CHAPTER 246: ROWENA IS BROKEN!

It was a warm morning in the Dragon Kingdom as the dragonfolk rose from their beds, preparing for another day of hard work.

With excitement, they stepped outside and were immediately greeted by the dense, turbulent mana swirling through the air. Many couldn’t help but groan in satisfaction.

"The Dragon Prince is truly someone who will lead our race to victory."

"We used to struggle to make progress due to the lack of mana, but now, with mana this dense, we can definitely reach higher ranks and contribute more to the strength of our dragon race."

The dragon children were already out in the streets, playing and laughing, roleplaying as Drayken. They gleefully reenacted the scene of him soaring through the skies, bravely leading the dragons in battle against the humans.

"I will be Prince Drayken!"

"No, I will! Prince Drayken is the most courageous and strongest, among all of you, only I am worthy!"

"Hmph, I’m stronger than you!"

The children bickered with excitement, their voices blending into a cheerful chorus that echoed through the streets.

Their dragon parents watched with helpless smiles, amused by their little ones’ enthusiasm.

Meanwhile, inside the Dragon Palace, Drayken sat cross-legged, his eyes closed in deep concentration. A glittering blue light hovered before him, glowing gently and weaving through the air like a rune brought to life.

After a while, his brows furrowed slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes.

’I still can’t enter the place...’ he muttered in his heart.

Drayken reached out toward the glittering blue light, but the moment his fingers brushed against it, it popped and vanished into thin air.

"This is really going to be difficult..." he sighed, a trace of pity in his voice.

Just then, the soft rattling of footsteps echoed from outside, followed by a gentle knock on the door.

"Master, were you able to make it?" came a familiar voice.

"...You can come in," Drayken replied gently.

The door creaked open, and Rowena entered, her tail swaying with joy. She approached him eagerly, eyes sparkling as she appeared in front of him, clearly asking for pats.

Drayken let out a soft chuckle and patted her head. "It seems that your spirit still can’t help me enter the Spirit World."

"Oh..." Rowena’s ears drooped as her gaze fell to the floor. Her tail froze mid-sway, and in a hoarse voice she whispered, "I’m sorry, Master... I’m incompetent."

Drayken couldn’t help but laugh softly. "You don’t need to worry about that," he said, his tone warm. "If anyone is at fault, it’s me. I’m the one who’s lacking. Something is blocking my way, something I can’t see or even sense. It feels like an invisible force is rejecting me, probably because I am not from this world."

"Really, Master?" Rowena’s face lit up with hope. "So, it isn’t my fault?"

"Yeah, it’s not your fault." Drayken chuckled, giving her head a gentle pat. Her droopy tail perked up and started wagging again at the touch.

Then, in a calmer tone, he asked, "You’ve already reached the peak of Mana Acolyte?"

"Yeah, Master." Rowena nodded, her cheeks flushing pink, clearly hoping for more pats.

Drayken blinked. "Aren’t you, twenty-two?"

"Mhm. So?" she replied, tilting her head with a puzzled look in her eyes.

Drayken stared at her in disbelief. She’s twenty-two and still acts like a chi... dog?

’Must be a racial trait,’ he thought, glancing at her wagging tail. She really does resemble a dog from Earth...

Still, he wasn’t complaining. She was cute, loyal and obedient.

His affection for her only deepened with each passing day.

"What spell are you going to choose for your first circle?" Drayken asked, letting out a sigh as he pushed aside the thoughts clouding his mind.

"Spell?" Rowena tilted her head, ears twitching. "Haven’t I already reached the limit? There’s more beyond this?"

"Of course there is," he replied, giving her an incredulous look. "You didn’t think that was the end, did you?"

"Really? Wow..." Her eyes widened as her mouth formed a small "O".

"For now, how many spirits have you contracted?" he asked, leaning forward slightly.

"I have contracted nine spirits so far, Master," Rowena said proudly, her tails swaying. "I’ve already surpassed the strongest in our race—my strength easily eclipses everyone."

"Really?" Drayken raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Wanna put that to the test?"

"Eh?" She stiffened, ears twitching nervously. "How could I possibly fight my master...? Just the thought of hurting you terrifies me..."

Drayken stared at her in silence, then let out a sigh and flicked her forehead.

"Ow..." Rowena groaned, rubbing the spot with a pout.

"First of all," he said, "can you even hurt me?"

"I can," she grumbled under her breath.

"Alright then, hit me."

"But—"

"Hit me," Drayken repeated, louder, firmer.

Rowena flinched at his tone, then mumbled with a tiny voice, "A-Alright, Master..."

Immediately, Drayken sensed a strange pressure gathering around her—an invisible force steadily growing stronger with each passing second.

Though he couldn’t see it, and not even his senses could grasp it, instinct told him that seven small beings had silently manifested behind her.

Then, without warning, Rowena’s entire aura shifted. Her playful demeanor vanished, replaced by a chilling calm. Her eyes were ice-cold as she raised her hand, shaping her fingers into a gun and aiming straight at him.

"Master, I’m attacking now."

A shiver crept down Drayken’s spine. Without hesitation, he ignited his bloodline, lightning crackled across his limbs as raw energy surged through him. But all he saw was a tiny flash of white at the tip of her finger—

Bang!

Before he could react, something struck him with staggering force. His body reeled, grunting as the impact drove him back by five steps. The ground beneath him splintered like shattered glass, tiles cracking and spider webbing outward from his feet.

"Ho?" Drayken exhaled, a breath of hot air escaping his lips. A searing pain flared across his chest but the sensation passed in an instant, his body healing just as quickly as it was wounded.

Before he could even steady himself, Rowena darted toward him, her eyes full of worry. She placed a hand on his chest, and a gentle green light pulsed from her fingertips, cool and soothing.

"Master, are you alright?"

Drayken stared at her, eyes wide. This girl was weak just a few days ago, barely stronger than an average human but now she has become unbelievably stronger, so strong that she could push him back already!

"Was that your strongest attack?" he asked.

"Yeah." Rowena nodded her head. "I combine three spirits, the spirit of light for its speed, the spirit of flame for its power, and the spirit of Fang for precision."

Drayken paused when he heard this. "So one of your spirits not only allows you to communicate with someone far away, but other spirits let you draw upon the power of light, flame, fangs and even more?"

"Yeah," Rowena replied in a gentle tone.

"..." Drayken looked at her, utterly stunned for a moment. She’s absolutely broken. If other races had so much power of mana, the outcome of the war might have been completely different.

Now he truly understood how overpowered the Mana Core Creator skill was in this world, it could change the world’s fate!