Capítulo 165: Dragon’s Breath
Nox von Reinhaver
A new name I received in this new world.
No, it was someone else's name… a name I've now stolen.
I've grown quite used to playing his role now.
Quite a lot of time has passed,
Quite a lot of things have happened,
Too many people have promised to stay by my side.
But, the more what Nox has got bigger, the lonelier I suffer.
A chance that came to me, someone who used to be a shut-in, locked in a trash-filled room playing games alone.
But that chance isn't truly mine.
I admit it now.
I, Yoochan, am still an outsider in this world.
A game character from Inner Lunatic, and the final boss of Part 1.
I envy Nox.
I recall my past.
Back when I was smoking in front of the monitor, immersed in the game.
Those days, which I can't even call normal by any means, keep flashing through my mind.
I think about where my current torment started.
In the end, there's only one answer.
So, who am I?
What is the connection between me and Nox?
Why did I end up possessing him?
I know.
It's because I haven't been able to free myself from Nox's shadow that I'm still suffering.
I wonder,
What is the truth that mysterious woman wanted to tell me?
Even if I find out, I question whether I'll truly be happy. I know it can't be helped.
Uncertainty.
That's what broke me down the most.
I was weak.
I was exhausted from a life without a guarantee for the future.
That led to helplessness, and in my weariness, I didn't have the strength to overcome it.
Because there was no one by my side.
Every time I was reminded that I was alone, I kept falling further behind.
A man who had nothing with a terminal illness.
Maybe that's why I was so desperate.
Since I had nothing, I had to cling even harder to the grains of sand slipping through my fingers.
My relationships in this world.
The connections with people I couldn't cut off completely.
Because of them, I'm no longer the Nox I knew, but someone else entirely.
Now, I don't even try to remember what kind of person Nox was.
If Nox were here, what would he say?
If Nox were here, how would he act?
I've stopped agonizing over those questions now.
I've started to want it.
Even if it's the role of a villain, laughed at by others and destined to die in the end,
Even if I have to barely escape death and continue the story as someone with a terminal illness…
Precisely because of that, I understand how desperate I am.
If this is the life I've been given, I must live it fully without regret. Not as my past self. Moving forward, little by little.
If there's one thing I must overcome to do that, that's…
The cardiac arrest before me right now, in other words, the first death that came to me.
—————————————————
[Are you the one who awakened me with your mana, girl?]
The dragon's voice fell heavily. It was in the Dragon language, but I understood it instantly.
It was because it used magic to deliver the information directly into my mind.
'That dragon… clearly has hostile intentions. This is dangerous.'
A fairy tale I read from my childhood came to mind.
Dragons are usually intelligent and mysterious beings, but occasionally, there are dangerous ones among them.
Perhaps like the stories passed down in ancient legends,
The kind that eats humans and makes their mana their own.
Not all dragons are like that, but this is also the first time I've ever encountered one.
Eleanor could sense it.
No matter how she thought about it, the current situation wasn't normal.
If such a dragon really existed, it was right in front of her now.
'I have to save him whatever it takes.'
Eleanor thought as the dragon stared at her, rolling its eyes.
Its target was of course, Nox.
Although she had a talent for magic, she wasn't exceptional.
Besides, her mana weren't particularly impressive either.
Yet somehow, her mana had awakened the Ice Dragon?
It made no sense from the start.
Then, it had to be Nox von Reinhaver.
His mana must have summoned this creature.
That was her conclusion.
So Eleanor, as calmly as possible, replied in the steadiest voice.
"Yes, I called you."
Lie.
It was a blatant lie, but not the kind Eleanor usually told.
She usually lied for her own sake, or for the sake of the Rivalin merchant group. Because it benefited her.
Because it led to profits.
Because it brought in more gold coins.
But why was she lying now?
The reason was clear.
'Nox von Reinhaver… He can't die here'
At the very least, she couldn't just watch him die due to protecting her.
That thought crossed her mind as she spoke, but the dragon, exhaling frosty white breath, thought a moment before spoke.
[Strange, girl. It's not you. I don't sense that level of mana from you. Why are you lying?]
"I already told you. I'm just exhausted from using up all my mana right now."
[No, I can still feel the mana. This mysterious mana… I haven't had a feast like this in ages. Girl, you're hiding something.]
"That sounds like a line from a third-rate villain. I heard dragons were noble creatures, but it seems you're not one of them?"
[Are you trying to joke with me?]
Eleanor's goal was first, to buy time.
She quickly ran through her thoughts.
'Though the chances are slim, the dean or other professors might come to rescue us. I have to do everything I can.'
She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if Nox were to die like this.
She hadn't even said a word to him yet.
She had to tell him that she knew why he had been so harsh to her that day.
That it was all for her. And even when they couldn't clear up each other's misunderstandings.
Nox didn't harbor ill will towards her.
If he did, he wouldn't have saved her twice.
He wouldn't have given her such a precious artifact here, either.
Therefore.
The reason Eleanor needed to be more honest.
And the reason why she couldn't back down now.
"I'm not backing down. How about you back off first?"
[…This place, Winter Bridge, is full of beasts with trash mana and endless winter. To find something edible here is rare. That's why, girl, would you back down obediently if you were in my position?]
"Well, I don't have much of an appetite."
[Then I'll make you talk by force.]
In that moment.
A violent gust of wind rushed in and whipped Eleanor's clothes.
An enormous force that will push her back if she loses even a bit of strength. Just like the whirlwind that appeared when the dragon first arrived, blocking the view.
Through the chaos, the dragon's rough breathing and its wide-open jaws came into view. Once inside, there would be no coming out alive.
But Eleanor no longer cared what happened to her as long as she could buy time. Nox von Reinhaver.
There were many things she wanted to ask him, and things she needed to apologize for.
But more important than that was his survival.
'Just like he protected me… I have to protect Nox too.'
Having made up her mind, Eleanor used [Ignite] and [Wind Pressure Control] to slightly calm the raging storm.
It was insignificant to the dragon, but it at least helped her clear her vision. Amidst of that, she moved Nox's arm over her shoulder and moved deeper into the cave.
"I'll be back… so don't die, okay?"
With those words, Eleanor calmly walked back toward the entrance of the cave. As the storm subsided, the dragon's sharp claws came into view.
It was a perilous situation.
To reveal herself in front of a hostile dragon?
It was a mistake even an excellent mage would never make.
But she had no choice.
The closer she and Nox stayed together, the more dangerous it became.
This was the best she could do to buy time too.
[Even if I eat you, it won't satisfy my hunger much, well, I suppose it's better than nothing.]
"Try it. Come here"
BANG!
With a deafening roar, the dragon's claws grazed Eleanor's abdomen and shoulder.
Blood spurted as she barely twisted her body to avoid the attack, but she was left with a deep wound.
Even without that, she was already sluggish from the cold, making it unreasonable to expect the same agility she usually had, but the main cause was that the dragon's attack was too fast.
"Haa…"
[I'll say it once more. You are not my target, girl.]
"I…won't go…"
[How foolish.]
"I know it too… But there's something I have to say. That's why… I can't back down."
[It can't be helped, huh… Though, it's true that this part of human is interesting.]
The dragon bared its fangs, slowly rolling its eyes.
Then it continued.
[Blame your foolishness as you die.]
It was at that moment.
Deep inside the cave, Nox's collapsed body twitched slightly.
—————————————————
Astrid von Kaliud.
My new magic teacher told me.
In order to use Dragon's magic.
And to quickly grow magic.
I must master the Dragon's Breath.
To do this, I need to open my upper, middle, and lower dantian and circulate my mana.
But this was a difficult task.
The upper and middle dantians weren't the problem.
The problem was the lower dantian.
To draw and use mana from this place?
The practitioner that manifested the magic had to take on immense risk.
Even the slightest mistake could result in losing the ability to use both magic and the sword forever. It was dangerous that paralyzing your entire body was common. That was opening lower dantian mean.
And managing the upper, middle, and lower dantian while breathing naturally?
How many people could make it possible?
No, from the beginning, how many could even survive the process of engraving the Dragon Heart into themselves?
Even if you knew the outcome and success seemed guaranteed, it was still something that people wouldn't easily attempt.
That was exactly the Dragon's Breath.
But now, I have to do this.
First, I must open the lower dantian, and to do that, I need to enter my mental world, my inner world.
Astrid had told me.
— Everyone's mental world is different.
Lars also added.
— Even I can't use Lower dantian properly. Unless you have an innate talent, you shouldn't even attempt it. And even if you do, it's dangerous.
— Rather, If you value your life, save it for the worst of the worst moment possible.
Sadly, Professor Lars.
I think now is exactly that moment.
The worst of the worst.
I've fought and defeated countless monsters and collapsed. And now I feel a massive source of magic heading here.
At worst, it could be the dragon from the urban legends.
And considering where we are, it might even be the Ice Dragon.
It's dangerous.
If I want to protect Eleanor, I need to wake up as quickly as possible.
And for that, opening the lower dantian is a top priority.
Blink. Blink.
I finally manage to lift my heavy eyelids and regain my sight.
Right now, I'm trapped in a pure white room.
There's nothing here except a single desk and chair.
And a PC desktop and monitor.
I instinctively realize. This place is the mental world Astrid was talking about.
I carefully sit at the familiar desk.
Then, I stare blankly at the glowing white screen.
A familiar window from Inner Lunatic appears before me.
After I looked at it for a moment, a status window suddenly popped up.
The words on the screen.
That was enough to make me surprised.
The sound of typing along with the texts.
[Yoochan, who do you think you are?]
What?
I squint my eyes.
While I'm flustered, the sentence continues:
[You're no different from Nox. Yoochan is Nox. Nox is Yoochan.]
[The two are the same person…]
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