Monster Girl Menagerie - Celestial Archive-Chapter 42 - 41 - Sealed Heart

I woke up, feeling weaker than I had in a long time. My head pounded with an intense headache, and every muscle in my body cried in pain.

I groaned and pushed myself into sitting posture. My surroundings were dim, but even under the haze, I could make out the texture of the fabric. I gulped, the wetness offsetting the dryness in my throat.

"A tent..."

It was a squat piece of fabric slung over rough tree branches. A makeshift tent would've been more apt. I also realized the light illuminating my surroundings with dim intensity was filtering through the fabric.

"It's coming from the outside." My voice came out rough, and I involuntarily reached up to caress my throat.

A clean piece of cloth had been draped over me, so as I began to stand up, it slid over and off me. I momentarily paused to peer at the white fabric, the last vestiges of memory washing over me.

I remembered the rage. Anger and resentment. I remembered the joy that seeing the blood had brought me. I had relished in that violence, giving myself to the instincts I hadn't known I possessed. A shudder coursed through my body, and my hand clenched at my chest.

Shaking my head, I ambled toward the entrance. As I lifted the hanging piece of fabric, the outside world greeted me with intense darkness. Only a singular source of illumination in the form of the campfire burned in the middle. Surrounding the blaze were men and women, decked in armor and chatting boisterously. Some cradled smoking meat in their hands, while others had their arms wrapped around themselves.

It was such a bizarre scene to wake up to that I momentarily forgot to breathe. It was probably why I was so startled when a voice whispered from the side.

"You finally woke up."

I straightened my back, blinking, and turned to face the owner of that voice. Amara stood with her hands on her hips and an impassive expression.

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"Ugh..." More headaches. More images. I groaned as another bout of weakness assaulted me.

"You... you hit me." I stammered out. I recalled the intensity of that moment, the joy and anger. But I also recalled how it had met its end.

"You were pretty out of it," she said, shaking her head. "Honestly, I never thought the dragon heart would prove this much of a problem. It seemed I had underestimated this dragon."

"What?" I asked, unable to understand. "What do you mean?"

Amara sighed before she spoke up. "The dragon heart seems to harbor the remnants of its previous owner's consciousness. It would be more accurate to say that it's tainted by the emotions of the dragon. When you ascend by a rank, your body adapts to your talents and advancements. In your case, the dragon heart also adapted to your body."

"And that's how I lost it?" I probed, eyes narrowing.

Amara nodded. "You more than lost it. In that moment it seemed as if something else had overtaken your body. If I hadn't intervened promptly, you might've accidentally hurt one of them."

Seeing her point toward the armored men and women sitting around the campfire, I couldn't help but ask. "Who are they anyway?"

"They," Amara said, "belong to the Feylance Barony. Supposedly, the captain of the guard had tasked them with the mission to scout the area. Unfortunately, they got caught up in an ambush."

I took another look at the campfire moot and then, remembering something, I swept my gaze around.

"Where's Tania?" The burgundy-haired dwarf was nowhere to be seen.

"She's helping out with the equipment." Amara pointed toward a thicket, and when I focused on the spot, I was able to make out the gushing sound of a river.

"I need water," I said and moved toward the gathering. My feet crunched against the wet leaves, alerting the guards. They all turned one by one to glance in my direction, and an uncomfortable feeling washed over me. Being the sole focus of attention under this many pairs of eyes made me feel uneasy.

"He's woken up." One of the muttered.

"Yeah. Did you see how he tore through those monsters?" Another added.

"That was... kinda cool." The last one halted me in my tracks, and I subtly glanced at the man, approximately my age, responsible for the comment. I had been ready for a harsh criticism, but their words and gazes conveyed no hostility.

I resumed my walk, ignoring the hushed voices with which they spoke. Instead I stopped near the center where a boar was being roasted on the spit, and a wooden bucket rested beside it.

"Can I have some water, please?" I asked the woman who looked at me, unblinking.

"Sure." She answered after a few moments had passed and scooped a bowl of water before handing it to me. I accepted it and offered my gratitude.

Cold water washed down my throat, soothing the burning ache in my gullet. I sighed and closed my eyes, feeling the intensity of the headache growing dimmer. Though the weakness remained.

After I handed the bowl back to her, my eyes were instantly drawn to the sizzling piece of meat, roasting in its own fat. The oily juices dripping and crackling in the fire below.

"You want some?" The woman offered, inclining her head.

I nodded hesitantly and waited patiently as she carved out a piece of its thigh. She proffered it to me, and I accepted with a nod.

I walked back toward the tent I had crawled out from; Amara was standing near, observing me as I drew near. "Do you want some?" I pried, holding out the meat in my hand.

The vampire shook her head and said, "I already had my fill while you were out. And I know you're hungry, so just eat."

"Let's move inside; I want to talk."

We moved inside, and I started feasting on my meal ravenously, uncaring of the image I was presenting to Amara. My teeth tore through the half-cooked flesh, my jaws working to grind it into bits. The minor ache in my belly intensified into a painful void. My stomach turned into twists and knots, and I cried out.

"Fuck!"

Amara was beside me in a second, the palm of her hand held against my chest. A spread of coldness seeping into my body and dousing the flames that burned within.

I breathed out roughly, sweat beading my forehead. "What the heck was that?"

"It's acting again."

I turned to my companion sitting beside me, gazing into her charming, gemlike eyes. My breath hitched, a stirring in my groin birthing flames of lust. "Amara..." I called out huskily and brought my lips forward.

"Nope." She put a finger on my lips, pushing me back. I blinked, feeling the haze clear away.

"I, uh..." I wanted to speak, but I stifled it as I felt her finger press deeper.

"I understand," she said. "You have to keep yourself calm, at least until we have resolved the matter."

"What's happening to me?"

"It's interfering with your emotions—heightening them to an unnatural degree. Every desire is being enhanced—stoked like flames on a fire."

"Then why do I feel so weak?"

Amara sighed at my inquiry and pointed at my chest, "That would be because of this."

I didn't understand what she meant, not until after I had taken a look at my bare chest. There was a circular crimson mark right where my heart should be, alongside two diagonal lines forming a cross.

"What's this?" I asked, tracing my hands around the symbol.

"You were out of it when Tania and I carried you here. The dragon heart was siphoning your mana like crazy, and although no harm would've befallen you, I couldn't allow it to complete the metamorphosis. To stop that from happening, Tania devised a sealing rune, and I used my Blood Monarch to etch it directly into your heart. The seal uses your mana to power itself, which is why you're feeling so weak."

Hearing her words, I pulled up my Soul Record.

Name: Markus White

Race: Human [Awakened] (Dragon Heart: Compatibility at 95%)

Age: 19

Origin: Celestial Archive [Supreme???]

Level: 31 | XP: 77.53%

Rank: D

Attributes

Strength: 340Agility: 416Vitality: 463Intelligence: 610Perception: 309Spirit: 1170Free Stat Points: 60

Talents

[Summon - C][Talent Copy - N/A][Blood Monarch - SSS][Runic Empowerment - B][Spirit Call - D]

Summons (2/3)

[Amara - SSS]

Favorability: 53% (Romantic Interest)Power Sync: -83.28%

[Titania - A]

Favorability: 42% (Trusted Companion)Power Sync: -83.28%

My eyes widened at seeing how the compatibility had risen to 95%. I also noted my level at 31, thanks to which both Amara's and Tania's attributes had experienced a sudden rise.

"What's going to happen to me now?" I inquired.

Amara had removed her hand from my chest and was sitting beside me. She put on a ponderous expression at my question and said, "Not much, at least for the moment. We would have to figure out how to properly assist you in accommodating the dragon heart without it reducing you into a monster."

"Wait, it could've done that?!"

The vampire shrugged. "Well... You wouldn't have been given the choice at all, is what I'm saying. Basically, you would've gone full dragon, zero human."

I was speechless.

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