Chapter #18

Since his grandmother was gone Zeno could indeed sleep in his own house, better than before.

This however proved hard since he would usually turn around in the bed for hours while filtering out the annoying sounds.

Now that is all gone, he found himself unable to sleep at the hour he wanted to sleep.

Getting out of his bed, Zeno decided to watch that movie he got. He was truly giddy when he saw it at the store.

While he was enjoying the film, his doorbell rang, causing him to tense up.

'I knew revealing my identity as the Yellow Dragon would be dangerous but I didn't expect to have visitors from the first day.' Zeno got up and walked to the window.

'Who is it I wonder? CIA? FBI?'

[I don't think they would bother with you just yet. You're being overdramatic.]

The system was correct, the one's at the door were Mercer siblings. They were drenched, Alex had a nasty cut on his face while both of them looked ready to kill someone.

Seeing them Zeno opened the door, his expression was neutral. He knew his friends didn't want pity and just required support.

"Hey Zeno, It seems we will be taking up your offer for tonight." Alex said.

"Come in, there's a first aid kit in the kitchen." Zeno brought them in and cleaned Alex's cut.

"I didn't think you'd be awake, sorry if we woke you up." Alex said.

"Couldn't sleep, I was just watching a movie." Zeno replied.

The siblings somewhat relaxed after hearing him.

Zeno finished the first aid, the wound wouldn't leave a mark from what Zeno can tell.

Dana was watching them the whole time with watery eyes.

Afterwards they relocated to the living room, Zeno just resumed the movie since he knew the siblings wouldn't talk about what happened.

He tried asking numerous times but they both refused each time. So he didn't push forward too much.

Unfortunately, Zeno was watching How High and the movie was paused at a risky scene that cannot be played off as innocent.

Zeno had forgotten it since he was more focused on the siblings.

<We are actually virgins.>

<No way.>

<Yes.>

Zeno quickly paused the movie again.

Turning around he saw Dana looking at him weirdly while Alex was trying not to laugh yet his trembling gave it away.

"It's a comedy film..."

"Sure Zeno, sure."

________

After that night Dana would regularly visit him to escape from her mother's bullshit.

Thanks to puberty hitting Dana like a truck she was pretty much a crying mess whenever she came to his house.

This was both because of her mother and the fact that she is letting the only boy she can talk to see her like this.

Her brother had moved to New York city to work at Gentek, with her father figure gone Dana clinged to Zeno.

'He is the only one I can relax with. I just wish I wasn't a mess whenever I come here.' She thought while Zeno gave her another tissue.

Zeno didn't mind it since he had Tyrone to do his menial work like purchasing stuff, so he took care of Dana.

He didn't want to guide her since that felt too much like wife grooming but he couldn't ignore her since she and Alex were the only meaningful human interactions he had in this world.

[Are you even going to get in a relationship with her?]

'I don't know. I was just being my usual piece of shit self and I made it clear that I was protecting her because it made others avoid me.

Yet she is still here and I don't want to be alone. In Crysis I had Hargreave to chat about, even if I don't start a relationship with her I'll still help her out whenever I can.' Zeno answered.

[Bruhhh...] The system was already adding Dana as a harem member in his own personal notepad.

Unknowingly Dana and Zeno had gotten closer than they initially planned...

______

Since he is now a free man-child, Zeno had started to collect the necessary resources for the nanosuit. He had not forgotten it and this world had the raw resources needed.

'I just have to build all the machinery that is used to manufacture the actual suit.' He looked at the list once more.

Zeno had been trying to find a way to get his hands on some particular resources, some were under government watch.

[Are we going to have Tyrone go into the criminal underworld to get the resources?]

'No, I can just create the foundations of the Deep Web. By the time I'll need these, it should grow big enough for my purposes.'

[... But that's not fun.]

'We are technically still on a vacation.'

[Then do something easier like working with the government or something.]

'Let us shelve this for later.' Zeno sighed.

Zeno didn't want to work with the government since he knew, they'll keep an extra eye on him.

The materials wouldn't come together in less than five years, crafting the suit on his own would take a year. He has an extra year to get the materials under watch.

______

Years passed, and Zeno lived his life peacefully. He had arrived at the age of 17 in his previous life memories.

This was an important year for his previous life, it was the year he was approached by the Ouryuu and bestowed the dragon's blood.

Zeno could feel that his power might grow after that memory thus he was inching closer everyday with excitement.

Soon the day arrived, Zeno got to the part where Ouryuu approached Zeno just at the end of his classes.

It was frustrating for Zeno but he endured it. Today Dana was working on her small tabloid and probably wouldn't come to his house.

'I can just continue the memories at home.' He thought.

With a goal in mind he left for home and went to bed right away.

______

"I am not a heroic figure nor a veteran. I cannot become something like a warrior.

But, even if it's someone like me...

This world... Everyone... If I can make them just a bit happier... then...

That dragon's blood, give it to me..."

Zeno watched from the eyes of his previous life as he spoke, despite being different from each other. The words resonated with him just that the magnitude was different.

His past life wanted to make the world a happier place, Zeno wanted to make his loved ones happier, even though he didn't have much of those yet.

In the memory Zeno gulped the blood, it was at that point he was ejected from the memory forcefully.

Once he opened his eyes his body was burning with heat, the whole bed was drenched in sweat.

Zeno checked his body and discovered some golden scales that were slowly disappearing.

[Ouryuu Bloodline has completely awakened.

Due to extraordinary circumstances some behavioral changes might happen with the powers bestowed by the bloodline.]

'Could you give me a bit more explanation other than that?' Zeno asked, he was somewhat scared.

This was the bloodline of a dragon, he didn't want his behavior to change without his control.

[I have no control over that part of our existence, even the tiny bits that I came to know were because our third wheel was generous enough to drop them.] System replied.

'Well, considering the origin of my bloodline it shouldn't be bad right?' Zeno thought.

[Right?] System was in the same opinion until a third voice silenced their mental space.

{You'll be extra horny, go get a girlfriend or something.} The voice was the same as his but the aged feeling behind it revealed the identity of the owner.

'He has not spoken for over thirty years, and his first words are this...' Zeno was dumbfounded.

[I am disappointed, I was expecting him to ask for food.] System agreed.

{...} Zeno(Ouryuu) almost regretted speaking.

Since his previous life decided to not to speak again, Zeno tried to feel the difference in his body.

From his experience he didn't see much difference but his mind felt a lot clearer.

Zeno had a theory, to test it he cut his hand. The wound closed immediately, normally Zeno would feel the pain for a while but pain too had disappeared alongside the wound.

'Yes, my mind is now protected by my immortality.' Happy with his discovery Zeno moved on with his day.

[What about the extra horny deal? Your mind domination problem remains as well.] System asked.

'I can control that now, but you're right. This is a good opportunity to increase my mental fortitude.' Zeno replied.

[He's going to fail doesn't he?] System asked Zeno(Ouryuu), guessing he wouldn't answer.

{He never stood a chance. It should be fun watching him fumble around Dana!.} He did answer with a laugh however.