Chapter 12: Hello, my old companion.
Kyriaki opened her eyes, responding to the warm urge she couldn't kill no matter what.
What caught her was not the massive colosseum filled with hundreds of people or the celestial spirit's playful gaze.
It was a dark space.
So dark that for a fleeting minute, she thought she was back at the thermosphere layer of the planet, looking at the obsidian sky. She felt like she was floating. Gravity had disappeared, so was the colosseum she stood a minute ago.
The profound sensation of warmth, mixed with the endless darkness was somewhat lonely.
[Ding!]
As she was about to panic for the second time after she was reborn, a familiar sound echoed in her ears.
[Consciousness shift had been occured]
[You are currently inside the Crystal of Element Awakening]
[Elemental Mana detected]
[Elemental awakening detected]
[Checking available options]
As the monotone female voice declared calmly, 14 light orbs appeared above her as if they waited for this moment all their life.
[Checking the condition of the host to ensure the safety]
[Scanning complete. Collecting new internal data of the host]
[Host is suitable to accept the unlocking of attributes]
[Unlocking a sub-authority of the authority 「Link to the omniverse」temporary]
[Activating sub-authority
[Demoting sub-authority
[Starting the process of awakening suitable elements]
The voice ended abruptly. The Silver-Golden notification screens soon disappeared, prompting her to glance at the 14 light orbs with hopeful eyes. Her former unease was nowhere to be found.
Half a second passed. Afterwards, as if to answer her hopeful glances, something envisaged yet still seemed incredible, happened.
A lime green light orb slowly flew towards her with no hurry.
—Huh?—
[Unlocking the element of Wood]
Kyriaki' face, devoid of any emotion, stared at the leaf symbol on the light orb.
—What am I supposed to do with you? Bloom wildflowers on the side of the road?— She asked, her tone similar to someone who was wronged by their best friend who wrote another friend's name in their essay of "my best friend" in kindergarten.
As if to reply and show its displeasure to her cold remarks, the lime green light flew around her head once and crashed on to her cheek.
It didn't hurt. But it was enough for Kyriaki to stop talking further.
The monotonous voice again rang in her ears, pulling her out of her disappointment.
[Unlocking the element of Light]
That was when she saw the pale yellow light orb with the sun symbol.
[Unlocking the element of Water]
Before she could even inspect the second element she unlocked, a third element flew towards her.
[Unlocking the element of Earth]
Another light orb followed the water element and paused right in front of her face.
A soft chuckle escaped her mouth without her will.
—Ah, what is this…— she curiously examined the four elements. —Did I just become the owner of the Life element?—
When a group of specific elements gathered together inside one person, the dragons called them in one elemental name.
For example, they call storm Borns with Water, Ice, Wind and Lightning elements Weather element. And Darkness, Water, Ice and Mind elements Death element. Also all 03 primordial elements put together were also called the Reality element.
Among the living, people who had collected all needed elements to form one higher element could be counted with one hand of her fingers.
Kyriaki, with all memories of three individuals loaded inside her mind, knew it more than anyone else.
Although the elements she received were a bit weak individually, as a one higher element, they were useful. She would have to create a few offensive personal spells to catch up with Kyrios, who had the reality element in his possession.
But still, since she thought she would get three elements as best, this outcome was acceptable.
At the end of her thoughts, Kyriaki got ready to wake up from her dream-like state. She felt her little claws twitching in her original body.
However before she could open her eyes, something that completely made her speechless happened.
Sweesh! Swring!
With cheerful sounds, 09 light orbs flew towards her at the same time as if they were in a running competition.
She stared blankly, unable to grasp the situation.
[Unlocking the element of Darkness]
[Unlocking the element of Fire]
[Unlocking the element of Wind]
[Unlocking the element of Magma]
[Unlocking the element of Ice]
[Unlocking the element of Metal]
[Unlocking the element of Lightning]
[Unlocking the element of Space]
[Unlocking the element of Mind]
Tiny rectangular shape screens filled her view with monotonous voices overlapping with each notification. The ringing sound was so disturbing that Kyriaki felt uneasy as she froze stiff on the spot.
A second passed.
And blood slowly rushed into her brain. Her mind, like a greeze filled old clock, began to work fast.
—Wh-what—
She stuttered. She could almost hear her brain making creek noises akin to an old clock. It was very uncharacteristic of her.
She stared blankly at the only light who didn't fly towards her. The hourglass symbol and golden light. That was the only element that didn't choose her as their master.
13 elements, as if it was the most ordinary thing to do in the world, had chosen her.
—Is this even possible?— She questioned sincerely, finally coming back to her senses.
She wasn't slightest bit disappointed that Time didn't choose her. Rather, she was dumbfounded that the rest chose her.
—Hey system, won't the balance be broken? Now anyone would be able to identify me as an anomaly. The Will of Mitherr-ge might have already sensed my presence—
[Ding!]
[Cases like this are rarely possible through the omniverse. And the Will of Mitherr-ge has already sensed your existence and is currently communicating with superior authorities to discuss the host's fate]
Kyriaki's heart began to pound loudly.
Discussing her fate, they say?
She felt complicated emotions filling inside her heart. The hatchling took a deep breath, firmly forcing herself to calm down.
—Sigh.. I'm talking about this world, not the entire omniverse. And what? The damn will of the world finally noticed me but is trying to get rid of me? What a terrible personality. I'm here to save this damn world—
[The host is the only one to have this much elements on this dimension]
[And please refrain from slandering the Will of Mitherr-ge, the home of your soul]
—Is that so?—
Ignoring the second notification, Kyriaki mumbled to herself.
She looked utterly uninterested in being the only one to bear such power. All she seemed to be interested in was the fact that what kind of change would follow this messed up situation. A sense of despondency washed over her.
—So what about breaking the balance?— She asked calmly.
Her mind worked faster than the speed of light to ensure hundreds of plans to get herself out of this situation.
[Host might attract the attention of powerful entities currently residing in the world. Except for that, the host will be fine.]
—I knew it— She mumbled with disdain.
At first, Kyriaki was too dumbfounded. Then she felt slightly happy. But it didn't last long as the thought of danger came to her mind.
She wasn't dense and naive enough to think this will be a good event in her life.
In her previous life, an uncle said to his spider-bitten nephew that "Great power comes with great responsibility". But in her opinion it always comes as a package of responsibility and danger.
Having 13 elements as a mutated dragon was very dangerous. If other dragons judge her to manifest an uncontrollable emotion as her stigma, they'll surely kill her.
They might love their kin, but that doesn't mean they'd abandon their duty to protect Mitherr-ge. Besides, if she becomes too powerful and threatens them later, it'll surely be a disaster. So even in her opinion, killing her before she became too powerful would be rational.
And even if they give up on killing her, restoring to monitor her for time being, she'd still be in trouble since there are outer dangers looming around.
She had to be cautious, yes, she had to take the role of an entire group of meerkats if necessary.
—Sigh…life is a bxxxx—
[The Will of Mitherr-ge had ended their conversation]
—Ah, is that so?—
[The Will of Mitherr-ge is requesting an implicit conversation with the host.
Do you accept?
Yes/No]
Kyriaki glared at the word "Mitherr-ge" for a second before losing her will to dwell on the emotion of anger. She pressed yes with her nose instead of her claws.
[Ding!]
[Connecting with the will of the world]
[1%...]
[...07%]
[...15%]
[...50%]
[...67%]
[...89%]
[100%]
[Connection complete.]
Suddenly the golden transparent screen glitched with colors of melted opals and crystal lights.
Kyriaki calmly stared at the scene that could appear in any horror movie or a sci-fi movie with interest.
The screen soon turned into a mixture of sky-blue and opal, like the color of sky dropped into a melted opal gems basket.
[Greetings to the anomaly] black texts appeared before her in a simple format.
—Should I laugh, bow down and accept your greetings?—
[...]
—Let's not waste time, shall we? You must be busy managing the boundaries and laws of the world even at this moment— Kyriaki's voice, tingling with amusement at the fact that she was conversing with an entity that was not quite alive nor physically existing, was a bit low. It was neither polite nor gentle.
[...You have broken the following laws of the universe and world. Please cooperate with us to confirm our claims]
Perhaps sensing her intention to talk only what was needed, the monotonous voice—a bit sweeter and warmer than her original system's—spoke to her calmly.
Kyriaki nodded, sitting upright with her tiny dragon arms crossed together. Since it wasn't her real body, it felt more easy to imitate human gestures.
[The #100th law of the universe; Rebirth with past life memories.
#8,700,023,615,999 law of the universe; Third condition to becoming a dragon.
#5th law of the world; Rejecting the system.
#217th law of the world; Overthrowing the power balance of the world by accepting external help.
#645,231 law of the world; Concealing your true identity and presence from the will of the world.
#373,000,218 law of the world; Actively assisting in removing the main timeline of a prime-dimension without the knowledge of the will of the world.
#1,982,311,465 law of the world; Surpassing, concealing or bearing divine energy above the existing energy belong to the will of the world.
#52,726,499,225 law of the world; Becoming an apostle/priest/believer/follower of a divine entity out of world's boundary.
#52,726,499,226 law of the world; Accepting the position of an apostle before pre-discussions happened with the consciousness of the world and the divine entity.
#75,696,100,823 law…]
Broken laws announced in a monotonous voice kept ringing in her ears for a while.
She felt like a hideous criminal before a jury, ready for punishment.
—Wow— Kyriaki displayed her genuine amazement. —So am I a criminal now?—
[The will of the universe had given us the authority to judge you in a trial]
—So I am a criminal after all—
[We have discussed the details with ???, ??? And
Kyriaki frowned, her golden dragon eyes sharpened at the sight of the transparent screen glitching.
There was that name she could never hear as just question marks.
But what was that other entity with the same question marks and also another one she was forbidden from knowing the name of?
—This is getting very suspicious. By any chance, did I sign up for a mystery novel?— She narrowed her eyes as much as possible, glaring at the screen.
If the will of the world had a physical body, they'd have found themselves drenched in cold sweat at her glare. Her attention to the forbidden name caused her to miss the last words they said.
[You have been pardoned, Kyriaki Elpis Eleftherios]
The Will of Mitherr-ge repeated, clearly knowing she didn't hear them the first time.
—Wait, what?!—
Now, Kyriaki was truly surprised.
Her pupils shook greatly. After hearing all those laws she broke without even knowing, she for sure thought she'd be imprisoned in a place like The White Heaven once again or will be looted of her newly gained elements. But to her surprise, the damn will of the world says they would not give her any punishment.
—Then what was the point of telling me all the laws I broke?!—
She shouted with disdain. It wasn't that she was eager to get punished, but at the very least, she expected some drama in her boring life.
[We give you the permission to live on the conditions following below;]
Kyriaki paused all her activities. Even blinking was among them.
She carefully read the glitching texts, explaining the conditions she had to follow in exchange for survival.
[Do you accept these conditions?
Yes/No]
Without giving her any explanation, the will of Mitherr-ge said as if they never marked her as a sinner a second ago.
She had so many questions.
Who were those two entities she doesn't know the name of?
And why were they entangled with her?
What did that mysterious entity tell the will of the world to get her pardoned?
Was there something deeper hidden beneath she didn't know about?
Did she get entangled carelessly with this world with only surface knowledge?
And those complicated conditions…will they bring misery to her life?
Amidst all those questions, she couldn't just back away anymore. Not because she thought it was too late, but because a new thought struck her like lightning.
In her previous life, the world never seemed to accept her. She used to hate that world. But in the end, she even stopped wasting those emotions. In the last days of her life, she didn't hate nor did she love her former world.
It abandoned her.
But now, the new world she was born to, despite all laws she broke, had accepted her.
It was welcoming her. Although she had made so many mistakes, although her arrival was forced at the beginning, the world still accepted her with open arms.
Kyriaki felt her heart tickling inside her chest. It was pleasant, truly and surely. Warmth reached every corner of her hatchling body.
—It's not like I have a choice—
She pretended to frown as she pressed the "yes" button.
[Congratulations! You have permanently established your second life with the permission of the will of the world from this moment onward]
—Yes, Yes. A very delightful news. By the way, let's not meet again—
Kyriaki watched the screen before her glitching once again.
[I hope you will not forget our grace. Good luck, our beloved inhabitant]
The glitching screen soon faded away, like it was washed away by a refreshing rain, only the silver and gold remained. The screen glitched a few more times before settling on the color of her former screen.
[Organizing all the data]
[Reconnecting to main server]
[32%]
[...64%]
[...78%]
[100%]
[Ding!]
[Congratulations host, you have become a full fledged inhabitant of Mitherr-ge as well as a complete dragon]
—Oh yes, how wonderful. Anyway, why the hell do I have this much power? I'd rather have one element and be ignored by everyone than to have all this—
[Ding!]
[??? Says they were fulfilling their promise]
Kyriaki glared at the screen once again. She had lost count on how many times she had done just that.
—Wait, what promise?! Oh…—
At first confusion washed over her. She was unsure of what promise they were talking about.
And then it hit her.
It hit her really hard.
「 —I see. Then allow me to talk about business. What benefits will I gain if I agree to help…them?.—
—Power. I'll bestow upon you enough power for what is to come in addition to an essential second chance at life…— 」
She had that conversation.
—Ugh! Couldn't you do it in moderation?! Why give me such flamboyant powers when my mission was only to twist the original timeline!—She gritted her teeth, glaring intensely as if she could grab the screen, step on it and then burn it to ashes with petrol and a cigar.
But what she could do when everything has happened.
She was sure everyone in the colosseum had witnessed her awakening. Although her consciousness was stuck here, she could almost imagine what kind of reaction they were displaying.
Kyriaki sighed.
She'd have to act very carefully the moment she open her eyes back. Her life would depend on what she'd do and say from now on.
—What a hassle—
She was about to open her eyes.
She'd have done exactly that if it was not for the unexpected thing that happened to her.
—Oh…?—
Kyriaki tilted her head, her mind calculating faster than an AI. If she was in her human form, the smile bloomed on her face would've been the most refreshing, gorgeous and mischievous one she has ever made.
The golden light orb, engraved with the symbol of an hourglass slowly floated towards her. It had that aura of an annoyingly mischievous friend trying to surprise her by jumping out from behind a door.
—Hello, my old companion—
She greeted the light orb. Her dreamy voice mixed with the joy she felt was more beautiful than the sound of dozens of tiny bells.
Her gaze softened into something more gentle, something nostalgic. It focused on the time element, recalling her days at The White Heaven, living as a Prisoner of Time for an unknown crime she committed.
Time was something she was very familiar with.
It was something she once ignored, hated, feared and came to love on her own.
She was someone who received whispers of time daily when she was inside the never ending castle of White Heaven.
Hence, she welcomed it like welcoming her companion.
[Ding!]
[Unlocking the element of Time]
[You have collected all elements]
[Your achievements will be recorded in Akashic records]
[As a reword, Akashic records had given
[Creating a temporary inventory for the host]
[Reword will be moved to the temporary inventory]
[Unlocking 5% of knowledge obtained from the whispers of time]
A vast knowledge she obtained from the whispers of time in white heaven folded inside her mind like tidal waves. Fragments of memories from intelligent lifeforms, lost knowledge of objects, forgotten wisdom of so many people buried in time enlightened her to view the world in a different light every time she unlocked those whispers.
[Warning! Warning! Warning!]
[Variable Detected]
[Base calculation exceeded]
[Error detected]
Suddenly, the screen turned red with warning signs all over the place, stealing her vision. Kyriaki frowned, demanding an explanation with her eyes alone.
[Elemental overload! The host's body is still adjusting to the elemental mana she has begun to absorb after unlocking her attributes. As a Golden Arch-dragon, you are compatible with all elements, however it'll take some time for pure elemental mana to settle, adjust and merge with you.]
—I see—
[Activating emergency protocol]
—Hmmm?—
[Locking all elements except for the element of Light until the host's body completely merges with the elements]
[Loading]
—I beg your pardon?—
[Locking complete]
—Wait a moment. Why don't you ask for my permission first?—
[Please call out "Element merging process" to have more information]
—Haaah…. My authority doesn't even listen to me. What am I supposed to do with you, huh?—
[...]
—Fxxxxx system! just xxx and xxxx your xxxxx and put xxxxx in your xxxxx you xxxx xxxxx then xxxx your xxxxxx with a xxxxxx while xxxx together with your xxxxx inside your xxxx you xxxxx xxxx—
[...]
For a moment, Kyriaki thought she had become a backstreet rapper who spouted swear words while taking drugs daily like it was all she had ever done in her life.
—Hah..hah...— rapid and shallow breaths followed after all the cursing.
The murderous look on her, together with her dragon face filled with dazzling scales and horns looked utterly terrifying. The gentle and polite demeanor of an elegant princess was nowhere to be seen.
—Element of Light, you say? Should I hang myself up on the ceiling instead of a light bulb?—
[Host please calm down]
—Calm down?! You xxxxxxx system calling yourself my authority like a xxxxx xxxxxx, you xxxx xxxxx xxxxx!!! Huff… huff…hah… —
The hatchling gritted her teeth.
An apostle.
Cursing her one and only authority like it was some homewrecker who stole her husband in a soap opera.
She huffed and puffed, trying to steady her breath.
—Yeah, I should just accept my death. I'm supposed to face an entire race the moment I open my eyes and you xxxxx system Locked all my elements? What am I supposed to show them?! Even if I somehow save myself from this mess, what am I going to do in my education missions with just one element?! Xxxx xxxxx!!!—
As Kyriaki continued to curse, words coming out of her mouth like a waterfall, her system went completely silent for a minute. Then it opened a new screen on its own.
[Ding!]
[Element merging process
Light: 100%
Darkness: 1%
Fire: 0%
Water: 14%
Earth: 0%
Wind: 0%
Metal: 0%
Magma: 0%
Ice: 0%
Wood: 3%
Lightning: 0%
Mind: 50%
Space: 33%
Time: 70%]
Kyriaki turned her face away from the dazzling screen, glaring at the air as if it was her moral enemy. She was still panting, but she stubbornly refused to talk as if her voice had been locked along with her elements.
She tightly closed her eyes, wishing to return. The moment her strong will wished for it, her blocked senses returned to herself.
But to her surprise, her ears catched no sound.
Silence.
The kind that wasn't an absence of sound, but the presence of something heavy with emotional weight.
Her claws unconsciously released the polished crystal.
Kyriaki opened her eyes, slowly, cautiously, taking every possibility into account.
What greeted her was a quiet colosseum, filled with dragons and dark elves who stood there with their mouths shut, eyes firmly fixed on her.
Her golden yellow eyes landed on her Father, Elysium at first.
His jaw had dropped, eyes widened, firm claws clenched.
Her eyes then unconsciously traveled to her Twin brother.
Kyrios was standing there in a daze, his situation was the mini version of Elysium.
She blinked slowly, her eyes then made eye contact with her Grandfather; Endymion. He too looked back at her, dumbfounded.
She could feel the gazes of more than 100 pairs of eyes. She could see them just staring at her from the corners of her eyes. There were no calculations, evaluations nor hard measuring in those gazes.
They were simply filled with awe.
Kyriaki's eyes blinked once again, making eye contact with Euclid.
'That was random.'
She immediately withdrew her eyes, looking right at the Celestial Spirit in front of her. Golden Iris met another pair of eyes in the same hue.
Thanasios was observing her, his lips twitching as if he was about to crack into a broad smile. Just as she thought she should clear her throat to bring everyone back to reality, a loud laughter echoed in the colosseum.
—Ahahaha! This is interesting!!!— His voice filled with admiration and expectations ringed in everyone's ears, pulling them by the leg and slapping reality on their cheeks.
Some inhaled deeply as they had been holding their breath. Some stumbled on their legs and fell back to their seats.
In an instant, mummers louder than Thanasios' laughter filled the area. Dragons and Elves alike, they all had something to speak out aloud.
—Did I see that right? All 14 elements?!—
"Is something like this even possible?"
—But the consciousness of the world seems to allow it—
—How utterly unpredictable—
"How in the dragon's tail could someone hold that much power?!"
"She's a mutated dragon, isn't this a very dangerous situation?"
"Shut up! She's a golden dragon of royalty! You'll face the wrath of His Majesty if you continue to run your mouth."
—But this is a very abnormal condition, there has never been a case of any individual wielding all the elements in the history of Mitherr-ge—
—Indeed, it seems we finally have a very precious hope— Thanasios' voice stole the attention of the entire colosseum in a mere second.
However upon closer observations, It was as if he was talking to himself when he said that. His golden spirit eyes glowed like jewels under the warm sunlight. His laughter distilled, replaced by calmness as he opened his mouth again.
—A new future I am unaware. My dearest descendant, you are born for war—This time, his calm voice was painted with a hint of sorrow.
He turned to look at Elysium. The whispers and mummers had long ended. Not even the sound of breathing could be heard as Thanasios spoke with a clear voice.
—Give her the crown after her 3rd growth pace. Make her the Supreme Monarch, follow her command as if they are my own— Every single dragon, be it a hatchling or an ancient dragon, gasped, widening their eyes.
Kyriaki too widened her eyes.
She never thought of sitting on the throne with a crown on her head. Not even in her wildest dreams she had such dangerous and annoying thoughts.
In the original timeline, Kyrios was The Crown Prince. He couldn't become the King until he died, but if everything went according to her plans, Kyrios would've once again become The Crown Prince. And she'd have made sure to see the future where he'd become The King.
But now what?
That annoying position is going to be hers?
What was more annoying was the fact that she couldn't refuse it.
If Thanasios, the First Monarch and the Celestial Spirit of Time was pushing them to make her the Queen, that means she won't be executed right away. Having the backing of someone like him who was respected by everyone ensured her safety to a great extent.
Celestial spirits never interfered with the succession of the dragons. Not even once. Even if they were asked to do it, they never did. That was true for Thanasios as well.
However, at this moment, Thanasios was demanding the crown to be bestowed upon a mutated dragon with unbelievable powers, as if he foresaw something in the far future.
The dragons, true to their intelligent nature, immediately understood the bigger picture. Well, they were not called the entities of wisdom for nothing. The mention of "Hope", "Future" and "War" told them something very important.
The bigger picture they are to face someday…
This was a prophecy from the greatest celestial spirit of time.
And their job was to follow his every command, even if it was to crown a human as their next Monarch, they'd gladly do it.
Kyriaki stood there, unsure of what to do. She felt as if she had become a monkey in a circus as well as the East India Company when they dominated half of Asia in the Victorian era at the same time.
When she thought it was better to just go with the flow, utterly tired of everything, a familiar transparent golden screen with two new pieces of information she found incredibly useful appeared before her like a comet.
Kyriaki smirked to herself.
'If I'm going to do this, I might as well have fun doing so.'
∆ ∆ ∆
"Did you know? Like each Human has their own unique fingerprint to identify themselves, dragons also have their own scale structure unique only to them. Each dragon could be identified from one another by the scales covering their body like an armor"
—From <1000 Fun Facts About Dragons>—