Chapter 37: When the Question Was Born… and the Storm Trembled

  The question came forth with a strange calm—carrying neither fear nor confusion, but a pure emptiness after awareness had fully formed:

  “Who am I now?”

  I studied her for a moment.

  I did not search for a name, nor for a ready-made identity. Then my answer came out simple, calm, unbound:

  “It doesn’t matter who you are now… just be what you wish to be.”

  I extended my hand, and with a light motion, tossed a small bird toward her—its body made of living flesh, yet its consciousness dormant—an ideal vessel.

  “This will be your new body.”

  “I think you’re capable of making it your own.”

  I paused briefly, then added in a casual tone, “It’s female… hmm.”

  Then I exhaled calmly. “Sorry, that’s all I could get.”

  “As you know… I’m just a dragon child.”

  There was no displeasure.

  No complaint.

  Her reply came steady, as if from an existence that did not weigh things by appearances:

  “That’s fine. What matters is that it’s a body capable of housing my soul.”

  Then her focus shifted to me—a scrutinizing gaze, deep, not belonging to a soul that had just been born.

  “But… you are very strange.”

  “No one in this era knows that I am female, and no one knows of a treasure like this—let alone possessing it or offering it to me.”

  She paused for a moment, then continued in a calm tone tinged with curiosity:

  “Tell me… are you a transmigrator?”

  I ignored the question entirely.

  Some things do not need answers.

  I changed the course of the conversation at once:

  “Anyway… how is your soul now?”

  “Have any of your memories returned?”

  Her assessment came precise, without exaggeration:

  “No. I haven’t recovered everything.”

  “But what has returned amounts to about fifty percent of my original memories.”

  Then she explained in a calm, almost scientific tone, “What I was unable to recover is limited to my personal life only. As for skills, techniques, knowledge of poisons, medicine, and everything related to the legacy… it is complete.”

  She paused again, then asked, “Do you see that as a problem?”

  The reply came quickly, without hesitation:

  “No. There is no problem at all.”

  Then I added immediately, in a practical tone, “In any case, I’ll gather the treasures here.”

  “Take control of this body quickly.”

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  The moment she began taking possession of the bird’s body, the entire tomb stirred, as if responding to a silent command.

  While her soul merged and anchored itself within the new body, I began clearing the tomb.

  Everything of value—rare herbs, petrified toxic materials, preserved techniques, remnants—was transferred directly into my storage ring.

  Three hours passed.

  The tomb became empty… except for silence.

  At that same moment, she had completely finished gaining control over her new body.

  “Alright… shall we go now?”

  I lifted my gaze toward the group and continued, “Mia and I will head to another place.”

  “As for the rest… you will wait in the cave.”

  I didn’t explain further.

  There was no need.

  After that, I took Mia with me and headed straight toward the Land of the Golden Lion—the place where the Golden Lion had obtained the Storm Jewel.

  Why didn’t I take the snake?

  The reason was simple.

  He carried an old grudge against the Golden Lion.

  And more than that… he was weaker than him.

  I didn’t want to risk a confrontation we might lose before it even began.

  That was why I chose only Mia to go with me.

  A calculated decision.

  With no room for emotion.

  And after only three minutes, we had already arrived at the Land of the Golden Lion.

  I paused briefly, letting my gaze sweep across the vast stretch of land saturated with energy, then addressed her in a calm yet clear tone, “Sister, I want you to look for anything that carries strong energy—a cave, a strange flower, or anything that piques your curiosity.”

  “And when you sense it… tell me immediately, alright?”

  Mia’s eyes lit up at once, and her reply came without hesitation, brimming with vitality, “Alright, brother, I’ll do it!”

  And she dashed off.

  Her body moved with fluid grace, her sharp senses spreading like an invisible net, scanning the land, the air, and even the hidden fluctuations of energy.

  As I watched her, I felt something I didn’t show—silent gratitude for having her by my side.

  And while Mia was sweeping the area with her senses, a faint sensation slipped into my awareness… weak, yet strange—a subtle pulse on the horizon, not strong enough to immediately draw attention, but… different.

  It didn’t take long.

  Mia returned to me quickly, her steps sharp, her eyes shining with obvious excitement.

  The words spilled from her before her breathing even steadied, “Brother! There’s something strange in the northeast. An ancient cave, surrounded by thick blue mist, and the winds around it are unnatural…”

  “It’s like they’re breathing!”

  I stopped and looked at her intently.

  Inside me, thoughts flowed with cautious calm: Alright… it seems my suspicions were correct. Mia really is better than me at finding treasures. Is this because she’s one of the protagonist’s helpers who will appear after William? His luck… is incredible. But… what does this really mean? Could it be…?

  I sharpened my focus.

  Blue mist? Unnatural winds?

  Yes…

  That description was anything but ordinary.

  My decision came swiftly, without hesitation, “Alright. Lead me to it.”

  We moved quickly between trees and rocks, with Mia at the front—

  her steps steady, her direction unwavering.

  With every step closer, the density of the energy increased.

  It wasn’t chaotic, but accumulated… as if the place itself were a convergence point of fundamental natural forces.

  Then it appeared before us.

  The cave.

  Its entrance was partially concealed behind a curtain of rising mist. The mist was not still;it rippled slowly, like a chest rising and falling with each breath.

  As for the winds… they were no ordinary winds.

  They carried a strange sensation, a light pressure on perception, as though something inside

  was trying to break free… or waiting for someone to awaken it.

  Mia took a step forward, her eyes shifting between the mist and the entrance, her voice lower this time:

  “This place… is very strange.”

  I agreed quietly, never taking my eyes off the cave, “Yes. But I’m certain that what we’re looking for… is inside.”

  I advanced slowly.

  I extended my hand to test the air.

  The energy here was unstable, but it wasn’t hostile.

  It wasn’t repelling.

  Nor was it attacking.

  It was… waiting.

  I shifted my gaze to Mia and spoke in a serious tone:

  “Get ready.”

  “This place may have guardians.”

  At that moment, a heavy silence fell, as if the cave itself

  had heard our words.

  We exchanged a cautious glance—a brief look, yet more than enough—then stepped inside.

  The moment we crossed the threshold of the cave, the mist slammed shut behind us in a single surge, not like fading smoke… but like a solid wall that severed us from the outside world.

  At the same instant, the air around me compressed—an abrupt pressure that weighed on my chest and disrupted my senses, as if the cave had declared that we were now within its domain.

  And it was there.

  Right before our eyes—the core.

  A mass of pure energy floating in the air, glowing with a clear sky-blue hue.

  Sparks of lightning danced around it, while swirling winds wrapped tightly about it in steady rotation… as if it were a living being,breathing.

  The very air moved around it—bowing, whispering, submitting.

  Mia’s voice came out as a whisper, tinged with awe: Brother… do you think this is…?”

  I nodded slowly, never taking my eyes off the glowing mass.

  “Yes… the Storm Core.”

  I took a cautious step forward.

  And in the very next moment—a wave of energy erupted.

  It wasn’t a strike, but a complete inundation.

  The power of the storm surged from the core and slammed mercilessly into our non-human bodies, burrowing inside, piercing consciousness, tearing balance apart.

  I couldn’t resist.

  There was no time for that.

  Everything dissolved into white haze.

  My body froze for a single instant…then my awareness fell into darkness.

  I don’t know how much time passed.

  But when I opened my eyes, I was lying on the ground, the ceiling of the cave still roaring with the remnants of storm energy.

  The air felt different.

  Heavier… closer.

  Beside me, Mia was moving slowly, her breathing uneven, clear tension etched across her features.

  Her voice came out faintly, “Brother… what happened?”

  I looked at her, then spoke in a calm, steady tone, “I think we absorbed the core.”

  I slowly gestured toward the empty space ahead of us.

  “Look… the core is no longer there.”

  I began to move, rising to my feet bit by bit.

  And in that moment, I realized it.

  My body… was no longer the same.

  There was a new sensation, as if I was no longer separate from the air, but a part of it.

  I could feel the movement of the wind, the shifts in pressure, the turbulence of the currents, in a way I had never experienced before.

  I extended my hand to test this new power.

  And the instant I did—A vortex formed around me.

  Lightning flared between my claws, pulsing, responding, waiting for a command.

  I turned my gaze to Mia.

  The change was obvious in her as well.

  Her breathing was heavy, but not from exhaustion… it was because the air itself was reacting to her.

  Obeying her.

  Responding to her.

  We had obtained it.

  The power to control the weather.

  I looked at her, then said in a decisive tone, “Sister, let’s go. There’s nothing left for us here in this cave.”