Chapter 81

Of course, it couldn’t really be that two souls were sharing one body. That sounded like something out of a fantasy novel. Too much.

So then, what was this strange phenomenon?

I thought it over.

My aether was being pulled toward the dragon’s power. Even now, it was desperate to fly out in that direction. The corruption didn’t matter—it still wanted to go.

And the advice written in the dragon’s will was exactly the same as what that voice had whispered to me when I fainted.

Was this connected to the power I had absorbed before?

“Strange. It can’t be the same being,” I muttered.

But the two powers felt like they came from the same source.

“Maybe they were corrupted in the same way,” Cedric suggested.

“Huh?”

“…Ah. I mean like Lucas, or the wasteland,” he added quickly.

It sounded like a poor excuse.

I stared at him, doubtful. Cedric shrugged and pointed his chin toward the dragon.

“Well, in a broad sense, maybe,” he said.

Not a very satisfying answer.

Maybe dragons had something they shared among themselves. After all, even in the will, it mentioned a “successor.”

“In any case, it’s sad. To die like this, corrupted,” Cedric sighed.

“Yeah. If it had survived, maybe we could have learned what those words really meant,” I said.

This must not have been the dragon’s will. It must have chosen to seal the corrupted power in its heart and die.

And the hateful race it mentioned? Most likely, humans.

The flood of new information gave me a headache.

“Humans can corrupt even dragons? Persistent, aren’t they…”

“If it’s a force like black magic, maybe it’s possible,” Cedric replied.

I traced the dragon’s last words with my fingertip:

“You will see a way out.”

What did that mean? Escape from corruption? How exactly did they become tainted and go mad?

So many questions…

One thing was clear: the wastelands and ruined environment weren’t what the dragon truly wanted.

And if humans were behind this corruption, then maybe the Mad Dragon I fought before wasn’t born naturally either.

The thought chilled me. I gritted my teeth and forced away the fear.

“First, we need to deal with this. This is the source of the corruption,” I said.

“And the power is in the heart,” Cedric added.

“Right.”

Luckily, I already knew how to handle this. I turned to Cedric.

“Can I take that power for myself?”

“Why are you asking me? And—wait. Is that even something you can take?”

“Yes. Probably.”

He stared at me silently. I held his gaze without flinching.

Finally, Cedric shook his head and gave a small smile.

“You found it, thanks to your power. Of course, you deserve a share. But… are you really sure? It’s dangerous.”

“I’ll be fine. I’ve done something similar before.”

“…Alright. I’ll trust you.”

After a moment’s pause, he agreed.

He squeezed my hand once before letting go, then pulled out a pouch from his belt.

“…Why are you taking out medicine?” I asked.

“It’s not for me. It’s for you.”

“For me?”

“You do whatever you want. I’ll be ready in case something happens.”

He spread out all sorts of colorful potions in front of him, like a market vendor showing off wares. His sharp blue eyes stayed locked on me, ready to shove a bottle into my mouth at the first sign of trouble.

He slid a long finger across the line of bottles, showing them off.

…If I even coughed once, he’d probably make me drink all of them.

A shiver ran up my arms. I rubbed at them and looked at Cedric. He only smiled sweetly, as if to reassure me—making me even more uneasy.

“O-okay. I’ll try,” I said.

“Go ahead,” he replied.

Come on, Violetta. You can do this!

I steeled myself and stepped toward the dragon.

My skin prickled with sharp stings. I could feel the familiar magi pooled inside its heart.

What a pity, to end up like this.

I had thought the same thing when I fought the Mad Dragon before.

They were supposed to be the wisest race in the world. So why had they fallen to such foul power, losing themselves so helplessly?

I sent my aether toward the dragon’s heart. It clung eagerly to me, as if waiting.

I let it happen, then began to draw the energy into myself.

All I could do was hope—hope this dragon would finally be free and at peace.

Pulling in what had already leaked out wasn’t difficult. A trickle became a flow, then a flood, all rushing into me.

“Suppressing isn’t always the answer.”

“Is the purest form the most natural one?”

I didn’t know the answers. But I had learned something before: when I accepted the Mad Dragon’s power instead of fighting it, it had blended with my own.

My power could not only control, but also merge with other forces.

Was it really corruption, if something mixed with what was pure?

That thought vanished as pain tore through me.

The dragon’s power spun wildly inside me, rushing toward my heart. My chest and whole body felt like they would burst apart.

Memories of before flashed—writhing on the ground, spitting blood, struggling alone against overwhelming power.

But this time was different.

—Accept it.

That strange voice echoed again in my mind.

And I would. I would accept it. I would digest it.

My aether obeyed me faithfully, swallowing the dark power instead of rejecting it.

Golden light shimmered as it mixed with the black. Was it tainted now? No—it was simply becoming natural.

Rumble—

My vessel tore and repaired itself again and again. I felt myself expanding, growing larger, as the foreign power fused into me.

Even the separate streams of aether I had always carried began to merge together at last.

Time passed.

“…Haa.”

At last, the pain eased. My aether quieted down. My scattered mind returned to the present.

“Rita. Take this painkiller,” Cedric said.

“Ah…”

A bottle touched my lips. I couldn’t help laughing weakly at the gesture.

I blinked a few times, and my blurry eyes finally focused—on Cedric’s blue gaze, filled with worry.

The warmth at my back, the potion ready in his hand, the concern in his eyes—these were things I wasn’t used to. My emotions surged.

I pressed a hand against my chest and laughed again.

“You did well. Really,” Cedric said softly.

“That’s… nice to hear,” I replied.

I was exhausted, but strangely happy. More than thanks, I wanted to hear, “You did well.”

Because I wanted to belong. Not just solve problems for others and be thanked, but share struggles and victories as part of us.

Thankfully, it was over. No more energy leaked from the dragon’s heart. The power had been absorbed and changed inside me.

“It’s ending. Look,” Cedric said.

“Ah…”

The dragon’s body began to scatter, its form breaking apart now that its power was gone.

Light spilled everywhere, wrapping around the space, then falling onto us.

It was like stars raining down from the sky.

Feeling the shower of starlight on my body, I closed my eyes. I was so very tired.