Chapter 9

“Where is that winch!!!” said Vasbokh enraged and threatening.

 Perzahar appeared in front of him saying

“You are in the presence of our Overlord. Respect is the least you can do so lower your voice Vasbokh”.

Vasbokh then sighed and said. Looking at the being sitting on a throne

“Pardon me my overlord. But I was told a lie and I hate being lied to…”

“Explain yourself Vasbokh.” Said the Overlord

After gaining some composure Vasbokh spoke about the event that unfolded

“...Then a kid with the eye of the wise showed up.”

Once the Overlord heard this statement he unconsciously grabbed the right side of his chest. Where a wound that never healed was present.

“Essithia…”called the Overlord. Then a figure showed up

She was a greater devil. Just below the strength of the devil lords but her power resided in clairvoyance and illusions.

She had a slime figure almost an hourglass shape and looked fairly beautiful. He black hair and pale blue skin color made her look like a temptress her chest was bountiful and her allure was dangerous. She had one horn sprouting from her forehead like an Oni.

She was wingless but she had a tail that swung from left to right.

“Yes my overlord” said the she-devil

“Did you not give us news that the Ashurian had died?”

She replied while bowing her head while some of her hair fell down and covered a part of her face, she did not bother fixing it as it would be disrespectful to the overlord. No one would be in their right mind if they think that their personal beauty should be more important than answering the Overlord. Even if it would take but a second. The woman answered

“Yes my lord. I felt the light of the anomaly that resided within the Ashurian and the Ashurian himself fade from the world.”

“Hmm…it was our own decision to send the anomaly to possess him. We needed that devil back…although incomplete if he had obtained the eye he might have regained some of his power, after all they are both of the same linage…” said the Overlord.

“It is true my Overlord but why should we do so? Wouldn’t he regain his memories if we did so…wouldn’t he try to rebel again?”

“I tamed him once and I could tam him again…but now we need to know how come someone else is using that eye.” Said the overlord.

Another Devil lord spoke this time it was Lerdakh, this one was a mystery to almost all those present at the room except for the Overlord who fully knew of him.

He was wearing a black veil that covered almost all of his body while shading his face under darkness. He had a weapon at his right, it was a scythe almost too big to be of use as it towered over him with its curved blade being more than two meters long. The blade was jagged and toothed from the middle of the blade then smoothed out the rest of the way to the tip. While the pole holding it was curving like an S shape it was still looking too big for the slim man under the veil.

“My Overlord” the man spoke yet his voice was deep and sounded old. Then added. “If what the oracle is saying is true, then this leaves only two explanations. One being that there was someone else other than an Ashurian with the Eye of the wise and this was not foretold so it is unlikely. And two being that the Ashurian truly did die and his eye was then given to this new boy that Vasbokh spoke about. However in either cases I think that our invasion should be put to a halt until we fully know the truth behind this. We still have many minions beyond the borders and they could give us whatever information we need in due time.”

“Indeed” said the Overlord. “Then so be it. I do not want to risk our long awaited return to a wielder of the eye of the wise. Especially since some of the Guardians are still alive.”

Vasbokh then spoke saying

“I don’t believe in these things…why should we fear the unknown? And act depending on the foretelling of the future from this winch…”

Essithia then spoke saying

“When did my foretelling ever go wrong? Thankfully this time even though I had foreseen our fall it was by the hand of the same Ashurian that is now no longer of this world. At least this time we can act as we see fit without calling for the wrath of a decadent of a god.”

Perzahar then spoke

“Can you use your ability again Essithia?”

“What do you mean Perzahar, are you not one to believe me as well?”

“Not at all but just to make sure.”

Essithia’s lips curled over in a smile and said in a bewitching way

“It is a pleasure to do your bidding my lord.”

She then began to chant in an incomprehensible voice using the old words

Her eyes turned white then she began to speak.

“A crownless king shall be, the one that challenges thee. For he shall bring misery, upon those that dare cross he. The Ashurian shall reign forever, bringing forth an army from heaven. The guardians shall be his blade to slaughter those he had raid. The Ashurian then will prevail showing path to the world from hail.”

The atmosphere around her turned back to normal then she said

“So what do you think my lord?”

Perzahar then said

“It seems that the prophecy remain unchanged…perhaps there is another Ashurian? No, we were assured that the last one had died. It is probably temporary…I think the prophecy is linked to the wielder of the eye although this may be but a hunch we need to get our hands on it.”

“Indeed, but nevertheless we shall wait for the report of those that stayed.”

“Understood” said Perzahar.

The Overlord then waved his hand making everyone understand that they were no longer needed in his presence. So they all began to leave until he said

“Not you Lerdakh.”

Lerdakh then stopped and waited until everyone left before he faced the overlord again.

“Tell me something Lerdakh, when was the last time you spoke to the Everlasting Silence?”

“It’s been more than a thousand year my Overlord.”

“Try and speak to him again. All those that passed away must first go through him. Even us one day. He is the only one to truly know if the Ashurian truly did die.”

“I will do so my Overlord but…”

“I know…the cost will be great, however no matter what he asks. Provide!”

“I shall do so my Overlord.” Then Lerdakh too left the throne as he understood that that was the only thing the Overlord needed of him.

***

“Perzahar…”

“What is it Vasbokh?”

“You know fully that I do not trust Lerdakh with the Overlord. You know full well that we use death magic as a weapon while he worships it. I cannot trust someone like that with our Overlord.”

“Perzahar sighed at the concern that Vasbokh showed but then said

“Even if he truly is a devotee to the Everlasting silence he will never dare cross the Overlord. He know too well how strong our lord is.”

“Nothing is assured. Did you forget how ‘he’ was thought to not be a threat to our Overlord and he still managed to wound him. The wound of that day is yet to heal.”

“Do not bring the past. That one was an anomaly. Lerdakh is loyal although he is a worshiper of death.”

“If I see Lerdakh even attempting something on our Lord I will be the one to bring him down.”

“Not if I was first. So do not worry Vasbokh. I know you are loyal but stop being paranoid.”

***

“Gyaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh”

I screamed my lungs out for an entire day without signs of the pain ever receding. The dragon had said that the digestion process of the heart will be painful but this pain makes what happened to me when I tried to gain back my body from possession like being tickled with a feather.

“Good your body is beginning to accept the power of a dragon.”

Power my ass I will be dead before I can even use this power.

My breath was cutting short and my heart rate rose. I was almost hearing the pounding of my own heart and the veins on my body pulsed with power. It was like a dam was breaking through from every vein I had.

I turned on the ground squirming and wriggling in an attempt to reduce the pain, but my body would only grow hot that steam began to be released from the pores of my flesh.

Thankfully the pain only lasted for few more hours…

Now huffing loudly I tried to stand back up but every fiber of my being began to hurt the moment I even thought of making a movement.

 Gave up and decided to just remain laying on the ground. Even breathing proved to be painful but I suffered through it.

“You now have the body of a dragon Youngling. However you will be needing to sustain it. So rest well and once you wake up we shall discuss more serious matters”

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I closed my eyes after that not even caring for the things this being called serious. The amount of pain and exhaustion I suffered was enough to force me to sleep for years.

…

I woke up later. While not knowing how much time had actually passed but taking a look at my body condition I saw that I was covered with hardened and dry layers of blood. It seems that I have been sleeping for a long time. My body was feeling rather…normal nothing too different except for the fact that I am feeling a bit hungry and perched.

“Finally you had awakened. Youngling.” Said the towering dragon. Now seeing him up close and without the adrenalin pumping I saw that he was damn huge.

“So Drakhsis-san how long had I been asleep?”

“Huh. You slept for thirty turns. I even feared that you had died in your sleep.”

“Thirty? You mean I slept for thirty days how the hell is that even possible!!”

Considering the fact that I have not died from dehydration and malnutrition this was hard to believe

The dragon then spoke to me but I noticed something that I have been missing the entire time.

He never moved his jaw.

“Eating the dragon’s heart had provided nutrients for your body this entire time. As for the other matter you are thinking of it is that I am speaking directly to your mind youngling. if I ever did use my voice you would have died from the power I hold in me. You are most fortunate that the Arvion had lost his mind otherwise he would have killed you with but a word.”

…

“Do not look so shocked we are dragons, even gods dare not cross us.”

Now that you mention it I took a look at the body of the fallen dragon. It was still in the same position that I left it at. But strangely if what Drakhsis had said to be true why didn’t his body rot?

“The flesh of dragons do not rot. We are beings of power and magic and in this world what is made of magic is only consumed or transferred. This dragon’s body I left is for you and you alone as you will be needing sustenance. The serpents had left as they saw that the heart was consumed. You may be targeted if you exit the mountain range as you are now still weak but still hold the power of the heart. Your strength is comparable to a hatchling so be patient and wait.”

“Well I don’t really have a reason to leave I actually came here to meet you.” I said while fixing my posture. It is amazing that the dragon is able to speak directly through my mind. I experienced this with Osfor-sensei…it must be similar.

“That and this are two different things youngling.”

…my thoughts are no longer mine it seems.

“Hahaha…it’s been a long time since I last laughed. I thank you for this. But to more serious matters. Why are you hosting a devil in your body if you are a descendant of god?”

He probably is thinking of the thing I made a contract with…

“You do not need to answer. I will find out on my own”

Once he said those words I felt an immense vertigo and my head began to spin. I felt that the dragon is inside my consciousness, he began to go through my entire life in matter of seconds.

He then spoke in a melancholic way

“Hmm…the world above had turned sour…so much hatred so much pain…I cannot understand why the overseers would let something like this happen. But this was your race’s fault to begin with. You should not have challenged them…hmmm the wheel of hatred is still spinning and you humans are forever stuck within it. If none of you let go of their pain it will always come back to haunt others. Vengeance is never the way, to pardon when offended and to forgive when wronged is the way of a benevolent being, being all powerful is meaningless if you have no one to protect.”

I have no idea what he is speaking about.

The dragon’s tone became much more serious saying

“You too, Young Asura. You have a lot of hatred within you, hatred that is unjustified and baseless, it is true that you have been wronged by some of the humans but one of them did only what they thought to be right…yet you still treat people that only defended themselves and brand them as traitors…humans are fickle thing. They always dictate themselves to be true and everyone else to be in the wrong.”

Is he talking about her?

“Most importantly, let me ask you a question. Do you really want to leave the void? And if so…why? What do you have to gain going back to a world where most want you dead and the rest care not for your survival? Is it only to prove them that you still live? If so then it is but a feeble reasoning and is not worth the power you are given. So think and give me your answer once you see fit. If I found your answer to be lacking. You will die here and the power you just consumed shall be mine to call upon another one from the world beyond.”

After hearing this I understood two things. First of all I actually agree with the dragon, do I really have to leave this place? If so for what reason? It is quite a convincing argument if I may say. And secondly I understood that it was not me that managed to open a pathway to the void when I was in that dump. So I asked the dragon for more explanation

“So it was you that brought me from outside the void…how? And why?”

“I am a primordial dragon and in this place my power is limited. While I could open the pathway to the outside world I cannot leave. The Overseers forbad me from leaving, not until you humans and demons could sort out your differences. Or kill each other. As for why it was because of you youngling. Although I cannot leave with my own power. You managed to open way to the void and if I exit by your hand I would not be breaking the laws of the Overseers. However, now that you lost your gift, I cannot leave; unless you claim it back.”

“Then tell me Drakhsis-san who are these overseers and what do you mean by claim it back?”

The dragon then spoke as if remembering an old past.

“The overseers are rulers of worlds. They however only interfere when the entirety of a race is about to be extinct. They are protectors of life and also the judges of this world. They are far stronger than gods and were here and will stay here until time itself perishes.”

Okay…

“As for claiming back the eye it is quite possible. You only need to leave this place and get it back then open a passage for me from outside.”

“And how do I do that” I dumbly said

“You need to clear every floor on the crucible”

“I might as well paint the sun in black” I said

“You dare mock me Human?”

“No but what you are asking is madness. I know that with this new enhancement of yours I got a bit stronger but clearing all one hundred floors is impossible. Even my master stopped at the fifty floor and told me that it would be considered utter madness if one were to go beyond that. I know my limits and without that eye to help me I don’t think I could clear the first twenty five.”

“You ridicule yourself too much youngling. When have you began to rely on that Eye? Your whole life has been but the way of the blade and now that you tasted the power of that gift you began to think yourself weaker without it. No, I shall be the one to teach you the might and true power you could obtain. Even without that Eye.”

“Then there it is.”

“What do you mean youngling?”

“That would be the reason for me to leave this place. Teach me. And I will promise to set you free.”

“That is not fair. You need to give me your own reason for leaving something that you and only you wish to accomplish.”

“alright let me think of one, but while we are waiting why not teach me if you said power is transferred in this world it makes no problem for you to teach me how to become stronger. In the end I either leave with this power once my answer is satisfying or I die with all of it and you take it to your need.”

“Very well. But before we could start you need to wash up and eat. We will begin soon after”

He may be old but he is a quick thinker.

I then started walking toward the lake, yet something was strange. My body was relaxed but I still felt tremendous dormant power within. I wonder what would happen if I try this.

I made a fist and used the offensive earth shattering blow on the ground below.

Results

The earth in a diameter of almost ten meters around me caved in.

I turned to look at the dragon and he then said

“That is not even a fraction of your true potential, wash up and eat, then we will see how to make you even stronger”

I was too shocked to comment back on what he just said. And frankly I did not even put all my effort into that strike I feared that my bones might still not be fully healed so I held back but damn this is amazing.

I washed up in the near lake and wore back my cloth they seem to be a bit tighter then the last time I wore them but right after that thought crossed me the clothes became looser and accommodated themselves to my new size. Yes my body became a tidy bit buffer it seems that I gained a bit more muscle mass. But it was barely noticeable.

“Oh you still have that. It seem that it had lost some of its power. Come here” said Drakhsis

It seems that he was talking about the cloth I am wearing.

Once I was close enough Drakhsis plucked a scale from his right arm using his claws but another scale instantly replaced the old one. He threw it in front of me and it was damn huge. At least one meter diameter.

“Place your hand on it”

Once I did so I felt the heat and power of the scale transferring to my cloths.

The scale disappeared by my cloth gained a new sheen and glistened with energy for a moment.

“Now it is as hard as a dragon’s scale. And believe me there are few metals in the world that are capable of piercing through our scale”

“Thank you for the gift” I said

Drakhsis then said

“Before we start you need to eat. Begin by feasting on the fallen Arvion. Eat as much as you could of his flesh, not until you are satisfied that we shall commence.”

I did so and although that the meat was not as delicious as was the heart it was still too damn satisfying. However I remembered one thing but before I could utter a word

“Worry not, what happened when you eat the heart won’t happen again so eat until you are satisfied.”

And so I did. And I did so ravenously. I began with the dragon’s chest meat it was quite delicious and the fluids and meat would be sucked into my mouth as if I was drinking water. They melted the second I thought of eating it.

It took me a couple of hours until I felt satisfied, but looking at the body of this thing it would take me months before I could finish all of it.

Then I remembered something

“Drakhsis-san what is that jewel over Arvion’s head”

“That is something of this world. It is caused by the dark star. The energy from that star is given to creatures. Those who refuse it would remain sane like the wolves you had met, they only hunt by night and hide during the day. As for the rest of the creatures you meet by day they all absorb the star’s energy and in time it makes them stronger but corrupts their brains, that dragon over there sought power to exit this world and he did so with gathering unwholesome amount of energy from that dark star…however he turned mad before he could even use its power to free himself. You would have turned the same if you took more time getting to me”

Oh damn…

“Is it possible to harness the power of these jewels?”

“No, but they have their uses. Now that you have finished your meal I will send you to do something for me. Consider this the first part of your training.”

“Ok I am listening” I said

“Alright, now do you remember the time you saw those earth dwellers, you called the beetles.”

“Yes I remember”

“Bring me the male’s horn”

“Huh? Male? Horn? How could I know?”

“The male is the one that has only one horn while the female has clutching jaws. You have three days”

“Euh come again? Three what?”

“Three days I said now hurry up, if you are not back here by time I shall devour you.”

“Devour me? I mean common it took me more than one month just to get from that point to here and you want me to go all the way back there and come back in three days…aren’t you a bit too harsh”

“Time is ticking…”said Drakhsis in a mocking tone.

“Argh. God damn it.”

I turned and began to run. I thought that his request was absurd I mean common three days this is insane does he know how far that place is…but before I could even register what I was thinking I saw something wired.

A few moments ago I was near Drakhsis who was all the way in the middle of the green patch near the lack…now I am at the top of the mountain. Exactly at the place where I first was when I was seeing the inside of the mountain for the first time. How the hell did this happen?

Soon after I heard Drakhsis saying

“Your new body is that of a dragon, in this you have the strength of one, thus the speed you have now. Now tell me isn’t three days more than enough time? I think I should make it less.”

I hastily answered

“NO, NO, you are most generous with that time I will do my best.”

I then began to run before he changed his mind.

I often received some absurd request from master Greetman but this dragon is outdoing him.

It took me no less than a day and a half to make it all the way back to where I first saw the beetles. I then looked at the remains of their carnage. It was in fact nothing but rotten flesh at this moment. It seems that what Drakhsis said was true only dragons do not rot. I then followed the same direction at where they were headed. It seems that I can no longer track them via their footprints as wind had mostly covered all their tracks. However something is strange.

I can feel exactly where they are. And they are actually not that far from here.

I took a small detour and continued on following my hunch.

Although going at a speed enough to break the sound barrier I never felt tiered or fatigued.

Is this what power is supposed to be like?

How come there are things far stronger than this…it is a mystery that one day I will have to solve…or face.

After a few more moments I began to ‘smell’ those things. I slowed down reaching an area that had few hills surrounding a huge hole underground.

Once I took a look at the giant chasm I saw them. Hundreds of those said beetles gathered there. But the smell that was coming from that place was disgusting.

Until I figured out the reason behind it.

One of the beetles this one with two fangs so a female was rolling a giant ball made of dung and half eaten bodies of dead animals.

I did not want to waste more time so I searched for the closest male of the lot and jumped at him.

I buffed myself a bit and struck at his carapace with an earth shattering blow.

Results

Not a damn scratch, however now that I made myself known to the entire hive…they all began to hiss and screech. Soon after they were all chasing me...quite anti climatic isn’t it…