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  Even though I can feel my hands, I can't move them. But that doesn't matter now. I just need to guide the magic that flows through them through my body...

  I have to do this carefully. A single slip and I could lose control. My mind needs to stay focused. Manipute the magic in your favor. Let it flow through your hands...

  Now... I can feel it rising. It's like a small stream of water sliding down my arms. It's exhausting, no doubt, but I have to keep going. If I can get it to my head, I can relieve the stress and heal myself.

  The tingling sensation returns as the magic progresses. A pressure builds up in my arms... That means they're recovering. Just a little longer...

  If I concentrate harder, I can go further.

  I change my approach, letting the magic flow freely. Now that I can feel it in its fullness, everything becomes simpler. Instead of guiding it, I allow it to manifest on its own.

  Relief floods my chest. The pressure in my stomach dissipates. The tingling runs through my legs, from my knees to the tips of my toes...

  And then I realize. I can feel my whole body again.

  After partially recovering, I let the magic dissipate. But that's not enough. My body is fine, but my mind is still stuck. Now I have to force myself to wake up.

  Come on, Maylene. You can do it. You've faced greater pressures... Well, maybe that's not true. But it doesn't matter now.

  You need to... WAKE UP!

  *Cough

  It was intense. A shock runs through my body, bringing me back to consciousness. It's still not enough to get me up, but at least I'm awake.

  I raised my head too quickly. My vision is blurred and everything is spinning around me. But that's easy to fix.

  I quickly conjure my healing magic in my hands. The dizziness subsides a little, but as I'm still bewildered, I can't use it to its full potential. Still... it's better than nothing.

  *Oh? Are you awake? I didn't think I was going to make it.

  I should have expected this kind of comment. Instead of a concerned greeting, he greets me with another one of his cold remarks. It seems that, for him, my survival is still an open question.

  I think three times is my limit...

  - How long have I... been out?

  *At least twelve days.

  - All that? In the end, I think I kept you waiting.

  *Hmph. As I said, human, time is irrelevant to a primordial. For you, it was twelve days; for me, just a few minutes.

  Well, at least that was a relief. I hated making people wait and always got ahead on my projects to avoid deys.

  *At least you survived the ritual. Anyone else would have colpsed in the first few seconds. Even though it took you a while to wake up, your above average.

  - Thanks for the compliment...

  *Hmph. I'm just stating a fact. If your soul wasn't so strong, I would never have considered something so insane. It would be better to die for good than to fail in a ritual like this.

  I couldn't imagine what could have happened if something had gone wrong. In the end, we'd even formed a contract to make sure it didn't get out of hand.

  - Really? Where are you? I remember seeing you disappear before my eyes.

  *Your memory is really bad, huh? My body no longer exists in its physical form. Now that we share the same origin, my soul resides inside you... until I fully recover.

  - So... now you're living inside me?

  *That's not what I - Hmph. Well, that's one way of interpreting it. But don't worry, your soul and your origin are still yours.

  - That's great! I'm gd the ritual worked... right?

  Something seemed strange.

  I've always been tall, but... have I always been this tall?

  My eyes went down to my legs and a shiver ran down my spine.

  What was that?

  Scales?

  They weren't just on my legs... they were all over my body.

  My hands... more robust.

  My nails... now, cws.

  - What happened to my body?

  *Hmph. As well as being silly, you have incredibly slow perception. I warned you that you would renounce your humanity to become something greater.

  - Greater...? Bigger how much-

  Tap. Tap.

  I felt something heavy moving behind me.

  - Uah! Do I have a tail now?!

  *That's exactly what I was trying to say... You stopped being human to become-

  A shiver ran up the back of my neck. I touched my head and felt something strange.

  Hard, rough prominences...

  - Are those... horns?!

  *SHUT UP FOR A SECOND!

  - ...

  *As I was saying... The moment you renounced your humanity by merging our origins, you ended up becoming something even greater: a draconic being.

  - Draconic being?

  *Of course. When I mentioned it, it was only as a comparison. Draconics, compared to humans, have certain advantages - not only in magic, but also in endurance and other basic abilities.

  - So, in a way, I've received an upgrade?

  Now that he's mentioned it, I can really see the changes in my body. It's not just the height - I must have gained about ten centimeters - but also the scales that have appeared on some parts, forming a kind of natural armor. Well, at least I'm not completely naked anymore.

  I feel something on the back of my neck and back... My hair has become longer and thicker. But what catches my eye most are the horns on my head... and the tail. Strange as it may seem, I can feel it as an extension of my body. It moves involuntarily, but I have the impression that it reacts to my emotions. Now that I'm excited, she won't stop moving.

  *You seem calmer now.

  - I'd say I'm more surprised... If I may be so bold as to ask... am I going to have wings?

  *Do you want wings?

  - No... I mean... it would be nice, I think...

  *Hmph. That human side of you... Something like that will depend on your own ability. Your body has changed now, but you can still evolve as you get stronger. And now that you've inherited my powers, this process will be much faster than if you relied solely on your gifts as a [Healer].

  - I see... I wonder what the extent of your powers is.

  *Huh! Never ask a dragon the extent of its powers, that might be an insult to some. But I'll let it slide this time. Listen carefully, human... No, Satouma. We primordial elemental dragons have no idea of our own limits. Time is our greatest ally - the more it passes, the more we discover our capabilities and approach the peak of our elements. Unlike you, lower living beings, we are not limited by time.

  Vaku