NOVEL NEXT Chapter 208
In a brief moment, countless scenes flashed through my mind—fragments of books I briefly skimmed while living in the Mage Tower.
Magic is the power to summon mysteries that don’t exist in this world by infusing mana with the user’s wishes. Therefore, magic is omnipotent. This is an undeniable fact, proven by the many wizards who showcase it.
However, souls were different. As if there were a rule set in stone, it was impossible to resurrect the dead using magic.
Thus, the wizards found another way. They bound the dead’s souls using magic employed by demons, keeping those souls trapped within the bodies they once inhabited.
Thus was born the first dark magic—resurrection of the undead.
They are revived but are not truly alive. Their souls remain eternally trapped in this land while their bodies continue to decay.
Once halted, a heart does not beat again.
Deficiency. Negative emotions arise in a chain reaction. The undead, having lost their reason and left only with instinct, could not escape these emotions.
Deficiency soon gave birth to jealousy, igniting hatred in the undead toward the living.
What if that undead resurrection was triggered not by the same method as before, but through a different means?
If the deficient magic perfectly resurrected the dead’s body?
Time flows equally for everyone. Just as human magic has developed, demon magic must have evolved as well.
In that moment, as I gazed at the landscape of Grimshade Kingdom, the conversation I had with Haiven briefly resurfaced.
“Think about the places where dark mages usually linger. They used giant magic circles to siphon the land’s energy. Where do you think that energy goes?”
“Are you saying it gets concentrated here after siphoning the vitality of other lands? What could possibly be the reason…”
“Well… no one knows the reason, but we might find out today.”
As Haiven had said, I could realize the reason why this land was overflowing with vitality.
As the heat from the giant pillar of flame spread its influence across the entire island, the once beautiful forest began to collapse.
While the forest had flipped once due to the battle of the deities, there remained a place where nature’s beauty still lingered. However, that too was starting to vanish completely.
Leaves that had dried up from the intense heat seemed to fall as if they had rotted away. The ground that had once been covered with green grass now cracked as if it had long been through a drought, and the corpses of the recently fallen alliance crumbled into decay in an instant.
By this point, it was inevitable to realize the reason behind the sudden disappearance of the vitality that once filled this island.
[NUOOO!]
With the sudden emergence of the fire pillar and the wings that spread across the sky, it was Raben who reacted first.
True to its species name, winter whale, it was disturbed by the uninvited guest of heat that had arrived suddenly.
Raben twisted its body in mid-air and swam toward the massive fire column.
However, this was not a good choice. A colossal shadow began to stir within the fire pillar, and an orange flash shot out from inside.
KUUUUNG-!
The orange flash shot out without any special forewarning. After the light shot out, there was a delay before the sound burst forth.
The massive shockwave swept away the clouds that had covered the sky. The only thing filling the empty sky now was the twinkling stars and the gently shining moon.
The massive whale that had carried the cold winter was now plummeting to the ground, scattering black ashes.
KUUUUNG-!
A tremendous vibration shook the earth. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, I drew my golden sword. If this revived being was truly Kalbain, then it was as if the living Kalbain had reappeared here.
I was the only one who could oppose that gigantic figure.
Without any hesitation, I plunged the golden sword into the ground.
KWAZIK!
With that, the power was activated.
[Golden Fragrance of Greed]
The appearance of the giant airship began to stir and take shape. Mountain-like legs and sharp claws emerged. A long, golden tail shook part of the island. As the golden form wriggled, it shaped itself into massive wings and the head of a dragon with sharp eyes.
The position where I, Nightmare, and the Core of Mana had settled was directed toward the heart of the dragon.
Although the dragon’s form was perfectly sculpted, it could not move just yet. I closed my eyes and began to concentrate all my mind.
To move this huge body, I had to create a passage for the mana to flow. The basic principle was similar to when creating an airship.
PAHAAT-!
The moment mana erupted from the Dragon’s Egg and enveloped my body, the Golden Fragrance of Greed activated, creating a mana passage inside the empty body of the golden dragon.
At the same time, the golden dragon began to move. The initially awkward steps and motions created a tremor that flipped the ground around it. However, I soon grasped the technique.
Remember the movements of the dragons I saw in the Dragon’s Cradle. Since I was using the same body they did, I just needed to move as they did.
I wished to resemble a dragon and drew up mana. This soon became magic. I became the golden dragon, glowing brilliantly, and dove toward the shadow within the pillar of flame.
KUUUNG-!
With powerful force, I kicked off the ground, causing part of the island to collapse as seawater rushed in.
Focus, focus again. Bring that day’s memories vividly to life.
Even with light movements, the dragon’s actions were infused with mana. With a flap of its wings, it became a massive storm, allowing its heavy body to soar, and when running on the ground, all the mana around would gather, reinforcing its physical form.
Though I resembled a dragon now, I wasn’t complete. The powers were the same. So, I was merely artificially recreating it.
KIIING-!
As the circle began to spin, magic activated. Body enhancement, mana barrier, great warrior’s emblem, thought acceleration.
As magic settled into the massive body, the amount of mana used was incomparably greater than usual, but any deficiency could be compensated by drawing on the mana from the dragon’s egg.
The shadow within the pillar of flame reacted once again. With the same gestures as before, it opened its mouth widely, and I used Blink.
PAHAAT-!
KWAHAH-!
As I moved, an orange flash erupted. Part of the island cracked open, and seawater rushed into the vacancy. Had I received that attack head-on, even the body of this golden dragon wouldn’t have come out unscathed.
The place where I landed using Blink was right beside the fire pillar. I swung my claws with all my strength.
SUIIIK-!
It was a simple scratching attack, but the mass was so enormous and the speed so fast that it seemed to shake the space itself.
KWAHAANG-!
As my claw sped through the air like a tear through space, right before it struck the shadow within the pillar of flame, a hand covered in red scales shot out and blocked my arm.
From the shock, perhaps the magic was dispelled, and the erupting pillar of flame revealed the complete form of the shadow.
What appeared was a red dragon engulfed in raging flames. However, its form was unstable. While part of its body resembled a typical dragon, where the flames licked, there were no scales or flesh—only white bones remained.
WHOOOSH-!
At that moment, crimson flames erupted from the dragon’s eyes. The instant I felt an inexplicable familiarity in its gaze, a familiar voice burst forth from within the dragon’s body.
[I’ve figured out why the magic of resurrection is unstable… now I understand.]
Skasha. That voice was unmistakable. I had no luxury to engage in a relaxed dialogue with it, so I raised my other claw and swung fiercely.
SUIIIK-! BANG!
Once again, my attack was blocked. The dragon with red scales tightly gripped my arms.
[I’m starting to remember. Memories of my life before, no, in this case, it’s more about absorbing what this body experienced… I’ve realized I need to erase your existence for a complete resurrection.]
I furrowed my brow and began to focus my mana. I didn’t want to understand what it was saying; I didn’t even want to.
The only feeling surging within me was a loathing desire to eliminate this being in front of me.
The gathered mana focused around the chest of the golden dragon. The primary mana was managed by the Dragon’s Egg. The result of a rough concentration of even more mana than I usually used spun violently.
The dragon’s Breath was complete.
Even though my hands were restrained, it didn’t matter. The mana was released from the dragon’s mouth.
As the tightly closed mouth of the golden dragon opened, formidable mana shot out.
KWAHAH-!
A flash of light, a blend of golden and starlight. The body of the flame dragon, struck directly, was pushed back at immense speed, and part of the island was ripped away.