‘A sharp fellow, indeed.’
It was a composed question, yet quite piercing.
‘If answered wrongly, it might hurt his pride.’
After a brief contemplation, Imoogi decided to speak honestly.
Evading the question clumsily would probably wound his pride even more.
“Yes. Though he has never told me everything, he must have had some idea about you.”
Even Christina wouldn’t have been able to predict this result accurately.
However, it was true that this was the outcome she desired, and Imoogi had only added a little more to it.
Not a young Imoogi, but Christina in the position of a guardian, was selecting the most suitable place for Ferdicion’s reformation, his ‘conversion.’
‘A mutual objective.’
“Alright. Understood.”
Ferdicion, who believed he had received an answer, nodded without further suspicion.
Then, he took a deep breath of fresh air and pointed ahead with his finger.
“Look at that basin.”
At those words, Imoogi turned his gaze.
Although there were still occasional golden glows, the subtle yet powerful light that once filled the basin had almost faded away.
The forest, imbued with a more vibrant vitality, was displaying its original colors.
Looking down at the scenery, Ferdicion began to speak slowly.
“Do you know what Christina’s lair is made of?”
“No.”
As Imoogi shook his head, Ferdicion crossed his arms and fixed his gaze on him.
“Her lair is built from the scales of Gold Dragons that have lived on this land for generations.”
“Gold Dragon scales?”
‘Does that mean it’s their grave?’
Feeling odd, Imoogi’s eyes widened.
Seeing the expression of the young Black Hatchling, Ferdicion took a bottle of milk to soothe his throat.
“The legacy of the first Gold Dragon has continued to this day. They say that each time one of them dies, they leave a scale in the lair.”
As Imoogi nodded, Ferdicion continued.
“Due to the nature of Gold Dragons, which convert and emit light as power, it directly impacts such a vast basin.”
It was no wonder it felt full of yang energy from birth; the lair resonated with the energy of the sun.
‘One question answered.’
Having realized something alone, Imoogi nodded.
Episode 25: How Do You Do That?
Ferdicion continued.
“This outdoor lesson is sufficient. You’ve seen how much influence the inherent power of the clan has, so use it as a reference when you use your power later.”
“My power…”
While he had become quite adept at handling basic mana and using magic, he hadn’t tried dealing with his innate attribute yet.
As Imoogi looked down at his hand, Ferdicion added, as if giving advice.
“You are a hatchling of a Black Dragon that primarily deals with darkness; night classes will be beneficial for you. Once Christina grants permission, we will proceed.”
“Okay, brother.”
Imoogi felt pleased at the thought of obtaining various powers that could make him stronger, and subconsciously wagged his tail lightly.
Seeing that, Ferdicion smiled slightly.
‘I’m being comforted by such a child.’
But it felt surprisingly okay. Rather, it was refreshing.
Ferdicion, speaking with a light tone as if having relieved a burden, started to speak.
“Christina, your guardian, is an excellent elder of the Gold clan. She was once mentioned as a candidate for Dragon Lord. Therefore… my father always compared Christina and me.”
Shrugging his shoulders, Ferdicion looked up at the clear sky.
“When I think about it, I must have envied Christina. Not only is she recognized by my father as an elder, but she also perfectly fulfills her duty as a balancer by helping other races affected by the great war.”
‘He compared you to Christina.’
After contemplating, Imoogi spoke up.
“You could become a great elder too, brother.”
“Who knows. You don’t know how amazing Christina is.”
‘I roughly understand.’
He could feel her high stature even now when he couldn’t fully assimilate the inherited magic, so once he fully understood, he knew she would seem even more formidable.
But since he couldn’t elaborate on it at this point, he continued with a different conversation.
“You can do it. You showed me just a while ago.”
“I did?”
As Imoogi nodded, he continued.
“You understand that there are moments when affection is felt, in any form. That will surely help you govern the inhabitants of your lair.”
“Help?”
From within, a voice of denial arose, and Ferdicion furrowed his brows.
Undeterred, Imoogi spoke.
“Protecting life and also protecting the heart are both important. The capacity to consider those living with memories and love is, I believe, a virtue necessary for an elder.”
Everyone sets the direction and purpose of their life.
For Ferdicion, the purpose and direction were gaining acknowledgment from his father, acting without hesitation to achieve it.
As a result, potential talents discovered early were buried, and his heart, unable to mourn his mother’s loss properly, was festering.
“I don’t know if that’s what my lair inhabitants want, but… I see. Restoring the heart is something I never thought of.”
“Your song had that power.”
Imoogi’s eyes sparkled.
“So, brother, teach me the song.”
With an embarrassed face, scratching the back of his head, Ferdicion nodded.
“It’s not difficult; I’ll teach you.”
“Thanks, brother.”
After receiving Imoogi’s thanks, Ferdicion cleared his throat once and began to sing.
Then, as if drawn to the song, the wind started to swirl unnaturally.
“Follow me to where the wind blows,
Remember me in the paused time.”
As the wind softly passed, it followed the path created by the song’s magic.
When the song ended, the gathered wind dispersed softly.
“Now, try following.”
Though he had never learned to sing properly, thinking he could enjoy it to some extent, he tried singing immediately.
But even before finishing the first verse, Ferdicion frowned and waved his hand.
“How can you sing so stiffly? It’s too bland.”
Fortunately, Imoogi was not a bad singer. However, it couldn’t be called an ‘utterance’ (언령).
“You need to genuinely feel yourself standing where the wind blows and in the fixed time within the memory. You really have to feel that way!”
“?”
‘What is he talking about?’
With a perplexed expression, Ferdicion seemed mildly displeased with adding explanations.
“You need to get immersed in the song.”
“So, how do you get immersed?”
“You just honestly express it as it is?”
Imoogi felt his temples tighten.
Pressing his temples with his fingers, he tried to relax the frown.
‘So this is what they call geniuses.’
Being taught by someone born with natural talent who couldn’t explain the process was a tiring experience.
Rushing wouldn’t help.
‘Stay calm. It’s the power to move heaven and earth with words; it’s not something to master easily.’
After ending the lesson without much gain, Imoogi, who had sent off Ferdicion, returned to his room and fell into contemplation.
While examining the information inherited from Christina, he came across a relatively easily understood utterance magic.
A contract magic made in the name of a dragon.
The information that appeared in his mind was only a brief explanation, but after careful consideration, he saw the harsh essence within it.
‘Though it’s a contract with my name as the medium, the essence might be a contract with myself as collateral.’
Even if nothing else, a magic where the failure risk was borne by oneself wasn’t a power to be used lightly.
‘Now that I think about it, Ferdicion said…’
Recalling what Ferdicion said when they talked about the true name of Baekya in the previous lesson, Imoogi pondered.
– It means creating a huge, unforeseen destiny.
– Typically, it’s inheritance magic.
– It’s not just about infusing knowledge. It’s a magic that imprints a part of the caster’s life.
‘Destiny, part of life, a contract with my existence as collateral.’
As if flowing naturally, Christina’s words about Ferdicion’s song came to his mind.
– The magic is a ‘wish’ imbuing ‘meaning’ that one understands most perfectly in life.
Overlapping with what Ferdicion just said,
– You really have to feel that way!
“…!”
Paused.
Having realized something, Imoogi’s pupils dilated.
He was unaware of his smirk as he drew his conclusion.
‘The power to move heaven and earth, fulfill wishes, and twist even fate.’
Every living creature has a born destiny.
Some are born with golden rings, others with dirt rings.
And, there are those who change such fate.
What they do first is ‘wish.’
Imbuing a ‘meaning’ to move towards a new destiny.
‘Yes, the song was merely a tool to realize the wish.’
Imoogi’s red eyes shone brightly.
‘The true essence is unwavering belief in realizing what isn’t currently achieved. What’s needed for that isn’t mana but my soul.’
At that moment, new information about utterance magic appeared.
– Utterance Magic: A top-tier magic where a high-ranking being brings strong wishes into reality through language.
– Far stronger than regular magic.
– Can create endless outcomes depending on the user.
* The effect varies by rank.
* The caster’s ‘utterance’ is created according to their lived destiny.
There also appeared newly added information, perhaps because he had a new realization about utterance.
But it didn’t end there.
A new list relating to utterance also appeared.
▶Currently Acquired Utterance List
– Resurrection (Revive.)
‘…?’
Upon seeing the usable utterance, Imoogi stood frozen like a statue.
‘Revive, what to revive?’
Feeling both exasperated and absurd, he clenched his fist tightly.
No matter how he thought, it didn’t make sense.
‘Did I wish for someone to live again?’
At a level where it was said his rank had accumulated, it made even less sense.
Even a genius like Ferdicion, who beside growing up hearing utterance magic as a lullaby, managed it with his innate talent.
But how a hatchling born less than half a year ago here mastered utterance magic was unfathomable.
‘Was there someone I wished desperately to revive?’
Never having parents or a family, nor even a lover to long for.
Trying to deny it, Imoogi reconsidered.
‘If I had something I wished desperately enough for, to the extent of creating an utterance. When would that have been?’
Without a person, then timing.
By shifting his perspective, he soon pinpointed one possibility.
‘When I faced death and failed to ascend.’
The day he died a year before his ascension.
The moment he most desperately longed for life.
‘Could it be, the one I tried to revive was… myself?’
Facing the truth he realized, Imoogi stayed still, looking into the void.
How long had it been?
“Beep…”
Baekya softly cried and flew, landing on the shoulder of the heavy-hearted Imoogi.
Head tilt.
The white chick tilted its head to the right.
“Beep! Beep.”
Lightly flapping its wings, Baekya rubbed its beak and cheek against Imoogi’s face.
Usually, he would have let it go, but the soft down and its warmth comforting his cold cheek made him leave it as it was.
Finally, Imoogi could breathe a breath of relief.
“…It’s nothing, don’t worry.”
‘Yes. This life I got after a desperate wish. Even if not as Imoogi, it’s a new life I desired.’
Scratching Baekya’s nose perched on its beak, the bird pleasantly chirped.
‘I came back to life. Not as the ominous black Imoogi.’
Calmed, his eyes shone with a faint red hue.
