Nihility [ Isekai • Dragon Evolution ]

In the walk through the forest, where Farahio kept sending small pulses of magicules all around him to keep monsters at bay, at least according to him, I was told to make the barrier around me invisible for the guards to not think it's something worse than it is, but as I couldn't do it yet I had to completely deactivate it.

As we approached, Farahio told me more about the city. Apparently, the city made a deal with the dungeon itself so that it wouldn't grow too strong or the monsters get out of the dungeon after a critical point is reached and so that new hunters would be able to learn how to deal with monsters in a relatively safe place and in exchange the dungeon would get a constant stream of hunters and collectors and a few items. Even having met a dungeon, I still didn't understand a lot to really comprehend this deal, but okay.

After several minutes of walking we arrived at the gates, which were illuminated by several light crystals that were spread out in strategic points for the guards to be able to see who were coming in during the night and to partially blind the people coming, just like a high beam on a headlight might partially blind the oncoming drivers and make them unable to spot what's ahead. I was only able to see properly once we were already within striking range of the city guards.

My legs were burning more than I would've expected, but I think it makes sense, as right now my physical stats were halved in comparison to my true body.

Just like last time. I didn't know if this is how the skill works, or if me being a dragon, I am actually stronger than the same version of a human.

As I was lost in thought about my stats, Farahio had started a conversation with the guard when both he and I snapped our heads towards the southwest as I felt a very big accumulation of magicules in a strange pattern.

"Darkness pits," Farahio said before turning to the guard. "You might want to check with the forecaster, there is a magic storm fast approaching. It'll hit the city in the next few hours."

"I'll be sending them the message," the guard answered. "Don't worry, though. The city's shield can handle it. Now, if you and your son pay for the fee, I'll be happy to let you both enter."

I was about to retort that I wasn't Farahio's son, but he handed the guard a few copper coins. The guard accepted them and then told us to follow him until we were inside the gates. He waved goodbye before returning to his post.

"What is this? It feels like a massive blob of magicules," I asked Farahio once we were inside the gates.

"Because it is." Farahio placed his hand on his face and sighed. "So much for a rapid departure," he mumbled, then turned to me. "Look. It's bad news. The thing you felt is called a magic storm. Basically, a cloud filled to the brim with magicules, discharging it into the environment below it rather violently. It's often accompanied by spell-like effects caused by the sheer quantity of magicules that often form runes naturally and immediately activate them."

"Sounds dangerous," I said, imagining a thunder cloud spewing fireballs together with lightning bolts and ice javelins.

"It is. We won't be able to leave the city until it passes. If you're hit by one of the magicule lightning it releases, it's game over instantly. It will push your body directly into a Rozemyne Cascade, and you'll simply explode."

"Ouch." I imagined the scenario.

"There is good news as well, though," Farahio explained. "Just as we can't leave, nobody can enter as well. Even the portal plaza is closed because of the amount of magical interference turns the portals useless."

When I was about to open my mouth to ask what we should do and how long they usually last, I felt the temporal vibrations of Jack's skills, but instead of being a pinpoint accuracy, it was a general area. It seems he needed accurate information to search, which was good for me because the power of his skills was weaker because it had to spread to a larger area.

I reached out with [Time Manipulation] and sent a wave of temporal energy through the link Jack's skill was creating. I didn't even know what it would cause, but the next moment it stopped. I guessed whatever it did to Jack worked, and he had stopped trying to search for me through time.

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"What did you just do? I felt something," Farahio asked.

"Jack's trying to look at us from the future again, but I blocked it again," I explained.

"How long in the future?" He asked.

"Oh," I realized I hadn't sensed it properly, but could make an educated guess. "About three days from now."

There was a perturbation beneath the one caused by Jack's skill, but I wasn't sure about what it was yet. It felt like a wave in the temporal energy around me, trying to pull me somewhere, but it was faint. What I knew was that this wave was a fixed point, something so massive that the past and future were changed by it.

Even not knowing what it was, I was happy I could at least feel it trying to draw me in, because it meant that even if I met Jack, I would not be killed because time simply would not allow it. Still, even if I weren't killed, there were things that could happen that would make me wish I were dead, torture being one of them.

I shuddered thinking about it.

"Are you going to stay on the street?" I heard Farahio's voice coming from a little further in the main street, bringing me back to reality. I walked towards him until I was walking side by side.

"The original plan was for you to continue flying to Grord while I stayed back here to distract them, but it seems Jack will find us in three days, when the magic storm gets further away from us," Farahio said, not looking at me.

"I'll be honest with you," Farahio said. "I want to help you against Jack, because I believe you aren't a mimic. But I can't, I really can't."

"It's okay," I said. "I know everything will work out."

Farahio laughed at my words. "That's the spirit!"

We both walked through the streets until Farahio led me to a much wealthier inn than the one I stayed at on Flamecrest. The inside of the inn was filled with fancy decorations, and the entire building shone to my [Magicule Detection].

Farahio gave me a key to a room and went on his way to a room for himself. I looked for my room and entered when I found it. Inside it, I felt like I had been transported to a luxury hotel from Earth, the type you usually only see in images and the like. My personal theory that Farahio was filthy rich went up a notch, even though we slept in a literal dirt hut the day before.

The room itself was entirely made out of a white stone that looked like marble. The bed was big enough for me to sleep in my true form, which was what I would do when I went to sleep, but before it I checked out the other parts of the room. There was an empty closet, which made sense as this is an inn's room and not someone's house. The closet would be for me to put my clothes, if I had any besides the one I was currently wearing, of course.

The windows were large, but they didn't open. I found a bathroom inside the room, as well. The bathroom had something that resembled a toilet, a sink with a metal faucet that had runes near it that made water flow out of the faucet when I touched them and stop when I touched them again. There was even a shower in the corner. It had two lever-like structures, one controlling the amount of water being let out of the showerhead and the other controlling the temperature. The bathroom wasn't big enough for me to shower on my true body, which was a shame, really, as I would kill to have a relaxing bath right now.

Taking out my clothes, I stepped into the shower, turned on the water, and heated it until white steam surrounded me. It reminded me of my home on Earth. I almost could hear my parents laughing and talking in the next room over.

My heart tightened at the thought that I was alone in this world. My friends, my parents, my family, they weren't gone per se, but I still missed them. I knew my friends were in this world, Leo's message during the time loops told me as much. They were the closest of a family I had. Many people wish they could be isekaied to a brand new world, forget their old lives and start again, but I wasn't one of them. I wanted to go back, even if I knew it wasn't possible.

I wasn't human anymore, even if I killed one for [Genetic Dysphoria] to transform me into one, it would be just an illusion. Even as the water flowed down my fur in the cat person body I was currently in, it didn't feel like myself, not in the same way as when I was in my true form. It didn't help that I was physically weaker while in this form, but the sentiment was the same.

As the water hit me, the heat relaxing some of my muscles, my mind drifted. I wondered if my mom and dad would recognize me, or even accept me. For them, their son, Marcos, died on the day of the ritual. I don't know if what happened with me, being reborn with my memories intact, is the norm in other places, but by Farahio's reaction alone, it isn't. I wasn't just Marcos anymore. I was Denaru, someone more than just Marcos.

I kept thinking about it as I washed myself, even though I had already thought about it before, it still resurfaces in my mind. It wasn't something I could control. I doubted this would stop until I reunited with my parents and saw their reactions.

"Your mother and I love you. No matter what happens, we will be waiting for you." My dad's voice came to my mind. At the time, it seemed innocent enough, something you'd say to your child until they came home from school, but now it felt weird. His phrasing felt weird, like he knew something would happen with me and–

I turned off the water. If I kept thinking like this, I would fall into a spiral of dark thoughts about my dad, and I simply refused to let myself think about him in that way.

I grabbed the towel that was hung on a hanger and began to dry myself only to stop after a few seconds, remembering that I could use magic now, and that drying this much fur would suck. I never had a dog, but Alex had one, and she always complained about how long it takes to dry its fur.

With a quick use of [Magical Programming Language], I collected all the water that was on my body and dropped it onto the shower floor. Moving to the bedroom, I transformed back into my true form and let myself fall onto the bed. It was just as comfy as the one Farahio has, meaning that it was still a step behind Henry's. I miss that bed.

With those as my last thoughts, I doze off to sleep.