In the depths of the mind space, Alister and Terra stood side by side, both in their combat forms, as they prepared to craft the omnipotent elixir.
Terra adjusted her glasses, their frames glinting faintly in the cosmic glow of the space around them, as she smirked slightly.
“I am ready to begin the creation of the elixir,” she said confidently.
Alister tilted his head slightly to the left, his expression a mix of concern and curiosity. His fingers drummed lightly against his crossed arms as he stepped closer to Terra.
“Are you certain you don’t need a furnace for this?” he asked. “You’re telling me I simply need to rely on you, and it will be done?”
Terra huffed softly and adjusted her glasses again. Her smirk deepened as she looked up at Alister.
“My lord…” she began, “my knowledge is vast, and my mastery of alchemy is unparalleled. A furnace would only slow me down.”
She extended her right hand, and in an instant, golden glyphs began to materialize in the air around her, their complex patterns weaving together. The glyphs spun faster, their light pulsing as Terra moved her left hand to join the right, her fingers guiding the glowing symbols.
“All I require are the necessary ingredients and your absolute trust in my capabilities. The rest is merely a matter of time and focus.”
Alister watched the glyphs take shape, his eyes fixed on them. He unfolded his arms and sighed softly, a faint smile appearing on his face.
“Very well… I’ll leave it to you. But you know what’s at stake. Failure is not an option.”
Terra adjusted her glasses again, her smirk growing wider. “Failure?” she repeated. “I don’t know the meaning of the word. Let us begin.”
With that, the glyphs flared brighter, casting their light across the mind space.
Alister stepped back slightly and murmured, “Inventory.”
A soft chime echoed in the air, and a glowing yellow system window materialized in front of him.
Alister began to withdraw the required items, each appearing in his hand one by one. First came the bottle containing a luminous green liquid.
“World Tree Sap,” he said, setting it to hover around him. Next, he retrieved the Phoenix Feather. “The Phoenix Feather.”
Then came the Moonstone, its silvery glow casting a serene aura over the surroundings. “The Moonstone,” he said as he placed it carefully in line to hover with the other items.
Finally, he reached into the inventory one last time and brought forth a yellow, pulsing core, with a metal lizard curling around it. It emitted a low hum of mana, distorting the space around it slightly.
Terra’s eyes widened in shock as she recognized the core. She adjusted her glasses, stepping closer with a look of confusion on her face.
“My lord,” she called out sharply, “that… that is the Overlord’s heirloom. Why… why would you bring it out?”
Alister calmly responded, “Because it is the final ingredient required to complete the elixir. Without it, this endeavor would be meaningless.”
Terra adjusted her glasses sharply. “My lord… that is the heirloom, not some mere ingredient! It symbolizes your dominion over our race, the very essence of your authority. Beyond that
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She stepped closer, pointing toward the pulsing core, the faint distortion of the air around it making her movements appear slightly warped.
“It houses the fragments of every Overlord who came before you. Their wisdom, their memories… they exist within this core, preserved to guide the lesser generations of dragons.”
Terra’s blue eyes narrowed, her voice lowering. “To use such an artifact as a crafting ingredient would be an act of unparalleled recklessness. Your name would go down in history, yes… but not as a hero. You’d be remembered as the Overlord who contributed to the fall of the dragon race itself.”
She adjusted her glasses again, the lenses catching the faint glow of the core as she gazed at Alister, waiting for his response.
Alister held her gaze steadily, his tone firm yet calm. “And what is a legacy if I cannot protect those who rely on me? I will not hesitate, Terra. Not when I’m so close,” he said, curling his clawed hand into a fist.
Terra adjusted her glasses, her expression softening. “My lord,” she said softly, “I would never defy your orders. But as your advisor, I would fail you if I didn’t speak the truth. Using the heirloom as an ingredient… is a decision you would most certainly regret in the future.”
She stepped back slightly, crossing her arms. “It would be wiser to find an alternative. There’s always another way, no matter how dire things may seem.”
Alister sighed deeply, the scales around his skull dematerializing. He ran his right hand through his hair, his expression tinged with frustration and confusion as he lost himself in deep thought, his gaze fixed on the glowing heirloom hovering nearby.
“And where… where would I find the core of a true dragon in this world? Such a thing is beyond Legendary rank… it would most certainly be mythical.”
As he spoke, his movements caused the faint light in the mind space to glint on the ring on his right hand. The pink gem embedded in it shimmered softly, nearly hidden beneath the scales
of his fingers.
Terra’s sharp eyes noticed it immediately, and her lips curled into a small, knowing smile. She adjusted her glasses again, then spoke. “As fate would have it, my lord… we don’t need to search for one.”
She gestured toward the ring on his hand, her voice calm yet purposeful. “The answer lies much closer than you think.”
Alister paused, his gaze following hers to the pink gem on his finger. His brows furrowed slightly as understanding began to dawn. His eyes widened as he stared at the gem.
“Wait… are you trying to say that this is-“
“A true dragon’s core, yes, my lord,” Terra finished the sentence with a firm nod. Her gaze remained fixed on the ring.
“And it is more than that. It is also an artifact that has been suppressing your memories for
quite some time now.”
“So I believe it would be best if you took it off.”