Soft light pierced through the green field within that space of consciousness—a fabricated world where only the voice of the soul and the echo of silence spoke.
Slowly, Issei's eyelids opened.
"...Ugh."
He groaned softly. His body felt heavy, his chest as if it had just been punched by a meteorite. He held his left side—his heartbeat no longer felt like that of an ordinary human.
It sounded like an ethereal rumble, like a machine harmonizing with the rhythm of the universe.
"...What is this?" he muttered.
He tried to sit up, slowly, then looked around. The sky was bright, an artificial sun hanging overhead. But there was no heat—only a neutral warmth that wrapped around the place.
A deep, familiar voice rang out.
"Finally, you're awake."
Ddraig, the red dragon lying lazily beneath a tree, opened one of his eyes.
"Four months. You slept for FOUR MONTHS in here. A third of your one-year training spent just lying down."
Issei was silent for a moment.
Then, like lava building up at the peak of an emotional volcano...
"YOU CRAZY DRAGON!!"
Issei screamed as loud as he could.
"YOU ALMOST KILLED ME TWICE! TWICE! THIS ISN'T TRAINING—IT'S PREMEDITATED MURDER!"
Ddraig merely snorted. "Noisy. If you can yell like that, it means you're not dead. So thank your favorite sadistic trainer."
"...Numbness doesn't mean not dead, bastard."
Issei stood up, albeit slowly. His shoulders were a bit shaky. His breathing was still unsteady.
"My body still hurts… Even if you told me to do push-ups now, I'd rather lie down all day reading manga."
Ddraig yawned widely.
"Then rest. The theory stage is almost over. But if you continue now, it might make your body collapse when you wake up in the real world."
Issei furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?"
Ddraig rose to his feet. His dragon form was massive, shaking the field.
"Even though your heart has been replaced with a Dragon Heart, and all the Magic Circuit paths have been opened, your body is not yet fully synchronized. When you wake up, it'll take more than a day to adapt. Because your body…"
Ddraig paused for a moment.
"...is no longer fully human."
Issei swallowed hard. There was nothing threatening in those words, but the effect echoed deeply within his heart.
"…I figured as much."
He then sat back down, gazing up at the sky. "Ddraig, since this is still within consciousness, I can manifest a cold canned drink, right?"
Ddraig folded his wings. "Of course you can. But manifest it yourself. I'm not a convenience store clerk."
Issei rolled his eyes, then closed them. He imagined a cold strawberry-flavored canned drink, dewdrops on its surface, the pssst sound when opened...
CLACK
The drink appeared. He opened the top, then took a sip.
"…Ahhh. Why didn't you teach me this from the beginning? This is heaven."
A few moments passed. Silence. The wind blew gently.
Issei stared at the cloudless blue sky.
"…Ddraig."
"Hm?"
"If I manage to kill Trihexa someday… what should I do after that?"
Ddraig went silent, then asked in return.
"Do you want to become a ruler?"
Issei shook his head.
"No. Maybe… I just want to live peacefully. With family, without interference."
"Hmph." Ddraig scoffed. "Impossible. You are a Dragon. Your fate can no longer return to a normal life. Even if you don't seek trouble, trouble will seek you."
Issei smiled wearily. "I figured as much. At the very least… I want to protect my parents. They know nothing. But I know, sooner or later, the world will start paying attention to my house."
Ddraig stared at him silently. Then said:
"At least... now, you've surpassed Tiamat."
Issei choked on his drink. "Hah!? Seriously?!"
Ddraig nodded slowly. "Your Boost that reaches 1024x, limitless stamina, and the ability to absorb, manipulate, and create various types of magic without chanting... That's not human. It's not even 'normal' for dragons."
Issei stared at the empty can in his hand, silent.
"…Then, I'll continue this training. But… not to become a god, not to become a ruler."
He snapped his fingers. The sky turned to night. Stars lit up the sky of his consciousness, slowly dancing.
"I just want to be strong enough to live… peacefully."
Ddraig saw the change and chuckled lightly. "You know, your next training will be even crazier. So don't blame me later."
Issei laid his body on the grass, his hand as a pillow, then said:
"As long as you don't try to kill me again… I can accept everything. Good night, Ddraig."
Ddraig turned slowly, looking at his partner who now truly fell asleep.
"Good night... partner."