Dragon Maken War

Chapter 174 - Another Enemy (2)

“That’s right.  Reshoo-nim, will you not fight him?  The only one that can break his record here is Reshoo-nim.”

The strongest residents of the forest were Dragons.  It was either Albatan or Libetan.  Then there was the magician Hanerosa.  Hanerosa was known for his fighting ability and leadership skills.  He was the administrator in charge of outer region of the forest.

Basically, Reshoo was strongest amongst the warriors of the forest.

However, he was in a bit of a unique situation.  He had created the secret technique called the Dragon Soul.  He also trained the warriors of the forest.  This was why Albatan hadn’t required an oath of loyalty from Reshoo.  He was allowed his freedom.  This was why he was the only resident not under the authority of Albatan.

“It is alright for now.  I’m busy teaching the Dragon Soul.”

“Mmmm…….”

“Anyways, it won’t be a battle to the death.  I can’t fight him with all my might.  It is the same now as in the old times……..”

When they came here during the Dragon Demon war, Reshoo and Azell taught each other.  On top of that, they also got into endless sparring matches.  They fought with their fists and swords.  However, they never truly fought with everything on the line.

“We might have a chance to fight….   I have to be patient for now.  I have a task I need to accomplish.”

Reshoo spoke those meaningful words, and he let out a bright smile.

3

Reshoo thought Kairen and Leticia were good students.  Amongst all he had taught before, they had one the highest potentials. They had learned the basics of the Dragon Soul in two weeks.  This was something very hard to do.

“You should put deep import on my following words.  The wakening of the Dragon Soul is different from creating a tool like the Dragon weapon.”

This was the crucial difference between a Dragon Soul and a Dragon weapon.

In the Dragon Soul technique, a Dragon Demon or a Dragon Majin was imbuing life into their own Dragon Demon magic.

Dragon Demon magic was a power that could bend reality to one’s will.  It was similar to the power of the Dragon where the Dragon had dominion over nature.

The difference was the fact that Dragon Demon magic was weaker than the Dragon’s power, but it was more versatile.

This was the trait that had been inherited from the Demon race.  To be precise, the Demon race had originated from the humans, who were weak.  However, it also meant they possessed an all-purpose power.  It was flexible.

When these two traits were added to the Dragon Demon magic, one was able to construct a strong image.  This allowed one to create all kinds of phenomenon in reality.

Furthermore, Dragon Arts and magic were foundational techniques that increased the variety and efficiency of one’s power.  This meant one was able to clone one’s soul using one’s will.  This was how a Dragon weapon was formed.

“One has to choose to make a Dragon weapon over a long period of time.  For Spirit Order practitioners, a comparable example is making one’s Rings of Life.  For a magician, it is like creating a word of power.”

Spirit Order Practitioners crystallized their magical energy to create the Rings of Life.  It was used as the source for their magical energy.

Magicians decide on the power they want to imbue, and they created words of power.  The magical energy was molded into characters.  It was inscribed within one’s body, and external power was injected into these characters to refined it into the form and quality one wanted.

“This is why Dragon Art’s practitioners have a hard time making a Dragon weapon.  During their training, they never experience the process of crystallizing their magical energy.”

Dragon Demons and Dragon Majin didn’t have to go through the annoying process of crystallizing one’s magical energy.  They didn’t need to go through the painstaking process to use their power.

From the moment they were born, they possessed a massive amount of magical energy. All core organs were given to them from birth.

These were the eyes, Dragon Demon Stone and the horns.

“One has to crystalize one’s magical into a high density form.  It isn’t just magical energy.  One has to be able to manifest one’s Dragon Demon magic outside one’s body.  That is the Dragon weapon.  Of course, one need an incredible amount of pure Dragon Demon magic, but the crystallization process takes a long time in most cases.  However, the Dragon Soul is different.”

Dragon weapons were tools made through refining one’s Dragon Demon magic.

On the other hand, Dragon Souls were….   Life was imbued into one’s Dragon Demon magic.

“It isn’t a tool.  It is more correct to say that it is a different form of oneself.  It only takes on the form of a Dragon, because the essence of Dragon Demon magic comes from the power of Dragons.”

This was why the Dragon Soul didn’t need to go through the long process of crystallizing the Dragon Demon magic.

It all came down to whether one could awaken the Dragon Soul with one’s Dragon Demon Magic.  That was it…  It was a tribulation where each attempt entailed a significant amount of danger.

4

“I feel like dying.”

Kairen was utterly worn out.  He had his head planted on the table.  He raised his head as he spoke.

“Yuren.”

“Yes.”

“Where did you get that book? They have books here?”

“Ah.  It seems the magicians are able to produce a good enough paper.  There were a lot of records binded into a book, so I borrowed some of them.”

“Ho-oh.”

They were making paper in this forest, and they were making books to keep records.  It was quite amazing.

“What about the others?”

“They are still back there.”

“Azell is still having fun?”

“He is.  Are you jealous?”

“In truth, I am.  Shit.”

His body itched when he heard the news that Azell was sparring with the warriors of Albatan.  However, the path to learning the Dragon Soul was too perilous.  He didn’t have enough energy to do anything else.

Kairen had a dissatisfied expression on his face when he suddenly had a thought.  He asked Yuren a question.

“Now that I think about it…….”

“What is it?”

“It’s about the conversation we had last time.”

“What?”

“I’m talking about the story about Baion.”

“Ah.  That…….”

Yuren finally realized what Kairen wanted to talk about.  While they were being chased by Dragon Demon king worshippers, he had talked about the Guide, and he had brought up the name of Baion.  Azell had awakened not too long afterwards, and events had been moving at a hectic pace.  Yuren had forgotten about the conversation.

Kairen asked him a question.

“At the time, what were you trying to tell me?  I suddenly remembered the conversation when I saw you.”

“Mmm. That is…….”

Yuren awkwardly scratched his cheek as he started to speak.

“Have you heard this phrase before?  Duke, you don’t need a sword. What you desperately need is money and personal connections.”

“What did you just say?”

In a flash, Kairen stood up in shock.

“How do you know those words?”

Kairen looked at Yuren with shock and disbelief in his eyes.

The words spoke by Yuren had been spoken by Baion when he had been trying to establish his medical association.  Baion had spoken those words in a private meeting with Kairen.

Yuren spoke.

“I’m saying it now, because…  I thought my words would be more convincing if I started off with that nugget.”

“Stop beating around the bush.  Get to the point.”

“You are very impatient.  It is simple.  I am Baion.”

“…….”

“Ah.  If I’m to be precise, I used to be Baion.”

“What an absurd story…….”

“I knew it would sound absurd to you.  However, when I mulled over the identity of the Guide, I came up with this theory.”

“How is this possible?”

“Reincarnation….  You probably heard about such stories now and then.  I think I’m the reincarnation of Baion.”

Yuren shrugged his shoulders.

Souls were real.

No one in this world doubted this fact. No one knew what the afterlife looked like, but at the very least, they knew souls existed.   The proof was with the black magicians.  Souls were used in necromancy, and the creation of the Undead.

When a person died, it was assumed that a soul had two choices.  It could remain in this world or it could cross over to the underworld.

If the soul remained in this world, there were cases where they became a specter or an Undead…...

“There is a theory that believes in the rebirth of a soul in a new body.  This theory exists in the discipline of magic, but most people believe it is a superstition.”

“You just said it might be superstition.  How is this supposed to persuade me?”

“I’m not sure about it either.   At times, I experience someone else’s life through the dreams sent by the Guide.  I don’t see the entire picture, but I see bits and pieces of this person’s life.  I become this figure in the past, and I experience specific parts of the past.”

Whenever Yuren had these dreams, it didn’t feel as if he was a third party.  It felt as if he was dreaming about something he had experienced before.

“I just can’t remember it, but I believe I lived and experienced all of them before.  That is what I think.”

The dreams sent by the Guide had shown him many of Baion’s memories.  After meeting Azell, he had gained access to the memories of the time he had established his medical association.  He remembered meeting Kairen.

“As I experience these events….   In recent days, I came up with a theory.  I wonder if the Guide is just another manifestation of myself.”

“Mmm?”

“Let us say that reincarnation exists.  I might be a being that is continuously going through the cycle of reincarnation.  However, the continuity between each reincarnation was severed.  I don’t think I’m the same person that is swapping out bodies each time.  Each reincarnation shares the same soul, but we become an entirely new person each time…..”

However, there was a third party that had observed his Reincarnation from the beginning.  This consciousness had accrued a continuous memory of his reincarnation, and it was delivering the knowledge to him.

“I wonder if that is the identity of the Guide.  In this case, the being that started the reincarnation was outstanding….   I’m thinking he might have been an amazing magician that had the ability to scar this world through his magic.  I think he started the reincarnation cycle with a specific goal in mind.  That goal is probably has to do with my plight.”

“…my head hurts from hearing what you have to say.”

“I understand what you are going through.  I don’t expect you to believe me any time soon.”

“I’ll try.”

“What?”

“I’ll try to believe in your story.”

“If you believe me than you believe me.  How can you work on believing in me?”

“If it was before, I would have told you that you were speaking out of your ass.  However, I’ve been experiencing improbable events that your story sounds plausible.”

Reygus, Almarick and Azell…….  Things that he considered to be impossible was appearing in reality.  IAt this moment, he couldn’t dismiss Yuren’s story as bullshit.

“However, if you are the reincarnation of Baion…..   Mmmm. I wonder how he could have become you.  Reincarnation sounds like a bum deal.”

“What’s wrong with me?”

“Baion was a wiseman, who cured the incurable great calamity.  He put his life on the line in this endeavor, and he became the flame of hope for humanity.  I want you to put your hand over your heart, and I want you to be honest.  Are you someone that is comparable him?”

“Ughh.  If you put it that way, I feel aggrieved.  You have to take in the age difference into account before comparing our achievements.  I want you to ask me that same question in 10 years.”

Kairen had a peculiar feeling as he watched the grumbling Yuren.

He hadn’t personally been close to Baion.  He had respected the man, so he had wanted to sponsor Baion.

Kairen had looked up to Baion.  Age and his station hadn’t mattered.  He had fought and won against the despair that had blanketed the world.  Baion was a human that had deserved Kairen’s respect.

‘That man reincarnated into this guy…….’

When he heard that Yuren was Carlos’ descendant, he had an easy time believing in it.  Yuren had a strikingly similar appearance to Carlos.  Azell had confirmed this fact, and even Almarick had remarked on it…..

However, he was having a hard time finding any commonality between Baion and Yuren.  If he forced himself to find one….  They both possessed knowledge of unknown origin.

‘If everything came from the guide within his dream…  It sounds plausible.’

Baion had found a thread that unraveled the Great Darkness.  Everyone had been powerless up until that time.  There had been some unsavory rumors that he had made a deal with a Demon.  In the end, his actions had resulted in saving humanity, so no one had the gumption to bring up such suspicions.

“If your theory is correct, why doesn’t the Guide reveal everything to you?”