NOVEL NEXT Chapter 159
Leona, who was blinking foolishly, reached out her hand.
Fumble, fumble.
And then swiftly swept from my wrist to my forearm, armpit, waist, and thigh.
“You… what are you?”
“I’m the disciple of my master.”
“Are you human? You’re a dragon.”
“Do I look like a dragon to my master?”
“I can’t feel any scales or horns.”
“Then I must be human.”
“Don’t lie! You’re a dragon! How can you be human? You overcame the dragon’s demon suppression and adjusted to it in just 10 minutes! You’re a dragon! Don’t ever claim to be human again!”
It was no surprise Leona was shocked. Most humans can’t overcome the ability of demon suppression. Even those experiencing it for the first time take at least two months to adjust.
But I, we, were different.
Paulo could resist demon suppression due to the blessing of the sacred sword, and Luna was unaffected since her power wasn’t mana but divine power to begin with.
Kaloso, boasting that his mana was like a lover, took three days, and Arisa, who had the best mana control among us, took two days.
And I.
It didn’t even take half a day from the start.
Why? I had no idea.
My mana control was excellent, but not quite as good as Arisa’s. My understanding of mana was better, but not as good as Kaloso’s. I had no divine power like Luna, nor the sacred sword like Paulo.
And yet, it took half a day.
So at that moment, I thought there must be dragon blood flowing through my veins…
Anyway, in the past… it was the same, so it had to be even faster now.
Dragons pressed me under their pressure and aura for three years of battle.
Even the neighbor’s dog, Poppy, can speak after three years, but here I was, human. Even if my mind didn’t grasp it, my instincts had to respond.
Of course, my mind understood too.
“How did you do that? Are you half-dragon?”
“That feels like a great insult to my parents.”
“Hmm… then you must have some dragon ancestry? Nothing else makes sense…”
“You’ve caught on well, insignificant creature. I am the pinnacle of all beings, the master of magic, the dragon. So right now, remove your hands from my body and bow your head to the ground. Then I shall forgive your ungentlemanly touch upon my divine body—”
“Stop spouting nonsense.”
Thwack!
“Whoa?!”
A spicy slap hit my forehead to the point of tears welling up.
It hurts. It hurts so much!
Normally, it wouldn’t hurt this bad, but in this bizarre space, it feels like it hurts… no, it feels at least double.
“Ugh… after making a fuss first by claiming to be a dragon…”
“What did you say? You dare call my heavenly master ‘you’??”
“So you intend to smash your only disciple’s head?”
“Shut up.”
Ignoring my grumbling, Leona sent mana flowing into my body.
“Can I be a little cheeky?”
“Be quiet. I’m concentrating.”
“Why’d you bring me here only now? If you were going to bring me, couldn’t you have done it a bit sooner?”
“I told you not to talk, so why are you speaking? If you were going to ask that, why bother in the first place?”
“Out of courtesy.”
What should I do with this brat? Leona clicked her tongue and opened her mouth.
“I brought you after confirming you’ve mastered all six volumes and have pierced the mana pathway that you weren’t using. If it were before that…”
“Even back then, it wouldn’t be any different now. I’m a genius, after all.”
Of course, just as Leona said, I had learned all six volumes left by Arisa and pierced the new mana pathway.
That did make it a bit easier.
I pierced the mana pathways that I hadn’t used for the most efficient operation. I thought if Arisa’s pathways were added, it might just complicate things.
But I did try it. Thinking if it felt strange, I’d just stop. The pathways were pierced, and although I understood where they’d be used, I still didn’t feel much difference since I was only at volume six.
But then I never expected to use it like this here.
“That’s… yeah, it’s true, but I can’t argue against it… Hearing you say that makes me feel very uneasy.”
“When my disciple makes progress, isn’t it the duty of the master to applaud them for soon surpassing them? How could that be unlucky?”
“Look at this cheeky brat. There are levels to even cold water. There’s a limit to a disciple surpassing their master. And I don’t want my disciple to become stronger than me.”
“Wow, your ego is so inflated that it seems your precious disciple has no room to stand.”
“So what? That’s just how it is. You can’t get stronger than me until I die. Surpassing me is forbidden.”
“Oh really? Master, that mischievous nature… ugh, where did you learn your eloquence?”
“I have it. From a disciple who makes me want to smack them all the time.”
Leona squinted and glared at me. I mirrored her by narrowing my eyes and glaring back.
“I guess you learn such things when there’s nothing to learn…”
“I’ll knock you out if you say one more word.”
Is a 400-year-old supposed to be this childish?
And she always resorts to her fists first.
No wonder she gets called a chimpanzee.
Let’s communicate like civilized humans.
I didn’t say it out loud, but glared at her with that look. Leona raised her fist. I quickly averted my gaze and used mana.
“Anyway, the first step is done, so please tell me the second step.”
“The second step is to duel with me. Bring it on.”
“Come on.”
“What’s with that look? Don’t you trust me? It’s true. We have to release all the mana in your body now.”
“Release all my mana? Why?”
I was puzzled, but soon the answer came to me.
With an empty dantian devoid of mana, I must accept the mana of this space.
It meant I had to accept the mana from Dragon Heart.
In exchange, another question arose.
Is that even possible?
Can a human handle dragon mana?
Even if I can accept and use it, wouldn’t I just use up my internal mana and return to being ordinary?
“I know what question you have in mind, but it’s not that you need to accept the dragon’s mana to use it. The process of accepting it is already going to be painfully difficult, and using it would be even harder.”
“Have you tried it?”
“Yeah. You see me next to you, but back then, I was all alone… I succeeded, but… it was really nearly fatal. I’d never wish to experience that pain again.”
Leona shuddered all over.
“Anyway, I’m not saying you have to use it. Just accepting this mana in your body will change your mana pathways and dantian from before. It’s incomparable to just making the Dragon Heart into a potion.”
Even the traces of mana leaking from Dragon Heart convert into a potion that has an insane effect.
If it’s treated not as a potion, but accepted in its pure form, it should produce even crazier effects.
But…
Hmmm… “Master is a beastman, and I’m a human. It’s not going to go wrong and leave me half-dead, right?”
At my question, Leona scoffed and chuckled.
“Are you scared?”
“Hah.”
I’ve never been scared in my life.
I corrected my posture. Sitting cross-legged with my hands in fists. Woosh—! Cherry blossom-colored mana swirled around my fists. It spread throughout my body, and cherry blossom petals danced in the distorted space.
“A duel isn’t necessary. Just wait five minutes.”
Ten minutes later.
All the mana in my body drained away. Though I didn’t suck it all the way down to depletion, I left enough to move around.
I thought five minutes would suffice, but since this space is so weird, even releasing mana turned out to be tougher than I expected.
Hoo…
As my mana was getting drained, I also broke out in a sweat. It felt as if I had just dived into water. My whole body was drenched. If I knew this would happen, I should have just worn workout clothes. It’s uncomfortable wearing a uniform for no reason.
“So now I can accept mana again?”
“That’s the idea, but if you need to go to the bathroom, you should do that now.”
“What does that even mean? I don’t want to go! Even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t.”
“You’ll regret it.”
“Regret what?”
“If you’re too lazy, just go to that corner and relieve yourself.”
“I’m fine. And is it so wrong that I might wet myself while training hard? Of course, that won’t happen to me.”
“Really?”
Hehe, Leona smiled and nodded.
“Then let’s get started. Accepting nature’s mana will be a bit different, but it won’t be too hard since your mana pathways are newly pierced.”
I closed my eyes. The mana in the air. I sensed the foreign and unpleasant mana. If nature’s mana were clear and warm like water, this mana from this space felt murky and boiling… like lava, rather than water.
It was just like the mana from other dragons that I felt 400 years ago. That feeling hit as a complete denial of the common sense that dragon mana would be pure.
“…I’ll begin.”
“Yeah. If things go south, I’ll do whatever I can to help, so don’t worry too much.”
“I’m not worried.”
Worried? I’m actually looking forward to it.
The thing contained in my left index fingertip.
Purgatory.
Once the dragon’s mana mixes in there…
And when I release it, then…
What will happen?
Will I be able to use it? Leona said she did.
Though she claimed it was horrifically painful, she did use it.
Then there’s no reason I can’t, too.
So, I’m definitely getting stronger.
What about the backlash?
That’s something I’m not the current me able to handle.
I began breathing deeply.
The dragon’s mana began to seep into my pathways.