Chapter 210
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Meanwhile, as Alec and Ye Sha were getting into a heated argument about whether or not he should actively move and go and look for The One instead of skulking about in the shrubbery, a figure was meditating in a clearing filled wish lush greenery.
Every being that existed in this crack between realms knew to avoid this place unless they wanted to face death for disturbing the dragon's concentration.
Though their intelligence was not high, so many of them had faced death already that even the least intelligent monsters and creatures knew to avoid this clearing.
So many had died here, becoming fertilizer for the greenery in the area.
The monster that lived here was ruthless, uncaring for their life or death.
The figure had a mix of androgynous features, and his beauty transcended time and space. He had an otherworldly feel about him, his beauty so stunning it was almost inhuman.
With long, silvery-white hair that was tied loosely into a high ponytail, it was hard to make out their gender, but when he moved, his actions had the taste of masculinity. While still elegant, his actions did not carry the slightest trace of feminine charm.
The humanoid dragon opened his eyes, revealing golden eyes that had a slit for his pupil, not unlike those of reptiles.
Haphira stood up, brushing off the fallen leaves that had accumulated while he was meditating. He blinked slowly, turning his head to a certain direction.
He and Elysia had been the only two humanoid people that inhabited this place, but now he could feel that someone who was carrying his scale had appeared in this place.
It was likely that young child that he'd gifted his one scale to.
Haphira was confused.
The only way someone could get into this crack between realms was if Haphira himself brought them here, or if they entered from a certain door in the other crack between realms that his friend left behind.
Yet, the place that his friend left behind required a series of linked actions before it could be accessed safely, and as far as Haphira knew, his friend had not had any inheritors or successors.
In a blink, the place that Haphira was previously standing was now empty as he rapidly moved towards the child that had his scale.
-
Alec and Ye Sha were still arguing in Alec's mindscape when both of them felt the rapid approach of a huge amount of magical energy heading towards them.
"That has to be the dragon!" Ye Sha said with excitement. "I haven't seen a dragon in so long! Actually, even then, before you guys, I hadn't seen a human in such a long time, either!"
Alec felt surprised. The feeling that this magic gave him was exactly the only time that he'd ever met a dragon. And, when he said met, what he really meant was 'stay stunned in place as the large, overwhelming mass of magic moved towards him'.
Like that day he'd first met Blanche, the magic that was rapidly approaching them gave him the same feelings of majesty and pride, but compared to before, where it was more unrestrained and free, it was now tempered a little, as if the dragon was mellower.
Alec stayed where he was.
There was no point in moving right now, not when he suspected that it was the same dragon that had given him its silvery-white scale that had served Alec well these past couple of years. Even if it wasn't, it wasn't too late to flee using his master's gift.
Haphira landed in front of the child, who had become a bit taller since the last time he saw him.
With jet black hair, and wide, innocent blue eyes, Haphira thought that the child had not changed that much since the time that they first met.
What confused him was that he didn't think that many years had passed in the world outside, for that child to grow to such a degree?
Or was his daughter just behind in growth??
He was suddenly worried.
As a dragon, their growth rates were a lot different from ordinary humans. His daughter was currently about sixteen due to accelerated time in this dimension, but the outer dimension should not have had that much time pass.
Had his spell over the realm slipped?
Haphira quietly checked his array, but did not find anything amiss, further puzzling him.
"Child," Haphira said, trying to put the child at ease, but that only seemed to make the child tenser.
Alec tensed up when he heard the dragon's voice, which was just as androgynous as his looks. Though, from the way he moved, Alec suspected that the dragon was male.
By all accounts, the other appeared just like a normal human. He was stunning, but he appeared human from all angles. Except for his eyes.
Just looking into his eyes, Alec felt the power from the dragon shake him to the core, but he forcibly calmed himself.
Show no weakness.
"Fake it till you make it," Ye Sha whispered.
Yes. Exactly so.
"My thanks for your scale all those years ago."
"Hmm," Haphira murmured, pleased. What a polite youngling. The boy's eyes were clear and reflected the light in a curious way. "Hm?"
Haphira looked closer at his eyes. They were very distinct in the sunlight, and only one clan he ever knew had those type of eyes.
"Ah, you are part of the Neil Clan," Haphira said with curiosity. "It has been so many years, but the Neil Clan still stands strong. My friend would be pleased."
Alec's curiosity was successfully piqued. "Elder, you know of the Neil Clan?"
Haphira snorted, but even that wasn't inelegant. Alec was baffled. The dragon was unfairly attractive. "Hah. Elder. No. You have my permission to call me Haphira as thanks for your help setting my child and I free."
Alec was reflexively maintaining his normal smile – the smile that had practically been hammered into his dreams and nightmares – the dragon was doing a good job throwing him for a loop each time. "My name is Alecris Neil. My friends call me Alec."
"Alec," Haphira said slowly, as if tasting the words on his tongue. The boy was neither haughty nor humble, which was pleasing. "As for your question, I do indeed know of the Neil Clan. My friend founded it, after all."
Alec's eyes widened. Just how old was the dragon before him?
Haphira did not know why this strange youngling inspired such trust within him.
He knew well enough that those who smiled all the time likely hid nefarious intentions, or they were the biggest hypocrites in the world. Generally, they should not be trusted at all.
Yet, there was a hint of something genuine that hung at the corners of the boy's smile, which made it seem believable. Perhaps that was why the boy did not inspire such distrust in him.
Haphira had lived a long, long time. So long that he no longer counted the years that passed.
He'd made friends, been betrayed by them, met villains, befriended them, killed and saved many in turn.
He'd done all manners of things over his years and had eventually ended up trapped in an array that had only been fractured because someone had removed one of the cornerstones for the array.
That someone was Alec.
Without knowing what he was doing at that time, he had his familiars remove all the books from a certain bookshelf, fracturing and weakening the array that had been keeping both Haphira and his daughter – who had originally been thrown in there as his food – locked and sealed.
Perhaps, that was the reason Haphira felt more generous to the child, despite him not really trusting humans fully any longer.
Just as Alec was about to ask a few more questions, they were interrupted by the faint rustling of the bushes nearby as a girl stepped out.
"Hey, dad, what are you doing?" Elysia asked with plain curiosity. "There's someone else here? Is he your friend?"
Alec froze as his eyes landed on the loveliest girl that he'd ever had the pleasure of seeing, his heart immediately palpitating.
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Meanwhile, as Alec and Ye Sha were getting into a heated argument about whether or not he should actively move and go and look for The One instead of skulking about in the shrubbery, a figure was meditating in a clearing filled wish lush greenery.
Every being that existed in this crack between realms knew to avoid this place unless they wanted to face death for disturbing the dragon's concentration.
Though their intelligence was not high, so many of them had faced death already that even the least intelligent monsters and creatures knew to avoid this clearing.
So many had died here, becoming fertilizer for the greenery in the area.
The monster that lived here was ruthless, uncaring for their life or death.
The figure had a mix of androgynous features, and his beauty transcended time and space. He had an otherworldly feel about him, his beauty so stunning it was almost inhuman.
With long, silvery-white hair that was tied loosely into a high ponytail, it was hard to make out their gender, but when he moved, his actions had the taste of masculinity. While still elegant, his actions did not carry the slightest trace of feminine charm.
The humanoid dragon opened his eyes, revealing golden eyes that had a slit for his pupil, not unlike those of reptiles.
Haphira stood up, brushing off the fallen leaves that had accumulated while he was meditating. He blinked slowly, turning his head to a certain direction.
He and Elysia had been the only two humanoid people that inhabited this place, but now he could feel that someone who was carrying his scale had appeared in this place.
It was likely that young child that he'd gifted his one scale to.
Haphira was confused.
The only way someone could get into this crack between realms was if Haphira himself brought them here, or if they entered from a certain door in the other crack between realms that his friend left behind.
Yet, the place that his friend left behind required a series of linked actions before it could be accessed safely, and as far as Haphira knew, his friend had not had any inheritors or successors.
In a blink, the place that Haphira was previously standing was now empty as he rapidly moved towards the child that had his scale.
-
Alec and Ye Sha were still arguing in Alec's mindscape when both of them felt the rapid approach of a huge amount of magical energy heading towards them.
"That has to be the dragon!" Ye Sha said with excitement. "I haven't seen a dragon in so long! Actually, even then, before you guys, I hadn't seen a human in such a long time, either!"
Alec felt surprised. The feeling that this magic gave him was exactly the only time that he'd ever met a dragon. And, when he said met, what he really meant was 'stay stunned in place as the large, overwhelming mass of magic moved towards him'.
Like that day he'd first met Blanche, the magic that was rapidly approaching them gave him the same feelings of majesty and pride, but compared to before, where it was more unrestrained and free, it was now tempered a little, as if the dragon was mellower.
Alec stayed where he was.
There was no point in moving right now, not when he suspected that it was the same dragon that had given him its silvery-white scale that had served Alec well these past couple of years. Even if it wasn't, it wasn't too late to flee using his master's gift.
Haphira landed in front of the child, who had become a bit taller since the last time he saw him.
With jet black hair, and wide, innocent blue eyes, Haphira thought that the child had not changed that much since the time that they first met.
What confused him was that he didn't think that many years had passed in the world outside, for that child to grow to such a degree?
Or was his daughter just behind in growth??
He was suddenly worried.
As a dragon, their growth rates were a lot different from ordinary humans. His daughter was currently about sixteen due to accelerated time in this dimension, but the outer dimension should not have had that much time pass.
Had his spell over the realm slipped?
Haphira quietly checked his array, but did not find anything amiss, further puzzling him.
"Child," Haphira said, trying to put the child at ease, but that only seemed to make the child tenser.
Alec tensed up when he heard the dragon's voice, which was just as androgynous as his looks. Though, from the way he moved, Alec suspected that the dragon was male.
By all accounts, the other appeared just like a normal human. He was stunning, but he appeared human from all angles. Except for his eyes.
Just looking into his eyes, Alec felt the power from the dragon shake him to the core, but he forcibly calmed himself.
Show no weakness.
"Fake it till you make it," Ye Sha whispered.
Yes. Exactly so.
"My thanks for your scale all those years ago."
"Hmm," Haphira murmured, pleased. What a polite youngling. The boy's eyes were clear and reflected the light in a curious way. "Hm?"
Haphira looked closer at his eyes. They were very distinct in the sunlight, and only one clan he ever knew had those type of eyes.
"Ah, you are part of the Neil Clan," Haphira said with curiosity. "It has been so many years, but the Neil Clan still stands strong. My friend would be pleased."
Alec's curiosity was successfully piqued. "Elder, you know of the Neil Clan?"
Haphira snorted, but even that wasn't inelegant. Alec was baffled. The dragon was unfairly attractive. "Hah. Elder. No. You have my permission to call me Haphira as thanks for your help setting my child and I free."
Alec was reflexively maintaining his normal smile – the smile that had practically been hammered into his dreams and nightmares – the dragon was doing a good job throwing him for a loop each time. "My name is Alecris Neil. My friends call me Alec."
"Alec," Haphira said slowly, as if tasting the words on his tongue. The boy was neither haughty nor humble, which was pleasing. "As for your question, I do indeed know of the Neil Clan. My friend founded it, after all."
Alec's eyes widened. Just how old was the dragon before him?
Haphira did not know why this strange youngling inspired such trust within him.
He knew well enough that those who smiled all the time likely hid nefarious intentions, or they were the biggest hypocrites in the world. Generally, they should not be trusted at all.
Yet, there was a hint of something genuine that hung at the corners of the boy's smile, which made it seem believable. Perhaps that was why the boy did not inspire such distrust in him.
Haphira had lived a long, long time. So long that he no longer counted the years that passed.
He'd made friends, been betrayed by them, met villains, befriended them, killed and saved many in turn.
He'd done all manners of things over his years and had eventually ended up trapped in an array that had only been fractured because someone had removed one of the cornerstones for the array.
That someone was Alec.
Without knowing what he was doing at that time, he had his familiars remove all the books from a certain bookshelf, fracturing and weakening the array that had been keeping both Haphira and his daughter – who had originally been thrown in there as his food – locked and sealed.
Perhaps, that was the reason Haphira felt more generous to the child, despite him not really trusting humans fully any longer.
Just as Alec was about to ask a few more questions, they were interrupted by the faint rustling of the bushes nearby as a girl stepped out.
"Hey, dad, what are you doing?" Elysia asked with plain curiosity. "There's someone else here? Is he your friend?"
Alec froze as his eyes landed on the loveliest girl that he'd ever had the pleasure of seeing, his heart immediately palpitating.
Meanwhile, as Alec and Ye Sha were getting into a heated argument about whether or not he should actively move and go and look for The One instead of skulking about in the shrubbery, a figure was meditating in a clearing filled wish lush greenery.Every being that existed in this crack between realms knew to avoid this place unless they wanted to face death for disturbing the dragon's concentration.Though their intelligence was not high, so many of them had faced death already that even the least intelligent monsters and creatures knew to avoid this clearing.So many had died here, becoming fertilizer for the greenery in the area.The monster that lived here was ruthless, uncaring for their life or death.The figure had a mix of androgynous features, and his beauty transcended time and space. He had an otherworldly feel about him, his beauty so stunning it was almost inhuman.With long, silvery-white hair that was tied loosely into a high ponytail, it was hard to make out their gender, but when he moved, his actions had the taste of masculinity. While still elegant, his actions did not carry the slightest trace of feminine charm.The humanoid dragon opened his eyes, revealing golden eyes that had a slit for his pupil, not unlike those of reptiles.Haphira stood up, brushing off the fallen leaves that had accumulated while he was meditating. He blinked slowly, turning his head to a certain direction.He and Elysia had been the only two humanoid people that inhabited this place, but now he could feel that someone who was carrying his scale had appeared in this place.It was likely that young child that he'd gifted his one scale to.Haphira was confused.The only way someone could get into this crack between realms was if Haphira himself brought them here, or if they entered from a certain door in the other crack between realms that his friend left behind.Yet, the place that his friend left behind required a series of linked actions before it could be accessed safely, and as far as Haphira knew, his friend had not had any inheritors or successors.In a blink, the place that Haphira was previously standing was now empty as he rapidly moved towards the child that had his scale.-Alec and Ye Sha were still arguing in Alec's mindscape when both of them felt the rapid approach of a huge amount of magical energy heading towards them."That has to be the dragon!" Ye Sha said with excitement. "I haven't seen a dragon in so long! Actually, even then, before you guys, I hadn't seen a human in such a long time, either!"Alec felt surprised. The feeling that this magic gave him was exactly the only time that he'd ever met a dragon. And, when he said met, what he really meant was 'stay stunned in place as the large, overwhelming mass of magic moved towards him'.Like that day he'd first met Blanche, the magic that was rapidly approaching them gave him the same feelings of majesty and pride, but compared to before, where it was more unrestrained and free, it was now tempered a little, as if the dragon was mellower.Alec stayed where he was.There was no point in moving right now, not when he suspected that it was the same dragon that had given him its silvery-white scale that had served Alec well these past couple of years. Even if it wasn't, it wasn't too late to flee using his master's gift.Haphira landed in front of the child, who had become a bit taller since the last time he saw him.With jet black hair, and wide, innocent blue eyes, Haphira thought that the child had not changed that much since the time that they first met.What confused him was that he didn't think that many years had passed in the world outside, for that child to grow to such a degree?Or was his daughter just behind in growth??He was suddenly worried.As a dragon, their growth rates were a lot different from ordinary humans. His daughter was currently about sixteen due to accelerated time in this dimension, but the outer dimension should not have had that much time pass.Had his spell over the realm slipped?Haphira quietly checked his array, but did not find anything amiss, further puzzling him."Child," Haphira said, trying to put the child at ease, but that only seemed to make the child tenser.Alec tensed up when he heard the dragon's voice, which was just as androgynous as his looks. Though, from the way he moved, Alec suspected that the dragon was male.By all accounts, the other appeared just like a normal human. He was stunning, but he appeared human from all angles. Except for his eyes.Just looking into his eyes, Alec felt the power from the dragon shake him to the core, but he forcibly calmed himself.Show no weakness."Fake it till you make it," Ye Sha whispered.Yes. Exactly so."My thanks for your scale all those years ago.""Hmm," Haphira murmured, pleased. What a polite youngling. The boy's eyes were clear and reflected the light in a curious way. "Hm?"Haphira looked closer at his eyes. They were very distinct in the sunlight, and only one clan he ever knew had those type of eyes."Ah, you are part of the Neil Clan," Haphira said with curiosity. "It has been so many years, but the Neil Clan still stands strong. My friend would be pleased."Alec's curiosity was successfully piqued. "Elder, you know of the Neil Clan?"Haphira snorted, but even that wasn't inelegant. Alec was baffled. The dragon was unfairly attractive. "Hah. Elder. No. You have my permission to call me Haphira as thanks for your help setting my child and I free."Alec was reflexively maintaining his normal smile the smile that had practically been hammered into his dreams and nightmares the dragon was doing a good job throwing him for a loop each time. "My name is Alecris Neil. My friends call me Alec.""Alec," Haphira said slowly, as if tasting the words on his tongue. The boy was neither haughty nor humble, which was pleasing. "As for your question, I do indeed know of the Neil Clan. My friend founded it, after all."Alec's eyes widened. Just how old was the dragon before him?Haphira did not know why this strange youngling inspired such trust within him.He knew well enough that those who smiled all the time likely hid nefarious intentions, or they were the biggest hypocrites in the world. Generally, they should not be trusted at all.Yet, there was a hint of something genuine that hung at the corners of the boy's smile, which made it seem believable. Perhaps that was why the boy did not inspire such distrust in him.Haphira had lived a long, long time. So long that he no longer counted the years that passed.He'd made friends, been betrayed by them, met villains, befriended them, killed and saved many in turn.He'd done all manners of things over his years and had eventually ended up trapped in an array that had only been fractured because someone had removed one of the cornerstones for the array.That someone was Alec.Without knowing what he was doing at that time, he had his familiars remove all the books from a certain bookshelf, fracturing and weakening the array that had been keeping both Haphira and his daughter who had originally been thrown in there as his food locked and sealed.Perhaps, that was the reason Haphira felt more generous to the child, despite him not really trusting humans fully any longer.Just as Alec was about to ask a few more questions, they were interrupted by the faint rustling of the bushes nearby as a girl stepped out."Hey, dad, what are you doing?" Elysia asked with plain curiosity. "There's someone else here? Is he your friend?"Alec froze as his eyes landed on the loveliest girl that he'd ever had the pleasure of seeing, his heart immediately palpitating.
