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After what happened, Benladann continued to hug me and Yuki and the wolves for several hours, she stopped crying after two hours, and then we went back to our home, where we ate roasted meat.

I know I should be more patient, but in a harsh world such as this, I really want Benladann to become strong. Due to this, I want her to talk about this issue with me in detail so we can find a solution together.

"Benladann… Now that you're calmer, I believe that you should tell me what just happened," I said.

Benladann glanced at her blue-skinned hands as she seemed to be rather uncomfortable with the issue, but instead of simply telling me that she won't say anything, she glanced at my eyes and spoke.

"I was… attacked within my dreams by this… being that I had spoken to you about before. This being… the consciousness of the Mold or something like that. It formed in my past life, and it seems to retain the memories of my past… It seems to have a possessive nature, and it only wants me for herself… Sorry for being… so weak. We have been training for so long and yet… Yet… I have not grown stronger at all," she said.

"Well, you have indeed grown stronger. I can see it through my perception, your strength, vitality, and more have increased exponentially, and your magic and mana keep improving too. You've also learned a lot of new abilities, so you're not someone weak at all… But perhaps you have a weak soul," I said.

"Soul?" she asked.

"I already kind of knowledge of that monster, as you've already told me about it before. But it seems that it attacked you through your soul. As you can already notice, there was no Mold involved on this, it never showed up to consume your body, you're already Immune to it through drinking my blood…" I said.

"No Mold? Ah! You're right…" muttered Benladann, realizing the same thing as I did.

"See? It is just as I told you, this thing lives within your Mana Core, but it might also linger within your soul, or it might have tried some way to devour your consciousness through the soul. The same method is used with you to cage you into the darkness. It doesn't even need to use the Mold physically…" I said.

"How strange…" she said.

"For now, you don't have to worry about it. I believe it might be very weakened after I infiltered your soul and attacked it directly with mine. I didn't realize up until now, but what we did was a battle of souls, and I came on top," I said.

"Drake… You're so amazing… To think that you would go to such lengths for me… It makes me feel so guilty… I don't… deserve such a man with me…" sighed Benladann.

"Never think about deserving or not the people at your side. Simply be grateful that they're there for you, and strive forward to one day also be able to help them when they will need a hand," I said, petting her head.

At my words, Benladann's eyes shined. It seemed that she might be about to cry, but she contained her tears and smiled.

"You're right…" she said.

"Now that you've more or less tamed the physical mold to an extent, what we need to do is for you to grow your soul strong enough to be able to tame whatever that entity was," I said.

"To tame… that?" she asked.

"Indeed, what is necessary to do is simple. Whenever it finally recovers and comes for you… You're going to fight back," I said.

Benladann's hands began to tremble, as her eyes seemed to lost focus and light, glaring everywhere nervously.

I generated a pile of snow and threw it over her head.

Poof!

"Ah…!"

"Wake up from that dizziness, getting PTSD won't help you resolving this problem… Do you know? I actually died being buried by an avalanche, and I reincarnated as an Ice Dragon, wouldn't I also have a big trauma with snow? Yet here I am, taming and using it. I know it is a terrible comparison, but I don't have anything else to say other than that… And just like I did with the ice and snow, you have to surpass your fears and get you… your shit together," I said.

I decided to be bolder this time with her, but this was for her own good. Sometimes people are so deep into their own worlds and traumas that you have to be a bit rash with them, tell them to get their shit together is a good option.

"Get… my shit together?" she asked.

"Ah… Sorry for saying it so rashly. I just… instead of being so concerned, you simply have to try. Instead of harboring your fears, harbor your hate," I said.

"My… hate…"

"Indeed. Hasn't that thing just tried to manipulate you? It's the worst, isn't it? I would be pissed as fuck if there was such a thing inside of me trying to possess me, I would literally beat his shit every time it shows up," I said.

"Ah… I think I did something similar before," said Benladann.

"You did?" I asked.

"When I was in the darkness and you gave me your blood, I suddenly gained some more freedom and managed to fight back. Back in that time, I harbored a lot of hate, I was really just… getting tired of that thing, and my parent's memories began to fill my heart with more and more resolve… And then, I somehow managed to hit it with my fists, with my legs, with my… soul," she said.

"Perhaps that thing abuses your traumas and harbors fear into you, so you become weak and submissive. But if you simply fight back… I believe you might have enough power to damage it. It is simply… well, let's say that it is trying to trick you into making you think it is powerful. Because I totally sweep the floor with that thing, and I am fairly sure that my soul is not so strong aside from all my Mana," I said.

"I see… Drake, will you… help me train this?" she asked.

"No need to ask," I said.

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