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[Day 37]

Today Benladann felt so good she began to walk around and even run around the cave.

I had asked her how she felt with her stomach, and she said she was now going two times a day to the bathroom, so her digestive track was back in motion!

But even then, no meat for at least a few more days!

Even if she has recovered, I don't want to provoke anything too soon, so until she truly stabilizes, we won't be going anywhere.

However, I have given her the privilege to do more active stuff.

And one of them is… practicing magic, of course!

She told me everything she knew about this world, so I did as I promised and began to teach her magic.

To think that I would have such a young padawan at my side!

I really wonder what Affinity she has… maybe just Ice? Can Mana Cores have multiple affinities like mine?

Incidentally, she knew about this stuff because she was taught by the elders of her tribe years ago.

"Mana Cores can only have a single affinity, and it is innate to the person when they are born…!" said Benladann.

"Oh… I see…" I said. I haven't told her that my wind magic is not part of my ice magic, so maybe she won't notice this.

"But you're weird, you can use two types of magic, can't you?" asked Benladann.

"Ah… Erm… Nooo!" I said, trying to convince her that her hypothesis was completely wrong.

"I have heard that there are people with two mana cores… Do you have two? You can't lie to me! We promised to trust each other, Drake!" asked Benladann.

"Hahh… Erm… No, it is not like that. Let's just say that it is just popped out of nowhere when I practiced ice magic. I don't even know why I have it, but it is just there, and it has helped me a lot," I said.

"Hmm… Okay then," said Benladann while squinting her eyes.

"Hmph, now tell me more about the Mana Cores," I said while petting her head and getting all her silvery-white hair messy.

"Oh! Yeah… Mana Cores come in different colors depending on the affinity, but there are many elements… Fire, Ice, Water, Wind, Thunder, Earth, Darkness, Light, Poison, Nature, Life, Death, and there are some weird ones like Space and Time… I think there might be even more, but those are the ones I was taught," said Benladann.

"I see… So I have a natural affinity with Ice because I am an ice dragon…" I sighed.

"Yeah, most people in my tribe had an ice affinity because we are all Ice Giant, it is the element we represent after all! But Ymir also represented life, nature, and earth, so there are usually, some Earth and Life Element Mages," said Benladann.

"I see… and there was an awakening ceremony?" I asked.

"Oh… Yeah… That's where the mold awakened, when I tried to use my magic, only the mold answered… But now that it is suppressed by the power of your blood, maybe I can finally get out my true magic!" said Benladann.

"That would be sweet. Getting the ability to use some other kind of element that is not the Mold would be better if you really want some independence from it," I said.

"Yeah! That's the plan…! So, can you help me get out my magic? They said I had an A-Rank Talent, so it should be fairly easy for me to conjure it," said Benladann.

She quickly sat down near me.

I was sitting with my hind legs resting by the side, and my belly was exposed.

She was around three meters, but I was around 6, so I was obviously bigger than her, nonetheless, the little giant rested near my belly, putting her shoulders and face over it.

Damn, I got quite the belly there, never noticed it was so fat.

Now I am a bit embarrassed…

Am I a fat dragon?!

"Now I am ready…!" said Benladann.

"Benladann…" I asked.

"Eh?" she asked.

"Am I… a fatty?!" I asked, I couldn't bear with the truth.

Benladann glanced at my belly, as she patted it.

"Hehe, you're chunky," she said.

"AGH! Don't say that! I am a proud dragon! My entire body looks slim but when I rest like this, my belly gets out…" I said.

"Aw, come on, you're not fat, you're enormous! This belly size is well proportional to your size, I believe… I am making a belly myself too!" she said, showing me her blue-skinned belly, it was cute.

"O-Okay… I guess it is nothing too much…" I sighed in relief.

"Now do as you said and help me conjure magic…" she said while pouting.

"Very well. I will pour maa into your Mana Core, I want you to concentrate your will into your hands and direct it to the ice wall I made there," I said.

"Okay…!"

Benladann closed her eyes for a better focus of her mind, as she began to imagine her magic coming out of her body through her hands.

Meanwhile, I began to pour a small little river of my vast mana into her body.

I moved the river of mana around her body, reaching her chest, where the Mana Core was.

After a bit of looking around, I finally found it, and I began to infuse the crystal with my Mana.

However, the moment I did so, a sudden feeling of dread took hold of me.

It was terrifying, my spin literally began to tremble as I felt chills run through my body… and I was an Ice Dragon so that shouldn't even be possible!

Just what was that?!

My mind, for a split of a second, saw something within it… a black sludge.

It was a slimy substance… gibbering around.

When it noticed me, it tried to latch on me viciously, and then the vision cut off.

Wait… don't tell me…

Benladann began to concentrate as she suddenly felt some strange discomfort!

"Nnngh…! Ehhh?!"

SPLASH!

And from her hands, magically formed, but what came out of it was not an element we had ever seen before.

Or more like, not anything natural of this world.

What came out was a mass of black sludge.

This was…

"Mold?!"

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