Chapter 7: Dragon seal

I shut my eyes instinctively, bracing for whatever was coming next, and waited for the blinding light to fade.When I finally cracked my eyes open, I was pretty sure I was seeing things—gone was the dark, dreary cave. Instead, I found myself standing in the middle of a sparkly, palace-like room, complete with plush couches that looked like something straight out of a royal receiving room. The whole place was blinged out with gold—walls, floor, ceiling—and even tiny diamonds sparkled in the ceiling like it was no big deal.But honestly? The real shocker wasn't the fancy room (although, seriously, I could get used to this). It was the man sitting on one of those couches. He was a man, with jet-black hair and eyes that were so dark they practically swallowed the light. I had to blink a couple of times just to make sure he wasn't a hallucination.I can't take my gaze away from him; despite having commoner's features, he manages to look exceedingly gorgeous. His beauty is comparable to that of my father and Mister Detemir. He also appeared to be young, about the same age as Brother Cal."What dost thou stand there for? Sit thee down," the man ordered, matching the Dragon's voice in my brain.I stared at him, trying to make sense of his strange words. The ancient tone was familiar but foreign, like something I'd read in old texts but never quite understood. "You were the Dragon earlier?" I questioned, without thinking.He blinked slowly, as though amused by my confusion. "Yes, human," he responded matter-of-factly.so Dragons can change their form! similar to what I've read in other novels AmazingI made my way to the couch, practically collapsing into its soft cushions. The moment I sat down, I felt the ache in the back of my thighs hit like a ton of bricks. I couldn't help but wince and squirm a little—seriously, who knew sitting down could hurt so much?But just as I was about to groan, I felt this warm, tingling energy wrap around me. It was like a cozy, invisible blanket, and all that painful throbbing turned into this weird, itchy feeling. Before I knew it, the pain was completely gone.I looked at my hand, half-expecting to see some weird magical burn or something, but instead, I was amazed to see that the small cuts from crawling through that tiny hole earlier had completely disappeared. Like, poof! Gone. No blood, no scarring—nothing. Now, I was starting to think this dragon might actually have some pretty cool perks."Thank you," I whispered as I examined my arms and feet, but the Dragon did not respond, so I raised my head to look at him and saw him gazing at me puzzledly."Thou hast no mana; thou hast no mana in thy blood, yet thou art still alive," he said, his voice deep and rumbling.I blinked, staring at him for a few moments. What did that even mean? "Mana?" I muttered to myself, furrowing my brows. I sat there, puzzling over his words for a good few minutes—honestly, trying to decode dragon-speak was like trying to read a foreign language in a foggy mirror.Mana is required for survival; everything in this world has it, including those who cannot wield magic. It's like a life force or vitality, right? So, I was basically getting told I didn't have any... but I was still alive? That didn't make any sense.I stared at him, still a little lost. "Wait... what? Are you telling me I don't have mana?" I asked, half expecting him to laugh and say it was some weird dragon joke. But he just stared at me, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.I contemplated the literature I'd read during the last 16 years, and none of it mentioned such a thing. That's when I realized there's just one reason I don't have mana and don't need mana to live. It could be because I come from another world, one without mana. Other than that, there is no other explanation for my condition that would makes sense.The Dragon examined me from head to toe, his eyes scanning me like I was some sort of weird insect specimen. I felt a little like a bug under a magnifying glass, so I decided to distract myself by looking around the golden room instead.Honestly, it was so shiny I felt like I'd walked into a dragon's version of a jewelry store—minus the cash register. Everything sparkled, but nothing screamed "unique"—except for the wall behind the Dragon. It was gold, obviously (because why wouldn't it be?), but what made it stand out was the crazy amount of weird writings engraved on it.It looked like someone tried to make a crossword puzzle for dragons, and honestly, I was tempted to give it a go. Maybe if I squinted hard enough, I could turn it into a really expensive, gilded doodle."None shall pass?" I murmured, my gaze fixed on the words I can barely read at this distance.The Dragon noticed that I was staring at the wall and followed my gaze."Canst thou read that?" he mused"huh? ah yes," I responded, glancing at him.He appeared happy, curious, suspicious, and insane all at the same time."Truly? And didst thou understand it?" he enquired, and I simply nodded."Oh, just when I thought thee to be useless for thy weakness!" he exclaimed.I gave him a quizzical look."You can't read it?" I questioned."I may be a magnificent being, yet there are still things which I know not." he muttered in a low voice seemingly embarrassed.When I looked at the wall again, I noticed that the words were written in the English alphabets of Earth."So, what doth it say? Did it speak of breaking a seal?" the Dragon asked."Seal?" I asked.The Dragon hesitated to tell me something at first, eyeing me like I was trying to steal his gold. But the moment his mistrust melted away, But as soon as he stopped doubting me, he gave me this super serious stare, like he was ready to make a life-changing decision.How does a Dragon make so many faces like a human? It's like he's been practicing in front of a mirror."I have been sealed within these confines for an age, though I know not how long. I ceased to reckon the days, for time may not be measured here. A man whom I once trusted hath sealed me in this place, and I believed he sought to bring my end by hunger. Yet, as the years did pass, I felt neither hunger nor weariness, nor the need for rest. I remained in perfect state the whole while."I blinked, trying to untangle the words in my mind. Sealed? Reckon? Hunger and weariness? The language felt like a heavy cloak I could barely wrap my thoughts around. I glanced up at him, my brow furrowed in confusion."Wait, what's all this about 'sealed' and 'reckon'? Are you telling me you've just been stuck here for... ever?" I asked, trying to make sense of his old-fashioned speech. Who uses 'wot' anyway?He gave me a look, his eyes narrowing slightly, like he was waiting for me to figure it out. I fumbled with the words, the meaning barely forming in my mind, before I just nodded, pretending I understood."Alright, so you're... still here, not starving, not tired? That's... nice?" I said, though I was half sure I was still missing something important.The Dragon's gaze remained fixed on me, and for a moment, I could've sworn I saw a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Thou art most perplexing," he said, as though I were the one who was confusing, not him.I blinked, still trying to wrap my brain around what he was saying. "Perplexing? You're the one talking like an ancient scroll. Who even speaks like this anymore?"He chuckled—a low, rumbling sound. "Aye, 'tis true. My speech may seem... archaic, yet it carries with it truths unknown to many."I sighed, rubbing my temples as if that would help clear the fog in my mind. "Okay, okay, let's break this down. You've been stuck in here, not starving—which, okay, fine—but why? Why not just, I don't know, leave? If you can't be hungry, can you at least be free?"The Dragon gave a slow, thoughtful nod, as if contemplating how best to explain things to a confused mortal. "Thy understanding is... quaint. It seems thy mind struggles to grasp the fullness of the matter."I stared at him, still processing his words like they were some kind of riddle. "Yeah, well, maybe it's 'cause you talk like you're in a poetry contest or something. Can you just say it simpler? I'm trying my best here."He let out another chuckle, shaking his head slightly, as if he found my frustration amusing. "Thou art far more entertaining than I expected, human.""Did it speak aught?" He asked againHere's the continuation:I looked at the wall again and read the entire inscription loudly, trying to make sense of it all:"None shall pass, none shall leave; the Dragon Seal shall only break when the chosen one appears at the appointed time."I paused, staring at the words. It didn't quite feel like a riddle, but something about it was nagging at me. Then, my eyes fixed on the phrase: 'None shall pass.'If the seal was made to stop beings from going in and out, then how did I get in here? Was this some sort of glitch in the system?"Hey, was there a time that someone other than me, arrived in here?" I asked, my voice tinged with curiosity and suspicion.The Dragon, who seemed utterly unbothered by my questions, replied coolly, "There was none before thee, little human."I opened my mouth, ready to raise my concern with him, but before I could say anything more, something strange happened.Out of nowhere, a semi-transparent window appeared in front of me for a split second. I blinked, trying to focus on it as it flickered. On it, words—strangely computerized—began to scroll across the screen."Did... did that just...?" I whispered, my mind racing. Was this some kind of weird magic? Or was it something else entirely?----------------------------------------Notification:You have unlocked the ability to release the Dragon's seal.The white Dragon's lair is protected by a formidable seal, preventing any entry or exit. This seal is sustained by the combined mana and life energy of the reincarnator, Caden.Time Limit: ∞

Conditions to Break the Seal:

Reincarnator No Magic CoreRewards:Magic Core of Caden Caden's Last WillA contract with the white DragonWould you like to begin the test?[YES] [NO]____________________________Here's the continuation with the added tension:As soon as I read the words, they vanished from the window like smoke, leaving only the last question and choices hanging in the air. I blinked, trying to wrap my head around what had just happened. Was this some kind of... test?"I believe I know how to break the seal," I said, my voice a bit more confident now.The Dragon's face lit up, and without warning, he clapped his hands together. "Very well! I shall give thee all my treasures in exchange for releasing the seal!" His grin was wide, almost mischievous, as though he expected me to jump at the offer.But before I could agree or even entertain the thought of hoarding dragon treasure, one question nagged at me."Before that, the human who confined you in here, was his name Caden?" I inquired, my voice steady but curious.The moment I said the name, the Dragon's expression, which had been happy just moments before, shifted. It darkened, his eyes narrowing with a sudden, palpable fury."Yes," he replied, his voice cold, his eyes brimming with wrath. "Caden."I could feel the tension thickening in the air, as if the very mention of the name had unleashed something deeper—something dangerous."Before you get angry, I think you should know that he gave his life to create this seal," I explained quickly, trying to defuse the situation before things escalated further.The Dragon man froze, his expression shifting into one of confusion. He gave me another quizzical look, like I had just spoken in a language he didn't understand.I was just as perplexed. I assumed they had a bad relationship—so why would he sacrifice himself for a seal? The more I thought about it, the more my brain started to ache with the contradictions.If he gave up his life for this seal, then what's it really for? There had to be some sort of purpose behind it, but what was it? And if Caden had done that, what did that make him? A hero? A villain? It made no sense at all.I glanced back at the Dragon man. His face was a swirl of emotions, changing faster than I could track. It was like his thoughts were running a marathon in his mind.I stared at him for a moment longer before turning my attention back to the window. A strange impulse took over, and I thought the word 'yes' in my mind, like I was agreeing to something unseen.The words on the window flickered, and I had the distinct feeling that something big was about to happen. But what?____Updating . . .Update complete!Your skills are unqualified to break the seal, the seal is being updatedUpdating . . .update completeA dragon seal is a seal that seals the white Dragon and the reincarnator inside a lair, preventing anything or anybody from entering or leaving. The seal is created from the Reincarnator Caden's mana and life energy.Conditions to break the seal:-Defeat the DragonRewards:-Caden's last will-a contract with the white DragonYou have acquired the partial reward for passing the first condition!Rewards: -Magic core of Caden Synchronizing with the system. . .Update complete!You have acquired Caden's Magic Core!Replacement of magic core updateUpdating . . .System shutting down for updateSystem will shut down in 20 secondsafter reading the last window pop up, I felt something move in my body and then an excruciating pain followed"AH," I gasped, after feeling like I'd been punched in the gut.It feels like someone's gotten inside my body and decided to play tug-of-war with my internal organs. There's this strange sensation, like something's growing inside me—slowly, painfully—twisting and stretching, as if my insides are being rearranged. My blood vessels are doing their own chaotic dance, expanding and contracting, like they can't decide whether to burst or shrink back into nothingness. The heat spreads from my gut, creeping up through every part of me, and my blood feels like it's boiling, the pressure rising until I swear it's going to explode. The pain is almost too much to handle, like every inch of me is on fire, yet I can't stop it. It's excruciating."Hey, human! What doth transpire? Art thou well?" I hear the Dragon's panicked voice.Out of sheer frustration and the excruciating pain I was in, I snapped at him, "Speak properly, like a normal person! I'm already dying over here, and you expect me to decode whatever nonsense you're saying in my head, you big old lizard!"It was like my brain had just decided to pack up and leave. My consciousness slipped away, and before I knew it, everything went black. I was out cold.But just as I was about to drift off completely, my blurry vision caught the words:Update complete.