NOVEL NEXT Chapter 126: Flame
[ALERT]
[CURRENT STATUS: NUMBER 6: LEVEL-60 /100 XP.
MANA CONTROL: 190
DRAGON MANA POOL: 1015/ 5000
PHYSICAL STRENGTH: 395
STAMINA: 390
DRAGON AURA: 170
SKILL PROFICIENCY: ACTIVE 2
—Swordsmanship: 90%
—Euphoria: 100%
FAMILIAR TRUST: 102%
—Linked Familiar: WHITE DRAGON
CONTRACTS: ACTIVE 5.
—Name: [ASH]
—Bond Type: Sealed Pact.
—Name: [LEVI]
—Bond Type: Binding Oath.
—Name: [FREYA]
—Bond Type: Binding Oath.
—Name: [SPEED]
—Bond Type: Binding Oath.
—Name: [SOUL]
—Bond Type: Devotion Pact.
NEW ABILITIES:
—Soul of Dragon: 60%
—Heart of Dragon: 60%
—Moon Dragon's Veins: 45%
—Invisibility
—Gaze Beyond
—Soul Condemn
—Others Locked.]
[You will know everything soon,] Ash said as Raiden sat cross-legged on the floor, sweat trailing down his shirtless torso. They were positioned in the middle of their new training room, dimly lit and decorated with walls of menacing grins.
"You know I have to return to my world, right?" Raiden murmured, reflecting on all the techniques Snow had drilled into him over the past two days—how to summon and control his own dark flames.
Ash moved in a slow circle before lying down, clearly troubled by what he'd said. [Have you ever stopped to think? Would your brother want you to dedicate your entire existence to avenging him?]
Raiden turned toward her, feeling an unexpected sting from her words, though he couldn't pinpoint what made them cut so deep.
[Don't you think he'd want you to find happiness and build a future, not spend your life haunted by his death?]
Raiden's eyes fluttered with confusion, sweat breaking out across his forehead as his hands clenched. His blood was boiling, though he couldn't fathom why. Ash was right—he'd always known that, had tormented himself with the same question—yet something else gnawed at him, more puzzling than his tangled feelings.
"Since when do you talk like this? Shouldn't you still be speaking like a child?"
Ash offered him a gentle, knowing smile.
Raiden released a heavy breath. "You're probably right, but this isn't only about avenging Jobe." His hands balled into tighter fists. "If I don't see this through, I'll carry that guilt forever."
[And what happens after that?]
Uncontrollable shaking seized Raiden's body. "Wait, what is this? Why am I trembling so much?" He slapped his face repeatedly, desperate to regain control, but the shivering wouldn't stop.
"I need this," he said through gritted teeth, his voice betraying him with a crack. "That's the only way I can move forward."
Ash looked at him sleepily, her eyes drifting shut as exhaustion claimed her, leaving Raiden alone with his struggle to control the violent shaking that consumed him.
"I have to do this," he repeated under his breath as his trembling finally subsided.
Looking toward Ash, he saw her sleeping peacefully. A small smile tugged at his lips—he had someone who cared about him again, the way Jobe once had. But he pushed the thought aside, centering himself for one last training session before the day ended.
He closed his eyes and remembered what Snow had told him. "Everyone has different magical affinities; some have just one, others multiple. But if you want to create dark flames, you need fire affinity first."
Raiden had yet to determine if he possessed any fire affinity at all. While it didn't bother him much, he recognized that dark flames would provide long-range capability and synergize perfectly with his dragon powers.
It wasn't exactly promising since elemental magic was limited to rank five and below, but Leo had done it at rank five. That gave Raiden hope he might manage it too.
"Channel your mana into your hand and imagine the feel of the four elements… cool water, hot fire, gentle wind, rough earth." Snow explained, "Your mana will naturally align with one of them. You'll sense it in your palm, and that's your elemental affinity."
Raiden tried to focus from his position on the floor, but after a few moments he gave up and dragged his hands down his face. Ash's words wouldn't stop replaying in his mind. But whatever decision he had to make, he couldn't afford to waste this opportunity to get stronger.
He pulled himself together and tried again, channeling mana into his palm. That part was simple, but the effort soon had him sweating even more. He cycled through each elemental texture repeatedly, but his mana remained unchanged.
Perhaps he'd been too fixated on the fire's blazing heat. He turned his attention to water's embrace, envisioning the vast sea. Through his mind's eye, he felt the wind dancing across the water's surface—gentle and soothing, yet concealing the fierce, untamed power that lurked below.
He repeated the visualization for several minutes. While the ocean imagery brought him inner calm, his mana gave no indication of any affinity.
He let out a frustrated sigh and stood up. Two days of repeating this same exercise, and he had absolutely nothing to show for it. No sign, no feeling, nothing.
"I might not be anything special after all." He moved to the corner and picked up his black shirt. "At least I know how it works now. I can try again when I reach rank five." With that, he started walking toward Ash.
He paused, fingers moving thoughtfully to his chin. "But is Noelle still alive? I haven't heard from her in ages."
He crouched down, and his back let out a series of sharp cracks that echoed through the room. Carefully, he lifted Ash and settled her on his shoulder.
"I need some rest. I'll check on her later." He exited the training room and turned left down the corridor. Beyond, he could see the bustling activity of the main hall, though this particular corridor was off-limits to anyone below lieutenant rank.
A few steps down, he stopped at the third door on the left. The room opened to reveal a bed twice the size of his old one, a desk and chair set up near the right wall by the entrance, and a couch positioned on the left side near the bathroom. A small chandelier cast light over the bed.
He entered and closed the door, gently placing Ash on the bed before collapsing beside her.
The unease coursing through his body wasn't just from training fatigue; Ash's words had affected him far more than he'd expected. But his resolve remained firm. He would go back to his world and avenge his brother.