Chapter 180. The Grave of the First Ancestor (2)
It seemed as if time had completely stopped. No—it wasn't just a feeling, time had truly come to a halt.
Caron let out a quiet breath and scanned his surroundings.
Tauga, who had been walking ahead, and Leo and Adina, who had been right beside him. All of them had frozen in place, as if they had been turned to stone.
The only ones unaffected were Caron, Guillotine, and Pluto.
Meow!
Having appeared at some point, Pluto's fur bristled as it looked toward one side of the chamber.
"Calm down," Caron murmured, running a gentle hand over Pluto's head. Then, following the direction of Pluto's gaze, he said in a low voice, "Stop being so dramatic and just come out."
For a moment, there was silence.
"I wasn't trying to be dramatic. I simply needed a moment to manifest myself," a low voice called out.
A man with blue hair slowly emerged from the shadows. He was slightly taller than Caron, his skin pale as white jade. His sculpted features were so flawless, they hardly seemed real.
"I don't like unexpected visitors who show up without saying anything," Caron said flatly.
Even if this dragon was the Guardian Dragon of the Ducal Family of Leston, to Caron, he was nothing more than an uninvited guest.
Perhaps amused by Caron's reaction, the dragon smiled. Then, with a snap of his fingers—
Flash!
In an instant, his form shifted, transforming into a woman. A strikingly beautiful woman.
"Do you prefer this look?" she asked.
"...Just do whatever makes you comfortable," Caron replied.
"Well, to be honest, my original form is female, so this does feel more natural," the woman said, stepping closer.
Her eyes, reminiscent of Ducal Family of Leston's famed azure eyes, shimmered with an almost otherworldly brilliance that resembled the depths of the sea.
"It's been seven years since we last met," she said softly.
"That was during the Awakening Ceremony," Caron replied.
Seven years ago was when the Pledge Stone had shattered, and the day he had been acknowledged as a member of Azureocean Castle. That day still remained vivid in his memory.
"You didn't tell me your name back then," Caron said. "Will you now?"
"Of course. You've earned the right to know it," the woman said, then raised a hand and waved it lightly.
Drip.
Water trickled down from thin air, cascading gently over Caron's head.
Whoosh.
The magic infused within the water seeped into his body, settling naturally within his mana core, as if it had belonged there all along.
"My name is Gratia," the woman said. "The last survivor of the Azure Clan. The Guardian Dragon of the Ducal Family of Leston for the past three hundred years."
A soothing warmth spread through Caron. The fatigue that even a short nap hadn't been able to erase melted away, replaced by a newfound vigor.
Gratia stepped closer and placed a gentle hand on his head.
"And now..." she said with a soft smile, "I am your Guardian Dragon."
Through her touch, Caron could sense her mana. And that was how he immediately knew that this wasn't the dragon's true form.
"Where's your true form?" Caron asked.
"Asleep in the depths of the North Sea," Gratia replied. "If my true form were to move, things would get... complicated."
Typical of a race as grand as the dragons, she no doubt carried burdens Caron couldn't yet understand.
With an easy smile, she turned her gaze toward their surroundings.
"This tomb," she began, "was something Rael prepared for his descendants. The beastfolk believe they built it themselves, but in truth... My influence played a role."
Flick.
With a simple snap of her fingers, blue flames ignited in the air and cast their glow over the massive chamber walls. Carved into the wall, alongside various illustrations, was a single inscription.
"Remember your roots."
The elegant script flowed seamlessly, its beauty undeniable.
Caron quickly recognized the meaning behind the illustrations. They depicted the Ocean Dominance Arts.
More precisely...
"...The original form of the Ocean Dominance Arts," Caron muttered.
This was the technique as it had existed before generations of refinement. In other words, it was Rael Leston's Ocean Dominance Arts.
The efficiency is definitely... Caron thought.
Perhaps because this was the earliest version, it was clear that compared to the current technique, this one was far less effective. If someone practiced mana cultivation using this method, they would lose a considerable amount of mana during the process.
That much was to be expected.
The Ocean Dominance Arts Caron had learned had undergone generations of refinement, becoming increasingly perfected over time.
"The beastfolk preserved tradition, while the Ducal Family of Leston pushed forward without end. It's not about who is right or wrong," Gratia explained softly. "They simply valued different things."
She gestured toward their surroundings and said, "As you can see, Azure Mana resides here as well."
Gratia was right. The air of this place carried Azure Mana, just like the mana cultivation chamber in Azureocean Castle, which meant this was also a place where Azure Mana was naturally generated.
"Caron," Gratia said, her gaze steady. "Your sea is unlike any other. It belongs to you alone, a sea that devours everything."
The Ocean Dominance Arts were, at their core, the law of ruling the seas.
Caron's sea was wilder than any other—uncontrollable and relentless. And Caron himself was coming to fully understand that fact because the higher his cultivation grew, the harder it became to keep his sea in control.
"So... Are you telling me to refine the technique here?" Caron asked.
"If that's what you want," Gratia replied.
"Let me ask you a question," Caron said as he met her gaze, then asked in a quiet voice, "Did you know that I would come here?"
Gratia firmly shook her head then replied, "Of course not. Rael prepared many things for the one who would follow in his footsteps. You simply happened to find your way here."
"Then... Does that mean there are other places like this?" Caron asked.
"This place preserves the original Ocean Dominance Arts. In other locations, other things Rael left behind still rest," Gratia explained.
"Tsk tsk. Wouldn't it have been easier to put everything in one place?" Caron clicked his tongue. "Old folks and their obsession with testing future generations. It's exhausting."
"...Caron," Gratia said, eyeing him carefully. "Rael is still your first ancestor."
"Do you think I care?" Caron replied.
"How... impressive," Gratia responded.
Even the Guardian Dragon couldn't help but be amazed by Caron's indifference.
Caron scratched his cheek absentmindedly, then thought, He must have left something behind.
Rael Leston was the great hero who had saved the continent from the demons. It made sense that he would have prepared something for future generations.
This place was merely one of the pieces of that grand plan. And it just so happened to be exactly what Caron needed.
"Well, since my first ancestor went through all the trouble of preparing this, I suppose it's only right for me to claim it," Caron said. "I'm ready. Let's begin."
Gratia's eyes widened and asked, "...Huh? Begin what?"
"What else?" Caron said, raising an eyebrow. "Refining the Ocean Dominance Arts."
"Oh, I wouldn't know how to do that," Gratia replied easily. "I don't have detailed knowledge of the technique. That's something you have to figure out on your own."
"What?" Caron exclaimed.
Gratia had made such a grand entrance that Caron had assumed she would be of some help. Apparently, he was mistaken.
Caron stared at Gratia, unimpressed by her blatant lack of responsibility. He asked, "I should call you Lady Gratia, right?"
"Yes," Gratia replied.
"Lady Gratia," Caron called out.
"...Yes?" Gratia answered.
"You're useless," Caron said flatly.
"...That's just mean," Gratia said.
Even to his Guardian Dragon, Caron showed no hesitation in speaking his mind.
***
"Next time, we'll meet in the North Sea. When you complete your Coming of Age Ceremony, my true form will awaken as well. As you already know, the Demon Kings have begun to move. A force too great for anyone to resist is approaching. So please don't come to the North Sea too late. I'll be waiting for you there."
With those final words, Gratia departed.
She's really irresponsible. Don't you agree, Guillotine? Caron asked internally.
"Not as much as you. She's the perfect Guardian Dragon for you. A perfect match," Guillotine said.
As Caron exchanged words with Guillotine, time, which had been frozen, began to flow once more.
Dragons were still dragons, after all. Even if only for a brief moment, Gratia had managed to halt time in this entire area.
"This land was created by a dragon in the first place. Do you really think even a dragon could just stop time whenever and wherever they pleased?" Guillotine commented.
Fair point, Caron agreed.
If that were possible, dragons would have taken over the continent long ago.
As time resumed its natural flow...
"Caron, what's with you all of a sudden?" Leo, who had been frozen like a statue, asked with a blink.
Caron smirked and replied, "Sometimes, it's better not to know, don't you agree?"
"What do I not know?" Leo asked.
"There are just things like that, Leo. You go play with Adina for a bit. I need to have a word with the chieftain," Caron said as he patted Leo lightly on the back before heading straight toward Tauga.
Tauga had already positioned himself at the center of the chamber, waiting. As Caron approached, the chieftain said in a low voice, "You encountered a great being."
It was an almost animalistic intuition.
"How did you know?" Caron asked.
"For a moment, the flow of my body twisted ever so slightly. There is only one kind of being in this land capable of doing that without me noticing—a dragon."
"I spoke briefly with my family's guardian dragon," Caron answered.
"The Guardian Dragon of the Ducal Family of Leston... That would be the Blue Dragon, Gratia," the chieftain said.
"She showed up as a man at first, though," Caron said.
"They don't place much importance on gender," Tauga said indifferently. "So, boy, what did you and the dragon talk about?"
At the chieftain's quiet question, Caron simply shrugged and said, "Nothing much. She told me that if I'm going to refine the Ocean Dominance Arts, I should do it here. Then she told me to meet her in the North Sea next time. That's about it."
If he thought about it, for Caron, there wasn't much value in that conversation. All he really learned was that this place was one of the many arrangements Rael had prepared. He also realized one thing, that it was the perfect time to refine the Ocean Dominance Arts.
"You have the look of someone who has made up his mind," Tauga noted.
"Yes, that's right," Caron admitted.
"Did you make up your mind that the technique needs to be refined?" Tauga asked.
"Rather than certainty... I just think it would be better if I did," Caron said.
It would undoubtedly be a difficult task.
Refining a cultivation technique wasn't something someone with an ordinary level of talent could accomplish. Calling it refinement was one thing, but in reality, it was closer to creating something entirely new.
The Imperial Sword and Oceanwolf Sword Arts are both swordsmanship techniques that can fully unleash mana to its extreme... Caron thought.
Caron had to make two entirely different natures coexist, so it wouldn't be easy. He had to grasp both strength and flexibility at once.
I have mastered two cultivation techniques, Caron thought.
The Ocean Dominance Arts of the Ducal Family of Leston and the Loyalty Arts of the Imperial Guards each had their strengths and weaknesses. The Ocean Dominance Arts excelled in raw power, while the Loyalty Arts were defined by their flexibility.
It's not as if I haven't tried before, Caron reflected.
If Caron had sought the help of Halo or Zerath, it could have been possible. But he could never bring himself to tell them that he wanted to combine the Ocean Dominance Arts with the Loyalty Arts.
After all, the Ducal Family of Leston and the Imperial Guards had been long-standing rivals. And if he tampered with these arts recklessly, he could end up with something worse than before.
But now, the situation was different.
Here, in this very cavern, lay the original form of the Ocean Dominance Arts. Not the technique that had been refined and altered over generations, but the original creation of Rael Leston himself.
Seeing its unaltered form made things clear. The mana of the beastfolk clans had all originated from this very technique. Their devotion to tradition, in other words, meant they had remained true to the fundamentals.
And if he built upon this solid foundation to refine the technique...
...It might be possible? Caron thought.
The Azure Mana was abundant here, making it a perfect place to attempt it.
And more importantly, if he failed and suffered from a mana backlash, there was a powerful warrior here who could prevent him from suffering irreversible damage.
"Well, let's give it a shot, Chieftain. You'll help me, right?" Caron asked.
Tauga grinned and nodded, saying, "We beastfolk don't have much to offer, so we make up for it with our strength. Helping a young warrior grow is an honor."
"Then let's get started right away. First and foremost... I need to relearn the Ocean Dominance Arts from the ground up," Caron said.
"Take your time. We have plenty of it," Tauga said.
"Nope. I'm busy, as I've got way too much on my plate already. Let's get this done as quickly as possible," Caron replied.
This was the most crucial step in advancing to the next stage.
With that, Caron began the arduous task of refining his cultivation technique.
***
About two weeks later...
BOOM!
"Wow, this is insane," Caron said.
The Mad Dog had achieved something extraordinary.
...Though for someone, somewhere, it was an unfortunate turn of events.
Undeniably so.