Chapter 17: Dragon King Blessing

Chapter 17: Dragon King BlessingFenric looked down at his chest. Right where Duserdis had touched him, a glowing mark shimmered gently over his heart. It looked like a dragon curled into a spiral, its tail in its mouth like an ouroboros, its eyes closed as if it were deep in sleep. From the symbol, glowing lines stretched outward like slow-moving rivers of light, inching along as if time itself had forgotten about them. The mark didn’t actually breathe, but it felt alive—like it carried immense power hidden beneath layers of stillness. Fenric stared. The mark was burned into his skin, glowing faintly as if someone had etched starlight directly into his flesh. The dragon’s spiral pulsed with a rhythm that felt older than time. Then, all at once, it hit. A crushing pressure slammed into his mind—not just his head, but deeper. Into his bones. Into the very shape of his soul. He couldn’t breathe as the knowledge forced itself inside—not kindly, not gently. This wasn’t something offered. It was something imposed. Absolute. The will of the Dragon King wasn’t something you accepted. It settled into you like a sleeping giant curling up inside your body, making itself comfortable with no intention of ever leaving. Not memories, exactly. More like raw truths. Pure ideas. A strange chill ran down his spine as it all sank in—not like learning something new, but like waking up from a dream and realizing you’d always known. Everything fit together, quiet and heavy, until it became something complete. A name echoed faintly in his thoughts: Soul Projection. Not an attack spell. Not even for defense.Its purpose was simple—to observe. This magic created a display panel, but only for those blessed by divine power. It showed everything about his development—his stats, skills, spirit flow, mental balance, all of it. A perfect overview. But not for anyone else. Only for him. And just as he thought of it, something appeared in front of him. No dramatic noise.No light show.No flashy reveal. Only a faint, blue screen rising in front of him like morning mist. Soft. Still. Like a mirror of his soul. Fenric blinked. "...No opening effect? Seriously?" He shook his head and chuckled. "With how dramatic he is, I thought there’d at least be fireworks." The screen hovered silently, glowing with soft light. Symbols flowed gently across it like water. It didn’t ask questions. Didn’t require commands. It simply existed. A quiet, divine report card. Fenric laughed lightly and leaned back in his chair. "Well... this makes tracking my progress a lot easier." He paused, then gave a knowing nod. "Of course. Leave it to a Dragon King of Sloth to create a spell just to avoid checking things manually." He raised his hand slowly and swiped it through the projection. The screen shifted with him—smooth and silent, like water flowing without resistance. Fenric focused on it, willing the screen to display his progress. And slowly, the pale-blue interface began to change. Lines of text appeared, one after another, like whispers in code: [Divine Blessing Acquired: Slumbering Sovereign’s Seal]You have been marked by Duserdis, the Dragon King of Sloth.Due to compatibility with your untapped spiritual foundation, you have been granted a unique evolution path. Class Unlocked:Sovereign of StillnessTier: MythicDesignation: Crown of Sloth Class:Sovereign of StillnessDomain: Sloth | Time | Gravity | Stasis Class Description:You are the chosen inheritor of the Draconic Slumber Law—a philosophy that power is most absolute when it is patient, reserved, and unbothered. The Sovereign of Stillness is not slow. It is inevitable. It is the silence before the storm, the still air before kingdoms fall. While others burn bright, you endure.While others move fast, you wait.And when the moment comes, you strike once—with the force of centuries. Core Abilities Unlocked: [Passive – Eternal Drift]Your mana regenerates passively even while unconscious, paralyzed, or asleep. Status effects that rely on movement-based triggers (poison, bleed, burn) are halved in effectiveness. Time-based cooldowns tick down regardless of consciousness. [Active – Absolute Recline]Enter a reclined state. While inactive, accumulate "Inertia Points." Upon activation, unleash stored energy in a devastating burst that scales based on how long you’ve done nothing. (Yes, really.) [Active – Gravity of Sloth]Collapse the momentum of a chosen area. All enemies within a 30-meter radius are subjected to "Stasis Lock"—freezing their movements, thoughts, and magic flow for up to 8 seconds. Requires total stillness from the user for 10 seconds prior to casting. Cannot be interrupted. Can be cast while lying down, sipping tea, or pretending to nap. [Trait – Apathetic Divinity]Resist compulsion, charm, rage, and urgency-based debuffs. Deadlines are illusions. You are the divine embodiment of "I’ll do it later, and it will still be better than yours." [Trait – Indolent Recovery]HP, MP, and stamina regenerate faster while lying down, seated, or otherwise disengaged from combat. Bonuses double if you’re also being ignored. [Trait – Lethargic Aura]Enemies within close proximity gradually lose momentum, initiative, and drive. Their cooldowns extend slightly and morale dips over time. [Trait – Silent Inheritance]Each time you defeat an opponent, there is a chance to permanently absorb a fragment of their knowledge—be it a skill, technique, or spell you’ve witnessed them use. Fenric stared at the glowing panel. "...You’re telling me I get stronger by literally doing nothing?" A low chuckle echoed through his mind. {Now you understand the truth of my domain, young lad.}{Sloth is not weakness. It is efficiency perfected. It is knowing when to act—and never before.}{Others race to exhaustion. You... rest your way to power.} Fenric blinked again. "...This is exactly the kind of blessing one expects from a Supreme One of Ancient Times." {Yes, now go. And don’t disappoint me, lad,} the voice said with a final rumble—then faded. It felt like Duserdis had said all he needed to, and promptly returned to his eternal nap. Fenric exhaled and glanced at the screen again. "Hm... Soul Projection can be used for more than just looking at my own stats," he muttered, reaching out to test something. "It’s more like... an Appraisal Skill."