Chapter 745: Dragon and Dragon

The Arctic ice sea remained bitterly cold and windswept, yet the eternal Talrond Great Barrier steadfastly preserved the warmth and comfort of the dragons’ homeland.

Melita Pernia awoke from the wide, soft bed, her pale violet eyes reflecting the familiar ceiling of her bedroom. She stared blankly for a few minutes before blinking, taking a deep breath, and stretching out in a long, lazy yawn.

“A good night’s sleep at home… it’s been a while,” the blue dragon murmured softly, still lying in bed as she waved a hand lazily to the side. Instantly, the room’s sensors responded to her gesture. The slanted roof on one side of the bedroom silently slid open, letting daylight pour through the transparent polymer shell, dispelling the reddish gloom. Various devices around the room powered up one by one, filling the space with a low, steady hum.

A translucent polymer curtain descended on the wall opposite the bed, and a softly glowing circular image appeared on it. The edges shimmered and vibrated, emitting a pleasant mechanical chime: “Good afternoon, Melita Pernia.”

“Afternoon, Omega…” Melita rubbed her eyes and yawned, her voice thick with sleep. Then, suddenly, she froze. “Wait—afternoon?!”

“Yes. You have been asleep for eighteen hours. Please rest assured, this is normal. Your body needs repair, especially your nervous system. Extended sleep ensures your nerves recover as quickly as possible.”

“But I had an appointment today with Speaker Andal,” Melita exclaimed. “He’s going to kill me!”

“Rest assured, he will not. Speaker Andal will only deduct your second-class field allowance for this month—no need to worry, it has already been deducted.”

“Damn it! I should have set an alarm! Something like an arcane missile or a fireball to the face!” Melita tugged at her hair in frustration before slumping out of bed. “Well, it’s too late now… Help me draft an apology letter and reschedule the meeting. Aside from the bad news, is there anything else?”

“Your heart has been recalibrated, and the spinal implant is ready for installation at any time.”

“Well, that’s some good news,” Melita nodded, still in her nightgown as she headed for the door. “Take me to the workshop… and prepare two doses of the ‘Phantom Dream’ enhancer while you’re at it.”

“At your service, Melita.”

The silent, swift elevator embedded within the dragon’s lair whisked Melita from her “humanoid residence” bedroom to her mountaintop lair in under thirty seconds.

Stepping out, she entered a vast hemispherical hall, a massive interior space carved and modified from the natural mountain structure. The lower half revealed large, evenly hewn rock walls, studded with polymer brackets and cable conduits. Above, a tightly sealed alloy dome enclosed the space.

Though spacious and open, the hall’s perimeter was lined with numerous mechanical devices and golden pillars etched with intricate, ornate patterns. Three of these pillars were currently active, their surfaces flickering with flowing light, faintly revealing hidden mechanisms within.

This was Melita’s “dragon’s den,” painstakingly crafted over millennia. Compared to the “ultra-luxurious, exquisitely ornate” style favored by most dragons of this era, her lair was somewhat modest. But it hadn’t always been so—

She had once installed a magnificent dome covered in full bas-reliefs, used palace-style arches and columns, filled the space with gold, silver, and jewels (though some were glass and synthetic polymers just to bulk up the hoard), slept atop massive treasure chests, and even lined the walls with towering bookshelves stuffed with model tomes scavenged from flea markets…

Now, she had redecorated it in the “classical workshop” style popular in Talrond ten thousand years ago.

Melita was a dragon who loved change and cherished her own unique style.

Reaching the center of the circular hall, she stretched out her arms. A brilliant magical aura enveloped her, rapidly enlarging her form as she shifted into her dragon shape. The three glowing pillars silently moved closer, their alloy shells hissing as they opened.

Inside were enormous tubular crystal containers filled with pale liquid. Two held massive hearts—complex organs composed of biological tissue, bionic skin, polymer tubing, and intricate mechanical pumps. The third contained a shimmering metallic spine segment, its connection points festooned with cables and glowing runes.

Bubbles rose from the liquid as the metallic spine slowly rotated, revealing two sharp rows of stamped letters on its backplate:

“The soul within the machine remains free.”

“Gomodo Implant Corp. Design Patent—All Rights Reserved.”

The magical glow faded, and Melita opened her eyes—now fully transformed into a majestic blue dragon.

She shook her massive neck and rumbled, “I heard Bakbarto Corp. released a new auxiliary heart—pretty and handsome…”

“Pursuing such aesthetics will not improve your financial situation,” Omega’s voice echoed throughout the hall. “Moreover, the performance difference between the new and old auxiliary hearts is negligible. The beautiful bionic skin is meaningless on an internal implant. Perhaps… you plan to replace the scales near your chest with transparent polymer?”

“Forget it, no money,” Melita sighed. “Start the implantation process. Make me happy…”

The mechanical devices standing by throughout the hall sprang to life. Coordinated robotic arms began dismantling the mechanical scales and protective layers on Melita’s body. Her chest cavity opened, revealing a hollow space filled with temporary buffer fluid. Her back was exposed, showing provisional neural connectors and fluid circulation pumps…

The hearts were repositioned, the spine restored to pristine condition. Prepared enhancers were injected into the circulation pumps, awakening the dormant organ components to swift, joyful operation.

The enhancers began affecting her nervous system. Melita felt her thoughts spreading uncontrollably, her huge eyes staring into the air as if the holographic interface of Omega appeared before her.

But she knew it was only an illusion created by her nervous system—the visual medium of Omega was not truly present. What she saw was a phantom conjured by the resonance core within her skull stimulating her nerves.

That resonance core, present in every dragon’s life, connected all Talrond citizens in a neural interactive network. It influenced the entire dragon realm, controlled the operation of Talrond itself—a super AI named Omega. It was here, controlling every machine in this hall, managing these so-called medical devices that could just as easily be lethal weapons.

Omega was performing the most delicate implant surgery on her—her heart, her central nervous system—laid bare and defenseless in the hands of this artificial intelligence.

Melita shook her head, aware the enhancers were clouding her judgment, yet unable to stop her thoughts from wandering.

“Please try not to move,” Omega’s emotionless voice came from all directions. The surgical probes glowed dim red. “I am closing your spinal protective layer.”

“Omega… where are you?” Melita mumbled faintly.

“I am in Talrond, deep within the dragon realm. I am here, before you, Melita Pernia.” Omega’s voice responded instantly, while the probes and robotic arms continued their precise work silently.

“Tell me… are you the true ruler of Talrond? I mean, beyond the divine authority…”

“Omega is Talrond’s servant. My purpose is to serve you. Managing this land is only to fulfill that mission.”

“Yeah…” Melita felt herself drifting toward sleep but murmured softly, “Omega, so you’re pretty loyal…”

“Omega is loyal to Talrond,” the AI’s voice calmly echoed through the hall, seeping into Melita’s drowsy mind. “Omega is loyal to the dragons—absolutely loyal, forever loyal…”

…

High Priest Helagor walked through the magnificent, expansive golden temple. The sacred, solemn hall echoed only with the sound of his footsteps.

This middle-aged “man,” closest to the gods, passed down long corridors and wide chambers until he reached the lofty holy throne.

A woman sat there, dressed in a pale golden, elegant gown. Her golden hair cascaded to the floor, her striking features radiating regal grace. She glanced lazily down at the approaching dragon priest.

Helagor bowed respectfully. “My Lady, you summoned me?”

“Lately, I sense unrest in the hearts of the dragons,” the golden-haired goddess said softly, her tone gentle and kind. “Helagor, my High Priest, do you know what is happening?”

Helagor kept his head bowed, expression unchanged—though he knew nothing escaped the gaze of this deity.

“The dragons seem to rejoice in the changing times,” he answered respectfully.

“Changing times… oh, you mean the continent beyond the Eternal Storm,” the dragon goddess smiled faintly, intrigued. “Another season of civilization… cycle after cycle, time after time… It seems you are not yet weary.”

“There are always young dragons curious about the outside world, my Lady.”

“Curiosity, and hope, yes?” The goddess looked down at the High Priest. “Do you share their hope as well?”

“My Lady, I am loyal to you,” Helagor replied calmly, his voice steady. “Absolutely loyal, forever loyal.”

The goddess narrowed her eyes slightly. “Absolutely loyal… forever loyal. That’s what your ‘Omega’ often tells you too, isn’t it?”

She received no reply, but seemed unconcerned.

The deity who had descended into the mortal realm slowly rose from her throne, her gown trailing behind her as she walked past Helagor.

“To be honest, sometimes I really want to meet this ‘Omega’ you created—the heartless creation…”

“But let it be—for a child’s toy, it’s best left to the child.”

“Is that so, Heragor?”

Heragor lay prostrate on the ground, his forehead pressed against the path the Dragon God had walked. “Yes, my lord.”

…

Cecil Empire, Southern Territory.

Maggie sat inside a warm room, her gaze drifting through the crystal-clear glass window, watching the bustling streets of Cecil City.

This was the “dormitory” assigned to her by the Institute of Arcane Technology. But calling it a dormitory was a stretch—it was actually a cozy, fully equipped standalone house.

Compared to the cold, austere feel of the old castles, these modern homes in Cecil City were far more comfortable to live in.

The day was sunny, with no biting wind. The streets were crowded with people, many dressed in foreign attire, their curious eyes taking in the city’s sights. Maggie’s gaze traveled to the far end of the street, where the towering spires and walls of the Imperial Academy stood proudly in the distance.

More and more people had come to Cecil City this winter—from all corners of the empire, from the neighboring Ogure tribes, and from friendly northern city-states.

This incredible city, built on a brand-new order, seemed to be gradually becoming a kind of “center.” Cecil’s merchants and their arcane creations were tirelessly spreading the city’s influence far and wide. Even in the harsh winter, when long journeys were difficult, countless outsiders were drawn here—nobles capable of travel, seekers of new knowledge, gifted individuals, and scholars sponsored by the royal family—all flocking to this place.

Maggie had never seen anything like it before. She couldn’t help but think of a legendary kingdom now lost to history—the Gondor Empire, once the heart of civilization on the continent. It was said that Gondor’s capital had similarly drawn scholars and visitors of all races from across the land.

Maggie stepped away from the window and sat at her desk. She pulled out a sheet of stationery and began to write a letter to a friend far away.

She had once thought she would never write to that place again.

“Sujina, my friend, you may be surprised to receive this letter—if, of course, it manages to cross the vast distance, to traverse the suffocating cliffs of the Holy Dragon Principality, and reach your hands. But I choose to trust the honorable messengers, that they will carry my words to you and to the others who remain in the Holy Dragon Principality.

“Sujina, do you still remember your dream of flying?

“I am now in a place beyond belief…”

(End of chapter)