Chapter 1566 Back Home
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SPLASH!
I swam out of the cold waters, feeling both born anew, and just the same as before. Seeing my dragon appearance again made me feel slightly relieved. I've grown so used to look like a giant scaled monster that seeing myself in a giant humanoid and muscular form was a bit weird and wrong. Even my humanoid form has many scales, wings, tail, horns, and many other draconic features, even my eyes.
So having absolutely none of them and only a clear blue skin… Just felt wrong. I was just doing my best to not be weirded out, but man, it does feels nice to be back to my good ol' body! Even my human appearance before reincarnation felt weird and strange. I don't want to look like a weak ass human ever again! Dragon bodies are the best.
"Phew…"
I stretched my wings and arms and legs. I sighed in relief, looking at the blue sky. I found myself surrounded by an endless and beautiful divine frost land. This was part of my own Divine Realm, where the Ice Queen's Divine Realm, or well, a piece of it, merged with mine.
"Done already? Well, that was faster than I thought."
Suddenly, the Ice Queen herself materialized to my left as a ghostly apparition. She wasn't there a second ago. I suppose she didn't wait for me here and was busy dealing with everyone else to not waste time.
"You… You tricked me!" I roared back, slamming the ice with my tail.
"Hahahah! I'm sorry, but I had to. If I told you what was going to happen, it would have made the trial too easy. Surprise was part of the test!" The Ice Queen laughed out loud. "But why are you so angry? You passed Skadi's Trial! You did well! Amazing, even."
"Yeah maybe I passed but that doesn't make me less mad." I sighed. "Why even let me do this? I wasn't born a Titan. Skadi could have rejected me easily; she had the right to."
"Well, it was worth giving it a try, and it worked." She commented. "To further boost the power of your Ice Element, it is necessary that you cultivate the Ice Titan Bloodline within you. After all, you inherited it from my trial. So it was obvious I would want you to eventually awaken it! I'm sorry if it was harder than you thought."
"It worked, I did get much stronger. Especially my ice element…" I sighed. "I have to admit it was worth the hassle. So anyways, how long… was I there?"
"At least four days!" She laughed. "You sure took your time."
"Four days?! Well, it felt like a month, actually…" I sighed. "I miss my family already. I'm going back home to tell them the news. Is there no other trial awaiting for me, right?"
"No, not for now. That was everything I could offer you." The Ice Queen said. "However, you also have the Fire Titan Bloodline within you. I have never spoken with their Primordial Father before though, so you'll need to find him through a different person."
"Hmm, well, I'll have to simply look for your equivalent but of fire." I smiled.
"You don't… Are you seriously considering asking the Venerable of Flames for his aid on connecting with the Titan Records of Fire?!" Laughed the Ice Queen. "That man is much more ancient and older than me or that fox. And rather lonely. I don't know if someone like him, who would rather work alone, would ever help you in such endeavors! But… Well, I suppose it is worth giving it a try. If you ever gain his favor."
"We've interacted many times already…" I said. "I think I've understood what he is and what he used to be back then. There's also his connection with Logi, the Primordial God of Fire and Space. If we can fully revive Logi, maybe he can help us get a favor from his old friend."
"His inheritance is an event where he forces people to fight for his treasures… I think you're putting too much trust on him. Yes, perhaps he was merciful and protective of his kind, the Fire Giants. But against everyone else? There is a reason why he was given the Title of "Savage Sun Flare Demon Venerable"! Don't underestimate him because he has handled you rewards for completing his trials. He might have his own secret intentions."
"You're being way too cautious." I said. "But I guess it cannot be helped, seeing how you're his complete opposite. And perhaps the most righteous Venerable out there…" I laughed. "I wonder, can you tell me more about them while we go back home? I am curious about those I haven't interacted with yet."
"How many have you interacted with already?" She asked. "Four?"
"I think so. The "Ice Queen Immortal Venerable", you, the "Dream-Seeking Fox Demon Venerable", Belle, the "Crimson Blood Lord Demon Venerable" Alucard, who's dead, and lastly, the "Savage Sun Flare Demon Venerable", whose name I don't really know." I answered.
"Four out of many. I guess you're not counting Oberon… Well, I will skip him for obvious reasons, but my interactions with him have been similar to yours." The Ice Queen said. "Well, there's another Venerable that came after his death, someone that was born at the end of his own Era, the Remote Antiquity Era. Have you heard about her? She's well known across Vanaheim and Alfheim."
"No, not really?" I wondered. "I don't remember that rascal of Alma ever mentioning a Venerable."
"Alma?" The Ice Queen wondered. "Oh, you mean that Elf Girl you meet back in Heaven Port! I see. She's a member of a group that is going against Oberon's influence and freeing the people he captures. I see. Yes, I've heard about her."
"You have?!" I wondered.
"Anyways, that's not important right now. The Venerable I was referring to is called the "Moon Princess of Starlight Immortal Venerable". And this woman is known for being a "traitor" that betrayed Oberon. A former apprentice of him that went against the rules placed by him in the world and decided to revolutionize it." She answered.
"So she was good then?" I asked.
"Quite the opposite, in fact…" The Ice Queen sighed.
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