After Stan lost his evolution path as a warrior, the Dragon Roar Faction had three options to consider.
The first option was to let Stan live a normal life, completely separate from the world of Paragons. He would no longer be involved in anything related to evolution. However, this option came with a significant problem. Stan held a unique position in the family as the "Key Breaker." If he stopped evolving, the entire family's evolution would come to a halt, no matter how much effort they put in. This was due to their shared family bloodline, which tied their progress to Stan's.
The second option was to turn Stan into a mage. He already had a mana core, though it was inactive. With the right surgery, his mana core could be activated, allowing him to begin evolving as a mage.
However, this path also had its downsides. First, finding someone skilled enough to perform the surgery was nearly impossible. While the Pendragon Book of Knowledge detailed the procedure, no one in the family had ever succeeded in performing it. The process was extremely delicate, and a single mistake could cause irreparable damage.
Second, if Stan became a mage, he would have to start his evolution from the very bottom. All the strength he had built as a warrior would be lost, and he'd need to grow his power as a mage from scratch.
Because of these challenges, the faction had dismissed this option, deciding it was too risky and impractical to attempt.
The third and final option was to heal Stan's Qi core and restore it to its original state. This had been their primary goal for a long time, leading them to countless efforts and, ultimately, to the tense gathering at the moment.
Just now, however, Cressida had suggested a new take on the second option: unlocking Stan's mana core. She proposed that if Stan became a mage, it wouldn't just be him—it would allow all of them to unlock their mana cores and become mages too.
Everyone in the room exchanged glances, and a sense of agreement began to settle over the group. The idea wasn't met with much resistance. While none of them had ever been mages, they didn't have any objection to the idea itself. The problem was that they had never found a way to make it possible.
"Wait a minute..." Qudsiyah said, her tone laced with surprise. "You're all Pendragons, and none of you know magic?"
"Is there something important about us knowing magic?" Peter asked, narrowing his eyes.
Qudsiyah laughed—a sharp, almost mocking sound. "Hahaha... This must be the weakest generation of Pendragons. Do you even know what you are?"
Her words hung in the air, cutting through the group's quiet deliberation.
"You are dragons, and in the past, dragons were known for their immense magical powers. They could manipulate anything with their will and spells," Qudsiyah began, laughing lightly. "And yet, here I am with a group of dragons in human form who don't even have active mana cores. Just what is going on with this world?"
"Can you cut the crap already?" Peter snapped, his frustration evident. "We're well aware of how weak we are compared to our ancestors. That's exactly why we're doing everything we can to reclaim the power we've lost."
He took a breath, then continued, "Now, can you help us unlock Stan's mana core?"
Qudsiyah nodded, her tone softening. "I will. Honestly, as dragons, you need magic. It's the key to unlocking much of your true potential."
She stepped forward and grasped Stan's hand once again. Almost immediately, a bright light enveloped them, its glow filling the room. But just as before, the light faded almost as quickly as it had appeared.
"Is it done?" Peter asked, his voice carrying a mix of hope and apprehension.
Qudsiyah let out a sigh, her expression thoughtful. "Things are starting to make sense now. It seems the universe doesn't want you to use magic either," she said solemnly.
Before anyone could respond, Qudsiyah added, "Before I continue, I need to remind you all—the Fate Aura is still present."
Bang!
The loud sound of a fist slamming onto the table echoed through the room, followed by the table shattering into pieces. Peter was now standing, his face red with anger.
"You must be making this up! I don't believe any of it!" he shouted, his voice shaking with rage.
"Easy, Peter!" Elder Rooney said sharply, rising from his seat to try and calm him down.
Peter glared at Qudsiyah. "You think I'm going to believe this nonsense? Fine! Do whatever you need to do, but know this—when the consequences come, don't expect me to hold you blameless!"
Qudsiyah didn't flinch under Peter's harsh words. Her horn began to glow, signaling that she was ready to proceed with the process. The room grew tense as everyone waited.
But just as she was about to begin, Stan suddenly pulled his hand away, breaking the contact. The glow from Qudsiyah's horn faded as silence fell over the room.
"I saw it," Stan said quietly, his voice trembling. "I saw the Fate Aura too."
The tension in the room turned to unease, worry evident on everyone's faces.
"Are you sure about what you saw?" Peter asked cautiously.
"A faint green aura surrounding me," Stan replied, his eyes downcast. "Yes, I'm sure. That's what I saw."
Elder Rooney's voice broke the silence. "That's exactly how the book describes the Fate Aura."
"So, does that mean you'll never be healed?" Cressida asked, her voice tinged with despair. "You won't get your Qi core back... and you won't become a mage either?"
"Maybe that's what it means," Stan said softly.
The room fell into a heavy silence. The mood was somber as the weight of the situation sank in. Just when they had dared to hope, that hope had been shattered once again.
"That might not necessarily be true," Qudsiyah said in response to Stan's statement, drawing everyone's attention to her.
"Although I've said that Fate Aura is something that typically occurs in high beings, the truth is that parts of it also influence lower beings to some extent," Qudsiyah explained.
She paused before continuing, "For instance, imagine a child born into a harsh environment, surrounded by knowledge and experiences far beyond what's suitable for a child. We can all agree that this child's future is being shaped in a way that could lead to disaster. The signs are there, but they can't be avoided without intervention."
"What are you getting at?" Stan asked, his tone cautious.
"What I'm saying is this: maybe the Fate Aura is preventing me from healing you because it's not the right time for you to be healed. It could mean the universe doesn't want me to be the one to heal you. Or perhaps someone else is destined to help you instead," Qudsiyah said.
Her voice grew firmer as she added, "All of this is speculation, but one thing I know for sure is that peace energy doesn't intervene when something is going to benefit you. It only steps in when an action could harm you or those around you."
"You talk in circles," Graham said, rubbing his temples. "But if I understand you correctly, you're saying the Fate Aura is stopping you from healing Stan because either you're not the one meant to help him, or this just isn't the right time."
"Exactly," Qudsiyah confirmed.
"That's strange," Elder Rooney said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "I don't think there's anything else that can heal Stan right now, apart from you or maybe a peacemaker."
Qudsiyah smiled faintly. "What if I told you there's someone on Earth who might be able to help?"
Everyone looked at her, startled by the revelation.
"We've scoured every corner of Earth," Elder Rooney replied. "I don't believe there are any unicorns left."
"It's not a unicorn," Qudsiyah replied calmly.
"When you all passed through that portal to come here, I did something you didn't notice," she continued, her tone more serious now. "I sent my peace energy through the portal you used to get here."
"Why would you do that?" Peter asked, narrowing his eyes.
"I wanted to see if there were any unicorns left on Earth," Qudsiyah admitted. "Sadly, I didn't find any. But I did find something else—something close. There's a being on Earth with peace energy almost at the level of a unicorn."
The room went silent as her words sank in.
---
Meanwhile, back on Earth, inside a massive hospital filled with advanced medical facilities, chaos unfolded in one of the emergency rooms. A dying patient lay on the operating table, surrounded by several doctors and nurses frantically working to stabilize his condition.
"Doctor Anna, I think we're losing him! If nothing is done, he only has a few minutes left," a nurse named Seraphine said urgently, her voice trembling as tears welled up in her eyes.
"Tearing up in a moment like this is unprofessional," said Doctor Anna sharply. She was fully covered in surgical attire, most of it now stained with the patient's blood. Grabbing Seraphine's face gently but firmly, she looked into her eyes.
"Tell everyone to leave the room. Let me handle this," Anna instructed, her tone leaving no room for argument.
Without hesitation, Seraphine turned to the others and quickly ordered the nurses and doctors to leave the emergency room. There was a moment of hesitation among the staff—they exchanged nervous glances—but eventually, they all exited the room, leaving Anna alone with the patient.
Outside, Seraphine stood near the door, unable to walk away. Curiosity got the better of her, and she peeked through the small window in the door to see what was happening inside.
Inside the room, Anna removed her bloodstained surgical gloves and mask, revealing her strikingly beautiful face. Her calm expression belied the gravity of the situation. She approached the unconscious patient, examining the large, gaping wound in his stomach. His face had already turned deathly pale, a clear sign that he was moments away from death.
Taking a deep breath, Anna placed her hands over the wound. Her fingers hovered for a moment before she pressed down gently, closing her eyes in concentration.
Slowly but surely, the patient's color started to return. His pale face regained its vitality as if life itself was being poured back into him. The open wound began to close, the damaged tissues knitting themselves together in seconds. Before long, the injury was completely healed, leaving no scar—nothing to suggest there had ever been a wound at all.
From outside, Seraphine watched in awe.
"Anna... just how in the world did you learn such magic?" Seraphine thought, her mind swirling.