Three hours later and ten gold lighter, Sol and Amber had left the town of Brestfol and hit the road once more. The sun was setting, signaling the end of the day.
The shadow horse galloped along the road as Sol held the reins. He let out a sigh of relief, reflecting on the resolution of their earlier conflict. 'Luckily, there were no more mishaps. I was worried that talking with the inn's owner would cause problems, but I didn't even have to see them—Nemer sorted it all out. The damages were only four gold, but since I couldn't even apologize properly, I gave more than I had to.'
The sin of pride continued to interfere with him, particularly when it came to admitting fault or humbling himself. A persistent voice at the back of his mind resisted any attempt to lower his head, especially to those it deemed beneath him.
Once they were far from town, Sol stopped the shadow horse pulling their carriage. They had reached a secluded area in the wilderness, surrounded by trees and hills. Dismounting, Sol scanned their surroundings before speaking. "We'll rest here for the night. Sorry about what happened back there. I'll explain everything."
As they set up camp, Sol recounted the events from consuming Orna's scale imbued with the Law of Dragons to his strange behavior in Brestfol.
"I know things could've gone badly, but I didn't realize what I was doing until you snapped me out of it. So… thanks for that." He admitted.
Amber nodded. She had acted because his hostility had been so uncharacteristic. While people often fought over less, it wasn't something she could imagine Sol doing. However, something he said caught her attention.
"You apologized." She pointed out.
"Did I? Oh, wait—I did!" Sol said, surprised.
He began speculating aloud. "Is it because the aftereffects of absorbing the scale are wearing off? Or does [Draconification] affect me even after I revert? Maybe it's because it's you? Whatever it is, I'll test it again tonight and figure this out."
He was determined to avoid a repeat of the incident. While he had managed to resolve the situation in Brestfol, things could go far worse if it happened again, especially if he faced multiple A-Rankers. He wouldn't be able to suppress all their law techniques simultaneously.
As he considered his next steps, a loud rumble from his stomach broke his train of thought. He chuckled sheepishly. Assimilating the dragon bloodline had left him ravenous, and their sudden departure from town meant they'd skipped dinner.
Amber, with her usual deadpan expression but a hint of eagerness in her eyes, retrieved her cooking tools. "Food first." She declared.
Sol couldn't deny her cooking skills and quickly set aside his thoughts of dragon bloodlines and law techniques to help her prepare dinner.
After a hearty meal, Sol used [Draconification] once more. Dark orange scales grew across his body, and two sharp horns spiraled from his head. Fully transformed, he let out a booming roar that echoed through the wilderness.
The sound struck fear into the hearts of animals, beasts, and monsters alike. They instinctively fled, sensing the presence of an apex predator.
Sol laughed as he watched creatures scatter in the distance.
"Haha! It's good they know their place. I'll let them live, for now. It's amusing to see them run with their tails between their legs."
Amber observed silently from a distance, immediately noticing the drastic shift in his demeanor. His pride had become even more pronounced, almost instantaneously altering his personality.
Sol warned her, "Stay back. I'm going to test my strength."
Without waiting for a response, he clenched his fist and punched the air. The casual motion generated a shockwave that rippled through the wilderness, shaking trees and stripping leaves from their branches.
Sol examined his hand with satisfaction. "Incredible… Even a normal punch creates shockwaves. And this is just my physical strength."
Leaping into the air, he landed with such force that the ground trembled and a nearby tree collapsed. He smirked, his voice dripping with pride. "The gains from [Draconification] aren't just a boost to my attributes. Each one is amplified significantly. For every point I have, it's as if it's fifty percent stronger. This must be the bloodline's influence."
He flexed his fingers. "No wonder dragons are considered apex beings in every story. This is true power—and I now wield it."
Shifting his focus, Sol delved into the knowledge imparted by the dragon bloodline. The answer came quickly.
"A Cinderstorm Dragon." He murmured, glancing at his dark orange scales and spiraled horns. "A rare hybrid of fire and wind dragons. Their attacks focus on creating firestorms and heat bursts."
Curious, he raised his hand and concentrated. Warm air swirled around his palm, growing hotter by the second. With a flick of his wrist, a violent storm of flames erupted, scorching everything in its path. Trees, bushes, and other vegetation were reduced to ash in moments.
Sol observed the destruction with indifference. "Power like this… Even A-Rankers won't stand a chance. Only a god could stop me."
Amber's voice broke the silence. "You're different."
Her words were simple but sharp, cutting through his pride-filled thoughts.
Sol turned to her, his fiery eyes narrowing. "What did you say?"
Amber met his gaze, unflinching. "Controlled by pride."
Her accusation stung. In an instant, Sol crossed the distance between them, gripping her neck and lifting her effortlessly into the air.
"How dare you even think I am not in control!" he roared, his voice filled with fury. "Do you even realize who you're talking to?"
Amber remained calm, her red eyes fixed on his. She didn't struggle or speak, which only fueled his anger.
"Answer me!" he demanded, tightening his grip as her face began to pale.
Even as air escaped her lungs, Amber's gaze stayed steady. She didn't fight back, didn't resist. She had no fear of dying by his hand because she knew of all people he wouldn't harm her.
For a fleeting moment, Sol felt a twisted satisfaction in asserting his dominance. Then, he caught her eyes. Her clear red eyes stared deep into him causing a thought to rise in his mind.
'What am I doing?'
The thought jolted him. His grip loosened as the weight of his actions crashed down on him. The pride, the rage—none of it was truly him. It was the sin, the dragon bloodline's influence.
He released her, and Amber collapsed to the ground, coughing and gasping for air. Sol stumbled backward, his scales disappearing as he deactivated [Draconification]. The horns receded, and his body returned to normal.
"Amber…" His voice was shaky, laced with guilt. He knelt beside her, hesitant to lay his hands on her but desperate to help. "Are you okay? I… I didn't mean to. I'm sorry."
Amber steadied her breathing, her expression unreadable. "You can't control it."
Her words struck him harder than any blow. He clenched his fist, nodding in reluctant agreement. "You're right. No more testing, no more transformations. The scale was right. I barely meet the requirements to use it. I can't control my actions in that state."
Amber only gave a simple nod, but in doing so showed him the fresh bruise he created on her neck. Sol felt the full weight of his shame.
He had thought the worst of it was his behavior in Brestfol, but now he understood the true danger of his sin. While the power of the dragon bloodline was truly powerful and nothing could compare to it, he wouldn't be himself while in that state and he would likely do something he regrets.
For now, he resolved to seal away the law technique. He would focus on controlling the sin in his normal state before even considering [Draconification] again. Only when he truly mastered himself would he dare to wield such power.