Sleep Well
He felt gratified.
Watching Rune smile silently, Christina praised him as well.
"It seems to have gone well. To think you'd tame a creature from the Demon Realm…… What a remarkable feat."
"I nearly got in real trouble. It would've been nice if you'd told me sooner that a soul had possessed it."
"Oh my. Is that something for you to say, when you've kept it a secret all this time?"
Christina deftly deflected Rune's grumbling and pinched his cheek lightly.
"But you did well to ask for help."
"……Thanks."
Without her aid, he would have had no choice but to send the bound rose away.
Rune was truly grateful to her.
"Let's go. Baekya must be waiting. It's mealtime, so think about the rest after eating."
"Wait a sec."
Rune went over to the pile of black magic stones, picked up two or three more, and placed one beside each root.
"Eat plenty. If you're still hungry, you can have more from that pile over there. But don't touch anything else. If you wait nicely, I'll come back this afternoon."
Twinkle.
The revitalized petals glowed softly and obediently.
It was like a puppy with sparkling eyes, insisting it could wait patiently.
A chuckle escaped him.
"See you later, then."
He waved and teleported back to his room with Christina.
"Piiik!"
"Whoa, what's up?"
Baekya flapped over in a flurry and circled Rune's face before settling on his head.
"You've been awake for a while now, but I guess you got lonely without me."
"……Hasn't it only just woken up?"
It was still fast asleep when I came for the transformation bracelet earlier.
Rune had poked the sleeping bird a few times before leaving, but it had been limp as a corpse, refusing to stir.
Yet seeing it nuzzle his face and whimper now, he couldn't help but give in.
"Alright, alright."
He reached up and gently stroked the fluffy white puffball, and only then did it seem to relax.
The bird flew down to inspect Rune's face closely, then checked every inch of his body.
"You must've been really worried."
"Pii."
Baekya had gotten smarter lately—it even answered questions properly.
And it had its own opinions, too.
Is it growing in its own way?
In a world where even seeds expressed their will, why not a bird?
Though it feels like the spoiled behavior has ramped up.
It was cute, but he worried it might never leave his side later on.
Still, there were things to do, so they headed to the kitchen to prepare a late breakfast.
Fresh salad, salt bread, and salmon.
Today's menu consisted of mana-infused foods that purified blood and vessels.
"When cooking, it's good to consider the effects of the mana based on who will eat it. For a patient's stew, use recovery water primarily."
"So it's not just about making the dish—combining ingredients and menus for specific purposes matters too."
Satisfied with the sear on the salmon steak, Rune popped a piece into his mouth and chewed.
Lemon dill butter added rich flavor.
Practicing my Resurrection Authority on salmon was definitely the right call.
He nodded to himself, very pleased with his choice.
With the recent Transmission, Baekya the phoenix, lessons with Perdikion, and reviving the Demon Realm rose today, he'd been busy.
All that fatigue called for a recovery-boosting meal.
Sigh.
He hadn't done much, yet sleepiness poured over him.
Without his past life's 999 years of training, he might have succumbed instantly.
Can't waste time like this. I need to tend the rose more before heading to Perdikion's lair.
He rubbed his eyes, swallowing the last bites.
Three days later.
Something's off. Do I really feel this drained?
Rune sensed the abnormality.
Daily drowsiness and fatigue had piled up all at once, weighing down his body.
A mild fever was rising too.
"Kyuk."
This wasn't mere tiredness.
But the languor differed from qi deviation, where internal energy twisted.
Drawing on memories of controlling inner power, he checked his mana flow.
He inspected his middle and lower dantians, built up over time.
No major issues, yet dizziness hit.
The closest sensation is a cold.
An imugi catching a cold? Even a stray dog would laugh.
Humans rarely caught colds when healthy, let alone a dragon.
No way.
This would hinder his tasks.
As he shook his head and clutched it against the vertigo, Rai entered.
(^_^?)
Perfect timing.
Rune slipped on his bracelet, shifting to human form, and addressed Rai.
"I think I need to see Christina. Watch Baekya for a bit."
(^_^/)
That means it'll handle it.
He'd grown used to Rai's odd symbols. Nodding, he asked more.
"Do you know where Christina is?"
The light shifted to a teacup shape.
Having tea in the garden.
Rune left Baekya with the spirit and teleported right away.
"Christina."
Upon arrival, he found her and rubbed his nauseous stomach.
Sensing something wrong, Christina set down her tea with a grave expression.
"What is it? Are you hurt?"
Her usual calm cracked with clear worry.
"Dunno. It just hit me suddenly."
"Come here."
She steadily checked his forehead and nape.
"This is…… a kind of flu."
"Flu? No way."
Even Rune knew his dragon body was sturdy.
A newborn hatchling, yet tough enough to run through snow all winter without catching cold.
But Christina shook her head.
"Before mana shock hits, the body sends signals. Your frame couldn't handle so many different powers in such a short time."
"Different powers? Just basic training, magic, and lessons from Perdikion."
Cooking lessons were basic mana synthesis and breakdown anyway.
She sighed and pointed out more.
"That's not all. You ate mandragora, took medicine from Lize of the forest folk, hatched a phoenix chick…… All that mixed forces rapidly. The Demon Realm rose you bound recently plays a role too."
"The rose?"
Christina nodded gravely.
"Yes. Thinking back, your fatigue spiked around when you found it."
"That……."
But Rune trailed off, recalling another cause from that time.
The Resurrection Authority he hadn't mentioned to her.
A high-tier magic, practiced repeatedly under the guise of training.
Thud.
As Rune sagged, Christina steadied him and hastily prepared teleportation.
They arrived in the Black Room, home to the Demon Realm rose.
"Here, you'll feel a bit better."
She placed a hand on his back and commanded.
"Heal."
⟨ Healing Word ⟩
Whoosh.
Soft golden light enveloped Rune, easing the pain bit by bit.
So this is Christina's Word of Power.
First time seeing it.
A warm essence, condensed from the lair's ambient power.
Bathed in the gentle glow, the pain vanished.
Damn, it's effective.
Rune marveled, but Christina's face stayed somber.
"Just a stopgap. Without addressing the root, it'll return."
"So what should I do?"
"A bit early, but you'll have to enter your sleep period."
Sleep period?
Rune's brow furrowed.
A child's body craved sleep constantly—it was instinct.
Even he, forged by mental discipline as an imugi, had succumbed many times.
Lately, he'd controlled it to maximize training time.
But limits had arrived.
"Early, but not unusually so. Hatchlings sleep a lot normally—you just haven't."
Tch.
He made no secret of his displeasure, but Christina was firm.
"Let's prepare properly, Rune."
Unhappy, yet he scanned the room.
It was for building a stronger body—he couldn't outright refuse.
"Fine. I'll go sleep."
He surrendered just like that.
"Oh! Sleep here in the Black Room."
"?"
Meeting his puzzled gaze, Christina continued.
"During sleep period, immature bodies can release overwhelming power."
It balanced the form.
She pointed at the rose.
"You'll need something to absorb and regulate it. Usually parents or kin elders……."
A clanless hatchling.
Before she finished, Rune intuited the rest.
"That rose can handle it fully."
"!"
"Your servant will grow too."
Leveraging the loyal servant's nature for stable sleep entry, plus rose growth upon waking—a win-win.
His reluctance vanished, replaced by anticipation.
Rune finally quirked a smile.
"Sounds good."
"I'll check in often, so rest easy. You'll wake refreshed."
It felt like a quick nap, but sleep periods varied by dragon.
Short as five years, or decades, even over a century.
Hopefully just one or two years.
As Rune prepared, Christina brought Rai and Baekya.
"Pii?"
Baekya blinked its black eyes at the hatchling's true form.
"I'm just gonna nap. Be good with Rai and Christina—no trouble."
"Piik!"
It flapped a wing, seeming to understand.
"Christina, tell Perdikion I'm sorry for delaying our promise. I'll keep it after I wake."
"I will. Rest well."
Rune removed the bracelet, reverting.
Better to get it over with quickly.
Dragging it out would just worsen the cold-like symptoms and ruin training.
"Sleep well."
"Pii."
Rai dimmed its light in farewell.
Rune chuckled and curled up.
See you later.
Eyes closed as if long-awaited, sleep crashed over him.
Soon, total darkness.