Chapter 136
And just like that, 2 days had passed since Draco had been encapsulated in an egg-like shell.
Within the confines of this peculiar cocoon, Draco found himself in a state of limbo, unable to form any coherent thoughts.
Instead, he experienced a strange sensation of falling endlessly into a vast, dark space.
It was as if his consciousness had been suspended, adrift in a formless void.
Time seemed to have no meaning in this liminal realm, minutes blending into hours as Draco's sense of self grew hazy and indistinct.
But then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the sensation of free fall gave way to a strange familiarity.
Blinking his eyes, Draco found himself in a place that, while entirely foreign, seemed strangely recognizable.
"Wait, isn't this where I met... Undine?" he murmured, struggling to recall the details of the spirit who had guided him to this mystical realm before.
Draco’s brow furrowed as he scanned the ethereal landscape, searching for any sign of the water spirit.
"She is not here, child," a deep, rumbling voice answered, its tone resonant with the power of a summer storm.
Draco startled his heart pounding as he whirled around, trying to pinpoint the source of the voice.
"Who are you?" he demanded, a mix of trepidation and defiance in his tone.
"What happened to Undine?" he demanded.
Undine and the spirits had done him a great favour in the past, and they were one of the few allies that he currently had.
Additionally, Draco felt especially indebted to Undine, as she had been the one to guide him toward Bahamut.
If he hadn't met her and followed his initial plans, he might have led his family to join another Familia.
For all he knew, if he had joined the Loki or Freya Familia, would things be as they are now?
When he had arrived in Orario, he didn't even know that his race, the dragon-kin, had enemies amongst the gods, much less who those enemies were.
He still didn't know yet, but when imagining a situation where he had encountered them before he found Bahamut, he shuddered at the thought.
"Do not fret, young one," the voice replied, its timbre shifting to a more soothing timbre.
"Undine has her duties to attend to, as do I. You cannot yet perceive my true form, but know that I mean you no harm." It responded.
Draco's shoulders relaxed slightly, though a thread of unease still coiled in the pit of his stomach.
"Then what do you want from me?" he asked, his gaze darting around the ethereal landscape, half-expecting some towering, elemental entity to materialize before him.
"Nothing, necessarily," the voice mused, a hint of curiosity colouring its words.
"I am merely intrigued by your... accelerated growth. Your kind is typically quite slow to mature, yet I sense a profound shift within you." It said.
“So how has this come to be?” the entity requested.
Draco hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal.
He soon came to a decision, keeping his answer vague.
"The goddess Bahamut... she has been helping me," he ventured, mindful of his wording.
He had forgotten that the spirits could read his thoughts while he was in their realm, the spirit was merely asking out of politeness.
"Ah, the Dragon Goddess," the voice murmured, a note of understanding in its rumbling cadence.
"That doesn't still explain your rapid growth, but…..” it trailed, changing its question.
“Tell me, young one, do you know the significance of your transformation?" it asked.
Draco's brow furrowed as he considered the question.
"I... I'm not sure," he admitted, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.
"All I know is that my life has been irrevocably changed since the encounter with the one eyed black dragon. I've encountered allies and now aware of enemies I never could have imagined, and I feel as though I'm on the cusp of something far greater than myself." be replied.
The spirit fell silent for a moment, and Draco sensed a subtle shift in his surrounding.
He felt somewhat unsure of what to say next, as he couldn’t immediately come up with any pressing matters to discuss, he wasn’t exactly very social.
However, he was curious about the spirit's duties and the involvement of the water goddess, Undine.
"Uh, so what now?" Draco asked, his tone conveying a sense of uncertainty.
"It seems your time here is drawing to a close," the voice rumbled, its tone tinged with a sense of finality.
"What do you mean?" Draco asked, his heart rate quickening once more. "Where am I going?"
"Back to the waking world, young one," the spirit replied, its words echoing with a sense of inevitability.
Draco muttered a soft "Oh," feeling a sense of disappointment wash over him.
Before he faded away, he figured he should at least ask one important question.
"At least before I leave, can you tell me when I will meet Undine again? She had said we would meet when I got stronger, but isn't my current self sufficient enough?" he asked.
"With your current growth speed, it should be quite soon. You're almost at the threshold of summoning the likes of her and maybe one a little higher." the spirit replied.
Intrigued, Draco asked, "Then what about you?"
The spirit let out a hearty laugh, leaving Draco perplexed.
"Do not try to run after just learning to crawl, young one. You have yet to fully harness what you already have." The spirit paused, and Draco strained to hear the rest, as his body fading accelerated.
“Perhaps when you become an anc…….”
Before Draco could respond, the world around him began to blur and distort, the landscape dissolving into a swirling vortex of light and shadow.
Panic gripped him, but just as quickly as it had appeared, the disorienting sensation passed, and Draco found himself surrounded by a slimy textured substance.
………………………………………………………………………………
Bahamut let out a deep sigh as she gently caressed the hardened shell that encased Draco's transforming body.
She had hoped his metamorphosis would not take this long, but now she found herself growing increasingly concerned for his well-being.
"When will you finally emerge, Draco?" Bahamut murmured, her brow furrowed with worry.
She had no way of knowing what was transpiring within that impenetrable cocoon, but she feared that Draco might be suffering, trapped in perpetual discomfort until the process reached its conclusion.
Just then, a familiar voice interrupted Bahamut's pensive musings.
"Bahamut-sama, we have returned," Dimitra announced as she approached the dragon goddess.
"Oh, Dimitra. Welcome back," Bahamut greeted the young girl, managing a small smile.
"How is Draco-nii? Any changes?" Dimitra inquired, her eyes filled with hopeful anticipation.
Bahamut's expression turned somber as she shook her head.
"No, nothing's changed," she replied, the disappointment evident in her tone.
Undeterred, Dimitra offered a reassuring smile.
"Come on, cheer up. I'm sure he'll come out soon," she said, her words an attempt to lift Bahamut's spirits.
Bahamut couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth at Dimitra's efforts.
'She's been so thoughtful and hardworking these past few days,' the dragon goddess mused, a tender smile gracing her features.
Since the dynamics of their relationship had shifted, Bahamut had been allowing herself to express a softer, more vulnerable side of herself – a side that Dimitra found endearing.
The young girl felt a growing sense of satisfaction, knowing that Bahamut would soon be her sister-in-law.
However, Dimitra's thoughts soon took an unexpected turn.
'What if Draco-nii also gets together with Vasiliki, me or all of us? How would our family dynamics play out?' she pondered, a slightly unsettled expression crossing her face.
The idea of referring to her own sisters or even herself as a sister-in-law felt peculiar, and the thought of also being Draco's sister-in-law was even more disconcerting.
'Ugh, what a mess,' Dimitra thought, her brow furrowing in contemplation.
Bahamut noticed the shift in Dimitra's demeanour and cleared her throat to draw the girl's attention.
"Anyway, have you and Vasiliki decided when you'll be going to the guild?" she asked, steering the conversation in a more practical direction.
Dimitra blinked, momentarily pulled from her musings.
"No, not yet. We still can't come to a decision," she replied.
Since Draco had become unavailable due to his transformation, Dimitra and Vasiliki had taken charge of the familia's affairs.
They had informed Rose that the group was safe, though they were careful not to reveal too many details, reasoning that Draco would want to report their level-up to the guild himself.
They also sold all the magic stones that had stored in the house, sharing the money between familia members using the format Draco had set up.
Everyone’s dungeon gear were all repaired and paid for too, along with other miscellaneous expenditure.
The two sisters had also divided the family into two teams, each taking the lead in the dungeon.
As backline fighters, they had a clearer view of the surrounding battles, allowing them to coordinate their team's movements more effectively.
While the others didn't complain much, Dimitra was surprised to see Vasiliki taking on such a serious and responsible role, given her typically annoying personality.
The goal was to quickly acclimate themselves to their newfound abilities, knowing that Draco would not want them to remain idle during his absence.
They had been cautious, sticking to the easier floors, aware that despite being level 2 adventurers, they were still relatively inexperienced.
However, Draco's absence had proven frustrating when it came to farming excelia.
His magic had been instrumental in quickly locating monsters, and without him, the familia members had to resort to more laborious methods, just like most other adventurers.
Bahamut nodded thoughtfully, understanding the challenges Dimitra and Vasiliki were facing.
"I see. Well, take your time and make the decision that you feel is best for the familia," she advised, her tone reassuring.
Dimitra heaved a small sigh, appreciating Bahamut's understanding.
"We'll do our best to keep things running smoothly until Draco-nii returns," she said, her resolve strengthening.
CRACK !!
Just then a crackling sound came from Bahamut, the two ladies a bit startled immediately turned to the source.
The egg that housed Draco was beginning to stir, which meant one thing……