Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: The Old Chosen One (3)
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Marrow Cleansing.
It was a type of ancient secret art that artificially expelled waste from the body to accumulate mana, transforming it into a highly useful constitution.
Originally, it was an ancient secret art attempted by renowned prestigious martial families to enhance the talents of their direct descendants.
It required several mana-rich master experts to labor tirelessly for days on end, so it was a procedure no ordinary place would even dream of attempting.
Even if attempted, the subject was usually a child under the age of five.
However,
Such a procedure had now occurred in Theo.
In truth, this was a serendipitous encounter born from one coincidence layered upon another.
When Theo was bitten by the old man, what infiltrated his body wasn't just mere poison.
If it had been, Theo's immune system, bolstered by the Dragon's Heart, would have naturally activated.
But this poison was so vicious that it collapsed his immune system in an instant.
Not only a portion of the mana accumulated by the old man—a supreme expert whose skill was unmatched by few even in the North during his lifetime—
But also the demonic essence built up over decades of teetering on the boundary between life and death, sustained solely by Ghost Spirit Grass.
With countless heterogeneous energies jumbled together chaotically, it became impossible to endure.
Spirit Demon Poison.
The extreme poison that had birthed the Evil Spirit Dragon in his previous life.
And then,
As this Spirit Demon Poison drove Theo to the brink of death, Umbra stepped in.
Umbra had long made a habit of consuming Ghost Spirit Grass as a delicacy, then eating mana crystals to detoxify whenever addiction-induced thirst arose, repeating the process multiple times.
As a result, Umbra instinctively knew exactly how much mana crystal was needed to expel the toxicity of the Ghost Spirit Grass.
Thanks to this, Theo achieved a delicate balance between the Spirit Demon Poison and the antidote.
At that very moment, power surged into his immune system, and the stilled Dragon's Heart began to beat once more.
Thump-thump-thump-thump!
His heart pounded wildly.
Rumble—
His dantian trembled violently.
The two types of mana intertwined, rampaging chaotically through Theo's entire body.
In pursuit of the Spirit Demon Poison and the antidote.
From the immune system's perspective, distinguishing between the two was nearly impossible.
Thus, a decision had to be made here.
Absorb the Spirit Demon Poison and antidote, or expel them.
What Theo's immune system chose was simple.
-Devour.
The instinct engraved in the dragon's blood, forged from greed and avarice, refused to let such a massive amount of energy slip away.
As a result, his mana swelled explosively, piercing through the meridians and vessels Theo had yet to open in one fell swoop.
The mana circuits connecting the Dragon's Heart and dantian multiplied several times over in an instant.
It was around then that brainwaves began to surge.
To wholly devour that much mana, his attribute mana needed reinforcement to control it.
Crackle-crackle-crack!
Lightning arced across Theo's body, incinerating waste and further hardening his muscles and tendons.
Then, just as the lightning blazed so intensely it seemed to engulf the entire cave,
Whoosh—
At some point, the color of the lightning began to shift bit by bit.
From yellow to black.
Not a murky black.
It was jet-black lightning, gleaming like the darkness of the night sky transplanted.
Black Lightning.
"This is…?"
Evelyn's face filled with shock, for she had never heard of an attribute mana's color changing.
But she made no move to stop it.
Even someone clueless could see that Theo stood at a crucial turning point right now.
Rumble…!
As time passed, the black lightning's heat gradually subsided, and soon all the energy was drawn back into Theo's body.
That was when Theo opened his eyes.
Flash—crack!
A fierce glint sliced through the surroundings.
"Are you… alright, Young Master?"
Theo gave a slight smile and nodded nonchalantly.
"Sorry for worrying you."
Only then did Evelyn let out a sigh of relief.
It was Theo as he always was.
* * *
[Observing ‘Theo Ragnar.’]
+
Theo Ragnar (15/Male)
· Title: Flash Tiger, Millennium's Greatest Prodigy.
· Talents: Ragnar, Player, Observation, Inventory, Shop Use, Guardian Dragon's Companion, Marrow Cleansing, Evil Spirit Dragon, [Inaccessible], [Inaccessible].
· Status: In a dazed state of mind from an unexpected serendipity. He has acquired in place of it the Spirit Demon Poison that birthed the Evil Spirit Dragon of the first round, which can be called a serendipity; however, care must be taken, as failure to manage it properly could turn him into a second Evil Spirit Dragon.
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Evil Spirit Dragon.
The term jumped right into Theo's eyes.
The power of the Evil Spirit Dragon.
He couldn't help swallowing dryly.
Theo quickly scanned the rest.
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· Level: 21
· Stats (▼)
Strength: 112 Agility: 62
Vitality: 38 Mana: 238
Intelligence: 36 Luck: 21
· Skills (▼)
- Lesser Drake Fear
- Hatchling Synchro
- Wyvern Taming
· [Inaccessible]
· Current Coin Holdings: 1
+
‘The Evil Spirit Dragon talent alone added a total of 85 to my stats... Insane.’
All six stats had risen by over 10 each—an extraordinary outcome.
A simple calculation showed it equivalent to leveling up 17 times.
Of course, judging solely by the Evil Spirit Dragon talent, the stat increase might seem modest,
But what caught Theo's eye went beyond mere numbers.
His constitution had changed too.
‘The Ragnar body was already a perfected form in itself. Yet it not only achieved Marrow Cleansing but even reinforced it. Future growth will accelerate even more.’
Theo was thoroughly pleased with the current situation.
Sure, there was a warning that mismanaging the lingering Spirit Demon Poison in his body could turn him into a second Evil Spirit Dragon,
But self-management was paramount for winning the throne race from the start, so it wasn't even a warning to him.
‘More importantly, what the hell was this old man's identity?’
Theo asked Evelyn, who was examining the old man's corpse and the surroundings.
"Find anything?"
"Take a look here."
Evelyn pointed to the base of the wall where iron chains were attached.
Theo approached closely, narrowing his eyes.
"It's a journal."
"Yes. It seems he occasionally regained his sanity."
The cave wall bore a concise journal, apparently left by the old man.
Proof of his supreme skill, able to etch fine script into solid cave rock.
One entry read as follows.
This place, where I fled after defeat to Kyle and Robert, seems suitable for preparing for the future. But vengeance... I doubt it's possible. My body is already ruined...
The name Kyle stuck out.
"Young Master."
"Yeah. Seems like someone Father defeated in the past. A successor candidate, maybe?"
-Kyle! Kyle, Kyyyle! Robert! Roberrrt! I...! I hate you...! I hate youuuu!
The old man's dying words flashed in his mind.
Too busy fighting back then to pay attention.
This must have been what he meant.
‘Robert? Why does the Black Dragon's name come up here?’
Theo tilted his head and quickly scanned the remaining entries.
My body is deteriorating rapidly. Because of the dantian injury from Robert? I've tried recovery, but it's not easy. The Ghost Spirit Grass I eat to survive is driving me toward death instead.
I've started losing my mind. It's not mere sleepwalking. What the hell is happening to my body?
I think I finally understand the changes in my body. It's demonic nature. I've fallen into qi deviation. Damn it, damn it, damn it! I haven't even begun my revenge! Why me!
I don't know what I might do while unconscious. If I escape this place, everything falls apart. With no choice, I melted my cherished sword... the Verdant Death Sword... with mana to forge these chains. It restrains me. It binds me. I have imprisoned myself.
But this binding is my doing, yet not my doing. It's the gift of Kyle and Robert, whom I'll tear apart. The day I break this binding will be the day I kill those two.
I curse the heavens for inflicting this trial upon me...
The intervals between losing and regaining sanity are growing longer. I'll probably never recover again.
Opportunity. If only a sliver of opportunity remained. Regret floods in like a tide.
Now it's time to decide. And to accept it. I have no more hope left.
May someone discover this place. And fulfill my wish. Achieve vengeance for me. May my successor surpass them. With fervent prayer, I leave my karma here...
Beneath the journal, brimming with resentment, a considerable volume of incantations was inscribed in shaky handwriting.
Even a cursory glance revealed secret arts rivaling the highest grade.
"[Shadow Sword Walk], [Wind Thunder God]...?! N-No way, th-the Wind Sovereign!"
Evelyn's widened eyes hastily turned to the dead old man's corpse.
Theo felt a throbbing headache.
"The Wind Sovereign—the one who competed with Father for the throne right up to the end, forty years ago?"
"Yes, it seems so."
"We thought he was dead, but he was here all along?"
In the distant past, there was one who resisted Kyle to the last in the battle for the throne.
Wind Sovereign, Hector Ragnar.
A tragic hero whose feats and fame surpassed even Kyle's, yet ultimately broken.
Known for wielding wind freely, he was said to be ferocious as a storm against enemies, swift as a gale in motion, and warm as a spring breeze to allies.
Who could have foreseen that this legendary figure would end up in such a wretched state.
He had clung to his thirst for vengeance until the very end.
Even leaving a dying wish that some heir would one day claim his legacy and defeat Kyle.
At that moment, Evelyn suddenly approached Theo, knelt, and bowed her head forward.
A posture evoking a condemned prisoner at the execution block.
Theo frowned.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"For a vassal of Ragnar to harm a successor candidate is a capital crime warranting summary execution, regardless of reason. Therefore...!"
"Cut the nonsense."
Theo ruthlessly cut her off.
"You didn't harm Ragnar. It was a madman who couldn't control himself."
"But...!"
"And you did it to save my life. Were there any other options?"
"......"
"If it still bothers you, take those two secret arts."
In an instant, Evelyn snapped her head up.
"The Wind Sovereign's secret arts are absolute arts said to rival even the Nine Dragons' arts. Why give them to me...!"
"Payment for saving my life."
"......!"
"Become the Wind Sovereign's successor. Inherit his legacy. Then he'll rest in peace. As his disciple, no one can hold you accountable anymore."
Evelyn grasped the true intent hidden in Theo's words.
The Wind Sovereign's legacy.
It was a plea to defeat Kyle.
A necessary step to seize the throne.
In other words,
"Will you become my sword, Evelyn?"
Theo's piercing gaze impaled Evelyn's pupils.
No, not just her pupils.
It pierced the mind—or soul—within.
"......!!"
Evelyn trembled faintly.
Theo had given her back her sword.
His mother had restored her lost arm.
He had unfurled before her the old dream she thought forever shelved.
And now,
He offered wings to let her soar above it all.
Evelyn straightened one knee from her kneel into a full prostration, bowing her head.
The courtesy of a vassal to their lord.
The sword salute of a knight pledging fealty to their sovereign.
"I, Evelyn Nereville, senior swordmaster of Ragnar—the guardian of the Great North Wall and Lord of the Winter Mountains—pledge my fealty to Theo Ragnar as my liege lord..."
Strength filled Evelyn's voice.
"I beseech the great and sovereign lord to accept this frail vassal's oath."
"I, Theo Ragnar,"
Theo raised the drake's blade high, touching in turn Evelyn's crown and both shoulders.
"Accept Evelyn Nereville's oath, engrave it upon my heart and soul, and swear to take her as my first sword on this long journey ahead."
Right here, right now,
The first oath of fealty was born—one that would inscribe a new great legend.