Ancient Dragon in Arknights

Chapter 149 The Legacy of the Netherworld Dragon

What happened next was quite interesting. The azure dragon's body was far too enormous, making it impractical to transport it back to the research team's base for analysis and research. If the research team wanted to discover the secrets within its body, they had no choice but to move their research equipment to this cave.

The construction of fortifications, the transportation of equipment, and the preservation of the bodies—the investigation team will be quite busy in the days that follow.

Nesario was not originally going to participate in this massive project, but his current unusual situation has made the investigation team even more concerned and curious—humans have become dragons, and still retain clear rationality and intelligence.

Although they already knew about Neltharion's special nature, even the Grand Master was incredibly curious about this matter.

After the battle in the cave ended, the Grand Master made another trip to transport the dragonman investigators who had been settled to the second floor of the cave.

Then Neltharion carried the three of them out of the cave's exit—this cave was connected to a huge volcano, and as you went deeper into the crater, you reached the convergence point, the point where the ley lines converged, the place where the ancient dragon's energy was deposited, and a place where any creature could achieve a life leap.

Unfortunately, after the death of the Netherworld Dragon, no one can freely control the energy there. A large amount of energy will be gradually absorbed by the ley lines and then fed back to the entire new continent. It is conceivable that for the next hundred years, this continent will be in a vibrant state.

The investigation team will definitely benefit greatly from this process.

The news that Nergigante was attacking the research team's base alarmed almost every hunter who was resting, and those hunters who were dispatched also saw the red signal flares flashing in the sky - the cannons and crossbows were all loaded, and the hunters quickly spread out to prepare to fight Nergigante.

"Damn it, they just happened to pick a time when neither Azure Star nor the Grand Master were around..."

"Everyone! Protect yourselves! Nergigante is extremely powerful. We only need to protect the key parts of the research team! Non-combat personnel, evacuate first!"

The commander and the survey team leader quickly organized a response strategy. With Azure Star and the Grand Master absent, only a handful of the remaining hunters were capable of fighting Nergigante. However, the survey team had numerous fortifications, and if used properly, crushing Nergigante would be within their grasp.

The time has come to test the investigation team!

Surprisingly, Nergigante didn't seem to be in a hurry. It stopped outside the attack range of all weapons and then slowly descended towards the ground.

Then—a burly figure leaped down from behind Nergigante.

Thump! With a muffled thud and a cloud of dust, the head of the investigation team made a grand entrance!

"Hahaha! This is unbelievable! I never thought I'd be riding an ancient dragon! Hey everyone! Lift the alert and prepare to welcome our hero!"

The figure of the commander quickly attracted everyone's attention—in an instant, everyone's mind was overloaded.

The Grand Master is also a hunter, and an extremely powerful one at that, so... why did he get off Nergigante's back? Did the Grand Master tame Nergigante?

Um... that's possible, but almost impossible.

"Commander, what exactly is going on?"

While keeping an eye on Nergigante, the head of the investigation team approached the Grand Master. Upon seeing the Grand Master, he asked the question that had been on everyone's mind.

"Hahaha! That guy isn't the Nergigante we know, it's Neltharion! He turned into that form after emerging from the ley lines. He and Azure Star just defeated a terrifying monster. But more importantly, quick! Medical team! There's a wounded!"

The dragon investigator's condition is currently very stable, and there are no major problems for the time being, but he still needs the care of the medical team, since some injuries are difficult to see with the naked eye.

"Uh... everyone, all on alert. That Nergigante... is Neltharion."

"what?"

"What!?"

"Squad leader, are you kidding me?!"

"..."

At first, no one could believe it.

But when they saw Azure Star crawl out from behind Nergigante and strike a pose on its forehead, they were convinced—"Nergigante has become our ally!"

That scene... Nesario will probably remember it even ten years from now.

Almost the entire investigation team rushed toward him—in his field of vision, there were hunters in various colored armor, scholars in various colored robes, and Palicoes of various colors.

It seemed that only the house remained quietly in place, and the rest of the investigation team couldn't wait to come closer and touch and look at it. The bolder ones even tried to climb on Nesario's body.

Nesario had no choice but to accept this request.

He simply gave up resisting and lay down on the spot to doze off.

Finally... he fell asleep surrounded by everyone.

When I awoke, I found myself in a sacred, majestic, and solemn white space—the Palace of Ten Thousand Dragons. I had no idea what my new "body" in the new continent would look like...

"It seems we're completely exhausted... but the gains from this operation will definitely be a huge windfall!"

The exact mechanism behind the blue dragon's power is still unclear, but it is definitely related to energy—this characteristic is the most important energy and engine component of the super battleship.

What level of power could a well-powered Kushala Daora and Nergigante achieve? Neltharion was very curious.

He quickly scanned all the sculptures in the Hall of Ten Thousand Dragons—aside from those that had been unlocked before, he finally lit up a statue in the tip area closest to the top floor.

Three pairs of luminous organs flickered, and the black, ghostly horns could not be illuminated by even light. Its transparent body was as beautiful as glass, and its sky-covering blue wings were covered with a pale, ghostly veil—as long as energy flowed, it could burn like a pale sun.

"So your original name was Nether Lantern Dragon? In the dark and boundless depths of the earth... the energy core in your chest shines like a bright lamp, truly living up to your name."

Neltharion felt an endless legacy being poured into his mind—this guy's legacy was more than that of Kushala Daora and Nergigante combined!

Despite its immense power, it was still just an infant, and a premature one at that.

"The most adept feature of the Xeno'jiiva is its mastery and absorption of energy... It can absorb the natural energy of its surroundings, and its influence and control over the environment grow stronger with age. The red organ on its chest is the center for storing and controlling energy; under its influence, the Xeno'jiiva can achieve energy circulation within its body... When the energy is fully accumulated, it enters a critical state..."

"As it accumulates energy and becomes more familiar with its powers, the Xeno'jiiva will eventually transform into an adult. An adult Xeno'jiiva can even transform its ecosystem into knowledge and its own environment..."

Neltharion is getting to know his new powers—well, since Xeno'jiiva is still too young, many of his abilities are still immature.

However... this ability has extremely strong growth potential, and it is heading entirely towards the goal of "becoming a god".

Forgive Nesario for his lack of vocabulary, but this is the only phrase he can imagine—all things in heaven and earth submit to one person.

The Xeno'jiiva... its early elimination can be said to have saved the entire New World.

Chapter 150 The Sun in My Heart

The next day, as expected, Nesario slept until the afternoon—luckily, he didn't have to go to school that day, a long-awaited holiday.

Upon waking, Nesario did not immediately feel anything unusual about his body—the Xeno'jiiva's abilities would take some time to fully manifest in Nesario. Moreover, the Xeno'jiiva he hunted had absorbed energy for decades, and abundant energy and time were essential for the Xeno'jiiva.

It will take Nesario a long time and a lot of energy to become an "adult".

The door opened—and there was Fisher in the living room, sitting at the table fiddling with something.

Upon closer inspection—it was a jigsaw puzzle.

"So, are you still researching this?"

"Just killing time, but... this puzzle is really interesting."

Over time, Nesario and Fisher have become familiar with each other's personalities and interests.

Although Nesario was always dazzled by the girls when it came to interpersonal relationships, in reality—of all those people, perhaps only Lothiri understood Nesario better than Fisher.

Azure Star only knows Neltharion at his purest, hunter-gatherer level; in the New World, with the Research Commission, he can set aside the intrigues of Terra and devote himself entirely to the hunt.

In front of Rita, Nesario put on a mask—a mask that read "Outstanding Student of the Royal Guard Academy."

Nesario also knew Fisher well—the guy loved puzzles, a time-consuming and laborious "troublesome" activity that was a niche culture throughout Victoria.

But Fisher really enjoyed the process of gradually unraveling the mystery and understanding the whole picture—so, Nesario wanted to express his gratitude to Fisher for his repeated care.

He spent money to acquire a jigsaw puzzle from the Cumberland family that could have been included in a noble collection; when he received it, it was still in a fragmented state. Alder wasn't interested in it, so she never bothered to study it.

Fisher wasn't particularly interested when he first got his hands on it—but now, he studies the puzzle almost every spare moment.

“This puzzle was designed by a Victorian nobleman who loved puzzles. It doesn’t have instructions—all the rules and instructions are hidden in the nobleman’s autobiography and belongings. He commemorated himself in this special way, and I am here to solve the puzzle.”

That's why Fisher was so obsessed with it.

In layman's terms, it's like encountering an interesting "Easter egg".

A nobleman with a knack for design left behind a small riddle, the answer of which was hidden throughout his life. Looking at it this way, it's certainly an interesting anecdote; it's just unknown whether Fisher was the first to discover this Easter egg.

......

A few days later, Nesario gradually felt the changes in himself.

In the first few days, his sense of direction gained a touch of intuition—he could inexplicably sense which direction there was a high-energy reaction.

This was probably the ability of the Netherworld Dragon to detect the energy of the ley lines. Neltharion tried to follow this intuition and eventually arrived at the core area of ​​Londinium, which was heavily surrounded by the city's defense forces.

The so-called "high-energy reaction" actually refers to the mobile city power plant, which is indeed the largest energy source in Londinium, and the energy that drives the entire mobile city is generated from here.

Unfortunately, Nesario's current status is not high enough to allow him to enter openly, and as for infiltration... the risk is too great, so it will not be considered.

In addition to his sensitivity to energy, the energy cycle within his body was also gradually being established—his chest began to heat up, and a small sun slowly took shape on his chest. Eventually, Nesario's chest would probably be illuminated by the intense red light.

More importantly, energy cycling allows energy use to reach the limits of biological efficiency.

The energy Nesario gains from each meal is completely digested by his powerful stomach and converted into pure energy, which is then added to the energy cycle. As long as it is not used or consumed, it will continue to circulate in his body.

This is why Xeno'jiiva can unleash so much energy at will, and the difference between Neltharion and Xeno'jiiva at this moment is the amount of energy stored.

The energy he gets from eating each day is barely enough to meet his daily needs. To ensure he has enough energy for intense battles, he needs to use a more efficient way to recharge.

For example—Originium. Nesario's process of obtaining Originium to build an energy cycle is also quite interesting.

Nesario is now qualified to access this stuff, and although the quantity is small, it's enough as starting fuel.

"Major Leto, are there any refined Originium stones in the army's supplies?"

"Of course, Originium is an indispensable force in war. Fuel, explosives, magical mediums—what do you need it for?"

“I couldn’t use Originium Arts before… but now I have the talent for Originium Arts, so I need a suitable staff. But the staffs on the market… so I’m wondering if I can customize a staff using better materials.”

"Hmm...that's true. Originium Arts are incredibly convenient abilities, and it would be a waste to have the talent but not develop it. Tomorrow I'll bring you a sword with spellcasting abilities; it used to be my weapon, and this is a gift from me as your teacher."

"Isn't this... too expensive? It should be very important to you."

As time went by, the relationship between Leto and Nesario evolved to this point—Leto, at some point, suddenly became enthusiastic about Nesario and wanted to win him over.

Nesario believed it was the Victorian military's wish, so he did not accept it.

But now it seems... we're in a bind if we eat someone else's food?

"It's better to let an old weapon shine on the battlefield than to let it gather dust in a display case."

"Well... thank you."

......

the next day.

"Little craftsman, get your tools ready and remember to take precautions against Originium. We're going to dismantle an Originium weapon today."