5: Vanished

THE next morning, Nesca rushed to move out the cabin after drinking her morning tea.

Agni was wondering as she observed her swift movement. "Princess, where are you going? You can't be moving around too much. It's merely a miracle you managed to survive last night."

"I need to return to the cave, Agni. I have a lot of questions in mind that only that dragon can answer.

"A what? Dragon? You've seen a dragon last night?" Agni looked horrified.

"Don't overreact. It's wounded, I just want to check on it."

"Looks like you're unstoppable, let me come with you. I want to see a dragon, too." Agni stopped chopping the vegetables and grabbed her cloak.

"All right, let's go!"

 The journey back to the cave was slower because Agni kept blabbering about the danger. When they finally reached the entrance, Nesca's heart began to race.

She expected to see the massive black dragon lying inside. However, the cave was empty. The faint scent of blood remained, and claw marks covered the clay ground, but the creature was gone.

Nesca stepped deeper inside. "Mr. Dragon? Where are you?"

Her voice echoed. But there was no response.

"Arkhael?" Nesca called out again as she searched every corner of the cave.

But no creature on sight. 

"Arkhael!"

Agni stood behind her nervously. "Princess, are you sure there was a dragon here?"

"Of course! Do I look like I'm lying?"

Agni scanned the surroundings. "Maybe it left."

"It was badly injured. It should not have been able to move or even fly. Maybe the herbs was truly magical that it healed it right away." Nesca halted from walking when she noticed something on the ground.

An onyx-colored dragon's scale that glinted when the light touches it

"Look, Agni!" She carefully picked it up. The moment her fingers touched it, a powerful energy surged through her body.

The system immediately reacted.

[Unknown dragon essence detected.]

[Warning: Host has encountered a rare material.]

Nesca stared at the scale. "How rare?"

[Analysis complete.]

[Primordial Dragon Scale can be used as a shield.]

[Put in on inventory. YES/NO.]

"Oh, not bad." Nesca hit YES.

Nesca felt a sense of loss for a moment knowing the dragon was gone. But she chose not to dwell on it and focused on the positive side. The dragon scale was a treasure.

'Looks like a fair trade for extending my help last night,' she thought.

Meanwhile, far beyond the Cloud Forest, beneath the dark skies of the Dragon Peak in Zolheim, the primordial dragon finally transformed back to his human form.

Arkhael smiled. "I found you…"

 

 

NESCA planned to take some rest after gathering some herb and return to the cabin. But the system suddenly gave her an unexpected task.

[Ding! Emergency Quest Activated.]

[Rebuild the Host's Body to Stabilize the Demon Core.]

[Complete 2 hours of physical training daily]

[Perform 100 basic movements to improve muscle strength.]

[Consume a balanced amount of nutrients.]

[Time Limit: 14 Days]

Nesca groaned upon seeing the notifications. "Do I really have to start right away?"

[Yes.]

[Rewards: +15 Vitality, +5 Strength, Improved Mana Circulation.]

Nesca took a deep breath. It seemed the system wouldn't take no for an answer. It activated a forced training mode.

"What is the penalty if I failed?" she inquired.

[With the Host's current vitality…]

[DEATH.]

Nesca gaped at every letter on the screen. "Seriously?!"

[Strengthen the body, and the path to revenge shall begin.]

"I know I understand."

Nesca did not complain upon knowing the serious consequences of her action. She may be naturally lazy, even before her death as Sera, but she would never jeopardize the second life that was given to her.

The first day of her strenuous training began.

Nesca tried to run at a slow pace. Her chubby body was too heavy for her legs to sustain her weight if she forced herself to run at a full speed.

Even so, her breathing was uneven, and her legs trembled with every step. Probably because the demon princess' body had never experienced proper training, and even simple movements felt like torture.

"I can do this," she mumbled trying to grasp for air. "I've never been athletic, this is so intense for my frail body."

[Host has only completed thirty percent of today's physical training.]

"Only thirty percent?! I want to finish it, but my body is at its limit."

[System acknowledges Host's complaint.]

[However, complaint will not increase survival rate.]

Nesca glared. "You really have no sympathy."

[Sympathy does not improve physical condition.]

The corner of her lips twitched. "Annoying little thing. But thank you, I know you want the best for me."

[Host's health condition remains unstable.]

[Recommended action: Continue exercising.]

Nesca looked toward the sky in disbelief, rolling her eyes. "Do you know that I was once a a pampered daughter of a duke?"

[Previous identity is irrelevant to current survival.]

She sighed. The system was right. She had to ear everything through hard work. There would be no easy way to her path of revenge.

"This is impossible." Her vision started to blur as she kept going. She might collapse at any moment but she did not stop.

[There's no impossible through hard work.]

"Never mind, I guess I'll lose weight quickly at this rate."

[Analysis complete.]

[Host's body possesses weak natural circulation but unusually high essence absorption compatibility.]

Nesca looked wondering. "What does that mean?"

[Host's body absorbs surrounding energy instinctively. Even small amounts of absorbed essence are converted into vitality.]

"That sounds good."

[Negative effect detected.]

"Oh, come on! Negative effect?!"

[Because Host's body previously suffered long-term malnutrition and illness, the body prioritizes storing energy.]

Nesca gaped. "So you are saying my body thinks I am starving?"

[Correct.]

[Additional information: The absorbed essence has slowed fat reduction because the body is rebuilding damaged tissues.]

Nesca placed a hand over her face. "So I am getting healthier, but I cannot lose weight?"

[Correct.]

She stared at the system window. Did she read it correctly? In other words, she couldn't lose weight easily despite her deadly training!

"Wow, very comforting!" she said sarcastically.

[Host should be grateful.]

[Previous owner of this body would not have survived another day.]

Nesca became quiet. The system's words reminded her of the girl whose life she had inherited. The original Nesca had suffered quietly until death. But now, she would not allow this body to be wasted.

"I will become stronger, or the strongest if its possible."

[Host's determination has increased.]

[Minor reward: Mental resilience increased.]

Nesca smiled. "Now that's a proper encouragement."

[System merely provides accurate information.]

Before she could continue exercising, Agni suddenly rushed into the courtyard.

"Princess!"

Nesca turned around. "What happened?"

Agni lightly arched her head. "The palace's senior apothecary has arrived."

Nesca raised an eyebrow. "Palace apothecary?"

"Yes. He wishes to see you." There was an urgency in Agni's voice.

A strange thought appeared in her mind. The senior apothecary was not someone who would visit her despite her condition. Why would someone like him come now after giving her a diagnosis that she'd surely die?

'Was he thinking about my funeral?' Nesca thought.

"Bring him here," she ordered when she finished the system's task.

A few minutes later, an elderly demon entered the courtyard carrying a large medical case. His light blue hair was tied neatly behind his head, it matched his sapphire-colored robe. Yet his face was void of emotion.

The apothecary looked surprised as soon as he witnessed Nesca standing while sweating profusely as if she'd just finished a marathon.

"P-Princess?" The medical case almost slipped from his hands.

Nesca tilted her head. "Yes?"

The apothecary stared at her as if he had seen a ghost. "You are standing!"

"Why? Should I be crawling instead?" She didn't hide her sarcasm.

The old demon stepped closer and carefully examined her face. "Your complexion looked perfectly healthy, even the black traces of your veins is gone."

Nesca crossed her arms. "Should I be concerned?"

The apothecary suddenly turned toward Agni. "I thought I'd be helping the funeral."

Agni blinked and pretended to be unaware. "What funeral?"

The old man appeared confused. "I was summoned because I thought Princess Nesca had finally…"

He stopped himself as if he couldn't utter the word. He cleared his throat instead.

Nesca's eyes narrowed. "Died?"

The apothecary immediately bowed. "My apologies, Princess. Your condition had worsened according to the reports. Your body was supposedly unable to withstand another night after my junior apothecary left you."

Agni joined the conversation. "Why don't you check her vitals? My lady is recuperating well."

Nesca did not hesitate to show the apothecary her arm. The old demon checked her pulse, and she witnessed the change in his expression as if he was utterly bewildered.

"Impossible. How did you escape death?" the old demon asked.

Nesca smiled mysteriously. "I cheated death."

Agni came closer to explain. "We found a rare herb that greatly helps the princess to escape her certain death."

"What herb? Interesting." The apothecary lightly shook his head.

"It's the Moonstalk Herb," Nesca answered.

The old apothecary gaped at her. "Moonstalk? It's a legendary herb! I didn't know it could thrive in this kind of environment."

Nesca shrugged. "I will not die, remember that."