Chapter 28
Xiaoman felt just the right amount of warmth, as if she had returned to a snowy day in the past. The gaps in the walls had been blocked in advance and sealed tightly, and the fireplace was burning perfectly.
At that time, she and her mother were lying in bed wrapped in a quilt. Her mother was telling stories in a soft voice. Her face was a little flushed, but she didn't cough much.
At that time, Xiaoman was not as tall as he is now, but he was already grown up in the world of the villagers. He was one of the young people who could take on most of the work, so he could climb up and down to repair the house and find firewood, and take good care of his mother.
But when she curled up beside her mother, her arms and legs, which had been rapidly lengthening due to the invisible urging of the growth period, were folded up, her back was arched, and her thin and hard wrist bones were wrapped in the soft old bedding. She seemed to have turned into an unsteady cub again, lying ignorantly under the wings of this woman who was in fact shorter and weaker than her. She was already so at ease and drowsy just by her mother's fingertips gently caressing her scalp between her hair.
All her senses seemed to be immersed in a pool of warm "water", making her unable to tell whether it was her body or her consciousness that was immersed in it.
Fortunately, Xiaoman didn't really feel sleepy this time. It was just a comfortable feeling without any illusion of being there. She still remembered what it was.
She was just a little surprised.
Because the teacher did not hide the fact that the talent awakening method he used was modified from the ritual used for the Golden Blood, and he explained to Xiaoman the risks involved.
——In fact, Lazarus also briefly explained some ideas for the revisions, trying to cram the fascinating magic knowledge into the heads of pragmatic disciples, probably thinking that it would be good if they could remember at least a little bit. Then, in front of the confused eyes of the disciples who seemed to have not understood at all, he coughed lightly and wisely changed the subject.
The problem is that, as the side closer to the lives of the orcs, the awakening process of the Golden Blood, like the great future, is information that is passed down by word of mouth by the vast majority of people.
Almost all orcs with golden blood, even after they became warriors who could remain calm even when their limbs were broken and their bones were torn, would still reveal an expression of dismay and lingering fear when talking about their initial awakening process.
This proves that the power that was dug out from the blood of the beasts, which allowed them to transform into some powerful beasts at will, must be proportional to the test they went through when they obtained it. So Xiaoman never asked the person involved about these things out of curiosity like others. Su Mei was her friend, and she wanted her friend to be happy and not touch bad memories.
But this improved ritual doesn’t seem to be painful at all... Xiaoman thought.
She had no idea what her teacher had sacrificed to allow her to safely dissect the gifts that lay dormant in the depths of her consciousness, but she would seize the opportunity and not give it up while she could.
She stayed in this warm shallow layer for a moment, making sure that her existence was clear and stable enough, and then she followed Lazarus's advice and tentatively explored the depths of her consciousness.
The water has become cooler. Xiaoman subconsciously used the words she could think of to describe her feelings. It was like a finger passing through the warmed water surface, and after reaching the bottom of the stream, the temperature was slowly carried away by the cold water, all the way to the center of the finger bone, conveying a deep but not biting coolness back.
There was no danger yet, so she went deeper. Then, the silent colorful flowers gradually unfolded, expanding into a starry sky that enveloped Xiaoman.
It seemed like a very long time had passed, and countless winters with my mother by my side and nights when I looked at the moon alone passed by in front of my eyes. But it also seemed like just a moment of rapid breathing -
Why are we wrong? A thought suddenly came to Xiaoman.
She is not a beastman, so she is accused of having "original sin" and is rumored to steal other people's souls. She is such a strong and gentle mother.
They were beastmen, but because of the exhaustion of their bloodline, they became inferior people, including Su Mei's family and many other abandoned people.
He is an orc and has the most precious and rare Mithril blood, but just to survive, he had to transform himself into an undead and was judged to be a teacher who should not exist in this world.
It was clear that my mother had never harmed innocent people. Neither had Su Mei. The teacher had lived for so many years, but the bounty issued by the church did not mention a single word about his involvement in any proven massacre or desecration of crowds.
——So who is wrong?
The girl asked this tiny question from the depths of her consciousness. It was pure and simple, yet involved countless people. The messenger who had been separated from the huge creature regained his momentary clarity.
It was so easy because the He here was not the real God of Stars. He was just a t that every incomplete person did not remember, a phantom of the past that was engraved in their hearts and preserved forever before they were born and before He sent them a mission.
In this extremely brief moment, the existence that was extremely far away and extremely close sighed, and a faint light as thin as a spider's thread moved from its golden "mane" and came in front of Xiaoman.
When it touched her, the light suddenly changed from golden to dark blue.
The silent dark blue flame entwined the master's fingertips intimately, and then bloomed magnificently, forming a cocoon that was as brilliant as a cluster of flowers, while the starry sky disappeared into the distance.
Before the circle was completely formed, Xiaoman suddenly turned around.
…She saw another cluster of starlight that was completely different from the chaotic image. It stayed near her, quiet and vaguely caring.
It's pink with a hint of purple. Very pretty, Xiaoman thought vaguely.
Then, as the ceremony was declared over, she was thrown out of the useless depths of consciousness and fell into an endless dream, embraced by a sudden and deep fatigue.
Knowing that the teacher would be there, Xiaoman fainted with peace of mind after a little hesitation.
Lazarus was indeed still with her.
The complex array carved into the earth's veins faded away along with the entire vein that was easily consumed, leaving only the leaping deep blue flames mixed with a hint of golden brilliance, as gorgeous as the prime youth of its owner that had never been expressed.
This ball of fire burned from the starry sky deep in Xiaoman's heart into the reality, shining in Lazarus' eyes, making all other light pale in comparison, and rendering the dark red pupils that could originally be illuminated by the sunlight into a layer of swamp that was almost black and was specially used to set off its figure.
The lich gently dispersed the remnants of the spell, and tried to confirm the flames first. Knowing that he had no ill intentions, he granted him an immunity just like Xiaoman himself. Then he used fresh vines and branches to make a temporary hammock, picked up the sleeping disciple through the air, and prepared to take him home.
After confirming that she would not wake up, another figure fell from a great height, and when approaching the ground, he deliberately did not spread his wings or use magic to cushion his impact.
If he jumped down like this, he would definitely not be injured, but he didn't know how loud the impact would be, so Lazarus had to cast a spell for him, allowing the Dragon King to land smoothly and gracefully, with the hem of his clothes swaying in the air current.
"——Three days." Bernardus said grimly.
"Well, that's about what I estimated." Lazarus replied calmly.
"Are you planning to chase her away only at the last moment?" The Dragon King asked, looking at the back of Lazarus, whose casting speed was obviously wrong.
"..." The teleportation spell was activated, and the teacher and the disciple disappeared into it, returning to the "home" where they were accustomed to living together.
Bernaludos stood alone.
The tall, handsome, blond dragon was silent for a while, then half-knelt down and touched the dry ground.
Then the light gradually wandered through the colorless rocks, and along the exposed areas, grass and trees took root and sprouted, beautifying it with tiny bits of vitality.
"Wherever you go, you bring destruction, sorrow, and despair to everything... From then on, there is no more joy."
He recited an unknown poem, then stood up and left.
The brand new gold coin twirled between the Dragon King's fingers, its luster extremely alluring.
It drew a parabola and fell towards the stall in the busy city. The Dragon King, who had chosen this stall after strict screening based on his own standards, still had an indifferent expression and stood coolly in front of the stall.
A man who looked tough and dressed in luxurious clothes suddenly came over, which scared the stall owner at first, but when he picked up the food, he showed his willingness to be a customer. The stall owner picked up the gold coin and weighed it, and asked his son to run to the other side of the street to verify its authenticity. He put on a smile and quickly prepared.
A customer like this would be the center of attention wherever he appeared, and the food placed in front of him would definitely benefit from it. The stall owner cheered up and decided to cook a street feast that would be better than usual, completely forgetting to figure out what kind of beast this customer with horns and a long tail belonged to.
Xiaoman woke up in her bedroom. There seemed to be nothing wrong with her body, except that she had a lazy urge to bask in the sun, as if she had slept very comfortably.
She stood up, groped for the loose string between the back of her head and her collar, tied her messy hair back into a small bunch that didn't get in the way, and then went downstairs in her still furry and soft slippers.
The disciple found the new note at the dining table, underneath a universal dictionary published this year by the City of Learning.
"I'm going out and will be back the next day. Don't worry. You can name your new talent yourself. -LS"
You must have thought about it for me in advance, but you have been struggling with it for so long that you feel you have run out of words, teacher.
Xiaoman picked up the beautifully bound dictionary and smiled unconsciously.
Of course, her teacher did not actually go out, but was lying quietly in the locked laboratory, soaking in medicine.
Although nothing can cure the lich's physical condition now, soaking in it like this can only play a role similar to slowing down oxidation.
Yuan Qian certainly would not reflect on this. He had deliberately set the limit of 797 years. Facing all the limitations of the world, he decided from the beginning to trade his useful life for strength. Being strong is the hard truth. It doesn't matter if you live shorter. Teacher Lazarus will always live in the hearts of readers!
[As expected, good people like you can never be as bad as you. This is too much. The poor Dragon King was played around by the lich who only cared about him…] The adjutant concluded the awakening ceremony.
Yuan Qian, who was focusing his attention on Bernaludos, was browsing the forum and silently cutting a large plate of steak in front of him that was slightly overcooked but fragrant enough. He pretended not to hear the strange sigh that only he could hear.
He knew that both the Dragon King and the Lich were his own characters, and that the other party had helped him design his face, so why would he feel sore for one of them? Could this be the secret of the Immortals who stay awake and not go crazy? But this seemingly fun life is better than pretending to be defeated and sealed by a hero and then taking a nap. In short, Yuan Qian didn't understand.