Chapter 33: Lilia’s Torment and Gern’s Awakening

After a few rounds of drinks, Lilia slumped onto the table, her body trembling with quiet sobs. Gern, beside her, felt utterly at a loss.

For some unknown reason, Lilia had suddenly burst into tears while drinking, startling Gern profoundly.

Fortunately, it was nearing midnight, and few people remained. Otherwise, Gern genuinely feared Lilia’s followers would tear him to shreds.

“Don’t cry, don’t cry. How about we go back and get some sleep?”

Powerless, with Lilia having lost all rationality, he could only try to soothe her gently, hoping to alleviate the torment within her heart.

To his dismay, Gern’s efforts only had the opposite effect. Lilia’s sobs intensified, and she began to murmur incessantly.

“No… Mama, Big Brother, don’t… don’t…”

“Save… save… me…”

Lilia seemed to be trapped in a profoundly painful memory. Gern, flustered, patted her back, murmuring reassurances as he did so.

“It’s alright, Lilia. It’s all over now…”

This time, his words finally took effect. Lilia’s weeping gradually subsided. A glimmer of clarity returned to her, and she lifted her gaze to Gern, her aquamarine eyes brimming with tears.

“I apologize, I lost my composure.”

“It’s fine. It’s getting late; I’ll see you back to your room.”

“Mhm…”

Lilia hummed softly, allowing Gern to support her as they returned to her room.

“Well then… good night, Your Royal Highness.”

As the door gently closed, the reliable image of the young man echoed in Lilia’s mind. Involuntarily, she curled into herself.

The events of her childhood, like a nightmare, haunted her heart. This torment kept her perpetually steeped in a state of panic.

Yet, during the time she spent with Gern today, she had felt a sense of security she hadn’t experienced in a long while.

It was a peculiar sensation, one that made Lilia feel as though her entire being was on the verge of succumbing to it.

‘Luoya, my Luoya… could you stay with me a little longer? I wish so much… to make you mine forever, to have you always by my side.’

****

Meanwhile, Gern, having just returned to his room, finally allowed his guard to drop.

The moment he relaxed, a wave of physical exhaustion and the beginnings of a hangover washed over him. Gern swayed unsteadily, his entire body feeling extraordinarily heavy.

Clinging to a thread of consciousness, he stumbled to the bed and collapsed, a heap of weary limbs.

He stared at the ceiling, his body heavy, yet his mind was unnervingly clear. Lilia’s sudden loss of composure today was something Gern had never anticipated.

In his previous life, his understanding of Lilia had been limited to that of an adversary. However, he had once heard a colleague mention that Lilia’s mother had been killed by her own brother.

Apparently, members of the Heretic God Cult had controlled Lilia’s brother, forcing the prince to personally slay their mother.

He couldn’t recall the specific details, nor did he know if Lilia had been present at the time.

****

“Ah, ahaha, Gern, so your true form is a boy.”

“But I prefer girls, you know. Come, let me help you cut it off.”

“That way, whether you transform or stay in your original body, you’ll be a girl.”

In the dimly lit basement, the golden-haired girl wielded a small knife, gesturing with it back and forth over Gern’s groin.

*Splish!*

Blood splattered everywhere as Gern felt a piece of his flesh being severed.

But the girl was not satisfied. She slowly approached Gern, her face contorted into an expression of extreme sickness and depravity.

She slowly raised the small knife, still dripping with blood, and aimed it at Gern’s eyes.

“Gern’s eyes are so beautiful. Can I have them? I promise to keep them safe for you.”

“Don’t be scared. From now on, I’ll be your eyes, and you’ll never be able to leave me.”

*Splish!*

“Ah!”

Gern shot upright in bed, clutching his forehead. He gazed at the sun slowly rising on the horizon, a profound sense of lingering dread washing over him.

‘Damn it, how could I have such a terrifying dream?’

‘It’s a good thing it was just a dream, otherwise Lilia would have turned me into her personal little toy.’

The thought alone sent a shiver down Gern’s spine.

‘No, I need to raise my strength quickly. I can’t let what happened in that dream become reality.’

At the same time, Gern secretly resolved to avoid Lilia at all costs in the future. He never wanted to experience such a terrifying dream again; it was utterly horrifying.

Having woken and completed his morning ablutions, Gern exited the building. The plaza before him buzzed with unusual activity, already teeming with students.

Just then, a roar echoed from above the plaza as a colossal airship slowly descended from the sky.

The airship boasted a streamlined design, much like a conventional vessel, but it was flatter and featured stabilizing wings on either side.

Its wooden deck was dotted with numerous small rooms, clustered together, with the tallest structure at its center.

This was the captain’s quarters, responsible for the airship’s command and coordination. Small magic towers, operated by mages and serving as mini-turrets, were also mounted on its sides.

“Everyone, board the airship in an orderly fashion! No crowding!”

A middle-aged man shouted from the airship, seemingly its captain.

Most of the selected participants for this competition had already begun boarding. Gern, finding it too crowded, decided to wait until most people had gone aboard before he joined them.

Just then, a voice suddenly chimed from behind him.

“Not boarding?”

“Woah!”

Gern jolted, leaping forward abruptly before whirling around to glare at the figure behind him. Only upon realizing it was Miss Snow did he slowly let out a sigh of relief.

“You nearly scared me to death!”

Gern patted his chest, looking utterly shaken.

Snow covered her mouth, chuckling softly, finding Gern’s reaction utterly adorable.

Although he currently wore a male face, which couldn’t compare to his dragon girl form, his features weren’t overly defined, retaining a hint of youthful innocence.

Gern shot her a look and silently moved a little further away.

“Oh, come on, don’t be mad. I was just teasing you.”

“I’m not mad, really.”

Gern edged away again, his expression settling back into composure.

Once the crowd had mostly dispersed, Gern unhurriedly boarded the airship.

With a command from the captain, the airship slowly ascended.

The entire airship was magic-powered, its ascent accompanied by a low, rumbling roar.

As someone who had lived two lives, this was Gern’s first time on an airship. He had only ever heard tales of Theoviga Academy’s luxurious airships before, but now he truly understood.

Standing on the forward deck, he felt the fierce wind rushing past, and an exhilarating sense of freedom swept over him.

“How is it? Feels pretty good, doesn’t it?”

Snow’s slightly languid voice drifted from behind him once more. Gern turned to find Miss Snow, clad in a nightgown, standing beside him.

“How do you walk without making a sound?”

“Hmph~”

Snow raised an eyebrow, paying no mind to Gern’s remark.

“Gern, you possess the Kindling of the Dragon Race within you. Theoretically, in certain situations, you should experience things as a dragon would.”

“Dragons are the overlords of the sky. Close your eyes and try to feel it; you might just gain an unexpected insight.”

Gern nodded immediately upon hearing this. He closed his eyes, intently sensing the biting cold wind around him.

The cold wind gradually softened, and it felt as though he could effortlessly control its currents.

Gern’s brow furrowed. He sensed a barrier, preventing him from fully resonating with the wind.

The experienced Gern understood his current state clearly: it was akin to an epiphany.

However, his current body lacked magical talent. No matter how he tried, he couldn’t truly perceive that wondrous power.

It was as if a tough membrane covered it; he could see it and touch it, but he simply couldn’t awaken the ability.

This frustrated Gern immensely. He decided to summon his dragon girl form, as in that state, his body inherently contained magic.

Perhaps this skill could only be awakened by him in his dragon girl form.

Snow, highly cooperative, enveloped the area in magic—a spell of concealment that temporarily hid them both.

Soon, Gern’s body began to transform, finally settling into the appearance of a young girl. Compared to before, she had grown considerably.

Gern could distinctly feel the two mounds of flesh on her chest. Her small face flushed slightly, yet she kept her eyes closed, focusing on the gentle breeze caressing her skin.

One second, two seconds, three minutes, ten minutes…

Just as Snow began to doubt whether Gern could awaken a new talent, a sudden change occurred.

A pair of silver wings automatically unfurled behind Gern, and the distinct features of the Dragon Race manifested on her body.

Only now did Snow truly witness Gern’s authentic form. Her pure bloodline could even rival that of the ancient Silver Dragons residing in the Sky City.

The girl’s body slowly floated upward, her silver wings gently fanning the air.

The surrounding air currents seemed to swirl around her, and in her Dantian, the phantom image of a silver dragon flickered.

The next moment, a piece of information automatically surfaced in Gern’s mind.

[Wind and Snow Dominion: You are the master of wind and snow. Extremely potent wind magic will shatter all obstacles before you.]

[Within the deep snow, you are the deity of all things. Freezing or thawing rests solely upon your will.]

In layman’s terms, Gern had gained a wind-magic blasting skill and an ice-freezing skill.

These two skills could also be combined, making for a highly practical form of magic.

The mysterious aura around her receded, and Gern slowly opened her eyes, exhaling a soft breath.

“How was it? What magic did you comprehend?”

“Nothing much, just a wind magic mastery and an ice magic mastery. No big deal.”

This was Gern’s understanding from her perspective; after all, her knowledge of magic wasn’t extensive, so she could only explain it this way for now.

Snow had no intention of pressing further. After all, abilities like these were often racial talents, and asking too many questions would be impolite.