I Received System to Become Dragonborn-Chapter 985: Light Mood

Erend stepped through the portal and emerged back into his own world.

The familiar walls of his quarters in the project facility greeted him, still brightly lit and silent.

His mind was still a battlefield of heavy thoughts. Images of the events that Krono, the Time Dragon said and the shadowy entity, and the expedition that Eccar right now do with Krono.

But fortunately he also saw the quiet resolve in Adrius’s eyes.

But he didn’t want to dwell on it tonight.

He took out his clothes and changed to a comfortable one then sat on the edge of his bed for a moment, then let himself fall back into the mattress.

Sleep claimed him quickly, though it was far from peaceful.

— 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Morning came without ceremony. The blaring tone of the facility’s wake-up signal echoed through the halls, pulling everyone into the start of another grueling day.

Erend joined the morning routine exercise with the candidates who were still able to move after yesterday’s Phase Two trials.

Some of the soldiers were absent, confined to their quarters, still recovering from the physical and Magical strain.

The guards and staff were already in position to joining the exercises.

A few staff members greeted him respectfully as he passed. Erend gave them a small smile, answering casually, trying to put them at ease.

But no matter how light his tone, there was something about him like an unconscious and overwhelming presence that made people keep a certain distance.

He didn’t notice it, but the air around him carried the weight of someone who had faced gods. The others just felt it but cannot explain it.

The exercises went as planned. Movements were sharp, breaths came heavy, and the cold morning air bit at every exposed inch of skin.

When the drills ended, the group filed back inside the facility, splitting off to their assigned duties.

Erend returned to his quarters for a quick bath, steam rising from the water as he tried to wash away the fatigue still clinging to him.

Refreshed, he dressed and made his way to the room he shared with Adrien, Billy, and Jessica.

Erend pushed the door open, the faint creak blending with the hum of the facility’s ventilation.

He stepped inside first, the familiar scent of coffee and paper lingering in the air. He made one for himself.

On the central desk, a stack of reports awaited. He moved to them immediately and flipped through each file one by one.

Names, notes, and observations filled the pages, each line telling the story of a candidate’s progress, or lack thereof.

When he reached Marcus Vollen’s file, his eyes lingered for a moment at the listed affinity before moving on.

One by one, Adrien, Billy, and Jessica entered a few minutes late. The door clicked shut behind them and the soft scrape of chairs followed as they each took their seats.

Coffee was poured, its warmth and bitter aroma filling the small room.

Once everyone was settled with their own coffee in hand, Erend set the last file down.

"I had a meeting with Adrius last night," he began.

Billy and Adrien exchanged a glance. Both knew exactly who Adrius was. Memories of a mission long past flashing in their minds.

Billy leaned back slightly, his tone casual but edged with curiosity. "Is that old man doing okay?"

Erend nodded once. "Yeah. Pretty okay."

"Who is that?" Jessica, who had no idea what they were talking about, asked with a curious frown.

"Just an old acquaintance of ours. He is a great Magic user from another world," Billy said with a smile.

"Oh." Jessica can only say that then nodded. She decided to just listen.

Erend then leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table, and began recounting the conversation.

He spoke of the quiet tea-scented room, about Adrius who listened intently and of the weight in the air when he talked about the problem and the disaster that would happen.

He described the shock on Adrius’s face, his apprentice named Lysander’s disbelief, and the eventual resolve they had both shown.

He told them about the warning, about the hidden entity capable of bending even a Dragonborn to its will, and about Adrius’s agreement to prepare his kingdom for the storm to come and also about the basic Magic manual that he will be giving in two days.

The room grew quieter as he spoke, the steady hum of the lights seeming louder in the pauses between his words.

Adrien sat back, absorbing every detail, his brow furrowed and nodding in approval. Billy’s gaze had hardened, a quiet tension settling over him.

Jessica was still silent and glanced between them, reading the gravity in their expressions.

"That’s good. At least now we have confirmation from Adrius. All we need to do is wait," Adrien said, broke the silence first, his voice steady.

Billy leaned back in his chair, giving a short nod. "Yeah... and maybe Captain and I should read that manual too. It could help us understand things better."

Adrien gave him a small smirk. "I agree. It wouldn’t hurt to sharpen what we already know."

Across the table, Jessica’s eyes shifted between them, her lips pressing into a thin line.

She understood the words, but not the weight behind them. Every time these three spoke about the other world, there was a shared familiarity she couldn’t touch.

They had histories like missions, battles, and connections to people like Adrius that sounded almost mythical. And she was just sitting on the edge of it all, piecing fragments together.

Billy caught the flicker of confusion on her face. He set his coffee down, leaning slightly forward.

"You look confused, Major," Billy said.

Jessica gave a faint helpless smile. "Kind of hard not to. You three talk like this is all normal, but for me... it’s like hearing about another life."

Billy’s grin softened into something warmer. "Then I’ll tell you the whole story later."

Her eyes lit up with genuine interest. "I’d like that, Sergeant."

"Good," Billy said with a chuckle, lifting his coffee again. "But fair warning it’s a long story."

Jessica gave a small laugh. "I think I can handle it."

Billy smiled.

The mood in the room eased slightly.

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