As time passed, I seemed to have fallen into deep thought. Steel noticed my state but didn’t disturb me. Instead, he gathered some unburned debris from the nearby houses and piled it up like firewood. With a gentle breath, he ignited the pile, and the remnants began to burn.
The crescent moon hung in the sky, emitting a soft silver glow. To everyone's surprise, as the moonlight touched Rang, who was in a contemplative state, he began to absorb it as if he were drawing energy from fire. It seemed Rang could also harness the power of moonlight.
Steel noticed this and murmured to himself, "Not bad for the sorcerer Rang, being able to absorb energy from moonlight." Then, in a slightly sarcastic tone, he added, "With that, why would he even need to eat? He can satisfy his energy needs at any time just by absorbing it from around him..."
The scene shifts to the Alin Mountains, where Steel's parents, Yang and Yin, were feeling puzzled. Their son had been awake for several days, but he had yet to contact them via the communication orb.
As a mother, Yin was starting to feel concerned. "Dear, are you sure our son has woken up? Why hasn't he contacted us through the communication orb?"
Yang was also perplexed. "Could it be that this rascal just wants to have some fun first?" Sensing his partner’s worry, he added, "Don't worry. Even though our child just became an adult, there’s no one on this continent that could threaten his life. He’ll be fine."
Yin replied, "I'm not worried about someone threatening his life. I just find it odd that he hasn’t contacted us. Could something have happened to the communication orb?"
Yang reassured her, "That’s unlikely. He usually keeps the orb inside his belly, so it wouldn’t be damaged. Plus, it’s protected by a powerful tracking spell he cast. If it were lost or broken, he would’ve noticed. Perhaps our son just wants some time to be independent now that he’s grown up. We should stop worrying unnecessarily."
Yin sighed. "Why don't you reach out to him first?"
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Yang responded with a hint of helplessness, "You know the rules of our dragon clan. Once a dragon comes of age, they must find their parents on their own. If they can't, we're not allowed to reach out to them. Keeping a communication orb is already bending the ancestral rules."
"I know, I was just expressing my thoughts. It's alright, we'll wait a little longer."
The moonlight bathed not only the small village but the entire continent of Oran. However, within a 10-kilometer radius around the village, all the moonlight was being absorbed by Rang. Steel, meanwhile, remained quietly by Rang’s side, marveling at his abilities while pondering the loss of the communication orb. He was completely unaware of the concern his parents, thousands of kilometers away, were feeling.
True to his word, Barok’s levitation magic, though just a basic wind spell, had allowed him to continue flying. In the distance, he could already see the faint lights of the next village.
As the moonlight shone down, his flying silhouette cast a long shadow on the ground below. If anyone were to look up at the moon right now, they’d likely be startled. However, the desolate area between the two villages was devoid of any human presence.
Gradually, the moon began to fade. Since the village had no remaining inhabitants, there was no sound of roosters crowing. As the sun slowly rose, its golden rays pierced through the morning mist, casting light on Rang. After a night of stillness, Rang suddenly stretched lazily…
To me, it felt as though I had entered a state of meditation after falling into deep thought—a state even more restful than sleep. In this state, I seemed unaware of the passage of time. However, the energy I absorbed from the moonlight helped restore some of my strength. As the first ray of sunlight touched me, I slowly awakened from my meditation.
“Ah...” I stretched and yawned. “That was refreshing.”
My eyes gradually opened, and my vision became clear.
Steel was half-lying next to the extinguished campfire, sleeping in a way that resembled a dragon even though he was in human form. Amusingly, even when sleeping as a human, he had the habits of a dragon.
I didn’t wake him. Instead, I stood up and stretched again. Looking around, I noticed that the flames that had consumed the village the day before had all gone out, leaving only ruins and rubble. The smell of decay from partially burned bodies began to fill the air. I couldn’t help but worry—would this lead to a plague?
“Greater Purification!” The thought of the spell came to me naturally. As soon as it did, my hand instinctively moved into a casting position, and I quietly chanted the incantation. A few breaths later, a soft, pale-blue ripple of water spread out from me, gently washing over the surrounding area. As the ripple touched the corpses, they disintegrated into dust, and the charred wood also crumbled, becoming part of the earth.
“Uncle, did your memory come back?” Steel, having felt the surge of magic, woke up excitedly and asked.
“I’m not sure. I seem to have instinctively cast the spell, but as soon as I did, I remembered the incantation and how to perform it.” I shook my head. “And when I concentrated just now, I realized that I remember some spells, but definitely not all of them.”
It seemed the moonlight last night had indeed restored some of my memory and abilities. My body also felt a bit more recovered. Strangely, I could sense that I had been in a weakened state yesterday, but the fire, sunlight, and the moonlight throughout the night had helped rejuvenate me.
“Can you remember anything about me?” Steel asked, filled with anticipation.
(To be continued)