SYSTEM ASCENSION

"...Yet never..." The enormous pupil narrowed. "...have I seen a mortal whose soul is split into two and dwelling in the same body."

Zeal’s head slowly turned toward Elias.

"...Should I know what that means?"

Elias remained expressionless. "No."

"I was hoping you’d say yes."

The dragon’s deep laughter erupted once more. The mountains shook, several cliffs collapsed in the distance.

Zeal tilted his head.

"Um...Mr rocky thing...Null...could you not... laugh. You’ll bury us alive."

The dragon frowned.

"I’m a female."

"Mrs rocky thing."

"I’m a dragon."

"Mrs dragon rocky thing."

They both stared at Zeal.

"What?"

The dragon sighed.

"I want to smack you but you might get squashed."

He moved back. "We should definitely not try that."

"Call me Nel."

"So Nel, you brought us here?" Elias was asking.

The dragon’s eyes moved to the boy. The ground shook as it moved it’s hand, using a single claw tip to push off Elias’s mask.

"Much better."

"Why are we here?"

The dragon turned it’s head. "I opened the portal because I need the help of little creatures like you."

"That’s surprisingly offensive." Zeal pouted.

The dragon pointed to the cave beside it. "I need you both to help me retrieve my egg from inside that cave."

Their eyes went to the Cave and back to the ridiculously large Nel.

"One question," Zeal raised his hand. "How did your egg fit inside the small cave when you’re like—that?"

"You’d be surprise how small I was when I was younger." Nel scoffed, and once again they were trying to not get blown away.

"And why is your egg inside the cave?"

"It rolled in...by mistake."

They both frowned.

"Why not crave out the cave?" Elias asked.

"It might affect the egg."

Both men exchanged glances.

"That’s why you opened a portal to our world?" Zeal asked.

"Yes."

"That’s about a year and a half ago. You realise that it might be defective now?"

The dragon took a deep breath. "It was already defective before it rolled in."

"And you want a egg you can’t hatch." Zeal frowned.

An awkward silence followed before Nel spoke.

"It might be lonely."

They exchanged glances again.

"Why didn’t you get it yourself?" Elias turn to answer the creature.

Zeal frowned. "It’s the size of sound city!"

"Boy, how did you know that I can shrink myself?"

"Just a hunch." Elias shrugged his shoulder.

"You’re correct. I can shrink myself, but I’m currently brooding."

"You’re brooding?" Zeal cut in. "The remaining eggs? For over a year?"

"Fifty years precisely."

"I’m done." The older man gave up and walked away.

"Why was the portal non accessible since you opened it?" Elias asked.

Nel’s attention returned to him.

"I must have made a mistake with the casting. It’s been a while I have done it."

"Bring out the egg. Sure."

"Why didn’t you just call the humans in this world?" Zeal peeped.

"The child in this world can carry you with a finger."

"Oh come on! Is that even fair?!"

Elias called him from the mouth of the cave. "Stop complaining and let’s go."

"Damn it." He followed behind.

The cave was large enough for them to walk side by side. It was basically a turnel, and deep inside was the actual cave. Among the pile of stones was the egg which had turned gray overtime.

"I still don’t know why she wants a defective egg." Zeal muttered.

"Female stuff perhaps?" Elias shrugged. He jumped down and picked it up.

"See how small it is." Zeal turned back. "Let’s go."

The two of them left the cave and arrived back outside.

"I can’t believe how simple this mission is. We evacuated half the city too."

Elias handed the egg to Nel.

The dragon carefully took it, and bow it’s head.

"Thank you, tiny creatures."

"Are you insulting us, you gigantic Null?!" Zeal snapped.

Nel ignored him. "Ask anything in my power. I’ll grant it."

"Then," he pointed to Elias. "Do something about his double soul problem. It’s getting into his head."

"I was already thinking of it." Nel agreed. "His body is too fragile for his soul. It’s eating him up."

"If we train him?"

"A cup cannot exceed it filling limit. It’ll break."

"How are you using the term cup when you’re the size of a city." Zeal frowned.

"..."

"My point is," Nel’s eyes twitched as she bottled up her anger. "His only solution is splitting his soul."

Elias instinctively moved back.

"Am not parting with Mona."

"Mona?" Zeal raised a brow.

"Listen here kid," the dragon spoke. "That part of you is mostly unconscious because your body can’t take it. Still, it can interfere directly because it’s still you."

"How can we split it?" Zeal asked.

"Find a new body for the soul."

"Am not split—"

"Don’t be stubborn. You’ll die." Zeal interrupted him, before returning his attention to the dragon. "Where can we find a body."

The dragon huffed.

"It doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be a human body like you. Honestly, it’ll be weird if it’s a human body. They might do and think the same thing."

"Then,"

The dragon extended it’s hand.

"I had the thought immediately I saw him."

"You want to split his soul into this egg?"

Nel smiled. "My child was born without a soul. Its body lives, yet nothing dwells within it. Your companion possesses the opposite problem. One body... split souls. Split one soul to my child. You both become whole."

Zeal narrowed his eyes.

"That’s so generous that it’s suspicious."

The dragon laughed, blowing off half the trees in the process. When it was done, it looked at the boy who was secretly inching away.

"Catch him."

Zeal dashed after Elias. "Come back here you idiot!"

"No!"

Thirty minutes later, Zeal stumbled out of the forest, breathing heavily. Elias hung limply over his shoulder, arms dangling like he had accepted his fate.

"He bit me," Zeal complained.

"You deserved it," Elias muttered.

Zeal dumped him onto Nel’s waiting palm.

"Begin the process before he escapes again."

"Are you his father?" Nel asked.

"His father? HIS FATHER?! I’M HIS GREAT GRANDFATHER! I NAMED HIM INFACT! DO I LOOK THAT OLD TO YOU!"

"You don’t have to throw a tantrum." Elias mumbled.

"Begin the process!"

"Don’t be mad."

"BEGIN THE PROCESS!"

"Alright! Alright."

Silence followed next. Golden light flowed through Nel’s scales as ancient runes on her body awakened one after another,

She opened her mouth. "Asaii byhd nhvc bkjd drgv jigb jgso daeC jusc jhdc mcse hvct..."

"Okay..." Zeal moved back.

Each word resonated through the valley, as Elias suddenly stiffened.

"...!"

His fingers dug into his chest.

"...stop..."

The dragon continue to chant away.

"Stop! Stop!"

His breathing became irregular as an invisible force reached deeper and deeper into his existence. Darkness clouded his vision, a familiar void stretching endlessly before him.

The sound of chains rattling far away cut his attention.

CLANG.

He traced the sound.

A figure abruptly sat upright, gray eyes snapping open in confusion. "...Huh?"

The chains wrapped around his arms and torso suddenly tightened.

"What the—"

They yanked him and he stumbled forward. He tried to break free but it wasn’t working.

"...Oi. What is going on?"

"Mona!" Elias approached him.

He turned at the sound of Elias’ voice. "Elias? ...Are we dying?!"

"No!"

His Gray eyes narrowed. "Are we splitting?!"

Elias went silent.

"ELIAS, ARE WE SPLITTING?!"

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