Chapter 63

Purge Cleansing Technique.

It was an ancient secret art that artificially expelled impurities from the body, transforming it into a constitution suitable for accumulating magic power.

Originally, it was an ancient secret technique attempted by famous martial families to enhance the talents of their direct descendants. However, it required several elder experts, rich in magic power, to dedicate themselves for days, making it an impossible task in most places.

Even if attempted, it was usually done on children under five years old.

And yet—

Such a technique was happening to Theo.

In truth, this was a miraculous coincidence, a series of fortunate events overlapping.

When Theo was bitten by the old man, it wasn’t just a simple venom that infiltrated his body.

If that had been the case, Theo’s immune system, strengthened by the Dragon’s Heart, would have naturally activated.

But this time, the toxicity was so severe that it instantly overwhelmed his immune system.

Not only did it contain a portion of the immense magic power the old man, a master whose skills were unrivaled in the North during his lifetime, had accumulated, but also the Magic Essence he had gathered over decades of crossing the boundary between life and death, sustained only by consuming Ghost Mushrooms.

With so many alien energies mixing together, it became impossible for Theo to withstand it.

Shadow Demon Poison.

It was the same extreme poison that, in his previous life, had given birth to the Shadow Wyvern.

And—

Just as this Shadow Demon Poison was about to push Theo to the brink of death, Umbra stepped in.

Umbra had regularly consumed Ghost Mushrooms as a delicacy, and whenever the addiction left it with unbearable thirst, it would eat crystals to detoxify itself. This was a process it had repeated numerous times.

Because of this, Umbra instinctively knew how much crystal was needed to purge the poison of the Ghost Mushrooms.

Thanks to this, Theo achieved a delicate balance between the Shadow Demon Poison and the antidote.

At that moment, his immune system received a boost, and the Dragon’s Heart, which had been slowly halting, began to beat again.

Thump thump thump thump!

His heart pounded violently.

Bzzzzt—

His Dantian trembled fiercely.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The two types of magic power mixed together, surging through Theo’s entire body uncontrollably.

They were chasing after the Shadow Demon Poison and the antidote.

From the perspective of his immune system, it was impossible to distinguish between the two.

Thus, a choice had to be made.

Would it absorb the Shadow Demon Poison and the antidote, or expel them?

The decision Theo’s immune system made was simple.

– Devour.

The instinct engraved into the blood of the Dragon, filled with greed and desire, refused to let go of the vast amount of energy.

As a result, the magic power swelled instantly, breaking through the blood channels and meridians that Theo had been unable to open until now.

The magic circuit connecting the Dragon’s Heart and the Dantian expanded several times over in an instant.

It was around that time when lightning energy started to surge up.

To fully devour such an immense amount of magic power, his elemental magic had to strengthen in order to control it.

Crackle!

Lightning energy erupted over Theo’s body, burning away impurities and further fortifying his muscles.

As the lightning energy intensified to the point where it seemed to fill the entire cave with its brilliance—

Ssssss—

The color of the lightning slowly began to change.

From yellow to black.

But it wasn’t a dull black.

It was a jet-black hue, as if it had captured the darkness of the night sky itself.

Black Thunder.

“What is…?”

Evelyn was astonished, having never heard of elemental magic changing color before.

Even so, she didn’t attempt to interfere.

Anyone could tell, even someone with no knowledge, that Theo was standing at a critical juncture.

Whoooosh…!

As time passed, the heat of the Black Thunder gradually subsided. Soon, all the energy was drawn inward, absorbed into Theo’s body.

That was when Theo opened his eyes.

Flash!

A fierce gleam cut through the surrounding darkness.

“Are you… alright, Young Master?”

Theo smiled faintly and nodded calmly.

“Sorry for making you worry.”

Only then did Evelyn let out a sigh of relief, filled with deep relief.

He was the same Theo as usual.

* * *

[“Observing ‘Theo Ragnar’.”]

+

Theo Ragnar (15 years old / Male)

– Title: Flash Tiger, Greatest Prodigy of the Millennium.

– Talents: Ragnar, Player, Observation, Inventory, Shop Access, Companion of the Guardian Dragon, Purge Cleansing Technique, Shadow Wyvern, [Access Denied], [Access Denied].

– Status: Feeling dazed due to an unexpected fortune. Gained the Shadow Demon Poison that gave birth to the Shadow Wyvern in the first round, which can be considered a fortunate event. However, without careful management, it could lead to the birth of a second Shadow Wyvern, so caution is necessary.

+

The word Shadow Wyvern caught Theo’s eye immediately.

The power of the Shadow Wyvern.

Unconsciously, he swallowed dryly.

Theo quickly scanned the rest.

+

– Level: 21

– Stats (▼)

Strength: 112

Agility: 62

Endurance: 38

Magic Power: 238

Intelligence: 36

Luck: 21

– Skills (▼)

– Lesser Drake Fear

– Hatchling Synchronization

– Wyvern Taming

– [Access Denied]

– Current Coin Balance: 1

+

As Theo gained the Shadow Wyvern’s talent, the additional stat boost alone amounted to a total coefficient of 85… an absurd level.

All six of his stats had increased by more than 10 points each, which was an impressive result.

By simple calculations, this was an amount that would normally require raising his level by 17.

Of course, if one only considered the talent of the Shadow Wyvern, the increase in stats might seem lower than expected.

However, Theo wasn’t simply focused on the numbers.

There had also been a change in his constitution.

‘The body of a Ragnar is already complete in itself. But now, not only did I undergo the Purge Cleansing Technique, but I also strengthened it. My growth will only accelerate from here.’

Theo was very satisfied with the current situation.

Though there was a warning that if he didn’t properly manage the remaining traces of Shadow Demon Poison inside his body, it could result in the birth of a second Shadow Wyvern, such warnings didn’t faze him.

After all, in the battle for the throne, self-control was the highest priority. To Theo, it wasn’t even worth considering as a warning.

‘What’s more important is figuring out who this old man really was.’

Theo turned to Evelyn, who had been inspecting the old man’s corpse and the surrounding area.

“Have you found anything?”

“Please take a look at this.”

Evelyn pointed to an area beneath the wall, where chains were connected.

Narrowing his eyes, Theo approached the spot.

“It’s a journal.”

“Yes. It seems like he occasionally regained his senses.”

The wall bore a brief inscription that appeared to be a journal left behind by the old man.

It was proof that the old man had possessed remarkable skill, enough to carve fine letters into the hard stone wall of the cave.

One of the entries went like this:

I was defeated by Kyle and Robert, and I have hidden here, a place that seems suitable for preparing for the future. But I wonder if revenge will ever be possible. My body is already ruined…

The name Kyle caught Theo’s attention.

“Young Master.”

“Yeah. It seems this man was defeated by my father in the past. Was he a former heir?”

– Kyle! Kyle, Kyyyyle! Robert! Robeerrt! I hate you…! I hate you all…!

The old man’s dying words suddenly came to Theo’s mind.

At the time, he had been too preoccupied with the battle to pay it much attention.

It seemed like those words had been referring to this.

‘Robert? Why is the Black Dragon’s name coming up here?’

Tilting his head in confusion, Theo quickly scanned the rest of the journal.

My body is deteriorating rapidly. Is it because Robert injured my Dantian? I’ve tried to recover, but it’s not easy. The Ghost Mushrooms I consume to survive are instead pushing me toward death.

I had started to lose consciousness. It seemed far from being a simple case of sleepwalking. What in the world was happening to my body?

I finally began to understand the reason for the changes in my body. It was Demonic Nature. I had fallen into Qi Deviation. Damn it, damn it, damn it! I haven’t even begun his revenge yet! Why was this happening?

While unconscious, I can’t predict what I might do. If I tried to leave this place, everything would fall apart. With no other choice, I melted down my beloved sword, Noksa Sword, with magic and forged it into chains. They would restrain me. Bind me. I had bound myself.

However, even though he had done this to himself, it wasn’t truly his doing. The chains had been given to him by the ones he swore to tear apart—Kyle and Robert. The day he broke these chains would be the day he killed those two.

He cursed the heavens for giving him such trials…

It seemed that the time he spent losing and regaining consciousness was getting longer. Perhaps soon, he would never wake up again.

Opportunity. If only there had been any chance left. Regret came flooding in like a tide.

Now, it was time to make a decision. He had to admit it. There was no hope left for him.

He prayed desperately that someone would find this place, fulfill his desire, and succeed in his revenge. He left his legacy here, hoping his successor would surpass them…

Below the diary, which was filled with resentment, there was a significant amount of script written in jagged handwriting.

Even a quick glance revealed they were techniques no less valuable than top-tier secret arts.

“Vicious Sword Techniques, Wind Thunder God…? Could it be, W-Wind Lord?”

Evelyn’s eyes widened as she quickly turned to the corpse of the deceased old man.

Theo felt his head throb.

“If it’s the Wind Lord, isn’t he the one who fought against my father for the throne until the very end, about 40 years ago?”

“Yes, I believe so.”

“I thought he had died. But he was here all along?”

In the distant past, there was someone who resisted Kyle’s claim to the throne until the very end.

The Wind Lord, Hector Ragnar.

His achievements and fame were so great that he even surpassed Kyle in some aspects, but he was ultimately defeated—an ill-fated hero.

Known for freely controlling the wind, he was said to be as fierce as a storm when facing enemies, as swift as a gale when moving, and as warm as a spring breeze when with his allies.

Who could have imagined that such a legendary figure would end up in such a pitiful state?

Had he never been able to forget his desire for revenge, even to his final moments?

One of Hector Ragnar’s final wishes was for a successor to gather his legacy and defeat Kyle. It was a testament to his enduring resentment.

At that moment, Evelyn suddenly approached Theo, knelt before him, and bowed her head low, as if offering her neck like a prisoner condemned to the guillotine.

Theo frowned.

“What are you doing?”

“It is a grave sin for a vassal of Ragnar to harm an heir, regardless of the reason. Therefore…!”

“Stop spouting nonsense.”

Theo cut her off without hesitation.

“The one you harmed wasn’t a Ragnar. He was a deranged madman who had lost his senses.”

“But…!”

“And besides, you did it to save me. What other choice did you have in that situation?”

“…”

“If you still feel guilty about it, take those two secret arts for yourself.”

Evelyn’s head shot up in surprise.

“The Wind Lord’s techniques are revered as absolute arts, comparable even to the Nine Dragons’ techniques. How could you possibly give those to me…?!”

“As payment for saving my life.”

“…!”

“Become the successor of the Wind Lord. Inherit his legacy. That way, Hector Ragnar can finally rest in peace. You’ll be his disciple, and no one will question your actions any longer.”

Evelyn realized the deeper meaning behind Theo’s words.

The Wind Lord’s legacy.

It was a request for her to bring down Kyle.

Overcoming that obstacle was a necessary step to claim the throne.

In other words—

“Won’t you become my sword, Evelyn?”

Theo’s intense gaze pierced through Evelyn’s eyes—no, through her very spirit, her soul.

“…!!”

Evelyn’s body trembled slightly.

Theo had given her a sword once more.

His mother had restored the arm she had lost.

The dreams she thought she had abandoned forever were now laid out at her feet once again.

And now—

He was offering her wings to soar above them.

Evelyn rose from her kneeling position, changing to a bowing stance, lowering her head in respect.

It was the gesture of a vassal pledging fealty to their lord.

The formal salute of a knight swearing loyalty to their sovereign.

“I, Evelyn Nerevil, High Swordsman of Ragnar, Protector of the Great Northern Wall and Lord of the Winter Mountains, hereby pledge my loyalty to Lord Theo Ragnar as his vassal…”

Evelyn’s voice carried strength and conviction.

“I humbly ask that my great and noble lord accepts the oath of this humble vassal.”

“I, Theo Ragnar.”

Theo raised the blade of the Drake and lightly tapped it on Evelyn’s head and both shoulders in turn.

“Accept Evelyn Nerevil’s oath, etching it into my heart and soul, and swear to make her my first sword on this long journey.”

In that moment, here and now—

The first vow of what would become a great legend was made.