Unlimited Power 02 - The Ranger's Domain

               After leaving Chile behind, Ryan began to travel through Argentina. However, he didn't find any signs of survivors as well. The only thing he found weird was Furball's behavior that now and then, he would glare at him and would growl in anger.

"What is up, buddy?" Ryan frowned. "Do I smell or something? I mean, no offense, but you don't smell like flowers either, just look at your diet."

               Weirdly enough, whenever that happened, and Ryan said anything to Furball, his partner would calm down as if nothing had happened. Ryan already had too many things in mind, so he didn't want to someday wake up while being bitten by Furball, but if that behavior continues, he will have to send Furball away at least at night.

            Regardless, another weird thing was that while Ryan was close to the ocean, he only found Giant Crabs. Although they were tasty, Ryan was already getting sick of eating them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

"Grrrrrrr."

"Seriously'¦ what is wrong with you?" Ryan sighed and then asked Furball.

            Obviously, Ryan wasn't expecting a proper answer, but still, that behavior was getting tiresome. It was weird'¦ Furball began to act like that after the fight against the ice dragon. Ryan couldn't tell what changed on him to behave like that. Maybe he was angry because Ryan left him stuck on a massive block of ice for a few minutes.

"Then again, if you were that angry, you wouldn't show that only now and then'¦" Ryan frowned. "Something in me is bothering you'¦ right?"

            Furball barked obediently as usual'¦ as expected, his partner noticed that something changed on him, but Ryan himself had no idea what that was. He didn't feel different in any way.

"Since the end of that fight'¦" Ryan muttered.

            After checking his status, Ryan only confirmed that nothing was different with him. Still, just in case, he decided to let the screen open in case something happens and he doesn't notice.

        After moving for a few hours, Ryan didn't notice anything weird. However, when he closed his status screen because he saw a new species of monster in the distance, Ryan noticed something. His mana bar decreased a little'¦ not the total amount. The bar changed as if he had used some skill, which he didn't.

"Am I sick or something?" Ryan Frowned. "It wouldn't surprise me if those monsters brought some kind of disease to Earth."

       Suddenly, Furball barked a little more loudly than usual. Ryan found that strange, but he more or less understood what he was trying to say.

"You don't think I am sick?" Ryan asked.

     Furball barked, but this time, in the usual volume. Apparently, he barked more loudly when he didn't agree with it. Although Ryan found it strange that he was learning to understand a mythical wolf, it was useful since Furball probably had good instincts for that kind of thing.

"What do you think I have then?" Ryan asked.

     That was a thought question. It wasn't like Furball could answer that with a yes or no. Regardless, after staying silent for a while, Furball approached Ryan and then touched his belly with his paw.

"What about my belly?" Ryan asked. "You should learn how to speak properly, Furball. We are wasting time here."

       Somehow, Furball could understand everything Ryan says. So, he stayed quiet for a while, thinking about what he should do.

"This isn't going anywhere'¦ I should ask some questions that you can answer with a yes or no." Ryan said. "Something changed about me, right? Did that happen before we fought the ice dragon?"

      Furball barked loudly'¦ the answer was no. Ryan rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and then he asked if something changed after the fight, but Furball did the same thing.

"Not before and not after'¦" Ryan frowned. "Something changed during the fight?"

       Furball barked in a normal tone. Ryan recalled the whole fight, but he couldn't remember anything weird aside from the fact that the dragon escaped by leaving its body behind'¦ then Ryan understood why Furball patted his belly. It was hard to believe, but it looked like the ice dragon escaped inside of him.

"... did you see the dragon entering my body?" Ryan asked.

      Furball normally barked again, and Ryan opened his eyes widely. How come he didn't notice that? A fucking dragon was inside of him, and he didn't notice anything? That was insane'¦

"Hey, you piece of shit," Ryan said. "If you are hearing this, leave my body right now, and I will grant you a quick death. waste too much of my time, and I will make you regret it."

       Unfortunately, Ryan didn't hear an answer, but given that his mana was being drained now and then by the dragon, he knew exactly what he should do. Furball only barked when they weren't fighting, so it was clear that the dragon wanted Ryan's mana. So, he just has to keep using his mana.

      Although it was a bit tiring, Ryan fired dozens of bolts upward, and his mana got empty. He took out some of his weapons and used them alongside Telekinesis. Thanks to it, Ryan's mana was constantly empty. For the time being, he didn't notice anything off. However, when he started his preparations to approach the monsters in the distance, he heard an unknown voice.

"All right, stop this. Stop using your mana. Let's talk this through."

       Ryan opened his eyes widely when he heard that voice. Although it was a powerful voice like Orgar's, it was also more delicate and less rough'¦ It was the voice of a female dragon.

"What the hell'¦" Ryan muttered. "Leave my body now, you freak. Or I will rip you apart with my bare hands."

"It is impossible. Right now, I don't have a physical body; hence you can't damage me, much less kill me. Anyway, as I said, stop using your mana, and let's negotiate."

       Instead of keeping insisting, Ryan decided to use Purification, but unfortunately, it didn't work. However, he wouldn't give up that easily'¦