"This was not part of the deal! Get the fu*k out of my head!"
Alexander was understandably, extraordinarily upset by his current situation. He had just fought through the worst agony of his life, and now there was a creature speaking directly into his mind. It was far too much for him to remain calm.
'This was not my intention either. I should have left you catatonic and easily taken over your body. Your will and magic power both exceeded my expectations. Now, I'm barely clinging onto myself inside of you. What a mess.' Tharildron said, the tone of his voice defeated.
Of course, this revelation did nothing to comfort Alexander. The so-called Shadow Dragon Lord had tricked him and nearly stolen his body.
"Okay, this is over. I'm purging you from my body."
Fed up with everything that had just happened, Alexander tried to force himself to throw up the blood he had consumed. He wanted Tharildron's voice out of his head, and in the moment, this was the best way he could think of to do so.
Naturally, the results were not favorable. Despite his best attempt, Alexander could not get a single drop of dragon's blood out of his body. At this point, the merger was already complete. There was nothing he could do to get rid of it.
'Stop this foolishness already! You are just going to hurt yourself, and by extension, me. We're just going to have to accept what has occurred.'
"Yeah, you're right. I should just be okay with the monster speaking into my mind that nearly stole my body. As if!" Alexander replied furiously.
Sadly, rage was not going to eliminate Tharildron from his consciousness. The two of them were stuck together.
'Are you feeling better now that you've wasted a great deal of energy. Start thinking rationally if you want to survive.'
These words from the parasite inhabiting him nearly set Alexander off again. However, just barely, he kept himself under control.
So far, being flustered and angry had not improved his situation. As much as he loathed the idea of doing so, cooperating with the shadow dragon was currently in his best interest.
"Fine. Let's go back to our deal then. You promised a means to restore my mobility, as well as high-quality items. Were those just lies, or do you plan on delivering?"
'I only ever spoke the truth to you. My plan was always to give this body a replacement for its lost leg, and to retrieve the magic tools that I stashed away before my demise. I just expected to be the one in control, rather than the pitiful state I find myself in.'
As woeful as Tharildron sounded, Alexander found it impossible to sympathize with the dragon. It was his body that it wanted to take over after all.
"Got it. So, what do I have to do to walk again?"
'Before that, you'll need to retrieve my dimensional cache. There is a hidden compartment in the pedestal.'
While unsure of what this 'dimensional cache' was, Alexander followed instructions and opened the compartment concealed in the base of the pedestal.
Inside was what appeared to be an armband made out of some sort of prismatic stone.
Alexander could see that magic formulas were carved into the stone, but he was not an expert in the field and had no clue about the type of magic this item could produce.
"I'm not sure what sort of spell this item can conjure, but I probably can't use it. I wasn't born with any affinities." Alexander said, a bitter expression warping his face.
Most people in the world were born with an affinity for at least one type of magic, but he was one of the unlucky few that were not. This left him only able to use magic tools that were enchanted with spells that had no type, better known as null magic.
Having this defect, as his father called it, as well as his vast quantities of magic power that destroyed every magic tool he used, had caused him to be seen as a complete failure.
'Yes, I am already aware of your body's mutation. Do not worry though, that magic tool will work for you. All you need to do is supply it with the necessary energy.'
Tentatively, Alexander moved to grasp the prismatic band, but stopped a few millimeters away from it. He was hesitant to take it for multiple reasons.
First and foremost, was the possibility that this was another trap. For all he knew, putting it on would allow Tharildron to control him. Just as the shadow dragon intended from the start.
The second reason was that he feared breaking the device, like he had to so many before it. While he had done so on purpose, destroying his mother's pendant was still fresh in his mind.
'There is no need to fret about. This dimensional cache belongs to me. You have a great deal of magic power, but this tool can handle it. After all, it is suitable for a Dragon Lord.'
Tharildron's reassurance did little to convince Alexander. However, there was one thing that the dragon had said that caught his interest.
"You said that I have some sort of mutation. What are you talking about?"
'Oh, do you mean that you don't know? It is not difficult to discern with the proper magic tool, so I'm a bit surprised that you are clueless about such an important aspect of yourself.'
The Shadow Dragon Lord then went on to explain that Alexander had been born with two of the organs that produced magic power rather than just one as was normal.
However, he was lacking the organ that should have determined his magical affinities, it had been replaced by the second magic power organ.
Alexander was unable to follow exactly what Tharildron was talking about, but he at least understood that he had been born without something most people had. And because of this mutation, he was considered defective by the world.
"I see. So, I never had a chance from the start. The moment I was brought into this world, I was already destined to be worthless." Alexander said, slumping over onto the ground.
Learning that he truly was lesser than other people dealt a massive blow to him. Despondent feelings welled up within him, and nearly all of his motivation disappeared.
'Human children really do have volatile emotional states. You've bounced around from furious to depressed in only a matter of minutes. I can't believe that my existence is now at the mercy of one of your mood swings.'
Normally, these words would have infuriated Alexander, but he could not find it himself to be angry right now.
For the last two years, he had been disparaged by his father and peers, and now he knew that all of their criticism was correct. There really was something wrong with him.
'You must be even more ignorant than I thought. With the proper magic tools, you can wield greater power than most. Back in my time, I had an acquaintance with the same mutation, and he was one of the strongest humans of that era.'
Alexander perked up a bit when he heard this. Yet, he quickly shook his head and pushed away the fantasy he had been imagining.
He already knew that the best magic tools that could be created today could not hold up to his magic power. Perhaps there were some usable relics, but his family was not powerful or wealthy enough to obtain one. Plus, it was doubtful that his father would bother even if it was within their family's means.
"Yeah, that sounds wonderful, but obtaining such a magic item would be a miracle." Alexander muttered woefully.
A deep sigh then resounded in his head, before Tharildron said, 'You really are quite slow, aren't you. What you seek is already right in front of you. All you need to do is equip my dimensional cache. Inside you will find exactly what you are searching for. Now get to it before you die of old age.'