Chapter 175: The Sleeping Dragon.

I stared at the dragon that made the height I’d achieved look like a common bug. My hearts slammed like sledgehammers in my chest as I felt sheer crushing . I couldn't fathom ever resisting such a being. I did not matter in front of a true Dragon.The dragon breathed, and the wind blew and contracted in sharp gales. A galaxy spun faster, a sphere of blood bubbled in the air, and the statue of a green woman with a torch looked straight at me. Those were only some of the weird and nonsensical monuments that stood in this place. One was right next to me, and it was a soft cottony marshmallow that smelled absolutely delightful. I knew from the start that it was an illusion. It didn’t exist. My spatial senses perceived nothing there. There was only the glass-like ground of this clearing underneath my hooves.

Devils, I wanted to eat that marshmallow slowly sliding away from me.

I heard a sudden voice. The sound constantly shifted in both tone and location. Like a man, a woman, the forest, an instrument, a beast. From the right, left, and then right inside my head.

I freaked out and jumped. My evil eyes searched around from the air, until I finally found who it was that spoke. I pointed Devilcalibur at the stranger… a small dragon no larger than my torso. He looked strikingly similar to the sleeping behemoth nearby, as they shared the same shimmering purple scales that covered most of their body.

I questioned. This clearing was not a massive place. The very edges of my dimensional senses, usually too unreliable to trust, just barely brushed against the dragon. It was dense in matter. There was no way the massive being was fake. Probably. But then this was illusion place, so I could never be sure.

I chanced a glance to the side, and confirmed that the regular purple-pink rainforest was still there, beckoning me to safety. I wanted to take it. I wanted to flee, to run. I didn’t want to die. I was so fucking scared.

My instincts were screaming at me, and I could hear nothing else.

And yet, the powerful voice of the small dragon still reached me, shattering my confusion to replace it with a new chaos.

I swallowed as the dragon chuckled mirthfully. My lips were completely dry. I was this close to bolting right this instant. But I was insanely curious. The true dragon that loomed so close gave off such a feeling of dread even while asleep. This was a creature several times my level, unimaginably more evolved.

If it wanted to kill me, then running would not help. I might as well just stay and die standing my ground, than fleeing like a fucking coward.

I raised a brow questioningly.

The small dragon stared back.

“Great,” I kept myself from exclaiming. “You say don’t wake you up, but you seem very awake to me.”

the small dragon asked. I could feel the hint of a smile on his lips. I could somewhat tell because I’d at least interacted with kobolds.

“Hmmm. This illusion in front of me, yes.” I looked towards the nearby dragon. “Your main body is asleep, if I’ve interpreted your words correctly.”

Suddenly, the baby dragon that was completely absent from spatial senses became denser than anything else I’d ever experienced. More so than even the massive dragon that was It felt like this small one should be crushed by his own weight, let alone be able to fly with those cute tiny little wings!

“Huh. So, am I correct or not?”

My grip on my sword tightened so much that my hands bled. My evil eyes darted to the massive and sleeping dragon, and then back to the small one. He was gone despite his presence still standing out like a beacon in my spatial sence. The tension in my body reached an all time high. And then I spotted the small dragon right above me now. I screamed and raised my sword higher. The illusion of a small dragon left no imprint in my dimensional scanner. I only barely stopped myself from attacking and starting a fight… I could not win.

I heard the small dragon’s weird shifting laughter that made me look for threats on all sides.

I’d been too fucking arrogant. I had gone to the center of wonderzones before, with forces inferior to how I was now by myself. So I was confident that I would be fine. I could escape if I must. I did not expect to come across someone so high-level that I only knew that the gap between us was impossibly vast. Nothing more.

I removed my mask and grinned, unrepentant to the end. “Glad to see I’m well known. I’m Haell Zharignan. Nice to meet you.”

The tiny dragon stared at me for a long moment, before bursting into laughter.

I lowered Devilcalibur, but did not yet sheathe it. “Thank you. It’s very beautiful.”

the dragon agreed, then looked at his own much larger sleeping body

I calmed my pounding hearts. I could yet be killed, but the dragon in front of me had been very cordial so far. A little arrogant, I was clearly being underestimated, his words that of talking to a being inferior to himself, and that absolutely made me want to lash out and utter at least a few curses… but this was no place to lose my temper. I hated to be suppressed in this way, but I would hate it more if I died here. I had so much to live for yet. I would surpass even this dragon until I am completely unmatched.

“Sure. I’d love a tour of the place. Lead the way.”

The small dragon turned around with a grin of his own. He flew towards the cottony marshmallow nearby, and I followed behind on hoof. He gestured at the mouth-watering dessert.

I hesitated. “...That’s not an illusion? Because I… feel like it is.”

The dragon laughed that same joyful but ominous-sounding laugh. is

My eye twitched. “Right. Well, glad you got the result you want. What it then?”

The small dragon landed on it, and took a big bite of the marshmallow. He hummed in a thousand voices, and then beckoned me over. “Come have a taste.”

I looked at him weirdly, but approached the marshmallow that my spatial senses insisted was fake, while every other sense disagreed. It was a very weird sensation, but when I touched it, I was surprised to find that the sweet treat did feel as solid and soft as I expected. It was pushed just a little through the air as it floated on. I followed, stopped it from moving, and then finally took one big bite.

…It was Easily the best dessert I’d ever had. The sweetness seeped into my tastebuds, through my nose, and then beyond. It was a taste that I experienced through my whole body.

“What… what the fuck was that!?” I immediately covered my mouth after my outburst. “Wait, shit.” My head slowly turned towards the massive sleeping dragon, who was thankfully still snoring away in surprisingly soft tones. “You… didn’t wake up, right?”

The small dragon tinkled in joy, twirling through the air. He disappeared and then reappeared right in front of me. “No. I have not. Don’t worry too much. One of your fancy armies could be fighting on my back, and it might still not be enough.”

“Great.” I looked at the massive rumbles made by every breath of the illusion dragon’s main body. “We’re truly like ants, then.”

“Excellent words, which all came from no one but you.”

I chuckled, and then followed the small dragon for the continuation of this wonderful tour. A turtle the size of a massive warehouse marched, and I stayed away. Tentacles hugged a towering spire, and I touched the slimy things after the tiny dragon confirmed it was safe. A loud band of skeletons only became audible when I got closer, and I asked to stay and listen to the music that sounded very similar to rock, if played with vastly different instruments. Not a single display came close to the size of the massive dragon in the middle. “This place is beautiful.”

“It is, yes. I am glad you agree.”

And I had so many questions about it, but they all got stuck in my throat, for I could not forget the large shadow cast over everything, nor the massive slumbering being it belonged to.

We circled further around the clearing, and I finally saw what kind of sun grew along the rainbow sky.

I took a few moments to just stare at the reverse-eclipse, where a bright circle was surrounded by an infinite blackness. That was not how stars or eclipses worked.

I sat on an unreal mushroom made out of metal, but was actually very soft. The tiny dragon landed on a nearby one, and I could not tell if he weighed anything at all, despite my every sense telling me he was now a mountain condensed to the size of a ball.

I had calmed down considerably during this entire tour. I sensed the tension leaving my body, and immediately doubled down on my hostility to compensate, but thankfully, the avatar of the Illusion Dragon only smirked at me with interest. I coughed, embarrassed, and finally sheathed Devilcalibur.

At this point, I doubted he had any intentions to start a fight. It wasn’t impossible, but it would be quite… fucked up to do that after showing me around. I could not fathom going through the trouble myself, the risk. Of course, he was an ancient and unfathomably powerful dragon, so I could not begin the guess what went through his mind. I was… no threat to him, as I was now. But I decided to extend just trust anyway. I was sure plenty of people felt about me the same way. As they should.

“Say, you’re an old and wise dragon, right? You mind if I ask a few questions? I have so many things I’m curious about.”

he corrected.

“Alright,” I shrugged, staring at the reverse-eclipse sunset. “That sounds fair.”

An empty silence passed. It was then filled by the soft soothing sounds of a bagpipe made of flesh. One of the many monuments of this place.

“Okay,” I snorted. “That’s a good place to start. How do you know about that? The things I keep secret. We’ve never met.”

“You have traveled my home. My wonderzone. And you have been very loud.”

“Ah. So you’ve been watching me all this time?”

“Occasionally.”

“. How do you know things about my species, though? I’m pretty sure I won’t just blurt that out in the middle of a random forest!”

“...Are you upset?” I asked tensely, my hands itching to feel the weight of my blade.

the small dragon chuckled to ease my… fear. .

“...You dream of the world? What does that mean?”

“...I see.” All this information was in my memory core. I’d ask for help deciphering this later. It wasn’t hard to guess.

Each proclamation was said with such confidence, that I didn’t bother to deny it. I wasn’t entirely sure what he meant by that last one, however, I could guess. It was the fall of astro city, the birth of pandemonium, and my rebirth, from a demon to an archdemon.

“Huh? Well, I was reincarnated with the memories from my past life. A baby born to wonderful and loving parents.” A smile started to spread from my lips. “I got to experience a great childhood I never had. I learned to fight and protect myself.” “The place I was born in was not the best, Edengar. But I thrived anyway. I fulfilled my lifelong dream harder than I ever did before. I have become the demon that I wanted to be.”

“Oh? You don’t know that part?”

“Right… Okay. It’s nothing special. The angels, or at least their followers, have this so-called angelic scripture. And there, it showed how they brought the ishkawtans, and fountans into this world. They gave them gifts… that looked very similar to body parts once you see it.”

“, I had help. I researched it. But… yeah. Some things, you just gotta risk it all for.”

“Hey! Quit bragging!”

We both laughed. Mine cut out when I realized how friendly I was getting with this mythical being.

“Oh? You don’t know that either? It seems like something that’s just as big as those other things you know about me.”

“...True enough. I come from a planet called Earth…”

For the next few hours, I explained things about the world I lived in. From its geography, its countries, its systems, its to its of a Status System, or mana, or magic. The Illusion Dragon was very interested in what I had to share, but got incredibly confused about that last part.

“What do you mean by a world without a Status System? Or Magic at all? What happened to it?”

“That’s what I want to know! Like, am I from another dimension? Is this the same universe, but just a different area? What happened!”

the illusory dragon trailed off.

“Hmmm… I feel like we’re talking about two very different things here.”

“Well, I’m thinking of like, there’s this universe that we live in, right? What if there’s another one, and that’s where I came from!”

“Well, I don’t know that there .” I scratched my helm. “It’s a popular topic for fiction back on Earth, and is even present here too. It’s just a theory.”

“And how do you know I asked incredulously. Did he know of my Mutations?

“Oh… Yeah, that makes sense.”

“Fuck you.”

“Wha–I have a girlfriend! It’s an expression!”

“Oh goddamit,” I snarled.

I paled. I just cursed out a fucking But uh, he didn’t seem to mind? So. Okay. There was no problem. It’s funny how quickly the tension could leave me, when his main towering body was still

“What’s your name, by the way? I never got it.”

The me-sized dragon smiled, his voice overlapping so much to be nearly indecipherable,

I checked my memory core for several seconds, and then finally gave my best effort,

I blinked. I checked my memory core again. “Did you just get your own name wrong?”

“You changed it again!”

The dragon chuckled.

“Wha… That’s not how it works!”

“...Okay. I can respect that.”

“Does that mean that your name could also be Bob. If it’s ever-changing and all.”

“...Well, it does keep the same theme. Fine. Horinstocatal, The Illusion Dragon. Everyone will know who I’m talking about anyway.”

“Good question,” I admitted. “I guess I thought running wouldn’t really help if you wanted to kill me? And you clearly wanted a conversation anyway. I was super curious. if it did become a fight, then I’d rather die fighting, than die running.”

The sun set, and I watched as the sky turned dark. Little shining dots appeared above as the pervasive rainbow slowly turned into the black of night. But a new rainbow was slowly taking its place, for the stars were of a myriad colors, and they moved around like fireflies in the sky. Soon, true night had fallen, and a thousand stars fluttered around each other in a dance. They formed different figures, from gallant knights in horses, to snakes slithering through creation, a constant dance of constellations.

“You’re right,” I smiled. “I really did need to see this.”

I hesitated to ask the next thing. I might be inviting a whole of trouble, and not just for myself. But, I knew for certain that Moonwash would absolutely hate it if I didn’t ask if she could also come here to see this. On the other hand, I wasn’t actually sure if she wanted to come, and I would’ve preferred it if she didn’t take that risk. I didn’t know if even wanted to come back. At least not anytime soon.

In the end, I decided to at least ask her first if she’d like to come to a place as pretty and beautiful as this.

“You mind if I come back here?”

“Wah– How did you know!?”

“Right here?” I touched my face jokingly.

confirmed, and then showed me a mirror that reflected the many tattoos written all over my face.

“AAAAAAHHHH!!!”

the tiny dragon near me laughed, and it I also joined in, having realized that he’d just overlaid an illusion on top of my face. altered my reflection in the mirror. That mirror wasn’t even a real mirror, but the illusion of a mirror!

Fucking cheeky.

“What is this wonderzone?” I asked. I did not leave yet, for I had so many more questions. In fact, I decided to stay until I’d gotten to give up all the knowledge he was willing to share. “It seems weirdly in tune with you. So did you make it, or did you just go to the place that matches your element?”

“Oh. Can you elaborate? What’s the other part?”

My expression tightened, before going slack again. “Fair. That’s knowledge that you’re unwilling to share, then. Can I know what criteria you use to decide what you can share or not?”

I laughed. “Honestly, same.”

“If this wonderzone was made by you, then are all wonderzones the same? Made by dragons.”

“Oh? Nice! What are the other ways for a wonderzone to form, then?”

“Gah! Dead end again! Okay. OH, how about this! Does the formation of a wonderzone always require a massively strong being in the center?”

“Oh???”

“Dammit! But that’s good info anyway.

“Well, his arm suddenly stretched and bulged to a massive size, before he slammed it into their fleet!”

A 3D recreation of my story happened all around us, blowing away the existing monument illusions. Those were memories from a life long past, and thus not perfectly recorded in my memory core. I supplied what I remembered anyway, to perfect the recreation, only for it to reach a completely different ending than what I envisioned.

“said, after changing the story.

“This world is fundamentally better, but I do miss some creature comforts, I’ll admit.”

“How does magic work?”

“I know how to use it,” I rolled my evil eyes. “But I mean, more specific things, like where does it come from, why is it everywhere, hell, what the greater magic?”

“Oh, you know what I mean!”

He chuckled, and a thousand clattering teeth suddenly appeared around us. “Why is space everywhere? Why do we exist?

“Uh, I think so? We’re talking about the same force behind rituals and shit, right?”

“You believe? You’re not sure?”

“Well, you’re very very powerful. And you ‘Dream of The World.’ So I’d assumed you’d know about the deep secrets of the world.”

“...Alright. Do you know about the Status System, then? Is it related to the greater magic, or this ‘Will of All’ you’ve mentioned?”

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“...Right. . I’ll remember the name.”

“WAIT! You mentioned if ...” I hesitated. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. “Is that a real thing? Fate?”

“Oh, good.” I breathed a sigh of relief. “So there’s no such thing?”

“Yep! There’s no such thing then!” I celebrated. It would be so fucking boring if there was. I did not want my future to be decided by anyone but me. I would not accept it.

“Oh! Can I tell other people about you and this place?” I didn’t want a dragon coming to Pandemonium to smite me down… and everyone I loved.

“Okay. Can I tell my family and very close friends the full story at least?” I burned with shame at having to ask for . But I really did not want an angry dragon at my doorstep.

I too would have hated it if someone just revealed my Secret Base. I would’ve killed for it. I

keep

“I’ll keep my mouth shut! I promise!” I tried to keep my face as sincere as possible. “I swear on my demonhood… imphood, and archdemonhood!”

My hearts sank, and I began to rouse myself for my final battle. The flow of blood, the burning of my flesh, the for not reaching the potential that I knew I held. Larger than this stupid dragon could ever hope to achieve!

He turned to me, with fireworks and confetti behind him. A mirror appeared, showing a new set of scribbles on my red skin.

“Oh for fuck’s sake.” I sagged, and had the audacity to conjure me a drink that wasn’t there.

It was fucking amazing.

“How does reincarnation work?” I asked, lounging on a floating banana hammock. AAAAAAHHH! I didn’t care anymore! This stupid dragon! Give me back my last fucking stand you freak!

“Right, okay. But then, you know about how Shanayah is from the same world as me?”

“Yes…?”

“Yeah, we are…”

“Nuh-uh!”

“No! I refuse. Hmph! If there’s such a thing, then I’ll fucking tear it down myself!”

“I don’t care! DEATH!”

“Hey,” I said as we rode dragon donkeys into the sky. “Seriously. Please don’t make jokes like earlier. Or the stuff that are way too threatening. I’m this close to making a last stand as it is.”

took his time to answer.

A small insignificant thought entered my mind. I could not stop myself from going through my memory core. Threatening people was something I… often did. Sometimes, I made even my friends feel that way. I could remember the way they shifted away in fear, like it was happening

“Just don’t do it again.”

“Okay, so, back to what we were talking about earlier. From what I can tell, I and Shanayah lived and died around the same era back on Earth. And yet here in Varyala, she was born centuries prior to me. The timeline doesn’t make sense!”

“Oh. That makes sense. Does it mean I’m… better if I stayed there for longer? Like, was I soaking in more potential, more power?”

“Darnation!”

I racked my brain for what else I could ask. I searched my memory core long and hard. I wished I’d known I was about to meet a dragon today, so I could’ve asked Moonwash and the rest to create a list of questions they wanted answered. But well, I could only try my best!

There was a time when I would’ve asked, but that time had passed.

“What do you think about rituals?” I asked instead.

“That’s what think! Do you not have like a deeper more powerful take?”

shared his knowledge anyway, and the rituals he favored sounded tangentially similar to how I had set the Astro Manor aflame, and gave rise to Pandemonium in its place. It was a feat I could not replicate, I could not even cast rituals by just infusing stone with my mana. The Illusion Dragon confirmed that the kind of ritual I’d used then was one that required an event of significance.

“Is that how you and the other dragons have made a wonderzone, then?”

“So that’s a yes?”

The small dragon became see-through.

“Uh, yes! Right there! Look!”

“Hey, what’s the deal with the invisiboys?”

“Oh? What is it then?”

The small snorted.

“. Stingy. But fine. Can you at least tell me if that last one I fought was special, or if they’re all just illusions?”

he said in a sing-song of myriad voices.

“Oh, come on! You can tell me that much! You’ve already cheated me out of so much loot!”

“Righteous Anger,” I corrected.

“I see. Insanely good illusion, by the way. Holy shit, why can it actualy hurt me! A lot!”

“Uh. Fuck off. I’m still growing.”

agreed.

“...Any chance you can help me catch one–”

“But I’ve already beaten one! It’s unfair!”

“Well, it’s very nice. But I’m also giving you the knowledge of another world! It’s an exchange!”

We stared at each other.

I broke the silence.

“Eh. It was worth a shot.”

“Well… I think that’s about it. Off the top of my head. I’ll come back with more questions later,” I prepared to head out, but stayed just a little while longer to watch the sunrise. The reverse-eclipse rose from the horizon, and the living constellations that filled the night sky were slowly replaced by the pervasive rainbow. It acted like auroras sometimes, filling the void with color, while leaving gaps where the fading stars could yet frolic. It was a beautiful sight worthy of my last minutes in this wonderzone.

“I shall remain here. Goodbye, Haell.”

“Goodbye, .”

I stepped back into the purple treeline, and when I looked behind me, the Illusion Dragon and his illusory hoard had completely disappeared. The sky was back to its normal blue, as if the rainbows and constellations were never there. Even my spatial senses were clueless, as it felt for all the world that the purple forest continued on into the distance, without any massive clearing cutting it off.

I retraced my steps back in curiosity, and sure enough, just as abruptly as before, the center of the wonderzone because observable in all its glory once again.