Chapter Twenty-Two: Return to the Land of Dragons
This is the perception of the Clan of Jideers according to the Book of Songs.
For two whole days, except for eating and sleeping, I practically glued myself to the desk, sorting through and digesting the contents of two ancient tomes. After finally getting a clearer understanding of the truth about this world, my mood grew more and more complex. Lying on my rock-hard bed at night, watching the flickering candlelight, my mind raced with all sorts of thoughts, making it hard for me to fall asleep.
By the third day, I was still stuck in this seemingly endless waiting game.
My physical condition had drastically changed since my awakening. I felt stronger and my senses were sharper—my speech was even getting more fluid! Although I still wasn’t at my previous level of eloquence, the speed of recovery amazed me. I thought it would be tough, but it turned out all I needed was a good meal!
In the daytime, a mouse showed up in the cellar. It had orange-yellow fur and squeezed through a crack in the stone wall, probably dazed by hunger. Its alertness was all but gone as it darted around looking for something to eat, but the cellar had no stash of food for it.
I originally planned to just get rid of it, but then I thought better of it.
The little mouse was kinda cute! So, I figured I’d test Oblivion on it. Of course, that didn’t work, so I used a wee bit of my newly awakened Abyssal Power to create another mouse out of Dead Smoke. The real mouse seemed to think this one was a buddy and started playing with it without a care in the world.
But lo and behold, half a minute later, one mouse had devoured the other, leaving nothing but ash.
That wasn’t what I intended! Once molded, the mouse I created acted just like a real one. I could give it orders or make it vanish at will, but I couldn’t control every little move. One moment of distraction, and the Dead Smoke mouse lunged at the living one before I could even react.
The white smoke surged into my chest, and suddenly, that familiar rush hit me all over again. Although it was weak, I hadn’t felt it in ages, and my body was becoming increasingly sensitive. After shaking for a bit, I finally calmed down, breathing easier while noticing a significant boost in my strength.
…Looks like I need to eat more!
After dinner, I left the cellar as usual, not venturing far, just stepping out to get some fresh air at the earthen house’s door. I spotted Old Man Robert on the other side puffing out clouds of smoke, so I waved and tried to chat, but didn’t gather much useful news.
Night fell quickly.
But that woman named Ailna was still nowhere to be seen.
Later, as I lay in bed staring at the cellar ceiling without sleepiness, I thought today would pass like this again. Would that woman return tomorrow? I wondered if there were any little animals out in the desert for me to snack on. Should I greet the old man before heading out? While pondering these things, suddenly my chest flared with blinding white light.
As warmth surged, white, branch-like tendrils shot out from my chest, hovering above my head, vibrating and buzzing ominously. The intense light illuminated the entire cellar, and I squinted, trying to process what was happening. Before I knew it, I was sucked from my bed and into a realm of nothingness.
“Ah!”
I couldn’t help but let out a gasp, as a wave of dizziness washed over me, and I felt a bit nauseous. In the background, I could faintly hear a long dragon roar, and in the blink of an eye, I plummeted with a thud onto a cold rock.
What the heck!
What just happened…
“Gah—”
I dry-heaved a bit, groggily getting to my feet, my ears buzzing and my mind cloudy. Before I could assess my surroundings, a giant, furry dragon head leaned down into my view.
“Grrr…”
It snorted through its big nostrils.
“…Dabai!!”
After a brief moment of shock, I finally recognized the fluffy head and exclaimed in delight, throwing my arms wide and tackling its mouth without letting go.
“Dabai… Dabai dabai dabai…” I chanted with my eyes closed, “Is it really you…?”
The coarse skin, the warm body heat, its comforting fluff…
I wasn’t dreaming, right?
It really was Dabai…
Thank the heavens!
Dabai was okay! It appeared right before me again…
At that moment, my feelings were like a thirsty traveler in the desert suddenly plunging into a refreshing stream—pure relief and joy! I couldn’t help but rub my face against its wet nose, only to feel a slimy liquid spreading on my skin.
Cool to the touch…
Ah.
I quickly stepped back, wiping my face with my sleeve and then sniffing my hand. Slowly, my brows furrowed.
It was snot…
Eww.
I began scrubbing my face with my robe sleeve, turning my head in disdain while looking around. “Where is this…?”
…Oh.
What was I thinking?
Of course, I was back in that Land of Dragons!
Surrounding me were towering black rocks, their surfaces wrinkled as if formed from cooled lava. This was where the Goddess of Sin had once resurrected her deity body, and here I stood at the peak, the distant sky veiled in thick fog, with colossal rock formations looming in the background.
I was pulled in by the branches of the white tree; that familiar nauseating feeling had come before Dabai’s arrival—why was I still confused…?
“Grrr…”
A breeze swept by as I turned to see the white dragon’s fluffy mane dancing, a low hum of excitement emanating from its mouth. It straightened up, its huge eyes focused on me. After a long moment, it opened its mouth wide and spat out a gleaming object that landed on the rocks with a clank.
…My Dragon Claw!
I stared wide-eyed, forgetting all about snot for a second. I dashed over, scooping up the short sword, inspecting it closely. It was dripping with drool, but it was definitely the Dragon Claw Victoria had given me. I thought it…
I thought it had been blown up or lost during the explosion…
“Dabai… you’re alright…”
After a moment’s pause, I wiped the sword on my clothes and looked up at the white dragon, my voice tinged with excitement: “How did you get it?”
As I asked, I began glancing around, heart racing, and caught sight of something familiar: “Also, Gray, Captain…”
If my Dragon Claw was here…
“Grrr.”
“Dabai, have you seen my scythe?”
“Grrr.”
The white dragon lowed its head again, nudging me, causing me to stumble a bit. Once I regained my balance, I saw it stand tall, opening its massive mouth and letting out a bone-shaking roar that seemed ready to pierce through the fog. And beneath the white dragon, there lay my menacing scythe—my Captain Gray—quietly resting there.
Buzz—
The moment I laid eyes on the scythe, its handle lit up with red patterns, the blade trembling slightly, producing a reverberating hum that felt oddly like a melody.
