I Received System to Become Dragonborn

Chapter 1476: A Journey

Erend felt genuinely relieved when he saw Krono once again. After everything that had happened, seeing the familiar figure of the Time Dragon standing before him brought a sense of comfort that he hadn’t realized he needed.

However, unlike Erend, Krono didn’t seem particularly happy despite the smile on his face. There was unmistakable sadness hidden within that smile.

Erend could roughly guess what weighed so heavily upon Krono’s heart. The Time Dragon had died during his battle against Zerathul after acting recklessly in a way that completely contradicted his usual personality. Krono had always been calm, logical, and composed. He carefully considered every decision he made and rarely allowed his emotions to dictate his actions.

But during that final battle, he had thrown all of that away. His death had undoubtedly left him filled with regret.

Erend let out a quiet sigh before walking toward the remnant soul of the ancient Dragon. Before he could even say anything, Krono suddenly stepped forward and wrapped his arms around him in a firm embrace.

Erend blinked in confusion. He had not expected this reaction at all. Krono was never the type to openly display affection or express his emotions so directly. He had always maintained a certain distance between himself and others while carrying the dignified bearing of an ancient being who had lived for countless millennia.

Seeing him act like this felt strangely unfamiliar.

However, as though he could feel the loneliness and sorrow hidden behind Krono’s actions, Erend chose not to say anything. Instead, he simply returned the embrace.

For several moments, neither of them spoke.

Eventually, Krono slowly pulled away and took a step back. Tears had formed within his golden eyes despite the gentle smile that still remained on his face.

Erend silently looked at him with sympathy. Somehow, he could almost feel the loneliness that had accumulated within Krono’s soul throughout his time trapped inside theirs.

"I’m sorry," Krono said quietly. "I’m simply happy that I can see you again. I was... lonely."

Erend slowly nodded in understanding.

Now that Krono existed merely as a fragmented soul, it seemed that he no longer bothered maintaining the composed image he had always presented to others. The Time Dragon was dead, yet at the same time, he wasn’t truly gone. His soul remained trapped within Erend, Eccar, and Aesa, silently witnessing the passage of time without being able to interact with anyone.

That loneliness must have been unimaginable.

"I understand," Erend replied. "I’m sorry I only came to see you now. There have been a lot of things happening lately."

"Yes. I know," Krono answered with a small smile. "I’ve been able to see some of the things that all three of you have experienced. At least... parts of them."

Erend raised an eyebrow before slowly nodding. That was good to know. Apparently, Krono could observe fragments of their experiences from within their souls.

Then a particular thought suddenly surfaced within Erend’s mind.

"Then... do you know about the Black Rage?" he asked.

"Of course," Krono immediately answered. The gentle smile on his face slowly disappeared as his expression became solemn. "Now that I’ve had more than enough time to think about my final battle, I’ve come to realize that what caused me to act so recklessly against Zerathul might have been the Black Rage itself."

Erend widened his eyes in surprise.

It was true that Krono had acted irrationally during that battle. However, Erend, Eccar, and Aesa had always assumed that it was simply because he was furious after suffering countless injuries in his Dragon form while witnessing the destruction caused by Zerathul.

None of them had ever considered another possibility.

Yet now that Krono mentioned it, the explanation made perfect sense.

The Black Rage had always existed within Dragonborns. There was no reason why the ancient Time Dragon would be exempt from it.

"So... you know what the Black Rage is?" Erend asked. "And more importantly, do you know how we can overcome it?"

"Yes," Krono answered calmly. "I successfully overcame it a very long time ago."

Erend’s eyes immediately lit up with excitement.

"But," Krono continued, "it seems that my battle against Zerathul somehow awakened it once again. Or perhaps it simply found an opportunity to resurface during my moment of weakness."

Even so, Erend barely paid attention to that revelation.

The only thing that mattered right now was the fact that Krono had successfully overcome the Black Rage in the past.

"Tell me," Erend asked eagerly. "What do we need to do?"

Krono remained silent for several moments before answering.

"You must each undergo a journey of your own," he said solemnly. "And in the end, all of you must confront the Black Rage directly and accept its existence before learning how to control it. There is no other way."

"A journey?" Erend frowned deeply. "What kind of journey are you talking about?"

"A journey... to discover your own purpose," Krono said.

The answer only left Erend more confused than before. He frowned slightly as he looked at the ancient Time Dragon standing before him.

"Isn’t our purpose already clear?" Erend asked. "We protect others. We fight the enemies threatening this world. Isn’t that enough?"

Krono slowly shook his head.

"Yes, but it is not that simple," he replied calmly. "The stage all of you currently stand upon is merely the beginning. You have only begun scratching the surface of what it truly means to be a Dragonborn."

Erend remained silent and waited for him to continue.

"You must undertake a spiritual journey through different realms and dimensions by yourselves," Krono said. "There, each of you must find what you are destined to discover."

"And what exactly are we supposed to find?" Erend asked.

"Power. Wisdom. Knowledge," Krono answered without hesitation. "You will need all of them. The cosmos is vast beyond your imagination, and all of you know almost nothing about it. The Black Rage is merely one of countless truths hidden within it. If you wish to control it, then you must first understand yourselves and your place within the cosmic order."

Erend quietly listened while countless thoughts swirled inside his mind.

After several moments of silence, he finally asked, "Then how do we begin this journey?"

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