Chapter 122: Tell Me How!

After putting Helena into the dragon’s body, I immediately collapsed, coughing up blood.

In my hazy consciousness, I felt people lifting me up and carrying me outside.

Soon after, I realized I was wrapped in a fluffy mass of fur. Very warm and soft fur.

Ah. It’s Horaru. I was being transported while riding on Horaru’s back.

“….Ugh.. Shit.”

When I closed my eyes and opened them again, the location had changed again. It seems to be a hospital room. Both my arms hurt as if they’re being torn apart. There’s no problem with movement, but I feel like there might be some after-effects.

‘Helena. Helena?’

Silence. No answer. I was worried something might have gone wrong, but soon her emotions were transmitted to me.

I get the feeling she’s safe. She’s probably settling into the growth bracelet.

It seems more intimate than when we just communicated through thoughts. The feeling of her becoming completely my servant and summon, the distance becoming even closer.

‘The others…’

Horaru and the Tower Master were sitting at a corner table, talking.

When I got up and made my presence known, the two of them realized I had woken up and approached me.

“Hmm. Are you okay? You coughed up a lot of blood.”

“You’re awake. Any problems?”

“My arms hurt quite a bit. Is this an infirmary?”

“That’s right. It’s a private room in the infirmary. I called a high-ranking priest to examine you, and they said the treatment was completed perfectly. But what on earth did you do? And where did the dragon larva disappear to?”

I was about to answer the Tower Master’s question but closed my mouth again.

It wasn’t a situation to answer the Tower Master.

‘You crazy bastard.’

As soon as I woke up, the dragon soul I had captured started to thrash about.

I need to tighten the chains more.

‘It’s useless to struggle now.’

I bound the dragon soul, which harbored blind hatred and animosity towards humans, tightly with chains and shoved it inside me.

This young dragon’s soul, which is of no help at all and can’t even communicate, will be put into a monster’s body and killed along with the monster when we enter the labyrinth later if I can’t find a use for it.

‘Honestly, this is the first time I’ve encountered such a fierce and rough soul.’

I don’t dare to handle it. It should be considered practically impossible to tame. Perhaps because it’s the ego of a baby dragon with no knowledge, it tried to eat me.

Suppressing it while tightly wrapped in chains is the best we can do for now.

‘Well, this isn’t particularly important anyway.’

Whether the baby dragon’s soul thrashes about or not isn’t important right now.

What’s really important is that Helena has perfectly settled into the dragon’s body, and the Witch of the Dark Moon, who can be considered humanity’s strongest magician, has entered the body of a hatchling that has the potential to become the strongest creature.

And that witch is my comrade, and we have a relationship where our souls are bound together.

Putting a human with extensive magical knowledge into the body of a creature that uses magic as naturally as breathing, it can be considered the best result.

“Hey, Sion. Why aren’t you answering?”

“Hmm. Is he in severe pain?”

“What? Should I call the priest again?”

“No, no. I’m fine now. So, what were you asking?”

“I asked where the dragon larva went. The dragon larva disappeared around the time you were coughing up blood.”

Helena is inside the growth bracelet now. She’s using the growth bracelet as a nest to heal her weakened body.

“Surely.. it didn’t die..?”

“No. It’s not dead. It’s currently recovering inside me.”

“Recovering inside? What do you mean?”

“Well, where should I start explaining.”

“In detail. Explain in detail.”

“That’s a bit. No, are you going to extract my information without giving anything in return? That’s not a fair trade, is it?”

“What did you say?”

As I resisted without telling her when she was dying of curiosity, the Tower Master was about to go crazy.

Her blue hair is being pulled out in real-time.

“Tell me! I’m dying of curiosity!”

“No, so. If you’re curious about the method I used, shouldn’t you pay for the information?”

“You rotten.. What do you want? Tell me what you want.”

“The remaining dragon egg. Can I have that..”

“No!”

“Hmm. Is that so? That’s a shame. Then can I ask for unconditional support for the underground city pioneering project?”

“You want me to support unconditionally?”

“Yes.”

Please vouch for me.

“What are you planning to do.”

“It’s nothing special. I’ll tell you in detail later. So will you do it or not?”

The Tower Master pondered. Her ultimate goal seemed to be labyrinth exploration anyway, so it wouldn’t be bad for her if she could have a foot in the underground city pioneering project.

‘The more support, the better.’

Raphanel, the alchemist who has won over both the Guild Master Moira and the Alchemy Association President, will clearly give me full support. But those two alone are far from enough.

They’re both very reliable, but it’s not yet a satisfactory level.

“Alright for now.”

“Would you like to sign a contract as well?”

“Ha. I’m starting to get scared that I’m getting too involved.”

The Tower Master signed the contract despite her reluctant expression.

That’s how curious she must be about how I tamed the dragon larva.

“Are you satisfied with your curiosity?”

“I understand that you captured the dragon using your innate abilities and rare materials. And that the Magic Tower can’t use that method. I get it. Hmm.”

The Tower Master looked at my hand as if somewhat regretful.

“Since we’ve made a contract anyway, shall we build a closer relationship?”

“A closer relationship?”

“Yes. I think I’ve treated you too much like an outsider. Hearing your methods, I think you could sufficiently participate in our Magic Tower’s research.”

“What do you want?”

“I realized something from today’s incident. My ideal of solving everything with just magic is still far from being realized. I need help. Not just magic. I want to gather talented individuals from various fields.. and form a group. Horaru has agreed to join.”

“Hmm. Unlimited honey. Research funding provided. They even gave me a house.”

No wonder they were talking without realizing I had woken up. It was about the contract.

Providing research funds and even a house. It’s quite an exceptional condition for a silver badge adventurer.

‘He was swayed by the unlimited honey supply rather than other conditions.’

I wanted to take Horaru with me, but he had already joined hands with the Magic Tower. Well, this can’t be helped.

“Won’t you participate too?”

“I’d rather not have too deep a relationship. Just use me as external personnel.”

“Seems like you don’t want to be deeply entangled with the Magic Tower.”

“It’s not just the Magic Tower. I’m not deeply involved with the Order or the Guild either. I just prefer to act freely.”

“That’s a shame. I understand for now. I’ll contact you when I need help.”

“You know it won’t be for free, right?”

“I know.”

That’s enough. The Tower Master didn’t urge any further collaboration with the Magic Tower, knowing that I wouldn’t make unreasonable demands.

It’s enough to help each other when help is needed.

“I suppose you can’t take out the dragon to show me right away?”

“I’ll show you tomorrow depending on the conditions. I’m settling it in now.”

“Alright. Then… Ah!”

“What is it?”

“The bracelet. What happened to the ability-fixing bracelet?”

“About that. It’s not a spatial-type ability. An ability related to my spirit eye appeared.”

“What..? Did the bracelet get twisted?”

Mabel fiddled with the ability-fixing bracelet on my wrist and then frowned.

“Why is the engraving distorted like this? Huh. So did you get an ability?”

“Yes. In the spiritual power category.”

“I see. So you didn’t get a spatial-type. Then in the end, you only have the spatial pocket, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Do you have any combat-type abilities?”

Combat-type?

Except for Shaka’s Remnant, I don’t have any notable combat-related abilities.

I’m just a supporter, right? I know that…

“Now that we’ve agreed to pursue the future together. You can’t die because you’re weak. Above all, since you’ve eaten a dragon.. you need to survive countless misfortunes until the hatchling grows.”

“Countless misfortunes?”

“Yes. The hatchling is… a symbol of misfortune. Most living beings… especially monsters, try to eat the hatchling before it grows into an adult. The labyrinth is the same. Do you think it’s possible for a baby dragon without a mother to survive normally in the labyrinth?”

“Is that really true?”

“That’s what was written in the records. That’s why I hatched it outside the labyrinth even though I knew there was little mana.”

“I didn’t know there was such a reason…”

“So you absolutely can’t be weak. If you couldn’t raise your power with a spatial-type ability… you’ll have to do your best with what you have.”

“What are you planning to do?”

“Let’s explore aggressive ways to use the spatial pocket.”

“What..?”

“I have several ideas. Since time essentially stops inside the spatial pocket. I wonder if the force received from the outside will be maintained as it is inside…”

Time doesn’t flow inside the spatial pocket.

That’s why if you put warm food in, you can take it out warm anytime, anywhere.

It means that temperature, thermal energy is maintained as it is inside the inventory.

Then would kinetic energy also be preserved as it is? Mabel seemed to want to ask that.

“First, I’ll shoot an arrow at you. You put it in the spatial pocket just before it hits you. Then… wouldn’t it enter the spatial pocket with the same force it was flying with? If you take it out again. It would move in the direction you take it out with the same force as when it was shot, right?”

“…. That’s interesting?”

“Right? If you can’t use spatial cutting.. we need to explore other options.”

It was very interesting.

In the 8 months I’ve lived in the labyrinth city.

Getting the spatial pocket is actually something that happened less than half a year ago. It means I haven’t had the chance to experiment with all the possibilities yet.

“I’ll cast an 8th circle protective spell on you, so let’s shoot an arrow at your body. If you can just put it in the spatial pocket without stopping the flying arrow instinctively…”

“I could become an archer with infinite arrows, right?”

“It’s theoretically possible.”

Just by reaching out your hand without the shooting motion, the arrow would fly in that direction as you take it out.

It’s not just arrows. It includes all objects that are shot. If you can put it in the spatial pocket the moment it touches you, before it loses its kinetic energy, before it hits your body.

‘You can get the strongest spear and shield at the same time.’

It means getting both a defense against ranged attacks and an attack method.

The problem is whether or not you can gain the sense to capture that momentary gap.

‘I need to make Shaka’s Remnant completely mine.’

Training with Gon became even more crucial.

I need to heighten my senses.

I had to be able to put the incoming arrow into the spatial pocket as soon as it touched my fingertips without grabbing it.

No matter how I think about it, it’s just a crazy idea, but if I succeed, wouldn’t it be like projectile immunity?

Above all, the Tower Master said she’d use 8th circle protective magic. This means I absolutely have to try it.