And I Became a Dragonkin - 02

Chapter 02: Voice of the White World

Associate Professor of the Medical Faculty at National K University, Akinori Sendou.

A rare dual-role clinician and researcher in Japan, and one of the few who succeeded in both. 

He was a leading researcher in the field of genome medical science, often called a genius.

Unfortunately, he was caught in an explosion accident and passed away.

His body was cremated, but for some reason, his mind (spirit) fell into pitch-black darkness. 

─A world of absolute darkness without light.

　　　　　　　　＊＊＊

─A single ray of light leaked through the wall of darkness.

It was a tiny, tiny change in the dark forest.

The consciousness of the man, who had sunk deep into the darkness and was about to fade away, reacted sharply to that light. His thought processes suddenly kicked into high gear and he began to awaken.

His consciousness, cut off from his five senses, longed for the brightness there.

He yearned for the light, finding it nostalgic and dear.

But sadly, there was nothing he could do to approach it.

He couldn’t even reach out his hand.

(I… I want to go there!)

Words and intentions that had long eluded him suddenly sprang to mind.

Imagining a non-existent hand, he tried to reach out and grab the light.

It was probably a very primitive instinct as a living being.

But that alone didn’t change anything.

Nothing happened.

Still, the man didn’t give up.

He heightened his concentration to the point where his existence was at risk of vanishing, trying to move in that direction as if melting his heart.

Then, he felt as if the axis of his consciousness shifted slightly.

In the next moment, the man suddenly gained something like sight.

A strange sensation of moving from the “black world” to the “white world.”

It felt like being enveloped in a fluffy blanket, surrounded by soft white light.

However, it was only something like sight.

Extremely thin and superficial, but clearly a sense different from the five senses.

Even so, the man savored that mysterious sensation as if devouring it.

Emotions welled up in him for the first time in a long while.

From that fluffy substance, whether cotton, cloud, or mist, something faintly transmitted.

(Is this… water? Am I underwater?)

From that white cloud-like substance, very faint but similar to the five senses, information began to flow.

It brought the man immense joy.

But it was clearly different from the five senses that slept in his vague memories.

(What… is this? I don’t feel anything like hands, feet, fingers, or skin. ─No, but it does feel somewhat like a nervous sensation. But… there’s no response at all.)

Yes, his analysis of the situation was accurate.

The man’s consciousness was operating while occupying an unfamiliar part of a brain.

It could be called “semi-consciousness” or “thought consciousness.”

Unconsciously, he tried to grasp that faint sensation and understand his surroundings.

Unlike his endless efforts in the void, this brought him joy.

He immersed himself in this task.

　　　　　　　＊＊

For nearly twenty days, he continued his exploration tirelessly.

Absorbed in the search, he discovered five things from his senses:

-A faint, deep blue light around him

-He was underwater

-Faint sensations similar to having a body ── with some parts damaged

-Breathing had stopped—his lungs were filled with water

-The surrounding liquid had an abnormally high density

And there was one more thing he knew for sure:

─This was not the body he knew.

Even so, he continued exploring that body.

There was no particular purpose or sense of mission.

By now, it was like solving a mystery.

His reactivated thought processes simply wanted to find the exit to this labyrinth.

　　　　　　＊

A long time passed after that.

It had been over six months since the man first became aware of the “void of darkness.”

During that time, he had further analyzed his current situation:

-This body was in a near-death state.

-The damaged parts were slowly regenerating and recovering.

-Currently, less than 2% of his brain’s functions were being used.

-The regeneration and recovery of the damaged parts, as well as physical activities, were being hindered by the surrounding liquid.

-This body had been placed at the bottom of the water for a very long time.

-It seemed to be a human body, but there was an inexplicable sense of unease about it.

At the same time, several mysteries that were hard to understand arose.

The first and greatest mystery was why this body was in this situation.

Why his consciousness was linked to this body was a secondary concern.

It was almost certain that this body was not of an Earthling.

If it were an Earthling, it would undoubtedly be dead already. It would be nothing more than a drowned corpse.

However, despite being in the liquid, this body was somehow obtaining oxygen.

And the liquid surrounding it was a problem.

It seemed to act as if it were restraining this body.

What did all this mean?

He thoroughly examined the body for any clues to solve this mystery.

But he couldn’t find any hints related to this point.

In the end, he resumed his investigation.

There was nothing else to do.

Again, that was the reason.

─At the same time, he felt that he must not stop thinking here.

　　　　　　　　＊＊

Time continued to pass without solving the greatest mystery.

The man was growing weary of this endless task.

Even though he had gained partial brain function, that was all… just that.

He couldn’t do anything significant with that body.

He had no control over it. His actions were limited.

And he had already done almost everything he could.

Then, one day─a miraculous event occurred.

『──áဘမágဒမó ắg ာမáóbūမó？』

Oh, ohh!

What was that!?

Something resembling sound resonated within the man.

And not just once.

─It happened multiple times.

But he couldn’t understand the meaning of those words.

Of course, he couldn’t. It wasn’t an Earth language.

However, that didn’t matter to him.

The incomprehensible language wasn’t a major problem.

If it was a language, he could manage somehow.

With that thought, he eagerly and desperately tried to respond.

Naturally, their words didn’t match at all.

Of course, the conversation (telepathy) didn’t work. It couldn’t have.

He didn’t even know who the other party was.

He only heard it from somewhere within that body.

　　　　　　　　＊

However, it wasn’t as manageable as he had hoped.

This situation was proving to be quite difficult.

First, he had to figure out how to overcome the language barrier.

He thought about the steps he needed to take.

But just as he started considering how to address the language issue, something new happened.

An image, like a still photograph, appeared in his mind.

It was a massive castle! ─Similar to Castel Sant’Angelo.

Immediately after, a sound that resembled “Sishi Sashurra” echoed.

The man thought about this situation for a moment.

Perhaps the other party was trying to teach him words.

Given the circumstances, that was likely the case.

(Oh, come on… am I the only one who has to learn?)

Despite that thought, he decided to confirm it.

Yes, there was only one thing he could do.

“Sishi Sashurra”

His ultimate parroting response.

“Shutarna! Shutarna!”

It sounded like a mix between French and German, but different.

He could at least understand that much.

From the intonation, he guessed it meant something like “yes,” “correct,” or “excellent.”

Now, he had two words he could somehow use: “Sishi Sashurra” and “Shutarna.”

(Ah… this is terrible. Am I going to be endlessly learning words from now on?)

But there didn’t seem to be any other way.

He didn’t have the ability or memory to transmit images like the other party.

(Sigh… I guess I have no choice. Well, I do have plenty of time. I suppose I’ll have to keep at it for a while.)

And his bad feeling was right on target.

　　　　　　　　＊＊

That event was the beginning of everything.

Over the next two years, he learned three languages from the other person.

It was an astonishing feat of language acquisition.

He likely had a natural talent for learning languages.

Otherwise, it would have been impossible.

He memorized an enormous number of words and taught himself grammar, mastering multiple languages.

The other person also praised his “extraordinary mental strength and concentration.”

During these two years, he learned about his current situation and the circumstances of the body he was inhabiting.