Crunch! Crack!
The process of bones dislocating and reassembling repeated endlessly. Muscles tore apart and then healed again.
His internal organs twisted and repositioned themselves, finding new places within his body. His heart transformed into something entirely unrecognizable, and new organs that had never existed before began to form.
Alongside the sensation of his head exploding, he began to see and feel things that were utterly different from before. His brain evolved limitlessly, gaining capabilities that no human could even imagine possessing.
All the impurities and filth that had accumulated in his body were purified and replaced by a pure, dark crimson energy circulating inside him.
Moreover, his body itself began to merge with the magical power, transcending the limits of mortality. Like a being made of pure magical power, the energy became an integral part of his being.
As a living organism, his very “essence” ascended to an entirely new level.
His soul also grew rapidly as it adapted to the new vessel. Because of the bond he had formed with Tiamat, his soul now held potential beyond the realm of mortals.
Additionally, the grueling process of inscribing the magic circles on the massive skeleton and the enlightenment he experienced through Tiamat’s influence had accelerated the growth of his soul immensely.
His soul began to awaken. A nonexistent third eye opened.
Yujin who was undergoing all of these transformations at the same time could do nothing but endure it all.
Crunch!
“Ugh…! Haa… Haa…”
The pain from his evolution and the rapid growth of his soul left him unable to even support his own body. What’s more, thanks to his soul’s growth, he was fully conscious of every ounce of the excruciating pain.
Adding to his suffering, the drastically heightened sensitivity of his newfound senses made everything unnervingly clear. This only magnified the pain further.
Fortunately, his growing soul allowed him to endure such pain without much difficulty, but his body, which was undergoing relentless transformation, left him incapable of uttering a single coherent word.
[Are you okay?]
Tiamat’s voice reached him as she observed his state. Yujin tried to respond.
Crunch! Crack!
“Ugh!”
Haha… It’s more bearable than I thought. Perhaps it’s thanks to the experience of being burned and regenerated repeatedly?
This is what he thought but only groans escaped his lips. The constant reconstruction of his body made it impossible for him to form proper words.
[I see. You’re holding up better than expected.]
Perhaps because their souls were connected, his unspoken thoughts managed to reach her.
And indeed, she was correct. As mentioned earlier, his strengthened soul endured the pain of his evolution without difficulty. Although his body was undergoing such extreme transformation that he couldn’t speak a word, his soul bore it with surprising ease.
Haha, this is a bit scary, though. I can’t shake the feeling that when this is all over, I’ll end up as something closer to a monster than a human.
Yujin sensed this and conveyed his thoughts to Tiamat. He had learned to some extent how to use the bond between their souls.
[It’s fine. That won’t happen. Just look at my current form; it doesn’t seem that way, does it?]
Is that so?
[Of course. Hmm… For you, it would have been about two months ago, right? Around then, I told you that this form of mine was my polymorphed form.]
You did.
[Do you remember what you said when you saw my polymorphed form as a human?]
I said you were really beautiful. That sentiment hasn’t changed.
[That’s right. Just as I am, you too will possess an appearance far superior by human standards than before. Of course, from a dragon’s perspective, how a human polymorph looks doesn’t mean much… but for you, being originally human, it might feel different.]
Well, if I end up with looks good enough to make a living off them, I suppose I wouldn’t complain. Still, it does make me curious… When dragons polymorph into humans, do they always turn into exceptionally handsome or beautiful forms?
That sudden thought struck Yujin, and he asked. If dragons, as a rule, had appearances superior by human standards, did they all look that way when they polymorphed?
[Not exactly. If they want, they can transform into whatever form they desire. But… hmm, to put it simply, there’s a kind of ‘default’. When a dragon polymorphs into a human, their appearance typically aligns with what they personally consider the most ideal human form. They can alter it further, but not many dragons bother with that. After all, dragons usually only polymorph into humans for fun.]
Ah, I see. Do dragons generally have an aesthetic sense similar to humans?
[It’s less about aesthetics and more about shared standards of beauty. Didn’t I mention this before? Humans may not be dogs or cats, but they can recognize what makes a dog or cat beautiful or cute. It’s the same for us.]
I understand.
With that, Yujin continued his conversation with Tiamat while enduring the pain of his evolution.
How much time had passed like that?
Fwoooooosh!
The evolution of his body was complete. Dark red energy erupted from Yujin’s body like steam.
“…Haah.”
Yujin let out a deep sigh, stood up, and looked around.
“…Ah.”
And then, he saw a new world.
Was this how someone blind from birth would feel if their vision suddenly cleared? Or was it akin to gaining an entirely new sensory organ that had never existed before?
Though the huge cave remained the same as before, he now absorbed an incomparably vast amount of information from it.
It was as if there was an entity called “I” that existed everywhere. He could even perceive spaces where his presence didn’t physically reach.
A flood of information beyond what any mere human could comprehend. A storm of data so overwhelming that it defied categorization or understanding.
In that instant, he saw the world in seven main colors, touched sounds, felt colors, and saw smells.
At the same time, he observed ripples in space caused by his movements and briefly touched the flow of time.
And then…
These energies…
Mana (magical power), Aura, Divine power, Demonic power…
He could see, touch, hear, and even smell the Four Great Powers as they were called.
When he felt the energy surrounding him, he realized that even the storm of information pouring into him was something he could easily process and handle.
It reminded him of what Tiamat had said when she imparted the magical formula for becoming a dragon to him. Back then, he had been overwhelmed, sitting in a daze for about 30 minutes.
She had commented that she had briefly forgotten the limits of a mortal’s ability to process information. It was understandable to him now.
Now, living in such a world, his brain effortlessly handled the vast influx of data. Yujin felt confident that he now fully understood the magical formula she had given him and could manage it without difficulty.
With such abilities, she must have assumed he could take in all that information at once without a problem.
If he had possessed these abilities earlier, it would probably have been true. Perhaps now he could complete tasks in seconds that once took him nearly a month.
“…Amazing.”
He felt that he had truly transformed from a mere ant into a being of greatness. He could now comprehend things beyond human understanding and perceive the world with senses entirely different from before.
At the same time, he became aware of the immense power coursing through his body. It was no longer the crude magical power of the old Yujin but the refined magical power of Tiamat, the Queen of the Dragons, filling him entirely.
He bent slightly and picked up a pebble from the rubble around him.
Before he had consumed the dragon’s heart, the pebble would have crumbled to dust in his grasp the moment he touched it. But now, he could hold it in its intact form.
At a glance, it might seem as if his strength had diminished, but in reality, it was the opposite.
Crack! Crush!
The pebble instantly disintegrated into powder with just a slight application of force.
In reality, he had grown far stronger than before. The difference was that now he could control his strength.
He could exert the power of an ordinary human or summon a force mighty enough to move mountains. He could do it all effortlessly.
He had achieved perfect control over his body.
He placed a hand over his chest. Where his heart of flesh and blood once resided, there now lay a gem-like heart of some sort.
The Dragon Core.
From the core, an endless flow of immense magical power was generated and circulated throughout his body.
He drew from that magical power and extended his hand.
The energy, seemingly drawn directly from his core, swirled within his grasp. And with a flick of his wrist—
Boom!
Dark red energy erupted, obliterating a section of the wall. He stared at the scene for a moment before opening and closing his hand.
This… is a really drug-like feeling.
It was as if he had become a god as an overwhelming sense of omnipotence washed over him. It was a feeling similar to the first time he had manipulated Tiamat’s magic.
This immense power was his now. The thought alone was intoxicating.
Maybe I need to cool my head.
However, Yujin quickly composed himself. There was nothing to be gained from succumbing to such feelings.
He reminded himself of what must not be forgotten. He was, at his core, a fragile and powerless human. Forgetting that would reduce him to nothing more than a beast drunk on power.
He was not special.
He was just like anyone else, living in a world filled with suffering and struggle.
As he calmed his thoughts, a sense of tranquility returned. With a soft smile, he turned to face Tiamat.
Tiamat too smiled at him and spoke.
[How does it feel? Becoming a dragon.]
“Haha, I feel like I could easily lose myself in this power. I never cared about such things before, but now I understand…. This is what it feels like to become a great being.”
[Is that so? For someone who says that, it seems you’ve managed to maintain excellent control over yourself.]
“…Haha, you caught me.”
Yujin scratched his head sheepishly.
Tiamat looked at him with pride, as though she was looking at a cherished son. She knew all the thoughts that had passed through his mind.
It was true that he had felt the temptation to become intoxicated with his newfound power, but he had quickly subdued those feelings and regained his composure. He refused to let arrogance take root and instead acknowledged his own flaws and weaknesses.
In fact, Tiamat was a little worried. The biggest problem with young dragons… that is, hatchlings, is that they become intoxicated with their own power and act like tyrants.
For children, the world revolves around them. And if those destined to become great beings were to awaken to such immense power, how could they not believe they were the center of the universe?
They would quickly become intoxicated with their newfound power, become arrogant, wield their power like tyrants, and make irreversible mistakes.
But Yujin was different. Although he was technically a hatchling himself, he was able to regain his composure quickly. Perhaps because he had spent most of his life as a human
Or maybe this is just who Yujin is.
Mortals, being inherently fragile, often succumb to arrogance more easily when they gain power. But Yujin, with his lack of greed and ability to control his own emotions, might have been an exception.
Regardless, Tiamat felt relieved to have one less thing to worry about.
Yujin was the first mortal to come to this place, yet he also embodied the kind of person she had long wanted to meet.
Perhaps this was fate.
No, it was undeniable. The fact that Yujin, the first mortal to arrive here, had met her and formed a contract with her was surely destiny’s design.
Tiamat smiled softly as she looked at Yujin.
His appearance had changed slightly compared to before he became a dragon.
Not that he had any flaws to begin with, but now his skin was flawless and radiant, and his features had become even more ideal from a human perspective. His already handsome appearance had become much more refined.
On top of that, his hair turned darker and took on the deep, inky hue of black, and his blue eyes had completely changed to the same bright red as Tiamat’s.
Her blood-red eyes were staring at Tiamat and he asked.
“Hmm, have I changed a bit?”
[You’ve become cuter. I liked your blue eyes, but having the same red eyes as mine suits you as well.]
“I see.”
Yujin was already aware of his transformation, thanks to his newly heightened senses. He had only been curious to hear Tiamat’s opinion.
While he briefly inspected his changed form, Tiamat spoke.
[Then, let’s get ready to go now.]
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