The system's notification rang in Roy's ears.
『Ding! Congratulation. As a result of killing a rank-2 Armored Spirit Archer, you have gained two shards of Arrow Force. Collect 100 such pieces and have them combined into one to create the Arrow Force Skill.』
『Ding! It's detected that the rank-2 Armored Spirit Archer is a soulless steel puppet that was brought to life by being infused with ten units of a True Dragon's Fire Essence. After hundreds of years of activity, it has lost a few units of True Dragon's Fire Essence. When it was fighting you, it lost another unit of True Dragon's Fire Essence. However, six units of True Dragon's Fire Essence are still trapped within its metallic husk. Absorbing them would be extremely beneficial to you. Would you like to absorb them?』
"What is this True Dragon's fire essence?" Roy questioned the Strongest System.
All the information about it present in the mana database was extracted and transferred to him in the next moment.
The system's monotone voice rang in Roy's ears.
『It is the wisp of a True Fire that a Crimson Dragon created by splitting a part of its soul and fusing it with its fire.』
"So... w-we are connected to Crimson Dragons?! Maybe... our ancestor was one."
Roy's eyes lit up as he realized that he was the descendant of a True Crimson Dragon, the fire breather.
Long ago, dragons of different kinds existed in the Far West Major Realm.
It was possible for Lord of the Far West to become humans using alchemy, but dragons, the mightiest of all creatures, do the same using their magic.
Somehow his ancestor, a mighty being, fell in love with a human and matted with them.
The fruit of their love was a hybrid, a child that was neither a human nor a dragon but better than both in many ways.
The child wasn't only born with innately opened magic and aura gates, but the destructive nature innate to a crimson dragon was suppressed in them by their human qualities.
Wise, curious, not run over by his emotions like a sage among humans, and capable of controlling both Mana and Aura like a dragon, he was the first of the Baldwins!
Roy connected the dots and concluded that the hybrids born between humans and Crimson Dragons are called Baldwins. Meanwhile, he was the descendant of their descendants. He didn't have any draconian characteristics save for his ability to control both Mana and Aura!
He snapped out of his thought, listening attentively to the voice ringing in his ears.
『It can be used to give life to a soulless puppet or weapons made of divine-grade steel. Only divine-grade steel can contain it. Puppets and weapons brought to life by means of a True Dragon's fire essence are full of rage, consumed by it even. They try to kill and destroy whatever may enter their sight. Lastly, humans can use it to strengthen their physique up to the True Lord rank.』
Physiques were divided into seven grades.
Starting from bottom to top, they are mortal-rank, earth-rank, Sky-rank, Lord-rank, King-rank, Royal-rank, and imperial-rank.
Roy's innate energy refining body was an earth-rank physique.
He hadn't been able to strengthen it as he didn't know how to without awakening.
But now, a way to strengthen it was presented to him.
Of course, he was going to grab it, even though his sixth sense was telling him not to.
"Do it. Use it to strengthen my physique!" Roy said.
『Six units of True Dragon's Fire Essence have been extracted from it.』
『They will now be transferred to you.』
『The special effect of your title has taken effect.』
『You will now see what can't be seen.』
Roy saw several specks of light flying out of its body. They were like dust particles, tiny and hardly visible. If not for the special effect of his title, he wouldn't be able to see them even though his basic stats were no less than 200 points, and the higher the stats, the higher one's senses.
In a flash, they appeared next to him.
They were the wisps of a True Fire, so just being close to them turned his skin red and made him feel like he was in a lit firehouse, being flayed alive, but he didn't step back to avoid them and instead let them approach and flow into him.
He desired to consume them. That could be seen in his eyes that were changing color and shape without his knowledge.
The True Dragon's Fire Essences went into his body, frantically refining his Physique!
As it did so, he felt as if his entire body was on fire.
A few massive torrents of Fiery energy coursed throughout his body, scorching each strand of his muscle before bursting into his blood vessels, widening them to the brink of destruction.
He felt as if they would explode. Sweat drenched his back as he fought back the desire to fall unconscious and endured the pain of being bit by thousands of fire ants with closed lips.
At the same time, something similar enveloped his organs, roasting them like chestnuts.
Although it was a minuscule, almost laughable amount, he was being washed by True Fire!
The Gods would not allow for a Mortal to have a physique better than Earth-grade!
But Roy was defying the heavens by upgrading it.
The process was bound to not be simple.
Roy shouldered the agonizing pain, gritting his teeth and tightening his fists. His nails pierced into his skin, but he didn't unclench. No Pain, no Gain! He had to endure it if he wanted to stand above weapon masters and trainees, do what aura masters can do, and be a threat to them!
"Eh??!!!"
Suddenly, Roy's eyes widened to the size of saucers.
Something unbelievably incredible happened as the energy from the true dragon's fire essence refined his physique; the size of his little brother increased, growing bigger than 12 inches.
"Unbelievable! It was already bigger than what most can handle, but now it's growing even bigger! Any woman that marries me will surely be blessed with a blissful sexual life." Roy thought as he felt his shalong becoming bigger than ever. He was a grower, and it wasn't even erect. Yet, now it was bigger than 14 inches when not erect. It was a wonder how big it would become when blood flowed into it.
That wasn't the only change he experienced from tempering his physique with the True Dragon's Fire essence.
His energy pool surged to 1000 points.
"The size of my energy pool has almost doubled... I can start using my soul herding ability recklessly." Roy's eyes lit up in joy. He no longer needed to think a dozen times before using Night's Mist.
All of the white hair on his body started to turn black.
His blood vessels also widened, and his organs gained resistance against Aura and the world's energy. Not much, but the change was still noticeable.
『Ding! Congratulation. Your body was successfully tempered by True Dragon's fire essences. Your level-1 innate energy refining body has been strengthened to the second level. Your physique now exceeds a weapon master in terms of aura absorption, energy emission, and tenacity. You can release 500 wisps of mana and 5000 units of aura from your body instantly.』
