"Myu?" Valerian tilted his head as he couldn't understand what everyone around him was talking about. So he started playing with Berger's long, white beard instead.
Meanwhile, Adam, who was still sprawling on the ground, licking his wounds, was shocked out of his wits. He hurriedly ran toward Blackie and asked him hysterically, "How can you tell he's not a Spirit World creature?"
Blackie nearly attacked Adam because he couldn't identify the latter as his face was swollen from the beating. But then he sent a mental transmission to the youth.
Adam was left in deep thought. So according to Blackie, a Spirit World creature can clearly identify another creature from the Spirit World. But if that is true and Val isn't from the Spirit World, then how did he end up there?
Berger was also thinking the same thing. Then he looked at Adam and grumbled, "It's always one strange thing after another with you."
The youth asked the gnome, "Old man, do you have any theories?"
Berger turned back to look at Valerian playing with his beard and sighed. "I can only think of one."
"What is it?" Adam asked eagerly.
"The little fellow was given birth to in the material world, but due to certain circumstances, the egg managed to slip into the Spirit World." Berger paused momentarily and then continued, "But what eludes me is, how did he manage to stay alive in the Spirit World?"
It was common knowledge that the inhabitants of the material world would not be able to stay for long inside the Spirit World—even if they were inside an egg.
That is because the soul of an outsider would constantly erode inside the Spirit World. They would die within a matter of hours.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})Adam spoke in disbelief, "Then… for how long did Val remain in that citadel before I rescued him?"
Then another thought popped up in his mind, Could it be that Val managed to survive for so long in the Spirit World because he's a dragon?
But he immediately discarded this idea.
The rules of the Spirit World were mysterious. It didn't differentiate between a dragon and an ant. As long as it was an outsider, they were not allowed to stay long inside the Spirit World. Unless they wanted to die of course.
While Adam was lost in thought, Berger gently handed him Valerian. "Regardless of what happened to him while he was out there, the fact of the matter is, the little fellow was born fine and healthy."
Adam lowered his head and looked at Valerian who was also looking at him with his cute and innocent eyes. The youth fondly rubbed his stomach. "That's right."
Valerian purred, enjoying it very much.
"Moreover." Berger continued as he started smoking from his pipe. "Blackie told me that he can sense an extremely powerful bloodline from the little fellow. Rest assured, he'll grow up to be a very powerful being."
"Heh, of course he will!" Adam smirked and thought, How can a dragon be weak!
Sensing Adam's feelings, Valerian waved his tiny paws in the air in triumph. "Rawr~"
Blackie agilely climbed atop Adam's shoulders and started playing with Valerian. He seemed to be very fond of the little fellow.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})Seeing them play, Adam confirmed inwardly. Looks like even Blackie can't see through Val's identity.
The youth was greatly relieved by this. At the very least, he wouldn't have to bother about taking Valerian outside with him. As he was lost in thought, Berger asked, "Have you found out what abilities you received from the little fellow?"
"What do you mean?" Adam was puzzled.
"Didn't I tell you before?" Berger took his seat behind the counter. "When a magical link is formed between a Magus and their familiar, they get special abilities from their familiar. On the other hand, the familiar also gets certain abilities from the Magus."
"Oh, that's right!" Adam's eyes lit up. "I remember you saying something like that. But how do I find out what abilities I got from Val?"
"Focus on the link between yourself and the little fellow. From it, you'll learn everything you need to know." The gnome instructed.
"Okay!" Adam nodded excitedly. He sat down on the floor and placed Valerian on his lap. Then, he closed his eyes and focused hard. Seeing Adam shut his eyes, the young dragon covered his eyes with his tiny paws.
However, from time to time, he continued to secretly peek at Adam.
Adam, on the other hand, focused on the newly formed connection that had formed between him and Valerian after the latter hatched. It was an inexplicable feeling.
This magical connection between the two was like a silver thread. But this thread was anything but weak. It seemed unbreakable. Through this thread, the two could feel each other's emotions, intent, and everything in between.
In many ways, the two now shared a common existence. When Adam felt this connection, he became very emotional. He felt something that he had completely forgotten about. Something that he hadn't felt for a long, long time.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})Kinship.
A warm smile involuntarily formed on Adam's face. The next moment, as he delved deeper into the fabric of this thread that was the magical link between him and Valerian, his mind was suddenly flooded with knowledge.
Knowledge about the abilities he had received from the young dragon!
When Adam learned what abilities he had been gifted, his eyes snapped open in sheer shock and his jaws dropped. He looked at Valerian incredulously, his body trembling.
"What is it, boy?" Berger asked with a frown, not having expected such a reaction from the youth.
It took a long time for Adam to calm down, but even then he was still rendered speechless. It was only when Berger smacked him in the forehead again did he managed to speak.
"I-I received two abilities from Val…" Adam muttered in a daze. "The first one is Spirit World Traversal!"
"Oh?" Berger raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Spirit World Traversal, huh? Even though Valerian is not a Spirit World creature, he still has the ability to traverse the Spirit World? How interesting!"
Only now did the gnome understand why Adam was so shocked. Well, to be honest, this was completely unexpected to him as well. In his eyes, Valerian's lineage now became shrouded in even more mystery.
However, this wasn't what shocked Adam.
"What's the other ability?" Berger asked.
Adam involuntarily gulped, still having difficulty coming to terms with it. He muttered with his trembling lips, "M-My mana reserves… they…"
