What do you consider to be true?" A gentle yet all-knowing voice echoed directly in Raymond's mind—the test had arrived.
"It's you, Twin Tails!"
Truth?
Raymond didn't hesitate; ever since he obtained the Luminous Stone, the answer had been intertwined with his every breath: "Every tremor, every setback, every laugh, every tear I've experienced are true imprints etched upon my soul—whether it was the brief illusion of my past life or this cruel yet magnificent adventure in this life.
I want to touch the sky of this Different World with my own wings—this is a true desire etched into my bones!
I want to prove that I, Raymond Targaryen, am a flesh-and-blood soul worthy of existing here—this is the truth tied to my dignity!
I long to live, to breathe every hot or cold breath of air, to feel every powerful beat of my heart—this is life's most primal cry to the world!
As for this Dragonkin companion before me, who has suffered so much yet still harbors kindness, I swear to devote all my strength, even if it only grants it one more breath—this is the truest desire of my heart at this moment!
And as for this scorched earth beneath my feet, bearing endless hatred and curses… I want to see it burst with life, to unlock the malevolent shackles entwining countless departed souls—this is both my ideal blueprint and the ultimate truth deep within my soul that I must fight for! I am willing to give everything for it, until my last ounce of strength is consumed!"
As soon as the words fell, the light dissipated like a receding tide.
Reshiram's majestic phantom also vanished with it.
"…Is this… not enough?!" The crimson glow of the lava lake returned to the surroundings, and the heavy weight of reality suddenly pressed down.
Raymond looked at the Luminous Stone fragment in his hand, its light re-internalized but its temperature still scorching, biting his lower lip in disappointment.
That immense sense of powerlessness struck again.
But in the next instant, a desperate resolve replaced the despondency!
"Who cares!" he almost growled, "A desperate disease must have a desperate remedy! This is the last hope!"
"Big guy—catch!"
He swung his arm with all his might!
The Luminous Stone fragment, like a meteor trailing a golden tail of light shot from the youth's palm, drew a dazzling arc in the air, full of decisive meaning!
The giant dragon instinctively reacted in an instant—its massive head lunged forward, accurately catching this spark of life and divine power with its teeth!
Immediately after, its throat rolled, and it swallowed it without hesitation!
Light burst forth!
The giant dragon's colossal body was like a platinum torch ignited!
An intensely pure white light, too strong to look at directly, erupted from every single one of its scales!
The eruption of this power was so vast and mighty that the entire volcano's magma lake seemed to be thoroughly boiled!
Huge waves of air roared and surged.
Raymond felt an irresistible force violently strike his chest, and he was lifted off the ground like a kite with a broken string, falling awkwardly into a pile of rubble not far away!
He struggled to lift his head from the ground, ignoring the dull pain in his chest from the impact, and eagerly looked towards the core of the light—the silver giant dragon, which had been on the verge of death, was now completely enveloped by an enormous, solid-looking pure white cocoon of light!
This light cocoon was so immense and dazzling, with surging sacred radiance pouring out, not only illuminating the inner wall of the volcano a pale white but even transforming half of the oppressive sky into a dreamlike pure white sacred realm!
The giant cocoon pulsed rhythmically like a living creature, rapidly contracting with each pulsation.
From its original massive size of over a hundred meters, it visibly compressed to about fifty meters high, becoming more condensed.
Raymond held his breath, gazing at the smooth, flowing surface of the cocoon shell—one after another, soft platinum-flowing ring marks slowly rotated, flickering on and off—the pattern of the marks was identical to the markings on Reshiram that had manifested in the divine miracle just now!
"Roar—!" "Howl—!" Bursts of dragon roars, splitting the clouds and cracking stones, began to emanate from within the cocoon, each sound wave impact causing the rock walls to hum and dust to fall.
Raymond covered his humming ears; although the pain contained within the sound was still discernible, it was clearly much less severe compared to the previous weak and powerless roars!
It sounded more like a cry during a transformation and reshaping!
Seeing this change, he suddenly understood: The Luminous Stone was only a fragment, not enough for Reshiram to manifest its true form for a long time.
Reshiram responded to him through the fragment!
It recognized his vow and was willing to lend its power to him—or rather, to this Dragonkin it had chosen or pitied!
It was its divine power intervening at this moment, creating a miracle!
"Thank you, Reshiram!" Raymond shouted with all his might towards the constantly pulsing cocoon of light, his chest brimming with inexpressible gratitude and hope.
Time lost its precise meaning in this light-illuminated volcano.
After an unknown period, the intensely surging light on the cocoon's surface finally began to soften and stabilize, as serene as the first light of dawn.
Raymond's hanging heart eased slightly; judging by this state, the giant dragon, currently undergoing a divine miracle, would clearly not emerge from the cocoon and awaken anytime soon.
He stood up, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the tranquil yet life-pulsating light cocoon and a nearby cave, unusually marked with artificial excavation, half-hidden in the shadows.
The cave entrance, like the eye socket of a giant beast, silently gazed at everything happening outside, exuding an indescribable mystery and an ancient call.
"It seems… it still needs some time…" Raymond whispered softly to the light cocoon, a glint of exploration flashing in his eyes, "That cave over there… seems to be drawing me in… The absurd thing is that I instinctively feel no danger! While I have this free time, why not go explore it first? Who knows… there might really be some unexpected 'surprise' hidden there."
Raymond walked towards the cave.
As he approached, he felt a powerful magical fluctuation.
His psychic power couldn't penetrate the cave; he could only walk in himself…