I Received System to Become Dragonborn

Chapter 1472: Their Expression

Sylven could only stare with widened eyes. His youthful face contorted with horror and sorrow as he watched his mother transform into a monster because of his own decision once again.

He cried silently. No words or screams escaped his lips to accompany the tears that continuously flowed down his cheeks. He simply stood there and watched the grotesque figure before him.

Roots violently twisted around Arin’s body as flowers bloomed from her flesh. Her limbs had become enormous branches, countless vines emerged from her back and burrowed into the ground beneath her feet.

The warmth and kindness she once possessed had completely disappeared, replaced by an existence born solely from Sylven’s selfish desire to keep her alive.

But despite her monstrous appearance, Sylven could still see her. He still saw his mother.

The woman who taught him how to harvest wheat and patiently listened to his endless questions when he was young. The woman who smiled proudly whenever he accomplished even the simplest tasks.

No matter how horrifying her appearance had become, he simply couldn’t stop seeing her as his mother.

A darkness slowly began spreading through his heart as guilt and self-loathing resurfaced once again. He hated himself for being powerless enough to lose her. He hated himself for being selfish and granted her wish despite knowing the consequences.

Most of all, he hated himself for living while she had died because of him.

For hundreds of years, he had carried those emotions without ever speaking about them.

This was why Sylven had always appeared as a cheerful and carefree young boy. Beneath that youthful smile hid an individual who had long been haunted by one of the greatest regrets of his life.

The monster continued growing larger and larger. Her roots spread throughout the surrounding land. Her enormous body towered over the nearby village. The ground trembled beneath her. Vines destroyed houses and terrified screams echoed throughout the settlement.

It threatened the lives of countless innocent people.

But this was merely a dream. This was only his subconscious. Sylven didn’t need to do anything. He could simply stand here and watch. He could spend a little more time looking at his mother. He could pretend that she was still here even if she had become a monster.

Perhaps he could remain standing here forever.

Then, the realization struck him.

"No..." Sylven whispered softly as he lowered his head. He couldn’t do that.

Whether this was reality or merely his subconscious no longer mattered. This was still his mother. The woman who loved him more than anyone else in the world.

And she was suffering.

The monstrous form before him was not life. It was a cruel existence born from fear, selfishness, and regret. If Arin could speak to him right now, she would undoubtedly ask him to end her suffering immediately.

Tears continued falling from Sylven’s eyes as he slowly raised his hand.

"I don’t want to do this again," he whispered painfully. "I just wanted to see you one more time."

The monster roared as countless roots charged toward him.

"I’m sorry, Mother."

The surrounding forest immediately erupted with emerald-green light as Sylven released his Dragonborn power. The countless vines and roots were instantly severed before a single devastating attack pierced through the core of the monstrous plant.

The gigantic creature stopped moving. Her enormous body collapsed onto the ground and gradually lost all signs of life.

Sylven slowly approached the corpse and knelt beside it. The monstrous appearance remained unchanged even in death. There was no beautiful farewell or miraculous return to her human form waiting for him.

Only a dead monster remained before him. But to Sylven, this was still his mother.

He gently placed his hand upon the cold roots and silently wept.

"I missed you..." he whispered between his tears. "I’m sorry I couldn’t save you. I’m sorry that even now, after all these years, the only thing I can do for you is kill you once again."

His voice trembled as he lowered his head. The darkness within his heart deepened. The guilt that he had carried for centuries remained just as heavy as ever.

Killing his mother had never become easier. Time had not healed that wound.

–

Erend and Velrion quietly observed the three Dragonborn sitting cross-legged on the underground chamber’s floor. Both of their expressions gradually became uneasy as the minutes passed.

The black mist leaking from the Dragonborns’ bodies had become significantly thicker than before. Dark wisps continuously emerged from their bodies before being immediately suppressed by the Sky Anchor’s white light.

Despite that, none of them showed any signs of slowing down anytime soon. They remained perfectly still, Erend afraid that their consciousnesses had been completely swallowed by whatever they were experiencing within their subconscious.

"This is worse than my first meditation, I think," Erend thought.

He slowly approached them. If there was anything he could learn about their current condition, it would most likely be from their expressions.

The moment he stood before them, his expression immediately darkened.

What he saw was not a good sign. Although their eyes remained closed, their faces constantly shifted between various emotions.

Eccar’s brows were tightly furrowed as though he was enduring something painfully bittersweet. Aesa’s face showed clear sorrow and anger and tears streamed down her cheeks. Meanwhile, Sylven’s expression was perhaps the most heartbreaking of all. His youthful face was filled with profound grief.

Erend let out a long sigh.

"This isn’t good," he said as he turned toward Velrion. "It looks like they’re confronting something buried deep within their subconscious. Something they’ve been carrying for a very long time. Not like me, they never experienced the Black Rage taking control of their bodies before. Perhaps because of that, the Black Rage is forcing them to confront the deepest emotions hidden within their hearts first."

Velrion listened silently with a grave expression on his face.

"The suppressing artifacts are finished," he said while looking toward the ritual materials beside him. "But unfortunately, we can’t use them until they regain consciousness."

Erend nodded slightly.

At that moment, the white light emitted by the Sky Anchor grew noticeably brighter. The entire underground chamber became illuminated by her benevolent radiance as she continuously poured more of her power into suppressing the Black Rage leaking from the three Dragonborn.

It was obvious that even she was increasing her efforts.

The black mist and white light continued struggling against one another in silence.

Erend remained quiet for several moments as he pondered their current situation. Forcing someone out of their subconscious was possible, but doing so while they were confronting the Black Rage could potentially have unforeseen consequences.

Eventually, he spoke once more.

"Maybe we’ll have to wake them up by force," he said. "But let’s wait a little longer."

His gaze lingered on his companions’ sorrowful expressions.

If possible, he wanted them to overcome whatever trial they were currently facing. After all, confronting one’s greatest regrets and deepest emotions might very well be an important part of mastering the Black Rage.

But it was not easy, if things became too dangerous, he would not hesitate to pull them back into reality.

—