Chapter 61: Forming Core II
The darkness before Vlad shifted. He could see something moving in front of it, vast and serpentine. A scale of shimmering black obsidian slid past, gleaming with an oily sheen, before disappearing into the darkness again.
Vlad’s eyes widened, his lips parting in shock, his heart beating like war drums as he saw the creature before him.
A pair of massive crimson eyes stared down at him, each one as large as his whole body. Numerous small patterns shifted inside them, seeming almost alive, swirling like galaxies trapped in twin suns. Its pupil was in the shape of a vertical diamond slit, cold and ancient, looking at Vlad with an intensity that pierced his soul.
Beside them appeared another pair of eyes, these golden with a deep black round pupil, a flicker of golden lightning shifting inside them as they regarded Vlad with equal curiosity.
As the eyes drew closer, their bodies became visible. The creature with crimson eyes had obsidian-like scales that gave off a metallic hum with every movement, its hide thick and black, etched with brilliant patterns that seemed almost otherworldly, like constellations carved into living rock.
A pair of dark wings rested on its mountain-sized back, folded yet vast enough to cover the entire space, each scale on them catching the nonexistent light.
Its neck was arched forward, its face leaned down towards Vlad as if trying to take a closer look at him.
The other figure also came into view, swallowing the darkness around it.
It was smaller in size compared to the previous one, nevertheless it was as large as the dormitory where Vlad lived. It had a long beak, curved downward from the front, appearing sharp enough to carve through the strongest metal in existence. Unlike the previous creature, it had a body of illuminating gold, with countless massive feathers resting on its folded wings, each one shimmering like polished brass.
"Th-the Black Dragon and The Thunderbird..." Vlad murmured, falling onto his back. The darkness below him caught him like a cushion, but his mind was already reeling, struggling to comprehend the impossible beings towering before him.
STRANGE...
The dragon mumbled, leaning closer to Vlad, his breath hitting Vlad like a hot blast from a furnace.
WHY ARE YOU SO WEAK?
Before Vlad could answer, the Thunderbird struck the dragon’s neck with her beak.
STOP INTIMIDATING HIM WITH YOUR STINKING BREATH.
The Thunderbird, who looked like a massive eagle, turned her golden eyes towards Vlad and asked, trying to make her voice softer,
CHILD, ARE YOU HIDING YOUR TRUE POWER?
Her attempt to sound softer was completely futile. She seemed even more terrifying with a low, rumbling voice, like distant thunder rolling across a vast plain.
Nevertheless, what Vlad realized from their words was that they did not mean him harm. The tension in his shoulders eased slightly.
He clenched his fists, trying to regain his composure before answering. "I have only started my journey. I haven’t even formed a core yet."
The Thunderbird tilted her head, confused by Vlad’s answer. Her golden eyes blinked slowly, processing his words.
HAH... LOOK AT HIM CLOSELY. NO WONDER HE IS OBLIVIOUS.
The dragon sighed, his breath rushing past Vlad and ruffling his hair and clothes. Vlad barely held himself from rolling away, bracing against the force.
The Thunderbird gazed at Vlad, her golden eyes piercing through his very soul. After a moment, she also released a sigh, a sound like wind through a canyon.
NOW I UNDERSTAND.
She moved one wing forward. From the countless golden feathers connected to the wing, one was extended outward, flickers of golden electric bolts dancing around it like tiny serpents.
IT WILL HELP YOU STABILIZE THE ELECTRO AFFINITY OF YOUR CORE.
At the same time, the dragon shook his head, dislodging a small obsidian scale from his neck. The scale gleamed like polished jet. He lightly blew the dark, glass-like scale towards Vlad.
THIS SCALE WILL STABILIZE THE UMBRA AFFINITY OF YOUR CORE.
Vlad did not reply. He kept looking at them with eyes filled with fear and confusion, and at the back of it, a hidden curiosity that refused to be extinguished.
"You said I am ’his’ successor," Vlad finally spoke. His voice was steadier now, though still cautious. "May you tell me who you were referring to?"
The dragon blinked his eyes, his nictitating membrane first covering his eye from the bottom, then his other eyelid from the top. The Thunderbird looked equally surprised, her feathers ruffling.
After a moment, they regained their composure.
IF HE HAS NOT TOLD YOU, THEN YOU MUST NOT BE READY YET. YOU WILL KNOW ONCE THE TIME IS CORRECT. NOW GO BACK.
The dragon blew the feather and scale towards Vlad, slamming them into his chest. The impact was gentle yet forceful, like a wave depositing shells on a shore.
"Wait, I have a lot of questions to as—" Before Vlad could ask anything more, he was suddenly pulled back, the darkness transforming into sharp, colourful lines moving past him in a blur.
In the next instant, he was already out of the vision, sitting in the forest. The familiar smells of earth and moss returned to his senses.
On his lower abdomen, two energies in the shape of a dark scale and a golden feather began glowing beneath his shirt. The lightning and darkness that had been wreaking havoc in the surrounding area shrank, absorbing into his abdomen, into the scale and feather like a spiral being drawn inward.
His sclera returned to normal, the white of his eyes visible once more. The violent patterns in his eyes slowly came to rest, as if falling asleep again after a long storm.
Once all the lightning and darkness had been absorbed from the surroundings, the scale and feather at his lower abdomen began rotating like a taiji, combining into each other, transforming into a small, compact black sphere with crimson lightning dancing around it. The sphere pulsed once, twice, then settled into a steady rhythm.
His jaw finally loosened, the piece of wood falling to the ground from his mouth. The pain he had felt during the transformation was gone, erased as if it had never been. His eyes shifted to his hands. He removed the bandages, the white strips coiling on the ground like shed snakeskin.
There was not even a mark left on his skin. His wounds from the spar had completely healed, as if they had never existed in the first place. The flesh was smooth and unblemished.
Ding...
[Congratulations! The Host has successfully formed a Primordial Core.]
---
Status Screen
• Host Name: Vlad
• Rank: D
• Attributes:
– Umbra (Res: Mortal)
– Electro (Res: Mortal)
• Core: Primordial
• Stats:
– Strength: 35 Speed: 31
– Defense: 34 Agility: 32
– Endurance: 45 Vitality: 48
• Skills:
– Foresight Eye {Tap to learn}
---
"Wh-what in the world did I just experience?" Vlad gasped, falling back against the tree. The bark pressed into his shoulders, grounding him in reality as his chest rose and fell with deep, ragged breaths.
