Ethan listened intently, trying to contemplate every word spoken by Valdraxx. This world sounded far more complex than he had imagined.
"Additionally," Valdraxx continued, "there are fierce creatures that far exceed anything you've seen on Earth. Some can fly as fast as lightning, camouflage themselves to disappear from sight, or even erase their existence entirely. There are also beings known as the greatest threat to dragon races."
"A threat to dragons?" Ethan asked with a tone full of curiosity. To Ethan, Valdraxx seemed invincible, making it hard to imagine anything that could threaten a dragon.
"Indeed," Valdraxx replied seriously. "Though we are powerful, there are some creatures born to hunt dragons, using magic or physical strength that can rival us."
Valdraxx then began to explain more essential concepts in this world.
"In Arkhana, there is an energy called Mana. Mana is a vital element in a world filled with magic. Without Mana, a sorcerer or magical creature cannot utilize their powers."
Ethan tried to grasp the concept. "Mana... like magical energy?" he asked.
"Yes," Valdraxx answered. "But not all beings possess Mana within them. Humans, for example. Many of them are not born with Mana. However, there is an alternative Yhak.
Those who master Yhak can enhance their bodies, boost physical abilities, or even influence the world around them in extraordinary ways."
Ethan nodded slowly. This was beginning to make sense, though it was hard to imagine. "So, if I don't have Mana, I need to learn to use Yhak?"
"Correct," Valdraxx replied. "But it requires time and significant practice. Moreover, very few humans can master Yhak perfectly.
If you can develop your ability to control Yhak, your body will become stronger, faster, and more resistant to attacks."
Ethan fell silent for a moment, reflecting on what he had just learned. This world was much more complicated than he had suspected.
He needed to learn a lot if he wanted to survive here, and more importantly, he knew he had to begin to understand and accept the power of Valdraxx within him.
His mind was swirling with unanswered questions. Within him, Valdraxx, the grand dragon sharing his body, began to explain something that made everything Ethan knew more complicated.
"Ethan, are you aware that you do not possess Mana or Yhak?" Valdraxx's voice echoed in his mind, a tone heavy and full of mystery.
Ethan stared blankly ahead, trying to comprehend that question.
"You mean that because I'm not from Arkhana, I lack all of that?" he asked, his voice full of confusion.
He tried to absorb what had happened since arriving in this world the fight with the giant wolf, the new strength he felt after consuming that creature, and now, the realization that he might be different from the other beings in Arkhana.
"Correct," Valdraxx answered calmly. "Beings from outside Arkhana cannot possess Mana or Yhak. In this world, every being born carries something called a core.
This core is a vessel that holds Mana or Yhak, providing magical power or extraordinary physical abilities."
Ethan listened carefully but grew more perplexed. "So... I don't have a core?" he asked, as if seeking confirmation.
"Correct," Valdraxx elaborated. "But there's something strange. Although you do not possess a core like other beings in Arkhana, within you, there seems to be something akin to a vessel.
When you consumed that wolf, your vessel began to fill slightly. This is not something common, Ethan."
"A vessel?" Ethan felt increasingly confused. "I have a vessel, but not a core? What does that mean? What's happening to me?"
Valdraxx sighed deeply before continuing. "This is indeed strange, but I have heard of something similar from ancient dragon scripts.
Long ago, before the beings in Arkhana understood what Mana or Yhak was, this world was once ruled by an ancient race known as the Devourer."
Ethan listened intently to that name. "Devourer? What is that? What kind of beings were they?" He felt something foreign, like an inexplicable sense of connection.
"The Devourers are a very primitive race. They are ancient entities in the world of Arkhana, their existence long submerged in myths and legends. Unlike other beings in Arkhana that rely on Mana or Yhak as the two primary sources of power in this magical world, the Devourers do not possess cores that store magical energy like most beings. Instead, they have a unique ability that sets them apart from all other races: the ability to consume energy from other beings," Valdraxx explained in a low voice, full of mystery.
Ethan fell silent, trying to piece together the fragments of information he had just heard. "Wait," he said slowly, pondering.
"Consuming energy from other beings? That sounds like... what I have often done back on Earth. I always felt satisfied and stronger after consuming something."
Ethan's words made Valdraxx pause for a moment before he finally spoke again, his tone filled with questions.
"Ethan... could it be that you are one of the long-lost Devourer race? If true, then perhaps you are not a creature from Earth. You might be an original being of Arkhana, who somehow has been lost in your world all this time."
Ethan's mind was spinning. He tried to recall his childhood, all the memories he had of his life on Earth. Everything seemed ordinary, nothing indicating that he came from another world.
But this strange feeling, the power he felt every time he consumed something all of it began to make sense. He had always been different from other humans, and he knew that.
"So... I might not be an ordinary human? I come from this world? How could I have been in Earth all this time without realizing it?" Ethan felt frustrated but also curious.
Everything had changed too quickly since his arrival in Arkhana.
"That question you can only answer for yourself, Ethan," Valdraxx responded calmly. "However, if it is true that you are a descendant of the Devourer, then there may be many more things we do not yet know about you.
The Devourer race is believed to have gone extinct, but if you are one of them, this will change everything."