Chapter 442 - Balance is but an Illusion (2/2)

The elders’ voices were deep like the valley, a low rumble reverberating around Link, not unlike the arcane chanting of the monks.

This went on for about five seconds before Link felt a sudden tremor running through his body. His eyes shut tightly;all he could see in the darkness behind his eyelids was a tiny point of light which gradually expanded. Bigger and bigger it grew, till it took on the shape of a gigantic dragon with black, crimson scales.

Though most of the Dragons of Firuman had dark red scales, there were also dragons of other colors, from black to yellow, to blue and green. Red, however, remained a color revered among the Dragons, considering their queen had always bore red scales on her body.

Red Dragons were also known for developing their powers at a faster rate than the others.

The silhouette of the Dragon before him was a stark black, the kind of black that had been the result of blending countless shades of red. To Link’s knowledge, nothing like it ever existed in this world, and so he had no clue just how major it really was.

The shadow of the dragon approached him, its long neck towering over Link. A strong voice resounded in Link’s head. “Mortal, answer my question with care.”

The voice was neither male nor female, but it was overbearingly solemn.

Link felt a sudden chill and knew instantly that this must be the spirit of the dragon presiding over this place. He listened on intently.

The voice spoke, “Is there good and evil in this world?”

“No, only life and death.”

“Can this world have balance?”

“No.”

Stunned by his response, the dragon silhouette asked, “Why do you think so?”

“The only rule governing this world is survival of the fittest: victors survive, while the vanquished perish.”

The dragon silhouette remained motionless. After a while, it heaved a sigh as deep as the caverns. Then, it retreated back step by step until once again, it was nothing more than a speck of light. The voice once again spoke, “You are worthy of becoming a dragon!”

Hearing this, Link felt the Dragon Power boil inside him, which then rushed back from his extremities and into a single point deep in his body.

In an instant, Link felt not only his Dragon Power flowing back, but even his physical human body felt like it was being folded back in. This provoked an unimaginably sharp pain in his very core and caused Link to howl in agony.

The pain seared through him for a second or so, and what came after was a craving for power seizing him from the deepest recesses of his consciousness. Power, I need more power!

All 400 Omni Points now converted into Dragon Energy!

Link’s Dragon Power went up by 400 points, reaching 10700, but it was not enough; he needed more.

At that, Link suddenly felt a burst of Dragon Power well up in him. It instantly rejuvenated him, as if he was given water after a long, dry journey through the desert.

This sudden torrent of Dragon Power seemed almost endless, flowing into Link seemingly without end and quenching his thirst for power.

At this point, Link had lost all track of time, and out of nowhere, he felt another eruption of power within him. It was an incredibly violent power surge, to the point that Link could not help but roar out loud.

“Arrrgghhhh!!!”

And in a matter of seconds, Link’s voice deepened gradually into a dragon’s roar.

Being extraordinarily sonorous, a dragon’s roar could be heard from very far away. All the inhabitants living around the dragons’ Holy Mountain turned to look at the top of the mountain in fear simultaneously.

The Magicians of the Emerald Circle all blanched at the sound in their guesthouse at the base of the mountain.

“That’s a Legendary dragon’s roar, not the Red Dragon Queen; it’s one I’ve never heard before.”

“Another Legendary dragon? How is that possible? Could it have something to do with the dragons we saw flying about in the sky just then?”

“Strange indeed.”

On the platform atop the mountain, Link roared with all his might, getting a feel of the sound reverberating through his body. What happened to his body?

Link soon found out that his body had undergone some drastic changes. He shut his eyes for a feel of the body he currently inhabited and felt that his current body was exceedingly vast. He could also feel the power surging in waves through his body as if with one flick of a finger, he could topple an entire mountain, and with one breath, he could blow up a tidal wave.

He read the status message of his new body:

Link Morani (Dragon race)

Level-11 Legendary Dragon.

Description: Originally a human Magician who managed to reach Legendary status by attaining Dragon Power due to unforeseen circumstances. With the deteriorating presence of the dragon race, Link was able to condense a dragon’s heart with the aid of the Red Dragon Queen, as well as acquire the dragonification technique with it.

(Note: Balance is only an illusion!)

Link knew then that he had attained a dragon’s body.

Blinking his eyes, he discovered that he had a near perfect field of vision.

Without even turning, he could see his own body, which was close to 230 feet long, and by no means inferior to that of the Red Dragon Queen. His body was covered in gleaming black scales and his claws a set of razor-sharp gemstones black as the night. With a slight movement, he banged his claws against the ground, and a metallic sound rang out. At the same time, it let off small shockwaves in the air. What set him apart from other dragons were the crystal-like spikes jutting out from his joints, but mostly across his back, all gleaming with white light. Two rows of spikes grew out menacingly from his skull all the way to the tip of his tail.

He was a Black Dragon.

Around him, the Red Dragon Elders were struck dumb at his new appearance, gazing at him in awe. The Red Dragon Queen remained in place, but she too had gone pale, an incredulous look on her face.

“What’s wrong?” Link asked, and he noticed that his voice had taken on a thick, metallic quality.

The Red Dragon Queen nodded. “Your new look is most peculiar. You look exactly like one of our Black Dragon Kings from our history books.”