Upon hearing the title, the black dragon lowered its head. Its arrogant pupils fixed on her as it sneered, “A giant dragon? Heh, I am no mere crawler of those foolish dragon species.””You may simply refer to me as the Black Dragon, little worm.”
As it spoke, the black dragon’s voice dropped, as if it were barely containing a furious rage. In ordinary times, anyone who dared to label it a ‘giant dragon’ would have already been met with a devastating torrent of its world-shattering dragonfire.
One must understand, this was NÃðhöggr, the Progenitor of Black Dragons. Even countless gods dared not act with insolence in its presence, and the vast majority of giant dragons weren’t even worthy of carrying its shoes. Naturally, to be called a mere ‘giant dragon’ was an insult it could not tolerate.
Yet, the past was the past, and the present was now. The once arrogant and unrivaled NÃðhöggr, the Black Dragon, was currently sealed within Nona’s body, a shadow of its former glory. It had no choice but to temper its volatile nature.
Even if it were to rage and attempt to unleash dragonfire upon the small creature before it, the seals binding it would prevent any such action. Such an attempt would only expose its current weakness to the ‘little worm’.
Moreover, it harbored no intention of revealing its true identity to Nona. NÃðhöggr’s reputation in the past was far from stellar; its very name was enough to send three-year-old infants into fits of weeping.
Even after it had betrayed and grievously wounded Yggdrasil, it could surmise that the world’s opinion of it had plummeted further, despite its continuous imprisonment within Nona. The monikers of ‘Sin Dragon’ and ‘Evil Dragon’ were undoubtedly now affixed to its name.
Should Nona ever discover these truths, it would only breed distrust and caution within her.
Despite NÃðhöggr’s inherent arrogance, it was far from foolish. Within its cunning mind, numerous schemes began to take shape.
“‘So… it’s still a dream.'”
The sheer absurdity of the unfolding events convinced Nona that this remained nothing more than a dream. The black dragon, too, was simply a creation of her slumbering mind. All she desired was to awaken swiftly and escape these outlandish phenomena.
NÃðhöggr discerned her thoughts, stating emphatically, “‘A dream? You should know, if I hadn’t shielded you from that explosion just moments ago, you would be long dead!'”
Explosion? Dead?
These words pierced Nona’s consciousness, abruptly recalling the dire circumstances before she drifted into this dreamscape. The monstrous giant had triggered a magical explosion, and she had been flung away by its force.
Her presence here meant she was still alive?
With this realization, her desire to awaken intensified. Having been blasted away and knocked unconscious, she must have fallen somewhere deep within the forest. If she didn’t rouse herself soon, she would undoubtedly become prey for magical beasts.
As for things like elven flower scents, she held absolutely no faith in them.
“‘There’s no need to fret,'” NÃðhöggr assured her. “‘My aura is upon you. Even in this treacherous forest, no magical beast would dare to come near you.'”
NÃðhöggr possessed its own formidable pride. As the Progenitor of Black Dragons, the aura it emanated was extraordinarily potent. No magical beast within the forest would ever dare to approach Nona, for such an act would be tantamount to courting death.
Nona, however, persisted in believing this was all a dream, naturally dismissing the black dragon’s words as mere fabrications. She pinched her thigh, intent on using the sharp sting of pain to shock herself awake.
Yet, it had absolutely no effect.
NÃðhöggr observed her actions, its golden, slit pupils glinting with a hint of mockery. “‘Hmph,'” it scoffed. “‘I cannot decide if you are timid or simply foolish. You refuse to believe a word I say, even now. Go on, torment yourself. Without my explicit permission, you will not be able to exit this realm of consciousness.'”
After a prolonged period of pinching herself, Nona gradually sensed that something was amiss. If this truly were a dream, her sense of touch felt far too vivid and real.
More crucially, no dream she had ever experienced before had granted her such profound clarity of consciousness.
Thus, however reluctant she was to accept it, she had to concede that this place was, in fact, not a dream.
A sudden thought struck her, and she lifted her gaze to the black dragon, her fists clenching tightly.
“‘Are you saying that everything I just saw was real?'”
“‘Of course.'”
“‘…That woman celebrating my mother’s birthday — that was real?'” Nona asked once more, her voice trembling imperceptibly.
“‘Hmph, of course.'”
“‘No, impossible…'”
Taking two steps back, Nona lowered her head, her mind awash with images of her mother and the silver-haired woman. The profound sense of irretrievable loss inflicted excruciating pain upon her.
When she first witnessed the scene, a pang of pain struck her heart, yet she dismissed it as a mere dream, something to be endured until it faded. However, the black dragon’s subsequent revelation that these were actual occurrences plunged her into a profound sense of despair.
‘Mother… could she have already been… by that woman?’
It was too late; she was too late to save her…
Her limbs grew weak, and she collapsed to the ground, a wave of inexplicable regret washing over her. She began to detest herself, hating her past self for never celebrating her mother’s birthday, for failing to show her more care.
Her mother had raised her to adulthood, yet Nona remained ignorant of her birthday, her favorite foods, or the clothes she preferred. She had scarcely ever given her a gift. She was, quite simply, an unqualified daughter…
If only she had done these things earlier, would her mother have been less susceptible to that woman’s allure? Would that woman’s gentle charms have appeared utterly unremarkable in her mother’s eyes? Would Nona herself have held a more significant place in her mother’s heart?
‘Even though her mother’s heart was already devoted to her…’
“‘Nothing is impossible, worm,'” NÃðhöggr stated coldly. “‘This is a fragment of the past I rewound. You possess no right to question my abilities. It appears your mother has already been thoroughly conquered by that woman, and in doing so, has also forgotten you.'”
As NÃðhöggr spoke of Nona’s mother, its tone carried an indefinable peculiarity, laden with profound and complex emotions. Yet, Nona, lost in the throes of her anguish, failed to perceive this nuance. She clasped her head, her eyes unfocused and vacant.
“‘Mama… how could Mama… be so close to that woman?'”
“‘Is it because I didn’t care for her enough? Or… was it coercion, that woman’s coercion…'”
Nona continued to murmur softly, then abruptly, as if a realization had struck her, she straightened up.
Yes! It’s coercion!
Mama’s transformation, while partly her own doing, was undoubtedly more a result of that woman’s coercion! Mama’s heart was wholly devoted to her. How could it possibly make room for another daughter? Especially one who was clearly a lunatic!
‘She had to save her! It wasn’t time to surrender yet!’
Even if Mama had genuinely fallen for that woman, it could only be because she had been bewitched! Nona would rescue her, no matter the cost! As long as Mama was alive, she would never abandon this goal!
“‘Heh,'” NÃðhöggr chuckled darkly. “‘This world is far more intricate than you could ever conceive. Seduction, coercion—these are but common tools. In their presence, even the most formidable gods can succumb and descend into malevolence. Your mother possesses no inherent power; how could she possibly escape such machinations?'”
NÃðhöggr had fully anticipated the ‘worm’ before it to collapse in utter despondency. Its swift recovery of spirit, however, left the dragon both puzzled and rather intrigued.
Arrogant to its core, it did not even wish for the vessel that imprisoned it to be a mediocre individual.
Slowly extricating herself from the clutches of pain, Nona regained her composure. She turned her gaze back to the black dragon and demanded, “‘Who exactly are you? Why are you present in my consciousness space? And what is your connection to my mother?'”
All the preceding coincidences had hinted at her mother’s extraordinary identity, and the black dragon’s sudden appearance within her consciousness space only amplified this suspicion. Nona had always harbored a feeling that unimaginable secrets lay buried within her mother’s past.
In the past, she had truly known nothing about her mother. Now, however, with these nascent clues, she suspected that Isis might be connected to the legendary gods of old…
Confronted by her barrage of questions, NÃðhöggr had no intention of divulging the answers. Yet, it was also too indolent to bother deceiving Nona.
“‘Your mother’s identity is quite extraordinary,'” NÃðhöggr stated. “‘Knowing too much will yield no benefit for you in your current state. Strive instead to enhance your meager strength; that is your sole imperative.'”