"Human, you aren't a dragon, are you?"
The question surprised Damien.
First off, even he couldn't logically see himself as a human anymore, so it was nice hearing soone else say it.
Second, though Damien did indeed have so dragon in him at so point, it had been a long ti since his race had changed into sothing beyond existing terms.
That draconic bloodline was already gone, turned into nothing more than an ability that Damien hadn't used in ages.
"I'm not. Why are you asking?"
He was genuinely curious. He took steps closer to the beast without realizing, but the beast didn't react, likely due to his blatant absence of hostility.
"That does not make any sense. If you are not a dragon, then what are you?" The beast asked, perplexed beyond belief.
"Let's just say that I'm a human who's a little special. Now then, why are you so adamant about being a dragon?" Damien pressed again.
"Naturally, it is because you have a qualification."
The beast unfurled itself from around the tree. It was massive within the cave, several hundred feet in length and three digits in its height as well.
However, this beast had shrunken itself for convenience. Its true size couldn't be estimated from this appearance.
Nevertheless, it turned to face Damien directly, looking him up and down.
"I simply cannot fathom how a qualification made its way into a human body. Please excuse my rudeness."
"Hmm…"
Damien furrowed his brows.
"This qualification you're talking about, could it be…"
"It is sothing that should only be found in the body of a Holy Dragon or his chosen heir."
Enlightennt struck Damien.
'If it's a Holy Dragon, then…there's really only one answer.'
A Holy Dragon wasn't so sort of religious term, nor did it have anything to do with elents or abilities.
"Holy Dragon" was a sacred term among dragonkind, a position of absolute honor.
Those granted this title were the true powerhouses of the Dragon Clan. They were the strongest of the strong.
And Damien…he did have the fortune to et one long ago.
'The Azure Dragon.'
It was an extrely valuable eting for Damien. The mories he'd gained from that senior were still locked in his head, but many flecks of knowledge about the Heavenly World had drifted away from the pack and entered his mind every now and then.
The Azure Dragon's mories were a big part of the reason why he knew legends like the one about the Harmony Fruit, and they were also the reason why he knew what a Holy Dragon was.
But from what this beast was implying…
'...that senior left with a lot more than I originally thought.'
What the beast sensed was obvious at this point. [Azure], which he'd gained from the Azure Dragon, was a qualification for sothing Damien still didn't know.
"What is the purpose of a qualification?" He asked.
The beast looked into his eyes, seemingly trying to glean sothing about him.
It had also been using this ti to think, to rationalize the existence before it.
The conclusion it had co to was not an acceptable one, but it couldn't be the first to look curious.
'This child has co for that fruit…'
If that was the case, then it could buy itself so ti.
"Climb this mountain properly and undergo the trials that have been set within the path. Only then will you be able to touch that fruit, and only then will I give you the answers you desire."
The beast raised its head proudly, looking down at Damien as if there was nothing left to be said.
Damien stared back at it, deadpan.
He could read its thoughts quite clearly.
'This beast…it talks smart, but it's pretty dumb.'
It didn't realize how much its thoughts reflected on its face, but Damien could basically read, "he'll leave, so I can secretly watch him and figure out what he is, right?" like it was written in big letters on its forehead.
Whatever the case, it was true that he'd need to scale the mountain properly. His original goal was the Harmony Fruit.
'It'll be annoying, but if the only restriction is on teleportation and Existence-related abilities, then I should be able to do it fast.'
Damien turned around, flying out unfazed by the blizzard and dropping back to the base of the mountain.
'What a strange interaction.'
It must've been because the luan had so dragon blood in its veins.
'No, if it knows about things related to Holy Dragons, it has probably lived in the Western Region before.'
What made him curious was why the "qualification" suddenly ca to light like this.
'Even the fact that the fruit exists is a coincidence that relates to the Azure Dragon. The fact that a draconic entity exists here that can imdiately detect the "qualification" can't be a coincidence as well.'
It really was curious.
After all, whether it be [Azure], or the dragon egg that had been peacefully resting in the Sanctuary for all this ti, neither had ever reacted since that day.
'If that beast actually knows so information, it's worth going through a bit of a hassle to gain access to it.'
He raised his head. The peak that he was at before couldn't be seen anymore. It was simply too high.
'Well, let's make the best of a tedious situation.'
Damien cracked a smile.
'I hope these so-called "trials" are entertaining.'
Damien took his first steps up the mountain the way he was intended to climb it.
Little did he know, he was not the only person walking this trail right now.
He was not the only one who had heard that legend and went searching for the Harmony Fruit at Ice Luan Mountain.
However, it was rare for the travelers who take on this trial to et each other, since the actual timing between climbs often didn't line up.
This was a unique case, where two climbers had arrived at roughly similar tis.
And they were two climbers who knew each other, at that.
About halfway up the mountain was a woman with swamp-green hair, a woman Damien had encountered in the past, though not on the best of terms.
Envy of the Four Evils.
The Four Evils had not had a good ti after their encounter with Damien.
The Straea Clan's policy on failure was well known by now. They were essentially stripped of their titles and thrown away, replaced by people who followed Malefice Straea.
And in that process, Wrath had been crippled.
The Four Evils may have been competitors at one point, but after they were left on their own, they were all each other had.
The bond they'd ford was quite strong. Strong enough for Envy to risk her life at Ice Luan Mountain in order to get the Harmony Fruit to cure Wrath.
Unfortunately, there was only one fruit.
And only one of the two of them could take it.
There was a huge distance between them, so, at a glance, one wouldn't believe it was possible for them to et.
But fate didn't act so kindly to those it didn't like.
And fate seed to give those it favored everything they desired.
Their eting was destined. The only question was…
Would it truly go down the way it was expected to?
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