Bonus chapter thanks to @Vikent Woon and @Joe Smith on Ko-fi!
Merlin squinted at me with one eye.
Then, his face softened back to a kind expression.
[How fascinating. How do you know my name…]
"Because I've heard a lot about you."
The legend of King Arthur is also a famous tale within this game. Of course, there are minor changes to various place names.
[Then, we can communicate.]
Merlin extended a hand forward. Following his gesture, branches stretched out long in front of me, blocking my path.
Selena and I silently watched this scene for a moment. Selena, standing next to me, let out a sound of admiration.
Indeed, it was a remarkable sight. The trees and the ground, everything within this forest seemed to move at Merlin's beck and call.
"I didn't particularly come to harm you."
At my words, the hesitating branches stopped moving.
[You mean you will not harm me?]
"Exactly as I said. I didn't come to meet Mr. Merlin."
[Then, where do you intend to go?]
Merlin's expression hardened.
My primary destination is the lake. Although I naturally expected to encounter Merlin before that, if he would step aside, there would be no need to fight.
However, judging by Merlin's expression, he seemed to prefer the idea of a fight.
It seemed unlikely that we would part on good terms.
[My mind has changed.]
[You must be killed here. You know of the lake's existence; I cannot let you live.]
Even his threat of murder is polite.
The surrounding branches stretched and cracked like they were stretching their limbs. The thick branches split, and the slender ones shed their bark, sharpening their tips.
The branches had become bars, and their numbers had grown beyond count.
"Can you block all of these?"
"That's not possible."
I placed my hand on the cloth covering Cassian's back.
"Cassian, I'm sorry. It's going to be a bit cold."
Cassian had no reaction to my words. Well, I guess that means it's okay. Let's believe that.
I asked Merlin one last time for confirmation.
[Of course. It's your loose tongue you should blame.]
So that's how it is. Maybe my mouth is the problem.
But it can't be helped. I had to go to the lake.
And more than anything, I was secretly hoping for it.
"Good. I have something I wanted to test as well."
I unwrapped Penelope's fabric from behind Cassian's back.
And then I raised my left hand.
A crystal shaped like a thin rod bent into a triangle.
The Dragonheart I wove to confront Renzo. I’m weaving the thing that had led me to death again.
Without hesitation, I swallowed the Dragonheart and said,
Merlin, feeling some unease, shot branches at me. He's quick to react. No, maybe a bit late in this case.
Void Weaving, Simultaneous Replication
I surrounded myself with shields in the air to block them.
I felt the mana boiling inside me all this time. It was the effect of the Dragonheart.
The Dragonheart explosively grows mana.
However, a Dragonheart made through weaving is naturally fake, not possessing as much mana as its effect would imply.
Therefore, eating it grows mana, but at the same time, it consumes my body. Bones, blood, and viscera become fuel, converted into mana.
But what if there's another target?
Without having to sacrifice my body, if there's another 'dummy' that could be the offering for the Dragonheart.
I checked Penelope's fabric.
The end of the fabric emitted light and slowly shrank. The target being consumed due to the Dragonheart changed from me to Penelope's fabric.
Now I could use the Dragonheart without any burden.
At least, until Penelope's fabric is completely gone.
Merlin's complexion changed. It seemed he now saw me as a potential threat.
After consuming the Dragonheart, my voice always changes a bit. It feels like an earthquake is coursing through my body.
But that's not a meaningful impact.
Once again, I grasped the weapon of a god in my hand.
It was a weapon that had given Renzo, a man among the strongest, a hard time.
I wonder how it would fare against a legendary figure.
I threw Mjölnir with all my strength,
And gave up when I saw nobody was there.
Selena, standing next to me, said.
"Yes. As soon as you pulled out that hammer."
I glanced around the forest and then canceled Mjölnir's weaving. Not using mana stopped the disintegration of Penelope's fabric.
Penelope's fabric has a feature called 'Shape Regression.' No matter what is done to it, it returns to its original form. Literally, no matter what.
Even if I completely convert it into mana, this fabric will eventually return to its original state.
'The problem is it takes about a day to return if it's completely depleted.'
Penelope's fabric only makes the use of Dragonheart possible, not freely usable.
Dragonheart can be used once a day. I'll keep that in mind.