Issei's consciousness returned as if being slowly pulled back into his body.
The air in the room felt cold, though not as cold as before. But strangely, his body still seemed to retain the heat from the realm of consciousness. Issei slowly opened his eyes. His vision blurred for a moment before finally focusing.
He found himself lying back on his bed. The familiar bedroom ceiling greeted him, but on his left hand—the red gauntlet of the Boosted Gear was still attached, glowing dimly like embers yet to die out.
Issei raised his arm, staring at the Sacred Gear in silence.
"No matter how hard I train… my body is still human. There's a limit."
Ddraig immediately responded from within his mind, his deep voice now calm again.
"So… you want to turn your body into a dragon?"
Issei nodded slightly. "Yes. The human body has too many limits. Even with magic, mana, and overwhelming power… it's still fragile."
"Hmph. It's not easy. That process takes a long time," replied Ddraig. "A human body isn't clay that can be molded at will."
"I know. Even a fool knows turning from human to dragon isn't something that happens overnight, even if I have cheat-like powers. But the first step… is dragon blood. I need it. Mana capacity will increase, and the body will begin to recognize a more stable magical structure."
Ddraig was silent for a moment, then his voice came heavier than before.
"Dragon blood… is not just liquid. It's the essence of life. Especially my blood—it contains traces of the Ancient Dragon. If you accept my blood, then your body will carry the memory of battles, the will of the dragon, and… the possibility of destruction."
"How bad are the effects on a human?" Issei asked seriously.
"Severe fever. Your body's cells won't know how to react. Because dragon blood is not a virus, not bacteria… but living power. Your metabolism will go haywire. Your body will treat it as an invasion from something unrecognizable. But… if you manage to get through the first stage… then the rest will be easier. Your body will start adapting. After that, we can move to the next stage… Dragon Eyes."
"Dragon Eyes?" Issei frowned.
"It's the window to a world that normal humans cannot see. When that happens… the world will start looking back. All the entities that have remained silent… will see you."
Issei was silent. His eyes glanced at the calendar on the wall.
"How long will the fever last?"
"Between one to two weeks," answered Ddraig. "Depends on your body's strength. Usually the more stubborn the host, the quicker the recovery."
Issei snorted. "School starts in a week… and I don't even know which school. A normal human school… or a devil school in disguise."
"So… you really want to transfuse dragon blood?" Ddraig asked, once again offering a final pause.
Issei took a deep breath. "Do it. I hope the fever isn't too unbearable."
"Alright. I'll begin now. It might… hurt a bit. Because I'm going to inject it directly into your body's network."
Suddenly, Issei's left hand felt like it was being pierced by dozens of needles at once. Heat spread rapidly, flowing through his blood vessels, then to his chest, neck, and stomach.
Issei gritted his teeth, enduring the pain that couldn't be described in words. But he didn't scream.
A few minutes later, the stabbing pain disappeared.
Issei thought it was over… but then his body began to burn.
His body temperature soared. Sweat flooded his face and back in seconds. His breathing became heavy. He stood up and removed his shirt. Steam rose from his skin.
"Ddraig… if my temperature rises… is it okay to take a cold shower?"
"Of course. If it makes you comfortable, do it. Because this will happen often. Your temperature will fluctuate, especially at night. Make your body as comfortable as possible. This… is only the first stage."
Without waiting any longer, Issei rushed to the bathroom, removed all his clothes, and immediately turned on the cold shower. Ice water washed over his burning body. Though his skin shivered from the drastic temperature change, he felt relieved—at least it no longer felt like he was burning.
Water flowed, wetting the floor. Steam mixed with cold mist filled the room.
Issei closed his eyes.
"At first I thought it would hurt. But turns out… this fever is even worse. Pain can be endured… but fever?"
He took a deep breath.
"It makes your head heavy, your mind foggy, and your body unable to sleep properly."
Ddraig answered in a gentle voice. "Later… when night comes and you have trouble sleeping, I'll help shut down your consciousness. I can do it without making you lose control. You'll still dream… just fall asleep without unrest."
The water continued to flow. Issei stood still, letting it cool his body.
"Thank you, Ddraig… I hope this only lasts a week."
Two hours passed.
His body temperature slowly returned to normal. Issei turned off the shower, dried himself off, and came out of the bathroom with only a towel. But when he looked at the clock—the short hand was already at eight.
He put on comfortable clothes, then went downstairs to the kitchen and took the bento he had bought earlier. He ate slowly while watching television. But as usual, the news programs weren't interesting: weather reports, politics, and end-of-year discount promotions.
After finishing his meal, he cleaned up the bento remains and returned to his room.
However… when he opened the bedroom door, his body began to shiver again.
His body temperature dropped drastically.
The cold bit into his bones. Issei immediately turned off the AC, put on a thick jacket, socks, and wrapped himself up in blankets all the way to his head.
"…Damn. Now it's cold."
His teeth chattered. He curled into a ball under the blanket.
"Ddraig… can you… shut down my consciousness? It's already night. I need to rest. Tomorrow will be even harder."
The dragon's voice sounded gentle, almost like someone standing guard beside the bed.
"Just close your eyes. I'll take care of the rest."
Issei took one last breath. His body was still trembling. But gradually, his breathing stabilized. His heartbeat slowed. His consciousness lowered slowly.
And in the dark world that began to swallow him, he had only one hope:
Hopefully… this fever won't last longer than his resolve.