Chapter 512 - Let Time Decide (3/3) (2/2)

It was not just the fact that Gretel was unwilling to share Dragon Power with the human race; rather, it was the different paths they have chosen to take.

With Dragon Power beyond his grasp, Link would continue looking for other alternatives to empower the human race. He would walk on further in his path. On the other hand, Gretel insisted still on walking the path of balance. Gradually, the gap between them would widen even more.

The alchemical laboratory remained silent for ten minutes.

At last, Link took out a huge scroll of parchment. He then activated a Copy spell and quickly wrote down his thoughts on it. Half an hour later, when he had finished writing, Link took out the time fragment, two meteorite pieces, and the Void Centipede’s stinger, and handed them all over to Gretel. “I’ve already laid out my designs for the magic circle to repair the spatial crack in the scroll. Bring it back to Dragon Valley. You should probably be able to work out a magic circle with it.”

Gretel scanned the scroll thoroughly. She then spoke softly, her eyes lowered. “You’re not coming back with me?”

Link nodded. “No, since the Dragon Power is out of my reach, I’ll just have to look for some other way to build up the strength of the human race.”

He was only a Level-11 Legendary master. This level of power would not let him surpass the realm of Firuman. With the God of Destruction’s covetous gaze still on Firuman itself, he needed to develop his power even further.

Gretel fell silent again. Minutes later, she accepted the scroll and a few other items from him. When she put them all away, Gretel warned him again, “Link, the path you’re on will lead you only to destruction.”

“It may also be lead me to glory,” countered Link with a smile.

“With that mentality of yours, you have no right to wield the dragon’s body.” Gretel softly touched the Dragon King’s Bracelet on her wrist. An iridescent ball of light appeared, engulfing her whole hand.

“As the Red Dragon Queen, I’ll need to seal your dragon body up. Of course, you can choose to resist and make me fail the sealing process.”

Link shook his head. “No need. It’s probably a good thing, anyway. This way, Dragon Valley won’t be to blame for my actions in the future.”

As he spoke, Link took out the black ring on his finger. It was the seal of the dragon duke.

Tears began welling up in Gretel’s eyes, and glittering teardrops fell from them. She spoke tremblingly, “You can still run. Why aren’t you running? You’re a Spatial Magician. I won’t be able to catch up to you.”

“There’s no need.” Link shook his head, letting the ball of light melt into his body. He distinctly heard a soft chink from the Heart of the Dragon in his body. His dragonification skill was sealed shut.

At that moment, he bade farewell to his Black Dragon body.

When his dragon body was finally sealed, and he had returned the seal of the dragon duke to the Red Dragon Queen, Link gave her a slight bow and then walked out of the room in large strides.

Gretel looked on as he left the room. She had hoped that Link would stop in his tracks, turn back to her and tell her that he finally understood what she had been trying to say, and that he wished to follow her back to Dragon Valley.

None of that happened. As soon as Link left, there was a sudden spatial shockwave from outside the castle. With the sound of a fiercely howling wind, he was gone.

Gretel felt her legs weaken beneath her. She fell to the ground and began shedding tears like pearls falling from a necklace to the ground.

Oh, ancestors, where did I go wrong? asked Gretel, without expecting an answer from anyone.

Outside the castle, Link flew at top speed from the island. Without putting up any defensive spells around him, Link simply let the wind and waves slap about his body.

A thick layer of ice had condensed on his body as he flew for three hours straight. He had also managed to calm himself down.

He was the lord of Ferde, while Gretel was the queen of the dragon race. Both of them had their own responsibilities and opinions. They would gradually lose their own selves if one were to abide by the whims of the other, and they would be no different from puppets pulling on each other’s strings.

It was just unacceptable.

“Let time decide it all.”

Link kept on flying until he finally saw the continent in front of him. It was the southern coastline of the Kingdom of Delonga. Shifting his direction slightly, he began flying towards Ferde.

Half an hour later, after flying for more than 700 miles, he had reached Scorched City. He activated an Invisibility spell and descended on the Mage Tower’s observatory.

He then sensed that the dragons in Scorched City had all left, probably summoned back by the queen herself.

Link sighed. Today had not gone as he had expected. The fact that he was immediately ostracized upon showing his Black Dragon form for the first time back in Dragon Valley must have been a sign for things to come.

He just did not expect things to take a drastic turn so soon.

Link walked to the edge of the observatory and looked out over Scorched City.

The city had expanded considerably since he was gone. The cluttered state of the area outside the city had visibly improved as well. People and carriages teemed the streets, while chimneys busily puffed up columns of smoke into the air.

It was evening. The golden rays from the setting sun gave everything in the city a yellowed, aged quality, accentuating the vibrancy of the bustling city.

At the moment, he was a Level-11 Legendary master, as well as the protector of this city. The High Elves threatened his domain in the East, the God of Destruction in the North. There was also Morpheus the Shadow Stalker. In the west, there were the warlords of the Beastmen of the Golden Plains, and who knew what other threats lurked in the shadows still.

This was the golden age of heroes and great personages. Link just had a head start over the rest of them.

Tellie, I’m sorry… my beloved, my friends, everything I have is right here in this city. I need to become stronger, I need to continue moving forward. Otherwise, I would have disappointed everyone around me, he thought to himself.

Sighing, Link turned back from the evening view and head back into the Mage Tower.