Chapter 261: Good News


    <em>Ding!</em>


    【You have consumed the Dragon Heart Fragment (S).】


    【Trait: Potent Constitution (C) amplifies its effects.】


    “Damn it!”


    So it was you!


    Suddenly, I got worked up. Ca, who was in front of me, turned pale and quickly knelt down at my feet.


    “S-Sorry, Master!”


    “…I wasn’t angry at you.”


    I just lost my temper for a moment, but Ca immediately kneeled. As I gently stroked her tinum-colored hair, she cautiously lifted her head.


    “Really…?”


    “Of course. From the start, I had no reason to be angry at you… or anyone else, for that matter. This was just an unexpected ident.”


    “But…”


    Ca kept mumbling. What’s this? Suddenly, Ca looks… pretty.


    …I guess it’s okay to do this much.


    I lifted Ca’s chin and pressed my thumb against her lips. As I slowly brushed her lips sideways, I suddenly inserted my finger into her mouth.


    “Eut?!”


    Ca was briefly startled and tried to shut her mouth, but she soon realized what was happening and rxed.


    Ca epted my finger without resistance. I reached deeper into her mouth.


    <em>Squish.</em>


    A soft, moist sensation touched my fingertip. When I teased her tongue with my thumb, Ca’s lips slowly parted.


    Her crimson, glistening inner flesh and the tongue being teased at the center of it all were exposed under the light.


    The glimmering saliva, the faint sound of liquid. Ca’s tongue, pressed and yed with by my hand. And her gaze, full of both anxiety and anticipation.


    Taking all that in, I pulled my finger out and leaned in close.


    Ca looked up, and I looked down at her from above.


    In that position, I opened my mouth as if to show her. The umted saliva, now influenced by gravity, dripped down.


    “Heut…”


    Ca caught the falling saliva in her mouth and swallowed it.


    As she stuck out her tongue, she began to suck on it, like a fish drawn to bait.


    After repeatedly holding my tongue in her mouth and swallowing the asional dribble of saliva, I decided that was enough. I finished with a deep kiss, then finally pulled away.


    Ca’s face looked dazed, as if she had a fever. I yfully flicked her smooth forehead and chuckled.


    “Pervert.”


    “Huh? What?!”


    Ca was utterly shocked, as if she hadn’t expected to hear that. Her expression said, “Who are you calling a pervert?”


    “Your Master just came back from the brink of death, and instead of worrying, you’re getting all aroused. If that’s not perverted, what is?”


    “But you made me like this, Master!”


    Iughed at Ca’s frustration, then pulled her by the arm, making her sit next to me.


    I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. Despite pouting, Ca obediently rested her head against me.


    Lowering my hand, I began to grope one side of Ca’s chest as I lifted my head.


    Only then did I notice the women around me, all wearing expressions of disbelief, staring in my direction. A smile naturally formed on my face.


    “Is something funny? You suddenly caused a mana rampage, and as soon as you snapped out of it, you started doing lewd things with Ca–”


    “Hey!”


    I quickly silenced Elisha by covering her mouth with mine, and she instantly quieted down.


    “Hmpf… I know that was a bit strange, too, but how should I exin it? All of a sudden, my impulses intensified? No, maybe it’s my instincts. I’m suddenly starving. Anyway, that’s why it happened.”


    “And what’s that supposed to mean…?”


    Though grumbling, Elisha slid over and sat down next to me. Just like Ca, she let me wrap my arm around her shoulders, positioning herselffortably for me to touch her chest.


    We barely had time to catch our breath before Iris, sitting beside us, sighed heavily and asked.


    “Master, what exactly happened? The Dragon Heart Fragment that the Chairman gave you was a perfectly refined elixir. While absorption rates may vary, it shouldn’t have caused a mana rampage.”


    “Hmm, and now Student Yandel… he feels a little different than earlier! More mature, maybe? He looks delicious!”


    “…What kind of observation is that?”


    “I don’t know either! It’s not like I’ve actually drunk his blood or anything! But I swear, he feels like apletely different person despite being the same!”


    What in the world…?


    I tilted my head at Iona’s cryptic words and opened my mouth.


    “Let me briefly exin what happened. It seems like the ability I gained as a reward for clearing the dungeonst time caused the issue…”


    【Potent Constitution (C)】


    Your body bes more receptive to medicine.


    Rest assured, only the good effects are amplified!


    The effects of healing potions, elixirs, and medicine are increased by 10%.


    Circting Life takes an interest in you.


    A status window appeared in one corner of my vision, and the description of the Potent Constitution trait continued.


    “…That’s why I think I might have slightly exceeded my limit.”


    I was being somewhat evasive, but to be more precise, it seemed like the system correction couldn’t handle the limit.


    The Dragon Heart Fragment was an S-ss elixir, after all. Even a mere 10% increase would be a massive amount, given its power.


    It was probably equivalent to dozens of mediocre elixirs that could be bought with money.


    No matter how incredible the system correction was, it wasn’t to the point of making the impossible possible.


    It just ensures you can aplish what’s within your capabilities without mistakes.


    For instance, just because I have a weapon technique trait doesn’t mean I can suddenly extend my arm by 2 meters and thrust a dagger at supersonic speed, right?


    Since I’m still only an intermediate-level magician, my body couldn’t handle the Dragon Heart Fragment amplified by the Potent Constitution.


    “If you exceeded your capacity, you should’ve expelled the excess. How did you absorb it all, Master?”


    “Who knows?”


    I shrugged, and Iris, who was dying of curiosity, stomped her feet in frustration.


    As the hunger that had been bothering me grew worse, I took some food out of my inventory and tossed it into my mouth.


    I continued eating and resumed talking.


    “The Lintblum Breathing Technique I mastered was originally created to control mana beyond one’s capacity.”


    “Huh?”


    Ca, her mouth agape, seemed surprised that I mentioned the Lintblum Breathing Technique. I popped a meatball into her mouth and nodded.


    “You know how, in dangerous situations, your mind starts working faster? I had an epiphany—something like that. I understood the true essence of the Lintblum Breathing Technique.”


    “…What exactly does that mean?”


    “It’s nothing special. The Lintblum Breathing Technique is a method for resonating one’s bodily rhythms with mana, creating a core and mana routes that closely resemble the body’s internal structure, right?”


    “That’s right. By using that principle, you can synchronize the core within your body with the magic you’re casting, and that’s how you create your signature magic.”


    “Yeah. But what I focused on wasn’t the increase in power or the ability to sense previously undetectable mana. Instead, it was how I managed to handle such a massive amount of mana.”


    The Lindelheit family’s founder was born with a dragon’s heart, meaning they possessed even more mana than the Dragon Heart Fragment I consumed.


    In a situation where mana, invisible and intangible, constantly gnawed at the body, what would be the first thought that came to mind?


    Admiration for the mysterious energy of mana? Practicality in enhancing the power of magic?


    None of that. It was simply the need to process it into a form that the body could withstand.


    “If the amount of mana was too much to endure with an artificial core and mana routes, I reinforced them with actual physicalponents.”


    “By physicalponents… you don’t mean…”


    “Yeah. I merged my heart with the core and fused my mana routes with my blood vessels. I’d bet this was the original version of the Lintblum Breathing Technique that your ancestors used, Ca. Once they could sense mana and manage the amount they could handle, they probably revised the technique to avoid unnecessary risks in future generations.”


    “……”


    Ca seemed lost in deep thought, perhaps contemting something important. I decided to leave her alone and whispered quietly to the others.


    “Anyway, we’ll have to confirm more detailster, but I think my constitution has changed due to the fusion. That’s probably why Professor Iona felt something was off.”


    Of course, this was just a hypothesis. I hadn’t properly checked the status window because things were too hectic.


    Both Iris and Iona nodded in agreement at my words.


    “It’s possible, totally possible. A change in constitution doesn’t happen easily, but when it does, it’s usually pretty obvious. Especially to races sensitive to the aura of others, like vampires!”


    “Exactly. The fact that you indulged with Lady Lindelheit as soon as you woke up, and are now eating like there’s no tomorrow, all makes sense. After experiencing extreme changes, it’smon for the body to either heighten itself or crave energy. As long as you eat and rest well, you’ll likely return to normal soon enough.”


    Oh, is that it? So my body, sensing the threat to its survival, intensified its instincts, stabilized the core and mana routes, and now wants to replenish the energy it used?


    Well, I’m d it’s only a temporary issue.


    I nodded in understanding, and Elisha, still worried, wiped the sauce from the corner of my mouth.


    “Still, just to be safe, I think you should check your condition. You’ll have a day to rest while Master and Professor Iona prepare the magic circle, but after that, we’ll need to go rescue Helena.”


    “Yeah. We should.”


    Leaningfortably against the sofa, I closed my eyes.


    To others, it would look like I was entering a meditative state. And that’s indeed what I nned to do, but first, I had something else to check.


    ‘Status Window…!’


    Time to catch up on all those notifications.