caught me off guard, but I didnt let myself get convinced that quickly. "Of course not. How am I supposed to believe that the person who has only ever treated me like a toy, suddenly became super attached to me?" She simply hesitated before pouting. "Hmph, you wouldn''t understand." "That''s not an answer... Haah..." Feeling her slowly pull her arms out from around me, I tried to slip away. "I''ll just do what I came here for." Quickly managing to escape her embrace, I made my way to the ground and mindlessly reached for my dragon body. Right before I could reach it though, the woman grabbed my wrist. "You can''t do that yet!" She spoke with a slightly panicked voice. Although a part of me knew I could force my way past her, something instinctual stopped me. "Why not?" "You''ll die if you try to do that now!" Her worry felt concerningly genuine. I was honestly taken aback by it. "Do what?" "If you touch your body now, you will die. Your physical body simply isn''t ready to merge yet..." -Merge?- "What do you mean by merge?" She jolted slightly like she had a slip of the tongue. "I.. can''t say that yet..." She looked like she was racing to change the subject. "Anyways, your dragon sleep is about to finish so your time is up!" -Already?!- Before I could even react, her hand gripped onto my face. "You''ll understand more next time... Please don''t despise me too much." She gave me a guilty look as my consciousness blacked out once again. *tap* As she set her feet on the ground after dissipating my consciousness, she looked at my body with a look of worry. "Your soul would destroy your body before you could even react..." Chapter 78: A Very Long Yet Very Short Nap Chapter 78: A Very Long Yet Very Short Nap Late Afternoon - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan "Ugh..." *lick-lick-lick-lick* Before I even opened my eyes, Ilios was showering my face with his tongue. "Hey, Ilios... I hope I didn''t make you wait long..." Finally looking up, I noticed he had grown a ton, now being nearly 14 meters long and no longer wearing a puppy face. -He''s still so cute though...- Wanting to take a second to enjoy the moment, I went to rub my face into his fur but was hit by a wall of soreness all over my body. "Mmmm..." I couldnt help but groan when I tried to move. -What the hell? Why am I so sore?- Nervous that the soreness could be from something serious, I hastily readied my aura and started to scan through my insides, but it wasnt until I actually saw my reserve that I remembered it should have exploded. -Did I somehow form a new reserve?- Quickly examining the unfamiliar sphere of mana in my body, it was immediately apparent that my new reserve was immensely larger and changed on a fundamental level. -Woah... This is possible?- I could only watch in awe as I thinned and thickened the walls of my reserve, controlling not only the ease of extracting mana, but also the amount of aura I emitted. [1] -Itll take some time to get used to it though...- Although it was convenient, it gave me a moderately uncomfortable sensation similar to being in my humanoid form. As for the rest of my insides, they were unrecognizable from before. Simply put, my entire skeletal structure had been rebuilt, from bones to muscles and organs. -I wonder how this will affect my movement...- Although I was a little nervous that the difference in weight distribution would affect my techniques, it''s not like worrying could change anything. As for the outside, I had gone through a complete metamorphosis, growing all the way to 29 meters tall in one fell swoop, and instead of being sleek and skinny like before, I was more rugged and adult-like with various protruding horns and more muscle. But, although it was significantly more intimidating, I somehow kept the air of majesty from before with my matte black scales and purple glow. -Somehow I think my scales got even darker..- I continued looking at myself for another few minutes after that, simply to make sure nothing was seriously wrong before I finally stood up. "Ack..." I was so sore that I struggled to stand up. -Just how long was I asleep?- But the instant I asked that question, my biological clocks gave me the answer. "I was asleep for 8 years?!" "Woof!" Ilios was quick to confirm. -I.. I left him here alone for 8 years...- Looking back at his innocent smile, I felt a wave of slightly exaggerated guilt wash over me. "I''M SO SORRYYYYY!!!" As I rushed back over and coddled him, he licked my face as if to comfort me, but I still coddled him for several more minutes. As that guilt eventually faded though, I finally realized something that didnt add up. Casually making my way over to it, I reached down and picked it up like it was a feather. -Holy sh*t... It''s almost too light.- I ended up casually swinging it several more times after that before eventually getting the hang of things. -Swinging the sword is actually pretty fun...- Nonchalantly remaking my ''noble clothing'' I went with black and purple instead of white and purple. -If Mother yells at me, I''ll change it back but I honestly think the black looks better...- While I was making the changes though, I added a small sling to mount the greatsword on my back and turned to Ilios. "Shall we?" I gave an excited smile to him as he came trotting up to my side. -Hehe, hes so cute...- Quickly making it back up into the throne room, I was quick to notice how lifeless and cold the palace felt. Not only was there no one around, but even with my aura that now extended well over 100 meters in all directions, I couldn''t sense a single aura. Simply to make sure nothing changed from the dream, I walked around a bit to make sure people were alright, which they were.. sort of. Although I was super far away from them, I was able to roughly scan their bodies and figure out that there were no injuries besides some minor bruises and an emptied reserve. -They should all be fine once their reserves refill naturally.- Although I could have, I ended up deciding not to refill any of them myself. -Theyll be fine without me anyways.- Ignoring the rest of those knocked out, I hastily made my way out of the palace and into the empty courtyard. Looking toward the horizon, I could see the sun steadily setting, and decided it was finally time to go. Using light magic to cloak myself, I got to the open area of the courtyard and changed to my dragon form. "Hooh..." Although I was trying not to show it, my excitement was starting to boil over. "I might need your help with this one, Ilios." But I''m curious how much stronger I''ve really become... - "Woof!" Quickly climbing up onto my back, Ilios let out a confident woof. "Haha, I''m glad to see you''re excited too!" After double checking to make sure Ilios was secured, I spread my, now even larger, wings and through them towards the ground. *FWWOOOSH* With just a single flap, we were launched several hundred meters into the air, the backdraft cracking the stone pathway in the courtyard. After seeing that Ilios handled the hard launch without much effort, an excited smile came to my face. -I should let him fight some this time... I''m sure he could use the exercise.- Turning back towards the horizon, a fire of excitement filled my mind. "To battle!" Chapter 79: An Untimely Disaster Chapter 79: An Untimely Disaster Late Afternoon - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan - ~~~ - (Omnipotent) *VWOOOOM* The instant the disaster began, every single person capable of sensing mana noticed it. At first, quite a number of them tried to run out and help those who may have fallen to mana exhaustion, but before long, those numbers thinned out. Very few of the original group could withstand the horrible, nauseating sensation created by mana being forcibly ripped out of their reserve. But still, somehow, some forced themselves through it. Whether it was the idea they would receive compensation or simply out of a good heart, a few persisted. And among them just so happened to be Michael, Mollie, and Udall. - Michael Cotorel ~ After having my heart shattered a few days prior, I had spent my days drinking my problems away and drowning them in alcohol, but thankfully I didnt stay like that forever. When I finally felt the immense suction of mana towards the palace, I finally recognized just how much time I had been letting waste away. -Ive gotten this far with my own sweat and blood, so what am I doing letting the result of that effort go to waste?!- As that thought ripped through my mind, I leapt up from the table and darted out of the smithy behind Mollie and Udall. Throughout the afternoon, while the suction in the upper district was still too strong to withstand, we ran around the lower districts and saved all those we could. Once the suction finally started to subside, we worked our way towards the upper district, leaving the areas behind us to the knights and rallying as many people as we could to sweep through noble estates and heal those that needed it. Not long after the suction subsided enough to allow it, we ended up running into multiple people who were trying to steal from the huge, unguarded noble estates, but thankfully, most of them were caught or killed before they could harm the nobles themselves. The whole situation was horrifically chaotic, but it worked wonders on my mind. For the first time since I returned to Kaelallan, I could finally turn my attention off of Maria and back to myself. -How long has it been since Ive felt this free?- After continuing to cover the rest of the upper district, the suction finally vanished completely. -Time for the royal palace!- Although it was definitely considered trespassing on royal property and there was a chance I would get charged for it, I couldn''t let myself leave the chance that one of the royal family was severely injured in the air. After secretly breaking off from the group, I hastily made my way toward the palace but had to stop at the closed gate first. "Hey, are you guys alright?" The guards by the gate were slowly waking up as I ran up to them. "Huh, what happened?" They held their heads like they had headaches, but they looked alright for the most part. -They might be able to help...- Thinking they were awake enough to maybe understand me, I tried to explain a little. "There was a disaster in the palace that made people pass out from mana exhaustion. I need you two to get up and come help me. The royal family could be hurt and almost no one in the upper district has awoken yet." "We can''t let you in the palace, sir..." The knight, not realizing the severity of the situation, turned around to his buddy. "Hey, go inside and see if everyone is alr-" Before he could finish, the doors to the palace slammed open. "The king is injured! Please, someone, come help!" A maid stood dizzily in the doorway with blood dripping down her face. Seeing the blood flowing from her forehead, the knights immediately broke into a panic. "Okay, we''ll let you in. Just stay with us at all times!" With a bit of reluctance, she finally moved off the wall and onto my shoulder. "T..thanks..." After supporting her down the hall for several more minutes, simply following her directions, she finally managed to recover enough to comfortably walk on her own. -I always knew elves were fast with recovering mana, but my goodness...- Finally getting to the hallway the office was on, the elven maid turned to me and gave a polite bow. "Thank you for your assistance during all of this chaos." "No problem, Miss. Please be careful in case you haven''t recovered completely." I gave a formal bow as well. "Thank you, but your concern is unnecessary." Before even letting me respond, she turned away and disappeared down the hall. -I wonder if she is married...- - Helen Kaelallan ~ "Haah.." I was sitting at my desk, simply trying to slowly piece together the situation. *Knock* *Knock* "Come in." Looking towards the door, I saw a young human maid in a deep bow. "I have put the lord in his bed, I''d also like to inform you that the princess has returned." -Already?!- Deep down, I wanted to go kill whoever let her leave the academy right after the incident, but I held myself back. -At least I can confirm her safety...- "Please bring her in." "As you wish." Giving another bow, the young maid left the room again. It wasnt even a few minutes after that though, that the door opened again. As expected though, it wasnt Lucy. Martha gave a deep bow as she finally came through the door. "Hey, Martha... I called you in to ask a favor. Could you head down to the guild and put up an announcement saying people who keep track of the injured will be rewarded? I need to see the scope of this incident." Martha gave a nod and paused before reluctantly turning to the door. -A reward for only a select few isnt enough...- But that was when a good idea came to mind. "Add to it that anyone who lost a family member will be compensated depending on the family''s total contribution points." This way, hard-working families that lost family members will be greatly compensated, and the slackers wouldn''t. Giving yet another bow in understanding, Martha finally turned to the door and left the office. *Creak* I leaned back in my chair once she was finally gone, with a look of anxiousness all over my face. -Just what in the world happened...- Chapter 80: Running Out of Options Chapter 80: Running Out of Options Early Evening - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan - Oliver Kaelallan ~ Ugh... Slowly opening my eyes, I immediately realized I was laying in bed. -Huh? What am I doing here?- Feeling something weighing on my chest, I looked down to see Lucy dead asleep. I immediately noticed something off about her face though. -Was she.. Crying?- Finally trying to move her down to my lap so I could sit up, a piercing pain shot through my head. Argh... Quickly reaching up to grab my head, the pain continued to worsen but eventually subsided when I stopped moving. But the amount of noise and movement I made was already too much. Nnngh.. Huh? Lucy looked at me with wide eyes for a moment before the tears started to flow again. You''re awaaake!" She immediately slammed her head into my chest and started crying again. Not really sure what to do, I simply moved my arms and embraced her for a moment. "I''m sorry I worried you..." She continued to cry for a couple more minutes after that, but eventually, she stopped and sat up next to me. -I should sit up too...- But when I tried to move, the sharp, needle-like pain shot through my head again. "Ack!" Although I tried not to show it, I gritted my teeth and immediately caught Lucys attention. "Please just lay down Father, you''re hurt... Sir Doctor said you shouldnt be moving at all for a while." -Sir Doctor?- It took a second for me to figure out who she was talking about, but I eventually just complied with her and relaxed again. "Where is your mother, sweetie?" "Mother is doing some work. She was one of the first to wake up." -First to wake up?- "What happened?" "Well.. all I know is that it has to do with something within the palace sucking mana out of everything, including people... When I finally managed to get back to the palace, there were still people unconscious everywhere, but their injuries were minor." "A mana suction that sucked mana out of people?" I honestly couldnt wrap my head around the idea. "The suction was pulling mana out of people and making everyone pass out from mana exhaustion. She paused before noticing me trying to remember everything before I passed out. I''ll go get Mother, just stay still, Father. You hurt your head really bad." "Alright.. thank you, sweetheart." As she slid off the side of the bed, she moved over and patted me on the forehead before running out into the hallway. With some time alone, I quickly tried my best to piece together my memories to figure things out as best I could. -A mana suction so strong that it pulls mana out of people... How is that even possible? Could it have been.. a dragon?- Using memories of Vasilias in Kaelallan as a stepping stone, I quickly pieced together my memories and got to a point where I could remember most things. But that was when one memory came to mind. -OH HELL, WHAT ABOUT THE TOWER?!- Suddenly remembering the situation with the Kingdom of Zan and how Vasilias was planning to stop the 12 nation ranks on his own, I broke into a panic. -Right.. I called Lawton and Ms. Coletti to my office to send them after him, but...- Finally managing to recover the memories of right before the disaster, I tried to think of what to do, but nothing came to mind. *Click* That was when the door opened again. "How are you feeling?" As she walked through the door, Helen looked at me with a face of concern. Urgently trying to figure out how to tell her about the situation, I averted my eyes. "Could be better." As I passed through the lower district, mostly everything seemed normal but the knights were all frantically running around with medics, a sight normally only seen during times of crisis or invasion. -But considering the knights at the gate acted normal, that shouldnt be the case...- Quickly continuing all the way to the palace, my concern only continued to grow. "We can''t let you in sir." The knight at the gate stopped me as I got close. "Why not? I''m Osto Whyte, I used to party with the Kaelallan family." Quickly holding up my ID, I showed my Kaelallan crest and expected to be let in, but the knight didnt budge. "We were told not to let anyone in, sir. It was an order." The knight seemed exhausted but I didnt question it. "Then how about you send someone in to tell the royal family that I''m here." Getting annoyed with the knights'' lack of compliance, I contemplated forcing my way in. -I need to figure out what happened..- But thankfully, a short moment later, a young maid ran out of the palace and came to the gate, "Please follow me, Sir Whyte." Quickly making my way inside, I noticed the maids and butlers frantically carrying around piles of papers and some rarely seen calculation artifacts, but before my worries could grow too much, we finally made it to Olivers bedroom. "Your Majesty, Sir Whyte has arrived." "Please come in.." Quickly opening the door, not knowing what to expect, revealed Olver and Helen laying on the bed. I honestly didnt know what to even think of the situation. "What happened?" But Oliver was reluctant to talk, and even spoke with a sense of anxiety in his voice. "Haah.. it''s a long story I''d recommend you sit down for..." Instinctively complying, I sat down and looked at him with a worried look. "Hooh.. where should I start... Oliver spoke for quite a while after that, explaining everything that happened and the entire situation in extensive detail, but there was one thing he forgot to mention at all. "So, what about Vasilias?" -He didnt run away did he?- But as I looked at Oliver, he just averted his eyes. "He.. left to go fight the 12 nation ranks alone.." My whole world froze immediately. -He did what...- "I was getting Lawton and the grandmaster together to send them out to assist him, but the mana suction I talked about earlier happened and derailed that plan." As the realization that Vasilias could die finally came to mind, every other minor worry on my mind turned to dust, and my eyes filled with bloodlust. "You said the kingdom of Zan right?" Olivers face was extremely pale as he tried to look at me. "Y..yes.." Quickly standing up and walking out onto the balcony, I glanced over my shoulder and gave Helen and Oliver a look of fury. If he dies, youre dead. As their faces paled further, I leapt off the balcony into the garden before changing into my dragon form once again, not caring enough to make the light magic cloaking me any good. -Its not like itll matter anyway...- *Fwoosh* With a strong flap of my wings, I hurled myself into the sky and started making a mad dash for the Kingdom of Zan. -Please, Vasilias! Hold on until I can get there!-Discover new chapters at novelhall.com Chapter 81: A Quick Stop Chapter 81: A Quick Stop Mid Evening - Late Spring : Kingdom of Zan -Wow.. I''m already here?- The flight was shockingly short. I wasnt even able to get up to speed before I passed the Kingdom of Zan and Kaelallans border and saw the city I was looking for. -That merchant had one hell of a sense of direction..- After taking my leave from the palace, I flew westward for quite a while, but eventually, I figured the ancient-looking map I found in the library wasnt really adequate for directions and had to land and ask an old merchant on a lone road. Although it was a bit complicated to get him to understand exactly what I wanted, I eventually got him to point in the direction of Zans border fortress city and flew straight there. -I''m honestly more impressed by just how on-the-money his directions were than anything else...- Quickly giving the city and its surroundings another scan to make sure the Nation Ranks hadnt already left yet, I found a decent spot to land and tried to touch down somewhat lightly. *Crunch* The ground shattered like glass. "Haah..." -I guess its gonna take some getting used to with this weight...- Not wanting to deal with it, I changed to my humanoid form and started making my way to the city, casually optimizing my movements as I ran. Seeing the knights at the gate, I figured it would be too tedious to enter the city legally and simply cloaked myself and walked on through. But once I was inside, I noticed there was quite a lot of commotion. -Whys everyone rushing around?- Walking over to a nearby food stall, I decided to try and ask about it. "Sir, do you know what this commotion is all about?" "Hm? Are you not from around here?" Seeing me shake my head, he continued casually. "Well, long story short, the king gathered several Nation Ranks for a dungeon subjugation mission. They are expected to leave in a couple hours, so most people are preparing their seats to see them as they depart." He paused for a moment to watch the countless people frantically running around. "They were originally going to leave at sunset but they met some complications." -So they just told the public that it''s a subjugation mission, huh...- I honestly wasnt too surprised. "Hm, I should try and find a spot too." "It might be difficult, but its a rare opportunity to see some of the strongest people on this half of the continent." -Does that mean they''re all big names, or just that Nation ranks, in general, are the strongest...- Figuring it wouldnt really matter, I turned back to him with a curious look. "So, what are you selling?" "Ah, it''s just some meat dried over a fire. They''re quite good if you''d like to try one." Before checking if I even wanted it, he handed me a piece of the dry and stiff meat. Thinking it couldnt be that bad, I reluctantly nibbled a bit, but it made my eyes light up. -Beef jerky! To think itd exist in this world too.- "Do you have a payment artifact?" "Actually, yes." Quickly reaching into a drawer behind the bar, he pulled out and pushed forward a small, rock-looking device. Assuming how it worked, I casually set my ID on it. "The number on the artifact, which says 0 right now, is how much it costs. How much would you like to buy?" "I guess I''ll take half a kilogram." Although I wanted a bit more than that, I was too lazy to carry it. "That''ll be one silver then." He paused as he pulled out a stack of three cards and set them on the back side of the artifact. "Sorry that it''s a little pricey." -Do those cards tell the artifact how much to charge?- "No not at all. Could I actually give a little extra?" Although I was by no means wanting to just give away everything, I saw an opportunity. "Maybe I should call it an investment." The man immediately raised his eyebrow. "You would like to invest in me?" "Yes, actually. What are your thoughts about it?" As I asked him, I slammed several strips of jerky into my mouth. "Well, sir, this is just a small stall. Even with your investment, I don''t think it will go anywhere great." -To think he knows his limits...- "Well, how about this. I''ll give you 20 gold, but in return, you need to expand this business as best you can and put aside 20% of the business''s sales for me. Also, you should call it beef jerky instead of dried meat. It''ll sell better." The man''s eyes nearly bulged out of his head as I spoke. "Sir I''m not sure why you believe in me so much, but-" "So, youre going to refuse?" -Even if I invest 100 gold and he loses it all, I could just make a platinum coin to get it back. It''d take a lot to cause inflation anyways.- But the man didnt seem to think it was a small sum, like me. "I''m not sure what you see in me, sir, but..." He was incredibly reluctant. "I will humbly accept." "Good decision." As he stood up from his bow, I reached out to shake his hand. "My name is Vasilias Whyte." He gripped my hand immediately. "I''m Hugh Denys." After finally pulling his hand away, he frantically looked for a piece of paper and ink. "Here, please write the conditions for the investment on this. I will go to the guild for a proper contract right away." "Alright." I paused as I was writing. "What are you going to call the business?" "Well, going off of your suggestion, how about ''Hugh''s Jerky''?" -A little plain, but I guess it works.- Quickly getting back to writing the outline of the contract, I wrote: ''Contract between Vasilias Whyte and Hugh''s Jerky Business Investment: 20 gold Return: 20% of all company sales. Money is held as liquid until Vasilias Whyte claims it.'' After adding a few extra details to close the legal loopholes I knew off the top of my head, I handed him the paper. Hugh quickly read the paper without missing any details. "S..sir Whyte, if you don''t mind me asking..." "Hm? What is it?" "I..I was wondering what the money being held as liquid means?" -Ah, I guess thats something only merchants would really know...- "Just think of it as money that you can still use and spend if needed, as long as it gets returned with interest." "Ah, that makes much more sense." Surprisingly, it seemed like he actually understood what I meant. "Anything else catch your eye?" "Hmm... Let''s get out of here first then. We can talk about what to do later. How does that sound?" She nodded her head immediately. "Haha, alright." -She really is quite cute...- With her agreement, I reached down and gently picked her up. -This should work...- Quickly walking back over to the shattered window behind the desk, I used some earth magic to break down the wall and jumped out. The next minute or so was simply spent running away from the estate. I only stopped once I got to an alleyway not far from the main road. -No one is nearby.. this should work... I should have a bit of time left too...- "So what do give you for you to be alright?" -Why did I ask that like she would know...- But as I tried to think of my limited options, she spoke up. "A.. sword..." She pointed to my greatsword with a gleam in her eyes. "..." -With that kind of talent for aura.. maybe...- After taking a moment to think, I failed to come up with a better idea and caved. "Alright, I''ll make you one really quickly then." The gleam in her eyes only grew brighter when I said that. "Haah..." -How is giving her a weapon the best thing I can think of...- The next several minutes were wrapped in silence as I tried to make a sword she could use currently as well as in the future. It took quite a while to really figure it out, but at the end of it all, I made a titanium rapier with a black, grippy handle, gold-trimmed hand guard, and metallic blade. -This is definitely too eye-catching, but damn, it looks good...- For some finishing touches, I added several runes to it, all efficient enough to run off the wielder''s aura alone. Their combined effort worked similarly to strengthening and sharpening runes. Basically, over time, the more the sword was used, the stronger and sharper it would get. -But is this really enough?- Figuring it was still basically just a really good rapier, I decided to add a small, movable cover that hid a complicated wind rune. Put simply, when supplied with mana, the rune would activate and let the user create blades of wind to attack from a few meters away. *fwip-fwoosh* With a quick swing in the air, I watched as the blade of wind traveled a few meters before losing strength and dissipating. -Perfect...- As I lowered the blade, I gave it a simple sheath and wrapped it in a considerable amount of cloth to hide it. -I really should have made it look plain...- But even though I thought that, I also felt proud to have made it. "Hooh, alright." Looking down into the girl''s eager eyes for the first time in nearly 45 minutes, I took a deep breath and gave her a lengthy explanation about everything it did and how to use it all. Surprisingly, the second I handed it to her, she held it properly with form similar to the way I held my greatsword. -It''s a bit of a wide stance, but for her to be able to follow what she should''ve only been able to see for a split second...- With just a few more corrections after that, she honestly held it shockingly well and could even swing it properly. -Maybe leaving it to her isn''t the worst idea...- After taking a few more minutes to make sure she actually understood everything, I finally leaned down and gave her a very serious warning. "Never show this to anyone unless you know you''re strong enough to beat them, alright?" She gave an excited nod without the slightest hesitation. "Haah..." -I really hope she understands...- *distant cheering* Hearing the loud cheers coming from the front gate, I finally realized I was out of time. "I''m sorry I can''t do more for you but..." Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a bag I snatched off the noble from earlier with several silver and gold coins in it. "This should last you for a while." She wore an amazed look as she stared into the leather bag. "Ah, I can''t leave you in rags if you have that kind of sword, can I..." Thinking she was more likely to get robbed if she looked like a peasant, I used magic to clean her up and give her some new, multipurpose clothes that, most importantly, looked expensive. -This will keep most people from asking any questions, and with all the runes, itll act like armor too...- "Do you have a name?" I asked her as I added a few finishing touches, but she just shook her head. "Give me.. a name..." -A name?- Although I wanted to give it some serious thought, a name popped into my head immediately. "How about Katherine?" Her eyes lit up as she heard the name. "Ka..ther..ine.." She slowly sounded it out before a wide smile came to her face. But that was when she pointed at me. "Name?" It was honestly adorable. "My name is Vasilias Whyte." Her pure nature made me smile, but I was already out of time. "Well, I need to go for now. Please be careful!" She looked sad for a moment, but her eyes shifted to those of determination after a few seconds. "I will.. grow strong!" "Haha, I hope so." I patted her on the head with a satisfied smile on my face. "Grow strong for me!" "Mm!" Seeing her determination, I felt at least partially more confident that shed be alright. -Plus, with that talent.. I''m sure she''ll be fine...- But as I stood up to leave, I decided to do one last thing. *pat* Setting my hand on her head, I sent some aura into her body and imprinted a few strengthening runes on her bones. "This will help you get strong, okay?" "Hm!" She gave a strong and confident nod that reminded me of Ilios. -They really are quite similar, huh...- Finally pulling my hand away, I gave the girl one final wave and farewell before dashing away to meet back up with Ilios. -She was really cute.. especially for a humanoid...- Even as I ran to meet with Ilios, I had some lingering warmth in my heart. But not long after I left, the girl pulled the rapier close to her chest as if to hug it and mumbled something to herself. "Katherine.. Whyte.." Chapter 82: Blinded By Pride Chapter 82: Blinded By Pride Late Evening - Late Spring : Kingdom of Zan "Sorry I took so long, buddy..." Standing on a random rooftop a few hundred meters from where I left Katherine, I leaned down to pet Ilios. "You ready to finally do something fun?" Almost immediately, Ilioss tail started wagging even faster. *nod-nod-nod* "Haha, alright. Lets get going then!" Finally standing back up, I darted towards the commotion, casually hopping from roof to roof as I crossed the city. As I started getting close to the front gate though, I started sensing several strong auras. But even though they were all quite strong, one still stood head and shoulders over the others. -Thats an aura that puts Fathers dragon form to shame...- Questioning what monstrosity of a human could have such an aura, I quickly got to a rooftop that overlooked the main road and looked down towards the crowd. Down in the street was a convoy of 12, all riding red racers, a type of domesticated monster that looked like a red feathered lizard and was known to be exceptionally fast. Most of the people in the group were fairly strong, but 3, in particular, stood out. -So that aura wasnt from a humanoid at all, huh...- Looking over the three halfies, smiling and waving to the humans around them, a bad taste came to my mouth. -How old does a halfie even need to be to have a true form with that kind of aura...- Although it was a little worrying to see that a few of my targets were far stronger than anticipated, it only made me more excited. -I wonder how much of a fight you can give me...- But as a slightly crazed smile came to my face, the strongest, bear-demihuman-looking halfie whipped his head towards the rooftop I was on. "Huh?" His hostile look quickly turned to confusion. "Whats up, Pello? Did you sense something?" The panther-demihuman-looking halfie next to him gave him an odd look. "Hm? Oh. I just thought I sensed someone... I guess it was just my imagination." As he turned back towards the gate, I looked down at him from the top of the city wall with a wide smile on my face. -Oh, thisll be fun...- The next couple minutes felt exceptionally long as my anticipation for the fight only grew, but eventually, the group of 12 finally finished waving to the citizens and left through the gate. -Alright! Time for some fun!- Casually turning around and walking to the other side of the wall, a knight came running up to me. "Sir! You cannot be up here without permiss-" *Poof-crack* Before he could finish, Ilios and I vanished, only leaving a crack in the ground where we once stood. Quickly plummeting towards the ground after leaping off the wall, I glanced toward the group of Nation ranks to see them finally crack the reins of their red racers. -So they''re finally speeding up, huh...- But I quickly found myself needing to speed up significantly more than expected. -I knew they were quick, but dang...- Although still far slower than me, the red racers would put cars on earth to shame. -Now I''ll just wait for them to stop for a break...- But going against my expectations, even after nearly two hours of running, they didnt seem to show any signs of stopping. -Are they seriously going to make it to Kaelallan without stopping at all?- Giving my plan some additional thought, I figured we were about as ''in the middle of nowhere'' as we could get, and decided to change the plan a bit. -If they won''t stop on their own, I''ll just give them a reason to...- Quickly dashing far in front of them, I pulled Ilios to my side and drew my greatsword. "Ilios, when I decide to go in myself, you take care of the unmanned racers. You can use your full size as well." Seeing him nod and change to his towering, full form, I rested the tip of my greatsword against the ground. -Before I do that though, let''s see if they can react to this...- Forming a moderately sized metallic dart in my palm, I stuck out my hand and set my eyes on my first victim, the young elven mage on the far left. -With the dart shaped like this, there won''t even be a sonic boom...- Quickly taking an extra second to make sure I was on target, I let the dart fly. *crackle-FWIP* As if the dart teleported, it closed the couple kilometers between us nearly instantly. The unfortunate elf on the other end of the dart wore a bored expression, but as the dart ripped through her, her head and torso simply vanished. Seeing my judgemental look, the women readied themselves, but the swordsman was still somehow calm. "You know, if you back down now, I will consider letting you under my wing. When I inevitably take over the continent, youll be showered in riches!" He wore an expression like he was both confident in his delusion and actually expected me to take his offer. "Pfft-hahaha!" I couldnt hold back my laugh. "I think you have a screw loose, man." "Haha, well, dont ask for forgiveness later!" As he finally readied himself, he gave a sign to the archer behind him. *Fwip* The arrow on her bow zipped off the string immediately, firing right towards my shoulder. -Are they serious?- *tap* Casually catching the arrow, I looked up at the archer in disbelief. "You arent going for the kill? Are you insane?" Her face paled immediately, but her fear-filled expression only made me more excited. -Should I slam her to the ground with aura?- But while I thought about how to play with them, the swordsman finally got angry. "Don''t you dare look at her like that!" He charged forward after jumping in front of my gaze. -So they do have that kind of relationship...- An evil smile crept onto my face before I knew it. *Clank* *Clang* *Clank* *Wham-Crunch* *Clang-crunch* We had a short but fast exchange of blows, easily shattering the ground beneath us as we moved, but it was only another moment before the archer and mage tried to catch me with my guard down. *Fwip* *Crackle-Fwoosh* The barrage of arrows and spells seemed like a lot to manage at first, but after another second I started liking it. -To think I could improve my movements so much with this!- Falling into a handspring, I threw my foot up into the chin of the swordsman. *crack* The noise of teeth cracking echoed through the air before his rage-filled eyes could turn back to me. Like he was lost to rage, his form started deteriorating. "You think.." *clang* "..I''d lose.." *shing* "..when Im the one chosen by god!" Casually deflecting his blade over and over again, my evil grin only grew. "How did you even get to nation rank? You''ve got the emotional stability of a toddler!" Deciding to finally retaliate, I pulled back my sword, but that was when he backed off. -Oh?- Looking to my side, I saw the young mage girl with a big glowing rune on her palm. *BOOM* The explosion launched a huge wall of flames at me, but I just sliced through it with wind magic. "That was even weaker than that assassin''s spell, how underwhelming." As I casually brushed the dust off my clothes, the swordsman charged at me again. "You overconfident bastar-" Seeing the archer fire another arrow to divide my attention, an evil idea came to mind. *tap* Casually smacking the sword out of his hands, I grabbed the head of the swordsman and moved him slightly. *Fwip-Crack-tap* The arrow flew through his head completely before I caught it in front of my face. -Damn, that had more power behind it than I thought!- Dropping the swordsman to the ground, I looked up at the girls pale faces. "It seems the so-called chosen one was abandoned by god. What a shame." *Fwip* With a casual toss, the bloody arrow in my hands zipped across the street and reunited with the archer. *Crack* "It''s a shame two fairly talented women had to follow such a delusional man." With a casual glance into the woods, I just rocked my head to the side slightly. As I did that, the mage, with tears running down her face, readied a huge amount of mana. "EVEN IF I DIE.. I''LL BRING YOU WITH ME!" She was clearly pulling out her trump card. "Do you really think I''ll just let you do that?" Setting the top of my sword on the ground again, a white blur shot across the road and turned the girl into a cloud of blood. *CRACK* *BOOM* Ilios shot across the road so fast that even Pello, the strongest halfie there, couldnt catch a glimpse of him. He could only stare at the bloody mist with a look of wonder. "How the..." Seeing the halfies finally realize they would have to get involved, my excitement finally started showing again. "Are you all really just going to stand there while I kill you all one by one?! Come on! If you dont gang up on me, itll be no fun!" Chapter 83: Scum Chapter 83: Scum Early Morning - Late Spring : Kingdom of Zan x Kaelallan Border As I nonchalantly grabbed my sword after dropping it to catch the arrow, I looked at the remaining six people with a wide smile on my face. "Are you all really just going to stand there while I kill you all one by one?! Come on! If you dont gang up on me, itll be no fun!" The only humans still remaining, consisting of two archers and a swordsman, wore looks of nervousness and fear. But surprisingly, they kept themselves quite calm even after watching their comrades get slaughtered like cattle. But something about the situation was so out of place that even a human child would notice. The three figures on their riders behind the humans still wore confident, angry expressions. The expressions that had remained unchanged and indifferent as their subordinates were slaughtered, finally started to bend. "Haah... I really cant believe it." The bear-demihuman halfies voice ripped through the silence surrounding us before a blinding light blocked out my vision. -So, theyre finally gonna make a move themselves, huh?- As the light finally faded, I found myself looking up at two large, dark-grey halfies, both standing a little over 20 meters tall. Lowering my gaze, I saw their riders crushed beneath them with the oldest halfie still sitting between them in his humanoid form. -Is he serious?- "To think a mere demihuman would cause us so much issue... He gave a casual glance to the two archers who stood in front of him without fear. Mark and Susan, please assist from the back." Giving quick nods, they turned around and gripped their bows. Jack, the grey-haired knight-looking swordsman, gave the halfies hostile glances before turning to the archers. So you two knew all along, huh... He was shockingly fearless considering the situation. But as he reached for his sword, the leader spoke up again. "Jack." He gave him a heartless glare. "If you wish to go against orders and try to fight us, I will gladly send you and your family to the afterlife." As the halfies aura flooded forward, Jack hesitated and started to sweat. It was a sight that left a bad taste in my mouth. -Those halfies really piss me off more and more, huh...- Feeling pity for the man, I spoke up before he could do anything stupid. "I''ll send you off like a warrior, come on. Pick up your sword and come at me." -If hes really as strong as his hostility implies, he might be worth bringing to Kaelallans side...- As he turned to me, his hostility slowly disappeared. To still be unfazed after seeing them turn into dragons... I guess I''m the only one who hasnt seen the peak beyond the clouds. Hooh... Taking a deep, controlled breath, he unsheathed his sword with a surprisingly content smile on his face. "Before we begin, may I have the honor of hearing your name?" A smile came to my face the second he asked. Vasilias. Vasilias Whyte. Haha, I will engrave that name on my soul, young man! My name is Jack Annora, I hope we can have a good fight! Seeing he was excited to fight as well, the sour taste in my mouth started to disappear. Haha, of course! As I set my sword on my shoulder, I glanced back at the archers and halfies with a surging bloodlust. If any of you butt in, I''ll kill you. Alright, Sir Whyte, may the victor send the other off with honor! As his smile grew, he leaned forward and lunged straight at me with enough force to crack the ground. Hyuup! *crack* *Clank-Fwip-Clang-Clang-crunch-WHAM-crackle* It was another flurry of blows, each faster and more powerful than the last until the ground started to shatter beneath us. After several dozen swings, his swords started struggling to handle it and started to crack, but he only swung harder. *Crackle-tink-WHAM-Fwip* -To think a human could reach into the realm of dragons!- Getting a little too excited, I accidentally ended the exchange with a heavy downward swing. *FWOOSH* Immediately understanding he couldnt block it, he angled his blade above his head to attempt to redirect my blade. His stance was perfect, and he still had just enough strength to perform it, but no matter how great everything else was, his sword had reached its limit. *tink-shatter* Before he could completely redirect my blade, his sword shattered, and my blade sliced through his collarbone, completely cutting off his arm. But instead of screaming from the pain, he only fell to his knees and hung his head toward the ground. He already knew what was going to happen. Thank you for the fight, Jack. I will remember your name as long as I live. As I raised up my sword, I noticed he was wearing a look of contentment. -It was a good fight, Jack.- I wish you luck in your next li- But before I could give him a warrior''s ending like I wished, a massive brown tail swooped through and smashed apart Jack''s body. The tail then hit me with so much force that when I tried to block it with my sword, the blade shattered and left nothing else to dampen the blow. *WHAAAM* The next thing I knew, I was launched several hundred meters through the forest and was embedded into a rock. *Gasp* *Cough* *Cough* -What the f*ck was that?!- Looking up as I gripped my chest, I saw a massive, 46-meter brown halfie looking at me like I was an ant. Quickly trying to stand up, I got extremely light-headed and nearly fell over. Millions of thoughts passed through my head in an instant, before my mind finally recognized something I hadnt seen since I reincarnated. Fear. But my pride as a dragon didnt allow that. -How could I fear this bast*rd?!- Looking up at his towering dragon form, a flood of emotions came barreling through my mind, but before they could cause problems, they were all funneled into rage. How dare a weakling like you make me feel fear... My pupils dilated as I finally stopped controlling my aura. *vwooom* Just on the edge of my aura, I saw Ilios looking at me like he wanted directions. Ilios, I got the big one... The halfie still had no idea of his existence though. Haha, did I hit you hard enough for you to lose your mind? He wore a smug smile that I simply wanted to rip off his face. Seeing Ilios run away to reposition, I let my bloodlust flow. I''m gonna slaughter you like a pig... In the next instant, a blinding purple light lit up the night sky and the surrounding forest. -There is a special place in hell for people like you...- Chapter 84: Making The Planet Tremble Chapter 84: Making The Planet Tremble Early Morning - Late Spring : Kingdom of Zan x Kaelallan Border *Crunch* The ground shattered beneath me as I stopped using magic to distribute my weight. It was a noise that made the halfies expressions darken and turn serious, but it was already too late. -Now you''re really f*cked...- Once the light finally faded to reveal my dragon form, the younger halfie turned anxious, but unlike him, instead of getting nervous, the leader''s expression washed with confidence. "It seems my eyes have gotten worse as I have aged. To think I wouldnt recognize a fellow dragon in their human form. In the 400 years that I have lived, I have never run into someone like you, so I hope you will forgive me for my mistake." His endless confidence made me feel sick to my stomach. "You must have lost your f*cking mind..." "Woah there, man. Look, I have a good offer for you." His smile grew even smugger. "Seeing how dark your scales are, you must be a half-breed, right? So why are we fighting? Once Kaelallan inevitably falls, those pure-dragon bast*rds won''t be able to continue to suppress us! All that''s left is to kill that pesky royal family, so why don''t you join me?" As the walls of my reserve thinned and my aura rushed forward, the leader twitched. -This f*cker...- Having already toned out his insane ramblings, I looked him in the eye with eyes of rage. "Since you dont seem to understand your place, how about I show it to you..." Having lost a bit of confidence after sensing my aura, he responded with a tad of hesitation. "What are you-" *flash* Cutting him off, a wall of blue flames appeared behind my spread wings. *ZIP* I closed the distance between us almost instantly, smashing through the sound barrier severalfold before opening my mouth to clamp onto his neck. *crackle* The sound of his scales shattering under my teeth was like music to my ears. -But I won''t give you such an easy death...- Without turning down the thrusters, I drove him through a kilometer of forest and slammed him into the ground. *Cr-r-r-r-rack-WHAM* Feeling my teeth puncture through his scales, the dense bast*rd finally realized the kind of situation he was in and tried to dig his claws into my body. But seeing his claws couldn''t puncture my scales, I completely ignored him and flew into the air. His face finally started to wash with fear as the ground grew smaller and smaller before I finally turned around. -How does the fear of death feel?- *FWOOOOSH* The atmosphere looked to catch fire as I darted back toward the ground, and the halfies fearful expression only grew. *WHHHAMMMM* The ground shattered for hundreds of meters in all directions as my teeth were driven even further into his neck. All I needed to do was bite down, and I would kill him. -But you don''t fear me enough...- Before he could catch his breath, I reactivated the thruster magic and spun myself to hurl him at a large rock I saw from the air. *RUMBLE-fwip-CR-R-R-R-R-ACK* *CRUNCH-crumble* The sound of him smashing through countless trees before finally hitting the rock quickly brought me a smile of satisfaction, but even though I wanted to enjoy it, I didnt want to give him any time to think. *pshh-FWOOOOSH* Launching myself at him again, I lowered my head and slammed it into his chest. Still unable to shake off my lingering anger, I bent down and plucked the core off the ground, before throwing it down my throat without a second of hesitation. "Blegh..." I cringed from its horrific, lingering taste before eventually leaning down and taking a mouthful of the lava to try and drown out the taste. -He really was disgusting inside and out...- But at the end of it, I figured it would help refill my reserve so I pushed past the taste, but instead of feeling like a cup was poured into a bucket, it felt like a drop fell into a lake. -To think my reserve expanded so much...- As I idly thought about it though, I finally remembered something insanely important. -WHAT ABOUT ILIOS?!- In a flurry of panic, I leapt out of the several-dozen-meter-deep crater and scanned the area. But that was only a few seconds before I saw Ilios staring at me while wagging his tail a couple kilometers away. -Oh, thank the Lord, he''s okay- Quickly flying over to him, I finally noticed a blood-covered, and half-charred halfie laying behind him that, surprisingly, was still alive. -Did Ilios accidentally tank the blast for him?- Finally landing in front of them, Ilios wasted no time getting up and jumping on me, completely ignoring the ground-melting heat still being exuded from my body. -Hes just as much of a freak as I am, isn''t he...- As I thought that, Ilios somehow got more excited and jumped up on my neck to lick my face. His excitement was so contagious it finally made my lingering anger melt away. "Haha, I''m glad youre alright too, buddy!" Unable to get an arm around to pet him, I just moved my head over and rubbed my face into his fur. "You really grew quite a lot, didnt you?" Just a day ago, before my dragon sleep, he looked like such a puppy, but now he had grown to be a big grown wolf. -I guess I dont have to worry much about him anymore then...- I felt a bit nervous as I thought of the possibility that he would eventually leave me, but as if to give some reassurance, Ilios gave me a serious look before giving a single strong lick against my cheek. It made me want to laugh, but it made my heart melt first. "Damn, youre so f*cking adorable!!!" Quickly losing track of time, I spent several minutes just loving on him. It wasnt until I heard a groan that I finally stopped myself. "Ugh..." The halfie that was shielded by Ilios let out a groan as he tried to move. "You''re really resilient, arent you?" Thankfully, my anger had long since melted away, so I was able to walk up to him with a clear mind. "Since you''re alive, how about we have a little chat? If you answer all the questions I ask, I''ll let you live. Maybe..." Scared sh*tless by my slightly crazed grin, he hastily nodded with a pale face. "Alright, then I''ll get straight to the point." Looking him in the eyes, I pressured him with a bit of aura. "Is the tower the one funding the rebellion?" "..." Without responding, he stared at me with a look of surprise. Thinking he just didnt want to talk, I slowly raised my foot over his head for a little extra ''encouragement''. He cracked immediately. "YES! YES, THEY ARE! PLEASE SPARE ME, MIGHT ONE!" He closed his eyes and braced himself for my foot to crush his skull. -Oh, someone who actually knows something?- Enjoying the pleasant surprise, I looked down at his pitiful state and thought about what to do with him. -Would he count for the concrete evidence Father needed? Unlike everyone Ive talked to so far.. He actually seems to know some details...- But while I was thinking about it, I saw something silver crest the not-so-distant horizon. "Huh?" Looking up at it, I had a gleam appear in my eye. -What perfect timing!- Chapter 85: A Field of Ash Chapter 85: A Field of Ash Early Morning - Late Spring : Kingdom of Zan - Osto Ragnarok ~ -Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t, sh*t...- I was in a complete panic after hearing that Vasilias ran off on his own in an attempt to save Kaelallan. -I''d rather have Kaelallan burn to the ground than have Vasilias die...- It had been a little over an hour since I left the capital at that point, but I was still struggling to shake off my lingering, unwarranted aggression toward Oliver. The longer I thought about it, the more I realized how futile Olivers attempts to stop or protect Vasilias were, but I was still upset nonetheless. -Even if he got Eulia and Lawton to follow after him, Vasilias would have been over the horizon before they could find him...- I knew firsthand just how fast Vasilias was, and to put it simply, it was a speed unattainable by any being other than him. A flight that would take me over an hour, even at full speed, he could do in a couple of minutes. -And I''m sure the speed I experienced then wasnt his limit...- I felt a complicated mix of emotions when I thought back to his relaxed and unbothered expression when he carried me to Kaelallan. -He really is a monster, even among dragons...- Realizing I was getting sidetracked again, I quickly cleared my mind and looked down to see a road with a sign indicating I was at the border with the Kindom of Zan. "Alright, I need to focus..." Assuming he was likely somewhere along the border, I quickly turned to fly along it and started to scan the area below, being sure not to miss a single detail. But aggravatingly, I struggled to find any signs of a fight anywhere. The area below me was just an endless forest, with only the occasional large monster or dungeon beneath the canopy. -Sh*t... Where is he...- The more time that passed, the more my anxiety grew. But that was when I finally saw something. Well over the horizon, I saw a blinding blue light, like a shooting star, dart toward the ground. -That must be him!- Rushing toward the light as fast as possible, I quickly came up to a dilapidated road with several mutilated bodies scattered along it, but that wasn''t what made me worried. Stretching into the forest was a wide path where trees had been destroyed as if a dragon was plowed through them. -Theres no way Vasilias was knocked hard enough to clear that, but that would mean...- Feeling my heart sink, I looked into the forest in a rush, just to have my worries confirmed. Lying there, just inside the forest, was a halfie not much smaller than me, with an unrecognizably destroyed head and a snapped neck. -Some of those Nation Ranks were dragons?!- Immediately breaking into panic, I gained altitude and flew toward where the blue light was, still some 20 kilometers away. "Please tell me I''m not too la-" *CRACKLE* A massive plume of fire erupted from the dust-filled area before I could even ease my worries. The fire turned the surrounding, tall-standing trees to ash and lit the foliage on fire immediately, but the most horrifying part about it was that the flame was unfamiliar. -Thats not Vasiliass breath...- It was a realization that made my heart tense up. "VASILIASSSS!!" I yelled his name at the top of my lungs as the fire slowly dissipated. My previous worries and anxieties were immediately replaced with a blinding, uncontrollable rage. - Vasilias ~ Wearing a warm smile, I walked a bit toward Father, but when I took a closer look at him, I noticed how on edge he was. My face switched to one of concern immediately. "Are you alright, Father?!" His face showed a mix of anxiety and worry. "Y..yes, I''m fine, but more importantly... What happened to you, Vasilias?" He looked both Ilios and I up and down with an anxious expression. -Ah right.. How do I explain this...- Looking at his still somewhat fearful expression, I felt my heart ache. -Telling him the details will only make things more difficult...- "All I can really say is that I entered a dragon sleep after doing something incredibly stupid." He stared at me with wide eyes. "You had a dragon sleep? In just a few days?!" "Kind of? But not really... Now isnt a good time to explain..." I felt bad about hiding something like that from him, but I knew explaining it wouldnt help our already brittle relationship. -I can tell he''s been trying to improve his side of our relationship after Mother spoke with him... I don''t want to ruin his effort...- Thankfully though, without me getting too involved, Fathers fearful expression started to fade. "Haah... I won''t pry as long as you just promise to tell your mother and me about it eventually, alright?" His voice was oddly caring and warm. "O-of course. It''s just something that would be.. troublesome to explain currently." Fathers expression slowly started to warm up after I spoke. "In that case, its fine..." As if finally easing his mind, he let out a quick breath. "Well.. since we have that out of the way... WHAT WAS THAT EXPLOSION?! ARE YOU STUPID?!" He quickly ran up to me and bonked me on the head. "Haha, you didn''t like my little firework?" A smile found its way onto my face as I saw him acting like his normal self again. "LITTLE?! IT LOOKED LIKE YOU RECREATED THE SUN! If your mother finds out you did this, she''ll kill me!" "Haha, I''ll take the blame, don''t worry. Since I didn''t get that hurt, I''m sure I''ll be able to find a way out." Hearing me mention I was hurt, worry returned to his face. "Right, where are you hurt?" He quickly got closer to examine the various scratch marks all over my scales. "I''m fine, I''m fine. The worst thing is just a couple of broken ribs, but those will be healed in a couple days." He paused and looked up at me before finally stepping back. "Haah, how am I going to explain this to your mother..." "If you don''t want to, I can." -As long as I''m careful, I can at least avoid getting scolded...- "How is she doing, by the way? Did you stop by?" "Ah, yeah. She''s doing good. Since we left, she has just spent most of her time sleeping by the door, guarding Krystallo. While I was there, I made sure to get her plenty of food, so she wouldn''t have to leave at all." Thinking she sounded lonely, I had the sudden urge to go home, but I knew that wasn''t possible right now. -Ill be sure to come home quickly, Mother!- "What about Krystallo? Hows her sleep going?" "So far, so good, but you never know what will happen during them, so its best if I don''t say anything..." -Right.. Itd be best not to jinx it...- "All we can do is pray to Bahamut that nothing happens, right?." "Right..." There was a short moment of silence before he continued. "Well, anyways.. Is this guy really still alive?" He looked behind us at the halfie playing dead on the ground. -To think a dragon could have such a rat-like instinct...- Quickly flashing him with my aura, he tensed up and turned to us with a look of fear. -That''s better...-Discover new chapters at novelhall.com Chapter 86: A Golden Opportunity Chapter 86: A Golden Opportunity Mid Morning - Late Spring : Kingdom of Zan x Kaelallan Border "Have you asked him anything yet?" Father gave the half-breed a look of spite, not even bothering to hide his aggression. -That expression... Did the meeting not go well?- "All I asked was if the tower was the one funding the rebellion." "And his answer?" "He said they were." Father''s demeanor changed instantly, allowing a wide smile to creep onto his face. "How perfect." His eyes were full of greed.T/his chapter is updated by "So, what did the elders end up saying?" Getting pulled back out of his thoughts, he backed up and looked at me. "Ah yes, sorry. I forgot to mention it." He paused as he turned to face me. "I was just told the other dragons can''t move until we get some ''concrete evidence''." He uncaringly rolled his eyes. "I was basically told that we were on our own." -How stingy...- "But if that''s the case, couldn''t you use this guy as evidence now?" I gave the halfie a look of disdain. "It''s possible. It just depends on whether he actually knows the information we are looking for or if hes just lying to save his own neck." -I''ma lose it if he''s lying...- Although I felt somewhat confident that I could cleanse the Tower myself, I didn''t want to act on it since a part of me believed my confidence was coming from naivety. "Either way, do you want to talk to him here? Should I move him? What do you want me to do?" "Ah, I need to think about that, actually." His face turned troubled. "I will likely have to bring him back to Bahamut, but I need to figure out if hes usable first... Just go play with Ilios or something until I finish." He paused for a minute as he glanced at Ilios. "That is Ilios, right?" "Haha, of course! Who else would it be?" "I was just.. checking." Father was still struggling to believe the reality of the situation. -But I''m sure he will come to accept it eventually...- "Hooh..." Letting out a quick breath to shift gears, I looked back at Ilios with a playful, but competitive smile. "Hehe~!" As if he knew what was about to happen, his tail started wagging and kicking up a massive plume of ash behind him. -This''ll be our first time playing after dragon sleep... Let''s see how much you''ve grown, Ilios!- *Crunch* The ashen ground cracked beneath my feet as I leapt after Ilios. I closed the distance between us almost instantly. -Got ya!- But as soon as I reached out to tag him, he disappeared. *fwoosh* -Huh?- I couldn''t believe my eyes for a second. "You got that much faster?!" Seeing him confidently dashing around me, a competitive gleam appeared in my eyes. -I don''t need to hold back now!- "Woof!" Ilios stopped for an instant to give me a happy hop, showing both his excitement and confidence. "HE DIDN''T BRING AN ARTIF- Ack!" When I tried to yell, an awful swelling-like pain filled my head. It felt as if my brain was being crushed. Helen''s face drained of color immediately as she used ice magic on my chest and forehead. "Please just relax..." Her face was washed with fear. "We have already talked about this. You can''t make any sudden movements until you get better... I don''t want your condition to get any worse than it already is, so..." Tears started to well in her eyes. "Please don''t do that..." A pang of gut-wrenching guilt filled my stomach when her tear landed on me. "I''m sorry, honey. But please don''t worry... I might be in a little pain, but I''m sure it''ll heal with enough time. We just need to be patient." She gave me a look of fear before taking a deep breath to try and calm down. "Haah... R..right." There was another moment of silence before I decided to continue. "Back to what I was saying... He didn''t bring any artifacts?" She quickly shook her head. "No, not that I noticed at least... At least he brought a sword though.. at the very least, it''s better than nothing..." "I.. guess..." "I''m not sure whether he just doesn''t like them, or doesn''t know how to use them, but when I took him into the vault before, he didn''t even bat an eyelash towards the stronger artifacts..." I could only nod my head slightly in agreement. "Hes 10.. That should be expected." "Yeah, but even though he''s 10, he''s a dragon with more mana than half this city combined..." "..." Thinking that dwelling on the issue wouldn''t do us any good, I just remained silent. Helen gave me an odd look for another moment before eventually standing up. "I will take care of all your work, so please rest... No matter what happens, I will still be supporting you in any way I can..." I wanted to laugh, but I knew it would hurt. -When was the last time I heard that...- Before I could finish reminiscing, I turned back to her. "Thank you, sweetie..." Helen gave me a light kiss before she finally left the room, turning off the light artifact on the wall as she left. *Click* Looking up at the dark ceiling, I let out a deep breath. "Haah..." Once again, I was left alone, with only my thoughts to keep me company. -We can only choose to believe Vasilias now.. there''s no use in continuing to worry...- In an attempt to ease my stress, I thought back to all of my interactions with Vasilias. We never really talked that much, but during our limited time together, it was made abundantly clear that he wasn''t an ordinary child. Whenever I would talk with him, I felt like I was talking to some sage with a mountain of knowledge I''d never understand. At first, I summed it up to him just being a dragon, but the feeling was far beyond what I felt whenever I talked to Osto. -I just need to commit. If he dies, so will we; but if he manages to win, it''ll create a massive opportunity...- Giving the idea a bit more thought, I eventually decided to advance some old plans and take advantage of the possible golden opportunity. -All I can do at this point is trust Vasilias, so I guess it''s time that I prepare the military for a trip to Zan.- Chapter 87: Improvement Chapter 87: Improvement Late Morning - Late Spring : Kingdom of Zan x Kaelallan *CRUNCH* The brittle ground shattered as I finally pinned Ilios to the ground. "Haah.. haah... I.. win..." After nearly 3 hours of an aggressive game of tag, I had finally managed to come out on top, but I felt exhausted. *Thud* Collapsing to the ground next to Ilios, I glanced over to see him equally exhausted. "Hah-hah-hah-hah..." He was panting quite heavily. "You alright buddy? I didn''t push you too much, did I?" "Hah-hah.. woof!" He gave a cheerful bark as he rolled over and crawled next to me. "Haha, good..." -I knew he got faster.. but I didn''t think it was to that extent...- *thump* *thump* *thump* As I laid there, some heavy footsteps came up from behind me. "How did you two go at that for 3 whole hours?" After Father finished talking with the halfie, he just sat down, not far away, and watched as Ilios and I played without any regard for our surroundings. "Haha.. it''s all thanks to a wonderful thing called adrenaline..." "A..drena..line?" He tilted his head as he sounded it out. "It''s basically what makes you hyped up and feel like you could conquer the world." "Ah! You mean fighting spirit?" Seeing his enthusiasm, I couldn''t bring myself to say no. "Kind of..." -It''s not quite the same, but it''s close enough.- "Anyways, did you get any good information out of that guy?" His previously enthusiastic smile turned serious the second I asked. "Actually, yeah. He was pretty high up the chain of command so he could call out the big shots by name. The only bad part is that now I need to fly him all the way to a space rune to get to Bahamut again." -Ah right.. I nearly forgot about those.- "So what will Bahamut do once they get evidence connecting the Tower to the rebellion? Will they just send reinforcements to help us wreck their headquarters?" "Pft-haha! Not quite." Father seemed to think my assumption was funny. "Bahamut is incomparably stronger and smarter than you think, Vasilias. They will simply cleanse the Tower and all its connections on their own." He spoke with an out-of-place pride. But I was too preoccupied to think much of it. -If they''ll do it all on their own, does that mean my job is done?- "How sure are you that the halfie will be enough evidence?" "Extremely." His voice was heavy and decisive. "Although I will still need to meet with the elders to explain everything, even if they don''t believe that guy''s word, they can just put him under a truth oath to check if he''s lying." -So I was right to assume lie detection magic exists...- Although I found it fascinating and really wanted to theorize about how it worked, I shook my head a bit to keep myself from getting distracted. "So, since Bahamut will handle everything once you report everything, does that mean we''re going home when you get back?" "Hm?" He tilted his head with a look of curiosity and confusion. "Do you not like Kaelallan?" "Let''s go back to Kaelallan so we can nap, alright?" Lowering my wing to make a little ramp, I let Ilios up onto my back where he promptly laid back down. "I''ll make it a quick trip so hold on." Seeing him nod and use his mana to cling to me, I wasted no time blasting the thrusters and hurling us both over the horizon. *FWOOOOSH* Thankfully, after Ilios''s growth spurt, he could handle the ridiculous acceleration of my thruster magic comfortably, letting us make it back to Kaelallan in a matter of minutes. -I''m here already?- Looking down at the city, I felt a bit too tired and lazy to take the proper route through the gate and just adjusted my speed and changed to my humanoid form while still in the air. -I''ll have to repair the courtyard but I''m sure it''ll be fine...- "Ilios, can you shrink down and brace yourself in my arms?" Reaching back for him, I used my aura to pull him into my grasp, where I securely held onto him. "Be sure to brace yourself." Seeing the courtyard in front of the palace quickly approaching, I used thruster magic to slow us down well below Mach. -Eh, that''s probably enough.- *Fwooosh* We zipped over the city''s outskirts in a flash before the stone courtyard eventually met my feet. *CRACKKLEE* The courtyard caved in and shattered for a few dozen meters in all directions, even after using mana to lessen the impact. *crunch* Casually crushing a piece of rubble into power as I stood up, I quickly let Ilios down and brushed the dust off my pants. -Wow.. My legs really handled that well...- I hit the ground far harder than I had expected, but it was a pleasing surprise to find that I didn''t break or even strain anything. -Well, no reason to complain...- Before finally walking toward the palace, I used some earth magic to level the walkway again and help make repairing it a bit easier. -Sorry in advance, Oliver!- Finally turning toward the palace, I saw a middle-aged maid staring at me with a look of awe that could be mistaken for worship. I called out to her as I walked toward the door to the Palace. "Miss?" "Y..yes?!" She jolted and straightened up as soon as she noticed I asked her something. "Where is Oliver right now?" "T-the lord is in his room, young master." She threw herself into a bow as I nonchalantly walked by. -Am I really just imagining that look of reverence I see in some people?- I gave it a quick thought before simply shaking it off my mind. -It''s probably just my imagination...- "Thanks, miss." Finally walking inside, I spread out my aura as far as I could and quickly sensed where Oliver was, but he was laying in bed, dead asleep. -If he''s napping, I''ll just go to Helen...- Although I needed to talk with him fairly urgently, I knew firsthand how aggravating it was to be woken up during a good nap. Scanning around the rest of the palace as I walked around, I finally sensed Helen''s aura on the edge of mine and made my way to what I assumed was her office. -Is she having a meeting?- As I got closer, I could sense another aura. -They''re quite strong...- Their aura was fairly impressive, but from what I could tell, they were still rapidly absorbing more. -Who could that be?- Not thinking much about it, I probed their aura with mine to see a short elven woman sitting on a couch. -An elf, huh?- Finally making it to her office after pulling back my aura some, I reached for the doorknob. *vwoom-BANG* Chapter 88: A Stressful Operation Chapter 88: A Stressful Operation Early Afternoon - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan "Uwwaahh..." I let out a yawn as I reached for the doorknob. -Hm?- *vwoom-BANG* *Fwip* Instinctually creating a blade of wind in front of me, I redirected the wooden shards flying at us around Ilios and I. *Clunk* As I dropped the brass door knob to the floor, I stared at the elf on the other side of the empty doorway with an unamused look. -Are you serious?- Her face was full of hostility. "Stay back your grace! I''ll kill this foul monst-" *WHAM* Before she could react, I threw her into the wall with my aura. The impact was strong enough to make the entire castle shake, but surprisingly, except for being knocked out, she seemed fine. -How resilient...- Finally walking into the office, I sat down on the couch with Ilios and grabbed a small piece of buttered bread. -Not bad...- "How''s it going, Helen?" Finally turning to her, I noticed she was standing behind her desk wearing a frozen look of shock. It took a moment for her to finally come to her senses. "V..Vasilias?!" "Who else would it be?" Using my aura again, I pulled the elven woman out of the wall and laid her on the ground. *crumble* "So, who is this?" "Ah.. that''s the uh.. grandmaster of the academy. The strongest mage in Kaelallan..." "Ha-ha, very funny..." I spoke with palpable sarcasm. But Helen just gave me a confused look. "..." It took me a minute to notice. "W..wait, you''re serious?" The elven girl looked like she was younger than me. "She''s actually 110.. despite her.. childish appearance..." I could only show a look of awe. -To think I just threw an elderly woman into a wall...- Although I did feel a slight bit of pity, at the same time, she was the one to attack first so I felt no remorse. -Maybe shell learn to be more careful next time...- "T..that aside.." Helen awkwardly looked me up and down before simply letting out a deep breath. "Haah... I won''t ask about what happened to your appearance since I probably wouldnt understand it anyway, but..." Finally sitting down at her desk again, she gave me a nervous look. "What happened to the nation ranks?" "Ah, they''re all dead." I leaned back with confidence. "No witnesses and no survivors." Although I expected her to finally relax after hearing the news, her face was still covered in anxiety. "You met up with your Father already, right?" -Wait.. I can shatter the front of his skull to give it room to swell...- It was a mind-blowingly risky play, but... -With magic, I can minimize the risk, so.. here goes nothing!- Using earth magic, I shattered the front of his skull as cleanly as I could to give his brain room to naturally swell. *CrAcK* It was a gruesome noise, but the cracks were so clean I barely had any bone fragments to get rid of. -Good.. the riskiest part went well...- Not wasting any time, I quickly got rid of the few fragments I could find and cleaned up the internal bleeding as best as I could. It wasn''t until several minutes later that I finally finished with beads of cold sweat forming on my forehead. "Phew..." I made sure to still keep an eye on his condition as I pulled myself away to catch my breath. -How in the world did surgeons on Earth do sh*t like that for hours?- Although what I was doing was far beyond the mental capabilities of a human, I still felt a sense of awe that someone could work under such stressful conditions for so long. "Haah... I''m really looking forward to my nap now..." -But I guess it''d be stupid to just leave him here...- Deciding itd be better to make sure the swelling was handled properly, I put off my nap for a few hours to watch his condition. -Im in too deep to let him die now...- - Helen Kaelallan ~ "Haah.." I let out a deep breath as I leaned back in my seat and watched the maids start to clean my office. -We somehow avoided, not one, but two disasters...- Looking down at the diplomatic papers spread across my desk, some untamed ideas started coming to mind. -The nation ranks are all dead, and the dragons are going to wipe out the Tower...- At first, I tried to quell the stray, outlandish thoughts, but the more I thought about it, the more I succumbed to them. -If the tower gets destroyed by the dragons, then the war will be stopped before it even starts... But wouldnt that also create a golden opportunity?- 12 Nation ranks dying without a trace left an absolutely massive opportunity for Kaelallan to grow by swallowing nearby nations, but at the same time, it would definitely start a war. -But without the Tower, those countries are left with no effective allies and disheveled leadership...- A greedy smile slowly came to my face. -Wouldnt that just mean theyre free food?- Standing up and turning to look out the window, I overlooked the city below with a slightly crazed look. -I guess it would be shameful to not make use of an opportunity dropped at our feet, right?- Chapter 89: The Endlessness of Magic Chapter 89: The Endlessness of Magic Mid Afternoon - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan - Michael Cotorel ~ *tap-tap-tap-tap* "Haah..." -What am I doing...- It had been about an hour since things started calming down, a whole day after the disaster. I had been one of the leading figures of a group that carried people to medical wards, helped treat the wounded, and arrested thugs that broke into noble estates, but even though I was absolutely exhausted, I was still walking around the city. But I wasnt walking around to help people. Instead, I was walking around trying to solve my own mental dilemmas. -Just what am I missing... Is acknowledging it not enough?- Deep within my mind, I was staring at a pair of broken, rusted shackles. It all started several years ago, a few years after my progress in magic theory turned stagnant. At the time, I was unable to accept the reality that I, a man who dedicated his whole life to the pursuit of innovating and improving magic, had simply run into a roadblock. To escape that reality, I came to convince myself that I was actually at the peak of magic, the apex of humanity. But even still, deep down I knew there was another peak within the clouds. Regardless, the idea that I had reached the limit of mankind only further suffocated my thoughts, leaving me to mindlessly grow my reserve with no end goal in sight. But that''s when the false reality I''d created for myself came crashing down around me. Just a few days prior, I had seen a child use spells that were unheard of and use mana to seemingly bend the rules of the world. It was a scene that opened my eyes wider than they ever had been before, allowing me to set my sights on a peak within the clouds whilst reinvigorating my intrigue and excitement to develop magic. But I was once again left with a conflicted feeling. -I thought I resolved my problem... Why do I still feel.. drained...- The world in my mind steadily grew darker and darker the more I questioned myself and my choices. But that was when a calm voice pulled me out of my mind. "Sir, are you alright?" -Huh?- Looking up, I saw a knight donning silver armor giving me a worried look. -Oh.. I wandered to the plaza...- "Y..yes, sorry. I guess I just got lost in my thoughts." "Haah, alright. Just be sure to pay attention to where you are walking, you could cause an accident." His voice was oddly comforting. "Thank you, sir. I will keep that in mind." As I gave a polite gesture to the man, he moved back over to his post at the entrance to the plaza. Unable to keep my eyes from wandering, I quickly found myself staring at the dragon lying unconscious in the middle of the plaza. Over the days since the speech, whenever I saw her, my heart would ache, but somehow, at that moment.. I felt indifferent. *click* It was at that moment that I felt like I heard a shackle unlock. - Vasilias ~ "Uwaahh..." I let out a deep yawn as I ran my fingers through Ilioss fur. It had been a couple of hours since I finished my procedure on Oliver, and thankfully, his condition was starting to look better. His internal bleeding was the first thing to heal, with the bruising disappearing quite quickly with a bit of my assistance. As for the swelling, it only increased for quite a while, even causing his skin to break open and bleed on his forehead, but once the swelling finally started to return to normal, his condition greatly improved. Thanks to mana and the incredible healing ability of humans in this world, it wouldn''t scar, and once his skull healed back, it would look and feel as if nothing happened. -Humanoids are surprisingly resilient considering how fragile their bodies are... - Looking at Oliver and seeing him start to move and wake up again, I reached over his head and nullified a few neurons that were firing, making his movement stop immediately. -Man... Maybe it''s just him, but his mind is like clockwork...- Over the few hours prior, I had been watching his mind very closely in an attempt to learn about it, and I did actually discover how to do several things. After studying how the pain receptors, nerves, and mind all communicated, I learned to quell the pain from his shattered skull so he would only feel a slight headache, but this quickly led to me finding a way to put him back to sleep when he was in the process of waking up. Shockingly, it wasnt too complicated either. As I kept a close eye on his brain, whenever he initially started to wake up, a set of about 6 neurons were triggered by a chain of neurons that led to where the nerves communicate with the brain. Putting two and two together, I made the assumption that the 6 neurons were something akin to an emergency wake-up response, and as expected, when I nullified the neurons fired from them, he would stop waking up and fall back to sleep. -To think magic would make something like this even possible...- *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* As I was thinking to myself, I noticed someone sneaking down the hallway outside. I was still letting my aura loose at that point, filling the room with so much mana that if I didnt have control over it, it would be deadly to humans. But before I could even bother restraining some of it, the door opened. *Click* My aura immediately washed out into the hallway like flood waters. Lucy, who was the one in the hall, still stood at the door, completely frozen with a slightly pale face. -She probably came to check on Oliver...- "I''m doing something important, so I need you to stay out of the room for a bit. Oliver is fine." Not wanting her to come inside and give me any kind of distraction, I closed the door without any more thought. Silence filled the hallway for several seconds before she finally backed away from the door and sat down against the wall. *tap* *tap* *thump* "Haah..." -I guess I can''t blame her for being worried...- *rustling* "Mmmm..." Ilios shifted around some at my feet, getting extra comfortable as he rested. "Lucky..." *pat-pat* -I could really use a nap right about now, too...- Chapter 90: Emotional Naivety Chapter 90: Emotional Naivety Mid Afternoon - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan - Lucy Kaelallan ~ "Mmm..." I groaned as I rolled onto my back and looked up at my bedroom ceiling. -I wonder how Viviana is doing...- It had already been hours since I woke up, but I couldn''t muster the motivation to get out of bed. -I have nothing to do today besides taking care of Father...- Looking over towards the door, I saw Martha giving me a worried look. It wasn''t a good sign. "Is Father awake yet?" "Miss..." She took a moment to think about what she was going to say before continuing. "Haah... He is still resting. I will tell you the moment he wakes up." "What''s the big deal though... I''ve walked in on him sleeping before so why not now?" "Because he was hurt, his current rest can not be interrupted." I paused to think of a rebuttal but just gave up with a pout. "Hmph..." Looking in the other direction, I looked out through the balcony doors and took a moment to enjoy the nice warm breeze carrying the scent of flowers. It calmed my mind quite quickly. "Has Vasilias come back yet?" Martha''s look of worry quickly shifted to curiosity. "I haven''t heard about him si-" *Rattling* The doors and windows rattled as the entire palace shook. "What was that?" My voice became worried instantly as I looked toward Martha. But she was already across the room, closing and locking the window to the balcony and pulling the blinds. Her urgency quickly worsened my worries. "What''s going o-" "Lucy, I need you to stay quiet for a moment..." With a serious look on her face, she crept across the room and tossed me the silencing artifact on the bedside table. It was something only to be used during emergencies, which only worsened my panic. The next minute or so was wrapped in complete silence, but it didn''t last forever. *Rattle-THUD* The entire room shook, but unlike before, the rattling was quickly followed by a distinct shockwave. -What was that?!- Looking toward the door again, I saw Martha holding her blade, a dagger she only used when she was serious. "Miss, please stay here for a moment." Her expression was devoid of positive emotion. "Lock the door after I leave and only open it if it''s me or your parents." I gave a nervous nod to her before she disappeared into the hallway. Being sure to follow her words, I ran up and locked the door with the silencing artifact in hand. My heart was racing as my mind began to wander and make assumptions. -Ever since he came.. there has been nothing but disaster...- My worry, anxiety, and stress quickly turned into anger as I thought back over the past few weeks. -Ever since Vasilias came to Kaelallan, nothing but awful things have been happening.- With several assassination attempts on both Mother and Father, a huge city-wide disaster, Father getting injured, and mother being so overworked she looked sick, I could only feel contempt for the only variable that I knew changed. -If Vasilias never came, none of this would have happened...- It was a childish assumption, but sitting on the bed in the dark, motionless room let my emotions fester. But instead of letting out a sigh of relief like she probably expected, I just sat there, staring at her. It took several seconds for me to think of what to say. "S..so where is Vasilias now?" "Hoh?" Her expression turned slightly smug. "Not long after talking with your Mother, a maid saw him go into the Lord''s room." My heart skipped a beat. "Id assume he''s still in there if you-" I sprung up from the bed and dashed to the door, but froze when I reached for the handle. "Where do you think you''re going?" Martha''s voice sounded a little threatening, but what held me in place was her hand on my shoulder. It felt like I was stuck in quicksand. "I just need to make sure he isn''t hurting father!" No matter how hard I tried to get out of her grasp, I couldn''t make her hand budge. "Miss, please listen to yourself. If Vasilias can deal with the second strongest nation rank in Kaelallan without even trying, why would he wait until his highness was hurt to do it." I paused as couldn''t refute it. "I.. I guess..." "Haah..." She let out a disappointed sigh. "What am I going to do with you..." She slowly dragged me back into the room and set me on the bed without any effort. "Would you like anything to drink or snack on?" "I''ll have.. one of Mother''s pops please..." (Basically a cake pop) "Alright, I''ll go grab one. Please stay here." As she was about to close the door behind herself, she gave me a serious look. "If you are to succeed (the throne), you need to think carefully before every decision." It sounded like a warning. "O..of course..." Trying to act normal, I laid back on the bed and spread out to relax. It wasn''t until a few minutes after she left that I got up and checked the hall. -The coast is clear...- Father''s room wasn''t far down the hall, so I was able to get there quickly and sneakily. -I just need to check before I go back to my room...- Reaching up for the door knob to the royal bedroom, I cracked open the door with a slightly hostile expression. -He better not...- But before I could even finish my thought, a wave of mana so thick it made my mind go blank flowed through the crack and made me stop in my tracks. It could only be described as a wall of mana. My piled-up emotions, including the anger and frustration towards Vasilias, vanished in an instant. -I.. really.. let myself get mad at that kind of being...- I couldn''t believe myself. As the aura finally wrapped around me, it felt like a cold blanket wrapped around my body, but it felt oddly soothing. My heart stopped beating out of my chest, and my breathing steadied. The dreadful knot of fear forming in my stomach vanished as if it was never there. But that was before a calm and majestic voice filled the air. "I''m doing something important, so I need you to stay out of the room for a bit. Oliver is fine." It sounded a little unfamiliar, but I still instinctively complied with it like I was under hypnosis. *Click* Closing the door, I walked across the hallway and sat down with a blank expression. It wasn''t until a few minutes later that my mind finally cleared up. -What.. was that...- I still couldn''t really think straight, but my emotions were finally leveling out. After another minute, instead of being worried about Martha''s inevitable return, I found myself looking back towards the door to Father''s room. -You know... That actually.. didn''t feel too bad...- Chapter 91: The Simple Complexity of the Brain Chapter 91: The Simple Complexity of the Brain Mid Evening - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan - "Uwahh..." I let out a deep yawn as I leaned onto the edge of Oliver''s bed. -The brain really is quite fascinating, isnt it...- While waiting for the swelling to go down, I spent my time watching and studying Oliver''s brain, connecting his countless neurons to countless reactions. After enough time, I actually found myself with a relatively decent map of what actions or senses were stored where. -Its more organized than I thought it would be...- To my surprise, it was very similar to a very intricate and efficient computer program, with different actions, senses, or memories being stored in various distinct sections while still being able to overlap and intertwine to form a web. To put things simply, everything was connected to everything. There were few, if any, dead ends, and even if you started with the same neuron, you could achieve a plethora of different outcomes. The only exception to this was memories. Although Oliver was deep asleep and I couldnt exactly confirm what he was seeing each time, every time a neuron fired in the memory section of the brain, it would follow a very consistent and repeatable path until it got to a different section of the brain. -It really is no wonder why people on Earth said the brain is infinite... Figurative or not, they werent far off...- Slowly pulling away my focus, an incredibly detailed image of Olivers net of neurons came to mind. *flicker-flicker* What I assumed to be the memory and senses sections were lighting up like fireworks. -I wonder what hes dreaming about...- I ended up watching the light show for a couple minutes after that, but as I felt my curiosity starting to build again, I finally stopped myself. -I need to stop before I touch the wrong button...- Sitting up and pulling away most of my aura again, I did a more general scan of Olivers head to see what his condition was. Thankfully, things looked good. The bruising was gone, the arteries were all healed, and the swelling had lessened enough that the pieces of his skull had settled back into place. -Looks like my job is finally coming to an end...- At that point, it had been several hours since I started the procedure on him, but at long last, he was at a point where the rest would heal naturally and as long as he didnt jerk his head, he wouldnt experience too much pain. "Haah..." -It''s about time...- It took a bit longer for the swelling to go down than expected, but I couldnt say my time was wasted. -Either way, let''s finish this and go take a nap...- Setting my hand on his head, I aligned all the shattered chunks of his skull and used the atoms from the cells in the area to create small, barbed titanium needles that would hold everything together. -Hopefully, he won''t even notice them...- Finally feeling like I was finished, I stood up and stretched before leaning down to gently wake up Ilios. *pat-pat* "Let''s move downstairs, buddy..." Seemingly waking up from a deep sleep, he took a moment to finally wake up and stretch, but once he was finally moving it looked like he had been awake for hours. -That must have been a refreshing nap...- I was a bit jealous as I squatted down and loved on him for a moment, but that jealousy just turned into motivation to take a nap myself. "Lets get going." Seeing Ilios happily following along as I walked to the door, I wasted no time opening it up and walking into the hall. *Click* Once I eventually got to the bottom of the lift, I walked out into the shelter to see that everything looked like it had the life sucked out of it. The ground was brittle and cracked, and the storage area looked similarly damaged, but above all else, every artifact I could see was either broken or barely functioning. -I guess my dragon sleep did more damage than I thought...- I took several seconds to think about what to do after that but eventually decided that I would just fix it after I woke up from my nap. "Uwaah..." -I should also think about whether I want to make another weapon for myself as well...- Although I loved the way it felt to swing the sword I got from the vault, I wasnt exactly sure whether I wanted a real weapon at all. "Haah... Whatever..." -I''ll just think about it later...- Quickly turning and walking to the hot spring, I changed into my dragon form and dropped myself into the water. *SPLASH* Quickly sinking into the water, I let myself get completely submerged before spreading my wings to float weightlessly. The water wasnt exactly warm, but it felt quite comfortable and embracing. -It honestly reminds me of when I was still in the egg...- Thinking back to my first moments in this world, I tried not to let my mind wander, but couldnt stop it once it started drifting. Eventually, I started asking myself countless what-ifs about things I could have done differently, but it just led to a rabbit hole. -Where would I be if I never touched that tesseract... Would I still be alive?- Looking at Krystallo, I could assume what kind of limits I would have, but it was quite pitiful. -If I came to Kaelallan with her level of strength I would have definitely died... But at the same time, I wonder if I would have had more compassion for humans if I was that weak...- As I slowly opened my eyes and noticed I was on the verge of sleep, I finally made my way back up to the surface and closed out my train of thought. -I should ask Father why he became an adventurer even though hes a dragon at some point...- *Blub* Finally coming to the surface of the water, I looked towards the shallow end to see Ilios laying on his back, half underwater. His look of pure satisfaction and joy caused the memory of when I first met him to surface in my mind again. As I floated over to him, I took a moment to relive the memory, but eventually, he rolled back over and shook himself off. *shake-shake-shake* His pure, untainted joy quickly spread to me as he happily hopped out of the spring. "Haha..." My smile turned warm immediately. -He really is just so adorable...- Following him, I got out of the spring, dried myself off, and made my way over to the cushions to lie down. *Puff* As I curled up on one of the cushions, I looked over to see Ilios giving me a look of expectation. -Hm?- "Whats up, buddy? You don''t want to sleep on one of the other cushions?" I looked over to see the several other giant cushions that were empty and untouched. But Ilios confidently shook his head. I took a moment to think about it before eventually just setting my head back down and closing my eyes. *puff* "In that case, I guess you can sleep wherever you want..." But as I started slowly drifting to sleep, I felt something big and fluffy curl up next to me so my body was wrapped around it. A lethargic and warm smile immediately came to my face, but before I could think much about it, I fell into a much-needed deep sleep. Chapter 92: Smart, Yet Lacking Chapter 92: Smart, Yet Lacking Mid Evening - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan - Oliver Kaelallan ~ "Ugh..." I let out a groan as I woke up and tried to sit up, but was stopped by a pulsating sensation in my head. "Why do you keep trying to sit up when you know itll hurt..." Helen looked worried as she came to my side and helped me lay back down. "Ah.. t..thank you..." As I set my head back on the pillow though, I noticed that it didnt hurt nearly as bad as before. -Did my condition really improve that much on its own?- "I.. think Im a bit better today..." I spoke with reluctance since I didn''t really believe it myself. Lucy''s eyes lit up as she jumped onto the bed. *pouf* "So, he really did heal you!" Her excitement only made me confused though. "Whos he?" "Vasilias!" She responded immediately with a childish smile. -What? Vasilias healed me?- I quickly turned to Helen. "According to Martha and a few other maids, Vasilias was in here for several hours earlier." She looked a little stressed as she sat on the edge of the bed. Noticing her body language, I carefully glanced around to make sure no one besides us were in earshot. "So, Vasilias did come back?" Helens expression looked conflicted as she let out a sigh. "Haah.. yes, thankfully... Right when he returned though, he came by my office to give us a mix of problems and opportunities." My face was quickly washed with a mix of anxiety and curiosity. "And what do you mean by that?" "W..well, he destroyed my office and nearly killed the Grandmaster. Then, to top it off, while she was unconscious in the medical ward, one of her artifacts accidentally exploded and made even more of a mess... Outside of that though, Vasilias did give us quite an opportunity." Ignoring the note about the Grandmaster, I noticed a subtle joy on Helens face. -Is it an opportunity in regards to the war? I think it''s too early for Lucy to hear about that...- "Lucy, could you step out for a moment? Your mother and I have-" "It''s fine." Helen quickly cut me off with a slightly irritated look. "This will be a good lesson for her." She got up and walked to the nearby desk as she talked. Lucy, who was still lying across my lap, just looked confused. "Haah... Are you sure this is alright?" I felt warmth fill my chest as I saw Lucys childish innocence. -Shes done well in all her subjects. Is it really that bad to try and protect that lingering purity?- "Yes." Helens expression was more serious than normal. "She is getting to an age where she needs to start thinking like a queen instead of a princess." *tap* Casually tapping the artifact on the desk, an eerie silence wrapped around the room. "Now, where do I start..." Becoming slightly nervous after hearing her ominous words, Lucy turned to me. "W..whats going on?" But Helen didnt give me a chance to talk. "There have been several assassination attempts on us recently, and, as I''m sure you know by now, the Tower was behind all of them. You have learned about them in your private lessons, right?" Lucy gave a reluctant nod. "Im sure you were told they were a fairly weak group that could only be considered a big group of researchers, but that is not the case anymore." She gave Lucy a stern look as she sat down in the chair next to the bed. "As of a few weeks ago, the Tower finished creating a massive alliance with a majority of the smaller nations on the western half of the continent. This alone was a bit worrying, but a few days ago, we received word that 12 high-nation rank adventurers had gathered in the Kingdom of Zan to come and destroy Kaelallan." Lucys expression quickly turned fearful. "But they can''t attack us without declaring war!" She immediately stiffened up. "What do you think we should do, without assuming anything, and only using the information you can recall with certainty." "Uhm..." Her voice was shaky from the pressure, but she seemed oddly determined to redeem her earlier mistake. "W..well.. I think it''s worth the risk..." Helen didnt seem very satisfied with the answer though. "And why is that?" "Well, Kaelallan has been building its military since the war 6 years ago, so we are the strongest we have been since our founding..." She looked up to look for Helens reaction, but only shriveled up more when she noticed there was none. "To make things even better, the nations that were a part of the alliance now have no allies. We could simply take over as many nations as we could before they formed another alliance without worrying about a continent-wide conflict." Helen stayed serious and didnt change her expression at all though. "And what is to gain from taking such a big risk?" "C..currently, what is holding us back is our lack of stone and ore mines. If we took over surrounding nations, we would immediately solve that problem while simultaneously being able to make more from tax whilst lowering the tax rate..." Helen simply nodded to approve her statement, which seemed to spark a bit of confidence in Lucy. "The lower tax rate would attract more people from outside, and give citizens an easier time climbing in status. As long as we dont take a misstep, we will grow immensely in just a few years." "And what will happen if we misstep, and how could we avoid it?" Lucy started to clam up again. "W..we as a nation will either be abandoned by the Bay Alliance or drag them into a war that.. could destroy us completely... As for avoiding it..." Silence filled the room as she struggled to think of how to respond. "What are the three things I have taught you to always avoid?" Helens tone was a tad warmer than before. "Uhm.. greed, overconfidence, and jumping to conclusions?" She looked a bit nervous, but Helen just smiled. "Exactly. Being level-headed, and being able to make good use of all available resources will make avoiding those things easy. You just need to be able to recognize them when they arise." As she stood up, she reached over and rubbed Lucys head. "I know you are trying really hard to live up to everyone''s expectations, but you cant let yourself get reckless..." Lucys cheeks turned rosy from embarrassment as she thought back to getting reprimanded earlier. "I''m.. sorry..." "Haha, its alright, sweetie. Just be a bit more cautious in the future, okay?" Lucy gave a reluctant nod after a short moment. There was a moment of silence that followed as Helen continued to try and comfort her, but it was eventually interrupted by Lucys stomach growling. *growl* Her cheeks turned bright red immediately, but it only made Helen and I smile. "How about you guys go get some dinner, I''ll have Martha bring me a bite to eat before I go to bed." Lucy just gave me an embarrassed glance as she hopped off the bed though. "We will come to eat with you, Father... Please wait for us..." She quickly made her way out of the room without letting Helen or me say anything. "Haah..." I let out a deep breath as I looked at the door. "Please try and get her to eat in the dining room, and send in Martha. I need to look through some papers and have some time alone to figure out what to do about the whole situation." "A..alright... Please just call me if you need something..." Before turning to the door, she gave me a quick kiss. "You know I will always follow your will..." Chapter 93/94: Overlooked Oddities Chapter 93/94: Overlooked Oddities Early Afternoon - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan "Uwahhhhh..." *rustling* "Uuugghh..." I woke up with a yawn and a stretch before slowly opening my eyes to see that everything was exactly as I left it. -Damn, for only lasting a few days, that nap was heavenly...- Casually glancing around the room to look for Ilios, I found him nowhere to be seen, but before I started to panic, I felt something move around on my side. -Huh?! Oh... I forgot he climbed up with me to nap...- Seeing him still asleep but about to roll out of his spot, I gently repositioned myself to make him a bit more secure. "Mmmgh..." He let out a muffled groan as I shifted him slightly. -My god he is so f*cking cute...- The bliss his adorable self made me feel was simply unparalleled, but eventually, in an attempt to pass time and let him wake up naturally, my mind started to wander. Before long, my mind got onto the topic of my dragon sleep, where I finally remembered there were some changes I hadnt looked much at. -Now that I think about it, I never really looked at my organs with much detail before leaving for Zan, did I...- Idly thinking back to when I was looking at my new skeletal structure right after my dragon sleep, I finally took a moment to look more closely at the image my aura painted in my mind at the time, but I quickly started noticing several.. anomalies... -What the... Am I just remembering things wrongly? That cant be right...- *Vwoomm* Thinning my reserve to let out more aura, I did my best to get a more detailed look at things, but I was left more confused than anticipated. -How did I just.. gloss over this? - Although I was well aware that my organs had been repositioned a little bit after my body was reconstructed, I had no idea it was to such an extent. -How was I so caught up in my appearance that I didnt even question this...- My vitals were not even remotely recognizable, with my lungs, stomach, and breath gland being the only proper organs remaining. -This.. isnt normal for dragons, is it...- Even my heart was simply gone, with only a web of veins that wrapped around my lungs before spreading to the rest of my body and taking its role. But the oddest part was that it was actually consuming some of my aura. -I''m not imagining that, am I?- Looking at it closely, I could see a microscopic amount of mana being used to simulate blood flow, and split the atoms and particles collected from my lungs into the necessary chemicals. -To think even my body itself would adapt to utilize my mana...- Thinking back to my dragon sleep, I remembered not eating anything for nearly 8 years and yet I didn''t starve or even get hungry. At first, I just thought my body was just being extremely efficient at not creating waste and making the food I did have last a long time. This theory wasnt unfounded either, since I never had the need to go to the bathroom after the dragon sleep that I awakened mana, but when I looked at things on a more cellular level, I found that my body was actually constantly recycling what would be considered waste particles into its base chemicals to then be reused. Those chemicals would then meet up with the chemicals dropped off by my blood to make everything the cells needed to not only sustain themselves but grow. In a way, I was basically sustaining myself with the particles in the air and my mana. -I really am a freak of nature, arent I...- For several minutes, I sat there totally speechless and just watched as my cells utilized my exuding aura like I would use mana, with mind-blowing precision. -How in the world is it so accurate? - I wracked my brain for a while to try and figure out how it was doing it since it was so far from possibly being natural, but the only thing I could think of that was plausible was that my subconscious was doing it. But that idea itself was quite farfetched. -Even if I focused everything I could on it, I wouldnt be able to keep track of even a tenth of these reactions... But I guess the information my brain processes when I read aura is a lot too...- But as if he knew what I was thinking, Ilios moved over and rubbed his head against my side. Almost immediately, an irresistible comfort wrapped around my mind. "Huh..." Feeling that the conflicting feelings simply vanished, I looked down to see Ilios wagging his tail with a smile on his face. "You... Haah, never mind... Thank you, Ilios." Instead of questioning him, I just leaned down and petted him until we got to the top of the lift. -How did he even do that.. it wasnt with aura or mana, so.. what could it have been?- But the more I thought about it, the more confused I got. It wasnt until I walked out through the palace gates that I finally gave up though. "Haah, whatever..." Finally pulling myself out of my thoughts, I started walking down the main street that had a cool breeze blowing up it, carrying the smells of food with it. -What a refreshing scent...- As I walked down the street, I took my time to look around and enjoy the warm sun and cool breeze, but quickly noticed that there werent many knights. -I guess there really is stuff I missed while I was asleep...- Curious as to what could have happened, I continued just a bit further down the street before turning into the guild. *creakk* But the inside of the guild was nearly empty as well. -If it''s just adventurers and knights, is there some kind of conflict going on?- Nonchalantly walking up to the desk with a familiar receptionist who was on the verge of sleep, I lightly tapped the desk to wake her up. -Her name was Ellen, right?- *tap-tap* "Miss Ellen, did something big happen recently?" The receptionist jolted up immediately. "Ah, y~yes s..sir!" She slurred her words a bit as she spoke. -Does she ever have time off to sleep? Every time Ive been here, shes been dead tired...- "What did I miss?" "Hm?" She looked a bit confused before remembering what I said. "Oh! Kaelallan declared war on the Kingdom of Zan. They sent out the march this morning." "Huh?" -Isn''t that a little too hasty?- "Did any Nation ranks go with them?" "Yes sir. Sir Keen is leading the charge." She said his name with a sense of pride. "Was he the only Nation rank that went?" -I guess they don''t really need much more than that since I cleared the path already though...- "Unfortunately, yes. The Grandmaster is still recovering in the academy." "Ah.. right..." -I forgot about that...- "Well, besides that, were there any other big events?" "N..nothing of note, sir." She spoke a bit awkwardly, like she purposefully left something out, but I didnt bother digging into it. -I''ll just ask the librarian if theres anything else...- "Sweet. In that case, I''ll be on my way. Have a good day!" "Y..you too sir!" She got flustered when I gave a hasty goodbye, but it was nothing out of the ordinary. -It seems Im finally getting used to how awkwardly people talk with me...- *creakk* Walking out of the guild, I glanced around before turning back up the street. -Lets see what the upper levels of the library have to offer, shall we?- Chapter 95: An Enticing Offer Chapter 95: An Enticing Offer Mid Afternoon - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan "ID please, sir!" A guard at the Noble Gate of the academy gave me a suspicious look as I walked up. -I guess it was too much to expect a random knight to recognize me...- Pulling out my Id, I went to hand it to him but he immediately pulled himself back. "Ah!" His demeanor changed completely. "I apologize for not recognizing you, Sir Whyte. I hope you will forgive my rudeness." "Y..youre fine." I was a bit surprised at how he recognized me without even looking at the information on my ID, but decided not to question it and walked on in. -I guess people whove only heard rumors of me can still recognize me fairly easily...- *Click* Walking inside, I started winding my way through the maze of hallways to get to the library and quickly noticed that things were a bit too quiet. The students were few and far between, and they spoke with fairly hushed voices if they were talking at all. -Isnt it a bit too quiet? Even if this is between classes, I feel like I''m in a totally different academy...- I tried not to question it at first, but once I got to the library and reached for the door, I overheard a conversation from within the lunchroom across the hall. "Can you believe the noble kids got a whole week off because of the disaster a few days ago?" "No! Like, why do they get a whole week off? They don''t even have to make up any of their missed work!" The young boy sounded quite upset. "Yeah, I really dont like it... When I was sick last year I had to make up everything, and making it all up was worse than the sickness itself..." "Right?! Its so annoying!" -That.. makes more sense...- I continued eavesdropping for another moment after that before the students eventually moved to a more private topic of conversation when I finally pulled my attention away and went into the library. *Click* -I guess it was too much to expect this place to change so quickly...- Quietly closing the door behind me, the chatter from the lunchroom was steadily muffled until it became almost inaudible. -How peaceful...- *tap-tap-tap* My calming thoughts were quickly interrupted by the librarian nervously tapping his desk, seemingly too deep in thought to notice my presence. -He looks stressed...- Silently walking up to the desk, I abruptly spoke out to him. "How''s it going, Mister Librarian." "Hm? The old man immediately raised an eyebrow. "Have we met?" "Well, you will work under me, so you will have to comply with anything I ask, no matter what it is." The librarian seemed to pick up on what I meant immediately. "So basically a slave with some freedom, huh..." There was a moment of silence as he wore a look of indecision, but the silence ended faster than expected. "Okay... I will do it." I was a bit taken aback by how fast he decided, but didnt complain. "Perfect! In that case, I will leave you to do your thing. What is your name?" His slightly uncomfortable look quickly turned to one of confusion. "My name is Frode Birger, but.. What do you mean youll leave me to do my thing?" "Hm? Ive already told you what I want, so I''m leaving you to make it all work." I didnt understand what he was trying to get at. "N..no, what I meant was.. you arent putting oath magic on me?" "I simply dont understand the magic deeply enough yet, and dont want to risk you accidentally killing yourself." After another short moment of silence, I dispelled the silencing magic and turned away. "If you want to run, you can try, but I promise you it won''t end well..." My voice resonated through the library as I walked over to the stairs, drawing the attention of everyone in the room, but no one made a peep. I got odd looks from everyone as they saw the slough of conflicted emotions on the librarian''s face, but none of them spoke up. The library quickly fell back into silence, without even the sound of pages turning to interrupt it. But my mind was too preoccupied to care about the attention. -To think Id come to explore the library and have such a golden egg fall into my lap.- I wore a smile of satisfaction as I walked up the stairs. As I made my way up through the floors though, I casually thought back to my original purpose of coming here and had my expression darken slightly. -I guess it wont be a waste of time if I find nothing now...- My original purpose of going there was to go to the top floor and sift through the books to try and find information regarding gods, religion, or the Ancient Fenrir, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how slim the chances really were. The Ancient Fenrir were beings that even Mother didnt know much about, so it was quite unlikely, if not impossible that I would find any information on them in a random, mostly human nation of all places. -Maybe a demihuman nation would be better, but even then...- Just like the other various gods, as far as Mother told me, they all vanished during or shortly after the Great War, requiring any decent information regarding them to be almost 10,000 years old. -Itll be like looking for a fragile, rusted needle in a haystack.. but it''s worth a shot... Hopefully, I can at least find some information on lingering religions...- But when I finally made it to the top of the stairs, I was pulled from my thoughts by someone else''s familiar presence. -What the...- Quickly looking up, I saw a short elven woman with a large white robe covering her body and face. -What is she doing here?- Chapter 96: Flipping An Invisible Switch Chapter 96: Flipping An Invisible Switch Late Afternoon - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan - Finally walking up the last few steps and making it onto the top floor, I noticed a short elf, completely absorbed in her book. -Why is she here?- It was the Grandmaster, the head of the academy, but she somehow didnt seem to notice me. -I guess I didn''t hit her that hard after all...- Not wanting to stir up more trouble, I quietly walked past and disappeared behind a bookshelf. -Alright.. Let''s see what this floor has to offer, shall we?- So far, each floor had a different subject. The first floor was mostly books and novels for entertainment, the second floor was recent history, the third was math, and the fourth and fifth floors were both mixes of magic theory and some of magics darker history as well. I was hoping for something on religion, the gods, or maybe some hints on how they work or who they are since Kaelallan was once a religious nation, but the shelf I was looking at only had advanced magic theory. -Oh, come on...- Although I could have found something that could expand my knowledge of magic, from what I had skimmed through, the advanced magic theory was far behind my level. -I always preferred figuring things out on my own as well, so it works out...- *fwip-fwip-fwip* I casually skimmed through books as I walked around, but after clearing entire shelves, time slowly started slipping away, and I was still left empty-handed. -How is there nothing that can even relate to religion...- Everything I had looked through on my half of the floor was either magic theory or moderately interesting tidbits of Kaelallans ancient history. -But besides the church being occasionally mentioned in a few of those, there was nothing!- It was genuinely upsetting to be left with so little information. -The church still existed only 800 years ago. How is there nothing on it? Is it just on the other half of the floor...- Coming out from around the bookshelf, I started casually walking towards the Grandmaster to look at the back of the bookshelf she stood at. "Only a handful of people can come up here, kid. Just walk back downstairs and don''t make it hard on me..." She spoke without even turning around to see who I was, likely only sensing my thinned presence. "And why would I need to ask for permission to come up here?" She paused in the middle of flipping a page. "Haah.. I don''t know what noble family you come from, but just lea-" She slowly turned around before her voice was cut short. "How are you healing?" I gave a sarcastic smile as I tried to hold back a laugh. She was wearing some sort of cast on her arm, but it was perfectly wrapped around her staff so she couldn''t let it go.Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com -Pffft.. how does she sleep with that thing?!- Although I was laughing inside, she clearly didn''t find anything funny. "Not wearing a uniform, trespassing in the library, and taunting a teacher... To think a student would dare get so many violations in one go... Haah.." My playful smile immediately disappeared upon hearing her response. -Wait, what? Does she seriously not remember anything?- "You actually don''t recognize me?" "I''m glad." She still wore a half-forced, awkward smile. "I..is your mother still not feeling good?" I asked slightly awkwardly. Vivianas family, much like countless other folks, especially in the middle or lower class, were affected quite heavily by everything that had happened and during the whole disaster a few days ago, Viviana''s family caught the brunt of it. Her mother, being the maid of a noble in the upper district, was one of the first to succumb to mana exhaustion outside of the palace, but instead of being found and treated fairly quickly, she passed out in the entrance to a closet with cleaning equipment and wasnt found for several hours. "The clinic said she is just sick from extended mana exhaustion, but.. its already been a few days and she is still really sick..." I knew from my studies at home that the longer someone went without mana, the more likely they were to succumb to a conventional illness, but I couldnt bring myself to tell Viviana that since it would just make her worry more. "Do you want to take her to the royal clinic or want me to send someone out to look at her? We have artifacts that can help ease her symptoms..." Viviana gave me a hopeful look before pulling herself back."No.. I don''t want to burden you guys any more than I already have." "Come on.. you should know by now that you''re not burdening us.. maybe the doctor, but not us." I tried to crack a joke and smile a bit to cheer her up, and thankfully, it worked "Haha.. alright... I''ll try to get in and talk to mom about it." Although normally she would have just consulted her father, he was a knight in the military and was currently heading toward the Kingdom of Zan. "Alright, please keep me updated..." I tried to comfort her a bit before thinking of a way to make it so she couldnt refuse, but before I could finalize anything, a wave of mana blew across the lunch room. *Vwoom* It was nothing insane, but easily noticeable with my mana sensitivity. At the very least though, it was immediately obvious who it was. -Did something bad happen?- I quickly hopped up from my seat and set my hand on Vivianas shoulder. "Follow me quickly.. I think Vasilias-" But before I could finish, the mana that suddenly shot into the lunchroom started getting sucked back toward the library before returning to normal. "Huh? What did he do?" Viviana looked at me, concerned. "I..Im not sure.." I looked around the lunch room and noticed very few people seemed to have noticed anything. -The floor didnt shake so.. Maybe everything is alright...- But that didnt really sit well with me. -I should check just in case, but...- Seeing Viviana still eating her food, I forced myself to sit back down. "Hm? Are we not going anywhere?" Viviana looked like a confused puppy. "Haah, we will go later. Let''s just enjoy the rest of lunch, alright? You want a few berries?" I reached out to hand her a few small, dark blue berries. "Yes please!" She immediately swiped them out of my hand before munching on a few with a face of satisfaction. It was quick to bring a smile to my face and ease my worries. -My worry is probably unnecessary anyways...- Chapter 97: Lost History Chapter 97: Lost History Late Afternoon - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan *fwip-fwip-fwip* It had already been several minutes since I knocked out the Grandmaster, and I had been flipping through books the entire time, but I was still left empty-handed. -How is this even possible?- Because I came from Earth, a world where religion was everywhere, not being able to even catch a glimpse of anything about it here was a bit agitating. -I only have one bookshelf left...- "Haah..." But just when I started losing sight of my ever-thinning ray of hope, I walked around to the back of the shelf I was on and saw something. -Hm?- In the corner of the very bottom shelf, there was a book titled The Goddess of Harvest. The title made my eyes light up, but the condition it was in made me worried. -Good lord.. how old is this thing?- It was practically half decomposed, to the point that I was too nervous to touch it with my bare hands. -Will this even be readable?- I quickly surrounded it in a thick vacuum to not give anything foreign a chance to damage it as I carefully pulled it off the shelf with my aura. *vwoom* -Well, time for the moment of truth...-Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com Gently opening the front cover with my aura, I looked inside to see a slightly damaged strengthening rune engraved into the back of it. I could only guess that the rune was there to help prevent decomposition, but even the rune itself had become too aged and damaged to sustain itself. -I guess being stored in a place that isn''t climate-controlled really did a number on it...- Proceeding as carefully as possible, I turned through the next few decomposed pages with unreadable text until I found something I could read. -Please have what I''m looking for...- The book started like a novel, like a fictional story, but the more I read, the darker and more real things became. At the beginning of the book, the author detailed extremely ancient history and how it revolved around a being known as the Goddess of Harvest. Simply put, she was praised and worshiped all throughout the continent because she was a Goddess that would actively bless the land of those who prayed to her. I found it a bit of an odd blessing at first since I thought it could easily be a coincidence, but shortly after thinking that, the author went on to explain that even if two crops were right next to each other, the one planted by the man who worshiped her would grow strong, while the one planted by the man who didnt, wouldnt even sprout. That was something that supposedly happened without exception as well. -I guess she didn''t want her existence to be questioned like the gods on Earth...- The author then continued shouting praise for her and even went as far as to say that her making food more readily available was what let the scattered humanoid population on the main continent actually develop. The previously barbaric tribes that struggled for survival started to come together and develop into larger communities which eventually formed towns and inevitably nations that hailed the Goddess as their savior. But then, even after tens of thousands of years of immense and almost endless development and prosperity, the Goddess of Harvest disappeared, and everything fell apart. Almost overnight, the blessings ceased reaching people, crops started wilting, and not a single prophecy was given to the countless priests across the continent. But the sudden wave of famine and chaos wasn''t the worst part of it. Following her disappearance, a wave of incurable plague and illness created by those who resorted to eating monster meat in hopes of avoiding starvation washed over the continent. [I am nearing 66 years old now. As a human in this era, I am fairly long-lived, but I, just like many, am nearing the end of my time in this life, so I will leave my one final wish here. At some point in the future, I hope this account of history can reach someone it can inform. I wish for what I have written to serve as a warning to the people. Becoming too dependent on the strong will only lead to disaster. We must strive to survive and grow on our own, or else we will collapse the instant we are abandoned... *illegible scribbles* If I do not continue after this page, it means I have passed on to the other side, but before that, I wish to engrave a name into history. Grace Kurush. Long Live The Queen.] I slowly flipped through the remaining blank pages with thoughts racing through my mind. -So that''s the end, huh...- I gently turned over the book and examined the back cover in an attempt to find the author''s name, but couldn''t find anything. -Well...- I closed my eyes and lowered my head for a moment. -Whoever you were, I hope you were blessed with many good reincarnations...- Although my little prayer was a few thousand years late, it was genuine. -I hope your soul has found peace...- After finally opening my eyes again, I stood there and contemplated whether to refurbish the text or not. Although I would personally never need to reread it since I had already memorized it completely, I was tempted to make a copy with better runes to once again preserve the detailed history inside of it. -I guess it couldn''t hurt...- With a shrug of my shoulders, I casually created a new book made of thin titanium alloy with the text engraved into the metal. The sheets were still flexible and, although it looked odd, with a simple strengthening rune, it would far outlast even the most resistant of materials. "Hooh..." I let out a deep breath as I carefully moved the rotting book back onto the shelf where I found it and backed away. -Thank goodness I finally found something...- It was truly frustrating to not find any information on religion up until now, but that book was packed full of so many juicy details that I couldn''t be mad. -This might be a decent gift to give the royal family, and honestly.. with Oliver''s recent reliance on Father and I, it could also serve as a warning.- Once I finished making it, I slowly stood up and woke Ilios up from his nap. "It''s getting a little late, buddy. You ready to go?" "Huff!" He hopped up with a determined huff immediately. -Hehe.. he''s so cute...- Seeing his happy trot quickly strengthened my already improved mood, at least until I walked past the still-unconscious elf. -Still asleep, huh... She must like my blanket...- As I turned onto the stairs, I quickly ignored her and started thinking about other things. *tap-tap-tap* -I wonder how Father is doing... I hope his meeting is going well...- Chapter 98: Presenting Evidence Chapter 98: Presenting Evidence Mid Evening - Late Spring : Bahamut - Osto Ragnarok ~ *Vwowowowoom* I felt my stomach churn as I was finally released from the space rune. "Ugh..." -Shouldnt I have outgrown rune sickness by now? I''m not even that far from becoming an elder...- [1] "To think youd be so old yet still get rune sick." The humanoid halfie I had tied up on the ground next to me spoke up to try and get on my nice side. But it just soured my already mixed mood. "Don''t act friendly with me..." *Vwoom* Not wanting to make a scene, I just shut him up with my aura and wrapped my claws around his fleshy humanoid body. -Obnoxious bast*rd...- "I recommend you start thinking of what youre going to say. Because the elders wont give you much time to think..." Dulling my nails so they wouldnt cut through him, I tightened my grip on him and leapt into the air. *Fwoosh* The next couple minutes passed in a flash as I flew to the Elder Hall in complete silence, but I wasnt complaining. -The silence is quite relaxing...- But as I finally started to get close, I had to shift gears. "Hmm..." Looking down over the area around the Elder Hall, I saw dragons in various forms rushing around the courtyard and doing all kinds of tasks. -They''re really busy today...- Finally arriving, I gently landed and glanced at a younger blue dragon near the entrance to the Hall, holding a stack of leather books. *Fwoosh-fwoosh* *Thump* -He looks new...- "Are the elders busy?"Discover new chapters at novelhall.com The boy gave me a suspicious look at first but didnt make it too obvious. "Y..yes, theyre in a meeting currently." "Ah." -It''s probably a general meeting...- Not wanting to waste any more time, I walked over to the door and went to push it open with my wings. *creaaak* But I was stopped before I could walk through. "Sir, the elders are in a meeting." The one to stop me was a dragon, slightly larger than me, donning thin metal armor. "You cannot enter right n-" Pulling out my ID with my aura, I wasted no time showing him the Ragnarok insignia. He clammed up immediately as he backed away. "Ah, I-I apologize for not recognizing you, Sir Ragnarok. You may enter." *creeaakk* The moment the nearly 70-meter-tall door finished opening, I walked through and made my way down the long hallway. *thud-thud-thud-thud* After walking past the countless statues and memorials, I finally came up to another 70-meter-tall door and let out a deep breath before pushing it open with my wings. "Hooh..." *creeeakk-VWOOOM* A wave of mixed auras slammed into me like a wall as I walked through the doors and came into the center of a colosseum-like room. -They still havent renovated the inside, huh...- *tap-Thump-flash* Tossing the halfie forward into the center of the room and letting him transform, I lowered my head momentarily. "Osto Ragnarok greets the Elder Hall." Up on the raised platform around the sand-covered floor were eight massive dragons, ranging from 43 to over 60 meters tall, staring down at me with mixed expressions. -Where are the other four?- [2] As expected, we managed to get all of the evidence we needed to act aggressively against the Tower and several humanoid nations almost immediately, but the elders wouldnt let their ever-building curiosity go unsatisfied. "So you said you weren''t the only halfie in the assault team, right? Who was the strongest?" "Th-the strongest was our leader. He was an ancient half-breed that went by Pello." Everyone''s eyes widened immediately. "And how was he killed?" "Th-th-that m-monster..." He started shaking as he started stuttering and becoming hard to understand. I then used the following silence to pull myself away. "Since you all seem to be busy dealing with your curiosities, I will take my leave. Before I go, I would like to request the elders to mobilize military force on the Tower as quickly as possible." "Hm? Are you trying to hide something? Why are you in such a rush?" Eugene showed a smug smile as if he thought I was cornered. "I simply wish to return to my son as quickly as possible. I do not wish to waste more time than necessary." I glanced around to make sure my reasoning was received by the elders before standing up. But I was only interrupted. "You left Vasilias alone in Kaelallan again?!" Asimi was obviously unhappy. "You know I dont have a choice with that. Anyways, I must return quickly in case the Tower tries to make another move while he is alone." "Hm..." Eugenes annoying look quickly turned serious again when I mentioned the Tower moving. "In that case, we will finish up for now. If anyone has any objections, just keep your hand down, I plan on using my executive decision for this." [4] The hall turned silent as everyone waited to see if someone would try and overturn it, but no one stood up. -Then thats that.- Assuming my part of the work was finished, I finally turned for the door. "Since it seems we are finished here, I will take my leave. If you all wish to continue interrogating, you may do as you wish. I dont want custody of such a ragged thing anyways..." [5] *Creaaak* As the door swung open, I could still feel a few suspicious gazes on my back, but at the very least, it was less noticeable than earlier. -They may doubt me because I''m hiding a name, but its not like they can do anything to figure it out...- Although Asimi likely already knew Vasilias was the one who killed the ancient halfie, I was confident she wouldnt share that information. But that also raised a certain problem. *Bang* The slam of the door closing behind me echoed down the hall as I let out a sigh. "Haah..." -How in the world am I going to introduce Vasilias to them...- Chapter 99: A Monster Beyond Monsters Chapter 99: A Monster Beyond Monsters Mid Evening (Next Day) - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan / Zan Border - - Lawton Keen ~ "We have finally arrived at the border, lets stop here and get some rest!" ""Yes Sir!"" Everyone responded in unison before immediately spreading out and throwing up their tents. -Its good to see theyre still enthusiastic about finally taking part in a real fight.- It had been a couple days since we left at that point, so I expected them to be a bit tired, but they all seemed ready to go. -I guess their training is going well.- "Scouts, scan the area for monsters and report any unusual findings. We will be here until sunrise!" *Thump* Casually hopping off my horse, I reached into my satchel and pulled out a ration and water before looking for a place to sit. -That should work...- Walking over to one of the countless half-dead trees nearby (Trees with Yellow Leaves), I pulled out my sword and sliced through the bottom without thinking much of its state. *Shing-rustle-THUD* When I finally took a seat on it, I let out a deep breath and started to munch on my snack. -Everyone seems to be working well together...- I was trying to look around to find people who were slacking or simply not being a part of the group as I ate, but everyone was pulling their weight. Before I knew it, the camp had finished being set up, and people were waiting around their campfires, snacking on rations and waiting for orders. -Now, all that''s left is for the scouts to return so everyone can rest...- Slowly standing up and putting away my remaining food, I turned toward the captains tent to discuss tomorrow''s plans, but was interrupted by a messenger. "Sir Keen! We found something we believe you need to see." The scout looked quite panicked, which made me all the more curious about what he found. "What did you find?" "It''s a huge circular clearing around 10 kilometers ahead, directly south-southwest. We couldn''t poke our heads in too much because of several strong monsters in the area as well." -I knew things were going too smoothly...- We hadn''t hardly run into any monsters besides some goblins and orcs on our way here, so we were due for something that would put up a fight. "Alright, I''ll come with you, let me do something first." *Whistle* "Captain Coleman! Come here for a moment!" I called over Coleman, the second in command for this expedition. "What is it, sir?" "I''m going to investigate something with the scouts up ahead, I need you to take command while I''m gone. Also, save me a bowl when they make soup, I should be back before it gets cold." "Right away, sir!" Giving a shallow bow, he turned back and jogged towards the middle of the camp. Looking back at the scout, I set my hand on the hilt of my sword. "Shall we?" With a light nod, the scout dashed out of the camp and into the woods. -As quick as usual, huh...- I was quick to follow after him in a good mood, but it didnt take long for that to sour. -What the...- Before we even got halfway to the supposed monsters, I could see major changes in the environment. *WOOSH* The huge snake body zipped right past me at a speed I could barely match, making my eyes go wide. -These things...- Backing away as fast as possible, I set my sight on the other sleeping cobra and darted to it. -I need to kill it before it can wake up!- After seeing the horrifying strength and speed of the other cobra, I decided I couldnt let this turn into a proper fight. But I was too slow. *Gleam* The glimmer of the other cobras ruby-red eyes was imprinted in my mind at that instant. -Sh*t...- Seeing its head rise high above its body, I felt a sense of intimidation I hadnt felt for many years. But that only sparked a flame deep in my chest. *fwip* Raising my sword toward my shoulder and pulling my arm back, I drove my front foot into the ground and channeled everything I had into hurling my sword like a lance. *Crunch-FWOOOSH* The blade practically teleported to the head of the cobra, but it still reacted just in time. *Shing* The blade ripped through the cobras hood, just missing its skull and leaving behind a large wound, but no vital damage. -Ah, sh*t...- In the next instant, the cobra''s mouth opened, revealing its two massive, white fangs. Assuming its bite would be undodgeable, I hastily allocated my aura to my arms and braced myself. And I was right. *CRACK* (Sonic Boom) With my instinct barely managing to keep up, I somehow managed to grab hold of its fangs, but the force behind them drove my legs into the brittle ground. *CRUNCH* "Ngh! Not.. TODAY!" Letting go of one fang, I hastily reached over for my greatsword, still embedded in its hood, and gripped it tight. *Shing* Its light-red blood glistened in the moonlight as I finally pulled it out. "GOT YA!" Raising my sword, I promptly slammed it down into its head with as much force as I could muster. *Shi-CRUNCH* Its head was brutally sliced down the middle, making it go limp, but its body still put up a fight. *fwip-THUD-WOOOOSH* I barely managed to dodge a flurry of strikes from its body as it spasmed and threw itself about, but thankfully, I managed to get away without getting hit after a short moment. Once I managed to back off and look back around the field though, I felt a gaze that made me feel like death itself was looming over my head. Just a couple hundred meters away, in the center of the clearing, was another colossal snake, incomparably larger than the other cobras, that had raised its head out of a deep crater. But even ignoring its size, it was far from normal. Its scales glowed orange like red-hot iron and exuded a heat that rippled the stars and moonlight around it, but most horrifying of all, its crimson, ruby-like eyes stared into mine like those of a sentient being. -W..what is.. that..- Chapter 100: A Detour Chapter 100: A Detour Late Evening - Late Spring : Kingdom of Zan - Lawton Keen ~ *silent breeze* The air turned frigid as the cobra stared into my eyes. -I cant beat that...- I stood there, paralyzed for several moments before it finally turned its gaze away to look at the flailing cobras. And I wasnt going to let that chance slip. *Fwoosh* The instant it looked away, I sprinted to the edge of the clearing as fast as I could. I only slowed down once I got to the edge of the clearing and noticed it wasnt following me at all. -Huh?- Looking back into the center of the clearing, I saw it glance at me before casually lowering its head back into the crater. -It''s.. ignoring me?- At that point, I was already sweating bullets and could feel my heart beating out of my chest. My breathing was rough, and I felt drained of energy, far beyond what I felt after fighting the cobras. Now that I was a safe distance away and it was ignoring me though, I stabbed my sword into the ground and sat on a collapsed tree to catch my breath. "Hah... Hah... Hah..." -Well.. I guess we need to find a way around...- My original plan was to run and clear all the monsters out so we could cut straight through the clearing and avoid a long detour, but now we didnt have a choice. Idly glancing back at the middle of the clearing, I could see an ominous orange glow radiating into the air. It sent a chill down my spine just looking at it. -How long has it been since I felt like I could die at any moment...- That snake, although definitely not what made the clearing, was the strongest monster I had ever seen, and needless to say, it was something I simply could not handle. -To think Id see a real Nation Rank monster out here...- Nation Rank monsters were actually so rare that common folk would only hear about them through old folklore or childish tales of heroes saving a kingdom, but even the royal families who did know of their existence just considered them the same as unstoppable forces of nature. -They really are horrifying...- *CrUnCh* Hearing the distant noise of bones being crushed, I looked up to see the colossal, glowing snake biting into one of the spasming cobras. It bit through the cobra''s iron-like scales and bones as if they werent even there, slicing through the flesh and cutting the cobra in two with almost no effort. It was chilling to witness, to say the least. -Well, I guess I should thank my lucky stars that I''m alive...- Had it not ignored me, I would have been in its stomach already. "Are you alright, Sir?!" The scout that led me here came running out of the forest the moment he saw me. "I''m fine. I just had a close call." I slowly stood up, realizing I needed to have more urgency about letting the convoy know about the change in plan. "Let''s head back to camp quickly. I have got some less-than-ideal news to tell everyone." "Right away, sir! Please enjoy your meal!" She quickly bowed again before looking up at me with a gleam in her eye. -Uh...- "Ahem..." Picking up the soup bowl I had balanced on the hilt of my sword, I grabbed my sword and pushed aside the cloth to the tent. -Ill never understand women...- Inside the tent, everyone was staring at me in silence. -Were they expecting me?- "So, what did all of you scouts find?" While waiting for a response, I walked to the end of the table and sat down. "Well.. nothing actually, a concerning amount of nothing." "Yeah, we didn''t see so much as a rodent for nearly 10 km in any direction generally southwest of us." "Haah.." -Great.. That means were the only food source in the area...- "I''m sure you all have been told about the clearing, correct? Well, in the clearing were two pretty huge Cobras, which I took care of, but I couldn''t take care of the other monster there." Everyone was too nervous to say anything in case they just heard me wrong, but they all thought the same thing. A monster Sir Keen couldnt handle? The only one to break the silence was Captain Coleman, who didnt question me at all. "So what''s our plan moving forward then?" "We will need to take a detour around it. Any suggestions?" I looked around, hoping people would give their opinion, but no one spoke up. "Scouts? You were the ones to check the surrounding area, right? What do you think we should do?" One of the scouts with a young and small build finally spoke up after a few moments, albeit nervously. "S..sir.. if I may?" "Go ahead." I took a sip of my soup as he talked. "I..If the monster was something even Sir Keen couldn''t handle..." He nervously glanced at me when he paused. "Then I think we should take a long detour to be extra careful. I..I think it''d be smarter to delay our arrival plans by a few hours rather than risking the safety of the whole convoy." The other captains and scouts looked at the boy in awe after he mentioned that the monster was far stronger than me, as it could be considered questioning my strength which in some parts of the military is a punishable offense. But not in my divisions. "I like the way you think." I paused to see if anyone would object before smiling. "We will go with that plan for now. We will leave before sunrise, so everyone go get some rest! Ah, and before you go, be sure to make the necessary preparations within your battalions. We won''t be making any more stops until we hit Zans fortress city." ""Right away, sir!"" Coleman and the others responded in unison before getting up and leaving me alone in the tent. After a short moment of silence, I leaned back in my chair and sipped on my soup again. -I should head to the clearing again to make sure it doesnt move till morning...- Chapter 101: The Long Path Of Growth Chapter 101: The Long Path Of Growth Late Evening - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan - Eulia Coletti ~ *Snoring* *Snort* "Huh... Hmm..." *tap* I rolled onto my back as I slowly woke up to an incredibly refreshed feeling. -Wow.. I slept really well...- But while I was enjoying the blissful warmth underneath the blanket, my hand touched the wooden floor beneath me. -Huh?!- Jolting myself awake, I jumped up and threw the blanket off me. -Where am I?!- Thankfully, with a quick glance around, I found that I was still in the library, but that fact only made me more confused. -W..why am I sleeping here?- Looking down at the unfamiliar, simple gray blanket, I tried to remember what happened before I fell asleep but drew a blank. Looking around again, I tried to see who was nearby, but oddly enough, I couldnt sense any auras at all. -Well...- I contemplated a bit before finally reaching down and picking up the blanket to fold. Once I finished, I gently set it on a table nearby, next to a few books I wanted to take home. But I felt a bit conflicted. -Its a really soft blanket... Would someone really just.. give it to me?- Although I wanted to keep it, I felt too guilty to just run with it, so I sat down and took a moment to sort my thoughts. But even after a couple hours passed, when my memories started slowly returning, no one had come to claim it. -If that is the case...- *puff* Finally setting it onto my stack of books, I glanced around again to see if anyone was around before picking it all up and turning to the stairs. -If they wanted it back, they probably would have left a note.. right?- But as I walked down the stairs, I slowly started realizing the library wasn''t just silent, but empty as well. "Huh?" -Where is everyone?- Even the librarian was gone, meaning I couldnt log the books I was taking home. -It''ll probably be fine... He probably won''t even notice...- Pushing open the door to exit the library, I came into a long, silent, and dark hallway, with the window at the end of the hall not showing anything on the other side. -Is it.. nighttime? How long did I sleep for?- Finally arriving at the end of the hall, I noticed a warm light emanating from one of the faculty offices and decided to pop my head in. *Click* "Hm?" The girl behind the desk gave me a confused look as I opened the door and walked in. It was my apprentice, Catlin Friedkin, a 24-year-old cat demihuman who was both a mage and a teacher at the academy. "What are you doing in your office this late?" "Master?!" Quickly throwing aside the things on her desk and fixing her glasses, she straightened her slumped-over posture. -She looks.. stressed...- "Calm down. I''m not here to make you do anything. I only came to ask about something." "A-and what would that be, Master?" Seeing her so overly nervous and stressed, I wanted to ask her what she was doing but gave priority to a different question. -I feel insane for asking this, but...- "When was the last time we talked? That was yesterday, right?" But her reaction was a little unexpected. "N..no. That was the day before yesterday, Master..." I felt like I slammed into a wall the instant I took a step. All my thoughts simply went haywire. -I SLEPT FOR A WHOLE DAY?!- With wide eyes, I glanced down at the blanket. -This blanket... Is it a gift from god?- Catlin was quick to pull me back out of my thoughts though. "Did something happen? You seem a bit spaced out..." Finally looking up, a blissful joy filled my mind. "I guess? I think I just.. slept really well, is all." - Oliver Kaelallan ~ After another day of rest to guarantee I was fully healed, I was finally out of bed and moving again. But while I was resting, the amount of work I had continued to pile up, so once I got back to it, I was cooped up in my office, working extra late. The problem was that the massive stack of paperwork that piled up while I was bedridden was so large that it was demotivating to even look at. "Haah..." -Maybe I should do some of it tomorrow...- "Martha, are Helen and Lucy in bed yet?" "Yes my lord, they both went to sleep right after dinner." "Haah.. good..." Trying to get myself to stop procrastinating, I thought about what needed my attention most urgently before locking my eyes on one specific paper. -I guess I need to at least deal with this tonight...- The piece of paper showed the strength index of the new coastal dungeon that appeared a few months ago. It showed countless numbers and statistics, but the overall index stood out greatly. ''8.1'' [1] It was actually so bad that I could only sit there and stare at it for a moment. -Sh*t...- Although dungeons were cash cows for nations like Kaelallan, when they got too strong, they became serious problems. "Haah..." After a bit more contemplation, I set it aside again and decided to use it as motivation and deal with it last. The next few hours felt like they drained my life force, but the stack of papers steadily disappeared until I was finally on the last few sheets. The only issue was that the only papers left were extremely important. -What a pain...- The papers basically required me to know what I wanted to do with the nobles asking for compensation after the disaster, how much funding the guild would need to hire adventurers for general monster population control, and what to do with the dungeon on the coast, but I simply wasn''t sure. *creak* Leaning back in my chair, I turned around to look out the window and see the beautiful orange sun rising over the horizon. It was morning already. The night had passed before I could get a chance to rest. -I guess.. I have some time to think about it still...- "Miss, can you get me some cold.. east-leaf tea?" The maid at the door, who had swapped places with Martha, quickly nodded before walking out of the room. -The dungeon problem will hopefully fix itself once I absorb Zan and its neighbors since it will give their adventurers access to it.. but maybe I should send Coletti to clean it out just in case...- *Clink* The sound of glass touching pulled me from my thoughts as the maid set a cup of cold tea on my desk. Reaching back and picking it up, I put the fine glass to my lips and took a sip. "Mmm..." A slightly refreshed smile came to my face as I thought about the long road in front of Kaelallan. -It will take a lot of work.. but it is necessary for Kaelallan''s growth...- Although my plan was a bit greedy, I couldn''t help but look forward to it. -I wonder how much we can grow...- Chapter 102: The Cost of Growth Chapter 102: The Cost of Growth Mid Afternoon - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan "Haah..." I let out a deep breath as I glanced over at Ilios sleeping soundly. -It feels like time has sped up again...- After returning to the shelter after my stop by the library, I set the metal book I made on the pedestal in the vault before spending several hours idly thinking about its contents. But then, time started to pick up the pace again. Before I knew it, several days had passed, and the day Father was meant to return, came and passed. I started to get a bit worried at first, but after a couple more days, he finally returned bearing good news. In short, he got confirmation that Bahamut would cleanse the Tower without any more intervention from us. This meant that we just needed to wait for the fall of the Tower to be confirmed before we could finally go home. It was exciting to hear, but unlike what I had hoped, its destruction took longer than anticipated. Over the next several days, Father and I lounged around the shelter chatting and telling stories, but the royal family worked their asses off. Kaelallan successfully managed to capture both the Kingdom of Zan and its neighbor, the Kingdom of Byria, in only ten days. It was good news, but it caught me by surprise since, although Zan being walked over was expected, Byria should have been quite different. From what I knew about the nation, they were a massive trade hub for the eastern half of the Main Continent and had undercover allies all over the place. To put it simply, it meant that there were nations that supported Byria in military efforts even when they werent allied. When I heard Kaelallan was going after Byria regardless of this fact, I honestly thought Oliver had gone crazy. But to my surprise, not only did Byria''s neighboring nations not move against Kaelallan, they even tried to curry their favor. This didnt make much sense at first, but when I eventually asked Oliver, his answer was pretty simple: "Theyre all just using good judgment." In short, nearby nations didnt have the means to handle Lawton, and the army he led in their current state, so instead of picking a losing battle, they were trying to gain favor and avoid their own demise. This kind of attitude was even seen inside Zan''s borders after the first few cities were destroyed. By the time Lawton got to the capital, Zan''s knights had already surrendered the city and abandoned the royal family. Many people in surrounding nations thought such a display of cowardice was against the Knight''s Code of Honor, but it was actually the opposite. Zan''s upper echelon wanted to fight to the bitter end, with no regard for the citizens within their borders, while the knights only wanted to protect their friends and family.T/his chapter is updated by But just when I thought Oliver would lose his grip on the situation, once Zan was inevitably captured and absorbed by Kaelallan, the ensuing displeasure of the people was promptly calmed down by lower taxes and increased influence for the respected local noble families. Following the immense shift in people''s sentiment, the King of Zan lost any lingering support and was executed for foul judgment, while his family was stripped of nobility and all assets. Continuing through Zan and into Byria, Kaelallan was met with a similar situation. Instead of fighting, Byria gave up and let Kaelallan march straight to the capital without resistance. After a bit of peaceful negotiation, the royal family of Byria managed to quell their citizens'' unrest by having Kaelallan promise favorable conditions to the people before finally surrendering. Father just seemed to find my reaction funny. "Haha, yeah. I didn''t expect it to be so many people either, but I wouldnt be too surprised if the number is inflated a little." -That''s still a lot...- "So will we get a full story from Bahamut?" As funny as the newsletter was to read because of humans'' cluelessness, I also wanted to hear what really happened behind the scenes from Bahamut. "When we go there, you can ask your grandmother. She is one of the elders in the Elder Hall, so she should be able to tell you the specifics." -Okay, I should make note of that...- "So now that the tower is gone, when are we going home?" Father changed to his dragon form as he walked over to the hot spring. "Unless Oliver has something for us to do before we go, it will be soon." "Woohooo! Does that mean tonight?" "Haha, yeah. I''d like to have dinner with them tonight before we go though." "Alright, that''s fine." -Until then, I should probably wrap up what I need to...- "What should I do with that halfie in the plaza?" "You can do whatever you want with her. You could even make her a slave for... Nevermind." He showed me a smug look as he stepped into the shallow end of the spring. *splash-splash* But I could only lay there, stunned for a moment. -He doesn''t mean what I think he does, right?- "I''m 10 years old, Father." "Mhm, I know. You''re just maturing so quickly that I might need to.. have a certain talk with you sooner than expected." -Lord, please no...- Although I didn''t mind the idea of exploring that side of myself at some point, I knew now wasn''t the right time. "I don''t think I''ll be venturing into that territory anytime soon, so... I''ll pass." "Haah..." Father let out a sigh of worry and relief as he laid down in the shallow water. "Alright, if that''s the case, just do what you want with her. I trust your judgment." -Phew...- "Okay, I''ll go ahead and do that now then." Finally rolling back onto my feet, I hopped up and changed to my humanoid form. "Do you plan to stay down here for long?" "Yeah, I am going to just relax here until it''s time for dinner." "Hmm... Alright, Ill be back later then." "Be safe!" Finally making my way out of the shelter, I wound my way out of the palace, down the main street, and to the plaza. It was a route I had come to frequent recently. Once I got there, I was greeted by a knight who looked like he hadnt slept in weeks. "Welcome back, Sir Whyte. Please let me know if there is anything you need while you are here." "Thanks." Making my way into the plaza, I nonchalantly walked toward Maria while thinking of the countless things I could do with her. -Do I really need a slave?- Chapter 103: An Odd Girl Chapter 103: An Odd Girl Late Afternoon - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan -Now, what should I do with you...- Nonchalantly walking up to the dragon sleeping in the plaza, I put up a silencing barrier and lightly smacked its nose. *Thump* "So, how are you feeling?" "Mng..." She gave me a look of disdain as she slowly opened her eyes. "Who are you? Are you that bastard''s older brother or something?" I paused as I considered playing around with her misguided thoughts before continuing normally. "Sadly, I don''t have a brother." Her expression soured immediately. "Oh... So what are you here for?" Her voice was provocative and sarcastic. -She''s pretty energetic today...- "Well, I''m going to be heading home soon, so I need to decide what to do with you." She paused to look at me again before turning away like a child. "You should just kill me then." "Hmm... I can''t say I haven''t already considered that." -She hasn''t really done a whole lot wrong when I think about it though..- She was naive and stupid, sure, but she was sold into the tower by her father and was likely groomed to mindlessly follow orders. It made me somewhat pity her even though I wasn''t too fond of her personality. "I''m too lazy to decide on my own, so I''ll give you a choice." Immediately grabbing her attention, I gazed into her massive, draconic eyes. Her provoking demeanor had turned submissive as she turned to me. "W..what are my choices?" -She might actually have some potential...- "You can die now, and I will make it quick and painless, or you can become a slave. But if you become a slave, I will give you the option to pick your master." There was a long silence that wrapped around us before she finally spoke. "Will I be able to work my way out of slavery, or will it be permanent?" "It''s entirely up to whoever your master is." She gave me a look of surprise before falling into thought. "In that case..." She reluctantly glanced at me as she thought to herself. "Who are my options..." -To think she didn''t spit out a name immediately...- "Your first option is to become a slave of the royal family, and another is for me to sell you to the highest bidder." She gave me a disgusted look the moment I paused, but I continued before she could say anything. "Your final option is my sister and I, but since she''s so young, and I don''t want to show her anything as disgusting as an unkempt slave, you would be a maid." Her eyes widened immediately, revealing a hopeful yet distressed expression. "I..." She paused as she looked away to think again. "I can give you some time to think about it if you want. I don''t plan to leave until tonight." Seeing her not react or say anything for several seconds, I turned away to leave. "I''ll be back later-" "W-wait! I''ve already decided..." She looked worried, uncertain, and panicked as she stopped me. "I will choose you and your sister!" Although she sounded worried and concerned, she didn''t seem too reluctant. -That was fast...- "Alright, then." Casually walking back over to the metal ring around her neck, I flicked it and used earth magic to turn it into a pile of metal shards. *Tink-cling* After doing the same thing to several other rings, I stepped back and watched her get up and stretch. -I wonder if she''ll try running...- But once she finished stretching, she just sat down and looked at me like a lost puppy. "Should I transform now?" *Clang-Creak* Finally opening the door and entering the palace, I called out to the first maid I saw. "Miss, do you know where Martha is?" "Yes, she should be in the dining room, Young Master." Her response was fluid and concise, and she gave a very polite bow right afterward. "Awesome, thank you." It made me a bit curious about how Maria would turn out after being taught. -If Maria can capture even half of this girl''s vibe, it''ll be great...- But I couldn''t say I was too confident in her. Quickly making my way to the dining room, I wasted no time opening the door and walking inside. *Click* My ears were met with orderly chatter as I saw Martha ordering around some other maids. -She looks like she''d be a good teacher too... How perfect.- "Martha, can you come here for a moment." "Yes." Hastily setting down the plates in her hand, she greeted me with a formal bow. "What is it, Young Master?" "Would you happen to be able to train a maid for a few months?" She nodded without hesitation. "If it is your request. Who will be the lucky missus?" Tilting my head slightly, I pointed back at Maria, who anxiously stood right behind me. "Oh~, she is truly a diamond in the rough. I will do my best to polish her up for you, Young Master." Martha''s expression quickly turned excited. "She might need a bit more than polish, but I think you can make it work." Turning back to Maria, who was clamming up, I set my hand on her shoulder. "This will be your teacher for a while. You need to listen to everything she says and work to become an actual maid unless you want to just pass to the afterlife as soon as I come to pick you up." I gave her a threatening smile as I firmly pressed on her shoulder. Her posture straightened up immediately as she broke into a nervous sweat. "Y-yes, M-m-master!" She looked away with a flushed face as she struggled to call me master. -Now for security...- "Let me do one last thing before I leave you to Martha." Quickly moving my hand up in front of her neck, I created a steel collar with strengthening and lightning runes. Although it was nothing special, it was a collar strong enough to resist her transformation and, if supplied with mana, would function like a shock collar. -This should be fine...- "You understand what will happen if you transform, right?" Maria vigorously nodded in understanding. "Good, then I''ll leave her with you, Martha. My only rule is that she doesn''t leave the palace without a knight escort. And for your reference, if she deserves punishment for something, just inject a bit of mana into the collar. It won''t cause any damage but will help bring her back to her senses." Martha gave a slightly evil smile before bowing again. "Understood, Young Master. We will be sure to whip her into shape." "Good." Seeing that she understood, I turned to the door. "Ah, right. How long until dinner?" "It will be a few more hours. I apologize for the wait." "Alright, then, I will see you later." With a light wave, I walked out of the room and closed the door behind me. "Hooh... Alright, what next..." But as I walked down the hall, my mind started to wander. -I wonder how she''ll turn out..- Chapter 104: & 105: A Long-Awaited Reunion Chapter 104: & 105: A Long-Awaited Reunion Early Evening - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan - *tap-tap-tap* It was only a couple hours after Martha told me dinner would be a while that Father came to get me from the shelter. I was a bit disappointed by his timing since Ilios, and I were in the middle of roughhousing when he came down, but at the same time, I was excited to start heading home. -I could really go for a juicy field bison right about now...- Finally coming up to one of the doors to the dining room, Father didn''t waste any time on formality and walked in. *Click* Everyone in the room looked over when they heard the lock release. But to my surprise, everyone at the table was a familiar face, with everyone in Father''s adventuring group and Lucy and Viviana present. It was honestly quite lovely seeing everyone together. "He''s finally here!" Sarah cheered with a half-empty glass of wine like we were celebrities. -How much has she drank already?- But as I was shooting Sarah a judgmental look, Lewis got up from his seat. "Took you long enough." He quickly walked over and gave Father a hug before looking over at me with a wide smile. "It seems like the talk of the town has changed some since I last saw him." "Haha, just a few changes." I gave a slightly forced chuckle before averting my eyes. Then, likely noticing I didn''t want to talk about it, Oliver got up and motioned Father and I to the two open seats. "Well, how about you two take a seat so we can talk a little more comfortably. We got a spot for Ilios to lay next to you as well, Vasilias." Glancing at the seats as we rounded the table, I saw a white cushion lying next to one of the seats. "Oh." -Wow, that''s really considerate of them.- "Thanks for that!" Quickly pulling out my chair and sitting down, I motioned Ilios over onto the cushion. "Huff!" He gave a muffled bark as he walked up with a happy trot and plopped himself on the cushion. -I should make a cushion like this for him at home...- Idly looking back up as I thought to myself, I noticed Viviana staring at me in a trance. "How are you doing, Viviana? Do you need something?" Her face turned red instantly. "N-no, I just thought that your dog was really smart." "Of course he is! Even among Fenrir, his intelligence is unrivaled." Ilios held his head high with a smile as I complimented him. My statement made Viviana''s eyes go wide though. "F-f-fenrir?! You mean one of those huge scary wolves?!" "They''re not all scary." I unknowingly started petting Ilios after being unable to resist his adorableness as I spoke. "Just don''t walk up to one assuming it will be nice." Hearing her suddenly go quiet, I finally noticed that Ilios moved some of his aura onto Viviana, making her fall into a trance and stare at him. -His intelligence still catches me by surprise sometimes...- Continuing to pet him, I tapped him with my aura and got him to pull his off Viviana. "See? Nothing to be scared of." She snapped out of the trance immediately. "R-right! Sorry for staring so much..." "Haha, you''re fine. So how has everyone else been?" Starting the conversation for the night, everyone got the chance to talk about how their days were before finally devolving into reminiscing over the past and telling stories. But I didn''t mind it. Eventually, after much discussion, dinner and desserts came out until everyone had eaten their fill. But just like how the food was unlimited, so was the alcohol. This didn''t affect Helen or Oliver much since they had to go right back to work after eating, nor Lewis since he had alcohol tolerance comparable to Father, but Sarah got absolutely hammered. Thankfully, Lucy and Viviana had already left to go outside by the time it got really bad, but I ended up catching the brunt of her drunken flirtatiousness. -At least Lucy and Viviana aren''t here to see such a sorry sight...- But eventually, after several more drinks and even more conversation, the conversation started winding down to a close. Maids started slowly funneling into the room to clean things up as Oliver set down his small glass of liquor and looked at Father. "So you''re still leaving tonight?" "Yeah, unless Vasilias has other plans." Father glanced at me for confirmation. "I want to leave at some point tonight since I''d rather fly at night, and I think I have everything I need to do wrapped up already." Sarah, who laid her face on the table, turned and glanced at me with an exhausted look. "How long is the flight?" "If I want to get there fast, I could do less than an hour, but I''d like to take my time tonight." "Hm? Why?" "I love space, and there should be a full moon tonight, so I''d like to take my time to enjoy it during the flight." "Space?" "Space is what gives the night sky its beauty. All the tiny lights that litter the sky at night are distant stars or galaxies floating around in the endless abyss known as space." A smile came to my face as I stopped myself before I got carried away. Sarah didn''t understand any of it anyway. "I''m too drunk to understand what you just said..." -I''d honestly be surprised if you understood that sober...- "Maybe I''ll bring you up to get a better look at it one night-" "Make that a promise." Her determined look caught me by surprise. "A..alright... I''ll take you on a little flight at some point in the future, then." I reluctantly agreed since I was too worried about what she''d do if I rejected her. -She''s so drunk she will probably forget it anyway.- Regardless of my thought though, the moment she heard me agree, an excited smile crept onto her face. "Hehe~..." "Haah..." Letting out a disappointed sigh, Father finally stood up. "Well, I think that''s our signal." With a warm, childish smile coming to my face, I turned back around to see her familiar motherly smile, but I couldn''t help but notice that she looked unusual. -She looks exhausted...- Quickly making my way into the hall, I walked over and gave Mother a long hug before eventually laying down and letting her rest her head on me. "Hey, Ilios... How have you been?" Ilios glanced farther down the hall and saw Krystallo sleeping soundly before responding with a muffled bark. "Huff!" "Haha, that''s good to hear." She slowly turned to look at me as her expression became worried. "So... What happened?" -Father must have told her something...- "Well, after a uh.. bad accident.. I happened to trigger and have another dragon sleep." Mother looked at me like I had gone insane though. "H..how... Wait, just.. start from the beginning..." Seeing her look of concern, I quickly tried coming up with a way to ease her into what had happened. "So Kaelallan had an heirloom that was just a massive monster core." "Okay? What about it?" Her worry only grew the more I talked. "Well, after following through with my part of a deal we made, I ate it and uh.. my uh..." -How do I put this without making her worried.- "My reserve may have.. exploded..." The air stopped moving instantly as I reluctantly looked over to see Mother staring at me with wide eyes. -Uh oh...- Unable to even consider saying anything more, I simply laid there and braced myself for the worst. But instead of panicking or yelling at me, she just let out a deep sigh. "Hoooh..." Thinking I was safe, I reluctantly opened my eyes but had a tail come crashing down onto my head. *THUMP* -Ow.. there it is...- Slowly looking back up at her, I saw her wearing a slightly angered expression. "For how smart you are, I thought you would have at least remembered me telling you that could happen." Like an epiphany, the memory of her explaining how my reserve could be destroyed suddenly surfaced in my mind. -Ah... I forgot about that...- S..sorry, Mother... "Haah... I''m just glad you''re home, alive and healthy." She paused as she gently rubbed her cheek against mine. "In any case, I can still feel your aura, so what happened with your reserve? Did it somehow repair itself?" Feeling warmth fill my chest, I responded quickly and honestly. "I''m not entirely sure, but I think it was completely destroyed before it reformed itself to make a new one. My new reserve is in my abdomen." Had I said that to anyone else, I would have been called insane, but Mother didn''t even question me. "So that''s why your aura is a bit weaker than before you left..." She immediately fell into contemplation, but I was quick to correct her. "N..no... My aura seeming smaller isn''t because of that." I stopped talking for a moment to think of how to explain it. "To put it simply, my new reserve gave me the ability to control how much aura I exude.. at least to a certain extent." A gleam formed in her eyes immediately. "How fascinating! So how much would you naturally exude?" "Uh..." I quickly glanced back toward Krystallo, lying behind the pile of treasure. "Do you mind coming outside for it?" "Hoh? It''s that much, huh?" With an excited look, she slowly stood up and stretched. "Ilios, stay here and watch Krystallo for us. If something happens, get our attention somehow. We will be right outside." "Huff." Giving a determined woof, he quickly walked over and sat by Krystallo. -I doubt his aura is enough to do anything...- Quickly walking outside and closing the door behind us, I turned to see Mother wearing an eager smile. "Alright, now show your mother how much you''ve grown." She immediately flexed her legs like I was going to pressure her. "Wait, you want me to pressure you with it?" "Of course! I wouldn''t be able to really understand how much it was if you just released it into the air." -Well.. I guess she has a point...- "If that''s the case, you might want to brace yourself more than that..." Taking my word seriously, she flexed her legs and took a wide stance. "Haah..." -She should be able to handle it, right?- "Well, here I go..." *vwooOooOOOMMM* Like a volcano of mana, the air around me turned to a bright and beautiful blue before flowing over to Mother. A smile crept onto Mother''s face as she saw it coming toward her like a tidal wave. *crunch-CRUNCH-VWOOOMM* The ground beneath her paws shattered like brittle sandstone under immense pressure, and her head lowered toward the ground as she struggled to keep it held high. *VWOOooOooom* I immediately pulled my aura off her after noticing she was struggling. "S-sorry!" I immediately darted over to support her, but instead of collapsing like I anticipated, she hopped up with a pure smile on her face. "WOOHOO! I haven''t felt that kind of rush in years!" "Hooh..." I let out a breath of relief, seeing that she was okay. *FWOOSH* She darted up to me instantly before throwing her neck around mine. "To think my son would get this strong so quickly!" She looked like she was about to cry. "I don''t know what I did to deserve such a strong son, but thank you!" In that instant, it felt like an unfathomable weight was lifted off my soul. The countless thoughts racing through my mind were silenced, leaving only the incredible warmth of Mother''s embrace to fill the void. My mind had become silent, with the exception of one thought. -What did I do to deserve a mother like this...- With a warm smile, I finally lowered my head and took my time to truly enjoy the moment. "Th..thank you, Mother..." Chapter 106/107: A Black Cat Chapter 106/107: A Black Cat Mid Morning - Late Spring : HomeFiind updated novels at novelhall.com - Uwahhh... *crackle* I let out a long, refreshing yawn as I woke up and broke apart the ice that crystallized over my body while I slept. -Wow, what a comfortable temperature...- It had been a few days since I returned from Kaelallan at that point, but a majority of that time was spent sleeping in the cave alongside Mother since, not long after I showed her my aura, her sleepiness caught up to her. -She looks like shes sleeping soundly though...- Slowly standing up, I quietly stretched and glanced at Ilios, who laid next to me. Hey, Ilios. I made sure to keep my voice as hushed as possible. Stay here and guard them while I go get some breakfast for us, alright? He gave a lethargic nod as he repositioned himself and closed his eyes again. It was really adorable, but I kept myself from bothering him more and made my way outside. *clunk-fwooosh* A wave of warm air blasted across my body as I hastily got through the door and closed it once again. Haah... It was the middle of the morning, with clear skies and a steady, warm breeze blowing through the field outside the cave. -What a beautiful day...- Then, after taking a moment to finally shake off my lingering drowsiness, I spread my wings and took to the skies. -Let''s see if I can find a bison for Ilios and I...- But the next several minutes were simply spent looking. *fwoosh* *fwoosh* *fwoosh* It was a calm day, with a slow, steady breeze and clear skies, but oddly enough, there was still a low fog covering the ground in the forest. This sight was nothing too unusual for that time of the season, but it meant that my job of finding a bison would get a little troublesome. -Hopefully, the fog makes them more confident to come out into some of the clearings...- Quickly heading to the fields routinely known to have bison or deer grazing in them, I dove toward the ground and flapped my wings just above the top of the fog. *FWOOOSH* The fog in the clearing got blasted away as if there was an explosion, immediately revealing a few deer grazing along the treeline and a huge bison in the middle. My mouth started to water immediately. *Thump* Promptly landing next to it, I nudged it with my wing and tipped it over. *snort* It tried to kick me as it went to stand back up and run off, but it was too late. *Shink* With a quick slash of a claw and a bit of help from earth magic, I went to cut through the bison''s spinal cord but instead cut off its entire head. *Thud* My eyes went wide as its headless body fell limply to the ground. -W..what...- Yeah, she looked like she was sleeping really well when I woke up... Idly shaving the last bit of the bison, I thought back to the night we got home. She was really tired when we got here, so I hope she can get some good sleep. Fathers expression slowly turned a bit guilty. Y..yeah... Shes still.. paranoid after what happened with Fengari... She didnt let herself sleep much at all while we were gone... ... I could only stare at Father blankly for a moment as I paused what I was doing. -So.. she didnt actually get over losing him...- Shes just scared to lose you or Krystallo as well, and.. well.. my attempt to reassure her sort of backfired... -Ah.. thats why she was upset with him...- Not wanting the conversation to get any darker, I tried to give some advice. Well, maybe you can treat her to something nice and get back on her good side when she wakes up. -I should probably do the same...- R..right. Sorry for getting all gloomy. Trying to quickly change the subject, he put on a forced smile and stood up. Do you mind if I go get a bison myself so we can eat together? It was an odd request, but it was nice to hear. Sure! I can help you clean it when you get back. His smile slowly warmed up as I spoke. A..alright! I won''t be too long! Finally mustering some enthusiasm, his smile turned genuine, and he took to the skies. -I wonder what well talk about...- But as I looked forward to having some Father-Son time, I looked back at the bison sitting on the metal spike and noticed it looked a bit pale. -Ah hell, did I bleed it too much?- Quickly making a pan at the bottom of the spike, I tried my best to save what I could before eventually accepting fate. -I guess I''ll have to take some of the blood from Fathers bison and just use it like a dipping sauce...- Finally finishing up the shaving and skinning of the bison, I reached down and cut off a decent-sized chunk and brought it to the cave. *clunk-fwoosh* As the warm air around me rushed into the cave, I poked my head in and set down the chunk of meat, motioning to Ilios as I did. *tap-tap-tap-tap* Seeing him quietly trot over and pick it up, I lightly patted his head and closed the door again to keep the temperature from changing much. *clunk* Haah... I let out a breath of relief as I gently repositioned the ''lock''. -It''s good to see Mother is still sleeping well...- Walking back out into the field, I took a moment to enjoy the warmth of the sun. But that was when I suddenly felt the edge of an unusual aura. -What the...- Immediately looking toward it, I met eyes with a small black, panther-like creature no bigger than a large house cat. But unlike its feeble-looking body, it had a massive aura, easily comparable to an A or B-rank monster. -Its controlled too...- Something about the cat gave me an odd feeling, but I simply couldnt recognize what the feeling was. -Was it.. drawn by the smell?- But the instant I even questioned it being anything other than a monster, it darted into the forest, and I lost sight of it. -Why did its eyes feel so.. human...- Chapter 108: A Beautiful View Chapter 108: A Beautiful View Early Evening - Late Spring : Home "Haah.." As I laid in the field sunbathing, the day steadily continued to pass. Before I knew it, the sun had started to set so I got up from my spot and stretched, Ilios following suit. He came out of the cave and laid with me earlier in the day when Father said he wanted to watch over Mother and Krystallo for a while. I looked over at the doors of the cave. -It should be fine..- Figuring it was alright for me to leave, I flew up to the top of the mountain to enjoy the sunset with Ilios like we used to. Once we got to the top, I walked to the edge of the peak and laid down. As the sun set, the sky shifted from its usual deep blue to a beautiful orange. Mirroring the sky, the ocean looked as if it had turned to gold. -I wonder what the ocean is like in this world..- I shifted my head and looked directly down the mountainside towards the ocean. I watched the massive waves slam up against the mountain, filling the surrounding air with mist and listened to the distant but soothing sound of the crashing waves. Back when I was alive on earth, I adored the ocean, but in this world I had some mixed feelings. When I was still taking lessons from Mother, she would always reinforce the fact that the ocean was this horrifying place with creatures that would eat me everywhere. -But on earth.. life in general in the oceans was pretty sparse.- Life was everywhere around reefs, coastlines or thermal vents, but around 90% of the ocean was just flat sand and open water. Almost all of the creatures in those areas were only there because they were passing through. As I contemplated going for a swim or messing around in the shorebreak, I decided to put it off for a bit. -Swimming at night is never a good idea anyways..- By the time I escaped my own thoughts, sunset had already passed and the starry night sky had enveloped everything. Enjoying the ocean breeze blowing up the mountain, I laid there on the mountain peak and overlooked the ocean. With the beautiful view of the moon reflecting off the ocean, I reminisced about some old memories and drifted to sleep. My days continued to pass just like that. "Mother.. I can take care of myself now. You don''t need to worry so much about me.." Although her anger was aimed solely at Father, I felt incredibly guilty and at fault for causing the situation. "I know.. but it doesnt change the fact that if you weren''t so strong you would''ve died.." She held her head down and bit her lip to hold back tears. "You still almost died too.." "Please don''t blame father for that.. He was in Bahamut taking care of things far more important... Plus the only reason I nearly died was because of my own negligence." I looked over at Father whose face was covered in guilt. "Father wouldn''t have given me the freedom to get into those fights if I wasn''t so strong either.. so.. please forgive him.." Although I wasn''t too sure how much itd help, I walked up and sat next to her to try and comfort her. "Haah.. what am I doing.." Mother moved over and leaned into me as she took a deep breath. "Thank you Vasilias.." She looked down towards the ground and leaned into me more. "Hm? What for?" "You''re the best son we could''ve asked for.. I think your Father would agree with me on that." She looked back up at me with a familiar, loving and motherly smile. The sight warmed my heart as I was reminded of just how blessed I was to be born into this family. A short moment later, she looked back over at father with a look of contempt. "But don''t go thinking I''m going to let you off the hook so easily." She pulled away from me and sat up straight. Father, seeing her change posture, immediately lowered his head. "Until Krystallo wakes up and we leave for Bahamut, you must give me a massage once a week, and once we get to Bahamut, you owe me a nice and expensive date." Father had an odd look on his face hearing the conditions. It was the mix of defeat and happiness. Seeing that the mood lightened up and Mother was acting more like herself, I decided to ask something I had thought about the past few days. "Mother.." "Hm? What is it sweetie?" "Can we keep star gazing each night like we did before the trip still.." "Of course! I wouldn''t dare break such an amazing tradition." Although mother called it tradition, it was just something I got in the habit of doing and over time Mother started joining me until it became routine. Nonetheless, hearing her agreement, an excited smile came to my face as a childish joy filled my heart. -I wish the sun would set a little faster now..- Chapter 109: Extreme Tag Chapter 109: Extreme Tag Early Afternoon - Late Spring : Home After socializing with Mother for a while after she woke up, she ended up asking me to step out for a bit so she could talk to father privately. -I wonder what they''re talking about..- Although I was curious and had the ability to eavesdrop, I honestly felt no need to and just continued out into the field. -Plus, privacy is important..- Walking out into the field I sat down and started thinking about what I wanted to do. Although I wanted to nap like I had for the past few days, it was time I snapped out of my laziness and did something productive. There was always a ton of things related to magic I could improve on, but I wasn''t in the mood for magic today. It was at that moment that a lightbulb went off in my head, it was something I desperately needed to work on. -My movement!- As mundane as it sounded, my movement and agility in my dragon form were horribly inefficient and bad. Sure, I could fly ridiculously fast and could control my momentum with thrusters giving me at least above average agility and speed in a fight, but there were blatant downside to doing that. -Plus it''s bad to depend on one thing too much..- I was currently relying far too much on my thruster magic in fights for speed and I needed to change that. "Hooh.." I looked up at the dense forest in front of me. -How do I even go about training agility..- I turned back and looked at Ilios who was behind me, a smile creeping onto my face. "Hey Ilios, want to be my training partner?" Ilios looked up at me and tilted his head. "I want you to attack me like you do when we roughhouse, but you need to focus on speed and you can''t hold back otherwise I won''t be able to improve." Ilios sat there and thought for a moment before nodding and getting into an agile stance. "Alright, you fir-" *BANG* Before I could finish, Ilios appeared in front of me and slammed his head into my chest. *Cr-cr-cr-cr-crack* The hit launched me into the forest, smashing through several trees before I stopped myself. "See? It''s far from perfect but I should be atleast average." Not stopping there, I decided to dash around the area to show off a little before coming to a stop next to him again. Father stared at me like he was looking at some alien. "You polished your footwork that much in a few hours?" "Hm?" I gave a nai?ve smile not understanding what he meant. "Haah.. I should stop trying to apply logic to you... Well anyways, I''m going to go swap places with your mother so you can go watch the sunset with her." I looked over to the side of the mountain and saw the sun starting to near the horizon. -Oh lord, it''s that time already?- "Alright. Ilios and I will uh.. clean up then." Seeing Father turning back to the doors, I turned back to Ilios and used magic to clean us off. By the time we finished cleaning up, Mother was already coming out of the hall. "Sorry about that sweetie.. your Father and I needed to have a.. private talk." "Haha, don''t be sorry. It''s not like I need to know everything.. Sometimes ignorance is best." She looked at me with wide eyes. "Who''d you learn that from?" "It''s.." I thought for a moment about how to word it. "It was just an observation I made.." Seeing how reluctant I was to say anything, she decided to change topics. "So what did I miss? Did some big bad monster come by?" She looked behind me towards the destroyed section of forest. "I got a little too into my agility training with Ilios.." "Oh? What did you need to train your agility for? Your Father wouldn''t stop talking about how mind bendingly fast you are." "That''s only when flying in a straight line from point a to b. What I practiced on with Ilios was my agility in combat!" I held my head up high and wore a confident smile. "Haha, I guess even though your appearance changed and you got so much stronger, you''re still you." She walked up and rubbed my head. "Haha, what''s that supposed to mean?" "Well lets just say, your Mother is very~ proud of you." "Hehe.." I wore a childish smile, unable to hold back my joy after being praised by Mother. "Well how about we head up the mountain. I don''t want to miss the sunset afterall." With a strong nod and a joyful smile, I started to follow after her up the mountain. Chapter 110: An Unexpected Question Chapter 110: An Unexpected Question Early Evening - Late Spring : Home "Well how about we head up the mountain. I don''t want to miss the sunset afterall." Mother gave me a warm smile and started flying up the mountain. Getting ready to follow after her, I leaned down and had Ilios jump up on my back. -Alrighty.- Hold on Ilios. *Fwoosh* With a strong flap of my wings, I caught up to Mother and landed on the peak with her. The sun was just about to hit the horizon and the sky had already changed to a light orange so I didnt want to waste any more time. Once Mother landed, she walked up to the edge and sat down, tapping the ground next to her for me to sit. As I sat down and started getting situated with Ilios, she looked over and asked, "So how did you like Kaelallan?" "It was alright. The library was the best part." Truthfully it was those glorious cushions in the shelter but I couldn''t say that. "Oh really? What made you like it so much?" "Well.." Finally getting situated, I looked out over the ocean that was steadily turning more and more golden. "I just found some information that will help me going forward." "What was the book about?" "It was some in depth history about things that happened just before and after the great war related to a goddess called the ''The Goddess of Harvest''." As soon as I mentioned the great war, Mothers demeanor changed. "What is it?" "Once Krystallo wakes up, I need to talk to you two about something that has to do with the great war. When you mentioned the great war, it just reminded me of that, is all." "Ah.." Noticing it''d be untimely to dig any more, I turned back to look over the ocean and changed the subject. "It''s beautiful isn''t it.." "Yeah.. it sure is.." It was a beautiful sight, -its even more beautiful than normal..- I looked over at mother sitting next to me. -Maybe its because I''m with Mother..- My cheeks slowly warmed up as I turned back to the sunset with a grateful smile. -Wait what was that?- I quickly turned back to mother, noticing something out of the corner of my eye. -A.. ship?- On the horizon was a giant galleon waving an unfamiliar flag. "Mother?" "What is it sweetie?" "Ships aren''t normal around here right?" "No, where we live is extremely isolated so there aren''t any trade routes that pass by. Why do you ask?" She looked over and saw me looking over towards the horizon and looked where I did. "A ship?" "Yeah.." "Can you see the flag by chance?" "Kind of.." I strained my eyes a bit to try and see the design but it was useless. -Its too far..- "It''s blue with white and green details by the looks of it." Mother took a second to think. "Maybe Toria? But they were forbidden from coming here.. Can you tell what direction the ship is going?" "It''s coming straight for the mountain." "How troublesome.." Seeing the troubled look on Mothers face, I decided to present a possible solution. "Can I try to sink it from here?" Mothers eyes widened. "I don''t want it to cause us trouble in the future so if we just sink it over deep water.." Mothers mouth slowly turned to a smile. "How about this, if you can hit it from here in 3 shots, when we go to Bahamut I''ll get you something extremely~ tasty." My eyes immediately lit up as I turned and looked at her with a childish smile. "Really?" "Do you think I won''t stick to my word?" She gave off an air of confidence. "Hehe, that''s a promise!" -...what?- Bonus POV: - Unknown Captain ~ "So what are your plans for the city here, Mister city lord?" I perched my feet up on my desk as I eyed up the well dressed, chubby noble man. He grimaced as he looked up at me. "I plan to keep my word.. once we get the town going, I will build you a trafficking hub." "You know, I''ve been thinking.. I''m taking you on this journey too. I''ve given you and your knights comfortable beds and supplied them with food for this trip so how about a tip?" I looked at the noble with a greedy smile. "What kind of tip.." "Hmm, I wonder.. How about a night with that young maid girl you brought with you.." "Tch.. disgusting bastard.." "If that''s a no, I''ll just turn the ship around. Thanks to a shiny new artifact, we are far quicker than traditional ships so I have no qualms about turning around." "You know you can''t do that, the royal family would execute you on the spot." "But they''d get you first." Giving a devious smile, I slammed my glass of alcohol on the desk. "So?" "Fine.. she''s yours for the night.." "Good, good. I hope you dont mind me giving her to my crew after I finish right?" The noble looked at me with an indescribable disgust. -Yeah yeah, act like you haven''t already laid your fat hands on her..- *BANG* My thoughts came to an abrupt stop as the entire ship shook like we slammed into a rock. The fatty was to first to run out. "What is going o-" "My lord!" A knight in full armor tackled him before he got out of the door though. *Bang* The top half of the mast fell right over where they were, if the fatty wasn''t moved he would have been crushed. The noble man laid there in shock but I didn''t waste any time and started to move. "The hell happened?!" "We aren''t sure, captain!" "Well f*cking figure it out!" I ran up to the front of the ship and looked in the water. -Theres.. nothing..- Looking up at where the main mast was broken, the wood wasn''t just blown away, but it was burnt. -Just what..- I quickly shook my head. "Well, we aren''t far away. We will repair it once we land." I looked back towards the fatty who was still laying on the ground. "Get your ''oh so powerful'' knight to come up here and guard from whatever that was." "R..right! Jeff, protect the ship with your life! If we sink, we will all die!" "..sure.." Coming up from the lower deck was a muscular, sleepy looking man in loose armor. -Haah.. I shouldn''t depend on that idiot..- "Everyone else, help move the mast so it won''t slip into the water and check for other damages." The crew and knights quickly started moving to my orders as I walked up to the helm. -I cant believe those royal bastards decided to send me out after those sh*tty mercenaries came back empty handed... If they didn''t offer me a hell of a lot of money and give me that water artifact to make this trip faster I wouldve just left to a different country..- Finally at the helm, I looked up over the sea something caught my eye. A red dot appeared between us and the mountain peak that was just above the horizon. -What.. is tha..- Before my eyes, I watched as millions of red balls and shards of light silently ripped my ship and crew to shreds. I watched the scene as if time had slowed, I even watched as my own body was blown to shreds along with my ship in total silence and without pain. The scene made my mind go blank with the exception of one thought. -This must be.. Gods.. wrath..- *B-b-b-b-b-b-bang* Chapter 111: A New Routine Chapter 111: A New Routine Mid Evening - Late Spring : Home "Could you teach me?" Mother looked at me with an unusual gleam in her eyes. I stared at her for a moment, simply speechless not knowing what to say. Even though dragons are far better learners than even the most talented humans, teaching her something as general as ''science'' was a big ask, not just for me but her as well. For someone to learn science in this world, they would have to abandon the ways they thought things worked which can be a very hard pill to swallow. Most of all though, it felt weird being Mothers teacher. I looked up and saw the eager look in her eyes. "Haah.. I guess.." -Its not like I can say no to that..- With a smile of excitement, Mother quickly turned to me and sat up straight. "So when do we start?" "Whenever you want to." "Can we start now?" "Haah.. sure." I looked back over the ocean and looked at the moon reflecting over the water. -Where do I even start..- I took a moment to think to myself about what order I wanted to take things in. -I guess I''ll go with the most basic of basic first.- "Alright, to start, I''ll tell you what science is." Mother sat there staring at me with gleaming eyes. "Science, in basic terms, is the study of how the physical world works and functions. For example, things like how it rains or what causes wind can be explained with science." Mothers face changed dramatically, looking less childish and more mature like her usual self finally. "So.. science is the study of how things work.. isn''t that just magic?" -Ahh hell.. I knew this question was gonna come..- To be honest, I had no idea how to explain it since technically mana and magic would massively tie into science, but I had comparatively minimal knowledge of how it all tied in currently. "In short, no. Although mana and magic can be a large part of science, I won''t be explaining too much of it.." "Why is that?" "Because the world can function completely without mana, and by learning how it does that, you''ll be able to figure out ways to better utilize your mana and magic like I did just a minute ago." To my surprise, instead of getting tired of it after a few lessons, she just became more eager, coming to me with more and more in depth questions every day. After a while, she ended up watching Ilios and I''s agility spar that had become routine as well. She would watch us intently, watching how I was improving my footwork utilizing physics knowledge and coming to me asking why I changed or did certain things. In a way she became somewhat obsessed with physics, but I saw it as something great. It gave her something she enjoyed doing, it was something that made her look forward to every evening lesson, but most of all, it was amazing to spend more time with mother. The lessons truly gave us great bonding time and being able to spend time with Mother every day was something that was priceless and that I looked forward to. On my side of things, teaching Mother gave me some small insights into loopholes I could utilize with mana but most of all, my improvement in agility was astounding. After the first few weeks of sparring with Ilios, I ended up catching up to his speed and agility. The wild part was that once I caught up to his speed, his rate of improvement started to increase as well. Over the span of the past 5 months of sparring, our speed and agility increased by leaps and bounds and had become incomparable to before. We even managed to start pushing the sound barrier in our recent sessions. -That''s gonna be a hard wall to break though..- Currently, I was sunbathing in the field trying to relax after an intense session with Ilios. "You alright Ilios? I accidentally hit your nose a bit hard at the end there." "Woof.." Panting from exhaustion, he let out an exhausted woof saying he was alright. "Haah.. good.." I slowly closed my eyes, enjoying the soothing warmth of the sun when I felt a fairly strong suction of mana into the cave. -Is it finally time?- Chapter 112: My Sister Chapter 112: My Sister Mid Afternoon - Late Fall : Home - *Vwowowooom* The noises of the mana rippled through the air as the suction pulled on my aura like a toddler trying to pull a car. -Is it finally time?- It had been close to 7 months since she began her dragon sleep at that point, two months earlier than expected. -But that could just mean shes a fast grower...- With a smile finally coming to my face, I started standing up, with Ilios following suit. *Fwoosh* *Fwoosh* *Fwoosh-THUD* Landing next to me as I stretched was Father, coming down from his daily nap spot on the side of the mountain. He gave me an odd look as he turned to the cave''s entrance. "Are you not coming to see your sister wake up?" "Im going to wait for the suction to stop first; my aura might cause some problems." "Oh, right. I forgot we talked about that... Regardless, come inside the moment it stops. I''m sure shell want to see you." With an excited smile, he finally ran over to the door and swung them wide open, revealing a hallway lined with frost and ice. "Come hold these open if you can; we need to make sure she gets all the mana she can." Promptly running up to the doors, I created two small metal rods and used them like door stops. -That should do...- The next several minutes passed in a flash as we all eagerly waited for her eyes to open, and sure enough, after the suction started to ease up for a couple minutes, it finally stopped. -Is she awake?- But before I could even peek my head around the edge of the door, I heard an unfamiliar, yet recognizable voice. "Mom! Wheres Brother?!" Her voice was full of boundless excitement. "Pffft!" -Of all the things she could have said first.- Finally peeking my head around the edge of the door, I met eyes with a nearly 13-meter-tall snow-white dragon. Her horns, now no longer nubs, were all covered in a thin layer of ice, and her body was quite significantly more built while still remaining fairly sleek. Her scales glistened like snow in the sunlight, and her bright blue eyes looked like a clear winter sky. But most of all, there was a stunning aura of snowflakes that glistened in the air around her, making her look a bit surreal. But that feeling didnt last too long. "Brother!!!" Charging down the hall like a bull, she jumped up and slammed herself into my chest, promptly clinging to me like I was going to abandon her. It made me feel a bit awkward for a moment, but it quickly turned into a caring warmth. "Its good to see you awake again." But as she finally looked up at me, I noticed her pout. "I dont like that black-haired sister! You should stop talking to her!" Feeling that Mother''s gaze had turned to me, I immediately got flustered. "W..who?"Discover new chapters at novelhall.com "I talked to a pretty, black-haired sister in my dream! She said you two were close!" She spoke like it made her upset. But although it was adorable, it made the air around me freeze. -She talked to Krystallo?!- "Dont believe anything she said. She didnt do anything to you, did she?" I was a bit panicked, but Krystallo was quick to calm my nerves. "No, we just talked." "Haha, that weird thingy is your breath gland, sweetie." Mother looked like she was having a great time. But Krystallo just turned to me with a gleam in her eyes. "Does that mean I can do what Brother did now?!" (Refer to Chapter 23) *Bonk* Mother lightly hit her on the head. "Absolutely not." Krystallo lightly rubbed her head with her wing as she pouted. "Why not?" Seeing Mothers conflicted expression, I stepped in for her. "Krystallo, it is just a bit too early for you to learn something that advanced. Once you get stronger though, I promise I will teach it to you." Her saddened expression immediately brightened up. "Can you teach me to be stronger than Mom and Dad?" "Haha, that all depends on how well you learn what I teach." But although I was trying to brush it off, her enthusiasm only grew. "Can we start now?" Her expression was all too familiar. -Like Mother, like daughter...- A warm smile came to my face as I saw the striking resemblance. -I guess it couldnt hurt to teach her about science as well though...- After that, Mother and Father started their short, more child-friendly lesson about mana and aura before leading her outside for some hands-on practice. But as I followed them, I got Mothers attention. "What''s with the difference between teaching styles?" I gave her a sarcastic smile. "Well, not long after I taught you everything, your Father and I had a long talk where we realized just how abnormal the way we taught you was. Some dragons can''t even control their mana the day they wake up, let alone immediately control aura outside of their body. You even created new spells on your first day with mana." -Ah, so that''s why they looked so excited when Krystallo had a little control over her aura.- "The way we taught you was very gung ho and we didn''t even explain half of the things we should have. As you saw, most dragons don''t even know what their breath gland is at first, but you figured out what it was without even asking." "Haha, I thought most of it was self-explanatory, but I definitely think the slower and.. more child-friendly approach will be better for Krystallo." Mother was quickly taken aback. "I''m surprised you recognized that..." I felt a bit offended that she was surprised though. "Of course Id know! I''m very well aware that I''m far from the norm now." Looking into the field as we walked outside, I saw Krystallo coddling Ilios. "I think she will be a fast learner though." Mothers smile quickly turned warm. "Haha, even if she only has a fraction of your talent, shell still be unrivaled in Bahamut." Looking back up at her in the field, I saw her trotting out toward Father, just to trip over herself. "Aaah!" *thump* "Haah..." -I guess her growing didnt affect her clumsiness...- Chapter 113: My Sisters First Try at Magic Chapter 113: My Sisters First Try at Magic Late Afternoon - Late Fall : Home "If shes anything like you, I''m sure she''ll catch on quickly." "Does that mean I''ve been doing well?" "Haha, yes. Very well." We continued down the hall, eventually making it outside. "Ilios, you''ve grown so big!" Krystallo quickly ran up to Ilios and started fluffing his fur. "Haha, before long he might get bigger than you." Krystallo looked back at me. "Well.." She paused as she tried to come up with a comeback. "Hmph.." Failing to think of anything, she just pouted. -How cute..- "Well don''t worry, size isn''t everything. Even if he''s bigger, you can still be stronger!" Her mood immediately brightened. "Right!" She quickly turned to mother and plopped herself down. "Can we start now?" "Haha, yes sweetie. First, we need to figure out what attribute your nodes are." Krystallo was staring at Mother as if in a trace, already in an incredible focus. "So let''s start by pulling out some of that energy from your reserve and dragging it through any attribute node, then move that energy from the node to the palm of your hand." Mother put out her hand and created a small fireball. "Like this." Giving a reluctant nod, Krystallo closed her eyes and moved her hand out. *Blub* A small ball of water began to form in her hand. Mothers face was filled with excitement like a kid opening gifts on Christmas. "So your first node is water, which one was that?" "One of the two next to my breath gland! Does that mean I have a really good water affinity like you?" "Yes! Now try the other node next to it." "Alright!" Even after watching for a moment, it looked like nothing was happening, but my aura noticed it. "It''s wind!" "Awe.." Krystallo wore a slightly saddened expression. "What''s wrong sweetie?" Mother looked a little worried. "I wanted fire.." "Well you still have two other nodes, and it''s not like they''re bad affinity either." She had a node in her mid chest and one in her upper abdomen, which are by no means bad affinities. Seeing her looking a little sad, I decided to give her a little motivation. "Wind isnt weak if that''s what you''re thinking." "What do you mean? So what if I can create a weak breeze." "Who said you could only do that? Wind is far more versatile than you''d expect." I turned to Mother. "Mother, hit me with a really hot breath." She was caught off guard by my request but followed through anyway. *Fwooosh* *puufff* But it still dissipated nearly immediately. -It still wasn''t big or hot enough..- "See if you can weave some wind magic into the flame. If you can pull it off, not only will the flame be bigger, but it''ll be hotter." Krystallo sat there as if in a trance and did her best to follow my instructions. "I''m not sure I can-" "Just try. You got this!" With a little motivation and commitment, she could do it. "O..okay.." She got serious again and took her time readying her mana. *Fwooosh* A flame several times bigger and twice as hot as the last one came out of her mouth. It was a flame nearly as big as Ilios and hot enough to char the ground, leaving a fairly large burn mark in the field. "See! I knew you could do it!" A wave of excitement washed over her as she looked towards Mother. "Did you see that!! That was AWESOME!!" "Great job sweetie! To think you can use two attributes at once already!" She ran up and gave Krystallo a big hug. "I knew you were going to be talented with magic!" "Hehe.." Krystallo wore a smile of excitement and confidence. "I can give you one more tip if you''d like." I gave her a smug smile. Immediately tensing up, she got out of Mothers grasp and ran over to sit in front of me. "With your breath this time, instead of just weaving the wind magic into the inside of the flames, spin the wind around the flames as well." "That''s too.." Mother quickly chimed in with a worried expression before she stopped herself. "Whenever you''re ready, aim for that tree over there." I pointed to a tree on the treeline not too far away. "That''s a bit far.." "Come on, have some confidence! You''ve got me guiding you. Try to use the wind to compress and spin the flames." "Hooh.." After being in a deep focus for a bit, she kept her eyes closed and opened her mouth. *Fwoo-oosh* *Crackle* Like a compressed beam, the flame crossed the opening and hit the tree. The flame wrapped around the tree and once the smoke cleared, showed a small hole that was burnt into the tree. Both Mother, Father and Krystallo sat there stunned at the sight. "I.. I did it.." Slightly out of breath, Krystallo''s face filled with excitement. "I DID IT!!" "See? I told you to believe in yourself." I walked up and lightly patted her head. She looked up at me with a childish smile. "Hehe" Her smile truly melted my heart. -She''s so cute..- Chapter 114: Family History Chapter 114: Family History Early Morning - Early Winter : Home After continuing Krystallos first magic lesson for a while, the sun quickly set. As usual, Mother was on the peak ready for the lesson but that day we had a special guest. Krystallo was interested since she saw Mothers enthusiasm for it and came up to check it out. Father thought it was mildly interesting but decided to just sleep like usual. -He should really join us though..- And just like that, a few more weeks passed. Krystallo started joining us for evening physics lessons and would be taught history, magic and aura by Mother and Father during the day. At first she struggled a bit, but once she got used to it she started finding more enjoyment in it. For me, my schedule didn''t change much. I trained with Ilios and slept during the afternoons and taught Mother and Krystallo at night. It was a perfectly balanced schedule, but today was going to be a day where we had to postpone the routine. "So we are planning to leave for the space rune tonight, so we need to pack. Both of you go find a few really high end valuables from the treasure to take with you." Mother started giving us our rules for packing. "Why don''t we just take everything?" It was quite a lot of treasure, but it was nothing I couldn''t carry if I just made a really big tarp. "Well, for a reason I will explain in a second, once we arrive there, some dragons will be sent out to move it all for us. We just need to take the really high end stuff just in case." -Oh, so they''re movers basically..- "How can we trust they won''t take any of it?" "Well.." Mother looked away like she wanted to change subjects. "Haah.. I guess I''ll need to say it before we leave anyways.." Krystallo and I both looked at each other, a little nervous. "Please take a seat, this talk might take a bit.." Quickly complying, I sat down but I was still wondering. "What''s this talk about?" "Ah, good question! It''s actually your Fathers original family name. When he married me, a Ragnarok, his family name was changed as well since we are the stronger family." -Oh so that''s why it''s not odd to use that name..- "So if two people get the name Ragnarok each generation, does that mean there are more young Ragnaroks?" "No.. my parents'' generation had multiple but they were killed before they hatched or reached adolescence, and as for my Brothers.." I noticed how Mothers mood quickly darkened and figured it was a touchy subject. To change the subject I looked towards Krystallo. "How does it feel to have the weight of the family name on your shoulders?" I gave a smug smile as I poked fun. She quickly puffed up her chest and held her head high. "That just means I need to become the strongest!" "Haha, that''s a good mindset." Mother looked at her with a warm smile. "I''ll go over the other rules once we get to Bahamut so for now start packing what you want to make sure to keep for now." "Ah, Mother, can I go pick up Maria now?" "Ah right, I nearly forgot about her. Go ahead and bring her here, when you get back we will leave." "Who''s Maria?" Krystallo gave me an irritated look. "You''ll know soon enough." I walked up to Krystallo and pat her head. "She''ll be useful in the future so don''t hate her too much yet." "Hmph.." I looked over at Ilios who was laying down next to me. "Do you want to stay or co-" Before I could finish, he jumped up onto my back and laid down. -I guess that answers that..- I turned back to everyone and gave a little wave. "Well, I shouldn''t be too long!" *Fwoosh* With a strong flap of my wings I started my flight to Kaelallan. Chapter 115: A Snowy City Chapter 115: A Snowy City Mid Morning - Early Winter : Kingdom of Kaelallan It was a beautiful morning to fly. Just below the clouds it was lightly snowing which made it a truly beautiful sight but I was in a bit of a rush.T/his chapter is updated by Quickly getting above the clouds, I cranked the thrusters. Several minutes later, I figured I was getting close and dove below the clouds once again. The snow was incredibly thick now, even impairing my vision quite a bit but my gut told me where the city was. I steadily dove more and more towards the ground until the top of the palace slowly came into sight. -Wow, a dragon''s memory and intuition is truly incredible..- Quickly finding the area in the courtyard to land I changed to my humanoid form and grabbed Ilios. Using thruster magic to ease the fall, I landed in the front courtyard with some grace. -Unlike last time..- I hastily let Ilios down and started walking into the palace once I landed. Behind me were a few palace guards by the gate that didn''t seem to notice me. -Poor guys are out in this cold wearing metal armor..- Although they seemed to be wearing heavy clothing underneath the armor, they looked like they were freezing. -That''s not my problem though..- Continuing forward, I headed into the palace. As I walked in I blew the snow off my clothing and called over a maid. Thankfully she seemed to remember who I was and acted politely. "What can I help you with, Sir Whyte?" "Do you know where the king or queen are?" "The king is currently in the relay city of Zan and her highness is in her office." (Kingdom of Zans old Capital) "Sweet thanks." Continuing down the hall, I got some odd looks from a few maids and butlers but nothing out of the ordinary. Finally coming to her office, I gave a light knock and walked in. "Who is i-" *Click* "It''s been a while. Have you been well?" Although Father visited several times over the last 6 months, I hadn''t. "Vasilias!" Helen quickly hopped up from her seat and came up and gave me a hug. "Kaelallan hasn''t been better since we received your help." "That''s good to hear. I was originally just swinging by to pick up Maria but it might be good for me to catch up on the news too." I looked over at the large pile of papers on her desk. "Did anything major happen?" "A few things but nothing too significant. We recruited several new Nation ranks with the absorption of Zan and Byria including Michael. After things started to settle down, we called him up to give him his nobility and territory but he rejected them saying he wanted to explore the countryside like he did in his younger days." "So doesn''t that mean he rejected his nation rank promotion?" "No, the nobility and territory are just the sugar on top, the formalities so to speak, and since he helped so much with the mana suction incident, he stacked up a pretty ridiculous amount of contribution points." I could tell she was nervous but I couldn''t tell why. "Well you can relax a bit now." I looked up at Martha. "Thanks for training her on such short notice." "No problem, Young Lord. Your wish is our command." "Well I''m gonna head out, Thanks again for everything." Giving a small and polite bow, she gave her farewell. As we walked out of the palace through the snow, I started some small talk. "How did you like your training?" "It was nice.." She reluctantly looked back towards the palace. "T..thank you.." "Hm? What are you thanking me for?" "Thank you for that experience.. it was truly.. enlightening.." I looked back at her with wide eyes. "Youve changed quite a bit since I last saw you." She quickly tensed up. "Is that a bad thing?" "Haha, no, not at all. I actually like this new temperament of yours better." Staring at me blankly for a moment, she quickly looked away. "So where are we going?" "Home first. Before we make the flight though, is there anything you want from Kaelallan?" She looked at me, not really believing my words. "Haah... no.. Lets just get on the road.." -That''s a lie..- "Are you sure?" She looked around before looking at the ground with a warm smile. "Yes, Master." "Then I''ll pick up the pace a bit." Walking through the snowy city was beautiful but quite uncomfortable so I moved over and picked her up. She looked up at me with wide eyes. "Ilios, just follow me until we are outside of the city then you can hop on." "Woof!" Looking up towards the wall quite a ways in front of us, I hopped onto a roof top and dashed to it. Once I made it to the base of the wall, I flexed my legs and launched us over the wall, Ilios doing the same behind us. Landing on the other side of the wall I made a short sprint away from the city until I couldn''t see it through the snow anymore. "Well, we should be far enough away now." I quickly cleared the area of snow and set down Maria. She looked at me with a red face. -Are halfies that susceptible to the cold in their human forms?- Chapter 116: Final Preparations Chapter 116: Final Preparations Early Afternoon - Early Winter : Home "Are you alright? If the cold is getting to you just let me know." "I..I''m okay Master.." -Ahh while I''m thinking about it I should fix that..- "Look up towards the sky for me." Reluctantly complying she looked up and closed her eyes. *Clank* Using earth magic, I shattered the collar she had on her neck. -The new one needs to actually look good and be able to stretch..- After thinking for a bit, I came up with an odd idea. -I wonder if I can make a elasticity rune..- I quickly made a thin but strong steel ring and fiddled with an earth rune on it. Maria looked at me quizzically. "If I may be so rude to ask.. what are you doing Master?" "Making you a new collar. One that wont kill you if you change to your dragon form." "One that.. changes sizes?" "Yeah.." After a short moment I figured something out that worked. -Wow that''s such a weird feeling..- It was a steel choker looking collar but it could stretch quite a lot, easily enough to handle her current dragon form. -Ill need to change it eventually though..- The rune was incredibly inefficient since I just invented it in a few minutes but it did the job well enough. I turned back to Maria. "What is your favorite flower?" I reached up and started making the collar on her neck, giving it a strengthening and elasticity rune. "A.. rose.." -Oh cool, didn''t know roses existed in this world..- As soon as I finished the runes and base collar, I covered the runes with a little insignia I made of a black wolf with purple eyes and gave the collar a rosebush design. -Its honestly quite pretty..- I sat there and looked at it for a moment, feeling quite proud of myself. "Well that''s good enough for now, I''ll let you look in the mirror once we get to Bahamut." As Maria touched the collar, feeling its texture, I changed to my dragon form and let Ilios up on my back. As soon as she noticed I changed form, Marias face paled. "I''ll be gentle on the take off, just tap me if you need to tell me anything because I won''t be able to hear you." She gave a nervous nod as she climbed onto my hand.T/his chapter is updated by Spreading my wings, I gave a strong flap and lightly used thrusters. "She has a collar right? What owner insignia did you use on her collar?" "I just made one for myself." "Which is?" "Just a black wolf with purple eyes." Father looked at me with some surprise. "Well anyways, is there anything else I can help you two with before we go?" Mother looked over at me. "Could you help me for a second.." "Sure, what''s up?" "I''m trying to make a container to carry Fengari''s memorial but I don''t know what to do to keep it from breaking.." "Ah, well let me do it then.." I walked up to it and got a closer look. -I guess that''ll work..- I quickly made a small box around it of metal, using the metal to clamp and hold the stone pedestal still and filled the rest of the box with a general foam to hold the egg still. Although it wasn''t a ton of work, it took a bit to make since I had to be so careful about it. By the time I got the cover on it and made straps to make it easier to carry, the sun was nearing the horizon. "Haah.. finally done.." -Its as secure as its gonna get..- Finally, I picked it up and carried it outside. "I finished, Mother." Quickly setting down her things, she ran over and looked at the metal box. "So it''s in this?" "Yeah, this should keep it nice and protected during the flight, always be careful just in case though." I lifted up my hand I had weaved into the strap. "This is how you can wrap it around your hand to carry it a little easier as well.." Seeing she understood, I quickly let go and looked over to Krystallo and Maria. -They seem to be getting along well..- They were just chatting but even Maria was wearing a pure smile. *Thump* "So is everyone ready?" Father spoke up as he closed and locked the doors to the cave. I looked around and noticed everyone seemed ready. "It seems like it!" "Well let''s not waste any more time and take to the skies!" Chapter 117: A New Settlement Chapter 117: A New Settlement Early Evening - Early Winter : Old Home "Well let''s not waste any more time and take to the skies!" Quickly lightening the mood, Father walked over to Krystallo and I. "We will be flying at your pace Krystallo so if you need a break just let us know. It''ll be a fairly long flight." The way Father said that made me wonder just how far it was. "Aren''t we just going to the rune? It shouldn''t be too far right?" "It''s only a little over half the distance to Kaelallan but we will be flying far slower than your ridiculous pace." "Well let''s get on the road then, it''ll be nice to watch the sunset above the clouds." I looked over at Maria. "Here, I''ll carry you." I called Maria over, but before she climbed into my hand, Krystallo stopped me. "I''ll carry her, Brother.." I raised my eyebrows at her wondering why but figured it''d be fine. "Alright.. just let me know if you want me to carry her." "Okay." She quickly lowered her hand letting Maria climb in. Father asked once again. "Is everyone ready now?" "Wait, Mother.. Do you want me to carry the memorial for you?" I figured since I wasn''t going to be carrying Maria, I could carry the memorial. "It''s alright, I''d like to carry it myself.." She gave an unusual look at the metal box before looking back at me.Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com "Alright.. just let me know if you want me to carry it then." Giving me a warm smile, she looked around and noticed everyone looking ready. "Well let''s not waste any more time." "Right, Krystallo, just be sure to let us know if we are going too fast." "Okay!" *Fwoosh-fw-fw-fwoosh* With Ilios hopping on my back I followed after Father and started the flight. After flying for a bit, we finally got above the clouds where Father, Mother and I could just glide but Krystallo still had to flap her wings quite often. -Maybe I should help her a bit..- I could always try and use vacuum magic to make the flying easier, but I figured she could use the exercise. -Ill help her once she starts getting tired..- Although she was flapping her wings quite often, she seemed quite relaxed. "Are you holding up alright, Krystallo?" Mother called out after noticing me looking at her. "Mhmm!" She looked up at Mother with a childish smile. -Haah.. Needless worries..- Looking away from her, I looked at the sunset on the horizon. "Are you sure we should set up here? That temple gives me a bad feeling." "Yes we are setting up here. This will be our new home for a while so get used to it!" -It''s just an abandoned temple, why is the crew so nervous around it.. We were already lucky to stumble across this island in itself. They should feel thankful..- This was an extremely secluded island that was across a fairly deep stretch of water so it was perfectly isolated for us. Although this deep water was avoided by trade routes, it was nothing like Deaths Gape, which was so deep it was a death wish to even think about crossing. That isolation from common routes made the island perfect for pirates though. -Not only do we not have to travel far for resources and money, Sinder is near by so we have access to several huge trade port cities..- I slowly turned back to pet muffin for a bit more before I figured I should probably go help my crew. I quickly perched muffin on my shoulder and hopped off the side of the ship and onto shore. Following a path through the forest I came up to a large clearing bordering a huge freshwater lake. We were planning to just set up camp here for now, but eventually I wanted to make it a pirate city. -I''d need to call some of the other groups up north but this would give us more control over them than we already have..- Plus it was a perfect way to get a steady source of resources, trade and money. -Hell, settling a Kingdom of Pirates, like Elynnor was originally, is even possible.- Although Elynnor had become a proper nation now, it was founded by pirates with the current royal family being descendants of pirates themselves. -Now isnt the time for that.- Quickly shaking the extravagant thoughts out of my head, I looked up at the group of tents and simple shelters, a pure smile coming to my face. -One step at a time!- "T think the captn can make a face like that." One of my crew who was helping set up a tent next to me spoke up. My face quickly darkened as everyone in the surrounding area stared at the man with wide eyes. "I thought our capt''n was just a stuck up boss like one of those nob-" *Bang* Sick of his blabbering, I gave him a strong punch to his face sending him flying. The surrounding crew watched as if it was normal. "T'' think the newbie got a beatin'' already.." -Bast*rds..- *THUMP* Interrupting my thoughts, a massive shockwave shook our part of the island. I quickly whipped around to look down the path towards shore with a pale face. -WHAT WAS THAT?!- Chapter 118: A One Sided Deal Chapter 118: A One Sided Deal Late Evening - Early Winter : Northeastern Space Rune *Vwoosh* Dashing forward ahead of everyone, I quickly made it to the island. As I got close, I changed to my humanoid form and grabbed Ilios. "Brace yourself Ilios, it''s gonna be a hard landing!" -Sh*t.. I''m going way too fast..- *WHAM* Slamming into the beach, the sand beneath my feet turned to glass and shook the entire island. -Ow..- I meant to slow down far more than I did so the impact ended up hurting my knees a fair amount. -But nothing is broken! It should be fine.- I quickly set down Ilios and brushed myself off. Looking over at the ship, I noticed it was in rough condition and had a tattered black flag with a white cat insignia. -That''s definitely a pirate ship.. But what''s with the flag choice..- Although I was a bit curious about the inside of the ship, with a quick scan with aura I noticed there wasn''t anything interesting. Most of the valuables and resources have already been taken. -But.. Where are the pirates?- I quickly looked around the beach and saw nothing except some tracks leading down a trail into the forest. "Well, let''s see where it takes us!" Darting down the trail, it didn''t take long till we came up to a large clearing full of tents and bandit looking people. Of those people, there was one that stood out. It was a tall, lean-muscular woman with messy brown hair and an oddly familiar black cat on her shoulder. -I must be imagining that though..- Of the bunch, she was definitely the cleanest and most good looking by far. -She''d turn out really good with a bit of polish..- As soon as she saw me, just like everyone else in the clearing, she froze. Not long after I got back to shore, everyone finally made it to the island. "So did you find the pirates?" Mother was the first to ask. "Yeah, they''re just in the forest. I had a short talk with them. They seem to want to settle here." Father grimaced. "I figured it was a good opportunity so I said they could as long as they followed some conditions." "What conditions did you set?" "That they protect and not touch the temple, give me 10% of taxes once they get there and give me complete power to control them if I wish." Father looked at me with unbelieving eyes. "Haah.. Vasilias.. settling a nation is much harder to do than just proposing the idea. The chance that a band of pirates will be able to do that is.. unlikely at best." -I honestly don''t see them getting that far either.- "But! If they do manage to do it, I will make a huge profit. Even if they don''t and they die trying, it doesn''t matter to us." Father looked at me with wide eyes. "I guess that''s sound logic.." "Of course it is! Did you think I was stupid?" I puffed up my chest and showed confidence. "Well how about you take me to them, I''d like to talk to their leader to clarify some things." He turned back to Mother and Krystallo. "Go ahead and go to the rune, I will meet up with you there." Giving a light nod, Mother took off again with Krystallo following suit. After that, I took Father in his humanoid form to meet Abbie. Their talk went alright.. Abbie was still terrified of me and was shaking while she talked to Father, but they seemed to get things worked out in the end. At the end of their talk, Father gave an intimidating look and said, "Just a little advice. If you betray my son, no one will be able to save you." Pushing away Father, I looked down at her. "I don''t like to rule in fear so I tried giving some favorable conditions. I''m not that scary so long as you don''t make enemies with me. I''ll pay a visit in a few months to see how you all are doing so.. be ready then." Abbie looked up at me and gulped hard. Seeing she understood, I turned around again and dragged Father away. "I''ll take care of it, Father. You don''t have to help me with this.." I looked at Father with a grateful smile. I''m very thankful that you want to help though. Chapter 119: A Lost Gods Temple Chapter 119: A Lost Gods Temple Early Morning - Early Winter : Northeastern Space Rune After dragging Father away from the pirates before the situation got more complicated, we quickly made it to shore and changed back to our dragon forms. "Follow me closely, although this is an abandoned temple, the traps protecting the rune are still active. They are meant to even kill dragons so don''t think you''ll be able to just set one off without repercussions." -I knew the dragons wouldnt just leave an old relic like this out in the open but dang..- "Isn''t that a bit excessive? What if someone accidentally sets one off?" "If a dragon knows the path they won''t set one off. Plus, just grazing a trap wouldn''t kill a dragon, it would definitely injure them though." Putting pause to the conversation, we finally got off the ground and started heading to the temple. As we were flying away, I looked back towards the ground and noticed that I could see the clearing where the pirates were. -She saw me..- Although it was only for a fraction of a second, the captain glanced in my direction. But before I could think of anything, Father grabbed my attention again. "The traps are made so that dragons that want to get past have to work their way through something akin to a maze that they need to have memorized and can''t go down a single wrong path." "So what if there is an emergency and a dragon needs to go through quickly but they don''t know the route?" "Sucks for them then. They either take the right path or die." -I guess tight security makes sense but..- "Why does Bahamut want the traps to even kill dragons?" "Because not all dragons are the same.." Fathers demeanor darkened instantly. "Some aren''t welcome.." He looked back at me with anger filled eyes. Although it wasn''t fear, his eyes made me feel uneasy. "It seems I showed you something I shouldn''t have.. sorry.." "Haha.. it''s fine Father.." With a nervous laugh, I quickly tried to change the subject. "So what was this temple built for?" "Originally?" He looked back and saw me nod. "Well, before the great war, this island was quite special. It was known as a ''Place of Descendant'' to the humanoids. In layman''s terms, a place that humans believed a god had ''graced the world with its presence''.." "You don''t seem to view them in a positive light.." "Of course not. The god they believed descended there was Tyr, the god of war. To humans he was also known as the god of the skies, a title we dragons don''t take kind to." -Ah..- "So was he against Bahamut?" "We have no idea. Some people believe he is still around since he stayed out of the fight with Bahamut during the great war, but he has been quiet for a few thousand years now." "So he at least survived Ragnarok?" "Yes.. although some older dragons think he died from old injuries." -Just how many gods were there..- -Thankfully I''m in my dragon form..- I was pretty much unscathed even without the use of vacuum magic because of my ridiculous natural heat resistance. -If I was in my human form I would have.. not had a great time..- After the blaze continued for a bit, it finally subsided. -Well.. if Im just gonna set them off, I might as well just speed through them..- After observing how long it took the rune to actually activate, I figured I could just dash down the halls and follow Fathers path to get to the space rune. -Welp, here goes nothing!- "Hold on Ilios!" I quickly made sure Ilios was holding on and.. *Crack* Immediately breaking the sound barrier, I disappeared from where I was. Abusing the acceleration and mobility given to me by thrusters I flew down the hall at a ridiculous speed. The hall wasnt large enough for me to spread my wings but I was going so fast it didn''t matter. -Strength is like a drug..- The feeling of obliterating strong traps head on felt truly incredible. A short instant later, I finally came up to a huge room bigger than anything I had seen up until now. On the ground, there was a rune nearly a hundred meters wide and a small black sphere on a pedestal in the middle. Standing next to it was Krystallo, Mother and Father. I quickly slammed on the breaks at the edge of the room, accidentally shattering a huge chunk of the floor with it. "There he is!" Mother ran over and hugged me like she thought I was dead. "Is something wrong Mother?" "Haah.. your numbskull of a Father didn''t even go slow to show you the path.." She looked back at Father with eyes of anger. "Calm down Mother. I''m sure it was an accident. Plus, I''m fine aren''t I?" "Hmph, if I didn''t have to hold myself back to not break the temple I would have hit him through a mountain." "Hehe.." The next to run up to me was Krystallo with a childish smile. "I knew youd make it Brother!" "Haha, I''m glad I didn''t worry you." I reached down and lightly patted her on the head. After putting Father in time out, Mother took the lead. Haah.. now isn''t the time to be gloomy.. She quickly glared at Father before looking back at Krystallo, Ilios and I with an excited smile. "Well, I believe it''s time we go to Bahamut! Shall we?" Chapter 120: A Realm of Nothingness Chapter 120: A Realm of Nothingness Mid Morning - Early Winter : Northeast Space Rune - "I believe it''s time we go to Bahamut! Shall we?" "Yaay! Lets go!" Krystallo was extremely excited. -The land of the dragons, huh... I wonder what it will look like...- Following Mother to the center of the room, my excitement steadily continued to grow. But as we approached the pedestal with a void-like black orb on it, my excitement slowly turned to curiosity. -What.. Is that?- As I stared at it as if in a trance, Mother walked up to it and gently set her nail against it. But it made no noise at all. "We want to go to central, right? Or do you want to go by the Elders Hall?" Mother continued like it was normal. "Well, its not like we can really introduce Vasilias to any of them, so..." He paused to glance at me before turning back to her. "What residence are we staying at?" "My mothers old one." "Alright, then let''s go central. We should avoid the north for the time being." Mother was quick to nod. "Good call. Central it is." Finally turning back to the orb, she scraped her nail across the orb, leaving behind a thin blue line similar to a scratch. "Kids, you might feel a little queasy when we arrive, but dont worry, it should go away fairly quickly. And dont move too much once the artifact is activated." "Okay!" Krystallo gave an enthusiastic confirmation as she sat down and held completely still. "Haha, alright, is everyone ready?" She quickly glanced at me and waited for my nod before finally injecting mana into the orb. The instant she did though, an all too familiar scene was replayed in front of me. *vwoop* The orb grew and engulfed everything in a terrifying darkness in an instant, with a terrible listless sensation following it. Almost immediately, a horrific, paralyzing fear overtook my mind, but this time, it wasnt the fear of death.. it was the fear of losing everything. -N..no... Am I really.. going to die again..?- I already knew there was nothing I could do, and it made me feel sick to an unfathomable extent. Everything I had worked toward, everything I had achieved, and everything I had experienced... vanished before I could even think... But as my mind started to fall into despair, I felt a familiar yet foreign energy begin to fill my body. -H..huh?- It filled my body like a uniform ocean of energy, but oddly enough, there was one place it didnt go. My 7th attribute node. Not taking a single second to question what it was or what was happening, I took every ounce of mana I could from my reserve and flooded the node. *wWwwWWWOOP* Hearing the unusual noise, I lessened my focus on the flow of mana and opened my eyes. But this time, I didnt see a void-like darkness that encompassed everything.. Instead, I saw a nebulous space of black and red with countless clouds of blue and purple flowing through it like a uniform liquid. A realm of infinity, but also a realm of nothing. -W..what the...- Still not sure whether what I was seeing was real, I looked around and quickly noticed a web of black, yet somehow transparent tubes that were generally wrapped around an absolutely colossal sphere where the colors were focused and formed a gradient. -What.. are those?- Looking around and trying to see if anything was in them, I eventually found a tube with something moving through it. -Huh?- Moving through one of the tubes was Mother, Father, Krystallo, Maria, and Ilios, motionlessly floating through the tube as if they were frozen in time except for Ilios who glanced in my direction before looking forward again. I wasnt sure what to even think about the situation, but I knew one thing. -I need to follow them...- -Now.. Where do I need to go...- Looking back toward the web of tubes, I quickly noticed the tube I had previously seen everyone moving through was completely empty. -Did they go through that other sphere?- At the end of each tube, where the tubes intersected, there was a large black sphere which I assumed to be the space runes. -So should I just fly into the one at that intersection?- Quickly fiddling with the positioning of the small ball of hydrogen, I got myself pointed and moving in the right direction and released my containment of the hydrogen. *psff* An odd noise momentarily met my ears as the ball of hydrogen turned into a gas and expanded, but in the next instant, the hydrogen was replaced by a cloud of space mana with a slightly blue hue, as if the space mana had devoured the hydrogen itself. -Woah...- Deciding to play around with it while I ever-so-slowly floated toward the black sphere, I quickly found that the space mana devoured any kind of physical matter I tossed into it. -It doesnt devour me though... I''m not sure whether I should be worried about that...- The next half-hour or so passed quite quickly as I continued to idly experiment with the mana, but eventually, I got closer to the black sphere and had to pull myself out of my thoughts. I quickly ran into a problem though. -Uh... That''s not good...- The sphere was completely solid and unlike the frictionless-liquid-like mana around me, it was crystalline to form a perfect sphere with no gaps for even my own space mana to enter. -Well.. I guess I need to find another way out...- Immediately deciding it was too risky to try and cut a hole into it, I floated just above it and tried to make a similar crystalline sphere of space mana around myself. And sure enough, the instant I completed the sphere, it collapsed inward on me and I felt a massive wave of air slam into me. *FWOOSH* -Haha! It worked!!- - - Zachari Ragnarok ~ "Haha, alright, is everyone ready?" Quickly glancing at Vasilias, I waited for his nod to inject mana into the rune. *vwooom* -I wonder if Vasilias will get an upset stomach from this..- As the surrounding area quickly turned to darkness and my body became weightless, I remained calm with happy thoughts. -I can''t wait to show off Vasilias to Mother...- But before I could even finish my thought, the darkness started to split apart and fade, revealing a bright blue sky and the sound of crashing waves. *crash-splash* *crash* "Haah..." The noise brought back many good memories. "Home, sweet home.- But the pleasant memories quickly came to a halt as I looked toward Krystallo and saw her hanging her head toward the ground. -Well, I cant say that was unexpected...- "Zachari!" Hearing Osto yell out, I turned to him in an instant. "What?" I was still a bit upset about what happened at the temple, but those feelings quickly became trivial. "Where is Vasilias?!" His face was washed with panic. I didnt even recognize what he said at first. -Huh... Vasil..ias?- Slowly looking around, I immediately saw Ilios, but Vasilias was nowhere to be seen. A sickening nausea and anxiety filled my chest in an instant. I could only look around with a pale face, hoping I just missed him, but it only worsened. -N..no...- *VWWOOOOOMMMM* Cutting my panic short, a deafening noise ripped through the air making us all look up to see a colossal black sphere appear in the sky. Then, in the next instant, a huge black dragon fell out of it. -VASILIAS?!- I was still in a panic, but it didnt last long. The instant he exited the sphere and it disappeared, I noticed something.. Different about him. His body was completely covered in a black cloud full of nearly invisible specks of light, making it look as if a night sky had formed around him. Without even realizing it, I had fallen into a trance, and my worries and anxieties melted away like they never existed in the first place. -How.. beautiful...- Chapter 121: Our New Home Chapter 121: Our New Home Mid Morning - Early Summer : Bahamut -Haha! It worked!- A wave of excitement washed over me as I fell. Looking up at the sphere, it quickly disappeared and a clear blue sky overtook my vision. I turned over and spread out my wings, looking over the area to get my bearings. Not far away was what looked like a small town with a market and some houses. -But they''re human scale..- Starting to second guess where I actually was, I looked all the way down and noticed the huge stone pad with 3 dragons looking up at me. -So I did actually make it!- I quickly dove down and landed, not wanting to waste any more time. "I didn''t make you wait long did I-" *Wham* Krystallo immediately ran up to me and tackled my face. "STUPID BROTHER!" -Hm?- Seeing Krystallo''s tears, I finally noticed the somber mood. "Did I miss something? What''s with the gloomy atmosphere?" "I THOUGHT I''D NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN!!!" Krystallo started balling while she clamped my face. "I''m sorry I scared you.." I spoke in a soft voice and rubbed her head to try and comfort her some. She continued crying for a bit before finally calming down and hopping off. As she landed, she looked back up at me with a grumpy pout. "So what caused all of this?" I looked back over at Mother. "Haah.. well, we went into the space rune and you didn''t come out the other side, of course we would panic and assume the worst.." "Oh.. sorry.." Finally realizing their distress was entirely my fault, guilt washed over me. "Haah.. don''t be sorry sweetie. All that matters is that you got here safely.." She quickly walked up and gave me a light but long hug. "Well since everyone is here, let''s head to our new home!" She looked towards us with a forced smile as she tried to lighten the mood. -Man I really ruined this whole experience for them..- As I drowned in guilt, I let Ilios back up on my back and followed after Mother. Luckily Krystallo''s mood was quick to lighten back up. "So what''s with that humanoid town down there? I thought this was Bahamut.." Before I could ask, she ended up asking the question I was wondering as well. "Haha, sweetie, those humanoids down there are all dragons, at least most of them are." "But why are they all in their humanoid forms then?" "Well, as you''ll see here soon.. structures for dragons in their full form are gigantic so only the super wealthy can have full size homes with most people only owning a bedroom that can fit their dragon form. It''s also a thing of convenience. Unless you live in the mountains to the west, it''s far more convenient to spend most of your time in your humanoid form." -Wait so does that mean that there are full homes meant to house massive dragons?!- With the wild visual appearing in my mind, I zoned out until I realized something odd. "Wait, what did you mean by ''you''ll see here soon''?" "Haha, you''ll see in a moment. Have patience sweetie." She looked back at me with a smug smile. -What''s that supposed to mean..- As we landed, they both held formal stances until the sky blue moved over to give a polite bow and open the gate. "It has been a while my lady." "Indeed it has. I hope you''ve polished up some since I saw you last, Alistair." Mother was quick to poke fun at him. -Are they close?- Slightly breaking character, he cracked a small smile. "You can rest assured, My Lady." "Good. We will have a meeting in 30 minutes to introduce everyone to you all so gather everyone to meet us in the main hall by then." He quickly nodded. "We won''t be late, My Lady." With him bowing his head once again, we finally walked through the gates. Continuing into the estate, I couldn''t help but gawk at the sheer scale of everything. "Are we really living here? That guard looked really strong.." Even Krystallo seemed a little nervous. "Haha, you''ll get used to it sweetie. Alistair is a softie for kids and is especially loyal to our family. He was even my personal knight escort when I was growing up." Realizing I should mention a certain forgotten someone, I interrupted them. "So, where should we take Maria?" "We will pass her to the head maid, Antonia, once we get inside." As she said that, an odd thought came to mind so I had to ask. "Are all the maids and such going to be in their dragon form too?" "The young ones in training, yes. Some of the maids and butlers are trained from young and are like Krystallo where they can''t use a humanoid form yet. The other maids and butlers are all in their humanoid forms though." "How do they clean such a huge house in their human forms?" "A mix of magic and the fact that the upper floors are all humanoid sized. Only the downstairs are large enough for a mid-size dragon to walk through. The reason the place looks so big is because of the 50 meter tall hallways on the bottom floor and the massive bedrooms meant to have enough space even for elders." As Mother finished talking, we made it to the front door. She quickly opened the door as if it was muscle memory and walked in. Inside, the main hall was absolutely massive and ridiculously extravagant. The ceilings were crazy high and the floor was a beautiful white tile with fancy gold trim everywhere. I was honestly nervous to even step in it. -Maybe I should..- Quickly transforming to my humanoid form, I hopped onto Ilios who was still full size. Noticing my transformation, Mother looked at me in surprise. "You can stay in your dragon form Vasilias." "I''m nervous I''ll crack the floor with my weig-" "I''m very sorry for not getting the door for you my lady!" Quickly interrupting and grabbing our attention was a beautiful, mature looking woman in a maids outfit giving us a polite bow. "Haah.. how many times did I have to tell you that it''s fine.. I''m not a kid anymore.." Mother turned around, slightly embarrassed. "Sorry..." She quickly glanced over the rest of us. "Well it seems like we will have a full house for a while! Shall I get someone to take the slaves to their rooms first?" "Slaves?" Mother tilted her head slightly. The maid looked at Mother with a questioning but pure smile. "The maid here, the demihuman and the fenrir, My Lady." Chapter 122: A Grave Misunderstanding Chapter 122: A Grave Misunderstanding Late Morning - Early Summer : Bahamut Estate "The maid here, the demihuman and the fenrir, My Lady." The maid looked up at Mother with an oblivious look. A deafening silence filled the room as everyone stared at the maid in shock. "Hm? Did I saw something wro-" *BANG* *WHAM* Before she could finish talking, Mother appeared behind the maid and threw a kick with her whole body behind it. Not being able to react at all, she was kicked all the way across the room and through the giant front doors we just walked through. I sat there in shock at the scene. The floor Mother was standing on shattered from the kick and the door was blown to bits. -Welp, guess she''s dead.- "Mother, that was a fairly easy misunderstanding so you didn''t need to do that.." I wasn''t too offended since it was an easy assumption but it seemed like it pushed the wrong button on Mother. As if she didn''t hear me, she looked over towards the door with incredible bloodlust. Realizing the situation was going to escalate even further, I transformed to my dragon form. *Crunch* -Well.. I was right about that at least..- The floor shattered under my weight but it didn''t matter since the entire entryway floor was destroyed. I quickly moved in front of Mother and gave her a hug. "You can calm down Mother.. That maid just didn''t realize the situation. It was just a misunderstanding.." Finally calming down a bit, she finally took a deep breath and leaned into me. "Intruder!" A new unknown voice rang from outside as a small orange 20 meter dragon charged in at me. "Let go of her you beas-" *CRACK* *BANG* I glanced over the maids and noticed they were all acting normal, some even looking at us with excited eyes. -So they knew we were Ragnaroks already..- "Here with me is my husband, most of you who were here before already know who he is but for those who don''t, he is Osto Ragnarok, your lord." She glanced down and Krystallo and I with a motherly smile. "As for the new faces, this here is Krystallo, my adorable daughter and next to her is my son, Vasilias." Looking over the group of people, almost all of them were eyeing me, all wondering the same thing. "For those of you wondering if he is a true Ragnarok, he is. Not long after he hatched he happened to touch an ancient artifact which.. changed some things... In other words, he is a special child and I wish you all to treat him with the love and care you gave to me all those years ago." She looked towards an old, assassin-looking, butler with a warm smile. Some of the people in the group gave me looks of pity while most of the younger ones got caught in a trance. -I''m barely even letting aura touch them.. they can''t be that weak right?- "For the last two introductions, we have Ilios, a fenrir that Vasilias keeps. Please treat him as if he was one of us, he is both smarter and stronger than most of you. Then over here is Maria, a halfie slave that will be serving us along side you all. I don''t think I need to mention it but if you have complaints, you are free to leave at any time. Just keep in mind the laws regarding the confidentiality of information said in this estate." A few maids that were looking at Maria in disgust quickly stiffened and changed their expressions and the old assassin-looking butler spoke up with a smooth voice. "It is our honor to devote our lives to the Ragnaroks, My Lady." "Good to see you''re doing well Galen. I wish to talk to you personally later so come to my office once things settle down." Galen quickly gave a light bow. Seeing he understood, Mother continued. "Now that the introductions are out of the way, it''s time to set some rules!" Immediately after that she started listing off tons of standard rules I thought were to be expected, but ended off with an odd one. "Vasilias will have complete freedom to do as he wishes and no matter what he says, you must follow his orders!" Mother puffed up her chest and wore a proud smile. Scanning the room, she checked to make sure everyone understood the rules. "Then, to wrap things up.. Galen, please show Kystallo and Vasilias their rooms, Alistair go ahead and get people to fix the damages here and.." Mother quickly scanned over the maids and picked out one that looked to be a similar age as Maria. "You there, take Maria and show her the way things work here. Other than that, you all can return to your normal duties." With Mother''s dismissal, everyone quickly started returning to their jobs and started cleaning up. As everyone dispersed, Galen walked up gaving Krystallo and I a warm smile. "Well, Young Lord and Young Miss, shall I show you to your rooms?" Chapter 123: Infinite Possibilities Chapter 123: Infinite Possibilities Early Afternoon - Early Summer : Bahamut Estate "Well, Young Lord and Young Miss, shall I show you to your rooms?" Looking towards Krystallo, I made sure she was ready before nodding. "Then please follow me." As they started walking away, I changed back to my humanoid form and hopped on Ilios. -I really need to strengthen the floors in here so I can walk around normally..- Although I didn''t find my humanoid form nearly as uncomfortable since my last dragon sleep, it definitely wasn''t totally comfortable. Noticing me change forms, Galen glanced back at me with a curious look. "Do you prefer your humanoid form?" "No, it''s just if I walk around in my dragon form, I''ll shatter the floors." "You should be alright, young lord. The floors are meant to handle the weight of large elders!" He held his head up high with confidence as he boasted about the home''s resilience. -Well.. maybe it was a coincidence that it shattered in the main hall..- I lightly hopped off Ilios and changed to my dragon form. *Crunch* Nearly instantly, the floor shattered and sank down several centimeters. Galen looked at the ground beneath my feet in shock. "See.. I''m a bit heavier than I seem." Worried that I''d accidentally destroy the house, I quickly changed back to my humanoid form. With me changing forms, Galen quickly snapped out of his shock. "I will have some people come by to strengthen it. In the meantime, shall we continue?" "Sure.." -It''ll be easier for me if they just get someone else to strengthen it anyways..- I was originally planning to strengthen the floors in my free time but with the space rune incident, I was left with far more important things on my plate. We continued down the hall for a bit till we came across two huge doors on either side of the hall. "Young Lord, your room is this one on our left, and Young Miss, your room is here on the right. If either of you need anything, some maids will be coming by shortly." "Sweet, thanks." Seeing we understood, Galen immediately started heading back down the hall. "I don''t like him.." Krystallo watched him as he walked down the hall. "Haah.. I''m sure it''s just because we don''t know him yet... Well, Ima head into my room, just knock if you need something." "Okay!" She looked over at me with a childish smile. -Well.. lets see what it''s like inside..- Hopping off Ilios I walked up to the huge door. When I was getting ready to push it open, I noticed there was a human sized door for the maids. -How convenient..- Pulling my aura and mana away, I expected the cube to just disintegrate like before but it didn''t. -Did that liquid-like space mana break it down?- Although I was curious as to why it didn''t disappear, I was too excited that it worked and tired to really care. Having the ability to create matter opened the door to quite literally infinite possibilities! -But thats for a different day..- My drowsiness from laying on the cushion started to catch up with me, so I went to lay down again. As I closed my eyes, I thought to myself. -I need to give those things names too.. that realm and the grid..- Luckily not long after I started thinking about it, two fitting names surfaced in my mind. -Ill call that realm the ''Void''.. and I''ll call this grid the ''Fabric of Space''..- Feeling satisfied with the names, I finally allowed myself to slowly drift to sleep with a satisfied smile on my face. - Antonia ~ "Uggh.." I slowly opened my eyes when I noticed I was looking at a white ceiling. -Huh? What.. happ..- "Please stay laying down Antonia.." A familiar voice rang out from next to me. "Sister?" It was Anfisa, my sister who was a doctor that worked in the estate with me. "Yeah, yeah. Calm down and don''t think too hard.. you got beat up really badly.." I felt a cold air wrap around my body. It was something I''d usually find uncomfortable but it helped numb the pain I was in. "What.. happened?" "Haah.. Do you remember Zachari Ragnarok?" "Y..yeah.. that young girl I trained all those years ago?" "Yeah, her. Well she is the one who put you in this state." "To think she.. beat me in a f..fight.." "Actually, it wasn''t a fight. You just called her son a slave and she hit you so hard you nearly died." My entire body tensed as I heard her words. Pain coursed through my body but I didn''t care, the fear that filled me numbed it. "Please calm down.. the Ragnaroks have already made it clear that the damage sustained to your body is enough punishment. Thankfully the son you called a slave convinced them it was just a simple misunderstanding so she eased up the penalty." Although what my sister spoke about was good news, I felt awful. "Im.. sorry.." If things had happened normally, not only I but also my sister would have been executed. "Haah.. just relax, you''ll be fine. I''m sure the memories of the incident will come back to you after some rest. Once you feel better you can go apologize to them yourself." As I pushed through the pain to turn my head, I looked up at my sister who was using magic on me. "T..thank you.." Chapter 124: A Newbie Chapter 124: A Newbie Late Afternoon - Early Summer : Bahamut Estate - Chloe ~ My name is Chloe, a dragon from southwestern Bahamut. When I was a newborn, my parents were pressed for money and had piled up debts so they tried to sell me off somewhere. Luckily, instead of being sold as a slave since I was so young, I was sold to a noble family. Although I was told it was the Ragnarok family at the time, when I was younger I had never heard of them. It wasn''t until several years later, once I started my maid training, that I finally learned about them. -I still remember not believing myself when I learned about them..- After all, what were the chances that an abandoned orphan would be picked up by such a huge family with bottomless money and influence.. -I still struggle to believe it..- But once I turned 13 I had my adolescent dragon sleep and awoke my mana. With 3 attribute nodes all with great affinities, I was given the choice to have a career change to become a knight but I decided to stay as a maid. -I didn''t want to make those 10 years of training go to waste..- Plus I never liked the idea of fighting, I was a pacifist of sorts. Well, to continue, 2 years after I finished my dragon sleep, I could finally leave the academy and head to the estate I would actually be working at. When I arrived, I couldn''t help but be shocked. I remember thinking to myself ''How could people live in such a huge building..'' but to my surprise, after getting used to the layout, I no longer thought of it just as a workplace or a huge building, but instead as my home. The next 3 years were incredible. Although the Ragnaroks weren''t in the home, we still kept the entire building spotless and practiced constantly to be able to handle emergencies and take care of them once they arrived. But one day we got caught off guard by an unexpected visitor. Her name was Asimi Ragnarok, an absolutely gorgeous white dragon with an incredibly oppressive aura. She just swung by for the day to let us know that her daughter would be coming here soon and since then, we had been making sure everything was perfect. Last night, I was sent out to town to change our order of food and supplies because something was wrong with it but it took longer than expected. They made a big deal about it since they were already trying to get the order but half a day and nearly 20 gold later, I finally got it worked out. Currently, I was on my way back to the estate, thinking happy thoughts and looking forward to the Ragnarok''s arrival. -I wonder when the Ragnaroks will arrive..- I had always wondered what kind of people they were, and I was truly excited to finally serve someone, to finally put my practice in reality. -Hooh.. I shouldn''t be so nervous..- My heart was beating quickly with excitement but I needed to calm down. After flying for a bit longer, the estate finally came into sight. But something was very wrong. -What.. happened..- My heart sank as I saw the door and outer wall blown to bits with a pile of rubble in the center walkway but as I got closer, I noticed there were knights still at their posts by the gate. As I walked through the door, I finally looked up and nearly forgot to breathe. At the center of the room was the familiar stone platform but on it was some kind of cushion with a massive black dragon laying on it. The dragon was a void-like black with a dark haze that mimicked the night sky wrapping around it. -Such a.. beautiful dragon..- I stood there in a trance for a while before realizing something was incredibly odd. -Wait.. this can''t be the right room..- I nervously glanced back towards the door and saw ''2'' on it. -No.. it''s.. right..- -This is more than just ''a few changes'', Galen!!- As I stood there, trying to sort my thoughts, a strong wind blew past me from behind. *Sniff* -A.. breath?- My heart sank and my mind went blank. -Am I.. dead?- *Sniff* Once whatever it was got a good smell of me, it stopped, but I was still frozen from fear. As I stood completely still, unable to move, a massive pure white wolf casually walked past me. It watched me with its golden irises as it walked towards the platform, jumping into the middle of the cushion and laying down to be completely encompassed by the dragon. -THAT''S NOT A FENRIR EITHER!- As my fear started to subside, my mind started clearing up. -Hes sleeping anyways so I shouldn''t wake him..- After taking time to collect myself, I sneakily made my way back out into the hall, firmly closing the door behind me. Finally escaping the aura, I put my hand on my knees and caught my breath. "Hah.. hah.." "So you weren''t able to do it either huh.." A young colleague of mine was standing next to the door. "No.. I can handle it.. it''ll just.. hah.. take some getting used to.." "Oh that''s good to hear. So what do you think of him?" "He''s truly.. stunning.." "I know right? Isn''t he dreamy.." "Haha.. I cant deny that.." -Although he is truly beautiful.. I''m simply happy to serve someone so strong..- A smile full of innocence and genuine joy slowly crept onto my face. Chapter 125: An Elders Past Chapter 125: An Elders Past Early Afternoon - Early Summer : Bahamut Estate "Uwwah.." With a yawn, I looked over at Ilios who was still asleep next to me. -I should check on Mother..- It had been a few days since my nap. I spent most of my time sleeping or fiddling with space mana but I hadn''t left my room at all yet. Not long after I woke up, Mother came by my room to check on me but other than that, I was just left alone. When Mother came by, she mentioned that she had been busy with paperwork but after a few days we would figure out our new routine for the science lessons. -I hope we can get back into that routine soon..- Figuring I should do something productive and move around, I slowly stood up and changed to my humanoid form. Come on Ilios, let''s head out. I quickly started towards the door with Ilios next to me. *Click* As I walked out, I noticed the floor still hadn''t been strengthened. -Haah.. I wonder if they''ve even fixed the door yet..- -Well I guess I''ll find out now..- Figuring I would walk through the main hall to get to Mothers office, I started walking down the hallway. Once I made it to the main hall, I noticed the area had been cleaned up and mostly fixed. The floors were no longer shattered and the pile of rubble was gone but the doors seemed to just be placeholders. -I guess they have to get doors that big specially made so it''s taking a while..- Figuring it was nothing I should worry about, I quickly made my way up the stairs and towards Mothers office. -This should be it..- It was a fairly normal looking door with a familiar white dragon insignia on it. *Click* "Who is i-" "Hi, Mother!" After scanning the room with my aura, I entered without knocking. "Oh good afternoon sweetie!" Mother immediately shot up from her desk and gave me a strong hug. "So, what all did you do in your room?" "Just slept a lot and played with magic a bit." "Oh good. I''m glad you''re getting enough sleep." "Haha, so how''s your work coming along?" Mother finally let me go and walked back to her desk. "It''s going well, luckily most of the family paperwork got filtered through Mother (Asimi) while I wasnt in Bahamut so the quantity left over wasn''t a whole lot." "Oh, so are you getting close to finishing?" "Okay.." I gave an awkward smile seeing her forced cheer and quickly made my way out of the office with mixed emotions. Mothers worry and nervousness made me feel uneasy and filled me with anxiety. -How much stronger do I need to get for her to feel comfortable..- Not wasting any more time, I made my way down the halls and out the back of the house. "Haah.." -Time to get off my lazy a*s and be productive.. I guess I''ll start by figuring out how those void gate things work..- - Chloe ~ "Chloe!" Hearing my name called I quickly made my way across the room. "Yes?" "Vasilias woke up and left his room, what are you doing?" The agitation in the older maid''s voice was apparent. "I''m helping Galen with contracts like he asked." "Your Vasilias''s personal maid and you haven''t even seen him awake since he arrived. Don''t you think now that he is up and moving that you should do your job?!" "Yes Ma''am.. I''m sorry, I''ll get right to it." Realizing my negligence, I quickly set down the papers I was working on and turned to head out the door. "Wait where is he?" "He just left the Missus office, he was heading out back, towards the garden." "Okay, I''m sorry again!" After giving the older maid a quick bow, I made my way down the halls and out the back door in a panic. -Im such a bad maid.. it''s been 3 days and he still hasn''t even seen me!- As I made my way outside, I quickly scanned the garden. -Where is he?- After a few minutes of looking, I finally noticed that there were large footprints in the field (backyard) but the trail just abruptly stopped. -Did he fly off somewh..- *Vwoom* Interrupting my thoughts, an incredibly unfamiliar noise filled the air and a huge black sphere appeared just above the ground. "Ah, so that''s how it works.. how fascinating.." As the black bubble dissipated, I saw Vasilias casually sitting there with his Fenrir perched on his head as if everything was normal. I could only stand there, blankly staring at the scene. -W..wh..what?- Chapter 126: A Gate to the Void Chapter 126: A Gate to the Void Mid Afternoon - Early Summer : Bahamut Estate "Haah.." -Time to get off my lazy a*s and be productive.. I guess I''ll start by figuring out how those void gate things work..- Making my way through the garden, I came up to the field and sat down in the middle of it. -This is as good of a spot as any..- "Hooh.." -Lets get started..- Pulling out some space mana, I did the same as earlier and pushed away the fabric of space to create a sphere around me. *Vwoom* As soon as I released it, the sphere just broke apart and returned to the usual grid. -It didn''t pull me through?- I was stumped right off the bat. I was at a loss for words but that didn''t mean I stopped trying. After several minutes, once I was starting to run out of ideas, I finally found a method that worked. My vision was quickly wrapped in darkness before fading to mesh with the familiar nebulous sky of the void. -It worked!- This time, instead of just releasing the sphere, I forcefully collapsed it inwards. -So what is the void then?- As I figured out how to get in at my will, I started to question what the void actually was. As I was thinking, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. -Its the tubes..- It was the same web of tubes that I saw when we first arrived in Bahamut, the only difference was that I was a bit farther away this time. -But it''s not that far..- As I tried to piece together some sort of theory about what the void was, I came up with a few decent ideas but I wasn''t confident in them. It wasn''t till several hours later that I snapped out of my thoughts and realized I should probably go back. -I don''t want to miss the lesson with Mother after all..- But now I had the problem of figuring out how to make a gate to get out. -Last time I got out, I just created the sphere around me and it worked..- Once again creating the sphere around me, I quickly finished and released my influence on it. *Vwoom* The moment I released it, I watched as it was ripped apart by the crystalline fabric of space trying to forcefully get back to its correct position, it destroyed the sphere I made and dispersed my space mana in the process. "Ah, so that''s how it works.. how fascinating.." -I wonder if it actually needs to be a sphere..- Although I got lost in my thoughts again, I quickly snapped out of it. -Ah right! The lesson!- But as I glanced around I noticed it was still day. -Its.. still the afternoon..- "Can you ask Galen when the floors will be strengthened for me?" "Right away! Is that all?" "For now." Hearing my dismissal she quickly left the yard and went inside in a hurry. Turning back towards the field, I looked back at the fabric of space. "Now, where was I.." - Asimi Ragnarok ~ "My Lady!" The joyful voice of a newly hired maid rang out from behind me. "Hm? What is it, Doris?" I turned around to see a young and beautiful elf with blue and white hair and eyes. She looked up at me with a vibrant smile full of childish innocence. "Sir Osto is here to see you!" My eyes immediately lit up as I dashed to the front door. *Crack* Slamming open the door so hard it broke, I was met with Ostos shocked face. "Did my sweet babies come to Bahamut?!" "Y..yeah, just ca-" Ignoring everything after his confirmation, I ran out the door and leapt off the ground. -Its time to see my beautiful grandbabies!- But right as I got off the ground I felt something bite my tail. -You dare!- *BANG* I was immediately slammed into the ground. Upon getting up to my feet I whipped around and looked Osto in the eyes. "Why did you stop me.." I covered him with all of my aura, but his serious expression did not change. "You can''t go see them yet, don''t make this more of a problem than it needs to be.." "And why can''t I see them?" "That''s literally why I''m here.. now can we.." He glanced around some and lowered his voice. "Can we talk somewhere private?" I was caught off guard as I tried to figure out what he was scheming. "What are you planning.." "If you would just take us to a private place, I could tell you.." After sorting my thoughts for a moment, I took a deep breath and calmed myself. "Haah.." -I shouldn''t get ahead of myself.. If it wasn''t incredibly serious he would not have stopped me..- "Follow me then.." Chapter 127: Her Humanoid Form Chapter 127: Her Humanoid Form Mid Morning - Early Summer : Bahamut Estate After Chloe left, the day progressed pretty smoothly. I spent all the time I could trying to make my space magic more efficient and trying to come up with some theories but none of them went anywhere. Once night rolled around, Mother and Krystallo came out back for the lesson. It went pretty well with Mother improving my leaps and bounds as usual and Krystallo, well.. she was slowly getting there. We ended up talking until sunrise when we ended the session and split up again. After that, time started to slip away. My days werent too exciting with almost all of my time being dedicated to training my magic and learning more about space mana. Although there weren''t any huge discoveries, I did become more efficient in using space mana, albeit only slightly. Chloe would spend quite a lot of time outside with me as well. As time passed, she started to ease up and not get as flustered but that doesn''t mean she didn''t have her moments. I would sometimes try to bounce ideas off of her, thinking that I could get a new view on things from someone who wasn''t super knowledgeable on the subject but more often than not she was a little too clueless. After a week or so of my new routine, Father returned saying he had convinced Asimi to delay the elders some but we honestly weren''t too sure how long that would last. A couple months after that, Krystallo and I''s birthdays came up. Although I just thought of it as another day, to Krystallo it meant a lot so I spent the day with her. Towards the evening Mother and I gave her some personal lessons on transformation magic instead of our usual science lessons and it paid off greatly. Only a week after that, the fateful day of Krystallo using a humanoid form for the first time arrived. "Brother, Brother!" Krystallo ran out to me in the field. "I think I can do it!" As I turned around I noticed Mother and Father behind her wearing proud smiles. My eyes immediately lit up as I realized what she was talking about. "Haha, see? I told you that you''d be able to do it!" Seeing her eager smile I couldnt help but pat her head some. "Hehe." She gave me a childish smile from the praise. "Alright, now go for it. If you need help just ask." Quickly changing to my humanoid form, I got ready to help her once she transformed. "Mmm.." Giving a slightly nervous nod, she sat down and closed her eyes. Not long after, she started moving quite a large amount of mana and a bright white light shined out. -She did it!- As I asked, Krystallo shot an intimidating look towards Chloe making her shrink back a bit. "I think it would be best if I did not.. sorry.." "Haah.." Noticing what Krystallo did, I didn''t bother forcing it. "Well in that case how about you go get some sweets. Now that Krystallo has a humanoid form she can enjoy the pleasure of human pastries." "Haha, right away!" As she was leaving, Mother left as well. "Well I think we will leave you two alone for now. I''ll be in my office if you need anything." She gave us a warm smile as she left with Father. After they left, I looked towards Krystallo with an encouraging smile. "So I guess we will start with the basics!" And just like that, a new part of our routine started. We continued like that for another month. She made incredible improvements in her movement and was even able to run quite quickly and naturally now. On top of that, although it took some extra time, I also taught her some basic ways to use wind magic for aerodynamics to make her a bit faster. Before I knew it, she was able to use basic vacuum magic with decent efficiency and even while she was moving. "To think you improved so much in a month.." Mother watched as Krystallo ran around in her humanoid form while simultaneously using wind magic. "Hehe, it''s all thanks to Brother!" She shot a proud gaze over at me. "Chloe helped too, don''t give me all of the credit." Looking over at Chloe, she immediately got flustered. "I..I didn''t do anything. It was all because of Sir Vasilias and Lady Krystallos hard work." Over the last month, she helped me more than I could imagine. As I had expected, my ways of teaching were a bit much for Krystallo to understand sometimes so I had Chloe occasionally step in and help out. She was great at translating my.. complicated instructions.. into more child friendly ones which ended up being a huge help. -She also helped me realize just how out of the norm Krystallo and I are..- As I grew up, what I assumed to be normal was skewed so far to the side that I just assumed Krystallo was the norm. -Oh how wrong I was..- According to Chloe even Krystallo was a freak of nature in terms of strength, talent and mana capacity for her age. -I guess the Ragnaroks are known for their strength for a reason..- Pulling me out of my thoughts, Mother chimed in again. Well, now that Krystallo has gotten better at moving in her humanoid form, how about a trip? Chapter 128: Trip Preparations Chapter 128: Trip Preparations Early Morning - Mid Summer : Bahamut Estate Well, now that Krystallo has gotten better at moving in her humanoid form, how about a trip? -Hm?- "Where to?" "Well, I feel like my mother will kill me if I don''t bring you guys to see her some time soon." Krystallo looked up at Mother. "Won''t us visiting alert the elders?" "She just cant come to us, that doesn''t mean we cant go to her." Before anyone else could speak up there was something I needed to ask. "So when are we going to leave?" "This afternoon or tonight, there are only a couple things I need to finish before we go." "Alright, in that case I need to go check up on the pirate settlement by the temple so I''ll be back in a bit." Mother looked at me with wide eyes. "Pirate settlement? This is the first time I''ve heard of it.." I glanced over at Father with slight disappointment. -Seriously?- "Sorry.. I got a bit preoccupied.." "Haah.." -I guess I can''t blame him..- "Well you can explain to Mother while I''m gone. I won''t be too long." As I turned to the field, I got stopped by Mother again. "Ah, before you go.. should I send someone with you to show you how to activate the space rune?" A confident smile slowly crept onto my face. "I won''t be using the space rune so I''ll be fine going alone." "Wait what? How are you going to get there without the space rune? YOU ARE NOT FLYING THERE!" Mothers face immediately got serious as a wave of worry washed over her. "Haha, calm down Mother, I won''t be flying either." "Then.. how?" Her face was filled with genuine confusion. "Haha, I guess it''s time to show you guys what I''ve been learning to use!" Everyone immediately gave me a weird look. "Well.." I casually walked out and sat in the middle of the field. "I''ll be back later!" With a small wave, a gate encompassed Ilios and I making us vanish. - Zachari Ragnarok ~ "Well.." -What is he doing?- I looked at him with an odd curiosity. "I''ll be back later!" *Vwoom* As the sphere faded, I found myself in the very top of the upper atmosphere. -What the?! The gate was still only a bit above the node.. Just what is the ratio of distance in the void compared to the physical world..- As I thought about it, I finally started to realize just how ridiculously short the distances in the void were compared to normal. -I need to.. be more careful about that in the future..- I was quick to realize how bad that could''ve been if I went a bit too far and it sent a chill down my spine. As I fell through the upper atmosphere, the temple steadily came into view and the nearby coast line could be seen, which quickly snapped me out of my thoughts. -Hey, they really followed through with their word..- On the coast there was a fairly large dock with several large ships currently docked at it. "Well, hold on Ilios. It''ll be a hard landing!" Since it would be the first time most of the people here would meet me, I figured I''d make an entrance. Changing to my humanoid form and grabbing Ilios, I used some thrusters to help me reach the ground.. a tad faster. *CRACK* *BANG* Hitting the ground with excessive force, the sand beneath my feet turned molten. -Hey, I guess I did get a bit stronger since last time..- Although I hit the ground quite a bit harder than last time, my knees werent strained as badly. Letting down Ilios, I casually walked out of the puddle of molten glass and started checking out the port. -For only starting a few months ago, this is a pretty good start..- The port was fairly simple, looking just like a large raised dock but it was pretty well built. The joints where the support beams met each other were actually cut to fit just right into each other, making the dock really quite sturdy. -But no one is here..- Although it was pretty cool to see the improvement, I was here to look for Captain Abbie. -They''re probably in that big clearing.- Figuring there wasn''t anything else to see here, I made my way down the, now widened, trail through the forest. As I got closer to the clearing I could hear the noise of several footsteps and some chatter. "What was that?" "I have no idea, it was too loud to be a cannon." "I hope it''s not a sea monster.." "Calm down man, I''m sure whatever it was wont bother us." As I came around the corner I saw a group of 4 guys, all well armed with armor and swords, making their way towards me. -They havent noticed me yet?- A playful grin slowly crept onto my face. "Would you guys happen to know where Captain Lassar is?" Chapter 129: A Growing Settlement Chapter 129: A Growing Settlement Mid Morning - Mid Winter (Hemisphere change) : Northeastern Space Rune "Would you guys happen to know where Captain Lassar is?" Immediately freezing, they all paused and stared at me. "Is that a no? What a shame.. I was hoping finding her would be easy." Ignoring them, I casually walked by. "Oi!" The strongest of the group pulled out his sword and pointed it at my back. "You can''t just walk in here like that!" "Says who? As far as I know, I own this place. If little miss Abbie tried to change that then she needs to be given a reminder.." "Who are you to say you own this place?!" One of the guys behind him drew his sword and swung it at me. "Let me teach you your place!" "Man.. speed, strength and even your form all sucks.." Just moving enough so he barely missed each swing, I dodged his flurry. "I at least expected you weaklings to rely on some technique.." Appearing in front of him, I reached out to set my hand on his shoulder. "Now how about you guys.." *CRACK* "..give me some directions.." I put a tad too much force into the motion and ended up blowing the guys shoulder off. As the man limply fell to the ground in a pool of blood, I glanced back towards the strongest of the group and pressured him with a bit of aura. His face immediately paled and he dropped his weapon. "We are happy to answer any questions you may have!" He turned to me and gave a deep bow. "I just want to know where Abbie Lassar is." "She is in the tavern, sir!" "See? Was that so hard?" As I walked past, his shaky knees finally gave out and he collapsed to the ground. The other two guys in the group were simply frozen from fear and didnt intervene. -I''m surprised they didn''t try to fight me when they saw me blow their friends shoulder off..- Continuing down the trail, I came up to a small town that was built on stilts, presumably for storms and extra high tides. (For common flooding) Although the town was small, only consisting of a few buildings, they were each fairly large, the largest of which having a hanging sign with a wooden mug and a fork on it. -That''s probably the tavern..- Walking up the ramp I made my way across the little village and past several groups of people. -For pirates, some of them are pretty decent looking..- A few of them didn''t have the appearance of bandits but instead just looked like hard working folk. Walking up to the tavern, I reached up and opened the door. *Creak* "So is the problem strength?" "Gear and management.. A lot of our gear is starting to get old and worn so it''s limiting our strength and I need to stay here and manage everything in the settlement, leaving my crew without a captain. Im too nervous to send my crew out alone since I make up such a huge portion of our strength.." -Shes pretty smart..- "So how much money would fix all of your problems?" "Haah.. too much to acquire quickly.." "So.. how about 10 platinum? Would that be enough?" "I mean.. yeah.. but, that''s way more than what we need and is far too hard to-" *Clink* I casually set down a small stack of platinum coins on the bar counter. Not only Abbie, but also the bartender just froze and blankly stared at the money. "Think of this as.. an upfront investment of sorts." -It''s money that I just made so even if I don''t make it back, it''s fine..- Plus, I wasn''t worried about money, I was mostly doing this for fun. Abbie slowly turned to me with a look of disbelief. "See? I told you I''m not scary!" After that, we talked for a bit longer about some details moving forward along with me giving her a few tips that would help the settlement grow. Overall it was quite a good talk. By the end, she stopped looking at me like I was a monster and more as if I was her savior. "Thank you very much sir Whyte!" "Food and Drinks are always on the house for you here!" Even the bartender was acting like he owed me. -I can''t blame him though..- Well, since we have wrapped up here.." I leaned down and picked up Ilios. "See you in a few months!" *Vwoom* As soon as I went through the gate I changed to my dragon form and let Ilios onto my back. "Time to head back and get ready to meet grandmother!" Bonus: - Abbie Lassar ~ "See you in a few months!" *Vwoom* With his goodbye, a mysterious black sphere appeared around him before disappearing along with him. As if my brain had short circuited, there was only a single word that resounded through my mind. -What..- Chapter 130: Smooth Flights Chapter 130: Smooth Flights Early Afternoon - Mid Summer : Central Bahamut Space Rune After splitting up with Abbie, I traveled through the void back to the central Bahamut space rune. A problem I ran into was that I had no clue where anything was while I was in the void with the exception of where the runes were so I had to go to the only other rune I knew how to get home from. Once I got out of the void and was back in Bahamut, I started my flight back to the estate. -I could just bump the thrusters and get there super quick but.. I''m gonna take my time today..- For whatever reason, I felt like taking my time and enjoying the view and the wind. "Doesn''t the wind feel nice, Ilios?" Ilios was holding his head up high to enjoy the air. His fur being blown around by the wind was truly beautiful. "Woof.." Seeing him agree, I couldn''t help but feel happy. -He''s just so cute..- After flying for a bit longer, I flew over the wide channel between the central island and the mainland. Once I got close to the shore of the mainland, my aura noticed something. -What kinda idiot..- Flying up towards me quite quickly was a small, meter wide, block of ice. Findd new stories at novelhall.com Below the block, I could see a group of 4 young looking dragons, around Krystallos age looking up at me with devious grins. -Haha, you guys picked on the wrong dragon!- Once it was about to hit me, I reached out and caught it then used ice magic to increase the size of it a good bit. Too nervous that if I actually threw it, I might kill one of them, I ended up just letting gravity do the work. -Have fun dodging that!- Paying the group of kids no mind after I dropped it, I continued to the estate in high spirits. - Kostas Aetos ~ "Truth or dare?" A group of noble and non-noble friends in our group were playing truth or dare. "Dare!" It was finally my turn and of course I wasn''t going to be a wimp and choose truth. -Im a noble Aetos after all!- "The next halfie that flies over us, I want you to hit with your ice magic." A close friend of mine, Romano, was the one to give me the dare. "Hehe, challenge accepted!" -Its not like halfies can dare offend me after all!- "Haha, I feel a bit bad for the next halfie to come by. So who''s next?" Peter, one of the non-nobles of the group, had a look of excitement as we continued the game. "I believe so. Well, Chloe, Maria, if we need to slow down, just let us know." "Okay!" Chloe, who was in her pale pink dragon form, gave a joyous nod. Although Maria stayed quiet, she shared the enthusiasm. "I think we''re all ready Mother." "Alright! Well, follow me then!" Once we got up in the air, it was a fairly smooth flight, but the direction we were going was interesting. "Are we going to the central space rune?" We were heading north east. "No, we are just flying over it. Your grandmother''s estate is just a tad south of the elders hall." -Ah, so that''s why we are going this way..- (The elders hall is at the northernmost part of the mainland) As we kept flying, we eventually started getting close to the space rune and a massive chunk of ice slowly crested the horizon. "What the.." Mother audibly expressed her confusion. "Is that all ice?!" Even Father looked shocked. "I.. think so.. What a ferocious amount of mana that must''ve taken.." Mother was simply awe struck. As an ice affinity dragon, she had a special understanding of the difficulty it would take to make something like that. I simply stayed quiet, nervous that if I said anything I might expose myself. As we flew over it, I looked down and noticed several large dragons around the base talking to a much smaller, sky blue dragon. -Hey that''s the kid that threw the ice at me.- He was incredibly pale but from the looks of things seemed uninjured. A smug smile slowly crept onto my face. -Hehe.. Hopefully that taught him a lesson.- After that, we kept flying for a while. It wasn''t until a huge estate even larger than home came over the horizon that we got close. The scale was otherworldly. Our estate was completely incomparable to it. -What the actual f..- "Well, that''s where we will be staying for a bit." Everyone except Mother and Father stared at the estate in awe. "Oh, I should give you two a fair warning." Mother looked back at Krystallo and I. "Your grandmother has always wanted grandkids so.. be careful.." -What is that supposed to mean..- Chapter 131: Grandmother Asimi Chapter 131: Grandmother Asimi Late Afternoon - Mid Summer : Asimi''s Estate Not long after Mothers ominous message, we finally made it to the estate. "It has been a while, Young Miss." A massive light orange dragon towering nearly 52 meters tall was guarding the gate. "It''s been a while, Orion. Sorry I left you alone with Mother that whole time.." Oddly enough, Mothers face had a bit of guilt on it. "Haha, it seems like you haven''t changed." Orion looked at her with a warm and oddly fatherly smile. "Hey, I''m a grown woman now. I even have my kids with me. How could you say nothings changed?" She gave him a smug smile. Orion looked over and checked me out before walking up to me. "My name''s Orion Cirillo, nice to meet you." He pressured me with his aura with his greeting. It was quite oppressive but honestly far less than I had anticipated. Understanding what he was trying to do, I looked up and gave a smirk. -He doesn''t know who I am, huh..- "The name''s Vasilias Ragnarok. Don''t you think it''s a bit rude to look down on me like that?" Using my aura to pressure him, his knees buckled and the ground shattered. (Aura pressure is basically using aura to simulate increased gravity on someone (it isn''t actually changing gravity**)) Although he collapsed down and lowered his head, he managed to hold it off the ground. Once he got the message, I eased up on my aura and he shifted around to a proper kneel. "I''m sorry I failed to recognize your excellency." "Hoho~, to think you''d kneel in front of my son on the first day.." Mother looked at the scene with satisfaction. "I figured you would at least wait a couple days." Orion immediately broke into a nervous sweat and stood up. "Sorry, I couldn''t help myself." -He definitely didn''t know who I was..- "Well in any case, I think if we make any more noise, Mother will come out and tackle me.." Giving a strong nod, the white and blue haired maid ran back inside. "So." She slowly turned to look at me. "Just like your Father said, youre a truly stunning piece of art... Although I''d love to have a serious talk about what happened, we can do that later. For now, let me just spoil you two kids." She reached up and rubbed my head like she did to Krystallo. -Man that feels.. pretty good..- Something about her touch made me feel an odd sense of security, similar to when Mother would praise me. "Hehe.." I gave a childish smile as I enjoyed the head rub. "Gosh you two are so cute!" She quickly reached out and hugged us once again. After what felt like a few minutes, she finally let us go and noticed Ilios. "So who is this little guy.." "That''s Ilios. He''s pretty special but we will need to.. be behind closed doors to talk about that." Asimi slowly looked up at me. "Haha, how ominous... Well, it seems like you brought two maids with you as well." She looked back at Maria and Chloe. "You two can go ahead and go inside, my maids will show you around." After that, Chloe and Maria went inside and we followed behind them not long after. We got a short tour of the massive estate, showing us our rooms and where we would eat as well as a massive living room that we could relax in our dragon form in. The room was a large but cozy wooden room with several huge cushions and a large fireplace that used artifacts to turn on and off. -Its really cozy..- The nice warmth and comfortable cushions made me even more sleepy than I already was but it was a bit too early for that. After we finished the tour, Asimi, Mother and Father left to talk privately for a bit. I took that time to explore a bit on my own but there wasn''t anything too interesting besides a fairly decent sized library. -Ill check you out later..- After finishing my exploration I walked back into the living room and laid down on a cushion. As I curled up, Ilios hopped in his signature spot and I nearly immediately started to doze off. -Man this cushion is.. really comfortable..- Chapter 132: A Child Full of Surprises Chapter 132: A Child Full of Surprises Early Evening - Mid Summer : Asimi''s Estate - Zachari Ragnarok ~ The mood quickly changed as Mother closed the door. "So how about we finally address the pressing matter. I talked to Osto a bit but it seems like he was fairly clueless." "Haah.." I glanced over at Osto. "To be honest, I''m not entirely sure either. Vasilias seems to know something but he is keeping quiet about it." "How would he know what happened on the day he hatched?" "Well.. he had intent when I saw him the day after he hatched and a while ago when I asked, he said he was fully conscious even before he hatched.." "..." Mother just gave me a blank stare. "H..how though.." "Haha, that''s what we are wondering as well.." "Haah.. so what do you know about the changes made to him by that artifact?" "Well, it changed quite a lot.. it likely partially changed his race as well." "That''s not..." She gave me a troubled look as she tried to figure it out. "So do you know what color his scales were before touching the artifact?" "He said they were white like mine." "Hooh.." Mother quickly sat down and tried to sort her thoughts some. "Any idea what race he was changed to?" "Y..yes.. We believe he is half dragon, half ancient fenrir." Her demeanor immediately changed, becoming far more shaky. "S..say again?" "We think he''s half ancient fenrir.." She stared at me with wide eyes. "So then Ilios is.." "Yes.. he is the other ancient fenrir." Slightly losing balance, she caught herself and lowered her head. The room was wrapped in silence for a while while she tried to think through it. "Osto told me he awaked his true form already as well.." "Yeah.. He awakened it after his second dragon sleep, then during their trip to Kaelallan, he had another one. He hasn''t told us any of the details of that one though.." "Haah.. I don''t even know what to think. It feels like my thoughts just got clogged." "Osto and I have stopped trying to explain it ourselves and just started going with the flow. You''ll come to realize it in a few days but when it comes to Vasilias, nothing is impossible.." - Vasilias ~ "Uwahh.." As I started waking up from my nap, I felt a familiar soothing sensation wrap around me. "Mmmm.." -I wonder what causes that..- As I shifted around, I accidentally woke up Ilios as well. He gave me a face full of tongue as soon as I opened my eyes. "My money is on Otis!" "Mine is on Rhodes, you think Otis can win?!" "New bet ratio is 4:3 Rhodes!" There was a huge group of knights watching and taking bets on the spar. The ones fighting were two 52 meter tall dragons, one orange like Orion and the other was dark blue. -Are they other captains?- *Bang* *Thud* *Th-th-th-thud* Their clash was shaking the ground. Each of their strikes had a ferocious amount of strength behind it. "Hmph, how much longer do you think you can hold out?!" *BANG* The blue dragon slammed the orange one into the ground. "Long enough to beat your ass!" The orange one quickly got out of the others grasp and threw a heavy punch. *THUD* Before I knew it, I got enveloped in the fight as well. Something about watching two huge dragons have a slug fest was extremely entertaining. As I watched, I got curious who was who so I walked up and tapped the shoulder of a spectating knight near me. "Hey, so who is fighting?" "Hm? Ah, you must be new. Rhodes is the orange one and Otis is the blue. They''re the teachers of the knights here. Overtime, we (the students) made some bets on who would win in a spar amongst the teachers and eventually they heard about it. The best part is that instead of being like those annoying academy teachers and getting mad at the students, they actually set up this spar." "Haha, sounds like they''re some awesome teachers." "They really are. Do you want to make any bets?" "Hmm.. I''ll put a platinum on Rhodes.. that''ll juice the pot a bit." The knight looked back at me in shock before double checking. "You sure?" "Yeah, it should spice things up." I handed him the newly created platinum coin. "Haha, I like your style!" He walked over to the bet stand and placed the bet. The knight behind the desk yelled out. "Hey Rhodes! Someone bet a platinum on you!" Rhodes immediately looked over. "WHICH ONE OF YOU DUMBA-" *CRACK* While he was distracted, Otis whacked him with his tail. "For you to rely on a cheap shot.. I thought you were all about a knight''s honor Otis.." Rhodes looked up with visible bloodlust. "Uh oh.." Otis immediately pulled back and hesitated. Taking advantage of the opening, Rhodes moved up and grabbed his head. *BANG* Chapter 133: A Mistake in Judgement Chapter 133: A Mistake in Judgement Late Morning - Mid Summer : Cirillo Knight Academy ----- *CRACKLE-BAAAANG* The ground shook violently as Rhodes slammed Otiss face first into the ground. "Alright! The winner is Rhodes!" Almost all the knights started cheering immediately, with the ones who lost seemingly not caring, while taunting Otis for losing. It brought a smile to my face to see such a nice atmosphere. "Hey man, I can get you your winnings if you want." The knight who placed my bet glanced back at me with a wide smile on his face. "Ah, I don''t need it. You can just distribute it to the other knights that won." He gave me a blank stare for a moment before smiling again. "What rich family did you come from?" "Haha, I placed the bet for fun. I dont want to take away from anyone elses winnings." "I like the way you think! In that case, I wont reject it!" He happily turned away and trotted over to the dragon dishing out the winnings with a gleeful look on his face. It wasnt much longer after that that the dragon handling the bets made a little announcement saying each knight who bet on Rhodes would get some extra gold. A mix of chatter and cheering spread through the knights like wildfire, but even though they were eager to figure out who gave up their winnings, I was already out of there. Just after sending the knight to redistribute my winnings, I walked out to Rhodes. He was helping Otis up as I made it to him. "Hey, youre Rhodes, right?" He gave me an odd glance as I spoke. "I was wondering if I could use that other half of the clearing for a bit." He tilted his head a bit as he looked me up and down, likely looking for an insignia band that was present on all the other knights. "That should be fine, but.. are you new here?" "My name is Vasilias Whyte. I got permission from Orion Cirillo to come here and train with my Fenrir." Ilios popped his head up when he heard his name. "Regardless, I figured I should still ask you if I could take up such a huge section of the field." "Ah, you know my brother?" -I knew they looked similar...- "Yeah, although youll have to ask him for the details, we happen to know each other. He''s in that little office building just inside the entrance if you''d like to talk to him." "Oh, alright. Well, in any case, you''re free to use the field. The training I''m giving the knights today shouldn''t take up much space, but I apologize in advance if you catch some gazes." He gave me a look with a bit of pity, which quickly pushed the wrong buttons, but I just laughed it off. "Haha, Im used to it, dont worry. Thanks in advance for letting me use the field!" Giving him a quick farewell, Ilios jumped off my back and trotted out into the clearing before turning around and taunting me. -Hoh, youve got a lot of energy today!- It was the spark I needed. Not wasting another second, I dashed out into the field and started the chase. -Im gonna win today!- ----- -Wh..what?!- As I watched him progressively accelerate more and more, an opaque white shell started to form around him. It was a phenomenon I had only ever seen from Nero, one of my colleagues who was known as one of the fastest elders in northern Bahamut. -But even she cant go any faster than that...- Yet it seemed like Vasilias didnt care. Before my very eyes, the opaque shell grew in size, and a deafening noise started to fill the air. I watched intently as it grew larger and larger, and the noise grew louder and louder.. before eventually... *CRRRRAAACK* The shockwave was mind-boggling, to the point that many of the knights had to put up a layer of silencing magic, but I was simply in awe. -He really did it...- A man I had never even seen or heard of was doing what I truly believed was impossible right in front of my eyes. But such a feat was impossible to achieve with only talent. -A half-breed would never be able to accomplish such a feat... But if he is a pure dragon, why are his scales so dark... He wasnt using light magic...- I gave him a skeptical look as he finally started slowing down to his previous top speed, this time with a relaxed smile. -What a monster...- We all continued to watch him for quite a bit longer before I eventually managed to snap out of it and started our training. -If we dont start now, we will fall behind schedule...- Turning back to the knights, I saw them all watching Vasilias in a trance as well. "Alright!" My voice quickly snapped them out of it. "How about a challenge?" Some of the knights'' demeanors visibly darkened, with oh no written all over their faces. -Theyll be all smug about the bets if I dont wear them out...- "How about we do some limit sparring until he finishes over there? Ill give 5 gold to everyone who completes it!" Although we normally didn''t do endurance sparring for more than an hour or two, I figured that was a safe bet. -Seeing how casual he is at that speed, he should be able to last an hour...- Hearing that gold was going to be a reward for the challenge, the mood quickly lightened up; after all, we all assumed even an hour was an impossibly long time to spar so intensely. But oh how little we knew... The quick ''challenge'' that I figured would make for an easy and rewarding training day would very quickly turn into one we would never forget. After around an hour, the guys were starting to get pretty tired, but they managed to keep their pace up. Vasilias had yet to slow down at all. After another hour, when we would normally stop the training, the guys started to get a bit sluggish and stopped talking so smugly about the easy challenge. Over the final hour, everyone started to run out of stamina one by one, with several simply giving up, and many others pushing through, redefining their limits. But while it would inevitably be good for them to be pushed this hard, I couldnt say I wasnt worried. -I should give 5 gold to those who hit their actual limit and 10 to those who finish... If there is anyone...- Looking over at Otis as he sparred with one of the knights whose partner tapped out, I could visibly see some strain on his face. He had only been sparring with the knights who lost their partners while waiting for someone else to tap out, and even he was starting to show a bit of fatigue. But eventually, one of the knights by me halted their spar and pointed behind me. "Ca-cap..tain.. he.. hah.. stopped..." As soon as he finished, he collapsed and laid down. Turning around to face the field, I saw Vasilias sitting next to his Fenrir, both of them only lightly breathing, as if it were nothing but play time. It was a sight that made me feel a mix of awe and intrigue. -Well.. he definitely isnt a half-breed.. but he definitely still lied about his name...- I gave him an odd look as all the rumors about connections between the Whyte family and Ragnaroks came to mind. -I.. wonder...- Chapter 134: Grandmothers Love Chapter 134: Grandmother''s Love Early Afternoon - Mid Summer : Cirillo Knight Academy "Hehe.." After finishing our training session, I felt truly great. I managed to have a major breakthrough in my footwork technique to actually push past the sound barrier halfway through the spar. -To think I would stumble across it like that though..- The discovery was a complete accident, but a very welcome one. "How are you holding up Ilios?" *Panting* "Woof!" "Hah.. good.." I couldn''t help but laugh seeing Ilios lazily roll over. As I was petting him, I looked over towards the knights and noticed they were in shambles. -Man they must''ve had some crazy training..- Half of them were collapsed from exhaustion and the others seemed to be gasping for breath. -I wonder what they were doing..- After a couple more hours, the knights gradually left the field and went to a large building near the gate, leaving me alone in the field again. Thinking of what kind of training I should do for the rest of the day, I simply settled on magic. Once I started practicing, the rest of the day started to pass and night started approaching. -I guess I should start heading back..- But instead of flying straight home, I figured it was best to at least tell Orion I was leaving so I stopped by his office building. Just inside the building was a small receptionist desk with a young looking draconic woman behind it. "Young man, you aren''t supposed to be in here. The younger knight training grounds are east of here." "I''m not here for that, I just came by to let Orion know I was heading home." The receptionist who had her head buried in papers looked up with a confused expression. "Why would you need to tell Sir Cirillo that?" "Because he was the one that escorted me here." -For a receptionist, she''s pretty nosey..- She looked at me with wide eyes for a moment. "Well, he is busy at the moment so you can leave a name and message for me to give him when he is done if you''d like." "Sure, that works. Just tell him ''Vasilias went home already''."Findd new stories at novelhall.com "O..okay, Ill give him the message as soon as I can." She was acting a bit odd but I didn''t question it too much. "Thanks, well I''m off then." With a light wave of my hand I quickly made my way back outside and got up in the air. As I was flying away, I felt like I was being watched and glanced back to see a couple of the knights from earlier glaring at me from their rooms. -What are they mad at me for?- They seemed genuinely upset but I didn''t have the time to waste on them and left the training center. "Haha no. I''m fine Grandmother. I''m pretty strong you know!" -I guess my humanoid form is still young..- "Oh good.. I was worried for a moment. Well, how about you come inside for a bit." She lightly pushed me inside and closed the door behind me. "Sorry for not paying you a visit after I woke up.. I got a bit sidetracked." "Its alright sweetie, I heard you went to train at Cirillo''s training center. Was it fun?" She quickly tidied up a small couch in the room and sat down. "Of course it was. I did some agility training with Ilios." I walked over and sat down next to her as she motioned me to sit down. "Oh? Did you make any improvements?" "Actually yeah, I managed to break through a pretty large bottleneck." "That''s great to hear!" "Haha, it was only a matter of time for me to break through... Well, a bit off topic, but I heard you were looking for me this morning?" "Ah, yes. There was something Id like to talk about." She reached up and rubbed my head a bit while wearing a comforting smile. "Please feel free to ask anything." "Well lets start simple. What is magic to you?" My ears twitched a bit hearing the unexpected question. "Well.. I think magic is simply a versatile tool you can use to manipulate the world." "So not as a weapon?" "Well sure, but any tool can be a weapon." "Hm.. okay. I heard from your parents that you like to experiment and play with magic quite a lot.. is that not in the pursuit of strength?" "Not entirely, no. Its also in the pursuit of discovery." "Haha.. to think Id ever hear a young dragon say that.." She gave a proud smile as she looked at me. There was a short moment of silence before she continued. "Well, it seems like you need to get going. Your mother will get mad at me if I hold you here any longer." -What? Already?- I glanced over at her, totally confused. She looked over at me with a warm smile and kissed me on the forehead. As she pulled away, she gave an ominous bit of information. "Once you get strong enough, travel to Siratha. Its an elven and demihuman nation on the Western Continent.. you will be able to learn more about the Ancient Fenrir there.." Her face had a bit of worry on it. "O..okay." It caught me a bit off guard since her demeanor changed so much but it was a hint to where I could find information I had been yearning for. "Haah.." She leaned over and hugged me tightly again. "Now go and have a good time with you Mother and Sister." -Ah right!- It was already sunset outside, meaning I was late to the science lesson. "Sorry to have to leave early Grandmother! Ill be sure to come by more often.." "Haha, I hope you do.." She walked up and gave me one last hug before finally letting me go. "Now quit lollygagging and go teach your Mother something useful." "Hehe.." I couldn''t help but smile as I made my way outside for the lesson. -She''s.. different than I expected..- Chapter 135: 鈥?????鈥?????鈭????????鈮?????????????????鈹??????????????????????????????鈭???????鈭??????鈥? Chapter 135: D?????D?????????????=??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????D? Time Error - D?D????=???ҡ????????????DD??? : Location Error - D?D??=??ҡ?????????D?D? - ????????G?????r????????=???????????????????e?????????????????? ~ (Girl from the dreams) "Haah.." With a brush of my hand, I paused time and looked down at a black haired fenrir demihuman running down the hallway with a childish smile. Flying down to him, I looked into his eyes. -Too weak.. too nai?ve.. too.. childish..- I gave him a look of distaste. "To think you change so much when around them.." I glared through the walls at the draconic woman sitting at her desk and the two white dragons who were outside. -They don''t matter though..- I flew up and looked over the estate, a happy smile slowly creeping onto my face. -Its time for you to grow into the monster you''re meant to be..- "My my. How long has it been since I''ve seen you show emotion.." A chill instantly went down my spine as a familiar man''s voice filled the still, frozen air. "So you guys finally came out of your burrow.." I glanced back towards the voice and saw a muscular man in a white robe looking at me with an irritating smug smile. "It was only a matter of time. Now that I''m finally out I was looking for something fun, but thankfully I didn''t have to look too hard." He glanced at the estate below me. An immediate anger started surging in me. "You know what happens to people who touch what''s mine.. don''t try it old man." As I shot the man a threatening look, an ingenious idea came to mind. "You seem to have forgotten.. who.. I.. am." As soon as he finished, his fist appeared in front of my chest. *Tink* The next thing I knew, I was on the other side of the planet with only my head remaining. A slightly crazed smile started creeping onto my face. -I''m gonna use you and you won''t even realize!- I quickly reformed my body and appeared back in front of him. "To think you''d be so rude to not only try and steal what''s mine, but even try to kill me." "Even though you''ve gotten a bit stronger, it seems you''ve forgotten who has the more influence down there.." He glanced towards the ground. "You can only watch as I destroy the only thing that keeps your emotions intact." "You da-" *Tink* He smacked me across the planet again. Although I looked furious to him, I felt an odd sense of satisfaction and had to hold back my greedy smile. -You will be his next stepping stone and you won''t even realize it..- - Vasilias ~ "Brr.." As I ran down the hallway, I felt an unusual chill go down my back but I didn''t think much of it. Not wasting any more time, I quickly made my way outside and taught Mother and Krystallo the science lesson. After that lesson though, time started to slip away. Over the next 3 months, I spent all day at the knight training center sparring with Ilios or the knights, and all night teaching Mother and Krystallo science. It was a very peaceful 3 months, I didn''t think much of it at the time either. Peace had simply become the norm. Things were looking up, I was getting stronger bit by bit and my training was finally paying off. I also managed to make a couple discoveries with the void and space mana, the biggest being that I could create markers in the void that worked like waypoints to create gates on. Barely managing to keep my head off the ground, I looked up at him with a deep fire raging within me. "So what are you arresting them for.." No matter how angry I was though, my intuition told me to act carefully. "How do you think the public would react if they heard that the great and all mighty Ragnaroks gave their name to a disgusting halfie?" As if a nerve was struck in Mother, she shot up and tried to hit the dark blue dragon. Right before she reached him though, the sky blue dragon moved. *CRACK* She slammed Mother down into the ground, pinning her there. "Don''t make this harder than it needs to be, Zachari. You can''t use magic so good luck beating me, let alone Eugene." The scene of Mother getting hit made my blood boil but I needed to stay calm. -I cant lose myself to my emotions yet..- Holding back my anger and burying my pride, I looked up at the dark blue dragon whose foot was still on my head. "Then how about a deal.." "Hoh? And what could you mean by that?" Eugene looked down at me as if I was a joke. "How about I bear the weight of it all and you keep them out of it." Everyone around me froze including the two elders. "Hahaha!" Eugene let out a hardy laugh, breaking the silence. "To think you want to be the hero and sacrifice yourself!" Mother, Father and Krystallo all looked at me with eyes of fear and concern. In response I simply flashed them a warm smile. "Well that would defeat the whole purpose of this, wouldn''t it?!" -What?!- "You think that what you do in this situation will change anything?! Laughable!" *CRRRUNCH* He pressed his foot harder on my head. "With your identity as an excuse, I can finally tear down that hideous wall guarding the halfies that is the Ragnarok family!" A crazed smile slowly came to his face. "To think you would drag your strong and ancient family name through the mud for me! To think you would make this so easy!" As he said that, things started to click and a bone chilling sense of guilt filled me. He glared at Asimi. "With you gone, the halfies won''t be able to resist anymore, even the ancients will be on our side!" Everyone around immediately felt an incredible sense of despair as if a dark and heavy blanket was draped over them. Understanding what he was planning, Asimi tried to reason with him. "Then how about I step down. Would that make you happy?!" "Oh but that wont work.." "At least leave my family out of this Eugene. You know Myles will kill you the second he finds out what you''re doing to us." "Well that''s a shame then. By the time he gets back.. you all will be long gone." Finally taking his foot off my head, I weakly fell to the ground. My mana was being sucked into an artifact that was on my head at a ridiculous pace. As I tried to think of what to do in a panic, Eugene walked over to Asimi and raised up his foot. He held it there for a moment and looked down at her with a crazed smile. "Today.. is the day the Ragnaroks fall." *CRACK* Chapter 136: A Bloody Brawl Chapter 136: A Bloody Brawl Late Afternoon - Late Summer : Asimi''s Estate As I fell to the ground, the artifact stuck to my head started violently sucking out my mana. The mana being forcefully pulled out of my reserve caused all of my senses to blur. My vision, hearing, and balance all became significantly worse and mixed into an awful sensation. I laid there, not in my right state of mind until I heard a few words. "Today.. is the day the Ragnaroks fall." -Like hell it is!- Quickly snapping back to my consciousness, I thinned the walls of my reserve and forcefully slammed a massive wave of mana into the artifact. Unable to handle the volume of mana, the artifact crumbled and released the pent up mana. With my senses slowly coming back to me, I felt the ground shake and looked over to see Asimi as she got slammed to the ground by Eugene. "Oh? How did you manage to break the mana lock?" Eugene looked over at me with a confident smile, stopping his foot just short of Asimis neck. "Well, not like it matters." In an instant, he appeared in front of me and threw a heavy kick. *CRACK* With my senses still in a mess, I couldn''t dodge and got launched through the estate. "Hmph, I guess a halfie is a halfie." Eugene turned back around to the other elder. "Go clean him up." Giving a quick nod the sky blue dragon ran into the cloud of debris and smoke that arose from the destroyed estate. "Kid, just stay dow-" *BANG* *CRUNCH* "Hm?" Hearing her voice abruptly cut off and feeling the ground shake, Eugene turned back around and looked towards the half destroyed building. *Thud* *Thud* *Thud* The vibration from my heavy steps filled the air. As I came out of the smoke, I met eyes with Eugene and threw forward the huge dead dragon that was in my mouth. Her body was fairly intact but her unrecognizably crushed head was only hanging on by a bit of flesh and skin. Everyone that saw the scene froze and didn''t move a muscle. I stared right into Eugene''s eyes, my mouth covered in blood and my eyes filled with rage. Eugene''s crazed smile slowly returned as he looked over the dead elder. "To thi-" Using thrusters, I instantly appeared in front of him and threw a kick surpassing the speed of sound several times over. *CRR-RACK* The ground around me shattered from the shockwave and Eugene got launched out of sight along with a chunk of the gate and forest behind him. "Shut the f*ck up.." My leg nearly broke from the kick and my body felt like it was on fire, but my anger numbed most of it. "Ah, right.." I looked over and noticed everyone still had those mana locks on and walked up to each of them. "Stay still.." Lightly tapping the side of each artifact, they each shattered and released the contained mana. -Everyone seems to be alright.. Thank the heavens..- "Vasilias.. please.. come here." Mother shakily tried to stand up even though her senses were still in a mess. I quickly came to her side and gave her some support. "Please relax Mother.. lay back down and absorb some mana." "You''re so badly hurt.. let me.. treat you.." Her face was covered in worry as she looked down at the pool of blood forming below me. "I''m fine.. the bleeding is slowing down so I''ll be alright." As I slowly laid her down, I noticed Asimi was staring at the corpse of the dragon Ilios killed with visible bloodlust. "Do you know them, Grandmother?" "Who? The ones you just killed? Yeah.. Eugene was the big blue one, the other was Basilia.. she was another elder." -Sh*t.. that''s not good..- "So who was that last one.. were they someone from the elder hall as well?" "No.. that was Antonia.. an old maid who used to work under me.." Hearing the name, I immediately remembered back to the head maid Antonia nearly getting killed by Mother. -Why is she.. here..- "I think she was the one that informed Eugene about you.. I was being too tight on information leaking for it to be anything else.." Asimi was deep in thought as we talked. -So that was the ''her'' Eugene mentioned..- "Well.. they''re all dead.. what do we do next?" Asimis face quickly morphed to one of worry and frustration. "Don''t say ''we''. Just go focus on healing.. I''ll deal with the legal issues.." "Are you sure you can? Eugene seemed pretty confident in his plan.." "His plan needed me to die for it to work. He broke several laws to get here and since I''m still alive, he will actually get charged for them.." -But what about..- "There will be some complications with that but.. I''ll.. pull some strings.." She looked worried but it didn''t seem too bad which eased my worries just slightly. *Crumble* -Hm?- I looked back to see quite a few dragons making their way out of the rubble. The first to come out was Chloe. She immediately rushed over in her dragon form with a look of pure panic. "ARE YOU ALR-" "I''m fine, I need you to get some maids to take care of my Krystallo, Father and Mother. Father and Krystallo just passed out from mana exhaustion, but Mother''s senses are still scrambled and she has a bit of bruising.." When I scanned their bodies as I broke the artifacts, both Father and Krystallo were basically untouched, Mother was mostly unharmed with the exception of minor bruising on the top and bottom of her head and as for Asimi.. Well, I couldn''t scan her since her aura caused too much interference but she seemed alright with the exception of some bleeding from a small gash on her neck. "Phew.." My anxiety finally started subsiding as I laid down and tried to heal some. I glanced over at Eugene''s mangled corpse in the courtyard as I tried to stop the bleeding. Wanting to be able to help later, I tried to think about the mound of legal issues a bit as well. -I originally didn''t want to kill Eugene since Id get executed for killing an elder but if he broke a bunch of laws I think I can get away with it..- Looking over at Basilia and Antonia, I quickly realized where the problem was. -If there isn''t evidence of them committing the crimes.. can I talk my way out of it?- Although I was fairly certain we would be able to dig up something for Basilia since she worked in politics and played a pretty large role in this event, Antonia caused the biggest problem. -But.. I shouldn''t get too bad of a charge for killing her even if she is found innocent..- At the end of it all, my minimal political knowledge didn''t help, but things looked good enough for me to relax, if only for a bit. "Hooh.." Getting rid of the metal I used to hold my broken bones together, a wave of pain washed over me, but it wasn''t too bad. I glanced over to Krystallo who seemed like she was in a peaceful dream. -Maybe.. Maybe it''s time..- Chapter 137: Political Struggle Chapter 137: Political Struggle Early Evening - Late Summer : Asimi''s Estate After finally getting situated after the fight, I did all I could to treat my own injuries. My bleeding was pretty extreme but with a little bit of mana and focus, I could make it slow down. As for the broken ribs, I simply used some mana to reposition them and temporarily wrapped the breaks in small metal rings so I didn''t have to worry about the bones moving while they healed. -My wing is going to be a project though..- Before I could get started on it, I looked around to check and make sure everything was alright. Mother was starting to finally have her senses cleared up, Asimi was getting her neck and other injuries treated and Father and Krystallo were still asleep. "Is there something you need Sir Vasilias?" Chloe walked up to me with a face full of worry. "No, I was just seeing if I was going to be needed for anything before I did a pretty difficult surgery." "Surgery?" "Just fixing some broken bones and my wing." I motioned back towards my wing that was limply laying on the ground. "Are you sure you don''t want me to-" "I''m fine, my treatment will be far better than whatever the ''professionals'' can do, but I need you to keep people from interrupting me for a bit though." "O..okay. If you need anything please just ask.." "Thanks." Turning away from her, I closed my eyes and focused on my mana once again. -Oh man..- I was quick to find out that the injury in my wing was much worse than I anticipated. The bone was practically pulverized and the cartilage was absolutely shredded. Normally this would be a really bad situation, but using the base of my other wing as reference for how things should look, I had quite a bit of confidence. -Now time to find all of the bone fragments and cartilage..- It wasn''t a fun process but after several hours, I managed to allocate all of the bone fragments into their original spots and reposition the shredded cartilage like a ridiculous puzzle but quite a few chunks were missing. -They''re probably somewhere over there..- I glanced over towards where Eugene''s destroyed body was laying.Findd new stories at novelhall.com There were huge trails of blood and shredded flesh spread throughout the courtyard leaving an extremely gruesome scene. "Haah.." -It could be anywhere..- Figuring it was too much effort to try and find the fairly small chunks of bone, I instead tried something I had never done before. -I guess it wouldn''t hurt to try..- I was going to try and simply recreate the missing chunks by mimicking patterns and copying my other wing but it turned out to be a serious project. I ended up spending the next several hours just trying to create small amounts of bone and piece the ball of fragments into an actual bone. Thankfully, as I was doing that, the cluster of fragments and cartilage had started to actually heal back together. The issue was that with the recent halfie rebellion, there was far more opposition to us. Eugene had planned to use that increase in opposition to finally tear us down. Once he learned about Vasilias''s identity, Eugene was likely planning to barge in and kill us off and then frame Vasilias for it. It would have been the perfect plan to not only tear down the Ragnarok family name but also bring the Ragnarok family supporters onto his side. But, thanks to Vasilias obliterating his plan, I was able to catch him for some monumental crimes, some of which also involved quite a few of his followers and supporters which made this event a double win for us politically. Things were going extremely well, but there was still one issue I hadn''t figured out what to do with. -How am I going to handle Vasilias''s identity..- If we released any of his information with this event, it would, at a minimum, raise some skepticism. The only way around it would be to not include his name at all and say Eugene and Basilia were killed by me and Orion.. -But the nobles will never believe that..- "Haah.." -How troublesome..- *Knock* *Knock* "Come in." The one at the door was Doris, my newest personal maid. "Is there something urgent?" I looked up at her over my desk piled high with papers. "I just thought I would come to report an.. observation." "Which is?" I was pretty curious what would make her act so uncomfortable. "I believe Vasilias is hiding something." She looked nervous but seemed confident. My complexion quickly darkened. "What do you mean.." Noticing my irritation, she quickly stiffened up. "Ever since he supposedly healed, he has been spending every waking moment with his family." "What''s wrong about that?" "Well.. nothing.." -Why is she acting so nervous..- "So you think he is hiding something since he is spending more time than usual with everyone?" It wasn''t until after I said that, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized his unusual change in routine after the fight. "Haah.. If he wants to tell us, he will. Until then, it''s better to not suspect anything, okay?" I flashed a somewhat motherly smile at Doris. "Right.. I''m sorry." "Well it''s a good learning experience for you, no need to be sorry." I quickly hopped up from my desk and patted her on the head. "How about you take a break for the rest of today, you''ve earned it." A warm smile came to my face seeing Doris''s face immediately lighten up. She reminded me of Zachari when she was young. Chapter 138: Elder Hall Reforms Chapter 138: Elder Hall Reforms Late Afternoon - Late Winter : Asimi''s Estate It had been nearly 7 months since the event, and Bahamut''s political realm was completely unrecognizable. About a month after the event, Asimi finally spread the word of Eugene and Basilias plans and started exposing some of their crimes. At first, many of them discredited it and considered it simple slander but once Asimi released news of the trial along with the announcement of Eugene and Basilia''s deaths, people quickly realized it was far more serious than they had thought. Some people were quick to ask who killed them, but Asimi responded that she and Orion worked together and used artifacts to kill them. According to Asimi though, some nobles and the other elders continued to question her, but her public response at least silenced the masses. The trial progressed smoothly after that as Asimi continuously released more and more evidence and even wrapped Eugene''s top supporters into it when they tried to defend Eugene. The trial turned out to be a political slaughter with nearly 60 of Eugene''s top supporters getting sentenced to death along with him. At the end of it all, Eugene and Basilia''s deaths were officially justified by the trial and the Ragnarok''s political power skyrocketed. On top of that, the elder hall underwent a massive change as well. Halfies that rallied in support for the trial ended up rallying behind two half breed leaders. Those two halfies ended up jumping through a few political loopholes and managed to get elected into the, now open, elder hall positions as well. Bahamut had started to enter an era of balance between the half breeds and pure dragons although the blatant discrimination was still seen everywhere. -Its a step in the right direction though..- As for me, over those 3 months, I spent all of the time I could with my family. I spent my days playing with Ilios and Krystallo, doing combat training with Father and teaching Mother science. I had a lot on my mind as time passed, but after having a couple months to think and sort out my feelings, I believed I had come to a conclusion. "Haah.." -How am I going to tell them though..- I glanced across the garden at Krystallo who was absolutely exhausted after playing with Ilios and I for several hours. Over the past few months, she had gotten incomparably stronger and far better at using mana. I was truly proud of how well she was learning everything but, although she didn''t know yet, the time for her to go to the academy was steadily approaching. Tonight was the night that Mother broke the news to her, and the night I voiced my thoughts to them. "Sir Vasilias! Miss Krystallo! Your parents have called you!" Maria came out to call us in while wearing a wide smile. It felt like the air around me froze when I asked. "Haha, you don''t have to act so worried Vasilias." Asimi looked at me with a proud and loving smile. "We knew this question was coming for a while now." -What?- Mother glanced at Father before turning back to me. "Although we are a bit worried to let you off on your own while you''re so young, you''re not only far bigger, but also far smarter and stronger than any of us were when we left the nest." She looked at me with a proud smile. "Brother you can''t leave me!" Krystallo ran up and hugged me in a panic. "Haah.. I didn''t say I was planning to leave forever did I? I just want to explore some of the world for a few years.." "Still!" "I''ll be sure to visit a lot as well if that makes you happy." I reached down and lightly rubbed her head. "Hmph.." "So, what made you want to leave?" Father finally voiced his curiosity. "Well, at first it was because I was worried about the issues my presence and identity would cause the family but after the trial passed it changed to me simply wanting to explore.." On top of wanting to genuinely explore the world some, the main reason I wanted to leave was that I had far too many questions and far too few answers to just about anything. Over the past several months I went and explored the Ragnarok library but most of the books were unnecessary to me or were things I already knew so the only other thing I could do would be to leave the nest and look for the answers elsewhere. To go along with that, with how much stronger the family name got after the trial, I didn''t have to worry as much about everyone''s well-being after I left as well. "Hoho~, he truly does resemble you." Asimi poked fun at Mother. "Oh shush.." Mother looked a bit embarrassed before she looked back at me with a proud but slightly worried smile. "Well, we have no reason to keep you from doing as you wish, just promise me something... Please be careful.." "Haha, of course. It''s not like I''m going to be gone forever, plus I won''t be leaving for another month or so." It seemed like Mother was a bit sad so I had to clarify that I wasn''t leaving right away. Krystallo''s eyes were fast to light back up. "Then you will play with me every day until you leave as payment!" "Haha, alright. I promise." I couldn''t help but give a warm smile towards Krystallo, but my emotions felt a bit conflicted. -I wish I could stay but.. I have too many questions that I need answered..- Chapter 139: Leaving The Nest Chapter 139: Leaving The Nest Mid Afternoon - Early Spring : Asimi''s Estate After discussing my request to leave the nest, we continued to talk for a bit. We eventually moved from the living room to the dining room and had a good family dinner as well. I was completely prepared to talk about and discuss some of my future plans but to my surprise, not even my plans on leaving were mentioned after that small talk. Over the next month, I continued to spend as much time as I could with family. During my combat training, I managed to reach the limit of what both Orion and Father could teach me in terms of combat for both my dragon and humanoid form. (They''ve been training together since the incident) I was able to easily pick up on their martial arts and even tweak them to fit my style a bit better after a while. Even after that though, I continued to train with Father, just instead of him giving me pointers, it was the other way around. It turned into an oddly fun bonding experience. At first he denied my advice and said, ''how could I be taught by someone who I taught a week ago?'' while holding his pride high as a kite but after a while of losing to me in spars, he started actually taking some of my tips. He managed to improve quite a lot once he started taking my advice though, it turned out that Father had a pretty impressive talent for martial arts. Outside of training, I spent quite a lot of bonding time with Krystallo as well. We would spend most of our time playing something like tag where I would try to slowly teach her some footwork or technique. Although she was far from catching Ilios or I, towards the end of the month, she had surpassed Mother. Her growth was truly mind blowing. She herself didn''t realize just how fast she was moving when playing with Ilios or I though. It wasn''t until Mother came by to play one day that it came to light. Krystallo was disappointed to lose to her at first but once Mother explained how ridiculous her speed was, she became incredibly confident and tried to rub it in my face by challenging me again. She got destroyed. She never actually managed to win against me before it was time to leave but she never got discouraged. Her competitive spirit and constant improvement kept her looking forward to the next game instead of dwelling on the losses. It was a good experience for her but I couldn''t help but be a bit worried with how competitive she got at times. I felt genuinely bad for her future classmates. "Hey, don''t be all sad." I reached down and rubbed her head. "Instead of being sad that I''m leaving for a while, you should look forward to when we can play again. Who knows.. maybe you''ll surpass me while I''m gone!" Krystallo lightly shook her head and looked up at me with a competitive smile. "You better not slack off of your training either then!" "Haha, I won''t." I lightly rubbed her head for a bit longer before she backed away. Walking up to Mother, she gave me a tight hug. "I know you''re a strong boy but please.. be careful.." "I will Mother.." I wore a grateful smile as I enjoyed the warmth of Mothers hug. Father and Asimi were the next two to give me hugs but Father didn''t tell me anything. He simply gave me his confident and proud smile. As I gave Asimi her hug though, she gave a friendly reminder. "I know you know already but be sure to at least send us a letter every couple years. You know your Mother would get worried if went quiet for too long." "Right.. I''ll be sure to keep in touch." "You know where we will be moving right?" Mother quickly voiced her worry. "Yes, of course Mother." For Krystallos schooling, they planned to move to their estate in western Bahamut near the academy. Although I didn''t have a marker there or know exactly where it was, I was sure I could find it by asking for directions. "Well, I think it''s time.." I looked up at everyone with a warm smile. "Be safe!" Mother was holding back tears. "I will!" I motioned to let Ilios come hop up on my head. "Well, we''re off!" I quickly stood up and with a strong flap of my wings, I threw myself into the air. Looking towards the horizon, I bathed in the memories of the past 11 years for a moment before gripping my resolve. "Haah.." -Its time to get some answers..- Chapter 140: I Might be Lost.. Chapter 140: I Might be Lost.. Late Afternoon - Early Spring : Above the Ocean It had only been a few hours since I left home, but I was already lost. -Am I going the right way?- Before I left Bahamut, I asked a dragon I saw to point me in the direction of Siratha.Findd new stories at novelhall.com After a bit of hesitation, they pointed me in a direction but once I looked in the void, I didn''t see any space runes even close to the direction they pointed. The only thing I could really do was to simply fly in the general direction and hope to find something. I had been flying over the ocean for a couple hours already, occasionally flying below the clouds and looking into the water but there was simply nothing. -Hm?- Ilios had been asleep for most of the flight but suddenly he tried to grab my attention by tapping on my back. Glancing back at him, I noticed he was trying to point me just slightly to the right. Following his suggestion, I turned to the right a couple of degrees until he laid his head back down. -What was that all about?- Deciding not to question it, I kicked up the thrusters and continued flying straight for another 30 minutes before finally seeing land crest the horizon. -Damn.. it''s about time..- Although I wasn''t hauling it then entire way, I was by no means going slow. Quickly coming up on the landmass, I noticed a small group of 3 people sitting outside of an unnatural-looking cave next to the beach. I was originally going to simply continue flying over them, but I was a bit curious what the cave was. -I guess I can ask them where this is too..- Turning a bit towards the ground I started slowing down and changed to my humanoid form. Holding tightly onto Ilios, I braced for landing. "Welp.." -Im gonna hit the water..- *CR-BANG* As I landed, my feet plowed through a crashing wave and vaporized it. As if the water wasn''t even there, my feet slammed into the sand with some ridiculous force. Letting Ilios down, I noticed there was a thick mist that filled the area from my landing. Before I could walk out though, I heard a deep man''s voice yell out in front of me. "SEA MONSTER!" -Hm?- *Fwoosh* A meter long dart made of ice quickly zipped at my head but I casually dodged by tilting my head. "Don''t enter the mist! It''s probably poison!" -Ah.. So I''m between the Main and Western continents..- "I..is there anything else I can h..help you with sir?" "Hmm.." -I should check out this dungeon since I''m here I guess..- Although I had learned of their existence long ago, I had never seen one. -This could be a good opportunity..- "So you said this was Christopher''s dungeon?" The girl had finally started to relax a bit seeing that I wasn''t a threat but the elf was still staring at me, pale faced. "I..it''s just called the Dungeon of Christopher. It was named after the S rank a..adventurer that discovered it." "Hm.. interesting. So what rank are the monsters in it?" "Well.. no one has ever gotten to the bottom of it and it''s very old so likely peak S rank towards the bottom." "So do all dungeons incrementally get stronger as they go down?" "Y..yes.. in most cases at least." The girl still wore a nervous, forced smile. "Interesting.." -I wonder what causes that..- "So why were you guys just sitting outside of it?" "We were just going to camp out to let night pass and go in in the morning.." Glancing over my shoulder I noticed the sun was setting. "Is there a reason to not go in at night?" She gave an awkward look. "..Well.. dungeons are basically monsters.. and at night, they absorb the mana from the dead corpses inside.. if we were to kill something that had a mana core, we wouldn''t be able to find and get it before the dungeon absorbed it.." I looked back at her with wide eyes. Her statement piqued my curiosity. "Hmm, well. You seem like a good girl, Missy. What is your name?" She immediately stiffened up. "It''s.. Hannah.." "Well then, Hannah. How would you like to come with me to the bottom of the dungeon in the morning?" She immediately froze and broke into a cold sweat. "E..excuse m..me?" "Well I need a local so I don''t get lost." That wasn''t true at all, the reason I wanted her to come was because I figured she''d be useful inside the dungeon. -Not like she needs to know that though..- After a moment of thinking, she gave an extremely reluctant nod. "S..sir!" Finally speaking up, the elf woman tried to get my attention. "Yes?" I glanced back and looked her in the eyes. My glare made her freeze up but she managed to shakily get out a question. "W..what about m..me.." "Do whatever you want." With a light wave of my hand I created a small cushion and sat down. Ilios quickly walked up and laid down next to me. As I petted him, I thought of what to do to pass time. -Now.. what to practice until morning..- Chapter 141: A Dungeon Chapter 141: A Dungeon Early Morning - Early Spring : Dungeon of Christopher During the night, Hannah and her elf friend couldn''t sleep. They both sat there in total silence for the beginning of the night. A couple hours after the sunset, the elf woman finally asked if she could go tend to Jack, the dumbass from earlier. Not long after, she came back, dragging a muscular man with an extremely broken arm and chest across the sand and dirt. -Wow, he actually lived.- He was truly lucky that his shiny and expensive looking armor absorbed most of the impact. Once she started treatment though, I stopped paying attention and focused more on my magic. After that, the night passed in what felt like a mere second. I ended up getting pretty absorbed into my magic and lost track of time. Once sunrise came around, I got up and brushed the sand off Ilios and I. Good morning Ilios.. I lightly petted him as he stretched. Looking over at the group of adventurers, I noticed that Jack had woken up. His arm and entire torso were heavily bandaged but he was still in pain. He kept wincing from even the slightest movements, but that wasn''t surprising. The part I found most shocking was that he was still angrily glaring at me. Seeing my look of disappointment, he went to say something but the elven woman quickly covered his mouth. "Sorry sir.. he still isn''t in the right state of mind.. please forgive his arrogance.." Her face was pale and covered in worry. "You know youre free to leave right?" My irritation started to show a bit. Findd new stories at novelhall.com I was sick of seeing Jack''s face, his angry glare made me want to punch him but I held myself back. -Without armor to save him, a tap would kill him..- Looking away from them, I noticed Hannah wore an anxious look. "Haah.. Well, Hannah. Shall we go?" She immediately hopped up to her feet hearing me talk. "R..right away.." As we walked towards the cave entrance, Jack and the elven woman finally stood up and started leaving in the opposite direction. As they walked away, I noticed that Hannah gave Jack a look of disgust. It was so genuine that it caught me off guard. -Aren''t they adventuring in a group together?- "What''s with that look?" Slightly shocked that I noticed, she turned back to me a little embarrassed. "Sorry.." "What are you apologizing for?" My confusion was genuine. "Sorry.. it was just out of habit.." She looked down towards the ground out of embarrassment before continuing into the cave. As soon as we walked in, she mumbled something to herself and formed a small ball of light in front of her. "So, what do you know about the monsters in this dungeon?" The impact completely obliterated the lizard. Its body simply exploded when it hit the wall. To my surprise the wall didn''t shatter, but instead stayed firm with only a few of the lizard''s bones digging into it. -That''s some really sturdy rock..- Coming back up to my side with a happy trot was Ilios wearing a look of satisfaction. Haha, good job buddy. I reached down and patted his head for a second. He gave me a smile as his tail continued to wag. -Hes so cute..- A warm smile slowly crept onto my face till I noticed Hannah. Behind us, her face was completely pale and covered in fear. Is something wrong? She immediately stiffened up as if she didn''t expect me to say anything. N..no s..sir.. Her voice was shaky. Good, let''s continue then. Not long after that, we finally started seeing other monsters, the issue was, they were all dead. There were simply hundreds of mangled monster corpses lining the ground of the cave. As I stepped over a mutilated corpse, I raised a question. "Is it normal for monsters in dungeons to fight each other?" Hannah''s face was covered in anxiety and worry. "Well.. yes.. but not like this.." Pretty much all of the monster bodies on the ground were covered in similar, random wounds meaning they fought each other in huge groups. It made less sense the more I thought about it, but as we got deeper into the dungeon, I started noticing a pattern. The big piles of corpses were at the back end of each ''section'' on the map. According to Hannah, these sections marked the territory boundaries of each type of monster. What seemed to be happening was that the monsters in each section tried to run deeper into the dungeon, entering other monsters'' territories and getting killed before the monsters in that section did the same. -What were they running from then?- It wasn''t until I thought back to the rock lizard from earlier that it clicked. -Are they running from Ilios and I?- It felt like a bit of a stretch but it was entirely possible. Continuing further into the dungeon, we were finally approaching the end of the mapped sections. The mana density had been steadily increasing as we walked deeper, but as we entered the unmapped section, there was an extremely sudden increase in it. -Are we finally getting to the bottom?- I was honestly getting sick of stepping over endless corpses and wanted something interesting to happen. Luckily though, through the dense mana, I sensed several fairly strong auras. A smile slowly crept onto my face as I noticed more and more. -Great timing..- Chapter 142: A Living Boss Room? Chapter 142: A Living Boss Room? Mid Morning - Early Spring : Dungeon of Christopher As we continued into the unmapped section, the mana density just continued to increase and the cave started to get wider. After a few more minutes of walking, we came into what seemed like just a massive room. -This is totally a boss room.- As we walked in, I finally got close enough to see what the auras I felt earlier were. At the center of the room there were 4 massive snakes coiled up, with hordes of unrecognizable monster corpses around them. "Hey Hannah.." I put out my arm to keep her from walking any closer. "Yes?" Her reply was full of anxiety. "You mind making that light brighter and giving me a bit of info on those monsters in the middle?" Although I could see around the room with aura perfectly fine, her light wasnt cutting it. She looked a little confused before brightening the light and realizing what I was talking about. Her face instantly paled. "So? What are they?" She jolted a bit as if she didn''t expect my voice. "T..they''re named Great Cobras.. they are usually between A and S rank but.." "But what.." "Those are massive.." She was staring at the cobras in awe. Each cobra was somewhere between 4 and 5 meters in diameter and ridiculously long. "So.. S rank?" "Uhm.. at the very least.." She gave me a nervous yet curious look. "Hoho, sounds fun. Ilios, you stay here and protect her from any stray rocks or monsters." I reached down and petted him before turning back to the cobras. Hannah just looked at me in disbelief. "You aren''t going to fight them are you?!" I looked back with an excited smile. "Of course I am! I need to stretch my legs a bit." -I wish I made a greatsword now though..- Seeing Ilios sit down next to Hannah, I walked out towards the cobras and stepped over the piles of bodies. It took a second for me to notice but once I got close, I felt some kind of aura coming from underground. -Is that what I think it is?!- It felt like a mana core, a big one too. My mouth instantly started to water as my desire to slaughter the cobras increased. "Hissssss.." As I was lost in my thoughts, a cobra woke up and was hissing at me. "How dare you hiss at me!" A slightly crazed smile came to my face as I thinned the walls of my reserve. Before I could move though, the cobra tried to bite me. *CRACK* Nearly instantly, its skull caved in and exploded out the back of its head. The shockwave continued down the cobras back, blowing off its scales, gouging out its flesh and smashing apart its bones. It looked as if I had shot it with a railgun except somehow more gruesome. Not giving me any breaks, the other cobra rammed his head into my side, sending me flying into the ceiling. *CRACK-BANG* "Ackkk.." I winced a bit as the attack cracked a few ribs, but my adrenaline mostly numbed the pain. Right before hitting the ceiling, I blasted thrusters to slow down and retaliate. *Pssshhhhh-WOOOSH* Cranking the thrusters once again, I threw myself from the ceiling down feet first onto the cobra''s head. It couldn''t dodge at all. *CRRR-AACKKK* *BBAAANNGG* The cobras head nearly detached from its body when it impacted the ground. The entire floor of the massive room was caved in a few meters and sprouted cracks that instantly spread up the walls and to the ceiling. -To think my strength would be so excessive now..- A part of me still couldn''t believe it. Each cobra was huge and easily peak S rank, if not Nation rank, but I had dealt with them while only receiving a couple fractured ribs. *Crumble* Snapping me out of my thoughts, I looked up and finally noticed the ceiling was going to collapse. -Sh*t!- I immediately whipped around to go grab Hannah and Ilios but I felt an unreasonably dense wave of mana wash past me. It was such a large amount of mana that it sent a chill down my spine. As the wave passed it, the stone started to move around like a liquid and steadily started repairing itself. Looking towards the source of the mana, I saw an exposed shiny blue orb peeking out from one of the deep cracks in the middle of the room. The sight of it instantly made my mouth water. As if the stone floor was trying to bury the core again, it slowly started molding around the orb. Before I could even think about what I was doing, I transformed to my dragon form and plucked the core out of the stone. It acted like it was alive when I picked it up. Mana was shooting out of it as if it was trying to kill me but once I tasted it, it was too late. The core''s taste was heavenly. It tasted like a really good sour candy. Unlike usual, I let the orb sit in my mouth so I could savor the flavor, the core trying to fight back just added to the intensity of the taste. But after a short moment of enjoying the flavor and slowly absorbing the mana bit by bit, I finally thinned the walls of my reserve and swallowed it with a face of satisfaction. -Damn.. that was really good..- Chapter 143: A Jolly Old Man Chapter 143: A Jolly Old Man Early Afternoon - Early Spring : Dungeon of Christopher *Thud* -Hm?- I heard something fall to the ground behind me as I finished savoring the taste of the core. Laying there on the ground was Hannah, completely unconscious with a pale face. -Ah.. forgot about her..- Doing one last scan through the room to make sure there wasn''t anything else dangerous, I changed back to my humanoid form. -Thankfully the roof isn''t caving in anymore..- Luckily, just before I plucked the core out of the ground, it managed to repair enough of the room to keep the ceiling from collapsing. As I walked over to Hannah, I contemplated what to do with her. "Here, Ilios. Carry her for now." I lightly picked her up and tossed her onto Ilios''s back. -I guess I can drop her off in Springarrow before I leave..- Once I got her situated, we quickly made our way outside and started following a trail along the top of the beach. After around 10 minutes of light jogging, we finally made it to a main road and slowed down. -Bandits?- I felt several auras coming from the bushes at the intersection. "To think you would be dumb enough to take the main roads!" A large man-child with a heavily bandaged arm and chest was the first to walk out. "Haah.." -Are you f*ckin serious..- "I spared you before since I was too lazy to kill you, why did you come looking for more trouble.." My mood worsened immediately. "You thought you could offend me and get away with it?! Laughable! I am the mighty-" I quickly hopped off Ilios and appeared in front of Jack. "Would you shut up already.." I grabbed onto his neck. "Kuek.. you think.. I came alone?!" He gave me an annoying, confident smirk. Almost immediately after, the people in the bushes all slowly walked out. "Haah.. I just want to get back on the road.." I wanted to start heading west again soon since staying in one place for too long would just get me wrapped up in troublesome things. -Like this..- "Let go of the young master and we will let you go kid.." An older man dressed in black spoke with a raspy voice. I looked down at Jack, contemplating what to do until he spoke. He still had that irritating smile as if he was someone who could down on me. "After I kill you.. I''ll slaughter that ugly do-" *Pop* I watched as the life drained from his face with cold and merciless eyes. "Sweet, thanks." I lightly flicked him a gold coin. Seeing he caught it, Ilios and I wasted no more time speeding back up. Continuing for around 15 more minutes, a city wall finally came into view. -I thought it would be a port city.. Why is it so far from shore?- Coming up to the city, I got suspicious looks from everyone around. The knights at the gate were no exception. "Sir.." The young knight looked at me as if he didn''t know what to do. "Is she with you?" "Nope. I found her unconscious in a dungeon south of here. Can I leave her with you guys?" The young man looked slightly relieved but seemed completely unsure of what to do. "I don''t think there will be an issue with that but please wait a moment." He nervously ran into the room built into the city wall. After a couple of minutes, he finally came out with a much taller man that seemed like an old timer. "What can I do for you young man?" He wore the smile of a grandfather. His smile and tone of voice were oddly refreshing. "I found this girl unconscious in a dungeon, I was wondering if I could leave her with you guys? She isn''t injured or anything, I just don''t want to carry her around till she wakes up." I spoke very nonchalantly. "Haha, good to see that chivalry isn''t dead among the young''uns yet. She''s quite a beauty so she''s lucky you were the one to come across her." His happiness was simply contagious. A smile slowly crept onto my face as I hopped off of Ilios and gave Hannah to him. He quickly called over some other knights and medics that took Hannah away before turning back to me. "Do you have plans to enter the city?" -It can''t hurt to get a snack before I get back on the road..- "I guess I might as well since I''m here. Do you know any good food spots?" "Ah yes, the adventurers guild here shares its building with a tavern that has some really good meats. It''s a bit pricey though." I gave a slightly warm smile. "Price isn''t an issue for me." I tossed him my ID for him to look at. Almost instantly, he stiffened up but it didn''t last too long. "To think you were such a bigshot. I apologize if I''ve been rude." He gave a light bow. "Haha, you''re fine, sir. You managed to fix my bad mood." "Haha, I''m glad I could help... Well anyways, I wish we could talk longer but there are those waiting that I must tend to. Please be careful with your wolf as well, he might scare some people." He glanced back at the ever increasing number of people waiting behind me. "Well, please enjoy your stay in Springarrow, Sir Whyte." -What a nice man..- After dealing with Jack, I was left in a bad mood yet somehow that jolly old man cheered me up. "Here.. Thanks for the chat." I tossed him a platinum coin before walking into the city. As we walked in, Ilios finally shrunk down to his smaller size as well. The old man just stared at the coin dumbfounded before looking up to see Ilios changing his size. The pure confusion on his face was truly hilarious. "Haha.." -Now.. shall we head to the guild?- Chapter 144: A Tasty Meal Chapter 144: A Tasty Meal Mid Afternoon - Early Spring : Springarrow City, Elynnor Inside the city walls, Springarrow was quite pretty. It seemed to be fairly small compared to Kaelallan''s capital but it didn''t fall behind in beauty at all, in fact it was a bit ahead of Kaelallan. The city was incredibly clean and didn''t even seem to have slums. -Maybe it''s just because Kaelallan is a huge capital city that its slums were.. so rough..- Another huge difference from Kaelallan though was the amount of greenery. To my surprise, there were actually trees planted along the main road with some kind of greenery planted outside of each building. The greenery mixed with the fresh air made strolling through town quite enjoyable. Not long after I just started walking around though, I found the building I was looking for. Next to the road was a large two story building with two signs. The bottom was a simple tavern logo with a mug, fork and knife, and the other had a bow and arrow in front of a leaf and flower, the same insignia that the knights wore. -That must be it!- As I walked up to the doors, I heard music, singing and people talking and laughing coming from inside. A wave of nostalgia washed over me as I pushed open the doors. The atmosphere reminded me of many memories that I thought I had forgotten from earth. The air was full of the smell of delicious food and music that made me want to sing and tap my foot along. "You seem new!" A man next to me tried to yell over the noise. "Do you need help with anything?" He was a large and muscular man that was covered in scars but he wore a bright smile. "Do you know where to order food?" "Of course! Feel free to pick a table and a pretty lady will come take your order!" His genuine happiness was contagious. "Sweet! Do you have any food recommendations?" Looking around the room I saw several different foods on each table, and they all looked delicious. "Ah, you need to try their ''Pirates Special''! It''s a bit pricey but it comes with some heavenly meats, soups and booze!" "Alright, I think I''ll give it a try! Thanks for the recommendation!" My excitement to try some of the food was mounting. "Any time!" Walking towards the section with the tables, I found a table and sat down. -Oh.. my.. goodness..- The food had completely filled the table and looked absolutely divine. "Wow, someone actually had the balls to order the Pirates special?" There was commotion around the tavern but I didn''t pay attention to it. I wasted no time and quickly dug into the food. The good atmosphere, good music, and good food made for a wonderful experience. The alcohol was also not super strong and tasted sweet and fruity. "Haahh.." I let out a satisfied breath as I finished off the mug of cooled alcohol. -Making it cold was a game changer..- "Would you like a refill on that drink sir?" A man that looked like a waiter walked up. "Sure!" I leaned back a bit to let him refill the drink. "Thanks!" As soon as I took a sip, I noticed the smell was vastly different and instead of tasting fruity sweetness, it was more sour. It only took a second for me to realize what it was. -Poison..- I paused my sip and scanned the room to notice the guy I thought was a waiter had sat down at a table and blended in with the crowd. After a second of thinking what to do, I tilted up the glass and threw the alcohol down. -It honestly doesn''t even taste that bad.. the sourness is actually kinda nice..- As I slammed down the empty mug, the man who gave me the refill wore a greedy smile. As the day passed though, along with the food on my table his greedy smile steadily disappeared. It was a great night, I struck up conversations with the people at neighboring tables and ended up talking to them until late in the night. It was honestly a blast to just talk and have fun with everyone, some of them even turned out to be some big name adventurers as well. "Well, I think it''s time we get going." A beautiful elf woman I was talking to slowly picked up her dead-drunk boyfriend. "Haha, no worries. It was good talking to you!" I gave a small wave as she walked out the door. "Sir, would you li-" *Bonk* *Thud* I smacked the ''waiter'' in the head with my wooden mug, knocking him out as he offered me poisoned alcohol for the 7th time tonight. "How have you not noticed that not only alcohol, but also that weak ass poison does nothing to me.." I looked down at him with a look of disbelief. -I guess I should thank him for the free drinks though..- I glanced over at Ilios who was by my feet. Did you get enough to eat, Ilios? His tail was wagging as he gave me a light nod before he rolled over. Haha, good. I leaned back in my chair with a look of satisfaction. -That was some good food..- Chapter 145: The Pirate Queen Chapter 145: The Pirate Queen Mid Evening - Early Spring : Springarrow City, Elynnor I rubbed my stomach as I leaned back in my chair. The musicians had long since left, leaving just me and a small group of adventurers that were dead asleep in the silent room. "Did you enjoy the food?" The mighty pirate queen, Emelia, sat on the edge of the table. We got fairly familiar with each other as the night passed. "Well of course I did! I wouldn''t have eaten 3 whole specials if I didn''t." I gave her a satisfied smile. "I was starting to get worried that we were gonna run out of food. The cook in the back told me that he refused to cook anything else." She showed her pearly white teeth with a comfortable smile. "Haha, you know what? I''ll take another!" I raised my dented wood mug into the air as I looked back towards the door to the kitchen with a smug look. "NO!" *Crash* I heard a wild cry from the back. "PLEASE NO!" *Crash* *Thud* There was a serious racket coming from the kitchen until I saw a middle aged man''s head pop out around the corner. "I''m so tired.." He looked at me with desperate eyes. "Pfft-Haha, I was joking man. Come here and let me give you a tip before you leave though." He had already started cleaning up the kitchen earlier so he was about to leave. "A.. tip?" He looked a bit confused. "Here.." I nonchalantly pulled out a gold coin and tossed it to him. "Huh?" As he caught it, he just stared at the coin in disbelief. "Think of it like a bonus reward for all of your effort." I held up my mug and looked over at Emelia. "I will take one last refill though." She gave a little pout. "How are you gonna let him leave but not me?" "Are you not the owner of this place?" I propped my feet up onto the table. "Haha, making money is just good business. Nothing to be guilty of." I set down my mug and put my ID in my pocket. We sat in silence for a moment before she laid back across the table. "Are you alright?" "Of course!" She responded with conviction but her body lacked her previous confidence. "Is there something on your mind?" "Haah.." She thought to herself for a moment before blandly responding. "No.." Everything about her response made me want to leave. My gut told me I''d get wrapped into something troublesome if I stuck around any longer. Finishing my drink, I pulled my feet off the table. "Well, it seems like I''ve gotten too comfortable." I casually tidied my clothes and got ready to leave. "I''ll get out of your hair." But as soon as I went to stand up she pressed her hand on my shoulder. "Could you.. stay a bit longer?" She wore a forced smile as her face lost a bit of color. -She''s scared of something?- It was the last kind of reaction I would have expected. "Is there something you need me for?" She quickly jerked her hand back and sat up. "It''s nothing like that.." "So? Why do you look scared?" I looked her up and down. Her entire demeanor of being a strong willed and untouchable woman from earlier had completely disappeared. She looked like a dog with its tail tucked under it. "I know it''s probably too much to ask for.. but.." She reluctantly glanced over at me. "Can you stay here for just a bit lo-" *Creak* The door to the tavern creaked open making her face completely drain of color. At this point, I had given up on trying to escape whatever trouble was coming. I was more curious about what could make her iron will crumble. -She''s strong physically and mentally, and is the daughter of a ridiculously influential pirate captain..- As the door opened, a tempered aura easily surpassing Lawtons flowed into the room. -Who the..- Chapter 146: Uncomfortable Family Relations Chapter 146: Uncomfortable Family Relations Late Evening - Early Spring : Springarrow City, Elynnor *Creaak* *Tap-step-Tap-step* Walking through the door was a tall and unkempt man. He wore all black clothes covered in holes and wore a fair amount of solid gold jewelry. His beard and hair were black, long and frizzly, and he had a peg leg starting below his ankle. He carried a heavy air of oppression, to the extent that my instinct told me he was strong, extremely strong. He quickly looked around the room as he walked in and locked his eyes on Emelia. "Emelia.." His deep voice filled the room. Emelia was frozen, sitting on the edge of the table with a face devoid of color, seemingly unable to even look at the man. -How can the daughter of a pirate captain fear a pirate..- I knew the situation was more complicated than it seemed, but it piqued my curiosity. "I''m not here for what you think." His face looked angry but his voice sounded oddly caring. Emelia slowly started to ease up. "Then what are you here for.." She nervously looked over at him. "She''s dead... You were right.." His voice sounded cold but had a hint of guilt in it. Emelia''s pale face was instantly washed over with a mix of sadness and suppressed anger. "I told you not to trust that bi*ch but you didn''t listen.." "I know, I... I''m sorry.." His face was covered in guilt. "Do you know.. how many years I suffered because of her?! Do you know what she did to me?!" Tears were slowly coming to her eyes. "Do you remember how many times you came to try and drag me back?!" She was gritting her teeth as she talked. The man''s face darkened a bit as he spoke in a gentle tone. "I don''t have any excuses.." -Ah.. That''s what this is..- Although I was still in the dark on basically the entire situation, I managed to piece together enough to where it made me uncomfortable. To shake off the discomfort, I tried to slip away to the bar to get a drink. As I started refilling my mug though, both Emelia and the man stared at me in confusion. "Just act like I''m not even here." It was clear that I was interrupting their emotional moment. "Haha.. I''m just a bit outside of the realm of humans is all.." I gave an awkward laugh and a vague answer to try and dodge the question. "Sorry.. I was rude." He lowered his head slightly, finally dissipating the oppressive air he carried. "Seeing such a strong man as yourself bow your head so easily, it makes me wonder if you''re really as strong as you seem." I gave him a judging look as I probed him with my aura. Although I was being sneaky, he clearly felt it since he instantly broke out into a cold sweat. There was a short silence before he finally said anything else. "I don''t mean to be rude but do you mind stepping out for a minute? I''d like to talk to Emelia.. privately..." He awkwardly glanced over at Emelia who was nervously standing in the middle of the room. Although not clear by the way he acted, he seemed genuinely scared of me. -I doubt he''ll try anything stupid.- Plus, from what I could tell, he was also quite smart and had impeccable instincts to back it up. I glanced over at Emelia to see what she wanted and she just nodded. "I''ll be out front. Just yell out if you need something." I walked out with a light wave. Walking outside, I looked for a place to sit and found a stool next to the announcement board. -That should work..- As I sat down, Ilios ran up and sat in front of me. A warm smile crept onto my face as the discomfort finally subsided. "Sorry I haven''t played with you since we left Bahamut... I''ll make it up to you, I promise." Time quickly passed as I petted him. "H..hey.. you''re still here.." After about an hour, Emelia peeked her head out. She looked as if she had let out quite a lot of pent up tears. "Did you and your father get everything resolved?" I used my aura to scan the room and saw Adrian refilling his drink with a warm smile on his face. "Y..yeah..." She awkwardly leaned against the open door. "T..thanks for sticking around.." Her cheeks were a bit rosy from crying. "No problem... Well, I''ll leave you two alone now that things have settled. I should be getting back on the road." I stood up and brushed off my clothes. "Ah, about that. You said you were going to the Western Continent right?" She wore a hopeful smile. "We can give you a safe ride across the strait if you need." (The channel between Elynnor and the Western Continent) "Ah, that''s not.." Although I could easily just fly across it and not waste any time, I figured it could be a good chance to learn a bit about the oceans. "Haah, alright." -Pirates are definitely my best bet to learn about it without going into it myself so..- "When are we going?" Chapter 147: A Sprouting Friendship Chapter 147: A Sprouting Friendship Late Morning - Early Spring : Springarrow City, Elynnor Emelia and I continued to talk outside for a while before we ended up going back inside and spending the night socializing with Adrian. Emelia was in high spirits the rest of the night which was a good sight and, although they still had their moments, for the most part they seemed like a normal father and daughter. Adrian was a bit special though, simply put, he was the opposite of the rumors I had heard. From what I could tell, he was a simple minded man that was just living for the fun of it. He constantly wore a smile and cracked jokes with his incredibly contagious laugh. He honestly seemed like a giant teddy bear to me. After his talk with Emelia, he also looked like he had taken a heavy weight off his shoulders which made the rest of the night a good one for him. Although I never asked what their situation was myself, after a dozen or so glasses of booze, they did let out a hint. From what I could tell, it seemed like the woman Emelia hated so much was actually her mother. Neither of them ever revealed why she was killed but I obviously wasn''t going to ask. On top of not wanting to ruin the good mood, something about the topic made me incredibly uncomfortable. Besides that though, the night was great. Once morning rolled around, we finally discussed our plans to leave and stopped drinking. After a couple more hours of casual talk and letting Adrian sober up, people started to flow into the guild to get their morning quests and we left. As we walked out of the guild, I overheard some whispers among the adventurers. "Who is that guy?" It was two female adventurers whispering to each other. "No idea.. but he''s walking in front of the Pirate King.." "He''s kinda cute.." "Y..yeah.. he is.." "I was talking about the demihuman you dumb*ss!" *smack* The sound of the smack echoed through the quiet room. I had to hold back my laugh to not cause a scene. Once we got outside though, Adrian couldn''t help but joke. "Hey, that adventurer girl back there was pretty cute." He turned to Emelia with a sly smile. What are your thoughts about having a stepmother? "Father! She''s younger than me!" Emelia didn''t find it as funny as we did. After joking around a bit more and gathering the attention of everyone around us, we made our way out of the city. "Vice wins that round! He''s 5-0! Who can stop his monstrous streak?!" The distant voice echoed out of the ship. As we got to the part of the beach closest to the ship, Emelia raised a question. "How do we get out to the ship?" Adrian twitched a bit before looking back with a bit of worry. "You don''t remember?" Emelia just looked confused. "Haah.." He walked over and picked her up, princess style. "What are you-" "Hyup!" Bending his knees, he jumped all the way out to the ship and landed on the bow. *Thump* -I guess I should do the same..- *Pshh-fwoosh* Instead of taking the effort to jump, I just picked up Ilios and turned on the thrusters for a second. *Thump* Thankfully the wood that made up the ship was exceptionally sturdy. My landing didn''t seem to break anything but it did rock the ship pretty hard. "Sorry for the hard landing Adrian." "Haha, you''re fine! This baby is made of 500 year old, mana reinforced redwood. Even monsters struggle to even bend its planks." He said it like he was bragging, it was clear that he was proud of it and I honestly couldn''t blame him. The ship, although mostly wood, was covered in beautiful metals, carvings and to my surprise, even artifacts. Although I didn''t know their purpose, there were artifacts just about everywhere that had something for a crewmember to do, like hoist the sails or drop the anchor, so I could at least make some assumptions. -Are they there to reduce the workload of the crew?- *t-t-t-t-t-t-t-tap* The noise of footsteps echoed through the ship. Hearing the people come up from below deck, I quickly moved up to the bridge deck so they wouldn''t see Ilios or I. -Emelia should have the spotlight..- A moment later, a bald man stuck his head up out of the companionway. "Captain is back with the Young Miss!" He cheered out as he sprung above deck. Following behind him, there were around 25 guys and around 5 women of varying ages. -They''re all quite strong but isn''t that too few crew?- The aura coming from the group was quite impressive, most of the crew seemed to be at least S rank if not low nation rank, but the galleon was not small. "We greet the young miss!" The crew all lined up and bowed in front of Emelia on the deck. "Uhm.." She just awkwardly stood there, unsure of what to do until she looked up at me sitting on the railing next to the helm as if to ask for help. In return, I just gave an encouraging smile. -To think it hasn''t even been a day since we first met..- Although I wore a smile then, my gut told me something was going to happen on this trip across the ocean. A strong sense of premonition. -I doubt it''ll be anything I cant handle. Plus..- I looked up at Adrian who was introducing Emelia to the crew with a proud smile. -He''s quite a monster himself..- Chapter 148: An Unreadable Boy Chapter 148: An Unreadable Boy Mid Afternoon - Early Spring : Strait of Western Elynnor "To think the young miss has grown so much!" "You have truly grown into a gem!" "To think you have reached S rank at such a young age. You truly are the captain''s daughter!" Emelia was getting showered in praise by the crew, none of which she knew how to respond to. Emelia looked around for help as a muscular woman walked up from below deck. "Hey, you old farts, back up and give her some space!" Emelia''s face lit up as soon as she saw the woman. "Auntie Lynn!" Darting through the crowd of people, Emelia jumped into Lynns arms. "Haha, to think I was worried that you wouldnt remember me, it seems like that was a needless worry." She gently rubbed Emelia''s head with a motherly smile. How could I possibly forget Auntie Lynn?! She looked up at her with a childish determination. So.. Lynn''s smile turned smug. When did you get a boyfriend? Emelia didn''t understand though. Huh? I.. dont? Lynn twitched a bit at the unexpected response. "So who''s the new kid?" She slowly turned around and looked up at me. "Did you have another kid, captain?" "Hahaha, I was wondering how long it would be before someone noticed him!" Adrian let out a hardy laugh. "Hes a friend I met in Emelia''s tavern." Lynn didn''t believe him at all. "You want us to believe you actually made a friend? And a noble kid, at that." "Very funny Lynn. You''ll come to like him soon as well, don''t worry." He wore a playful but provoking smile. As Lynn looked back at me with a curious look, I just gave a gentle wave. "I guess now that Emelia has had her moment, I can introduce myself." I lightly jumped off the railing down onto the main deck. Most of the crew wore cautious, untrusting looks, but I couldn''t blame them. "My name is Vasilias Whyte, and that good boy up there is Ilios." I pointed up towards Ilios who was sticking his head through the railing. "I can''t say anything about where I''m from, but it''s a pleasure to meet you all." As soon as I finished my introduction, no one moved or said anything. Silence just filled the area until Lynn walked up and set her hand on my shoulder. "Just about everyone here has a sensitive past so don''t worry about it. The only thing that determines how you''re treated here is your strength!" She wore a friendly smile. "How do you all test each other''s strength? Do you just fight it out? I originally planned to peacefully ride across and learn about the ocean, but by the looks of the crew, learning anything from them would be difficult. "Haha, we are pirates not barbarians! We determine strength with arm wrestling! It helps keep the damage to a minimum when some of the crew members are well into the nation rank." -I guess that''s a decent idea, but mages are at a total disadvantage..- As I looked around though, not a single crewmember looked even remotely like a mage. Seeing me look over the crowd, she tried to encourage me a bit. You don''t have to beat everyone to get the crew''s recognition, you just need to do the best you can! -Hmm..- I wanted to try it but at the same time didn''t want to make a scene. -If I hold back a tad it should be fine..- "Well, in that case, I''ll give it a try." I wore a relaxed smile. But it seems the crew just got provoked by my relaxation. "I noble brat dares to be so arrogant on this ship?! Grabbing everyone''s attention, a random crewmember stood up and pointed at me. I''ll be the one to test and challenge you!" -Who does this guy think he is?- Him provoking me definitely fired me up though. As I got ready to respond, Lynn whispered to me. "His name is Vice, hes currently one of the strongest crewmembers besides me and Adrian so don''t feel bad about yourself and just decline his challenge. If you don''t think you can challenge anyone, don''t worry and just relax. I''ll at least make it so you aren''t bothered too much.." She seemed genuinely worried for me. Her worry went unregarded though. He piqued my interest too quickly. "Haha, don''t worry. I''m more than enough to deal with some delusional pirate." You little.. Vice showed clear and visible anger as he walked back below deck with me following behind him. Back above deck, Adrian looked over at Lynn with a playful look. "If you want to see something hilarious, you should come below deck." "25 gold on Vice." "20 gold on Vice." "23 gold on Vice." One after another, the crew continued betting huge on Vice. I couldn''t believe it. -Are they insane?- Among the crew, I had been around Adrian for the longest by far. He was someone I grew up with and was constantly around, but I had never seen him so genuinely confident in someone winning. -And the crew is going against that confidence?- I couldn''t help but watch the scene in disbelief as everyone threw entire pouches of gold next to the table. "What''s your vote, Master?" My (26-year-old) apprentice, Mary, was waiting for my vote. I leaned down and whispered so no one could hear. "Put every penny you have on Vasilias, this is a chance to win big." She seemed a bit taken aback before walking up and dropping her pouch down. "353 gold on Vasilias." Everyone in the room paused and stared at us with greedy smiles, but I didn''t care. "2 platinum on Vasilias." I tossed my ID into the pile. I was one of the few crewmembers that used bank artifacts since I didn''t like carrying coins. "So what''s the final bet tally?" Vasilias looked a bit curious, but his confidence didn''t fade at all, and he wasn''t the slightest bit nervous. -How rich must you be to look at the pile of coins totally unfazed..- Vice looked back over at Vasilias with a greedy smile. "Should be 13:4, me." It was a bet with thousands of gold on the line, and the crew simply didn''t think it was unusual. "Haha, to think I''m going to make so many people go broke in one sweep." Vasilias looked over the crew with an unreadable look. Vice didn''t notice it as he set his elbow down on the table and got ready. "Don''t cry if your hand is broken after this, kid." Vasilias didn''t even respond to him, he just rolled up his sleeves revealing an extremely toned forearm, and grabbed onto Vices hand. -And here I was thinking he was just a noble pretty boy.. even his form is pretty good..- As they both got ready, Phil finally walked up to the table. He was the crewmate in charge of bet distribution and finances on the ship. Simply put, he was the best with numbers among any of us there. On top of being the accountant, he was also the judge for things like this. "Okay, are you both ready?" He lightly set his hand over theirs to make sure they weren''t starting before the countdown. "Alright. 3.. 2.. 1.. Go!" *Crrreeeaakkkkk* The creaking of the boat echoed through the silent room as people couldn''t believe their eyes. Vice''s face was steadily getting more red as veins started bulging out of his forearm. Vasilias, on the other hand, seemed completely relaxed. -What a monster..- He withheld Vice''s full strength totally casually. The entire crew watched them in silence and awe. Vice couldn''t believe it either. "That''s.. impossib-" *pop-Crack* Chapter 149: A Tense Crew Chapter 149: A Tense Crew Late Afternoon - Early Spring : Strait of Western Elynnor Vice''s face was red as a strawberry, it looked like he was gonna pop a blood vessel. -Man, hes really putting his all into this..- "That''s.. impossib-" *pop* His wrist popped as I felt his hand go limp. -That''s unfortunate.- *Crack-creaak* His hand cracked and the ship rocked as I slammed it into the table. -Whoops.. I definitely broke his hand with that..- "AARGGH.." His groan echoed through the silent room. -That was a bit underwhelming..- Although he was stronger than I expected, I couldn''t help but be underwhelmed. "Well, while I''m here? Anyone else wanna give it a try?" As I scanned the room, everyone wore looks of disbelief or fear, the only exception being Adrian who wore a wide smile. "You want to give it a try, Adrian?" I was quite curious to see his strength first hand. "Haha, I think I''ll pass. Although I''d love to challenge you, I think the ship would give out before the victor is decided." He pointed towards the massive peg that was acting like a table -Hm?- As I looked down, I noticed an indentation from my elbow and a small crack that formed where I slammed Vice''s hand down. -Oh.. whoops.. I tried to hold back but still ended up damaging it..- "Well, that''s a shame. I was looking forward to seeing how strong you were.." I was genuinely disappointed. "Haha, well, if we come across any sea monsters I''ll give you a good show, how about that? A smile quickly formed on my face. Haha, I''ll look forward to it! Well, if there aren''t any other challengers, how about Phil distributes the winnings?" I quickly realized Adrian''s wide smile was from winning the bet. "R..right.." Phil nervously walked up to the table and started sorting through the coins. *chink-chink* The noise of coins being moved around filled the silence. No one moved, and no one talked. -Are these guys antisocial or something?- Adrian also quickly noticed the awkward atmosphere. "What''s with the tense atmosphere guys? Just because most of you lost all your money doesn''t mean you can''t get it back." "Cap.. we can''t win against him... Even Vice got folded by him." The bald pirate from earlier spoke up in a halfhearted manner. "Who said you needed to fight him?" He quickly caught everyone''s attention. "Boys! We are setting sail for southern Nerrania and the top 5 crew that give the best performance on this voyage will get a ''special bonus''." He wore a confident smile. Although I didn''t know what that bonus was, the crew seemed to have an idea. "Top 5?!"elias face immediately flushed red. "That''s-" As I was walking towards the stairs above deck, I gave a light wave. "Just think of it as payment for hospitality." -I shouldn''t create any misunderstandings with things like that..- Above deck, the crew were all hard at work, dropping the sails and pulling up the anchor. To my surprise though, none of them were using any of the various artifacts that were built into the ship. -Are they not there to ease the workload on the crew?- To ease my curiosity, I walked up to a crewmember who was hastily tying off the rigging to the railing. "Sir, sorry if I''m bothering you, but what are all of those artifacts for?" "Hm?" Not expecting a voice, he paused what he was doing and glanced back at me. "Ah. You mean these?" He reached over and tapped the artifact on the peg he was tying the rope to. "Well, yeah. I''d assume they all have different purposes though, right?" Although several were on rigging pegs, those weren''t the only ones. "Haha, yeah. They each have their own use, but most of them are simple strengthening artifacts, they''re part of the reason why the ship is so sturdy!" He puffed up his chest as he bragged about the ship''s strength for a moment. "So what are the other uses?" "Well, these here.. on the pegs, have a fancy new rune that has come around recently called a tension rune!" He seemed proud of his knowledge. "Basically what it does is make things shrink in length but get fatter. It''s great for the pegs since the rune makes the rope tighter and that tighter knot that is needed to hold the mast steady!" In short, unlike how a strengthening rune increases the strength of crystalline bonds, the tension rune strengthens things with elasticity. -How fascinating..- "Can tension runes snap the rope if it gets too tight?" It looked like I popped his bubble of confidence with my question. "Well, I don''t quite know all of the details yet, but Lynn should be able to give you some insight. At the very least, we have only had ropes snap to monsters yankin on em so far." "How would monsters be able to yank on these ropes?" For a second I forgot about all of Mothers warnings about the oceans. I had somehow forgotten the horror stories about monsters the size of mountains existing. "Well, some of the bigger creatures like octopus or krakens will sometimes reach up on board and if a rope is in the way, it''ll snap." He turned around and finished tying off the rope before tapping the artifact making it give off a faint glow. "Theres nothing to worry about on this ship though, so don''t worry! You''re perfectly safe here." He showed a confident smile with his few missing teeth. "Haha, it''s reassuring to see your confidence." "I''m glad I could give you some reassurance. He quickly glanced over at another crewmate who was calling him over. Well, I should get back to work so we can get going. Be sure to ask Lynn or Cap if you are curious about anything specific, they''re both real smart." "Alright, thanks for your help!" "Anytime!" He happily ran across the deck and talked to another crewmember before tying more rigging to a different spot again. -Maybe my impression wasn''t as bad as I thought..- Continuing around the deck, I carefully observed everyone''s actions and asked a few other crewmates some questions I had. After a while of asking around and chatting with the crew, I saw Adrian finally came up from below deck but unlike when I saw him earlier though, he seemed to be in a bad mood. -Did something happen?- Quickly wrapping up my conversation with one of the crew, I made my way up to the bridge deck. "What''s wrong, Adrian?" Chapter 150: The Abyss Called The Ocean Chapter 150: The Abyss Called The Ocean Early Evening - Early Spring : Strait of Western Elynnor "What''s wrong, Adrian?" "Ah, it''s nothing major, just an inconvenience popping up." He was deep in thought as he reached up and turned the helm. We immediately started moving and steadily picked up the pace until we were faster than what the wind should''ve allowed. -Does this thing have a motor or something?- "So, Vasilias." Once we were heading away from shore, he tapped an artifact on the helm that locked it in place. "I know we said we would get you there safely, but an unexpected variable popped up." -If it''s a major slow down, I can just fly the rest of the way..- "What happened?" "We''ve gotten word that a few big monsters have popped up in the strait and they''re all mid to high nation rank so we might run into trouble on this trip." His face showed both worry and disappointment. -That''s it?- "That''s fine. If it really comes to it, I can just kill it myself." I motioned my hand to tell him not to stress. He looked a bit shocked before the worry returned to his face, clearly not believing my confidence. "I don''t feel like I''m in a place to be able to assume your strength, but without a weapon of some kind, it will be hard to even reach them." On top of making a good point, he reminded me of something I had needed to do for a while. -I need to stop procrastinating with that..- Although I was confident I could beat nearly anything in my humanoid form, it was also true that I still could get killed if I got caught in a bad situation. Not having a weapon just increases the chance of that situation happening. -Its not like Im invincible..- -I should make one here soon..- "I have my ways, just don''t stress over it." There was a short pause before I asked a question that weighed on my mind. "By the way, how is the ship going so fast? Does it have a propeller?" "A propeller?" He just looked confused. "Do you mean a gust artifact? It''s an artifact that uses wind magic to blow wind into the sails even if we are going against the wind, it''s extremely expensive but a major time saver." He pointed up to a fairly large blue orb on the central mast. -Ah, there''s one on each sail.- Although I barely felt it with my aura, the artifact also redirected the wind in front of the sails to lessen the wind resistance. -So that''s why we can sail into the wind..- "What other gimmicks do you guys use?" I asked simply out of curiosity, but it spiraled in a conversation lasting a few hours. Once night rolled around, Adrian and the rest of the crew went to sleep, leaving just a few guys on the upper deck watching over things. With things calming down, I walked out onto the jib of the ship and laid down. It was incredibly relaxing to listen to the ship slice through waves while looking at the night sky, but I decided it was best to go ahead and start making my new weapon. Although I originally planned on just making a temporary greatsword that I could break or destroy, I ended up getting lost in the process and went all out. As the night progressed, I continually made prototypes before testing on them and throwing them into the ocean. -I wonder if anyone will ever find one of those blades..- After several more hours of testing and dozens of prototypes later, I found something I was proud to say I made. It was truly a work of art. Figuring they were going to have a private talk, I vanished from where I was and moved up to the crows nest with Ilios following suit. -What the.. no one''s up here?- I had expected someone to be on look out, but the crow''s nest was empty. *creaaakkk* The boards in the crowsnest creaked under the weight of my sword. -Well.. I guess even if anyone was up here they wouldn''t be able to see anything anyways.- At night, the sea was a void-like abyss even when the moon was out. Normal people would only be able to see the white foam from waves at best. -Well, thankfully I can see fine..- To me, the ocean was well lit by both the moon and the stars in the sky. The reflection of the sky even made the ocean look like a sea of stars, but I still knew that under the water was a bottomless abyss. "I wonder what creatures are down there.." As I thought about it, a chill went down my spine. Although I hated to admit it, Mothers outlandish stories of the ocean were becoming more believable the more I talked to the pirates. "Haah.." I quickly calmed my lingering anxiety. -In any case, just like space, the ocean isn''t something to be feared..- It was a vast abyss, but just like space or the void, it had a unique beauty. As I thought to myself and lightly petted Ilios, I noticed something on the horizon. -Ships?- Towards the horizon was a group of 3 large ships, but I couldn''t make out any details. -I should probably tell Adrian regardless..- Sliding down a rigging, I made it back onto the deck. "Sorry for running you off, I didn''t mean to." Adrian motioned to see if I wanted an apple but I denied it. "You''re fine, besides that though, I was just up in the crows nest and saw a group of 3 ships on the horizon coming our way. Is that anything you know of?" "N..no. If it''s 3 ships, it''s probably some big merchant convoy." A distressed look came to his face. "But why would a merchant convoy be this far out.." "Are we not on a trade route?" "No, we are a few hundred kilometers south. We made a pact with Elynnor that we would leave the merchants on that route alone but if they''re this far south we could rob it.." He was deep in thought. "Although I''m not suited to give an opinion, it does seem a bit suspicious." Something about the situation sounded off to me. "Could it maybe be a group to subjugate the sea monsters before they reach the trade route?" "You might be right, but even they don''t normally go this far south.." He pinched the bridge of his nose as he fell deep into thought. *step-step-step-step* -Hm?- Looking towards the noise, I saw Lynn slowly walking above deck while rubbing her eyes. "Uwaahhh.." She lethargically looked around before finding us. "What are you guys doing up?" Chapter 151: Just Like Old Times Chapter 151: Just Like Old Times Late Evening - Early Spring : Strait of Western Elynnor "What are you guys doing up?" Lynn casually walked up once she saw us. "Well I got up to watch over the ship since we are getting close to the pocket, but Vasilias said he saw 3 ships towards the horizon from the crows nest." "What, are you sure they were ships and not just your eyes playing tricks on you in the dark?" She didn''t seem to believe me. I couldn''t blame her though. "Yeah, two big ones with a smaller one in the middle." "Could it be 2 merchant ships and an escort?" Adrian took over as he leaned up against the railing. "We think it''s either that or a subjugation team." "Whatever it is, I think we should check it out. If it''s merchants, we rob them, if it''s a subjugation team, we just leave. It''s not like they''d be able to catch us if we run either way." Adrian slowly turned to me. "Vasilias, how far out were they? Could you tell?" "Probably 40 or 50 kilometers." "Damn, okay. We need to get moving then. Lynn, go wake up the rest of the crew and kill the lights." A wild grin spread on his face as he turned towards the horizon. "Let''s see if we can get paid early!" Within the next few minutes, every light on deck was turned off and all the crew were up and getting ready. The ship was wrapped in a shroud of silence as soon as the lights went off. Everyone on board started to move around like ghosts, silencing their footsteps and not talking at all, but they all wore the same ominous, excited smile. As time passed, the ships proceeded to get closer until their well lit decks came into view. "The two big ones are definitely merchant ships, but that small one definitely isn''t an escort.." Adrian was whispering to Emelia as he stood at the helm. "So what''s the plan?" Emelia anxiously gripped the handle of her sheathed sword. "Well since theyre merchant ships, we will take it from whoever has control of them, mercenary group, or pirates." A greedy smile appeared on his face. "Are you gonna join the fight Emelia?" She had changed into combat gear with the rest of the crew, but I couldn''t help but notice her nervousness. "Y..yeah. I feel like if I want to stay here, I should pull my weight.." She was slightly shaky. Adrian rolled his eyes when he heard her. "You already know that''s unnecessary. Not all the crew participate in robberies anyways so you not attacking isn''t a big deal." His words didnt fade her nervousness at all. "But they have at least all killed someone, and wouldn''t hesitate if they needed to.." -Oh.. she''s nervous about killing..- It wasn''t a subject I could truly sympathize with since, as a dragon, killing a human felt about the same as killing a fish, but I could at least understand her struggle. -If she needs an extra push, I can influence her with my aura.- Just.. don''t push yourself too hard.. Adrian wore a fatherly worry as he comforted her. A few minutes after that, we started getting close and somehow, the people on the enemy ships either couldn''t see us, or just didn''t notice us. -To be fair, this ship blends in with the darkness ridiculously well..- *Tap* Adrian tapped the railing by the helm and everyone on board nodded in unison. *Tap-Tap* I swiftly dodged all of their attacks while taking my time to enjoy the fight. *Clang-Clink-Clang* The methodical ring of blades colliding filled the air like music. *Shink-Clank-Clang-Shink* Under the barrage of attacks, I couldn''t help but slaughter two of the pirates. You slick bi*ch! The other armored knight in the group charged at me with his greatsword. Heyyy, that''s rude. As he swung at me, I moved over and cleanly cut off his hands. The blade flew over me and sliced through the pirate behind me. *Crunch* His bones shattered under the weight of the greatsword. The knight looked from his hands to the pirate with a fear filled, pale face. Wow, to think you''d attack your comrade. What a shameful man. I gave a joking smile as I swiftly swung up and cut him in half. -It feels good to be back..- Glancing over at Adrian, I saw him grab the last knight from his group by the collar and throw them overboard. -Pfft..- I nearly burst out laughing seeing how easily Adrian threw him. "Maybe it''s time I wrap things up as well." I gave the man behind me a smile that struck fear into him. AHHHH! He blindly charged at me as he was washed over with fear. I casually ducked under his blade and went into a hand stand, kicking his weapon out of his hand in the process. *Clink* *Shing* As he lost his balance and fell on me, I jumped out of my hand stand and cleanly sliced him in half. "It was fun guys!" I casually stood there and looked over the group of sliced and slaughtered bodies. Looking towards Adrian, I saw him rinsing off his hands in a water barrel and walked up to clean off with him. "Should we help the others?" I glanced towards the other merchant ship while cleaning the blood off my blades. "No, they''ll be fine. We should look for their leader in the meantime." "Well.. if he isn''t on the merchant ships, wouldn''t that just leave the 3rd ship?" Adrians face paled slightly as he heard me. "Wait, where''s the third ship?!" He instantly darted to the railing in a panic, finally noticing the third ship wasn''t where it used to be. I hastily jumped up to a lower mast and looked around, the issue was that it was such a dark night. -Where is it.. Where is it?!- "Looking for me?!" A voice boomed out from the darkness in front of us. As soon as I looked towards the voice, I saw the outline of a ship that was broadsided with ours. My heart sank as I saw several small orange glows in the darkness. It was the glow of cannon wicks burning. Looking back at our ship which was about to be bombarded, I saw someone still casually sitting on the railing. -Vasilias!- "NOOO!" *B-B-B-B-B-B-BOOOM* Chapter 152: Beyond The Realm of Humans Chapter 152: Beyond The Realm of Humans Late Evening - Early Spring : Strait of Western Elynnor - Vasilias (Back several minutes) ~ *clink-clang-cl-clang-Shing* There was a methodical and music-like rhythm of swords clashing that filled the air. All the pirates fought separately but it sounded as if they fought as one. -Its truly beautiful, but.. where did Emelia go?- I planned to watch her fight and help if she needed it but when I looked over the deck to watch, I didn''t see her anywhere. -Did she go below deck or something?- After looking over the deck a bit longer, I figured she was probably fine and turned back to watch Adrian and Lynns fights. -They''re both quite something.. aren''t they..- Lynn''s bladesmanship was absolutely beautiful to watch. Instead of looking like a martial art, it looked closer to a dance or a performance. Adrian on the other hand simply fought like a monster. The people he was against, although quite strong, stood no chance. "Aah.. AAAHHHHH!" A gut-wrenching scream rang out as Adrian grabbed a knight by the stomach. His fingers cleanly punched through the armor and into the knight''s abdomen, ripping and cutting apart his organs. The other knights and pirates did not idle by either. They all charged at him together but it was simply useless. *Ding-Crunch* The sound of a knight helmet ringing against the ground as his head went flying off echoed through the night. -Its just a slaughter..- Just as the fight started, it was already finished. Adrians crew had managed to take over both merchant ships with no casualties and only a couple minor injuries. There was still one clear issue though. -Where is Emelia? Did she get captured on that third ship or something?- I glanced to my side and saw the smaller pirate ship moving through the darkness next to me. People on its deck were bustling around but I didn''t see anything that could signify they had a hostage. -She''s probably just below deck..- The instant I turned and looked back over the ships though, I saw blood dripping onto the sails out the corner of my eye. -What the..- Looking up towards the crowsnest, I saw a few brutally sliced open bodies lining the railing and a blood covered woman standing next to a young child in the middle. -What the hell happened?- It was clearly Emelia, but the more I thought back to her nervousness from earlier, the less sense it made. Before I could properly think it through though, my thoughts were interrupted. "Looking for me?!" A booming voice radiated from the ship in the darkness. "Tch.." Something about his voice immediately annoyed me. "NOOO!" Lynns scream rang out across the ship. *B-B-B-B-B-B-BOOOM* Before the noise from the explosions even reached my ears, I felt a barrage of cannon balls enter my aura. Most were simply flying into the ship, but there were two not with the group, one aiming for me and one for Ilios. -YOU DARE!- Whipping around, I shot the one going for Ilios with a steel marble, blowing it apart before vaporizing it with a thruster. *CRACK-FWOOOOSH* *Cr-cr-cr-cr-cr-cr-Crunch* The next thing I saw after the cannons fired was a bright flash and Vasilias appearing several meters across the deck. I didn''t know what to feel. -How did he get there..- "To think you''d aim for Ilios.." Vasilias''s distant and quiet voice echoed through the silence that filled the air. I watched as Vasilias winded up as if to throw something when I saw a dimly glowing cannonball in his hand. -HE CAUGHT THAT?!- *Crack* My thoughts were interrupted as he threw the cannonball faster than I could catch a glimpse of. *Diiiinnng* A distant ring filled the night as a massive cannon was thrown across the deck of the enemy ship, plowing its way through an unlucky man in its way. I couldn''t help but wince seeing the man turn into a cloud of blood. No one could do anything but stare, including Adrian until a voice shot out from the darkness. "You seem quite strong, kid! How about we fight?" The voice sounded familiar. -It can''t be..- Looking up to the ship''s crows nest, I saw an, all too familiar, insignia. A deep and visceral anger welled within me as I gripped my blades. -Im gonna kill that f*cker today..- As I got ready to run over and jump on his ship, I was stopped by Adrian. "What.. why?" It wasn''t until I looked up at him that I noticed his pale face. "Just watch.. I have a grudge against him just like you, but this is an opportunity to see a level of strength beyond the realm of humans.." His voice was slightly fearful. -What is he..- It was at that instant that I felt a sense of oppression unlike anything I had ever thought possible. It was such a dense aura it made me want to vomit. Looking towards the source, I saw Vasilias standing there and slowly reaching back for his sword. "Sure, but you wont even know how you die." His voice carried a deadly confidence that struck a deep fear in me. "A mere demihuman boy dares to be so confident?!" Although I heard that wrenched voice again, my anger and rage were instantly squashed. "You seriously thi-" The next thing I knew, I saw Vasilias standing on an ice platform with a white, glowing sword. *CRRRAAACKCKKKK-CRUUNNCHHH* I couldn''t hear anything, I simply felt a shock wave pass through my body and watched my vision blur. *Thud* *Gasp* I fell to the deck and gasped for breath as the shockwave blew the air out of my lungs and made my body feel weak. I could only see the blurred wooden deck of the merchant ship and couldn''t hear anything over a deafening ring in my ears. There wasn''t a chance for a coherent thought to come to my mind before I started to feel light headed and fell to the side. I could vaguely make out what looked like others laying on the deck before my eyelids started feeling heavier. -What.. ha..ppened..- Chapter 153: An Odd Instinct Chapter 153: An Odd Instinct Early Morning - Early Spring : Strait of Western Elynnor *Crackle* The noise of ice cracking filled the night as I watched the pirate ship sink into the deep. Turning back to Adrians ship, I saw several holes in the side with a few letting in water. -Ill at least fix the urgent ones..- Using Ice magic to raise the ship out of the water, I used my aura to find and reposition the splinters of wood from the holes and patch them up. (like how he repaired broken bones.) -That should be good..- "Hey Ilios, you alright?" Once I finished, I looked up to see Ilios''s smiling face poking between the railing. "Woof!" He was wearing his familiar and characteristic smile. Phew.. A mix of relief and joy filled my body, but I had a lingering uneasiness. -Its too quiet..- Once the ice quieted down, there was simply no noise at all, neither the voices of people on the merchant ships nor the waves of the ocean. The ocean had turned glassy. -Is that a phenomenon caused by the shockwave?- After thinking about it for a second and not figuring anything out, I tossed away the thought and hopped up onto Adrians ship. I slowly squatted down to pet Ilios. Hey, buddy. Sorry if I made you wo- My words were cut off as I felt a massive conglomeration of uncontrolled auras coming from the merchant ships. -What the..- Quickly standing back up, I darted up to the bow and overlooked the merchant ships. The decks were covered with unconscious bodies, both dead and alive. -Sh*t.. I forgot to muffle the shockwave.- It was a gruesome scene that would make any human feel a deep shame or guilt, but I felt indifferent to most of them. As I hopped onto the merchant ship, I quickly ran over to Adrian who was on his hands and knees with a pale face. "Are you alright Adrian?" He didn''t move at all, as if he couldn''t hear me. -Well that''s not good..- Spreading out my aura once again, I did a low detail scan of everyone''s bodies. Of the several dozen people on the ship, over half were dead, but none of them were apart of Adrians crew. Although some of the crew had stab wounds or cuts, they were all alive and their lives werent threatened, that didnt mean I was going to just leave them be though. Including Adrian, everyone had damaged retinas and had muscles all around their body that were ripped apart, with only the weaker or unluckier ones having concussions. -But.. to think none of their eardrums ruptured..- It wasn''t till I looked closer that I noticed why. -How fascinating..- They all had accumulations of mana in their ears that they subconsciously used to lock their eardrums in place. This made them temporarily deaf, but once the mana dissipated they would be able to hear like normal. -To think they all did it too.. is it a part of human instinct in this world?- Quickly snapping out of my thoughts, I turned back to Adrian. -Right.. Ill have time to think about it after I treat everyone.- I lightly set my hand on the back of Adrians head. -You first..- "Huh?" Adrian mumbled in a lethargic voice. "Sorry Adrian, but you don''t want to be awake for this.." A bit of relief and thankfulness filled me. -To think my strength didnt discourage him..- We continued to idly talk after that until Adrians muscle soreness faded so he could walk again. As soon as he was able to get up, he headed straight to the captain''s cabin to look through information about the merchants. -How has no one else woken up though..- As I sat on the railing overlooking the ocean, time steadily passed, and people finally started waking up. After a few hours, Emelia and Lynn finally woke up but neither of them could move much. "Ughh.." Emelia forced herself to sit up against the side of the ship. "Is this... Where is this?" Seeing she woke up, I quickly made my way over to her. "Do you remember anything?" She held her head with her hand like it was hurting her. "It''s a little fuzzy.." "You probably have a tension headache so don''t try to move much. Just lay down and relax." With one hand, I casually made a makeshift ice pack. "Just lay this on your head or anywhere hurting, it should help a bit." She looked a bit confused before reluctantly setting it on her forehead. "Will this really help?" "Yeah, just try to lay down and relax.." I carefully moved her away from the edge of the ship and laid her down again. Right as I was about to set her down, she jolted her head to the side. "Oh right-Ackk!" She gripped her head as her headache worsened. "I told you to relax.. What made you jolt like that?" "That little girl, where is she?" Her face looked panicked. I moved to the side and pointed right behind me. "She''s right here, and she isn''t hurt so don''t worry." She didn''t seem to believe me though. "If she''s fine, why is she laying down like she''s dead.." She glanced around at how I had people lined up while laying down on the deck. "I lined them up like that when I treated them, everyone on the deck is alive so stop panicking.." As I laid her back down and repositioned the ice pack, I waved Adrian over to let him and Emelia talk. As I got ready to walk away though, I was stopped. "Vasilias.." She hesitated and turned her head away from me. "T..thank you.." Seeing Adrian get close, I decided to let them have a moment to themselves. "No worries. If you need anything just let me know." As I walked away, I headed up to the bow and looked over the ocean. It was still unnaturally calm without as much as a ripple being seen in the water around us. The scene made me feel a deep unease. -Just let my instinct be wrong for once..- Chapter 154: A Horrible Feeling Chapter 154: A Horrible Feeling Mid Afternoon - Early Spring : Strait of Western Elynnor It had been several hours since Emelia got up and at this point, pretty much all of the crew had awoken. Everyone on deck was bustling around organizing and collecting all of the treasure from the merchant ships as well as giving some temporary repairs to our ship as well. "Captain, these merchant ships were loaded! It''s our lucky day!" The crew all wore smiles of limitless excitement as they carried gold and artifacts up from below deck, barrels at a time. "Haha! As a reward for everyone''s hard work, each of you will get half of a barrel of your choosing! If there are any conflicts, you know what to do!" Adrian was enjoying the moment as well, but after a few more hours, that excitement turned to anxiety. "Quit lollygagging everyone! We need to get going!" We had been sitting in the same spot for several hours at this point, and to make it worse, we were right over the pocket where the sea monsters were spotted. -Im sure we''ll be fine..- I tried to shake off the bad feeling I felt in any way possible. Before that feeling could disappear though, I felt 3 distinct, slow and creature-like rumbles shake the entire ship. *Wooom* *Wooom* *Wooom* Everyone on deck froze the instant they felt it but Adrian quickly yelled out orders. "EVERYONE GET BACK TO THE SHIP! NOW!" With the rumbles stirring my anxiety back up, I hurriedly jumped back to our ship with the overly calm crew. "Dammit, we only had a few barrels left.." "Right? It''s a shame we all passed out, it ran our clock down." "We got mostly everything though, right? I think the only barrels left were food, tools and weapons so we should be fine." "Yeah, hopefully. It''d be a shame if we missed a barrel of gold." "I got my half barrel so even if we missed one, I''m still happy." "True, true." They were all incredibly casual as they walked across the deck, but Adrian and Lynn both darted to the helm as soon as they landed. To try and see what the fuss was all about, I followed them up as well. "What are you lazy bast*rds doing?! We need to get moving!" There was a mix of anxiety and anger in Adrians voice as he yelled at the crew. They all instantly started running around, tying off riggings and getting us moving. As they all bustled around the deck, I turned to Lynn and tried to ease my curiosity. "What was that noise?" She looked a bit shocked hearing me ask. "That was a ''warning'' of sorts from a pretty big Colossal Crab." "What? A crab?" -Why would we need to fear a crab as a huge ship..- Although my logic told me to not worry, Lynn and Adrians looks made me feel otherwise. -It really is an actual dragon..- Unlike what I expected, it wasn''t a halfie. -Is that.. an ancient?- Unlike most of the dragons I had seen, this one was extremely sleek and had 4 wings, 2 large ones in the front and 2 more smaller ones behind it. -How beautiful..- As I stared and admired the majesty and beauty of the massive dragon, its eyes moved from a chunk of meat in the air to me. My positive feelings were erased as its stare pierced directly into my soul. Its stare alone felt so suffocating I struggled to breathe or think of anything. "Found you." It was a gentle and enchanting female voice with faint hostility. It sent a chill down my spine but before my thoughts could settle, the dragon dove back into the water. *Splasshh* "What a beautiful sight.." Adrian was totally calm, seemingly enjoying the moment. Lynn wasnt any different. "Was that really a real one?" Her face was covered in a childish awe. "Yeah.. just look at its destructive power.. it must be." As they casually talked, I was frozen by the railing, watching a massive dark spot quickly get closer and closer. A deep and instinctual fear filled me as the dark spot got close enough for me to feel it''s unfathomable aura. "W..what is.." Both Lynn and Adrian collapsed to the ground as they felt it. *Splash-Fwooosh* Hearing a splash, I snapped out of my thoughts to see a massive tail smash through the railing and into my chest. Ack! *Fwoosh* I was completely launched off the ship and into the water. As the sensation of sinking into the water filled my mind, my instinct for survival kicked in and I changed to my dragon form. -I NEED TO RUN.- Right as I transformed and thinned my reserve though, something grabbed my tail. "To be so strong when you''re so young.." Looking behind myself, I saw the ancient tightly gripping my tail. The dragon''s mind bending beauty was beyond anything I thought possible, but its strength struck a deep fear in me. The fear of being powerless. "Calm down kid, I''m not here to kill you." Her gentle voice reminded me of Mothers, but my instinct didn''t care who it reminded me of. My mind wanted to flee, not from the dragon, but from the awful feeling of being weak. The instant I tried to move though, the dragon just tightened her grip. "I''m here to make a deal." Her words quickly pierced through my instinct and into my consciousness before filling my mind with a deep and distracting confusion. -W..wh..what?- Chapter 155: A Horrible Sensation Chapter 155: A Horrible Sensation Early Evening - Late Spring : Strait of Western Elynnor "I''m here to make a deal." Piercing straight through my instinct, her words filled my mind with a deep and distracting confusion. -W..wh..what?- I stared at the ancient with a look of bewilderment. Seeing me stop fighting back, she slowly let go of my tail. "Sorry if I scared you. I got a bit excited after finally finding you." It was as if my brain was stun locked. I simply didn''t know what to say. "W..why were you looking for me?" As much as I hated to admit it, I was plainly inferior to such an overpowering and domineering dragon. The difference in our strength was so vast that I wasn''t sure if even nuclear would work. -What could she possible need me for..- "Before I can get to that, let me do something." Quickly closing her eyes, she started moving a disgusting amount of mana to create a brutally inefficient space rune. It looked like she tried to copy one of the space runes left by Bahamut through pure brute force. -She wants to isolate us?- Although the rune she was making was extremely crude, it did indeed create space mana, just instead of making a gate, it made a cloud that just warped our surroundings. "Here, let me do it.." Finally snapping out of my mental stun, I dissipated her rune and created a gate, just instead of sending us to the void, I kept us inside the gate. "How did you.." She looked around in awe as our surroundings vanished into a pure darkness. "Hooh.." I took a deep breath to calm my nerves before I spoke. "If you wanted to kill me, Id already be dead so..." "R..right. An old friend sent me to make a deal with you." She turned to me with a determined look. "Why didn''t your friend come themselves?" -And who is that friend to be able to send you?- I was already skeptical. "Well, it''s not that simple... In any case, let''s get down to business." Her face quickly became serious. "I need you to kill someone." There was a short and painful silence that wrapped around us. "Excuse me?" "I know it sounds crazy, but my friend said it was someone that threatened her life that even I can''t kill." The desperateness and worry in her voice felt genuine but it just threw me off. -If its someone that even you can''t kill.. then the f*ck am I supposed to do?- "You must be mixing me up with someone else. I''d be killed by you in a heartbeat, let alone someone even stronger." "Well, I felt the same but after seeing you in person, I''m starting to think it''s possible. Youre fundamentally different after all." -What... How does she..- Questions ran through my mind, one after another, but I couldn''t think of an answer for any of them. Before I could finish thinking, she opened her mouth and pulled out a weird looking purple sphere with trillions of black, moving tubes inside of it. -A hypersphere?!- It instantly reminded me of the tesseract I saw when I first reincarnated. The color, and design on its shell was the exact same. As I was staring at it, she casually threw out another bombshell. "The fact you recognize this is proof that you''re the person she told me to look for." The instant I realized what she said, I felt a shock of electricity course through my body. -The only people that know about that are Mother and Father..- "The man you need to kill is named Magni. I don''t know too much about him either, but you''ll know him when you meet him." -God.. I wish she''d stop throwing up red flags..- Under no circumstances was this a deal I should take. The request was too outlandish and vague, and the contractor was someone who knew far too much about me. -But I really need that artifact..- As I eyeballed the hypersphere, I tried to clarify something. "So.. that artifact.." Even today, I can vividly remember the feeling of powerlessness mix with the feeling of sinking into the ocean.. What a horrible combination that was.. Once I finally woke up, I could only feel cold, dry sand beneath me. -Huh.. w..where am I..- Looking around, I noticed I was laying next to Ilios in some kind of underwater bubble, but even though there wasn''t any light, I could see extremely clearly. -So my thoughts have sped up, and my vision got better..- I was quick to notice the two obvious changes, but I didn''t take the time to think much about it. There was something much more urgent weighing on my mind. -How long has it been?- Normally, my internal clock (instinct) would tell me how long it had been even if I was in a dragon sleep, but this time, I was completely in the dark. -Sitting here and thinking about it wont do me any good though..- As I slowly sat up, I accidentally woke up Ilios. *lick-lick-lick-lick* Without even seeing him wake up or move, I got assaulted by his licks. "Haha, I''m alright, I''m alright." I tried to calm him down by petting him before things got out of hand. Once things finally calmed down, I mumbled under a guilt filled breath. "It doesn''t help that I don''t know how long you were left alone this time.." As if understanding what I said, Ilios casually backed up and wrote in the sand. ''IIIIII IIIIIIIIIIII'' (6 and 12 tallies) He sat down and gave a proud look when he finished writing. -Gosh.. so it''s been 6 months... WAIT WHAT?!- Although just two sets of tallies, it quickly reminded me about how smart he was. -I guess he is an Ancient Fenrir...- "Did anything major happen while I was asleep?" Ilios tilted his head slightly. -I guess that question was a bit..- Before my thought could finish though, Ilios created a bright spotlight and illuminated everything outside of the bubble. -What is he..- Outside of the bubble was the seafloor, an endless and dark abyss of sand and rock, but around a hundred meters away, there were several massive tentacles, lining the ground. Not quite understanding what happened, I looked down at Ilios to see him puffing up his chest. -Haha.. why is he..- It took a moment for everything to click. "YOU KILLED THAT?!" A broad smile came to Ilios''s face as he gave a strong nod. I sat in awe for a moment before a pure pride washed over me. "Good job, Buddy! To think youre so strong now!" I excitedly leaned down and rubbed my head against him. "Next time there is a big fight, it might be you protecting me!" But Ilios didn''t seem to like that idea. "Arw.." Hearing the odd noise he made, I pulled away from him a bit. "Hm? What''s wrong?" Casually lifting his paw, he pointed to me and swirled his mana around the bubble. -What is he..- "You want me to use magic?" He gave a strong nod before giving a look of anticipation. "A..alright... What kind of magic d-" I cut myself off as soon as I started controlling and reading my aura. -What.. the..- Chapter 156: Outdated Directions Chapter 156: Outdated Directions Late Afternoon - Late Fall : Strait of Western Elynnor -What.. the..- As soon as I went to control my aura, I noticed something amazing. -What did that artifact do to me..- Unlike usual, the slight mental strain I felt when controlling and reading my aura was completely gone. -What if I..- *VWWOOOMM* Completely thinning the walls of my mana reserve, I flooded the area with aura and tried to read as much as I could. -Wow..- Although the amount I could read and control was the same as before, the mental strain I felt was completely gone. -Its almost like its my calculations for everything that''s too slow now..- It was something I could improve on, unlike before. -To think that artifact broke me past the wall..- Although I called it a wall, it wasn''t quite that simple. With all the practice with magic I had done over the years, I had reached a limit that couldn''t be passed with training. The volume of mana I could control and the volume of aura I could read, had simply hit a dead end. I tried everything to break it, from training my limit until my head felt like it was splitting apart, to trying extremely risky and experimental magic to speed up processes in my brain, but simply nothing worked. It eventually got to a point that I had to give up and accept that letting myself age was the only way I could increase the limit. -But now that limit is broken.. at least for now..- Although this was something incredible since it massively increased the limit on my magic, I still had mixed feelings about the whole situation. I simply had too many questions without having an inkling of a single answer. "Woof." Ilios snapped me out of my thoughts as he held his head high with a proud grin. "Haha, is my mana control what you wanted me to see?" I moved over and lightly rubbed his head. "Hmph!" He gave an exaggerated nod. A warm smile crept onto my face. "Thanks buddy.." As I rubbed his head, I cleaned out the questions dwelling on my mind and figured out my current plan. -Right.. I just need to take one step at a time.. Siratha comes first..- "But for now, let''s get off the bottom of the ocean." As Ilios hopped on my back, the bubble we were sitting in collapsed, and we were directly exposed to the crushing water pressure. -Oof..- Although nothing I couldn''t manage, the pressure caught me a bit off guard. I quickly got used to it though. -Well.. let''s get going!- *Rumble* As I kicked on the thrusters, a deep and satisfying rumble filled the area, but it didn''t last too long. *Splash-FWOOOOSH* The instant we broke through the surface of the water, we were launched past mach and thrown high into the atmosphere. "Haah.." I took a deep and refreshing breath as I enjoyed the new found feeling of comfort and freedom within my mind. -To think this is what it''s like to not know my own limits anymore... I can finally grow again!- The next thing I knew, an hour had passed and land came into sight. -Alright.. let''s see where we are.- Her genuine worry made me want to laugh, but instead, I just gave a light wave. The instant I stepped outside of the captain''s cabin, I picked up Ilios and vanished. Once a decent ways away from the ship, I changed back to my dragon form and took to the sky. -Next stop.. Siratha!- Or so I thought.. The next 3 months would be a painstaking mix of me practicing magic while flying and getting incorrect or vague directions from everyone I asked and to top it off, only a select few people even among nobles and royalty had even heard of the nation Siratha. I ended up bouncing between cities and countries all the way across and around the western continent until I gave up and just started flying around to look at myself. -Its the same f*cking forest..- I was starting to get genuinely mad. Everyone I got directions from that said they knew about where it was said it was to the west in the Great Forest. The issue was that every time I flew to the west, I''d find a pretty big forest bordering a wide strait with an endless desert on the other side, but never find any nations, cities or even villages. It was a predicament that was steadily driving me insane. But right as I was about to just launch myself into space to look that way, I saw an elven halfie in the forest. -Perfect!- Zipping towards the ground, I didn''t even bother slowing down. *BBANNGG* The forest around where I landed was blown away and the ground shattered. Standing on the edge of the newly made clearing was the now pale faced halfie. *Fwoosh* Appearing right in front of him, I leaned down and looked him in the eyes. "Where is Siratha from here.." I didn''t even bother hiding my irritation. "U...uh..uhm.. to t..the west?" He was clearly terrified but his response didnt help the situation. As I lifted up my foot to kill him, I stopped and asked again. "Just point in the direction of Siratha." With a shaky hand, he pointed straight behind me. "I..its across the s..strait and a..across the B..Banv?nn desert.." His response sounded like heaven''s oracle as my anger quickly turned to joy, but it only took a second to notice something off. -Wait..- "Isn''t this forest known as the Great Forest though?" "No.. this is the Gray Forest not the Great Forest.." His words instantly pinched a nerve. -To think I let that old hag''s word override my instinct..- I thought back to an older woman I asked for directions from and felt the need to go and vaporize her, but held myself back. -If I do that now, I''d just be wasting more time..- Haah.. -I knew the descriptions of the forest in those books seemed too different..- Slowly lowering my foot to the side, I looked back down at the halfie. "Thanks.." *Pshhh-FWOOSH* Blasting my thrusters once again, I disappeared from in front of the halfie and took to the skies again. -Lets just hope and pray I don''t have to deal with that bullsh*t again..- Chapter 157: An Endless Search Chapter 157: An Endless Search Late Afternoon - Late Winter : Banv?nn Desert Just after getting directions from the stray halfie, I took to the skies and hauled ass to the west. Cruising through the atmosphere at Mach 20, I watched as the wide strait of ocean under me steadily moved to the horizon behind me. -Now.. lets see if we can find this damn place..- I quickly got lost in thought as I set course for the horizon. Although the past few months had been painful, I didn''t let them go to waste. With my biological limits on my mana control being removed, I made great strides in both casting speed and volume control, with only my aura reading barely improving. -If only reading it was as systematic as controlling it..- But training wasn''t the only thing I did in my spare time, I also made sure to stop and spend a couple hours in the libraries of each city I passed by. The libraries were all fairly lackluster, but I did occasionally find rotting books about Siratha dating back several thousand years. Although I found it odd that the only books and information I could find on Siratha were super old, the more I flew over the desert, it started making more sense. -They''ve just isolated themselves from the rest of the world for thousands of years..- All they had to do to completely stop interaction with the rest of the world was to stop trade and sea travel. It was pretty incredible to think about, but it was a quick reminder that I needed to take the information I learned with a grain of salt. But even though I knew the information was probably inaccurate, I still gave myself a short refresher. From what the books stated, the nation was divided into two regions, a north and a south, with the south being elf, treant and dryad dominated and the north being mostly made of demihumans. Each section was composed of solely independent ''cities'' and towns but according to most of the texts, the way everything was constructed and how it all functioned were complete guesses. That wasn''t the only section that was inconsistent though. There were all kinds of rumors jotted down in the texts ranging from things involving surprisingly accurate depictions of dragons, to gods and religion but none of them went into any extensive depth or detail. It was a bit of a shame and a missed opportunity to get some juicy information but it was about what I expected. -But even rumors can sometimes be true..- As I continued to fly, I continued to sort through everything I knew about the nation but, before I knew it, a massive forest crested the horizon. -Holy sh*t..- The trees lining the horizon were absolutely massive, being even bigger than those in Bahamut by a considerable margin. It was truly a sight to behold. -So that''s where that saying originated..- There was a phrase that I heard all around the western continent from the folk who I got directions from, that clearly originated from Siratha. ''The bigger the trees, the bigger the monsters.'' It was a phrase that definitely held some truth to it, but I couldn''t help but question it. -I''d be astonished if any other region in the world could compete with Bahamut in terms of creature sizes..- As I continued to fly closer and lowered altitude, I felt the mana density steadily increase. It wasn''t quite as excessively heavy as Bahamut''s mana, but for a place that wasn''t composed of several thousand dragons, it was ridiculously dense. Almost immediately though, another arrow was fired at me. Being unable to fully hold myself back for a second time, I launched a steel marble through the leg of a different archer. *Fwip-CRACK* Their cloaking magic instantly dissipated and they fell to the ground before they even realized what happened. "Ah.. AAHHHH!!" The male elf let out an instinctual scream as a majority of his leg was relocated across the forest. "Whoops, my hand slipped." I turned back to the woman next to me with a moderately annoyed look. "You want to get your people to uncloak themselves now?" "Tch.." With an angry look, she gritted her teeth and dropped her weapons. Almost immediately, a group of nearly 40 elves and demihumans uncloaked themselves. -Are these just the warriors?- I glanced up to the treetops. "Are the people up there cloaked as well, or are they just hiding?" I asked with a genuine curiosity, but none of the warriors took kindly to it. -They can understand me right?- "Can you guys understand me?" Once again, there was no reaction. Walking up to the elf woman, I lifted up her chin and made her look me in the eyes. "Oi, just shake your he-" Interrupting me, she grabbed my arm and tried to use martial arts to throw me to the ground. To her surprise though, my arm didn''t even budge. "You really have a death wish huh.." Unable to hold back my irritation, I tightly gripped her neck and lifted her off the ground. "Forgive her.." A mature woman''s voice rang out from behind me. Glancing towards the voice, I saw a mature elven woman likely upwards of 100 years old. "She attacked me first, twice. Why should I forgive her." "Because she is but a child who knows not of the outside world." Her way of speaking was extremely formal and old-timey, matching the style of the older books I had read. -An older dialect?- "Could you say something in your native language for me?" Sir, but why? She looked quite troubled. Just say something. She gave a judgemental look. "B?u?t? ?t?h?e?n? ?y?o?u? ?w?o?n?''?t? ?u?n?d?e?r?s?t?a?n?d? ?u?s?.?.?" The language was a bit different from what I knew from my knowledge inheritance, but it had the same framework. -Not like it''d take long to figure it out even if it was a whole new language anyways..- Trying to quickly adjust to the dialect, I gave a short response. "How about this?" The woman''s face immediately paled with a mix of awe and fear. "H..how.." Seeing she understood, a slightly crazed grin came to my face. "Good, now that we can understand each other.." I slowly turned back to the elf in my grasp who had a pale face. "How about I start with a few questions." Chapter 158: A Deep Rabbit Hole Chapter 158: A Deep Rabbit Hole Mid Evening - Early Spring : Syashara, Siratha "How about I start with a few questions." I turned back to the elf in my grasp with a slightly crazed smile. Her face simply paled as I tightened my grip. "OI!" A deep man''s voice rang out through the night. "GET YOUR DIRTY HANDS OFF HER!" Looking up towards the voice I saw a large man falling towards me with a long glaive. "DON-" Interrupting the elven woman''s scream, I used wind magic to smack the man across the forest. *CRACK* The elven woman watched with tear filled eyes as the man was launched hundreds of meters away. *Fw-Fw-Fwip* The instant I turned my head away to watch the man fly off, another 3 archers shot at my chest. -Still?!- Getting more agitated, I swung the elf in my hands around and used her body like a shield instead of dodging. *Sh-Sh-Shink* Piercing cleanly through her armor, the arrows got lodged in her abdomen. "Ack.." She gritted her teeth as she looked down to see metal arrowheads poking out of her stomach. "It seems like some of you didn''t get the message.." But the instant I created 3 steel beads in my palm, the older elf finally figured out the situation. "EVERYONE DROP YOUR WEAPONS!" She wore an ashamed look. "B..but, E..elder.." The woman in my hands struggled to voice her objection. Almost immediately, the elder gave her a threatening look. "No objections." *Clank-thump-thud* The noise of weapons falling to the ground filled the air. -Took you long enough..- At this point, I was more annoyed than anything else. Giving a deep bow towards me, the elder held her head low. "Oh mighty being. We apologize for our prior impudence, if there is any way we can earn your forgiveness, we are willing to do anything." -She''s a fast thinker..- "About damn time.." Casually releasing the elven woman in my hands, she fell to her knees and gasped for air. "Let''s start with some questions." After that, things finally started deescalating and I ended up asking several questions to figure out where exactly this town was. As it turned out, this was a ''suspended town'' known as Syashara in the far northern part of Siratha. [1] According to the elder, this was a fairly average town for Siratha, but the town still had around 10,000 residents with the weakest of them being around D rank and the average being B rank. Compared to human nations, this was an astonishing difference in strength, but when considering the environment, it wasn''t too shocking. Later on, I asked what the structure of Siratha was like, but it turned out to be the one theory I figured was just a blind assumption in the texts I read. The entire country turned out to actually be composed of a bunch of towns that all operated independently with only the big cities sharing the same management, laws, and rules as the capital. It still sounded outlandish to me, but according to the elder, most of the towns still shared similar rules since they all participated in mass pilgrimages to the capital. -How big must the capital be to hold that many people though..- By now, the situation had calmed quite a bit, and the elder had escorted me to a private room. (Her office) "What is the pilgrimage for?" She gave me a shocked look as I asked. "It used to be for simple prayer for the revival of our gods, but.." Her face quickly lightened up as a wide smile crept onto her face. "At the last pilgrimage, 12 years ago, instead of a prayer for revival, it was a prayer for return." "Wow, you''re more tenacious than I thought." I gave a provoking smile that she didn''t seem to like. Gritting her teeth and tightening her grip, she tried to cut through my neck. *DING* With a heavy flick, the sword was launched out of her hands and lodged in the building on the branch over from us. Not quite realizing what happened, she just stood there, stunned and speechless. As I walked past her, I sheathed my sword and set my hand on her shoulder. "Let me know when we''re leaving, I''ll be at the top of the tree." She collapsed to her knees the instant I pulled my hand off her shoulder. -Maybe you''ll learn to be more respectful next time..- Quickly making my way back to the top of the tree where it was nice and quiet, I laid back down to take a nap. When I woke up, around a day had passed and I sensed a muscular demihuman man climbing up to me. "What do you need?" "You are Sir Whyte, correct?" He wore a surprisingly polite and formal smile. "Yes? Are you in the group that''s guiding me to the city?" "To Morva Asari, yes." He gave a shallow but polite bow. -I quite like him so far..- Being put into a slightly better mood, I patted Ilios to make sure he was up. "Are we leaving now?" "Within a few minutes, Sir." "Alrighty, then." Casually rolling off the branch I was on, I fell past the man and onto a larger, lower branch. *thud* With a quick look around, I found Thyra talking to two other elves that were all geared up. -There they are..- Nonchalantly walking up to them, I could overhear their conversation. "So we''re bringing that guy, and that foreigner kid?" "It was a direct order from the elder, but how are we going to deal with him if two people are around?" "Cap said shed explain through sound magic as we ran. We should at least keep him comfortable to not raise any worries at first." "Right, I don''t have a problem with that but.." Both the elves glanced over at Thyra who was oozing bloodlust. "Please just put up with it until the time arises, Captain." "Neither of you understand.." She wore the face of someone ready to kill. Neither of the other elves seemed to pay it mind though. As they were staring at her, I walked up without them noticing. "Yo. Are you the guide team?" Immediately jolting from my unexpected appearance, the elves looked at me like I was a ghost. "Yes!" Lightly pushing the other two out of the way, Thyra walked up to me and gave an extremely deep bow. "I''m sorry for my prior disrespect, Sir Whyte!" The other two in the group watched the scene in awe at her seemingly fear driven apology. Although itd usually feel good seeing someone bow so deeply, this time it just left a bad taste in my mouth. -She''s quite a good actor..- Chapter 159: Live Test Subjects Chapter 159: Live Test Subjects Early Morning - Early Spring : Syashara, Siratha Not long after Thyra apologized, things calmed down and we got to the road. "So how long is this route?" I spoke up to break the ice as we ran through the canopy and jumped between huge branches. But even after I broke the ice, the demihuman man was the only one to seem interested. "If we keep this pace, we will make it to the city in 3 days. If you stay on this path through the city though, in around 2 weeks you can make it all the way to the northern coast." "Oh, we''re that close to the coast?" It was far closer than I thought. But just because I thought it was close, didn''t mean everyone would agree. "Y..yea.. s..sure.. Completely ignoring his awkward response, I tossed out another question. So are there coastal cities and towns along the beaches? There was still a bit on hesitation still in his voice. Y..yeah, actually. Although the elves usually aren''t too fond of the sea, quite a few demihumans enjoy the warm and shallow coastlines." -Warm and shallow? Like the Bahamas?- Although I wanted to say the elves were missing out, I couldn''t help but think their worries were extremely well founded. -That colossal crab was big enough to traumatize people for generations..- "So are those towns built on the ground?" This time, one of the elves finally spoke up. "Sometimes, but they are almost always stilted if they are near the coast. I''m still not too sure why they don''t just build in the trees like regular people." She showed a clear dislike of the idea. Her reaction just reinforced my curiosity. "What don''t you like about stilted towns?" "Ugh.. don''t even get me started, I could list out reasons for days.." To me, it seemed like an overreaction, but it was so genuine I couldn''t really tell. -Now you got me interested..- A sly smile crept onto my face as we continued to chat. After a few hours though, the idle chatter had quieted down and a slight fatigue could be seen on everyone''s faces. -It''s pretty impressive they''ve lasted this long.. but.. why are we stopping?- We had slowed down in the treetop and made our way into what looked like a supersized bird nest. In the middle of the nest, there was a small and dim light artifact illuminating a sign that read, ''rest area''. -What is this place..- "Why are we stopping here?" "Shh.." Thyra looked back at me with a serious expression. "There''s a few wyvern right below us.. some pretty big ones too." After peeking over the edge of the branch, she pulled her head back in and ''relaxed''. "Hooh.. lets just take a break here. If we continue, we''ll get caught in a bad spot.." Although what she said was reasonable, it didn''t totally make sense to me. "What do you mean we''d be in a bad spot? Couldn''t we just kill them?" Everyone in the group looked at me like I was crazy. "Not only are we not strong enough to take on three, fighting wyverns is far too risky in general." -Seriously? You guys are that weak?- Although my scale of strength was a bit warped, considering their auras, they shouldve been able to take a couple wyverns without too much issue. "Haah.." I let out a deep and disappointed sigh as I thought about what to do next. -Wow..- It was so weak I didn''t even need much vacuum magic. "That doesn''t even deserve to be called fire.." Walking forward, through the fire, I reached up and gripped onto one of its horns and stuck my other arm into its mouth. As it stopped its breath to chomp down on my arm, I gave the creature a crazed smile. "This is real fire!" *Psh-FWOOOSH* Not even bothering to channel the blast like with thruster magic, the flame got blasted straight down the wyverns throat and out the side of its mouth which ended up grazing me before I could react. "Tch.." I gritted my teeth slightly as the scorching flame instantly charred part of my stomach. -I got carried away..- Immediately halting the spell, I jumped back and gripped my stomach. -Sh*t that stings..- It wasn''t anything that hurt too bad, but the stinging was just enough to be irritating. Glancing up at the wyvern I saw that its neck was completely blown off its body and was covered in charred holes. -Now then.. only one left..- Too agitated to care about testing anything else out, I got ready to mercy kill the last one. The much larger, nearly 20 meter wyvern was shaking from fear as I walked up to it, but I couldn''t blame it. "Curse the world for reincarnating you as a pest." I gave an agitated gaze as I touched its chest and used earth magic to instantly shred its brain. The instant I did it, the horrified eyes of the wyvern lost their light and its body came crashing to the ground. *Crash* -To think I really got hurt in a fight with a lowly wyvern..- Looking down at the small charred area on my stomach, I used magic to cut off the charred cells and clean up the area to let the cells heal easier. -That should be fine... If only I could go into my dragon form for a bit..- As I patched up my clothes and fell into deep thought though, I felt something enter the outside of my aura. Snapping out of my thoughts, I looked up and saw an arrow coated in a black liquid zipping towards me. It was a scene that filled my mind with confusion. -She still shot even after seeing me slaughter the wyverns?- Looking past the arrow, I saw Thyra''s rage filled face that oozed bloodlust, but before I could think about how to play with her, a blinding white cone shot out of her stomach and my ears were met with an indescribable yet beautiful noise. *BRRRRRRRRRRMMMMMMM* Chapter 160: A New Use Chapter 160: A New Use Late Afternoon - Early Spring : Northern Siratha - Bj?rn ~ (Back a few minutes) We were making our way along the path to Morva Asari and making great time, but I had a bad feeling in my gut. -What is this uneasiness..- Right as that thought crossed my mind, I glanced towards the ground ahead of us and saw three massive wyverns walking towards the base of the tree we just hopped to. -Sh*t.. what are the odds..- As I cursed my worries coming to light, I looked up and saw Thyra holding back anger. I couldn''t tell what it was, but something about her anger seemed odd. -What is she..- But before I could think about it, we got to the next tree and climbed into the rest area. "Why are we stopping?" Vasilias was quick to voice his curiosity. "Shh.." Thyra quickly shushed him with her now suppressed irritation. "It''s a few wyvern.. some big ones too... Hooh.. lets just take a break here. If we continue, we''ll get caught in a bad spot.." Once again, something about the way she was acting was unusual. -Just what are you planning..- Vasilias didn''t seem to believe her either. "What do you mean we''d be in a bad spot?" -Right? We could definitely outrun them through the canopy..- "Couldn''t we just kill them?" His voice was filled with a bottomless confidence that just made my mind stutter. -W..what?!- Not only me, but everyone in the group looked at him like he was crazy. "Not only are we not strong enough to take on three, fighting wyverns is far too risky." "Haah.." Vasilias''s sigh was full of disappointment. Almost as if expecting it, Thyra gave an immediate and provoking response. "If youre so confident, why don''t you just kill them yourself?" -Are you insane?!- "Don''t you think that''s a bit much?!" -Are you seriously going to send an overconfident kid to their death?!- Sadly though, it seemed like I was the only one in disagreement. "If he thinks he''s strong enough to go kill those wyverns, why don''t we let him?" "Yeah, if he wants to jump to his death, let him." I couldn''t believe it. "But-" "Its fine Bj?rn. Thanks for your concern though." I was cut off by Vasilias as he turned to his wolf. "Stay here for just a moment okay?" "Woof!" Almost like he understood what the wolf said, a seemingly unbreakable smile came to his face. "Haha, alright, alright. I''ll be right back." His smile was pure like an angels and reminded me of my nephew. -I need to jump down and save him..- I steeled my courage as he walked outside. Just after he left though, the entire tree shook. *BBAAANNGGG* It was such a violent explosion that it cleared my mind and knocked me to my ass. -What was that?!- Breaking out into a panic, I hopped up and tried to go outside, but as I did, I was tripped and pinned to the ground by one of the elves in the group. "What are you-" Instantly filled with a mix of panic and anger, I turned my head to the side to see Thyra pouring a vial of black liquid onto a metal arrowhead and oozing killing intent. -W..what did he do... Was that.. light magic?!- Although at first I thought it was lighting magic, too many things didn''t add up for that to be the case. *Crunch* The crunch of Thyras dead body slamming against the ground snapped me out of my thoughts. -Right.. I need to go up and figure out the situation first... It''d be bad if I don''t have a guide anymore..- *Pshh-Fwoosh* Tapping some low power thrusters as I jumped, I was launched all the way back up to the branch. Ilios was sitting there with a look of anticipation as I landed. Good job buddy! Unable to hold myself back, I petted and fluffed him for a moment before turning back to the rest area. -Oh good, Bj?rn is still alive.- Not paying mind to the elves with missing heads in the rest area, I walked up and did a scan of Bj?rn. His condition was alright currently, but he had been poisoned. -It shouldn''t be lethal, but I''ll break down some of it so he can heal faster..- It only took a few minutes to break down most of the poison in his system, but I was too lazy to try and find the rest. -I''m sure he''ll be fine.- Standing back up, I moved over and nonchalantly tossed the dead elves off the branch. *thud-thud* Haah.. -Now that everything is done and I have time to kill, let''s get to figuring out how Ilios did that!- I glanced over at Ilios with an inspired look. The next two days ended up passing in a flash. I spent every waking moment experimenting with light magic and photon manipulation but didn''t make any remarkable progress. To put it simply, everything I tried was incredibly inefficient and consumed far too much mana to be usable. That doesn''t mean it''s totally unrealistic though. In theory it would be more efficient to create new photons on top of using those already in the atmosphere to use in a beam spell, but I still hadn''t figured out exactly how to create them in any efficient manner. -I''m sure I''ll figure it out eventually..- Finally taking my first break since I started experimenting, I walked out of the rest area and looked towards the ground. -They''re still there huh..- There was a huge flock of monsters still fighting over the wyvern corpses, with most being above A rank. Most of the monsters looked like weird supersized hybrids of forest creatures like bears, jaguars and fishers, but they only shared resemblance at a glance. The closer you looked, the more you realized was different and the more that didn''t make sense. Among the group, there was one with long brown fur and razor sharp horns sprouting from its joints. Its body resembled a deer, but it had carnivorous teeth and reptilian eyes. -How does that monstrosity even appear in evolution..- It looked both disgusting and beautiful, like a bad car wreck you couldn''t look away from. *Cough-Cough* Hearing coughing from inside the rest area I slowly stood back up and headed inside. -Its about damn time he woke up..- Chapter 161: The Depth of Mana Chapter 161: The Depth of Mana Mid Afternoon - Early Spring : Northern Siratha *Cough-Cough* "You''re finally up?" I gave Bj?rn a slightly forced smile. *Cough* "H..huh?" He coughed and gripped his chest as he forced himself up. "W..where am I?" "We are in a rest area between Syashara and Morva Asari." -Don''t tell me he forgot everything..- "Ah.. right, I remember now.." He spoke with a slightly forced confidence. "So, what happened to the rest of the guide team?" -Well.. I guess remembering that much already is a good sign..- "They''re all dead." His face paled slightly. "What.. happened to them?" "They tried to kill me so I killed them, they even poisoned you so don''t feel bad." I casually pointed towards the ground behind him where there was a bit of spilled black poison. That crazy bi- *Cough* He tightly gripped his chest and winced as he turned back to me. "Why would I pity them.." Unlike what I expected, he gave a cold response. "Were you not comrades?" "Of course not.." Looking back towards the vile, he looked at the blood stains with cold eyes. Getting a bit curious about what his situation was, we continued to talk for quite a while. As it turned out, Bj?rn wasn''t actually a resident of the town, but was instead just a contracted messenger working in Morva Asari. Wondering what a contracted messenger was, I asked him about it and figured out he was basically just a high-end mailman with extra steps. [1] While we were talking though, his coughing continued to get worse and he asked if Thyra''s body and gear were still around. "Do you need something she had?" I couldn''t help but be curious. -What could he possibly need from her?- *Cough* "Y..yeah. On her belt loop, next to the poison, there should be an antidote. His face was slightly more pale than earlier. Although I don''t think I''ll die thanks to you, the antidote could get us back on the road faster.." It was a good idea, and something I didn''t really consider. "Hm... In that case I''ll go check her body." Sorry for the inconvenience.. As he relaxed against the side of the room, I went ahead and jumped down. As I fell towards the ground, I quickly spotted Thyras body and moved over to land next to it. -Thank goodness the monsters have been occupied with the wyvern bodies..- Although Thyra''s body had been eaten a fair amount and she was crushed against the ground, her leather equipment was mostly intact. -Except for her stomach..- *Wham* "Yes, you might want some water to wash it down though." Bj?rn set his flask in front of me. "Thanks, but I''ll be alright." Pulling off the cork, I leaned my head back and drank the potion. Almost immediately, a wave of cold spread around my body that stopped at the skin. My breath quickly became foggy, as the air around me started to cool. "Wow.. how did it work so fast for you?" Bj?rn gave me a look of shock. "What do you mean, is it not supposed to be immediate?" He lightly shook his head. "No, it usually takes around an hour or two for the full effect to take place." Taking into account what Bj?rn said, it only took a second for me to realize what was happening. -So the potion relies on the body to move the chemicals in the potion to where they need to go in the body..- It''s.. genius.. Although it was a bit tedious to watch, the chemicals of the potion were transported up into my chest while slowly ''decaying'' the ice mana. -How fascinating..- I watched intently as the decayed ice mana slowly started trying to accumulate around my reserve. Although my reserve let out far too much aura for the mana to actually accumulate, I was able to get the general idea of how it worked. -That''s actually so cool..- The loose mana that ''decayed'' off the chemicals, would accumulate around the persons reserve and form a shell of sorts. Then, when the person would then use mana for a spell, it would be pulled through the shell and bring a fairly substantial amount of ice mana with it. In turn, this would strengthen their spell by a linear amount depending on how much of the shell they pulled from their reserve. -The potion itself is useless to me.. but..- Even though it was less than useless to me, the method the potion used was enlightening. -Do strengthening potions use the same principle just with strengthening spells?- I quickly scanned through the other potions and saw lots of recognizable and common minerals and vitamins, but similarly to the ice potion, there was a bunch of earth mana clung to it. "Do I just drink this one as well?" I glanced over at Bj?rn to see him give a light nod. -Well.. bottoms up..- Just like with the ice potion, the nutrients and minerals spread around my body, but this time, the earth mana accumulated around my muscles. -But.. Now what..- It didn''t do anything besides accumulate a bit of earth mana around my muscles. "Is there something I need to do for this potion to take effect?" "Ah, yes. You need to circulate a bit of mana through your body." -Really? Will that actually do anything?- Circulating mana was not a new idea for me. The issue with it was just that, after a while, the strengthening effect of it wore off. -I guess it can''t hurt to try..- As I did it, I watched the accumulated earth mana straighten up like magnets and crystallize with one another. [2] It was a beautiful display that filled my mind with ideas. -Wow.. what a smart way to do that..- Chapter 162: A Colossal City Chapter 162: A Colossal City Mid Evening - Early Spring : Northern Siratha After experimenting a bit more with the potions, time quickly passed and Bj?rn finally finished fighting off the poison. "You about ready?" I glanced back at Bj?rn who was clamping the spare potions to his waistband. "Yes Sir! Are you really sure you don''t want these potions though? You could sell them for quite a bit." He was actually quite nervous about actually taking them. "I''m alright, I don''t have any need for small sums of money." Although I did have plans to actually earn money in case I needed to buy something expensive, as long as things cost a few gold or less, I didn''t feel bad about just making the coins with magic. "Haha, alright, well.." Likely thinking I was joking he chuckled a bit and finished packing his things. "Shall we get to the road?" He looked oddly excited. "Lead the way!" I was in a great mood after the cluster of fascinating discoveries. -I have so much I can experiment with now..- I was smiling cheek to cheek as we finally got back on the road. -Thank goodness I didn''t let him die..- The path was complicated and genuinely awful, it would have taken a crazy amount of time and luck to find the city on my own. But after several hours of running non stop, morning rolled around and Bj?rn started looking extremely fatigued. "Let''s stop here for a bit, you need some rest." I waved away his worry as he propped his hands on his knees and let out heavy breaths. "Haah.. Im.. hah.. sorry for being so tired.. hah... It seems.. the poison isn''t totally.. gone.." His face was pale and with beads of sweat rolling down it. -I''m impressed you lasted this long, whether you''re poisoned or not..- "Take your time and rest up, I''ll stand guard so sleep all you like." "I... How could I let my.. hah.. benefactor do that.. He looked a bit guilty. "Just sleep man, I don''t need to rest like you do." -Im a tad tired but if I nap, I''ll be KOd for several days so..- After staring at me with a face of guilt and confusion for a while, he finally calmed down and dozed off. -These rest areas are pretty convenient..- As I walked back outside, I hung my legs over the edge of the branch and listened to the melody of tweeting birds. -Maybe I should take a break from practicing magic for a bit..- Laying back on the branch, I thought back to everything that had happened over the past few months. "Haah.. right.." -I nearly forgot about that weird contract... I probably shouldn''t be lazing about in that case..- After a bit more contemplation, I fell into a deep focus and lost track of time. Before I knew it, night returned and Bj?rn woke back up. "You all rested up?" -Right... It''s a fantasy world.. anything is possible..- Although I still didn''t believe it, I tried to convince myself that I did. "So, how do we get down there?" All around the clearing there were wide and heavily strengthened rope bridges, but the boards were all idly hanging. -Are they all broken or something?- "Oh, this must be your first time in a city." Casually reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out a shiny gold medallion. "This is called a city-pass. There are several different types that determine things like weight limit, the size of the platform and the number of people. It sounds crazy, but the artifact engineers here are geniuses when it comes to runes." He spoke with an odd amount of pride. -What? It uses runes to be that specific?- Assuming it was just coincidental conditions, Bj?rn walked over and held his medallion on the railing. Almost immediately, two runes appeared and the boards in front of him snapped into place and formed a bridge. *Sm-sm-sm-sm-smack* -So it is just that.. It''s quite smart though..- Simply put, what determined the weight limit and size of the platform was the strength of the connection between the runes. The stronger the connection, the higher the weight limit and size of the platform. It was a simple but genius way to do it. -I should probably increase the weight of the boards I walk on though..- I was still concerned my sword would turn out to be too heavy for the bridge to support. "You coming?" Bj?rn waved me on with a bright smile. "Ah, y..yeah." Quickly thinking of a way to increase the weight limit of a single board and not activate the entire bridge, I started following him. -Gosh.. this bridge is incredible..- I was instantly filled with ideas of artifacts I could make as I walked, even if most of them werent practical or useful. While I was lost in thought though, Bj?rn glanced back and got my attention. "Watch your step up here, there is a board that''s damaged." -Hm?- Looking forward again, I saw a board hanging with a broken rune. "It''s fine, I can fix it." "You can wha-" *Smack* The board launched into place the instant I repaired the rune on it. "How did you.." He turned to me with a look of awe. "What''s with that look? All I did was fix the rune on it." I spoke completely nonchalantly. Stopping walking for a moment, he turned around and looked at me like I was insane. "F..fix the rune on it?!" "Yeah, it''s not like it was that complicated." -Let alone copying it from a different board, I could make a better version from scratch..- Bj?rn''s look didn''t disappear though. "Are you sure we are the same race?" Holding back a light chuckle, a playful smile crept onto my face. "When did I say we were the same race?" Chapter 163: An Odd Reaction Chapter 163: An Odd Reaction Early Afternoon - Early Spring : Morva Asari, Siratha As we continued down the bridge, Bj?rn gave me an odd look but never said anything. Unlike what I expected, he didn''t take what I said as a joke at all. -I wonder what hes thinking..- Only a short moment later, we finally made it to the bottom and were met with an older demihuman man. "Are you strong sirs new around here?" His intentions seemed pure for the most part. "Ah, no. I live here so I don''t need a tour. Thank you for the offer." Bj?rn gave him a blunt rejection before walking right past him. The man was quick to turn to me though. "How about you, young Sir?" He seemed quite desperate but it just made me uncomfortable. "Ah, I''m alright. I''ll be able to figure things out on my own." With my denial, the man looked a bit dejected. "Ah, no worries. Please come tell me if you would like a guide at any point. I will always be here.." "S.sure... Thanks for the offer.." Making my way past him, I quickly met back up with Bj?rn. "Are people like that common around here?" "Hm? Oh. It''s not uncommon. He''s one of the unlucky few who got down here but didn''t have enough money or have a pass to get back up." He glanced back at the man with a look of pity. "Good guides here do make quite a bit though, so I can understand why he''s doing it instead of manual labor." -Does that mean tourism is common here?- It seemed a bit odd since there weren''t roads connecting towns to the city, but I decided not to question it much. "So where are we headed to now?" "The Morva Asari Hunter Guild. You need to get a medallion to use the bridges. Plus, you need some identification." -Sweet, I should grab a regional map if they have one too..- Not being able to find my way around on my own was a real pain. As I was thinking to myself, we made it to the edge of the actual city. Its layout was quite similar to cities from Earth with family homes on the outskirts, large commerce districts a little farther in, and a bustling downtown with a large town hall at the center. But even beyond general layout, the city itself felt as if it was designed by someone who seriously knew what they were doing. -Theres even plumbing for sewage... Was this citys designer someone who reincarnated for earth or something?!- Continuing deeper into the city, we finally got to the edge of the commerce district and made it to a large wooden building with the character meaning ''explorer'' on it. "Do you mind if I head across the street to grab a bite to eat while you''re inside?" He pointed across the street to a restaurant of some sort. "Yeah, go for it. I can handle everything from here. Thanks for showing me around!" A gave a friendly nod as I turned to walk inside. "Ah, if you ever need me for anything, you can find me at a messenger center on the north side of the city!" Quickly straightening up, he gave a deep bow. "Thank you for everything, Sir!" His voice caught the attention of everyone in the area but I didn''t pay it mind. "Haha, dont worry about it." -You saved me so much time that I should be thanking you..- A gleam appeared in the man''s eye as he heard my request. "Right away sir!" After that, I ended up spending quite a while gathering general information and getting the situation figured out. As for my ID, they told me to carry a specific crest, but instead of taking their medallion, I just carved it into my mythril ID like the other insignias and carved the rune for the brides as well. -This ID is one hell of an artifact now, isn''t it..- As for what they were freaking out over, when I asked, they only glanced at the insignias on my ID and didn''t say anything. -Could they have recognized one from somewhere?- It was totally possible but I wasn''t totally sure. -It probably doesn''t matter anyways...- "Do you guys happen to have a map of the surrounding area?" "A city, town or region map?" "Region." "Yes, please give me one moment." Quickly getting up from the desk, she ran to the back table and rolled up a piece of paper. "Here you go, Sir Whyte." She handed it to me with a bright smile. "Sweet, thanks." -This''ll make things easier..- "I think that will be all for now. Thank you guys for helping me learn the ropes." "Haha, it''s our pleasure. Please keep in mind that you can use your crest to pay for general pleasures like inns, food, or anything in the.. ''eastern market'' including personal pleasures." -Man.. isn''t that a little too convenient?- Although something felt off about the mountain of privileges I was receiving, I just rolled with it. "Awesome, thanks for everything!" As I got Ilios up and left the guild, I wore a wide smile. Not wanting to waste any more time, I hastily made my way outside and started exploring some of the city. The instant I left the guild though, I noticed people following me. -3 decent A ranks?- It was clear they didn''t have good intentions but I was in a good mood so I acted as if I didn''t know they were there. After a decent while of them not making any moves though, I turned down a dark alleyway. "Uwaahh.." Trying to give an opening, I let out a big yawn. Almost immediately, the strongest of the 3 following me uncloaked himself right behind me and gripped onto my sword. "HAHA, maybe next time you''ll stay on gua-" His voice was cut off as he tried to unsheathe my sword and noticed it wouldn''t budge. His face slowly paled as I showed him a playful smile. "Pfft.. you''ll need to be a bit stronger to pull that out." He was frozen in place as I turned around and set my hand on his shoulder. "You and your two friends over there aren''t quite fit for crime, you should really find new occupations." As I pulled away from him, I glanced back at his friends and turned to walk out of the alley. The man quickly fell to his knees and his ''friends'' disappeared shortly after As I walked back out into the street, I wore a comfortable and satisfied smile. "Hmm.." -Lets see what this city has to offer shall we?- Chapter 164: Proper Friendship Chapter 164: Proper Friendship Late Afternoon - Early Spring : Morva Asari, Siratha As I continued exploring the city with a smile on my face, the blue sky steadily faded to black and time started to pass once more. From intricate runes being everywhere to just about every common civilian being as strong as low to mid rank adventurers, the city was full of interesting things. Most interesting among them though, were carvings of the sun and moon representing the two gods they worship but no matter how hard I looked, almost all of the information I could find about the gods themselves was very basic. To sum it up quickly, the gods represented not only the sun and moon, but also yin and yang, life and death, and light and darkness. From my knowledge of the concepts, I expected these gods to be in constant opposition, but according to the few people who actually responded to me, the gods were known to never oppose one another. It was a fascinating concept that made me hungry to learn more, but I quickly hit a wall shortly after that. For the most part, any additional information I could find was more on the mighty doings of the gods rather than who they were or how they acted. According to a wonderful older elven woman though, if I traveled to the capital during the pilgrimage, I would be able to get those questions answered. -So what should I do in the meantime then?- Under no circumstance did I want to stay in the city longer than I needed to, but that changed when I ran into a pure dragon around Mothers age. Although her personality was a little questionable at times, it felt good to actually let myself form a relationship with someone and not have to constantly remind myself of their inevitable death. Her name was Amara Chalkos, a strong and youthful dragon who started traveling the world after the unfortunate loss of her younger brother. She was quite the cheerful type but as I got closer to her, it became more obvious she took care of her younger siblings growing up. She was always the one to try and take the lead in things, and acted like a motherly sibling. This side of her became even more well defined when I met her current traveling companion, a halfie named Yolanda who, coincidentally, was one of Bj?rn''s only friends and strongly reminded me of Maria. [1] But, even with their odd quirks, they were a group that was very careful with each other''s identities so I fit in well. It felt good to finally get close with people outside of my family, but after a few months of small-scale magic practice and general socializing, I started feeling like I needed to break away and be alone again. It wasnt that I didn''t enjoy spending time with them though, instead, I just felt an odd sense of urgency building deep in my gut. It was this feeling in my gut that told me I wasn''t getting stronger and making progress fast enough. Although the ''gift'' from Amphitrite gave me tons of headroom to grow, being in a highly populated city and in my humanoid form was more than limiting. What I planned to do was fly into the desert to the east and do some more aggressive training with magic and with Ilios. Before I could finalize what I was going to do though, Amara came to the inn I was staying at. *knock-knock* -What is she doing here?- I was laid out on the bed playing with magic while Ilios cuddled my tail when she arrived. "You can come in." *Click* "Sorry for intruding, Vasilias.." Amara, although close to Mother in age, acted much younger. "You''re fine. So what did you come for?" Pausing the experiment I was doing, I looked down and saw her giving me a warm smile. She slowly walked over to the table and sat on the edge. "I noticed that you seemed to have more on your mind than usual the past week or so.." Encompassing the room in silencing magic, I continued casually. "Yeah, you could say that." "So what''s up? Are you planning on leaving?" "Yeah, Amara mentioned it to us a few days ago." -So that''s why they were acting a bit differently recently..- "Haha well, that makes things easier. I''m going to be heading to the west for a few years." "A few years? So that means you''re actually going to come back?" Bj?rns look of joy caught me a bit off guard. The way he spoke sounded as if he knew I was a dragon, but I knew that wasn''t possible. -Amara probably just told them it was a possibility..- "Yeah, Amara convinced me to travel to the capital with you guys for the pilgrimage." "Woohoo!" Yolanda looked ecstatic. "In that case, when you come back you owe us all drinks!" "Haha, alright. I''ll buy each of you something tastey on my way back." -Maybe I should head to the east and get something really good..- There was a short silence as I thought to myself. "Well, in any case, we''ll stop holding you back." Bj?rn slowly stood up and reached his hand across the table. A smile came to my face as I gripped onto his hand. "The past few months have been fun, I''m glad you guys were nice enough to give me company." "It''s the least I could do for my savior!" Bj?rn puffed up his chest. Glancing behind him I saw Yolanda looking at me with a warm smile as if to tell me thank you. -Haah.. to think she really fell for him..- I tried to convince her out of it, but nothing I said changed anything. -Maybe I should develop a magic to increase humanoid''s life spans.. maybe to be on par with the elves...- As I fell into thought, Bj?rn let go of my hand and Amara turned to me. "Well, I guess this is farewell for a bit." Unlike Bj?rn, her face was a bright smile. It was quite refreshing and quickly lightened my mood back up. "Yeah, I''ll be sure to take care of the place!" In the next moment, Amara used wind magic to whisper to me. "I''ll be sure to keep them safe while you''re gone so don''t worry." She flashed me a warm smile before turning back to Yolanda. "Hah.. I chuckled a bit as she misinterpreted my worries. In that case, I will take my leave. Be safe everyone!" "Haha, we will!" Bj?rn gave a smile and a wave as he sat back down. "You too Vasilias!" Yolanda wore a bright smile as she sneakily hung her arms over Bj?rn''s shoulders. "Don''t make too much of a mess!" Amara flashed a smile at me before moving to pull Yolanda off of Bj?rn. -Haha, it''s good to see that everyone is in high spirits.- A warm smile came to my face as I looked down at Ilios who was perched up against my leg. "Well, shall we go?" "Woof!" "Haha, alright!" Giving him a quick head rub, we turned for the door and started our trip to the west. Chapter 165: A Sickening Scene Chapter 165: A Sickening Scene Mid Evening - Late Fall : Northern Sirathan Mountains -What a beautiful night..- I took a deep breath of the cool night air as I flew to the west. So far, things were progressing smoothly and from what I could tell, Amara''s directions seemed to be extremely good. -Hopefully I should get there pretty soon!- Just after I thought that, the colossal western mountains finally crested the horizon and I turned to the south. It was only after a few minutes of flying above the mountain tops that I finally found a massive doorway built into the side of a mountain. -That must be it!- It was Amara''s childhood home. It was a place she said hadn''t been touched for nearly 60 years and simply functioned as a place she could use if she ever wanted to. -It''s in a really beautiful spot..- With a glance to my right, I was enraptured by a beautiful view of the ocean and night sky, it was only once I got close to the doors that my attention was pulled elsewhere. As I landed, I saw the familiar crest of Bahamut and felt a wave of nostalgia wash over me but it didn''t last long. -Didn''t she say this place hasn''t been used in like 60 years? And didn''t she say it was in good condition?- The door was full of cracks and the colossal metal beam used to keep it locked and closed was crudely moved just enough to allow a humanoid in or out. But, as if my worries werent concrete enough, the instant I went to take a deep breath, my nose was assaulted by the scent of rotting flesh. -So much for it being an abandoned family home, huh..- Assuming the worst, I set Ilios down and peeked my head inside. My instinct was on edge from the stench, so I was proceeding carefully. Inside, it had a similar layout to my own childhood home with a single long hallway leading to a large rotunda and, even though it lacked a single light source, I could see clearly. Findd new stories at novelhall.com The walls and floor were all cracked and charred, the old statues were all broken and the light artifacts built into the wall were missing as if they were removed. -Just wha..- My thoughts were cut off as I looked further down the hallway and saw the rotting corpse of a young halfie (less than 10 meters long) without any scales, teeth or eyes. It was clearly taken apart for parts but it made me feel an incredibly deep disgust and instinctual anger. -To do that to a mere child..- As I got closer, I could finally look around the rotunda and noticed a rotting humanoid arm, a set of destroyed armor, a bag of the missing body parts of the halfie and a ripped open satchel scattered around on the ground. Using my aura to take out the contents of the satchel, I found a few half empty but extremely high grade potions, and a notebook. Quickly flipping through the pages, I hastily read the contents. It was a diary belonging to a Cleric Rank adventurer named Yrsa Helvig. Simply put, she was an elven prodigy who grew up with a golden spoon in Sirathas capital city, Valtivar. As she grew up she was always the top of her class and was even expected to become a priest, a position sought by everyone in Siratha, including nobility, but fate seemed to have other plans. Just after she turned 36, she decided to go on a long journey through the mountains to explore areas said to contain ancient runes and formidable monsters, all in the pursuit of strength and knowledge. Moving it onto a small metal plate with the bag of its harvested remains, I dragged it outside and overlooked the ocean. "Although you may have been abandoned by your parents and by fate in this lifetime, I wish you luck in your next." Mixing hydrogen I pulled from the atmosphere with some I made with space mana, I created a colossal and instantaneous hydrogen explosion. *CRA-BOOOM* By the time the flash dimmed, the corpse of the halfie was already gone and a massive cloud had formed in front of me. "I wish you luck on your journey." Lowering my head just slightly, the slight ocean breeze returned and blew the cloud up past me. It made me feel oddly satisfied seeing the cloud move beyond the mountains, but it didn''t last forever. As I walked back into the cave that used to be a home, I finally started cleaning things up. The last thing I wanted was to be blamed for the damages. Haah.. As I cleaned, my thoughts about the incident I read about wandered. I started to wonder what really happened. In the end though, my thoughts didn''t come to any conclusions and my 3 year stay in the mountains had officially started. Over the next couple weeks, I spent my time repairing the cave and adjusting to my new training regiment with Ilios, but as usual, I got adjusted quickly. Being able to solely focus on my training and theories made my strength in terms of both physical and magic increase even further, but there were also problems that arose. Around a year after I first started, I started really noticing changes in my mental state and demeanor. It wasn''t a huge change and could simply be attributed to natural changes in maturity, but it seemed to be changing far faster than normal. -Could it be because I''m constantly thinking of things at full speed, that my brain is perceiving time slower?- In concept it was simple. All the time I spent outside of rest, which was almost never, my mind was throwing around not only calculations but also general thoughts at full speed, so over time, my brain started to mature faster than my body. This was something that was fine currently since my body''s maturity was already a bit beyond my minds but it was something I couldn''t overdo and needed to fix immediately. Thankfully though, there was a fairly ''easy'' solution. I simply needed to set a subconscious limit to only use the full speed of my thoughts for calculations, with some exceptions of course. This was much easier said than done but eventually, things worked out. I was able to more freely control the speed of my thoughts without feeling as if my mind was sluggish and, although my thoughts were ''slower'', they were mostly more well thought out which in turn made my magic theory training both more enjoyable and relaxing. I did still make many.. many mistakes though. "Ilios, if this works I''ll-" *flash* *BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM* Needless to say, having an explosive bigger than most nukes go off when I didn''t expect wasn''t exactly the most fun, but at least it helped increase the size of Ilios and Is training area! [1] Chapter 166: Unusual Disturbances Chapter 166: Unusual Disturbances Mid Evening - Mid Spring : Central Sirathan Mountains It''d been a little over 2 years since I had left Morva Asari now and, although there have been some mishaps, things had been going well. I spent every waking moment training with Ilios or experimenting with magic, and my effort was really paying off. But it wasn''t just general strength and mana usage that improved. Through a tremendous amount of trial and error, I had come up with a far stronger and far more efficient explosive than anything I had made previously. On earth, it would likely be classified as a cubane explosive as it uses an 8 carbon molecule as the base, but that was where the similarity ended. The variant I made was far stronger and more unstable, making it a complete monster in terms of explosive yield. In short, it acted generally similar to Octanitrocubane from earth, but instead of nitrogen and oxygen to spark the combustion (the nitrogen carries the oxygen to keep it stable), I used oxygen and hydrogen and I would make the cubes interlocked with one another when I made it. It required quite a bit of space mana to interlock them, but it let me stuff a horrific amount of explosive potential into a tiny package. But I, of course, didn''t stop there. Once the cubane was all made and interlocked, I stuffed the space in and around it with more hydrogen. At the end of it all, I had created a non-nuclear explosive with a similar explosive potential to non-fusion nuclear weapons, but that didn''t necessarily mean it was practical. At the end of it all, it was still both quicker and more efficient to just use regular fission nuclear magic if I wanted to go that big. On top of that, after a lot of risky practice, I could now compress a watermelon sized clump of uranium or plutonium down into the size of an apple, which, through an unintentional discovery, increased its yield further. The denser I made it before pulling away my mana and letting it go supercritical, the more violent the explosion. -It''s still nothing compared to fusion but I''m still too scared I''ll blow my own head off with that..- It was a reasonable concern, but for whatever reason, I took it to the extreme. Whenever I got deep enough into practice and thought about trying it, I assumed I was at my mental limit and forced myself to take a break. Although I can''t say it was a good habit, it at least ended up working out. Whenever I got too nervous to continue experimenting or simply I needed a mental break, I just shifted gears and trained with Ilios! Eventually though, that training started to lose its effectiveness even with handicaps like artificially increasing gravity on ourselves [1]. Put simply, we couldn''t handicap ourselves enough for the training to actually be difficult on anything other than our stamina. But that didn''t exactly mean I had no options. -Is it finally time?- When leaving Morva Asari, Amara convinced me to come here to train, saying it would be better than the desert, but even though I was skeptical at first, the more I thought about it, the better the idea sounded. - Flashback ~ "I know I said earlier that the monsters in the desert were quite strong, but wouldn''t they still be too weak for you?" Over the months we spent together, Amara had come to think I was an older elder that just regressed my human form''s age a bit and used illusion magic to look demihuman. It gave her a decent ballpark of my strength, even if it was still a bit low. "Yeah, but it''s better to have a punching bag than nothing at all." "But what if you actually fought monsters that would give you a bit of a challenge?" Her smile turned sly. -What could she..- "Where would that be?" "Although its very dangerous, it isn''t unheard of for dragons to fight sea creatures in the shallows." [1] Her idea hit my mind like a sledgehammer. -Wait, that''s actually.. really smart..- The monsters in the ocean were simply incomparable to those on land in terms of strength, and to add to my disadvantage, underwater was their home turf. I had a complete and utter disadvantage in the water. -But.. couldn''t I use aura pressure to make the ocean feel like really really dense air?- - End of Flashback ~ His demanding tone coupled with his awful voice just pressed all the wrong buttons. "This is where I live, so I''m gonna politely ask you to leave." "This is the military of Spiall. Please comply with us!" He was yet to halt his troops at all. "Uh, no. If you continue up this mountain, I will take in upon myself to kill each and every one of you." I spoke with a palpable confidence and some of the soldiers felt it. The instant I said those words, around half of the soldiers halted with paled faces. Their leader didn''t seem to care though. "You dare have the audacity to say you will harm the cities military?!" "Tch.." *CRACK* *Crunch* The man''s head exploded as a steel dart flew through it. *Thud* Everyone who was still following orders immediately stopped to watch their leader''s lifeless body fall to the ground. "Okay, so who''s the second in command here?" I was quick to scan the group of soldiers to find the strongest person, which was when I noticed a woman staring at me with curious eyes. -That''s an odd look for someone who just watched their leader get slaughtered..- "Sir!" She spoke the instant I noticed her gaze. "Did you by chance already kill the mystic beast?" "Mystic beast?" Her eyes were full of energy. "It was a deer mystic beast that evolved extremely often, taking certain attributes from each of the creatures it killed. It was completely destroying nearby towns and wreaking havoc on cities so we were ordered to subjugate it." "Oh.. that thing? Yeah it''s dead. What''s left of its body is about 9 kilometers that way." Every soldier immediately looked in the direction I pointed. The girl''s stare didn''t budge though and her eerie smile only grew wider. "Great Lord, could you bless us with your name?" -Great Lord? What kind of cheesy ass name is that..- "I''ll tell you if you guys leave me alone afterwards." "We will immediately leave you alone and be sure to never bother you again, Great Lord!" She immediately turned to the people climbing the mountain with a threatening smile. "Right away Cleric-, I mean Captain!" The soldiers all had a slip of the tongue as they slid back down the cliffside and started making their way back down the mountain. -Cleric? As in the cleric rank of adventurers?- Seeing how fast everyone reacted to her orders, it seemed like her authority was far beyond just a high ranking adventurer, but I couldn''t be sure. In any case, the way she was acting was odd. "May you allow me to come up to talk with you, Great Lord?" The name made me cringe, but I was too curious about her to care. "Sure." Almost immediately, she disappeared from where she was and appeared next to me. -Wow, she''s quite fast..- The instant she stopped though, she lowered herself into a kneel. -What is she..- "Cleric Liv Sigmond greets noble dragon!" Chapter 167: Draconic Influences Chapter 167: Draconic Influences Late Afternoon - Late Spring : Central Sirathan Mountains "Cleric Liv Sigmond greets noble dragon!" The air turned cold and my pupils dilated the instant she spoke. *Cr-r-r-r-r-r-rACK* *CR-R-R-R-R-UUNCH* The eavesdroppers who I had been ignoring were instantly turned to clouds of blood as they were each barraged with dozens of steel marbles. *Crumble* Hearing the noise of someone moving I turned to see someone darting down the mountain in a panic. -There''s the other one..- Casually raising my hand, several steel marbles formed in my palm before instantly vanishing *Cr-r-rACK* *CR-R-RUNCHHH* Although the cleric didn''t get to see what happened to the eavesdroppers on the mountainside, she got a front row seat to this one. Her calm composure was quickly washed over with fear and panic as she watched the remnants of the person''s body tumble down the mountain. Seemingly frozen from fear, she didn''t budge as I reached down and grabbed her by the neck. "Ack!" She grabbed my wrist as I lifted her off the ground but quickly stopped fighting. My eyes were oozing with the intention to kill. "How did you know that?" Her eyes were filled with pure fear. "Y..your eyes.. g..great.. lord.." I instantly knew what she was talking about, but my intention to kill her didn''t change. -Even if she knew my eyes were a dragons though..- "How did you know dragons could take humanoid forms?" Just before she could answer several beams of light were shot past us and into the forest. *BRRRMMM-BRRM-BRRRMMM* Each beam cleanly incinerated everything it touched leaving nothing where it passed through. -I guess Ilios found a few other eavesdroppers..- As if not even noticing the beams, she was quick to continue. "It is common- ugh.. knowledge t..that dragons can c..change their f..forms.." My body instantly filled with a deep disgust before I could continue. "If that''s the case, then why do hunters hunt dragons?" "Ack... It is.. p..prohibited.. to hunt t..the.. intelligent.. ones..." -The intelligent ones?- Confusion quickly mixed in with my disgust. -So that means..- "Haah.." As I leaned down to rub my head against him, thoughts raced through my mind. -To think the cleric in that notebook still killed the halfie even with all that knowledge..- As I thought more and more about it though, something Liv said kept replaying in my mind. ''It''s prohibited to hunt the intelligent ones.'' It was a statement that weighed on me more than it should have. -The halfie that was killed was clearly old enough to have intelligence so.. why did she kill it..- It made me feel curious but disgusted at the same time, a truly odd sensation. But, much like everything, it didn''t last forever. With a bit of help from Ilios, I quickly got distracted and turned my focus to more productive things. "Well, shall I finally go for a swim?" - Liv Sigmond ~ It had been several hours since I split up with him at this point and I was still laying in my tent about 5 kilometers away, completely unable to sleep. *rustling* Looking down towards the entrance, I saw a familiar hand push aside the cloth entrance. "Are you doing alright now, captain?" It was a demihuman man named Sten. In short, he was the newly appointed vice-captain after I became the captain. "Hah.. what constitutes ''doing alright''?" It was refreshing to see his face, but it didn''t make the uncomfortable sensation go away. "What''s wrong then? Didn''t the medics say there was nothing wrong?" His concern was deep, but it didn''t help. "Y..yeah, but just because they didn''t see anything doesn''t mean nothing is wrong.." What I felt was a nearly indescribable fuzziness in my head. It didn''t hurt or feel good, but was instead just this uncomfortable fuzz that I felt whenever I thought of anything related to dragons which, currently, was all I could think about. -Was this what he did to me?- ''If you go to tell anyone I am a dragon, you will die.'' It was a threat I assumed meant he would come kill me if I said anything, but the more I thought about it, the less it made sense. -Did that threat really have to do with the magic he casted? It wasn''t an oath rune but that''s what it sounds like..- Although I was tempted to test it, if it really was a type of oath magic that I simply didn''t recognize, I would die on the spot. -In any case, even if this sensation never goes away.. It''s better to be alive... I should just think of this as my punishment for being so uselessly confident...- "Captain?" Sten gave me a worried look as he closed the entrance to the tent again. "Huh? Sorry, what did you say?" Without noticing, I had zoned out for quite a while. "Haah.. Squadron 1 leader is outside wondering what our plans are to find the mystic beast corpse." -Oh, right.. the mystic beast..- It was the sole reason we came all the way out here but I had already forgotten about it. "That man said it was 9 kilometers southeast from where we were, so we will go find it in the morning... Tell everyone to get comfortable for the night." "Haah.. alright. I''ll let you know if there is anything else." As he stood up, he carefully set down a bowl of hot soup on the table next to my hammock and walked back outside. Although I would normally be thankful for the kind gesture, it somehow made me feel irritated. "Haaah..." Sitting up in my hammock, I picked up a bottle of wine and used it to flush out my thoughts and numb my mind. As I sat there with the half empty bottle in my hand, a single thought resonated through my head. -Why did I think that was a good idea...- Chapter 168: Sinking Into The Depths Chapter 168: Sinking Into The Depths Late Afternoon - Late Spring : Central Sirathan Mountains *Splash-Crash* The sound of waves slamming into the side of the mountain filled the air as I made my way down to the shore. "Hooh.." I took a deep breath as I looked over the edge of the cliff and into the abyssal-blue water. Although I was excited to explore the unknown and to try something new, I couldn''t deny that I was nervous. -But.. there''s no point in hesitating..- *Splash* Quickly sinking into the water, I extended my wings and glided along the slope of the mountain. As I made my way deeper and deeper, my surroundings got darker and darker until I could barely see the cliffside just a few meters below me. For a while, I saw nothing other than extremely small fish and rocks, but once I got about 3 kilometers down, I stumbled across a small ledge with a massive skeleton laying on it. The bones were still somewhat intact with cartilage still holding it all together, but even without that, I would have recognized what it was immediately. -A dragon..- It was the skeleton of a dragon that would''ve been around 40 meters tall if it was alive and to go along with that, it had died in the midst of a fight. All of the ribs had been broken along with two of its legs, it was missing a wing and its tail, but above all else, the top of the skull was totally caved in. -This is directly down the mountain from the cave... There''s no way right?- Although it sounded crazy, the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. Not only did the skeleton still have cartilage, but the bone marrow and the few scales left behind werent that aged. -The time this dragon and that halfie died is similar..- Although not exact, they were close enough to be linked together. Continuing to inspect the skeleton for a while after that, there wasn''t much else I could figure out. Nearly all the conclusions I came to were assuming too many things and I was still left in the dark about too much to fill in the gaps. -Assuming this was that halfies parent.. it probably died before that hunter found the place.- My assumption was mostly based on the fact that the monster noted in Cleric Yrsa''s notebook, never broke through the entrance or forced its way in at all. -If this dragon was worried of its child dying, that heavy door might as well be a piece of paper..- But just because that sounded most plausible didn''t make everything else make sense and even added more questions to the pile. -Just what could kill such a big dragon like this..- Question after question arose in my mind until I finally forced myself off the topic. -Haah.. if I continue to try and figure everything out with just this much information, I wont get anywhere...- Finally calming my curiosity and quelling my anger towards the cleric, I finally turned away from the skeleton and continued making my way into the abyss. -I hope you have better luck in your next life, whoever you may have been..- The next several minutes were filled with silence as I continued going deeper and deeper. Eventually though, I started questioning that motive to go deeper. -Just how deep is this place..- I had already swam enough to be around 15 kilometers down but there was no sign of the steep cliffside leveling off in the slightest. *WHAM-CRUNCH* In a flurry of movement, it slammed me back into the ground with its body and darted off into the darkness again. -Ugh..- I groaned as I pulled myself out of the pile of rubble. Quickly looking around to find it again, I simply didn''t see anything. -Did it swim off?- After another few minutes of looking around, my nerves finally started to calm down again. -My god.. fighting in the water is just awful..- I felt slow and sluggish, and couldn''t use most of my magic. I felt incredibly weak. -I didn''t think this would be so diffi- Cutting off my thoughts, I noticed the giant fish charging straight at me. -YOU''RE BACK?!- As I tried to think of how to kill it, its mouth opened wide and sucked my head and neck into its mouth. In the next instant, I swung my body around and dug my claws into it. -Got ya!- *Siiiizzle-blub* The water around us boiled for a short instant as I discharged a huge amount of electricity into the fishs head. *Thump* Finally sinking to the bottom again, I pried open the fish''s mouth and pulled my head out. The water was filled with blood but instead of being nervous about it attracting more monsters, I felt a deep excitement I hadn''t felt for a while. It was the thrill of a challenge, the thrill of a real fight! -To think fighting with so many disadvantages would be so fun!- My body was already the most strained it had been in months, but I was too excited to pay it any mind. With a crazed smile on my face, I dragged my claws through the fish to chum up the water. -To think they''re here already!- With my senses having adjusted, I could feel the gaze of several creatures peering at me from the darkness. Glancing towards them, my pupils dilated and my stance changed slightly. -Lets try that again!- Chapter 169: A Brawl Fought in Blood Chapter 169: A Brawl Fought in Blood Early Morning - Late Spring : Central Sirathan Mountains *CRRUNCH* I felt my ribs finally give way and fracture as I got slammed into the mountain by what I came to call Lurkers. They were fish that looked like longer versions of goliath grouper, but they were incredibly smart and hunted in groups numbering in the hundreds. But on top of their sheer numbers, they ranged anywhere from 20 to 65 meters long each and were extremely fast. At first I questioned why such a strong fish hunted in a group, but the time for questions like that didn''t last long. *CRUMBLE* The side of the mountain crumbled around me as I was pummeled by a smaller group of them. "Ackkk-" *shik* Sinking my hind claws into two of them, I blew them apart with cubane. *BANG* But even though those two had been turned to mince meat, the third continued attacking my head. *CRUMMBLE* My face was repeatedly smashed into the stone shelf until it finally tried to run off and regroup. As if waiting for that moment though, I darted out of the hole I was drilled into and dug my claws into the lurkers side. *RUMBLE* A deep and violent rumble echoed through the water as I blew off the lurker''s tail with a thruster. As it flopped around wildly without a tail, I dashed over and smashed open its skull, being sure to rip out and eat its mana core. Quickly absorbing all the mana I could from it, I shifted my attention back to my surroundings and prepared for the next group. Paying extremely close attention to the currents, it only took a moment for me to find the next aggressor. -A quick one this time, huh?!- Moving just enough to dodge its colossal body, it slammed into the stone mountainside. *CRUNCH-crumble* Without giving it time to recover or run away, I dug my claws into it and bit a chunk out of its head. *CrUnCh* Its skull crunched like ice under the immense strength of my jaw, but it took just enough effort to pull my attention away for a moment. In that short instant my attention was pulled away, my instincts yelled at me. -SH*T!- Mustering as much of the strength in my legs and wings as I could, I lunged back. *Fwoosh* The instant I backed away, three more huge Lurkers slammed into the opposite side of the corpse and crushed it against the ground. *CRUNCHH* Before I could catch my breath though, they realized I had moved and charged at me in unison. *fwooOOOOSHHH* As I prepared magic to make quick work of the charging lurkers though, I felt the currents shift again. -SERIOUSLY?!- "Uggh-RAH!" Swiftly dodging an attack from my blindspot, I smashed my paw through the bottom of its mouth and got a good grip on its tongue. -GOT YA THIS TIME!- Using its own momentum as a weapon, I immediately darted towards the charging lurkers and slammed its head into the middle one. *CRRRRUUNNCHHH* The two lurkers exploded as they slammed into each other, but the other two kept charging. In a flash of movement, I darted between them and set the tips of my wings on their heads. *CR-RACK* The area around where my wings touched them instantly vanished as two huge pre-prepared steel darts were launched through their brains. Continuing the motion, I flapped my wings and launched myself above the field of blood and corpses to check for more lurkers but none were visible. I still felt the current traveling in a circle so I knew there were at least a few more, but then, out of nowhere, it came to a screeching halt. -Is it that time already?- "Alright, I will be there right away." As I stood up and made my way towards the Command Hall, I straightened up my uniform and tried to calm the fuzzy feeling in my mind. *Click* Walking into his office, I held my head high with confidence. "Please have a seat Captain Sigmond." Motioning me to my seat was the Chief Commander, Njal Dolph, an incredibly tall and beautiful elven man. He was the second highest ranking military official in Spiall, and was the brains of Spiall''s militia, a real man with both strength and political power. Most people would be intimidated by such a figure, but he was just a man who wore a tough mask. Behind the mask, he was a weak willed and greedy man who would do anything to please his selfish desires. Whenever the lower squadrons would recruit new members for example, he would personally comb through them, looking for the children of nobles or those blessed with attractive faces in order to groom and exploit them. Although I never personally saw him do things as bad as some of the rumors, if it was him, they were quite plausible. -What a disgusting man..- The only reason I was even serving under him at the time was because of an assignment given to me in the capital. I was told to join Spialls militia and climb to the Squadron Captain position within 5 years but even though it was technically completed when the Great Lord killed the previous captain, my position was still being processed. -I really can''t wait to leave and never see this clowns face again..- As I sat down, my head never bowed and my eyes never lowered. "So what have I been called for, sir?" Clearly not liking my lack of elders formality, he snickered slightly. "Captain Sigmond, you are aware of the moral code in this city''s chain of command, correct?" -What? Where did this question come from..- "Of course, I was taught well within the capital." "Then you would know that lying in a report is a criminal offense, correct?" Instantly connecting the dots, it felt like a nerve was pinched. -Which bastard leaked it..- Anger quickly welled within me but I tried my best to stay calm and act normal. "Of course." Seemingly noticing my slight change in demeanor, his smile turned sly. "I like to think you''re a smart woman, so I''ll give you a chance." I immediately ran through the options of how to get out of the situation but it all became useless when he pushed a report across the table in front of me. "The report I received from the second squadron leader directly seems to be quite different from yours and the one you turned in for her. Do you care to explain yourself?" Looking down at the report, I quickly read the title. ''Expedition 31: Report'' It was the report of what happened from the perspective of each squadron leader. -That bi*ch gave me the fake..- As I stared at the report, desperately trying to think of a way out of the current situation, a slightly crazed smile crept onto the commander''s face. "What I read in that report was quite interesting, not only did you not make note of the adventurer killing the captain, you simply listed the casualties as ''killed by unforeseen hazards''." His smile only got creepier. "To think there''s a wandering adventurer strong enough to casually kill the captain and make the ''all-mighty Cleric Liv Sigmond'' stay quiet about it. Now I''m really curious." I was caught red handed and could only sit there in silence, not because I didn''t want to say anything but instead because the fuzziness in my head had increased in strength several fold. Although it was just my instincts telling me, I felt as if I would die if I made so much as a peep. -..Sh*t...-Findd new stories at novelhall.com Chapter 170: Endless Self-Confidence Chapter 170: Endless Self-Confidence Early Morning - Late Spring : Central Sirathan Forest - Njal Dolph ~ I wore a wide smile as I marched through the forest with over two thousand soldiers in tow. -To think she really tried to hide such a beautiful gem from me..- My smile widened as I thought of all the possibilities. -Even if he doesnt want to become my soldier, I can just capture and torture him till he becomes an obedient slave..- My smile turned crazed as I thought about it. -Actually, I like the sound of that better... Maybe I can use him for.. other things..- Although I put my hand over my mouth, my crazed smile was still slightly visible. "Commander, are you alright?" The voice of the 4th squadron leader, Trygve, quickly snapped me out of my daydream. Quickly jumping back into character, my crazed smile returned to normal. "Ah, of course. I just got a bit excited thinking about the elixirs for when I return." My mouth water slightly as they suddenly came to mind. "Are you talking about those made from the mystic beast? I heard a single one is going to be dozens of times stronger than even large wyvern elixirs and to make it even stronger, they''re adding top grade wyvern powder to the mix. Ah, yes. I heard it will be the ultimate culmination of this era of alchemy. A sly smile crept onto my face as I was reminded of something I had nearly forgotten. -The scaleI bought all those years ago can finally be used..- It was a scale of unparalleled beauty and durability and could be used to make a nearly indestructible dagger, but I wanted to mix it with a high end elixir to guarantee its success in pushing me past the bottleneck known as the Cleric Wall. -I wonder what riches I will be able to obtain as a priest... And if I can get my hands on this hunter, I''ll be simply unstoppable outside of the capital!- A feeling of greed unlike any other filled me in an instant. But before I could truly bathe in the anticipation, Trygve continued. It''s a shame the beast''s body was so damaged, they''ll likely only be able to make a couple of the elixirs." -It''s a shame they couldn''t make more for me to sell on the dark market, but at least I will get mine..- "It is indeed a shame, I was looking forward to sharing them with everyone." I forced some sincerity into my voice to disguise the lie. "Haha, don''t worry about it Commander, it''s just how fate turned out. The smile on my face turned dark for a short instant. -Yes. Sadly fate only blesses a few of us.- After that, we idly chatted for a while until we finally found a good spot to camp for the night. "Commander, the perimeter is secured. No monsters or unusual hazards were found." A young scout kneeled as she gave the report. "Thank you for your hard work, young miss." Without noticing my grin had turned just slightly lustful. -Youll be mine soon enough..- "I''ll be sure to put in a good word for you when I talk to your captain later." Her face quickly lit up. "Thank you Commander! I am eternally grateful!" Seeing how well my intentions were hidden, I couldn''t help but chuckle. "Haha, don''t worry about it. Those who do their job well get rewarded!" Realizing I nearly broke character, I quickly corrected myself and sent her away. "Go on and rest up for tonight, tomorrow will be a big day." "As you order, Commander!" Without batting an eyelash, she immediately darted away and climbed back up into the canopy. Watching her dart off, I couldn''t continue to hold back my lustful smile. -Ah.. I can''t wait to corrupt that pure innocence..- "To think there was really nothing nearby.." Snapping me out of my thoughts, the 3rd squadron leader, Toke, leaned back in his seat and sipped his light alcohol. "Didn''t this place used to be a wyvern hot spot?" "Yes, around three years ago now, we lost nearly all of squadron 8 to a large group of wyverns that stayed here." Trygve was also getting comfortable. Once we finally made it to the bottom of the mountain, the squadrons each spread out and formed a large semicircle around the area that the squadron leaders and I would lure the ''monster'' into. -It''s a shame that such a grand plan will be used on a lone hunter, but it must be done..- An endless greed filled me at that very moment. I felt endlessly confident, like nothing could go wrong, but that was when things turned for the worst. Quickly making our way up the side of the mountain, we made it to only a few meters away from where Captain Sigmond saw the hunter, but then a gigantic white wolf peeked its head over the edge and looked at us. Its stare alone made me freeze in place. Its pupils black like the void stared into my very being. For a short instant, it felt as if I had become a book, open for the beast to read, but that feeling left as fast as it came Assuming it was just my imagination, I quickly tried calming my nerves but it was futile. -Did the hunter get killed?!- Before I could do anything besides think though, Toke jumped up and drew his sword at the beast. -Right! We can just proceed with the mock plan!- With my confidence quickly rebuilding itself, I watched the scene with deep intent. *tink* Just like my hope in the situation, the blade of his sword shattered on impact. Everyone immediately paled as we watched the beast glance at Toke. Before he could even fall back to the ground, the beast''s paw was lifted over him with a clear liquid accumulated around it. -What is it..- *spark* *RUMBLE* It felt and sounded like the air around us was being ripped apart as a blue flame, as bright as the sun, descended. Reaching the ground in an instant, the flame immediately melted the stone it touched and turned Toke into something less than dust. It was a scene that caused an instinctual fear within me, but somehow, deep down, a sense of reverence and worship appeared. -To be able to meet a descended god..- "I REALLY MUST BE THE ONE FATE CHO-" Cutting my words short, the beast darted up to me and threw its paw into my chest at a speed far beyond what I could react to. I truly couldnt even get a thought to come to mind before my body was eviscerated. *CrUnCh* Chapter 171: Descent into The Abyss Chapter 171: Descent into The Abyss Mid Morning - Late Spring : Central Sirathan Mountains "Nnngh-AHH!" As I jolted awake, my instincts were screaming at me. Before conscious thoughts could even come to mind, I felt a slight warp in the fabric of space behind me and threw a colossal breath spell at it. Utilizing space mana to instantly create the huge amount of cubane, there was tons of excess, but instead of pulling it out before firing, I left the dense cloud around the cubane. *crackle-BBBBOOOOOMMM* The roof of the cave instantly vanished as the blast removed a huge chunk of the mountainside and ripped apart the fabric of space in its wake. As the holes and tears formed, countless crack-like gates opened up and sucked in everything nearby before quickly vanishing once again. *Splash-Blub* As the water came crashing back into the area, the fabric around me finally finished healing, now missing the warp I had previously felt. Finally having a moment for my nerves to calm and for my consciousness to kick in, a deep anxiety and discomfort filled my chest. -J..just what did I dream of..- In search of what kind of event could cause such a violent and instinctual reaction from me, I tried to dig through my mind to remember what the dream was about. But it was a futile attempt. I simply couldn''t remember anything besides the indescribable feeling I woke up to. -What an awful way to wake up..- Looking back out towards where the fabric was ripped apart, my anxiety worsened. -That could have been.. really.. really bad..- Quickly making sure all of the fabric had healed itself, I sat back down and let out a deep breath. Hooh.. Trying to desperately pull myself back together, I glanced down the mountainside and noticed the thick blood that covered the shelf had been washed away. Peering through the darkness, I saw that what used to be a reef had become a lurker graveyard with half eaten corpses and bones being everywhere. But, to my surprise, you could see the bone eating coral growing on the bones like fungi. -Those things sure do grow fast..- Seeing something that could distract me from what had just happened, I was quick to hop up and make my way down to the shelf. As I walked, I quickly realized just how much stronger I had gotten. Although still extremely restrictive, the water was far less annoying to move in. -To think fighting down here would be so effective at building strength... Now I understand why some other crazy dragons do it.- Although I did think that, I was completely overlooking just how abnormal my training had been. -Strength aside though..- Finally looking at my physical changes, I quickly realized that I not only put on a little muscle mass, but my horns and the spikes all across my body had gotten longer as well. -Hm.. I thought I already hit puberty for dragons since Im adult stage but maybe not..-Findd new stories at novelhall.com Half joking with myself, I finally got my mind off the way I woke up and started walking across the shelf looking for things to fight. -At this point, Id even fight lurkers again..- -Well, life''s opportunities cant be given to everything..- With a short oh well, I casually brushed off the eggs and popped the core in my mouth. Considering the core was as big as the one I ate in Kaelallan, I was extremely careful not to break it and was instead just slowly sucking the mana out of it. The volume of mana was still not small though. My reserve quickly topped itself off and started stretching itself out before I knew it. Although having the walls of my reserve as thin as possible would allow me to absorb mana more quickly, I kept it at about half thickness. This was to allow it to stretch more comfortably, smoothly and safely, at the expense of the time needed to absorb it. -But time isn''t an issue currently..- Since I didn''t want to continue to explore or go any deeper with the giant, volatile core in my mouth, I just sat down and thought of ways to kill time. Eventually, I settled on doing simple exercises to try and adjust to the depth again. -Ill be happy as long as I can move somewhat comfortably..- And with that lackluster excitement, I started my training to pass time while I absorbed the core. Things ended up taking longer than expected though. About 4 days into the training, I realized the core was only about a quarter the way absorbed. This didn''t end up being much of a problem though, since my training was also far less rewarding than I had hoped. The next day though, some larger creatures finally started coming out of the depths to eat the kraken corpse I had pushed into the corner. The creatures were each bordering the strength of adult dragons and were quite large on their own, but for some reason, they werent attacking me. Over the next couple days, the number of fish gathering to eat the kraken had increased, but so did my disappointment of not having anything to fight. -Even though there are so many over there, not a single one wants to tussle?- As I thought that though, I noticed what could only be described as a literal sardine swimming towards me. -How the hell are you alive down here..- Although big for a sardine, being around a meter long it was as weak as could be. -Just what..- The instant I moved, it vanished from in front of my eyes. -W..whut..- Quickly looking around, I found it around 100 meters away, still staring at me. It took my mind a second to catch up and realize what happened. -h..hoLY F*CK YOU''RE FAST!- Chapter 172: The Insanity of Evolution Chapter 172: The Insanity of Evolution Early Evening - Early Summer : Downtown Spiall - Liv Sigmond ~ "Haah.." I let out a deep sigh as I leaned back in my chair. -I''m not sure whether to count myself lucky or unlucky..- At that point in time, I was on temporary probation. Put simply, I was forced to stay at the headquarters and work on regulated paperwork, all while under the attention of the current head probation officer. For what I did, this was an extremely light punishment, but it wasn''t without reason. After learning about the existence of the lone ''hunter'' in the mountains, the Commander got extremely greedy. -Although I''m not too sure what he is planning, I''m sure it has to do with him..- But for whatever reason, he didn''t want what actually happened during my last expedition to be known to the public or the other squadron leaders and decided to give me a punishment that didn''t require a formal reason or a mark on my criminal record. -Just what did I get myself involved in..- Before I could give it any deep thought though, a knocking came from the door. *knock-knock* "Who is it?" "The guild master. He says it''s an emergency." The voice was the probation officers. Immediately tensing up in my seat, I sat up straight and tried to quickly tidy my desk. -An emergency from the guild master?! Why now?!- "Please send him in." *Click* As the door swung open, my eyes met with a tall and intimidating demihuman man. "You are Captain Liv Sigmond, correct?" "Yes, sir." Although I tried my best to hide it, I was incredibly nervous. "Alright, let''s get straight to business then. As I''m sure you are aware, several days ago, the Commander and squadrons 3 through 7 left and headed west." "Yes, I am aware." Not quite sure where the guild master was going with it, I just followed along. "Well about an hour ago now, I received a report from some mercenaries that were commissioned to scout that area for a noble-looking to settle a new town. "Okay?" I raised my eyebrows as he walked up to my desk. -What is he doing..- *flap* Setting a stack of papers in front of me, he backed up and crossed his arms. As if to mock me, the little sardine swam up right next to my face and just stared at me. -Are you trying to get me to attack you again?- Although I previously had no evidence, it now became a bit more clear why it was letting me get so close. -It''s having fun?!- Something about that idea was upsetting but instead of using magic to kill it, I just laid down. -In any case, the core is fully absorbed and I''ve long since adjusted to this depths pressure..- As I contemplated going even deeper, I looked over towards the now mostly eaten Kraken corpse and noticed that most of the smaller scavengers had been replaced with larger predators. They mostly minded their own business, with each taking a tentacle or two, but they were each getting to the main body now. -They''ll probably start fighting here soon..- As I got comfortable and prepared for the show though, all but one of the ''predators'' eating the corpse simultaneously swam off. -Did the others give up to that guy? Is there something I''m missing?- The smallest and what I saw as the weakest of the predators was the only one left. Just as I started to think the little predator had a trick up its sleeve though, I turned and looked out into the abyssal black water and saw the outline of something big.. really big. -Is that.. a whale?- Finally coming close enough for me to really see it, I locked eyes with a massive, nearly 150-meter-long whale with 4 front fins and two tails. Immediately looking away from me, it made it clear that it didn''t want to fight and instead turned to the Kraken''s corpse. But, as if not even knowing the whale was there, the fish eating the corpse simply continued. -To shove his mouth full of good food before it dies.. I respect that.- Almost as if my instinct predicted it, the whale quickly charged at the fish and bit down on it. *Crackle-Cruunch* The fish could only squirm for a moment before it was crushed and ripped apart. -..man.. is this what aliens would think if they looked at earth? Everything on this damn planet is a freak of evolution..- I continued to watch it for a while after that, observing its countless other abnormalities before it finally swam off and left the scavengers to clean up its scraps. Seeing that the bigger and more interesting predators werent going to come back, I slowly lost interest and turned to practice magic before quickly losing track of time. Before I knew it, a few more days had passed and I felt comfortable enough to go even deeper! Looking back now though, I can say with confidence that it wasn''t the best idea. Chapter 173: Monsters Dwelling in the Depths Chapter 173: Monsters Dwelling in the Depths Mid Afternoon - Early Summer : Deep Ocean (West of Central Sirathian Mountains) It had only been a few minutes since I left the Kraken''s nest but I was already distracted from my nervousness. -Evolution... How do you even come up with this sh*t?- In front of me was a spider-like crustacean that looked like something between a crab and a squid and was nearly 80 meters long from leg to leg. I cringed a bit as I swam past it and noticed the giant circular mouth laced with sharp teeth on its underside. It took every bit of willpower I had to leave it alive since it didn''t do anything wrong, but that was only the beginning. The deeper I swam, the more nightmarish the creatures got. At a depth of around 55 kilometers, the creatures were already consistently on par with older adult and younger elder dragons and were simply made of nightmare fuel. -Mother''s outlandish stories about the deep ocean are starting to sound awfully plausible now..- I started feeling a bit anxious as the stories I had previously assumed were just meant to scare me as a kid became more and more realistic. But I tried not to dwell too much on those worries. -If anything too strong for me is down here, I can always resort to nuclear or even escape through the void..- Not long after suppressing it though, I came across a sudden cutoff in the amount of life in the area and the anxiety washed over me like a wave. The fish and crustaceans I had consistently seen as I went deeper had vanished, with even the tiny shellfish that littered the bottom being nowhere in sight. -Something feels.. wrong..- But with my curiosity still blinding my rationality, I ended up continuing even deeper until I got to around 70 kilometers down. At that depth, although I could handle the pressure without much difficulty, I was by far the most restricted I had ever been, but even that was far from the most concerning thing. At just beyond the 70-kilometer mark, the slope of the mountain, which had nearly remained linear the entire way down, simply ended. I was simply standing on a huge overhang that just looked into the open ocean. -What the..- Out of curiosity, I blasted an incredibly focused beam of light to try and test the depth, but couldn''t see the ocean floor or the base of the overhang at all. -It''s like the mountainside is just.. floating over an abyss..- I ended up standing there for several days, being sure to keep a close eye on the currents to make sure nothing big could sneak up on me, and keeping my eyes peeled for anything living. But in the end, there was simply nothing. The largest lifeform I saw was only a few cells clumped together, and nothing big had even come remotely close to me. At least not that I knew of. -But things still aren''t adding up..- Although at first, I assumed the lack of life was because of the depth, the longer I sat and thought about it, the more unlikely that reality became. To put it simply, the amount of life was far too low and the cutoff on its volume was far too steep for it to be natural. -There must be something down here keeping larger creatures away..- Although the expressions of every one were still mixed, it was much better than before. "Whenever you find someone you can identify, immediately report it to the medic team! If you purposefully lie in order to get a reward, you will be punished, do you all understand?!" I spoke with a strict attitude and held my head high. """Aye, aye!""" With most of the soldiers responding in unison, I felt a small sense of accomplishment. "Alright! We will meet back up at the camp tonight and pay respects to those who have fallen! If you understand, you are dismissed!" With my dismissal, the soldiers quickly split up and spread out, with each focusing on their own task. Thankfully, the idea of getting rewarded for each body they could identify helped push most of them through the horrid stench, but it still wasn''t enough for everyone. About a third of the soldiers decided to walk the perimeter with the rest following me into the field of dismembered limbs and shredded organs, but it didn''t take long for us to notice some unusual patterns with the bodies. Although they were all practically piles of shredded meat, a large majority of the corpses still had their IDs perfectly intact without as much as a scratch on them. Although I assumed it was a coincidence at first, the more bodies we looked at, the odder it felt. Nearly everybody had an ID, with only about 1 for every dozen missing one. But, as weird as it was, it allowed for things to progress extremely quickly and smoothly. Before I knew it, we had scoured the entire field and documented everyone left recognizable but to my surprise, we were still missing the Commander and top squadron leaders. -Could they have really survived?- The more I thought about it, the less likely it seemed, but their bodies not being found left an undeniable possibility. By the time the end of the day came to a close, I was still left empty-handed and had no choice but to head back to camp and see if anyone found them among those who ran away. -They weren''t insane enough to sacrifice the soldiers to run away, right?- The thought crossed my mind as I reached down and picked up the last ID I could find at the very base of the mountainside. As I turned it over to see who it belonged to, I felt as if I saw something in the reflection of the ''faith'' insignia and jumped to the side. *Thump* Landing right next to where I was standing was a blood-covered and half-broken ID tablet with a name on it. ''Njal Dolph'' Chapter 174: Mysteries in the Deep Chapter 174: Mysteries in the Deep Mid Morning - Mid Summer : Deep Ocean (West of Central Sirathian Mountains) *Crumble* Finally moving for the first time in over a week, I felt the ground beneath me crumble slightly. Carefully watching the small stone that broke off fall into the darkness, I held high hopes. -Did that thing really move on?- Once the stone vanished into the darkness, I decided to just cross my fingers and wish for the best. -I''ll take my chances..- Very carefully moving more towards the edge of the overhang, I did everything I could to minimize my presence and effect on the current. Predators at this depth, although having eyes, mostly relied on aura and currents to determine where prey was. -Well..- Looking back down into the dark abyss, I felt a deep unease but quickly shook it off. -If that really was a metal structure that was creaking.. It''ll make for one hell of a discovery..- My curiosity had been eating me away for the past week as I waited for the serpent to swim off. -And it''s finally time..- With a serious look, I dumped my focus into controlling the currents and minimizing my presence as much as possible. -Here goes nothing..- With a light push off the ledge, I glided out into the open water and started carefully controlling my descent to the bottom. As I sank, I took careful note of the currents and came to realize that the overhang I had been standing on was actually the top of the entrance to a huge cave. -This must be where that serpent is living or nesting..- Continuing to sink, the ledge above me faded into the darkness and I officially couldn''t see anything but open water. There was an unusual feeling of hopelessness that I felt as I floated there, but before I could chicken out, the sandy bottom finally came into view. From what I could tell, the ''cave'' was a little over two kilometers from top to bottom and had a strong inward current on the bottom and outward on the top. At first, I questioned how that would naturally be possible but the more I thought about it, the more likely the possibility of it not being natural became. Before I knew it, a deep anxiousness started to build in my stomach, but I didn''t waste any time on it. -Now isn''t the time for uncertainty..- Quickly swimming along the bottom, I made my way towards where I thought the sound came from. -It should be right around here..- As I got close to where I thought it might be, I felt a weird warp in the fabric of space beneath the sand and probed it with my aura. *Brm* Almost immediately, it lightly hummed and started glowing an ominous light blue color. -To put off such a horrific amount of radiation.. that weird particle must be used for power..- I was still confused but was starting to piece things together. -But what''s that power used for?- Going against my better judgment, I decided to give the rune a good bit of my own mana. *brrrr-RRRMMM* Instantly kicking up a gear, the hum grew louder and the glow got brighter. Closely watching the inside of the pillar, I watched as the unknown particles were made along with a huge amount of electricity and transported down tubes made of insanely charged wires. These wires would keep the particles from touching anything, since, as soon as they did, they would destroy themselves along with the matter it touched and release a genuinely horrific amount of energy. That was the first time in my life I felt genuinely scared of something science-related, but at the same time, it made me unreasonably excited. I couldn''t help but watch in a trance as the particles were transported out of the pillar and into another cable that progressively lit up as the particles passed through it. Unable to keep up with how fast the particles traveled, I stayed near the pillar and simply supplied it with as much mana as it could handle. The cable quickly extended beyond the point where I could see it with light magic and lifted off the ground before fully disappearing into the darkness. Just when I thought I''d have a moment to sort my thoughts though, a very faint but massive blue glow stretched out from the darkness. *hummmMmMMmmMMMMMMM* As if warming up, a violent hum accompanied the glow. -What the..- I barely had time to get a thought out before blinding white lights blasted out from the darkness. Unable to continue holding myself back, I immediately darted down the cable towards the lights and came up to a massive kilometer-tall cube-like structure floating in the water with dozens of cables tying it to the ground. The building was covered in sediment and looked as if it hadn''t been powered on in several millennia, but that was the least surprising aspect. Written all over its sides were symbols of a language I had never seen. A language that didn''t feel familiar in the slightest. -A language that''s not from this world..- Chapter 175: Foreign Identities Chapter 175: Foreign Identities Late Morning - Mid Summer : Deep Ocean (West of Central Sirathian Mountains) Quickly moving around the structure to look at the symbols and find a way inside, I almost immediately found what looked like it could be an entrance facing the open ocean. -But how do I open it?- Not wanting to break it, I swam up to the closed entrance and looked inside the material with my aura, but before I could find anything, a large platform started extending out of the building. -Do I stand on this?- Setting myself down on the platform, I expected the building to sink or shake slightly, but it didn''t budge. -I guess I''m underestimating whoever built this..- As I idly thought to myself, a small black tube extended from the structure. "???????????????????????? ???????a?????????a???." A somewhat robotic yet glitchy and distorted voice came from it, speaking a language that lacked a single strand of familiarity. -Does it want me to touch it?- Reluctantly reaching up to it, I tapped my nail against it. "????????a????????????????????? ???????????????a????????? ???????a?????????????????a?????????????????." It spoke again before pausing for a moment. -Oh sweet, that must have been what it wanted...- "?n???? M?n?." My ever-building excitement immediately halted after hearing the distorted voice again, this time speaking a language I could actually recognize. -The ancient draconic language?- It was an ancient dialect used by dragons before and during Ragnarok, back when dragons casually dominated the world. To describe it quickly, it was a more noble, formal, and slightly convoluted dialect, similar to what people on earth thought dragons would talk. "?n???? M?n?." My thoughts were quickly cut off by the voice repeating itself. -Right, I should probably do it before it does something else...- Trying not to overthink things too much, I injected mana into the sensor until it closed itself off and retracted back into the structure. Before I knew it, a different yet all too familiar monotone voice radiated from within my head. {"Authorities: -Unknown Error- -Update Impossible- -Attempting to Connect to Servers- Unable to Connect: Low Power Mode Initiated: Please Fully Charge Batteries in Order to Attempt Long Range Reconnect -Ignoring Remaining ''Non-Critical'' Errors- -Granting Temporary Authorities- Almost immediately, the screen updated to show a window with thousands of little boxes, each showing a different, unrecognizable language. -Holy sh*t..- Scrolling through the list to try and find something I could recognize, I quickly came across Ancient Draconic and selected it. Almost instantly, the screen updated again with a small box appearing. ''Language Change Confirmation: Proceed - Return (10.. 9.. 8..)'' The phrasing was a bit odd since it was the old dialect, but the most important thing was that I could understand it. I felt a deep and almost limitless excitement as I clicked ''Proceed'' and was met with a desktop full of icons I could actually understand the names of, but it did not last long. Almost immediately, countless errors popped up on the screen. (display text) ''-Offline Mode Initiated- -Current Emergencies: Low Charge: 0.07% - Security: Disabled - Life-Scans: Disabled - Server Connection: Disconnected'' Quickly realizing I likely had less time than I thought, I moved the warnings to the side and scrolled through the innumerable icons to find helpful information about this place, but only after digging through thousands of files related to research did I find a gold nugget. Translation Bank Opening it in a rush, I was met with a list of about 40 languages, each being the name of an ancient dialect from thousands of years ago, and immediately picked Ancient Draconic, the language I knew best among them. Inside that folder, I was met with a long document detailing how the ancient draconic language worked in the foreign language''s terms. In short, it was a translation dictionary. -I can actually learn the language!- Almost immediately, my focus was ripped away from my surroundings and poured into learning the language. Before I knew it, several hours had passed and I had memorized the entire file. -For such a complicated language.. it''s really efficient...- The language contained an unreasonable amount of different words with 35 different base ''letters'', yet somehow that complexity wasn''t even slightly noticeable when reading or writing. Words each had their own concise meanings and although it made learning it more time-consuming, once everything was memorized, the beauty of the language came to light. -To think a language that doesn''t allow incorrect interpretation can exist..- Chapter 176: Missing History Chapter 176: Missing History Late Afternoon - Mid Summer : Deep Ocean (West of Central Sirathian Mountains) After memorizing the entire language translation file, I spent quite a while bouncing through my memories and reinterpreting all of the texts I had memorized in the other rooms. Although not a ton of important information was actually contained in them since they just described what was on display in the case, quite a number of them mentioned something known as ''4856''. -Isn''t 4856 the number of the lab though? Why do some of the texts talk about it like its a person?- {*Beep*} The instant I thought about it, a beep that sounded like it came from within my head and halted my thoughts. Looking down at the screen, I noticed a large window had appeared. ''Batteries at 5% ; Attempting to reconnect to District Base.'' My gut instantly sank as I thought about the countless horrible scenarios that could occur if I somehow alerted such an advanced civilization, but before I could find a way to stop it, it finished. ''Connection Failed'' "Phew." I let out a deep sigh of relief. "Thank the lord-" ''Attempting to launch Dungeon Research Intelligence ''4856'' in ''Offline Mode.'''' -WHAT?!- Like a mental flashbang, everything I was idly thinking about vaporized into thin air. I simply couldn''t do anything but watch as countless errors and colossal volumes of information washed over the screen. ''WARNING: Power Below 4%'' ''Charge Rate is Insufficient : Charge Towers Require Immediate Repair'' -That... can''t be good...- There was a short pause before the next message popped up. ''Dungeon Research Intelligence ''4856'' Activation Sequence Initiated'' The instant the message popped up on the screen, I just blankly stared at it. I simply just didn''t know what to do and was too curious to try and find a way to stop it. Glancing towards the center of the room, I noticed the huge black tube was starting to light up. A light vibration accompanied the glow as it got brighter and brighter before forming a dimmed ball of light in the center. {*Beep* "Please Provide Instructions."} The familiar voice quickly pulled my thoughts back together. -Why is it always the same voice?- "Who are you?" {"I was named 4856. I am a Dungeon Research Intelligence."} The voice lacked even the slightest hint of emotion. -I didn''t mishear it earlier.. this colossal cave is actually a dungeon... Yeah that''s totally not horrifying...- I tried to make a joke to shake off the anxiety in my stomach but it didn''t help much. "Could you explain what a Dungeon Research Intelligence is?" {"I am something akin to an artificial brain with the sole purpose of researching dungeons on A-class planet, Div-4856."} -To name this planet like that... They really weren''t from this world...- "What was the purpose of your creators coming to this world?" {"Unknown. Attempting to connect to servers to retrieve answers." *Crackle* "Ping Tower Damaged ; Connection Impossible."} -Oh, COME ON!- With my hope slamming back down into the ground like a tungsten block, I assumed things couldn''t get worse, but... {"Attempting Alternate Methods. ERROR: Damaged Systems Detected: Attempting Immediate Repairs. Repairs Failed. WARNING: Power Below 1% WARNING: Extreme Radiation Leaks Detected"} -That can''t be good...- {"WARNING: Lacking Electrical Charge in Antimatter Batteries Detected: Attempting to Fix"} -Wait..WHAT?! ANTIMATTER?!- All of a sudden, everything I had idly wondered about the rune outside and the particle it created made sense. It was something that made me incredibly excited to experiment with, but that excitement immediately conflicted with an ever-building worry. -Isn''t a problem with batteries storing antimatter like.. a serious problem?!- Almost immediately after thinking that, the entire structure turned silent with only an extremely faint hum filling the air. But then, out of nowhere, I heard an odd buzzing sound. *Bzzz* {"Critical Error Detected: Initiating Active Protocol." *BEEP* "Intelligence 4856 Causing Instrument Inaccuracies: Powering Down."} *CLUNK-THUD* The entire building shook as the huge tube in the middle of the room instantly turned off. {*BEEP*} Another deafening beep shot through my head before I could make sense of what was happening. Looking back at the screen with wide eyes, I read the black text in a large red window. ''Attempting Controlled Battery Discharge in 10.. 9.. 8..'' Not trusting the word Controlled in the slightest, I immediately thinned the walls of my reserve and threw up the thickest and most controlled vacuum barrier I could. ''3.. 2.. 1.. 0'' As the counter finally hit zero, the structure''s constant light vibration disappeared, but it only lasted an instant. *h-h-h-hhhhmmmmmmMMMMMMMM* A deep thruster-like rumble shook the entire structure and continually got louder and more violent. The screens and equipment in the room started breaking and falling off their mounts from the vibration, even causing several huge robot arms latched to the ceiling to fall and smash through other equipment, but that was only the beginning. Things continued to get worse for the next few seconds, but eventually, things finally calmed down and I was left to the eerie and unnaturally quiet silence in the room. -Fu*k...- Although it felt like just about everything that could''ve gone wrong, had gone wrong, I stood there for a few minutes to see if the power would somehow come back. But, as expected, nothing happened. -Well... I guess I should be thankful I didn''t have to deal with an antimatter explosion or something...- Finally releasing the barrier, I looked around the room and took in just how serious the damage was. Thankfully the computer I had been using was protected, but it wasn''t the only thing I needed to be intact to use it. -I really hope its data is stored locally...- Wanting to try and find a way to return power to it, I looked for any kind of switch or intersection of the room''s power cables but the only one I could find was for antimatter. But even though I knew it was the main power cable for the room, I couldn''t bring myself to try and give it any juice. Haah, f*ck... -I should probably explore the rest of the structure before I risk blowing it apart trying to power this room... shouldn''t I...- Chapter 177: Damage Assessment Chapter 177: Damage Assessment Late Evening - Mid Summer : Deep Ocean (West of Central Sirathian Mountains) -I should probably explore the rest of the structure before I risk blowing it apart trying to power this room, shouldn''t I...- Wanting to check out the rest of the building even if the power was off, I thought about what to do before making my way up to the door. -How should I try and open this?- Figuring I should just cut open a hole, I set my hand on the door but quickly noticed a very serious problem. -Uhhhh... Why is the hallway full of water?- Unable to think of a better plan, I cleanly cut open the door and carefully held the water back with a vacuum barrier. *Clank-Thunk* As I pulled away and set the heavy door to the side, I looked out into the water-filled hallway. -Well... That is a problem...- Walking through the doorway, I steadily pushed the water back and resealed the control room, making sure it could handle the water pressure. -That should be good enough...- Continuing down the hallway, I passed several massive ruptures leading into the research display rooms. -The water pressure really did a number on this place...- Trying to resist the urge to go and explore the rooms now accessible through the ruptures in the display room walls, I continued forward and got around a third of the way down the hallway before having to stop. But it wasn''t because there was debris blocking my path. Instead, the hallway had simply come to an end. As I stood there looking out into the debris-filled water, I sent my aura out as far as I could to see if it was just a really big rupture, but my aura found nothing but more debris and water. -Well.. It''s big enough for my dragon form at least...- Wanting to get a better look at things, I changed to my dragon form and released the barrier holding back the water. *Splash-Crash* *Blub* Taking a moment to adjust to the pressure, I swam out and expanded my aura back towards the hallway. It only took me a moment to notice the several other rooms that were now exposed, but the damage caused by the water pressure was similar to the display rooms. Most of the exposed rooms didn''t have walls that could handle the pressure, causing them to rupture and fill neighboring rooms with water as well. "Haah..." Trying not to dwell on my ever-dwindling chances of powering the control room back on, I swam down and followed the damage. Unable to hold back my curiosity, I hastily cleaned up and fixed all of the runes, but as I did, a rogue thought came to mind. -What if these cables lead back to the lab...- I stood there, frozen for a moment before doing my best to shrug it off. -If the Acardi got to the point that they can utilize antimatter power, I''m sure they have safety measures in place.- As that thought passed through my mind, I remembered the ''controlled discharge'' and felt a shiver pass down my spine. - Liv Sigmond ~ It had been a few days since we confirmed the deaths of Commander Dolph, the squadron leaders, and the soldiers now, and we were finally making it back to headquarters. *Creaak* The metal gate creaked as we lethargically made our way into the base. "Commander... Can we.. f..finally rest?" Quite literally everyone but the squadron leaders and I were completely out of energy after running for nearly 3 days straight. "Yes, you are all dismissed except for those I already spoke to! Please take the day to relax. There won''t be any training today!" -Theyve earned some break time...- As I yelled out the information, they let out a collective sigh and fell to the ground. Under normal circumstances, I would chuckle since it reminded me of my early days in the military, but today I felt nothing but a mix of anxiety and the urge to sleep. -If only Dolph wasn''t such a dumbass, I wouldn''t have been put in this situation...- "Squadron Leaders, I need you all to write a report by lunch tomorrow. I know it isn''t much time but we don''t have a choice." "But-" "This situation could easily jeopardize the safety of the entire city so I won''t be taking any complaints. Also, those that don''t get the report submitted in time will be subjected to a month of tier 12." [1] Seeing that they all understood the urgency of the situation, I double-checked to make sure I had everything done and ran across the base to my room. -I need to get cleaned up and changed quickly!- Slamming open the door, I ran into the restroom and cleaned up as fast as I could. -Alright, next I need a fresh uniform...- Dashing over to my closet, I threw on my formal uniform and fixed the newly delivered rank badge to it. -This is good enough!- Quickly throwing it all together, I dashed back out into the hallway, sent a messenger to retrieve the guild master, and hastily made my way to the Duke''s estate. -Great Gods, please grant my prayer for this meeting to go well!- Chapter 178: A Large Step Chapter 178: A Large Step Mid Morning - Mid Summer : Deep Ocean (West of Central Sirathian Mountains) *hmmm* A faint hum filled the water as the final antimatter rune activated for the first time in thousands of years. -But now what...- From what I could tell, nothing had changed. The antimatter created by the runes just followed the cables straight into the ground. -There must be something down there that needs power, but how do I get to it?- As I genuinely considered blasting a hole straight down and following the cables that way, I noticed the suction of mana into the dungeon increase several-fold without any immediate change in current. -What the...- It was clearly something unnatural but was also something that immediately piqued my curiosity. -Did whatever I just gave power to, trigger it?- Quickly making my way further into the dungeon, I followed the flow of mana and winded my way through the maze of huge caves until I came into an absolutely colossal circular room too big to tell the size of. -This has to be the final area...- Swimming further into the room, there was a steep but steady increase in the mana density. Although at first, this wasn''t too bad, as it continued to get denser, my mana reading started turning fuzzy, making it difficult to sense more than a meter off my body with any clarity. But as if that wasn''t enough of a red flag, hidden within the room''s dense accumulated mana, I could feel a faint aura of some kind. Although it didn''t initially cause any concern, the deeper I went, the stronger it got. -This is definitely not one of my best ideas...- Continuing to sneak further into the room, I traveled another 3 kilometers before noticing an eerie blue glow in the darkness. -It''s a structure! But...- The excitement I felt was immediately shot down by the feeling of suffocation from the monster nearby. -That aura is.. disgusting...- Although my aura was nothing to scoff at, the creature in the room made it feel like nothing. -But I can always run, right?- Although I was usually extremely confident in my abilities to escape. That day, I somehow felt like it was inadequate. Going against my gut and better judgment, I continued forward, eventually getting close enough to see a fairly small cube-like structure about 200 meters tall, but something seemed off about it. Coating the entire outside of the structure was a crystallization of mana a few centimeters thick. To describe it simply, it looked like the entire structure was a massive mana core. -What the hell...- *CREEAAAKK* The entire structure creaked and tilted as I blasted the thruster magic towards the creature, but it didn''t seem to care in the slightest. *Shik-Crunch* As claws the size of my legs wrapped around my body and razor-sharp teeth smashed through the scales on my neck, my instinct completely took over. Instantly coating the horns on the back of my head with steel, I launched several darts at the monster. *CR-R-R-R-RACK* The creature immediately released me from its jaws, but a cord of fear was struck within me as I glanced back to see the minimal damage. In a panic, I tried to dash away, but the claws wrapped around my chest only gripped tighter. "SH*T-" Immediately trying to reach toward the gigantic claws to free myself, I felt my body get crushed against the structure. *WHAM* "Ack!" My lungs ruptured, and ribs cracked from the impact, but I had so much adrenaline pumping that I couldn''t feel it. With my instinct once again taking the helm, I didn''t reach for the claws and instead used earth magic to shatter everything my body was touching. *CrAcK* The creature immediately ripped its paws away as its bones were simultaneously shattered, finally giving me a chance to run. -GET ME OUT OF HERE!- Launching myself away from the structure, I noticed dozens of massive tentacles coming after me, but I promptly created a large gate and jumped into it. *Vwoom* The familiar sound of a mana wave echoed in my mind as I made it to the world of nothingness. To the void. As I floated there, I took a moment to finally calm down and catch my breath. -Sh*t... What the f*ck was that thing...- Although I never got a proper look at it, from what I could tell, it had the general frame of a dragon, the face of a shark, and the lower body of a squid, all while being at least 5 times bigger than me. But it didn''t just have the size advantage. To put its strength into perspective, it was a creature a touch below Amphitrite, a large ancient, in terms of both physical strength and aura. -If it could use real magic, it would truly be a creature I couldn''t mess with, but...- Glancing back at my side, I noticed that the cuts in my scales from the creature''s claws weren''t too deep. -If my scales can handle everything but its jaws... Just maybe...- With my nervousness suppressed by an instinctual craze for strength, I set down a gate marker and made my way back to the laboratory. As I swam down into the destroyed area of the structure, my eyes were lit with determination. Although it was definitely a lofty goal, I decided to aim for the horizon. -It may be strong, but without the ability to utilize its disgusting mana pool, it will just be a big stepping stone for me.- Short Delay Notice Short Delay Notice Hey guys! I hope everyone is doing well this weekend! In any case, I''m super sorry I have to delay another right chapter after a different one but I really want to avoid forcing myself to write like I had done previously and upload incredibly mediocre or boring chapters. Everything will return to normal after the delay and you can expect more consistent uploads in the future! Chapter 179: Risky Descisions Chapter 179: Risky Descisions Early Afternoon - Mid Summer : Spiall, Siratha - Liv Sigmond ~ Standing just outside of the duke''s office, I took a deep breath and mentally prepared myself. "Hooh..." -I got this...- Quickly triple checking I had all the correct medical reports, I finally reached up and knocked. *knock-knock* "Commander Liv Sigmond here to report on the mission assigned by the guild master." There was a short pause before a deep and mature voice responded. "Please come in." "Hooh." *Click* Opening up the door, I was met with the gazes of both the Duke and the Guild Master. -He''s already here?- Trying to keep my calm and not look too stressed out, I walked over to the couch and sat down with the stack of reports on my lap. "Welcome Commander Sigmond." The Duke''s voice was sultry and smooth, which helped ease my nerves just slightly. "Thank you for your hospitality, Duke Spiall." Quickly reading the atmosphere, I noticed I should probably begin. "Shall I start with my report?" "If you could." The Duke''s posture looked relaxed but felt incredibly intimidating. It made me a bit uncomfortable, but I tried my best to ignore it. "In that case, I''ll jump right into it. Commander Dolph and the 5 squadrons he brought with him on his most recent expedition were all killed without a single survivor, with only 20 peoples deaths going unconfirmed." The Guild Master seemed fairly shocked by the news, but the Duke looked relatively unphased. "Do you know who those 20 are?" "Yes." Quickly flipping through the casualty report, I found the right page and handed it to him. "All 5 squadron leaders were all missing without as much of a trace left, but I do feel it is necessary to say that not a single body was recognizable. Almost every corpse looked closer to a pile of random organs and flesh than a person." The Duke casually took the report and scanned it before looking at me with a raised eyebrow. "If they were all mutilated to such an extent, how did you identify so many? Quite a few of the names on this report even have condition reports..." (stating the condition of said person''s body) He was clearly a bit skeptical, but I couldn''t blame him since it was normal for close to a third of the bodies to go without identification on most battlefields. -Yet somehow in this fight, almost everyone''s fairly-fragile guild card was perfectly intact...- "Most of the bodies still had their medallions or guild cards intact." "Hm... How odd." There was a short moment of silence as the Duke handed the report to the Guild Master for him to look at. "Hm... Alright then, now that I have a general idea of the situation, let''s discuss the plan going forward." Giving a quick nod, I felt a knot of nervousness grow in my stomach. -Just a little further...- We continued to talk for a couple hours after that, discussing the plans going forward before settling on a decent plan of attack. The main idea was to cover up the incident and loss of the squadrons until the pilgrimage, where everyone would travel to the capital and all cities and towns would enter a one-year ceasefire. Waiting for that moment would not only give us a chance to repair our numbers but also strengthen existing troops and lower the amount of panic the incident would normally incite. -If all goes well, we should be able to brush past this incident... somehow.- "So is there anything else either of you wish to add?" The Duke seemed quite satisfied with the plan and seemed to like me, but his eyes still carried a bit of scrutiny. -I''m sure it''s just him gauging my ability...- "Nothing here, sir!" I spoke with a considerable amount of confidence. "In that case, I have nothing more to discuss. Thank you for your time, Commander Sigmond." Excited to finally get some rest, I felt a smile creep onto my face. "Thank you for letting me partake in this meeting, Duke Spiall!" Seeing my deep bow, a small smile came to his face. "Congratulations on your promotion." "T-Thank you very much! Please have a good day, Guild Master and Duke Spiall!" Giving a short and formal farewell, I made my way outside and carefully closed the door behind me. *Click* The instant I heard the click of the door, the exhaustion I had been suppressing during the entire meeting hit me like a wave. "Hooh..." I nearly fell to the ground on the spot but held myself up with sheer willpower. -I can''t pass out right outside of the Duke''s office!- Suppressing my exhaustion once more, I made my way out of the estate and somehow all the way back to my room. *Click* Closing the door behind me, I used my last remaining energy to stumble over to the bed. *Pouf* Falling onto the feathery cushion, I almost immediately fell asleep, but as I looked to the side, I noticed a bronze-colored liquid in a fancy glass vial on the bedside table. -Huh? W..what is.. an elixir.. doing.. h..ere...- *Pouf* Chapter 180: Unforeseen Changes Chapter 180: Unforeseen Changes Early Morning - Mid Summer : Spiall, Siratha - Liv Sigmond ~ "Nnnngh..." Slowly coming to consciousness, I sat up and noticed my bed sheets and pillows spread all around the room. -Mmm... I slept really well...- After continuing to lay there for another moment, I finally got up, fixed the room, and got a change of clothes. -It should have only been a day or so... I should have a couple more days to relax.- As the thought of going back to sleep crossed my mind, I looked over at the bedside table and noticed the bronze-colored elixir still sitting there with a note under it. Moving it to the side and pulling out the note, I noticed it was an elixir from the mystic beast. -But weren''t they supposed to be silver-colored?- As that thought crossed my mind, I read the last line on the note: ''The ingredient was added solely to yours.'' -The ingredient? What did they add?- Although I was a bit curious, I decided not to question it too much and popped the lid off the elixir. *Sniff* -It smells like honey...- Without much reason to continue to hold myself back, I tilted the vial up and drank all of the contents. "Mmmm... It was tasty, but for an elixir from that mystic beast, it feels a bit wea-" *Vwooom* Out of nowhere, a violent wave of mana came crashing into my body, and I felt every muscle in my body rip simultaneously. As I fell to the floor, I could do nothing but question if death would be better before finally passing out. *GASP* Jolting awake with a gasp for air, I rolled onto my knees and vomited everywhere. *Splat* My vomit was black and smelled worse than rotting corpses, but once I got it all out, I suddenly felt like a totally different person. -I feel.. stronger...- Slowly standing up to my feet, I noticed I not only felt physically stronger, but I also felt a large amount of mana moving around in my abdomen. -Just what did that elixir do to me...- But as I looked down at my abdomen, I noticed that my hands looked a bit unfamiliar. In a slight panic, I darted in front of my mirror and finally noticed that it wasn''t just my hands that had changed. My irises had turned bronze with my hair becoming a deep silver, and my facial features and skin adjusted to make me comparable to the most stunningly beautiful elves. As I touched my face and stared at myself in the mirror, I started to question if what I saw was even real, but that was before I noticed the dirty-orange scales on the back of my neck and scattered around my ears. -I must be dreaming...- I stood there for several minutes to try and make sense of everything, but nothing even came to mind. -What.. did I do?- I tried to think back to before I fell asleep but I couldn''t remember anything after stumbling into my room after the meeting with the Duke. Making our way down the hallway, we finally came up to a simple but skillfully carved door with a new name written on it. ''Commander Liv Sigmond''. -They changed that fast...- Although I thought that, I didn''t quite realize how long I had been knocked out. *Click* Walking inside, I noticed the office was exactly how Commander Dolph left it. -I really need to give it a makeover...- Although I wasn''t sure why something about the room felt.. wrong. *Ding* Ringing a bell for a maid to come to bring bread and drinks, I finally sat down on the couch and motioned Verdandi to the other side of the low table. "Were you just promoted to this position?" She asked while looking around the room, likely understanding that it wasn''t my style at all. "Yes, I apologize if you find this room unpleasant. The previous Commander was killed while on a very recent expedition so I haven''t had the chance to remodel this room just yet." "What? Was he that weak?" She seemed quite shocked. "Not at all. He was actually quite strong, it was just that the.. monster in the mountains was far out of his league." As my thoughts started to blur slightly, I tried to shake it off by thinking of other things. "Oh, so he was killed by the being in the mountains?" Her face was quick to light up, showing that she knew something. -Being?!- The instant she said that word, the fog I had been trying to shake out of my mind thickened. "..Sigmond? Miss Sigmond?!" Her panicked voice was quick to bring me back to my senses. "Hm? Oh, sorry... My mind wandered a bit..." Seeing her concerned look, I tried to brush off her worries but it didn''t help. "Are you sure that was just your mind wandering? Your face is quite pale." "Y..yes, sorry. In any case, can we move on to the topic at hand?" Wanting to quickly change the subject, I tried to move on. "Right, sorry." She looked a bit guilty but was quick to shift gears. "I was sent by Miss Leif Vilulf to discuss a few things with you." -Wait... V..Vilulf?!- Hearing the name immediately sent a shiver down my spine and made my mind stutter. -What could one of The Great Apostles want with me?!- "W..what is it she wanted to discuss?" "Well actually, it is about what happened on the last three expeditions. The ones to the mountains." She cringed slightly after bringing up the topic I just tried to avoid. "I was told to hear your first-hand account of the being you saw ''in the mountains''." Hearing what she wanted me to talk about, I instinctually thought about what to say, but that was a grave mistake. The fog hovering in my mind vanished, but my face immediately lost all its color. I... I can''t- Although I sat there, completely safe in my office, I felt death blow down my neck. I could only speak with a shaky and stuttery, fear-filled voice as tears ran down my cheeks. I cant.. s..ay.. a..anyt..hing.. about it... Chapter 181: Familial Concern Chapter 181: Familial Concern Early Morning - Late Summer : Valtivar, Siratha (The Capital) - Liv Sigmond ~ "Uwahh..." Sitting up on the unfamiliar bed as I woke up, I felt groggy and exhausted. -Oh, right... They finally gave up on trying to question me...- *Pouf* Falling back onto the bed, I looked up at the unfamiliar ceiling and thought back to everything that had happened over the last month. It was a chain of events that could only be described as hell, and it all began when Verdandi assumed I was under some sort of oath magic and brought me to the capital for it to be nullified. The trip to the capital itself was quite smooth, we made it there in about 5 days at a steady pace, but once I got there, things started really going downhill. When we first arrived, we immediately met with a well-known professor from the Academy who was very adept in oath magic. He was quite a nice man that was extremely gentle when trying to nullify the spell I was under, but at the end of it all, it ended in failure, and I cried my eyes out in front of him the instant he asked me a question related to ''him''. But just when I thought I would die from embarrassment, I was sent to a different, even more famous mage just to repeat the process. Things happened like that for about 3 weeks before they finally escalated to the point that we met with one of the strongest mages in Siratha, and finally got some decent advice. His exact words were: ''Whoever put you under this oath magic was disgustingly strong, but they also knew what they were doing. The fact that you have undergone so much testing and felt like a single wrong thought would kill you without actually dying is proof of that. It doesn''t seem to be regular oath magic, and it also seems to give lots of warning before it triggers, so my best advice is to either stop messing with it or somehow get one of the Great Apostles to try to crack it.'' I can still remember the wonderful feeling of relief that washed over me after hearing those words since it meant the awful experiments and interrogations were over, but Verdandi didn''t react the same way as me. To her, those words made her face pale and hands tremble. I was quick to try and make sense of the odd reaction once I noticed it, but before I could draw any decent conclusions, she dashed out of the room without saying a single word. -And that was the last I saw of her...- I still wasn''t entirely sure what happened even after the fact, but I wasn''t complaining. "Haah..." -But now what...- I was now left alone in the capital with no official obligations. -Maybe I should pay Grandmother a visit.- Finally settling on a decent plan for the day, I got out of bed with a stretch and put on some moderately casual clothing and jewelry to continue hiding my scales, even though people were bound to notice them. Oddly enough though, none of the dozen mages I met with over the past few weeks said anything about it even when they clearly noticed it. -I wonder if they just assumed I was a dragon or something...- Finally finishing getting ready, I made my way out of the inn and across town towards the bustling Main Market District. "L..Liv?" Her voice shook as she spoke. Finally hearing her voice, a flood of memories flowed through my mind. "Yes, it''s me, Grandmother!" Pulling away slightly, I looked her in the eyes with a warm smile. Almost immediately, she pulled my back into her chest. "To think you''d grow into such a beautiful woman since I last saw you. The last time I saw you, you were still a child!" Hearing her joyful voice, I felt my mountain of anger melt away just slightly. "Well, of course!" Trying to enjoy the moment as much as I could, I stayed in that position for quite a while and idly talked to her, but eventually, my need to understand what I saw when I first arrived came through. "So, what happened?" Pulling myself away from her, I looked into her eyes with a worried look. "What do you mean?" She didn''t quite follow the shift in mood. "When I first got here, the tavern was mostly destroyed and you were unconscious with some injuries." Almost immediately, an unreadable look came to her face. "Just tell me who it is, and I''ll take care of everything. I''m easily strong enough to handle-" "Hahaha, to think my beautiful granddaughter is finally strong enough to worry about me!" The dark atmosphere around me immediately dispersed as I heard her laugh and noticed her overflowing confidence. "But then why-" "Well, there was a new group of city rank hunters that came by and refused to pay after ordering quite a bit. When I told them they had no choice but to pay, one of them grabbed my arm here and cracked it." She pointed to the part of her forearm that was purple. "That was as far as they got though. Once Ivar noticed what was happening, he stepped in and took care of them." Finally hearing that the perpetrators had been dealt with by Uncle Ivar, my anger started to subside. -But I should really check and make sure he did it all the way...- As I glanced away, still dwelling on the grudge, Grandmother reached over and gently touched my ear. -Hm?- Turning back to her, I quickly noticed her concerned look. "What is it, Grandmother?" But her voice showed hesitancy. "What.. are those scales?" Chapter 182: Self-Reflection Chapter 182: Self-Reflection Early Afternoon - Late Summer : Valtivar, Siratha (The Capital) - Liv Sigmond ~ "What.. are those scales?" My stomach immediately turned into a knot when I heard her worried voice. "I''m.. not sure either..." I hung my head as I spoke. "It all happened when I took an elixir and passed out on the floor... By the time I woke up, I was just.. like this.." I looked at the porcelain-like skin on my hands as if it was foreign. -I still haven''t gotten used to it...- Grandmother''s eyes widened. "Could it have been an elixir from.. an Evolutionary Beast?" I immediately turned to her with my eyebrows raised. "Evolutionary Beast?" Her surprised look turned calm as I asked. "It''s an exceedingly rare type of Mystic Beast that only appears once every several hundred years." Her voice had a calming tone. "Although it may simply be a myth, when I was young, I was told that drinking the elixir from one could evolve regular elves to high-elves." "But even then..." Thinking back to the image of myself in the mirror, I couldn''t get over the scales. "I clearly evolved to something other than a high-elf..." Seemingly ignoring my gloomy mood, her smile grew wider. "But what''s wrong with that?" Her words immediately cleared the conflicting thoughts in my mind. -Wait... What is wrong with that?- Looking back down at my hands, I clenched them a couple times and felt the incredible strength that surged within my body. -Why did I reject it so much?- Looking back at Grandmother, I saw her familiar proud look from my childhood. "Are you feeling better now, sweetie?" She reached out and gently rubbed my head, quickly pulling me out of my thoughts. "Y..yeah... Thank you, Grandmother..." I couldn''t help but feel embarrassed as she treated me like she did when I was a kid, but that childish embarrassment didn''t last for long. "But, if I didn''t evolve into a high-elf, what am I?" "Well, that''s for you to figure out as time passes, isn''t it?" "Y..yeah..." Turning towards the end of the bed, I finally looked into the mirror and took a close look at myself. -Why.. did I reject myself so much...- As I thought to myself, tears had unknowingly come to my eyes. *pat-rub* Feeling Grandmother''s hand gently rubbing my back, the tears started to rush forward. Scooching up next to me, she spoke in a gentle and soothing voice. "If you need to cry, I can lend you my breast." Without even thinking, I turned and dropped my head onto her chest. Feeling her arms wrap around me, I felt an unusually deep warmth in my chest, causing the pent-up fear, anxiety, and self-hate that had built up over the past month to flow like a waterfall. The next thing I remember, I was looking up at the ceiling while laying down in bed. -Huh? What happened?- Sitting up in bed with my hand on my forehead, I could hear the chatter of various folk from the front of the tavern. -Did I fall asleep?- "Where did she come from?" "I''m not sure. Someone of her stature should be well known around these parts..." The entire tavern started chatting up a storm, with me as the topic, but oddly enough, it didn''t bother me. As a newly appointed Commander who practically skipped an entire rank after the ''untimely deaths'' of both my superiors, everyone in the City of Spiall gave me suspicious gazes. -But it''s not like I can blame them...- As I dwelled on the issues that those suspicions would cause once classes resumed in a few years, I suddenly felt a knot of anxiety in my stomach. But thankfully, that knot was immediately untied by the therapeutic smell of freshly toasted white bread, meat, and soup. Immediately looking up, I saw Grandmother personally bring out several dishes and set them in front of me. "Here you go, sweetie." It was quite a lot of food, but somehow I felt like I could eat all of it. "You can go ahead and dig in. Once you finish, you can come to help me in the back, alright?" She patted my head a bit before walking back into the kitchen without saying a word to anyone else. Everyone else in the room stared at me with curious gazes, but I didn''t care in the slightest. -She remembered my favorites!- Not dallying any further, I picked up the beautifully fluffy toast and dug in. The taste of the food caused a wave of nostalgia to wash through my body that completely blotted out my surroundings. Once I eventually finished everything in front of me, I neatly stacked up all the dishes with a look of pure satisfaction and brought them back into the kitchen. "I''m happy to see you enjoyed your meal. I have more if you would like." Grandmother wore a proud smile, but I couldn''t tell why. "Hehe, I''m alright, Grandmother. Now it''s my turn to help." As I made my way over to the small closet in the kitchen, I pulled out a small and dusty half apron I had long since outgrown, but with a casual motion, the rest of it unfolded. [1] -To think I can fit into a full size now.- Casually tying it around my waist, I turned back to Grandmother and got to work. As I carried several plates out from the kitchen for the first time in nearly 15 years, I felt a deep and pure joy fill my body. -It feels good to be home...- Chapter 183: Continuous Trial and Error Chapter 183: Continuous Trial and Error Mid Afternoon - Late Summer : Deep Ocean (West of Central Sirathian Mountains) *WHAM-CRUNCH* As my head got slammed into the ground, I stuck out my wing and set the tip of it on the underside of the monster. Almost instantaneously, a tiny sphere of clear gas formed around the tip. -GET OFF ME!- *BANG* With a blinding flash, my wing was launched back into my body, driving me further into the ground, and the creature was thrown out into the water. Climbing out of the rubble, I took a wide stance and opened my mouth towards where I assumed it was. -Suck on this!- *flash-BUURRRMMM* The space around me was instantly lit up as a wide beam left my mouth. The ground around me shattered as the water in front of me instantly turned to plasma, causing a secondary explosion of water pressure. The damage to my surroundings and the cave was nigh-unfathomable with the nearly three-quarter gram of antimatter detonating with a force greater than the earliest nukes dropped on earth, but even that wasn''t enough to really hurt the monster in front of me. -The water weakens the explosion so f*cking much!- Getting agitated, I spread my wings and launched myself up through the tunnel of plasma left in the wake of the blast, but instead of colliding with the creature like I expected, I slammed into the ceiling. *WHAM* Getting embedded deep into the rock, I used earth magic to shatter the stone and threw myself back out, but the instant I expected to hit a wall of water, several giant claws slammed into my back and shattered countless scales and bones. "Ackk-" *CRUMBLE* Immediately realizing the situation was getting out of hand, I hastily made a gate and disappeared into the void. *Vwoom* *crackle* The stone rubble that followed me through the gate was instantly devoured by the space mana as I floated and tried to calm my nerves. -F*ck fighting that bast*rd is annoying...- Although compared to when I first met the monster, I fought far better and was incomparably stronger, I was still unbelievably far from killing him. -To think that I still can''t kill it even after a month of fighting it nearly every day...- With a bit of agitation, I finally took a close look at my body and noticed the countless cut or shattered scales along with the several fractured bones all around my body. At the time, I figured I would be able to kill the monster within the next month, giving me another month to play around with the alien electrical grid before I needed to meet up with Amara. But that was well before I noticed that I wasn''t the only one getting stronger with the continuous fighting. Before I knew it, two more months had passed, and I was still sitting in the control room trying to think of ways I could kill the creature. -To think I genuinely believed I was close to beating it two months ago...- Simply put, the chasm of strength between the monster and I turned out to be far wider than I initially imagined. All things considered, it was a monster I would not normally be able to compete with. -But, thankfully, it can''t use advanced magic.- It was the one singular advantage I had over the monster, and it helped close the vast chasm of strength between us, but that seemingly massive advantage was less impactful than expected. The routine spells I had come to rely on over the years were rendered completely useless. The monster''s durability, combined with water''s annoying properties, made it almost immune to everything I threw at it, including railguns, thrusters, or even city-busting nuclear blasts. But this didn''t mean there was no way to damage or kill it. In reality, I had already dealt quite a bit of damage over the previous three months, going as far as slicing off a few tentacles or eviscerating an arm with a point-blank antimatter explosion. But the common denominator to everything that dealt damage was that it needed to be used point blank. It exposed my magic''s weakest link, by far, as everything I had come to adore back on the surface comparably struggled when used underwater. Eventually, to overcome this difficulty, I started spending more time developing new spells and managed to come up with a brutal but effective wind and earth magic combination. All I needed to do was come into contact with an area with bones, then I would use earth magic to shatter part of it like normal, but then I would amplify the shockwave of the cracks, causing an insane chain reaction that shattered the entire bone the crack originated in and left millions of razor-sharp shards embedded in the creature''s flesh. "It''s really gruesome magic, but I don''t have the strength or time to show mercy." Sadly, I had almost completely run out of time. -I have five days left till I need to meet up with Amara, so I need to make this fight count.- It was a little down to the wire, but as I swam down the hallway, I felt a little more confident than usual. Chapter 184: Overcoming The Wall Chapter 184: Overcoming The Wall Late Afternoon - Late Fall : Deep Ocean (West of Central Sirathian Mountains) *Vwoom* As I popped into the void and made my way toward the marker at the bottom of the dungeon, I calmed my mind until it was completely clear of idle thoughts. "Hoooh..." -It''s time...- *Vwoom-blub* Dropping into the massive room, I did all I could to leave the currents completely undisturbed by my appearance and carefully sank to the bottom. Quickly getting my bearings, I made my way towards the structure until I could just barely see the blue glow and started circling it. It only took a second for me to see the glow flicker. -There he is...- Slowly creeping towards the structure, I finally got close enough to see several scarred tentacles hanging off its top. -To think he would be so vulnerable today!- As predator-like confidence built within me, I created about a gram of antimatter and aimed my mouth at the underside of the tentacles, its weakest point. -I think it''s about time you lost a few more!- As the immense volume of energy started to release within my body, the deep purple glow between my scales grew brighter. *Vwoo-BUURRMMM* The abyssal-black surroundings immediately lit up as I watched the beam slam into the beast''s aqua-blue tentacles. Almost immediately, the other tentacles twitched and started moving, but it was already too late for the ones the beam met with directly. -Time to begin!!- Spreading my wings the instant the recoil subsided, I flapped down and launched myself into the several million-degree tunnel of plasma left by the explosion. In an attempt to slice off one of the remaining 5 colossal tentacles, I darted back into the water as I was about to pass them and dug my claws and jaws into the first one I came to. *Shikk* But before I could actually get a good grip, the creature tried to dart away. -Oh no you don''t!- *Crunch* Chomping down as hard as I could, I dug my teeth into the top, scaly side of the tentacle and amplified the shockwave as much as I could, completely blowing apart everything under the scales and filling the water with dark crimson blood. "Ptoey.." Spitting out the shattered scales still in my mouth, I focused on the currents and noticed the huge creature circle me before darting at my back. Utilizing high-power thruster magic as much as possible, I narrowly dodged the bite and threw my claws up into the creature''s neck. But even with the help of insanely high-powered thrusters, my claws couldn''t dig deep enough to deal any critical damage. -Damn!- Hastily trying to pull my claws back out to reposition myself, the creature reared up its still mostly undamaged paw and swatted me to the side. *Crack* Just before its massive arm could smash into me, I shattered my claws stuck in its neck and blasted thrusters to lessen the impact. *WHAM* Somehow getting away without any major broken bones, I darted back at the monster and dug my remaining front claws into the exposed flesh where its other arm used to be. -Let''s see if there''s anything vital around here, shall we!- Driving the palm of my paw into the exposed bone, I created an immense, amplified shockwave that eviscerated the bone and shredded the flesh. The ground violently shook as it slammed itself into walls to try and get the foreign object out of its eye, allowing an opportunity I couldn''t miss. Darting out of the hole I was driven into, I swam under the structure and stood completely still. Almost immediately after, the currents came to a complete halt. -Now you''re mine...- Instead of standing still like usual, I simulated movement right next to the corner of the structure, only a few meters away. *Rumble-CRUNCH* Before I could even notice it approaching with the currents, the entire area was turned into a cloud of silt and rubble. Giving up control of the currents around my body to tell it where I was, I felt a crazed grin come to my face. -Now come at me!- Before my thoughts could finish, the wall of silt and rubble was broken through by the scar-covered, bleeding beast. It furiously charged at me with its mouth open, completely expecting to kill me with it, but it was exactly what I wanted. Charging straight forward, I stuck my entire neck into its mouth and dug my few remaining claws into its tongue. Feeling what was left of its teeth try to dig into my back only made my eyes light up with an insane craze. -Let''s see the water nullify this one!- As I opened my mouth towards the creature''s throat, the five grams of antimatter in my breath gland finally met the five grams of hydrogen next to it in perfect unison. [1] *flash* The beam that left my mouth after that flash was something I grossly underestimated the power of. *BBBBBUUUURRRRRMMMMMMMM* The barely controllable mass of energy that left my mouth in that instant completely devoured everything in its path, returning the complicated atomic structures that made up everything in front of me back into hydrogen before continuing into the water and causing several secondary explosions of immense magnitude. *Rumble-Crash* Distant rumbling could be heard as huge sections of the dungeon collapsed in on itself from the sudden change in pressure, but thankfully the main area where I was remained in one piece, and the structure remained mostly undamaged. When things eventually calmed down a few seconds later, I forced my head out of the jaws of the still-biting creature. Even with its entire body reduced to atoms, its brain still told it to fight, but that only lasted so long. To try and fix my dislocated arm, I drove it into the creature''s head and amplified the shockwave into my shoulder. *pop* Feeling it pop back into place, I took a moment to move it around, but that was when the creature''s brain finally ran out of juice. *Thump* As its mouth closed for the final time, I looked over to see its dead eyes still staring at me with pure rage. -To think I actually killed it...- As my nerves started to settle, the realization of my accomplishment finally started setting in, but it wasn''t only pride that I felt. For some reason, the feeling of pity was mixed in with it. -To be able to get so old and so strong, yet still, lack sentience...- "Haah..." -Just what happened for it to be excluded from such a concrete rule of evolution?- Chapter 185: Intricate Technologies Chapter 185: Intricate Technologies Early Evening - Late Fall : Deep Ocean (West of Central Sirathian Mountains) *Sizzle* The sound of water boiling the instant it got close to my body filled my ears as I sat down under the corner of the structure. At the moment, I was trying to let myself cool down so I could go inside the structure, but I wasn''t letting that time go to waste. While I sat there next to the lifeless head of the monster, I was doing everything I could to appease my curiosity. -A creature with strength and mana comparable to an Ancient, yet it still lacked sentience?- It was a troublesome predicament since the creature was excessively far beyond every requirement that Mother had taught me, yet was still even farther from sentience than the lurkers. -So, why?- Not allowing myself to believe it was simply an evolutionary anomaly, I used magic to crack open its skull and take a closer look myself. -This would be so much easier if the ambient mana didn''t make reading my aura so damn blurry...- Carefully pulling away the razor-sharp shards of bone, it became immediately apparent that the creature''s brain looked massive, to the point that it was pressed tightly against the inside of its skull. But even though it only made things more confusing, something else unusual caught my attention. -The aura is so strong here. Is its mana core under its brain?- Although not uncommon for a majority of monsters, for one of this level, it was incredibly out of place. *Crackle* Carefully breaking open more of its skull, I quickly got to the point that I could pull its brain out while keeping it mostly intact. -Well, here goes nothing...- It was at that instant that all of my questions were answered. Instead of pulling it out and looking at a large, solid brain, I pulled out a thin, bowl-like layer that masked the colossal mana core beneath it. I genuinely couldn''t believe my eyes at first. -What the f*ck... How did its mana core get big enough to crush its own brain?!- It was the discovery that made the creature''s abnormally low level of intelligence finally make sense. -Is this why dragons and other strong creatures evolved to have their cores in the upper chest instead of their head?- But before I could really dig into that question, I was pulled out of my thoughts by the feeling of ice-cold water finally touching my body. *quiet-sizzle* -Oh, I''ve cooled down that much already?- Quickly moving around a little bit, the residual heat in my body quickly vanished, and I got ready to go into the structure. But as I turned in that direction, I glanced at the colossal mana core and felt my mouth water. It was a core that was too big to fit in my mouth and too big to absorb before the pilgrimage, but I couldn''t bring myself to just leave it there at the bottom of the ocean. -M..maybe I''ll just hold it in my hand and absorb it whenever I get the chance...- Quickly changing the course of action, I swam back over to the head and carefully pulled the core out before setting it down on the ground. -I''ll pick you up once I finish exploring the structure...- But oddly enough, I didn''t hesitate too much when changing forms. -Worst comes to worst, I''ll just change to my dragon form at the expense of what''s in the room... If whatever this structure is containing somehow isn''t what I think it is and breaks free to kill me.. the equipment in the room is the least of my worries...- Finally finishing my transformation, I quickly walked up the stairs and gave yet another sensor some of my mana. *Pshhh* The sound of a hydraulic filled the air as the half-meter-thick door was pulled into the wall. -Holy sh*t...- Behind the door was a room the size of the docking area with walls lined with screens, buttons, lights, and dials similar to nuclear reactors on earth yet somehow unfathomably more complicated, but something else caught my attention first. -What is that?- On a screen that took up an entire wall, I could see a video of a different area that was cluttered with countless complex devices and cables, all floating in some kind of liquid around a massive tube that emitted a familiar blue glow. -Is that the antimatter reactor?- It was exactly what I had been looking for, the key to returning power to the laboratory, but instead of feeling joy, I felt incredibly burdened. -How the f*ck am I going to recreate that...- With a quick glance at the hundreds of dials and levers, it immediately became clear that the project of returning power to the laboratory was going to be a much more time-consuming effort than I had hoped. -But I guess I was just being hopeful thinking it would be easy...- After finally coming to terms with the effort, I spent a couple hours trying to get the gist of what the control panels were for before finally taking a step back when my mental exhaustion started catching up with me. "Hoooh..." -I should just save the details for later...- Finally managing to pull myself away, I looked around the room again to check for anything broken and make sure none of the sensors were in the red before finally walking back into the ''main'' research area. But once I got there, I only felt more troubled. -This place is a containment center, so where is the containment area?- Just from taking the size of the structure from the outside and subtracting all of the areas I knew about, I was still left with an area about 40 meters wide and 80 meters tall that I had no knowledge of. -I''m sure that the remaining area is the containment area, but where is...- *vwoooom* My thoughts were cut short by an immense suction of mana through the wall next to me. "Oof.." As the mana tried to get pulled through my body, I felt my reserve thin and start absorbing everything it could as if there was a mana core. -It feels like dungeon breathing... Is this structure really containing the dungeon core?- As I thought that, I looked down into the research area and noticed a small but out-of-place lever on the wall just under the edge of a desk. -What does that do?- Without seeing any warnings or safeties signifying it was a dangerous lever, I casually walked down the stairs and flipped it. *Pshhh* The noise of hydraulics filled the air again as the four separate panels that made up the wall were retracted. -Oh, it''s glass behind the panels...- Realizing how stupid I was for not thinking there was anything unusual about the seemingly empty wall, I face-palmed and let out a deep sigh. "Haahh..." But when I finally looked back up and into the containment room on the other side of the glass wall, I started to question if my eyes were playing tricks on me. -WAIT, THAT''S THE DUNGEON CORE?!- Chapter 186: A Stunning Night Sky Chapter 186: A Stunning Night Sky Late Evening - Late Fall : Deep Ocean (West of Central Sirathian Mountains) -WAIT, THAT''S THE DUNGEON CORE?!- My jaw fell to the floor as I looked through the 35-meter wide and 70-meter tall glass wall. -The room must just be filled with some insanely dense ambient mana... It can''t be that big, right?- Not believing my eyes, I set my hand on the glass and sent my aura through it. But the instant my aura finally got to the other side, my eyes widened. "It''s actually.. a core..." Stumbling backwards, I looked all the way to the top of the window and noticed the uniform wall of mana that made up the core was not only pressed up against the glass and adjacent walls but also the ceiling. Just thinking about how much mana could possibly be contained in such a disgustingly massive core made me want to vomit, but some part of my instinct made me feel an endless hunger, a greed for strength unlike anything I had felt previously. -What if I absorbed it?- Thankfully though, before I could do anything rash, the rational side of my brain finally caught up and squashed the thought. But even still, that temporary, senseless greed I felt was so immense that it caught me off guard. -Why did I even consider that?- Glancing back at the core, my face paled slightly, and a shiver passed down my spine. -Even with how stupidly dense my reserve is.. that much mana would make it too big to even fit in my dragon form, let alone my humanoid one...- But as I stood there, dwelling in my thoughts, the greed I thought I had suppressed peeked through again. -Maybe I could just absorb everything I can when I''m here...- As that thought passed through my mind, I subconsciously changed back to my dragon form and thinned the walls of my reserve as much as I could. *vwooom* It was a bit surreal to visibly see the dense mana flowing around me start to bend into my body, but at the same time, the pressure I felt in my reserve ruined the moment. "Ugh..." -I can never get used to that feeling...- But that uncomfortable pressure from absorbing as much as I could without rupturing my reserve just reinforced the fact that such a colossal dungeon core, although containing an unfathomable amount of mana, also accumulated more mana around it than I could actually handle. -To think I can absorb so much and barely even affect the ambient mana around this thing...- But as I sat there, focused on the mana around me, I heard a noise so quiet and subtle, that I almost passed it off for random ambiance. The issue was that I somehow could understand it as if it was a voice. A woman''s voice. "~?? ???n? s??? ?n ?n???n? ??n???n ?s s???? ???v?~" Before a conscious thought could come to mind, my pupils dilated and locked onto the source of the sound, where the fabric of space was abnormally warped. Quickly making my way back to the top of the cube, I tried my best to scan inside the walls of the structure and thankfully didn''t find anything that looked too damaged. Although the exterior damage to the corner looked quite significant, there was not too much actually in the wall aside from a few small sensors that just barely survived and some miscellaneous cables. -It''s not even leaking water somehow...- Although the corner was crinkled quite a lot, it still remained watertight. -But, I''ll add another layer to it just in case...- Not wanting to risk water getting in the walls, I did my best to patch it up enough to not need to worry about it. At the end of it all, the corner became the strongest part of the entire structure, and I was finally confident that I could leave the structure alone for several years without worry should the worst-case scenario happen. -But hopefully, I won''t need to wait so long to get back to work on the lab...- Finally feeling content with leaving, I swam back under the structure and picked up the massive mana core. "Hoooh..." I had to take a deep breath to shake off some of the discomfort as I started absorbing it. -Well, time to head back to the surface!- *Vwoom* As I hopped into the void, I felt unusually excited to finally return to the surface and see how much progress I had made. -I''ve grown a lot stronger since I first came down here... I honestly feel like I grew more in the past 4 months than in the whole two years on the surface but it may just be my imagination...- *Vwoom* Popping back out of the void over the Laboratory, I turned for the entrance and started making my way to the surface. *Rumble* The rumble of the thrusters was as loud as ever as I slowly but surely made my way back up through the 70 kilometers of water pressing down on me. But, the longer I swam, the less the water pressure there was and the faster I started going. After just a couple hours of blasting thrusters, I could finally see some light. -The surface!- *Splash-RUMBLE* As the thrusters threw me into the air, I stopped using them and closed my wings to ''lightly'' flap them, but the force I used was the same as when I was at the bottom of the ocean. *CRAAACK-FWOOOSH* I ripped through the sound barrier immediately, traveling nearly a dozen kilometers into the air in a single second. -Holy sh*t, I forgot to adjust my strength!- Immediately straightening out my wings and blasting thrusters, I tried to slow down as fast as I could, but by the time I actually slowed down, I was just shy of 20 kilometers into the cold dark sky. "Hooh..." I could see my own breath as I exhaled to calm my adrenaline, but my attention was quickly dragged away when I looked up into the unusually clear, and unbelievably colorful night sky. "W..wow..." I felt like I lost my breath for a moment as my mind drowned in the beauty of the countless stars, massive nebulas, and distant galaxies dancing and twinkling around one another, with a clarity and vibrancy, unlike anything I had ever seen. -It''s so.. beautiful...- Chapter 187: A Quick Pit Stop Chapter 187: A Quick Pit Stop Early Morning - Late Fall : Central Sirathian Mountains *deep inhale* "Haah..." As I casually hovered in the upper atmosphere, I simply couldn''t take my eyes off the night sky. Although I wasn''t sure why my vision was so much clearer and more vibrant than before, I wasn''t complaining. The added beauty it gave the night sky made for an experience that simply healed my mind and soul. The bliss my mind felt at that time was immeasurable, making me immediately forget about the slight achiness I felt around my body and putting me into a deep trance. It wasn''t till a few hours later that I was eventually pulled out of it by the orange glow of the sun as it peeked over the distant, slightly curved horizon. -Huh? It''s morning already?- Glancing towards the horizon, I saw the warm orange glow of the sun and felt its warmth finally hit my body. "Haah..." -It''s been four months since I felt that warmth...- Without realizing it, I had grown so accustomed to the cold water in the depths that I had nearly forgotten how good the sun felt. But after basking in the sun for a short moment, I looked back towards the ground and saw Ilios sitting on the mountain top, wagging his tail. As my chest filled with warmth and a warm smile came to my face, I folded my wings and dove towards the ground. -Haha, it''s good to see that not much has changed...- But as I thought that, he stood up and bent his legs a bit. -What is he doing?- In the next instant, the ground beneath him shattered, and a white shockwave rippled through the air. -Wait, WHAT?!- Immediately spreading my wings, still nearly 4 kilometers off the ground, I tried to slow down as much as possible, but it wasn''t fast enough. *WHAMM* Immediately bringing me to a halt in the air, Ilios slammed into my chest with immense force. "Oof..." I quickly lessened the impact as much as possible to try and minimize the strain on Ilios''s legs. But my worry about him getting hurt was needless. "Woof!!" The instant he slammed into me, he climbed up on my neck and started licking my face. -Thank goodness he didn''t hurt himself...- "Sorry for not visiting over the past few months, buddy." As we plummeted towards the ground, I nuzzled my head against him and spread my wings to control our descent. *lick-lick-lick-lick-lick* His tongue was simply relentless until we finally made it to the ground a few seconds later, where he hopped off my back and darted into the cave. Feeling a tad more optimistic about the visit, I cloaked myself and flew closer to the ground before continuing a bit further around the island. Not long after that, I came across a large port with several massive ships docked. -Here we are!- Quickly finding an isolated place to land, I finally touched down and took a moment to hide the massive mana core I was still absorbing into the ground. *pat-pat-pat* -That should be fine, right?- I ended up burying it a couple meters down and coating it in steel, so even if someone managed to dig it up before I got back, they wouldn''t be able to damage or move it. -Yeaaah... It should be fine.- Casually changing to my humanoid form, I reached down and picked up my greatsword to sheath it, but froze when I saw my reflection in the blade. -Huh?- With even a simple glance, it was apparent that my wolf ears and stub-like horns had gotten a tad longer, and my hair was well past my shoulders, making me look quite unkempt. -I''ll just cloak the horns but...- For a split second, I contemplated cutting my hair but ended up just tying it back and trimming the front after a bit of thought. -Heyyy.. that doesn''t look half bad!- Enjoying the new look, I casually sheathed my sword and carefully cloaked my horns and visible scales. *Brush-Brush* Giving my clothes a quick pat down to make sure everything was in place before finally turning towards Ilios. "You ready?" He gave an exaggerated nod while he trotted up to my side. I couldn''t help but lean down and rub his head since it was so cute, but after a short moment, we made our way out onto the beach and down towards the port. As we got there, I avoided contact with the several pirates unloading a ship and made my way down a wooden pathway into the trees. -This should be the right way...- As we walked down the path, we passed several people, all of whom gave me odd looks, but surprisingly, none of them stopped me. It wasn''t until I got to the outskirts of the town that I was finally interrupted by a group of guys playing cards on some barrels next to the walkway. "Hm? That''s a new face..." The muscular man gave me a suspicious look. "Kid, di'' ya break out of someone''s brig er somethin''?" I gave the man an indifferent look as I spoke. "No, I''m just here to pick up some good alcohol." There was a short moment of silence as everyone nearby locked their eyes on me. "Pffftt-hahaha!! I didn''t think a noble-looking guy like yourself would know where to come for that!" His suspicions disappeared before I even did anything. -Well, it looks like I came to the right place...- "If you could point me in the direction of a tavern or bar, that would be great." Almost immediately, the man''s smile widened. "Haha, a tavern er bar? This is the alcohol capital of the east, The Eastern Oasis! There''s one on every corner!" Chapter 188: The State of The East Chapter 188: The State of The East Late Morning - Late Fall : The Eastern Oasis "Haha, a tavern er bar? This is the alcohol capital of the east, the Eastern Oasis! There''s one on every corner!" The man''s voice was drowned in drunken happiness. But oddly enough, the guys playing cards with him did not carry the same joy. "Hey, dumb*ss. What are you thinking?!" They looked at the man like he was insane. "Come on you two, use ya brains. Ya think someone that came here for alcohol would rat us out to Sinder, er somethin''? They''re in shambles from what''s happened recently, and Toria can''t touch us after Captain Lassar cleaned ou their Navy." My ears twitched a bit as he spoke. -She''s gotten that strong?- "In any case..." He slowly turned back to me as he put another smile on his face. "Since ya came here looking for somethin good, I''ll just say that the Crystal Tavern by the lake has the highest quality stuff. Just don''t hit on the ladies servin food n'' drinks there. The crew they are a part of is one of the strongest in this place..." I could see beads of cold sweat forming on his head as he spoke. "Hm, alright. Good to know." -Well.. I guess I know where my next stop is.- I continued talking with the man for another while after that, simply trying to see how far Lassar''s colony had come, which, to my surprise, greatly exceeded expectations. The settlement now had an active population of about 12 thousand, with 2 thousand of them being pirates that either used the settlement as their trade hub or worked directly under Captain Lassar. -But that still leaves 10 thousand regular folks that have decided to live here... Isnt that a lot to just stumble across?- At first, I found that number quite astonishing, but things started to make a bit more sense after hearing the man explain that a considerable number of those people were refugees fleeing from an internal war in Sinder. Supposedly, there was a war among the people because of an oracle received by their god that had been silent for over the past thousand years, but sadly he didn''t know many details. "I just know it has something to do with some sort of impending disaster and the death of their god itself." -How ominous...- Although at first, I thought it could possibly be connected to the gods Siratha worships, that possibility didn''t really make much sense after a bit of thought. "Do you know what god they worship there?" "Ah, they call her the Goddess o Oracles er Fate er somethin''. I can''t remember ''er exact name." -The Goddess of Oracles, huh...- The name didn''t ring a bell at all. "Hm.. alright. Well, I think that''s all I need to know for now, thanks." -Maybe this place is a better place to get information than I thought...- As I casually flicked the man a gold coin, I turned back towards the stilted town and spent the next several minutes figuring out my way around before eventually finding the tavern I was told about. -This must be The Crystal Tavern.- From the outside, it didn''t look like anything special, but it was the largest building in the area by a decent amount. -There''s quite a lot of chatter inside as well...- *Creakk* Pushing open the door, Ilios and I finally made our way inside. "You think that''s real? Ain''t the rumors saying she''s like 13? How could someone be strong enough to do that, let alone someone that young?" "I don''t know, man. I have seen stranger things in my lifetime." -Is she a dragon?- "What is the girl''s name?" I asked it simply out of curiosity at the time. "Ah, I think people are calling her either Snow White or The Blizzard. No one knows her actual name." "Hm..." -She must be a dragon... If I didn''t know better, I would have thought it could be Krystallo...- Immediately slipping into the rabbit hole and thinking about paying the family a visit, I zoned out for a moment until a mug was set in front of me. "So what is our great savior doing here?" Mary wore a thankful smile as she pushed the mug filled with amber liquid towards me. -It smells like beer...- Casually taking a sip, I quickly noticed that I didn''t hate it. -Hm.. not bad.- "I''m here to get some alcohol to share with a friend. Do you have any recommendations?" "Hmm, what kind and what price range?" Taking a moment to think back to what Amara usually drank, I was quick to answer. "Anything strong with a bit of sour or sweetness, and price doesn''t matter." "Hmm, for top-quality drinks like that, we have Viliwyr, Turtleshell, Blue Wake, or Pio?tita. Do you want to try any of them?" Almost immediately, one of the names caught my attention. -Pio?tita... That sounds awfully similar to ''Poio?tita''... (meaning ''Quality'' in Draconic) There''s no way it''s a dragon-made drink, right?- "Could I try some Pio?tita?" "Yeah, just keep in mind that it is really hit and miss with people. Most people find it kind of bitter, but then I''ll have people like the guy last week who bought the entire stock." With a casual nod, she turned around and picked up a small, shot glass-like cup that she filled with a bit of clear liquid. *Tap* As she set it in front of me, I immediately smelled a sweet rose-like fragrance and noticed that the liquid had a bit of mana infused into it, almost like an elixir. -This must be made with a similar method to elixirs, I can''t be crazy for thinking it''s not human-made...- Gently picking up the glass and setting it to my lips, I took a sip. Almost immediately, a warm but cold, sweet but sour mix of flavors permeated my mouth. "Wow..." "Are there any others you want to try?" Mary spoke with a happy smile, but I didn''t notice nor care. I was simply entranced by the taste. -There''s no way a mere human could make something like this...- "I''m not sure I need to try any others... Can I have a full glass of this one first, please?" Chapter 189: A Bombshell Chapter 189: A Bombshell Late Afternoon - Late Fall : Sky Above North Sirathan Mountains *Fwooosh* "Hehe..." I couldn''t help but let out a happy chuckle as I zoomed across the sky and sipped on a barrel of Pio?tita. -I''m so glad I decided to get alcohol there... This is literally perfection in the form of a drink...- Although I wasn''t too sure why, something about it was simply addictive. There was just some kind of subtle taste in the drink that was indescribable yet heavenly. -Whatever it is though, it''s making me reluctant to share...- Not long after that, when I eventually finished the barrel I got for myself, I looked towards the horizon and noticed a large opening in the canopy. -I''m here already?- Quickly realizing I was a few days early, I tried to think of ways to kill time until I glanced down at the large mana core still in my grasp. -Well.. I guess I could just focus on you for a few days...- After taking another moment to think through some other options, I turned around and flew away until the city was back on the horizon. -No one will wander out this far towards the mountains, right?- Quickly thinking back to the town map I got from the guild in the city, I double-checked to make sure there weren''t any paths nearby before diving toward the ground. *Crash-Crackle* I smashed my way through the canopy until I finally got to the underside and slowed down. -This should be a fine place to land...- *Fwoosh-Thump* As my paws sank into the soft soil, I looked around for anywhere with decent cover and found some dense 10-meter-tall brush around the base of a nearby tree. -Perfect...- Quickly making my way over to it, I padded down some of the weeds, set down the extra alcohol barrel, and laid myself down. *tap-tap-rustle* As Ilios hopped off my back, he walked straight into the brush and disappeared, but I didn''t think much of it at the time. Finally getting moderately comfortable, I shifted all my focus to the mana core. "Haah..." -This is going to be an uncomfortable few days...- Although it was already considerably smaller than it was when I first got a hold of it, the core in my paw was still a tad too big to fit in my mouth. -But even if I can''t absorb it all before the pilgrimage, I can try!- As I finally shifted the rest of my mental capacity away from everything but my reserve and the mana core, the rate I absorbed mana increased several-fold. Before I knew it, my attention was even pulled away from my surroundings, and time started to tick by faster and faster until finally... *tink* A satisfying noise permeated the air as the core crumbled in my mouth. "Hooohh..." As I let out a deep breath and took control of my aura once again, my surroundings were washed by a blanket of visible mana. -To think my aura has gotten this excessive...- Although I didn''t really pay much attention to it when I visited Lassar''s settlement, now that I was actually carefully controlling it, it was apparent that my aura was starting to get out of hand. -Even with my reserve as thick as it''ll go, my aura is still more than it used to be at its thinnest...-Findd new stories at novelhall.com We continued talking casually for a while after that, simply getting me caught up to speed on everything that had happened while I was gone, and giving me a decent understanding of our plans going forward. The main idea was to get to the outskirts of the capital and meet up with Bj?rn and Yolanda before trekking another few days to get to the ''Tree of Prayer'' at the center of the city. It was a decent plan that I had no complaints with, so we managed to get on the road quite quickly, but it didn''t take long for Amara to ask a certain question that reminded me of something I had nearly forgotten about. "So, how was the place I grew up in?" My idle thoughts came to a screeching halt the second she asked. "Ah, right. About that..." Seeing my awkwardness, she got a little nervous. "Could you find it alright? Was it too dusty? It wasn''t weathered or damaged too badly, was it?" "N..no. None of that. It''s just..." "Just what?" She tilted her head with innocent nervousness. "I, uh.. found a dead half-breed kid in it when I arrived." Immediately losing all joy in her expression, she gave me a deadly glare. "That isn''t something you should joke about-" "You really think I would joke about that?!" Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a small, dirty-bronze scale sitting next to my ID. "I sent off what was left of its body already, but I kept this around to show you." She stared at the scale in complete silence for several minutes. "Of the other things I found, there was a bag left by the hunter that killed it with a journal in it." I continued as I handed it to her. "I also found an adult dragon skeleton in the water down the mountain. I''d assume it was the kid''s parent, but it wasn''t a totally pure dragon either." It wasn''t until I glanced at her that I noticed her oozing bloodlust. "To think my brother''s only friend would follow him to the afterlife..." Immediately realizing I made a mistake by just dropping the information on her, I zipped my lips and stayed quiet. -Sh*t... Maybe I should have.. eased her into that...- Chapter 190: Colossal Beings Chapter 190: Colossal Beings Early Afternoon - Late Fall : 150 Kilometers South of Morva Asari It had been about half an hour since I unknowingly dropped the news on Amara, and we were still barely talking to each other. After I handed her the notebook, she read it through several times and asked me various questions about the condition of the place and the scene I was met with when I arrived. It wasn''t till she finished her tenth read through the notebook that she finally closed it up and put it in her bag, seemingly suppressing her anger. "I''m not sure I can even be mad at the hunter..." She was clearly still dealing with conflicting feelings, but I couldnt understand her reasoning at all. "W..what? How?" -I have no relation to that halfie, yet even I am upset about it...- "Honestly, from everything youve told me, plus the information in the diary, I think that child would have died regardless. In some convoluted way, that hunter gave it mercy... Even if her intentions were.." Her anger immediately became more apparent. "..a bit skewed." "But.. how? How could killing, and skinning it possibly be mercy?" I was starting to get a bit upset with her. And she noticed. "In the diary, some creature on the outside of the cave kept the hunter inside and tried to kill her. By the way it''s described, I think it was a wyvern attracted by the smell of the kid''s body... Dion was strong enough for wyverns to naturally avoid him and his territory, so he must have passed to the afterlife before the hunter even showed up." "So you think the kid would have died on his own and that dying to the hunter was better than getting eaten alive?" "No.. if it could get outside, it could probably live long enough to run into an older half-breed somewhere, but I can say for certain it wouldn''t have been strong enough to break the lock on the door to get outside. Dion probably locked the poor kid in there to keep it from getting involved with whatever ended up killing him, but instead, it just served his child the death sentence." -So it would have starved to death...- Finally seeing part of her reasoning, I hung my head slightly. "But how did Dion actually die, then? From the sounds of it, it seems like a monster, but..." -There was nothing remotely strong enough to kill a dragon in the area...- "If I had to guess, it was probably that mystic beast that destroyed Ravndal, that city southwest of here. It was definitely capable of killing a dragon in the mid-high adult stage as long as it got a lucky hit or two." My whole body twitched as she spoke. -That monstrosity was that strong?!- But after another moment of thought, I concluded it must have been a different beast she was talking about. -Theres no way that flying amalgamation of creatures was that strong...- We continued in light discussion for several more minutes after that until Amara finally calmed her emotions enough to change the subject. "What''s in that barrel you''ve been carrying? I''ve been wondering since earlier..." She gave the barrel on my back an odd glance as we ran. "Ah, it''s a drink I got to share with you, Yolanda, and Bj?rn. I did promise you guys I would get you all some alcohol while I was gone, didn''t I." "Oh, it''s an alcohol barrel? I thought it was perfume or something." "Haha, it does sort of smell like that, but it''s just an alcohol called Pio?tita." I tried to laugh off the awkward atmosphere, but Amara immediately overlooked it. "What? Pio?tita?! You actually managed to get some of it?!" Nonetheless, she seemed to cheer up. -What is that for?- "We need to slow down here. This rope bridge will snap if we hit it too hard." Immediately slowing down to a walk, we started climbing up the rope bridge through the canopy. The leaves were extremely dense and the bridge was incredibly overgrown, so we couldn''t see much in front of us, but once we finally got above the canopy, I was met with a view I was completely unprepared for. "Woah..." In front of us was a distant wall of oak-like trees that were each 4 to 500 meters tall, completely dwarfing the ones we had previously been running along. "What.. are those?" As Amara glanced back at me, a wide smile came to her face. "Haha, those are treants. Is this your first time seeing them in person?" I could only nod in response as the memory of Mother describing them came to mind. -THESE ARE WAY BIGGER THAN ''fairly large'', MOTHER!- After several more minutes of climbing, we eventually made it up onto the branch, where I noticed a familiar flow of mana. -For Mother to describe them as dungeons in the form of trees... Talk about a perfect description...- All around me, I could feel the slight suction of mana, as if the tree was breathing. -But if they''re like dungeons.. why are there so many?- "How are there so many of them here?" Not expecting the question, she paused to turn to me. "Hm? What do you mean?" "I can feel it breathing like it''s a dungeon, but if they formed similarly, why are there so many?" She tilted her head slightly before a lightbulb went off. "I think you''re thinking about it wrong. Instead of thinking of them as dungeons, think of them as monsters." Seeing me not following, she continued. "You see those trees down there?" She pointed down the bridge we had just come across. "Those will eventually become treants as they age, grow, and accumulate enough mana from the Tree of Prayer to form a mana core." -So are they the same as dungeons, where they''re just a mana core with enough sentience to be able to manipulate its surroundings? Do treants actually have any instincts or are they still just plants?- Quickly falling into a deep rabbit hole, we continued walking along the branch until I was pulled from my thoughts by some distant chatter. -Huh?- Looking up, I was met with the sight of several buildings lined around the base of the massive branches. "What town is this?" A playful smile slowly came to her face as she glanced at me. "Haha, technically this is the very outskirts of the capital, but the locals call this place the Northern Sunset. This is one of the countless treant towns." With how nonchalantly she spoke, I almost overlooked it at the time. I didn''t quite realize what she said until several seconds later. -Treant towns? They couldn''t come up with a better name-Wait, the edge of the capital?- "I thought we had another 5 or 6 hours to get to the inn? Didn''t you say that it was on the outskirts of the city?" "Hm? Thats why I said this is technically the edge. Most people consider the actual city to start with the Northern Market District, where our inn is, but the actual border of the city covers the entire treant territory and all of the countless treant towns." I felt my jaw hang open as the size of Valtivar, the capital of Siratha, finally came into perspective. Chapter 191: A Forest That Lives Off Mana Chapter 191: A Forest That Lives Off Mana Mid Afternoon - Late Fall : North Valtivar Hours began to tick by like seconds as we ran through treant territory, winding our way through the countless small communities and climbing up the ever-growing treants. After a while, their branches were each dozens of meters wide and had extremely flat tops, as if they were meant to be roads, but the thing I found most surprising was how the larger, central branches conjoined with those of other treants to form smooth bridges between them. "How does that even happen?" "Hm? How does what happen?" Amara seemed to be in an excellent mood, but I couldn''t tell why. "Why do the larger branches have flat tops, and how do they form such neat connections with neighboring treants?" I glanced around as we dashed across the connected branches of two treants. "Well, as they grow, they recognize the support humanoids give them, and change parts of their bodies to accommodate them." -What?- "What possible help do the humanoids give them?" I was a bit confused and struggled to understand her reasoning at the time. But Amara was quick to explain. "Treants, like all living beings, need nutrients to survive, right? But instead of water and good soil like regular trees, they take in mana." "But isn''t the ambient mana they absorb supplied by the Tree of Prayer?" -What does that have to do with humanoids?- "Well, yes, it is, but almost all of that mana is unattributed. You can think of it like giving a tree water when the tree cannot pull the nutrients from it." A smile crept onto her face as she seemed to enjoy teaching me something. "The way humanoids help is by giving treants runes which they can use to supply themselves with whatever type of mana it may need to grow!" -So treants can live purely off of mana?- I paused for a moment as it reminded me of myself. -I wonder if treants actually create their own nutrients like me though, or if it''s simply a coincidence...- "So can they live without the runes then?" The prideful look on her face only became smugger when I asked. "Of course, they can! But they will not grow nearly as big or as fast, since they will have to make do with the random assortment of attributed mana in the air." -Huh...- Although the explanation made sense, at the same time, it made me question their intelligence. -They really are an odd mix of plant and animal, aren''t they...- The next half hour was wrapped in silence as I got lost in my thoughts, but I was pulled back into reality when we crossed onto the biggest treant yet. -Good lord, this thing is massive...- We were about 700 meters off the ground, with the branch itself being nearly 70 meters wide and lined with buildings, ranging from restaurants and item shops to large armor and weapon smiths. "Pretty beautiful, isn''t it?" Amara wore a proud look, like a kid showing off a toy. "Is this the northern market?" With a casual glance around, it was abundantly clear that this place wasn''t like the other treant towns. -The store owners are all surrounded by strong people, and.. there really are a lot of half-breeds, aren''t there...- Just in that small stretch of the market, I could see nearly a dozen of them. "It''s quite an interesting place..." "You''re willpower is just as freakish as your strength. Being able to resist the urge to drink it makes you the odd one..." I wanted to laugh at her, but she wasn''t wrong. -To be fair though, if I hadn''t had a barrel and a half beforehand, it would have been far more difficult...- "It has been a while since I have seen such a beautiful woman eat so much." The kind, older lady serving us the food glanced at me with a worried look as she set down another plate. "Is she okay?" "She''s just hungry. Sorry for making a scene." I glanced around to notice everyone''s eyes on our table. "We will pay extra for the trouble." "Ah, that''s not necessary, sir." The poor lady started getting nervous when I mentioned compensation. "If you would like anything more, please just tell me, and I will prepare it for you." Almost immediately, Amara pulled her head out of the chunk of meat in her hands. "In that case, do you have any tiger thigh left?" "I believe so." The woman slowly started to break into a nervous sweat. "Shall I check for you?" "If you could." As the poor lady walked back into the kitchen, I got ready to say something but was interrupted by a door in the hallway next to the kitchen opening. -That aura... Is it another halfie?- At that point, I wasn''t too surprised since there had been dozens of them outside as well, but when the person in the room finally walked out, a massive mix of shock and confusion built up instantly. It was an unfamiliar pale-skinned woman with scales scattered all over her body, but she had a very specific, aura-like mana coming from her head. -To think she would be here, what happened to her?! Wait before that, SHE''S ALIVE?!- For the next minute or so, I watched as she talked to the older lady in the kitchen before eventually picking up a few dishes and getting ready to bring them to the tables, but as she finally came into the main area, she froze. *clunk-splat* The bowls of soup and cups full of alcohol in her hands came crashing to the floor as her whole body tensed up. As I thought about what to do with her though, Amara finally glanced over. "Hm? What was all that noi-" But the instant she saw the waitress, her pupils dilated and a palpable bloodlust filled the air around her. The anger that she had been suppressing throughout the day rushed forward like a tidal wave. A tidal wave she couldnt control. In the next instant, she vanished from the table and dashed across the room, reaching for the waitress''s neck. -Aye!- Jumping up from my seat, I quickly caught up to Amara and caught her wrist. "I''m not sure why you''re attacking her, but I can''t let you kill my lab rat." But as I tightened my grip, my gut told me something felt off. -This isn''t like her...- Chapter 192: Control Over The Mind Chapter 192: Control Over The Mind Late Afternoon - Late Fall : Northern Market District (Valtivar) "I''m not sure why you attacked her, but I can''t let you kill my lab rat." I gave Amara an intimidating glare, but she didn''t back away from it. Instead, she hastily jumped in the air, rotated, and slammed her foot down into my collarbone with the intent to kill me. *CRACK* The wooden planks lining the floor simultaneously shattered when I spread the impact around the room, but the shift in my attention caused the light magic disguising my eyes, horns, and scales to fade as well. *silence* Looking at her in the eyes with thin draconic pupils, I tried my best to suppress my anger. "I''ll give you one more chance to explain what you''re doing before I knock common sense back into you." The anger on her face finally started subsiding after I spoke, but instead of a familiar look taking its place, her eyes simply looked lifeless. -Something''s wrong...- But as my mind raced to try and figure out a solution, a tall and muscular elven man ran up to us. "Hey, what do you think you two are doi-" *CRUNCH* His body was slammed through the floorboards before he even got close. "Don''t interrupt." I gave the man a death stare but was promptly interrupted by Amara swinging around again before throwing another kick into the side of my head. *pat-CRACK* As I caught her leg, I noticed that she was kicking with more force than her body should have been able to naturally exert. -That''s not Amara...- Thinking she could have been under the influence of magic, I blasted some aura through her head, but nothing seemed out of place. -F*ck!- It wasn''t until after I caught several more blows that my instinct finally took over and accumulated space mana around my palm without the thought of repercussions. *WHAM-Vwoom* A large ripple was sent through the fabric of space as her head recoiled back from my palm, but the wave wasn''t alone. Within the shockwave was a tiny circular warp. Without thinking, I reached out and created millions of microscopic gates where the warp was, shredding whatever caused it and scattering its remnants in the void. *Crackle* There was a momentary bright flash as countless atoms were ripped apart by the gates, but it vanished before anyone could react. *Thud* As Amara''s body limply fell to the floor, my mind finally caught up to speed and broke into a panic. -SH*T! I didn''t kill her, did I?!- Hastily lowering myself next to her, I did a deep, full-body scan of her, and noticed that, shockingly, she looked fine. -There''s some broken cartilage in her neck, but that''s it...- "Phew..." For a dragon, the injury might as well be a bruise. -Thank goodness...- As I let out that breath of relief though, I finally noticed just how many people in the room were still awake. -To think this many were strong enough to not pass out from this much of my aura...- While casually thinking of ways to make sure this incident would stay under wraps, I had one idea that stood above the others. -Hmm...- Glancing to my side, I looked at the elven girl with the exposed dragon scales. "Liv Sigmond was your name, correct?" In a flurry of movement, she dashed around the kitchen and tidied up most of it before putting her grandmother in the back room and coming back out with a forced smile on her face. "You ready?" "Of course." She hesitated for a moment before throwing herself into a bow. "T..thank you!" -What is she thanking me for?- I took a moment to think about it before giving up and just looking past it. "Don''t worry about it." Quickly hiding my draconic features with magic once again, I tossed a few gold coins onto the table and made my way outside with Amara in my arms and Ilios in tow. But, once I got outside, I quickly came to realize that I had no clue where the inn even was. -Sh*t... I forgot to ask beforehand...- Slowly turning to Sigmond, I shot out another question with no expectations. "Do you know where an inn called the Golden Lotus is?" Almost immediately, she gave a fast nod. "Would you like me to guide you?" "If you could." I felt a bit awkward asking, but there was nothing I could do about it. Quickly making our way down a few roads and wrapping around the center of the treant we were on, we eventually came across a tall, three-story building with a golden lotus on the front. -How gaudy...- *Click* We quickly made our way inside, where we were met with a young elf halfie woman with a concerned look on her face. "Sir, we don''t endorse kidnappings." She looked like she didn''t even know what to do. "Very funny." My sarcasm was palpable. "I''m here for a reservation under the name, Amara Chalkos." As I pulled out my ID and set it on the desk, I gave the receptionist a look of genuine curiosity. -Did Amara really make a reservation 15 years in advance?- "Ah.. yes. I see that name here." She nervously looked at my ID before looking at Amara laying unconscious in my arms. "Would that happen to be Amara?" "Yeah. She ended up getting a little too drunk and passed out. Sorry for the inconvenience." After nervously glancing back and forth between my ID and me, the lady reluctantly handed us a pair of keys. "Room 304. The second room on your left, on the top floor." -Sweet.- "Thanks! If you''d like, I''ll send her down to confirm everything when she wakes up." A bead of cold sweat started to form on her head. "I..f you could, that''d be great." A Rouge Professor A Rouge Professor Hey guys, sorry to be doing this right after I said there wouldn''t be a break or delay for a while, but there won''t be a chapter today. I didn''t want or mean for it to be delayed, but things just didn''t go according to plan. In any case, I hope everyone has a good day, and I''ll see you all Saturday! Chapter 193: Divinity Chapter 193: Divinity Early Evening - Late Fall : The Golden Lotus, Northern Market District (Valtivar) *Click* A click echoed down the silent hallway as we opened the door to our room. -Hey, not bad...- The room was quite large, with the main area and several different bedrooms, but to my surprise, not only was there a kitchen, but also a bathroom with proper running water. -It reminds me of hotels on Earth, just with a generally lower build quality...- But now wasn''t the time to explore the rooms. Instead, I quickly set Amara on the bed in the first room next to the front door and made my way back into the living space. "Haah, alright. Back to you." As I sat down on a nearby cushion and patted my side for Ilios to lay down next to me, I looked up at Sigmond with a serious expression. "I want you to explain everything related to those scales all over your body." She tensed up the instant I asked but took a deep breath and quickly calmed back down. "Haaah.. where do I start?" The next hour felt like an eternity. My mind raced to make sense of complicated explanations and apply logic to illogical situations, but that difficulty only accumulated the more she spoke. "My grandmother mentioned that the mystic beast was also likely an evolutionary one, which is a type of beast that evolves extremely frequently based on what it eats." Even though we had been talking for quite a while, she was still nervous. "Elixirs made from their body parts are usually what helps elves and demihumans evolve and become closer with the gods." -Closer to the gods? Wait, first of all...- "Demihumans and elves can evolve? What do they evolve into?" My curiosity shot through the roof immediately. "Y..yes. They evolve into high-elves or high-demihumans, respectfully. They are known as races with bodies capable of obtaining ''divinity'', similar to dragons. Although I only have my Grandmother''s word for the dragon part..." There was not an ounce of confidence in her voice. -''Divinity''? ''Similar to dragons''?!- My mind stuttered the more she spoke. It wasn''t till after several more seconds of silence that I finally spoke again. "What do you mean by ''obtaining divinity''?" "Well..." She glanced around the room like she was struggling to think of what to say. "In school, we were taught that you needed two things to become an apostle. You must not only be a ''high'' race to have a body capable of handling divinity but also have unparalleled devotion to either Dagr or Nott. (The two gods the Sirathan religion worships) I''m.. still not sure how obtaining divinity really works." -''A body capable of handling divinity'' and belief in a god...- "Is divinity a type of energy like mana?" -But if that''s the case, what does prayer have to do with it?- I accidentally said what I was thinking out loud, but I still looked toward Sigmond to see if she knew. But she just tilted her head like she didn''t understand what I meant. -I guess I was expecting too much from her...- -What does that even mean...- "~Well, it doesn''t really matter anyways. We will meet again soon enough.~" "Can you at least tell me what or who you are?" My hostility against the voice at that point had already been replaced by curiosity. "~Just think of me as your personal guide!~" Almost immediately, two cloud-like shapes extend from the back of the figure like wings. "~In any case, you shouldn''t attack me, unlike ''him''.~" "What? Who''s ''him''?" Ideas and theories raced through my mind as my thoughts continued to speed up. "~Hmm. I''ll just say its the guy you have dealt blows to more than once already.~" -What?- The image of the small warp I knocked out of Amara immediately came to mind. -Was whoever ''he'' is, controlling Amara''s actions somehow?!- "~Although I can''t tell you why right now, he is after your life and will use every opportunity he can to take it.~" The figure vanished for a second before immediately returning. "~I''m all out of time. Just know it''s easier for a being like ''him'' to control someone who has lost themselves to their emotions. If he takes control of someone, handle it like you just did unless you don''t value their soul.~" -Like I just did?- Although I''m still not sure where my trust in the figure''s words came from, I immediately thought back to what I did to Amara and committed the act to memory. But even though it only took an instant for me to memorize it, by the time I finished, the figure was already gone. -Damn... I still had so much more I needed to ask...- Trying to control my curiosity and slow my thoughts back down, I looked around the room and noticed Sigmond showing me a look of concern. "Haah.. so you really couldn''t hear any of that?" She quickly shook her head. -So what could that figure even be then...- Countless ideas or theories passed through my mind, but none of them made any sense. "Haah.. it really feels like I just talked to a ghost." As things finally calmed back down, I moved back over to the cushion and went to sit down. -How do I even make sense of all that...- I felt like I had a clump of raw information slammed into my brain that I still couldn''t make sense of. -So Amara was being controlled by some supernatural being that is after my life...- It was a hard pill to swallow. But while I was hastily sorting the information, I heard an odd groan from Amara''s room. "Ugh..." *rustling* -She woke up already?!- Chapter 194: The Flood Gate Chapter 194: The Flood Gate Mid Evening - Late Fall : The Golden Lotus, Northern Market District (Valtivar) Quickly getting back up from the cushion, I ran over to Amara''s room, where I saw her sitting up in bed with her hand on her head. "W..what? W..where am I?" "We are at the inn. How are you feeling?" Having Ilios sit in the doorway to make sure Sigmond didn''t peek her head in, I walked up and sat on the edge of the bed. "Huh? Vasilias? Is that-Ah, sorry..." She looked incredibly troubled and confused, but after a short moment, she just looked back down at her bedsheets. "What.. happened?" "Can you not remember anything?" Seeing her reluctantly shake her head, I tried to give a quick overview. "We were getting a bite to eat before we came to the inn, but then all of a sudden you leapt up and attacked the waitress. I managed to stop you, but you weren''t acting like yourself and even attacked me a few times." A look of guilt immediately washed across her face. "I.. actually attacked you?" "Yeah, don''t worry too much though. Things ended up working out alright. I do still want to know why you just went for her neck though..." I immediately thought back to the warp''s voice from just a moment ago. -''People lost to their emotions are easier to control'', huh? But what made her lose control in the first place?- Amara just looked confused though. "I''m.. not really sure..." I gave her another moment to think before deciding to pull in the catalyst itself. -I''m sure she''ll remember when she sees Sigmond, right?- "Ilios, can you bring her in for me?" Giving a confident nod, he quickly disappeared from the doorway. Turning back to Amara, I put on a serious expression. "I have no idea what could have made you so upset that you''d want to kill her, but please don''t lose yourself this time. I just want to understand what''s wrong..." "O..okay..." She didn''t seem to really understand, but she nodded anyway. We sat in silence for another moment until we could hear the pitter-patter of Ilios trotting back towards the room. *tip-tap-tip-tap* As he got closer, I kept my eye on Amara and braced myself. She gave me an odd look as she noticed how tense I was, but her confusion vanished as Ilios walked back through the door with Sigmond in tow. Her pupils dilated and her body tensed up immediately, but thankfully she seemed to still be in control of it, even if just barely. The instant Sigmond saw Amara''s look, her face lost its color and she looked down towards the floor. Hastily turning around, I noticed Amara''s body was completely relaxed as if she had finally let go of her anger, but her eyes still had fire behind them. "What are you thinking of doing, Amara..." Her eyes gave me a bad feeling. "I just want to confirm something..." As she swung her legs off the bed, she let out a deep breath. "I won''t be long." But as she hopped off the bed and tried to walk out, I stood up and stopped her. "I don''t know what you''re thinking of doing, but you need to take a minute and give it some more thought." My words weren''t taken kindly though. "More thought? What good is giving more thought to something that will always remain a theory?" She was clearly getting upset. "How will only thinking about an issue resolve it?" Her words immediately struck a chord in my mind, making me unable to refute them. "So are you going to just waltz into a Marquis''s estate?" Her pupils dilated slightly as she finally looked me in the eyes. "You think they can stop me?" I couldn''t even respond. "Haah..." -She just can''t continue to trick herself into believing the hunter did a good thing...- There was a short moment of silence as I contemplated whether to stop her or not before finally moving aside. "Just.. make sure you confirm your thoughts before you make a mess..." When she saw me sit back down on the bed, the fire in her eyes dimmed slightly and she smiled gratefully. "I''ll be back soon." But as she walked past Sigmond, the expression she showed me disappeared. "If I find out you''re lying, you''re dead." *tap-tap-tap* *Click* As she left the room and closed the door behind her, silence encompassed us, but it didn''t last long. "Haah..." Glancing at Sigmond, I noticed she still looked excessively nervous, but some color had returned to her face. "I''ll let you go back home in a bit, but I want to talk more about divinity first." "O..okay..." As we walked back out into the living area, I picked up and poured myself a cup of alcohol to sip on. -I''m sure she''ll be fine, but...- I glanced down at Ilios who was looking up at me like he knew what I was about to say. "Hey Ilios, can you follow after her and make sure she doesn''t get herself hurt?" Almost immediately, he gave an exaggerated nod and started trotting towards the door. "Make sure you''re careful!" "Woof!" He gave me a confident look as he nonchalantly opened the door with magic and left the room. "Haah..." -I guess there''s nothing to be worried about with him...- Chapter 195: The Line Between Genius and Stupidity Chapter 195: The Line Between Genius and Stupidity Mid Morning - Late Fall : The Golden Lotus, Northern Market District (Valtivar) "Haah..." Several hours had already passed since Amara left, but instead of experimenting to pass time like I normally would, I was drowning my agitation in alcohol at the living room table. -I shouldn''t have asked Sigmond to try and explain divinity...- Long story short, once Amara left, and Sigmond and I went back to talking about divinity, my whole understanding of it was thrown out the window. -It honestly feels like an amalgamation of concepts bundled together to fill gaps of uncertainty in other theories...- (Like dark matter) Digging through my memories once again, I did all I could to try and visualize something that could possibly fit even just a handful of the concepts Sigmond mentioned, but nothing fit the bill. At least that''s what I thought. -Wait a minute... Could that be it?- Thinking all the way back to my dragon sleep in Kaelallan, I finally remembered the tiny, mana-like energy that was exuded from my body in the ''dream''. (Chapter 77 [1]) It was an energy that fit the mold for several of Sigmond''s outlandish concepts, being a nearly omnipotent energy that even had the potential to manipulate or create mana, but... -Did the voice say it was a bit more complicated than that because it''s totally wrong? Or just partially...- *tap* Getting caught in another dilemma, I set my head down on the table. "Haah..." Although it was also a little concerning that my body in the dream exuded that energy, I was able to chalk it up to the energy simply not originating from anything divine as its name suggested. -But wait.. if I think of it as an energy that''s independent from the gods, how would mortal beings manage to obtain it?- As if a lightbulb lit up in my head, countless plausible theories blasted through my mind, with one that stood out among them. -What if I were to pressure mana beyond the point it would naturally turn crystalline?- Even though it sounded like an impossible scenario, even back then, I knew a creature could have enough mana that at the very center of their reserve, the mana would naturally crystallize. -It wouldn''t be crazy to think something could go beyond that, right?- But that was easier said than done. The next couple of hours felt like an eternity as I continued to get more and more agitated from failing to get a single reaction over and over again. But that was when an accident turned into a blessing. Mid-experiment, I accidentally used a bit of space mana and watched it send a tiny ripple through the fabric of space. *vwoom* This was nothing out of the norm, but something was a bit peculiar about manas reaction to it. -The mana didn''t warp with it?- Wanting to make sure I wasn''t going insane, I sent another, much larger ripple through the bundle of mana I was looking at, and noticed that, unlike atoms, that both moved and appeared to visibly shrink momentarily within the ripple, the mana only moved. It was at that moment that an unfathomably insane idea came to mind. -What if I used a sudden warp in space to force the mana to undergo insane pressure?- It was a level of pressure far beyond anything naturally obtainable, but that didn''t mean there was no way it could be done by humanoids. -By using ripples caused by mana cores exploding, it would totally be possible...- Not realizing how hot the fire I was playing with was, I started with just a handful of aura and slowly escalated things until I decided to try it on my reserve itself. -There wasn''t much of a reaction with the smaller amounts, but maybe it just needs a balance of density, quantity, and pressure.- Looking more closely at my reserve, I lined the outside with countless rings of space mana and braced myself. "Hooh..." -Here goes nothing...- *vwoom* As the circular waves of space mana were shot into my reserve, the ripple continued to grow exponentially until it finally reached its apex at the very center of my ocean of mana. I watched intently, excited to see the result of the experiment, but before I could see what happened... "But, what? Did she turn into a frog or something?" As I was about to chuckle though, she looked me in the eyes. "Instead of becoming a high-elf like expected, she became something closer to part elf, part dragon..." My mind stuttered the instant she said it. "Did you say, dragon?" Seeing her nod, I felt a sudden knot appear in my stomach. "Have you detained the people who made the elixir yet?" "Yes, and we did find the culprit quite quickly. At the orders and supply of the previous Commander of Spiall, a dragon scale was mixed into the elixir." Her face showed a mix of fear and concern. "Are you sure it was an actual dragon scale?" At that point, I was trying to hopelessly grasp at loose strings. "You remember Verdandi? That low-priest I brought with me? She said herself that the scales on Miss Sigmond''s body did not belong to a wyvern." "Hooh..." I had to let out a deep breath to try and calm down. "I need you to call her here immedi-" "Great Vilulf!" The voice of a maid I only vaguely recognized echoed down the hallway outside my office. -What could she possibly be interrupting us for?- *knock-knock-knock* "Please come in." My voice was merciless, but my expression changed when I saw the maid''s pale face. "I have come to deliver an urgent message! Someone is destroying the Helvig family!" *Vwoom-shatter* When my aura rushed forward into the room, the glass tea cup on my desk shattered. "Who dares to make a mess during the pilgrimage?!" I was simply livid. -Even the dragons can not cause a mess during this time!- Quickly springing up from my desk, I picked up my sword and clipped it to my waist. At that point, I was planning to go out and resolve the problem myself, but when I walked towards the door to my office, it felt like the sky collapsed. *thud-Gasp* For a split second, I felt a presence so immense that I fell to my knees and gasped for air. "Leif!" Oda broke into panic and immediately came to my side, but her look of concern turned to confusion when she noticed my expression. I wore a smile, a smile of ecstasy. -I knew Dagr couldn''t have revived alone!- "Our lord.. has finally returned!" Chapter 196: A Step into a New World Chapter 196: A Step into a New World Late Afternoon - Late Fall : The Golden Lotus, Northern Market District (Valtivar) *GASP* Jolting awake with a gasp, I threw myself over and threw up blood. "Blurgh..." I didn''t have time to question what happened at all, I just felt awful. "BLURGH!" Each time I threw up, the liquid continued to darken, until it was simply black sludge. "What the hell happened to m-BLEEGH..." I ended up throwing up over a dozen times before it was all out of my body, leaving a fairly large puddle of black liquid on the floor of the room. *thump* "Haah.. haah.. haah..." As I rolled onto my back, I couldn''t do anything other than bathe in the feeling of relief. "What the hell.. happened to me..." In an attempt to see what I even threw up, I ran some aura through the puddle, but it just made me more confused. -What even is that sh*t...- The only way to describe it was to say it was a puddle of random organic waste with poorly placed mana strengthening it. -I thought my body didn''t produce waste.. where the hell did all that even come from...- Finally looking inside my body, I noticed that my reserve was only a little over half full. -What did I even.. Oh right...- Remembering my stupid experiment, I couldn''t help but want to kick myself. -What did it do though... The mana had to go somewhere...- Turning my attention away from my reserve, I looked through my body but only found a few changes. The two most noticeable of those I came across were the increase in the amount of muscle all around my body, and the increased rigidity of my bones, but neither of those could account for the amount of mana I was missing. -But after being strengthened by so much mana, I wonder if my bones are even white still...- But as that casual thought passed through my head, I accidentally stumbled upon something. -What the?- Although I wasn''t sure what exactly I was looking at for a moment, it only took another second for me to recognize it. -Wait, it''s those things?!- Spread all throughout my body like a spider web were millions of astronomically tiny black tubes [1], just barely too small for even singular protons to fit into. -I thought this was something that could only exist in that other dimension...- Thinking back to my dragon sleep in Kaelallan, I vividly remembered the nearly infinite number of tubes that composed my body in the dream but couldn''t help to have mixed feelings about seeing them now. -What even are they? They''re clearly not organic, but if that''s the case, why did they suddenly appear all around my body?- There was no semblance to the direction the tubes flowed either. It just felt as if they were laid down at random and were too few and far between to seemingly make any physical difference. -I mean, I really have to focus to find any of them...- I ended up laying there for several more minutes after that to try and figure out what they were, but with no luck. -I''m sure I''ll figure something out eventually though, right?- *knock-knock* "Sir. um.. Vasilias?" The voice of the inn receptionist came from behind the door. "Are you alright sir?" Bjorn just looked at me like I was crazy as he brought his bag inside. "Just because my teacher is enough of a monster to be able to sense your horrifically thin presence doesn''t mean I can." -Is it really that thin?- *Click* As he closed the door behind Yolanda, he took a quick look around the room. "So whose room is whose?" "It''s up to you guys, I think Amara wants the first room though." Seeing Yolanda and Bjorn give each other a weird look, I decided to add one other thing. "I won''t be sleeping in a bedroom so you two don''t need to share a room if you don''t want to." The instant I said it, Yolanda''s face lit up. "I-it''s nothing like that!" As she turned away from Bjorn, she ran to the middle room. "I''ll take this room!" Before anyone could even think of saying anything, the door slammed behind her. "Haah..." -She really is hopeless...- Bjorn looked at the door like he didn''t even know what to think before eventually letting out a sigh. "Haah, sometimes I wonder if she''s really the age she says she is..." Time started to tick by again after that. Bjorn went and unpacked, and we spent a little while catching up before he inevitably went to bed. It wasnt long after that, that the recluse finally came back out of her cove as well. *Click* Coming back out of her bedroom with a pillow in hand, was Yolanda. She honestly looked like a kid coming to ask her parents if she could sleep with them. "I thought you went to sleep." Pausing my experiment for a moment, I turned my attention to her. "I tried..." She looked incredibly lethargic, but something about her eyes looked fearful. -Did she have a nightmare or something?- Do you have something on your mind? Ah.. well... As she sat down, she gave me a look of curiosity mixed with anxiety. Are you.. really a dragon? Chapter 197: My Limitless Abnormalities Chapter 197: My Limitless Abnormalities Late Evening - Late Fall : The Golden Lotus, Northern Market District (Valtivar) "Are you.. really a dragon?" She became anxious the instant she asked the question, as if she didn''t know how I would react to it. But I could only tilt my head. "What do you mean?" Glancing towards Bjorn''s room, she casually put up a silencing barrier. "I know from Amara that you''re supposedly a pure dragon-like she is, but... your aura..." -Hm?- "What about it?" "Your control, your amount of aura.. even how it makes me feel..." "Does it make you feel bad or something?" "Well... It just makes me feel.. inferior... Not like, strength wise, but more.. existentially..." She hung her head with a gloomy expression. "Even if I am a half-breed, the inferiority I felt from Sir Myles Kalfas''s aura all those years ago cannot be compared to yours..." She looked away from me as she spoke. "I just find it hard to believe your aura could belong to a dragon..." "Hm." But unlike what she was likely expecting, instead of getting offended, I was simply surprised. -To think she could figure it out from just that...- Figuring it wouldn''t matter since Bjorn wasn''t around, I dissipated the light magic hiding my eyes and horns. "How''s this for proof that I''m a dragon?" As she slowly turned to see what I was talking about, her eyes widened. "..wait... YOU''RE AN ELDER?!" Her cheeks immediately turned rosy from embarrassment. "Pffft-haha! No, no. Technically, I''m only 15." -I''m actually 23 if I include my time in that bubble in Kaelallan though...- But even if I said I was 23, it wouldn''t have made a difference. "It''s possible to awaken your true form that young?!" Yolanda''s jaw was already hanging wide open. "Haha, I''m just a unique case. Don''t think too deeply about it." "Don''t think too deeply about it?!" *Wham* Slamming her hands down on the table, she gave me an upset look. "You awakened your true form over 100 years before Bahamut! The strongest and most talented dragon to ever exist! How are you so nonchalant about that?!" Her reaction made me want to laugh, but she said something that stuck in my mind. -Bahamut wasn''t always a god?- Although it sounded like something obvious, with the way most dragons treated him, he was portrayed as something closer to the creator of the dragon race. "How old was he when he awakened it?" "It was on his 121st birthday. How do you not kn-" *Click* -She''s back earlier than I expected...- Turning to the door, I saw Ilios happily trot inside with Amara in tow. -Huh?- *sip* "I''m not disguising myself at all right now though." The instant I said that both Yolanda and Amara clammed up, but Amara seemed to think I was joking. "Ha-ha, very funny." Her sarcasm was palpable, but when she finally saw my serious expression, she had a rude awakening. "Wait, you aren''t kidding?" I casually shook my head and moved my ears a bit. "My ears and tail are real." As if she still refused to believe me, she got up and leaned across the table. Thinking there was no reason to continue hiding it from them, I decided not to move away from her approaching hand. *Puff* Her expression froze as her fingers finally touched my ear. "So you.. aren''t a dragon?" Her voice sounded cold and lifeless, but it only lasted an instant. "Wait, but that''s impossible..." Thinking she was turning down a dangerous road, I decided to put her back on track. "I am indeed a dragon. I''m just.. an oddball of sorts." "Wait, so what race are your parents?" She continued to pop in and out of deep thought as she spoke. "They are both pure-breed dragons. Didn''t I tell you that before?" But even though I spoke with my usual confidence, it took several seconds for her mind to finally catch up to speed. Her face scrunched up from confusion as she went to speak. "H..how do you have both demihuman and draconic features if.. you''re a pure dragon? It would make more sense if you just said you were a dragon with mostly demihuman blood, but even that would just raise more questions..." "Hm." Thinking about how to word it understandably, I decided to just go for it. "Well, although I was indeed born as a pure dragon, my genetic- I mean, my race was altered a bit by an artifact not long after I was born." Finally managing to calm down some, Amara seemed to be looking more like herself again. "An artifact?" "Yeah, it was something my father received as a gift after helping the Holy Empire in some conflict. He didn''t really know what it was or what it did for a long time, but that was when I hatched and ended up touching it." Finally starting to believe me again, Amara looked like she was trying to figure it out with me, but that was when Yolanda finally chimed in again. "So if the artifact changed your race.. what did it change to?" "Ah, I think I''m technically part Dragon, part Ancient Fenrir." I said it casually, but the instant it met their ears, their eyes went wide, and faces paled. -Did I say something wrong?- Chapter 198: What I am Chapter 198: What I am Late Evening - Late Fall : The Golden Lotus, Northern Market District (Valtivar) Silence filled the room the instant I finished talking. -Did I say something wrong?- Seeing Amara and Yolanda''s pale faces, I started to second guess whether it was really a good idea to tell them about what I really was. -As long as they keep it a secret though, it should be fine, right?- But as if to destroy my newly built false comfort, Amara slowly turned and looked up at me. "D..did you s..say Ancient.. F-F-Fenrir?" It was the first time I had ever heard her stutter and, needless to say, it didnt ease my worries at all. Y..yeah? Is there something wrong with that?" She just sat there frozen for another moment before looking toward the ceiling like she was trying to reason with herself. "Well... T..that would indeed e..explain a lot..." Thinking it was a sign that she knew something about them, after taking a second to think of what to ask, I decided to probe a bit. "Do you know much about the Ancient Fenrir?" But her reaction was a tad different than I expected. "Obviously!" She looked at me like I was stupid. I jolted back a bit from surprise. -What''s with that reaction...- "How much do you-" "A LOT! Everyone in this entire country knows about them! I think Ive even talked to you about th- WAIT WHAT?!" I had to move back a bit further as she stuck her head out toward me with a look of disbelief. "Y-y-you don''t know about them?! A mix of anger and confusion clouded her face. You mean to t-tell me you don''t know what you are?" She honestly looked a bit lightheaded. There was another short moment of silence while I desperately tried to think of what to say. "Y..you remember when you asked me why I came to Siratha?" A confused look came to her face immediately.Findd new stories at novelhall.com "Well, I actually came here to learn about the Ancient Fenrir." As I reluctantly moved back to my seat at the table, Yolanda and Amara looked at each other in shock. "What do we even say?"'' Yolanda''s eyes bounced back and forth between Ilios and me before finally turning back to Amara. "What can we even say?" As they finally turned back to me with looks of disbelief, I couldn''t help but feel uncomfortable, like I was caught with my pants down. -I know the Ancient Fenrir are beings superior to dragons, but what''s with this reaction?- I honestly thought they were overreacting at first. But the deafening silence only continued for another moment before Amara broke the ice with a serious expression. "Vasilias... How much do you know about them?" -Huh?- It was a question that came from left field, but I somehow felt ready for it. "I don''t really know much, honestly. The main points my parents always told me were that there were only ever two of them, one black and one white and that dragons compared to them as a hatchling would compare to an Ancient." ... Amara and Yolanda had serious looks as I spoke but... The silence that filled the room after I stopped talking only got more awkward with every passing second. Amara''s serious look steadily turned to disbelief again before I knew it. "Huh? T..that''s it?!" *Wham* She seemed genuinely upset as she slammed her hands into the table just like Yolanda did earlier. "That''s all your parents ever told you?!" Taken aback by her hostility, I was simply at a loss for words. "Y..yes?" But thankfully, after what felt like an eternity, a voice started to pull me out of my thoughts. "Va..s..ia... Vas..ias..." Like a voice calling me from the void, Amara''s worried tone slowly pulled me back to reality. Vasilias?! Her voice was panicked, and she was grabbing my shoulders with a worried expression when I finally came back to my senses. -Huh? What is she...- Noticing her look, I tried to get a grasp of the situation and calm her down. I..Im alright. T..thanks... As I gently pulled her hand off my shoulder, she moved back with a guilty expression. S..sorry... No, no. Please don''t be sorry. As I tried to comfort her, I gripped my forehead and tried to silence the millions of thoughts racing through my mind. "Hooh..." -One step.. at a time...- M..maybe I should have stayed quiet... Amara was cringing from guilt as she spoke. Amara, please don''t feel sorry. This... Although I was still struggling to wrap my head around it, it fit too many puzzle pieces to deny. I would have figured it out on my own eventually... But.. maybe that would have been better... Hooh... Finally managing to calm down some, I gave her a serious look. I can promise you it wouldnt have. As I leaned back in my seat and tried to think about what the situation would have been like, I felt a shiver pass down my spine. -In any case, whats done, is done...- A mix of negative emotions immediately started to well up in my chest again, but that was when I felt Ilios jump up on my lap and rub his head against my body. As I looked down into his pure, joyful, and angelic golden eyes, I felt the raging ocean in my mind start to calm and felt a smile slowly creep up onto my face. -Right...- Looking towards the window at the end of the room, I saw my unchanged reflection wearing a subtle smile. -What good does dwelling on what I am, really make? Will it answer all my questions? Will it fix the chaos in my mind?- Turning back to Ilios, I happily rubbed his head and ran my fingers through his fur. -Its better to just let the wave throw you around, so what am I doing trying to fight it?- As I sat there in silence, I felt a calm, unlike anything I had felt in a very long time, overtake my body and mind. -I just need to deal with things as they happen, and take things one step at a time, like Ive always done...- As a grateful expression came to my face, I looked over toward Yolanda and Amara, who were still wearing worried looks. "I''m not sure if this will ease your worries, but t..thank you..." -Without you two, it would have been.. difficult to accept...- But as I bowed my head, I felt Ilios shift around on my lap. "Woof!" His bark made me jolt a bit, but when I turned to look at him, he gave me a look of scrutiny. It was honestly adorable. "Hahaha, thank you too, buddy." But as if he didn''t want to accept my late thank you and head rubs, his look of scrutiny turned to a pout. "Hmph..." "Hmm, then how about we go down the treant and play some tomorrow morning?" Immediately turning back to me with stars in his eyes, his tail started speeding up. *tail wagging vigorously* "Haha, alright, let''s plan for that then!" -I wonder if he really meant to cheer me up like that...- Although I didn''t recognize it at the time, looking back now, that short exchange with Ilios was what finally made me accept everything. To accept not just what I was, but what I was bound to become. I really wonder if that was his objective all along. Chapter 199: An Interrupted Trial Chapter 199: An Interrupted Trial Mid Evening - Late Fall : The Elder Hall, Northern Bahamut - Asimi Ragnarok ~ "So what is the plan for today? Any trials?" I asked as I sorted some human-sized paperwork with magic. "Yeah, we are starting off with one today, but it was a case that was only opened a week ago, so, before you ask, I don''t know much either." To my right was a large turquoise dragon, only a tad bigger than me. Her name was Galen Kerato, the sole daughter of a young, but famous ancient known as The Grand Healer. "At the very least, it should be an interesting start to the day." "Well, after having nothing interesting over the past two months, we can only hope so." Although it was indeed unusual for a trial to make it to the elder hall so quickly, it wasnt totally unheard of. -Maybe it''s finally something major...- But not everyone took her words as casually as I did. "A trial got escalated that quickly?!" On the opposite side of the hall was a large blue and brown half-breed named Lex Naftis. He was one of the two halfies to fill the spots left behind by Eugene and Basilia. Even after working together for a few years though, Galen wasn''t too fond of him. "It was escalated through an executive decision." She didn''t even glance at him when she spoke. But I was too preoccupied with what she said to notice. "Wait, really?" -When was the last time that happened?- "Who escalated it?" Thinking she knew, I looked over at Galen, but she simply motioned toward Pluto Chrysos, who sat on the opposite side of me. Put simply, he was a filthy rich, gold-scaled 665-year-old elder, the second oldest within the Hall, and the oldest present today by nearly 300 years. Having worked in the Hall for nearly 400 years at this point, seemingly nothing ever caught his interest, and today was no different. "It was a trail published and escalated by Halcyon Aetos." He said it so nonchalantly, that Galen and Lex took a second to react. But unlike them, I was more confused than shocked. -Aetos?- "Didn''t the Aetos family say they were backing out of the Court when that so-called prodigy was born?" "That was just the younger generation." Pluto shot me a look of indifference before turning back to his personal work. "Halcyon would rather give up his family name than lose that next-in-line spot to the Elder Hall he finally got after 200 years of effort." -Fair enough...- "But for him to submit and escalate his own trial... Is he that confident he can win?" [1] -Isn''t he afraid to lose the very thing he''s devoted his life to achieve?- Galen seemed to be thinking the same as me as well. "I knew he escalated it, but to think he was the one to actually submit it as well... Has he finally gone insane?" "It''s definitely possible..." -It sounds like he''s scheming more than anything though...- We continued to idly chat about it for a couple minutes after that, but eventually, Pluto cut us off. "Whatever he''s thinking, if it is a false claim, we need to catch it." Finally moving his personal work to the side, he glanced at the double door to the hallway that led outside. "He''s here." Assuming he just sensed an aura outside, none of us questioned him and started to follow his lead. While we were cleaning up our things, Pluto threw a glance at Lex. "Before he comes in, Lex, don''t take everything he says at face value. Since your new here, you might not know, but he''s always been a schemer." With a slightly nervous nod, Lex finally finished cleaning his things. It was only a few minutes after that though, that a 20-meter-tall, wine-red dragon opened the door to the Hall. *clang-creak* She bowed her head right as she walked in and spoke clearly. "Halcyon Aetos has arrived." Waiting for her to continue, the Hall fell into silence for a moment. "Who did he come with?" "He came alone, Sir Chrysos." The messenger tensed up immediately but was quick to continue. "His body was found buried under the rubble of the Helvig Family estate with a large hole through his torso." He paused to look up and see everyone''s looks of expectation before hastily continuing. "Prior to his body being found, the estate was destroyed with no survivors left behind. It is safe to assume he was caught up in the event!" Although the Helvig family name didn''t immediately ring a bell, I knew just how serious the destruction of a noble family in Valtivar, and the death of a young elder was. -Did one of the apostles do it?- But as I was thinking about it, Galen spoke up. "Halcyon, I thought your son was taking care of his child in central Bahamut. What was he doing in Siratha? In a Marquis estate, no less?" It was a question that was spoken like an acquisition, but surprisingly, his anger didn''t grow. "How am I supposed to know what he''s doing with his own ti-" Before he could finish, I remembered something and cut him off. "Wasn''t the Helvig family the one we investigated all those years ago for illegal distribution of information?" Galen was quick to confirm my memory. "Yes, we didn''t find anything at the time, but..." She squinted her eyes at Halcyon. "That doesn''t mean we couldn''t have accidentally overlooked something..." Unable to continue holding it back, his anger slowly started becoming more apparent. "Are you implying my son was leaking information to those wretched elves?" He wore a look like he expected sympathy. But Galen''s glare was merciless. "As the leaking of information has continued since that investigation, that is a possibility we cannot simply ignore." Seeing Halcyon''s lack of response, Pluto voiced his opinion on the situation. "Messenger kid, you said the Helvig estate was destroyed last night, correct?" The messenger gave him a nervous nod. "T-t-that is correct sir Chrysos..." "Hm. Then how about we send a group to clean up the place and send a group to Sir Halcyon''s estates to conduct a new investigation as well." Pluto looked at Halcyon to see how he''d react, but surprisingly, he didn''t react at all. "I have no objections." Pluto gave him a look of distaste at his response. "I doubt it would have mattered if you objected, but shall we cast a vote just in case?" Seeing everyone''s similarly distasteful expressions, a smile came to his face. "Those in favor, please raise your tail." Immediately, the four of us present in the Elder Hall raised our tails. "Then, let''s put it on paper, shall we?" Using magic, a paper and quill were pulled off his desk. He started reading what he was writing immediately. "In addition to a new investigation of the Helvig family and the cause of their demise in Valtivar, Siratha, we will conduct an investigation into the Aetos family. During this investigation, Halcyon Aetos is forbidden to communicate with family members, and will conduct the previously scheduled trial as normal until further notice." Halcyon''s expression darkened as Pluto continued, but there was nothing he could do besides sit there and accept it. -But isn''t he a bit too calm after just receiving news of his son''s death?- I simply couldn''t help but feel uncomfortable. After continuing to read and write countless other legal details, Pluto eventually finished and moved the paper and quill towards Lex, then Galen, then me to sign it. None of us had the slightest objection before I finally handed the paper back to Pluto. "That is 4 signatures, the investigation will begin immediately." He casually handed the paper to Lex after checking the signatures. "Lex, could you run this over to Leander? He should be in the Central Estate still." The way Pluto asked sounded quite demeaning, but surprisingly, Lex seemed more than happy. "Of course!" Quickly grabbing hold of the paper with magic, he hopped out of his seat and trotted past me down the hallway. "Hehe, to think I''d actually be able to meet the Foreign Intelligence Leader in my lifetime!" As he trotted down the hall and made his way outside, I couldn''t help but sigh. "Haah..." -And I really wondered why Galen doesn''t like him...- Chapter 200: Mindful Steps Chapter 200: Mindful Steps Mid Morning - Late Fall : The Golden Lotus, Northern Market District (Valtivar) *Click* *Yawn~* "Hm?" Finally coming out of her room after nearly a full day of rest, Amara gave me a confused look. "How do you and Ilios seem even closer than before?" "Haha, do we?" Looking down at Ilios, who was sleeping while stretched across my body, I couldn''t help but notice warmth fill my chest. -I guess I can''t deny it...- As I idly thought back to my ''enlightenment'' again, I casually ran my mind over the events that followed it to make sure I didn''t miss something. But in all honesty, not much happened. After I finally accepted reality for what it was, Amara, Yolanda, and I continued our talk for quite a while. At first, the conversation stayed aimed at Ilios and me to figure out what our plans were going forward since it didn''t make much sense to continue a pilgrimage meant to show loyalty and worship to ourselves. But after some thought, I decided to continue with things as they were. -At the very least, it''ll be worthwhile to see what the prayer is all about.- After figuring out our plan though, the conversation finally changed directions and landed on Amara and her situation with the halfie and Helvig family. Our conversation gradually fell apart after that, and I''m sure it made her night feel like an eternity, but it was good for her to vent pent-up feelings and finally sort out her thoughts on the situation. Following that, Amara said she felt exhausted and went to take a nap, leaving Yolanda and me alone for a while, before she inevitably went back to her room as well. But at the end of it all, it made things work out quite well. While they napped, I left the inn with Ilios and flew out of treant territory to spend the day playing with him. -Maybe I got a bit carried away while playing though...- Since it was the first time really playing with him after quite a while, we were at it for several hours non-stop, and I ended up not watching his stamina closely enough. When he suddenly slowed down and hung his head to pant heavily, I broke into panic, but things settled down once I finally realized that we had played for twice as long as normal and used incomparably more strength as well. -But to think those tiny black tubes all around my body affected my strength and stamina so much...- After playing with Ilios for nearly the whole day, I wasn''t even half as winded as I normally was. But even though the gap between us in terms of strength and stamina widened... -He still crushes me in terms of speed... Without using magic, I could only barely even catch his tail.- But instead of feeling jealous, when I looked down at his sleepy face, I felt proud. -It''s good to see that you''re still getting stronger, buddy!- *pat-pat* "You know, recently, I was starting to question whether you or Ilios slept at all." Amara wore a smile as she poured herself a glass of water. "Haha, I don''t blame you. It''s pretty rare." -Normally I''m more careful with his stamina, so he doesn''t get so exhausted...- I felt a bit guilty seeing his exhaustion, but I knew he wouldn''t have pushed himself so hard if he didn''t enjoy it. -If I told him I felt guilty about it, hed probably just try to smack me...- He gave a slow but strong nod immediately before licking my face a bit. "Haha, I love you too, buddy." With a few extra pets though, he finally moved to the side and let me sit up. "Well, bud. How does going to the gambling district sound? You want to come?" He nodded before I even finished. "Woof!" "Haha, it''s good to see you back to your energetic self again." Casually leaning over, I gave him a quick kiss on the forehead before finally standing up. "Well, now that he''s finally up, let''s get going shall we?" Seeing everyone in agreeance, we finally made our way out of the inn and across town as a group. We ended up walking for about a little over an hour before we finally made it to the district though. "Is this it?" Seeing that I was the only one new to Valtivar, I had to ask quite a few questions to stay up to speed. "Yeah, this is the edge of it, where lower-cost gambling dens are. The deeper you go, the more expensive they get." Amara spoke like she had fond memories of the place. "Oh?" -So were going to the high-end district?- "Sounds fun! So where exactly are we going first? Didn''t you say it was a tournament or something?" Casually looking around, I tried to not make a connection to Earth, but I couldn''t see the ''gambling dens'' as anything other than casinos. -They even have card games of some sort...- Although I couldnt tell exactly what the games were, the cards looked extremely similar to those from Earth. -Its probably just a coincidence though...- Turning my attention back to where we were walking, we quickly traveled through the treant town and came into a different, more well-lit area with half-breeds, elves, and demihumans of all kinds walking around. -There are even some dark elves... How rare...- Continuing even further into the town, we eventually came onto a branch of a treant that didnt act like a street at all. "What is this?" The entire width of the branch was taken up by a large raised platform. Thankfully, Amara was quick to explain. "This is called the Western Martial Road, it''s a place for martial artists to fight and train, but.." She paused as we walked up the stairs to see countless people huddled around the arenas. "It doubles as a place for people to bet on fighters." "Why is it the western Martial Road and not northern?" -And why is there not a single noble-looking guy or dragon around any of these arenas?- "Well, that''s because Valtivars Grand Martial Hall is at the center of that treant over there." A wild grin came to her face before I knew it. "Thats where the really big bets are!" Although I didnt think much of her excitement at the time, thinking she was just excited to place bets and watch, I was very, very wrong. *Ding* "And after 15 long years! The rising star, the Bronze Stallion, Amara Chalkos has returned!" Sitting in the stands among countless cheering elven nobles, half-breeds, and even dragons, I looked down at the arena to see Amara wearing adventuring clothes with an excited grin on her face. "Haha, I really shouldve expected it from her!" -To think she wanted to come here, not to place bets, but to let off some steam...- Chapter 201: Under Ones Nose Chapter 201: Under One''s Nose Late Morning - Late Fall : Northern Gambling District (Valtivar) *ding-ding* "And the winner is Amara Chalkos! After 21 consecutive wins, her bounty has been increased to 18 platinum and 21 gold! Are there any competitors who wish to give it a try?" -My lord, how many broken bones did that guy end up with?- I couldn''t help but look at the poor guy in the area with awe after seeing him still trying to stand up after having his arms and a leg broken. -She''s really merciless today... I wonder if she is still mad at that rich brat from last night...- Idly thinking back to the scene of Amara knocking out a noble brat with a gold coin, I chuckled under my breath. -It''s a shame his guard didn''t fight Amara... That would''ve been a fun fight to watch...- As I waited for someone to inevitably fall to the temptation of 18 platinum, I walked up to the top of the stair-like seating area and got myself a drink. "Haah..." -I wonder what Bjorn and Yolanda are up to...- It was the afternoon prior that they actually left. Although Bjorn did enjoy simply watching the fights, Yolanda wasn''t so fond of it and ended up leaving only a couple hours after we got there. Unsurprisingly, Bjorn ended up following after her, while leaving me to watch over Amara. But it was a simple task. Before Bjorn even left, Amara was absorbed into her fights, using the steady flow of younger, overconfident dragons and halfies as punching bags, letting me simply relax in the stands. Whenever she had a break, she would come to chat, but most of the time, I just theorized about repairing the laboratory, only pulling myself out of thought to watch the occasional interesting fight. -Watching fights is an oddly good way to clear mental blocks, huh...- "Here is your pink lily, sir!" Quickly reaching over the bar, I grabbed hold of the wooden mug the bartender handed me. "Thanks." Finally walking back to my seat with a drink in hand, I glanced down to look for the next competitor but was disappointed to see another overconfident adolescent dragon who was probably barely 30 years old. -I wonder what tricks this kid has up his sleeve.- As I got to my seat and got ready to watch the match though, a well-built man walked up to me. "Sir, do you mind if I sit here?" He casually pointed to the empty spot next to me before getting ready to sit down without waiting for my confirmation. -For an elder dragon, he really lacks manners...- "Sorry, but that seat is taken." The man paused for a second before standing back up. "Is it too rude to ask where the owner of this spot is?" Looking down towards the arena, I pointed at Amara. "It''s that female fighter''s spot." He hesitated for a second when he glanced at her before quickly turning back to me. "Oh, do you happen to know her?" -What''s with the way this guy talks?- His voice was already getting on my nerves, but I didn''t let it show. "Yeah, she''s a good friend of mine." "Ah. what a coincidence! You see, I am also quite familiar with her. I actually came to talk with her, but since she seems to be busy, I will sit here until she has a break." Not bothering to ask for confirmation again, he sat down in Amara''s spot. -Someone like you is familiar with Amara?- Although my gut told me it was basically impossible, I didn''t have remotely enough reason to make my skepticism obvious. -I''ll see if he''s lying when Amara finishes anyways.- There was a short moment of silence before he glanced at Ilios laying his head on my lap. "Would that happen to be your Fenrir?" "He is, indeed." After nervously snatching it out of the air, he gave it a look of scrutiny before finally reading my name. "Whyte, huh?" It was a much more laid-back reaction than I expected. -To be that casual about figuring out he was rude to an upper noble family member, he must be from one himself...- But instead of continuing to be demeaning like I partially expected, he momentarily lowered his head. "I sincerely apologize if I may have offended you, Sir Whyte." Although a part of me still wanted to smack him, his respect subsided that urge for a moment. "You''re fine for now. Anyway, you''re really from Bahamut, correct?" "That is correct." He was quick to respond. "Then I have to ask.." Seeing that Amara''s fight was uneventful, I finally turned to the man. "Why does Bahamut care so much about who destroyed a random noble family to send you here to find them?" "I cannot say that, sir." It was nice that he was finally showing a bit of respect, but I still didn''t like him. -He can''t say, huh? In that case...- Quickly thinking back to everything Amara had told me about the incident, I decided to make what I thought was an obvious connection. "Is it related to the dozen or so pure and half-breed dragons that were killed in the incident?" I was confident I was right when I spoke, but his reaction was a little unexpected. "Huh?" He just gave me a confused look. "Sir Whyte, now isn''t the time to joke." I was totally stunned for a moment. -Wait, what? Is he serious?- "Did you really not look over a casualty report or something before you came here?" But he only got more upset. "Sir, there was only one dragon who was reported as dead. Please do not exaggerate." -Wait seriously? Amara wouldn''t lie about something like that.. but for that to be the case, that would mean...- Deciding to put all my eggs in one basket, I looked him in the eyes with a serious expression. "Sir, I promise under Bahamut''s name that there were at least 11 dragons killed in the incident." His eyes widened when he realized what the implications of my words were. "If you wish to ask Amara herself, she can give you a first-hand account of the whole incident, but I think you have bigger fish to fry now." Seeing him deep in thought, I wasn''t sure whether he even heard me, but after another moment, he looked back at me. "It seems I have an urgent matter I must.. deal with. Thank you for your time, Sir Whyte. Please be aware you may be called to Bahamut in coming days." He was quick to turn to leave, but I stopped him to say one last thing. "Hey, a bit of advice. You might want to report that kind of discrepancy to the highest level you can... I''m sure you know what I mean." Giving a strong nod, he finally walked out of the barrier and disappeared with the use of light magic. As my barrier finally dissipated, I couldn''t help but let out a deep breath. "Haah..." -I knew something was fishy when she said there were so many dragons in that damned estate...- *crunch* *ding-ding* "And the winner is Amara Chalkos for her 22nd consecutive win!" As the announcer yelled out into the crowd, I looked down at Amara, who wore a pure smile, oblivious to what just happened. -I made her dodge a bullet and she doesn''t even recognize it... How should I even tell her?- Chapter 202: Preparation for Prayer Chapter 202: Preparation for Prayer Early Evening - Late Fall : The Golden Lotus, Northern Market District (Valtivar) "So you''re saying that Bahamut is getting involved with investigating the Helvig estate, but even though they knew I was the one who did it, I wasn''t charged with anything?" Amara was still struggling to wrap her head around the situation while we sipped on the remaining Piotita. "Sort of, yes. Originally, he was probably planning to interrogate us, but I stumbled across a more serious problem which turned his attention elsewhere." Leaning back in my seat, I reached down and rubbed Ilios''s belly. "What problem could possibly pull someone in the foreign intelligence division away from a case?" She gave me a curious look as she fell deep into thought. "Betrayal, for starters." I said it so nonchalantly that it caught Amara off guard. "What did you say?!" She stared at me with a look of awe. "How in the world did you get him to betray the Foreign Intelligence Division?" "Pfft-Hahaha! I didnt get him to betray anyone, I just noticed a discrepancy in the information he was given." "Hm? What do you mean by ''discrepancy''?" Her growing curiosity quickly brought a smile to my face. "Well, according to his information, of the 83 people killed, only one was a dragon. Since that was such a stark difference from what you told me, I figured someone up the hierarchy wanted to hide something and simply brought it to the interrogator''s attention." "But he actually believed you? The loyalty of those in the Foreign Intelligence Division might as well be limitless." Finally finishing my glass of alcohol, I set it on the table and moved over to the couch to let Ilios lie with me. "I mean, what is more trustworthy, people he might not even know, or a high noble swearing under Bahamut''s name." Her eyes went wide. -Hm?- "What''s wrong? It''s not like I lied, nor did I have ill intentions when I swore." "But.. what if I accidentally told you the wrong number of dragons that were killed?" "Well, did you?" "N..no?" "Then that''s that." Patting my chest, Ilios hopped up on the couch and found a comfy spot next to me. "But I definitely didn''t see everyone Ilios killed... What if he-" "Just don''t worry about it. Worst comes to worst, I''ll just go to Bahamut and clean things up myself." She gave me a look of guilt before finally calming back down. "Haah..." There was a short pause before she looked back up at me. "If something like that does happen.. please tell me... At the very least, I''m sure my family will be helpful to you." I glanced at her as I contemplated saying something before deciding not to. "Just don''t worry yourself over it." Silence filled the room for several minutes after that, but I eventually noticed some familiar auras approaching the inn from down the street. -Theyre finally back... Where did they even go?- Around a minute later, they finally got to our room and opened up the door. *Click* "Oh, you guys are already back?" Yolanda was smiling from cheek to cheek. Amara, finally shaking off her lingering guilt, put on a smile as well. "Yeah, we got back about half an hour ago. Where did you guys end up going? I thought youd be back before us." Not noticing my unimpressed look, she continued casually. "For starters, the prayer is right at sundown, when the sun and moon are on opposing horizons, so we will leave sometime in the afternoon." She glanced at me to make sure I was listening before continuing. "As for the more religious side of things, you should avoid alcohol and food for the day, as well as anything sexual or dangerous. It is not only disgraceful to those around you, but also to the gods." -Fair enough...- "A priest can legally kill you if you are seen doing anything taboo on the day of prayer." I jolted a bit as I realized what she said. -Good f*cking lord!- I looked over at her to see if she was joking, but her face was completely indifferent. "Isn''t that a bit extreme?" "It''s just a part of the culture here. Since it''s how people are taught growing up, it''s never been seen as a big deal." Although what she said was true, I still struggled to believe it. "Whats the priest''s justification for it though?" "Those who commit those taboos are considered to be rebelling against the gods, and are executed to let the gods pass judgment on them." She casually took a sip of Piotita as she finished. "It''s honestly not much different from the Coming-of-Age Festival in Baham-" Yolanda and I immediately went wide-eyed as we used magic to mute Amara''s voice. At first, Amara was just a little startled and confused, but that was when she finally realized what she had said. Bjorn was still clueless though. "Baha- what?" "NOTHING! It was nothing!" Amara stood up from her seat in a panic. "In any case, I think we have covered everything for tomorrow. Does anyone else have anything to add before we go to bed?" She scanned the room in a hurry, before gulping down the rest of her Piotita and hastily continuing. "Since no one else has anything to add, I shall go to bed first. Sleep well, everyone!" Not wasting a single extra second, she darted into her room and slammed the door behind her. *Wham* Bjorn could only look at her bedroom door in shock and confusion. "Did I say something wrong?" Yolanda and I both glanced at each other while wondering what to do before I figured Bjorn wasnt curious enough to dig too deep. "Don''t worry about it. If you ever need to know, you will." He raised his eyebrow at me for a moment before finally letting go of his curiosity, as I expected. "Haah, alright. In that case, I will head to bed as well. Good night, Vasilias. Good night, Yolanda!" *click* As the door closed behind him, Yolanda glanced at Amaras room with an odd expression. "Sometimes I really wonder how shes 40 years older than me..." "Yeah... Shes over 80 years older than me, as well. Sometimes it doesn''t make much sense." Yolanda was quick to turn back to me with an unamused expression. "Youre a freak of nature, of course that wouldn''t make sense..." Her look slowly shifted to a joking smile. "You have your moments, but you could have told me you were an ancient and I would have believed you..." "Haha, is that so?" -I still think I act younger when I''m with you guys though...- "Anyways, I''m a bit tired from gambling all day, so Ill head out as well." "Alright, sleep well, Yolanda." "Goodnight, Vasilias!" *click* Left alone in the living room again, I stared up at the ceiling at rubbed Ilios''s head. -I should be excited about tomorrow... so why do I feel so uneasy...- But as if he could read my mind, Ilios crawled up and licked my face, making the feeling in my gut immediately disappear. "Haah... I really wonder how you do that sometimes..." Deciding not to think much more about it, I just laid back and relaxed. -Maybe I''m just overthinking things...- Chapter 203: The Tree of Prayer Chapter 203: The Tree of Prayer Early Afternoon - Late Fall : Northern Market District (Valtivar) "Will you all be returning after the prayer?" The receptionist, who seemed to be gathering her things to leave as well, caught us as we walked out of the inn. "Yes, we should be back afterward. We locked our room already." Bjorn was quick to respond. "Good. Also, please note that the inn will be locked until I return. Since you are all leaving already though, you shouldn''t have to worry about that." "Yeah, we are going all the way to the tree, so you will definitely be back first." "Wow, how exciting! In that case, I''ll quit holding you back. Be sure to enjoy the ceremony!" The kind receptionist waved to us as we finally walked outside. -She seems awfully excited, huh...- It was early in the afternoon when we left. We originally planned to leave a little later, but because of Amara''s gut feeling, we left extra early. But things ended up working out. The next several hours were filled with a mix of walking and running as we passed through district after district until we eventually came to the innermost layer, the ''industrial district''. The district, built on a branch over a kilometer off the ground, was like a totally different world, with buildings made entirely of stone and a smithy, alchemist, and guild building on every tiny stretch of road. -Amara wasn''t calling it a hunter''s paradise for no reason, I guess...- But the hunters weren''t the only ones living in the area. Usually, wrapped around the center of the treants were stone residences meant for the wealthy and low nobility. But even though the building was like an apartment building, the rooms were far from cheap. "50 platinum for one room?! If low nobility can afford that, what are the homes of high nobles like?!" Amara was wearing a gleeful smile as she explained. "Haha, high nobles have entire treants to themselves, they just aren''t this close to the Tree of Prayer. The only larger estates in this direction are the homes of the Great Apostles." "Damn..." -I wonder what their estates are like...- As I mindlessly thought about it, I glanced around at the surrounding crowd of people getting ready for the ceremony and noticed I couldn''t find a single one that wasn''t smiling. "Do you think we will see them, Mother?!" A young kid standing outside of a high-end restaurant was literally bouncing up and down with excitement. And his mother wasn''t much different either. "I''m not sure, but even if we only receive a sign from them, it will be an event we can tell later generations with pride!" For a moment, I thought she was just being a bit over the top for her child, but the more I looked around, the more I noticed that her excitement was far from out of place. All around us were elves and demihumans alike, filled with childish excitement. -I mean, I would understand if it was just some or even most of them.. but all of them?- I found it quite odd. But it wasn''t till we started descending that I asked a question that came to mind. "How do the lifts get brought back up for the next group to use?" I could vividly remember seeing several lines outside of other lifts. "For this lift, it''d be whoever happens to want to come back up. This is a two-way lift. The ones up top with lines were one way and just go down before coming straight back up." She pointed behind herself to an empty lift, that was being pulled back up with a pully of some kind. -So the one-way lifts are the reliable ones. That''s why people don''t mind waiting on them...- "So does that mean we just get lucky to get an available two-way?" She shrugged her shoulders with a playful smile on her face. "Who knows?" I couldn''t help but feel like she was a bit out of character at the time, but little did I know, it was just her excitement from earlier returning. -What is she so eager for anyways...- Seeing her look of expectation, I decided to just change the subject. "So where''s the Tree of Prayer from here?" I casually leaned my back against the side of the bucket as I looked toward Amara. But instead of giving directions, she just smiled and pointed behind me. "Hm? What are you-" My voice was cut off, and I froze in place when I turned around. "Ho..ly.. sh*t..." Amara and Yolanda''s faces showed pure joy the instant I said anything, but I couldn''t have cared less. I was simply entranced to the point that I almost accidentally stopped strengthening the rope. -This.. is a tree?!- Looking straight out towards where the horizon would normally be, my gaze was set on the center of a tree trunk well over five kilometers across. -What the f*ck?!- Looking down towards the colossal roots of the oak-like tree, I saw it was surrounded by a circular, grassy clearing that extended another 20 kilometers before continuing under the treants all the way to the horizon. But the most mind-boggling thing was that no matter where I looked, I could see people littering the ground like ants. -Just how many people are there...- Amara already knew what I was thinking when she saw me looking all around the ground. "The population of Siratha around the last pilgrimage was a bit over 160 million. People will be lining the ground for another few hundred kilometers into the treant forest in all directions." My jaw, which was already hanging slightly open, widened. "I''m sorry, what?" It took a solid minute for a single coherent thought to even come to mind. "How would people so far over the horizon even participate in the prayer?" Amara gave me a surprised look before quickly answering. "If you look at the base of the treants around here, you''ll see people standing about a hundred meters up the trunk. Those are priests and clerics that relay the voices of the apostles who stand on the Tree of Prayer out to those farther away. They also stand guard over the people on the ground." -They just relay the voices?- Thinking back to the game telephone from Earth, I started to wonder how reasonable such a method really was. But Amara was quick to pull me from my thoughts again. "In case you''re wondering, even if the people hundreds of kilometers away dont hear the message of the apostles, they will still know when the prayer begins." -Huh? How does that work?- As I went to give it some thought, I quickly realized I wouldn''t be able to figure it out on my own anyways and just kept my mouth shut. -At any rate.. this is on a scale I really underestimated...- As we were slowly lowered to the ground, I could do nothing but gawk at the horrific amount of aura and mana already in the air. -If this is the combined aura of this many people.. what will it be like when everyone is here?- Looking up towards the base of the tree, where a huge crowd of people were already gathered, I could see a blue cloud of mana encompassing everything. -It really is as intimidating as it is beautiful...- Chapter 204: A Potentially Bothersome Situation Chapter 204: A Potentially Bothersome Situation Late Afternoon - Late Fall : The Tree of Prayer *creaaakk* The rope continued to creak as we descended. -Even after all that strengthening magic, is it really still at its limit...- Looking up the rope, I saw countless frayed strands sticking out. -The gears that bring us down probably aren''t good for the rope either...- "Are you really worried about the rope enough to let it ruin the view?" Amara, who was leaning over the edge of the bucket next to me, glanced at me with a playful look. "Well, I mean, do you want to fall a kilometer to the ground?" I wanted to laugh but held it back. "Pfft, fall to the ground? If it was going to snap, it already would have!" Her smile turned childish as she moved towards the center of the bucket. "These ropes are specially made to withstand several thousand tons and are strong enough that they couldn''t be cut by most weapons!" She sounded like she was trying to show off, but that was when she raised her hand just above where the gears were. -What? What is she...- My thoughts came to a screeching halt as I looked up to see her about to flick the rope. "DON''T-" Before I could even move my aura over to stop her, her finger slammed into the rope and sent an almost unnoticeable shockwave through it. *thud* She pulled her hand away immediately and shook it in the air. "Ow!" Her finger was already red. "Just what the hell is that thing made of?!" Finally looking up from her hand, she noticed that instead of looking at her, I was looking straight up. "Huh? What are you looking a-" *thwang* The bucket abruptly dropped a few centimeters as a metal cable-like noise ripped through the air. Bjorn, Amara, and Yolanda''s expressions all turned nervous as they looked at the rope in the middle of the bucket. But that wasn''t where the problem was. "F*ck..." I let out a curse as I watched the wooden hut above us start to splinter. -To think the wood is what gave out first...- Finally noticing that the bucket was slowly sagging, Bjorn and Yolanda''s faces started to pale. "Amara, grab onto Bjorn and Yolanda!" "What do you mea-" *crackle* Before she could finish, the rope suddenly went slack, and everyone felt their stomachs try to escape through their mouths. "Huh? Ah.. AHHH!!" Bjorn let out a scream of horror as the bucket lost support and rotated, throwing him out of it in the process. -Sh*t, Amara is too far from him...- Seeing Amara successfully grab hold of Yolanda, I looked at Ilios. "Ilios, bring Bjorn to the ground safely." Looking under us, I saw that the stone platform meant to anchor our rope was surrounded by several people. "Tch..." -Of course, things wouldn''t be simple... Why would they?!- *Bang-Fwooosh* Tapping my thrusters for an instant, I launched myself toward the ground to land before the bucket. "OI, HEADS UP!" I tried to yell out to the people near the platform, but by the time they could react to it, I hit the ground. *CRUNCH* The platform practically exploded when I landed, sending chunks of stone flying in all directions before I caught them with my aura. -Alright.. who do I need to catch?!- "No way, I don''t think the apostles could do what he did that casually..." While the people nearby started to crowd around us and gossip, I walked over to Amara and tapped her on the shoulder. "Let''s get out of here before things escalate further..." Looking over towards the treant we just came off of, I could see someone wearing a religious robe leaping over the crowds and coming toward us. -It''ll be troublesome if we get caught...- But thankfully, Amara was quick to follow along, hastily informing Bjorn and Yolanda before dispersing and disappearing into the crowd. -Why do they look like they have experience with that?- *sckshhh* The rubble from the stone landing area crunched under the priest''s feet as he landed. "My name is Priest Agnar! Please, someone, come forward to explain what happened!" His face showed a mix of irritation and fear, but as fun as it would have been to play with him, I just followed after Amara. I stayed cloaked for several minutes after that, only deciding to get rid of the magic when we started approaching the couple dozen-meter-tall wall that encompassed the field around the Tree of Prayer. -Hm.. what is this wall for?- As I dissipated the light magic, I noticed the gate in the wall had several hunters in heavy armor standing by it checking IDs. "Can only certain people get inside?" "AH!" Yolanda let out a startled yell when I spoke up next to her. "Are you a ghost or something?! Where''s your aura?!" "Haha, sorry!" I let out a chuckle thinking she was joking, before quickly turning to Amara. "So, like I was saying, what''s this wall for and why are there people checking IDs at the gate?" "Haha, the wall and gate help regulate who can and can''t go inside." Amara moved over to Yolanda''s side before rubbing her head. "It''s basically just a way to let nobles and people of influence in more distant cities have a chance of getting a spot next to the tree without having to leave their position weeks in advance. It''s only blocked off like this around the pilgrimage though." -Not a bad system...- "But.. ''trusted individuals''? Will I be able to get in?" Amara looked like she was thoroughly enjoying herself. "Of course! You have that insignia plus a top-rank medallion from Morva Asari. Either one of those alone is enough to get in here." -So dragons, the wealthy, and the influential get in, but not regular citizens...- Although it sounded a bit extreme, I couldn''t say it was that unreasonable. -It would probably cause some political issues if the nobles had to stand in the back during every pilgrimage too.- Continuing to follow Amara up to the gate, we each, one by one, showed our IDs to the guards before being let in. Bjorn did get stopped for a moment, but once we told the guards he was with us, they complied almost immediately. -Respectful, but laid back. I like those guys...- Finally walking through the gate, I came out the other side and into the field around the Tree of Prayer. "Woah..." I had my breath taken away immediately. Although I saw the trunk when we descended, being out from under the treants limbs let me see the top of the Tree of Prayer and its colossal, widely-spanning canopy that comfortably covered the entire 40-kilometer wide field. -No wonder it''s associated with the gods...- The canopy was shrouded in a fog, colored thanks to the dense ambient mana. It gave the tree an especially surreal atmosphere, but oddly enough, there was only a single, simple thought that resonated through my mind. -You know.. it really does look like it''d be a good place to nap...- Chapter 205: A Coincidence? Chapter 205: A Coincidence? Early Evening - Late Fall : The Tree of Prayer - Leif Vilulf ~ "Hmm-hm-hmm-hm-hmmm..." I happily hummed as I walked down the street and waved to the few people who still hadn''t yet descended for the prayer. -Today is going to be a good day...- My mind was still repeating the memory of the enchanting feeling of oppression I felt from our lord''s presence a few days prior. It was a feeling no one had felt for over ten thousand years. -The only other time anyone had felt either Dagr or Nott''s presence was 15 years ago...- But at that time, Dagr''s presence was so faint and disappeared so quickly that some of us questioned whether or not we had just imagined it. -But now I know for certain!- My excitement looked quite childish, but I didn''t bother hiding it. -To think I would be alive to witness their return!- I was so happy I wanted to cry. But that was when I noticed a strong aura coming straight at me. -Hm? A priest?- It was a middle-aged elven priest whom I only vaguely recognized. -What is he doing here?- Finally making it up to me, he threw himself into a kneel. "Northern Priest Agnar greets the Apostle of the Night!" He was breathing fairly heavily and seemed to be in a bit of a panic. -For a priest to come to me by themselves...- "Is there something wrong? What are you doing here?" "I have been sent by High Priest Oda Ashild to retrieve you. An incident that she believes urgently needs your attention has occurred." His eyes showed a mix of anxiety and nervousness. -Oda sent him? Why would she...- Stopping myself before I could jump to any conclusions, my expression visibly darkened. "Where is she?" "Miss Ashild should be waiting below the southern branch of the central northern treant." -The southern branch? Was there a problem with one of the lifts? But she wouldn''t need me for that...- Before I could let my thoughts delay me anymore, I turned away from the priest. "Please return to your assigned position. I will handle it from here." "As you order." As soon as he lowered his head toward the ground to show he had nothing else to add, I disappeared from in front of him and dashed down the road. -What could possibly be serious enough that even Oda couldn''t handle it?- I grimaced a bit as a certain possibility came to mind. -It''s not a dragon, is it?- Trying not to make any more assumptions, I quickly passed through several treants before finally wrapping around the center of the treant Oda was under. -Hm?- Looking toward the ground beneath the branch, I saw an unusually dense crowd around one of the lift anchors (the stone base). -So it was an issue with a lift...- But although I could clearly see the scene, I wasn''t exactly sure what I was looking at. -The rope is in pieces, the lift is gone, and the anchor is destroyed... How does that even happen...- -Hm? What is she...- My thoughts were cut short when I saw clouds through a perfectly circular hole in the canopy. As my eyes widened, a phrase was repeated in my mind. -A pillar.. of light...- My thoughts started to speed up exponentially as I repeated the phrase several more times to visualize the spell. -A pillar.. a ray.. a column.. a beam...- But that was when it finally clicked. "Ah!" My previously suppressed excitement rushed forward like a tidal wave. "The Fenrir that got on the lift, what color was it?" Oda''s worry quickly worsened like she thought I finally lost it. "Uh, bright white... Why?" -IT REALLY WAS WHITE!- My heart was racing as thoughts ripped through my mind. -A white Fenrir and what could possibly be Lord Dagr''s magic! They must be...- As she saw my ecstatic smile starting to grow wider, Oda grabbed onto me. "Look, I don''t know what insane thing you''re thinking about, but all the Fenrir did was catch someone who was falling." -Huh?- My excitement came to a screeching halt. "So... Are you saying the demihuman boy actually used that spell? -There''s no way...- "Yes. Every single witness had the same story." -But that''s not possible...- My mind started to wander and come up with countless theories as I looked back up at the hole in the canopy, but I eventually stopped and looked toward the surrounding crowd. "The boy, what did he look like, and where did they go?" -I just need to find them, and confirm things for myself...- "The boy looked like a wolf demihuman, but his body was extremely toned, his hair was dark black, and his tail was longer and fluffier than normal. As for where they went..." She gave me an awkward expression. Even though she only paused for a second, I was too eager to wait. "Went where?! Just say it!" I grabbed onto her shoulders again, but she just averted her eyes. "They, uh.. disappeared... We think it was with advanced light magic..." -Light magic again...- Although I didn''t want to assume anything too outlandish, I couldn''t help but connect the scene to Dagr at every turn. "Hooh..." I had to take a deep breath to calm myself. -It could still be a coincidence... It could definitely just be a coincidence...- "Hooooh..." "A..are you alright, Leif?" Oda gave me a worried look. "Yes.. I''m okay." Finally getting a hold of my thoughts, I let go of Oda''s shoulders and looked toward the Tree of Prayer behind her. "Tell the local priests that I will reward them handsomely if they find any information on that boy or the Fenrir." -Even if they aren''t related to Dagr or Nott, I need information on that magic...- Oda was quick to give me a nod. "I will inform them immediately." "Hooh.. good." *vwoom* With a wave of my hand, I lowered the silencing barrier around us, filling the air with loud chatter. But my thoughts were elsewhere. -If they really are related.. I will find out soon enough...- Looking up through the hole in the canopy again, I saw the sky finally start to dim. -Only an hour to go...- Chapter 206: A Mind Numbing Amount of Mana Chapter 206: A Mind Numbing Amount of Mana Early Evening - Late Fall : The Tree of Prayer *vwoom-vwoom-vmmm* The sound of mana clashing around us filled the air. It was definitely a bit odd at first, but after an hour of constantly hearing it, I quickly found myself getting used to it. -I guess it should be expected that so many strong people in one place would cause some odd spectacles...- Casually looking around with my own aura, I watched as the countless other large auras danced around one another like oil and water before rising up a few more meters and suddenly mixing like there wasn''t anything keeping them apart in the first place. It was a simple phenomenon caused by people''s subconscious aura control. To put it simply, while they still had influence over it, it wouldn''t naturally flow into neighboring, dense auras. But once control was inevitably lost, the mana would simply lose its attributes and become ambient mana that easily mixes with everything around it. It was an aspect of aura I had known about ever since I first obtained mana, but seeing it in such exaggerated conditions made it something truly fascinating to watch. -At ground level, there is barely any ambient (absorbable) mana, but just a few meters above us is an ocean of it...- "It''s really quite beautiful, isn''t it..." A smile came to Amara''s face as she turned around to see me staring up in the air. "It truly is something to behold." Her expression quickly turned warm. "This amount of mana is usually only visible in parts of the Holy Kingdom, during the Coming-Of-Age festival, or in Atlas. Even people like us don''t get to see it often..." "R..right..." I stuttered a bit when she mentioned Atlas. -Thats where Krystallo is going to school, isnt it? I hope she is doing well...- Feeling a cold blanket of yearning wrap around my mind, I tried to distract myself with some more idle conversation. "If the density of people''s auras werent so high around here, people would definitely get mana poisoning. Is it really like that in Atlas and the Holy Kingdom as well?" "Actually, yeah. You need a certain amount of aura to enter the cities where mana is this thick." Without making even the slightest movement, she threw up a silencing barrier. "The use of the mana here is a bit different though." "Hm? What do you mean?" "Well, in those cities, normally it''s better for people to absorb, get stronger, and heal, but here, all that mana isnt for us." I raised an eyebrow with a confused look. Amara seemed to find it funny but held back her laugh. "Ahem. Well, all that mana is to be given to the gods. The mana we receive and absorb comes from the Tree of Prayers roots beneath us, but that mana is the reason this ceremony is so appealing to dragons." "Our gracious gods have finally returned after so many years! They have come home to rest, and gather their strength once more, so how about we show them just how much we have grown thanks to their previous protection and blessings!" She enthusiastically threw her arms out as all the visible ambient mana within a few hundred meters of the tree became denser and more vibrant. It was a beautiful scene, but it also sent a shiver down my spine. -What a ridiculous amount of mana...- But little did I know, that was just the start. "Let''s show our lords how far we have come!" As her voice echoed through the crowd, every single person, without exception, pointed their palms toward the center of the canopy. -Huh? Is this the ceremony?- Following everyone else''s lead, I held my arms up for several seconds before questioning whether I was doing it right. But that was when the real ceremony began. *RUMBLE* The Tree of Prayer started to pulsate out of nowhere, sending wide but short ripples through the ground like a heartbeat, but oddly enough, no one thought it was even the slightest bit odd. -How is everyone so calm?- But I didn''t have time to even question it before every single person, draconic, elven, and demihuman alike, started to simply dump their mana into the air. *vvVwwWwWwOOooOmmMMM* I could only watch in awe as a ceiling of mana appeared above us and stretched as far as the eye could see. It was a level of mana that instantly put the containment center to shame and even made me quite uncomfortable, but it didn''t end with just that, and instead only continued to grow. I could do nothing but stand there, frozen from awe for several seconds, as the dense sea of mana continued to grow deeper and deeper as people continued to release all the mana they could into the air. But that was when I noticed that the colossal mass of mana was going to converge at one point at the top of the tree. At that instant, like a switch was flipped in my mind, my intimidation, nervousness, and discomfort, turned into a deep an almost senseless greed. -With that much mana.. how much divinity could I make...- Chapter 207: The Realm Within The Clouds Chapter 207: The Realm Within The Clouds Early Evening - Late Fall : The Tree of PrayerFindd new stories at novelhall.com -With that much mana.. how much divinity could I make...- Not even taking the time to question how I would make it, I pulled in my aura to form a bubble around my body, picked up Ilios, and disappeared with light magic. -Just like when I was underwater, I need to completely hide my presence...- "Hooh..." *vwWwwWoom* The noises from my surroundings started to warp as I took control of everything that even had the slightest chance of giving away my presence. The light, and everything in the air, down to the atom, fell under my control within seconds. -All that''s left is to mask the ripple I''ll make when I pass through that ocean of mana...- Hastily running through my options, I quickly settled on a plan of action, even though I wasn''t exactly too confident about it. Put simply, I planned to spin my aura around my body at an incredible speed, which theoretically would scatter the ripple I would inevitably create. -It might cause some odd visuals, but I can mask that with light magic as a temporary measure... It''ll look odd to those who are less sensitive to mana, but they aren''t the ones I need to fool...- Looking at the woman a few kilometers up the tree, I could clearly make out the boundary of her aura, but although it was extremely dense, it was quite small. -She must be using her aura to avoid getting poisoned by the ambient mana...- But even though my assumption was likely wrong, why she was controlling her mana as such didn''t matter. -All that matters is that she will have to rely on her physical senses to notice me...- It was a picture-perfect scenario. With a smile of greed and excitement, I hastily finished my last preparations and set my sights on the center of the canopy. -Let''s see why the gods liked napping here, shall we?- After quickly making sure Ilios was securely in my grasp, I jumped up a few meters before creating a table of mana for me to stand on above the crowd. In short, it was an extreme version of the magic I used to distribute my weight, but instead of supporting me directly, it supported a tiny platform for me to jump off. -To think I''d create magic that lets me seemingly run on air...- *tap* Comfortably landing on the sturdy, invisible platform, I darted forward and ran across other platforms as I created them. *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* Although it was a bit slow-going at first, after a while, I was creating and running across the platforms at nearly full speed. -To think it''d be so much fun to use such precise magic so quickly!- Before I knew it, I covered the four kilometers between the tree and where we originally stood, and landed on the top of one of the tree''s massive roots. But that didn''t mean I slowed down. *thunk-thunk-thunk-thunk* Using my built-up momentum, I used the curvature of where the root met the trunk to ramp myself up the side of the tree. *ZzZiipP* An odd noise met my ears as I ripped through the ridiculously dense mana, but thankfully my aura technique managed to nullify most of the ripple as I darted past the woman on the tree. A few seconds after I passed, when the remnants of the ripple finally made it to her, she turned and looked around, but I was already long gone by then. -What is he doing...- But when I thought that, I noticed some kind of engraving with my aura just ahead of us. -Hm? What''s that?- Seeing Ilios subtly motion me toward it, I walked past him to see what it was, but could only slow down to a halt when I covered a portion of it with my aura. "What.. is this?" - - Leif Vilulf ~ (Back several minutes) "Let''s show our lords how far we have come!" My voice, amplified by a series of wind runes, passed over the crowd like a wave. The instant it reached their ears, they raised their hands into the air without exception. -To think that even the dragons are excited this year!- As I spread my arms out wide, I brought all my aura closer to my body and braced myself. *Vwooom* The mana in the air around the tree immediately started to increase in density before several, heartbeat-like shockwaves passed down the trunk. *RUMBLE* The ground below started to shake as the shockwaves passed through the roots beneath it, but from where I was, distinct ripples could be seen. -No matter how many times I see it.. it''s truly stunning...- But while I was bathing in the beauty of the scene, I saw an absolutely colossal amount of aura within the crowd vanish instantaneously. -What the...- Thinking I couldn''t have just imagined it, I gave the area where it was a closer look but found nothing out of the ordinary, from the flow of mana to the expressions of the people praying. -Did I really just.. imagine that?- After giving it some more thought, I finally just suppressed my worries and turned my attention back to the quickly rising sea of mana that extended to the horizon. But after less than a minute, while I was watching over the people below, a completely out-of-place ripple came from my left. *vWooOmMm* It sounded like a very low-energy ripple, but at the same time, it was moving ridiculously quickly. -Did I really miss someone running by?- Hastily looking around, I honestly found a concerning amount of nothing, to the point that I questioned whether Gulbrand, the apostle adjacent to me, had caused it. -What could he do to create that though... It felt like it was muffled...- Without waiting for my thoughts though, the prayer continued and the sea of mana finally started to get close to me. I simply had no choice but to pull my thoughts back together. "Hooh..." -Even if it was someone running past, I don''t need to worry...- *tap* As if meant to try and keep me from calming my thoughts, I felt a very faint tap from within the tree. Although I wasn''t sure why at the time, my instincts made me look up at the fog-covered canopy, where there was a very faint, spiraling motion in the fog. -So someone did enter? But.. they didn''t fall back out...- I stood there and stared at the spiraling motion for several seconds, simply waiting for someone to fall out, but no one ever did. Before long, my thoughts started to wander and my excitement mounted. -Could that have really been him?- Chapter 208: Knowledge Lost to Time Chapter 208: Knowledge Lost to Time Early Evening - Late Fall : The Tree of Prayer *tap* *tap* *tap* Walking past Ilios, I spread out my aura and quickly found an odd engraving of some sort a couple dozen meters ahead, but couldn''t make out any details because of the fog''s interference. That was when I really started wondering... -What is this fog anyway?- I idly thought about it as I walked closer, but nothing ever came to mind. From what I could tell, the fog was practically intangible. Even when I packed my aura as densely as possible, I could only barely detect the faint existence of the energy that made up the fog. -If it didn''t mess with me reading my aura and feel so abnormally cold, I probably wouldn''t have looked close enough to notice it...- After giving it a little more thought, I started getting close to the engraving and moved my questions to the side. -Whatever it is, I''m sure I will figure it out in due time...- Standing right over the engraving, I squatted down so I could make out the details with just my eyes. "What.. is this?" It was a rectangular engraving about 3 centimeters deep and 5 centimeters wide, but it was completely full of crystalline mana. -It looks like a tubular mana core, but the mana composing the shell looks too random... Almost as if it was a.. clogged rune or something...- As I spread out my hundreds of meters of aura again to try and get a better scope of the engraving, I quickly noticed that I could only see a portion of it. -What the actual f*ck...- From what I could tell, it was indeed a rune of some kind, but it was nearly a kilometer across, and saying it had sat there for thousands of years would have been a grave understatement. -This might even predate the Great War...- I could only look at it in awe. But the longer I stared at it and tried to figure out what it was for, the more complex I noticed it was and the more curious I became. Before I knew it, my curiosity had grown beyond the point where my sense of reason could still suppress it. Without a single thought of possible repercussions, I reached back and pulled out my greatsword before holding the tip just above the ring. -Now, let''s see how well you clean up...- *Clink* At first, it sounded like I tapped my sword against a block of metal, but when I eventually put more of the blade''s weight on it, the ring cracked and exploded like a mana core. *crackle* But there was no following noise. There was no wave of mana at all, even though the amount that should have been in it was colossal. It made me halt my excitement immediately. "Huh?" -Where''s the mana?- I had originally planned to absorb some of it since the ambient mana within the fog was practically nonexistent, but from what I could tell, it just disappeared like it never existed in the first place. -What just happened?- Thinking I just missed it since I wasn''t paying much attention, I shifted over to the next ring, which had more complicated engravings just a few centimeters away. -Alright... I''m not gonna miss it this time...- Squatting down next to the ring loaded with symbols, I carefully used the hilt of my sword to tap and shatter the brittle shell of mana. *Clink-crackle* But once again, as the ring shattered, the only mana that escaped into the air was the mana that composed the solid, crystalline shell, and even it seemed to disappear before I could look too closely at it. I was honestly at a loss for words. I simply couldn''t understand where the mana was going. -And for a core like this to not have any mana in it, yet still hold its shape... How does that even happen?- *Cr-r-r-r-rackle* It made an odd noise, but as far as I could tell, it worked. -Now, I can only pray that none of the rings or symbols themselves were damaged...- Although I didn''t want to jinx myself, I knew it was extremely unlikely that there was no damage to the carvings themselves that could cause the rune to not function properly, but I didn''t have the time or luxury to check it all. -All I can do is sit back and watch...- Sitting crisscross over the very center of the rune, I layered my aura around myself to form a protective barrier of sorts and prayed for the best. That was when it finally happened. *vwowowowmmm* Rhythmic, vibration-like ripples were sent through my aura as the mana within the tree finally touched the underside of the rune. I was filled with limitless excitement to see what the rune was for, and what mystical purpose such a massive rune served, but as mana flowed into it, I was only left confused. -Huh?- The immense volume of mana being pushed into the rune was simply run in circles that alternated directions with each layer without funneling towards the center at all. From my experience, that meant the rune was incomplete or damaged, but I didn''t let my hopes get down. -It could still be warming up... Maybe...- But although that was just my wishful thinking, it turned out to be true. *VWOWOWOWOWOWM* The rhythmic reverberation of mana from the rune was both soothing and a bit concerning, but before I could do anything about my worries, I noticed the fog, albeit in a small volume, begin to turn and flow with the movement of the mana. As seconds ticked by, that flow began to increase in volume until it formed a hurricane-like spin over the center of the rune. I could only watch with a look of curiosity and intrigue as the fog began to spin faster and faster until it got too fast for me to follow. And then things stayed like that for several seconds. From what I could tell, the fog wasn''t actually going anywhere even though I felt like it was meant to flow into the rune, leaving me with a mound of questions and no answers. -So.. is it really broken?- I felt an immeasurable disappointment, like I was so close to something but could only make assumptions about what was wrong. -Sh*t.. is it actually damaged?- My high hopes were coming crashing back down As I was about to stand up and try to look at the outer rings of the rune though, a needle-like dart of mana, incomparable to anything prior, came slamming up into the center of the rune''s underside. *flash* As a bright glow came from the center, the swirling fog was sucked down and funneled into the center of the rune like water draining out of a sink. *CrAckLE* A completely indescribable sound filled the air the instant the fog collided with the mana in the rune, but although I would have normally been curious about it, I was too busy staring at a glowing beam blasting straight up through the center of the fog funnel. Questions raced through my mind as I wondered how it all worked and what exactly was happening, but one question trumped the rest. -Is that.. divinity?- Chapter 209: The Foundation Chapter 209: The Foundation Mid Evening - Late Fall : The Ancient Rune, The Tree of Prayer *CrAckLE* As a beam of light shot up from the rune, narrowly missing my face, I jolted from shock. -Is that.. divinity?- It was an astronomically tiny beam, but at the same time, it was still divinity. -So how should I absorb it... Do I just...- Reaching my hand out, I reluctantly stuck it into the beam to try and absorb it like mana, but nothing happened. The divinity passed through my hand like it didn''t even exist. -If that''s not it, then how about this!- Not wanting to let any more go to waste, I shifted forward and moved my reserve directly over it. *CrAckLE* "Ack..." A sharp pain ripped through my body the instant the divinity entered my reserve, but unlike last time, I had no problem staying conscious. "Agh..." -But what is causing that pain?!- Gritting my teeth through the pain of my flesh being slowly shredded, I moved my aura and scanned the area around my reserve to see what was happening. But once I saw it, I could only cringe from disgust. -How unsettling...- Throughout my abdomen, weaving in and around the shell of my reserve, I could sense the microscopic black tubes of divinity moving like some alien creature while digging through my flesh like a worm. The tubes grew and moved as if they had no destination in mind, digging through anything in their path, be it muscle, bone, or organs. -If my body still relied on my normal organs to keep me alive, this would be really dangerous...- Thankfully, without any vitals left besides my brain, I had no problem letting the divinity spread where it pleased. But that led to problems of its own. "Ucck..." Almost vomiting up blood, I held my hand over my mouth and somehow managed to keep anything from getting on the rune. -I can''t risk having it interfere with the rune!- Leaning my head forward to get out of the funnel of dense fog, I used magic to break down the bloody vomit as best as I could before letting it out as a cloud of toxic chemicals. "Hooh..." A deep sense of lethargy immediately encompassed my mind as my body rushed to heal the slough of internal injuries, but thankfully, not long after, the amount of damage being inflicted by the spread of divinity started to lessen in severity. "Hah.. hah..." My breathing was heavy, but once I managed to catch my breath, I looked through myself with my aura once again and tried to learn from what was happening. It actually didn''t take long for me to start noticing patterns. -So.. the divinity was doing more damage at the beginning because it had fewer branches to spread to...- From what I could tell, divinity followed the path of least resistance through my body, happily traveling through the preexisting framework of tubes before branching out into countless different areas at once. -But the longer I absorb it, the more branches and the more spread out the growth is...- The more spread out things were, the easier it was for my body to heal, which, in turn, made the damage more manageable. -It seems the pain is easing up as well...- "Phew..." I let out a breath of relief as I leaned my head back and glanced to the side. Giving another quick look through his body to make sure I didn''t miss anything else, I finally looked at him with a confident expression. "Alright, buddy. When you''re ready, scoot up just a bit. It will hurt at the start, but try to push yourself through it." I tried to comfort him by rubbing his side, and it seemed to help. "Hopphhh..." He let out a quick breath as he prepared himself before scooching forward into the beam. But that preparation was only so effective... *tap* He jolted the instant the beam touched his reserve, likely feeling the awful sensation of the tubes of divinity being driven through his flesh. But thankfully, everything so far was going as expected. Ilios easily stayed conscious, and I was able to carefully keep watch on the tiny black tubes that weaved themselves around his reserve before spreading out into the rest of his body. "Hick..." Ilios let out an odd noise as I looked over to see him struggling not to vomit. -Sh*t! I forgot to tell him how to deal with that!- Quickly moving over to his head, I set my hand on the base of his neck. "Ilios, look up and open your mouth for me." Instinctually following my instructions, he opened his mouth and let the gas I created vent out. -Perfect...- Carefully moving down his throat, I cleared out the blood and did my best to clean up his countless internal injuries, but although it looked quite messy, everything was going well. -Only a little longer until the damage will taper off...- My focus steadily became more honed with each passing second, but eventually, that focus started to isolate me from my surroundings. It wasn''t until several minutes later that my spatial awareness finally returned, but my surroundings had already completely changed. The dense fog that used to encompass everything had all been moved into a single, colossal tornado-like funnel over the center of the rune. That phenomenon finally gave me the chance to see everything around me beyond the limit of my aura, but before I could even look away from the tornado, a ball of hydrogen formed in front of my forehead. -Huh?- For a split second, I wondered why I made it, but that was answered almost instantly. *pshh-FWOOOSH* Instinctually lighting the hydrogen as if it was a thruster, my head was jolted back at a ridiculous speed. Confusion immediately wrapped around my mind, but in the next instant, a fist plowed through the area where my head was. -WHAT THE F*CK?!- Chapter 210: Faith Chapter 210: Faith Mid Evening - Late Fall : The Tree of Prayer - Leif Vilulf ~ (A few minutes prior) *vvVwwWwWwOOooOmmMMM* It had been about 5 minutes since the ceremony began, and it was about time to wrap it up, but even though I needed to prepare my finishing speech, my attention was elsewhere. -I wasn''t just imagining things...- An ecstatic smile crept onto my face as I looked up to see the fog starting to circle the tree. -They''re really here!- It was truly surreal seeing the Fog of Sin start to move for the first time in countless generations. Not only was it a sign that the gods were present, but it was also an indication that an event was about to take place. -To think I''d be able to take part in a Divine Appearance!- It was an event mentioned in countless ancient texts as it happened at almost every prayer for thousands of years when Siratha was being founded, but now it was simply a legend lost to time. To describe it simply, it was an event where the gods would lift the Fog of Sin to make examples of sinful apostles, appoint new ones, and give out oracles and guidance as they deemed fit. It was the god''s way of keeping the apostles in check, to make sure those leading the common folk used their power to help the weak rather than dominate them. At the time, it was an odd ideal, but after numerous perfect oracles, and undeniable blessings, people came to consider their decisions as undisputable and followed their word no matter what. -I truly can''t believe people ever dared to doubt such generous Lords... With their guidance, the dog-eat-dog world this nation had been, ever since people first stepped foot here, became a thing of the past...- At the time, it made Siratha nothing short of a utopia, giving rise to previously unfathomable growth. Even the Siratha of 300 years ago, when I officially became an apostle, was simply unrecognizable from the current nation.Findd new stories at novelhall.com -And it was all done to fit our Lord''s guidance!- I honestly felt proud about what I had managed to accomplish in my time as an apostle, and although I didn''t expect praise, I hadn''t the slightest concern that I wouldn''t be accepted by the gods. At least that was the case until a few minutes after that when I finally traveled up the tree to see our beloved gods. *tap-tap-tap-tap* Hastily running up the side of the tree, I quickly made it to a place known as the Gods'' Abode, an area that the Tree of Prayer grew around to form a shelter. "Woah..." I let out a breath of awe as I looked into the massive opening in the trunk lined with beautiful carvings and runes that perfectly matched the descriptions I read from ancient texts. -To think the carvings are still in such perfect condition after all these years...- Continuing up the gradually decreasing incline, I quickly made it into the room itself and felt a childish passion deep in me grow like a fueled flame. I was moving so fast that I practically appeared next to him before I threw all my momentum into my sword. "DON''T YOU DARE!" *SHIIIING* My sword sliced into his flesh like butter, but once it got halfway through him, I felt like I hit a wall. *DIIIIIIING-FWOOOSH* My sword rang like a bell as he was launched into the opposing wall, obliterating the carving that had been there for thousands of years. He was bleeding profusely with his sliced-apart intestines hanging out of the gash in his side. But the part that really sent me over the edge was when I saw that he was still alive. *crackle* Clenching his fist, he ripped himself out of the splintered wood he was embedded in, shredding his skin and covering his body in countless cuts. He looked possessed as he stood there while dripping blood, but I had no choice but to turn my attention away from him. "Ilios, are you alright?!" I hurriedly injected an ocean of aura into his body, doing everything I could to help minimize the alarming amount of damage that had accumulated in the few seconds I was gone, but that was all before I realized Ilios had passed out. -Sh*t, why now?!- It was the one situation I wanted to avoid at all costs. -I can''t afford to be away from him if he can''t move out of the beam on his own...- A mix of anxiety and fury filled my mind as I pinned all the blame on the man. "To think you''d be able to obtain more divinity than this child in less than 20 years after being reborn..." A man''s voice came from behind me, just outside of my aura. "You really are a monster... One that can''t be allowed to grow..." Looking over my shoulder with a fiery glare, I saw the man staring at me with a crazed smile on his face, surrounded by an air of confidence that simply couldn''t belong to someone on the verge of death. "You know, I used to wonder why they despised you two so much. After all, your influence and dominance over this pitiful world is what gave them the chance to grow and rise to power, but now I understand..." *cRAckLE* A gut-wrenching noise came from him as his skeletal structure morphed and changed. "As mortals, we all believed that the mountain only seemed impossible to climb because you two were gods, but once we eventually reached that peak ourselves, we realized just how impossible you two were to overcome." Hastily calming my surging anger to stay rational, I did my best to make sense of what he was saying but was only left with questions. -If he really is a god, why did he have to possess someone to come kill me?- It didn''t make much sense, but at that point, it didn''t need to. -All that matters is that he wants to kill Ilios and I...- *creaak* Clutching my sword so hard it creaked, I turned around to face him while keeping a close watch on Ilios''s condition. *Pop* The man casually popped his limp jaw back into place as his bones finally stopped morphing, leaving his appearance as something completely unrecognizable from before. "But now look at you..." His smile was full of arrogance. "You used to be a monster that wiped out gods on a whim, but now you can''t even cut through someone as weak as this apostle. Was trying to save that damned lizard worth it?" His smile only turned more psychotic. "How does it feel to be like us? How does it feel to be powerless in front of an insurmountable wall?" His expression made me want to skin him alive, but I couldn''t bring myself to attack first, not because of fear, but because of uncertainty. Even without him being inside my aura, I could see just how ridiculously the fabric of space was bent around him. -For his presence alone to bend light...- The warp I had talked to a few days prior could barely be considered existent in comparison. -Just what am I about to fight...- Chapter 211: Encroaching On A Distant Realm Chapter 211: Encroaching On A Distant Realm Mid Evening - Late Fall : The Tree of Prayer -For his presence alone to bend light... Just what am I about to fight...- Too nervous to give him the first move, I created a heavily strengthened steel dart, with a pocket of hexane and hydrogen in the middle, behind a wall of light magic right next to me. "You have truly impressed me over the last few years, Nott. You have shown me all kinds of spells I had never heard of and used incredible martial techniques that even I, the god of strength, couldn''t fathom. But even with the unfathomable growth you''ve experienced and the commendable amount of divinity you managed to acquire, you are limited to a mortal body." Wanting to buy a bit more time, I finally spoke to him. "Couldn''t I say the same about you then?" But my uncertainty only grew as I spoke. "Even if you are the god of strength, you can only do so much in a damaged body..." -Where.. is his aura...- He paused for a moment like he didn''t believe I was serious. "Hahahaha! You are quite right! No matter how much of my own divinity I use to strengthen this body, it will still be that of a mortal human." His gaze turned hostile in an instant. "But this much is more than enough to deal with you, even in your wretched dragon f-" *CRRAACK* The sound barrier ripped apart as I launched the dart at the man''s chest. But even though he seemed to notice and react to it almost instantly, he wasn''t remotely fast enough in that body to dodge the Mach 15 hunk of steel. *CRUNCHHH* The echo of his ribcage getting pulverized filled the air, but just when I thought he was dead, I saw him digging his fingers into the side of the dart, preventing it from flying straight through his body. But his body was still that of an elf. *fwip* The instant he managed to stop the dart, his feet were swept off the ground, and he was sent flying back toward the opening in the side of the room. His face turned serious for a moment as he repositioned himself to use air resistance to press his feet back into the ground, but it was already too late. *crackle* The hexane and hydrogen mixture I left inside the dart had already ignited. *BAAANG* The whole tree shook violently from the explosion, but even though it was nothing to scoff at, after hearing him mention that he knew of my dragon form, my lingering confidence vanished. -If he knows about my dragon form, my humanoid one definitely won''t be enough...- *flash* Filling the room with a blinding purple light, I hastily changed to my dragon form without regard for the 3 other people who were watching the scene from the sidelines. "To use that spell right off the bat... Talk about some truly frightening magic..." Confidently walking out of the smoke while holding his neck, the man made his way toward me with melted skin and exposed flesh all across his upper body. He looked like a zombie or some skinless monster from a video game. -How is someone who looks like that.. still confident...- Unable to hold onto my confidence in keeping my eye on Ilios''s internals while also protecting him, I gently nudged him out of the beam of divinity and quickly stabilized his condition. -Ilios.. If you could wake up quickly.. that would be great...- Lowering my stance, I sneakily moved my reserve over the beam of divinity and started absorbing all I could, even when I knew it wouldn''t be enough to change anything. "Haha! Are you really clinging onto that pitiful beam of divinity thinking it''ll save you?" He casually lowered himself to the ground before lunging at me. *CRACK* He smashed through the sound barrier instantly. -If he has the mobility advantage, I''ll need to take advantage of his confidence...- I waited until he got close, before darting forward and throwing a casual kick at him, hoping he would dodge. *CrUnCh* His body crunched like a cracker as my teeth were driven into him. But he still didn''t give up. In the next instant, the headless body went to punch and shatter the inside of my jaw, but I interrupted it by throwing him toward the entrance he came from. *fwip-CRACK* He flew through the air as a headless, mangled body, but still seemed to be controlling it and trying to land. But I wouldn''t give him that chance. -Even if you use your divinity in that body to control him like a puppet, YOU CAN''T DO THAT IF HE DOESN''T HAVE A BODY!- In a wave of unbridled anger, I instantly created nearly a gram of antimatter in my breath gland and opened my mouth. *flash-BRRRRRRMMMM* Almost instantaneously, the several-million-degree beam of pure energy that left my mouth vaporized his body and everything behind him for dozens of kilometers. *tssss* The moist wood beneath my feet sizzled as I stood there and let out a deep breath. "Hooh..." -I guess it''s to be expected that a god would be overconfident...- *tap* *tap-tap* *tap* The sound of his remaining, charred, and ashen limbs hitting the ground brought me an incredible sense of satisfaction, but that didn''t last long. *VWOOOOM* Instead of the body and the ridiculous warp vanishing together, the warp remained untouched and unaltered. It was a cloud that took the shape of a tall and muscular man wearing some sort of armor, but before I could even start to use my space mana to clean him up, he vanished. "Tch..." -To think such a haughty mother f*cker would run away...- I looked around the room with great haste, simply trying to find the figure again so I could shred it with gates like the female specter told me a few days ago. But before I could find it, one of the other apostles came charging into my aura with the familiar heavy warp around them at a speed incomparable to before. -What the?!- My instincts screamed at me and made my thoughts go blank immediately. In a futile attempt to defend myself, I tried to turn and block him somehow, but I simply couldn''t move fast enough without a premade thruster spell. But after another moment, when I finally noticed where he was aiming his fist, time began to slow and my thoughts returned while carrying a memory I had almost forgotten. The memory was of an attack I used on accident when I woke up after fighting the lurkers. An attack that mixed an explosion with space mana to shred the fabric of space. Just being reminded of it made my already growing confidence increase even more. -You better hope and pray that this hit cripples me...- *CRRRRUNCH* Chapter 212: Shredding Reality Chapter 212: Shredding Reality Late Evening - Late Fall : The Tree of Prayer The apostle''s fist came blasting into my side at over Mach 7, a speed I simply couldn''t dodge without thruster magic prepared beforehand. But even though it was a strike with enough force to cripple almost any living being, I was showing hostility instead of worry. -You better hope and pray that this hit cripples me...- *CRRRRUNCH* The scales near his fist shattered like glass before being blasted through my skin and muscle like a shotgun. But although it hurt, when I gritted my teeth, it wasn''t from the pain. "Ack!" *VWOOOOM* The shockwave slammed into the thin walls of my reserve with a horrific amount of force, but instead of it shattering like the man wanted, it morphed around the shockwave like a water balloon. "Urck!" I felt like I needed to throw up as my reserve was stretched so much I thought it might rip apart, but the shockwave blew through the rest of my body and hurled me into the wall before I could do anything about it. *WHAM-CRACKLE* The poor tree splintered and broke apart as it desperately tried to absorb my momentum, but I was already several meters deep before it caught me. -Sh*t...- "Hah... Hah... Hah..." *Craacklee* I tried to catch my breath as I pried myself out of the splintered and destroyed wall, but my lower body felt too weak to stand. *THUD* I barely managed to keep myself from collapsing when I landed on the ground, but thankfully my shaking was quickly fading away. I could already feel some of the shredded muscles in my abdomen starting to heal, but I still needed more time. -I need to stall for a few seconds...- "To think your reserve would stay in one piece even after that..." His voice was filled with anger. "You truly are disgustingly resilient, aren''t you..." Glancing over at the voice, I saw him walking toward me with blood dripping from his fist. -Is he really going to start talking again?- A smile crept onto my face as my confidence started building and strength started returning to my lower body. "What.. hah.. is your name?" I tried exaggerating my heavy breathing to build up his confidence. "Why would I give my name to a bast*rd like you?" Arrogance was oozing out of him. "Haha..." I let out an awkward chuckle. "I just want to know whose temple I need to desecrate after I kill you." His confident smile was replaced with an unpleasant frown instantly. "If you were trying to provoke me so I''ll just finish you off quicker, it won''t work." -You think you can dictate when I die?- An easily misinterpretable, irritated look washed over my provoking smile. -You''re overestimating yourself...- "Unlike the others, I didn''t have enough followers for any to still be praising my name after 10,000 years of absence. My followers all died or started following other gods before we were released from that wretched prison..." He wore a look of deep distaste as he popped his neck. -Wait, what? Prison?- "But I guess since you fixed this rune for me and made that exact lack of followers no longer an issue, I will share my name." He paused as his expression turned back to a cocky smile. "My name is Magni, the God of Strength." He paused as he bent over. "You should pray to that name in your next life. If you are genuine, I might give you a blessing!" *CRACK* *CRACKLE* Ricocheting myself off the ground, I launched myself out of the tree like a comet, with a long tail of plasma tracing my path into the canopy of the Tree of Prayer. (Around Mach 65-70 (24km/s)) But although I couldn''t even remotely sustain that speed because of the air resistance, it was more than enough. "You are truly a freak." Magni''s voice was that of a dying man as his body had its limbs ripped off and organs turned to mush by the g-force, but his head that barely remained attached still smiled. "No matter what you do, I will just find another body and come back." Completely ignoring his useless taunt, I abruptly opened my mouth and slowed down, launching his body out of my mouth like a rocket. "No matter what you do, you won''t be able to kill me!" His smile was full of arrogance and confidence, but his eyes lost their life before I could do anything. I could only watch as the warp was slowly pulled out of the mutilated body, continuing to grow in intensity until a cloud-like figure in armor was revealed. But that was when I opened my mouth. His cloud-like figure glanced at me with a crazed smile, but that expression only came from ignorance. *FLASH* A cone of light with similar intensity to Ilios''s light magic exited my mouth, vaporizing the apostle''s body before continuing through the canopy and lighting everything it touched on fire. -Try surviving this, you cocky motherf*cker!- In the next instant, every ounce of energy contained in 20 grams of antimatter, laced with space mana, exited my mouth. (~450 Kilotons) The noise it made was indescribably deafening. *CRRRRRRAAAACCCCKKKKKLLLLLEEEE* The blinding light from the explosion vanished instantaneously as an unfathomable number of holes were ripped in the fabric of space, shredding the atoms that composed the atmosphere and sucking the energy released by them into the void. Anything and everything in the explosion''s path met its end at that instant, with the massive section of the canopy of the Tree of Prayer being no exception. *CRACKLEEE* The blast continued without losing strength for dozens of kilometers, removing even the tiniest trace of anything in its path from reality, as if it never existed in the first place. *Fwooosh-Tssss* The humid air sizzled as it rushed past me to try and fill the vacuum left behind by the blast, but it took several more seconds for the holes in the fabric of space to repair themselves. I didn''t just wait around to watch it though. *CRACK-FWOOOOSH* Using some hastily created cubane, I darted back into the tree and landed next to Ilios. *CRACKLE* The funnel of fog had become disrupted after I destroyed a section of the rune controlling it by ricocheting off the ground, but the rune was the least of my worries currently. -If he somehow survived that.. I''m sure he will go for Ilios again...- A knot of unease and anxiety was still lingering in my stomach. -I can''t let him lay a finger on Ilios...- Chapter 213: Long-Lasting Guilt Chapter 213: Long-Lasting Guilt Time Error - D?D????=???ҡ????????????DD??? : Location Error - D?D??=??ҡ?????????D?D? - Skuld (The Goddess of Oracles) ~ Sitting on the roof of one of my many old abandoned temples, I looked over the mountainous forest and endless ocean at the stunning sunrise. -Being isolated in an empty space for so long.. really makes you appreciate the simple things.. doesn''t it...- I almost wanted to cry from the beauty of it, but I was too anxious to actually enjoy it. "Haah..." Following my sigh, I glanced behind myself at the familiar noise that had yet to happen. *Vwomp* Suddenly appearing with the expected noise, I met eyes with a mature avian woman wearing a long white robe. "It''s been a while, Eir..." Her name was Eir, the Goddess of Balance, and she was someone akin to my older sister, even before we became gods. "So you were here..." Her voice carried a motherly warmth with it, but she sounded worried. "How are you adjusting?" I turned back toward the sunrise with a slightly bothered look. "Terribly..." Her worry quickly worsened. "Do you want to talk about it.. or-" "No... Please don''t remind me..." I pulled my legs up and hugged my knees, doing my best not to remind myself of the vision I had when we were first released from The Runes. "B..but if we talk about it, maybe we can find a way to avoid-" "Stop... The future I saw was our fate.. it was the result of our karma... Nothing we can do will stop it..." "Karma? Do you still feel guilty for what happened?" She slowly walked over before sitting down next to me. "Of course I do... I still regret not being able to do anything but sit and watch from the sidelines, and still despise everyone for their actions..." I glanced at her for a moment before turning away. "Including you..." Her face darkened with guilt and sadness immediately. "You know there was nothing I could do... No matter how unhappy I was with the plan, I couldn''t stop Odin alone, let alone all four of them together..." "But you could have abstained! Nothing forced you to help them!" I turned to her with anger written all over my face. "But Odin would have forced-" "No, he wouldn''t have!" I stood up and turned away in a fit of anger. "He isn''t omnipotent, Eir! If he was, he would have never even considered that f*cking plan! I don''t know what he did to brainwash you all, but he is simply a man who lost his mind to envy and jealousy." Her smile slowly grew wider. "~You just shredded his soul and scattered the pieces in a different dimension, Vasilias. The only way for anything, including gods, to survive that kind of attack is to dodge it, but he was still trying to detach his tether from that unfortunate elf''s body when it hit him.~" -His tether?- Although her reasoning did make sense, and mostly lined up with what I believed as well, I couldn''t calm my nerves so quickly. "But, even if he is dead, how do I know some other god won''t try and kill me when I let my guard down..." I squinted my eyes as I looked at her cloud-like face, vividly remembering Magni mentioning that multiple gods shared his views. "~Huhu, I like your caution, but they wouldn''t dare wander here. The gods that want your downfall are afraid of that fog above you.~" She calmly pointed above herself. -What?- It caught me a little off guard. "Why would the gods fear such a simple thing?" "~Pfft-hahaha!~" The genuineness of her laugh helped ease my nerves slightly, but that only lasted a moment. "~Simple?! Is a conglomeration of tens, if not hundreds, of billions of souls simple to you? No wonder the others envied your kind so much.~" Her smile was washed with greedy confidence. But it only made me tense up more. "Wait... The fog is made up of.. souls?" I nervously glanced up at the swirling fog as a slew of emotions and thoughts raced through my mind. But the woman continued before I could think much about it. "~Indeed it is. But more accurately, they are lost souls trying to absorb enough energy from mana to reincarnate but have been caught in an endless maze with no exit.~" "W..what do you mean..." I gave a quick glance at the two apostles again to make sure nothing had changed before finally starting to ease up my tense body. -She has only helped me so far, so.. maybe.. I can trust her a little...- As if knowing I was deep in thought, the cloud-like woman waited till I turned back to her to continue. "~Just understand that only you, Ilios, and souls strong enough to maintain a ''conscious mortal tether'' can exist and function normally in it. Even the souls of gods can get lost if they aren''t careful.~" -That''s not what I was asking about, but...- Before I knew it, my curiosity started replacing my anxiety. -How fascinating...- Hastily turning back to the woman with a gleam in my eye, a smile came to my face. "Then this rune.. what does it do?" Her smile turned warmer the longer we talked. "~Hmm, I guess you could think of it as giving the souls an escape route.~" -So, the rune isn''t for divinity but instead to help souls reincarnate? Is the beam of divinity really just a convenient byproduct of the process?- But before I could fall deeper into thought, the woman interrupted again. "~In any case, I''m running out of time with that scary fog descending again, so I will take my leave.~" -What? She should have several minutes left before it descends enough to be problematic...- But instead of questioning her, I figured she had her reasons and stayed quiet. "~Let me give you one last piece of advice before I go though...~" She appeared next to me as if she teleported before continuing in an out-of-place, warm voice. "Be wary of the Holy Kingdom, okay? After this, I''m sure they will try to make countermeasures against you... Just.. don''t die on me...~" And without even giving me time to think about her words, she gently rubbed the top of my head and disappeared without a trace. I stood there, not sure how to react for several seconds after that. -What the...- My brain was simply stuttering as it struggled to make sense of what happened, but the instant I finally reorganized myself, I noticed that something about her felt familiar. -But what is it?- But that was when several fuzzy memories from my previous dragon sleeps suddenly surfaced in my mind. -Wait a minute... She couldn''t be her, could she?- Chapter 214: Beings Lost To Time Chapter 214: Beings Lost To Time Late Evening - Late Fall : The Tree of Prayer -Wait a minute... She couldn''t be her, could she?- A series of dots suddenly connected the instant I thought about it. -Her voice is different, but her figure and way of speaking...- Although there were definitely some discrepancies, too many dots connected for me to pass it off as a coincidence. -But.. even though my gut says not to trust her, I can''t deny that she''s has helped me quite a bit...- I knew she had an ulterior motive ever since she started suddenly being nicer to me, but it was also true that, so far, her advice hadn''t been bad for me. -Maybe I should.. just take her advice with a grain of salt...- Idly looking to the side as I thought to myself, I noticed the apostle from earlier still groveling with her forehead pressed against the floor. -She''s still there, huh...- The other apostle had run away while I was talking to the suspicious goddess, but the one who paid respects to me stayed with her head lowered. -How loyal...- Finally noticing that the beam of divinity had finally putzed out and I had finished absorbing everything I could, I carefully lifted Ilios onto my back and stored my slightly damaged sword under my wing. -Now, how would a god greet one of their subjects...- As I finally walked over to the apostle, I noticed her body starting to shake, but it didn''t seem to be from nervousness. -Is she shaking from excitement?- Once I eventually got up moderately close to her, I laid down and relaxed some. "You may raise your head." Her shaking stopped the instant I spoke. "C-congratulations on being reborn, Lord Nott! I cannot express my joy with words!" Her excitement was shockingly genuine. "I''m glad to see that one of you could still recognize me." It felt a bit odd to respond to a different name, but it was nothing I couldn''t get used to. "The others didn''t seem to be so accepting of my new appearance." I glanced at the adjacent entrance where the fearful apostle was with an annoyed expression. "Y-your new appearance is just as majestic and enchanting as the one described in ancient texts, my Lord! The others who rejected it simply didn''t have eyes worthy of witnessing your beautiful and enchanting body anyways!" She lowered her head as she spoke, seemingly unable to speak while maintaining eye contact. But I was too busy enjoying the praise to care. -She really knows how to make a good impression!- "Your name was Leif Vilulf, correct?" (Meaning Descendant of the Wolf''s-Will) "T-th-that is c-correct, my lord!" She became incredibly flustered the instant I said her name. "Are you a descendant of a famous apostle or a family of apostles?" It was an odd question, but the meaning behind her name made me curious. -Did her family have a direct connection to Nott or Dagr at some point?- -Much better...- Casually glancing above us, I noticed the fog was starting to get a little close, and figured it would be smart to play it safe. "Since the fog is descending on us, I will end our discussion here." I continued talking as I stood up. "You may expect more frequent visits from me in the future, Miss Vilulf. I''m excited to see how you grow." She looked paralyzed after I finished talking, but once I went to walk past her, she snapped out of it. "R-r-right! I will take my leave now. Thank you for everything, my Lord!" Hastily standing up, she gave me a deep bow and darted out of the tree before I could say anything else. *FWOOSH* -Damn she''s quick...- Although it was nothing compared to the god-possessed apostles earlier, her speed was nothing to scoff at. -Divinity really closes the strength gap between creatures quickly, doesn''t it...- *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* The thump of my footsteps echoed through the empty room as I made my way back to the opening in the side of the tree trunk. -Now, what should I do while I wait for Ilios to wake up...- But that idle thought didn''t last long. "Huh?" Confusion washed over my face instantly when I looked out into the exposed canopy and saw two elder dragon skeletons strewn across a couple large branches. -How''d those get there? Are they even real?- Wanting a closer look, I quickly leapt into the air and flew out of the room. But that only made things worse. "W..wh..what the f*ck..." Instead of only going to get a closer look at the two dragon skeletons, the moment I entered the canopy, I noticed they were far from alone. -Just.. how many...- Lining each and every branch without exception was an appalling number of scattered bones and skeletons, and they had lain there for so long that the tree started to grow around them. -So the thing I caught myself on earlier wasn''t a brittle branch.. was it...- Looking down at the lower, larger branches, I saw the thousands upon thousands of monster, humanoid, and draconic corpses that had long since rotted away, with only brittle, stained bones and scattered armor, weapons, and artifacts being left behind as proof they ever existed. But those countless long-lost skeletons and treasures weren''t the ones that bothered me. Drooped over innumerable branches above me were countless skeletons of massive elder and ancient dragons that completely dwarfed me. The thousands of skeletons were all indiscriminately eaten away by the passage of time, no matter how large or strong they may have been when they were alive. Some of the skeletons even belonged to dragons that would have been nearly 100-meters-tall, but regardless of the endless strength and wisdom that would come from living nearly 2000 years, they were still dead and hanging over the branches of the Tree of Prayer. -But for so many old dragons to have come and died here... Why?- Chapter 215: A Being Beyond Mortality Chapter 215: A Being Beyond Mortality Late Evening - Late Fall : The Tree of Prayer - Vernados Peroti ~ (The dragon who originally came to arrest Vasilias and Amara for the murder of Cyrus Aetos in Chapter 201) *Fwooosh* *flap-fwoosh* *flap-fwoosh* I zipped through the evening sky as I made my way toward the center of Valtivar with great haste. -The ceremony should be starting soon. I hope I can catch them before they leave...- Technically, I was still on a mission that involved the destruction of the Helvig estate, but instead of the mission being to find and arrest the culprits, the investigation was reset, and the aforementioned culprits were to be questioned without punishment. It was quite a sharp change in direction, but with the information I stumbled across, such a shift was to be expected. The only problem was that the information I planned to report wasn''t what caused the change. -For the higher-ups to reset the investigation yet not know of the blatant manipulation of information... Just what is going on?- A few days prior, I had met up with a young dragon named Vasilias Whyte, who was closely associated with the culprits. But instead of arresting him like I was ordered, he pointed out an incredible discrepancy in the information I was provided, which, in turn, made their arrests impossible. Regardless, as I was flying back to Bahamut to report it, I was still quite nervous that the information he gave me could have been false and that I would be punished for not following orders, but thankfully that wasn''t the case. By the time I arrived, the investigation had already been reset, and we were ordered to reinvestigate everything from the ground up while purging our prior knowledge because of something called Suspicion of Honesty. It was basically a protocol normally used when a witness or investigator is caught or suspected of lying. At the time, I thought it all made sense, thinking someone must have just reported some other kind of information discrepancy before I could. But when I finally reported my observations directly to Miss Exypnos (his boss''s boss), she started panicking and sent her direct subordinates to oversee the investigation personally. It was a worrying reaction, to say the least. -If Miss Exypnos didn''t know about an investigator or group of investigators lying, then what caused the Suspicion of Honesty?- I quickly fell into a rabbit hole of inexplicable questions as I hopelessly tried to figure out the situation. But, in the next instant, the walls of the hole I would have struggled to escape vanished like they were never around me in the first place. "Huh?" My eyes went wide as I looked at the horizon and saw an absolutely colossal beam of light stretch into the sky like a rising sun. -W..what.. is that...- The blinding light alone made me feel like death was looming over me and made the beat of my heart start to slow down, but I only started to panic when I realized where the beam came from. -The Tree of Prayer should be just over the horizon.. don''t tell me...- I immediately sped up, using every ounce of strength in my wings to fly as fast as possible, and darted over the horizon. *crunch-crunch-crackle-crunch* Slamming my way through the smaller branches, I followed the tail through the fog, but it kept going until I had gone just short of half a kilometer into the canopy. -T..the tail alone is nearly 400 meters long... Is this really a dragon?!- Continuing down the spine that was barely being held together by a trace, yet still considerably large amount of lingering divinity, a knot of anxiety grew in my stomach. -Just how much divinity did it have when it was alive for not all of it to have dissipated already?- I found it hard to believe it could be a dragon with how massive it was, as even the biggest ancients ever recorded were only around 130 meters tall, but there was simply nothing about the skeleton that didn''t seem draconic. At least that was the case until I got to the base of the neck and saw something that made assuming it was a dragon much more outlandish. *crackle* Landing on a sizable branch that had grown through the skeleton over the countless years it laid there, I turned to the base of the skeleton''s neck with a look of confusion. "What the f*ck am I looking at?" In the area where the base of the neck should have been, the spine split apart and formed three identical, smaller vertebrae that then grew out to form three distinctly different necks. -So it''s not a dragon, but a creature with multiple heads? How would that even work?- With my curiosity quickly blotting out my other emotions, I promptly stepped off the branch and descended farther into the canopy to try and find one of the detached necks of the creature. But when I eventually stumbled across one of them, my confusion returned like a wave. "I must be hallucinating.. r..right?" Drooped across a large branch with countless smaller branches woven through it was a massive, and distinctly draconian neck and head. The size of it made me shiver, as its head alone was nearly as big as I was, but I was so intrigued that I simply ignored the fear. -A multi-headed dragon, hundreds of meters larger than even the largest and oldest of ancients...- Only a single theory made sense. -So there really is a stage beyond Ancient...- As I crept closer to the colossal, hanging skull of the dragon, I finally noticed a large, but deteriorated golden ring around one of its countless massive horns, with the only remaining legible text reading: ''Lernaean~'' -Lernaean... Was that.. its name?- I memorized the word in a heartbeat, hoping it would eventually lead me to some information about the colossal, multi-headed dragon when I returned to Bahamut. But I was still left in a pit full of questions with no answers. -Could the other ancients have come into the fog out of curiosity fueled by the tail sticking out of the canopy? Or did they come here for a different reason...- Quickly getting lost in thought, I glanced down toward the rune within the tree trunk that remained far out of sight. -I wonder...- Chapter 216: A Spectacle From the Gods Chapter 216: A Spectacle From the Gods Late Evening - Late Fall : The Tree of Prayer - Amara Chalkos ~ (Back Several Minutes) *Vwowowowoom* The noise of the dense ambient mana flowing around me filled the air, helping me fall into a trance-like focus as I absorbed the cool and refreshing mana from the tree roots beneath me. "Haah..." My mind was calm, and my heart was steady. I felt like I could fall asleep at any moment, but when I eventually opened my eyes and glanced to the side, I noticed Vasilias was nowhere to be seen. -What? Where did he..- *Thud* *Thud-thud* *Thump* The ground shook slightly before I could finish my thought. -Huh?- But when I looked up toward the tree to see what was happening, my eyes went wide. "W..woah..." The fog had been raised, revealing the beautiful, colossal network of branches within the canopy. It was a spectacle I had only heard about in legends and was even more beautiful than I could have imagined, but my attention was too preoccupied to be able to enjoy the view. -Are those.. bones?- Like a web strewn throughout the tree, I could see what looked like bones laid across branches. -That one especially looks like a.. dragon''s wing...- My face slowly paled as I continued to look around to see more and more bones that resembled those of dragons. But before I could even think of what to do next, a wave of warmth blew past me, and everything went white. *FLASH* "Ahh!" I was quick to close and cover my eyes, but it was too late. My vision was already bleached by a white canvas of light by the time I tried to focus on the dark part of my shadow. ""AAHHH!"" Yells and screams could be heard all throughout the crowd. "I APOLOGIZE FOR MY SINS!" Some even jumped to conclusions, thinking it was the gods smiting them for their sins, but my mind was simply a cesspool of anxiety, fear, and confusion. -W..what is happening...- But little did I know, that was just the start. *BBBAAA-BBBBAAAANNNGGG* The deafening shockwaves of two unfathomable explosions ripped through the air the instant before the ground started to shake violently. *RUMBLE-CRRUMMBLEE* Before we had a moment to even think, the ground started to break apart and rise into the air. The roots were coming out of the ground. *VWOWOWWOOM* A horrific wave of fresh mana shot up through everyone as the roots were promptly exposed, but the only people left conscious were the dragons. I immediately met eyes with a draconic man who used light magic to hide his wings and horns. "You are Amara Chalkos, correct? Do you have a moment to speak with me?" He spoke as if he knew me, yet I had never seen him before. -Who is this guy?- - - Vasilias ~ "Uwaah..." I let out a lethargic yawn as I laid my head down on the reincarnation rune to try and recover while waiting for Ilios to wake up. -For how deadly and eerie this fog is.. it''s quite comfortable...- Although it was indeed horrifying to see the countless other dragons, nearly a dozen times larger and a hundred times older than me, all dead throughout the canopy, knowing that it wouldn''t kill me made me feel quite safe. -If that monstrosity of a dragon died helplessly in the fog, and even the gods avoid it.. I have nothing to worry about...- Glancing back at Ilios, I quickly made sure he was still resting soundly before finally relaxing my body. "Hooh..." -I guess it''s no wonder why this was Dagr and Nott''s resting place...- As I slowly closed my eyes to try and rest though, I felt the burden of a thousand questions start weighing on my mind, immediately repelling the drowsiness I felt. -Are you serious...- Being so physically tired, I wanted nothing more than a nap, but my own bottomless curiosity didn''t allow that. -Well.. so much for my nap...- Finally allocating my attention to the mountain of questions racing through my mind, I finally started to sift through everything until I came to have a more organized train of thought. But even it was messy. -And I am once again left with more questions than answers...- The most pressing matter was currently the ''others'' that both the goddess and Magni mentioned, but I simply didn''t know enough about them to do anything about them. -If only that damn goddess gave me some details...- My only current plausible theory about them was that they and the Holy Kingdom were somehow related. But even if I didn''t want to take the goddess''s advice about avoiding them, it seemed like the smartest thing to do. -The ''others'' might be the gods the Holy Kingdom worships...But if that''s the case...- I was in a bad spot, to say the least. -I guess I need to give researching them priority...- It took several more minutes of sifting through my thoughts before I finally settled on a general course of action though. -I need to head back to Bahamut and do some research on the Holy Kingdom before anything else...- The plan also allowed me to stop by home and research whatever that multi-headed dragon was, which killed three birds with one stone. -Next time I see that goddess though, I should trap her in a gate so we can have a more.. fair discussion...- Chapter 217: A Suspicious Offer Chapter 217: A Suspicious Offer Mid Afternoon (Next Day) - Late Fall : The Forgotten Islands - Amphitrite Ourano?s ~ "So, I heard you were summoned to Bahamut." My eldest daughter, Zafei?ri, gave me a serious look as she walked up next to me. "What''s it for?" The window we stood in front of was built into the side of an underwater cliff that overlooked a massive, lush reef. It was a place I would go to when I was stressed since it let me watch the fish without scaring them away. "You know of Holcyon Aetos, right?" "Is that the judge or the judge''s kid?" "The judge himself." "Then, yeah. Why?" I paused as I turned back to the window to watch a small buckfish swim through the reef like it owned the place. "Holcyon started a case several days ago that accused me of using or giving away one of my divine-grade artifacts without reporting it to the Elder Hall." I paused as I watched the confident buckfish swim over a small opening in the rock where it was turned to mince meat by a lurking predator. -He really doesn''t realize he''s only a big fish in his part of the ocean, huh...- Interrupting my thought though, Zafei?ri gave me an unconvinced look and shifted around the barrel of Piotita she had been sucking on like a piece of candy. "An artifact hoarder like you used one of your most prized possessions? Yeah right. You couldn''t think of a better fake story?" She seemed confident that I was joking. But even though I was being serious, her confidence made me smile. "Hey, first of all, I''m a collector, not a hoarder. Second of all, I did use one. His case is very legitimate." She jolted immediately. "Huh?! Did you get possessed or something?" She immediately pressed her wing against my neck with a worried expression. "Were you blackmailed? Did you get into some life-threatening situation?" Her childish nature was slipping out, which brought back some old memories, but now wasn''t the time to reminisce. "You think someone could blackmail me? You should know better than anyone that I''m one of the strongest dragons alive." "But if that''s not the case.. w..what made you use one?" Her worry may have looked over the top to some, but it was actually well warranted. My divine-grade artifacts were akin to family heirlooms that I would rather die than use. -But not all of them are like that...- "Let''s just say I took an opportunity to improve the relationship between our family and someone much stronger than us." -It''s not like we knew how to use that thing anyway.- Zafei?ri wasn''t satisfied with my explanation though. "So you went behind the Elder Hall''s back.. to bribe someone with one of the artifacts you treasure more than your own life?" She looked at me like I was crazy. "I guess even dragons can grow senile." -To think her tongue would get so sharp after she became an ancient...- "Who said I valued it more than my life? That thing might as well have been a shiny rock to me. If they didn''t ask for it specifically, it would have just sat in our treasury forever." Her eyes went wide immediately. "WHAT?! What divine-grade artifact is worthless, especially to you?! You could buy entire nations with the money you''ve spent on some of those things!" "The ''ghost'' artifact, sweetie." -I guess I can''t be too surprised that she has forgotten about it...- "It''s the one we didn''t even know existed until we reorganized the vault all those years ago." She froze the moment I gave her a refresher. "Ah.. that thing? I guess that makes more sense..." There was a short pause before she straightened back up. "Was that thing really divine grade?" I thought you just told me that to keep me from messing with it..." "According to the only record we have of it, yes, but I''m almost positive that rank was given because there was simply nothing known about it." Simply put, it was an artifact no one had ever managed to get working and was made using technology not native to this world. -I''m sure it caused all sorts of trouble when it was first found, but now, all sorts of similar, useless ''artifacts'' have been found...- "Myles still owes me quite a lot, and he doesn''t care for the land, so if I tell him that giving it to you would clear a large portion of his debt, he''d give it up in a heartbeat." He spoke with too much confidence for it to be a lie. I stood there in silence for another moment as I thought about it before finally caving into his suspicious deal. "Alright. How long do you need me to stall?" "At least two weeks from now." I grimaced instantly. -Oh boy...- It wasn''t an impossible amount of time, but it was longer than I was hoping. "I will see what I can do." Leander''s serious expression didn''t budge at all even after I agreed. "In that case, I wish you luck. Please be careful." "Haah.. I will, don''t worry." Although I said that, I couldn''t deny that I was quite nervous about it all. -I guess I need to start thinking of a story...- - - Asimi Ragnarok ~ "Ugh..." It was the middle of the afternoon when I woke up to a feeling of discomfort in my chest. "Is something the matter, Miss Asimi? I expected you to sleep for another day." Doris''s young cheerful voice filled the room before I could even gather my thoughts. "Haah..." I let out a sigh as I glanced toward her. "I just feel like something bothersome is about to happen..." It had only been a few days since I started my break from the Hall, and although I should have had a few more, my gut was telling me that wouldn''t happen. *Thump* I felt the ground vibrate slightly just as I started thinking about what could happen. -That sounded heavy... Is it Myles?- "Doris, could you please go see who just landed?" She was quick to give a cheerful nod and disappear through a door before returning a moment later with a complicated expression. -That look...- "It was Myles, wasn''t it..." I felt like my anxiety was confirmed immediately. "Ah.. no, that''s not the case." -Huh?- "What? Then who was it?" "Uhm..." She hesitated before bowing toward the floor. "Leander Sofos has come requesting to meet with you, Miss Asimi..." In an instant, my face flushed with confusion. -L..Leander is here in person?!- Chapter 218: A Peculiar Sight Chapter 218: A Peculiar Sight Late Morning - Early Winter : The Tree of Prayer "Hwaah..." I woke up with a yawn as I lethargically glanced toward my side and saw Ilios lying on his back. -So I ended up falling asleep after all...- I was still a tad tired, but after realizing I had been out for well over a day, I didn''t bother falling back asleep. *crackle* As I stood up, I forgot to distribute my weight and accidentally splintered the wood under my paw and slightly damaged the reincarnation rune. -Whoops...- It wasn''t a big deal since it was an easy fix, but it worked as a reminder. -I should probably repair the rest of the rune while I''m at it...- After glancing at Ilios and seeing him still asleep, I stopped wasting my time and got to repairing it. It was a dizzying process to run in a slowly growing spiral, scanning each ring of the rune for damage and repairing it, but although it was tedious, I managed to finish after a couple of hours. -I hope I didn''t accidentally mess something up though...- Although most of the rune was only slightly damaged from age, there were a few areas that were simply unrecognizable. -The area I ricocheted off after biting into Magni at nearly Mach 70 was almost irreparable... I really hope I didn''t misplace any of the rune channels there...- I had a clear mental map of the whole rune at that point, but I still wasn''t exactly sure where everything went since the rune channels in each ring varied greatly. -Whatever... I just need to make sure I''m here during the next pilgrimage to make sure it all functions properly...- Finally making my way back toward the center of the rune, I walked up to where Ilios was sleeping and saw him sitting and staring at me with a wagging tail. The joy that covered his face was simply contagious. "Hehe... How did you sleep, buddy?" His tail started wagging faster and faster until it became a weapon of mass destruction as I walked up to him. But once I finally got close to him, he jumped straight up onto my back and started licking my face like we hadn''t seen each other in ages. "Haha, it''s good to see you too, Ilios." assuming resistance was futile, I let him continue licking me for several more minutes until he eventually calmed down enough for me to pull myself away. -He''s really energetic today.- "Well, since we''re both well rested, how about we go check in on Amara and the crew?" He paused before giving a determined nod and hopping off my back. "Wuf!" His confident posture warmed my soul as he walked away. -He''s just so cute...- After enjoying the moment for a few more seconds, I finally started getting to leave. Momentarily hopping into the void to create a marker for the rune, I finally came back out and changed to my humanoid form. *Flash-Thunk* *Shing* After creating a new set of clothes and sheathing my sword, I looked around to make sure I was situated before bringing Ilios to my side and walking out of the tree. -It really is no wonder this is Dagr and Nott''s nap spot...- We quickly made our way out of the trunk after that. Once the angle we walked down eventually got too steep, we simply slid until we entered freefall. "I.. guess that''s true..." -So that other woman just locked herself in her room, huh...- It felt odd knowing I traumatized someone to such an extent, but at the same time, I didn''t think it was such a bad thing. -I guess I can only hope that fear turns into loyalty...- Finally continuing down the road, I stopped at a few stalls to get a bite to eat and a drink to wash it down before picking up the pace once again. Without having to mind my pace so Bjorn and Yolanda could keep up, I actually got back to our inn quickly, with almost no difficulty. And to make things even better, as I walked up to the inn, I could sense Bjorn and Yolanda''s auras emanating from the window to our room. -Thank goodness they''re still here...- I didn''t sense Amara, but didn''t really question it much before walking inside. "Welcome back, sir!" The receptionist seemed to be in a great mood. "Did you enjoy the prayer?" Her enthusiasm only fueled my already good mood. "I did indeed. I hope you did as well." "Well, of course! Anyway, here is your key to the room." As she handed me the wooden key with a cloth tag on it, she leaned over the desk and whispered in my ear. "Be careful walking in though." -Huh?- "Why?" "Well, let''s just say.. they''ve been having.. a moment..." Her awkwardness only confused me before I eventually made my way upstairs and to the door to our room. *clunk-thunk* *click* Promptly unlocking the door and walking in, the smell of sweet alcohol and flowers assaulted my nose. My mind stuttered as countless thoughts ripped through it, but only one idea stuck. -What... There''s no way...- Pinching the bridge of my nose from disappointment, I walked over to Yolanda''s room, where the smell was strongest, and reached for the doorknob. Not hearing any noise inside, I finally pushed open the door. *click* An even more overpowering scent of alcohol punched my nose as the door opened to reveal a bed covered in empty alcohol bottles and flower petals. "Haah..." -What in the world happened while I was gone...- I could only let out a deep sigh as I looked at Bjorn, who was reading a book while Yolanda clung to his stomach, dead asleep. Yolanda honestly looked like a ragged mess, yet somehow Bjorn looked absolutely, unbelievably normal. "Oh, welcome back, Vasilias!" I wanted to facepalm after hearing him respond as if nothing was out of the norm. "Hoooh..." -He can''t be serious...- I glanced up and looked at the scene in silence for another moment before saying anything else. -I guess I''m as prepared as I can be...- "So.. do you care to explain?" Chapter 219: A Quick Goodbye Chapter 219: A Quick Goodbye Late Morning - Early Winter : Northern Market District I gave Bjorn a look of disappointment as the silence turned awkward. "So.. do you care to explain?" "Haah..." He let out a deep sigh as he glanced down at Yolanda. "Right, sorry for the mess. His expression slowly turned more worried as he talked. Yolanda.. got a bit depressed after Amara left without her." "Huh?" -Amara left? But wait, before that...- "Did Yolanda really drink all of this herself?" -It''s all wine... She hates wine...- "Yeah... Drinking it all was her attempt at drowning her sorrows with alcohol. She repeatedly sent me out to get more of whatever I could find for a few hours straight earlier. The flowers were my own attempt at cheering her up, but..." He looked down at the sliced-apart petals on the bed with a guilty expression. "They.. weren''t received too well..." "Haah, yeah... She has a bad reputation with red flowers specifically..." I gave her a worried look as silence filled the room. Seeing her tightly gripping onto Bjorn was a genuinely pitiful sight, but even though it was childish, I couldn''t bring myself to say or do anything. -Amara is the closest thing she''s ever had to a mother... For her to suddenly vanish.. it probably reminded her of her father...- "All we can do is hope she feels better when she wakes up." -I really hope she isnt dwelling on it...- There was a short moment of silence before I continued. "So.. about Amara... You said she left?" "Y..yeah. According to Yolanda, she left without telling us anything, not long after the prayer itself ended. I thought she would have at least told Yolanda something, but apparently not..." -Oh...- "Yeah, that''s.. really unusual for her..." It was the first time I had even heard of Amara leaving Yolanda without saying anything. -Amara knows about her past as well... Why would she leave her like this? There''s no way she was kidnapped or something, right?- Although the chances were slim to none, they were still greater than zero. "Did you happen to see her leave?" "No, I was still passed out when she left." "What? Why did you pass out?" "According to Yolanda, it was the flash and shockwave from a spell Dagr used to cleanse a sinful apostle, but all I remember is seeing a bright flash, then feeling something hit me. A forced smile slowly crept onto his face as he spoke. I really wish I was awake to properly see it." I stiffened up immediately. "Y..yeah, it was quite a beautiful display of strength..." Bjorn slowly nodded before looking back at me. "Anyway.. what''s your plan? Are you going to leave as well?" Slowly easing up, I gently leaned against the side of the doorframe. "That''s the plan... There are some things I need to check on at home, so I was planning on leaving this afternoon or tonight." "Ah. How long will you be gone?" I felt awkward thinking about what to say before simply being honest. "I''m.. not too sure, but it might be a while. I do plan to stop by when I come through town, but I cant say it will be that often..." I was a bit nervous he would get disheartened after catching my drift, but it seemed to be a needless worry. "Oh? You still have things to do in Siratha?" "Don''t worry about it. It''s something I planned to do regardless." "T..thank you... Truly..." The next few hours flew by before any of us even realized it. Although our conversation started stagnantly, as time passed, Bjorn and I worked to warm up the atmosphere, and eventually, Yolanda joined in. We managed to chat and reminisce about the past like everything was normal. Eventually, the afternoon rolled around, and instead of continuing to coop ourselves inside the chilly room, we went out and strolled the market, getting Yolanda some of her favorite candy, getting Bjorn some nice warm clothes, and even grabbing lunch at a cozy tavern. By the time evening rolled around, everyone''s mood had improved substantially, and Yolanda was once again able to put aside some of her worries and anxiety. But eventually, as sunset neared, the time of my departure arrived. "You won''t forget to come and visit, right?" Yolanda''s cheerful smile could finally be seen again, glistening in the warm light from a lantern hanging from the inn. It was a truly refreshing sight. "Haha, of course not. Will you still be living in Morva Asari for the time being?" "Yeah, I plan to stay there until Amara returns." "Alright, in that case, I''ll tell the people I send out to give you updates if they find anything." Seeing her nod in understanding, I happily continued. Let me give you one last present before I leave. "Hm?" She gave me a confused glance as I grabbed her hand and closed it to form a fist. Huh? *clink* Her expression turned panicked as she felt cold metal press against her palm. "Think of this as me asking you to forgive my untimely departure." *pat* *rub-rub* "Be safe without me, alright?" When I let go of her hand and gently rubbed her head, she looked in her palm to see several freshly minted platinum coins. "W..what?! This much is-" But by the time she looked up, I was gone. She immediately pouted. "He could have at least let me say thanks or goodbye..." "You know how he is sometimes." Bjorn idly looked down the road with a warm expression. We should go to the Tree tomorrow and pray for both him and Amara. Maybe our lords will be able to watch over them... Yolanda''s mixed expression quickly lightened back up as she let out a lighthearted chuckle. "Haha, alright. Lets do that." "Huh? Is something funny?" Her pure smile turned smug the more confused Bjorn became. "Hm? I don''t know what you''re talking about~." Chapter 220: An Determined Subordinate Chapter 220: An Determined Subordinate Late Evening - Early Winter : Central Valtivar -Where is this place... Shouldn''t something so huge be easy to find?- It had been a little over an hour since I left Bjorn and Yolanda, and I was about to head home, but there was one place I needed to stop by before I did that. -Ah, there it is.- Finally finding the massive white-stone estate wrapped around the trunk of the neighboring treant, I cloaked myself and made my way toward it. -I wonder who built it. Its architecture looks draconic...- It was Leif Vilulf''s estate, and although I expected her to live lavishly since she was the strongest and most influential among the apostles, I was pretty shocked when I saw it. -This place is comparable to some of the estates I saw in Bahamut...- Crossing over to the treant with the estate, I quickly made my way up to a gate with a few guards holding back several people attempting to get in. They looked like paparazzi wanting to meet a celebrity. -I guess people are the same no matter what world you''re in...- *tap* Nonchalantly hopping over the people and the gate, I made my way across the estate and to the central building but quickly ran into a problem. -Where do I even look for her?- Although I could just run around and try and find her aura, I was feeling too lazy to do that. -Let''s do this the easy way...- "Ilios, just stay invisible for now." *vwowom* Quickly changing my clothes to something less baggy and covering, I made sure my face would be easily visible and found an isolated hallway to go inside. *Click* The estate''s interior was fairly standard, with warm air and light filling the hallways and all sorts of art pieces lining the walls. Most of the paintings were portraits of people or families, but quite a number of them didn''t seem too wealthy. -Are these not portraits of famous people?- But as I idly thought to myself, someone turned into the hallway just ahead of me. She was a young elf who could pass for a teenage human carrying a bundle of clothes. -She looks like a newbie.. how perfect.- Immediately uncloaking myself, I called out to her. "Young miss." I spoke formally in a casual tone. But she still jolted the moment she heard me. "S..sir? Guests are not supposed to be in this area..." She was clearly suspicious of me. "Ah, my apologies. I just happened to be wandering around and got lost. Could you give me some directions to Miss Vilulf''s office? I happen to have a meeting with her soon." She paused for an instant as her suspicions started to fade. "I..if it is soon, would you like me to lead you there, Noble Sir?" "I am alright on my own if you wish to just give directions." Moving a bit more of my aura onto her, I quickly dispelled any of her lingering suspicions. "How could I possibly let a guest walk alone? Please give me one moment, Sir. I will return quickly." "Alright, please take your time." Without wasting any more time, the maid ran into another room along the hallway before coming out with empty hands and a jade-colored medallion hanging from her waist. -Is that for security or identification?- Speedily walking up to me, she bowed deeply and spoke formally as if she was a different person. "Sir, would you allow me to escort you?" -This is going smoother than anticipated...- "Please lead the way, young miss." "As you wish." Promptly standing up straight, she turned around and started walking down the hall with me in tow. The hallways we walked through felt like an endless maze, but after finding a small spiral staircase and going up nearly eight floors, we finally came into a much larger and more lavishly decorated hallway. -This must be one of the main halls...- With tall ceilings covered in carvings and walls lined with all kinds of religious artwork and sculptures, I could immediately tell we were finally in one of the main areas. -To think the place I decided to enter would be the maids'' lodging... The farthest thing from this place...- I wanted to facepalm but needed to play it cool. -This place is so huge though, it would have taken longer to find it on my own...- Shortly after entering the main hallway, we approached a large double door with two knights standing by it and stopped walking. "Please think of it as my apology for the chaos I seem to have caused." Walking over to the couch, I finally sat down and let Ilios lay beside me while staying cloaked. "My Lord, the noise outside is simply because of my subordinates'' lack of prepar-" "Miss Vilulf, you are too nervous. Please take a deep breath." She gave me an odd look before finally complying. "Hoooh..." Using my aura to help calm her down, I eventually managed to get her to sit on the couch opposite me, but she still looked quite nervous. -She''s really trying her best to please me, but...- She moved and talked like she was walking through a minefield. "Haah... Alright..." -I guess I have to ease her into it...- "How have the past few days gone?" But she only clammed up when I asked. -Oh boy...- The following discussion was honestly excruciating. Miss Vilulf was too nervous that I would be disappointed in how she handled things to speak confidently, which made the discussion more one-sided than I had hoped. -But she''s slowly warming up to me...- At the very least, the discussion was informative. In short, the chaos in the hallway was from the sudden transfer of power between the remaining apostles. Now that half of the leading apostles were dead, Vilulf was required to take ownership of their work until new ones were appointed, but among the current apostle candidates, none were qualified. It was a challenging situation, to say the least, but according to Vilulf, her subordinates were handling things better than anticipated. -I can''t believe they didn''t split up the workload like this before... Just how much work did the apostles have to deal with?- I felt bored just thinking about it, to the point that, after a while, I gave advice until I felt satisfied with how things would be done in the future. "But I think that is all I can help you with, currently." Although far from an expert in political matters, their management was so disorganized that I was confident my advice would help. -The only reason they''ve grown so big is because they let cities be mostly sovereign...- "T-th-thank you, my Lord! We will be sure to follow your guidance immediately!" Her excitement reminded me of when we first talked. "You''re welcome, Leif. Just don''t change too many things too quickly." After seeing her discomfort with calling her Miss Vilulf, I started calling her by her first name. "R-r-right!" She looked a bit embarrassed but still held her head high. -At least she''s getting better...- "Alright, well, it''s about time I get going. I apologize for leaving so soon, but I''ll stop by every now and then to check on how you are doing." "Please do not apologize, my Lord!" I let out a chuckle as I stood up. "Haha, alright. In any case, keep your eye out for someone named Amara Chalkos while I''m gone. Please assist her if you find her in trouble, but don''t interfere too much if you don''t need to." "As you wish!" "Haah..." -Alright, I think that''s everything.- Finally making my way toward the door, I glanced back at Leif with a smile. "I look forward to seeing the results of your efforts." Her eyes lit up as she threw herself into a bow immediately. "I will not disappoint you!" I couldn''t help but be happy seeing her determination. -Maybe having a subordinate won''t be as bad as I expected...- Chapter 221: The Mysteries of the Moon Chapter 221: The Mysteries of the Moon Mid Morning - Early Winter : Outside of Northern Valtivar *thump-Thud* -This spot should be isolated enough...- *FWOOSH-CRACKLE* With a strong flap of my wings, I hurled Ilios and I through the canopy above us. *CrAcKLe* *fwoosh* Quickly piercing through the ceiling of leaves and branches, I was met with a sudden wave of warmth from the morning sun and couldn''t help but close my eyes and let out a deep, relaxed breath. "Haaah.." But as I continued to climb in altitude, I started rethinking my initial plans. -Today.. maybe I should take my time...- Although I originally planned to take a trip through the void to get to Bahamut instantly, after feeling how nice it was to fly without being in any sort of rush, I decided to take my time and enjoy the flight. -It''s not like Bahamut is that far, anyway...- Leaning back and rolling over, I faced the horizon opposite the sun and finally started using my routine high-speed-travel spells. *tsss-fwoOoOOOSH* -If only it was still nighttime...- But then, as if I started turning back the hands of time, the sun started to set below the horizon behind me. Before I knew it, I could see stars, galaxies, and distant nebulas distorted by the atmosphere near the horizon, but no matter how beautiful the view there was, I couldn''t pull my eyes off the moon. -W..woah...- The moon, covered in its usual mountains, valleys, craters, and beautiful colors from the countless minerals composing its surface, was something I had come to memorize over the years. Yet, still, at that moment, I felt like I was seeing it for the first time. -Did divinity.. really enhance my vision this much?- The details I could see on the moon''s surface were simply incomparable to anything I''d seen before. But although it made the view of the moon all the more enchanting, when I finally turned my attention to the all-too-circular crater with the web of odd, shiny cracks spreading from its center, my mind went blank. -W..what the...- Although it was still challenging to distinguish exactly what it was, my theory that the cracks were natural and the reflection was from a liquid that filled them was immediately disproven. -That kind of reflection can''t come from something in a crack...- Although it could have been the atmosphere slightly distorting things, the ground around the dozens of cracks was abnormally well-lit, as if illuminated by the reflections right next to them. -But if that''s really the case.. then the only plausible idea is that they''re actually structures of some kind...- Previously, I would have found that idea absolutely insane, but after stumbling across the Acardi Laboratory at the bottom of the ocean a few years ago, that outlandish theory became a very real possibility. But I still had my suspicions. -Would the Acardi really have reason to build such a megastructure?- Turning off my thruster magic while idly contemplating whether or not to let him catch me, I watched the man''s serious expression turn aggressive. -Does the mythril band around his ankle mean he''s a prison guard?- Although it could have been a simple piece of jewelry, seeing that the other dragons scattered around the mountainside of the prison wore the same thing, I assumed that''s what it meant. -And considering he''s not trying to sneak up on me, he must just be trying to figure out who I am.- It made sense since I was going to fly straight over them, but at the same time, I was a bit too high up for him to get up to me, and slowing down to meet with him felt troublesome. -It''s not like he can recognize me from this distance anyway, right?- Turning slightly and using light magic to make myself even more impossible to spot, I casually glided over him without so much as a sound. "Haah..." Glancing back at him after a couple minutes, I saw him still frantically looking around and trying to find me before finally shooting off a blindingly bright fireball. -What the...- Immediately responding like it was a signal flare, the dozen other dragons scattered around the mountain started frantically moving about, with half of them taking to the skies and starting to look around as well. -Are they.. trying to find me?- At first, I thought it was simply them being cautious and raising their guards, but even after the prison fell below the horizon behind me, I still had to actively dodge the eyes of even different, armor-wearing dragons that took to the skies in front of me. -What the hell is happening?- I tried not to think much of it at first, but after being forced to glide in silence for several hundred kilometers, I got sick of avoiding their eyes and jumped through a gate. *Vwoom* "Haah..." I let out an annoyed breath as I hastily moved a mass of mana to keep the void away from Ilios, but I quickly got sidetracked when I noticed him moving around like normal. "Huh?" Usually, creatures would look like they were ''frozen in time'' when in the void, and while I knew Ilios was different since he could always move some, he was never able to move this freely. -I wonder if the divinity he absorbed is what made the change...- Glancing back at him again after a bit of idle thought, I watched as he actively dispersed the mana I used to protect him from the void. The moment he did, his fur started flowing as if it were underwater, and ever-so-slowly, a smile of satisfaction came to his face. Before I knew it, the lingering anxiety about the troubles I accidentally caused outside started to fade away, all in favor of seeing Ilios''s adorable smile. "Haah..." -I guess.. I''ll just ask Grandmother what it was all about when I get there...- Finally tossing away my last bit of worry, I looked around and quickly found the void marker I left in her estate. -Let''s finally finish this flight, shall we?- Chapter 222: An Accumulating Mountain of Questions Chapter 222: An Accumulating Mountain of Questions Late Evening - Early Winter : Northern Bahamut (In the Void) "Haah..." I let out a sigh as I looked around the surprisingly colorful void and found a small black diamond floating in the middle of a net of tubes. -That should be the marker at Grandmother''s estate...- Although I wanted to go straight to Mother and Father, I didn''t have a marker at their new estate yet and wanted to give priority to having a certain talk with Grandmother. -Even excluding everything about whatever is going on around the prison, she has some questions to answer...- With my expression slowly turning serious, I moved just above the marker and promptly jumped into a gate. *Vwoom* *Fwooosh* The chilly air in the jetstream blasted across my body the moment I popped out of the gate, but it honestly felt quite nice. *inhale* "Haaah..." The night sky was as stunning as always, but for once, I resisted my urge to stargaze. *fwoosh-fwoosh* With a few flaps of my wings, I reoriented myself and slowly glided down through the thin clouds. -Alright, let''s go say hello, shall we?- But when I finally got under the thin clouds, the colossal estate came into view, and I noticed that several of the armored dragons around the estate weren''t the ones normally on patrol, with the dragon by the main gate being the most unexpected. -Is that.. Rhodes? Did something happen to Grandmother?- Hastily gliding down, I made myself obviously visible and slowly approached. At first, Rhodes looked quite hostile, but his expression quickly eased. "V..Vasilias?" Thankfully he recognized me pretty quickly. "It''s only been 3 years. Am I that hard to recognize?" *fwoosh* *fwoosh-thump* "You grew over a meter every year! Even if you''re only 15, you''re already over 33 meters tall! Isn''t that kind of growth a bit too crazy?" He seemed quite happy to see me.Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com It only took a moment for some of his joy to spread to me. "Haha, fair enough, fair enough. In any case, I came back to check on everyone but I didn''t see any of the normal guards around while I was up in the air. Did something happen to Orion and his crew?" Rhodes''s playful expression quickly dulled. "N..no, the other guards are currently laid off for the time being, and Orion... Well, he''s just been with your grandmother at the Elder Hall recently." -Recently?- "How long has she been there?" "Just a few days, but it''s odd, isn''t it?" A smile crept onto his face as he spoke, seemingly relating to my confusion. "Although I''m not sure what exactly happened, a few days ago, Leander visited and had a meeting with her. Not long after that, I was ordered to lock down the estate and not let anyone in or out. I thought it sounded a little too sudden, but I still don''t know enough to question anything." -To lock down the estate... It must be something serious...- "But, Leander? As in the Foreign Intelligence leader Leander?" -If it''s him...- "Yes, him. He''s been pretty quiet and secretive in recent years, but oddly enough, he started moving recently. Sorry I don''t know more details..." "No, just that is plenty..." -If Leander came to Grandmother for something, then it''s probably a foreign problem.. but why would she lock up the estate for something foreign?- Things weren''t really adding up, but I had no choice but to trek forward. -I wonder if it''s connected to the insane security around the prison... I guess I can only go find out myself...- "Do you know if they''re at the actual hall, or are they somewhere else?" "I''m not sure, but you could ask one of the assistants at the Hall itself. If she isn''t there, they can tell you where she went. At the very least, I''m sure she''s in that general area." "Hmm, alright. In that case, I should get going. Sorry I couldn''t stick around and catch up some more." It looked similar to many of the noble estates I had seen thus far, but it seemed less gaudy and more aestetic than most. -Maybe she''s there...- The moment I landed in the estate''s courtyard though, a small sky-blue dragon came running up to me. -Is he coming to me?- He couldn''t have been older than 14 But even though I was towering over him, his hostility was unmatched. "Hey, you!" -Oh boy...- His arrogance was oozing out of him. "What is it, kid?" "You think I wouldn''t recognize you?!" "Hm?" My calm and collected expression quickly turned confused. "Have we met?" "Yeah! You''re that bast*rd that dropped that mountain of ice on me and my friends!" Quickly sifting through my memories, I eventually stumbled across what the kid seemed to be referencing. (Chapter 130) -Oh, that?- "Kid, you shot your magic at me while I was idly flying overhead. You can''t be mad about receiving punishment for that." I was slowly getting annoyed since I didn''t want to deal with him. "I d-d-don''t know what you are talking about! I, a noble Aetos, would never do such an unlawful thing!" He held his head high as if winning the fight he was picking wasn''t an issue. "How dare you accuse me of doing such a thing." "Haah..." -Aetos, huh... That must be some noble family...- "Kid, listen. I don''t have time for you, so get to the point." His expression darkened further, still drowned in naive confidence. "You must submit to me, or else my grandfather will make you!" -This kid can''t be serious.- "I don''t know what kind of people the Aetos Family are, but you''re barking up the wrong tree, kid. Since you don''t seem to understand that though, I''ll turn a blind eye. Have a good day." Quickly turning away, I started walking back toward the estate only to see two beautiful copper-colored dragons walking out of its main entrance with nervous expressions. The dragons looked like they were mother and daughter, with the bigger one being considerably bigger than me and the other just a bit smaller than Mother. But regardless, I recognized one of them almost immediately. -So this is where Amara went.- Her sudden departure from Siratha already started to make sense. -But what was she summoned for?- Thinking it couldn''t hurt to go and ask, I started walking over to her. But the kid I was ignoring wouldn''t let me leave so peacefully. "You cocky bast*rd!" His voice echoed through the courtyard, grabbing the attention of everyone around before he charged at me. -This kid can''t be serious...- But serious, he was. *CrUnCh* The noise of teeth breaking apart echoed through the silence that filled the courtyard, making everyone freeze in place and stare at the stupid child biting the tail of a dragon nearly 3 times its size. -I guess I was the naive one for thinking he would leave me alone, huh...- Chapter 223: A Familiar Face Chapter 223: A Familiar Face Early Morning - Early Winter : Elder Hall, Northern Bahamut *CrUnCh* The noise of teeth shattering echoed through the courtyard as I slowly turned around to see the kid, a third my size, biting on my tail with bloody chunks of his teeth falling to the ground. -You.. can''t be serious...- The silence that followed the terrible crunch was genuinely excruciating. But it didn''t last long. "AHHHH!" The kid let out a terrible yell as he fell to the ground and noticed the bloody chunks of his teeth falling out of his mouth. A part of me wanted to laugh seeing his unfathomable arrogance backfire, but I sadly didn''t get the chance to. "What is going on here?!" A large, nearly 60-meter-tall dragon covered in armor came running up with a concerned look that quickly shifted to anger. "Sir, it is a grave crime to fight here." His reaction made my urge to laugh vanish in an instant. "I wasn''t the one to start it, sir." -This.. feels like it will get troublesome...- "The kid was mad at me for something that happened a few years ago, and when I ignored his threats about forcing me to become his servant, he got mad and bit my tail." I gave the knightly dragon an unamused look, expecting him to continue to defend the kid. But surprisingly, confusion slipped into his expression instead. "I..is that so?" Turning back to the kid, he leaned down and looked him in the eye like a parent would. "Sir Aetos, is that true?" But instead of simply agreeing and letting things end simply, the kid looked back up at me with fiery eyes. "HE MADE FUN OF FATHER''S DEATH!" He screamed through his tears as his expression only turned more distraught. -You have to be f*cking kidding me...- The serious look I was trying to maintain quickly shifted to one of annoyance. But someone else spoke up before I could. "No, he didn''t." Her voice was smooth and elegant but carried deep displeasure. -Who?- Looking toward the voice, I noticed the dragon who was with Amara walking toward us. "Young Aetos, do you understand what troubles you could have given this man with such a lie?" The intimidating woman gave me a judgmental glance as she walked by, but eventually turned back to the kid. "You seem to not understand the weight of your words." Her ruthless tone made his already visible worry and fear worsen, finally dissipating his lingering anger. "U..uh..." Hastily looking around as if to find someone to help him, he finally noticed the disappointed and annoyed looks on everyone''s faces. "I... I-" "Quit looking for someone to save you. Even if your grandfather was here, he would have to show me respect." Although her words sounded arrogant, her tone made me believe it. "Now, apologize." The kid''s fearful eyes slowly drifted over to me before he anxiously lowered his gaze. Her imposing posture quickly relaxed once I greeted her. "Haha, my name is Vouno?, Vouno? Chalkos. I thought my daughter was crazy for forcing me to come help you out, but it seems like she has a good eye." Her smile was a bit greedy, but I surprisingly didn''t mind it. -She speaks much more elegantly than Amara.. I''m surprised they''re even related...- Looking over toward Amara again, I saw her walking toward us. She wore a refreshingly familiar smile. "I didn''t recognize you at first, I''m glad I saw Ilios." -Ah...- I wanted to laugh realizing I nearly forgot Ilios was still sleeping on my back. -Maybe that explains some of the odd looks.- "So you two do know each other?" Vouno? gave Amara a curious glance. "We''re good friends, Mom. We met in Siratha a few years ago." "Oh, I see." Turning back to me, her smile turned sly. "What do you think of my daughter, Vasilias?" -What''s with that look?- "She''s an irreplaceable friend." Seeing her sly grin widen, I quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, I didn''t expect to see you here, Amara." "Yeah, it''s kind of a long story. I wanted to leave a proper message for you and Yolanda, but.. was in a bit of a rush..." "Don''t worry about it. Yolanda calmed down after a bit, and I figured you had your reasons." "Y..yeah... In any case, what are you doing here?" "Ah, I''m just here to meet with my gr- I mean, with Asimi Ragnarok." Both Vouno? and Asimi raised their eyebrows as they caught my slip-up, but neither of them mentioned anything. "So were you not summoned here for the ''case''?" -Hm?- "Case? What case?" They both glanced at each other before awkwardly standing up. "Asimi is busy inside currently, so why don''t we.. go somewhere more private to talk?" Slowly standing up with them, I carefully watched their expressions become complicated. -Is it something that serious?- Chapter 224: Reunion Chapter 224: Reunion Late Morning - Early Winter : Elder Hall Housing District, Northern Bahamut "So.. what''s going on?" Walking into a sizable but isolated room in one of the many compounds, I closed the door, and found a place to sit. "Haah, alright, I guess I''ll start from the beginning." Amara let out a stressed sigh as she sat down across from me. "A couple of months ago, Holcyon Aetos, a very well-known judge in the upper courts, brought a case to the elder hall. I don''t know the details of it, but when he was about to present his part of the story, a messenger barged in and announced that his son was killed." "What does this have to do with you?" "Well, it turns out he was one of the dragons Ilios and I killed when we destroyed the Helvig estate." -Ah...- My mind immediately flashed back to my discussion with the interrogator in Siratha. (Chapter 201) -Is that why they were so interested in the estate being destroyed?- "So is the interrogation about accusing you of killing him?" Seeing my expression turn sour, she quickly stopped me. "N-no!" Vouno? just gave me an odd look though. "I''m not sure if you know or not, Vasilias, but killing another dragon is only restricted in Bahamut and The Forgotten Islands. In most humanoid nations, you won''t receive any formal punishment for killing another dragon, no matter their standing or your motive. With some exceptions, of course." An image of the interrogator I met in Siratha popped into my head immediately. -But, I guess he was trying to act like a Sirathan official at first, so maybe him threatening me with execution was just an act...- I was still a bit annoyed, but I eventually continued. "So if it isn''t that, what''s the investigation about?" "We aren''t exactly sure since nothing official has been released, but based on the recent events, we can take a decent guess." -Hm?- "What recent events?" Amara interjected immediately. "Did you not have to go through the insane security at the space rune between here and Siratha?" "Huh? I didn''t take the space ru-" But just as I was about to say no, I remembered something. -The excessive security around the prison... Was that not for the prison?- It made way more sense that the seemingly excessive reaction was for something like border security instead, but at the same time, if that was the case, it would be incredibly troublesome for me if I was caught. -I guess I can only hope they didn''t get a good look at me...- "Vasilias?" Amara gave me a worried look, which hastily pulled me from my thoughts. "Ah, right. Sorry. I got a bit lost in thought." I was a bit flustered but tried to quickly calm back down. "I didn''t actually take the space rune, but I did run into the excessive security. What about it?" Amara and her mother awkwardly glanced at each other before eventually continuing. "Well, the security seems to be gathering the identities of everyone coming from Siratha, whether flying normally or taking a space rune, with anyone in any relation to nearly a dozen or so noble families being brought here to be interrogated." -Huh... It honestly sounds like they''re still trying to find the betrayer in that other investigation, is that all it is?- Although I still had my doubts, it''s what I felt was most plausible. "Is there any correlation between the families brought here?" I idly thought about it as we continued to walk until, eventually, we came up to a door that read: ''Interrogation Room'' -So she''s the one doing the interrogations?- *knock-knock* "You may enter." *Click* Promptly opening the door, I walked into a surprisingly large but mostly empty room with a single desk, too large for a human, but far too small for a dragon, completely loaded with papers. -Good lord, that''s a lot of paperwork...- But just behind it was Grandmother, sitting there and looking at a few dozen papers she held in the air with her aura. She looked nervous and stressed, to the point that she didn''t even notice when I filled the room with my aura. "It''s been a while, Grandmother!" Quickly making sure the door was closed so no sound could escape, I walked toward the desk. "Hm?" Almost immediately after hearing my voice though, the stress on her face seemed to wash away. "It really was you!" Although I was still a bit worried about her previous expression, I quickly set my worries aside for a moment to walk up and give her a gentle hug. "It''s good to see you again, Grandmother." "Haah..." She let out a sigh of relief as she gently rubbed her cheek against mine. "It''s good to see that you''re safe and healthy..." We stayed in that position for quite a while before she eventually released me and sat back down. "So, how was your trip to Siratha? I heard a report saying you got into some trouble with the young Chalkos." I couldn''t help but smile when I heard her joyful, motherly tone. "It was an experience for sure. I definitely have quite a few stories to tell." "Oh? Now you have me excited to wrap up my work!" The genuineness of her excitement made my heart melt, but I had to restrain myself. "Before that..." Mustering up the courage to try and put on a serious face, I tried to look her in the eyes. "Grandmother, I have something to ask first." "Hm?" She tilted her head slightly after seeing my expression. "What is it?" "Hooh..." I let out one final breath before finally letting it loose. "Was it really necessary to make me learn that I''M PART GOD, WITHOUT ANY WARNING?!" An awkward, but sly smile immediately came to her face. -SHE ACTUALLY KNEW?!- Chapter 225: The Oracle Chapter 225: The Oracle Early Afternoon - Early Winter : Elder Hall, Northern Bahamut "Was it really necessary to make me learn that I''M PART GOD, WITHOUT ANY WARNING?!" An awkward, but sly smile immediately came to her face. -SHE ACTUALLY KNEW?!- I could only stare at her in disbelief before she finally responded. "Vasilias." Her voice was warm, but she sounded like she was holding back a laugh. "Please have a seat, so I can explain." I sat down immediately, eagerly waiting for an explanation. But she didn''t say what I was expecting. "Have you ever wondered where my parents are?" -W..what?- I was immediately taken aback by the seemingly random question but tried to follow along. "Well.. I can''t say it never crossed my mind, but when I asked Mother, she said she didn''t know." -Not that I really believed her...- "That is to be expected, sweetie, don''t be mad at her. I have yet to tell her about what I am about to tell you." Her smile was oddly motherly. -But her words are really ominous...- "So.. what happened to them?" -Did they die?- "Unfortunately, they passed away during their ''last sleep''." I jolted slightly upon hearing her mention her parents'' deaths so lightly. "They were both nearly 2,200 years old and lived fulfilling lives, helping advance magic and preserving our deep history." -2,200... That would mean they were at least 2,000 years old when they had a child...- It was an idea that didn''t make sense to me. "Why did they.. uh..." "Wait so long to have a child?" I reluctantly nodded after seeing her smile like she was eager to tell me. She didn''t hesitate to continue. "Well, that''s because of a tradition that ran in our family." She glanced over at a painting of a huge dragon flying in the clouds. "Starting all the way back during the Great War, the head of the Ragnarok family was banned from having children until they turned 2,000 years old, and even when those fateful 3 eggs were laid, only 1 pure white dragon would come out." She motioned to the painting above the door as the smile started fading from her face. "The white dragon was to be the successor of the family and was raised strictly, while the others were to be exiled or abandoned. It was a tradition that made me dread the day I was going to have children. I wanted to cherish them, to raise them with love and freedom, but I knew that was impossible." I felt a bit awkward seeing her talk about something so dark, but that was when her smile suddenly came back. "Do you know why I broke that tradition and never told Zachari about it?" "I will have to do it eventually, but I want Krystallo to leave the nest first." -Huh?- "Why?" "Zachari is already extremely protective over you two, and I feel like telling her about everything would only make it worse... If you think she wouldn''t cause you too many problems, I can talk to her about it once this whole event settles, but if not..." -Oh right.. I nearly forgot about that...- "I think it''s best if we give her some time..." I glanced away for a moment before turning back to her. "Besides that, what all is happening here?" "Ah, right. I haven''t explained that yet." Trying to recollect herself, she took a deep breath and continued in a more serious tone. "Hooh... How much do you already know about it? About the investigation." "I can''t say a lot, but I know it''s related to Holcyon Aetos and his son''s death in Siratha." "So you at least know who Holcyon Aetos is, correct?" She continued after I nodded. "In that case, I will start off by saying that currently, his family, and several others who were related to those found in the Helvig estate in Siratha, are being investigated for several things, with one of them being ''Foreign Leaking''." -Foreign leaking?- "What is that?" "To put it simply, it is when a dragon leaks information about Bahamut or dragon society in general, to humanoids. Recently there have been some fairly minor slip-ups in Siratha, but we haven''t questioned it much since they were minor details like dragons still existing and some bans to preserve their life." -Is she talking about the ''they can only kill non-intelligent dragons'' thing Liv mentioned?- [1] She quickly pulled a sheet of paper off her desk with her aura and showed it to me. "Recently, however, some information in regards to our advanced magics was put directly into the curriculum of the larger schools in Siratha." Immediately understanding how serious the situation was, I skimmed through the rest of the paper she was showing me. -So the border security isn''t to catch the betrayer, but instead to try and find people related to this... Could the betrayer and this incident be connected?- "As you are probably aware, this is a grave sin that violates the agreement between Bahamut and the human gods during the Great War." There was a moment of silence while I finished skimming the paper. "But why? What would they have to gain from spreading that information?" Haah..." Her sigh sounded troubled. "That''s what we are trying to figure out. Not only would spreading that information not be helpful to them, but they also wouldn''t need to meet up or make any elaborate plan that would require them to meet up to leak it." -That''s a fair point...- "So you think there''s more than meets the eye..." "Most definitely." Seeing her determination, a sly smile crept onto my face. "You know.. I might be able to help you come with that." Last One of the Year Last One of the Year Hey guys, sorry for the untimely notice again, but today''s chapter will be moved to Thursday. Happy Holidays! Chapter 226: Abandoned History Chapter 226: Abandoned History Early Evening - Early Winter : Western Sirathan Space Rune *Vwoop* *Splash-crash* We were met with the nostalgic sounds of waves crashing on the beach as we finally popped out of the space rune in the mountains of Siratha. It had only been a few hours since I initially spoke with Grandmother, but things had quickly escalated to get us here. "So, basically, what you''re telling me is that Leif thinks you are Nott''s reincarnation and is now your subordinate?" She continued our conversation normally, as if the half-hour of silence I experienced in the void never happened. But my mind was elsewhere. -I probably shouldn''t mention that I killed two of the other apostles...- "Y-yeah, that sounds about right." -But is she really on a first-name-basis with Leif?- I idly thought to myself as I glanced around to check the sky''s condition before eventually turning back to Grandmother. "Anyway, go ahead and change to your humanoid form, it''ll be quicker if I fly." She paused to look at me for a moment before finally complying. "I remember your father saying you were quite fast. Do you think you''re faster than me?" "Absolutely." She was slightly taken aback by my immediate response. "A..alright, then." Finally climbing into my paw, she used some of her aura to hold herself in place, but I was a bit worried it wasn''t enough. -She''s an elder... She can probably handle a few Gs, right?- But after some thought, I decided not to risk it and used my aura as well. "My aura should hold you, but you might want to brace yourself." She quickly looked up at me with a nai?ve smile. "I will be alright, sweetie." -Alright...- "Suit yourself." Finally spreading and flapping my wings, I hurled us into the sky, not hesitating to blast my thruster magic in the process. *psh-FWOOOSH* Grandmother went wide-eyed and gripped one of my claws with white knuckles like a child on a roller coaster. It was quite a funny sight, but she quickly eased back up once she got used to the acceleration. -I wonder why that felt so good...- With a satisfied smile, I turned back to the horizon and continued accelerating. But it was only a few minutes after that that the fog-covered canopy of the Tree of Prayer could finally be seen cresting the horizon. I didn''t think much of it at first, but eventually, I noticed a massive, bony tail sticking out of the top of its canopy, with a few dragons hovering around it. -Right.. I almost forgot about that...- Slowing down slightly, I thinned the vacuum barrier around us and gave us a bit of still air to talk in. "Grandmother, I have a quick question." "What is it, sweetie?" Her voice was filled with awe as she looked toward the horizon. -So he was already dead...- She continued with a slightly resentful tone. "Many actually couldn''t come to terms with his death... For a long time, people chose to believe that he found the key to achieving godhood within the tree and entered a dragon sleep.. but, over time.. that tail remained cold and unmoving... And eventually, reality became undeniable..." She described the event as if it were a bad memory. "To this day, there are a few noble families who still remember him, but they resent him for not assisting Bahamut before his disappearance." She paused as her voice grew quieter. "But I.. think the way things turned out was fate..." Giving her a curious look, I wanted to ask what she meant by that but ended up keeping my mouth shut. The next several minutes were wrapped in silence as we flew over countless treants and worked our way toward a larger treant not far from the Tree of Prayer. -This should be it...- Finally cloaking us, I flew down to the top of the canopy and changed to my humanoid form. "Stay close to me so I can keep you hidden, and don''t talk since I''m not masking much more than our footsteps." She immediately nodded as we landed and started sliding down several huge leaves until eventually landing on a fairly big branch hanging over Leif''s colossal estate. -Things seem to have calmed down a bit... I wonder how things are going...- Immediately thinking of how to get in, I looked around and noticed a carriage led by a perky-eared panther-like creature being let through the gate. -What perfect timing...- Quickly running through my few other options, I quickly settled on what to do. "We''ll go through the main entrance when it opens for the people in that carriage, remember to stick close to me." After waiting for her nod, I finally stood up and ran to the trunk of the tree, where I carefully climbed down the tree and the estate, eventually making it to the main entrance. We actually got there just as the carriage was opening. *Click* The first to exit was a knightly elf, who immediately turned around and held up his hand. "Please be careful, my lady." I expected a beautiful noblewoman to exit, but instead, a ghastly pale hand reached out, quickly revealing a disheveled and insane-looking young woman. -She looks terrible...- It was the fearful apostle that ran away after my fight with Magni, but she was barely familiar. Her body and skin condition were simply perfect, but she was so pale she barely looked alive, and her expression looked as if she was worried she would be killed at any moment. -She must be coming to meet with Leif...- A few moments passed as she stood in front of the door with her knight until a familiar young maid came out. "Welcome, Miss Alva Aetla. Please follow me; I will lead you to the Missus'' office." With the apostle''s lethargic nod, they finally turned to the door and made their way inside, with Ilios, Grandmother, and I quickly slipping in behind them. But as we made our way through the halls, I slowly started questioning if I should change plans slightly. -I wonder what they''ll talk about...- Chapter 227: An Untimely Confession Chapter 227: An Untimely Confession Early Evening - Early Winter : Central Valtivar, Siratha *tap-tap-tap-tap* As everyone came to a stop, the elven knight next to the apostle walked up to the two guards at the door in the hallway with a displeased look. "Miss Aetla has arrived, please make way." "Identificat-" Before the guard could finish, the knight shoved a medallion in his face. "Is this enough?" His expression remained serious, as if he thought he was being cool. But even though he was acting like a child role-playing as the princess''s knight, the guards ignored it and opened the doors. -New guards, huh... I wonder what happened to the ones I knocked out...- Finally walking through the door, we continued into the familiar, busy hallway leading up to Leif''s office, while noticing many people''s sour looks toward the apostle. I honestly thought it was a bit of an odd reaction to seeing her, considering her political position, but after looking at her condition once again, I assumed there must have been a reason for it. But I didn''t even get a hint of what that reason was the whole time we walked. -Maybe it''s related to what she and Leif will talk about...- Continuing down the hall, we eventually came up to Leif''s, now repaired, office, where the elven knight obnoxiously knocked on the door. *Thunk* *Thunk* "Miss Aetla is here to speak with you, Miss Vilulf." Almost immediately, I heard a drawer close behind the door. *clunk* "She may enter." Hearing Leif, the disheveled apostle reached for the doorknob, but the young knight with her grabbed and opened it first. *click* "Please have a good meeting, my lady." He bowed as he held the door open, but the apostle didn''t move. She immediately started clamming up and broke into a cold sweat, but instead of taking time to think about it, I took the opportunity to walk in ahead of her. "Alva Aetla," Leif spoke in a cold tone right as we walked in, cracking a momentary smile as I walked by before putting a serious expression back on. "Our Lord let you live; he clearly must have seen something in you, but here you are living in fear." Her voice was provoking, but the displeasure in it felt oddly forced. "I-I..." Aetla spoke with a quivering voice. It seemed to make the knight she was with quite upset as well. "Miss Vilulf, Miss Aetla was told this was urgent, must you continue to belittle-" "Child." Vilulf''s voice echoed through the open door and down the hall. "You have no right to speak for her." He froze from shock for a moment before silently clicking his tongue and backing away from the door. Quickly making sure I was holding Ilios securely, I finally jumped into the void, changing to my dragon form in the process. *vwoop* Thankfully, it only took a second to adjust. "Phew.. alright..." Slowly shifting gears, I quickly settled on a new course of action. -Now that she''s all set up... Let''s head back to the god''s abode and see if I can answer any questions...- After speaking with Grandmother, I felt the urge to give looking at the carvings in the ceiling of that room some priority. -Even if I don''t quite have time to look at it all, maybe I can figure something out...- Although my chances of success were low, I was still hopeful. But little did I know, success always came with a new set of problems. - - Holcyon Aetos ~ "My lord, the rumors have begun to spread, and they are also cooperating as you predicted." Slowly glancing to the side in the single small room I was granted, I saw a humanoid in a black robe, kneeling to me. "It''s about time..." The robed man immediately tensed up. "I apologize if I was too slow, my lord!" "No, it''s not you. They have always acted slowly." -Even with our help, they progress like snails...- "In any case, where has that troublesome bi*ch gone? I heard she left the Centre several hours ago." "She left with a black-scaled dragon and went to the northwestern space rune. We suspect she went to Siratha." "Tch..." I clicked my tongue immediately. -She wouldn''t go herself if she didn''t have a good reason...- Quickly crossing off various possibilities, I hastily tried to come up with a new plan. "Since Leander has ratted out our cover and left us in the dark, let''s assume the worst. Send a group to go interfere with Asimi as much as possible, even if it uses force. We cannot let her find whatever she is looking for." "As you wish, my lord." Seeing that he was about to leave, I quickly added one last thing. "While you''re at it, investigate that black dragon... I heard he disregarded the Aetos name." I slowly laid my head back down with an angry expression as the man in the corner suddenly disappeared. The room fell into silence in an instant. "Haah..." Letting out a sigh to suppress my lingering anger, I quickly refreshed myself on everything I still needed to do, but the list felt too long for the amount of time I had to do it. -If only that stupid son of mine didn''t get himself killed.. none of this would have happened...- Chapter 228: Alterations Chapter 228: Alterations Mid Evening - Early Winter : Central Valtivar, Siratha *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* It had only been half an hour since I got to the God''s Abode, and I had found quite a bit already, but I still wasn''t sure how to feel about it. -So, are the carvings meant to be four separate stories?- Walking around the edge of the reincarnation rune, I used my aura to scan the bottom of the wall through the fog, revealing four seemingly independent sets of carvings separated by the four massive entrances. At the base of each set there was a similar, but distinctly different portrait of a curved section of a planet. -One set of carvings has two wolves, one has a white wolf, one has a black wolf, and one is empty...- Although I couldn''t quite see the carvings above the portraits with my aura from the ground, I could generally tell that each wall shared very similar features while having their own unique differences. -Then I guess it''s time to check them out... Let''s start with this one...- Casually changing to my humanoid form and walking up to the wall with the black wolf at its base, I used my aura to push myself into the wall and walked up. It only took a moment for me to finally get up to the next carving however, as it spanned across the entire section of the wall. -Woah...- The detail in the carving was honestly ridiculous, with one side showing a massive area with kingdoms, humans, demihumans, elves, and even a forest of treants, and the other showing huge mountains and cities of dragons. But those two sides remained distinctly separated. Between them sat a massive dragon that towered into the clouds with its head lowered toward the ground, seemingly lifeless. -I.. recognize that dragon...- Almost immediately, the image of a statue I saw in Bahamut came to mind. -Could that be Bahamut?- But just as I started to recognize a few inconsistencies, I noticed something on the edge of my aura that wasn''t the edge of the carving. -Hm?- Quickly walking over, I came up to three massive carvings of people, with no details on their faces. The carvings were quite eerie and creepy, but as I tried to examine them a bit closer, I noticed that one of them seemed somewhat familiar. -Could this one be.. Magni?- The armor set I saw in the carving was almost the same one I saw when I fought him. But I couldn''t be certain. -It''s not quite identical.. so...- Quickly making my way above that carving, I came across a similar canvas to the one below, but the dead-looking dragon between the humans and dragons was completely mutilated, with countless humanoids running over its body to attack the dragons, getting massacred in the process. On the human side of that carving though, there was a distinct figure that stood within the clouds just below the gods, holding onto a large greatsword. -Is that a hero or something?- Continuing up to the next carving, the figure with the sword was seen fighting the dragons, with a trail of draconic bodies laying behind them, but back on the human side, you could see the humans building a wall where the colossal dragon once rested, with the ''human'' gods remaining unchanged. In the next carving, the man with the sword was seen kneeling on a mountain of dead dragons, missing an arm and covered in injuries, while the other side of the now-built wall showed the humans and gods facing the other direction, paying no mind to the man with the sword. -How cliche...- Flying above the clouds was the huge dragon from the carving below, but it was completely covered in scars and faced nearly a dozen perfectly identical ovals that matched the one I saw on the black wolf''s wall. -But, what.. are they?- Although there was no carving above the one I was staring at, the ending was self-explanatory. -Could the ovals represent.. the Acardi?- It was a bit of a stretch, but it''s what my gut told me. -They just feel so out-of-place in these carvings...- Continuing to look around and make sure I didn''t miss anything, I slowly walked back across the ceiling and down the wall with a conflicted feeling. -Only one wall left... I guess let''s hope it gives me some answers...- But it was worse than the others. The wall with the white wolf on the bottom, was the wall I vaporized a section of when I used antimatter to launch myself at Magni toward the end of our fight, so I already expected to get very little information from it, but to my surprise, the first panel was somewhat examinable. But maybe it would have been better if it wasn''t. Although the canvas was extremely similar to the black wolf wall, instead of there being three gods like I expected, there were seven. -W..what?!- I started getting angry at my confusion but decided to push it to the side for a moment to look closer at the gods themselves. From what I could tell, the six gods over the humans were the same as those I saw earlier, but the seventh god stood over the dragons and was one I had never seen prior. -Who could this be...- Although extremely burnt and almost unrecognizable, the general figure of the carving looked female, which gave me an odd thought. -Could this be.. that goddess?- Not wanting to settle on any conclusion yet, I continued up the wall to see if I could make out any other carvings, but to no avail. -Damn...- But although that was the last wall I had to look at, I continued across the ceiling toward the very middle of the room. -Something must be there...- And sure enough, there was. Starting nearly a hundred meters away from the center of the room was an absolutely colossal carving. -Is this a carving of a dragon?- After quickly walking around it to get a general idea of what it was, I noticed it was a carving of a colossal dragon curled into a ball, but at the very center of it was a carving of a planet. -A dragon curled around a planet...- Wild theories immediately started racing through my mind, but that was when I noticed how familiar the dragon carving looked. Chapter 229: A Guessing Game Chapter 229: A Guessing Game Late Evening - Early Winter : Central Valtivar, Siratha *thump-thump-thump-thump* It had already been a few hours since I finished examining all the carvings I found, but I was still pacing around, wracking my brain with the innumerable theories I had come up with. The issue was a majority of them were so complicated that they had practically become guesses. -Things definitely aren''t as cut and dry as they seem, but they likely aren''t as cryptic as I''m imagining...- Thinking I was too far down the wrong path, I stopped my pacing, sat down, and let out a deep breath. "Hooh..." Immediately purging the details from my mind, I took my best theory and started over. -Let''s try this again...- -Okay.. my best theory is that these are ancient oracles about the Great War...- Knowing what I did about gods, higher dimensions, and time, I knew that genuine oracles most definitely did exist. -But this idea doesn''t explain everything...- My focus quickly drifted to the bottom portrait of the fenrir. Originally I wanted to believe that they indicated something along the lines of who came up with or supported the oracle or timeline presented, but after some additional thought, I decided the distribution was a bit too perfect, even if it was only a sample of 4. -But that would mean there is a more direct relationship between them...- The issue was that I didn''t have the slightest clue as to what that relationship could be. It once again devolved into a guessing game. -Could the fenrir be what causes the differences between timelines? Or could they be what differentiates them?- Trying to first make sense of that idea, I idly walked over to the wall with both wolves, sat down, and stared at it. -For that to be the case, they must all originate from the same timeline.. but if they all originate from the same timeline, there should be obvious patterns and correlations... So, why am I not noticing any?- Getting a bit frustrated, I showed myself a mental image of the carvings and, once again, started overanalyzing them, trying to find patterns in even the most minute details. It was exactly what I had just stopped myself from doing. -Sh*t, I''m doing it again...- Quickly trying to calm my nerves, I took a moment to silence the calculative part of my brain and let out another breath. "Hooh..." -I just need to look at surface-level stuff first...- Only projecting an image of the wall with both wolves and the wall with none in my mind, I started looking solely at the differences to try and find more general correlations. He immediately turned to me. I hesitated slightly, unsure about whether it was something I wanted to know or not, but went for it anyway. "Are you.. Dagr?" There was a short pause that felt like an eternity as I waited for his response, but eventually... *tap* He just tilted his head, confused. "Phew..." A mountain of anxiety in my stomach disappeared immediately. -Maybe the timelines are just wrong.- It was a bit of a stretch since, from what I knew, the Ancient Fenrir were nigh-omnipotent, but it was reassuring to believe. -Maybe the outcome of the Great War just wasn''t one of the four the Fenrir predicted...- Knowing firsthand how volatile the future was, I was pretty confident that things could have definitely changed, but I found it concerning that the wall with no fenrir and the wall with both, the only ones I believed could be possible depending on whether the fenrir shown were the ones to survive or die, were the least likely options. "Haah..." My expression quickly turned troubled. -Maybe.. one of them did survive, but they died before Ilios or I were born...- A rouge thought streaked across my mind like a meteor as I glanced over my shoulder toward the two, single fenrir sets of carvings. -I wonder if the voice Grandmother heard.. was one of the fenrir...- But as destructive of a thought as it was, it wasn''t totally unfounded. -The blessing and oracle were definitely about me.. but a human god would want to prevent me from being born, right?- The only thing I could think of was greed or vengeance, but even that didn''t totally make sense either. -The goddess supporting me definitely isn''t the source of the voice Grandmother heard.. so that would mean there are or at least were two gods, a god and a goddess, that have supported me for whatever reason...- Projecting an image solely of Dagr''s carving in my mind, I looked through the half-burnt first panel to look for anything that could possibly prove or disprove my ideas. But there was nothing. Bahamut was dead and dividing the humans and dragons, and the human gods stood over the human side just like they did on the other walls. The only thing I could find that was out of the ordinary, was the goddess that stood over the dragons. "Haah... Damnit..." -Of all the carvings.. why was that the one I destroyed...- Looking up at the ceiling, I idly thought about what the dragon curled around the planet could mean, but devolved back into guessing. -That dragon.. does kind of look like me though...- Chapter 230: Conflicting Opinions Chapter 230: Conflicting Opinions Late Evening - Early Winter : Central Valtivar, Siratha - Leif Vilulf ~ "Haah..." I let out a foggy breath as I looked out my office window at the people in the courtyard below. -What design shall I give the balcony...- My thoughts were quite rudely interrupted though. "I-it''s.. not my fault..." It had already been close to half an hour since I sent Miss Ragnarok outside with a maid to view a few specific documents, but Alva still couldn''t come to terms with her actions. It was honestly starting to get on my nerves. "Alva." I glanced back at her with a look of disdain. "Our Lord has spared you twice now. Are you really going to continue to let yourself waste away after receiving his grace?" Her guilt worsened immediately. "I..I-" "I know how you feel. That inexplicable, looming sensation that you could be killed on a whim." I slowly turned back to the window as I spoke. "It''s a sensation we do not feel often as apostles..." My expression slowly darkened with anger. "But even if you feared our lord during that initial moment, the instant he gave you mercy, you should have kneeled at his feet like a slave begging for forgiveness." Her face paled as she looked over and noticed my face in the reflection of the window. "If the Lord didn''t have plans for you, I would have killed you myself. Now I suggest you straighten your act before he comes back." She nodded hastily as she tried to calm her shaking hands. "Haah..." -It seems having her meet Miss Ragnarok was what the Lord wanted from her... I wonder if he will spare her again...- *knock-knock* A familiar presence knocked on the door while I idly thought to myself. "You may enter." *Click* Quickly opening the door was a familiar face, Oda Ashild, my closest friend and personal assistant. [1] "I didn''t expect to see you here, Oda. Shouldn''t you be training Liv right about now?" Hastily coming inside and closing the door, Oda gave a shallow bow to Alva and promptly turned to me. "Yes, but there was something I wished to bring to your attention." -Hoh?- "What would that be?" Finally turning around, I noticed her anxious state. "Although I personally didn''t see anything, Miss Liv said she saw a dragon land in the canopy above the estate and cloak themselves." -Another dragon? Could they be with the Lord?- After taking a second to think, I walked back over to the window and set my hand on it. *chink-SHATTER* *skkshhh-fwoosh* Like a dead body, he limply slid off the branch and fell toward the courtyard below. Everyone in the surrounding area stared with wide eyes as they looked to see what the commotion was and saw a massive dragon falling out of the canopy, but they all understood once they saw me jumping down behind it. *THUUUD* The impact of the dragon shook the whole treant and immediately grabbed everyone''s attention. It worked out quite well for me. *tap-tap-tap* Casually walking up onto the dragon''s body, I looked toward the gates that were now crowded with people. "This should serve as a warning to those who dare to insult our lords!" Many people at the gate wore confused expressions after hearing me, as being isolated or punished by those around you was an obvious result of insulting our lords. But there were a select few who turned pale. -This is for them...- I had never considered enforcing something like this on the dragons before since there was generally no reason to, but now that our lords had returned, that all changed. "All manner of beings are welcome to live here, but as of now, you must accept our Lords as your own! Belittling, insulting, and threatening our lords will now be punishable as a national offense! Additional priests will now be stationed in cities, and now, even smaller towns will be eligible to receive funding to build a Hall of Prayer, along with the clerics required to take care of it! An announcement will be made soon regarding the details!" Many people in the crowd had already pulled out their quills and begun writing down what I said, but it was what I wanted. -It seems I need to adjust my schedule...- Feeling exceptionally motivated to get started on the new policies, I swiftly hopped off the dragon, snapped its two hind legs, and made my way back up to my now-broken office window. Miss Ragnarok was waiting for me the moment I got there though. "It seems I have missed something..." She seemed quite upset. "That dragon insulted the lord, so I punished him." "You seem to be misunderstanding something." She looked at me with obvious hostility. "That announcement you just made..." I already knew what she was thinking. "I don''t support the things Alva has done, or the things the dragons using her were likely planning, but you cannot tell me that there aren''t already countless other dragons living as elves and demihumans all throughout Siratha. Honestly, I am not against letting them live here as dragons, without disguising themselves, but that doesn''t mean they can do whatever they want." Seeing her anger not subside, I continued. "Since you came with the Lord, I have treated you with respect, but do not believe for a second that you have free reign here." Instead of sitting at my desk, I continued to walk up to her. "This is not your nation. Your opinion of my decision means nothing." "But when your decision involves dragons, it no longer involves only your nation..." -She must be kidding...- "Miss Ragnarok, I suggest you take a deep breath and think about the implications of what you are about to say." My aura surrounded her like a cloud of blades. "I am simply telling the dragons in my nation to worship a powerful living god or leave and continue to cling to their ever-fading hope that theirs will return." The room fell into silence immediately. Finally turning around, I walked back to my desk. "I believe it''s best to take a good look at our lord when he returns, and question whether picking a fight with us is worth fighting him." *puff* The moment I sat down, I reached for my quill. "He has plans for us, so listen to him and stay in your lane." Chapter 231: Something Smells Fishy Chapter 231: Something Smells Fishy Early Morning - Early Winter : Central Valtivar, Siratha *fwoosh* *fwoosh* *fwoosh* Casually flying over the canopy, I started making my way back to Leif''s estate, but I still had a lot on my mind. "Haah..." -Every time I feel like I am getting close to an answer.. ten more questions appear...- To call it an annoying situation was an understatement since, even though I made some progress, I felt farther from the answers than I did originally. -But dwelling on things like that won''t do me any good...- Quickly shaking my head, I silenced my rampant theorizing and shifted gears. -Grandmother should be done with whatever she needed, so I should meet back up with her...- Finally making it to Vilulf''s treant, I lowered myself to the canopy and changed to my humanoid form. *skshh* *tap* After sliding down a few absolutely massive leaves, I eventually landed on a small branch and started working my way down through the canopy. Eventually, though, I landed on a branch with some unusual scars on it. -Claw marks?- It honestly looked like a dragon or wyvern had clawed the branch, but not only were they fresh, they were also too long to be something like an attack. -Did a dragon fall off?- Using a bit of my aura to keep me pinned to the branch, I walked over the edge and looked at the estate below. -What the hell?- Laying there in the courtyard with dried blood staining the ground around its head, wings, and legs was a fairly large dark blue dragon. It looked quite mangled from what I could tell, but it slowly twitched as if it were on the verge of waking up. -Why are Grandmother and Leif just leaving it there?- Although I knew I would have no issue, no matter the reason, I couldn''t say I wasn''t curious. Finally continuing to make my way down, I planned to go check out the dragon first, but ended up passing Leif''s office and noticed the window was broken. -Hm? I still feel their auras.. what happened?- Casually hopping over onto the window frame, I motioned Ilios next to me and looked inside to see everyone doing their own thing and not talking at all. -It seems they are done...- *Vwoom* "So, how did things go?" My voice shredded the silence without mercy, causing everyone, including Leif, to jolt and turn to me. Grandmother was quick to calm back down, but Leif and Alva were not the same. Immediately dashing over to the window seal Ilios and I sat on, Leif and Alva groveled in front of me. "Apostle Leif Vilulf humbly greets the Lords!" "Apostle Alva Aetla humbly greets the Lords!" Alva was visibly shaking as she held her forehead to the ground. But it stopped the moment I spoke. "You may raise your heads." Slowly looking up at me, Leif wore a look of worship and pride, while Alva stared at me in awe. "Y-y-yes!" She gave a flustered response but seemed much more positive than before. "I will be sure to not let you down!" Her oddly childish enthusiasm quickly raised my mood as Grandmother finally got up to the window and followed me out. Quickly jumping up the estate and running up the trunk of the treant, we started working our way through the canopy until we got to one of the highest branches that could still hold my dragon form. *flash* Finally letting Grandmother into my paw, I noticed her expression had turned troubled again. -Just.. what did they talk about?- But that was a question that would be answered not long after we got in the air. "Vasilias, I''m guessing you spoke with the apostles about what happened?" She wore a conflicted expression as she spoke. "About the dragon, or about what you two discussed?" "What we discussed." I paused for a moment before glancing at her. "No, I actually didn''t think much of it. I guess I assumed it was something that was mainly on the draconic side of things." "Haah... It really should be, but sadly things aren''t so simple." -Hm?- "What do you mean? What did you find?" "Well, as expected, there were dragons behind the information leaks over the past several years, but after looking at everything together with a timeline and everything, their motive became quite obvious..." Her expression continued to darken. "Whoever the group of dragons is, they look like they are trying to get the people of Siratha to view dragons like people, not monsters..." -What?- I immediately glanced at her with a confused look. "Why is that so bad?" Right after I said that however, the answer popped into my head, but it was too late. "It''s bad because it means they''re trying to integrate dragons into Sirathan society... They''re trying to do what the Ourano?s family did to the Forgotten Islands all those years ago, but this time.. they have things to gain besides land and money..." My eyes went wide as I slowly started realizing the implications of her words. -Could they be...- But my thoughts quickly came to a halt as I looked toward the mountains in front of us and noticed a group of elders the size of Grandmother eyeing us. -What the... A dragon at the estate.. and now here...- It didn''t take much to but two and two together. -Something.. is wrong here...- Happy New Years! Happy New Years! I hope everyone had a good new years, it''s pretty crazy to think that its already 2023. But besides that, I wish to discus the timely matter of New Years resolutions. If anyone has advice, it would be wonderful. I have never use patreon so Ill take any advice I can get. Also, please be honest with the poll results, I will not be offended by the results, I just need to know where to direct my focus. Chapter 232: Prideless Dragons Chapter 232: Prideless Dragons Mid Morning - Early Winter : Western Siratha Space Rune - - Unknown Dragon ~ *wooooosh* "Uuwaaah...." My eyelids felt a bit heavy as I laid my head down. -It''s so peaceful here...- "Relaxing, isn''t it?" Anthos glanced at me with a sly smirk as he rolled onto his back. "The smell of the ocean isn''t fishy here like in other places..." "Yeah, it smells like flowers here..." Odell looked like he was on the verge of sleep like the rest of us too. "Is that from the coral?" "Probably... Aren''t corals the flowers of the ocean?" "That''s what I was taught." "Me too. What about you, Thaddeus?" -If the boss was here, he''d wring out necks...- "You two haven''t forgotten why we are here, right?" "Of course not! But that doesn''t mean we can''t relax while we wait." Odell didn''t seem to understand what I was getting at. "You remember the story I told you guys, right? I''m sure they sent people to watch us." Anthos wasn''t taking my side either. "Aren''t those people called nets because they''ll catch us when things go south?" "Who told you they would catch us? They will just clean up whatever mess we make... They should be called cleaners more than nets..."Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com "Well, yeah. But I''m sure they will step in once they see how outclassed we are..." "R..right.. about that..." Odell''s expression slowly turned nervous. "Are we really going to have to fight a Ragnarok?" "What do we have to be nervous about? She can only be so much stronger than a normal dragon her age. Two of us should be more than enough." I paused as I glanced at a large mana core behind me. -Plus, we have whatever that is...- "But wasn''t she with-" -He''s so anxious...- "It''s a halfie. How strong could it be?" Sitting up and looking over the endless forest toward the sun, now well over the horizon, I saw nothing but clear skies. "If we''re lucky, they''ll come one at a time. We just need to have the artifact ready in case we need it." "T..true... Maybe I''m just imagining things again..." But although I wanted to agree and say he was being too naive like he normally was, I couldn''t help but agree that I had a bad feeling in my chest. "Haah..." -It''s probably nothing...- But over the next few hours, the feeling only worsened. -My gut is never wrong...- By then, I felt sick to my stomach. "Did you eat something rotten? You look sick." Odell''s nervousness seemed to worsen along with my condition. "I''m fine... I''m just a bit hungry." -Was it a false alarm?- "Sir, may I ask where you are headed?" For an elder, his voice was nothing out of the ordinary, but he didn''t carry himself with nobility like the other elders I had met. -Even Orion, a guard, carries himself with more pride than this guy...- It made me feel a bit uncomfortable, but I tried not to show it. "We are heading to Bahamut. Is there a problem?" "Of course! The borders of Bahamut have been locked down for several days now. No one can pass without proper clearance." Feeling Grandmother tap my paw a few times, I moved it out in front of me. She spoke the moment she met eyes with the dragon. "My name is Asimi Ragnarok," Quickly pulling out a small medallion-like piece of mythril, she pointed it toward the dragon. "I believe this should be more than enough to let us pass." He paused for a moment as his eyes darted back and forth between Grandmother and I, but he eventually spoke. "I apologize, but that isn''t enough for me to give you anything. If you two could wait, however, I could send one of my colleagues to fetch someone for you." Thinking the story mostly added up, I looked down at Grandmother, but she wore a skeptical expression. She didn''t bother hiding her suspicion at all. "Actually, I don''t believe you have the authority to stop me, and to add to it, it is quite odd that I haven''t heard of people waiting on the other ends of the space runes to work as border control, even though I am one of the people in the elder hall." "Miss, with all due respect, this was a decision that was made while you were away. I hope you understand." His nervousness slowly started becoming more apparent as he spoke. But Grandmother wasn''t having it. *tap-tap* Slowly standing up, she went to step out of my paw, likely to change to her dragon form, but the dragon had other plans. *FWOOSH* In an instant, he threw himself at Grandmother and opened his mouth to bite her, but she remained calm. I couldn''t actually tell whether it was her own confidence or trust in me, but I wasn''t taking any chances. *fwip* Turning my leg around, I used my shin to absorb his bite. *Crruunch-Crackle* The noise of my scales and his teeth cracking in unison filled the air, but it didn''t last long. "You really didn''t do enough homework on who you were fighting..." Before he could pull himself away, I lowered my head and chomped into his neck. *CRUNCH* His scales cracked and shattered like clay pottery as I ripped him off my leg and pointed my mouth up in the air. -There is a special place in hell for scum like you...- But just as I was about to use a simple steel dart to finish him off, a chill passed down my spine and a colossal amount of mana flooded into the air over the ridge. Although I didn''t feel fear, it was enough of a shock for my instinct to momentarily take over. *BRRRRRMMMMMMMM* Blasting an unfathomably bright and hot beam of light through the dragon''s neck, I let go and instantly turned toward the source of the mana. *CRAAACK* The railgun shot used several dozen times more lightning magic than usual, making it hit the mountain like a colossal sledgehammer. *BAANG-CRUUUNCH* The ridge of the mountain exploded as a huge section of rock was blasted off of it. But what I did seemed to only make things worse. *FLASH* An instantaneous flash and wave of heat melted the surrounding rock instantly, recreating a scene I knew all too well. A nuclear blast. -SH*T!- Knowing Grandmother''s humanoid form couldn''t handle the heat, I threw her behind me and attempted to cast a spell to counter it as quickly as possible, no matter how impossible a task that was. *vwoop-pop* *BAAAAAAANGGGG* Chapter 233: Unfathomability Chapter 233: Unfathomability Mid Morning - Early Winter : Western Siratha Space Rune - - Unknown Dragon ~ *distant crunching* -Are they finally doing something?- Hearing some noise off in the distance, I slowly shifted my head to peek around the rock I was laying behind. -Is one of the targets coming?- I watched in silence as the dragons on the opposite ridgeline hastily moved around and prepared their things before one of them finally picked up The Artifact and started activating the runes on it. -So they''re planning on using it? It must be the Ragnarok that''s coming then...- Immediately remembering what my superior told me about the artifact, I slowly stood up and snuck into the nearby cave that cuts through the mountain. It felt a bit odd to have to leave the area of the group I was told to watch over, but I had no reason not to abide by my superior''s warning: ''If you can see it, it will f*ck you up.'' It was honestly such an aggressive warning that it made me curious. -Just what does that artifact do for me to use a mountain to shield myself from it?- But I had no plans to stand around and satisfy that curiosity. I was simply going to do as I was told: ''Wait at the space rune until the sky turns white, then leave immediately.'' -Simple enough...- Finally making it to the other side of the mountain, I left the cave and glided down the mountainside toward the space rune. *vwoop* The moment I got there, I configured the rune and made sure everything was ready for a swift departure, but as I slowly looked back up toward the sky, a simply indescribable beam of light streaked across it. *BRRRMMMM* "Huh?!" It wasn''t quite what I was told to look out for, but instead of immediately assuming I misunderstood my superior''s explanation of what to look for and leaving for Bahamut, I waited another moment. If I knew what I did now, however, I would not have waited for a single instant. *FLASH* The instant I showed hesitation, a blinding light filled the air around me, leaving only an unfathomable silence and my other senses to keep me company. Before I could even react, my eyes started burning as if I opened them while submerged in unfathomably hot magma, and my skin and scales felt as if they had started melting. Thankfully though, I finally managed to react and activate the space rune before the paralyzing feeling of death could grip my mind. *vwoop-TSSSSSS* An extremely loud sizzle filled the air as I collapsed and felt cold stone beneath me. I still couldn''t see, but my mind was too preoccupied with the pain to notice. *thump-thump-thump-thump* The noise of someone running toward me met my ears as I struggled to form a coherent thought. Immediately looking toward the noise, I saw the massive wall of abyssal blackness that had formed around my body like a dense cloud. It only took me an instant to recognize what it was as well. -Maybe.. using the fabric of space to brace myself was a bad idea...- Quickly releasing control of all the space mana I used to brace myself, the cloud quickly started dissipating, revealing Ilios seemingly standing on nothing with Grandmother behind him in her dragon form. Thankfully, they both looked unharmed, and with a quick check of my aura, the air around them was still fairly cool, especially when compared to the blazing plasma that composed the air in front of me. Still unable to suppress my worries however, I didn''t hesitate to break out of the cloud of gates that encompassed me and immediately darted over to Grandmother. "Are you alr-" But the moment she saw me, she threw herself at me with a pale expression. "VASILIAS, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!" *WHAM* She slammed into me in her flurry of panic, but I managed to keep us in the air with thruster magic. "Yes, I''m fine." I wanted to let out a breath of relief, seeing that she was truly unharmed, but I couldn''t help but be worried by her panic. "Don''t worry. Something like that is far from enough to hurt me-" "Don''t worry?!" She seemed genuinely mad. "Artifacts like that can make entire cities disappear!" She yelled as she carefully inspected my body for injuries or damage. I ended up just staying still for a moment while she carefully inspected me, but after another moment, she finally started to calm down some. "Thank Bahamut you look alright..." Her worried expression looked just like Mother''s. "Do you have any internal injuries?" "N-no..." Her panic slowly started to fade after another moment. "Phew... We must have been really lucky-" But her voice was cut short the moment she looked up toward the mountains. -Huh?- Thinking it could have been something bad, I heightened my senses again and looked over, but instead of seeing something dangerous, I just saw a huge circular section of the mountain glowing orange as molten rock started flowing down the mountainside, with a circular section around 30 meters across that was completely devoid of matter, where the beam I fired passed through. But the sight behind it was what took my breath away. Instead of seeing the second ridgeline that hid away the space rune, I simply saw the ocean, steaming as molten rock flowed into the water from the two inside edges of what used to be a mountain ridge. The exact area that was meant to have the space rune was toward the edge of the damage, but although it was still engulfed in a cloud of steam, I already knew what happened to it. -Ah, hell...- In my eyes, seeing it missing felt like adding a troublesome chore to my to-do list, but to Grandmother, it was the sight of an irreplaceable relic being destroyed. Once again looking back at her heartbroken expression, I tried to comfort her. "I can make a new space rune, Grandmother. Don''t worry." But instead of calming down, she jolted slightly and turned back to me with a look of concern. "You can.. what?" Chapter 234: Uncertain Origins Chapter 234: Uncertain Origins Early Afternoon - Early Winter : Western Siratha Space Rune -Findd new stories at novelhall.comble* The muffled rumble of my thruster magic filled the air as Grandmother stared at me with a mix of concern and worry. "You can.. what?" Her reaction wasn''t what I expected at all. "I-I said I can just make a new space rune... I-isn''t that what-" *Bonk* She abruptly cut me off with a light tap on my nose. "Why would I worry about that in this situation?!" "H-huh?" I was immediately taken aback. "T-then-" "It''s nothing, sweetie." Quickly calming down, she slowly looked back up toward the mountains and mumbled under her breath. "I.. just had to come to terms with something." I raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding what she meant until she looked back at me. "In any case..." Her expression darkened with guilt the moment she paused. "T..thank you for not getting yourself hurt to protect me..." There was a short moment of silence that filled the air before I said anything. "You really are just like Mom..." "Huh?" Her guilty look vanished in an instant as she looked up to see my slightly prideful smile. "I''m glad you''re worried about me, but even if that artifact blew up right next to me three years ago, I would have been fine. To me now, that might as well have been a firecracker." She stared at me with wide eyes as I spoke. "I''ve already had this talk with Mother and Father, but.. you shouldn''t feel bad about standing behind me. I promise you I''m much stronger than you think." Her shock slowly faded, but her guilt was still apparent. "I''m just.. not sure what I would do with myself if you got hurt while protecting me... I''m your grandmother... I should be the one protecting you..." Slowly straightening up, I lightly nudged her off of me and used thruster magic to let her float. "Then think of it this way. If I took a blow to protect you and it really injured me.. what would it have done to you?" It was a dark thought, but I had to drive my point home. "I can always heal an injury, but I can''t revive the dead... At least for Mother and Krystallo''s sake.. don''t feel bad about standing behind me." She quickly fell silent and averted her eyes before eventually letting out a sigh. "Haah... I really do wonder how your personality is so similar to Father''s sometimes..." She looked toward the ground with a reminiscing expression before finally turning back to me. "In any case, let''s talk while we fly... We should get going..." Immediately changing to her humanoid form again, she used wind magic to land on my arm. "Huh? Already?" -Why is she in such a rush?- "We need to get back to Bahamut as fast as we can, and the longer we stay here, the more likely people are to come and check if I was killed or not." -Oh.. I didn''t think about that...- "But with the rune destroyed, won''t communication with Bahamut be extremely delayed?" "Only by a couple days. Once they figure out the rune is broken, they will go through the temple northwest of us." -But wait...- "The only way they''d know it''s broken is if someone on this side of the rune came to inspect it and went up to the temple." "Hm? What makes you say that?" She gave me a confused look. Quickly traveling down the tube to the temple by Captain Lassar''s settlement, I got to the end and started to push out the space mana like liquid in a syringe, leaving just a bit of mana from my aura behind me to help ease the process. -Haah... I really hope this works...- Eventually making it to the end, I rounded out the end of the tube and coated the inside with simple repulsion runes that would grow in strength as someone approached it, before eventually sending them back to the entrance of the space rune. It was incredibly crude, but I was confident it would at least work well enough. -Now I have to do that three more times...- Quickly getting to work, I patched up the tubes one by one, leaving only the northern Bahamut space rune open to the void. -Based on what is happening in Bahamut, the public can''t use the rune to come in this direction right now anyway... I just need to make sure I come and fix it once things settle down...- Looking around at my work and quickly making sure there weren''t any obvious mistakes, I finally made my way back toward where I entered the void and popped out. *vwoop* "Huh? Did something go wrong?" Grandmother gave me a slightly worried look as I appeared again. "Hm? No, I just finished up." As I extended my paw to her, her face washed with a mix of confusion and awe. "I thought I already told you that time doesn''t flow in the void..." I paused as I helped her and Ilios get situated. "I was in there for what felt like an hour... In any case, let''s get going, shall we?" "R..right." After finally getting herself situated, I increased the strength of the thruster magic I used to hover and took to the skies. The next several minutes were wrapped in complete silence as I climbed in altitude as much as I could and further increased our speed. But eventually, we got so high in the atmosphere that I could ease my vacuum magic and give us some air to talk in. -It''s now or never...- "Grandmother..." "What is it, sweetie?" She spoke while looking down toward the endless ocean below us. "That artifact... What do you know about it? It sounded like you already had experience with something similar before..." She tensed up the moment I mentioned it. "W..well.. that''s a little difficult to explain..." I wasn''t willing to take no for an answer though. -Draconic science is far from even coming close to understanding how nuclear fission works, and based on how there was almost no radiation after it blew up.. it was probably fusion...- I was already almost certain I knew what the answer was, but I needed to hear it from her. "Does confidentiality really matter after what just happened?" "Well..." She paused as she looked below us toward the still-glowing orange mountains that were slowly approaching the horizon. "I''m just not sure how to say it..." "Say what?" She paused before turning to look up at me. "That artifact, if it''s what I think it is.. wasn''t made by dragons..." -Yeah, I already know that much...- But as I went to speak again, my thoughts got hung up. -Wait... she couldn''t mean...- Chapter 235: Uncertain Suspicion Chapter 235: Uncertain Suspicion Early Afternoon - Early Winter : Off-Coast Western Siratha - "That artifact, if it''s what I think it is.. wasn''t made by dragons..." -Yeah, I already know that much...- But as I went to speak again, my thoughts got hung up. -Wait... she couldn''t mean...- I felt my whole body stiffen instantly. "We.. still don''t know their origins, but they showed up a few hundred years ago in the hands of the Holy Kingdom, so one can only assume..." She spoke with a dark expression, as if talking about a bad memory. -The Holy Kingdom again...- A knot of anxiety formed in my chest as I remembered the goddess telling me to steer clear of there. "Do you really think they could have made such an insane artifact though?" She hesitated before glancing up at me. "Although I have my doubts, it''s.. one of the better options since it would give us an excuse to wipe them off the map... The only other decent possibility is that they came across something made by Bahamut or the Ancient Fenrir, but that is even less likely." -Huh?- "Why is that?" The bad feeling in my chest only grew as I glanced at her. "There.. were too many of them..." She leaned back in my palm as she awkwardly rubbed her arm with a dark expression. -Too.. many?- My mind immediately stuttered, unsure what to think about what she said. "What do you mean.. too many?" "Well.. when we were first notified of their existence, a group of ancients was sent to the Holy Kingdom to confiscate them... If I remember correctly, after we finished combing through the kingdom''s magic towers and vaults, we had found 17 of them..." -Seven..teen?- My eyes went wide. But she didn''t stop there. "And to make things even scarier..." She grimaced as she gripped into her arm. "I was told we dismantled them all..." The theories I idly thought about while she spoke vanished in an instant. -So...- "That means someone either lied about what they found.. or the Holy Kingdom had another, and someone got it from them..." "Correct..." Both possibilities were extremely bad, to the point that I started to get nervous and think about whether I really wanted to get myself involved with it. But, deep down, I didn''t have a choice. "Do you think the remains could have been put back together? Or maybe reverse-engineered?" "Reverse-engineered?" She gave me a confused glance before looking back at the horizon. "If you mean someone learning how to make it by taking it apart, it''s quite unlikely... Even the most skilled dragons would struggle to recreate all the runes on one of them, let alone recreate the artifact itself. As for the possibility of someone putting one back together..." Her pause was a bad sign. "As far as I know, the remaining parts of the artifacts were scattered in Deaths Gape... The pieces shouldn''t be recoverable..." -Ah, sh*t...- The only options left were the worst-case scenarios, someone in a seat of power betraying Bahamut, or a group with tight connections to the Holy Kingdom. It actually reminded me of one of the carvings in the tree of prayer. -Dragons that joined the humans to revolt against the dragons...- It was a future I didn''t even want to consider. -I just need more information...- After that, we continued talking, and one by one, my theories were thrown to the wayside. No matter how confident or arrogant I could be, the chances of me becoming the hero were practically zero. -After not having a hero for thousands of years.. I really wonder if there will ever be another...- Idly getting distracted and thinking about the future, I was escorted out into the courtyard, where I saw the beautiful carriage my family rarely ever used, with my mother standing by the door with a warm smile on her face. It made me smile unconsciously. "You seem excited." "Of course! How could I not be? I get to finally start my journey to becoming a proper merchant, just like Father!" "Haha, are you still looking to follow in his footsteps?" She gently hugged me as we waited for the head maid to load my things into the back of the carriage. "Of course! If he can become a noble as a peasant, I can definitely get us an estate in the capital!" "Hoho~, I look forward to your efforts then, my little prince." She gently ruffled my hair as the head knight came up to us. "Madam, young Master, the mercenary who just arrived does not wish to introduce themselves, so I will do it for them." -''Doesn''t wish to introduce themselves''?- I was slightly taken aback, as a mercenary introducing themselves to their contractors went far beyond the point of being optional. -Who is she?- Looking over toward the only horse I had never seen before, I saw a small, black-hooded figure with long animal ears under the hood. -Oh.. a demihuman...- "Her mercenary name is Snow; she just arrived in Fae recently and is going to accompany us to the capital without receiving payment." -What?- "Did she refuse it?" "No, sir. She was someone with a reputation on the Main Continent, so she was immediately evaluated as Holy Cleric rank; however, the evaluator said she should be a Holy Priest rank, and told her to go to the capital to be instated into the position. As such, she is more akin to a guest than a mercenary." -HOLY PRIEST RANK?!- It was a rank I had only heard about, one that was usually exclusively reserved for humans that were extremely devout to Asgard. But the underlying feature of every single one of them was strength and power. Becoming a Holy Priest was something unachievable with just money. Strength, power, and fame were all needed in a single package for them to be promoted. -But she.. is a demihuman... How strong must she be for the evaluator to send her to the capital?- I looked at her sitting on the horse with a look of curiosity and intrigue. But that was when a strong breeze blew past us, pulling away some of the cloth that hid her sword and revealing a beautiful silver hilt. It was the most beautiful silver I had ever seen, even after living in a noble estate my whole life. But the instant I showed the slightest desire to touch it, it felt like the world collapsed around me, and the next thing I knew, I was face down on the ground. -W..what?- Chapter 236: A Brewing Storm Chapter 236: A Brewing Storm Late Afternoon - Early Winter : Elder Hall, Northern Bahamut -Findd new stories at novelhall.com - Leander Sofos ~ *Fwooosh* *Fwooosh* *Fwooosh* Casting a colossal shadow over those under us, I flew over the countless districts surrounding the elder hall with a group of nearly 15 elders and young ancients in tow. -He truly is the most arrogant bast*rd I have ever seen...- Currently, I was flying from the Foreign Intelligence Estate to the Elder Hall itself, a path I hadn''t flown in nearly 1,200 years. But I didn''t feel the slightest hint of nostalgia. Instead, my mind was solely focused on wringing the neck of one man. -Holcyon Aetos.. you truly are just like your father...- Several hours prior, I was notified that the young Ragnarok (Asimi) had suddenly left her temporary office in the housing district estate accompanied by a black dragon, then was later told they jumped to Siratha through the northern space rune. At first, I assumed it was because she had found a lead of some sort, but around half an hour ago, I was told that Holcyon''s trial against Amphitrite was going to be pushed forward several days and begin at sunset. According to the report, Amphitrite refused the Hall''s summons directly, so the trial would begin without her. But I knew that didn''t happen. -He must have someone in the Hall helping him; otherwise, it wouldn''t have been pushed the moment Asimi left, but it doesn''t matter who it is...- Letting the trial begin was something I couldn''t let happen in the first place. "His name was Lex Naftis, correct?" I glanced back at Agatha to see her quickly nod. -Sorry kid, but I need you to catch some flak and buy us some time...- "When exactly did Erpo leave to fetch Amphitrite?" Agatha quickly closed the distance between us. "The moment he received the order." -Good... We should only need to buy a few hours then...- "Alright, everyone knows the drill, right?!" """Yes, Sir!""" Everyone behind me responded in unison with excited expressions. -I''m glad you all are excited.. you will need the energy...- With the Elder Hall finally coming into sight, I quickly scanned the courtyard and made sure Holcyon wasn''t present yet. -Perfect.- Rushing ahead of the group, I found my way to the landing area in front of the hall and touched down. *FWOOOOSH* Promptly drawing the attention of everyone around with a strong blast of wind from my wings, I landed and turned my back to the Hall itself. "This area will now be under lockdown, as issued by the Foreign Intelligence Agency for investigations related to rebellion! Those who do not comply will be dealt with using force!" Everyone present immediately tensed up. This was an order they could not refuse. But not everyone was so quick to comply. "I believe not all aspects of a class 5 search apply to us, correct?" Pluto was quick to voice his opposition. "You are not allowed to view confidential documents that have not yet been filed." -Hoh?- "It seems you know your stuff, but sadly that will not be the case today." *VWOOOM* Immediately letting my aura fill the room, everyone''s expressions simultaneously darkened. "As this investigation directly involves someone serving in the Elder Hall, you will all be thoroughly searched one at a time. Now, everyone except Sir Naftis, please wait in the hall." - - Holcyon Aetos ~ (30 minutes prior) *vwoom* Feeling a familiar thin presence suddenly appear, I looked toward the corner behind the door and saw a black-clothed, human-looking man kneeling to me. "My lord, the net has returned, but he was heavily injured." -What?! They failed?!- "What were his injuries?" "His body was covered in burns, his ears are full of charred blood, he cannot see, and he struggles to walk." -Ah, so he simply didn''t abide by my warning then...- "Phew..." -I almost initiated plan B when I didn''t need to...- "That is fine, it means he did his job. What is the status of the runes?" "No one has come from Siratha as of yet, but those we have sent through the northern rune to Siratha have yet to return." -Hmm... She wouldn''t be sitting there hunting dragons that came through...- "How long has it been since the first one entered?" "10 minutes, my lord." -That isn''t very long, but if she doesn''t come through the space rune either, it''s safe to assume the job was finished...- "In that case, let''s assume things are as they should be. Go ahead and tell them to push the trial forward using this letter." Quickly picking up a small letter with my aura, I moved it over and handed it to the human-looking man dressed in black. "As you wish, my lord." But just as he was about to leave, I caught him. "One last thing, make sure he is ready." "Right away." *fwoosh* He disappeared in an instant, letting me once again turn back to the papers I scattered around the room. "Hooh..." -Leander, oh Leander.. for how many years you made my life a living hell, you should be glad that I will send you off so mercifully.- I slowly looked over my shoulder at a portrait on the wall of a dragon that looked similar to me. -Father.. it''s time I put your soul at ease.. and finish what you started...- "It''s time people remember our name." Chapter 237: The Realm of Titans Chapter 237: The Realm of Titans Early Evening - Early Winter : Elder Hall, Northern Bahamut - - Leander Sofos ~ "With this, you have been cleared, Miss Kerato. You may bring the others back in." Giving a short, annoyed nod, she turned to the door and opened it, immediately letting the three other elders back inside. They all looked quite upset with me, but now they couldn''t say a word. "Thank you all for your cooperation. As I''m sure you have already noticed, I have collected the necessary evidence to send a few of my subordinates to search Sir Naftis''s temporary estate in the housing district." I held a stack of papers in front of me with my aura, making sure everyone could see it. "I''m sure you all understand what that means... This will take a few hours. I ask for your understanding." Everyone immediately turned to Naftis with expressions of anger and annoyance as I finally turned back to the door. Quickly walking out of the hall itself and closing the doors with my tail, I started down the hallway. -Things truly could not have gone better...- Prior to the investigation, I had scraped together all the old dirt I could find related to Naftis and his previous connections to the rebellion so that if someone attempted to call our investigation unnecessary, I could simply shut them down. -But not only did Naftis have more evidence on him...- I looked down at a letter I had sitting on the stack of papers. -He even gave me some evidence against Holcyon...- A smile slowly crept onto my face as I thought about it. -Now I just need to wait for Erpo to return with Amphitrite...- Finally making my way outside, I called over a few young and trustworthy ancients and handed them a small mythril medallion. "I need you all to run over to Lex Naftis''s estate in the housing district and search it for anything related to the rebellion." As I handed it to them, I leaned over and spoke in a hushed tone. "Take your time to be thorough." Quickly catching my drift, they nodded and backed away before taking to the skies. -Hopefully, that should buy us a few hours...- Now, it all came down to how fast Erpo could retrieve Amphitrite. -At worst, I can stall for longer with that...- Quickly motioning over Agatha, she set down her things and came running over. "What is it?" "I need you to run back to my office and grab the third letter from the bottom of the stack on the right edge of my desk. It''s a letter from Amphitrite." "Okay, is there anything else?"Findd new stories at novelhall.com "No, but be quick. I need it to be able to prove forgery." Her eyes immediately went wide as she realized the severity of the situation. "I will be as quick as I can!" Watching her promptly take to the sky and fly away, I turned to look at the horizon and watched as the sun steadily approached it. -Let''s hope she makes it...- But sadly, even after another half hour, the sun had started to set and neither Erpo nor Agatha had returned. -They''re both late...- Although I understood that Erpo could be a bit late, Agatha should have taken no longer than 15 to 20 minutes. -Something feels off...- He responded immediately. "She said that she wasn''t coming. Supposedly she already sent a letter stating that." -You think that lowly of me, huh...- My eyes turned cold as I lost all traces of sympathy for him. -Maybe I should have trusted my gut back then...- *Clunk* Hearing the huge door to the hall open once again, I turned around to see Galen Kerato slowly walking outside. -To think she was the one helping Holcyon in the Hall...- But unlike what I expected, her eyes went wide the moment she saw her father. "Father? What are you doing here?" Her reaction looked so genuine that my mind stuttered for a moment, but I quickly caught myself. -No, she must be acting... There''s no way Mega?los isn''t with Holcyon...- But although I didn''t want to admit it, I didn''t have a single reason to tie Galen to Holcyon besides her father, even after completely searching her, and couldn''t tie Mega?los to Holcyon without simply listening to my gut. -Lex was the only one with evidence of being in communication with Holcyon...- I momentarily glanced down at the letter I got from him with a momentary sense of doubt. But that doubt was destroyed in an instant. "Don''t trust them!" Hearing Agatha''s voice, I looked over in a flash, but I didn''t see anyone in the air. -What? Am I hearing things?- But after another moment, I saw her head poke around the edge of a building. The issue was, the further she crawled out from behind the building, the paler I became. Her body was covered in injuries, with all but one leg and one wing broken and bleeding. "They''re all together! Mega?los burned the letter and tried to cripple me!" Immediately following her words, Mega?los turned around with a look of shock and anger. It was the last bit of evidence I needed. *VWOOOM-CRACKLE* The ground cracked beneath my feet as I slowly turned to him with a look of indescribable fury. -To think you would touch her...- Mega?los immediately used wind magic to silently speak to Holcyon, but I heard it anyway. "Holcyon, it seems we need to move to plan B..." Finally turning to me, his expression darkened. -This bast*rd really doesn''t know which lines to never cross, huh...- "Father, what did you do?!" Galen''s voice was drowned in confusion, but I had already blocked it out. The only thing in my mind was Mega?los. "You''ve taken it too far, Mega?los..." However, he was quick to calm down. "Is that so?" His smile slowly turned greedy before he spoke up with enough volume for other people to hear. "How dare you accuse me of such a horrible action! Do you truly believe I am a dragon of such terrible char-" Not letting him finish, I lunged forward and bit into his neck before slamming him into the ground. *crunch-WHAAAAM* The entire area shook like there was an earthquake as his nearly 110-meter-tall body was slammed into the ground. -Today will be the day I behead you...- But as I reached up and set my leg on his neck to break it, his smile only grew wider, and a look of insanity appeared in his eyes. "Now it''s my turn!" Chapter 238: A Real Monster Chapter 238: A Real Monster Mid Evening - Early Winter : Elder Hall, Northern Bahamut - *muffled rumble* -The sun is about to set...- Noticing the horizon slowly starting to turn orange, I glanced back at Grandmother. "We should be getting close to the prison. Where do we need to go specifically?" However, she was still biting her thumbnail from anxiety. "Continue south. We don''t want to get close enough to the prison that they can spot us." "Alright..." Keeping my eye on her, I tried to brainstorm about what exactly was going on, but she still hadn''t told me enough. "Is there anything I can do to help?" I already had a decent idea of what was happening, but I wasn''t sure of the specifics or how she wanted to handle things. "Even just yesterday, I planned to have you involved in this issue since it involved Siratha so deeply, but now.. I don''t think I can let you..." Leaning back in my palm, she blindfolded herself with light magic to try and focus. -So, the artifact is what escalated the situation beyond me... But...- "Why can''t I get involved anymore? Something on the scale of that artifact can''t hurt me, and if I''m fast enough, I can even stop-" "No, it''s not about the artifact itself..." -Hm?- "Then what is it?" She paused before finally letting out a sigh. "Haah..." She hesitated as if unsure what to say before continuing. "Around a week ago, Leander came to my estate in order to speak with me. He came bearing deep suspicions about that man named Holcyon Aetos and the trial he set into motion a few days prior." Assuming she was finally giving me some details, I stayed quiet and listened intently. "His suspicions sounded a bit far-fetched at first, but I ended up going along with it and helping him. I just didn''t expect it to be such a deep rabbit hole... The deeper I dug, the more I found that connected him to the information leaks in Siratha, and the more concerned I got about finding concrete evidence to finally put an end to whatever he is scheming." She paused for a moment to fiddle with her hands. "That was when you showed up..." -Why did she.. say it like that...- "After coming to Siratha with you, I managed to confirm most of what Leander had already predicted with verifiable evidence... In short, the Aetos family is trying to turn Siratha into a second Bahamut, where they can essentially rule as monarchs from behind the scenes while using the trial with Amphitrite and the confiscation of her islands as their cover." Her voice slowly turned more troubled. -So he wants the resources and military power of Siratha...- Although it sounded a bit odd at first, I couldn''t help but agree that, with the aid of draconic magic and techniques, Siratha had the potential to become a major power that could even pressure Bahamut, if only slightly. -But that feels.. too simple...- Grandmother only went to reinforce the bad feeling in my gut as well. "Had it truly remained like that, I would have been more than happy to have you help resolve the situation.. but..." She grimaced as she paused. "The fact that he managed to get a hold of one of those artifacts means he has significantly stronger and more influential backers than we originally expected... A rouge group of elders would never be able to get their hands on one, no matter where it came from, let alone know how to activate it..." -Then...- "Do you think he could be the puppet of someone behind the scenes?" She reluctantly shrugged. "It could go either way... Knowing the history of the Aetos family, I have my doubts, but the fact they have some sort of influential person or group behind them is a fact I cannot ignore..." Removing the light magic over her eyes, she gave me a worried, but serious look. "Regardless, the fact that this matter involves at least one influential ancient, means that it''s beyond what I''m comfortable letting you get involved in..." -Ah...- Her reasoning was something I couldn''t refute. "But even if you just use me as a taxi, tell me what I need to do to help. I can''t just sit on the sidelines..." -At the very least, I need to learn more about those artifacts...- But she simply fell silent and looked away, as if she knew what I was thinking already. "I will.. consider it..." The next several minutes passed in silence as we continued flying over the seemingly endless ocean. But eventually, she spoke up once again. "Let''s turn inland about here." "Miss Ragnarok, it is good to see you again." A smile came to the face of one of the guards the moment he saw us through the monsoon-like downpour. "It''s good to see you too. It has been a while." "Indeed it has. So what brings you here?" Her slightly forced smile vanished instantly. "I need to meet with Myles. Tell him it''s an emergency." He immediately tensed up. "R-right away!" Quickly running back to the gate, he set his claw against a blue artifact and spoke. "Sir Kalfas, Miss Ragnarok has come to meet with you. She has a guest and is saying it is an emergency." He took his claw off it for a moment before it faintly glowed. "Let them in." The voice was deep but so heavily distorted that it was hard to understand. -They have artifacts that can do that?- I immediately got curious about how the artifact worked but was pulled from my thoughts before I could say or do anything. "Please follow me, young miss." *CLANG-click-click-click-click* As the massive gate opened automatically, Grandmother and I walked in behind the knight and eventually made it to the door of an estate I couldn''t even feel the edges of with my aura. -How big is this place?!- Continuing inside, we came into a massive entry hall a few hundred meters wide and nearly 250 meters tall and were immediately greeted by a young dragon around Krystallo''s age in what could only be described as a draconic maid outfit. "Miss Ragnarok, please follow me." She politely bowed her head before turning around and making her way down a gargantuan hallway. We ended up walking for nearly two kilometers, but eventually, we came up to a massive, 140-meter-tall door. "Sir Kalfas, the guests are here." *Click* Hearing some kind of lock, I looked toward the door and noticed it start to open and reveal a 75-meter-tall violet-scaled ancient wearing a similar maid outfit. But the aura that flooded through the door the moment it opened was what caught me off guard. -What the?!- Feeling an aura that at least rivaled mine, my instincts were heightened to an insane degree. Grandmother noticed my change in demeanor right away, but she was quick to calm me down. "It''s alright, dear." -Are you sure about that!- After waiting another moment for the door to finish opening, the violet-scaled dragon motioned us inside. That was when I was met with a sight I would never forget. Laying on the opposite end of the unbelievably massive room was a bulky and gargantuan dragon, likely close to 125 or 130 meters tall, with flowing blue scales that looked identical to a high-grade mythril. But although his scales were beautiful, the air of strength that surrounded him made me anxious, and his serious expression and sharp aura didn''t help. -Those stories.. were not exaggerations...- Short Break Announcement Short Break Announcement Hey everyone, hope you are all doing well. The purpose of todays announcement is to say that there wont be a chapter today, or Sunday at the very least. Currently, I am in a lull where I just don''t feel super motivated to do much of anything be it classwork or writing, and although its still the start of the semester, I need to give my classwork some priority for a week or so. |-----------------------------| Speaking of longer chapters, some things have been brought to my attention and gotten me thinking, so I will leave a poll and let you all decide which you would prefer. Chapter 239: A Difficult Man Chapter 239: A Difficult Man Mid Evening - Early Winter : Elder Hall, Northern Bahamut* The huge mass of aura in the room made an easily audible noise as it slammed into mine. -An aura that rivals mine.. and...- Looking down at his body, I felt a slight chill. -What a monster...- There was a short moment of silence while Grandmother walked further into the room and picked up a human-sized barrel with a slightly stressed expression. "Your aura is just as oppressive as ever. Don''t you remember how many times it made me feel sick?" *Crunch* Casually biting off the top of the barrel, she exposed the bright red liquid in it. It looked like an elixir, but I couldn''t confirm it. "You handled it well this time. I told you that you would eventually get used to it." He kept his eye on me while he spoke with Grandmother. "That''s not because of you." *Crunch* Another crunch echoed through the room as she chewed and swallowed the rest of the barrel and its contents. "In any case, how are your grandchildren doing?" Slowly sitting up, he lifted his head just enough to be above mine and turned to Grandmother. "I haven''t heard about them for quite some time." "Haah..." Grandmother let out a deep sigh as her aura slowly calmed. "Krystallo is doing well. She is the academy''s top student and is quickly establishing herself as the greatest genius of the next generation among the teachers and students." "Hoh? That''s quite a feat, but I remember you saying that Vasilias was the one to keep my eye on. Since Krystallo is at the top of her class, that must mean he has fallen behind." "Hah-" Her slightly stressed look turned faintly smug as she chucked and looked at him. "Hm? Did I say something funny?" "With the way I described him to you, I expected you to recognize him." She quickly motioned in my direction. "Myles, please meet Vasilias. Vasilias, this is Myles Kalfas, my Father''s closest friend, and the one who controls nearly all the knights all around Bahamut." Immediately picking up on what she wanted me to do, I turned to him and lowered my head slightly. "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Sir Kalfas." It was a tense introduction, but I managed to hide my anxiousness for the most part. "My name is Vasilias Ragnarok." His aura immediately started probing mine even more than before, causing my body to instinctively stiffen up. "And here I was thinking you were simply exaggerating your praises of him..." *creaaak* The flooring around the stone pad he laid on creaked as he carefully stood up. "''Scales as dark as the void''." *creak* "''Enough mana to suffocate a dragon ten times his age''." *creak* "''And an unparalleled magic genius''." *creak* With only a few steps, he closed the distance between us and loomed over me. "In the 2,000 years I have lived, I don''t believe I have met a single dragon worthy of any one of those descriptors..." Slowly lowering his head next to mine, he looked me in the eye with a cold expression that slowly turned angered. "And for the cold and heartless Asimi to be the one spouting high praises... It makes me wonder if you''re the reason she-" "Haah..." He let out a sigh before continuing in a sarcastic tone. "Even if we missed one, do you really think dragons would cooperate with the Holy Kingdom to get it?" *CLUNK-creaaaak* Hearing the door suddenly swing open, I quickly looked over to see an elder in full metal armor breathing heavily. "Hah.. hah... Sir Myles!" Myles'' expression immediately turned sour. "You know you aren''t allowed to-" "Sir Leander and Sir Kerato are fighting at the Elder Hall!" Everyone immediately went wide-eyed as the room fell into silence. *Crunch* Hearing stone shatter, I looked over to see Myles standing up and pulling several jewelry-like artifacts off a nearby shelf. "Haah... Sorry to end our discussion here, Asimi, but it seems an urgent matter has arisen." Recognizing his stance on the situation, she was quick to try and stop him. "No! I''m certain Megalos didn''t pick a fight for no reason! He must be a part of this!" But he just gave her a heartless glance. "Asimi." His cold and stern voice immediately sent a chill down my spine. "If anyone made a deal with the Holy Kingdom or secretly kept around an artifact from back then, it''d be Leander, but if I''ve learned anything in my life, it''d be to never assume anything." He continued as he put on several rings and bands laced with artifacts. "Either of us could be right, or we could both be wrong, but I will find out in a moment regardless." Looking over at Grandmother, I saw her gritting her teeth, completely unable to refute. -So this is how things are landing...- I already knew Grandmother would get mad at me for what I was about to do, but I needed the information he had. "Since this is an urgent matter, let me fly you there." Grandmother immediately froze in place, but Myles gave me a simple glance. "You? Fly me?" A look of scrutiny immediately appeared in his eyes. "Kid, you can''t be seri-" "I can get you there in three minutes." -I can''t take him through the void, but I don''t need to hold back on my thruster magic if I don''t have Grandmother with me...- "I sure hope you didn''t mean to say thirty." Before I knew it, a subtle, sly smile had crept onto his face. "How about we make a bet?" -He''s confident...- "Alright, what are the stakes?" "If I win, you will be my subordinate for the next five years... and if you win, I will personally recognize you as a Ragnarok, and will give you my complete backing and support." His smile had quickly become greedy. "So, how about it?" Although I wasn''t sure what he was planning to get out of having me as a subordinate, the chance of losing the bet didn''t even cross my mind. -Does he really think my confidence is childish?- Rousing my competitive spirit, a smile crept onto my face as well. "Deal." Chapter 240: A District Reduced to Ash and Rubble Chapter 240: A District Reduced to Ash and Rubble Late Evening - Early Winter : Myles Kalfas'' Estate, Northeastern Bahamut - *thump* *thump* *thump* Quickly walking down the hall from Myles'' office with him in tow, I glanced back and gave a light nod to Ilios. Although I could bring him along, I planned to leave him here to protect Grandmother. -I doubt the assassins even know she''s here.. but it''s better to be safe than sorry...- "My lord, do you wish to bring that with you?" A butler came up to us as we came into the main hall. "That won''t be necessary. According to the messenger, it''s only Leander and Megalos; I will be fine without it." His confidence was still overflowing. "Prepare squadrons 1 and 2 and send them to the Elder Hall the moment they''re ready." "As you wish." Watching the man run off, I turned to Myles and noticed confidence still oozing out of him. -Ah, it''s gonna feel nice to wipe that grin off his face...- But although I was also confident, I couldn''t say I wasn''t worried. -It''s nearly 3,000 kilometers to the Elder Hall from here... That means I''d have to travel at about 17 kilometers per second (Mach 50) the entire way, and that doesn''t even take into account the altitude I need...- It was a speed I had barely even touched for more than an instant, but oddly enough, it felt doable. -It''ll be a question of how fast I can accelerate with him...- Quickly wrapping up his conversation with a few nearby maids, he finally turned back to me with a wide smile. "Alright, let''s leave, shall we?" Immediately making our way outside, we came into his massive courtyard, where I abruptly stopped. "This is good enough. Go ahead and change to your humanoid form." His smile turned sly. "If you say so." *flash* The moment the blinding light subsided, I met eyes with an extremely toned draconic man easily over 2 meters tall with an extremely nice outfit and covered in jewelry. -He''s quite tall...- The moment I held my paw out toward him, he scoffed. "I''m a bit heavy, I hope you don''t mind." But it only lasted an instant as he climbed on and noticed me casually pulling him close to my underside. "Use your aura and physically hold on, or else you could fall out." Preemptively accumulating a significant amount of hydrogen around my wings, I helped him get situated and even used a significant amount of my own aura to lock him in place. His overflowing confidence had already started to waver, but I hadn''t even left the ground. "I am ready when you are." "Alright. Hold on." Quickly making sure no one was within several hundred meters, I finally flapped my wings. *fw-WOOOOOSH* Almost instantaneously, we were launched a kilometer in the air, but I wasn''t going to let such precious momentum go to waste. -I should be high enough...- *blub-psh* The instant I ignited the thruster magic, everything went silent, and the estate below us shrank until it was but a small dot. In a matter of seconds, the sun darted back above the horizon, and the skyline curled. Before we could even realize it, we had reached the edge of the atmosphere. -Time to push back the clock.. shall we?- Assuming the air was finally thin enough, I dispersed the hydrogen around my wings and leveled out our flight path. -If I''m not careful, I''ll get hurled into orbit... But this should be good enough...- Cruising at around Mach 20, we were already going insanely fast, but it wasn''t enough. -Time for antimatter...- It was only a fraction of an instant before Megalos locked eyes with me, but I was already too close for him to dodge. *Clack* Locking my claws in his teeth, I pulled his breath toward the ground before slamming into him and biting into his wing. *WHAAAAM* His huge body was slammed into the molten ground instantly, partially melting many of his scales and covering his back in molten rock. *shik* Using the recoil of hitting the ground, my teeth finally punctured the scales covering his wing and reached the bone. I didn''t hesitate to blast earth mana into it the instant I could. *CRUUNCH* But although I managed to shatter the bone completely, it stood strong, held in place by several strands of divinity. -He has that much?!- I immediately went to pull away, but before I could do anything, I felt a burning sensation in my side. -SH*T!- *CRUNCH* Feeling two of my ribs shatter and my flesh getting shredded, I gritted my teeth and jumped off him. *shik* His blood-covered claw ripped out of my side with a stream of blood quickly following it. *tssss* The blood turned to vapor as it poured out of my side and onto the nearly-molten ground. -Tch... It''s deep...- Although it was nothing life-threatening, it was a wound I couldn''t ignore. -But he''s going to be worse...- Looking over at Megalos, I watched him carefully fold in his broken wing while using earth magic to break off the molten rock that solidified on his back. He was bleeding from the mouth and all across his body where I dug my claws into him, but none of the wounds were too deep. Not yet at least. *FWOOOSH* Hurling myself back at him, I used my aura to pin his leg to the ground and gripped it before driving my other claw into his chest. *CRUNCH-SHIK* My claws punctured his scales and skin in an instant, letting me immediately slam my weight down on the inside of his rib cage. *CRUNCH* Several of his ribs shattered instantly, but even though the divinity kept me from ripping through them, his body was still slammed into the ground. "This is the end, Megalos." I was in a complete position of power. There was nothing he could do to get out of the situation. At least that''s what I thought. *vwowowowoom* Out of nowhere, a warped cloud appeared just in front of me. -What...- But before I could even react to it, I felt as if I could see a human hand reach toward me. That was the moment when it felt like the world collapsed around me. *WHHHHHAM* Every remaining building within several hundred meters was crushed and reduced to rubble instantly, with my body slamming into the ground so hard my legs, wings, and ribs all shattered. It sent an unfathomable pain through my body as the divinity holding my legs together strained to stay in one piece. But that was when I heard Megalos speak through heavy breaths. "This is indeed the end.. Leander... Haah... The end for you." Chapter 241: A Ripened Fruit Chapter 241: A Ripened Fruit Late Evening - Early Winter : Northeastern Bahamut - *RUMBLEEE* The violent rumble of my thrusters filled the air as I blasted them in front of me, hoping to slow down some. But slowing down from nearly Mach 60 was no simple feat. Even with thrusters large enough to easily sustain me at my usual Mach 15, I was only barely slowing down. -It''s working well enough, at least...- Looking up at the horizon, nearly 500 kilometers away, I saw a town full of lights and countless colossal buildings, with one, in particular, standing out. -That must be it...- The light was so warped by the atmosphere that it was a bit hard to tell exactly what the town and structure were, but it lined up with my mental map perfectly. -500 kilometers to the Elder Hall...- Glancing back at Myles, who was still awestruck, I decided to ask how and where he wanted me to land. "Myles, where do you want me to-" But I couldn''t even finish before the horizon lit up. *flash* -Huh?- At first, it was only two small, bright dots, but in a matter of seconds, those dots turned into massive beams that eventually collided to form what could only be described as a portal to hell. The wall of fire and molten rock stretched well over a kilometer in every direction, with massive chunks of molten material being flung over five kilometers like sparks from a stoked flame, quickly spreading the destruction to the town around the Elder Hall. But that was when I noticed that the wall of fire wasn''t outside of the town, to begin with. -Wait a minute...- The area around the wall of fire, now well-lit and easily visible, showed the complete and utter destruction of everything down to rubble, with only a handful of buildings remaining. "What..." Myles spoke as he looked toward the horizon with wide eyes. But his shock only lasted an instant. "Kid, how fast can you get us there?!" "30 seconds!" "Make it 15!" Almost instantly, I felt his aura wrap around my whole body, clinging to each scale individually before he started frantically activating his countless artifacts. -He''s actually serious...- Quickly crunching numbers to figure out the speed I needed, I dissipated the thruster magic again and resorted to antimatter. *FLASH-FWOOOOOSH* The sun-like light from the antimatter illuminated the ground beneath us again as we darted toward the horizon. It was only an instant later that Myles yelled out again. "Alright kid, I need you to do me a favor! When we get within 100 kilometers, I want you to drop me and go to the Elder Hall!" *vwooom* -Is you insane?! You want me to drop you when we''re going this fast?!- "If it''s someone you can''t fight, just run, but I need you to check on the Elder Hall members and try to make sure they are safe!" "Ah..." -Shit...- Feeling like refusing wasn''t an option, and hoping he actually understood how fast we were going, I reluctantly nodded and turned downward slightly. "After I drop you, don''t spread your wings or you could break them." I squinted my eyes slightly as suppressed anger came to my face. "Are you Holcyon Aetos by any chance?" But as if not caring about me, he smiled. "I am indeed." -I reminded you of someone who should be dead, huh...- *crunch* The ground cracked as I started walking toward him. "Could I hear more about how the person you mistook me for died?" His smile faded in an instant as he noticed my intent. "Young man, I''m not sure how you are involved in this, but since you helped me out quite a bit, I will spare you. However, I suggest you get running before I change my mind." But I didn''t budge. "Unfortunately, that won''t be happening." -No one touches those close to me...- "Haah..." He let out a sigh as he relaxed his body. "Youngsters these days really are quite arrogant, aren''t they..." As he lowered his head, he awkwardly shifted his wing. -A signal?- *CRUNCH* Hearing the ground shatter behind me, I glanced over to see another mid-size ancient that was a similar size to the woman. His face oozed aggression and killing intent, causing the woman next to me to tense up. "Erpo.. don''t do this..." She looked incredibly stressed. "Agatha, I apologize since my hatred isn''t aimed toward you, but I don''t expect you to forgive me in the afterlife. Please just accept your fate." *CRACK* Vanishing from where he was, he appeared next to the woman with his jaws about to clamp on her neck. *CRACKLE* The noise of scales shattering echoed through the courtyard, and as if signaled by it, innumerable bright orange glows arose within the surrounding crowd. -Huh?- "Everyone," Holcyon''s voice filled the air like a devil''s whisper. "It''s time we reach for the fruit." -Wha..- *FWOOOOOOSH* In an instant, countless flames filled the air, engulfing the dragons controlling the crowd. As I watched the scene with wide eyes as Holcyon''s paw raised over my head. But instead of wearing a smile, a look of anger, or even spite, he gave me a look of pity. "Your prayers will fall on deaf ears." It was the look that finally made me snap. "Maybe in your next life, you will have the pleasure of worshiping a god that will respond..." My pupils dilated the moment I locked eyes with him. "What good would praying do..." *CRUNCH* The ground shattered beneath my feet as he slammed his paw down onto my head, but my head didn''t lower at all. His eyes slowly widened with fear. "What reason does a god have to pray..." Chapter 242: The Realm of The Unrivaled Chapter 242: The Realm of The Unrivaled Late Evening - Early Winter : Northeastern Bahamut - - Myles Kalfas ~ (Back Several Minutes) *vwoop-vwoom-pop* Hastily activating the several artifacts on my fingers, I felt a huge suction pulling mana from my reserve to my hands and tapped Vasilias''s paw. "Vasilias, drop me." *fwip-Fwooosh* Immediately getting tossed behind him by his aura, I relaxed my body and changed to my dragon form. *FLASH-FWOOOOSH* As my body grew too large to hide behind Vasilias, I was met with immense pressure from the wind, but I didn''t have much time to think about it. *fwip-WHAM-CRACKK* The moment Vasilias pulled away, a wall of air stronger than iron slammed into my body with a deafening crack. An immediate, indescribable sensation wrapped around my body as if I were flying through a block of metal, but as I locked eyes on the two ancients in the distance, my mind blocked out my surroundings. But that was when he appeared. *puff* Just behind Megalos was the cloudy figure of a human, a figure I knew all too well. "THAT BASTARD IS BEHIND THIS?!" As I yelled out, I saw him reach toward Leander. -SH*T!- *VWOOOOM-CRACKLE* Everything within a kilometer of the figure instantaneously slammed into the ground, with only Megalos being the only exception. Before I knew it, a fire had appeared in my eyes, and as I quickly closed in, I watched the cloudy figure look in my direction and disappear, leaving Megalos alone, holding his paw in the air over Leander. "OH, NO YOU DON''T!" "..the end for you." *CRAAAACK-WHAAAM* Megalos was instantly slammed into the ground and sent bouncing across the ground, quickly exiting the circle of destruction and plowing through countless buildings. *CRRUUUUUNCHHHHH* The ground shook violently from the impact, quickly spreading even more destruction to the Elder''s District. But now I had slowed down enough to control myself. "THAT. IS. ENOUGH!" *WHHHHHHAAAMMMM* Slamming straight down onto Megalos, I pinned him against the ground and prepared some magic. "M..Myles Kal-" *CRUNCH* The moment he tried to speak, I sent a spell-backed stomp down onto his leg, completely shattering everything in it before ripping it off, leaving only loose strings of divinity sticking out. "ARGGGGHH!" He immediately let out a scream, but I didn''t care in the slightest. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! YOU CAN''T-" *CRACK* Effortlessly biting into his neck, I ripped him out of the ground and hurled him back in Leander''s direction. *FWOOOOSH* *WHAM* *Crunch-CRACKLE* As he slowly stopped bouncing across the ground, he tried to recover and stand up, but immediately fell over as if yet to realize he was missing a leg. "W-what are you doing here?!" *shik-FWOOOSH* Throwing him again, I watched him slam into the ground with a cold and heartless expression. - Vasilias ~ (Back A Couple Minutes) "Maybe in your next life, you will have the pleasure of worshiping a god that will respond..." My pupils dilated the moment I locked eyes with him. "What good would praying do..." *WHAM-CRUNCH* The ground shattered beneath my feet as he slammed his paw down onto my head, but my head didn''t lower at all. His eyes slowly widened with fear the longer he looked at me. "What reason does a god have to pray..." *WHAAAM* His body slammed into the ground instantly, creating a web of cracks that quickly spread throughout the courtyard. "You know, I was originally going to kill you immediately after finding out whether you really sent those assassins or not, but now you''ve caught my attention." I gently set my paw on his shoulder as my aura kept him pinned to the ground. "The god that you worship isn''t Bahamut, is it?" A slightly crazed look came to my face as I looked into his eyes. "Y-you dare c-call yourself.. a god?" He spoke with a strained voice. "W-what kind of bullsh-" *WHAAAMMM* The entire courtyard shook violently as it shattered and sank into the ground, causing the entrance of the Elder Hall behind me to collapse. *Crumble-THUD* "AAAGHHH!" Holcyon let out a scream through his teeth as I pulled my bloody paw out of what used to be his shoulder. "Now, let me ask again..." This time lowering my head next to his, the glow between my scales gained a blue hue. "Who is that god you worship-" "What is going on here?!" Hearing an unfamiliar, deep voice, I lifted my gaze off Holcyon and looked toward the destroyed entrance to the Elder Hall. Running down the hallway was a large golden dragon with a furious expression. -He must be a member of the council.- As he neared the entrance and saw the destruction and the countless dragons fighting in the fire around the edge of the courtyard, his expression worsened. But it wasn''t until he looked at me that things turned for the worst. Holcyon gave the dragon a pitiful, pleading expression, and almost immediately, the golden dragon tensed up. "To think a single half-breed could raise suck a ruckus!" As he lowered his body and got ready to lunge at me, I noticed a sly smile come to Holcyon''s face. -He must have gone insane from the pain...- *FWOOOSH* Instantly closing the distance between us, I watched as the golden dragon tried to drive his claws into my back. *clink* But they just slid off, leaving only a small scratch, as if they were a dull knife hitting a block of steel. *Crunch-CRACK-FWOOOSH* Smacking him across the face with my tail, I sent him flying into the surrounding crowd of brawling dragons before turning back to Holcyon with a crazed smile. "Now, where was I?" Temporary Temporary I can promise the chapter will not disappoint! This announcement will be deleted tomorrow when the chapter is uploaded Chapter 243: The Sound of Death Chapter 243: The Sound of Death Late Evening - Early Winter : Northeastern Bahamut - *clink* *Crunch-CRACK-FWOOOSH* The scales on the dragon''s face shattered like clay as my tail sent him flying into the crowd of dragons a couple hundred meters away. "Now, where was I?" The air turned cold as I shifted my gaze back toward Holcyon. He immediately paled from fear. "How about you tell me about that god you worship?" My expression slowly turned crazed as I loomed over him. He immediately looked toward the crowd, as if to look for someone. But that wasn''t the answer to my question. *tap-CRUUUNCH* His paw crunched like a bundle of sticks as I stepped on it. "AAGH!" He immediately grit his teeth as his expression turned angry. "You b-bastard!" He stuttered as he pushed through the pain. "You didn''t even let me answer!" I calmly lowered my head next to his, so he had to look into my eyes. "Maybe if you didn''t look to signal someone in the crowd, I would have given you more time." *cRaCkLe* "Ack..." He gritted his teeth again as I put more weight onto his paw. "Now, how about you start with their name?" "W-why would I tell that.. to a dead man?" A smile slowly crept onto his face as he spoke. I almost wanted to laugh. "You can''t be serious, right?" *CRACKLE* His shin broke like a twig as I moved my paw forward. "You really think someone can save you here?" "TCH-... Bastards like you.. who refuse to open your eyes.. will always fall to the strong." A smile quickly came to my face as I noticed his confidence. "You better pray your god personally comes to save you then." *cRaCkLe* A bloody mist appeared over my head before small pieces of flesh, bones, clothes, and the shattered remains of a metal sword fell to the ground around me. "Because I can guarantee no one else is strong enough." His face paled before my attention turned to something else. *ding-cling* Looking toward the noise, I saw a golden band rolling off my body from the human I had just killed. On the band, there was an insignia I had come to know quite well recently. -The Holy Kingdom...- The moment I thought of the name, over a dozen more people with their presences concealed dashed at me. -Humans really are overconfident... No matter the world...- But even though the divinity spread through my body faster than light, it still wasn''t quick enough. *tink-VWOOOOM-BAAAAAAAANNNNNGGGG* The Elder Hall melted instantaneously before the shockwave sent the molten rock hurtling into the town at an astonishing speed and sank the whole area into a crater. *fwoooossshhh-crackle-blub* Air rushed through the area as it eagerly tried to find equilibrium within the blazing plasma. *pft-splat-thump* Almost falling over, I caught myself with a haze filling my mind. -I''m.. alive...- My reserve had barely one percent of what it did just a single second ago, and my body felt like it was on fire. But oddly enough, as the haze started to clear, I felt confident I could make due. -To throw me like that.. that god must be tethered to a physical body nearby...- *crackle-thump* *thump* *thump* Quickly recollecting myself, I slowly made my way out of the crater and met eyes with Holcyon and the figure with him. This time the god''s body had the clear form of a man in archaic-looking armor, and I could even partially see his expression. He simply stood there, paralyzed with wide eyes, as I walked out of the crater with a smile slowly creeping on my face. But that was when he vanished from where he was and appeared next to me without uttering a word. *vwwooop* A glove of divinity formed around his hand as an invisibly small string in the air seemed to supply him with the mana to make use of it. -A.. tether?- *WHAAAMMMMM* The molten crater exploded the moment his hand hit me, sending a huge shockwave into the town and causing the whole area to sink further into the ground. It was a hit that I expected to do a number on me. But I stood there with a crazed expression after having my head only recoil slightly. "To think you''d willingly show me your tether!" His eyes instantly widened with fear as I looked over toward two ancients who had ceased their fighting and were staring at me. "To think a god can form a tether with a dragon!" *FWO-CRAAAACKKK* I instantly vanished from where I was before appearing next to the ancient named Erpo. "Sorry to interrupt!" *Fwip-CRAACK-VWOOOOM* Driving my paw into his side, his bones and scales shattered as if they were never there, before causing a violent explosion of mana as his reserve ruptured and shredded his tether with the god *CRACK-FWOOOOOOOSH* Seeing the dragon hurtling toward the horizon well past Mach, I darted back to the god, who now had a massive chunk of his body missing. "You know! Killing gods is pretty fun!" The glow between my scales turned bright blue instantly the moment I aimed up at him. His eyes widened as he sat there, seemingly unable to move. "SKULD YOU LYING WHOR-" *FLASH* An instantaneous flash caused the night sky to turn white before a beam that absorbed and annihilated everything followed it. *BBBBRRRRRRRRRRRMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM* The noise echoed through the area countless times faster and farther than sound as the beam stretched into the sky like a beacon. Even dragons over 500 kilometers away could hear and see the beam with ease as it stretched toward the stars before turning bright once more and illuminating the world like a rising sun. The deep and chilling noise that countless dragons heard that day quickly earned it a name that would become known all throughout Bahamut, before the news of what happened could even spread. It became known as the Sound of Death. Chapter 244: Devils Temptation Chapter 244: Devil''s Temptation Early Morning - Early Winter : Northeastern Bahamut - "SKULD YOU LYING WHOR-" *FLASH* *BBBBRRRRRRRRRRRMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM* The whole planet shook violently as a beam so hot it could turn steel to gas instantaneously reached far out of the atmosphere. But it quickly died down. *MMMMmmmmm* As the beam thinned, a glowing pillar of plasma that stretched to the edge of the atmosphere was revealed and remained still and unchanging like a beacon. "Hooh..." I let out a quick breath as my head fell toward the ground. *TSSSSSSS-blub-THUMP* The pool of molted rock I stood in splashed as I caught myself from falling over. "Haaaaah..." My breathing was heavy, and my head was still spinning after turning nearly my entire reserve into divinity, but after using that antimatter spell, I was essentially running on fumes. -Thank goodness antimatter is so efficient...- Quickly thinning my reserve as much as possible, a colossal stream of mana started flowing into me, but it could barely be considered a drop every few seconds. -But as long as no one else picks a fight I can''t settle physically... I should be alright...- Finally taking a moment to look at my unfamiliar, molten surroundings, I noticed I was embedded in a crater nearly a hundred meters deep and several hundred meters wide. "Haah..." But while it was huge, a part of me was surprised it wasn''t bigger. -I guess the crater was purely from residual heat though...- Not feeling energetic enough to fly, I looked around to try and orient myself before starting to walk out of the crater. -I wonder how many people survived the heat wave...- *thump* *thump* *thump* Finally cresting the edge of the crater, I was immediately met with the stares of the several dozen dragons still at the edge of the courtyard only a couple hundred meters away. Surprisingly, almost none of them looked like they had any kind of injuries from the heat, with only a handful having char marks that were likely from Holcyons group''s breaths. -Did the fires from those breaths end up protecting them?- Quickly scanning over the crowd, I checked to make sure no one else was going to pick a fight before looking toward where I left Holcyon, somewhere only a few dozen meters from the edge of the crater. -He really is like a cockroach...- After watching him desperately crawl away with his last functioning leg for a moment, I finally made my way over. *thump* *thump* *thump* *thump* But as if he couldn''t even feel the vibrations of my steps, he didn''t stop to look toward me. "I knew you acted and fought like a bug.. but to think you''d even crawl like one." *CRUNCH* His last remaining leg snapped like a twig as he pushed extra hard on it. "Mmm..." *thud* I stood over him as he fell to the ground, only noticing that his melted scales had locked his mouth, nose, and eyes shut after another moment. -That''s no good...- *crackle* Holding one of my claws near his mouth, I thoughtlessly used the residual heat around my body to melt his scales again. It was only an instant later that his mouth shot open with a gasp for air. *GASP* "ACK-" Almost instantly after gasping though, he vomited up a pool of crimson blood that boiled the moment it touched the ground. *tsssss* But my heartless expression remained unchanged. "Even if you were not injured at all, you couldn''t run from me... Give up." The weight on his broken leg eased almost immediately. "You.. monster..." He looked like he was finally accepting his fate, but I had no plans to let him die so soon. "Call me whatever you like. I couldn''t care less about how you view me." I paused and looked at him like I was looking at a bug before deciding to continue. "That god. What was his name?" "Hah.. hah.. T..Tyr..." His voice was incredibly strained and sounded completely different from earlier, likely from the heat wave burning his passageways. "The.. god of war..." - - Skuld, The Goddess of Oracles ~ *fwoooooosh* A steady breeze blew through me while I looked over the ocean, but I couldn''t feel a thing. It felt horrible. Having not felt a cool breeze or even a mortal''s touch in well over ten thousand years, there was nothing I wanted more than to feel something besides emotion. But such was the cost of being a god. -''Losing everything that makes you mortal'', huh... I didn''t really think about it back then...- Pulling up and hugging my legs, I set my head on them and watched as the black horizon was slowly lit up by the rising sun behind me. -I wonder if any of my family were in that first group to reincarnate...- *Vwoop* An odd noise cut off my thought as a heavily suppressed presence appeared behind me. "You look guilty." Her voice was smooth and soothing. "It''s not about what you think..." "Hoh? You aren''t guilty about sending Tyr to his death?" Slowly looking over my shoulder, I met eyes with a black-haired woman with beauty that rivaled Freya. "I told him the oracle I saw at the time... That oracle was simply wrong..." "Huhu~, how could that be? Your Oracles view the fate of the future, don''t they?" I gave her a look of skepticism before turning back to the horizon. "Why are you here..." She paused before walking up next to me. "I came with a proposition." -Hm?- "There is a young demihuman girl that has been making quite a name for herself in recent years." "I''m not going to kill her if that''s where you''re going." "No, not quite. She just recently arrived in the Holy Kingdom." A smile crept onto her face as she spoke. "Convince Odin to take her in as the hero..." "You know how much Odin hates demi-" "..and I will help you create a body that can feel." Chapter 255: The Artifacts Doing Chapter 255: The Artifact''s Doing Late Morning - Early Winter : Outskirts of Fae, Holy Kingdom - - Unknown Noble ~ (Same as Ch. 235) "Uwaah..." I let out a yawn as I looked out the window of the carriage and into the forest. -I wonder what that tremor last night was from...- The night prior, we were camping on the roadside and eating our dinner before we planned to lay down and get some rest, but out of nowhere, the carriage started to rattle slightly and an extremely faint vibration could be felt, but it didn''t seem to be coming from the ground. It was nothing like anything anyone in my escort group had ever experienced to the point that we struggled to call it a tremor, but we eventually came to the conclusion it was some monsters fighting off in the distance and decided to pack things back up and get on the road. -But that.. mercenary has been acting weirdly ever since...- Looking forward out the window, I saw the small, black-robed figure tightly hugging her cloth-wrapped blade. -Just who is she...- "Are you alright, young lord?" The voice of the maid who came with me snapped me out of my thoughts in an instant. "Ah, uh, yes. I''m fine." I felt like I was on the verge of falling asleep, but I had to stay up. "This carriage can be slept in if you wish to rest. The seats pull out, and there is a cushion and blanket in the cabinet behind the backrest-" "The knight captain told me not to fall asleep in case something happens..." "That was nearly three hours ago, young lord... The monsters we felt fighting should be far behind us by now." I paused as I turned to look at her, quickly noticing her worried look. "Father taught me not to rest without the knights. If I rest without them, I won''t have any idea how tired they are..." Although I thought it was a bit of a dumb rule, I could somewhat understand it. -Regardless, it is true that we are in Orc territory... I guess it couldn''t hurt to stay alert...- Right as I thought that though, a faint but growing vibration could be felt. *rrrrumble* The frantic voices of everyone outside sounded through the carriage immediately as I looked out the window to see two knights blocking the door to the carriage with their horses. -What is...- "Young Lord! Please lay down! You mustn''t let anyone or anything outside know you are in-" *rrrrrrummmbleee-crunch-crackle* The noise of trees collapsing followed the approaching rumble before the door to the carriage was broken open. "Young lord!" It was the head knight. "Get on my horse! Hurry! There is a stampede!" The maid and I both paled instantly as she hastily got me up and moved me to the door. "Young Lord you need to hurry!" Without being able to say a word, the head knight casually grabbed me as if I weighed nothing and set me behind him on his horse. "Kid, hold on to me!" But instead of dashing ahead or running away when I gripped onto his cold metal armor, he stayed still next to the carriage and frantically looked around. That was when a man in light leather armor came sprinting out of the woods. His look of panic only made my mind go blank with fear. "Captain! It''s orcs!" "WHAT?!" The head knight yelled out instantly. "Why would orcs create a stampede?!" "They didn''t create one!" He paused as he frantically looked over his shoulder. "They ARE the stampede!" Thankfully, even though my reserve was almost empty, I had more than enough mana to sustain my body''s function even if I couldn''t absorb mana for a couple months, but this didn''t numb the feeling of mana exhaustion at all. "Ugh..." -At least Myles took the flak for me...- Back when Myles landed next to me, he quickly silenced the crowd and essentially erased my influence from the whole event. -Now the gods will target him, and I can continue to lie low for the time being...- But just as I thought that, the idea of checking out the ''ancient wreckage'' in the mountains of the Holy Kingdom crossed my mind. -The gods don''t seem to be able to sense what I am, so.. maybe I can sneak over there...- As I looked down though, I saw a large dragon with two children who could only barely be 10 years old trailing behind. The children smiled brightly as the mother slowed down to let them catch their breath on her back. Without even realizing it, I started smiling. -I wonder how everyone is doing...- But my smile didn''t last too long. "~Every time I see you, I get more jealous...~" -Wow, not having a lot of aura is really bad... I didn''t sense her at all...- "Can you not stand on my head?" I tilted my head slightly to look up at the cloudy figure. -She''s still cloudy compared to Tyr... Does that mean she''s weaker than him?- "~You know it''s not nice to look at me like I''m some weak being...~" She casually floated out in front of me, perfectly keeping up with my pace. "~I''m a goddess, you know.~" "Uh-huh..." I agreed with some sarcasm before seeing her cross her arms. "So what is it you want this time?" "~Can I not simply visit you to chat?~" "Why would some ten-thousand-year-old goddess want to simply chat with me... Especially a human one..." -She is definitely only helping me because she has something to gain... I just don''t know what it is...- I squinted my eyes slightly as I spoke. "~Haah, Im not sure whether to agree or be offended...~" She mumbled under her breath before looking me in the eye. "~Regardless, since you aren''t in a playful mood, I''ll get to the point.~" She paused as if waiting for a reaction from me before continuing. "~When you kill a god, you essentially shred their soul and scatter it in that.. other dimension.~" "Yeah, and?" "~Well, I might be able to absorb the remnants of their souls even if their divinity has already been devoured... By now, there should be no impurities left in the soul fragments at all, so I should be able to absorb them with no side effects...~" A bad feeling came to my gut in an instant. "You can''t seriously think I''m that stupid, right?" -She''s out of her mind if she thinks I''ll even consider that...- "~You are impossible to fool... I already learned that years ago...~" She let out a quick breath before giving me a serious look. "~This isn''t a thoughtless request...~" After squinting my eyes for a moment, I decided to at least hear her out. "So, what do I stand to gain?" "~If you let me absorb the soul fragments, I will be able to better assist you in your growth...~" Seeing me not convinced, she quickly continued. "Even after absorbing the soul fragments, I will be far too weak to even scratch your scales.. plus, you cannot absorb the fragments yourself, so you have nothing to lose...~" -Hm?- "Why couldn''t I absorb them?" "~Because...~" She immediately started clamming up. "~You don''t exactly have a soul to absorb the fragments...~" My whole body tensed instantaneously as the fog clouding my mind cleared. "That''s not possible. Every living being must have a soul." "~Yes, that is correct, but your soul isn''t in your body...~" She promptly continued seeing my look of disbelief. "~That artifact you touched right after you hatched.. although I don''t know everything it did, I know for a fact it detached your soul from your body... It''s actually one of the reasons you''re still alive...~" I paused as I looked at her with a threatening glare. "I''m going to need you to give me some details... Don''t even think about running off this time..." "~I won''t.~" She put up her hands with a calm expression. "~It''s about time you learned anyway...~" Chapter 245: The Artifacts Doing Chapter 245: The Artifact''s Doing Late Morning - Early Winter : Outskirts of Fae, Holy Kingdom - - Unknown Noble ~ (Same as Ch. 235) "Uwaah..." I let out a yawn as I looked out the window of the carriage and into the forest. -I wonder what that tremor last night was from...- The night prior, we were camping on the roadside and eating our dinner before we planned to lay down and get some rest, but out of nowhere, the carriage started to rattle slightly and an extremely faint vibration could be felt, but it didn''t seem to be coming from the ground. It was nothing like anything anyone in my escort group had ever experienced to the point that we struggled to call it a tremor, but we eventually came to the conclusion it was some monsters fighting off in the distance and decided to pack things back up and get on the road. -But that.. mercenary has been acting weirdly ever since...- Looking forward out the window, I saw the small, black-robed figure tightly hugging her cloth-wrapped blade. -Just who is she...- "Are you alright, young lord?" The voice of the maid who came with me snapped me out of my thoughts in an instant. "Ah, uh, yes. I''m fine." I felt like I was on the verge of falling asleep, but I had to stay up. "This carriage can be slept in if you wish to rest. The seats pull out, and there is a cushion and blanket in the cabinet behind the backrest-" "The knight captain told me not to fall asleep in case something happens..." "That was nearly three hours ago, young lord... The monsters we felt fighting should be far behind us by now." I paused as I turned to look at her, quickly noticing her worried look. "Father taught me not to rest without the knights. If I rest without them, I won''t have any idea how tired they are..." Although I thought it was a bit of a dumb rule, I could somewhat understand it. -Regardless, it is true that we are in Orc territory... I guess it couldn''t hurt to stay alert...- Right as I thought that though, a faint but growing vibration could be felt. *rrrrumble* The frantic voices of everyone outside sounded through the carriage immediately as I looked out the window to see two knights blocking the door to the carriage with their horses. -What is...- "Young Lord! Please lay down! You mustn''t let anyone or anything outside know you are in-" *rrrrrrummmbleee-crunch-crackle* The noise of trees collapsing followed the approaching rumble before the door to the carriage was broken open. "Young lord!" It was the head knight. "Get on my horse! Hurry! There is a stampede!" The maid and I both paled instantly as she hastily got me up and moved me to the door. "Young Lord you need to hurry!" Without being able to say a word, the head knight casually grabbed me as if I weighed nothing and set me behind him on his horse. "Kid, hold on to me!" But instead of dashing ahead or running away when I gripped onto his cold metal armor, he stayed still next to the carriage and frantically looked around. That was when a man in light leather armor came sprinting out of the woods. His look of panic only made my mind go blank with fear. "Captain! It''s orcs!" "WHAT?!" The head knight yelled out instantly. "Why would orcs create a stampede?!" "They didn''t create one!" He paused as he frantically looked over his shoulder. "They ARE the stampede!" Thankfully, even though my reserve was almost empty, I had more than enough mana to sustain my body''s function even if I couldn''t absorb mana for a couple months, but this didn''t numb the feeling of mana exhaustion at all. "Ugh..." -At least Myles took the flak for me...- Back when Myles landed next to me, he quickly silenced the crowd and essentially erased my influence from the whole event. -Now the gods will target him, and I can continue to lie low for the time being...- But just as I thought that, the idea of checking out the ''ancient wreckage'' in the mountains of the Holy Kingdom crossed my mind. -The gods don''t seem to be able to sense what I am, so.. maybe I can sneak over there...- As I looked down though, I saw a large dragon with two children who could only barely be 10 years old trailing behind. The children smiled brightly as the mother slowed down to let them catch their breath on her back. Without even realizing it, I started smiling. -I wonder how everyone is doing...- But my smile didn''t last too long. "~Every time I see you, I get more jealous...~" -Wow, not having a lot of aura is really bad... I didn''t sense her at all...- "Can you not stand on my head?" I tilted my head slightly to look up at the cloudy figure. -She''s still cloudy compared to Tyr... Does that mean she''s weaker than him?- "~You know it''s not nice to look at me like I''m some weak being...~" She casually floated out in front of me, perfectly keeping up with my pace. "~I''m a goddess, you know.~" "Uh-huh..." I agreed with some sarcasm before seeing her cross her arms. "So what is it you want this time?" "~Can I not simply visit you to chat?~" "Why would some ten-thousand-year-old goddess want to simply chat with me... Especially a human one..." -She is definitely only helping me because she has something to gain... I just don''t know what it is...- I squinted my eyes slightly as I spoke. "~Haah, Im not sure whether to agree or be offended...~" She mumbled under her breath before looking me in the eye. "~Regardless, since you aren''t in a playful mood, I''ll get to the point.~" She paused as if waiting for a reaction from me before continuing. "~When you kill a god, you essentially shred their soul and scatter it in that.. other dimension.~" "Yeah, and?" "~Well, I might be able to absorb the remnants of their souls even if their divinity has already been devoured... By now, there should be no impurities left in the soul fragments at all, so I should be able to absorb them with no side effects...~" A bad feeling came to my gut in an instant. "You can''t seriously think I''m that stupid, right?" -She''s out of her mind if she thinks I''ll even consider that...- "~You are impossible to fool... I already learned that years ago...~" She let out a quick breath before giving me a serious look. "~This isn''t a thoughtless request...~" After squinting my eyes for a moment, I decided to at least hear her out. "So, what do I stand to gain?" "~If you let me absorb the soul fragments, I will be able to better assist you in your growth...~" Seeing me not convinced, she quickly continued. "Even after absorbing the soul fragments, I will be far too weak to even scratch your scales.. plus, you cannot absorb the fragments yourself, so you have nothing to lose...~" -Hm?- "Why couldn''t I absorb them?" "~Because...~" She immediately started clamming up. "~You don''t exactly have a soul to absorb the fragments...~" My whole body tensed instantaneously as the fog clouding my mind cleared. "That''s not possible. Every living being must have a soul." "~Yes, that is correct, but your soul isn''t in your body...~" She promptly continued seeing my look of disbelief. "~That artifact you touched right after you hatched.. although I don''t know everything it did, I know for a fact it detached your soul from your body... It''s actually one of the reasons you''re still alive...~" I paused as I looked at her with a threatening glare. "I''m going to need you to give me some details... Don''t even think about running off this time..." "~I won''t.~" She put up her hands with a calm expression. "~It''s about time you learned anyway...~" Chapter 246: A Deadly Seed of Doubt Chapter 246: A Deadly Seed of Doubt Early Afternoon - Early Winter : Northeastern Bahamut going to need you to give me some details..." I gave the goddess a threatening glare as I carefully watched her body language. "Don''t even think about running off this time..." But instead of looking to run away, she lowered her head and raised her arms. "~I won''t.~" Her demeanor quickly shifted as her voice turned anxious. "~It''s about time you learned anyway...~" *fwoosh* *fwoosh* fwoosh* The loud flapping of my wings filled the air as she paused. "~Do you.. remember anything from before you were born as Vasilias Ragnarok?~" I tensed up immediately as I questioned how to respond. -I should probably be careful with what I say...- "I remember a few things..." I expected her to go somewhat wide-eyed, but to my surprise, she just looked at the ground with a dark expression. "~Then you must remember that horrible sensation right before you were born as well... The feeling of your existence being eaten...~" My eyes went wide. "Y..yeah.. I do." At that moment, every other concern in my mind vanished. -She really knows something...- "~That sensation you felt was your soul being eaten by the realm you have come to call the void... You were truly lucky to survive with a remaining sense of self...~" She rubbed her arm like she was speaking on a bad memory. Assuming she already knew the implications of that realm, I decided to take a shot in the dark. "You.. also came here from a different world.. didn''t you..." She paused before reluctantly nodding. "~I don''t remember much of it, but I remember that I was a god.. a strong one at that... Just like you...~" -Huh?- I was slightly taken aback. "What makes you think I was a god?" "~You must be kidding... A mortal being can''t have a soul remotely as horrifying as yours... Your''s rivals a being in my home world, which we all naively considered the one above all... He was simply called God.~" -What? My soul is that strong? But.. how...- Although most of my previous life''s memories had become foggy with time, it was true that I still vividly remembered everything from my death as a human to my birth as a dragon. -I was most definitely not a god...- But that only raised the question... -So how do I have the soul of one?- But while I was slowly spiraling down into an unfathomable rabbit hole within my mind, the goddess continued. "~Your soul was essentially in tatters when I first saw you. The soul of a god with no form, and no ability to resist... You were essentially a massive ball of strength that could be absorbed and turned into my own at any moment... But as time passed.. your soul somehow started to repair itself and morph into something new.. something truly scary...~" My eyes went wide as I finally confirmed it. -So she really is the woman from..- "Ack..." A searing pain rushed through my head as I thought back to my first dragon sleep. The goddess instantly got nervous though. "~Ugh.. I will be quick...~" Hastily looking around, she found a scattered pale cloud not far away and floated over to it. "~This place is just as unpleasant as I remember...~" As soon as she reached out to it, it slowly began to twitch and change shape before being pulled into her palm. Her figure started to change almost instantly, becoming significantly more defined and gaining some faint colors. "Hoooh..." Even her voice was much clearer than it had been. But what caught my attention wasn''t her body or her voice. On her back, there were two large, feathered wings that resembled an avian''s, but they were larger, the feathers were much smaller, and above all, they were black. The moment she noticed me looking at them, she folded them inward and made them vanish. "Sorry..." She sounded surprisingly remorseful. "They turned black to remind me of my sins..." -Huh?- I was immediately taken aback. But she continued as if she hadn''t said anything. "Before we go, could you cut off this hand?" She immediately held out her hand which was faintly glowing. "It''s the core of Tyr''s soul, so I can''t absorb it without taking a big risk... It''s better to let the void eat it." "Ah.. alright..." Coating the tip of my claw in space mana, I reached over and swiped it through her wrist. The hand instantly detached from her and turned into a glowing orb before she pulled away and formed a new hand. As the orb started floating away, a faint blue glow formed around it, a sign that the space mana had already begun eating it. It was a sight that once again made me question myself. -It''s only been a few hours, and his soul was already reduced to that small cloud... If I really came to this world through the void.. would the soul of a normal human have really survived?- It was a seed of doubt I couldn''t simply shake off, one that would cause an inconceivable amount of strife. But the goddess noticed right away. "Questioning what or who you are will only cause harm as things are now." I quickly turned to look at her as she slowly floated back toward me. "Who you are, changes at every moment, but the fact that you are you at any given instant is also true. You can''t let questioning who you used to be, bog you down because your past lives are no longer you... If that is too hard to accept, then lock the memories of them away, or else you won''t ever be able to look forward." As she finally made it to me, she turned around and looked out into the void with a slight guilt on her face. "Memories are a tool you can use to learn from, but they can also be a bomb that completely destroys who you are... You simply need to be careful in how you use them..." Chapter 247: Forced Transcendence Chapter 247: Forced Transcendence Mid Afternoon - Early Winter : Northeastern Bahamut - *fwooosh* *fwooosh* *fwooosh-Thud* As I landed in the courtyard of Myles'' estate, I was immediately greeted with the odd looks of everyone nearby before one of the bigger ancients by the gate hastily flew over. "Sir, you must come through the gate." The knight wore a look of confusion as he looked me up and down.Findd new stories at novelhall.com "I left with Myles just this morning. Do I really need another security check?" He paused as he squinted his eyes slightly. "You are.. him?" My face immediately warped with confusion. "Uh, yeah?" -Did they forget my face already? Or is it just because I don''t have much aura right now?- But thankfully, he quickly straightened up after I confirmed it was me. "I apologize for not recognizing you, sir! I hope you may forgive me!" He immediately lowered his head to the point his nose touched the ground "You''re fine." It felt a bit odd seeing such a large dragon bow to me, but I couldn''t say it felt bad. -I guess the scene I made this morning really left an impression...- "Anyway, do you know where Asimi is?" "I believe she is still within the estate. As for where, I am unsure." "Hm... Alright, thanks." -I guess I''ll just ask a maid...- Seeing me turn away, the ancient called out to me one more time. "If there is anything you ever need, you may ask anyone here! We will be happy to assist you!" -Don''t they need to go through Myles for stuff like that?- I questioned it immediately, but at the same time, I wasn''t in any position to complain. "Alright, thanks!" Finally turning back toward the main entrance of the estate, I started making my way across the courtyard and up to the massive double door. -I wonder if Myles would mind me borrowing a room for a couple days...- But as I idly thought to myself and gently opened the door with my wing, I poked my head into the entrance and immediately felt something slam into my nose. *thump* -Hm?- Instantly snapping out of my thoughts, I met eyes with a slightly shrunken Ilios hanging off my nose with his tail wagging so fast it blew up the rug behind him. "Haha, it''s good to see you too, Ilios!" Finally opening the door enough for me to get in, I walked inside and let Ilios climb up onto my head, but I almost immediately noticed something odd. -Why does this room feel.. a little smaller?- And that was when Grandmother rounded the corner. "I figured you were coming back when Ilios started getting excite- huh?" Her smile turned to a look of confusion almost immediately. "Did you grow?" Immediately trotting over, she started closely inspecting me. "What do you mean?" "You''re a little taller and your horns are a tad longer." -Huh?- Without aura, I had gone this whole time without noticing a single change, but the moment I looked down at the ground to gauge my height, I noticed the difference. -I really did grow... When did that happen?- Although not much, I had gotten a couple meters taller and was now just over 37 meters tall. "Uh, I''m honestly not sure when or how that happened..." -Did I grow suddenly when I turned my mana into divinity? How would that have worked?- "Your aura is almost non-existent too..." She looked up at me with a serious, but worried look. "Are you really going to feign ignorance?!" It was a simple, but shockingly efficient rune. -I wonder who made it...- But that question slowly faded out of my mind as I laid down and activated it with an artifact on the edge of the pad. *Vwowowoom* As I thinned the walls of my reserve and felt the steady stream of mana start flowing into it, the discomfort I felt from my mana exhaustion vanished and an unreasonable sleepiness surfaced. "Uwaah..." Letting out a yawn as I laid down, I quickly helped Ilios get situated before closing my eyes and attempting to fall asleep. But even though I was incredibly drowsy, I had too much on my mind to fall asleep right away. "Haah..." It had only been around two hours since I split up with the goddess, and honestly, I still felt conflicted; unsure of how to make sense of my mix of emotions or what to even consider doing going forward. My original plan was to return here, grab Ilios, and go to Atlas to meet up with everyone, but now, I felt as if there were things that had begun to take priority, the most urgent of which being investigating the ancient wreckage and the place in the mountains north of it, where Holcyon got the fusion artifacts. -If it''s really an Acardi lab or something, I need to go and investigate it before Myles can get to it...- Assuming Myles would have to go through some official formalities after cleaning up the mess I made, I estimated that I had around a week before he would send people out to investigate it. -But I can''t take any risks with this...- Thankfully, I had a bit of leeway I could be completely confident in. -The closest space rune is the temple... Even if they left the Elder Hall now it should take two or three days to get to the edge of the Holy Kingdom from that rune...- It essentially meant I had two days to rest, and, the most worrying part, to find it. I already knew it would be a time crunch, even if I had several days to look for it because of what I had been told about the mountains and environment there, but I had no choice but to make it work. -But now that I think about it... I wonder how much the Acardi influenced my reincarnation...- The memory of the moment I first touched The Artifact, suddenly surfaced as I thought about it. (Ch. 2-3) -''Damaged soul of higher dimensional being'', huh...- Previously, I had believed I just misunderstood it, as the artifact generally spoke to me through my own thoughts rather than in any specific language. -But now that I somewhat know the Acardi language, I can confirm it... I can confirm it wasn''t a misunderstanding.. and I can confirm...- My thoughts paused as a sentence was replayed in my mind. ''Conditions Met: Activating Procedure ??=???ҡ?????????????????"'' ''Conditions Met: Activating Procedure ??=???ҡ?????????????????"'' ''Conditions Met: Activating Procedure ??=???ҡ?????????????????"'' ... The procedure name still made almost no sense even after listening to it closely and attempting to connect its structure to Acardi words I knew, even if it only vaguely, but after replaying it in my mind several dozen times, the gibberish slowly became more clear, and understandable... And eventually, the structure of the noise matched two specific words almost perfectly. ''Conditions Met: Activating Procedure: Forced Transcendence'' Chapter 248: Unfathomable Scale Chapter 248: Unfathomable Scale Late Morning - Early Winter : Northeastern Bahamut -Findd new stories at novelhall.com "Uwahh..." I let out a groggy yawn as I slowly turned to stretch my incredibly stiff body. "Ugh..." It hadn''t even been 24 hours, but my body made me think I had overslept by a couple weeks. As I looked down though, I understood why. -I grew again?- It was only by about half a meter, but there was a noticeable difference in the shape of my scales, which were much more jagged compared to the rounded scales I had grown used to, and my horns, which grew slightly longer and had a bit more texture than before. -I wonder if Father and Krystallo will even recognize me at this point...- But as I laid my head back down and idly thought about it, Ilios finally woke up and shifted over to lick my face. *lick-lick-lick* "Haha... Good morning, buddy..." He was in an unusually good mood that morning, but while I wasn''t sure why, I wasn''t complaining. -Maybe its a sign that today will be a good day...- A smile slowly crept onto my face as my self-doubt faded before I finally decided to get up with another stretch. "Mmmm... Alright..." -Let''s see if I can find that so-called ancient wreckage in a timely manner...- Finally turning off the rune and making my way outside, I was immediately met with the odd looks of several maids, but paid them no mind and made my way down the hallway with Ilios on my back. Thankfully, after sleeping on the accumulation rune, my reserve was around 10% full, so I had some aura to work with and had no issue finding Grandmother. But as I approached her room, I noticed just how calm and smooth her aura was. -Ah.. she''s asleep... Uh... That might be a problem...- My original plan was to wake up and explain a manipulated version of last night''s events to her, explaining that I got into a fight with Erpo and that I wasn''t injured and such, but now I couldn''t do that. -I don''t have time to wait for her to wake up either...- Quickly finding a passing maid, I motioned her over. "What is it, my Lord?" -''My lord''?- I was slightly taken aback for a moment before assuming I just misheard her. "Could you bring me a piece of paper and something to write with?" "Right away." She gave me a deep bow before running over and handing her things to the supervising butler walking down the hall. He wore a confused look for a moment, but as he noticed me looking at him, he simply smiled and continued on as if nothing had happened. -What is up with them today...- I slowly sank into thought as I floated toward the rune before eventually having Ilios snap me out of my thoughts. *tap* -Hm?- Finally looking around and noticing I was passing the temple rune, I reoriented myself with the other runes and started making my way toward where I assumed the Holy Kingdom to be. Thankfully, it wasn''t hard to find once I got closer, as the mountains were very easily visible from my approach. -Those things are massive...- With a conservative estimate, the mountains were at least 40-50 kilometers tall and spread over an absolutely colossal area. I silently gulped down a bit of anxiety as I started to worry about whether I could find the wreckage before finally approaching the glowing peaks. "Hooh..." -Alright...- Quickly taking a moment to inspect the mountain range, I found where I believed the edge of the glow was and moved a decent bit away from it. -I should be around 10 kilometers to the side of the peak...- Ten kilometers gave me a ton of headroom. *vwoop* But for whatever reason, when I created the gate, the anxiety I felt in my stomach worsened. As I released the gate, I assumed it was simply because I was worried about finding the wreckage in time, but I quickly found that not to be the case. *crraaCCCKKLLEE-BANG* An insane amount of pressure slammed into my body before instantly being released with a bang. -WHAT THE?!- *WHAM* Instantly spreading my wings to try and catch myself, I felt them get driven into stone before the gate dissipated to reveal the large, dimly lit hole I caught myself in. Before doing anything, I checked to make sure Ilios was alright, but I barely had time for it before the entire area below my wings broke off. *CRACKLE-FWWOOOOOOSH* The next thing I knew, I was in free fall, riding a hunk of stone down the side of a horrifically steep cliff that was completely shrouded in fog, but thankfully I managed to calm down quite quickly. -Holy sh*t that could have been bad...- Finally spreading my wings again, the huge section of the cliff that broke off disappeared in the fog beneath me, and I glided out into the cloudy space away from the snowy cliff face. But it was only a few seconds later, after I started questioning what I did wrong, that I realized I still hadn''t heard the massive stone slab hit the ground yet. -Wait a minute.. no part of the mountain near where I wanted to come out was this steep...- The possibility that I embedded myself in the edge of the mountain peak ceased instantly. -The glow.. must have only shown the core of the mountain then...- As I looked down, I tried to listen for the sound of the stone slab hitting the ground, and sure enough, after several more seconds, I heard it. *crackle* But the noise sounded so distant that it made my eyes go wide. -How.. big is this mountain?- Chapter 249: An Unhealable Scar Chapter 249: An Unhealable Scar Late Morning - Early Summer : Southwestern Holy Kingdom - *crackle* The distant noise of the huge slab of rock hitting the ground echoed up the mountainside as I flew out into the dense cloud. -How.. big is this mountain?- Assuming I had plenty of room below me, I slowly started gliding down away from the slope and eventually poked through the bottom of the cloud. But there was nothing that could have prepared me for the sight that would meet my eyes. -W..oah...- Below me was a vast snowy and icy mountainside that could only barely be considered steep but was so large that the seemingly small cliffs all along the ridges were easily a few kilometers tall, with almost no level areas. If I were to have fallen with the stone slab I sheared off, I would have rolled nearly 250 kilometers to the calm, icy bay at the base of the slope, as it was the only flat area around. The area in front of the bay honestly looked like a good place for a port settlement at first, but to either side of it, the mountain had formed what could only be described as miniature mountain ranges that even I couldn''t see over even at my altitude. -That ''ridgeline'' has to be at least 30 kilometers high...- But while I marveled at the view, I turned to look at the several-kilometer-tall spikes of ice around the base of the mountain that poked through the ground like the tips of arrowheads. With how much ice and snow there was, even in the bay, the spikes didn''t seem that out of place, especially if you wanted to say they were remnants of old glaciers, but there was something odd about them that didn''t exactly make sense. Toward the top, they were a familiar bright blue color, but as you looked down, the ice became darker and darker until it was such a deep blue it was almost black. The deep blue color of the spikes was incredibly beautiful to look at, but at the same time, I couldn''t help but begin to question how they formed. -How much pressure is needed for the ice to be that dark...- But while I struggled to withhold my curiosity to go and investigate it, I finally turned around and felt the innumerable questions in my mind vanish. At that moment, I wasn''t more than a few kilometers off the mountainside, but it was more than enough for me to finally realize the scale of everything. -How the hell am I going to find anything...- Looking below myself again, I saw the puffy, outstretching cloud I had just flown through. It generally ended right around 75 kilometers, with only a handful of formations going higher, but as if it were a boundary, everything above the clouds was simply lifeless, leaving only sparse snow and ice to color the plain rocky mountainside. It was a mountain so large it essentially stretched into space and simply couldn''t have been formed by tectonic plates colliding with how circular it was. -But it couldn''t be a volcano either...- I tilted my head slightly as I looked around, but there was nothing even remotely volcanic looking about the mountain besides some deep fissures that all pointed to the peak. But it was those fissures that made a crazy idea come to mind.. -It kind of looks like the back of a dent...- It wasn''t until a few minutes later that two dots seemed to connect. -The western.. deep section of Death''s Gape is right on the other side of the planet, isn''t it?- My eyes slowly widened as I looked down. -Could this mountain.. have formed from a meteor impact?- For any sort of formation to form from on the opposite side of the planet, the impact would have had to of been colossal, and for it to form such a large mountain, saying it would be a planet-destroying collision would not be an exaggeration. -But if mana exists inside the planet as well.. wouldn''t it be able to hold itself together?- Attempting to apply what I knew about mana to the innumerable theories on planet formation and meteor impacts on Earth, things actually managed to somewhat line up. -If the meteor wasn''t heavily mana strengthened but the plates were, the impact might not obliterate the surface, and instead send the energy from the shockwave straight into the planet...- But while it was a very convincing theory, it was far from perfect. The biggest issue being the depth of Deaths Gape. -It would have to be way deeper than 200 kilometers to form this...- But I didn''t let it debunk my theory. -Maybe that''s just as deep as dragons have gone.. and they assumed it to be the bottom...- I paused before looking around, across the desolate mountain again. -Regardless.. I don''t know whether to be happy that I can look over such a huge area so quickly for the wreckage or be upset that if it''s not up here... I''m fucked...- Looking to the right, I saw several smaller, more spaced-out peaks that just barely poked through the clouds leading to the horizon, and suddenly I remembered something. -Wait a minute... Holcyon said they found the fusion artifacts in the mountains north of the wreckage... In the mountains...- Immediately looking north, where the clouds were far more sparse, I couldn''t really see any sort of mountain range compared to what I saw to the southeast. -Could that be the mountain range the wreckage is south of?- It was a definite shot in the dark, but if I didn''t try to narrow down where I had to look, I''d be trying to find a grain of rice in a desert. -But if I''m lucky and there isn''t another mountain range to the north.. I might have a chance of finding it still...- Chapter 250: Fanning The Flames Chapter 250: Fanning The Flames Time Error - D?D????=???ҡ????????????DD??? : Location Error - D?D??=??ҡ?????????D?D? - - Skuld, The Goddess of Oracles ~ It was the middle of the afternoon when I found myself floating over a fairly small noble envoy as it approached a small town. They had supposedly left from Fae a few days prior, but even with the innumerable monster outbreaks, they looked essentially unharmed. "Haah..." I couldn''t help but let out a sigh as I looked at the small, robed figure that led the group. -To think she can already kill such a large wyvern...- Trailing the main carriage was a large wagon, usually used to carry food and general supplies for long trips, but it was instead filled to the brim with wyvern parts the envoy was likely going to sell once they made it to a bigger city. But the wyvern wasn''t exactly the reason I was so deep in thought.Findd new stories at novelhall.com -Should I really try and give her to Odin...- In her current state, she was an unpolished gem, one with the potential to become a god on her own if given enough time, and one that could ascend in just a couple hundred years if given some support. -But if I give her to Odin, she will never ascend...- I knew if I convinced Odin to take her in as the hero, he would suppress her until she would eventually succumb to old age, just like all the other heroes he had groomed to be his slaves. -But...- My body shivered slightly and an ecstatic look came to my face as I thought about the ability to feel once again. -Even if I took her under my wing and tried to hide her.. how long could I go before Odin noticed... How long could I go before Odin would consider it defecting and kill me...- *vwoop* That was when a familiar sound came from behind me and I felt time stop. I wiped the look off my face in an instant. "I was wondering where you were..." It was Eir, the Goddess of Balance. But even though I had always seen her as a sister, I felt oddly uncomfortable at that moment. "Is there something you need?" She reluctantly nodded and looked around before coming closer. "Freya is looking for you... You need to get out of here..." I immediately jolted. "W-what?" -Why would she ever want to see me?!- Freya was a horrifically arrogant woman, to the extent that I had simply begun avoiding her not long after I ascended. -But if anything.. she likes that I avoid her...- Fueled by the jealousy of Odin giving me his attention while I was still a young god, Freya had always despised me, and should she ever need to tell me something, she would simply send the message through Eir. Seeing my reaction, Eir quickly straightened up. "I know how you feel, but you can''t just stand around.. she wouldn''t be looking for you like this if it was something small." "Huh? Why should I run from her?" While Freya was not a weak god, even in my weakened state I could handle her. "Because Hel is with her!" My whole body tensed up instantly. "She''s alive?!" "Yes, she woke up a few days ago and she''s pissed cause she just learned Loki was killed! You need to hide till she can cool off, Im worried Freya is trying to take advantage of her anger." My mind went blank. -Oh sh*t...- Back during Ragnarok, Hel did everything in her power to protect her son, Loki, and when we were all banished into that ''prison'', he was alive and well. But Grace was smiling. "Here to avenge your son? Why would you look at me while saying that?" Hel immediately hesitated. "I couldn''t kill one of you old war gods even if I wanted to. How could I kill the child of a goddess as strong as yourself." She released some of her aura for a moment to show us that it was in complete disarray, almost like she was on the verge of death. -W..what.. happened to her?- There was another moment of silence before Hel pulled back her posture. "Odin told me you killed my son before any of us woke up. Are you trying to say he lied?" "Absolutely not. How could I blame the ignorant." Freya instantly tensed up and looked as if she was about to attack the goddess, but Eir reached out and stopped her. "To call Odin ignorant... You truly don''t value your existence." "Hoho, that isn''t the case." Her smile slowly widened. "Odin may be incredibly powerful, to the point that some believe him to be omnipotent, but he was also trapped in that prison like the rest of you... How would he know exactly what happened during that time?" Hel continued to pull back her bloodlust as Grace spoke. "In that case, do you know who killed my son?" "DON''T LISTEN TO HER!" Freya finally snapped as she broke free from Eir''s grasp and lunged at Grace. But Hel''s blade appeared right in front of her neck before she could reach her target. "Freya." Hel gave her a horrifically cold look. "If you take another step I''ll kill you." Grace gave Freya a smug look for a moment before looking back at Hel. "Was your son that troublemaker named Loki?" Hel slowly turned back to Grace with a serious expression. "He was truly an incredibly talented child, but his shenanigans put him in deep water in Bahamut." She paused while intently watching for Hel''s reaction. "He was killed by a dragon." Hel didn''t believe it at all. "To tell such a blatant lie-" "The dragon''s name is Myles Kalfas. The one currently in possession of ''that'' artifact." Everyone including myself, looked up at her with wide eyes. -If she is siding with the dragons.. why would she expose her card?- My only guess was that it was a trap, and she was confident that Myles could handle Hel, but even I had begun to question her motives knowing she wasn''t dumb enough to entice Hel''s anger. Seeing our expressions, her serious look nearly cracked into a smile. "I am unsure about the details of what happened to Loki myself, but I would be wary... Loki is not the only god Kalfas has killed." There was a long silence that filled the air as Hel dissipated the blade of divinity in her hand. "What you decide to do with that information has nothing to do with me, but I hope you allow me to continue to live quietly." Hel slowly looked up at her in silence for a moment. "If I find out anything you have just said to be false..." "If what I said is false, you can absorb my divinity. How about it?" We all looked at her like she was crazy. "Alright. I sure hope you aren''t going to try and hide." Grace''s smile slowly widened. "Of course not." Chapter 251: Life Outside Logic Chapter 251: Life Outside Logic Late Afternoon - Early Summer : Southwestern Holy Kingdom - *flash* The blinding white light of the antimatter thrusters continued to follow me around in silence as I circled my way up the mountain. It had been around seven hours since I first started my search, but while I was still yet to leave the mountain, it had been far from a fruitless venture. -How fascinating...- The mountain, as I had previously noticed, was completely covered in massive fissures and ravines that stretched anywhere from a few hundred meters to several kilometers, but inside of these cracks were essentially completely isolated ecosystems that had likely existed for millions, if not billions, of years, and held life unlike anything I had ever seen before. Blue, purple, and even violet-colored vegetation was common in these little ecosystems, with a huge variety of sizable insects, and even a ''jellyfish out of water''-looking slime being visible as well. -But how do these creatures even survive and continue to grow here?- While the cracks were very large and even had tiny atmospheres in them, it was also true that the molecules in the air were simply too scarce to support any kind of population. My only reasonable guess was that many of the creatures and vegetation in these environments were like me, and used the shockingly dense mana encompassing the top of the mountain to make incredibly efficient use of resources. But while I was truly curious about the countless new discoveries I was constantly stumbling across, I still had to focus. -I''m finally nearing the top...- Not seeing any more fissures between me and the peak on my final circle around it, I finally turned up and made my way to it. It only took me a few seconds to get there at the speed I was traveling, and even less to notice the large, but broken, pillars sticking out of the edge. -Antimatter generators, huh...- Assuming I had found something worth investigating, I started to slow down before eventually cresting over the edge of the peak and noticing a massive, but mostly destroyed black cube laying there. Just like on the laboratory, there were symbols along the outside, but they were nearly impossible to read with how damaged everything was. With a bit of effort, however, I got there. -Con..tain-? Is it ''Containment''? Is it another dungeon core?- It was a bit of a guess, but it''s not like it really mattered since I was going to investigate it regardless. *rrrrumble* Finally slowing down and landing, I walked over to the structure and went to poke my head through some of the massive holes in its side, but didn''t see much of anything different from the containment center in the dungeon. -I don''t feel any auras either... Did whatever this was containing end up dying?- It was a more than likely possibility, with no atmosphere and several huge holes in the side of the structure, the conditions inside were equivalent to those of space. But even though something could have still been living in there, that wasn''t the case this time. Finally poking my head through one of the holes on the back side of the structure, I came face to face with an absolutely colossal dragon that likely once stood well over 160 meters tall. Just a few hours prior, I was speaking with my daughter, Zafei?ri, about the situation related to Holcyon''s trial against me when ''she'' appeared and told me to head toward the Elder Hall immediately. I didn''t have a reason to object, as she had done nothing to cause my trust in her to waver and I was getting a bit bored of holing myself up in my secret estate, but this time it felt a bit odd. -Is she finally planning something?- Although we talked fairly regularly for the last few hundred years, I still didn''t know much about her besides that her name was Grace, a name I had never heard before, and that she was a goddess of some kind. She was simply an enigma that I had come to accept as a friend. But around fifteen years ago, she started becoming more active, spending less time idly chatting with me and instead only occasionally giving me some sort of job like finding some obscure, tiny, and impossible-to-find artifact, then telling me I needed to give it to some kid in the middle of the ocean because that kid could kill Magni, a god Grace and I both despised. Of course, I believed that reason to be a lie at first since I considered myself to be one of the strongest beings alive and still could never finish off Magni before he could run away, but after meeting that child, I couldn''t help but be somewhat convinced. -According to Grace, he even followed through with the deal and already killed him (Magni)... I wonder what he''s up to...- But the time for such thoughts quickly came to an end as I noticed the blackened land on the horizon. -W..what the...- It was the place where I expected to see a massive colosseum standing over a large town, but instead, I saw flattened, charred ground. Hastily speeding up, I quickly approached the area where the elder hall should have been and noticed Myles Kalfas standing near the edge of a crater that emitted a light-rippling heat. -Who did he even fight...- I was simply in awe seeing the scale of destruction, but after another moment, once I was coming into land, I noticed something odd... -Is that.. a human?- A normal, black-clothed human was sitting on the edge of the destruction, peering through a pile of rubble to keep watch on Myles. He was very well hidden, but his uncontrolled aura made him stick out like a sore thumb. -He seems like the only one around too...- *fwoo-OOOSH- WHAAAAAM* Promptly diving down, I slammed down right behind him and threw away the rubble surrounding him with my aura. *crumble-crackle* He stood there, completely paralyzed from fear, as I lowered my head next to his body. Under his black clothing, I could clearly see several hidden weapons laced with a liquid death poison, but it was still far too weak to deal any damage to a dragon beyond the adult stage. But the poison weapons weren''t what caught my attention.. it was the band around his arm. -The Holy Kingdom, huh...- A spark of rage immediately formed in the back of my mind. -They must not realize the kinds of beings we dragons are...- *CRACK* The sound of bones cracking echoed into the air as several bloody teeth floated out of the man''s mouth. "I hope you didn''t expect that to work." The man immediately started shivering from pain and fear, seemingly understanding what I said even though I spoke in draconic, a language humans can''t learn even if taught. *Shik* As the tip of my wing impaled his stomach and lifted him off the ground, I looked toward Myles, who had finally noticed me, and motioned toward the man. But he just shook his head. "Damn..." -So he already has captives...- "That''s unfortunate..." *blub* Almost immediately, a large ball of water formed in front of the man on my wing before instantaneously disappearing to form a huge red mist behind me. -And here I was thinking I could have Myles owe me a favor...- "Haah..." -I guess that was wishful thinking...- Temp Temp Todays chapter is coming, it will just be a little later in the day than usual. Chapter 252: An Experiment Chapter 252: An Experiment Late Afternoon - Early Summer : Southwestern Holy Kingdom - As the air between the being and I filled with Hydrogen, I locked my eyes on it and finally opened my mouth. "Who.. are you?" The cloud-like entity immediately froze as if it had become a statue before eventually speaking with a slightly shaky voice. "~Y..you.. are real..?~" She sounded like she was about to cry, and it only got worse after I reluctantly nodded. "~H..how long has it been since I have heard a voice...~" She quickly started floating toward me. "Child.. tell me.. what is your name?" I immediately hesitated as I looked past her to see a thick, rope-like tether leading into the structure. -She must be a god that was tethered to that dragon before it died...- I paused and quickly weighed my odds of winning a fight with it in my current state before continuing with a bit of caution. "My name is Vasilias Ragnarok." "~R..Ragnarok...~" Her voice quivered slightly. "~For a family to be named after it... Were your parents involved in the war?~" I immediately tilted my head in confusion. "Huh?" -Did she lose track of time?- "~Is it not called Ragnarok anymore-~" "The great war ended nearly ten and a half thousand years ago... No one alive today, their parents or even grandparents were alive back then." The figure froze immediately. "~Huh? N..no one? What about Bahamut, o-or Atlas, or-~" I immediately shook my head. "I''m almost certain that Bahamut is dead. And among those who went to assist him, Atlas was the only one to technically survive, but even he died a few years later, after being given our family name." A long silence instantly filled the air between us. "~Ah... So that''s how it is...~" The faint hope in her voice that appeared after I first spoke quickly began to fade. "~Seeing as how you.. one of his descendants are still alive though... We must have won.~" Finally confirming she was on the dragon''s side, I eased slightly, but something still felt off. "For you to mention Atlas so casually... Just who are you?" "~Ah, right... I haven''t introduced myself.~" She paused before moving away from me some. "~My name is Hera Monachiko?s...~" I felt as if everything around me froze instantly. "~I was the one called ''The Queen'' for many thousands of years, and was a dragon expected to ascend to godhood, but.. now look at me...~" Silence quickly encompassed us as I fell into thought. But it didn''t take long for me to come up with a stupid idea. "If you theoretically had the ability to absorb enough mana, could you still heal?" "~Haah, yes.. but it''s not so simple...~" She sounded like she had essentially given up hope. "~With the current state of my body, I would have to absorb mana several-fold the rate I could in my prime, and even if I absorbed every drop of ambient mana here, I would only be able to regenerate a small part of my body...~" She slowly floated out of the hole in the cube as she spoke. "~Although mana looks abundant here, it doesn''t flow like normal... It would run out long before more mana could take its place...~" I fell silent as I started to think again. "If you had a source of mana, like a core to pull from, could you create a tether with it as well, and transfer mana from it to your reserve?" But instead of my idea giving her voice more hope, it just made her skeptical. "~I guess it is possible, but tethers can only be attached to sentient, consenting beings... The only option would be to tether to you if you allowed it, but you clearly don''t have the means to sustain the amount of mana I would need.~" -Hmm...- While she was somewhat correct in saying I couldn''t sustain her forever, especially in my current state, I was oddly confident it would be enough to do in bursts, healing bits of her body at a time, and slowly rebuilding everything until she could repossess her body. -But why would I do that?- "Could you wait here for a bit? There is something I''m gonna go grab." I felt as if she gave me an odd look before finally floating back inside the cube. "~I know I can''t hold you here.. no matter how much I enjoy your company... Just.. visit once every few years if you could...~" Her voice was concerningly devoid of hope and filled with sadness. But even still, a smile was slowly creeping on my face. "I promise I will be right back, don''t worry." -Why would I ever pass up such a juicy opportunity...- Quickly letting Ilios off my back, I gently rubbed my head against him before backing away and jumping into the void. *vwoop* -To think I would actually find such a good use for it...- Hastily looking around, I quickly found the marker I left at the underwater laboratory not far away and made my way to it. -Even if this doesn''t work.. it''ll give me the ability to more than sustain her so she can tether to me...- *vwoop-BLUB* Feeling the immense water pressure slam into my body, I opened my eyes and quickly oriented myself to start making my way into the dungeon again. -It hasn''t even been that long since I''ve been here.. why am I feeling nostalgic...- Quickly winding my way through the serpentining dungeon, I found the antimatter pillars for the containment center down below and clogged them all, essentially turning them off. -Now I''m on the clock...- Immediately turning and racing through the dungeon again, I hastily found my way to the room with the containment center and was met with a massive, lone fish. "Get out of the way." *BANG* With a blinding flash, the 100-meter-long creature lunging at me turned into charred chum, with a wide tube of steam appearing where most of his body used to be. It looked truly pitiful as it sank to the floor of the room. -I guess the guardian really was abnormally strong, even for this depth, huh...- Quickly shaking my head, I continued further into the room and quickly found the containment center exactly as I had left it. I truly couldn''t help but smile as I approached it. -Oh, you sweet dungeon core, I truly hope you will be nice and compliant with me... I''m gonna help you make a new friend!- Chapter 253: A Portable Battery Chapter 253: A ''Portable'' Battery Late Afternoon - Early Summer : Sirathan Deep Sea Containment Center - *tsss-blub* A small steam bubble rose past my face as I carefully cut through the antimatter cable. *clink-blub* But the steam wasn''t from me cutting it. It was actually from me patching the cut with two independent pieces of woven carbon (the material the cables were made of) to guarantee no unwanted particulates could leak into the antimatter channels'' perfect vacuum. -Just in case I ever need to power this thing again, I should be careful with it...- Finally finishing the cable, I watched it swing out into the darkness, while the containment center sagged slightly. *creeaaak* That was to be expected though. While the cables from the ceiling looked somewhat slack, the structure was fully hanging from them. -The slack is probably just from their weight...- And that meant I could confidently get down to the last cable or two without needing to worry about the tension straining them. -If I didn''t almost get incinerated by the antimatter battery in the Laboratory, I might''ve thought the Acardi had good safety regulations...- Quickly moving to the cable opposite the one I just cut, I got to work again. One by one, the cables started to disconnect and swing out into the water, lowering the structure closer and closer to the bottom. *creeaaaak-thump* Cutting the second to last cable, the massive structure tipped and slammed into the bottom, kicking up a huge plume of dirt and gunk, but I paid it no mind and promptly cut the last cable as well. *fwoosh-thumpp* Slowly sinking down and standing on the structure, I looked over it, and only then did I finally begin to question if I could even bring it through the void. -How am I going to move this thing... Can I even protect it from the void''s space mana?- But thankfully, it didn''t take long for me to come up with a decent idea. -Right.. couldn''t I do something like that?- *vwoop* Quickly jumping into the void, I made a small marker where the top of the structure was and got to work. Essentially what I was going to do was create a large, hollow cylinder that encompassed where the initial and final gates would be, similarly to the other space runes. The difference was that, in the void, the structure would take up an absolutely insane amount of space, so I couldn''t simply bring it here on its own, but I had a solution for this. Although I was still learning the specifics of how it worked, recently, I discovered something I had begun calling ''vector compression''. In short, it was the phenomenon where the space inside the gate would be ''compressed'' in reality as it pushed everything inside it into the void to create two, inversely proportional gates that existed simultaneously (one in each realm). In this compressed state, if timed perfectly, you could shrink a mountain-sized gate down into the size of a baseball with no loss of ''information'' (atoms, their positions, their energy states, etc.); the only downsides being the insane mana control and timing required to pull it off, the fact that the gate would exist in both the void and reality simultaneously, and most of all, the fact that I would need to time it inside the gate, then leave the gate, catch it before its contents were released into the void or the gate expanded too much, and then move it. And it was every bit as sketchy as it sounded. I continued to think about it while I made the hollow cylinder itself, and surprisingly everything went nearly perfectly. It only ended up taking about an hour to finish the tube, but thankfully that was enough time to finalize a decent plan. "Haah... Alright..." But I couldn''t say I wasn''t still nervous. This was the first time I would be moving something using vector compression the correct way, and instead of being a clump of disposable matter, it was a massive structure with cargo I couldn''t afford to lose just yet. -Theoretically, the gate won''t affect anything it passes through in reality, so I shouldn''t have to worry about losing anything.. but if the gate ruptures anyway, the core itself should still emit enough mana for me to move it through the void unprotected if I''m fast...- -Space runes existed in the Golden Era, right?- I continued assuming that was the case. "This containment center was off the coast of Siratha around.. 25 thousand-ish kilometers south-southwest of here, and the void is just the name I gave the realm the space runes send people through." There was a long silence before she backed away slightly. "~Y..you.. can freely move through that realm?~" "Mhm. Couldn''t Bahamut do the same?" I tilted my head slightly. "~N..no, even he had to be extremely careful... He could only go into that realm for moments at a time, and had to use runes...~" -Huh? Is she misinterpreting what was happening when Bahamut would just disappear and reappear instantly?- But after a bit of extra thought, I decided to just set it aside for now. "In any case, do I need to cut a hole in the structure for you to form a tether?" She paused for a moment before responding with some reluctance. "~Technically yes, but with a hole, I can make a bigger tether.~" -Hm.. so that means tethers do take up physical space...- "Alright, in that case..." *tap* *silence* *CRRRUNCHHH* The ground shattered beneath my feet as I landed after jumping off the structure. -The thinnest wall should be that one...- Walking over to the corner, I pressed the tip of my wing into it and started pushing. *crackle* The ground beneath the structure crunched like gravel as I turned it until the correct side faced Hera, and pushed it toward her. -That should be enough...- Walking back around to where she was, I pushed my aura into the wall and started looking through it. The first few moments passed in silence, but it didn''t take long for Hera to get curious. "~What are you looking for, exactly?~" "A place to cut through without damaging anything." The wall was completely full of cables and other intricate technologies I dared not touch, but eventually, I found a decent spot. -I can push the cable down and cut through there...- Standing up on my hind legs, I got my face close to the area I wanted to cut and used the same strategy I used when cutting the large antimatter cables. *tink* But the instant I opened the whole, a genuinely insane amount of mana shot out like a jet engine. *vwowowowowowowowoooom* Hera just stood behind me in awe. -Good lord, that''s a lot of mana...- I slowly turned back to her as I lowered myself to the ground. "So uh, you think this guy has enough mana?" There was a short moment of silence before she finally moved toward the mana jet. "~I have never even heard of a dungeon core getting this big... I don''t think I''ll use much more than half...~" -HALF?!- My jaw fell open immediately. -HOW MUCH MANA EVEN IS THAT?!- But while I was absolutely stunned, I couldn''t help but be thankful it wasn''t all of it. -Once she''s done, I guess I''ll need to bring it back down to the lab to let it refill...- While it''s true that the core would not be a bad cost to ''revive'' and form a strong connection with Hera, it''s also true that with the use of tethers, I could essentially use it as a colossal mana battery; a tool that could prove very helpful in the future. -But for now...- I looked toward Hera as she pushed an almost invisible thread through the mana jet. -Maybe I should ask how to actually make a tether...- Chapter 254: An Unmistakable Being Chapter 254: An Unmistakable Being Early Evening - Early Winter : Elder Hall, Bahamut - - Myles Kalfas ~ "Haah..." I let out a deep, foggy breath as I continued to look over the long-since-cooled remains of the Elder Hall. -Just how strong is that kid to not only kill Tyr but take a serious blow from him like it was nothing...- The scene had been repeatedly replaying in my mind ever since I saw it, and my awe had yet to fade even slightly. -To kill him is one thing... I could have done it if I caught him properly.. but that blow...- The feeling of the whole town sinking beneath my feet as Vasilias was hit remained fresh in my mind. -Could I have walked away after taking that to the head?- Tyr was a god I had fought several times over the years, but I only ever let him land a hit on me once, and it was a moment I couldn''t forget even if I tried. - - Flashback ~ It was only around a decade ago when we first met. At the time, I was lying down in my estate, condensing more divinity while futilely attempting to comprehend a space rune. *vwooowowoom* -Hm?- Looking toward the noise of mana rippling, I met eyes with his indescribable figure; a man with no aura, no mana, and no physical body, standing there and staring at me lifelessly. At first, even though his presence was odd, I simply assumed he was some lost spirit, a being that usually could not interfere in the physical world, and ignored him. But that only happened once. *crackle* Feeling the intangible presence of the man appear next to me as if having teleported, my instinct took over, and I flapped my wings. *FWOOOOOSH-BANG* My room exploded from the air pressure as if a massive explosion spell was cast, and I immediately found myself in the air over a kilometer away. -W..what?- I felt nothing but confusion as to why I reacted like that at first, but that was when he appeared in front of me again, this time with a black fist. -A mere lost spirit dares!- I immediately moved up to parry him with one of my claws, but his fist was equivalent to an unstoppable force. *CRRACCKLEEE* The feeling of a bone-shattering into fine bits was a feeling I had long since forgotten; after all, it had been over five hundred years since someone had managed to hit me through my scales, which were akin to mythril, but that day gave me a brutal reminder. *FWOOOOOSH-WHHAAAAMMM* The mix of pain and confusion sent me into a daze as I ricocheted off the ground several kilometers away. -H..huh?- My confidence to claim I was the strongest being alive immediately started to waver. But that was where I drew the line. -Her tongue is as sharp as ever...- But unlike usual, it was the least of my worries. "That is not the problem, Amphitrite. He didn''t simply kill Tyr.. he erased him... The breath he used made my advanced magic feel like child''s play..." I looked at her like she was crazy. "Magic like that doesn''t come out of thin air." She stood in silence as her smile slowly faded. "You are worried.. aren''t you..." "Haah..." I let out a stress-filled breath seeing that she had already noticed. "Are you telling me you aren''t?" "Of course I am." She responded without hesitation. "The sudden appearance of Heimdall and Loki 300 years ago was one thing since they were minor gods, but Tyr and Magni were gods that actually fought in the Great War, and were confirmed by Atlas to have fallen during Ragnarok.. they should not still be alive." Her voice had a hint of anger in it as she spoke. "But even if Bahamut doesn''t return, and even if Vasilias isn''t here, are you seriously trying to act like we are powerless?" I looked down at the ground with a dark expression. "Just because we have the artifacts of our forefathers does not mean we are strong." "And just because we have to use those artifacts to land a killing blow doesn''t mean we are weak. Of anyone, you and I should know that best." She held up her foot to show me the familiar mythril band with innumerable runes carved into it around her ankle. "I fought Heimdall for two months before I managed to kill him, and during that time, I brought him to the brink of death nearly a dozen times, but every chance I got to kill him, he would just scamper off like a rat to recollect himself, and the fight would start over... I''m sure you had the same experience with Loki. All we are missing is the method to deal that final blow" "But that is precisely why we are powerless without the artifacts..." Without any way to stop them from recovering the damage we dealt, it would turn into a battle of stamina, which we as living beings would inevitably lose. It wasn''t like I hadn''t learned anything during or since my fight with Loki either. Tyr fought in a very similar fashion and gave me a decade to come up with and test the innumerable ideas I had come up with over the years, but after all was said and done, I was still essentially empty-handed. That feeling of powerlessness only worked as a motivator for so long. -Can I really do nothing but depend on the strength of other dragons?- Amphitrite clearly didn''t have the same view as me though. "If you are that worried, why don''t you give one of your artifacts to those magic-crazy bastards in Atlas? Just because we cannot understand what exactly the artifacts do doesn''t mean no one else can. Even if they can''t reproduce the artifact itself, they may be able to explain what it does in a way we can understand and replicate ourselves." "Tch... You know that isn''t an option." "With the Elder Hall gone, it is." She glanced back at me momentarily. "Who is going to stop you- Huh?" She abruptly cut herself off as her foggy breath crystallized in the air. "Since when did it get this cold?" -Huh?- I was taken aback as well. "Today has been a cool day, but-" *vwowowoooom* I was immediately cut off by an all too familiar rhythm of mana ripples. -SHIT!- *fwip* Immediately ducking my head without a second thought, a horrifyingly sharp blade of air passed over me. *CRUNCHHHH* As it hit the ground behind us, it dug out a deep cavity, immediately causing the town above it to cave in. *CRUMBLE* -What the hell?!- Not giving the being another chance to attack, I lunged back and looked up to meet eyes with a woman, half monster, half human, staring at me with a long black sword in hand. My whole body tensed up instantaneously. Even without looking closely at her presence, her heavily bandaged, half-porcelain, half-decayed body with white hair and two curved, dark grey wyvern horns told me exactly who she was. Referred to by humans as the goddess of the underworld and referred to by dragons as ''the researcher'' she was a genius born a human but turned monster as a cost of her research. She was known as the only non-human god in Asgard, the Goddess Hel. Chapter 256: Suffocation of Emotion Chapter 256: Suffocation of Emotion Late Afternoon - Mid Evening : The Scar, Southwestern Holy Kingdom (The mountain) - - Amphitrite Ourano?s ~ *Crunch-FWOOSH* Myles leapt into the air the moment he hit the ground after catching Hel''s blade in his mouth, but our eyes simultaneously went wide the moment we saw that she was still firmly holding it. -SHIT!- Panic set in immediately *FWOOOSH* I immediately flapped my wings and darted toward them, hoping to knock her away. But I was far too slow. "~To think my son was killed by someone so weak!~" Her mocking words and bottomless confidence sent a chill down my spine as she ripped the blade from his mouth and slammed the hilt of it into his face, shattering every scale and bone in the vicinity. *CRUNCH-CRRR-WHAAAAAAAM* But Myles was not one to go down so easily. *BAAAAAAANG* The moment he hit the ground, a mountain of debris was hurled into the air, and the ground quaked as if wailing in pain, but he stood firmly. -Now it''s my turn!- Accelerating once again, I appeared behind Hel in an instant. *FWOOSH* She didn''t even seem to know I was there even as my mana-coated claws, each bigger than her body, loomed over her head, but it gave me hope. -If Myles can land a hit here, I might be able to finish her off!- *WHAAAAM* My claws felt like they hit an unbreakable rock as they hit her head, but now wasn''t the time to let my emotions waver. *CRAAAACK* Instantly hurling her to the ground countless times faster than sound, I looked at Myles and saw him already darting through the dust cloud that covered the ground. -Perfect...- *VWOOOM* To follow him up, I hastily activated the artifact on my ankle which immediately covered my paw in a dark black cloud, and darted down after her as well. *FWOOOSH* But as I approached, and Myles got close enough to nearly put Hel in his mouth, I saw her blade disintegrate before appearing in her other hand, directly over Myles'' head. Time felt like it stopped at that instant. My mind started racing, desperately trying to think of a way to save him, but there was nothing I could do but watch in horror. I was simply too slow. *VWOOOOOOM* A deafening mana ripple from Myles desperately trying to save himself met my ears as her blade slammed into his nose. Without knowing any better, one would think it was an attack Myles could take. Her human-sized blade couldn''t reach anything vital, after all. But both Myles and I knew it wasn''t that simple. Collisions of divinity were not to be trifled with. *CRUNCH* The moment her blade smashed through the broken scales on his nose and collided with his divinity, every scale and horn down to his hind legs shattered instantaneously, and the air beneath his body turned opaque as if solidifying. The scene unfolded so fast that I normally wouldn''t have had much time to react, but at that moment my mind raced with such urgency that it felt as though time itself had slowed down, prolonging my agony as I powerlessly watched the gut-wrenching scene. But after what felt like an eternity, there was a spark; a spark that lit the fear, sadness, and pain that clouded my mind into an unfathomable blaze. That was the moment time began to flow once more. *VWOOOOP* Gripping every particle of air within my aura, I locked my eyes onto Hel and hurled myself downward. *FWOOOOOOOSH* I was moving so fast that I practically teleported down on top of her before setting the tip of my claw in the center of her back. Finally sensing me, her sword vanished, and the center of her body blackened and hardened. But it was exactly what I wanted. -Now eat this you stupid bitch!- An indescribable black light formed at the tip of my claw as it touched her body, but it disappeared a moment later. One by one, my senses went dark, devoting every ounce of my subconscious to preparing the spell. It was a spell that was going to leave me crippled even if I managed to survive. -But as long as I kill you, I don''t care...- I had already steeled my resolve. No matter what the cost was, I was going to kill her. But that opportunity never came. *vwoop-VVVVMMMMM* A beam of mana so bright it made my spell earlier look like a candle ripped past my head in an instant. It was so fast that I didn''t have a chance to react, and while it instantly melted to the top layer of my scales, it felt unfathomably cold. -H..huh?- As the light faded, I looked toward the source of the beam to see a floating fist of divinity and a small melon-sized, black orb floating where Hel''s head should have been, and a huge white fenrir floating in the air behind it. Questions instantly started ripping through my mind, but the moment I looked into its eyes, my mind went silent, and I lost every ounce of my will to fight. "~D-D-D-DAGR?!~" Hel''s previously cold and emotionless voice suddenly turned fearful and panicked. "~HOW ARE YOU ALI-~" *tink* Her panicked voice was cut off by an indescribable noise as the fenrir''s mouth closed on the black orb. "~AAAAGH!~" Her cry of agony, which would have brought me bliss just a moment ago, made my mind go blank. "~I-I-I''M SORRY! PLEASE LET ME-~" *crackle* "~AAAAAAAHHH!~" The fenrir, seemingly walking on air, passed right by me as if I wasn''t there before stopping next to Myles'' body. "~N-N-N-NO PLEASE! I NEVER TOUCHED BAHAMUT! I WASN''T ONE OF THE ONES TO DEFE-~" *CRACKLE* "~AAAGGHH!! N-N-NOO-~" *CRUNCH* Her voice ceased the instant the black sphere shattered, immediately exposing a beautiful transparent white cloud. I could do nothing but watch in awe and confusion as a silent crackling filled the air, and countless tiny black cracks appeared within the cloud. Somehow the noise was oddly tranquil, causing my mind and body to ease as if everything I had just experienced was a dream. But that was when the world stopped turning. *CRRRUNCH-BRRRRMMMMM* A colossal blast of dirt and rubble appeared behind Myles as a huge white beam blew a hole through his chest, immediately exposing a complex web of black strings with a beautiful deep blue orb at the center. It was Myles'' reserve, but I wasn''t even given time to process that fact... *tink-crackle-VWOOOOOOOM* The already cracked reserve exploded as if it had been waiting for it, triggering an unfathomable shockwave of mana that flattened the rubble-covered and turned it molten. But almost immediately, the cloudy remains of the black sphere floating in the fenrir''s mouth were moved into the hole by a black fog, instantly causing the insane surge of mana to halt. The mana was so still for that moment that my instinct flared up; it was as if an unfathomable being was staring at me. Even as the mana started to move again, my mind and body were simply paralyzed. It wasn''t until long after the fenrir disappeared that my mind eased enough to allow a singular coherent thought to form. -The mana.. is swirling?- Happy Easter! & Patreon Questions and Information! Happy Easter! & Patreon Questions and Information! Happy Easter everyone! Just a short announcement that there won''t be a chapter today, and a quick question to those of you who support other authors through a patreon. So Im looking to finally start one myself, but I''m not sure exactly how it all works usually. Basically, what I am planning to do is have the patreon just be 5 or 6 chapters ahead of this story, that people can pay like $5-6 to unlock for the month (like a fast past that lasts a month, not $5 for just those 5 or 6 chaps), but would I just post the chapters into patreon? Or is there some external site other authors use that makes reading the chapters a bit easier? I apologize if these are super basic questions that seem like common sense but I''ve never had a patreon or personally supported one of another author so I''m sort of going in blind.Findd new stories at novelhall.com - In any case, Happy Easter to those who celebrate it and I hope you all have a good day! - ''Chapter 257: The Scars of War'' Will be released in 3 days. (4/12/2023 at 1:30 PM EST) Chapter 257: Reasoning Chapter 257: Reasoning Late Evening - Mid Summer : The Scar, Southwestern Holy Kingdom (The mountain) - *vwoop* *vwowoom* "Hmm..." I looked intently at the black cylinder sitting static in the air in front of me with an annoyed expression. -How troublesome...- "~Did you come up with an idea?~" Hera spoke from within the containment center while she continued making adjustments to the tether connecting to her physical body''s reserve. "Haah, no. I actually ran into another problem..." "~Hoh? Isn''t that a good thing?~" I wanted to scoff at her way of thinking, but I couldn''t say she was wrong. "It gave me a hint, but I don''t think I can do anything with it." -I don''t even know where to start...- Moving my head close enough to nearly touch the cylinder, I flooded the area with my space mana, and gently broke one end of the cylinder. *Vwip* Instantly, there was a huge suction force that pulled on the surrounding mana before vanishing as the space mana composing the fabric of space formed a liquid-like membrane over the hole. The membrane itself was incredibly free-flowing, as anything I tossed at it passed straight through, including mana. The issue was that, besides my own space mana, nothing actually displaced the membrane while passing through. -They just phase through it...- (similar to quantum tunneling). But while it was troubling to have to actually try and study, it was far from the first time I had seen the phenomenon. -Why does mana have to be so complicated...- Composing and filling absolutely everything, the fabric of space essentially completely fills space. If that fabric didn''t allow for matter to pass straight through it, hypothetically, matter would not be able to exist since the moment it was created, space mana from the fabric would wrap around it and inevitably create a gate, sending the newly created matter into the void to be eaten. It was an essential phenomenon of ''natural'' space mana that had to be in place for anything to exist, but that didn''t mean I could even remotely understand it. -My space mana displaces both physical matter and the fabric of space, so does that mean it''s an entirely different particle.. or could space mana have observable energy states unlike its cousins...- In physics, absolutely everything has energy states; like raising the temperature of water until it boils, matter will act differently at two different states no matter how small the difference in energy is. "~Haha, I''m truly glad my limited knowledge was helpful. In any case, the wreckage you are going to check out, is it southwest of here?~" -Hm?- I immediately paused. "I''m.. not sure. I was actually flying around the mountain looking for it. All I know is that it''s around here somewhere." "~Ah, in that case, it may be the wreckage from when I was captured. Although I was inevitably caught, I didn''t go down without a fight.~" -Southwest is toward the mountains.. that must be it...- But while I was eager to leave, I decided it was best to try and get a better understanding of what exactly the wreckage was first. "Right, I have been wondering since earlier, how did you end up getting captured? Did you just get overwhelmed by numbers?" But she just scoffed. "~Hah, I had the power to wipe out the entire human race, even if they came at me all at once during my prime. After a certain age, the number of enemies stops mattering because you simply have so much mana.~" I looked at her with wide eyes as she spoke. It sounded like a truly outlandish claim, yet somehow I believed her confidence with certainty. "Then, what was it?" -Technology can only bridge a gap in strength so wide...- She hesitated for a moment before speaking. "~There was a fleet of three ships Bahamut sent me to destroy... At the time we had never seen anything like them, but they had landed over an area where we knew a large mythril vein to be, so we assumed it was because of that, but they were essentially unprotected... It was a blatantly obvious trap, but nonetheless, I confidently went out to destroy it, believing that nothing they had could prevent me from at least running away.~" She paused for a moment before speaking in a slightly regretful tone. "~It wasn''t long after the war started, but even still, we were too naive to believe they hadn''t noticed our arrogance...~" -She says that as if.. the war wasn''t with the human gods at all but instead with the Acardi...- Before I knew it, I was once again questioning what I knew of the history of the world. "S..so what happened?" "~Mana.~" She responded instantly as if the event was still fresh in her mind. "~The moment I was about to peek over the horizon, I saw the three ships spinning in the air over the forest, but by then it was too late. Before I could see or feel anything coming, a beam of mana so dense it nearly made my reserve rupture, ripped through my body... It incapacitated me nearly instantly.~" I felt my body tense up immediately. -T..the Acardi could artificially store and release mana?- I felt like the world stopped turning for a moment. The one advantage life in this world had over the Acardi, which was the ability for creatures to control huge volumes of mana with their reserves, was gone with the wind. But before I could spiral into a rabbit hole of dark thoughts, Hera continued. "~Thankfully, by the time another ship came by, likely to relocate me here, I managed to recover enough strength to break out and destroy it, but I was in no condition to run... Even still, as I cleaved my way through a fleet in a daze, the ship that shot the beam of mana was nowhere to be seen...~" I stood in complete silence as countless thoughts ripped through my mind, but thankfully, I managed to get a hold of myself with a bit of reasoning. -The laboratory and containment center both didn''t have any sort of mana storage device, even though they would have greatly benefited from it...- Looking at the broken antimatter charge pillars lining the edge of the caldera, my thoughts continued to calm. -Even this place doesn''t have one... Meaning the device was either exceedingly difficult to make and maintain, even for a race as advanced as the Acardi, or.. they couldn''t make efficient use of it...- The more I thought about it, the more I came to a realization. -Were the Acardi not here to study life.. but instead to study mana''s interaction with it?- Chapter 258: The Scars of War Chapter 258: The Scars of War Late Evening - Mid Summer : The Scar, Southwestern Holy Kingdom (The mountain) ----- *rrrrumble-FWOOOOOSH* Hurtling down the mountainside with a massive flame trailing behind me, my eyes were locked on the distant rocky peaks peeking through the clouds while my mind continued falling farther down a rabbit hole. -If the Acardi were here to investigate life''s integration with mana, wouldn''t that mean it was a foreign energy to them? But if that''s the case, how did they know how to create and use antimatter runes? Maybe there were other worlds they investigated that had mana, but life on those planets didn''t evolve with it?- Conflicting, unanswerable questions continued ringing through my mind as I sank deeper into thought. But thankfully, after a few minutes of descending into madness, I finally managed to slow down and take a deep breath. "Haah..." -Right.. the wreckage and that place in the mountains might be able to give me some answers, I just need to be patient...- According to Hera, the wreckage I was likely looking for was a large one, which she believed was going to bring her to the containment center. -If I''m lucky, it could be a research ship...- But while I was hoping to look more into the Acardi''s research and purpose thereof, I couldn''t say it would be bad if it were a combat ship. -Regardless, I shouldn''t get antsy...- Looking ahead of myself again, I found myself quickly approaching the tall mountain peaks and turning slightly so I could dive through the clouds without worrying about hitting the mountain range-like outcrop. -This should be enough...- *vwoom* Finally activating the rest of my vacuum spells, I moved my little-remaining aura in front and finally hit the clouds. *POUF-CRACKLE-TSSS* The vapor in the cloud condensed into water before boiling almost instantly as I ripped past it. But this was no surprise. Ripping through the cloud at nearly 9 kilometers a second, I had enough momentum to destroy a mountain, but I was still completely calm, simply watching my altitude as I descended. -80 kilometers, 70, 60, 50... 40.- Quickly releasing my thruster magic and spreading my wings to level out, the clouds started to lighten, and I was finally released into the world beneath. *pouf* With the moon low on the horizon, the dew covering the trees and foliage below glistened, giving the area quite a surreal feeling. It felt a bit like a different world. But the lighting wasn''t the only thing that made the area feel so alien. All over the ground throughout the forest, were dozens of huge creatures I had never seen before, the largest of which being a turtle of some kind with a miniature forest growing like moss on its back. Almost directly below me, there were three of them, each upwards of 60 meters tall, munching on trees like they were made of graham crackers, with a herd of smaller creatures trailing them while eating the trees trampled by the massive turtles. It was a truly surreal sight, but unfortunately, I didn''t have time to waste admiring it. -Now, let''s see if I can find this thing...- Several minutes passed in a flash as I followed the mountain range all the way to the horizon and didn''t see anything too abnormal besides the wildlife, but eventually, I spotted something. "What is that?" Toward the horizon, there was a sudden, immense growth in the size of the trees, going from about 30-50 meters, to upwards of 200. -They don''t look like treants... Are they some sort of relative?- Continuing to look around as I descended, I scanned through the forest to look for any other debris, but not only did I not find any, I didn''t even see any animals bigger than rodents. -For how lively this forest is, why isn''t there anything here? There is no way nothing lives in the wreckage...- *Fwoosh* *Fwoosh* Quickly finding a sizable clearing to land in, I descended all the way to the ground and landed, but the moment my legs should have touched down, they sank into the ground wasn''t there. -What the hell?!- *vwoom-CRUNCH* The ground was incredibly powdery, as if it were just a pit full of dust, so the moment I spread out my weight to land, the entire area sank down and compacted. Thankfully though, while I sank nearly 20 meters into the ground, the surrounding ground didn''t collapse in on me. -What the hell is this stuff...- Looking closer, I noticed it was an odd mix of dirt and rock, but the rock particles were all essentially in the shape of sea urchins with small bodies and long spikes. It was a formation I had never seen before, but it didn''t take long for me to figure out what it was. -Could this be.. rock that condensed after turning into a gas?- At first, it sounded like a shot in the dark, since under normal circumstances, temperatures that high would split the rock into its base components, ripping out every ounce of impurities. But the addition of mana changes that. -It was rock so hot that it turned to gas, and when it cooled again, it formed these, like a snowflake...- The particle itself was essentially just an assortment of random minerals you would normally find in rocks, with trace amounts of magnetic iron that likely led to the formation of the unusual spikes. -But how hot would the ground need to be for this to be able to happen...- From what I could tell, the depth of the dust-like rock was somewhere around 70 meters, before meeting a layer of water and an incredibly dense and smooth surface of heavy metals; a common sight in a large crater formed by immense heat, many folds beyond what nuclear power could produce. -I knew the forest looked too pristine from the air...- Looking up at a tree that was on the edge of the clearing I landed in, I sent some of my aura into the wall to see how it was growing and found huge roots digging down through the rock and dirt before reaching the bottom of the crater and spreading out, likely to absorb the water that settled there. -Life really does find a way...- Momentarily looking around again, I eventually turned my attention back to the ship, and walked toward it, distributing my weight to the surface to compact the ground as I walked. It only took a moment for me to get to the incredibly damaged section of the ship, but it was absolutely full of stone and dust, so much so that I started to doubt whether it would have any worth to explore. -Maybe I should just leave and fly northwest to try and find where Holcyon got the fusion artifacts...- But curiosity ended up getting the best of me. -I guess I might as well run through it while I''m here...- Finally changing to my humanoid form, I walked up to what seemed to be an exposed end of a hallway and used my aura like a shovel to clear a path. Unfortunately, the hallway and all adjacent rooms were in absolutely horrible condition, but as I continued deeper into the structure, the dirt and rock started to finally thin out, and I could actually start walking around normally, but there was still not much to see. The entire structure was essentially the same as the laboratory, with tons of residential-related areas and a handful of small, destroyed labs or medical bays, all of which had nothing of value left in them, with some even looking like they were salvaged. -There must have been survivors...- But as my disappointment started to accumulate from the lack of valuable information I could actually gather, I went to an elevator shaft and was about to simply jump up to the next floor as I had done several times already when I noticed the edge of a very large cable embedded into the side of the elevator shaft. It was actually the same ''main power cable'' I had seen in the laboratory that was used to carry antimatter. -Why would a cable like this be in a residential area?- Before I knew it, I was following it through the wall, silently being led through the ship before reaching one of the top floors. -Is that.. a reactor?- Chapter 259: The Key Chapter 259: The Key Early Morning - Mid Summer : The Ancient Wreckage, Southwestern Holy Kingdom ----- -Hm...- I tilted my head slightly as I followed the cable into two antimatter batteries that then led to an oblong torus-like space made of mana-strengthened tungsten and coated in a slightly magnetic alloy, with a large, ring-shaped magnet just outside of it. -Is that.. a reactor?- Although it was quite hard to confidently tell what it was, its interior somewhat resembled fusion reactors from Earth. -This must be what turns the antimatter into usable energy...- Quickly looking further above the reactor, I found another thick cable leading into a small black box with countless smaller cables spreading from it. My eyes lit up brighter the longer I looked at it. It was the key I had been so eagerly hoping to find. -The key to powering the laboratory again...- Although it was true that the small reactor and junction box were far too low output to handle the entire laboratory, it was also true that it was a perfect template for me to make one that could. -Thankfully, everything looks like it will work...- It was a truly lucky find, as even the deep sea containment center didn''t have such a beautifully complex reactor. -The issue with the ''reactor'' in the containment center was its scalability and the junction box connected to it. While I could have powered a section of the laboratory, I never would have gotten the AI online... But with this one...- My smile slowly widened. -This one has some scalability...- In short, the reactor in the containment center made use of a low profile, low-input ''impact reactor'', that worked similarly to a piston in an engine while also making use of the heat with water and steam like a traditional reactor from Earth. The reactor was great in that it didn''t require hardly any antimatter to run while still producing enough energy to run the entire containment center with some energy to spare, but it was incredibly lacking when it came to increasing the output. -Making that kind of reactor big enough to run the lab is just asking to get blown up...- But this reactor, on the other hand, looked to be a large-scale reactor that had been shrunken down. -For it to also not rely on water and steam, it either means the water has too many maintainability issues.. or using water and steam would limit its output...- Either way, this reactor used knowledge and technology eons beyond what Earth could make, and I couldn''t have been more excited about it. -Now, how do I turn it on...- At that point, the entire structure had been offline for eons, and because of that, I didn''t dare put any antimatter into the battery to let it feed into the reactor. This meant I had to at least power the battery or manually fuel the reactor until the battery was charged. -Looking at the tubes feeding into the reactor, I think I can simulate it...- Although I didn''t know what the current or speed of the antimatter needed to be, at the very bottom of the reactor, there were two single-particle antimatter tubes and two slightly larger tubes for protons on the opposite side. -The proton tube is angled lower, so the collision must be proton on antimatter right about here...- Finally creating several protons and some antimatter inside the reactor, I set them on the ends of the tubes and tossed them so they would all collide simultaneously. *flash* In an instant, the two pairs of particles exploded, sending a blast of energy up into the top of the reactor, instantly forming a bright ring before promptly dissipating. -Hm...- It was a reaction I half expected. -The electromagnet tried to turn, but only for a moment... Is the motion of energy supposed to follow it?- With the angle of the ring-shaped magnet being slightly tilted, it seemed to comply with what the flow of energy would look like if I didn''t move the antimatter so fast. -Let''s try that...- *flash* As the ring of energy formed along the magnet, the magnet finally started to turn, and my attention was brought to the very top of the reactor, where a glowing pattern could be seen in the tungsten. But the reaction stopped before I could get any sort of good look at it. -Was that a rune? It''s not engraved on the surface, so...- I was honestly incredibly disappointed, but I had already learned what I needed to. -All I need to do now is play around with upscaling it and figuring out how the transformer works...- It was essentially the final step before I could once again turn on the laboratory. -But that is a project that has to wait a bit...- Quickly cutting a hole through the wall with mana, I disconnected the connector full of runes and cut it off the cable. *Click-clank* As I pulled it out of the wall, I carefully surrounded it with a layer of woven carbon to protect it before eventually connecting it to my vest with several bands of cloth. -At least this didn''t get damaged...- While I had indeed memorized countless runes while cleaning out the connector, there was no way I could have memorized them all. -Right now, this thing is more valuable than anything...- Finally making sure it was secure, I continued my search through the wreckage, and while I found a few offices, smaller laboratories, and what looked like surgery rooms, they were all totally gutted. Just like several other rooms, it looked as if someone had come through and taken everything salvageable, whether it be equipment or information. -No bodies, no computer terminals, no tablets... There aren''t even any personal items in all of these rooms... Did the Acardi come to rescue survivors and salvage what was left of the ship?- Everything considered, that was definitely the most likely case, but I couldn''t help but feel like the way things were salvaged was odd. -If they wanted to salvage it.. why wouldn''t they take the whole ship?- But I tried not to think about it too much as I ran through the rest of the ship and eventually made my way back outside. -Well, it''s a shame the ship didn''t answer any of the questions I wanted it to, but I can''t complain about the result...- The reactor and transformer alone were essentially the keys to a massive library of information that most definitely had some answers in it, so while I was definitely unhappy with the lack of information about the ship itself, I couldn''t be mad. -Plus, I still have that place in the mountains to check out...- *flash-vwoom* As I changed back to my dragon form and put the connector in a safe spot behind my wing, I let Ilios back up onto my back and took to the skies once more. -Holcyon said it was ''a few dozen kilometers north of the wreckage''... Assuming that means under a hundred kilometers, that leaves a good section of the mountain range to search...- Compared to searching the mountain Hera was on, it made me want to laugh. -But I shouldn''t lollygag after spending so long in the wreckage...- *pshh-crackle-FWOOOOOSH* Hurtling along the mountainside, I expected to find some sort of obvious structure quite quickly, but even after multiple passes over both sides of the mountain, looking through the clouds and trees, I found nothing. -What the hell? Did he lie to me?- Not believing that what he said could be a lie, I expanded my search area by several hundred kilometers but still saw nothing out of the ordinary until I spotted a lone dragon flying nearly straight over the ancient wreckage. -What is a dragon doing all the way out here?- Deciding to hide and watch them, I concealed myself with light magic and made my way over to get a better look. However, just a moment later, they landed at the entrance of a tiny cave and promptly changed to their humanoid form. It was an elder, and a pretty large one at that, but I was far more concerned that they walked into one of the hundreds of tiny caves without any hesitation. Almost as if they were familiar with it. -Myles definitely would have sent a team of people... So who could this be?- Chapter 260: A Mysterious Figure Chapter 260: A Mysterious Figure Two Days Prior: Early Morning - Mid Summer : Deepcross, Southern Holy Kingdom ----- - Astren Ravenna ~ (Unintroduced) "Have you guys heard of the monster wave to the south? I heard there was a massive wyvern hunting the orcs." "Yeah, one of the knight orders left the other day to go handle it, but they haven''t returned yet. Do you think they could''ve been killed?" "Pft, yer out of yer mind if you think they''d lose to a wyvern. They had a templar knight with them." "Haha, I guess that''s true... Do ya think it''d be worth to head south to try and pillage the orc villages while they are all gone? We may find somethin good." "Hooh, thats not a bad idea!" The group of adventurers at the table behind me spoke nonchalantly, not caring about the dozen other groups within the tavern listening in on them. "Hey, maybe if we make it big I can spend a night with that beauty!" The most ragged of the group glanced back at the young brown-haired waitress as he spoke. Almost immediately, all of the locals went silent, and the gazes of several people idly sipping alcohol by themselves locked onto the group. "Haah..." I could only let out a sigh. -They must be new around here...- The group of men behind me were clearly naive to the way things worked in these parts, likely only living and spending time around major cities and towns. -But if they have a death wish, it ain''t my problem...- The town I was in was called Deepcross, a town settled right between four huge dungeons, and my hometown. All things considered, it was essentially the boonies. With a population of only fifteen hundred, everyone knew each other, and foreigners stook out like a sore thumb. But it wasn''t that we didn''t like them, it was actually quite the opposite. As the town has grown over the years, many powerful individuals have come and stayed. Without a guild being here, one would expect crime to be rampant, but the locals always make sure to form connections with the strong. -I guess my father was one of them at one point...- My father was a templar knight of the cleric rank, and while he likely could get promoted to bishop with his strength, he lacked the faith in Asgard required for it. -I wonder when he will be back though...- "Haah..." -Maybe he found a trace of Mother...- As I let out a deep sigh, the group of men at the table behind me finally stood up and left, giving the waitress a hefty tip and a wink on the way out. It wasn''t long after that, that one of the men drinking alone at the edge of the tavern got up as well, setting a small golden medallion on the table as he did so. But the young waitress was quick to move over and stand at his table. "Sir, is there anything you wish to drink or eat?" Almost immediately, the hooded man paused. "An onion soup and a water will be fine..." "Hmph..." The girl was quick to pout. "You know, if you eat too much onion soup, your breath will start to stink. And no one wants to talk to someone with bad breath." "We are, I just have a secret stash for guests I like." -For guests she likes?- I turned to the person next to me with a quizzical look. But that was when they reached for their mug, revealing their small white hands that resembled a young girls. They looked as if they were made of porcelain; lacking any callouses or blemishes even though she was carrying some sort of sword and had the aura of a fighter who was far more skilled than I. But before I could even question it, an enchanting voice met my ears. "Thank you." She was clearly still learning the language, but her accent was one I had never heard before. -Where is she from?- But before I could actually ask, the doors slammed open. *WHAM* Everyone turned to look at the voice instantly, only to see a man holding his knees and breathing heavily. I immediately noticed his unusual clothing, but it took me too long to realize it was what knights wore under their armor. "Hah... Hah... Everyone needs to evacuate!" The silence that filled the room was deafening. "There is another huge monster wave coming here! Hah... This time from the Southern Dungeon!" As if no one knew how to react, everyone just looked at each other until the panic started. The several dozen adventurer groups in the tavern thinned out before anyone could even try to calm everyone down, leaving only about 10 people, two of which were the noble brat and his maid. The maid was begging him to leave. "Young Master we need to leave! The city is only half a days journey north, so we should be able to make it even without restocking supplies." "But we have Snow with us!" The young boy immediately looked at the girl next to me. "She''s so strong that she could effortlessly kill that wy-" *thud* Before he could finish speaking, he fell unconscious on the table. The maid erupted into panic. "YOUNG MASTER?!" But she was promptly calmed down as Shadow walked over. "Miss, he is fine, I just put him to sleep. He will probably wake up in about an hour though, so you should probably get going." She immediately gave him a conflicted look before finally thanking him and running out the door with the boy in her arms. "T-thank you, sir!" Once she left, the remaining 8 of us sat is silence. We were all strong, with the weakest of us being A rank, but even still, we were skeptical whether we would survive if the monster wave was mainly monsters from within the dungeon. But before long, a sigh broke the silence. "Haah..." The girl next to me finally set down her mug as she tightened her embrace on her sword and hopped off her seat, somehow keeping her face just out of eyesight. We all watched her as she got up, and expected her to simply walk out to catch up with the noble boy. But that was when I heard her voice again. "Allow me to repay the favor for the drink..." Chapter 261: The Gaze of A Monster Chapter 261: The Gaze of A Monster Early Morning - Mid Summer : South of Deepcross, Southern Holy Kingdom ----- - Rhanes Ravenna ~ "tsss-" *crack-CRACK* Slamming my hammer down into the head of the basilisk as it lunged at me, its head exploded, and a web of cracks spread through the dry soil. "Sir Templar! There are too many of them!" -Tch...- Tightening the grip on my hammer, I gritted my teeth and whipped it around. "I.. KNOW!" *CRACKLE* The hammer smashed through the jaw of a drake behind me with ease before I lunged forward to throw a punch that would cave in its chest. *WHAM-FWOOOSH* In an instant, the massive body of the drake was hurled through the forest, quickly clearing a path through countless weak monsters and giving the knights a second or two to resituate themselves. -They are already in bad condition...- "Everyone! Work to thin their numbers as much as you can! Don''t be afraid to fall back!" Quickly shifting my grip up below the head of the hammer, I darted forward onto the basilisk''s body and threw myself in the air. "Hyup!" -I need to clear out the stronger monsters if I want these young brats to live...- Quickly scanning over the horde of monsters in front of me, I quickly spotted several more large drakes with a shell dragon behind them, a 25-meter-tall, 6-legged behemoth reaching well into the Cleric rank. -Sh*t...- It was nothing I couldn''t handle, especially in a one-on-one since the hammer was a perfect counter, but the fact it was here meant the monster that displaced it from the dungeon must have been at least priest rank, if not higher. -Even the big names in Deepcross can barely fend off Bishop ranks... If it leaves the dungeon and comes this way.. we are f*cked...- *CRUNCH* Finally landing, crushing an ogre beneath my feet, I cleared my mind and charged through the horde, hastily clearing a path to the closest group of smaller drakes at the beginning of A rank. *tap-tap-tap-crunch* *tap-tap-crack* I mercilessly slaughtered dozens of monsters who attempted to grab me as I passed, before I eventually got to the front-most drake and raised my hammer. *crackle* A fire grew in my eyes as a bright orange glow formed in the drake''s throat. "Now stay away.. FROM MY TOWN!" *WHAAAAM* That was the swing that started it. The brawl that would last an eternity. *Ding-CRUNCH* With every swing, I could feel my muscles tearing. *FWOOOSH-WHAMMM* But I continued pushing forward, leaving a pile of mutilated bodies wherever I walked. But even after what felt like several days, the sun was still high in the sky. -When.. will it.. END?!- *Ding-CRACK-WHAAM* Every single moment after that first swing, I had been fighting with my life on the line, brawling against monsters dozens of times my size in a hopeless struggle to prevent the destruction of my hometown, and the deaths of my friends and loved ones. I believed that if I killed the strongest among the horde, the knights that were with me, numbering almost 200, would be able to stop the rest or at least thin them out enough for the adventurers in the town to be able to clean up. But after killing countless monsters and letting even more run past me, I knew how futile those odds were. -This really is.. a monster wave of everything in the dungeon...- *Crunch* The ground cracked as I finally dropped my half-broken hammer next to me. "Hah... Hah..." My mind and body had finally reached their absolute limits. -But I..- "Hah..." -..can''t stop here...- Slowly looking up, I found myself staring into the cold, lifeless eyes of a nearly fifteen-meter-tall arachnid called a hell spider, a monster that, at that size, was likely around the peak of A rank or entry to cleric. -To think the bast*rds who never leave the bottom of the dungeon are here as well...- It was a monster I could normally kill with ease, especially in a one-on-one, but my condition was far from normal. *cough* "Huek..." Falling to my knees, I held my stomach where a monster''s claw had pierced me and threw up blood. -Shit... Of all the monsters I could die to.. why is it a single hell spider...- After another moment, my vision started to blur further, and with the feeling of the ground shaking, I thought I was dead. *thump* But the noise that followed wasn''t my bones cracking. *CRRRRACKLE* It was the sound of the spider''s exoskeleton being blown to bits. Slowly looking toward the noise, I saw the huge spider''s green flesh and blood covering the ground with its detached legs and head still twitching. -W..what?- The strength required to create such a scene was entirely out of my realm. "W..who.. is there?" Just as I asked that however, a glistening figure entered my vision and came running up to me. "S... S..r... Sir... SIR!" The initially distant voice got louder and louder as the figure approached before finally getting close enough for me to make out a golden symbol on their armor. -Other.. t..templars?- Hurling myself up to the object, I immediately recognized it. It was Father''s hammer. For a moment, my heart felt like it turned into a stone, but after looking more closely at it, I noticed it was on the verge of breaking. -He treats this hammer like his best friend... Could he have dropped it because.. he didn''t want to break it?- I hurriedly tried to convince myself everything was fine, but after another moment I saw a small fragment of broken armor laying under a monster''s flesh. In an instant, my mind was clouded in doubt and despair. -What if.. he''s really dead...- But just as tears started to well in my eyes, I heard a voice; a voice that met my ears like that of a goddess. "He isn''t dead." -H..huh?- My eyes went wide as I looked up to see the robed girl pointing at the ground. -What is she...- She was pointing at footprints, too small to be Fathers, but too deep to be someone alone, even for the mushy, bloodied ground. -Did someone pick him up?- I hastily wiped away several tears before looking down the trail of footprints. -They lead toward the dungeon, but.. they look like they were left by someone in templar armor...- A cloud of confusion started to grow in my mind before finally gripping the nonsensically heavy hammer and standing up, grasping at the thin string of hope laid out in front of me. "Hooh..." I let out a deep breath as I steeled my will. -If a templar picked him up, that must mean there is a division here... They must have been sent to kill whatever monster started the wave...- It was quite an assumption, but the presence of another templar gave me hope. -The fact someone carried Father must mean he must be alive...- The possibility of Father having already passed quickly became an afterthought as the robed girl and I started running again, quickly making our way toward the dungeon through the slowly thinning clearing. Once we started getting close, however, we were stopped by a deep inhuman voice that sounded like it came from every direction. "Turn around and leave." It was a voice so cold that sent a chill down my spine. But I was the only one to slow down because of it. *FWOOSH* In an instant, the robed girl increased speed before coming to an abrupt stop in the middle of the clearing. -W..what is she doing?- She was looking up, seemingly at nothing, before I heard the same deep voice coming from her direction. "To think a demihuman child would see through my magic..." I stared wide-eyed at the girl as the light around her started to warp. After what felt like an eternity, a nearly 50-meter tall, dark green-scaled behemoth revealed itself. It was a dragon that looked like something out of an ancient tale, a monster of myths. As it lowered its head next to the tiny girl with a cold gaze, I worried it would eat her, but I was simply frozen in place. My instinct wouldn''t let me get any closer. But it''s not like I was strong enough to help her anyway. "State your name." The dragon seemed to speak in a human language I couldn''t understand. But I wasn''t the recipient anyway. Without hesitation, the robed girl reached up and pulled off her hood, revealing two tall, white fox ears and beautiful white hair. It was a sight that left me speechless. -Who.. is she?- "My name is Katherine. Katherine Whyte." Chapter 262: Corruption Chapter 262: Corruption Mid Morning - Mid Summer : South of Deepcross, Southern Holy Kingdom ----- - Rhanes Ravenna ~ "Ugh..." I gripped my head as I tried to sit up in a daze. But I almost immediately felt someone force me back down. "Sir, please relax." Glancing toward the voice, I met eyes with a thin man wearing a round monocle and a mostly clean white garb. He was far from strong enough to push me down, but I recognized him and complied immediately. -What in the world is Templar Division Two doing out here?- The man standing next to me was named Oswyn Aegar, a man referred to by Templars and many nobles as the Mad Doctor for his incredibly gruesome, yet effective, ''medical practices'', but known by a majority of common folk as the Lab Rat. Unfortunately, his incredible achievements in advancing human medicine were continually overshadowed by something else. -He is skinnier and paler than I expected...- Momentarily looking at the top of his head, I saw his two large, round mouse ears before quickly averting my eyes. I didn''t want to risk offending the man who was treating my wounds, after all. But truth be told, I doubt he would have cared. "Sir, your body is in terrible condition. You have several severely ripped muscles and tendons, a cracked vertebra, three broken ribs, and a hole in your stomach that I could fit my arm into... You should thank Aesir for even surviving as long as you did." I winced from a momentary surge of pain as he situated my head on an uncomfortable cushion. "I have already done all the procedures I can, from cleaning up and partially closing the wound in your stomach to resituating the scattered fragments of your rib cage. But now that you are awake, there are some things I must ask." He silently pulled up and sat in a chair as he looked me in the eyes. "You are Rhanes Ravenna from Templar Division Four, correct?" He waited for my subtle nod to continue. "What are you doing out here? The higher-ups said there were no Templars in Deepcross." -No templars in Deepcross? Why would the higher-ups bother mentioning that?- A hint of doubt appeared in my mind before I could even speak. "I was temporarily released from duty three months ago, so I came here to spend time with my daughter." "Ah, I see. Well, that is truly unfortunate." His voice and expression were completely heartless. I gave him an angry glance before catching myself and assuming it was a misunderstanding. "Haah..." -I need to relax...- "She may only be 20 years old, but she is close to becoming a Cleric, so I''m not worried about her surviving the flood." -Plus, Shadow is with her...- I was convinced I had nothing to worry about. But that didn''t last very long. "Sir, I was not referring to the monster flood." -Huh?- My eyes instantly shot open. -W..what does he mean by that?- I didn''t have long to question it, however. "I never would have thought a noble templar would let a family member live in a town like Deepcross." A deep and slightly dissatisfied voice met my ears as my gaze locked onto a huge man in templar armor walking over to me. "Since it seems you weren''t informed of this mission beforehand, allow me to break the news to you." The man was huge, standing just shy of two and a half meters tall, with a wide, muscular build and an incredibly oppressive aura to match. His expression was quite unsavory as he stood over me. "The name is Andras Snyder, the Captain of the Second Templar Division. I''m sure you''ve heard of me." I gave a very subtle nod as I tried to shake off my wandering thoughts about the situation. "M-my name is-" "Rhanes Ravenna; Division Four, right? From what a few of my men have said, you have quite a good reputation among the Templars." He quickly glanced at Oswyn, making him momentarily walk away. "I''m quite surprised you weren''t informed of this matter. Does your captain know you are here in Deepcross?" Seeing me nod, he continued with a suspicious tone. "Well, that''s quite peculiar, because the higher-ups specifically said that there were no templars here a mere week ago..." His gaze felt like it could burn a hole through iron. "For now, I will assume it''s a misunderstanding and get to the point..." He uncrossed his arms as he walked over and picked up a book that was lying on a small table next to me. "A week ago, we were given a mission to come here and retrieve something. Unfortunately, I can''t tell you what it is, but in the process of us going to get it, we caused the monster flood you had the displeasure of experiencing." He paused, likely to watch for my reaction, but I was already losing myself in my own thoughts. "Originally, our plan was to clear out the dungeon as we descended, but the higher-ups had other plans." *clap* He closed up the book with one hand before looking me in the eyes with a serious expression. "The second part of our mission was to use the monster flood to destroy Deepcross and go through to ''clean up what was left'' after it had dealt its damage." -W..what...- In an instant, the steady breeze turned still, and the rustling leaves in the canopy went silent. -W..why would they.. order that?- "As it turns out, the higher-ups view Deepcross as an oasis of sin. A place full of criminals and runaways. A blemish in the world they wish to present to the gods... It was why they made sure there wasn''t someone like a devout Templar here.. yet here you are..." "Has Adonis returned?" The dragon immediately responded to the knight with an inhuman, but clearly understandable voice. -Is it speaking with magic?- "He should be out soon, Lord De?ntro." The knight held his bow but somehow didn''t sound the slightest bit nervous. "In that case where is Andras? We are adjusting the plan." "H-huh?!" The knight quickly became flustered. "B-but Sir Dentro-!" "Nevermind, I found him... Kid, get out here. We are having a change in plans." There was a short moment of silence that followed the dragon''s voice before the younger Templar ran off, and a giant of a man came walking out of the woods. The man was easily over two meters tall, with a wide frame and muscles larger than I had ever seen. Even his presence was heavy as if tens of thousands of angry souls surrounded him. Even in front of the colossal dragon, he didn''t back down. "Why are you suddenly changing the plan? Although you dragons may have freedom, if my men abandon the plan ''they'' gave us, we will be held accountable." "You don''t have any right to be combative with me, kid." *CRUNCH* A massive web of cracks spread through the entire area in an instant. "Hoh? You think just cause you''re so much bigger than me that you can boss me around?" He slowly reached up for the hilt of his greatsword, which looked as long as him. "You know what will happen if you draw that sword." *crackle* The blue sky immediately went dark as the huge creature spread its wings. "Even if your strength were greater than mine, you would still have the body of a human." "Tch..." The huge man immediately clicked his tongue before pulling away his hand. "If that ''brother'' of yours wasn''t such a monster, I''d drag your head through the capital and take the title of dragon slayer." His confidence was endless in front of the dragon. But it didn''t last very long. "Andras... Angelos..." *tremble* The entire forest trembled as the horrifically deep voice met our ears. "I remember suggesting you two get along... Are you two truly not going to heed my advice?" The voice echoed out of the dungeon nearly half a kilometer away before the head of a dragon, completely dwarfing the one I stood behind, appeared. -W..what...- My eyes only widened as it squeezed itself through the massive, 40-meter entrance to the dungeon and finally stood up. -W..what.. is that?- Towering over 80 meters tall, with dark crimson scales and countless horns making up its crown, it looked like a totally different creature from the dragon next to me. But even still, the dragon next to me treated him like nothing. "Took you long enough... Did you get it?" "Who do you think I am?" Opening its mouth slightly, it showed a nearly two-meter-wide orb in its mouth before hiding it again. "In any case, I heard as I was coming out that you want to change the plan..." *crunch* *crunch* *crunch* The ground cracked beneath its feet as it walked over. "Is it related to those two?" Seeing the behemoth lock eyes on me, my entire body froze. "Not the girl in the back. I am not sure who she is.. but..." The green-scaled dragon suddenly paused before opening his mouth and causing the ground to shake. *TREMBLE* "|The girl in front is named Katherine Whyte.|" The dragon''s voice was indescribable and incomprehensible, speaking in a language I couldn''t fathom. The crimson dragon responded in a similar fashion. "|Hoh? A demihuman with the name Whyte? Are you sure it isn''t a coincidence?|" "|Absolutely certain. Just look at her sword and clothes...|" Both dragons momentarily looked toward Katherine while they seemed to speak to each other. "|It was all clearly made by a dragon, whether she was truly given the name Whyte, or not... However, if she truly is a Whyte, then we could bring this matter to the Hall. Bringing down the Whyte family ahead of schedule couldn''t be bad...|" "|Ture...|" The crimson dragon quickly closed the distance between us with a few steps before lowering his head to get a closer look at Katherine. "Little girl, it seems you wish to say something to me... You may spea-" She interrupted him without the slightest worry or hesitation. "Help me find someone!" Everyone in earshot immediately froze, while the dragons just looked at each other with expressions even I could tell were confused. I, on the other hand, was simply appalled by the fact that she would interrupt such a colossal monster. -Is she stupid?!- Chapter 263: The Sensation Chapter 263: The Sensation *Back to Present* Early Morning - Mid Summer : The Ancient Wreckage, Southwestern Holy Kingdom ----- Gliding just below the clouds while cloaked with light magic, I watched the 65-meter-tall elder fly a straight path from where I first saw him to a tiny cave entrance before changing to his humanoid form and walking inside without hesitation. -Myles definitely would have sent a team of people... So, who could this be?- After waiting another moment to make sure no other dragons were around and he wasn''t coming right back out, I glided down to the cave entrance and found a spot to land around two hundred meters away. *fwo-oowsh* *fwoosh* *fwoosh-tap-tap* The landing was as gentle as I could make it. -He shouldn''t feel the vibration from this distance either.. hopefully...- Hastily changing to my humanoid form, I looked over at Ilios and had him stay at full size. "Watch the entrance for me. If he slips past me somehow, I want you to grab him, alright?" "Huff." He straightened up with a determined expression, quickly reminding me how big he had grown. -We really have become completely different beings in just a few years... I wonder what Mother and Father will think when they see us...- I had been planning to visit them for quite a while now, but one thing continually led to another. -Maybe after I handle this, I''ll have the chance to visit them in Atlas...- Giving Ilios a gentle pet as he lowered his head next to me, I sent him up the mountain and finally cleared my thoughts. "Hooh..." -Whatever the case, I will play it as it lays. For now, let''s focus on this...- Quickly situating my greatsword and the reactor connector, I made my way up the rocky mountainside being extra careful of my weight, before finally making it to the tiny entrance and squeezing myself inside. -This is a little tighter than it looked...- But while my horns scraped the ceiling and my sword cut into the wall, once I got through the entrance, it opened into a tunnel I could more comfortably walk in. -But what are those?- The tunnel itself looked like nothing more than a cave, but all along the wall, there were several clearly manufactured metal rectangles with some sort of heavily worn carving in them. -Are these mounts for lights or something?- They looked spaced as if they were supposed to be lighting the path, but not only were there none hanging there, the metal mounts were incredibly rusted and clearly extremely old. -These have to be at least a few thousand years old, but they''re too crude to be done by the Acardi...- Curious if it was something that fell off, I quickly sent a bit of aura into the ground but found nothing out of place. -Hm... How odd...- Finally standing back up, I turned away and tried to move on, but something continued to weigh on my mind as I walked. -First, the entrance was too small for a fusion artifact to fit through, and now these mounts that don''t look like they''re from the Acardi... Is this not the cave I''m looking for?- My doubts only accumulated the longer I walked, but before long, they vanished. *clunk* The noise of metal bending ripped through the silence around me like a sonic boom. *VWWOOM* It caught me so off guard I almost didn''t manage to silence it before it continued deeper into the cave. -Holy hell that was close...- "Phew..." -But.. what was that?- Moving some aura into the ground beneath my foot, I immediately noticed a fairly thick slab of cast iron with a crudely made handle on the edge. It was entirely covered in a thick layer of dust and rust. I was honestly lucky to not fall through it. -W..woah... What is this?- Hastily blowing away a majority of the dust that settled on it, I reached down and gripped the handle. -Is it a hatch?- The elder didn''t bounce around the curve at all.. he simply plowed straight through the wall. *crrrumble* Although I couldn''t see any of it from inside the cave, the noise of crumbling rock made me freeze, with the annoyance and anger directed at the elder disappearing almost instantly. My worry of the cave collapsing on the rooms entirely washed over my mind like a wave of clarity. But thankfully, the damage didn''t spread back into the mountain too far, and once the noise subsided, I managed to ease my nerves. -Are things.. alright?- Hastily looking around, I tried to find any cracks that looked out of place but the entire cave in front of me looked like it had been sand blasted to oblivion. -Holy sh*t... I didn''t think that through...- I was honestly incredibly lucky, not just because the cave didn''t collapse on the room I was on the edge of, but because there was another entrance at the other end of the cave, letting the cave into a massive wind tunnel instead of a vacuum bomb that''d cause the entire mountainside above me to come crashing down. -But.. things worked out somehow.. so why don''t I just count my lucky stars...- Finally catching my breath, I got ready to go out and blow a hole through the rubble so I could make sure the elder was still alive, but before I could hop through the hole in the wall, a blinding light appeared at the end of the tunnel. *Brrmmm* -Huh?- *fwooosh* The dust filling the cave was immediately blown back toward me with a wave of hot air before it finally dimmed, and a big white fenrir poked his head in. His head was nearly as big as the tunnel, but after spotting me, he pulled it back out. He was calling me over. -Did he catch him?- Quickly hopping out of the room and making my way to the newly made cave entrance, I looked outside to see Ilios sitting next to the Elder''s sprawled-out body. His condition looked shockingly alright except for a considerably swollen and bruised abdomen, and a few teeth marks from Ilios, but I went in for a closer look just to make sure he wasn''t going to die. -Considering the artifact I had to punch through though... I''m sure he''s fine.- As expected, there was nothing much of note; a significant amount of shredded muscle, ripped tendons, a bit of internal bleeding, a few fractured bones and vertebrae, and some other minor injuries which were already healing. To a dragon, most of the damage was surface level. -But, it''ll be at least a few days to heal the fractures... Even if he wakes up in an hour, he shouldn''t be able to move...- Quickly going through his pockets, I found a pouch of platinum coins, several fairly basic artifacts including a normal-looking ID, a few blank pieces of paper, and a weird, small, glowing sphere that looked like it was made of a beautiful jade. -What''s this?- It was quite small, only about the size of a golf ball, but it slowly emitted mana and glowed a beautiful teal color. -How pretty...- Assuming it was some sort of charm, I quickly slipped it into my pocket before finally standing up and brushing off my clothes. "Alright, I think I found what I was looking for in the cave, so can you watch over him for me?" Ilios immediately nodded before trotting over so I could praise him. "Haha, yes, yes, you did a great job." He immediately started smiling from my praise, and the next thing I knew, I was smiling as well. "I promise we will play some when we visit Mother and Father after dropping this guy off, alright?" Seeing him gleefully nod as his tail started wagging faster, the tenseness and anxiety still lingering in my mind finally subsided, letting a much more pure mix of excitement and curiosity dominate my thoughts. It was an odd feeling, as if my mind was actively being healed or somehow influenced, but it was a feeling I had become quite familiar with. -I have felt it so many times now.. yet every time I feel it, I can''t help but wonder... What is it?- Chapter 264: A Survivor Chapter 264: A Survivor Mid Morning - Mid Summer : The Ancient Wreckage, Southwestern Holy Kingdom ----- -Geez... Who could even make all of this...- *tap-clunk* Gently setting down a small but exceedingly complex mechanical creation on the table, I turned my attention to a large rectangular device with its side panel off, exposing some incredibly intricate machinery. From what I could tell, it was some sort of engraving or precision cutting tool, and the small, out-of-place mechanical piece on the table next to it was an attempt to repair it. -It looks like it might even work...- Reaching over and gently picking up a piece of paper wrapped in an odd film, seemingly untouched by time, I saw an incredibly precise blueprint of the small piece on the table with all sorts of notes, add-ons, and additional ideas on how to approve it. It honestly looked like something from Earth if you looked past that it was all written in Acardi. -Whatever the case, this guy knew his stuff...- Finally setting down the paper, I continued around the room to see what everything else was, and things went pretty well. The room looked like a workshop of some kind, with all sorts of tools and salvaged equipment that had been pieced together to create more useful things; a massive titanium forge, something resembling a 3D printer, and a hand-held railgun just to name a few. It was plainly obvious that the person who created it all was related to the Acardi, if not one of them themselves. -Well, they definitely aren''t a native that just salvaged some of the wreckage...- But issues arose when I started looking for less surface-level information. Within the workshop, every single device had a display, from the planters with isolated miniature ecosystems to the massive kiln that sat in the corner. Even the ''wooden'' desk the engraver was on had one. Under normal circumstances, this would be absolutely incredible, as it would entail access to historical information far beyond what could be provided through paper, but in their current condition, they were nothing more than fancy black mirrors. -I may be able to power them though...- Throughout the workshop, cables were run along the walls before being combined with several junctions, eventually leading into a black rectangular pedestal in an empty corner of the room. When I first saw it, I thought it looked incredibly out of place, especially with how crowded the rest of the room was. However... *thump-creaaaak* As I approached it, the titanium tiles under my feet creaked, and an echo could be heard from beneath with every step. *thump* *thump* *thump* -Ah, this must be the way you''re supposed to get in here...- Quickly sending some aura into the ground, I saw a system of pulleys and cables that would lower the floor like an elevator and spread my aura out to figure out how it operated. -Geez... How long would it have taken to make this by hand?- Eventually ending up inside the pedestal, I quickly noticed how it worked like a small junction box for the rest of the workshop, as well as a complex but reliable elevator. But even though there were several buttons at the top of the pedestal, seemingly for controls, they all required electricity. -What if their generator breaks while they''re in here? Wouldn''t this become a death trap?- Not believing what I was looking at, I used my aura to push the buttons, but as expected, they did nothing. -Talk about a design flaw...- But I wasn''t one to give up easily. Looking at the cable leading down the elevator shaft beneath the pillar, I considered giving it some juice myself, by against my curiosity and eagerness, I held off. -Unless the destroyed wall was where the door from the cave was meant to be, the area this elevator leads should have another entrance...- Finally standing up, I walked back out into the cave and up to the big metal rectangle that was now sticking out of the ground. -If I''m lucky, the other entrance is this...- With the basilisk gone, I could finally see what this cave was. And it was pretty recognizable. -Is this a dead dungeon?- With mostly uniform cave walls, and a considerable amount of mythril exposed in them, it heavily resembled an older dungeon, but the flow of mana was comparably almost nonexistent. The theory did make some sense too. A dead dungeon was an excellent place to build a shelter like this since monsters would never have a reason to come inside unless they were nesting or seeking shelter near the entrance. But nevertheless, I had some concerns, the biggest of which being how the person who made this place even managed to move so much salvage from the wreckage at least a dozen kilometers away. -This place isn''t small.. at all...- Although it was extremely difficult to tell what sort of build quality this area was made with because of the corrosion, from what I could tell, it looked a little above the workshop. -But nothing about it is lightweight... Moving any of it so far would be a huge pain for something human-sized... Through a forest no less...- No matter how I twisted it, it didn''t make sense. At least until my entire view of what the Acardi species looked like started to shift. But thankfully, before it could warp too much, I managed to stop myself and make my way back into the gate to take another look through the shelter. "Hooh..." -I need to get more information before I make any assumptions...- Quickly walking back through the gate, I looked around the room and saw a large corroded door that was opposite the ladder, but there was another anomaly that pulled my attention away from it almost immediately. -Huh?- On the center of the opposite wall, several gunk-covered tiles stuck just above the water line, and on a few of them, there was a clean streak as if something had scraped off the organic gunk that had built up. -That looks pretty recent...- *tap* *splash* *splash* *splash* Hastily making my way over, I walked up to the wall and immediately noticed a thin but perfectly straight line of corrosion that just so happened to be the very center of the semicircle of scraped tiles. It only took me a moment to put two and two together. -Is this a door?- Not bothering to take any more precautions, I pushed some aura into the wall and immediately found a sequence of touch sensors, as well as a panel that looked like it was meant to pop out of the wall, before finally undoing the mechanical part of the lock. Then, with a click, the door popped out of the wall and swung open. *click* *clank-fwooosh* With a gust of scentless air, the door swung open to reveal an absolutely pristine white room, completely devoid of corrosion, with a large glass tube of blue liquid at the center and a massive panel of screens, a few mechanical sensors, and a few buttons on the wall behind it. The center tube, reminiscent of the AI in the laboratory, caught my attention quite quickly, but without the ability to power it, I forced myself to move on. -But.. what even is this place?- All along the left wall were several spherical artifacts lined up between three metal rods that led into a hole in the wall with the text ''Hot Cores'' above it, and on the right side was the same thing except with three artifacts and the text reading ''Cold Cores'' It was puzzling, to say the least, but even as I was walking over to them, a theory came to mind. -Wait a minute... ''Hot cores''.. in a room that looked like it was recently accessed...- It was the red light I had been looking for. Normal Release Schedule is Coming! Normal Release Schedule is Coming! Hey everyone! I know many of you were probably expecting a chapter today and are disappointed to not see one, but it will have to wait until Thursday. Again, I apologize for having to push it back 3 days after having to already wait 6, but starting Thursday, we will be back to good ole 3 day releases! Chapter 265: Unmatched Resilience Chapter 265: Unmatched Resilience Mid Morning - Mid Summer : The Ancient Wreckage, Southwestern Holy Kingdom ----- "W..woah..." Gently picking up a ''Hot Core'', I looked at the complicated yet beautiful map of runes on its exterior before carefully sending some aura through it. The artifact was nothing short of a work of art. The chained runes were so complex they were hard to follow, yet at the same time, every single one was made with intent as if they were pieces of a puzzle. -But.. is this really something made by the Acardi?- From what I could tell, there were two independent chains of runes, one to turn some of the helium into hydrogen and the other to create a trace amount of a much heavier metal, with countless other lone runes lining the inside of the core''s shell. Besides the runes themselves, it was nearly identical to something I would have made if I were to create a fusion bomb. But this artifact was, at the very least, not meant to be a bomb. From how I interpreted it, the artifact was essentially a ''heat and fuel injector'', taking a trace amount of some heavy, radioactive metal and using its fission to kick start a small-scale fusion reaction that would then be released that through a hole in the side of the artifact to jump-start a larger reaction, likely inside of a reactor or something similar. But that''s where the problem was. -Is this.. a fusion catalyst?- Not only was the artifact the ''easiest to activate'' weapon of mass destruction I could ever imagine, but it was also something meant for energy production. -It would make more sense if it was rigged to be a weapon. All someone has to do is remove or force mana through those mythril ''safety valves'' to use it as one... But the caps on the injector tube are untouched...- No matter how I twisted it, the artifact was meant to be an injector. -But even if it was a bit outdated, it isn''t even remotely comparable to the antimatter runes and reactor I saw on the wreckage... That gap in technology is far more than just a few generations...- Things simply weren''t adding up. But that was something I couldn''t let myself get hung on. "Haah..." -Well, regardless of all that... I''m almost certain this is the artifact Holcyon took...- The artifact comfortably checked all of the boxes I was looking for; ease of use without much knowledge, incredibly high explosive potential, and something beings from this world would find impossible to recreate. And while I couldn''t help but find it weird that live, operational artifacts remained here after someone came through, I knew simply questioning it would do me no good. -Maybe I''ll ask Holcyon when I get back... If he''s still alive...- But as my gaze slowly turned back to the hole in the wall, my curiosity about the artifact and structure returned. -I should have a few more days before Myles, and his crew show up, right? Let''s see what this artifact is really for...- *clunk* Gently setting it down in the rack, I walked over to the front panel full of confidence and quickly looked over the several dozen mechanical sensors, switches, and buttons with a curious look, trying to get a general idea of what each was. But while I looked at them fully expecting to not recognize any, there was actually one gauge that used a metric I knew: '''' -So, those artifacts are actually meant to be used how they were meant to...- was a symbol I had previously seen in the Acardi database at the laboratory. In short, it was a metric used to denote a reactor''s stability and efficiency, usually between 1 and 100, with 50 being an ideal balance. [1]Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com The issue was that the database specifically stated that it ''lost standard'' 1000 years prior to the data entry, meaning the reactor in this structure was technology a millennia older than almost everything else I had seen. But as fascinating as it was to learn that the Acardi had fusion at least a thousand years before the Great War, I was extremely hesitant. -I''m.. not really sure I want to try and turn it on now...- Quickly scanning over the other sensors, I tried to find anything else I recognized, but didn''t find anything except a switch under a cover with the label: ''Cold Start'' on it. Deep down, I knew flipping that switch was a terrible idea. Attempting to turn on the reactor was essentially like shaking a bottle of nitroglycerin right in front of my face, but even still, I couldn''t help myself. -I could probably survive in this form.. right?- *vwoooom* Sending aura into the wall with some hesitation, I passed through tons of electronics and mechanical parts before coming into a large reactor core I could easily stand in. Reactor Integrity: Passable Booting Systems...'' The screen quickly returned to black before being replaced by a simple menu, while the other screens lit up to show countless calculations, measurements, electronic gauges, and even a sonar map of the surrounding area. -Woah...- "Activating Locally Detected Systems... Main Server: Unreachable... Connecting to Local Database. Integrity: Uncertain." -Local Database?- My eyes lit up like a kid opening a present on Christmas. -Is that something I can access through this?- Quickly toning out the automated voice, I looked more into the menu on the central screen and, to my surprise, immediately found the database. My eyes were lit up like stars as I looked through the astronomical amount of data in the database, including the ''Activity Records'' of every device connected to the reactor, power consumption and management, and all activities over the course of nearly 100 years with extremely few glitches in the data. Now, it is true that most of that data was meaningless to me, but the deeper I went, the more I found. -''Travel Records''? What''s this?- Quickly opening the tab, I was presented with a giant, somewhat low-detail 3D map of the surrounding area, but with thin trails leading just about everywhere. The trails themselves were surrounded with incredibly detailed renderings of the area, to the point that I could count the leaves on trees, as well as specific nodes that could be tapped to bring up a note, usually being something short and simple, like ''S34 Section 3 Salvage'' or ''Hostile Wildlife and Fauna'' with a date and time. But among the nodes, there were two that had clearly had the most traffic between them: ''S34 Atmospheric Freighter'', which was right on the ancient wreckage, and ''Home'', which was exactly where I was. It immediately destroyed any hint of doubt I still had. -This guy was definitely an Acardi survivor...- Quickly tapping and skimming through the notes on each of the nodes along the nearly 1,200 trails, that fact became increasingly evident. Almost two hundred of the half a thousand nodes were related to other survivors, being locations of emergency broadcasts or the last known locations of people. There were even nodes higher on the mountain labeled ''Personal Emergency Broadcast'', which was likely the owner of this place''s own attempt to be rescued. -But they never came...- Glancing up at the date on the last personal broadcast node, I couldn''t help but let out a sigh. "Haah..." -To think he''d keep pushing for his survival even after being abandoned...- The date was almost a hundred and twenty years after the first broadcast. -I''m not sure whether to give him pity or praise for holding onto hope for that long...- Quickly checking out the last few nodes, I gave the map one last skim before finally closing it and moving on. But most of the database was still irrelevant information, with most of it being stored logs from various machines, including some of those in the workshop, as well as things like blueprints and projects for machines, rooms, gadgets, and weapons, among other things. However, something interesting among the blueprints was a rough blueprint of the crawler itself. As it turned out, the area I was in now and the area with the large gate were two of the three main parts of the original crawler, with a little over a dozen blacked-out crab-like legs sprawling out from under it. It honestly looked a bit creepy, but I couldn''t deny that it was an effective design. -It definitely wasn''t meant for a hostile surface though...- The best defensive armament on it was essentially just a vent of heat and plasma from the reactor. -But if it works, it works, I guess...- Continuing deeper into the database, I came across some data about possible survivors and their information, last locations, chances of survival, etc., along with a folder of distorted images and error-filled videos that looked to be taken from the surrounding area. -The data here is pretty distorted though...- Among the images I could see though, there were horrifically mutilated creatures, puddles of unrecognizable blood and flesh, massive swaths of destroyed forest, pieces of bones, blood-covered railguns and other weapons, and countless other horrible images. The videos were not so lucky, with very few even being playable, let alone watchable. However, one of the few watchable videos was simply a black screen instead of static, with the label ''Final Broadcast - Friedrich al-Gobcheif ; -351.3, 138.1, 7.8, 91.2''. -Hm? What is this?- I opened it immediately. Chapter 266: A Final Warning Chapter 266: A Final Warning Late Morning - Mid Summer : The Ancient Wreckage, Southwestern Holy Kingdom ----- *btzzz-crackle* My ears were met with a distorted crackle as I opened up the ''Final Broadcast'' video. The screen was completely black, and the only thing that could be heard was the sound of the wind and what sounded like someone moving the camera, but eventually, it went silent, and a voice could be heard. "My name is Friedrich al-Gobcheif. The Vice-Commander, and likely the last surviving crewmember of the S34." The voice was deep, worn, and gravelly, sounding more similar to a demihuman than a human. "It has been 8 months since the destruction of the S34, and this will be my final message. I hope for it to serve as a warning..." The hum of the reactor slowly disappeared as I focused on the voice. "This planet is somewhere we should have never ventured. We have come into someone else''s home and made a mess we cannot clean..." The sound of crashing waves could be heard in the background as the man paused. "From our ships, the planet seems much like any other, with the exceptions of the anomalies.. namely the dragons... But after wandering around on its surface, fighting for my life over the last 8 months, I can confidently say it is anything but... *fwoosh* This planet itself is alive. It is conscious. It breathes and gives life to everything here.. and just like a mother, it is going to protect its children... *puff*" The sound of something falling into sand met my ears as he paused again before continuing in the tone of someone who had given up. "If any other survivors are able to hear this, do everything you can to not just hide away or blend in, but become a resident of this world. Learn the native languages and befriend the people, appreciate the beauty of what this world has to offer, and in death, become a part of it... And as for if this message is to ever reach the ears of the Mothership, I beg of you to heed my advice and leave. The dragons are far from alone, and the entity at the bottom of the Black Ocean and the gods that the natives worship are the red flags... This world is not ours, and if we do not stop what we are doing before we step on the wrong tail.. I''m afraid that..." He suddenly stopped as an unidentifiable noise could be heard before the microphone peaked. "*pshhh-CRACKLE*" But after a moment, it quieted down, and the noise of sand and rocks falling to the ground could be heard. "*pitter-patter-puff*" It was only a moment before another voice appeared. "|To think a rat like you would finally leave your den...|" It was the voice of a dragon, and an incredibly big one at that. But the voice was still relaxed. "Haah.. It seems my luck has run out... If anyone can hear this, don''t bother looking for me..." "|Tch.. another one that won''t even try to run... How boring...|" "I truly pray for the salvation of our Sector, and wish prosperity for you all... I hope we can redeem our mistake before-" "*CRRRRUN-tshhhhhh*" The noise of bones being crushed like ice echoed through the speakers before finally cutting out to static. Seeing that the broadcast continued for another full minute, I continued to listen, but there was nothing besides an eerie static. It didn''t help my wandering thoughts in the slightest. "Haah..." All I could do was hang my head down and try to sift through countless theories and ideas. But more than anything, my theories were falling apart. The first thing to break was my idea of what the Acardi race was. The voice sounded and felt far too human for the humanoid but alien race I envisioned them to be. According to him, it was the only reason he survived and was lucky enough to find a different crawler that survived the event, mainly being shielded from the blast. But he never called himself lucky a single time. Rather, he said he was cursed. A vast majority of the entries were about him struggling to fight off the madness, loneliness, and despair he was left with after narrowly surviving the disaster and hearing nothing but emergency broadcasts of other survivors, just to go search for them and only find the remnants of their body scattered across the ground, with some of them even being his friends, Friedrich al-Gobcheif being a name specifically mentioned several times. According to some later entries, the only thing that kept him sane was taking on large salvage and repair operations to expand his new home, build new machines, and dip his toes into other activities like data encoding and hardware maintenance. But I had to attribute it to his determination to live. -Regardless, I should be thankful for that resilience of his.. because what he made is going to help me monumentally...- I spent quite a while after that, skimming through the rest of the notes before eventually getting up to check out the ''lodging'' on the crawler and explore the actual shelter. The lodging itself was nothing too fancy, with a standard bed, sprawled-out half-decayed bedsheets, and a desk with some blueprints and drawings spread around, but besides the bed, everything looked to be in great condition. Everything outside the crawler, however, wasn''t so lucky. At one point, the shelter was likely an incredible feat of engineering, with countless complex machines all around each of the rooms, but now they were nothing more than accumulations of rust and corrosion. -It looks like water came through the walls and ceiling at some point...- And sure enough, after sending some aura into the most corroded section of the roof, I found a titanium pipe, likely for plumbing, with a completely solid cylinder of minerals filling the entire thing. It was truly impressive that this place ever had plumbing in the first place, feeding water into what seemed like a kitchen and another room to bathe, but it was a shame because had it not been there, the technology in the rest of the shelter may have remained preserved like the reactor, and the workshop. -But at least I got the blueprints for the more critical parts...- It was a bit disappointing that I couldn''t see what the man surviving here managed to create over 140 years, but the database gave me what I really needed. -It was an unexpected boon to have found so many blueprints of fine electronics...- Although most of them were basic or unusable for something on the scale of the laboratory, they were enough to help me improve my understanding of fine electronics and potentially even the device I found in Kaelallan. -The issue is I can''t remember everything...- Something I was worried about was getting stumped on some small detail I couldn''t remember with certainty or something similar. But I had a solution to that. -What if I just took it with me?- But even with just a little thought, I realized I had nowhere to bring it. -The Lab is off-limits. This thing would crumble like an accumulation of silt at that depth.. and it''s probably not the best idea to bring it to Bahamut...- However, there was one place that no one could stumble across, where I would also seldom have to worry about nature. -What if I brought it up to Hera?- Chapter 267: A New Scar Chapter 267: A New Scar Early Evening - Mid Summer : The Ancient Wreckage, Southwestern Holy Kingdom ----- *tap-ap* *tap-ap* *tap-ap* The echo of my footsteps could be heard as I walked out of the gate of the crawler. It had been a couple hours since I finished exploring the shelter at that point, but I had been far from idle. Before turning off the reactor, I gave the workshop one last look through and relocated several of the more interesting items, like a handheld railgun and carbon 3D printer, to the living quarters, before finally having Ilios move several kilometers up the mountain with the Elder. After heading back down to the crawler, I finally shut down the reactor and ensured that a new Hot Core was in place before finally doing a bit of cleanup and beginning the final preparations for moving the crawler. For starters, everything inside the gate room was moved into the cave, from the piles of corrosion that used to be machines to mounds of organic material, loose tiles, and anything else that could move or lead to more deterioration in the future. But as I worked on that, all the cables leading to the other areas of the shelter were disconnected, the wall of the crawler that was welded to the wall of the shelter was broken free, and most importantly, everything in regards to power and the reactor was made airtight. That stuff alone took about 2 hours, but after finishing them, I only had one thing left. -The legs are already severely corroded, so they should break off when I pull on it.. all that''s left is to create an exit!- Currently, the dungeon had a main entrance only about 10 meters in diameter, far from big enough to fit the crawler through, but at the same time, couldn''t be enlarged with any ease as it was a slow taper over several kilometers. Another option I had was to bring it through the void, but that came with an extensive list of risks that I didn''t want to take. -I still need to experiment more with vector compression... But regardless, this will definitely be the safest route...- *flash-vWOOM* *SPLASH* The pool of water splashed as I changed to my dragon form and walked out through it.Findd new stories at novelhall.com It wasn''t actually all that deep, maybe about 4 meters at the deepest point, but it was still just enough for what I wanted to use it for. *blub* *splash-crash-splash* Standing at the deepest point of the puddle, I used quite a bit of magic to ever-so-carefully move the water behind me, toward the crawler, before lifting it up to form a wall covering an entirety of the cave like a plug. -That should be good...- In short, it was a plug that would prevent the soon-to-come surge of heat and air pressure from causing any damage to the crawler. -It''s unfortunate that I can''t just use vacuum magic for this, but I don''t think it''ll be enough... Hopefully, this should be fine.- Not wanting to continue to waste more of my limited mana by holding up the wall of water, I dug my claws into the stone and started preparing the spell. I needed something that could bore a sizable hole through a tremendous amount of rock while not causing any damage to the surrounding area or causing the cave to collapse. But while those were some big demands, I had just the spell. -Let''s see what the limit of Ilios''s magic is...- *VWWOOOOOM* To be frank, this spell was so mana-expensive on this kind of scale that it was incredibly not worth using. -I guess it can''t hurt to relax for a minute... I need to let things cool off a bit anyways, right?- After glancing up at the nearly 45-meter-wide molten hole I had created, I plopped down into the pool of boiling water with a smile of satisfaction. *SPLASH-tssss* But something was missing. -Hmm... I wonder if Ilios would like one...- The evening sun quickly set below the horizon after that. I ended up bringing the eggs outside to watch the sunset while sharing them with Ilios before eventually heading back into the cave to make some last-minute modifications to the crawler. After using Ilios''s spell, I no longer had enough mana and aura to comfortably carry the crawler with, while also using any form of thruster magic and vacuum magic, so I had to do things the old fashion way. -I need to carry it without any magic...- But it was a little too big and inconvenient to do that, especially with how corroded the gate room was, but after some brainstorming, I had an idea. -Would the main circuit cable be strong enough to hold the reactor?- Running through the floor and ceiling of the gate room were two massive cables with large transformers on each. It was the main circuit from the reactor, used to power everything inside the crawler and the shelter, but it was also the one thing that was untouched by corrosion. -It''s layered with a mix of woven and layered carbon, and its connectors are pretty heavily reinforced around the reactor, so.. it should be strong enough... I think...- With a bit of hesitation, I reached up and stepped on the gate, pushing the cables together. *creeeeaaaaak* The corroded room creaked as the ceiling and floor were pushed together, but it worked surprisingly well. -No cables broke...- "Phew..." Finally pulling my weight off it, I drove my tail through the ceiling and floor before wrapping it around the inside of the circuit cables. *CLANK-crumble* From there, it was easy; all I did was pull it out toward the water, gather up as much hydrogen and oxygen as I could, and fly out of the cave with thruster magic. *pshHHHHHHHH* They were so low power that I was hardly moving up, but after several seconds I got to the edge of the hole and landed. *thump-crackle* *creaaaak* The crawler still creaked from the tension on the cables, but thankfully it was holding. -It looks like it should last...- "Alright, Ilios. I''m going to fly this up to where Hera is. While I do that, I need you to watch over that idiot." I quickly motioned toward the Elder. -Him coming would make this trip a hell of a lot easier, but I can''t leave the Elder alone, and I don''t think he can survive in a vacuum like us...- It was unfortunate, but there was nothing I could do. "When I get back, we will head to the Temple, drop that loser off with Myles, and then go to Atlas. Sound like a plan?" He immediately gave an excited nod as his tail started to wag. "Haha, alright!" Lowering my head to his level, he came trotting over to lick my face and let me rub my cheek against his before finally running back to the Elder. Then, with one last nod to him, I took to the air and quickly climbed straight up through the clouds. Thankfully, once I got above them, the air was thin enough for me to release my vacuum magic to save mana and not worry about the drag being too much for the corroded shell of the crawler, but by the time I got to Hera, I was literally on fumes. *RUUUUMBLE* *THUMP* As I finally set the crawler down on its rear and landed, I lowered my head and took a huge gulp of the dense ambient mana. "Hoooh..." -I feel sick...- Realistically, I had about 3 or 4% of my reserve left, which in the grand scheme of things was still quite a lot, but my body didn''t care if it was an ocean or a puddle from the perspective of other dragons. "~What did you bring this time?~" Hera floated out of the edge of the containment center with a curious tone in her voice. But I didn''t even bother creating air between us to speak. "Something that would make people think this mountain is a volcano..." The Chapter is coming Tomorrow The Chapter is coming Tomorrow Hey guys, short and sweet announcement today. The chapter will be tomorrow. Also, I may be releasing a chapter of a new action story sometime soon. It''s just a fun idea I had for a story a while back, that I decided to write a chapter for though. I don''t really expect it to amount to much, but some of you may find it interesting. (OP MC, Female MC (no romance), System, Action, etc.) Regardless, I will see you all tomorrow! Chapter 268: The Enticement of a Nap Chapter 268: The Enticement of a Nap Late Evening - Mid Summer : The Ancient Wreckage, Southwestern Holy Kingdom ----- *ffffffwwwwwWWWWOOOOOSH* The noise of the air ripping past me quickly ramped up as the last bit of sunlight disappeared behind the horizon, and I reentered the atmosphere. It had been several hours since I parted with Ilios at that point, and while I wanted to return to him earlier, I didn''t have much of a choice. When I initially got to the mountaintop, the symptoms of mana exhaustion were already setting in, so I ended up staying there for a bit longer than I needed to try and shake it off before it got too bad. That gave me a couple hours to kill, but instead of letting that time go to waste, I quickly situated the crawler next to Hera''s containment center, did another quick quality check of everything, and eventually did some minor modifications to the fusion cores. As it turned out, the mythril safety valves on the core''s runes were a little loose, and since I didn''t want the dungeon core or Hera accidentally setting one off, I had to essentially lock them shut. For the most part, the modifications were simple and straightforward, but the entire time I was fixing them, Hera was looking over my shoulder and asking an unfathomable amount of questions. -But I can''t say it was all that bad.- It felt nice to feel like I had some true company again, to have someone I could bounce ideas off that could actually correct me. She was a shockingly quick learner, too, with an unfathomably vast knowledge of magic that, while not as advanced as mine, was filled to the brim with things I didn''t know. It made a part of me want to stay up there and learn from her more, but unfortunately, now was not the time for that. -For now, I need to focus on leaving this place before Myles'' group shows up and finally going home...- Quickly turning my attention back to where I was flying, I blew through the underside of the clouds and immediately started scanning over the forest like a hawk. I was over the forest about 20 kilometers off the mountainside where Ilios was laying at the time, but my predator-like focus wasn''t to figure that out. It was to hunt, not for food, but for mana. Scanning over the moonlit forest, I looked for anything big or any sign of a dungeon, but my attention was quickly drawn to a section of the woods a few kilometers away that was lit up by a towering orange flame. -Huh?- Immediately looking toward it, I saw what looked like the shell of one of the colossal turtle-like creatures I had seen previously, wholly illuminated. The turtle was a little on the smaller side compared to the ones I saw earlier, but I couldn''t care less at that moment. Not only would something that big certainly have a decent mana core.. -It''s even using magic!- With a dozen rings of glistening water around its head, it actively used a plume of water vapor to protect itself from the fire. At that moment, my mind stopped seeing it as a creature and more like a ball of mana. But it was only a moment later, when the flames started to dissipate, that my target changed completely. Standing just in front of the turtle was a nearly 20-meter-tall creature that looked like a cross between a forest drake and a very bulky wolf. But what caught my eye wasn''t the creature itself; it was its aura that glistened like a beacon while bathed in the fading light of the fire. -What a gem!- *zip-FWOOOOOOSH* Maintaining all my momentum from reentry, I adjusted my trajectory toward the fighting creatures and closed in like a meteor. That did entail flying about halfway without any magic, but that was better than feeling sick. -It did turn a 30-minute flight into a nearly 3-hour one though...- Even cruising just shy of Mach 2 felt like a snail''s pace compared to normal. -But we''re finally here...- Cresting the horizon as I idly thought to myself was the tops of tropical green trees. A truly glorious sight for me, as it meant that I was one step closer to getting home and being able to sleep for a week or two. *crackle-FWOOSH* Momentarily using magic again, I hastily sped back up and eventually made it to the temple, which had even more cleared area around it than it used to, as well as quite a few more people guarding the perimeter. It was nice to see. Clearly the settlement was growing, quite quickly might I add, and Captain Lassar was keeping the deal. -It does make me wonder what Adrian and Emelia are up to these days though...- [1] But now wasn''t the time for such thoughts. -Right.. how am I actually going to get to the rune? Father never showed me...- Momentarily sparing a bit of mana to cloak myself until I dropped into the damaged tower of the temple, I quickly landed and immediately found myself in the exact same situation as when I first came here. -This.. might be troublesome... Should I just dart through it again?- I didn''t want to use the mana, but after looking through the floor where I knew a trap was and didn''t find anything, I just gave up. "Haah..." -Well, I''m glad I left the antimatter reactor connector with Hera now... I guess here goes nothing...- *CRUNCH* Trying to rely mostly on physical strength, I lunged forward with a horrific amount of force, further shattering the ground and launching myself down the hallway, only using one foot to push off the ground and stay in the air or change directions on the corners. *fwo-FWOOOSH-CRACK* *CRACK-CRUNCH* *CRACK* Thankfully, it was only a moment later that the final room came into view. *CR-R-RUNCH* Abruptly coming to a stop, countless cracks ripped across the room, but they all stopped once they met the platform the rune was on. "Phew..." -Well, the rest of this should be easy, right?- Quickly catching my breath and calming down, I walked over to the space rune and noticed several names around the edge of the pedestal and a few small glowing dots next to each within the black artifact. The names next to each node were : ''Nouniel'' A small kingdom just south of the Kingdom of Deacia. ; ''Siratha'' ; ''Ampelos'' A city on the southeastern corner of Bahamut. ; ''Nkremo?'' A city in the western mountains of Bahamut. ; ''Emporio'' ; and lastly the northernmost city in Bahamut, nicknamed The Frontier of War, ''Akri''. The home of Bahamut''s main military force. -After everything that''s happened, I think it''s a safe bet to say Myles will be there or still at the Elder Hall...- And worst case, if he wasn''t at either of those places, I was confident Akri would have people who did know where he was. -Well, let''s not waste any time then! Time to drop this dumbass off with Myles and go home!- *vwoop* But unfortunately, when I entered that space rune, I failed to think through what exactly the situation really was. ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Additional Notes: [1] - Adrian is the captain of the ship that brought Vasilias halfway between the Main and Western Continents, and Emelia was his daughter. Chapter 145 was when Emelia was introduced, and 174 for Adrian if my memory serves. --- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embeded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) Chapter 269: The Mysterious Nature of the Void Chapter 269: The Mysterious Nature of the Void Early Morning - Mid Summer : Temple Space Rune, Eastern Oasis ----- -Well, let''s not waste any time then! Time to drop this dumbass off with Myles and go home!- *vwoop* Quickly injecting a decent bit of mana into the glowing dot next to ''Akri'', a gate expanded out of the pedestal that immediately stopped once it encompassed the artifact and letting a second gate envelope us and our surroundings. And as if that wasn''t already enough to send me through a loop, the second gate didn''t cut into the ground at all. -Wait, what?- It made sense but, at the same time, didn''t. -How does that work? And how did the artifact create a gate inside a gate? Is that even possible?- A troubled look washed over my face immediately. In an instant, I had gone from smiling, looking forward to getting home, to using every last drop of my mental energy to blast through theories. But after a moment of several different trains of thought continually getting tripped over one another, I slowed down with a deep breath and focused on the one I thought I could explain first. -Okay.. first, the second gate not cutting into the ground...- Although I, unfortunately, wasn''t focusing on it when it surrounded us, after a bit of thought and reasoning, it did line up with a few of my more experimental theories. From what I could tell, when the gate formed, instead of going through/around atoms to create a complete sphere, the gate formed a shape akin to a deflated ball on the ground or a water droplet on a flat surface to avoid any of the platform being sent into the void whenever someone used the rune. Normally, something like this is impossible without external assistance, similar to creating a pentagonal gate or a gate in some other complex shape, but something I had lightly theorized about over recent years called ''space mana strengthening'' was a possible explanation I had. In short, space mana strengthening was the process of strengthening a material or object with space mana compared to unattributed mana. But much like strengthening things with other attributes of mana, strengthening with space mana did, in fact, work, but it was sadly not as cut and dry as the other elements. To keep it simple, strengthening something with space mana caused the item to interfere with the fabric of space, and that interaction would always lead to the space mana in the strengthened item completely disintegrating, which in almost all cases destroyed the item at the atomic level. After discovering that reaction, I totally stopped messing with it. In my eyes back then, such a brutal after-effect made it completely useless, and I was better allocating my time to other theories, but now things made more sense. -If the platform was strengthened with space mana, wouldn''t it be able to stop the expansion of a gate? It''d be tedious to strengthen it meticulously enough for that, but as long as the strengthening is more crystalline than the expanding gate, it''d be doable...- It was undoubtedly a theory I couldn''t guarantee without doing a few experiments, but it was plausible enough for me to at least believe it. However, the other issue of the artifact forming a gate inside of another gate... That was something I was almost entirely in the dark about. -If the platform doesn''t get spared from the void because of space mana strengthening, how does the pedestal survive?- Quickly adjusting my eyes to the bright light as the gate dissipated, I found myself standing on a solid, half-kilometer-wide mythril platform completely surrounded by a 20-meter metal wall with three mid-size ancients laying on it. It honestly looked like something akin to an execution circle. -Am I in the right place?- But my doubts were quickly destroyed upon seeing Akri''s insignia on the bands around the horns and ankles of the ancients. [2] -Ah, they must be for security... Maybe they can point me toward Myles...- As I walked over to one of the ancients, he picked his head up and gave me an unusual look before glancing at the other two. I didn''t really pay it mind at the time. "Sir, do you-" *vwWWWWOOOM* My voice was abruptly cut short by the three ancients promptly surrounding the entire area with silencing magic. "I recommend you start explaining yourself." The ancient in front of me spoke with an extremely aggressive tone as the dome of silencing magic finished. -Oi, what''s up with these guys?- "Do you mean this guy?" I motioned back to the elder as Ilios picked him up in his mouth. "He''s a traitorous dragon involved with the Holy-" But I couldn''t even finish speaking before one of the ancients behind me closed the distance between us and swung at Ilios. It was the gesture that told me everything I needed to know. ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Additional Notes: [1] - To visualize it, think of every particle of space mana being a Go piece (a squished sphere basically) with each end of each piece being connected to the end of another piece to form a circle/sphere. That is a gate. Now imagine shifting up the pieces on each axis up slightly so instead of the exact end of the pieces touching the rest, it is the underbelly of the piece, then created another circle/sphere touching the top side of the piece. That is the idea. [2] - Being a military city, Akri''s insignia was simply a rune that was the combination of a strengthening and elasticity rune. During the great war the rune was on everything, and over time, as it became outdated, people accepted it as Akri''s insignia. It had become a symbol of strength. --- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embeded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) Chapter 270: Mass Destruction Chapter 270: Mass Destruction Early Morning - Mid Winter : Akri, Bahamut ----- -Oi, what''s up with these guys?- I gave the ancient in front a glare. "Do you mean explaining this guy?" I motioned back to the Elder as Ilios picked him up in his mouth. "He''s a traitorous dragon involved with the Holy-" But I couldn''t even finish before one of the ancients behind me closed the distance between us and swung at Ilios. It flipped my switch instantly. *FWOOSH-CLACK* Narrowly dodging the swing, I bolted to the side and knocked his other leg out from under him before immediately turning and driving my head into his underside. *CRACK-WHAAAAM* *FWOOSH-SLAM-CRACKLE-VWOOOM* He immediately went tumbling over the thick metal wall around the platform before exiting the dome of silencing magic. "Hey, that didn''t feel like detaining force..." -Do they recognize the Elder?- My cold gaze slowly turned to the ancient in front of me again. "What reason do you have to kill me? Are you all dragons who have betrayed Bahamut as well?" My expression slowly turned angered. "Tch..." The moment I finished, the ancient clicked his tongue and lunged at me, with the other ancient behind quickly following suit. *FWOOOOOSH* Thankfully, the moment they made a move, Ilios darted off my back with the Elder, so I finally had the chance to move more freely. -They''re really going for the kill!- *VWOOOM-Crunch* Before I could even read their moves, their auras slammed into me like a tidal wave strong enough to crack the mythril under my feet. -But you''ll need more than that hold me in place...- *FWOOSH* Nearly instantly flapping my wings, I lunged at the ancient in front and went to bite his neck, but the side of my face was immediately met with his wing. Without mana, I had lost my immense speed advantage. *FW-WHAAAAM* Flicking my head to the side and blocking my vision, he swung up his paw and slammed it into my chest, launching me through the air. *FWOOOSH* Thankfully, the hit woke my senses up. "Hooh..." Quickly flipping onto my back, I looked down at the other ancient below me with a predatory smile. -I can spare a bit of mana for you...- *BAAAANNNGGG-CRRRAAACKKK* The sound barrier shattered like fragile glass as I flapped my wings and used antimatter to flip over and drive my body weight into his head. *CR-RRRUUUNNCCHHHH-RUMBLE* The entire mythril platform exploded instantaneously, splintering the metal wall surrounding it and throwing obliterated buildings and roads into the air behind it. It looked as if there was a meteor impact. But even still, the ancient survived. *FWOOOSH* Flapping his wings, he tossed me off his head and drove his shoulders into my side. *WHAAAAM* *FWOOSH* Being thrown into the cloud of mythril dust, I hastily looked around for the other ancient before the morning light bouncing through the glistening dust turned dark. It was a shadow. -There he is!- *FWOOSH* I hurled myself toward the source of the shadow without hesitation, but the moment I left the dust, I was greeted by jaws nearly the size of my body. -SHIT!- *CRUNCH* My scales finally started to crack as he bit into me before using his whole body to slam me into the ground. *WHAMMM-TREEMBLE* Another immense shockwave spread through the area as a few of his teeth finally started to pierce my scales. -AS IF!- *CRACK* Shattering several bones in his snout, I slammed my front claws into the side of his nose and the roof of his mouth before using all my strength to turn his head over and slam it into the ground. But even though he did all he could to try and plant his feet, the back of his head was already planted into the ground. *fwwWWWWOOOOSHHHH* His colossal body was nearly completely vertical for a moment as I threw him over me, painting an unforgettable image in the minds of all those who could see it. But he didn''t let me slam him down. *FWOOSH* Opening his mouth slightly, he flicked his head to the side, not caring that my claws were deep in the roof of his mouth. *CRACKLE-SPLATT* As I was launched out, my claws dug out through the roof of his mouth, bringing a huge amount of bone, flesh, and several teeth with me. *FW-W-W-W-WOOOSH-WHAM-SLAM-WHAM-CRUUUNCHHH* Quickly bringing my tumbling body to a halt, I looked up and met eyes with the bloodied, monster-like dragon that looked like he was going to rip me limb from limb. *FWOOSH* *fwip-SPLASH* Quickly turning over in the pool of molten rock after he jumped away, I locked eyes on him again. His mouth had already stopped bleeding, but his leg was mangled. -He already carved out all the burnt flesh (to avoid scarring)... He''s still confident...- *fwooosh* Feeling a steady breeze returning, I glanced to check if the silencing magic had dissipated, but instead caught the gazes of dozens of dragons, at least at the elder stage on the ground and in the air, staring at me. -You have to be kidding...- The glow between my scales quickly shifted to a bright blue as I formed a substantial amount of antimatter in my breath gland. -I need to try and talk my way out...- But I didn''t have that opportunity. "To think a traitor would bring themselves to Akri!" The ancient I hit out of the area earlier was flying amongst the other dragons. "Does everyone see the jade artifact by the sword under his wing? That is a medallion of the Holy Kingdom! An artifact only used to transfer messages between the higher-ups of the church!" -So they really are traitors...- My faint uncertainty eased instantly. -But a message artifact? It hardly even looks like an artifact, so how does that work?- I quickly decided to make it my alibi. "Since it sounds like you are familiar with it, why don''t you come over and show me how to use it? I''d gladly share the message with everyone if I knew how." The ancient wasn''t very happy with my response. "Hah! A traitor would share a message such as that? How dare you lure me in with such a blatant lie!" It was a bold comeback, but I didn''t have a counter. -If I toss the artifact to him, he''ll probably just break it...- But to my surprise, there was one other ancient, one not much smaller than Myles, that wasn''t buying it. "I wonder how many years it has been since I''ve seen such an intriguing young man..." He was almost exactly 100 meters tall, donning an insane number of artifacts, with his most recognizable feature being the amethyst-colored scales and numerous horns coming out of his chin like a beard. "Boy, are you implying that you will share that message with everyone if I tell you how?" His name was Astraftero? Me?llon, one of Myles''s closest friends and the Commander of several of the strongest military units within Bahamut. -There is no way he is with the Holy Kingdom, right?- I gave it a bit of thought before responding. "If you teach me how, I will gladly put the message on display, but I cannot give it to you. I apologize." The other ancient didn''t let the opportunity slip either. "He is going to break it and blame Sir Me?llon''s teachings!" Several other dragon''s were quick to agree with clearly hostile expressions. But the Commander didn''t budge. "If he breaks it, we will temporarily treat it as an accident and bring him under investigation. There is no reason to outright kill a man who may be telling the truth." "But Sir Me?llon, he has already-" "I don''t want to hear another word from you, Officer Re?on." He cut off the ancient without mercy. "There has been a new investigation issued, as of midnight, that involves everyone here. You will all receive a briefing on it later today. For now, I will handle this. You are all dismissed." With just a few words, the dozens of dragons scattered, leaving just the three guards and myself with the Commander as he walked over to me. His towering figure was surrounded by a sense of oppression, immediately reminding me of Myles, but his expression was far more unreadable. -Shit... Is he really on my side?- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) Chapter 271: The Wrong Tail Chapter 271: The Wrong Tail Mid Morning - Mid Winter : Akri, Bahamut ----- *Crackle-Crunch* The mythril dust crunched like sand under Commander Me?llon''s feet as he fearlessly walked toward me before coming to a stop only a few hundred meters away. He absolutely towered over me, even at a distance, but even though I was far from fearful of him, his presence alone kept me on edge. -Shit, why is he so hard to read?- His expression was cold, and his eyes were dead. He truly looked like a man who had given up on living, but his slightly curious tone and glowing aura made things seem like the complete opposite. "My name is Astraftero? Me?llon, the Vice-Commander of Bahamut''s main force here in Akri, and the Head of the Artifact and Elixir research divisions. May I request your name?" -So, he is in charge of research...- I hesitated momentarily before glancing at the other Ancients to try and figure out whose side he was on, but neither of them did anything obvious. "My name is Vasilias Whyte." "Hm... Are you related to the noble Whyte family?" "Something like that." He quickly looked me up and down before looking me in the eye. "I see. In that case, please take out the artifact and look inside it. How many lines intersect?" Both of the other ancients immediately tensed up, but I tilted my head in confusion. -Lines?- I had looked in the artifact previously and did see several lines, but they looked like divisions between layers of sediment rather than purposefully placed pieces. "Seven?" "Hoh, to think the humans would have such a leap in progress." His aura immediately sharpened around the artifact, but I used a bit of leftover space mana to shake it off. He noticed it right away. "It seems you don''t trust me." I immediately shook my head. "There is only one person who I can trust with this. I apologize." -Whether this is really a message artifact or not, I should verify it with Myles.- "May I be so rude to ask who that would be?" "That would be Myles Kalf-" My voice was abruptly cut off by a streak of light that instantly ripped through the space mana surrounding the artifact before slamming into the side of my broken claw and exploding. *CRRRRACK* Thankfully, I managed to intercept it with my claw, or else the molten steel marble would have definitely obliterated the jade artifact. But at that moment, I couldn''t have cared less about it. -This is steel... And that magic...- The air instantly turned heavy as I looked over at the ancient in the sky with enough bloodlust to make the Commander''s aura sharpen and turn into a wall of blades. However, he didn''t realize what the situation had become. My eyes locked onto the ancient in the air like a dragon who found a human in its nest. "Where did you get that marble..." My voice echoed through the area like the voice of death, immediately making the two remaining guards'' faces pale and the Commander fully jump up. "W-What do you care-" *BANG-FWOOOOSH* Using antimatter to instantly close the distance between us, I forced my half-broken claws into his neck and adjusted my wings to drive him into the ground. *WH-HAMMMMM-CRUNCH* A ring of scales around his neck shattered like glass as my claws suddenly started to heal, progressively digging further into his flesh. I was like a feral monster as I looked into his eyes with a bright yellow glow in my scales. "Now, speak." According to the ancient, the person who gave them both the marbles and the jade was a professor in Atlas who said they managed to create the new set of spells after having an epiphany from watching a student''s magic a few months prior. Thankfully, no matter how I probed him, fear of hearing that something had happened to Krystallo never came to light, but at the same time, the possibility still existed. -There is no way she would just give those to someone, even if a professor asked for them...- But there was nothing else I could dig out of the ancient himself. -I guess I''ll just have to pay the academy a ''visit'' when I get home...- *Shik* Pulling my claws out of the ancient''s neck, I finally wrapped up my questions and dragged the guard across the dust and rubble-covered ground before tossing him over next to the Commander. *FWOOSH-CRUNCH* The whole time I was interrogating the guard, he had been torturing the other ancient in an increasingly brutal manner, with a no longer expressionless look on his face. However, contrary to before, his voice had turned cold. "It seems you have finished with him." I quickly nodded. "I figured out what I needed to, and since you seem to be on our side, I will just leave him with you. He has a loose jaw, so you should be able to get plenty out of him." "How convenient." *Crackle* The other guard''s ribs cracked as the Commander pulled his paw off his barely conscious body. "Earlier, you mentioned the one person you trusted to leave the artifact to was Myles Kalfas, correct? I thought you just said that name to pull me off your trail, but I think I understand now." -Hm?- Although I was preparing to leave, I paused when he spoke. "You are related to the Ragnarok, aren''t you..." His tone had once again become curious, but after seeing me nod, he just turned back to the guards. "I see. In that case, I will not poke my nose in any further; however, before you leave, read through this." He immediately moved a letter out of a small bag under his wing and held it in front of me. Visually, the paper was completely blank and looked just like the ones I found on the Elder in the mountains, but looking with my aura revealed a complex set of runes, seemingly carved into the paper''s surface. "If you inject mana into the rune on the bottom corner of it, then evenly push mana behind it, the text will appear." -What?- Immediately questioning how the text would appear since the runes didn''t have any obviously useful effects, I followed his instructions and injected a bit of mana into it. *vwowowowom* The paper immediately started vibrating, and as instructed, I put an even layer of mana behind it, but seemingly nothing happened. At least, that was the case until I looked at the letter with my aura again and noticed countless patterned channels of mana flowing up through the letter. It formed a text. A string of draconic letters mentioning what happened at the Elder Hall and detailing a fight I hadn''t heard about involving Amphitrite Ourano?s before eventually saying something directly regarding Myles. A part of me couldn''t believe what I was seeing. -He entered his dragon sleep?!- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) Chapter 272: Atlas, The City of the Powerful Chapter 272: Atlas, The City of the Powerful Mid Afternoon - Mid Winter : Emporio, Bahamut ----- *Fwoooosh* The warm afternoon air quickly blew across my scales as I glided through the sky on the northern outskirts of Emporio. At that point, it had been several hours since I left Akri, but nothing too eventful happened. For starters, after reading the letter addressed to Commander Me?llon about Myles entering his dragon sleep and being fatally wounded in a fight I didn''t know about, I quickly told him to send a group of researchers to the shelter by the wreckage and left for the Elder Hall. -Who could have done that much damage to Myles? Especially with Amphitrite there...- I had a bad feeling about it. But unfortunately, even after getting there, I couldn''t get that close to Myles without causing some issues; however, from the air, it was apparent how terrible his condition was. -He definitely would have died if he didn''t enter his dragon sleep...- But while I really wanted to know what happened, Amphitrite, the only one who actually saw the event, had left several hours before I arrived and didn''t tell anyone anything. Then, with Leander also still unconscious, the only person I could ask about what happened was the female ancient that worked under Leander, who was in charge of the situation, but she wasn''t sure what happened either. -All she said was that Amphitrite flew straight for Emporio almost immediately after Myles''s dragon sleep started... She must have been going for the space rune...- It was pretty unfortunate. The space rune opened up every other fathomable possibility for where she could have gone, so even though I felt like I needed to hear what happened, I had no choice but to give it up for now. -Currently, I need to focus on Atlas...- Knowing a professor that was on the Holy Kingdom''s side was close enough to Krystallo to take the steel beads I gave her left a terrible taste in my mouth... But regardless of that, instead of returning to Akri, since it was a little closer to the Elder Hall than Emporio, I decided to follow Amphitrite''s flight path just in case I could catch her, but as expected, I had no luck. -It''s a shame.. but I planned to bounce through Emporio anyway...- Having been away from home for so long, I wanted to get Krystallo something, but I needed to figure out what. -I''m sure she would prefer something made by me, but I''m not sure what to make...- My plan was to spend a few minutes looking through the streets of Emporio for some ideas on what to make while I moved to Atlas through the space rune. -I should have enough mana to make something nice as long as I don''t get into some big fight... But.. what to make...- My ideas were mostly weapons, but I wasn''t so sure how Mother and Father would react to me bringing her something like that. "Hmm.. what else..." -She likes science.. what if I got her something like...- Then it hit me. The perfect gift. It was something simple to make for someone like me but something I was confident she would love. It honestly made me excited to see how she would react. -I know what I can make for her birthday now too!- That was something just around the corner as well. Although I didn''t do it intentionally, I was going to return home just two weeks before our birthdays, giving me some time to spend time with everyone, regain some mana, and even begin my investigation in the Academy. All that was left was to go to Atlas. -Home, sweet home, here I come!- Quickly returning to the space rune, I waited for a few other groups to take the rune before eventually going on myself. *vwooom* This time I carefully watched how the rune and artifact worked, and it turned out to be exactly as I hypothesized.Findd new stories at novelhall.com Finally making it to the end of the path, we came up to a massive door with a scorching heat emitting from it, along with the noise of metal being hammered. -Where am I being brought?- Finally stopping in front of it, the young ancient eventually knocked on the door with a bit of hesitancy. "Sir Atsa?li, the man you told me to keep my eye out for is here." The rhythmic vibrations finally stopped for a moment before an incredibly oppressive aura shot through the door and surrounded me. -Ah, shit...- Now wasn''t the time. Immediately bracing myself for a fight, I bent down and readied a bit of mana. -How am I going to do this without destroying a sector of the city above...- But then the door finally swung open, revealing a colossal, 105-meter-tall ancient with dark maroon scales partially covered in soot, with a wide smile on his face. "The young master has finally arrived! You''re even scarier than I was told!" His voice was that of a jolly old man, but his aura was as lively as a childs. "W..who are you?" He quickly motioned the knight back up the stairs before using a bit of water magic to clean off his scales. *tsssss* "My name is Vathy?s Atsa?li, the best smith in Bahamut, but also someone very close with your grandmother and indebted to your great-grandmother." He quickly motioned me in to have a seat at a massive wooden table that looked to be carved from a single tree, but I was still hesitant. "A couple years ago, your grandmother paid me a visit and said that you would eventually come here, and since you are a Ragnarok, I would have to be the one to make your medallion, so I had the knights keep an eye out for you and your furry friend." He glanced over at Ilios, who was sticking his head in the furnace, smelling around while he closed the door. I couldn''t deny that I was still a little on edge, but it had moreso turned to confusion at that point. "So the reason I was brought through that sketchy store and spiraling hallway was just so I could have my medallion made? I was expecting to have to fight some people..." "Haha, you look disappointed." He finally made his way over to the table as well, before setting a barrel in front of me. *thunk* "Can this make up for it?" It had an instantly recognizable aroma. -Pio?tita?!- "Haha, glad to see you are familiar with it! If you had never had it, I would have needed to have a discussion with your grandmother." I finally started easing up as I put the barrel in my mouth. His smile widened after seeing my face of satisfaction. "Well, now that I have eased the tension a bit, let''s get to the matters at hand; there are a few things I would like to discuss." ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) Chapter 273: The Tension of Reunion Chapter 273: The Tension of Reunion Late Afternoon - Mid Winter : Atlas, Bahamut ----- "Well, now that I have eased the tension a bit, let''s get to the matters at hand; there are a few things I would like to discuss." Having finally eased my nerves, I gave Sir Atsa?li a curious look. "Sure thing. What do you need?" -I need to get going, but I guess I need to wait on the medallion regardless...- "For starters, could I see your ID? I''d like to work on the medallion while we talk. Hopefully, it shouldn''t take long." -Oh, perfect.- Without thinking much of it, I tossed it to him. He snatched it out of the air with his aura immediately before looking it over and spinning it around. "This is some extremely high-grade Mythril you got. I will pay you more than you''d believe if you could tell me where to find some of it." -To say that even while knowing I''m a Ragnarok...- Although it was true I could almost always create my own coins or even head to the Eastern Oasis or the Kingdom of Zan''s old capital for a bit of money, such sources weren''t viable for more considerable sums. -Plus, this shouldn''t take much work from me...- "I''ll be sure to keep an eye out, but I expect to only be able to sell the mythril to you rather than point you to a location." He immediately smiled. "I will gladly take anything you wish to sell to me, but keep in mind the cost solely depends on the grade." "Of course." -Sweet... I can make some really high-grade stuff in my free time...- *clack* Finally setting the ID back on the table, he turned and walked toward the colossal furnace, simultaneously using his aura to move several things around. *clink-clang-tsss-pop* But even while doing dozens of things with his aura at the same time, he spoke exceptionally casually. "Out of curiosity, who made that sword under your wing?" He paused as he glanced back at it. "It''s one of only a few weapons that I can''t discern the technique used to create it." "Ah, this old thing?" I quickly pulled it out and laid it on the table. *creaaak* "I made this a while back. Over time, I just made small changes to it, but after my recent growth, I plan to remake it entirely." He immediately burst out laughing. "Haha, you made that yourself?! I truly deserved to be shamed for doubting your grandmother''s praises!" Quickly picking it up with his aura, he moved it next to his head and inspected it closely. "Its balance is a bit off, and the material of the blade is a bit soft, but I can''t find even the slightest imperfections within the metal itself... Do you mind if I ask how you made it?" I immediately shrugged. "I just used mana. I took material from the air and ground, turned it into what I wanted, and pieced it together, starting with a frame and building it out in layers." He gave me a look filled with both skepticism and curiosity. "But how does that work? This is clearly some extremely high-grade material. It shouldn''t be possible to make anything remotely this strong using that method." I tilted my head slightly. "What do you mean?" "Even if I were to try and create a simple bar of this metal, it would crumble the moment I released it. The only way to make such a material hold is to contaminate it with other materials, but then it loses its purity and strength." -Ah, is he referring to balancing molecules?- I took a moment to think of how to explain it before just going for it. -If he has gotten far enough to piece atoms together, he should be able to understand...- "Well, you see, when it comes to those tiny particles, they each have. . ." It only took us a moment for us to get lost in conversation. I gave him a quick rundown on atoms and molecules and showed him how to make higher-grade materials using carbon as a framework. He was an exceptionally quick learner, even if his talent was far from rivaling Hera''s. Eventually, he got so interested that, when he started getting close to finishing the medallion, he began throwing offers at me to teach him more, such as becoming his disciple, him becoming my disciple, a bag of a few hundred platinum, then progressively larger sums all the way to a dozen royal gold coins. But while the sum was unfathomable, I didn''t end up caving into the pressure. "Are you sure?" He reluctantly started cleaning up the freshly crafted medallion as he looked me in the eyes. "I can do anything you want. I can even be your servant if you wish." "Haha," -I guess I should expect such curiosity from an ancient...- His requests made me feel a bit awkward, but it was also true that nothing bad would come from forming a connection with such an influential dragon. "How about this. You can send me a letter with up to 4 questions once per month. I will answer or explain whatever you wish me to, but it can only be using those questions." But that was enough gawking. Quickly making my way down to the main entrance, I came face to face with two nearly 70-meter-tall ancients with bright white armor and artifacts with the Whyte Family insignia on them. "Sir, onlookers aren''t allowed in-" I ripped out my medallion and threw it in front of his face instantly. My chest was tight, and adrenaline was pumping through my veins as I looked at the estate through the tall metal gate. Although it had only been a few years, so much had happened that I couldn''t help but be nervous. It only got worse when the knight looked at the medallion. "Ah, Sir Whyte! We were eagerly waiting for your arrival." Although he sounded like he didn''t really believe it, he motioned to the other guard and had him open the gate. *vwoop* *faint mumbling* *Ding!* The gate opened as several artifacts lit up around it. The other guard was quick to speak as well. "The estate will be sending out a maid if you wish to wait for an escort, but regardless, we dearly hope you enjoy your st-" *FWOOOOSH* Immediately darting through the gate and up to the door, the attention of everyone nearby locked on me. But I truly could not have cared less. "Hooh..." My anxiety only grew as I looked up at the handle of the colossal door. -Well.. it''s now or never!- Quickly moving my wing up to open the door, I had a short moment of hesitation. But the world didn''t care about a time for pause. *Click* The lock undid itself before I even touched it. ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Additional Notes: In preparation for the next chapter, I will give a short refresher for those who need it. Zachari Ragnarok - Vasiliass Mother Osto Ragnarok (Whyte) - Vasiliass Father Krystallo Ragnarok - Vasiliass Sister Maria - Krystallos Maid (From the Kingdom of Kaelallan Arc) Chloe - Vasiliass Maid --- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embeded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) Chapter 274: Troublesome Curiosity Chapter 274: Troublesome Curiosity Mid Afternoon - Mid Winter : Atlas, Bahamut ----- - Krystallo Ragnarok (A few hours prior) ~ "Krystallo, how about you? Do you know what this rune is for?" The professor gave me a curious look as he motioned toward a glowing rune on the wall. It was a rune far more complex than he was showing previously, but I hardly noticed that change. "It is a rune that would shoot a thin beam of water, professor!" His smile quickly turned proud. "Hoho, that is correct, but you are missing another component." Momentarily turning back to the class, he moved to the side and made the rune significantly bigger. "If anyone can tell me what else it does, I will bring you the treat of your choice tomorrow." The eyes of everyone in class immediately lit up as they all focused on the rune. Several people quickly jumped up and raised their hands, hoping for the professor to choose them. "Young Pi?linos, what do you think?" The young boy in front of me immediately answered. "Does it heat the water?" "Hoho, that is a good guess, but not quite... How about you, Miss Ftera??" She immediately jumped up out of her seat. "Is it lightning magic?" Her humanoid form''s avian wings twitched with excitement. "Yes! That is correct! Now, can you guess what that lightning magic is for?" She immediately hesitated before finally blurting it out. "Is it using the water as a medium to extend its range?" The professor''s smile immediately widened. "This class truly exceeds my expectations! Be sure to tell me what you would like after class." Several students looked disappointed after hearing that she was right, but most were still eagerly listening, knowing another opportunity would likely arise. Finally turning back to everyone else, the professor shrunk the rune and picked up two fruit off his desk. "That is correct. Did everyone hear that? This rune is meant to give pure lightning spells better range and increased potency... Allow me to demonstrate!" *thump* *tap* Carefully setting two fruit on the far end of his desk, he took a few steps away and stuck his hand out "Now, if I use a simple Bolt spell with 50 units of mana, assuming I use half of it for control and half of it for strength, what will happen to the fruit?" Several students immediately jumped up before the professor pointed to a boy in the middle. "With only 25 units for strength, if it doesn''t deviate, it would only blacken the skin and maybe knock it off the desk." I quickly nodded in agreement. -At that range, it would barely be able to kill a rodent...- We all watched silently as a yellow glow appeared in the professor''s hand, and thin arcs of lightning became visible. *crackle* *zap* *cracke-CRACK* With a bright flash of light and a loud crack, the fruit on the desk turned black and was sent rolling over the edge. *thump* It was exactly as we expected. "Now, what will happen if I use the rune I just showed you all on the other fruit, this time omitting the control mana? Remember, the rune''s mana ratios are 7 part lighting, 2 part wind, and 1 part water." This time he gave everyone a moment to think before pointing his palm at the other fruit. *glow* Most of us expected him to call on someone, but the next thing we knew, a thin glowing beam of water, hardly a millimeter in diameter, appeared and connected to the fruit like a string. *crackle-POP* The fruit exploded instantaneously, sending steaming chunks of fruit flying out towards us faster than we could react to, but the professor thankfully caught it all. *vwooom* Quickly making it to my seat, I chatted with Ftera? for a bit, and the class eventually started. But it was nothing short of excruciating. As usual, the professor said countless things that were wrong, and no matter how much I wanted to ignore it, some of the statements were simply outlandish. She, of course, made it difficult for me to say anything regarding what she was ''teaching'' and gave me her usual warnings about interrupting, but I no longer cared. -The moment the headmaster returns, I will just report her...- But as I went to leave the class after being dismissed, she stopped me. "Krystallo." Her annoyed look was much more visible than normal. "If you are going to continue to ''correct me'', even after my warnings, you are welcome to not attend. However, you must pass this class to graduate, so think carefully. Our next test is in 7 days." Seeing my expression as the professor turned back to the papers on her desk, Ftera? was quick to drag me out of the room. "Are you crazy?!" She was always the one to try and mitigate things since she was one of the professor''s favorites. "No matter who your parents are, they won''t be able to save you if you get expelled! Why don''t you just try and learn from her? She wouldn''t be a professor here in Atlas if she was stupid." "Haah..." I couldn''t deny her. That fact was actually why I initially doubted what I remembered from Mother''s lessons when first attending history class, as well as why I was always the only one to speak up about what she taught. -But I can''t let her just get away with it... I''m not sure how she got this position, but she clearly isn''t worthy of it.- It was at that moment that I finally steeled my will to ask Mother if she could do something, even though I believed it went against our family rule about relying on the family name. However, Mother''s reaction wasn''t exactly what I expected. "Your professor told you WHAT?!" Her calm expression morphed with shock the instant I mentioned what the professor was trying to tell us a few days prior. "S-she said that Bahamut left Hera Monachiko?s to die because he believed the way she ruled was-" Bloodlust immediately appeared in Mother''s gaze, making me nervous to say anything more, but she instead just looked at Father with a gaze of fire. However, he looked just as upset. "It seems I need to have a talk with the Vice-Headmaster about who they have chosen to be a professor." "I agree. I will contact Myles." Mother''s expression softened, and intent to kill vanished the instant she turned back to me. "Sweetie, you said your friend''s name was Ftera?, right? Why don''t you bring her here after your rune and magic theory class? While your Father and I look into this, I will give you two lessons." I immediately nodded as my nervousness was replaced with excitement. "Okay!" "For now, Osto, you know who to visit. I will send a letter to Mother, and Myles, as well as try to reach the headmaster. Father quickly nodded in agreement. Alright, I will be back soon. He quickly left the room and headed to the door, but although we expected to hear him throw the door open and slam it behind himself, we heard nothing after he opened it. -Huh? What is he doing?- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ----- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harveste Chapter 275: Home Sweet Home Chapter 275: Home Sweet Home Early Evening - Mid Winter : Atlas, Bahamut ----- *Click* Hearing the lock get undone, I stepped back from the door, but instead of seeing a maid as it swung open, I found myself looking down at a white dragon almost 10 meters shorter than me. -To think I grew this much... We were basically eye-to-eye before I left...- I subconsciously lowered my head and softened my posture upon seeing him. "H-Hey, Father... Have you been well?" His expression was a mix of confusion, awe, and worry. "V-Vasilias?! Y-you''re already back? Nothing serious happened, right?" I immediately clammed up a bit. "A few things happened, but that''s not why I''m here." -I don''t think I''ll be able to avoid the issue this time, but that''s for later...- "I just haven''t been able to keep in touch over the last few years, so I decided to come back and visit for a while." His worry quickly started to fade as he let out a deep breath. "Phew..." However, his worry wasn''t the one I was anxious about. "Honey? Is everything alr-" As Mother rounded the corner, she completely froze in place with an expression remarkably similar to Fathers before bolting to the door and quickly inspecting me. *FWOOSH* "Vasilias?! What are you doing here?! Are you alright?! Are you in trouble?! Do you need help?!" Her worry hit me in the face like a train, forcing me to quickly pull her in for a hug. "I''m alright, Mother! You don''t need to worry so much." Her worry slowly started to dissipate with my affirmation, but her heart was still racing. "What do you mean, ''not worry''? When children leave the nest, it''s for at least 10 years. If they come back sooner, it either means something bad happened, or they struggled to adapt to living on their own.. and I know you aren''t the latter..." Her worry was definitely warranted, especially with the condition of my aura and slightly visible exhaustion. -But I can''t let her worry like that...- "I just came back because I missed you all... Is that such a bad thing?" Her face quickly morphed as if she wanted to cry before shoving it into me and speaking in a hushed tone. "N..no... Thank you for coming back..." A warm feeling arose in my chest immediately. "Of course... It''s good to be back." There was a short moment of silence, not just among us but also the maids, as we stood in the doorway and enjoyed our reunion. However, after a moment, I decided to ask something weighing on my mind. "So, where is Krystallo?" It was pretty unusual that she didn''t charge into me the moment I came through the door. Mother slowly pulled away again, clearly still emotional. "Since the incident with Eugene and Basilia, she is cautious whenever someone visits... However..." She slowly backed up with a more purely joyful expression coming to her face. "She will definitely freak out when she sees that it''s you." I smiled just thinking about it. "What makes you say that?" "She took you leaving the nest harder than anyone. It even made it hard for her to make friends when she first started going to the academy." Suddenly feeling a bit guilty, I followed Mother into the estate, away from the peeping eyes of the people. -I knew she would take it a bit hard, but I didn''t think it would be that bad...- As we started walking, Mother slowed down to speak with me. "I don''t think I ever told you, but when you had one of your first dragon sleeps, Krystallo stuck to you like a magnet. Whenever I told her she needed to sleep on her own, she would refuse and crawl up next to you like Ilios does." Her familiar warm expression quickly started to return as she glanced back at Ilios, who was already napping. "Haha, is that so?" -I remember her crawling up next to me some when we were young, but to think it started that early on...- My smile slowly grew. -We will be turning 16 soon... Maybe I will finally be able to have some fun teasing her.- However, all hopes of me getting some fun out of teasing her was tossed out of the window mere moments later. Coming up on what I assumed was the living room, Mother walked ahead and opened the door. "Sweetie, Vasilias came-" *FWOOOOSH* A white blur blasted through the door immediately before leaping off the ground and heading straight for my face. *CLACK* The next thing I knew, I had a 16-meter-tall dragon hanging off my head, glaring at me with a gleam in her eyes and a wagging tail. Before I knew it, the question I knew was inevitable finally came. Father was pretty blunt about it too. "You keep mentioning that you need to replenish your mana, but no matter how I look at it, your aura doesn''t exactly seem all that low." -Haah.. I guess I''ll need to tell them soon anyway...- I quickly shook my head. "My reserve has grown immensely over the last few years. I have actually been narrowly avoiding mana exhaustion for a few days now..." Mother tensed up immediately, clearly putting two and two together. "If your reserve has grown that much.. then what did you do that drained it?" She looked extremely anxious. "Well.. it''s a long story, but I guess I should start by saying... I am basically the ruler of Siratha now." Krystallo immediately looked up from the microscope and gave me a confused look. "Didn''t the Sirathian gods return during the recent prayer?" I was quick to nod. "What would you say if I told you that your brother is their god?" Her eyes lit up like a beacon. But Mother still wore a worried look. "So you were the one to kill the apostles?!" My nod told a thousand words. "But it''s not what you think." I hesitated for a moment to think of how to explain it before deciding to just go for it. "The apostles that I killed were ones who got possessed by a human god named Magni. I couldn''t-" Mother''s face turned pale before I could even finish. "Don''t tell me..." I moved over to her in a flash. "Don''t worry! I didn''t get marked or anything! The human gods still have no idea what or who I am." She didn''t believe me, though. "S..sweetie... T..that isn''t possible if the god was there themselves..." Seeing such doubt and worry, I could no longer beat around the bush. "It is possible because I killed him before he could escape." Silence filled the room instantly, freezing everyone in place and making their faces pale. My statement to Krystallo about being a god was suddenly no longer a child''s exaggeration. Krystallo was actually the only one who didn''t wear a look of disbelief or fear, even among the maids. She just looked at me with an unfathomably prideful light in her eyes. "Haah..." -At least I avoided worrying her...- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ----- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harveste Welp, My Power is Out Welp, My Power is Out Hey guys, just wanted to let you guys know the chapter tomorrow will come out on Saturday. Although I''m not sure how, my power went out without there being a storm, and its been several hours, so, I haven''t been able to get the work done that I needed to and will need to push things back. In any case, I apologize for the sudden announcement, and hope to see you all Saturday! ----- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel, The System''s Harveste Chapter 276: The Brewing Clouds Chapter 276: The Brewing Clouds Mid Evening - Mid Winter : Home | Atlas, Bahamut -----Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com "Haah..." It had only been about an hour since I first returned home, and I already felt more drained than after I fought the guards in Akri. After finally arriving and having an abrupt greeting with Mother, Father, and Krystallo, we moved on to the situations involving Siratha, the Holy Kingdom, and Bahamut. It was a discussion I wanted to wait until after my nap to have, but I didn''t quite have that luxury. One thing led to another, and I eventually decided to spill out that I was not only the ruler of Siratha but also essentially a god. -Although I haven''t quite stepped into that realm, all that''s left is accumulating more divinity...- From there, our discussion turned into me explaining the recent events of what was really happening with Siratha, as well as what happened at the Elder Hall and what happened to Myles since the only news they had heard were rumors and speculation, but both Mother and Father were quick to realize it was already at a scale that far surpassed the previous halfie revolt a few years prior. "It''s simply a brewing storm that we can no longer stop..." Mother''s expression had long since become worried. Being a Ragnarok, she was someone forced to stand on the beach as the hurricane made landfall, which was something that would inevitably put the rest of us in danger as well. It was something I was actually quite worried about, too, especially with Krystallo, but currently, we didn''t need to worry about such things. "Even if it is a storm we cannot stop, I am almost certain the events at the Elder Hall have forced them to take a step back." Father gave me an odd look. "What makes you say that?" "The gods are the Holy Kingdom''s sole advantage over Bahamut, and they are not beings that can simply be replaced. Even if Magni and Tyr were the weakest among them, losing them both back to back is a blow they cannot ignore." I tried to speak with confidence to ease Mother''s worries. "But if what you said about Myles''s condition is true, then the dragon they likely see as the biggest threat is out of commission. Wouldn''t essentially killing Myles at the cost of two gods be acceptable?" I quickly shook my head. "No, and that''s for the sole reason that neither of those two gods'' deaths could be easily tied to Myles... Seeing how far into Akri and the Foreign Intelligence Agency they already were, I would be astonished if they believed Myles killed Magni in Siratha and even more so if they weren''t doubtful about who killed Tyr. Not only was the spell I used completely different from anything anyone has ever seen, but it was also on a scale that even Myles would struggle to mimic." There was a long pause before Mother finally spoke again. "So, are you saying that the recent events have forced them to reconsider their plans?" "More than just reconsider. I''m almost certain they will need to come up with an entirely new plan." Mother and Father gave me a confused look, clearly not following how I came to that conclusion. "From what I know, their original plan at the Elder Hall was to take it over long enough to get the consent of the Merfolk, which would just leave Amphitrite as the final obstacle preventing their control of the Forgotten Islands and kill Leander, which would blind us and allow them to move on Siratha more openly. Their actions at the Elder Hall would also inevitably lure in Myles, which I am almost certain was the reason for the artifact beneath the Elder Hall." Although they didn''t expect Myles to be there right as it was starting, I was certain the fusion artifact under the Elder Hall was laid as a landmine with his name on it. -Even though he probably would have survived the blast...- "Regardless, if I am right, the incident at the Hall, along with what I did in Siratha, should have fucked their plans to an unsalvageable extent." The room fell into silence the instant I finished speaking before Mother spoke in an even more anxious tone. "And what if you''re wrong..." "Then I will use everything in my power to end things before they reach us." While I certainly wasn''t confident I could kill all the gods of Asgard and survive, I did have the capabilities to create an antimatter spell so large it would turn the Holy Kingdom into an endless field of glass. "However, the gods definitely believe they have the time advantage..." Being immortal meant they could simply play the long con, targeting the following generations and slowly whittling down Bahamut from the inside. With the warmth of love still fresh in my mind, the moment I laid down, 6 days passed. "Uwaaah..." With a yawn and stretch, I woke up with an incredibly blissful sensation filling my body. -Wow... When was the last time I slept that well...- Still in a floaty, relaxed state, I moved my head over and rubbed it into Ilios''s fur before stretching one more time to finally wake up. No matter how badly I wanted to rest, it was time for me to get up. -It''s finally time I head to the academy.- *knock-knock* "You may enter." *Click* The moment the door opened, I met eyes with a pink-haired elven maid. Seeing her quickly brought a smile to my face. "It''s been a while, Chloe. Have you been well?" Her smile was boundless. "Of course! Nothing could be better now that you are back, my Lord." She was quick to bow. "I apologize for not being able to greet you before your nap." "Don''t stress it." Finally standing up and using a bit of magic to clean myself off, I wrangled my colossal aura back under control. "Was there anything I missed while I was asleep?" She slowly pulled up from her bow as I looked at her, this time exposing several pieces of folded clothes and boots. "Your Father has left, as ordered by the Missus, and Lady Krystallo has shifted to at-home tutoring with her friend. It turns out there is a professor they are skeptical of, so they requested her absence until you woke up." My anger toward the professor immediately reignited, but I did my best to suppress it. -I need to save it for now...- "I see... Would that make tomorrow the day I go to the academy with her?" She gently nodded. "The Missus has also prepared these clothes for you to wear when you go. They are a newer style that she had commissioned just for you. It is quite popular with noblemen these days." She held out the clothes in her hand before letting me pick them up. It was shockingly simple and looked reminiscent of some modern takes on old fashion from Earth, even having some of the features of a modern suit. However, with gold detailing, it looked a little too gaudy for my taste, and it was far too small for me... -But.. with black and silver.. And a few other adjustments that could look pretty good...- And just like that, my final preparations before leaving to go to the academy were finished. -Now, should I go out and see what Krystallo is up to?- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ----- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harveste Chapter 277: A Plan Chapter 277: A Plan Mid Evening - Mid Winter : Home | Atlas, Bahamut ----- *Vwowowoom* Mana rippled throughout my room as I worked on and adjusted my new outfit. It was nothing serious, but no matter what I changed, the outfit didn''t quite look right on me. -It doesn''t really fit my frame...- Thankfully though, Chloe had a much better eye for clothing than I did. "What if instead of doing that overhanging coat, you wore it like a robe, tightened the sleeves, then opened up the bottom?" Having her walk me through what to do, I eventually landed on something decent. "Hmm... Now try using a bit of gold thread here on the waist, and fold this up here like the collar of the coat..." She was truly like a clothing designer. "If you would like, you can add some gold detailing to it, with some matching gold on the shoulders and forearms... However, that may be too much to create every time you change forms..." She looked a little nervous as she suggested it, but I tried it anyway. And sure enough, it looked great, even with gold rather than silver. -But she is right... It''s a tad expensive for some clothing...- However, I did manage to think of a solution. -If I stored the gold somewhere, I could solely use mana to change its form...- After a bit of thought, I decided that I would indeed just carry the gold, running it through the area between my scales on the base of my wing. -Perfect...- Quickly testing it, I swapped back into my dragon form before changing back, and it worked flawlessly. -Wow.. that works really well...- "Any other input?" I quickly looked at Chloe to see if there was anything else, but she just shook her head with a smile. "You look great, my lord!" Before I knew it, I was smiling as well. The new outfit was much more comfortable than my previous one, and I couldn''t lie that although it was a little extravagant, I liked it. [1] -It makes me feel a little more noble. Now I just need to make a new sword...- However, I got a little carried away without realizing it and spent several hours creating it. But it was worth it. Using my own scales for a majority of the frame and blade before using a bit of silver and gold to fill in the texturing, I was left with a truly beautiful sword. As the material used to make it used to be a part of me as well, it had an insane amount of mana conduction and truly felt like an extension of myself. -It''s incredibly well-balanced as well...- And then, to top it off, I made the edge of the blade out of mana-strengthened diamond, so there were very few things I was worried it wouldn''t cut. -And even if I hit something I can''t slice through, the edge shouldn''t dull much...- I was honestly quite proud of it. Chloe was still watching in horror, though. "M-My Lord.. did you really have to use your own scales to create a sword?!" Although she spoke like it was horrible, she seemed to be unable to take her eyes off it. "Well, it gives it some personality and makes it feel like an extension of my body when I hold it... It''s not like those scales will take more than a few hours to regrow anyway." After holding it out to double-check for any imperfections, I tossed it up in the air and used my aura to move it into its new, nearly invisible, sheath. "In any case, do you know where Mother is?" Although I woke up in the afternoon, I had spent so long on the clothes and sword that it was already after dark outside. "She is likely in her office. Her lessons with Krystallo have typically ended a few hours before sundown. Would you like to go see her?" "Yeah, I still need to ask about some things for tomorrow. Would you mind leading me there?" She quickly nodded with a slightly anxious smile. "O-Of course!" Quickly changing to my dragon form again, I followed Chloe out into the hall and hastily made my way to the opposite end of the estate, where we were met with a large double door. Mother immediately turned confused. "Hm? What do you mean?" "Well..." -I guess I should have expected it after seeing how small the clothes she gave me were...- *flash* Quickly changing to my humanoid form, I gave her an awkward look. "I feel like I''d fit in better if I acted like a professor or something..." Being a smidge over 180cm now, with a mostly filled-out build, I felt like being with Krystallo''s age group, looking only about 12 or 13 in their humanoid forms, would be troublesome. -Maybe I can act as an upperclassman?- But Mother was shockingly quick to jump on the idea of me being a mock professor though. "Hoho~, to think your humanoid form would grow so much as well. Maybe I should introduce you to some women." She chuckled, seeing me clam up before trying to turn serious again. "In any case, going as an intern professor is even better, although you may have to give a lesson or two to not stand out." "That should be fine." -But it depends on the subject, I guess...- She hastily moved several papers around before pulling out a few to read. "For now, plan to act as a professor whose teaching subject hasn''t been decided. For example, if someone asks what you teach, say you are sitting in on classes to see what you prefer." She quickly handed me a few pieces of paper held by a pin as she stood up. "This is Krystallo''s class schedule. I will go talk to the headmaster now to see if we can get some more specifics worked out, but for now, if I''m not back before you leave, someone will meet you at Krystallo''s first class to give you some extra information." Finally looking at the schedule, I saw her first class. ''Active Combat: Mid-year Growth Assessment'' There was nothing odd about the class description or anything, but as I was about to flip the paper, it made me realize something. -Wait, that ancient in Akri was also taught how to use the railgun magic... Why would a history professor know that? Unless...- My expression quickly soured. -This may not be.. so simple...- Eventually finishing up our chat, I parted ways with Mother and had Chloe bring me to Krystallo''s room, where I asked about her professors, what they were teaching, how they acted, etc. But there was nothing suspicious about anyone but the history professor. "She did spectate the last combat assessment, but that isn''t too odd. However..." She quickly became awkward. -Huh?- "What''s wrong? Did something happen at the last assessment?" "W..well.. I used your magic because I wanted to show off some.. and I got in a little trouble." "How so?" She continued with hesitancy. "Well, later that day, Madam Pi?so said she had to take the beads you gave me because they were too dangerous even though I knew how to use them safely..." A nerve was pinched instantly, but I tried not to show it and instead reassured Krystallo that I would make her a new set of beads with another pouch. However even while seeing her pure smile come back to her face, my anger was a struggle to keep hidden. -Do they truly have no shame?- ----- [1] - This is generally how his new outfit looks, of course using gold as mentioned above: https://ibb.co/p3R9VGj ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) Chapter 278: Atlas Academy Chapter 278: Atlas Academy Mid Morning - Mid Winter : Home | Atlas, Bahamut ----- "My Lord, the young lady is ready." Chloe gave me a deep bow right as she entered my room. "Alright, tell her I will be out in a moment." With a nod, Chloe walked back outside, and I hastily wrapped up what I was doing to follow after her. It had been about an hour since Mother returned at that point, and while she had returned with a plan, it was certainly a little lacking. To put things simply, I was to act as a professor that would sit in on classes, similar to a student, until Krystallo''s history class, where I would do some investigating and inevitably cause a scene that the head guard would be waiting for. Beyond that, I just needed to turn things over to the headmaster, but until then, I was on my own. -I hope Krystallo isn''t too upset that I won''t be going with her as a student.- Mother had already told her about the plan as well, but I wasn''t sure how she would react. But, of course, it was a needless worry. The moment I came out of my room, Krystallo latched herself onto my leg. "Brother, you''re going to be a professor for today?!" -Phew...- I let out a subconscious sigh of relief immediately. "Yeah, there would have been some issues if I went in as a ''student''." Her eyes were gleaming as she looked up at me. "Does that mean you give us a lesson?" Her eager look was truly difficult to resist, but just because I was technically a professor for the day didn''t mean I had the actual authority of one. "Haha, no promises." -I can''t do anything unless the actual professor asks me to.- However, just a moment after a pout came to her face, a lightbulb seemed to go off and she let go of me. "Okay then!" "Haah..." I could already tell she was planning something, but it made me smile, regardless. "I''d recommend focusing on your combat evaluation rather than thinking of some plan to get me to teach a class." "Ack!" She tensed up instantly. "How did you know?!" "Haha, who knows." With a smug smile, I shrugged my wings and finally started walking to the door. "Hey, don''t just ignore me!" She quickly followed after me as well. It wasn''t a bad start to the morning. After all, even if it was a day I knew would inevitably become complicated, for that moment, it was simply a good bonding moment with my adorable little sister. Once we eventually got outside, we made our way out of the estate and met up with a very young ancient woman who wore several insignias belonging to Atlas and the Academy and started our flight. According to her, she was the escort assigned to Krystallo by the academy to make sure she arrived safely, something all students had. However, she typically escorted a small group of students rather than just one. "Is there any specific reason you are just escorting us today?" She was quick to look at me. "It would be rude for me to escort a group of students with a new professor, would it not? Especially such a strong and young- ahem!" She instantly looked back to the horizon when she cut herself off. "I apologize... In any case, I was sent by the headmaster to give you something." As we flew, she pulled out a small gold sphere. -Hm?- I inspected it as I took it. It seemed like an artifact, but it wasn''t clear what it did. Thankfully, the escort noticed. "On your Atlas medallion, you should have a small circular indent. Please press that artifact into that indent." Finally glancing at the gate, I met eyes with Krystallo and caused her to quickly run over. "I am well acquainted with her parents, so I plan to generally follow her through her classes for the day." She looked a bit shocked. "I guess geniuses do tend to be familiar with each other..." Once Krystallo finally made it up to us, she came to my side and smiled up at the other professor. "Good morning, miss Evodia?!" A smile promptly returned to the professor''s face. "Good morning, Krystallo. Are you ready for the assessment today?" Krystallo nodded with a fiery look in her eyes. "I won''t let you down!" "Haha, now you have me excited! I wonder what our talented missy will show us this time." After taking a moment to praise Krystallo, she turned back to me. "In any case, shall we head to The Arena now? I''m sure the upperclassman have already started." I quickly nodded. "Of course!" Finally resuming our walk, we started heading toward The Arena, a giant colosseum on the northern edge of the campus with many uses, including the combat assessments. As we walked, we continued to talk about all sorts of things, but thankfully, Evodia? recognized that I was unfamiliar with the place and helped explain the things that weren''t too plainly obvious, such as unspoken rules, professors to avoid, and even some advice about which subject to choose. It was all information that felt a little too timely. -But I have no reason to complain...- By the time we made it to The Arena, I had enough information that I could ease my discomfort and uncertainty about how the day would go. The issue was that, when dealing with uncertainty, any of it could be too much. The moment we got to the main arena, full of students of all sizes, ages, and colors, Evodia? yelled out, "Hello, everyone!" Her cheery voice quickly grabbed everyone''s attention. "There will be a new face among the instructors today! You may all call him Professor Whyte! I hope you will all be welcoming!" Not wanting to deal with the attention, I waved my wing and walked past her, paying close attention to the looks of the people in the stands. "Hello, everyone." -I guess I should find a good spot to watch the upper classman''s final tests...- But before I could even find a spot, a younger man''s voice met my ears. "For a new professor to have a sword. Is he gonna be our new teacher?" Quickly looking over, I met eyes with a dragon, likely in his 30s. -He must be an upperclassman...- His expression clearly told me he was trying to be provoking though. "If that''s the case, shouldn''t I test with him instead of waiting for sir Balatos to return?" I quickly shot him an unamused look. "If you want me to test you, I can, but don''t expect to pass." -I don''t even know what the bar is, so how can I know if you pass it...- But clearly knowing something I didn''t, the whole room went silent instantaneously. ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ----- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harveste Chapter 279: Rats in Hiding Chapter 279: Rats in Hiding Late Morning - Mid Winter : Atlas Academy | Atlas, Bahamut ----- "If you want me to test you, I can, but don''t expect to pass." The whole room fell into silence instantly, with the only person even moving being Evodia?, who quickly darted over to me. "I apologize, everyone. It seems Professor Whyte is unaware of Sir Si?dero''s ''reputation''." She seemed a little panicked. The student, however, wore a greedy expression. "No, no. He already said he would test me, so now he must follow through with his word!" He was clearly trying to lure me into what he thought was a trap, but I had too much on my mind to even consider caring. "Alright, whatever you want, kid. I hope you don''t regret it." With a path clearing between the student and me, I changed to my humanoid form. Almost immediately, everyone''s eyes went wide, and Evodia?''s face turned pale. But shockingly, it was a student who tried to convince me to change back. "P-Professor Whyte! You need to be in your dragon form, especially for Sir Si?dero! He has a reputation of not holding back, even if it means his opponent gets hurt..." It was a young girl with white-ish silver scales, seemingly from Krystallo''s age group. -So he''s one of those guys...- I put on a smile as I glanced toward the girl. "Thank you for your worry, but it''s the only way I can give him a chance." -Although even with this, it comes down to whether I let him pass or not...- Si?dero immediately burst out laughing. "Hahaha! To think such an arrogant half-breed could become a professor! I guess the standards of this academy truly are beginning to fall." -How ironic...- With what was going on behind the scenes, I couldn''t exactly disagree, but to also call me arrogant was like a pot calling the kettle black. "You should learn to be more careful when judging people. You won''t make it very far outside this academy if you arrogantly try to look down on everyone." Quickly sheathing my sword with my aura, I continued out into the arena. "Strength is everything, is it not? If I am stronger than my opponent, who is to tell me I cannot be arrogant?" "Haah..." While I wasn''t originally planning to actually fail him, I changed my mind at that moment. -He needs to learn a lesson.- Finally reaching the center of the sandy arena, I turned back to him. "Alright, since a handicap spar like you would do with a different professor would be unfair, we will do this..." *puff* Using my aura, I created an indent in the ground around me, marking off a 10-meter-wide circle. "To pass, all you have to do is get me out of this circle; there are no other rules." Everyone looked at me like I was crazy, including the professors and staff in the stands. "You have 60 seconds. You may begin." He stared at me in shock for several seconds before moving. "Huh? You''re being serious?" He quickly looked around before looking into my eyes and smiling again. "Haha! And you tried to lecture me on arrogance!" He promptly walked over to me with his head held high, not bothering to lower it even though he towered over me. "Even if you wish to back out now, it''s too late!" As he raised his paw, he seemed to watch for my reaction, but it never came. *CRACKLE* The noise of something breaking echoed through the arena the instant he swung his paw into me, forcing several of the students to look away. But as the dust settled, people finally started to notice that my figure hadn''t moved. -Wow...- "You''re even weaker than I expected..." All I did was stretch out my arm and stop his paw, but it shattered his scales and even drew some blood. "Well, give it another try." *FWOOSH* He hastily leapt back with a bit of bloodlust before lunging back at me and using his speed and body weight to slam the top of his paw into me. *CRAACK-WHAAAM* Expecting me to fly away and let him follow through, the moment his paw came to an abrupt stop, he slammed face-first into the ground. The impact cracked the ground slightly and kicked up another dust cloud, but yet again, I didn''t even budge. -That was a bit better though...- I was the only one to break the silence after several seconds. "30 seconds left." Everyone stared at the scene with wide eyes, either not believing what was happening or struggling to even register it. There was, however, someone in the stands who seemed especially displeased. "To think a professor would cheat in order to fail a student..." It was an older man, likely an older elder with crimson scales matching Si?deros. "Hoho~; I''m glad you all can still recognize me." The light around him quickly started to warp, revealing a draconic man that looked like a 25-year-old human with the air of a prince around him. However, even though he looked young, his aura was enormous, even beating out Myles by quite a margin. -So that''s him, huh...- Mother had given me a very detailed description of him before I left; the only difference was his demeanor. -Didn''t Mother say he was typically stern and cold to new people?- He looked at me with a wide, pleased smile. "It seems I didn''t go wrong in choosing you as a professor, Sir Whyte. However, I believe it would be best to leave this matter to me." *FWOOSH* Instantly disappearing from where he was, he appeared in the center of the arena, kicking up a huge amount of sand. "Although I certainly understand that you could handle this matter, I believe it would be better for you to test the other students as well." The students all tensed up instantly, but I couldn''t blame them. "I can test those who wish to be tested by me, however..." I quickly turned to the students. "I don''t think there is any-" Krystallo immediately threw her wing into the air with an expression of pure excitement. People looked at her like she was crazy, but it just made the headmaster chuckle. "See? How could I dare let my professor handle something so tedious at the cost of bonding with the students?" He immediately probed my aura and used a bit of wind magic to speak solely to me. "Let me handle this. That man has very close ties to the upperclassman''s current combat instructor and is a very well-known and respected man in Atlas. At least in front of others, this matter must be handled delicately." I hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Haah, alright. In that case, I will leave this to you." Finally backing away, I used magic to silently speak to the professor as well. "Make sure to tell me what you figure out." He responded in kind. "Of course." Walking back out into the arena, I looked over the students. "Since Miss Krystallo is the only one that wishes to get tested by me, the tests will resume normally." I quickly looked at the professor who was standing with the upperclassman. "If you need any help, just let me know." He reluctantly nodded before trying to break the ice off everyone by resuming things as usual, but almost everyone was still tense. Scanning over the rows of seats in the stands as I walked back into the crowd, I noticed several people I had my eyes on had disappeared, with a few others watching me with condescending looks. -It seems like there are indeed more rats than we originally thought...- Finally finding a place to lie down, I spent my time watching the student''s tests while carefully observing those in the stands, and while there were certainly a few that I needed to keep my eye on, the most suspicious ones had already left. -I should tell the Headmaster about it when I get the chance...- Before I knew it though, the upperclassman had finished, and it was my turn to test Krystallo. But now, with most of the bad actors gone, I had to admit that I was quite excited. "Alright, Miss Krystallo, I hope you aren''t expecting me to go easy on you." She quickly showed a competitive smile. "Of course not!" I gently motioned to her, having her pull out the bag of steel beads I had made her last night. -Let''s see how she has progressed, shall we?- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ----- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harveste Chapter 280: The Blindfold of Pride Chapter 280: The Blindfold of Pride Early Afternoon - Mid Winter : Atlas Academy | Atlas, Bahamut ----- "Alright, Miss Krystallo, I hope you aren''t expecting me to go easy on you." She quickly gave me a competitive smile. "Of course not!" Her eagerness to start was a truly refreshing sight. "For this test, I will spread gold coins like this one through the air." I held up a plain gold coin with my aura as I spoke. "I will keep them stationary at the start and then start moving them if you do well. Your goal is to react to and hit them as fast as possible. You can use anything you want, but the more accurate you are, the better." The worried looks among the younger students quickly turned curious as Krystallo pulled out a steel bead and held it over her head. However, I already had a dozen coins in the air. -I think she expects me to start slow...- "Are you ready?" Previously, she had issues with the calculations required to do this magic exercise with much pace; however, 3 years had passed. She immediately nodded with confidence. "Alright, 3.. 2.. 1..." *vwoom* The instant I revealed the first coin, Krystallo locked on it like a hawk and let the bead rip. *Crack-Ding* It was a perfect bullseye. -Wow.. did I really underestimate her that much?- Deciding to increase the difficulty a bit, I immediately started revealing more coins, even as she scrambled to ready another bead. But she didn''t falter even as she fell behind. Instead of simply readying a single bead, she readied a dozen, firing them off as soon as they were ready before pulling more out of her pouch. *Crrrrack-D-D-D-Ding* Before I knew it, she was caught up to speed, and I could go even faster. And while I quickly found her limit, it was still completely beyond expectations. Not only had her proficiency with railgun magic progressed by leaps and bounds, but her reaction time and ability to multitask were simply incomparable to 3 years ago. -To think she''d be so talented...- Expanding the area the coins could appear by almost 100 meters in every direction and adding more variance in their distance from her, they started becoming less predictable, and she started slowing down. However, her accuracy was still impeccable, with her worst shots only being a few millimeters off the coin''s center. -I''d say it''s time to start moving them...- Starting simple, I moved them slowly and in a straight line. *Di-Di-Ding-Ding* Once again, her pace took a hit, and her accuracy started becoming a bit more varied, but she was still leagues beyond what I expected. -She''s putting more power into these too... Is she trying to minimize how much she has to lead things?- To see if that was the case, I sped the coins up substantially, making coins disappear if she didn''t react to them fast enough. *Cr-Ding-Crack-Crack-Cr-Ding* Her accuracy plummeted instantly, and her expression started showing a bit of strain. -I see...- Pausing for a moment, I hid all the coins. "When you shoot a bead, pay attention to how fast it leaves your aura, and use it to calculate how much you need to lead the coin. Once you do it a few times, you''ll start visualizing the path of the bead." After giving her a moment to think it through, she looked back at me and nodded, signaling me to start the exercise again. -I wonder how many shots it''ll take her...- *vwoom* Slowing things down to the pace I originally started moving them at, her accuracy was all over the place, but after just a few shots, they started to get more and more precise. -Hoh?- After a dozen shots, her precision was nearly perfect again, and her pace started to increase. But unfortunately, before I could get back up to speed to test her new limit, her pouch ran empty. "Haah..." I could only sigh. -Well, I guess I might as well try to brainstorm while I do this...- "So, who is up first?" Evodia? quickly motioned to the young girl who warned me about Si?dero''s reputation. She looked surprisingly eager but still understandably worried. "Alright, and what is your name?" She hesitated and glanced back at Krystallo before finally working up the courage to speak. "My name is Ftera?, Professor Whyte." -Oh, so that''s her...- She was Krystallo''s friend who came to our estate over the past few days for tutoring. -I wonder how she compares to Krystallo...- "Would you prefer using magic, or-" She nodded before I could finish. -Hmm... So, how should I test her...- I was a bit unsure at first, but I eventually settled on a method similar to what I did with Krystallo, except much closer range and permanently keeping the coins hidden so she had to rely on her aura. And it went shockingly well. As things progressed, I gave her some pointers, and, while incomparable to Krystallo, she was still leaps and bounds beyond my expectations for the age group. However, without regard for her talent, her progress quickly grabbed the attention of other students and, before long, made it so I was the professor testing everyone, even if many of them were bound to not understand my tips. Thankfully though, after about 6 assessments, the headmaster returned and called me to the side. "Professor Whyte.. could I borrow you for a moment?" "Of course." Quickly wrapping up the assessment I was giving, I headed over to the southern entrance of the arena and was signaled into a human-sized room on the side where the headmaster was. As I changed to my humanoid form and walked inside, I noticed his expression was quite sour and prepared for the worst. "So, what''s the news?" -Do they really already know about the plan?- As if seeing my anxiousness, he quickly pulled a drink off a nearby shelf and poured us both cups. "I can''t be certain, but at the very least, it seems that him calling you a fake professor was just an untimely insult since he believed you were a half-breed." A wave of relief washed over me instantly. "Hooh, I see..." -However, I can''t relax just yet...- While I was giving the assessments to the other students, I had come to a general consensus that I needed to go from the top down if I wanted any chance of cleaning out the academy, and while that may have sounded like common sense, with there being a chance that the deputy master was siding with the Holy Kingdom, I was in a tough spot. -Mother warned me to not offend the headmaster.. but I don''t think now is the time to worry about connections...- As silence filled the room, I took a sip of the headmaster''s bitter alcohol before setting down the glass. *tap* "I believe there is a chance that the deputy master is siding with the Holy Kingdom." The headmaster''s aura instantly turned into a wall of blades where it met mine. "That is quite an assumption to make... Do you have any evidence?" "There are just a few things that don''t add up, so I want to look into it." He immediately started pushing his aura into mine. "That won''t be necessary..." -He''s high on his pride...- "Any possibility could exist. It would be smarter to start from the top and work our way down, regardless of whether he is innocent or not..." *VWOOM* I instantly overpowered his aura as I pushed it back. "This place is full of rats, and if you kill one of them, the rest will scatter... If you want to delude yourself into thinking there aren''t rats everywhere in this place, be my guest.. but don''t expect me to wait for you to realize what reality is." ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) Chapter 281: Questioning the Foundation Chapter 281: Questioning the Foundation Late Afternoon - Mid Summer (Opposite Hemisphere) : Featherspine, Holy Kingdom ----- - Astren Ravenna ~ *gulp-gulp* I took a fast gulp of alcohol as I looked across the table at a tall man with fiery red hair drinking wine straight from the barrel and a younger emerald-haired man lounging with his feet perched on the table. From the eyes of onlookers, they were nothing more than foreign adventurers with some odd hair colors, but little did they know, those two ''men'' were monsters the likes of which they couldn''t even fathom. -It''s insane to me how even the stronger adventurers don''t seem to even notice it...- I quickly glanced at the bar to see a group of three guys, all stronger than me, casually chatting as if nothing was wrong, somehow not feeling the unfathomably heavy presences just a few meters behind them. But somehow, such a sight was common. "Haah..." At first, not seeing anyone reacting at all made me doubt if what I saw and felt at our first meeting was even real; if the massive dragons I met were simply illusions meant to trick me into being fearful, but every now and then, I would be ruthlessly reminded by something that could not be faked. Strength. "Brr..." A chill instantly passed down my spine as memories I desperately wanted to forget surfaced again. -Fuck...- Trying to drown it out, I leaned my head back and drank every last drop in my mug. *Clack* But nothing could make me forget. -I wonder if it would have been better to die back then...- "Haaaah..." *Clack* Finally setting down the half-empty barrel, the crimson-haired man looked at me with an uncaring but curious expression before raising his hand and motioning the waitress to me. She was a young and cheerful girl, but even her bright smile couldn''t lighten my mood. "Miss, would you like another drink?" I immediately nodded and let her fill it to the brim with more dark-amber-colored alcohol before hastily drinking more. -Ugh...- It was the strongest stuff they had, and it tasted like shit, but without it, I wouldn''t have been able to get my mind off my regrets. "Thank you..." After another moment of heavy drinking, I laid my head on the table with a flushed face, but right after, the green-haired man finally sat up. "You said you were from Deepcross, right?" I immediately moved my mug to the side to look him in the eyes. "I was.. now, I''m from a field of burning rubble." Without alcohol, I never could have been able to speak so compulsively, but thankfully he didn''t get upset. "You should be proud that you and your father convinced Andras to spare the citizens who evacuated. If you didn''t, he most certainly would have executed them all." For a moment, I wanted to lean over the table and hit him for such a sick joke, but no matter how much I wanted to deny it, I knew he wasn''t lying. Back in Deepcross, after first getting tied in with Katherine and meeting those two monsters, I was reunited with my father, but our reunion turned sour the more we spoke and the more I was exposed to the horrors of the Church''s corruption. At first, when my father told me about the Church''s actual plan with the monster wave and Deepcross, I didn''t believe it; after all, who would believe that their own nation would decimate its own city and slaughter its own citizens? But reality was harsh. With the Church saying the gods had returned, they had the perfect excuse to do anything they wished without penalty. Before I knew it, the outlandish rumors and stories I used to hear about the Church throughout Deepcross gained credibility, and the horror set in. The more stories and rumors I remembered, the more I questioned what I believed. Before long, I even started to question the foundation of my beliefs. "Do you believe in the gods, Sir De?ntro?" I glanced up at him as I laid my head on the table. His expression quickly soured. "It depends on what gods you speak of." Immediately curious about his word choice, I couldn''t help but ask, "Are there gods you believe in outside of Asgard?" He hesitated for a moment before forcefully hiding his sour look. "Of course not. While they may exist, how do I know if they cannot answer prayers?" -Hmm...- I fell into thought almost immediately. "How do you know if your prayer was answered though? What if it was just a coincidence?" He quickly shook his head. "Asgard has many vocal gods. Depending on what you ask for, you may even hear their voice. Adonis has even spoken with one of them." Seeing Sir De?ntro point to him, he finally moved his barrel of alcohol to the side. "It was quite a while ago now, but I must admit that it was quite surreal. It was an experience that forced me to rethink everything I knew." Finally confirming that was the last student I needed to test, I walked back to the sidelines and was immediately met with several students. They were all extremely eager. "Professor Whyte, Professor Whyte! Are you going to teach any of our other classes?" At the academy, classes were assigned at the beginning of each grade and would share the same schedule for both one-year-long semesters. That meant I was to watch over this class for the whole day. "Maybe. It all depends on what your professors decide." They immediately looked around before nodding at each other and scattering back to the sidelines. -What is that all about?- Looking over at Krystallo, I expected to see her confused as well, but she just wore a smug smile. -What could they possibly be scheming?- Little did I know, they were all agreeing to make it their mission to make me teach every single class. After finally wrapping up the combat assessments, there was a short break between classes that I used to meet back up with the headmaster and discuss a new plan. While we didn''t exactly see eye to eye earlier in the day, he came around after watching some of the assessments. In short, I would still act as a professor and would attend the history professor''s class, but rather than making a scene, I would do my own investigation to try and get as many names as possible to let us clean the rats in one go. -But it definitely won''t be that clean or straightforward...- Essentially, the headmaster told me to come up with a plan and do it myself while he would have a few of his most trusted professors and assistants do similar investigations. It was what we both agreed would be the best course of action, and while an investigation entailed that I would remain as an intern professor for a few more days, I somehow didn''t mind it so far. -Teaching isn''t as bad as I thought...- Both calculations and ''life studies'' were fields I was extremely adept in, and having come from Earth, I was able to give some good tips and tricks that helped the students and even the professors immensely. I also couldn''t deny that part of why I enjoyed it so much was seeing Krystallo''s sky-high pride whenever she answered one of my questions. -The students are starting to look at her like a saint.- But eventually, my favorite subject rolled around. Looking up at the door, I read ''Rune and Magic Theory''. -Oh! This one should be fun.- Finally opening the door and walking inside, Krystallo darted to her seat, and I was met with an older man looking at me from behind the desk. "Ah, you must be the new professor the students have been gossiping about." He looked like a gentle old man, but the moment I came through the door, I was met with a wave of aura. *vwooom* But rather than being directed at me, he focused it on two people hidden in the crowd in the hallway, quickly forcing them to leave. They were two people who had followed me between every class but always kept their distance. -Hoh?- Looking back at the man wearing a gentle smile, I smiled as well. -He''s not so simple...- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quick Clarification: The age range of students is typically 14-16 to 34-36, with the ''years'' (grade levels) being divided into 2 year sections. (Think of 2 semesters, each 1 year long.) This is a detail I couldn''t really work in, so I will leave it here. ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) Chapter 282: An Explosive Situation Chapter 282: An Explosive Situation Late Afternoon - Mid Winter : Atlas, Bahamut ----- "You know, the students have been begging me all day to have you teach even though it is your first day here." The professor smiled as he stroked his short white beard. "But I can certainly see why." Slowly getting up from his desk, he walked over to me and held out his hand. "My name is Vlasta?ri Palaio?s, a rune and magic theory specialist." -Oh, a Palaio?s?- I quickly stretched out my hand and gripped his. "My name is Vasilias Whyte." The Palaio?s family was an extremely old noble family I had actually heard about back when I first came to Bahamut. In short, they were a scholarly family at the forefront of draconic magic development, but around thirty years ago, there were some inner conflicts that made the family disappear from the scene. -But it''s not like their downfall was from a lack of prowess...- "I didn''t expect to see someone like you teaching the first years." With the academy being the most prestigious in Bahamut, it made sense for countless well-known noble families to be a part of it, but from what Evodia? said, they almost exclusively taught upperclassmen, with the only exceptions being classes outside their specialty. -But this is certainly his specialty... So, why...- Noticing a bit of my skepticism, he let out a chuckle. "Hoho, I was originally going to teach the eighth years and up, but I got transferred to this class because of some.. last-minute complications." He paused before letting go of my hand. "In any case, if you wish to teach, you may. Here is the lesson I had planned for the day, but if you wish to teach something else, feel free. The class will start in 20 minutes." Quickly taking a paper from him, I started skimming through it. -''Water and fire magic''s interactions with lightning magic''? This should be a fun one to teach, actually.- From what I could tell, all of the theories were extremely basic and self-explanatory, but that, of course, meant I could simply ask the students ''why'' and get their brains going. -I need to think of how to stump Krystallo though...- I quickly started falling into thought, but before long, the professor''s aura pierced mine and approached my ears. "Those two people in the hallway... I hope you can explain why they were with you..." My curious expression darkened instantly as I looked up from the paper and met his hostile gaze. Although he wasn''t thoughtlessly releasing bloodlust, he was clearly suppressing it. -To not even wait till after class...- I squinted my eyes as I pierced his aura like he did mine. "Do you know who they are?" He hesitated for a moment as he sneakily injected some mana into a rune beneath the floor from behind his desk. "I don''t believe you are in a position to ask questions." -How audacious...- "Oh, but I am." I immediately slammed my aura into him. *VWOOM* "Sit back down." *crackle* The metal legs of his chair instantly splintered as he slammed down onto them. But his hostile expression didn''t change until he saw the students looking at him. "Professor, are you alright?" He quickly forced a smile. "Yes, I apologize. It seems I pushed myself too hard yesterday." Seeing him turn back to me the moment the students started gossiping, I forcefully cut off his mana flowing into the rune. "If you don''t want to create a scene, I would recommend you start talking." His expression quickly turned troubled before he finally relaxed his aura and clicked his tongue. "Tch... So my brother finally sent a spy to take care of me, huh..." -Hoh?- It was quite an unexpected response. "Your brother?" "He goes by Michalis Logios." A smile came to my face almost instantly. -My luck is really on point today...- After having just spoken to the headmaster about him, the deputy headmaster''s truly ironic name was still fresh in my mind. [1] "You seem quite hostile with him." "Of course!" His anger started to appear on his face right away. "He was the bastard who ruined our family, and you bastards were the ones who manipulated him into doing it!" -Hoh?- Finally confirming he had some information I needed, I quickly cleared the misunderstanding. "Don''t lump me in with them. After all, they were just some random people who had been following me since this morning." He immediately froze in place as his anger vanished. "However, to call me a spy who works under the deputy... I hope you are willing to elaborate." Freely walking over to him, I leaned against his desk with a carefree smile, only using a bit of light and wind magic to keep the students from seeing or hearing anything. He was quick to notice it as well. "Just.. who are you..." "Just think of me as a janitor giving the academy a ''deep clean''." He hesitated before looking me in the eyes. "Then, I take it that my brother is one of the people you plan on cleaning..." -Hm?- Seeing his look, I wasn''t sure how to feel. -Don''t tell me he is gonna try to protect him...- "He was someone I planned to look into." A serious, determined look immediately came to his face. "In that case.. I will save you the time; however, I want you to do me a favor." "As you can see, it acted just as you all expected. Now, what if I remove everything in the water that isn''t water?" Several specks of fine black dust immediately fell out from under it. "Does anyone have any guesses?" This time, the young girl next to Krystallo, Ftera? stood up. "It won''t do anything?" "Okay, and what will happen if I only increase the amount of lightning magic until it does something?" She wore a puzzled look but didn''t shy away. "Well, wouldn''t it just jump to the ball without the help of the water?" I immediately smiled. "Well, let''s see!" Quickly moving my hand to the end of the water, I started accumulating the lightning magic, and eventually, a bolt arced straight from my hand to the floor. *ZAP* The looks of pure confusion on the students'' faces were honestly beautiful. "As you can see, it arced to the ground. Does anyone want to guess why it didn''t go through the water?" I quickly pointed to a different student in the middle who stood up. "Does it have to do with the impurities that were in the water?" I immediately smiled. "Precisely... Now, does anyone know what is an excellent conductor of lightning?" A few students quickly stood up before I chose one. "Metal!" "Haha, yes. Now, what if I was to add small bits of metal to the water? Will it differ from the first test I did?" I immediately got a mix of nods and shaking heads. "Ftera?, what do you think will be different?" She immediately jumped up. "If metal is a better conductor than the dust that was originally in the water, wouldn''t it conduct the lightning better?" I quickly nodded. "Yes, and what would the difference in outcome be?" "I-It would maintain its potency over a longer range, right?" She seemed a little unsure of herself. "It would indeed. Now, would you like to come give it a try?" She was a little hesitant at first, but after a short moment, she came up to the front of the classroom. "Alright, for this demonstration, we will use this fruit." I quickly pulled a peach-like fruit off the professor''s desk and held it a few feet from her. "From where you are, I want you to hit this fruit with pure lightning magic." "O-Okay!" She quickly held out her hand and accumulated electricity before finally letting it go. *crackle-ZAP* It instantaneously charred the fruit''s skin. -Perfect...- "Now that we have a benchmark of what to expect, I am going to set the fruit at the very end of the water." *tap* "This time, use the exact same amount of lightning magic, but release it straight into the water." "Okay!" With a mix of curiosity and enthusiasm, she turned back to the water and accumulated enough electricity for it to arc between her fingers before finally putting her palm on the end of the string of water. *BANG* The string of water and the fruit exploded nearly instantaneously, launching the center pit of the fruit through the wooden table and into the strengthened flooring. I looked over the class with a satisfied expression seeing their jaws hanging open and looks of shock on their face. But when I glanced at the professor to see what he thought, I saw an expression that was just like the students. -Huh?- It caught me a little off guard. -Isn''t he from one of the most advanced magic families?- ----- [1] - The name, Michalis Logios, essentially translates to ''Scholar close to God/the Gods''. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) The Discord! The Discord! Hey everyone! Hope you are all doing well! Just wanted to come out and say that the discord is finally up and running! ---- https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v Chapter 283: A Change of Plans Chapter 283: A Change of Plans Early Evening - Mid Winter : Atlas, Bahamut ----- "So, Professor Whyte..." Professor Palaio?s spoke in a curious tone as he looked at me. "Essentially, what you are saying is that the tiny particles that compose everything are surrounded by even smaller particles, and lightning is made of those?" Halfway through my lecture, he had moved out from behind his desk to occupy a seat among the students for a better view. He had essentially become a student. "Yes, and the more positive particles, protons, that are present in the nucleus of those particles, the more negative particles, electrons, there need to be." "Is that why things like metals with larger main particles have better conduction?" I quickly shook my head. "It''s because the metals are initially balanced in charge. This allows electrons to bounce around and take the places of electrons in neighboring atoms, essentially creating a free-flowing pool of them within the metal." Everyone listened intently as I spoke. But seeing there weren''t any questions, I continued. "With such a pool already present, all you need to do is give the flow a single set direction by adding more electrons with lightning magic, and you can create a flow from the source of the lightning to the positively charged target on the other side of the wire. But keep in mind, if there is no positive charge for the lightning to jump to, nothing will happen." Professor Palaio?s immediately fell into thought before another student stood up. "Is that why it jumps to the ground whenever there isn''t a target or a path to close the distance to the target?" "Haha, yes." -They''re really fast learners...- "Lightning will always take the road of least resistance to reach something with a mass of positive charge, so if the path to the ground has less resistance than the path to the target, it will take that path." Ftera? quickly hopped up. "But wouldn''t that mean that less resistance would always yield more power?" -Hm?- Wondering where she was going with that thought, I gave a vague response. "Not necessarily... Do you have a specific situation in mind?" "The initial test.. with the metal filings in the water." She wore a look of curiosity but also irritation. "How was the reaction still so explosive even when it still had to traverse through water which doesn''t conduct it well? Wouldn''t a pure metal rod connecting them have been better?" -Good questions...- "The reason it had such an explosive reaction was because of the water between the filings and in the fruit." I promptly created a small sphere of water in the air next to me. "When water is superheated too quickly, it explodes; hence, the reaction you all saw." *snap-BANG* The ball instantly exploded into a cloud of steam. "As for if a metal rod would be better, technically, yes. However, the explosion from the water would have damage of its own, so while more lightning may make it to the target, you would most likely do less damage overall." Her expression turned confused. "B..but why?" I immediately chuckled seeing her expression. "Haha, because the path the lightning would take through the opponent''s body may not exactly do what you intend it to do." I quickly pointed at the floor with a smile. Finally understanding what I was implying, her eyes went wide. "But if that''s the case, why do we learn that lightning magic is so strong? If it would just take a path from the target to the ground, how could it kill anything?" "Well, whether it is weak or strong is something you must determine on your own; however, what I will say is that lightning magic has the potential to make opponents much stronger than you drop dead without knowing what hit them." -All it needs to do is discharge into the brain...- "But we can leave that for another day." A look of disappointment instantly washed over the students intrigue the moment I stopped. I wanted to continue just as much as them, but looking over at the clock, the end of the class had arrived. "Alright, are there any more questions before we end class?" Most of the class remained seated and silent, with only a few standing up to ask some unrelated questions like if I would continue to teach this class in the future or if there was any homework, but before they could even finish, the professor stood up. He wore a very conflicted expression. "Professor Whyte.. If I may be so rude to ask..." I gave him an odd look, expecting him to be mad and refuse my ''theories'' in place of his own research. But I was instead met with a pleasant surprise. "Could you please continue to teach me and my class while you are here?" He immediately threw himself into a bow with his hands out in front of him. Finally getting up, I walked over to her desk and surrounded us in silencing magic. She quickly gave me a curious look. "What is it you need to ask?" -The audacity...- "Currently, there are only 4 students with passing grades." I set down the papers on her desk and looked her in the eyes. "I was hoping you could clarify why that is." Her forced smile momentarily faded before quickly returning. "There were quite a few questions I failed to properly cover in my lectures. I plan to adjust their grades accordingly, don''t worry." Standing over her desk, I quickly used my aura to search through it, but I didn''t even make it through the first drawer before finding a letter. One specifically from the deputy. It made my anxiousness of questioning how to go forward instantly go up in flames. -It seems I need to change my plans...- Holding back the urge to rip her spine out, I spoke calmly. "Unfortunately, I don''t think that is quite enough... Would you mind coming with me to the deputy''s office? I believe this issue needs to be addressed more formally." Her eyes went wide for a moment before she smiled at me. "If that is what you wish." Finally standing up, she told the class she was going to step out for a moment and called in a universal teaching assistant to watch over the class while we were gone. Once things were finally situated, we left and hastily navigated our way through the halls until eventually stopping in front of a massive dragon-sized door halfway up the central spire of the campus. -So this is the deputy''s office, huh...- *knock-knock* Finally knocking after a moment, the door opened and revealed a massive room with a nearly 90-meter-tall ancient lying in it. His scales were bright silver, similar to Professor Palaio?s, but his aura and demeanor couldn''t have been more different. As he opened his eyes, Miss Pi?so quickly went to kneel, but she didn''t quite make it that far. *SNAP* The crack of bones filled the air as her head spun backward, and her body fell limply to the ground. *thump* The deputy could only stare at me with wide eyes. -You fuckers have really crossed the line this time...- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 284: The Eve of the Cleanse Chapter 284: The Eve of the Cleanse -------------------------------------------------- ---- Mild GORE and BRUTALITY Warning! ---- -------------------------------------------------- Early Evening - Mid Winter : Atlas, Bahamut ----- *SNAP* *thump* An abyss-like silence instantly filled the room as the history professor''s body limply fell to the ground. Her neck was snapped, and her spinal cord had been severed; without being able to use her mana, even if I did nothing, her brain would have slowly run out of oxygen, and she would have died. -But dying with such little pain in unbefitting someone like you.- *Vwooom* An indescribable void instantly encompassed her body before compressing into nothingness, leaving nothing but a footprint out in the hallway as evidence she was ever there. -Sending a soul as filthy as yours to reincarnate would be a disservice to those that deserve it.- Finally looking into the room again, my cold gaze locked onto the deputy headmaster, and I walked inside. *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* Although I made it several steps before he reacted, on my fourth step, his aura slammed down onto me, and a massive rune lit up beneath my feet. *vwWOOOM* -Nice try.- Quickly moving my aura to counter his, I stopped distributing my weight and shattered the ground like it was made of hardened clay. *CRRRACKLE* The brightly lit rune vanished nearly instantly before throwing its half-baked spell into the air as a plume of dust and fire. -Weak...- Seeing him hastily start standing up and readying several more spells in the air, I finally pulled my sword out of its sheath. *Vwoom* The blade faintly glowed and vibrated as I grabbed it, but after a moment, it stabilized and began spewing my aura out as if it were a part of my body. -Not bad...- Moving it over my shoulder, I looked up at the dozens of spells in the air and gently swung across the room. *fwip* *VWOOOOM* The colossal wave of mana it created instantly blew across the room, obliterating every spell in the air and forcefully destabilizing his aura. Not letting the opportunity slip, I instantly slammed my aura down onto him and changed to my dragon form. *flash-Crackle* By the time he regained control of his aura and had the chance to stand back up, my foot was on his head. -Too slow.- *CRUNCH* Pressing my weight and aura down onto him, I prevented even the slightest movements and lowered my head to look into his eyes. Bloodlust was flowing out of me like a waterfall, but even still, his gaze was more aggressive than fearful. "If you back off and kneel, I''ll consider letting you live." My pupils instantly dilated as I put more weight on him *CRACKLE* "Make me." As my claws started to dig into the side of his face, he finally forced his mouth open with an expression of rage. *CR-RACK* The sound barrier instantaneously ripped apart as a massive metal dart teleported from his mouth to my hind leg. But I watched it with a look of indifference. -Iron, huh....- *CLACK-BANG* Seeing the dart explode on impact, barely leaving a dent in my scales, his eyes went wide. "Wrong material, dumbass." *twist-CRACKLE* Twisting his head to the side, I created a steel dart and held it over his eye. "Would you like to see how it''s supposed to look?" Fear immediately found its way into his eyes, but he hid it from his voice. "Who are you..." "To you, I might as well be the grim reaper, so get talking... Who ordered you to write that letter." "I don''t know what letter you are-" "The one telling the bitch I just killed to give a few students an amnesia drug and bring them to you." He immediately hesitated. "I''m not sure what you-" *CRACKLE* His scales quickly started cracking beneath my paw. "You think I can''t kill you?" I looked down at him with a crazed look in my eyes. "I could turn the Holy Kingdom into a wasteland if I wanted to." "Tch..." He immediately clicked his tongue. "You think Asgard would let you-" "Correct." She paused before looking down at the test. "But even though that was the case, why did Bahamut leave her in that position?" She immediately called on another student. "He didn''t. Once the great war started, he sent her out to die." The assistant instantly froze in place with a slightly angry expression. "Does anyone else wish to try and answer?" Seeing no one raise their hand, she called on a random student but they just gave her the same answer. After a few more attempts, she tossed the tests to the side and looked over the class with a dark expression. "Can any one of you give me a different answer?" Ftera? and I quickly stood up before she called on Ftera?. "Hera Monachiko?s kept her position because she was wise and made her decisions based on what would be better for Bahamut rather than what would please the people, even if the Great War caused many of her decisions to age poorly." She quickly nodded. "Good, and what about you?" She immediately turned to me with a look of expectation. "I have the same answer as her." I motioned to Ftera?. "I see." She paused for a moment before flipping through the tests and finding ours. "Who was it that taught you two?" Confidence quickly came to my face. "My mother taught us. She gave us tutoring herself after I told her about this class." She gave me an odd look before turning back to the rest of the class. "So the answers you all just gave me were what you were taught in class?" Nearly everyone nodded simultaneously. "I see." *tap-tap-tap* Quickly straightening up the tests, she put on a serious expression and looked over the class. "In that case, this is a matter I must bring up with the headmaster. Those of you who only put what Miss Pi?so taught you, don''t worry; we will figure out how to handle this matter without affecting you all too negatively. However, you may expect to have classes more often until things straighten out." The mood of the class plummeted right away, but my head was held high. -I did it!- A blissful sensation filled my mind as I thought about never having to deal with Miss Pi?so again. -Now, I just wonder where she went with Brother... I hope he is alright...- But my worries were needless as when we were eventually dismissed, and I walked outside to see him leaning against the wall. Quickly running over to him, I noticed he wore a troubled look, but once he saw me, it turned back into a smile. "Hey, Krystallo." *pat* "I hope you aren''t too worried about the test." As he laid his hand on my head, every distracting thought purged itself from my mind. "Of course not!" After another moment though, Ftera? ran up to us with an excited expression. "Krystallo, Krystallo! Professor Palaio?s just came by and told me he can bring us to the bakery just outside the academy to get the velvet cake he promised before we stopped coming to class! We should go!" My eyes instantly lit up. "Really?!" I quickly looked up at Vasilias with a gleam in my eye. "Come with us! The bakery has some really delicious things!" His smile quickly turned pure as he let out a warm laugh. "Haha, alright. You will have to give me recommendations, though." A look of determination came to my face immediately. "Of course!" ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 285: A Day Out Chapter 285: A Day Out Mid Evening - Mid Winter : Atlas Academy | Atlas, Bahamut ----- "Hmm... What is this dark pink one over here?" Hearing Krystallo, the young man behind the counter poked his head over and looked at where she was pointing. "That one is a Southern Lotus Cake. It has a very similar base to the Pink Lotus Cake, but its taste is quite unique. I typically recommend it for elders and ancients, but everyone''s palate is different." Overhearing them, I got curious and looked over. "Is there any reason you mainly recommend it to older stages?" He quickly nodded. "It has Lantern in it, which has a very refreshing taste but can taste quite bitter depending on how developed one''s tongue is." -Hm?- "What''s Lantern? This is the first time I''ve heard of it." He immediately smiled. "It''s a more recently developed ''flavoring poison'', similar to Ocari, except instead of that spicy burn, it''s more cool and refreshing." "Ah, I see..." Essentially, flavoring poisons were human-grade poisons or venoms that dragons had developed as a spice, sauce, or flavoring agent, akin to things like malic acid or hot sauce for humans. -But they''re all pretty unique flavors... I wonder what this stuff is like...- "Could I try a bit?" "Sure, one moment." He quickly disappeared behind the counter before reappearing with a green flower petal in hand. "Just set this on your tongue and suck on it for a second. The petal should start to dissolve." Taking it from him with my aura, I did as instructed and almost immediately tasted something I had long since forgotten existed. -It''s.. minty?- I barely even recognized it. -I think I have lost my taste for it though...- Although I remember liking mint as a human, the taste wasn''t the most appealing anymore. -Maybe it''s just too strong though...- "Do you have a more subtle version of it?" "We do, but the only thing it''s in is rockfruit. Would you still like to try it?" "Hmm..." Rockfruit were a hard fruit with a sour and tart taste similar to an unripened muscadine or grape but lacked most of the bitterness. -The one Grandmother got me to try was alright, but I can''t say I''m a big fan of it... Mint could work with it though...- "I guess it''s worth a shot." Giving a quick nod, the man behind the counter disappeared into the back, and I finally turned my attention back to Krystallo. She was still closely inspecting the pastries, cakes, and candies through the glass display with a troubled expression. -How cute...- "Have you decided what you want to get?" She quickly looked over at me before glancing at Ftera?, who was happily nibbling on a human-sized velvet cake in her dragon form. "The velvet cake is really good.. but I want to try something new. I''m just not sure what I''d like." I couldn''t help but smile seeing her staring at the sweets so intently. "Well, feel free to get a bunch and try them. I''ll pay, so don''t worry about holding back."Fo?llo?w new stories at novelhall.com She instantly froze before looking back at me with a gleam in her eyes. "Really?!" Looking at the prices, I saw most of the human-sized portions between 1 and 5 gold, meaning even if she wanted to use all of her weekly allowance, she could only get 2 expensive ones. -But, this is Atlas; even if I created and spent a few royal gold, it wouldn''t even make a ripple...- "Go for it! You will have to share some with me though." "Of course!" Her vibrant excitement instantly filled the room as she changed to her dragon form and motioned over the other attendant to get and try several things. -Geez.. she really is growing like a weed...- My smile quickly warmed, but at the same time, a faint feeling of regret started to surface in the back of my mind. The last three years were some of her most important years of development, the beginning of her filling out the mold of who she would be in the future, and yet I had been totally absent. As her brother, it made my heart ache no matter how I tried to twist it, but at the same time, fate had laid out its cards for our benefit. Without a curtain of naivete hiding the path I had unknowingly taken, I had no reason to doubt myself anymore, but at the same time, I could no longer happily lounge around while idly waiting to grow. From that point forward, I had to take every step with the intent of growing stronger until the gods looming over the Holy Kingdom were no longer a threat.. even if that came at the cost of spending time with family. -But everything in life is about balance...- Looking at Krystallo''s back, my regret slowly started to fade. -Even if I will still need to leave and do things away from home, I can make the most of the time I have whenever I am with her...- "Huh?" She quickly started to calm down upon realizing I hadn''t planned this in advance. "So, where are we going then?" "Well, if we want to attend it, the person we''re going to see will be someone who can help us." Finally turning onto a different street, I walked down a few buildings and made my way into a rundown shop. "Plus, if we are going to attend something like that, I need a bit more spending money." She gave me a confused look as she glanced around the empty shop before becoming curious when we started making our way down to the smithy. *thump* *thump* *thump* Feeling the rhythmic vibrations in the ground, I quickly smiled. -Sweet.. he''s here...- Finally reaching the bottom, we approached the smithy''s massive door and knocked. *thud-thud* The hammering instantly stopped. "You may enter." *Click-creaaak* As the door swung open, a wave of heat blasted past us, and we were presented with the view of a forge covered in all sorts of junk and Sir Atsa?li standing at the center with his scales covered in soot. He would have looked like a kid who had a little too much fun with a new toy had it not been for his demeanor, but that changed the moment he saw me. "Vasilias! I didn''t think I would see you so soon!" His expression instantly lit up. "It seems we have another guest as well! Please come in and have a seat." Finally walking inside and over to the table, I set Krystallo down and let her change to her dragon form so the temperature wasn''t so uncomfortable. But Sir Atsa?li got down to business instantly. "So, what brought you back so soon? I expected it to be a few months before you brought me any mythril." He cleaned himself off as he spoke. "Well, I do have some mythril, but I mainly came to inquire about something." He quickly shot me a quizzical look. "And what would that be? Is it related to her?" He immediately gave Krystallo a curious look. "Haha, somewhat. Although Im not sure if you two have already met, she is my sister, Krystallo. Krystallo, this is Sir Atsa?li." Sir Atsa?li quickly reached his wing across the table. "It''s my pleasure to meet another young Ragnarok, young miss." She instantly tensed up, but I was quick to calm her down. "He works with Mother and Father often, so you don''t need to worry about using that name." Finally, with a bit of hesitancy, she moved her wing up and tapped it against his. It was a bit of an awkward greeting, but it broke the ice between them. "So, what was it you came to ask about?" I quickly took a moment to think of how to ask before simply going for it. "I''ve been walking around town a good bit today, and I overheard some things about an auction called the Chalasti?s auction. I was wondering if you knew anything about it." -Maybe it''s something I could go to with Krystallo...- His smile instantly turned sly. "Hoho.. now that isnt what I expected..." My expression quickly turned confused. -W..what''s that reaction about?- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 286: A Tangled Knot Chapter 286: A Tangled Knot Late Evening - Mid Winter : Atlas Academy | Atlas, Bahamut ----- *clack* *pour* We sat in silence as Sir Atsa?li poured some kind of drink into a small barrel before inevitably pushing it to Krystallo. It was an action he did out of nowhere, but I was so confused I couldn''t say anything. But his smile eventually started to fade. "You.. aren''t joking?" -Huh?- I immediately tilted my head. "What do you mean?" He paused to give me an odd look before finally letting out a quick breath. "Hooh... Kid, how much do you know about your family?" "Well, I''d like to say quite a bit." -But the way you''re acting is making me doubt myself...- "In that case, could you tell me why the Ragnarok family is held in such high esteem?" Grabbing two more small barrels off the shelves, he quickly started filling them with alcohol. "It''s because of Atlas, is it not?" I responded as if the answer were obvious. But he just scoffed. "Maybe to some, but if you think your family is able to hold nearly a hundred thousand dragons in the palm of their paw because of everyone else''s respect for Atlas, you are gravely mistaken." My expression quickly turned curious. "You have too much faith in us as a species, Vasilias... If he was Bahamut, you would be correct, but Atlas didn''t have that kind of presence." He continued as he pushed the small barrel of alcohol to me. "I would love to say that we dragons hold onto and respect honor forever, but unfortunately, the more time that passes, the more the weight of honor from our ancestors lightens, and the more people forget it ever existed in the first place." My eyes instantly widened; he hit the nail square on the head. -But if people''s honor and respect for Bahamut are already starting to fade...- "Then what upholds the Ragnarok name?" He gave me a serious look before responding simply. "Money, strength, and blood." His voice was without an ounce of hesitation or uncertainty. "In her current state, you may see your grandmother as a young lass who is just beginning to see the world for what it really is, but if you give her a few hundred years, she will turn into a monster that even the strongest dragons would do anything to curry the favor of... However, what do you think they can give a family that already has enough gold to build an island out of it and enough cities, resources, and skilled subordinates to essentially rule the world?" I immediately hesitated before finally speaking with some uncertainty. "Loyalty?" He nodded right away. "And with loyalty being something even common folk can pay, not only has their influence grown, but people''s trust that their loyalty will be repaid has deepened; after all, if people retain their loyalty to the Ragnaroks for long enough, their taxes in Ragnarok-owned cities will be slashed. That single repayment caused their influence to spread like wildfire, to the point that even the two other major families could no longer escape from beneath their influence; however, among those two, the Chalasti?s family were the only ones to embrace it." The Chalasti?s family was one of the three major families from the great war and were a family that was meant to rival the Ragnaroks. -But while we grew our power and influence, they simply accumulated money like treasure hoarders.- But that was exactly what made them love us so much. -Alleviated taxes would essentially double or triple their profits, and that isn''t even including that they can use our influence for their own gain...- After falling into thought for a moment, I eventually spoke up. "So, are you trying to say that the Chalasti?s auction is beneath me?" He immediately smiled. "Well, you are a Ragnarok, are you not? If you want something from the auction, you could simply ask them, and they would sell it to you for cheap if not just outright give it to you." "I mean, sure, but we can''t go around touting the family name until the festival in 8 years." My smile finally returned as I tossed the small barrel into my mouth. "Plus, it would be more fun to attend regardless of that." "Ah, is that so." He immediately started to clam up a bit. "In that case, the auction is held the day after tomorrow in the Southern Hall of the academy. Anyone affiliated with the academy is able to attend, so if you are to speak to the headmaster, he could get you a VIP spot, but if not, you could use the Whyte family name as well." "Hm, I see..." I quickly started to fall into thought again before promptly tensing up. "Wait, it''s in the academy?" Quickly following the maid down the hallway, we came up to Mother''s office and promptly opened the doors. *Click-fwoosh* As they swung open, a blast of chilly air rushed past me, but contrarily, Mother''s expression was incredibly warm. "I heard about what you did in the combat assessments this morning... You know it made your name spread around like wildfire, right?" Her words sounded like she was trying to warn me, but her voice was full of pride. Quickly finding my way inside, I found the comfiest cushion and promptly sat down. "I sort of figured that would happen. The students liked how I taught so much that they tried to get me to teach every class for the whole day. Plus, I can''t deny that I made an impression on several of the professors as well." The pride in her expression only grew as I spoke. "Hoho~, it sounds like my sweetie is starting to get recognized by the world." I immediately let out an awkward laugh. "Haha, not quite. I still need to lay on the low because of Asgard, but as long as I don''t trip on any of their wires, I should be alright..." I paused to think about the situation for a moment before continuing. "In any case, I need to ask you about a few things." She immediately straightened up her posture. "What is it?" "The headmaster and the Chalasti?s family. How much can we realistically trust them..." She was immediately taken aback. "What makes you ask that?" -Well...- "I have some suspicions about the headmaster, and since he has to report everything to the Chalasti?s family, I can''t exactly take any suspicions away from them either." She gave me an odd look before speaking. "I understand where you are coming from, but at the same time, the headmaster is certainly not someone who betrayed Lord Bahamut." "But..." I felt a little back to be throwing out accusations so baselessly, but at the same time, I couldn''t shake my suspicions. "How can you be so sure?" "Vasilias." Her expression quickly turned serious. "The group that still prays and worships Lord Bahamut. Do you know their name?" "Well, it''s Latrei?a, isn''t it?" I responded instantly as if the name was already on my mind. But that''s because it was. -Wait.. isn''t that the headmaster''s last name?- My suspicions got tied into a knot almost instantly. ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 287: Unbridled Disgust Chapter 287: Unbridled Disgust Early Evening - Mid Winter : Atlas Academy | Atlas, Bahamut ----- *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* The sound of my footsteps echoed down the long, empty hallway as I made my way into the academy''s central spire. The final class of the day had just started, and after leaving Krystallo''s history class to a substitute, I was on my way to the deputy''s office. But while an onlooker might have thought I was relaxed, I was far from it. -A rune that''s meant to show people the ''might of the gods'', huh...- Every time I thought about the possibilities of what the rune could be, my fist clenched. "Hooh..." -But I still need to lay low for now...- After my discussion with Mother the night prior, the direction of my suspicions had started to waver, and after much additional thought, I inevitably dismantled everything I knew to try and form a new perspective. But not a lot changed. As things laid, the deputy was working directly under one of the church''s deacons rather than the Chalasti?s family or the headmaster, but because of the headmaster''s weird movements and reactions to things related to this matter, I couldn''t rule out that they weren''t unrelated. -It feels like the headmaster is trying to cover things up.. but he also has reluctance...- Whether it was simple acting, coincidence, or whether he was truly under orders, I was completely in the dark. -The fact he is a Latrei?a makes me think it''s a coincidence...- But at the same time, having one of the main voices of the Latrei?a as a subordinate would put the Holy Church in an incredible position of power over Bahamut''s future, even more so than by infiltrating the academy. -But I can''t be sure...- He was simply like a wrench that would force me to rethink everything whenever I tried to incorporate him. -At least Mother said she would look into the Chalasti?s family... Hopefully she can find something...- Finally making my way to the stairwell, I ascended the academy''s spire and eventually made it onto the deputy''s floor. *Vwoom* Forcing my aura through the wall, the moment I stepped out of the stairwell, my aura filled the entire 1-and-a-half-kilometer-long circular hallway, but unlike yesterday, I couldn''t feel a single aura other than the deputys. -To clear the floor today... It seems he''s still trying to save face...- The hallway was so quiet you could hear a feather falling, but I didn''t bother lightening my steps at all. *thump* *thump* *thump* As I walked, I began slowly pushing my aura into the deputy''s room, but nothing seemed amiss until I was about to step up to the door. *CR-RACK* The instant I stepped to the side, splintered wood blew out of the door, and a thin piece of metal zipped past me. -To think he would do that without care for the oath...- Turning and glancing back at the other hole made on the other side of the hall, I leaned back and let another metal rod zip past my chest. *zip-CRACK* -He must be confident in his mental strength...- Finally turning back to the door, I casually pushed it open and immediately saw a massive dragon squirming on the ground in pain. "AAGH!" His breath was haggard, and his body was shaking. -To think he had the willpower to push through the oath''s penalty, not once, but twice...- Slowly walking over to him, I matched his gaze with a condescending look. "You missed." The anger on his face quickly reappeared, but it only triggered more pain. "AAAGGH!" It was a scene that brought me immense satisfaction. "Seeing you squirm around like a poisoned rat... Something about it is truly enlightening..." His angered gaze immediately locked onto me as he gritted his teeth. "You fucking.. m-monster..." -Hoh?- "You can still speak?" -That''s not right...- His voice quivered. "W..who are you..." I paused momentarily before a slightly sadistic smile crept onto my face. "You can just call me.. the exterminator." Setting my hand on his head, the oath rune expanded and began to glow. -But what is this place?- At first, it just looked like a big empty room, but as I went to send my aura into the floor, countless runes lit up beneath my feet, and the floor started to sink down. -I wonder who made this...- Inspecting the runes more closely, it was immediately clear that they were not developed in recent years. Even for me, some of the runes were incredibly complex. -But if this place is that old... What is the rune at the bottom going to be?- My mind quickly wandered as we descended, but eventually, the elevator slowed down, and a massive room came into view. The deputy wore a somber expression as the elevator finally stopped. "This is the place." The room was easily a hundred meters tall and a few hundred meters wide, but it was almost entirely taken up by a round, dark mythril platform with a deep black orb embedded in its center, surrounded by several bright blue monster cores. As we walked out into it, I wore a confused expression; no matter where I looked or sent my aura, I couldn''t find any kind of rune anywhere. But that was when it finally clicked. -There''s no way...- My eyes widened as I turned back to the black artifact in the center of the platform and, this time, pushed space mana into it. However, instead of seeing a space rune, I saw something else... Something incomparably disgusting... Noticing my expression, the deputy tensed up and stared at the ground, but I simply changed to my dragon form and walked past him without any care at all. -No, I must be seeing things wrong...- Quickly making it to the central-most black orb, I wasted no time throwing some mana into it. Almost instantaneously, dozens of tendrils of divinity squirmed out through the shell of the artifact before splitting into dozens, then hundreds, then thousands of copies of themselves. To say it was stomach-churning was an understatement. -To think something so viscerally disgusting could exist...- As I raised up my paw, I formed a small amount of antimatter and coated it in space mana. Although I had no idea what I was truly looking at, seeing its countless tendrils slowly multiply and grow, stretching straight toward my head as if to grab it, made me feel sick. -Whatever it is.. it shouldn''t exist...- *tink-FLASH-BAAAANG* The entire mythril platform instantaneously splintered before being blown to pieces by a shockwave, sending massive cracks throughout the room and simultaneously obliterating the floor and walls. *crackle-crumble* But even as the cracks spread to the ceiling and the walls started to crumble, I felt nothing but disgust. After a moment of silence, I slowly pulled my paw out of the deep hole in the ground and finally turned around to look at the deputy with immense bloodlust. He was simply standing there, completely frozen as if stunned by fear. But whether he was afraid of me or the thing I just killed, it didn''t matter. "I hope you can explain to me what the fuck that was..." ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 288: A Lost God Chapter 288: A Lost God Late Evening - Mid Summer (Hemisphere Switch) : Goldenflower | The Holy Kingdom ----- - Skuld, The Goddess of Oracles ~ "Haah..." I let out a controlled breath as I laid on the head of a half-broken statue of me and glanced over the empty prayer hall with a smile. -How long has it been since I''ve given a mortal an oracle...- Currently, I was in one of my few remaining temples, in a town deep in the Holy Kingdom called Goldenflower. Compared to how it looked in its glory days, the town was quite run down, now lacking the ethereal beauty of endless fields of flowers, and the temple most definitely reflected that, but shockingly the temple was still holding up and even had an elderly priestess taking care of it. However, although I considered her a priestess, from what I could tell, she was simply a generous old woman who took care of what remained of the temple without even knowing who the temple was for. But although it truly highlighted just how much the times have changed, my fall from grace was something I had already started to accept. Whether I wanted to admit it or not, the world had long since moved on from me, and it was time for me to accept that. However, there was still one last thing I needed to do... -She should be getting close...- Looking through the temple''s walls, I focused on the horizon and saw a sizable caravan of knights with a few disguised dragons standing around a single young girl at their front. That girl was Katherine Whyte, the key to my salvation. -No matter what it takes.. I need to make Odin take her as the hero... But for that, she must want it herself...- Originally, deciding which way to push the young girl was extremely difficult. Part of me wanted to be selfish and succumb to the devil''s temptations, while another part wanted to leave her be and let her grow to her true potential. But after feeling Hel''s presence vanish mere minutes after she left for Bahamut, that decision made itself. -No matter how I twist it, even if that ''Myles Kalfas'' truly has ''that artifact'', it couldn''t have caused Magni, Tyr, or Hel''s deaths.. their presences simply disappeared too abruptly for that...- But crossing that out only left a few possibilities, one of which being Odin''s worst nightmare, the return of one of the Ancient Fenrir. -But even if it isn''t one of them, the fact that that possibility is very real means that Odin can''t risk suffocating her growth like I had worried...- There was just one slight issue with that. -How in the world am I going to give her an oracle...- I needed to give her a prophecy, even if it was fake, to try and direct her to the heart of the capital. The issue with that was she had a.. shockingly draconic personality. -What could I say... What could I say...- I quickly fell into thought, but before I could even come up with anything decent, I sensed a new presence start approaching. -Huh?- Looking up hurriedly, I saw a young girl with bright blonde hair and sky-blue eyes standing at the altar below me and looking up at my statue. With just a glance, she looked like royalty; however, the light in her eyes was the contrary. -Who.. is this?- Moving off my statue, I floated down the get a little closer, but as I did, she squatted down and bowed until there were only her fingers between her forehead and the floor. -A.. prayer?!- It was exactly as I remembered it from before the Great War. -How does this little girl know that...- I quickly walked over to him and ripped him out of the wall with my aura. "Hey, fucker. Wake up." *VWOOM* Flooding his head with my aura, I went to force him awake, but immediately found dozens of tiny oath runes ready to kill him in an instant. -How troublesome...- I quickly started to break them, but as I went to break the final one and wake him up, I stopped. "~Even if you wake him up, he won''t be able to answer that.~" The goddess''s voice made me stop in my tracks. "What makes you say that?" Looking over my shoulder, I met eyes with the faintly cloudy figure of a woman wearing some kind of red dress. "~Well, first and foremost, an oath rune would kill him the moment he considered saying anything... Secondly, he simply doesn''t know what it really was.~" *CRUNCH* As his stiffened body finally fell over, the ground broke even more, and I turned to the goddess. "In that case, I hope you''re willing to explain..." "~It was a god.~" She responded bluntly. "~Or at least what was left of one...~" She immediately disappeared before reappearing at the center of the platform, looking into the hole of molten rock where the artifact once was. "What do you mean by that?" She quickly paused before glancing over her shoulder. "~Well, his name used to be Odr, the God of Summer, but shortly after waking up, Odin decided to.. make use of him.. and turned him into that mindless.. creature of divinity." My disgust instantly worsened. -That thing used to be a human god?- Just thinking about it again made my skin crawl. "But what was it doing here?" "~Well, it was being used as a tool to rewrite dragons'' views of humans and, more importantly, the gods.~" She instantly vanished again before reappearing over the deputy''s body. "~Disgusting, isn''t it? To turn one''s race over to another...~" I felt as if I saw a smile on her face for a moment, but I agreed regardless. "It''s as disgusting as it gets, but unfortunately, I can''t kill that bastard just yet... He still has his uses..." "~Hoh?~" She sounded quite surprised. "~What do you plan to use him for?~" The air around me instantly turned heavy. "To gather the rats." ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 289: A Pure Warmth Chapter 289: A Pure Warmth Early Evening - Mid Winter : Atlas, Bahamut ----- "~Gather the rats, you say?~" I felt as if I could hear the goddess grinning as she spoke. "Yeah, if I kill them one at a time, the rest will eventually scatter, so I may as well lay a trap with some poison." I glanced down at the deputy with a look of disgust. "~Hoho, how ruthless of you.~" She paused before moving to the other side of me. "~You know, I can''t say I ever expected you to initiate a genocide like this... But I can''t deny that I like it.~" I had a chill pass down my spine instantly. "Yeah, never say that again, please..." Feeling like I saw a playful expression on her face, I let out a sigh. "Haah... In any case, I''m sure you didn''t just come here to say that, right?" Hearing my tone, she sounded like she wanted to laugh. "~This time, it isn''t anything special, I promise! I just wanted to tell you about a few of the Aesir''s recent movements.~" -Hoh?- She instantly caught my attention. "Do continue." "~Well, for starters, the Aesir is in a frenzy. With you recently killing Magni, Tyr, and Hel, a string of distrust has started being woven into-~" "Hel?" After a moment of thought, I cut her off. "Who.. is that?" The goddess froze instantly. "~Hel was the goddess of death and decay... She went to Bahamut not long after you killed Tyr and died within a few minutes... Do you mean that wasn''t you?~" She sounded quite concerned. But I could only shake my head. "It wasn''t me." But it did ring a bell. -Is Hel the one that did a number on Myles? If that''s the case...- "I think it''s more likely that Amphitrite was the one that killed her, especially if Myles and Amphitrite were the ones she ran into." But surprisingly, the goddess disagreed. "~No... Hel would be out of their league unless Myles brought ''that''... But I could have sworn... nevermind...~" There was a short pause before she continued in a troubled tone. "~In any case, before I go investigate that, the Aesir is a total wreck right now, and with you exposing Odr''s presence like you just did, the turmoil will only compound on itself. However, at best, that turmoil can only buy you a year or two.~" I quickly caught her trail. "So you want me to land a blow while they''re down..." She immediately nodded. "~But I don''t think attempting to gather everyone in one spot is the right way to take things.~"Fo?llo?w new stories at novelhall.com "Who said I was gathering everyone?" Seeing her look up at me, I smiled. "All I have to do is cut their connection to the top. After all, what will a bunch of cockroaches do once there aren''t any more rats to leave them crumbs?" "~T..they will flock to the next sweetest smell...~" Before I knew it, my smile had started to turn crazed. -All I will have to do is blow it in their direction...- Continuing our talk, we discussed several other matters regarding the Holy Kingdom and its movements before splitting up again. However, essentially all of it could be summed up to, ''now is the time to hit them''. In short, recent events had sewn discord into the Aesir and caused many gods to grow suspicious about each other, with some going as far as giving their apostles orders to be wary of the other churches. But now, with the sudden appearance of Odr''s presence, a god pronounced dead by Odin at the beginning of the Great War, the discord would only grow. -But I only have a year or so even with that, so I need to get moving...- But thankfully, to me, a year was plenty. *Vwooom-crackle* -Now.. I just need to find this bastard''s switch...- Scanning through the deputy''s brain while in my humanoid form, I tried to find a neural path to wake him up with, but among those I was aware of, there were very few chains that I could correlate to any sort of major biological response. -But I guess it doesn''t really matter whether its stress, anxiety, fear, or despair...- Eventually narrowing it down to three separate chains I had observed leading to an increased heart rate during our talks earlier in the day, I gave up attempting to figure out which to do and simply hit them all at once. *vwoom* *GASP* "ACK!" He instantly jolted awake and gripped his chest with heavy breaths. "You''re finally awake, huh." He froze the moment I spoke before looking at me with wide eyes. "Took you long enough." *WHAAM* Driving my fist into his stomach, he disappeared from where he was sitting and slammed into the wall. *CRAACK* I could only sigh at her obliviousness. "Haah..." -I guess I still have a lot I need to teach her...- Quickly making our way to the store, I let Krystallo off my head and changed to my humanoid form in order to walk inside. The inside of the store was beautiful, with a mostly wood plank floor, but utilizing entire tree trunks as the supports in the walls with all sorts of exquisite carvings and hanging outfits filling the empty wall space. -A lot of them actually look really good, too...- There was even one that closely resembled a suit from Earth. "Hello, Sir, Madam! Welcome to our humble outfitter." A beautiful young draconic woman quickly greeted us with a shallow bow. I honestly wanted to laugh hearing her say humble, but compared to the rest of the stores in Atlas, it was a more than apt descriptor. "What is it that brings you two here today? This Sir seems to have incredible skill and wonderful taste, so I can''t imagine how we could help." I quickly waved her off with my hand. "I didn''t design this myself, I simply chose the fabrics. In any case, we are going to attend the Chalasti?s Auction tomorrow, so I''d like to get her something more appropriate than an academy uniform to wear." "Hoho~" She chuckled as she looked Krystallo up and down. "It would be our pleasure to create something befitting this young missus beauty. Are there any specific details you would like added, such as an insignia?" "We can discuss the details when we get there; however, I hope you can create about five outfits for her, one for the auction and the rest for casual or other formal occasions. Could you do that?" She gave me a surprised look but seemed more excited than anything. "Why, of course, but it will be quite expensive." "Of course. The prices do not matter, so please spare no expense in the designs." "Y-yes, sir!" She immediately threw herself into a deep bow with a look of joy before straightening up and motioning us along. "Please come this way!" As we began walking, though, she came to my side. "If I may be so rude to ask, were you referred to us by someone?" I quickly nodded. "It was Sfyri?o Atsa?li. He had quite the high praises of this place." She quickly tensed up with excitement. "I-I see! I promise we shall work to meet your expectations, Sir-" She hesitated as she went to say my name. "You can just call me Vasilias; however, this young girl is Krystallo Whyte." Krystallo instantly shot me a glare, but she was promptly interrupted by the young woman. "Krystallo Whyte?! As in the next generation genius of the Academy?!" As if my statement of her being a young girl had never happened, Krystallo puffed up her chest with pride. "Haha, yes." Before I knew it, I was gently rubbing her head, but while she was much older and I was unsure how she''d react to it, she still wore a look of satisfaction. "Haah..." -It''s good to see I didn''t miss as much as I thought...- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 290: A Distant Gaze Chapter 290: A Distant Gaze Late Evening - Mid Winter : Atlas, Bahamut ----- -Hmm... It looks like I will need another reactor...- *Click-HHHMMmmm* The miniature nuclear reactor inside the small carbon box in front of me promptly quieted down once I flipped a lone switch on it. -I guess its finally time to take a look at this freaky circuit board, huh...- As I continued to morph the two cherry-sized steel rails poking through the top of the box, I simultaneously started studying the circuit and moving things around within the chassis. Currently, I was working on reconstructing a slightly altered version of the Acardi railgun I found in the mountains to see if it would have any worth to a few people I thought could use it, mainly Krystallo, Chloe, and Maria. But while I was confident I could improve it, it was quickly becoming more complicated than anticipated. -Well.. how advanced can Acardi computing logic be...- Stopping the reconstruction of the rails for a moment, I focused entirely on the circuit board''s connection to the functioning reactor and ran through tens of millions of trial-and-error experiments to attempt to learn its logic before eventually beginning to remold a large section of it. Thankfully, while the board itself looked undeniably complicated, the logic of it was similar to binary. -But that should be good for now...- Quickly finishing the rails and constructing a second reactor, I hooked everything up to the circuit board and began cooling the system with a rune engraved inside the chassis. -Alright, let''s give it a quick test...- *hhhhmmMMMM* As the reactors ramped up again, I monitored the circuit and capacitors more closely, using a metal needle to bridge the gap between several areas to make sure nothing was leaking before finally testing the armature bridging the rails at the base of the carbon box, where something like a metal dart would typically sit. -Looks like the change in the rails fixed the leak... Maybe I don''t have to worry about it blowing up this time...- After quickly ensuring everything was being properly controlled and the capacitors were full, I created a small steel marble and held it in front of the armature before finally pressing a tiny button on the circuit board. *Click-CRACK* The marble nearly instantly ripped through the sound barrier, bringing it to a half-molten state before I caught it, but regardless of that, I was disappointed. -Hmm...- It needed to be faster to have any practicality outside the realm of humans, not even being fast enough to completely liquefy the un-strengthened steel marble. -For that much energy, it feels too slow... Are the caps out of sync?- Looking closer at the capacitors, I flipped the switch again and immediately noticed they were indeed slightly out of sync. But something felt off about it. The area of the circuit board controlling the capacitors was identical to the one in the handheld railgun I found, the same as their connections to the rails. -Is it because of temperature or some environmental differences? Maybe mana-strengthening caused it?- Descending into thought, I ran through the design of the railgun in my head once more but continually questioned why. Once the capacitors eventually refilled, I flipped the switch without hesitation, but the electrical bursts were just as out of sync as anticipated, and to make things even odder, one of the capacitors released slightly more energy than the other. "Haaah..." I could only let out a distressed sigh as I looked up at the ceiling. -For it to be in the original, that delay must have a reason, right?- Although there was always a possibility that the Acardi survivor made it himself and simply made an error, I was skeptical. -It looked too ''mass manufactured'' for that...- Thinking back to when I first found it, I ran through everything I could remember but found nothing requiring them to be out of sync. Eventually, I began questioning whether there was supposed to be some kind of circuit switch or if the capacitors were meant to be on separate circuits, but that wasn''t the case based on my memory. "Hmmm..." -I wonder if I should just sync them...- *Click* "Pardon the intrusion, my lord. Are you alright?" Glancing up at Chloe, I gave a gentle nod. "Just stumped on something." "To be able to stump the lord... It must be a very complicated problem." She sounded quite curious. "Well, I''ll be pleased if it is, but I don''t think that will be the case." -Sometimes, the simple issues are the most troublesome to understand...- Quickly coming to a decent stopping point in my thoughts, I finally set down the carbon box and looked up at Chloe. "In any case, what brought you here?" Her posture quickly straightened and turned formal. "The madam told me to bring you this. She told me you left it in your room when you left the nest." She quickly moved the box in her hands out in front of herself. The serious look in her eyes made my mind freeze for a moment, but I agreed regardless. "Of course." "Hooh..." She let out a heavy sigh before continuing. "In that case, let me explain a few more things..." Our discussion continued for a couple more hours after that, discussing everything related to the auction, such as unspoken rules, and even beginning to refine my plans with the deputy, forcing me to take a less brute-force approach before finally letting me go. By the time we finished, morning had rolled around, and it was finally time to make our last preparations for the auction, but there wasn''t much to prepare on my end, so I ended up helping out Krystallo, showing her how to use the presence nullification artifacts Mother provided and giving her a few other suggestions. But before we knew it, we were in a human-sized carriage with countless runes to prevent anyone from peeking inside. In my eyes, it didn''t make a whole lot of sense; after all, "Shouldn''t the guards at the gate verify who is in the carriage?" But it was mostly just because I was misunderstanding it. "The knights at the gate have devices to read things such as what family the carriage is from and can read medallions set in the door." He motioned toward the door where six empty areas for medallions were. "Then, when we finally arrive and get out, a headcount will be taken to ensure no foul play occurred." -But.. that doesn''t ensure that the people in the carriage are who they say they are...- Deciding to simply follow along, we quickly made it to the gate and set out medallions into the door before finally entering the academy and coming to a stop. *Click* As the door opened, we were immediately met with the view of a building I had never seen. -What is this?- But the masked butler who opened the door spoke as if reading my mind. "Welcome to the Auditorium, esteemed guests. I hope your ride was pleasant." The escort riding with us, Krystallo, and I silently nodded in unison. "That is good to hear. Now, would you all like to visit the ballroom, main hall, or perhaps-" I quickly flashed him a small rose gold token with the text ''EGT1'' on it. Mother gave it to me to ensure we received the room she reserved. However, unlike what I expected, the butler''s demeanor and expression didn''t change even the slightest. "I see. In that case, please follow me to your room. The security group is waiting to meet you." Glancing around as we stepped out of the carriage, we were met with the gazes of several masked people in luxurious clothes, wearing beautifully crafted masks, looking in our direction, but as much as I wanted to, I couldn''t spread my aura out as per Mother''s warning. -But.. I feel a little too blind without any aura around me...- Noticing my uneasiness, the main escort quickly reassured me that he had us covered, but I decided to spread out a thin field of space mana regardless of that. -If the deputy couldnt detect the amount I was using to watch his brain activity, then no one will be able to detect this...- But the moment I sent it out and expanded the cloud of space mana to fill the area my normal aura would, I felt a sudden gaze in the distance. -What the?!- But while I knew about where it came from, deep within the Auditorium, there wasnt a single disturbance in the area when I looked. -W..what the hell was that?- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 291: Deep Roots Chapter 291: Deep Roots Mid Morning - Mid Winter : Atlas, Bahamut ----- *vwoom-Click* *fwoosh* "This way, please." The masked butler quickly led us into a wide hallway after opening a large double door with a special medallion. We had been walking for several minutes at that point, winding our way through several colossal hallways before eventually splitting away from the main crowd and coming into a smaller but calmer area with only butlers and maids. The butler leading us, however, seemed to be of quite a high ranking, as everyone from servants to the servants ordering around others made way for him. No matter how you could twist it, he was assigned to us in order to cater to us. The issue with that was that his methods were.. a little odd. "If a young servant catches the Lord''s eye, please do let us know." He casually motioned toward a young, slender woman with deep blue scales, giving us a bow as we walked by. "None of the maids here would be upset to serve a man of your stature and demeanor." The young maid quickly glanced up at me before I turned back to the butler. "I have plenty of maids already. I do apologize." All throughout our walk, he kept a close eye on me and essentially told me I could have whatever I set my sights on, be it a painting or a woman, but I couldn''t care less about any of it. All it did was make me wonder how much they knew. -Would a Whyte actually get this kind of treatment.. or...- But rather than the butler cutting off my thoughts, my ears were met with the voice of an older woman. "Hoho~, there''s no need to be so modest~..." Looking ahead of us, I quickly met eyes with an ancient stage woman with large, partially feathered white and blue wings, wearing a purple dress and no mask. When I first saw her with my space mana, I figured she was simply some daring, wealthy guest; however, that was clearly not the case. "Is it that you aren''t satisfied with our servants?" She quickly motioned the butler away as she walked up to us. "That isn''t the case. I apologize if I caused a misunderstanding." "Hoh? Then why are you refusing?" She approached us quite confidently. "With just a word, I could gather any number of beautiful women, from slaves to high nobility." The forced smile behind my mask quickly disappeared. "No, thank you. If I wanted someone, I could get them myself." But even with my blunt rejection, her confidence remained unwavering. "Well, with your strength and looks, that may be true, but power and authority aren''t omnipotent." Seeing her sly look, I played along. "You speak like you know something that is..." Her smile immediately widened. "Well, of course! What else would Bahamut be?" My suspicions quickly eased, although not completely. "I''m not sure.. but I do believe that omnipotence may be a stretch." "Hoho~!" Her smile instantly turned ecstatic. "In that case, I do hope you are willing to stick around for the auctions finale... I believe it will be of great interest to you." I instinctually tilted my head in confusion before quickly straightening back up. "May I ask what it is?" But instead of responding, she simply put her finger over her mouth. "All I will say is that it is very real." Quickly spinning back around with a smile, she gestured to a maid ahead of us and had her disappear into a room. "In any case, why don''t I show you two to your booth? We still have some time to drink and talk more privately before the auction starts~." Giving me a quick glance, she started down the hall, but even though my gut was trying to tell me something, I followed her. -No wonder they looked so similar...- "So I take it that you didn''t know what that space rune was changed to?" She immediately shook her head. "Well, yesterday, I had the displeasure of seeing it." I momentarily used silencing magic around Krystallo as I went to speak. "They had turned it into a device that could alter the memories and dispositions of young dragons... The deputy headmaster would have a few professors feed students an amnesia drug, bring them down to that rune, and-" *SHATTER* The clear glass in her hand exploded before I could finish, and with it, my suspicions of her vanished. -I know that feeling...- "It was all done on the orders of the Holy Kingdom, and no matter how much you want to deny it, the academy is full of people just like the deputy. With Bahamut''s lack of presence for so many years, many dragons have begun swaying away from him in favor of the human gods who they believe can answer prayers or in the promises of land and riches that the Holy Kingdom says they will provide, even if they must poison the next generation for it." The fire in her eyes quickly grew several magnitudes before she finally let out a heavy breath and leaned back in her seat. "Hooh... I apologize for my lack of composure." I quickly nodded. "Don''t worry about it." There was a long silence before she finally continued. "Do you have any idea how long the academy has been corrupted?" I quickly shook my head before glancing to the side with a displeased expression again. "I can''t know for sure, but seeing how deep they have dug, it cannot be a short period... Regardless, I plan to clean them out in about a week." She gave me a conflicted look immediately. "How can you be confident you will get them all?" Slowly standing up, I looked across the room at her brother. "I can''t. I can only be sure to cut the snake''s head off." She quickly looked at him across the room as well as anger had once again filled her eyes. "No. In some situations, it is best to also pull out the roots." *VWOOM* Violently releasing her aura, she snatched her nephew from across the room and gripped his neck. The fire in her eyes had quickly returned. "I knew the tree had begun to grow, but I never would have suspected the roots had run this deep... It seems my family has been too negligent." Although Krystallo was still enraptured by the taste of her drink to be anything but confused as it happened, my expression was cold. -To blatantly spy on our talk like that... Even if he isn''t related to the Holy Kingdom, he must be out of his mind...- Poniria? looked like she wanted to snap his neck but quickly managed to wrangle her anger. "Vasilias... No, Sir Vasilias, I apologize if it may be an inconvenience, but I would like to meet again after the auction to continue our discussion." The air around her quickly turned cold. "I want to ensure that every last root is pulled from the ground." ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 292: A Gaze Beyond Time Chapter 292: A Gaze Beyond Time Early Afternoon - Mid Winter : Atlas, Bahamut ----- "Sir Vasilias, Lady Krystallo, the auction is about to begin." An older, mellow butler bowed next to me as he held out a pillow with a small but very dark blue artifact. "If you wish to bid on an item, please tap this artifact against any of the mythril areas on the arms of the chairs, couches, or around the edge of the tables. However, please take note that accidental touches do register, and accidental bids cannot be removed." -Ah, is this the artifact Mother mentioned?- Carefully picking it up, I sent some space mana into it and immediately found countless tiny mythril strings woven into its shell and a humongous mass of mana inside. -Huh... Is it using mana like electricity?- The butler quickly continued as I inspected the ''wires'' of mythril running through the chair to see how it worked. "If you need anything, such as beverages, food, or other services, please touch the artifact on the table as you have been. We will prepare it for you right away." Seeing Krystallo stretch over the side of her chair and cup her hands with a sparkle in her eyes, I set the artifact in her palm. "I think we are alright for now, thank you." The butler quickly smiled and nodded. "It is truly our pleasure." Giving one last bow, the gentle butler quickly left the room, simultaneously dimming the lights and pulling back the curtains outside, revealing a massive auditorium, clearly meant for music, with countless rows of people wearing all kinds of clothes and disguising themselves with all manners of spells and masks. By the stage, the seats were all relatively compact, but as you got farther away, they became more spaced out and eventually began clumping together by party, with each of the clumps being spaced out from one another all the way until you reached the row of six dozen VIP rooms, overlooking everyone through a wall of glass. But none of the glass was see-through, thanks to a layer of light magic. -Looks like we are in the center VIP room as well... Mother must have really used our family name...- With the lights inside our room dimming further, the lights outside grew in brightness and quickly focused on the stage where a single muscular, wide-winged man stood. "Hello, everyone!" His deep, booming voice traveled throughout the massive auditorium with ease. "Welcome to the Chalasti?s Auctionhouse! I hope you all are satisfied with your arrangements." He quickly scanned over the VIP rooms before continuing. "It has already been eleven years since our last large event, and while some of you may be upset that it wasn''t last year as expected, we procured a few extra special items, which will be presented later today." -So today is the big ticket items...- According to Mother, the first day was the biggest, as it''s an auction of, not necessarily the best, but the most sought-after items, with subsequent days having progressively less competitive ones, typically leading to lower appraisal items. But while I was curious if there would be any unpolished gems in the later days, they weren''t my main interest. -The most sought-after items in Bahamut, huh?- My excitement quickly started building as the old announcer continued and finished discussing the general working of the auction and a few rules that were altered from previous auctions. But, once he finally finished, he looked straight at our booth. "As for the finale of this auction, I would recommend the VIP booths be careful about how much you spend prior to it. It is certainly an item worth saving for." My intrigue grew instantly, bringing most of my idle theorizing to a halt and allowing my focus to be drawn entirely to the stage. "In any case, that is enough chit-chat! Let us begin, shall we?" He wore a wide smile as he walked to the front of the stage. "For our first item, we have chosen a simple one; but don''t be fooled by its simplicity." A large part of the stage behind him immediately sank into the ground before promptly returning and exposing the item. But it just made my face warp with confusion. -A small.. rock?- It looked like a simple boulder with some obsidian on its exterior and was only a few meters long. But the announcer wore a wide smile. "I''m sure many of you heard about the ''Message from Heaven'' in Sinder several years ago, correct?" -The one that led to Sinder''s royal family being overthrown?- I tilted my head a bit before he continued. "Well, a few years after it, a similar metal block came slamming into one of the Southern Mountains of Iron, and after the Chalkos family found and appraised it, the refined metal inside was shockingly graded a 63, similar to upper mid-grade mythril, and while its purity was a measly 75%, it''s uniformity was an unfathomable 99%, truly earning its name as ''divine iron''..." His smile widened as he noticed countless people reaching to bid. "The minimum bid is 10 gold, and the starting bid is 100 gold." *t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-tap* The instant he finished, dozens of people sent bids, and with it, the auction finally began. While I wasn''t sure who to expect, he didn''t even cross my mind. -Why is he so interested in Sirathian artifacts?- As the next few artifacts came up for auction, the trend continued, and he bought every last one, even if someone else was falsely pumping the price, until he had acquired them all, totaling a whopping 256,280 gold for everything. -What the hell?- Remembering him appearing during the combat assessments in a Sirathian Priest robe, I started to question what his motives were again. -Isn''t the reason he was away from the academy because he went to Sirathia too?- But the auction continued without care for my thoughts, and hours quickly started to pass by. Once I eventually set aside my curiosities about the headmaster and focused more on enjoying my time with Krystallo, the auction was actually quite fun, and while most of the items were either out of budget or not of interest, there were quite a few things Krystallo managed to snag, such as some pretty artifacts and charms that matched her scales and even a stunning white sword that looked similar to a katana. All in all, it was a wonderful time. Krystallo was cheery, and I was happy to see it. But after many hours, the afternoon of the following day started to roll around, and at long last, the final item of the first, main auction, was going to be presented. "Now, I believe it is time for the main event of this auction!" The announcer looked over the crowd with an ecstatic expression. "This item was something the Chalasti?s family had been attempting to procure for nearly three thousand years, but at long last, its anonymous owner decided to bring it to us in order to sell it!" -Wow... Three thousand years... Huh?- My expression of awe was quickly cut off as I suddenly sensed Ilios right next to me. -When did he get here?- He was meant to be at home watching over Mother and Father, but now I saw him sitting right next to my chair, hidden beneath my compressed aura and a net of light magic. However, rather than looking up at me with a hopelessly cute smile like he normally would, he looked out the window at the stage with a serious expression. -What is he...- "After first appearing at the very end of the Great War, this artifact became well known for showing the future to those who even touch it, and while it was simply known as the Artifact of Oracles for its first thousand years of existence, we have all come to know it as something else! Now, I would like to present the world''s most powerful artifact! The Eye of Bahamut!" The instant he finished, light magic surrounding the stage dissipated and instantly revealed a massive deep and dark blue, almost black mythril pedestal with a perfectly spherical melon-sized object on it. However, in that instant, the gaze I felt when we first exited the carriage returned. But this time, it did not fade. The sensation didn''t simply slow my thoughts. It stopped them instantaneously. -W..what.. is.. that...- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 293: Manipulation Chapter 293: Manipulation Early Afternoon - Mid Winter : Atlas, Bahamut ----- "Now, I would like to present the world''s most powerful artifact! The Eye of Bahamut!" *VWOOM* Feeling the oppressive gaze descend on me again, my instincts took control of my mind and dedicated every ounce of brainpower to my senses. At that moment, nothing could escape me, not even singular electrons zipping through the air. But after unleashing my aura, the gaze''s oppressiveness eased, and with it, my mind let a single thought flow forth. -W..what.. is.. that...- Noticing my aura explode out of me, Krystallo stared at me with wide eyes. But I couldn''t pull my eyes off the artifact or even speak to comfort her. My instinct told me I could die if I did. But after a moment of staring at the artifact in complete silence, Ilios gently set his paw on the side of my leg. His demeanor was completely different from normal, wearing a dark expression aimed at the artifact, and controlling his aura to an unfathomably perfect extent, enough to make my control look like child''s play. But before I could think anything of it, my thoughts started to warp, and my urge to acquire the orb suddenly grew exponentially, quickly nearing the point of a craze. Something in my mind told me I had to acquire it under any circumstance, and while it felt truly unnatural, somehow, not even my gut could make me doubt it. I was simply.. hypnotized. "The starting bid is 150,000, and the minimum bid is 50,000!" *t-t-t-t-tap* Hearing the people in the other rooms starting to bid, I glanced at Krystallo. "Feel free to have fun with this one, don''t worry about the cost." Her look of concern immediately shifted to excitement. "Three hundred thousand! Three hundred fifty! Four hundred thousand! Five hundred thousand!" Even without our bids, the price was already skyrocketing, but their bids were irrelevant to me at that point. "Eight hundred thousand! Nine hundred thousand!" Standing up from my seat, I walked over to the glass with my hands behind my back and looked over the people below, watching the auctioneer in awe. "One million gold!" *t-t-t-t-tap* Krystallo tapped the artifact on the chair eight times instantly. "One million, four hundred thousand! One million, five hundred thousand!" *t-t-t-t-tap* "We have two million! Two million, one hundred thousand!" *t-t-t-t-tap* "Two million, five hundred thousand!!" Each of her bids pumped the price higher and higher, but while they were simply numbers to me, that wasn''t the case for others. -Two hundred Royal Gold...- It was a colossal sum of money, so much so that I couldn''t even begin to fathom it. -But someone is still bidding... Just who...- Questioning who was still bidding, I scanned through all the VIP rooms but only found the disappointed or shocked expressions of those inside until I finally reached the smallest room at the very end. Inside was a familiar woman with two sets of large wings, bidding with a slightly anxious expression. But while she seemed familiar, her name was hidden behind the fog that filled my mind. But once again, my mind didn''t even question it. "Stop bidding. You can''t win." Hearing my voice through my space mana, the woman twitched slightly, but as she looked in my direction, she placed another bid. "Two million, six hundred thousand!" *t-t-t-t-tap* "Th-three million!!" Even the auctioneer was beginning to get antsy when he announced the bids. -Is she lying, knowing I will bid higher, or...- "Do you perhaps know something special about the artifact?" She immediately hesitated before letting out a heavy sigh. "Haah..." "Going once!" She started standing up as the auctioneer counted down. "Going twice!" But a moment later, the auctioneer''s face almost entirely lost its color. "E-Eight million!" I couldn''t help but agree, but at the same time, no matter how conflicted I felt about what Ilios did to my mind earlier, I was sure there had to have been a reason. -I can''t just give up the artifact...- And that was when I remembered my dragon sleep in Kaelallan. -Oh...- "What if I found a different way to speed it up?" Although I hadn''t even begun to hypothesize how it worked, all I needed was to know it was possible and be given enough time. But Amphitrite was skeptical. "Rushing a final sleep would certainly result in death." "Well, as long as he would already survive the sleep under normal circumstances, it would be fine... Do you think he could survive without the artifact?" Her expression immediately turned conflicted. "I don''t know. I want to believe he could, especially since his body has already been mostly destroyed, but there is no such thing as certainty with things like this..." We both fell silent right away as we fell into thought. But after just a few minutes, there was another knock on the door. *knock-knock* "Sir Vasilias, Lady Krystallo, your items have been prepared; however, Miss Chalasti?s has asked for you to retrieve the Eye of Bahamut yourself." -Ah, it''s time...- I quickly turned back to Amphitrite. "How about this, then. If you give me some time to try and figure out what this artifact really is, I may be able to recreate it or possibly mimic its effect on Myles, but if not, I will work to speed up his sleep with my own methods." She gave me an odd look before finally letting out a deep breath and leaning back in her chair. "Haah... If you were anyone else.. I''d say you''re insane..." Her gaze slowly turned up to the ceiling before a conflicted smile came to her face. "I feel like I''m getting deja vu.. letting go of an artifact I wanted in return for an insane favor..." Her gaze quickly lowered back to me. "But maybe you can pull off another miracle." *Click* As the door behind us opened, Amphitrite finally stood up and finished the bottle of alcohol in front of her with a single gulp. "Since you have earned ''her'' faith, I might as well give you mine. Just make sure you don''t sacrifice yourself." *Clunk* Setting down the empty glass of alcohol, she walked past the butler in the doorway and quickly disappeared down the hallway, leaving me to my thoughts. But after a moment, Krystallo spoke up. "What if you use the artifact on yourself?" I immediately shot her a questioning look before speaking in a sarcastic tone. "Do you want me to lose my sense of self?" "But you can''t lose! So it will be alright!" I wanted to laugh seeing her confidence in me, but after a moment of silence, I simply stood up. "Well, let''s see what the artifact really is before we jump to any conclusions, alright?" Her smile quickly widened. "Okay!" But while she was cheerful, I couldn''t deny that I was nervous. -If that gaze I felt was truly coming from that artifact.. I may be juggling dynamite next to a fire...- But little did my ignorant self know.. that was a grave understatement. ----- [1] - 8 Million gold is 800 royal gold coins. Equivalent to about $80,000,000,000 (eighty billion) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 294: Staring into the Infinite Chapter 294: Staring into the Infinite Mid Afternoon - Mid Winter : Atlas, Bahamut ----- *tip* *tap* *tip* *tap* The echoes of my footsteps could be clearly heard bouncing off the distant walls as I followed the butler through a massive white-stone room filled with items, materials, and artifacts beneath the auditorium. It was the main storage area, where the items to be sold over the next few days were stored, displaying countless beautiful artifacts, jewels, statues, and even slaves and pets. But while I would have typically been quite fascinated seeing so many things from all over the world gathered in one place, the farther we walked into the room, the more anxious I became. -W..what is going on...- It had only been a few minutes since Krystallo and I split up with Amphitrite at that point, but after being led into a lavish storage area, where we were presented with all the items Krystallo had bought as well as various ''courtesies'' provided by the Chalasti?s family such as alcohol, jewelry, and art, I was pulled away by our butler to retrieve and ''verify the integrity'' of the Eye of Bahamut. With the way the butler worded it, I figured he was simply taking me to a separate, nearby storage room similar to the one we were in, but I quickly found that not to be the case. Over the following eight minutes, we traced through a maze of hallways and security checkpoints while discussing how I would pay for the items until we eventually came into the main storage room. The moment we got there, the butler abruptly turned completely silent. Within the room, the only thing that made noise was our footsteps and the occasional jingle of a chain from a slave, but that did not mean we were alone. Spread throughout the room, there were seven ancients lying beneath a blanket of light magic, remaining completely silent while eyeing us as we walked. But eventually, we came up to a colossal gold and marble door with a beautiful golden insignia of Bahamut on it and came to a stop. "This is as far as I can lead you, Sir Vasilias." The butler spoke with a bit of hesitancy as he bowed. -What does he mean? Is this the storage area?- I momentarily looked up at the door before turning back to him. "Is the artifact in there?" He nodded immediately. "Indeed. However, not only am I not permitted to enter, I am afraid my mind is too frail to withstand the gaze of the artifact." -So, that really is what I felt... I guess it''s name came from somewhere...- "I see. In that case, forgive me for going ahead." *flash* I quickly changed to my dragon form, but the butler didn''t even react. "If you require assistance, please ask. I will retrieve those able to move it for you." As my spell finished, I glanced back at him. "Good to know." Quickly turning back to the marble door, I let more of my aura loose and walked over to it. *Vwoom* The door was a few meters thick and unbelievably heavy, but as I walked up to it, the lock was undone, and it swung open on its own. *ts-fwooosh* A strong but lifelessly dry and cold breeze immediately rushed out of the door as it opened, and with it, the horribly oppressive gaze returned. *VWOOM* Unleashing my aura again, I tried to ease the pressure as I did in the booth, but while it helped for a moment, with every step I took into the room, it grew stronger and harder to resist. The further I walked, the heavier my body felt and the more sluggish my mind became, until it finally felt like I was forcing my way through a deep bog. But continuing forward, one step at a time, I entered the massive area and carefully walked all the way to its center, where a massive mythril pedestal laid, proudly displaying a deep black sphere. Just standing there somehow made my legs weak and my body feel fatigued. But as if that wasn''t enough, the moment I looked at the artifact, my skin crawled. It felt as if I was looking into a black hole. As if I were looking at certain death. "Hah... Hah..." My breaths immediately became strained, and before long, my instincts began telling me to leave, but I did the opposite. -Just.. what are you...- With nothing but awful sensations filling my mind, I eventually worked up the courage to put a little mana into it; however, things didn''t exactly go as expected. But rather than the debris floating out in a straight line, it all slowly began changing directions before sinking in toward the sun like water draining from a sink. But it only made the gaze''s pressure grow in strength. *CRRRRUNCH* My scales shattered instantly, and my head lowered to the ground, but as I resisted and forced my head back up, an unfamiliar voice met my ears. "~What a fascinating being you have become...~" The instant the voice finished speaking, my surroundings changed, and I once again found myself in the storage room, standing over the mythril pedestal, this time without the pressure of the gaze. But as I went to look at the ''artifact'' once more, I found Ilios gripping his teeth into it with an enraged expression. -Huh?- Unlike earlier, during the bidding, he was himself, but he was wearing an expression I had never seen on him. "Ilios? Are you alright?" His expression quickly eased as his tail began wagging, but after another moment, it suddenly stopped, and his demeanor changed once again. -What is he...- He quickly shot me an unusual look before finally turning away and hopping off the pedestal with the artifact in his mouth. "Hey, Ilios.. what are you-" *vwoom* He instantaneously disappeared through a black sphere as I spoke. It made my eyes shoot open instantly. -W..what? S..since when could he.. do that...- Feeling his ''presence'' grow incredibly faint and distant, similar to when I was with Hera, I looked toward his presence through the ground, but before I could question where he was, another gate appeared in front of me, and he dropped out of it with a thin layer of frost on his fur. *vwoom* His gaze and demeanor immediately returned to normal once he touched the ground as if what just happened was simply a fac?ade, but while he ran up to me, my expression wasn''t of comfort but rather of concern. "I..Ilios?" He cutely tilted his head as he looked up at me. But my chest was still tight with anxiety.. a part of me felt like naivety and ignorance would have been better than the truth, but even with that fact, after a moment, I asked it. "Are you.. really the Ilios, I know? Or has it all been.. an act..." His momentary pause felt like an eternity, but after giving me a confused look, his tail started to wag, and he sat down and looked me in the eyes. Unlike during the auction and just a moment ago, the deep void within his pupils didn''t seem empty, but rather full of color.. and full of stars... There was an immediate, comforting sensation that washed through my mind, but along with it, there was a string of doubt... A single question that would contaminate my mind for years to come. -If he is really the Ilios I love... Then what was that look I saw just a second ago...- At that moment, it was what I wanted to ask him about it more than anything, but I also knew I wouldn''t get an answer. However.. that was undoubtedly for the best.. whether I really knew it then or not. ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 295: Dodging Disaster Chapter 295: Dodging Disaster Mid Morning - Mid Winter : Atlas, Bahamut ----- *Cl-link* *thud* The jingle of coins filled the air as I set a sizable bag on the table. "This should be everything left." The ancient behind the desk stared at the bag in awe before quickly returning his gaze to me. "S-Sir, we have a new system, something called ''stretched payments'', to allow you to pay in smaller amounts over a period of time if you wish to-" "I have already spoken with the auction house and have promised to give them quite a lot of mythril to help alleviate costs, so I will pay the remaining costs in full." What remained was about 250 royal gold, a bit below a third of my initial payment, but while it was still not a small sum, the auction house told me I could expect a very large portion of it to be covered by the mythril I promised to provide and sell through their auction once it sold over the next few days. To an extent, it felt like a steal since their baseline was similar to the rate Atsa?li paid, but at the same time, I had no reason to complain. -I just need to make a good bit of mythril over the next couple of days, and I can pay off the majority of what I spent...- But while it was indeed a large amount of mythril that would take some time to create, I had no need to rush. Finally exiting the room, I quickly met back up with my assigned butler and started making my way back to the storage room. It had only been about an hour since I split up with Krystallo at that point, but while I knew she wouldn''t have gotten herself into trouble, I couldn''t help but be a little anxious about something happening. But, of course, my worries were needless. "Hehe~!" As I neared the storage room, I could hear her innocent giggles, and as I rounded the corner, I was met with the view of a slender 16-meter-tall dragon laying while covered in jewelry and artifacts, wearing an expression of pure joy. It was a sight that quickly alleviated some of my stress regarding the artifact and Ilios. "I thought you told Mother that you didn''t want a hoard of treasure." "Ack!" She immediately tensed up before popping her head up to see me. "I-I don''t! I am simply appraising the quality of my new things!" Seeing her deny it and turn her head away to expose even more artifacts on her horns, I wanted to laugh. "There is nothing bad about coveting riches. You should know better than me that it''s a normal thing." She quickly turned back to me with a pout. "But you don''t!" Finally managing to at least temporarily shake off my thoughts, I let out a light chuckle. "Haha, I do. I simply don''t act on it unless it has some real worth." She immediately hesitated before giving me a quizzical look. "I-In that case, I will..." She quickly looked at the empty boxes around her before using her aura to roughly straighten them up and take off almost every jewel and artifact she was wearing, with the exception of a select few. Once she finished, she was only left with a handful of the artifacts she had bought during the auction, but for the most part, they were all quite valuable. -What a good selection...- But while I was impressed, I could only sigh at her unyielding desire to use me as her guide. "Haah..." -If I jumped off a cliff, I bet she''d jump after me...- But after a moment, I simply motioned over the maids by the entrance. "Please help put the things she isn''t wearing into their respective boxes and prepare them to be picked up later today. Some people from my family will come by to pick it all up." They all nodded and bowed in unison before walking out into the room and beginning to order things. But thankfully, I had a better way to do things. -None of them look critical.. some of them even have bypass cables... What if I just activate them?- Inside many of the devices were switches that would connect the main circuit to tiny insulated cables that simply looped back to the main circuit rather than continuing into the other devices. Assuming they were all there for emergency bypass, such as if that module had an issue and couldn''t be activated, I manually clicked over all the switches, and only left the modules I was confident in still connected. -Alright... That should be everything...- Finally giving it one last look over, I cleaned up and released my control over the final rune, a tiny antimatter rune that took up the entire back of the device. *vwowowoom* The flow of mana in my room changed in an instant. -Everything looks good so far...- Carefully watching every detail, I made sure there were no remaining issues with the battery and patiently waited for it to fill. But once it reached about 75%, a magnet in the battery clicked over a switch that instantly activated the tiny reactor within the phone. *click-hummm* I jolted slightly at the click of the circuit before a faint hum filled the room. But I didn''t have time to think. In an instant, a wave of electricity coursed through the reactor''s cables and into the circuit board, and while I carefully watched it all through my aura, a moment later, my eyes were met with a bright light shining through the device''s black shell. -H..Huh?!- That was when a somewhat robotic voice met my ears. "Tampering detected. Attempting to resolve abnormalities." *CLICK* The sound of every emergency switch opening simultaneously made my body tense and my mind freeze in an instant. -WAIT WHAT?!- *VWOOOM* I slammed all the aura I could into it instantaneously before promptly opening and jumping through a gate. *Vwoop* Silence filled my now-empty room in an instant. ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 296: The Relay Chapter 296: The Relay Late Morning - Mid Winter : Atlas, Bahamut ----- *CLICK* The sound of every emergency switch in the device opening simultaneously made my whole body tense up as if I had jumped in a pool of freezing water. -WAIT WHAT?!- *VWOOOM* Slamming a huge mass of mana into it, I tried to freeze everything in place, and jumped into the void without hesitation. *Vwoop* As a listless sensation filled my body, I felt the immense pressure against my mana within the device ease. -Holy shit...- Slowly easing the rigidity of my mana, things tried to start flowing again; however, it was now essentially in slow motion. -That was really close...- Finally getting things under control again, I forced the emergency switches closed once more and made sure to hold them all in place before getting ready to leave the void again, but as I went to create another gate, I noticed the surrounding space mana trying to force its way through my aura toward the device. -Huh?- It was like it was being sucked in by a vacuum. -Is the rune sucking it in?- *Vwoom* Immediately isolating the rune, the space mana piercing into my aura rebounded out as if it were sprung by a trampoline and sent a ripple out into the void. But I paid it no mind and simply recreated the rune in an identical copper plate and moved it to the edge of my aura. -Last I checked, space mana would just ignore runes... So why is it attracted to this one?- In my countless previous experiments, space mana within the void didn''t even remotely care about runes that didn''t involve space mana, so I couldn''t deny that seeing it suddenly react for seemingly no reason raised more than just confusion. -The only thing different about this rune is its size, is it not?- Finally letting space mana flow into the rune I created, I watched it begin navigating the channels of the maze-like rune while trying to eat the copper base before simply turning stagnant once enough mana flowed into it to fill it up. To put it bluntly, it did nothing. -Huh? Is it not the rune?- Undoing the barrier I put up around the Acardi artifact, I watched the space mana once again try to force its way through my aura. -W..why is it doing that?- But while it was quite a confusing problem, it didn''t take me long to figure out what it was. Attraction to energy. Ever since I first discovered the void, I had spent endless hours within it, experimenting and hypothesizing anything my mind could conjure up, but one of the first things I ever discovered was its ability to devour essentially anything. At the time, I wasn''t sure why or how it did that, but after enough experimenting, I came to the conclusion that it was for energy of some kind. The issue was that the only observable reaction of this ''desire'' was its faint change in color once it ate a considerable amount of matter. -But.. could its attraction here be similar?- Allowing a tiny amount of space mana to enter the Acardi device, I moved my mana with it and watched it flow straight through the copper plate without regard for the rune and enter the antimatter battery before immediately flowing through the main cable leading to the reactor, completely ignoring the antimatter it passed by. -What the.. its not trying to eat anything?- Continuing to watch it closely, it quickly made it to the main chamber of the reactor, where the antimatter was being destroyed, but the moment it entered the chamber, the space mana suddenly disappeared. -H..huh? What happened to it?- Trying it again with another clump of mana, I watched the exact same thing happen again.. and again. Before I knew it, hours began ticking by without me even realizing it, and I sank further and further into an abyss of thoughts, but after a while, my eyes were met with a bright light. -Huh?- Finally being pulled out of my thoughts for a moment, I looked down to see the Acardi device brightly glowing white like a huge LED. -Oh shit, I zoned out... Nothing bad happened, did it?- I had gotten so enraptured by the phenomena of the space mana that I had nearly forgotten why I was in the void in the first place. But thankfully, the device was alright. -It looks like it''s trying to boot something, though... I should probably leave the void to focus on it again...- But as I started readying my mana to leave, I felt something odd in my gut, a sensation I couldn''t pinpoint the source of. But among everything the menu displayed, what caught my attention the most wasn''t any of the tabs.. it was the name of a statistic in the corner of the screen. "Loon orb free laking? What?" I tried to sound it out in the Acardi language, but it still didn''t ring a bell. -Is it not meant to be a single word?- Trying to split it up, I cross-referenced countless words I had memorized from the laboratory''s translation dictionary, but they continually didn''t make sense. However, after a moment, I managed to figure out part of it. "Ping?" -Is it supposed to display the ping to the server?- Quickly noticing one of the tabs labeled ''Latency'' and thinking it may be related, I tapped it and immediately had a large but barely visible holographic display appear in front of my face. -Woah...- It caught me a little off guard but displayed a large sphere with a small triangle on its surface that had exactly five white dots spread out over it. Unsure what I was looking at, I glanced down at the screen again and saw a column of seven items, each with different names, and tapped the top one out of curiosity. *Beep* Almost instantly, a tiny panel appeared next to the triangle in the hologram that displayed, ''Host''. -Ah.. is the triangle me? That must mean the other dots are the satellites...- Quickly tapping through the other items in the menu, the laser reappeared and darted around the sky before the hologram updated and displayed the names of each of the dots, which were all followed by a few lines of long numbers. -Interesting, so these numbers must reference something about the connection to each satellite...- But while it was cool, it meant nothing to me. However, the final item on the list didn''t have a name as bland as ''Satellite - 5920''. *Beep* "Solar Relay out of reach. Unable to establish a connection." -Solar Relay?- My curiosity instantly shot through the roof. -Wait a minute.. could it mean...- Looking to the horizon, I smiled and leapt into the air. *psh-FWOOOSH* Blasting into the air with simple thruster magic, I climbed into the upper atmosphere until the curvature of the planet became more and more apparent until, finally, over the horizon, a massive glowing object became visible. It was the moon. *Beep* "Solar Relay detected. Attempting connection." ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 297: Four Days... Chapter 297: Four Days... Late Morning - Mid Winter : Rematra, The Forgotten Islands ----- - Amphitrite Ourano?s (Three Days Later) ~ *FWOOOSH-BANG-SPLASH* The face of a huge wave exploded into mist as I slammed my massive body through it and disappeared beneath the choppy water''s surface. *Blub-Rumble* The noise of my impact echoed off the bottom as I dove down before promptly spreading my wings just over the top of a cloud of sand. It almost looked like the sea floor, but that wasn''t the case. *Fwowoom* The moment I spread my wings, the sand settled to reveal countless creatures hiding among the rock and coral. But rather than darting back into cover and hiding in fear, they all swam out as if to greet me, carefreely swimming into the open water beneath my wings and circling around, knowing no predator would dare hunt them in my presence. But the longer I swam, the closer I got to the edge of the reef, and the more creatures returned to cover until, eventually, there wasn''t a single fish still with me. *Vwoom* The reef''s edge was simply a cliff into the abyss, going from about 75 meters to 75 kilometers in an instant, but rather than simply swimming down and into the cave just below me, I floated and looked out into the dark, black water. It was like I was staring into a void, but somehow, it felt less empty that day. -Even the night sky has more color than the deep ocean.. but somehow.. today it feels more lively...- Just a few days prior, before I left for the auction, the ocean felt still and dead, but somehow that had changed. -Maybe that kid really can work out a miracle...- *Fwoom* Finally hopping out over the edge of the reef, I dove down a few hundred meters and came into a cave that descended even further before suddenly rising up. *blub-Splash* *Crackle* The flat, cut stones around the surface of the water cracked as I swam up and stepped out into a massive open space. "Welcome back, Your Highness!" I was immediately greeted by a young merfolk girl with white horns, and light blue scales and webbing. Quickly looking around the several-kilometer-wide, grassy courtyard lit by bright artifacts, I noticed there were far fewer people than normal. "Has something happened? I don''t see many knights." The young girl quickly looked up at me. "The Ragnarok''s have declared a military summoning, but I am unsure about much beyond that." -A Ragnarok military summons?- To put it simply, it was an order that would summon all knights under the any said noble family. -But with the Ragnaroks, that''s nearly 80% of all knights in Bahamut...- In short, it was a summons that affected all of Bahamut. -And to go north and west... Are they being summoned to ''rune cities''?- [1] After giving it a second of thought, I finally turned back to the maid and blasted the water off my scales. *Vwoomf* "Is Zafei?ri still here?" She nodded immediately. "She is in the Restricted Library." "Haah..." -I should speak with her first...- "Alright, tell Yannis to prepare the treasury while I''m at the library." "Right away!" As she bowed, I stepped over her and started walking down a stone pathway adjacent to the estate that led to a large building resembling an old temple. It was our restricted records storage, more commonly called the restricted library. -Zafei?ri is probably still looking for records on the Eye of Bahamut...- But the Eye was no longer something I needed to worry about. *thump* *thump* *vwoom* Stepping up the wide, mythril-plated steps, I changed to my humanoid form and walked into what looked like a stone wall without hesitation before coming into a long, dimly lit hallway. *tap* *tap* *tap* My footsteps echoed down the long chamber, but after just a moment, the light at the end of the tunnel grew wider and wider, eventually revealing a colossal room filled with tall, tightly packed bookshelves. But unlike what I expected, I found countless scrolls, books, and other papers spread across the ground in many areas. "You have been busy." My voice ripped through the silence in the room instantly. "Of course. You think I''m going to let you, of all people, handle such a dangerous artifact?" Hearing the voice several shelves over, I walked down one of the many pathways until I found where she was. "You say that like I''m your child." She immediately looked up at me with an unamused expression. "If something goes wrong, you could accidentally get your body possessed or soul controlled. With Myles essentially dead, who the hell would be able to stop you if you went on a rampage?" I wanted to scoff but held it in before walking toward her. "There are many other dragons in the league of Myles and I. Even one of the young Ragnaroks could probably do it." I was instantly taken aback. "A summons involving Zafei?ri?" -Just.. what would call for that?- ----- - Vasilias ~ *Vwoom-crackle* *tink* -Hmm... I wonder if that''s enough...- *click* *click* Quickly turning it off and on again, the screen flickered before revealing a red warning. "Tampering detected." *click* Letting one of the many emergency switches tick over, I watched as electricity coursed through a damaged module''s circuits, causing it to faintly glow and vibrate as it tried to turn on before suddenly stopping and closing the emergency switch once again. *click* -Damn...- It had been just over three days since I nearly destroyed the Acardi artifact, and while I still hadn''t fully repaired it, I had made some good progress, along with several fascinating discoveries. *Beep-Beep* "Booting into safe mode. Some functionalities may be disabled." *vwoom* Quickly injecting some mana into the device, the screen turned green and updated with a huge menu. *Beep* I pressed ''Area Scan'' without hesitation and was immediately shown a prompt. "Mana communications tether system not detected. Server connection not detected. Beginning local scan." -Damn.. its not even being detected...- *vwoom* The whole device lit up like a lightbulb in an instant before a bright hologram appeared in the air, showing a perfect 3d model of the front of my body along with the visible half of my room. -But I wonder if it auto-synced with the other scans without a satellite connection...- Quickly backing out to the main menu again, I moved over to a tab labeled ''local area map, and zoomed into a small dot on the hologram until eventually being presented with not only the rendering of my room, but also part of the estate, courtyard, and buildings surrounding it. -Hey, it worked!- Although not much, it was the culmination of several other scans from when I was still trying to figure out how the module worked. -But to think it really knew where this scan was taken in relation to the others despite not being connected to anything... The module that records motion must be pretty damn accurate...- But in all honesty, that wasn''t too surprising. Known as a Sector 3 Extraterrestrial Surface Support device, the artifact could do just about anything you could imagine with an unbelievable amount of precision, from simple tasks like functioning as a nearly infinite energy bank, to far more complex things like advanced calculations, global communications, satellite communications and even laser mapping. But while it was an unbelievably powerful device with hundreds of individual modules and functionalities that each made humanity on Earth look like it was in the Stone Age on its own, with the help of some satellites, its capabilities compounded. The issue was the functionalities of the satellites. Having been floating through space for several millennia, it came as no surprise to see that they were heavily damaged, but over the last few days, I had pinged well over a thousand ''satellites'' and only received a signal from about 25, only half of which were even usable. But at the end of the day, something was better than nothing. Receiving a signal meant the satellite was still powered and functioning, if only barely, but that also meant it was repairable. -But unfortunately, just like with checking out ''The Relay'', such adventurous trips for repairs will need to wait.- *knock-knock* "My lord, Miss Poniria? has requested for you." -Right on time...- Glancing back at the door, I saw Chloe giving a deep bow and moved the artifact just under my wing without turning it off. "Tell her I will be out in a moment." The main part of the auction had finally finished, and as promised, it was time for us to discuss some more pressing matters. It was time for us to discuss The Cleanse. It was time for us to start the countdown. ----- [1] - Rune cities are cities with space runes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 298: Planning For The Shift Chapter 298: Planning For The Shift Mid Afternoon - Mid Winter : Atlas, Bahamut ----- "Lord Vasilias, this way, please." A middle-aged ancient bowed deeply as I approached the gate of a massive estate just outside the Academy. -To have such a huge dragon bow to me... I could get used to this feeling...- Quickly making my way through the gate, I passed through several barriers and immediately smelled a wonderful mix of scents before noticing that the empty courtyard had suddenly filled with statues, greenery, and flowers. It was like I had stepped into another world for a moment. "From here, no one outside will be able to see you, so please treat this place as if it were your own. A maid will meet with you shortly." Glancing back at the ancient, I spoke calmly, "Thank you for your consideration." "It is our pleasure." Turning away, I continued into the courtyard and spent the next few minutes inspecting the various statues of historical figures spread around the garden. The statues were simply breathtaking, taking advantage of beautiful stones, gems, and rare metals to piece together a masterpiece. But no matter who they were, their statues were all in pristine condition, as if not a single particle had ever been removed from weathering. All except one. ''Hera Monachiko?s - The Queen with Claws of Mythril'' Looking up from the mythril plaque on the statue''s base, I saw nothing but stone nubs where the paws were meant to be without a single detail still remaining, as if water had eroded every bit of what used to be there. -The world really turned its back on her, didn''t it...- To an extent, it made sense: a war of unprecedented proportions begins, and suddenly, one of your beloved rulers disappears. Even without knowing the whole story, I could see where the redirected hatred came from. -But at the same time, it feels like there is more to it... It feels like someone or something compounded their anger and simply used her as the scapegoat...- In all honesty, the more I thought about it, the more anxious I became about how Bahamut would even react to her return, but at the same time, her return was inevitable. -Maybe I will have to keep her on the low for a while...- But before I could give it much thought, I put it on hold and glanced over my shoulder to see a massive ancient with sky-blue scales and a mix of white and blue feathers along her crown, back, and wings walking out of the gigantic main doors of the estate. -Her dragon form is quite pretty...- As if sensing my gaze, she immediately looked over at me and smiled slightly. "I knew you were an odd one, but I''m not sure I could have ever imagined you would look like that." Turning away from the statue, I started walking out of the garden. "I''ll take that as a compliment." "Why, of course! Your scales are unlike anything I have ever seen! Typically, what people consider ''black scales'' is the result of incredibly tarnished bloodlines, but your scales.. they are more pure than even the finest of gems." As she finally got close, she looked me up and down before shrinking herself down to my size and stretching out her wing. "It''s a pleasure to greet you more formally. Please just call me Poniria?." Following suit, I outstretched my wing as well, pressing it into hers and matching the pressure from her aura. "You can just call me Vasilias, then." Her smile momentarily turned sly before she pulled away her wing. "In that case, I won''t be polite, Vasilias. Shall we head inside? We have much to discuss." "Our second option is to take it from the head down; investigate the executives, which you seem to know a few of, and work our way through their subordinates one layer at a time until we clean out everyone down to the grunts." -That''s not bad.. but...- Seeing her fall into silence, I spoke with a bit of hesitancy. "What''s the third option?" After a brief moment of silence, she continued, "I''m not sure how I feel about it just yet.. but our third option is to push for the settlement of Siratha and try to point those who wish to worship a god to the Ancient Fenrir. There are many issues with that, though; not only would it require the support of the Elder Hall and the widespread acceptance of breaking the taboo set by Bahamut, but it would also require the Ancient Fenrir to show themselves again... And that''s assuming the people would turn their backs on the Aesir that easily." My expression quickly darkened. "I think it may be too much to expect to change the minds of those who have already committed to the Aesir by simply opening a new path." Her expression quickly darkened as well. "So, what do you suggest?" I paused as I straightened my posture. "If we open a new path, we should show enticement beyond morality to turn around and take it. To do that, we either display strength beyond what the human gods are capable of, or we simply spread the word of what has already happened." She immediately tilted her head slightly. "I''m not sure I follow." My smile quickly turned sly. "The recent happenings at the Elder Hall were at the hands of the Ancient Fenrir. If we tell the world that the Fenrir have already claimed the lives of three human gods and, at the same time, caused a scene here in Atlas and expanded our borders over Siratha, wouldn''t those who haven''t fully committed completely switch sides?" Her eyes quickly widened. "Who were the three gods?" "Magni, Tyr, and Hel. Magni was killed in Siratha, and Tyr and Hel were at the Elder Hall." Her aura tensed as she lowered her gaze to the ground and fell into thought. "If that''s the case.. we have much more to work with than I thought." Before long, a smile had returned to her face. "Let us speak of this in detail. That is a reasonable plan, but it is lacking some.. ''detail''." Seeing her slightly crazed look through the darkness, I felt a chill pass down my spine. -Why do I suddenly feel like I gave an idea to someone I shouldn''t have...- But the next thing I knew, I was wearing a similar smile, and my thoughts had been flipped on their heads. -She was the perfect person to discuss this with...- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 299: Refinement Chapter 299: Refinement Early Evening - Mid Winter : Atlas, Bahamut ----- *vwowowoom* The noise of countless ripples traveling through my aura filled the abyssal silence as I worked in the void, but the noise of my thoughts simply blotted it out. -How exactly should I mimic an Ancient Fenrir...- Currently, I was spending some time fixing the space rune leading to Siratha, but rather than spending my extra brain power theorizing about mana or physics like I usually would, I was busy trying to fill in the holes my secrecy left in Poniria?''s plan. -Should I use light magic to actually make it look like I''m one of them.. or maybe I could just stay out of sight?- Our meeting ended just over a day ago and lasted several hours, but by the end of it all, we had come up with a far more sound plan than anything I had proposed. Originally, my plan was to simply have the professors'' meeting moved to an isolated part of Atlas, where I would simply kill them under a veil and leave the grunts to inevitably disperse once their leaders were gone, but as time passed, it continued morphing. Once my meeting with Poniria? rolled around and we started talking, ideas started flowing more fluidly, and eventually, my plan landed on opening our borders with Siratha, exposing the deeds of the Ancient Fenrir, and using the professors'' deaths to set an example, such as displaying their dead bodies or something the like. I figured those without any direct connections to the Holy Kingdom would break off out of fear and opt to go to Siratha instead, where the stronger gods reside. But Poniria? had other ideas. To her, my plan lacked meat; it lacked detail. And that was when that crazed woman''s true colors came out. "Brr..." A chill passed down my back as I thought back to it. -But I can''t deny that, while her demeanor was.. concerning at times.. she really knew what she was doing...- Of everyone I had ever met or spoken with, she was by far the best at taking information and turning it into something else, and well.. after almost two hours of discussion, I spilled everything I could spare, including much of the information I normally kept quiet about, such as my connections to Siratha and ability to ''contact the Ancient Fenrir'', but in return, I received an invaluable ally and a proper plan. For simplicity''s sake, the plan shared the same general framework as the plan I had proposed during the meeting and specifically shared the same first step. The expansion of draconic territory. But that was much easier said than done. The moment I returned home from the meeting, I met with Mother and Father to discuss how the diplomacy would work, and according to them, it would take a month at an absolute minimum for such a complicated decision to be made, if not longer. Plus, even with Grandmother''s influence and connections, it would be a difficult change to make. But how long it would take or how difficult it would be to pass wasn''t an issue for us. What we wanted were the rumors that would result from it being presented to the Elder Hall. Rumors that could be easily manipulated. Leading up to the day of the cleanse, we wanted to stoke the flames of curiosity in Atlas, and not only turn their attention to Siratha, but the Ancient Fenrir. Once those rumors had begun, the 2nd stage of the plan would begin. Originally, this part of the plan was to spread the news that the Ancient Fenrir had claimed the lives of three gods and use it to drive fear into those considering joining hands with the Holy Kingdom, but Poniria?, after much discussion, decided that we would do the opposite. Rather than crediting the Fenrir, who already had quite an extensive reputation among dragons, she would use her connections to advance the spread of the news coming from the Elder Hall: the news that Myles had become the first dragon to claim victory over not just one, but two gods with main seats in the Aesir, and had successfully taken the first steps to becoming a demigod. That news alone had the power to shake the entirety of Bahamut and, according to Poniria?, even possibly reignite the passion for growth and development that the draconic race had seemingly lost after the Great War; but for now, all we needed to do was put Myles on a pedestal over the Holy Kingdom''s gods, and paint him as a figure that could lead our race to a brighter future. With a single word, I could get Leif to agree to it, but that wasn''t the case with the Elder Hall. -Once this is over though.. public opinion should hopefully shift in our favor... At least according to Poniria?...- But that was something for another day. For now, I simply needed to focus on making the rune. And make the rune, I did. Over the course of the next few hours, I did everything I could to recreate the space rune as it was in other areas, and after trekking back and forth through the void several times, I eventually landed on something that looked normal and functioned properly. -Some people may not even realize the rune was replaced! At least if they don''t look at anything else...- Momentarily glancing down, I saw the dark gray, space-mana-strengthened steel platform and immediately let out a sigh. "Haah..." -Well, at least I got it working again.- Quickly activating the rune, I traveled back through the void before appearing in Atlas, standing at the center of the only empty space rune, looking toward the wall of buildings blocking the view of the sunset on the horizon. *Fwoosh* Promptly taking to the sky, I was presented with a beautiful view of the city in front of a stunning sunset and turned around to see the top of the academy just barely peeking over the opposite horizon, glimmering in the warm glow of the sun. But while it was beautiful, it was likely to be the last time I could see it. -Day after tomorrow, that spire won''t be there anymore...- The beacon that provided light to Atlas through the dark years following Bahamut''s disappearance would finally fall. But now wasn''t the time to worry about such things. I only had one day left to finish my preparations. But thankfully, that was more than enough time. ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 300: Fall Chapter 300: Fall Time Error - D?D????=???ҡ????????????DD??? : Location Error - D?D??=??ҡ?????????D?D? ----- - Freya (The Goddess of Beauty) ~ Floating down the bustling hallway, I glided past clerics, bishops, and devotees. Their conversations bubbled with enthusiasm and their faces gleamed with joy. Today was a day of prayer, and the church of Frigg, the goddess of Motherhood, was awash with believers. Typically, my church was similar, but that day, their prayers would not reach me. *vwoom* Coming into the extravagant main hall built from marble and gold, with a ceiling so high it could accommodate even the largest of dragons, a breathtaking mass of mana washed over me. However, I was not the one to receive it. On the opposite side of the hall was a massive stone effigy depicting a beautiful woman, poised gracefully with a child cradled in her arms. It drew prayers like moths to flame, yet not a soul ventured near it. But it wasn''t their reverence that kept them away. *vwoom* Floating over to the statue, the air steadily grew heavier before eventually forcing me to anchor myself to the ground with divinity. -Ugh...- *tap* By then, those praying had become motionless, and the dust in the air remained still, hovering listlessly. But I continued forth, walking past the statue without hesitation before looking up at the towering, 150-meter-tall doors at the end of the hall. Before I knew it, a look of annoyance had fluttered across my face. -This bitch...- Even with the eyes of a god, I couldn''t see through it. -To think she''s already recovered enough to use her divinity so shamelessly...- *tap* *tap* *tap* Continuing up to the door with a look of frustration, I thrust my fingers into its surface. *CRACKLE* Cracks slowly began spreading through it before I pulled my hand back and threw open the colossal door as if it were made of paper. *FWOOOSH* A wave of mana slammed into me nearly instantly, causing my knees to buckle and soul suddenly feel heavy. But after just a moment, a voice, icy yet melodious, echoed from the vastness beyond the doors. "To desecrate another''s sanctuary as such." Behind the door, a gigantic stairway loomed over me, culminating in a lavishly adorned throne. Upon it sat a woman, exuding the grace and beauty of motherhood but with a chilling demeanor that clashed with her appearance. "I see you have not ceased your antics, Freya." "Don''t even get me started, you conniving bitch. Just tell me what you called me here for." She immediately rested her cheek on her knuckles with a sense of aloofness. "In a moment. For now, how are you handling-" *CRACK* I cut her off with a burst of divinity, cracking the intricately built floor. "If you say a single damn word..." "Peace, Freya." She held my gaze, unyielding as she spoke. "I summoned you to give you some information and an offer, not to start a fight... Your reaction answered my question, regardless." "Tch..." With the click of my tongue, my tensed hand eased. "You know what, alright. Just make it quick." Her face remained still and emotionless as she responded. "Tomorrow, there shall be an event in Bahamut." A hint of confusion instantly found its way onto my face. "What event?" -I don''t believe there should be anything...- She slowly leaned back, a faint smirk appearing on her lips. "Its recent news, known only to a select few mortals, currently. The academy in Atlas, where so many of your dragons are stationed, is going to have a front row seat to.. quite a spectacle." Suspicion instantly started gnawing at me. "I''m going to need you to explain in detail." She leaned forward, the light catching her eyes. "In a moment. For now, I have a proposition. There''s someone in Atlas that you might find.. interesting. I want them gone." Alarm bells instantly echoed through my head like a siren''s voice. "Then send Vidar. Or better yet, handle it yourself." But my largest priority was to calm her down. "Krystallo, look at me," I gently wrapped her in my aura as I sat down and lifted her chin, forcing her gaze to lock with mine. "It was just a dream. Nothing has happened yet, so please-" She sniffled, "Yet?!" As a fearful look spread across her face, her grip on me tightened. -Shit...- "That''s not what I meant..." Gently caressing the top of her head with my aura, I tried to take a step back. "You remember what Mother taught us, right? As we get older, our dreams start becoming more and more like premonitions, but that isn''t until at least the late Elder stage. Before then, a dream could be anything from a visualization of your desires, to your fears." The tears in her eyes glistened as she looked up at me, pulling at my heart. "There is nothing to worry about. You know how strong I am, right?" She hesitated for a moment before hooking her claws onto my scales. "But.. what if it is a premonition..." "I promise to be extra careful just in case, okay?" As I gently cradled her, her grip eventually loosened, though her face still held a shadow of uncertainty. "You better be..." As the stars finally started coming out, I continued holding her close, but while I wanted to comfort her, I couldn''t deny that I was unsettled as well. Still, my mind told me to chalk it up to mere coincidence. After all, dreams are often our subconscious mind''s way of working through our fears, anxieties, and desires. But the timing of her dream with Poniria?''s plan was uncanny. Feeling her finally shift around, I looked down to see her staring in the direction of the academy with a shimmer in her eyes. "Just promise me," she whispered with a slight waverting in her voice. "Promise me you''ll come back safe..." Finally letting out a stress-filled breath, I eased my nerves. "I will, I promise." She slowly nodded before begining to pull away, momentarily hesitating before letting go completely. "If you aren''t back soon.. I won''t forgive you..." Watching her slowly trod back to the estate, a heaviness settled in my chest, and after just another moment, I let out another sigh and looked up to the sky. "Ilios." He instantly revealed himself next to me as if he was waiting for it. "I want you to watch over them while I''m out, but before I go..." I momentarily glanced over at him, seeing his fur slowly wave in the calm breeze. "What do you think?" As if waiting for it, he trotted over and sat in front of me, looking up at me with an unreadable expression before standing up and touching a paw to my chest. Almost instantly, the mana in my reserve began to stir and a small suction of mana formed, quickly topping it off, but after a moment he removed his paw and stepped away, quickly following Krystallo''s footsteps toward the estate. Finding myself sitting out beneath the stars, all alone once again, I glanced down at my chest, the glow beneath my scales seeming brighter than normal. I still had some time before I needed to meet with Poniria?, but now wasn''t the time to be lounging around. -Let''s go early...- *FWOOSH* ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 301: A Figure Chapter 301: A Figure Mid Evening - Mid Winter : Atlas, Bahamut ----- *fwoooosh* The brisk evening breeze gently caressed my scales as I soared over the city. Nightfall had already enveloped the cityscape, but as if to fend off the darkness, countless light artifacts had already turned on, setting the streets aglow. But even in the void of the night sky, countless dragons could be seen. Although the skies had darkened, Atlas remained full of energy, with most merchants and stores remaining open, handling a steady flow of dragons both in and out. But while there were dragons absolutely everywhere you looked, there was one place not a single dragon neared. The Academy. On the not-so-distant horizon, the towering central spire of the academy shone brilliantly, akin to a star in the sky, bereft of any life. It was truly a beautiful sight, but no matter how much I wanted to, I couldn''t muster a smile. -Just a few hours until that disappears...- But while I had begun second-guessing myself, such reservations were useless. I had already dug too deep to turn away. Quickly continuing toward the academy, I found my way to a lofty, brightly lit building overlooking the academy''s massive courtyard and landed on its roof. The building was known as ''The Stars Reprieve'', an extremely renowned restaurant in the heart of Atlas, and where Poniria? and I agreed to meet before the event. -I wonder if she''s here already.- Walking up to what looked like a receptionists'' desk stationed by a door suited for humans, I was immediately greeted. "Welcome, esteemed patron." The elder gentleman rose as I approached, his demeanor suggesting he had been waiting for me. "I hope you have had a wonderful evening, Sir!" He used his aura to open the door as he bowed. "Please, right this way." *click* Seeing him motion me inside, a slough of questions filled my mind, but after assuming Poniria? had just told them to expect my arrival, I changed forms and promptly followed the man inside. The interior was inexplicably lavish. Plush red carpets cushioned each step, and towering mythril columns adorned with gold engravings lined every hall. But after just a moment of walking, such things had lost their grandeur, and my expression had darkened once more. The receptionist seemed to notice that as well. "Sir, the mistress is just ahead. Please allow me to verify that we may enter. In the meantime, allow a maid to assist you." He quickly motioned behind me, toward a long-haired elf half-breed in a pristine maids outfit. "If you wish to take her, all you must do is ask." As he quickly rushed down the adjacent hallway, I glanced back at her, but she had no reaction. "Are the maids here disposable or something?" She immediately shook her head, keeping her gaze toward the ground. "Not typically." -Hm...- Glancing toward the hallway the receptionist ran down, I used magic to speak to the maid in secret. "Do you know anything about the woman in this room?" But the maid didn''t budge at all. "We are not allowed to speak of our patrons." "Well, from this point on, she isn''t your patron." Pushing some of my aura into her, her emotionless expression immediately changed. "I-I see." Although seemingly fearful, she faintly smiled. "The person inside has had people coming in and out all evening; another entered just a few minutes before you arrived." "Hm.. is that so?" -Those must have been the people she said she was summoning.- Not paying it mind, I straightened my posture and waited a moment for the receptionist to return. However, when he eventually returned, he was a bit panicked. "S-Sir!" He used a thin white handkerchief to soak up a bead of cold sweat as he bowed. "It appears that the mistress wishes to see you outside. She will be a moment, but in the meantime, has asked us to treat you to a barrel of piotita." -A whole barrel?- "Alright, that''s fine. While you fetch that, please prepare this maid to be escorted to the Whyte Family estate southwest of here. Use the name Vasilias at the gate." "R-right away, sir! Berenice, please lead him to the exit." As he ran off, the elven maid glanced at me before smiling. "Please follow me, master." "''My Lord'', is fine." "A-As you wish, my lord." But without the time to stop and interrogate one of them, I forced myself to continue forward, scanning through the rest of the endless hallways with space mana before eventually making it to the spire. The spire wasn''t any different though. Spread all around it were dragons, Elder, or Ancient stage standing around twiddling their thumbs as if waiting for orders. But as I continued working my way up, they started thinning out until, eventually, I was met by a massive wall of aura. -That must be them...- It was the gathering of traitors. The group of targets I was to erase. But while it was meant to be a meeting, as I pushed space mana into the room to eavesdrop for the few remaining minutes I had, I noticed something odd. -Why.. aren''t they talking?- They were all completely silent, standing around like statues with only their eyes and auras moving. It was like they were waiting for a signal, similar to the people below... The issue was, I didn''t have time to investigate. Looking up at the moon, I noticed my time was quickly running out, and after a couple minutes without a word being spoken, I decided to take it to the sky and begin preparing my spell. Thanks to the deputy, I already had more than enough evidence of guilt on each of them, so what did I care? But while that''s what I told myself, it would have been better to at least acknowledge the red flag. As I flew into the sky above the academy, I began preparing my spell, but before long, I felt a sensation as if I was being watched. -Huh?- It shouldn''t have been possible for someone to see me, yet I still expected to see a dragon staring at me in the distance, perhaps seeing ripples in the mana around me, but when I looked toward it, rather than seeing that, I saw Mother''s humanoid form reaching for the artifact in my paw. A figure with no aura, no presence, and no life. Yet even still, that figure was smiling at me with a soft, loving gaze that could not be worn by anyone but her. *tink* The next thing I knew, my vision was engulfed in flames. A blaze reaching over ten million degrees. Yet somehow, my body felt cold. Unimaginably cold. ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork like below on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seeing as I forgot to post it previously, here is the art of Vasilias I made a few weeks ago~! Become a Patron for early access to future art! Art of Krystallo has already been posted there! Behold, The Ruins of a Kingdom Chapter 302: A Hunger Chapter 302: A Hunger -------------------------------------- --- Mild Gore and Brutality Warning --- -------------------------------------- Mid Evening - Mid Winter : Atlas, Bahamut ----- *Rrrrrumble* The deep rumble of a fireball over a kilometer wide, reaching temperatures rivaling the center of a burning star, surrounded me in an instant; the roar of the blazing plasma blotting out the noises of my surroundings and its blinding light rendering my vision useless. Yet, while most dragons wouldn''t even be able to react before the blaze melted their scales and incinerated their flesh, I felt as if a layer of frost had formed around me. -Of all the people you could have mimicked...- Slowly looking up into the sky, I could somehow feel the gaze of a being in the distance. -You must have a death wish.- *vwoop* Encompassing myself in a gate, I threw myself through the void before returning with a pocket of antimatter and hydrogen swirling in my breath gland. *vwoop* The instant I returned, I was almost a dozen kilometers in the air over the academy, right behind a cloudy, feminine figure. A god. -Had you not been so shameless, I might have given you a chance.- Opening my mouth before the gate could dissipate, a deep black cloud finally showed itself. A breath of the void so dense that the universe''s most violent reaction wasn''t even visible until it had already consumed the sky. *crackle-BRRRRRRM* In an instant, the bright blue sky, lit by the momentary creation of a star, was consumed by the void in an unfathomable mass of darkness before releasing a flash of light so violent that it was visible nearly a thousand kilometers away. But somehow, although I couldn''t describe how I could feel it, her faint presence had yet to vanish. -Where is she...- Trying to heighten that odd sensation, I completely relinquished control of my aura and stripped the rest of my senses down to their most basic forms. *VWOOOM* And sure enough, I found her almost instantly. -There you are!- Looking past my unfurled wings, I met eyes with a young woman, still somewhat mimicking Mother''s figure. She disappeared before I could even react, and simultaneously, my senses started to blur as if they were contaminated by noise. But now I had a new sense I could follow. -Trying to run?!- Chasing after the presence, I hurled myself through the void before reappearing over a vast ocean. But this time, the instant the gate began dissipating, I felt a sudden pressure followed by a searing pain in my neck and was launched to the ground. *SPLA-CRRACK* I hit the water like a rocky mountaintop, turning its surface into a field of ice before shattering and vaporizing it simultaneously. -Tch...- Quickly regaining control of my aura, I instantly noticed the huge gash exposing a cracked vertebrae at the base of my neck. It was a very shallow wound, especially if I could treat it immediately. But unfortunately, I wasn''t even given time to breathe. *ZIP-CRACK* Barely managing to react in time, I jolted my head to the side and narrowly dodged a small object traveling faster than I could even calculate. -WHAT THE FUCK?!- *crackle* *sizzle-BANG* Creating and using antimatter as fast as I could, I launched myself out from beneath the blast of air, plunging the area into the depths before looking up at the goddess with dilated pupils. "You should have run when you had the chance." *vwoop* Disappearing into the void, I did a few prompt repairs on my neck before exiting the void several kilometers above where I was. -I won''t give you time to breathe anymore.- *vwoop* The instant the gate stopped expanding, I forcefully dissipated the gate and opened my mouth. *sizzle-crackle* But before the reaction could even start, she disappeared. -Shit, she''s fast...- And before I could even find where she moved to, my instincts threw me to the side. *ZIP-crackle* Although it just grazed me, it blew off my scales and flesh like it was made of jelly before turning it all into a dark, bloody mist. At least, that''s what I thought. *vwoop* Momentarily hopping through the void, I reappeared in the skies over Atlas, inside a tall, dark cloud. But when I descended toward the ground, expecting to find a field of molten rock, a voice amplified by magic met my ears. "Citizens of Atlas! How can we stand by in the face of such brazen actions?" Poniria?''s voice rang out, passion and fury evident in her tone. -Ah, she already started her speech?- "To think those dogs known as the Ancient Fenrir would attempt to destroy our city!" I froze instantly. "Thank heavens for our valiant professors, the very pillars of Atlas, stood tall and defended our legacy!" Poniria? continued, "Their bravery has saved the beacon of draconic knowledge, still standing tall just as it did after the Great War!" Her words met my mind like a spark meets lighter fluid. "Our city, our traditions, and our future generations depend on our unity and resilience. We cannot let these threats deter us from our path forward. Let us come together and unite in the face of adversity! The Chalasti?s family will lead this revolution from the front! We will be at the forefront of guiding Bahamut to a brighter fu-" *BAAANG* Clearing out the clouds with antimatter, I found myself over the central spire of the academy, its roof only partially melted, with Poniria? wrapping herself around it. My stare was cold, and the air around me was even colder. -So it wasn''t just a rouge goddess taking advantage of the situation...- Her silence following the clouds clearing spoke a thousand words, but eventually, she looked up at me. "Look who it is! The culprit! The dragon who-" *WHAM-CRACKLE-CRUUUNCH* Not giving her a chance to run her mouth, I drove her through the roof of the spire and through almost a dozen floors before suddenly stopping in the spire''s central pillar. My claws sliced through her scales and broke through her ribs with ease. *CRACKLE* But rather than wincing, she smiled. "I must truly commend your strength. It''s no wonder the Fenrir made you their apostle," Her eyes widened with craze, "but this time, you are out of your league." *FWIP-CRRRRACK* Jolting my head to the side, a second cloudy figure, this time with the figure of a man, zipped past me, gouging the edge of Poniria?''s neck and destroying a colossal section of the academy''s spire in a single swift attack. *CRUMBLE* It was an attack on par with Tyr, and as the spire started to collapse, several full-size ancients exposed themselves and stared at me like a pack of hungry wolves. It was the professors, but somehow, rather than feeling like prey, I felt like a predator. I felt hungry. ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork like below on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 303: The Visualization of Death Chapter 303: The Visualization of Death ------------------------------- --- Major Gore and Brutality Warning --- ------------------------------- Mid Evening - Mid Winter : Atlas, Bahamut ----- - Grace ~ *FLASH* The creation of a star. It''s something believed to only be achievable by gods in the eyes of humans, the ultimate achievement, but while I watched the horizon burn in an unfathomable blaze, with a young dragon at it''s heart, I couldn''t help but want to laugh. -If I went back a hundred years and showed myself this.. I would have dismissed it as an illusion...- Beneath the roaring blaze, the academy was hedged by vast barriers, erected to shield against the searing heat and dampen the impending shockwave. *CRACK-RUUUMBLE* But little did they know, just above the unfathomable explosion they struggled to face was something that could erase them all before they could react. *crackle-FLASH* A power so immense that it even made a god like me shiver, to the point that when I felt Freya''s presence suddenly move thousands of kilometers north, I almost felt pity. -But she doesn''t deserve it...- Faintly sensing Vasilias''s presence disappear into the void, I glanced at an estate several kilometers behind me with a look of expectation, but even after waiting for a moment, I felt nothing. -Is he not going to make a move?- Inside the estate, there was a massive white fenrir laying on a bed many times his size, seemingly asleep. He was a monster I couldn''t begin to fathom, with an identity I could only assume, but one thing I knew for certain was that he would always watch over Vasilias. Whenever something happened, he would be there watching things like an observant hawk. -So why is he now still...- But the moment I questioned him, I instinctually faced the direction of Freya''s presence. Or at least.. where it used to be. -W..what...- It was a presence unlike anything I had ever felt, unlike anything words could do justice. Although it was undeniably weak, easily weaker than the weakest of gods, it struck a primal fear deep within my soul. It was as if I had suddenly become a small rabbit watching a hungry wolf roam an open field, not caring who could see it. But after an instant that felt like an eternity, the presence gradually faded into nothingness, and the fear that had carved a path into my soul began to thaw like a glacier that had carved a canyon. The next thing I knew, the presence of a god that was many thousands of kilometers east was on the horizon, and the bed where the fenrir laid was empty. Yet neither could cause a question to surface in my mind. As I turned back to the academy, my gaze settled on a being descending through the clouds, and after a moment, I felt the tingling fear I had just shaken begin to resurface. At that moment, only one question endlessly echoed through my mind. -What have I created...- ----- - Vasilias Ragnarok ~ *FWIP-CRRRRACK* Jolting my head to the side, my dilated pupils settled on the cloudy figure of a man as his fist was driven into the pillar of the central spire, sending fragments rocketing skyward before demolishing a massive section of the spire entirely. *CRRRRUMBLE* The spire surrendered to gravity nearly instantly, buckling under its own weight after losing support, and after just a moment, the gazes of several ancients landed on me. "Are we so weak to fall at the hands of a mere dog?! NO! Today, we may have stumbled, but tomorrow, we shall stand firm! Tomorrow, we will begin our push for strength! TOMORROW, WE SHALL-" *CRAAACCKLLEE* A deafening crack echoed through the instantaneous silence as a plume of bone fragments, chunks of flesh, and a cloud of blood stretched into the sky. The countless onlookers ready to cheer with newfound vigor from Poniria''s speech found themselves frozen in horror as her torso was instantaneously blown to bits. *crackle* *SPLASH* As what was left of her body collapsed into the magma, my unconscious body slowly stood up before using a small amount of mana to guide her exposed core into the magma next to me. And before anyone could realize it, the core was in my grasp. *tink-VWOOOM* A sudden, explosive surge of mana erupted outward, but as quickly as it expanded, it was drawn back as if to be consumed by an insatiable vortex. However, amidst the paralyzed onlookers, one figure remained active. "~Tch... How needlessly resilient...~" In an attempt to finally finish me off, he appeared over my head, driving the blade of his massive greatsword into the top of my skull. *fwip-CRACK-WHAAAMMM* But rather than slicing cleanly through it, his blade smashed through my skull and came to an instantaneous halt, launching the surrounding pool of magma into the air and slamming my body into the ground. He instantly hesitated with shock. "~My blade that can cut through divinity.. was.. stopped?~" But although his hesitation was brief, by the time his gaze shifted from his sword, I was nowhere to be seen.. with only a peculiar circular void in the rubble where I once laid. "~W..where did he-~" Countless onlookers were overwatching the academy at that moment, but none of them could have anticipated what they were about to witness. *FLASH-BRRRRRRRRRMMMMM* In an instant, the very heart of Atlas was devoured by an unfathomable column of light, its heat so intense that what it failed to instantly incinerate, it reduced to molten sludge all the way to the very boundaries of the academy. To them, it was the incarnation of destruction. The visualization of death. But little did any of them know it was the signal of a new era. ----- Krystallo art has already been released in the discord, and will be released here with the next chapter! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 304: Dated Confidence Chapter 304: Dated Confidence Late Evening - Mid Winter : Atlas, Bahamut ----- *MMMMMmmmmmmmmm-blub* *hummm* The muffled hum of superheated metal met my ears as the roar of the spell slowly died down, and my body sank into a bath of mana-rich liquid rock. No longer feeling any presences, my body relaxed, and my mind fell into a fog, but while a wave of fatigue tried to take over my body, an immense pain coming from my head was combatting it. "Ugh..." The pain was akin to an extreme migraine and forcefully stopped any idly thoughts. -But pain means.. I''m alive...- Gently unfurling my wings, they almost immediately pierced into a semi-molten wall, halting my descent and letting me gently dig my claws into the wall without slicing through it like jelly. *Crackle-Crumble* -There it is...- Finally getting a grip in the solid part of the wall, I leveraged it with my wings and started the arduous climb. Without the energy to flap my wings with any strength or the brain power to use a spell, I was left with no other choice. *Crackle* *Crunch* *Crunch* *blub-Crrumble* -This must be the top...- Feeling it suddenly level out, I used my little remaining energy to hop out in one push, but the walls crumbled before I could move much. *SPLASH-splat* "Haah... Fuck..." As my head landed on the flat ledge above the magma, I gave it one more try and forced myself up, but left my hind legs and tail still submerged after a surge of pain rushed through my brain. -Holy shit, my head hurts...- It felt as if the world was in a fog. My memories were fuzzy, and my senses were numbed. -I can''t even think...- But that was when adrenaline ripped through my body. *cr-r-r-r-r-RACKLE-VWOOM* Dozens of deafening noises met my ears the moment I tried to relax, instantly throwing my mind into a panic, but as my eyes jolted open, I didn''t see any dragons. Instead, I just found countless shattered and dissipating pieces of massive mana cores sinking into the shallow magma around me. -W..what?!- Looking up in a rush, adrenaline focused my blurry vision, but I only realized just how needless my worries were. "Ah..." Surrounding me were half-molten walls of rock and metal towering almost twelve kilometers over me, with an opening at the top about fifteen kilometers wide. -Were those the mana cores of.. the dragons up above?- Not seeing anyone around the edge of the hole, I looked back at the ground and quickly found a few larger cores that remained intact before sluggishly crawling out of the magma and eating them. *tink-VWOOM* *tink-VWOOM* *tink-VWOOM* With each core, a wave of relief washed through me, settling the pain and fog in my mind, but even with the help of several cores, my reserve refused to start a suction like when I abruptly regained consciousness just a moment prior. "Hooh..." -But it''s alright... Although only barely.. I have enough mana to stay awake...- Thankfully, destroying Poniria''s core kickstarted a massive, albeit short-lived, mana suction that let me regain consciousness shortly after breaking it. Had that vortex not happened, I never would have even made it to the void to take time to absorb the mana trapped in my body, let alone think of my horrifically stupid plan. -But all that matters is I''m alive.. and that that god is gone...- Unfortunately, I had no way to check if he was still alive; I barely even had the brain power to calculate how deep the hole I made was, let alone try to use that new sense to such an extreme degree. But just because I couldn''t didn''t mean no one could. "~ARE YOU INSANE?!~" Wincing slightly as her yell shot a pain through my head, I glanced toward the red-dressed goddess with a slightly annoyed expression. "I won''t deny it this time..." Her form was slightly more defined than usual, with her dark feathered wings on full display. However, her anger was clearly what I should have focused on. "~Not only did you nearly reduce yourself and the whole city to ash, you even announced your presence to the WHOLE FUCKING WORLD!~" -Ah.. yeah... I don''t remember how much antimatter I even used...- Momentarily giving the seemingly small sky a glance, I subconsciously tried to calculate it, but my mind screamed in pain before I even started. "Ack..." -But it was a lot...- "In any case, while you''re right about the spell, most onlookers shouldn''t have been able to even see me from outside the academy with how dark it was. At worst, there should-" She immediately teleported closer to me, setting her hands on the top of my snout as if leaning over a table. "~Not your identity! I mean your ''presence''!~" -Huh?- Confusion washed over my face in an instant. "I''m not sure I follow..." "~Your ''divine presence''!~" She stared into my eyes as she spoke as if she thought it''d help me understand. "~I felt it right when you killed Freya. What happened then?~" "Ah..." -When time seemed to stop?- "I just made some divinity, but rather than letting it crystalize in my body, I spun it to keep it more.. fluid-" My voice was cut short as her expression shifted to one of shock and fear. -Did I.. say something wrong?- "~L-liquid divinity amplifies the presence and general strength of souls; that''s why it''s called a divine presence. But that connection will invert if the soul is too weak. Without a soul strong enough, the divinity would literally shred your soul...~" "Oookay? But-" "~Vasilias.~" She immediately stared into my eyes with a slight craze. "~Your soul is literally halfway across the planet. Right now, all you have is a fragment that is barely any stronger than your sisters, let alone one that could withstand the amount of divinity you used.~" -Oh...- I hesitated as I glanced down at myself. "But I feel fine..." Finally looking around, I saw exactly nine other ''bodies'' in a similar state, with the mythril-scaled ancient between them all, still absorbing mana as if completely untouched. -Something.. slaughtered them...- My mind raced as I looked over the western horizon in a hurry. -It must have been one of the Fenrir...- However, after not sensing either of their presence nearby, I darted over to the largest of the mutilated bodies, a red-scaled dragon named Py?rgos. His body had simply been torn to pieces. His hind legs and tail laid scattered on one side of the crater, and his front legs, neck, and head laid on the other with nothing left to connect them besides tiny strings of divinity. But regardless of his state, he remained alive, left with only the ability to stare through his blank, unmoving eyes and think to himself while his mind slowly consumed its little remaining mana. -Fucking undying lizard...- Immediately reaching out for his mana core, I tried to connect a tether to it, but was stopped by his divinity before I could even start. -Shit.. now isn''t the time for this...- "~Allow me to form a tether, and I may be able to save you...~" It was a blatant lie. Even Father himself couldn''t have saved him at that point, but even if he was savable, I could not have cared less. *Vwoom* Finally managing to connect my tether, a flood of memories came to mind. Memories of gathering around the mythril dragon in silence, waiting for my order to attack when several plumes of ash and rubble blew into the air, and the detached limbs of the cloaked dragons were scattered across the ground. In a single moment, they were all killed. Eviscerated by a power they could not react to. But I knew exactly who it was. -To die to the swat of a dog... How befitting of dragons who believe they can own the world...- But the instant that thought passed through my mind, my tether was severed, and I was surrounded by a wall of flesh, ash, and rubble, exactly as I saw through Py?rgos''s memories. -H..huh... Is this.. an illusion?- *VWOOM* My thoughts were instantly cut short as a shockwave of mana blasted through my soul, momentarily crystallizing every bit of my divinity and freezing me in place. The next thing I knew, the snout of a white fenrir poked through my stomach.. it''s teeth gripping onto the crystallized core of my soul like a feral beast. -W..wait...- Whether it was simply the materialization of my fear, or truly one of the fenrir gripping my soul, my mind couldn''t tell. But it didn''t matter. *CRUNCH* Before I could push a single thought through the heart-gripping fear, I felt the memories of who I was turn fuzzy, the visualization of my surroundings go dark, and every ounce of knowledge accumulated over countless years vanish in its entirety. The next thing I knew, I was listlessly floating in a dark, cool liquid, wholly surrounded by a thick wall, when a flood of foreign knowledge poured into my head. None of it made any sense at all, as if it were a simple conglomeration of unrelated information, but the moment it finished flowing, the view of a tall, scaly creature came to mind, and I opened my eyes. -Ma..ma?- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork like below on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! -------------------- Behold, "The Queen of the Frost" Chapter 305: Recovery Chapter 305: Recovery Late Evening - Mid Winter : Atlas, Bahamut ----- *Vwowowoom* The faint hum of the void feeding on mana filled my ears as I slowly drifted toward a small black diamond floating in an endless sea of nothingness. "Hooh..." -Well.. making that gate hurt a lot...- At most, it had been five minutes since I spoke with the goddess, but in all honesty, it felt like an eternity. About four minutes after we started talking, dragons from the city started to come into the academy.. or what was left of it.. to investigate what had happened and look around for survivors. Thankfully, the goddess noticed and told me about them ahead of time, giving me a moment to make a gate and slip into the void before anyone could spot me, but the process of making the gate was nothing short of excruciating. -I guess I shouldn''t be surprised that it hurts to think too fast, considering I just took the sword swing of a god straight to my brain.. but geez...- I had been simply debilitated. My thoughts had slowed to the point that a single, basic gate took nearly a full minute, and although my reserve was still filling, I felt like I would pass out at any second. -But I need to make it to my room before I can do that...- Too worried about how everyone would react to me disappearing after making such a scene, I needed to at least let them know I was alive, while at the same time staying out of sight until my visible wounds had healed. It would have been perfect if I could have simply gone straight to my room through a gate, but unfortunately, the void marker I made for the estate was in the back garden, and I simply didn''t have the brainpower to calculate where my room would be in relation to it with any kind of precision. -I won''t be able to cloak myself either...- My only option was to use the marker and take a gamble on whether a maid would be able to cloak me before too many eyes saw me. -Thankfully, it''s still dark... So, the odds may be in my favor...- But it was wishful thinking. Finally reaching the void marker, I wasted no time creating the gate, and after an excruciating minute, I finished and promptly closed it on myself. "Ack!" *Vwoop* *WHAM* I only fell a few centimeters after coming out of the gate, but without any aura to spread my weight out, I slammed down and sank into the grass almost instantly. -Ugh...- Just barely managing to keep myself from collapsing on the spot, I looked up and tried to find the nearest maid, but rather than finding one, I found almost a dozen staring at me with wide eyes. They were all gathered in the garden, looking out toward where the academy used to be, likely wondering what was happening, but I couldn''t tell if their looks of panic and shock were from what they saw over the horizon or the way I looked. But I could not have cared less. Instantly spotting Chloe in the mix of maids, I locked eyes with her. "Chloe.. come cloak me in light magic and walk me to my room..." I spoke with labored breaths before she hastily ran over and did as instructed. "As for the rest of you, don''t say a word about the way I look to anyone.. even Mother... Am I understood?" Most of them instantly started nodding, and after glancing at the stragglers, they followed suit. Seeing Chloe look up at me and indicate she was ready, I glanced back over the maids again. "If anyone asks about my condition, simply tell them I looked tired or exhausted... If I hear that someone said otherwise, I won''t take it lightly..." Finally motioning Chloe ahead, we started walking out of the garden, but before we left, I called a few more maids to walk with us to help spread my weight out and lighten my steps. Without them, I would have sounded like an elephant walking through the estate. But once we got to my room and opened the door, the maids scattered, and a massive wave of mana washed into me. "Hooh..." -That feels good...- Finally following Chloe inside, she hastily closed the door before running over to my bed and activating several artifacts, one of which being for mana accumulation. "If I had known you would come back in such a state, I would have prepared more..." She spoke with worry woven in her words. "There is no need to worry yourself over an ''if''. This is already plenty..." "My Lord..." She hesitated as she motioned me over and had me lay down. "How could I not worry." Finally sinking into the cushion, a wave of drowsiness started overtaking my mind, and at the same time, Chloe ran into the corner of the room and picked up several items while changing to her dragon form. "Could I clean you and treat your wounds, my lord?" She sounded a bit rushed as if knowing I was on the verge of falling asleep. "Mhmm..." I immediately rolled onto my side before exposing my still-wounded belly. "Just don''t leave anything in the wounds themselves.. even the deep ones... They''ll heal.. on their own..." It was Eir, but I couldn''t even turn around to face her. "Skuld," her tone was frosty and stern. "What are you doing..." Silence immediately wrapped around us before I slowly sat up. "I''m living." "Living?" Indignation seeped into her voice. "Living?! While everyone around you dies, you are sitting back and simply.. living?!" Her words pierced my soul like daggers of ice, but somehow, I didn''t shy away that day. "If you were me, what else would you have done?" "The least you could have done was give Vidar and Freya oracles-" "You know that wouldn''t have been possible," I spoke bluntly as I looked back at her. "Freya''s disdain for me was no secret, and Vidar never once acknowledged my existence after his mother''s death. If you really want to throw blame at someone, blame Odin. All he needed to do was send them to me. They would have listened..." Turning away, I looked back at the young girl below, happily reaching for a steaming piece of bread. "But he is too afraid of fate." Eir instantly fell into silence. "The Aesir is in shambles because of Odin, whether you wish to acknowledge it or not... The question now is whether you will remain loyal to a man who would throw his own son into a wolf''s den because he cannot face his own fear." Her eyes slowly widened. "You..." "Haah... I''m going to leave the Aesir.. and hope the Fenrir are as merciful as Grace has said." As I slowly stood up, a vision surfaced in my mind, and my expression darkened. "I don''t expect you to understand me yet, but maybe you will eventually... At least I hope... Giving her one last look, I saw her angered expression had washed with worry. I know you used to worry about me.. but this time you need to focus on yourself... Frigg is a powder keg, and Odin is a crazed pirate with a match. Whether you wish to take that as a warning or the crazed ramblings of a woman who lost touch with herself.. Its up to you... I just hope you dont fall into the same hole the others did..." *Vwoom* The moment I disappeared, my church, frozen in time, was wrapped in silence. Excruciating silence. ----- The new POV format will only be used when the new setting is vastly different from the previous POV ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork like below on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! -------------------- Behold, "The Queen of the Frost" Chapter 306: Silencing the Masses Chapter 306: Silencing the Masses Mid Evening - Mid Winter : The Forgotten Islands ----- - Amphitrite Ourano?s ~ "Screech! Screech! Scr-" *POOF-FWOOOOSH* A huge black bird exploded into a flurry of feathers as I ripped past it, yet my eyes never left the horizon for an instant. It had been about two hours since I left my estate at that point, and I was beginning to near the merfolk city O?rmos on the southern side of the Forgotten Islands, but rather than calming down as time passed, my anger only worsened. -If Poniria is truly involved in this... I swear to Bahamut...- By then, nothing but the thought of skinning Poniria like an ox could cross my mind. At least that was the case until ''she'' showed up. *Vwoom* As if teleporting, a faint figure of a woman appeared right next to my head, effortlessly keeping pace with me. "~You seem to be in a rush.~" Normally, I would have been quite happy to see her, but that time, things were a little different. "Now isn''t the time for a casual chat, Grace." "~Hoh? Have you already caught wind of the situation?~" My demeanor quickly shifted upon seeing that she knew something. "A couple hours ago, a sizable group of ancients came to my estate to try and kill me. Of those I spared, two of them spilled pretty easily..." "~I see. What did they say was happening?~" "In short, they were working with the Chalasti?s family to create a scene in Atlas, kill a few important figures around Bahamut, then frame Siratha and the Ancient Fenrir for it all." Merely recalling their words left a sour tang on my tongue. "They even said some gods in the Aesir were getting involved. Do you know about them?" -If it''s more than one, I could be in trouble...- She immediately nodded. "~Both Freya and Vidar were involved.~" My body instantly tensed up. "W..What?" Both gods were big names in Asgard, with Freya being one of the main seats in the church and Vidar being Odin''s son. -But...- "What do you mean by ''were''?" "~Well, Freya''s main target was ''him''... What do you think happened?~" My eyes quickly widened. "~They thought he was Nott''s apostle so they tried to make a scene killing him, using it to spark hatred between the Fenrir and dragons, but ended up digging their own grave in the process. The issue is that the spark wasn''t completely snuffed out with Freya''s death or the academy''s destruction.~" I almost instantly froze -The academy?- But the ice was quickly thawed by the growing fires of rage deep within me. "Poniria?, that deceitful bitch..." Thankfully though, Grace caught me before I could sink into the pit of fiery rage. "~She is dead already, and Zafei?ri is still alive and well, don''t worry. Thankfully, she was stationed on the outer wall of the academy, so she only received some burns.~" "A-Ah.. is that so..." I spoke with a slight quiver in my throat, the flame of anger in my chest refusing to extinguish immediately. "~Nevertheless, I need a favor.~" Although I couldn''t see her eyes, it felt like she suddenly matched my gaze. "~Like I said earlier, the spark wasn''t snuffed out. Those who could hear Poniria?''s voice beyond the walls of the academy have already started concocting and spreading rumors through Atlas, and the image of the Ancient Fenrir is falling because of it.~" -Why is that?- "Isn''t he a Ragnarok? They should be-" She quickly shook her head. "~They don''t know what really happened yet. Vasilias was.. not in the condition to speak with them... Regardless, that''s what I''m here for. I need you to go to the Ragnarok''s estate and tell them what really happened, perhaps omitting the parts pertaining to the gods, and assist them where you can.~" Her cheeks slowly turned rosy before she let out a deep breath. "Hooh..." Her breath was easily visible in the cold air, but after a moment, she didn''t even seem to notice it. "Thank you for the praise." -She really has improved greatly... But she still has a ways to go...- Finally sitting down, I took a moment to shift things around on my desk before putting on a serious expression. "So, how are things going?" Quickly following suit, Liv''s demeanor turned more formal. "Things are going well. The new Hall of Prayers have been very well received so far, and, as you predicted, the number of people aspiring to become clerics and priests has grown exponentially. There has even been a surge of people already qualified for higher ranks appearing in most larger cities." -Sounds like some of the dragons decided to make the shift already...- "That''s quite a good sign, but for now we should be careful." -The more dragons openly make the shift, the more disdain those loyal to the dragon god will have for us...- Slowly standing up from my seat, I looked over my shoulder, through the open door and over the railing of the balcony to meet eyes with a relatively thin, masked figure crouched on the roof of a building. He disappeared the moment I set eyes on him, but no matter what they might have thought, my eyes followed them with ease. "Some dragons are truly endlessly arrogant..." *CR-RAAAACK* A deafening noise exploded from the room as I punched through an invisible white barrier and connected with the chest of a transformed dragon. *CRUNCH-FWOOOSH* Their ribs instantly shattered like clay before they plowed through the wall of my office, zipping across the courtyard and slamming into a large building just beyond the front gate. *Crumble* -How helplessly naive...- "Liv," I slowly turned around to see her holding her hand in front of her face. "Go over and quickly detain him. Kill him if he starts to wake up." She slowly lowered her hands before jumping up in a hurry. "Y-Yes, ma''am!" Watching her dart through the hole in the wall, I relaxed my posture once more and walked back out onto the balcony. But before I could let out an alleviating breath as I watched Liv pry the black-robed man out of the rubble, I felt my skin crawl slightly. -Huh?- Instantly looking up into the canopy, my eyes went wide. Standing along the treant''s looming branches were six dragons, each towering 60 to 80 meters tall, staring down at me while mindlessly exuding their aura and leaking bloodlust. -Ah.. So it wasn''t just a lone.. arrogant dragon...- But rather than feeling fear, after a moment of shock, my heart steadied. -Had this been even just a year ago, I would have been worried...- Spreading my aura out, I tapped on the shoulders of several people throughout the estate, signaling them to come to my office, but before long, a smile came to my face. -I wonder how much I have improved since Lord Nott''s return...- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 307: Voldukirk, The City of Faith Chapter 307: Voldukirk, The City of Faith Late Afternoon - Mid Summer : Voldukirk | The Holy Kingdom ----- - Astren Ravenna ~ *Clop-Clop-Clop-Clop* The endless clatter of hooves tapping against brick filled the air as we traveled down a somewhat crowded brick-laid road, cutting through a seemingly endless plain. -To think the capital has such nice roads even this far outside of the city...- The road was incredibly wide, easily able to accommodate several lanes of carriages going each direction, with more than enough space along its edges for groups to camp out while still within the short stone wall, and under the protection of the patrolling knights. -But even beyond the wall.. there''s nothing but rodents and.. some slimes...- Looking out over the wall, I watched a slow, clear-jelly-like blob slowly roll over and absorb the dead body of a mouse on the ground before simply sitting there. -There really isn''t anything harmful around here, is there...- But unlike what you would expect for such a peaceful area, the knights patrolling the road were all at least C rank, with many even reaching into A rank. -I guess.. the capital really is a different realm...- "Is it really like this all the way to the city?" Glancing back over at Father, I saw him carefully adjusting several of the body-covering bandages he was wearing before gently picking up the reigns of his horse with his non-broken hand. "Typically, there aren''t nearly this many people." He spoke lethargically as he looked up at me. "Asgard has started becoming more active recently, so many families have begun making pilgrimages to pray, and on top of it, it is almost the summer solstice, so some are also coming for their coming of age ceremonies." He glanced over his shoulder at the rows of knights walking in formation behind us with a visibly anxious expression as he spoke. His exhaustion likely extenuated his anxiety, but ever since I spoke with him at the Southern dungeon, he had been walking on eggshells. -But after seeing those monsters destroy our home... I can''t blame him...- Glancing back, I immediately laid my gaze on a fancy, tan, and green-clothed man nonchalantly walking ahead of the Templars. Based on his outward appearance, he looked like nothing more than some young rich nobleman, perhaps even someone of extended royalty, but what no one but our group knew was that he was actually a colossal, green-scaled monster that could kill nearly everyone here on a whim. "Brr..." A chill passed down my spine as I recalled the memory of Lord Balatos, an even more monstrous, red-scaled dragon, flying into the air and destroying Deepcross in a single swift, fiery breath from over a dozen kilometers away. -Fucking monsters...- Thankfully, he had already parted ways with us by then, and with Katherine nearby, I didn''t have to worry, but the memory had already dealt its damage and left its scar. "Haah..." Slowly easing my grip on the reigns, I looked up at the bright blue sky and tried to ease my nerves some, but after a moment, the thin cloud floating in the sky over us was scattered as if something had flown through it, and my nerves heightened again. "Ugh..." Whether it was real or simply my mind playing tricks on me, I truly couldn''t tell. "Are you having flashbacks again?" Father spoke with worry as he pulled over to me. "Here, I still have some of that tea Elizabeth made the other night." Reaching into the pile of luggage on the back of his horse, he quickly pulled out a wine bottle before popping the cork and handing it to me. Inside the bottle was a type of tea I had previously never heard of, called rose tea. -But even though the taste isn''t great, it works like a potion...- *crackle* *swish-swish* Quickly warming it up with the fire rune on the glass, I swirled it around for a moment before tilting my head back and taking a large gulp. *Gulp* *swish* "Hooh..." Almost immediately, my body started to relax, but after taking another smaller sip, I gave the bottle back to Father and looked up to see another person pulling their horse over to me. It was a blond-haired, blue-eyed girl who could easily be mistaken for someone of royal blood if she simply dressed well. Her name was Elizabeth, the newest addition to our group. "Are you alright, Miss Astren? Is it the trauma again?" I immediately nodded. "I had some tea already though, so-" "The tea is only meant to ease your nerves for a couple hours. Hold on, let me grab something you can try." She looked like she could only be 13 or 14, but she somehow acted like she was in her twenties. "Here." After rummaging through her luggage for a moment, she pulled out a tiny white tablet with the texture of chalk. "Bite this, and spread it over your tongue. When you don''t feel any more chunks, swallow it." "O..Okay..." Hesitantly following her directions, I dropped the tablet into my mouth and crushed it between my teeth. After speaking with Andras Snyder, the captain of the Second Division Templars, Father turned back to me with a serious look. "You, Elizabeth, and Katherine go get a few rooms as the Sunflower Inn just up the road here. I have to go with Sir De?ntro and the templars to meet with the church for now." My worries quickly began poking through my awe. "Okay, but please be careful. Remember what Elizabeth said?" "Yes, yes, ''just because I don''t feel the pain doesn''t mean its not there''. I''ll still be careful; just promise me you''ll do the same." I quickly nodded. "I will..." -Im with these two monsters in the form of children... We will be fine...- Quickly sending him off, the Templars continued up the wide street, drawing the attention of everyone around and leaving Elizabeth, Katherine, and I all alone. Or at least that was what we thought. "Ladies." A gentle man''s voice instantly made Elizabeth and I jolt as we whipped around and met eyes with a tall man in a white and gold robe. "Are you perhaps in need of a guide?" -Where did he come from...- I hadn''t sensed a thing, but before I could even question who he was, Katherine trotted away on her horse before stopping at a small merchant stall on the side of the road reading ''Denys Jerky'', with a mix of fresh meat hanging on it. The priest-looking man next to us looked simply dumbfounded, but after a moment, she returned with something in her mouth and a handful of something dark. "Here." Without warning, she tossed a strip each to Elizabeth and me. *pat* -Huh?- I couldn''t even tell what it was. -Is it old meat?- Looking back up at her, I wanted to ask what it was, but after seeing a faint smile on her face as she tore a piece off to eat, I simply followed suit. -It looks gross and.. smells weird, but...- Seeing her happily eating it, I simply closed my eyes and ripped a piece off after some effort. At first, it tasted like nothing, but once I started chewing it, a unique taste spread through my mouth. -Woah...- But the next thing I knew, the vibrant buzz around us was replaced by an eerie silence, and Katherine''s joyful expression vanished. -What?- "My apologies for interrupting your treat, Ladies," the priest spoke softly, his voice carrying a subtle, otherworldly undertone. "But I must inquire once more. Do you require the services of a guide?" ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 308: The Ties that Bind Chapter 308: The Ties that Bind Late Afternoon - Mid Summer : Voldukirk | The Holy Kingdom ----- - Astren Ravenna ~ "My apologies for interrupting your treat, Ladies," the priest spoke softly as we were surrounded by a veil of silence. "But I must inquire once more. Do you require the services of a guide?" He spoke politely, but something about his tone simply sent shivers down my spine. -And with so many people around, I can''t even sense his presence...- Looking into his eyes, I felt like my soul itself was being observed.. like I was looking at something more monster than human. -Is he.. a dragon?- "Since when did a priest require so many guards?" Elizabeth''s voice instantly ripped through the silence like a cold wind. "Hoh? I didn''t expect you to be able to sense them... But you are mistaken." Several people donning heavy white and gold armor instantly revealed themselves around us, each wearing a golden balance on their chest. "My name is Barion Ilkari, a deacon of the Church of Balance. I apologize for the misunderstanding." He bowed his head slightly as he spoke. But while Elizabeth and I were simply stunned, there was someone who wasn''t. *Clop* *Clop* *Clop* Walking her horse up to the deacon, Katherine looked down at him with a frigid gaze. "Have you heard of the name Vasilias Whyte?" Confusion immediately washed over his confidence, but after a moment, it turned to agitation. "Whyte?" Looking up at her, he didn''t bother hiding his distaste. "How does someone like you know that na-" *Fwip* As if teleporting, the tip of Katherine''s half-wrapped rapier appeared just in front of the deacon''s head. But he simply caught it on the bottom of his finger. "What a deceiving young gi-" *CRRACK* Jolting his head to the side, a white cloud instantly blew through his finger and gouged out a strip of the smooth brick road behind him. The wall of silence around us was instantly dispelled, but rather than hearing the chatter of everyone nearby, we heard nothing. Everyone nearby had their eyes on us, watching blood start dripping out of the hole in the deacon''s finger with a look of disbelief or awe until, finally, Katherine spoke in a bone-chilling tone. "Spill what you know, this time without the aggression." Whispers instantly filled the air around us, but after a moment, the people started to scatter, disappearing into alleyways and stores like mice hiding from a cat. "It appears I misunderstood who the guest was... I apologize for my rudeness." Pulling his bloody finger away from her rapier, he bowed again, this time more deeply. "If I were to guess, you must be Elizabeth Valia, correct?" He spoke confidently toward Katherine, but after just a moment, Elizabeth spoke up. "T..that would be me.. but..." Her look of shock quickly turned to skepticism. "How do you know my name..." "I told it to him." Hearing a youthful man''s voice, I instantly whipped my head around and met eyes with a man wearing a simple but beautiful white garb woven with gold string, proudly displaying a golden scale surrounded by a halo on his chest. He was quite tall, with bright golden hair, and had the face of a prince, but his hands were both visibly worn from countless years of swinging a sword. -He looks like he''s only twenty, but...- At the time, I couldn''t sense his presence at all, but even still, my instincts told me what I needed to know. "My name is Hephas, the Apostle of Eir, the Goddess of Balance. Please allow me to apologize for whatever my deacon has said to upset you." He immediately bowed deeply, his golden locks falling forward. "The Church of Balance values harmony and peace above all else, and I assure you, Deacon Barion''s actions were not in alignment with our principles. I hope you can be forgiving." There was a moment of silence as Elizabeth and I glanced at each other before Katherine spoke up. "In that case, do you know anything about the name Vasilias Whyte?" He slowly straightened back up with a hint of uncertainty. "Unfortunately not, however the goddess may." Finally looking toward the deacon and paladins, the Apostle tipped his head to the side, causing them to instantly vanish into the sea of presences around us. "In any case," turning toward Elizabeth, he put on a more gentle smile. "Our Goddess Eir has taken a particular interest in you, Miss Valia, and from what I''ve seen today, in your companion as well." "I know, I know." I retorted with a hint of frustration in my voice. "The issue is that Vasilias destroyed every speck of evidence we could have used to incriminate the Chalastis family." Straightening my posture, I handed her the investigation records. "Within the academy''s walls, nothing was even left recognizable, and when Sir Atsa?li finally got to investigate the bottom of the pit, the only things left were artifacts made of black mythril, some shattered mana cores, and several seemingly random divinity systems..." "How many divinity systems did he find?" "Around thirty, but none match any of the big figures we would have expected. Poniria and all the academy executives that were supposedly there are nowhere to be seen." "Then what if you made the divinity systems you found public knowledge and announced that the person everyone saw speaking wasn''t Poniria?" "And play it off like all the evidence of her and the professors heading into the academy doesn''t exist?" I quickly tossed her a massive stack of papers. "If we had evidence to incriminate her and the professors, this would be unbelievably easy, but we simply don''t... We can''t hit her for possessing a restricted artifact because the rumor that the initial blast was a spell by the Ancient Fenrir has already spread, and we can''t simply claim her words to be false without evidence stating otherwise." Amphitrite''s expression darkened the longer I spoke. "In that case, why don''t you rule with an iron fist. Claim it without evidence and start an official public investigation to tame the masses. No one would be able to object." "But trust in my family would plummet. Rumors have spread too far, and people are already upset..." I paused as I slowly fell into thought before mumbling to myself, "Maybe I should just proceed with what the plan Vasilias told me was..." -Announcing an alliance with the Fenrir could help, but it would simultaneously force us to take blame for destroying the academy, even if we find evidence to incriminate Poniria... Is that a cost we can take right now?- Amphitrite immediately opened her mouth to speak, but another knock at the door cut her off. *Knock-Kncok* Sensing two servants at the door, I momentarily set my thoughts aside. "Please enter." A butler opened immediately to reveal Antonia in her humanoid form, clutching a metal chest stained with dried blood. -What the...- "Antonia, what is that?" Walking inside, she motioned the butler to close the door and bowed to Amphitrite. "A messenger from.. the old Elder Hall.. came by with this and a message." *Clack* Setting down the heavy chest, she picked up a scroll resting on top of it and moved it to me with her aura. "This is the original message." Quickly unrolling and reading through it, my eyes widened. "This scroll..." "It was written by Agatha Exypnos, the one with the temporary authority of the Intelligence Agency." Agatha held a deep bow as she spoke. -That means this.. is real...- Slowly looking back at the scroll, my mind raced. It detailed an event that occurred at the old Elder Hall. Several ancients showed up as a group, visibly aggressive toward Myles, but one of the Ancient Fenrir killed them all, seemingly protecting Myles. -Based on how they described him.. it must have been Ilios...- "But what is the chest then?" Agatha held her bow in silence for a moment before speaking. "H-he said one of the Ancient Fenrir gave it to him and tied it to the scroll. I-I don''t know what is inside it." -What?- Quickly pushing my aura into it, I sensed stacks of artifacts and medallions, with a pile of letters at the bottom, but even though there was seemingly nothing stopping me from reading them, the letters simply appeared blank to my aura. -But no one would store blank letters with broken seals...- "Could they be..." And that was when I finally noticed the symbol on the wax used to seal the letters. -The Holy Kingdom...- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 309: Foreboding Chapter 309: Foreboding Early Evening - Mid Summer : Voldukirk | The Holy Kingdom ----- - Astren Ravenna ~ *fwoooosh* A strong, steady breeze blew over us as we walked through a large courtyard filled with trimmed green grass beneath the shade of the colossal, looming spire of the church. -The closer I get.. the less I understand...- It was so tall it looked like it could carve into the clouds and was so extravagant that the carvings on the city''s outer wall seemed like child''s play, but my mind could only barely wrap around it. -So this is a church of a true god...- But little did I know, the grandeur of the outside was just the beginning. Stepping through the massive archway large enough to comfortably fit a dragon, we found ourselves in a cathedral hall somehow even larger than it looked from the outside, with a mural of Valhalla on the veiling seamlessly connecting to the sky like a window into the realm of the gods. Had I seen it earlier in life, I may have simply seen an array of stunning paintings, but at that moment, there was something about it that made my mind spin. It felt as though the gazes of those in the painting were truly looking down on me.. judging me... The longer I stared at it, the more entranced I became until it eventually felt as though the painting itself began to breathe and move, but at that moment, the soft hum of prayer around me drew my mind back to reality. -Huh?- Lowering my gaze, I immediately found myself looking over countless rows of peasants and citizens groveling, engrossed in their own prayers, filling the air with murmurs of solemnity while beautiful priests and priestesses walked around and handed out bread and occasionally silver coins with them. It was like a beautiful ceremony, lit by the warm light of artifacts on the ceiling as if it were blessed light from Valhalla. But while the atmosphere was warm, it was also heavy. The Apostle spoke softly as we walked. "Many who come here do so after suffering immense loss. They come to pray to the Goddess in order to look beyond their misfortunes and receive guidance to move on, even knowing that without mana, she cannot hear them." He looked over those praying with a soft gaze and a warm smile. "But even without hearing their voice, the Goddess understands why they are here, and that alone is enough to bring them solace." Looking down at a young woman as we walked past, I saw her tightly clutching the doll of a child, still damp from the tears dripping off her face, but she somehow still smiled, staring up at the mural of Valhalla on the ceiling as if she could see her child in it. But no matter how sorry I felt, I was still hesitant. -If the gods truly are omnipotent, why would they let people suffer such pain...-Fo?llo?w new stories at novelhall.com Continuing deeper into the cathedral, we quickly approached a colossal statue near the wall opposite the entrance. It depicted a beautiful woman, her stunning figure draped in a single cloth, holding a hanging golden balance in her hands. When I first saw it, the balance was perfectly poised, not tilting even the slightest in either direction, but as we finally walked beneath it, it suddenly started moving, ever-so-slowly oscillating back and forth. It caught me by surprise. The balance was so large that even if a human was dropped on it, it wouldn''t budge, yet there it was, shifting as if nudged by a gentle breeze. "It seems the Goddess is quite eager to speak with you all," The Apostle murmured with a hint of awe. "I planned to speak with you all normally, but it seems the goddess wishes to do things differently." Quickly turning away from the ordinary, human-sized door we were walking to, we made our way up to the massive wall behind the statue. -What? What are we doing here?- Intricate carvings decorated its surface, telling tales of gods, men, and the eternal balance between fortune and misfortune, war and love, but as the Apostle walked up to it and set his hands on it, there was nothing but confusion in my mind. At least until he pushed on it and effortlessly split open the wall like a door without making a sound, revealing the impenetrable darkness beyond it. It felt as though I was looking at an illusion, as if I was simply caught in a hallucination, and if I tried to walk it, I would just hit the wall. But the Apostle simply motioned us forth. "The Goddess will speak to each of you on your own. Be not afraid." But as much as I wish I could have said something, at the time, I couldn''t even acknowledge it. As she hurried out of the room, I had to dedicate every ounce of my mind to suppressing my hunger and distracting myself from it, but the fog only thickened until she eventually returned. *vwoom-Click* Undoing the mana lock on the large main door of my room, the doors swung open to reveal an enormous, steaming fish on a metal tray. *Crackle* As she pushed it inside with the help of a butler, I continuously got weird looks from those in the hall, but the only thing my mind could think of was food. *FWOOSH* Darting up to the tray, I instantly clamped my maw onto the fish, slicing through its scales, flesh, and bone with ease before tilting my head back and swallowing it whole. In an instant, a quarter of the fish disappeared along with part of the tray it laid on, but the metal was simply treated like additional food when it finally fell into my stomach. However, it still wasn''t enough. "I need more... It doesn''t matter if it''s cooked or not, or even if it''s good or trash meat..." The butler was frozen in place, speechless for a moment, but Chloe instantly threw herself into a deep bow. "Yes, my lord!" Darting back out of the room, she left me to scarf down the rest of the fish with an audience of butlers and maids gathering at the door before returning just a moment later with another fish, this time only barely cooked. I lunged at it instantly, but while I noticed the difference instantly, it took a moment for me to recognize who had replaced the butler to help her bring the tray. "Vasilias, are you alright?!" Mother''s voice filled the room with a deep, heart-wrenching worry instantaneously. Even to my hunger-ridden mind, it made me freeze. "I-I''m just.. hungry..." Looking up at her with a mouthful of bloody fish, I felt a bit ashamed, but after swallowing it, my instincts forced me to take another bite. However, it only worsened the concern in her eyes. "Your reserve feels like it''s full.. is it not? You''re eating as if its empty..." *CRUNCH* "Ish full..." I tensely mumbled as I took another massive chunk out of the fish. *Gulp* "I just feel like my body would consume itself if I dont feed it... *CRUNCH* She tensely watched me remove another chunk from the fish as she fell silent, concern woven deep into her expression, but after a moment, her expression flipped and eyes suddenly widened as if from a realization. Wait... Are you trying to suppress your dragon sleep? At that instant, it became so silent, and everyone became so still it felt as if time had simply stopped. ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 310: A Concerning Word Chapter 310: A Concerning Word Mid Morning - Mid Winter : Atlas, Bahamut ----- "Wait... Are you trying to suppress your dragon sleep?" Mother''s voice echoed down the halls like a voice in the catacombs. Instantly wrapping us in a shroud of silence. *plop* *drip* It was so quiet that the only noise in the air was the sound of blood dripping onto the metal tray from the chunk of fish in my mouth. Everyone seemed frozen in place, both physically and mentally.. myself included. -I.. didn''t think about that...- Over the past few months, the thought of my inevitable dragon sleep would periodically surface. Considering I had already well-exceeded the regular upper size limit for the adult stage at just over 38 meters tall, it was something to give thought to, but at the same time, my age made it impossible. -Based on my younger years, I should be growing at about 5 times the rate of a normal dragon, but even by that insane standard, my next sleep shouldn''t be until I''m almost 40... Surely, this is too soon...- "Ack..." At the time, it didn''t seem too crazy to assume my body was simply in some sort of shock after being so starved of mana, but while I was still trying to push through my daze and think about it, Mother walked up and started poking her claw around my side, somehow tapping all the places I had taken damage before giving me an odd look. Her gaze held a mixt of annoyance and concern. "Haah... If you took care of your body like you should have, having another dragon sleep already would be impossible.. even for you... But..." She paused before gently grazing her claw against my underbelly, where it was slashed open. "Your body tends to grow in bursts whenever you get injured as if it were simply waiting for an opportunity to reconstruct your body... The more damage you took, the more you would grow..." Her voice grew soft, a whisper of worry coloring her words before she motioned away the onlookers in the hall. "But this time.. despite the grievous injuries you sustained.. you barely grew." She looked up at me with a mix of pride and worry before lowering her gaze and pressing the top of her head into my side. She was right, to the point that even if my mind wasn''t in a fog, I wouldn''t have been able to refute it, but while I wanted to continue to deny it, my gut told me to accept it. "So.. if this really is my sleep, what am I supposed to do?" Without thinking, I leaned down and removed another massive chunk of meat from the fish, glancing at Grace to bring another while she closed the door. *Crunch-Click* "It''s rare for one to awaken right at the onset like you did..." She eyed the door as she spoke. "Looking at Chloe''s condition, it looks like you might have woken up after it started and just somehow pulled things back under control... So, I don''t know." Slowly looking up at Ilios, happily wagging his tail while sitting on my head, the image of his cold stare down at me flashed in the back of my mind. -Right... He must''ve made that look because he was getting ready to stop me.. right?- But I didn''t have time to think about it. "You probably have a few days at most." -Huh?- Hearing the voice, I looked up toward the door to see it swing open and reveal a massive, four-winged blue dragon. -What is she doing here?- It was Amphitrite. "I apologize for the intrusion, Miss Ragnarok. Vasilias," She politely lowered her head to both of us right away, "but I felt that this was an urgent matter. About half an hour ago, someone attempted to burn those ''records'' we were supplied with a few days ago, and the people are demanding an explanation for the scene that was caused. If we don''t address it now, it''ll spread like a wildfire." Mother''s expression quickly darkened even further before she looked up at Amphitrite with a serious expression. "Let''s follow the plan we discussed yesterday..." Slowly turning back to me, worry quickly reappeared on her face. "While you''re here though, do you know what we should do?" As Mother motioned toward me, Amphitrite shot me an odd look as if Mother''s question were rhetorical. "We managed to quell some of the rumors around the city, but he still needs to lay low. Having his dragon sleep in Atlas right now would ruin everything we have done thus far. As for his condition, like I said earlier, he probably only has a few days before his hunger makes him go feral. It''s not too abnormal for later sleep stages to start while you are awake, but people will typically eat their fill and find a good place for it before it gets bad." -Shit...- It wasn''t what I wanted to hear, especially with Krystallo''s birthday being right around the corner, "But with only a few days, where could I go?" "I know..." I spoke as softly as I could before lowering my head pressing it against hers. "I wanted to be around so we could celebrate our birthday like we used to more than anything, but.. it''s not something I can postpone. If I stay here, I won''t only be ruining all of Mom''s hard work, I''ll be putting you all in danger..." The air around her started to fog as distraught washed over her face. "T-Then I can go with you!" "No, Krystallo," I began gently, "you can''t." I paused, trying to think of how to word it, but nothing came to mind. Standing on her hind legs, she pressed her paws into my chest and looked up at me with wetted eyes, desperately searching mine for any hint that I was just playing some cruel joke. "But.. why? You know I can take care of myself..." "It''s not that simple..." I hesitated for a moment as I thought of what to say. "Since I woke up before it started, at any moment, I could simply snap and..." My body tensed as a horrifying thought filled my stomach with nausea. "Just.. you can''t..." She seemed to search my eyes, looking for answers as confusion and frustration mixed into tears. "I''m.. sorry..." But rather than breaking down and crying, she lowered her gaze and whispered with a heavy tone. "Brother... Just like the other night, I have had a lot of.. nightmares over the past few days... Each time I see something different, and it never makes any sense... But every time I see you in them, I see this.. shadow next to you, a cloud of darkness that.. gives me a really bad feeling... Like it''s trying to take you away from us." I tensed up instantly, her words weighing a mountain of uncertainty in my mind. "It''ll be okay... Just like last time, right?" But she just leaned into me, shaking slightly. "I.. hope so..." Feeling frosted tears filled with fear and worry drip onto my chest, I tried to lean down and embrace her. I wanted to reassure her that everything would be alright. But somehow, I wasn''t sure if I could even reassure myself... ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 311: An Observer Chapter 311: An Observer Early Evening - Mid Winter : Atlas, Bahamut ----- "Hooh..." *fwip-fwip-fwip* *scratch-fwip* I let out a heavy, strained breath as I gently move a quill across a piece of paper, drawing several thick lines to divide a series of complex drawings. -This.. should work...- To most, it may have been difficult to even understand what I had made; a piece of paper with well over a dozen unbelievably intricate drawings filled with numbers, mathematics, and even some units completely foreign to the world, but thankfully, the person I was going to give it to was not one to stray away from complexity. -For him, everything should be self explanatory. I just hope he can understand my way of measuring the purity and clarity of glass...- Glancing at the bottom-right-most drawing of an array of dots and figures of varying sizes and patterns, a mix of thoughts flowed through my mind before I straightened up my posture and looked at a light on the ceiling. -Fuck, my head is really starting to hurt...- In short, what I made was the blueprint of a rather complex telescope, the gift I planned to make for Krystallo''s birthday. Originally, I was going to make it after cleaning out the Academy. I already had the design in mind, I just needed to sit down and make it. I even considered working on it with Krystallo as an excuse to give her some lessons on magic and science, but unfortunately, from the moment I fell asleep, I lost every speck of the mental computation I was so proud of. -That doesn''t mean I have to give up on her gift though...- I didn''t know how long I would be gone, nor did I know what the future would hold, but if anything was to be taken for certain, it was that she would miss me. -I can''t stand that I have to leave right after getting back... But I don''t have a choice...- *Fwip-Fwip* Quickly, but gently folding it, I set it next to an envelope containing a letter I wrote for her and moved it under my wing with a small piece of extremely dark mythril, a payment for Sir Astali so valuable he wouldn''t be able to refuse my request. "Hooh..." -Well, I guess it''s time to give Mother my farewell again...- Finally standing up with some effort, I left my chamber and immediately glanced toward Krystallo''s room just down the hall, the visual of her crying into my chest still lingering in my mind, before turning away and walking down the hall to Mother''s office with a tight chest and a bundle of anxiety looming in my mind. Silence filled the halls as I walked, the soft rustling of my wings and the echo of my heavy steps being the only audible noises as if magic were cast, but as I finally approached Mother''s office, the rustling of papers could be heard, spilling into the hallway through the crack in the door with a soft glow. *tap* *creaak* As I nudged the door open, a wave of warm light from the setting sun washed over my body, and Mother''s sky-blue eyes met mine, a mix of determination and worry lingering behind them. "Vasilias..." She said softly, her voice thick with suppressed anxiety and concern, "Just a moment ago, Krystallo came in here and begged for me to stop you with tears running down her face..." My whole body instantly tensed and my stomach churned. "As a mother, every time you leave, I fear you won''t come back.. but this time, my gut isn''t the one telling me everything will be alright... This time.. it''s the one giving the warnings." Worry slowly started showing in her gaze as her eyes became watery. "Mother..." I immediately hesitated, searching for the right words, "I wish I could stay too, for you and Krystallo both, but you know just as well as I what will happen if I stay here..." "I know..." Her expression continued to morph with heart-wrenching worry before she finally let out a deep breath and steeled her resolve. "That is why I don''t have any intention of stopping you... I just.. want to make sure you are going to be careful..." She paused as she looked up to the ceiling before speaking with a hint of anger, seemingly aimed at herself. "Just promise me..." I hesitated for a moment as her bright white scales glistened in the setting sun before holding my head high and trying to speak with confidence. "I promise." Several seconds passed in total silence before I finally walked up to her and set the top of my head beneath her chin, as I would do as a child. "I promise when I get back, I will spend every moment I can with you, Krystallo, and Father... In my time out of the nest, I found many things I want to show you all, and met many people I''d love for you to meet, but for now I need to leave again." Although I couldn''t see her face, I felt as if tears had pooled in her eyes. "I know I don''t say it enough, but thank you for raising me... I love you, Mom." Firmly pressing my head into her neck for a moment, I pulled away and finally turned toward the door. But it wasn''t until I reached for the door handle that I heard her reply with a slight quiver in her voice. "I love you too, sweetie..." As a faint, warm smile forced its way through my anxiety and worry, I stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind me, swiftly making my way out of the estate, attempting to distract myself with the soothing mix of warm and cold winds. "Are you ready?" A sweet woman''s voice quickly filled the air as I looked over and saw a smaller, and younger version of Amphitrite. "My name is Zafei?ri, nice to meet you." She gently lowered her head as a curtsy before looking up at me with a gaze filled with curiosity. She was Amphitrite''s daughter, and was the one who agreed to cloak me with magic while we flew to the space rune. "Nice to meet you." She was quite a beautiful dragon, but at that moment it was the last thought in my mind. "I need to drop something off with someone on the west side of the rune, but once we get there, you can leave if you''d like." She immediately shook her head. "My mother asked me to escort you through the rune, so I will do just that. I need to go to Siratha, regardless." "I will, but for now, I need to be leaving." Feeling my aura start flowing a bit more aggressively, my nerves started to heighten. "Right, make sure you take care of yourself. Before you go though, let me give you some advice." His expression quickly turned serious. "When it truly starts, don''t fight or try to control your instincts. Simply float with the current until it gets shallow enough for you to stand again." His words immediately resonated in my mind like a piano string struck with a tuning hammer before I smiled with gratitude. "Thanks for the advice. I''ll be sure to remember it." "Of course. Take care of yourself, kid. " Finally giving my farewell, I turned to leave with a smile, but as I walked back up the spiraling hallway, the sound of the blaze in the forge was no longer able to distract my mind, and I slowly sank back into a mix of stress, hunger, and anxiety. "Hooh..." -But there is nothing else I can do at this point... I just need to follow the current once the tide pulls me off the bottom...- Eventually returning to the surface, I walked back out of the shop and met up with Zafei?ri, sitting on the sidewalk by the door, looking down the empty roads with a hint of loneliness in her eyes. "Hm?" She turned to me the moment I left the stairwell. "All done?" I hesitated for a moment before nodding bluntly. "Yeah... Let''s get going." With the rune not far away, we quickly found our way over to it before easily getting through the tight security, walking through the massive archway that dwarfed us both, and coming up to a familiar pedestal displaying a small black orb. When we got there, we didn''t waste any time to jump into the void. "Ready?" She glanced at me, waiting for my nod before injecting mana into the rune. *Vwoop* We disappeared into the void instantaneously. But while any normal dragon would have practically teleported to their destination, I had to listlessly float through the tube of nothingness for hours while my hunger was left to fester. -Shit...- By the time we arrived in Siratha, my hunger had expounded several-fold, my breaths had become labored, and my mind was in even more turmoil. Without magic, I was easily several hours away, but while just a few hours ago, I thought that would be nothing, I was quickly humbled. -I''m.. not sure I can make this one...- *Vwoop* But while I struggled to keep hold of myself, Ilios opened his eyes and looked up at me with the same foreign, cold, and domineering demeanor I had seen several times recently. And unlike what he would usually do, he simply watched. He simply waited. ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 312: A Fruit Chapter 312: A Fruit Late Evening - Mid Winter : Siratha Space Rune | Western Siratha ----- *Vwoop* "So, you said you were going to Valtiv- Huh?" Zafei?ri''s eyes widened in alarm as she saw my hunched stance and heavy, labored breathing. "Vasilias?" "Hah... Hah... Hahh..." Her voice, muffled as if consumed by the hunger clouding my mind, barely made it to my consciousness. "Y..yes?" -Fuck... I don''t think I can make it...- She quickly tried to rush over to me. "Are you alr-" Looking her in the eye with dilated pupils, I instantly stuck out my wing to stop her, unknowingly leaking out some bloodlust. "Don''t get close to me..." Countless thoughts immediately dashed through my mind. -At most, I have an hour.. and that''s being generous... Where can I make it to...- Summoning all the energy I could muster, I frantically tried to think of any other place I could fly to, but other than an empty expanse of ocean, mountains, and forest with a few elven towns, there was simply nothing. -The ocean''s depths might be able to hide me, but...- While it initially sounded decent, something in my mind despised the idea. "Fuck..." Quickly looking back toward Zafei?ri, I steadied myself with a heavy breath. "Hooh..." -No... Now that we''re out of the void.. maybe I can stress my senses to distract my mind from the hunger...- Although I knew it would cause my mind and body immense pain to forcefully suppress it in such a manner, being so far beyond the limit of what I could suppress with false satiety, it was my only choice if I wanted any chance of making it to the Tree of Prayer. -And even still, I might not make it... But it''s my only chance...- "Let''s get moving.. quick..." *snap-FWOOOSH* Instantly taking to the sky, the weight of every passing second began to weigh on me. Thankfully, Zafei?ri, although clearly unsettled by the momentary bloodlust I released, quickly nodded and followed after me, but this time, her carefree demeanor was replaced by caution. Not that I could blame her. Over the next hour of our flight, my consciousness was at war with my instincts, and the longer we flew, the more strained the thread I used to control myself became. Every moment that passed brought the risk that I might lose myself to my endlessly starved hunger, and with only her and Ilios nearby, the consequences would be dire. But by some miracle, I managed to hold on. Thanks to Zafei?ri''s vacuum magic, we were able to maintain Mach 3 nearly the entire time, and that meant we were actually over the edge of Valtivar already and were only a few minutes away from the Tree of Prayer, but at the same time, the thread tethering my consciousness had finally begun to fray. *FWOOSH* At that point, free thoughts could not surface in my mind, and Zafei?ri''s anxious voice could not reach my ears, no matter how loudly she spoke. Every single ounce of brainpower I had was simply being used to keep myself in control. But each wingbeat chipped away at me until finally, just as the Tree of Prayer emerged over the horizon.. exhaustion claimed my mind. "V-VASILIAS?!" With swift reflexes, Zafei?ri darted beneath me and caught my body on her back before it could plummet to the ground. "We''re almost there! Hold on just a little longer!" But while I could still hear, see, and feel her, the last thread I had to hold onto had already snapped. In an instant, everything changed. I felt detached... I felt powerless, as if I was suddenly viewing a film or memory I could not influence. And that was when the horror set in. The horror of watching my jaws lower onto the back of Zafei?ri''s neck like a panther pouncing on its prey while being unable to do anything at all... But the instant my mouth was about to clamp down, Ilios appeared just in front of my eye. *CRACK-FWOOSH* Hitting her hard enough to crack several scales, he threw her head toward the ground, moving her neck just out of my jaws the moment they clamped down. But while I wanted to feel relief, Ilios''s expression did nothing but make my little remaining ability to think freeze solid. As I continued forth, the moon continually got larger and larger until, eventually, I noticed an aura so large it peeked through the moon''s thin atmosphere. It was my body, unmistakably laying on the surface of the moon, surrounded in a thin black veil. It was a gate, and just like with my dragon sleep in Kaelallan, I was laid perfectly inside of it. -But there isn''t much of any mana suction yet... Has it not started?- Assuming Ilios was the one that somehow brought me there, I looked around for him as I descended, but after finding he was nowhere to be seen, the doubt filling my mind became a certainty. "This must be another one of those visions..." I was confident. Ilios was the only one I knew of who could use space mana besides me, and even with how unusual he had been acting recently, I was sure he would still lie next to my body. But that was simply wishful thinking. "To think you would be able to come all this way so quickly." Instantly turning toward the smooth, deep voice I heard, I looked down and saw that Ilios had suddenly appeared next to my body, just inside the gate, with a black sphere in his mouth. It was an artifact, the Eye of Bahamut. "I had hoped your soul would remain dormant for this, but it seems you are more willful than I anticipated..." The voice slowly darkened as Ilios finally stepped up on my body. "I apologize for not being able to send you home peacefully, but fret not.. I will send your companion''s soul with you. His body served me quite well while waiting for yours to ripen." As Ilios''s mouth opened, his body went limp, immediately falling to the ground next to my body and letting the artifact fall onto my face. *tink* "I apologize for using two innocent souls in such a manner, but your job here is done. I hope you can lay down whatever resentment you have for me when you reach your home world." *VWOWOOOOM* Enough aura to cover hundreds of kilometers instantly exploded out of my body before halting and being irresistibly sucked back in with enough force to break down nearby matter. But while it all happened, my eyes could not leave Ilios. The image of his limp body laying on the dusty surface of the moon was the only thing that could make it into my mind. "I wish good fortune upon your soul." I was surrounded by a gate in an instant, but while I was fast enough to escape, neither my eyes, nor body could budge. For the first time ever, my mind was truly still.. truly silent... But at that moment, even I didn''t realize that the web of strings holding together my sanity had already melted. ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 313: A Change in the Tides Chapter 313: A Change in the Tides -------------- - Minor Gore Warning - -------------- Late Evening - Mid Winter : Atlas, Bahamut ----- - Krystallo ~ *woosh* A gentle evening gust swept the garden with a chill that night. Usually, it''s cold could never pierce my scales, but somehow, it felt as if frost was forming on my skin at that moment. -I wonder if brother is up there somewhere...- At the time, I was staring up into the stars, questioning if Brother was hidden somewhere amongst them while reminiscing about the past. It was a pass time I had made routine whenever he wasn''t home. I missed the days he would teach me as a child dearly, attempting to explain the inner workings of the world through methods that seemed crazy or impossible to Mother and me at the time. To be frank, there was nothing I wanted more than for those moments to come back, for him to teach me about what he loved and what he was passionate about. But as time passed, even without understanding the weight of what he was truly doing, I forced myself to accept that those days may remain a memory. Whenever he would leave, I would feel my heart ache, and to alleviate it, I would come outside at night and simply stare into space, desperately trying to think up questions to ask him when he returned. But that day was different. Rather than looking into space for questions.. I simply.. watched... And that was when it happened. *WHAM-CRACKLE* Hearing the locked back door of the estate get broken through, I whipped around in a hurry and met eyes with Mother. She was in a complete panic with a pale face and look of horror in her eyes so deep it made my heart sink. "M..Mom?" *FW-WOOOSH* Instantly darting out of the estate, she landed in the garden not far from me before bolting into the sky without even glancing in my direction. -Where is she...- Watching her fly higher and higher into the sky, I saw her look straight toward the western horizon, but when I followed her gaze, all I saw was the moon hovering there, on the verge of setting, shining brightly as it always did. -What is she doing... Why is she...- But that was when my mind went blank. ----- N/A - N/A : The Mallory Area | Lunar Derelict District - Vasilias ~ The instant it happened, my mind went silent. Watching Ilios''s body limply fall to the dusty surface of the moon, time seemed to stretch endlessly, but no matter how much time passed, I couldn''t unfreeze myself. For every lingering moment his body fell, I was paralyzed, with my emotions only becoming more and more distant with each passing instant. It was my mind panicking. In an attempt to save my sanity, my mind destroyed everything, even its own senses. I was deafened, blinded, and numbed of any sense of emotion before a single conscious thought could flow. But it was still too slow. By the time the gate formed around me, the few remaining strings holding my sanity had melted like a bundle of wires in a blazing furnace. However, the moment I was going to lunge out at him, he appeared over me. "You still do not understand." His colossal form, now partially translucent against the void of space, loomed menacingly as he spoke with deep-seated anger. "The sacrifices made.. the struggles endured. All of it was for a greater purpose... I''ve witnessed the betrayal of those I had once given my trust and the suffering of those I hold dear." As the columns of rock and debris surrounding us slowly stretched into the air, I stared into his deep, cold eyes, tempered over countless millennia, with a hint of fear lingering in the back of my mind. "I am granting you mercy by taking your body, by taking the responsibility of protecting the world and those you cherish off your shoulders. Without my intervention, you would be forced to witness the very world crumble before your eyes and, eventually, face your own demise." His voice was completely devoid of warmth. "You have no idea what the future holds. The horrors the world will witness." "As if that matters..." I snarked, "If a threat to the world happens to involve those I care about, then I will make damn sure they aren''t a threat anymore... Even if I lack the strength needed for it." *fwip-WOOOM* Instantly darting out from under him as fast as I could, I wrapped countless chains around the tether connecting him to my body several thousand kilometers away and crushed it. *CRACKLE* Accelerating far beyond the speed of light, my surroundings stretched and blurred. The colossal walls of rock and debris from our previous exchanges, still frozen in time, were continually extending into space, but I passed through them so fast I hardly noticed. *FWOOM* Nearly instantly appearing next to my old body, I stretched out my arm, reaching through the scales, flesh, and bone before finally grazing my reserve. The moment I touched it, my liquid divinity and soul instantaneously conjoined with it, sending an unfathomable tsunami of senses, sensations, and memories flooding into my mind. My idea was to stand up and destroy the Fenrir''s soul while his tether was broken, as I did with Tyr, but the instant I regained control of my body, every single thought and sensation was eclipsed by pain that nothing, even my reincarnation, could compare to. My eyes instantly shot open, forcing my gaze upon the faint outline of an ethereal white fenrir over looming over me. "How arrogant..." Hearing his voice somehow piercing through the pain in my mind, I felt a shiver of fear pass down my spine. But rather than killing me or purging my soul from my body, he simply stood there in silence before mumbling to himself. "Maybe Nott was right... Maybe this time, we let t?h?e? ?f???r???u???i???t??? ???b???????e???????a???????r??????? ???????a??????? ???????n???????e???????w??????? ???????t???????r???????e???????e???????..." As his voice was slowly distorted, my vision finally faded to black, and my mind continued to descend into an endless hell. Every second stretched into an eternity of agony, tormenting my soul, trying to shatter my consciousness. Faint memories of my past life as a human on earth intermingled with a different life as a dragon I didn''t recognize, sucking me into a maelstrom of emotions and memories as if to try and drown me before presenting me memories of the life I had lived as Vasilias. At that moment, they felt familiar but still foreign. However, tightly clinging onto the string connecting to my consciousness within my mind, I reached for it, forcing my paw into an impenetrable wall of liquid rushing so fast it sheared off my scales, flesh, and bone, leaving just a tangled, messy web of divinity in its place, before forcing my body through as well. But no matter how far I reached, it always felt just a hair beyond my grasp. At least that was until my whole body had been destroyed, and all that was left was a web of divinity wrapping around a mana core, that the farthest tip of divinity finally grazed a memory. *crackle* ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 314: A New Sapling Chapter 314: A New Sapling N/A - N/A : The Mallory Area | Lunar Derelict District ----- *Vwowowowoom* Within the silent depths of my mind, all I could make out was the hypnotic hum of mana being ripped through a sea of matter. The sound of a vortex so strong it ripped the mana out of atoms, forcing them to decay into their most basic form. Pure hydrogen. Without me knowing, it had become the melody of my unconscious mind, keeping thoughts from flowing and allowing my mind to listlessly drift through time as my body attempted to rebuild itself from nothing. But it could only last for so long. *THOOM* I instantly darted into the sky before finding myself looking over a vast empty crater of dust and rock hidden beneath a dense grey fog of hydrogen, leaving nothing but a potent mix of awe and confusion in my mind. I was.. alive? But the moment I looked down, I was met with the sight of my own body, mutilated beyond recognition as if having decayed over countless years, laying next to a conglomeration of unrecognizable flesh I could only assume was what was left of Ilios. It instantly destabilized my mental state before plunging my mind into the depths of despair and agony without warning. But as the light in my eyes faded and darkened, I noticed something. -H..huh?- Within the unfathomable vortex of mana centered around my body, there was another. A suction that absorbed every drop it could grasp while resisting the pull of my dragon sleep in its entirety. *FWOOM* Instantly darting to the ground, I looked over the unrecognizable mound of flesh with a mix of hope and heartache. -Is he.. alive?- A part of me didn''t believe it right away, but after looking more deeply into his full, flowing mana core, I saw a faint cloud flowing freely within the ever-growing sea of mana. -Is that his soul?- It was a far cry from anything special, especially compared to the Fenrir that had previously possessed him, but while it was nothing more than a thin cloud, it felt familiar, and it felt warm. After just looking at it for a moment, a subtle wag even found its way into my tail. However, as my mental state began to stabilize, memories from before I passed out started returning to vividity, and the swaying of my tail was halted by a wave of anxiety. -Wait a minute... If I''m really alive.. what happened to...- Quickly expanding my senses, I tried to find him, the Fenrir I could only assume was Dagr, fully expecting him to be in the air, watching over me like a cat playing with a mouse, only to find he was nowhere to be seen. -W..what? Am I dreaming? Where did he go? Why would he just.. leave us...- At the time, the last thing I could remember prior to falling unconscious was the feeling of his cold gaze on my body after I failed to stand up and finish him off. Had he willed it, I would have been dead. -But not only is my dragon sleep still proceeding.. even my tether is untouched...- Looking back down at the thin thread tying my soul to my reserve, I glanced toward Ilios''s body and noticed his flesh was regrowing like mine. He was evolving, but no matter how I twisted it, it still made no sense. -What is he even evolving into? Wasn''t he already an Ancient Fenrir?- Slowly falling into thought, my gaze shifted to the ground, but after a moment, a set of large, ethereal wolf paws came into view, and after having my mind jolt out of my body for a moment, I found that they were mine. The form my soul had taken upon itself, rather than remaining an amorphous blob as it was previously, was what could only be described as a Fenrir with a slightly elongated neck, massive furred wings, and a very long but fluffy tail. A cross between a Fenrir and a dragon. -It feels weirdly natural.. but...- Glancing over at my physical body, I watched as countless strands of flesh continued to weave through the web of divinity, tracing the figure of a dragon with every fiber of muscle and layer of bone before letting out a breath of relief. "Phew..." It was an endless cycle of remembering and forgetting that went on for an indescribably eternity. Each time I woke up, I was presented with the horrific sight of our mutilated bodies before finally having my memories return, just for Dagr to appear and destroy my reserve right afterward, once again tasking my soul with repairing it before restarting the cycle. But with each successive cycle, our bodies would repair themselves more and more, and my soul would become more and more defined until finally, rather than waking up in the form of my soul, I opened the massive, deep purple eyes of my physical body. *GASP-VWOOOM* Jolting awake, the gate around me was shredded, sending a colossal surge of mana ripping through the dense air around me: a grey atmosphere of hydrogen that had formed around the moon during my sleep. "Hah... Hah..." -I''m.. awake?- Looking on the ground just in front of me, I saw a colossal fenrir still sleeping soundly with a faint mana suction still leading into his reserve, but I didn''t exactly have time to even think about it. At that moment, it felt as if I had just woken up from an eternal slumber, a dragon sleep that was extended over eons because of Dagr''s actions. But as my condition stabilized and a soothing sensation reminiscent of my reincarnation coursed through my mind and body, a number appeared in my mind, a number that couldn''t be right. -W..what?- It was supposedly the amount of time that my body said had elapsed since my sleep initially started. -But... No.. my body must have just.. made an error or something after being reconstructed so many times...- But no matter how many times I tried to check it, the numbers never changed. Each time my reserve was shattered, seven and a half years passed, with an additional thirteen years passing before I first awoke. At the end of it all, it totaled almost exactly 103 years. A number that did more than simply loom over my mind. -If that number is right... Just how long has passed in the outside world...- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 315: Thawing A Frosted Heart Chapter 315: Thawing A Frosted Heart N/A - N/A : The Mallory Area | Lunar Derelict District ----- One hundred and three yearsjust over a century. For a creature barely over twenty, it was an eternityan amount of time I couldn''t fathom. -But.. even if I want to deny it... How else would I have grown this much...- Now towering nearly 61 meters, I grew nearly 23 meters taller, with my wingspan growing to match and my tail growing far longer with some frills appearing on the end. With the additional height, I also seemed to grow out of my young, stocky stature, looking far more balanced while still maintaining a more muscular form. -It seems my scales are somewhat metallic now, too...- Although they were far from mirrors, considering they were completely matte previously, any hint of sheen was quite a change, even within the fog of hydrogen surrounding me. Among other changes, my horns had grown quite significantly, with many more spikes sprouting around my body as well. But somehow, even though I looked like an entirely different dragon, my looks weren''t the part that changed the most. That award, at least then, was held by my aura. Now stretching outward almost a hundred kilometers in every direction, I went from having complete control of my aura to essentially nothing, only being able to roughly control it out to about 12 kilometers and read it for about... "ACK-FUCK!" I yelped in pain the moment I tried to read my aura out to just a kilometer. -Holy shit, that hurt...- Before my dragon sleep, I had no issues reading my entire aura, spanning about a kilometer in every direction, but now, the moment I tried even half of that, it felt like my brain was overloaded with information. -What the hell?- Momentarily slowing my thoughts to let my aching brain catch a break, I isolated a microscopic portion of my mana to read, but the moment I looked through it, my confusion only worsened. -What am I even looking at?- On a scale much smaller than atoms, I was seeing an inexplicable fuzz, sort of like static, that seemed to originate from nothing. -No fucking wonder it hurt when I tried to read it out to a kilometer... But why?- I was at a complete loss, but the moment I tried to look at it with some space mana, it became extremely obvious. -It''s.. space mana?- I furrowed my brows in confusion as I pulled my head back. All throughout my aura, there was now space mana present, constantly exuding from my body, just like normal mana. -The hell?- Quickly looking toward my reserve, I tried to find my attribute nodes but only found 6, all tightly clumped while now touching my reserve itself. -What the.. where even is my space mana node?- But after seeing the space mana within my aura flowing straight from my reserve, I noticed it. -What the.. did my reserve itself blend with it?- To some, it was a change that may not sound like it''d do much, but it was actually quite the opposite. On one hand, space mana was so fine that even when spread into a thin layer like it was in my aura, it would increase the detail of whatever I was reading to such an extent it hurt. -I can''t hardly read any of my aura anymore without feeling like my head is splitting apart because of it...- But on the other hand, with space mana now integrated within my aura, I could create gates and spells that used it with unrivaled speed and efficiency. -It''s a bit of a monkey''s paw.. a curse with a blessing.. but just having to figure out a new method to read my aura feels a little cheap for such a benefit...- Looking to the horizon, I got ready to test it out by creating and detonating some antimatter, but before I could even start, I was stopped by an odd hint of discomfort. -Huh?- It was a discomfort I hadn''t felt in a very long time, but I recognized it instantly, regardless of that. -Is this.. my third form?- Fresh at the forefront of my mind was a transformation spell nearly identical to what I used to switch to my true humanoid form, with only the smallest of details differing. -It''s a natural transformation spell?- Essentially, it was a spell that followed genetics like the true humanoid transformation spell. -But don''t dragons only have two sections to their genetics?- Deciding to simply go for it, I fed the spell mana just as my instincts instructed and closed my eyes. *LIIIIIICK* He immediately cut me off as he licked my comparably huge nose before pressing his nose back into it and staring deep into my eyes with a seemingly limitless excitement. A wave of relief so immense it made tears come to my eyes instantly washed through my body. -He''s.. really back...- "You''re really back!" Using my aura to pull him closer, my tail began to wag uncontrollably. "I thought I lost youuuu!" As I nestled my snout against him, he climbed up, licking away the tears streaming down my face as if to tell me I shouldn''t cry. But in that moment, nothing else mattered. I was lost in the moment, wrapped up in the emotion of having him back. His familiar presence, his warmth, and even the rhythmic wagging of his tail brushing against my belly comforted me in a way that words could hardly capture. But after just a moment, he suddenly pulled back slightly, his piercing gaze analyzing mine with a sense of relief, longing, and.. mischief? The next thing I knew, he hopped up in the air before slamming his face into my chest, nuzzling his head into my fur like a fox trying to burrow before playfully rolling onto his back. "Haha." My chuckle immediately lifted the weight of a mountain range off my mind. "You like my fur?" He immediately rolled back over after squirming for a moment before looking me straight in the eyes and nodding with determination, only to continue rolling around again immediately after. "Pfft, you little-" *Fwip* Rolling over, I moved him off of me before rubbing my face into his belly as he did mine. "Now it''s my turn!" But rather than simply letting me get away with it, he reached up and started gnawing on one of my horns. *knack-knack* "Hey! Those aren''t for chewing!" Quickly standing up, I picked him almost completely off the ground while he held onto my horn before looking at him with a pout. But rather than feeling any negative desire, I was thankful, limitlessly thankful to have him back. -And well.. I guess even if this form doesn''t end up having many real benefits.. at least Ilios likes it...- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork like below on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! ---- Behold, the newest piece of art! The God of the Sun! Chapter 316: A Lurking Horror Chapter 316: A Lurking Horror Mid Evening - Early Summer : Atlas | Bahamut ----- - Krystallo Ragnarok ~ The moon, the brightest beacon of the night sky, and an object of ambiguity and wonder. It was an object Brother always enjoyed talking about, saying that it was another world like ours with an unfathomably large expanse of unexplored land and incredible mysteries even he, the one who I believed knew everything in the world, could only speculate. -But now I can''t even look at it...- Walking out into the moonlit back garden of the estate, I glanced up toward it, its blurred, badly scarred surface looming overhead as if it were an eye watching over me, but rather than feeling curious like I did as a child, I felt my heart tighten. -How long has it been since that horrible day...- Finally arriving at the center of the small field just beyond the garden, I sat down and simply looked up to the stars, its beautiful array of indescribable colors and formations bringing calm thoughts to my distraught mind. But while the moon was at its highest point, shining as brightly and beautifully as it always had, no matter how much time passed, I couldn''t bear to look at it. *Click* Hearing the door to the estate unlock, I slowly glanced back and saw Mother walking out. After that day.. it had become our routine to stargaze each night like we would when I was a child. "Where''s Father?" I spoke softly, my voice carrying through the cold evening air with ease. "He is still inside. With the coming-of-age festival in just a few years.. he can''t avoid the paperwork anymore..." Her voice carried almost no energy at all, as if she was completely drained. "No matter how much we want it to, the world will never stop turning, so.. maybe it''s time we finally move on..." My expression quickly morphed into an agitated frown. "You know just as well as me that we have to trust him." Turning away from her, I finally mustered the courage to look up at the moon, staring at the colossal scar of shattered rock on its side with an inquiring gaze. "He said he would come back, so we should trust him." But as she came up to my side, her grim expression and hunched stature remained. "Sweetie..." She stared at my face for a moment before finally looking away and sitting down. "The mana vortex we see on the moon is almost twelve thousand kilometers wide, if not wider... No ancient in the history of Bahamut has made a vortex like that while they were still alive..." She was referring to something called reserve collapse, an event where when someone''s reserve would rupture during their dragon sleep, it would trigger an unfathomable suction of mana that would reform the mana core even if the dragon had died. Typically, it led to the formation of a dungeon. "But none of them were Brother." My tail flickered with determination as I lowered my gaze back to her. "Sweetie, it''s been almost-" "His dragon sleeps have always been longer than normal for his stage." My tone was firm. But Mother wasn''t the same. She stared at me with a tense, contemplative look before reluctantly sighing and turning away to pick up a large and beautiful tool with her aura. "Haah..." It was a telescope, Brother''s final gift to me, a device that was meant to let me observe the stars and gaze up toward the moon with ease, but I hadn''t mustered the courage to use it more than a few times over the years. However, that was soon to change. As Mother lifted up the telescope and held it to her eye, she simply froze, and by the time I noticed anything was wrong, she was faintly shivering, and the air around her had condensed into a fog. -Huh?- Her expression was an unbridled mix of confusion and awe. "What''s wrong?" There was a long pause before she finally lowered the telescope from her eye and handed it to me. "The mana vortex... Am I seeing that right?" -What?- Not understanding what she was referencing, I took the telescope from her and looked up myself, but it made me freeze as well. -It.. stopped?- Typically, reserve collapse on larger scales, even much smaller than what we saw on the moon, would continue until the reserve itself exploded, but rather than the unfathomable cloud of mana on the moon being scattered, it sat still like the canopy of a tree. Looking up toward the planet, the distance was certainly intimidating, but anything was better than what I had just witnessed. -R..right... Maybe this is for the best. Maybe the world is just telling me I need to stretch my wings a bit...- Trying not to think about it, I quickly formed a long strip of antimatter along the back of my wings and bolted off the moon''s surface, unknowingly shattering several hundred kilometers of it as I leapt. *CRACKLE-WHAAAM* But I didn''t think of looking behind myself for a single instant. *RRRRUMBLE* With a steady flow of antimatter, I shortened the flight down to about ten minutes, but the entire time, I was on edge, feeling like I was being watched from every direction. Thankfully, using The Scar as my landmark, it didn''t take much thought to find my way to Bahamut, but once I got within the cloudy atmosphere, while it shook off my unease, it took a moment to find exactly where I was. -Ah, that must be Emporio way over there... So, I''m just over central Bahamut...- At my current speed, it was just a few minutes from Atlas, but while that was far from a long time, as my nerves started to settle after being heightened in the void, those few minutes seemed to stretch forever. But eventually, the outskirts of Atlas came into view, and as I recognized that nearly nothing had changed, a wave of relief passed over me. -Maybe.. it hasn''t been too long...- But as I got closer and closer to the heart of the city, that relief was flipped on its head. The denser downtown area of the city was practically unrecognizable, with massive, towering structures of marble having been built all throughout it, particularly around where the academy used to be. But while it all made me a bit worried, there was one thing that brought me the most relief in the world. -Huh?- Pulling my eyes off the horizon, I looked down over countless massive estates, and immediately found ours, but rather than seeing the estate itself, I saw a large white dragon, coated in ice flying directly at me. It was Mother, her metallic white scales glimmering beneath the moonlight. *crackle-FWOOSH* Quickly slowing down I tried to ease my descent as much as I could, but Mother maintained full speed until she slammed straight into my chest, burying her face into my scales with tears streaming down her face before I could say anything. But as I went to speak, someone else''s voice met my ears. YOU DUMMY! *CRRAACKKK* The next thing I knew, I felt a blow with the force of a thousand suns come slamming down on my head. The unbridled might of an angry sister. But more than anything, I felt relief. Krystallo, while she had clearly grown, was still young. -Thank the heavens...- That sight alone lifted the weight of mountains of my mind instantly. -But I dont think an apology will save me this time...- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 317: A Deep Warmth Chapter 317: A Deep Warmth Mid Evening - Early Summer : Atlas | Bahamut ----- "Dummy! Dummy! Dummy! Dummy!" Krystallo repeatedly stomped on my head as we slowly descended to the ground, with Mother still tightly clinging to my chest as if afraid to let go of me. *Fwoosh* *Fw-Fwoosh* As I finally touched down, I lowered my stance and looked up at Krystallo before speaking with a hopeful tone. "I-I''m assuming you won''t accept an apology?" "OF COURSE NOT!" *stomp-WHAM* *WHAM* *WHAM* Tears slowly welled in her eyes as she stomped on my head, managing to balance herself on my head and horns. But while my mind raced to think of a way to calm her down, Mother finally started to ease her grip on me and looked up at me with a pure, thankful expression. "I..I''m glad.. you''re finally home safe..." The tears in her eyes quickly started streaming down her face as she spoke. "I.. thought we really lost you..." *pat* Pressing her forehead into my chest again to hide her crying expression from my gaze, her frost tears dripped down my scales. Gently picking up Krystallo with my aura, I lowered my head next to Mother and spoke gently. "I''m sorry for making you worry..." As I gently pressed my head into her to hold her close, she gripped me even tighter before her breathing shortened and her words became stuttery. "If this- is a dream... I hope I- never wake up!" Seeing her sobbing, I felt my chest ache, but more than anything, I was thankful to be alive as well... -If I wasn''t spared... I wouldn''t be the one here right now...- A mix of worry, sadness, and anger instantly started to well in my mind. But after a moment, I felt small pieces of ice falling onto the back of my neck and glanced up to see Krystallo sniveling while I held her with my aura. "I THOUGHT YOU REALLY DIED, YOU DUMMY!" She quickly started squirming as her icy, crystalline tears were thrown through the air. "A.. A lot happened... A lot of things out of my control..." Guilt quickly started infecting my swirling emotions. "I''m.. sorry..." Slowly lowering her back onto my head, she clung to me momentarily before Ilios walked up and started licking her face with a happy wag in his tail. "Mmmm..." *Lick-Lick-Lick* "Even Ilios is bigger than me now!" She pouted as Ilios happily licked away her tears. But the crying continued for many hours after that, until eventually, we made it to the living room where I had laid down with Krystallo and Ilios sleeping on me. Mother was the only one besides me still awake, but after crying her heart out for so long, even she was drowsy. However, rather than talking, we watched the massive flame in the fireplace dance and listened to the enormous tree trunks crackling under the heat. But after a moment, she crept over and snuggled beside me. Once she finally got comfortable, she spoke with a lethargic but warm tone. "Was it you that broke the moon..?" She truly sounded like she already knew the answer. "It''s.. a long story..." "We have time... I have waited nearly eight years to hear it..." -So, my guesses were close...- With Mother having grown to 30 meters and Krystallo to 21, it was clear quite a bit of time had passed. -But it''s not nearly a century... Thank goodness...- "But I''m not sure where to start..." -How much should I even explain...- As I fell silent, trying to think of what to say, she eventually turned her yearning gaze back toward the fire and rested her head on my leg. "If you wish to keep it a secret, that''s fine... I''m sure you have your reasons." "I..." I hesitated hearing her tone. "All I can say is that it was related to a god... I still don''t know how to feel about it..." Gently pressing her head into me, she finally closed her eyes before beginning to doze off. "Well.. if there comes a time you want to talk about it, you know I will always lend an ear." A part of me wanted to keep talking, but at that moment, seeing her finally start to relax and ease enough to sleep, I stayed silent. Her smile slowly widened. "The coming-of-age festival is in just over two years, sweetie." My eyes shot open in an instant. "What?!" "PWAAAH!" Finally making out of my grasp with a bit of help from Ilios, Krystallo glared up at me. "What was that for?!" "You said you hated me. I can''t just let you storm off and give such thoughts time to brew." "Ack..." She immediately tensed up. "Well.. I can''t deny that it helped calm me down a bit..." "Is that so?" Glancing down at her, a slightly evil smile came to my face. "In that case, you should do it again." Her eyes instantly shot open. "WAIT, NO! MOOOOOOMMM-" *muffled noises* "Hoho, it seems her rebellious phase is nothing in front of you." Mother let out a soft chuckle hearing Krystallo, before closing her eyes again with a gentle smile. "I''m proud of how you''ve grown, Vasilias... I hope you know that..." A warm smile found its way onto my face as I looked down at Mother''s peaceful expression. I felt proud. But before I could truly bathe in the warmth of the moment, there was a knock on the door. *knock-knock* It was Chloe, and Mother was quick to let her in. "Please enter." I was a bit worried about my new form for a moment, but as Chloe entered, she never took her eyes off the ground. "Uh, h-here to report that most estate staff, people in the streets as well as nearby buildings, and the estate lord have passed out... Many nobles around Atlas have also come to investigate the unbelievably oppressive aura as far as a hundred kilometers away... If I am not mistaken, it is my lord''s aura." -Ah... I forgot about that...- "Uh..." Slowly glancing down at Mother, I felt a cold bead of sweat form on my head. "About that..." But she was too shocked to budge. "A hundred kilometers?!" She quickly looked up at me. "Did you fly over them or something?" "Uhm.. that''s just my aura now... It''s.. uh.. pretty far beyond what I can control..." Her mouth slowly fell open before she zoned out and turned to Chloe. "T-tell them it''s one of the Ancient Fenrir." -Huh? What?- I was instantly thrown through a loop, but before I could think about it, Mother looked up at me. "I think.. it''s time I find you a better aura control technique... Although I''m not sure we have anything in our family library for that volume of aura..." -The family library?- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 318: An Act Chapter 318: An Act Early Morning - Early Summer : Atlas | Bahamut ----- "T-tell them it''s one of the Ancient Fenrir." Mother spoke to Chloe after barely a moment of thought. The nonchalance in her voice threw me for a loop. -Huh? What?- Quickly looking up at me, Mother spoke in a slightly troubled tone. "I think.. it''s time I find you a better aura control technique... Although I''m not sure we have anything in our family library for that volume of aura..." -The family library? But wait.. before that...- "Did you just tell her to say its the aura of one of the Fenrir?" Quickly turning toward the door, I contemplated stopping Chloe before thinking Mother wouldn''t have said it without reason. "It''s a long story, but shortly after you left, we absorbed Siratha. However, one of the many conditions Miss Vilulf made was a complete allegiance with the Ancient Fenrir, meaning we were forced to place the Fenrir alongside Bahamut and not shun their worship." She paused as she looked up at me. "With them being physical, living gods, it left a sour taste in the mouths of many as it meant they could take control of Bahamut at any moment if they wanted, but many simply dealt with it since you weren''t here... However, now that you''re back in Atlas with an aura like this.. it seems it brought many of their worries to light." I immediately tensed. -Shit.. that''s not good...- Absorbing Siratha was actually something I had thought about before my sleep; however, my consensus was that it was too risky as long as I didn''t have the power to fill the role. -I mean... I might be able to now...- But I was still a bit unsure. "You mentioned there were other conditions in the deal with Siratha?" "Miss Vilulf gave us quite a few of them.. almost as if she knew we couldn''t refuse at the time..." Gently flicking her tail, Mother rolled onto her side before continuing calmly. "The two most problematic ones were that dragons, to live in Siratha as dragons, were required to openly worship the Fenrir, and, should the Fenrir request it, Siratha would be granted complete sovereignty." -Holy shit... Sovereignty after assimilation like this would make it look like the status of elves is being put next to the status of dragons...- In short, it was a major blow to draconic pride, one I couldn''t blame them for. "But if that''s the case, wouldn''t telling them my aura belongs to one of the Fenrir only make things.. like.. way worse?" -Wouldn''t it just paint their worries out in front of them?- Mother nodded without a moment of hesitation. "I won''t be surprised if Chloe telling them the aura belongs to one of the Ancient Fenrir causes some turmoil... But more than likely, they won''t even take our word for it." -How can they not take our word for it?! What other creature would have an aura like mine?!- A conflicted feeling quickly arose upon seeing how calm she was. "What if they do believe you, though?" "Then, once we leave for the family library, I will come up with an excuse for one of the Fenrir being here that eases their worries." I hesitated upon hearing her confidence, but while I trusted her, I didn''t trust those outside. -If they''re really upset about the deal with Siratha, they could use my lack of action as the ignition for a rebellion...- In my eyes, it only left me with one option. However, before I could say anything... "PWAAH!" Bursting out from under me, Krystallo finally freed her head. "BROTHER! Go out and kick their asses!" I jolted slightly hearing her angry, demanding tone. "They have given Mom and Dad nothing but trouble ever since we made the deal with Siratha! Go out and put them in their place!" She spoke with fire despite still being buried within my fur. "Sweetie," Mother''s tone instantly turned worried. "A few more months won''t hurt anyth-" "No! Now that he''s back, we should show them all why the deal was made in Siratha''s favor! They constantly asked where the Fenrir were, and about whether they truly deserved to be put next to Bahamut, so now it''s our turn to answer!" I was instantly taken aback by her ferocity, but at the same time, all she did was confirm my worries. -If I simply do nothing here.. it will just cause more problems...- Mother seemed to be more worried about me than anything, though. After seeing that I was taking Krystallo''s side, her expression was washed with worry. "Vasilias.. sweetie. I know what you''re thinking..." She paused as she looked up at me. "No matter what display of strength you do, it won''t be enough. People will continually compare it to their impossibly high visions of Bahamut, and no matter what you do, it will fall short..." "But..." A part of me couldn''t refute her words. "But if I can manage an adequate show of strength, wouldn''t it fix almost all our problems?" Her expression quickly turned more troubled, clearly displeased. "I haven''t actually tested much with my aura or this form much at all just yet, but my gut is telling me to be confident... Maybe I could use this as an opportunity to test the water..." It was a bit of a stretch and extremely risky, especially since even I didn''t know what the capabilities of this form were. -But if I simply do nothing, I''m almost certain things will make a turn for the worse... And if that''s the case, at least this would give us a chance to turn it around...- But Mother was still skeptical, not seeing it like I did. But, maintaining the demeanor of a god, I walked out without any hesitation. -There really are a lot, though... I''m not sure my aura can suppress this many people... Should I try and make some liquid divinity?- Quickly looking up toward a group of about a dozen ancients probing my aura with theirs, their expressions turned extremely unsavory. -How rude...- Although I didn''t personally care, it was quite disrespectful. Glancing back toward Mother, I saw her serious expression and spoke with confidence. "It appears I''m not as welcome here as I thought." She immediately tensed up slightly but, after a moment, simply rolled with it. "It is likely because of your abrupt appearance. I apologize if their curiosities have upset you." "It''s not their curiosity that bothers me..." Politely lowering her head, she spoke with swiftness. "Then you may punish as you see fit." Slowly coming to a stop in the center of the courtyard, I looked up at the ancients again before casually sitting down. "Then allow me to apologize for the damages in advance." *VWOOOM* Slamming the aura I could control down onto each of them, they instantly went wide-eyed before being slammed into the ground with an irresistible force. *WH-WH-WH-WHAAAM* Kicking up huge plumes of dust and rock as they shattered the ground, each of the eleven ancients were instantly, irresistibly pinned to the ground. -H..Holy shit...- Even I was taken aback by how oppressive it was. -And I still have some to spare...- *VWOOOM* Swiftly spreading out everything else I had control of, I immediately pressured countless other dragons throughout the audience elder and ancient stages alike, slamming them down to the ground with pale faces while while the rest wore looks of awe, appearing like admiration on the faces of children. And before I knew it, a smirk appeared on my face. -Having so many dragons kneeling to me.. doesn''t feel too bad...- "Now, are there any others who need ''correcting''?" *crackle* Pressing down harder on the ancients as they tried to squirm out from beneath my aura, cracks continued to spread through the ground, and every unsavory expression remaining in the crowd was eased. "Much better." Finally standing up again, I glanced back at Mother. "Now, let''s get moving again. I apologize for creating a scene." "Right... Now, if everyone would excuse us." Quickly walking past me, she took to the air, giving me one last moment to look around before I followed after her, only easing the pressure of my aura after I had taken to the air. However, even after I withdrew my aura, most remained motionless. They simply sat there in silence, in thought. Contemplating the reality of what just happened. Attempting to fathom the being they just witnessed. Meanwhile I followed after Mother, contemplating why my acting flowed a little too well off the tongue. -I guess Notts soul still had some influence.. huh...- ----- Stuff will start picking up pace again soon <> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 319: An Ocean of Knowledge Chapter 319: An Ocean of Knowledge Early Morning - Early Summer : Atlas | Bahamut ----- "Hooh..." I let out a deep breath as I took to the air and finally pulled my aura off everyone. *Vwoom* -Geez.. just controlling that much is so draining, and controlling it somehow isn''t even my biggest problem...- But such issues were to be addressed later. "You''re quite a good actor, you know," Mother spoke to me through wind magic, her tone tinged with slight pride. It brought some ease to my mind right away. "Well, after calling myself a Whyte and pretending to be a demihuman for so long, I''d hope I''ve gotten pretty good." "Hoho~, you speak like you want it to end. Are you excited to finally be able to use the family name once the festival rolls around?" A smile slowly broke through her facade as she spoke. "How could I not be? Though I''m not sure exactly how it will all work out..." -I wonder if I should continue to lie low or finally announce myself... I''m sure Asgard knows about me now, especially considering the scene I made on the moon.. even if, for whatever reason, I was left alone...- From my perspective, it didn''t make much sense, but there was undoubtedly a reason, although I would end up saving it for the next time I saw the goddess. "Well, we still have a little over two years to think about it, so what''s the rush. For now, let''s just focus on the library." "R-Right. Speaking of..." I quickly glanced at the horizon before turning back to Mother. "Where is it?" -I thought it would be at one of our estates, but.. I don''t remember anyone mentioning we had one over here...- "It''s a few kilometers northeast of the academy." She spoke as if it were something I should have known. But I was hung up on something else entirely. "Academy? Like where it used to be?" "Haha," she chuckled. "Where it still is." I tensed up immediately. -W..what?- Thoughts ripped through my mind instantly. I knew for a fact that I had erased every trace of the academy. -But it''s.. still there?- However, while I was still questioning my own memories, Mother motioned to the horizon ahead of us with a refreshed smile. -Huh? What is she...- On the distant horizon, a series of massive, unfamiliar structures began to come into view. They were all very simple and cubic, a stark difference from the intricately designed buildings within the city, and as we continued to fly, more and more of them started to appear until it had essentially become an endless field of them. -W..what are those?- I continually questioned myself as we flew, eventually finding them similar to the Elder Hall''s old housing district, but before long, something more familiar came into view. The hole. The place where I incinerated countless ancients and erased an entire monument off the map. But something about it was.. different... As we approached, I wanted to ask Mother about it, but the closer we got, the more of the hole I could see and the more of a whirlwind my mind became. -W..what the hell?- The once-desolate and devastated site of the academy was buzzing with activity and life, the hole''s expanded edges lined with the countless, newly constructed buildings with countless dragons traversing between them carrying tools, materials, and even artifacts leading toward the hole. "W..what are they.. doing?" Mother was quick to put on a proud look. "Well, you remember how Poniria said destroying the academy would help bring dragons together again? Although she may have been a manipulative bitch, she was right about that." -H..huh?- Looking back toward the academy, I could finally see into the hole, but rather than seeing the cooled molten rock like I expected, I saw nearly perfectly vertical, carved walls of stone with countless massive marble structures embedded in them, each with a dragon working on them from the surrounding scaffolding. It was truly a sight to behold, but once the bottom of the expanded, nearly 18-kilometer-wide hole came into view, I saw an unbelievably massive mythril structure, and it looked like just the base of a colossal spire. "That''s.. a lot of mythril..." I spoke with awe, unable to maintain my act. -I get that its mostly lower grade stuff, but holy shit, that''s a lot...- Mother''s smile only widened after seeing my reaction. "Once things cooled down after your spell, we sent Sir Atsa?li down to check things out, but rather than finding survivors or anything, he found that you had uncovered a huge, low, and mid-grade mythril vein. It''s what we plan to use to construct the entire central spire, leading from the very bottom to the top of the hole, giving more support to the walls and connecting all the rooms at the same time. But mind you, construction only began a couple years ago, so it will take quite some time before it''s done." Quickly making our way inside, we were immediately presented with the view of a seemingly endless ocean of books, stacks of paper, stone tablets, and even animal hides covered in fairly primitive languages lining shelves hundreds of meters high and managed by several younger and older ancient stage librarians. -They must be the caretakers...- "Miss Ragnarok! Wel-" Their cheeriness instantly halted when my aura reached them. "Haah..." Mother could only sigh. "One of you, please show my guest to the aura control and aura reading sections." She quickly looked back toward me before whispering. "Go ahead and take your time. While there are rules against removing books from here, given the status of the Fenrir now, they won''t apply to you. But to be sure, I will fill the rest of the caretakers in on it while you''re out." "Alright." Looking back over toward the caretakers, I saw one completely frozen and shaking slightly, but compared to the other two, she was in rather good condition. "You seem to be able to handle my aura the best, so why don''t you show me around." The next thing I knew, she gulped her anxieties and nervously nodded. "Y..yes! Dear guest..." After that, it took some time to eventually get moving, but after leading me around the massive, circular library for a few moments, she stopped in front of a massive shelf before hopping up onto one of the many small balconies lining the wall of bookshelves. Although it took her some time, she actually managed to slowly get used to my aura. "This area here should be most of the books related to aura, aura control, and aura reading, a-although there are a few techniques elsewhere if you would like me to grab them." Quickly walking up under her, I used my aura to start scanning the names of the books, pulling out the ones that stood out. "If you could, I''d be grateful." My voice was fairly soft as I had already started reading some of the texts. From the looks of things, it made her a bit flustered. "Y-yes, my lord! I will fetch them for you right away!" Before I could say anything more, she hopped off the balcony before gently landing on the ground and rushing around the corner. -She really is quite dedicated...- But while I was extremely hopeful seeing just how many books there were on the subject, numbering close to a thousand, I was quickly let down by their content. -Some of these really sound like weird fantasy cultivation techniques...- ''If you imagine every place the blade of grass can be, then where it is will never be a surprise. You can read your aura in a similar fashion.'' -Ya don''t say...- *pop* Closing the book with a bit of agitation, I moved it back up to the shelf before turning to the next book I head ready. It had been about an hour since I arrived, and I had fully read around 700 books, but somehow, I felt dumber than when I started. -These.. really aren''t helpful...- To put things simply, the technique I was using was leaps and bounds beyond the ones in these texts, and the worst part was simply how cryptic and symbology-driven the texts were. -No wonder these texts are meant for geniuses.. you have to be a genius to even understand what the hell they''re trying to say...- Needless to say, I was starting to get upset and eventually just abandoned the technique texts entirely in favor of the theory ones. The caretaker assigned to me was actually beginning to get nervous after seeing that I was getting a bit agitated, but eventually, I completely changed the subject. "So, what kind of texts are in the inner layers if stuff like these techniques are out here?" ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 320: Pieces Stuck in Time Chapter 320: Pieces Stuck in Time Mid Morning - Early Summer : The Library of Eternity ----- *tap-fwoop* Quickly shelving a few books with my aura, I glanced down at the caretaker. "So, what kind of texts are in the inner layers if stuff like these techniques are out here?" She immediately tensed up before looking up at me. "Uh.. the inner layers have more state-critical works." Curiosity piqued, I tilted my head slightly while shelving a few more books. "State-critical?" "Older texts and objects of importance that require more extreme conditions for preservation. The deeper we go, the more careful we must be around the objects, to the point that even our auras must be kept away from the pieces." -Geez... Isn''t that a bit extreme?- "What if you need to move things around?" "The objects are separated into sections, each of which can be moved with a special device stored in the second layer. We as the librarians must meticulously organize these sections before relocating them to the inner layers." -So all the organization, and I''d assume ranking of importance, happens out here, then they just never touch them..? Wouldn''t that make stuff pile up in the inner layers?- Questions rang through my mind before I turned back to the caretaker. "How many layers are there, and how big are they? Is the first layer the biggest?" She shook her head immediately. "There are four layers in total, though only three are accessible," she explained with a hint of disappointment. "As for their sizes, the second is the largest, and the third follows it. Omitting the fourth layer, each layer essentially acts as a filter for the deeper layers, but the second layer accumulates quite a lot that cannot be disposed of, but isn''t important enough for the third layer." -As I thought...- "I see..." Looking back down at the stacks of books around me, I skimmed through them with my aura before quickly putting them back on the shelf. "In that case, let''s see what the second layer has to offer." -If it''s larger and has been sifted through before, there has to be something...- "Uh.. about that..." She quickly tensed back up before breaking into a cold sweat. "No one is allowed inside except on set dates once every few years." She threw herself into a deep bow instantly. "I sincerely apologize." But as she bowed in silence, a smile found its way onto my face. "That''s fine. I''m not a caretaker after all." She quickly tensed up, but before she spoke, she looked toward the ground. "T-that is true..." Silence wrapped around us as she fell into thought. "However, there is still a procedure that must be taken." With some reluctance, she deepened her bow. "I apologize for my impudence, but please give us an hour to prepare for your entry." "Alright. In the meantime, I will continue to look around if that''s alright." "O-Of course! Please ask us if you need anything!" Finally dismissing her with a nod, I skimmed the rest of the texts around me before placing them back onto their respective shelves and standing up. I had an hour to roam and explore as I wished, but as I walked around the massive loop of the library, I quickly found that an hour was far from a long time in that place. -Geez.. this place is massive...- The outer layer technically had only three rings of bookshelves; however, each was nearly a hundred meters tall and ran in a circle around the entire spire. -It doesn''t help that it''s not only books either...- Scattered on the bookshelves were artifacts, ancient-looking stone tablets, scrolls, and preserved animal hides covered in text, several of which were written in languages unfamiliar to me. -Just where are these from...- But as I continued looking, I did eventually find things that did more than just stimulate my curiosity. About a quarter of the way around the loop, I found a row of stone tablets that looked to have been taken out of the wall of a cave, and on them was the language of the Acardi. -W..what''s this?- Quickly reading through them, my expression of curiosity gradually darkened until I was simply left perplexed. The text, written by an Acardi survivor similar to the one whose crawler I found in the Holy Kingdom''s mountains, wasn''t anything like a diary, log, or will. Instead, it was endless mathematics and formulas scratched into the stone''s surface, which I couldn''t directly connect to anything in physics. -What is this math for...- It was so complicated and exact that I was struggling to wrap my head around it all at once. Simply nothing I could think of could connect to it, even highly obscure topics like mana energy wavelengths. My only hint was the text that looked like chicken scratch at the very end, ''After being on the verge of death for so long, I solved the problem...'' But as time ticked by, I sat down and stared at the shelf, continuously wracking my brain over the equation until, eventually, the caretaker came back up to me. "Lord Nott," she bowed deeply, pronounced with respect. "Your entry to the second layer has been approved and prepared." -Ah.. has it been an hour already?- In all honesty, I had momentarily forgotten where I even was. "Alright, but before that, where did these tablets come from?" But the shelves of items related to aura were very few and far between, and nearly all the items on them were theory-based. However, thankfully, even a single book in this layer was more helpful than everything I read in the first layer combined. After reading through any and everything I could find, I managed to get a slightly different view of aura, as well as some methods to improve my ability to control it. My issue with reading it still persisted, and my control still needed an excessive amount of practice, but it was at least better than nothing. However, my greatest boon of the second layer didn''t end up being the pieces related to aura. It was pieces related to the Acardi. All throughout the second layer, there were artifacts, texts, devices, and blueprints, all made by the Acardi, stored and archived for thousands of years. -This place is a fucking treasure trove...- The more I looked, the more I found. Broken versions of the mobile satellite device I had, electronic tablets, carbon printers, cables, which I may or may not have taken, and even an empty fusion core were all items I had seen around. But as I started nearing the four-hour mark and needed to head back to the door, I found an Acardi artifact I didn''t recognize. A simple black cube with no glow at all. -Hm? What''s that?- *VWOOM* It instantly started glowing and humming as my aura brushed across it. "Authorized Personnel det-" *static* -Awe damn.. did it break?- Bringing it closer, I pushed some aura into it and fixed it in all the places that looked damaged before finally letting the electricity and mana in it flow again. *HHmmmmm* The hum quickly settled down before the purple glow in it steadied and began flowing more smoothly. "Awaiting command. . ." The robotic voice was almost identical to those I had heard previously from similar artifacts. -What is it though...- "Uh.. help?" -Will it list commands if I ask that?- "Invalid command." -Figures...- Quickly straightening up, I looked over my shoulder toward the door, which was only just around the corner. -I don''t have time to mess with this...- "Deactivate?" *click* The glow and hum instantly stopped as the cube returned to looking like a simple black cube. -Now I just need to think of an excuse to take it...- "You find something?" I jolted so badly that I nearly launched the artifact into the ceiling after hearing Mother''s voice. *VWOOM* "Uh, yeah... Could you help me take this out of the library?" I lowered the artifact in front of her so she could look at it, but the moment I expected her to give a suggestion, she just lunged forward. *nom* I simply froze almost instantly. She simply.. ate it? -H..huh?- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 321: A Fathers Pain Chapter 321: A Father''s Pain Mid Afternoon - Early Summer : Atlas | Bahamut ----- "Did you really have to put it in your mouth?" I couldn''t help but give Mother an odd look as she opened her mouth and pulled out the Acardi artifact, freshly doused with saliva. "It was the only way. Only Bahamut has the authority to take things from the second and third layers of the library." She gave me a sly glance as she handed it to me. "But who knows, maybe I was hopeful it would turn my scales black too." I hesitated, unsure if she was serious, before taking the artifact and cleaning off the saliva. "That was a very.. unique scenario..." Quickly getting it clean, I buried it into my fur and secured it with my aura. -Right.. I need to grab my ID and sword before I leave...- "Anyway, what was it you were getting ready to say before you grabbed the artifact?" "Ah, yes..." *fwoosh* *fwoosh* Landing gracefully back in the courtyard of our estate, she glanced at me before turning to the door. "I was thinking, since you''re planning to stay in Siratha while you work to get a handle on your aura, why not take Krystallo with you?" I immediately tilted my head. "Is that really alright?" -I don''t know if I''m comfortable bringing her into space to meet Hera, so I''d have to leave her alone.. although I''m sure Leif wouldn''t mind...- "Well, it would be a good opportunity for her to gain some experience in the outside world. Plus, with Siratha under Bahamut''s wing, she can use her draconic form, and I don''t need to worry about her getting hurt if she wanders off." She spoke with a prideful tone, confident Krystallo would be able to defend herself. But it just made me raise an eyebrow. "You think I would let anyone touch a single scale on her?" "Haha, of course not." She let out a soft chuckle as her smile warmed. "But you did promise to make it up to her. Do you really think she''ll let you leave alone?" "Haah..." I immediately let out a heavy sigh, imaginatively feeling her weight on my back already. -She definitely won''t let go of me once I get inside...- But as we walked, I had an idea. "What if you and Father joined us in Siratha? Since it''s under Bahamut now, couldn''t you frame it as a diplomatic visit?" Mother stopped abruptly before falling into thought. "That''s.. not a bad idea actually... I''ve been looking to set up a meeting with Leif Vilulf for quite some time now." "Just say the word, and I''ll arrange it. It''s not like calling it a diplomatic visit would be a lie." -Although it might be more of a family trip...- "Hmm..." Mother looked into the air as she weighed the idea. "Okay, let me speak it over with Osto. We still have quite a lot of paperwork we need to clean up..." She turned back toward me with a slight flicker in her tail. "You''re going to leave here in a few minutes, right?" "Yeah, I just need to grab a few things." "Then expect us to arrive a few days after you. Assuming everything goes well, we will show up at Miss Vilulf''s estate under diplomatic pretenses." Still half in thought, she resumed her walk toward the estate. "Alright, then I''ll make sure they make accommodations." Following after her, we hastily entered the estate, being anxiously greeted by the few conscious guards and maids while we walked. But as I was getting ready to turn into the hallway with my room, I found a white-scaled figure glaring at me from around the corner. She stared like a panther lurking in the underbrush, and the moment I got close, she pounced. *thump-puff* She buried herself in my fur instantly. "YOU CAN''T LEAVE AGAIN!" She gripped my chest with all her strength as she yelled with an angry tone. She wasn''t merely making a statement; she was issuing a command. -Oh boy...- "You''re just going to travel with Mom, we''re going on a family trip, I just need to leave before-" "NO!" She dug her claws into me, her eyes burning with determination. "I''M NOT LETTING YOU OUT OF MY SIGHT FOR THE NEXT WEEK! MINIMUM!" I wanted to retort, but somehow, I couldn''t muster the strength. "Haah..." -Well.. maybe this isn''t all that bad... Since I won''t be using a space rune, I can show her sights she couldn''t imagine...- I paused to give it more thought before speaking with reluctance. "Alright. But as we leave, I''ll have to cloak you with light magic, so try to stay put until we are far enough from Atlas that I can change back to my dragon form." Her anger turned into joy instantaneously. "Okay!" Her tail happily flicked around while she hung from my chest before I used aura to move her up onto my back where Ilios was laying. "We will be leaving in a minute, so go ahead and get comfortable." "B-but isn''t Siratha.. like.. really far away?" "Mhm!" I gave her a prideful glance before facing forward again. "That''s why you should start holding on! I don''t plan to fly slowly." Courage instantly sparked in her eyes before she scoffed at my advice. *crackle* She didn''t quite realize what real speed was just yet, but I had no intention of forcing her to do anything. -Well, I warned her!- *crack-FWOOOM* Blasting the thrusters, she was instantly thrown backward, coming completely off my back before she could react and grip my fur like her life depended on it. "WHAT THE?!" Even without any air resistance, she could barely hold on, but as she looked down at Ilios, nonchalantly napping just in front of her, she put on a look of determination, trying to reel herself back in before yelling out, "How is Ilios napping?!" "You''ll get used to it like he did, I promise." Slightly easing the acceleration, I let her pull herself back down to get a better grip on me, but by then, we were already on the edge of the atmosphere and coming up on the ocean. *flash* Finally at altitude and up to speed, I changed to my draconic form and eased the thruster magic, allowing Krystallo to finally relax and have a moment to catch her breath and move around. She was a bit grumpy at first, but it only took a moment for that to change. Finally sitting up, she looked up to find the stars staring down at her, clearer than she had ever seen, and looked down around us to see the vast, unfathomable beauty of the ocean, only limited by the single distant horizon that encircled us. Wholly captivated, her claws firmly dug into the contours of my scales while she looked out over the world in awe, with eyes filled with countless glimmers of curiosity. For the first time, she truly had the chance to put everything into perspective, to see just how unfathomably vast the world she had at her fingertips was. "W..wow..." Her voice, soft and filled with awe, barely rose above a whisper. "How.. beautiful..." Glancing back at her in silence, I watched the wonder in her eyes glimmer beneath the warmth of the sun just above us, staring out at the giant storm clouds gathering on the horizon with an indescribable fascination. To an extent, it felt as if I was looking at my former self, a young dragon suddenly realizing just what was at their fingertips, the expanse of unknown left to explore, and the unfathomable beauties that lay in hiding. Even after having technically flown around the world, I truly felt as if I had explored nothing. From the frigid expanse of the north to the blazing abyss known as the Banv?nn Desert, there were countless mysteries about the world I had yet to even see, let alone touch. But while my mind usually ran rampant when thinking about such mysteries, set ablaze by the never-ending curiosity in my mind, at that moment, I had set it aside. -I wonder if I should really take her straight to Siratha... We have a few days to kill, don''t we?- At that moment, I simply wanted to show her more of the world. -But where to...- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 322: Nostalgia Chapter 322: Nostalgia Late Afternoon - Early Winter (northern hemisphere) : The Banv?nn Sea ----- "Um.. Brother?" Krystallo''s voice trembled slightly with nervousness as we glided over a seemingly endless expanse of open ocean. "What''s up? Are you okay?" Quickly checking the air around her with a bit of concern, I made sure it was still breathable before easing my nerves. "Y-yeah, I''m fine. I was just wondering... Was that patch of desert we passed part of the Banv?nn?" She gestured her tail toward the distant horizon behind us as she spoke. "It was. Why do you ask?" "Isn''t Siratha near the western border of that desert? Weren''t we heading there?" Her furrowed brow suggested she thought we were lost, her mind likely racing to figure out how to guide us back. But, of course, I knew exactly where we were. "Haha, while I did say we''re going to Siratha, we aren''t going straight there. There is a place I want to show you first." Her anxiety was almost instantly replaced by a sparkle of excitement. It was truly an adorable sight. -I wish I could''ve taken her to the Eastern Oasis. It would have been fun to introduce her to some humans and maybe grab a barrel of piotita while we were there, but even though my aura theoretically shouldn''t kill humans, what good does visiting do if everyone is unconscious...- Turning back to the horizon ahead of us, I promptly centered Krystallo on my back and began thinning the vacuum magic around us. -In any case, this place should be enjoyable too...- Finally beginning to slow down, the very edge of a shoreline began emerging over the horizon, with distant towering, cloud-covered mountain ridges quickly following behind it. -Those clouds must never dissipate...- The place I was taking Krystallo was The Scar, but rather than taking her to its summit, I was simply taking her to see it and show her around the Acardi wreckage I had found there. Not feeling comfortable bringing her into outer space or, frankly, introducing her to Hera without talking to her privately first, I planned to just skirt the edge and try to verify if Hera''s aura was at the peak before continuing to show Krystallo around to the unbelievable views and vista''s of the mountain ranges. But before I could even get to the closest beaches, I had to switch gears. -Tch...- I felt two presences moving toward me at a speed far beyond the limits of living flesh. -Of all the times for gods to come make trouble...- Noticing the change in the air around me, Krystallo immediately started to get anxious, but as she opened her mouth to speak, everything stopped. *Vwoom* Creating a bit of liquid divinity, I held its constant flow nearly to a halt, and in perfect sync, time seemed to freeze. It confirmed my theories about how liquid divinity worked almost instantly, but my focus was elsewhere at that moment. About a kilometer behind us, there were two goddesses - one familiar, the other a stranger. However, while the foreign face threw herself into a fearful bow the moment I set my eyes on her, she had a hint of confusion on her face. "So, who''s this? Did you make a friend?" Looking toward the goddess I recognized, she immediately jolted before starting with a stutter. "Y-You can''t go to the Holy Kingdom!" I was instantly taken aback. "What do you mean?" -Is she.. flustered?- "You can''t fight the Aesir yet! You need more-" Finally noticing Krystallo on my back, her panic screeched halted. "I''m not after the Aesir right now. I literally just woke up from a dragon sleep where I got repeatedly pummeled for over a hundred years... I just want to relax a little..." The few minutes we approached the base of The Scar were honestly amazing, Krystallo''s adorable expression of awe and wonder was simply priceless, to the point I wish I had a camera to take pictures even though I knew such memories would never fade. "Are those tiny things down there wyverns?" Pointing below toward the massive ice spikes around the base of the sprawling mountain ridges, Krystallo''s eyes were filled with fascination. "They are indeed. When I was here last time, they were nesting in or around those big ice spikes, and there were simply tons of them. Some were pretty big, too, but they just look cute from up here." "Hehe, I wonder how many I could kill!" "Pfft-" The conflict between her tone and words caught me insanely off guard. -The apple doesn''t fall far from the tree, huh...- With a smile, I glanced back at her. "If you want, we can go down and raid a nest." She immediately looked toward me with excitement simply oozing from her. "Is this what you brought me here for?" There was a happy flick in her tail as she spoke. "Haha, not quite." With a soft chuckle, I motioned my head forward. "What I actually wanted to show you was this." "Hm?" Straightening her posture, her gaze followed my indication, but she froze the moment it landed. "WOAAH!" Trotting up toward my neck with a sparkle in her eyes, she never pulled her gaze off The Scar, its unfathomable scale and indescribable beauty turning every emotion she had into awe. -Even still.. after having already ventured to it''s peak.. it''s truly a sight to behold...- And as if to make the vista even more incredible, at the very peak of the mountain, the faint glow of an aura was visible, glowing like a beacon left to guide me. -But I need to save visiting her for later...- Turning my attention back to Krystallo, we continued gliding around the base of the mountain for quite a while, relishing in the joy of sharing the moment together even after she had begun asking me all the questions that filled her mind like a barrage that flowed endlessly. But, with each question filled with a limitless, childlike wonder and curiosity as it did when she was younger, I simply answered them as best as I could, savoring every passing moment I could. But before long, the day began to wane, the sun dipped below the horizon and the sky was painted in hues of orange and purple before being blanketed by the night sky. As night finally settled, I gently steered us southeast, following the rugged contour of the mountain range sprouting from The Scar. The next destination was the Acardi wreckage. By that time, I had started simply giving Krystallo a lesson on science and the stars as she gazed up at them, attempting to use the nigh unfathomable scale of The Scar to put space into perspective. But whether she was really understanding me or simply enjoying the moment, reminiscing over our childhoods, I couldn''t tell. All that mattered was that she was enjoying it. However, I didn''t expect that once we arrived at the wreckage, we would have someone interrupt our evening. -Someone.. is in the wreckage?- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 323: The Future鈥檚 Uncertainty Chapter 323: The Futures Uncertainty Mid Evening - Mid Winter : The Ancient Wreckage, Southwestern Holy Kingdom ----- *fwoooosh* "Brother.. how do you know so much about the stars?" Krystallo''s voice carried a mix of awe and curiosity, her scales catching the ethereal glow of the scarred moon above as we glided over the vast, shadow-draped forest below. A smile came to my face as I was reminded of the countless nights we spent under the stars as children. "Well, I''ve spent a lot of time studying them!" "But.. how do you know that each speck of light is a giant blazing fireball hurtling through the empty expanse of space?" "That''s all thanks to their light! By breaking down the light emitted from a star into its base parts, you can see what the star is made of, how old it is, and even how fast and in what direction it''s moving." Her eyes widened with wonder as she turned to look at me. "H..how though... Where would you even start?" Swiftly creating a small piece of glass, I handed it to her. "You start by using something called a prism, like this piece of glass, and because different wavelengths travel at different speeds, you can separate them based on how much they bend; then, all you need to do is limit the light passing into the prism so it''s just the light of the star and boom." Her tail flicked excitedly as she held it to her eye and looked down at the soft glow in my scales. "Oh, we did actually learn about these! They taught us how to use them to help us find issues with our light magic that our eyes alone couldn''t see." I immediately raised an eyebrow as I glanced back at her. -That''s actually really smart...- "Like to improve the accuracy of your illusion spells?" "Exactly!" Her excitement was simply infectious. "And according to our teacher, maybe even to give light magic the ability to heal wounds in the future!" -Huh? Does she mean, like.. disinfection with UV?- I tilted my head slightly as I thought about it, but I still drew a blank. "You''ll have to show me sometime. I''m not sure I know much about that." Glee instantly washed over her face. "Hehe, okay!" But as her contagious joy started spreading to me, my expression stiffened. -What the...- We were still about a hundred kilometers from the wreckage, but even still, I sensed a presence I could instantly recognize belonging to a dragon. -Without being able to read my aura it''s a bit hard to tell, but it feels like someone.. is in the wreckage?- At such a distance and without the ability to read my aura, it was a bit hard to tell its exact location. -But they''re in that general area and are barely moving... I wonder if it''s someone from the Intelligence Agency. Maybe they stumbled across it after I pointed them toward where the crawler was...- But the closer we got, the more oddities I found. Their aura was quite small, maybe only on par with an old adult-stage dragon, and was quite poorly controlled as if it were a human mage or perhaps a young dragon with far more aura than they could handle. -But if they''re that young.. what are they doing all the way out here, all alone? Just a few of those big wyverns could do them in...- It didn''t make sense no matter how I twisted it, but the closer we got, the more my curiosity grew. -It''s a shame I won''t be able to speak with them...- *Fwoosh-Fwoosh* *Fwoosh-thump* "Hm? Why are we landing here?" Krystallo looked around with a blend of curiosity and caution as we finally landed in the relatively small clearing. "Well, this is the other thing I brought you here to see." As Ilios hopped off my back and stretched, I looked back at her excitedly. "Have you ever wondered if there was a way to travel between stars?" Not quite understanding me, she tilted her head slightly before a mix of countless expressions blew across her face. "H..huh?!" As I moved her off my back, I honestly wanted to laugh. She clearly picked up what I was alluding to, even if it was a little cruel. "Sorry to get your hopes up, but this doesn''t have that ability anymore." She immediately looked at me like she was upset, as if I had lied to her. But it wasn''t for the reason I thought. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, ''ANYMORE''?!" -Ah...- I felt an awkward, cold bead of sweat instantly form on my forehead. "SINCE WHEN COULD WE EVER DO THAT?!" Quickly moving my wing over her, I pressed it down on her head to try and calm her down, but she just pouted. "It''s a little hard to explain at the moment, but for now, just know that this is a relic from the great war, alright?" He looked down at the medallion in a daze for a moment before finally looking back up at me with a gleam of hope in his eyes. "The Ragnarok.. family?" Seeing me nonchalantly nod, he looked back down at the medallion and fell into thought. But after a moment, he simply bowed and held out the medallion. "I apologize..." He spoke without a hint of a stutter. -Hm?- I raised my eyebrow as I looked over at him. "What are you apologizing for?" But his bow didn''t waver. "I cannot accept your offer..." He looked up with a flicker of confusion mingling with determination in his eyes. "I appreciate your offer, truly. But my journey to find the Phoenix is mine alone... As I am currently, I am nothing but a burden, so please forgive my rudeness in refusing." But I wasn''t understanding. "Okay? But what are you giving me the medallion for? Should you ever give up on your path, the Ragnarok family will welcome your talents. Keep it." "H-Huh?" He looked at me, confused, as if kindness was foreign to him before pulling the medallion back toward his chest. "I will not forget this!" "Mhm, just don''t die, kid." Finally motioning him off, he changed back to his dragon form and quickly took to the air. As he flew away, Krystallo stared at his back with a blend of intrigue and confusion on her face. "Brother, do you really think he''ll find what he''s looking for?" I immediately shrugged my wings. "The journey is more important than the destination sometimes. He clearly has some inner turmoils.. if his journey settles them, does he need to find the Phoenix?" Krystallo''s gaze turned to me as she sank into thought. But I was quick to continue. "In any case, let''s get back to what we were doing. You ready to go inside the wreckage?" Finally finding our way into the wreckage, Krystallo''s excitement quickly returned and grew. Each piece of twisted metal and fragmented technology was a story in itself, a relic of a time long gone. As expected, her questions flowed endlessly, as if a large lake had finally caused the dam to burst, but while I didn''t know too much about the Acardi either, I wove tales of their ingenuity and the wonders they had achieved. The wreckage was more than just a pile of old metal; it was a testament to the reach and ambition of a civilization that had dared to touch the stars. And as we explored, I couldn''t help but feel a sense of connection to these long-gone innovators, their dreams and aspirations seemingly echoing through time. But the wreckage was only so large. After a while, the moon climbed higher in the sky, its light casting long, eerie shadows across the wreckage site, and we finally made our way back outside, a new sense of inspiration and fascination dwelling in our minds. We had simply spent hours lost in the stories the outside world had long-since forgotten, pondering tales that had ended long ago. But unlike those, as we left the wreckage behind, heading back into the night sky, we knew that our journey was just beginning. At that moment, we just had each other, but neither of us had a mutter of complaint. All I could hope for was that I was finally strong enough to guide her to the future she hoped for so dearly, to fly among the stars with me. But.. the future was always a mysterious thing. Even if you could see it, even the slightest differences could alter it. -And after experiencing the strength of Dagr''s soul alone.. I know I still have a long way to go... But...- Looking up at the stars, my mind felt at ease. -It''s not so bad spending some time like this too...- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 324: The Descendance of a God Chapter 324: The Descendance of a God Early Morning - Mid Summer : Valtivar | Siratha ----- - Leif Vilulf ~ The corridors of the estate resounded with the urgent patter of footsteps that morning, each one a note in a symphony of orchestrated chaos. Even outside, commoners and officials alike scurried about with excited but baited breaths. Our Lord was coming. It had been nearly a decade since his presence faded since the moon bore its scar, but now that it was back, it was denser, thicker, and more oppressive than ever. -It feels a bit different than it used to as well, but somehow...- "Ah~!" My legs buckled the moment I tried to focus on it. Although I wasn''t sure why back then, after his return, whenever I tried to focus on his divine presence, an oppressive sensation as if I were being gazed upon by an almighty being would flood my body. The first time it happened, I felt fear, and the second time, I felt anxiety. To me, it felt like a test of faith, and while I didn''t want to admit it, I had most certainly failed. But after trying again and again, that feeling had slowly morphed into ecstasy. "Hooh..." -But I cannot let the Lord see me in such a shameful state...- Slowly standing back up with shaky legs, I supported myself on the wooden window seal. *Twack* "Leif! Are you okay?!" Bursting into the room, Liv darted to my side with an expression washed with concern. But I quickly waved her off. "I am fine... Our Lord has simply gotten so strong that it will take some time for me to adjust..." Finally catching my breath, I moved my gaze back out the window, overlooking the massive dragons coming to and from the estate while carrying all kinds of cargo and important figures from the outskirts of Valtivar. "I just hope we can live up to his expectations, considering the platter he served us before he left..." I mumbled beneath my breath before turning back to Liv with a less flustered expression. "In any case, how are preparations coming along." "Generally, everything is in order," Liv replied, retreating from the sunlight streaming through the window. "Prayers have already begun commencing by the tree, with all nearly distinguished figures in attendance, and as you requested, the apostle candidates have been gathered." -Excellent...- My thoughts quickly drifted to Alva, the only apostle other than me to survive the Lord''s cleansing. Her recent changes were more than welcome. "When Alva arrives, bring her to my office." -I hope she can make it before the Lord arrives...- "As you wish." Quickly bowing, Liv''s long, lush hair parted to reveal beautiful bronze scales on the back of her neck. "She should be with her apostle candidate; should they come here with her?" -She''s come a long way...- A smile crept onto my face as I looked down at her. "Send them to the base of the tree. I expect the Lord to haze them when he arrives." She instantly tensed up before slowly looking up at me. "Uh.. Miss Vilulf... I''m not going to get hazed with them, right?" She spoke anxiously, her young age quickly becoming apparent. "Haha, I don''t know." Glancing toward the horizon over my shoulder, I felt a chill pass down my back. "He may haze the whole city, so you might as well prepare for it." I spoke jokingly, my voice thick with sarcasm. And it helped lighten Liv''s mood, if only slightly. "O..okay! Then I will go finish my preparations." Watching her leave, a sense of paternal pride filled me, though I had no children of my own. "Hah..." -Our Lord''s foresight is truly limitless.- *Click* With a warm smile fresh on my face, I finally gathered myself and stepped out onto the balcony, looking up the warm ray of morning light shining through the windows of my office and staring into the sky. It felt warm, as if I was suddenly wrapped in a blanket on a cold evening, but the warmth penetrated far deeper than the skin. *inhale* "Haah..." Letting out a heavy breath, the warmth eased every sense of tension out of my body. It was time for our Lord''s return, but somehow, rather than feeling tense, I felt rather eager and proud, like a child wanting to show their father something they made while he was away. Mimicking my fenririan form, my humanoid form''s horns and tail had grown much longer, and my body had matured significantly, looking closer to someone in their late 20s than anything. But the most significant change was the two large, spanning, furred wings sprouting from my back. They weren''t exactly functional when it came to flying, but they were undoubtedly a handy tool I could make use of. However, that was for another time. Quickly folding my wings and following after Leif, we entered the estate, the interior reflecting Siratha''s transformation outside, melding tradition with newfound prosperity to create a unique air and beauty. But just like outside, the most surprising thing was the people, dragons, elves, and demihumans alike. Each and every hall we passed through was lined with people pressing their heads to the floor, their reverence manifesting in the silent, respectful atmosphere being a stark contrast to the reactions my presence usually elicited. It was an acknowledgment of not just my power but also their faith and devotion in me. In a way, it felt welcoming, as if they truly enjoyed my presence, unlike the dragons in Bahamut, bringing ease to my somewhat burdened mind. Of course, not everyone could remain conscious, but the majority took me by surprise to the point that when we finally arrived at our destination, I could dedicate my mind to what we were to speak about. *Click* Opening the door to a massive room with spanning bookshelves, walls of glass, statues, and colossal artifacts everywhere, I was slightly taken aback, but especially after noticing the dozens of mana accumulation runes lining the ground like simple carvings, I had no complaints. *flash* "Lord Nott, this is the Grand Abode, a space only those you grant permission may enter." She bowed deeply in front of the open doors as I transformed just inside. "Please do what you wish with it." Finishing transforming back to my fenririan form, I uncloaked Krystallo and Ilios and used my aura to motion her inside. "Then please come in. We have a lot to talk about." Her eyes widened as she looked toward Ilios and Krystallo, cheerfully exploring the massive space, unsure how to react. "Don''t worry. She is my sister in this life, so please try to treat her well." *VWOOM* Quickly creating a place for me to lay down and a large, cushioned couch for her to sit, I made a small table to speak over before getting comfortable. But Leif had yet to even move from just inside the door. "If you wish to call a maid, you may. Otherwise, come and have a seat. There is much to discuss." But she didn''t budge. ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our new discord! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 325: The Faith of Countless Chapter 325: The Faith of Countless Early Afternoon - Mid Summer : Valtivar | Siratha ----- "In that case, I will leave for the Tree to make sure everything is in order before you arrive." Lief, rising gracefully from her kneel, bowed deeply, reflecting both respect and a slight tremor of anticipation. "Lady Krystallo, your acquaintance has been an honor. I hope you look forward to my guidance in the coming days. I don''t plan on falling short of the Lord''s expectations." "Hehe," Krystallo immediately returned her gaze with a playful yet competitive smirk. "Just try and teach me something I can''t master!" A proud smile immediately crept onto Lief''s face, clearly invigorated by the challenge I had set before her before finally straightening up. "As someone close to the Lord, I would hope so, but let''s save such matters for another time." Finally looking up at me, her eyes glistened with determination. "Siratha shall kneel in your presence, My Lord!" Giving a shallow bow as a final curtsy, she hastily exited the room before leaving the estate and heading straight for the Tree. -Her loyalty is truly something...- Quickly turning my attention toward Krystallo, I stood up and gently stretched. "So you''re going to stay here with Ilios?" "Mhm!" She nodded without hesitation. "It sounds like you will be busy while you''re there, so I''ll just stay here and hang out with Ilios since we haven''t exactly bonded much since you returned." She immediately turned toward Ilios with a pout. And as if knowing exactly what she meant, he sprang to his feet and trotted over to her with a wagging tail. -How cute...- It was a scene that reminded me of the old days. -As long as he''s with her, she''ll be fine.- Watching them happily move back toward the towering bookshelves on the other side of the room, I moved over toward the wall-sized, one-way window overlooking the courtyard and took a moment to sort my thoughts while Lief worked on preparing things. It had been quite a while since we initially sat down, and as one would expect, we had talked about a lot, essentially discussing everything from my family and reincarnation, of course leaving many details out, to the state of Siratha and my relations with Dagr. -But while it took a while for her to wrap her head around the fact I have family, she took everything surprisingly well...- Before we spoke, I was honestly a bit nervous about how she would react to the whole situation regarding my reincarnation, especially when it came to my family and mortality, but she didn''t seem to have even the slightest waver of faith the entire time. -It''s honestly a little hard to believe, even now...- But while I said that then, it wasn''t exactly too shocking. During our discussion, I spoke about how my reincarnation as a dragon was necessary because of the shortcomings of a body that could essentially be boiled down to a hyper-evolved fenrir, and casually spoke about how Dagr had previously possessed Ilios but recently pulled his soul out of him. To the ears of just about anyone besides me and maybe Krystallo, it was like I was speaking in some foreign language, and while I didn''t realize it at the time, my casual tone made it seem as if I scoffed at death, numbing reincarnation down to a mere tool I used for my own growth. Even if I told Lief that I was truly a mortal being, she certainly would not have believed me. But in the end, it worked to my benefit. After coming clean about my identity, I had no unease at all when it came to having Siratha beneath my paw, even if I had no plans to micromanage it, and with my fenririan form, I had no more worries about getting in trouble using Nott''s name and reputation to my advantage. -Going by Nott feels unnaturally natural now too.. but I guess that''s cause I am technically him...- All in all, it was still taking some getting used to, but I was slowly getting there. -For now though, I just need to focus on making an impression on the citizens, pick a few new apostles, and give Lief a reward for her loyalty and faith to set an example for others.- Although I hadn''t discussed it with her, I had set my mind on setting her as the example. -The question is what should I give her...- A gift to the person who ruled one of the largest and strongest nations on the planet. I knew it couldn''t be simple. But it also didn''t take long for me to settle on an idea. -Yeah... I actually wonder what would happen if I did that...- It was a bit experimental, but I saw no reason for it not to work. -We''ll just have to wait and see...- Slowly escaping my thoughts, I looked back out the window and killed some time for another moment before feeling Lief''s frantically moving aura finally come to a stop about halfway up the trunk of the Tree of Prayer. -It must be time...- Then, after just a moment, I felt the air shake with the noise of countless voices speaking in unison. "In the shadow of the past, we gather beneath the boughs of life to present our mind, body, and soul." The voices of hundreds of thousands praying in unison resonated through the forest like the voices of a chorus. "In the presence of our Lords above, we seek the guidance of the eternal path. We present our full being, and submit to our gods. Dagr, Nott, hear our plea." A blanket of silence was instantly draped over the forest as everyone fell into silent prayer. It was my cue. "Asa Gunvor, greets the almighty lord!" She seemed to want to throw herself into a bow almost instantly but held her gaze, refusing to fight the aura I used to hold her chin up. -These two are pretty good...- "I hope you two serve Siratha well." Looking up towards Lief, I motioned her to stand up with my aura before continuing to speak through wind magic. "These two will be the new apostles." "Understood, My Lord," Lief responded immediately, her voice laced with a mixture of reverence and pride before quickly moving to stand beside the newly chosen apostles. But as she went to speak, I stopped her. "I have something for you as well." "H-Huh?" At the unexpected notion that I was gifting her something, she became flustered, but after looking up at me and seeing me holding the broken-off tip of one of my horns with my aura, her face paled. "M-My Lord! I cannot take an item that leaves a mark on your-" "Quiet down." -As if breaking the tip of my horn off would leave a scar...- "It''s already grown back." Lowering my snout to show her my horn, she finally started to calm down, even if she still looked like a ghost. "Now take this and make an elixir for yourself with it. You have more than earned it with your faith and loyalty. Just make sure you are the only one to consume it." As I lowered the few centimeters of my horn into her shaky hands, the gazes of onlookers widened, but after a moment, I disappeared before their eyes. "Children of Siratha," my voice instantly drew everyone''s attention toward the canopy. "Those who pray in pure faith will have their prayers heard, while those who don''t will not. True faith is not measured merely in words but in actions and the intentions of one''s soul, cultivated through many lifetimes and reincarnations. Serve Siratha well, and remain steadfast in your belief, and maybe eventually your prayer will be answered." Momentarily stiffening my aura, countless eyes in the crowd went wide. "If you lack faith in me, that is your decision; however, I hope you are willing to still have faith in your leaders, the apostles, as they can pray in your stead, for not just the good of you, but those around you, your children and your ancestors." I paused, overlooking the mixed gazes of the people below. "Remember, your actions, your thoughts, your very essence contribute to the fabric of Siratha. Each of you, in your own way, is a thread in the tapestry of our world. As such, I hope you all will uphold your values and bring honor to the legacy of those who came before you." Finally finishing, I gave one last look at the crowd before lowering my gaze toward the apostles and disappearing into the void. *Vwoop* For what felt like an eternity, silence had fallen over the crowd, so hushed even slight movements could be heard. But before long, a few souls, sparked with newfound purpose, lowered themselves once again, falling into prayer as they pushed their mana up to the top of the Tree. Before anyone knew it, they all followed suit before each raising their gaze and yelling, "Blessed be our Lords!" It was a phrase never used previously, something one person just happened to yell out at that moment, but ever since then, it became one of the most common phrases in Siratha. And while I didn''t realize it, after hearing it from Lief''s estate, a smile found its way onto my face. ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 326: A Foreign Feeling Chapter 326: A Foreign Feeling Mid Afternoon - Mid Summer : Valtivar | Siratha ----- *pitter-patter* *cr-RACK-rumble* "So.. I take a water molecule and.. try to.. split it..." The silent pitter-patter of rain followed periodic claps of lightning as Krystallo hung her head in thought. "It''s supposed to be.. two small parts and one big one..." The tiny droplet of water she was focusing on was almost invisible, yet its size was irrelevant to the mental gears grinding in her head. "The ''small ones'' you see are Hydrogen atoms, and the large ones are Oxygen atoms. There are a few ways to split them, but try using electricity first. Just be gentle. Start with a lower intensity and slowly ramp it up until you see it split apart." She glanced up at me while I instructed her before closing her eyes again and letting out a deep, foggy breath. "Hooh..." It had been just over four days since I returned from the impromptu event at the Tree of Prayer at that point, but I can''t say much happened. Having to bend to Krystallo''s will, I had been giving her lessons essentially non-stop ever since I got back, with very few breaks. -But while she''s progressed a lot because of it.. after four straight days of lessons, I''d be willing to bet she''ll hit her limit with this one...- Currently, I was starting to teach her about my thruster magic, as per her demand. -But I think it''ll be a bit beyond her ability...- However, within moments of that thought, the small bundle of water started to boil, and eventually, the single water molecule she focused on, split. -Well, at least she isn''t giving up...- "When you see the particle you''re focused on split, slowly expand the bubble of mana you''re reading to encompass more particles until you find a comfortable limit. For now, just focus on splitting everything you can see in that bubble and tell me when you''re done." The soft sound of rain dripping from the canopy filled the silence as Krystallo concentrated on her spell. However, when she reopened her eyes, there was a hint of uncertainty in her gaze. "D..done..." She sounded a bit disappointed. "Alright." Swiftly creating a torus of vacuum magic around her bubble of mana, I created a fairly sizable open space beneath it. "Now, push the hydrogen and oxygen you just split down, but don''t follow it. Instead, look toward the top where the water is going to flow in and start splitting it as you see it... For this, flatten the large spherical space you''re reading down into a plane and only split apart the water as it enters and passes through that plane. Just keep in mind that how fast you push things will dictate the flow of everything, so start slow." "O-Okay!" Eagerly returning her focus to her mana, the water started to flow, and the mix of pure hydrogen and oxygen started to flow into the pocket I made, albeit slowly. -Her control and calculative speed has improved by leaps and bounds over the last few days, but I might have to stop her after this one...- Her pace wasn''t terrible, but I could tell it also wasn''t her best. -Her mind needs to rest...- Although I knew she''d hate it, after continually monitoring her brain activity during the lessons, I could tell the mental fatigue was catching up to her. -And this exercise definitely won''t help it.- *vwoom* -But she''ll be alright for now...- Giving her a moment to focus, I silenced the room and simply watched her work. As expected, her technique and control were far from adequate, even for such a tiny sphere of water, but to my surprise, her pace improved so much in the time she worked on it that she split all but a few molecules of water in the droplet in just over two minutes, and finished with a pace I would expect from an early or mid elder stage dragon. However, that speed, expectedly, came at a cost. "I.. think I''m done..." She looked utterly drained, almost as if steam were about to burst from her ears. -Yeah, it''s time for a break... The timing worked out too...- "That was really fast! Good job." Gently patting her on the head with my wing, the exhaustion on her face seemed to vanish, if only for a second. "Hehe~! Really?" I immediately nodded with a bit of pride, even though it was purely a result of her own talent. "Yeah, you beat Mom''s first time by several minutes." Her eyes instantly lit up like gleaming stars before speaking with joyful disbelief, "I don''t believe you!" She spoke like she didn''t believe it but also wanted it to be true. "Well, if you don''t believe me, why don''t you go ask her yourself?" Her posture instantly straightened before I motioned my head to the side. But, after a bit more idle chatter laced with hidden intentions, I made my swift departure through the void, not wasting a single instant to move to the upper atmosphere before beginning my flight to the Holy Kingdom. It was time to meet up with Hera, a demigod stage dragon from over ten thousand years ago and the only person I figured could help me, but after not seeing her for eight years, I had to expect her body to be mostly reconstructed and had to expect a foreign appearance. -Although I really have to wonder what she''ll look like...- In order to not be too taken aback when I saw her, my mind wandered the entire flight, burning through countless possibilities of what she would look like before finally coming up on the mountain. But while I had imagined millions, if not billions of possible appearances for her, there wasn''t a single one that was even close. As I finally crested the edge of the caldera, sensing her aura as well as the core, I was instantly met with the gaze of a deep-ocean-blue scaled dragon, with countless sleek white horns, two main colossal wings with two smaller ones behind them, and an extremely long tail with laid, webbed spikes akin to fins along the top and bottom. Her eyes, as deep as the ocean stared into mine, but while I felt my heart race slightly, I felt no fear. -W..what the...- Although it was a conservative estimate, she was easily five times my height, with an aura not that much smaller than my own, but somehow, even after my dragon sleep, I felt something I wasn''t sure I would ever feel again. Uncertainty. -I wonder.. if I could beat her in a fight...- Before I knew it, I felt a wave of excitement and eagerness to finally land and talk to her. But within the mix of emotions, there were sensations I had never felt before, sensations completely foreign to me no matter how deep within my soul I looked. But back then, I simply racked it all up to whatever I could explain it with. Not that that was a bad thing. ----- Possible Seasonal Bonus Chapter Tomorrow or the Day After In the meantime, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 327: A Void in History Chapter 327: A Void in History Early Evening - Mid Winter : Hera''s Rest | The Scar ----- *Vwowowooom* Within the empty vacuum of space, the eerie, muffled noise of mana rippled around me, marking the clash of two unfathomable auras. But even though it was the only noise that could meet my ears, silence still filled my mind in its entirety. For the first time since I hatched, I was gazing into the eyes of a being I truly couldn''t read, and it made my mind race. -I wonder.. if I could beat her in a fight...- But while I felt confident I could hold my own, as I got closer, Hera''s towering 322-meter-tall form was put into perspective, and uncertainty mixed with my thoughts. But eventually, I entered a dense bubble of air encompassing the caldera, and such feelings became meaningless. "Are you really Vasilias?" Her voice, calm and imbued with an air of confidence and majesty, carried a mixture of curiosity. "I knew you would change a lot, but.. my goodness..." *FWOOOSH* *FW-FWOOSH* *Thud* Landing with heavy feet, I looked up at her face, which loomed over me even though she was lying down. "I could say the same about you." -She really is giant...- Although I wasn''t sure of its source, I felt a mixture of eagerness, pride, and nervousness as I finally landed. "Hoho~, I suppose you can. Even I didn''t expect to change this much, but it seems my body treated its reconstruction like a dragon sleep." Glancing back over herself, she stretched out two of her wings and flicked her tail before looking back at me. "Just about every aspect of me has changed in some way... You on the other hand..." Moving her colossal head down in front of me, she squinted her eyes in skepticism. "You feel.. ''different''..." Not shying away from her stature, I confidently matched her gaze. "Of course. That''s because, in a way, I am a different person." She squinted her eyes as she slowly looked down my body. "It''s quite a long story, but to summarize, during my dragon sleep, I managed to fuse my body and soul back together." -Speaking of which...- Lowering my gaze downward, I could faintly see the outline of her reserve deep within her chest with a small, solid white sphere at its center. It was her soul, and with some practice over recent days, I was able to view it quite easily. -I can even see an outline of their reserve when I look for it now... I actually wonder if I can look through walls like that...- But the moment I gazed at her soul, her skepticism vanished, and she pulled her head back. "It''s impolite to look at a dragoness like that, you know." -Huh?- Hearing her odd tonation, I immediately looked up and noticed the flustered expression on her face. -She sensed that?!- It was my only explanation for her change in mood at the time. "Sorry if I was rude. I was just curious." -Her soul core is huge... I wonder if being in her soul form for so long was the cause...- "Ahem, it''s alright." She quickly straightened her posture, covering her face with her wing before composing herself. "In any case, back to what we were saying: you fused your soul with your body? Were they not already fused?" I quickly shook my head. "As far as I know, the piece of my soul controlling my body before was just a tiny fragment since my whole soul would have destroyed my body." Her eyes widened as countless questions raced behind them. "How fascinating..." She stared holes into me before her gaze finally softened. "I can''t say I dislike the change." "Haha, well, that''s good." Finally sitting down, I curled my tail around myself and folded my wings. But before I could move on and ask about aura techniques, I glanced toward an approaching presence. -She really took her time... I guess it works out though...- Following my gaze, Hera looked toward the edge of the caldera as well, but it made her demeanor change instantaneously. *VWOOOOM* As if the sky was collapsing, her colossal, looming aura slammed down around me, and a look of unbridled disgust appeared on her face. "To think that filthy bitch is still alive." Nervousness exploded across Skuld''s face immediately, but as if trying to avoid Hera''s gaze, she darted up next to me and cowered to the ground. "~T-This humble servant g-greets the Lord.~" Her voice shook, seemingly from anxiety and fear. "''Servant'', you say?" Hera was clearly the source, with her tone being nothing short of belittling. "You''d look better as a slave." I immediately glanced toward Hera. -I wonder where that is coming from.- "Are you two familiar?" Hera nodded without hesitation. "How could I not be familiar with the Aesir''s little mut? She''s the dog that did nothing but watch as the world burned." -Wait.. then...- My eyes widened with eagerness the moment I thought about it. "Doesn''t that mean I should go kill them now before they get their soul cores out?" But Hera stopped me instantly. "You''re severely underestimating them, Vasilias." Skuld nodded in agreement as well. "Just because they have their soul cores trapped doesn''t mean they can''t access their ocean of divinity..." "But if it limits their movement, couldn''t I just..." Pointing my paw to the side, a small dollop of clear liquid formed on the tip of my claw. *fwoom-BAAAAANG* In an instant, the ground beneath me melted, and a beam about thirty meters wide effortlessly ate its way through the side of the caldera. It was a sight that made Skuld shiver, but contrarily, it made a look of excitement come to Hera''s face. As her gaze turned toward me, there was a childish excitement in her eyes. "Teach me!" She looked like a child who had just discovered a new toy. "Do you know how to use space mana?" She quickly shook her head, but the glimmer in her eyes didn''t fade for an instant. "Bahamut was the only dragon that could use the space rune." -Ah.. I was wondering about that...- "How about this, then? If you assist me in getting my aura under control, I promise to at least teach you the theoretical aspects." But rather than her agreeing like I expected, her expression turned disappointed. "Do you think that lowly of me? I would help you regardless." She seemed surprisingly upset that I tried to make it a trade. "I owe you more than just my life, and even though I doubt I will ever be able to truly repay my debt, I have no intention of falling short." The next thing I knew, her expression toward me turned smug and slightly predatory, but I brushed it off. "Then I won''t let your favor go to waste. However, when it comes to sharing knowledge, I would prefer it to be a trade. Teaching others lets me hone and expand on my own theories. As long as they ask good questions, at least..." "Hoho~, keeping me indebted, aren''t you." Her tone made it seem like she was a little uncertain about how to feel, but her eyes showed she most certainly didn''t mind. "I guess there is nothing I can do~." "I won''t know when I really need a favor. I''m just saving it for a time I really need it." -In any case, I should probably send off Skuld now...- Glancing over at the moon, hanging just over the edge of the caldera, I finally noticed I had already burned almost a third of a day. -If I want any hope of getting my aura under control in a timely manner, I need to start now.- My time limit was already ticking. But little did I know then, those two days were far from the only days I would come to spend with Hera. ----- A bonus chapter is in the works, but I''ve run into some issues with it so sorry for the delay ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 328: The Assumption Chapter 328: The Assumption Mid Morning - Mid Winter : Hera''s Rest | The Scar ----- "Hooh... HYUP!" *wwwooOOOOOOMMMM* Tensing every muscle in my body, my aura, flowing in every direction without exception, was slowly directed upward before forming a column of mana 10 kilometers wide and over 13,000 kilometers tall. *GASP* "HAAH..." Nearly collapsing to my knees under the unbelievable weight of my own aura, I let out a foggy breath. -Holy shit, it''s always so much more than I think it is...- It felt like I was fighting the flow of countless tsunamis rushing in every direction. Like I was redirecting the flow of an entire ocean at once. "Your aura is really.. something," Hera remarked with awe as she gazed up the unfathomable column of mana. "I thought mine wasn''t too much smaller than yours.. but..." "Hah... Hah..." Laboring for breath, I finally released control of my aura, unleashing a blast of mana that disintegrated the ground around me. *VWOOOOM* "Your aura has what.. an 80 kilometer radius?" Seeing her nod, I continued between breaths of exhaustion. "Mine is about 100 kilometers.. meaning I have just shy of double the volume of yours." "Hah," A bead of cold sweat formed on her forehead as her gaze settled back on me. "And here I thought our auras were similar..." *Thump-CRACKLE* The brittle ground seemed to shatter as I slumped down. "Well, it doesn''t matter how much I have if I can''t control it..." -Even after just holding it for a second, I feel like my head is splitting apart...- "But you''ve made so much progress over the last day and a half... you should feel accomplished." Her voice carried a hint of concern as she used her aura to make me lie down. "My techniques can only help so much, and by the looks of things, your mind is still extremely cluttered." -Right...- Mental clutter. It was a term I had become painfully familiar with over the last couple days. According to Hera, during a regular dragon''s dragon sleep to the demigod stage, their minds begin rewiring and reprogramming themselves to use divinity, essentially attempting to upgrade the mortal mind like updating the wiring of a computer. It was a process called the divine shift, a long and slow process that took thousands of years and countless near-death experiences, but, unbeknownst to me, I had already started it, even before my dragon sleep. -Looking back.. I''m pretty sure it''s the only reason Vidar''s sword didn''t blow my brains out when he hit me...- But, while it was a necessary step on the road to ascension, it brought along a unique struggle known as mental clutter. In short, it was when the body laid out strings of divinity but didn''t make use of them right away because of preexisting neural pathways. During dragon sleeps, the body was supposed to naturally destroy and replace the neural paths as the strings of divinity were laid, like unplugging an old cable and plugging in a new one. However, because of the sheer amount of divinity I acquired during my last sleep, my body couldn''t keep up with its production, leaving my brain a tangled mess of divinity that I now had to ''declutter'' manually. -What a pain...- And I meant that literally. According to Hera, the only way to clear mental clutter was to strain my mind to the point of destroying neural pathways and forcing my subconscious to switch to ''the new cable''. The issue with that was I couldn''t manually destroy the neurons, otherwise the string of divinity wouldn''t be ''forcefully reprogrammed'' by my subconscious. "It honestly feels like I''m playing with fire..." Hera''s worries seemed to stem from a similar place as well. "Most dragon''s typically don''t have to reprogram their own minds to such an extent, but I can at least assure you that you won''t be able to strain the parts using divinity enough for them to destroy themselves. At most, it''d just rewire itself to something more efficient." -How convenient,- I wanted to say with sarcasm. "But what if the divinity doesn''t get reprogrammed after the neural path is destroyed? Will I just lose whatever knowledge is tied to that pathway?" Thankfully, Hera immediately shook her head, but it wasn''t because my assumption was wrong. "If the destruction is due to strain, the divinity will reprogram itself. You won''t lose anything, I promise." She tried to be reassuring, but I could only sigh. "Haah..." -That pain isn''t going to be fun to deal with... But..- "For now, I''ll just save it for later..." Glancing at the sun, my time with Hera was running out. "It looks like it''s about time for me to head back." "Hoh?" Hera''s curiosity was piqued instantly. "Where to?" "Valtivar. I brought my family there for a vacation, but we told the public it was a diplomatic visit." Slowly getting back up onto my feet, I gently shook my head back and forth to try and alleviate some of the pain. I spoke as if it were nothing, but if Hera had a drink in her mouth at that moment, she would have spit it everywhere. "WHAT?!" -Oh, shit... I forgot to tell her that, didn''t I...- "Haha," I let out an awkward chuckle as I glanced toward her. "I guess I forgot to tell you earlier.. I apologize." Her shock was honestly palpable. "Half.. ancient fenrir?" As we started quickly reentering the bright blue afternoon atmosphere, I nodded. "Although I only figured it out during my dragon sleep, I am, in more than one way, Nott''s reincarnation." There was a long silence that followed as she looked up toward me with questions ringing behind her eyes. "Do you.. have his memories?" But I hastily shook my head. While it would have certainly been convenient, I knew even less than Hera about the matters regarding the end of the war. However, that would change in due time. For now, all I had to do was take one step at a time and jump the hurdles as they came. But little did I know, a hurdle would find its way to me before I could even realize I needed to jump. *Fwoosh* *Fwoosh* Coming in to land on Lief''s estate, I cut a hole in the roof of my room before descending into it, landing, and quickly patching the hole in one swift motion. Krystallo, who was sitting over by the bookshelves with Mother and Father, immediately hopped up as I came in. "Brother''s back!" But her happy trot came to a screeching halt as I finally landed and set down Hera. Even Mother was caught off guard. "Welcome back, Va- Huh?" The moment she saw Hera, confusion blasted across her face, but eventually, her expression just turned smug. "Hoho~, to think our Vasilias finally found himself a wife~." Quickly hopping up with her obscene assumption, she lowered her head toward Hera for a moment before matching her gaze. "My name is Zachari Ragnarok. If I may ask, who was given the pleasure?" Thankfully, Hera wasn''t too taken aback by her antics, but rather than directly clearing the misunderstanding, she simply gave a very humble bow. "My name is Hera. Hera Monachiko?s." The whole room froze in an instant. "It''s truly a pleasure to meet you, Zachari." She spoke very casually, befitting the age difference, but Mother was so drowned in shock that she couldn''t even find words to respond. -I guess that''s one way to correct her...- "Mother, Father, Krystallo, please meet Hera." I paused as I overlooked them and saw Father was thankfully finally able to at least withstand my aura without passing out. "And before you ask, yes, she is ''The'' Hera Monachiko?s." I had hoped her name would be enough to clear Mother''s insane deduction. But while only silence followed my voice, I felt like I could smell something burning, and after looking down I saw Krystallo, her gaze aimed at Hera like a laser that could melt diamonds. -Oh boy... I guess Hera''s name wasn''t enough to clear Mom''s assumption for her...- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 329: A Hidden Talent Chapter 329: A Hidden Talent Early Evening - Late Summer : Valtivar | Siratha ----- "How fascinating... So, the properties of atoms are dictated solely by the number of protons, and their stability is determined by the number of electrons and neutrons, but can be forcefully balanced with mana?" Hera slowly rotated a tiny aluminum marble with her aura as she stared into her unmoving reflection on its surface. "How did you even figure that out?" "Haha," I let out an awkward chuckle, unsure how to respond. "It''s not too hard to figure out with space mana." "Not too hard, he says..." A smile slowly mixed into her dumbfounded expression as she looked toward Mother and Father. But they both simply gave slow nods of understanding. "We know how you feel." Eventually turning back to me, she didn''t bother hiding her disbelief. "To be honest, whenever we spoke up on the mountain, I always assumed your knowledge stemmed from ''the times changing'' as you mentioned previously.. I simply couldn''t let myself believe a single dragon could advance things so much.. to the point that even after a month of constantly being proven otherwise, I still struggle to believe it..." Unable to say the foundation of my understanding was from Earth, I simply rolled with the praise. "All I did was look for explanations beyond magic. Like if I wave my wing and create a gust of wind, what did I do? Well, ''I created a gust of wind'' would be an easy answer, right? But ask how. If wind mana really was what made the wind move, what about if I flap my wings so hard that a layer of ice momentarily forms on the underside of my wings? Creating such a destructive blast of wind would take an equally immense amount of wind mana because energy requires energy." Father''s gaze, focused on me as I spoke, slowly shifted to his wing as he gently moved it around, attempting to answer the questions I posed. "Ah, so the energy being put into the wind is the energy I put into my wings to displace the air.. and the wind is simply the flow from high-pressure to low-pressure?" I slowly nodded with a smile, seeing he understood. It had been about a month since I returned with Hera at that point, and while she, of course, joined Mother and Krystallo''s science lessons without hesitation, Father had finally started getting interested in them as well. And to my surprise, he was actually an extremely quick learner, to the point that he made Mother seem slow, learning what took her several months in just a few weeks. "What a fascinating way to look at things..." But unfortunately, he couldn''t hold a candle to Hera. "It truly is..." Slowly sinking into thought, she used purely unattributed mana to put pressure on the aluminum marble, melting and morphing it with ease before splitting it and creating hundreds of tiny needles. "It''s a way of thinking that makes me question if I really know as much about mana as I thought..." Over the last month, after spending essentially all day every day with her, we quickly came to know each other pretty well, but with each passing day, it became more and more apparent how much of a monster she was. -She isn''t just a quick learner either... The moment she learns something, she can apply it.- But at the same time, who was I to even call her a monster... In just a month, I had massively improved my directional aura control, improved my fine control over my divinity by leaps and bounds, and even deepened my knowledge of mana and its properties far more than I normally would have, thanks to Hera. -It''s given me some pretty crazy ideas too.. but I''ll need to save that for another time...- Looking at the room''s entrance, I saw Lief bowing just beyond the door and immediately motioned her inside with aura. *click* Typically, when she entered, she would hold her head high until she got up to me, but her demeanor was a little different that day. *pat* Quickly walking up to me, she formally kneeled while maintaining a serious expression, something a little unusual. "I kneel before The Lord." "Lief, is something wrong?" She hesitated before nodding. "Off the coast near Morva Asari, there was a fleet of ships spotted, all bearing the flag of the Holy Kingdom. I normally would have handled this myself, but one of the dragon scouts said it appears to be a military fleet with many dragons on board and among the crew." My gaze quickly shifted to Mother and Father, whose expressions were now dominated by displeasure. -A military fleet, huh...- "Do you know where they are headed?" She quickly shook her head. "We don''t know, but we do have a guess." She continued after seeing she had everyone''s attention. "Two weeks ago, a group of dragons gave the new apostles several assets, from dungeons, gold, and artifacts to an entire mythril mine in order to gain their favor. However, the mythril mine is just south of where they were seen, and they are hugging the coast as if looking for something in the mountains." -A machine that caves in dungeons...- My expression quickly darkened, just like Father''s. Such a purpose-built machine being there narrowed their intentions to two options: collapsing the mythril mine, possibly in an attempt to lower its value, or collapsing The Dungeon of the Colossus. Neither were good options, but between the two, one had a far more immense impact on Siratha. And Father knew it too. "If they collapse the dungeon, the dungeon''s core will go on a rampage and push the monsters out..." And the result would be a monster wave the likes of which no one could even fathom. -If Mother wasn''t exaggerating when she said that place was dangerous even for Elders, a monster wave from there would be a serious problem...- "It''s a good thing we''re intercepting them before they reach the dungeon." "Yes, yes it is..." He spoke with a darkening tone as he squinted his eyes towards the ship. "It looks like there are templars as well. The third Division." -Templars and dragons, huh...- One of the most elite units of humans combined with dragons sounded like a nasty combo, but somehow, as we got closer, I felt eager and excited. I felt like a kid ready to test his new toy. But as we approached, a slightly crazed smile came to Father''s face. "Do you mind if I make the first attack?" -Huh?- It wasn''t what I was expecting. "I don''t mind, but what is it you want to do?" "Haha, I just want to test an idea I got from one of your lessons..." He sounded like some mad scientist, twiddling his fingers, overlooking the massive fleet of ships like they were his prey. Honestly, I wasn''t sure how to feel about it. I wasn''t sure whether to be nervous or excited. But at the end of it all, I was curious, so I couldn''t say no. At least that was the case until he pulled out a fairly large, hollow sphere of mythril and began lining the outside with countless runes. -What is he...- But as I used my aura to see what exactly he was doing, my eyes went wide. "IS THAT CUBANE?!" ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 330: Divergence Chapter 330: Divergence Early Evening - Late Summer : Off the Coast of the Western Sirathan Mountains ----- -What is he...- Using my aura to see what exactly he was doing, my eyes shot open. "IS THAT CUBANE?!" Glancing up at me while carving one of the countless runes on the newly created artifact, he looked puzzled. "Cubane?" "That chemical you''re making! Where did you learn about that?!" It was essentially octanitrocubane, an unbelievably explosive chemical I knew from Earth and something I had made a modified version of in the past. -But I never taught him, let alone anyone else about it... There is no way he just..- "I made it myself." -WHAT?!- "When you were talking about displacement, the first thing I thought about was an explosion, and I wondered if I could use that idea to create an explosive chemical." He spoke like he created it on a whim. "Like you''ve hinted at when teaching Zachari, Krystallo, and Madam Monachiko?s, I used carbon as the base, and in order to make it all combustible, I tacked on some nitrogen and oxygen... I''m not sure it will work, but-" "IT WILL! Now be gentle with it, or it''ll blow your hands off." Taking it with my aura, I held it just in front of him. "This chemical is insanely volatile to temperature because of how tense the carbon''s bonds between each other are." Giving a small helping hand, I quickly applied a few additional runes before handing it back to him. The artifact was simple but, in all honesty, quite vicious, taking advantage of mana''s innate ability to stabilize and strengthen unstable molecules with countless mana accumulation runes on the outside of the mythril sphere to temporarily lessen the strain on the carbon atoms before detonating the cubane with some heat, and forcing the cubic atomic structures to jolt into a more relaxed state. -And with the nitrogen and oxygen, it''ll just add fuel to the fire... Literally...- But I was there for it. Although it was an odd feeling, I was pretty excited to see how it would perform. And then, before I knew it, he finished. "Alright. This should be good." Having slowed down significantly, I tilted my paw and dropped him so he could change to his draconic form. By then, we were essentially straight over the Mole at the center of the fleet, but with several layers of light magic and with me keeping the regular mana part of my aura over a kilometer off the ground, we stayed undetected. -I''m curious how much damage this artifact will do...- If it were something I had made, I would certainly call it weak since I knew it couldn''t contend with antimatter, but Father was not a monster like I was. At least not then. *fwoosh-fwoosh-fwoosh* Hovering just beneath me, Father quickly made a few final adjustments to the artifact before finally looking down. The Mole was colossal, but from over a dozen kilometers in the air, it was quite far. "Do you want to fly a bit lower?" But Father''s serious expression didn''t waver for an instant. "No, this height is fine." Finally lifting his gaze off the ship, he glanced to his left before casually tossing the artifact, using a tiny bit of aura to make a tiny adjustment as it fell. "You see that tall knight? The one with the big hammer?" An eager look slowly crept onto his face as he spoke. "I''m gonna hit him in the head." "Pfffft-" I almost burst out laughing instantly. "What are you laughing for? You think I won''t?" He spoke confidently. Holding back laughter, I tried to wave him off. "No, no. It''s not that I don''t think you could." Looking down at his target only made me want to laugh more. "I just think you could have chosen a better target." "Huh?" Looking back down, he didn''t seem to understand, but after a moment, the knight looked up and casually set his gaze on the falling artifact "Hmph." He let out a scoff as he pulled his hammer off his back. "We have company! Everyone get to your positions!" His voice was heavy and coarse. But even though Father couldn''t hear him, he knew exactly what happened. "He saw it?!" "PFt-Hahaha!" My laughter finally escaped seeing Father finally get flustered. "Of course he did. Any ancient would be able to feel that thing''s mana signature when it entered their aura. Did you see how many mana accumulation runes you put?!" Seeing him getting a little embarrassed, I eased up my pestering a bit. "But don''t worry, it''ll just make it more enjoyable to watch." He tilted his head slightly as everyone below frantically ran around, trying to prepare for enemies. "What do you mean?" My smile widened as I finally looked down. "Well, what do you think will happen when that big ole'' hammer of his hits it?" Following my gaze downward, we both fell silent. But eventually, the artifact neared the ground. But after a moment of awe, I casually tossed the massive shell to the side, aending it hurtling through a nearby ship before reaching for my sword. But the knight never let me grab it. *FWOOSH* Darting at me at full speed, he pulled his hammer back before Slamming it forward with every fiber of muscle in his body. He knew it was his best shot at beating me, but unfortunately for him, it was far from enough. *CLING-WHAAMMM* Catching the head of the hammer with one hand, an immense shockwave ripped through the water behind me, and my fingers sank into the mythril like it was soft clay. "And here I thought you at least had some survival instincts." He immediately tried to pull back his hammer, now with a bent shaft and the imprint of a hand on its head, but it didn''t budge. "Give me that." *pat* Casually ripping it from his hands, I tossed it into the air and grabbed its handle before creating a network of mana to spread the impact I would make with the hammer, over the ship that shot at me. -Ignorant bastards.- "Hyup!" Putting my weight into it, I slammed the hammer down on the network of mana with enough force to shatter the mythril. *crackle* And in an instant, the ship simply.. disappeared... *WHAAAAMMMM* The debris-filled plume of water that followed stretched hundreds of meters into the air as if a nuke was detonated, spreading shards of metal, wood, and fragments of bone over the surrounding ships like a scene from hell. The Ancient I stole the hammer from instantly turned a ghastly pale, finally realizing the kind of being that stood in front of him. I simply wasn''t a being in his league. But thankfully for him, he didn''t need to be. *crackle-BOOOM* As a massive explosion erupted from the cargo ships behind us, I slowly turned around to him. "So, why don''t you get to explaining what you guys are doing here." But the moment he went to speak, I felt a tinge of a god''s presence appear behind me, and heard a young man''s voice boom outward. "Gentlemen! Fear not!" He was a young man who could have only been in his early 20s, wearing noble white and gold clothes with an extravagant white and gold sword. "As a grand priest of Lord Baldurs Church of Light, I shall-" *THWAAACK* With a wave of my hand, I sent him flying through his ship, slamming through several deck levels before punching through the bottom. "Who is that dumbass?" -A grand priest? He''s dressed like some noble brat...- "H-He is the leader of this expedition!" The Ancient yelled out immediately, as if trying to suck up to me. "He was assigned to watch over us until we arrived at our destination!" -Hm?- "Which is?" "S-Siratha''s western mythril mine! The one on the Grand Mythril Vein!" -Huh? Why on earth...- "You aren''t headed toward The Dungeon of the Colossus?" He immediately shook his head. "Another fleet was assigned to head there! They should have already arrived!" -Huh?!- My gaze instantly turned to the southern horizon. -That.. is really bad...- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 331: Soul Fear Chapter 331: Soul Fear Mid Evening - Late Summer : Off the Coast of the Western Sirathan Mountains ----- *fwooosh* A misty breeze blew over us as I gave the massive man kneeling next to me a look of confusion. "You aren''t headed toward The Dungeon of the Colossus?" He frantically shook his pale face as he eagerly responded, hoping it would entice me to give him mercy. "Another fleet was assigned to head there! They should have already arrived!" -Huh?!- My gaze instantly turned to the southern horizon. -That.. is really bad...- But while it was something I needed to urgently deal with, I was stuck. -I can''t leave Father here alone, nor can I kill everyone and bring him with me... If only I brought Ilios...- However, not having an obvious answer didn''t mean there wasn''t one. I just needed to find it. Finally turning back to the knight with a conflicted expression, I tried to bite my tongue. "What were you going to the mine for?" "W-We were going to collapse it with this ship h-here." He sputtered, "Of course, that isn''t the case any-" But his voice was cut short when he noticed the bloodlust oozing from me. "Just answer my question." Seeing me holding myself back through my dilated pupils, he continued with fear continuing to seep into his voice. "We were told to sink the mountain into the mine! It would sacrifice the Mole but would allow us to create a path connecting the ocean to the forest and give us exclusive access to the mine itself!" -Shit...- It confirmed my worries in an instant. -The Holy Kingdom isn''t trying to test the waters... They''re here to prepare for war...- And that meant the information from those present was all the more important. "FUCK!" *flash* *CREAAAK* Suddenly switching back to my draconic form, I slowed the flow of my divinity and increased the speed of my thoughts severalfold. In the eyes of those around me, not even an instant passed before I raised my claw to the knight''s forehead, but in my mind, it had been hours. *Vwoom* "Ack-!" Immediately gripping his head in pain, the knight tried to break out of the grasp of my aura. But it was a hopeless effort. *vwoom* With a silent ripple of mana, a glowing, three-dimensional rune appeared at the tip of my claw before morphing like a ball of snakes and seemingly dissipating. It was an oath rune more advanced than any I had ever made. "No one present here can leave, and you will be the one responsible for making sure no one escapes, even if you have to use force until I return or until a group from Siratha arrives, in which you will cooperate with them. If a single person escapes, I''ll personally ensure you can''t reincarnate." I traced his neurons and connected them to the rune as I spoke. "Your only rules are you cannot kill anyone or yourself, am I understood?" *clank-thump* Finishing the rune and releasing my grasp on him, he fell onto his hands and knees with sweat streaming off his nose. -Seems like its working...- "If you do well, I''ll remove the oath and let you live. As for the consequences, I''m sure I don''t need to elaborate." He immediately gave a shaky nod without muttering a word. "Good," Turning and looking over my shoulder, I quickly found Father and used wind magic to tell him we were leaving, but even though he left the other side of the fleet with haste before he could get close... *SPLASH-FWOOSH* There was a sudden explosion just beneath the ship in front of the Mole, and before most people could even react, the so-called ''grand priest'' was right in front of me, wielding his glowing golden sword. Unlike earlier, his expression was firm with a deep but controlled bloodlust, as if he was a man who had fought countless battles, but while he held his brightly glowing sword firmly, aiming to slash my neck, it was nothing shy of laughable. *clank* When his blade met my scales, it was like a butter knife meeting a steel wall, sliding off without so much as a scratch. But his expression didn''t falter, rather, it looked like he was only starting. However, such arrogance was eventually met with reality. -Is he serious?- *THWACK* Swatting him out of the air with my tail, he suddenly vanished before plowing through several ships, only coming to a stop after plunging underwater about four kilometers away. Figuring even a small group of normal ancients would struggle against such a being, my attention was quickly dragged away. It was something I needed to deal with personally. -Seeing that it''s the only one I sense, it might be the dungeon boss...- I quickly glanced toward Father while readying thruster magic. "Father, it looks like there is a pretty strong monster about a hundred kilometers into the forest. It''s a little to strong for me to let it walk, so I will be right back." -It will especially need my attention if it isn''t alone...- Thankfully though, Father understood. "Alright, then, I''ll just investigate the surrounding area until you get back." With a nod, I finally turned in the direction of the aura and spread my wings. "That works, just be careful. I''ll try to be quick." *crackle* Then, in an instant, I vanished. *RUUUMBLE* ----- - Deacon Arca ~ "You humans truly have an interesting way of doing things..." The deep voice, seemingly from a young man, echoed through the cave as I walked down its pristine, serpentining path. It was a voice that gave me the chills no matter how many times I heard it. -Brr...- "Of course. When you don''t have unrivaled strength or mana, you have to get clever." Glancing back, I met the gaze of a dark crimson-scaled dragon that stood just shy of a hundred meters tall. -To use magic so casually... It truly is a shame that the strong ones are so brutish.. even if it would make them harder to control...- The dragon''s name was Kapno?s, an Ancient that had worked alongside the Holy Kingdom since before I was even born. "There are dragons like that too, but more often than not, they simply lock themselves in an office or research facility, like Leander." He glanced over his shoulders at the other three towering ancients as he walked. "It''s a shame that they''re so difficult to bring to the Holy Kingdom. I''m sure the church could make good use of them." "Of course..." -If there were more, we would''ve had no issues with our recent developments, and we wouldn''t need to be here...- Getting a bit jealous of dragons and their undeserved calculative abilities, I sank into thought, questioning the qualms of our recent developmental efforts before shifting my attention forward again. But just a moment later, while I was still lost in thought, my eardrums nearly exploded. *BOOOOOOOM* It was an explosion from the entrance of the dungeon that was so deafening it couldn''t even be put into words and so strong it rattled the entire dungeon. -What the hell?!- With a cloud of dust descending from the ceiling, I turned back and saw the ancients looking behind us with dark expressions. They all simply stared in silence, but after a moment, Kapno?s finally spoke up. "It seems we have some company... I bet it''s that bastard we had to push out manually..." His voice was quite sour, but I could understand why. -That monster gave us a lot of trouble...- "Sir Kapno?s, why don''t you go shoo him away for us. Can you handle it on your own?" Slowly glancing back at me, his gaze met mine with a deep sense of distaste, but after a moment, he simply clicked his tongue and turned away. "Tch... |You three keep an eye on her while I''m gone. Make sure she upholds her promise if I''m not back in time...|" Hearing them speak back and forth in dragon tongue, I shifted my attention down toward the entrance of the dungeon, but the next thing I knew, my hand was hovering over the hilt of my sword, and I had broken into a cold sweat. -W..what...- It was a sensation of fear that made my heart ache and my body stiffen, something I hadn''t felt since I first met an ancient stage dragon. But this time, it didn''t originate from my mind or even my instincts, rather it came from my mana core.. from my soul. My entire being, at its very core, quivered. -What.. are we about to face...- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 332: A Burrowing Mountain Chapter 332: A Burrowing Mountain Late Evening - Late Summer : The Dungeon of Colossus | Western Sirathan Mountains ----- "Hooh..." Readying my mana with a short breath, I pulled my gaze from Father and locked it onto the creature I sensed through almost a hundred kilometers of forest. -Let''s make it quick...- *crackle-FWO-* Everything instantly went quiet as I blew through the sound barrier several times over, accelerating into the sky until I was practically splitting it apart. To most normal beings, a hundred kilometers was quite a distance, to humans, it was even a few hours of travel, but to me, it was essentially nothing. *FWOOOOSH* Zipping over the forest at close to Mach 40, I closed the distance in a matter of seconds; however, when the area I felt the aura finally peeked over the horizon, rather than seeing the continuous forest canopy, I saw an endless stretch of canyon-like cracks covered with toppled trees, and huge pillars of rock jutting out of the ground. -Huh?- It wasn''t a place I was familiar with, and considering its extremely unique and unnatural look, I thought it was a place I should have been aware of. But, unlike what I was thinking, the reason I had never heard of it had nothing to do with irrelevance or happenstance. Just as I got a good view of the area and started looking for my target, I found a weaker aura under the canopy at the edge of the canyons, but the moment I went to read my aura to see what it was, the entire forest shook. *RRRRUUUMMBBLLEE* In an instant, the ground beneath the creature bulged and split apart before countless beams of stone formed to try and pierce or crush the creature. And even though the creature darted off instantly, the crack and continuously forming spikes followed it, winding through the forest and destroying everything in its wake before eventually catching up. *SCREEECH* Finally falling into the ever-growing crack, the creature let out a horrific screech. By the looks of it, it was a forty-meter-tall.. thing.. akin to a spider, scorpion, and larvae all morphed in one. -How disgusting...- It truly looked like something that crawled out of hell, and as it was finally impaled by a stone spike, splattering its green blood across the forest, I felt nothing but disgust... However, the creature hunting it didn''t share that sentiment. *CRRRRACKLE* With a violent shake, the bulge in the ground disappeared before a colossal creature, about three hundred and fifty meters tall, burst out of the ground, swallowing the insect-like creature with a huge clump of stone like it was nothing. It was the owner of the aura I was looking for, an incredibly bulky drake-like creature with a massive row of spines along its back, stubby, muscular limbs carrying spaded paws, and battle-scarred scales that looked like a mix of iron and mythril ores. In a way, it looked as if it was sculpted out of a mountain. However, it was very much a living being. Finally detecting my aura, it turned its heavy, stubby neck and spotted me over the horizon, the vertical slits in its eyes oozing bloodlust like it wanted to make me its next meal. But unfortunately for it, the disgusting monstrosity it had just eaten would be its final meal. -My momentum should be enough...- Slowly attaching countless strings of mana to the creature like the arms of an octopus wrapping around its prey, I quickly closed in until I was about four kilometers away, when I spontaneously crystallized the mana. *CRACKLE-WHAAAAAMMM* A mountain of debris was instantly hurled into the air as the creature was slammed to the ground with its scales being crushed, bones being shattered, and flesh being shredded. In an instant, I had turned countless tendrils of mana into nearly indestructible nails. The creature died before it could even react. "Oh..." -I do feel a little woozy though...- After coming to a complete stop from over Mach 40 in a matter of seconds, I felt like the world was spinning. But thankfully only lasted a moment. "More than likely. They could''ve run into anything in that forest, even that dreadful ''boss''." He spoke with an annoyed tone. "But regardless, let''s just bring him along for now. Maybe we can rile up the dungeon core to deter the rest of his group and give us time to interrogate him..." -If he''s part of a Sirathan Envoy, he will definitely have some good info on him...- But at that moment, we needed to move our focus to something else. Finally coming up to the boss room, we found it vacant as expected, but as we walked in and illuminated everything with light magic, we found more than we bargained for. "W..woah..." Even the nearly two-millennia-old dragons behind me let out a breath of awe as we found that the nearly kilometer-high ceilings were decorated with unbelievably intricate carvings depicting Valkyries being the harbingers of war, victory, fortune, and wealth, standing tall and valiantly holding their ground against monsters and dragons alike, protecting the humans behind them with a carving of the sun at the very center. The entire carving was a part of the dungeon, not being carved by hand but by the dungeon itself, making it look unbelievably pristine but at the same time, made it feel like an illusion. -What in the world...- Finally lowering our gazes, we found that the walls were just as adorned as the ceiling, displaying 13 colossal gates wrapping around the room, with seven looking pristine and untouched while the others looked destroyed and scarred. It was almost as if it was depicting fallen Valkyries, but the further we walked into the room, the more we saw and the more questions we had. -But to think it would really be here...- Although I had heard of this place from one of Frigg''s apostles personally, I found it hard to believe until that moment. -To think I would live to see the grave of the Valkyries...- But the moment I let my guard down, the dungeon started to shake. *rrrrumbblee* Thinking it was from the Sirathan Envoy, we all turned to look toward the entrance, but before we could react, it felt as if the sky had collapsed on us. *VWOOOOM* Breathing became impossible, and even the knees of the mighty dragons with me buckled. It felt like it only lasted a moment, but by the time that horrific sensation lifted and we all looked up in a panic, we found our eyes laid on a wall of stone where the entrance used to be. Before we could react, we were trapped in the dungeon''s boss room. For a moment, it felt like the dungeon was the one trapping us, as if it was waiting for us... But oh how little we knew... The dungeon wasn''t trapping us.. it was simply holing up as if it were a turtle; hiding in its shell, praying the predator outside wouldn''t be able to break through. -W..what happened... Was it a trap? Is this some kind of puzzle?- And all the while, we knew nothing of what was coming. ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 333: Beyond The Fabric Chapter 333: Beyond The Fabric -------------------- - Mild Non-Human Gore Warning - -------------------- Late Evening - Late Summer : The Dungeon of Colossus | Western Sirathan Mountains ----- *vvwwoooOOOOOMMM-TSSS* The air around me sizzled as the ground was reduced to powder and melted under the weight of my paws. My aura flowed so intensely that even the mana strengthening in the ground was eroded away until there was nothing left. -I''d like to see which arrogant fuck touched my Father.- *Flash* Changing to my fenririan form as I lowered my stance and spread my wings, I started to roughly read my aura throughout the dungeon and calculate how I would traverse it, but before I could finish, the presences I felt deep in the dungeon suddenly vanished. -Huh?- It was like my aura suddenly couldn''t reach them. But it wasn''t what I expected. *rrruuuummbbllee* Before I could think, the entire dungeon started to shake as if the whole mountain was about to be split in half, and the entire pathway into the dungeon began to shrink and close. The dungeon was detaching itself from the surface, closing and sealing the path to its core, and before I even had the chance to notice, it had completely surrounded itself with several kilometers of stone and ore. But at that moment, there was nothing that could stop me. "Who knew a dungeon could feel fear..." *Fwoom* The sounds around me warped as everything suddenly slowed to a halt, and my draconic pupils thinned to focus on a single point through the ground. Far under the mountain, I could faintly see a blurry cloud-like sphere. -That must be the dungeon core...- It was so far away that, at least with my current ability, it was impossible to pinpoint. But all I needed was general direction. *blub-CRACKLE* Digging my paws into the half-molten ground, I flexed my legs, lowered my snout, and folded my wings. With time around me slowed with my divinity, whenever I touched something that wasn''t slowed to the same extent as my body, so much force would be applied and energy would be transferred that the ground would turn to liquid and the air would turn to plasma. With most creatures, even if they could use divinity, just the forces of the slowed air around them would lock them in place as well, as their bodies would break thanks to an equal but opposite reaction... But my body had no issue exerting such forces, even if I didn''t acknowledge it. *crack-FWOOOOM* Darting into the ground, an instantaneous tunnel of molten rock formed in the wake of my body without giving the surrounding rock and ore time to react to the impact. With my eyes focused on the blurry sphere, I simply tunnel-visioned until, eventually, the sphere came into focus, and I burst through the ceiling of the dungeon''s boss room. *VWOOP* My aura filled the room nearly instantly, and as I turned to look toward the auras I felt around Father, I found a white and gold-robed human with three ancients right behind her. However, they weren''t the subject of my gaze. -There you are...- Behind them was the largest of the group, a pure cherry-red scaled dragon standing tall and confident while dragging Father across the ground with his tail. -To show him such disrespect...- *VWOOOM* Zero''ing my momentum against the ground, I jumped into the void before instantly returning over his head. *vwoop-vwoop* But while I wanted to disassemble his skull, having him die without knowing how didn''t sit right with me. -I want you to feel the fear of death...- *mwooOOOF* Releasing my divinity, the flow of time around me started slowly returning to normal, but as it did, the world was finally able to react to the damage I had done. "Tch..." All I could do was click my tongue at such a disgraceful sight. "For dragons to give their bodies to humans... How sad." Deciding to test a new spell idea I got from Hera, I quickly poured mana out of my reserve to create an immense mass of space mana before connecting it to various points around each ancient. It was a spell I had never even tried in an experiment, but I was curious what the result would be. -Now, let''s see what their fate will be.- *crackle* Instantly detaching and isolating a sphere of the fabric of space around them, I gripped the fabric with my own mana before suddenly flipping it and forcefully reattaching it. The fabric actually wouldn''t line up properly, but the moment I would release it, it would snap back into place. -I wonder what the result will be...- But the moment I released it, unlike the instantaneous ''atomic disassembly'' I expected, the ancients were hurled upward at a speed I could barely follow with my eyes, even with my divinity frozen. -WHAT THE?!- In a moment of instinctual panic, I instantly shredded every spec of the fabric of space around them in hopes of containing the blast of heat, radiation, and mana. But while it did end up limiting the damage to everything around me from the resulting beyond-fusion-scale temperatures.. the moment my eyes caught up to where I shredded everything, I found two of the huge spheres of cracks in space. However, as the fissures started repairing themselves, the blackness of the void suddenly started turning red, and becoming brighter, and brighter.. Until finally.. it turned completely white like the purest of beacons and exploded. *crackle-FLASH* The next thing I knew, every single one of my senses was overloaded to the point that they went numb, and I suddenly found myself in an empty, black space with nothing but my mind. -W..what...- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 334: Mana鈥檚 Origin Chapter 334: Manas Origin Unknown - Unknown : Unknown ----- *crackle* A sound akin to static filled my ears as I found myself helplessly floating in a dark abyss. It was so dark that I felt blind, so silent I felt deaf, and all the while, I couldn''t feel anything, my own mana nor my own body. -W..what...- Trying to look around and move, I did everything I could to try and find something I could do, no matter how tiny or meaningless it was. However, no matter what I tried, nothing changed. It was completely unlike anything I had ever felt. -I have nothing.. no senses, no body, and no soul...- Accelerating my thoughts to their limit, I started burning through theories like igniting hydrogen. But no matter how many ideas I blew through, none of them stuck, as if they fundamentally couldn''t. -It''s like I''m in a dream, but I''m fully conscious with no control over anything...- It was as if I had simply ceased existing. -Could my mind have detached itself from my body?- But as I thought that, a noise finally met my ears. *tap.. tap-scratch-fwip* Through the static that filled the silence in my mind, I could faintly hear the noise of a quill sliding over paper. *fwip* *scribble-fwip* And then, there was a voice. "How..." The word was spoken in draconic, but was far quieter than even a whisper, as if the word wasn''t meant to be heard by anyone. *fw-fwip* *scribble-fwip-scratch* As the noise of the quill continued, it ever-so-slowly started becoming clearer, only to be disrupted by the deafening static whenever I would hear another noise, from the flip of a page in a book, to the sound of the breeze or a ripple in mana. The only way I could describe it, was it was as if I was listening to a corrupted audio file... -What the hell is this...- *steady scribbles* *fwip* "Haah..." Interrupting my thoughts, I heard the sigh of a dragon far larger than even Hera before the scribbling suddenly paused, and a foreign voice intruded my mind as if it were my own. -{Why are the numbers wrong...}- The voice wasn''t familiar, and even the dialect was off-putting, but before I could think about it, an array of billions of atoms appeared in my head, as if I were reading them through my aura. At first, it seemed like a jumbled mess, a field of random atoms placed with no rhyme or reason, but the longer I stared and the harder I looked, the more patterns I found. -Wait.. is this all binary?- Finally noticing the spin of electrons, it all suddenly clicked. It was all mathematics beyond anything I could imagine, storing entire equations and endless constants into singular atoms before quickly compounding in complexity and escaping the realm of my understanding. From what I could infer, it was a system that, while unbelievably complicated, was also unbelievably efficient, completely eclipsing methods I used personally, even if that was because I rarely needed to crunch massive equations in one go. -But what is he trying to do?- Struggling to follow along with the math itself, I tried to trial and error my way through it in an attempt to figure out what the numbers meant, but every now and then, I would run into some kind of leap in logic I couldn''t follow. -{I''ve checked these numbers thousands of times.. none of it is wrong... So..}- "Why doesn''t it work?!" *CRACK* The sounds of splintering wood instantly echoed out before light finally met my eyes as if I suddenly opened them. I was in an office lined with massive marble bookshelves, walls of glass, and statues of mythril, with tons of paper, diagrams, and unbelievably complex, traditional, two-dimensional runes. But before I could deduce anything, my sensations returned in a single nauseating wave, and I found myself lying in a pool of liquid mana on a bed of deep black mythril. *GASP-SPLASH* Jolting up onto my feet, my mind was flooded with the burning sensation of mana permeating my skin, with it crystallizing on my fur like salt from the ocean. Without knowing any better, I had created what was akin to a nuke of mana, flooding the void with energy and getting enough mana to fill a continent in return. -But what about Father?!- Throwing everything I just experienced out the window, I broke into panic and looked around, quickly finding that I was alone in a fairly narrow but deep pit of mythril only about as wide as the pool of mana I stood in before bolting up out of it without hesitation. As I ascended, the density of the mana quickly started thinning but slowly stabilized at a level far above what dragons could tolerate. To Father, who had an even lower tolerance than most, it was nothing short of a death sentence. -Please. Please. Please. PLEASE!- Finally exiting the pit, I faintly felt a lingering part of Father''s aura through the mana and looked over to see him laying on the ground not far away, still and unmoving. It was a sight that made my heart sink. -Nonononono...- Darting to his side, I immediately set my paw on him and started checking his vitals. But they were silent. His lungs and heart laid unmoving, just as his eyes and body did. He was dead... Or at least.. he was conventionally. -It''s faint, but.. is the mana being absorbed?- All throughout his body, mana was being absorbed by each cell individually as if they each had their own tiny reserve, and when I looked at his reserve itself, while it was fractured, it was also attempting to absorb even more mana, although the mana outside was so dense it wasn''t giving it an option. -He''s.. alive...- It was a thought that washed over me like a wave of relief, a disaster turned into a blessing, but at the same time, it made me worry even more. -His body is trying to change so it can sustain itself off mana, but.. he doesn''t have enough aura for that...- His reserve, while sizable for his age, was far below what was required for his body to live off aura alone. So, in short, if he couldn''t more than quadruple the size of his reserve before he woke up.. he would struggle to sustain himself and would likely, inevitably, starve himself to death. -This.. might be a problem...- But there was a solution I already had in mind. -What if I.. forced his dragon sleep...- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 335: The Fate of the Strong Chapter 335: The Fate of the Strong Early Morning - Late Summer : Remains of The Dungeon of Colossus | Western Sirathan Mountains ----- -What if I.. forced his dragon sleep...- It was a thought that intruded my mind like the voice of a devil on my shoulder. -I''ve force-started my own more than once, even if it was accidentally, so.. wouldn''t I be able to guide him through it?- Scanning through his body again, I more closely examined everything I could, from brain activity to the volatility of the mana in his reserve, while trying to think of a better plan. But, realistically, there wasn''t a good option. -Though, this might not actually be too bad...- As crazy as it may have seemed, with my current knowledge and ability, forcing him into a dragon sleep actually wasn''t such an insane thought. As I looked through his body to see if it was feasible, one of the many things I checked was something Mother liked to call ''signals'', which were essentially signs showing how prepared a dragon''s body was for their dragon sleep, and while it varied quite a lot between the types of dragons, within Father, I found a thinned breath gland, thickened rear section of the skull, comparably softened bones and even a relatively elastic spinal cord. In short, it meant that Father was probably about two or two and a half years from his dragon sleep. -Which, for the elder stage sleep, should be close enough for his body to handle most of it...- But of course, this was not something I could risk taking any chances with. -Even if his body doesn''t want to help, I shouldn''t have issues guiding him through it. The only issue I can think of is how I will reform his reserve if it doesn''t do it on its own...- It was a complete grey area for me and was something I never had any success with in terms of experiments, the closest I got being a small mana battery that was identical to a mana core, yet somehow functionally different. -It was like I was missing a piece of the puzzle...- However, I did have some ideas come to mind after I woke up from my own dragon sleep. *tap-tap* Gently pulling my paw off Father, I took a step back and looked over my shoulder toward what looked to be a statue of mythril with the vague silhouette of a human before settling my gaze on the comparably tiny white cloud in its chest. It was the woman who was with the ancients I dematerialized, still standing as if frozen in time, with the front of her body and her clothes completely atomized, now forming various stretched and tapered structures of mythril and crystallized mana on the back side of her remains. -To think her body was durable enough to almost survive the blast...- She was of course, very dead, with her brain and most of her body being reduced beyond nothing, but to my benefit, her reserve and soul survived, even if it was thanks to a pinch of divinity that wasn''t hers. -That must mean she was fairly high in the church though; even if she wasn''t an apostle...- Casually scanning through her body to see if I could find any identifiers, I eventually found a necklace-like piece of jewelry buried under a layer of crystallized mana with a symbol I knew very well, and the engraving, ''Deacon Arca - of the Church of Peace''. (Freya''s Church) It brought a sour taste to my mouth instantly. -To think I would find her here...- It was the wretched bitch that was behind the atrocities that happened at the academy. "You''re lucky you''re already dead, or else I would''ve skinned you alive..." She was someone I wanted to personally slaughter, but unfortunately I didn''t have that chance anymore. -Since I only have you to experiment on, I have to be gentle...- Quickly trying to move past my distaste, I let out a cold breath and walked over to her, more closely inspecting her reserve and soul, before sticking my paw up to it and slowing my divinity. *fwoom* *tink-FWO-BAAANG* With a light tap, the top half of what remained of her body instantaneously disappeared, with her reserve being totally eviscerated in the process. But what lingered behind was what I wanted; a small white fuzz that listlessly floated in the air. -Perfect.- Without much time to waste, I quickly began my experiments, creating a core and moving it around and through the soul in hopes it would attach to it, as well as supplying the soul with as much mana as it could ever desire. But while the soul did seem to accumulate at the center, densest point of the mana, it still refused to control it in any fashion, and rather than causing the mana to flow, it caused the soul to flow, chasing the densest parts of the mana. -How odd...- In theory, I believed the soul was my missing piece of the puzzle, but now it appeared it wasn''t so simple. -Do I need to make the soul denser for it to accumulate mana? Maybe the soul''s density needs to exceed the mana''s density?- Deciding to just give it a shot, I moved the pool of liquid mana away and created hundreds of rings of space mana, similar to when I would compress mana to create divinity in my reserve, centered around the soul, before suddenly compressing it all to a single point. *vwoop* The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. "~If you do this now, it will only hold until he wakes up.. then his reserve will explode, and he will die...~" It was the exact fate Mother taught us about when we were young, the inevitable end to those attempting to reach beyond their limits. Reserve collapse. -His soul.. isn''t strong enough for a dragon sleep?- While I wanted to deny it, it was the way fate laid its cards. Father was simply never fated to reach the stage where he would need such a volume of mana. Like most normal dragons, he was fated to die during a dragon sleep. The next thing I knew, an agonizing pain ripped through my head. In an instant, all sense of emotion was purged in the place of calculative brain power. I had to think.. fast... All until the idea came to mind. "Grace." My voice was cold and devoid of emotion. "How well can you clean a soul..." ----- There will be a new schedule from now on. The normal one chapter every 3 days will continue as per normal, releasing at 1:30 PM EST, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays, chapters will release at 4 PM EST This is due to some conflicts with my class schedule, so my apologies. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 336: The Realm of Gods Chapter 336: The Realm of Gods Mid Morning - Late Summer : Remains of The Dungeon of Colossus | Western Sirathan Mountains ----- "Grace." My cold tone echoed through space, regardless of the flow of time, as I matched the gaze of the cloudy figure in front of me. "How well can you clean a soul..." Not giving her time to respond, I instantly wrapped us both in a gate before releasing us in the void. *vwoop* Even with divinity slowing time to a near halt, with the space mana in my aura it happened almost instantaneously. "~H-huh?~" Pulling my gaze off Grace, I finally looked around, expecting to see complete destruction and chaos in the wake of what I had done, but the scene that met my eyes was rather a field of color as if I was in the middle of a nebula, with countless speckles of souls mixed into it. -Seems like the void has eaten most of it.. hopefully it will still be enough...- Slowly easing from her state of shock, Grace finally started looking around to see the mess before noticing the countless soul fragments. "~Are these...~" "The fragmented souls of three ancients and three gods." Letting my aura flow unrestricted, I tried to keep tabs on everything around us, but it only made me feel unbelievably tiny, exposed, and anxious. But Grace only continued. "~Three of the Valkyries?~" She mumbled before slowly floating out into the field of fragments, gazing at each, one at a time. -So they really were the Valkyries...- I had learned quite a bit about them a couple of weeks prior from Hera when inquiring about Asgard and its gods. To keep things short, they were a group of thirteen goddesses that served beneath the main seats of Asgard, each with strength just below the likes of Magni, but predating all but Frigg and Odin. -Based on how they appeared so suddenly, I have to believe they were trapped in the dungeon somehow.. but that means the rest probably got away...- However, that was a problem I would address another time. "~Do you want me to...~" As Grace nervously turned back to look at me, I gave her a blunt stare. "If it''s possible." Slowly turning around to face the field of fragments again, she paused. "~It.. might be...~" Compared to their souls originally, the void had consumed most of what there was, leaving countless tiny accumulations floating about. -But when it''s all combined, it will put Father''s soul just above one of the Valkyries...- However, that was wishful thinking. As Grace moved around, gently accumulating the countless fragments with a tiny, nearly invisible net stretching from her body, she split fragments into several groups before suddenly mixed them all and splitting them out again. From what I could tell, it was part of the ''cleaning'' process, expelling any sense of personality or identity the fragments may still carry, but.. "~For how long these fragments have been in the void.. they''re filthy...~" Grace wore a slightly disgusted look as she continued to combine and split the fragments until one of the two pure white clouds was about three times the size of the other, and she flicked her fingers to launch it out into the void. The contaminated fragments made up the majority. -That''s all that''s left, huh...- It was still plenty, enough for Father''s soul to contend with most older ancients, but that meant the accumulation of fragments was larger than his soul itself. "~This should be clean enough to avoid any changes to his ego or personality,~" she held out the small, fluffy cloud as she spoke, "~but I can''t promise to know what will happen considering how much larger it is than his soul itself...~" -But we also don''t have a choice...- "That just means we need to take it one step at a time and feed it to him bit by bit." After waiting a moment to see if she would object, I engulfed us in a gate and returned us to reality. -It''s a gamble.. but it''s the best shot we have...- *vwoop* *vwoom* Instantly being met with a wave of mana and the beaming morning light, I turned and confidently walked toward Father, with Grace quickly following suit. She seemed a little uneasy, but after taking a moment to gather herself, her expression stiffened. "~Hooh.. the issue is we can only take things so slow; once you force the reserve to start forming, the clock will start...~" I gave her a curious look as she floated up to me. The aura of influence, on the other hand, was the area at which time was affected when one''s divinity was manipulated. Within this aura, near the center, the time dilation would be strongest, and toward the edge, it would be weakest, effectively allowing you to manipulate the time of a space around you. But this aura was unbearably small, only reaching the outer edge of my scales thanks to my mana veins. However, that also meant if I put the flower in my body, I could freely manipulate it''s time as I wished. -Right?- But my theories told me otherwise. -Wait.. if I want to accelerate time.. isn''t that what I''m doing now?- *vwoop* Quickly jumping into a gate to give myself a moment to think through the theories, I ran through everything I knew about divinity and did my best to try and understand it. Currently, I believed I was slowing my divinity in order to slow time, tying the two together based off sensation, but isolated within the gate, I focused every ounce of brainpower on my divinity, and tried to ''slow'' it. *vwoom* -H..huh?- But rather than slow to a halt like I expected, its speed remained nearly completely constant, and rather than slowing down, it sped up by a nearly unnoticeable amount. -But I definitely...- And that was when I finally looked at it from the outside. When I slowed time around me, it meant that I was accelerating time for myself, and in turn, the divinity which flowed at a ''constant rate'' in its own space would speed up by the time dilation between the observer, in this case, my brain, and my reserve. The whole time I had it backward, believing divinity was a dial I was turning, when in fact, it was something I had never questioned existing. It was a particle, not of space or matter, but of time. -And that''s why crystallized divinity is so stupidly strong...- Because while the particle wasn''t matter and was so small it didn''t have mass, it was frozen in time, making the only thing that could cut it be other divinity that had the same or a larger time dilation. In an instant, the countless theories I had been cobbling together finally clicked into place. The perfect joining of countless ideas and theorems. All to form a piece of artwork... A piece of artwork I would come to call the Realm of Gods. ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 337: The Tangibility of Godhood Chapter 337: The Tangibility of Godhood N/A - N/A : Within the Void ----- My eyes widened as theories flooded my mind. In an instant, my mind had accelerated to its limit and burned through the ideas and theories that had loomed in the back of my mind for decades, like the riddles of ancient mythology.Fo?llo?w new stories at novelhall.com But while my understanding and theories advanced with haste, I eventually hit a wall. Divinity was my first peek into a realm completely different from anything I had ever been able to fathom, the realm of time and the realm of the gods, but understanding divinity was simply the first step. The first step of a very.. very long journey... But that was something that would take time, something that was still a precious resource, no matter how much my understanding of it deepened. -Shit, I got sidetracked...- Quickly shifting my attention back to Father''s situation, I slowly got my derailed mind back on track and eventually was met with the same roadblock. -I need to speed up time, not for me, but for the flower...- But now I had more than a few ideas. -Divinity''s aura of influence is pretty small, but as it progresses through energy states, it seems to grow or shrink.- To put it simply, the more crystalline it was, the smaller the aura, and the more energetic, liquidy, or gaseous it was, the larger the aura. Of course, the amount of divinity also affected it, -but if I can make its aura big enough, I could engulf the flower with it. In theory, that would make it flow at a pace that would seem close to normal to me.- However, no matter how much I slowed my divinity beyond that, the flower would never flow through time faster than me. -If I did the opposite and actually slowed down my divinity, time would pass for everyone, and not just the flower...- One other option I had thought of was if I could control the divinity in the sleep lily and speed it up from the outside, but in practice, that wasn''t possible. -And if I try to move the divinity out of my reserve, it will just crystalize, so I can''t just move my divinity out of my body.- It was an annoying predicament. Every direction I turned, I was met with a different roadblock. But there was one theory that remained to be tested. -Divinity seems to have no effect in a gate and doesn''t do anything in the void either.. so that begs the question of what is required for it to work...- My draconic pupils thinned as I quickly created a dozen small cubes of uranium and, from them, recreated a small piece of the fabric of space using my own space mana. -Is it time that dictates divinity, or is it divinity that dictates time?- *crackle* Stopping the fabric just before it reached my body, I spread it through about half the gate and placed the cubes in random locations throughout it. When isolated from my aura, the cubes of uranium remained still and unmoving even at the atomic level, keeping them from decaying. -But if time even just slightly starts moving, they''ll pop...- "Hooh..." It was the perfect environment to burn through experiments, but for once, I didn''t have many to burn through. -If I, myself, am in the fabric, when I adjust my divinity, time will be dilated for me as well.. but what if I''m not in the fabric, yet my divinity''s aura of influence encompasses it?- Thanks to the web of crystallized space mana that had spread throughout my body ever since I first awakened my attribute nodes, my body had its own laws with regard to time and constants I had come to know in physics when isolated from the fabric of space, in a gate or in the void. In a way, it was a very sloppy fabric of space that gave me the privilege of moving freely within the void regardless of the absence of time even before I had divinity. -However, now isn''t the time for me to figure out why that is...- Letting out another heavy breath, I quickly formed and used a burst of space mana to create a surge of divinity on par with what I used against Freya. *vwoop-CRACKLE* Instantly grabbing the divinity, I kept it from flowing outward and crystalizing before speeding it up in order to slow time around me. However, because I wasn''t inside the fabric, it sped up time a thousand-fold. *P-Pop* As my aura of influence expanded beyond the reach of my body by about half a meter, it engulfed two of the dozen cubes and instantly caused them to decay with a pop. From the way it was situated in the room, the lily seemed to be living purely off mana, similar to other ascended creatures, but as I floated back to Siratha to grab some liquid mana from the pool I created, I noticed the flower''s head had a very dense white soul in it, with a small core of liquid divinity at its center. -Ah, so that is how it works...- Essentially, the flower''s head contained what looked like an accumulation of soul fragments, somehow gathered to be denser than a normal soul would allow. -I wonder if that''s because of the divinity, or if the divinity can only be there because of the soul...- But the free time for such thoughts quickly came to an end as I returned to Father, speaking about it with Grace for a moment before gathering some liquid mana and jumping into a gate to start maturing the lily. But it was far from an easy process. Over the span of about two weeks from my perception of time, I had to doctor the flower to an unbelievable extent. It drank mana like an elephant drinks water, and while I quickly found out that constantly going in and out of the gate to grab some liquid mana wasn''t going to work, it wasn''t much less tedious to create a container in the void that I could use to monitor the flower while also creating ambient mana with the space mana around us by feeding it chunks of the heavy metals and rock from reality. While I did originally try simply making the elements with my mana, I quickly found out that I alone could not simply feed the void such a volume of energy, as a gram of exploding antimatter had a only slightly larger reaction than two grams of normal hydrogen had. -But damn, that chunk of rock gave a lot...- *hummm* The lake of liquid mana I sat in hummed as the lily freely absorbed it all. It was so much mana that even I felt a bit suffocated, but it was beneficial for me as well. Over the span of the two weeks, I had progressed my understanding of mana, space mana, the void, and time immensely. It had gotten to the point that when in the void, I had the freedom to do essentially anything I wanted. -If I had enough mana and time, I could even create a small planet with an ecosystem and everything...- But that eventually brought up a question I had to really think about. What was the difference between me and a true god... Was I already one? Or was the bar of what constitutes a god just much.. much higher than I could imagine... ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 338: The First Flame Chapter 338: The First Flame N/A - N/A : Within the Void ----- *hummm* Two weeks trapped in a black space with nothing but a colorful flower blooming out of a pool of mana in front of you. To some creatures, that amount of time would have driven them to insanity, but for me, it seemed to pass in an instant. In my free time, while I wasn''t dealing with the sleep lily and its constant demands, I advanced many of my more complex and theoretical sciences an incredible amount, from the binds of time and mana to more simple topics of how to get the Acardi Laboratory powered again. Thanks to the scene that played in my mind when I accidentally created a miniature mana supernova, my understanding of mana across the board increased exponentially, with my newfound understanding of divinity only compounding it. I even managed to figure out some techniques that helped minimize the mental static when reading my aura by essentially controlling how much of my aura was being converted to space mana like how I used to thicken and thin the walls of my reserve, but more so dealing with converting the space mana into other attributes. However, it was still a work in progress and continued to give me more trouble than I would have liked. -I think it''s a step in the right direction though...- Idly looking up, my gaze landed on a beautifully symmetric six-leaf lily with petals of crystallized mana, a stem of mythril, and a black swirling ovule at its center composed of liquid divinity. To put it bluntly, it was a mesmerizing flower, even if you ignored the ethereal white cloud that hung around its petals. -But it looks totally different from the one I ate...- Compared to the water lotus-like sleep lily I had eaten as a child, the flower in front of me looked more like a traditional lily. However, both of them, while differing in appearance and even species, were undoubtedly sleep lilies, and that was because of the simple fact that a sleep lily wasn''t a species of flower but rather just something that evolved to function similarly to the Tree of Prayer, accumulating soul fragments, and slowly cleaning them with mana and forming divinity over time. -It makes me wonder if the Tree of Prayer is technically just one massive sleep lily by that standard.. though maybe it gets disqualified because of the rune...- But while it was food for thought, such questions were quickly tossed to the side. *vwoom-splash* Slowly standing up, I looked down at the lily with a quizzical gaze before finally dispelling the fabric and grabbing it with my aura. From what I could tell, it had matured. With its more than abundant supply of mana, it had formed quite a bit of divinity and stabilized its soul to the point that it was more defined than the likes of human gods. Unfortunately, with only the dirty soul fragments of the Valkyries and ancients being the only soul fragments in the vicinity, it couldn''t absorb other fragments to grow its soul. But in theory, that worked to my benefit. -Since we don''t need to necessarily grow his soul much, this should hopefully supplement the added stability he needs...- But as I took the lily and jumped through a gate back into reality, the reality of what I was about to do started to really set in, and a wave of anxiety and nervousness hit. "Hooh..." Even a heavy breath couldn''t save me from it. "I got it... Will this be enough?" Grace immediately turned back to face me, setting her eyes on my draconic form before lowering her gaze to the glistening lily in front of me. However, her expression quickly turned to one of awe before she spoke with a stutter. "~Y-Yes! I think...~" Quickly motioning me over, she floated to the side and motioned toward the open cavity in Father''s chest. Just the sight of it made me feel sick, but now was not the time I could stammer. "So, how will this work? I assume if we try to integrate it as is, the lily will be what absorbs his soul, rather than the other way around..." She instantly became nervous. "~That would be the right assumption. To my knowledge, when a dragon consumes a sleep lily, they essentially destroy the lily itself in their stomach, detaching the lily''s soul from its body, and allowing it to be absorbed by the soul which does have a tie to the body... The issue is his soul doesn''t have that tie right now, and if you touch the lily''s soul after getting rid of its body, you will absorb it...~" The long and short of it was that I simply didn''t have enough mana in my reserve, even if it was full, to create such an immense volume of it. -But over time, my body creates it.. so if I start holding onto what it creates, eventually, I may have enough.- "Although it wouldn''t be a bad idea to have Lief set up a prayer." -It would certainly shorten the amount of time I''ll need to accumulate that much divinity...- "But regardless, I can''t speed up his sleep now..." It had only been a few hours since I originally got to the dungeon, but so much happened that I had nearly forgotten what I was even doing there. "For the time being, either you or Skuld needs to watch over him while I''m not here. I don''t plan to lollygag, but I need to make sure to hand off the fleet up north to Siratha as prisoners of war, establish some protections and restrictions for this area, warn Lief and the nearby cities about the monster wave, and somehow explain to my mother and sister what happened..." It was an abrupt but inevitable change of plans from what I had originally come to do, and was a change that really weighed on my mind. -Mom might really kill me this time...- But while a part of me was genuinely worried how she would react, the rest of me remained focused on the tasks at hand. The spark of war had already lit a match between Siratha and the Holy Kingdom, and now my family and I were caught in the middle of it. -If Odin and Frigg are really locked in the Holy Kingdom like Grace says they are, I should be able to manage, but nothing is preventing the Valkyries, Eir, Baldur, and Ho?er from making their moves...- And being just one creature who couldn''t be everywhere at once, I was worried. It was the eve of a new era, for not just Siratha and the Holy Kingdom, but for dragons, gods, and the rest of the world. But it was a fire that would take its time to spread, slowly burning everything in its path, sneaking up on many so silently that their homes would catch fire before they could react. It was all just a matter of time... But for the first time, I wasn''t completely alone... As I frantically flew around, attempting to tame the flames of destruction that were sparked in Siratha, Hera was planning for her return, and halfway around the world, another dragon was finally about to open its eyes.. after eight long years... ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 339: Years of Adjustment Chapter 339: Years of Adjustment Mid Morning - Late Winter : Voldukirk | The Holy Kingdom ----- - Astren Ravenna ~ "Hooh..." My foggy breath passed over the metallic blade of my sword as the crisp cool air brushed over my rosy cheeks. -Empty.. mind...- *FWIP* Instantly arcing the sword over my shoulder and angling it down my body, I supported the side of the blade with my spare hand before the sensation of being punted by a dragon slammed through my body. *CLANK-FWOOSH* *GASP* With a desperate gasp, the ground suddenly vanished beneath my feet, forcing me to flip over before driving my sword into the ground and slowing myself to a halt. *C-C-C-CHINK-Cracklee* "Hah... Hah..." -Holy shit...- "Can you not.. swing any lighter?" Slowly opening my eyes and moving my gaze up off the ground, I met the eyes of a young tall, blonde-haired man. He was a man with the face of a prince but the mind of a demon. "How are you going to build muscle memory with your aura if I give you time to think?" His name was Hephas, the demon who lured me into the Church of Balance eight years prior. "I don''t know, but couldn''t you at least make it so you didn''t launch me across the arena every time?!" *shink* Pulling the sword out of the ground, I straightened myself up with a hand on my back before glancing over my shoulder at the shattered stone wall just a meter behind me. "Well, you stopped yourself this time. Pat yourself on the back!" He smiled at me while gently clapping. "The last hundred times, you couldn''t react before you hit the wall, but now you can catch yourself! You should be proud of how fast you''re improving." "As if... If I told someone I was an apostle, they''d laugh in my face..." Snarkily responding as I tried to brush the dust and rock off my clothes, I walked back toward the shattered ground where I originally stood and picked up the damaged, dark grey sheath. "If I told everyone the Goddess chose you to be her second Apostle, I''m sure they would shower you with praise and awe!" Slowly glancing at him as I straightened up and sheathed my sword, I gave him an unamused look over a moment of silence. "It''s been eight years... How do you still enjoy this so much..." "Enjoy what? Training a young apostle who will one day stand next to the Goddess of Balance? Of course!" He smiled somewhat smugly as if I had caught him in the act. -Insane bastard...- Hooking my sword back onto my belt, I shot him another glare before turning to leave the small, lavishly decorated colosseum we were training in. It was known as the Arena of the Divine, a fairly small colosseum next to the Church of Balance in the heart of Voldukirk, a place that I had come to know better than my hometown in recent years. "Are you leaving already? I don''t believe we''ve finished." "Yeah." I responded bluntly before gently massaging my neck to relieve some stress. "The Second Templar Division just got back last night, so I''m going to grab a meal with my Father." It had been a few years since he was recruited by the second division at that point, but ever since then, he was rarely actually in the capital. -Elizabeth is supposed to join us as well...- "I see." Suddenly switching to a less playful demeanor as if dictated by a switch, his demonic smile faded to a more natural and warm one. "In that case, I won''t hold you any longer. Be sure to tell him I said hi." With a wave over my shoulder, I quickly left before he changed his mind, speeding through the arcing side entrance of the arena and quickly making my way outside. "Hooh..." -I''m surprised he let me go that easy..." The only other times he ever let me go like that were days of an emergency or days following prayer. -Maybe I''m finally at the point where I can have some freedom...- Finally coming out into the court behind the Church, I made my way around to the side before hopping over a railing and falling into an alleyway that led out to the main road. Although it had been close to eight years since I unknowingly walked into the Church of Balance and was chosen by the Goddess Eir to be her second Apostle, it had yet to be publicly announced since I still wasn''t strong enough to handle many of the expected obligations of an Apostle. But frankly, I couldn''t wait for it. Over the last eight years, I was forced to train under Hephas, Eir''s only apostle in the eyes of the public, and while my skin glowed radiantly, my body was fit, and my face was still young, it was nothing short of hell. But eventually, things would get better, and I believed that one day I''d have the kind of autonomy that Katherine had. Not long after I became an apostle, Katherine was picked as the hero, someone who was essentially an apostle of Asgard as a whole, with Elizabeth being made her public image shortly after that. As it turned out, the church had a problem with Katherine''s personality, or the fact she was demihuman, and used Elizabeth with her royal aura and convincing strength in her place for public speeches or appearances. -Right.. I almost forgot about that...- "Where exactly is all that mythril going?" "We aren''t sure, even Andras is left in the dark when it comes to that. All we know is a ton of it is being brought here to the capital, and that there are some big projects going on in the upper churches." An older man who I didn''t recognized, quickly leaned back in his chair toward us to chime in for a moment. "Some people are sayin'' it''s all going toward a statue, but I don'' believe it." -It''s too much mythril for a statue that have to be moved...- To my knowledge, it was a ludicrous amount of mythril, measuring in the hundreds or even thousands of kilograms per day. "If they released it all to market, the market would crash... Are they going to make a new currency with it?" "Hmm.. that''s possible, but I think unlikely..." Selby leaned back in her chair and perched her feet on the table as she fell into thought. "If I had to make a guess, I would say it''s them wanting to outfit the military with new equipment, but if ''our connections'' are right, I have my doubts..." She was referring to dragons. According to them in recent years, Bahamut, the land of dragons, was looking at spreading its influence, and possibly even getting rid of the Holy Kingdom, seeing it as an eyesore. -If they''re right, it''d mean we''re preparing for a war with dragons.. so giving people new equipment would only help so much...- I paused in thought for a moment before looking up. "Could it be artifacts?" "Maybe." A sudden, young voice met my ears as I felt two hands press on my shoulders. "AH!" Jumping up out of my seat, I turned around to see a beautiful young woman in exquisite clothing without a speck of dust anywhere on them. -Oh.. it''s Elizabeth...- I couldn''t sense her presence at all. "Did you need to sneak up on me like that?!" "Haha, I just wanted to test you a bit. Is that so bad?" She smiled as she tilted her head before glancing at Selby. "Miss Randi, how are you doing." "Wonderfully! Even better now that the Hero is here!" She immediately held up her alcohol-filled mug to cheer, with many of the other templars doing the same. """Glory to the Holy Kingdom! Glory to Asgard!""" Elizabeth quickly raised her hand to quell their cheers before finally sitting down in the seat next to mine. "In any case, Kath couldn''t make it. She said something happened in the church last night and I haven''t seen her since." -Huh?- Slowly getting control of myself again, I moved back toward my seat. "That''s odd... She didn''t tell you where she was going?" She quickly shook her head. "I did hear that the Valkyries have given an oracle for the first time in over ten thousand years though. Maybe it''s related to that?" Motioning to the man at the bar, she quickly got him to start making a drink. "She never cared about the church though... Could it be related to that ''lead'' she got all those years ago from Sir Dentro?" I felt like that was a more likely possibility, but Elizabeth just shrugged. "I still can''t read her, so I''m not sure... Although she did seem a bit more engaged than normal... Maybe there was a new lead." "Hm.. maybe..." But as I thought about it more, things slowly started feeling more and more odd... After having been together for nearly 8 years, while Katherine was still always fairly quiet, whenever something happened, we were the first ones to know about it. -For her to leave without saying much... Just what happened?- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 340: A Spark Chapter 340: A Spark Mid Morning - Late Summer : Valtivar | Siratha ----- *Fwoosh* *Fwoosh* *Fwoosh* With the periodic flap of my wings and the steady flow of air over my scales, my chest ever-so-slowly tensed with anxiety. At the time, I had just finished thinning some of the stronger monsters out of the monster wave and was now hurrying back to Valtivar. I needed to notify Lief about a lot and additionally speak with Mother on how to handle Father''s situation. But the anxiety in the back of my mind only grew. Without being near him, I felt unbearably uneasy. -Considering the monster wave has pushed everything away for now and Grace or Skuld should be with him, I shouldn''t need to worry... But I can''t shake the thought of a hostile god rolling up while I''m gone...- *FWOOSH* Trying to shake the thought, I sped up even more, zipping over the horizon and zooming over the outskirts of Valtivar before coming up on the Tree of Prayer. -Alright.. let''s be quick...- *vwoom-flash* Quickly releasing my divinity and changing to my Fenririan form, I started slowing down before dipping below the canopy of the Tree of Prayer and descending toward Lief''s estate. -Good.. she''s here...- She was in her office, already kneeling, before I even came into sight. "Lief," I spoke through magic as soon as I got within a few kilometers. "I need you to listen closely. The Holy Kingdom launched an attack on Siratha." She instantly jolted in place, opening her eyes wide with shock. "There were two fleets. The forward fleet was at the Dungeon of Colossus; they collapsed the dungeon and triggered a monster wave." Coming up to the estate, I landed on the roof and continued. "I thinned out some of the more threatening monsters, but you need to raise alert as soon as possible." *crackle* Opening my way through the ceiling, where I sensed Mother, Krystallo, Ilios, and Hera, Lief started alerting several people throughout the estate with her aura. "The second fleet was more north, being about a hundred kilometers south of Morva Asari. I kept them alive so you can get all the information you need from them, but they aren''t weak, so be careful who you send. One ancient won''t be enough." Pausing to carefully lower myself into the room, I tried to wrap things up for now. "Currently, one of their dragons is under oath and keeping everything under control, but it''s been a bit over an hour and a half since then, so proceed expecting a fight. As for other things, make sure the area around the Dungeon of Colossus remains off-limits and get ready to schedule a full-scale prayer within the year... Use my name however you need." Finally pulling my magic away from Lief, she immediately jumped up and darted out of her office. Trusting she would have no issues, I quickly turned my attention back to Mother, Krystallo, and Hera, but while Krystallo was nothing but excited to see me, Mother and Hera wore dark expressions. "Brother-" "What happened..." Mother cut off Krystallo in an instant. "It''s a bit complicated, but the gist of it is Father started his dragon sleep." I spoke swiftly as I lowered myself inside, standing on the removed section of the ceiling. "I''ll explain more while I fly. Hurry and get on." Ilios, getting up from behind Krystallo with a stretch, was the first to move, casually trotting over and hopping up on my back, with Mother not lagging much behind him. However, while Krystallo also trotted toward me after getting a bit nervous, I quickly shook my head and glanced at Hera. "I apologize, but could you watch over her for a bit?" She was quick to agree with a nod. "Have you already given Lief a rundown on the situation?" I quickly nodded. "I explained generally what I knew, but she''ll be fetching more information with interrogations soon enough." "Well, it was what really knocked out Father in the first place. I accidentally created.. a lot of mana..." Her gaze instantly turned to me. "You.. ''created'' mana?" I nodded while trying to think of how to numb it down. "Basically, if I feed the void energy, it creates mana. The issue was I did it on accident, and well..." As we passed over the center of the crater, where we could see down to the pool of liquid mana I woke up in, I spoke calmly. "I created a pretty insane amount." "Is that.. a pool of liquid mana?" Seeing what was essentially a well made of dark mythril containing not water but mana seemed to make Mother''s mind wander wildly. "Could you take me down to the edge of that pool..." Quickly descending through denser and denser layers of mana, I kept a close eye on Mother to make sure she could handle it before finally making it to the bottom of the crater and landing on the upper edge of the pit, directly above a pool of mana so volumous I could barely wrap my head around it. *flash* Changing to her dragon form, Mother seemed quite confident. With Ilios and my aura shielding her somewhat, the mana didn''t seem to have any effect on her at all. But that all changed when she confidently hopped off my back. *tap-VWOOM* "Hoooh..." Letting out a long breath, she held her nose high and spread her wings before finally breathing back in. *inhale* "Hoh?" As she let out her breath, her expression completely changed, her eyes losing some of their sharpness before her body relaxed. "How.. incredibly intoxicating..." Carefully keeping my eye on her vitals, I did everything to make sure she wasn''t going to get mana poisoning, but to my surprise, she was handling it well, at least if you looked past the fact that she seemed a bit drunk. "Hooh..." Trying to steady her condition with another breath, the air around her instantly started to fog, and a layer of frost started spreading across the ground. With each breath, it looked as if the air around her got colder and colder, until finally, after close to a dozen breaths, she opened her eyes with a newfound sharpness and warmth. "Is this how you always feel?" Her eyes matched the color of the clear sky above us as she looked up the column of mana. "I feel.. so different..." "Well, your body is trying to adapt to the sudden increase in mana supply. First, it will use that mana to strengthen your body, then it will try to make your body rely on it, just like Father''s body did." "Hooh... I see." Her steady breaths continued before she slowly hung her head again. "Then I shouldn''t overdo it..." Taking one last long breath, she crawled back to me, and I dipped down to let her up on my back again. Her scales were so cold that the breeze blowing through the crater created a thin, long white cloud behind her like a jet trail, but after coming back into my aura, it quickly started to taper off. And that was when Mother made a suggestion out of the blue. "Why don''t we.. build an estate here- no... Why don''t we build a city here?" Thinking she was still a bit tipsy from the mana, I looked back at her with a confused look, only to find her staring at me with a firm, unwavering gaze. -Is she.. serious?- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 341: Payback Chapter 341: Payback Late Afternoon - Late Summer : The Dungeon Of Colossus (Whats left of it) | Siratha ----- "Uwaah..." Letting out a big yawn, I overlooked a huge clearing with almost a hundred dragons scattered about, each digging up the ground, uprooting and dragging away huge trees, and driving massive pillars into the ground before connecting them to countless several-thousand-ton bricks. They were the first pieces of the foundation for a series of massive structures being built around the crater I made at the Dungeon of Colossus, now nicknamed ''The Well of Mana''. It didn''t take long for the name to spread between the masons and knights guarding the place, but with the mana being so dense that it was poisonous to younger dragons, even though some rumors had begun to spread, most people couldn''t come here. There were certainly some anomalies though. *crackle-pat* "Are you tired, Brother?" "Hm?" Glancing over at Krystallo, I saw her perched on a tall, partially mythril boulder next to me with a curious look in her eyes. She, much to my surprise, was able to handle the mana almost as well as Mother. "I guess I could use a nap." -Though I have something to do before that.- It had been a little over two weeks since shit hit the fan: since Siratha was invaded, the Dungeon of Colossus was turned into a giant crater, and Father almost died, and in that time, a lot had happened. Intoxicated by more mana than she had ever experienced, Mother came up with the insane idea to build a city around the well of mana I made, and thankfully, while she said she would settle for an estate, as things progressed, it seemed like her original plan was coming to light. After we checked in on Father two weeks ago, and Mother got an idea of what to do, she returned to Bahamut, going straight to Akri to pick up many of our family''s strongest knights to protect Father. However, since the job would take years, the guards needed someplace to live, and rather than sending them to one of the cities a few hundred kilometers away, or camp out on the dirt, Mother decided to use it as an excuse to use military funds to start a small town there, all centered around The Well of Mana where she planned to have our estate. It was a solid plan that would let us knock out several birds with one stone, from strengthening our family''s perceived relationship with Siratha to giving our family yet another resource to grow our family''s strength. But even though it was my family, Lief, along with every other apostle, including the two newly appointed ones, quite strongly objected to her plans, specifically stating that her plans made it seem like the well, something accredited as my belonging, was going to be hoarded by dragons. So, as the deciding factor, I spoke with Lief and reigned in Mother to meet in the middle. Siratha''s apostles and the Ragnarok family would have two separate estates that would be the closest estates to the well, essentially acting as a representative estate for both Bahamut and Siratha, with the crater itself and some of the surrounding area being reserved for ''ancient architecture'', which were essentially monuments of worship, from around the time of The Great War, that would be my direct property as Nott like the God''s Abode in the Tree of Prayer. -But while the plans for this place were kept secret, some people still caught wind of...- Looking a few dozen kilometers down the mountain range, I saw a group of elves sweating and heaving, struggling to handle the mana even at that distance. From what I overheard from the guards that checked on them, they were a group of extremely devout worshipers who wished to come see the first ''monument'' I had made in tens of thousands of years, going as far as to camp in the mountains to slowly get accustomed to the mana and inch closer. But soon enough they would no longer be alone, because of the announcement about everything that happened, the official reasons for the monster wave that had yet to settle down completely, the announcement of the prayer moving forward several years, and the declaration of war against the Holy Kingdom was only a few days away. -People will definitely flock here to see what''s going on regardless of it being a restricted area...- But the mana was so thick that even ancients couldn''t stand being too close for extended periods, so we didn''t really need to worry about too many people. Beyond that, I was hopeful not much would happen. Currently, Hera said she was still a few months from returning to Bahamut, and Lief''s elixir made from a piece of my horn would soon be ready, but I didn''t expect either of those to cause any sort of commotion over at least the next couple months. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. But the moment I looked away, Ilios stood up and looked down at the towering, choppy waves coming from a storm off shore and hopped off my back with a wildly wagging tail. "How eager." Quickly following after him, we accelerated toward the ground from almost a dozen kilometers in the air. -But he doesn''t seem to be slowing down...- Wondering what he was doing, I spread my wings to slow my descent slightly and kept my eyes on him. But the moment he reached the base of the mountain, he bounced off the rocky beach, maintaining his momentum before laying his ears back and slamming head-first into the face of a nearly hundred-meter wave. *splash-BAAAAAANG* The water around him instantly vanished, turning into steam from the raw energy of the impact before flattening every wave within a dozen kilometers as if he just punched Posideon in the gut. If anything was in that water, it was undoubtedly liquified. But with some momentum to spare, he darted out over the now glassy ocean, running over it as if it were solid ground and picking up speed, accelerating well past mach before finally jumping into the air and getting ready to dive down into the water like a fox diving into a burrow. -Should I.. stop him?- But with just a slight hesitation, I missed my chance to do anything. *VWOOM-BAAAANGGG* He hit the waters surface like a bomb, slamming into the water like a sledgehammer and transferring the energy equivalent of an earthquake into the water. Or in other words, a nuke. The next thing I knew, I was simply hovering in the air, staring at a plume of water that stretched kilometers into the air, with a slight red tint within it before eventually, the squashed eyeball of a lurker came flying out of the top. The next thing I knew, a satisfied smile came across my face. -I wonder if my hate for those bastards translated to Ilios or if it''s just a coincidence.- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 342: Restart Chapter 342: Restart Early Evening - Late Summer : Above the Deep Sea Laboratory | Siratha ----- *blub-blub* Slowly sinking down into the dark, frigid water, Ilios continuously created small air pockets with his aura before letting them collapse from the pressure, carefully watching them implode into millions and then billions of tiny bubbles before dissipating completely. At this depth, even strengthened steel wouldn''t stand a chance. But we continued to sink, only inconvenienced by the occasional current attempting to push us up the submerged mountainside. -Seems like he doesn''t care about the depth anymore...- When Ilios first dove into the water, he shot down to about three kilometers before getting slammed by the sudden increase in pressure, to the point that it actually did hurt his ears a bit, but thankfully he had gotten adjusted after quickly returning to the surface and slowly going down with me. *fwip-fwip-fwip-fwip* After a while, he didn''t even need to properly swim, and exclusively relied on the wag of his tail to stay in my wake. It was truly cute, and while a part of me thought it would slow down as we went deeper, even all the way down at seventy kilometers, his wag was undisturbed. At least until we changed directions. *Fwoosh* As we were mindlessly continuing deeper, the mountainside I followed with my aura eventually disappeared, and a stiff, lifeless current washed over us with nothing but ambient mana. -Ah.. right...- I had forgotten to retrieve the dungeon core from Hera''s rest, the mountain Hera was stuck on. -I need to go grab that when I go and get the reactor connector and stuff from the crawler... Hopefully, no other core has formed in the time it was away...- Thankfully, it didn''t seem like it, but checking and moving it all was for after I finished getting everything situated. Quickly turning into the abandoned and seemingly lifeless dungeon, I quickly came up on the laboratory, completely and utterly untouched from when I had last seen it, without even a layer of dust on its roof. Thankfully, it seemed like nothing so much as bumped it while I was gone. -Thank goodness...- Eventually swimming up and over the edge of it, I descended into the large cone-shaped space in its center, where the old reactor used to be, and used my aura to attempt to refresh myself on the state and condition of the lab. But, to put it simply, it was just as bad as I remembered. After I drained and sealed off the still-intact parts of the lab and made an attempt at cleaning some of the cabling, the lab was in a decent state, but at the same time, it was so incredibly complicated, using almost three hundred and twenty different gauges of wire, that I simply felt.. a bit overwhelmed. But it wasn''t often I had that feeling, and oddly enough, after not feeling it for a while, it worked as a spark of excitement in the back of my mind. I finally had something I could focus everything I had on. A challenge I could really dedicate my mind to. It was all just a matter of time. Quickly running through my memories and refreshing myself on what I knew, I almost immediately hopped into the void with Ilios and went to Hera''s rest to retrieve what I needed. *Vwoop* I had a lot to do and no time to waste. And sure enough, after using vector compression to return the dungeon core and its containment center back to the dungeon the grind began. *flick-flicker* After just a moment, the lights outside kicked on, and almost immediately, a crackly, robotic voice echoed through the interior in a very pre-programmed manner. "Severe damage detected. Cannot scan the integrity of systems. Cannot access reactor controls. Attempting forced shut down-" It was the lab itself issuing emergency protocol. Since it couldn''t control the reactor, it assumed the worst-case scenario, which was that the reactor would turn into a bomb just waiting to explode, much like the battery did several years ago, but thankfully, I had everything under control. -Now that the reactor has started, I just need to turn it down a bit, and...- Finally turning my attention toward the center control room, where I had spoken with the AI previously, I watched the computers finally start receiving electricity again and boot up. All that was left was to give the antimatter cable leading to the AI''s core access to the antimatter in the battery. -I uh.. hope this doesn''t break anything...- It was a very thin wire, indicating it didn''t want much antimatter, but the systems the antimatter went to were considerably over my head. -Well.. all I can do is hope...- *crackle* Finally opening the hatch and allowing antimatter to flow at a rate the core it was flowing to should be able to dictate, I sat back and watched, only attempting to regulate things if they went clearly wrong. "Sufficient Power detected." *Beep* With a gentle beep from one of the computers, I tilted my head slightly and made my way down into the main room of the lab in my humanoid form, where the AI''s core was, and found the computer''s screen lit up with a familiar login screen. -It worked!- Countless questions instantly started ripping through my mind, and after quickly logging in and figuring out how to disable all the warnings and emergency protocols, the black tube at the center of the room began to glow blue, slowly forming a sphere of light at its center. -Is that it?- "Dungeon Research Intelligence ''4856'' Activation Sequence Initiated." *hhhuuummm* Finally stepping away from the computer, I looked up at the central tube and felt a wave of satisfaction and a feeling of accomplishment wash through me. At long last, I had it back online, and with its voice, a wave of nostalgia washed over my mind. *Beep* "Unable to connect to remote servers. Please Provide Instructions." ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 343: Reconnection Chapter 343: Reconnection Quick Announcement: As chosen by the overwhelming majority in the discord, Chapters will now be bi-weekly, on Monday and Friday, so that my writing doesnt interfere too much with my classes. I hope you all can be understanding <> Anyway, enjoy the chapter! -------------------------------------------------- ??? - Late Summer : The Acardi Laboratory | Siratha ----- *hhhuuummmmm* *Beep* "Unable to connect to remote servers. Please Provide Instructions." The glowing blue orb at the center of the room gently reverberated as the voice echoed through the room. -Is it really.. online?- A part of me somewhat struggled to believe it, but the more I monitored everything outside, the more it seemed like it really was stable. "The battery had a malfunction and destroyed most of the lab. How much data can you still access?" "Even I cannot access above a certain clearance level. However, with your permission, I could verify." -With my permission?- "What is my clearance level?" "Maximum." The voice responded instantly with a very blunt tone. "T..then..." I was a bit taken aback. "Please verify the data..." Turning my attention back to the computer, I quickly navigated my way to the home screen and found the familiar series of files on the homepage, none of which stuck out as especially top secret. -Do you have to go through the AI for the top-secret stuff?- *Beep* "Most local data seems intact, with only a few exceptions." "And that is?" "File 8,142,029 in Registry 3. It was a file regarding Locally connected Deep Ocean Sensors and various miscellaneous files throughout Registry 5." -Deep ocean sensors?- "How do you know what it was for?" "The directory still remains; however, everything inside is corrupted beyond what I can repair." "Hm..." -I see... Does it have any information on them?- "What were the sensors for?" "They had various purposes. From monitoring seismic activity to monitoring ''The Leviathan'' at the top of the liquid ice sheet." My ears instantly perked up, and my chest tightened as the final words of one of the Acardi echoed through my mind. "The Leviathan?" "Would you like me to-" "Yes." The AI continued without a moment of hesitation. "The Leviathan is an A-rank Monster capable of threatening A-Class motherships and B-Rank planets on its own. Colloquially as ''The Leviathan'', it is a creature known only in ancient myth as one of the founding beings of Div-4856, the planet locally known as Delphi, and is estimated to be on par with the King of Dragons. However, it has been registered as ''no apparent threat'' and is to be left alone unless stated otherwise." My mind instantly started to stutter. -Uh.. what?- "Is the ''King of Dragons'', known as Bahamut?" "That is correct." But of everything I asked over the course of a few days, digging out every piece of information the AI had access to, there was one question and answer that made me wrack my head. *hummmm* "So the Apothocaris is a carnivorous plant that lives by thermal vents and has a bunch of extreme healing properties?" At the time, I had already asked most of my more pressing questions and had moved on to asking about all the different lifeforms logged within the database, from those only known by fossils to those that were still around when the Acardi were studying the oceans. "That is correct. Although considerably dangerous with their durability and ability to use magic, the Apothocaris is extremely valuable and heavily valued within the Sector. Although farming is likely impossible because of the immense heat, pressure, and mana of their environments." It paused as it brought up a picture of a huge water tank with ash-filled water and a faintly visible, massive plant inside of it. "Attempts have been made within the Sector''s Mothership, but to no success as of the most recent report." -Huh.. I wonder what they couldn''t replicate, considering how advanced they are...- "Can you access that report?" "Not without access to the Local Server Database." "Haaaah..." I let out a long, heavy sigh, hearing the same hopeless response I had been hearing a lot since I started digging deeper. -That does make me wonder though...- "So you need the Ping Tower to be repaired and the server to be online in order to connect to that database, right?" "That is correct." "So, where is that Ping Tower?" *Ding* The map on the computer instantly updated. "The tower was originally in this location and was communicated to via cables running across the sea floor, but the tower was later outfitted with a rune utilizing quantum entanglement as it was a faster and more reliable means of data transfer. The lack of communication to this tower may be due to the transponder here in the laboratory malfunctioning, the tower, or both." -Interesting...- Essentially, quantum entanglement was a theory in quantum mechanics where two electrons would become entangled so that whenever one changed direction, so would the other. This, at least in theory, would allow for faster-than-light data transfer. "But why would they use a relay if they have those runes?" "For ease of initial and sustained connection, security, and allocation of data access. With a Ping Tower, one can form a web of connections so the functionality of the network isn''t tied to one singular connection, and if a connection is ever lost, there are other connections that can be used while the other is repaired." -I see...- "Well, eventually, I can try and repair that and connect it to the tower. But I''d then have to connect it to the main server where the database is to establish a data link. Do you know where that server is?" "District 4B of the local lunar surface." I immediately jolted. -Lunar surface?!- I immediately thought back to everything I had heard before and visualized the sights I saw on the moon as I approached it before eventually asking another question. "Could you show a map of where that is?" Quickly turning to the computer, I watched the screen update with a large, somewhat colored spherical object with a grid over it and one of the small squared highlighted and labeled 4B. "It appears the map is outdated, however, if connection to satellites is reestablished, remapping is possible." But as the AI spoke, I zoned out, staring at the sphere on the screen with wide eyes. -Is that.. a city?- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 344: Genetics and Evolution Chapter 344: Genetics and Evolution ??? - Late Summer : The Acardi Laboratory | Siratha ----- *Vwooom* The mana in the air reverberated slightly as I studied a short optical cable in a different room while recreating it in front of me. It was a pretty simple optical cable only about a meter long and compared to many of the things I had already made, it was unbelievably simple, but it was something that would quickly be a huge help. "So, if I plug this in here, you can update everything?" I spoke with a bit of skepticism as I gently grabbed the fragile end of the cable and connected it to a small magnetic pad on the back of the monitor. "That is correct." -Well.. I guess I have no reason to doubt it...- *tap* Quickly connecting it, I tapped the other end on the top of the Acardi satellite mapping device I thankfully brought with me and almost immediately was presented with an archaic-looking prompt: ''Unknown Device Connected'' *Ding* "Connection detected. It appears to be an outdated ETBM, an extraterrestrial body mapping and communication device rather than an OOM, an Orbital Object Mapper. This means it is quite outdated as OOM''s replaced ETBM''s close to 500 years before my hosts left this place. However, it can still be updated. Would you like to update from Version 23.58.7 to Version 493.17.1? This will take some time." -So, the OOM came after the ETBM? What''s the difference?- "As long as the hardware can handle it." Currently, I was allowing the laboratory''s AI to give the device I had a proper recalibration and update. Over the past hour or so, I had managed to repair most of the remaining damaged modules in the device while speaking to the AI about what it was, however almost all the ''features'' that should have been unlocked by the repairs were mostly nonfunctional because the software was still corrupted and broken. "How long will it take?" "Unable to determine currently." Thankfully though, the AI was confident it could repair the software side of things for me. "Then, just keep it and work on it while I''m gone." -I need to get back for Lief''s ceremony...- It was a bit of a shame that I had to leave already. The last few days had been extremely productive, even if it came at the cost of things weighing on my mind. I managed to learn of the existence of a city on the moon, acquired the knowledge to understand and fix almost any Acardi technology I came across, and even obtained the absolutely horrifying knowledge that a creature with the mass of a moon was living beneath my feet. But while some of that information was quite pressing, and with it, my curiosity was piqued, I knew I wouldn''t have time for any lengthy expedition for quite a while. -First is Lief''s ceremony, a month after that Hera will return to Bahamut, and not long after that will be the Prayer, waking up Father and even the Coming of Age festival all in the span of a year.- Obviously, at that time, I wasn''t aware of everything that would wreck that already busy schedule, so ideas of shorter trips like repairing the Ping Tower in preparation for a trip to the moon or a trip to the liquid ice sheet did cross my mind, but thanks to the void, I didn''t have time to even think about it.Fo?llo?w new stories at novelhall.com *vwoop* After quickly making sure nothing was going to malfunction with the reactor while I was gone, I jumped into the void and reappeared in the afternoon sky over the foggy canopy of the Tree of Prayer, promptly changing to my fenririan form and diving into the fog in one swift motion. *vwoop-Flash-Fwoosh* Knowing the fog was simply an accumulation of lost souls made it a bit of an ethereal experience, but after a moment, the odd sense of comfort I felt far outweighed everything else. -A place safe from every living being and even the gods... It''s no wonder the Ancient Fenrir liked this spot...- *tap-tap-tap-tap* Swiftly hopping down through branches and winding my way through the seemingly endless graveyard that was the canopy, I eventually made it to the God''s Abode, letting Ilios hop off my back and wander off while I used my aura to overlook those below. To my surprise, even though I thought the ceremony was still about half an hour away based on the sun''s position, Lief was already kneeling at the foot of the tree with the other apostles lined up about twenty meters behind her. -They sure sensed my presence quickly...- It seemed like my appearance started the ceremony. Behind them was a crowd of about a hundred thousand people, dragons in both humanoid and draconic forms, elves, and demihumans, all donning religious garbs and jewelry, silently kneeling with their heads bowed. They seemed to be higher ranking members of the church, as all of those that looked like common folk or even nobles were lining the inner branches of the surrounding treants, watching from afar. -What an odd feeling...- Finally walking up to the opening in the God''s Abode directly above Lief, I laid down, gently crossing my wrists while overlooking everyone below like a god watching over its subjects. It felt a bit odd and foreign at first, but it didn''t take long for me to become quite fond of the sensation. -This spot really is a nice perch...- "This will hurt quite a lot. Just don''t fight it and follow your instincts. If something goes wrong, I''ll save you." Pulling the vial away, now acting more like a liquid with a colorful tinge of mana floating through it, I lifted Lief''s chin with my aura and opened the bottle with a pop. *pop* She was completely relaxed, unlike just a moment ago, now putting her whole faith in me. But I didn''t plan to intervene. "Brace yourself..." As she opened her mouth, I carefully pulled the elixir out of the bottle and took a moment to look over the disheveled crowd. It was the first time since before the Great War that a true apostle of the Ancient Fenrir would be born and that the greatest gift to be bestowed upon a Sirathan would see the limelight. No one wanted to miss it, no matter how hard it was to stay awake within my aura. -But I can''t deny that for me.. this will be a bit of an experiment...- The first of many I would undertake to learn about the new realm of mana science I wanted to finally properly dip my toes into. The interactions of genetics, mana, and evolution. *plop-glug* Dropping it into her mouth, the liquid flowed into her stomach without even slowing down for the air in her throat to escape. And almost instantaneously, she lost consciousness, and her aura, which had remained calm and controlled until that point, erupted outward. *VWOOOOOM* Before anyone could react, her robe, lined with priceless artifacts and runes, began to melt, burn, and freeze simultaneously, exposing the discolored skin around her stomach as it hastily began destroying and reconstructing itself to an ever-changing blueprint, no matter how incomplete or corrupted it was. But as instants turned into seconds, the changes spread through her body like a simmering fire and eventually began to stabilize like a forest reduced to ash after a wildfire, simply waiting for the opportunity to regrow. It was the beginning of a metamorphosis the likes of which the world hadn''t witnessed in over ten millennia. The first step of a humanoid reaching beyond mortality. ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 345: Poking the Nest Chapter 345: Poking the Nest Late Morning - Late Summer : The Tree of Prayer, Valtivar | Siratha ----- *VWOWOWOWOOM* The mana around us was in complete turmoil as the color of Lief''s skin rapidly fluctuated, from a rotten black to a bright porcelain, seemingly decomposing before reforming itself with tendrils of muscle and coating it with skin. To most, it was likely quite a disgusting sight, but at the same time, no one around could take their eyes off her. -Seems like things are going well...- Turning toward her soul, I watched as it continuously fluctuated and reformed itself like the mixing of yin and yang, forming a small vortex at the center of her reserve and sucking in a considerable amount of mana like she was entering a dragon sleep. However, thankfully for us, this wasn''t an evolution on that scale. -Since she isn''t growing in size, and her body is already that of an ascended demihuman, so this should be a fairly seamless process... Though she might need more mana...- Without pulling my eyes off her, I swiftly ripped a melon-sized chunk out of the massive tree root we stood on before vector-flipping it into the void. *crackle-VWOOOM* A blast of raw mana instantly erupted from the void, only to be contained by my aura and focused around Lief. Almost immediately, her body started to devour it like a starved dog, sucking in so much of it that it created a vortex even children could see. But while it pushed her reserve to the brink of shattering, it didn''t take long for the space mana I injected into the elixir to spread through her abdomen and reinforce it. Beyond that, all I did was contain the dense mana around her and accelerate her body''s regeneration while it slowly spread her new, modified genetics throughout her body, something I studied closely as it spread. From what I could tell, the mix of mana within the elixir was the catalyst of the entire process, destroying essentially everything in her body at an atomic level, similar to immense radiation, but rather than immediately repairing her DNA like the rest of her body, it would take sections of my DNA within the elixir to patch it up. Because of this process, she could never gain something like a new form through an elixir, and would always have the humanoid frame, but it didn''t exempt her from taking some traits from my other forms, such as the less dense bones in the legs of my Fenririan form or the more dense ones from my draconic form. But while it seemed simple when just looking at one strand of DNA, the grander scale of things wasn''t so simple. Each and every cell was hit by the immense shock of mana differently, and to make things more complicated, even if two cells were dealt the same damage, they wouldn''t heal the same as each other. However, much like in a large ecosystem, it was survival of the fittest, and as time passed, the same thing happened with her cells; as she was reconstructed, the number of altering DNA strands shrank until just one blueprint overwhelmingly dominated the rest. -It really is like a bunch of tiny animals fighting... How intriguing...- Just watching it caused my curiosity to spike with my desire to see how far I could take things, to see if I could give her a draconic form by tagging another section of genetics onto hers. But Lief was far from replaceable. -I can''t let myself get carried away...- Quickly calming back down and giving her body some guidance, the ceremony continued for about another half an hour, giving me more than enough time to understand the process and feel comfortable about leaving her on her own for the remainder of the evolution, something I expected to take about a week based on her regeneration speed. However, as I was wrapping things up and preparing to leave, Lief''s body had a sudden twitch. *flick* -Hm?- Up until this point, there had yet to be any real visible changes to her besides the vibrance of small parts of her skin, and for the most part, she didn''t so much as flex a muscle even as they were reconstructed. The changes in her body had only just started. -She can''t be waking up already...- But it wasn''t Hera''s doing. *VWOOM* Finally noticing the god''s appearance as the human''s body was eviscerated, I sped up my divinity slightly, but by the time I slowed things down, the presence had already moved thousands of kilometers away and dragged the human''s web of divinity with it, leaving only a bloody mist behind. But while I could have easily caught up to them with the void, and had more than enough divinity to slaughter them like cattle, I simply normalized my divinity, not wanting to waste it before helping Father. "He sure hasn''t changed..." Hera mumbled under her breath as she looked toward the now-distant presence far over the horizon. "Do you know him?" I spoke calmly, already knowing they were a god of Asgard based on the direction they ran. "That was Baldur, the eldest son of Odin and Frigg... He''s just as childish as ever..." -Baldur, huh... Is he the one directing the pushes on Siratha?- He was a god I knew quite well through Hera, and was the epitome of a child born with a golden spoon. But in reality he was simply the result of a successful experiment between Odin and Frigg to create a child through just the mixing and combinations of souls. He was essentially an amalgamation of the personalities of Frigg and Odin, mixed with that of a young human child, giving him strength rivaling the top of Asgard yet the disposition of a spoiled teenager. Energetic, unpredictable, and powerful. In other words, he was a bomb simply waiting to explode. It was just a matter of time. -But the more time he gives me, the easier he will be to deal with...- He was clearly planning something, going as far as to test the waters with me. But he had no idea what kind of nest he was jabbing at. ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 346: Assimilation Chapter 346: Assimilation Early Evening - Late Summer : The Tree of Prayer, Valtivar | Siratha ----- "So, you''re going to finally reveal yourself, huh?" There was a short pause before the air next to my ear gently vibrated, relaying a deep draconic voice. "I was originally going to give it some more time, but there is no point in delaying it further." I paused before turning my head slightly and shooting a gaze up into the branches of a nearby treant, meeting the stare of a beautiful draconic woman confidently sipping a glass of piotita on the roof of the most expensive tavern in town, overlooking the base of the Tree of Prayer. "Is that so?" It was Hera. Taking a casual sip, she leaned up against the railing, cloaking all but two of the wings sprouting from her back to avoid people raising suspicions of her. "Well, as you said the other day, I should strike while the iron is hot." It had been about a week and a half since the ceremony began at that point, and with me not feeling comfortable leaving Lief alone after the appearance of Baldur, I had simply loitered around her at the base of the Tree of Prayer, cloaked with light magic while speaking to Hera about what was to come. "I meant that as more of a general statement." *pat* I continued as I laid my head back down. "The iron has already started to cool. You wouldn''t want to hit it now." She smirked as she leaned into the railing. "Hoh? And what makes you think that?" "The assimilation of Bahamut and Siratha was when the iron was struck; the moment of reformation that cleaned out the ''impurities'' and started a new era where dragons could start openly worshiping a Diety other than Bahamut... It''s a change not everyone could accept, but things have finally started to stabilize. If my family or I were fully backing you with your sudden reappearance, I''m sure it would raise suspicions about our intentions. It would be too much change too fast and just destabilize things... It would make the iron brittle." "Not necessarily..." She took a quick sip of her drink as she looked down at a young dragon and elf playing together in the street. "Currently, there are two main groups in Bahamut: those that support Siratha and those that do not, both sides will despise me. However, the disdain I''d receive from those who support Siratha''s growing power and influence would be quelled by your support, and those who don''t like the assimilation would be quelled by me, a demigod capable of filling the gap Bahamut has left vacant for so long." I immediately raised my eyebrows with an unconvinced look. "But you''re forgetting the public sentiment toward you... What makes you think the people who don''t like me would automatically accept you?" "Because in their eyes, even if you are supporting me, I am your opposition... As it stands, Bahamut has no God or even demigods. If you wanted to, you could flip the table on them and rule Bahamut whether they wanted it or not. No one could stop you..." She let out a short breath before moving her gaze back to me. "With me, they would have a force that can oppose you, a power that can keep you in check... Even if my reputation puts a bad taste in their mouth, they would have to deal with it in order to gain my strength." -I didn''t think about that...- It was actually a pretty solid plan, appealing to public sentiment in order to take the upper hand. Her only issue would be getting the support of those within the Elder Hall and highly influential figures like Amphitrite and Myles to preemptively quell what would be the leading voices of the opposition. -Although there will always be those that speak up...- "What do you plan to do about those that use your sudden usurpment of political power to spark a rebellion?" "Well, more than likely, it would be sparked by those who were related to the original slandering of my name or are on the side of the Holy Kingdom, seeing it as an opportunity to sow discourse." -So she wants to use it as an opportunity to clean out the rest of the traitors as well...- "It seems like you''ve got it all figured out, huh... Just don''t forget to at least get the Elder Hall on your side before you do anything crazy..." Although there was still a lingering worry in the back of my mind, I simply shook it off as it appeared. "When are you planning on leaving?" "Haha, you say that like you aren''t coming with me." Quickly finishing her drink, she moved the cup away with her aura to refill it. "I plan to wait for Lief to awaken. I doubt that will be too far away." -That''s true...- After a week and a half, Lief''s condition had progressed greatly, and even though it took a little longer than I expected, she had almost entirely finished her evolution. "She''ll probably wake up at some point today." -In the meantime, I need to figure out what I''m going to do with Krystallo...- The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Her hair had turned black, her eyes had turned silver, her tail had gotten longer, and she had even sprouted a single small horn next to her right ear with some dragon scales lining her spine. But while those changes were enough to nearly completely alter her own identity, the changes inside her body were far greater. "How do you feel?" I spoke through a smile, more than satisfied with the changes to her body. -I wonder how strong she is now...- "I.. feel..." She paused as she clenched her fists a few times and ran her hand down her body, through the clothes I had temporarily made for her. "I feel s-so.. different..." "Well, of course! Did you think an elixir I gave to you would be weak?" Her eyes slowly lit up as she used her aura to look over herself. "Of course not!" Looking up at me, her eyes sparkled with a childish pride and joy similar to what I would usually see in Krystallo. But as I was about to offer a simple ''spar'', her gaze stiffened with hostility and shot up into the treant behind me. "Haha, that''s just Hera, Lief." I spoke calmly. But rather than relief, her expression warped to confusion. "Huh?!" I honestly didn''t know what to think of it. -Could you not sense her before?- ----- [1] - She was also talking to Vas at those times, the people around just didn''t know ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 347: Preparing for the Return Chapter 347: Preparing for the Return Mid Evening - Late Summer : The Tree of Prayer, Valtivar | Siratha ----- Lief instantly turned her head to me in agitated confusion. "Huh?!" I honestly didn''t know what to think of it. -Could you not sense her before?- "Has her aura always been that.." an irritated look came to her face as she looked back up toward Hera, ".. combative?" Tilting my head a bit, I looked up toward her as well, but she just smiled and waved. -What does that mean?- Where Hera''s aura met mine, it was completely smooth and calm, so I wasn''t sure where she was coming from. "I feel like she''s trying to squish us, My Lord..." The animosity in her voice slowly grew the longer she stared. -Hm...- A momentary silence encompassed us as I gave something a bit of thought before deciding to go with it. "So what do you think of a friendly spar with her? You know, to stretch your legs some." Originally, I was going to ''spar'' with her myself, but after a moment of thought, I figured it would be better to take advantage of the sudden animosity since I wasn''t keen on the idea of flaunting my humanoid form in front of Sirathans as Nott. However, Lief''s reaction was a bit unexpected. "Huh?!" Her irritation and confidence disappeared in an instant. "A s-spar?!" "Haha," I let out a chuckle as her slight lisp and slurring of words returned, and her ''confidence'' disappeared. "Just think of it as you receiving guidance from her. She''ll be limited to her humanoid form, and I''ll make sure she doesn''t go too far, okay?" Realizing I wasn''t really giving her a choice, she gulped down her already diminished confidence before looking back up at Hera, standing at the edge of the railing with a smile as she took a casual sip of a new glass of alcohol. To me, nothing about her seemed out of place, but at that moment, to Lief, it was simply predatory. "Hera, what do you think about it? Care to give her some guidance?" Turning her gaze to me and looking deep into my eyes, Hera slowly took a final sip of piotita before moving the glass away with her aura and setting it on a table behind her. "I would rather tussle with you.." *sip* ".. but I wouldn''t mind guiding a junior." *tap* Reaching to the side, she gently rubbed Krystallo''s head and bent down to her level. "It seems your brother wants me to give Lief some ''guidance''. So, I''ll be right back." Krystallo''s curious and questioning expression instantly morphed with excitement as she ran up to the railing and looked down at Lief, who I just revealed from beneath my light magic. "A spar?!" Finally noticing that Lief had awoken, the crowd around us at the base of the tree immediately reached up in cheers, praising my name and congratulating Lief on her successful evolution. But after darting up to the tavern, the sound of their cheers had yet to reach us. "Is sister Hera really going to spar Miss Lief?!" Krystallo, balancing her waist on the railing, kicked her dangling feet with excitement as she looked down over the crowd. "Mhm! I''m curious how she''ll fare." Quickly grabbing a glass from downstairs, I filled it with Piotita from the barrel Hera bought earlier and brought it to my hand. *vwoom-pat* As I turned back to the railing, Krystallo looked back at me with an excited look. "Do you think Miss Lief will win?" "Haha!" I let out an immediate, hardy laugh. "Absolutely not." *FLASH-CR-CRAAACK* The instant I finished speaking and put the glass to my lips, the area around Lief lit up with a flash, and Hera''s right palm, coated with superheated plasma appeared in front of Lief''s chest. Lief barely even had a chance to react. *ZIP* Shifting her feet and turning her shoulder with pure reflexes, the palm zipped across her chest with enough force to kill an ancient. *FWOOOOOOSH* Looking at Hera''s partially scaled arm in pure shock, Lief''s eyes went wide. But Hera didn''t give her a chance to think. *THUMP* Swiping Lief''s legs out from under her, Hera instantly pulled her palm back and grabbed Lief''s face, but taking advantage of the split second Hera couldn''t dodge, Lief drove her foot into Hera''s cheek. *CRACK-CRACKLEEE* The entire Tree of Prayer shook violently as splinters of wood from the root they stood on shot out in every direction. "That doesn''t mean you can blow her spine out using divinity. If you want to guide her, beat her with technique, not raw strength." She paused before looking back at Lief. "In that case, I''ll start using magic. Is that fine?" *sip* "As long as you hold your strength back to compensate." A grin immediately spread across her face. "Alright. I can work with that." Krystallo, watching with a worried look, mumbled as Hera gently massaged her neck. "Is sister Hera okay? That looked like a big hit..." *pat* Setting my hand on her head, the worry quickly faded from her eyes. "Hera could probably take my full strength; she''s more than okay. That was just a hit she felt." *sip* Taking a quick, refreshing sip of piotita, I looked down at Hera and Lief, watching closely as they restarted the spar. It was just as one-sided in Hera''s favor as I had imagined. There was only so much you could do against a being that much stronger than you, even if they were holding back. But it was a good opportunity for someone else. "Make sure you''re watching what they''re doing, even if it''s a little hard to follow... It''ll make for a good learning experience." I was hoping Krystallo would be able to watch the fight and maybe learn some techniques, but it seemed like saying anything was needless. Even before I opened my mouth, there was nothing but focus and the reflection of the fight in her eyes. Although the fight was happening so fast, even Elders wouldn''t be able to follow it; she didn''t seem to have any trouble. -Maybe it''s because she''s learned some techniques from both of them...- But it honestly made me start wondering. -When the Coming of Age Festival rolls around.. I wonder how the other prodigies will fare against her...- Although I can''t say I didn''t already have an idea how it was going to go... I was simply holding my hopes up that she could find a good rival. ----- As many of you know, I will not be here next week so dont expect any chapters! Im flying across the country to spend some time with my girlfriend, so I will not be writing. However, while the next chapter will likely be Friday week after next, the half-chapter I promised a while back should also be finished up shortly after I get back. (I also may make it Patreon exclusive) In any case, I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!!! Thank you for your ever-lasting support!! <> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 348: The Things I鈥檝e Missed Chapter 348: The Things Ive Missed Late Evening - Late Summer : The Tree of Prayer, Valtivar | Siratha ----- Beams of orange light pierced the thick canopy and illuminated the upper tree trunk of the Tree of Prayer as the evening sun began to set behind the ever-distant horizon. It had been a few hours since Hera and Leif started sparring, and since then, they had gathered quite a crowd, from those who wanted to learn to those who simply wanted the entertainment of a fight at a level even the eldest ancients would struggle to contend at. It was honestly quite a sight seeing so many dragons gathered about, but as a consequence, many questions were being raised about Hera, asking who she was and what her relation to Lief and I was to be involved in a ''spar dictated by the gods''. But with her likely only a few weeks from revealing herself to the public, I was far from worried. *sip* *tap* Setting my empty glass down after finishing the last barrel of piotita, I finally looked over the fight and spoke firmly, "I think it''s best to call things here." *FWOOM* The moment my words met their ears, both of them stopped, with Hera''s hand extended toward Lief, ready to apply even more pressure onto her, and Lief ready to defend in a lowered stance. But it only lasted a moment. *thump* "Hah... Hah..." Falling back onto her butt, Lief let out some heavy, worn breaths before shooting a gaze at Hera, standing with hardly a blemish on her clothes. "What kind of monster are you..." Hera was quick to shrug before looking out over the crowd and speaking without the use of silencing magic. "You will find out who I am in due time, don''t worry." To try and comfort Lief a bit, I was quick to whisper to her. "She''s barely a step below a god," -At least in the traditional sense...- "Don''t stress it, you did great." And while it was true that Hera made her seem weak in comparison, no one watching doubted her strength even for an instant. Rather than viewing Lief after her transformation as weak, they viewed Hera as an absolute monster. But it''s not like that was too surprising. As the fight progressed, Lief steadily improved her technique and constantly increased how much of her newfound strength she could bring to light, to the point that blows she dealt would cause the entire Tree of Prayer to shudder. The thing that just put it all into perspective was when she hit, she would hardly budge, partially from how sturdy she was and partially from the insane weight difference between them. -I think Hera is even heavier than me.. although I doubt it''s by too much...- "But, anyway..." *Vwoom* Glancing to my side, I watched as Hera seemed to appear out of thin air before gently caressing Krystallo''s head. "Were you able to learn anything?" She immediately looked up at Hera with a sparkle in her eyes before giving a fervorous nod. "Of course!" Hera showed an oddly motherly smile for a moment before noticing me handing her a full glass of piotita. "Haha, is this the last glass?" I was quick to shrug. "I know a place where I could always get more." "Hoh?" She gave me a sly smile as she took a sip. "You''ll have to take me there at some point." "Haha, do you want to drain my whole supply?" "Did you think that spar was free?" I paused for a moment before letting out a quick breath. "Well, I guess that''s fair. We can stop at my secret place and pick up a few barrels before we head to Bahamut." -It''s about time I check up on the Oasis anyway...- "But before that..." Looking down at Lief, I saw her laying out on one of the Tree of Prayer''s roots, panting from exhaustion. "We''re planning on leaving for Bahamut now. There are some matters I need to attend to there. I trust that you can handle things while I''m gone?" "Hah... Of... Course..." Slowly sitting up, she looked straight at me. "Is Lady Krystallo going to be staying with me?" I promptly shook my head. "No, she''ll be coming with Hera and I for the time being." -I can''t risk a target landing on her, especially with Baldur running about...- "I see..." *thump* Laying back out, she continued to try and catch her breath. "In that case, there is nothing to worry about. But before you go, allow me to say thank you, My Lord for the opportunity to spar with someone so strong." An exhausted smile slowly crept onto her face as she spoke. "I''m just glad you were able to learn something from it. Maybe next time I''ll have you spar me." "Ack- *cough-cough*" She immediately started coughing as she jolted up. "Surely you jest..." "Haha, I''d hold back." I paused as I glanced at Hera, noticing she had already started finishing her drink. "In any case, we will get going... If you need to reach me for anything, there is a human god watching over my Father. I''ll tell them to alert me if you go there and ask for me." Slowly sitting up, she brought herself to a kneel before giving her momentary farewell. "As you wish, My Lord. I vow to use the strength you have bestowed on me for your good. You may rest easy leaving Siratha in my hands." Krystallo and Hera shared similarly confused expressions with me, both gazing at the child, wondering how not only such a young girl recognized me but was extremely excited to see me. However, after a moment of her clamoring to get off the ship and stumbling onto the dock, she turned to run to me, only to be stopped by one of the lookouts. *vwoom* He was quite strong for a human, all things considered. "Young miss," He spoke with a very hushed tone. "You cannot just run up to strangers..." She immediately pouted. "I would never fail to recognize Momma and Daddy''s savior!" -Huh?- I was taken aback before I could even think. "Little miss, who are your parents?" Her face lit up as I spoke to her, but the man with her went pale. "Miss, we can''t risk-" "My Momma is Captain Abbie, and my Daddy is Captain Adrian!" I instantly jolted. -Ah...- While I had indeed pushed them in a similar direction as one another, it didn''t turn out like I expected. -It seems like they''re doing even better than it looked like.- "And your name is?" "Ann!" "Well, Miss Ann. Would you like to walk with us back to town? We were headed to meet with your parents." "Of course!" Seeing the lookout try to keep her where she was, a few hundred meters away, I ''coerced'' him to let her go before finally turning for the city. "So, what''s your name? To follow Mister Vasilias, you must be super strong!" Ann was quick to run up to Krystallo not long after we started walking. But her reaction was about what I expected. "Of course I''m strong!" Although even by appearance, Krystallo was much older than the young girl, she certainly didn''t mind the praise. And like that, our entrance to the town was swift. Walking down a stone-paved road leading from the docks to the lake before walking up onto the stilted town and making our way to the tavern. *clack* Shoving open the swinging doors, Ann ran straight into the tavern and hugged onto Abbie''s leg. "Momma, Momma! Look who came!" She immediately pointed at me in the door, and almost instantly, the whole tavern went quiet, and Abbie froze in place. Adrian though, seemed to have other plans. "Vasilias?! How are you doin''?" He was absolutely wasted, holding a bottle of rum in one hand before reaching over the bar and grabbing a smaller white bottle from beneath the counter with his other hand. "I feel sad you took so long to just visit!" *fwip* *tap* Catching the bottle as he tossed it to me, I found it was a small white, human-portioned glass of Piotita. When I looked back up at him, I wanted to laugh. "I hope this isn''t the only Piotita you have." "Of course not!" *clack* Setting down his mug of Viliwyr, he moved his hand up and pinched his nose before exhaling a trail of smoke smelling of alcohol and bringing clarity to his drunken eyes. "You think I would drink that nasty shit?" A smile quickly found its way onto my face. "You never know." -It seems I underestimated how much stronger he''s gotten, too.- ----- [1] - Adrian was the pirate Vasilias met when first leaving the nest and heading to Siratha. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 349: Catch-Up Chapter 349: Catch-Up Late Evening - Late Summer : The Eastern Oasis ----- "HAHA! I win again! Who''s next!" *Thump-CHUG* Ripping her mug off the table and throwing the drink down her throat, Hera dunked the mug into a barrel of liquid on the ground next to her and refilled it. "For a barrel of Piotita, 34 platinum can be yours!" She quickly pointed toward the center of the table, where a bag of coins lay. It had only been a few hours since we first arrived, but in that timeframe, Hera had amassed about twenty barrels of slightly aged Piotita. All from betting. In the eyes of everyone else, it was simple. Beat her in any game of your choice, and you win the bag of platinum, but if you lose, you have to pay up with a barrel of Piotita. As it turned out, people in the Oasis had begun amassing it because of a rumor that some people would pay huge sums of money for it from time to time. It was essentially like they were treating it as an investment. -An investment that will pay off for them.- *Clunk* Watching a saddened man stack yet another barrel of Piotita behind Hera, I let out a chuckle. -Well, at least some of them...- *sip* "I should probably buy some to take home though." Although Krystallo was still too young to enjoy the taste, I was certain Mother and Grandmother would enjoy it. "How many do you want? Five, ten barrels?" Adrian confidently looked over at me before looking at Abbie. "She''s stockpiled a couple hundred over the years just for you." A smile instantly came to my face. "I''m glad you were thinking of me, but you should really be buying up as many as you can even if it costs a couple gold coins. I know some people that would pay some exorbitant sums to get just a few barrels." "Hoho, is that so?" It looked as if money signs suddenly flickered in Adrian''s eyes instantly. "It wouldn''t be a bad way to give the city a new income source... Speaking of.. how''s everything coming along in the city''s development? From the sky, it seemed like the city was thriving." Not questioning my wording, Abbie quickly spoke up. "It hasn''t been easy, but we have come a long way. Our population is somewhere around twenty thousand, and we are by far the largest pirate group around this part of the Main Continent.. although that''s bringing on some issues..." -Hm?- "How is that causing issues?" -Are there some groups getting hostile?- Her conflicted expression quickly darkened. "We have tried to work with Kaelallan for peaceful relations, such as simply having merchant ships pay us a tithe to pass through this area, or even engage in trade with us for mutual benefit, but they have all ended sour." -Huh? They''ve ended sour?- "What do you mean?" "Haah..." She let out a heavy, stress-filled sigh as she averted her eyes. "We''ve lost nearly all the ships we''ve sent to negotiate with them, even those waving a white flag." -That.. doesn''t sound right...- Right away, something felt off. "Are you sure it''s Kaelallan? Why would they sink surrendering ships?" -I doubt Oliver would be so overly hostile.. even to pirates...- "We haven''t ever had friendly relations, but after we took one of their galleons, it got really bad. Because of lack of compliance, we ended up killing the captain and several in the crew before selling the rest of the crew and the noble aboard for ransom." -Ah.. I bet the hostility is from the noble...- "Do you know who the noble was?" "He was just a wealthy man who owned inns throughout Kaelallan, Toria, and the Holy Kingdom." But I didn''t have too much time for that. Before long, we arrived at the space rune in the heart of the temple, and after letting everyone off my back, set the rune''s destination to Ampelos, the city a few thousand kilometers south of Akri, and about a thousand kilometers south of the newly constructed Elder Hall. -Mom and Grandmother should be there...- Looking up, Hera had transformed into a shrunken version of her draconic form, exactly matching my size, and Krystallo had followed suit. -Looks like they''re good to go...- But the moment I went to put my mana into the rune, a presence approached with haste. -Uh oh...- It was Grace. -Something better not have happened to Father...- *Fwoom* Slowing time around me as my presence turned heavy, I looked to the side before Grace''s figure suddenly appeared. But as she did, she hesitated. "What''s wrong? Did something happen to Father?" She quickly shook her head before glancing at Hera, who also used her divinity to chime in on our conversation. ~"I''m not sure if you really care to know, but.. Myles is about to wake up from his dragon sleep.~" My whole form tensed up instantly. -ALREADY?!- Turning to Hera in a flash, I asked in a frenzy. "Didn''t you say it would be at least sixteen years at a minimum?!" But rather than being shocked, she just shrugged. "I just gave you an estimate for what was average." A smile slowly crept onto her face as she paused. "But I can''t say I''m not interested in a dragon that could finish stepping into the realm of a demigod in just eight years." I looked at her in disbelief for a moment before letting out a hardy sigh. "Haaaah..." -Why do I feel like a sudden weight just appeared on my shoulders...- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 350: Welcome! Chapter 350: Welcome! Mid Morning - Late Summer : The Eastern Oasis ----- *Fwoom* Easing the speed of my divinity as Grace disappeared, the flow of time almost instantly returned to normal. -So much for getting the support of the Elder Hall first...- *vwoom-tap-tap* Quickly changing the destination of the space rune to Emporio, I gave Hera an unamused look before injecting my mana and letting out a sigh. *Vwoom* "Haah..." No matter how much I wanted to deny it, I knew exactly what she was planning just by the smug look on her face. -So much for taking the time to plan her return to Bahamut...- To be blunt, I had the feeling she was going to simply get Myles''s support as he woke up rather than the Elder Hall or dragons like Amphitrite. It just made a bit too much sense. With Myles being the first to survive the step into the demigod stage since the war, and with his long-standing trust from dragons around Bahamut, people were going to rally behind him en mass, likely even overpowering the existing system using the Elder Hall and essentially putting him in control of Bahamut. -Because he''s close with our family, it won''t threaten our position, but it will definitely cause some turmoil, and maybe even rebellions sparked by those in defiance...- But as if to make the situation even more troublesome, Hera''s appearance would flip everything on its head. I had to ask myself how people would react to her new appearance on its own, and while i thought I had it all figured out, Myles waking up threw a wrench into everything. Or so I thought. "Haah..." -This should be the closest point to the Elder Hall...- Generally calculating where we were within the void, I quickly created a gate at the top of the tube within the void, only a kilometer or so above the planets surface, quickly encompassing us and releasing us in reality. *VWOOP-FWOOSH* But we were instantly hit with a wave of heavy, water-filled mist and a blast of wind. We were in the heart of a massive storm. *Crrrrrrackle* Electricity instantly started leaping between Krystallo, Hera, Ilios, and I. "W-Woah! Hehe..." A smile came to Krystallo''s face right away as she moved her arm around and watched the electricity arc between her scales. -Good lord... What a hot storm...- Pushing my aura down to the ground, the view of a huge section of forest as well as several estates came into view. -Looks like we''re still quite a bit west of the old Elder Hall...- "We need to cover about a thousand kilometers still, maybe two..." -They need to get on my back...- *Blub* Quickly creating a ball of liquid antimatter and liquid hydrogen, I split it up and spread it around us before combining the dozens of individual droplets with their opposites. *crackle-BAAAAANG* The light was so blinding for an instant that it could have damaged Krystallo''s eyes, but with how immense the heat and shockwave were, my barriers to protect her from them didn''t even let singular photons through. On the inside of the barriers, it simply flicked to darkness for a moment, and a subtle thump sounded. *blackout-thump* *crackle-FWOOOOOSH* Releasing the barriers and only maintaining the vacuum magic, we were instantly showered with sunlight, just as the vast green forest beneath us was. "Change to your humanoid forms. We need to get moving." Hera, having anticipated what I was doing, had already transformed by the time I finished speaking, but Krystallo didn''t take more than a couple of seconds. -She''s gotten faster...- "Alright, hang on." *crackle-WOOOOM* Accelerating at the limit of what Krystallo could comfortably handle, we zipped over the horizon in a flash, piercing through the wall of clouds from the shockwave of the explosion before ripping through storm clouds like a spear through water. "Your control really is something..." Looking ahead as I split through the atmosphere far in front of us, Hera mumbled under her breath. "How does your vacuum magic even work?" Hearing her genuine curiosity, I glanced back for a moment before simply saying. "All I do is run a program in my mind... Essentially I do all the calculations with one complex formula." -Although vacuum magic''s is quite simple...- "Kalfas." "Hm..." She pondered as she looked over his rugged body, now nearly 135 meters tall, and with a slightly less bulky body than he previously had, now being closer to a more balanced form. "The name doesn''t ring a bell, but it''s similar to one of Atlas''s underlings that was a mythril dragon." -With how close Myles is with pur family, that''s probably the case.- "Do you know if there are any other mythril dragons?" Gently scraping one of her claws across his scales, a scratch instantly appeared. "I know he had a brother that formed a family, but I''m not sure how they''re doing." She paused for a moment before looking up towards Myles face. "I see... Maybe he''ll be more open to concubines than his ancestors were." "PFFT-" I almost instantly burst out laughing. "Where did that come from?" But rather than getting some whitty response, I ended up getting an earful about how good strong mythril dragons are, and just how much they can strengthen Bahamut. But it helped pass the time while we waited for Myles condition to normalize until, eventually, people in the city around us started to gather around for the historic moment. We as a group were still cloaked then, so none of those coming around to see if Myles was going to wake up could see anything, but as Myles eventually sluggishly opened his eyes and the crowd watched with baited breaths, his gaze was met by Hera, donning her full-sized form, almost three times the size of him. All she did was look into his eyes, smile, and speak calmly. "Myles Kalfas. Welcome to the afterlife!" "PFT-HAHAHA!" I burst out into laughter before I could even think. ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 351: A Fellow Hybrid Chapter 351: A Fellow Hybrid Mid Morning - Late Summer : The Old Elder Hall ----- "Myles Kalfas. Welcome to the afterlife!" Hera''s voice boomed as Myles opened his eyes and found her colossal form looming over him. "PFT-HAHAHA!" I burst out into laughter before I could even think, only barely silencing it with magic before Myles could hear. "H..huh?" He spoke lethargically as if having just woken from the deepest sleep imaginable, unable to remember how he fell asleep in the first place. "W..who... W..where..." He quickly scanned over the crowd, only to find them waiting with baited breaths. He was so lethargic he didn''t even notice the light magic around us, which happened to still show him asleep. "My name is Hera, Hera Monachiko?s, and unfortunately, it seems like you didn''t survive your dragon sleep." He jolted slightly, finally remembering some of what happened. "R-Right! What about Amphitri-" "She''s alive." I spoke calmly with a slight elegance in my tone, pulling his attention toward me. But by the time he saw me, I was already in my fenririan form. "You... You''re-" "Nott. You likely know me as one of the ancient fenrir." Slowly getting up, I nonchalantly walked up to him. "How does it feel to be dead? You almost made it." "It feels.. odd..." Slowly looking over the crowd again, his confused expression slowly became understanding. But as he looked to the side and met eyes with Krystallo, his expression morphed. "Huh? Who are you?" Seeing the opportunity, she immediately puffed up her chest. "I''m Gracia Ragnarok!" She hollered the name of Gracia, who was our long-passed great-great-grandmother. But unfortunately she didn''t realize that Gracia was Myles caretaker for a period of time when he was young. "Huh?" He knew she was lying immediately. "N..no.. you aren-" Then, in a flustered moment, he finally used his aura, sensing the immovable walls of mana emanating from Hera and I, as well as the surrounding light and sound barriers. Almost immediately, he went wide eyed and his gaze drifted to me, leaving me to simply tilt my head with a smile. "Did you finally use your brain?" A look of confusion and fear washed over his face in an instant. He simply froze. Unable to comprehend the situation he was in. But while it was enjoyable to watch, with every second, Hera''s smile grew. "Since it seems like you finally understand, why don''t I reintroduce myself." She immediately pulled his gaze to her before pressing her foot onto his neck. "My name is Hera Monachiko?s, and you are going to help me put Bahamut in my paw." I felt a hint of anxiousness as she slowly put her weight on his neck. -Is she really gonna kick his ass in front of all these people...- However, unlike what I expected, she calmly pulled her paw off him. ".. but perhaps this isn''t the best place to discuss details..." Looking out over the crowd, she wore a slightly disappointed expression. "You know Vasilias, correct?" Myles reluctantly nodded before Hera looked at me. "So, where should we meet?" Taken aback by her restraining herself, I responded with a little surprise. "A-as we planned before, the Elder Hall would be the best... Especially if we plan to simply overrule them." Lowering my gaze to Myles, I continued. "With you awake, our plan has gotten easier." But Hera was quick to chime in. "Hoho~, overrule is a strong word. All we''re doing is making them our subordinates." Hera quickly nodded. "But now that Myles is awake, this will get much easier." -Oh boy...- Continuing over the horizon, we picked up our conversation about what was to come before ironing out some of the details and painting a new plan making use of Myles who was now a demigod with quickly rallying support. The plan was to use his quickly building support to overtake the Elder Hall, making it a branch below him, and then have Hera take him as her subordinate whether he wanted it or not. It would effectively allow the support and reputation of Myles to fight the hate and resistance Hera''s appearance would cause, limiting those who want to resist to those who want to spark trouble rather than improve the state of Bahamut. Essentially, it was to sift through Bahamut for the troublemakers so Hera could clean them out in preparation for a war with the Holy Kingdom. -But with Lief ruling Siratha, and Hera ruling Bahamut.. will the Holy Kingdom be able to fight back?- That, however, was a very stupid question, I simply wouldn''t know before my naivity bit me. -Looks like this is where Mother is...- Finally coming into view of a huge estate a few dozen kilometers from where I was told the new Elder Hall was, I looked for Mother''s aura and almost immediately found her and grandmother speaking in an isolated room. But they weren''t alone. -Huh? Who is that?- One I recognized as a dragon named Pluto Chrysos, one of the other Elder Hall members, and one of the most wealthy Elders in Bahamut. -But the other.. who is that?- Something about them felt off.. as if they weren''t a dragon even though they didn''t look much different from most partially feathered dragons. And as I got close, I finally recognized what it was. They in fact weren''t a pure dragon, but they also weren''t a conventional half breed. "To think there would still be a half dragon, half thunderbird still around." Hera spoke with a mix of disgust and curiosity. "I wonder if he''s ''his'' descendant..." It was a creature born as the child between a dragon and thunderbird, an ancient race somewhat akin to wyverns yet able to achieve sentience in a normal life span. -They''re native around The Scar according to some of the texts I''ve read but I''ve never seen one... To think the first I would see would be half dragon...- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 352: Birb Chapter 352: Birb Late Morning - Late Summer : The Elder Estate | The New Elder Hall ----- *Fwoosh* *Fwoosh* *Fwoosh-Thump* The estate shook slightly as I landed in front of the main gate with a thud, rattling the gate and alerting everyone around of my presence that had remained hidden until that moment. "Hey!" The ancient by the gate, who was seemingly a guard, immediately took a defensive stance thinking we were intruders, but I was quick to pull out my ID. "Here," But as I flashed it to him, I noticed a familiar face running up from behind the gate. "Hey, let them pass!" It was a tall, orange-scaled dragon I recognized in an instant. "Orion?" It was Orion Cirillo. "It''s been so long! I''m surprised you recognized me." His face was a refreshing sight. "Haha, no one else has such deep black scales. How could I mistake you?" He quickly spoke to the guard through the aura before making him open the gate. "Plus, how could I not recognize Lady Krystallo!" Shooting her a smile, he quickly motioned us through. "I must say I''m quite surprised to see you here though... Your Mother said you were quite busy." "I am. If I wasn''t busy, I wouldn''t be here..." -I''d be exploring the moon...- I glanced back at Hera without thinking before looking back toward the estate. "But it''s a burden I''d have to take eventually." "A burden for you?" He immediately became curious. "Surely you exaggerate..." He quickly glanced around before surrounding us in silencing magic. "You have already brought Siratha under your family''s wing... What more could burden you?" -Hah...- I wanted to chuckle hearing him say it was Siratha under our family''s wing, but nonchalantly continued. "Well, let''s just call it giving Bahamut some long-overdue reforms." "Hm... Is your visit related to Sir Haris?" "Sir Haris?" The name didn''t ring a bell at all. -Is he that Thunderbird half breed?- Assuming he was, I continued. "What''s he here for?" Orion quickly straightened his posture. "I''m not completely sure, however I do know it''s related to reforms somehow... I believe ''reform suggestions'' were his words." -Reform suggestions?- It almost instantly gave me a bad feeling. -Who else has the power to even suggest that and get to meet with Mother and Grandmother...- Of course, to an extent I was overthinking it, as anyone could meet with those in the Elder Hall for almost any reason if they take the proper course of action. However, this time, my worries were justified. As we walked up to the estate''s entrance, Ilios lowered his aura onto everyone inside, and almost instantly, the half-breed inside turned his head. -He didn''t seem to respond to either Hera''s or my auras... Why would...- But he didn''t give me time to finish that thought. *FWOOOOSH* In an instant, his elder-sized form grew to just over a hundred meters tall, and he darted straight at us through the walls of the estate, liquifying them before bursting through the front door with his glowing maw. However, Hera wasn''t going to let him use that spell. *tap* Instantly devouring his momentum, she closed his mouth with her aura and shot him an unamused look. "Who the hell do you think you are?" *flash-CRACKLE-FWOOOSH* The moment she finished speaking, two blazing, bright blue flames erupted from his nostrils as if they were massive blow torches, and his body rumbled, rustling his feather-coated body. But the look of fury in his eyes didn''t fade. He simply stared straight into my eyes with a slightly visible craze. -What''s up with him...- Something seemed off; it looked like he was possessed somehow. -But his soul isn''t strong enough to belong to a god...- I just couldn''t think of an explanation for such deep seated anger to be aimed at me... "You fucking monster..." His voice quivered with rage as he started oozing a crazed bloodlust. "Who are you, dude?" I spoke casually, not seeing him as even a slight threat. But to him it seemed like a provocation. "You BASTARD!" *VWOOM* Releasing an aura a few times larger than Myles before his sleep, he immediately pried himself out of Hera''s clutch and lunged for me. But before his brain could even register it, my aura slammed down onto him, stripping several feathers and scales off his back and driving his body into the solid stone pathway we stood on as if it was made of brittle sandstone. *VWOOOOM-WHAAMMM* It was so much force even the current Myles would struggle to resist it. -Let alone some angry brat...- His form, in the ballpark of 100 meters tall, would normally tower over me, but while his face was embedded in the ground, I looked down at him with a mix of irritation and pity. "What the hell is your problem, kid." His body indicated that he was quite old, but neither his voice nor demeanor reflected that. "We have never met." Tears slowly welled in his eyes as he helplessly tried to force his way out from beneath my aura. "You killed my grandfather, and you killed my Mother, you fucking dog..." I had no clue who he was referring to. -But...- "If I killed them, they must have opposed me." The only thing I could immediately think of was the Academy. -But that was credited to the Ancient Fenrir... How did he connect it to me?- But I quickly cut him off. "He''s already here." Everyone turned to me in a flash. "Hera, take Krystallo and the piotita. Go protect my family for a second." Sensing exactly what I did, she quickly nodded before hopping off my back and running toward Grandmother and Mother. Pluto, who was on the other side of the Hall, just gave me a look like I was crazy. But he didn''t have the opportunity to speak. "Well, it''s unfortunate, but it looks like you guys might be moving to a new Elder Hall soon. I''m starting to get the idea that thunderbirds have some anger issues." "NOTT!" A draconic-mimicked voice instantly boomed, being easily audible through the thick stone between us and the sky. "GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY SON!" "Haah..." I let out a heavy sigh before changing to my fenririan form and glancing to my right. "Pluto, if you say a word about who I am, I''ll treat you like I''m about to treat this guy." "Huh?" His face was so warped with shock that his normal, domineering demeanor was reduced to pure confusion. But as I got ready to yank the colossal bird out of the air over us, Hera whispered to me. "Keep him alive." "Hm?" Glancing over at her, I saw her wearing a wide smile. "If he really was born before the end of the war, he''ll be one of, if not the oldest thunderbird alive... Wouldn''t it be better to take such a figure in as a slave? Plus.. I have some ideas for him..." The next thing I knew, a smile came to my face as well. "I guess you''re right." Looking up through the ceiling, I saw the figure of a massive hawk, hovering over the hall with its freakishly huge wings. "You said thunderbirds are supposed to be much faster than dragons of the same age, right?" Seeing her nod with a satisfied smile, I looked toward the hall''s main entrance. -That would be a handy trait to nurture... Maybe I can use them like carrier pigeons while I figure out quantum tethering...- "That makes me wonder how fast they are though." *poof* I instantly vanished from my seat in the hall before the ground shattered, and a column of sunlight abruptly lit up where I once was. Before anyone could recognize what happened, I was several kilometers in the air, gripping my claws into the neck of a colossal white hawk that easily dwarfed me and staring into its eye. "I had hoped you would have at least reacted, you know." His eyes shot open and pupils dilated as his brain finally caught up. "I''m not sure if you''re even worth being my carrier pigeon now." "WHAT THE?!" Reaching up his claw as fast as he could, he gripped my long tail and opened his beak revealing an intense blue glow brighter than the sun. -Huh?- I was instantly taken aback. -Radiation?!- The next thing I knew, a shiver passed down my spine. It wasn''t radiation from any normal source. It was radiation that I knew to only result from impure antimatter reactions. -THIS STUPID PIGEON!- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 353: The Eve of Change Chapter 353: The Eve of Change Short Chapter today. This was originally written back when I was still sick, so it was shortened. My apologies, I hope you enjoy! --------------------------------------------- Early Afternoon - Late Summer : The New Elder Hall ----- *Pat* Plunging my paws into the feathers on his neck as his eyes widened, I smiled snarkily. "I''m not sure if you''re even worth being my carrier pigeon now." "WHAT THE?!" In a flash, his long talons clamped around my hanging tail, and he opened his beak to reveal an intense blue glow brighter than the sun. -Huh?- I recognized it in an instant. -Radiation?!- The next thing I knew, a shiver passed down my spine. It wasn''t normal radiation; it was a pure energy that could only radiate from an uncontrolled antimatter reaction. -THIS STUPID PIGEON!- *VWOOP* My mind instantly accelerated along with my divinity as I threw us through a gate, hastily darting through the void before the space mana had the chance to do anything to him. *VWOOP* When we returned to reality, the blue sky that surrounded us turned black, littered with sparking stars and the distant glow of nebulas, hoisting the blazing sun directly above us and leaving the glowing surface of Delphi below us. But the pigeon that was about to vomit the sun at me didn''t even notice... -Can he not see when he prepares this spell?- Looking at his eyes, I saw the glow of radiation shining through them, clearly blinding him, and grimaced. "You''re real fucking lucky you''re useful..." Resisting the urge to wring his stupid pigeon neck, I looked into his mouth before, finally, he finished. *crackle* *pop* *BRRRRRRRMMMMMM* The blinding beam engulfed my whole body in an instant, shaking the fabric of space and just barely missing the planet before continuing through space like a comet until it would inevitably burn out. It likely originally started at almost ten grams of antimatter, but the reaction was so inefficient that the beam hit similarly to about four grams. -Not like ten would make a difference...- *RRRRmmmmm* As the beam slowly subsided, his beak slowly closed with a smile, feeling my tail still in his talons, thinking he killed me, but as his vision returned, he found me simply staring at him with an unamused expression. All his spell did was streak my hair back as if I stood in the wind for a while. "If I didn''t move us, you would''ve just introduced your kid and a few hundred dragons to the sensation of melting scales..." The confidence in his expression quickly started draining. "You''re pretty fucking stupid for a demigod..." Although he was a demigod, not only he and I but he and Hera, were in completely different leagues. But somehow, I felt like he wouldn''t understand that until I made it explicitly clear. *Puff* Tightening the grip of my furred paws on his neck, my draconic pupils slowly thinned. "Hey, you see that over there?" I quickly rocked my head to the side as my ears twitched.Fo?llo?w new stories at novelhall.comost immediately, his eye darted over to see the moon, no longer hidden behind the horizon, far in the distance. Haris''s expression instantly morphed with anger. "As if that fucking dog could-" *WHAMMM* The entire hall shook as my aura pancaked his body against the ground. "You should watch your mouth. You aren''t useful like your father." "You can''t kill me!" He paused upon realizing he couldn''t lean on his father''s name. "T-the Hall won''t let you- N-no! Father Neosso?s won''t let you get away with it!" Ignoring the gazes of Asimi and the young Chrysos, I released the control over my aura and let it instantly flood the room. -What a sorry excuse of an ancient... He acts like a child...- "I''m the strongest dragon alive. The only being that could stop me is Vasilias." *crack* Contemplating just wringing his neck like a chicken, I accidentally broke some of the stone under my paw. But I was distracted before I did anything. "Uh..." The young Chrysos, frozen from shock, stared at me as he broke into a cold sweat. "W-who are you?" "Hah..." Letting out a quick breath to try and calm down, I sat back down more calmly. "Hera Monachiko?s, Bahamut''s new ruler. Now go and call the other elders in the Hall as well as anyone else with authority, I don''t want to delay things any further. They need to be here by tomorrow." After managing to free himself from shock after some time, he finally got up from his seat and started quickly running out of the Elder Hall with haste to do as I asked. Although he was clearly a bit skeptical of me at first, after seeing Zachari not even bat an eyelash, he more eagerly did what I asked. -He certainly has the mind of a merchant...- "In any case, Miss Asimi," Turning back to Asimi, I tried to put on a smile. "Apologies for the late introduction.. but while we wait for Vasilias to return, why don''t we discuss what you wish to do going forward." She was immediately taken aback. "Huh?" *pat* Letting Krystallo down, I picked up a barrel of Piotita and tossed it to her. "You''re Vasilias''s family head. I won''t make you work under me like the other elders; rather, you can work alongside me or not work at all. I will respect your wishes regardless." Looking down at the barrel, Asimi gently picked it up before shooting me a skeptical gaze. "How are you planning to rule Bahamut?" "Exactly how I did in the past." I responded without an ounce of hesitation. "But it will take some time, as all things do. However, I''ll have a few extra tools up my sleeve this time around..." I slowly smiled before looking up in the air, letting countless insane ideas flood through my mind. "A few extra tools I can use to not just return Bahamut to it''s former glory, but raise it beyond the peak where it once stood." ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 354: The Beginnings of the Reform Chapter 354: The Beginnings of the Reform N/A - N/A : Sector 8J of the Moon ----- "So you want to reduce me to the mere slave of a dragon? I, the son of Hr?svelgr?!" The oversized dove tensed his body with a rasp in his voice as I slowly crushed him against the ground. "Truly.. how do you not realize the situation you''re in..." *CRACKLE* Cracks spread around us as I pressed more of my aura onto him. "I''m not giving you a choice, and you aren''t strong enough to say otherwise." "Tch-" He clicked his tongue before averting his eyes. "Stupid fucking dog..." *CRUNCH* His beak cracked as I dug my claws into it and forced him to look me in the eyes. "I explained the situation and gave you every chance to earn mercy, yet you seemed to take it for weakness..." I felt an unbelievable familiarity in my anger as the hint of a memory came to mind. "You really are just like your father, refusing to recognize mercy until I wring your neck like a fucking chicken." Almost instantly, all emotion drained from his face. "I had originally planned to let you serve Hera on your own whim, I didn''t even plan on using a rune, but now I won''t only force you to serve her but your entire race as well." *Vwoom* A huge glowing sphere of runes lit up at the base of my paw as I looked into the reflection of his eyes. "I hope in your time serving her with your brothers and sisters descendants that you can come to recognize the missteps you have made. I hope the hate you receive from them opens your eyes." *tap* Pressing my paw into his cheek just below his eye, I started hooking up the oath rune before he opened his mouth again. "There will come a day that I kill you..." His voice and eyes oozed a pure bloodlust. "I don''t care how long it takes.. and I don''t care how it''s done.. but one day, I will watch the life drain from your eyes." "Good for you," I spoke bluntly before looking straight into his eyes, unwavering, "because, in a second, you''ll forget what the concept of revenge is." Matching his gaze, his chest started to glow. Deep in his body, he was preparing a spell that would reduce not only him, but a huge section of the moon to hydrogen in an instant. But I just lifted my paw and gently moved a large stone under it. "I commend you for trying." *WHAM-CRACKLE-VWOOOOM* Vector-flipping the stone, I hurled it into the void before using the sudden, colossal blast of mana to clear the aura out from around his reserve, giving me the chance to drain the lake of antimatter in his crop with the void. Watching the consciousness behind his eyes fade as his reserve was punched with a beam of liquid mana, I wanted to scoff. -Dumbass...- It had been a couple hours since we originally started talking at that point, but almost nothing ended as I wanted it to. To attempt to summarize, his name is Acanthis, the current god of the thunderbirds, a race reduced from a population of upwards of a million to less than four thousand by none other than Nott at the end of the war. Colloquially known as Lord Pouli in Delphi''s legends and mythology, he was quite a well known being around the world following The Fall, the societal collapse following the final battle of the Great War, helping recover not only his own race, but others as well, going as far as to be worshipped by not only the thunderbirds, but other sentient monsters and even humans throughout the Western Continent. Unfortunately, like most other thunderbirds, he didn''t remember too much before he evolved to gain sentience about half a millennia after he was born, so I wasn''t able to pry out nearly as much information as I wanted about the war, even if I did get some good details. However, among the details I did get, the greatest was about the indescribable hatred between the dragon race and the thunderbirds. When the conversation started, things went somewhat reasonably. Perhaps driven by fear, he answered everything I asked quickly and thoroughly, and even seemed like he would willingly come to my side and maybe willingly serve me, but the moment I mentioned him serving Hera, everything went to shit. -I don''t know if him being interested in coming under me was just a guise, but perhaps his hatred for dragons is just that deep...- As far as I originally knew, thunderbirds had a similar affinity to dragons in that they would make friends with or serve those stronger than themselves, but because they were on a similar level to dragons, they were seen as rivals, enemies, and opposition. Little did I know until that conversation, the hatred between the two only compounded through generations, and back during the Great War was so bad that the idea of Hr?svelgr siding with the Aesir to kill Bahamut did more than cross my mind. -But for Nott to nearly wipe out their entire race... I really have to wonder if it was just Hr?svelgr that tried something...- I honestly felt like I was missing something. -But for now.. lets just focus on taming his hatred with this rune...- While I planned to also bring the rest of the thunderbirds under Hera''s wing, I had honestly begun to question if it was something within reason. -Maybe they''ll willingly follow Acanthis under Hera...- That was more than a stretch though. "Oh, are you familiar with the Chalkos family?" "Of course. I was Vouno?''s teacher when she was young, learning how to manage her family''s assets." "If you get the chance, please tell Amara that I hope she is doing well." -I should find some time to meet with her...- The other Elder''s immediately went wide-eyed and tilted their heads toward me before Gi lowered his posture with a polite smile unbefitting his rugged body. "I wasn''t aware that you knew each other." "We met in Siratha a few years ago. Anyway, I hope you can continue to assist them." "Of course." He happily smiled as if realizing his position in the cabinet was cemented. Finally turning to the last two elders, I prepared for their introductions, but before they could speak, Haris yelled out, "How can you all talk so casually?!" He seemed quite upset. But I think rather than them talking casually, it was them attempting to jump at the opportunity to form connections with the mightiest of the mighty. -I can''t imagine those who genuinely climbed to this position with their own effort are stupid... Of course they''ll jump at such a glaring opportunity.- And I didn''t mind them doing it in the slightest. "Kid, unlike your father, these people understand what an opportunity is... You should take note." Eventually turning my attention back to the elders, we continued speaking, catching me up to speed with Hera''s plans and welcoming other powerful figures as they continued to arrive. And, before we knew it, a day had passed, countless influential figures had arrived, and the man of the hour finally made his appearance. *Fwoooosh* *Fwoooosh* *Fwoooosh* Huge gusts could be heard outside from each flap of his colossal wings as he flew over the hall before stopping, blotting out the sun with his massive body. But he didn''t even have the chance to show his grand new appearance before Hera simply looked up at him. "Get down here pipsqueak. You''re the last to arrive." ----- Added note: The crop of a bird isnt the stomach, its a food storage area at the base of the throat ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 355: A Silent Expedition Chapter 355: A Silent Expedition Mid Morning - Late Winter : Voldukirk | The Holy Kingdom ----- - Astren Ravenna ~ "Hooh..." A foggy breath left my mouth as I looked down at the new brown leather gloves on my hands. -Will just these be enough?- It was an early, frigid morning that day. The sun was already well over the horizon, yet it showed no sign of warming up the snow-covered streets. "Just where did all this snow come from? It''s supposed to almost be spring!" Looking over my shoulder, I was met with Elizabeth''s radiant blue eyes and bright rosy cheeks, bundled in thick clothes and carrying a relatively large backpack that matched mine. "I''m not sure..." -She''s in a good mood...- I paused before watching her happily stick her tongue out to catch a snowflake. "Haha, have you never seen snow before?" "Hehe, of course not! I came from the Forest of Altair! Snow is only a thing we hear about in stories and read about in books." Reaching her hand up, a sudden swirl of snow appeared before settling to reveal a fist-sized ball of snow in her hand. "I just can''t get over how pretty it is." I wanted to laugh seeing her genuinely inquisitive gaze at the ball. "Unfortunately, I don''t think we will be able to view it fondly in about a week." "Haha, I guess that''s true." Pausing our conversation, I quickly looked around before glancing up the street and waving to Selby, the Lieutenant of the Second Templar Division, who was walking two familiar horses toward us. "It would''ve been nice if Katherine were here. I wonder how she would react to the snow..." Elizabeth''s face almost immediately darkened slightly. "Y..yeah." Her reaction told me all I needed to know. -Shit... She still hasn''t heard from her...- "Have you even heard any rumors about her?" She quickly shook her head. "I suspect the Church sent her out to do something since whenever I asked, I just get told off." -Even with her position in the church?!- Being the stand-in for the hero, she had an absurd amount of administrative power and clearance. -For her to get told off... Just where did they send Kath?- "Hey, kiddos!" A booming voice echoed down the relatively quiet street as the clops of horses grew near. "Have you been well, Miss Randi?" Trying to lighten her mood again, Elizabeth was quick to speak up. "Of course! I heard a bit about your expedition before I left." She paused before coming to a stop and tossing us the leads to the two horses behind her. "All the way to Mount Asgard, huh?" (The Scar) "Haah, yeah." I let out a stressed breath before motioning my horse over and gently petting his head for a moment. "I can''t say much about it, but it sounds like it''s going to be really rough..." "Haha, I bet!" Her hardy laugh quickly eased the mood. "Unfortunately, I can only wish you guys luck. Have you met the rest of the group yer'' goin'' with?" I shook my head before motioning my horse forward and hopping on his back. "Our meeting spot is at the edge of the forest outside the western entrance." I gently motioned down the long, wide road toward the colossal gate. "I see, I see. Well, hopefully they''re pretty good. Considering they called both of you to go, it can''t be easy." "Since when has anything assigned by the Church been easy?" "HAHA! You have a point." She paused as she looked over her shoulder for a moment. "In any case, I can''t linger too long. Best of luck to you two! If you see that girlie Katherine, tell her I said hi." Waving to her as she left, I gently fixed my bags to the saddle on my horse and got moving. "Haah..." My breath was heavy and loaded with stress. It was finally time to meet the group we would be spending the next three months plundering the world''s largest mountain with. -Of all the missions I''ve heard the Church give.. this has to be the most absurd...- *clop-clop-clop-clop* Leaving the city, we made haste past countless carriages from merchant groups and peasants hauling huge amounts of lumber and hide before eventually getting out past the snow-covered plains and reaching the forest. "They said to look for a man with a wood and mythril staff, right?" Considering the unique blue hue of mythril, I expected it to be a good identifier. -But with all the people here...- But, to my surprise, the next week passed smoothly. We traveled west, crossed the river Slidr and reached the less inhabited part of the Holy Kingdom, forcing us to travel down thin roads barely big enough for a carriage, and run through villages that made what I previously considered a small town, Deepcross, seem colossal. But the locals were wonderful, welcoming us with open arms, perhaps because of our money, and treating us to the best of their abilities. As a group, we also all got to know each other quite well. Eve and Mag were local mercenaries from the central Holy Kingdom, Michael was from the Kingdom of Kaelallan, and Arcana and Gale were from central Faelith. A part of me really had to wonder how the Church managed to gather everyone since they all shared similar stories of how they got recruited, being contacted directly by a paladin at wherever they happened to be staying, even if it was several cities away from Voldukirk. -Gale and Arcana weren''t even registered mercenaries here...- But as a group, we meshed pretty well, so I had no reason to complain. Continuing through the seemingly endless wilderness, we aimed for a town called Sol. This was the last town we would stay in until we reached the edge of the mountains, still about a weeks trip away, and was where we were to finally meet our guide, who had supposedly been following us the whole time. -To avoid humans to such an extent.. I can''t imagine he''s a dragon...- Supposedly he was also the reason we had seen such little wildlife in our travels. According to Arcana, he was scaring off anything stronger than an Ogre since anything weaker couldn''t sense him. But I couldn''t sense him either. -Are my senses just that bad?- Just a moment later, Eve held up a fist, causing us all to slow to a halt almost immediately. "Seems like we got company." *CRACKLE* The sound of a tree snapping like a twig echoed through the forest as we looked down the thin dirt path and saw the head of a huge wyvern poke through the trees. -Thats a big one...- It was at least forty meters tall, more than big enough to be a hastle to deal with. "Elizabeth, you want to kill it-?" But I was abruptly cut off by Eve holding a finger up to her mouth, shushing me. -Hm?- I was a bit confused, but before she could even turn her head back around, we saw three other huge wyverns creep over the road, focused on something in the forest to our right. It was a hunting pod of wyverns, meaning there were likely more we couldn''t see as well. -Shit...- Although not too much for our group to handle, their attention was focused elsewhere. -We need to just let them walk...- But before my thoughts could even finish, a bright flash of light blasted into the sky before a wall of light engulfed everything in front of us. *ZAP-CRACK* It only lasted an instant, but when the light faded and my eyes readjusted, a vast section of trees had vanished leaving only the half-molten ground, layered with what looked to be molten wyvern scales coating the ground. It was so loud that it made my ears ring, and looked like nothing I had ever seen. I was simply left awestruck, with the rest of the group left in the same position. *Rrrumble* The ground almost immediately started shaking, but before a single thought could pass through my mind, the wyverns that had just crossed the road bolted back across it, taking to the air and leaving a long trail of blood from where their scales had been blown off. We all simply stood there in shock, not quite understanding what happened until Arcana finally spoke up at a volume barely audible over the ring in my ears. "It uh.. seems like the Church wasn''t exaggerating about our guide..." "Hah..." I wanted to laugh but was too nervous to do so. "No kidding..." -Just where the hell is the Church sending us...- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 356: Unlucky Chapter 356: Unlucky Late Morning - Late Winter : Sol | Western Holy Kingdom ----- - Astren Ravenna ~ *Jingle-Thud* Dropping a small pouch of silver on the counter, I gently undid the string to show the Inn''s hostess, who was around my age, what was inside. "M-Miss, this is a bit too much. Allow me to count your change-" I quickly cut her off by motioning my hand, stopping her as she was about to pour out the coins. "Please keep what''s extra. Consider it the grace of the Goddess of Balance." I gave her a warm smile over my shoulder as I leaned back against the desk. "If you think I can give you more without drawing unwanted attention to your inn, please just ask." Gently opening the pouch of coins hanging from my waist, I revealed several gold and even a platinum coin. The hostess immediately jolted before whispering. "You must be sure to be careful carrying so much... Even if you are from the church..." But her concern just made me want to laugh. "We aren''t going anywhere where bandits will be a problem." *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* Hearing some heavy steps, I looked over to see a huge bundle of brown fur walking down the stairs carrying a large rectangular bag before setting it on a table with a thud. "Hahaha, I almost mistook you for a bear." Elizabeth, who was under the thick and incredibly oversized fur coat, immediately turned to look me in the eyes. "It was the only size they had!" She paused before shooting me an irritated look. "You should have told me I was packing too light back in Voldukirk!" I smiled as I shrugged. "I thought you were just planning to use some magic to stay warm." "WELL, I MIGHT HAVE TO AT THIS RATE!" As she yelled, we heard a series of more gentle footsteps before we saw Arcana and Gale coming down the stairs with their belongings. However, they were far more appropriately dressed, wearing heavy, layered clothes for extreme cold while not compromising on their ability to move or what equipment they were carrying. Eventually reaching the bottom of the stairs, Arcana quickly looked around before turning to me. "Did Eve leave with Michael to get the horses? Or did she go back to bed?" I quickly shook my head. "She went out to meet with the guide. Michael should be back in a minute or two. I assume she will be the same." "Hm, I see..." Finding a place to set down her bag, she quickly opened it before pulling out several cloth scarves and tossing one to both Elizabeth and me. -Hm?- At first I thought they were just normal scarfs, but as I held it in my hand, I felt a very faint mana swirling around it, and they were warm as if they had sat next to a fire for a moment. "What''s this?" Arcana''s panther ears twitched as she turned around with a prideful smile. "Those scarves have a few runes on them that will help keep you warm once we get into the mountains where the ambient mana is thicker. I planned to hand them out when we were up in the mountains, but it seems like the cold is already getting a little unbearable." She quickly put on her own scarf, and covered her ears with a hood as she spoke. -Oh, really?- Although runes in clothes were not totally unheard of, they were typically very inefficient and horrendously expensive. -For it to run off ambient mana too... Just how efficient is the rune they used?- I gently wrapped the scarf around my head and neck as she continued. "If they aren''t warm enough for your liking, inject a bit of mana into them, and they''ll warm right up. Just be careful not to inject too much or the cloth will catch fire." She seemed a little anxious giving us the warning, but it was something we needed to hear, especially considering Elizabeth''s mana pool. *Vwoom* Gently injecting a tiny amount of mana into my own scarf, it almost immediately warmed up. "Woah..." Although it only warmed my head and shoulders, it felt like I had walked in front of the fireplace. Elizabeth was quite amazed as well. "To think this kind of efficiency is possible... Can I put this under my shirt?" Arcana''s expression instantly turned a bit awkward. "I.. don''t see why not." But the mood quickly lightened agian as Elizabeth darted back to her room to change before coming down in much thinner and more comfortable clothes. -It''s still.. a bit light for this weather, though...- But I didn''t have the courage to say anything. For a bit after that, we ended up just talking before Mag finally joined us, and Michael returned with the horses. All that was left was to wait for Eve. *Crackle* Loitering around the fireplace, we all tried to warm ourselves up as much as possible. In the first few hours of daylight, rather than the conditions improving as we expected, they got much, much worse to the point it neared a blizzard. "You think Eve will be alright?" Gale was the first to voice his concern. "It''s been almost three hours since she left." *fwooosh* Using the billows to stoke the fire, Mag spoke calmly. "She''s a survivalist who isn''t unfamiliar with the mountains. She''d be the last of us to die." "But.. in these conditions..." *Thump-creakk* *WOOOSH* Cutting him off, the doors to the inn swung open, and the noise of the blasting winds outside filled the room. *Tap-Tap-Tap* It was Eve, completely bundled up in clothes and only showing her eyes, but she wasn''t alone. Behind her was a man who looked barely older than me, with light, casual clothes meant for nobility in tropical regions. "Hello, everyone." His voice was unnaturally smooth, and his bright yellow eyes carried an air of supremacy. "You all must be the ''Frontier Group''." He gave off a similar vibe to Sir Balatos, a colossal dragon, yet compared to him, I felt like I was standing on egg shells... "We are." Responding for us, Mag walked forward before bowing just enough that his towering head was just beneath the other man''s. "I assume you are our guide. It''s an honor to meet you." Pausing as Mag straightened his posture, the guide glanced over the rest of us before settling his gaze on Elizabeth and I. "I look forward to working together with you all." His tone was a tad sour, as if he didn''t care that we knew his words were a lie. She paused as she lifted up her wing to look down at Acanthis''s face before turning back to me with a tail flicker. "The Scar." Over the course of the week, Hera had been squeezing information about the Thunderbirds from Acanthis, bits at a time, but at long last, she got the important bit of info. "So they are around the scar?" -If that''s the case, how did I not see one when I scouted the mountain?- But Hera cut my thoughts short as she shook her head. "They''re not around the mountain." "T-Then-" "They''re in it." -Huh?- My face warped with confusion as the tip of my tail that was curled with curiosity relaxed. "What do you mean?" "I mean they''re living inside the mountain. I''d assume in some huge cave system. I still don''t know the details." She gave Acanthis an irritated glance before turning back to me. "S..so.. where is the cave entrance?" "In The Scar." -No shit...- "I mean like-" I was cut off as she shrugged her wings. "If I knew where the entrance was, why would I send you?" "Ugh..." All excitement to leave drained from my body in that instant. "I guess I''ll be back in a month or so, then." "Hm? Are you going on vacation?" "Eck..." I paused as I looked up into her eyes for a moment. "Fine. I''ll be back in two weeks." "That''s more like it!" A wide smile washed over her face as she finally got what she was wanting, but as I turned to leave, she spoke again, this time much more softly. "Thanks to you I can rest easy. Just be careful, please..." Her concern was genuine, but it just made me want to crack a joke. However, as I turned around and saw the soft warmth in her eyes, I hesitated. "Okay, I''ll be careful." Finally walking out of her office, I gently closed the door with my tail before looking down the hall and seeing Ilios happily trotting over to me. *pat-pat-pat* "You ready, buddy?" He joyfully nodded. "It looks like we''re gonna have to stretch our legs some on this trip, I hope you don''t mind." My excitement slowly started returning as he hopped up onto my back, but instead of laying down, sat up with his head held high with a constant wag in his tail. "Oh, you aren''t gonna nap?" He immediately shook his head before looking into my eyes with a determined and excited expression. "Ruff." "You want to race to find it?!" A flame of competitiveness instantly lit in my chest. "Just don''t feel bad when I beat you, haha!" *Vwoop* Disappearing into the void, the halls instantly fell silent. But after a moment, one of the ancient-stage maids spoke up. "Did Dagr just.. woof?" As she turned around, she found all the other maids just staring where I once stood with dumbfounded expressions. "Doesn''t Nott call him Ilios? What if he isn''t Dagr?" The maid paused before looking at the butler that just spoke. "I.. suppose you''re right... But if he isn''t Dagr, then who is he?" It was that exact question that would make the name of Ilios, the new God of the Sun, begin to spread, not just through the estate but through the entirety of Bahamut. It would just take many years before I would come to realize him making a name for himself wasn''t accidental. ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 357: Fear Chapter 357: Fear Late Evening - Late Summer : The Scar ----- *vwoop-WOOOOSH* An immense blast of cold, damp wind forcefully unfolded my wings the moment we exited the void near the western base of The Scar, about fifty kilometers above sea level. That evening, the skies were extremely clear, with the only visible clouds being barely over the horizon opposite the mountain, but with the winds, I didn''t have to ask why. -Holy shit...- Pushing upwards of eight or nine hundred kilometers an hour, winds being focused up the mountainside were so immense that, while there was plenty of moisture and dust, the water couldn''t condense properly. -That moisture must be condensing on the other side of the mountain. I bet it''s made one hell of a storm...- But, assuming I''d be heading over there in a moment anyway, I shifted gears back to the mission at hand: ''Find the entrance into the mountain.'' The issue was that the entrance wasn''t necessarily going to be visible, and that meant I would need to fly over the mountain at a very low altitude. -Taking into consideration that I can only accurately control my aura out to 25 kilometers or so, and read it for even less.. this might be troublesome...- However, it was an opportunity for me to rewire my brain like Hera had instructed, even if it was going to make for a miserable experience. "Ugh..." -She was probably aware of that before she sent me here, too...- Knowing her, she probably already knew where the entrance was but sent me to find it regardless so that I''d stretch my legs and strain my brain under the excuse of finishing her task in a timely manner. Although I couldn''t deny that it was something I had been needing to do. -I''ve been lax on how hard I''ve pushed myself when I don''t need to recently... Maybe she noticed...- *tap-tap* *fwoosh* Eventually pulling me out of my thoughts, Ilios jumped off my back, leaving a trail of spontaneously formed clouds in his wake before landing on the sanded stone mountainside below. "Ah, right..." -I got sidetracked...- Looking down, I found his gaze aimed back up at me, filled with excitement as if the insane winds slicking his hair back meant nothing. "Haha," Letting out a soft chuckle, I finally started shifting gears. -I guess it''s time we start the race then, huh?- The moment that thought flowed through my mind, however, he disappeared as if he heard it. *CRRRACKKKK* Halting the winds for a moment, an absurdly deafening shockwave blew over me, and a huge section of the mountainside shattered. In the blink of an eye, Ilios stretched into a blur and zipped around the edge of the mountain, leaving a huge trail of U-shaped clouds in his wake. It was the sound of the starter pistol, and suddenly I felt like I was someone caught with their pants down as their opponent sprinted ahead. But I wasn''t so fond of losing. *flash* Changing to my fenririan form as a competitive spark lit a fire in my chest, I turned down the face of the mountain and flapped my wings. -I can''t just let him win, now, can I?!- *CRRR-WOOOM* The game was on, and while I still hadn''t totally switched gears, it only took a couple minutes and a deep breath for my competitiveness to finally get hold of me. "Hooohhh..." -It''s now or never...- *VW-W-WOOOM* "ACK-" Instantly feeling the familiar sensation of neurons ripping themselves apart as I spread and began reading my aura, I had to grit my teeth and tensed my body. The pain was blinding, but unless I wanted to just waste time, I couldn''t just mindlessly fly around the mountain. -I need to focus...- However, that was far easier said than done, and, unlike what I expected, finding the entrance was much.. much harder than I had anticipated. Before I knew it, half of the time I allotted myself with Hera was gone. A full week had passed. -What the fuck... Am I looking for something that doesn''t exist?! WHERE IS IT?!- Zipping just over treetops, I was flying slow, and using my aura to scan deep into the ground. Having already scanned a majority of the mountainside above me up to about seventy kilometers, I decided to try looking closer to the base, but regardless, had no luck whatsoever. -I''d lick a thunderbird''s talon if one told me where to find it at this point...- Of the things I found, I found simple caves, huge dungeons, and even tiny ones housing things on the level of goblins, but after focusing my aura into the entrances of anything that could fit something sizable, I found nothing abnormal. -Am I really about to have to start searching through the tiny dungeons too?- However, just as I was about to start landing at the entrance of the tiny caves to start more closely inspecting them as well, I sensed one deep underground containing a thin, but still ambient mana. -Huh?- It was out of a cave barely big enough to fit five or six humans shoulder to shoulder, and looked like a tunnel made by a tiny dungeon core. -But now that I think about it.. haven''t I seen other tunnels that look.. almost the same?- As I traveled around the mountain, I had found dozens of caves that were almost identical in size, but none of them caught my eye since they felt empty, like small, dead dungeons, something quite common. -But this one...- While I couldn''t be sure of what I was sensing, it felt like it was filled with ambient mana that was left by something''s aura. -It''s certainly.. odd... I guess it wouldn''t hurt to check it out...- ----- Early Morning - Late Winter : Eastern Area of The Scar "This tunnel.. gives me a really bad feeling..." Eve stared past me with an anxious expression as she spoke, just loud enough for us to hear her over the noise of our horses. "I feel like we''re being watched..." "You have good senses." Our guide spoke calmly, leading our horses forward at full speed while he seemed to be casually jogging. "What an interesting elf..." Her anxiety instantly worsened as she looked around, trying to peer through the darkness, scanning the dimly lit walls of the cave for anything at all. But not long after, she spoke again with reluctance. "What are those.. streak marks on the walls?" The guide didn''t take long to respond. "One of our elders recently left the roost through this entrance, and his wings scraped up the walls." We all froze instantly as the visualization of such an unbelievably massive creature came to mind, and we were finally hinted at what to expect. The beings we were about to meet were from a realm far outside the fathomability of something as insignificant as a human. *Clop-Clop-Clop-Clop* Continuing for another hour, the cave seemed to stop expanding, but more and more of the walls were covered with symbols that none of us could understand until, eventually, we spotted light ahead of us. -Is that the end?- As we neared it, we came to notice it was a huge, meticulously carved room with a ceiling nearly 400 meters tall, lined with colossal statues of humans, wolves, monsters, and various birds, the largest of which stood in front of a comparably small door you could only reach by walking under it. Quickly coming up to the room, the guide had us stop just before entering and walked in and bowed. "I have brought the ones I was ordered to bring." *flash* After a sudden, blinding flash, the light faded to reveal a towering, 60-meter-tall light grey and brown feathered bird bowing his head in front of the statue three times his size. -So that''s.. who our guide really is...- Just laying my eyes on him made me feel under pressure, although nothing compared to Sir Balatos. The others, however, didn''t have experience in a presence as suffocating as Sir Balatos''s. At least.. all but one. To my right, Michael sat on his horseback, looking around at the inscriptions on the walls and inspecting the statues with a carefreeness in his eyes that made me really question who he was. -Is he.. a dragon?- But I was immediately pulled from my thoughts as my instincts suddenly screamed at me, and I looked up to see the massive bird statue in front of the door suddenly looking straight at us. -H..huh?- I instantly froze before my skin crawled with fear. -W..what the hell.. is that...- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 358: Living Rocks Chapter 358: Living Rocks Early Morning - Late Winter : Eastern Area of The Scar ----- "Hm..." -Looks like this is the entrance...- *fwoosh* *fwoosh* *fwoosh-crunch* Gently landing on the crunchy powdered snow layering the top of a tiny cliff all the way at the base of the mountain, I lowered my neck down to look into the cave entrance my aura said was right beneath my feet. But instead of peering into a small, dark cave, I was presented with the view of a seemingly normal, solid cliff. -Hah! To think I actually found this place...- My tail gently flicked back and forth with joy as I looked at it closer. It was way outside of my search area. Being thunderbirds, I assumed they would use an entrance at least partially up the mountain or perhaps in a steep rock face to keep out the likes of wandering humans or other wildlife. But, instead of using an entrance that was hard to reach, the cave entrance was extremely isolated and surrounded by runes engraved in parallel to create dozens of barriers that hid it so well it could have easily fooled my eyes if I weren''t looking for it. -By the looks of things, it even mimics the temperature and texture of the surrounding stone and even gives some resistance to a wall of high-pressure air... Although it makes it a bit abnormally squishy, a human wouldn''t know any better even if they touched or leaned up against it...- "How impressive..." But unfortunately for them, I wasn''t a creature so helpless that I couldn''t read my own aura and realize it was just a good illusion. *flash* Not bothering to waste time scouting the cave with my aura, I quickly changed to my humanoid form with a flash, but before the transformation could even finish, I tensed up and cringed while holding my arms up in the air, tangled in a mess of threads. *WHAAAMMMM* Cracks instantly spread down the cliff as the impact of my sword falling to the ground knocked the snow out of nearby trees. -Ah.. shit...- Although I didn''t give it any thought before transforming, I still hadn''t used my humanoid form much since before my last dragon sleep, so the spells I subconsciously used to create things like clothes and equip my sword were still.. miscalibrated.. leading me to accidentally tangle myself in a huge clump of broken wire and cloth as if I was at the center of a 3d-printer malfunction, and drop my sword on the ground rather than in a shieth. -So much for a silent entrance...- *Crackle-Woosh* But after clearing away the tangled mess I made with some fire magic, I finally had the chance to look at myself again, even though it felt a little odd. I was almost exactly the same height as I was before, right around 187 centimeters, and was still quite muscular and extremely toned, but much like my draconic form, I slimmed down considerably, giving me a much more balanced appearance. But such a change altered far more than just my appearance. When it came to my previously honed martial techniques and muscle memory, everything I had mastered, I now had to relearn. -But while it might take a while to optimize everything to this new body.. it should be far more comfortable in the long run...- However, that was far from the only change I had to learn to work with before fighting anything on the level of a thunderbird. As if to just throw every wrench into the mix at once, with the exceptions of a few trails of scales here and there, my body grew to mimic my fenririan form to a tee: My horns grew immensely, my tail doubled in length, now being closer to the size of a dragon''s than a fenrir demihuman''s, and as if that wasn''t enough... *flap* *flap* "Haah..." I had two large furred wings sprouting from my back, just below my upper back. -How bothersome...- Thankfully though, although it wasn''t until after I played with them for a moment that I realized, while the wings were far too small to fly with and honestly just a plain inconvenience to work around, they compensated for it by being extremely nimble, far more so than in either of my other forms. -Woah...- Not only could I tuck in or wrap my wings around myself like I could in my other forms, I could bend them down and lay them one over the other on my lower back and butt to keep them out of the way whenever needed, whether I was squeezing through a tight space or fighting. -To lower my center of mass so much too... That''s pretty convenient...- My opinion on them flipped in an instant. -I wonder if other dragon''s humanoid form''s are like this...- As techniques started blasting through my mind, I honestly began questioning if I couldn''t incorporate my horns or tail into techniques as well, but before I could get too carried away, I gathered myself and finally readjusted all my spells, this time permanently. -Let''s try that again, shall we?- *Vwoom* It only took a moment for my body to suddenly be tightly wrapped in cloth and my forearms to be clamped with gold. -Now, if I just put my sword here...- Gently sliding it into its horizontal sheath hidden beneath the folded wings on my lower back, I took a moment to make a few final adjustments before shortening my hair some and tying it back in a ponytail. -Much better.- *VWOOM* While I was still looking at it, the aura it emitted exploded, multiplying by magnitudes before bringing a blue glow to its eyes. -What the fuck?- I recognized it instantly, but it was something I believed to be nothing more than an old myth. -It''s a golem?!- *shift-CRACKLE* Opening its mouth, a ball of glowing flames appeared inside its beak before blasting out, engulfing me in an instant. But instead of panicking like any other being would, I felt a fire-like curiosity light in my chest. -To think it can even use magic!- Even while I was being bathed in a plume of fire hot enough to melt steel, I smiled. -How do you work?!- I was so incredibly fascinated by it because even with unbelievably complicated runes, it was something I believed was impossible to make. *WOOooosh* As the flames died down, the smug thunderbird statue went to close its mouth again, having dealt with the enemy, but when it tried, it noticed it couldn''t. "How fascinating..." *shift* Shifting its eyes down more, it finally noticed me casually holding its mouth open, looking down at the core in its throat with my space mana. But when it forced its beak shut regardless, as if to try and crush me, its beak simply crumbled. *Crumble-woosh* Falling out of its beak, I landed on the ground with a crunch. *WHAM* -So if it works like that.. then what if I just...- *THWAK-WHAMM* Casually tapping one of its little chicken legs, the stone was reduced to dust before the huge statue began to fall. But before it could hit the ground, the stone in its body appeared to liquefy before reforming its leg like a dungeon core repairing itself. -What a clever way to do that...- Instead of just using automated, absurdly complicated runes, someone was controlling the golem through a relatively thick mana tether connected to the ceiling, somewhat similarly to how Hera controlled her body before it healed. This gave the statues properties similar to dungeon cores while letting them be sentiently controlled. That did mean it had a massive weakness, being if the tether was cut, the golem would be reduced to a statue, but if their opponent wasn''t at least on the level of an older dragon, such things would be hard to discover. -That makes me wonder though... Just how strong are these things? Do they rely on magic? Or...- Looking back at the other statutes, I watched them all turn to me before setting my eyes on the humanoid statues wielding weapons. -I wonder...- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 359: Her Chapter 359: Her Mid Morning - Late Winter : The Nest ----- *fwip-WOOSH* *tap-tap-WOOSH-WOOSH-WOOSH* Swiftly dodging each swing of the two cohesively moving sword and axe-wielding golems, I scrutinized each and every one of my own steps in an effort to try and reform my techniques to better fit my new body. But tunnel-visioning on myself so intently in the middle of a fight was never a good thing. *tap-Thud* Backing into the massive stone shield of one of the other golems without realizing it, I was engulfed in a plume of fire so hot it scorched everything around me, before the incredibly oversized sword and axe sliced through the flames from either side of me. -To control so many golems with such fluidity... I''m impressed...- I honestly felt like I was fighting a squad of giants. But unfortunately, there was a limit to the ability of not only the controller, but the statues. *THWACK* The shield pressed against my back was pulverized in an instant as my tail punched through it, reducing it dust along with the statue''s abdomen before I reached up and caught each of the huge blades with one hand and swiped them over one another. *Cr-CRACKLE-WHAAMM* Before the controller could even react, the two statues were slammed into one another, reducing both to rubble simultaneously. It was truly an unfortunately lopsided matchup. But while I watched the thunderbird controlling the statues slowly be consumed by panic and fear in a room directly above us, I wore a wide smile. -Who knew regenerating punching bags would be so fun to play with?!- However, the time to play had to come to an end eventually. *Vwoop* Reaching up as a chunk of iron flew up in front of my face, I pulled back my finger and gave it a hardy flick. *zip-CRACK* It blew through the sound barrier severalfold in an instant, turning molten as it blew through the cloud of rubble from the still-colliding statues before caving in the neck of the thunderbird golem, blowing a hole through it and shattering its mana core with ease. *CR-VWOOM* It was the only golem I properly destroyed. All the others, I only selectively damaged so that they would eventually regenerate and remain operable. The last thing I wanted to do was properly destroy what I assumed to be unique ancient relics from a dozen millennia ago. The only exception to that was the thunderbird statue, all because of how it was poised to look down at whoever entered the room as if it were superior. But while the other statues still had the ability to regenerate in a few seconds, that time, they remain piles of rubble. -Is he finally done?- Looking up through the ceiling, I watched as a big grey chicken frantically disconnected himself from the control runes before turning to run away. Of course, I didn''t let him get that far. *VWOOM-CRUNCH* The moment he disconnected himself and moved a short way from the control runes, I slammed my aura into him, ripping him through the ceiling before pinning him against the ground and walking up to him. "KYAA-!" His bird-like screech was deafening, like a human screaming for help, but with a wave of my hand, I wrapped him in silencing magic. -Geez, if I scare him any more he might just lay an egg...- "I''m not going to kill you. Relax." Looking down at him from atop the mound of rubble in the center of the room, his gaze met mine, and he froze. "I just need you to open that door. Could you do that for me?" "Kyee... Y-Yes, mighty lord!" He spoke in his native tongue with a stutter as his face lit up, and while it was a bit hard to understand, I understood the gist of it. -How complacent...- *Vwoom* Pulling my aura off him, he wasted no time bolting back up into the control room. But while it took a moment, the door did eventually begin to open. -Did he sound an alarm? The door alone couldn''t have taken that long...- However, the noise on the other side of the door was, instead of complete silence or chaos, the sound of muffled chirps and chatter until finally, the door opened enough to reveal a long road lined with massive carved structures in an absolutely colossal, brightly lit cavern with a ceiling at least a few kilometers high. -Woah...- Unfortunately though, standing right in front of the door was a massive thunderbird, giving me a look of distaste before the controller jumped down next to him. He was easily eighty meters tall, twice the height of the controller, with his legs as well as other parts of his body plated with thin metal. "Chamrosh, how could you not stop a single person?" He sounded more annoyed than angry. But the controller, who appeared to be named Chamrosh, instead of quickly explaining himself to the guard, just faced me and bowed his head. "Would you like a guide, sir?" He spoke in the language of the Holy Kingdom fluently. I was honestly taken aback. -Wow... Did he really not sound the alarm or call for help...- But I wasn''t one to complain. "If you wouldn''t mind-" Our group was only comprised of the most experienced of adventurers, those at the top of their class, and while we had all seen some incredible structures in our lives that made the statues seem like nothing, every single one of us felt a chill when we saw the eyes of the statues move. They weren''t just statues. "Those were golems.. weren''t they..." I spoke softly, only getting the attention of Arcana, the only person in our group who even knew what they were. "I''m thinking the same thing... But if these.. ''people'' have the ability to make golems... Just what else will they have..." My stomach churned just thinking about it. We were undoubtedly in over our heads... -This whole place too...- Looking around the plain stone room, I tried to find any other trace of humans being here but saw nothing other than empty, dust-covered tables that hadn''t been used in decades. -Humans were never meant to come here...- It was the residence of monsters far outside the realm of humanity. "If we get out of this alive, I might just retire to my laboratory." Arcana spoke softly before Mag tried to reassure her. "We are here on peaceful terms. As long as we don''t offend them, we should be fine..." He silently looked back toward the door where he saw our guide leaning against the arched doorway to the so-called ''tavern'', sipping alcohol. -Let''s just hope everything goes well...- *Thump* Feeling the ground shake slightly as I turned back to the table, I overheard the guide mumble something to someone outside before hearing the ridiculously overpowering wing flaps of a thunderbird as it took off into the cavern. It gave me a chill. If there were only one or two of them, I could have maybe been more comfortable, but as we entered through the gate, we found the gazes of dozens of them on us, each with the ability to destroy considerably large cities, and since then, the idea that this place was infested with them refused to leave my mind. Our only saving grace were the ones from the church who, while shaken up by the golems, didn''t seem to mind the judgemental gazes of them, as if they were used to it. But after a few minutes, a much.. much louder set of wing flaps approached before landing in front of our tavern, revealing talons bigger than people and legs thicker than trees. It was a thunderbird that completely dwarfed everything we had seen until that point. A being that could flatten kingdoms. But the next few minutes only made my expression warp with confusion. After hearing a loud crash and the sound of crumbling rock, we heard the gate open before suddenly, the thunderbirds started yelling at one another. -What the hell is going on...- I wanted to get up and look, but was so worried about being rude that I couldn''t move. However, after a moment, the melodious voice of a human met my ears. "If you wouldn''t mind-" "SCREE!" He was instantly cut off by what sounded like the colossal thunderbird we saw a moment prior. But just as we got up to the doorway to see what was happening, we watched at the massive, likely 80-meter-tall thunderbird was mercilessly pancaked against the ground and launched to the side, smashing through several structures before revealing a single man standing in the cloud of dust. My mind simply went silent when I set eyes on him, but I knew one thing was for sure. -He isn''t a human...- But before that thought could finish, he suddenly appeared in front of us, standing over and looking down at Elizabeth with a harsh, inhuman gaze before gently speaking. "You''re that little girl.. aren''t you..." ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 360: Who are you Chapter 360: Who are you Late Morning - Late Winter : The Nest ----- *WHAAAAMMM* The entire cavern shook violently as I casually kicked the massive thunderbird into the wall adjacent to us, having him ricochet off it before plowing through several heavily mana-strengthened stone structures as if they were made of hardened clay. *Crumble* -Dumbass... Could he not feel my aura?- Since I entered, I hadn''t withheld it at all. -He wasn''t so weak that he couldn''t be able to sense it.. so why?- But after a moment of thought, as I went to turn back to Chamrosh, a young human woman caught my attention. -Hm?- She was familiar. Too familiar. She wasn''t someone I had simply seen when I was passing through a kingdom at some point in the past. She was someone I made a special note of. "You..." -You''re her...- *VWOOM* Instantly appearing in front of her, memories from my second dragon sleep vividly raced through my mind. Recounts of stumbling across a cabin in the woods, home to an old man and a young girl. A young girl who knew English. "You''re that little girl.. aren''t you..." The moment my words, spoken clearly in English, met the girl''s ears, her face paled and washed with fear. -She really is!- My curiosity exploded in an instant, bringing a slightly crazed smile to my face. But as a wave of excitement surged through me, a dark elf''s dagger paused in front of my neck, a towering man''s battle axe halted just over my head, and an arrow of fire, conjured through runes, appeared just in front of my forehead, all while an older female swordsman jumped in front of the girl, using a beautiful white sword braced against her arm to block as if I was going to attack. Their expressions were all dark, and they each oozed killing intent. But while I didn''t care about them in the slightest, seeing as they were her companions, I held back. -If I kill them, then it will make our conversation more troublesome...- So I was quick to lighten my expression without pulling my eyes off her. "I mean no harm, so why don''t you all-" "If you say another word, I''ll slit your throat." The dark elf holding her knife to my neck like an assassin spoke with a sour, demanding tone. "We''ll be the ones asking the que-" *CRUNCH* Before she could finish, her body was instantaneously crushed against the ground, smashing through the half-rotten floorboards before spitting blood from where she bit through her tongue. "HYAK!" Almost immediately, the fire arrow in front of my face blasted over me, and the massive mythril axe came crashing down on my head. But, of course, it didn''t reach me. *Creaaak* The echoing creak of metal instantly pierced through the sounds of crackling flames as my fingers sank into the mythril axe head. "And what did you think that was gonna do?" Watching him quickly go wide-eyed, my annoyance took the form of a column of aura that promptly came crashing down on him. *VWOOM-CRRACKLE* In an instant, the giant man was reduced to a fish out of water, pinned against the ground and gasping for air. Finally turning to the older woman who conjured the arrow as it''s flames dissipated, her whole body tensed, and the thick book of text, runes, research, and experiments fell out of her hands before her body followed suit, limply collapsing as her knees became weak. -She''s a researcher, huh...- For a human, her rune actually wasn''t too bad. "I''ll give you a pass." *tap-CRUNCH* Casually dropping the heavy mythril axe just centimeters from the elf''s head behind me, I turned to the only two people in the group who hadn''t moved yet to see if they would, only to be surprised by a familiar face. "Huh? Michael Cotorel? What are you doing here?" He was the nation-rank mage I had the opportunity to meet during my time in Kaelallan. The human that helped me define the realm of humans as a kid. "H..how do you know my name?" He spoke with a fearful quiver in his voice, clearly not recognizing me as the gazes of everyone still conscious turned to him. "Ah, I was much younger back then, I don''t blame you for not recognizing me. However, I''ll take this as a chance to reintroduce myself." *vwoom* Easing my aura on the human and elf as they were about to suffocate, I looked into the fear filled eyes of the blond woman with a smile. "My name is Vasilias, but you may also call me Nott if you wish." The thunderbirds watching from the outside all simultaneously clammed up, recognizing the name. But the humans weren''t so educated. Everyone instantly jolted and stared at the table, having watched it suddenly appear out of nothingness before I casually walked up and sat down, using my aura to grab a few barrels of alcohol from the floor above us while I created two small glasses on either end of the table and filled them with ice. *clink-clinck* I casually swished around the ice as I poured the opaque orange liquid into the glass and had a sip. *sip* -Oh.. it''s Orange Death.. how nostalgic...- It was the drink I had when I met Adrian and Emelia in Elynnor many years ago. But then wasn''t the time to reminisce. "Now, everyone but her, leave." Sliding the other glass across the table, it stopped just in front of the other chair. "Including you, Miss Apostle." She instantly tensed before the room fell silent. But it only lasted a moment. "I..It''s okay guys..." Finally breaking free from the fear gripping her heart, the blond reluctantly pushed aside her apostle friend before stepping forward and taking a seat. "I will be okay... Please go tend to Eve and Magnai..." She was still shaking from fear as she sat down, but nonetheless looked me in the eyes without holding back. "How commendable." -I''d expect no less from someone like you.- *Vwoom* Wrapping us in silencing magic, as the others finally snapped out of their trances, my eyes landed on her chest, looking through her body at the reserve and soul opposite the heart, that looked akin to a dragons. -Unless she''s evolved, she isn''t completely human, is she... How interesting...- "So, why don''t we start with your name?" She immediately hesitated, but after a moment of silence, spoke nervously. "M..my name is Elizabeth... Elizabeth Valia." -Even that name...- Although Valia was clearly native, Elizabeth was an English name. "Where is your name from?" Finally averting her eyes, she looked down at her legs as her posture turned anxious. "F-From the southern peninsula of the Main Continent. Valia was my grandfather''s-" "I''m not asking about the name Valia." She quickly looked up at me with a hint of confusion. "Y..yes, my first name is from there too-" *clink-clink* I swiftly interrupted her by swirling around the ice in my glass. "You really think you can deceive a god?" *tap* Getly setting it down, I finally leaned over the table and looked her in the eyes with a dark expression. "You know just as well as me that English isn''t native to this world." Every drop of color drained from her face instantaneously. "Now, let me ask again." *blink* All of our surroundings instantly went black, leaving only light illuminating us and the table as I idly shifted around my glass. "Who are you?" ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 361: An Endless Circle Chapter 361: An Endless Circle Late Morning - Late Winter : The Nest ----- *clink-clink* Gently swirling the ice in my glass, I looked her in the eye with a mix of pity and disappointment. "You really think you can deceive a god?" *tap* Gently setting it down after a moment of silence, her whole body stiffened with fear before I looked up from my glass and back into her eyes. "You know just as well as me that English isn''t native to this world." Her face drained of color instantaneously. "Now, let me ask again." *blink* Surrounding us with light magic, our surroundings instantly went dark, only leaving us and the table visible. "Who are you?" There was a long moment of silence as her expression started darkening before she hung her head. "I..." She sounded uncertain as she spoke under her breath. "I don''t know..." It was a response I didn''t expect, but some part of my soul seemed to resonate with it. -Is she really a reincarnator?- For some time, I had begun to consider if it was her ''grandfather'' that was the one to reincarnate. "Then how about this..." Easing my tone slightly, I leaned back off the table. "Why don''t you tell me about ''the past you''." Realizing what I was implying, she clenched her hands so hard they bruised one another before suddenly easing them. However, she never lifted her gaze up, letting the blood from her lip drip onto her hands as she sunk her teeth into it. "Do you.. already know about Earth..?" "Of course. Most of the details are fuzzy now, but I still have some memories from it." I spoke nonchalantly while pouring myself another glass of alcohol. But she didn''t seem to take it so casually. "Huh?" Her tense expression eased with confusion instantly. "From.. it..? D..do you mean.. from other people who have reincarnated from Earth before me?" I quickly shook my head. "No. I mean my memories from Earth itself." *sip* But as I casually sipped my drink, a conflicting mix of fear, caution, and excitement filled her eyes. "Huh?! D-D-Do you mean y-you''re a reincarnator from Earth?" Not sure what to think or believe, her emotions quickly themselves into a knot. -But...- I responded with a shrug, "I remember my reincarnation quite vividly, and while they''re quite blurry, I do still have some memories of Earth. However, I can''t say that I was the one to live that life there." -Although it was undeniably a piece of me...- *Tap* Setting down my glass, I further relaxed my posture. "But unlike me, you still seem to have quite a strong connection to that life." She paused as her expression turned conflicted, and she averted her eyes. "I.. do..." "So why don''t you tell me about it?" A smile slowly came to my face as I watched her brain race with thought. "If you''re nervous about me using something you tell me against you, don''t." As she looked up at me, my smile twisted slightly. "I wouldn''t use such a roundabout way to get what I want." But while it only seemed to send a shiver down her spine, after a moment of thought, she finally eased up. "O..okay..." She hung her head to think for almost half a minute before finally continuing. "A few of my memories are a little fuzzy, so I can''t remember my last name, but my name on Earth was Elizabeth, and I was 18 when I.. died..." She bit her lip again as she paused, clearly still struggling to deal with her emotions. "I was a freshly instated nun somewhere the United States.. I can''t recall where specifically." -Huh?- It wasn''t the response I expected at all. -She was a nun? Did she reincarnate way before me?- "I want to ask how did you died, but first, do you remember what year it was you died?" She quickly nodded. "It was 2012..." -That.. doesn''t help...- Without realizing it, I had long since forgotten when my reincarnation was. "Hm... I don''t remember the years..." -What can I ask to gauge the timeframe...- "Do you remember anything about electric cars?" Her face quickly brightened slightly. "Ah, y-yes." Quickly picking up what I was trying to ask, she continued. "They were a very new thing, though. I only heard about them a few months before I died." -So she did reincarnate before me...- It was by a fair bit too, a little over ten years. "Hm.. alright. Then, how did you reincarnate?" She quickly tensed up with emotion again. "Ah.. well, like I said a second ago, I was a nun, but it hadn''t been for long... Not long after I turned 18, my church sent me and my group to Jerusalem as a way to celebrate our initiation. It was quite a beautiful place.. I can still remember it vividly.. but while we were walking around The Church of the Holy Sepulchre.. time seemed to stop, and I felt this.. horrible chill.. and the next thing I knew, I felt like a different person.. I lost my sense of self, and lost control of my body before everything finally went black... After that, I can only remember waking up in the Forest of Altair, in the body of a three-year-old who was under the care of her grandfather... He spoke English, and while I never worked up the courage to ask, he always seemed acutely aware that I was a reincarnator, and looked at me as if he knew my past, thinking fondly of it, so I had this belief that he was an angel guiding me in heaven.. but now..." But that had its own issues too. To survive traveling to Delphi through the void with just a human soul, Earth had to be somewhere close by; otherwise, just as Grace said before, a while back, I wouldn''t have made it here, even with Dagr''s help. However, the time dilation said otherwise. -Ugh...- It was a fruitless effort to dedicate thought to it as things were, but even after realizing that and setting those theories aside, my mind couldn''t rest easy. After I tried shifting gears back toward the girl in front of me, some part of my soul ached with sympathy. Her scenario was one that I had feared was happening to me for many years after all. -The curse of walking in a circle forever...- "Has she ever figured out the loop she''s in?" "~She usually does near the end of each life.. and she tries to leave mementos for her next reincarnation to find.. but she''s only ever found a few...~" I paused before looking back at Grace. "Why don''t you guide her toward them?" "~I have.~" She responded bluntly. "~She was my plan A... If I reincarnated her enough.. I thought she may be able to become a god and help me.. get back to Earth...~" She spoke softly, as if unsure whether to tell me. My expression darkened in an instant. "So that was your objective..." Ever since she first spared me, I asked myself why. She could have easily killed me during my first few dragon sleeps, yet didn''t, and not only that, she even helped me with my growth quite significantly. "I''m assuming that means I''m your plan B?" As she gently nodded, a mix of conflicting emotions filled my mind. "~You were a golden goose I had the audacity to try and control... The fruit of a being far above myself... If you don''t wish to forgive me for using you.. you can do what you wish with me, but...~" She spoke with reluctance. And while a part of me did want to dissolve her soul in the void, this was already a reality I had come to terms with. "You''re far more useful alive. Plus, if I ever get the strength to send you back, I will." I paused before pulling my eyes off her. "I''m quite curious about Earth myself..." The issue was.. I wasn''t sure I would make it that far. The world was filled with horrors I still couldn''t comprehend, and as she said, I was still but a fruit to Dagr. I still had a long way to go if I wanted to keep my body... But as I was reminded of that reality, the light I believed I was seeing at the end of the tunnel flickered away like an illusion. I was much farther from the end than I had tricked myself into believing, like a frog in a well. "Haah..." But I wasn''t going to just give up. -I''ve been too lax...- Instead, I was going to do the opposite. -But before that...- "What do you think about still making use of Elizabeth?" ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 362: Looking over the Horizon Chapter 362: Looking over the Horizon Late Morning - Late Winter : The Nest ----- "~M..Making.. use of her?~" Grace spoke hesitantly as she finally looked me in the eyes. "Don''t act dumb," I spoke bluntly as I straightened my posture. "I know you''re already using her to try and lay a landmine at Odin''s feet... But I think she''s more useful than that." Crossing my legs, I looked at Elizabeth with a somewhat predatory gaze. "~You mean...~" "I want to make her one of my apostles." As someone from Earth, even if she didn''t realize it herself, she possessed a wealth of knowledge not known to this world. -If she received any kind of education on Earth, she''ll be more than a little helpful...- Plus, since she was a nun in her past life, she was the perfect candidate to manage, spread, and deepen people''s faith toward me. But while Grace didn''t seem too against it, she didn''t seem too interested either. "~What if she refuses?~" "She won''t." My voice oozed with confidence. "I don''t plan to force her to be my apostle, but I could tell when I asked about her reincarnation.. she would do anything to have her questions answered." There was a short pause before Grace floated behind me, falling into thought, before continuing with a muffled tone. "~So you want to tell her about the reality of her reincarnation...~" "No. I want her to figure it out herself. All she needs is a guide." Feeling Grace turn to look at me as she realized what I was getting at, I spoke firmly. "I can tell that you still feel guilty about what you did to her, so I''m giving you an opportunity to redeem yourself, not to her, but to yourself..." There was a long silence before an incredibly muffled voice came from behind me. "~O..Okay... But only if she agrees...~" *Vwoom* As she disappeared from behind me, instantaneously moving a few hundred meters away, I relaxed my divinity, and with it, time resumed, allowing Elizabeth to continue as if nothing happened. "Maybe.. I should go back and ask- huh?" But she quickly noticed that something changed. "What just..." -She really has some insanely sharp instincts...- Besides my posture changing slightly, the only thing to change was the atmosphere around me. But she noticed that instantly, without even looking at me. "D-Did I miss something?" I stayed quiet for a moment as she finally looked me in the eyes before leaning onto the table. "Elizabeth." The air around her shifted in an instant. "If you were given the opportunity to learn about the state of your reincarnation and have your questions answered, what would you give up for it?" Her whole body tensed, and her eyes went wide as she spoke without a hint of hesitation. "I would give up everything." It was a far quicker and firmer response than I expected. "Is that so? What if the reality of your reincarnation isn''t what you want to hear? What if it makes you want to spiral into despair?" "It won''t." She looked straight into my eyes with an uncharacteristically firm, unwavering gaze. "Despair is just your mind telling itself something is impossible and denying reality... However, after everything that''s happened, I''ve come to believe that impossibility is a myth, and denying something because you don''t understand it is a sin to yourself." -Wow...- I had expected a much shakier response, but it just made me want her more. "Alright." A smile came to my face as the tip of my tail began to sway back and forth. "Then, I will provide you with that opportunity." Her eyes instantly stiffened with determination, no longer carrying the somewhat childish innocence from earlier. "What is it you want from me for it?" -It''s good she understands...- "Your faith." Seeing her tilt her head in confusion, I quickly rephrased. "I want you to become one of my apostles, Elizabeth... However, not right now." Using my aura, I poured her a glass of alcohol and moved it in front of her. "If you wish to accept, you will be guided to some places containing more information on things you have forgotten. Once you have found everything, only then will I accept your answer." I needed someone more adept with the realm of science, but that reduced my possible candidates to.. Krystallo... But the thought of her doing research made me want to burst out laughing, so I just shrugged it off for the time being. -I''m sure I''ll find someone eventually...- For now, I just needed to focus on baby steps. At least, that was the case for something like cultivating Siratha. -Since I''ve said what I need to, should I hit the road?- *flash* Changing back to my fenririan form, no longer caring about the peering eyes of the adventurers, I looked down the road with a wag in my tail. "Chamrosh, try and follow me, I''m gonna go take care of that guard." "A..Alr-" *CRACK* A deafening crack echoed through the cavern instantaneously as I disappeared, moving dozens of kilometers in the blink of an eye, before reappearing in front of the Floor Guardian. His feathers were a clean mix of vibrant brown and deep black, and he donned heavy white armor all around his body. Only being about 20 meters shorter than Acanthis, he seemed like quite an interesting specimen. *Vwoof* As he finally reacted to my appearance, he instantly slowed to a halt a few kilometers off the ground, looking closely at me with a mix of apprehension and caution. "You.. really are Nott..." I immediately smiled, showing my teeth slightly. "You... Are you here to kill the rest of us?" His voice shook with fear ever so subtly. "No, rather, it''s the opposite." My long tail hanging beneath me wagged as I hovered. "I came with a proposition for your race." "Now, if you will excuse us." Chamrosh, finally catching up, quickly mediated. "Lord Nott here needs to meet with ''the Secretary''." He instantly tensed up before folding his wings and falling to the ground. -Hm...- Unlike his lord, he actually knew when he was in over his head. -He.. might be worth keeping instead of handing him to Hera...- But at that moment, all I planned to do was observe him. -Although.. I should be keeping my eyes out for promising birds...- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 363: The Rot of Corruption Chapter 363: The Rot of Corruption Late Morning - Late Winter : The Nest ----- *fwoosh* *fwoosh* *fwoosh-tap* "So, this is the gate between floors..." -It''s quite well built...- Looking up at the ceiling as I walked across a rounded, circular platform held just off the ceiling by massive pillars around its edge as if it were an upside-down pavilion, I closely inspected the countless incredibly complex runes spread across conjoining light-colored mythril slabs that appeared to close the entrance. It was quite impressive, with the pavilion being about a kilometer across and the entrance itself being closer to five hundred meters. -That''s a lot of mythril...- "It looks like the top floor really doesn''t want people breaking in from below..." "Y..Yes..." Chamrosh spoke awkwardly. "It''s rarely ever opened. Perhaps once every ten days or so when the lower floor guardian goes up to relay messages to the nobles." -Huh?- "Relay messages? They don''t have their own messengers who can pass through the gate as they wish?" He quickly shook his head as he stopped walking, seemingly being careful to not to walk in front of me. "The messengers and errand-runners for nobles are typically all non-nobility, so it''s quite a taboo to share the method to opening the gate outside of noble families." A part of me didn''t believe it. -They can''t be serious...- "Does that not cause issues?" -I can understand separating the nobles and commoners, but to separate them to this extent... No wonder this lower cavern looks like a shit hole...- Looking down through the platform, I found the insane maze of stone structures, statues, and monuments below us, lit by the warm light of artifacts and torches. Sure, some of the structures were extremely complex and genuinely beautiful, but somehow, the back of my mind couldn''t connect that sight to a place where giant oversized hawks lived. "It''s causes a lot of issues..." Chamrosh continued before I could sink too far into thought. "Over the last couple thousand years, it''s gotten so bad that it feels like the nobles view us more like slaves, same as they viewed the dwarves that once lived here." I instantly tensed up before looking at him. "Dwarves?" Although a part of me was a bit taken aback, an odd sensation of nostalgia filled my chest at that moment. "Yes.. this cavern was actually originally inhabited by dwarves, and was known as the Kingdom of Krunbar, but right after our race was culled..." He paused to watch for my reaction before cautiously continuing. "We came to stay in this mountain since we believed it would hide us from the dragons as well as.. you, my lord..." Seeing me wanting him to continue, he spoke with haste. "I only know what is passed down through stories, but the dwarves that lived here were turned into slaves, and the place was renovated to accommodate us, going as far as installing an artifact on the underside of this platform that would illuminate the entire cavern with the light of the sun and moon, as well as others that gave the cavern rain, winds, and even storms... As a kid I was told the whole place was once covered in green from trees and plants, but.. I find it hard to believe..." My eyes quickly wandered as he somberly hung his head. -I find that hard to believe too, but.. at the same time...- Looking around at the ceiling, there were indeed places where such artifacts could have been placed. -With how big the cavern is, it could definitely have its own climate and ecosystems too...- Even on the ground, there were places that looked like they once held greenery and plants, with several places cleared for what could have been trees and small patches of forest. -It looks like the small ponds spread around used to combine into larger lakes too...- In its prime, it was likely quite a breathtaking place. -But by the sounds of things, it was ruined by corruption and greed...- Slowly turning back to Chamrosh, I spoke with a stiffness in my voice. "And I''m guessing the fate of the dwarves was..." He cautiously nodded as he tucked his wings and lowered his stance. "Most of them died... Although a few managed to escape, most of them were either treated as food or worked to death by the nobility." "Tch..." I clicked my tongue as my mouth was filled with a disgusting, bitter taste. -Acanthis is lucky he''s useful... I ought to wring his fucking neck...- I paused before I finally continued walking toward the gate. "I just can''t wrap my head around why you guys don''t revolt or run away..." Awkwardly following after me, Chamrosh spoke softly. "Well.. we can''t leave the nest in a non-humanoid form because of rules set when we first settled here.. and with Sir Acanthis and the Secretary, we are too weak to fight nobility... Plus, nowadays, not only are they mostly older than us, we don''t even outnumber them..." I gently raised my eyebrow as I looked back at him. "You don''t outnumber the nobles?" She was considerably larger than even the first-floor guardian, only being about ten meters shorter than Acanthis, with light blue, almost white feathers and an aura that more than matched her size. -She looks like she might be a proper demigod...- But unfortunately, he didn''t seem to recognize me like the lower cavern''s guardian. As she prepared an antimatter spell, her chest started glowing. "Which arrogant bastard DARES TO LAY FOOT-" But before she could get close to firing it off, I simply pitched up my paw and pointed it at her. *crackle-FWOOOM* The focused blast of several grams of antimatters instantaneously engulfed one of her wings before exiting my aura, expanding, and plowing into the opposite side of the cavern, devouring the rounded wall in an instant. By the time the light could fade and the floor guardian could react, her left wing was nothing but a mix of destroyed bones and charred flesh held together by a web of divinity, and before she could scream, I appeared in front of her, using my aura to hold her in place. *Vwoom* "Now, why don''t you be a good chicken and tell me where the Secretary is..." Her face instantly drained of every emotion but fear as she shakily but quickly raised one of her talons and pointed behind me. -Is that so?- "Alright." *pat* Dropping her on the spot, I turned around before ripping through the cavern so fast it left a trail of clouds behind me. -Let''s see if I can find this bitch...- Since I didn''t know who I was actually looking for, I expected it to take quite a while, but after flying for just a few seconds, I found an aura comparable to the upper-floor guardian''s in a massive tree close to the size of a small treant, towering over the rest. -That must be it...- Quickly closing the distance to it, I flooded the tree with my aura, showing me an unbelievably intricate structure of rooms inside, with one containing the aura I was looking for. *Vwoop* *Vwoop* All it took was a short jump through the void for me to appear in the room itself. But instead of coming face to face with the source of the aura, the moment I came out of the void, I found myself staring straight into the eyes of a dragon with mostly red scales, standing right in front of me. -H..huh?- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 364: Peering up the Mountain Chapter 364: Peering up the Mountain Early Afternoon - Late Winter : The Nest ----- *Vwoop-WHOOM* A heavy wave of mana blew over me the moment I exited the void inside the tree. However, the moment my aura filled the room and light met my eyes, rather than catching the gaze of a thunderbird several times my size, I found myself face to face with an elder red and gold-scaled dragon. -H..huh?!- "What are you doing here?" My voice instantly warped with confusion. "You are Chrysi? Flo?ga, right?" His wings, slightly spread from shock, instantly clamped to his body. "L-L-Lord Ragnarok?!" He immediately threw himself into a panicked bow as his tail curled slightly. But I instantly took a step back with a slightly horrified expression on my face. "H..how the fuck did you recognize me..?" It was truly odd to feel such a mix of awe, confusion, and disbelief all at the same time. However, as he finally looked up and noticed my body, he started losing his composure. "A-Ah! I-I apologize, sir! I-I just saw the look in your eyes and thought you were someone-" "You recognized who I was based on my eyes?!" -What the hell?- I was so taken aback that I forgot why I was even there for a moment. But it didn''t take me long to get a reminder. *VWOOOM-CRACK* As a mass of aura slammed down on me, the wood beneath my feet splintered, and an eloquent, feminine voice met my ears. "The mighty Fenrir sprouted wings and horns after growing weak, huh..." Disdain coated her voice like poison. "Is that why you have the etiquette of a dragon? Are you dependent on them after-" "Fuck off." *VWOOM-CRRUNCH* Cutting her voice short, the towering thunderbird glaring at me from behind Chrysi instantaneously disappeared as its irritating face was slammed through the floor, caving in the tree''s trunk before blowing out the walls and ceiling. The tree, mana strengthened over several millennia, was as strong as mythril, but under the force of my aura, it just turned the tree into a massive fragmentation grenade. *CL-L-L-L-LATTER* However, as the millions of wooden shards peppered the surrounding area, blowing apart other trees and turning unsuspecting creatures into puffs of blood and fur, the upper half of the tree, losing the support of the tree trunk after it was obliterated, began to fall. *WOOOOSH* But as the leaves in the collapsing canopy howled and the ground around us darkened under its thickening shadow, my gaze just shifted from Chrysi to the space beneath him and my expression darkened. *Vwoom* A glow almost instantly appeared within the cloud of dust as the calm voice met my ears again. "How naive." It was the glow of hundreds of runes. -To use runes while being crushed by my aura...- A part of me was quite impressed, but at the same time, there was nothing but irritation on my face. "No wonder Acanthis managed to fuck up his own race so badly..." As the glow grew brighter, I snickered with annoyance. "His advisor was just as dumb as he is." *Crackle-BRRRRRRMMMM* Nearly instantaneously, a colossal beam of pure energy, almost thirty meters wide, erupted from the runes, spreading into a cone just before it reached me as I used my aura to redirect the insane blast of energy around Chrysi and I. -To fire off something like that inside the cavern...- It was a blast of several grams of antimatter, more than enough to turn the whole cavern into a microwave and cause liquid rock to rain down like hail. But it was already obvious she didn''t care about the other thunderbirds nearby. "Oh, how long I''ve waited for this..." With a hint of craze in her voice, a wave of bloodlust exploded from her. "Ever since the day I watched you kill my mother.. since the day you forced us into hiding.. I have yearned for this moment..." *WOOM* As time began to warp, a god''s presence suddenly erupted from her, growing by magnitudes with every passing instant. "Everyone else has lived in fear.. fear that you would come to kill us off completely, but I..." *Crunch* Forcing herself up under my aura, a mix of anger and confidence flooded into her voice. "I took every waking moment preparing for your return..." *WOWOWOOM* Opening her mouth, she exposed a series of black artifacts embedded in her tongue before space started to distort and she began mobilizing her divinity. "So why don''t you follow the wishes of heaven and stretch out your neck..." -This.. isn''t good...- My expression stiffened and my pupils dilated as my instincts heightened. Looking back at the detached, feathered head of the secretary as it continued toward me, a heavy air settled around me. For the first time ever, I feared my own power, not because of what I could do with it, or the responsibility it required to use, but rather because of how easy it was. Even if I took into account that the secretary had done nothing but accumulate liquid divinity throughout her life, leaving very little crystalline divinity compared to the likes of Acanthis or me, using raw force of momentum to shear divinity, which I believed to be unbreakable by anything dependent on time, was nothing short of horrifying. If the angle of the flip was a single degree off, I would have taken my own head off, and even if I somehow survived, my face would have been mangled. -If I get into a fight with a creature who can do that...- I would die before I could even react. Or at least.. that''s what I thought... *Vwoop* Suddenly appearing right in front of my face out of a gate, my gaze landed on Ilios, carrying a completely charred and partially melted shard of wood a few meters long in his mouth. -Is that... There''s no way...- It was a piece of the wooden shard I had just vector flipped, still somehow intact, radiating enough heat to melt mythril like a piece of blazing coal. But Ilios casually held it in his mouth, proudly wagging his tail as if it were a stick I threw for him. "Did you.. catch that..?" My thoughts instantly tied into a knot. -Was the sectretary''s body just that weak? Are we just that strong? Is he just that fast?- Nothing made sense. If my calculations were right, that fragment of wood was traveling at a speed even light couldn''t scoff at. But as I finally looked deeper into his eyes, there was an image that flashed in my mind. A 3d map of numbers that replaced the image my aura painted in my mind. The result of the method that came from the deepest reaches of my soul. And the result of the next step I was going to have to take. ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 365: The Boundary of Mortality Chapter 365: The Boundary of Mortality Mid Afternoon - Late Winter : The Nest ----- - Elizabeth Valia ~ "E..li..beth... Eli..abeth... Elizabeth!" I jolted as I was ripped out of my thoughts by Astren on the horse next to me. "Are you okay?" It hadn''t been more than few minutes since we met ''him'' at that point, so we were all still rattled. "Ever since ''he'' appeared, you''ve.. not been yourself..." I gently nodded as my gaze turned away from her. "Y..yeah, I''m fine... I just have a lot on my mind..." My mind was an indescribable mess, with thoughts racing in every direction, to the point that I was beginning to not only question my memories and reincarnation, but my own identity as well. "What did you guys even talk about? He seemed to recognize you... Have you met before?" I quickly shook my head before looking up at the ceiling. "I never met him.. but he knew who I was..." With wrinkled eyebrows and a look of worry, she quickly turned toward Michael, who hadn''t said a word from the moment we left. "You seemed to know him, right? Who was he?" Subtly looking up at him, I watched him tense with an expression similar to mine, except with guilt woven into it. "I don''t know who he is.. but we did indeed meet many years ago..." There was a long pause as Arcana and Gale turned their ears to him. "We met back when in Kaelallan.. before it became an empire... At the time, he had the appearance of a child, and at first, I thought he was just some foreign noble. He and his ''father'' were quite close with the royal family there, and until I saw him actually fighting, I assumed he was just an abnormal demihuman child..." "H..how many years ago was that for you to mistake a fucking monster like that for a child..." Mag spoke up with a shaky voice, riding on the back of Michael''s horse. "T-That was only before I saw him fight... While I was there, applying to become a nation-rank adventurer, he thwarted an assassination attempt on the king that even I wouldn''t have been able to stop right next to me... That event is what made me consider the path I was taking in life... " He hung is head as he paused. "But where I drew the line on him being a humanoid species was when.. a dragon appeared in the plaza..." Arcana instantly twitched as if recognizing what he was talking about. "He didn''t just win against her.. he one-sidedly crushed her with the body of a demihuman child... It wasn''t even a fight..." "Her?" Astren''s voice warped with confusion. "A-Ah! S-Sorry." His words quickly became fervent. "I was referring to the dragon that appeared. You may have heard of the incident, but it didn''t even end there... After he literally beat the dragon to the brink of death, he created these massive metallic bands to keep it from escaping. He even left it there alone for a while.. and if I remember right, there were rumors that he was not only able to talk with it, but was the one to.. dispose of it as well..." Arcana, finally turning to look at Michael''s oddly distraught expression, spoke calmly. "So he was the one behind that incident..." Michael quickly nodded. "It wasn''t just that.. the only reason Kaelallan was able to take so much land was thanks to him... After I left Kaelallan, I even heard rumors about how the Magic Tower in Decia, as well as thousands of upper government officials across the entire main continent, went missing in the span of a few days..." He paused as he recalled some bad memories. "At this point, I''d be pretty surprised if he wasn''t also related to that Reverse Mana Wave or that field of glass they found near the Kingdom of Zan''s old border..." Arcana quickly chimed in with a mix of awe and curiosity in her voice. "Was the reverse mana wave not just a rumor? There was an institute in Voldukirk that claimed it was fabricated, saying it was just a really strong mana wave that was misunderstood." But he immediately shook his head. "It was a very real event. It sucked mana out of not only artifacts but people. My friend, who is a blacksmith there, had mythril turn into junk iron during the event... The rumor that it made Kaelallan''s capital a mana-rich area is true too. Every time I visit, somehow, the mana feels thicker than the last time I visited... It''s like they have a mana fountain beneath the royal palace or something..." "How fascinating..." Finally pulling my gaze off him, the turmoil in my own mind quickly resumed. "I can at least say he''d certainly be capable of doing something like that..." Turning to me, Arcana''s curiosity started to show. "You mean creating a mana fountain?" I nodded. "There is nothing I saw in our conversation that said he was anything less than omnipotent..." I anxiously bit my thumb as my mind raced to try and find a flaw within our conversation. A single notion that said he didn''t already know everything. But there was nothing. Although he said he himself was a reincarnator from Earth, his response about his memories from there threw me off, and looking back on it, it felt like he was just saying that to try and get close to me. -He knew I was a reincarnator from the very beginning, and even offered to reveal the truth of my reincarnation to me...- Meaning he already knew the truth himself, likely before we even started speaking. "If he''s a god.. what reason is there to place a limit on him?" There was a long pause before I silently mumbled. "To the likes of us, that kind of power may as well be limitless even if it isn''t..." *tap...* *tap...* *tap-CRUNCH* Gently poking the secretary''s long-dead head as it laid on the ground, the skull shattered like glass the moment my claw pressed into it. -Geez...- She had less crystalline divinity than even the youngest of ancients from what I could tell. Or at least, that''s what it seemed like. Gently opening her mouth with my aura, my eyes settled on her tongue and the three large black artifact-looking objects on it. I recognized them instantly. -They''re.. cells?- Similar to the god''s cell I saw beneath the academy several years ago, they were made of pure, crystalline divinity and had at least at one point contained liquid divinity and likely the soul of a deceased god as well. -It looks like she used some of her own divinity to create pathways between them all and her reserve too...- If my guess was right, when she began moving her own divinity, when her presence grew inexplicably exponentially, she also pulled the divinity out of those cells, absorbing the gods'' souls in the process to let her make use of every drop of divinity she had. -I wonder if her absorbing those souls also affected her mind...- It was a shame I couldn''t keep her alive. Had she lived, she would have been the perfect specimen for me to use to study souls and how they affect the mind. -It''s no wonder she neglected her own race so much... I wouldn''t be surprised if those gods'' souls contaminated her way of thinking in more ways than one...- If my hypothesis was right, the gods she ate probably also harbored grudges against me, likely exponentially increasing her hatred toward me, and blurring her own sense of self and pride in her race. Thanks to her, all that was left was a neglected population of chickens with a handful of powerful figures that she likely used to her own benefit wherever possible. -If they cultivated their race, she and Acanthis could have created a population that could rival the dragons again.- With the way Bahamut head completely lost its ability to grow demigods, the thunderbirds would have eventually caught up with time. -But beside the secretary, there wasn''t anyone here strong enough to even lick Hera''s paw...- Of course, it worked out perfectly for me. All that was left was a nation laced with resentment toward their leader. The perfect population of subjects to conquer. Looking over my shoulder, I looked out through the hole I made connecting the upper cavern to the sky outside and idly thought to myself. -I might not even need to use fear and strength to rally them under the dragons.- The only issue was the upper cavern, the prideful nobles. -The ones in the lower cavern I can rally beneath me by simply showing them what was taken from them...- But the nobles, the ones who had the freedom to do everything they wished, couldn''t be coerced by freedom. -Though...- Looking into the cavern, I was immediately met with the gaze of thousands of thunderbirds, some flying while others were perched in tree canopies or standing on the ground. -Maybe fear will be enough...- But there was no guarantee even that would work. -Maybe It''d be better to just kill the troublesome ones...- However, as I looked over at Ilios, still proudly touting the superheated chunk of wood, my mind started to shift gears, turning back to face what I just experienced within my own mind. -Right...- Although I didn''t have much time to think about it, and would have been better off leaving it for later and going to speak to Chrysi, I couldn''t pull my mind off it. It was a method of reading my aura that was on the eve of perfection, turning the environment around me into an infinite number of strings, without any of the fuzzy imperfections from electrons or space mana, while also translating things like particle energy states and stability to values my mind could more easily make use of. The issue was.. I didn''t know where it came from. It felt familiar, eerily similar to how I saw the world when in my soul form during dragon sleeps, but with some fundamental differences, and felt more like I had simply opened another eye rather than using some kind of technique. But it felt too incomplete to be something instinctual, so at first, I simply assumed it was artificial.. something I pulled out of Nott''s lingering memories... But that was when I had a thought. -What if it isn''t some special technique... What if the reason it feels incomplete isn''t because it''s artificial.. but because my mind would have really destroyed itself if it opened its eyes all the way...- I paused before looking down at my paw. What if I simply cant yet perceive the rest of it... ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 366: The Bounds of Curiosity Chapter 366: The Bounds of Curiosity Late Afternoon - Late Winter : The Nest ----- *Wooooosh* A steady, cool breeze blew through the upper cavern as the blazing air inside was cycled with the endless afternoon sky through the massive hole I punched through the mountain behind me. "Haah..." It was actually quite relaxing, but I was too stressed to enjoy it. -Every time I answer a question, another pops up...- Deciding I needed to stop my theorizing before it spiraled toward insanity, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath of the cool, fresh air blowing over me before looking over my shoulder. Although the destruction was still spreading around the edges, with molten rock continuously dripping down into the cavern like water from a leaky pipe, it had mostly finished. As things were, the hole was about a third the diameter of the entire cavern and nearly two-thirds the height, exposing a huge section to a blanket of direct sunlight and letting the atmosphere outside freely flow in, even if the climate inside would remain somewhat contained because of the direction of the winds outside. But of course, with the inside of the cavern currently being several times the temperature and density of the cool upper atmosphere, the hole had turned the cavern into a popped balloon, causing the air pressure to plummet dramatically. -But it shouldn''t be a problem for anyone but the rodents and maybe the youngest of thunderbirds...- Finally successfully shifting gears, I stood up, grabbing the Secretary''s head with my aura before immediately jumping through the void, seemingly instantaneously appearing over the tree stump the fight began on. It had been a few minutes since the fight at that point, but even as I reappeared over the stump, Chrysi was frozen. He hadn''t moved since he almost died. -Did he pass out from shock?- *Fwip* *THUMP* Tossing the Secretary''s head down next to him, he finally jolted out of the thoughts that entrapped him in his mind. "H..Huh- AH!" Jumping back as he noticed the massive head laying next to him, he finally looked around and noticed the unfathomably massive hole exposing the bright afternoon sky before freezing again. "Have you been frozen since you almost got killed?" Thinking back to the antimatter blast I protected him from, I remembered just how ridiculous the temperatures were before tilting my head slightly and landing. -He''s more heat-resistant than he looks...- "I-I just got mesmerized by the runes Lady Corella used..." "Lady Corella? Was that this bitch''s name?" *thump* Gently kicking her head toward him, I watched him shy away with disgust before answering my own question. -It must be...- "So, what were you doing here? It looked like you were acting as her servant." He immediately clammed up. "I wasn''t just acting." "Excuse me?" I gave him a look of both disgust and disappointment. "I''m gonna need you to run that by me again..." Noticing the sudden shift in my tone, his posture shrank, and his wings once again clamped to his body. "W..would you like me to just explain from the-" "Yes, from the very beginning." He quickly paused before continuing somewhat shyly. "Well, not too long after, uh.. you and I first met, I ended up finding an Ancient Island Turtle in a bay couple thousand kilometers from here, and managed to actually speak with him. He told me the phoenix used to reside in the mountain here and told me where I could find an entrance." He paused as he idly looked around the cavern. But somehow, he failed to notice the expression on my face. -HUH?!- I felt like I had to of misunderstood something. To quickly summarize, an Ancient Island Turtle was a Mythical creature similar to the likes of the phoenix: a monster that, to obtain sentience, had to be well over ten thousand years old and literally be the size of an island, typically several kilometers from head to tail. Unlike the phoenix however, it wasn''t a strikingly powerful god, nor was it alone. Spread all throughout the world, there was believed to be at least a few dozen or so that had the ability to speak, but with their habits of sleeping and not moving for several thousand years at a time, it made them quite hard to find. -But he found one not only moving, but one that was old enough to recall hearing about the phoenix?!- It meant the Turtle he found was at least more than twenty or thirty thousand years old. I paused as I looked him up and down, watching thoughts zip through his mind before suddenly looking back toward the center of the mountain. For just an instant, I felt the presence of a divinity flicker, as if waving at me before completely disappearing. -Hm...- "How about this, then." Getting his attention, he quickly looked up at me with a glow in his eyes. "I''ll check for another cavern for you, and dig you a path to it. However, if you do indeed find the phoenix and somehow survive, I want you to promise me to become my subordinate." Looking back at him, he quickly clammed up and sank into thought. But after a moment, he eased. "You are Vasilias.. correct?" He paused before looking up at me. "Is your offer from before still available?" I nodded. "It is. I can also extend an offer to let you study in Siratha. Do you still have the medallion I gave you?" He hastily nodded but responded hesitantly. "I do, but... Are you really not going to ask for a phoenix feather?" I quickly gave him a look as if I wanted to laugh. "Why would I ask you to retrieve something like that for me?" "W..Well, it might be dangerous-" "Chrysi, if it''s dangerous for me, you''re really fucked." I let out a light chuckle as I turned away from him, glancing toward the gate at the center of the cavern. "Personally, I think you''re crazy for even wanting to find the phoenix, but somehow I don''t want to stop you anymore." -Before coming here, I thought you were delusional even just saying it existed, but now, who knows... Maybe you have fate on your side...- "All I ask is that if you somehow survive, you become a subordinate of mine. I see a bit of a reflection of myself in that crazed curiosity of yours, and I''d like to make sure that talent never rots." A gleam of hope suddenly intruded his gaze as I glanced back at him, but he continued with a doubtful tone. "If you think I am capable of such a feat.. I will follow your lead..." His expression and voice quickly stiffened. "However, only after finding the phoenix." -I can''t say I didn''t expect that...- "Alright, then, once I finish things here, I''ll take you to another cavern or at least point you in the right direction." A smile immediately washed over his face. "O-Okay! T-Thank you, my Lord!" He quickly threw himself into a nearly perfect bow as if he had done it a million times. "You said you''d only follow me after you found the phoenix. What are you doing calling me your lord?" "A-Ah, sorry! It was a slip of the tongue!" He seemed quite genuinely sorry. But little did he know, as I was looking away, I had a smile on my face. -I''ll be really disappointed if he dies now... I''ve taken quite a liking to him...- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 367: Steps Toward Salvation Chapter 367: Steps Toward Salvation Early Evening - Late Winter : The Nest ----- - Chamrosh ~ "How long are you all going to sit around, and let the upper cavern trample on us?!" I yelled out into the cavern with my chest as I walked around the edge of the gates platform with firm steps. "When I grew up, I was told all these incredible stories about how this cavern used to be a paradise! BUT LOOK AT IT NOW!" Anger laced my voice like poison, yelling out over a crowd of thunderbirds suppressed by generational fear. "None of you, even the lucky ones with partners, wish to bring children into a world of fear and suffering, but we finally have an opportunity to change that fate! So what are you all doing?!" It had been several minutes since I first split up with the Lord and came down from the upper cavern, but while I initially tried to coerce the others to come see the upper cavern with gentle words, not a single one of them budged. "Lord Nott is here, not to kill us, but to kill the ones who took everything from us! The ones who left us to rot in this dark abyss, cowering in fear of the endless skies outside while they thrived!" The longer it went on, the more angry I became. "We aren''t paying for the sins of our ancestors anymore! We have no reason to hide! Had the Lord wished us to be dead, we would have had no ability to resist it, yet today, he waltzed through the cavern without killing a single one of us!"Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com *Crackle* The edge of the platform cracked slightly as I dug my talons into it out of anger. -You know what...- "At this point, I''m convinced our ancestors deserved it." I spoke coldly as I stopped, looking down at the thunderbirds cowering in their crumbling stone nests below. "I''m certain we have been fed lies, manipulated by the likes of Acanthis to drive us into fear, turning us into mindless slaves that did nothing but exist and do the dirty work of the nobles. Whatever happened for the Ancient Fenrir to deem our race unworthy of the sky, I understand them. Earlier today, I was told by the floor guardian to allow a group of humans into the nest, led by one of Lady Corella''s servants. They were an envoy of the Holy Kingdom, the kingdom of detestful humans to the east." A rune instantly lit off the tip of my beak before I spoke through it, amplifying my voice through the cavern. "What purpose do you all think a kingdom''s envoy would have here?!" The silence that filled the cavern whenever I stopped talking was indescribable. Throughout the entire cavern, there wasn''t even the sound of a wing beat. "If my speculation is right, the nobles were going to sell us to them.. like slaves... They were going to make us fight their wars while they sat in the oasis of the upper cavern..." I paused before lowering my stance and speaking harshly. "Do any of you wish to listen to the orders of a human? Do you really wish to wield your sword for weak beings who believe they own the world?!" I let my voice echo for several seconds before I continued. "I don''t know about all of you, but I would much rather listen to Lord Nott, a being who nearly wiped out our race single-handedly, than some humans I could kill with a flap of my wings." There was a long pause before, eventually, a shaky feminine voice appeared among the crowd. "How... How can you be so sure he will even let us serve him..." Straightening my posture, I picked out the young girl in the crowd, a thunderbird who could have only been 700 at most. "He is a god. For what reason would he come here to liberate us from corruption if it weren''t to gain our faith." "So, you want us to simply become the slaves of someone else..." This time, another voice responded, the voice of a man around my age. "If you would simply fly up here and see the upper cavern myself, you would understand where I am coming from. I would rather lick Nott''s paw than ever listen to another word from the nobles or Acanthis." There was an eerie silence that quickly overtook the cavern before eventually, an elder spoke up as he took to the air. "If you are so confident, then I will just have to see this myself." -Finally...- I wanted to click my tongue at him, but thankfully, after he flew up past me and entered the gate, others started reluctantly following his lead. "Those who wish to remain blind to the corruption we were rotting beneath, you can stay here. However.. if you come and see the upper cavern yourself, I can guarantee your mind will change." Eventually turning away from the edge of the platform, the flow of people heading up through the gate increased substantially. It seemed like once the dam broke, everyone started moving, and with every passing second, there were only more that wanted to come up. -I guess I should head up as well, then...- *Fwoosh* Quickly blending back into the crowd, I took to the air and headed back to the upper cavern, with my anger only growing as time passed. However, when the sky of the upper cavern started coming into view, something felt off.. the air was thin, and the air felt like it was on fire. The moment I flew up into the cavern and the crowd dispersed, landing around the opposite side of the gate, I looked around in a rush, only to find an unfathomable hole freshly bored through the side of the mountain, exposing the open sky outside. -W..woah...- It drove a sense of fear into me that I couldn''t describe. And I wasn''t alone. The rest of the cavern was generally as I saw it originally, but was a mess, wrapped in complete silence as everyone hopelessly stared at the hole as if the hand of god had fallen over them. Even those coming up from the lower cavern couldn''t help but stare. Folding my wing back, I stood up straight. "If you are our Monarch, will you be the one to lead us?" But he only shook his head. "Those of you who remain here will choose a leader amongst yourselves, and that leader will be my direct subordinate. If no one wishes to be the leader, I will pick a dragon to be your leader." Everyone in the crowd immediately started chattering, whispering to each other as they realized death was no longer breathing down their necks. But as I went to chime in and see what people thought, I found many of them simply staring at me. "H..Huh?" With every passing second, I found more and more gazes on me. "I-I don''t know how to lead though... I''m too young..." But it didn''t matter. The crushing weight of responsibility was about to land on my shoulders, and there was nothing I could do to refuse. "G..Guys.. I can''t be responsible for the growth of a population... I-I don''t even have a family... How do you expect me to lead you all..." But I cut myself short upon realizing it wasn''t something I could reason my way out of. -Isn''t this.. too much..?- After a moment of my thoughts continuing to race, I eventually gave up, thinking I would be able to reason my way out of it later when we returned to the lower cavern and figured out what the plan going forward was with the people still down there. But before long, Nott continued. "Now that you have all had a moment to think, please close your eyes, and think of where you wish to go. Bahamut, or Siratha." After a short moment of silence, innumerable faint, almost insensible mana ripples echoed through the cavern before a bright rune lit up over the heads of the nobles from the upper cavern. However, the moment I looked around at them, questioning what the runes were, the sound of bones crackling and bodies being crushed into nothingness filled our minds like a dense fog. It was a purge. Those who conformed were spared and left to be treated as slaves, while those who remained steadfast and thirsted for revenge were killed on the spot. But in the end, of the few thousand nobles, only a few dozen were killed, with the strongest of nobles, likely being the patriarchs of the more powerful families, not backing down till the moment they and their families were indescribably pulverized. It was a scene the word horror could not do justice; however, once the runes over their heads disappeared, the atmosphere of the entire cavern shifted, and a less cold, and more.. satisfied voice echoed through it. "I look forward to seeing how you all do." ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! Chapter 368: Ownership Chapter 368: Ownership Early Evening - Late Winter : The Nest ----- "Hm..." Looking over the crowd of thunderbirds frantically speaking to one another while more continued up into the cavern, I wore a satisfied expression. -I had to simplify the oath runes to use them in mass, but it might work in my favor...- In short, I had implanted oath runes into about four thousand thunderbirds, essentially all the nobles, and because there were so many I had to do at once, I had to simplify them greatly. Instead of killing them for disobeying, it would simply inflict a debilitating migraine-like pain. It basically acted like a safety net in case I made an error implanting the oath, so a thunderbird wouldn''t just drop dead if the rune was set off accidentally. -But it might work in my favor...- Watching a few thunderbirds quickly keel over in pain after glaring at me, I smiled. -This worked out quite well...-Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com Although I had deviated from the original plan of bringing all the thunderbirds back to Bahamut, I was more than pleased with how things laid. "S..sir... I-I mean Lord.. Nott..." A very young thunderbird, far younger than even Chamrosh, spoke up nervously as he walked up under me. "A..are you really not going to kill.. or enslave us..?" He was clearly a non-noble and questioned my intentions behind leaving them all be. The moment he asked the question, everyone hushed in an instant. But I didn''t hesitate to answer. "I seated myself as your Monarch because you, as well as this cavern, are quite useful to me. I would like nothing more than for your race to thrive and grow. The stronger you grow, the greater asset you become." There was a pause before an older, female thunderbird spoke up. "So.. you see us as assets?" I quickly nodded. "However, I don''t believe you have room to complain. Unlike the nobles, I am pulling you under my wing. You have the freedom to do what you wish, be it travel the world or start a family knowing I am backing you. You no longer have to fear the skies, and if you wish, I can give you all purpose again." I paused before looking at another man with a distasteful expression. "If you wish to stand against me, you may, but I can guarantee the fate of your friends and family who remain under my wing will be better." There was a pause before a younger girl turned toward the man I was looking at with an angry expression. "Why can''t you all just accept mercy?!" Her anger was so genuine it took me by surprise. -Huh?- "A feast has been laid at our feet, yet you all are questioning what to do with it! Stop staring at it, you idiots! This is an opportunity for us to finally return to our former glory.. so why do you have to be so skeptical?!" "Because a leader who sees his subjects as objects will never-" "HE''S NOT OUR LEADER!" She yelled with a squawk. "He said explicitly that we were to choose our own leader! All he is going to be is a guardian and a guiding hand!" There was a long pause that followed before Chamrosh chimed in with a more calm tone. "I agree, there are no unreasonable downsides to this offer. If you wish to live with humans, all you have to do is not assist the Holy Kingdom in, I''d assume, military-related efforts." He glanced up at me for confirmation before continuing. "If a monarch''s subjects are not assets to their leader, what are they? Slaves? Friends?" The other man responded instantly. "But what will happen when he needs to use us?! We will die-" *CRACK* The sound barrier snapped as an older female thunderbird smacked the man across the face with her talon, drawing blood from his cheek. "If you wish to die, do it on your own." She was easily one of the oldest thunderbirds among those I could see, speaking coldly and eloquently before turning back to me. "Lord Nott, we will take you up on your offer." Her eyes were lit with the fire of determination. -Hoh?- My smile widened. "However, I have a question." I paused. "What will our relationship be with the dragons..." She seemed anxious as she spoke, darkening her expression without easing her gaze. "Will you protect us from them?" I quickly shook my head, but continued before anyone could jump to conclusions. "From now on, you will be working alongside the dragons, as well as my apostles in Siratha. You may consider it an alliance for mutual benefit." Idly glancing over the crowd, trying to gauge their reactions, I found surprisingly little resistance to the alliance. As the older woman turned to glance at another thunderbird a few dozen meters away, she nodded before lowering her head toward me. "In that case, I hope you can convince them to release any.. perhaps long-standing grudges..." -How humble...- I was honestly quite surprised. -But...- "That won''t be necessary." "Huh?" She quickly looked up at me with a confused expression. "Your race wasn''t the only to.. struggle a bit over the last few millennia. They have held up better culturally, as well as strength-wise, but compared to the dragons, you guys have.. actually preserved history from before the war." But there wasn''t much to see yet. -It seems like they''ll be fine though.- Thankfully, the lower caverns thunderbirds were.. shockingly adaptive. Most of them even favored me for the takeover rather than holding onto old disdain. Of course, there were still those who opposed me, but I simply let them be for the time being. All that was left for me to do was gather the nobles and bring them to Siratha and then Bahamut, with about three hundred expected to go under Lief, and the rest under Hera. But.. the trip was far more troublesome and time-consuming than expected. Although typically a fast race, the trip was only dragged by those who chose to rebel halfway through. There were even a few who died during the flight. In the end, it took almost a week to get to Valtivar, but when we got there, the thunderbirds'' opinions of my offers flipped on their heads. To them, Siratha''s forest of treants was an indescribable paradise even the nobles could only salivate at. Unfortunately for them though, wherever they initially chose to go was the place they would end up, without exception, for the simple reason that I wasn''t confident Lief could manage, or even make effective use of more than a few hundred of them. But perhaps that was me just underestimating her. As I shifted to my humanoid form and walked into her office, giving her the gist of the situation, her eyes lit up. "How many can you give me?" To her, it seemed like she could more than easily make use of a few thousand, let alone the few hundred I was giving her. -Maybe I''ll tell the rest if they do well in Bahamut and get released, they can come here...- It was a small encouragement, but an encouragement nonetheless. And while most of them still harbored ill intentions toward me, there were indeed a few that started flipping sides when I raised the offer. However, it would be a long time before they managed to come back here. In their new home, in the heart of Bahamut, their new owner was going to work them like mules. -I just hope Hera doesn''t mind me being a little late compared to when I said I''d be back...- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 369: An Endless Road Chapter 369: An Endless Road Mid Afternoon - Early Fall : The Elder Estate | The Cabinet (New Elder Hall) ----- "To think you were actually late..." Hera''s surprised voice met my ears as I hurtled through the thick, dark clouds looming over the estate I left from almost three weeks prior. "Had you given me a general area to search, it wouldn''t have taken me a week to just find the damn place. I didn''t know I needed to search the entire fucking mountain for a cave barely big enough to fit a horse!" "Pft-Hahaha!" Hera immediately burst out laughing, comedically slapping the end of her tail on the ground next to her. "Acanthis did make a bet that you would never find it. That must be why." "Haah..." My sigh was deep and heavy. "Well, I hope you at least bet on me." "Hoho~, of course." FWOOSH Finally piercing the underside of the dark storm clouds, the sight of nearly a thousand dragons bustling about came into view. Although I was technically over the exact area I left from to explore The Scar nearly three weeks prior, the view was completely foreign to me. Directly below me was an absolutely colossal structure, still in the midst of construction, with a massive town being built around it, seemingly in a hurry. None of it was a sight I didn''t expect, as I saw it through my aura from quite a ways away, but I still had to admit.. it was quite a jarring sight. -I guess it makes sense for people to be flocking here, considering the opportunities that will eventually arise... - wooOOOSH-DINGGGG Landing on a thick metal driveway in the middle of a colossal courtyard, I looked up at the massive main doors of the new estate, large enough to let Myles comfortably walk through, and tilted my head in confusion. -But I have to wonder.. how is she staying hidden after starting a project like this? She couldn''t have already announced herself as the Monarch to the public yet, could she?- Previously, the estate that was once there was meant for those in the Elder Hall to use, with rooms reserved for each member so they could all stay there and have more fluent communication with one another when they weren''t needed at the Hall itself. However, with the dissolution of the Elder Hall, Hera had taken it for her own use, using it as a sort of temporary estate until things were worked out. But at that moment, I had to question the way I interpreted ''temporary''. "What in the world are you planning on using this huge ass estate for?" It was almost big enough to be considered a small town on its own, with a large central circular courtyard and exactly eight long offshoots to create a star pattern reminiscent of the academy. "I can''t say I could imagine you living here..." "Of course not. This place is too small for me." She paused as she shuffled around papers in a smaller room not far from the main entrance. "This place is going to be the new hub for the cabinet, called the Elder Estate. Each member will be expected to live here and manage a ''branch'' specialized around their field. In theory, it should centralize everything for us in quite a convenient and orderly manner." -Huh?- "A ''Branch''?"Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com "Yeah, I''m actually going to try something Bahamut was too afraid to implement when he was Monarch." She spoke while deep in thought before setting down most of her papers. "I''m going to make the cabinet members something similar to my direct subordinates, each related to a specific subject, while also having each of them form their own organizations, or branches, that are vaguely similar to human guilds." Finally walking up to the massive front door, I opened it and made my way inside. "Each branch will be responsible for gathering its own information and managing its own field all around Bahamut. A quick example would be Myles and the Military branch. To explain it quickly, it will be responsible for all military matters that don''t require my input, such as establishing public security forces, remote military training and recruitment, and documenting everything under the span of their branch. With their branch centralized here, if I ever need anything from the military, I can simply come here and issue orders or look into information. In my case, if the branch was already established, I would have gone through them to find and deal with the remaining supporters of the Holy Kingdom, at least when the time comes." -How.. horrifyingly smart...- To summarize, it made it so all she needed to do to get what she needed was say a single sentence, even if it was to implement a completely new system that needed to be built from the ground up. -But...- "Why was Bahamut too afraid to implement that? It seems pretty convenient..." She instantly froze before looking me in the eyes. "You.. can do that?" I quickly nodded with a small flicker of excitement in my tail. "I''ll need to study the specifics of the existing runes, but yeah, I don''t see any reason why I couldn''t." She paused before cycling through pages again, falling victim to her rampaging thoughts. "In that case.. that makes things easier..." Quickly writing and editing hundreds of pages of documentation, she took out a stack of a few hundred pieces of paper before finally standing up. "I need to give these to the construction manager here to add on another branch here. How long do you think it will take to make the rune?" I gently shrugged my wings. "Longer than the thunderbirds can reasonably stay here." I gently motioned my wing up to them before her gaze followed. "Alright." A smile immediately washed over her face. "In that case, we can talk about the details of your trip while we fly them to Emporio and get them set up." Finally standing up, she quickly walked past me with a partial trot and a smooth, happy sway in her tail. "I''ll meet up with you after I drop this off real quick." Flashing her smile at me with a clump of papers in the air, she left without giving me a chance to move. But, even if she wanted me to hop up right then, it would have been difficult. "Haah..." From the moment I sat down, a lethargic wave washed over me, and the cushion felt as if it were sucking me into it. "Well, Ilios.. I know you''re ready for a nap, but it looks like we still have some flying to do..." I honestly wanted to just pass out right then and there too... -But.. we still have so much to do...- "Ugh..." Forcing myself up with a little groan, narrowly escaping the grasp of the cushion, I let Ilios up on my back before walking out into the only half-built hallway. There was a lot on the to-do list, and from my talk with Hera, it looked like I wouldn''t be getting any rest for quite a while. But oddly enough, I didn''t really mind it. Although I had minimal political experience or knowledge, I was oddly fascinated by learning how Hera was going to run such a massive country fluidly. Afterall, I was the Monarch of not one, but two countries now. I had a lot to learn from her. But sometimes.. her methods were.. a little unconventional... ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 370: Flight of Monarchs Chapter 370: Flight of Monarchs Mid Evening - Early Fall : Near Emporio ----- "So, this is really all that''s left of the thunderbirds, huh..." Hera glanced behind us as she spoke. "Serves them right..." She spoke with such a deep-seated distaste it made me want to chuckle. "I only brought half back here, and I also left a few hundred with Lief, but yeah.. these are essentially all the elites." "It''s a shame Acanthis and that secretary were so incompetent. They could have given us some good competition if they cultivated their race." She continued as I nodded in agreement. "In any case, why did you leave half in the mountain? They couldn''t have been happy with you after everything you did. Why chance them leaving for the Holy Kingdom instead of just enslaving and using them here in Bahamut or Siratha?" I turned my nose up into the wind and took a relaxed breath as we continued to glide over the puffy white clouds. "Well, just like with how you''re using them to survey Bahamut, I want to use them to survey the Holy Kingdom, but I plan on starting slow and easing them into it. Thankfully, most of those I left alone didn''t seem to mind my take over once they saw how Acanthis left them to rot, but I don''t want to rush things." -Although, for convenience, I should probably go ahead and build the space rune there while I build this one for Hera...- "So you plan on being their Monarch, like Siratha?" She looked at me curiously before turning forward again. "What do you think about sending a small population of dragons to help them get a foothold?" I quickly tilted my head as if to shrug my wings. "I think it''s a good idea, but rather than sending a group with the goal of helping them, I was thinking of simply giving lower-class dragons an opportunity as a whole." Her curious gaze quickly turned to me. "Elaborate." Slowly pulling my eyes off the ground, I glanced at the horizon before turning to her. "The lower cavern is unbelievably rich with minerals, so, just like when dragons were integrated into Siratha, I was thinking of giving them an opportunity to rise in class. The opportunity would make people flock to it, and not only that, since it''s for their own benefit, they would work their asses off to grow the colony." She gave me a slightly surprised look as my gaze turned back to the turbulent sea below us. "In the long run, the colony should help both Siratha and Bahamut quite significantly. There are some other absolutely colossal mythril veins in other parts of the mountain that would give us access to more resources than we could use. The issue is turning everyone''s focus from culture to industry." "Hoho~, to be thinking so far ahead already... You might have more talent in this than I thought..." Hera quickly gave me a prideful, but greedy look as she paused. "I''ll have to send some dragons over to survey the mountain in a few weeks." "Yeah, it would at least be worth looking into." -It might also be worth talking to Lief about that... Although I''m not sure how the thunderbirds would feel, formally integrating both Siratha and Bahamut into that colony could be a play...- Idly looking down below us as I sank into thought, a small beach and endless forest finally peeked through the clouds. It was the edge of Emporio, the huge island and global hub of draconic trade in the center of Bahamut. However, while its city was considered one of the most densely populated areas in Bahamut, the east side of the island, where we were flying over with a few thousand thunderbirds in our wake, was completely empty. -Now that I think about it.. I haven''t seen a single estate yet...- Even after several minutes of flying into the island. It was simply an endless sea of forests and lakes as far as my aura could reach in every direction. It was the forest equivalent of a desert. Eventually not being able to hold my curiosity back, I asked Hera about it, but as it turned out, it was because the entire island, except the city, had an owner. Before the war, she apparently had a massive estate here, but after digging through some old archives found that it was destroyed before the end of the war in a riot. It seemed to upset her more than I would have expected, but rather than that being because the estate was destroyed, it was more so because Bahamut did nothing to stop it. -I really have to wonder if that wasn''t because Bahamut was already dead though...- By the time I was done though, I felt like I was about to collapse. At that point, it had been about six weeks since Hera made her first appearance back in Bahamut, and while I certainly did nothing exhausting, because of the threat of Dagr breathing down my neck the whole time, my anxiety did nothing but compound until it began physically hindering me. *Vwoop* Popping out of the void in the bright blue skies over the Tree of Prayer, my mind was dominated by things I still needed to do, whether it was going to the Laboratory, trying to learn more about that ''third eye'' I opened momentarily in The Scar, or exploring Acardi City on the moon, but, -I just can''t...- I felt like my brain was about to begin breaking down. I needed a nap. -I just wish the prayer was now... I could continue accumulating divinity even in my sleep if it was...- But unfortunately, while the cloud of souls was gently swirling thanks to the prayers of the devout priests and clerics, it wasn''t nearly enough to engage the runes. *woooOOOSH-Thump* *Pat* *Pat* *Pat* Quickly landing and walking into the Gods'' Abode with Ilios, I watched as the faintest traces of mana running through the colossal rune in the ground caused the cloud to swirl, but could only snicker. -What a shame...- *Puff* Eventually making it to the center of the room, I finally laid down with a small stretch and got ready to go to sleep... But the moment my mind turned silent, right before I could sink into a dream, my eyes shot open with vibrance. -Wait...- Although my drowsiness was still more than present, for a moment, my mind became sharp. "The tree just needs mana.. right?" Looking down at the small rune beneath me, at the center of the countless colossal rings making up the floor of the room, the fog in my mind cleared. -Why was I thinking it needed mana from people.. it runs on pure mana, not aura... So...- Thinking back to the lake of mana I made where Father was napping, my mind did nothing but continue to wander. -What if I just.. fueled the tree myself?- ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 371: Warping Space Chapter 371: Warping Space Late Evening - Early Spring : The Tree of Prayer | Siratha ----- -What if I just.. fueled the tree myself?- It was a thought that obliterated the ever-encroaching cloud of drowsiness that was taking over my mind. But the idea wasn''t nearly as simple as it initially sounded. The thing was, during prayers, the mana given by the worshipers was directed straight toward the top of the tree, causing the mana density to get higher and higher as it neared the rune, before eventually getting dense enough to naturally penetrate the tree trunk and individually fuel each layer of the rune within the Gods'' Abode. As it was, the rune was perfectly designed with that method and effect in mind, using a combination of mana flowing through the trunk to fuel the central runes, and a larger volume of mana from outside to fuel the outer rings. It was the perfect rune to gather mana from the prayer. However, for me to mimic that effect, I would have to either hollow out the tree and fill it with mana or plainly fill the air with a similar amount of mana to the prayer. -But that''d definitely kill a bunch of people...- For me to fill the air with that much mana while not having to constantly replenish it, I would have to bury the entire base of the tree in a lake of liquid mana. -So I need a better idea...- But it didn''t take long for me to come up with one. -Hmm.. I wonder if I can do that...- The idea was pretty simple, create a relatively small lake of mana deep underground, directly beneath the tree, and guide the mana up through the tree trunk with a long sequence of runes, essentially making it a giant mana vein. In theory, it was totally possible, but as for whether the flow of the mana would be great enough, I could only guess. -It''s worth a shot though...- Deciding I would figure it out quicker through trial and error rather than purely theory, I hastily began carving out sequences of annoyingly complex runes that spiraled around the core of the tree trunk with my aura. But the task quickly became even more daunting than I anticipated. Adjusting and testing my theories as they came to mind, I ended up burning through tens of thousands of theories, ideas, and designs of runes over the course of a couple of days. After a while, it even got to a point where I had to question if what I wanted to make was even reasonably possible. But that was when I stopped worrying about efficiency or complexity, and realized one key piece of information... It was that mana interacted with the fabric of space in the exact same manner as normal matter, but to a different extent. In the process of warping the fabric of space in any manner, an enormous force is exerted on the matter within the fabric to try and keep it in line with the warp. This force does not directly push matter in the direction of the warp like a shockwave, but rather tries to force the matter to take up a larger or smaller volume based on the direction of the warp, consequently expanding or compressing EVERYTHING in that space. That meant the force was capable of literally ripping atomic nuclei apart, or compressing them to a density far beyond even the cores of neutron stars. However, this force was only on the motion of the bend itself. As long as the warp in the fabric didn''t change nigh-instantaneously, like with vector flipping, the forces within atoms would be able to adjust accordingly before they were ripped apart or compressed to such an unholy extreme... [1] But that was where the difference with mana laid. Unlike matter, mana didn''t have those incredibly powerful atomic forces to resist the force resulting from the fabric of space being bent, allowing me to make a rune I would eventually call a ''warp rune'' that could create a relative vacuum of mana, and then use mana''s desire to expand and fill that less dense space as the main force pulling the mana up the tree. [2] However, just moving the mana upward wasn''t enough. I also needed a way to contain the mana so it wouldn''t escape into the lower-density mana outside the tree trunk, as well as a way to spread the mana to the outer rings of the rune in the Gods'' Abode. It was time to see if my contraption would work. -Well.. here goes nothing...- I was a little anxious, but as I removed the small pieces preventing the bottom runes from getting fuel, the whole thing instantly jolted to life and the entire place started gently vibrating with a hum. hhhhmmmm The next thing I knew, the flow of the ambient mana in the cavern shifted, and my worries about the pipe''s flow not being enough vanished. When it worked, it fucking worked. With a flow rate so immense it ripped through the mana strengthening in the tree trunk before rearranging it in a less restricting manner, the flow rate, even at the top of the tree was immense. "Haha..." -Holy shit...- With a slightly nervous laugh, a smile came across my face. It was really working. -I just need to head up to make sure it''s fueling the rune properly...- Vwoop With a bit of disbelief, I quickly jumped through the void, nearly instantly entering and exiting it, not even staying around long enough to look around. However, that instant was more than enough to send a spine-chilling fear through my body. Although I only caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of my eyes, for the instant I was in the void, I was being watched... From deep within the abyss, there were two massive, glowing eyes that stared at me. Vwoop By the time my gate above ground began dissipating, the excitement of my accomplishment had vanished in its entirety, and I found myself gently shivering with the warmth drained from my face. -W..what the fuck was that...- ----- [1] - This hasn''t explicitly been explained yet, to my knowledge, but once the warp stops, and the fabric is stationary in relation to the matter inside it, a constant, static centripetal force (gravity) is then applied to the matter, scaling exponentially with the curvature of the warp. [2] - Gravity from the warps is also helping the flow of mana, but to a much lesser extent than the other forces. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 372: A Sledgehammer Chapter 372: A Sledgehammer Early Afternoon - Early Spring : The Tree of Prayer | Siratha -----T/his chapter is updated by *Vwoop* Instantaneously exiting the void, my body felt cold and tense, with the excitement of my achievement dwindling into nonexistence. -W..what the fuck was that...- It was something staring at me from deep within the void with a predatory yet curious gaze.. but instead of calling it a creature, it felt more apt to call it the void itself. With no distinguishable features besides its huge, glowing purple eyes reminiscent of black holes, it felt more like a machination of my own exhausted mind than anything. A mere misinterpretation of blurry shapes at the edge of my vision. However, as I tried to forcefully ease my nerves, and the gate started dissipating... *WOOP* The beams of light shining into the gate suddenly vanished, and the gate was resealed. *VWOOM* In a fit of panic, a colossal mass of mana exploded out of me, instantly blowing the gate to pieces. But instead of seeing myself in front of the tree of prayer, I found myself once again listless floating in the void. At that moment, all conscious thought purged itself from my mind. I felt like a human who walked into a dragon''s den... Helpless... And weak... But as my panicked mind did everything it could to find the threat.. I found nothing. -W..what...- There were no eyes.. and there was no creature. It made me feel like an insane man fighting his hallucinations. -But that gate couldn''t have closed itself...- Continuing to look around, I started looking deeper and deeper into the void, trying to find anything that could resemble something like what I saw, but it did nothing except further cloud my mind with doubt. But that was when I saw it.. the faint silhouette of a colossal ''thing'' slowly winding through the void like a crocodile swimming through water. It had to be at least a few hundred thousand kilometers from me, almost invisible thanks to the color of its body, but at the same time, it was so large it made my mind go blank. With a long, dark body akin to a sea serpent, it had to be at least over ten thousand kilometers from head to tail. -I knew I wasn''t crazy...- Almost immediately, I recognized it as the thing that I caught a glimpse of... -But.. it doesn''t seem to know I''m here...- When I got dragged back into the void, I thought that it was the thing that somehow pulled me through, wanting to hunt or eat me, but instead.. it seemed to pay me no mind, as if it didn''t know I was there. -But if it wasn''t the thing to pull me through.. what was it?- I knew for certain such a phenomenon couldn''t happen on its own, but besides thoughtlessly throwing blame at the creature in front of me, I was at a loss. At least that was before one name came to mind. -Dagr...- "Tch..." Clicking my tongue, I snarled slightly. -He must have possessed Ilios again and sent me back...- But at the same time, I couldn''t understand why. The only moderately plausible reason I could think of was that he didn''t want me to see something in reality. -Because he definitely isn''t the type to throw his food to someone else...- But even though I had my doubts, I didn''t have a choice but to go with it... -Let''s just get out of here for now...- Looking back down toward the horrifyingly large creature still cruising through the void, I calculated where the Gods'' Abode would be and began forming the gate to return. *Vwoom* -I shouldn''t test my luck in here any longer...- However, just as the gate was completed, and I compressed it on myself to return to reality, my senses suddenly blurred, vision ceased, and all conscious thoughts were drowned in a sea of static. I was hit by something. -H..huh...- By the time my consciousness started returning, my senses had somewhat returned, and I not only felt myself being moved, but I felt my disfigured face being dragged over small grooves in the ground, trailing blood as my exposed, shattered skull tried to dig into the wooden floor. -I''m.. in the Tree of Prayer..?- I wasn''t dead.. even if it felt like it. From what I could tell, I was actually healing incredibly rapidly, with my mind becoming clearer with each passing moment. Continuing forward, all the way to the back wall of the church, I felt a hint of lethargy come over my mind before the wall opened up to let me through. Inside, there appeared to be nothing; a complete, indescribable darkness. But deep down, I knew there was a massive throne before me, with a woman sitting atop a grand throne. *Pat* Lethargically kneeling down, I lowered my head. "I am sorry, M-" "~Don''t be.~" She spoke bluntly in a fashion that sounded stressed. "~I am simply glad you are alive. However, you must explain what happened in detail...~" I tensed slightly as I tried to look up toward her. "Were you not.. looking through my eyes like you said." "~How could I...~" Her tone slowly warped with a mix of worry and fear. "~Had I used my tether connected to you, you would have died, and I wouldn''t have escaped harm either.~" I felt as if she leaned back and interlocked her fingers as she spoke. "~As much as it may seem that we own the world here in Voldukirk, none of us do. Not me.. not Freya.. and not Odin... We are simply living in the world left by its owners, like a rat in an abandoned tavern.~" Thinking it was perhaps the dragons, I looked up, but even though I saw nothing, I could physically feel a gaze piercing mine. "~It isn''t the dragons.. nor the thunderbirds... No.. they are more like children given permission to play in someone else''s field...~" "T..then..." "~You already met one of them... Even if he was in a new body, with a new mind...~" The image of the colossal, winged Fenrir instantly appeared in my mind. "Who- no... What.. is he..?" "~The one you met was the creator.. and the other half was the conqueror... Odin always says they were the ones to invade our world, but.. even if they were, we were naive to interfere with them...~" I felt my soul itself tense as she spoke. "~I know Elizabeth left already.. and she was right to... If you wish to follow after her once we finish talking, I will release you.~" Her voice slowly stiffened. "~However, if you wish to stay and work as my hands and feet, I would be forever grateful...~" A weight of responsibility unlike anything I had ever felt instantly came crashing down onto my shoulders. But instead of being crushed, my gaze became firm, and the slight trembling in my hands ceased. "Please use me as you wish, Master." ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 373: Crushed Beneath Questions Chapter 373: Crushed Beneath Questions Early Evening - Early Spring : The Scar ----- - Elizabeth Valia ~ *Crunch* *Crunch* *Crunch* The sound of powdery snow crunching beneath my feet echoed through the forest as I braced myself on a colossal tree and paused to scan a small valley-like divot ahead of me. "Hooh..." -This should be the place...- Idly glancing over my shoulder, I looked out through a gap in the trees to see the seemingly endless snowy forest covering the mountainside behind me like a blanket, stretching all the way down to the green fields on the horizon nearly a thousand kilometers away. It was a vista so indescribably beautiful that a painting couldn''t do it justice. But at that point, I couldn''t even appreciate it. -A warm bed would change my view on life right about now...- As things were, I was well over forty kilometers above sea level on a seemingly endless mountainside, trekking through a forest capable of hiding giants over a hundred meters tall with ease. Even compared to the other parts of the world, it felt alien.. and ethereal.. more than capable of contending for the title of the most beautiful place I had ever seen, but at the same time, it was unspeakably miserable. -I must have been hallucinating when I had a vision of a cabin in this place...- With temperatures so cold they''d freeze you solid the moment you gave it the chance, and air so thin it was nearly impossible to breathe, the conditions were beyond what could be described as uninhabitable. *Woosh* Even though I kept the wind off me with a thick wyvern hide blanket I made, I constantly needed magic to keep myself from freezing to death, and was forced to warm up the air before each breath so it wouldn''t freeze my esophagus. -It''s absurd that a place like this can even exist...- But as if that weren''t enough, I also had to deal with other, more apparent threats as well. *thump* *Puff-Crunch* Instantly crouching down into the snow and covering myself with light magic, I looked over the valley again to see a colossal, puffy white bird, at least thirty meters tall, clinging to the top of a gently swaying tree. -Shit...- It was a type of monster I had seen so many times that I gave them a name. -A Snow Whisper...-T/his chapter is updated by pared to wyverns, they weren''t actually all that strong or even durable, but they more than made up for that with their speed, brains, and stealth. Unlike wyverns, the only sound that could be used to identify a Snow Whisper from a distance was if you were lucky enough to hear them land on a tree before they spotted you. It made them feel like ghosts or hallucinations, and it made them far scarier than wyverns, to the point that I had to constantly be on edge, not sure whether I was being hunted or not at all times. -The worst part is if I make the first move and fail to kill it, it''ll wait for the perfect opening to attack...- Even if they had to stalk you for days to be presented with the opportunity. -It''s like being stalked by a mountain lion that never rests.. and has claws bigger than my whole body...- But it was indeed a beautiful creature, even if it was equally as horrifying. Keeping a close eye on it while holding my breath and suppressing my presence as much as possible, I waited for it to eventually take off and kick up a cloud of snow before letting out a breath of relief. "Phew..." It was honestly more nerve-wracking than staring into the eyes of a dragon. -Hopefully though, this will be the last encounter I have with those persistent bastards...- Quickly standing up again, not giving myself a moment to catch my breath, I pulled out the walking staff I made from a stick and several wyvern mana cores, and reactivated the runes engraved in it around my hand. *Vwoom* Almost immediately, the air around me warmed and became more breathable. "Hooh..." It was time for me to finish the last leg of my journey. Or at least.. the last leg of the first step... Finally continuing over the ridge and down into the small valley, I weaved through several more huge trees before eventually coming up to a small unusually circular clearing, identical to the one I saw during my vision when leaving the Thunderbird''s nest. But unlike in the vision I had, it was.. completely empty... -What..? This is the right place.. right?- Anxiously looking around, I checked for traces of any nearby monsters before cloaking myself with magic and walking straight out into the clearing. *Crunch* *Crunch* *Crunch* But my confusion only grew. -W..where is it..?- The more I looked, the more clear it became that it was the same clearing I saw in my vision, but there was no trace of a cabin. -Did it rot away?- Walking around the center of the clearing for a moment, I used several trees as landmarks to find exactly where the cabin should have been before lifting my staff to cast a spell to clear the snow and break the ground beneath me. -Maybe there will be something buried underground...- *Woooooom-PUFF* But instead of smashing a hole in the ground, a huge plume of pure snow blew up around me, and I fell several meters only to land on more of it. *Puff* H..Huh?! But I could no longer do that. Facing reality was impossible, like looking up into the night sky as a meteor hurtled toward the planet. Upon realizing the weight of my own existence, I simply couldn''t look fate in the face. As a cloud of uncertainty covered my sense of being, I couldn''t even think straight... *thump* Falling to my knees, my thoughts raced in every direction, tying knots that made it impossible for me to think, and forced a sensation of anxiety to embed itself in the deepest parts of my being. But as seconds turned into minutes and minutes turned into days, my mind slowly ran out of fuel, and found its way to an equilibrium. Sitting against the wall adjacent to the desk, I hopelessly held my knees close to my chest, looking around the room with dry eyes as the feeling of hunger alleviated the burden on my mind. It had been at least three days since I entered the cabin at that point, and I almost hadn''t moved at all, but after all the vague sensations and memories finished surfacing, my mind felt like it had become numb, as if coming to terms with everything. The life I was living on Delphi was not my first, and the possibility that my memories of Earth were planted there artificially was more real than ever. But I no longer had the energy to let that burden me. After coming to terms with my decision to accept lord Vasilias''s offer, I had no choice but to deal with the crushing pain of endless unanswered questions and take the next step, as it was the only thing that could bring my mind solace. But the next step was to open the diary. I was still afraid.. so much so that I could feel my soul.. the very essence of my being ache... But I didn''t have a choice... *Pat-brush* Finally standing up with some lethargy, I anxiously reached out and detached the chair from the floor, pulling it out from under the desk and sitting down in it. *Pat* The cushion was as hard as a rock, but my mind was in such chaos that I didnt even notice. "Hooh..." But as I let out a deep, foggy breath and finally reached out and touched the book, the chaos in my mind went silent, and as I opened the cover, a string of words on the page echoed through my mind like an empty, endless tunnel. "This diary is under the protection of the Holy Kingdom. Possession by anyone other than the eyes of the dearest, Elizabeth Valia will result in execution. May this diary serve as her recount of heroism, and bravery. To etch her noble name into the endless history of this world." ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 374: Death Chapter 374: Death Mid Morning - Late Spring : The Tree of Prayer | Siratha ----- "Nnngh..." Opening my eyes with a groan, a splitting pain ripped through my head, blurring my vision as I struggled to get up off my side. -Fuck...- It had been well over a month since the incident at that point, and while I had been awake for several weeks and had spent every waking moment focusing on healing, I wasn''t any better off. *Vwoom* "Ack..." Gritting my teeth through the pain, I forced myself onto my belly and used as little aura as I could to carve away sections of scarred flesh around my head, snout, and neck before roughly cleaning the opened wounds and rolling back onto my side to try and go back to sleep. *Pat* "Haah..." -I don''t know how, but it looks like I''ll somehow make a full recovery...- Just a few weeks prior, my face was so mangled that I wasn''t sure how I was alive, or if healing was even a possibility, but thankfully with Ilios''s tender care and the.. aggressive ''measures'' I took upon myself, I managed to straighten out my shattered snout, reposition the scattered chunks of my jaw, and move the teeth scattered around the inside of my skull back to my mouth... But my appearance and scarring were quite literally the least of my worries. Considering the absurd amount of damage I took externally, I was certain the inside was just as fucked. And the constant, excruciating pain I felt didn''t help that hypothesis. "Agh- FUCK!" It felt like my brain was destroying itself, similar to whenever I pushed it beyond its limit with my aura, but immeasurably worse. It was actually so bad that I could only take control of a few meters of aura before my control simply scattered. -I don''t even want to try reading it outside my body...- My chest ached at the thought that the damage could be permanent, but as I closed my eyes and tried my best to ignore my anxiety and fall back asleep, Ilios walked up and began cuddling next to my still-bleeding head. *puff-pat* He had been extremely cuddly since the incident, almost never leaving my side for more that a few minutes at a time, and tending to my wounds as much as he could. He was also who I suspected dragged me over the rune in the Gods'' Abode right after I returned from the void. But there were also some behaviors I couldn''t help but find odd. Opening my eyes just enough to see his figure, I found him laying down on his belly, resting but on alert, with his sharp, unwavering gaze aimed at a melon-sized black orb on the ground several hundred meters away. It was an object that seemed to appear while I was working on the Tree of Prayer''s rune, an anomaly looking almost identical to a god''s cell or space mana artifact. However, after a few weeks of thinking about what it could be, instead of following my initial thoughts, I concluded that it was what hit me when I was returning from the void. -It''s black like divinity.. and while I haven''t tested it, it''s likely possible that divinity can pass through the shell of a gate without breaking it...- It was also a perfect match for the damage I saw to my face, acting like a supersized cannon ball that completely shredded the smaller strands of divinity in my snout and dented the huge wall of it that I had crystallized in my skull to block it. -It sucks that I ended up burning all the divinity I was accumulating for Father.. but it saved my life...- So I had no room to complain. After all, divinity was replaceable, even if it would take time. Eventually closing my eyes again, I did everything in my power to force myself to sleep through the pain while guiding the liquid divinity I was accumulating from the rune to my snout, working like metal wires to hold everything together while it all healed. It was the same routine I had used for the last month. -Thank the heavens for the divinity from the rune here...- But this time, as I finally began drifting off, I was abruptly woken up by the tree vibrating, starting subtle and growing stronger with every passing moment. -Uh oh...- Quickly waking up, my expression darkened. -Please don''t tell me the runes I made are breaking...- I wanted to cry. *Fwip* My surroundings instantly blurred as I lost touch with the ground and slammed into the wall so hard I could no longer feel my body. *THWAAACK* -F..fuck...- I couldn''t move at all, even as I helplessly fell to the ground. *THUMP* I was paralyzed. "If you wish to waste more time, do it in your next life." Walking up to me, Dagr''s demeanor slowly heated and his voice was laced with bitterness. "You should be thankful I even gave you time to say farewell to your family. Be proud that you even had the opportunity to live this life..." *Pat* Setting his paw over my reserve, he looked straight into my soul. "If it weren''t for my brother, you wouldn''t be here..." But instead of fearing death as the pressure of his paw started increasing, a string of words suddenly surfaced from my soul. "Why would I let you have this body, Dagr." His gaze instantly sharpened upon hearing the slightly different tone in my voice. "You dare..." *Crack* Gripping my limbs with my aura, I forced myself up once more, ripping countless muscles and snapping tendons without care. "This body is mine and mine alone. I don''t believe I recall agreeing to give it to you." A wave of memories flooded my mind as my physical consciousness started to blur. "What I recall is saying I would have my successor build you a new body. Since when did that mean I would give it to you." Dagr''s anger only compounded. "FROM THE MOMENT THAT MORTAL CONSUMED YOU, CREATING A BODY FROM NOTHING WAS NO LONGER AN OPTION!" "Greedy bastard..." My voice, resorting to the brainpower of my subconscious to relay the voice from my soul, spoke coldly as my body started to crumble. "I am a creator. In my prime, I could create worlds, and through my reincarnation, I have only further expanded my understanding of existence." "But you said you were to be the one that consumed those mortals'' knowledge! Not letting them consume yours!" "You seem to misunderstand." The air around us began crystallizing as we both looked into each other''s eyes. "We are not separate, and no one consumed another." My voice echoed through the tree with a cold, chilling anger woven into it. "When our souls reached the crossroads of existence, we all stepped forward as one to form anew. I am not the human from Earth, I am not the ''god'' of the dragons, and I am not the Ancient Fenrir that was your brother." Lifting my head up over him, confidence wove itself into my gaze. "I am a new being, once again growing as I once had. But this time, I won''t stop because of your greed, and let my world get destroyed because of it." *Snap* The instant I finished, my head spun upside down, my spinal cord sheared, and my vision along with my other senses completely vanished. *Thump* In an instant, I found myself listlessly floating in an infinite, perfectly empty space, with only my consciousness to keep me company... I was in limbo, the realm of the dead.. waiting to be reincarnated. ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 375: Rebirth Chapter 375: Rebirth Here is the correct chapter. PLEASE, if you read chap 379 on accident, forget everything about it... This arc is EXTREMELY important and that chap being released because of RR being buggy ruins it, so please try to forget about whatever you read in that chapter Unknown Time - Late Spring : The Scar ----- - Chrysi Floga ~ "Have you heard about what happened in Siratha?" "Hm?" Looking over at Chamrosh as I gathered my supplies, I tilted my head. "I haven''t. I didn''t even know you guys had a way to hear the happenings of the outside world." Gently opening one of my large bags with his claw, he started filling it with general supplies, such as food, water, and potions. "It''s the network I told you about a few weeks ago. We finally set it up and recently started receiving news from Siratha. Supposedly our Lord did something quite grand." "Hoh?" -What did he do?- I paused what I was doing as he spoke. "For some context, our Lord recently made a summons for there to be a Prayer outside the sixteen-year cycle, but the apostles were having issues preparing for it because of the amount of mana seeping out of the ground around the Tree of Prayer. Supposedly, a few weeks prior, people saw the Lord tunnel underground and, shortly after, felt some huge surge of mana that nearly killed a few people. To me and many others in the nest, it sounds like he made a ''mana well''." -Huh?- "Those are real?" Although I may have sounded skeptical, there wasn''t an ounce of doubt in my mind. -I wonder how he did it...- Returning to packing my things, my mind started wandering. "Has there been any news about why he did it yet?" "None." He immediately shrugged his wings. "The only tidbit of information we know is that it''s fueling the reincarnation rune without the need for the prayers of the Sirathan people, but we don''t really know what the implications of that are just yet. None of the apostles have said anything about it." -I guess that''s to be expected...- Keeping hush about the actions of your god was common sense, after all. -But for him to fuel the reincarnation rune like that for the first time in history... Why does it feel so.. ominous...- The reincarnation rune was something I, like most other dragons, initially heard of through old tales, myths, and legends relating to the world''s initial conception. It was an important thing, not just to those worshipping the Ancient Fenrir, but to draconic culture as a whole. In Bahamut, we were formally taught in school that the rune was responsible for rebirth, assisting the souls of those who have passed into the afterlife with detaching themselves from their lives, their memories, and their lingering regrets to move on and start anew. -But.. for him to forcefully turn it on without the need of peoples'' prayers...- While a part of me wondered how he did it, another felt the air around the topic turn heavy whenever I gave it thought, as if it was something better left to ignorance. -I should just try and change the subject...- Eventually shifting gears and moving on, we got my things packed and finally equipped the thick vest holding my bags across my back before giving Chamrosh and a few others a quick farewell and heading into the tunnel toward the neighboring cavern. It had been several weeks since Lord Vasilias left the nest at that point, and the whole time, I had been exploring the cave systems connected to the tiny cavern he pointed me to, nearly without rest. As it turned out, the small cavern was connected to an absolutely massive array of caves stretching for dozens or even hundreds of kilometers in every direction. After taking about a week for each expedition, I had covered thousands upon thousands of kilometers of tunnels, but at the same time, I felt like I barely even made a dent into what I needed to explore. The caves honestly just felt endless. But thankfully, the trips weren''t all boring. On several of my previous expeditions, I had actually made multiple fascinating discoveries, from a silvery-white metal that sparked and exploded when clumped together, to an alien forest that was lit by the light of towering, glowing mushrooms. As things were, even if I didn''t find anything related to the phoenix, I was at least looking forward to what other new things I would find. However, as I trekked deeper and deeper, my excitement took a shift. After just a few days of creeping through tiny caves, barely big enough for me to walk through, I found a path that was almost completely straight, lacking the typical curves and bends I had come to expect from natural caves. -It''s abnormally horizontal too...- For a while, I didn''t let it get me excited, after all, the odds that it was nothing were quite high. However, after a couple of days of traveling, the air started turning dry and began warming up to the point that I had to drink a heat resistance potion to stay comfortable. -It looks like the walls of the cave are getting smoother too...- Eventually, it felt like I was walking through a dungeon, with a level of mana and heat unlike anything I had come across until that point. -Even the previous magma lakes I came across weren''t this hot...- *Blub-Blub* *Plop-Tap* Taking careful steps across a shallow puddle of magma, my mind and heart started accelerating. -I''m getting close to something...- With the heat only growing as I trekked forward, my body filled with adrenaline, until eventually, the cave opened up to an unbelievably massive cavern, so large I couldn''t see the other side even with the blinding glow of molten rock. -Woah...- It was simply an ocean of molten rock, so endless it seemed to form a horizon. -I need to be careful though...- Heeding Lord Vasilias''s warnings, I strained myself to try and check how deep it was with my aura before deciding to jump in, however, with just a glance over the surface of the magma, I could see that the ridiculously powerful currents pushing and pulling magma off the surface were just waiting to suck me under. -I might really die if I fall in here...- But thankfully, I had another option in that cavern. Quickly pulling out and chomping on a few more potions, I wasted no time leaping out of the cave and flapping my wings as hard and fast as possible to stay in the air. *FWOOSH-FWOOSH-FWOOSH* Eventually getting some altitude, I could only let out a stressed breath. "Hooh..." -The air in here is so thin it''s hard to fly...- But thankfully there was no need to worry about accidentally damaging anything, so I could freely use wind magic I normally couldn''t. -Now.. I just need to search this unbelievably massive place...- Considering the curvature of the wall, it was at least six or seven hundred kilometers wide, meaning even if I extended my expedition, I likely wouldn''t be able to search the whole thing.Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com But my gut told me I wouldn''t need to. Following my instincts, I went straight for the middle of the cavern, and after flying for what felt like an eternity, found an area where the magma dipped down, as if it was being pulled on something from below. -Huh?- It certainly wasn''t a phoenix, but as I passed over it, I spotted a rather a small, glowing orange string sticking through the surface of the magma. -What is that?- Unable to stop and land, I circled back around and glided just over the surface of the magma, reaching out and plucking the string as I passed over it. *Blub* But while I wasn''t sure what to expect, as I looked down at it, I could only tilt my head. It was a bundle of fuzz, radiating so much heat it made my claws glow. -Woah... Is this the source of the heat in the cavern?- As I started holding it with my aura so my claw wouldn''t melt, my thoughts raced to figure out what it was. -Is it a flower.. or maybe a coral?- I wanted to rush over, but.. before I could move, I fell to my knees, unable to scratch the sight of his broken neck and bleeding legs from my mind. -H..how.. could this be...- Like a sand castle being hit by a wave, my mind was helplessly plunged into ruin. The being I devoted my entire existence to.. the being I served with every ounce of my flesh and blood.. was dead... -This.. can''t be...- After a moment, my anxious and sadness seemed to fade, but my expression hadn''t changed in the slightest. I was simply lost... Drowning in a river of despair... Even as the prayer eventually concluded, there was simply nothing I could do. I couldn''t shed a tear no matter how badly I wanted to cry.. and I couldn''t distract myself from the image that had engraved itself into the core of my being. From that moment, time became a blur. Lady Zachari and Lady Asimi came to visit in order to see me and check on the Lord and his Father.. but I couldn''t muster the courage to let them see me... My mind was simply.. ruined. Unable to do paperwork, the only person who I allowed to see me was Liv Sigmond, the apostle I took as my apprentice. But even she.. after visiting the Gods'' Abode, was forever changed. Before long, rumors began spreading that something happened to the Lord during the prayer with concerns stemming from the way we were acting, but even as months started ticking by, we hadn''t even made an appearance to the public. Every single day, I wanted to go up and check on him.. to try and give myself some hope.. but at the same time, I didn''t want that last string of hope I had to snap... With my sanity hanging on by an indescribably thin thread, all I could muster was to hide behind a veil of ignorance... However, one evening, as I was sitting in my dark office blankly staring at the mound of paperwork that had piled up, I got up from my desk and opened the curtains, letting a beam of moonlight strike my face for the first time in six months. But it didn''t feel warm at all... My skin was pale and cold, and my expression was just as emotionless. -Is it really okay.. for me to continue clinging to such a delicate string of hope like this..?- After months of falling deeper and deeper into despair, Siratha was at its limit. Even with my subordinates running most of the country without me, if I wanted to keep the country from crumbling, I had to finally face reality... -I''m going to head up the Tree of Prayer...- Just thinking about it made my heart ache, but as the following day came and went, and nightfall returned, I slowly started coming to terms with it. *Pat* *Pat* *Pat* Slowly walking on the grass around the base of the tree, I looked up the towering tree trunk, easily able to see the entrance to the Gods'' Abode from the ground, with a calm heart. -It''s finally time...- *Thump* Carefully hopping up onto one of the towering tree roots, I started from a walk and slowly built up speed before zipping up the side of the tree, doing everything I could to prepare myself for whatever reality I would have to face.. even if I didn''t feel ready for it. However, the moment I was about to enter the abode, the voice of a being I had never heard rang through my head. "~Leave.~" *Vwoop* Almost instantaneously, my surroundings changed and I found myself back on the ground. -H..huh?!- The voice was that of a god.. but it was one I had never heard before, and was one laced with hostility. It made my mind snap instantly. -You.. you''re the one who killed him...- With the life behind my eyes fading, I used every ounce of strength I had, to bolt up the side of the tree while releasing a bloodlust so thick I left a trail in the air. *VWOOM-CRACK* However, before I could even get halfway, a presence appeared, the air trembled, and the moonlight shining through the canopy warped. *VWOOOOOM* "Ack-!" Before I could even react, my mind felt like it was splitting, and the very core of my being trembled from fear, as if my soul was on the verge of ripping itself apart. It was a presence so immense that my mind had to numb itself to the point I couldn''t think, and so heavy it caused the night sky to descend beneath the Tree of Prayer''s canopy. The presence of a being leagues above Lord Nott, announcing itself to the world as if returning for the first time in eons. A warning to the world that it had returned, this time not as a mortal, but as a god. A message that was felt by every being on the planet, no matter how strong or weak, near or far they happened to be. It was a moment of realization for every being around the world... The descent of a god... The descent of a king. ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 376: For the Sake of Survival Chapter 376: For the Sake of Survival Time and Location Invalid Error D?D??=??ҡ?????????D?D? ----- Limbo. A realm of nothingness. A prison that traps your consciousness in the deepest reaches of your soul in a desperate attempt to preserve who you are. It was a realm that only existed in one''s mind, was only accessible through death, and was only escapable through reincarnation. It was the highway between lives. However, while I listlessly existed in that realm with nothing but my deepest subconscious to keep me company, I was calm. -How many times have I been here...- As a wave of familiar memories endlessly flooded into my mind, I closed my eyes and attempted to focus on them. But before I had that opportunity, I felt a cool, crisp breeze blow across my face, and with it, a smile surfaced. *Woosh* *inhale* "Haah..." Taking a deep breath of the fresh, scented air, a monstrous wave of nostalgia washed through my consciousness, and I comfortably opened my eyes. I was in the middle of a field of multicolored flowers, beneath an endless, unfamiliar night sky populated by countless nebulas and nearby galaxies. -What a beautiful sky...- Gently sitting down as I looked up into the stars, I found myself in a shrunken, white-furred version of my fenririan form, only two meters tall, with rounded features and nubs for horns as if I were a child. But rather than startle me, it made me comfortable. "There you are! How many times have I told you to not come out here alone?!" Hearing the voice of a woman speaking a language I hadn''t heard in millennia, I gently looked over my shoulder to find a normal, white Fenrir at least thirty times my height looking down at me. It was a being with no face, but I recognized it instantly. "Mom, do you ever look up into the stars and wonder what''s out there?" Looking back up into the sky, I smiled, letting myself fall into a trance. "Haha," Her laugh was clear and warm. "Of course not, sweetie." Gently lowering herself next to me, she nudged her nose into my side. "Haven''t I told you, I already know everything that''s out there!" She spoke with confidence, but at the same time, it was a line that made my smile fade. "R..right..." Knowing what was coming, I closed my eyes and lowered my head. *crackle* Almost instantly, the faint crackle of a fire met my ears, a wave of heat blew over me, and the scent of burning flesh flooded my nostrils. Eventually opening my eyes, I found myself in a field of fire, now in a body that had matured immensely, with the mutilated body of my mother laying at my feet. No matter how many times I experienced it, I couldn''t get used to it. Looking back over my shoulder, I found a white fenrir, only slightly smaller than me, staring past me with a look of despair painted on his face. "You.. WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Bolting up to me, his jaws clamped onto my leg, immediately fracturing it. But I let it happen. "Nothing... I did nothing..." Biting even harder, I felt his teeth cutting through my flesh as tears streamed down his face. "Stop... If you don''t control your aura we''ll be next." Looking up into the dark night sky, I found myself peering into an endless abyss devoid of stars. But that was when a sudden growing ring of light appeared, starting from the center of the sky, before expanding over every horizon in a matter of seconds. It was a ship so large it could disrupt planetary orbits, and so powerful it could effortlessly split planets in half. Its presence alone was enough to ruin worlds. However, while they were our enemy.. we weren''t theirs... We were simply an obstacle in the direction they were running. *Zip-CRRRRAACCKK* A deafening shockwave blew over us as the ground turned molten and a line was drawn through the ''sky''. *FLASH* Everything was instantly washed in a sea of light as I lowered my head and tried to block out all sound. But it did nothing. *CRACK-BRRRRRMMM* As a heat wave so intense it burnt off my fur blasted over us, all I could do was grasp my aching heart. "KIDS, WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE?!" Father''s voice pierced the deafening mixture of sounds with ease. "I''LL BUY SOME TIME, SO GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" As the visualization of his body melting away filled my mind, I could only cringe, desperately wanting it to end. But the more I studied, the less hopeful I became... Space mana devoured everything, and the only way to keep it away was with more space mana. Even with a perfect mana shield, it would still seep through, squeezing through unfathomably tiny crevices, not between imperfections, but between particles of mana. My only solution was to emit so much space mana that it pushed the rest away, effectively shielding me. -But I must have complete control over it for it to work...- However, that was something far easier said than done. Even with the most efficient space rune I could craft, I simply couldn''t control the space mana it emitted. It was like an intangible cloud I could only control in clumps, forcing myself to rely on the control of runes rather than my own mind. But there was only one thing I could do to change that. -I need to make myself an attribute node...- Not artificially, but through the study and manipulation of my genetics. Using runes wasn''t enough to make the mana ''mine'', so I had to take extreme measures, using the void to damage myself so I could alter my own genetics, destroying and reforming my reserve dozens of times to shred my organs, and begin sculpting a new body in its place, modifying more than just the genetics related to my attribute node. But none of it was enough. No matter how much I destroyed my body, the attribute node I wanted my body to create wouldn''t appear. I needed something more... I needed to evolve... It was a concept familiar to many creatures on my old planet, where they would hibernate in order for their body to repeatedly destroy itself, and reconstruct everything. But we, as fenrir, didn''t have that, so I had to take to more extreme measures. "Dagr, I need to die." Looking him in the eyes as I interrupted his training, his expression darkened. "Have you given up?" I gently shook my head. "I need to evolve, and in order to do that, I need you to kill me." His bitter expression did nothing but darken the longer we stood there. "Find an alternative then, I''m not going to kill-" "Brother." My voice and gaze firmed in an instant. "I have already tried every alternative... We only have a hundred years before we go careening into the Abyss Eater''s territory. We don''t have time to find alternate routes." "But.. what if you don''t-" "I have everything set up, I just need to die." Glancing over my shoulder, I looked back toward the cloud that had formed on the horizon, over a rune the size of a continent. "That rune gathers mana and souls, I made it using the rune of reincarnation Dad showed us when we were young as a reference..." Turning back to him, I saw him staring at the horizon with wide eyes. "If my theories are right. I can reincarnate myself, and the genetic imprint on my soul will reconstruct my body." There was a long silence as his expression morphed between awe, despair, and anger. But eventually, he grit his teeth. "If this is your twisted way of abandoning me, I will never forgive you..." Finally standing up, I turned around to look at the cloud on the horizon. "What do you think I''ve done for the last two thousand years?" Walking ahead, my calculative expression lit up slightly. "Have some faith in me this time." But while I said that.. the pain of getting your skull caved in by your only family and companion, hurt worse than anything I had ever experienced, and for him, the pain was only multiplied. It was for the sake of our survival, but to this day, even in memory, that pain lingers. But the worst part was.. it was only the beginning... ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 377: The Day the World Trembled Chapter 377: The Day the World Trembled Time and Location Invalid Error D?D??=??ҡ?????????D?D? ----- One. Two. Three. Four. ''What is death?'' Five. Six. Seven. Eight. ''Is it your body ceasing function?'' Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve. ''Or is it your soul losing its connection to your body? If that''s the case then what is that connection? How do I ensure that connection doesn''t break? Is the connection maintained by me experiencing these memories?'' Every time my brain and body were obliterated, and I was forced to relive the same series of horrible memories, I asked those questions. I was in limbo: an eternally echoing torture chamber, a state of consciousness where the soul replayed the most deep-seated memories of one''s life, the things that were carved into the core of one''s soul. Perhaps for some, the memories would all be bright, and limbo would feel like heaven, but for me, it was hell... Every time I died, the same memories would haunt me, and no matter how many times I relived them, they would hurt just as much as they did the first time, all those years ago. But while it was an endless hell that looped with every reincarnation, the more I experienced it, the more I understood. The memories I continually relived were my soul''s attempt to record the most defining moments of my life into its core, to preserve them through my reincarnation. That process, however, wasn''t as simple as moving data around. -Because I kept reincarnating myself into the same body, my soul core strengthened itself in layers...- And because I always revived atop a reincarnation rune, other souls being cleansed in the rune viewed my body as something to reincarnate into, like a hatchling in an egg, they funneled straight into it, only to get absorbed. Over time, it made my soul so strong that I could physically sense the connection I had with my body, and eventually even control mana in reality while I was still in limbo. At first, that control was quite useless, as without a reserve, the volume of mana I had control of was next to nothing, but the more I died, the more control I gained, eventually using that minuscule control to guide my body''s regeneration, and consequently adjust the genetic imprint that had been carved into my soul. But even then it wasn''t easy. However, after a hundred years of constant reincarnations and self-experimentation, I did it. *Vwoom* Finally waking up on the lunar surface, I found that my fur had turned black, my eyes had turned purple, and a glowing purple energy flowed out from beneath my fur. It was space mana. The building block of reality, and the most basic particle of mana. I didn''t have the pleasure of giving it much thought though. "IT TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH TO WAKE UP!" Dagr yelled in a complete and utter panic from close to five hundred kilometers away. And as I looked up, I understood why. There was no night sky, but this time, while it was endlessly dark, I could somehow see everything. Looming over our heads was an endless mass of tiny tendrils that were woven together to form planet-sized tentacles lined with teeth that mimiced the body of something between a starfish and an octopus. It was an abyss eater. The same that devoured my home. But as I looked up into it''s mouth completely filled with squirming tentacles, instead of fear, I felt simple disgust. -How does a creature like this even come into existence...- "What are you standing in a daze for?!" Dagr quickly came up and used his aura to force me to look at him. "We need to get the hell out of here now!" But I disagreed. "I need to verify that everything will work before we can leave. Don''t stress it, we still have at least a month." The issue was, that month passed in the literal blink of an eye. *Vwoop* *CRRRRRUNCH* The first thing I remember when coming out of the void several weeks later was watching a web of tendrils the size of mountains swipe through the lunar surface like it was made of sand, while Dagr darted around, struggling to dodge them all. "DAGR, HURRY! WE DON''T HAVE TIME!" Even though I had a month to simply verify my theories, I had run into more problems than solutions. -But it''ll have to be enough...- Although it was his will, to ensure he was never lonely again, as his memories mixed with mine I felt my stomach churn. He was the closest thing I had to a true friend, and even though I didn''t agree with the way he handled managing the dragons, I could understand why. -He hated violence more than anyone...- To him, loneliness was scarier than anything else. If there was something he could do to preserve life, he would do it. -Even if it meant going against the desires of his race.. and throwing his life away...- Although I couldn''t remember how his death came about, my blood boiled at the thought of it. However, before that rage could settle, I was interrupted by a new set of memories being added to the mix. *Vwoom* This time, it was from the perspective of a seemingly ordinary human on Earth, with their distant, fuzzy memories suddenly regaining some clarity, reminding me of the times I spent as a child in that lifetime, growing up with the same fascinations I had when I was Nott.. the endless fascinations of explaining how the universe works. But unlike my life as Nott, I wasn''t blinded by magic and mana. Through that lifetime, I explored the ever-expanding realms of science without limit, slowly piecing together the other half of the universe''s foundation. That was the human I chose to use as my soul''s foundation, the basis of my mind in the next lifetime, and the lens I would choose to view the world through. With memories of science and technology, combined with my lives as Bahamut, and Nott, I was to be reborn under the name Vasilias Ragnarok. A new being, separate from those that combined to make it; a new mind, a new body, and a new soul, now as one. It was the realization of who I was. I wasn''t any single person, nor was I only their combination. I was something entirely new. My memories weren''t someone else''s, nor were my genetics. They were all mine and mine alone. And upon having that realization, the fog in my consciousness finally cleared. Who I was, why I existed, and how I came to be were no longer questions that dwelled on my mind like a dense fog, clouding the rest of my thoughts. Now, everything was suddenly clear. Excruciatingly so. As the memories of my life as Vasilias finally started playing before my eyes, I felt my mind finally falling into a mold, morphing and blending before settling with a mix of determination and curiosity. It was time for me to return to the life I began, this time as the being I was meant to be. A god... A monster... A king... And that was the moment I finally opened my eyes and made my announcement, not to the world, but to the universe itself. *VWOOOOOMMMMM* ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 378: Loss of Self Chapter 378: Loss of Self Sorry for the delay! Join the discord if you wish to receive updates on delays and notices on uploads!!! Link: discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v Mid Evening - Late Fall : The Tree of Prayer | Valtivar -----Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com *Woooosh* A steady breeze blew through the forest that evening. With the moon hung high, and streets lit by the warm glow of lamps and the sounds of activity, it was a day like any other to the people of Valtivar. With people traveling to and from work, spending time with their family, or idly chatting about the latest news over drinks in the tavern, there was nothing unique about that day for most. However, there was something about the air that evening... It just felt.. thick... *Vwoop* Then, in the smallest instant one could fathom, a being''s eyes snapped open.. and the sky fell... *VWOOOOOMMMMM-RRRRMMMM* *tap* *tap* Firmly standing up with so much aura emitting from my body it caused the air to vibrate, I spread my weight out on the area around the Tree of Prayer, and laid my eyes on a comparably tiny white fenrir standing before me. "Brother..." I hung my head as I spoke from my chest. "I''m surprised you waited..." My gaze was dull, but his was sharp. "I just wanted to see my brother one last time.. but it seems he isn''t here..." His expression was dark and his tone laced with poison. "Is it just that your mind is clouded by jealousy? Greed? Or is that truly what you believe?" I paused as I looked through his eyes and into the colossal, surging soul possessing Ilios''s body. "If Mother were here-" "You keep her name out of your fucking mouth..." His pupils dilated as he grit his teeth. But my gaze only darkened with detest. "As if you even remember it." *ZIP-Blink* Instantly disappearing from where he was, he solidified a block of divinity around his paw and slammed it into the side of my snout. *Crack-WHAAAAMM* But as indirect moonlight seeped through the canopy and lit the Gods'' Abode, it only revealed my face slightly turned to the side with my gaze locked on Dagr. "You''re just as miserable as you were back then..." *Thwap* A faint sound instantly rippled through the mana-dense air before he suddenly vanished again, this time plowing through the edge of the Gods'' Abode before zipping to the ground as a streak of light. *CRRRRAAACKKK-WHHAAAAMMMM* He hit the ground like a meteor, kicking up a wave of molten rock as colossal, building-sized wooden splinters rained down on the surrounding forest. It was a hit even he, after strengthening Ilios''s body to its limit with his own divinity, couldn''t handle. By the time he started standing up, I was already looming over him. "Dagr.. do you know why I chose a human? Lowering my head toward him, I spoke with an annoyed growl. It was because I needed to change the lens I looked at the universe through. In order to grow, I needed to go back to square one, and rebuild everything from nothing." His expression tightened as he forced himself up onto broken legs. "But look at me now." Lifting myself up with a mocking confidence, I held my fenririan head nearly eighty meters over him, spread my wings, and touted the two sets of dragon horns on my head. "I am a new type of being with infinitely more room to grow! I chose a dragon''s body so I could evolve, a human''s mind to rid myself of a worldview tainted by mana, and fenririan blood to fuel my growth.. and now look at me." His expression warped with anger and jealousy. "I made the same progress that took us twenty millennia, in a measly twenty-four years." "You only did it that fast because you had my help..." He spoke with a rasp. But as I relaxed my posture, I gave him a look of disgust. "The only things I needed were the Acardi artifact and time. At worst, I would have taken five hundred years to reach this point." Lowering my snout next to him, my gaze sharpened. "Meanwhile, what have you done?" It was tiny.. even smaller than the likes of Hera, and given his age it was even worse. However, that didn''t surprise me at all... It was all because of our blood. The type of fenrir we were weren''t creatures meant to evolve. With an unlimited life span from birth, we had no spark for evolution outside of essentially being killed, so it caused our souls to not grow with our bodies, and make evolution harder the longer we lived. Creatures like dragons on the other hand, who were forced to evolve every so often, cultivated much stronger souls because of their dragon sleeps, acting like small-scale self-reincarnations every time they happened. It was a major weakness of our race and one of the main reasons I stepped away from it and chose to become a dragon. -I just hope that tiny core has enough of his memories logged for him to find his sense of self again...- It was risky, but there was no other option... "Good luck, brother..." I spoke somewhat softly, knowing he could no longer hear me. "I will pray you rediscover who you are..." Lowering my head and injecting some of my own mana into the runes as a method of prayer, I eventually turned around and looked at the gate holding Ilios''s body. -Now for the sweet child who got caught in our quarrel...- *Vwoop* Jumping through the void again, I moved into the Gods'' Abode before opening the gate and laying his heavily damaged body on the center of the reincarnation rune. His body was completely beyond repair, and his soul was so weak it wouldn''t survive reincarnation... -If I leave him be, his soul will end up being eaten by one of the souls being cleaned and reentering the reincarnation cycle through the Tree of Prayer...- But there was no chance I was going to leave him be. Sitting down next to him, I used my aura to grab the orb of divinity that the bastard in the void hit me with and moved it over to Ilios. Almost immediately, his tail started happily thumping against the ground and he reached out to grab it with his broken paws before pulling it into his chest as if thinking it were a toy. But before he could even realize that wasn''t the case, the countless strings of divinity in the sphere''s shell started moving like countless slithering snakes before breaking down from under the monstrous beam of mana, divinity, and souls from the reincarnation rune, and flowing into his chest. As if being put to sleep, a wave of drowsiness instantly started washing over him. But I need you to stay awake, okay? Gently nudging him, with my snout, his tail started thumping the ground once more. But I didnt have time to think about anything happening around me. -It''s time for me to try and make an elixir...- *Snap* ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Art: Vasiliass New Humanoid Form! Art: Vasilias''s New Humanoid Form! At long last, Vasilias''s Humanoid form has some art done of it! More art is coming as well, join the Patreon if you wish to see all the WIP''s! Patreon: /TDOD Chapter 379: The First Step Chapter 379: The First Step Mid Evening - Late Fall : The Tree of Prayer | Valtivar ----- *Snap* The crisp snap of my horn echoed through the Gods'' Abode as I pulled it down in front of me and liquified it, removing its impurities before strengthening it all with mana until it became viscous, similar to the elixir I gave to Leif. -Whoever figured out how to make an elixir like this needs to be hailed...- The way it worked was pretty simple, essentially just using a mix of conflicting mana attributes to destroy someone''s insides and push them to the brink of death, then implant someone else''s genetics as the foundation for healing. It was a method that made it so you could create a hybrid between species as long as they shared common genetic templates, or in other words, were breedable. -But the more similar the two beings are genetically, the worse the affinity with the elixir gets...- Meaning Ilios''s affinity with my elixir would be terrible. -But I''m not using it to change him... I''m using it to save him...- *thump-thump-thump-thump* Happily thumping his tail against the ground Ilios never once pulled his loving gaze off me, as if wanting my face to be the last thing he saw. -But I''m not gonna let you die, buddy...- Hastily finishing the elixir, I lowered my snout down to him and gently pressed it into his side. "Ilios.. this is going to really hurt, but I need you to stick with me, okay?" Moving the sphere of elixir in front of his snout, I anxiously held it there. Even though I was confident he would survive if he took it.. the odds weren''t guaranteed. But in my moment of hesitation, he pried it out of my aura and threw it into his stomach. "Gulp-" By the time I noticed, his gaze was soft, and he wore a satisfied expression. He had accepted that the elixir could be the end... But it only lasted a moment. *VWOO-CRACKLE* With his eyes instantly shooting open, his body tensed and spasmed as if falling into a seizure, and I had no choice but to sever his spinal cord. -His body is sending too many signals to his brain...- Unlike with Leif, he wasn''t instantly knocked unconscious, so his mind actively tried to sort and respond to the countless messages coming from the rest of his body as it panicked, instead of ignoring it all to preserve itself. -If I can just keep his mind alive.. he can make it... But...- Looking down as his mind and expression finally eased, a wave of lethargy seemed to wash over him, but he fought it with every fiber of his being. *Pat* Gently pressing my wet snout into his cheek, I closed my eyes and spoke softly with my divinity... "~Just take a nap for me, okay? I''ll be here when you wake up.. I promise...~" Pausing, as if to think, he stared into my chest for a moment before his lips gently curled and his head rolled onto its side. He laid his faith on my shoulders. And I wasn''t going to fail him. Over the course of the next several days, I closely monitored everything his body was doing and guided it however I could, from aiding the growth of healthy cells to culling cancerous ones the moment they appeared. No matter what, I wasn''t going to let his body have any hindrances while it healed. But even with all of my efforts, his condition only worsened, and the source of it all was his nervous system. Even after healing his spinal cord, his body didn''t seem to want to use it, and I couldn''t tell why... His mind was starting to die, and I could do nothing but watch, only able to occasionally send false signals to try and keep his mind awake... But eventually, as his mind did nothing but slow down, a single, slithering strand of divinity carved its way through his spine and climbed into his brain. It was the turning point I was looking for. -Please...- His body wasn''t ready to switch to a brain of divinity, but with his mind slowly dying, there was no other choice. "Just hang in there, Ilios... Don''t die on me..." I needed time, but time was tight... But then, after about a week, the several strands of divinity that had grown through his spine sent their first signal. He finally made it around the bend. "Hooooh..." Letting out an extremely long, stress-filled breath, I finally leaned back and looked up at the intricate carvings lining the ceiling and tried to sort my thoughts. "D..Divinty?" Her eyes slowly started to glow as I spoke. "Haha, its a type of particle related to time." Moving over my tail, I gently tapped it against her chest. "You have some too. One day you may even find yourself doing the same thing I just did." Looking down into the furred tip of my tail pressing against her chest, her eyes gleamed like a child. "I.. can become a god..?" "Of course, but it will take a very long time." -Perhaps too long...- But time was what both her body and soul needed. "If that is a path you wish to take, I will help you achieve it, but be warned.. it''s not going to be a small endeavor." "I-If becoming a god means I can better serve you, I will do whatever it takes!" I felt like a parent looking into the eyes of their child as they were being sent off to start their journey in life. But Leif''s journey wasn''t just beginning. With a bit more idle conversation and catch-up, I quickly got caught up to speed on the situation with her and the other apostles, and got a better idea of how to help her, telling her to come up to the Gods'' Abode once a day to meditate in order to strengthen her soul before giving the Tree of Prayer some minor repairs, and taking to the sky. Although I wanted to stick around and greet the other apostles properly, after giving them all an ''oracle'' through my aura, now stretching close to a hundred and twenty kilometers in every direction, I jumped into the void to go check on Father, and eventually go back to Bahamut in order to see Mother. -Knowing my presence disappeared from Leif, I hope it didn''t disappear from Mother...- The last thing I wanted was for her to think I was really dead. -Reincarnation can definitely break those kinds of connections though...- All I could do was hope. But after several hours of searching, I found myself gliding over the colossal estate of the Cabinet, only to see Mother and Hera happily chatting in the green central courtyard. It was a relief, but that was only because I didn''t know the absurdity of the monster that was lurking nearby. The monster that could deal a killing blow to me with a mere glance. The great and mighty Krystallo. ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 380: Warmth Chapter 380: Warmth Late Afternoon - Late Fall : The Cabinet | Eastern Bahamut ----- "Oh my~," Hera spoke with a smile as I finally came in for a landing. "Look who''s finally back~." She noticed my presence from much farther away, but acted as if she only noticed as Mother looked up at me. *Fwooosh* *Fwoooosh-Fwoosh-Thump* "What has you in such a good mood?" I spoke warmly as I shrunk down to about thirty meters, the same size as Hera and Mother. "Hoho~, how could I not be in a good mood? Just look at yourself~." Looking over at Mom, her grin widened with a hint of greed. "I told you that he would be fine, Zachari." But she didn''t seem to even notice. "W..What did I miss?" With a mix of awe woven into her voice, she never took her eyes off me. "Vasilias?" Quickly walking over to her, my playful smile turned warm and I lowered my head to place it under her chin before gently laying down. "I''m back, Mom." The worry instantly drained from her face as relief washed through her eyes. "I.. I thought you died..." But it was quickly drowned in panic. "W-What happened?!" Pulling her head off mine, she looked down my body in a hurry before tapping my horn. "You broke a horn?! Did you get in a fight?! Which bastard dared?!" She spoke through tears as the endless emotions pent up over the last few months were finally released. -So the connection really did break...- A wave of guilt overtook my mind as I lowered my head to her chest.. but after a moment, a warm smile swept across my face. "I can explain, Mom... I can finally explain..." Looking at the firm, defined soul in her chest, I closed my eyes and enjoyed the endless warmth flowing from it. It was the familiar warmth of Mother''s presence. A warmth that could thaw anything.. even a soul frozen by the pain of lives long past... "V..Vasilias?" She paused, pulling up my head to look into my eyes before her panic eased. "You''re.. really back?" She firmly gripped my arm as if afraid I would suddenly try and run away. But there was no place I''d rather be. With a gentle nod, her tears began flowing like a waterfall, and as I raised my head, she immediately lowered hers to rub her cheek against mine. It felt good. I was finally back. But Mother''s grip on my arm only tightened. "You better tell me everything this time..." Pulling her head away to wipe her eye with the claw of her wing, an endless joy seeped into her voice. "I want to hear the full story." My cheeks felt sore from smiling so much. "Okay... I promise I''ll tell you everything, but..." I paused as I looked into her eyes. "I think it should wait until I can wake up Dad." Her expression tensed for a moment. "Wake him.. up?" I gently nodded. "If you can just give me a month, I''ll accelerate his dragon sleep and wake him up." She seemed shocked as she gave me a hesitant look, but after a moment, her gaze eased. "Okay... Right... All that matters is you''re back." *Pat* Firmly pressing her forehead into mine, her tears seemed to stop, and her usual calm but confident demeanor began shining once more. "Hmhm~, but I think you should probably hide in the meantime." Hearing her suppressed chuckle, I tilted my head. "Huh? What do you mean?" But as I looked up at her, I noticed her head deliberated held back, far away from me, with a nervous smile. -What on earth is she...- *CRACKLE* -Huh?- Hearing the familiar crackle of hydrogen being ignited, I looked to my side, only to have my vision blocked by a thick white blanket. -Why is Mom holding a blanket...- But that question was answered in an instant. "YOU MOTHERFUCKER!" *WHAAAAAAM* A furious yell met my ears as the blanket suddenly slammed into my nose with the weight of an entire dragon behind it. It hit me so hard it knocked my head back, and to play along, I rolled onto my back, making it seem like she knocked me over. But Mother, even though she seemed to be in on it, exploded. "KRYSTALLO! WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE!" "NO! HE MADE YOU CRY AGAIN! Why don''t you ever discipline him like you do me?! Last time I made you worry, you grounded me for a whole week!" *Thump-Thump* She angrily stomped the underside of my head as she pouted at Mom. But she wasn''t having any of it. "You were hanging out with that troublemaker! Of course I grounded you!" "He''s just a friend Mom! What''s the prob-" Cutting her off, my wagging tail stopped sweeping over the ground and I lifted her off my face with my aura. "Excuse me? ''He''?" But instead of shriveling up, her confidence only grew as if thinking I would take her side. "I made a friend recently, but Mom keeps trying to prevent us from hanging out! It''s unfair! You get so much freedom!" She had a fair point. "But I have that freedom because I''m strong." To be completely honest, I still wasn''t sure how much I was going to tell them. I wanted to tell Mother and Father everything, but at the same time, I wondered if ignorance was something they would prefer. -If I tell them about my previous lives, will they look at me like I was just a god that took the place of their child? Will they think I was acting..?- At long last, I could finally be confident that I was me.. that my identity belonged to no one else.. but at the same time, thinking about telling Mother and Father the whole story made my chest burn. "~You should tell them...~" Hearing a voice, I slowly opened my eyes to find myself beneath the dark night sky, with Krystallo sleeping soundly on my chest, and Mother deep asleep with her head pressed into my side. "~So you know...~" Looking toward the voice, I immediately found myself in Hera''s gaze. "~I know the gist of it...~" She spoke with her divinity while keeping her eyes locked on mine. "~You finally got your memories back, didn''t you...~" "~Some of them...~" I continued as I looked up to the sky. "~A lot is still blurry...~" As a slightly warm smile came to her face, she paused and lifter her head, following my gaze up to the stars. "~So, who is the person I''m talking to now?~" "~Vasilias Ragnarok.~" I spoke bluntly. "~The memories I got back were of my past lives... Nothing more...~" Looking back at me, her grin softened. "~Then what is there to worry about?~" Laying her head back down, she stared straight into my eyes. "~The affection you just showed her was more than enough evidence that you are her son. Unless you were acting, there''s nothing to worry about.~" Finally looking up at the sky again, I felt the need to sigh. "~I hope you''re right...~" But Hera simply nudged my cheek with her snout. *Tap* "~Just don''t let it eat at you, okay? You wouldn''t be this anxious if you didn''t care for them, and I''m certain Zachari recognizes that.~" "~I just...~" -I don''t want to risk losing out on moments like this...- Feeling Krystallo''s gentle heartbeat, the memories of standing over my Mother''s body in my past life surfaced, and my chest clenched. But after a moment of staring into my eyes, Hera''s gaze softened and she started standing up. "~Since it seems like you want some time with your thoughts, I''ll leave you to rest...~" But I immediately stopped her. "~No...~" I spoke firmly before my tone softened. "~I''d like for you to stay...~" It made her tone and gaze warm in an instant. "~Okay,~" Gently laying back down, she moved just a pinch closer to me before laying her head right next to mine. "~Then I won''t go anywhere...~" "Huff," I let out a breath as if holding back a chuckle before I turned my warm gaze back up to the sky. For the first evening in what felt like countless millennia, I was able to rest with the warmth of others'' affection and company filling my chest. And before I knew it, with the melody of nature filling the air, and the gentle thump of Krystallo''s heart on my chest, I fell into a sleep so deep that it didn''t feel real... It honestly felt like everything that had happened was part of an elaborate dream.. an endless illusion... But even if that was the case, and it was all an illusion.. all a dream manifested by my mind''s deepest desires.. it was a dream I never wanted to wake from. ----- Sorry for all the delays recently! I''ve been busy with classwork recently, but it should be back to normal now :) Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 381: A Discomforting Conversation Chapter 381: A Discomforting Conversation Mid Morning - Late Fall : Eikasi?a | Eastern Bahamut -----Yo?ur favorite stories on -To think they managed to build all this in just a few months...- As I admired the countless buildings lining the busy street, I glanced over at Hera, walking beside me in her shrunken form. "Even if a lot of it is still under construction, this city is.. really astounding..." -It''s so comfortable here...- "Haha, right? Isn''t it wonderful?" Hera spoke with pride. Touting streets nearly three hundred meters wide, and lined with buildings made to accommodate dragons of all sizes, the city really felt like a place made by dragons, for dragons. Hera seemed to be enjoying it quite a bit as well. "It reminds me of the ancient cities from my era." Straightening up my posture as we continued down the street, I gave her a curious glance. "Really? Why is that?" "It''s because those ancient cities didnt pander to ''human culture''." She spoke as if it was common knowledge while she looked around with a reminiscent smile. But her words only tripped me up. "Huh? What do you mean?" Although I had never really thought about it before that moment, the instant I did, I found myself instinctually agreeing. -But.. why?- "Just take Atlas as an example. If you walk along those streets, it feels cramped, right? The buildings are so tall and the streets are so thin that flying isn''t always convenient, or even an option, especially if there are people nearby. But look here." Pulling her wings off her side, she spread them out with ease. "Even though the buildings are smaller here, it feels bigger, more spacious, and more accommodating does it not?" -Y..yeah... It really does...- I nodded with a mix of hesitancy and confusion. "But.. what does that have to do with pandering to humans?" Pulling in her wings again, she looked me in the eyes. "In Atlas, did you ever look above the ground floor of the buildings in the city center?" "Uh.. yeah?" I tilted my head as I spoke, before my eyes suddenly went wide. "Wait now that you say that..." Thinking back, I could remember the tops of buildings being made to accommodate human-sized creatures, be it an inn, a restaurant, or even a parlor. "Were those not for the convenience of other dragons? Like for those who wanted to use their humanoid forms?" "Of course. But think about it..." Tapping the claw of her wing on the side of her head, she spoke firmly. "Dragons didn''t always value being high off the ground in a building.. however, humans always have. To them, tall buildings represented status and power, and being in them gave them a sensation of strength, as if giving them the ability to look down on others." -A..Ah!- That was when it suddenly clicked, and an old memory gained clarity. -R..Right!- Old draconic architecture, however, was the exact opposite of humans. If you wanted to show off your status, you did so by owning more land, or building a huge, spanning estate more easily visible from the sky. -And the way they got around the space issue was to build cities partially underground...- Quickly pushing my aura through the street, I immediately found an endless maze of elaborate tunnels more than big enough to accommodate a dragon the size of Hera right below us. To me, it defied my current understanding, but to her, it was common sense. "Underground, it''s more comfortable for us, the temperatures are cooler, the mana can be made thicker, structurally it''s easier to build, and it helps limit the amount of aura distortion people have to deal with on a regular basis." In an instant, my perception of my own culture twisted. "So you''re saying Atlas wasn''t meant for only dragons.. but for humans as well?" She firmly nodded. "But.. why?" Atlas, known as the heart of draconic culture, always had its architecture touted as the cornerstone of draconic design. -But.. it''s not even meant for dragons?- Filled with dragons lounging around, drinking, and flirting, it looked like a conglomeration of low-lives at first, but on a second glance, they all donned armor, weapons, and artifacts with the insignias of various notable noble families. -This must be a tavern meant for knights...- But even though they were all at least elders, none even paid a glance to Krystallo as she walked through. There was one person who recognized her though. "Ah, lady Krystallo, how are you doing?" It was an old, green-scaled bartender who seemed to be a retired butler. "Are you here for Myalo?" Paying Hera and I a glance as he spoke, we both pressed our auras into him for a moment before he instantly tensed and averted his eyes. "I am, where is he?" With a slight nervousness, he continued. "He is in the back speaking with someone. He''ll be out in a moment... In the meantime, can I get you a drink?" Awkwardly setting down everything he was doing, he tried to keep his eyes glued on Krystallo. But mine quickly drifted to the wall behind him. -He''s talking to another kid?- Behind the wall, in a room that led underground, Krystallo''s ''friend'' was speaking to another, similarly aged child, but.. something about the way they were talking felt.. off... The ''kid'' the boy was speaking to wore an eerie smile, devoid of warmth, and moved as if he was a wooden puppet, speaking with an awkwardness that pushed all the wrong buttons on me. "Something is wrong with that kid..." Hera also seemed to notice, responding with magic so only I could hear. "It doesn''t feel like a conversation between children... It feels like a child speaking to a priest, or a caretaker..." The conversation was so one-sided that it was unsettling, as if there were an adult in the reanimated body of a deceased child. But.. from what I could see, there was nothing odd about him besides the way he was acting. -No matter how I look at it.. he''s just a child.. so why is he acting like that?- As Krystallo ordered a drink, Hera and I continued listening to their conversation, before, out of the blue, the memory of what happened to students in the academy several years ago came to mind. -Oh shit... Dont tell me...- ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Art: The New Cover! Art: The New Cover! At long last, the new cover IS DONE! Also, there will be a very, very special announcement coming soon that may or may not have to deal with my novels getting webtoons (English manhwa). ;) Patreon: /TDOD Checkk new novel chapters at Chapter 382: A Trap Chapter 382: A Trap Late Morning - Late Fall : The Banevean Desert (Back about a day) ----- - Michael Cotorel ~ *Gulp* *Gulp* *Gulp* "Aah..." Lowering the flask of gloriously cold water with a refreshed breath, I hastily lifted my balaclava back over my nose. -How is this place even real...-Nne?w n0vel chapters are published on *Pat* Grabbing my staff and sliding the flask into my belt as I stood up, I looked out over the endless, rolling sand dunes, only to be distracted by the beads of sweat already beginning to form beneath my mask. "Haah..." -Almost there... Hopefully...- Struggling to muster any motivation, I slowly worked myself up to a run while using magic to keep the sand out of my eyes and keep myself cool. But it honestly barely even helped. *wooooosh* With a relentless wind carrying temperatures that exceeded what I thought was even possible, it felt like I was running into the caldera of an active volcano. The heat was so intense that if I dripped water from my flask, it wouldn''t even make it to the ground. But while it was certainly a miserable hell that words could not describe, it felt more like a trial than anything else. Over the last six months, I had traveled nearly six thousand kilometers through some of the harshest conditions in the world, and in that time, I was forced to adapt just to survive. However, while filled with pain and struggles, in that drive for survival, my mind flourished like it never had before. During the few months of the trip, I felt my knowledge of magic and runes expand severalfold, a kind of growth I couldn''t have imagined even if I spent dozens of years studying like I used to. Between the heat, sand, and colossal monsters beyond my understanding, I was fighting for my life at every passing moment, but as I adapted to it, I grew. -If I think about it that way, this trip has been amazing...- But whether fortunately or unfortunately, my trip was only just beginning. As the sun started to set that evening, I looked out toward the distant, beautiful orange sky, only to find what looked like treetops just beginning to crest the horizon. -Hm?- At first sight, I completely disregarded it. With how intense the heat was, and how much it rippled light, it wasn''t uncommon for you to get tricked into thinking there was an oasis or forest off in the distance, and as the sky turned dark, I thought that forest was no different. With the light of the moon hidden behind thin cloud cover, I ran, and ran, taking advantage of the cooler temperatures at night to cover more ground, but after a while, I had to slow to halt, silencing my footsteps as I camp up to an extremely tall dune. *distant chatter* Off in the distance, I could hear what sounded like the voices of people, but with the winds, there was nothing I could distinguish. -There shouldn''t be people out here though...- *Chatter* Slowly, cautiously peeking over the massive, several-hundred-meter-high dune, I looked down into the valley behind it only to see the light of torches illuminating a group of nearly five people. -Huh?- It was a group of elves and demihumans, trying to run in the direction I was headed, straight into the wind, while trying to carry someone with a mutilated leg, and leaving a trail of blood on the sand. -What did they fight for one of them to end up like that... Shouldn''t we be well outside burrower territory?- They were essentially colossal, leech-like snakes that would stay deep under the sand, and wait for something to pass over it, be it a single human, or a wyvern that happened to glide by. But I hadn''t run into one in nearly a thousand kilometers. -Did they run into a wyvern?- However, as I tilted my head to question it, the ground started to vibrate, and I started quickly sinking into the sand. *HMMM* -Uh oh...- Feeling the deep hum in my entire body, I felt the color drain from my face. -You have to be kidding me!- It was a burrower, and a really big one at that. *Vwoom-Woooosh* Hastily casting magic to stay on top of the sand, I hopped over the dune and sprinted down the other side, rushing toward the group as fast as I could. They seemed to know what to do to not sink into the sand, but the one carrying their injured friend couldn''t stop sinking, and by the time the others could help, the sand was up past his knees. -Shit...- *FWOOSH* As I slid to a stop right next to them, their eyes all snapped to me, but trying not to pay them mind, I grabbed a nearly invisible string hanging from the tip of my staff, drew it to my cheek, and pointed my staff toward the ground as if I was about to shoot a bow. But what I was actually doing wasn''t too dissimilar. ----- Early Afternoon - Late Fall : Eikasi?a | Eastern Bahamut (Present) - Vasilias Ragnarok ~ "You recognize that kid''s condition?" Hera spoke softly as she looked through the walls of the saloon with a disgusted expression. "It''s similar to something I saw in the past.. but it wasn''t this bad..." Thinking back to the incident at the academy, I felt my stomach churn. -Back then, the manipulation was fairly subtle...- Although the manipulation of the minds of children to any extent was disgusting, somehow the sight before me made me feel especially sick... "Back when I destroyed the Academy in Atlas, the rats of the Holy Kingdom were using an old god stripped of its ego and memories to manipulate the minds of children and get them to worship the Aesir instead of Bahamut, but.. this feels.. different..." Although I couldn''t put my nose on it, this somehow seemed far more sinister. "Do you think it''s related to the cult?" I immediately nodded. "More than likely... The so-called god they''re worshipping might be what''s manipulating them, but..." Squinting slightly, I pushed my aura further and further into the ground, populating my mind with the colorless array of constantly changing numbers and information that took upon the shapes of countless strings as if I was looking through the eyes of my soul. It was as if I opened up another eye, able to see everything within nearly eighty kilometers of me with excruciating detail, all at once. But that was my limit, and there was nothing to see. "I don''t see anything suspicious nearby..." -It''s all just tunnels and buildings still under construction...- Hera seemed to do the same thing as me, turning up empty-handed as well. "This.. might be more troublesome than I was thinking it would be..." "You don''t say..." -There''s nothing out of the norm nearby.. and the ''child'' is alone...- "But nothing will be as difficult as finding that dreaded cave entrance to the thunderbirds'' nest." Hera instantly tensed up. "Was it really that bad?" I wanted to scoff. "It was bad enough for me to blow a hole the size of a city into the mountain so I''d never have to look for it again." Cracking a joke, the mood seemed to lighten just a tad, but before long, the child in the back room finished its conversation, and Krystallo was called in... Of course, not without me watching her like a hawk. But while I suspected the child of also being possessed, perhaps by a god, he didn''t seem to be able to sense me, there was no tether, and his soul looked normal for a dragon. Everything simply happened in his brain.. but even that seemed.. off... -His thoughts aren''t smooth.. it''s not just wires being crossed...- Rather than being the manipulation of neural pathways, it seemed like something else was happening... It almost seemed like.. ''it'' had two consciousnesses... ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 383: The Search for a Word Chapter 383: The Search for a Word Early Afternoon - Late Fall : The Library of Eternity, Atlas | Bahamut ----- "Two consciousnesses?" *Thump-Thump-Thump-Thump* The rhythmic thump of books being placed on bookshelves filled the air as Hera and I walked down a long path between towering bookshelves. "It at least sounds pretty interesting." "Haha," I let out a chuckle hearing the hint of doubt in her voice. "It''s just an idea I had." -Although of everything I can think of, it''s the most probable...- It had been about a week since we went to investigate Krystallo''s rather unusual friend Myalo? for having connections with the cult at that point, but our investigation hadn''t really progressed since. "My other guess is that his subconscious mind has just learned to multitask, but.. I have even more doubts with that theory..." As things were, we had moved investigating him down in priority to try and give more focus to the cult itself because of some recent findings. But that just led us to my family''s archive in the heart of Atlas, The Library of Eternity, where we killed time speaking about the abnormal child while scanning thousands of documents looking for a certain name. But while it was a name I expected to show up quickly, we ended up having more time on our hands than expected. "Really?" So we theorized. "Considering his soul looked normal and he didn''t have a tether or even a trace of divinity, wouldn''t that be more likely?" "Well," I gently shrugged the furred wings of my fenririan form, "I may be wrong, but I don''t think so. The timing of thoughts in his subconscious just.. didn''t line up right..." Glancing over at Hera, I saw her confused look before hastily continuing. "Think of it this way: the pace of a train of thought will constantly fluctuate based on the reactions of the consciousness, think of emotions, pain, etcetera. However, because these reactions originate from the consciousness, they will cause the same reaction on any line of thought under it, like speeding up thought if you''re in danger, or slowing it down if you''re relaxing." "So, because the two separate lines of thought in his mind weren''t correlated, you think it''s two entirely separate consciousnesses." Seeing me nod, she quickly fell into thought. "That''s actually.. quite a fascinating theory... Even if it''s a bit creepy..." "Hah..." I let out an awkward, sympathetic chuckle knowing exactly where she was coming from. -It really is quite unsettling to think about...- It was like the boy was possessed. "My biggest issue with it though is that I just don''t know where that second consciousness would come from. You said you were keeping an eye on him, right?" "Of course, but over the last week there''s been nothing. It''s almost like he knows he''s being watched. He hasn''t come in contact with anyone we''ve deemed suspicious, hasn''t gone anywhere odd, and while he acts weird, he doesn''t actually talk about anything related to the cult..." She seemed to cringe as a stray thought whizzed through her mind. "Do you think it could be a birth defect?" But I bluntly shook my head. "If it''s something like that, it''d have to do with the soul rather than genetics... Maybe he absorbed his twin at birth, but their souls somehow managed to maintain their own consciousnesses." -Although I have more than a few doubts about that even being possible...- "It''s certainly food for thought... But for now, let''s just focus on looking for the records of the god the cultist mentioned... ''Ly?kos fi?di'', was it?" Over the last week, we had done a deep sweep through the entirety of Eikasi?a, looking for cultist gatherings, ritual sites, or anything else that was suspicious, even using our auras to scan the system of structures being built underground, but while we turned up empty-handed, one of Hera''s associates eventually reached out with some findings. Just a few days prior, they had caught a cultist amidst a sacrificial offering. But oddly enough, it was a name that I was already somewhat familiar with. "Yeah, I think so." -The name rings a bell from my time on Earth...- But that kind of connection wasn''t anymore more than coincidence, right? "What was the other name they called it? The World Serpent?" As Hera nodded, she finally turned back to the bookshelves. "It doesn''t ring a bell for me, so I have doubts about there being any records, but..." Inside the Ragnarok library, there were records of almost everything of note. -An old god would certainly be in here somewhere.. but it may be in a deeper layer...- "It''s worth looking into, regardless..." I winced slightly as I spoke, feeling a bit pessimistic. And the longer we walked around the library, one row of books at a time, the worse it seemed. After a while, we eventually called in one of the caretakers to have her prepare entry to the second layer of the library since the first layer didn''t have anything, but the second didn''t either. "Should we try the third and forth?" I tilted my head as I looked over at Hera. But she just gave me a weird look. "The third layer, maybe, but the fourth was where Bahamut lived for a while. You think he''d give me the keys to his room?" But that was just the first layer. "Ana?" The moment the caretaker spoke, the massive wall of books parted down the middle to reveal another mound of books behind it, with a single, sky blue-feathered dragon peeking her head over it. "Huh? Anthiza? What are you doing here? With guests no less..." She spoke extremely informally, somehow not recognizing my fenririan form. "Are they the new colleagues you mentioned?" Almost immediately, the towering wall of books behind her parted, and so did the one after to reveal about a dozen dragons peeking over at us, actively sifting through at least a million books. -Holy shit...- One thing was for certain, if you were to work there, you had to be passionate about it... But Hera didn''t seem to be as awestruck as me, and spoke bluntly. "Unfortunately not. We actually came with some questions." A couple more dragons immediately popped their heads around their walls of books to see what was going on as she spoke. "We are looking for information on a god called the World Serpent, or something named similarly. If anyone knows anything or can provide us with any texts, we will pay you up to twenty platinum." I instantly jolted before using magic to speak in her ear. "I didn''t know you brought any money..." But she just turned smug and looked at me. "Why would I bring money when I have you with me." "Just because I can make it doesn''t mean it''s free money-" Cutting me off she pressed the edge of her wing into my face. "Twenty platinum may as well be twenty coppers for you." Her smile slowly widened as she averted her gaze. "You didn''t even notice me spending a couple of royal gold on your dime the other day." "WHAT?!" I instantly tensed up. "The hell did you spend it on?!" Her smile warmed as her gaze found its way to my eyes. "You''ll see soon enough." ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 384: Tied Memories Chapter 384: Tied Memories Mid Afternoon - Late Fall : The Library of Eternity, Atlas | Bahamut ----- Staring into Hera''s eyes after she bluntly admitted to stealing my money, I felt her smug look eating away at my willpower before I finally gave in. "Ugh, whatever... If you wasted it, I''m gonna make sure it comes out of your pocket." Averting my gaze, I quickly turned back toward the librarians. But Hera kept her gaze on me for just a moment longer. "Huhu~, I''m fine with that..." Speaking warmly, she turned back to the librarians with a pleased curl in her tail before continuing in a casual manner. "In any case, we will pay quite a bit if anyone knows anything. Any takers?" The whole room instantly fell silent as everyone''s focus turned to their own thoughts. But while I started having some doubts, after a moment, one of them started moving, sifting through a huge pile of books by picking them up and moving them in sequence as if to create a wave. -Did she remember something?- Her focus seemed to heighten the more books she moved before, out of nowhere, she pulled up one book, opened to a specific page, and read it. "I''m not sure if this is what you are looking for, but..." Closing the book, she moved it over to me with her aura. -Hm?- The cover read ''The Deep Black'', and looked like an encyclopedia of some sort. -Is this a bestiary?- *Flutter* Quickly opening it with a flutter, I skimmed through it before suddenly coming to a stop about halfway through. The page I stopped on was labeled ''The Continental Serpent'', filled with text, diagrams, and images of a scale that looked like it belonged to a fish. But it couldn''t have come from something so simple. And that was because of the text below the image. -''Retrieved from the deepest part of the Death''s Gape, the scale measured four kilometers, by six kilometers, with a thickness of half a kilometer and the material strength of a young Elder stage bronze dragon scale''...- I had to pause after I read it. -What the fuck...- *Fwip* Flipping the page, Hera poked her head in to read it, but her previously warm expression had turned stern, and her wings had relaxed. "Oh.. this was something they retrieved from before the war... I forgot about it..." Pausing to read, she spoke curiously. "Does anyone here know of ''The Scale of the Colosus''?" -Hm?- It was something I had never heard of. But every single one of the librarians nodded. "Of course." "It comes up frequently in older texts." Properly looking up, Hera started sinking into her own thoughts. "Does it come up in newer texts as well? We didn''t see it mentioned anywhere in the first two layers, but this book looks new." "That''s because they''re all copies of the ''Avgi Bestiary'', which is already stored in the third layer." The clerk next to us quickly interjected. "It''s very well known, and one of the most well-researched bestiaries in the world from before the war. It''s one of the few texts that had enough copies to survive from the Golden Age." "Hm..." Sinking into thought, Hera slowly pulled herself away. "Do any of you know of other places the scale is mentioned?" There was a long silence that immediately filled the room as our eyes darted around at the various librarians. But after a moment, a young voice met our ears. "U-Uh.. I-I might!" Looking over, I immediately set my eyes on a young pink-scaled dragon who couldn''t have been much older than 30, carrying a large container of absolutely ancient-looking books. -Huh?- She looked just like Chloe, but there were some differences. "Would you introduce yourself, please?" But I had to be cautious too. -Is he trying to become a god?- Although I couldn''t remember the details, he was someone I was on irredeemably bad terms with, but something about the idea of him becoming a god simply felt off. "Did you.. remember something?" Hera spoke somewhat anxiously. "Yeah..." Pulling myself out of my thoughts for a moment, I Iooked out toward the distant blue sky hanging over the horizon. "If it''s what I''m thinking.. this might be a really big problem... But..." As my gaze thinned, my aura started warping the lightly colored sky around me. "Somehow I''m nervous it''s not that simple..." Suddenly becoming serious, Hera''s gaze stiffened. "What do you mean..." "I.. can''t be sure..." -But my gut is telling me the idea of him wanting to become a god is a joke...- And that wasn''t because he already was one. -If I remember right.. he never showed a hint of interest in the surface...- Living around the core of the planet, he had no interest in the life that had evolved on the surface, but rather cared more about the ''life'' of the planet. -But even the Acardi documented him coming up to the bottom of the Death''s Gape...- "Why..." I mumbled as I let out a stressed breath. But while it was eerie, and had me stressed, at the same time I had to simply focus on taking things one step at a time. Keeping most of my theories to myself, I followed Hera to Nkremo, a city in the northwestern mountains of Bahamut, in order to investigate her own theories. Her idea was that the dragons could be worshipping the leviathan because of a huge scale that surfaced in the ocean. "There would be no reason for a cultist to be making a sacrifice somewhere with no religious significance, so I''m thinking we should check around Nkremo for one of the scales... Although I only remember them existing near The Forgotten Islands, it''s possible one got dislodged and floated to the surface near there." Considering how fast it got deep right off the coast of the city, it wasn''t a terrible idea. The idea that the dragons unhappy with their choice of gods would turn to worship such a scale wasn''t unlikely either. -But I''m not so sure it could be boiled down to coincidence...- Something about it felt off.. almost as if an artificial scenario. But the issue was, only time would tell. Simply thinking about it got me nowhere. -Maybe it''s time I reactivate the other laboratories...- ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 385: An Oracle Chapter 385: An Oracle Mid Evening - Late Fall : Nkremo | Bahamut ----- *Wooooosh* The gentle wash of cool, misty air passing over my scales was like therapy for a troubled mind that evening, bringing a momentary calm to an ocean of stormy thoughts. At the time, Hera and I were just a few kilometers off the coast of Nkremo scanning the ocean bottom with our auras looking for scales of the Leviathan, but we were already reaching the limit of what we could scan with our auras. "Can you see the bottom here?" Hera spoke curiously. "Just barely." With the water being almost seventy kilometers deep, I could only barely make out the texture of the bottom. "Hoh? Your aura reading has improved that much?" I swiftly nodded as a smile crept onto my face. "After I ascended, my brain finally switched to using divinity, and while I can''t quite read my whole aura, the ''static'' from my space mana has gotten far more manageable... It''s still taking some practice though..." Although I was still far from perfecting it, I had figured out that if I controlled the emission of space mana in certain ways, I could get oddly consistent interference patterns when reading my aura, and over time, could ''tune it out''. -But it''s still far from perfect...- "Well, that''s good. Compared to where you were just a few months ago, seventy kilometers is nothing to scoff at." I somewhat proudly nodded before glancing back over at her. "By the way, I meant to ask earlier, but..." I paused to try and think of how to word it before continuing somewhat awkwardly. "Do you ever have an image pop up in your mind, like with aura, but where everything is math that takes the form of weird, tiny black threads?" I spoke fully expecting her to look at me like I was insane, but unlike what I expected, she nodded. "I can''t do it anymore, but I think I know what you''re talking about." My eyes lit up instantly. "Are you talking about a projection that feels like when you read your aura, but it isn''t coming from your mind, and differs from your aura''s detail and range? Like, almost as if it''s eye-sight based instead of mana-density based?" I fervently nodded. Although calling it eye-sight-based was a little bit of a stretch, I knew exactly what she meant. "That was something I experienced when I only had my soul left. It was simply how I saw the world back then, but ever since I was.. ''reborn'', I haven''t been able to see or use it." -So it must be related to the soul somehow...- "Hm..." Hera gently tilted her head as she tried to read my expression. "I would''ve thought you''d know about it considering your past lives..." "Well, I do know ''of'' it. I just don''t know what it is or how to reliably use it yet." "Huh?" She immediately paused. "How to use it? You''ve seen it outside of your reincarnations?" "I''ve actually been seeing it more often recently, yeah. If I fall into a really deep focus, whether fighting or meditating, I can see it, but it feels more like opening another eye rather than reading already-present information like with my aura... Besides making some spells faster, I don''t really see much point in it..." I paused to think before looking into her eyes. "Is it just.. the eyes of the soul?" But she just gave me a baffled look. "Have you ever tried pulling on any of those ''threads''?" Almost immediately, a memory from my first dragon sleep resurfaced. -Oh...- But they were a little blurry. "I.. have but I don''t think I can do that here..." The way I remembered it, was that during my first dragon sleep, I could tug on a string and see the futures of the object the string was connected to. However, the last few times I had experienced it, it felt like I was looking at a projection of a world, akin to a hologram, rather than actually existing in the space. Seeing the pain in her expression, I wanted to back off and give her some space, but I just couldn''t. "If it''s a vision of a future you want to prevent, shouldn''t you tell me about it as well-" "N-No." She spoke with a stutter as a hint of uncertainty found its way onto her face. "Hera." My voice and expression quickly firmed. "I''m going to need you to tell me exactly what you saw." But she only turned her gaze away and spoke so softly I almost couldn''t hear her. "I can''t risk the oracle being based on a future where you know about it, and investigate it yourself..." "So you''d rather risk it being based on a future where you keep the oracle to yourself?!" A sudden burst of anger quickly found its way into my voice.. but after a moment, I forced myself to calm down. "Look.. how about this." Pulling in her attention, I spoke more softly. "What if I promise to listen to whatever it is you want me to do after we discuss what you saw. If you want me to focus on other things while you look into it, I will, and if you want to look into it with me, we can do that as well.. but only after we talk about it..." There was a long.. long silence that ensued after I finished speaking. Hera hovered there, keeping her eyes on the dark blue water below, without saying or doing anything but flapping her wings. However, after a moment, she spoke under her breath. "How can I trust that this isn''t the path towards the oracle... What if me telling you about it is the trigger that leads to your death..." -My death?- She was serious, but so was I. "How can you trust that any path isn''t toward the oracle? Is it not better to speak about it together and come up with a plan that we can both agree on? Why risk your gamble being wrong?" She immediately snapped and turned to face me. "Because if there was one thing Bahamut taught me, it''s that the future is a fickle thing! The reason oracles are vague is because if they''re too specific, people will just guide themselves straight toward it in an effort to avoid it!" She spoke with haste, as if in a bit of a panic. But as I wrapped her in my aura, she slowly started calming down. "Hera, I need you to just trust me..." As I spoke, an old memory from my life as Nott resurfaced, from when I was a child. "You can''t avoid fate, but you can make yourself more prepared to face it... If you keep it to yourself, no matter where we try to run or hide, we won''t be able to escape it..." Her gaze slowly began to soften. "H..How do you know..." But my expression only continued to darken as memories resurfaced. "Because every single time Dagr and I tried it.. we failed..." Staring into her eyes, my gaze slowly softened. "Look.. oracles aren''t guaranteed to happen, but the more you try to run from it, the faster it will catch up to you... So.. why don''t we just face it?" Averting her gaze, she fell silent for what felt like eons. "Okay... Just.. promise me that you won''t sacrifice yourself or some other bullshit like that... Even if you can reincarnate yourself, I won''t accept it..." As my gaze slowly warmed, a smile crept onto my face. "Alright. I promise... Now just tell me about what you saw..." ----- Apologies for the delay! Make sure to join the discord if you want updates on delays in the future!!! Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 386: A Wall Chapter 386: A Wall Late Evening - Late Fall : Nkremo | Bahamut ----- - Hera Monachiko?s ~ A field of fire, and blood. The sprawled, mangled bodies of those whom I considered comrades, and the view of humans skinning scales off the face of a lifeless child. It looked like a battlefield.. a land of war.. yet I was in the heart of Bahamut. It felt as if I had traveled back in time to view ''The Hero''s Graveyard'', a section of Bahamut that was completely decimated by the Acardi not long before I was captured. However, this vision was of a very different time period... Slowly looking up, I found myself standing before a wall of grey scales, each the size of islands, connecting the horizons as if splitting the continent in two. It was the body of an armored reptile, one so large, it could destroy entire continents by simply moving over them. -The Leviathan...- Even as a dragon that could contend for the title of ''the strongest'', I felt indescribably powerless looking up its side, seeing the edge of the atmosphere only part the way up its body, even whilst most of it was hidden underground. But the moment I blinked, the scenery changed, the battlefield turned into an endless field of glass and ash, and dozens of colossal holes bored through the serpent''s body appeared.ViiSiit novelbi/n(.)c/(o)m for latest novels It was a sight unlike anything that my imagination could create on its own, a scene of destruction unlike anything I believed possible. Yet while I looked upon the sight with baited breath, my gaze drifted toward my feet and my heart sank. At my feet laid a nearly unrecognizable dragon, covered in wounds so grave that there was no chance it was alive. However, I recognized who it was in a heartbeat. "I was dead, huh..." Vasilias, slowly straightening his posture while effortlessly hovering over the water, immediately fell into thought, as if a vision depicting his own death meant nothing. "Are you seriously not worried about that?" -Even if you just consider it an omen...- I felt my chest tighten as the scene replayed in my mind. But Vasilias seemed completely unbothered by it. "Not particularly... Specific details of visions typically aren''t fulfilled." "W..What..." I truly didn''t even know how to react. "You fighting the Leviathan and dying is a specific detail?!" Anger quickly found its way into my voice. But he remained completely calm. "I am likely fated to clash with Jormungandr again at some point, I won''t deny that, however the result of that clash is most certainly a detail." Turning his inquisitive gaze back down to the water below us, he spoke with a sudden firmness. "I''m more worried about how this divinity got here in the first place..." As if remembering something, his expression darkened. "But.. how do you know your death is a detail bound to change?" I spoke somewhat anxiously. "Because visions like that only show you a single leaf on the tree of fate. A single moment in a timeline that takes place after a series of specific events, with specific results." Looking down at the water, he spoke bluntly. "Somehow, this bundle of divinity just happened to be tied to a single leaf, so when you flew over it, and it grazed you, it showed you your future at that set period in time, in that set timeline... If I''m not wrong, it would explain why the cult seemed to appear out of nowhere and spread like wildfire... All they had to do to recruit new followers was bring them out to this little patch of water, and show them their own vision..." -So, the reason they''re hailing the Leviathan is to beg for mercy...- Had they seen the same sight as me, such a reaction would make sense. "But if it shows everyone that flies over it a vision, why didn''t you see one?" My tone slowly softened. "I have no idea." He immediately shrugged. "The memories of the times I researched oracles and visions are still blurry... It could be that I was dead in the timeline the vision showed, but as far as I know, that just means it should''ve shown me a vision of my death..." -Yet there was nothing...- Looking down at the black speck in the water, my thoughts raced. "Do you have any idea how a vision could be tied to an a soulless piece of divinity either?" Although it was a little hard to see from our altitude, it most certainly didn''t house a soul. "Not a clue..." Vasilias was stumped too. Glancing over at him, I found his eyes completely focused on the chunk of divinity. "Do you think it could be something like a trap laid by the Aesir? Something to sew more discourse in Bahamut?" "It''s possible, but.. they already have rats here for that. There''s no point in spreading the praise of another so-called god... Plus if it was them, they would have done this in a higher traffic area like in the channel around Emporio." But instead of being unusually uncomfortable the whole time we swam, as he started more passionately explaining what to expect, and what certain things he spoke of were, I grew curious. -An essentially sentient creature that isn''t alive.. but instead thinks and exists purely as a sequence of electrical signals...- The more he explained, the more my confusion grew, but at the same time, the more interested I became. "~Did the Acardi really have laboratories in the oceans that were that old?~" He immediately nodded. "~It wouldn''t surprise me if these laboratories existed before the war really started. The issue is, I don''t really know. The only data logged here is related to biological life.~" *Hmmmm* As a gentle hum slowly filled the water, distracting me from our conversation, we suddenly entered what looked like an absolutely colossal dungeon, and began following a series of long, glowing cables that lead up to a large, eerily familiar cube-shaped building. Seeing it made my eyes go wide as it forced memories I wished I had forgotten into the forefront of my mind. -It looks just like the one I was trapped in...- But that was only from the front. As we swam up over it and looked down, the sight that met my eyes was unlike anything I could wrap my head around. An indescribable web of cables surrounding a glowing, humming core that even from a few hundred meters away, felt dangerous. "~What.. is that..?~" "~Hm?~" Vasilias, not knowing what I was talking about, quickly glanced back at me. "~Are you talking about the reactor?~" Seeing me hesitantly nod as he glanced toward it, he continued with a smile. "~I built that to power this facility! Isn''t it cool?~" I honestly felt my eye twitch hearing him speak as I looked inside it with my aura. "~You must be joking.. right?~" -If anything in that malfunctions, this whole place will cease existing...- Inside the so-called ''reactor'' there was essentially a constant sequence of explosions so intense they could recreate volcanic eruptions, yet were contained in a little sphere and used to ''power'' the facility. -It''s more complicated than anything I''ve ever seen too...- Even including the Acardi equipment I looked at in the facility I was captured in. -Maybe.. I''m a bit lacking in my understanding of science still...- I felt my confidence slowly drain the longer I looked at everything he made. But as we swam down, oh-so-carefully navigating between the web of cables, and changed to our humanoid forms to walk inside, I nearly fainted. The hallway, lined with pristine white tile, so polished I could see my reflection in it, was lit by countless white lights, while the air smelled like an indescribable amount of nothingness. It was similar to the facility I was trapped in, but at the same time completely different. -What the...- Nothing in it ran on runes or mana... -Everything is just connected by these metal wires...- It made no sense, even after having learned most of the basics of science from Vasilias. -The facility I was trapped in had runes everywhere.. but this place.. is devoid of them...- But he seemed completely unphased by it, gently setting his hand on my lower back while motioning me down the hall. "Don''t clam up yet. You haven''t even seen the cool stuff." ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 387: The Acardi Chapter 387: The Acardi Mid Morning - Late Fall : Acardi Laboratory | Siratha ----- -Looks like everything is still working correctly...- Scanning through the field of cables with my aura while carefully swimming down to the laboratory''s entrance, I cut my usual door into the hallway before changing to my humanoid form right as I came inside. *Flash* *tap-tap* *Inhale* "Haaaah..." Letting out a satisfied breath, I looked back toward the entrance as Hera''s colossal snout poked the barrier keeping the water out before changing to her humanoid form and coming through. *Flash* *Tap-Tap* As the light finally subsided, two gentle taps echoed down the hallway before my eyes fell on a stunning, mature draconic woman with pale skin, long dark blue hair, and clothes adorned with gold that almost looked like armor, accentuating her curves while giving her an air of majesty that could only belong to a monarch. The only thing she was missing was a crown. But the glow in her eyes was so youthful it made her look more like a princess than a queen. -I guess I should follow suit then...- While she was occupied, I quickly tweaked my clothes to appear slightly more formal before I took note of her expression and gently set my hand on her lower back. "Don''t clam up yet. You haven''t even seen the cool stuff." "Huh?" Immediately turning to look at me, I could see the countless thoughts ripping through the back of her mind. "Is this place really run only by that ''electricity'' thing you tried explaining a while back?" I immediately nodded as my smile warmed, and a gentle flick passed through my tail. "I told you electricity had many uses, did I not?" Motioning her forward, we started making our way down the hall before peeking into a few rooms to see the remaining, abandoned containment facilities. "Wow... They really had all kinds of creatures stored down here..." Pausing to read one of the screens, she reached up and tapped it as if trying to scroll before I curiously tilted my head. "Can you read their language? You seem familiar with it." She gently nodded as she started reading the next screen. "If you don''t know the language of your enemies, how are you supposed to get information out of them?" She spoke incredibly bluntly, but in all honesty, it wasn''t a response I expected. "Hm... I guess that makes sense..." But it made me wonder. "What did their race actually look like, by the way?" Although there was an image painted in my head, I wasn''t exactly sure. But as I asked, Hera paused to think. "Hm... I guess you could think of them like humans..." My ears quickly flicked with curiosity. "Bipedal, soft-skinned creatures?" "Haha, I mean like, if one was amongst a group of humans, they''d stand out, but they would still probably be called humans." Slowly walking to the next containment center, she paused to wave her hand to the side. "Actually, why don''t I just show you..." *Vwoop* Almost instantly, a wall of light magic appeared, depicting a man quite a bit taller than me, with a very muscular build and a grizzled look on his face. "Their soldiers were quite tall, with the largest being a bit over two and a half meters tall, but the researchers were all much smaller..." The magic instantly flickered before a young man around my height appeared. He was still fairly well built, but a little on the skinny side, and at best, he looked like an abnormally tall human. -At least that is if I don''t look at his eyes...- Instead of having normal, white eyeballs like the soldier, one of his eyes was replaced with a mechanical ball touting a lens of some sort. "Did they all have modifications like that?" "Hm?" Pausing to turn and look at her own light magic, she just looked confused. "What do you mean?" "His eye." "Hm..." She immediately paused. "I don''t know if I could call them modifications, but yes." Quickly changing the image again, this time showing a man with mechanical hands and some sort of device on his head. "Depending on their job or purpose, they would have these weird.. ''modifications''..." Unable to find a word for it, she hesitantly used what I called them. -But why is she so hesitant...- "What makes you want to call them something other than modifications?" She immediately shrugged. "The mismatches were extremely rare, and while they look like metal, they were made of some type of bone, and seamlessly attached to their bodies." *Flicker* The screen updated instantaneously before Hera''s registry popped up. It was a long document detailing everything from her name and estimated age, to scale hardness and inability to have children because of the heavy mana suppressing her body in the facility. Leaning over the back of the chair, Hera and I immediately started reading it. -''However, it is likely possible that during evolution, if the eggs are purged in advance, and the reproductive organs are damaged, the eggs may regrow like how we observed with younger test subjects.''- After reading it, a sudden light appeared in my eyes. "Does that mean dragons can have more than one clutch?" Hera, leaning farther over the back of my chair quickly spoke while reading the report as well. "In rare cases... We spent quite a bit of effort in my era to try and figure it out, but we never did, so we just said it was impossible to do reliably.. but..." Reading the report clearly stated otherwise. "I wonder..." Pausing, she quickly tapped on my shoulder. "Change my permissions so I can ask the AI something." Quickly continuing as the AI instructed, I found a panel on the report stating her permissions rank and containment breach protocol, which could be summed up to ''run for your damn lives until the mothership can assist'', and edited her permissions to the highest I could give. *Beep* "Permissions successfully updated. However, this will remain as a local change, as the main server is still disconnected, so please proceed with caution. If you reconnect the main server, it is possible to make the change globally." -I need to ask more about how to do that while I''m out here...- But I had to save my questions for a moment. The moment I updated her permissions, Hera spoke freely with the AI, hammering it with question after question related to the Acardi, and their study of life on this world, similar to the questions I had initially asked it. But as time passed, her questions slowly shifted to their research itself. "What part of the female reproductive organ of a dragon needs to be damaged to reinstate a clutch of eggs?" *Beep* "The ovaries. If they, with some of the surrounding tissue, are removed completely prior to evolution, colloquially known as a dragon sleep, there is a high probability that another egg will be produced with the reconstruction of the organ. However, the amount of tissue that needs to be removed largely depends on how old the dragon is." Hera''s excited look quickly calmed. "What do you mean?" "Within the ovaries, there is something called the bicordial gland. It produces a chemical that turns into MSC1, a protein that strengthens the genetic makeup of the eggs and repairs defects, but it comes at the cost of permanently damaging the ovaries and surrounding tissue after the production of an egg. If the entirety of the damaged tissue is removed and rebuilt from nothing, the ovaries will naturally produce another egg, but if the surrounding tissue is still damaged and the organ repairs itself from it, the damage will remain and no egg will be produced." Quickly turning to me, Hera''s eyes gleamed with a fiery passion I didn''t know she had. "Haha, what''s that look for?" Understanding how to drastically increase Bahamut''s population was indeed something to be excited about.. however.. her gaze felt more predatory than excited. "Oh, it''s nothing." Slowly turning smug, her tail happily curled back and forth. "How ominous..." As a warm smile came to my face, I looked at the joy in her expression and felt myself relax. -Who knew that ''big and scary'' monarch had a cute side to her...- ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 388: Surveillance Chapter 388: Surveillance Late Morning - Late Fall : Acardi Laboratory | Siratha ----- "So, how can I tell what tissue is damaged by the bicordial gland, and how deep does the damage typically spread?" Speaking with a joyful tone, Hera looked up toward the AI while her tail happily swayed back and forth. "The ''damaged'' tissue is only detectable through careful examination and comparison of genetic material from an ''actively healed area'' of a dragon''s body, namely the brain or eyes, and the genetics of cells near the ovaries. And of 38 documented studies, the most widespread damage was about a dozen times the width of the ovary, but it can vary greatly between draconic species and ages as damage spreads through the breakdown and repair of cells overtime." Falling into thought, Hera immediately paused before giving me a more puzzled look. "Uh.. do you have any idea how to do that?"Th.e? most uptod/ate novels a/re published on n(0)velbj)n(.)c/o/m Gently nodding, I turned my chair around and looked up at the AI. "So, by the sounds of it, the damage is specifically to genetics?" "That is correct." -That''s.. odd...- My blissful expression slowly morphed with confusion as the wag in my tail slowed. "Can you give me some more detail on the chemical the gland produces? You said it produces a protein that checks for defects?" -How would a protein really.. do that...- "That is correct. MSC1 is a classification of nuclear envelope proteins common in most advanced lifeforms that verify the integrity of the DNA. Although study on younger dragons is limited, it is expected that the chemical verifies the DNA of the egg during its creation and after conception, when the genetic templates of the parents are blended. However, just one of these events is more than enough to cause permanent damage to the ovary itself, preventing the production of more eggs." Quickly speaking up, Hera spoke with a bit of haste. "If it damages the ovaries, does it also damage the egg?" "No." It responded firmly. "To our knowledge, it does not damage the eggs in the same way as surrounding tissue, however, its repairs are significant enough to draw the attention of lead researchers." -What?- With a bit of uneasiness starting to come over me, I felt myself tense slightly. "What do you mean?" "This world''s dragons are the only race ever discovered to produce this chemical in such huge amounts. Typically, the production of MSC1 proteins is isolated to specific areas of cells at the end of mitosis, however, that isn''t the case here. The proteins are produced in a huge quantity, and check the DNA of already constructed cells many times over. This causes evolutionary mutations to be exceedingly rare, but according to many recorded theories relating to the study of prehistoric dragon fossils and remains, the mutation could have only happened in the last forty or fifty thousand years. The issue is that timeframe is still far too short to so uniformly affect the entire draconic population of this world." -What the hell...- Hera slowly turned to me with a slightly anxious look, and I felt exactly the same way she did. "Are you implying the presence of the gland could be artificial?" "It is entirely possible that the gland is natural, as there are many evolutionary advantages to it, preventing major defects, and encouraging selective breeding to more reliably create stronger young. However, its forceful overproduction of the proteins hinders the creation of multiple clutches to such an extent that it is quite evolutionarily disadvantageous, but it may be possible that there was a significant culling of the draconic population, perhaps in the form of a war, and because they were stronger, the other genetics were weeded out." -But...- Looking over at Hera, I watched her dig through her memories before looking up at me with worry in her eyes. "There wasn''t a major culling that I can remember..." She spoke with a mix of uncertainty and worry. "And dragons only being able to have a single clutch was a widespread issue even when I was young..." But anger was slowly woven into her voice. Grabbing her attention, I spoke softly. "Do you know of any events around that timeframe?" She immediately shook her head before whispering back. "I''d have to check old records..." Pausing to think, she turned back to the AI. "Is it possible that it was something done artificially?" The AI''s glow gently pulsated as if to nod. "It is, especially so if the gland itself formed naturally." -It''s just the overproduction of the chemical it makes that''s the problem...- *Creak* Leaning back in my chair, I looked up at the ceiling and let thoughts rip through my mind. -Forty to fifty thousand years before the great war...- It simply wasn''t a long enough time for there have been either a huge event, or a happenstance mutation that didn''t have any sort of record. -It''s too recent...- And Hera knew that just as well as I did... -Maybe...- "Could it have been something related to diet? Could it have to do with it being oversupplied with nutrients?" Trying to take a shot in the dark in hopes of getting a hint at it being natural, I looked at the AI''s tube. But it responded bluntly. "This phenomenon occurs in dragons who live almost entirely off mana as well. The issue is with the genetics of the gland itself." Quickly expanding a wall of settings that covered the screen, I took my time to scroll through all the different settings, finding many that weren''t related to the map, before setting all the different Acardi structures to different colors and exiting to look at the map again. Almost instantly, hundreds of different areas lit up with different colors, showing me exactly what each structure was, no matter where it was. -Holy shit...- There were structures absolutely everywhere. -This should make finding the other laboratories easy, but...- The number of structures was mind-boggling. "Oh my goodness..." Even Hera was taken aback. "They really did.. infest this world..." No matter where you looked, as long as it wasn''t the heart of Siratha or Bahamut, there were structures scattered absolutely everywhere. Especially in the Holy Kingdom. -Oh my gosh...- It was almost like they had their own city there. -That.. is a bad sign...- My expression quickly turned troubled. "So they were allied with the Holy Kingdom..." Hera was thinking the same thing. But there was one thing continuously tripping up my thoughts. -The ship convoys they sent to Siratha were unbelievably lacking if the Acardi gave them any technology... Especially after ten thousand years...- "I think it''s more likely that they made a deal rather than having a proper alliance..." Zooming in on the Holy Kingdom, I could easily pick out several research facilities where it looked like the capital was, but they were all subterranean. "If the Holy Kingdom had access to Acardi tech, they would have already taken over the world, and most definitely wouldn''t have given my father the artifact that gave me a body my soul could coexist with... If Asgard had even an inkling of what that artifact did, they never would have parted ways with it..." "But I''m certain they gave the Holy Kingdom some things, they just probably couldn''t reverse engineer it." Gently nodding, I turned to look at the labs in the Deaths Gape, as well as a tiny spike in the middle of it that I understood to be the connection tower for the labs. "The idea of them having a weapon that can deal a blow to you or Myles leaves a bad taste in my mouth regardless..." But I was hopeful I wouldn''t need to test those waters for quite a while. "It''s all the more reason to keep eyes on them though..." *Beep* Selecting one of the many tabs at the top of the screen, the map instantly zoomed out to focus of the space around the planet. It was a satellite map, with several color options for marking different satellites just like with the planetary map. But there was one category of satellites that caught my eye. -Surveillance satellites...- "After we reconnect the labs and get an updated map of the sea floor to see if the oracle really was from the Leviathan, I want to get these satellites back online..." Although we had acquired the thunderbirds, I wasn''t confident in testing the waters by having them look over the Holy Kingdom. -But if I use satellites, even Odin won''t fuck with them...- The question was how many would even be recoverable, and how I would have to go about syncing them up with the laboratory. -I might have to restart the server that the Lab keeps mentioning...- Gently turning the map of the moon, I eventually found a tile labeled 4B, with a wide expanse of structures on it. -I just hope turning it back on isn''t going to open a whole nother can of worms...- ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 389: Lessons Chapter 389: Lessons Late Afternoon - Late Fall : Acardi Laboratory | Off the Coast of the Kingdom of Elynnor ----- *Blub...* *t-t-t-tap-Blub...* *t-t-t-CLICK-WOOM* As the old, decaying reactor kicked on, a plume of steam erupted from the top of the lab, funneling into a hole in the ceiling of the dungeon before funneling out into the open ocean like a massive volcanic vent. "~Hey, that one was pretty good!~" -Looks like she''s starting to get the hang of it...- Looking over at Hera as she carefully pulled her head out of the hole in the top of the laboratory, leading directly to the heat chamber of the reactor, I watched her lean back and take a moment for her eyes to adjust before she set her eyes on me. "~Did I do this one right?~" Immediately seeing me nod, her expression lit up with pride. "~Haha! At long last!~" "~Pftt, what do you mean ''at long last'', you went from not knowing how electricity works to restarting a fusion reactor in like a week.~" "~And I STILL don''t know what the hell is happening in the lab you literally reconstructed. All I''ve done is repairs!~" She seemed a bit annoyed, but just five days ago, I was trying to explain the concept of electricity to her while simultaneously attempting to explain why I was doing certain things when repairing an old fusion reactor. -It''s a process...- "~You''ll get there eventually, I promise.~" But I was honestly quite proud. "~You also just call them repairs, but you couldn''t have done them if you didn''t know how the whole system worked.~" "~Well, when I had to ask for a tutorial on every step of the process for the last two labs, of course I''d know now.~" Finally walking toward the edge of the lab''s roof and hopping off, we swam toward the vehicle bay and made our way inside. *tsss-blub* "Welcome.. aboard." It had been just under six days since I brought Hera to the Acardi lab off the coast of Siratha at that point, but we nearly couldn''t have been farther from it. Over the course of the last several days, we traveled all around the Death''s Gape following the directions of my OOM to find three other, much older abandoned laboratories with the goal of bringing them all back online. According to the main lab, the one in Siratha, they were the laboratories with subaquatic and subsurface mapping facilities. The issue was, while we only needed to power three of them, we had to go through and repair everything incredibly thoroughly, whether it was fixing a cable that led to an outlet in the cafeteria or the central fusion reactor, which, given their comparably poor build quality, was more than a little time-consuming. But after several days, we were almost done. All we had left was to connect the final lab to the Relay Pylon in the middle of the Gape and return to the main lab to check if the AI could communicate with the other facilities. -After that, we should be able to look at a map of the bottom and figure out if Jormungandr could really be the source of that patch of divinity near Nkremo...- My thought was, because of how massive he was, with a subterranean map, we should be able to see where he had previously been, and in turn, see if he could''ve been the one that the oracle stemmed from. However, regardless of whether he was really the source of it or not, I planned to use these facilities to keep my eyes on him, just as I was going to do the Holy Kingdom with satellites. -It''s time I start using some tech to my advantage...- But I can''t lie, the state of the other laboratories had me worried. *Blub-Blub* While we waited for the old vehicle bay to drain, Hera sat down and gave me an odd look. "~Why were all these labs so.. inferior compared to the one you rebuilt, by the way? Didn''t you get that reactor from an Acardi wreckage?~" I gently nodded as the water drained past my head. "These labs are much, much older. The reactor I built was from a wreckage around the time you were captured, and by the looks of it, the lab was similar." *Flash* Quickly changing to our humanoid forms, we made our way out of the vehicle bay and into the dirty, dilapidated hallway of the lab. "If I had to guess, these labs predate that by quite a margin..." -This was probably built at a similar point in time to the crawler I found...-Th.e? most uptod/ate novels a/re published on n(0)velbj)n(.)c/o/m "Is that so..." Glancing around, she looked at the dim, flickering lights with a mix of curiosity and worry. "Did their technology really advance that fast? It couldn''t have been more than two hundred years before I got caught that they arrived." The thing I was holding was the container for the other entangled electron used to communicate between laboratories. It was why the room I got it from was so pristine compared to the rest of the lab. -It was probably built around the time of the main lab, if not even later...- *Hummmmm* Hearing a faint hum begin filling the water, Hera and I continued down before a colossal obelisk, at least half a kilometer wide and ten kilometers tall started revealing itself with the bright glow of radiation. -Let''s see if I can find the right bay...- Pulling out my OOM, also protected from the water by my aura, I jumped through several menu''s before finding a map of the obelisk and searching for the bay number of the lab that I saw while on the computer. -Hmm... 1.. 7.. 2.. 8.. 4...- "~There it is...~" Mumbling as I found it, I immediately started swimming deeper toward the bottom, at a depth of about 170 kilometers, the deepest I had ever been. "~By the way...~" Looking down into the dark water, Hera spoke curiously. "~Why is the bottom around here all ice, yet it flows like water?~" Eventually finding the right bay, I used some aura to create a big vacuum pocket and simulate a vehicle docking to open the locks before carefully setting the entangled electrons container inside. *Snap-Blub* Releasing the bubble as the bay closed, I finally responded to Hera. "~It''s because of the pressure down here.~" "~What? It''s that strong?~" I wanted to scoff seeing her genuine surprise. "~Do you not realize that like, a block of unstrengthened metal would be crushed into a sphere at this depth?~" -Even I don''t understand how the water at this depth can remain liquid...- Even as a liquid, it was far denser than normal ice. But Hera didn''t seem to even notice. "~I know it''s dense, but how could the pressure reform metal?~" -Oh boy...- Hindsight, a part of me thinks she was saying it just to distract me, to get my mind off the things I was dwelling on by getting me to rant about something I was passionate about. But whether it was her goal or not, it worked. And looking back, I couldn''t be more thankful for it. ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 390: Unease Chapter 390: Unease Late Morning - Late Fall : Acardi Laboratory | Siratha ----- *Thump...* *RATTLEEE* *Thump...* *RATTLEEE* Watching the equipment embedded in the walls of the lab rattle as the entire structure seemed to vibrate, the empty blue window on the monitor next to me instantly began populating with light blue dots and lines. -Woah...- It was a map of the bottom of the ocean, using patterns of deep thumps and vibrations to map not only the incredibly flat ocean bottom, but also the formations of things like caves beneath it. *Thump...* *RATTLEEE* -I can''t say I''m not skeptical about how the rest of the Gape is gonna get mapped though...- Currently, the charge pylons outside, along with the mapping facilities of the other labs Hera and I reactivated were all connected in order to create the map, but with each facility being tens of thousands of kilometers apart, and seeing how comparably localized the current mapping range was, I was skeptical. -It''s certainly impressive, even just to map everything within a couple thousand kilometers...- But the Gape was so large it made The Scar look tiny, and as things were, the mapped areas could barely be called dots on the monitor. -I thought the AI said these facilities would map the entire Gape... Have they just been worn down that much?- But just as I thought that, and pushed some of my aura into the vibrating charge pylons outside, the thumps stopped, and the AI broke the silence. "Recalibration complete." "Huh?" Hera instantly froze up. "Beginning deep sea scan sequence." In complete silence, Hera and I locked our eyes on the pixilated monitor and waited. But it didn''t take long for the screen to update. Without a sound, the blue glow around one of the facilities started growing.. and growing.. and growing, like an endlessly spreading shockwave from the epicenter of a nuclear explosion, before eventually slowing down and dimming. -Woah...- Quickly rotating the map and zooming in, I found that, rather than a map of the ocean floor, it was mapping the massive expanse of caves in a cone below the facility, revealing the countless scattered dungeons completely hidden from the eyes of the world. When you looked far enough below the caves though, there was a vast flat space beneath it all. -H..Holy shit...- And it only took a moment for me to realize what it was. "Did it just map the surface of the mantle..?" I felt a bead of sweat form on my forehead as more cones started appearing, mapping more and more of the surrounding area while creeping upward as if stacking cones on their side. -How is it mapping things that far away...- As the ''sonar'' cones slowly pitched up, more and more of the map was filled out, until nearly everything within ten thousand kilometers of the lab was mapped. When it finished, it moved to the next lab, and then the next, varying in range slightly with each lab before finally, it was the Sirathan lab''s turn. *Thump...* RATTLEEE* -There it goes...- Using my aura to look into one of the, seemingly multipurpose charge pylons, I watched as a massive metal block was mechanically slammed into the inside of the metal casing, sending massive shockwaves into the ground and vibrating the entire dungeon with each thump.Chee?ck out latest novels at novelhall.com But just like when it was recalibrating itself, it was just warming up. -What the...- After a moment, the piston stopped moving, and some of the antimatter the pylon created was brought into the chamber to be accumulated before eventually, the chamber was flooded with hydrogen, and the antimatter was detonated. *crackle-WOOOOM* Sending out a shockwave so massive it ripped space, the explosion slammed the piston into the ground so hard it melted the black mythril containing it, and completely liquified the regular rock on the other side. But while the initial impact rattled the lab, after just under a minute, the lab rattled again, yet the piston didn''t move. It was an echo off the surface of the mantle, nearly two hundred kilometers below us. "So that''s what those sounds were..." Blankly staring at the monitor as the map was populated, Hera spoke softly. "You recognize it?" Looking over at her, I watched her gently nod. "During the war, we felt vibrations like this all the time... We thought they were earthquakes..." Her expression slowly darkened as she spoke. Right next to the outer core, seemingly swimming around it, was an indescribably massive object so dense it seemed to absorb the scan, creating a massive shadow on the map and hiding the core along with a huge section of the mantle on the other side. With its curled-up pose and odd body shape it was kind of hard to tell what it looked like, but after seeing similarities with the other smaller objects scattered around.. I only became more unsettled. -What.. are these things...- Although I had vivid memories of Jormungandr''s existence, and could piece together that he was the creature near the planet''s core.. the worm-like things on the map were.. unfamiliar to say the least. Even after trying to reference the countless years of traveling through space, I couldn''t even begin to guess what they were. But Hera had an idea I simply wasn''t ready for. "Are all these smaller ones.. The Leviathan''s offspring?" Instantly tensing up, my expression turned grim. "I.. don''t know..." Trying to jog old memories, I did everything I could to think back to my time on Delphi as Nott, but everything always turned up blurry. But the more I looked, the more uneasy I became. Even if I couldn''t find a memory with details, I expected to at least feel familiarity with things, especially with something major like the planet being infested with worms... But there was nothing... Nothing at all... "Hera..." Seeing my expression, she turned to me with a look drowned with worry. "During your time as monarch.. how often were there new dungeons?" Unsure how to respond, she hesitated. "Almost.. nev-" Realizing what I was getting at, she froze, before looking back up at the monitor with wide eyes. "Wait.. are you trying to say the reason there are so many young dungeons is..." "I think Delphi might be Jormungandr''s incubator..." "T..Then.. the oracle..." "It was probably placed there by someone other than Jormungandr, if he ever ventured to the surface we would see it. He''s far too big to be the one making any of those caverns.. but..." Now, the contents of the oracle had an entirely different meaning. -He wouldn''t just come up to the surface for no reason...- It was why I had doubts about the validity and likelihood of the oracle, especially after confirming it couldn''t have been from Jormungandr himself. But now, there were more than a few reasons I could think of, and not one of them was good. "This.. might be a bigger issue than I was anticipating..." ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 391: Steroids Chapter 391: Steroids Late Morning - Late Fall : The Cabinet | Bahamut ----- - Krystallo Ragnarok ~ "Mooom! When''s Brother going to be back?" Looking up at Mom while I laid on my back, I watched her sift through the wall of papers for a moment before sorting them into a stack and speaking. "He''ll be back soon, I promise." She spoke calmly, but in her voice, I could tell she was worried about something and rolled over to give her a skeptical look. But she just sighed. "Haah..." It had been exactly two weeks since Brother left us at that point, leaving me with Mother to get more political lessons while he and sister Hera ran around investigating the cult. The issue was, while Hera tasked Mother with keeping track of everyone suspicious and looking through new logs of other people to see if they were related, she hadn''t made much progress in the investigation. "How tedious..." It had her quite stressed. And I had a solution. "Why don''t you let me work as bait? You know they''re trying to influence young dragons, so aren''t I the perfect-" "Don''t even think about it." Mother''s tone turned firm and serious in an instant. "But why? Just have Myles watch over me! Is he not the strongest dragon alive behind Hera and Brother? Who would oppose him?" "Haah..." Stopping what she was doing, she turned her attention to me. "It''s not a matter of strength, sweetie. Hera explicitly stated that Myles can''t show his face until the Coming of Age Festival. We need the public to think he''s in power until everything is ready. The only other person I could send to protect you right now is Leander, but..." She paused as a bit of bitterness snuck into her tone. "I can''t trust him like I used to..." "Ugh..." Pausing, I laid my head down. -I just want to do something fun...- But as I laid there, I didn''t give my mind even a moment''s rest, burning to come up with something that''d get me out of The Cabinet. But I didn''t have many options. "Mom, can I visit Diaforoi?" After Brother investigated him two weeks prior, he had been under constant watch. -He seemed normal when we spoke.. so why did Brother say he still needed to be investigated...- Mother was also suspicious of him even though she had never spoken with him. "Absolutely not." She didn''t seem to care about my thoughts on it, and simply followed what Brother said. "You heard what Vasilias said about him." "Yeah, he said I needed to keep my distance for now, but if people have been stationed to watch him, record his conversations, and even document his behavior, what''s wrong with it? Do I really need a bodyguard with me?" Looking at me, unamused, she spoke like Father. "Your brother, instead of dismissing the possibility of that young boy being involved, increased how much we were investigating him. He just said there were more important things for him and Hera to investigate right now so he left it to us." Turning back to her work, a stack of papers neatly stacked next to her exploded into the air. *Flutter* "Plus, we have actually gotten some.. interesting evidence from him over the last week." -Huh?- Thinking she had to be joking, I gave her a somewhat annoyed look. "Evidence? Of what? Him playing in the dirt?" "Of him being involved in the cult." *Flutter* Moving a paper over to me, she held it so close to my face that it forced me to read it. It was documentation of about a dozen people frequently visiting his general area and following him around like guards or assassins. "These people have also been investigated and are very likely close associates with the Holy Kingdom." Lowering the paper just enough for her eyes to peek over the paper, she spoke firmly. "Just because he may not seem involved to you, doesn''t mean he isn''t." Pulling back the paper, her expression was both caring and stern. "Your brother didn''t mention this to you, but he said that boy spoke completely differently to you than he did anyone else. He had a few theories on what it could be, but what I believe is the most likely is that he''s tricking you." My expression instantly warped and darkened. "Enriched mana?" It created a sensation I only ever felt from mana I made in the void. "What is it?" Looking back through the doors, toward the wall of easily visible flowing blue mana, she looked proud. "It''s technically an eighth attribute to mana, but it depends on what you would classify an attribute. You can think of it like extremely high-energy mana, a step above unattributed mana." Turning back to me with her smug smile, she continued. "Considering you have a little bit of it in your aura, I expected you to know about it." -Huh?- My expression instantly warped with confusion before my eyes went wide. "Wait, is that what causes my aura to calm or stress people?" She immediately nodded. "I''m not sure how you create it, but it''s certainly in there." -Interesting...- Finally standing up, we started walking through the doors and pushed ourselves through the barriers, but the enriched mana only got denser, and my senses only got sharper. "Hoooh..." Letting out a breath as her whole body seemed to be steaming inside the mana, Hera glanced at me with a sharpness in her eyes that I had never seen. "~Doesn''t it feel good?~" Following her inside, my scales grew cold and my aura appeared to draw trails through the mana. It somehow felt even denser than liquid mana. But at the same time, the chill it gave me was incredible. "~Oh my...~" "Hoooh..." Having to let out a long breath to keep a chill from passing down my spine, my vision and thoughts had never been clearer. "~How does ambient mana even do this...~" "~Haha,~" letting out a muffled chuckle, Hera continued with a refreshed tone. "~You can''t compare it to normal mana. Because our bodies live off mana, giving it enriched mana is like giving it thousands and thousands of growth-enhancing elixirs. It''s like eating meat after knowing nothing but salad.~" "~Woah...~" As she spoke, more memories from my time as Nott surfaced, this time bringing with it some information. "~Actually I think I do remember something about enriched mana... It was what let Dagr and I grow so massive... We found a way to produce it in ourselves after one of my reincarnations.~" With it, we grew to well over a kilometer tall long before we even arrived at Delphi. It was like steroids for a body that lived off mana. -I really need to figure out how I''m managing to produce it so I can boost that production...- With all the dangers looming over the horizon, I needed everything I could get my hands on to grow stronger. "~But.. I can''t remember how we made it...~" Digging through memories at a speed I didn''t know I had, I tried to scrounge up some details with no luck. "~Well, if you do ever figure it out let me know.~" Turning away, Hera''s smile seemed to widen. "~But in the meantime I''m happy just taking a bit of yours.~" Following her inside, my smile slowly returned, and a happy sway found its way into my tail. "~That''s fine with me.~" ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 392: Unlocked Chapter 392: Unlocked Early Afternoon - Late Fall : The Library of Eternity, Atlas | Bahamut ----- -''Bahamut''s Questionable Choice'', ''The Bane of Progress'', ''The Tyrant''s Rule''..? Oh, it''s another about Hera...- Reading the titles of books as I walked down one of the two layers of bookshelves, I paused to peek over the middle shelf at Hera. "~You really were a hot topic back in the day, huh...~" -This is like the eighth book on her and we just started...- Glancing back at the door, we hadn''t gotten more than a few steps into the third layer. "~Of course. Bahamut essentially handing the country to me was a very hot topic back then, especially with those who believed they had power and influence because he made the decision without their input. They liked Bahamut though, so in order to keep his favor they aimed their voices at me, whether I was the one that did what they were mad about or not.~" -Interesting...- Lowering my head back below the top of the shelf, I got back to reading with my aura. "~So you were basically a scapegoat for everyone''s dislike?~" "~Something like that...~" Smiling with a somewhat reminiscent look, she continued. "~Back then, people said Bahamut put me in the position in order to court me. At that time, I was known for having quite a cold personality so they thought he was trying to ''win over the unwinnable'' by laying the country in my lap.~" "~So that''s why these books keep claiming you were unworthy of the position... It looks like those rumors really caught on.~" -These books are from well after the war...- "~Well, Bahamut never once corrected them, so it''s what became the truth in the eyes of the public... But it worked better for me in the end, so I don''t mind.~" Looking at me, her smile turned somewhat playful. But I was too busy reading to notice. "~What do you mean by it worked out better? If instead of being hated, you were loved, you probably could have been saved from the Acardi.~" "~But if I was saved from the Acardi, I wouldn''t be alive now.~" -Huh?- I wasn''t following. "~What do you mean?~" Looking over, I watched her nostalgic expression darken. "~I most certainly would not have survived even if I somehow managed to escape that facility alive...~" She paused before going back to reading. "~Even back then, I could tell the war wasn''t going well. Battles were short, and regardless of which side won, it felt like we were just taking jabs at each other, even though we were fighting with everything we had... But honestly.. after seeing everything you showed me over the last few days... I''ve found myself questioning how this world still exists as I remember it...~" Pausing as some memories gained a bit of clarity, I spoke more softly and carefully. "~So you think Delphi should have lost against the Acardi...~" She immediately nodded. "~It wasn''t Delphi against them, it was the draconic race.. and if I''m being honest, unless that laboratory was the absolute pinnacle of what they could produce.. I don''t see a world where we could have won...~" Finding familiarity in her words, I raised a question. "~Do you think they could have simply lost interest?~" It was a blind toss, but she seemed to think differently. "~I don''t know what, but Delphi had something they needed. Unless it was simply mana, the odds of them leaving us alone are slim to none.~" Peeking over the bookshelf at me, she spoke with a serious tone. "~One of the many things I learned being around them for so long was that they weren''t a race to simply leave behind something valuable. They spoke about colonies on other worlds like we talk about kingdoms, and said that it was a shame to destroy certain worlds because ''the sector'' didn''t find them useful enough... The only reason I didn''t get killed when they left my facility was because the guy in charge hated me, and wanted me to have a slow death.~" -But if they were defeated, there would be traces...- For the Mothership to hold as many people as it did, I had expected to find colossal wreckages in the bottom of the Death''s Gape, but not only was there nothing, there weren''t any sizable debris fields at all. -So what happened to them...- Once again, I was back to square one, questioning the purpose of the Acardi and wondering what happened to them. But there was one thing I had to wonder as I read the ancient books lining the shelves. "~Do you think it could be related to Jormungandr?~" If Delphi was an incubator for whatever kind of creature he was, maybe the Acardi needed it for something, came, found it was taken, and left. If Jormungandr was as powerful as I believed him to be, it would be logical that they wouldn''t try and piss him off. But that theory held less ground the more I gave it thought. So, for the next couple hours, Hera and I walked around the library, reading book after book about everything from the cost of living documentation and architecture blueprints to newspapers, old novels, and encyclopedias. For the most part, the knowledge and information they contained was useless to me, more so just giving me a look into the culture of Bahamut from that era, but every now and then I struck gold, like finding a book detailing old studies taken to look into science, attempting to explain quantum physics with mana, or finding a series of handwritten pieces detailing experiences during the fall of Bahamut. With every book, more and more memories seemed to gain clarity, not from my time as Nott, but my time as Bahamut. -I.. carved this...- Although faint, the sensation of my claws carving away wood filled my mind while I stared at it. -How.. did I make the lock work though...- Finally coming out into the hall as well Hera, holding her head and tail high gave me a curious look. "~It''s beautiful, isn''t it?~" Unable to pull myself from my thoughts I didn''t move at all. "~Are you trying to figure out how to open it?~" Following my gaze up to the door, she sat down. "~He said he only ever planned to give the key to his children, but he never had any... That place was basically his bedroom while he was Monarch.~" "~But.. I might know it...~" Slowly standing up, I walked toward the door and looked around at the hundreds of tiny, dark lakes carved into the wood. -They''re Acardi sensors... The same I use to log into the laboratory...- It would act like a fingerprint scanner, unlocking whenever Bahamut walked close to the door. -But he wouldn''t be able to pass the code on to anyone if that was the only way in...- Thinking back to the countless scattered fragments of memories, I held them up next to the map in my eyes before finally, a pattern I held up to the map crossed over every single lake in a pattern. The pattern of a layer of a space rune. -And then the numbers in that memory fragment...- They indicated the sequence of ''lakes'' mana in the space rune would pass through. -They''re the password...- *Vwoom* Pulling out some mana, I flooded the sensors following the sequence of numbers from my artificial memory. But.. nothing happened. -Huh?- Tilting my head, I sat back down before trying again, this time dragging a cloud of mana over the sequence, rather than pressing them like buttons. -Is it a pattern?- But that wasn''t it either. However, after sitting in focus for what felt like just an instant, I stood up and injected fire, electricity, and light mana into the wall at three points marked by mountains, as if it were being injected by a space rune. Because the sequence of numbers wasn''t the password, nor was it a sequence. The numbers were coordinates. *Click* And the moment I infused the right mana into those spots, a series of locks clicked open. ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 393: A Confession of Faith Chapter 393: A Confession of Faith Late Afternoon - Late Fall : The Library of Eternity, Atlas | Bahamut ----- *Click* "Huh..." Jolting at the sound of the locks being undone, Hera stared at the door with wide eyes. *Tink-VWOOOOM* Covering the ground with another wave of enriched mana so thick it almost acted like a liquid, a crack in the door slowly appeared, letting out more and more enriched mana before Her and I were completely engulfed in it. *WOWOWOOOM* -Holy.. SHIT...- Feeling the enriched mana easily force its way through my aura and dig into my skin, I felt like I had to start moving or else my muscles would harden into mythril, and had my vision blur before sharpening once more. It felt truly intoxicating, as if I had just chugged eighty barrels of Piotita. But after a moment, the fuzz in my senses vanished, and I found myself staring into an unbelievably beautiful space carved entirely out of a single chunk of wood. "Woah..." At the very center of the library, hidden by countless layers of carved rock, gems, books, and stunning architecture was the trunk of a tree that had long since lost itself to time. -What.. is this...- Reluctantly stepping forward, I poked my head through the door, looking around the beautiful room with walls of bookshelves and artifacts, and a huge padded area in the middle meant for a dragon to lay on. But.. oddly enough, the room only seemed partially designed for a dragon. Scattered along the wall opposite the door were all sorts of Acardi relics, old computers, tablets, 3D printers, and weapons. It was like a small workshop, with a TV, books, and all sorts of other things meant for entertainment scattered around the adjacent area. The books filling the bookshelves weren''t simple either, with every single one sharing the same handwriting, and sharing similarly worded, categorized titles. But more interesting than anything, sitting in the middle of the back wall was a simple desk, lit by a single light artifact sat on the desk like a lamp, with a single book laying in its light. Its cover read, ''A Confession of Faith''. With how dense the enriched mana was, I couldn''t use my aura to read it, but as I stepped into the room to get a closer look, I suddenly came to a halt, and glanced back. Yet to take a single step on the other side of the door, Hera stared at me. "~Are you okay?~" Setting aside my curiosity for a moment, I walked back toward her, trying to shield her from some of the enriched mana that was still pouring out of the room thinking it could have tensed her up. But it wasn''t that. "How.. did you open that..." Looking her in the eyes, I hesitated.. and took a moment to think of whether I should be honest. Whether this was a situation where ignorance was bliss or not. "Hera..." Even though I knew what her response would be, I was nervous, but I held my head up to speak confidently, with a slightly warmed, and softened tone. "I''m not just the reincarnation of Nott." "Huh?" Her expression immediately morphed with confusion. "What do you mean?" Thankfully, my casual tone helped take the edge off a bit. "I am the result of the combination of three souls. I was able to open the door because I remembered the key." "W..Wait..." Her tone instantly softened. "So, you-" Not wanting her to jump to conclusions, I tried to speak quickly. "I am my own independent being, no part of me is separate from the rest.. but of the three souls that were combined to make my soul, Bahamut''s memories and ego were by far the weakest." Lowering my gaze, I tried to speak firmly, and be as clear as possible. "Even now, I can''t remember much from that life, so don''t worry, I''m most certainly not the same-" *THWACK* Firmly smacking me across the face, my eyes shot open and my whole body tensed up. Slowly raising my gaze, I found Hera standing over me. "I''m disappointed." But as we moved around the room, reading more and more books, things only got worse. Nearly every book detailed an atrocity committed toward dragons without them even knowing, from the redistribution of mana, to the culling of soul lilies, driving what once grew abundantly on the Draconic Continent nearly to extinction. But the worst of them all was something we had yet to read. Coming from a world with technology, Bahamut knew of things like science and genetics. Shortly after gathering what he said was a ''healthy number of dragons'', he started having ceremonies to bless those who wished to have children, and would use their naivety against them, altering the genetics of their eggs so that a protein-producing gland would overproduce to the extent that it would make them infertile. In his own words, he wanted it to limit the reproduction of dragons in order to prevent overpopulation, and halt evolution. After having cultivated dragons till they numbered over a hundred thousand, he was worried that at their current growth rate, they would run into mass overpopulation, and need to take over the other continents for more space and resources, which would inevitably create division in the draconic race. But I wasn''t the only one that didn''t believe that reasoning. "~To think his value of humans was so high he would risk killing off his own race...~" Hera spoke with a deep-seated bitterness as she gritted her teeth. And I couldn''t disagree. His reasonings, while perhaps reasonable from the perspective of a being creating a world, tricking himself by disguising his intention left a sour taste in my mouth. "~Everything Bahamut did had secret intentions, huh...~" Finally looking toward the last book in the middle of the far wall, my expression darkened even more. -But if everything else was that bad.. what is in there...- The book had loomed in the back of my mind the entire time Hera and I read through the texts, and it only made me more worried. ''A Confession of Faith'' by a being hailed as a god by a population of people he didn''t deserve to rule, with the power to forcefully evolve or devolve life. Although not omnipotent, he was certainly powerful enough to act both benevolent and all-powerful in the eyes of those weaker than him. But instead of aiming his faith at those who put their faith in him, who treated his every word as gospel, he aimed his faith elsewhere. He, while recounting the idiocy of the draconic and humanoid races, didn''t realize he had the same flaws. Bahamut was not a dragon. He was a being who stole the fate of someone else. ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 394: Balance of Faith Chapter 394: Balance of Faith Early Evening - Late Fall : The Library of Eternity, Atlas | Bahamut ----- *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* Walking across the cushioned floor toward the human-sized desk lit by the glow of a single lamp, the air slowly turned stale and a palpable bitterness crept into my mouth. Although all the texts Hera and I had read up until that point were faintly familiar to my memories as Nott, for the most part, the emotions tied to them were plain indifference. Back then, while I could remember that I didn''t agree with his methods, I also didn''t particularly care what he did with the dragons. Of course, that was very different now that I was a dragon myself. However, as I stared at the book sitting on the desk, the deep-seated disgust I felt wasn''t from my current self. "''A Confession of Faith''..." Speaking coldly as I got closer to the book, I felt Hera''s gaze follow mine. "~What is that supposed to mean..?~" Following me with a darkening expression, she walked up next to me and sat down, waiting for me to open it. *Vwoom* But as I gripped its leathery mythril cover with my aura and opened it, the air in the room changed... It brought back memories instantly. It read: "August 7th, 1945 How I loath that day... The day my failure resulted in the deaths of countless.. and the day humanity was shown the power of God''s greatest creation. I did everything I could leading up to the moment it was dropped. I tried to do everything I could to keep the deaths of innocents to a minimum. But everything I did ended in failure. It wasn''t my decision to make, I wanted to find other ways to end humanity''s eternal conflict, but the Lord works in mysterious ways... The other angels, and even Michael said it was a necessary expense for the preservation of God''s children... But I don''t understand... How can the deaths of so many be rectified? How can such bloodshed be allowed? I don''t understand. Every time I asked the other Archangels, they told me it is the will of God, our Father. But the Father I knew was infinitely just, infinitely wise, and infinitely loving. So why must so many die? Why must some of his children be sacrificed in order to save others? Why can''t they all be saved? In search of an answer, I stepped back and tried to watch Father''s actions from afar, watching some of my brothers and sisters push forward human technology and infrastructure through the creation and development of even more horrifying weapons, while others began cleaning the many internal struggles that riddled humanity. Everything was for Earth, and the development of its people. An egg nurturing the children of our Father. But.. as time passed, I started to see things differently. Thoughts that my siblings would consider insane flew through my mind at every moment, disagreements with the way the almighty Father handled things that bordered heresy. And he knew. As time passed, my brothers and sisters became more distant, I became more detached from Earth, and eventually, I wanted to escape. I wanted to follow Father''s image instead of him, trusting in myself before others. I believed that I could do a better job. And that was the day I was expelled from Earth. January 21st, 1956. The last day I watched the sun set. - The void is truly a horrifying place. An abyss where souls are sent to be cleansed. In a matter of moments, memories fade, your ego collapses, and free thought becomes a thing of the past. With every moment in that place, I could feel my own sense of being become more distant. However, as my soul was devoured, I bumped into something. Within the void, there was a string, leading deeper into the void, away from Earth. I could understand why Father made the decisions he did, why there were things like evil and suffering still in the world, and no matter how badly I wanted to deny it, I had been doing exactly as he was. Without setbacks, there was no such thing as balance. What drives growth is conflict, and even the all powerful cannot change that. Or at least that was what I thought. Not long after I first started contemplating whether to find a way to return to Earth, a creature introduced itself to me as Nott, an Ancient Fenrir. He was so huge he made my almost 400 meter stature seem like nothing, and so powerful it wouldn''t have shocked me if he knew Father. He was a creator. A being that could create entire worlds out of nothing, manipulate environments at the flick of a paw, and use the void as a tool rather than a weapon. The true embodiment of a god. He knew more about the universe than I did as well, telling me if I wanted balance, I needed to take a different path than I had, showing me my mistakes in hopes that I would correct them. He tried teaching me how to feel at home in this new world, and how to feel comfortable in my own skin, watching from the sideline as if he was Father''s hand, once again guiding me toward what I was fated to do. But while I tried to follow him, listening to his advice, giving the dragons a true leader, and helping them establish morality rather than setting limitations on them. I didn''t understand... The moment I shifted my focus in hopes of finding a new balance in the world, the Aesir, and the humans that followed them, turned their backs on me. Instead of working with me, they constantly pushed back at everything I wanted to do, using their false religions to make the world think of dragons as no different than monsters. But I still believed that Father was holding my hand. I continued trekking forward, even after Delphi was invaded by creatures of science. I tried to do everything I could to strengthen the moral compass of the dragons so that they would help preserve humanity rather than destroy it after I leave and return to Earth.. and return to Father''s embrace. This life was one of many lessons, one of much time and knowledge. At long last, I could finally understand Father''s actions, and I could understand why things I didn''t like were necessary. Had I taken Nott''s approach, things would have been truly balanced. Dragons would have assimilated into the human world, and while wars would have certainly ensued, it wouldn''t have been one side against another. Everyone could have worked together.. and everyone could have worked toward the progress of the world. If I had done that, the Acardi wouldn''t have made it this far. They wouldn''t have been able to toy with the dragons like they had, and wouldn''t have been able to so easily trick the Asgardian gods into siding with them. But I don''t regret the path I took. It was something I was fated to experience, the plan of the almighty Father to let me find the correct path myself rather than simply giving me the answers. When I return to Earth, I expect to be a far more respectable Archangel, but I don''t wish to abandon this world just yet. Tomorrow I am to gather the strongest of the dragons to go fight the Acardi Mothership with Nott.. I just.. can only hope I''m not too useless. But perhaps my death, and the abandonment of my body is what is necessary. Perhaps through death, I will be enlightened to another of Father''s endless teachings. At least.. that is what I hope... I hope that my endless failures can be forgiven.. and hope my endless shortcomings can be rectified. But whether that is the case or not, I will follow Father''s light. Glorious Father, high and mighty, I entrust myself to your heavenly mediation. Please protect me from the evil once more, deliver to me your holy guidance, and heal me of my sin. If it is your wish, it shall be my command, even if you wish for my sacrifice. Oh Holy Lord, I entrust my being to you, please guide me to your light one last time. Amen." ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 395: Living the End Chapter 395: Living the End Mid Evening - Late Fall : The Library of Eternity, Atlas | Bahamut ----- *Fwip* *Fwip* *Fwip* Turning blank page after blank page, Hera and I could do nothing but stare at the book in silence. Bahamut''s final work, a recollection of his life and his mistakes, recalling what he came to learn in his life as the god of the dragons. While it certainly answered countless questions, it also filled us with an uncomfortable mix of understanding and bitterness. "What a fool..." Finally breaking the silence, Hera spoke with scorn. "Instead of conforming to his new life and its environment, he did everything in his power to conform it to him..." He was someone who fell victim to letting their past lives lead them. -Had I not disconnected myself from a human mindset when I was young.. I wonder if I would''ve been the same as him...- I could understand the decisions he made, and I could understand why, but there was no redeeming his solutions to the problems raised, like grouping the dragons to nurture a society and trigger a population boom before deciding it was enough and destroying their ability to reproduce, taking the route of separation and isolation over the route of assimilation. It was a tragic foolishness that would lead to the destruction of the draconic race if it wasn''t corrected. "When he died, he started a clock. The moment another catastrophe struck the draconic race, we would go extinct..." Without the ability to reproduce much more than at the rate of replacement, it made sense why dragons had learned to isolate their children from the world for so long. To just maintain replacement, the survival rate had to be incredible. -But if disaster strikes like another attack from the Acardi and the population is culled, dragons would never be able to grow back or regain their former glory...- "I don''t know whether to be mad at his terrible decision-making, or be grateful I''m alive to fix it..." Speaking while falling into thought, Hera had already begun trying to come up with a plan forward. "The only thing I''m not sure how we can fix on a large scale is female reproduction." Nodding, I was quick to close the book. "Just focus on taking things one step at a time. Restoring the mana wells is the easiest thing, so let''s start with that. Fixing the reproductive issues with dragons is going to take time to figure out, and will probably need to be approached on a dragon-to-dragon basis. We can forcefully create another clutch, but the problem will still persist until we figure out how to properly alter their genetics." -The soul lilies as well will be.. more troublesome to fix. I''ll have to come up with a better way to cultivate them...- Pausing for a moment, Hera turned and gave me a confused look. "Are you.. trying to take responsibility for what Bahamut did?" My expression quickly darkened. "As the one who absorbed his soul, it''s my burden to bear, is it not?" Giving the book one more glance, I finally stood up. "Plus, if it''s not me, who else is going to things like create a bunch of mana wells around Bahamut? Who can?" Quickly getting up and walking over to me, Hera shoved her face into mine. "Be selfish, Vasilias! You made it clear to me that you weren''t Bahamut, so why you can''t make that clear to yourself?" Pulling herself away, her expression washed with a mix of confusion and annoyance. "Just stop letting guilt from things you cannot change linger. You''ve already learned the lesson to be learned from these things, so stop letting them burden you." "But they are still issues that must be addressed, and I am the only one able to fix them-" "But that doesn''t mean it has to be fixed now! You''re anxious because you''re trying to take Bahamut''s responsibility, you''re trying to fill the shoes he left because you haven''t convinced yourself that you aren''t him." Stepping in my tail and I stood up, she forced me to stay put. "Bahamut is gone, so focus on yourself! You aren''t the god of the draconic race, so stop trying to take upon the responsibility of that position!" Looking me in the eyes, her expression and tone began to soften. "Look, you have much more important things on your plate, so put your mind at ease and go address them. When the time comes, we can face these matters, but for now, just focus on yourself, okay?" Standing up, she quickly walked over to me before pressing her cheek into mine. "You aren''t alone in this war, so share some of your burdens with me... I know I wasn''t of much help with getting the laboratories online, but I want to learn.. I want to help..." Feeling a warmth build in my chest, my expression finally started easing. "I know.. I''m sorry..." Pressing my cheek back into hers, I felt her whole body ease. "But that goes for you too, okay?" We were in it together, whether the fate of the world landed on our shoulders or not. And even though she knew that, as she gently pulled herself away, she looked me in the eyes and smiled. "That''s fine with me~!" A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ----- Late Evening - Late Fall : The Cabinet | Bahamut "There are always two others. We share the same mind, but we always disagree..." *Vwoom* Mother was quick to chime in with a cold tone. "Ask him what they disagree on." Not knowing what else to say, I did. "What do the voices disagree on?" "Many things." Averting his eyes, he looked almost pained. "How I act, what I think about, and the visions I have from time to time... The same ones I''ve mentioned several times today..." "The visions people believe are of the future?" He quickly nodded. "But I''m not so sure that''s the case... Even the other voices disagree on it... Some believe it''s a memory, and others believe it''s a vision of fate." Deciding to ask my own question, I spoke quickly. "What are the kinds of things you see in those visions?" His expression quickly started to darken. "Death..." The atmosphere of the entire room suddenly darkened as his expression shifted. "Every time I get a vision, it''s of a disaster... Visions of the world collapsing, or visions of war..." -Could they be.. of the Great War?- As Mom quickly interjected, I asked the question she wanted to ask. "Are there any commonalities between all the visions?" Nodding, he finally looked up at me, this time lacking the typical warmth in his gaze. "A huge silver creature.. like a serpent but so large it seems like it could wrap itself around the world... The World Serpent.. I think it was called..." After going silent for a moment, his tone suddenly went cold, as if I was suddenly talking to someone else. "It''s a monster we cannot fight... It''s a monster that will bring the end of our race if we try to resist it..." Staring off into the distance, he spoke with a hint of craze. "The only way we can survive is if we treat it as our god." ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 396: A Miracle Chapter 396: A Miracle Mid Morning - Early Winter : The Cabinet | Bahamut ----- *Crackle-VWOOOM* Dousing myself with a wave of freshly made mana, I quickly shook it off my head before glancing around the cave-like well I had dug myself into. -There was less enriched mana this time... Maybe I am onto something...- *Splash* Dunking my scaled tail into the pool of mana I was standing in, I tried to feel for how deep it was before hopping up out of the well itself. *FWOOSH-Thump* Finding myself in the central courtyard of the Cabinet, I wasted no time turning to a younger dragon wearing yellow bands around his horns and neck. "Sorry it took so long for me to get around to this well. I got caught up in my own endeavors." He immediately got flustered. "P-Please don''t be sorry, my lord! It''s a blessing just to be able to meet you, let alone see you perform such a miracle!" -Looks like Hera''s picked out some trusted young ones...- Similar to Chloe, he was a dragon with a very high mana tolerance, to the point he could withstand the creation of an immense mass of mana, and remain exposed to it for quite a while without trouble. He was her go-to project manager for more secretive projects like the construction of the thunderbird nest near Emporio, and the construction of the lids to the mana wells I had been creating around Bahamut. It did feel a little odd to expose my draconic form to him though, as he knew I was Nott. -But it''s not like it matters if someone in Hera''s inner circle knows about me.- He already knew about Hera after all. "Alright then, just keep up the good work." "O-Of course!" With a bright gleam in his eyes, he eagerly nodded before pulling out a mix of papers and materials. But I wasn''t about to stick around and watch him work. *FWOOSH* Quickly taking to the air, I sank back into my own thoughts. It had been a number of days since I left the Library of Eternity with Hera at that point, but while it was enough time to get a lot done, by Hera''s recommendation, I had been taking it somewhat easy by going and creating about a dozen mana wells around Bahamut, and using it as an opportunity to learn about enriched mana. As it was, enriched mana was like a thousand scattered puzzle pieces I had to slowly piece together, but it was steadily coming along. Even in just the experiments I did when making the last two mana wells, I figured out that I could more reliably make it by focusing lots of energy into a small point, like launching a long needle-like chunk of rock into the void rather than a normal round one. -Meaning enriched mana is probably just supercharged unattributed mana rather than being a new attribute...- But it, unfortunately, didn''t get me any closer to figuring out how to mass produce it, and while I found myself craving it from time to time, I could only leave that craving to fester while I worked on my to-do list. Not everything on that list was chores though. *Vwoop* *Vwoop* Quickly jumping through the void, I exited in the sky over the Sirathan Mountains before quickly descending to a mountaintop where two white dragons sat. *Fwoosh-Fwoosh-Thump* "Did I keep you waiting?" With a beautiful glistening in the ice hanging from her horns, Mother quickly turned to look at me. "Of course not. Is the mana well endeavor going well so far?" Quickly nodding, I shrunk down to about thirty meters and walked over to her. "It''ll be a while before we see much effect from them, but they will definitely help in the long run. The more urgent issue is the cultivation of soul lilies but Hera had a few ideas with that so I''m leaving it to her." Mother''s warm smile quickly turned smug. "It''s good to see you can trust her with such a task." "Well of course," Looking down the mountainside at Father''s still, unmoving body, I smiled. "Some other things have taken priority." Over the course of the last few days, I had finally amassed what I believed to be enough divinity to accelerate Father''s dragon sleep, leaving just the final preparations which I needed to make within the void. But because of the difference in the flows of time, Mom and Krystallo had come to see Father''s awakening. In their eyes, it will be almost instant, even if it takes a few years for me. -But I don''t think it''ll be that bad...- "Also," Quickly turning my gaze to Krystallo who was sitting on the ground sorting a tall stack of paper, I gave Mom an awkward look. "Why is Krystallo doing that here?" Mother''s smile instantly widened. "Oh~, she just lost a bet with me-" But more than anything, his reserve, working like an endlessly dry sponge, absorbed mana so aggressively that strands of divinity started forming a web in his chest. He reached a stage only dragons becoming ancients were known to have. And when his eyes eventually snapped open, revealing his new, mythril-green irises, it was clear it wasn''t just happenstance. Father was back, this time with a body that could nearly sustain itself with mana, and the soul of an ancient. But even he didn''t seem to realize that at first. *Vwoop-SPLASH* Returning to reality the moment I saw his eyes beginning to open, we fell down into the pool of mana in the well, and he broke out into panic. "AH!" With a yell, he jolted up to his feet and jumped up out of the mana, but I was quick to pull him back down. "Where are you going?" *Vwoom-SPLASSHH* -Why is he so panicked?- But that question was answered almost instantly. "H-huh?! V-Vasilias?" His voice bordered delirious. "I.. I definitely died... W..What''s happening..?" He seemed to lack the typical internal clock dragons were known to have, so he remembered the events in the dungeon as if they had just happened. -I wonder if that''s from me messing with his soul...- But while I was certainly curious, I didn''t really care. All I cared about was that he was alive, and that he seemed to be himself. -Thank goodness his soul is okay...- I could only let out a breath of relief as I watched him begin to take a look at the mythril tint in his silvery-white scales with a mix of awe and panic. "It''s good to have you back, Dad." ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 397: Coming Clean Chapter 397: Coming Clean Early Afternoon - Early Winter : The Well | Siratha ----- "S-So.. I didn''t die, but I was about to, so you forced me into a dragon sleep, used a soul lily on me, and then sped up the process inside the void..?" Struggling to piece everything together, Father looked me in the eyes with an expression that could only be described as a tangled mess of confusion and disbelief. "Essentially, yes." It looked like he had countless questions, but at the same time, he didn''t know which to ask. "It''s been about half a year since we went to deal with the convoys, and you got caught." "I-Is that so..." Slowly starting to calm down, he finally took a more objective look at his appearance, and the pool of mana he was wading in. "If it''s only been half a year though, how come you''ve changed so much..?" Instantly tensing up as his gaze landed on me, I wasn''t sure what to say. On top of the changes that came with my ascension, my draconic form had sprouted fur around my crown, along my spine, and along the top of my tail, now ending in a black tuff. It was a change that would even catch Mother a bit off guard, so for him it was more than a little jarring. But I had no reason to lie. "While time hasn''t moved much in the outside world, I''ve spent a number of years in the void between you, aging the soul lily, and my own.. ''personal endeavors'', so I''ve undergone a fair bit of change." -All the enriched mana I absorbed while trying to study it did speed up the process immensely though...- "A-Ah..." With guilt quickly coming across his face, I was quick to continue. "Please don''t feel bad about it. Others might think the void is a rather lonely place but.. it has it''s charm." Trying to reassure him with a warm smile, I sat up comfortably. "I''ll explain more in depth later, but for now just know that me spending time in the void like that isn''t uncommon, nor bad." Giving me an awkward look, he seemed to be unsure of how to feel. "Trust me, I''m alright, Dad." Walking over to him, I gently pressed the top of my head into his shoulder, and held it there until he finally relaxed. "Haah..." But even when he relaxed, finally coming to terms with everything, his face darkened. "I''m sorry, Vasilias..." Speaking softly, his voice was deep and laced with worry. "I just feel like.. I miss all the moments I told myself I wouldn''t after being forced to miss your early years..." -Ah...- Pulling myself away, I used my aura to force him to look at me. "We still have many years to go, there''s no need to feel bad. You''re starting to get interested in science, right?" Seeing him gently nod, I continued. "Then how about this, after you get reoriented with Mother, you come with me to recalibrate and repair some satellites?" A glow quickly found its way into his eyes as I sparked his curiosity. "Satellites? What are those?" Smiling, I quickly changed to my fenririan form. *FLASH* "I''ll show you later, but you can think of them like artifacts of science that orbit Delphi way up in the sky." Looking up into the sky through the top of the well, his eyes grew bright again. -There we go...- With my smile widening, I gave him one last look. "But for now, let''s go get you reoriented, alright?" "A-Alright!" Eventually hopping back up out of the well, I grew my fenririan form out to full size, now almost 98 meters tall, and walked over to greet Leif while Father hopped up out of the well behind me, and was greeted by Mother and Krystallo. Before I knew it, it had become a serious event, people standing around the well held their hands up in prayer, and Leif knelt before me as if greeting a king. -Looks like she''s grown used to her new strength...- Smiling with satisfaction, I quickly spoke to her through wind magic. "It looks like you''re doing well." Leif''s tail was quick to start wagging. "It is all thanks to you, my lord!" "Hm..." Pausing to look over the rest of the crowd, I spoke somewhat sternly. "Do you know of a man named Michael Cotorel?" But she quickly shook her head. "Is he someone I should look for?" "No.. I was just curious..." Giving the crowd one last look over with my aura, I turned away. -I wonder how he is doing...- After that, the afternoon passed in a flash, and before we knew it, the sun had set and the endless night sky had taken its grasp on Siratha. After Father''s awakening, we had gone back to Valtivar in order to spend the evening in Leif''s estate and have a small party with some of Mother''s inner-circle, mainly being some maids and butlers she was close with, Leif, and a few other people who were allowed to know my identity. Compared to most dragon sleep celebratory parties, it was incredibly small, especially considering we were next to royalty, but keeping it tight-knit made it quite a good time. -It''s nice to that Father hasn''t changed much...- Throughout the evening, he had spent most of his time talking to an elven researcher Leif wanted us to meet because of his endeavors in the realm of science, and they hit it off with one another right off the bat. -It''s a shame Hera isn''t here though...- Gently laying my head down, I looked upon the pleasant atmosphere with a smile before a soft voice reached my ears. Gently nodding, I tried to relax. "I''m sorry I kept it from you both for so long, but I didn''t know the full story myself until recently.. and even more so, I was afraid of how you would-" *Pat* Abruptly cutting me off, Mother pressed the top of her head into my chest and closed her eyes. "Dont be so tense, Vasilias..." Looking up at me with a smile, she scooted closer. "I don''t know what you expected from us, but there is no need to be nervous. Your Father and I already had an idea that it was something like that." Instantly jolting, my eyes went wide and locked on her. A smile almost instantly spread across her face. "Haha~, you think we havent discussed this? Her embrace tightened as she continued. But I knew before you even hatched. Grabbing Fathers attention, his gaze stiffened. Before I even laid your egg, a spirit reached out to me in a dream offering to bless my children with the power to rule the world, saying the cost for the blessing would be the responsibility of raising you, and the alternative was a child that would never make it out of its egg..." Her expression darkened as she continued softly. "It wasn''t an offer I took right away, but the spirit continued to visit me in visions.. and I eventually accepted... When you eventually hatched, I was anxious, and when Fengari never made it out of his egg, I hated myself, thinking that I had taken the hand of an evil spirit.. but as time passed I started to realize that you were the blessing." Watching her take a step away and formally bow her head, I felt my chest tighten. "I don''t know if the one I spoke to before your hatching was you as Nott.. or perhaps just the personification of my worries, but I''d like to say thank you, whether it was you or the hand of fate." But as she lowered her head, Father smiled. "I was also reached out to by the same spirit after it reached out to your Mother, this time told to retrieve an artifact... Looking back, it was a bit naive of us to follow the instructions of an anonymous spirit like we did, but after it showed me a vision of Zachari only having a single egg hatch from her clutch.. I had to... Even if it was a decision that was made from selfishness..." Slowly straightening her posture and looking up at me, Mother''s warm gaze landed on my eyes. "And the spirit didn''t lie. He gave us children we couldn''t be more proud of." Feeling a sudden rush of emotions, I could only stand there in silence with a mixture of guilt and relief fighting in the back of my mind. "I.. I''m just sorry..." Eventually finding words to say, I spoke with a heavy tone. I felt like I had tricked them, believing that I was likely the spirit they were referring to, and that thought made me feel sick. But before I could get a word out, Mother and Father both walked over and caught me in their embrace. "Don''t be sorry, Vasilias." Mother''s soft voice nearly brought on tears as she pressed herself into me. "You are our son, are you not? What is there to be sorry about?" Father gently nodded in agreement with a satisfied expression. "You chose us, and we chose you. You are our child, a child born from fate, blessed with the strength to carry the burdens of the world. Who wouldn''t be proud to have you as their child?" Feeling the gentle thumps of their heartbeats, I had to fight back tears while a part of me I thought I had lost took overCI wasn''t me, but rather the young fenrir who played in endless prairies with his brother, and the young dragon who napped in the warm embrace of his Mother. Hanging my head, my heart finally found ease. "Thank you.. both of you... I hope you know that I love you both more than anything else in the world..." Hugging them back, I felt, for a moment, as if all the weight that had been crushing me was suddenly lifted, replaced with a sense of comfort and warmth. I finally felt the bliss I only ever had as a child. I felt at ease... I felt at home. ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 398: Learning To Live Chapter 398: Learning To Live A shorter Chapter today since this was written when I was getting smoked by Hurricane Helene Late Afternoon - Early Summer : Nouniel Kingdom ----- - Elizabeth Valia ~ -''Queen Elizabeth, the founder of the Nouniel Kingdom''... To think the nation I founded still exists almost eight thousand years later...- Looking down at the image of what was once me painted into a book, I felt a wave of blurry memories and unassociated sensations start flowing into the back of my mind. -A life led by naivety and ignorance... At least it worked out for everyone else...- *Snap* Closing the book and placing it back on the shelf, I made my way out of the library, setting a silver coin on the receptionist''s desk as I covered my head with a leather hood. *Fwip* "Thank you for your patronage, miss!" Eagerly swiping the coin off the desk, the young demihuman receptionist bowed with a wide smile. Waving at her over my shoulder, I pushed the large door open and made my way out onto a porch shielded from the intense winds ripping down the sand-covered street, carrying with it an ocean mist and the scent of fish from the port, where the ship I was set to board was sitting. "Haah..." -The winds here are really ridiculous...- Finally putting on a black mask, I made my way out onto the road and started heading to the port. Currently, I was in the Nouniel Kingdom, a very small kingdom situated on an island south of the Kingdom of Deacia in the Shallow Sea. Up until that point, I had simply been following the visions of fragmented memories, guiding me all the way from the peak of the mountains in the Holy Kingdom, through Faelith, and across the Shallow Sea to recover the memories of the lives I once lived. As things were, I was about to head to the mainland of the Main Continent after retrieving the mementos of my life as Elizabeth Nouniel, a pirate turned queen with the help of my friends who I could only now, eight thousand years later, recognize were dragons. -Evan Palaio?s... With a last name like that, you''d think I would have realized earlier...- Scoffing at my previous ignorance, I took a moment to bask in the nostalgia of the city before eventually making my way onto a massive galleon, showing a royal seal to the crew, and making my way into the suite next to the captain''s room. *Clack* Closing the door behind me, I took off my damp, sand-covered cloak before setting down my bag and pulling out a book with a quill. It was my diary. Just as I had done in my countless past lives, I wanted to put everything I felt in writing.. it helped me organize my thoughts and feelings, and ease the endlessly clashing emotions in the back of my mind. It was what kept me grounded, and kept me sane. But as time passed, I found my troubled heart relaxing more and more even if I never picked up my quill. My shaky hands steadied, my fears faded, and I felt at ease even when I read the panicked words of my past selves sinking into despair after finding out the truth of my existence. But rather than having just grown used to it, or grown comfortable with my fate, I had steeled my determination to change it. Even if that meant I had to reach for the hand of an unknown god. *Tap* Setting down my quill, I looked up at the ceiling and let my memories of the thunderbird''s nest replay in my mind. As someone who was once a believer and messenger of God, I was hesitant, but as someone whose fate had lost its guide, I was determined. -At the end of every diary I''ve found.. I asked God why.- I believed that in every reincarnation, I had a purpose that God wished for me to fulfill. -But the more I give it thought the more it seems like my prayers can no longer reach him...- Even after dozens of reincarnations, nothing ever changed. Until now... Until I met a god who knew of my origin and offered to give me answers to the endless questions that haunted my existence at the cost of taking hold of my soul and my fate. But while it was what Mother and I were waiting for in order to get him up to speed on everything he missed, we both agreed it would be better if he did something fun before his responsibilities for their way back to him. So, I was going to take him up to repair the satellites, and let his curiosity run wild, but, unfortunately, that required far more prep than I thought. "I think I understand..." The biggest thing was teaching him thruster magic. *Crackle-FWOOOOSH* But thankfully, although it took a few hours, he did eventually get the hang of it. Watching him go tumbling through the air again, this time in a much more controlled manner, I smiled somewhat pridefully. -He was a quick learner before too, but.. I think he''s gotten even faster...- As he slowly steadied himself with the thruster magic, he wobbled trying to find a perfect balance before eventually realizing he could just relax his legs and tail to let them do the balancing for him. It was a simple thing, but it made him smile like a child. *RRRRRUMBLE* "Haha! I did it!" Looking toward me with a childish gleam in his eyes, I felt a tightness in my chest ease, and the lingering guilt of tampering with his soul fade. He was truly himself again, and like Mother had told me behind his back, he seemed to have regained his youth. His younger, more prideful self that had been squashed by responsibility over the years had regained its former glory, leaving the man Mother fell in love with the thrive once more. But while it was truly a wonderful sight to see Father so prideful again, it also brought with it its own set of challenges. Challenges that he would set upon Mother and me without warning. "So, what if I used this thruster magic to throw the cubane artifacts I made before? Like a giant explosive cannonball." Looking down at the sphere of hydrogen floating in front of him with a gleam in his eye, he turned to me. But I could only sigh. "Just focus on learning to fly with it for now, Dad." -His ideas are.. a little concerning sometimes...- And little did I know, they would only get crazier. ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH BIG Announcement!! (And Art Collage) BIG Announcement!! (And Art Collage) Hey Everyone! Hope you''re all doing well! So, I know a few of you in the discord have been wondering when this announcement would be made since it''s something I''ve been sitting on for a while, but I thought that since it was my birthday I''d help spread a bit of excitement around. Now, after 3 long years, The Dragon of Dreams AND The System''s Harvester will be getting Webtoons! For a bit of extra detail, we are planning to release the 4-5 chapters, free for anyone to view, for each novel on the 30th, and although the chapters are rather short for the time being, I promise that will change as time passes, I''m just on a very tight budget currently. Expecting that they both do fairly well, or I manage to grow my Patreon, we are aiming for weekly 40 panel chapters (what is generally standard), but are currently doing biweekly 20 panel chapters until more funding is acquired, which, according to the manager shouldn''t take too too long. Chapter 399: Learning to Learn Chapter 399: Learning to Learn Early Afternoon - Mid Winter : The Cabinet | Bahamut ----- - Krystallo Ragnarok ~ "So, he was normal up until you asked him about the visions he has?" Quickly nodding, I looked up at Brother with a somewhat distressed expression. "When I asked about the visions, his whole character shifted... It was like he suddenly sank into insanity..." Grimacing as I thought back to my interview with him, Brother instantly wrapped me in his aura. "So it''s a complete shift... Interesting... I wonder if it''s not just multiple personalities..." Speaking barely above a mumble for a moment, he gave it thought before turning to me. "I''ll go check him out for you, alright?" "B-But can I come?" Realizing I spoke without thinking, I quickly went to retract my words, only to be met by the tip of Brother''s wing pressing into the top of my head. "Of course, I just can''t promise that what you want to happen, will." Quickly nodding, I hopped up onto my feet with a mix of excitement and anxiety churning my stomach. I wasn''t sure what to expect. Brother was someone I trusted more than the world, but if he said that Diaforoi was indeed dangerous like Mother had been trying to say.. I wasn''t sure how I''d respond. But thankfully, or perhaps unfortunately, their interaction wasn''t nearly as simple as I imagined. "My name is Vasilias," Entering the room in a shrunken version of his draconic form, he spoke with an alluring calmness and warmth like Mother. "What''s yours?" Looking up at Brother with a bright gleam in his eyes, Diaforoi spoke excitedly. "D-Diaforoi! My name is Diaforoi!" Smiling, Brother quickly found a place to sit on the opposite end of the table, leaving me in the doorway behind a wall of light magic to watch. "It''s nice to meet you. Do the other ''you'' share that name as well?" Tilting his head to think, he didn''t show even a hint of skepticism before shaking his head. "Do you perhaps know their names?" "Hm..." Tilting his head again, the look in his eyes seemed to shift before his normal childishness returned. "I forgot it!" Brother''s tail quickly curled. "It?" Hastily nodding, he looked up at Brother with a bright smile. "They are one! They don''t have multiple names.. or at least, that''s how they used to be." Trying to recall memories one more time, he somewhat nervously tapped his foot and looked up at the ceiling. But he wasn''t given much time to think. "What do you mean by used to?" Speaking warmly once more, Brother continued probing him. "Uh.. before me." He seemed uncertain how to word it. I didn''t get it either, but Brother was quick to respond. "I see. Can you recall anything else about them ''before you''?" -What is that supposed to mean...- The longer they talked the more they seemed to speak in their own language. But every time, Diaforoi understood the questions. "They were a big dragon! The size of a huge tower! And were always covered in beautiful jewels." "I see..." Pausing, Brother looked him in the eyes for a moment before bringing a smile back to his face. "How do you recall those details? Are they like a memory, or a vision?" "Hmm.. more like a memory." Having some kind of realization, he quickly relaxed. "I see, thank you for your honesty..." But it didn''t take long for things to become tense. "Now, how about Krystallo? What do the other you think of her?" "They think she''s precious!" Feeling my cheeks warm as a smile spread across my face, he continued. "Although sometimes, they tell me to be cautious of her." -Huh?- Feeling my breathing stop for a moment, the gentle curl in my tail relaxed. *Vwoop* Popping out of the void over Emporio, I made my way toward the thunderbirds ''Branch'', where Hera was, in order to talk to her about hydras to try and get a better idea of how exactly they worked. But Hera was in the same boat as me. "That''s possible?" Giving me a dumbfounded look as she pulled herself away from the thunderbird captain, she motioned him away. "I would have expected hydras to have more explicitly split souls considering how they act." I was quick to shake my head. "His soul is completely smooth, without any divides, yet not only has he mentioned other ''voices'' in his head, he said they don''t go by his name, but by a name ''they'' forgot." -It''s really odd...- They acted like they were somehow divided, yet still one consciousness. -They just haven''t meshed with the kid yet is what it looks like...- "Anyway, I was coming to you to see if you knew anything about the traditions of the hydras that could lead to souls blending like that." "Hm..." Sitting down to think, she looked up at the ceiling for a moment. "They did have some odd traditions when it came to hatching, but I can''t remember the details, unfortunately... I remember them syncing their hatches with the prayers at the Tree of Prayer, but I can''t remember the details." -I wonder why...- Thinking I would head to Siratha and spend the rest of my evening looking into it while Father was occupied with Mother, I turned around, ready to leave, only to have Hera wrap her tail around mine. "Where are you going?" Looking back at me, she gave me a slightly disappointed pout. "I was gonna head to Siratha for the evening to see if they have any information on it. What''s the matter?" "I was wondering when you wanted to reintroduce me to your Father since you said his memories are jumbled... I''ve been wrapped up lately, but it''s not like I can''t make time." -Ah, right...- I had completely forgotten that they hadn''t met. "I''m planning to take him up to repair the Acardi satellites with me in a few weeks, if-" "And you didn''t invite me?" Turning around and walking over to me, she pressed herself into my side. "I''m disappointed... You know I''d want to do something like that." "Ack-" Tensing up and averting my eyes, I did what I could to avoid her gaze. "I was going to! I just got sidetracked..." "Uh-huh..." Giving me a glare for a moment, she slowly pulled herself away while gently caressing my side with her tail. "It''s good for you two to have some father-son time, so don''t worry about it. Just tell me when you want me to meet him and I''ll make time, okay?" Giving me a joyful smile as she walked away, my heart eased. "Then make time in two and a half weeks. I need to make sure Father won''t suffocate or float off into space while we''re up there..." Watching her suddenly tense, an awkwardness blew across my face. -Ah...- "You.. don''t know how to do thruster magic either, do you..." Instantly whipping her head around, her eyes locked on me with a bright gleam in them. "Nope, you need to teach me! I''ll make time right now!" *VWOOM* Her aura instantly slammed down around us as the thunderbirds watching us from some distance all scattered. "Haha, you know you just had to ask if you wanted to know, right?" As she quickly turned around and got close to me again, I felt my cheeks warm. But, as expected, she learned it almost instantly, leaving me to teach her other spells I thought were good to know as an excuse to spend a bit more time with her. And it made for a good evening, for both her and I, eventually leading to a new part of my routine. Whenever I had free time, I would spend it with her, for the entire two and a half weeks that Father was being reintegrated into society. It was a truly lovely few weeks, but unfortunately, it did eventually have to come to an end. And the day I was going to reintroduce Father to her before we went up to work on the satellites arrived. ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 400: Jogging Memories Chapter 400: Jogging Memories Mid Evening - Mid Winter : Six Hundred Kilometers East of the Cabinet ----- *rrrruuuuMMMBBLLEEE-WOOSH* Watching Father zip past me at close to Mach 4, this time without his scales glowing red-hot or tumbling through the air, I nodded with a satisfied look. Mach 4 was most definitely his limit, but because he was limited by how thick the air was, as we rose in altitude, his speed limit would inevitably rise as well. *Vwoom* -He might have trouble managing his oxygen when we''re at altitude though...- Checking the space around his head with my aura as he disappeared over the horizon, I motioned him back, and used some of my mana to grow the rapidly-melting iceberg I was floating on. After all, I wasn''t sure a square kilometer of ice would survive. *Crackle-z-z-z-Z-Z-Z-ZIP-BAAAAANG* Slamming into the iceberg at full speed, cracks ripped through it like lightning before the whole thing was plunged beneath the water. *WOOOSH-SPLASSHH* -Oh, it survived this time...- Using the water that rushed across the surface to repair the huge cracks that appeared, I buried our claws in ice. But a bit of ice was far from enough to hold Father in place. "HAHA!" *CRACK* Jumping out of the ice, he happily hopped around like an overjoyed child for a moment before turning to me. "Did you see that?! WOOOO, that felt good!" His happy roar quickly echoed off the massive waves surrounding us before I quelled them as well. "I told you going fast is euphoric." Smiling as I broke the ice around my claws and stepped out, I spread my wings and dried myself off. *Vwoom-Woosh* "How are your legs feeling though?" "Much better!" Holding up his paw, he gently moved it around before firmly stomping a few times. "The work you did on it last time was flawless." "Phew..." Letting out a silent breath of relief, I spoke more softly. "Thank goodness." The last time we came out to fly, a few days prior, he did the same thing he just did, but went much faster and slammed straight into the water, consequently crushing the joints in his wrists and breaking a few bones in his legs. When I went to fix it, I did a bit of a procedure on him to not just repair everything, but strengthen it as well, and it seemed to work out. "You said it was just mana strengthening, but I''m not sure I believe you." "Well, that''s cause you''re comparing my mana strengthening to normal people." With my recent time in the void, I found a much more time-consuming, but stronger method of mana strengthening using lattices interwoven with space mana. The downside was that it made whatever I strengthened a dark matte black, whether it was supposed to be a shiny metal or white bone, and greatly stunted organic activity. -But before that really becomes a problem, it''ll get replaced with his own mana.- "I guess that''s true." Looking me in the eye as he started walking over, he spoke with excitement written all over his face. "In any case, do you think I''m finally ready for our excursion?" Somewhat hesitantly nodding, I tried to quell his excitement a bit. "I do, but we can''t leave just yet." "Hm?" "We have someone else coming with us," Without realizing, a smile spread across my face. "Someone I still need to reintroduce you to." As we flew back to the Cabinet, I tried to ease him into things, especially since I wasn''t sure how much Mother had explained to him already. "So, how much has Mother explained the governmental changes in Bahamut?" Shrugging as we flew, he spoke with a bit of uncertainty. "I thought a lot, at least about it''s function and origin. She didn''t mention much about what caused it." -Okay, then...- "Has Mother told you who the Monarch is?" He quickly shook his head. "I heard it was Myles Kalfas since he survived his dragon sleep. Is it not?" "Uh..." Hera and Father had the same reaction as me. "What are we looking at..?" Hesitating as I looked at the large purple cube floating before us, I wasn''t sure what to really think. -It looks like it runs mostly off mana...- But inside it was an incredible mix of technology and runes, intertwined so perfectly that it was a little hard to follow. -Besides cleaning up the runes and circuits a bit, this shouldn''t need much repairs...- However, I quickly found myself with another problem. "What.. is this thing supposed to do?" Tilting her head, Hera stared at it with an unbelievably confused expression. "That.. is a great question..." Pulling out the OOM again, I quickly connected to the satellite, did a few scans to make sure it was working properly, and then went into the ''in-depth diagnosis'' tab, telling me exactly what it checked, only to find that it was an outdated communications relay that was likely replaced by the tower in the middle of the Death''s Gape. -Maybe.. I need to change how I go about doing this...- With a little more research, I quickly came to realize just how few of the fifteen thousand satellites the OOM found needed to be repaired. But.. that didn''t mean repairing them would be any easier... With every satellite we found, I felt more and more lost. "W..What..." -How does this shit even work?!- Honestly, I was intending for the trip to be something where I could help deepen Hera and Fathers knowledge of science, but.. before long, I found myself deepening my own. It just went to show how much more advanced the Acardi were than I had always envisioned.. to a point that it was truly a bit horrifying, not just to me, but Hera. How.. did the Acardi not conquer Delphi... Looking over at her staring at a computation module that used runes, mana, and quantum electronics, simultaneously, completely dumbfounded, I couldnt help but ask myself the same question. How.. did Delphi even survive... ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 401: Realizations Chapter 401: Realizations N/A - N/A : Orbiting Over the Cabinet ----- "So.. this is that antimatter stuff you were talking about?" Father spoke somewhat cautiously as he used his aura to inspect the inside of a massive satellite. "Yeah, that battery you''re looking at could probably flatten a small city if it was detonated properly." At the time, we were inspecting a new type of satellite we believed could be intended for optical observation, the type of satellite I specifically came into orbit to find. -It certainly looks promising...- Looking far more traditional than the previous hundred or so satellites we had messed with, it had a relatively small black box at the center, with four long panels absolutely lined with lenses, lasers and sensors, all aimed toward Delphi''s surface. -I just hope this isn''t one of those stupid atmospheric condition observers...- Quickly getting to work, I helped guide Hera and Father through some of the details before letting them repair the outer panels while I focused on the central control module. -Let''s see what we''re working with...- It had been several days since we went up into orbit at that point, and because most of the satellites didn''t have operational communications systems, we had flown up to about five thousand satellites to judge what was and wasn''t worth repairing, taking our time to fix whatever seemed promising, and getting quite lucky every now and then. While many of the things we took the gamble on turned out to be useless, we also managed to get things like atmospheric radar satellites, and interplanetary object trackers online again, giving me the ability to track anything flying in the atmosphere or floating through space, even if it was hundreds of millions of kilometers away. -If something like an abyss eater wanders too close to Delphi.. at least I''ll know now...- After all, even if I was nowhere near strong enough to deter something at that level, some warning was better than none. But those still weren''t the kind of satellites I was looking for. Finally managing to get the reactor and battery repaired, I moved to the computing module, carefully ensuring the antimatter battery wouldn''t try to incinerate us when we''d inevitably turn it on. "Okay, I think I''ve fixed the wiring in the panels." Closely inspecting the back of the array plates, Hera looked around as if she were looking through the metal before speaking somewhat idly. "This one was in pretty good condition... For the most part the damage is limited to scratches, and wear on the electronics..." "Yeah..." -We got pretty lucky...- Unlike this one, most of the satellites we had seen were more seriously damaged, missing chunks of electronics or even being nothing but a cloud of scrap where a satellite used to be. -But I''m not gonna complain...- *Click* *Pop-Pop-Pop-HHHHMMMMM* Finally starting up the reactor after finishing my repairs and glossing over what Father and Hera did, I connected my OOM to the satellite and started doing a diagnosis to see what it could do. And sure enough, it was exactly what I was looking for. ''All Optical Systems: Online'' -Fuck yeah...- But, after hastily jumping through some tabs on the OOM to see if I could pull up a view from the cameras... *Beep* ''Unable to view data outside of official ARX facilities'' "Ugh..." Letting out a groan, I felt the excitement on my face fade a bit. "ARX again?" Hera tilted her head as she floated over to look at the OOM''s display. "Yeah," It was the name of an Acardi company or technology related to systems involving a mix of runes and quantum computing. -The issue is I''ve never heard of it...- Prior to working on the satellites, I had never heard of ARX, it wasn''t in any of the research directories in the Lab, nor in the language translations. "I really hope the AI at the laboratory knows something about it, but.. I''m a bit doubtful to say the least..." "Well, we can only hope... You can still pair it with the OOM though, right?" Father quickly came over as well. "Yeah, but that''s just to connect it to a relay. Not to view it''s data." Like many of the other satellites, each satellite had a code or signal that, when given to a relay satellite, would let it sync up with everything else in orbit, and theoretically communicate with facilities on Delphi or the moon. "If we find a more modern relay satellite, I might be able to pair it with the relay tower in the Death''s Gape, but I''m not sure if the laboratory can process the information from these satellites regardless." But, there was only one way to find out. After continuing to a few more satellites that were relatively close by, we started making our way back to the ocean surface beneath us, before heading all the way down to the Acardi laboratory. "If I am reconnected to the server, it is possible to remotely use these facilities with your clearance, however, you must grant this laboratory special system permissions to do so." -Fuck...- Biting my nail, I leaned up against the desk and fell into thought, letting Hera and Father start asking their own questions With every trip I made to grow my knowledge of Acardi technology, my need to restart the server grew. -But I don''t have any alternatives...- If I wanted to make use of Acardi tech on any kind of scale, I would need something that connected everything. And unfortunately, no matter how much I wanted to, I simply couldn''t create my own connection. -There''s a chance I can just power the ARX facility and connect it to the spire so the lab can use it, but if I can''t edit the labs permissions locally, I won''t be able to do that either... Plus, stuff involving the Acardi is never so simple...- But it wasn''t like I was just going to give up on it. "~Hera.~" "~Hm?~" Pausing her conversation with Father and the AI, she curiously looked over at me. "~How much prep is left for the Festival?~" Looking away to think for a moment, she was quick to respond. "~I''ll have to be present in Bahamut at least a week before the festival. Why?~" -Hm.. that''s not ideal...- "~I want to go to the lunar colony, but if we continue working on the satellites, we won''t have time.~" Bringing a warm smile to her face, she turned back toward the AI while holding her head high and shoulders back. "~I can make time whenever you wish to go.~" "~It''s alright. Let''s just get back to the satellites. If we can find some older optical satellites that are fixable, they''ll do for now.~" -As long as I can get the laboratory to start processing some data, I''ll be happy...- And I figured that, since we had at least ten thousand more satellites to fix, we''d likely find at least a few useful, non-ARX satellites that I could modify to communicate with the laboratory. Which was indeed the case. However, among those we found, a few were especially horrifying.. to the point even Father had a chill pass down his spine. "What the hell is this thing..." Floating around a massive cylinder-shaped satellite half covered in what looked like the shell of a colossal dungeon core, I read the text on its side with a look of concern. -''Final Evening''s False Sun''...- Spanning several hundred meters, it was a satellite housing a series of giant lenses, each completely covered in runes meant to amplify the light passing through it, and focus it into a beam of light akin to a laser that was only a dozen meters across. "I''m.. not sure we should repair this one..." It even made Hera uneasy. "It''s turned on my simply removing that light shield, right?" Looking up at the top of the satellite facing away from Delphi, she set her eyes on the layer of metal blocking light from entering the lenses. "What if Odin managed to remove it and turn it against us?" It was a fair question, and one I honestly agreed with. If my numbers were right, the laser, if fueled by the light of the sun, would be more than strong enough to heat up the air to a point where fusion was possible. -And if I do have to turn the server back on, I don''t want any weapons like this online...- If there was a chance it could be used by anyone other than me, I didn''t want it. I simply couldn''t take such a risk. And so, that was the first fixable satellite we decided to discard, punching a hole through the center of the lenses to ensure it would never be usable unless someone at least at Hera''s level came up to fix it. But it was far from alone. The longer we flew around, the more doomsday weapons we found aimed at Delphi, and the more Hera and I had to question why none of them were ever used. -They clearly weren''t planning on leaving Delphi intact, so.. why...- Looking up toward the moon hanging over us, I squinted my eyes. "Just what brought the end of the Acardi for them to not even have a chance to drag Delphi down with them..." Chapter 402: Preparation Chapter 402: Preparation Early Morning - Mid Winter : Sirathan Acardi Laboratory ----- *Beep* "Unknown device connection detected. Scanning." -Please work this time...- Anxiously watching the monitor as a loading screen appeared, I waited with baited breath before the Lab''s voice came back over the intercom. *Beep* "Video feed detected." My eyes instantly lit up. -Wait it recognized it...- "Do you wish to preview it?" "Yes!" Eagerly standing up, I spoke so fast I wasn''t sure the AI would recognize what I said. But after just a second of waiting with bated breath, the loading screen on the monitor was replaced by a window displaying the aerial view of a forest covered in clouds. "HAHA, NO WAY!" Throwing my hands in the air, I felt adrenaline rip through my veins. -To think that actually worked!- It had only been a few days since Father, Hera, and I finished inspecting all the satellites at that point, but while Hera and Father rushed back home to prepare for the festival, I decided to linger about for a bit to see if I could figure out how to get at least one of the four older optical satellites usable before the day Mother wanted me back by, but things weren''t exactly looking great. In order to get the satellite to connect to anything, I had to add another module to the satellite to allow it to communicate to the connection tower in the Death''s Gape, and in-turn the laboratory, through quantum tethering. It was honestly a bit of a shot in the dark, but after some trial and error, and taking the time to look at the communication modules of the other old laboratories, I managed to recreate the Acardi converter that translated traditional electrical signals into qubit, and get the video feed streamed to the laboratory with almost no delay. -Gosh, it''s so beautiful...- Not only was there not any distortion, there wasn''t even any artifacting. -It''s actually a clean signal...- Now, it was true that I couldn''t send any commands to the satellite, so if I wished to zoom out or aim it anywhere, I would have to move it manually. -But that''s fine...- Because now that I had a basis of communication established, it was just a matter of time before I figured out how to have the lab give it commands. -It just sucks that I''ll have to put that on hold for now...- Mom wanted me at the estate in Atlas in just a few hours, so further experimentation would be a bit limited. And while I really wanted to create a fabric of space in the void, and experiment there, the moment I tried, I found that electrons didn''t care about divinity, the flow of time, or something like the fabric of space, just like space mana. That meant, in order to test electronics in the void, quantum or not, I had to find something called ''divinity''s constant'', essentially being the pace of time for Delphi so that the electronics would function in a way that seemed normal. But just as it sounded.. that was something way above my pay grade. Not only did I have no clue where to even begin with gauging the pace of time, I didn''t have the control over my divinity required for it.No?v(el)B\\jnn "And for the hair..." Walking out in front of me, she squinted at me. "Maybe we leave it... Spread your wings for me." Following her instructions, I quickly spread them out before folding them up against my lower back again. "Let''s shorten it a bit." Waving over the maids, they quickly got to cutting away at my hair. "That''s definitely better. What do you think Mistress?" Mother was quick to nod with a pleased curl in her tail. "I agree. With some jewelry and a more formal attire, he''ll be good... Use white-based jewelry for his humanoid form." With a quick nod, the tailor had a short back and forth with Mother about what would look best before eventually, they finished and left, leaving just Mother while I tried to wrap up the paperwork I was working on. "Okay, I guess it''s about time I give you a rundown on the festival now that they''re gone." Sitting up, pridefully holding her wings back, Mother''s warm smile slowly brightened with excitement. Because of all the paperwork I was working on, I already had a general idea of what to expect, but Mother was quick to start her rundown regardless. "The Coming of Age festival this time around is going to work a little differently from past festivals. Starting next week, the younger generation of dragons will leave their nests in order to travel around Bahamut and make connections with others in their generation, and others in the cities they visit. The way this will work is that, next week, everyone is going to pick a city connected to their starting city on this map." Quickly handing me a piece of paper with a map, I looked at exactly a dozen cities that were connected in a circle around Bahamut. "The city they choose to go to at the start will determine the direction they go around the circle, and they will follow that sequence of cities, stopping for about a month in each city until they reach the city they started in. Typically you can go at whatever pace you like for this, but it''s frowned upon to leave early, so please keep that in mind. Take your time to enjoy yourself a bit." Her smile widened the longer she spoke. "Each city will have different events taking place to help everyone mix and socialize, but individual noble families will be hosting parties for those that wish to attend, regardless of status, so do whatever you want and have fun!" Gently nodding, I continued to listen intently. "Then, after exactly twelve months, when most people should be returning to their home city, everyone will come to Atlas, including parents to celebrate together and go over things like the state of Bahamut. This is when Hera is planning to reveal herself as Monarch, and when she wants you to expose to the people of Bahamut who you really are. At that time, we will also go into more detail about the future of Bahamut, the government, and how things will work from then on." -Interesting...- "So that''s when all of Hera''s changes will finally be set in stone?" Gently nodding, Mother''s expression brightened. "It''ll be the day Bahamut''s future shifts toward a new horizon! The next generation will be released to do as they please, and the historians will have to mark the beginning of a new era. You and Hera will finally be able to do whatever you want without care for the eyes of the public as well." Giving me a somewhat smug look for a moment, I felt like the room suddenly went silent. "Speaking of you and Hera... Why don''t you invite her to come with you during the festival?" -Huh?- Tilting my head, I gave her an odd look. "Well I figured since she has already experienced the festival-" "I''m not sure what her festival was like when she was young, if there even was one back then, but I can say with certainty that she''s never been with you, so bring her along." Her smug look slowly mixed with pride as she spoke. "It''s not like you aren''t in a similar situation to her, so why not enjoy some time together?" Pausing to think, my gaze slowly turned to the ground before smiling and continuing more softly. "Alright... I''ll go see what she wants to do after I finish this paperwork." "Hoho~," Hiding her smile with the edge of her wing, she let out a warm chuckle. "I think that''s a wonderful idea~." Chapter 403: Ease Chapter 403: Ease Mid Afternoon - Mid Winter : Atlas | Bahamut ----- "My lord," Gently bowing as she entered my room, Chloe spoke through a smile. "Everyone''s things have been prepared. I sincerely apologize if we made you wait." I was quick to wave her off with my wing. "Don''t worry, I only just wrapped up my work anyway. Go ahead and meet me outside while I take this to Mother''s office." Cheerfully nodding, she promptly trotted out of the room just before I made my way to Mother''s office with a few stacks of papers pertaining to the construction of Eikasi?a, Hera''s underground city. *Vwoom* But while my mind had yet to switch gears, the moment I stepped into Mother''s cold office, memories of my childhood resurfaced, and my thoughts slowed. "Are you done already?" Speaking warmly, Mother gave me an oddly surprised look. "Yeah, Hera and I scanned a majority of the city when we were investigating the cult, so these were easy to do." For the most part, the papers were asking for permission to build certain structures, asking for advice, or raising questions about structural integrity, all of which I could easily answer after having seen it all in person. "Ah, that must be why Hera wanted me to forward those to you." Grabbing the stack of papers, she curiously looked through several of them before eventually looking back up at me. "So, are you planning to head to the Cabinet now?" Nodding, I walked over to her and gently pressed my head into the bottom of hers. "I''m not sure I''ll be back before the festival begins since Hera will probably want to run me around like a workhorse, so if not, I''ll see you whenever we get to Atlas. Are you planning on staying at this estate or the-" "We will be here." Cutting me off, she let out a soft sigh. "Haah, unfortunately, our new estate on the outskirts hasn''t been finished yet, and probably won''t be finished for a number of months. With the construction of Eikasi?a, many of the architects we normally hire have been preoccupied." She seemed both excited and disappointed. "What a shame..." After glancing over the design in some of the papers, I was honestly excited to see how it''d turn out. -But it looks like that''ll have to wait...- "In any case, I''ll head out now, before I make everyone wait too long." "Haha, alright, sweetie. Be safe~." Standing up and gently embracing me, her smile warmed. "Ah, actually, I have something for you." -I almost forgot.- "Hm?" She immediately tilted her head as she watched me pull something out from under my wing. "If you ever need me to come to you for anything, use this to reach me." Handing her a tiny, human-sized tablet, I turned on the screen to reveal a keypad. "If you just type ''4856'' into that keypad, it will notify me, and I''ll come back in an instant." Her eyes instantly glowed as she took the tablet. "H..How do I type it in?" "Just tap a bit of electrically charged water onto one of the numbers. Like this," Quickly showing her how to use it to ensure she wouldn''t accidentally destroy the tablet when she needed me, her expression slowly lit up. "I only have one, so please be careful not to lose it, and be sure to keep it with you." -Now that Father''s awake, I''m a little less stressed about it, but...- "If something happens, please don''t hesitate to type in that code, okay?" Hastily nodding, she looked down at it like she was holding some priceless artifact. "I''ll take care of it, I promise!" "Haha," I honestly wanted to laugh. "When I get the chance, I''ll try and make a few more so Father and Krystallo can have one, but for the time being, I need you to at least watch over Father with it, okay?" -After his dragon sleep, he shouldn''t get pushed around by anyone under the ancient stage, but you never know what might happen...- Slowly realizing the magnitude of what I was saying, she fell silent. "You know I love you, Krystallo. I''d burn the world to protect you if I had to. So.. please don''t forget that..." Gently nodding, she glanced at me before looking back at the ground. "I''m sorry..." "Don''t be..." Over the last ten years, I had constantly been run around without the ability to spend much time with her. "If anything, I should be the one saying sorry to you..." But having the ability to redeem myself in that aspect came with risks. -I can''t risk Odin setting his sight on her...- So, from that moment forward, I amplified my divinity''s presence several-fold, ensuring there wasn''t a single god on Delphi that didn''t know exactly where I was, and in turn, where to not wander. But while my divinity''s presence was now so thick that even Krystallo seemed to jolt from its sudden change, I tried my best to keep my nerves calm. "Let''s just focus on having a good time during the festival, okay?" Looking back at her, I watched her expression quickly warm. "Okay..." And at last, the tightness in my chest finally eased. -But, even though it''s what she wants.. bringing her into my world...- Looking at the seemingly distant, stormy clouds over the horizon, I felt nervous. -Is this really something I should do..?- Falling into silence as we continued through the rest of the flight, no one said another word, silently enjoying the view over Bahamut as the sun accelerated toward the horizon behind us. It made for a rather peaceful and relaxing flight, to the point that Krystallo had even dosed off halfway through, gently gripping my fur as she sank into a dream so deep she didn''t even wake up when we landed. *Fwoosh* *Fwoosh-Thump* Quickly letting Chloe and Maria off with everyone''s things, I motioned over one of Hera''s maids and had her show them where everyone would be staying for the time being before looking over to see Hera walking out into the rain on the other side of the courtyard, shielding herself from it before walking out toward me. "She looks comfortable..." Looking at Krystallo, still dead asleep on my back, she spoke with an oddly motherly tone. "She got some things off her chest." Glancing back at her, I straightened my posture a bit before laying down, lowering my head to be at the level of Hera''s shrunken form. "That''s good... She has some troublesome years ahead of her..." Pausing, her gaze quickly turned to me. "In any case, what brought you to the cabinet? I thought you were starting the festival in Atlas." "Well, I actually had a question." She immediately tilted her head as I spoke. "Did you ever go to a festival like this when you were younger?" Promptly nodding, she gently sat down. "I was usually in charge of managing the events. It feels nice to not have that responsibility this time..." -I see...- Looking up into the underside of the dark cloud as well, I paused before continuing more softly. "Then, do you want to experience the festival from a different angle this time? Technically I''m still young, so I was planning on going with Krystallo, but I''d like for you to come along as well if you think it''s something you''d enjoy." Lowering her gaze to me, a warm smile crept across her face. "Of course, I would. It''ll give me a chance to check out some of the areas of Bahamut I haven''t been in a dozen millennia, and..." Creeping up to me, she gently pressed herself into my chest. "I don''t mind having an excuse to spend more time with you." Seeing her smug look, I felt my chest grow warm. "Haha, alright." Gently lowering my head and nuzzling her with my snout, I spoke warmly. "Then I''ll do my best to make sure it''s worthwhile." "Haha, alright. I''ll look forward to it~." Chapter 404: Deciding Fate Chapter 404: Deciding Fate ??? - Mid Summer : ??? | ??? ----- - Chrysi Floga ~ *Blub* -H..Huh?!- Jolting awake, my eyes sprung open only to be blinded by an endless white light. -What the hell?!- I couldn''t feel anything, not my own body, nor anything around me. I could only hear a deep, unending hum. But as my panic escalated, my memories began returning, -Ah...- And my nerves started to ease. -I died.. didn''t I...- The last thing I could recall was throwing hundreds of kilograms of silver rock toward a voice I heard. -I guess I got caught in the explosion...- To be honest, I wasn''t too surprised. Thinking back to all the warnings from Lord Vasilias and Chamrosh I chose to ignore, it was beyond foolish to continue so brazenly as I did. -Hah.. thinking about it now, it''s almost funny...- When I reminisced about my endless, almost obsessive drive to find the phoenix''s feather, I couldn''t help but want to laugh. Even though I saw nothing wrong with my decisions in the moment, looking back on it made me feel like I was a frog tunnel-visioned on a fly while a hawk loomed over me. -I guess it''s true that death sobers you up...- But even though that moment of clarity brought upon a wave of regret, it didn''t take long for those feelings to fade. My life, while filled with terrible decisions, was one I had the pleasure of living. Just as there were many dark times, there were many bright ones as well. Even though I squandered it, having had the chance to meet and befriend the truly incredible people I had in the later years of my life and find people who were willing to accept me for who I was, I felt oddly content. -I just wish I could go back and thank Chamrosh and Lord Vasilias one last time...- Quickly sinking into my own memories, a voice echoed through my mind, and a presence almost seemed to appear in front of me. "~Young dragon... How does death feel?~" I could only barely understand its words, but attempted to speak in any fashion I could to respond. "~It.. isn''t as bad as I expected...~" Unable to feel my body or close my eyes, I tried to look toward the voice in the endless white space. But the next time I heard the voice, it was from a different area. "~Do you not harbor any regrets?~" Trying to shake my head, I responded lying softly. "~I certainly have them, but.. I understand that clinging to them will do me no good... I''d rather.. try and learn from them so maybe in my next life, I won''t repeat the same mistakes...~" Understanding that I was speaking to a god, I quickly stopped trying to find it, lowering my focus and relaxing.No?v(el)B\\jnn "~What a fascinating child you are...~" Hearing what sounded like a hint of praise, joy joined the storm of emotions swirling in my mind. "~So.. what brought you into the mountain? What were you so eager to find that you would come to such a desolate.. and dangerous area?~" "~I wanted to find the phoenix.~" Not hiding a thing, I spoke freely. "~For what purpose?~" Pausing to think, old.. unsavory memories began surfacing, and my tone softened with thought. "~I have always lacked talent... With a reserve so small that I couldn''t dream of using anything beyond basic draconic spells and a body so frail I''d lose a spar to someone half my age, I had to rely on my mind to try and fulfill my parents'' ever-rising expectations... But while it seemed to at least keep them hopeful when I was younger.. as my siblings got older, left the nest, and started achieving all these wonderful things while I sat at home, being forced to hide from the eyes of the public, their demeanor toward me shifted from hopeful indifference to disgust.. and my siblings mostly followed suit..." Even while I was enrolled at the academy, I was forced to use a different last name, and regardless of how well I did in classes, my mother never once gave me as much as a smile. It was truly like she had disowned me. But that was something I had felt for a long time... Thinking back to the look of disappointment my Mother gave me when we tested my attribute node affinities, I felt my chest tighten to an almost sickening extent. I instantly tensed up, but tried to remain calm. "~That is one of his names, yes...~" I couldn''t shake the nervousness that took over my mind though. "~To think that really is that old dog...~" He spoke rather fondly before continuing with a bit of excitement creeping into his voice. "~Don''t worry, I won''t keep you from repaying your kindness to him, and I can promise he won''t mind you becoming my apostle.~" Hesitating, my mind raced. "~Only if you can make an oath that you are telling the truth, and promise to never force me to harm anyone against my will...~" "~Hahaha!~" He instantly broke into laughter. "~Telling a god to make an oath... Alright, then.~" Although I couldn''t see his face, I could feel that his smile had grown wide. "~I will do everything I can to make sure your soul and body survive the ''ceremony'', however, it is up to you whether your mind escapes unchanged.~" Tensing up, not sure what he meant, I finally raised my ''gaze''. "~All I can do is wish you luck... This will not be an enjoyable experience.~" -W..what?- Feeling like I was slowly being submerged in magma, heat ripped through my very existence before an indescribably unbearable sensation filled my mind. In an instant, all conscious thought vanished, and instincts I didn''t know I had took over. My few remaining senses heightened as the hum faded, and a colossal, colorless feather appeared in the endless white space before me. It was the feather of a phoenix being shoved directly into my soul... A soul which still resided in the reserve of my own lifeless body. *Crackle* *VWOOM* Feeling a burst of mana shred my body the moment my soul''s connection to it returned, I watched as my own mana ripped through my body, tearing apart everything that was left of it. But even though my mind and nerves were instantaneously obliterated in the process, rather than the pain ceasing, it only grew in magnitude. Rather than being the pain of my body being blended, it was the pain of the feather attempting to rip my soul apart, and even after feeling what could only be described as a gentle embrace trying to keep my soul intact, the pain never settled. But little did I know, expecting it to settle was a rather foolish thing.. because even as eons seemed to pass in my mind, nothing ever changed, the only difference was that slowly.. but surely.. the feather dissolved. It was the only thing that gave me hope that it would eventually end. But sure enough, even though I was doubtful, when the feather eventually finished, the shears that had formed in my soul began repairing themselves, and the connection to my body was once again strengthened. But this time, rather than being instantly squashed under the unending pain, my body was filled with a wonderful warmth, as if I was laying before a fireplace on a cold evening. And for the first time in what felt like an eternity, my soul was given a moment of peace. Even if it wasn''t going to last long. ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: https://www.patreon.com/TDOD ) Chapter 405: Manipulation Chapter 405: Manipulation Early Evening - Mid Winter : The Cabinet | Bahamut ----- "So, you said you visited Diaforoi?" Looking over at Hera as we walked down the main, circular hallway of the Cabinet, I used my aura to hand off several stacks of papers to nearby maids. "I have. Like you said, that child is.. an odd one..." Tilting her head with trouble, she paused for a moment. "In the past, it wasn''t impossible for hydras to be born with one head and simply grow them with their dragon sleeps, but his different personalities are far too distinct for it to be that simple." "That''s why I think he''s the reincarnation of Lernaean, a demigod stage hydra that died in the Tree of Prayer. His soul almost certainly got caught by the tree of prayer, so who''s to say he managed to reincarnate as that kid?" "Wasn''t the Tree of Prayer inactive before you fixed it though?" "Yes, but the prayers never stopped, so, at least in theory, quite a few souls could have been reincarnated without their memories being totally cleansed." It was a theory I had had for a while. "Given he was likely at least a well-established demigod, having some memories and distinct divisions in his personality surviving reincarnation aren''t too far-fetched." -Especially if his soul was given the chance to engrave anything on his soul core.- The issue was that the kid''s soul, while certainly extremely large for his age, was far from even a low demigod stage dragon like Myles. "Hm..." Giving it some thought, Hera''s gaze fell before rather quickly returning to me. "Whatever the case, I think the kid''s only relation to them is them interpreting him recalling his memories and ''visions'' as him receiving messages from a god, so after making sure his condition is still improving, I''m planning on leaving him to a maid that wished to adopt him after taking care of him for some time." -Good for him...- "I''m assuming they''re a maid we can trust?" Nodding with a smile, Hera continued warmly. "I trust her enough that if I needed a nanny for my kids, I would choose her. Although she might be a little to light-handed for my taste." "Hah," I wasn''t sure whether to laugh or not, but as we continued down the hallway with idle chatter, we eventually made it outside where Krystallo was waiting for us, and the conversation switched directions. With only a few hours before the sunset that marked the beginning of the festival, we were headed to central Eikasi?a to grab dinner before heading to a nearby plaza where the official start of the festival would be announced. While we headed there, Hera, Krystallo, and I all discussed what our plans would be, where we wanted to go, and what we wanted to do for the week or two we would stay here, and after much back and forth got a decent game plan going. In order to not stand out so much, Hera and I shrunk down to about 23 meters, the upper limit of those young enough to really be a part of the festival, and used a bit of magic to dull some of our sharper features to make us look a touch younger, and less like shrunken ancients while still looking old enough for most of the younger generation to not bother us. In theory, it was a pretty good idea, we could have our fun, follow Krystallo wherever she wanted to go, and adventure around all without getting bothered... However, that was only because we failed to realize one very important thing. And while this plan of attack certainly took longer than other methods since the runes could only cover a small section of her scales, as Hera did her work, Krystallo slowly but surely turned pink, with her horns being a bit darker and her irises being turned red. By the time Hera finished, I almost couldn''t recognize her. But I wasn''t alone in that. After working on it for a while, I made a mirror so she could see herself, and while she was as eager as a kid on Christmas morning to see it, the moment she laid eyes on her reflection she jolted. "What the hell?" Turning her head, she looked like she didn''t know how to feel. "How.. does it look so real?" She was honestly perturbed. "Well, the runes are fitted just for you. Unless you really, really look for it, you won''t see the layer of pink air around your scales. Plus, given how pure of a white your scales are, it''s no surprise its easy to change." Quickly turning to me, Krystallo looked confused. -Ah...- Although I had explained it to Hera in the past, I had never explained wavelengths of light in terms of colors to Krystallo. "You know how the colors you see are whatever colors the objects reflect, right? Well, white is created by every color reflecting, so, for something like this, all you need to do is trap all but whatever color you desire, and boom, your scales change color." Sinking into thought, she looked away before a mix of awe and wonder washed across her face. "Does that mean I can mimic whatever kind of dragon I want to with a bit of light magic?" Given that she had an extremely good affinity with light magic, it was more than just possible. "Given the differences in the general appearance of other types of dragons, it''s not quite that simple, but having white scales would certainly be a major plus." Because instead of having to make your entire body an illusion, it''d only be the small parts that needed change, like details on the face or the shape of a horn. However, while it certainly sounded like a nice advantage, I clearly wasn''t aware of what Krystallo was thinking of as her expression turned devious. "Hehe~." As she posed in the mirror, her expression and demeanor completely shifted with an oddly predatory smile. "How fun." -Uh oh...- It was such a jarring change that I honestly had to question if the person in front of me was even my sister. But she was quick to confirm that it was really her as she turned to me and tilted her head. "Why don''t you ever use magic to disguise yourself?" Shrugging my wings, I spoke somewhat bluntly. "What need do I have for it? I use some magic to hide my wings in my humanoid form sometimes, but for my draconic and fenriran forms, I don''t have any reason for it. It''s not like black scales are particularly conspicuous. To the normal dragon, I probably look like an abnormally dark-scaled halfie." At least that was how it was if they ignored the way I held my head. According to Hera, I held it exactly how a god walking amongst mortals would even though I didn''t notice it myself. It was actually how she knew when I recovered some of my memories from my time as Nott. But Krystallo didn''t seem to have that issue. As she looked back at the mirror, she seemed acutely aware of everything from the look in her eyes to her posture, letting her freely play around with how she was perceived. It was honestly kind of horrifying.. to the point I had to ask Hera if we would need to have a talk with her about how manipulation was bad. Even Hera seemed a bit worried with how Krystallo was acting. But that was something that would have to wait since, before we knew it, the announcement for the beginning of the festival was upon us. Chapter 406: The Cold Rose Chapter 406: The Cold Rose Early Evening - Mid Winter : Eikasi?a | Eastern Bahamut ----- -Wow...- Looking around at the sea of dragons completely filling the plaza and even flooding the streets around the center of the town while hundreds of others watched from the sky, I was almost reminded of the prayer in Siratha. With so many announcement areas around the city, one would expect the population to have been more spread out. But that was only if you failed to realize that all the dragons in more rural areas would be coming into the city for the festival as well. Even though Eikasi?a only had a population of about three thousand, just looking at the other areas with my aura showed close to six or seven thousand dragons, all clumped up around the handful of plazas around the city where the festival''s announcement would be made. -It almost makes me wonder...- "Do you think the festival will help bring more people into the city?" Hera quickly gave a prideful nod. "Of course! It''s part of the benefit of this festival. Not only can people make connections, they can find a place they want to live." Looking at all the people glancing around at not just the crowd and merchant stalls, but the structures with curious looks, her smile widened. Given that the city was oversized enough for land to be fairly cheap, especially when you considered how close it was to the Cabinet, it was more than just a somewhat appealing spot. -The climate is nice, and with all the cabinet members moving here, the concentration of wealth will be insane.- Given all of the absolutely massive estates being built by highly esteemed nobles, it was clear that land would inevitably explode in price. -It makes me wonder how many people have already swooped up land.- But while it was certainly food for thought, before long, the time for such questions came to an end. "Welcome everyone!" Hearing a deep, booming voice amplified over the city, we all looked in the air to see a huge, pure-crimson-scaled ancient with orange feathers around his crown, and along his back similar to my fur. "My name is Kti?rio Pe?ra, the newly appointed Industrial Advisor of the newly established Cabinet, and it is truly my pleasure to be given the privilege of making this announcement this year." Flying above us, bathed in the sunset''s glow as the city fell into shadow, he glanced at Hera before smiling and averting his eyes. "This festival, as I''m sure many of you already know, will be a special one. For those who have not already received a letter detailing the rules and functions taking place in the city, please turn your attention to the wonderful helpers currently flying around handing more of them out." *Flash* Almost instantly, several younger dragons flying around with large duffle bags of paper were engulfed in huge columns of light. "If you need a flyer, please signal to them with a basic firefly spell." Unsure what that spell was by ear, I looked around and noticed faint, glowing specks above some dragons'' heads, and quickly mimicked them. -I may as well get one to see what''s happening around the city...- After receiving the paper from the panicked young girl, I skimmed through it while Kti?rio continued a lengthy speech about the festival rules, essentially summarizing what Mother had already told me. "Among the events, we will be holding tours of the Cabinet, doing tournaments on everything from traditional combat to designing architecture, and even hosting debates where you can share your thoughts on the current state of Bahamut directly with members of the Cabinet, or even apply to get recruited by a branch! I know that I for one will be on the lookout for promising talents among the next generation, and I''m sure many others are as well, so make sure to take advantage of all the opportunities you can! You may not have a second chance!" Riling up the crowd, his voice boomed, and the air was flooded with the excitement of countless young dragons eager to take the next step in their lives. "Anyway, I think I''ve rambled enough, right? It''s about time we got the ball rolling!" *Rrrrrumbbllee* The ground literally shook as the younger dragons that surrounded us excitedly tapped their tails on the ground and fluttered their wings. "Alright then!" Smiling wide, Kti?rio straightened up his posture and glanced at the setting sun just as his face was covered in the shadow of the horizon. "Let''s all welcome the next generation, cheer as they finally begin writing their own stories, and start anew as we enter a new era! It''s time for you all to become the main characters of your own stories, and become the new pillars of Bahamut!" """RAAAH!!""" Everyone simply exploded with cheers as the entire city quaked. And before anyone knew it, over every single plaza, the sky was lit aflame with spells akin to massive fireworks, and the official beginning of the festival was marked. ""Woooo!!"" Cheers were quick to ring out. "But now, I''m sure you all are ready for the thing you came here for, right?! So let''s get it underway!" Quickly going over the rules of the spars, the man was quick to explain the way things would work, saying it would start with a traditional bracket for the first few days of competitions and morph into a king-of-the-hill style tournament later on. "So, for the first fight of the Generational Unbarred Sparring competition, please welcome our first competitor, Miss Anthisi!" *Cl-l-l-l-lunk* Loudly opening the gate and having Krystallo somewhat hesitantly walk out, the crowd roared to life once more. "Having kept a vast majority of her techniques hidden during the warmup, many of the ''noble observers'' are already curious to see what she has to offer!" Essentially being recruiters for nobility, countless noble observers were present and looking to use the tournament to sift through the younger generation. And while Krystallo may not have realized it, because of all the observers being present, during the first several days, it wasn''t some random tournament, but rather one where the best combat-specialized dragons would gather to show the world what they had to offer and start making a name for themselves. "So, in hopes of an exciting fight, let''s cheer on the flower and see what she has to offer!" Finally making her way out to the central, raised stone arena, Krystallo sat down and looked over the crowd somewhat anxiously, before letting out a deep breath and turning her gaze turned stern and cold. She was ready for a fight, at least mentally. But after a moment of cheering, the crowd calmed back down. "Now, for her opponent, we have a young man touting a specialty in bladed combat! Yes, the new trend passing through the youth! So let''s make some noise for Atticus Sidero!" The crowd once again exploded with cheer before the gate eventually opened to let out an almost twenty-two-meter, stout, spikey brown dragon covered in scars while dragging along a huge hunk of metal with his mouth. *Cr-r-r-runch* It was a hunk of iron roughly formed into the shape of a sword, so heavy that when he got up onto the stage and dropped it, *CLANG-CRACK* The dense marble platform cracked. "I greet my opponent." But while he looked incredibly rough, he was quick to give a very noble-looking bow with one leg lifted, and his wings slightly raised. "I hope we can make this fight a good one." Raising his gaze, he most certainly wasn''t caring about Krystallo''s softer outer appearance. "I have many people I need to make an impression on, so I apologize in advance if you get hurt. I don''t plan on holding back." But while he expected Krystallo to respond somewhat nervously, she was quick to stand up and bow just as he did without a slight shiver in her form. "I plan on doing the same, so best of luck to each of us." ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 407: Learning Chapter 407: Learning Early Evening - Mid Winter : Eikasi?a | Eastern Bahamut ----- "Bets! Place your bets now! The current odds are 26-1 in Sigmond''s favor! Do you wish to gamble on the mystique of the beauty or bank on the power of a brute? Come place your bids now! We accept silver here!" Listening to a group of young guys trying to collect bids at the top of the stands, I watched as Krystallo and her opponent were given a quick debriefing inside the arena, essentially just going over a more specific list of rules and exchanging formalities with the elder who would be the referee. In the meantime, everyone in the stands was debating who they think is going to win and why. "I''m surprised the odds are so close. Is it because it''s the first fight of the festival?" "Probably, but after hearing about ''the underdog'' in Atlas during the last festival, people are more willing to bank on unknowns." Overhearing the dragons behind us speaking, I glanced back. "The underdog?" Turning to me, the man, around Father''s age, was quick to continue. "He was a few meters shorter than his opponent, like that missus out there, and had 8500-1 betting odds against him, but he completely decimated his opponent who was from a big-name noble family." Looking out toward the arena, he was simply oozing excitement. "This time around it looks like people have learned to judge the contenders'' personalities more, whether they''re confident or just cocky, y''know?" I was quick to nod as I relaxed and turned back to face the arena. "It''s certainly not a bad way to do things. That makes me wonder who you guys voted for though." "We decided to bank on the missy." The guy''s friend was quick to speak up. "The way she holds her snout up makes us think she''s from some noble family and is just undercover. What about you guys?" I immediately shrugged my wings. "I think it could go either way." And Hera was quick to agree. "If he has any proficiency with that sword, she''ll have a really hard time." -Hm?- Hearing an odd sense of familiarity in her voice, I looked over at her. "Do you know about that fighting style?" "I played with it a bit in my younger years." Switching to using her divinity so the others nearby couldn''t hear us, she spoke bluntly. "~Although I doubt any techniques have survived to this day and age, if his sword isn''t too heavy, and he knows any techniques, she''ll seriously be in trouble...~" -Hm...- "~Is that so...~" Watching as he leaned down and let the referee put an emergency artifact around his neck, something meant to stop the fight at a moment''s notice, I wasn''t sure I could agree. "~I think if she can keep herself from getting hit by the first few swings, she will win.~" "~Hoh? I thought you weren''t confident she''d win.~" "~I''m not.~" The issue was that Krystallo had never been in a real fight before, and considering her relaxed stance even as they lined up to start, I slowly became more pessimistic. "~If I''m honest, her getting through the first exchange will be a miracle.~" She simply wasn''t ready. But while a part of me wanted to warn her, I stayed silent. Some things are better learned from mistakes after all. "Alright! I hope everyone is ready!" As the referee finally backed away to the edge of the arena, and the boy picked up his sword, the announcer''s voice boomed through the arena. "After much preparations, the first fight of the festival will begin on my mark. Are the fighters ready?" Biting down hard on the sword''s handle, the tip instantly swung up off the ground before he nodded. *Woom* And as Krystallo nodded, the crowd suddenly went silent, waiting for the signal of the announcer with bated breaths and eager looks. Until finally... *SNAP* A thin laser-like column of light zipped across the middle of the arena, and in the same instant, the boy hurled his sword at Krystallo. *Clang-WOOSH* "WHAT THE-?!" Barely managing to move her head to the side in time, her eyes shot open and her pupils thinned. But her opponent wasn''t going to give her a chance to think. Slowing his sword with his aura and using the force to close the distance between them, he reached up and bit the handle again before swinging it down to drive it through Krystallo''s neck, leaving her no choice but to either jump out of the ring or close the distance further and get caught in the space between the blade and his body. *CLANG-CRACKKK* But while it was clearly baiting her into a trap, as the tip of his blade slammed into the ground over her back, she closed the distance just like he wanted, reaching up his paw as he let go of his sword with a smile. She was completely caught in his trap with nowhere obvious to escape to. And, not understanding what he was doing, she simply caught it before... *DIIIING* Atticus lowered his head and slammed it into the side of his own blade, sending her flying off the edge of the platform and tumbling onto the sandy colosseum floor. *THUD-CLANG* THUD* *THUD-Thud* Eventually catching herself on her feet, she vigilantly took a combat stance, only to be presented with the referee claiming Atticus as the winner. "Haha," Hera couldn''t help but let out a little chuckle as we watched Krystallo''s confidence turn to annoyance. "You think she''ll have it figured out in the next round?" Watching her make her way back up on stage, holding her snout much lower with her wings flared out a bit, I nodded. "It depends on what her takeaway from the last fight was, but I think she will." -She just needs to use her head...- And so, it came down to the last fight. One final brawl. And as they lined up on opposite ends of the arena, and Krystallo bent down, lowering her head below her shoulders, it was clear she was going to take a different approach. "Beware both contestants! Whoever loses this match will be sent to the loser''s bracket!" Riling up the crowd, the announcer used magic to amplify the stadium''s roar. It was only the first set of games of the festival, but it was already becoming one people would remember. However... *Flash* This time, the moment the column of light zipped across the arena, they both darted toward one another and met in the middle. Using his weight and reach his advantage, Atticus was quick to plant his paw and swing his head down, slamming the blade down right in front of Krystallo, forcing her to stop and change directions before he changed the way he held the sword in his mouth and lunged toward her again, trying to force her to the outer edge of the ring as they dashed around it. -Uh oh...- She was in trouble again. But as the boy continued to use his sword to keep her from getting too close and limit her movement, he slammed the blade down in front of her, expecting her to try and hop over it before she slammed into it, only for her to face the palm of her paw to it, and turn to him. *Vwoom-CRRRACCKK* In an instant, the massive iron sword vanished, teleporting into the walls surrounding the arena before plowing through them, taking a large slab of the raised stone stage with it. It was a magnetism spell similar to railgun magic, and by using the repulsive force from it to not only stop her momentum, but throw her in the opposite direction, she got her paw on Atticus''s head, and wasted no time spreading her wings and driving his face into the ground. *CRACKLE-WHAAAMMM* As I watched her skid to the opposite side of the ring after knocking the kid out, a smile spread across my face, and soon after, it spread across hers as well. -There she goes...- As she turned her gaze up into the stands, she gave Hera and I a beaming smile and held her head high. And the winner is Miss Anthisi!! ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 408: Like Mother, Like Daughter Chapter 408: Like Mother, Like Daughter Late Evening - Mid Winter : Eikasi?a | Eastern Bahamut ----- "Oh my goodness! What an incredible set of fights!" "I know right?! ''The Flower'' is definitely still my favorite, but I think some of these young''ins will give her a run for her money." "For sure! Did you see the kid who fought in his humanoid form? He is definitely hiding some of his cards." "But so is ''The Flower'', so we won''t know who''s stronger until they fight." "Mhm, mhm," Excitedly nodding, the dragon sitting behind us turned from his friend back to the arena. "Anyway we have one more fight before the younger division matches begin, right?" "Yeah, and according to some of the insiders it''ll apparently be a crazy fight. I didn''t recognize either of their names when I heard them, but supposedly the betting odds are a measely 1-2." "Dang." Unable to keep myself from blurting it out, I glanced back at the two guys sitting behind me and Hera. "Haha, I know right?" They were two old friends, that Hera and I had idly struck up conversations with to pass the time between matches. "It makes me wonder if I should even bet." "Why not?" They were nothing special, just your average dragons. "Haven''t you won like three matches in a row?" But while they didn''t realize it, during the moments when they discussed things like politics or money, they had become my teachers. "Haha, I need to be careful how I burn my fun money." Smiling wide as he reluctantly put a pouch of gold into a large duffle bag containing all sorts of assorted belongings, he was quick to rope in my skewed perception of dragons. Even if only a bit. "~You know, I knew your standards were skewed, but it looks like you''re really learning something every time you talk to them.~" Hera spoke somewhat playfully as she shot me a smug look. "~Haha, of course.~" Turning back to her, a joyful curl found its way into my tail. "~It''s not like I''ve ever had much time to mingle with normal people.~" -Just look at the people I normally spend my time with...- Be it the monarch of Bahamut, or the most powerful and influential noble family in the world, I was only ever surrounded by talent, power, and wealth. "~I guess that''s true.~" If I ever wanted to really help Mother, Hera, or even Lief with things related to dragons, I needed to be more in tune with the standards of average folk, so during the festival, as per Mother''s suggestion, I planned to remold their image in my mind. -It looks like Krystallo could use a little remolding too though...- My gaze quickly drifted to the side of the arena where I looked at Krystallo with my aura, idly fiddling with lightning magic while relaxing and being bathed by several maids. It had been several hours since the festival began at that point, and while I had hoped she would come out to watch the rest of the matches with Hera and I, she had been lounging around the complimentary spa available to those who won their matches the entire time. -But it looks like they''re about to cut her off.- With only one match remaining before the arena would switch to hosting the younger division of competitors, she only had a few minutes before she would be kicked out. It all just depended on how long the next competitors fought for, which, by the conversations of those around us, had the chance of being a while. "Alright! Are you all ready for the final fight of the upper division?" With just a few words from the announcer, the conversations filling the stands ceased and chants and cheers erupted. "For the final fight, we have a special one! A mage versus a brawler! But I''m certain you all have already been made aware, so let us not waste any more time!" Waving his wing to the south side of the arena, his voice boomed. "Now, let''s give our first comparator the welcome they deserve! Give it up for Ma?vri Siopi?!" Looking toward the gate, it instantly felt like wolf ears had perked up on my head. -Hoh?- Coming out of the gate was a 21-meter dragon with dark blue scales resembling the deep ocean, with a large, ovular mana core embedded directly in the underside of his mouth, touting it like it was a precious gem. But not everyone viewed it like that. "~To think that nasty tradition is still around...~" Hera was quick to shoot the boy a disgusted look. It rather quickly caused blood to start dripping down the side of his face and his forearm, but instead of thinking of the pain, he just smiled, gently shaking the stinging sensation out of his paw before setting it back down into the frigid fog. "Looks like the title of Ice Princess isn''t just for show." *Crunch* Shifting his weight forward, his tail raised off the ground with confidence, and his movements slowed, becoming less instinctual and more methodical. But while his style was changing, so was Alyssa''s as she stood up out of the fog, no longer bothering to try and mess with his senses. "That boy needed to push through the damage and finish it there." Hera spoke with a hint of disappointment as she looked down at the foggy stage. "He''s going to lose now." -Hm?- She said it confidently, but I wasn''t so sure. At least that was until the next clash. *WOOSH* Darting across the arena again, Mavri wanted to put pressure on her to restrict her movements while staying just out of the range of her more potent ice magic, but the moment he went to stop, his legs were suddenly swept out from under him, a massive chunk of ice formed in front of his head, and Alyssa spread her wings with a rather merciless look on her face. "This is the end." Digging her claws into the arena, she flapped her wings as hard as she could, dissipating the fog, revealing the countless disks of ice she used to swipe the boys legs out from under him before hurling the massive ice spike at the boy with her wings. But he was quick to recover, spreading his wings and turning his head to the side at the last second, just narrowly dodging the massive pillar of ice as it scraped along his chest. However, being in the air so close to the ground he couldn''t flap his wings, he couldn''t stop his momentum, and while he tried to dive into the ground to slow down, he could only helplessly land on the ice-disk-covered arena, and promptly zip slide off the stage. *Fwip-THUD* A humiliating loss that wasn''t anyone''s fault but himself. But while he knew his mistakes, as he stood up, instead of calling for a best of three like I expected, he just snarled at her. "You''re lucky we''re fighting for fun..." Shaking the frozen blood off his paw, he finally turned away from her, admitting defeat. But it wasn''t before he used magic to tell her, and only her one last thing. "If we meet again, I won''t try to keep that pretty face of yours intact..." But unfortunately, such conduct was not something the tournament would let slide. And Alyssa knew that, recognizing that the ref was about to intervene before stopping him. "Oh yeah?" The ice on her body instantly started melting and steaming before suddenly, *FLASH* She bolted off the stage with a bright flash, and gripped his neck at the base of his head. "You better be thankful I''m getting to you before the ref." *WOOSH* A towering flame instantly erupted from her back like thruster magic before suddenly, *CRRRACKK* She slammed his face into the ground so aggressively that it shook the stands. An instant knockout. And while everyone watched on in silence, unsure of what happened, Hera watched on with a wide, satisfied smile. "~She''s just as fiery as her Mother!~" ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 409: Huh? Chapter 409: Huh? Early Morning - Mid Winter : Eikasi?a | Eastern Bahamut ----- "Ack- I missed something like that?!" Krystallo instantly tensed up with a playfully regretful look as I gave her a summary of the fights she missed. "You didn''t ever wonder why you were the only one in the spa?" Watching genuine anxiety slowly weave into her expression, I wanted to laugh. "Everyone else was busy watching the other fights to see who they''d be up against." Since neither Hera or I said anything though, I couldn''t be too harsh. "Regardless, I don''t think you need to worry for a while." "Hm? What do you mean?" Tilting her head as she continued out of the ''combatant-only'' area of the arena, we finally got walking. "Well, I''ll just say that your performance will probably get you advanced up the bracket a fair bit, but I highly doubt you''ll go up against anyone too strong for a while." Knowing people of all skill levels would be grouped together in the tournament, the managers had made it so not only was there a winner and losers bracket, but based on one''s performance, they would be advanced up the bracket a certain amount. It was a somewhat arbitrary system made to keep the weaker dragons in the tournament from getting one-sidedly pummeled every match and encourage everyone to show what they could do without needing to worry about pacing themselves. After all, to most people, the tournament was an opportunity to make a name for themselves and show the elites of Bahamut everything they had to offer, whether they happened to be paired with a good or bad opponent. But I honestly wasn''t sure how far Krystallo would advance with her fight. While she clearly showed that there was an excessive gap in strength between her and her opponent, her inexperience and naivety shined through as well. -There''s a chance they''ll want to see her fight more to get to know how her skills since her fights ended so fast.- And sure enough, as we got to the booth where the tournament organizers would tell her when her next fight would be, we were told, "Tomorrow night, just after sunset. Many of our sponsors have voiced that they would like you to have one more fight before you are advanced any further, however, because of your strength, rather than fighting someone in the normal bracket you will be up against Alyssa Epo?meno, who was advanced in a similar fashion to you." Hera and I instantly shot a look at each other before looking down at a very confused Krystallo. "We wish you the best of luck in your fight, just please remember to do your best!" The older man behind the booth smiled like an old grandpa looking at Krystallo. "I, like many, am excited to see what you have to offer, so give us a show, alright?" Finally sliding a silver medallion across the booth, he went on to explain how exactly she would go about getting back into the arena when the time for her fight came, before sending us off, wishing us luck with having fun and enjoying the festival in the meantime. But, we didn''t really have anything we urgently wanted to do, so, to kill time, we traveled around the city to check out the various competitions going on in order to try and scout out promising talents, similar to many others. With everything from architectural to smithing competitions, we were bound to find a few we could recommend to the Cabinet, or even to Siratha. And while that remained true while we cherry-picked promising young dragons, as we got to more obscure gatherings for topics like mathematics or more niche areas of magic, the number of unbelievably talented individuals we found skyrocketed, with nearly all of them being from non-noble backgrounds, and many even being self-taught, or unofficially educated. It was like we walked into a diamond mine, with so many unpolished gems that we had to actually raise our standards rather than lower them. And that included Hera. "What a terrifyingly talented generation..." Even she was taken aback by the sheer number of people seemingly coming out of the woodwork. But she wasn''t going to just let any talent rot. So, for the next day and a half, we went to more niche events in lower-privilege areas to help guide as many young dragons to the right sectors as possible, while idly hypothesizing how she could address the influx of mentees coming to the Cabinet. After all, well over a hundred young dragons who still needed teaching couldn''t all be personally mentored by current-standing members of the Cabinet. So, after much thought, Hera came to a quick decision. "I think we should make an academy." To summarize, her idea was to create a small private school, only accessible through recommendation, that would allow members of the Cabinet to recruit promising young dragons a little less frugally, improving the efficiency at which they could thin the herd while also improving the final quality of the young dragons they could later decide to personally recruit or mentor. And while she never mentioned it directly, it also made it so those who were recommended but perhaps didn''t quite make the cut for a spot in the Cabinet had something for their resume that would make them more enticing recruits in their field elsewhere, improving the odds that less fortunate, but still talented dragons could use their talents for the betterment of the draconic race. But it, unfortunately, wasn''t that easy. Even though I was confident I could throw her down if I got my paws on her, she was more slippery than a salamander. Dodging her jaws as they snapped just under my neck, I leaned back and went to kick her away, only for her to hook her wing around my neck, throwing her entire body weight into it to whip herself around and throw me off my balance. -UGH!- *CRACK* Getting irritated, I dug my claws into the arena and turned into her, opening my mouth before firing a blinding beam of light right into her face. *FLASH* Almost instantly, her light magic, unable to adjust to the flash, exposed her body. -I got your number now...- Finally slipping out from under the grip her wing had on my neck, I used my own wing to send a blow into the side of her head, pointing her face down into my paw where another blinding flash erupted. *FLASH* But as I confidently went to slam my other paw down on the back of her neck to end the fight, she lunged forward, biting my paw before slamming her shoulder into me, twisting my body, and forcefully ripping my legs out from under me. -Oh, you have to be fucking KIDDING!- *WHAM* Feeling my side finally hit the ground as she replaced her jaws with a paw, and set her other paw on my side, an explosive anger flooded my mind, and I shot a vicious glare up at her. It was my defeat, but I didn''t want to accept it. At least until she got off me and helped me up with a shockingly happy voice. "I apologize if I bit down a little too hard. I was nervous you''d do whatever you did to the first guy and break my grip if I didn''t give it my all." -What?- Her voice was soft, with a slight shake from excitement. I couldn''t understand her at all. "Anyway, I hope we get the chance to fight again in the finals!" Finally getting me up on my feet, she smiled wide. "I want to personally see the magic you used in your first fight, okay? So, when we fight again, don''t hide anything!" "And the winner is the young Epo?meno!!" Cheers instantly erupted as she finally turned to the crowd. But their noise didn''t even make it through the fog of confusion that filled my mind. -What just.. happened?- ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 410: Trouble Chapter 410: Trouble Late Evening - Mid Winter : Eikasi?a | Eastern Bahamut ----- "Mhhh..." Letting out a groan as she angrily tore a chunk of meat off the side of a huge tuna-like fish, Krystallo''s eyes never once focused on anything. Ever since her loss, she had been completely trapped in her own thoughts, only ever snapping out of it to order some food and a drink. At first, it made Hera and I a bit worried, wondering if she was taking the loss a bit too harshly, and dwelling on it, but after asking and getting a few haphazard responses, she seemed to more-so be reanalyzing her thought process and decision-making during the fight in an attempt to learn from it. That alone was something that was quite pleasing to see, since she was trying to learn how to teach herself and not lean so much others. But it wasn''t like she was going to handicap herself by never asking us anything. "What would you two say is my biggest weakness right now?" ""Experience."" Hera and I responded in unison. But it just made Krystallo hang her head and relax her wings. Clearly, it wasn''t what she wanted to hear. -But unfortunately, there''s just no way around it...- "You struggle quite a bit with reading your opponent, and that can only really get better with time and practice." Instantly lighting back up, her gaze snapped to me. "What do you mean?" "I mean there are times you''re too confident going into an engagement and when your opponent does something you don''t expect, rather than reacting to it, you get flustered and it trips you up." Her expression instantly turned dumbfounded. "Really?" Lowering her gaze and falling into thought again, her eyes went wide. "You''re totally right... What the hell..?" I was quick to nod as I thought back on the two fights she had lost. "Your biggest issue is simply learning to react, and generally stay calm and level-headed so you can adapt to the situation. The problem with that is you can''t learn that through anything but experience." "Hm..." Idly taking another large bite out of the side of the fish, she took a moment to think. "Then do you think I should ask people to spar in the training area?" But Hera immediately shook her head. "For this tournament, people are likely conserving their energy, so no one would accept a spar. However," Straightening up she pulled the small festival flier out from under her wing and handed it to Krystallo. "On the other side of the city, there is a noble family doing free lessons where you can be taught by a knight for a day. If you''d like, I''m sure they''d be willing to spar and give you some guidance." "Huh? Why does it have to be some random knight? Can''t you two spar with me?" "Nope." I instantly shut her down. "You need to learn how to face the unknown, and as much as Hera and I could simulate that, nothing will beat a spar where you have a chance to win." -If she spars me, she will subconsciously hold back because she''ll know she can''t win...- But if she sparred with some random knight, she may be more keen on pushing her limits. And so, after a bit more discussion, Hera and I managed to convince her to give it a try, and flew all the way to the outskirts of the city where an old noble family''s plantation and brewery were. The Elafos family. Dating all the way back to when Bahamut was in his prime as Monarch, they were an incredibly influential family of dragons, even today. But rather than it being because they were deeply woven into politics, it was because they brewed and sold alcohol. More specifically, they sold comparably vast quantities of Piotita, among other favorites within the draconic race. -Hoh?- "My name is Vasilias, it''s a pleasure to meet you." By the looks of things, he was in the late ancient stage, with horns so heavy they made him move his head somewhat sluggishly. "Haha," *Vwoom* Isolating us with sound magic, he firmly made his way up next to me, overlooking the endless field and peering up into the sky. "It''s truly an honor to have the Monarch and a god come to my humble estate. I hope my estate''s inadequacy isn''t the course of your trouble." -Ah...- Without realizing it, a troubled expression had clouded my face for quite a while. "It''s not that, your estate is a truly beautiful place, so I apologize if that made you worry." Recognizing that he already knew my identity, I quickly eased up. "Hoho, please don''t apologize, I just wanted to make sure I made a good first impression." Hearing him speak, my nerves slowly eased. -How genuine...- Nowhere in his voice was there even a hint of greed or uncertainty. He spoke more like an honest old man, speaking so earnestly it made me smile. "Well, you don''t have anything to worry about there." "Phew," Jokingly giving an exaggerated sigh of relief, he finally walked up next to me and set down another barrel of alcohol. "You don''t mind if I have a drink with you, do you?" I quickly shook my head. "Of course not." Finally sitting down, he tapped in the lid of the barrel and pulled a ball of it out with magic, sipping on it one bit at a time. And just like that, we lost ourselves to a few hours of conversation, speaking on the state of Bahamut, his excitement for what was to come, and some idle probing to see what I was interested in, perhaps to help get my mind off what I was dwelling on. But as it turned out, he just intended on establishing a connection with me. "So Hera told me you''re trying to investigate the Acardi, right?" -Hoh? He knows about the Acardi?- Catching my interest, a curl finally found its way into my tail. "That is correct." "Hoho~, then I have something that you may find interesting. Care to see it?" Giving me a youthfully excited smile, his heavy tail started to gently sway. -If it has to do with the Acardi...- "Absolutely!" And so, after telling Hera what I was up to, and having her keep an eye on Krystallo for me, I followed him back to the incredibly grand main estate, where he planned to show me something only he knew about. ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Art: The Breath of a God Art: The Breath of a God Hey guys, hope you are all doing well, some new art courtesy of Warhound in the discord! As a little update as well, as per a vote taken in the discord, TDOD''s new official schedule will be Sunday and Wednesday at 1:30 PM EST! Discord: discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v Patreon: /TDOD Chapter 411: Why? Chapter 411: Why? Late Evening - Mid Winter : Eikasi?a | Eastern Bahamut ----- "So, from what Madam Monachiko?s said, you''re quite adept with Acardi technology." Using some wind magic to keep the maids and butlers running about the halls of the estate, Keras, the Elafos family patriarch, spoke with an oddly excited tone. "I am. Do you perhaps need my help trying to identify an artifact?" Quickly shaking his head, he motioned his wing to a few servants, sending them off before entering his office. *Woosh* Compared to the rest of the gold-laced estate, his office was quite a refreshing space. With mostly everything made of beautiful chocolate-colored wood, detailed with black cast iron, and supported by raw, thick tree trunks along the walls, it reminded me of some of the more nature-bound architecture I would traditionally find in Siratha. But while it was beautiful, after quickly walking over to one of the towering bookshelves and plucking a series of books off the shelves, the familiar hiss of hydraulics filled the air, and the entire wall sank in before being pulled to the side. -Hoh?- Curiously using my aura to check it out, I rather quickly found a series of hydraulics identical to what was in the old Acardi crawler I found, just sized up considerably, and powered by a series of old, clearly somewhat neglected electric motors. Or at least it''d look that way to an untrained eye. "Did you find the motors like that?" Noticing he didn''t quite know what I meant, I quickly elaborated. "The electric coil things that make the whole secret door system work." "Hoho~, is that what those are called? None of those worked when we found them, but after finding one that worked a little bit, we figured out how to repair the rest." "Hm." -I see that...- Looking at what was essentially a redneck repair of an advanced electric motor, I could only smile and nod. -But I have to give credit where it''s due...- "Just getting them working is quite an impressive feat, you should be proud." "Oh, we certainly are. The biggest issue is that the rules these devices follow aren''t the same rules of the world we know. I believe Madam Monachiko?s said you called it science?" I was quick to nod my snout as my gaze drifted around at the rows of sculptures, artwork, and artifacts lining the wall. "Science is the true foundation of the world, magic just expands on it." Looking back at me with a glow in his eyes, Keras''s posture straightened with interest. "Exactly! It''s been so difficult to try and study things that don''t rely on magic for that exact reason. We have to frame our minds around laws we don''t know, so even trying to explain simple things like why an object moves when touched becomes quite difficult." "Hahaha," A wave of nostalgia instantly blew over me as fuzzy old memories passed through my mind. "I know the struggle. Once you know more of the basics though, explaining more complex things gets easier." -At least to an extent...- Having theories of quantum mechanics come to mind, a part of me wanted to correct myself. But even if I did, someone learning the most basic of basics wouldn''t understand. "I see, I see! How fascinating..." Quickly falling into thought, we continued to lead me down the long, descending hallway, continuing idle conversation with a mix of questions about science, and inquiring about my own interests. From what I could see, while his family specialized in brewing liquor, creating drinks, and managing taverns, his personal interests were aimed more at the Acardi. After stumbling across an old crash site in the dunes of the Banvean, he became fascinated with the world of advanced technology, using his family''s endlessly expanding fortune to fund research into it. But there were constantly challenges with that, one being his wife, and the other being his family''s ''noble obligation''. After all, like nearly all nobility, they had a city to manage. Even if they didn''t plan on doing any expansion, just general upkeep and management was expensive. At least that was the case before Hera came along. "Ever since Madam Monachiko?s bought Eikasi?a from us, I''ve been able to funnel so much money unto the research that we have actually made some rather significant advancements. Hiding just how much money I''m spending on it from my wife has been a challenge, but it''ll all be worth it in the end." Finally coming up to a large, black-metal door, he held his claw up to his family insignia before injecting some mana into it, undoing the lock. *Cl-Click* *Woosh* Pushing open the door, the familiar, sterile white-light-lit environment I''d expect from an Acardi facility peeked through the door before it opened enough to reveal a room lined with white tiles, and filled with about a dozen dragons of all ages spread out at tables, tinkering with half-assembled pieces of Arcardi tech. -Hoho~,- It was a sight that instantly hooked me in. "Is this from a ship you salvaged?" Looking up in the ceiling and walls with my mana, I found the familiar support structure of an Acardi ship, just cut, sectioned off, and buried a few kilometers under a huge field. "That''s correct!" Hearing his voice boom, everyone in the room jolted and glanced back at us with a mix of curiosity and annoyance. -What the hell..?- Finally approaching the side of the rather tiny ''facility'' suspended by several complex metal cables, my mind twisted with confusion. With no external sensors to entrances, I tried to just force my mana into it, but normal mana couldn''t even get through the shell. And I only knew one thing that could cause that. -Space mana...- The facility itself was reinforced with space mana, something I only knew to come from two sources, me or a rune. -Did they.. figure out how to create space runes?- But that couldn''t have been right. Something like a three-dimensional rune wasn''t something any creature less than a god could decipher. -Three-dimensional mana mechanics just aren''t that simple...- But as I gathered the space mana in my aura and forced it into the facility, I had to once again be enlightened to the horror that was the computer. Inside the facility was a series of machines, mechanical arms, and electrical systems all meant to move around and reorient tens of billions of tiny cubes, each being a tiny section of an oversized three-dimensional rune like an unsolvable puzzle with countless unused pieces. However, regardless of that, at the center of the facility was a large collection of blocks, around twenty meters across, containing several billion individual puzzle pieces that, while extremely inefficient and unlike anything I had ever seen, appeared to be a functioning space rune. -That''s.. possible..?- It even used methods and shortcuts I didn''t think were possible. But my fascination never had the chance to show itself through the horror written across my face. -They actually.. solved it...- Quickly turning my attention to the cables holding it up, I forced my aura through the walls, looking to see where the cables led, only to find that they were connected to massive arrays of thousands of quantum tether communication modules almost identical to those I had found in the communications tower in the Death''s Gape. However, the facility wasn''t connected to all of the communication modules... Following a set of cables back up to the top of the room, I found sections of metal among the heat-absorbing tiles where cables likely suspended another facility at one point, and followed the other cables down through the walls until my aura could no longer follow it. -What the hell is this place...- With no way to the surface besides the path I assumed Keras had made, I did idly question how the whole place was built. It was in the middle of Bahamut after all, it wasn''t a place where the Acardi could do whatever they wanted. -There''s no way Hera or Bahamut wouldn''t have realized they were building this if they had come from the surface, so...- Looking down into the boiling magma, I pushed my aura as deep into it as I could... But while I found a huge opening not too far down, well below it, the same, rectangular cut walls trailed deeper and deeper. -Did the Acardi.. come up from the mantle?- But then that begged the question... -W..why.. here..?- ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 412: Trouble Chapter 412: Trouble Early Morning - Mid Winter : Elafos Family Estate, Eikasi?a | Eastern Bahamut ----- -W..why.. here...- Looking down over the edge of the facility, into the pit of mana-lit magma, my mind raced. Given that the facility was right under the Draconic Continent, it only made sense if the Acardi had bored up from deep underground, or more likely the mantle, to construct it, however, that possibility raised more questions than answers. With the ability to traverse the planet through Delphi''s mantle, it made no sense to build anything here at all, let alone what I suspected was a series of what was possibly the most advanced facilities on the planet. -It''s not like this would be a small project either, even for the Acardi...- From both an efficiency perspective, and a logical perspective, boring through so much earth just to put your most advanced facilities under your enemy''s nose didn''t make any sense. -If they just wanted to hide it, they would have just put it somewhere in or near the mantle...- Yet there it was, with the top of the bored tunnel being a mere five kilometers below the surface. -There has to be another reason...- But even as I pushed my aura as far into the magma as possible, I couldn''t even begin to guess. -Based on the cables in the walls, there must be more facilities down below.. and there also seems to be another cavern the Acardi dug out not too far down that I can''t follow with my aura...- Thinking I could maybe figure something out with a bit of exploration, I wanted to jump down into the magma and swim around so badly it was honestly excruciating. But it would have to wait. "What a fascinating structure..." Finally reaching the facility, Keras'' eyes glowed, inspecting the rune-like engravings on its side while doing everything he could to try and cope with the mix of heat and mana pushing through my barriers. But while he was clearly struggling to deal with it, his curiosity seemed to push him through it. Until he started reaching his limit, that is. "It''s a shame that this will probably be the only time I get to inspect this so closely..." After several minutes, he was literally steaming, attempting to use water magic to condense what little moisture escaped in his breath to sweat-like beads to keep his scales cool. That meant nothing when his scales glowed like hot iron though. *tssssss* -Geez...- Knowing I wouldn''t be able to go explore the magma until he was done, I tried to slow my racing thoughts with some idle conversation. "You know, spending time in here is really good for your body. If you stay in here long enough, you''ll eventually be able to venture down here on your own." Snapping out of his focus for a moment, an unusually forced smile came to his face. "I understand that, but at this point in my life, I need to spend my time wisely." -Hm...- Looking him up and down, my gaze turned a bit judgemental. "Are you worried about your dragon sleep?" He nodded without the slightest hesitation. "After hearing that Myles Kalfas survived his sleep, my wife and I had a flicker of hope, but the deeper I dug into it, the more I found that it just came down to fate." From essentially spending his entire life in an incredibly mana-dense environment, to being sent into a dragon sleep in the middle of a life-or-death battle, Myles had quite literally the perfect entrance into his sleep. Yet even still, without Dagr''s influence, he never would have survived, and Keras likely knew that. However, that was also what made me find our conversation so amusing. "Why is it that you don''t ask me for help? I''m sure you already know that I have the power to do that." "Haha," Letting out a discomforted laugh, his gaze turned to me before his forced smile vanished entirely. "You know just as well as me that I don''t deserve such mercy." Looking down at his cloudy soul, swirling with anxiety and uncertainty, I shrugged my wings. "You''d be surprised how fast death can sober someone up." Being the biggest distributor of alcohol on the entire continent, Keras was one of the most well-connected dragons alive, having connections to nearly everyone with influence, whether they were commoners or the richest of the rich. But, just like similarly powerful positions in the government, having such connections came with responsibility that needed to be acknowledged. And while Keras learned that with time, it wasn''t before he made enough mistakes that he was already caught in the trap. "Like Madam Monachiko?s has likely already told you, when I was still building up my personal brand and expanding my connections to take the seat of family patriarch after my father, I did more than just glance into the dark alleyways of politics... Even though I thought I heeded my Father''s advice, the moment I took a step into the alley, I got trapped." Looking down at his glowing scales again, he cringed before continuing in a rushed manner. "Anyway, to try and keep things short, Madam Monachiko?s has given me an offer to clean the blood off my paws, and I accepted, but the bad deeds have already been done. I have bathed in too much blood for just cleaning the taste out of my mouth to be enough." Being nearly thirty kilometers underground, this was a place that never should have been able to see sunlight, let alone life, yet everything I saw there told me otherwise. -What the hell...- More cautiously continuing into the room, I slowly made my way up to one of the many broken metal plaques scattered on the ground and tried to read the engravings, only to be presented with an absolutely ancient, unreadable dialect of draconic my memories as Bahamut and Nott understood as ''primitive draconic'', a language long predating both Bahamut, and my arrival to Delphi as Nott. -No way...- Having been preserved by the unfathomably high mana levels, it was like I was cracking open an ancient time capsule. Everywhere I looked, there were artifacts that predated the entirety of draconic civilization. But while I thought everything in there would be similarly prehistoric, after looking into more of the details of items, I found my fascination begin to twist into confusion. The more artifacts I inspected, the more I found that the eras they originated from fluctuated, with some having easily recognizable text not much different from Hera''s era while others depicted what could only be described as the draconic equivalent of cave paintings. -What the hell?- Thinking that maybe there used to be a path from the surface leading to this place, I turned my attention to the walls and ceiling, looking for anything that could have been an old, capped pathway, but to no avail. -That can''t be right though...- It wasn''t like nearly thirty kilometers of rock and sediment could come out of nowhere after all. So, to try and use another method of finding an entrance, I used my space mana to cut out sections of rock from different places, starting on the ground and working my way up the wall, looking through the various layers in hopes of finding variations in their layers. And sure enough, while the ground and walls appeared to still be layers of dirt, strengthened to mythril over time, the ceiling was made entirely of bedrock that almost perfectly matched the surrounding bedrock. The entire mana well was buried... -The Acardi built here because they knew Bahamut wouldn''t ever dig it back up...- And with an essentially endless supply of mana and heat, they no longer had limits. With more energy than they could even utilize with the heat and mana, they could do whatever they wanted, in a place that would never be discovered, while their enemy actively worked to hide whatever anomalies they created. After all, who would let their own crimes see the daylight after going through so much effort to bury it. *Thump* Sitting down, my claws curled with reignited anger, digging scratches into the black mythril ground that had remained untouched for countless millennia. But as I sat there in the suffocating bubble of mana, struggling to suppress my anger aimed at Bahamut, I had an idea come to mind that rather quickly pulled my attention away from it... Because while Bahamut committed atrocities that words could not describe, there was no need for me to dwell on the past... Especially if dwelling on it meant I had to pass up on such a magnificent opportunity. -With so much insanely high-density mana... Isnt this the perfect place to study enriched mana?- ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 413: A Breathing Mountain Range Chapter 413: A Breathing Mountain Range Mid Morning - Mid Winter : Elafos Family Estate, Eikasi?a | Eastern Bahamut ----- -With so much insanely high-density mana... Isnt this the perfect place to study enriched mana?- *Vwoooooom* Looking out over the massive, nearly three-kilometer-wide lake of mana, the constant, unending hum of overpressured mana clashing with my aura filled the room, and a slightly crazed smile spread across my face. Being well over thirty kilometers underground and encased in what was essentially a massive geode made of one of the strongest materials on the planet, it was the perfect place to conduct experiments that would be cataclysmic on the surface. -Even if I set off a bunch of antimatter in here...- Rather than blowing through the black mythril, the expanding gasses would just force themselves through the pool of mana and into the magma cavern. -But I can''t do anything too crazy just yet...- Quickly stopping myself from getting overzealous, I scanned the room, still finding well over fifty thousand different ancient artifacts I had yet to even glance at. -At the very least, I need to skim through the rest of that...- The issue was I couldn''t understand most of it. With many of the plaques of text grossly predating even my oldest recognizable memories on Delphi, I needed to sit down and essentially decipher an entire language. But while most people would have taken it as an impossible task, I wasn''t actually too worried about it. Not because I was some expert in linguistics, but rather because I had tens of thousands of other plaques I could use as the steps of a staircase descending back in time. -A lot of these plaques are much more recent.. probably from just before Hera''s era...- And while it took a bit of effort, I could somewhat comfortably read them. -Then from that point on, it looks like the plaques age pretty steadily...- With the unknown aspects of the language changing in a similar steady fashion. In other words, while I couldn''t even guess where to start deciphering the oldest plaques, if I deciphered the small unknown sections of the more recent texts and worked my way back one step at a time, by the time I reached the oldest plaques, they wouldn''t be completely unfamiliar. "Hooh..." -It''ll be a bit time-consuming though...- But time was something I had a fair bit of at the moment, even if I had to make sure I was able to take it. After creating a marker for the room in the void, I returned to the surface to check in on Hera and Krystallo. By then, it hadn''t been more than a handful of hours since I left for the main estate with Keras, but in that time, Krystallo had been having a blast. According to Hera, while Krystallo went into the training a bit arrogant, after she got laid out by a dragon around Mother''s age, she had a burst of motivation to properly learn more foundational things like footwork and more efficient leverage when it comes to combat. "Hmhm~, you should''ve been here to see the look on her face when she got pulled off her feet and thrown to the ground." Enjoying being able to take my mind off the things I found underground for a moment, a warm, almost fatherly smile quickly spread across my face. "Haha, it''s a shame I missed it, but..." Looking out into the massive field where she was getting a lesson from one of the night captains with several other young dragons, simply radiating excitement, my chest warmed. "I''m just glad to see she''s enjoying it." Hera, nodding in agreement, quickly warmed her expression as well before letting out a sigh and leaning into me. *Pat* In an instant, it was like all the tension in her body just left, completely relaxing and laying her head on my neck while watching as Krystallo''s tail wagged out in the field. It was oddly.. nice... "So, what''s up with you?" Speaking barely above a whisper, her gaze finally turned up to me. "You seem tense..." "Haah..." Letting out a sigh, my wings and tail quickly relaxed. "I just found more than I bargained for underground." "Oh?" Nodding as she leaned into me a bit more, I pulled a small black mythril sheet out from under my wing and showed it to her. "Below the Acardi facility Keras showed me, I found an old mana well that was buried." Having had some time to reorganize my thoughts by then, this time not blinded by anger, I had started questioning the theories I came up with underground. "I''m thinking it was buried by Bahamut, but the more I think about it, the less sense it makes." "Hmm..." Trying to read the plaque, her expression darkened. "Is this.. old draconic?" They were all indeed hailing a god, but rather than being the Bahamut I knew, it was something, or rather someone else. But even as I dug deeper into the languages, it was hard to piece together any sort of image of that being. Almost all of the plaques were prayers, with some detailing things like how the person who made it wished for their daughter to be successful while others were of people begging for solace after losing a loved one. All I knew was that they were praying to some kind of god that they believed resided in the well, and based on the carvings, they believed it was a dragon. -But the carvings are either too messy or oversimplified to tell what the dragon looks like...- Based on what I was seeing, the thing they were praying to was more like a mountain range with wings. -Hm...- Popping my head up, I quickly got back to looking around the room. -Where was that broken statue I found...- Eventually finding what looked like a random small pile of gravel, I walked over and pulled out a rather significant amount of my own mana to isolate myself from the mana in the room and began piecing the statue back together with my aura. It took quite a lot longer than expected, but after about an hour of trial and error, I found myself sitting next to the tiny statue of a draconic species I had never seen before, that even my memories as Bahamut didn''t find even remotely familiar. Just like the plaques, its base read ''Praise Bahamut'', however, unlike the appearance of the Bahamut I knew, the creator of the statue had carved mountains along its spine, rivers and valleys between its scales, and a forest of half-broken trees decorating its wings. It was very clearly an artistical exaggeration, after all, a dragon that size would be almost a hundred kilometers long, a completely unprecedented and unfathomable size for any planet-surface-bound creature... But rather than simply moving on after confirming that it wasn''t actually Bahamut and going back to deciphering the older plaques, I sat there in silence, staring at the statue while feeling like something was on the tip of my tongue. Somehow, the more I stared at it, the more the sight of it tickled the back of my mind, as if my brain was searching for something that didn''t exist. It was the faintest familiarity, an almost impossible-to-catch sensation tied to a memory that wasn''t logged in my mind. However, that was before I decided to try searching in a different place. ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 414: Bahamut Chapter 414: Bahamut Mid Afternoon - Mid Winter : Elafos Family Estate, Eikasi?a | Eastern Bahamut ----- -Where.. are you from...- Sitting down next to the statue smaller than my paw, I stared at the clump of stone with an indescribably scrutinous gaze. Somehow, even though my memories as Bahamut had no recollection of the dragon, something about it scratched the deepest recesses of my mind. It was the faintest familiarity, an almost impossible-to-catch sensation tied to a memory that wasn''t logged in my mind, and just like a computer searching for a file that didn''t exist, I couldn''t put my tongue on it. -Who.. are you...- However, even though I recognized that the familiarity was coming from somewhere in my soul, not only could I not pinpoint it, I didn''t even know where to begin when it came to forcibly surfacing such a memory. -From my experience, the only ways are stimulating the memories with something I recognize, falling into a dragon sleep, or dying...- And considering the latter options were completely out the window, I was forced to try and find something else in the room that could ring the bell louder than the statue. But as one would expect, that proved to be far easier said than done. Going back to looking around the room, I tried my best to find things that were more unique than the prayer plaques, whether they were statues, essentially fossilized pieces of fabric, or artifacts I thought could have had messages in them. But to no avail. Compared to a statue of the dragon, nothing else could even remotely scratch that missing part of my mind again. However, it wasn''t a totally fruitless effort. After spending a little over two days deciphering more texts, I managed to get to a point where I could at least partially read everything in the room, and in the process, found quite a few interesting anomalies regarding the consistency of their contents, and the state of their preservation. The thing was, from the most recent texts back until I was reading the prayer plaques from the earliest days of Bahamut''s rule, most of the prayers metaphorically thanked their god for things like the ''blessing and enrichment of mana'', which, being left to interpretation, I assumed regarded the mana well. The plaques'' remarkable preservation only went to reinforce that. However, the deeper I dug into the phrasing, the more unusual it became, until eventually, I stumbled across a massive gap in the timeline, a time period of at least thirty or forty millennia where not a single prayer plaque was dropped by the well, and with it, the contents of the prayers changed completely. Compared to the younger texts, the contents of the older plaques were far more explicit, praying directly to a god that supposedly resided ''here'' as if speaking directly with them, not relying on euphemisms or figurative speech that was up to interpretation. However, at the same time, the mention of mana I could possibly relate to being from the well ceased completely, with the mention of the god''s presence as the only exception. -But that doesn''t make any sense.. even the old plaques are preserved nearly perfectly...- As I continued to read though, the thought that maybe this place wasn''t really a mana well was something I simply couldn''t shake from my mind. -It''s almost like this place just didn''t exist before that time skip around Bahamut''s rise...- But mana wells don''t just appear like that. -As far as I know, mana wells rise up out of the ground similar to dungeons... Could these older plaques be from before the well reached the surface?- The thing was, while each era of plaques had its own trends and consistencies, the older texts constantly spoke of this place being where the titanic dragon they were worshipping lived, very similar to the Tree of Prayer with me, with it being regularly mentioned that the god''s presence was too much for younger dragons. -That could be explained by the well just not having surfaced yet...- After all, such a colossal volume of mana being pushed up through the ground could easily be misunderstood by primitive dragons as the presence of a dragon the size of a mountain range, a god. -It''d also explain why none of the older plaques thanked anyone for the mana.- Since if they believed the mana belonged to a god, they wouldn''t dare take it. -How likely are primitive dragons to mistake regular mana for an aura though...- Although it was indeed understandable how a human could make the mistake, a dragon was an entirely different being. -Even if they were that primitive...- Aura had drastically different properties from normal mana to the extent that one could tell the difference completely instinctually. So, in order to fix my curiosity once and for all, I decided to try digging into the ground like I did the ceiling, but instead of taking several shallow samples, I took one super deep one. -Depending on how deep the black mythril goes compared to the walls, I might be able to tell if the well came up from the ground...- Not believing it, I quickly turned and started walking along the bump. If the lumps really were ribs, then I''d eventually find a vertebrae, but even as I passed the highest point of the cavern and started making my way down the wall, there was nothing. -Hah,- It made me want to laugh to shake off the anxiety welling in my stomach. -Who am I kidding, this cavern is way too big to be something like a skeleton...- After all, I, a dragon well over a hundred meters tall, felt like I was walking the perimeter of a huge colosseum as I made my way down the wall. However, just as I neared the middle of the wall, the hump I had followed across the roof and down the wall abruptly ended, and intersected with a different, much larger formation. One that, after feeling around for a moment and walking across it, only to find another hump stretching from the other side, made my entire body tense, and sent a chill down my spine. It was a vertebrae the size of me... I was inside of a creature''s chest cavity... -Then that means...- The plaques in the room were right. The inconsistencies I found were actually consistent, and the mana well wasn''t actually a mana well. It never was. -All this mana.. came from this creature...- Almost instantly, the series of lines I had drawn in my mind from tracing the cavern filled out, and I found myself in the middle of an unimaginably colossal skeleton. What was sunk into the ground wasn''t a mana well, it was a grave. The grave of a being who was once the true god of the dragons. The real Bahamut. ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 415: Eyes on the Horizon Chapter 415: Eyes on the Horizon Early Evening - Mid Winter : Elafos Family Estate, Eikasi?a | Eastern Bahamut ----- Bahamut. It was a name that always held significant meaning to me, whether as the god of the dragons, a friend, or a misled god, unable to shake off his human origins after being reborn. However, as I sat there, listlessly floating in an ocean of mana, that name''s meaning warped. As my mind created an image out of the lines I drew around the cavern, I subconsciously laid it over the static-laden projection of my aura''s space mana before suddenly, the vague shapes of ribs and vertebrae showed through the static... And I found myself floating in the chest cavity of a creature too large to fathom. It was Bahamut. The real Bahamut. A titan who could cause earthquakes with its steps, carry a mountain range on its back, and roam the surface like a continent with legs... Yet somehow was completely lost to time. No records. No myths. No legends... Just a bed of lost prayers.. a name that found a new owner.. and a memory... A memory I had lost in the depths of my soul. Feeling a sense of pity as I looked around the cavernous cavity, my mind raced to search for the rest of the memory, but even as seconds turned into minutes and minutes turned into hours, I had nothing to show for it. -Is the only way for me to figure it out.. to reincarnate myself?- Thinking back to the endless years I spent with my brother, repeatedly reincarnating myself, my expression darkened. But nothing came of it. "Haah..." -Who am I kidding...- Letting out a heavy breath, liquid mana rushed over my tongue and instantly sharpened my pupils. -Now isn''t the time for that...- Quickly shifting gears, I looked back up at the ceiling again, envisioning the colossal skeleton making up the walls of the cavern while taking a moment to sort out my thoughts. After all, countless questions that had been dwelling on my mind ever since I looked at the first facility with Keras finally had answers. The place wasn''t a mana well Bahamut buried. It was a grave that significantly predated him, hidden from the world by someone else. -Bahamut didn''t have the strength, even at his peak, to sink suck a huge mass of earth this deep...- Being the grave of an ancient god, what I believed to be an oversized mana well was actually the remnants of the mana that was once compressed into a single being''s reserve, and as such, the ribcage I floated in must have accompanied it. And while I could only vaguely make out its general shape, especially at range, it was easily twenty or thirty kilometers long. -And that''s just the ribcage...- Assuming the legs and tail accompanied it, the amount of rock that needed to be sunk underground was, at a bare minimum, the size of a massive island. -I can''t even fathom how hard it would be to just move such a huge mass of rock.. let alone do that while keeping everything intact...- But while I certainly wondered who could possibly make such a feat possible, I simply didn''t have enough information to give it any thought. Finally shifting my attention back toward where the Acardi tunnel connected to the magma chamber, my mind continued shifting gears. -Well, in any case, it''s not a wonder why the Acardi built things here anymore...- After being.. enlightened to the reality of the ''well''.. it quickly became more clear that the Acardi were here for research purposes, likely researching the skeletal remains of the god while using its excessive mana to fuel advanced, mana-hungry facilities like the one that deciphered a space rune. -If I had to guess, the facility that was closer to the ceiling was probably similar...- "Haha..." -He does get sidetracked pretty easily...- But this wasn''t one of those times. "I made sure he knew he couldn''t burn too much time. At the latest, he''ll be back tomorrow or the day after, okay?" "Hmph..." Pouting, she quickly laid her head back down on my leg before continuing to angrily thump her tail on the ground. "Haah..." -So hopeless...- Warmly smiling, I was quick to look back up over the silent training grounds. -I don''t think it''d be bad if he takes a couple extra days though...- The thing was, even though she seemed constantly distraught that Vasilias wasn''t around, her training never stopped outside of ''rest hours'' that were enforced by the Elafos estate. While they were only doing one day of free training per dragon, I ''swayed'' the knights with a bit of gold so she could stick around and continue to spar and reattend the lessons the knights gave to other dragons, and because of it, she was progressing more than steadily. However, while she didn''t quite realize it, as time passed and her anger about Vasilias wandering off without her grew, she started training more and more aggressively, to the point that even the knights had to be careful sparing her at times. Overhearing the knights cleaning up the training grounds gossiping about her, I wanted to laugh. -Hoho~, she really did go for the kill in some of her spars though.- But that kind of training was just what she needed, where nothing was on her mind except thinking about how to hurt her opponent, even if it was unknowingly, just to vent her own frustrations. Granted it wasn''t perfect, since, unlike Vasilias, she simply didn''t have the talent to mindlessly perfect techniques, but her improvement was more than visible. At least to everyone but her. Pouting as she looked out toward the horizon, thoughts raced behind her eyes, but rather than being clouded by worry for her brother as they would have been previously, there was the fear of inadequacy woven in as well, a worry of whether she was really making the most of the training she was subjecting herself to. But that fear was also an immense driving force for her. -Even though she lacks talent compared to her brother.. compared to the rest of the world she''s a genius beyond words...- However in her mind, no matter how much the rest of the world called her a genius, it meant nothing... She couldn''t escape the massive shadow her brother unknowingly cast on her, a wall of talent a mortal creature couldn''t dream of overcoming. However, that shadow was also where she found her solace, and her motivation, not in hopes of climbing to the peak of the mountain before her, but rather just climbing high enough to peek over the trees... Rather than wanting to overcome him because of something as petty as jealousy, she just wanted to see the world that he saw. She just wanted to find an excuse to spend time with him without feeling like baggage, regardless of how light or heavy she might be. But little did she know, that search for an excuse would lead her over taller mountains than regular dragons could see the peaks of. To a place where she could not only see over the trees, but over the horizon. ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 416: Unrecognizable Rot Chapter 416: Unrecognizable Rot Mid Evening - Mid Winter : Acardi Research Facility | Eastern Bahamut ----- *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* Carefully walking across the large docking bay, heavy, hollow metal thumps echoed through the facility while the stale scent of sulfur, heat, and minerals dug deep into my nostrils. It was the inescapable scent of magma that had engrained itself in my nose, mixing with the familiar, sterilized air of the facility. -Dang.. for even the docking bay to be sterilized...- *Vwoom* Idly using my aura to look just inside the surrounding walls, I quickly found a rather complex network of vents, filters, heating and cooling units, as well as huge dehumidifiers similar to upscaled versions of those in the crawler, clearly indicating a serious amount of precaution when dealing with the contents the crawlers were transporting. But that just made me more curious. Finally making it to the largest door in the bay I swiftly cut it open with space mana before finding my gaze aimed down a rather large, fifteen meter tall hallway covered with straight metallic lines I instantly recognized as magnetic rails. -Woah...- Compared to the facility off Siratha''s coast, this place was so massive and so sturdy it almost felt like it was made for dragons. Even if it was still a bit too small for me. *Flash* Quickly changing to my humanoid form, I made my way inside to begin exploring, peeking through the many, multi-story storage rooms connected to the hallway before using my aura to shortcut the process and find things like specimen rooms or the main control room. To put things bluntly, the facility was absolutely massive on the inside, to the extent that it could fit a deep-sea laboratory in just the storage area by the main gate, but regardless of its size, it was almost completely empty as if deliberately cleaned. Even after looking through what my aura could see, the only things that still remained were a handful of massive slabs of black mythril laying on specimen tables, and some samples of lava rock. -Those must be samples from the grave...- They were clearly still in the process of studying them when the place was evacuated. However, unlike the Sirathan lab, everything here was orderly. Outside of simple material decay, damage was rare, storages were empty, and even the chairs and tables were orderly and neatly organized, looking less like there was some abrupt evacuation and more like something planned. -It just feels so.. off...- Especially the empty specimen rooms. -I hope the data on the computers is still readable... I''m sure this place will have logs of some kind...- Wondering if this facility also had an AI or if I would have to manually look through computers for logs, I used my aura to check out the power network, gauging just how hard it would be to get everything back online before stumbling across the control room at the very top of the facility and inadvertently noticing a few of nearby rooms that were far less tidy than everything else in the facility. -It doesn''t seem like the mess is from the reactor though... Maybe I''ll check those out after I get this place back online...- By the looks of things, the facility used a pretty simple thermal generator, using a network of massive heat pipes in the outer walls that not only acted as insulation and cooled the inside of the facility, but powered everything on its own. -Such a comparably low energy output makes me wonder if this place can even house an AI... But it looks like an easy fix...- Finding a rupture in the large reservoir acting like a water tower above the generator, besides cleaning the gunk out of the reactor itself, all I needed to do was patch a hole and fill the system with water again, and it would automatically start running thanks to the intense heat of the magma. -How lucky...- But, as I made my way into a huge electromagnetic cargo elevator and cut my way through the ceiling to head directly to the control room, more of my aura started filling the disorderly rooms around it and almost immediately my urge to check them out went from idle interest to an irresistable mix of curiosity and discomfort. The rooms were also specimen rooms, just like the ones downstairs, but dealt with much smaller pieces of material and used many more, far more precise tools and equipment. However, while the out-of-place disorder was what caught my attention initially, upon a closer look, I found that one of the rooms was completely trashed and covered in a dirt-like organic gunk... Gunk that amounted to many times what could have come from an organic sample being studied in the room. -What the...- And well, after contemplating whether I should tell Hera that I''d be down here a little longer, I just burned a day walking throughout the entire facility replacing everything I could find while also lowering the temperature of things so the facility''s systems wouldn''t panic and overload to cool it all down the second I gave it power again. Thankfully, for the most part, the facility was still in extremely good condition, and with no antimatter batteries or reactors that ran the risk of exploding, after patching up the hole in the thermal reactor''s reservoir, all I had to do was fill it with pure water and reseat a few seals before... *click* *click* *click-click-click-WOOMMMMM* After a short startup, the pumps got power and the reactor roared to life. *flash* The lights instantly kicked on. -Wow.. it''s not screaming at me?- Having expected it to yell that its systems were damaged, I was quite pleased with the silence. However, that was only because it was filling the house-sized capacitors at the back of the facility. *BEEEP* *BEEEP* *BEEEP* As soon as the caps filled and the other, non-vital systems in the facility started getting power, the lights turned red, and a deafening automated voice ripped through the air. "Dangerous temperatures detected. Damaged systems detected. Main server: Unable to connect. Error detected with connection array modules. All External Systems: Offline. Running deep diagnostic and recording to logs." *BEEEP* "Identification of faculty member detected. Mister Borealis, as areas of the facility are subject to extreme conditions, it is advised you do not leave room 401. Entering lockdown and attempting to signal server for a rescue team through alternate methods." *CLANG* Jolting as the deafening sound of hundreds of locks slammed closed throughout the facility, I kept a close eye on the electronics throughout the reactor to make sure nothing was breaking before looking to my side and watching the computers meant to control the reactor light up. -So far so good...- While the reactor kept screaming about errors as more of its systems came online, after giving it a moment, it eventually ended, and I made my way over to one of the computers and logged in just as I would have at the Sirathan lab. *Beep* This time the computer was the thing to beep before the loud, facility-wide automated voice spoke up again. "Identity verified. All faculty please treat-" *CrAcKLe* "SuBjEcT #0-" *CrAcKLe* "With respect. Failing to do so will result in-" *CrAcKLe* "Death." ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 417: A Goldmine of Questions and Horrors Chapter 417: A Goldmine of Questions and Horrors Late Evening - Mid Winter : Acardi Research Facility | Eastern Bahamut ----- *Beep* "Identity verified. All faculty please treat-" *CrAcKLe* "SuBjEcT #0-" *CrAcKLe* "With respect. Failing to do so will result in-" *CrAcKLe* "Death."No?v(el)B\\jnn -Subject.. Zero...- My eyes instantly went wide as I looked up from the computer and glanced around the room, unable to slow the waterfall of thoughts ripping behind my eyes. -Does this facility.. know something about my connection to the Acardi..?- Looking back down at my hand, my thoughts wandered and raced, attempting to solve the universe-sized maze of questions and answers that had been built around my memories as Nott. But there was only so much I could figure out with what I knew.. only so many turns I could make... Turning back to the computer in a hurry, I raced through the endless data directories, both manually entered and automated, sifting through the useless recordings like the reactors power output before eventually finding more useful things, one of which being a log of all the individuals to ever enter the facility. At first glance, it was something completely useless to me, a long list of the names of scientists with their specialties attached, however, after looking a little deeper, I found details like their job, age, work history, and even short, manually inputed details. For the most part, the extra detail was indeed useless, however, after scrolling a ways down, I found me: ''Subject #0'' Clicking on it in a heartbeat, the screen updated with a very small identity panel, detailing my rank as ''Divine Being'', with essentially all other details being blank, and the manually entry being similar, reading: ''Do not disobey.'' -How blunt...- I, of course, didn''t give up that easily though. Scouring the rest of the data, I searched for anything that could be related to me, finding all kinds of fascinating directories relating to the results of several old experiments, and discoveries whilst only finding vague details relating to Subject #0. But it was still just enough to make my questions multiply. *Thump* "Fuck..." Slamming my hand down on the desk, I leaned back in the chair and tried to sort out what I found. By the sounds of things, Subject Zero was a god of theirs, however, considering not just the name, but how they treated and spoke of it, I could narrow it down to two possibilities. Either me being recognized as Subject Zero had to do with being recognized as Nott, or it had to do with being recognized as the one who touched the artifact that injected my body with my past life''s genetic material, among other things, right after I hatched. -Considering how commanding the details were, as well as how a simple lack of respect would result in death.. it could have been something done out of fear...- Perhaps the Acardi were just scared and set my permissions to max in order to satisfy whatever I wanted in an attempt to ensure the safety of the facility. -But just the same, it doesn''t make sense for me to interact with the Acardi in a friendly or even passive way...- Considering they were essentially at war with Delphi, it wouldn''t make sense for me to leave them be. -So.. why..?- Just thinking about that caused turmoil to rip through my mind. Idly scrolling through the facility''s precepts, looking at the list of protocols it would take if I appeared, I tried to slow down and sort my thoughts, but it only made me more unsettled. Until eventually, I had to force myself to stop and switch gears. As I jumped into the half-corroded chair and logged into the computer though, I found it right at my fingertips. A goldmine of information unlike anything I had ever seen, a list of diary-like entries from the scientists that worked in this room for things like personal notes and records, all kept classified, and requiring an excessive clearance to view. But that excessive clearance was something I had, meaning I had access to every note and scribble of the dozen scientists that rotated in and out of this room from nearly twenty years before the evacuation, with another twenty years following it.. all the way until the day the reactor broke. And I was going to read it all... Starting with the first scientist to conduct an experiment for Project Re-XK, and the one with nearly eighty-five percent of all the recorded entries... ''Head Research Analyst Andrew Borealis. | 18,761 entries found Day One: The Origin-Class creature.'' ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 418: A Lost Voice chapter 418: a lost voice unknown - unknown : acardi research facility | eastern draconic continent (bahamut) ----- - the logs of andrew borealis ~ entry 1 of 18,761 - day one: the origin-class creature. i guess they didn''t instill the fear of origin-class creatures when we were young for nothing. it''s hard to imagine how such a colossal land-bound creature could exist, but i guess with sufficient mana, what we physicists understand as laws become guidelines. anyway, today was my first time in the facility, but after getting through all the security and being shown where i would be living, we got to work. they told us these notes were for just us, but could potentially be read by others if something happened and we needed to be replaced, so i will try to keep it professional. apologies in advance if that isn''t the case in the long run, but my name is andrew borealis, a researcher from the school of universal understanding with a concentration in universal biomechanics and genetic trend construction and evaluation. i am a third party from the main sector workers in this facility, but am bound to similar rules. nothing read in these logs can be shared outside of this room without direct orders from agents of class v or above. to keep things short, i am the one in charge of organizing and mapping the genome of the origin class creature here, deciphering the purposes of various sections of genetics and translating them into more familiar, or visual terms. according to the higher-ups, i will be in charge of the research done in this branch, however i seem to only be looking over the work of two labs in this facility. in any case, the group i''m in charge of overseeing seems to be reliable, but their brain chips are something new from the mothership, so i''m not sure what to expect. we shall see. --- day two... day... ... --- - day twelve: first samples today, we finally got our hands on some raw samples taken from the grave. we have been tasked with finding and mapping the entirety of the creature''s genome, but in order to do that, we need to piece together countless long strings of genetic code, however, we very quickly ran into some problems. almost identically to the dragons of this world, this creature contains multiple genomes, one containing the blueprint for its full form, and another for what, at least at one point, would have been a more humanoid form. even without deciphering it, it is certain that this creature could not have used such a form, as its bone and muscle density would be denser than the core of a star, however, it still throws a wrench into the mapping process. the issue arises when deciphering what genome we are looking at when we only find a small, broken or incomplete piece. thankfully, throughout the samples, we found huge amounts of preserved genetic material, with only a handful of molecules that could have changed through atomic decay, which makes the initial mapping process quite easy, but finding the split between the humanoid genome and non-humanoid is.. a challenge... on another note, while it seems like mapping everything will be a struggle, we did actually discover that the mountains on the creature''s back aren''t actually rock, or at least not entirely. after double-checking a few times, it appears like the mountains we believed the creature to carry on its back weren''t regular sediment like some of the outer layers of rock, or at least not entirely. more studies will be needed to confirm it, but its a fascinating development at the very least. --- day thirteen... day... ... --- - day twenty-six: scale excrement in one of our tests today, we managed to confirm that what we originally believed to be a section of surface rock that was sunk into the ground with the creature''s fossil, was actually partially organic, being something closer to a solidified excrement from the creature''s scales that would layer and act like thick armor that was far sturdier than traditional dragon scales. this discovery has confirmed that the perceived mountains on the creature''s back are indeed a part of it, even if the material is closer to sedimentary rock than the more organic compounds we traditionally find in dragon scales. as for why it accumulates endlessly, or why the creature allowed it to accumulate to such an extent, we can only speculate. anyway, it''s not what we''re looking for, but a cool discovery nonetheless. --- day twenty-seven... day... ... --- - day ninety-six: progress i never thought i would say this, but it looks like we can finally start making progress. today, we found a golden sample, sample k, with a nearly fully preserved active genome. as far as we can tell, the only parts missing are pieces we have documented and confirmed, so at long last, we can begin the endless deciphering to learn how its.. peculiar genetic code would be read and used. upon hearing this news, the higher-ups told us we only need to isolate and identify the genetics for the bone and muscle tissues, however, even after trying to explain it wasn''t that simple since it used a different ''chemical legend'' compared to everything we know of besides dragons, we were just told to get it done. i can only hope things continue as smoothly as they have so far. --- day ninety-seven... day... ... --- - day three hundred eighty-five: today we received contact from a draconic containment facility supposedly housing one of the strongest dragons alive, and were provided the dragon''s genetic map to use for reference for our studies here. however, the dragons seem to be almost completely unrelated, unlike what we''ve been expecting.. and are, at best, several hundred thousand generations apart which would massively predate the existence and evolution of dragons as they are now, in this world. our current best guess is that this dragon is an origin-class creature that arrived here from another world during the growth of primitive life, or perhaps even earlier, and after it was killed, somehow managed to force mutations in creatures that wandered too close to its grave with its own genetic material. this is assuming that the creature was indeed once at the surface, and that the creatures genetic material was somehow stable inside of the pool of mana the creature left behind. as far as we know, this isn''t something that is traditionally possible, however recent studies have hinted that mana could act like radiation against molecules as fragile as those in genetics, which would technically allow for it to be possible, while also being a possible explanation as to why female dragons overproduce msc1. given the mana levels their bodies contain, it would be evolutionarily advantageous for dragons with an overproduction to dominate the population since their young would be born with less defects. i must add though, i have major doubts about that, as such an overproduction of msc1 is likely unnecessary given the genetic material is initially constructed in that high-mana environment. at least in my eyes, it seems more like a trap to keep the draconic population from exploding, but is too far spread to have originated from the sector. anyway, tomorrow we get another set of samples from the grave as well as some other species'' genetic material from various areas around the planet. we hope it''ll give us some insight. --- day three hundred eighty-six... day... ... --- - day nine hundred forty-four: we found our second golden sample today, sample x. from what we can tell its a piece of muscle, which was what we needed, and at long last the higher-ups have given us some direction. they want us to finish mapping the active genomes we found in our golden samples, mostly relating to skeletal structure, protein synthesis, and cell structure, before applying the genetic legend to other testable subjects in order to make sure its correct. by the sounds of it, they seem interested in splicing this origin-class creature''s genetics with something else, but since it uses a completely different legend from us, i can''t begin to wonder where it will be used. --- day nine hundred forty-five... day... ... --- - day two thousand three hundred and twenty-four: looks like i finally passed the higher-ups tests. after cycling through my colleagues a bunch, i was finally granted the promotion of clearance needed to access to the information of the project we have been contributing to, project re-xk. although more than slightly ambitious, they wanted to take some of the genetic makeup of the origin-class creature we have been studying in order to splice it into an acardi body. although some of the details are still hidden, there have been some rumors that the sector began investing heavily into what was previously ''spiritual research'' in hopes of letting us reach a realm beyond that of even mana. the creation of a god of sorts. as of now, it is completely impossible. the creatures of this world use an entirely different genetic legend from us, hence why even those with large amounts of mana in their bodies cannot ingest elixirs from this world. the high influx of mana will break apart their genetics and infuse that found in the elixir, but because the legend is different, it just causes their bodies to breakdown rather than evolve like we have seen with the human subjects other facilities have tested on. however, it isn''t totally impossible. if given enough time, it may be possible that we can translate our own genomes into this new legend, and make an artifact that would infuse a blend of our genetic makeup with the origin-class creatures. just allow me to preface that this is purely theoretical... up until this point, we had never seen such a unique genetic legend, so it may not be possible, even if i wish for that not to be the case. stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on amazon; report any sightings. --- plus the connection to the mothership was broken in a very odd fashion. after studying the logs, there was a blast of static that ripped through the communications before the connection was broken. that oddity made me question if something on the mothership blew up and killed the communication module.. however, by now they would have fixed it... in any case, there is nothing else i can do but wait. tomorrow i''ll make another food run and scout what is left of that facility for anything useful. perhaps its logs can give me some insight as well. --- day seven thousand six hundred and nine... day... ... --- - day eight thousand one hundred and seventy-two: i''ve finally given up the lingering hope i had about the mothership getting connected to the facility again, and honestly, it feels freeing... perhaps my mind has just lost grip with itself, or i ate something i shouldn''t have, but my mind has never been so steady. today i sat down and read through endless papers talking about runic circuitry and, while i wish i had someone to bounce ideas off, i was reminded of my days in school, studying alone. such a freeing feeling that was. --- day eight thousand one hundred and seventy-two... day... ... --- - day eight thousand five hundred and thirty-one: today i managed to hack into another facilities logs and read up on the restricted parts of project re-xk. supposedly it was a project meant to create a genetic template of a creature capable of housing the soul of a god. even now, it feels like a total farce, but reading into it more had truly pulled me in deep. i''ll be spending my time looking more into it as time goes on. perhaps after learning enough runic circuitry, i could create the artifact myself! perhaps i can find a way to step into the world of godhood using the endless ocean of mana just over my head... --- day eight thousand five hundred and thirty-one... day... ... --- - day ten thousand three hundred and one: haha! its possible! i managed to create a working rune that adjusted the genetics of the skin on the tip of my finger today! although it was quite painful, its a huge step in the right direction. tomorrow, i plan to start going up closer to the grave more often in order to try and absorb as much mana as i can, after all, it seems like mana really is the key to godhood and immortality. but it will all take more studies. --- day ten thousand three hundred and two... day... ... --- - day eleven thousand one hundred and seventeen: fuck... i got hit with mana sickness again today... it looks like my body really just can''t handle that kind of mana.. even if i''m not even at the entrance of the cave... it looks like my body can''t quite adapt to the mana like the fauna of this world can... but i don''t plan on giving up there. today i managed to get a breakthrough with my understanding of runic circuitry. hopefully, if i keep pace, i can start making a blueprint of an actual prototype of the artifact the higher-ups wanted. if its something i can fabricate here.. perhaps i can experiment on my own body to refine it. perhaps i can defeat the flow of time as well! perhaps i can be embraced by the gracious hand of mana just as this world has! --- day eleven thousand one hundred and eighteen... day... ... --- - day fourteen thousand one hundred and sixty-three: it looks like my time is finally coming... i like to think i lived a good life... a productive one... but the last twenty years i have been only shrouded in silence. today marks the day i finally finished a complete prototype of the artifact, but just the same, i can no longer move my legs... thanks to the experiments i did on myself to create the prototype, i struggle to move and can no longer retrieve supplies from the other facility, nor can i reach the fabricator on the lower levels to try and manufacture it... as much as i wish to deny it.. i''m on the way out... i will starve to death, with no one to hear my cries.. but perhaps that is for the better. over the last forty years, i''ve grown quite fond of this place.. with the gentle hum of the reactor putting me to sleep every night while the sound of rushing mana echoed outside... even if rescue arrived now, i''m not sure i would be able to go. my body has deteriorated, and while i believe my mind is still sharp, it too has dulled with time.. even if i don''t realize it. so, without a body or mind able to continue my work is done... now it is just a matter of time for the sector to return and find the treasures i left for them, or for them all to be buried and lost to time. but i have no regrets either way... or rather.. i have one... as i lay here at a desk, i wish i could see the surface just one more time... i wish i could meet the locals of this beautiful.. fascinating world, even if i was killed on sight. even if it would mean i would be tortured to death... i don''t care.. i just wish to see the sky one last time... --- day fourteen thousand one hundred and sixty-three... day... ... --- - day fourteen thousand one hundred and ninety: if someone other than the sector is reading this.. i apologize... i wish i and my people could have understood it sooner, but this world is alive.. disturbing the balance as we did was something that could only come back to bite us. perhaps that is what happened in the end, perhaps this world ended us in that blink of an eye... perhaps it was all the work of fate... in any case, this will be my last log. if someone from this world manages to read this message.. i''m sorry... with every passing day, i feel more and more guilty about the things my people have done, however, i don''t regret the path i took. after reconnecting to the satellite array a few days ago, i shed tears... seeing the planet intact.. alive and well... it made me so happy that words cannot do it justice... so happy that i can finally lay my head to rest one last time.. not dwelling on a life of regret, but imagining i was the dragon soaring through the sky.. scanning a forest for food.. or a lizard on the side of a tree, basking in the sun. if i am to have one final wish.. it is that in my next life.. and the one after that.. i hope i can repay the debt my race has accrued. even if i alone cannot repay it for a thousand lifetimes. ----- read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on my patreon! (in case embedded link doesn''t work: /tdod ) ------------- also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to tdod releases! https://discord.gg/dv7g5bqd4v all are welcome! --- also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! the system''s harvester on rr and sh Short Break short break hey everyone! hope you are all doing well. i''d like to start off by saying i apologize for all the delays recently, i have been incredibly mentally drained lately and have found it really hard to write. however, i want to correct this, so starting now, i will take a week-long break from both my novels to attempt to fix this mental health issue. when i get back with a tsh chapter this time next week, i will hopefully be able to resume a more regular release schedule as i have had in the past, without the semi-regular one day delays. in other news, the hatchling vasilias plushee is currently being made! there has been quite a bit of progress lately and the first prototype has actually been made. if you want more updates and news on that, as well as information on the comic, feel free to join the community discord and ask! i''ll be in there chatting even on my time off. https://discord.gg/dv7g5bqd4v Chapter 419: The God-Bearer Chapter 419: The God-Bearer Mid Morning - Mid Winter : Acardi Research Facility | Eastern Bahamut ----- *Puff-Creak* Leaning back in the chair, unable to pull my eyes off the screen, my mind raced so fast that my surroundings simply went dark. There was so much to digest that I had unknowingly used my divinity to bend time, but even that wasn''t enough. After reading through the nearly twenty thousand entries logged by the scientist, my curiosity roared with the blaze of a mythril furnace, quickly igniting an endless ocean of information I had just filled and flooding my mind with the nostalgia of digesting my dragon inheritance as a hatchling. However, the nostalgia wasn''t solely from my mind''s forge roaring. -This... This is familiar...- Standing up and staring at the bright screen with wide eyes, I scrolled back to reread them, the logs mentioning of the ''draconic ancestor'' missing its head, the Acardi higher-ups fearing something, and the concept of ''artificially creating a god'' brought forth an indescribable mix of emotions from the depth of my soul, a mix of pity, uncertainty, and excitement. It was a mix of sensations that all stimulated memories that didn''t exist in my mind, the infuriating sensation of being so close.. yet so far... However.. this time was different. After letting my mind race, and focusing as hard as I could on the sensations, one started standing out, growing stronger with every passing moment until finally, an image appeared in my mind, the sight of looking down over a mountain range, collapsed on its side, as a massive, glossy black area poured out liquid as if countless pipes drained a reserve of oil. It was Bahamut, the true ''God of the Strong'', lying dead on its side, creating lakes with the blood leaking from its fresh.. indescribably clean wound. It was the draconic ancestor, a being that helped lay the foundation for dragons as they are today, yet as I looked down upon it from over the clouds instead of reverence, or fascination.. I felt.. pity... A pity coming from the very core of my being that was so overpowering it quelled the blaze in my mind, suffocating the uncontrollable fire and letting my mind settle. But while it pulled me back to my senses in an instant, it only caused the forge to grow hotter. -I.. killed him.- Looking up through the ceiling at the unfathomably heavy mana pressure from the gave sat on my aura, I didn''t feel an ounce of regret. -I wonder.. why...- Rushing to dig at the source of the image knowing it stemmed from an indescribably ancient memory, I wanted to grasp at strings no matter how loose, but after going back and rereading the logs dozens of times, nothing else ever surfaced.. even if they were close... -Looks like I might be more familiar with this whole situation than I expected though...- After rereading everything so many times I nearly had it memorized, I had managed to piece together details and references throughout the logs, and piece together connections with other things I experienced, such as the artifact I touched as a hatchling being a close match in concept to the artifact Andrew Borealis described. An artifact meant to create a body that a god can reside in. -Even if the artifact I touched used different genetics from his project.. that artifact fits the bill he wanted to fill out...- So, after looking through the logs for external references one more time, I took to the rest of the computer, reading through the endless other logs, data entries, and legal documents in search of the artifact and rune blueprints Andrew mentioned endlessly in the latter years of his logs. I wanted to find the artifact he designed. The culmination of the lifetime''s of work, talent, and knowledge of an Acardi researcher. Until eventually, after finally figuring out how to access the buffer, it appeared... But rather than making my mind race to answer questions.. it made everything go quiet. Before my eyes was the blueprint of an artifact with runic circuitry so advanced it was almost sickening, so efficient it felt inorganic, yet pieced together by hand like a huge, endless puzzle. It was the final prototype of Project Re-XK, the series of artifacts combined into one... The God-Bearer. -So this.. is the peak of Acardi technology...- It was a conglomeration of artifacts that would completely rewrite the genetic code of one of the Acardi, switching their genetic legend to that of an organism native to Delphi while weaving in changes and improvements like a series of mechanical, intelligent viruses. Using a perfect blend of mana and science, it was clear the artifacts were well beyond the likes of anything I had seen from the Acardi up until that point, making even the most advanced devices I had seen look so simple it was laughable. However, there was one exception to that.. a certain memory threw a wrench into that vision. -This...- Envisioning the artifact I touched as a hatchling laying next to it.. my mind bent. -How...-@@@@ But after a bit of thought, I started from where we left off last time, explaining that the mana well was actually a grave before moving onto the many details I found in the lab regarding the artifact I touched as a hatchling. "To think such a monstrous creature existed... For its body to still be so full of mana, it must have truly been a god above the class I can fathom... It makes me wonder how it died though, and how it got buried like it did..." Finding her questions excruciatingly similar to the ones I was asking myself just a few days ago, I wanted to laugh. "Well, I can actually answer that." Averting my eyes, I felt a bit of anxiety trying to tie my stomach in a knot. Noticing my unusual shift in demeanor, her curiosity instantly turned to concern. Concern that only worsened my anxiety... -But.. I trust her...- Lowering my snout, I turned my eyes back to her. "I killed it, and presumably buried it too." Her eyes instantly went wide as a ripple spread through the pool from her tensing up. "Why..?" Shrugging, I carefully pulled my wing off her and leaned away slightly. "The memory was incomplete, but I don''t seem to regret it at all. Rather than something like guilt.. I felt pity." Falling silent, Hera pulled herself off my side, clearly still deep in thought. But that wasn''t surprising. After all, I just admitted to killing the being that was the foundation of the draconic race on Delphi. However, rather than looking disgusted, fearful, or panicked as I worried, she remained inexplicably calm. "As..?" "Nott." "Then what does it matter?" Speaking so bluntly she sounded annoyed, she somewhat angrily pushed herself into me and looked me straight in the eyes. "I know you better than anyone. The real you. You definitely had a reason." -More than likely...- However, there was no way to tell if I hadn''t simply changed since then. "If you were strong enough to kill a creature like that, you were also strong enough to clean the mess that''d follow its death, and that''s assuming you didn''t actually have a reason for it." Smiling, she relaxed and laid her head down on me. "Look, I know you''re worried about discovering you have blood on your paws just like Bahamut, but I want you to keep this in mind." Capturing my gaze, her beautiful irises pulled me in. "If you think I''m going to change the way I see you because of something you did in a past life where you weren''t a native to this world, nor a dragon, you might as well save the thought." Nuzzling herself into me, she used her aura to lay my wing back over her. "No matter what, I will be by your side, okay?" Lowering her gaze, her voice hushed to a mumble, and her body completely relaxed. "No matter what..." ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 420: A Decision of Fate Chapter 420: A Decision of Fate Mid Morning - Mid Winter : The Ancient''s Spa, Eikasi?a | Eastern Bahamut ----- *blub-thump-thump-thump* Lethargically waking up, feeling the touch of cold stone pressing into the side of my face, I raised my head with a groan. "Mmmhh..." *thump-thump* "Ah-! WAIT-" *SPLASH* Slowly opening my eyes, I looked down to see a tiny pink creature submerged in the steaming water before it promptly burst through the surface and shot me a glare. -Hm..? Why is she so small?- "YOU SUCK!" "Uwaaah..." Letting out a nonchalant yawn, I glanced over my shoulder to see Hera looking extra small as well before finally noticing that, rather than being in a dream, it was just that my transformation magic had reverted in my sleep. -Dang, I was more tired than I thought... I haven''t slept that hard in a long time...- "Waking you up is like waking up a rock!" "Yeah, sorry. I guess I was more exhausted than I thought..." -I honestly still feel drowsy...- Looking up to try and focus on the transformation magic, Krystallo rather grumpily swam back over to me and climbed up on my massive leg to get out of the water. But right as she did... *Flash* I finished the transformation spell in a daze and shrunk back down to around Hera''s size, sending her plunging back into the water. *KERPLUNK* -Ah, whoops...- *WOOSH* Instantly bursting back out if the water with a heavy flap of her wings, she shot a glare at me, aiming to slam into the bottom of my chin. But unfortunately, my lethargic mind wasn''t fast enough to catch the impact at all. *THWACK* "OW!" Slamming into a nearly immovable object, her entire body scrunched up before plummeting back into the water. *SPLASH* "ARE YOU MADE OF ROCK TOO?!" Finally getting the surge of adrenaline I typically got right when I awoke, I snapped awake before looking down and watching Krystallo slowly float away on her back, angrily rubbing her head with her paw and wing. "Haha, you need to be careful, sis. If you hit someone your age like that they might not get up." Hearing my joking tone, she immediately shot me an irritated look before mumbling, "But you are my age..." Hearing her as she turned over and swam to the edge of the spa to climb out, my smile instantly mixed with a hint of worry, but before I could say anything else, Hera jumped in. "Anyway, sorry for waking you up, Vasilias." Standing up she gently stretched before using wind magic to sneakily speak to me. "Today are her big fights, the semi-finals and finals. I wish I could have let you sleep, but she-" "No, don''t be sorry," Stiffening my expression as I tried to look past my own anxieties, I got up and promptly dried us off with magic. "These are things I can no longer afford to miss. I have already been absent from her life for far too long." Over my years of absence, my debt to her had accumulated to such an extent that it was almost sickening. -But it''s time I start paying it off...- However, such a debt was not something I could pay off easily, no matter the method, so after taking some time to think of what we could do together, I decided it was best to take things one step at a time. And that all started with her fights. Assuming she won the semi-finals of the lower bracket, she would have about a day to train and prepare for the finals, and in that time, I was going to give her a series of lessons that would hopefully set up the groundwork for patching whatever shortcomings I noticed in the first fight. However, at the time.. I didn''t quite realize just what shortcoming we would have to focus on. It wasn''t until we got to the arena, sat through a few other divisions'' semi-final matches, and watched Krystallo come out that my worries finally set in. "Alright now, everyone please welcome to the stage our lower-bracket favorite, Miss Anthisi!" However, while it was a sight of confidence that made everyone else endlessly excited for the fights to come, it made me more than a little displeased. -She''s too cocky...- While it was true that she did indeed outclass her opponent to an almost unholy degree, it was also true that she was far too sloppy. -If that kid was as fast as a few of the fighters we''ve seen, she would have lost.- And it wouldn''t have been close. But while I watched her walk off stage with a scrutinous gaze, contemplating whether to let her learn on her own or intervene as I originally intended, she looked up at me in the stands, and almost instantly, her anger-fueled confidence vanished, and she rushed out of the arena like a dog with its tail tucked. "Haah..." It wasn''t the reaction I expected, but I knew it should have been. Ever since we spoke of her motivations and discussed her desire to follow me up the mountain I was climbing, she trained like hell to gain my approval, and while her anger derived from me as well, seeing my disapproval completely eclipsed it. With a single expression, I had sent her mind into turmoil. Up until that point, I had been taking a very serious, and tough approach to the matter. Considering her desire to follow me would more than likely put her life at risk, I had to be hard on her.. whether she liked it or not. Until then, I just wanted to make sure it was not only what she truly wanted, but also a path she was capable of walking. -But maybe.. I''m going at this the wrong way...- Quickly softening my expression, I looked back at Hera. She already knew what I was thinking though. "I know you want to try a softer method, but this isn''t a matter that you should approach softly, alright?" Easing her gaze, she lowered her snout and looked me in the eyes. "This is a serious matter. You need to be firm and direct... I can tell she truly wants to join you in your journey, and she has the talent to back it up, but.. I''m afraid if she really tries to climb the mountain, there will come a time that her grip slips, and you have to come down to catch her..." Knowing what she was getting at, my expression darkened. "I know she''s your sister, but you can''t afford another burden right now..." Looking back out toward the arena while another group of dragons worked to fix the damage from Krystallo, Hera''s voice softened. "But I will trust you.. no matter what path you decide to set her on." ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 421: Coming to Terms with Fate Chapter 421: Coming to Terms with Fate Mid Afternoon - Mid Winter : Eikasi?a | Eastern Bahamut ----- - Krystallo Ragnarok ~ "Haah..." *Thump* Sitting down with a heavy sigh, my anxiety-dulled gaze floated around between those in the training arena before promptly falling to the ground and darkening. -I improved.. right..?- Endlessly replaying the fight in my mind, I dedicated every speck of thought to reviewing every action, motion, and spell I used in order to find things I did wrongjust as I had after every fight since I visited the Elafos Knight Training Camp a few days prior. But unlike my previous battles, every time I failed to find a mistake, the image of my brothers disappointed gaze would fill my mind, and my thoughts would tear themselves apart. Before that day, it was a sight that only existed in my nightmaresa look of displeasure so deep it was sickening. Yet, up until that point, I used it as a source of motivation, confident that if I simply did my best, I would never see it. But then it happened. After winning what I believed to be a flawless victory, I looked up in the stands to find his gaze locked on me, holding back a vast abyss of disappointment.. and the sun vanished from my sky. In a single instant, my childish anger aimed at him was eclipsed by the gut-wrenching feeling of failure, and my mind kicked itself for even letting me get upset at something so stupid. -But its too late to regret it now...- Looking up at the sun, looming high over the training arena, centered between its high walls, I felt just like a frog in a well, staring up at a portion of the sky believing that was all there was. But just as my expression softened, everything around me suddenly went dark, my eyes shot open, and a tingling sensation traced my spine. It was fear, but not for my life. "Krystallo." Hearing Brothers voice come from the darkness, I tensed up, wanting to run and hideonly to find that I couldnt move. "Do you know the mountain you are trying to climb?" Lowering my gaze to the ground in a hurry, terrified of seeing his eyes in the darkness, a shiver filled my body. "I-I do..." Feeling his presence wrap around me, his serious tone gained a chill. "Are you sure?" My trembling paws instantly scrunched together. "N..No..." "Then why are you trying to climb it?" *Vwoom* In an instant, a cool sensation settled over my body, causing my shivering to slow. "I-I... I want to see the real world..." Pausing as the sensation slowly pierced my scales deeper and deeper, my wings slowly relaxed. "I don''t want to see a painting of the sky.. or a drawing of the horizon... I want to see them with my own eyes..." "So why climb a mountain you can''t see the peak of?" "Because..." Falling silent as my shiver finally disappeared, my thoughts steadied. "Because the higher I climb, the more of the world I can see..." "So even if the mountain is the most dangerous one you could climb, you believe the view from its side to be worth the danger?" "If you really wish to continue forward, I can bring you above the trees, but I will never guide you through the clouds... If that is the direction you want to take.. those are steps you must find or carve yourself.. and as much as it pains me.. if you slip and fall.. even I won''t be able to save you..." Pain wove into his voice the longer he spoke, causing my chest to ache and mind to race in order find somethinganythingto say. But I couldn''t. No matter how deeply I searched, I couldn''t find the words. The silence between us felt suffocating. Even the surrounding darknessstretching onto infinity in every directionseemed to press in on me, as if it were weighing on my scales. I wanted to shout, argue, or demand more answers... but all that came out was a quiet rasp caught in my throat. Brother was the first to move, gently lowering his snout to the ground once more before murmuring. "I''m sorry if all this is.. overwhelming..." His voice was more gentle than I had ever heard, carrying a pain he couldn''t quite mask. "Perhaps it was still too early to say anything." Feeling my heart clench, I tightened my paws, feeling the crush of sand beneath them, before finally, I managed to find a word... "No..." Wanting to scoff, a somewhat forced smile came to my face. "I get it nowwhy Mom always seemed restless until recently.. and why you seem to act closer to Hera''s age than mine or even Moms..." Leaning back, I turned my snout up to the ceiling, looking into the endless, all-encapusaling abyss around us. "But.. I don''t think it changes anything." Almost immediately, the restless rustle of Brother''s tail stopped. "You are still my brother.. the same weirdo that gave Mom so much trouble as a child.. and the same softie that would let me nuzzle to fall asleep... But beyond that.. I don''t think this changes what I want." Solidifying my stance, I lowered my gaze again, only to match his. "This is the mountain I want to climb.. I know it''s ignorant to think I could share your burden, but I want to try... I don''t want to feel like someone watching from the sidelines, I want to feel like your sister. Rather than a burden, I want to feel like I''m supporting you.. even if that ends up being a selfish overstatement..." "Even if taking that path puts you in danger?" Looking him in the eyes, my gaze steadied. "I don''t want to live a normal life. Even if it comes with risks.. I want to be strong, not to just win some stupid tournament, but to help you... No matter how I have to do it." The air instantly grew heavy. For a moment, neither of us spoke, simply staring into the eyes of the other as if looking at each others thoughts. Until finally, Brother lifted his head. "Then I will give you a chance... If your next fight goes well, I will help you see above the trees, and part the clouds to show you a hint of what is beyond, and you can decide whether it is still the mountain you wish to climb." Pausing, his gaze sharpened. "Just don''t let your own arrogance cloud your decision-making again, okay?" Feeling the pressure on my shoulders grow in magnitudes, I forced down a gulp, but remained standing firmly. "O-Okay!" I finally had a chance.. a chance to look beyond the veil. All I needed to do was show him I was capable of handling whatever it was that I would see, and while I didn''t know how I would do that, I was certain it was possible. -He wouldn''t drop it on me if he knew I couldn''t meet his expectations.- So, in that instant, my motivations and desires erupted into a blaze, one that would either lead to the future I desired.. or burn me to ash alongside it. But either way, I was going to enjoy the warmth while it lasted... ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 422: Proof Chapter 422: Proof Mid Evening - Mid Winter : Eikasi?a | Eastern Bahamut ----- - Krystallo Ragnarok ~ "Hooooh..." Letting out a nervous, but controlled breath, a chill passed down my spine with a shake before I slowly opened my eyes to see the sandy arena just beyond the closed, dark iron gate. -It''s finally time...- *Clank* *Clank* *Clank* Hearing the heavy metallic steps of the knight coming to open the door, I quickly looked over my wing to see a tall, armor-donning dragon coming toward me with a smile. "Are you ready, young miss?" He sounded just as excited as the announcer outside. "Since you are the underdog in this fight, they will be sending you out second. Just as with your other fights, sit tight until I open the gate, then head on out and have a good time, alright?" "Okay." I was quick to nod. -If that''s the case though, I should have an extra minute or so...- Promptly turning back to the gate, I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the vast mix of excitement and anxiety brewing in my mind in hopes of settling it. But my mind never eased, and my focus never steadied. "Hooh..." -There''s no need to be nervous... I just need to focus...- *Tsssss* Using ice magic in my breath gland to distract my mind from the stressful events at hand, steam began blowing out of my nostrils with every breath, but ever so slowly, my shaky paws steadied. It was an old technique Mother had taught me to keep my head level. "Hooooh..." -I got this...- My time for preparations rather quickly came to an end though. After hearing the announcer rile up the crowd for some time, he began the introductions and called us out. "Now, please welcome to the stage, the division''s leading champion, Alyssa Epo?meno!" Hearing the announcer call her name, I slowly opened my eyes to find the slender, white-scaled girl walking up on stage with her eyes set on me. She was confident, but also looked excited, as if knowing this rematch wasn''t going to be the same as before. "And now, for her opponent, we have the lower bracket champion, the flower that blooms with blood! Let''s give it up for Miss Anthisi, the Berserker Flower!" *Cl-Cl-Cl-Clang* Watching as the gate lifted and my path to the stage was lit, I finally got up and walked out into the crisp evening air. But unlike what I expected, as I walked out, rather than the roaring crowd getting louder.. their cheers became muffled and distant, and by the time I had gotten on stage, had vanished completely. For that instant, I wasn''t in the arena, but rather in a vast empty space where it was just me, the stage, and Alyssa. Watching her begin walking to the center of the stage to exchange greetings, I was quick to follow her lead, turning and tapping wings before turning again to tap tails. It was time for me to prove myself, but as I made it back to my side of the arena and spread my stance, it was clear that I wasn''t the only one. As Alyssa lowered her head, nearly to the ground, her excited smile started fading with a bit of nervousness creeping into her eyes. But I was already prepared for her to fight harder than she had ever fought. *Puff* Letting out another huff of steam, my snout lowered, and claws dug into the stage. Before finally, without any warning, light zipped across the stage. *WOOSH* Instantly lunging forward, my pupils sharpened, watching as Alyssa raised her wings to move, only for the area around her to be lit up by the glow of countless runes. -Ice already, huh...- *CRUNCH* Slamming my paws into the center of the arena, I stopped on a dime before flapping my wings as hard as I could. *WOOSH-CrAcKLE* In an instant, the entire arena behind her, leading all the way into the stands, was covered in a thick layer of ice while the air was filled with the glimmer of snow. I wasn''t going to let the same trick happen twice. And she now knew that. Watching her pupils thin with vigilance, she lowered her body before opening her mouth just enough to expose the glow of magic. -That''s a feint...- *WOOSH* Lunging forward, I finally closed the distance between us before she darted to the side, trying to catch my neck with a razor-sharp block of ice on her tail in a moment of distraction. -W..what in the world...- Giving her a weird look in response, I didn''t bother hiding my confusion. -She.. doesn''t even know who I am...- But, her announcement did give me a chance, so I played along. "R-Right... Please contact them, they will be able to reach me..." "Haha, then it''s settled!" Making his voice boom again, the towering announcer turned back to the crowd and gave them some closing messages before the other divisions would begin their fights. But while we were dismissed, and told to walk off stage, rather than going out her gate, Alyssa followed me. -W..what the hell is she scheming...- It wasn''t until we got well within the side of the arena that she finally burst forward with excitement. "Look, I''m sorry for being weird but you are Krystallo Ragnarok, aren''t you?!" Jolting back, I gave her an awkward look. "Uh..." "Please introduce me to your brother!" -Uhm...- "Did you surrender.. just for this..?" Feeling my stomach churn with anxiety thinking my one opportunity to prove myself was cut short for something so petty, I felt sick. But she was quick to shake her head. "Are you kidding? If we fought again it would have been even more one sided... I''m sure you noticed that I had no chance of beating you with magic, and after trying to flip you again.. well.. let''s just say I was made aware of the gap between us..." Opening her mouth, she gently lifted her paw to show me several loose and chipped teeth, with one completely falling out in the process. "Ugh.. in any case, I need to speak with your brother about something pretty urgently!" Not sure what to think or do, I let her ramble. Little did I know, that would be a mistake. "My mother wants to arrange a marriage between me and your brother." I instantly jolted. "I know my display on stage wasn''t exactly flattering.. but I want to meet him just in case! Maybe we can start as friends and hang out until I can win him over! I didn''t see anyone else that stood out in the competition though, so is he not a fighter?" Seeing her look of determination, I felt sick. The thought of her being with my brother was.. more than a little repulsive.. but regardless of that, I was rather confident I had nothing to worry about. At least that was until we made our way outside and found him waiting for us. At that point, I thought seeing him would be enough to deter her.. but it seemed to do the opposite. Simply laying eyes on him made her eyes gleam like stars. -Oh no...- ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 423: Understanding of Reality Chapter 423: Understanding of Reality Late Evening - Mid Winter : Eikasi?a | Eastern Bahamut ----- "Hmm..." Leaning forward and inspecting my expression as we walked down the hall to leave the colosseum, Hera gave me an odd look that could only be described as a mix of scrutiny and curiosity. Being a look that she had been giving me since the moment the fight ended, I knew why she was doing it, but at the same time couldn''t help but be discomforted by it. "How long are you just gonna stare like that?" Matching her gaze with mine, her pupils were quick to relax and widen. "As long as it takes for me to get a read on you." Tilting my head, a somewhat playful smile came to my face. "I''m not sure there is much to read, Krystallo did well." Pulling her head back, she raised it with some scrutiny. "Well enough for you to scar her with knowledge?" -Well...- Almost instantly my expression settled. "It won''t be that bad. I don''t plan on revealing that much just yet." "Right.. just a peek, you said?" Not believing me, she was quick to probe. "So, what would you consider ''just a peek'' that wouldn''t scar her, or make her thirst to know more?" Looking ahead of us as we walked out under the starry, dragon-filled sky, I spoke freely. "I''ll tell her the truth about Bahamut, that he was really a human who tricked and manipulated the draconic race into weakening themselves till they were one step from extinction." "You don''t think that''s too much to dive into head-first?" Shaking my head, I took a moment to find a spot to wait in the merchant plaza just outside the colosseum before continuing. "The truth will eventually reach the public, and since she will likely be working closely with us and the cabinet whether she follows my path or my mother''s, it might help her understand the reasons for our ''reforms''." "Hm..." Idly following me, Hera immediately sank into thought with a bit of worry. "Even if she decides to not follow the path I show her, which I doubt, but would prefer, seeing the truth through Bahamut''s manipulation will help her in the future." Hera was quick to nod in agreement. "You aren''t wrong, but you do need to be careful. Just as it can help her, that kind of knowledge can also be a curse. You should be careful with what you choose to reveal about that." "Yeah, I know." Although I also wanted to take her to Bahamut''s nest in the Library of Eternity and show her everything, since to me, that was still just a peek, I knew it would be too much for her to jump right into. For now, all I had to do was crack the door to let a little light through. -I just hope she doesnt blind herself with curiosity...- I wanted her to make the decision for herself, using reason rather than impulse to decide what path to take. But whether she would do that or not.. I couldn''t be certain. Eventually finding a place to sit in the plaza, near some merchant stalls, Hera and I briefly discussed what exactly we each wanted to reveal to the public in regards to the draconic races origin and history before Krystallo finally started coming out and we set the conversation aside. But surprisingly, as we got up, ready to greet her and leave for dinner, we found that she wasn''t alone. She was talking to the young Epo?meno, looking somewhat discomforted, before the young girl set her eyes on me and froze. -Hm?- Watching a bright gleam slowly grow in the girl''s eyes as her gaze drifted around Hera and me, it didn''t take long to realize why her gaze glowed with fascination and awe. -She must have sensitive eyes...- She was looking at our auras, watching as the space between Hera and I seemed to almost morph and bend as our auras clashed and blended with one another. Alyssa was quick to shake her head. "I just took a guess that she was Krystallo in disguise based of how my mother described her, and more specifically, her magic. I-I was just hoping to come out and meet you in hopes that I could form more connections with the next generation of Ragnaroks." Bowing her head, she let out several controlled breaths, likely in hopes of easing her nerves. "Well then, it was a pleasure to meet you, Alyssa. If you decide you''d like to continue your studies in ''world theory'', do let me know. Siratha is going to be studying a much more.. physically grounded version of ''world theory'', if that''s something you wish to explore." "S-Siratha?!" She immediately exploded with excitement. "I-Is there any way I could give it a try without really committing to anything? My mother recommended that I spend a few dozen years outside of the nest exploring the world before I commit to anything, but..." Nodding, I found her concerns almost funny. "Just tell your parents to reach out to Hera when you want to do it and we can set it up, alright?" Hera was quick to nod as well. "You can also just drop by my office. I''m not always there, but if you leave one of the maids a letter, they can relay it to me." Finally recognizing who Hera was, she once again tensed with a mix of embarrassment and panic, before desperately trying to hide it. "I-In that case, I will do just that. I apologize if I happened to intrude on your night out, but I will do my best to get in contact soon." "I''ll look forward to it." Smiling somewhat warmly, Hera was quick to send her off before continuing some idle chatter with Krystallo and taking to the air. After a string of long days of stress and training, Krystallo was starving, and honestly, I could use some good food too, so rather than simply going to some place nearby, we took to the skies and flew out toward the coast where a small restaurant Hera had recently frequented was. According to her, they had some incredible food, it was secluded, and it had a great view. In other words, it would be the perfect spot to have ''that'' discussion with Krystallo. But what we didn''t expect was for her to be so tired. As soon as we finished dinner at the small place on the water, she fell asleep with the sound of crashing waves reminding her of home. Perhaps that was for the better though. When she did eventually wake up, she was far less tense than she was prior to her nap, so it made things go a little easierCkeeping her level-headed and rational. Even if, regardless of having a more rational state mind, it was a bit of a.. rude awakening for her... *Crash* *Splash* Sitting on the sandy beach as the waves crashed before her, sending up a mist that glistened in the light of the morning sun, she stared at the sunrise with a dark expression and motionless tail. "So.. you mean to tell me that Bahamut.. the god every dragon hails.. wasn''t even a dragon..?" ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 424: The Insanity of Reality Chapter 424: The Insanity of Reality Early Morning - Mid Winter : Eastern Coastline | Eastern Bahamut ----- "So.. you mean to tell me that Bahamut.. the god every dragon hails.. wasn''t even a dragon..?" Staring out over the ocean while waves filled the air with stars, Krystallo''s eyes, laden with hesitancy, slowly drifted toward the bright orange sky before she continued. "He still had the body of a dragon though.. he still grew up from infancy with it... Doesn''t that mean he had to learn how to be a dragon..?" Catching her glance, I was quick to shake my head. "Not necessarily." Looking out toward the golden sunrise, I continued somewhat softly. "Bahamut had no parents. He was a human god who stumbled across a lost egg and took the body for his own. In his time as a dragon, he learned to survive, not live... It''s why everyone who knew him called him ''eccentric'', because he simply lived how he was taught in his last life." "Which wasn''t as a dragon..." "Correct." A pleased curl quickly found its way into my tail. She was handling things better than anticipated, staying calm and calculative without letting her curiosity get to her. "That really does.. explain a lot..." Looking back toward Hera, she fell into thought for a moment before her gaze fell and made its way back to the sunrise. "I remembered wondering what you guys meant by calling Eikasi?a a draconic city, but looking back now.. every other city on the continent really is.. human-like..." Pausing, she fell deep into thought before turning back to me. "But even with that... I''m not sure I see where your negativity is coming from..." -Hm?- A curious whip in my tail thumped the ground as my gaze steadied. "What do you mean?" "I mean, sure, Bahamut did make our culture more human, which doesn''t really fit our species, but I''m not so sure that''s a bad thing like you''re making it sound. Human architecture is beautiful, their culture is close and cohesive, and if the texts we studied in school are true, the concept of ''the family'' was a truly beautiful foreign he granted us. Mothers used to only raise their young till they were old enough to fly, then leave them to fend for themselves. I just don''t see how humanizing our race a little bit is a grave enough sin to warrant your-" "Krystallo..." Not wanting to get onto the topic, I let out a sigh. "Draconic culture didn''t start ''valuing'' the concept of the family as a whole until we had no other choice. Because of Bahamut, our population''s growth flatlined." Her expression quickly turned troubled. "W..what is that supposed to mean..?" Looking at Hera, she wore a mix of worry and skepticism. Hera was quick to lay it on her though. "Bahamut, worried that we would grow too strong for ''other intelligent life'' to survive after uniting us and establishing our civilization, essentially put our necks under a guillotine." Seeing Krystallo''s eyes go wide, she continued. "As you know, we can only lay one clutch in our lifetimes, however, that was not always the case. He, under the guise of blessing hatches in the early days of his rule, crushed any hopes the draconic race had of growing and left us one disaster away from extinction." "B-But he must have had some other motive, right-" Knowing where Hera was going with that, Krystallo looked at me for solace. But I could only shake my head. "His motive was to make sure the draconic race didn''t wipe out humanity. In the end, that was his true motivation, to thin the gap between humans and dragons. From burying our mana wells and giving them to the humans, to destroying our population, he did whatever it took to put us on a more level playing field." Clamping her wings to her side, her tail curled with anxiety. "T-Then what about the Acardi? He helped us there, didn''t he?" Shrugging my wings, I looked out over the water. "The Acardi weren''t just a threat to us..." Her gaze instantly fell to the ground with guilt. "You make a good point in saying that even if Bahamut did questionable things, but you must also look at the full picture when saying that. It is also up to you to form your own opinion on how you feel about it all. Just because I dislike him doesn''t mean everyone else must as well." Pausing, Krystallo fell into thought before her wings and tail finally started relaxing. "But if you, the one who knows the most about him, dislikes him.. doesn''t that mean he''s bad?" Catching her gaze, I let out another breath before looking away. "Everyone is different. I''m sure in the eyes of many I''m just as bad as I believe him to be. Some may still value the current state of our race because of the good things that did result from his actions, like a sense of unity, comfort, and convenience... However, for me, his good deeds will never sit right because of his motives. As the leader of a nation, you should look to improve the wellbeing of your people, yet while many put their faith in him, he simply used them as tools while tricking them into thinking he was doing it for them." But he didn''t budge. "~It is, but I like to believe I was the only one who could truly call themselves that.~" Raising himself from his bow, a smile spread across his face. But I wasn''t buying the act. "~The times have changed. Until I get back more of my memories you are the same as the rest of the Aesir. What business do you have with me now?~" His expression instantly morphed to a frown. "~I had hoped you would at least remember my relationship with my father, but I guess not...~" Pausing, he moved backward slightly. "~I apologize for making you jump, but I''m not here for that missy behind you. I am simply here to inform you that my brother has discovered the true identity of that girl behind you, as well as your family, and is planning to take them from you in an attempt to gain Odin''s limited favor.~" Tensing up, the hair on the back of my neck flared up. "~Is that so?~" Seeing him nod, my expression turned skeptical. "~And what do you gain from telling me that?~" "~A better show, of course!~" Spreading his arms like a proud conductor, he smiled with his teeth. "~In the past, I never could have dreamed that you''d intervene with the balance of this world, but now, I can watch as the Aesir lights their own asses on fire!~" His expression progressively turned more crazed as he spoke. "~It''s finally time for karma to catch up to those arrogant bastards! How could I not be excited!~" Watching as his insanity spread and grew, I lowered my stance. Such insanity couldn''t be faked, he wasn''t lying. But I also felt like a pig being led by a carrot to believe everything he said. Unfortunately though, I didn''t have the time to pick and choose what to believe. Before his maniacal laugh could end, a series of presences appeared on the horizon. It was Baldur, with three of the Valkyries in tow. ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 425: Cowardice Chapter 425: Cowardice Mid Morning - Mid Winter : 100 Kilometers East of the Coast | Eastern Bahamut ----- Staring toward the horizon as four presences started approaching like sharks who caught the scent of blood, my pupils sharpened, my wings flared out, and my aura exploded. *VWOOM* Snapping my gaze to Ho?er, so much bloodlust erupted from me that even his insanity seemed to vanish for a moment. "~I wouldn''t be laughing if I were you.~" His maniacal laugh ceased in an instant. -You know what...- "~It no longer matters whether you were telling the truth or not.~" In an instant, the air above him warped with the creation of antimatter and glittered with the sparkle of space mana. But he wasn''t planning on sticking around long enough for the spell to finish. *Vwoop* Disappearing with a wide, taunting smile, I detonated the antimatter, focusing the blast into a beam several times the size of me and engulfing the horizon in an instant.@@@@ But it was too slow. "Tch..." Snickering as I felt his presence dart around the beam, I turned my attention toward Krystallo to make sure my barriers were holding up. -What a confusing bastard...- Even as he ran off, I couldn''t tell whose side he was on. Whether he was acting as a scout, forcing me to use my divinity and expose my presence to the Aesir, or simply wishing to give me a warning, I couldn''t be sure. As I turned back to the opposite horizon though, such dilemmas became meaningless. Catching the gaze of a lightly-clothed, well-built young man as the presences of the three Valkyries behind him scattered below the horizon, my pupils sharpened, and all color drained from my surroundings. Layering my aura''s projection over my eyes, the space around me became a vast sea of flowing strings and silhouettes, with fluctuating masses of information blending with the vast three-dimensional space I inhabited. Although I had yet to truly experiment with it, as I caught Baldur''s gaze on the horizon, all lingering hesitation disappeared. "~Hoho, I guess just like Father said, losing your memories really reduced you to a dog.~" Slowing down right before he entered the world of strings my mind had created around me, he matched my gaze with a rather energetic smile. "~It almost makes me feel bad.~" Not buying the openings he showed as he floated toward me, brandishing his divinity like a massive flag, my eyes never left his... Not even to blink... He was holding himself back... "~But don''t worry, I don''t discriminate.~" Continuing to float forward, his presence slowly started to grow heavier, steadily accelerating his divinity more and more with every second. "~Believe it or not I''m actually a pacifist.~" Trying to get me to jump out and keep him from accelerating his divinity and more than it already had, he ran his mouth while doing everything he could to show me openings. At least that was until his divinity accelerated beyond mine... The moment he passed me, his smile widened, and his confidence exploded. "~It''s truly a shame that people like you force me to commit such disgusting acts of violence, isn''t it!~" Gently adjusting the cuff on his wrist while trying to see how much he could get away with, the crazed look in his eyes grew. Until eventually.. his divinity reached its limit, and disbelief mixed with the craze in his eyes. "~Wow... To think the incarnation of death really has been reduced to a mutt... I understand you want to protect the missy behind you, but at the same time, you just let me dilate time like that?~" Shaking his head to scoff, his smile grew before his arms started turning black. "~And here I thought I''d need to use her as a hostage!~" *VWOOP* Closing the distance between us so fast he seemed to almost teleport, my eyes jolted to him, only for his divinity-laden fist to connect with the top of my head. *WOOM-CRRRRACKKK* Feeling a shockwave blow through my spine, the ocean behind me was atomized, releasing a blinding flash before the water quaked and exploded. Having drained his confidence, he stayed completely silent. "~And to think you called me a dog.~" Snickering with pent-up rage, I stared at the still-crackling space around him with discontent. "~You bastards could have killed me at any time by working together, yet Odin and Frigg send you to your death, one by one, every time. Do you not find it odd?~" Unable to hold it in, his smooth and steady divinity started shaking from anger before the gates finally dissipated. "~SHUT YOUR MOUTH!~" *CRACK* Hurling the Valkyrie''s spear into my open mouth, it almost immediately pierced the back of my throat. But at that point, my anger simply eclipsed the pain. Leaving the Valkyrie behind, he darted off as fast as he could before a flash left my mouth, and the sun descended, eviscerating the Valkyrie before racing to catch up to him. But he was too far gone by then. Stopping only to block the initial burst of space mana at the front of the blast, he immediately turned around and continued to run like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs. "Tch..." Clicking my tongue, I almost immediately decelerated my divinity, only for time to flow once more, and give my surroundings a chance to react. *WOOP-CRRRACKKK* With countless, simultaneous impacts rivaling the most powerful forces of nature, countless cubic kilometers of ocean were ejected into the atmosphere, completely misting the unfortunate schools of fish in the area and sending out a shockwave so immense that its reverberations from the various internal layers of the planet could be easily felt like an echo all around the world. But during that time, my focus was elsewhere. Having crawled under and encapsulated Krystallo completely, protecting her from the unfathomable blast of hot water and plasma with my body, I did everything I could to stop her momentum and address the hole that was now through her shoulder, narrowly missing her spine. *WOOM* But while I was ready to try and numb the area, as the impact rang out and hit Krystallo, even while weakened, it overloaded her senses to such an extent that it knocked her out cold. However.. perhaps that was the best thing that could have happened... After letting the shockwaves pass, I opened up my wings to find Krystallo laying on my underside with her crimson blood flowing down my side like a waterfall. It was a sight I thought would only exist in my nightmares, but.. as the steaming rain poured down over us, and I watched her chest slowly grow and shrink, I felt relief. She was alive... ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 426: Disconnection Chapter 426: Disconnection Mid Morning - Mid Winter : 100 Kilometers East of the Coast | Eastern Bahamut ----- - Krystallo Ragnarok ~ An instant. A period of time that passes by so fast you can only react after it''s passed. Depending on the scenario, its length can vary, perhaps being longer if your mind is dulled or shorter if your senses are sharp. However, sometimes, that instant passes so fast you can''t even react to it... Like a light switch being flicked off. One moment, you''re gliding over the water, trying to sort your thoughts.. and in the next, you open your eyes from what you believe to be a blink and find yourself staring into a stone fireplace. -H..Huh..?- Upon opening my eyes, the crackling of burning wood filled my ears, and the lustrous flow of fire filled my eyes. -What.. happened...- Going to lift my head, I tried to read my biological clock to see how much time passed, only for pain to completely rip through my body. "ACK-!" "Krystallo! Don''t move!" Hearing Hera''s panicked voice, I froze and tried to relax, only to start noticing the mess of unusual sensations throughout my body. "What.. happened to me..." Running up to me in a hurry, Hera was quick to use her aura to reposition me a bit, before speaking more calmly. "You got attacked by a few gods out on the water. Thankfully your injuries are all treatable, but you have a huge hole in you right now..." Suddenly noticing that one of my front legs was clamped to the side of my body, seemingly with bandages, I froze, instinctually realizing it was the source of my pain. -Wait, but.. if I got this injured...- "What about brother? Is he-" "He''s fine." She spoke bluntly. "He may as well be immortal so don''t worry about him, just focus on resting and healing, okay?" Nodding with the slightest movement, I felt heat spread out from my shoulder while using my aura to look for his presence. But it was nowhere to be found. -He didn''t get super hurt trying to protect me.. did he..?- My gut churned in an instant. Hera was quick to continue though. "He ran back to Atlas to speak with your mom about your treatment. While he is certain he can save your arm, it''s not exactly a shallow injury, so he wants to use an elixir." -Huh?- Trying to get my mind off my anxiety, I turned my head just enough to see Hera inspecting my side. "Why would he need to ask mom about that..?" "It''ll likely turn some of your scales black, more than just the damaged area." -What''s wrong with that?- "Anyway, please just focus on resting... I''m standing guard, so there won''t be any more Asgardian bastards showing up." -Asgard?- "What reason does Asgard have to attack me?" -Was I not just caught in the fray..?- Going silent, Hera rebandaged my side before backing away and giving me a slightly angry glance. She never said a word.. but I knew exactly what the answer was. -I was their target because I''m his weakness...- Feeling my chest start to burn with anxiety, I turned to look back at the blazing fire in the fireplace with a mix of fear and despair. Almost immediately, the grizzled old man in the doorway behind me froze, letting his eyes turn glossy with tears before the light magic around him wavered and warped. "You.. remember..?" Gently lowering my gaze, I turned to look out the window, watching as the grass in the clearing waved in the wind before letting out a quick breath. "It''s a long story, but..." Gently nodding as I turned back to him, the magic around him ceased, removing his grizzled look and revealing a much healthier-looking man beneath the overgrown beard. -But it looks like time takes its toll on every species...- While he looked quite good, especially for being nearly a thousand years old, looking just like his father, wrinkles had started to appear on his face. But.. perhaps those wrinkles were from his stress. "You.. are you.. dying..?" Seeing the horror wash over his face, I was quick to correct him. "No, no. I''m actually better than I''ve ever been. For once, I actually have the chance to break the cycle." Knowing exactly what that meant, he froze. "Y-you know it''s not that simple, right..? Every time you''ve awoken some of your memories in the past, whether someone told you about them, or you stumbled across a diary.. it was an omen for your death..." "But it isn''t this time." Trying to speak confidently, I leaned onto the desk. "This time, I was guided across this world to retrieve all the mementos I left behind in the past by a god, and reawakened those memories myself." Getting nervous, panic seeped into his eyes. "I''ve done more research on reincarnation than anyone in this world... Breaking this cycle won''t be something that easy..." "Of course, but it''s not just anyone guiding me, you know. It''s one of the strongest beings to ever walk this world." His curiosity exploded in an instant. "Is it the god you''d always speak of when you were young?" "No, no." Shaking my head, my gaze slowly drifted to a nearby bookshelf where I found an old book; a bible I had tried to write from memory when I was young. "This time I''m not following some ethereal entity." Thinking back to the day I watched the mountainside explode, I felt a chill of both fear and awe pass down my spine. "This time, I''m choosing to follow a god that can properly guide my fate..." Relief quickly overtook my expression before I looked up at him. "It''s finally over, Anamoni... You''re finally free..." His eyes immediately darkened with thought. "You no longer have to take on the burden of trying to change your mother''s cursed fate... You can do anything you want-" "Do you.. still view me as your son..." Cutting me off, he sat down on the edge of the bed and squeezed his hands while his gaze drifted. "To you, you might think the last thousand years have been torture for me.. watching my own Mother, clueless of her identity, grow up, and grow old before realizing who I really was... You must think having to live through that has made me disconnected from you.. as if time had separated our relationship... But for me, you are everything I have... I have dedicated my life to breaking you from this curse... Just to see you and Father smiling again..." Pausing, his expression turned pained. "So.. even if you no longer see me as your son.. please.. don''t throw me aside..." ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 427: Biological Paradoxes Chapter 427: Biological Paradoxes Early Evening - Mid Winter : The Coast of Eastern Bahamut ----- *WooooOOSH* Zipping over huge masses of golden clouds as the sun set on the horizon, I did nearly everything I could to muffle my flight and hide my presence. As I got within a few hundred kilometers of the small estate Hera and I bought to hide and treat Krystallo, I needed to be sneaky in case she was still sleeping. And sure enough, she was. But while I could keep myself invisible to her, there was one person whose eyes weren''t so easily fooled. "That took longer than expected." Hera, gently stoking the flames in the fireplace next to Krystallo with a slow, but heavy breath, used wind magic to speak to me as soon as I got inside her aura. "Well, I ended up having to do some troublesome things. Anyway, has Krystallo woken up yet?" Gently nodding, Hera slowly lifted her head out of the fireplace and made her way back to one of the larger cushions a bit farther away. "It wasn''t for very long, but yes. Unlike your worries, she seemed quite mentally acute, if a bit down." "Phew..." Letting out a breath of relief, my nerves eased greatly. "She wasn''t in too much pain?" "When she moved it really hit her, but she had no issue falling back to sleep." -What a relief that is...- It had been a number of hours since I left at that point, and while I was really trying to race against the clock in order to get back before she woke up to begin with, things didn''t exactly work out that way. "So what was the consensus?" Starting to slow down, I finally dove into the dark, snow-filled clouds. "Well, neither Mother, nor Father cared about her scale colors, especially so after I told them about how she would have to stick to my hip for the foreseeable future. But I''m not going to just give her my elixir raw like I did Leif." "Hm.. is that why you''re flying back instead of coming through the void?" "Yep." Looking down at the bright white orb floating right under my chest, being held with my aura as gently as the finest of glass ornaments, my eyes drifted to my chest where I watched unfathomably cold ice continue to crystallize. Even though I was surrounded by plasma that was tens of thousands of degrees, the frost coming off the orb was cold enough to not only maintain ice on my chest, but lower my typically blazing body temperature considerably. And as I slowed down more, it only got worse. By the time I actually landed, the ice had spread along my entire underside, and coated my legs in their entirety. "~What the hell is that..?~" Speaking with her divinity as she came out to see me land in the tiny estate''s courtyard, I did everything I could to direct the cold away from the estate, leaving the snowy forest behind me to slowly be engulfed by growing masses of ice. "~That is a truly wonderful question...~" *CrAcKLE* Looking over at it while I broke off the ice covering my body, I started making my way inside while continuing to hold it up in the courtyard with my aura. "~Grandmother said it''s an old relic of the Ragnarok family, from before our family was actually formed.~" "~Oh? Asimi was in Atlas?~" "~Supposedly she was investigating something there, I didn''t ask.~" *Tap* *Tap* *Tap* Continuing inside, I did what I could to keep the non-space-mana part of my aura off Krystallo before making sure her condition hadn''t worsened. "~Anyway, Grandmother said, on top of blending some space mana into the elixir like I originally planned, I should blend some mana from that core into it.~" Hera''s gaze turned skeptical in an instant. "~What? Is she insane?~" Turning back to look out at the core as it turned the beautiful, snowy landscape into an icy hell, the rhythmic sway in her tail slowed. "~Won''t that kind of cold just kill her?~" "~I would think so... I mean, shit.. if I ate that core, it''d essentially atomize me. The temperature of that core''s shell is so close to absolute zero that it''s genuinely concerning...~" "~So why''d you bring it here?~" Finally closing the front door and coming back to the living room, Hera''s worried face was quickly lit with the warm glow of the fire. "~That thing is way too dangerous for her... She''s barely twenty, Vasilias...~" "~I know...~" Sitting down next to her, I quickly snipped a bit of my horn off before it lost its shape and turned liquid. "~But I actually don''t think this will be as bad as we think...~" Watching as I continued making the elixir with my horn, taking out large sections of matter at a time, Hera looked at me like I was insane. "~You better have a damn good reason for that... You better not say it''s just because you''re here...~" Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "~I''m not going to give her something I can''t control. If things go south, I have ways of handling it.~" Speaking rather coldly, my gaze drifted toward Krystallo''s crown. "~But I think it will work without my intervention... According to Grandmother, our family is especially well-equipped for low body temperatures because of our cold attributed aura. When we pass Ancient stage, the cold part of our aura grows so strong we start sprouting some rather unique feathers.~" In my case, the feathers were replaced with fur, but regardless, they acted the same. "~Because the feathers are made of the same compounds our scales are, they act like a far more efficient radiator to dissipate or collect heat.~" But Hera wasn''t so sure. "~So you''re telling me, you think a girl who''s not even adult stage is going to sprout those feathers?~" "~Assuming they are a reactionary measure to a burst of cold or plummeting body temperature during a dragon sleep or something similar, yes.~" -But regardless of whether she does.. I have an idea on how to contain the cold...- Silence filled the room in an instant. "~You know.. sometimes I can''t tell if what you''re doing is really smart or really stupid...~" "Hah..." Letting out a bit of a chuckle, I glanced at her with a hint of uncertainty contaminating my gaze. "~I wish I could tell you which it was.~" But, it wasn''t like I was doing something dumb with no safety measures in place. Knowing a little too much of the cold mana could kill her, I planned to be very stingy with how I put in the elixir, opting to drip the majority of the mana to her like an IV so her body could find the limit itself. Worst case scenario, I''d stop giving her the mana and would forcefully remove some from her system with space mana until her body found a balance it could handle. Unlike with Father, Krystallo''s life wasn''t in the balance so I didn''t need to take any risks. -All I have to do is give her however much she can handle without side effects. So, I got to work, keeping her asleep while concocting one of the most dangerous substances I had ever made. -Geez...- Unsurprisingly, the hyper-cold mana from the core actually meshed really well with my space mana, but oddly enough it seemed to make the cold worse. By the time I actually finished the elixir, it had the consistency of a non-Newtonian fluid, and was so cold the blazing fireplace next to us could only barely keep it in check. "How exactly.. are you planning on giving that to her..?" Speaking softly, Hera''s eyes never left the elixir flowing around in the air. "I''ll guide it to her breath gland and set it down. Her body will handle it from there." Finally getting the elixir to an appropriate state, I used my aura to open up Krystallo''s mouth before slowly guiding the elixir in. -Alright.. well...- "Here goes nothing..." *plop* Dropping the viscous liquid in her breath gland, it almost instantly crystallized the surrounding area before strings of ice started seeping into her body, weaving through mana channels toward her reserve like the flows of a river. But the moment it finally reached the reserve, the river widened several-fold, and the elixir was sucked through the gland''s walls, leading the concoction toward her reserve before her body devoured it like a starved wolf. *VWOOM* In the span of a single second, her aura grew by several magnitudes, and the warmth of the room was extinguished. -It''s looking good...- Now, it was time to start giving her some of the mana directly from the core. Bringing her out into the frozen courtyard, just before the mountain of all-consuming ice spikes, I gently set her down on the snow and started ever-so-slowly siphoning some of the mana from the core to her, starting as slow as I could control. But like a black hole, as soon as her reserve got a grip on the tether, it did everything in its power to pull every drop of mana through the tether as it could, attempting to expand the tether in the process. Of course, the suction was nowhere near strong enough to force the tether to expand under my control, but while I stayed focused on Krystallo and her reserve, there were things I was missing. After a few hours of siphoning small amount of mana into her, letting her reserve absorb all it could while her rampaging aura started spreading the influence of the elixir around her body, the pressure trying to expand the tether settled. -Is she done?- By the looks of things, her reserve was full, now focusing on ''digesting'' the frigid mana it just absorbed while her body processed the elixir itself and started her ''metamorphosis''. But the moment I relaxed, something changed. In the blink of an eye, the freakishly cold aura radiating from the core stopped... -What the...- "How.. did it do that..?" Even Hera had to filter her head with concern. We were both stumped.. until slowly but surely, we noticed that the mana in the reserve had stopped circulating before changing directions. -It''s.. matching the flow of her reserve..?- Almost immediately, I turned to Hera with a look of uncertainty. "Did she just.. take control of it?" "That''s not how reserves work... That shouldn''t be possible." But there was no denying it, watching both reserves start to slow, completely in sync, Hera and I could only watch on in awe. At least until the reserves stopped flowing entirely, and the flow of mana through the tether resumed. -Huh?- "What are they.. doing..?" Tilting my head, I stared into the frosty mana core, using the world of strings from my aura to try and figure out what was happening. But.. it was something that even after seeing, made me scratch my head. "She''s.. taking the mana from the core''s shell directly.. and replacing her own with it..?" "W..why though..?" Tilting both our heads at the same time we simply stared at what could only be considered a mana core shell transfusion while questioning not only how, but why. Little did we know then, it was something that would answer a paradoxical question dragons had asked for eons. ''What if a dragon had two of the same attribute node?'' ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 428: A Wish Chapter 428: A Wish There will be an art release for Krystallo and her new form with the next chapter :P Early Evening - Mid Summer : Voldukirk | The Holy Kingdom ----- - Astren Ravenna ~ "Astren," *FWIP* Stopping the thin blade of my sword just off the surface of my sparring partner''s neck, I waited for them to spread their arms in surrender before turning toward the voice. "Yes?" Using a rag laid over my shoulders to wipe the sweat off my face, I found myself staring at an incredibly heavily armored knight standing with his sword formally stuck into the ground. "You have been summoned." His voice was deep and gravelly, but so clear it was as if he wasn''t actually wearing a helmet. Quickly looking down at his sword, I looked for an insignia, but couldn''t find one. "May I ask who-" "The High Church." -Shit...- My stomach instantly churned with anxiety. "Okay, one moment please." Flipping my sword and catching the blade, I handed it to a nearby assistant before heading toward the side of the arena to change my attire. -What do they want now...- Quickly changing out of my training clothes and putting on a tight white garb, I clamped my armor around my arms and legs before having an assistant help with the pieces around my chest. It was a new set of armor that was only recently made, using a blend of white, black, and gold metals made for my official debut as an apostle expected to take place in a few weeks. But while it was only intended to be worn in training until the debut, this meeting was something far more important. *Clank* Gently adjusting the armor around my forearm, I finally put on my gloves before sheathing my bright silver sword on my hip and making my way toward the simply towering knight. As I approached, I could feel his gaze following me, but it wasn''t until I got to his side that he spoke. "It''s good to see you understand the situation." *Shink* Pulling his massive two-handed blade out of the ground, he lifted and pointed it straight into the sky before lowering his head in prayer and sheathing it on his back. "Let us be on our way then." He was so massive he handled the massive blade like a short sword, moving it so smoothly it looked as if it couldn''t weigh more than a feather. But, something else was off about him. As we walked through the church and out into the courtyard, he never made a sound, not a clack of armor nor a crunch of gravel ever sounded. But, he wasn''t completely invisible. Somehow, with every step, you could feel the air in the entire room shift, as if uniformly disturbed; a pressure change that was too rhythmic to come from anything but him. As we finally got to the carriage and he opened the door for me with a bow, I tried not to think about it, after all, I must have just been overthinking things. -He is a knight of the High Church.. it makes sense for him to be super skilled...- In order to serve under Odin, he had to be. But, the longer the carriage ride went, the more oddities I seemed to notice. Whether it was other carriages or citizens, no one seemed to recognize that we even existed. It was like we were invisible; continuing up to the main church without so much as a glance from those outside. When we got there though, and the gates opened to let us in, that changed. The moment we got inside the walls around the unfathomably massive, palace-like church, the gazes of nearly every priest and worshipper in the vicinity snapped to us, before promptly lowering themselves into a grovel or deep bow. Even the high priest at the entrance to the church bowed below his waist. "We welcome back the Holy Land''s Guardian." -GUARDIAN?!- My entire body jolted in an instant. He was the embodiment of the church, a living myth rumored to become the next god to be welcomed into the Aesir, and the strongest living human known to exist by the Holy Kingdom. -HE''S THAT GUARDIAN?!- Nearly shitting a brick remembering how I made him wait, I corrected my posture and broke into a cold sweat. -You have to be kidding...- He was known for being extremely eccentric, never leaving the capital for any reason, and was actually rumored to be the secret apostle of the higher gods. -So why was he the one to deliver the summons...- If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Looking out the carriage window, trying to figure out where exactly we were going, I found us traveling straight down the unbelievably huge main hall of the church before suddenly coming toward what looked like a wall without slowing down. -Don''t tell me...- *Vwoom* The moment we passed through the wall, it felt as if the space around me expanded before we finally came into a space so huge it could comfortably fit dozens of the largest dragons I had ever seen. It was the Hall of Odin; a place even I, an Apostle of the Church of Balance could never enter. -W..why am I here...- Feeling the carriage finally come to a stop, I quickly sat back down before once again, the guardian opened the door. Unable to say anything without being rude, I tried to walk out while making sure I had steady steps. I wanted to try and look confident despite my heart racing and hands shaking. But that facade didn''t last long. "It appears the new armor suits you quite well." Hearing the unfamiliar voice of a woman coming from all directions, I was quick to turn toward the massive statue at the center of the hall and bow without even lifting my gaze. "Apostle of Eir, Astren Ravenna greets thou." "Hoho~, how formal. The Church must have taught you well." Her voice was mature, smooth, and confident. "But I didn''t call you here for your greeting. Please lift your head." Somewhat cautiously lifting my gaze, I instantly found myself looking upon a nearly three-hundred-meter tall statue of an incredibly muscular, old bearded man brandishing a damaged spear while a crow rested on his knuckles before lowering my gaze to see a middle-aged woman staring at me with a rather judgemental look. She was a woman I recognized instantly; the eldest apostle of Frigg. "To think your eyes would be so clear... I expected you to be more..." *Vwoom* Taking one step forward, the space between us closed completely. "..afraid..." Gently lifting my chin with her knuckle, she forced me to look her in the eyes before my body lost strength.. wishing to kneel. "To think you''re still standing as well... Lady Eir must really have an eye for people..." Finally turning and stepping away, the weakness in my body eased. "Anyway, I summoned you here to talk." Nonchalantly waving off the knights who came in with the carriage, all but the Guardian left. "Recently, when you were summoned to discuss the disappearance of Elizabeth, you mentioned that she changed after speaking with one of the Ancient Fenrir. In that discussion, it was never mentioned whether you had any interactions with him." Glancing back at me, she paused to see if I''d answer the question before she asked. "I did. But it was limited." "Hm... So did he ever say anything that could have been why Elizabeth changed.. or perhaps why Katherine is missing?" I instantly jolted. "As I said before.. the only thing I can think of was him recognizing Elizabeth, and getting his name..." "Right, right..." Turning back toward the statue, she quickly fell silent. "The issue with that is I don''t recall ever hearing from you that he recognized Katherine as well.. and now that Katherine is missing..." *WOOM* Appearing in front of me again, her smile was nowhere to be found. Unable to find the courage to look her in the eye, I spoke as clearly as I could. "He did recognize her name, but there was nothing beyond that... I offered to bring him here to meet her, but he said it wasn''t ''the right time''." *Pat* Grabbing my hair and pulling it back, she forced me to look up at her. "And you thought that wasn''t worth bringing up?!" "Forellri..." Hearing the Guardian''s gravelly voice, I finally looked up to see his gauntlet wrapped around her wrist. "That isn''t what we agreed to bring her here for." "You seriously think we should reward this brat even though we know she''s hiding something?!" *Crack* Closing his grip slightly, the Guardian fractured her arm with next to no effort. "You best stop speaking like that." *Woom* The air turned stiff in an instant. "You too are a guest in someone else''s home." "Tch..." Clicking her tongue she finally let go, quickly grabbing her wrist as a bruise formed. "Whatever..." Looking back at me, this time with a look of distaste, she snickered. "The gods wish to reward you for coming back with the information you did, regardless of your attempt at deceit, so tell me.. what do you want..." -Ah.. right...- Thinking back a few days, I quickly remembered Lady Eir speaking to me about being given a reward, supposedly to some of the other Asgardian gods the information I brought back was invaluable, and we discussed what I was going to ask for. But at that moment, as I gently rubbed my head, I wanted to change my wish. Purely. Out. Of. Spite. "I wish to take an item from the Holy Vault." Forellri''s expression instantly darkened. It was a request that was nearly completely outside the bounds of what I could ask for, even in the eyes of Eir. But before she could say anything, the Guardian gently pat his hand on my shoulder. "Good choice." Speaking through a smile, I felt as if I could see a gleam of pride inside the darkness of his helmet. "Good choice?" Forellri wasn''t having it though. "What do you mean ''good choice''? You think she has any chance of actually getting that grant-" *VWOOM* Almost immediately, her words were cut short. *Pat* *Pat* "Don''t worry, kid. I''ll make sure it happens. A messenger will come with a carriage when the date arrives. For now, you may return. The carriage is waiting outside." ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 429: Confliction in Unification (And Art) Chapter 429: Confliction in Unification (And Art) Mid Morning - Mid Winter : The Coast of Eastern Bahamut ----- - Krystallo Ragnarok ~ "Nnngh..." Rolling onto my side as the warmth of the fire started piercing the scales on my side, I let out a lethargic groan. The fire was hot, enough to make my skin sting, but somehow I still felt cold... "Brr..." *Rustle* Passing a chill down my spine, my senses ever-so-slowly sharpened, steadily becoming more in turn with my surroundings while my memories were jogged. But the instant my final memories before getting knocked out surfaced, adrenaline flooded my brain, and my eyes shot open. "AHH-!" Jumping up to my feet with a yell, my eyes darted around the room in a panic before my mana surged and ice exploded from the ground beneath me, extinguishing the fire. But it was only a moment before I recognized the looming figure and suffocating presence of the one next to me. "B..Brother..?" Finally starting to remember what happened in the short moment I woke up after getting attacked, my nerves slowly started easing, my raised tail relaxed, and my gaze fell to the floor to try and surface all the memories I could. But the whole time I did that, I couldn''t stop my shivers. I felt bitterly cold, but couldn''t tell if it was from my anxiety or some physical chill in the air. At least that was until I noticed the fog coming off my body. "W..what is this f-frost..?" Quickly walking up to me in his draconic form without saying a word, Brother reached up and touched my snout with his paw. *VWOOM* Almost immediately, my body was flooded with warmth, and the infectious cold vanished nearly entirely. -W..What...- It was such an instantaneous change I couldn''t keep my eyes from going wide. "Looks like the cold is still too much..." Pulling his paw away, Brother''s expression quickly turned troubled. "I told you it would be." Walking up behind him, Hera wore a somewhat berating look. But it wasn''t aimed at me. Using his tail to shush her, Brother''s gaze turned up to my eyes and I subconsciously relaxed. "How are you feeling now, Krystallo? Warmer, I''d hope?" "Y..yeah..." Somewhat reluctantly nodding, I slowly sat down before my eyes drifted. "I feel alright.. I think..." "How''s your arm?" "Ah..." -Right...- Finally turning my head to the side to look at my shoulder since I couldn''t really feel anything in the area, I immediately found a large circular area of scarred scales, clearly outlining where the massive hole was before my attention was dragged away by a blend of white and black. -W..what the...- Looking at my tail, I found that feathers had sprouted out all along it, patterned with a beautiful mix of white and black, before noticing the feathers were also on my back and wings. -What is.. all of this..?- Turning toward the large wall-sized window l immediately found the reflection of a dragon I didn''t recognize staring back at me. My figure was almost identical to before, yet feathers had sprouted out all across my body, and my horns, the plate-like scales on my underside, and my claws had all turned black like Brother''s. To say it was a sight I didn''t expect was an unbelievable understatement, but at the same time.. I quite liked it... Even if the feathers made me feel like a bird when I tilted my head. -I have to wonder though...- Looking back at brother, I rather quickly noticed how everywhere he had fur, I had feathers, plus some. "Where.. did the feathers come from?" Seeing that I didn''t hate it, he was quick to ease a bit. "They''re just from our genetics. All Ragnaroks grow them after a certain age... At least except me..." -Really..? I haven''t heard of anything like that...- Turning back to the mirror-like glass, I started shifting around to see different areas of my body, but it wasn''t long before some questions were raised. "What caused the feathers to grow? Was it the elixir?" Quickly shaking his head, he was quick to sit down and relax his wings and tail. "It''s from the cold. As your aura gets stronger, so does that cold attribute of it, so over time, your body grows those feathers to try and dissipate the cold more efficiently. Typically it only happens in the Ancient Stage." -What?- Turning up to him, a blend of skepticism contaminated my gaze while my feathered tail gently started swaying with curiosity. "So why do I have them?" It was clear that I didn''t possess the aura, reserve, or body of an ancient with just a glance. Taking a moment to really look at it, my reserve and aura couldn''t have grown by more than ten or twenty percent. -So...- "Where is the cold coming from?" If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. As far as Mother and Grandmother had taught me, the cold attribute of our reserves only grew in intensity when our reserves grew larger. -Yet Mother''s reserve dwarfs mine completely,- And her cold attribute could actually crystallize ice on her body and horns. -So.. what changed?- "Do you remember Hera telling you that I went to Atlas to speak with Mom and Dad?" Seeing me nod, he quickly continued. "Well, Grandmother was there too, and after some debate with Mom, she decided to give me something called the ''Frost King''s Core'', a relic from long before the war." -Hm?- It was a name I didn''t recognize. "In any case, I mixed some of it''s mana in with the elixir, then let your body drink whatever it wanted from it, however, about halfway through the process, your body started taking the mana from its shell rather than the core, and replacing your own with it... And well..." Tilting his head, he paused, seemingly trying to find the words before continuing a bit hesitantly. "At the end of it all, your reserve now has a fire attribute node woven into it, despite your current fire attribute node still existing." "What? That''s possible?" Looking at Hera to confirm, she quickly nodded. -So the frost was coming from the node that''s woven into my reserve...- "Is the node just amplifying the attribute of my aura?" Brother nodded immediately. "I''m not entirely sure, but I believe so. If that is the case, you''ll have to find some way other than just warming your body with the fire mana in your aura." "Could I not just use my other node to keep myself warm?" Hera instantly shrugged. "We aren''t sure, to be honest... I''ve never even heard of a dragon with two of the same node, so we aren''t sure how they will interact..." "I see..." Feeling the chill spreading through my chest once again, I decided to give it a try, funneling some of the frigid mana from my reserve into my original node before collecting and swirling it like I was going to create a fireball. However, after dispersing it around my reserve and feeling the chill settle, something unexpected happened... *Vwoom* Rather than simply cancelling out the cold, my fire mana just made it spread out further, but thinner. -What the...- Spreading my fire mana out with it, the same thing just continued to happen. Every time I spread my fire mana, the chill would thin spread as well. -Is it because the two clouds of mana are competing for the same particles to influence?- Tilting my head, I kept playing with it, spreading my mana out more and more until eventually, it was no longer contained by my body. But.. I couldn''t actually feel it. Feeling comfortable, I looked over my shoulder to see snowflakes forming in the air and falling onto my back, thinning the fire mana in my body lessened the effect, and thickening it made it more aggressive. "How fascinating... They aren''t actually clashing.. but rather just competing for space... Is it because one is technically her aura..?" Hera mumbled under her breath while she watched me mess with it. "Try filling the air around you with the hotter mana as well." Doing it without much thought, the light around me started warping, but as soon as I stopped moving things around, it all steadied and looked as if nothing was there... However, that was most certainly not the case. Creating a small water droplet, Brother was quick to toss it in the air next to me, only to watch the droplet freeze, explode, and refreeze in an endless looping reaction until the droplet was reduced to singular molecules. "Woah..." Part of the droplet was freezing while another part was vaporizing, creating a chain reaction of phase changes that simply reduced the droplet to nothingness. Trying again with an iron bead, something similar happened, with its surface glowing in places while in others it was completely solid. But it wasn''t so hot the iron would explode. -I wonder though...- Quickly multiplying the amount of fire mana I was creating while bringing out more raw mana from my reserve to treat like aura, the air around me started warping again..."Throw the bead in it again." After waiting a moment for it to settle, Brother tossed another iron bead into the air around me. But this time, it''s reaction wasn''t so tame. *P-P-P-POP* Instantaneously exploding, molten slag went everywhere before promptly solidifying and popping again like an endless chain of fireworks... Until eventually.. there was nothing left of it... For a number of minutes, Hera, Brother, and I all just stood in silence, lost in thought at the endless possible uses for the interaction. But of course, some were more insane than others. -What if I...- Focusing all my cold aura in front of my face, I compressed my fire mana on it before suddenly, a hazy white orb appeared. "Brother.. can you throw another bead into this? Put some force into it as well." "Uh.. alright..." *Vwoom* Instantaneously materializing another piece of iron, he looked at the hazy orb before shooting the bead into it with railgun magic. *CRRACK* *WOOOSH* The moment the bead entered the orb, it disappeared before a colossal blast of air carrying the blend of mana blew over my face, streaking back my feathers while coating them in a fluctuating mix of frost and steam. It was such an incredibly bizarre sensation, but at the same time, it made a smile finally come to my face. -This.. might be less inconvenient than I expected...- ----- Hope y''all enjoyed the chapter! Now enjoy some new art commissioned by GoldBlaze in the discord! And for Krystallo''s new form!! Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 430: Hindsight Chapter 430: Hindsight Early Afternoon - Late Winter : The Coast of Eastern Bahamut ----- *WOOSH* Zipping through the upper atmosphere, trying to avoid the dark storm clouds as a blizzard from the south rolled in, Hera and I flew side by while Krystallo sat on my back like Ilios used to. It had been a number of days since she initially woke up at that point. After taking an elixir to recover from such a serious injury, it was important that she got accustomed to her new body before we went anywhere, so over the last few days, we had been working on training her, not just physically, but with her magic and aura as well to make sure she wouldn''t disintegrate her surroundings or freeze herself the moment her mind drifted. Unfortunately though, while we made rapid progress, regulating her body''s temperature subconsciously was something that was going to take time, and after being cooped up in the tiny beachfront estate for so long, we all needed to stretch our wings. But it ended up working out. By the time we left, the Festival''s monthly city rotation had already passed, and next on our stop was a city I had actually never been to despite the cabinet only being about a thousand kilometers north of it. Ampelos, the City of Magic. Compared to Eikasi?a, it was unbelievably massive, being one of the most populated cities in Bahamut, even surpassing Akri and Emporio, so with the festival, there were going to be all sorts of interesting things to do. But Krystallo''s excitement seemed to stem from something else. "So what is it?" Popping her head up, she looked up at my face with gleaming eyes. "Can I get a hint? Is it an Acardi artifact? Maybe a gun?!" Because she was knocked out for so long, we actually missed her birthday, so in the meantime, I made her a gift. Thankfully she hadn''t actually realized it was a gift for her, but after seeing it, she never stopped asking about it. "Could it be something Grandmother gave you? Maybe something for communication. "Hah..." Letting out a chuckle at her relentless barrage of questions, I glanced directly upward before looking back at her. -I guess I can show her now...- "It''s actually your birthday gift. Although I was planning to save it for when we got over Ampelos." "Ack-" She instantly tensed up. "Haha, it''s okay! It looks like the storm is gonna still be over the city when we get there anyways." Quickly pulling out a tablet with a small device plugged into the bottom of it, I wasted no time powering it on and handing it to Krystallo. "Huh?" Krystallo''s excitement was drowned with confusion in an instant. "What is this?" Taking it with her aura, she quickly hunched over it, watching as distant clouds moved on the screen with a mix of fascination and disbelief. "What am I.. looking at..? Is this like.. an artificial eye? But if that''s the case, what is it looking at..?" Watching her lift it up and look under it, Hera couldn''t contain her laugh. "Pft-hahaha! I guess in a way it is kind of like an eye." A smile immediately spread across my face. "The device is just a tablet, something like an electronic artifact that I can program to do a bunch of cool stuff, and the moving image playing on it is a ''video'' of what another device way up in the sky is seeing." Her eyes instantly went wide. "That''s so coooool!!" Looking back at the screen, her eyes gleamed like stars. "So where is that ''sky eye'' looking?" Nearly bursting out laughing again, Hera moved up over me to look down at it. "You see that black speck on the screen? Pull out that weird needle-like thing out of the bottom and press it to that dot." "Huh? This?" Quickly pulling out a simple stylus I made with her aura, she gave it an odd look before gently pressing it to the screen. *Tap* Almost instantly, the image started to zoom.. more.. and more.. and more... Until the unrecognizable dot hidden beneath the pen expanded and turned into the figure of two dragons stacked on top of one another. It still took her a moment to realize what she was seeing though. However, as soon as Hera moved to the side so the satellite could see us better, she went crazy... "IS THAT US?!" Jumping up to her feet, she spread her wings without a second of thought, eagerly watching the screen before seeing the white shape in the middle of a black figure expand. "WOOAAHHH!!" Over the time she was knocked out, I had actually been working on trying to get my satellite array in a more functional state, not only working on the satellites themselves, but also improving the tablets and getting more of them hooked up. At the end of it all, I wanted the Thunderbird Branch of the Cabinet to use the array to improve how they gather intelligence, but after some advice ended up moving the hub to the Foreign Intelligence Branch being captained by Leander. -Although the area I''m going to install everything will take some time to construct, I''ve made the switch that will manage all the inputs from the satellites, and gotten way more of them up and running.- So it was now just a matter of time. But sometimes it wasn''t all about things like progress. "THIS IS SO COOL!!!" Seeing Krystallo''s excitement as she looked up and waved at the satellite was simply priceless. The rest of the flight, she never took her eyes off the tablet, zooming in and out as we moved farther and farther from the center of the screen, and eventually asking about why that was happening. Before I knew it, I was giving a lesson on orbits, gravity, and how the upper atmosphere interacted with space, which, by the end of it, made Krystallo bring up resuming or old nightly lessons again, something Hera was surprisingly eager to join in on. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. However, time continued to tick by as we talked, and before long, we had reached Ampelos. Even if we couldn''t see a whole lot from the sky. "Geez, this is one hell of a snowstorm..." Stretching all the way up to Eikasi?a, the storm was easily a thousand kilometers long, and it only got thicker and taller the farther south we went. And below the clouds, it was just as bad as you could imagine. With snow so thick that you couldn''t see more than a couple of meters in front of you, there wasn''t a single dragon in the air over the city. At least with the exception of a few that seemed to be coming to and from a rather unusual-looking spire. "Who are they?" Flying around with purpose, inspecting the clouds while flying out toward the horizon in every direction, my curiosity escaped through my voice. Hera was quick to speak on them though. "They''re a group of dragons that study the weather. They''re probably going out and collecting data on the storm to try and give a forecast." "Oh." -How fascinating...- Looking down as one of them spotted us, I quickly started slowing down before using some wind magic to speak with them. "Hey, is there an issue?" He quickly slowed to a halt, hovering while keeping his eye on me. "I just wanted to let you know that all air travel in the storm is prohibited. I doubt it will matter to someone of your stature, but if you need guidance to a landing area, I could guide you." -How kind...- But, "That won''t be necessary. Thanks for the offer though." "No worries!" Getting a little flustered, he bowed his head. "I apologize for interrupting you two! Just wanted to make sure you guys weren''t going to get stranded! Please enjoy your time in Ampelos!" Quickly turning away he dove back down to the clouds before resuming his route to the horizon. "For him to not give an estimate on the storm passing... How odd..." Hera was quick to mumble. "What''s odd about it?" "Well, normally they give estimates, regardless of how inaccurate they may be, but I guess they stopped giving them out after the storm continued for probably close to a month." Looking down at the other dragons flying out, she fell into thought for a moment before turning troubled. "We might need to go check out what''s causing it if it continues much longer. This kind of storm is.. odd for this time of year..." -Is it though..?- Looking out to the horizon, all I could see were dense snow clouds, even out well over the ocean. -I guess we are a bit far north for it to be this cold...- But with the ocean frozen so thick, this place was essentially the arctic. But Krystallo seemed a little more interested. "What if we look at it with the satellite?" "Not a bad idea, actually." Giving her a moment to turn on the tablet and zoom out, she rather quickly found that the satellite was over the island just south of us, and while it was indeed all covered by thick snow, to the east, the clouds actually looked to descend all the way to the water, looking more like a plume of steam or smoke than a cloud. -Maybe that is worth checking out...- But for the time being, we just needed to get situated in the city, so after agreeing that we would check it out after strolling around the city and making sure we weren''t going to waste our time investigating it, we made our way to the ground, landing on one of the many designated landing areas that were only visible as a warm orange haze, even as my feet touched the ground. *Puff* -Good lord, I knew the snow was thick, but damn...- Having to use my aura to even look around while I stood in some nearly 20-meter-thick snow, I felt someone run up to the edge of the landing area before hollering at us. "Sir! Please come this way! We haven''t installed the barriers over the plazas and landing areas!" Quickly following his voice, Hera and I tried to make our way towards the man without kicking snow everywhere before ducking our heads down into what our auras felt was a ''bubble'' of sorts. *Vwoom* But the sight we were met with was completely unlike anything we had ever seen. -Woah...- Inside the barrier, the space was clear and shockingly bustling, with fire-like lighting, a comforting warmth despite the few centimeters of snow on the ground, and the smell of tasty food filling the air while the blizzard ripped over the rooftops, keeping nearly all the snow out. -How comfy...- It was as if the entire city was simply draped in a warm blanket, a mesh that connected all the rooftops and made it so hardly anything reached the ground while the streets were lit with glowing orange vents that released warmth into the air like a system of heaters. "Haha, sorry if it''s a little cramped for you guys!" Speaking from below, we quickly looked down to see a group of dragons in their humanoid form, drinking around one of the many vents. -They must be the guards...- "It''s alright." Looking out over the city, it looked like fifty meters was as high as the barrier got, so after motioning to Hera, I let Krystallo down to shake off the snow before shrinking down with Hera and going on inside. "I wasn''t sure how things would look from the air, but it looks like you guys are weathering the storm pretty well." "Haha, of course!" Throwing his mug in the air for a cheer, the young man stood up and chugged it without even giving Krystallo a glance. "With nearly all air travel restricted, we get paid to drink and socialize! Who wouldn''t love it!" "Hah, are you not worried about running out? It looks like trade has been cut off." His excitement quickly settled, if only slightly. "Well, yes, but the weather groups are saying they''ve identified the source of the storm and will be gathering a group to handle it in a week or so. Given the city can live isolated for probably another month or so, most of us aren''t too worried, but it''s made things more troublesome with the festival. People can only come and go on foot, with local escorts." Looking over at Hera, he shrugged. "Or at least most people." *Sip* -I see...- "Well, sorry for landing without any notice." "No worries! We have had a few nobles and executives landing here over the last few days, and they all come and go as they please. We were ordered to still ID people though, if you could show them to us." And well, after Hera flashed hers at them, they all instantly jolted before jumping up to their feet and bowing. "P-Please forgive our rudeness! We weren''t aware of your status and would like to apologize." Quickly waving them off with my wing, I felt Hera give me an odd look. "~You reached for your Ragnarok ID?~" "Haah..." Letting out a heavy sigh as I put my ID back under my wing, I looked back at her. "~The Aesir already know about me and my family connections, so it doesn''t really matter...~" Thinking back to the day I met the Holy Kingdom''s envoy in the Thunderbird''s nest, I wanted to bite my tongue. -The hell was I thinking letting that woman live...- Even when I did it, I knew leaving the apostle alive was going to be a gamble, but if I wanted to win over Elizabeth, I had to hold back. But as I looked out into the city, letting out another breath to try and change the subject of my thoughts so I wouldn''t sour the mood, I really questioned my decision. -I just hope Elizabeth makes that leaked intel worth the trouble...- ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 431: Shifts in the Wind Chapter 431: Shifts in the Wind Late Afternoon - Late Winter : Ampelos ----- "..And here is your meal, sir." *Tap* Gently setting a large metal plate with a huge, charred slab of meat, a few different stacks of mushrooms, and a large, glossy blue object, the waitress, a quite stunning, violet-scaled girl bowed her head before looking up at me. "I apologize for the inconvenience, but we are indeed out of piotita. To compensate, we''d like to give you this," Motioning toward the glossy bread-shaped piece on the plate, she was quick to elaborate. "It''s the specialty of this establishment called mana mints!" -Mana mint?- Looking at it, I tilted my head a bit. -Seems like it could be interesting...- "Alright, well thanks for checking." "No worries! Please enjoy your meal! If you need anything, please just ring the bell!" Giving one final bow, she, as well as the two waitresses tending to Krystallo and Hera, quickly stood back up before their way out. "What a bummer." -I was hoping they''d have some...- "Yeah, it''s not too surprising though." Looking down at her food, Hera used her aura to pop a few mushrooms in her mouth before turning to look out the suite''s window at the endless blizzard ripping by. "The blizzard has knocked out all trade, even on the high-end." "Mmm..." Rustling her feathers as a chill passed down her back from, Krystallo let out a satisfied groan. "At least they still had these mushrooms..." Quickly popping another two red and blue mushrooms in her mouth, a drowsy look washed over her face. "I thought you were exaggerating when you said they were good..." Smiling, Hera turned back toward us. "Of course! Everything this place sells is mana-infused. Even if you''re the most powerful family in the world, you won''t eat this stuff often." Finally lowering her head and taking a bite of her charred steak, her expression melted. "Mmm... No matter how many times I get it, it just hits the spot..." Seeing them both fall into euphoria after trying theirs, I looked down at my own stuff for a moment before popping a teal mushroom in my mouth first, not really sure what to expect. -So the waitress said to start with a teal mushroom, then a red and a blue one...- Finally crushing it against the roof of my mouth, a huge amount of juice exploded from it, coating my tongue with a really refreshing taste. -Not bad...- But all it was was a palate cleanser. Picking up the red and blue ones, as Hera and Krystallo had, I popped them into my mouth, this time having some proper expectations. But they were instantly blown out of the water. "Oh..." Closing my eyes as I crushed the mushrooms, what could only be described as bliss washed through me. "That... That is good..." "Hmhm~," Letting out a pleased, smug chuckle, Hera looked over at me. "Try the meat. It''s even better." -Really?- Somewhat lethargically opening my eyes, trying to process the wash of flavor still coursing through my mouth, I reached down and bit off a chunk of the black charred meat. *Shik* "Oh damn..." Tasting the unbelievably fatty, juicy meat trapped inside the incredible charred and seasoned crust, I closed my eyes, and took a moment to enjoy the warmth of the fireplace while the sounds of the blizzard outside echoed with the crackling of wood. I honestly had no words. After savoring it until I had sucked all the juices out, I popped a few more mushrooms in before taking another bite of steak. "Damn..." I couldn''t hold back my voice. "You know.. I thought you were crazy when you said this place was actually worth the money..." Thinking back to the receptionist saying it''d be a platinum per person, I wanted to scoff. "I might actually become a regular here..." "Haha, I told you it was good. Did you not believe me after I said it had been here since I was young?" "Mmm... I just didn''t think of what it took for a restaurant to survive the collapse of draconic society." Taking another bite and falling into bliss, we all ate in silence for a moment, savoring the incredible blend of flavors until our plates were clean. After some more idle conversation and praise for the food, Hera ordered some sweets as dessert while idle asking the waitresses about the functions of the city, checking in on how things had changed since the blizzard, but even after some deeper probing, we didn''t find much we didn''t expect. "Since the blizzard, the number of missing dragons has skyrocketed, but we don''t know if that''s really odd, since they could just think they can weather the storm and get lost." "Right..." -Hmm...- "Do you know where we can go to get a list of missing people and where they were last seen?" This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Nodding, the waitress motioned out the window. "The Knight facility up the road is the central hub for all reports like that. If you have clearance, you can get it from them, and if not..." Quieting down, she quickly looked around to make sure no one else was nearby before leaning in. "In the eastern district, there is an underground intelligence group. As far as I''ve been told, they can find out just about anything as long as you have the money." -Oh? That might be something to look into...- But as I looked up at Hera, she seemed like she already knew. And confirming it, she moved on rather quickly. "What about the Akomi Kai family? Have they been doing anything odd?" "Not really, although they have turned out to be quite the party animals this year." Chuckling as she covered her mouth with a smile, she quickly bowed again before taking her leave. "In any case, I apologize. I shouldn''t have been so informal with guests." "No worries, please enjoy your evening. If we need anything, we will call you back." Bowing, she spread her wings and raised her tail. "Of course! I will be ready whenever you need me!" *Tap* *Tap* *Tap* *Click* Watching her finally walk out and close the door, Krystallo immediately raised her head from her curled-up position. "Isn''t the Akomi Kai family supposed to be a bunch of hermit researchers? Why in the world would they throw a part for the festival?" "That''s a good question..." Hera was quick to agree. "If I had to wager a guess, I''d say it''s because of their youngest son. I haven''t been keeping my eye on them lately but I heard some people talking about them on the streets." -Oh?- "What''s up with their son?" "He''s been known to wander and had rather regularly gotten caught up in some suspicious activities, even going back as far as that half-breed coup before you saved me. If you two aren''t opposed to it, I''d like to check that out after we head by the Tower of Natural Magic, the weather spire we flew over. At least assuming we don''t need to go take care of things immediately." "Sounds like a plan, then. Is there anything else you want to do before that?" Looking at Krystallo, she immediately shook her head with a look of excitement. This would be her first proper investigation into the world Hera and I lived in, so she was clearly quite excited, even if a bit anxious. -But this is a good starting point...- As far as Hera and I were aware, we likely wouldn''t find much we didn''t already know, but it would go to expose some of the connections the criminal underground has to Krystallo. -It might not be a bad idea to swing to the eastern district and show her the information group as well.- But after popping the absolutely delicious mana mint and leaving the restaurant, Hera seemed to agree. However, she also had things to add. Through some previous investigations, Hera had found a number of smaller noble families with fuzzy backgrounds popping up around the city she wanted to check out. In her words, "During the festival is the best time to trespass without trespassing." And with my aura alone, we''d be able to sniff out any trouble, regardless of how well it was hidden. So, we had things planned out. Given that everything went according to plan, we''d have a fun, but busy month ahead of us where we could enjoy the festival and work a bit on the side at the same time. But, as things always did, it didn''t take long for us to find.. an odd addition. "Uh-AAH!" *Flutter-THUMP* Tripping over my tail as we turned into the weather spire''s entrance, I looked back to see a girl around Krystallo''s size, picking up books and papers in a panic before resituating the glasses on her snout with her wing. "I-I-I apologize, sir! I was in a bit of a rush!" She was completely feathered, with a spotty blend of whites and greys and almost pearlescent white horns similar to what Krystallo used to have. "No need to apologize. Are you alright?" Nodding somewhat fervently, she tidied herself before turning toward us. "I am, but I need to get inside quickly, if you could..." -Ah...- Stepping to the side, I gave her room to pass before probing a bit. "What is the rush?" "I-I''m a researcher working as a data analyst for the tower here, and I found something odd about the data from the storm today. It shouldn''t be anything the public needs to worry about, but I do need to report it." Squeezing by, she seemed pretty nervous. "Please ask the news desk in the building over if you are looking for updates on the storm!" Watching her run into the spire, eventually disappearing behind a large door, I paused. "Hm?" Hera seemed to find it odd. "What''s up? You notice something about her?" Squinting my eyes a bit, I watched her run through the spire with my aura before eventually shaking my head. "Something about her just seemed.. familiar." "Like from your old memories, or-" "No, no, I mean like her appearance. Her figure is really similar to Krystallo, isn''t it?" Although there were certainly differences, her genetic template was exceedingly similar. "Krystallo, has Mother ever had you meet her brothers?" She immediately shook her head. "Mom said she hasn''t spoken to them in decades. Since well before she had us." -I see...- "Well, then maybe I''m just overthinking it..." -The composition of her feathers is way different.. so...- "In any case, let''s head in and see what they know about where this monster of a storm is coming from, shall we?" ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 432: Burnoff Chapter 432: Burnoff Mid Evening - Late Winter : Ampelos ----- "Hm..." Staring into the set of papers in front of him, an older, silver-scaled Elder let out a conflicted breath. "I''m not sure we can do anything with this." "W-What do you mean? You''re telling me you''re going to send your investigators into a place where the temperature can''t be regulated by normal means? We tested twelve different spells, and not one did anything! Even if you surround yourself with the coldest air you can imagine, your body temperature will still skyrocket!" Not amused, the older man''s gaze snapped to the white-feathered girl with a mix of annoyance and hesitance. "Look, I know you''re worried, but we don''t have a choice. We need some kind of solution, but it''s too large for containment solutions to work. You know that as well as I." "Yes, but the people you send there are going to get cooked alive! You can''t seriously be okay with that?!" "We will take measures to make sure that won''t hap-" "IT WILL! Their blood will literally boil if they even try to approach the water." "Haah..." Clearly not wanting to deal with her, the older man lowered his head with a sigh, flicking his tail as he thought. "At most, we can postpone the expedition a few days. The city doesn''t have that many supplies left, and the team from Atlas should be here soon. We can''t afford to delay them..." "That''s fine," Lowering her head, her feathers flared out before her gaze turned conflicted. "I just need.. more time..." *Knock-Knock* Hearing knocking on the door, both of them quickly turned to see an armored guard lowering his head. "Sorry to intrude, but a valued guest has arrived." "Huh?" *Creaaaak* Watching us walk in as the door opened, the older dragon''s posture straightened and wings flared slightly. "I apologize if I''m being rude, but I wasn''t expecting guests I didn''t recognize today." "I see," Flaring my wings out slightly as well, just as high nobility would, I spoke somewhat formally. "I apologize for coming without notice, then. However," Pulling out my ID, I quickly showed him the Ragnarok insignia. "By the sounds of things, you guys could use some help." Suddenly jolting, the man tensed before pulling his wings into his side. "Ah, I see..." Likely assuming I was some sort of envoy or messenger, he eased after another moment. "Are you the one coming ahead of the Atlas team?" Quickly shaking my head, I walked out into the middle of the office before stopping. "I am not, however, based on what this young lady just said, I think you guys might need me to take care of it." The young girl''s eyes immediately lit up. But the man was hesitant. "As much as I''d wish to oblige, that may not be something I can agree to." -Hoh?- Taken a bit by surprise, my eyes turned from the wall of books back to him. "And why is that?" "You, regardless of your connection to the Ragnaroks, are of a status I cannot afford to be held liable for. If something happens to you, and I was the one to grant you permission, the liability would fall on this research tower." -Ah, I see...- "So the group coming from Atlas must have certain qualifications then." "Y-yes." His expression quickly darkened. "Because they are documented professionals, they are liable for their own decisions." "Hm, I see..." -Should I just go on my whim then?- Taking a moment to think, I started skimming through a number of the pages scattered around the room to get a better idea of the situation. But before I got any ideas, the feathered girl interjected. "S-Sir! What did I say that makes you think we will need you?" -Hm?- Taken aback by her genuine tone, asking not condescendingly, but rather curiously, I paused my thoughts. "The type of ''heat'' you were describing is called radiation, likely a pretty intense one at at. In some cases, it can heat up objects through vacuums or through cold air without heating the air up much." "But if that''s the case, how is it contained?" "With something dense. It''s why your body absorbs it so much more intensely than the air you''re trying to shield yourself with." Pausing, the girl fell into thought before, with her eyes gleaming, she turned back to the older man. "I will take responsibility for them!" Snapping back to me, she looked like she was staring at a mound of gold. "If you''d like to come back to my research facility, I can have all our data organized for you within an hour or two, and if things go well, we can head out to the restricted area tomorrow. Does that work?" -Woah...- Taken aback by her explosive ambition, I stared into her determined gaze for a moment before finally deciding to give it a go. "Alright, that does work." "Perfect!" Hopping up, she immediately sucked up dozens of papers scattered around the room before turning for the door. But she was rather quickly stopped by the older man again. "You don''t have permission to do anything but observe and study the site. This gentleman will need permission from me if he wants to attempt to get closer." This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Stopping in her tracks, the girl lowered her head and fell into thought. But I had an idea. "Then why don''t we wait until the crew from Atlas arrives? I imagine I could get permission from them, yes?" Knowing full well I was just being formal, and wouldn''t ask anyone for permission, Hera quickly shot me a glance. But thankfully he didn''t know me like she did. "That can work. In that case, you can''t get within the inner barrier." Looking back at the girl, his gaze turned stern. "I trust you will ensure they do not cross the researchers'' barrier." "Of course." Giving a very shallow, formal nod, she quickly turned back to me with her gathered stack of papers in hand. "In any case, please follow me. It''s not a long walk, but if you would like to stop somewhere to eat please feel free. I can head over and get things sorted while you eat." But Hera was quick to shake her head. "That''s alright, let''s head straight back." Nodding, the girl quickly, but nervously, continued through the door. "As you wish." Just like that we started making our way out of the spire, saving conversation until we finally got outside where she turned around to introduce herself. "Sorry for my rudeness earlier when we passed each other here at the entrance, as well as my informalities up to this point." Bowing, she raised her tail and spread her wings. Exactly as lower nobility would. But she straightened up and continued before I could think much. "My name is Chioni, Chioni Psychros. I''m a mana and magic analyst who recently graduated from the Academy, specializing in Natural Research and Mana Studies." Adjusting her glasses with the claw of her wing, she looked me in the eyes with a very calculated and unwavering look. "In the few years I''ve been working though, I can''t say I''ve ever spoken to someone.. of your stature..." Tilting my head, I motioned her to get moving so we could talk while we walked. "What do you mean by that?" "W-Well, when you spoke about ''radiation'' a moment ago, you spoke about it like it was common knowledge, yet it''s something I have never heard of, even in concept. The only people who speak about stuff like that are far more knowledgeable than they let on." -Hm...- "How are you certain it isn''t more common knowledge?" As if knowing I was testing her, she responded without hesitation. "I read every book in the Academy library while I was there. Even when it comes to the latest studies, I can at least connect them to some older theories. However, with radiation, I can''t even connect it to a proposed concept." "Ah, so you must have graduated before everything went down." Knowing exactly what I was referring to she quickly nodded with a somewhat remorseful look. "Yes... Thankfully, I''ve heard recently that a number of noble families, including the Ragnaroks are contributing to repopulating the library. Some have even said they will replace every book that was destroyed but I''m not sure that''s possible..." -Ah, we must be using the Library of Eternity for it...- "I wouldn''t be so pessimistic. Even if the books they''re replacing won''t be the originals, the content will still be the same. Tensing a bit, she quickly turned her gaze to watch where she was walking. "I''m glad you''re hopeful..." Continuing down the street, we rather quickly made a few turns while maintaining more idle conversation before eventually reaching a smaller building that looked like a repurposed tavern. According to her, it was where her study group generally worked, and while she apologized for how small and messy it was with tens of thousands of sprawled-out papers, it was a fairly cozy place. "Sorry for the mess..." Cautiously moving stacks of papers out from the middle of the room, she made a path for us up to the bar before pulling out a number of boxes and sorting papers from them. "This was the only place I could afford after spending nearly every coin my family saved to send me to the Academy... I know it''s a bit rundown, but I''m hoping to renovate everything when I get the money..." -I see...- Looking around the place with my aura, I quickly found that she was essentially living off nothing, with a makeshift bedroom where she slept on the hard floor, and a freezer full of self-caught food that was so crudely processed she had to of done it herself. "Did you buy this place for the festival?" Quickly shaking her head, her wings clamped to her side. "I can''t afford to celebrate in that.. although I do plan to go to Atlas to see the ''Announcement Of The Monarch'', I really don''t have the money or influence to get anything from traveling... In any case, please look at this." Handing me a small stack of papers laden with data, I quickly shifted gears. Generally, the information was observational data, things from look and temperature to mana levels and scale. -It''s a lot bigger than expected though...- Stretching about eight kilometers, and evaporating water so fast a slope could be measured in the surrounding sea level, it was a colossal mass of heat. So colossal, my original theories of it being a burning reactor core were thrown aside. -That much heat... It almost reminds me of antimatter burnoff...- Thinking back to the Sirathan Acardi lab letting its battery drain in a burst, I started questioning whether this wasn''t something similar. -I don''t remember any facilities being near there though.. and antimatter shouldn''t give off much hard particle radiation like she described...- To be blunt, it sounded more like what I would expect from neutron radiation than gamma rays. -But unless it''s a giant vein of uranium burning off, it makes no sense...- It even puzzled Hera. But it only got worse the more we read. Continuing to look through other data, reading that material decay was accelerated in the area, and that the mana levels seemed to directly correlate to the changes in heat from the radiation, I was honestly at a loss for words. Looking over at Hera, I was literally throwing darts at a dart board. "I couldn''t just be a huge uranium vein that was set off.. could it?" Shaking her head, she couldn''t shake the puzzled look from her face either. "I.. have no idea... Is that kind of thing possible?" Nodding, I showed her another datasheet talking about the weirdly steady heat intensity as you approached the water. "With how steady it is, it almost feels like the output of a fission reactor, but to put out that much heat it''d have to be massive and to have that kind of radiation, there is no way it''s lined..." And well, uncontained reactors weren''t something even I could start. So, after some more discussion and theorizing, we decided to travel to the site itself, making our way out to the island just across the channel. But what we ended up finding was the last thing we could have imagined. ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 433: Below Late Evening - Late Winter - Year 24 : Just South of Ampelos ----- *WOOSH* *WOOSH* *WOOSH* Disrupting the thick snowy clouds beneath us with every flap of my wings, Hera, Krystallo, and I followed Chioni under the bright night sky, keeping our eyes on the horizon as we started approaching the island. Up until that point we had mainly discussed some of the more anomalous data she had showed us previously, bouncing ideas off one another as we flew, only getting more puzzled as we thought about it more. However, once we finally started reaching the edge of the island, the conversations started shifting toward the island itself. According to Chioni, the island was relatively small, being a few hundred kilometers wide and a little less than a thousand kilometers long, however, the entire time I was overlooking it with my aura, it felt as if I was looking over an aged sand bar. No matter where I looked, I simply saw.. nothing... Outside of a handful of abandoned estates, the entire island was just a mound of shallow, sandy soil, with some thin forests of half-sunken trees, populated by nothing larger than a rodent. To say it was an unusual sight was an understatement. "Is the entire island like this?" Looking toward Hera, thinking she''d know, I quickly found her staring into the thick clouds beneath us with a similarly puzzled look. -Huh?- "Hm?" Glancing over, Chioni looked a little confused before finally realizing we were looking through the clouds with our auras. "Ah-!" She rather quickly turned flustered. "You must be talking about how lifeless the island is, right?" Seeing us both nod, she continued with haste. "F-For the most part, yes. The entire island is quite desolate." "What the hell?" Quickly tilting my head as I looked over the sandy landscape, my thoughts started racing, questioning why it looked like the island was eating everything on its surface before Hera finally spoke up. "Chioni," Finally looking up from the ground, she shot her a puzzled look. "When did this island form?" -What?- It was a question completely out of left field. "~What do you mean?~" "~I mean that I don''t remember this island ever existing...~" Responding with her divinity, she looked up at Chioni with a mix of worry and confusion. But Chioni could only shrug in response. "As far back as we are aware. It was said to be rediscovered after the end of the Great War, though, if that''s what you''re wondering." "W..What..?" Hera''s puzzled looked quickly turned back to the ground. "What do you mean rediscovered? This island didn''t exist before the Great War." Turning to me, her gaze sharpened. "~Did you or Bahamut make it? It looks almost artificial...~" But I could only shake my head in response. "~I don''t remember anything about that, no... Although I''m not sure how much to trust my memories...~" -She does make a good point though...- For the ground hundreds of kilometers from the coast to still be largely sand, unless the island was regularly slammed with tsunamis or hurricanes, it didn''t make much sense. Chioni was quick to continue without realizing we were talking though. "As far as we were aware, this island has always existed, there just isn''t anything here worth taking advantage of." Looking back toward the horizon, she continued more casually. "With its extremely sandy soil, there is basically no local ecosystem or resources, and with the frequent earthquakes, building here is a really bad idea. Even with small quakes, the sand will shift and slowly swallow everything on the surface, whether it''s a huge building or a tiny tree." -What the hell?- It made sense considering this island was right on a major fault line, however, if I wasn''t seeing it with my own eyes I wouldn''t believe it. "An island that eats itself..." Looking at all the half-buried trees, and pushing my aura into the ground a bit to find millennia-old debris scattered about, it was honestly kind of breathtaking. Once under the sand, the sand would just work as an island-sized grinder, reducing even mana-strengthened metals into nothing under the blend of pressure and friction. "Yeah, it''s been especially bad recently. Over the last few years, there would be a smaller quake every few hours, and while it seemed to be abnormally often compared to historical reports, it has gotten exponentially worse lately. Around a month ago, the entire island was just vibrating..." With a mix of fear and confusion contaminating her gaze, she paused. "It was a really eerie experience..." My expression stiffened in an instant. -That''s not right...- "How long did it last?" "An hour at most. At the end there was one final, big quake, then it fell silent again." -An hour...- Falling into thought, my mind raced. "~You think it could''ve just been the plate slowly slipping then finally giving way?~" Hera was quick to try and bounce ideas off me as well. -It could if the plate was shifting north...- But something about it just didn''t sit right. -Something about that just.. feels wrong...- "~The timing also lines up with the start of the storm. You think the sudden shift could have exposed a magma chamber and that''s why the water is boiling so rapidly?~" -That.. isn''t a bad idea, but...- "~That doesn''t explain the radiation...~" "~But how do you know the ''radiation'' isn''t just superheated, mana-strengthened water molecules moving super fast?~" "~That.. might be possible...~" -Especially if all the researchers are young...- Looking up at Chioni, my expression turned troubled, and I sank further into thought. I''d only be able to know once we got there. However, as we started approaching the ''hotspot'', and I finally managed to get a good look at it through my aura, a wrench was thrown into everything. -It really is radiation...- Specifically, neutron radiation, the kind that validated the least likely running theory I had. -Did the plates shifting really cause two hunks of uranium ore to collide and fizzle?- The issue was that I never knew uranium to be able to form like that. Forming from the collisions of neutron stars, uranium wasn''t something so easy to accumulate naturally. As I pushed my aura into the water though, I had to eat my words. Sure enough, about three kilometers beneath the surface, within the plume of steam that reached into the millions of degrees, I found trace amounts of fizzling uranium. It didn''t seem like Hera had picked up on it though, even as we landed between a number of small, stilted shelters on the snow-covered beach, her aura stayed mostly on the surface. "~Looks like I was right...~" -Hm?- Following her gaze out into the colossal wall of steam a few kilometers off the coast, I tilted my head before realizing what she was talking about. "~Ah, yeah, you were.~" Turning back to look at the group of younger researchers populating the beach, I looked at the blazing, radiation-acting particles of mana-strengthened water ripping through the air nearly a kilometer away from the majority of the visible steam with a mix of concern and fascination. It wasn''t much, but considering the oldest of the researchers I could see were old elders, it was quite unlikely they could pick up on it before the particles could weave through their crystalline scales and get absorbed by their body, so, just as they observed, their body temperatures skyrocketed before their scales felt anything more than warm. "~Besides the fact that those particles are way hotter than what a magma chamber could get it, there is some neutron radiation and trace amounts of uranium in the steam, so..." Until I jumped in and got a closer look, we could only guess. However, after introducing ourselves to the younger researchers, we felt one of the quakes ourselves. *RRRRRRUMBLE* Feeling the entire island suddenly start to shift and slide to the side, my eyes instantly shot open. "There it is." Speaking as if it was nothing, Chioni looked over toward another researched and asked him to document it. "A meter shift east." Snapping my gaze to her, nothing but questions filled my head. "Huh?" Eventually noticing, she tensed up. "Is something wrong?" "What do you mean..? The entire island just shifted a meter!" Not understanding, she quickly tilted her head. "That''s fairly normal for here. Usually its only a few centimeters, but big slips like this happen too." Feeling my brain shortcircuit, my eye twitched a bit before I turned to Hera, questioning if I was really going insane. But she noticed it too. "That.. wasn''t a tectonic plate shift... The island just.. moved..." The thing was, this island was on the same plate mainland Bahamut was on, a huge plate that generally moved north or northwest. -Moving east makes no sense... Let alone by this much...- It was almost like.. the island was alive... But when I finally pushed my aura into the grand, digging through hundreds of feet of sand, and another few kilometers of sandstone, rock, and debris, I was greeted with a sight of the last thing I expected. Going wide-eyed, the researchers around us all gave me weird looks. Knowing it was serious, Hera spoke with her divinity. "~Did you find something..?~" I was quick to nod, but another part of me was at a loss for words, unsure whether to really say it yet... But no matter how I twisted it, the solid, expansive hunk of metal I was looking at could only come from one thing. "~I think...~" Trying to spread my aura out over the plate of dense metal, I expected it to only stretch for a kilometer or so, perhaps just being a large wreckage... But the word large couldn''t do it justice. No matter where I looked, there was more.. and more.. and more.. even a dozen kilometers out... "~I think.. the entire island is standing on top of an Acardi ship... I think.. the earthquakes are the wreckage shifting...~" Looking back out over the water, I felt the air suddenly turn thick. -Just.. what kind of wreckage is it to be larger than huge cities...- ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! .gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 434: A Crime Scene Late Evening - Late Winter - Year 24 : Just South of Ampelos ----- "~You can''t be serious... The entire island?~" Hera, looking taken aback, immediately shot me a look of disbelief. "~You heard her say how big the island was, did you not?~" "~I know it sounds insane, but...~" Changing to my normal voice, I was quick to turn back to Chioni as she was speaking to another researcher. "When the island shifts, do you know if it''s the entire island?" The other researcher, an older, bright sky-blue dragon, immediately spoke up before continuing to speak to Chioni. "Yes, the whole island shifts a very similar amount." That meant the entire island was built upon the same surface, whether it was a tectonic plate or an Acardi structure moving. -Holy shit...- "~No wonder you didn''t know this island existed...~" Looking over at Hera, my gaze softened before slowly drifting out over the water. "~It must be a wreckage from the war...~" -The Acardi crew logs pretty regularly mentioned a mothership... So I wonder...- But while my mind raced and I wanted to do nothing more than dive into the water and see if my theories were right, this wasn''t the time or place for me to run off and do whatever I wanted. "Hm, so you three are associated with the Ragnarok family and wanted to check things out?" Hera was quick to step up noticing I was sidetracked. "That''s correct. We have some ideas on what it could be, and, after seeing it, are fairly certain we can fix it." "Is that so?" Tilting his head as he looked at me, the Elder looked puzzled. But Chioni was quick to lift her glasses off with her aura and put them in front of him. "Ah..." Nearly instantly, he jolted slightly and the nonchalant sway in his tail ceased. "I apologize if my doubts appear rude.. but the other day we had a different Ancient come by to test things for us, and even they could hardly reach the hotspot on the surface. Of course, I''d expect you wouldn''t have come here without knowing that..." -Hoh? He can see our auras?- Looking at the glasses as Chioni gently set them back on her snout, I used a bit of my aura to check out the map of runes in the lens before the man turned to lead the way. "In any case, let us go inside. We can discuss your ideas and plan over tea." -Hm... I''ll have to ask her about those when I get a chance...- Quickly following the man into one of the small huts, a few hours rather rapidly ticked by. Starting with discussion about their findings with the hotspot itself and answering some of his questions about ''radiation'', we moved on to explaining how Hera and I were going to handle the situation. Considering Chioni hadn''t brought up or even mentioned that I said I was going to wait for the Atlas team, I moved the schedule forward, saying I was going to begin investigating immediately. Of course, this implied I would keep my distance, however, that was not the case. My real intention was to investigate it closely and figure out just how dangerous it was before using the opportunity to train Krystallo with her aura and temper her body a bit. But it was more than enough to satisfy him, so after a bit more idle discussion, we had made our identity and plans quite clear, and Matio left us to resume his duties in another nearby hut. However, he was the only one to leave. After acting like she was getting ready to leave, the moment the elder got out of earshot, Chioni turned to us. "You know, we agreed you three would wait until the Atlas group arrived before investigating the hotspot." Giving me a stern look, she spoke with a shockingly annoyed tone. "You know if something happens to you, it will fall on my shoulders, right?" Hera immediately cracked a smile, nearly letting out a chuckle. "Haah..." But I could only sigh. "Those glasses help you see mana, correct?" Looking at the runes again, it was fairly obvious they amplified the energy of photons passing through the lens, and as a consequence, would shift the entire visible light spectrum up a touch. For dragons, this meant they could see into the middle, or longer wavelengths, of the ultraviolet spectrum as compared to just the shorter wavelengths. "Y..Yes..." To some, such a shift may not yield anything, but for others, it could open a window into a whole different world. -If done right, it can make even fairly insensitive eyes see auras...- But just as it could be amplified, the glow of mana could also be suppressed, and Hera and I hid ours regularly in order to avoid unwanted attention during the festival. However, even with the cover, we looked like middle-aged ancients and had the auras to match in the eyes of nearly everyone. *VWOOM* But the moment I stopped the light magic mask I used, the space around us lit aglow, and the poor girl''s confidence simply evaporated. Shriveling up in an instant, her entire demeanor shifted, clamping her wings to her body, tucking her tail, and lowering her snout to the point her glasses fell off her snout. "U-Uh-!" Cutting her off, I used a bit of aura to make her look up. "Look, we aren''t here to cause trouble, we''re just trying to see what''s going on and fix the issue if it''s something you guys can''t." Trying to put a bit of the enriched mana in my aura on her to calm her down, her momentary shaking rapidly eased. "I know you''re suspicious of us, but don''t be." Speaking calmly knowing things were settled, Hera slid her a small mythril and rose gold tablet with the Monarch''s insignia on it. "We happened to be in the area for the festival but since it seems like the city is about a month away from needing to be evacuated, we figured it was worth checking out." Eventually recognizing the insignia, Chioni went wide-eyed before tapping the tablet to hear a satisfying, solid ping. "A-Ah, I see!" But shockingly, verifying the tablet was real only made her nervousness and panic vanish. "So you two are close with the new Monarch!" Hera and I immediately side-eyed one another. "I apologize for being a little suspicious. When we first got here to investigate everything, we ran into some.. odd people. I was worried you were with them." The air in the room shifted in an instant. -Huh?- "What do you mean?" "Well, when we first started coming down here to see what was going on, about a day after the hotspot appeared, we ran into a bunch of people saying they just came to check out the source of the quake, but among the many, there were a few that would return quite regularly, and would give a different excuse each time." Raising her head a bit, Hera''s joking mood turned serious. "Did you report the suspicious activity?" "Y-Yes, but I don''t think anything came of it." Knowing we were going to ask why, she hastily continued. "If I had to guess, it was because other theories about it being a natural phenomenon were simply more likely than it being the likes of an artifact, so it would surprise me if the reports were thrown away. The people only stopped coming around after the hotspot continued to grow after a few days." "I see..." Pausing to think, Hera glanced toward the door before speaking more softly. "I''d like for you to write down the descriptions of everyone you saw come to the area, as detailed as you can, and specifically mark anyone you thought was extra suspicious." "~Are you wanting to have them all investigated?~" Hera immediately nodded. "~You''re thinking it too, right? If it''s coming from the Acardi wreckage.. it wouldn''t just ignite out of nowhere...~" "~ That''s true, but it''s also exceedingly unlikely that people have figured out fission, you know... To burn this hot for this long, it would need an unbelievable amount of uranium.~" But it was true I couldn''t shake all my suspicions. So, after taking a day to jump around Bahamut through the void, and getting the foreign intelligence agency to look into about a dozen people, I decided to go check it out myself. Leaving Krystallo with Hera at the research outpost on land, I jumped through the void into the thick snow cloud coming from the hotspot and dove in, slicing through the plume of steam stretching into the ocean as if I was falling into an endless hole. Until finally, the thinning plume of steam I was diving into had shrunk to about fifty meters, and I spread my wings. *WOOSH-SPLASH* Slamming through the wall of water, I glided out into the unexpectedly open ocean, using my aura to try and see through the unbelievably dense, salt-flake-filled water before finally seeing my target. Another few hundred meters down, there was the source of it all, a single large, roaring antimatter reactor melting down, barely transferring enough heat to the surrounding water to keep its shell from completely deteriorating and rupturing while sparks of plasma-state uranium were spewing through small holes in its shell. But the more I looked at everything, the worse it became... -What psycho stuffed an antimatter reactor.. with uranium..?- Looking just past the reactor, into a likely once-sealed room completely stuffed with fizzling uranium, I felt myself cringe -What psycho even gathered this much uranium in the first place..?- ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! .gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 435: Baiting Late Morning - Late Winter - Year 24 : Acardi Wreckage Island ----- -What psyco stuffed an antimatter reactor.. with uranium..?- Looking right around the reactor, into a likely once-sealed room completely stuffed with fizzling uranium, I felt myself cringe. -What psyco even gathered this much uranium in the first place..?- With a conservative guess, it was about two dozen tons of ore, more than enough to level a large empire in a single blast. However, rather than being laid in one large pile, it was all neatly sectioned out, separated by mostly melted walls of lead, clearly indicating the person who laid it all there knew clumping it all together would make it go supercritical. But that was a level of knowledge unbefitting this world. -That''s.. odd...- From my initial looks at the reactor, I was certain that someone had tampered with everything, however, the more I looked, the more I had to question that assertion. Stepping back and using my aura to try and paint a larger picture, I started seeing things that didn''t line up. Closer to the reactor, it was clear where the surrounding damage came from, with the melted dividers between the separated uranium piles, the walls to adjacent rooms, and the countless nearby control panels, computers, and even towering masses of machinery melting because of heat from the reactor prior to it all being doused in water. But as I looked out farther and farther, more questions started ripping through my mind. -I.. can''t see the bottom...- Trying to look through the dozens and dozens of layers composing the structure, each nearly a hundred and fifty meters tall, separated by a thick layer of reinforced alloy, I felt my perception of scale start to warp. Even at the farthest edge of my readable aura, the structure continued to stretch into the depths, exposing what I could only think was a huge scar, where the structure had been melted in half. In comparison to the reactor, the damage here was on a scale I could only fathom with my memories as Nott; a level of heat that couldn''t be generated by anything less than hundreds, if not possibly thousands of kilograms of antimatter. -And that''s being conservative...- Pushing a bit of my aura into the unbelievably thick layers of metal between each level of rooms, I found all sorts of cabling, plumbing, conveyor belts, and runes meant to insulate the already scientifically unfathomable heat-reflective tiles. Yet regardless of those protections.. every layer, without fail, was melted to nothingness, with the damage spreading into the layers farther and farther the deeper I looked. At the top, here around the reactor, the damage seemed to be minimal from that planet-splitting blast of heat, with the top layer and nearby machinery rooms completely layered in sealife, showing just how long it had all been submerged for. However, the reactor and storage room didn''t share that age. Looking at the reactor again, only the far side was coated in a layer of carbon, or showed any signs of oceanic corrosion, while the inside looked as if it had only just been exposed to water along with the few adjacent rooms. -Meaning the reactor must have just melted all of this away, and previously, this area was watertight...- Knowing the reactor couldn''t just ignite itself, nor just magically stuff itself with uranium despite the conveyer in the floor leading into the bottom of it, I started turning my attention to smaller details, trying to find traces of tampering like the small antimatter charge pylons'' runes being freshly cleaned along with areas on nearby machinery where the algae, barnacles, and coral had been scraped off. It was more than abundantly obvious that someone had tampered with stuff, but it wasn''t until I properly looked at the machinery in nearby rooms, trying to learn what they were for, that horror finally came to my face. -Wait a second... These machines were manufacturing the fusion reactor ignition cores... They''re fabricators...- And after looking more in detail at the areas of the machines that were cleaned, I started really questioning my initial idea that the person who tampered with everything was stupid. From areas where ore was refined, to the cast of molds, and even the storage areas were all exposed, as if they were trying to learn how it all worked. And possibly.. how to replicate it... It was everything a dragon needed to know how to make them besides acquiring the ores in the first place. -But considering it looks like they took those pieces from the machine...- I felt my expression go dark in a flash. Although I didn''t have any idea who the person who came down here was, it made me anxious that there was an equal chance of it being either some random researcher, or someone on the Holy Kingdom''s side. -That''s bad...- And what made it worse was the cleaned antimatter runes... -Someone definitely studied those...- Looking at where one had been disassembled and reassembled a little imperfectly, I felt my gaze darken. -That makes me wonder...- Looking over at the reactor, barely staying intact thanks to the dense surrounding water sucking away heat just fast enough, I glanced at the remaining several tons of uranium with a thin glare. -Someone set it off on purpose...- Although still nothing more than a guess, the more I thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Someone had come down here to study fusion and antimatter, and learn how to harness it, before stuffing the reactor with uranium and turning it on, expecting it to explode and set off the uranium in the storage with it. Had they been successful, nothing there would have been left. It was enough uranium to blow the ocean above me into orbit, glass half the island, and send out tsunamis tall enough to cover Ampelos. -But because the antimatter is shooting into the reactor so slowly.. it looks like it will eventually fizzle out...- Thankfully, the reactor wasn''t a proper antimatter one, seemingly being more for testing fission and fusion cores, just using a bit of antimatter as the spark. Without electricity, it was of course still too hot for the reactor to handle, without the electromagnets in the shell being on, and not everything could be contained, but remarkably, the reactor didn''t totally melt down thanks to the conditions of the water managing to keep the shell from completely melting down. -But that''s all it''ll do...- Once the reactor shell finally melts, the reaction would just fizzle out, and the remaining antimatter would just send a bunch of steam to the surface and perpetuate the storm. -So as long as I turn the pylons off, it''ll eventually fizzle out...- However, as I swam over to deactivate them, I hesitated.. before slowly backing off. -Not yet...- Remembering Chioni''s mention of people that were frequently checking on the hotspot right after its ignition, the idea that the burnoff was on purpose was nearly pinned onto certainty in my mind. -If they set this off on purpose.. they would have frequented this place until it exploded.. but if it never does...- I had two options. I could either replicate the blast and turn them off the trail.. or... -I could use it as bait...- If it never exploded, there was a chance they would come back to make sure it was destroyed. However, at the end of the day that all hindered on what the actual story was, so after investigating a bit more, I made my way up to the surface before cleaning out the uranium caught between my scales and making my way back to the island. By then, it was already dark, and thanks to thick clouds rolling in from the south, the ground was even darker, with the research huts only barely illuminated by the warm glow of lanterns and light artifacts. -How quiet...- Eventually making my way to the ground after making sure I wasn''t a walking mass of nuclear fallout, I landed in front of the hut Hera and Krystallo were in before making my way inside. "That was fast." Hera was quick to greet me with a warm gaze. "I thought you were going to be down there for at least a few days." Watching Krystallo shoot me a glare, I wanted to laugh. "Don''t worry, that place will take years to explore... I just stayed around the reactor." "It was that big..?" Hera''s gaze rapidly softened as her tail settled with worry. But I could do nothing but nod. "I couldn''t see the bottom. Even if it isn''t the size of the entire island.. well.. all I can say is it''d still be the largest structure I''ve ever seen..." -It makes the Academy look tiny in comparison...- "I-I see..." Not sure what to think, the warmth in her expression turned conflicted, and her tail subconsciously curled under her paw. "You mentioned a reactor as well. Was that the source of the hotspot?" Nodding, I found a spot to lie down and explain everything I could, speaking on my theories regarding the meltdown being on purpose, as well as that the person who did it all seemed to be well informed with the rules of fission and fusion. But it just made the atmosphere in the room turn dark. "That''s not good..." Turning her gaze to the ground as she sank into thought, Hera''s mind raced. "Nothing regarding developments like that have been reported at all in my time as Monarch. The Foreign Intelligence branch likely doesn''t know anything either..." Meaning the researcher was more than likely not associated with Bahamut. "If the Holy Kingdom manages to replicate those cores.. you know how bad it''ll be..." Nodding, I steadied my stance. "But I have an idea. If it was burned off on purpose, the people who came to check it out repeatedly, the ones you asked Chioni to describe, might be wanting to make sure its all properly destroyed. If I had to guess, they were waiting for it to explode." Hera''s eyes instantly shot open. "So if I suffocated it before the Atlas team arrives.. they might come back to try and make sure it''s all destroyed." "And if that happens, we might be able to figure out who the researcher was..." "Correct." But at the same time, it wasn''t that simple. After discussing between ourselves a bit more, we rather quickly concluded that we needed to stay completely out of sight, and act as if we never came here while having the blaze slowly settle. The issue was we only had a few days before the Atlas team arrived, and figured if they were here, whoever was messing with the reactor would be less likely to show up and investigate, so we had to race against the clock. We were going to lay a trap for someone we weren''t certain even existed, but regardless, as soon as I turned off the antimatter pylons and the hotspot started shrinking, rumors spread like wildfire, and the bait was laid. All we had to do was wait and see if the creatures we wanted to bite would take the bait. ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! .gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 436: A Bite Mid Evening - Late Winter - Year 24 : Acardi Wreckage Island ----- *Tap-WOOOooom* Watching the colossal plume of steam ripping from the reactor thin and shrink as its steady hum fluctuated and settled, I swam up into it, masking and suppressing every part of my presence to be essentially invisible to the senses of everything up to an ancient. -With how dense and fast the plasma is, their aura won''t reach me...- Yet at the same time, I''d be able to watch their every move with my space mana. All from behind a wall of bubbles. All I had to do was wait. Knowing Hera would cover everything on the surface, I simply focused on my aura, using my extra time to practice my techniques using my aura''s space mana. However, even as hours turned into days, there wasn''t a flicker of life around the reactor. It was quiet, eerily so. With the blaze of the reactor settling day by day, the plume of steam I was hiding in steadily became less and less of a shield from aura, and before long, the day of the Atlas team''s arrival came. -I told Hera to signal me when she wanted me to come up...- But despite feeling her aura''s gentle caress on mine, the signal never came. So I stayed, and before I knew it, another two days passed. That was the first time I felt her aura twitch. It wasn''t the signal for me to come up, but rather.. as if she was alerted to something... -That''s odd...- Wondering what it could be, my mind raced for a moment. However, not even a few moments later, I felt the hair on my neck crawl. -Hoh..?- Snapping my head to the side, my pupils thinned, locking on the colorless figure of a dragon swimming through the ocean. -Who do we have here?- Resisting my urge to jump out and confront them, I waited, watching every swish of their tail as they glided through the depths. They weren''t coming from the surface, but rather from along the coast.. along the wreckage... Staring at them through the wall of steam with a sharp, blood-lust filled gaze, I used my aura to search everything they had. Digging through their waterproof bags, I read through every paper, deconstructed every artifact, and mentally dismantled every piece of Acardi technology they had. But.. they were clean... The countless papers the deep-blue-scaled woman carried all appeared to be informal research. In the bags she carried, there were all sorts of pieces of Acardi tech, as well as artifacts that you would typically see in research institutions. It made the lady look like a normal, novice researcher... Certainly not someone who would understand fission, fusion, or Acardi machinery. But something about them just felt off. The papers, while seemingly discussing things I would recognize based on the diagrams, all sounded like gibberish, and while the artifacts were indeed things commonly used in research, they weren''t related to the things in the papers. -Something.. isn''t adding up...- Keeping a skeptical eye on her as she got closer and closer, starting to slow down as the temperature and radiation levels rose, I watched her reach into her bag and pull out an artifact from a hidden pouch. -Hm?- It was an artifact I assumed was for detecting and measuring mana density, something that would slowly change colors depending on how dense the mana was. However, as she pushed it out in front of her, the deep black orb started shifting to a dark purple before steadily getting brighter and brighter as she approached the reactor. But the mana density around her wasn''t changing. -She''s using it to detect radiation...- Cautiously creeping closer and closer to the reactor, never once pulling her eyes off the orb as it grew lighter and lighter, shifting up through the light spectrum, she quickly drew near. All until, not more than a few dozen meters from the uranium stockpile, the orb turned crimson, and she stopped. Standing about seventy meters tall, she was a young ancient with a slender body, one made for the water exactly as her deep-ocean colored scales would indicate; however, looking at her thick legs, and sprawled claws despite them being relaxed, it was clear she wasn''t a dragon who regularly spent long periods down here. -So what are you doing here...- Watching her slow to a halt before looking around and setting her eyes on the reactor with a troubled gaze, she reached back into her bag to pull out a large, loaded capacitor with an artifact fused to its bottom. Still unsure what she was doing, or what her identity was, I stayed still, only tilting my head to question what she was doing. At least until that was she opened her mouth, tensing in discomfort for a moment, she pulled out a barrel-sized metal sphere. -Huh?- Wondering what it was, I was quick to push my space mana into it, but it just made my confusion and curiosity burn like gas vapors to a match. -I see...- Spreading my wings as she started attaching the capacitor to it, I swam out of the plume of steam without so much as a ripple, swamping her with the enriched mana in my aura to dull her senses before getting up right next to her head. "It''s best you stop doing that." Snapping her eyes to mine, she froze with a quivering gaze. "Whatever god you pray to, they won''t save you here..." Swimming in front of her, I snatched the massive nuclear core from her paws before moving it above us. -To think they''d hide it in their breath gland... Those papers and artifacts are just a part of her disguise...- Finishing the unification of the reactor core and capacitor, a blinding light instantly blanketed the water, and the massive nuclear blast, directed at the surface, lifted the ocean off of us. *WOOOOOOM* Staring into the woman''s eyes with a gaze sharp enough to draw blood as her pupils dilated, I spoke directly to her brain, simulating the signals of my voice through the nerves of her ruptured ears. "If you wish for your soul to make it to reincarnation, you best answer these questions like the world''s fate lies on it." ----- - Hera Monachiko?s ~ *WOOOOM* Feeling the entire ocean suddenly sink as if sucked in, my gaze snapped to the water just in time to watch the ocean lift into the sky *SPLAAAASH-WOOOOM* Watching a series of blasts come one after the other, raising thousands of square kilometers of water higher and higher into the sky, I couldn''t help but feel a certain level of insignificance. -Looks like he had a fish bite...- It was an explosion on a scale that brought on flashbacks from the war, a blast measured on the scale of kingdoms rather than people, buildings, or towns. However, while Krystallo and I marveled at the sight, the others weren''t so keen. By then, it had been a couple days since the Atlas team had arrived, and after getting caught up to speed with Chioni and the other researchers, were preparing to make an expedition into the water. That was at least until the ocean they were going to explore was abruptly connected to the night sky. Feeling the shockwave rip over us, everyone immediately jumped out of their huts and looked out to the ocean, but as the wind howled, no one said a word. To a bunch of normal adults and elders, the sight greeting them was nothing short of unfathomable, a display of power they couldn''t comprehend. At least for all but one. Turning to look at one of the elders in the back, staring at the towering explosion with blank face, I squinted. After sending off Vasilias, I had faked leaving the island with Krystallo, cloaking us with magic while masking our auras, using my aura to eavesdrop on the researchers about a kilometer away. However, while nothing about them seemed particularly odd, there was another researcher who arrived just half a day before the Atlas team that I felt nervous to pull my eyes off. From emotionlessly staring off into space to never saying a word, he was an odd one, but nothing he ever did, nor anything of his belongings were suspicious at all.. just a bunch of miscellaneous, amateur research and tools. However, regardless of wanting to dismiss my suspicions, I kept my eye on him. At least, that was until I was forced to turn my attention elsewhere. *Crackle* -Huh?- *WOOM* Feeling the ground beneath us suddenly lift and expand from a colossal burst of blazing air, engulfing Krystallo and burying my legs and tail, the vast, snow-covered beach we stood on turned into a huge pit of loose sand, consuming everything on the surface like a starved goliath opening its mouth. *VWOOM* Rushing to use my divinity, I was quick to grab Krystallo and take to the air, forcing us out of the sand before it gripped everything on the surface and dragged it into the depths. But it wasnt just our necks I needed to save. Eventually getting above the plunge, I looked down to see several of the researchers all futilely flapping their wings as they sank further into the sea of aerated sand and were pulled into the pit, only to be buried by hundreds of meters of ocean and sand the moment they slammed into the bottom. *PUUUFFF* -Shit... They wont be able to get out if this hole fills...- As I got ready to dive down though, I found the silent researcher hovering over the collapsing pit with an eager gleam in his eyes, dropping a tiny, melon-sized sphere from his claws. A nuclear core. -Oh, no you don''t!- Grabbing it with my aura, I instantly slung it towards us before tossing Krystallo into the air behind me and returning to full size. *FLASH* However, as I revealed myself and caught the core in my mouth, the elder''s gaze snapped to mine with an unnerving clarity.. a psychotic confidence... All until the bomb finally went off. *WOOSH-CRRRAACK* Keeping my mouth open just enough to vent the blast, a wall of fire burst from my face like an erupting volcano, hiding my entire body and concussing every creature in front of me out to the horizon. As the shockwave blew over the crazed elder and his eyes gleamed, watching the all-consuming fireball spread, he couldn''t hold back a roaring laugh. "Hah.. Haha.. HAHAHA!" Staring into the swirling flames with wide eyes, his craze spread like the blaze before him. "SO MUCH POWER! SUCH INTENSE HEAT! WITH THIS, I COULD-" "Die." Cutting him off, I appeared over him, showing my teeth still glowing red hot with a snarl before slamming my paw into his back. *CrUuUNcH* Feeling the base of his wings, and his spine shatter into millions of pieces, the mans craze suddenly vanished, his gaze distorted with pain, and his vision blurred before zipping to the ground in a streak of light, slamming into a thin stretch of trees on the edge of the sandy pit the researchers were sucked into before tumbling for several more kilometers. Knowing he wasn''t going anywhere, I immediately returned to Krystallo, making sure she was okay before diving into the pit to catch the huge collapse of water and sand rushing to fill it in. *VWOOM* -Shit...- Cursing myself, I looked down at the sand, submerged in about a hundred meters of water, questioning how I was going to get the researchers out while anxious some may get turned around and dig the wrong way. But thankfully, just because I didn''t have an idea, doesn''t mean Krystallo didn''t. And while I was nervous she could have been hurt or even just stunned, as soon as I reached the surface of the water that had already started filling the pit, she jumped to action. Even if she herself looked a bit nervous... ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! .gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 437: Cleanup Mid Evening - Late Winter - Year 24 : Acardi Wreckage Island ----- "If you wish for your soul to make it to reincarnation, you best answer these questions like the world''s fate lies on it." Watching the color drain from her eyes as all sense of mercy drained from mine, my gaze turned cold. "Do you understand?" Gently nodding, her entire body quivered as if my maw were already around her throat. "Good, then let''s not waste more time than we need to." *Woosh* Darting closer, my pupils thinned. "Who the hell are you?" "I-I''m a smith!" She responded hastily, without the slightest waver. It was the last thing I expected: a truthful answer. However, I wasn''t buying it. *FLASH* Switching to my fenririan form, I released all control over my aura, surrounding us in a dense, starry void. "You dare to deceive a god?!" Watching her eyes dart around, succumbing to instincts as she backed her head away, I locked her in place with my aura. *VWOOM* She was trapped. Even if she was as strong as Hera, in the water she wouldn''t be able to move. "I-I-I would never!" Quivering so violently that the items in her bags rattled, her gaze once again locked on mine. It was another sign that she was telling the truth. -But...- Knowing everything I did, that was an impossibility. "What is your relation to this place? Who ordered you to come here?" "T-The Spathi family!" -What?- It was a name I was unfamiliar with, roughly translating to ''Sword''. -Are they a small martial family?- "I''m a smith that has worked with them for a very long time! T-Typically I would make them weapons, but as our relationship developed, we started doing favors for one another. A number of years ago, it started with just studying some otherworldly materials." Catching her glance sideways toward the ship, she was quick to lock eyes with me again. "But this time, they asked me to place some artifacts down here and fetch some ore! I-I-I promise I''m not-" *CrAcKLE* "ACK-!" Biting her tongue as I crushed her forearm with my aura, my gaze grew colder with annoyance. "I don''t believe that shit." Going wide-eyed, her panic compounded. "P-P-Please! I can answer anything! I''ll explain everything I know!" Tightening my grip on her, I spoke with a bloodlust that had remained dormant since my time as Nott. "Then you best start from the beginning." Knowing I wasn''t going to give her another chance, she immediately tensed, but somehow, as she started speaking, it eased. "M-My name is Espera! I used to be a travelling smith on the Main Continent, forging bladed weapons for those who caught my eye in order to hone my work, but eventually, I had a desire for money and came to continue my practice in Bahamut. Long story short, I wasn''t great compared to other dragons, so I ran around seeking work for practice, and the Spathi family granted me that." Trying to pick at every aspect of her story, voice, and body language, I did everything I could to dig out the lie. But I found nothing. "For a long time, I was one of their many smiths forging practice swords, but about a dozen years ago, they started commissioning me to focus on refining my metallurgy, providing samples of material they wanted me to replicate... Having spoken around, I wasn''t the only one either... But regardless, our relationship seemed to develop rapidly after that. They would provide me incredible samples of material, and in turn, I would do them favors as long as it was in my capability, like finding artifacts, searching for smiths, or simply refining materials; and that all led up to a few days ago when they asked me to come down here." Feeling her heart rate spike as she stared into my eyes, hoping and praying for some kind of reaction, I spoke bluntly. "Now explain what you, a smith, were doing posing as a researcher, hiding a bomb strong enough to flatten a city, and approaching this place knowing its dangers?" "T-They explained everything to me in great detail!" She blurted it out without any hesitation. "I was given instructions on what to do and where to go for a number of days over the last week before coming down here and planting a couple artifacts! They simply asked me to come place them, and r-retrieve a bunch of that silver ore!" Trying to look past me at the uranium stockpile, I fell into thought... At least until my mind caught something -Wait a minute...- "What do you mean a couple of artifacts? Do you mean the things you were attaching to one another?" She immediately shook her head. "F-Farther in this place," she swiftly pointed her wing toward the ship. "They asked me to place another one of those.. bomb.. things..." My senses instantly flared up. -There''s.. a second..?- But before I could even consider asking for more detail, a shockwave ripped past us. *WOOOOM* Being suddenly blinded by a cloud of silt and debris, I stared into the dark wreckage of the ship with wide eyes. "The place you planted that bomb at.. what was there..." Shivering, knowing the shockwave was the bomb going off, she shriveled up. "I..I.. don''t know..." Looking back at the reactor, still purring as the uranium stuffed in it sizzled, I fell into thought. -The people on the surface should believe this place is destroyed by now, so...- *Vwoom* Grabbing the uranium inside the reactor with my aura, I rapidly accelerated its decay, ripping apart atoms until the widespread fission ceased, and the temperature started to settle. -That should be good...- -Now...- Turning back to the panicked woman, I tightened my grip on her. "You''re coming with me." *WOOSH* Darting into the ship without a second thought, I cut a series of holes through the hollow metal walls before closing them up and weaving through the massive, air-filled halls of the wreckage. -Its air-tight despite all that damage... Looks like this thing really was meant for space...- Trying not to get distracted by the hulking masses of machinery in the rooms I was passing, I kept my aura loose and occupied my mind with the architecture itself. But after closing myself into the wreckage, the pressure of my aura naturally pushed through the walls. By the looks of things, the area of the ship we were in was dedicated entirely to heavy industry research, with the main, volumous hallways being layered with sterile white tiles, the floor and ceiling having massive exposed electromagnetic rails, and the rooms being dedicated to identically sized towers of machinery surrounded by instruments and computers. However, I didn''t have the time nor interest to look at them in more detail at that moment. *WOOSH* Finally turning onto another hallway, looking at a serious mess through my aura, I used some light magic to reveal the glisten of flowing water on the floor before looking up to see an extremely bulged hangar-style door leaking water and sand. -That must be it...- *SP-SP-SPLASH* Eventually reaching the door, I immediately shoved my aura inside to see the extent of the damage, but it was both better and worse than I had imagined. Spanning into dozens of colossal rooms, the walls and floors were ruptured without discrimination, and in the process, sand and salt water had begun filling everything through a huge hole that was melted in the top, outermost shell of the ship. -That must have been where the bomb was placed...- However, by the looks of things, there wasn''t anything in any of the rooms. -All the damage looks like its from the pressure of the blast...- Likely meaning they weren''t trying to destroy evidence here.. but rather bury witnesses... *Crackle-Blub* Melting thick sections of sand to form a glass bowl thatd keep the water from spreading throughout the rest of the ship, I turned my attention to the numerous buildings and researchers trapped in the thick, cement-like mix of sand and water, only to fall into thought questioning how the hell I was going to get them all out. Looking up above the hole, I quickly noticed Hera and Krystallo standing in the bottom of a massive sinkhole, using magnets made from the iron in the sand to find where people were buried, before pumping air into the sand and giving Hera''s aura a chance to reach them and help pull them out. However, while able to help those who were above the hole in the roof of the ship, the unlucky few who fell through were simply out of reach, squirming under the immense pressure, praying that they were digging the right way as they slowly suffocated. -How truly troublesome...- Pushing my space mana up to Hera, I was quick to vibrate the air as if I were using wind magic. "There are a number of people trapped inside the ship itself, so I''m gonna break all the sand and water down into gas so they can all get out. It''ll cause the sand you and Krystallo are on to cave in though so be careful." Suddenly stiffening her expression, her eyes snapped in my direction. "Should I continue to hold back what I can?" "Yeah, let the entrance to the ship be exposed." "Do you want me to keep the researchers quiet about what they see?" "Just keep them under the blanket of the Cabinet for now. We need to start accelerating our technological developments with Acardi tech anyway, so I think we should push forward the creation of the Science Branch and have them study this place down here." -I''ll never be able to explore it all on my own anyway...- "Alright... I do have an issue though..." Turning a bit awkward, she looked up toward the top of the incredibly deep pit. "A spy tried to drop a bomb into the sinkhole from up here, and he''s injured, but I can''t deal with him while I''m holding everything up here." "Just turn the sand into glass, and make it so thick it won''t break and collapse." "Hm... And the water?" "Freeze it. It only needs to last until I finish up down here..." Lowering my gaze to one of the many hallways that were flooded with water and sand, outside of the glass bowl I made, I found a younger, feathered dragon gasping for air. "I might be a minute though so make sure it''s nice and sturdy." Nodding, Hera immediately grabbed Krystallo before the light around her bent. "Got it." -Now then, since we''re on the same page... It''s my turn to begin cleanup...- ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! .gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 438: A Loose Rock in the Dark This is the first chapter of the new writing style, I hope you enjoy! Also starting from this point forth, I''ll be tagging the music I write to with chapters: Optional music for today: Rok Nardin - Waves https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnVGtCbJRdY Late Evening - Late Winter - Year 24 : Acardi Wreckage Island ----- - Krystallo Ragnarok ~ *WOWOWOWOOOM* Hearing the thick iron plate beneath my paws vibrate as I pushed it across the sand, controlling the vast electric current surging through it, my mind raced. With my senses heightened to their absolute peak, I was creating a mental map with the tug of the magnet on my scales to find where people were buried before shoving the hunk of iron to the side, and pumping an enormous amount of energy into the ground. *Pop-WOOSH* A beam of light, backed by a powerful gust of air from the steam plume above, instantly liquefied the sand beneath methe same cursed mix that had initially trapped everyone, but this time, it was to drag them out of the depths. "Found another!" *VWOOM* Feeling Hera''s aura rip past me, weaving through the sand, following the flow of steam, I started easing my spells before suddenly jumping to the side. *WOOOOSH* Rocketing through the surface of the sand, another panicked researcher was graced by the sight of sunlight. So far, we had pulled out three people, but there were many still to go. -I need to be quick!- Returning to the oversized electromagnet, I pumped a lightning bolt''s energy into it, drawing out all the iron from the surrounding sand before rapidly melting, cooling, and polarizing it to strengthen the magnet further. If things simply continued as they were, I was confident I would be able to get out everyone, but just as I started preparing another vent to free someone else, Hera''s aura flinched. -Huh?- It was never a good sign. But I couldn''t lose focus. Trying to ignore my urges to look up, I continued pushing the magnet over the sand, searching for the next person. I finally had the opportunity to pull my weight and prove to myself that I wasn''t just a burden, so I needed to focus. I had a mission, and I was going to accomplish it. Unfortunately though, in the eyes of beings akin to gods, my efforts were next to meaningless. *VWOOM* -HUH?!- Feeling Hera''s aura clamp around me, I was ripped away from the slab of iron in an instant, being yanked through a thick layer of water before a familiar blend of hot and cold filled the air. -W..What.. the...- Going wide-eyed as the ground beneath me steadily became more distant, I watched the sandy wall of the island grow molten before solidifying into glass, while the wall of ocean water on the opposite sides glistened and crystallized. It was a level and scale of magic I simply couldn''t fathom, a work of art mind-bending enough to distract me from my inner thoughts... Even if it only lasted a moment. *Wooouuumm* Hearing the sound of space warping, the light beneath us bent, and the sensation of gravity blurred before the entire, vast mass of sand and water beneath us turned fluid and drained into nothingness. "Sorry for just grabbing you..." Speaking softly, Hera glanced down at me as if the sight beneath us was nothing to behold. "Vasilias is going to vaporize all the water and sand to get everyone out. In the meantime, we''re going to deal with that rat from earlier." -Ah...- Finally having reality set in, and watching as my work to pull my weight vanished in the blink of an eye, my mind fell into a vast abyss of anxiety. I was, once again, riding on Brother''s shoulder, and could do nothing but watch as I was dragged along. But with that almost trauma-induced anxiety came yet another wave of determination to carve my own steps into the mountain. Eventually getting up and out of the vast sinkhole and following a short line of shattered trees and disturbed snow, we quickly found our way to the spy, trying to crawl away despite his mangled body. "Now, where do you think you''re going?" *WOOSH-CRUNCH* Landing on his tail, Hera''s gaze turned frigid in an instant. "Do you perhaps think someone is going to save you?" *CRRRRUUNCH* Pressing down harder, her colossal paw sank further into the sand, reducing the man''s tail to mush. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. But all he let out was a muffled groan. "So you want to play tough, huh?" Pulling her paw off him to reveal the bloody mess left of his tail, she pulled me back with her aura so I couldn''t see anything before surrounding me in silencing magic. Once again, I was being reduced to a burden.. but I wasn''t having it. Warming up my body, the air around me cracked with a blend of snow and steam, disrupting the silencing magic before I forced myself through Hera''s aura and peeked over her shoulder with a determined, cold, and calculative look. I couldn''t let another opportunity pass. I needed to start carving my own steps instead of just being carried by Hera or Brother. Or at least.. I needed to learn how to do it. Hopping off Hera''s back, she immediately shot me a glance look, but after thinking for a moment, simply sat down in silence. She was going to let me learn. And learn, I did... Over the following minutes, I did what I could to torture the man, forcing myself through the disgust to inflict pain in hopes of getting information out of him. But.. all I did was torture myself... "Huuff.. hufff..." Looking down at my claws, trembling and dripping red that wasn''t mine, I stared down at the mangled corpse, unable to breathe. I kept telling myself it was necessary, that this was the only way I could be useful.. that if I carved out a piece of responsibility, maybe I wouldn''t feel like an anchor being dragged through the sand anymore. But it didn''t stop the shaking. The cold numbness in my paws endlessly crept through me as my mind replayed every agonizing moment of the mans screams, his silence, and his never-wavering smile... He never broke. Despite everything I did, all the pain I subjected him to, he died with his secrets still locked behind that dreaded smile and deranged gleam in his eye that made my stomach twist. *Puff* Setting my paws down into the snow, I felt my mind screaming, begging to forget everything I had done, but it wasn''t possible. This was the life I had set myself on.. the path I was determined to trek... I just needed to learn.. even if I needed to teach myself a lesson, and recognize my own naivety first. "Krystallo..." During the entire thing, Hera spoke to me, asking me to stop, starting stern and serious before slowly becoming softer and more worried the longer I ignored her. But even after it was done, I didn''t look up at her... I couldn''t... Again and again, she tried stopping me, wanting to protect me from the eventual reality my childishness would force me to face, but I never did. I had to do it.. if not for the information, then for myself.. to stoke the flame that had been ignited in my chest, driving me to climb and see the stars. I couldn''t simply wait for the perfect foothold to appear on the side of the cliff... Sometimes, you just need to grip a loose rock and pray it holds your weight.. even if you are too naive to comprehend the cost of the rock slipping. "I know what you''re feeling..." Speaking softly, as if trying not to break glass, Hera wrapped her aura around me like a blanket. "I''m proud to see you pushing yourself to face stuff like this head-on, but you don''t have to prove anything to me.. or anyone else, for that matter..." Her words, meant to hit me on the head with a cushion, felt like needles digging into my scales. She was wrong. I did have to prove something, just not to her... "I''m not going to stop..." My voice cracked as I spoke, keeping my eyes aimed at the crimson blood seeping into the snow around my paws. "Even if I hate it.. even if I despise it.. I''m not going to stop..." "Vasilias wouldn''t want you to force yourself like this, you know..." Hearing his name, I felt my chest tighten. She was right.. but somehow I couldn''t bring myself to agree. "He wouldn''t want me to be a burden either-" But Hera didn''t let me finish my bout. "He doesn''t care, Krystallo." My gaze instantly softened to tears as my chest started burning. "Your brother can make any future you wish to live happen. You don''t have to push yourself like that..." Gripping the snow with a wince as my tailed curled up under my paws, I couldn''t pull my mind off the time we spoke at the arena. "But I do... The future I want isn''t one he can simply grant me without me playing my part..." Pausing, the wind brushed over the island, carrying with it the deep hum of reverberating glass. He doesnt think that way... Breaking the silence, Hera spoke under her breath. He just wanted to discourage you from taking such a hard path... I instantly flinched. "Your flame burns brighter when you see his..." Stepping beside me, her paw cast its familiar, looming shadow over me. "You don''t want to lose sight of it no matter what, and because you''re afraid you will, you want to chase after it..." Pausing, she looked up and out toward the plume of frigid white gas escaping the sinkhole. "But his flame burns too bright to lose sight of... Especially for you..." Her words were gentle, yet they cut like a blade. -Especially for me...- The thought repeated endlessly in my mind like a haunting reminder. "But I''m unworthy of it..." Falling silent again, her gaze dulled with thought. She knew how I felt, even if I couldn''t fully recognize it myself... *VWOOOOM* Feeling the intense fluctuations of mana that could only come from Brother, I looked over to see the ocean pushed back and lifted into the air as a thick metal dam materialized to block it off. It was a miracle made so mundane it was almost sickening.. even to the eyes of Hera... "Worthiness isn''t something you yourself can decide... Sometimes, you simply need to set aside things like pride and use the light given to you to find an easier path..." Speaking with a hint of pain in her voice, her gaze softened. "The higher you climb, the more likely you are to feel that worthiness, but you need to acknowledge that using the light to take more cautious steps isn''t a bad thing in order to get there in the first place..." Looking back at me, her gaze turned warm.. like Mother''s. "Stop closing your eyes thinking you need to climb in the dark, Krystallo." Momentarily catching her gaze, I felt my eyes turn glossy with tears before turning down to look at my bloody paws once more. -Stop trying to climb in the dark...- Her words echoed louder than a deafening blast. For a moment, I just sat there, basking in the whirlpool of thoughts stirring in my mind.. until eventually, Hera stepped back, letting the warm embrace of the sun land on my scales. I was young and naive.. and just as Brother had warned me, my arrogance was getting in the way. I was only just now recognizing it... "Look, Krystallo... I''m not saying you should take the easiest path.. just don''t take ones that leave scars..." Curling her tail around me, she pulled me into her side and turned me to face the ocean, and look into the sunrise. "Use the light to temper yourself like a smith hammers iron..." Watching as the figure of Brother''s fenririan form flew up in front of the orange sun, my cold gaze warmed with a faint glow. "Just make sure you aren''t trying to copy the way someone else swings their hammer..." ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: https://www.patreon.com/TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 439: A Spider and an Owl Early Morning - Late Winter - Year 24 : Acardi Wreckage Island ----- *Fsssshhhh-Crackle* Watching glass inside the pit glow after reinforcing it, I flew just over the ocean, keeping my breaths long and still as if preparing to dive into something irreversable. Beneath me, the exposed Acardi superstructure laid like the exposed tomb of a deity from a time long pasta vast metal grave laced with the scars of a story the world had tried to bury and forget. Yet after being exposed to sunlight for the first time in countless millennia, rather than hungering to uncover more, I hovered above it.. contemplating whether or not to bury it again. Truth be told, I was anxious. Exposing this level of technology without extreme caution would be like dousing the world in lighter fluid and handing out matcheseven if we regulated it. -Unlike on Earth, the beings of this world aren''t bound by such low computational or physical limits...- Even with my abnormal control over aura and mana, I wasnt unique. Dragons with centuries of experience and mana reserves hundreds of times greater than mine as a child could do exactly what I did when I was young. They would just be slower. But time never worked against a dragon.. it worked with themwaiting, watching, and learningcompounding power through patience. And that was where the true danger laid. This place.. this wreckage.. it wasn''t simply a scar carved into the planet or a tomb left by an advanced civilizationit was a classroom. To the minds of dragons, the machinery inside was like an open textbook, and with the integration of atomic science to society, that very textbook would be translated into a language anyone could read. However, I couldn''t be certain someone hadn''t already deciphered it. Turning slightly, my gaze drifted to Espera, still wrapped in my web of aura, bound in silence suspended over the molten trench as a reminder of a horrifying reality I couldn''t dismiss. -Someone knows too much...- And I couldn''t be certain it wasn''t her. Still trembling from the initial interrogation, she stared into the pit below with a look of dread so dark it was like she had caught the gaze of the grim reaperlike she had given up... But death wasn''t something I''d let greet her any time soon, regardless of how badly fate wished to take her from my clutches. She still had use.. whether as a broken compass pointing toward whoever placed her there.. or as a cracked mirror reflecting a sliver of their ideology... -The ''Spathi family'', huh...- Looking up at Chioni helping the other researchers out of the pit, I spoke without a voice, weaving my will into the nerves beneath her scales. "So they asked you to retrieve ore..." Jolting suddenly, she nodded before speaking with a shiver. "Y-Yes... I-I was meant to fill my bags with what I could and deliver the rest to a merchant ship off shore." *VWOOM* Scanning over the watery horizon behind us faster than another one of her neurons could fire, and finding what indeed looked like a draconic merchant ship at the distant edge of my aura, my turbulent thoughts calmed. If only for an instant. "What about the ore in the bags?" "I was asked to sell it anonymously to the mineral aggregate at their estate.. the place we smiths typically got our ore..." -To think they''d paint the story so naturally...- It was almost like they knew Hera or I would look into it. But I wasn''t surprised. The bombs had been placed too precisely. One to tear out the pages of the textbook they were learning from, and another to bury those who had so much as an inkling that it was there in the first place. -The perfect illusion...- With no one else inside the bounds of my aura besides the merchant ship off the coast, no one close enough to even know anything happened. No one was close enough to suspect that anything was wrong. In the eyes of Ampelos, the blizzard would have stopped, and the researchers would have been marked as missing, not knowing they were buried under kilometers of sand and water. -And if Hera and I weren''t here, the second spy would have sealed their coffin with a layer of glass...- ...Even if those strong enough to climb through the sand would have hit a layer of glass so thick it''d be like a wall of steel.. and suffocateda foolproof plan. At least if two beings akin to gods hadn''t arrived on a whim. *Vwoom* Feeling Hera''s aura gently caressing mine as if to grab my attention, I looked up to see her helping the researchers get oriented with Krystallo, before her gentle voice slid into my mind like a sheath being placed over a blade. "~You look troubled...~" Catching a glance from her, I nodded before raising my head. "~I think we bury it...~" Gently nodding, she didn''t want to question me, but her hesitation still lingered. "~Are you sure?~" "~We should have the cabinet dig and investigate it from some other place on the island for now... We can''t let whoever is really behind all this think anything went awry for now...~" Looking over my shoulder at the bright, glistening horizon, the image of a towering galleon just beyond it formed in my mind. "~I think it''s best we play their game for now...~" Quickly checking to make sure all the researchers were out of the pit, I looked down into it before readying so much mana it looked as if the night sky had materialized around me. *VWOOOOM* Knowing what was coming, Hera had everyone fly just off the ground, and lifted those who couldn''t with her aura. It was time to bury the tombstone that had been exposed for the first time in thousands of years. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. But this time, it wasn''t going to be forgotten. *spark-Creaaaaak* Hearing the metal dam groan in protest as I pulled away my aura holding it in place, I forced my space mana into it before dismantling it like shattering glass. *Crackle-WOOSH* The dam instantly burst with metallic pop, releasing the tides like a tsunami, smashing into the glass wall holding back the island before shattering it, burying everything as if it were never there in the first place. In the span of an instant, the exposed tomb was buried once moreconsumed beneath waves of ocean and layers of sand, locked again behind a door only few held the key to. *Fsssshhh* Yet as the waves of sand and water surged back into place, I felt the eerie echo of an ancient familiarity bounce through my mind.. the echo of a memory from the day I buried the corpse of the draconic ancestorhiding it from the world just like I hid evidence of the Acardi. "Tch..." Clicking my tongue as if to expel the bitter taste in my mouth, I shifted my gaze toward Hera, who had settled farther down the crystalline sands with the other researchers. With the morning sun stretching its warm tendrils across the waves, I glided silently toward the shore, Espera dangling limply in my aura like a marionette whose strings had been severed. The winds whispered gently against my scales, carrying echoes of ancient burdensmemories I had believed were drowned in the deepest reaches of my soul. *Fwoosh* Eventually landing on the soft, glistening sands, I folded my wings, feeling a quiet, familiar heaviness sink deeper into my chest. One Hera recognized in an instant. "~Bad memories?~" Her voice slipped into my mind, carefully gentle, a balm against lingering unease. I nodded without a second thought. "~But now isn''t the time for stuff like that.~" Dismissing the sentiment, I moved Espera forward, carefully placing her onto the sand as though she were a delicate piece of evidence. "~There is a merchant ship offshore coming this way. We can''t waste any more time.~" Hera''s eyes sharpened knowingly. "~You want me to interrogate her?~" "~Only lightly.~" Shifting my gaze past her toward Krystallo, who was quietly reassuring the shaken researchers despite the stains of blood still visible on her paws, my expression darkened. "~This girl is a pawn of the Spathi family in Ampelos. I want you and Krystallo to go investigate them personally while I bring her out to that ship off the coast and play things off like nothing happened.~" Her gaze turning heavy, with her snout falling with doubt. "~And what about the researchers?~" "~I''m going to run to the Cabinet and get Leander to silence and hold onto them for now.~" I spoke coldly, not reserving any brainpower for emotions. "~Bring them two hundred kilometers inland. I''ll build a space rune here from the Cabinet. When I get back I''ll take Espera here out to the merchant ship while you fill in Leander on the situation and go to the city...~" She nodded without a blink. "~Understood.~" Turning once more, she quickly moved back toward Krystallo, who caught my gaze with a mixture of resolution and lingering self-doubt. But despite offering only a brief, reassuring nod, I saw something in her eyes shifta spark igniting within, clearing away some of the shadows she''d gathered before she straightened visibly, returning the nod with a determined smile and drawing herself up toward Hera. For the first time, she wasn''t just waiting in my shadowshe was taking steps onto a path that would be uniquely hers. But I didn''t have the luxury to remain still either. Swiftly turning my racing thoughts and calculations inward, I prepared myself for a delicate race against time, and disappeared into the void. *Vwoop* Folding space around me, I vanished from their sight instantaneously, zipping through the void and reappearing from the Cabinet''s space rune beneath the courtyard, striding through the halls in my Fenririan form, ignoring the startled glances of staff and guards as I approached Leanders office. Not bothering to knock, I pushed open the heavy wooden door, my voice cutting through his surprise like a razor. "Leander, Hera and I have a situation. Come quickly." He rose without hesitation, discarding the papers and quill he''d been gripping tightly as concern hardened his expression. "What''s happened?" "Theres no time for me to explain fully right now," Answering without giving him a glance, I turned sharply toward the Cabinets space rune, already manipulating the complex weave of runes in it as we walked. "Hera will fill you in on everything once you''re there." He didnt press further after that, trusting in the urgency and purpose behind my tone before I finalized my adjustments to the rune and readied it. *Vwoom* Pausing for just a breath, I looked back at him firmly. "Count to two hundred, then activate the Southern-Ampelos port on the rune." His nod was swift. "Understood." *Vwoop* Without another word, I slipped into the void again, constructing the new rune network''s tunnel with careful precision, each strand of mana woven methodically yet rapidly, to form a safe path between the Cabinet and the Acardi superstructure. *Vwoop* Eventually exiting about a kilometer above the lightly forested inland region of the island, I immediately etched another complementary space rune to anchor the connection. By then, barely minutes had passed from Hera''s perspective, with her only beginning to greet the edge of my aura far over the horizon. But there was no time to waste. Stepping back carefully, I observed as the newly formed rune pulsed before expanding and contracting to release Leander with a warp. *Vwoop* -Perfect...- Scanning the surroundings as he steadied himself with stress tainting his gaze, he was quick to give me a confused look. But despite Hera still being nearly a hundred kilometers away, I wasn''t going to take the time to explain. "Wait here," I spoke bluntly, my voice calm but weighed down with urgency. "Hera will arrive shortly to explain everything." Quickly nodding, not questioning another thing, he moved away from the rune and sat down, coating himself and the rune with light magic to hide it all without me having to ask. And without another pause, I turned skyward again, unfurling my wings and launching myself toward Hera''s rapidly approaching aura like an owl that spotted prey. It was time for us to start spinning a web around the spider.. and turn the hunters into the hunted. But first, I needed to grab the bait. *WOOM* Tearing past Hera and the others in a controlled and silent blur, I reached out with my aura and plucked Espera from Heras side as if snatching a feather from the air. Seeing Heras unreadable look, still drowned in though, I didnt say a word, but seeing Krystallo focused, with the tension in her limbs coiled like a spring, I tried speaking with as gentle a warmth as I could muster. "Be careful, Sister." Her breath instantly hitched before she straightened, her anxious frown softening into a confident smile. "I won''t let you down, Brother!" Her words settled in my chest like a stone skipping across still waterleaving ripples with every bounce. And yet, even as I continued my arc over the horizon, I found myself unable to smile in return. I was worried. With a terrible tightness from every ripple of memory from our purer days as children, I felt regret I knew I could never settle. But.. I didnt have a choice anymore... -I just hope I didn''t make a mistake wrapping you up in all of this...- ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: https://www.patreon.com/TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 440: A Sentence As requested in the discord, I will now be posting a link to the music I used to write the chapter! Enjoy! Rok Nardin & @madalenduke - Shadows ( https://youtu.be/i0rMeegC7lE ) Late Morning - Late Winter - Year 24 : Merchant Vessel "Styx''s Fang" | 600km Southeast of Ampelos ----- - Captain Ofis Gloio?dis ~ *Crack... Pop...* Hearing the quiet snaps of expanding wood echoing through the ship as it gently shifted with the current, I laaned my head back, swirling the amber liquor in my glass and letting the scent of salt and old varnish flood my senses. Today should have been one of those rare, perfect daysthe kind where I could disappear into a hammock and let the waves cradle me like a mother with her child. It was a rare comfort, sailing on the most treacherous waters in the world. But despite the tranquil sea and crisp, briny breeze wafting through the open windows of my cabin, there was no peace to be had... *Creeaaakkk* Hearing the hull groan beneath me with every swell, echoing my thoughts in long, drawn-out sighs of aged timber, I reached up and pulled over one of the many pieces of parchment littering my desk. It was our commissiona letter signed with no name or seal, just a set of coordinates drawn in acid-etched ink and a series of obsessively detailed instructions. But despite the handwriting being unmistakable, belonging to our most consistent and well-paying client offer the last decade, and yet as I read it, a chill crawled through me. It wasn''t the anonymity or secrecy that bothered me; after centuries of sailing across the Death''s Gape and mediating illegal trade between humans and dragons, I''d grown more than accustomed to it.. in this line of work, it was expected. But the tone... The tone was different from usualmeticulous and clinical.. like someone else''s voice was being whispered behind the pen, be it a researcher or an official attempting to mimic it. But the provided supplies were all too real. With a dozen large black stone boxes buried inside a massive crates of gold and jewels worth more than entire commissions, we had no choice but to trust it wasn''t a setup. Authorities would never risk such wealth for something as simple as a sting. But even so.. something about the instructions gnawed at me. Reading through exactly how we were instructed to handle the cargo we''d receive, being a nameless, silvery ore, I felt like I was about to have to dive into murky water. -Do they think Im a bloody alchemist?- My tail twitched. It wasnt just a red flag. It was a field of them burning. And yet, Id accepted. A hundred and fifteen platinum. It was a commission worth a decade of work, how could I not force myself past my own speculations? Taking another sip of liquor, letting the burn roll through me as I got up and walked to the windows at the back of the cabin, I did what I could to ease my nerves. For the first time in a while, I felt like I had lost myself in stress. -How long has it been since we took a job of this level...- The destination was a port in the heart of the Holy Kingdoma region Id found myself frequenting more and more as time went on and my already shoddy allegiance to Bahamut wavered. But whatever the reason a noble wished to work with them, it was none my business. -All I need to do is bring material from point A to point B, and not question a damn thing...- And that was the plan... ...Until it wasnt. As detailed in the letter, we were to wait for a signal at first lighta single shockwave from the west, far over the horizon. But despite the commission explicitly detailing it would only be one, we felt two, and after waiting for some time, the so-called ''connection'' was still nowhere to be seen. "Haah..." -What a pain...- Lowering my gaze, I folded the parchment with deliberate delicacy, my fingers lingering on its edges as if hoping a decision would manifest itself in my mind. Yet it never cameonly vague assurances wrapped in the assumption we could fibb our way out of things if authorities found us. -If this wasn''t the handwriting of our best customer, my ship wouldn''t be sitting here like a bobber dangling bait over a gorge...- But as I picked my liquor up off the window sill and made my way back to my desk, a firm knock on the cabin door pulled me from my bitter musings. "Captain?" "Come in," I replied gruffly, tossing the commission back onto the desk as I sat down. *Creaaak* Opening the old wood door with a squeak was Nico, a younger Elder who was quick-witted and sharp, sneaking inside before shutting the door behind him with some caution. He was young, at least compared to me, with his humanoid form lean and sharp, and his eyes ever-keen. Still, I could see the strain etched into them like claw marks in the side of a hull. "Captain, the crew''s getting restless." He spoke somewhat plainly with his thick western accent. "The crew believes the two separate shockwaves indicate something went wrong. There is a chance that whoever the connection is could have gotten caught up in trouble. If it''s the authorities..." I quickly gave a slow, troubled nod, understanding it wasn''t just me that was unsettled. "Those are my thoughts as well, but this commissioner wouldn''t send someone who''d cave before we have time to leave." Leaning back, I propped my feet on the desk. "Youve seen the crates. Thats not hush money, its insuranceenough to buy loyalty." He paused, glancing toward the windows anxiously, as if worried something would manifest itself on the horizon if he mentioned it. "And if the authorities do find us?" "Then we comply. Act like any normal merchant would. Nothing we have on board is illegal, so it''d be hard to jail us on suspicion." *Scratch* Opening an old drawer, I swiftly pulled out a stack of letters detailing countless legal trades we made between Bahamut and Siratha over recent yearsa formal merchant''s log. "Since when did you stop trusting me, Nico?" He quickly exhaled, visibly relieved that I''d thought through everything and acknowledged what had been festering in everyone else''s thoughts. "I apologize, Captain." Smiling as the nostalgic memory of him first joining the crew as a young adult flashed in my mind, I pulled my feet off my desk and refilled my glass. "In any case, start preparing the men. If our contact doesn''t appear by midday, we sail out. Go ahead and inform the others." "Aye, Captain." Turning swiftly, he exited as quickly as he''d entered, leaving me alone with my thoughts once more. But thanks to him, my nerves had eased. Laying back in my chair and closing my eyes, I let out a deep, relaxed breath. "Haah..." I had my bases covered, so I needed to relax. -The more tense I am, the more suspicious I''ll look...- However, the moment the silence settled back over the room, a sudden, muffled thud resonated through the ship. *Thump* My eyes snapped open in an instant. It was a dull, wet noisenot the ship''s usual creaking or the sound of loose cargo shifting in the lower decks, no... This sound came from the bars on the port side, a ladder for dragons to climb. But it wasn''t my crew. Slowly setting the glass down, I stood and pushed my aura through the cracks in the hull, finding the unfamiliar presence of an ancient outside, gently shivering, trying to calm herself down. -Looks like something went awry after all...- *Creaaaaaak* Feeling the ship finally list and rock as she reached the deck, I walked around my desk, grabbing my coat and swordnot to wield it, but to keep up appearances. With connections like these, one wrong move and our ship would find itself on the bottom of the ocean. But I didn''t even make it to the door. Feeling the briny breeze from the back windows suddenly stop, I froze. My breath was caught, the hair along my arms bristled instinctively, and I found myself rooted beside my deskcoat half-slid over one shoulder, sword dangling at my hip. Slowly turning my head, I felt ita pressure descending over the ship, subtle at first, but growing heavier with every beat of my heart. It was the kind of weight only a dragon who''d been at ocean for a millennia could perceive, the sensation of dread that could only result from a predator''s gaze from the depths. It wasn''t officials.. it couldn''t have even been a dragon. No.. the presence brushing the hull like the tide against a reef was not trembling or restrained, but rather calculated, cold, and impossibly vast... So vast it felt like the ocean had developed a heartbeat of its own. -Someone.. no... Something followed her...- *Thump-Thump* Hearing the client drop her steaming bags of ore on the deck, the heavy thumps echoed into the water as if announcing the ship''s presence to the depths. But as I counted, waiting for the echo of the thump off the bottom of the ocean, time just ticked by.. and the time I knew to expect it came and went. The chill that passed down my spine in that moment was unlike anything I had ever felt, a primal horror that dug into my bones. "Everyone, stop moving..." Using some wind magic to make sure everyone heard my hushed whisper, the rapid patter of movement outside ceased, and an eerie silence overtook everything. Surrounding the entire ship with a ring of silencing magic, hoping to silence the natural creaking of our vessel, we all remained frozen, holding our breaths, waiting for my command. But just as I was about to start slowly releasing people and get the ship moving, the subtle rustle of papers greeted my ears like the scythe of the grim reaper curling around my throat. *Rustle...* That sound, barely more than the brush of parchment shifting in the air that no longer moved, cut through the silence of the ship like a scream. And with it, my blood turned to ice. Slowlyso slowlyI turned my head toward my desk, only to find that nothing had moved. The papers I''d left scattered were undisturbed, the drawer I''d opened was still half ajar, and the glass of liquor remained half full, glistening like a crystal as the sun peered through the back windows... But something was different... Something had shifted... Not physically.. or visibly.. but my senses couldn''t ignore it. It felt as if something was in the room.. watching mean infinite array of eyes staring at me from every angle, creeping through everything. *tap...* *tap...* Feeling a distinct vibration greet my boots like a warning, I froze. The pressure outside hadn''t just grown strongerit had shifted directions.. no longer just surrounding the ship, but flowing into it... Every instinct I had, every sense honed over a thousand years, screamed the same truth. Something was looking at us.. and not just from a distance. The ship no longer rocked. It settledas if the ocean itself and gone still in deference to something greater. *Crack* Jolting as of the ceiling beams shifted, contracting from the cold, a breeze blew through the ship despite the air remaining still. The shadows moved, but the light didnt change. Then, a voice, not spoken or heard, was pressed into the depths of my soul. "~So this is what treason buys you...~" Watching the papers on my desk begin to shift around as if by a breeze I couldn''t feel, my legs grew weak. It wasnt fury or malice.. no raised voice or righteous anger. It was disappointment. Cold, ancient, unfathomable disappointment. Like a god watching a child sell their blood for copper. "~I''d hoped you would know more...~" Despite unknowingly releasing my silencing magic outside, I could hear nothing. Not even the ocean or gulls. Just my heartbeat, thundering in my ears like war drums. Opening my mouth, I wanted to plead or shout, but no words ever came. My breath caught in my throat as if my lungs no longer belonged to me. Until finally, it ceased. The invisible energy creeping through the ship disappeared, and as if it were just an illusion, the woman left, and crew constantly bugged me about what happened. But I didn''t have an answer. By the time we all returned to our senses, it was like we were all knocked out. The leather bags of ore still laid on the deck were empty, and the crates in the hull were full and sealed. It was as if the moment the connection arrived was blurred into a dream, a reality that never came to light. As weeks passed, and we sailed back to the Holy Kingdom with our cargo, trusting a few crewmates'' words saying we put away the ore before setting off an artifact that knocked us all out, we made it all the way to port, troubled, still wondering if the countless different stories the rest of the crew had were really dreams... And if what I experienced was just a nightmare... *Creaaaaak* Finally docking in one of the largest ports in the Holy Kingdom, dozens of church-robed attendants were already waiting on the docksilent, veiled, moving like a school of shadows drifting over stone. "Sorry for the late delivery, Priestess." I spoke formally with a bow. "We had a hiccup at sea." The woman standing nearest to the ramp inclined her head with a faint, unreadable smile. Her robe shimmered like oil on water... A human. Please, Captain, she replied gently, stepping onto the gangplank with grace that made the sea look clumsy. You still delivered within the window. Your reward will be sent, in fulland then some. Lowering my gaze to the lower levels of the dock where people from the churching were running into the ship, going straight to the cargo hold, I straightened up with a slightly forced smile. "Thats... wonderful. I hope" *Clunk* The sound of a crates lid being pried open cut me off. Thensilence.. not from a lack of sound, but from time itself freezing. The next thing I knew, a wave of heat erupted from the cargo hold, a pulse of energy so hot.. so dense it didn''t feel like a flame.. but like reality itself had caught fire. I had no time to scream, blink, or run... The entire galleon was vaporized in an instant. My body, just as the priestess next to me, was reduced to cinders in a fraction of an instant, like fur brushed too close to a forge. But despite her being reduced to vapor in an instant, my bones flaked into glass, my scales were reduced to liquid, and the heat penetrated into my soul. By the time I tried to throw up a barrier, it was too late. Half of me was gone, my nerves were reduced to ash, and my thoughts evaporated as the shockwave reduced my brain to mush. And as the docks followed, as ships a hundred meters away detonated into flame and charred wind, I finally understood what that whisper meant. It wasnt a nightmare. It wasn''t a warning. It was a judge delivering a sentence... -So this is what treason buys you...- ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! .gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 441: Deception No music for today''s chapter Mid Evening - Late Winter - Year 24 : Ampelos | Bahamut ----- - Hera Monachiko?s ~ *Puff-Puff* Landing in the deep pit of snow cupped by the mesh of warm barriers layering the city, I gently let Krystallo down ahead of me, sliding through the wall and giving the guards a startle before shrinking down and following after her. As with the first time we landed during the blizzard, the security was lax, with the guards clearly not expecting anyone and letting us pass without much trouble. However, despite them being completely unrelated to those we were going to investigate, Krystallo was all kinds of stressed. Sticking close beside me from the moment we entered the barriers, she was clearly anxious and forcing her composure, but thankfully, the guards assumed it was just her first time in a big city. -This won''t fly in the estate though...- Gently draping my wing over her as we walked, I spoke softly and reassuringly. "Remember, from this point on, you''re my daughter, a young noble from western Bahamut." Smiling warmly, I pulled her in. "But just because it''s an act doesn''t mean it needs to be unnatural." It was certainly a little different from the dynamic I had tried to cultivate over the years, but not something I wasn''t absolutely certain she could pull off. "Just act like we normally do, but instead of calling me Auntie, call me Mother. You should still be yourself, okay?" Immediately tensing up and averting her eyes from embarrassment, she mumbled. "Okay, M..Mother." It was so cute I couldn''t hold back my smile. "Good." But we had to remain serious. Continuing down the long, warmly lit street, I rehearsed a number of questions with her to ensure she could speak for herself when she was inevitably approached before guiding us to a small boutique near the city''s bustling plaza. Having gathered that the Spathi was throwing a party for the festival, I needed to get Krystallo some new, formal attiresomething noble yet modest enough to blend with the rest of the younger group. And well, it turned out to be good practice for Krystallo to warm up to her new identity. By the time the shopkeeper finished fawning over Krystallo''s adorable fenrir-eared humanoid form and outfitted her with complimenting attire, she had completely meshed with the role. As we finally emerged from the boutique nearly half an hour later, we returned to our draconic forms and continued toward the Spathi family estate just like a family. And as it turned out, just like other guests. Eventually making our way through the Spathi estates towering, open gates with a few other families, we found ourselves walking through a courtyard that even surpassed the excessive extravagance of most high noblesmassive, lush gardens lined with statues of marble and obsidian, each depicting dragons like steps in the path of ancestry, and voluminous pools of steaming water accompanied more dragons than I bothered counting. Beneath the distant howl of the storm beyond the raised barriers, the place certainly had atmosphere. -These people know how to throw a social event...- Looking over the numerous maids and butlers delivering food and drinks, I was quite surprised with how genuine it all felt. However, as we continued toward the lavish estate itself, passing between other families as children scattered about, that genuineness turned stale. Looking upon the towering statues, each portraying a mighty ancestor dating all the way back to the Great War, something felt offthe proportions varied, with small inconsistencies marking them more like artistic imaginings rather than faithful historical records. But catching me slowing down, Krystallo gave my sleeve a gentle tug. "Can we continue inside, Mother?" Finally catching myself, I put on a smile and noddedcontinuing through the rest of the courtyard with an observant gaze before smoothly shifting into our humanoid forms and making our way inside. But despite not passing through any barriers, the change in atmosphere was almost as jarring as entering the city from the blizzard. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Just after being greeted and tended to by some young, beautiful maids, we entered the grand hall, filled with the refined chatter of young nobles and the palpable scent of delicious food. With lavish tapestries, expertly forged weapons, and remarkably well-known martial trophies adorning every wall like gems on jewelry, the hall was grand but tasteful, reserving the floor for the youth while the adults watched over them from a small balcony above. -Hm... That must be the patriarch then...- Finding a well-dressed man silently observing from the balcony above, watching over the crowd of youth like a hawk stalking a field, I gently motioned Krystallo by. "Go ahead and mingle, sweetie. I''ll be up on the second level." She immediately swallowed with a silent gulp before nodding and gracefully blending into the crowdher initial hesitation starting to fade behind her mask of confidence. "Haah," -Now it''s my turn...- Keeping my eye on her as I continued forth, I ascended the grand central staircase, my blue gown trailing elegantly as whispers and admiring gazes followed my figure from both levels. -Looks like no one is paying attention to their senses... How convenient...- Silently thinning and expanding my aura, I quickly started scanning through the conversations on the second level. "...quite a surprising rumor, isnt it? An ore that boils water..." "...I heard their youngest son was disowned..." "...some researcher from overseas? Sounds too scholarly for them..." But as I made it to the top, and asked for a drink from a waiting maid, I noticed an older woman weaving through the crowd below, closing in on Krystallo with an almost predatory elegance. "Quite striking, my dear," Her voice purred, with eyes curious but slightly narrowed. "We rarely see those of your stature around here." Catching the murmurs of a few others watching the woman, I discovered she was Eirene, the patriarch''s wife. "For her to pick out someone so specifically... How lucky..." -Lucky, huh?- Turning to keep my eye on her as she spoke with Krystallo, I ran my hand along the balcony''s railing with a faint frown before leaning out over the floor, picking up on more chatter about some sort of research the Spathi family was involved with, before storing the whispers away carefully, noting every name and hint dropped. But then, out of nowhere, a presence drew closea cold, observing aura brushing mine. "I don''t believe we''ve met," Alexandros, speaking eloquently, kept his gaze intense and appraising. "I''d certainly hope I''d remember someone like you." Turning, I lifted my dress to give a courteous bow. "The name''s Hera, from Nkremo." Lifting my head, I offered a polite yet distant smile. "I''ve heard quite a bit about your family since I arrived in the city. It was quite shocking to hear that such a prideful martial family was dabbling in the scholarly arts." He instantly tensed, his eyes briefly narrowing before easing. "Ah, yes. Have the rumors reached so far?" Continuing up to the railing next to me, he spoke as if purposefully wanting those around him to hear. "My youngest son developed quite the interest in natural mana studies when he was young. Quite unusual for us martial types, but my wife wished to cultivate that talent, and now he''s studying abroad." "How fascinating. I''m the exact oppositefrom a family of researchers who hatched one that wished to be a martial artist." "Haha, how truly fascinating, indeed." Smiling somewhat genuinely, he looked back out over the crowd. "Which ones are yours?" Keeping my smile to maintain appearance, I motioned toward Krystallonow mingling with a small group of younger nobles down below. "She''s my only daughter. Just old enough to start meeting the world." Alexandro''s cold eyes instantly flicked down to her, lingering on her hair and canine ears with a curious, assessing glint. "She seems.. unique." He murmured, as though tasting the word, before turning back to me. "And you say you come from a family of scholars? Then perhaps we can see if her interests align with my son''s." Letting out an amused chuckle, I looked him in the eyes. "She may not look it, but she''s quite studious when she needs to be." Feigning a thoughtful pause, I gently tilted my head. "If I may, could I get your son''s name? I''d love to have a chance to speak with him once he''s returned from his studies." "Ah, well..." A faint tension instantly flashed behind his eyes before blocking our voices from those around us. "His name is Xero, however, I can''t be certain he will return any time soon." "Hm.. what a shame. Responsibilities, I suppose?" He was quick to nod. "He is shouldering the future of the world. I''d be a terrible Father to pull him from his work for something like arranging a marriage..." Lowering his gaze over the crowd, once more, he dispersed the barriers surrounding us. "In any case, shall we continue this conversation more.. privately? Perhaps over a drink?" He quickly beckoned for Eirene, still poised at the foot of the staircase, signaling for her to invite Krystallo. "I suppose." Smiling politely, I inclined my head in acknowledgment, carefully masking my lingering unease. But Eirene wasted no time, immediately moving through the crowd with graceful purpose and approaching Krystallo. "My dear," she purred again, effortlessly commanding attention. "Come nowyour mother and my husband would like us to join them upstairs." Krystallo hesitated thougha subtle flicker of anxiety crossing her face before she could mask it with forced composure. "Of course." She answered politely, yet the moment Eirene reached out her hand, Krystallo''s expression tightened, forcing a polite smile before firmly declining. "I apologize, but I''d prefer to walk up myself." Instantly, murmurs rippled through the observing crowd, eyes turning to focus sharply on the scene unfolding below. But rather than being annoyed, Alexandros''s gaze sharpened with intriguea flash of interest I hadn''t expected. "She certainly has a scholar''s attitude... Perhaps a meeting with my son wouldn''t be out of the question." My ears perked up instantly, my surprise carefully concealed beneath a graceful smile. "In any case, please come." Finally breaking the slight tension that settled over us, he gestured toward a private lounge behind us. "We can speak more freely in here." Maintaining my composed exterior, I nodded gracefully and signaled Krystallo to follow along. Just like Vasilias had with Espera, it was time for us to lay a trap, but this time, Krystallo would be leading the charge. Little did I know, she would simply tap into a talent I wished for her to leave alone. The skill of deception... A terrifyingly believable deceptionone so deep I feared it could change her forever. ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: https://www.patreon.com/TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 442: An Impending Storm Optional music for today: NEXXT - Burning Bows (Epic Dramatic Fast Strings) ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jnzd9-Tri6Q ) Mid Evening - Late Winter - Year 24 : Acardi Wreckage Island | South of Ampelos, Bahamut ----- "Understood. I''ll be sure to.. take good care of her." Slowly lifting from a polite bow, Leander cast Espera a measured glance of intrigue mixed with skepticism before continuing with some reluctant, mustered pride. "Rest assured, I''ll see that everyone and everything is handled discreetly. However" His tone quickly grew cautious. "May I involve Myles in this matter?" Hesitating mid-wingbeat, I looked past him at the handful of assistants he brought to handle the researchers before releasing myself from thought with a gentle shake. "No, keep him out of things." -The Aesir, or at least the Holy Kingdom spies, are likely keeping their eyes on him since he''s expected to be the next monarch... In fact...- "Don''t even alert him to this situation at all, and if he catches wind, tell him it was my order to keep him out." Leanders eyes sharpened in an instant, becoming calculative as the implication settled in, but quickly softened after a moment with an understanding nod. "As you wish." Finally turning back to Espera with a practiced ease, his confidence washed over his speculative thoughts. "Now, time for you..." Satisfied he had things under control, I spread my wings once more and took to the air with a powerful wingbeat, disappearing into the twilight and making my way toward Ampelos. It was time for me to undertake my own investigation into the nobility of this city, just as Hera and Krystallo were. But first, I needed to take things one step at a time. Eventually making it back to the city, I used my aura to peer through the thick but thinning snow cloud blanketing everything until I found a specific, overly luxurious inn in the heart of the city and made my way down. Known as ''The Eastern Claw'', it was our designated lodging during our travels through the festivala franchised inn found in nearly every large city in Bahamutthough we hadn''t really used it yet. However, it wasn''t a place I could ignore in a city I was so unfamiliar with. Shrinking down and making my way past the receptionist and security with a flash of my ID, I turned down one of the hallways forming the fingers of the dragon''s paw-shaped building before arriving at our room. *Knock-Knock* *Vwoom* Swiftly undoing the mana lock after a gentle knock, I quietly stepped inside. Our suite was divided into four spacious roomsenough for everyone to lounge in their draconic formsaround a central living area, but despite expecting to have to search the rooms for the person I was looking for, the moment I stepped into the lounge, I found Chloe asleep atop a large cushion by the fireplace, enveloped in a thick, cozy blanket. She was completely encircled by stacks of documentsmeticulously collected intel on nobility in the city, with some neatly preserved letters from Mother and Father woven into the piles. -Shes certainly been diligent...- Since the festival began, she''d rarely ventured outside, treating her responsibilities with a reverence most her age would never understand. But while quite cute, I couldn''t let her continue to sleep. Silently shutting the door with my tail, I approached and gently nudged her with my snout. "Nnn..." She groaned sleepily, shifting slowly. "Maria.. let me sleep a little lon-" But the instant she opened her eyes, her lethargy vanished like a shadow revealed to sunlight. "A-Ah! My lord!" Suddenly springing to life, she jumped to her feet, curling and launching the rosy blanket into her room as if hiding evidence. "I-I''m so sorry to have you come back to such a filthy sight!" *Vwoom* Releasing a calming pulse of enriched mana, I quickly eased her tension. "You''re fine. I told you to treat these places like your home, did I not?" She froze, gradually relaxing as her wings lowered with a sheepish expression. "W-well, my home is your home, my lord. I shouldn''t leave it so disorganized..." Glancing around at the otherwise spotless room, I couldn''t help a quiet chuckle. "If you can tidy it within minutes, it hardly counts as disorganized." Softening my voice further, I gestured toward the piles of papers. "Besides, I was the one to ask you to do all this. No need to be ashamed of your hard work." "Hardly..." She blushed modestly, sitting down as I began leafing openly through the nearest stack with a flutter. "Did you return needing something specific?" "Hm..." I paused briefly. "Have you looked much into the Akomi Kai family?" "Ah!" Finally perking back up, she carefully stepped over the scattered papers before retrieving a neatly organized stack by the door to her room. "This is what I have on them so far." *Flutter* "It''s mainly information regarding their unusual shift in demeanor during the festival. From what I know, it''s because the current-standing patriarch''s son is running the event." -Impressively thorough...- Setting down my papers, I quickly skimmed through hers. "From everything Ive found, theyve otherwise appeared entirely ordinaryjust another family of alchemists and researchers," Chloe continued carefully, "Even according to the foreign intelligence branch informants I met up with." This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. -I see...- However, I knew there was more to it. Thinking back to the manifestos on the ''merchant ship'' transporting uranium to the Holy Kingdom, I clearly recalled the Akomi Kai name appearing a number of times between trade records and even diaries of the crew. -Could that have really just been a distraction?- It would certainly make sense if that were the case. Assuming the Akomi Kai family had as clean of a record as it looked, they were a prime candidate to eat up the efforts of outside investigators. -But I can''t just ignore that they''re a family of researchers...- As far as I could tell, they were still the prime candidate to look into, especially with some special notes regarding the patriarch''s daughter being a ''eccentric'' researcher stirring the theories in my mind. -If she were studying science, that''s what she''d be called...- But I wouldn''t know for sure until I looked into things personally, so after reviewing the rest of Chloe''s meticulous research, I set my sights on them. -They''re throwing a party, huh...- Pausing, staring into the paper detailing the event they were holding, I thought of Mother, who had hired one of Atlas''s most renowned tailors to craft my wardrobe for exactly such an occasion. "Haah..." -I guess I am due for a new look...- "Where are all the clothes and jewelry Mother sent with you?" Instantly lighting up with a childish perk, Chloe hurried and disappeared into her room before returning with a sizable chest of valuables. "Here! Shall I help you dress?" *Flash* Smoothly shrinking down to my humanoid form, I used my aura to open up the chest and began pulling things out. "I''m alright, I just need to see what I''m working with." However, as it turned out, the clothes she tailored for me weren''t something I could create in an instant like my current attire. -Mythril strings..? Really?- Looking up and down the ridiculously extravagant, well-fitting suit, I questioned just how out of my style it seemed. -Suits really caught the trend, huh...- Compared to my current clothes, it was a contrast so stark it was almost blindingcertainly not something I''d make and wear on my own. -But I guess that''s why Mom went through the effort to tailor it for me...- Weaving through the various articles of layered clothes and jewelry, I eventually decided I would just put it on like a normal person, having Chloe help with my wings and tail for convenience''s sake. Even if, after shrinking to her humanoid form, her face glowed so red it was worrying. "Are you alright?" Holding my tail like a delicate piece of porcelain, she fervently nodded without uttering a word, as if her mouth refused to move. -Maybe I should have just put it all on myself...- Eventually getting everything on, I adjusted the ornate cuffs, slipping black gloves and a series of rings onto my fingers before shortening my usually wild hair to a tidier length, having Chloe drape a heavy cape over my shoulders to complete the look. With a baggy white undershirt kept under a tight-fitting waistcoat, the suit was far more formal than anything I could even concieve. But at the same time, I didn''t mind it. -I guess I''m leaving my sword here...- *Vwoom* Quickly moving it away and leaning it against the wall, I looked into the mirror Chloe held. "Hm... What do you think?" As if going to burst if she kept staring, her eyes darted away the moment I caught her gaze. "Y-You look amazing, m-my lord!" Running my fingers through my fur-like hair in the mirror, I gave myself one more look over before making a few final adjustments around the collar and waist. Until eventually, I found an odd piece on my waist. -What''s this for..?- It looked like a retractable sheath. "Is it normal to bring something like a sword to such a formal event?" Chloe, finally recovering her composure, replied softly, "I-In some cases, yes. High nobles, especially, will use it to show their family''s crest, while middle nobles will show it somewhere on their clothes or jewels. I believe it''s called a ''ceremonial blade''." -I see... then perhaps I should make something fitting...- Before I could act though, Chloe seemed to remember something and hurried into her room, only to return with a beautifully crafted sword. "Your Mother had Sir Vathy?s Atsa?li make a sword for this kind of occasion, if you wish to use it." The swords hilt was made with pure rose gold, the blade, shimmering platinum, etched with intricate black mythril engravings, donning the Ragnarok crest on the crossguard while my Fenririan insignia decorated the pommel. *Tap* Lifting it, the blade hummed gently with every motion, lighter than air, yet perfectly balanced. -How over the top...- But it wasn''t like it would be out of place paired with the rest of my suit. Wearing something so intimidating had its own merits, after all. -If they have anything to hide, they might inadvertently expose themselves when I show up...- *Click* Fastening the sword inside the sheath, I tidied myself one last time before giving Chloe a gentle pat on the head and making my way out. From what I could tell, the event was mainly centered around connecting traveling nobility that were using the festival to look for a place to settle down rather than the youth. But I had no intention of playing the role of a young noble exploring his options. Eventually approaching the estate, its courtyard dotted with research towers, statues of accomplishments, and records of old achievements, I kept my palm calmly rested on my sword''s pommel and marched toward the entrance with a casual yet authoritative stride. And despite my tail gently swaying in my wake, as I approached the grand front entrance, the maids didnt so much as glance at the fenririan details of my form. They saw only the sword, the insignias carved into its hilt, and scurried to line up and open the gates with a mix of reverent and fearful bows. But I didnt acknowledge them, simply keeping my eye on the young messenger sent inside to notify the estate of my arrival, letting the echo of my steps carry me into the heart of their home like a storm that was yet to release a drop of rain. A subtle yet unmistakable warning. I wasnt here to mingle, but rather observe. To find out if they were wolves, a curtain hiding them in their folds, or simply a tool to draw away the shepherd''s attention. -Now, let''s see if they welcome me like a guest.. or an executioner...- ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: https://www.patreon.com/TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 443: Fear Optional music for today: Rok Nardin - Cursed Tides ) ( https://youtu.be/LBaY5HRXsnA ) Late Evening - Late Winter - Year 24 : Ampelos | Bahamut ----- *Tap...* What, truly, is silence? *Tap...* Is it merely the lack of sound? *Tap...* Or perhaps a moment where the air turns so heavy you can feel its every shifting current? As I moved across the marble floor where dozens of elders and ancients lowered their voices to murmurs, I brought that into questionthe gentle taps from my feathery steps resonating.. echoing through the silence like distant church bells. But, while their gazes were caught on me and the decorated blade at my hip, there was one exception. *Rattle-Shuffle...* Hearing a subtle scurry within the arrangement of guests, I turned to see a man who looked akin to the children exploring the festival outside, yet carried an unfitting presence. Dressed as though his clothing was thrown on in passing, he was a skinny, young-looking man with a set of large, round glasses similar to Chioni''s laying across his nose like some weathered scientist. Despite his fragile appearance though, his crown proudly donned a set of large grey horns that could only belong to the true form of an elder, and his face bore a confidence you couldn''t ignore. "Good evening, sir." Stopping in front of me with a polite cheerfulness, he extended a slender hand with a conflicting ease. "It is an honor to meet an envoy of the Ragnarok family!" Intrigued, I gripped his hand, only to find it as gentle as his appearance. -What an odd man...- "Hello," Matching his gaze, my voice purred with a dominance that hadn''t been mustered since my time as Nott. "And who would you be?" Yet he still met my gaze without a flinch. "Ah, forgive my informality. I am Aeolos Akomi Kaihost of tonights assembly." "I see." -And to think his sister is the eccentric one...- Looking him up and down again, I expanded my aura through the estate, unable to keep the skeptical look off my face. "So it seems you were expecting me?" "It certainly doesn''t come as a surprise." Dismissing a pair of hovering maids with a flick of his aura, conversation around us resumed as though on cue. "Please forgive my lacking hospitality, the blizzard has.. sabotaged our preparations..." Looking up through the glass arch stretching across the ceiling, into the darkness of the snowstorm, the light in his eyes flickered a forced glow. "In any case, thank you for coming. Allow me to guide you to a quieter place to talk. This way." Idly glancing over the crowd as we began walking, the controlled sway in my tail slowly. As we moved, I inspected every nook of the estate, dissected every artifact, and followed every secret passageway, but the more I looked, the more I was at a loss. Even in the most secretive laboratories, almost half a kilometer underground, I found nothing damning, with only some older Acardi pieces even being of note. -Looks like they were dissecting an Acardi crawler...- Yet Aeoloss composure still felt strained, as if he were holding up a wall by himself. Perhaps family matters.. perhaps to hide something... But I didn''t pry yet, making my way out of the main hall without a mutter before coming into a large office I could only assume was the patriarch''s: book-lined, mythril-ribbed, and presently drowning in loose parchment, scrolls, and maps. "Please forgive the mess," he muttered, sweeping papers aside with a sigh of genuine fatigue. "Appearances are harder to keep up in places no one usually sees..." I gave an understanding nod in response. -What a troubled man...- Looking through some of the papers, I found an assortment of scientific documents, maps, name lists, and merchant trade order forms from hundreds of different human kingdoms. -Is he.. searching for something?- But we continued. Eventually reaching the back of the office, he ushered me through a small, almost invisible door hidden behind the colossal draconic desk, leading us into a glass-ceilinged inner study decorated with mythril and gold, and layered with dozens of barriers thick enough to keep out the eyes of anyone outside. At least anyone but me. *Click* Sealing the door behind us, the ambient hum of auras colliding within the estate dampened, replaced by an almost palpable stillness before the gentle clack of glass echoed out. "Please." Motioning to a pair of high-back chairs sat around a low table littered with papers stamped with foreign seals, he poured two glasses of tea, downing his in one go before slumping back with a worn smile. "I know your family values directness, so allow me to get right to the point..." -Hm...- Unbuckling the rose gold sword at my waist, I gently rested it against the chair before sitting down, curling my long fenririan tail around myself with a pleasurable mix of intrigue and curiosity. "I appreciate your forwardness." Relaxing my wings, I laid back. "Before I start though, I''d like to ask you why you think I''m here." He instantly tensed, leaning forward with a thinned gaze. "Is it not because my letter to the Cabinet was received? I requested an investigator months ago." Shaking my head, I watched his eyes darken. "I am indeed here to investigate something, but it is not on the Cabinet''s order. No such request has reached them to my knowledge." -If they did, Hera would''ve probably said something...- The relief in his gaze immediately drained like a lake with a shattered damthe inexplicable tension he showed before I entered the main hall returning in a rush. But it just made me more interested. "Would you like to explain what is going on, or should I start?" Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Leaning back, gripping the arm of the chair so hard the gold deformed, he nodded. "Please go ahead... It would be naive to believe I could take so much of your time because of my own.. incompitencies..." -Hm...- Looking him in the eyes for a moment, silently judging his demeanor as his mind raced, I paused before easing the chill in my voice. "Your household''s name has reached my ears by being attached to certain.. irregularities I''ve run into lately." I let my words hang before continuing. "Having found some information regarding your estates involvement with the half-breed uprising a number of years ago, I have reason to believe this isn''t such a shallow matter." Seeing me relax my hand on the hilt of my sword, questions ripped the few-remaining emotions off his face and out of his voice. "The matter with the rebellion was my father''s doing." Leaning back, he showed his palms. "At that time, he courted every fringe idealist who would pay him to tinker, and when the uprising collapsed, he disappeared with it. Weeks later, I woke up to the smell of fire, and came in here to find nearly every paper in his desk, and in this back room reduced to ash without a burn mark anywhere." "The deliberate destruction of information," I mumbled. "Precisely." Joining his hands together, his tone turned cold. "I am certain my Father has gotten into some dangerous matters since then, but his activities are unrelated to this estate." -Hm...- "Is that the matter you wished the cabinet to investigate? To break off suspicions early?" Fully expecting him to nod in agreement, I sank into thought. But instead, his tone firmed. "Not directly." Seeing my gaze snap to him, he was quick to continue. "A few years ago now, Father''s research wing received a number of cratessalvage from an ancient debris field near the mountain in the Holy Kingdom. Supposedly, it was something the higher-ups wanted to investigate and research." -That must be the crawler I sent people to investigate...- "But attached to the salvage was a note instructing specifically my sister, Thaleia, to ''study it for the future of power''." His voice tightened. "At first, it just reignited her passion for studying and research, but after a while, her demeanor started to shift and she started leaving the estate more and more often until about two months ago, when she vanished completely." He quickly motioned toward a neat stack of papers next to us. "Those rumors of missing people is my doing. I begged every noble house and branch office in the city for information, even the cabinet for as little as a trace of her, but received nothing." Lifting up and sifting through a series of letters, I read the responses to his pleas, dated and empty. "So you host a party, to..." Motioning him on, he continued in a rush. "To try and inquire about the matter personally, while upholding the facade of my Father still studying here to uphold the interest and grants from investors." Reaching up and tugging at his collar, he looked like a boy in a man''s jacket. Im no rebel, sir. Im a steward standing on rotten planks. Silence instantly settled between us, this time with shared acknowledgement rather than a hush. He wasn''t lying. "Then it seems our interests align." Releasing my gentle touch from the sword, I allowed myself to ease into the chair, my tail gently coiling around its leg. Aeolos immediately, visibly relaxedhis shoulders dropping as if a crushing weight had lifted from him. "Truly?" His voice was hopeful but tempered, the cautious optimism of someone whod faced disappointment far too often. "Indeed. What you''ve described aligns closely with several.. troubling leads I''ve uncovered elsewhere." Shifting my attention back to the scattered documents, I quickly identified a few familiar sigilsone, in particular, that was etched into the containers aboard the Styx''s Fang. "Did your sister leave behind any personal journals or research notes before she disappeared?" "Only scraps," He admitted bitterly. "There are some fragments that read like riddles, but nothing coherent enough to use as a guide... As time passed, she became increasingly secretive, even from meher letters sounding more foreign, like someone else''s voice was behind the ink." A chill slowly danced down my spine. "Could you bring me to what remains of her work?" With practiced haste, he rose, moving to an intricately carved shelf before pulling off a sealed, mythril-string-bound journal laid between thick, frost-covered tomes. "She left this behind. I found it hidden beneath the cushion she laid on in her study." Handing it over, hope and despair fought in his eyes. "I''ve never been able to decipher much from it besides.. a decline in mental acuity... But perhaps you may recognize something..." Gently grabbing it, a cold instantly pierced my glovesa frost forming on my fingertips as I opened the cover to find the same insignia carved. -A star contained in an iron ring...- Tracing my finger around it, I pushed my aura into the cover, immediately finding strings of runes woven through the fabric like a web of divinity, tracing through the spine and masking the pages with writing that wasn''t truly there. -How.. intricate...- Darkening my gaze, my fingers settled on the first page before a crisp snap rang out, and the oppressive cold emanating from the book settled with a wave of warmth. "Your sister must have known quite the impressive rune worker..." *Snap* Hearing yet another snap as I snipped the runic string in the book''s spine, the ink on the exposed pages morphed before forming pages of text.. diagrams.. and math... All detailing an understanding of science only Hera could rival. Yet as I turned the pages, what began as dry, meticulous breakdowns of Acardi crawler components, slippedsubtly at first. Schematics became erratic, margins bled with broken formulaelooping endlesslyand her handwriting became fractured, with letters no longer following invisible lines on the paper.. as if her mind was trying to outrun itself. But perhaps most concerning were the contents itself. She started hearing things... ''Whispers beneath the fractures.. voices behind the artifacts...'' Then the nightmares started. Scrawled between lines of math were desperate passagesrepetitive and cyclical, like she was losing time. Until, at last, the math was blotted with words. The final page, barely legible over the mess of scribbled equations and half-sketched reactor cores, she wrote a single lineetched with such pressure that the paper tore beneath it. ''They watch from the fracture.. the metal sings from the depths... We cannot remain as we are. We are calling them.. luring them to the surface... And to survive, we must ignite the sky.'' ''Father... I understand...'' Finally, slowly, closing the book, frost continued to cling to the tips of my gloves.. not from the book, but from me... This wasnt madness, it was revelationperhaps the last coherent thought of a mind forced to comprehend something incomprehendable... A fear so deep, the concept of allegiance, faith, and blood crumbled like a tower of sand. ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: https://www.patreon.com/TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH Chapter 444: Bitter Drinks Music for today: Rok Nardin - Resemblance (Really Slow Motion) ( https://youtu.be/vVV37TpJ2a0 ) Late Evening - Late Winter - Year 24 : Ampelos | Bahamut ----- *Tap* Gently closing the journal, the frost still stubbornly lingering on my fingertips, I leaned back into the deep embrace of the chair, watching the cover glimmer as I turned it over in my hand, hoping the mythril threads might weave together thoughts with the wind of the storm in my mind. -A revelation...- Across from me, Aeolos sat stiff as stone, his fingers locked so tightly his knuckles turned white, and his wide, desperate eyes clinging to me like I was his salvation. But I wasn''t sure I had anything to offer, and for a long while, no words surfaced between usthe thought of speech drowned by the multiplication of thoughts in our minds But eventually I caught something.. a loose string on a masterfully crafted blanket. "Your father," I murmured. "When did he start to change? Was it sudden or did he fade.. like your sister?" Unsure where the question came from, Aeolos flinchedhis lips parting, but hesitating before he could get words out. "It was.. gradual..." His voice was hoarse. "At first he seemed distractedmaybe tired.. but then it turned restless..." His voice broke slightly, stirring memories sealed with dust. "I thought it was related to work..." ''Father... I understand...'' The final words of the journal echoed through my mind as I finally lifted my gaze to meet his. "Did he ever look.. afraid?" His eyes widened instantlysomething primal finally stirring beneath his exhaustion. "Y-yeah..." He rasped. "He did." "And I assume it started before the rebellion?" Shaking his head, he answered with a shiver. "It was during it.. I-I think..." He spoke without certainty, his eyes jumping around as if doubting his own memories. But it was enough. -I see...- Finding my eyes drifting back down to the book, the final words continued to echo. -He saw it too.. whatever it was...- Although I lacked hard evidence, it felt like a pattern. Obsession, fear, and defection were not isolated accidents. They were symptoms of a vision and the result of a cure. A purposefully manufactured short circuit... After falling silent for a moment, I continued to press him with questions, some seemingly unrelated, in an attempt to weave a string from stray threads. And just as I suspected, a familiar story unfolded: his father had been a man of solid faith once, resolute in Bahamuts teachingsa lawful, well-respected researcher. But one day, that all changedhis mind was overtaken by an inescapable anxiety, and his world was infected by fear. Until eventually, a solution presented itself, one that required he destroy his family, his allegiance, and his life, before infecting his daughter with the very same sickness... Whoever was behind this wasn''t convincing dragons to defect.. they were merely showing them something worse than betrayal, a horror profound enough that survival became an act of sacrilege, before offering a solution. To ''ignite the sky''. *Flick* Gently tapping the edge of the journal against my palm, I let the silence drag a moment longer, the tension weighing heavy on Aeoloss fraying nerves before finally letting out a gentle, but scorching breath that turned the frost on my gloves to mist. "Haah..." -Looks like this is a more complicated matter than a few stray lunatics...- Rising smoothly to my feet, I finally tucked the journal into the inner fold of my coat before looking at Aeolos, still fidgeting to wrangle his anxiety. -I wonder why he was never shown what his sister saw...- "The insignia within the cover: the star encased in iron. Do you know where it''s from?" "I-I''m.. not certain..." He stammered, following my movement with the tension of a mouse spotted by a hawk. "It only started appearing recently, to my knowledgetied to some new, niche research related to ore." "Hm..." My gaze momentarily drifted to the scattered letters before himthe quiet desperation in them bringing forth a flicker of pity. "If you can find a way to send a letter through one of those associated researchers, you may be able to reach your sister." The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Hope instantly flickered in his eyes. "If you can manage to bring her back, I can guarantee her a position in the limelight of Bahamut''s future.. however, understand this clearly..." Thinking back to the ''gift'' I left on the Styx''s Fang, my tone stiffened. "If she truly is aligned with the Holy Kingdom, and you fail to convince her.. she will not survive what is coming." The subtle chill curling off my tongue made him stiffen instinctively, clamming up before his hope could turn reckless. But it was necessary for him to understand. Eventually wrapping up our talk with a handful of platinum and a medallion to ensure his messages reached Hera, I left the pale warmth of his study with the authoritative stride of a warden, swiftly stepping back into the brisk night air and exiting the courtyardwhispers echoingj from the hall like rumors yet to spread. But none of them concerned me. Finally returning to the city, thoughts from the journal still echoing fresh in my mind, I expanded my aura and looked through everything, down every alley and in every building in hopes of finding another leada thread as thin as a mention of the insignia... Something to tie together the string I was making. Yet my search bore no fruit. -What a pain...- Eventually deciding to simply meet back up with Hera and Krystallo to reconvene, I started making my way toward the Spathi estate, idly scanning the bags and luggage of those I passed in hopes of finding something. But that was when I passed Chioni''s study, the place she first brought us after bumping into each other at the Tower, still emptynothing moved. Having gotten frustrated with my lack of leads, I started reading through the letters and papers inside to pass time. But that was when I found ita glimmer of iron in a sea of snow. It was a letter from her brother, filled with words of worry about Chioni''s recent endeavors and discouragement regarding her interest in investigating the source of the snowstorm, all sealed with the familiar imprint of an iron-encased star. To her, it was likely nothing more than brotherly worry, the worries of someone who cares deeply yet lacks understanding. However for me, it didnt sound naive at all... It sounded informed... Almost like.. he knew... My eyes glowed instantly. It was the string I was looking for, a connected line that pointed me in a direction like a compass. -How perfect...- But with her not in the city, it would have to wait. Getting interrupted by Hera caressing my aura with hers, I looked to find her ending her private conversation in the Spathi estate, and set my lead aside for a moment, continuing my brisk walk through the city to meet her at the gates. I had a lot I wanted to discuss, and by the looks of things, so did she. But I had to shift gears before we could discuss anything. -To think they''d send her out with an escort...- Stepping out from beneath the warm glow of the enchanted lanterns in the courtyard, Hera and Krystallo wore polite smiles, perfectly adjusted masks for the bright, wealthy atmosphere while being watched. By the looks of things, the escort walking with them was an eyea judge scrutinizing every movement they made while upholding the facade of professionalism and formality. But of course, Hera wasn''t so skilless that someone of his stature could see through her veil. "Sorry to keep you waiting, honey." The moment she spotted me, warmth returned to her, and her raised posture visibly easedso convincingly even I couldn''t tell if it was an act. "Was the event pleasing?" Gently taking her hand with a refreshed smile, I turned toward the man. "I hope you aren''t escorting these fine ladies out because they caused trouble." The man, giving the sword on my hip a momentary glance, instantly lightened with a hardy chuckle. "Hoho~, of course not. We simply wished to ensure your family received appropriate courtesy." "Hm.. is that so?" Finally looking down at Krystallo with a quiet amusement, I found her standing with an elegant poise I didn''t know she had, carrying the air of a noble heiress without a trace of her usual childishnessmature and refined. For a moment, it was unsettling. Her innocence and youth buried so deep even I had trouble finding it. But, upon catching my stare, it reappeared with a gentle, almost signal-like flicker. -She really is concerningly good at that...- "Indeed," the older gentleman was quick to reassure, nodding respectfully, though never pulling his focus off the sword. "Your family has made quite the impression. Lord Alexandros was especially pleased." "I''m glad." Returning his nod, I was quick to soften my expression, playing into the husbandly role I found myself in before shooing him away. "In any case, it''s already almost morning. We shouldn''t burden you any longer." With an overly polite bow, he swiftly stepped back. "Of course. May Bahamut guide you safely through the storm. Please do visit again." As he withdrew, my gaze instantly flicked upward toward an illuminated window where a man stood silhouetted, watching us intently. -What a predatory man...- Gently curling my hand around Hera''s waist, I motioned her back, upholding the act with a smile. "Now, where to?" Doing the same, she played shy before responding somewhat cheekily, slipping her arm around mine. "How about the inn?" "Any sweets on the way back?" Krystallo nodded fervently. And without further delay, we left through the gates and blended into the crowd, returning to in after shaking the watchful eyes, hoping to alleviate the thoughts weighing on our minds with chatter over drinks. But.. the longer we talked, the more bitter those warm drinks became... ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: https://www.patreon.com/TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System''s Harvester On RR and SH My Other Novel is Getting a Fresh Coat of Polish! Hey everyone, hope you are all doing well! Re: The System''s Harvester, the fresh rewrites to my other novel, is finally here!! Unlike TDOD, it only receives weekly chapters, but has a level of quality and polish completely incomparable to this novel. It has also matured for about a year, and is now getting a fresh coat of polish that hopefully you all enjoy as much as my patrons have so far! Please do go check it out and maybe leave a follow and favorite while you''re there :P <3 Novel Page: https://www.novelhall.com/series/1565729/re-the-systems-harvester/ Chapter: https://www.novelhall.com/read/1565729-re-the-systems-harvester/chapter/1662747/ Chapter 445: Tempered Minds Late Evening - Late Winter - Year 24 : Ampelos | Bahamut ----- *Sizzle...* The faint hiss of boiling tea and the gentle crackle of shifting firewood filled the air that eveningtheir scents settling around us like a comforting veil. It hadn''t been long since we returned then, still in our humanoid forms at a modest, human-sized table near the edge of the kitchen counter, swirling tea in cups we had yet to tastespecial blends infused with manaintended to soothe tired minds. But despite wishing to taste it, I couldn''t lift the drink to my lips. "So," Hera was the first to break the unease, her voice softa cautious, gentle probe through my mind. "What did you find?" Swirling the dark liquid in my cup as if to mirror the turbulent thoughts in my mind, I slowly pulled my eyes away, only to find them on Krystallo, laying some distance away in the warmth of the fireplace. "Haah..." For a moment, I couldn''t find words... I wasn''t sure where to start... "Let''s just say I found evidence that things are more complicated than I had hoped..." Watching Krystallo''s attention turn, Hera''s gaze thinnedthe thoughts racing behind her eyes nearly audible. "How complicated..?" Drawing in a measured breath, I took one last moment to try and rearrange my scattered thoughts before giving up, reaching into my coat to retrieve the journal before sliding it across the table. "The Akomi Kai family is involved, but it''s complicated..." Gently taking it, Hera''s brows furled, her curious expression only growing darker as she continued to read. After a moment, her voice came out as a quiet murmur, a mumble meant to connect fragile thoughts between different parts of her mind. "Was she.. succumbing to madness..? No.. fear..? Paranoia..?" Her gaze thinned as it darted across the pages. "It''s almost like she''s searching for an escape in her work..." Silently nodding, I finally sipped the tea, the sugar unable to mask the bitter taste in my mouth. "After talking to Aeolos, the patriarch underwent a similar transformation back during the halfie revolt... Turns out he was the one responsible for those suspicious movements you mentioned..." "I.. see..." Seeing her pause to sort her thoughts, I continued softly like a guiding hand, "I think the patriarch and his daughter saw the same thing. They both shared the same slow descent into paranoia and disconnection before splitting from the estate..." Nodding, she continued quietly, a murmur. "Fear is indeed a powerful tool... Even blood becomes meaningless in the face of horror..." Finally reaching the final page, her thoughts thawed with understanding. "Faith wavers and allegiances collapse.. all before being reconstructed to conform to a solution..." Falling silent a moment, the racing theories in her eyes slowed. "It sounds exactly like how the cult was recruiting people." My eyes instantly joltedthe turmoil in my thoughts steadying as if finally finding a direction to flow. "Do you think they saw the same vision?" My theories instantly compounded, forming long, endlessly splitting branches like permutations of timelines. -''They''re'' staring through the fissures... ''They''re'' being lured to the surface...- "Were those references to Jormungandr..?" Speaking aloud without realizing, Hera''s eyes shot open. -If thats the case, then...- "The ''singing metal'' luring them to the surface must be..." "Uranium..." Speaking with a thought-laden breath, Hera''s eyes went wide. It finally clicked. "That must be what they''re referring to. I heard some similar references in the Spathi Estate." *Tap-Tap-Tap* "Did you see that insignia anywhere?" Anxiously tapping on the table, my thoughts streamlined. "The one in the cover?" "No, but..." Quickly pulling out a small slip of paper she had tucked away, she slid it to me. "I found something similar." As I examined it, my mind stuttered. It was almost identical to the insignia I found, yet lacking the distinct star at the center. -It''s.. just a ring...- "What information was tied to it?" "Ore studies. From what we could gather between them and Espera, the family recently started investing heavily into the research and study of different materials and oreswhich ones, we aren''t sure yet, but..." "Hoh?" Hearing her pause, my interest piqued. "In our talks with Alexandros, we managed to get him interested in setting up a meeting between his son and Krystalloa formal suggestion for marriage." I felt my chest tighten with anxiety hearing her speak. "Supposedly to solidify this, he''s going to bring us on a tour of their facilities tomorrow." Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "Are you sure it''s not a trap?" Hera nodded before her focused gaze landed on Krystallo and wavered with worry. "I''m certain..." -Hm...- It was a bit odd, but truth be told, even if it was a trap, no one but the upper Aesir could contest Hera. -She''ll be able to handle things there...- And since I wasn''t without another lead, I decided we would split up once more. "In that case, I''ll approach from a different angle. On my way back from the estate, I found a letter from Chioni''s brother with that insignia, the same as in the book." Sipping her tea as a plan eased Hera''s nerves, her posture eased. "You want to set up a meeting through him?" "Not necessarily." Shaking my head, my ears and tail gently flicked with thought. "Just seeing the path a letter takes to reach this.. ''organization''.. is enough for me." Silence instantly wrapped around us as we looked out toward the fire, crackling with warmth and anticipation. With one wrong move, we could spark a war that we weren''t ready fora battle against not some random cult, but a group of terrified researchers one step away from achieving fusion. To say we were walking the knife''s edge was an understatement. The slightest slip could lead to cities getting vaporized. But Hera and I were confident in our footing. We spoke for quite some time after that, ironing out plans, agreeing to erase witnesses if we were caught, and setting up Krystallo''s Acardi tablet so she could alert me if something went awry. But idle worries were nothing more than that. As it stood, Hera and I were easily strong enough to face whatever troubles came our way unless someone in the Aesir appeared, which was more unlikely than ever after my recent display. But, our worries weren''t so idle to someone else. Laying silent by the fire, Krystallo''s tea had long gone cold, her body still, yet her gaze troubled, staring into the dancing flames as if hoping they would burn up her worries like the wood turned charcoal. Even after giving her the final fail-safe to contact me, she was anxious.. worried she, as the weakest link, would drop an ember into the pool of fuel beneath us... But regardless of how much I understood, I couldn''t find the words to comfort her... She was only just beginning to embark on the next chapter of her life, finally peeking above the trees and seeing the darkness beyond the forest''s shadows for the first time. However, her worries also weren''t something I could let fester. *Clink...* Setting down my cup, I shifted to the edge of my seat, watching her.. trying to read her thoughts swirling and cycling like a broken recordhoping I could find words somewhere in the silence. But all I could do was let out a sigh... I was out of words. Like Hera said, fear molds peopleremodels their minds.. and as badly as I wish for Krystallo''s childishness to never go away, on the path she was taking, that wasn''t an option. She recognized the weight of what she chose, and understood the looseness of the rocks she would have to climb. Unfortunately though.. her grip was shaky. Finally getting up from the table, I hopped off the counter, changing to my shrunken draconic form with an easy flash before making my way to her side, drowning her in as much enriched mana as I could muster. "You know, it''s okay to be afraid..." I opened softly, my voice low and measured. But Krystallo didn''t react, her eyes of lapis remaining fixed on the fire, glimmering like the flickering flames of distant stars. I didn''t want to press her, so I just laid down, curling around and draping my wing over her like a warm blanket. "You''re doing well. Don''t be so anxious... You aren''t alone in this..." Her wings gently shifted, as if my words reached her, but only superficially. However, despite saying nothing, my words sank deeper and deeper the longer they laid on her mind. And before she knew it, her mind found a moment of ease enough for her to drift to sleepnot peace, but pause. Enough for tomorrow. She would face what was to come. And she would grow. Her grip would tighten and her claws would steady. Not as a soldier. Not as a shadow of me or Hera. But as herself: A girl born beneath an uncertain fate, climbing out of her own fear step by step, like a mythril ingot lowered into a roaring forgeresilient and unshaped, yet malleable by the hammer of an artisan. The hammer she was set to swing. She just needed to start with lifting it.. even if ingot still wasn''t hot enough. The fire crackled on through the late hours, its glow no longer warm, but pensive, flickering softly against my blackened scales, projecting swaying, warping shadows on the walls around us. With Krystallo finally sleeping under my wing, her breath steadying in slow, halting intervals, Hera and I allowed the silence to linger, and let the mind of the worn girl restour eyes only meeting a number of hours later. But before we knew it, dawn began to breaknot with brilliance, but with the dim lifting of the storm, revealing the first beams of grey to pierce the clouds in weeks. It was time to pull on separate threads, and see which frayed.. and which led us deeper. With one last glance toward the hearth, I rose. My thoughts, once blurred, had tempered into something sharp and coldlike steel quenched beneath water. Whatever doubt lingered evaporated with the steam. And though I knew the girl I left behind on that pillow would changeshaped by fear, and tempered by experienceI only hoped the fire wouldn''t turn her brittle.. to leave her strong enough to change without breaking.. strong enough to become something more... Even if that meant her innocence had to melt away in the heat of the forge. ----- Art chap coming later today or tomorrow :) Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: https://www.patreon.com/TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! Re: The System''s Harvester On RR, SH, and now Webnovel! Art: Reigning Monarchs For the first time in a while, we got some new art! This time featuring our lovely Vasilias and the new reigning Monarch of Bahamut, Hera Monachiko?s! Some non-human form art is also on its way :) As a little update as well, TDOD''s new official schedule will be Tuesday and Thursday at 1:30 PM EST! ----------- Full Resolution of all art is available in the #Official-Art Channel of the Discord! Discord: discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v Patreon: /TDOD Chapter 446: A Short Maze Couldn''t find any fitting music today Mid Afternoon - Late Winter - Year 24 : Eastern Bahamut ----- *WOOOOSH* Looking out into the stars beyond the veil of the bright afternoon sky, I made my way south through the uppermost reaches of the atmosphere, filling my lungs with space''s frigid emptiness in hopes that the endless expanse of stars and nebulae would bring forth the comfort they normally did. But no matter how deeply I drew the emptiness into my lungs and bathed my mind in the starry map, my anxiety remained firmly anchored. It hadn''t been long since I left the inn at that point, but with every wingbeat, my thoughts twisted more and more. For the first time in years, genuine doubt gnawed at my resolve. My strength, once something I believed to be just shy of absolute, now felt limitedbarely enough to guard those within reach... And lately, even that had been thrown into question. Every oracle.. every hint gleamed through glimpses of the infinite branches of fate showed the same harrowing imagea world left barren, crumbling into ruin after I had either lost to Jormungandr, or simply couldn''t stop the destruction that was set to spread the moment fate made up its whim. Of course, I had no faith in the illusions of oracles.. they were single leaflets on a broader canopy.a single possibility of billions... But I couldn''t deny their signs. I wasn''t enoughnot nearly... I needed strengthnot only from within myself, but from the allies whose presence could extend my reach. Issue was.. with the exception of Hera, those strong enough to entrust were beyond my grasp. -Dagr and Ilios are still reincarnating, Grace is tied down to Elizabeth, Skuld isn''t much more than an alarm bell, and my own strength has stagnated...- I was left standing at a crossroads with nowhere to turn, refining my techniques and submerging myself in enriched mana, desperately praying that Odin or the Leviathan wouldn''t show up before I was ready. But while I needed time, it wasn''t in my favor. I couldnt be everywhere at onceand seeing the impending storm gathering on the horizon, my stomach knotted with dread. It made me want to take advantage of the calm and strike... To end things before they began... But I couldn''t. Deep down, beneath all my stubborn bravado and wishes to nip the bud, I knew the bitter truth. If Grace''s warnings held even a fraction of truth, then in my current state, I stood no chance against the combined might of Odin and Freya, and with the Holy Kingdom rapidly advancing toward nuclear capabilities, the fight was quickly getting too big to contain in my paws. The struggle was no longer simply a battle between gods wanting to resolve old hatred. It had become a war that was going to engulf everything I knew. A war that was ready to spark the moment the pressure settled on the landmine. Feeling frustration slowly giving way to the resolve, I tightened my wings, briefly shifting into the void before returning to reality in the sky above the Cabinet. I had one loose thread left to follow, and if I could trace its origin, there was a chance I could snuff the burning fuse before it could ignite anything. Though, it still made me unusually hesitantcautious. "Hooh..." Letting out a heavy breath, my unease settled with a swirl of divinitya solidification of resolve. -I''m getting ahead of myself... I just need to take things one step at a time...- After a short pause, I looked down over the Cabinet with a slowly steadying gaze before diving down. Making my way inside, winding through the endless hallways, I found my way to the room where the researchers were being held before plucking out Chioni without so much as a wordbringing her to an adjacent interrogation room for some.. ''initial questioning''. But unlike I hoped, her knowledge was spotty at best. Only recognizing the insignia as what her brother sealed his letters with, she had no knowledge of the organization behind it, only able to take educated guesses at her brothers connection to them. "He was always good with numbers. Even after being pressured by our father to study mana, he wanted to be a banker or a merchant''s manager." Her tone was shaky, nervous but honest and true. "I see... So you assumed hed simply found employment overseas managing finances?" Nodding, her anxiety visibly rose. "Y-yes. He was a gentle boycautious. He wouldnt..." Her voice halted uncertainly. "He hasn''t done anything dangerous, has he?" I hesitated, unsure how much truth to release. "I can''t say for certain yet. But a letter he sent you, the insignia and the timing, it sounds.. suspicious..." Her eyes widened with panic, the gentle shifts in her tail ceasing. "Wh..What letter?" Pulling it out, I gently laid it before her. "It sounds like he was discouraging you from investigating the anomaly, not out of idle worry, but because he knew what was really happening, and knew the consequences that would greet those that tried to look into it because the organization behind the terrorist attack is the very same one he works for." Watching the neurons in her mind explode with a mass of emotions and memories, she simply froze, her gaze becoming distant. "The timing is too damning for coincidence... Your brother knew something was going to happen, even if this isn''t the full story." Her mouth opened, struggling to find words. "But thats- He wouldnt... Hes gentle," her whispers ended in stutters, desperation fighting rationality. "Hed never knowingly hurt people... He couldn''t hurt a mouse." My voice stiffened, hoping to pierce the wall of emotions encompassing her mind. "All he necessarily knew was that something was going on.. but that doesn''t make him any less guilty." She eventually lowered her gaze with hesitancy, hoping to weather the storm of denial clashing with reason in her mind. "The organization behind the insignia.. the one my brother used..." Drawing in a slow, shaky breath, her gaze steadied. "What are they doing for a god to deem them such a threat..?" Looking into my eyes, she saw not some stranger, but the towering figure of a fenrir before her... A god... But her tone didn''t waver. "Why are you getting involved with us dragons..?" "Because the organization behind that insignia is developing a weapon smaller than a barrel of alcohol that can reduce every city on this planet to a pile of rubble." My tone turned cold as the room was coated in frostmy dense aura purging the heat from the air. "If I let them finish making it, world order will collapse." Watching her eyes widen further, her breath hitching in her throat, I tried to soften my gaze. "It''s possible your brother just doesn''t know what he''s tangled in, but regardless of that, I need to investigate the organization." Nodding faintly, Chioni tried to swallow her dread to steady her voice. "R..Right... If he really is managing their finances.. he must know names, or locations.. or something..." Her eyes darted around the room as if searching for an answer before finally, they snapped back to me with a frightening determination. "If I arrange a meeting between you two.. can you promise he will be spared..?" Pausing, a gentle flick passed through my tail. "I can''t." The light in her eyes instantly faded as I continued more softly. "If he has been corrupted like others I have seen, I can''t promise he will be able to return to a normal life, though I will let you try to reform him..." As I paused, her eyes widened. "If he truly is only there for the job, I will offer him a far greater positionwhatever he wishes, understood its withing reason." Her relief was palpable, but conflicted, her tense posture loosening while her tail stiffened. "Then I''ll send him a letter right away." With her worry being drowned with determination, her thoughts accelerated. "Could I possibly return home to send it through my family? If the letter is from Mother, he''ll surely come." I was quick to agree. "Where is your estate?" "The outskirts of Emporio," she responded swiftly. "It''s a.. modest homeagain, my family isn''t particularly well off.. so they may not be able to.. accommodate someone of your stature." She looked me up and down with some uncertainty. But I was quick to wave her worries aside. "I understand, don''t worry." Giving some momentary reassurance, we spoke for a moment longer before finally leaving, taking her to the Cabinet''s space rune and jumping to Emporio. *Vwoom* Finally being released from the gate''s comforting resonance, the chaotic streets opened before us, bustling with the activity of young dragons and opportunistic merchants alike. Compared to Ampelos, it seemed far more populated. -Perhaps its because the city is smaller...- After all, it was trying to accomodate a crowd from Atlas. But it seemed to handle the crowd just fine. Alive with chatter, the air was rich with the scent of spices and charcoal, gently lit by rows of warm street lamps under the waning sunlight. A seemingly nostalgic scene for Chioni. Seeing her visibly relax with a heavy sigh, she was quick to motion us along with a slightly anxious smile. "It''s this way, please follow me." Her tension was still ever-present, but with every step down the narrowing cobblestone street, it eased, if only slightly. But before long it returned in a wave. With the towering draconic structures lining the streets shrinking to a more human size, stress intruded the warmth in her voice. "My family''s home is just around the corner." Her voice was quiet, layered with uncertainty as if embarrassed. "Again, it''s small... I apologize if-" "You dont need to apologize," I gently interjected. "Im not here on vacation. Comfort is irrelevant." She gave a slight, relieved nod, her pace quickening as if a burden had been momentarily lifted. But the ease didn''t last forever. Eventually, we reached her family''s estate: a cozy, stone-walled building adorned with ivy, surrounded by a humble yard like a modest, lower noble human''s home. Simple, but welcominga home with a charm that wealth couldn''t replicate. "P..please come in..." Motioning me through the small iron gate barely capable of holding back a human child, we stepped toward the entrance and knocked, waiting for hardly a breath before the door opened to reveal a stunningly young-looking woman, her grey, almost blond hair and rosy clear skin completely embracing the warm glow of the lantern in her hands. "Chioni!" She gasped, her expression a mix of joyous surprise and relief as she hung the lantern on the door and jumped out to hug her daughter''s feathery snout. "Thank Bahamut, you''re alright! We were worried sick!" Pulling herself away, she moved to look over Chioni''s body, only to freeze as her gaze snapped to mine. Chioni hastily drew back to clarify. "Mother, this is..." She immediately hesitated, searching for the most respectful phrasing. "...Someone from the upper echelons of the Cabinet." The dragoness instantly straightened, her expression becoming formal, trying to mask her fluster with anything she could. "O-Oh! Please, forgive my rudeness! I am Diane Psychros, Chioni''s mother." She bowed respectfully, her extremely casual clothes turning formal with a flurry of spells. "We weren''t expecting visitors today.. much less one of your stature.. but please- uhm.. come in!" Feeling her frantically waving her aura around to clean up inside, I couldn''t help but crack a smile while I shrank down to my humanoid form and followed Chioni through the halls, into a modest yet inviting living rooma comforting warmth emanating from its comparatively tiny hearth roaring a proud flame. -How cozy...- But while the home was warm, the air around Chioni was cold and tense. "Mother," as soon as we got into the living room, Chioni''s anxiety finally had enough. "We need to send a letter to Nikos. I need to speak with him..." Diane''s eyes instantly sharpened with caution and concern. "I-I see..." Looking at me, she forced down a gulp before nodding. "W-Well you have good timing.. he''s actually home, just out running some ''errands''. He should be back soon." "What?" Chioni froze instantly. "What is he doing here?" "He was getting ready to go look for you in Ampelos... He''s worried sick." The flickering fire instantly exposed the color draining from her complexion. "Nikos.. was coming to find me?" "Y..Yes," Nodding anxiously, Diane looked at me, nervously smoothing out the fabric of her magically conjured attire. "He arrived here a few days ago, unusually tense and insistent saying he needed to reach you. He was afraid you were involved in some incident..." A heavy silence instantly fell over the room, punctuated only by the faint crackling of the fireplace and the muffled bustle of the street outside. But it was a silence I relished. Instead of having to delicately tug on a taut string, hoping to follow it before it snapped under the strain, I stumbled across a spool of slack. -It really must be my lucky day...- It was the perfect opportunity to see what was on the end of the string, be it an empty hook or one stuck in the side of a monster. ----- Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon! (In case Embedded Link doesn''t work: /TDOD ) ------------- Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! .gg/Dv7G5bQD4v All are welcome! --- Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! Re: The System''s Harvester On RR, SH, and now novelhall!