105 Dragon - Part 2 (2/2)
”I wouldn't say that he's gentle,” Hana says with a chuckle.
Ciel frowns. ”He's rough with you because you ask for it.”
”Then you just have to ask him to be gentle,” Hana responds with a smirk.
”I don't think that I'll become 'rough' or violent like you're imagining,” I say.
Alissa grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze. ”Your heart is more important than your behavior. Remember my promise: I want you to remain kind, to not take pleasure in killing, to be someone who always aims to make the realm a better place; but that doesn't mean that you have to look weak.”
I bring her hand up to my lips, then I look down at my free hand. ”I have to look powerful…” I whisper as I clench my fist.
”You have to wield and exude power,” Hana says.
”Look at you, using big words,” Lina teases and Hana snorts. Then she adds, ”Being more confident would help.”
”But it can't be misguided. You need to know your place in the world,” Hana continues.
Dragons are all about hierarchies, after all.
”It feels like it makes sense, but in practice, it's not so simple,” I say with a chuckle.
”It's not like you have to learn it now,” Alissa says.
I hum and enter deep thought.
As Gify said, to become a dragon, I have to become a symbol of ”power.”
--
”But what about becoming a human?” Aoi asks, pulling me out of my trance.
This one is easy for Ciel to answer, ”Our purpose is to always strive to become better. To change, improvise, adapt, and overcome. Our bodies may not be malleable like certain monsters or elementals, but we have this:” -she raises her hands, then taps her head- ”we have the tools and the intelligence to change our environment to better serve us. We are capable of building anything we need to help us overcome any obstacle that comes our way.”
Aoi looks down at her claws that vex her so much. ”So I don't have either,” she says in a low tone.
Hana flicks Aoi's head. It seems like Hana hurt herself much less than when I did it.
”Ow…” Aoi complains, barely feeling any pain.
”If you lack both, then you just need to work hard to get them,” Hana says.
”I already am!” Aoi complains.
Hana gives her a fearsome smile. ”Then work harder!”
”RAAGH!” Aoi growls cutely and fire lights her mouth.
”Aoi…” Alissa says in a dangerous tone.
The flames are immediately extinguished, but she retains her mean look.
”I want to fight, and crush, and help, and make things! I'll work hard!” She exclaims.
”Then start by observing me,” Alissa says just before she transforms into a fox.
I spread my soul over Alissa again and stop her with [Bind] before a lewd fox can try to mate with me.
--
Lina starts practicing [Sap Power]; it's a spell that reduces ”Strength” and ”Magic Power.” Hana studies [Mesmerizing Butterflies] and catches up with Alissa as she can now create wisps of the butterflies. The golems all cast [Regeneration] on me to help me recover the blood that I gave to Aoi. And the rest of the girls continue their practice. Alissa, of course, gets nothing from me tonight and has to meditate to contain herself.
Tonight, we use the light elemental as a blanket. Since she'll be in constant contact with us, her mana will drain continuously, so we'll get at most one hour of the softest blanket that ever blanketed us, but that's enough to put me into a deep and calm sleep.
--
Today is the 6th.
Gify wakes the girls, who take their turns abusing my ”special condition” until they've had enough and then Lina wakes me up.
The sky is still dark since we're in space and there's no sun, but I feel like I'm waking up from a deep and comfortable sleep. Ciel uses her [Holy Spirit] as a mini sun for us, so we get plenty of light to help us clear the fog of sleepiness from our minds.
--
Hana leveled up to 39. She also increased her [Mana Control] by 1 (now 2), and Lina increased her [Cursing Magic] by 1 (now 2).
--
I see that the Este caravan is already back on the road. Holly is back to patrolling around the beautiful green grasslands, and Klein is already cracking jokes along with the others.
After an energetic breakfast, we armor up, then we stretch and do a quick warm-up.
The stone door at the edge of the infinite abyss is a little heavy, but we manage to open it regardless. On the other side, we see another stone platform, but it's larger than the previous entrance area, although it does have the same stone door at the edge. In the middle of the platform, there are five naked orcs masturbating in a circle.
They quickly notice us and grab their rusty swords.
”The fuck?” I reflexively ask.
”Underestimating us, I see,” Hana says and scoffs.
We make short work of them and move onwards through the next door.
Ten naked orcs this time. Same shit.
Then the dungeon throws four Storm Chargers at us, so we bum rush them before they can fling a single spell since the arena is too small for them to run away.
Next comes an Uspidor, the modern High Forest acid spitter. I get an idea and we push it off the edge of the arena with spells. Then after a minute or so of waiting, it plummets back down onto the center of the arena, right on top of an earth elemental in the shape of a cone. It impales itself, then it immediately explodes into chunks, spreading blood and innards everywhere.
”Yeah, stupid idea,” I say before anyone can remark about it.
[Wind Shield] protected us from the gore, but not the smell, so we quickly enter the next arena.
This one has ten Sky Stalkers circling above us, far beyond Alissa's range.
”Okay… now what? We wait?” Hana questions.
Lina pulls on the hem of my armor and says, ”Electric elemental on the back of a Kite Dragon.”
”Nice!” I exclaim and snap my fingers.
The plan goes flawlessly; the birds drop out of the sky one-by-one, then Alisa effortlessly kills them in mid-air.
Next, the arena becomes large enough to accomodate a line of fifteen armored orcs with swords and shields.
I use the electric elemental and Kite Dragon combo to stun and kill them one-by-one while we hold off the rest ourselves.
The orcs are quite unskilled in combat, so we don't have much trouble while staying on the defensive, but actually attacking them is a bit problematic for us. With all the armor and padding that we have, I barely feel anything when full-on blocking an orc's strike. They need hammers to get to us, not swords.
Then the next floor is eerily empty.
”Is it over?” Roxanne asks.
”I… don't think so? The exit should be a wooden room like all others,” I say and we get extra cautious as we slowly make our way in.
Neither Alissa nor the Hollys see anything. Then my Shad catches a whiff of mana coming from right in front of me.
[Battlefield Perception] triggers and I use [Telekinesis] to glide backward. I feel a small and very painful scratch on my skin. I reflexively cast [Discharge] in front of me and feel it ”hit” something small.
”Oh, fuck! Spirits!” I exclaim and cast [Spirit Eyes]. I see nine glowing fuckers floating all around us with manic grins on their ugly mugs and a menacing dagger in each of their hands. Spirit Watchman Tons.
The girls immediately cast [Fireball] in front of themselves and flail about wildly to keep the spirits away. Alissa gets a ”cut” in her waist and Lina gets one in her arm. Ciel's [Holy Spirit] keeps them away from her, and Roxanne luckily [Explodes] hers just a few centimeters above her head.
I guide Aoi and Hana to breathe fire in wide arcs and the Tons are all instantly turned into more EXP for us.
The ”scratch” that I received damaged my soul and hurts like a bitch, so I immediately put more points into [Spirit Magic] and cast [Soul Touch] on us to heal the soul damage.
I focus on Alissa first since she's lost most of the feeling in her right leg due to the ”cut.” Then it's Lina's turn, whose left arm is trembling so wildly that she can barely control it.
”Getting interesting,” Hana comments.
”Nah. The background isn't changing at all, it's boring,” Ciel comments.
”I'm getting a bit of an End of Time vibe from Chrono Trigger, so I'm feeling nostalgic,” I say.
”You should work on a way to show us your memories through [Bind],” Alissa suggests.
”Good idea. No idea how to even start, though.”
”You'll manage, you haven't disappointed so far,” Ciel says and chuckles.
”No mention of cheating?” I question and raise an eyebrow.
”Did I even need to? You did it yourself.” She chuckles, quite pleased with herself.
I roll my eyes and we continue on to the next door.
We open it and see a three-meter tall suit of armor carrying a longsword so thick that it's more like a metal club. Red glowing eyes stare right through our souls and we immediately close the door again.
”Did I just hear boss music?” I question and chuckle at myself.
--
--
Hall of Fame of Patrons
The patrons who support Rupegia shall have their names sung by the bards for they deserve the glory and honor. Their names are:
Oracle Maximillian Hübner.
Prince PreownedFIN.
Lord Andrew Meyers.
Lord Hope.
Lord Samuel Lim.
Lord Bill.
Lord Novgarod.
Lord DJ.
Lord Cidant.
Lord Ashadun.
Lord Michale Erwin.
Lord Joxsan Herrera.
Lord Enrique Peña Gomez.
Lord Vampmire.
Lord Braidborn.
Lord Bakerdea.
Lord Kalsted.
Lord Yeeteris Dedmeem.
Lord D4rk Sheep.
Lord Nevarec.
Lord Nathan Vanbrunt.
Noble Salty Panda.
Noble Evil.
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Noble Maurice.