CHAPTER 460: ORIGIN.

"You said that I’m worthy but not the one that the Overlord wants. My predecessor, they might be strong enough for the Overlord to take, right? If I sacrifice myself for them, giving everything that I have," Aristoria asked and looked at the white dragon.

For a moment, the whispers disappeared, and Aristoria never thought that silence made her uncomfortable than listening to all the whispers inside her head.

"You are planning to live in your predecessor’s body?" The white dragon asked. "You want to go against the rule inside the world of the living? To possess the body of the living with a soul in it?" The white dragon added.

"No, but my true essence. Rather than them starting from nothing, they will have half of my power," Aristoria answered as she shook her head. "My predecessor would soar through the sky, growing even stronger than I ever could be. They will possess the power that befit to become the Overlord’s vessel. The reason why I’m only giving half of it is because I’m planning to give the other half to this Dark Spirit that I’m nurturing," she explained.

There was only silence again after Aristoria offered that path to the Overlord. She didn’t know if it was enough to convince them, but she knew for sure that they didn’t have a choice. She realized that they didn’t try to force her, and she knew enough about True Dragons that they didn’t possess any emotions or ego. They didn’t care if she refused or accepted, nor did they bore any desire.

"You are planning to influence both of their lives, controlling over their lives from within," the white dragon said.

"Yes, that’s my plan and it has been my plan all along. The Overlord knows this too because you said the Overlord could see through me. I know that this event will come again in the future, and to prepare both of them to get even stronger than I am, I know it’s better than nothing," Aristoria answered.

This time, the white dragon didn’t say a word, but the Overlord’s essence dimmed its light to the point the light was barely illuminating its surroundings. Aristoria finally saw the essence of the Overlord that looked like a clear teardrop. If it didn’t emit any light and dropped on the ground, nobody would be able to see it because of how clear it was.

"Take it," the white dragon whispered.

Aristoria reached for the Overlord’s essence, cupping it with both hands. Before she could see it from up close, the essence melted into her palms and ran through her body. She thought she would feel anything difference, but she felt nothing, not even the slightest. She was confused that a being like the Overlord didn’t affect her at all.

"The Overlord accepts your body as its resting nest, but the Overlord won’t give you even the slightest of its power to you. The Overlord will awaken once you fulfill your promise," the white dragon explained.

"So... the Overlord’s power is sealed within me?" Aristoria asked.

"Yes, the Overlord still doesn’t accept you as its vessel. No matter what you do, you won’t be able to awaken it," the white dragon answered. "Now, I can rest in peace. The future is in the hand of the Overlord..." the white dragon’s whisper began to faint.

"Wait!" Aristoria looked up at the white dragon. "Is the Overlord an Ice Dragon?" She asked.

"Yes, the Overlord is the one and only Ice Dragon, a being that wasn’t born from this world unlike the other dragons. The Overlord came into this world, long before this world was shaped. The Overlord was the one who made this world as it is..." The white dragon answered.

Aristoria wanted to ask more, but all the whispers disappeared and she couldn’t feel their presence anymore. She looked down to her chest, wondering where the Ice Dragon resided within her body because she couldn’t feel it at all. After pondering for a while, she decided to leave that place and look at the thousands of dragons that were frozen, asleep, and in peace.

Sanya was waiting patiently on the edge of the hole when suddenly Aristoria flew right in front of her and landed beside her. She looked at Aristoria and didn’t find any injuries on Aristoria’s body. However, she noticed that Aristoria’s energy was drained and could see Aristoria’s pale face.

"You’re fine," Sanya looked into Aristoria’s eyes.

"I’m fine, kind of..." Aristoria answered as she sat down and pressed her hand against her chest. "I discovered something, a myth. It was just like what you had expected," she explained as she looked at her hand on her chest.

"So I was right, it was an Ice Dragon?" Sanya asked with her brows raised. "And you’re like this because you met that thing?" She asked.

"Not exactly meeting it, but rather the remaining of it," Aristoria shook her head and kept staring at her chest.

Sanya furrowed her brows and noticed that Aristoria had been staring at her own chest. She slowly sat down beside Aristoria and knew what had happened down there without having Aristoria to tell her.

"It’s inside you now, isn’t it? Did you accept yourself as its vessel?" Sanya asked, worried that Aristoria might become the Ice Dragon’s vessel.

"No, I’m unworthy for the Ice Dragon," Aristoria shook her head again.

Aristoria explained to Sanya what happened down there in detail without leaving a single part. Sanya listened thoroughly, but Aristoria noticed that Sanya wasn’t as shocked as she was.

"How did you know there was something down there?" Aristoria asked out of curiosity because it wasn’t the first time Sanya knew a lot more than her or even the elders. "And you didn’t seem to be surprised when I told you what happened down there," she tilted her head, knowing Sanya too well.

"I’m just speculating, Aris. I know that sometimes my words were true, but I sometimes was wrong as well. This one, my feelings told me that there was something primal down there, and the fact this place was nothing but ice as far as our eyes could see. This place doesn’t look normal if you think about it, so I assumed something had happened here," Sanya answered as she looked at the vast ice around her.

"You always said that, do you know that?" Aristoria stared into Sanya’s eyes.

"What can I say? That’s the only explanation," Sanya answered, staring back into Aristoria’s eyes.

Aristoria sighed, knowing that Sanya wouldn’t tell her the truth since she knew that Sanya was hiding something from everyone. When she got up, she felt something was watching her. She turned her head and looked around, wondering who it was or who they were because she felt like eyes were watching them.

"What’s wrong?" Sanya asked, looking at the direction Aristoria was looking at.

"Nothing... I just felt like someone was watching," Aristoria shook her head, making sure that there was nobody around.

Rasmus slowly opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling for a moment before he slowly sat up. His mind was hazy until he remembered the dream he had earlier. He saw Aris sitting on a chair, staring at him with her arms crossed and with a cold expression. Rullein also appeared from a puff of black smoke next to the bed, and she also had the same expression as him, confused and having a hazy mind.

"That dream..." Rullein muttered as she rubbed her head. "You saw it too?" She looked at Rasmus.

"Yes, and I don’t think it was a dream..." Rasmus nodded as he sat on the edge of the bed, his voice raspy. "We witnessed how my mother found the Dragon’s Blood," he answered as he rubbed his face.

Aris looked at both of them, wondering what they were talking about since they both had just come back from their slumber.

"How long did I sleep?" Rasmus looked at Aris with his brows raised.

"Three days," Aris answered. "Tell me what did you two see? What dream?" She asked.

Rasmus and Rullein shared a look, and then Rasmus explained to Aris about what they saw. It was explained as to why the Dragon’s Blood seemed to be fond and interested in Rullein because the Overlord wanted her in the first place as its vessel. Aris was surprised that Rasmus and Rullein could see the past, and Rasmus speculated that it had something to do with the Dragon’s Blood within his body and how it connected with Rullein.

Aris finally saw Aristoria’s plan for her, Rullein, and Rasmus, but there was something else that made her curious, and that was why Aristoria decided to break the deal. Aristoria was supposed to pass down the Dragon’s Blood to Aris, but in the end, it was Rasmus who inherited it.

"That, I’m not sure either," Rasmus answered Aris’ question. "But at least now we know its origin," he looked down at his chest.