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Triton slowly returned to normal. The armor around Athyst fused back with him and then shrank. Exhausted from his transformations, the boy fell unconscious and was caught by Athyst’s large claws. She carried him gently as she descended from the skies.
"He was amazing, for sure... He saved my life," Athyst said as she handed the boy to Drake.
"He sure did, but you worked hard too," Drake said, nodding. "You pushed yourself, Athyst. Your abilities evolved and grew stronger as a result, didn’t they?"
"Kind of, but they couldn’t save us in the end..." Athyst sighed. "But I discovered I can turn my blood into crystals. They’re much sharper and more durable than those from my scales, for so reason."
"Hm, that’s intriguing," Drake said, nodding. "I think they’re stronger because our blood is special, imbued with vast amounts of divine power."
"You’re not wrong..." Athyst said. "But maybe there’s more to it than I thought... my blood... I don’t think that’s all I can crystallize. Maybe my flesh, bones, or even my soul. How tough would I be if all that turned into sothing harder than divine diamonds?"
"Hmmm, that’s hard to say, but it’s a great question. We should train you in that area," Drake said as he considered Athyst’s remarkable potential and talents. "There might be another ability we haven’t uncovered yet."
"Alright then, now what?" Athyst asked, noticing Drake had finished healing Triton, whose exhausted soul now brimd with power again.
Drake’s "healing" involved donating his vast Soul Essence to the boy, allowing him to recover instantly.
"Huh? W-What happened?"
Triton opened his eyes, looking confused.
"Well, we won, that’s what happened!" Athyst said. "And what the hell was that? You beca a little dragon out of nowhere, and you were even stronger?"
"Huh?" Triton said, puzzled. "Ah... Wait, that wasn’t a dream? It happened? I... I think I learned how to temporarily separate from my Soul Body, weird... but it released so kind of strange power inside , like I was made of pure magic or sothing."
"That might be exactly what happened," Drake said, nodding. "After all, your mother’s blood and magic power were key ingredients in your birth, Triton. They shaped your True Soul. I believe when you escaped that Mutated Esper’s grip, you shed your Soul Body like a piece of clothing, revealing your purest form, your True Soul, ford from what your mother contributed to your creation."
"W-Wait, what? But even then, it shouldn’t be that strong, right?" Athyst asked, confused.
"It is," Drake said. "Triton has trained relentlessly. His powers have grown to extraordinary levels, and he was equipped with powerful Soul Gear. It all adds up."
"Huh... Kinda confusing, but really interesting," Athyst said, rubbing her chin.
"Ugh... it’s so confusing, I barely understood..." Triton sighed, still looking tired despite his recovery. "Um, so what now?"
"The zombies are gone," Drake said, looking ahead as his family and friends returned from battle. "There were about a million of them, but we eliminated them through our combined efforts. And it seems no more Mutated Espers remain."
"Then you can safely close the cracks, right?" Athyst asked.
"I can," Drake said, nodding. "These fragnts of Earth have rged with our world, like others before them. Even if I clear this area, so skyscrapers may persist in certain regions or exist as strange pocket realms. But they no longer connect fully to the other world. They should be safe if I seal them, unless they’ve completely rged with the physical plane."
Drake t with Chris and his team, asking what they knew about the zombies, the Mutated Espers, and whether any more remained.
"More Mutated Espers? I... think so. There weren’t just four," Chris Bluefield said, nodding. "And there’s Helena, who’s missing. We don’t know where she went."
"Who is she?" Benladra asked.
"She’s another friend, an Esper like and my apprentice," Lucia said. "She awakened her abilities about a week before the zombies spread everywhere. I barely taught her the basics, but she’s strong and excels at Cryokinesis."
"Cryokinesis, huh?" Drake said, thoughtful. "I planned to close the distortions for now, but I’m sure we’ll find more on our way to our destination. I can sense them. We might face more challenges ahead, and perhaps she’ll be there..."
"I sure hope so..." Lucia sighed. "But even then..."
"Hm." Drake summoned several Spirits with his Spirit Creation Ability and sent them into the distortions to search for survivors across the vast areas. "No... there’s no one. It’s odd, but it’s better this way. Let’s close them permanently."
"Okay..." Lucia said.
"You’re not planning to return, right?" Chris asked her. "It’s better if we stay here, but... yeah, Helena worries . It’d be ideal if we could have secured her."
"We’ll find her... I can tell she’s still alive..." Jake said. "She and I have a special bond."
"That so?" Lucia laughed. "Well, if you say so, Jake..."
Drake flew into the skies, using his [Dinsional Dungeon World Fragnt Creation] Skill to patch the wounds in the dinsional pillars and restore them until the sky returned to normal, the bridge fully repaired.
Celene watched from atop a tall building with Drake’s Doppelganger. She was ready to help, but in the end, her aid wasn’t needed. Drake had plenty of fighters.
"I’m glad things resolved neatly," she said, sighing in relief. "So, Drake, where are you going now?"
"I’m heading to Vanaheim to deal with my brother..." Drake said. "Then to Alfheim, where I believe Oberon awaits ... We’ll face and defeat whatever else stands in our way."
"I see..." Celene said, nodding. "Then let go with you..."
"Wait, what? Why?" Drake asked. "Are you strong enough?"
"I’m... I don’t like boasting, but I’ve cultivated my strength well," Celene said. "And above all, I think you’ll need a living dragon of each elent by your side to fully awaken the true power of a Dragon King."
"You think so..." Drake said, considering. "Alright... But it was your idea, so don’t bla if you regret it, okay? And your kids... They can stay in my Divine Realm. It’s a much safer and more peaceful place. And... don’t worry, even if I sohow die, which I’ll ensure doesn’t happen, my Divine Realm is designed to detach its dinsional pillars from my soul, keeping everything inside safe. In the worst case, they’ll survive."
"I... thank you. That’s reassuring, though imagining it is awful. I appreciate you considering every scenario. It’s thoughtful and wise," Celene said, smiling gently. "It’s crazy. We’ve only known each other for half a day, yet I feel connected to you. Is this the power of the Dragon King?"
"Haha, no, I think you just needed soone to talk to," Drake said, patting her shoulder. "Want to et my family? Actually, let’s visit my Divine Realm first. I’ll show you around..."
"Okay, thanks..." Celene said, nodding, her faith in others slowly rekindling, thanks to Drake’s charisma and kindness, which quickly won her over.
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