Knowledge Can Be A Pain

The next morning Will and Nisha slept in. Yesterday's match with Dracul was physically exhausting.

It wasn't until his adrenaline decreased that he realize Dracul gave him a proper beating.

Yet it made him smile. When was the last time Will met such a strong adversary?

Truthfully, and maybe this was masochistic, Dracul reminded him of Elder Thaddeus' abusive training.

Without Elder Thaddeus' training, Will might have coward in front of Dracul and he would never have challenged 1000 Albanian marines.

Will was confident that he was able to learn Sword Aura and breakthrough because he fought such a strong overwhelming opponent. After all, it was his fight with the Elder Lich that helped him breakthrough into Master rank.

"I'm coming in," said the priestess bringing a large breakfast tray.

Once again Will and Nisha stuffed themselves with giant ostrich-looking eggs, bacon, toast, and cloud tea.

"You both look a little banged up. Let me heal you," she said casting healing magic.

"I'll wait for you outside after you both freshen up. Sir. Perceval has summoned you to his cave. You'll spend your morning day talking to him. In the afternoon, I'll take you on a tour of spirit mine," Priestess Xing said.

After a quick bath Will and Nisha walked outside. They didn't have to walk long to reach Sir. Perceval's cave.

When they entered, they could hear Sir. Perceval's labored breathing. It reminded Will of his last months on Earth. Immediately the memories of his death and now seeing this majestic creature the same way pained him.

Last time they saw Sir. Perceval at the banquet he was in his human form. Now he was in his dragon form.

He looked like an older calmer version of Dracul. He was a large western black dragon with large horns, and spikes on his tail. Yet he looked like an anemic, Will could see his ribs. It looked like he hadn't eaten in years.

"Thank you for visiting me. I do not have long. Transforming into a human was very taxing and only served to hasten my death.

Dracul told me you beat him in the arena. I'm thankful. Truthfully, he's not a bad child. I was the same when I was his age, and my father before me. We black dragons tend to be short-tempered. It's a trait we get from Lucifer.

Dracula's training was beginning to stagnant. Your victory spurred him to train harder, but I do feel bad for his next opponents," he stopped and began coughing sickly.

"I summoned you here because I want to know about your life on another planet. Mother Tiamat said it was called Earth. Ha-ha, what a silly name to call a planet, dirt," Sir. Perceval said.

"I want to hear these stories too," Nisha said excitedly.

Then Will proceed to tell Sir. Perceval and Nisha about his life on Earth.

"Excellent, a great story. You've pleased this dying dragon. Tell me what do you remember before being reincarnated on Earth?" Sir. Perceval asked.

"I was reincarnated to Earth?" Will asked in astonishment.

"Oh, did you think Terra was your first reincarnation? I'm sorry you had to learn it from me," Sir. Perceval said.

"No, thank you," Will said feeling uneasy.

"Now, tell me about your life on Terra. Don't leave out a single detail. This is the most entertainment I've had in a millennium," Sir. Perceval coughed sickly.

Then Will explained about this life on Terra.

"Your past and present lives have much in common," Sir. Perceval commented.

"Perceval, mind your place!" Mother Tiamat gently spoke walking inside the cave.

"I—," Perceval was interrupted.

"Child, you are still trouble in your advanced age. How you remind me of your father," Mother Tiamat said petting his head.

"He needs to know. At least tell him about the impending war!" Perceval pleaded with his mother.

"It's not our place to interfere. Do you wish to bring the wrath of gods upon yourself," she chided her elder son.

"Why did you say the wrath of the gods?" Will asked.

"Only the gods have the power to reincarnate souls? For Perceval to go against the gods' order is to suffer divine punishment!" Tiamat replied.

"Then what war are you talking about," Will asked.

"It's not my place to say. I cannot talk to you about such things that I do not know," Tiamat said.

"But you feel it like I do. The smell of Tartarus on Terra. Demons are amassing in great numbers! It's the dawn of the third schism!" wheezed a dying Perceval.

After Perceval finished lightning flashed outside. A thunderstorm began to pour rain on the Dragon City.

"You old coot! Look what've you done now!" Mother Tiamat admonished Perceval.

"I told him with the best of intentions," Perceval said.

"Only the gods may judge your intention," Mother Tiamat said gently smacking him on the head.

"Please tell me what's going on? Why is this my second reincarnation? Who am I? Please tell me?" Will begged he felt himself having an identity crisis.

"Quiet!" Mother Tiamat roared

She stood still, with her eyes closed. Tears began to fall down her eyes. She shook her head as if responding to someone on the other end of a phone call.

Finally, after 30 minutes she looked at Will and spoke, "Your real Grandmother and Mother would like to speak with you at the Gadreel Church of Gaia in three months."

"My real grandmother and mother?" Will asked.

"Yes, that is all I can say…," Tiamat said.

"Good, it's about time the boy knew his true lineage!" Perceval said.

"It is not our place to decide the right time!" Tiamat chided Perceval again and walked out of the cave.

"Listen, boy, you now hold the rank of Grandmaster. Tell me what you know about mana?" Sir. Perceval asked.

"I know that mana is the building block of our world. The same way matter worked when I lived on Earth.

Mana is all around us unseen but floats around and through us like particles. Mana takes the form of different elemental colors and characteristics," Will replied.

"That's a good start? Can you see the mana inside you or others? I don't mean the color of one's aura, but the mana that courses through your veins?" asked Sir. Perceval.

"No, I can't?" Will said.

"You seem to know the theory of mana, but do not have any practical skill. We dragons can see the mana in all things. Now that you hold the rank of a Grandmaster, you need to learn to see the world of mana, not the physical world, but the metaphysical world! Look into my eyes, I shall help teach you how to see the mana that is all around you!" Sir. Perceval said.

"If you can teach me that skill, I would be forever in your debt," Will said.

"Of course, I can teach it. Viewing the metaphysics works is a technique taught to every dragon.

However you may not see all the colors, but you'll at least be able to see brown and green mana around you?" He instructed.

"Why brown and green?" Will asked.

"Brown is the color of earth and green is the color of plants. I thought you knew at least the basics. Now concentrate on my eyes," he told Will.

Will concentrated on Sir. Perceval's eyes. Suddenly a massive pressure enveloped his brain. It felt as if the information was being pasted directly onto his brain.

"Can you manage, boy?" Sir. Perceval asked.

"Yes, this isn't too bad," Will said.

"Boy, this is not even 1% of my power. Now be quiet, I shall increase the amount of knowledge," he said sending more power pressure onto Will's brain.

Will felt like his brain was downloading an encyclopedia.

"This is still a fraction of my power, are you okay?" he asked checking on Will.

"Besides a slight headache, I'm managing," Will said.

For a third time, Will felt the pressure on his brain grow stronger. He could immediately feel goosebumps appearing all over his body, yet was excited. He was learning a legendary understanding of mana and he could slowly see brown mana particles gravitating around him.

"I am beginning to understand!" Will exclaimed excitedly.

Sir. Perceval kept pouring mana into Will's brain, like a car filling up at a gas station.

Yet Will could feel his brain swelling causing his temples to throb.

'What a powerful mental strength' admired Sir. Perceval admired.

After about five minutes, Will's vision went black and blood flowed from his nose.

After 10 minutes, blood flowed from his eyes, he looked like he was crying blood.

After 15 minutes, blowed flowed out of his ears.

Will could feel pain all over his body— like it was being crushed by an unrivaled force. Despite this, he refused to give up and continued to accept as much knowledge as he could before passing out.

When Will woke up, he didn't know how long he was out. But, before he could open his eyes, he coughed up a pool of blood. All he could hear was three people gently talking.

"How did he do? Dracul asked.

"Ha-ha, he did better than you thought, now pay up. The last 30 minutes. I was able to give him the practical application of mana sight and also helpful information on demons," Sir. Perceval said.

"You had no right to do that!" Priestess Xing shouted angrily. "You black dragons always cause trouble."

"To be completely honest, he's terrifying— his talents. He absorbs all experience like a sponge absorbing water and greatly improves in a short time," Dracul gave his judgment. "If he continues to improve, humans shall learn to fear him."

"Yes, if only he was only born a dragon instead of a human he'd be celebrated. What a pity," Sir. Perceval sighed in a truly regretful tone.

"There's nothing wrong with being talented as a human, as talents don't favor a certain race. In the outside world, there are plenty of humans with talents that surpass him. According to Mother Tiamat, he is but fifth strongest of his race," Priestess Xing spoke with a solemn expression on her face.

"The fifth strongest!" should Dracul. "You mean I lost to the fifth strongest. How much more powerful is the first?"

"Argh, my brain hurts," Will cried out in pain, sitting up.

"You have a concussion. Let me heal you and drink this Cloud Tea. I'm afraid Sir. Perceval has overstepped his bounds," Will said.