Chapter 324

Lord, ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍who had brought Drago into being, occasionally visited his lair.

[Dragons ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍are beings created with a transcendent being called a god in mind.]

One ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍day, Lord told him the story of the dragon race's birth.

"Why ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍do you no longer create dragons?"

[Because ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍they are imperfect.]

"Imperfect?"

[The beings born as gods from the outset are limited.]

Nor were gods perfect simply because they were gods.

[So I changed the order.]

"……?"

[What if a mortal were allowed to reach the Presence of Transcendence?]

"……"

[It has already been confirmed through the human named Adamas.]

Lord created a mortal called Drago, made him his Apostle, and gave him the Authority of Haki from among the Authorities he possessed.

It was not that a transcendent being had been born.

[Only a mortal with the potential for transcendence has been born.]

As gods allowed priests to use Authorities, Lord had merely permitted him to use one of his Authorities.

"Lord, why undertake such troublesome work?"

To Drago, Lord was a perfect being.

Though limited, he created life and was immortal.

Even gods were beings he had made.

"Then why do something so troublesome? Could you not simply change the Laws of the World?"

[……]

Lord did not answer him at once.

He merely.

[Drago de Lord.]

Said indirectly that he would learn when the time came.

[You will come to take pride in having been given the name Lord.]

The Emperor was the one who told him Lord's truth.

Pergius Heinrich.

"It seems you already know that Lord divided his Authorities and created gods."

The human chosen by Lord spoke.

"Even those gods were imperfect, so in the end, another method had to be found."

An insolent human who considered himself more brilliant than any other piece Lord had granted power to.

Drago did not want to admit it, but it was not wrong.

Radiance had not been granted to him.

"Brother, ours was not the first attempt. There is someone recorded in history over a long period."

Drago endured the unwelcome form of address.

"The Monster Lord."

The central figure of the Great Wars recorded in human history.

The moment he heard the name Lord, Drago had instinctively known that the Monster Lord was also one of Lord's pieces.

"Lord seems to have invested a great deal in him."

In the end, he had failed to meet Lord's expectations.

"That is why Lord made contact with Heinrich blood two hundred years ago."

"……"

Two hundred years ago coincided with the time of his birth.

"That man was given countless chances, yet in the end, he was insufficient."

That was why Lord created new pieces.

"Your body is old."

He had placed into it numerous Authorities imitated through Magic Towers, along with the strange power called Anomaly.

Furthermore, he had reached the realm of 9-Star in mana, a realm said to have been reached only by Edan Eurasia.

But that was all.

The finite life allotted to a human was not extended.

It would have been different had he been a long-lived monster, an elf, or even a dwarf.

"You are not wrong. Regardless of their realm, humans cannot live even a hundred years."

No matter how they trained, their physical abilities inevitably declined with age.

Their prime was shorter than that of any other creature that had built a civilization.

It meant that the Emperor was no exception.

"You inherited the mighty body and heart of a great species. What do you think I received?"

"God's Authorities and the curse of the Anomaly."

The Emperor shook his head.

"Those are merely the products of research."

Humans who accepted mana had accumulated knowledge and become the rulers of the continent.

With the knowledge humans had accumulated for thousands of years and the cooperation of dwarves, Magic Towers had been built.

"……"

"Blood."

"What?"

"Lord granted power to my blood."

"Heinrich de Lord."

Among humans, the Heinrichs became the only lineage that served Lord.

The blood of the imperial family became special.

If they could live only finite lives, they could reincarnate and live infinitely.

Like primitive humans opening their eyes to civilization, their blood was able to contain mana of high purity.

"My first life was not as Pergius Heinrich."

He had merely been Heinrich.

It had been refined over several generations, until it attained its present Presence.

"Fortunately, two usable bodies have been prepared in this generation."

The First Prince and the Second Prince.

Supported by the White Duke and the Black Duke respectively, they competed while accepting alien powers in addition to mana.

"I can switch whenever I please by using the Formula of Reincarnation."

"The formula requires much blood."

"Human wars are endless."

The madness that surfaced in the Emperor's eyes was striking.

"Why tell me even that?"

It was information that could become a weakness.

"Did I not say it? We are brothers."

"I told you not to speak such nonsense……"

"There are more Lords you do not know."

"……"

"When the time comes, we will all meet."

They would meet as they had now.

"If you do not intend to announce the resurrection of dragons to the world, stay here."

In the end, the Emperor said with the air of granting him a favor that all Apostles who followed Lord would gather here.

"If you wish, I will arrange for you to study the Anomaly's curses."

The Anomaly's curses.

The power that had neutralized his mana and divine power, and encroached upon his powerful body.

The power that allowed the Emperor to call himself the High Lord.

If Lord had led him here, there had to be a reason.

From that day, Drago remained with the imperial family and watched in silence.

In the process, he discovered fellow dragons who had been living in hiding, and tore out their hearts.

He indulged the Emperor's game of advancing his research through Drago.

He assisted the Black Duke's research to resurrect a Black Dragon.

He overlooked the White Duke's ambition to imitate gods' Authorities with magic.

The one who had been Pergius Heinrich became Krusty Heinrich.

"It is time to hold a festival of blood."

He caused a Great War.

A new Magic Tower was built.

Not long after the Great War began, the Monster Lord joined them.

The fellow who had been chosen before them, but had become a discarded card abandoned by Lord.

It seemed he had revived long ago and joined hands with the imperial family.

Moreover, he appeared to have achieved 9-Star by taking the body of a direct descendant of Eurasia.

The Wave he caused drenched the entire continent in blood, from its center to its frontiers.

It was truly laughable.

The outcome of the Great War was all but decided the moment the Red Magic Tower was created, yet the insignificant creatures shed meaningless blood without knowing it.

This must have been how gods of the past felt when they looked upon them.

The blood flowed into the Red Magic Tower and began to form an immense Formula.

Once complete, the Formula would eventually change the Laws of the World.

This, too, was what Heinrich had told him while he stayed with the imperial family.

Simply by existing, they were beings who shook the Laws of the World.

If the war ended like this, the current world would end with it.

"There is no need to worry. Lord intends to create a new world with us as its starting point."

Besides humans of the continent, monsters of the mountain ranges, and dragons that maintained the balance, there might be fairies, dwarves, and others who had made contact with Lord.

What was certain was that time had been turned back at the very brink of the plan.

Only one year had been reversed.

It was enough time to entertain different thoughts.

The Emperor, who had lost victory just before his eyes, said,

"The Monster Lord has other thoughts."

"I may have other thoughts as well."

"We are all beings chosen by Lord."

Just as on the day they had first met.

The Emperor, whose shell alone had changed, remained composed.

That was why.

[Drago de Lord.]

[……?]

[How about joining hands with me?]

[……]

[We will become Lord.]

It was how he came to join the plan of the Monster Lord, whom the aloof Heinrich who called himself the High Lord had once called a mongrel.

* * *

Hazard.

A mixed blood of a Black Dragon and a Green Dragon.

He was the ninth dragon Drago discovered while he had watched over a long time.

[Dragon Heart.]

Drago looked at the jewel in his hand.

It seemed as though it would break if he applied force, yet even separated from the body, it carried an existence force that seemed alive.

For a dragon that had lived less than a hundred years, it was excessively large.

He could say with certainty that it was the largest heart among the mortals currently alive.

And.

[……]

He confirmed that the strange sensation he had felt since their close-quarters fight was real.

He could sense two powers.

Mana and divine power.

Two powers that could not coexist unless one had been chosen.

It had not refined a Holy Heart like humans did. Both had been refined in one heart.

'This fellow is different from the others.'

It differed from the Dragon Hearts of the dragons whose potential he had stolen.

And.

'He is different from me as well.'

Unlike Drago, he had neither learned magic nor been bestowed an Authority.

He merely happened to possess two powers.

[Pitiful.]

What he held in his hand was another potential.

Dragons were a species created to be special.

Aside from gods, there was no lack in calling them the strongest beings.

The reason such a species failed to prosper and became extinct was.

"Their innate arrogance."

What the Emperor had said.

"No."

That was wrong.

Humans who had become the rulers of the continent moved to accumulate karma.

Some superhumans among them hunted dragons and earned the epithet Dragon Slayer.

Not a single part of a dragon's corpse was discarded; all of it was used to make weapons and magic tools.

The most valuable part was the heart.

Dragon Hearts, which could not be compared to monster Mana Crystals.

A dragon's heart was itself like a secret medicine.

A secret medicine made from the heart of a dragon that had lived a thousand years was said to turn a hundred 6-Star mages into superhumans.

Because of that, dragons, called the strongest living creatures, became prey for humans.

Some dragons, having realized the severity of the situation, accepted the power called mana.

Their blessed hearts absorbed mana.

They swallowed their pride, polymorphed into humans, and learned the Ke and Formulae humans used.

They deceived humans so thoroughly that polymorphed dragons even left their names in human history.

They also contributed to advancing the ways mana was used.

Ironically, that resulted in a noose tightening around the dragon race.

As the general level of magic rose, detection magic and dragon-slaying magic were developed.

Those whom even their own kind treated as oddities were soon hunted by humans.

Hunters stormed the lairs of dragons living in seclusion.

Dragon corpses became expensive spoils traded in the underworld.

"It was not because of arrogance."

It was truly laughable.

The choice dragons had made to adapt to changed laws had become a fatal mistake, and dragons had gone extinct in that process.

Every time one dragon disappeared, countless superhumans were born.

Magic tools comparable to Divine Objects were made.

With thousands of years, the dragon race vanished, left behind as a page of history.

And so it had come to this.

Potential was meaningless if it could not be realized.

Crunch.

He tightened his grip on the jewel.

[I am the Dragon Lord.]

The Mixed Dragon who had hatched into the world too late would become a sacrifice for Drago's perfection, just as the other dragons had.

The energy held by the Dragon Heart began to be absorbed.

[Rather than be hunted while incomplete.]

It was what he had said to the dragons he hunted while alongside the Emperor.

[Would it not be better to become part of a complete dragon?]

The karma accumulated in Hazard's heart began to flow into Drago's heart.

[Memories of mana are intermingling.]

[Traces of a god are intermingling.]

Tingling messages drifted through his mind.

RelatedRelatedRelated