Ch. 159 - Story of Lina
Mage AdamThis chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
Notes
Oh no, poor Lina. I think she'd help Adam out no matter what. The contract is kind of unnecessary.
This chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
Oh no, poor Lina. I think she'd help Adam out no matter what. The contract is kind of unnecessary.
Adam had no choice but to leave. Okov didn't bother hiding his strength; based on the shifts in energy going up and down in the mountains after his nap, Adam could tell that this big dragon's energy level was about the same as a level-3 mage. But, the type of energy he had wasn't as good as magical power. Overall, Okov was more like a level-2 mage. Using this idea to understand the whole Dragon Plane, the remarkable beings in the Dragon Plane seemed to be a notch lower than those in the mage world in power.
Staying in Okov's den and just waiting to grow older didn't make any sense. If Okov woke up all of a sudden and recalled he had a son, and randomly decided to check the young dragon's skill level, Adam would have no option but to show his true self and fight him.
Adam didn't really care about what Lina said regarding dragon-slayers. Even though he didn't have the memories of the dragon ancestors and couldn't use magical power, being able to control the ice element naturally, thanks to his Frost Dragon background, was enough to help him survive the weakest stage.
Having a natural connection to this element was like having a good grasp of a set of skills. While it wasn't very advanced, it had turned into a fighting tool in Adam's hands. Simple shaping magic was easy for him, and along with the naturally strong body of the dragon family, those "dragon-slayers" who only went after young dragons were not a big deal at all.
Besides, Adam's main reason for sneaking into this Plane was to collect data and set coordinates. The second task was always in progress, with the spatial anchor noting every minor shift in the Plane in a unique manner, figuring out its movement cycle and the leap distance in the void. This wasn't a task to finish quickly; it involved finding patterns in the midst of complicated factors.
Getting information was what Adam really had to do on his own. To do this, he needed to leave the Makalu mountain area and learn about the Dragon Plane's community structure as quickly as he could. Adam didn't intend to cross countless mountains and rivers just using his wings and legs. Since there were species other than dragons here, conflicts between them were bound to happen. Where there was conflict, there were battles, and where there were battles, chances to take advantage appeared.
Being the brain behind the operations saved a lot more time and effort than stepping in directly.
Lina was a key starting point in the initial phase of Adam's strategy, which was also why he let a weak native hang around with him.
Dealing with Lina's endless chatter, Adam used the ice element to form a huge claw to grab Lina, then opened his wings to lift off. Breaking the speed of sound, he zoomed off in the direction away from the Makalu mountain area.
Lina could only manage a surprised yell before her sad thoughts were drowned by the chilly wind.
Not going too far, Adam eased up when he noticed he couldn't feel Okov's energy anymore. After letting go of the ice claw, he simply found a level spot to land.
Adam looked at the confused Lina and asked straightforwardly, "Why are you following me?"
Seeing that the surroundings were no longer what she knew, Lina became very scared. She stuttered to Adam, "Young master, I am your servant. Where else could I go if not with you?"
Dragons were indeed creatures that took laziness to a whole new level. Even though they were the strongest force in this Plane, they couldn't be bothered to actually govern the world. Every big dragon would pick a place that suited its characteristics to oversee once they grew up. Then they would bully and exploit all the other races living nearby one by one, making them say they were slaves, before happily snoozing on a huge pile of treasures in their den.
That's right, they just needed people to say it, to admit it orally.
Even though Lina and her people called Okov master, Okov hadn't put any controls on Lina's spirit. Adam wasn't sure if this was because the Dragon Plane didn't know how to create master-servant bonds or simply because of their laziness, but this created a chance for Adam.
Since Lina thought of herself as a servant, she might as well become his real servant.
"Wake up, it's time to start working," Adam said, awakening the devil that had been resting in his mind.
The origin of this Plane rejected all outsiders, including devils, so it couldn't show up physically right now. However, thanks to the inherent abilities of the devil race, it could fully communicate with those involved in a contract in the spiritual world and establish contracts, a way that wouldn't alert the origin.
A silver dragon claw appeared above Lina's head. She was a bit curious but not scared, since she had been looking after young master Chris since he was an egg. Lina believed that the young master wouldn't hurt her without a reason.
All Lina experienced was a brief darkness before her vision, and when she could see again, she was in an impressive and holy place. A silver and white temple reached towards the clouds, and sitting on the throne was a Frost Dragon, even bigger than Okov, who could stir up a huge storm of ice elements with every breath.
Shaking, Lina asked, "Young master Chris, this is? You?"
What she saw surpassed her wildest thoughts, bringing out both her deepest fear and awe.
This Ice Dragon was an image created by the devil's consciousness. After getting the green light and instructions from Adam, it eagerly took on the role of a deity. It pondered briefly, then with a wave of its hand, the frosty energy in the sky transformed into numerous wondrous creatures that danced around it in the sky. Just as it was about to brag, it felt a sharp pain from deep within its soul and could only weakly tell Lina, "Sign this contract, and I will be your master."
Lina, only partially grasping what was happening, used the pen that suddenly appeared to sign her name on the contract, then found herself back in the real world.
She felt somewhat in a trance, not fully sure which dragon - the young one in front of her or the massive one she had just encountered - was the genuine one. She wanted to ask, but the new connection to her soul stopped her. She even believed that any question or doubt would be an insult to her new master.
So, she could only stand there, looking lost.
Adam dismissed the devil's plea for a little fresh air, eyeing Lina with approval. The master-servant agreement they just forged was even more binding than the one he had with the devil. Lina's very life was now at Adam's mercy. If he found it necessary, Adam could totally wipe Lina's mind, controlling her like a puppet.
In the battle between Planes, without the Tower to absorb the blame, using a virus infection approach could surely provoke a fierce reaction from the origin. But forming a contract was a much sneakier and softer method. Since the contract worked, Adam could employ the same strategy to dominate many other creatures and groups. While this influence might not be strong enough to take down this Plane, it would be enough to serve as Adam's spies, helping him gather the information he needed.
"Lead me to your tribe," commanded Adam.