CHAPTER 78: CH 78 : THORN’S TEST

In the Realm of Advancement, two serpentine dragons, one massive and the other a mere fraction of its size, soared in silent harmony above a sprawling, verdant forest.

These were Shenlong and Thorn.

Shenlong, a being of pure grace, moved with the unhurried elegance of a mountain,

while Thorn, though smaller, flew with a newfound strength, the transformation a part of his talent Dragon-born, which consumed the essence of hope.

But this consumption was miniscule compared to the essence of hope being collected from billion of lifeforms.

As they flew, a system panel flickered to life before Thorn’s eyes, a gentle chiming sound alerting him to an incoming video call.

It was from Anaske.

A genuine smile touched Thorn’s lips, and he quickly accepted the connection.

It had been months since he had last spoken with his son, and a pang of fatherly affection mixed with a hint of nostalgia filled him.

"Father, where are you right now?" Anaske’s voice, tinged with a faint worry, came through the screen.

"I’m currently in the Verdant Expanse," Thorn replied, using the forest’s name he was currently in. "Why do you ask? Is everything alright?"

"Well, I only wanted to know if you’d be coming back," Anaske said, his tone a mixture of longing and understanding. "But after looking at the distance between us, I don’t think you will be."

"I want to come back, but I have my duty to follow," Thorn explained gently.

He was committed to his mission, to help more and more lifeforms.

"What do you need me for? You’ve never asked such a thing before."

"There are many life forms that want Demigod Shenlong’s blessings," Anaske explained earnestly.

"He’s the only demigod with only one apostle, you see. The others have hundreds of Apostles." Anaske’s words carried the weight of a leader.

"And I can’t contact Demigod Shenlong myself; that’s why I came to you."

"And here I was, thinking you were just missing me," Thorn chuckled, a warm, fatherly sound that resonated through his reptilian form.

"I’m not a kid now, Father," Anaske defended, a hint of playful exasperation in his voice. "I know your responsibilities."

"Yeah, yeah," Thorn conceded with a laugh.

"Well, he doesn’t need to be there to give his blessings. I already told you how my blessing came to be." The blessing, a powerful manifestation of Shenlong’s will, was a gift that could be bestowed from anywhere.

Their chat continued for a few more moments, a rare moment of familial connection, but then, Thorn’s senses went on high alert.

His expression turned serious.

"I’ll call you back later, Anaske," he said, his voice now low and urgent. "There’s something important we need to do."

After a quick, heartfelt goodbye, Thorn hung up the call.

He looked down toward a small city nestled in a valley below, his heightened draconic perception immediately picking up the detail of approximately four thousand life forms within its walls.

The city was currently under attack by a horde of demons, a chaotic storm of malice and violence.

Both Shenlong and Thorn gazed toward the one demon who was giving the orders.

He was a towering figure, his hunched back giving him a perpetually monstrous silhouette.

His arms were long, so long that they almost touched the ground as he moved.

His face was a contorted mask of pure, maniacal laughter.

"Archers, move your hands faster! Melee fighters, be more bloodthirsty! Take the meat of these weak life forms home, your family is hungry!" the leader roared, his voice amplified to an unholy, booming sound that was audible to both the demons and the panicked humans in the city.

The demon leader’s maniacal laugh deepened, but he suddenly felt a powerful gaze upon him.

He also felt the gaze of Thorn, but in his eyes, Thorn was just a weak creature, a mere flying reptile. He paid him no mind.

A panel manifested in front of Shenlong’s eyes, which had already deduced all the information about this powerful demigod.

[Name: Shax

Profession: Sound Mage (SS-Grade)

Talents: Reality Talk (SS-Grade), Sound Affinity (SS-Grade), Magic Affinity (SS-Grade), Mana Recovery (SS-Grade), Mana Reservoir (SS-Grade)]

The demon, Shax, looked toward Shenlong, and his laughing face turned serious and arrogant. "Oh, a flying snake. In my presence, you shouldn’t fly. Come, kneel in front of me!"

Suddenly, an invisible, oppressive force pulled the bodies of both Shenlong and Thorn toward the ground.

The pressure was immense, But just then, Shenlong used his own powers.

The essence of hope that was stored in his body suddenly materialized and covered the bodies of both Shenlong and Thorn.

"My master gave me the ability to fly, so you don’t have the right to take it away from me," Shenlong said in a calm, cold voice as if he were simply stating a fact.

"As for kneeling in front of you? You should kneel to the heavens and repent for your arrogance."

"Well, you do have some strength, but that isn’t enough in front of me," Shax said in his signature arrogant tone.

As his words rang out, a subtle magic took hold of Shenlong, and the strength on his body began to visibly decrease.

Shenlong felt his strength draining, but he didn’t panic at all.

Instead, he looked toward Thorn and said, "What do you understand by his talents?"

"Master, from his Reality Talk talent and the way his powers work, I guess his powers are related to what he says," Thorn analyzed, his mind racing to put the pieces together.

"Somehow, whatever he says changes reality itself."

This type of rapid-fire analysis was common for Thorn now.

His powers of deduction had been further enhanced when he gained a new talent named Analyser, which allowed him to easily break down and understand complex concepts.

As if listening to Thorn’s analysis, Thea, through the system panel, showed the full talent description of Reality Talk.

[Talent Name: Reality Talk

Grade: SS

Description: Gives the user the ability to bend reality with their words.

Note: It consumes mana according to the complexity of the thing you wish to change.]

"Well, you are right for once," Shenlong said, chuckling at Thorn, his calm demeanor never wavering.

"I am learning," Thorn replied, still baffled by his master’s ability to find humor in a situation where he himself felt a deep, existential dread.

The description of Shax’s talent made him question his very life, as this talent was something only a god should possess.

The only drawback, the huge mana consumption, was also not a big deal for Shax, whose other talents—Mana Regeneration and Mana Reservoir—allowed him to store vast amounts of mana and regenerate it at incredible speeds.

His talent was further enhanced by his Sound Affinity, which meant his words were not just commands to reality, but lethal weapons in their own right.

"Thorn, your second assignment for today is to guess how to beat this demon with only one miracle," Shenlong proclaimed, a twinkle in his draconic eye.

The battle for the city was about to begin, but first, a god’s apprentice had a riddle to solve.