Chapter 133
After hanging up the silencing device, Draco released a heavy sigh as he turned to Bahamut, seeking her assistance.
"Can you help me with the sheets, cloths, and the bed? It would be disastrous if any blood were to stain them," he requested, his brow furrowed in thought.
Uncertain of how the transformation process would unfold, Draco deemed it prudent to take precautionary measures.
Bahamut nodded in understanding and promptly set to work, gathering the bedding and clothes, piling it neatly in the wardrobe.
Meanwhile, Draco moved the bed and bedside table closer to the opposite wall, creating some additional space.
With the area cleared, Draco grabbed a few pillows and spread them out on the floor, then removed his shirt and laid down on the makeshift bedding.
Normally, Bahamut would offer a playful remark or a teasing jibe to lighten the mood, but she found herself uncharacteristically restrained.
As Draco settled into position, Bahamut couldn't help but notice the growing sense of unease within her.
She had initially informed him that the transition from his hatchling phase to the juvenile stage would likely occur between levels 3 and 4, but as he neared the requirements to become a level 3 adventurer, a nagging feeling had taken hold of her.
Her goddess-like intuition was not something to be taken lightly, and she knew this moment was pivotal.
"Are you ready?" Bahamut asked, her piercing gaze fixed upon Draco's reclined form.
"Yes, you may begin," Draco replied, his hands clenched in anticipation.
Bahamut then positioned herself over his back, finding a comfortable spot to sit.
As she settled in, Draco couldn't help but notice the warmth of her buttocks against his skin, a sensation, which was both distracting and oddly comforting.
Her tail gently caressed his own, the silver scales brushing against his black ones, creating a soft, metallic scrape.
Perhaps due to the vibrations of their intertwining scales or the newfound intimacy between them, though their relationship remained unofficial, Draco's tail felt particularly sensitive in that moment.
He could sense a gentle tickle along his spine, and his belly seemed to radiate a pleasant warmth, as if he had just consumed a satisfying meal.
Draco's mind felt clear, and his body relaxed, as if he were submerged in a warm bath.
Sensing his calm and receptive state, Bahamut decided to immediately commence the process.
Opening her mouth to reveal a set of sharp canines, Bahamut bit into her own hand, allowing her divine blood to spill forth and pour over Draco's back.
While she could have used a sharp tool to accomplish this task, she chose this method as a way of communicating her desire to share in his pain.
As the warm blood cascaded down Draco's back, he felt a mild burning sensation, and his status board began to glow.
To Bahamut, it appeared as though Draco's body was actively absorbing a lot of her divine blood, which was highly unusual.
Then again, Draco's entire existence was far from ordinary.
Bracing himself for the anticipated pain, Draco was surprised to find that the mild burning sensation was the extent of his discomfort.
"Did something go wrong?" he asked, his voice laced with perplexity.
"I'm not sure, but don't let your guard down," Bahamut replied, her brow furrowed in contemplation.
"Perhaps the pain will manifest once the level-up is complete. For now, let me copy your available development abilities so you can choose." she speculated.
"Hmmm," Draco nodded in agreement as he waited for Bahamut to pass him a copy of his status sheet.
Bahamut immediately got up from his back and went to retrieve some blank paper sheets from her bedside table, which had been pushed aside earlier.
As Bahamut rose, Draco felt a strange sensation - the warmth of her buttocks against his back had suddenly disappeared, leaving him with an odd, unsettled feeling.
‘Just what is wrong with me?’ he wondered, furrowing his brow as Bahamut swiftly returned, copied and handed him the status sheet.
Draco's narrowed his eyes as he studied the information presented before him.
Bahamut watched excitedly, deciding to remain silent and let him process the surprising developments she had just seen.
Focusing intently, Draco read from the bottom of the page, where the list of his development ability options were located.
His gaze landed first on "Abnormal Resistance: Negates the effects of abnormalities." An intriguing and powerful skill but useless to him, he noted.
Moving upward, he saw "Mage: creates a magic circle under the user that improves their magic power, widens its effective range, more efficient mind usage." This was one of his top 3 picks, a useful enhancement to his existing magical abilities.
However he pushed this aside for now because his ‘Dragon mind arts’ already performed a similar function.
The next option, "Elemental Claw Attack: enables the user to imbue elemental properties to a certain limit when using natural claws to attack," also piqued his interest.
The prospect of infusing his natural attacks with elemental properties could prove advantageous in battle, however it was something he could already replicate.
Draco continued scanning the list, reading about "Melee fighter: provides a slight boost to the user's Strength, Agility and Dexterity when unarmed or using natural weapons," and "Spirit Healing: Begin automatically replenishing mind at a small rate after magic use." Both seemed valuable for a all rounder like himself.
Then he reached the "Elemental Enhancement" ability, which caught his eye.
"Creates a passive magic circle beneath the user when they are actively using an individual element, they gain one special elemental buff based on the element used." Draco was familiar with his four current elemental affinities - fire, water, wind, and earth - and the corresponding buffs they provided.
This was an intriguing way to further enhance his magical abilities.
Next, he saw "Flight: Increase maneuverability and reduces air resistance when flying." The idea of being able to take to the skies with greater ease was an exciting prospect.
He rarely used his wings recently, and was interested in exploring how he could better utilize it.
Finally, Draco's gaze landed on the last option: "Mystery: Allows the user to create a miracle and create magic items." His heart raced as he read those words.
Mystery was an exceedingly rare skill, possessed by fewer than six people known to exist.
Draco could scarcely believe that he had somehow acquired such a coveted ability.
As he processed this information, Draco noticed that some options from his previous level-up were missing, such as "Mixing" and "Rogue alchemy." In their place were the new abilities he had just discovered.
Draco's mind whirled with questions and theories.
‘Do I have a hidden skill that grants my wishes, or is this some kind of character plot armour?’ he wondered, half-jokingly.
However, his thoughts were quickly derailed when his eyes landed on something even more remarkable: He had acquired a Falna-based magic skill, something entirely different from his natural elemental magic.
"Are my eyes seeing things clearly?" Draco questioned in disbelief, staring at the new skill in awe.
He had always believed it would be incredibly difficult for him to obtain a Falna-based magic skill, given his existing elemental abilities.
Yet, here it was, a skill called "Ring of Pain" that had some as-yet-unknown functions.
Without delay, Draco began reading the skills description, eager for see what this ominous sounding skill could do.
The skill "Ring of Pain" was described as a powerful area-of-effect spell that allowed the caster to designate a section of the battlefield as their own domain.
Enemies who stepped within the bounds of this ring would take passive elemental damage, the type and intensity of which was determined by the specific elements imbued into the spell during its casting.
Conversely, all allied combatants standing within the ring would receive beneficial effects.
This includes mild regeneration of both health and mind, as well as elemental resistance and buffs which weren’t specified, but Draco reasoned it was similar to the Elemental Enchantment skill.
The size of the ring and the overall potency of its effects was heavily dependent on the amount of mind the caster was willing to invest.
Since it was a domain type spell, Draco reasoned that could be other hidden effects of the spell that wasn’t in its description.
The primary drawback of the "Ring of Pain" was its lengthy chant and casting time.
Draco noted that, besides this, the skill was exceptionally useful, providing both offensive, defensive and utility capabilities in a concentrated area of the battlefield.