OP Sister Chapter 525: Dragon Heart

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“Damn, I was starving, so this is perfect. I love meat,” Kevin said, swallowing eagerly. “You also made rice and baked potatoes with cheese? No way! Thank you, Anna!”

“Hmm, this isn’t ordinary rice. It looks delicious, and you made it fried? With meat chunks and shrimp too? Oh, it has glistening white onions and other ingredients I’ve never seen before. These aren’t normal vegetables, are they?” Henrietta asked.

“I have a small orchard behind this palace where special vegetables grow year-round,” I replied. “It requires minimal care too.”

“You’re practically set for life here,” Henrietta exclaimed. “I envy you, Anna! I wish I had my own portable manor. You should’ve mentioned this earlier. We wouldn’t have bothered with tents and camping.”

“Nah, I think camping outside has its charm. Despite the apocalypse, the world out there is still beautiful in its own way,” I said. “Even in a scorching desert, nature is nature, and I appreciate all its shapes and forms.”

“Spoken like a true nature lover. Let’s dig in!” Kevin said.

“Yeah! Can’t wait! Yummyyyyyy!” Annabelle cheered.

“Wait, calm down! Don’t eat too much at once, Annabelle, or you’ll choke,” I warned, noticing her starting to cough.

As everyone sat down to eat, I decided to try the food. Annabelle, thankfully, ate more slowly this time. She had worried me quite a bit.

“Hmm!”

I gasped. The dragon heart steak was delectable. The seasonings, mostly left by my adoptive mother in the kitchen, paired wonderfully with it.

From Golden Leaf Oregano to Demonic Onion Powder, they added a delightful flavor, aroma, and spiciness.

Of course, this meat was tainted with deadly Miasma and other poisonous elements, but Holy Magic purified it, making it safe and delicious.

“This meat is fantastic! It’s so tender, flavorful, and juicy. I can’t stop eating, Anna,” Henrietta laughed. “You’re killing me with this! Are you actually a better cook than me? You should share your recipes!”

“Ahaha, maybe,” I nodded, not mentioning that a clone had done the cooking, not me. I felt guilty about lying, though. “Maybe another time, heh.”

“The rice is great too,” Jack said, munching happily despite his serious expression. His cheeks, stuffed with food, gave him a cute appearance. “The noodles are flavorful too. This sauce, is it soy sauce?”

“Something like that. It’s a blend of various sauces,” I replied. “I lightly fried the noodles in the sauce for a unique flavor. I also added the draconic beast’s blood, especially from the Kamikaze Beasts, which, once purified, lost its explosive properties and became slightly spicy and sweet.”

“It’s amazing how you turn these things into food. They looked disgusting before,” Kevin said. “But I can’t imagine that when eating this. It’s so flavorful.”

“There’s more where that came from,” I said, bringing out several more bowls of meat. “We need to eat all this today to properly adapt to the Draconic Mana. Good thing we’re all hungry.”

As we ate, my Familiars consumed a mix of purified raw carcasses and cooked food. Despite being beasts, they’d developed a refined palate and enjoyed strong flavors. I limited their portions, though, to prevent them from demanding only this food.

After an hour of nonstop eating, we finished everything I’d cooked, and we were exhausted.

“I’ve never eaten so much in my life. My stomach’s going to explode. It hurts,” Baihe groaned, rubbing her belly.

“Calm down, it’s okay,” I said. “You’ll get used to eating these quantities eventually. As we grow stronger, we need more food to restore stamina and mana and to grow by absorbing enemies’ properties. Start training your stomach early.” I patted her shoulders, healing her pain to make her feel better.

“Phew! This is the most I’ve ever eaten, but it was amazing,” Hilda said. “We were missing a beer, though. Still, it was wonderful.”

“I think I need to rest a bit more. Sorry,” Henrietta sighed. “Anna, do you have a bed? I might need a nap.”

“Yes, there are rooms for everyone,” I said. “Go ahead and take a nap. We can afford an hour or two. You’ll need time to assimilate the Draconic Mana you absorbed. You might even get a Bloodline or a piece of it.”

“Bloodline?” Kevin asked. “What’s that?”

“It’s as you imagine. Consuming the blood and flesh of powerful beings from strong lineages can help you inherit a Bloodline Strand, which may develop into a full Bloodline with more consumption,” I explained. “Vulcanus said these monsters were made from his own flesh and blood, so we’re technically eating him.”

“What? Did that idiot never think of that?” Hilda laughed.

“He probably didn’t expect anyone to invade his lair, kill his monsters, and eat them,” Jack said. “But this power, I can feel it within me. Fenrir ate a few corpses too, and I feel the power immediately. I’ll need an hour or two of meditation to assimilate it properly.”

“Go ahead,” I nodded. “I’ll call you in two hours so we can continue.”

Hilda, Henrietta, Kevin, and my brother went to rest in different rooms, but Annabelle and Baihe stayed with me, saying they didn’t want to leave me alone.

“You two are too sweet, but there’s no need. Go rest, you need it,” I said.

“Nah, I’m good! I’ve eaten bigger things,” Annabelle smiled. “It was amazing! I feel power swelling within me.”

“Me too,” Baihe said. “The Dragon Skills we got are growing stronger too. This is great.”

“Geez, at least come sit with me over there,” I said, directing them to the couch on the terrace so we could enjoy the view together.

As both girls sat beside me, I taught them to meditate and control their internal energies more effectively, enveloping their bodies with my Myriad Self Aura and sending small waves of my aura into their Meridians to speed up energy flow.

“This is kind of weird,” Annabelle groaned. “Uugh!”

“Is this the Draconic Mana?” Baihe asked. “What is it, anyway?”

“It’s a unique type of Mana created by Dragons,” I explained. “I don’t know everything, but I believe it’s refined using their power. Just as Ice, Fire, and Wood are Elements that Mana can be refined into, like Fire Mana, Ice Mana, and Wood Mana, Dragons are similar. They’re beings of immense power, able to imprint Mana with their essence. The stronger they are, the more oppressive and potent this Mana becomes, capable of killing weaker beings just by being near it.”

“Wow, I barely understood that,” Annabelle giggled. “But now something’s tickling me inside, heheh!”

“Me too,” Baihe said, trying not to laugh. “What’s going on now, Anna?”

“Don’t worry, it’s working,” I nodded.

I felt it too. The Draconic Mana flowing through me gathered near my Heart, imbuing it with great power.

I couldn’t let my Physique, Spiritual Body, or Martial Core absorb this power or evolve, as they were locked, each requiring specific materials to progress further.

[To Further Evolve your Spiritual Body, you must fulfill Special Conditions and Absorb Special Materials.]

[Special Conditions]:

[Create a Contract With a Spirit]: [0/1]

[Spirit-type SSS Rank Materials]: [0/5]

[To Further Evolve your Immortal Physique, you must fulfill Special Conditions and Absorb Special Materials.]

[Special Conditions]:

[Gather the Essence of a True Star]: [0/1,000]

[Astral Dust Powder]: [0/3]

[To Further Evolve your Immortal Martial Core, you must fulfill Special Conditions and Absorb Special Materials.]

[Special Conditions]:

[Gather the Essence of True Dark Matter]: [0/1,000]

[Black Matter Bubble]: [0/3]

I have yet to obtain these, but I’ll start collecting soon, after dealing with Vulcanus and my brother’s Dungeon.

Hopefully, we can find some here. I remember my brother collecting a few in the novel, so I know where they might appear.

Since these couldn’t be addressed now, I channeled the Draconic Mana, aside from letting it flow through my body, into my chest and decided to crystallize it separately from everything else.

My real heart had merged with Sepa and was now a large crystal. It still beat like a normal heart, though, which is odd the more you think about it.

What matters is where I placed the Draconic Mana. My plan was simple. Using Ki to weave it together, I created a second heart.

Yes, a second heart. My Heart of Hope and Love was already fused with my Cosmic Heart, and I didn’t want to overload it with another element yet.

Thus, the best choice was to create a second heart, which would give me more energy and make me even more energetic.

However, I’d need to consume double the calories, which isn’t really a drawback for me. I can handle that easily.

More importantly...

FLUOSH!

I saw them: two glowing, fiery red eyes.

Is this what I think it is?

A Bloodline Strand?

Or is it not?

...

Silence. There were no more reactions.

Okay then.

Maybe it was or wasn’t. I’ll find out by eating more of these.

Hopefully, we can have a Vulcanus barbecue later. The real deal will surely be tastier.

But there it was.

BA DUM!

BA DUM!

BA DUM!

Hello, little one. You’re beating fast. Good.

My new Dragon Heart was formed.

How? How did I create something like this with no prior knowledge or experience?

How was I able to do this without being taught?

Simple. I experimented until it worked.

I also used the same principle as crystallizing Martial Cores.

By combining it with my Ki, I made the Draconic Mana harden, but not completely.

Instead, I separated it into strands, forming strong muscle to pump blood throughout.

Yes, it took the shape of a heart.

My heart.

BA DUM!

BA DUM!

BA DUM!

Each beat sent power flowing through me again.

Ding!

[Congratulations! You have condensed Draconic Mana in your chest, combining it with your Internal Ki to create an Artificial Second Heart: {Ethereal Dragon Heart}!]

[Dragon Hearts require Draconic Mana and Dragon Materials to function and grow stronger.]

[Your Dragon Heart has started at the lowest Rank, Rank 1.]

[All your Physical Stats have increased by +2,500!]

[You learned the Skill: [Ethereal Dragon Heart (B): Lv1]!]

[As your Dragon Heart progresses, so will this Skill, further imbuing it with new powers and abilities.]

[Draconic Mana is now being produced by your body.]

[Your Mana Stat has increased by +10,000!]

It worked out nicely in the end.

One heart, one skill. I couldn’t have asked for more, honestly.

Now, I could probably absorb more Monster Cores while I’m at it.

I also have a pile of items and treasures from the trial in my inventory, I’m well aware.

But I’m fairly sure none of them could help with the Draconic Mana.

Since I did the whole Mass Gathering, I collected all the materials and, using various Skills, separated them from their bodies and even compressed or fused them into individual crystals for easy use or utility.

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