Chapter 266 : Chapter 266

Volume 2 Ch 9: Ancient Dragons

The ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍scroll itself had the dark yellow color of something that had endured immense ages. Its edges were somewhat worn, but overall it had been preserved fairly well.

“I ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍found this in the ruins,” Iruya said, uncertainty threading through her voice as she carefully placed the scroll on the tea table between them and untied the cord. “It was mixed in among those experimental records and manuscripts, but the material and the handwriting were completely different. It seemed older. At the time, I only skimmed it. I saw a few ancient Elven words connected to dragons, but the context was fragmented, and after the shock of those experimental records... I did not have the time to examine it closely. I originally thought it might simply be an ordinary ancient account or legend about giant dragons.”

The ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍scroll was slowly unrolled.

It ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍was filled with dense lines of elegant, intricate ancient Elven script. Some places had grown blurred under the erosion of time, but most of it remained legible. Between the text were simple symbolic drawings and lines that seemed to mark the paths of Mana flow.

Ryan ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍and Iruya leaned closer at the same time, their heads nearly touching.

A ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍faint, cool fragrance drifted from Iruya, but neither of them had any attention to spare for it. All their focus was fixed on this suddenly revealed Records of the Ancient Dragons, Fragment.

At the beginning of the fragment, in bold script, was a single line:

“...After the Starfall Catastrophe, they came forth from the abyssal dark. They were not dragons as we had known them. Their form was unstable, their substance not truly matter. They devoured laws, tampered with origin, and became the common enemy of all races, as well as the beginning of our people’s decline...”

Ryan and Iruya both leaned in further, almost head to head, studying the ancient scroll in careful detail.

Thanks to the vast and chaotic knowledge Serandil had forcibly stuffed into his mind, those ancient Elven characters—which should have looked like indecipherable heavenly script—gradually began to make sense in Ryan’s eyes. Even so, reading them was still halting and difficult, like trying to decipher some profound treatise written in an unfamiliar grammar.

Iruya read far more quickly. Her slender finger moved lightly over the yellowed parchment as her gaze tracked the lines.

The more she read, the tighter her brows drew together. Her lips paled where she pressed them together, and the suspicion and gravity in her violet eyes deepened.

“The dragons described here,” she said in a low voice, “are nothing like any Dragon Race we know.”

Her fingertip came to rest beside a piece of abstract imagery that looked like a tangle of coiling tentacles, next to its written explanation.

“Law-Devouring Ancient Dragon, or recorded elsewhere as the Form of the Abyssal Dark. Its shape is unstable, like a living tongue or a colossal tentacle, supple and endlessly shifting. It possesses powerful appendages that can vanish from sight. Its surface is not covered in scales, but in something like fragments of laws or folds of space, against which Magic can scarcely invade. It has no intellect, no nest. It follows only some ancient summons, migrating along fixed routes in a near-eternal cycle, devouring the Mana and the very origin of laws along its path... It was one of the great enemies of our people.”

Ryan silently studied those descriptions and rough sketches.

It sounded more like a living, moving natural disaster—something that fed on the very foundations of the world.

“The crucial part is this.” Iruya drew a deep breath, suppressing the chill in her heart. Then she took out several more pages, clearly written in Serandil’s own hand, and laid them beside the ancient scroll. Her hand remained steady, but Ryan noticed that her fingertips were trembling. “According to his own analysis, this kind of ancient dragon was a near-perfect eternal furnace, one that sustained its existence by devouring and transforming external energy and the laws of the world. And his so-called Elven Gospel...”

She lifted her eyes and looked straight at Ryan, her expression complicated.

“That is not truly something of our people, Ryan. It is his mad creation, modeled after the most basic energy cycle and mode of existence of these ancient dragons. He was trying to use Magic Circles and living flesh as his materials, in order to replicate part of their function. He was attempting to forcibly remake the bearer in the direction of those monsters.”

If that was the case, then those Twelve Arrays were less an Elven Gospel than an Ancient Dragon Gospel.

The room fell utterly silent, with only the faint sound of their breathing remaining.

If the records were to be believed, even an elven body might not have been able to endure it. A human body...

“Once the Gospel begins to be inscribed, it cannot be stopped. It builds within you a pseudo-core that operates under an immense burden, continuously flooding your body with excessive Mana and forcing it to adapt, to strengthen itself, so that it can contain more. It drives your body toward irreversible evolution. It is like drinking poison to quench thirst. Under the pressure of the Gospel, your body keeps evolving. Its affinity for Mana rises, its efficiency in using it increases, but its need for Mana also grows greater and greater. And when the Mana supplied by the Gospel you already bear can no longer keep up with the demands of this forcibly elevated body...”

“Your Mana will run out of control and backlash, destroying you from the inside. In other words, not only have you already been marked with this thing, but you will also have to keep searching for and inscribing more Gospels, like a drug addict needing another dose, in order to satisfy the ever-growing hunger of your body. Otherwise, there is only death.”

Silence once again descended over the room, but this time it carried a pressure that felt almost tangible.

Ryan’s face still showed little change, but his gaze had grown deeper, and a faint light flickered in the depths of his pupils. His thoughts were moving at high speed.

After a moment, he spoke.

“If I maintain only the first two and never inscribe any more, how long could I probably last?”

Iruya slowly shook her head. Even that motion seemed to cost her effort.

“There is no exact time. Most of his records are based on elven test subjects, and... most of those test subjects died from one cause or another before they even reached the stage of requiring a third one. The records mention that if it were an elven body, and it remained in a completely stable state without severe Mana expenditure, merely sustaining the first two Gospels might allow it to survive at most ten years. As for a human...”

She looked at Ryan, and the calm she was trying so hard to maintain nearly cracked, revealing a trace of genuine worry.

“The human body is more fragile, and its affinity with Mana is far inferior to that of an elf. That time would likely be reduced drastically. Five years, three years, perhaps even less... all of those are possible.”

“Ten years, or less.”

Ryan repeated the words quietly. He fell silent for a few seconds, as though digesting the cruelty of that countdown. Then he looked up at Iruya.

“I understand,” he said.

“Ryan!” Iruya could no longer maintain her calm. She leaned forward slightly, her violet eyes locked tightly on him. “Do you know what this means? This is not an injury, and it is not poison. It is a dead end that even the most learned sages of our people could not resolve, something they treated like a flood or a plague! It is an executioner’s blade hanging over your head, one you cannot reverse! Within just a few years, you may die because your Mana is exhausted, or because it loses control and—”