I could feel it. My whole body, terrible, the dull ache in my ribs vanished. Replaced by an intense, chilling cold in my spine.

Everything around me darkened, but it was all part of the process — digesting. The blood gave me more power to adapt to it, since it was biological.

I staggered, supporting myself against the tree. My mana sputtered. At the edge of total exhaustion from the blood.

’Agh, hold yourself.’

I gritted my teeth.

Then,

[Adaptation complete]

Evolution skill unlocked.

Cosmic blood — healing properties.

Heir of Stars Mana Core: Triple Affinity. Unlocked.

The pain began to subside gradually, the chilling cold shifting into warmth. It worked. Sweat trailed down my neck, the risk paid off, the exhaustion from previously totally washed away.

I felt strengthened, my mana pulsed around me with intensity.

Triple affinity unlocked. I could use three magic simultaneously, with using innate magic, which restructures someone’s original affinity magic.

Wait... the previous assassin who attacked me used three techniques — this might just be the blood. The blood of the assassin.

Which also means the baroness might be innocent. If this blood belonged to a dragon I would have recognized it, but I don’t. But the one who guides the vaults — she has questions to answer. Though admitting that will drop my leverage on them.

This isn’t dragon’s blood either. I am far more valuable.

But still, my only way to increase my mana rank was with breeding — with a dragon, the first gene my soul adapted to.

I stretched, testing for pain, stiffness. There was none. I was whole.

Quickly, I had to meet up with Aria. So I tore into the forest, following the narrow walking path till I reached the end, without breaking a sweat.

I made my way out of the tree line, slowed down. The village looked empty. From the other parts, the stalls weren’t open, no kids outside. A few dragons flying around. It was empty.

I walked deeper into the isolated village passage. Many small wooden houses — the typical type you’d see in a small settlement, which kind of reminded me of my village.

Looking closer, I knew the village wasn’t empty. Laundry was dried in lines, some still dripping with water, the burning of wood. They were still in town.

I had also learnt earlier from Aria that this village was under the Heart House, and I’d never heard any bad report about the village.

Looking for Aria, I ended up just around a corner. There were people gathered in front of a house — dragons, farmers, merchants, old and young, gathered at the door.

On the inside I could sense Aria’s mana signature.

’There she is.’

I walked to the crowd. The people soon took notice of me, stepping out of my way. Was it the bloody wrecked look, or my mana, which now contained something darker. I didn’t care.

"You really went through the stress of walking here when we could have arrived faster with me," Aria said, stepping into the building.

I met Aria — she was seated on a wooden chair. Opposite her was an old dragon with green hair, braided with strings of grey mixed in.

"I had something to take care of."

My eyes then landed on the body of the assassin — who we later found out was just possessed — laid on a bed, eyes shut still. Another dragon, a woman this time, hands over him, casting a radiant light as she healed him.

"So you guys know who he is?"

"Yes, we do," the old man spoke, with a strong grip on his cane. "This man is a member of the village. His name is Joe. The only human in our midst. We were at first skeptical about him, but his kindness helped many people in the village till—"

I grabbed a chair, getting seated directly opposite them. "Then what happened?"

"One night, a mysterious visitor walked into our village requesting a place to stay."

"What happened next?"

"Joe, being a kind person, offered him his apartment to stay. And that’s where it all started. The next morning, the visitor had disappeared and Joe began acting different — feral to everyone in the village. It got so worse. He declared no one should come out of their houses when he’s around or he’d kill whoever disobeyed, badly beating up one of our young villagers."

"This person — did you guys see their face? What did they look like?"

"Their face was hidden under their hood, but they were certainly a dragon — our distinctive features were present on them. I could only glimpse their hair. It was sort of orange."

I exchanged a glance with Aria.

’Copper.’

The man was talking about the same person who had tried to assassinate me in the mansion. Copper hair. Vanished without a trace. This had to be her. I needed more — to find her connection to the house.

"Do you know what route the stranger used to arrive at the village?"

The old man nodded. "I remember. They came from the east."

"East?" Aria’s ears perked.

East was exactly where the estate was located. So they were coming from our direction — likely the estate.

"What date, if you could remember — when did the incident happen? What day did the stranger arrive?"

The old man thought about it for a minute or so. Aria then cut in. "You don’t have to remember the particular date."

"Then I’ll say last week."

I was also attacked last week. Now it was confirmed — we had a trail on the assassin. But where she was heading from here, I couldn’t tell.

’This is harder than I thought.’

I sat upright, looking up at the hatch room ceiling. I need a plan.

"Aria," I sighed, "we’re leaving."

I stood up, exiting the building while Aria followed. I paused at the threshold.

"That man isn’t an evil person. Don’t treat him like one. Whatever he had done to you guys, it wasn’t out of will. He was punished for his own kindness. I hope you know that?"

The old man inclined his head. "Of course I do. But more importantly — thank you for saving him. What should I call you?"

Before I could reply, Aria stepped in. "Lord Amor of the Heart House."

The house gasped. Everyone was murmuring between themselves.

As expected. Even in a strange world, no one will feel good being under the leadership of someone not from their own race.

’That’s what I thought.’

The old man’s eyes lit up. "Thank you for blessing us with your presence, Amor."

Then everyone around lowered their heads, bowing to me.