“BLERRGHH!!!”

It has been two months now since Seraphin came to learn swordwomanship from Melka. Every single day since then, she has had to stand against Melka’s overbearing killing intent. It was impossible to learn how to handle a sword from her if she couldn’t even stand in front of the person after all. In the beginning, she fainted every single time and they had to wait at least two hours before resuming the training, only for her to faint again. But now, finally, she can stay awake, though through great efforts. The only problem is that she is throwing up the food she ate, most likely due to her stomach being contracted too much.

“Control your body, don’t let it control you. Feel it. Feel the blood in your veins, the movement of your muscles.”

‘This is so hard.’

Seraphin couldn’t feel her body at all. She always feels like she has become jelly. She is trying everything she can to just stay awake so asking her for more seems to be too much. Thankfully, every time she is about to give up, Lekas’s face appears in front of her. The sight of that stupid face somehow gives her the energy and courage to continue.

‘I can’t just give up when that moron is somewhere getting stronger alone, right?’

Melka has already noticed that every once in a while, Seraphin's eyes are becoming darker, like despair is filling them, only for them to start shining again, even brighter than before.

‘I suppose there are people like that.’ She doesn’t care about the reason for that change nor does she want to ask about it. As long as something can make you strong, you should cling to it. That is Melka’s way of thinking.

***

In the afternoon, Seraphin’s schedule includes running in the forest until sunset. The order Melka gave her, however, was quite peculiar.

“You can’t stop running, NO. MATTER.WHAT.”

‘Such an absurd order.’

Seraphin has been running for almost two hours and her legs are hurting so bad she wants to scream. But what would be the point of screaming? Would anybody listen? No, obviously, nobody would listen or care. At least nobody except those two who aren’t here right now. So she has to endure, to endure so that she can stand in front of them with her head up high, knowing that she can also give, not only receive every time.

***

“Good. Very good. You can start making items for customers now.”

Finally, after nine months of struggle, Hithindil has been recognized by the chief blacksmith of the smithy. The tall man who recruited him, Eduard, is right to the chief, examining his work.

“That was not a waste of invested time, I suppose. Welcome to our smithy.”

He extends his huge hand to Hithindil. His hand is so big he could easily grab a person’s face with it. Hithindil takes it and shakes his hand vividly. Yes, he is getting there, very slowly, but he is getting there.

‘Soon enough, I should be able to help.’

***

“You know, I was wondering.”

“Hmmm…”

Nine months after he came to Leviathan cave, Lekas’s body is now showing clear signs of changes. His muscles were very well developed, his hair have started to become shinier, taking a more vivid green color. It was mostly the effect the atmosphere existing around Leviathan, which is at least a hundred times stronger than anywhere in the Vevino kingdom. Just breathing so much mana every day would obviously have an effect on you, if it doesn’t kill you, of course.

“If I really kill you, won’t the atmosphere in the kingdom change? The people of Vevino might die because of that.” Lekas had taken a real liking to the dwarfs in his previous life thanks to the miracle of technology who was a half-dwarf herself. She told him countless stories of her people that fascinated Lekas, even though he never went there.

“Those will be the consequence you have to face.”

“I see…”

“Hmph. You insolent little shit!”

“Eh?”

“You just thought I was weak, right?!!”

“N-no!!”

“Humans are really…Anyway, my power won’t just vanish because I died. The atmosphere will remain the same for at least the next five centuries. Even more so, if you leave my remains. Then it will slowly return to normal.”

“Really? Then I will do just-”

“Don’t even think about it! You fool! You will either eat me or burn my body! I don’t want that crazy witch of a goddess to enslave my spirit!”

“What?”

The huge dragon sighs, blowing out the mist in which Lekas is training. As the mist clears up, it is possible to see some traces of impact everywhere on the walls of the cave. Huge holes that absolutely don’t look natural.

‘This kid is more than expected. To be able to damage the walls of the cave that I created in less than a year…well, he will need at least that if he wants to defeat that goddess.’

“What are you sighing?”

“Because you ask stupid questions. What do you think will happen if you kill me and let my body here?”

BOOM!

Lekas punches the wall again and creates another hole the size of the dragon’s head this time. His sweat flies off to the ground as he relaxes his shoulder after the heavy strike he just did.

“I don’t know, you will rot?”

“Stupid, my body can’t rot. Do you think I ate infinity itself for nothing?”

“Then, you will stay like this?”

‘I never understood what was infinity to begin with.’

Lekas had been curious about Leviathan for a while in his previous life. Because he thought he would have to fight other dragons after Culixs and Numerol, he tried to understand their power. But of the different ones still alive at the time, Leviathan was the only one with a power that didn’t seem to be real. Even now, he just thinks that inifinity is just gravity that was mistaken by a too prideful dragon.

“If there is no external influence, yes. But that goddess, Mistakhal, she can draw souls and use them. If my body remains, she will have an anchor to find my soul and use it. And you will be in trouble. A huge one.”

“I see. Then I will eat you then. Burning you seems to be too much trouble.”

“Do what you want. But if you are going to do that, make sure to eat me alone or my power won’t flow to you naturally.”

Seeing a dragon talking about his after death like it was no big deal is making Lekas feel uncomfortable. He didn’t think there could be people who didn’t care about their deaths like this. Though, dragons are not exactly people. And he is not exactly one to speak as well.

‘They really are carefree spirits. Or maybe just huge idiots?’

“I heard that!!”