The Villain's Story

Chapter 818: Free.

He wasn’t able to describe it correctly, but it felt as if he could breathe better, see clearly, and even feel the air differently. As if a burden had been removed from his being, and he could walk a little lighter.

As if there wasn’t an oppressive weight on his back now, it had lightened somewhat.

’What was that crystal?’

Alan wondered, observing the changes in his body. He had felt... freer when the crystal had been absorbed, so he was curious. Was it an elixir of some sort? The effects clearly did feel like one.

But just as Alan was about to use [Dragon Eyes] to check his information, and to appraise the [Mantle of Shadows] he had just received, a different sense told him something was coming.

A sense from beneath, which could see and feel everything, a foreign type of feeling closer to instinct, but different in its own way. Alan looked ahead, towards the dunes of the shadow realm, and felt someone approach.

He didn’t take out his spear, nor did he prepare an arsenal of spells, for he didn’t feel like whoever was coming was hostile, yet.

[Dragon Eyes has been used.]

"I wouldn’t do that, prince."

Alan stepped back, or rather, flew back as [Dragon Eyes] was cancelled by another opposing force, a [Dragon Eyes] greater than his. A black substance emerged from the dark sands and took on a strange shape.

A figure two heads taller than even him in his Draconian form, possessing a powerful demeanor and frightening visage...

Alan froze as he saw what had approached.

’... Robot Samurai? Really?’

The robot samurai in question, Shi Lam, approached Alan and slightly bowed, offering his respect to the ’prince’.

"My sincerest apologies, but I must admit, I am a bit sad that His Majesty took my fun away from me. I was expecting to have the honor of teaching you as well."

The samurai in front of him was a dragon, for certain. Alan could feel it; however, the appearance he took was a bit peculiar. He was in the form of a Draconian, for now, except that more than half his body was made of what appeared to be liquid metal. And the shape of this metal was that of a Samurai.

It was a unique choice of appearance, considering his race could have chosen to become anything.

Alan stepped on the ground, making his wings disappear, and asked.

"I presume you are Shi Lam?"

"Indeed, I am."

Shi Lam rose from his bow and said.

"My, the Mantle has settled into you well, not a surprise, however. I can’t believe Lord Kulak was willing to give that up. You have also become used to the qualities of a shadow."

’So that’s what it was...’

The strange sense he had felt, which told him about Shi Lam’s arrival, was his shadow. Alan looked down, only to find his shadow a bit thicker and having more depth. It was like he could see the definition of his muscles clearly in the shadow, rather than it just being a vague figure anymore.

’...’

And if his eyes weren’t playing a trick on him, he was certain it moved of its own accord, flexing a bit of his own... or its body.

"Your shadow is quite lively, my prince."

Alan turned to Shi Lam, but remained quiet. He was curious as to why this dragon was here. He had already completed the trials, even though he hadn’t met this dragon. Furthermore, he was supposed to get this one’s approval along with Kulak... but the trial had been completed even without it.

Alan assumed that Kulak had done it on purpose, to hasten his meeting with Valus. He himself was also impatient; he wanted to meet Valus as well. The supposed dragon who could answer any question.

Suddenly, all his fears about the Dragon of Darkness disappeared. Alan still remembered all the dreams he had had about Valus, of the battle between the Dragon of Destruction and the Dragon of Darkness, where he struggled to survive the rampant energy of their clash...

But all of a sudden, when he was presented with a clear goal, one he considered more important than the trials... he forgot about his fear, or rather, considered it lesser than the truth.

What was he, exactly? He didn’t trust the memories he had of the previous thirty or so iterations, where he had existed just as a puppet. He knew he wasn’t Aranus, the original owner of this body.

Nor was he James Smith, the one given the body after Aranus. All he knew, he was a creation.

But what kind of creation? Just a soul who had gained sentience with the awakening of his unique skill?

Alan opened the system window once more and gazed at the description of his unique skill.

[Skill: Dominatus.]

Rank: Unique.

Description: Dominate.

That was it, that was the entire skill description. Could a Unique skill even have such a short description, of a single word? He knew that the skills that had the shortest descriptions were powerful... but even a Unique skill?

Those that were so full of possibilities, possessed only by one being in the entire universe? An endless plethora of uses, but all he got was a single word?

Even then, he understood it. Dominatus was "To Dominate All" in dragon tongue, as a... dragon, he instinctively understood it.

...

Alan reached out with his hand, much to Shilam’s confusion. The dragon was busy wondering why Alan, his prince, was so silent. What could trouble this existence, who had even gained the approval of his lord?

Alan opened his palm and took a moment to gaze at it. He took a deep breath and used all the mana he had. It wasn’t much, considering his entire tank had just been emptied moments prior, and his heart had been severely damaged...

His mana production was still insane... but would it be enough?

’Dominatus.’

He called out in his mind, itching to activate this so-called unique skill.

But nothing happened, even as his mana continued to fill up. No matter how much he poured in, nothing came out.

He closed his fist in anger and clenched his teeth, both with such force that his gums bled, and his nails dug into his skin.

Once again, no answer.