Ch17: Of the Dragons

The white horned demon had moved right before him in the blink of an eye, with a finger touching the center of Rein's chest! Rein wasn't sure if this demon in human form was just quick beyond his imagination, or had some other heavenly ability… But regardless, Rein knew that the finger touching his chest was the reason that his aurae flow had become completely static!

In panic, Rein fell backward onto his bum. The finger was no longer touching the center of his chest, and Rein once again attempted to activate his skill to escape again… only to barely see the white horned demon step forward in a flash of lightning imperceptible to Rein's sight. Now, a hand firmly gripped his shoulder and pressed his bum down against the ground, once again disrupting his aurae flow as well as forcing him to remain in a seated posture.

Rein knew that the white horned demon did not teleport to accomplish this, because this time, he heard the sound of the demon's foot crunching the pondside pebbles in rapid steps. How alarming!

This demon was able to physically move at a speed that was faster than Rein's ability to activate the teleport skill! Rein was effectively unable to escape!

If the demon had used some unique skill, perhaps Rein could figure out a certain weakness in that skill and use his origin skill to leave. But with the white horned demon's physical speed, no matter what Rein tried, he would not be able to leave because the white horned demon could disrupt his aurae flow before he could even activate the teleportation ability!

Rein now froze, trapped like a rat. Part of him also wondered why he initially made such an effort to escape, seeing as just a moment ago, he was close to slicing his own throat to liberate himself from the miserable cards dealt to his life by the heavens.

The white horned male demon then wrapped his palm in a yellow-tinged lightning aurae before softly placing it against Rein's abdomen. A red-tinged lightning burst out of Rein's abdomen and clashed into the demon's hand, causing the demon to slide back a few feet.

This reaction only caused Rein's apprehension to rise. He would be an idiot to not realize that these white horned demons were here for the draconic metamorphose bead. His mind spun with guesses.

Blacksmith Tiehr had claimed that no one should be able to locate it after he had hid for fifty years. These two demons must be dragons in human form, tracking the draconic metamorphose bead. Otherwise, they would not know how to cause a reaction from the bead that had become part of his core.

Rein sighed as he realized that he had struck calamity. What did he expect? His family and hometown were gone. He had randomly activated an origin skill, and received a magical treasure that had transformed his body constitution. Now, that treasure would be the end of his pitiful existence.

Rein bitterly laughed, disregarding the two demons in front of him. So, this was what Blacksmith Tiehr meant when he expressed the viewpoint of a god in the skies being struck and pinned onto the ground by a Spear of Heaven.

He looked at the two white horned demons, accepted his fate, and calmly declared, "What are you two demons waiting for? The world cares not for my life."

The pregnant female white horned demon seemed somewhat irked by Rein's words even though she looked drained. Before she could open her mouth, the male white horned demon raised an arm to stop her. 

"We are dragons. Some of you humans regard anything capable of gaining spirituality ranging from beasts to insects to plants, as demons. But please. Our dragon race has historically been at odds with many other beasts, insects, and plants. Do not carelessly lump us together."

The white horned dragon's tone was dignified and polite. Rein could also sense that within that politeness laid an unyielding stance. Aside from the tone, the dragon's voice had a rumbling throaty quality to it that vibrated Rein's eardrums.

"Now," the dragon continued. "My name is Mystrygon. Of the Azure Dragon sub-faction. We dragons only earn a title when..."

Out of the blue, Rein attempted to activate the teleport ability again. He did not expect the dragon to jump into conversation, and felt this was his best chance to catch the dragon off guard.

This time, Mystrygon did not even bother to move. A dragon's roar emitted from his speaking mouth, and Rein felt his aurae flow severed for the blink of an eye. That was enough to disrupt the activation of the teleportation skill.

Mystrygon looked at the young human sitting on the ground in front of him, and could not help but feel pity for this silly young man.

"Now, I've introduced myself." He continued in his dignified voice from where he left off "Is it not common courtesy to share our names?"

Rein finally gave up on trying to escape. He had initially thought that Mystrygon was being complacent and giving some silly speech before killing him, but the dragon's roar emitted clearly demonstrated that Mystrygon had abilities way beyond that of his understanding. Even if the dragon wanted to launch into a riveting speech, Rein would not be able to escape.

He hooked his fingers together, the common greeting within the realm. It looked slightly awkwards and hilarious because he was on his bum. 

"My name is Rein," he simply stated.

Mystrygon now looked at Rein firmly in the eye.

"How did you come into possession of the draconic metamorphose bead?" He directly broached the important subject. His tone had turned stiff.

Rein felt surprised that Mystrygon had gone directly to the point. He had thought that the dragon would beat around the bush in order to test him.

Rein did not wish to answer such a question though. The question itself brought back all the devastating scenes of Golden Desert Town that he did not wish to talk about. However, the dragon in front of him was dangerous.

"I received it from a blacksmith, who gave it to me with his dying breath."

Rein decided to give a simple answer while avoiding the details. Surprisingly, this was good enough an answer for Mystrygon, who nodded with a slight smile on his face, as if he could see through the words and perceive the whole picture. His words now returned to his initial tone that was calm and dignified.

"Interesting. Now, do not worry about your silly escape attempts. I have no intention of harming you. In fact, I need your help to leave this realm."

Hearing these words, Rein felt incredibly bewildered. Wasn't this dragon supposed to kill him in an attempt to retrieve the draconic metamorphose bead? Even if he had absorbed part of it, surely, the dragons would not want an outsider like him wielding the powers from the bead, right?

Yet, now the dragon wanted his help? Also, he was only able to teleport as far as he could see. He was certain that he was of no use to Mystrygon, who needed to leave this realm. Rein felt Mystrygon's thoughts to be incomprehensible.

Rein saw Mystrygon glance at his dirtied and bloodied merchant robes flung to the ground beside the pond.

The dragon then turned back and took a deep look into Rein's eyes, before continuing stately, "Look at my pregnant wife and my unborn child. We have been hunted by our enemies in this realm for the past month. They have been able to continuously locate us regardless of the gap we create, whether that be one, two or even three days' travel gap."

"A divination master once told me that in my time of need, if I find a small pond underneath a waterfall in a forest bereft of life, I would have a star-changing opportunity."

Rein had already previously noticed how the two dragons' clothing appeared travel-worn and the dragoness appeared especially weak and pale. Mystrygon's words caused further confusion in Rein's mind.

Indeed, beside them was a small pond and a waterfall. Yet, the Black Wolf Forest still has low level demon beasts. Was it bare of life…? Additionally, many tales warned against trusting any kind of divination. Rein blamed this on his lack of knowledge again-- perhaps the advancer world does have divination worth one's belief.

Mystrygon covered his hand in blue aurae and tapped a pouch hanging on his waist. The pouch glowed blue and a round smooth stone with a dancing dragon inscription flowed across the stone's surface.

"Normally, to travel between realms, we need an item to help anchor the teleportation location." Mystrygon unexpectedly threw the stone at Rein, who barely managed to catch it as the stone landed with a loud smack into his palm.

"Now. As a mid-inner advancer, you lack too many requirements to connect the two realms. You do not have the required amount of aurae. Nor do you have the ability to reach outside of your body with your mind or your aurae in order to connect the realms. Luckily, you have a unique skill. "

"I will act as your mind and your hands outside your body. You simply need to hold the stone and let it guide your perception while channeling that skill of yours. Deal, human?"

Rein processed what he had just heard. It seemed to hold some of the advancer knowledge that he clearly lacked. 

He did not immediately agree to the deal. He was still suspicious about the draconic metamorphose bead. Perhaps, when this inter-realm portal is opened, the dragon would drop his act and immediately kill him to retrieve whatever is left of the bead.

The dragon's words also gave Rein an idea of the direction toward which he could develop his teleportation skill-- the use of an anchor to direct the teleportation skill. If the dragon truly had no intention to take his life, then he would have a chance to pursue that knowledge.

However, looking at the haggard dragoness standing beside the small pond, Rein decided to throw caution to the wind and agree to the deal. Part of him felt tired after taking so many lives earlier tonight. It's not as if he could escape from Mystrygon.

Unbeknownst to Rein, every minute change in his expression was observed by Mystrygon.

A restrained enigmatic smile plastered itself across Mystrygon's face when Rein nodded in agreement to the deal.

Mystrygon lifted his chin and closed his eyes. The posture gave Rein an impression that Mystrygon was 'feeling' out the surroundings, though Rein did not understand how that would be done.

After a single deep breath, Mystrygon's eyes opened again. "Our pursuers will arrive here in the time of a thousand heartbeats."

"Channel your unique skill immediately, "Mystrygon ordered as he sat behind Rein and placed his palms on the temples of Rein's head.

Rein nodded before activating the skill with his hands wrapped in a circle around the smooth stone. The stone seemed to devour his aurae like a bottomless well and Rein immediately knew that It would be impossible to satiate the stone's hunger for aurae with the amount within himself.

Then, Rein felt a foreign aurae enter into his body from his head, using his flesh and bones as a conduit to flow into the smooth stone. The flow of aurae was so strong that Rein felt a burning sensation from a feeling of bloatedness in his veins. It was as if his body would explode with a pop!

Eventually, the smooth stone stopped devouring any more aurae, but the portal had yet to be formed. Rein felt the stone pull the direction of his aurae toward some hidden target, but Rein could feel that his aurae would not leave his body, like a cat in a box. No matter how he tried, he simply could not bring his aurae outside his body.

Once again, the dragon intervened. Rein suddenly found his vision transformed-- he was looking at the world through Mystrygon's eyes and it was an amazing sight.

The world around was filled with a flow of aurae that danced and flickered. There were many different colors, each flowing from one into the other, before vanishing into thin air. It was like a rainbow haze that covered all yet obscured none. The energies cascaded and seemed particularly thick around the trees, plants and the dragoness in Rein's sight.

His mind wandered as he contemplated whether aurae was omnipresent in all locations. Whether this was how gods saw the world.

"Focus!" a dragon's deep voice reverberated in Rein's mind.

Rein's mind returned to following the smooth stone's guiding hand, and now, he saw a few wisps of blackish-purple aurae tendrils reach upwards from his body into the sky, all approaching a single point.

Rein figured that these tendrils must be what an outer advancer would be able to use. Currently, the dragon assisted this task with his boundless power.

As Rein focused on channeling his skill using the stone as a guidance tool, a black sphere gradually formed and expanded at the point in the sky where the blackish-purple tendrils met.

Rein felt the dragon behind him continuously channel aurae through his temple into his body to supply the origin skill. The black sphere grew larger and larger, eventually stabilizing at a diameter of around ten feet.

At this point, the stone in Rein's hands crumbled into dust, slipping through the gaps between his fingers onto the ground below. The black sphere in the sky started to slowly shrink at the same time.

Rein's vision also returned to normal as Mystrygon's hands left his temple. For a moment, Rein felt somewhat nauseous from his vision rapidly changing forms, and glanced around at his surroundings in an attempt to readjust his perception.

He suddenly noticed how incredibly close the dragoness was standing to him, and as he looked into the exhausted dragoness' eyes, he saw a glint of murderous intent.

However, nothing came to pass as Mystrygon's hands suddenly appeared and gripped the dragoness' forearm, dragging her towards the shrinking black sphere in the sky.

Mystrygon turned back towards Rein. He tapped his pouch with his blue tinged hand, and threw another item at Rein.

Rein looked at the item in his hand. It was a sort of odd looking compass. It looked antique and metallic silver, and Rein could not tell what kind of metal it was crafted from. Flipping it over, there was a mysterious character engraved in soft strokes on the backside of the compass. Oddly enough, the symbol seemed like it was barely visible and could disappear at any moment.

Rein threw it up in the air before catching it again. The compass was incredibly light even though it was made of a chunk of metal. There were no scratches on it, demonstrating that it was durable beyond measure. It must be made from some amazing material of the advancer world.

The dragon Mystrygon had a mysterious smile on his face. "Follow the compass and you may find some hope. Unfortunately, its maker did not allow me to use it. Perhaps it will work for you. Also, remember to look for the draconic magical arts. The draconic metamorphose bead will give you an internal disposition to many of those magics."

Mystrygon then closed his eyes again for a single breath before letting out a tense exhale. When he opened them, he quickly said, "Our pursuers will arrive here in no time." He flicked his finger, and a droplet of flame flew and caused Rein's discarded clothing to burst into flames.

Mystrygon then opened his mouth wide, taking in a huge breath. When he breathed out, Rein could smell a horrible stench that permeated everything. The dragon had performed all these magical skills to prevent potential pursuers from tracking him or Rein. Luckily for Rein, the compass in his hand activated some type of defense as it vibrated and repelled the stench away from his body. As such, he wouldn't smell.

"Leave. My pursuers are not to be trifled with."

Rein opened his mouth in hesitation, unsure if he should thank this dragon who he still couldn't determine as friend or foe.

As if reading Rein's mind, Mystrygon responded with a wide grin, his sharp teeth giving an unintended menacing quality.

"Oh yes," Mystrygon added. "Before I forget… the draconic metamorphose bead originates from us dragons, and we are considered as a type of demonic beast by you humans. This Fusion Realm is ruled by humans. Now that your core is gradually being changed by the draconic metamorphose bead…"

Mystrygon paused at this point, and Rein himself could not help but do a double-take upon receiving this information.

Alarms bells sounded in his mind. To his knowledge, humans and demon beasts have been at odds since time immemorial. If his body had been transformed by the draconic metamorphose bead, he might appear as a demon to an advancer's senses and testing!

Rein wanted to slam his head into a rock in exasperation. Perhaps this was but the price for obtaining the strength within that metamorphose bead.

Rein did not have much time to think before hearing Mystrygon's dignified rumbly voice again. "Human. If you survive and reach the telekinetic realm… then you can repay your debt to me one day. Just be aware... Many humans that develop with demon beast related materials and techniques often lose their sanity and become fallen devils."

"Ah yes. The will within the bead has accepted you. The bead carried the will of one of my ancient ancestors. I hope you understand that… That must mean something. Don't throw your life away. Farewell, my new friend!"

With that said, Mystrygon threw up a blackish-purple bead that exploded above his head, wrapping both him and his wife in a blackish-purple aurae sphere. He then vanished into the shrinking inter-realm spherical portal, which slowly but gradually dwindled into nothingness.

Rein grumbled inwardly. Debt? Technically, he had already repaid his debt when he saved the two dragon's lives by helping them escape this realm!

Still, he felt satisfied. The dragon's information regarding the effects of the draconic metamorphose bead would be important to his own survival. That was worth any price.

Rein placed the issue of debt to the corner of his mind. After all, even if he wanted to reject the dragon Mystrygon, that dragon's strength demonstrated who the rule-setter was.

There were two key thoughts left inside Rein's mind. If his body is human, but his core is that of a demonic beast, will human advancer techniques work? There was also the question of why humans that advanced using demonic beast techniques would be at risk of becoming fallen devils.

Anyhow, he needed to leave this place-- Mystrygon's pursuers would soon be here. Rein picked up his travel sack and stared into his reflection on the pond.

For a moment, the shimmering surface showed a bandit's face, which returned to Rein's reflection under a slight night breeze. He bitterly laughed in realization.

"I see… I, too, am but a monster."