novelraw Chapter 272 272: The Masters [1]
Chapter 272 272: The Masters [1]
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Agustina gasped for air as she suddenly opened her eyes. She found herself in the middle of a scorching world of lava and magma. Giant mountains rose on the horizon while volcanoes exploded and erupted without pause.
"W-What...?"
The sky burned red beneath black clouds. Mountains of burning metals and forests of precious spiritual and divine crystals adorned the hellish landscape. Enormous beasts made of fire and stone walked the land, shaking the ground with every step.
"Where am I?"
A giant flock of Fire Wyverns flew overhead and then descended, roaring at her. Each wyvern radiated divinity. They were powerful Divine Beasts.
"W-Wait!"
She scrambled to her feet and ran, summoning her Spiritual Forge and her abilities. Cosmic Steel armor and weapons formed around her at once.
"Get away from meeeee!"
She cried out as hundreds of wyverns attacked, but her strikes began to pierce them all, shredding their bodies. Blood and guts splattered everywhere.
"Woah..."
She sighed in relief, covered in blood and guts, and groaned.
"Ugh, I stink now. Perfect! Where was I just now? I..."
As she tried to recall, a giant shadow descended from the sky and greeted her with a warm smile. It was an enormous scaled being.
"Hey there, Agustina! Sorry about the turbulence. I guess you landed pretty far. Are you alright? I came as quickly as I could, but damn! You're not weak, huh? To be expected of a fabled Spiralwalker."
"W-What? Wait, you're...! Lord Surtr, King of Fire Dragons?!" Agustina gasped, recognizing the towering figure. "W-What am I doing here? Wasn't I in a meeting with Louis and the rest when I suddenly got thrown here out of nowhere?"
"Yeah, you have been assigned to me!" Surtr said with a nod. "Drake said you were the most compatible with the Fire Element and that you were a blacksmith. Our powers match perfectly, so I will be teaching you from now on."
"Y-You?! A giant-ass dragon king?!" Agustina swore, her dwarven tongue slipping out in full force.
"Hell yeah! A giant-ass fire dragon king is teaching you! Hahahaha! Feel honored!" Surtr laughed, his voice booming with boisterous energy despite his kind nature.
"Ugh, okay..." Agustina sighed as she stood up. "I-I still can't believe it. Did you have to teleport me here though, Lord Surtr?"
"It had to be done so you could train here in your best environment. This way you are going to grow stronger," Surtr said with a firm nod.
"Stronger..." Agustina echoed, wonder filling her voice. "How? No, wait—where am I right now?! What is this place?! Hell?! Did you throw me into the depths of hell?!"
"Hahahahaha!"
Surtr laughed as the two took in the vastness of the landscape. This was one of the fieriest and hottest continents in all of Yggdrasil, the homeland of the Fire Dragons and the Fire Giants.
"Welcome to Muspelheim, the Land of Fire and Ash!" Surtr declared with a wide grin that showed his sharp teeth. "This is the land of ore and crystals, of mountains and volcanoes! Resources lie everywhere! It is the perfect place for you to learn the craft and master it at completely new levels. In this continent, wielding fire and shaping metal is part of the main culture of all Fire Giants. Even Fire Dragons take part in it, you know? Dwarves from Svartalfheim come here regularly, though they always complain about the heat. Only a single tribe has adapted to live here—the Fire Dwarves who dwell deep in the Ruby Mountains."
"O-Oh..." Agustina nodded. "So I will be stuck here... for how long exactly?"
"For as long as it takes you to learn everything I have to teach," Surtr said with a kind smile. He scooped her up gently. "Anyway, let us get going! Ahh! I have so many things to teach you! Origin Flames, Heavenly Smith, and much more! Unique skills usually cannot be taught, but my kids learned them just fine, right? And you have the potential!"
"Eek!" Agustina cried as Surtr soared far and wide across the vastness of Muspelheim.
As they flew, a gigantic kaiju suddenly burst from the ground, shattering stone and roaring with giant spikes of blazing flames.
"Gyaaaahhh! What is that thing?!" Agustina screamed.
"Oh! Hey, Ignisefer!" Surtr greeted the beast. "Long time no see, bud."
"Grrrrr..." Ignisefer growled and lumbered away, snatching a giant Fire-Breathing Kraken that had emerged from the black clouds above. The kraken was the size of a stadium and tried to eat the even larger kaiju, only to be swallowed alive as a light snack.
"W-What the fuck is this place?!" Agustina panicked, screaming. She had endured much before, but Muspelheim felt utterly terrifying.
Things that would be deemed world-ending threats elsewhere were commonplace here, and even that giant flying fire-breathing squid had not been considered a threat.
Eventually Surtr landed on his mountain—a giant volcano larger than every other peak, burning red and radiating vast quantities of Fire Spiritual Energy.
"Here we are! Hey everyone! The girl is here!" Surtr called out. "Time for you to meet the whole family, Agustina!"
"W-What? What family—Aaaahh!" Agustina screamed as giants emerged from the mountains and leaped down one after another.
Each one stood over a hundred meters tall. Agustina had witnessed world-shattering battles where planetoids and stars were torn apart, yet she had convinced herself she would never see such scale again. Now giants that surpassed five hundred meters in height jumped toward her, causing immense tremors that cracked the ground and split the planet's surface.
First came two Fire Titanesses. One was incredibly muscular and tomboyish, with short hair, powerful muscles, sharp orange-red eyes, and tribal tattoos covering her body. She carried a giant burning axe. The other was beautiful and far more slender, with red skin, long white hair, and golden eyes. She held a large scepter crafted from the bones of an ancient fire dragon and wore skimpy clothes that barely covered anything, boldly flaunting her spectacular, gigantic form.
Both bore draconic traits—red scales, dragon-like eyes, red dragon horns, claws, wings, and tails.
The other two who leaped down were full-on fire dragons. One was large, muscular, and massive, with four arms and a dark-red head resembling a T-rex. The other was slimmer, less muscular, and more serpentine, her body covered in a mane of flames.
"Well, well, who do we have here, Surtr?"
"Is this the cute little thing they gave you to train with us?"
The titanesses spoke. They were Nadia and Mina, Surtr's wives and the strongest Fire Titans of Muspelheim, governing everything alongside their husband.
"Wow! She is so small! Is she really as strong as they say, Dad? Can I fight her?!"
"Stop it, you brute! She is just a child... I am sorry about him. He is an idiot."
These two mighty Divine Fire Dragons were Mirtr, son of Surtr and Mina, and Sudiartr, daughter of Surtr and Nadia.
"Calm down now," Surtr said. "Sorry about the scare. Those two bombshells are my wives, and these two little ones are my kids. I kind of wanted to introduce you to the family so you would feel comfortable around us! Ah, right! Where is Jamar?"
"Over hereeeeeee!"
Suddenly a tiny mushroom descended from the volcano and landed flat on the ground like a pancake. "Augh..."
"A mushroom?" Agustina asked in surprise, gasping as she gazed at the little creature. "T-This one is not big and scary at least..."
"Hi!" Jamar popped his head out of the ground and quickly returned to normal.
He was an adorable red-and-white mushroom the size of a child, with two small arms, two small legs, and a cute face shaped like ":3." He spoke in a very endearing voice.
"H-Hi..." Agustina sighed. "Um, nice to meet you, everyone... I-I guess I will be staying here for... a little while."
"Welcome!" Mina said. "How about we have a meal?"
"I hope you like spicy things! That is all we have here!" Nadia added.
"Well, I do not hate that..." Agustina muttered. "But how spicy?"
"To the point you will be spitting fire from your mouth!" Surtr laughed, welcoming the little half-dwarf, half-elf into the family.
Agustina entered the mountain cave and was greeted by many Fire Giants wandering through a large village inside the volcano. Children ran around playing while adults skinned beasts, crafted clothes, and more.
Unlike the grand cities she had seen, this was a much more tribal and rural settlement with few technological advancements—a simpler life.
She could see many forges, however, and the sound of hammers striking iron mixed with the smell of ores and sulfur awakened her senses, making her feel right at home.
The heat was intense, but she could endure it.
The Fire Giants noticed the newcomer and rushed toward her.
"Hey, a little one!"
"Welcome, welcome."
"The gods have brought her!"
"Here, have a souvenir!"
"Take this!"
"Hey, do you like this jewel?"
She was given all kinds of gifts as she made her way through the village. Surtr and his family suddenly reduced their sizes to match the giants around them, taking Dragonoid forms instead.
Once deep inside the mountain, they welcomed her into their castle—an immense fiery palace. Surtr guided her to the dining room, where she sat and enjoyed an incredibly hot and spicy meal that brought tears of pain to her eyes and made her spit fire constantly.
But once she finished, she felt powerful. Her fire elemental affinity had risen dramatically, along with all her stats.
"W-Wow, what is this?!" Agustina asked in disbelief.
"It is the power of a good meal made with divine ingredients," Surtr said. "Now, let us go to the forge. Time to teach you the basics!"
Surtr led her into a large divine forge. Agustina's eyes widened in awe at the legendary and divine treasures and materials laid out everywhere.
The dragon conjured Origin Flames and showed them to her before using his power, Heaven Smith, to begin creating something. "Watch carefully. Later you will use your powers to imitate what I do."
Agustina nodded, steeling herself for what was to come.
♢♢♢♢
When Anastasia opened her eyes, a cold storm greeted her. Snow fell endlessly from the skies. Mountains of ice stretched as far as she could see, along with forests of pine trees in the distance and flower beds of ice lilies.
"This place... is it Niflheim?" she wondered. She resisted the cold just fine as an Ice Elf, and the fur from her half-rabbit Beastman heritage helped keep her warm.
"That is right, dear. We are in the homeland of frost and ice," a voice echoed from far away. "Although I also watch over Jotunheim, it is clear that Drake is the one who rules that continent. I have slowly expanded my domain here, and large cities and settlements of Ice Giants and Ice Elves thrive everywhere."
"...!"
Anastasia's eyes widened as she saw the silhouette of a titaness walking toward her through the snowstorm. Giant hands scooped her up from the ground and lifted her into the skies, far above the blizzard.
There, above the clouds and beneath the sun, she saw her—a beautiful, gorgeous woman with blue skin, long white hair, and sharp blue eyes that stared back with gentleness. She wore a long dress made of ice crystals and possessed a pair of long ice horns.
"Aahh...! Wow..."
Not only was the titaness impressive, but she also radiated an immense divine aura. Many Ascendancy Laws manifested behind her as colorful circles and halos of azure and golden light.
"Drake must have sent you here to train under me, correct? Let me introduce myself. I am the Ice Queen Immortal Venerable, Skadi. I once ruled this world as the sole Venerable. I freed it from the Blood Moon and the vampires brought by the Crimson Blood Lord Demon Venerable, my predecessor. I am known as the Queen and Guardian of Giants, and I restored order to Yggdrasil before Drake was even born..."
"Y-You are really her?! My mom...! My mom talks about you all the time!"
"Fufu, I would expect nothing less from Tisha. She is a great friend of mine and a wonderful disciple as well."
"You know my mom?!"
"Of course. I am glad you are happy and not scared. I was worried it would be too much for you."
"I mean, it is, but... well, I have to adapt."
"Hahah, as the daughter of Tisha and Pekorine, you are already remarkable, and your aura... truly unique. To think the child of those two would possess such incredible talents."
"You are praising me too much... I have not really done anything..."
"Nonsense! Now, let us move."
Skadi walked through the frozen lands, manifesting a portal of ice and stepping through it. They reached a vast city built entirely from ice, surrounded by a beautiful forest of pine trees and gardens of ice flowers.
"Welcome to Niflciten, the capital of this continental alliance," Skadi explained. "And where I rule..."
She slowly reduced her size and entered the city with Anastasia. The girl marveled at the vast city and the ice giants, ice elves, humans, and even the occasional mountain or fire giant living there.
"Wow!"
Despite appearing to be made of ice, the material composing the city was indestructible and more like diamond.
People used advanced magic technology blended with a simple, tribal way of life, creating a unique harmony found only in this region.
Schools, clinics, shopping districts, and more made it a vast and beautiful place.
"The Queen is back!"
"Ice Queen, welcome!"
"Lady Skadi!"
"Who is she?"
"I heard she is taking an apprentice!"
"A future heroine of the ice elf tribe!"
"But she has fur and rabbit ears too. How interesting."
Anastasia greeted everyone as best she could while making her way into the palace of ice. She marveled at the beauty of its interior and was greeted by dozens of servants.
"You have been assigned to me to learn more about the Element of Ice, but above all about swordsmanship and... fencing, one of my specialties."
The Ice Queen manifested a long rapier made of ice and smiled at Anastasia as they reached a wide terrace.
"En garde, dear."
"Eh?!"
Anastasia gasped as the Ice Queen's rapier thrust toward her at lightning speed—a blur of blue energy.
She swiftly gathered Sword Energy within her. Her Incarnation fused with her, helping her summon her ice demon sword and clash against the attack.
CLASH!
"Hoh, you have just parried a blow from a Venerable such as me, and you still believe you are weak?"
"...! I-I... well, I do not know what to say."
"Time will tell. For now, let us have a meal. Later we will continue training. I am glad you have already come here with a solid foundation, but I will make sure to turn you into a proper warrior once this is done."
♢♢♢♢
"Huh? Wait, Your Majesty, what do you mean by—"
"Timothy, she is waiting for you in the Forest of Spirits. Go find her."
"Wait!"
FLASH!
Before Timothy could speak another word, he was suddenly teleported into the middle of a deep, thick forest. Enormous trees reached high enough to block much of the sunlight, yet still let it filter down.
Beautiful and colorful flowers bloomed everywhere. Strange and colorful fruits hung from the otherworldly trees, and among them floated weird little things made of ethereal energies.
"I am in the Spirit Forest? Is this... wait, Alfheim, right?"
Timothy walked alone through the forest for a while, drawn toward a strong spiritual energy he decided to follow.
He felt confused but slowly moved deeper, sensing the strange energy more and more. His Spiral resonated with it as he crossed the woods.
Until he found himself surrounded by Spiritual Beasts that resembled gigantic deer made of silver light with antlers of golden crystals.
"Uh, can we talk things out? You are Spiritual Beasts, right? You are not... dumb... right?"
"GRRRR!"
Although not dumb, they were very territorial. All five charged. Timothy was forced to fight, summoning his golden axes and cleaving through them with incredible ease.
Golden blood spilled everywhere. He panicked as he watched the light fade from the eyes of these sacred-looking creatures.
"Oh shit, oh fuck, you guys are not very special and sacred creatures of the elves... are you?! Right?"
Timothy had already done it, so he tried to clean up the evidence. He used his Soul Treasure axes to absorb the corpses, making his weapon and his soul grow a little stronger.
"Wait, woah? What is this sensation?"
He felt spiritual energy gather inside his chest and form a crystallized Spiritual Heart, granting him even greater control over spirit energy than before.
"I had no idea this was a thing?!"
Timothy stood utterly baffled as he witnessed the wonders of Yggdrasil, the greatest Fantasy World in the entire universe.
Everything here felt incredibly rich and powerful. Merely hunting a few monsters had already helped him grow stronger by leaps and bounds.
"Well, alright, I should—"
"Hmph. To think you would kill our most precious children."
"Eek!"
Timothy screamed and panicked as the voice rang out from the vast forest.
"I-I am so sorry! Agh! I knew it! They were sacred beasts, weren't they?! I am so sorry!"
Timothy knelt and begged for mercy as he felt an immense pressure so strong he thought he might vomit.
But then...
"Pfff... Hahahahha!"
Laughter!
The laughter of a woman echoed from the forest. From the spirits and roots, an elven female figure emerged, resembling someone he had seen before.
"T-The Elven Queen?!"
"Hahaha! Please calm down, Timothy. It was a joke. Those creatures are not sacred or anything like that. We elves are surprisingly less spiritual than you imagine. We are simply highly compatible. Most of elven society in Alfheim is highly technological, and we base our beliefs on science."
"W-What?! So it was a joke?!"
"Hahaha, please come with me. We are close."
"O-Okay..."
Timothy nodded nervously as he followed the Wooden Avatar of the Queen of Elves until they reached a path leading to a massive, highly technologically advanced city.
Enormous white towers and buildings rose high, along with flying magic vehicles of sleek white design, all blending beautifully with nature.
"Wow..."
It was a massive city that spread across the entire forest, perhaps the size of the North American continent, yet so perfectly melded with nature that it was hard to notice at first.
"Let us go inside."
She led him to the city gates. A road opened into the interior. People entered on flying white vehicles straight out of a sci-fi film.
Some were elves. Others belonged to different races.
"Elves were once quite... well, unwelcoming of other races, but that was fifty thousand years ago," Alma said with a smile. "Now we welcome all who make the effort to come here. It has become rather diverse, though ninety percent of the population are still elves. We live for a long time, after all."
"Ooh..."
Timothy glanced everywhere in awe, only for guards to stop him. He was shocked to see them wearing mechanical and magical armor fueled by their spiritual hearts.
"Halt!"
"Who are you?!"
"Wait, did you not say they let everyone in?!" Timothy asked.
"Hahaha, well, security is strict. We do not let criminals inside, after all," Alma smiled. "A good city is a safe city. Foreigners are always welcome as long as they have good intentions. If they come to cause mischief, we kick them right out. And if they insist, execution."
"W-What?" Timothy was shocked. "Uh, well, that kind of makes sense, I guess? I do not know."
"Who are you talking to, kid?!"
"Who are you? Where is your ID?"
Apparently the guards could not see Alma's form beside Timothy, and the Queen made no effort to speak to them.
"I-I am... would you believe me if I said I came from Earth?"
"What?"
"What is he even talking about?!"
"Ugh, this is not working, Queen..."
"Fufu, well, how about I give you my blessing?"
Alma played along, kissing his cheek and making Timothy blush. His aura surged and his form changed.
He became a bit taller and more slender. His rough face grew a little more handsome—only a little.
The most noticeable change was that he gained long elf-like ears and an even greater affinity with nature and the spirits.
"Oh! Were you joking with us or something?"
"So you are an elf... why were you pretending to be an Earthling?"
"Sorry..."
"Tsk, just get inside, kid. It is dangerous outside."
"Go on."
Timothy realized how lenient they were toward other elves. Perhaps the queen had changed some things, but other things about elves never changed.
"Well, I just learned elves are kind of racist."
"Hahaha! Do not be so harsh on them. They are guards. It is their job to be suspicious of you. They sensed my blessing in you and let you in."
"Now what?"
"Come to my castle."
Timothy nodded. He walked around the technological city and marveled at everything. It was a truly futuristic marvel of science and magic.
Eventually, once in front of the castle, a portal opened for him. Inside, he teleported directly into the queen's throne room.
"Welcome, Timothy. I am glad to see you," she said with a kind smile.
"W-Woah..." Timothy swallowed hard as he witnessed the queen's supreme beauty. "No wonder the Dragon King has chosen you as one of his lovers, Your Majesty. You are really beautiful!"
"Hahahaha! I like your boldness!" the Queen laughed. "Drake and I have quite the history together... After my husband passed away ten thousand years ago, I fell into deep despair and sorrow and was unable to lead the kingdom anymore... It was he who came to comfort me with his friendship and genuine kindness... It took me a hundred years, but I was finally able to win his heart, fufu." She giggled while proudly showing her wedding ring.
"Uh, okay..." Timothy did not really care about romance. "Good for you... Queen Alma."
"Hmph, what kind of reaction is that?!" Alma hissed.
Suddenly, as Alma hissed, something emerged from a portal beside her—a beautiful floating sword made of pinkish-silver metal, gleaming with moonlight energy.
"Hey kid, do not fall for her so easily. You know she used to be an ugly fat guy in her previous life?!" laughed the talking sword.
"W-What?!" Timothy was shocked and confused. "Huh?!"
"Y-You damn stupid sword! What are you even telling the kid?!" Alma groaned angrily and kicked the sword away. "Do not listen to him! T-That was a lie! I have always been a woman!"
"...Uh, okay," Timothy raised an eyebrow, realizing this Elven Kingdom was more than he could handle. "So what should I do here, Queen Alma?"
"Come here," Alma called. A dozen Divine Spirits suddenly appeared around her, along with three other beautiful elves. "These are the Twelve Divine Spirits of Alfheim, and these three are my beloved children. Dralma is not here though. That girl is obsessed with that Arthur boy from Earth... ugh, I cannot even convince her to come meet her mother even once! ...Anyway! They will be your tutors. You will be learning Spiritual Magic, Nature Magic, and Divine Spirit Magic, also Yggdrasil Magic, and more and more magic until we turn you into the ultimate vessel of our entire legacy! Fun, right?"
"Um, what?" Timothy looked at them as they greeted him.
And then he was dragged into a library and told to read like a hundred books for starters.
"Someone help me!!!"
He did not really like that.
♢♢♢♢
Zorba slowly opened his third eye first. After analyzing his surroundings and feeling endless fluctuations of many energies he had never sensed before, his other eyes opened, and he slowly sat up.
"This is...?"
His long purple hair waved in the strong wind of this place. The first major thing he noticed was the coldness that chilled even his bones, followed by the darkness that felt as if no sun existed here.
And there was none.
Zorba remained calm and composed. He slowly recalled his memories before being sent here. He remembered a meeting with several people and the Dragon King.
Louis had wished him good luck before letting him pass through a black portal. He had felt a little sad about leaving his master for this training, but he also knew it was necessary.
"Hm... Well, what should I do now?"
He sighed, looking a little lonely as he caressed his lips for a moment and then his belly, remembering he was no longer carrying a baby.
He stood up and brushed the dust from his clothes. He wore a beautiful black and blue dress with a purple fur coat on top.
"At the very least I put on the black boots, or I would be even more chilled here," he sighed, looking around as his eyes sharpened. "This must be Helheim, the Underworld, the Land of the Dead..."
He felt it. In this vast, endless black cave barely illuminated by crystals in the ceiling, he could sense the Nether everywhere—the corrupt mana and the miasma.
"It is an area specifically designed for Undead to grow," he said, looking around curiously. He walked for a couple of minutes, reaching a forest of bones and marveling at its beauty. He met skeletons and other bone monsters, which attacked him. "Fufu, you are all so adorable and eager. Come to daddy."
With his aura and power, he immediately subdued them and slowly began to form his own army of Undead straight out of the Underworld.
Using his Bone Manipulation and Bone Construction spells, he built a large Bone Caravan. Giant Bone Centipedes carried him as he sat comfortably on a bone throne and gazed around.
"Hmm..."
Necromancers always had to look cool. This was something he had always believed, and right now he was showing the Netherworld that he was no mere lost soul but someone who had come to benefit from this place.
"I can feel it. Over there?"
After hours of traveling alone, he sensed a stronger presence—an almighty amalgamation of darkness and nether in a certain direction.
By crossing bone forests, miasma swamps, rivers of nether, and many more landscapes and biomes within the cursed lands of Helheim, he reached a vast Bone Palace.
There, a presence called to him.
"Cardoon Zorba, come to me."
"Ah..."
Drawn by such powerful necrotic energy, he walked into the palace and was welcomed by a gigantic figure.
A dragon of pure death, pitch-black in color, with scales merged into bone-like armor that gave her an incredibly terrifying appearance, as if she were a living skeleton herself.
But she was, in fact, alive.
Despite her incredible attunement with Death, she was a living being, like Zorba.
"I am Hel, the Primordial Dragon Mother of Death. Ruler of the Underworld... And also one of the Dragon King's consorts."
"Hel... I have heard about you before, Your Highness. It is an honor to meet you in person."
Zorba bowed respectfully. Hel nodded as she examined his soul with her sharp red eyes.
"Drake has asked me to teach you about the Element of Death. I have heard you are his grandson's follower—a best friend considered a 'brother.' Is that true?"
"Ah... yes!"
"I see. That is beautiful. I am glad to see a new member of our family joining. Now, first of all, would you mind drinking my blood?"
"Huh?"
Zorba watched as the Death Dragon Queen used her sharp claws to cut her wrist and pour her purple blood into a large cup. She offered it to him.
"This is the ritual of Death Dragon conversion. Your talent, affinity—everything—it seems you have already drunk and assimilated dragon blood as well. With this, you will be able to transform into a member of my family as well."
"...!!!"
Zorba gasped as he looked at the purple blood. He hesitated. He wanted only Louis's blood within him and to remain an Ashen Dragonoid.
But to gain power... he knew this was the right thing to do.
Closing his eyes, he began drinking the bitter blood. Slowly he felt immense death energy course through his body.
More and more, making his heart and body tremble and pulse with power. When he finished, he dropped the cup and screamed in pain.
"Uuuggh?! W-What is this—Aaaah!"
Zorba fell to his knees as deep black scales grew across his entire body. His size expanded tens of times larger than his original form. His neck grew longer, his entire face changed at once, and his long purple hair remained but grew even longer, flowing across his new neck.
Tail, wings, claws, and a new gigantic size—Zorba had fully transformed into a Death Dragon, and perhaps the most beautiful Hel had ever seen. Slender and slim, with a long serpent-like body and a serpentine face, a cobra-like neck, and ten different tails wagging behind him.
He had a pair of long skeletal wings blazing with purple flames, and his long purple hair waved behind him. Aside from his two incredibly sharp red eyes, he had a third eye. His demonic heritage was maintained and amplified, growing larger and glowing with multiple colors.
His demon horns remained and grew even longer and more intimidating, giving Zorba an incredibly unique appearance... though he was only forty meters tall, incomparable to Hel's size.
Yet he radiated such Death Energy and even Demonic Power that he felt he had grown at least a hundred times stronger than before.
"I...! Wow!"
Zorba marveled at his new appearance, checking his body, his long claws, his scales—everything.
"I have become a dragon!"
Hel nodded with happiness in her curled lips.
"Indeed, you are now my son. While you can maintain your original name, I shall give you a second one—your Dragon Name."
"Dragon Name?"
"From now on you are Helzra, the Demon Death Dragon of Necromancy."
FLASH!
Zorba felt a powerful blessing settle within his soul. The new dragon name brought a great deal of even more power.
"Thank you... I have grown so much stronger now...! This is fascinating! Hahaha!"
"Fufu, I am glad we are getting along well. Just call me Mother! Perhaps once we are on a break we can talk more about dragon culture, but for now let us begin some basic training. I will teach you about Necrotic and Nether Energies, Nether Core Crystallization, and much more. As a Spiralwalker you have infinite potential, and I will squeeze out all you can offer and more. Once we are done with this training, you will be amazed by how strong you will become."
"Oh?! I am looking forward to that!"
"What a diligent child. Let us begin then..."
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