The journey to the mountain proved unexpectedly smooth and delightful, particularly as they traversed the thickest part of the forest where Aron found solace, enveloped by the embrace of nature.
Kasumi walked beside him—hiding her new form by magic—, accompanying him every step of the way, refusing to remain in the shadows and miss out on the chance to spend time alone with her Master.
As they strolled, Kasumi suddenly recalled something crucial she had neglected to inform Aron about—more accurately, something she hadn't had the opportunity to mention since she had passed out after the ritual.
"Master, I have something to tell you."
"Hm?" Climbing a small hill in their path, Aron extended a hand to Kasumi which she accepted with a blush.
"What's troubling you, Kasumi?" he inquired, taking advantage of the moment to sit on a fallen tree trunk for a brief respite.
Kasumi drew nearer, settling beside him. "The ritual has bound my soul to yours—a bond that is unbreakable, tying us together for eternity. Even if I were to perish and be reborn, I would still be your shadow."
Aron's warm smile spread as he tenderly planted a kiss on her forehead. "I won't allow you to die, Kasumi. You belong to me, forever."
Kasumi's cheeks flushed at Aron's affectionate gesture, her heart fluttering at his obsessed words which she cherished deeply. Leaning into his touch, she felt a profound sense of belonging and comfort in his presence.
"Thank you, Master. But there's more," she continued.
"Go on," Aron encouraged.
Taking a deep breath, Kasumi gathered her thoughts before proceeding. "Since I'm connected to you on a deeper level, I can feel your soul," she explained, her voice soft but filled with conviction. "I sense your emotions, your thoughts, and even your magic. It's like a part of you resides within me, and vice versa."
"Wow…that's interesting. And handy too," Aron remarked, slightly taken aback. While he had anticipated this development, the depth of their connection surprised him. They could never conceal anything from each other.
"But, Master, what's peculiar is that I sense another presence within your soul besides mine."
Aron's expression shifted to one of intrigue as Kasumi revealed this new information. The notion of another presence within his soul piqued his curiosity and concern simultaneously.
"Another presence? Perhaps Freya?" he speculated.
Kasumi shook her head slowly. "No, Master. Your connection to Freya-dono is through the werewolf mark, not the soul. Furthermore, your connection to this presence is even deeper than mine."
Aron furrowed his brow, pondering Kasumi's words. "Deeper than you," he murmured, attempting to make sense of the situation. Initially, he had suspected it might be the system, but it had denied any involvement, stating that he was not a living being with a soul.
"Could it be someone from my past?" he mused, considering the remaining possibility.
Kasumi nodded thoughtfully. "It's possible, Master. Whatever it is, it feels like it's been with you for a long time."
Aron began to feel a headache coming on from contemplating the various possibilities surrounding this mysterious presence, each more perplexing than the last.
"Ugh! Let's set that aside for now," he grumbled.
"KYAAA!" Kasumi let out a cute scream, as Aron suddenly rose to his feet, scooping her up in a princess carry.
"Master, what are you doing?" Kasumi exclaimed, clinging to his shoulders.
Aron glanced at her, amused by her reaction, prompting Kasumi to blush and bury her face in his chest.
"Heheh~hold on tight," he chuckled before his massive black and red draconic wings unfurled from his back.
With a powerful beat of his wings, Aron lifted off the ground, carrying Kasumi with him as they soared into the sky toward the mountain.
As they ascended higher and higher, the forest below them grew smaller and smaller, until it was nothing more than a lush green carpet stretching out beneath them. The cool mountain air rushed past them, carrying with it the scent of pine and adventure.
Kasumi clung to Aron's shoulders, her heart racing with a blend of fear and excitement. She had never experienced flight before, especially not like this. Yet, despite her initial trepidation, she found herself relishing the exhilarating sensation of being airborne.
'Wait a moment, I have wings too,' Kasumi suddenly remembered the changes brought about by the ritual and Aron's blood.
'I must learn how to fly; this is incredible,' she realized.
As they soared higher, Kasumi's excitement grew, fueled by the realization that she too possessed the ability to fly. She felt a surge of newfound confidence coursing through her veins, eager to embrace this new aspect of herself.
However, she promptly abandoned the idea of revealing her wings and asked Aron to teach her to fly. Why? Because Kasumi knew that if she asked Aron, he would likely toss her from the air without a second thought, expecting her to figure it out on her own.
'Let's remain on the ground. It's much safer,' she decided
With a calculated gaze, Aron identified a suitable landing spot—a small hill in the midst of a mountain clearing—and gently descended toward it. As they touched down on the soft grass, his wings seamlessly retracted into his body.
Kasumi breathed a sigh of relief as her feet once again touched solid ground. Despite the thrill of flying, she couldn't deny the sense of security that came with being back on terra firma.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Approaching a section of the mountain, Aron placed his hand on the rocky surface and uttered a command in a draconic tongue.
"Create a path."
Instantly, the ground beneath Aron's hand rumbled and shifted, cracks appearing as if the mountain itself was responding to his command. Gradually, a cave began to take shape, winding its way through the rugged terrain and delving deeper into the heart of the mountain.
Kasumi watched in astonishment as the earth obeyed Aron's will, shaping itself to create a passage into the mountain's depths. She marveled at his power, feeling a sense of pride and admiration for her Master.
"Let's go,"
With a nod, they entered the newly formed cave. The path was dim, prompting Aron to conjure a flame in his hand to illuminate their way. The flickering flames cast dancing shadows on the cave walls as they ventured deeper into its recesses. The air grew cooler, carrying the musty scent of damp earth and ancient stone.
After approximately five minutes, the narrow passageway opened up into a sizable cavern with lofty ceilings and jagged walls. Bathed in a faint, mystical glow emanating from clusters of luminescent crystals embedded in the stone, the cavern exuded an ethereal ambiance.
"It's beautiful," Kasumi gasped in awe at the spectacle before her. The ethereal glow of the crystals cast a mesmerizing display of colors across the cavern walls, creating an enchanting atmosphere.
Aron's eyes gleamed with wonder and determination as he surveyed the cavern.
'Was the mountain hollow or my words of power made it hollow?' he pondered briefly before setting aside the thought. He had more pressing matters to attend to—the reason for this journey.
Checking his status.
…
[Status]
Name: ????
Race: Dragon
Level: 19
Experience: 4500/4500
Class: ????
Health: 400/400
Mana: 250/250
Strength: 40
Stamina: 25
Agility: 23
[Dragon Core: 378/1000]
…
Yes, his level was locked. The system had done so to prevent the second seal from breaking.
In its assessment, Aron's body had sustained significant damage to his organs and mana veins due to the forced transformation. Although the system had healed the damage, Aron's human form would not withstand the power he would gain from breaking the second seal—a limitation inherent to his mortal form.
In the system's own words: [You must evolve beyond the capabilities of human flesh.]
The good news was that Aron possessed an instinctual knowledge of how to evolve, how to reshape his form, and augment his strength.
Crouching in the center of the cavern, Aron placed his hand on the ground once more, speaking in the draconic tongue.
"Lava."
As Aron uttered the word "Lava" in the ancient draconic tongue, a low rumble echoed through the cavern, followed by a subtle shift in the ground beneath his hand. Slowly, a fissure began to form, snaking its way across the rocky floor before widening into a gaping chasm.
With a sudden surge of heat, molten lava bubbled up from the depths below, filling the cavern with its fiery glow. The air grew thick with the smell of sulfur as the molten rock cascaded down the sides of the chamber, forming a pool of liquid fire at Aron's feet.
Kasumi watched in awe as the lava flowed forth, mesmerized by the raw power and beauty of the elemental force unleashed by her Master's command. The glow of the molten rock cast flickering shadows across the rough walls of the cavern, bathing the chamber in an eerie, otherworldly light.
"Kasumi, guard the entrance. Ensure no one disturbs me," Aron instructed as he began to remove his clothing.
Kasumi nodded, positioning herself at the entrance of the cavern, her senses keen and her focus unwavering. Her shadow stretched across the path leading to the mountain entrance. It was the ideal environment to unleash her newly unblocked magic.
She smiled, seeing her shadow covering the whole path.
'Thanks to my Master, my mana is rapidly growing,' she noted with satisfaction.
As a Shadow, Kasumi's mana pool underwent rapid changes to mirror her Master's. Whether she was weaker or stronger than Aron, once the ritual was complete and the bond formed between Shadow and Master, Kasumi would possess the same mana pool as her Master.
In a way, it was both a blessing and a curse. If the Shadow ended up with a weak Master, they were doomed, as ending the contract was difficult and considered taboo by the clan. However, if the Master was powerful, the Shadow would grow stronger alongside him.
'I'm glad to have a Dragon as my Master,' Kasumi remarked proudly, watching as her Master slowly immersed himself in the pool of lava.
Aron's body, infused with draconic power, seemed to be in harmony with the molten lava rather than harmed by it. As he stepped into the pool of liquid fire, he felt the heat wash over him. Yet, instead of burning him, it invigorated him, empowering him with the primal energy of the earth itself.
The molten lava seemed to recognize him as one of its own, accepting him into its fiery embrace without resistance. Aron could feel the energy of the lava coursing through his veins; he took a deep breath and immersed himself fully.
Gradually, his vision faded to black as his consciousness drifted away.
…
It's been nearly a month since I started living with these people. To my surprise, they accepted me quickly save for one, and the reason was that I kept challenging him to a constant of who's got the biggest D. Yet he kept avoiding me.
Tsk Coward.
Lirael and Dwaba also helped smooth my way into this exiled group.
Life here was rugged, relying on Mother Nature for food and water; they were able to survive for a few years. However, this all changed when one day a wagon passed near our territory.
From what I learned, raiding wagons never happened, and the exiled just let them pass, fearing the wrath of the Sunborn. Yet this time was different; food was running low, and some old men got sick from living in caves for so long.
Lirael, as the leader of this Exiled group, suggested raiding this wagon for supplies, which all agreed on.
Then an idea came to me that would greatly help me get some revenge on the Sunborn. When I presented it to Lirael, he eagerly agreed to implement it.
My suggestion was straightforward: during the raid, after releasing the driver, I would position myself nearby, adorned in paladin armor, allowing the driver to spot me.
It came to my knowledge that most caravans and wagons hailed from neighboring kingdoms, and Solara Sanctum's relationship with some of them was tenuous.
We executed this plan more than ten times. Sometimes, I acted as a guard, halting wagons for inspection, and providing an opportunity for a surprise assault.
It was fun to play the bad guy.
The damage was done to Solara; we learned from a traveling merchant that rumors of some paladins raiding caravans and plundering the goods were circulating in the city, and envoys from two kingdoms were dispatched to Solara Sanctum to investigate.
YES! Eat that, you golden assholes.
Sadly, the fun came to an end when the paladin armor gradually lost its luster. The once-white and gold metals faded to gray overnight. Lirael explained that paladins actively infused their armor with holy magic to maintain its enchantments. And since I lacked holy magic, the armor degraded over time.
However, even this didn't stop us from raiding wagons. We persisted two more times, with the third one being the ending one. We didn't expect that the two wagons we targeted were full of knights.
It happened so fast; the knights were monsters, clad in armor similar to that of 15th-century British knights adorned with the symbol of a glowing sunburst behind a majestic unicorn. They overwhelmed our group and captured most of us, including myself.
"Leo, are you all right?" a voice called out.
I turned, scanning the people inside this massive metal cage, and I spotted Lirael crawling toward me.
"I'm fine, Lirael. Who are they?" I inquired, pointing at the Knights.
The elf settled beside me, resting on the metal cage. "They are the Knights of Avaloria. We likely raided one of their caravans."
Damn, that sucks, a full squad of angry knights came hunting our asses.
"What happens now? Are we going to rot in some dungeon?" I asked, well aware of how bandits and raiders were typically treated throughout history.
Lirael sighed heavily before responding, "It's worse, Leo. We're to be sent to The Frostguard Keep to serve in the ancient order of the watchers, safeguarding their kingdom."
"That doesn't sound too bad," I remarked, earning a blank stare from Lirael.
"We're going to be eaten by monsters, Leo."
"Oh, Fuck."