Returning home

I absorbed the jade snake dowager and saw the most complicated structure I'd ever seen. Every cell in this beast had been tailor-made to produce a killing machine like no other. Scales with incredible density supported by an inner plating that acts as a second skin to absorb shocks, fangs that were infused with venom in addition to more venom being excreted to coat the fangs and on the subject of venom, it's a devious concoction that contains corrosive, paralyzing and lethal components. Also, let's not forget the tail that's able to be used as a whip.

Once I have deduced its magic blueprint and grown this ancient serpent I would be invincible in this world.

'Why should I go all the way back just to evolve. If I evolve here I can get back much faster anyway.'

'Fine, fine. No need to get so worked up.'

First, I'd have to take a look at the condition of my allies. My own body had mostly been restored and I once again took my human form. Night Owl was lying a few meters away, battered and bruised by that horrible tail that had crashed into him multiple times he lay there like a starfish.

'Need some healing anywhere?'

"I think I've broken more bones than I even knew I had. If I didn't have have the darkness to hold myself together I'd already be done for."

'Let me take a look then.'

I let a warm current of healing magic enter Night Owl's body. What greeted me is a wasteland of a body. His bones we're mostly crushed, tissue was ripped in multiple places and his organs were only held together by tendrils of darkness.

Careful not to dispel the darkness before he was healed I began to mend his bones and tissue first. After half an hour of continuous healing, I move on to his organs.

'There, you're all patched up. Thanks for coming to my help.'

"I did as I had promised. We dark elves will never fail to return a favor."

Next up, Sigmund. Last time I'd seen him he went down after being poisoned quite badly. However, based on the power he had shown during the fight he should be able to clear most of the venom.

Arriving where the human king magi had gathered I was shocked to find that my judgment was off. Sigmund was on a makeshift bed with both Loki and a human healer fussing over him. As I approached the deep frown on Loki's face eased a bit.

"Please tell me you have a way to clear that venom. We can only delay it for so long."

'I don't get it, his innate understanding is in light. Dispelling venom shouldn't be that difficult, he could pierce the triple domain after all.'

"That wasn't his true power. Gramr can massively boost attack power, especially for light magic. But it does nothing for dispelling or healing."

'Let me see what I can do.'

It was a good thing that my core was already busily analyzing the composition of the venom. Knowing its composition made counteracting it much easier and most of the venom was cleared within minutes.

'All done. But you should still let him rest for a few days.'

"I'll see to it that he does. We need him to be in top condition when the next invasion happens. And what are you planning to do now that you know the truth?"

'For me, nothing has changed, I'll evolve until I reach the limit. But for now, I'm heading back to check in with Völsung.'

"By the way, have you seen Adam? We lost track of him since the battle."

'Dead, the snake ate him.'

"How, he was a demigod?"

'He was drowning in negative emotions. He was just an empty shell at this point and nothing could bring him back.'

"I see. That's unfortunate."

Then I collected Rat and we were off.