We traveled through time together, but I'm the only dragon? The others are all beautiful girls?

Akalion's sincerity and power, along with the heavy vow he made in the name of 'Blue Heir,' shone like the warmest sunlight on Eleanor, who had been imprisoned in an ice castle for thousands of years in despair.

Her tears, at that moment, slowly stopped, like ripples smoothed out by an invisible hand.

Then, Eleanor slowly raised her head. Her red eyes, washed by tears, still carried a deep sadness and weariness, but also an indescribable resolve.

She reached out her slender arms, which were still trembling slightly, and embraced Akalion's massive dragon head, which was covered in sturdy, cold scales but unexpectedly exuded warmth.

"...Let's do it."

Eleanor's voice, so faint it seemed to dissipate in the wind, reached Akalion's ears like the clearest chime.

He could clearly feel that the heat on Eleanor's cheek, which was pressed tightly against his cold scales, was gradually increasing at a heart-pounding rate.

Volume 1 Snowfield Dragon Lord: 32. New Changes at the Lighthouse (Part 1)

"Undead are invincible within the range of the campfire!"

Although the voice trembled slightly, the firmness it contained was undeniable.

“What are you saying all of a sudden? That’s not true ‘invincibility,’ Eleanor,” Akalion tried to correct her obviously misleading words. He gently pushed Eleanor away and looked intently at her eyes, which were red and swollen from her earlier crying. “The power of the campfire can only heal the wounds of the undead for a moment. There will still be pain.”

“The senses of the undead are different from those of ordinary people, even if it's just for my sake—” Eleanor seemed completely oblivious to his explanation. A near-fanatical, unsettling light flickered in her ruby-like eyes as she spoke earnestly, in an almost chanting yet somewhat inappropriately academic tone: “I remember before I transmigrated, the great psychologist Freud said—['Sex' is the most primitive and effective 'medicine' for healing all psychological wounds and mending the rifts in the soul.]”

"...Freud, did he really say such a thing?" Akalion's deep gray dragon eyes revealed undisguised skepticism.

Eleanor's gaze, however, did not waver or deviate in the slightest; she met Akalion's probing gaze with unwavering resolve.

"Of course."

Her answer was crisp and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

Before she finished speaking, the leather armor and weapons on her body, formed from her soul's obsession, instantly turned into specks of light, as if being drawn into an invisible vortex, and were all absorbed back into her soul space.

As an undead who had just broken free from the long imprisonment of time that almost decayed everything and had just regained her human form, the magnificent clothes that once symbolized her status as a princess had long since vanished under the relentless erosion of thousands of years.

She was only wearing a tattered strip of cloth that barely covered her body, which she had managed to find after just escaping from the Undead Asylum.

Harmonious Eleanor 2.jpg

"..."

Considering Eleanor's extremely unstable mental state at the moment, which could even be described as being on the verge of complete collapse, and the fact that the senses of the undead are indeed much weaker, Akalion, after a moment of silence, ultimately chose to temporarily comply with her wishes.

Perhaps, an extreme outburst that could completely burn away all reason could truly bring a moment of peace and respite to her already battered soul.

However, reality was far more...exciting than he had imagined.

"This...this is even more...this hurts even more than in that dark space!"

Even with the power of the campfire instantly repairing her body, which was almost completely torn apart by the intense conceptual shock, Eleanor still felt a pain that was clearer, more intense, and more... unbearable than when she was in the dark space.

"Clearly...clearly your current size is much smaller than it was in that space! And, compared to ordinary mortals, the body structure and sensory feedback of the undead should mean they feel...feel no pain—ah!!!!!!!!!"

The pleasure, several times stronger than in the dark, made Eleanor feel like her soul was about to leave her body.

For Akalion, this was also the first time they had engaged in such in-depth communication on a purely physical level.

The sensory feedback that came from the collision of real flesh and soul was far more intense, more stimulating, and more... addictive than anything in the dark space. Like the most intense flame, it instantly turned his reason into pale ashes.

So, almost instinctively, completely disregarding Eleanor's feelings, he accelerated his invasion, which was full of primal wildness and destructive power.

“I’m sorry, Eleanor, I…”

Despite saying that, Akalion showed no sign of becoming gentle.

"Then...then you should...be a little...gentler!"

Eleanor's plaintive, tearful moan instantly triggered Akalion's berserk mode.

The wind, which was not gentle to begin with, now turned into a raging storm, sweeping across the barren, pure white valley like a blade, over and over again, without stopping.

The pure white valley was completely transformed by this power, and the streams in the valley were violently swept towards the boundless sky.

Almost in the blink of an eye, the pure white valley will cease to exist.

But there is always a force that makes the Pure White Valley relentlessly restore its original appearance.

The stream, swept up into the sky by the gale, gradually transformed into strange dark clouds.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning flashed, illuminating the boundless dark world. Accompanied by a deafening rumble of thunder, a torrential downpour nourished the pure white valley.

I don't know how much time passed; perhaps it was a moment, perhaps it was eternity.

In the aftermath of this battle, Akalion learned a crucial piece of information: as a true dragon, he also possessed a period of spiritual clarity, albeit a very short one.

Otherwise, he would still be fighting now!

The feeling of fighting in the real world and fighting in the dark space are completely different.

He could feel the most fundamental power within the 'two' souls growing with each interaction with Eleanor.

The lighthouse's brightness has increased by one point. What used to require closing your eyes for a while to see can now be seen simply by closing your eyes.

However, the lighthouse will not take him into the dark space if he does not want to.

And, about two hours later, the lighthouse disappeared again, but Akalion could see the lighthouse and its light with just a thought.

Akalion doesn't yet know exactly what changes have occurred, but it certainly can't be anything bad.

He could sense that he could stay in this world for a longer period of time.

From less than a week, it increased dozens of times, or even more, as if he could stay in this world forever?

Furthermore, Akalion vaguely sensed his own world, as if it were separated by a layer or even multiple layers of 'thick fabric'. He could 'see' his mage tower, as if he could return to his own world with a thought—and perhaps even take Eleanor with him?

However, now is not the time to try.

While Eleanor, as an undead, is safe by the campfire, this safety comes with conditions.

The campfire will only heal her injuries instantly, but will not provide any other protection.

Therefore, Akalion's only task at this moment is to take care of the unconscious Eleanor.

Volume 1 Snowfield Dragon Lord: 33. New Changes at the Lighthouse (Part 2)

There are nine bonfires in total at the Firelink Shrine, and they are not evenly distributed. The bonfire where Akalion and Eleanor are staying is more dilapidated than the others.

Its location is also at the heart of the Firelink Shrine, where the World Serpent Flamt sleeps, in a half-submerged hall—which is also the only passage to the 'First Flame,' more than two kilometers away.

This place is on the edge of the entire Firelink Shrine. Akalion chose this place as a temporary resting point because its dilapidated state has cut off the highland campfire from the outside world.

For mortals or monsters who lack the ability to fly, it would take a very long time to climb to this place.

Akalion will detect any intruders immediately and deliver a devastating blow from above.

If Akalion advances, he can gain an advantage on the high ground; if he retreats, he can quickly expand his territory with Eleanor.

From a tactical perspective, this place can be considered an excellent defensive position.

From the dragon's instincts, the primordial aura flowing from this place has a very high affinity with its own power, making it barely suitable as a nest.

Furthermore, he has not yet grown into an adult dragon and cannot fully develop his nest into his own domain to provide him with assistance.

Moreover, he was already the lord of an entire elven city and the mage tower, the Tower of Mystic Radiance, so there was no need for him to make this dilapidated ruin his final resting place.

Eleanor cannot stay here for long unless she can travel to Arnor Lund and obtain the Lordweapon, gaining the ability to teleport freely between campfires—no, even so, Akalion believes that the environment here is not suitable for Eleanor, and he should help her find a better place, a true 'home' of her own.

Upon thinking of this, the outline of Arnorond, the city of the gods bathed in the eternal sunset in the game, involuntarily appeared in his mind.

To seize, conquer, and dominate—this is the dragon's desire etched deep in his blood.

Dominating a city, a territory, or even the whole world is the most basic manifestation of this desire—but Akalion must also admit that even if he wasn't a dragon, he often fantasized about such things before he transmigrated. Who hasn't been a chuunibyou (a person with delusions of grandeur) at some point?

The name of the city of Arnorond contains the word "long," which sounds similar to "dragon." Isn't this a divine revelation that led him to possess it?

In addition, there is a half-dragon girl, Priscilla, in Arnoron, who is considered taboo and sealed in the world of the painting. Although Akalion is not an ancient dragon of this world, as a true dragon, he believes that he is qualified to speak for the ancient dragons of this world.

It would be a real shame not to take Arnorond now!

Just as Akalion was lost in his wild thoughts, Eleanor awoke from her daze.

She opened her eyes, and what came into view was the dragon's unmoving, deep gray vertical pupils. This did not frighten her; instead, it gave her a strong sense of security.

A warm feeling surged from the depths of her heart—no, not just her heart, but also from the life origin of the dragon within her body, coursing through her limbs and bones.

The 'Dragon Blood' is strengthening her body, transforming her from the inside out, and her power seems to be increasing continuously.

But the warmth in my heart is no illusion.

“…Akaglion,” her voice was slightly hoarse from just waking up, and there was a hint of 'surprise' in it, “our dark space has been illuminated in a corner by the light of the lighthouse.”

Eleanor unconsciously stroked her slightly protruding belly, feeling the subtle swelling that seemed to be nurturing a whole new world. Thank goodness the undead can't get pregnant, otherwise… would I lay eggs, or—she forcibly cut off this overly jumpy thought, pulling it back to reality.

"Within that 'stable realm' illuminated by light, I can freely retrieve the equipment stored within my soul."

“Then, I think the first thing you should do is put them on.” Akalion looked at Eleanor’s serious expression, as if she were on a nudist beach and had no idea about her current state, and was slightly tempted.

"!"

Elinor only realized what was happening after Akalion reminded her.

In the instant her thoughts shifted, the equipment formed from her soul's obsessions appeared as if it had come to life, naturally manifesting and being worn on various parts of her body.

Eleanor quickly turned to the campfire, hiding the blush of shame on her cheeks in the shadows where no one could see her. She unconsciously kicked at the pebbles on the ground with her toes as she complained in a voice barely audible, "--It's all your fault. Otherwise, how could I have forgotten such a trivial matter?"

"..."

Faced with these accusations, Akalion was speechless. So he quickly changed the subject.

"Besides being able to retrieve the equipment, has anything else changed in that dark space?"

“We don’t need to sleep to see the lighthouse. Now, whenever we want, we can see the lighthouse and enter the dark space. Furthermore, while in the dark space, we can still see the lighthouse and even use it to actively exit the dark space.” Eleanor carefully organized her thoughts, explaining her findings one by one. “Also, those of us within the ‘Stability Zone’ can exchange our possessions and personal space items.”

"So, Artoria and Luminosity are also in that space right now?"

Akalion's eyes instantly sharpened, like a sword revealing a cold glint.

Judging from these words, the changes in the Lighthouse are reflected in all of the 'Blue Heirs'.

And this kind of intelligence cannot be obtained by a single individual.

"..." Eleanor's body stiffened almost imperceptibly. It seemed that this wonderful time was about to end again, and she would be alone again.

Even if they could meet in the Dark Space, Eleanor bit her lip reluctantly. Facing Akalion's gaze, she slowly said in a reluctant tone, "They want you to go to the Dark Space as soon as possible. Luminous has already broken free from the seal of the Ruler of Heaven."

"—Eleanor."

Akalion's massive dragon head suddenly loomed before Eleanor, its deep gray vertical pupils reflecting her face, which was filled with reluctance.

“If you want me to spend more time with you, you can just say so. There’s no need for this between me and ‘myself’.”

“Of course I hope so—” Eleanor avoided Akalion’s gaze and looked at the pebbles to the side, “but we can’t neglect our business.”

She just wanted to buy herself some time.

In any case, the lighthouse's transformation is largely due to her contribution, on par with Akalion's.

Volume 1 Snowfield Dragon Lord: Chapter 34. Stable Domain (Part 1)

"Don't worry, I seem to be able to travel freely between this world and the next."

Akalion gazed at Eleanor's contradictory attitude, finding it somewhat endearing.

"!"

Eleanor abruptly raised her head, her gaze fixed firmly on Akalion's dragon head as if the positive pole of a magnetic field had met the negative pole, her joy beyond words.

"real--"

The cheer that was about to burst forth was swallowed back at the last second. With her psychological problems resolved and her humanity restored, the long-lost dignity of royalty returned to her heart.

"Ahem," she coughed lightly, trying to calm herself down, but her voice betrayed her delight. "I mean, I'd love for you to come anytime."

"..."

Akalion remained silent, his deep gray dragon eyes scanning Eleanor's body, scrutinizing her from head to toe.

She was still wearing that simple, even rudimentary, soldier's leather armor, which even bore the slight damage from the previous battle. Yet, in his eyes, it was more captivating than any magnificent garment in the world.

Eleanor was no longer a caged bird in the Undead Asylum, but a proud eagle soaring freely in the sky.