Chapter 152: The "Demonic" Dragon

After emptying all six rounds in the cylinder, Charles stylishly spun his Fury of the Forge before smoothly stowing the oversized revolver in its matching holster. He was certainly a natural.

The six training dummies at the alchemy workshop's shooting range had already been reduced to nothing more than metallic debris under the power of the Fury of the Forge. Puddles of partially melted metal had cooled and solidified over the stone floor. Fortunately, these tiles were designed to be removable, so the molten metal could be collected and thrown back into the furnace for perfect separation.

"This is incredibly useful. In a sneak attack, it should be enough to seriously wound any full-fledged knight. If I fire directly at an opponent, though, the attack will be predictable. A knight should be able to dodge it easily."

Charles admired the destruction his six consecutive shots had wrought upon the unfortunate metal dummies, though the downsides of such a weapon were also obvious.

This alchemical firearm might just be Avia's most powerful creation to date. Its strength lay in the overwhelming power it unleashed after a brief charging-up period within the "forge." It was rare that such a compact magic-powered device could achieve such devastating force.

The problem, however, was that charging the bullet took about three seconds. During this process, a conspicuous fluctuation of magical energy would be emitted. Knights, with their superior physical attributes, could easily dodge the trajectory of the bullet in the brief moment before the trigger was pulled.

"You can also load regular ammo into it and use it like the alchemical firearms sold in the store upstairs," Wang Yu commented.

As he spoke, he swiftly drew his own Fury of the Forge and rapidly pulled the trigger. Six flashes of fire burst almost simultaneously from the muzzle, propelling alchemical rounds forward. The bullets struck the already toppled training dummies and embedded themselves in their broken bodies.

A gun-wielding knight was a sharpshooter by default. A knight's reflexes, dynamic vision, and general physical prowess far outclassed anything Earth had to offer in terms of scopes and aids.

Though the bullets embedded themselves into the metal dummies, they didn't come close to the level of destruction Fury of the Forge could achieve when fully charged. Still, the result was decent.

"This level of firepower is enough to pose a threat to us. Steel Sunlight would be able to withstand five or six shots, and Bastion can hold indefinitely as long as the same spot isn't hit repeatedly," Edward analyzed.

He walked over to one battered dummy, pried out a bullet, and examined the hole left behind.

Bastion was the latent potential Edward had awakened upon advancing into a full-fledged knight. Unlike Wang Yu, who struggled to awaken his own potential, Edward had gained this knight-exclusive power naturally.

Wang Yu still wasn't sure of the specifics of Edward's potential. He only knew that it was defense-oriented. Edward himself had no intention of hiding it and told both Wang Yu and Charles that he'd let it reveal itself naturally in combat.

"Haha! You'd better watch out. With this alchemical firearm, taking you down just got a whole lot easier," Charles said excitedly, pointing his unloaded Fury at Edward.

"You do realize I can just buy a regular alchemical firearm from the shop upstairs, right? It might not have the explosive power of yours, but think about what happens when a knight uses it against you," Edward replied, shrugging.

Charles inhaled sharply, suddenly realizing how miserable things would be for a magician like him if melee-oriented knights gained access to ranged weaponry.

"This won't do! Looks like there are a few spells I need to master quickly. Otherwise, I might really get shot to death." Charles shuddered. At least there were a number of common third- or higher-tier physical nullification spells...

The sound of the elevator behind them drew Edward's and Charles's attention. Wang Yu and Avia, however, already knew who was arriving.

"Good afternoon, everyone." Sieg smiled as he stepped out of the elevator and waved at the group.

"Ah, what are you doing here, Professor?" The moment Charles saw Sieg, he instinctively shrank behind Edward. He might not be the most respectful of subordinates, but he still feared his two superiors.

"That's classified." Sieg made a shushing gesture toward Edward and Charles as he nodded at Wang Yu and Avia.

"Got it. We'll be on our way then." Charles and Edward immediately caught on. Since this was a confidential matter, there was no need for them to linger. Without hesitation, the two of them swiftly departed.

"Save the special ammo—they're expensive to produce. Regular bullets are available upstairs. For you two, all bullets will be permanently discounted: at cost, and a 25% discount on top of that," Wang Yu called out.

"Thanks!" Both of them waved. The alchemical goods in the store would genuinely be useful.

"A remarkable store," Sieg murmured as he followed Avia and Wang Yu toward a larger underground chamber.

While the stock wasn't particularly useful for someone of his level, it would definitely benefit the Nightblades as a whole.

"I hope more people are willing to sell their items here. That way, I can get my hands on some really valuable things," Wang Yu admitted.

𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

His personal goal was simple. If more people started selling items here—not just members of the Church of Nightfall—Avia, as the store manager, would have first pick of the goods. They would be able to use their remaining gold to strengthen themselves effectively.

The short walk quickly ended as the trio arrived at a specially excavated underground space—a large rectangular chamber carved into the mountainside.

"This place is already under the protection of the Lady of the Night, right? Otherwise, I won't be able to reveal my full form," Sieg noted as he glanced at the pitch-black chamber. In the Church of Nightfall, the Lady of the Night's influence ensured that darkness didn't hinder vision or perception.

"The Lady of the Night has enveloped the entire Church of Nightfall's base with her power. You're safe, Mr. Sieg—but if you don't mind, I'd like to ask just how you shift between your human and dragon forms. Since you can't use magic, are you drawing on wizardry?"

After responding to Sieg's question, Avia couldn't help but ask one of her own. It was something she had long been curious about.

Sieg was born unable to use magic, so how could he take on both human and dragon forms? What kind of power did he use? Void energy?

"No, it's not void energy. I don't know what it is, but I was born with this ability. My dragon body exists in a space only I can perceive. When I want to manifest it, it overlaps with my human form until... it fully emerges."

As Sieg spoke, he rolled up his sleeve. Tough dragon scales began spreading from the back of his hand, replacing his fingernails with razor-sharp claws.

"Noelle's features are like a half-dragon's, but that's partially due to her lack of proficiency in controlling her innate abilities," Sieg continued. "I've been very pleased to see her living so happily within the Church of Nightfall, free from discrimination. The school Mr. Horo established also provides knowledge unavailable elsewhere. I'm truly thankful."

Knowing that Noelle was happy eased some of the guilt he bore as an inadequate older brother.

"I previously speculated about and researched the source of my ability to shift between my two forms while at the academy. However, since I didn't dare reveal my dragon's form in the outside world, what with the Dragon God and all, it remained a mystery to me. I will say that this power bears some resemblance to innate spellcasting."

Sieg looked down at his right hand, at the scales that extended across his skin. As a scholar, how could he possibly not study the power he was born with?

"A latent potential—I believe this power is closest to the ability that knights may awaken. Like these knights' potentials, my power is neither magical nor derived from the void. However, I'm certain it doesn't originate from fighting spirit either."

"Potential, huh? That does make sense." Wang Yu nodded in agreement. "Latent potential is just fighting spirit in an orderly array—just like knights' secret arts. But it's strange, isn't it? Latent potential comes from the flesh, yet it can distort reality and affect the material world like the void. It's truly fascinating."

Wang Yu strongly agreed with Sieg's hypothesis. After all, he had personally experienced Oka's potential, Lethal Tempo, which had been absurdly powerful—and it seemed there were even far stronger ones out there.

"I see. In that case, Mr. Sieg, you may reveal your draconic form. I have completed my preparations." Though Avia had yet to obtain a definitive answer, her curiosity about the natural abilities of dragons had been sated. Now, she was ready to proceed with the most important experiment.

"No problem," Sieg nodded. In a space perceptible only to him, his draconic form suddenly overlapped with his humanoid body. A massive red dragon materialized in the underground chamber. Though its wings were tattered, the inherent majesty of a dragon was unmistakable.

At such close range, Avia's body instinctively tensed in fear under the pressure of the dragon's aura. She had to rub her temples forcefully before she managed to adjust.

As for Wang Yu, he remained as unaffected as ever. However, as he stood so close to the towering form of a dragon—one of the most powerful species of another world—he couldn't hide the flicker of awe and excitement in his eyes.

Even the vast underground cavern carved out for this experiment seemed small in light of the red dragon. At close range, the sight of its skeletal, tattered wings juxtaposed against its powerful, intimidating body exuded a sense of desolate yet breathtaking grandeur.

"Miss Avia, please proceed as you see fit. My draconic body should have no issues with regeneration." Sieg's refined, professorial voice echoed in the minds of those present, transmitted through mental energy.

"Understood." With her tools for inscribing magitech circuits in hand, Avia approached the massive dragon. What she was about to attempt was exactly what she had previously discussed with Wang Yu—by engraving magitech circuits onto Sieg's dragon scales, she aimed to compensate for his innate deficiencies.

The metallic magitech engraving knife scraped against the hardened dragon scales. Though normally capable of cutting into metal with ease, the blade struggled against the surface of the scales, sparking and only leaving faint marks behind.

"As expected of dragon scales—this is insane," Wang Yu murmured. Avia was directing the task of engraving magitech circuits onto the scales, but Wang Yu was the one physically performing the engraving. With his knightly physique, he functioned like a precision machine, executing the circuit designs with both strength and accuracy. As long as Avia provided the schematics, he could carve them out with high precision.

The sheer hardness of the dragon scales was truly formidable. Wang Yu had to activate Bloodburn Drive just to carve the lines more easily—otherwise, he would have to exert tremendous effort for every stroke.

"It's certainly difficult to engrave, but the magical affinity of these scales is incredible. Not even the most magically conductive metals come close to dragon scales when it comes to transmitting magic." Avia clicked her tongue in amazement.

Dragons truly were a species blessed by magic itself. Every part of their bodies possessed outstanding magical affinity. While Sieg was born with defective magical circuits, his body otherwise boasted the same properties as any other dragon—the magical conductivity of his scales was still exceptional.

"Haha, apologies for the trouble. I rarely get the chance to reveal my full draconic form. I have to admit that this feels rather nice." Sieg's voice was tinged with a sense of relaxation.

With a final flurry of sparks, Wang Yu completed the last groove of the circuit. The experimental array was now fully inscribed onto one of Sieg's dragon scales.

"Here." Wang Yu examined the engraving knife in his hand, its once-smooth blade now full of notches and dents. He passed it to Avia for inspection.

"We'll have to trash it. It's done for." Avia took one glance before dismissing it. "I'll need to come up with a specialized engraving tool for future circuits..."

Avia shook her head. "Alright, let's test the circuit's functionality." She infused a faint amount of magic into the layered magitech circuit. Thanks to Wang Yu's precision, the formation activated smoothly.

The first layer of the magitech circuit activated, gathering ambient magic from the surroundings and channeling it into the second layer. This setup allowed the second layer to function independently, without requiring Sieg to supply his own magic.

The second layer of the magitech circuit, now powered by the first, emitted a faint purple glow. Tiny yet tangible electric arcs flickered across the surface of Sieg's dragon scale—the gravitational magic formation Avia had inscribed.

"How does it feel?" Avia asked.

"It's... a very strange sensation. I can feel magic flowing through my body, yet I can't control it. The effect is subtle, but I can sense the magic providing an upward lift. If about a third of my body were covered in similar formations, I believe I would be able to fly."

Sieg carefully examined the new sensation within his body. The presence of magic flowing through his dragon form was something entirely novel to him.

As for the gravitational magic, while its lift was minor, he was certain that with a sufficient number of such circuits, he could manage to fly.

"Nice! Next, we'll engrave circuits to synchronize the formations with your mental energy. That should allow you to control them, just like a regular magician—except your spells would be pre-etched onto your body."

Avia clenched her fist in excitement. Dragons were truly amazing—humans could never gain spellcasting abilities through body-engraved circuits, but it was actually feasible for dragons.

"It... it really is possible..." Sieg, with his vast scholarly knowledge, had already realized the full potential of Avia's concept.

His initial doubts had stemmed from his inability to freely manifest his dragon form for research.

Now that the Lady of the Night's protection allowed him to do so, he was certain that Avia was right—his entire body was composed of magic-conductive material. Through this method, he could reclaim the spellcasting ability that had been absent since his birth. The "Wingless Dragon" would finally regain his wings.

"It's truly remarkable..." The red dragon's massive pupils briefly studied Avia as she contemplated her next steps. Once again, he was astounded by the extraordinary talent of this young woman he had met through Wang Yu.

As the dragon's body gradually shrank, retreating back into the space visible only to Sieg, he noticed something peculiar. As he returned to his human form, he spotted a tiny dragon scale on his right hand—the very same one that had been engraved. On that scale, faint purple arcs of electricity continued to flicker.

His eyes widened slightly. In some sense, his two bodies were truly one.