Book 2: Chapter 49 — Broken Chains

Book 2: Chapter 49 — Broken Chains

Noah woke up to a sun shining in his eyes. Blinking himself awake, he looked up and saw Bun Bun looking down on him.

“Hey there,” Noah said, picking himself up.

“Wake up. Dragon waits.”

Stretching his limbs, Noah saw the dragon seated where he always was, using one claw to draw words onto the ground.

“How long did I sleep?” Noah asked, feeling his body oddly tense.

“Eight hours or so,” the dragon replied.

“Huh, that’s unusual,” Noah replied. It would’ve been normal if he was still back on Earth, but his levels and constitution meant he barely slept four hours every few days.

“Exhaustion has a way of creeping in without you realizing it,” the dragon replied.

Noah nodded, yawning as he sat on the ground, before his eyes went to his notification menu. He’d been letting them pile up for a while now, and now would be a good time to check how much he’d grown. Noah opened his astral script, letting the full menu display itself.

Astral Script:

Name: Noah Brown

Race: Human (Modified/Symbiont)

Rank: E

Paths:

Exsanguinator - level 84

Astralwalker - level 81

Void Hunter - level 82

Attributes:

Power: 352

Agility: 388

Constitution: 350

Mystic: 456

Attribute points: 4

---

Abilities:

Exsanguinator



Blood Drain (Rare/Intermediate) - level 24

Bleed (Rare/Intermediate) - level 23

Lifeblood (Legendary/Intermediate) - level 23

Bloodfly Swarm (Epic/Basic) - level 9

Blood Debt (Unique/Basic) - level 5

Astralwalker



Blink (Epic/Intermediate) - level 24

Dimensional Pocket (Legendary/Intermediate) - level 21

Starforged Arms (Legendary/Intermediate) - level 17

Celestial Harvest (Epic/Basic) - level 9

Astral Projection (Unique/Basic) - level 9

Void Hunter

Obliterate (Epic/Intermediate) - level 24

Void Hunter's Senses (Rare/Intermediate) - level 24

Abyssal Symbiote (Epic/Advanced) - level 33

Noah screamed, as the massive torrents began to sear his body, carving runes upon his skin as they imprinted themselves onto him. With a giant crack, the chain snapped, exploding with a torrent of mana as Noah felt himself being blasted backwards.

Crashing into trees, Noah felt the world spinning in his vision, as a chime rang in ears.

[Devourer] has consumed [Grand Spell of Suppression]

Perk [Runic Chains] obtained.

[Progress to next rank 99/100]

Find the next Shard to rank up [Devourer].

Perk [Fate Touched] activated.

Luck A4 → A5.

With the words floating in his vision, Noah’s mind sank into darkness.

***

A headache pounded behind Noah’s eyes as he opened them. A figure floated in his vision, a gentle warmth flowing from it.

“Ah, you’re awake. We had begun to grow worried,” a man said, with long silver hair flowing down his back.

Noah looked around in confusion. “Who’re you?” he asked, pulling himself up as he checked his surroundings. He was still in the swamp area, though it could hardly be called a swamp anymore.

“My apologies, I forgot that you cannot read Auras. I am the dragon, Noah. The one you just freed,” the man shaped dragon replied.

“Oh...” Noah said, looking at the young man that hardly looked to be in his thirties. He noted his eyes, the pupils shaped like a dragon’s. “I didn’t know you could shapeshift.”

“Metamorphosize. It is similar to what your symbiote can do, but with much more precise control. We will teach you some day,” the man said, smiling.

“It worked then?” Noah asked.

“Indeed, although it had some interesting consequences,” the man said, raising Noah’s arms.

Noah saw what he meant, looking at the glowing symbols set onto his forearms, wrapped around almost like chains. “Huh that’s... new. I think I remember vaguely seeing something about this before I lost consciousness.”

“You absorbed a part of the chain, though we do not quite know how. And they have imprinted themselves upon you,” the dragon replied.

“Is it harmful?” Noah asked.

“No, in fact, we think it may be a boon. Your Astral Script should be able to tell you more.”

Noah opened his astral script at the dragon’s words, finding a new perk now present in his menu.

[Runic Chains]

Chains formed from pieces of a Grand spell of Suppression. Now imprinted upon your very body. Become capable of summoning runic chains to restrain and suppress foes.

“It’s fascinating to us how you assimilated a piece of the magic within yourself, but we suppose now is not the time for ruminations,” the dragon said, rising, before it offered a hand.

Noah grasped the hand, pulling himself up as well.

“We are in your debt Noah, as promised, we will bring you through the castle, and when the time comes, fight by your side. We may still have these shackles on us, but a dragon is still a dragon.”

Noah smiled at his words, nodding. “I’ll appreciate any help I can get.”

The dragon then turned, to look at the place it had been bound to for months. “This week has changed many things, and most of all, it has changed the meaning of the words Ryugan had left us with.”

Walking ahead, Noah saw streams of mana rising around the dragon, as the destroyed swamp began to regenerate at rapid rates, filling with life again. “We failed in our duties when we let those vermin enter this place, and trick us into these shackles. Now, it is time to make them pay the price.”

The dragon glanced back at Noah.

“We had told you we had no name anymore. That had not been a lie, but it had not been the truth either. A dragon’s true name holds power, and so we keep it a secret. For freeing us, and allowing us to finish our duty, we owe you that truth.”

“Only if you want to tell me,” Noah said. “I don’t mind calling you something else if you don’t.”

“We do, though we hope you will not tell others,” the dragon said, turning back to the castle.

“Our name is Zaxius,” the dragon said, as a wave of mana flowed through the area.

You have learned the name of a true dragon!

One skill point awarded.

Noah stared at the notification, not understanding what had happened. “Uhh... it just said I got a skill point.”

Zaxius looked back at Noah, and smiled. “It is something you will need when your skills reach level 50. For now, simply keep it as it is. And before we forget, in the presence of others, you can call us Zax.”

Noah nodded. “Well, it’s great to meet you Zax.”

The dragon smiled, lightning crackling all around it and Noah felt a shiver of excitement run down his back.

“You too Noah. Let us hunt these cultist vermin out of this realm.”