This was completely different from the aloof, indifferent Serpent Father in Iver's memory, who never paid anyone any attention.
The Serpent Father Iver was seeing now had such a gentle and affectionate personality!
After discovering Iver, Serpent Father picked him up on the way, carried him in his mouth, and brought him to the top of a towering altar made of earth and stone.
The altar was square, with stairs descending from all four sides, like a headless, four-sided pyramid.
When he was thrown into the very center of the altar, there was actually a moment when Iver thought Serpent Father intended to sacrifice him... But Iver could sense Serpent Father's emotions and goodwill, so he endured the constant warning of danger in his heart and chose to trust Serpent Father.
"...Your body is too weak, child."
Serpent Father sighed and comforted him gently, "But it's all right. It won't hurt anymore soon."
As he spoke, Serpent Father took flight once more, soaring into the sky and performing an ancient, graceful dragon dance.
Scale after feather gradually drifted down from the sky, melting into waves of purple radiance.
They merged into Iver's body, and his original form began to shine as a result.
--It was just like a Pokémon evolution.
That thought surfaced in Iver's mind at that moment.
His original body began to grow larger and taller. The Snake Tail behind him swallowed his legs and transformed into a long golden tail.
It looked less like a snake's tail and more like a fish's tail. The unremarkable black scales covering Iver's body transformed into coral-like multicolored scales. Coral-like dragon horns grew from his head, his platinum hair grew longer and longer, and translucent phantom wings, as clear as butterfly wings and resembling glazed glass, sprouted from his back.
When