Chapter 584 Who Are They? Where Are They? How Did They Do It?

"If you've managed to acquire and prepare all of these materials, this clearly isn't a spontaneous whim. You must have been researching this for years," Irene noted, her eyes fixed entirely on Noah.

She was genuinely baffled. Why would he go to such extreme lengths?

Acquiring a piece of Acnologia's flesh was tantamount to dancing on the edge of a guillotine. The sheer, apocalyptic danger involved was incomprehensible.

Furthermore, locating actual Dragon ruins required an immense investment of time and resources.

The golden age of the Dragons ended four hundred years ago. After Acnologia's apocalyptic slaughter, the Dragons were effectively driven to extinction on both Ishgar and the Western Continent. Over four centuries, tectonic shifts, erosion, and human expansion had buried or destroyed nearly all traces of their civilization.

For a man in his twenties to have successfully tracked down and excavated these lost, ancient ruins... the dedication required was staggering.

"Why? Why did you go out of your way to find these things and research this?" Irene asked, her voice laced with intense, genuine curiosity.

"Dragons are undeniably the strongest biological organisms to have ever existed in this world. It's only natural that I would be fascinated by them," Noah replied with a small smile. "But since they are extinct, the only way to study them is to hunt down their ruins and whatever remnants they left behind.

"More importantly, the Dragons possess specific biological traits that I desperately want to analyze and replicate. Therefore, I was more than willing to invest the time to find them."

"What exactly do you want from them?" Irene asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Their overwhelming physical constitution, their innate magical capacity, their absolute magic resistance... and most importantly, their incredibly long lifespans," Noah answered honestly.

"If you wanted all of that, you could have just learned Dragon Slayer Magic and become a Dragon yourself," Irene scoffed, a bitter, cynical smile twisting her lips. "Why waste years researching it? The process is simple, fast, and highly effective. The only downside is the... minor cost of your humanity."

"No. I have absolutely no desire to become a Dragon," Noah shook his head firmly.

"Your current situation is a prime example of why that's a terrible idea. You despise your draconic form, and you desperately want your human body back.

"I happen to agree with you. The human form is fundamentally superior for experiencing the world. My goal is to find a way to safely graft those draconic traits—the strength, the magic, the longevity—onto a human body, without triggering the physical mutation or losing one's humanity.

"I don't want to become a Dragon. I want a human to possess the power of a Dragon."

He couldn't exactly tell her that his primary motivation for this specific research was to cure her. That would raise far too many questions about how he knew her history and her exact biological dilemma.

But his desire for longevity was completely genuine.

He had recently realized something concerning. His physical constitution and magical capacity were continuously expanding at a terrifying rate. He had studied the biometric data of top-tier mages like Makarov, Gildarts, and Ur. While their bodies were significantly enhanced by their Ethernano, they all eventually hit a hard biological ceiling where their growth plateaued.

Noah hadn't hit a ceiling. His growth showed zero signs of slowing down.

Typically, as a mage's physical vitality and magical density increased, their lifespan extended. If Noah's growth truly was uncapped, there was a very real possibility that his lifespan would far exceed that of a normal human.

That thought terrified him.

If he lived for centuries while his friends, his guildmates, and his family aged and died around him, he would eventually be left completely alone. He would be trapped in an agonizing, solitary existence.

Noah absolutely refused to let that happen. He wanted to live a long, happy life surrounded by the people he loved. Therefore, he needed to find a way to safely extend their lifespans as well.

Zeref had achieved immortality by breaking the ultimate taboo of life and death, resulting in the horrific Curse of Contradiction. Noah wasn't looking for immortality; he just wanted a few extra centuries.

Dragons were the perfect biological template. They naturally lived for hundreds of years. Irene and Acnologia were living proof that humans who acquired draconic biology could easily survive for four centuries.

The only problem was the horrific side effects of the Dragon Seed.

If Noah could isolate the specific genetic markers responsible for longevity and physical enhancement, and successfully strip away the mutative properties that triggered dragonification and madness... he could grant his loved ones the lifespan and durability of a Dragon while allowing them to remain completely human.

"If I can actually restore your true human body, while simultaneously allowing you to retain your draconic strength, magic, and four-hundred-year lifespan... you wouldn't reject that, would you?" Noah asked softly, looking directly at Irene.

"Even though you despise your draconic mutation, you must admit that it is the only reason you are alive today. It is the only reason you have maintained your youthful, beautiful appearance for four centuries."

Hearing Noah compliment her beauty, a tiny, genuine smile flickered across Irene's lips before she quickly suppressed it, falling silent.

He was absolutely right.

As much as she loathed the mutation, the draconic biology had granted her an incredible lifespan and preserved her physical beauty. She was a beautiful woman; she naturally valued her appearance. If it weren't for the horrific sensory distortions and the loss of her true humanity, Dragon Slayer Magic would be the ultimate, perfect enhancement.

"If you can truly achieve what you claim... granting a human the power and lifespan of a Dragon without the mutation... that would be a miracle," Irene sighed, shaking her head in profound amazement.

"I only wanted to reclaim my humanity. But your ambition is vastly greater. You want to elevate humanity to the level of Dragons."

"Of course. If you're going to dream, you might as well dream big," Noah grinned. "And more importantly, I have the capability to make it a reality."

Irene nodded slowly.

Given his terrifying combat prowess, his profound understanding of Enchantment Magic, and the sheer dedication he had shown in acquiring these impossible materials, Irene actually believed him.

For the first time in four hundred years, she felt a genuine, burning spark of hope.

"What do we do now?" Irene asked, stepping forward, her eyes blazing with intense determination. "How can I assist you in resolving my condition? What preparations are required?"

Having accepted the possibility of a cure, she wanted to start immediately. She had suffered for four centuries, and endured the agony of Zeref's false cure for twenty-one years. Now that a true cure was within reach, she was incredibly impatient.

"Patience. This kind of biological engineering cannot be rushed. It requires meticulous research and extensive clinical testing," Noah replied, waving his hand to close the sealed box. "Furthermore, my primary laboratory and research facilities are located in Ishgar. We need to return there to begin the process.

"However, I've noticed that Alvarez possesses several highly advanced pieces of alchemical and magical equipment that Ishgar lacks. If you could purchase those for me, it would significantly accelerate the research."

"There is no need to purchase anything," Irene waved her hand dismissively. "I already possess the most advanced, top-tier research equipment in the entire Empire. We will simply pack my entire laboratory into spatial storage and take it with us."

For the last twenty-one years, Irene had leveraged her position as the second highest authority in the Empire to requisition the absolute best scientific and magical equipment available, desperately trying to cure herself.

"You truly are from Ishgar," Irene chuckled, looking at him with a knowing smirk. "Considering diplomatic relations were severed years ago, I suppose that makes you an illegal immigrant."

Based on the fact that he had found Dragon Graveyards—which only existed on the Eastern Continent—and his desire to return there, she had easily deduced his origin.

"You have a fully stocked, top-tier laboratory? That's perfect!" Noah beamed, completely ignoring her comment about his legal status. "That saves me a massive amount of time!"

Noah had originally planned to ask August to help him procure the equipment, but if Irene already had a customized lab, that was even better.

He carefully applied the final sealing runes to the box and safely stowed it back into his spatial pocket.

"I am indeed an illegal immigrant," Noah smiled playfully, looking up at her. "Are you going to arrest me?"

"Oh, absolutely," Irene grinned, a dark, predatory glint in her eyes. "I'm going to arrest you, drag you back to Ishgar, lock you in a laboratory, and force you to work day and night until you cure me."

For the first time in centuries, the crushing, suffocating weight on her soul felt lighter. The prospect of finally being cured had completely revitalized her spirit.

"By the way, there is one more thing I haven't told you," Noah said, casually dismissing the stone pedestal.

"What is it?"

"There are currently people in this world who utilize Dragon Slayer Magic... but their bodies are absolutely not mutating into Dragons," Noah stated, looking directly into her eyes.

"W... What?!" Irene gasped, her entire body freezing in shock.

She stared at him, completely unable to process the information. The mutation was an absolute, unavoidable biological law. It was the fundamental tragedy of her existence.

"Who are they?! Where are they?! How is that possible?!" Irene demanded frantically.

She lunged forward, her left hand grabbing Noah's shoulder with terrifying, desperate strength.

"You'll meet them eventually. There's no need to panic," Noah replied calmly, gently patting the hand gripping his shoulder.

Because of his monstrous physical durability, Irene's sharp, claw-like gloves didn't even scratch his skin, though they completely punctured the fabric of his shirt.

"Them? You mean there is more than one?!" Irene gasped, slowly releasing his shoulder. She stumbled backward, looking completely lost.

She had spent four hundred years failing to solve this exact problem, and now he was telling her that multiple people had already achieved it?!

"Don't overthink it," Noah shook his head firmly, his expression turning incredibly serious. "Their specific method is absolutely unreplicable. The price they paid to halt the mutation was unimaginably high. It is not a viable solution for your condition."

~~~

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