"Yes, my lord…."
"Hmm."
"What is it, Eryth?" the Sword Demon asked.
"The eyes I placed on Gray have been destroyed."
"Hmm, how could that be? I know my disciple is strong, but even she can't detect your All-Seeing Eyes," the Sword Demon said.
"Maybe he has encountered something more powerful than my All-Seeing Eyes. If I can gather enough energy, I will assign my clone to check it."
◆◇◆
Where am I….? I slowly opened my eyes and found myself on a bed in a white room.
"Is this the infirmary?" I got up in a hurry, like someone who had realized they were late for training.
Suddenly, one of the nurses working under Miss Jasai'me ran in. "Gray is awake!" she cried, before bolting back out.
"Huh?"
◆◇◆
"Okay, you seem fine. Do you feel any pain?" Miss Jasai'me asked.
"No…. if anything, I feel lighter."
"No surprise there. Well, since there is no problem, you are free to leave."
"En… Miss Jasai'me, can I see my sister?"
Miss Jasai'me looked at me and said, "Are you sure? You're going to get all emotional."
"Don't worry, I won't cry."
"Let's go."
We started moving toward the room where Lyserra was. I began feeling a little different—I had to hold myself together! Inside that room was where Lyserra waited.
"Are you sure you still want to see her?"
"Yes," I replied.
We went inside. There she was, inside a small room filled with liquid… her situation had gotten worse.
"Why is she in there?" I asked.
"Her soul was severely damaged. We didn't notice it in time because it was not damaged all at once, but rather slowly eaten by something…. something that I have yet to recognize."
I stood there silent, filled with anger and hatred. I was angry at myself for not being able to protect her that day, and I felt a deep hatred for the man who did this to her.
"Is there any way to save her quickly?" I asked.
"Right now, the thing needed is the Soul Flower… to heal her soul quicker. The one available has already been used on her, and it's difficult to get more. But I need to identify the problem first before I can guarantee full healing."
I didn't say anything for a while. I stood there silently, looking at my helpless sister suffering. I know how it feels to have your soul destroyed…. she is in serious pain.
"Where can I find the Soul Flower?" I asked.
"I don't exactly know, but you could always start from the Capital. As the saying goes, everything can be found in the Capital."
"Thank you, Miss Jasai'me. I will make sure to repay you…."
I turned and left. Master must have been waiting for me.
◆◇◆
"Greetings, Master."
"When did you wake up…?"
"Three hours ago."
"And why are you just coming to see me now?"
"After my check-up, I used that opportunity to see my sister, Lyserra."
"But Master, how long have I been sleeping?"
"You've been sleeping for three weeks. Come, let me check you…."
I sat down. Master placed her hands on my back as usual.
"Gray? Do you remember what happened in the cave…?"
"..."
"I know I had a vision, but I cannot remember the context of it."
"Hmmm."
"If I may ask, Master, is there anything wrong with me?"
"Hmmm. Your soul energy has increased; it seems another seal has been broken."
Aris thought to herself: A seal broken. Something that even me or Master can't break was easily destroyed by that dragon. Could this be…
"Really?!" I screamed in excitement.
Suddenly, a sharp pain rushed out from within. Cough, cough! Blood began spilling from my mouth. Master immediately began pouring her energy into my body until the pain subsided.
"Hmm."
"Is there anything wrong with me?" I asked.
"Your energy has increased four times, but your essence is still at the foundational stage. You should enter the next stage soon, but the problem is not from that."
"So what's the problem? Is it related to the seal?"
"The seal was broken forcefully, affecting your essence and causing internal injury."
"It shouldn't be a problem," I said. "With my innate healing abilities, I should heal anytime soon."
"That's the problem. You are not healing."
I stood up, took a small knife, and cut myself open. It immediately healed as if it wasn't there. "So that's how it is?"
Shuwwww!
Master raised me from where she sat. Floating in the air, a surge of energy passed through me.
Vroomm!
I fell to the ground screaming. The pain was as if I had been stabbed with a sword in the chest. While I was screaming, Master placed her hand on my head. The pain began to fade slowly until it was bearable.
"It seems your healing abilities only work on the surface. Interesting," Master said. "Your innate healing ability is rare, but it's not everything. Anyone who can attack your internals directly can kill you. Take this medicine twice a day and you should recover soon. As for your essence, you should circulate your energy as I taught you."
She turned to leave.
"Master, I have a favor to ask."
"Speak, Gray. You should always ask me for anything; don't be formal."
"Please take me to the dragon cave."
◆◇◆
Master and I began moving toward the cave. I coughed again, but the blood was less than before. Then, Master carried me on her back. It was a little embarrassing, but I actually liked it. As we moved, I wondered why she carried me; she has the power to move there immediately, yet she walked slowly with me on her back.
"Gray, what do you think of the dragon in that cave?" Master asked.
"Hmm. The dragon in the cave is a little cute."
Master laughed. Ha ha ha!
"But I feel a strong connection between me and that dragon. I couldn't explain it, but I believe that I'll find more if I go to that cave."
"Is that so…" she sighed. "Dragons are ancient beings, said to have been in existence before this earth was formed. Originally, there were seven… but then, something formed."
"And that thing that formed was the dragon?"
"Yes. It broke the balance of this universe… the balance of seven."
"If that dragon was so strong, how come I could feel a sense of familiarity?"
"I also don't know, Gray. If it was a normal beast, I would have said you are feeling the beastly effect."
The beastly effect: when you tame your personal beast, a sense of familiarity is born, as if the beast is your loved one. Master told me many stories—even how the dragon was almost captured by the being called the Divinity of Order. It was a long talk, but we arrived at the cave. This time it was easier and shorter, as we didn't have to find a hidden entrance.
We walked inside the cave, past the writings on the wall.
"Master, this writing on the wall… can you read them?"
"This writing was made by your Grandmaster, the Sword Demon, when he was studying the dragon language. Of course I would not be able to read it, except for someone who understands dragon language—or perhaps a dragon."
That is to say, I'm the only one who can read it. But why…?
We walked toward the altar, our footsteps echoing in the vast silence. Where there was once a shivering, dark energy, now there was only cold stone. The glowing crystals that had made the darkness tremble were dim, and the small altar at the corner sat bare and abandoned. The wyrmling had already disappeared.
"It seems the dragon is no longer here, although it will be back…."
"Master, you knew, right? The dragon is not here."
"Haha, yes. You asked that I should take you to the cave, not if the dragon was there!" She laughed.
I sighed. Playing a prank on your disciple…. "Master, I have another favor to ask."
"Speak."
"I want to go to the Capital."
"It's for the Soul Flower, right?" She sighed. "Two years from now, the Capital always holds a competition for souls. But you are far too weak to participate. For the next two years, you must reach at least Stage Three of the essence core—the Division Stage. Heal first; after that, we begin your training."
◆◇◆
The sky was clear as crystals, and the wind blew with freedom. A snake-like creature could be seen—long, but it was not a snake. It was a dragon.
I can't believe a kid almost tamed me….just now I could feel that kid's energy was a little familiar.
Sigh… strange things happening every day.
"Master, where are you?"
I suddenly missed Master a lot more now