The royal dragon essence was an extremely potent substance.
It was the kind of treasure that would not only make vampires greedy but would also draw the attention of almost every race in existence.
Dragons guarded such essence with their lives. Even a single drop was enough to cause wars between factions.
Consuming it would greatly enhance Katherine's vampiric powers. That much was obvious.
However, the problem lay elsewhere.
William stared at the vial in his hand, his fingers tightening slightly around the glass.
He had no idea how he himself would consume the true dragon's blood he had obtained.
Vampires were born for blood, while humans were definitely not.
The thought crossed his mind, and he addressed it to the system.
[You can drink it directly according to my calculations.]
William's eyes narrowed.
"Why?" he asked immediately. "I don't think humans, or any race other than vampires, can digest blood like that."
His voice carried doubt but also irritation.
"They usually refine such treasures slowly and digest them over time. Even vampires do the same," he continued.
"The difference is that they have blood control abilities, so they do it internally, inside their bodies."
A short pause followed.
"Other races do it externally using artifacts or external assistance," William added.
The system replied calmly.
[Yes. But you are different.]
That answer alone was not enough.
"You mean because of my talents?" William asked, already knowing where this was going.
You possess three supreme talents. One of them has an effect called absolute adaptation.
William's gaze darkened.
"Yes," he said slowly, "but it hurts like hell."
The memory of past adaptations flashed through his mind. Bone-breaking pain. Flesh tearing. The feeling of his body being forcibly rewritten again and again.
The system fell silent for a moment.
[Okay. Leave it.]
William raised his brows slightly.
"You have no idea what will actually happen, do you?" he asked. "You're just making an assumption, right?"
A short delay followed.
[Yes.]
A sharp click of his tongue escaped his mouth.
"Tsk," he muttered. "Anyway, let's give it a try."
His head tilted upward as his eyes locked onto the sun hanging in the sky above the Domain.
"I hope the Sun saves me," William said quietly.
With that half-serious hope, the vial was uncorked.
Without hesitating any further, the contents were chugged down in a single gulp.
The taste was thick.
It felt heavy as it slid down his throat; he almost puked as it entered his body. The moment the essence settled, nothing out of the blue happened at first.
There was no immediate reaction, and Will looked at the vial confused.
For a few seconds, everything felt normal.
"Hey, did you feed me some shitty prank again...?"
Then warmth began spreading from his chest.
It crawled slowly across his abdomen, spreading outward in all directions.
The warmth did not stop there. It intensified rapidly, turning into heat as it surged toward his limbs, climbed his spine, and rushed into his head.
Every nerve started screaming suddenly.
"Ufff—"
William collapsed onto his knees as an intense wave of heat exploded inside his body. His hands pressed against the ground as his breathing turned erratic.
[ding!! Foreign essence detected.]
The notification rang out clearly.
Before he could steady himself, another energy erupted inside his body.
This one was different.
It was much hotter than the other.
The two energies collided violently.
[ding!! Divine Sun God Physique is resisting the new blood essence.]
The clash happened immediately and brutally.
"AAAAAARRRRGHHHHH!!!!"
A raw scream tore out of William's throat.
His skin began glowing red, almost like molten lava.
Steam rose from his body as if he were being cooked from the inside.
His blood boiled violently, and the ground beneath him started scorching under the heat.
Cracks spread outward from where he knelt.
[ding!! Absolute Adaptation is activated...]
The system reacted instantly.
[Ding!! The clash of physiques is contained.]
The resistance did not stop the pain.
[Ding!! A new physique is awakening...]
[Ding!! The host's race is mutating!!]
William's heart began pounding violently against his chest. Each beat felt like it might rupture his ribcage.
His DNA twisted and rewrote itself in real time.
Notifications continued ringing in his ears.
None of it mattered.
Pain overwhelmed everything.
This was not the first time his body had been subjected to such agony, yet familiarity offered no comfort, and his suffering never became easier.
Suddenly, bones began snapping.
The sound was too loud.
Sharp cracks echoed as his skeleton twisted unnaturally. Arms bent at wrong angles. His spine arched violently as if something inside was forcibly reshaping it.
"AAAAAARRRRGHHHHH!!!!"
The scream was hoarse now.
Inside his abdomen, the fusion core cracked.
Not just that.
The three energy cores cracked at the same time.
The sensation was soul-piercing.
Pain erupted so intensely that his vision blurred completely. His body writhed uncontrollably as he collapsed fully onto the ground.
Absolute Adaptation reacted instinctively.
Energy flooded into every damaged core continuously, forcing repairs even as destruction continued. Bones snapped and reformed at the same time, over and over, in a cruel loop.
[Host... from next time let's buy a pain-killing elixir.]
The system's voice sounded strained.
[I can't see you suffering like this.]
"WHYYY THE HEALLLLLL ARE YOU TELLING ME NOW!!!! AAAAAARRRRGHHHHH!!!!"
William screamed at the top of his lungs.
The process did not slow.
Once the skeletal reconstruction reached its peak, the pain shifted again.
Muscles tore apart.
Fibers snapped apart violently before knitting back together.
Skin split open, only to heal instantly.
Blood soaked the ground beneath him as flesh was destroyed and regenerated in rapid succession.
The entire transformation was brutal.
Bloody.
Relentless.
Nothing stopped until the body finished reforming itself completely.
When it finally ended, William lay flat on the scorched earth.
His chest rose and fell heavily as he stared up at the sky.
Sweat mixed with blood covered his body. Smoke still drifted faintly around him.
A few seconds passed.
Then more.
"What a humbling experience," William muttered weakly.
A few tears slipped from the corners of his eyes without him realizing it.
Slow, deep breaths followed as he forced himself to calm down. His hands clenched and unclenched against the ground as his racing heart gradually settled.
Once his breathing stabilized, his voice came out hoarse.
"System," he said, "show me my status."
His focus shifted deliberately.
Attention moved toward the race and physique section.
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Name: William
Race: Human (98%), True-Fire Dragon (2%)
...
====
Absolute Affinities: SUN, NETHER, DARKNESS, ICE, LIGHT, SHADOW, FIRE (new!)
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Physique: Divine Sun-God Physique, True Fire-Dragon Physique
====
....
Current SP: 99,567
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"Oh nice!! a fire affinity."
"System, what does a dragon physique do?"
[Host: These are the effects of your physique.]
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TRUE FIRE DRAGON PHYSIQUE
CORE EFFECTS
Grants Fire Affinity
Draconic Flame Authority: Fire spells and techniques gain an upgrade, burning hotter, lasting longer, and suppressing weaker flames automatically.
True Dragon transformation:-
- Transform into a draconic being.
- Gain draconic racial traits like roar, dragon breath, and dragon scales when the effect is activated
- Strength, speed, perception, and endurance are enhanced, and wounds heal faster.
Dragon Might Pressure: The bearer can emit draconic pressure, making weaker draconic beings experience fear, suppression, or instinctive submission.
immunity to fire:
increased spell comprehension:
- For fire spells and techniques speed of mastery increases