The Dragon's Serum

'Dragon serum?'

What the hell was that?

The question rose unbidden in Lim Dojun's mind the moment he heard Gallerheim speak.

He had heard of dragon bones, dragon hearts, and similar relics, but serum? Even in the ancient ruins he had explored before, the term had never ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠once appeared.

"What exactly is dragon serum?"

"In that case, why should I bother demonstrating my magic? I could simply kill you and take it for myself."

Gallerheim had lost nearly all his power. Finishing off a being in such a state would not be difficult even for a passing low-rank mercenary.

"......"

It was a rather tempting suggestion.

After a moment of consideration, Lim Dojun nodded. Revealing the soul fusion magic was not without burden, but if it secured the serum safely, it was an acceptable price.

"I'll show you once. You will keep your word."

Lim Dojun's eyes shifted once more into those of a reptile. He brought his hands together.

-Crackle!

Dragon magic.

The most intuitive way to demonstrate it was through the manipulation of space itself. While humans required enormous warp arrays to move space with great difficulty, dragons were said to handle it as easily as breathing.

Lim Dojun could not yet achieve that level of effortlessness, but with concentration he could create a subspace.

The air between his palms rippled, and a subspace unfolded.

Inside lay the smartphone, cola, and various Earth foods he had stored away. To an ordinary observer it would appear to be nothing more than a spare storage room, but the lich Gallerheim was visibly shaken.

Such a feat was impossible with human magic. Space was inextricably linked to dimensions. Even a Grand Mage could only grasp the concept of dimensional magic without truly touching it. Yet Lim Dojun had manifested it with far inferior skill.

Moreover, the degree of spatial distortion suggested it had transcended dimensional boundaries entirely. In simple terms, it was not confined to this dimension but could be accessed from others as well.

'Is that... the dragon magic I pursued for so long...?!'

Magic that allowed a mortal to wield power only transcendents should possess. This was precisely what Gallerheim had desperately clung to all those years.

Gallerheim wept. Had he still possessed a physical body, tears would have streamed down his face. After centuries of yearning, he was witnessing the dragon magic he had sought so fervently, and from a human body no less—the very limitation that had led to his own failure.

Having once descended into madness from that obsession, he could no longer contain himself. Dying now felt far too regretful. He had seen the magic that was his life's greatest wish. He had seen the human who had mastered it.

Yet it remained incomplete. Gallerheim realized he could not die like this. What would become ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of one who learned this magic? Could a human body truly wield Dragon Speech? Legends spoke of dragons crossing dimensions—could he achieve that as well?

The questions piled up like a mountain.

"......"

Of course, Lim Dojun regarded the lich with cold eyes. He was no fool who would trust an evil lich based on mere words.

Gallerheim, however, possessed a mage's sharp mind. He neatly dispelled Lim Dojun's lingering unease.

The life vessel—essentially the lich's very essence of existence. In Gallerheim's case, it resided within his skull. He transferred ownership of that life vessel directly to Lim Dojun.

"!"

Lim Dojun felt the soul connection form and was startled. The lich had arbitrarily transferred ownership. His very lifeline now rested in Lim Dojun's hands. At a thought, he could destroy the vessel or manipulate it to inflict nothing but pain.

'He's truly handing this over?'

No matter how close to death he had been, no one would willingly choose what amounted to slavery over simple extinction. Gallerheim had revealed his sincerity completely.

With this, Lim Dojun decided it was worth observing for now.

"...Guide me to the serum first."

At Lim Dojun's command, Gallerheim bowed his head once more.

In a corner of the chamber where the battle had taken place, Gallerheim pressed several spots along the wall. The sound of mechanical devices activating followed, and a section of the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wall slid aside. It seemed he had prepared physical safeguards in addition to the magical barrier.

Before stepping inside, Lim Dojun glanced at the mercenaries collapsed throughout the chamber.

They seem unharmed. I should finish this quickly and return.

They had fainted from the intense clash with the death knight and the aftershocks of the territorial struggle between him and Gallerheim. The death knights and skeleton soldiers had been reduced to dust, yet the mercenaries had only lost consciousness without serious injury. It was proof their skills were genuinely impressive.

He intended to secure the serum before they woke.

Once inside the hidden space, Gallerheim pointed ahead. Dozens of large and small magic circles glowed brightly, and at their center rested a single blood-red vial.

"That is the dragon's blood?"

Lim Dojun tilted his head. He felt no particular pull. When he had first encountered dragon bones or the dragon heart, an overwhelming attraction had seized him. This felt entirely ordinary.

"You aren't planning any tricks, are you?"

Lim Dojun glared at Gallerheim, focusing on the thought of applying pressure to the life vessel.

A seal. That explained it.

"Then bring it here."

At his command, Gallerheim released the seal on the magic circles.

-Thump!

Gallerheim was saying something beside him, but Lim Dojun barely registered the words.

Gulp.

Saliva pooled in his mouth of its own accord. Only the seal had prevented him from sensing it earlier. Instinctively, more clearly than anyone, he understood that this was dragon blood.

"No. That won't be necessary. Hand it to me."

Lim Dojun beckoned. At his decisive gesture, Gallerheim respectfully offered the vial.

Lim Dojun accepted it, opened the lid, and drank the contents without hesitation.

Gallerheim's eye flames flickered with confusion. Even the ancients had ultimately failed to use it, choosing instead to seal it away for future generations. The process was so demanding that one had to carefully monitor bodily reactions during administration.

-Thump. Thump.

But for Lim Dojun, it was different.

The dragon serum entered his stomach, was absorbed by the stomach lining, melted into his system as if by magic, and began racing through his veins. In an instant it completed a full circuit of his body and was absorbed into the dragon heart.

It settled within the organ as though it had always belonged there.

-Thump. Thump.

From that moment, the dragon heart began to pump in earnest. No longer merely an organ that generated mana, it now physically produced dragon blood.

Lim Dojun gazed at the messages with open admiration.

I thought acquiring soul fusion magic had completed the dragon trinity, but I was wrong.

The dragon's will, the dragon's bones, the dragon heart. Among them, the dragon heart served as a permanent mana organ, but it was also the part responsible for generating blood and forming the body itself.

As dragon blood continued to circulate through him, it slowly, bit by ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bit, transformed Lim Dojun's human physique into that of a dragon. The change would be gradual, but in theory he could now reach 100% Dragon's Body simply by existing.

Of course, if he continued acquiring dragon bones at his current pace, the process would accelerate dramatically.

Satisfied with the outcome, Lim Dojun smiled faintly.

Beside him, Gallerheim stared with his jaw slack. After centuries of pondering how to introduce the serum into a body, he had witnessed it absorbed with ridiculous ease. It looked almost as if Lim Dojun had been chosen.

Gallerheim quietly lowered his head. A surge of genuine loyalty rose within him toward the man who possessed such magnificent magical talent.

After securing even the dragon serum, Lim Dojun woke the Compass members from Milberg and led them out of the ruins together.

"We're sorry, Elder. We dragged you all the way here, yet we were no help at all. Instead we only ended up owing you our lives."

Amber spoke in a dejected voice. Pavel and Kane beside her wore identical expressions.

What they had gained inside amounted to a few old artifacts left by the ancients and some academically valuable records. Lim Dojun did not elaborate on the serum, only mentioning that he too had obtained quite satisfactory results.

The mercenaries, however, did not entirely believe him. They assumed he was simply being kind-hearted. As a result, they were so ashamed they hardly knew where to look.

They had come to this ruin through a deal with Lim Dojun, only for the outcome to be so disappointing.

"It's fine. I was more than satisfied."

"We are not. This is something the pride of Milberg's Compass cannot accept."

Amber shook her head.

"Elder, I understand you lead an exploration-oriented academic faction."

She had investigated him before making contact.

"Would it be acceptable for us to join that faction as external personnel? We wish to rectify this failure."

"Well... do as you like."

Rather than correcting their misunderstanding, Lim Dojun allowed them to proceed. It would benefit his semi-faction, and regular contact with a Blue Magic Tower Elder would be advantageous for them as well. A win-win for everyone. They all smiled with satisfaction.

Later, on the road back to the city.

Late at night, once the mercenaries had fallen asleep, Lim Dojun returned briefly to Earth. There was something he needed to do there.

-Hiss.

The capsule lid opened. Lim Dojun rose inside his home.

In his room, he focused and opened a subspace using soul fusion magic.

-Crackle!

Sparks flew as space tore open. A small entrance appeared, and from within it a single skull tumbled out.

As the skull fell, cervical and spinal vertebrae formed, followed rapidly by a torso, arms, and legs.

Rattle. Rattle.

Gallerheim rose to his feet with a laugh.

It was the moment the lich first set foot on Earth.