Evolution Online: I Can Fuse With All Things

While Lucien sat on the ground watching the dragon sleep peacefully, he paused for a moment to inspect the items he had acquired.

He summoned them all from his inventory, and several items materialized around him as he settled cross-legged on the ground.

They came in all different shapes and sizes—a white spear by his side, among others—scattered within easy reach so he could study them properly.

The first item Lucien picked up was a red gemstone shaped like a flickering flame.

[Item]

[Name: Flameheart]

[Grade: Legendary]

[Item Description: You can consume this item to gain the Origin of Flame. When you gain the Origin of Flame, all output power of your flame-related skills and spells will increase by 600%]

Lucien opened his mouth, and somehow the gemstone found its way straight in. He clamped down his teeth and crushed the stone.

Only then did he notice the rest of the information:

[NOTE: Success rate is 50:50 because it depends on the nature of one's soul. If your soul is not attuned to the Origin of Fire, this could cause devastating rejection in your soul, which could lead to a crippled mana heart and pathways—or worse, death.]

His eyes widened in horror.

'Why the hell didn't you show that before!'

By now, the Flameheart had worked its way down into his stomach, and his belly was already burning like molten lava.

Lucien tried to ignore it, clinging to hope instead. After all, it was a fifty-fifty chance—what was to say he wouldn't succeed?

'Yes, let's hope for the best. No dark thoughts here.'

Except that he might never use mana again. He hadn't even started using mana yet, and now he might lose the chance forever.

'Hey! What part of "no dark thoughts" didn't you understand, Lucien?'

Lucien suddenly convulsed, his body rebelling as the heat intensified beyond bearing. He dropped his head and braced his hands against the floor.

His skin glistened with sweat, and his ash tunic was already stained and soaked through.

His entire body began oozing steam—that's how fierce the internal fire had become.

He tried to calm himself, but nothing helped. He tore off the garment and sat shirtless in only simple trousers, but it brought no relief.

The heat felt like his insides were being incinerated. What had started as burning stomach acid quickly escalated into flames devouring his very soul.

Lucien lurched to his feet and stumbled toward the bathroom. He cranked the shower handle, letting a cascade of water hammer his head. As the torrent struck his skin, steam erupted like a geyser.

It was like dousing white-hot metal—the bathroom filled with scalding fog in under two minutes, and Lucien felt no better.

'What have I done to myself?'

He collapsed to his knees, drenched and battered by the relentless spray.

At first, there was a whisper of coolness, but it lasted barely ten seconds. The flames seemed to adapt and strengthen, now burning even the water itself.

Without question, Lucien realized he had made a catastrophic mistake. This was especially terrifying because he knew he could actually die.

This had been a game for many people. It had been a game for him a week ago, but not anymore.

This was more than a game now. This was survival, and he really could die.

And he desperately didn't want to die.

Lucien crouched on the floor, groaning in agony as the flames ravaged every fiber of his soul and body. His entire heart felt ablaze, his limbs trembled, and he could feel his strength hemorrhaging away.

"Ga… yaaaaa…"

"Gaaa…"

He tried to call out, but his voice could barely scrape past his throat, let alone reach the next room.

He then began to slither across the ground like a wounded serpent. Hand over hand, he dragged himself across the bathroom floor, leaving scorched marks in his wake. He reached the bedroom and continued his agonizing crawl, groaning with every movement.

But his strength ebbed away like water through his fingers. He tried to move his hand forward one more time, but it froze mid-air, trembling before crashing to the ground.

He went silent, his breathing growing shallow.

Lucien felt fear—an intense, primal terror of dying.

There was absolutely nothing he could do, and he was slipping away. He was too weak to stand, to speak, to do anything.

And he was dying.

'I can't die like this… I… can't…'

The words echoed inwardly, but his desperate affirmations offered no salvation. His situation was utterly bleak.

Worse still, his consciousness was dissolving like smoke.

The little dragon crawled out from under the bed and slowly made its way to Lucien, tumbling and staggering on all fours.

It climbed onto his head with considerable effort, then walked to the center of his back, rolled once, and settled into a comfortable curl—apparently finding it the perfect place for a nap.

At that instant, a new display materialized, the words distant and blurred in Lucien's fading awareness.

[Flame Heart is being regulated by Superior Dragon Authority]

[Flame Heart is conforming to the rules of your soul]

[Your lesser Dragon Heart is absorbing the Flame Heart]

[The Flame Heart is purging all impurities from your body]

[The Flame Heart is reconstructing your body's properties and strengthening them]

[Congratulations, you have gained high resistance to heat conditions]

[You have gained high resistance to burn damage]

[You have gained high resistance to all fire-related attacks]

[All efficiency and output of fire-related skills and traits have been increased by 600%]

Lucien wasn't sure what had happened at first, but Superior Dragon Authority?

'That has to be…'

As the thought formed, he felt the dragon's gentle weight on his back—fast asleep.

He wanted to stand up, but that would mean disturbing the sleeping dragon who, despite being barely born, had already saved his life twice.

'I owe you big time, pal.'

It seemed his future would hold many adventures with this new companion.

Lucien smiled.

Just then, someone burst through the door.

"Cien! Are you in?!"

Lucien frowned. He gently guided the dragon down from his back with one hand as he stood up, scowling.

"What part of 'privacy' did you miss? Why bother assigning me a room if you're going to barge in like that?"

Adrian chuckled sheepishly, scratching his head.

"I'm sorry, it's just that I was so overwhelmed with happiness that I forgot my manners for a moment. Forgive me, okay?"

Lucien shrugged.

"We'll see, but tell me what has you bursting with joy."

Adrian beamed.

"The Guildmaster is finally back! And he's brought good news!"