Chapter 99 Dragon Blood (5.5k, two and a half chapters)
“Clang!”
Blades clashed, sending sparks flying, and the backyard of Lyata Mansion was bathed in an amber glow by the twilight.
The branches hanging from the wisteria trellis trembled in the evening breeze, and water droplets leaping from the fountain pool refracted gilded specks of light.
When Mil unleashed a Cloud Split followed by a Piercing Hang, even Diana showed surprise, flashing back to create distance:
“You’ve improved so quickly; have you been practicing swordsmanship all these years?”
She retreated three paces, her training longsword dragging a half-arc of sparks across the bluestone slab.
“Hmm, something like that…”
“...That’s a style I haven’t seen before. Who taught you?”
“It’s a secret.”
Mil didn't care if this swordsmanship would be out of place; as long as he could win, it was fine.
He flipped his wrist to dissipate the remaining force, the profound iron blade scraping against the iris-patterned handguard, producing a harsh ringing sound.
Diana looked at Mil, her eyes always carrying a hint of sadness:
“I still don’t understand why you chose this path?”
Her ice-blue pupils reflected the young man's sweat-soaked collarbone, which was rising and falling with his rapid breathing.
Mil’s change was truly too great.
And in Diana’s view, joining the Abyss and then betraying it—unless absolutely forced, no one would do such an extreme thing. Only during the Holy War, when the entire Atla Continent faced a crisis of survival, would a very small number of people make such a choice.
And Mil, from a low-key and ordinary young man, transformed into a resourceful and cunning overlord, intelligent and courageous, with foresight—
How much despair and pain, how many nights of torment, must he have endured to transform into this appearance?
This question was difficult for Mil to answer. How should he respond? To protect the Holy City? To fight against the Abyss?
“Fate plays tricks on people.”
Mil spoke calmly, which was also a truthful answer.
“Staying in the Holy City is too dangerous for you. No matter your purpose, the Church will not allow a Black Magician to appear in the Holy City.”
“Then I’ll trouble Her Highness Diana to give me a quick end before I’m burned alive.”
Mil shrugged indifferently. He had already come to terms with this;
After all, becoming the Demon God's Child wasn't his choice.
As Mil turned his head, he noticed Diana had already moved behind him without him realizing. She frowned worriedly, raising a hand to gently cup Mil's sweat-soaked face, her ice-blue eyes seemingly trying to peer into Mil's soul.
He wasn't sure if it was because of their respective factions...
Mil always felt a pressure from her, as if she would draw her holy sword and strike him down the next second:
“Her Highness Diana? Is something wrong?”
Her flawless, jade-white face was close, her exquisite and delicate features, sharply defined, carried a hint of sharpness and exuded a sacred aura, perfectly inspiring reverence;
It seemed even breathing in front of her was a desecration.
Yet, at this very moment, the desire in his heart surged again, a strong impulse, like a tongue of fire, licking at Mil's soul—
The more sacred, the more he wanted to desecrate; the purer, the more he wanted to defile.
“My apologies, Your Highness Diana, thank you for your guidance, but I must go take a bath now. Please excuse me.”
With that, Mil took a step back, bowed, and turned to leave.
Watching Mil's retreating back, Diana lowered her head...
She could feel the slight tremor from the holy sword, but this level of tremor was already something she was accustomed to;
In the eight months since becoming a holy sword wielder, those nobles whose interests were harmed, the jealous swordsmen, the hungry-eyed youths...
She understood that human hearts were restless, and those with evil thoughts were not necessarily evil people.
And gradually, she was able to distinguish different evil thoughts from the subtle differences in the tremors.
But for some reason, that tremor just now gave her a strange sense of peace. Perhaps she also had some bad intentions?
After completing his daily training, it was already 10 PM. Mil took a bath and then went to find Lilith—
Inside the semi-open-air bath, the gurgling sound of the fountain was endless, and white mist swirled, steaming hot.
Mil took off his shoes, rolled up his pant legs, and carefully placed the fruit platter on the stone platform by the pool:
“Miss Lilith, are you done bathing? It’s getting late.”
Her auburn hair rested on her rounded shoulders, and her long legs extended from the flower-petal-strewn water.
“Another all-nighter? Honestly, I really don’t want to go.”
“Please, I can’t get in by myself.”
Mil squatted by the bath, his tone very sincere. If Lilith didn't help, many plans would indeed be difficult to carry out;
Their cooperative relationship was not very stable, so he still had to find a way to control her.
Lilith hesitated for a moment, then suddenly raised her hand, grabbed Mil’s collar, and pulled him sharply—
“Splash—!”
Before he could react, Mil plunged headfirst into the bath, choking on a mouthful of water.
By the time he climbed out of the bath and rubbed the water from his eyes, Lilith had already exited the bath, picked up her discarded silk stockings, and tossed them to Mil:
“Blindfold yourself.”
“What now?”
Mil sighed helplessly, then simply tossed his wet shirt aside and, gritting his teeth, blindfolded himself.
Lilith, meanwhile, returned to the bath, walked to the water outlet by the wall, placed her hands on the wall, and recited:
“Come here, scrub my back.”
Saying this, she divided her long hair into two strands, bringing them to the front, her graceful figure faintly discernible:
Mil swallowed, having no choice but to brace himself and go.
“Is this the price for your help?”
“Otherwise, what else could I have you do?”
Lilith’s tone carried a hint of complaint, and Mil could only shrug helplessly:
“By the way, you always mention the Demon God's Child. It seems you already believe he has descended?”
“The Church and the Empire both have news, and they are both preparing for it. If I can capture him beforehand, I can be free.”
For Lilith, there were only three scenarios.
Either the Demon God's Child is captured and executed by the Church, and she returns to a peaceful life;
Or, the Black Magician from the Black Forest, Ibon, succeeds and becomes the new Demon God's Child, and she reaps the benefits.
The last option is to wait for the current Demon God's Child to retrieve the chaos holy stone, and then, according to her mother's arrangements, become his lover and the Queen of the Phantom Dream.
However, the first two options carried extremely high risks, and the cost was something she could never bear.
“Hiss—! Ow!”
“Ah! Sorry—”
Lilith turned her head, adjusted Mil’s blindfold, and patted his shoulder with her backhand:
“Let me tell you upfront, the dreams of Tian Geng Beyond are not something ordinary people can deconstruct.”
“It’s alright. Since it’s a dream created by the Black Magician Theron, we’ll have his teacher Ibon provide the destruction plan. You just need to help verify it—”
On the other side.
The moonlight cast a silver frost on the spires of the Holy Dragon Kingdom Embassy, and the ivy rustled in the night wind.
Fafner lay on the bed, his silk sleep robe slipping from his shoulders, revealing half of his porcelain-white neck.
Every time he recalled the last time he was with Mil in the bathroom, the young man’s ear tips would turn coral, and he would feel a blush, his slender fingers unconsciously twisting the silver-threaded embroidered tassels of the pillow.
But his heated body, no matter what he did, only felt like scratching an itch through a boot.
Bathing with someone of the same gender should have been a very normal thing, but because of his noble bloodline, the maids never allowed him to come into contact with other people of the same gender.
According to Mil, it was because he hadn't been in contact with people of the same gender for a long time, which caused a cognitive impairment:
Fafner thought he made sense. After more contact for a period of time, he should return to normal.
Lying on the bed, looking at the dark elf blood jade in his hand, he didn't even notice the corners of his mouth curving upwards.
After a long while, there was a stir outside the window, and Mil, familiar with the way, entered the room.
Fafner's bare feet padded on the Persian rug, the candlelight making his ankles look as if they were dipped in honey.
“Mil, you’re finally here. Do you have plans for tonight as well?”
As he pushed open the carved wooden window, the night wind, carrying the scent of honeysuckle, swept in, blowing away the silver ribbon that tied his hair.
“Shh—” Mil put a finger to his lips, watching the young man stumble in his haste on the overly long hem of his sleep robe, nearly tripping over the lace trim.
“Hmm, tonight I’m going to help you improve the quality of your dragon heart.”
Mil suddenly reached out and brushed away the silver hair clinging to his lips, his fingertips subtly grazing his cherry blossom-colored lips.
After he finished speaking, Fafner began to change his clothes.
Although Mil thought it was a bit strange for Fafner, as a boy, to wear string-tied, semi-hollow lace underneath—
But when he remembered the differences in his body structure, it didn't feel so strange anymore;
After all, it was another world, at least it wasn't something unmentionable.
After leaving with Fafner, Mil prepared to go to Professor Viktor’s house;
However, just as he reached the bottom of Professor Viktor’s building, he saw the young nun Lina already waiting downstairs.
“Good evening, Mil, Prince Fafner, Miss Lilith!”
“Lina, you’re already out? The Professor didn’t find out, did he?”
“No, don’t worry!”
Lina nodded vigorously, her petite figure outlined by a halo of white light under the moonlight.
Fafner looked at Lina, feeling a bit surprised:
“So, you are Professor Viktor’s daughter?”
When she clearly saw Fafner’s white hair in the moonlight, the young nun suddenly clutched her linen nun’s habit tightly, the ice-blue bouquet in her arms trembling softly.
“Here, Prince Fafner, this flower is for you!”
Saying that, Lina, with a faint smile, handed the prepared flower in her hand to Fafner.
"Thank you, what kind of flower is this?"
"This is an ice iris, I planted it behind the church!"
Lina stammered and took half a step back, the warm light of the wind lamp casting flickering light spots on her skirt.
Fafner reached out to take it, looked at the ice-blue iris in his hand, and frowned sharply:
"Isn't this already extinct?"
"You must be mistaken?"
Mil, standing by, teased with his arms crossed, but Fafner said very seriously:
"This is the national flower of the Saint Dragon Kingdom! How could I be mistaken?"
"The extinction of the Saint Dragon Kingdom does not mean the extinction of the Holy City."
"Do you really know how this flower came to be? This was brought back by the Holy Dragon God himself from Tian Geng Beyond!"
Saying that, Fafner looked at Lina with a serious expression and said earnestly:
"This kind of flower needs magic power to survive. Miss Lina, can you take me to see where it's planted?"
"Of course!"
Lina nodded, and Mil was not in a hurry for this moment, so everyone went to the backyard of the Grand Cathedral again.
In the iris field in the backyard of the Grand Cathedral, silver waves shimmered under the moonlight. Lina held a glass wind lamp, spread her arms, and stood under the stained glass window.
A patch of ice-blue irises swayed gently in the night wind.
Looking at the scenery here, Mil was not surprised at all:
"Do you believe it now?"
"Incredible—"
Fafner's eyes widened, and Lilith also felt a little surprised:
"When did the Grand Cathedral's backyard plant so many? The flowering period isn't right either, it's already September?"
"That's enough—don't ask, just say it's the glory of the main god. Fafner, prepare yourself mentally, it's time to get down to business."
Mil waved his hand and took out all the potions, magic tools, and alchemy materials he had brought.
Looking at the dazzling array of items, Fafner was full of surprise:
"Are all these prepared for me?"
"It's still not too late to run, but if you can't even accept a test like this, don't even dream of saving your Saint Dragon Kingdom." Mil said as he continued to organize the items. Fafner bit his lip lightly, lowered his head, and murmured:
"Mil, have you known all along?"
"Let me think—how did your prophecy go? The royal family of the Saint Dragon Kingdom will give birth to a pair of brothers, one of whom will go to the sea of stars and ascend to the divine throne, but remember, the abyss is always behind you."
Although he said that, Mil knew in his heart that with the intervention of the Arrow Society, what awaited the dragon race would be complete and eternal despair.
During their conversation, Mil had already prepared everything. The alchemy tools and materials were neatly arranged according to the positions of the magic circle.
Lina, who knew nothing, sat on the edge of a flower bed nearby, hugging her legs and watching.
Lilith, on the other hand, sighed, looking at Fafner with a hint of pity.
This was essentially a type of alchemy, but living alchemy would put immense mental pressure on the user.
It was equivalent to throwing the dragon heart and soul into a furnace at the same time, a very difficult ascetic practice. The original prototype was used to train magical beasts; ordinary creatures could not advance through this method.
"You still have a chance to escape before my transmutation array is ready—come on! Let me see if your backbone can endure?"
"Is it difficult?"
Fafner frowned, his heart filled with fear, but he had no intention of leaving. He could feel the surrounding magic power already surging.
"If you can't make it through, you'll die here."
Mil's expression was serious; his words were not false. Before Fafner could react, the transmutation array under his feet had already unfolded:
"This body is the most rebellious transmutation array—with human reason as firewood, burning nations into metal and stone;
With the earth's pulse as a furnace, forging starlight as an anvil!
Silent Holy Dragon soul bones, here re-enact the final tempering before creation!
I shall take the marrow ore of seven mountains to forge your crown,
I shall gather the spiritual essence of nine rivers to solidify your bloodline!
The voice of the sea of stars... descend here! The blood oath of the Holy Dragon!"
As soon as the words fell, the transmutation array centered on Fafner ignited with a reddish glow.
The metal prepared by Mil melted into a solution, spreading into a transmutation array with a diameter of thirty meters. The ground began to burn, but the flames were a cold, bluish-white.
From the core of the flames, a phantom of a furnace entwined with a giant dragon's skeleton rose, and molten white gold flowed through the gaps in the dragon bones.
"Ah—!"
Fafner let out screams, his eyes emitting a dazzling white light, and a pair of dragon horns slowly expanded as if they were red-hot metal.
Seeing Fafner on the verge of being torn apart, Lina ran forward with a worried expression and whispered:
"Mil, he seems to be on the verge of collapse!"
As the alchemical array blossomed with crimson patterns on the bluestone ground, Fafner's silk shirt was already soaked with cold sweat.
Lilith, standing nearby with her arms crossed, shook her head and said, "You can't stop at a time like this."
As the alchemy progressed, Mil also began to increase the difficulty little by little:
"Fafner! Don't tell me you can't even endure this! Respond to me!"
Mil's roar pierced through the strong wind, and the alchemy pen in his hand carved scorch marks in the air.
Fafner gritted his teeth, feeling as if his body no longer belonged to him, with only his soul struggling to hold on.
Even his soul seemed to be slowly tearing apart, and his consciousness began to blur.
The dragon skeleton rising from the phantom furnace bit his ankle, and the white gold molten liquid snaked up his calf.
The boy's upturned neck was taut like a dying swan, his white hair dancing wildly in the chaotic magic flow like moonlight.
Behind him, in the church, on the huge stained glass, the sorrowful faces of the bowed saints seemed to weep for him.
After about an hour, the alchemy magic finally ended.
Fafner's screams abruptly ceased, and the boy slumped to the ground like a broken puppet, his waist chain shattering with a snap, revealing the porcelain-white skin of his waist.
He felt as if his entire being was on the verge of collapse, his soul seemed shattered, and even his gaze struggled to focus.
Mil stepped forward to help him up; the body in his arms was as light as a feather, and cold sweat clung his silver hair to his peach-colored cheeks.
However, as the pain gradually receded, a smile slowly emerged.
After Fafner's mind stabilized, he could clearly feel that his soul seemed to have undergone a cleansing, and all the flesh and blood in his body had been reshaped.
Feeling his reborn body, he couldn't help but tremble with excitement. Not only his magical nerves, but as a magic knight, his physical rank had also significantly improved.
"This feeling—"
Mil wiped the sweat from his forehead and let out a long sigh:
"Kid, I've helped you train and improved the quality of your dragon heart. How are you going to repay me?"
"I—Mil! When I become the King of the Saint Dragon Kingdom, I—"
Fafner was so excited he could barely speak, but Mil interrupted him somewhat impatiently:
"Alright, actually, I never thought of asking you for any reward; I just simply found you pleasing to the eye."
"Pleasing to the eye?"
"Hmm, I'll only ask you once, are you willing to acknowledge me as your elder brother?"
Mil frowned deeply. Although Fafner didn't fully understand, he roughly grasped the meaning, and like someone reborn, he nodded firmly.
Ten minutes later, everyone arrived at the Divine Throne Hall inside the Grand Cathedral.
The stained glass windows of the Divine Throne Hall cast a faint blue glow, and the tear stains on the saint statues reflected a cold light. Lina held up the wind lamp in her hand, but it could only illuminate the knees of the divine statue.
Mil led Fafner, kneeling before the tall divine statue, and solemnly swore:
"By the Holy Dragon above, and the Main God as witness, today we two, sharing common aspirations and being true to each other, pledge to become sworn brothers of different surnames, loyal in life and death!"
Fafner nervously recalled the lines and began:
"Not—not seeking to be born on the same year, same month, same day, but seeking to die on the same year, same month, same day. Let this wine be our covenant, witnessed by heaven and earth! If we betray this oath, may both gods and men condemn us!"
After he finished reciting, Mil placed two cups of wine on the table, cut his finger with a dagger, and dripped a drop of blood into Fafner's wine cup, then handed the dagger to the other party:
"It's your turn."
Fafner took the dagger, but saw that Mil's cup was almost empty. However, he didn't pay attention, imitating Mil by cutting his finger and dripping a drop of blood into the cup.
"No, that's not enough! As the younger brother, you need to drip a bit more!"
Saying this, Mil grabbed Fafner's hand and squeezed hard until the cup was almost overflowing before stopping.
"That... that much? Mil, I... feel a little dizzy—"
The boy's weak voice carried a strange resonance, and dragon blood stained his fingertips with a poppy-like red.
"You're dizzy before even drinking the wine, your tolerance is really bad—"
Saying that, Mil raised his wine cup and drank the dragon blood in one gulp.
As soon as he finished drinking, he felt his heart suddenly tremble, and a surge of magic power churned within his body, constantly impacting his internal organs.
"Hiss—listen!"
Although he was prepared, when he truly felt the Holy Dragon blood enter his body, it was as if his soul was ignited.
He chuckled, pressing his aching heart, and dark red blood seeped from the corners of his mouth.
Afterward, Mil screamed more miserably than Fafner.
However, after finally enduring it, a mischievous smile curved Mil's lips.
Success!