Chapter 6 : An Inpossible Encounter

Vain made his decisive choice to leave the room once more in search of an escape. To remain here meant inevitable death by starvation; heading north would cost him his life to the freezing cold, while the east and west were bounded by a vast, uncharted ocean.

Nothing remained but to head south, clinging to the frail hope of finding warm land to pull him from this desolate hell.

He approached with heavy steps until he stood directly before the door. As he stared at the expanse of ice outside, his mind drifted briefly back to that warm dream he had experienced before breaking free from his chains—the dream ruined by the one called "Naros Titer."

The boy realized that the credit for breaking his bonds undoubtedly belonged to that mysterious human.

He had noticed that the energy radiating from his heart at that moment perfectly matched the sensation that overwhelmed him when he took the blow in the dream.

Even though he was amnesiac and completely ignorant of magic, he was certain that the matter was far more complex than it seemed.

Naros's words echoed in his mind as his hand crumbled into tiny pieces: "Go back, and try again."

Vain touched his chest where the phantom piercing had been, concluding that Naros might have known about his ability to return through death.

Despite his desperate attempts to banish this horrifying thought, what had happened when he tried to tell Zeel about it—his organs rupturing one after another—was irrefutable proof of the danger of revealing this secret.

He shook his head to expel these thoughts, preferring to focus on his current reality rather than drowning in questions he wouldn't find answers to anytime soon.

He turned toward the door again and said, "Zeel, I have a question."

Zeel, fed up with the boy's endless curiosity, answered with an annoyed tone: "Boy, I'm tired of your questions."

Vain sensed the spirit's displeasure and tried to salvage the situation: "Don't be angry, this will be my last question... Can you use magic too?"

Zeel took the question as an outright insult to his pride, and growled in anger: "Boy..."

Vain swallowed hard under the terrifying growl that echoed in his head, rushing to clarify his intent while breaking into a cold sweat: "Calm down! Like I told you, I have no memories, I didn't mean to insult you at all."

The spirit retorted sharply: "To ask a spirit if they can use magic... even with your amnesia, that is an unforgivable sin!"

The boy understood the sensitivity of the topic, but he hadn't forgotten that Zeel hadn't used magic in front of him even once since they met.

Zeel read his companion's thoughts and sighed in annoyance: "Stop drawing those stupid expressions on your face, it provokes me."

Vain hadn't noticed his features were screaming the question, "Then why?" He tried to hide his curiosity before the spirit interrupted him again: "Even I cannot use magic in an environment like this. Unusually... there isn't a single speck of 'mana' out there."

Vain then understood that the entity relied on ambient mana in the air to weave his spells. He opted to remain silent and avoid delving into details, realizing that any further questions might actually cost him his life this time.

He sighed sorrowfully, saying: "Anyway... let's get out of here."

He stepped outside, and the moment his bare toes touched the ice, the room vanished behind him in the blink of an eye. Although it was the second time he experienced this event, the complete disappearance of the place without a trace remained a sight beyond his comprehension.

The biting cold slapped his half-naked body from all directions, bringing back memories of his first death in this white void. A terrible wave of nausea washed over him; he wrapped his arms around himself, trying to gather whatever warmth he could, and began his trek south, the opposite direction of his previous death loop.

Amidst this silent ice, he was struck by the magic of the place despite its utter lack of life. He thought to himself that, were it not for his desperate struggle to survive, he might have been captivated by this scenery. The frozen earth was incredibly pure, reflecting the blue sky like a clear mirror, devoid of any scratches or footprints.

There were no howling storms—just a cold, yet deadly, silence.

After two hours of slow walking with no change in sight, hunger returned to gnaw viciously at his insides. Yet, he continued to cling to his fragile hope of finding a way out.

He knew deep down that his hope defied logic, as the place felt like an endless, vicious cycle.

Suddenly, Zeel's voice shattered the silence with uncharacteristic firmness: "Boy, do exactly as I say without any questions."

Vain was surprised to hear the spirit's voice after such a long silence. Despite his mind being clouded by hunger, he recognized from Zeel's serious tone that an imminent danger was approaching. He answered quickly, "Alri—"

He didn't even finish his word before a crushing pressure descended upon him, nearly obliterating his consciousness. Zeel shouted a command: "Bow, boy! Hurry!"

Vain threw himself onto the ice, prostrating and gasping in ragged breaths. He noticed that the overwhelming burden completely vanished the moment his forehead touched the ground.

Zeel whispered a warning: "Do not move a muscle, do not utter a word, and do not raise your head until I command you... that is, if you want to stay alive."

Vain remained frozen in place, letting his knees and forehead absorb the frost of the earth. He couldn't comprehend what was happening, but he was certain that the pressure would have turned his head to mush had he stood for a second longer.

He stayed prostrate, shivering from the cold, lips pressed tightly together, waiting for a signal or an explanation from his companion.

Through the reflection of the pure, mirror-like ice, he caught a glimpse of something white and of monumental build soaring high above. Despite the vast distance separating it from the ground, the entity's size was terrifying. Vain watched the creature's reflection as it slowly drifted away until the sky swallowed it.

Despite the fading of the threat, Zeel's absolute silence persisted, instilling confusion and anxiety in the boy's heart. His prostration lasted so long that he began to notice a change in the color of his knees touching the ice; they were beginning to take on that ominous dark hue.

He gasped in terror—this was the exact same color that foretold the paralysis of his limbs in the first death loop.

His heartbeat accelerated, announcing an impending peril. He realized that if he stayed in this position any longer, he would lose his ability to walk again and become easy prey to this white hell. Since the massive entity had departed and there was no longer any visible threat, Vain decided that they had to resume their progress south before it was too late and they died right there.

He rose from the icy ground, rubbing his knees, defying Zeel's strict orders.

…

"Boy, what do you think you are doing?"

This was the fourth time Vain had heard this phrase.

Vain died again, returning to the blood-scented room with his hand outstretched toward the door. But this death was different from the previous ones; he didn't realize how he perished or what had taken his life. All he remembered was his attempt to stand up, ignoring the spirit's warnings.

Vain fell to his knees from the sheer shock, breaking into a heavy sweat, his heart racing and breathing ragged.

Questions stormed his head, and what multiplied his shock was the complete absence of sensation just before his death; he saw no phantom, heard no whisper, as if his soul was snatched away in an instant of oblivion. While he was drowning in his daze, Zeel interrupted him: "Boy, are you ignoring me?"

Vain answered immediately in a deeply serious tone: "Zeel..."

The spirit fell silent at this sudden shift in the human's tone, allowing Vain to continue: "Tell me about dragons."

Zeel couldn't grasp the meaning behind this random question amidst their current predicament. Vain had forgotten that the spirit had not yet gone out to scout beyond the room.

The spirit pondered for a moment before answering: "Boy, I don't know the motive behind this strange question right now. Shouldn't you be thinking of ways to survive this mess?"

Zeel did not know that his companion had already perished for the third time trying to survive. To him, the door had just been opened, making his confusion perfectly logical.

Vain averted his gaze from the door and pointed south, speaking with conviction: "Believe it or not... there is a dragon in that direction."

The eye in which Zeel manifested widened in disbelief. While Vain saw the dragon merely as a threat, the spirit knew it was a catastrophe far surpassing the terror of the ice itself.

Zeel slipped out of the eye socket, telling the human to wait, and floated through the air, crossing the threshold of the door to verify this claim.

Heavy minutes passed for Vain as he waited, until the spirit drifted back to its resting place in the eye socket. With a voice full of awe, Zeel asked: "Boy... how did you know?! You don't possess a single speck of mana, and this room disrupts all magic!"

Vain broke into a sweat, realizing his total inability to reveal the truth lest his brains be splattered across the room. He stammered, "I-I can't explain it to you right now."

Zeel settled back in, burning with curiosity. However, sensing the boy's insistence on secrecy, he decided not to press him for the time being and replied: "Alright, boy. Unfortunately, even if there is a dragon to the south, there is no other path for us to take."

Vain already knew it was the only available route, but he chose to stay silent so as not to arouse further suspicion, deciding to go along with the spirit's suggestion without argument.

As usual, Vain left the room and set off south—barefoot, dressed in his worn rags, wrapping his arms around his body hoping for a glimmer of warmth. Amidst their march through the ice, Vain repeated his question: "Zeel... tell me about dragons."

The spirit sighed, answering: "Ah, I almost forgot about that question. Well, since you are merely human, dragons, to your kind, are considered akin to gods.

They are entities that cherish isolation, and their mere presence in a place forces lesser beings into absolute submission."

Vain asked curiously: "Is that some kind of magic?"

Zeel replied: "No. True, they do use magic—they don't even need to draw mana from their surroundings, for they extract it directly from their hearts—but the matter of forcing beings to submit has nothing to do with magic... You could say it is the 'Will of the World'."

Vain swallowed bitterly as he tread upon the ice.

He mocked himself for initially thinking they would face the dragon in direct combat. From Zeel's scarce information, he realized that any chance of victory was impossible.

The mere act of the creature flying far away was enough to crush his head into pieces, had he not bowed quickly.

Vain stopped walking for a moment, remembering that the time of their encounter with the dragon was approaching; nearly two hours had passed.

He looked up at the sky, watching, and asked: "So, what do we do if we cross paths with it?"

Zeel answered with his usual sarcastic tone: "Cross paths with it? Do you think it would care about a dilapidated human on the brink of death? Normally, it wouldn't spare us a glance. Its mere presence will force you to bow for a while until it moves away—"

Vain interrupted with a growl, remembering his sudden death in the previous loop: "And what if it doesn't leave?"

Zeel fell silent for a moment. He hadn't considered the possibility that the dragon might care about them even slightly, convinced it would just be flying toward some destination. He replied calmly: "If it doesn't leave... then you will likely remain bowing until you die, boy."

Vain's eyes opened wide. He hadn't expected this answer; he thought Zeel would come up with some solution. He asked desperately: "Can't we negotiate with it?"

Silence fell over the area.

Vain grew tense from Zeel's stillness, to the point he almost repeated the question, but the entity cut him off with an angry tone: "Boy, I hate to say this, but don't think you can negotiate with just anyone. My accepting to negotiate with you inside the room was a result of us being trapped together. You want to negotiate with a dragon? You? Just a human? And what will you say to it? What will you offer it to help you? And what compensation do you possess? You are more arrogant than I expected."

Vain stiffened at this harsh response. A lump formed in his throat, and he couldn't reply. Deep down, he knew Zeel's words represented the harsh truth.

He had completely forgotten that this world showed no mercy to the weak; even Zeel wouldn't have made a pact with him if the contract hadn't served his own interests.

Vain moved forward again without a clear plan to face the dragon dilemma, ignoring the spirit's provocation.

As he dragged his exhausted feet, despite fully knowing that the idea of negotiating with a dragon was the pinnacle of arrogance, he couldn't erase the possibility from his mind. In the face of scarce options, even desperate plans look like a lifeline.

Something white appeared on the horizon, flying towards him. Vain focused his gaze to make out its features, noticing two giant wings tearing through the sky.

Judging by its trajectory, he was certain it would fly directly over him in mere moments. Zeel broke his train of thought, screaming: "It's coming, boy! Hurry and bow!!"

Vain heard the warning clearly, but he had made up his mind; he would not repeat the same scenario just to die freezing. He raised his hands to the sky and screamed with all his might, hoping the massive dragon would notice him.

He began to feel a terrifying weight pressing down on his skull, yet he continued his frantic screaming. Meanwhile, Zeel yelled in a panicked tone: "You brat!! Stop! Are you tired of living?! We will die if you don't bow immediately!"

Vain wasn't opposing the idea of bowing out of pride, but because he knew with absolute certainty that no matter how much he bowed, the dragon would remain nearby, and the inevitable outcome was a slow death.

He saw no point in telling Zeel this conclusion, especially with the spirit's insistence on absolute submission.

As the pressure mounted with crushing speed, Vain noticed the dragon's altitude began to drop, heading straight for him.

It drew closer and closer until its features became clearly visible despite the distance. A colossal entity, its massive wings covered in feathers that shimmered in pure white, with sharp scales coating its underbelly in a clear azure.

Vain watched the dragon approach as blood began to pour profusely from his nose due to the overwhelming pressure. Despite the pain squeezing his head, he could only admit to himself that he was facing an entity that embodied the zenith of beauty and power.

Vain reached the absolute limit of his endurance and collapsed to his knees, quickly bowing. The moment he touched the ground, he noticed the crushing pressure dissipate instantly. He froze in place. Very slowly, he raised his head to find that the Great Existence known as the "Dragon" had settled down right in front of him.

Vain opened his mouth in sheer awe, his instincts screaming at the terrifying majesty of the sight. The dragon wasn't just a massive creature; it was like a living mountain that had descended from the heavens to swallow the entire horizon.

Its majestic body was covered in pristine white scales, gleaming with a purity that blinded the eyes and surpassed the clarity of the surrounding ice, interwoven with ripples and patterns of a light sky-blue, as if a piece of the daytime sky had been woven and manifested into its form.

The dragon folded its magnificent wings, which were coated in dense, angelic feathers, exuding a radiance overflowing with transcendent nobility.

Once it settled on the ground, it lowered its head slightly. The scene was the living embodiment of absolute beauty and invincible, almighty power—a divine entity overflowing with grandeur, sitting in majestic silence, contemplating this tiny, ragged human who had dared to call out to it.

Vain's tongue was tied, unable to utter a single letter. At that very moment, he grasped the true meaning of Zeel's words: there was absolutely no room for negotiation with such a being.

While Vain was drowning in his shock, he noticed something strange... The Great Dragon had its eyes closed.

Without warning, Zeel slipped out of the eye socket, shouting in panic: "Damn it, boy, at least bow your head!"

At that moment, a strange sensation permeated Vain's trembling body; despite being trapped in an endless expanse of frost, the dragon's body radiated a warm heat that engulfed the area. Vain muttered in bewilderment, his voice shaking: "W-what the hell is happening?!?"

The lethal pressure had vanished, and the dragon sat before him silently, its eyes closed, emitting warmth, while the boy had thought the mere approach of this entity would tear his body to shreds.

Amidst the sea of astonishment, a profound silence reigned. Zeel stepped out of the eye socket and moved slowly toward the dragon, making the manifested eye look downwards as a sign of complete submission. He spoke in a voice trembling with awe: "I beg you, O Venerable One, to forgive this frail human, for he knows not his limits."

Vain was utterly stunned by these words. It was the first time he had ever heard Zeel speak with such politeness and formality.

The heavy silence persisted. The tension within Zeel and Vain skyrocketed to the absolute limit as they awaited the reaction of the divine dragon, until it finally spoke via telepathy without moving its jaws:

"Have you lost your memories?"

The voice struck Vain's head with a force that made him feel as if his skull would cleave in two. He answered involuntarily, as if his body was forced to comply: "Yes."

The Great Dragon replied: "Then, in accordance with our contract, and since you have been freed from the seal and lost your memories... the contract shall be voided."

Vain felt once again that his brain would explode if he received another word. He understood nothing of what the dragon said regarding a "contract". Blood streamed from his nose again, and his consciousness began to fade.

On the other side, Zeel was extremely tense. He had no difficulty understanding the meaning; rather, his entire being refused to comprehend the idea that a dragon had formed a contract with a human like Vain.

Zeel knew full well that throughout all of history, dragons had only contracted with humans three times, and under extraordinarily legendary circumstances.

Zeel noticed that the boy had reached the brink of death, and that an additional word would crush him completely.

Zeel stepped forward to stand between Vain and the dragon, as if offering to take the telepathic pressure on his behalf, knowing that dragon pressure does not inherently affect spirits.

For a moment, a faint smile graced the dragon's mouth while its eyes remained closed. It said: "Garla will be very angry if she sees you contracted with another spirit besides her, human."

Zeel seized the opportunity and asked quickly, feeling that the dragon might leave at any second:

"O Venerable One... would you help us escape this ice?"

The dragon fell silent in thought.

Zeel was at the peak of anxiety and bewilderment; he had previously mocked the idea of negotiation, but in their current situation, he found it to be his only golden opportunity.

He noticed that the dragon showed a strange kind of friendliness towards Vain; even during its telepathic pressure, it seemed as if it was testing whether Zeel would step up to protect him or not.

While the spirit trembled in anticipation, the dragon answered with its calm smile: "Very well... for I owe a favor to that human anyway."

​Zeel could not believe what his ears had caught. A divine dragon owing a favor to a human! This was a precedent he had never witnessed in his long life. Zeel turned quickly to tell Vain the request was accepted, but found him lying on the ground, completely unconscious.

​While Zeel's focus was on the boy, he felt a sudden and terrifying shift in the atmosphere.

He turned back toward the dragon and saw that it had finally opened its eyes; two piercing golden eyes, like two blazing suns overflowing with ancient wisdom and a terrifying coldness all at once.

​Zeel realized then clearly why the dragon had kept its eyes closed throughout the conversation; if Vain had looked directly into those eyes from such a close distance, his body would have exploded into pieces in a fraction of a second.

​The dragon interrupted the spirit's awe, saying: "By the terms of my contract, I cannot enter the neighboring kingdoms, so I will take you to the Capital. What do you say?"

​Zeel agreed instantly and without the slightest hesitation, fully aware of the lack of any other options.

​The Great Dragon rose on its limbs and took to the sky, while Zeel settled inside the boy's eye socket.

Vain's body hovered off the ground by an unseen, hidden energy; Zeel recognized immediately that it was an advanced magic exclusive to dragons: Spatial Magic.

​And so, in a cruel irony of fate, Vain—who was fighting death from the pressure—and Zeel, awestruck by the grandeur of the event, found themselves carried by this mysterious divine entity.

​After having fought fiercely to head south to escape the frost, fate willed them to soar in the exact opposite direction... towards the far north, bound for the main capital of the Kingdom of Lyth; "Lythgard".