The golden cloud hung motionless, a deceptively peaceful fog. Draven, however, felt no such peace. This was the life essence of a godly beast, and as the orange-haired monkey had warned, a single misstep could allow its will to overwhelm his inner world.
After fortifying his connection to the three-headed god statue within him, he cautiously extended a thread of his will to brush against the golden cloud.
A mighty force instantly repelled him. The cloud swirled and coalesced, reforming into the shape of the orange-furred monkey. But this incarnation was different; it radiated a divine pressure, its eyes shining with a piercing light that sent a shiver down Draven's spine.
The creature threw its head back and let out a long, deafening howl. Its godly might erupted, ripping through Draven's inner world and making it tremble violently. Spider-web cracks spread through the space around Draven, glinting like broken glass, threatening to shatter completely at any moment.
Bang!
Before the monkey could howl again, the three-headed lion statue materialized behind it. With a single, decisive motion, one of its hands pinned the monkey's head down. Red lightning crackled across the statue's copper-like body, and the monkey instantly exploded back into a golden fog.
This mist then swirled and condensed, forming a circular runic symbol. At its center was an ancient, primordial character, set against the illusionary image of a monkey.
The three-headed statue vanished, reappearing in its habitual place above the red sun, sitting cross-legged and immobile once more.
Draven hadn't commanded it to do so, the statue had acted on its own will. He had long known this statue possessed a will of its own, unlike the other god statues formed from chaos god transformation scripture.
But it had a 'do not disturb me' type of personality. Even when Draven borrowed its power, It remained asleep, but if provoked, as the monkey had done, it would act of its own accord. At that time even Draven would not be able to stop it.
Putting the statue from his mind, Draven focused on the new golden rune now floating serenely in his inner world.
"Papa, is that an ancient rune character?" Little Su's confused voice echoed in his thoughts.
Draven shook his head. "It is a primordial character. Such things are not written by any hand; they manifest in the universe on their own. As far as I know, this one is tied to the primordial god of healing. It is read as 'Dhraum'."
The moment the word "Dhraum" left his lips, the golden rune pulsed with a soft light. Simultaneously, Draven felt a strange sensation wash over his physical body.
He opened his eyes to find the wounds from his recent battle knitting themselves together, the skin smoothing over as if they had never existed. Even old scars faded away without a trace.
Returning his consciousness inward, he saw the golden rune still glowing with a gentle pulse, but he also noticed the light within his darkness core had dimmed slightly. The rune was drawing essence energy from the core to fuel its healing. The violent cracks that had scarred his inner world were now also completely gone.
He also gained an intuitive understanding: by chanting the primordial sound, he could actively control the rate of healing. Without the chant, the passive regeneration would be far less potent.
Opening his eyes once more, Draven waved his hand, and the three hundred and sixty needles flew from the ground back into the pouch at his belt.
"This explains why that monkey didn't die even after its head was cut off," he muttered to himself with a sigh.
Little Su materialized in her miniature dragon form beside him and nodded. "It seems if Papa could collect the life essence of other godly beasts, we might be able to get more abilities like this."
Draven shook his head. "He died because he underestimated me and had too much faith in his own healing power. Otherwise, it wouldn't have ended so easily. Besides, I can't sustain the power of the three heads for long."
He stood up and began walking towards his mountain peak. "I've tried to sense my quiver; it's not here. Let's go back and eat something. I'm starving after all that fighting."
Little Su looked at Draven, who was covered in dried blood from head to toe. "Papa also needs a bath," she commented. "Little Su will go and bring new clothes for you."
With that, she flapped her wings and vanished in a streak of purple light.
Draven continued on to a mountain lake a short distance away and waded in. The cool, flowing water washed over him, carrying away the bloodstains and revealing a lean, muscular body beneath, even if the skin was wrinkled with age.
On his left bicep, a tattoo of a snake-like black dragon with obsidian scales coiled around his arm. On his left chest, a saber-toothed tiger with bat-like wings was captured in a battle stance, roaring soundlessly at the sky. The wrinkles made the tattoos seem slightly out of place, yet they retained a certain elegant charm.
Draven combed his shoulder-length white hair back with his fingers and floated on his back for a while, letting the water soothe him.
"Papa, I got your clothes. Let's go eat something, Su is hungry." Little Su's voice called out. He turned to see her standing on the bank in her human form, holding a fresh set of clothes.
Draven swam to shore and emerged from the water. After drying himself with the towel she offered, he changed into the clean cyan shirt and short beach pants. With his white beard and hair, he now looked like an elderly tourist who had come to the mountains for sightseeing.
"Let's go," Draven said as they walked into the forest. "Papa will make you barbecue today. A stupid bear has been growling in the middle of the night constantly; we'll eat it to make up for our lost sleep."
A few hours later, on the mountain peak, a large bear was roasting over a crackling fire on a wooden spit. Little Su flew around the sizzling meat, occasionally sprinkling salt and wild fruit juice onto it for flavor. Draven tended the flames, steadily rotating the meat with the handle to ensure it cooked evenly.
"Papa, are we going to wake up those seniors this time when we go to break the seal?" Little Su asked suddenly.
Draven shook his head. "They are useless in this situation. Whether the seal breaks or not depends entirely on me."
Little Su transformed back into her human form and said in a low voice, "To be honest, I really want to leave this place now. With just the two of us, it's not as fun as when all the villagers were around."
Draven reached over and patted her head with a gentle smile. "Don't worry. I have at least ninety percent confidence that I will break it this time. Then we will go to a small city and settle down. It will be just like our village was, lively and peaceful."