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Chapter 649: Back to the Central Plains

The Technique of the Flame Wheel’s composition.

This was the realm I reached in my previous life.

Creating a tsunami of flames or soaring through the void using heat…

That was also the state where I could perform various techniques.

If there’s a difference from my previous life, it’s this.

‘Now is much better.’

In terms of physicality, enlightenment, and my Inner Strength, I can confidently say that my current state is far more refined than in my previous life.

Flame Burst-!!

I gradually adjusted the Flame Jade that gathered at my fingertips.

The intricately formed sphere began to change shape.

Thud thud thud thud.

With rotation and compression, friction of my Inner Strength caused a vibration.

Not rushing, I slowly adjusted it, regulating my energy.

Suuuuu.

In no time, it transformed into the shape of a long spear within just a few seconds.

However.

Sizzle-! Sizzling–!!

As I tried to maintain its form, my Inner Strength threatened to explode. Seeing that, I made a disappointed expression and shifted my mental state.

Only then did my Inner Strength calm down and take shape.

What I created was a variation of the Flame Jade. The Flame Jade Sacred Spear.

It was only a few days since I first used it, and its completeness is much higher now.

Regrettably, I still had to overlay my mental state to achieve it, so I couldn’t say it was perfect.

That ease of casting compared to before meant my realm had significantly improved.

In other words,

‘To wield the Sacred Spear perfectly, I need to achieve my Great Achievement.’

The difficulty of the technique I created was simply too high.

Damn it. I have to reach Great Achievement just to use this properly?

‘It’s freaking ridiculous, to think I made this!’

It still flickers in my mind.

The completed Sacred Spear that my father held in his hand.

I felt a mix of emotions, seized by longing.

If it could be crafted to such an extent, that could be a glimmer of hope.

‘Great Achievement.’

Flame Burst-!

As I recalled, six years have passed since my regression.

I had reached young adulthood. My life was somewhat different from my previous one.

What was I doing at that age in my last life?

‘What was I doing? Just being a brat.’

I was already out of the clan’s favor by that point, and it seemed like I had just ascended to the position of Lesser Clan Leader.

It was also the day I was dragged into the Dragon Meeting and endured a rough time.

They said something like the reckless scion of Mount Shan.

Or that a dog was born from a tiger.

I had to hear all kinds of nonsense and get beaten up for it.

Not exactly a memory I wanted to recall.

‘Compared to that…’

Now, I have surpassed the realm of my previous life, having achieved a not insignificant reputation as well, but still,

‘The number of tasks hasn’t decreased.’

In truth, there were just too many accumulated responsibilities to enjoy my changed life.

‘Not that I wanted to enjoy stuff, anyway.’

Thud thud.

I dusted off my hands, erasing the remaining Inner Strength.

I was now frequently checking my transformed physical body.

My realm had suddenly increased, so I needed to thoroughly grasp the differences.

‘My Inner Strength is double. I’m not falling behind compared to my last life.’

This meant I was no longer at the level of wheezing for breath due to lacking energy.

‘It might take some adjusting to get used to the physical aspect…’

With my skills skyrocketing, my body felt somewhat out of sync. I believe this can be resolved with a few days of training.

From here, the other problem is…

‘While an increase in Inner Strength is good…’

Energy itself has increased, but there’s a slight issue with that energy.

That issue is simply.

‘The Chill hasn’t fully melted away yet.’

The cold energy I converted still remained within the vessel, yet it hadn’t completely transformed back to heat.

‘I had too much to melt all at once.’

It was Chill accumulated over several hundred years. It was insufficient to purify it in one go.

In the end, I had to wait until the Technique of the Flame Wheel melted it completely.

‘At least there’s one good thing.’

Swish.

I raised my palm to face one another. Then,

Crackle-!!

Chill gathered at my fingertips and formed a small ice crystal.

Seeing that, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

‘I can use Chill!’

It was a change brought by the energy of the Ice Spirit as it filled my vessel.

Since my body was trained in Fire Technique, Chill didn’t seem like it would be particularly useful.

Yet the coexistence of extreme energies gave me a peculiar feeling.

How is that even possible?

It’s a bit late to ponder such things.

‘Not even I fully understand my own body.’

After all, another energy had been added to the already abundant flow. I just decided to comprehend it that way.

‘If the Chill melts and transforms into heat, could I still use Chill?’

Even if I could no longer use it, it wouldn’t be a problem.

It was merely curiosity.

‘It doesn’t seem particularly powerful enough for combat.’

I couldn’t wield it like the Ice Palace’s clan members did.

‘…I suppose it could just be used to make water a bit colder.’

Thinking that way made it seem utterly useless. To think I could only use it for making ice water…

Not enough for battle.

Especially the type of armor Yu Seon showed was even more out of the question.

‘Yu Seon, huh.’

The moment I recalled the eccentric daughter of the Demon Lord, another part I needed to confirm came to mind.

The abilities I acquired from Tam and the powers Yu Seon wielded.

I obtained two powers from Tam.

One was about regeneration, which I’ll skip since I had passed that point to save Woo Hyeok.

There was still one ability I hadn’t transferred yet.

Swish.

I raised my hand as before.

And within my mind, I envisioned a small gem.

A hexagonal gem of blue light.

About the size of my thumb.

I wished for it earnestly. Over and over again.

At that moment.

Rumble.

A tiny vibration occurred within my body.

Suuuuu.

The gem I envisioned appeared right on my palm.

I gently grasped it.

I could feel its texture. Cold and firm.

It looked so real that anyone would believe it was an actual gem.

“Huff.”

As I exhaled and relaxed,

Swoosh-!

The gem turned into smoke and vanished as if it were a lie.

Watching the energy swirling in the air, I nodded.

‘The time I can maintain it is at most a moment.’

If I make it this small, then it lasts a moment; increasing its size or adding detail would shorten that time.

‘Quite the hassle, indeed.’

The abilities I had taken were all a nuisance.

The gem from earlier was an illusion created using my powers.

It could be called a mirage or a falsehood.

I considered it a truth that is closest to a falsehood.

Creating a reality that included not only sight, but also sensations like touch and smell.

Not just the space Yu Seon crafted.

All those moments I experienced at her hands were the same.

Wind.

I wish and wish.

Then it shall come true.

This was the name and method of the power.

‘So simple, really.’

All I had to do was wish for it.

I couldn’t think of anything easier than that.

As much as it could create something reminiscent of reality, it was at least way more useful than Chill.

‘But in the end, like regeneration, its efficiency might decline.’

Because it had been taken by Tam, regeneration couldn’t perform at its peak.

The same went for the wind-related ability.

‘Is taking powers from Tam truly diminishing their effectiveness?’

I eat and take the powers of dragons.

That was the exact aspect of Tam I understood.

At this point, it was worth raising a question.

Perhaps.

‘It’s not that the stolen abilities weaken…’

They simply didn’t fit me.

Such doubts emerged.

Why I thought such things is because when recalling the fundamental aspects of abilities.

My power is Tam (Greed).

I’m covetous and dislike being robbed. The power of Tam fit my nature.

Not wanting to be taken, I take instead. I wondered if there could be a better match than this.

‘Could it be that Wind and Regeneration are similar?’

Perhaps that’s how they reflected the efficiency seen when wielded by Tam.

Such suspicions began to surface.

‘But to say it isn’t so, there seems to be a part that feels that way.’

This doubt started when I handed regeneration to Woo Hyeok.

He was indeed blessed with enhanced recovery as the power entered his body.

Yet, when I transferred it, I could witness Woo Hyeok’s body healing rapidly.

That was strange.

‘If it’s ineffective after coming to me, it doesn’t make sense for it to get better once transferred to him.’

Thus, I flipped the hypothesis.

It’s not that the power declines when I take it.

‘It simply wasn’t suited for me.’

It never truly belonged to me in the first place.

If there’s a part that doesn’t make sense.

‘How do you determine what fits and what doesn’t?’

If all one considered were compatibility with my nature, there shouldn’t be a reason for me not to mesh with Regeneration.

‘I need it more than anyone.’

If Regeneration suited me, I could fight through having my arms torn or chest pierced.

But that wasn’t happening, and it was nothing short of disappointing.

There must be another reason behind it, but I couldn’t fully grasp it.

Growl.

A soft growl reached my ears.

I turned my gaze upon hearing it.

“Huff.”

Before I knew it, a gigantic head had approached me, and it was none other than Tolly.

Drip drip.

Something was dripping onto the ground. It was blood.

The blood flowed from what Tolly had in its mouth.

It was a demon beast resembling a wolf with red fur.

Tolly approached me, carrying the Red Demon Beast in its mouth.

Considering the size of the Red Demon Beast, which was about as large as the house, I could comprehend just how massive Tolly had become.

“Hah….”

Watching that, I let out a slight sigh, then swung my hand.

Whack-!!

Thud-!!

Tolly, struck on the head, swayed unsteadily.

“Damn it… why is it even larger? I told you to grow moderately!”

Grrr….

“Feeling wronged, huh? It’s already costing me a fortune to feed you, and now you look like you’ll eat even more.”

Grrr.

“You say you can manage for yourself? With that size, you sure can! You’d be getting meals on your own, wouldn’t you?”

Grrr….

“Then why don’t you help out a bit? Seriously, what’s with the attitude? You’re a little less rambunctious these days…”

Thud-!

When I tried to grab its fur, Tolly quickly darted away.

Whoooosh–!! Its great form soared into the air, raising dust and bringing a gust of wind.

Seeing that, I frowned and asked, “Aren’t you coming down?”

Grrr.

“Okay, fine, I won’t hit you, just come down.”

Grrr.

“If you don’t believe me, why even bother to ask? Hurry up and get down!”

I was about to get angry when Tolly sped away, flying far into the distance.

With such a bulky body, it was incredibly fast.

“Hah.”

Watching its retreating figure, I let out an exasperated breath.

Its size had at least doubled since we arrived at the North Sea.

I wondered what could have happened while I wasn’t looking.

‘What else? It’s my fault.’

It was clear.

As my energy grew, so did its size and appearance.

‘That beast is linked to me.’

Whenever I experienced changes in my realm, whether it was an increase in strength or physical prowess, Tolly would also evolve alongside me.

‘When my physicality improved, its appearance altered.’

It became fiercer and more menacing. With each passing moment, it transformed into a fearsome sight that even made me tremble at a glance.

‘When energy increased, its size grew.’

Perhaps exceeding the skills of my previous life caused Tolly to become far too massive.

Isn’t it funny?

‘It could shrink if it wanted to…!’

Since Tolly could also utilize Body Transformation Technique, he could freely alter his size.

Yet it seemed like he enjoyed being large and boisterous.

“Geez…”

I wondered who he took after with that attitude.

Shaking my head, I watched Tolly disappear.

‘A demon beast that grows alongside me.’

Originally born from a Demon Stone that absorbed my energy.

That was how he transformed.

Thinking of that, I recalled Tam.

‘Tam’s true form was also a demon beast.’

The white demon that was called a dragon.

That was the true form of Tam that burst out of the Ice Spirit.

‘Do all dragons have a true form?’

Tam was a pureblood dragon, and I was said to be a pureblood dragon as well.

Then, like Tam, do I also have a separate ‘true form’?

‘I don’t particularly feel anything like that. But if I did have one…’

The demon beast that grows alongside me just flew by.

‘…’

Could it be that?

As those thoughts crossed my mind, I shook my head.

‘Even if I’m the true form, what sort of true form could he be?’

The very concept of a true form seemed strange to begin with.

If there’s a true form, it would be me standing here, right? Not something else.

Just idle thoughts, I suppose.

Sluuurp.

As I brushed aside my musings and removed the bandages wrapped around my chest, I set them ablaze.

Flame Burst-!

The bandages ignited, releasing a faint foul smell. Blood had soaked into the bandages.

“My wounds are all healed.”

It had been three days since I engaged in a fierce confrontation.

Though I was stabbed and even had cracks in my bones, in just a few days, both internal and external injuries were healed.

‘My regeneration ability has certainly improved significantly.’

Considering that I had lost the Power of Regeneration, it’s right to view it simply as my regeneration ability itself increasing.

‘With this level…’

I could afford a more intense training regimen.

If my bones broke and flesh tore, I’d still regenerate in just a few days.

This was undoubtedly the most satisfying aspect of my growth.

Crisp.

I turned around at the sound of presence behind me.

A neat martial robe and strikingly pale skin belonged to a handsome young man. Seongyul.

He had bandages wrapped around one arm, looking like he had broken his left arm in a battle with a demon beast.

“Um, did I interrupt something?”

“No, just finishing up. Why?”

“The Demon Lord is looking for you, Prince.”

Nodding at Seongyul’s words, I prepared to leave, as that was precisely where I was heading.

 

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