Yu Jin looked at the Dark Ring on Durin's body and nodded in satisfaction. This was his first time tattooing someone, and he didn't expect it to go so smoothly.
The Dark Ring — the mark on the cursed Undead.
Those who bear this Dark Ring will revive even after death, and sooner or later, they will turn into Hollows without will.
That's why they were driven out of their homeland.
This is a mark unique to humans; when the flame dwindles, humanity will flow out of it.
However, Durin is still just a soul. Who says he's not human?
The Dark Ring is like a huge void in life; everything that makes one human will flow out of this void.
Presumably, with this, the resentment and other things within Durin's body will flow out through this void, preventing them from accumulating in his mind and driving him mad.
"Quick, quick! One more time!" Yu Jin dragged the listless Durin to Alex and Bayeta, saying impatiently.
"Again... try again?" Alex looked at the somewhat weak Durin, feeling some apprehension.
But soon, he cast these worries aside — he himself didn't know how many times he had died researching those dark objects.
Even if Durin really 'kicked the bucket,' Alex felt Yu Jin could bring him back.
"Huh? Brother Yu Jin, again...?" Durin, who was lying on the ground nearby, heard Yu Jin's words and immediately felt like crying without tears.
His head was about to explode now; if he had to do it again, Durin felt he would 'kick the bucket.'
"With me here, what are you afraid of? I'm not your mother who only gives birth but doesn't raise you. With me here, you can rest assured." Yu Jin clanged his chest plate loudly.
"Mom must have had her reasons..." Durin argued a few times, somewhat lacking confidence. Although his impression of Rhinedottir was only a few whispers he vaguely heard.
"Yes, yes, your mom is the best." Yu Jin nodded in agreement. What kind of mama's boy? Every sentence is about his mom.
However, in terms of mental maturity, Durin still seemed to be just a child. Case closed, Durin isn't a mama's boy, but a child starved of love.
"That's not it, Brother Yu Jin is much more amazing than Mom." Durin shook his head; he was very honest, which was one of his strengths.
"You know I'm amazing, yet you don't trust me? Do you really think your small body can withstand five tortures?"
As Yu Jin spoke, he shoved Durin into the consciousness transfer container nearby.
Speaking of which, human wisdom is truly remarkable; they can transfer a soul with a pile of metal, it's very impressive.
However, Yu Jin had no intention of learning. Are you kidding? In his past life, he had already finished all the learning he needed for a lifetime.
Now, if he had to learn, he'd rather fight.
"Alright, let's begin!" Yu Jin 'clanged' the glass door of the container shut, clapped his hands, and said to Alex.
"O-okay!" Alex was stunned to see Yu Jin so smoothly toss Durin into the consciousness transfer device, then he started the machine.
After a slight hum, the mountain-like dragon's body before everyone's eyes began to undulate again.
Along with it came Durin's painful groans.
"Bear with it for a moment." Yu Jin extended his hand, and wisps of flames drifted from his hand, merging into the dim, Dark Ring on Durin's chest.
Upon Durin's pitch-black body, a faintly Burning ring gradually appeared.
Within the Burning border was an eternity of darkness. Its blackness was extremely conspicuous, even on Durin's flowing, dark body.
That was absolute darkness, without any ripples, nothing but dead silence.
Durin suddenly felt something new on his body; a bottomless black hole had appeared.
The madness, resentment... those consciousnesses that filled his mind, like a flood with opened gates, all surged towards that black hole.
The pain gradually dissipated, and for the first time, Durin truly felt every bit of this new body.
It was a very hollow feeling; Durin felt like he was controlling a giant shell.
This body could tear open the earth and soar through the high heavens. Yet Durin felt it was very fake, as if a single prick with a needle would make this body explode like a balloon.
However, Durin was in no mood to care about these things. Because once the madness in his mind had completely drained away, what would drain next was Durin himself.
A suction force came from his chest, and everything about Durin became somewhat blurry. He felt like he was falling asleep, and what he saw before his eyes were boundless light and shadow.
"My child, proudly display your beauty!" A gentle female voice echoed in Durin's ears. That was Durin's deepest memory of his mother.
Durin suddenly opened his eyes; Rhinedottir's voice awakened his survival instinct. Durin didn't want to die, so he struggled with all his might against the all-consuming suction.
"Help me..., someone save me..."
"I don't want to die..."
"Dragon..., damn dragon..., I won't let you off even if I die!"
...The 'poems' of the past, Durin finally understood them now. They were wails, pain, and curses directed at him.
Durin now wanted to die again; he gave up resisting, letting the black hole in his chest devour everything.
"Hmm?" Yu Jin felt he had gained weight again; he looked up at Durin's dark body.
The glossy black oily skin became dull and rough. Not only that, Durin's body also began to shrivel and indent inwards.
This was a sign of humanity completely draining away, on the verge of turning into a living corpse.
"Tsk, what's with always trying to escape?" Yu Jin shook his head, and a more violent flame surged from within his body towards the Dark Ring.
Flames suddenly flared, and the Bursting fire even corroded the eternity of darkness. The darkness of lost humanity can only be suppressed by fire.
Durin was no longer blurry; he was clearer now than ever before. So clear that he understood the meaning of 'joyful songs' and 'merry dances.'
"Ugh..."
It was hard to imagine such a large dragon crying. And it was a strange thing that Durin's ghost-like body could cry.
"Stop crying, kid. Feel what's inside you." Yu Jin kicked Durin, reminding him.
"Ugh..., inside me..., there can be..." Durin's sobbing suddenly stopped.
His body was still hollow, but within this hollowness, a trace of pure white had appeared. Durin looked closely; it was a phantom.
A small, somewhat bewildered phantom, whose face was unclear and could disappear at any moment.
The phantom seemed to have only taken a form; as for anything else, there was nothing.
It was looking around, as if very curious about this vast, pitch-black space.
As for why it would be curious about darkness, perhaps it was because it knew nothing.
In the pitch black, two huge red lights shone forth — those were Durin's giant red eyes.
The immensely oppressive dark dragon head flickered in and out of view in the red glow, making Durin appear even more ferocious.
However, that pure white phantom showed no fear; it even stretched out its equally ethereal arm and touched Durin's nose.
The silhouette-like arm touched Durin's dark, flowing skin, passing directly through it.
The phantom withdrew its arm and looked at its palm in surprise, as if it was also curious about not being able to touch Durin.
Durin felt nothing; he looked at the phantom before him, and a sudden surge of timidity and shame welled up in his heart.
He suddenly pulled his head back, joy, confusion, shock... a myriad of complex feelings intertwined in Durin's heart, and he spoke somewhat incoherently:
"Brother Yu Jin, what... what is that?"
"What is that?" Yu Jin stroked his chin, looking at the Dark Ring on Durin's chest and smiling:
"That is the deceased, redeemed by your lost humanity."
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