There was one step that remained between the statue and the little boy. Suddenly, he felt a hand gripping his head. He wanted to retreat immediately, but he couldn't. The hand that caught him not only stopped him from running away but also did not allow him to move even a millimeter.
"Ten lifetimes, ten lives
He will bring it together.
Thanks to him
The prophecy will come true."
After the words echoed in his brain, Mel got drunk by the energy flowing into his body. It was pure happiness running through his veins, giving him the pleasure of being born again.
The young man with black hair, who left him at the beginning of the road, was just as pleased as Mel was. The smile on his face did not diminish even a bit as his feet on the pedestal quickly turned to stone.
Simultaneously, the person in the crystal coffin, who was far away, gave his last breath. He had a slight smile on his face, unlike the anxious faces of the men in black robes gathered around him.
It took a considerable amount of time for Mel to come out of the mood he was in, and it took five days for the symbols drawn on his body to penetrate his flesh.
When the little boy awoke, he discovered that he was alone at the small altar where he sat cross-legged with his grandfather. On the place where the older man stood while covered in blood, there was now a letter, a ring, and a locket.
After waking up from a long dream and seeing this scene, Mel acted a little calmer than before and began reading the letter written on a worn paper.
"To my Heir Mel
There are many things you do not know about me, kid. I would have liked to explain them to you in due course one by one, but unfortunately, destiny wanted things to be this way.
My name is Drago, and the name the world knows me is the Coral-Eyed Green Dragon. Make sure you keep this secret well, or people will want to cut your throat at the earliest opportunity.
I was the ninth Heir of our great ancestors. I completed my mission by choosing you as my successor and went to eternal rest.
I am sorry to say that I have left the hatred and hostility of the whole world as a legacy to you, together with a great opportunity. We are special people, Mel. Even though it has been diluted until it comes to me, we all carry the essence of dragon blood in our veins.
It gives us strength, wisdom, nobility, and more life force than anyone else could have, and that was the only reason your incompetent grandfather had a lifespan of hundreds of years, little one.
Of course, there are responsibilities imposed by this legacy, my child. A dragon blood heir will never use a weapon while fighting. Relying on human armor to protect his body only puts him in shame.
As you fight like your previous nine predecessors, you will only use your superior body bestowed upon you. I am sure that, over time, you will realize how a great principle this is.
We do not develop our spiritual power like the rest of the world. The energy in the world is already ours. We take and use it when we need it. The nature of the dragons, the proud rulers of the heavens, requires this.
As I said before, the bloodline of our great ancestors has become more and more diluted until it comes to you. But don't worry, it still depends only on how determined you are.
Remember the temple where the acceptance ritual took place, Mel. It is the only place that will give you strength in the long journey that you started.
I can guess what is on your mind. You think that how a place that you don't know where it is located will help you.
The Energy Palace is within you, Mel. The energies of our great ancestor and his heirs, including me, are waiting for you in a sealed form.
During the ritual, I was able to give you only thirty percent of the energy I had. But it will not be difficult for you to get my legacy completely.
The ring I left behind contains a spatial space inside. There, you will find a detailed guide on how to capture my energy and wisdom.
The cave you are in, the valley around us, is only for you. I hope that in three years, you will reach the impotent level I have achieved.
Don't limit your target just with me, kid. As a Dragon Blood Heir, your only goal should be to reach the level of our great ancestors by harnessing the energies of his predecessors.
Walking this road will be more difficult than expected. You should know that the current rulers of the world are spirit-building martial artists.
You can't tell them who you are. Otherwise, they won't hesitate for a second to kill you to take the secrets of the dragon blood heritage in your veins and your unique body.
Keep a low profile until you complete my legacy. Don't let people suspect that you are hiding something special in your body.
Do not kill anyone who has not entered the killing cycle.
This is my last request from you, little one. I hope you will respect it as my Heir… "
When he finished reading the letter, Mel fully understood what had happened on that night of fear, how they lived peacefully in the village while a forest full of wild creatures was just near.
It was all thanks to the older man, whom the village saw as a burden. It was him who protected Mel and other people from behind the shadows.
Mel reached for the ring next to the letter, and as the metal touched his hand, subtle energy flowed from the tips of his fingers into the ring.
Another world came before his eyes. It was a vast space. It contained as many books as one could see, clay pots lined up on enormous shelves, and shiny boxes.
An unpretentious but equally interesting table was also in this great void. He noticed a white feather dipped in ink on this table, with a large book opened from its centerfold.
The Dragon's Claw was written as a headline on the open page, and as Mel scrolled his eyes down, he encountered familiar handwriting.
"Inheritor
This is the name of the only fighting technique that I, the incapable Drago, can leave you. Your hands, just like on the unique body of our great ancestor, will be transformed into dragon claws, and they will be the death of your enemies that came in your way.
From the first page of the book, everything that you have to do to get all of your inheritance is written down. Work hard, accomplish what my predecessors and I couldn't, and be the first man to reach the level of our ancestors! "
Although his perception level increased with the change he went through, it took some time for Mel to digest what happened.
While he was just a peasant boy who was passing the time by doing ordinary things in the past, he now had become the Heir to a tradition that had gained the world's hostility.
The little boy, who took the last entrusted medallion and put it around his neck, began to walk towards the weak light coming from the stone arch door of the little room he was in.
Soon, he was inside the cave, which had a ceiling that was decorated with shimmering stones. It turned out that the room where the ritual that made him the Heir was a small part of the great cave.
"How beautiful the Spring Peonies have bloomed!"
As Mel passed through the flower garden, he muttered the name of a flower that had blooming petals. As a result of this involuntary act, the little boy got frozen in his place.
"How do I know the name of this plant?"
The question was simple; how could he know the name of something he had never seen before?
"Its effects, areas of use, cultivation methods, components it can react to! What's happening to me?"
He was highly puzzled. If it was only about the name of the flower, he wouldn't react that strongly. But everything about the plant was pouring into his brain right now.