[A/N: Note, there's some serious serial time skipping since we can't all go through 982 years of training. Personally I'd die from writing that much!!]
[???? POV]
What are dreams? What is it to dream?
These questions float in my mind, soft yet persistent, lingering like shadows just out of reach. I feel that I'm in a dream, but the sensation is unfamiliar, both comforting and strange. There is a warmth here that reminds me of… something—something I've touched in a world beyond. In this dream, knowledge flows into me, strange and foreign, yet somehow… mine. The word "mindscape" forms in my thoughts, and I know it describes this place where I now drift, yet I have no idea how I know it.
As I look around, images materialize, shifting and vanishing like fog. In one vision, I see myself standing tall, walking, then running; in another, I am casting spells, wielding strange powers with ease. But… how? How do I know I can do these things? Have I always known them? The questions pile up, unanswered, yet the knowledge remains, steady and sure, as though embedded deep within me.
In this world of shifting dreams, I see my past flash before me, like fragments of a life that was both mine and yet separate. Memories flicker: darkness, endless pain, and the harsh, bitter and void filled cold. That was my world—the void. It was the only place I had ever known as a void beast. A mindless creature of instinct, I roamed that desolate place, driven by hunger and a raw need to survive. The memories grow sharper, each one carrying the weight of endless cycles of darkness.
The void was my prison, and in it, I lived and fought, never resting. Since the moment I hatched, my life was a fight for survival. I roamed, hunted, and fed, knowing that stopping even for a moment could mean death. There was no mercy in the void, no peace. If I did not consume, I would be consumed, adding my strength to the one who devoured me. This truth was everything. It was how we existed.
But now, as I look around this strange, luminous place, I understand that something incredible has happened. I am no longer just a void beast. I have evolved, changed in ways I never imagined possible. My memories remind me that a void beast can absorb bloodlines and traits, borrowing the strongest aspects of its prey. Yet this transformation is different. I haven't simply absorbed a bloodline; I've shifted entirely. I am no longer a void beast at all.
And the abilities I now possess… they are beyond anything I could have ever imagined. The magic within me, the spells I know instinctively, the powers that respond to my thoughts—all of it feels as though it was always there, lying dormant, waiting to be unlocked.
Most peculiar of all is my skill, [Eternal Glutton]. All void beasts possess it, a skill that enables us to adapt, evolve, and survive. But now, I am something different—a dragon, yet still carrying the essence of that skill within me.
I am an impossible creature, an anomaly that defies reason, and I owe it all to him, that being who came to me and changed my fate. The thought of him fills my mind, sharp and clear. His image forms in my mindscape, and a sudden sharp pain slices through my thoughts, forcing me to my knees in the vast starry mindscape. The world around me trembles, the drifting memories fading to shadows.
I grip my head, groaning as a torrent of information floods my mind. Spells, memories, ancient knowledge—all of it rushes into me like a wave, searing my thoughts with its intensity. Bubbles of light float around me, each one containing a piece of this knowledge, each one drifting within reach. They glimmer in the starry expanse of my mindscape, waiting for me to claim them. Slowly, I stretch out a clawed limb and touch one.The bubble pops, releasing its contents into me.
"Elizabeth… Elizabeth Elroy Salavar… That's my name…"
The words escape my lips in a whisper, resonating within me as though they've always belonged there. He gave me this name, I realize with a surge of gratitude.
The memories within each bubble come fast, unfolding scenes and fragments from a life and not only one, but from lives I had long forgotten. I am overcome by emotion, my vision blurring as tears spill down my face. My mind races, piecing together fragments of lives I once knew. I remember the faces of those I loved—friends, family, a husband. And my master, Reece. My heart aches with the weight of these memories, the joy, the pain, the love I had forgotten.
This was not my first life. No, I had lived before, and in each life, he had found me, saved me, just as I had once saved him in a distant past, a past almost beyond memory. My master, Reece, a regressor who had traveled through endless cycles of time, had found me once more.
The knowledge settles within me, bringing with it a strange calm. I am not alone in this new life. I have a purpose, a connection to the past that gives me strength. I am Elizabeth, the one who carries the Astrae bloodline, the one Reece has saved across countless lifetimes.
****************
[Prima's POV]
The silence in the cavern was serene, though the stillness belied the energy at work here. Master Reece and I were within his mindscape, strategizing and preparing while I simultaneously monitored the many formations surrounding his physical form. Each spell was carefully calibrated to support his gradual restoration, allowing him to recover a portion of his former strength without drawing undue attention from outside forces.
We were cautious not to push his abilities too far, despite the advantage of time dilation. Reaching true demigod levels was our limit for now—any further and we'd risk alerting unwanted attention. Within the protected barrier of [Existence Embrace], we utilized the flow of primal mana generated by the artificial primal mana crystal, taking every opportunity to expand his cores while maintaining a delicate balance.
So far, twenty years had passed within the barrier since Liz had entered her comatose state, her mind overwhelmed by the memories Master had transferred into her. In those early years, Master watched over her, ensuring she could absorb the first memory before delving into the rest. Once she was stable, he had returned to the core of the barrier and the primal mana source, sinking into a deep meditation to continue his own growth.
As his partner in these efforts, I managed his body's functions, carefully overseeing his progression as he approached the peak of the Artisan core level across his three vital cores: his mana heart, mana brain, and mana lungs. Each day, his body absorbed primal mana naturally, strengthening the structures he had taxed to their limit when he cast [Existence Embrace]. It had taken years to erase every impurity, allowing for each breakthrough and reinforcing his mana body to its full potential within the ranks of artisan.
Our progress was steady but challenging, and while Reece's consciousness focused on the intricate layers of his soul, my attention extended across our domain, ensuring the stability of his aura and the flow of life-support spells. His aura was intense—a testament to his age and experience—and required constant suppression. Everything was proceeding smoothly, both for him and for Liz, who had remained in a deep, steady sleep.
Until now.
A faint shift alerted me, drawing my attention to Liz. Her form, once still, was now moving, her massive scaled body stirring as she approached the area where Master was meditating. I could hardly believe it—Liz was awake, her form seeming larger than she was once her evolution into a dragon had completed. She was no longer the fur-covered creature she had been before; she had become something else entirely.
"L-Liz…!" I stuttered, barely able to contain my shock.
Her scales were an endless expanse of night sky, flecked with the faint lights of stars and galaxies, as if the universe itself had woven her into existence. She moved with a grace and majesty that was unmistakable, her golden eyes shining with a newfound clarity and intelligence.
As she approached Master, who remained seated in a meditative lotus position, she lowered her large draconian head, her slit eyes softening. In the stillness, I could feel her joy, her pride, and her immense gratitude radiating like a pulse.
"Master Reece," she murmured, her powerful deep yet melodious voice resonated like a quiet, distant storm. "Thank you… for giving me this life. For finding me again."