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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 4
Drake.
The strongest dragonkin remaining in the Middle Realm after the dragons disappeared.
Its skin was so tough that neither spears nor swords could pierce it.
Its massive body spanned dozens of meters when it spread its wings.
Fighting one in close combat alone was already difficult, but drakes could also take to the skies.
From above, they could conjure fireballs and rain them down, making them a formidable opponent even for knights who had reached the level of Master.
'And they are proud creatures as well.'
When humans expanded their territory and began taming dragonkin—wyverns, the lesser kind, could be domesticated to some extent—but drakes never submitted.
Rather than yield to humans, they would choose death.
This was the universal nature of all drakes.
Not just humans—no species could ever rule over a drake.
That was common sense.
And the first to break that common sense was Ernstine.
Kaylen ran his hand over the drake’s wing.
Its skin was warm.
But more importantly, he could feel something within it—a unique flow of mana that only he could perceive.
To anyone else, it would seem no different, an indistinct and concealed flow of mana.
'The crystallization of the Infinity I bestowed still remains.'
The method Ernstine used to subdue the first drake—
He had split off a fragment of his own Infinity and implanted it within the drake.
From then on, the drake recognized Infinity as its core and served Ernstine as its master.
'That explains why you've remained warm even in your preserved state.'
Preservation.
Normally, it involved hollowing out the body and replacing everything but the skin—
But the drake, Skyspear, did not require such treatment.
It had Infinity within it, preventing decay.
Even after a thousand years, it remained in the same slumbering state.
'But this won’t last much longer.'
The heat that had started appearing a year ago—
It was proof that the once-stable Infinity was beginning to waver.
"Return to me."
The moment Kaylen spoke, heat began to gather in his hand.
The small fragment of Infinity embedded in his stomach responded to it.
A surge of Infinity came rushing in.
A burning pain flared up in his hands and arms.
Yet, Kaylen endured it in silence.
Pain of this level—
He had suffered through it countless times as Ernstine.
'I’ll absorb as much as I can.'
The fragment of Infinity in his stomach continued to expand.
And with it, the pain doubled.
His stomach burned, and cold sweat covered his entire body.
His mind could endure it, but his body was failing him.
“Um… Excuse me. Are you all right?”
The soldier who had guided Kaylen asked with a worried expression.
The Founding King's drake was a national treasure that no one could touch freely.
Kaylen had only been allowed because he was a student of the Magic Academy.
But then, he suddenly started trembling violently, looking as if he might collapse at any moment, which made the soldier panic.
“Please, let’s get you to the infirmary immediately! You don’t look well at all.”
“Haa… Haa… Understood.”
Kaylen stepped back.
It seemed this was as far as he could go for today.
The fragment of Infinity that Ernstine had embedded within the drake was only a tiny shard—
But for Kaylen, it was far too large to absorb in a single day.
“What exactly happened just now?”
“Ah… I just felt short of breath for a moment.”
“It wasn’t because you touched Skyspear, was it?”
“No. Why would that be a problem? My hands are completely fine.”
Kaylen held up his palms.
His hands were unscathed.
There wasn’t even a trace of burns.
“I see…”
“Apologies for worrying you.”
“No, I’m just glad you’re all right.”
After Kaylen stepped away from where the drake Skyspear lay,
The soldier glanced around, then secretly reached out and touched the drake.
“Return to me.”
The mage had said these words earlier before suddenly reacting strangely.
Just in case, the soldier tried saying it himself—
“Nothing’s happening?”
So was it really just indigestion?
Feeling only the warmth of the drake’s skin, the soldier tilted his head in confusion.
That night—
Lying in bed, Kaylen recalled this body’s old memories.
—Wow, so this is a drake…
In his memories, Kaylen had a thin frame and wore a first-year student’s robe.
Staring at Skyspear with eyes full of curiosity, the young Kaylen eagerly asked the guard:
—Excuse me, may I touch it?
—Yes, you’re a student of the Magic Academy, so it’s allowed.
—Thank you!
With permission granted, Kaylen excitedly reached for Skyspear’s head.
And then—
—Huh…? Huh…?
He suddenly felt something hot surging into his body.
At the same time, an overwhelming hunger unlike anything he had ever experienced consumed him.
Kaylen, as if entranced, pulled his hand away from Skyspear’s head and headed straight for the dining hall.
From that day on, Kaylen lived with constant hunger.
“So that was when Infinity first awakened, albeit imperfectly.”
Gurgle. Gurgle.
Kaylen sat up in bed.
It had been a full day since he absorbed Infinity from Skyspear.
Unlike before, the unbearable hunger did not return.
‘And if this happened a year ago, that would match the time when Skyspear first started heating up.’
It seemed that when Kaylen, a descendant of Meier, touched Skyspear, his Infinity was also stimulated.
‘I need to absorb it as soon as possible.’
Skipping breakfast, Kaylen headed straight for the central plaza where Skyspear was.
“Oh? You’re… here again?”
“Yes. I couldn’t examine it properly yesterday because of my stomach trouble.”
The soldier who greeted Kaylen looked a bit reluctant but guided him without much fuss.
From that day on—
Kaylen came back every day to touch Skyspear, as if it were his daily routine.
For the first three days, his entire body trembled violently, and he looked like he was about to die at any moment…
But after that, he seemed completely fine, calmly stroking Skyspear’s wings.
“You’re here again.”
“Yes. I’ll be in your care today as well.”
“Understood. But… compared to when I first saw you, you’ve lost a lot of weight.”
On the tenth day—
The soldier looked at Kaylen with a curious expression.
When he first saw him, Kaylen was so overweight that he almost seemed like a massive slime waddling around. But now, his size had shrunk considerably.
He was still chubby, but he no longer looked obese.
“I’ve been dieting lately.”
“That’s… a good decision.”
“I didn’t originally plan to, but after touching the drake and sensing the Founding King’s presence, I reflected a lot on myself.”
“Ah, so that’s why your expression looked so troubled at first.”
“Yes. That’s why I’ve been coming here every day for motivation. But this will probably be my last visit. Today, I plan to touch its head.”
“Uh… its head is very hot. You might get burned.”
“It’s fine. I’ll pull my hand away if it gets too bad.”
Kaylen’s determination was unwavering.
The soldier could do nothing to stop him.
“Understood. Please follow me.”
Following the soldier’s lead, Kaylen stood before Skyspear’s head.
“You must not touch the horns, eyes, nose, or mouth. You’re only allowed to touch the top of the head.”
“Got it.”
After hearing the precautions, Kaylen reached out—
And placed his hand on the drake’s facial scales.
Sizzle.
Unlike the wings, the heat was noticeably intense.
Because the energy of Infinity was concentrated in its head.
‘Specifically, the horns.’
Three horns.
Ernstine had infused Infinity into that spot and controlled the drake.
Kaylen had made up his mind to finish absorbing Infinity today.
“Return to me.”
Fwoosh.
The searing heat surged in an instant, making it feel as if his hand gripping the face would burn.
But Kaylen, without so much as a twitch of his eyebrow, began absorbing Infinity’s energy.
‘Sky Spear. Thanks to you, the Infinity in my stomach has expanded and moved to my Mana Heart. I should be grateful.’
If not for the preserved drake, he would have struggled immensely just to grow the tiny speck of Infinity.
There was still a mountain of work ahead, but Kaylen felt satisfied, as though he had just secured an easy start to it all.
Once he finished absorbing this Infinity, it would grow to the size of a fist.
‘If it reaches that size, I’ll be able to use Infinity freely.’
Vrrrrrrr.
The heat scorching Kaylen’s palm suddenly began to subside.
‘Almost there. Just a little more absorption.’
Kaylen intended to leave behind a portion of the Infinity’s power within the drake.
If he absorbed everything, the preserved drake would start to decay.
If that happened, people might grow suspicious of how often he had been coming here.
‘Leaving enough to last about five years should do.’
Kaylen finished his calculations and absorbed the last bit of power.
After a short while.
‘It’s done.’
As Kaylen withdrew his hand, a will resounded from the mana he had absorbed.
—I. Will not leave.
‘This voice… Sky Spear?’
Kaylen’s eyes widened.
Sky Spear was the first drake to gain intelligence after being imbued with Infinity.
But to think its will remained even after death?
Kaylen hastily sent out his own thought. But after those words, Sky Spear gave no further response.
‘…Unsettling.’
Will not leave.
What did that mean?
The unease lingered.
As Ernstine stared at his right hand, a soldier beside him spoke.
“Sir Mage, is your hand not hot?”
Kaylen snapped out of his thoughts at the soldier’s words.
There was no use pondering something that had no clear answer.
He would investigate when he had more time.
For now, he had enough trouble taking care of his own body.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
Kaylen showed his right hand.
His pale hand bore no signs of being burned by the heat.
‘Huh… That can’t be right?’
The soldier tilted his head.
He had briefly checked it in the morning, and it had been scalding hot.
“I’m really glad.”
“Yes. Then, I’ll be going now. Take care.”
“Yes, sir!”
As he watched Kaylen leave, the soldier hesitantly reached out to touch the drake’s head.
“Sss! Hot!”
The moment he made contact, he yelped and leaped back, blowing on his hand.
The drake’s heat seemed even more intense than in the morning.
“How did the mage even touch it…?”
Hearing the soldier’s startled voice from afar, Kaylen let out a faint smile.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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