Chapter 291: Legacy (4)
Chapter 291: Legacy (4)
There was a bit of a commotion, but in the end, it was decided that Carla, Elisha, and Iris would be the ones to absorb the Dragon Hearts.
Fafnir’s laboratory happened to be spacious and quiet, making it the perfect place for them to concentrate.
I watched the three of them take their positions at a distance from one another and shrugged.
“Shall we step out for a moment then, Professor Iona?”
“Mm-hmm. It’s not like anyone’s going to come here anyway, so there’s no need to stand guard!”
“Ah, I’m suggesting it because we have our own business to attend to.”
“What is it, what is it? Is it something… naughty?!”
“Why does your mind always jump to—wait. I suppose it is kind of naughty, in a way.”
“Eh?”
When I agreed, Iona blinked her blood-red eyes as if she hadn't expected me to be serious. Was she just teasing me?
I let out a dry chuckle and continued.
“I told you, didn't I? I’d let you drink my blood while I’m in my Dragonification state. I only just heard that I can use it now, so I have no idea how to trigger it or what the transformation is even like.”
“Aha!”
Iona nodded, finally understanding.
It was a universal rule to test out something new the moment you got it. That was the only way to figure out how and to what extent I could fight.
That had been true back in the game, but it was even more vital now that I could move exactly as I envisioned thanks to the System Correction.
Being able to move as I imagined meant that my own thoughts were what defined my limits.
There was nothing more foolish than floundering about without even being able to exert one's maximum potential.
Iona, who knew from our many past duels that I possessed a natural, near-absolute sense of combat, agreed as well.
“True, true. That’s definitely important. Alright, so we’re just doing a light spar?”
“Rather than a spar, please just help me push myself to my absolute limit.”
“That’s the same thing!”
“…….”
I had a bad feeling about this, but there was no other way.
*
“Guegh.”
“Ah. Are you finally finished, Brother?”
While Iona and I were busy sparring and the other three were busy absorbing the Dragon Hearts, Helena had been left to watch us from a corner all by herself.
The moment the duel ended, her expression brightened, and she came trotting over.
“Uwaaaagh.”
“Brother…?”
The problem was that I currently lacked the strength to respond to Helena, who must have been bored out of her mind.
Helena tilted her head as she watched me make strange, zombie-like noises.
Iona, who had surely exerted quite a bit of strength herself but for some reason looked even more radiant than she had before the duel, explained my condition in my stead.
“First things first. Could you heal him? It looks like the side effects are a bit more severe than expected.”
“Ah! One moment, Brother. I will heal you immediately.”
Clutching her medallion, Helena recited a prayer in a small but clear voice.
Before long, a burst of bright light erupted and enveloped my body.
Flash—
My physical condition improved noticeably every time a cluster of light was absorbed into my body. However, I had only just reached the point where I could speak properly; I was still far from a full recovery.
As I let out a long sigh, Helena asked worriedly while fidgeting with my hand.
“Brother? I did speak with the Righteous Light and Lady Clara in the middle of all this, but I never once took my eyes off you. You weren't this exhausted just a moment ago… What on earth happened?”
“Well… it wasn't anything that should be a major problem.”
I said that and briefly pulled my hand away. For some reason, Helena looked shocked, but I didn't have the luxury to worry about that right now.
I was too busy rubbing my face against Helena’s palm—the starting point of her Divine Arts—to receive the healing directly.
Rub, rub.
“Hic!”
I didn't stop even at the sound of Helena’s hiccup and continued to nuzzle against her. I even guided her hand not just to my face, but to my chest, where my heart was.
Phew… Now I feel like I can breathe.
It was like how an air conditioner eventually cools an entire room, but you feel the chill much faster if you stand right in front of it with your arms wide open.
I’d heard that recovery Divine Arts were more efficient when received through direct contact rather than from a distance, and it seemed that was true.
Only after taking a light breath did I look up.
What I saw was Helena, her face flushed bright red for some reason, gulping nervously.
“Oh? What’s wrong, Helena? Are you the one who’s sick? We’re heading to the Imperial Palace soon, so you can’t be ill….”
Worried, I placed my hand on Helena’s forehead.
“Hngh?!”
“You’re a bit hot. It feels like you might have a fever….”
However, I was a complete amateur in such matters and couldn't say for sure. I tilted my head in confusion for a moment.
Behind us, Iona, who had been watching the whole scene, snorted as if she found it absurd.
“Student Yandel… I think Student Helena is about to collapse from a heart attack if you keep that up, so stop there and just explain the reason!”
“Huh? Oh, right….”
I gave a lukewarm response and took my hand off Helena’s forehead. Since I was mostly recovered, I also let go of Helena’s hand.
“Ah….”
As Helena wiggled her fingers with a lingering gaze, I continued my explanation.
“Let’s see. I told you it was no big deal earlier, right? That’s the truth. It’s not like there was some serious problem; it was just a simple backlash.”
“…A b-backlash, you say?”
“Yes. A backlash.”
The method of activation was simpler than I thought. It happened just by envisioning it and wishing for it.
The effect was excellent, too. Just as it said on the status window, literally all my stats increased, and the scale of that increase was massive.
Well, there were some minor side effects, but that’s a price I’m willing to pay.
Anyway, I continued the duel with Iona in that Dragonification state, testing how far I could fight before the penalty—the Frenzy reaction—kicked in.
It was just as I was about to deactivate Dragonification.
It suddenly occurred to me that since my physical abilities had increased so much, I hadn't tried using Blood Force—a physical enhancement magic—in this state yet. So, I gave it a try….
“And it was insane. First of all, Blood Force is a type of blood magic, so it constantly consumes blood, right? Until now, I’ve been offsetting that with the power of blessings or potions.”
That was how I’d maintained the balance so far. Actually, the recovery amount had increased even more now that the Sun God's Blessing had become the Sun God's Favor.
So, I tried it one last time without thinking much of it.
“…It felt like the blood throughout my entire body was boiling—or rather, exploding. Anyway, it felt like my body couldn't handle the instantaneously amplified power.”
“To think such a thing happened….”
“It’s probably due to a lack of proficiency or because my base physical stats aren't high enough. Don't worry. It’s just a hunch, but I think it’ll get better if I keep practicing. Even now, I just suffered from momentary exhaustion; it’s not like I was actually injured, right?”
“If you say so, then I am relieved. However, please do not overexert yourself. There are many people, myself included, who live only for you, Brother.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
I nodded to Helena, who was warning me with a stern expression.
However, perhaps the soft atmosphere flowing between Helena and me didn't suit her temperament.
Iona, who had been watching quietly until now, smirked and clung to my back.
“Hey, hey. Student Yandel. Don't you have something to say to me?”
“Pardon?”
Asking if I had something to say to her… that’s the kind of sentence that makes one feel anxious even if they haven't done anything wrong.
Noticing my state, Iona giggled and whispered the answer into my ear.
“I know what you’re thinking, but it’s not that! I meant… I wanted you to ask me for my thoughts on it too.”
“Ah.”
Of course, since I was the one who had seen Iona sink her fangs into my neck from the closest possible distance, I already knew how much she’d enjoyed it. Still, since she wanted me to, I asked.
“…Was it good?”
“Yes. It was so good I want to do it every day.”
“…….”
Somehow, that sounded a bit suggestive.
“I’m not just saying that; I mean it. Actually, at my level, I don't usually react to most blood, you know? But this time, even though I only took a few sips, I felt it immediately!”
“Wow… was it really that much?”
What Iona was saying wasn't just about her mana increasing or something like that.
It meant there was a reaction in her status as a vampire. Something like the purity of the blood, or her power of dominance, or something like that.
Iona already possessed a status rivaling a Lord, even if she hadn't created any clan members. If she were to grow even further from here?
I couldn't quite imagine what would happen. There was no rank higher than Lord in H&A.
Anyway, while I was receiving treatment from Helena and discussing the utilization of Dragonification and the blood-sucking cycle with Iona, the three who had finished absorbing their Dragon Hearts began to emerge one by one.
Their auras had changed so drastically that it made me feel the effort of handing over the Dragon Hearts was well worth it. I smiled with satisfaction and asked Iona.
“You remembered the coordinates for this place, right?”
“Don't worry, don't worry. I even took proper notes, so if you ever want to come back later, you’ll be able to do so without going through a transfer gate.”
“It’s a place that’s already been ransacked by those cultist bastards once, so I don't think we’ll have much reason to return… but you never know what might happen in life.”
I took one last look around Fafnir’s lair.
Everything had started here.
Fafnir’s final obsession, Hero & Academy, and my life as Yandel—all of it had its origin in this place.
If, someday, I manage to defeat all the Evil Gods and wipe out the cults…
It wouldn't be a bad idea to visit this place again then.
Over the scenery of the broken ruins, the grandeur of its prime that I’d seen in my memories seemed to overlap.
It was like a mirage that vanished the moment I blinked.
I shook my head and turned back toward Iona.
“Let’s head out now.”
Iona nodded silently.
Before long, a dark red magical light erupted, and a familiar sense of motion sickness washed over us.
It was the magic of a human, not a dragon.