Chapter 362: Reorganization (2)
Chapter 362: Reorganization (2)
Was my voice, which I’d let out without thinking, too much for the sensitive ears of a High Elf? Or maybe she was just caught off guard, making her reaction even more extreme.
Regardless, I pulled Iris—who was curled up like a shrimp, shivering and clutching her ears—into another hug from behind.
I gently stroked her from head to torso to calm her down while checking my updated status window.
Ding!
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Name: Yandel Lindelheit
Titles: Adversary, God Killer
Basic Stats
Strength: 21
Endurance: 21
Agility: 21
Dexterity: 22
Magic: 28 -> 29
Traits
Elemental Affinity (B)
Excellent Memory (B)
Excellent Weapon Skill (B)
High Magician (A)
Sun God's Favor (S)
Cultist Hatred (A)
Medicinal Constitution (C)
Element Combination (A)
Blessing of the Sea (B+)
Blessing of All Gods (A)
Intimidation Resistance (B)
Mana Affinity (A)
Cultist Detection (B)
Spirit Language (A)
Blessing of the World Tree (B)
Dragon Heart (EX) NEW!
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“Heh heh heh…”
Endless Mana, the Lintblum Breathing Technique, and the Origin Regression trait were gone, but the Dragon Heart trait had taken their place.
Furthermore, my Magic stat, which should have been capped at 28, had risen to 29.
Traits with the effect of unlocking stat limits were incredibly rare, but they weren't nonexistent. They had appeared a few times in H&A.
However, they were always either impossible for a player to obtain or were acquired at a point where the limit break no longer mattered.
For example, there was the Giant Lineage, which unlocked the limit for the Strength stat.
The method to obtain it was notoriously difficult: a Dwarf character had to defeat the forgotten Giant King in a one-on-one duel and then use the Crown of the Giant Kingdom, which had a low drop rate.
The crucial part was being able to defeat the Giant King one-on-one.
Since Dwarves don't exactly have the best magical aptitude, it meant winning in a melee.
Defeating the Giant King—who could crush most large monsters like toys—in a one-on-one fight? It was impossible unless you were a Sword Master.
And a Sword Master already had their limits for Strength, Endurance, and Agility unlocked.
Essentially, Giant Lineage was a trait used only to rapidly grow allies recruited late in the game.
The Dragon Heart was likely something similar. I had just managed to obtain it at this stage thanks to Fafnir’s preparations.
…Come to think of it, did he say that giving me the Origin Regression trait was his final arrangement?
Perhaps Fafnir had even predicted that I would do something crazy inside the time distortion.
Since H&A itself was a game created based on futures glimpsed through prophecy magic, the possibility was certainly there.
Of course, it didn't matter either way. Now that the Evil Gods had begun their activities in earnest, a trait that could boost the growth of someone like me—who hadn't yet reached the level of an Archmage—was more precious than anything.
Thanks to this, I could increase my Magic stat without even becoming an Archmage. What reason did I have to complain?
Thump… thump…
Matching the calm rhythm of my heartbeat, I felt a strange sensation in my chest.
I stopped stroking Iris for a moment and focused my mind. It felt as if something was being overlaid, layered directly onto my heart.
This was likely the sensation of the Dragon Heart forming.
The Dragon Heart is a mana organ separate from the actual heart… but in my case, my mana core was already integrated with my heart.
Even if the core transformed into a Dragon Heart, the fact that it was one with my heart remained unchanged.
I stared blankly at my inner self, fascinated, but soon changes began to occur not just in my heart, but in my blood vessels as well.
I was momentarily flustered, but after thinking it over, it made sense. Since the output was now different from the previous mana core, the circuits had to evolve to withstand it.
And since my mana circuits were integrated with my blood vessels, the strengthening of the circuits naturally led to the strengthening of the vessels.
To be honest, I wasn't quite sure what to make of this. What exactly changes when your heart and blood vessels get stronger?
Do I just become more resistant to cardiovascular diseases…? That seemed a bit underwhelming.
However, my doubts were resolved shortly after.
“Whoa.”
In this world, the heart is an organ that serves as the very essence of vitality. Even species with extraordinary life force, like Vampires or Trolls, die without exception if their hearts are ripped out.
And now, the density of the vitality pumped out by that heart had changed. Right. Unlike Earth, this world didn't run on physical laws alone.
My body began to change regardless of my will.
Vitality enveloped my entire body like a wildfire, my sharpened mind perceived the world with crystalline clarity, and my senses spread outward like a finely woven net.
It felt as if my very status as a living being had ascended.
But that wasn't the end. If the body had evolved and the vessel had widened due to the existence of the Dragon Heart, what would come next?
The mana that had been waiting for this moment had to fill the empty space.
Rumble—!
A massive amount of mana rushed toward my heart with a sound reminiscent of a waterfall.
I knew that stats became harder to raise the higher they went, and that a difference of 1 was monumental.
I knew it… but I hadn't realized the difference between 28 and 29 would be this vast.
I thought my previous mana capacity was already enormous, but an amount of mana nearly equal to that was now being crammed into my heart.
Certainly, this wasn't an amount of mana that could be controlled at the level of a High Magician.
If I had tried to force it, my body would have exploded, or I would have had to use it as a disposable resource, letting it leak out around me instead of containing it, just as I had done inside the time distortion.
But now, I had the Dragon Heart.
It provided the capacity to easily accommodate mana that had suddenly doubled, and the control to help suppress mana that exceeded my natural capabilities.
Just as the heart pumps blood throughout the body without conscious thought, the Dragon Heart was neatly organizing mana that was beyond my skill level.
Now I understood why Dragons were called transcendent species and why they became Archmages just by breathing.
If you were born with something like this and didn't become an Archmage, that would be the real mystery.
And I think I understood why the status window questioned if I could still be called human.
If I had been a human who could merely use a portion of a dragon's power until now, I was now a being slightly closer to a dragon than a human.
I might even be closer to a dragon than the ancestors of my family, who were said to carry the dragon's blood.
After watching the internal changes until the very end and judging that I had reached a state of complete stability, I slowly opened my eyes.
My gaze met Iris's, who was still in my arms, keeping watch over our surroundings. Had she been standing guard so I wouldn't be disturbed?
As if she had never been pouting or shivering, Iris was now beaming, her blue eyes sparkling.
“Master! I do not know where you gained this enlightenment, but congratulations! The amount of mana I feel from you is extraordinary. Could it be…?”
“Ah, I haven't become an Archmage. Honestly, how long has it been since I became a High Magician? It’s too early for that.”
“That is true, but… then what is with that immense mana? It seems far greater than mine, and I have been accumulating mana for centuries.”
“I haven't reached the rank of Archmage, but I suppose you could say I’ve gained a vessel and control equivalent to one…?”
Since Iris already knew the general situation after our visit to Fafnir’s lair, it was fine to tell her.
Since it would be difficult for her to grasp the concept of a status window, I explained it in a way that fit the logic of this world.
“So… you are saying Fafnir’s final arrangement was completed through Master’s penance?”
“Probably. Thanks to that, a Dragon Heart was formed, giving me mana and control that exceeds the limits of a High Magician.”
“A Dragon Heart…?”
Muttering blankly, Iris leaned her ear against my chest as if possessed.
After staying quiet for a long time, she eventually tilted her head in confusion.
“…I hear nothing but a heartbeat, though?”
“Of course. It’s become one with my heart, so it won't be obvious normally. …That’s why I’m going to test it out.”
I hopped out of bed and picked Iris up, slinging her over my shoulder.
I gave her butt a light pat as she hung there obediently like a sack of rice.
“Did you say everyone went to the training room to warm up?”
“That is correct. They said that while it was good to rest and recover, they felt stiff from lack of movement.”
“Weren't you bored, Iris?”
“Of course I was. However, if everyone else is at the training room, I can have Master all to myself! In fact, I was able to watch Master grow.”
“And you probably enjoyed pretending to sleep while I rubbed your belly or tickled your ears.”
“…Since when did you know?”
“From the start.”
“Heeuuu…”
How could I not know when she flinched every time I touched her?
Embarrassed, Iris went limp like a slime. She seemed quite used to it now, as she didn't offer any resistance while hanging from my shoulder.
Anyway, as I walked along with Iris on my back, my sharpened ears picked up the whispers of people nearby.
“Is that person the one…?”
“Yeah. Something felt off. Someone who worked for Alfheim for centuries suddenly summoning spirits? It turns out it was all a frame-up by the Evil God.”
“I mean, I saw her fighting in this last battle, and she was incredible. There’s a reason those monsters were wary of her.”
“I’m more interested in Duke Lindelheit. Did you know? That magic we saw at the end was actually…”
Hmm. It seems Milone has already started manipulating public opinion. She’s fast.
I was nodding in satisfaction when I heard the next part.
“So, they’re planning to erect a statue to commemorate this event.”
“Really? Come to think of it, the Saintess of the Church of the Righteous Light and the Holy Knights who came to support us a few days ago seemed busy…”
“Exactly. They’re going to put up a statue in Yggdrasil and paint a sacred painting in the Solari Grand Temple.”
What?