Chapter 228

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Theo’s heart pounded furiously, each beat reverberating through his body. The vibrations coursed through his veins, reaching the Lightning Gate and the dantian, creating waves that extended into the realm of consciousness.

The mental landscape wavered as the Nirvana technique, which had previously strained to expand outward, came to a sudden halt.

Gradually, the chaotic ripples synchronized with his heartbeat, matching its rhythm. For the first time, the restless Nirvana calmed.

"The Dragon’s Heart… can do this?"

Theo was astonished.

He had never imagined such a possibility.

Until now, the Dragon’s Heart had been merely a source of physical enhancement. Even Lodbrok, who had granted him this power, had never mentioned such a function.

Which meant…

"Master!"

It had to be Newitz, improvising and improving the Dragon’s Heart in real time.

Thump!

The next heartbeat felt different—imbued with a sense of excitement.

The realization that he was once again walking in step with his master made Theo’s heart race.

"Master is watching me."

In his past life, Newitz had been more than just a mentor; he had been like a father.

When Kyle and the rest of the Ragnar family had turned their backs on Theo, treating him as less than human, Newitz alone had shown him familial warmth.

Theo still remembered the pain of watching Newitz’s life fade away, knowing he had been yet another casualty of Ragnar’s internal strife.

"This time… I’ll show him it’s different."

Though he couldn’t reveal the truth about his regression, Theo vowed to convey his determination and growth—to prove that he was no longer the foolish Theo who caused his master heartache, but a victorious Theo who could make his master proud.

"Yes, just like that. Synchronize the waves between the Dragon’s Heart and the Lightning Gate. Slowly, extend the resonance to include the dantian."

With the Dragon’s Heart and Lightning Gate already resonating, integrating the dantian was a straightforward task.

After all, Theo had already mastered the resonance between his heart and dantian during countless battles.

Now, the three cores—the heart, Lightning Gate, and dantian—merged into a single rhythm.

As the Double Core evolved into a Triple Core system, a miracle occurred.

Whoosh!

Theo’s turbulent consciousness snapped into clarity.

The raging storm of mana subsided, and his circuits expanded explosively.

Existing pathways grew thicker, while new circuits branched out, ascending toward his brainstem.

Clink!

With a decisive connection to the Lightning Gate, mana surged upward, completing the cycle.

Consciousness flowed into the Dragon’s Heart, while mana coursed through the Lightning Gate.

The two energies intertwined, merging into a unified essence.

Theo’s body responded in kind.

The Trinity of Essence, Energy, and Spirit (精氣神) was achieved, with no clear distinction between the three—all were one.

"The frenzy has subsided."

The Triple Core alone signified a leap into a new realm.

For the first time, Theo felt he might even stand a chance against Julius.

Nirvana’s erratic surges now seemed entirely manageable.

Theo prepared to retract his consciousness and thank Lodbrok and Newitz when—

"The old man has a question for you: ‘Are you stopping there?’"

"What?"

A question mark appeared in Theo’s mind.

"‘Why stop now? Go further. Taste something greater.’"

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Theo’s heart began pounding harder, as if urging him onward.

"‘Taste it—the realm of the gods.’"

Theo recalled the euphoria he had felt when he conquered the White Tower, a sense of holding the world in his hands.

The omniscience and omnipotence he had glimpsed then beckoned him once more.

"Hah. Typical. Men, whether human or dragon, are all the same."

Lodbrok clicked her tongue in exasperation, but there was a gleam of expectation in her eyes.

"Then let’s see what lies ahead."

Thump. Thump. Thump.

"Yes, I’ll go."

"Currently, your consciousness and mana are perfectly harmonized with your body. You’ve achieved a state beyond frenzy or loss of control. The old man calls this Trinity Resonance (삼화취정)."

Newitz had a habit of assigning names to every milestone of mastery, even if they made no sense to others.

"At this point, you don’t even need to consciously control mana. With mere intent, both mana and consciousness will respond. For instance, true Sword of Will (이기어검) will now be second nature."

True Sword of Will.

Not the telekinetic imitation Theo had used before, but the genuine technique Kyle had perfected.

"Your thought processes will also accelerate, expand, and divide effortlessly. Even the ‘Insight’ that used to torment you will now evolve into something closer to Foresight. You’ll see beyond the present."

"Master… as always, he reads me like an open book."

Newitz had divined Theo’s condition with uncanny precision, even without knowing about the Dragon King’s lingering will or the Sword Orb’s influence.

"That ‘Insight’ is yours now. Trust it."

Theo nodded, acknowledging the advice.

"Now, project your consciousness beyond your body. Your target is the mana stream."

Following Lodbrok’s instructions, Theo extended his awareness outward.

Unlike before, Nirvana moved with serene stability, expanding effortlessly.

Everything within his conscious domain felt clear, as if the entire world lay in the palm of his hand.

He even sensed the faint possibility of bending the world’s laws to his will.

What if he projected his mental landscape here?

No longer would it be the chaotic glass space of before. It would be a perfect realm, molded entirely to his will.

The thought thrilled him, but then he encountered something even greater—a colossal flow of primordial energy within nature itself.

The mana stream.

It appeared calm like a gentle tide, yet it held the power of a violent tempest, threatening to obliterate any who dared approach unprepared.

"Don’t worry. Nirvana will anchor your identity. The key is to recognize that you and the mana stream are not separate. Accept that you are one with it."

Though fear lingered, Theo trusted Newitz’s words and reached for the mana stream.

Flash!

In an instant, his vision was consumed by radiant light.

***

"Are you sure this is going as planned?"

Lodbrok swallowed nervously, glancing at Newitz. Her body was drenched in sweat, her face showing clear signs of exhaustion.

While Theo might have believed he had smoothly achieved the synchronization of the Triple Core, the reality was far different.

The process had only been possible due to Lodbrok’s meticulous assistance.

The Lightning Gate, the heart, and the dantian—each of these organs pursued fundamentally different functions.

Forcing them into alignment required immense precision.

Even a minor disruption in the mana flow could have ended in disaster.

Lodbrok had taken on the monumental task of maintaining balance, preventing catastrophe at every moment.

"When he wakes up, he’ll owe me. He’s used me far too much!"

She grumbled inwardly, still bitter about him taking her rib to repair his sword.

This time, she’d ensure her price was paid in full.

"Yes, thanks to the Guardian Dragon’s help, everything has gone far more smoothly than anticipated."

At least this old human recognized her efforts. It softened her irritation—slightly.

"But from this point forward, it’s all up to Theo."

"You’re saying even you don’t know what he’ll gain?"

"Exactly. If he accepts only a limited portion of the flow, it will open the Connection Between Heaven and Earth—an extraordinary state in itself—"

"…Connection Between Heaven and Earth?"

"Ah, my apologies. I forgot that the Guardian Dragon might not be familiar with the term. The Connection Between Heaven and Earth refers to the ability to perceive and communicate with the natural currents and will of the world itself—"

Lodbrok winced, silently cursing herself for asking.

Just earlier, she’d made the mistake of asking about Trinity Resonance.

"Ah! You mean Three Blossoms Gathering at the Peak! A term derived from the East, where the ‘three blossoms’ represent the ultimate refinement of essence, energy, and spirit into a harmonious whole—"

The explanation had been endless, and Lodbrok had quickly realized asking Newitz anything led to a deluge of overwhelming detail.

If she wanted to avoid another bout of mental exhaustion, she needed to tread carefully.

"…So, what happens if he absorbs more? A lot more?"

The new question managed to halt the torrent, but Newitz’s next words startled her.

"He may ascend to become… a god."

"What?"

"Where… am I?"

Theo felt as though he had plunged into the depths of an ocean.

A vast, endless blue world surrounded him, teeming with strange, otherworldly creatures resembling fish or whales.

But these weren’t ordinary beings.

They were semi-transparent, their forms shimmering with an ethereal, otherworldly quality.

What was he supposed to do here?

The question crossed Theo’s mind, but his body moved instinctively, taking step after step.

Lodbrok’s voice had faded, yet somehow, Theo knew what he needed to do.

"These creatures must be spirits, fragments of the mana stream given form and will. If so, there should be a larger, older spirit somewhere among them."

Finding such a being might take days—or even longer.

Yet Theo felt certain it wouldn’t be difficult.

Something was already guiding him.

Not someone, but some things.

As Theo walked, streams of spiritual energy coalesced around him, taking the shapes of dragons.

"This way."

The spirits, his Guardians, were leading him.

"He awaits you."

Guided by the spirits, Theo arrived at a place where a colossal being lay curled in slumber.

This entity was far larger than Lodbrok, perhaps three or four times her size.

Yet instead of feeling overwhelmed, Theo felt warmth and comfort, as if he were meeting a long-lost grandparent.

"So, you’ve finally arrived."

The being’s eyes opened slowly, vertical pupils much larger than Theo’s entire body locking onto him.

Theo didn’t need to be told who this was.

If it was a being greater than Lodbrok, one to whom even his Guardians would show reverence, there could only be one answer.

Theo knelt deeply, bowing his head in respect.

"A descendant of Ragnar greets the Primeval Dragon."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om