Chapter 260: Chapter 260: Bad News (4)

Having packed the items received from Rebecca and Faye, I arrived at the mansion.

With Iris present, I explained what had happened in the Chairman’s office (the real one).

Blah, blah, blah, rambling nonsense.

“That’s how it went.”

“Huh. So that’s what happened…”

Iris, who had armed herself completely as instructed, nodded in amazement.

The others weren’t much different. Unlike before the War of the Gods, when one might have seen a dragon flying through the sky at least once in their life, dragons were now virtually extinct.

Even when dragons were plentiful, they rarely left behind a Dragon Heart, so it was no surprise that it was astonishing to see one in this era.

“I’ve seen a dragon in battle before, but this is my first time seeing a Dragon Heart.”

“I have, I have! I once saw a dying dragon pull out its Dragon Heart and toss it before self-destructing! I got a glimpse of it then!”

What kind of era did you live in…?

Even Carla and Elisha, and the Pamela family standing respectfully in the background, looked a bit overwhelmed.

The Great War generation is terrifying!

“But, but. What’s with this staff? I’ve seen the Chairman use it a few times, so I know it’s something incredible, but can it really be used as a power source? It’s just a staff, after all.”

Iona tilted her head, holding the luxurious staff, a mix of silver and red.

For the record, like most end-game items, it’s bound to the user. Even when we held it, the staff’s inherent mana amplification effect didn’t activate at all.

Iris, who had been staring at the Dragon Heart fragment as if entranced, closed the box and shrugged.

“I know what that is. I’ve felt a familiar sensation since earlier.”

“Isn’t this it, Master?”

“That’s likely, Elisha.”

Elisha and Iris exchanged glances and nodded.

“Hey… don’t keep it to yourselves; tell me too.”

“What? I wasn’t planning to hide it from you. I was just a bit lost in nostalgia because it’s so familiar.”

Iris spoke fondly as she gently stroked the staff.

“This is a staff made from a branch of the World Tree. Though it’s been coated with mithril and adorned with magic-infused gems to create effects even I can’t fully comprehend… the important base material is still the branch of the World Tree.”

“In case you didn’t know, this staff holds an aura even denser than the sacred relics enshrined in Alfheim.”

Even if Elisha hadn’t told me, I knew that.

Before moving on to the second playthrough, Rebecca, who transported the player party to where the final boss, the Sovereign of Arrogance, resided, would reunite with Rahim.

Together, they would help the player defeat the Sovereign of Arrogance.

However, Rebecca, who had already reached her limit, and Rahim, who was mentally shattered and just waiting for death, couldn’t hold on any longer.

As soon as the battle ended, they embraced each other and passed away.

A single ray of light shone down from the sky, illuminating their peaceful faces, then extended toward the player party in a cutscene that was truly touching.

It felt like a passing of the torch from the heroes of the past, who had protected the world, to the heroes of the present, including the player.

Even if I didn’t have an exceptional memory, I would never forget it.

After watching the ending, the player would receive Rahim’s Holy Sword and Rebecca’s Staff.

In simple terms, they were reward weapons for use in the second playthrough.

I think their names were the Holy Sword Galatine and the Star of Dawn.

The story was that after the long passage of time and the damage sustained in the final battle, their original power had diminished, making their performance somewhat disappointing.

They were set a tier lower than the endgame weapons you could obtain during the main playthrough.

However, because of their unique characteristic of adding all sorts of buffs when used together in the same party, they were often referred to as graduation items, assuming you kept both equipped.

Still, because you had to fix your party with a paladin and a magician, I eventually stopped using them.

Honestly, playing through multiple times or starting a new character with such a strong base made the game too easy if you played by the book.

Ah, my thoughts wandered a bit there. Anyway, I knew how amazing this staff was, but the idea of using it as a power source made me tilt my head in doubt.

That’s because, even though I accepted it, the Star of Dawn’s status window didn’t list any options related to mana storage.

Mana amplification, elemental magic bonus, space-related magic bonus, health and mana recovery speed boost, and a conditional all-stats buff.

Those were all the options I knew of for the Star of Dawn.

Wouldn’t it need a function like a mana battery to be used as a power source?

The mana amplification rate was excellent, so maybe it could produce a similar effect… but since it was a bound item, we probably wouldn’t be able to fully utilize its potential.

Noticing my doubts, Iris puffed out her small chest and spoke.

“The branch of the World Tree contains an immense concentration of life force. Moreover, being a part of the divine body, its power won’t fade even when separated from the main body, as long as the Circulating Life exists.”

“That’s an impressive effect, but life force isn’t the same as mana. It might improve mana recovery as a side benefit, though.”

That was probably why it had a health and mana recovery boost as one of its options.

“You’re right about that. But life force and mana are closely related, aren’t they? You experience that every day, don’t you?”

“Could it be…?”

I quickly turned to look at Iona, who was waving both hands in a V shape with a calm expression.

“Yes, yes. We’ll apply the magic formula of blood magic. I’m not very skilled with magic circles… but Iris is, right? If we combine our strengths, we should be able to produce a pretty decent result.”

“Indeed. And to add, I’ve received particularly strong blessings even among high elves. Thanks to that, I can partially harmonize with the World Tree’s aura, so the conversion process should be smooth.”

If it works as intended, Iris said it could be an even better power source than the fragment of the Dragon Heart, just as Rebecca mentioned.

This approach focuses on the World Tree branch itself rather than the staff’s abilities.

It’s a method that would be impossible without both Iris and Iona.

Rebecca probably knew all this when she handed over the staff.

“Then that solves the magic circle problem, right?”

“Indeed. Though it’s not possible right now, it should be ready within a day.”

“Great. Then let’s move on to the next task.”

After handing the staff over to Iris, I lifted the box containing the Dragon Heart fragment.

“I’m about to consume this. Anyone have a better idea?”

“…….”

“…….”

“…….”

No one responded.

“If there’s no better idea, I’ll consume it right away.”

“J-Just a moment, Master! Even though it’s a Dragon Heart, wouldn’t it be better to get help from Iris or Professor Iona?”

“It seems like everything will be fine… but just in case, yeah. Iris, Professor, I’m counting on you.”

“Leave it to me! I’ll help you absorb it as safely as possible.”

“Yes, yes. I’ll also collect any overflow as much as I can, so Yandel, just focus on absorbing it completely!”

Nodding at their reassuring words, I took a moment to gaze at the fragment inside the box.

It looked like a sharp, transparent crystal, but within, a swirl of multicolored lights continuously collided and dispersed, showcasing its presence.

Even though it wasn’t emitting mana, the condensed energy itself pressed down with a heavy intensity.

If a fragmented piece was this powerful, what kind of existence was a complete Dragon Heart? And what about the dragon that owned it?

How strong must the Evil Gods have been to drive such dragons to extinction?

I couldn’t even begin to grasp it. The one thing I was certain of was that it was on a level far beyond my current self.

I need to grow stronger. This fragment would significantly shorten the time needed to achieve that.

Resolving to save Helena, I decisively placed the finger-sized fragment into my mouth.

“Hmph.”

As soon as it touched my tongue, the Dragon Heart melted like a snowflake falling to the ground. It naturally slid down my throat without me even trying to swallow it.

Gulp.

“…?”

What? Is that it?

When I consumed the Blood Magic Elixir or other potions before, the system would automatically help me digest them without any major issues.

I thought it would be the same this time too… but it’s still a Dragon Heart fragment. Can it really be absorbed this easily?

Just as I tilted my head, trying to sense the changes within me–

Thump!

A sudden, intense burning sensation erupted in my chest.

It felt like someone had set my heart on fire, and I reflexively clutched my chest.

“Argh!”

My sudden reaction caused everyone around me to move frantically, their voices urgent.

“Master…! What’s happening?!”

“We… stabilize the… first!”

But the pain was so severe that I couldn’t understand their words. It was as if I could hear them, but my brain couldn’t process the meaning.

I could feel the mana more vividly than ever, but the problem was that the mana was raging uncontrollably.

The heat that started in my heart spread throughout my entire body.

Was this because of the Lindelheit Breathing Technique, which places the core in the heart and the mana roads in the blood vessels?

My whole body heated up, making even breathing difficult.

What’s wrong? What went wrong? Judging by the massive mana swirling inside me, the Dragon Heart was indeed real.

While trying to maintain my breath and cling to consciousness with a chaotic mind, suddenly, I felt a cool breeze from behind.

It must have been Iris or Iona trying to calm the rampaging mana inside me by injecting their mana.

But it didn’t have much effect. The coolness that started in my back was quickly swallowed by the heat.

As I and the others grew increasingly desperate, the mana that had been rampaging as if it would burst out of my body suddenly calmed.

Thump.

Then, a faint heartbeat echoed.

Instinctively, I knew. This sound was my guide. I had to follow that faint whisper.

I grabbed hold of the temporarily stilled mana and desperately pulled it, intending to initiate the Lintblum Breathing Technique.

At first, it didn’t budge, like a massive boulder. But as I kept pulling and pulling, it slowly started to move.

Thump. Thump.

The mana, now slowly finding its original path, made my heartbeat grow louder, almost as if it were praising me, telling me I was doing it right.

Fueled by this encouragement, I manipulated the mana with an even stronger resolve.

The mana, spreading from my heart to the tips of my fingers and toes, circulated through my entire body before returning to my heart.

After making one full cycle, the mana was much more docile than before. Naturally, the speed of its circulation began to accelerate.

Thump. Thump. Thump.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

As my heartbeat grew louder, I realized something. This wasn’t the sound of my actual heart beating.

The core… the mana was resonating with my body, creating this resonance.

Or perhaps it was the other way around, with my body resonating with the mana. Given the origins of the Lindelheit family, that might be closer to the truth.

In the series of flows that comprise the Lintblum Breathing Technique, the intention behind it became almost tangible.

I began to understand the process and results that stemmed from a genius’s desperate struggle to control the massive mana that threatened to kill him.

The Lintblum Breathing Technique was undoubtedly designed for someone like me.

The moment I realized this, the core fused with my heart, and the mana roads melted into my veins as if overlaying them.

It felt as though my entire body had become one unified magical organ.

But it wasn’t unpleasant. On the contrary, it felt refreshingly liberating, as if I had shed a heavy shell.

The mana that was now racing through my body at a speed even faster than when it first rampaged was no longer frightening or painful.

Just like moving my limbs, the mana was now completely under my control.

As the heat that had heated my body cooled and the unified core and mana roads fully settled in, the rotation speed gradually decreased.

Thump… thump…

My heartbeat slowed accordingly. The mana, now completely calm, finally returned to my heart.

A full sense of fulfillment filled my chest. It had been dangerous, but instead, I felt like I had grown stronger, making me smile slightly as I opened my eyes.

And the moment I saw the notification that appeared before me, I couldn’t help but furrow my brows.

Ding!

【You have consumed the Dragon Heart Fragment (S).】

【Trait: Potent Constitution (C) amplifies its effects.】

“Damn it!”

So it was you!