Chapter 274

Volume 2 Ch 17: What a… Troublesome Man

She ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍checked the state of her body.

Her ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Mana was nearly depleted, more than half her spiritual power had been spent, her channels throbbed faintly from being overdrawn, and even her internal organs seemed to have suffered some shock.

But ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍more than her physical exhaustion, what truly unsettled her was everything that had just happened to Ryan.

Those ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍gold-red eyes... that black scale that devoured Magic... those ancient, majestic golden patterns flowing beneath his skin...

“Law-Devouring ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Ancient Dragon...” Iruya murmured softly, her violet eyes filled with deep worry.

She ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍slipped out of the tattered dress that had long since been soaked with sweat and blood and stained with dust and grime, then lowered herself into the warm spring water. The heat wrapped around her tired, chilled body, drawing a soft sigh of relief from her lips.

Steam drifted through the bath, blurring her vision.

Iruya closed her eyes, but the scene of that black scale on Ryan’s chest silently swallowing her Wind Spike spell rose unbidden in her mind once more.

What exactly was that thing?

The remaining fragments of Serandil’s manuscripts had been vague when it came to the final form of a bearer of the “Ancient Dragon Gospel.” There were only scattered phrases and deeply unsettling warnings.

But when terms like devouring Magic, negation of laws, and ascension of lifeform were placed together, they pointed to nothing good.

And Ryan...

He knew all of this, yet he still chose this path.

No, perhaps it was not a choice at all. From the moment he accepted the Imprint of Enlightenment in the ruins, that path had already been laid beneath his feet, with no way back.

“What a... troublesome man,” Iruya muttered, sinking the lower half of her face into the water and blowing out a few bubbles, her voice muffled.

It was hard to tell whether she meant Ryan, or the chaotic tangle of emotions inside herself.

Downstairs, in the guest bathroom.

Ryan stood before the large mirror, studying his reflection.

His silver-white hair hung damp over his shoulders, droplets still falling from the ends.

His skin really had become paler than before, like fine porcelain from the East.

But the most striking thing was still his eyes. Around the gray-blue of his irises, that faint ring of gold appeared especially clear beneath the bright magical lamps of the bathroom.

He undid the buttons of his clothes and removed his shirt, revealing his lean, powerful upper body.

The lines of his muscles were indeed more defined and fluid than before, as though every inch had been carefully carved, filled with restrained explosiveness and beauty.

But that was not the point.

His gaze settled on the place just above his left chest, slightly to the left of his heart.

There, embedded in his skin, was a hexagonal scale no bigger than the nail of his thumb, black as the deepest obsidian.

At its edges flowed extremely faint gold-red patterns, so subtle they would have been almost impossible to notice without close inspection, pulsing slowly as though alive.

The scale felt cold and hard to the touch, standing in stark contrast to the warm skin around it.

Ryan reached out and touched it lightly with one finger.

He had seen most clearly what happened the instant Iruya’s Wind Spike spell was swallowed.

It had not been defense. It had not been negation.

It had been something more complete: erasure.

As though there existed, around that scale, a tiny and absolute forbidden zone. Any external Magic that entered it would be erased by some higher order of law.

He tried drawing on the Mana within his body. At a thought, a small flame formed in his palm once again.

This time, he felt carefully.

Mana surged out from his heart, flowed through his channels, and gathered in his hand.

But the process... had become sluggish.

It no longer rushed at his command as naturally as an arm obeying a thought. Instead, it felt as though it were flowing through something heavier, thicker, more resistant. The Mana that finally gathered in his palm also seemed far more docile. The fireball it formed was stable and restrained, but it lacked some of the lively sharpness it once had.

And as it passed near his chest, he could feel a small portion of it vanish, drawn into that scale.

The amount was tiny, perhaps one or two percent. If his senses had not become so terrifyingly sharp, he would never have noticed it.

“Magic nullification... or rather, Mana devouring?” Ryan murmured to himself, extinguishing the flame in his palm.

The ability sounded powerful, especially in a world where Magic stood above all.

Any spell aimed at him, so long as it did not exceed a certain threshold, might simply be nullified.

That was an undeniably potent defense, perhaps even a law-level ability in some sense.

But what was the price?

The twisted, maddened images from Serandil’s manuscript pages, those experimental subjects that had ultimately lost all semblance of human form, flashed through his mind again.

To imitate an ancient dragon...

What would he become in the end?

Ryan closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. Warm steam filled his lungs. He pressed those chaotic thoughts back down and turned on the tap, letting the hot water wash over his body.

Inside him, the two Imprints of Enlightenment revolved like two stable, self-sustaining cores, continuously absorbing and converting the ambient Mana in the air, feeding it back into his body and mind.

A sense of power filled every limb and every bone, denser and stronger than at any point before.

He could even hear the sound of blood flowing through his veins, could see the minute fluctuations of Mana particles in the air.

His five senses had been sharpened to an astonishing degree, and his perception of Magic had become incomparably delicate.

This was the power granted by the Gospel, the dangerous and potent shortcut that madman Serandil had created by imitating the Law-Devouring Ancient Dragon.

The hot water ran down the channels of his muscles, carrying away the last traces of fatigue and grime.

When Ryan opened his eyes again, the gray-blue gaze in the mirror had returned to complete calm and clarity.

Fear, confusion, unease... those emotions could exist, but they could not be allowed to take command.

He had survived. His strength had returned. He had even grown stronger.

That was enough.

As for the scale on his chest, the golden ring around his pupils, and the weight that had settled into his Mana... those were simply new conditions to study, control, and perhaps even make use of.

Just as he had always done.

He dried himself off and changed into the clean clothes the servants had already prepared, a carefully tailored but simple set of dark gray noble attire.

Facing the mirror, Ryan loosely tied back his still-damp silver-white hair, baring his smooth forehead and steady eyes.

The young man in the mirror was strikingly handsome, his bearing composed. Apart from his hair color and the faint gold in his eyes, he looked little different from before. But only Ryan knew what inhuman transformation lurked beneath that body, along with what surging power and danger it concealed.

He straightened his collar, making sure the black scale was completely hidden, then opened the bathroom door and stepped out.

The corridor beyond lay silent, lit only by the soft glow of the wall lamps.

The estate was large. The servants were few, but thoroughly trained, and at this hour they all remained quietly where they were meant to be.