The old man’s corpse was horrifyingly thin, as if he had died of starvation long ago.

*Judging by the rust on these chains, he’s probably been dead for at least ten years… but the body hasn’t decayed much. His magic power must have been immense when he was alive.*

Why had a master of such caliber been imprisoned in this place?

*Kei?*

Umbra tilted his head, sensing Theo’s confusion. Theo cautiously approached the corpse, inspecting every corner of the chamber.

Then, he noticed a few odd details.

*These chains… they’re attached to the wall too irregularly, and the materials aren’t even consistent.*

If this cave had been constructed specifically to imprison the old man, the setup would have been more solid and uniform.

The chains were indeed firmly anchored, but their attachment seemed haphazard.

There were only two possible explanations for this.

Either someone had hastily confined the old man, or—

*He chained himself.*

Theo’s eyes sharpened.

“Did he survive off this?”

Theo glanced at the wall, where vibrant mushrooms grew in patches between the translucent crystals. Plucking one, he took a cautious sniff.

It was a familiar smell.

*Demonic energy.*

“Why are *Ghost’s Breath Mushrooms* growing here?”

Ghost’s Breath Mushrooms only sprouted deep within the Magic Abyss, in areas where sunlight barely reached. They were highly prized by demons and magical creatures for their properties, nourished solely by moonlight-infused demonic energy.

The unusual part was that these mushrooms had taken root here, forming an entire colony.

*It seems the demonic energy from the nearby Magic Abyss traveled through the valley and settled in this crystal cave, creating a suitable environment for the mushrooms.*

While it was theoretically possible, seeing it in reality was astounding.

“So, that’s why you turned into a spectral dragon, huh?” 

*Kei?*

Umbra tilted his head, confused by Theo’s words. Theo simply patted Umbra’s jaw without further explanation.

*I’ll just need to burn all these mushrooms to prevent Umbra from eating them from now on.*

The mushrooms might be beneficial in very rare cases, but for most, they were extremely dangerous. Even if Theo’s body had strong immunity, as a Ragnar, dragons were natural adversaries of demonic energy. For him, consuming it would be akin to poison.

*Crackle, crackle!*

Theo extended his index finger, activating his *Thunder Dragon’s Roar Technique*. Sparks leapt from his fingertips, and soon a vivid yellow lightning aura appeared.

*Keek?*

Umbra flinched, instinctively spreading his wings wide in alarm.

“Don’t worry; I’ll only blast this part. I’ll try not to damage the crystals you like.”

As Theo reassured Umbra and prepared to release the energy—

*KEEAAA!*

Suddenly, Umbra lunged forward, seemingly to stop him.

Realizing Umbra was mistaken, Theo was about to calm him down when he sensed an attack from behind.

The supposedly dead corpse of the white-haired old man had moved!

“Kaaiii!”

The old man’s jaw opened wide, reeking of decay, as he lunged toward Theo as if to bite him.

Umbra intervened, pushing himself between Theo and the corpse.

*Crunch!*

The old man’s brittle nails broke against Umbra’s tough scales.

*Crack!*

Theo quickly stepped back, releasing a bolt of lightning from above.

The ceiling crackled, and yellow lightning descended in a fierce strike—*Thunder Calling*.

Though not as powerful as the spell from his second awakening, the principle was similar.

The bolt struck the old man’s head, and while it didn’t destroy it, it was enough to briefly stun him.

Yet, the old man’s sharp teeth grazed Umbra’s neck as he staggered.

Just then, new reinforcements arrived.

“Master Theo!”

Evelyn, who had finally tracked Theo down, looked stunned by the sudden battle.

But she swiftly drew her sword, demonstrating the calm of a seasoned knight.

*White Armored Dragoon Secret Technique – Rapid Sword Strikes*

*Flash! Flash!*

As her blade swung, its glow shone even more beautifully than the surrounding crystals.

It was the *Aura Blade*.

*This is… the famous Aura Blade.*

The blade, sharp enough to cleave iron, sliced cleanly through the old man’s arms.

“Kaii! Kaii, Kaaii! Robert! Robert! I… hate you all!”

*Clang, clang, clang!*

As the old man resisted, the chains clanked and rattled, echoing through the cave.

But—

*Slash!*

*Thud!*

Evelyn’s sword deftly severed the old man’s head, ending the struggle.

Despite losing one arm, her swordsmanship, once regarded as the best in Ragnar, was as sharp as ever.

*It was still dangerous. If he’d been able to think more clearly, the fight wouldn’t have been this easy.*

*Huff—*

Watching the old man’s lifeless body collapse, Evelyn finally exhaled, steadying her trembling sword.

The magical power in the old man’s touch had been intense.

Moreover, the corpse carried a potent corpse poison, laced with demonic energy. Even a small scratch could have led to a disaster.

Demonic poison.

It was the most toxic substance in the Magic Abyss, one that even seasoned Dragoon knights avoided.

“Master Theo, are you all rig—”

As Evelyn began to turn, her eyes widened in shock.

*Keek! Keek!*

Umbra fluttered his wings, pacing anxiously.

Theo was on the ground, cold sweat dripping down his face.

“M-Master Theo!”

“I’m fine. There’s no need to panic.”

Theo tried to speak calmly, but it was clear he was anything but fine.

His left forearm had been severely bitten, and the wound was already beginning to fester. His face was deathly pale.

If not for his thunder element’s resilience, he might have fainted already.

“What on earth happened?”

Evelyn rushed over, opening an emergency kit.

Unfortunately, they hadn’t brought a suitable antidote for exploring the Magic Abyss, as they hadn’t planned for such an encounter.

“I… made a mistake.”

The truth was, he’d tried to protect Umbra from the old man’s bite just before Evelyn arrived.

But he didn’t mention it.

“I’ll take you back to the base immediately. Please bear with it for a little longer.”

After quickly applying first aid, Evelyn tried to lift Theo onto her back.

But—

*Keek!*

Umbra suddenly shoved his head forward, pushing Evelyn away.

“I’m not trying to hurt your partner! I’m trying to help him! I need to take him back!”

*Keek! Keek!*

“Umbra!”

*KEEAA!*

Every time Evelyn tried to speak, Umbra flapped his wings and growled louder.

Was it just an instinctual reaction from a beast? With the situation growing more dire, Evelyn instinctively reached for her sword.

But then—

“Evelyn… wait! Just… hold on…”

Theo raised a hand to stop her.

Evelyn turned back to him.

“It… looks like Umbra has something he wants to say. Please, just give us a moment…”

Evelyn wanted to get Theo to safety, but his seriousness held her back. He was visibly struggling for breath.

“What… do you want to do, Umbra?”

*Keek! Keek! Keek!*

“You’re… sure that’ll work?”

*Keek!*

Theo and Umbra exchanged a few incomprehensible gestures before Theo nodded heavily.

“Alright… I’m entrusting… my life to you…”

*KEEAA!*

Umbra nodded, then moved toward the inner cave, grabbing a mouthful of Ghost’s Breath Mushrooms.

*Thud! Thud! Thud!*

“What… are you planning?”

“Even if… I return to the base like this… it’ll only get worse. So… let’s trust Umbra… It seems like he has… an idea…”

For a moment, Evelyn felt a pang of dread.

The White Armored Dragoon knights were trained to avoid exposure to demonic toxins at all costs. When contaminated, strict protocols demanded safe zones, sterilization, and antidotes.

Yet Theo was entrusting his life to what seemed like a reckless decision.

But Theo had his own reasoning.

Umbra had grown into a formidable creature, partly due to the Ghost’s Breath Mushrooms.

Surely, he’d found a way to handle the poison over time, possibly even discovering some unknown method.

*Let’s trust him.*

With that thought, Theo slowly lost consciousness.

* * *

Umbra’s only thought was to save Theo.

The one who’d first opened his heart to him, the one who’d saved him from danger.

Umbra couldn’t afford to lose his friend.

*KEEEAA!*

Umbra set down the Ghost’s Breath Mushrooms he’d gathered and then crushed some icicles from the ceiling, sprinkling the powdered crystals over the mushrooms.

The crystals in this cave were pure energy condensates. Mixing the two would dilute the mushrooms’ poison and enhance their vitality.

This was the secret that had allowed Umbra to grow so strong without a steady food source.

“Are you suggesting I feed this to Master Theo?”

*Keek!*

Reluctantly, Evelyn melted the concoction with her magic and carefully dripped it into Theo’s mouth.

*Please… Master Theo…*

She couldn’t bear the thought of reporting his death to Cecilia, who’d given her back her arm.

Then—

*Thump… Thump… Thump…*

Theo’s heart, tainted by demonic poison, began to beat wildly.

Slow, but powerful, it echoed in the quiet chamber.

*Thump, thump, thump!*

Gradually, his heart rate quickened, pushing the poison through his system. In its place, the energy from the mushrooms and crystals filled his veins.

Color started to return to Theo’s face.

“How…?”

Evelyn’s eyes widened, struggling to comprehend the miraculous recovery.

Yet, while she couldn’t understand it, the treatment was working.

*Crackle, crackle!*

Suddenly, bright yellow energy surged over Theo’s body.

*Crack!*

His skin began to split like a turtle’s shell, releasing dark impurities from his body.

In that moment, the same cursed magic that had once transformed Umbra into a spectral dragon attempted to take root within Theo.

And so, his rebirth began anew.