Chapter 516: Jumpscare
The crystals on each side of the wall only increased in density as I advanced forward along the path my heart pointed to.
’This can’t be a normal cave.’
Considering the amount of time that had passed and the distance that I covered, I couldn’t help but firmly deny the possibility of this place being a natural structure of any sort.
The farther I went inside, the more my sense of direction started to blur. If it wasn’t for the mysterious connection that led me all the way here, I could see myself ending up forever lost.
’Another ’Space’ perhaps?’
Surprisingly enough, my guess didn’t bring me any worry, rather, my heart grew more reassured. Whatever was my connection with the objective, it was obviously stronger than my very recent kidnapping trauma.
Naturally, it didn’t take a genius to guess what the connection was, but I was more curious about who I would meet. I was also wondering why such a place wasn’t put to use in the war just now.
Although all of ’us’ were supposed to be a part of one small family, I had never actually encountered a single sane member, at least not one that could directly converse with me.
’The Ancestor with the bad connection doesn’t count.’
As the guesses piled in my head, the ever-extending path finally had a change, it was growing wider and wider. Moreover, the degree of expansion was growing exponentially the more steps I took!
What was once a narrow tunnel had now become as wide as a few football fields put together. Thankfully, before the walls grew apart enough to look more like an open field, the expansion stopped. Instead...
’Is this is?’
The path reached its end, introducing me to an open area that did look like a very large plain.
’Wait...’
However, what was waiting for me inside wasn’t anything I was expecting. It was only when the low ceiling disappeared that I was able to understand the hints of sorrow that surged within the feeling of a long-awaited reunion.
’Who or what could have possibly done this?’
First, there was fire, then there was earth, and then came the darkness that covered them both. A titanic body unlike any dragon that I had seen or read about before, yet it had no pulse.
The furnace-like aura could still be felt in the air, but unfortunately, this furnace seemed to have lost its ember. Like firewood that had been blazing with brightness just a few moments ago, all that was left of it was the charred remains.
’How is that even possible?’
The empty area that I had seen from the distance was simply the border, directly next to it was a thin stream of molten lava, and beyond that lay a Dragon’s corpse.
Despite the lack of breath, the body maintained all of its majesty and dignity. If not for the cavity drilled at the area where the heart should have been, it would have been hard to tell if the Dragon was dead or simply sleeping.
’Aren’t they supposed to be technically everlasting?’
The sting in my heart seemed to intensify the more I thought about it. Although a Dragon’s immortality was more conceptual than true eternal life, this sight made no sense.
Just like the flashes I saw at the start, countless images kept passing through my mind as the body awakened something in me.
All of a sudden, however, all the worries in my heart vanished as part of me accepted what just happened. Yet, the other part wasn’t sure what was happening.
The only thing that I was sure of was that the source of this calmness was a clear breath that felt even closer to my heart compared to the departed Dragon.
{We finally meet, Azure.}
A calm and breezy voice echoes through the walls, strengthening the sense of security even further. The source wasn’t unfamiliar, but its origin was disassociating.
However, considering the name he used to call me...
’As expected, the Elder was...’
{Or should I say, Ian?}
’Hm?’
I was still able to maintain a neutral expression, but deep inside, I was more than just a little surprised.
I was almost completely sure that the owner of the voice was the Dragon Clan’s Elder, and that the Elder himself was none other than the persona of the hiding Dragon. However...
’When? Where?’
However, the fact that I felt like I heard this voice even before coming to this Domain, yet couldn’t really remember when, made the additional name reveal much more effective.
’Don’t tell me...’
The only thing I knew that could manipulate feelings and memories that well was definitely Corruption Energy!
For a second, multiple scenarios flashed in my head, but it was all condensed into one very miserable hypothesis.
’It was all a trap?’
What if the Dragon that the Dragon Clan was so busy hiding was already corrupted from the start? What if all that planning and their uselessly large army were just a smokescreen, meant to make us drop our guard?
Considering the insidious history of Demons, the strange artifacts they possessed as well my personal experience of their capabilities, such a scenario wasn’t too far-fetched. It would even explain the Dragon corpse to an extent.
Besides, with almost every kind of energy reserve I had still in recovery, they did just manage to temporarily eliminate all the trump cards I had, and if that was really the case...
’I’m in deep sh-’
{Hey, hey, don’t fly too far away. It’s just me, I’m sure we have met before.}
Just as my brain was about to squeeze itself in search of an escape plan, something small climbed from behind the fiery Dragon corpse.
’Cute.’
My head was filled with negative emotions not too long ago, but all of a sudden, seeing the little green thing turned everything around. Its small dragon-like body had adorable proportions, but the cartoonish-looking face was the thing that got me.
That being said, seeing it did remind me of one very important experience, and just thinking about that experience made me remember that it was the one that held my forgotten memory of that voice.
{I can see you like to jump to conclusions, and I don’t really blame you considering what you have been through, but...}
’The Green Dragon’s essence!’
The wings the little green thing had were the exact ones that sent me flying to the Fire Domain. In addition, both the essence and the little thing had the same ’smell’.
It was hard to describe, but it explained a lot, including the reason why my heart felt so at ease despite the constant dark thoughts that kept popping off.
{It truly isn’t that deep. I was just trying to break the ice, but it seems like I still need some time to get used to how easily human emotions can fluctuate.}
How it turned into this little thing was still a mystery for now, but the doubts in my mind were all vanquished. Although it didn’t look like much now...
{Let’s do this again. Hello, Ian, I’m Green.}
The little green thing was none other than the Green Dragon himself.
