Amidst the barren field filled with ashes and burnt land, Eren's memories of the Pendragon barony region were haunting, tainted by the devastation he had witnessed in his past life. But the sight in front of him now was a stark contrast to those memories, a revelation of the region's true beauty.
A vast fertile land with green fields stretching as far as the eyes could see, it was a breathtaking sight to behold. Tall trees stood proudly on either side of the road, offering much-needed shade to the exhausted travelers passing by. The air carried a pleasant freshness, and a cool breeze gently brushed past Eren's face, as if welcoming him to this revitalized realm. He felt as though he had stepped into a different world, one of serenity and peace that he had never known existed in the Pendragon region.
"Is this how it used to be?" Eren thought to himself as he stretched his eyes in all directions, absorbing the newfound beauty of the Pendragon region. The memories of the past, where the whole region was razed to the ground by the red flames of the fire dragon, now seemed to be fading, replaced by this vibrant and tranquil landscape.
The emotions inside him welled up, and he couldn't help but utter, "I am Home," as tears filled his eyes
Hubert and Sears just smiled at their son as they found it rather cute, seeing him so moved by the surroundings.
"You see that boyo?"
As they continued their journey, Huges, riding a white horse by Eren's side, pointed to a barren mountain in the distance, standing out starkly from its lush surroundings, far into the east of the Pendragon region. Even from that distance, Eren could see smoke rising from the rocky mountain, revealing its true identity as a volcano.
"That is where Sir Ugram lives."
The fire dragon's lair. It is where the fire dragon, Ugram, who rarely shows itself to the world, lives.
Eren's expression turned serious as he laid his eyes on the fire dragon's lair. He knew that facing Sir Ugram would be a pivotal moment, as it was the very creature responsible for the tragedy that befell his parents in his past life. His heart brimmed with determination, for he was finally going to confront the culprit that had haunted his memories for so long.
***
Deep in the snowfield where life didn't thrive, a masked man stood amidst the pristine white surroundings, awaiting his loyal servant by a small pond. The air was crisp and cold, the snow reflecting the dim sunlight as it fell gently from the sky.
Before long, a doll-like figure, resembling a dolphin, gracefully leaped out of the small pond and swam near the masked man. The doll seemed to possess a magical aura, moving with an ethereal grace.
The masked man remained still until the doll arrived at his feet, at which point he crouched down and embraced the doll, acknowledging its success with a soft-spoken, "Good job."
The doll dolphin opened its mouth, revealing a glowing object stored within a glass container. It was the mana heart of the evil dragon Byrve.
The masked man carefully retrieved the mana heart from the doll's mouth, standing up with a sense of accomplishment. "Your job is done," he murmured with a tinge of satisfaction in his coarse voice.
As he spoke, small threads, previously invisible, started to appear around him, shimmering with a mesmerizing blue hue. These threads were an embodiment of mana, connecting to the doll.
"Thanks for your help," the masked man said, expressing his gratitude to the magical creature. The threads connecting his hand and the doll-like dolphin vanished as he released it.
As if responding to some enchanting cue, the doll-like figure transformed into a living dolphin, emitting beautiful whistles before gracefully swimming back into the pond, which led to the vast ocean beyond.
With his mission accomplished, the masked man continued on his way without a backward glance, heading toward a nearby small hut. This seemingly inconspicuous hut served as a secret pathway connected to a research facility, hidden from the world's prying eyes.
Entering the research facility with measured steps, the masked man held the mana heart of the evil dragon, an object of immense power that he had sought. His presence caught the attention of the lead researchers, who eagerly gathered to witness the results of his undertaking.
"Here"
The man stretched out his hand holding the dragon heart.
"The dragon heart you asked for."
As he handed over the dragon heart, the atmosphere in the facility buzzed with excitement and awe.
"You really obtained it!"
Among the researchers stood Dr. Jose Delgado, once a royal physician of the Chola kingdom. Rescued by the masked man from the clutches of a Mauryan soldier, Jose had joined the masked man, seeking vengeance for the injustices inflicted upon his kingdom.
However, upon discovering the masked man's true intentions, Jose found himself torn. He knew that the consequences of the experiment being conducted in the laboratory could be tremendous.
He was a physician by origin, someone who saves lives not someone who takes it.
He wrestled with the conflict between his desire for revenge and his oath to save lives, realizing the potential devastation if the creation within the laboratory were to come into existence.
For this reason, Jose had misled the masked man, claiming the research would take much longer than it actually could. He also provided him with a way to increase the time for the research which was near impossible to make sure the masked man wouldn't doubt him. He had informed him that they needed a dragon heart to increase the speed of the research, which he thought the masked man would not be able to acquire.
However, he had underestimated the masked man's resourcefulness in obtaining the dragon heart, which was safely stored in the Royal Museum of the Mauryan empire.
"Use this and complete it as soon as possible"
The masked man's eyes landed on the pulsating red flesh as he handed over the dragon heart to doctor Jose.
"And if the situation allows, I will give you another dragon heart."
Jose couldn't help but feel a sense of dread at his words, "Another dragon heart….?!!"
At this moment, Jose realized that he had made a grave mistake by revealing a means to expedite the research process to him.
—***---
Mass release(3)~
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