NÃðhöggr’s constant address as ‘bug’ didn’t anger Nona; her thoughts were entirely consumed by her mother’s identity. Upon hearing its counsel, her heart sank.
“She is connected to the gods, isn’t she?”
“Indeed.”
Nona’s hands clenched weakly, the mere mention of “gods” leaving her breathless.
Her mother’s connection to the gods implied that the silver-haired woman was very likely a deity herself.
Deities resided at the apex of the world. With the current strength of their hero’s party, they couldn’t even approach them, let alone rescue her mother from their grasp.
Even with the Hero’s Sword, they would probably only barely possess a method to slay a god. To truly achieve such a feat, they still had a long journey ahead.
The black dragon was right; her immediate task was to enhance her own strength.
“Why exactly did you enter my consciousness space?”
Having clarified her thoughts, Nona’s previously迷茫 (confused/lost) eyes regained their resolve. Nothing could stop her from rescuing her mother; even if the path ahead led to deicide, she would never give up.
NÃðhöggr let out a cold snort upon hearing her, explaining with a hint of displeasure, “I am sealed within you. If you die, it will be difficult for me to survive. So, remember not to challenge enemies you cannot defeat; doing so would only make you appear foolish.”
“Furthermore, my power is yours to command, without any conditions or cost. If anyone angers you, you may use this strength to tear them apart.”
Bestowing its remaining power upon a mere ‘bug’—NÃðhöggr, having lived for so long, was doing this for the very first time. This act was no different from the blessings granted by the gods.
To receive the power of the Progenitor Black Dragon, this ‘bug’ should feel immensely honored. In its past experiences, such ‘bugs’ would invariably kneel before it, weeping with gratitude, after acquiring its strength.
At such a moment, a few more cold snorts would suffice to display the black dragon’s noble elegance, making these ‘bugs’ prostrate themselves in awe and worship it even more.
A series of subsequent actions already formulated in its mind, NÃðhöggr was utterly unprepared when Nona, far from kneeling in gratitude, instead asked with uncertainty, “Truly no cost?”
“…What do you mean? Are you questioning me?”
“No.”
“Hmph!”
NÃðhöggr let out a heavy snort, its thick breath echoing through Nona’s consciousness space. It was the first time it had encountered such an ungrateful ‘bug.’
In a distant, shadowy corner of the space, Nona noticed several thick vines binding the massive dragon’s tail.
‘These must be the seals the black dragon mentioned, then?’
After observing the vines for a few more moments, she realized some of them were already broken, seemingly having lost their power to restrain the black dragon.
She inquired why the black dragon was sealed within her, but the question struck a raw nerve. It let out a heavy snort, its golden eyes blazing with fury.
“That is all I have to say, ‘bug.’ Your life is not solely your own. The next time you commit such foolishness, I will not be able to save you.”
Having uttered its warning, it unfurled its scale-covered wings and flapped them, departing from the dark consciousness space. Nona, in turn, fully awakened after its departure.
Opening her eyes, she saw not only leaves but also countless stars. Rubbing her aching head, she used a nearby tree trunk for support and rose from the ground.
This was still the forest, teeming with cruel magical beasts. Yet, despite this, her body remained unharmed. It seemed everything the black dragon had said was true; its aura deterred the magical beasts from approaching.
Suddenly recalling the image of her mother eating cake, she bit her lip lightly and began searching for her lost wooden sword in the forest. However, it wasn’t long before a completely black, tiger-shaped magical beast leaped down from a tree trunk, baring its jaws and launching a sudden attack on Nona.
Fortunately, Nona reacted swiftly, evading the ambush and confronting the tiger-shaped beast blocking her path.
Yet, during their standoff, she sniffed herself, a hint of confusion clouding her expression.
After the black dragon left her consciousness space, its aura had dissipated from her body. Thus, it was perfectly normal for magical beasts to be able to approach her.
However, the scent of elven blossoms still lingered on her body. According to Ped, no magical beasts in this forest should attack her…
‘Had the floral scent lost its effect, or had these magical beasts changed?’
As Nona pondered, the tiger-shaped beast roared and lunged at her.
Witnessing this, the unperturbed Nona borrowed a fraction of the black dragon’s power, emitting its fearsome aura. The beast, sensing this presence, recoiled as if encountering something truly terrifying, forcibly twisting its body and fleeing in terror towards the depths of the forest.
‘It appears these magical beasts truly fear the black dragon.’
Withdrawing the black dragon’s power, Nona had expected no repercussions. Instead, her head throbbed, nearly causing her to stumble, and simultaneously, an inexplicable sense of irritation welled up within her.
Although this state lasted only a few seconds before vanishing, she knew the black dragon was undoubtedly concealing something. It would be best to use its power sparingly.
Furthermore, a black dragon capable of being sealed away was inherently no benevolent creature. With her current strength, she could not possibly keep it in check.
For now, it was best to leave this forest as quickly as possible.
After scaring off the magical beasts, she quickly located her scattered wooden sword nearby. Following this, she began to wander through the forest, searching for a path out.
The elven floral scent proved utterly useless here. The magical beasts seemed to have abandoned their faith in Yggdrasil overnight, reverting to their primal instincts, attacking her relentlessly as if she were a delectable meal.
Fortunately, her extensive combat experience served her well. After defeating several beasts, the hidden gazes lessened, finally allowing her to focus on finding a way out.
Unfortunately, the forest was vast beyond measure. She searched for a long time, not only failing to find an exit but also becoming completely disoriented.
Gradually, fatigue began to set in.
Climbing onto a branch, she leaned against the trunk, preparing to rest for a while. The night forest was exceptionally quiet; apart from a few bird calls, only the rustling of leaves remained.
Moonlight filtered through the leaves, pure white like a wedding gown. Nona removed the ring from her finger, recalling the scene she had witnessed earlier in the kitchen.
‘Her mother’s intimate contact with that woman…’
Clenching the ring in her hand, she lowered her head and whispered, “Mom, you’ll always wait for me, won’t you? Just like before…”
Loneliness and solitude crept into her heart. She remembered countless days spent with her mother, especially how, whenever she faced difficulties, her mother would always stroke her head, comforting her not to give up, assuring her that a miracle would soon occur.
From then on, she had never given up, always anticipating the arrival of a miracle. And in her anticipation, the obstacles that hindered her were overcome one by one.
Recalling these memories, Nona’s lips curved into an irrepressible smile. Holding the ring in both hands, she prayed, “Bless me, Mom…”
For some unknown reason, a chord in her heart was suddenly struck. Nona instinctively looked up at the night sky, where a golden meteor swiftly streaked across the heavens, finally plunging into the darkness and vanishing.
After a moment of stunned silence, she put away the ring, hastily leaped from the branch, and rushed in the direction the meteor had traversed.
She had an inexplicable premonition that this meteor was showing her the way.
Before long, she spotted the flickering golden light of torches ahead in the dark forest, and a familiar voice reached her ears from that direction.
“Nona! Where are you?!”
It was Hia’s cry.
Guided by the meteor, she found her hero’s party.
Amidst her joy, she looked up at the dim night sky, but alas, in the brilliant sea of stars, there was no longer any trace of the meteor.
‘Was it Mom?’
Drawing her gaze away from the night sky, whether it was or not, at this moment, she was filled with renewed motivation to press forward.