Noah moved a little closer and sat beside Akari.
His eyes were filled with curiosity as they carefully observed the sapphire-blue scales covering the sides of her neck. They were unlike anything he had ever seen.
Beautiful yet strangely intimidating. Slowly, he raised his right hand. His index and middle fingers gently reached toward the scales.
The moment they made contact.
"Cold."
The word escaped his lips almost instinctively. The scales were much colder than he had expected. Not only that they were incredibly hard.
It felt as though he were touching polished steel.
Perhaps something even harder. His fingertips slowly traced along the smooth surface.
Each scale overlapped perfectly with the next, creating a mesmerizing pattern that reflected the morning light with a faint sapphire sheen.
He couldn’t help admiring them. "They’re... really beautiful."
Noah had always been fascinated by dragons.
Like countless young men, he had grown up reading novels, watching anime, and imagining powerful dragons soaring through the skies.
And now a real dragon sat quietly beside him.
How could he not be fascinated?
Akari simply allowed him to continue. At first having someone touch her so closely felt a little strange. After all, no one had been this close to her in decades.
But when she noticed the genuine wonder in Noah’s eyes. The awkwardness slowly disappeared.
Instead she found his innocent curiosity rather endearing.
"Do you really like them?"
She asked softly, her blue slit-pupiled eyes resting on him.
Noah nodded immediately. "Of course. They’re amazing. They’re cool."
He gently tapped one of the scales with his finger.
"They’re incredibly solid."
Then another question came to mind.
"How durable are they? If someone attacked your neck... Could an ordinary sword even cut through them?"
Akari calmly shook her head.
"No. A normal blade wouldn’t even leave a scratch."
She thought for a moment before adding,
"Perhaps an S-Rank weapon might damage them. But anything below that...I highly doubt it."
Noah slowly nodded.
"I see..."
Without realizing it, he had leaned much closer. His attention remained fixed entirely on the dragon scales.
The warmth of his breath lightly brushed against the small section of normal skin near her throat that wasn’t covered by scales. The sensation tickled slightly.
Akari blinked once.
Yet she made no attempt to move away. Perhaps after sixty years of complete solitude. Having another human sitting this close no longer felt uncomfortable.
Instead it felt oddly comforting.
Noah suddenly looked up. "Can I try something?"
Akari tilted her head slightly. "What do you want to try?"
"I want to test their durability." He pointed toward the scales. "...By attacking them."
She blinked. "You want to strike my neck?"
He nodded earnestly. "I won’t hold back. I want to know just how strong dragon scales really are."
Akari smiled faintly. "So that’s what you’re curious about."
Without the slightest hesitation, she nodded.
"Very well. Go ahead. Use your full strength. I’ll be fine."
Noah immediately stood up. As he did he suddenly realized he had been sitting extremely close. Because of their positions, Akari’s face was momentarily level with his waist.
He immediately took several steps backward before his imagination wandered somewhere inappropriate.
’Ahem... Let’s not think about that. No inappropriate thoughts.’
With a thought a steel sword emerged from his storage ring. Mana flowed rapidly from his core. A thin layer of icy mana wrapped around the blade, causing it to glow with a brilliant blue light.
He took a deep breath. "I’m coming."
Akari remained seated in seiza without the slightest hint of concern.
"Whenever you’re ready."
Noah pushed off the floor. His body shot forward. The sword traced a beautiful horizontal arc through the air. A crescent of pale-blue mana followed behind the blade.
CLANG!!
The impact echoed throughout the wooden house. A powerful vibration traveled through Noah’s arms.
His fingers went numb. It felt as though he had struck an indestructible wall forged from divine metal.
Meanwhile Akari hadn’t moved even an inch. Not even her posture changed.
Noah slowly lowered his sword before stepping back. He stared at her neck. There wasn’t even the tiniest scratch. Not a mark. Not a dent. There was nothing.
His eyes widened with amazement. "That’s insane!"
He couldn’t help laughing. "These scales are incredible. I wish I had dragon scales covering my entire body."
Akari let out a soft chuckle. "You certainly have an interesting sense of humor."
She lightly touched the scales herself. "I don’t think having scales over your entire body would be very pleasant."
Noah shrugged. "Maybe. But imagine if you could make them appear and disappear whenever you wanted. That would be amazing."
Akari nodded with a gentle smile. "...That would be."
Silence returned. The peaceful atmosphere settled over the house once again.
Outside the birds continued singing. The breeze rustled through the trees.
Noah looked toward the endless forest. There was nothing for him to do.
There was no clues. No way home. No enemies to fight.
Only one option remained. He turned toward Akari.
"Akari. I think I’ll spend my time training. There’s not much else I can do while I’m here."
He scratched his cheek with a helpless smile.
"So...I was wondering. Would you be willing to teach me?"
Akari looked at him quietly. Then she smiled. It was a warm smile. One that softened her usually calm and disciplined appearance.
"Of course. I’d be happy to. It would actually be nice."
She looked out toward the garden.
"I’ve spent sixty years here alone. Teaching someone...And simply having someone to talk. I think I’d enjoy that."
Noah’s expression softened. He couldn’t truly comprehend what sixty years of loneliness must have felt like.
She had no family here No friends. There was no one for conversation.
Yet she had endured it all without losing herself.
’How lonely must she have been?’
He silently looked at the woman beside him.
Then he made a quiet promise to himself.
’As long as I’m trapped here. I’ll spend as much time with her as I can. At the very least she won’t have to be alone anymore.’
There was no bad intention behind this decision. He really didn’t have any!! Believe in him!!
---
It was evening.
The golden light of the setting sun painted the forest in warm shades of orange and crimson.
A gentle breeze drifted through the trees, carrying the refreshing scent of flowers blooming near the lake.
Most of Noah’s day had been spent training.
Rather than practicing swordsmanship, he had devoted nearly the entire day to meditation.
His goal was simple.
To break through to the Condensed Core realm as quickly as possible.
Every hour mattered.
He still didn’t know how long he would remain trapped in this mysterious world.
Or what dangers awaited him after returning.
He slowly opened his eyes and exhaled.
A transparent blue screen appeared before him.
=== STATUS ===
Name: Noah Eldritch
Race: Human
Age: 19 Years
Strength: 368 [+41]
Speed: 364 [+34]
Stamina: 370 [+41]
Endurance: 359 [+38]
Charm: 651
Mana: 3543 [+420]
Core Rank: Awakened (High)
Potential: Mythical Core / Origin Core (???)
Profession: [Combatant Lv.2]
Technique: [Frozen Lotus Blade Art], [Flowing String Archery]
Affinity: Ice
Spells: [Ice Shard], [Frost Bind], [Snow Mist], [Ice Blizzard], [Crystal Bloom], [Winter Howl]
Innate Ability: [Ice Creation]
Passive Abilities: [Adaptive Learning], [Heart of Absolute Frost]
Active Ability: [Monarch’s Decree]
Bloodline: [Monarch of the Frost]
===================
A satisfied smile appeared on Noah’s face.
"That’s better than I expected."
Although he hadn’t broken through yet. His mana had increased considerably. His physical attributes had also improved.
He estimated that, at his current pace. He would reach the Condensed Core realm within a month.
Perhaps even sooner if he found the right opportunity.
"Are you checking your status?"
Akari’s calm voice came from beside him.
She had been quietly watching over him throughout the day.
Most of his training consisted of meditation and mana circulation, so there wasn’t much she could actually teach.
Noah closed the status screen and nodded.
"Yeah. My stats have improved quite a bit. I think I’ll reach the Condensed Core realm in less than a month."
Akari looked genuinely pleased.
"That’s wonderful."
She smiled softly.
"You’re remarkably talented for your age. Very few people your age are already standing this close to the Condensed Realm."
Noah scratched the back of his head with an awkward laugh.
"Haha...I don’t think it’s that impressive. I was hoping to break through much sooner. But..."
He shrugged.
"I guess things don’t always go according to plan."
Akari gently shook her head.
"Don’t rush yourself. A stable foundation is far more important than advancing quickly."
She looked toward the endless forest stretching beyond the lake.
"Besides.You have plenty of time now."
Noah smiled wryly.
"That’s true."
Unless he somehow found a way out. Time was the one thing he certainly wasn’t lacking.
Akari suddenly turned toward him.
"How about taking a walk? The evening scenery is beautiful. I’d like to show you this place."
Noah looked around.
The warm sunlight filtering through the trees truly made the entire forest appear almost dreamlike.
There was no reason to refuse.
"I’d like that."
He stood up with a smile. His clothes were damp with sweat after an entire day of training.
His hair clung slightly to his forehead.
"I should probably wash up first. I don’t exactly want to smell like I’ve been training all day."
Akari covered her mouth with her sleeve as a faint laugh escaped her.
"I think that’s a good idea. I’ll prepare dinner while you’re bathing."
Noah blinked. "You don’t have to... wait dinner? How? Are there any vegetables here in forest?"
She shook her head. "Not exactly like our world. But there are few lesves and veggies which are edible. Though I don’t have any seasoning or salt."
"Okay. And I don’t mind it. "
Her gentle smile returned. "I am kind of excited. I finally have someone to cook for."
For a brief moment.Neither of them spoke.
Then Noah smiled warmly. "Thank you."
Without another word, he headed toward the small wooden bathhouse, while Akari quietly made her way toward the kitchen.
The lonely house no longer felt silent. It finally felt like a home.
---
[A/N: Hello, guys!! I’ve uploaded Akari’s image to the character profile on the novel’s page. You can go check it out and give her some popularity in the rankings!
Also, the image shows her without the scales on her neck and cheek.]
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