There was nothing special about the Ancestral Dragon Pool from the outside. It was definitely a beautiful natural spring, but if one didn't have the perception ability of the All-Seeing Eyes or something of the same caliber, it was impossible to find anything special about it.
At least, from the outside.
Splash!
Damien's body submerged into the spring, splashing its water into the air. As he disappeared beneath the surface, the various statues in the surroundings began to glow with a strange hazy light.
The scenery changed drastically. The beautiful forest and grove withered into an apocalyptic wasteland, and from this wasteland rose blistering volcanos, heaven-piercing mountains, and even roaring rivers that rushed through the sky.
ROAR!
ROAR!
ROAR!
Draconic roars reverberated through the air. Streams of mana came together to form massive projections that danced through the sky, depicting countless mythical beasts and heroes in their prime.
The glowing statues opened their eyes, beams of light connecting them each to a unique projected phenomenon. And while it was so subtle that it was imperceptible, their attention turned to the pool nearby.
The pool filled with several different colors that emanated a strong bloody scent.
It was difficult to see if one was within the scene, but if one took the time to view it as an outsider…
…it would become clear that the multicolor blood pool was the source of all else taking place in the surroundings:
***
Massive changes were happening outside, almost as if to represent something grand, but Damien wasn't privy to any of it.
The second he was completely submerged in the water, he felt like he was transported to another world.
'It's heavy.' He thought to himself as he gritted his teeth and endured the water's pressure.
He could still see the surface. He wasn't even a few feet deep, but he was already feeling pressure as if he was at the bottom of the ocean.
'It was a surprise, but this is still bearable. Since this is an ancestral site, won't there be greater rewards the deeper I go?'
He turned his gaze downward into the abyss that lay below. The water turned pitch black not even 100 meters deep, and what lay beyond was hidden behind its veil.
However, ever since he entered the pool, Damien felt like he wasn't the only presence within. He could vaguely feel a variety of auras. The closest ones were weak and faltering, but the more vague ones made their presence known despite the vast distance that separated them from him.
'These auras must have something to do with the actual ancestral ritual that dragons get to undergo when they enter the pool. As for me, even with the All-Seeing Eyes boosting my perception, I can only vaguely understand what they are.'
The Golden Dragon Emperor warned him from the beginning that the pool was unsuitable for outsiders, but he didn't take those words seriously until this moment.
He finally realized that it would genuinely be impossible for him to gain anything the conventional way.
'Well, I bet if I try hard enough, I can use the Breath of All Things to change my body structure into a dragon body, but why would I want to do that? I don't know what my race became after my blood was dyed in Samsara, but it definitely exceeds any mere dragon.'
There was a time when Damien looked up to dragons.
There was a time when he saw them as peak existences that he wanted to chase, a race he held pride in being associated with.
But now…?
'Now, dragons are just another species to be dominated.'
Damien grinned to himself and kicked off the water, shooting into the pool's depths.
He passed the 100-meter mark in an instant and found himself submerged once again, this time in darkness.
The pressure constricting his body became fiercer with every passing second. 1 kilometer, 5 kilometers, 9 kilometers; by the time he made it to the 10-kilometer mark, he finally started feeling its effects.
Crack!
A small fracture appeared in his forearm, alerting him to the fact that the pressure bypassed his defenses.
'At this level, Transcendent Regeneration can easily cope. I don't even have to use [Heal] yet.'
Or at least, that's what he thought.
WHOOOOOOSH!
When he reached the 20-kilometer mark, he was met with a terrifying underwater current that slammed into his body and manhandled him, throwing him around the depths and completely disorienting him.
'Shit!' He exclaimed as he rapidly used his mana to stabilize himself.
However, his defenses broke in a single second!
Damien's mana dispersed into the water the second it left his body, and to make matters worse, the dispersed mana was absorbed by the current, which enhanced it to a new level.
WHOOOOOOOOSH!
The current came back a second time to harass the unprepared Damien.
He could feel his skin and muscles rapidly tearing under its razor-sharp force, and as if aggrieved that Damien forgot about it, the ambient pressure returned in spades, exponentially strengthening the deadly environment.
'Dammit, the current tossed me at least a few kilometers deeper into the pool! I need to stabilize myself and figure out how to maneuver my mana asap!'
He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, trusting Transcendent Regeneration to keep him alive.
He sunk his consciousness into his own body, rolling Void Mana through his systems and absorbing how it reacted to external stimuli.
'The mana dispersal is an inherent effect of the water, so trying to overcome it would be useless. Instead, I need to adapt. I'm sure that's what this test is about.'
Damien wasn't a member of a Dragon Clan. The Golden Dragon Emperor never expressly mentioned it, but Damien was certain that there were residual spirits and soul wisps in the area observing him, likely remnants of ancestral beasts.
Those ancient ancestors, how would they feel when they were suddenly awoken only to realize the individual in the Ancestral DRAGON Pool wasn't a dragon at all?
'They would be furious, and I doubt that bastard emperor bothered explaining anything.'
Damien's opinion of the emperor changed as if he was bipolar.
'When I reach Demigod level, I'm going to embarrass the shit out of him in front of Astoria. Let's see how he likes the taste of vengeance.'
Damien shook his head and focused his mind once again.
He was certain the current extraneous circumstances were a result of this hostility, and if he wasn't able to triumph over them, he would be directly killed by these long-deceased experts.
'Honestly speaking, I could probably escape death, but if they target my soul, I won't be able to defend at all. Plus, it's not a good idea to make an enemy out of the Golden Dragon Clan right now. It's highly likely that I'll be able to subordinate them in the future, so I should treat them well.'
He couldn't use brute force, since destroying the Ancestral Dragon Pool definitely didn't align with the decision he'd just made.
He couldn't Devour it either, since that would probably provoke an even worse reaction.
Void abilities were out of the question from the start. It didn't matter if they were dead, those remnant souls were experts in life. They would definitely be able to sense his greatest secret.
The Saint Emperor was enough proof of this, as he was able to sense the Void in Damien even through an Avatar.
With all these factors taken into consideration, Damien was left with only one option.
He smiled wryly at his fate.
'Welp, pain is power…right?'
If all else failed, he'd just endure the consequences with his body.
This was the Secret Way of the Masochist!
