"Alright, don't be afraid. I was just joking," Lyserra said with a soft chuckle.
Merlin let out a sigh of relief. Then he remembered—contract spirits couldn't attack their masters—and felt ashamed for forgetting something so basic.
'This smelly dragon tricked me,' he muttered in annoyance.
Of course, Lyserra noticed his frustration and smiled in satisfaction. Merlin's arrogance earlier had irritated her, so teasing him now felt like payback.
Lyserra's massive body glowed with a bright red light. Merlin quickly shielded his face with both arms. The radiance lingered before finally fading away.
When he lowered his arms, he froze in shock. The enormous red dragon had transformed into an extraordinarily beautiful woman.
She was tall, with long red hair tied in a half-up side twist. Her face was flawless, as if carved by the hands of goddesses with meticulous care. Fresh chapters posted on novel~fire~net
Her pupils, a striking red, radiated coldness, indifference, and the authority of a being above all creatures.
A bright red gown draped her slender figure, yet her chest and hips were full and alluring.
Simply put, the woman before him was the most beautiful Merlin had ever seen. Even his mother, Livia, and Linda couldn't compare.
He was also certain that none of the heroines who would one day rise could ever rival her beauty.
Although he had never seen them in person, their detailed descriptions in data books and novels were still far inferior to Lyserra.
"Am I so beautiful that you can't take your eyes off me?"
Lyserra's mocking voice snapped Merlin out of his reverie. Embarrassed, he rubbed his nose and said, "Sorry, I was just a little stunned."
Who would have thought Lyserra's appearance could be so breathtaking and alluring?
He was sure that if other men were in his place, they would have reacted the same—perhaps even more strongly than he did.
"I didn't expect a boy like you to already have such thoughts," Lyserra sneered coldly.
Merlin pretended not to hear. Merlin Clay's body was only eight years old, but his soul belonged to an adult man. Naturally, he couldn't help but feel drawn to Lyserra's beauty.
"Anyway," Merlin said calmly, "let's head out now."
Lyserra gave a small nod, then suddenly furrowed her brows as she glanced down at her hands.
"I just remembered something." Her gaze shifted back to Merlin. "With your current power, I can't go out in my true form."
Merlin was taken aback. "Can't go out in your true form?"
"Yes," Lyserra replied, folding her arms across her chest. "You should know that a spirit's power depends on its master's strength. You're too weak, so it's impossible for me to appear in my true form outside."
Her words struck Merlin like a blow. It was true—spirits relied on their master's mana to manifest in the world.
Lyserra was the Primordial Chaos Dragon, a being so powerful that even the system couldn't detect her level. Her strength was beyond imagination.
"In that case, how much of your power can you use in the outside world?" Merlin asked carefully.
Since Lyserra had become his contract spirit, he naturally had to rely on her to face the enemies beyond.
After all, he was still weak and needed time to grow stronger if he wanted to change his fate.
Lyserra gave a faint smile. She raised her right forefinger, and Merlin immediately understood.
"No..." Lyserra shook her head softly. "One percent."
"How long until they wake up, Linda?"
Standing about two meters away from Merlin and Catrine, who were awakening their spirits, Livia looked at Linda with anxious eyes.
"Don't worry," Linda replied casually. "They'll wake up soon. I guarantee it."
Livia let out a sigh of relief and nodded slowly. "I trust you."
Linda was her friend, and there was no way she would lie. Even so, as a mother, Livia couldn't help but worry deeply about the two children she loved so much.
After all, she had gone through the process of spirit awakening herself, and it was far from easy. She had succeeded without any problems, but her siblings hadn't been so fortunate.
Some had fainted, and some were even injured. That was why she could only hope Catrine and Merlin would be fine.
Unlike Livia, who looked worried, Ardhis stayed calm and composed. To him, the spirit awakening process wasn't dangerous. Besides, he trusted his two children and was confident they would succeed in awakening their spirits safely.
Moments later, Catrine suddenly opened her round eyes. Her beautiful blue pupils shimmered faintly under the sunlight.
A bright, adorable smile lit up her chubby face as she stood and ran toward Livia, Linda, and Ardhis.
"Father, Mother, Aunt Linda—I did it!" Catrine cheered excitedly.
"Hahaha! Well done, my dear! As expected of my daughter—you're amazing!" Ardhis praised with a proud laugh.
He gently stroked the girl's hair with affection.
Livia was just as delighted. She pinched her daughter's chubby cheeks and asked with concern, "Nothing happened to you, right? You didn't feel any pain or anything like that?"
"M-mmm!" Catrine shook her little head. "There's no pain at all, Mother! The spirit I awakened didn't hurt me. On the contrary, she was very kind and agreed to make a contract with me right away."
"That's good..." Livia smiled in relief at her words.
She loved Catrine dearly and never wanted to see her in pain.
"By the way, Catrine," Linda asked curiously, "what spirit did you awaken?"
Both Livia and Ardhis turned their eyes to her with interest.
"It's an ice bird spirit!" Catrine replied excitedly. "Her name is Sylvia!"
With that, she lifted her small palms.
In an instant, the air around them turned cold. Snowflakes drifted down from the sky as a blue light gathered in Catrine's hands.
A few seconds later, a magnificent blue bird with a proud, commanding presence emerged, letting out a soul-stirring cry.
Linda's eyes widened in shock. "This... a five-star spirit!?"