Alex slowly approached the inert body of Liamora, holding the glowing egg close to him. He placed the egg on the ground, in front of the dragon's corpse.
"Look at this," he murmured to the egg. "This is your mom. She was very powerful… a wonderful being. Even though I didn't really know her, I know she loved you immensely. She was at death's door, but she did everything to come back to you. Never forget that."
At that moment, the egg began to glow with a soft light, as if it had heard his words.
The system then activated in his mind:
[Do you want to store the material?]
[Yes / No]
Alex stared at the system's screen.
His heart tightened.
It wasn't a material.
It was a friend.
Without hesitation, he chose "Yes," then murmured in a deep, respectful voice:
[Black Dragon – Level ???] stored
"I am collecting my friend's body… to give her a proper burial. Not as an object, but as the precious being she was."
He could have seen an opportunity.
A rare fragment. A powerful essence. A catalyst for his future creations.
And yet, even though he lived to create, even though his obsession with forging burned in him like a fever…
He knew what truly mattered.
A portal opened above Liamora's body, which was gently absorbed, disappearing into a brilliant light.
Alex took a deep breath. He focused. Using the knowledge copied from the old mage, he recreated around him the same magical orb in which he had once been trapped. This orb now contained the egg.
The mini-dome floated behind Alex as if moved by an invisible telekinetic force.
With a leap, he left the mountain heights to dive toward the forest below.
Agile, he moved from tree to tree, senses alert, scanning the surroundings.
He was looking for the perfect place, a calm, isolated location, filled with the right energy, to begin his forge.
He finally arrived at the other end of the forest, an area also infested with monsters. There, a group of F-rank adventurers was attacking a swarm of slimes.
The group's leader, sword in hand, laughed:
"Chasing these slimes is too easy!"
The mage cast fire spells, smiling: "Totally."
The tank crushed the soft creatures under his shield while the healer playfully eliminated them with agility.
Alex, still perched in the tree, slipped without warning.
His body tipped forward, and he fell straight toward the ground… or rather, right onto the tank.
With a dull crash, he landed heavily on the armored adventurer's back.
The brutal and unexpected impact shattered the colossus's helmet and sent him directly into unconsciousness.
Alex, still dazed by his own fall, blinked.
"Huh? I… I knocked him out?!"
He awkwardly got up, surprised by the result.
"I just wanted to get down…"
The adventurers immediately sensed Alex's powerful mana. Panicked, they froze in place. His voice resonated, deep and violent:
"Are you okay?"
Frightened, they fled without even worrying about their unconscious companion.
Alex raised an eyebrow. "They're really weird… but I like their weapons."
The slimes gathered silently around Alex, gradually forming a moving shape, almost like a living weapon ready to obey.
There were at least twenty of them, all bouncing with joy, their gelatinous bodies vibrating in unison. The ground trembled slightly under their enthusiastic jumps, as if their happiness echoed throughout the clearing.
Alex observed them, a slight smile on his lips. He hadn't said anything yet, but they already seemed ready to follow him anywhere.
Alex smiled. "No need to thank me. Goodbye."
In his mind, he thought: If only the sun hadn't blinded me… I would already be forging.
He retrieved the mini-dome containing the egg, stuck in a tree, then took off again, looking for a quiet place.
After hours of fruitless searching, he descended and addressed the slimes:
"If you can find me a place where I can forge in peace, I will agree to become your leader."
The slimes jumped for joy, expressing their enthusiasm. They didn't speak, but strangely, Alex understood their intentions.
Alex, in his ghoul form, set off, followed by the little gooey creatures, toward a new adventure.