C231 - The Power of the Dark Dragon (4)
Murakan's condition improved significantly the next morning.
His burning fever had completely disappeared, and now he roamed the halls of the Tikan mansion with his tail held high like any happy cat. His temperature dropped without the help of the Healers.
They even saw Shuri stretching Murakan on the floor and rolling him like a ball.
"I don't think we need to return him at all. He seems happy on his own. What do you think, Jin? It would save oxygen in the mansion too."
"Misha, please."
"I'm kidding. If only he were half as handsome after regaining his mind. Too bad. Hm. From now on, you might hear some noises, including some screams. Just bear with it as it's all part of the process. Understand?"
Misha's shadow loomed over Murakan, who was still sprawled on the floor.
She looked at Murakan with a wicked grin.
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"Any screams?" Jin asked perplexed as Misha lifted Murakan into her arms.
She nodded.
"And never, ever, should you enter the room."
What kind of treatment is that?
Jin was curious but decided not to ask. She was the only person in the world who could restore Murakan to his original form. It didn't make sense to question her.
'In any case, what we know for certain is that it's going to be an unbearable process. Good luck, Murakan.'
Murakan curled up in Misha's arms, completely oblivious to the impending suffering he was headed for.
"I trust you with this, Misha."
"See you later."
Misha's door sounded unusually heavy when it closed. Jin and Shuri looked at each other and blinked.
A few seconds later, they heard a scream.
A sharp cat-like wail escaped the tightly closed door. Shuri jerked and started scratching the door as if she wanted to tell Jin to open it, only increasing Jin's horror.
"It's alright, Shuri. Misha is healing Murakan. Don't worry."
"It seems to have begun." Quikantel passed by the hallway.
Although Jin had just told Shuri not to worry, he also felt somewhat anxious.
That's why he wanted to ask Quikantel if it would be alright, didn't he? Or at least, he tried to ask because she had spent the whole night talking to Misha and was likely to know more about the process.
But Quikantel's expression was grim.
In fact, she crossed her arms and even bit her nails. She didn't just look anxious. She almost seemed guilty for some reason.
"Quikantel?"
"God, I hope he can endure it."
"Endure what?"
His anxiety skyrocketed.
"Oh, didn't Misha tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
"This treatment is not simply about returning Murakan to his form. If it were just that, I wouldn't even worry. Misha is considering restoring some of Murakan's old powers while she's at it."
They could hear Murakan's screams beyond the door. They also heard something resembling a revving chainsaw, but they didn't hear Misha's voice at all.
"You mentioned he would endure it. If something goes wrong in the process, does it mean Murakan could die?"
"Not at all. If that were the case, Misha would have told you before starting." Quikantel responded with exaggerated movements.
"Then what?"
"If the operation goes wrong, he'll live, but he'll lose all the remaining powers he has."
Jin's eyes widened. He felt a sudden anger towards Misha.
If the operation involved such risks, she obviously should have consulted him and Gilly beforehand. But at the same time, he could also understand her.
Murakan would undoubtedly accept the operation, regardless of the risks.
The powers Murakan possessed before, described by himself and others, were immensely different from what he had now. He could even match the powers of Temar Runcandel.
It was said that he commanded all the Sky Dragons. What Jin witnessed of Murakan's feats while battling the manifestation of Peitel in Yulian recently was terror itself. The title of Great Dark Dragon that followed his name was never an exaggeration.
But despite his past, Murakan was now barely as strong as the one he protected, Jin himself, let alone Quikantel.
If they were to face a formidable enemy alone, it would now be Jin who had to protect Murakan.
Therefore, Murakan would never oppose this operation.
Not all Guardian Dragons were stronger than the Contractors under their protection, but it was normal for them to possess a suitable amount of power.
Quikantel read Jin's expression and added, "It may seem like Misha doesn't like Murakan, but she came here as soon as something happened to him. She'll do what she can, so let's see what happens in the coming days."
"What are the chances of success? Did she mention anything?"
She said there's a fifty percent chance of success."
"That's not too low, I suppose."
"Goodness, what is all this noise? Sounds like a cat screaming at the top of its lungs. Don't tell me it's Murakan?"
This time, it was Gilly who stopped by the door as she passed through the hallway.
Quikantel described the situation again, and Gilly immediately paled. Jin took her trembling hand.
He thought exactly the same as Jin.
Shouldn't Misha have told them?
That was the first thing he thought, but in the end, he concluded that despite everything, Murakan would have agreed.
The three couldn't leave the hallway through the door.
Naturally, their companions joined them one by one, increasing the number of people standing in the hallway.
"Oh no, Murakan! I almost feel like his screams are hurting me. My Lord must be terribly worried."
"Lord Jin, Gilly. I'm sure he'll endure."
"Why don't you have some of this while you wait?"
At lunchtime, all their companions were gathered in the hallway.
The screams continued relentlessly throughout the night. They were joined by an increasing number of sounds of something breaking and explosive noises.
And just before the clock struck midnight, the group heard a scream that clearly belonged to a human.
It was completely different from the sharp cat-like shrieks they had been hearing, and it was clearly Murakan's voice.
From that moment on, it was a mix of cat screams and human screams. Murakan shifted back and forth between his human and feline form during the operation.
His companions grew increasingly nervous.
Suddenly, the screams ceased, and the door opened.
The group caught a brief glimpse of the room as the door opened. It was filled with bloodstains and dark clumps of Shadow Energy floating everywhere. But they couldn't see Murakan.
"Phew!"
Misha emerged into the hallway after wiping the sweat from her forehead.
Seeing all the gathered companions, her eyes widened in surprise, but she shrugged.
"There's nothing to see here. Why are you all huddled up? Seems like Quikantel told you. If you're going to hold it against me, then..."
"That's not our intention. I'm sure you decided on the operation because you know Murakhan better than we do. Is he okay?"
"For now, yes. But we have to do this for several more days. We can't relax just yet."
There was no trace of the wicked grin from before. She looked extremely exhausted.
Although the others were unaware, as a Contractor of Solderet, Jin knew clearly how much Shadow Energy she had expended.
The tremendous amount of Shadow Energy he sensed in her at first glance had decreased significantly. He realized that she was giving it her all in the operation.
"I'm very tired. I'll eat something and rest."
"I'll prepare it right away, Misha. Is there something you'd like to have?"
Misha gave a rather surprising answer to Gilly's question. "Strawberry cake. If not, a pie made with any other fresh fruit."
They were definitely siblings.
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Misha began the operation at noon and finished around midnight.
So passed a week. As time went on, there were more human screams than cat cries.
"Today will be the final battle. I have no idea why I have to suffer for that fool of my brother." Misha looked at Jin and his companions with weary eyes.
Whether Murakan survived the battle or not, he would reunite with his companions as a Dragon after today.
The most intense screams they had heard to date began once the operation of the day commenced.
But they didn't hear any cat screams. The phase of erratic transformations between his human and feline forms had ended.
They couldn't remember what they had done until nightfall. They could only look at the tightly closed door, suppressing the feeling of anxiety in their hearts.
The companions wouldn't treat Murakan differently, even if he lost his powers.
But could Murakan himself live with it? That was the question that kept everyone on edge.
"Young master, it will soon be midnight. Please. I hope he's okay."
At that very moment, the screams ceased. The noise from the various equipment faded along with it.
Everyone fell silent and waited for the door to open.
When the door opened, a man with long black hair appeared. It was Murakan. He smiled upon seeing his companions.
"Long time no see, all of you."
"Murakan!"
"Murakan!"
He was different. For some reason, there was a mysterious power in his voice.
Suddenly, Jin remembered the first time he encountered the Dragon in the dungeons of Stormcastle. That overwhelming power Jin felt as a child filled Murakan's eyes and demeanor.
The operation had been a success.
The companions sensed it even before Misha could communicate the results.
"Bwahahaha! Yes, I am Murakan!"
He laughed like a madman. The companions trembled and stepped back due to the powerful energy of his laughter.
It was just laughter, but cracks began to form in the thick stone walls of the hallway. This would have been impossible for Murakan forty days ago.
"Yes, that's it. This is what it is! This is what I am! Bwaha, bwahaha, phew!"
Bam!
Murakan's neck twisted instantly in a way that would have led to certain death for most people.
Misha had forcefully hit the back of his neck after coming out of the door.
"Are you crazy? Hey, look. Who told you to scream like that, huh? My eardrums are almost shattered from a week of your screams."
Murakan quickly turned his head and looked at Misha. Then he laughed again. "Anyway, thank you. I've survived thanks to you. Let me give you a hug as a show of my gratitude. Come here."
"Get lost."
"Yeah, I wasn't serious either. Who would want to hug you anyway? Well, you can go home now. I have to party with my friends. I'll send you the money for your efforts later."
"Yeah, keep talking. It seems like you believe you're strong and powerful now just because you've regained some of your powers. You better know your place before I beat you up."
"Oh, you're still here? Phew! Ugh!"
Wham, bam, crack!
Misha's fists sent Murakan flying down the hallway. Her punches and kicks were easily at least eight-star strength.
Murakan took all those hits without spilling a drop of blood. The companions didn't know whether to be impressed by Misha's beating or Murakan's resilience.
"My dear brother, you've only regained forty percent of your former powers. That means you could end up dead if you're not careful." Misha spoke after landing about twenty blows and then tossing him aside.
"You... You only gave me back forty percent of my powers on purpose, didn't you? Because I would be much stronger than you if you gave me back everything, right?"
"How mature of you to say that. I'll give you five seconds. If you don't kneel down and show your gratitude immediately, I'll turn you back into a cat."
Before Murakan could retort, Jin and Gilly grabbed him at the same time. They forced him to kneel and bow.
"Thank you for all the trouble you've gone through, Misha."
"You must have suffered a lot during the wait too. Although it annoys me to agree with that idiot, I must be on my way now."
Tags:
SYS (Novel)