~ Chapter 32: Fire. Blood. Trust ~ (Part 2)
[Roderique’s point of view]
I believe I was among the first to see the signal from the two scouts sent by lord Dankyun. The explosion from their spell followed soon after, and we pulled our horses in that direction. We went off the usually traveled road and entered the thick forest, but Milord Dankyun didn’t care, he didn’t even sheath his sword after Princess Ayuseya vanished before our very eyes. He was mad and furious. We all saw him cast his Supreme Skill to destroy the human's academy.
Honestly, I didn’t see the need to destroy it in such a way, but if this was the will of our superior, we, his soldiers, had to stay quiet and follow him wherever he led us. Least to be said that none of the students could have possibly survived such a terrifying attack. Even those Emperor Rank teachers would have been prone to suffer a considerable amount of damage, however, it was strange how the core of the Dungeon wasn’t there anymore. It appeared to have changed positions if the scouts really did find it all the way out here.
The worst that can happen now would be for us to go through a dungeon. Depending on how many floors it has, we may need to make a supply route with the surface. The scouts can probably handle this job. Still, there’s a chance we might not need one, seeing as how furious Milord Dankyun is… I thought as I peeked at the draconian who wore a set of full plated armor and wielded a black sword with red runes engraved on it.
We reached the entrance of the dungeon almost one hour after we saw the signal up in the sky. After that, we didn’t see anything else, but the problem was the difficulty of the terrain. We even found a random trap placed here. Of course, Milord Dankyun crushed it with a single strike.
Because the horses had a hard time moving around, we ordered two of our men to lead them out of the forest and wait for us there. If we didn't return in a few days, they were to head back to the town without us, but we all doubted it would come to this.
Most of our soldiers were between Master and Emperor Rank. I was in the high Emperor, close to Godlike, but the difference in strength and speed was considerable. That being said, we could all move just as fast or even faster on foot than a horse normally did.
My brother once told me that many high ranked adventurers preferred the slow pace of a horse because it helped them conserve their Magic Energy, however, if they desired to, they could run much faster while even carrying the horse itself on their back.
Once we reached the entrance of the dungeon, we had four of my soldiers go in first. Milord Dankyun was at the end, conserving his energy for the final battle, while we were meant to take care of the dungeon’s defenses and monsters.
The first trap we encountered was on the very first steps that led us deep inside the dungeon. They were all covered in slippery oil, causing the first one to step on it to roll down like a barrel down a hill until they reached the bottom. In order to avoid this from happening to the rest of us, we began to gather dirt and pour it over the steps. With the help of a Storage Crystal, this job was completed quite fast.
When we reached the bottom, we encountered the next type of trap: a chamber filled with poisonous air. Normally, we wouldn’t have bothered with something like this because of our Magic Armors, but the moment we stepped closer to the exit, the ceiling rained down arrows on us. They all went straight through most Master Ranked Magic Armors, injuring two of us and even killing one instantly. The arrow pierced his right eye and impaled his brain. It was the type of injury no Healing Crystal or spell could do anything about anymore.
We had no choice but to destroy the traps on the ceiling and the poison ones in the walls. Still, the men were getting worried. All of us at one point or another delved into a dungeon, but none of us heard or saw one capable of killing a Master Ranked adventurer in the very first room. Unfortunately, we couldn’t back away. Milord Dankyun would have killed us without showing even a drop of mercy.
Carefully, and with our shields up, we proceeded deeper into the dungeon. The corridor felt safe at first, but those of us who could detect the traps found the hidden spike traps. We destroyed them and reached the end of the corridor.
Two paths awaited us, both covered in oil set ablaze and burning anything that dared to go through. Still, as long as we had water magic, we could put it out, and so we did. As a result, we ended up using a wind spell as well in order to push the smoke and hot steam out of the dungeon.
I was standing in the back and directing the soldiers, but it was clear for both me and Milord Dankyun that we weren’t facing a normal dungeon. This wasn’t built with the intent of pulling the adventurers in and sapping their Magic Energy. No, this was something made to kill and torture those who dared to step in. It was a warning, an impudent declaration that it could destroy us, however, we were a group of over 30 Master Ranked Soldiers, three Emperor Ranked Commanders and one Supreme Ranked Leader. There was no way this young Dungeon Core could survive our onslaught.
“The fires are put ou… GACK!” one of my men said, but before he finished his words, a wood spike pierced his chest from the left side.
The man fell on the ground dead. The spike was two meters long, it had a metal tip and was about 10 cm thick.
Everyone moved away from the corridor as we realized that we had just encountered another trap, one placed at the other end of the corridor. Fear started to spread through my men, but Milord’s glare kept it at bay.
“Get that weakling out of my sight and hurry up!” growled Milord Dankyun.
“Yes, Milord!” we replied obediently.
The body was moved out of the way, and two groups of four moved to the left and to the right. We waited patiently for them to return.
“GAAH!” a scream was heard from one side.
“AARGH!” a groan was heard on the other side.
I closed my eyes and waited. Another scream was heard and finally, we heard a click. The wall in front of us opened up, and another spike came flying out straight at Milord. He caught it with his bare hands and crushed it.
After tossing it aside, I ordered two soldiers to move forward. The first one that did slipped on something and didn’t stop until he reached the other side. The floor was covered in slippery oil and inclined a bit towards the other end, it was a small ramp.
“AAA! It burns! AAA!” the man screamed in pain before everything went quiet.
The other soldier gulped and stepped forward, using his sword to steady his foothold. For each step he took, he stabbed the sword in the floor and then took another. This way, he reached the end and gave his report.
“Sir! There be lava here!” he shouted.
“You must be mistaken. Lava is past the 100th floor!” said Dankyun a bit angered.
It was understandable. To encounter such traps at the first floor was absurd. It only made us worry of what we were going to meet farther down our path. This dungeon was abnormal, unnatural, strange, and incredibly deadly.
“Find a way across!” I ordered.
“Sir Roderique, we can’t find any clues of where the two scouts might be.” said one of my soldiers.
I nodded and looked over at Milord Dankyun. He said nothing, and I did not press him about this matter. Seeing such a strange and dangerous dungeon, the possibility of them having died or fled before we arrived was quite high.
Even I was getting worried and felt the tingles of fear testing me. It was absurd after all to even believe that a Dungeon Lord who managed a pathetic human Magic Academy could build something as absurd as this dungeon.
I shook my head No! This has to be a trick of some sort! I thought and gripped the hilt of my sword.
“Do something about that oil and the ramp!” I ordered.
“Yes, sir!” came the reply from my soldiers.
Using more dirt, they covered it up and made it safe to walk upon. Without the oil, the ramp wasn’t that much of a big deal. We entered the corridor, but my soldiers didn’t move any farther than the edge of the ramp. The reason was simple: they had nowhere to move to.
Although there were some platforms ahead of us, they moved very fast, retreating and exiting the walls in the blink of an eye. There wasn’t even a visible door at the end, leading me to believe that it could only be some sort of puzzle here or a hidden lever.
“Milord, what do you think of this?” I asked him.
“Destroy the wall.” he ordered us.
I made a bow and then approached the edge of the ramp. Holding my hand up, I aimed for the wall on the other side and then chanted the short incantation for the [Fireball] spell. I added only a bit of my Magic Energy in it, but the effect should have been the desired one. Once the chant was over, the orb of fire formed in front of my palm. It flew towards the wall and exploded upon impact. It was a success! The wall was destroyed, blasted to pieces.
With a smirk, I ordered two of my men to use the platforms and reach the other side.
This turned out to be a rather easy obstacle to get past over. I thought in my mind as I watched he two skillfully jump from one platform to another, but just when they reached the last jump, something happened. The wall was covered in a shining light and the first soldier to jump was met with the fully repaired wall.
“NO! No no no!” he shouted trying to grab hold of something, but he plummeted into the hot, molten lava below. “YEARGH!” he screamed as his Magic Armor was shattered by the heat, and his body quickly caught fire.
The other was met with a similar fate when the platform was pulled from under his feet.
“NOOO!” he screamed as well and fell.
I watched as two more of my soldiers were eaten by this dungeon.
“What’s going on with this dungeon?” I asked myself through clenched teeth as I glared at the wall on the other side.
“What are you doing? Open the path already!” ordered Milord.
It was clearly not my fault that this accursed dungeon had so many traps, but the failure of my soldiers still fell heavily upon my shoulders. In Milord’s eyes, I was the one to blame for this. Their deaths was only a testament as my failure as their commander.
I won’t let a Dungeon make a fool out of me! I thought.
There had to be a way to get past this field of lava, but if there was a room behind the wall on that side, then surely there was a lever to open a secret passage to it. Every dungeon had one. Every floor had a logic, a maze with a single entrance and exit, but with multiple paths from one point to another. This was a rule no dungeon strayed away from, meaning there had to be a way to get through this, a way to open the path for Milord…
But what? I cringed my teeth and tried to analyze the room again. Where is it? I looked up, but there was nothing wrong with the ceiling Where did you hide it? there was nothing on the walls either Where? behind us was a clear path too, Does this mean that… I looked at the other end of the corridor. The platforms were identical. The walls were the same, but there had to be something off, something different.
“There must be a lever or a button hidden somewhere behind these walls. Start searching!” I ordered.
The soldiers searched around me, while Theyon, another commander approached me and patted me on the shoulder.
“Relax or you’ll grow wrinkles!” he said with a smirk.
“No time for either relaxing or growing wrinkles! We need to find out where that lever is hidden.” I said clenching the hilt of my sword.
Nodding, he patted me on the shoulder.
“Should I attempt to find one on those walls?” he asked me pointing at the platforms.
“Yes.” I told him.
With a smirk on his lips, he stepped away and made the first jump. He landed on the first platform and punched the wall, it cracked, but no hidden compartment could be seen there. At each platform, he repeated the process until he reached the last one. There, the piece of wall hiding the switch fell off, but he didn’t stop to press it. Nothing guaranteed the platforms would freeze in their place if he did so. He jumped on the wall at the end and back on the platform after it extended again. After pulling the lever there, he jumped on the platforms until he reached me.
Thanks to him, the wall at the end opened up.
“Good! Was it really that hard?” asked Milord as he walked by us, and with one jump, he reached the other side.
“No, Milord!” I replied with my head bowed.
I sacrificed three men already, and we aren’t even past the first floor! I thought, but I couldn’t say such traitorous things out loud… If I did, my head was the one to roll next.
After we passed the lava pit, we reached the next ridiculous part of the maze. It was something outrageous, something I had never seen or heard of before. The path we had to take to reach the other side was a maze of walking boards. Underneath us only a pit filled with deadly spikes awaited us. There were monsters here as well, harpies flying about and screeching at us.
Two of them attacked Milord, but he grabbed them by the neck and crushed them in his hands. They didn’t stand a chance against him, however, my soldiers were having trouble defending against them.
“Kill those things with ranged attacks! Form small groups and watch yourselves on the planks! Watch out for traps!” I ordered and the men spread apart.
“There are three paths here.” said Theyon.
“Take the right one. I’ll go left, and Zarus can take the front one. If we find the exit just come out and let Milord know about it. We’ll take a group of five soldiers each. The rest of them will stay here with Milord.” I ordered.
Zarus and Theyon nodded, and each of them selected their best five soldiers. I did the same and then one after another, we walked on the planks. As soon as we took our first step, one of the blasted harpies attacked my group and pushed one of my men off. The lad fell to his death, his screams were cut short as soon as he reached the bottom; his body was crushed by the fall and pierced by the spikes.
“Don’t back away and keep pushing!” I ordered them.
“Yes, sir!” came their reply from behind their shields.
I heard another scream, but I didn’t look to see what group was met with the unfortunate loss.
When I got close enough to the spawning location of the harpies, I aimed a [Seeker Fireball] at the opening and let it explode inside. That was it for the harpies. We only had to slay the rest, and we were in the clear.
“GYAAH!” screamed another soldier behind me.
Looking back, I saw the man spitting out blood and then fall off the ledge. His back was pierced by enchanted arrows that ignored his Magic Armor.
This dungeon is terrifying… I thought as I looked at the dead body below me. There was nothing I could do for him, so I pressed forward. We made sure to guard our backs as well for those sort of traps.
“NOO!” screamed another soldier, and I could only cringe my teeth.
This one wasn’t part of my group, but still…
Until we reached this blasted Magic Academy, we didn’t lose even one single soldier on our journey from Teslov to here! We fought bandits, monsters, sailed the seas and flew through the sky, but not even one fell prey to those dangers… I thought as I remembered with what ease we traversed an entire continent only to be struck down by a mere human Magic Academy.
It was shameful.
“That’s the end!” I told the soldiers behind me.
We quickened our pace and reached the door safely.
With a single push, we opened it and stepped inside. What we saw wasn’t an exit. It was a Boss Room. Harpies and imps glared at us, while the Minotaur in the middle huffed and raised its weapons up.
You have got to be kidding me… I told myself, but at the very least, it was an opponent we could handle.
“Kill them all!” I ordered and pointed my sword at the beasts.
The battle commenced. My soldiers stepped away and attacked the groups of harpies and imps. The monsters were acceptable for the first couple of floors, but still impossible to find on the first one of any dungeon.
While my men took care of the small fries, I jumped at the boss. Strengthening my body with a boost, I used [Dash] and plunged my sword in the beast’s belly. The cut was there, but it didn’t flinch. [Thousand Strikes] was next. The Minotaur stepped back and tried to block with its weapons, but it stood no chance. The rings that summoned the beasts were shattered and using [Lightning Dash], I slipped my way through its defenses and landed a strike right in its heart.
The beast was dead.
It was our complete victory.
“Good job!” I said with a smirk as I wiped the sword of the Minotaur’s blood.
“Sir! I think there’s something here!” said one of my soldiers.
“Be careful where you step in there.” I told him, but that was the last time I would get to talk with him.
At his first step in, countless small arrows flew at him, piercing his Magic Armor like it was nothing and stopping deep inside his flesh. They slipped through the cracks of his armor and killed him. The man fell on the ground without even shouting a scream.
I clenched my teeth at the thought of losing another soldier.
“Leave him there. We’ll return to Milord Dankyun and tell him this is a dead end.” I ordered them and walked out of the room, shield raised and prepared for a possible surprise attack.
Upon our return, the other groups had finished as well. Theyon lost all of his soldiers, while Zarus lost only one. It was a pathetic return, not one worthy of draconian commanders under a Supreme draconian.
“I found nothing on the left path, Milord.” I gave my report while kneeling in front of him.
“Right path led to Zarus’ group.” Theyon gave his report as well.
“Front path leads to the next floor.” said Zarus.
“Forward it is then.” Dankyun nodded and pointed his hand at the exit.
“As you command, Milord!” I said.
The entire group now followed him, while the injured soldiers tried to patch up their wounds as best as they could. Those with healing skills certainly came in handy right now.
When we reached the pit leading to the next floor, I saw how Theyon lost the rest of his soldiers. They all ended up crushed under a giant boulder, now cracked in half by a strong punch. It made me wonder whether our men were actually a pathetic bunch or if this dungeon was indeed that dangerous.
We lost so many and we just began to explore this place… I thought as I looked down the pit, where a puddle of water stained by draconian blood could be seen.
“I’ll set up the ladder.” Theyon said before taking a rope one from his Storage Crystal.
Using two big metal nails and his own fist, he secured it to the ground and then let it roll all the way down. It was a bit longer, so it landed in the water. Five soldiers used it first to make sure it was safe, Theyon followed next, then another five soldiers. They all climbed down safely and avoided the fall in the water pit.
When it was Dankyun’s turn, he didn’t need to use the ladder. Milord jumped from wall to wall until he reached the bottom, once more showing us the difference in strength and speed. I was the last to jump down, making sure no monster or trap was triggered after us.
What awaited us was a strange, twisted maze, and at the very entrance of it was a scene worthy of turning even a warrior’s stomach upside down…
“Dungeon Lord! I’m going to KILL YOU! DO YOU HEAR ME?! I’LL DESTROY YOU FOR THIS!” shouted Milord Dankyun.
“Huh? Sorry! Did you say something? I wasn’t paying attention. Anyway, have fun in my maze!” the voice of the Dungeon Lord was heard coming from behind us.
We all turned around, but we didn’t see anything over there, however, our ladder vanished and slippery oil poured on the walls from the top, making the journey back up at the very least troublesome. He wanted to trap us here, to kill us.
By the gods… in what sort of dungeon did we land ourselves in? I asked myself as I felt a shiver of fear running through my whole body.
Indeed, for the first time since I stepped in this place, I felt fear…
[Illsyore’s point of view]
Sometime before the two assassins entered my dungeon.
I found Nanya standing on top of my Green Crystal body moving at a slow speed through the tunnel. The slippery rollers prevented her from jumping down and pushing me from behind, so she had to drag us both by using the ceiling. Thanks to her inhuman strength, the feat was much easier to accomplish than it would have been if she were just a simple human villager. Either way, it was quite clear she needed my help.
“Sorry for being late!” I told her and quickly used [Telekinezy] to push my body and guide it on the right path.
“Welcome back, Illsy! I was this close to shattering your useless body to pieces! Couldn’t you have built a mine cart or something?” she asked glaring at me.
“As I said before, I had a moment of lag when I built this…” I confessed.
Indeed, a mine cart would have made things much easier and simpler, but in all due honesty, I had no idea how I could build it. My mind only went around the idea of using [Create a Room] to create each individual part and then assemble it. It sounded very troublesome, but not impossible.
“Anyway, I opened the dungeon, now I just have to set myself up…” I told her.
“I’m going to undo my seal as well. It’s going to take a while, unfortunately…” she shook her head and crossed her hands at her chest.
“How long?” I asked.
“I don’t know. It’s been some time since I last did it, and the more you keep yourself sealed the harder it is to unseal yourself.” she tilted her head to the left, knitted her brow and sighed.
“Who sealed you?”
“I did… I don’t really like my real form…” she shook her head and looked down.
“I see…”
There was no need to press the question any further, it was clear that it was something she didn’t want to talk about, but it did make me curious about it. My imagination was already running wild by creating different versions of her, most of them inspired by anime and manga, but I highly doubted any of them approached the real thing. Also, one of them had shark teeth, bunny ears, and lots of tentacles, which freaked me out a bit. I had no idea where that came from, but the one with the nekomini maid outfit looked cute.
Ten minutes later, we arrived at my room. Nanya jumped off and took a good look at everything around here. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary about it, I didn't had time to lay down decorations. It was just a big circular room, quite spacious too. My body was positioned at the very back of it. Numerous AGLMC Lasers were spread around the room, capable of aiming at any point on the floor. These were far stronger than what I had back at the academy. Just one of these things was powerful enough to shred to pieces the Magic Armor of a Master Rank in one shot. I probably needed two for an Emperor. They were slightly stronger than the other ones placed inside the dungeon with the purpose of lowering Dankyun’s armor.
Once he reached the maze, I planned on using small spells to force him to attack and use up his Magic Energy. I had no idea how many of those crystals he had on him, so it was best if I did everything I could to weaken him.
After placing my body in the designated location, I rechecked all of the defenses and attack mechanisms I designed for this room. Besides the lasers, I also had enchanted Inconel shields that popped up from the ground in front of my body. An Electric Power Crystal was placed there with the sole purpose of electrifying the floor.
Everything else depended on my spells. This time, I was prepared to meet Dankyun with my auras fully charged and spells ready to blast a hole through him. Unfortunately, the maze in this dungeon wasn’t finished yet. I didn’t have enough time to do it, therefore, it was now or never.
“I’m going to increase the room size and create a bunch of summoning circles with [Create Basic Summoning Circle for <Type> <Number> monster], but first, I’m going to upgrade this skill. Status.” I said, and the screen appeared before me.
[Level]: 86
[Strength]: 200+1000
[Agility]: 150+1000
[Intelligence]: 225+1000
[Magic Energy]: 8120
[Magic Energy Regeneration]: 30 Magic Energy Points per Second
[Available points]: 295
[Available skill points]: 180
Without delay, I used 250 points in my Magic Regeneration, and how 25 points meant 1 point per second, this boosted my Magic Regeneration to 40 points per second. Everything else was added to Intelligence, a total of 45 points, granting me another 225 Magic Energy points to my total pool.
The last thing I did was use up my skill points.
I selected [Infernal Glacier X10] and chose to improve it.
The price was 25 Skill Points for each level.
[Infernal Glacier X10] > [Infernal Glacier X20] > [Infernal Glacier X30] > [Infernal Glacier X30] <Cost reduced by 25% and Power increased by 10%> >[Infernal Glacier X50]
These four levels depleted 100 Skill Points, but I still had 80 left.
I chose to improve it again, but this upgrade required 50 Skill Points.
I agreed and received:
[Infernal Glacier X60] <Damage Doubled. Liquid Fire Splatter Area Doubled. Cost Reduced by 50%>
A big wide grin appeared on my face the moment I saw this. I had only 5 skill points left, but it was TOTALLY worth it.
Now the skill told me the following thing in the description:
[Infernal Glacier X60] <Creates 60 spears of ice with jagged tips covered entirely in liquid fire. The core of the spear is 150 degrees below the water freezing point. The liquid fire is over 4500 degrees above the water freezing point. Upon impact, the liquid fire spreads and sticks to the target, while the jagged tip of the ice spear detonates inside. Improvement ability: The damage done by each Infernal Glacier Spear is doubled. Liquid Fire spreads twice as far upon detonation. Cost: 100 Magic Energy Points>
One cast of this spell was the equivalent of 6 casts of [Infernal Glacier X10] and two times cheaper.
Thus, I ended up with the following stats:
[Level]: 86
[Strength]: 200+1000
[Agility]: 150+1000
[Intelligence]: 270+1000
[Magic Energy]: 8345
[Magic Energy Regeneration]: 40 Magic Energy Points per Second
[Available points]: 0
[Available skill points]: 5
Totally worth it! I thought with a smile.
“Well?” Nanya asked raising an eyebrow.
“I’m done with my upgrades… I’m going to go improve this level quickly and then head inside to talk with Ayuseya and Shanteya about the upcoming battle. What are you going to do?” I asked her.
“I’m going to sit down here and meditate because I want this seal off before I face Dankyun.” she replied with a shrug and did just that.
Nanya sat down crossing her legs and entering the Lotus position. I blinked a bit surprised when I saw her, but I shrugged and then headed off to fix this level.
Since I couldn’t finish all the walls and traps I had initially planned, all was left was to spam traps and monsters. First of all, I increased the room size by adding another six meters to it. In the area between the laser optimal zone and the wall, I placed as many summoning circles as I could, pouring at least 2000 Magic Energy Points in each one of them. I also made sure the circles were set to spawn two monsters worth 1000 points each.
On the outside wall, I connected the remaining maze walls and added a few quick traps to it. With my increased Magic Energy Regeneration, thing went much faster than I initially anticipated. It was practically double when compared to the first day when I came into this world.
From my point of view, it was clear that I rushed things over here, but I doubted someone like Dankyun or his soldiers could notice this. At best, they would only believe they reached a much easier part of my maze.
I returned to my Inner Mind and headed straight to Shanteya and Ayuseya. The two of them were together and talking about something.
Master! Are you alright? asked Shanteya worried the very moment she saw me there.
I’m fine. We managed to flee safely, and we’re now inside my dungeon. I told them with a smile.
I understand. Master, I… Shanteya stopped herself from finishing what she had to say and looked back at Ayuseya. No, it’s best you speak with her first. My matter can wait… the beautiful el’doraw nodded and pulled back away from me.
Blinking surprised, I looked over at Ayuseya and approached her.
Sorry, I didn’t keep my word… I told her and looked down.
Illsy… she said and then something amazing happened.
Ayuseya flew over to me, she lifted my chin up and then kissed me. She was a bit clumsy with her kiss, but it was a true sincere one without any strings attached, without any chains to hold it back. She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me closer to her as we shared our second kiss, but this time, I was the one leading.
The mood was so pleasant and relaxing, I completely forgot about Dankyun and his band of rats, but it wasn’t a bad thing. I found out I enjoyed kissing Ayuseya just as much as I did Shanteya. Holding her in my arms and feeling her big chest pressed on mine brought a comfy feeling in my heart. The dragoness was gentle in her embrace, but so was I.
I then remembered my dream where Alina showed me that picture with her and then with Ayuseya, Shanteya, and Nanya. I guess, I made my pick. I loved Alina, but our journey together was over. She was in her own world, back on Earth, and I had three lovely women waiting for me here. It wasn’t hard to pick between them, it was just that deep inside, I still held tight to my relationship with Alina, and this didn’t let me completely devote myself to the new love I found here. Indeed, it wasn’t one that took years to form. It had some very strange and unique circumstances, but in the end, what mattered was the pure, untainted feelings between us.
What matters is how you felt when you opened your heart chakra to her… This was what my friend used to say, although, I never understood the full meaning of his words. Maybe he was referring to this deep connection I'm feeling right now, which in a way feels like a flow of unrestricted energy? I thought and then opened my eyes.
[Spouse: Ayuseya Drekar Pleyades – Eligibility for [Bond of Trust] confirmed.]
[Do you wish to apply [Bond of Trust] on Spouse: Ayuseya Drekar Pleyades? Y/N]
Yes… I thought and the message vanished.
Looking now in Ayuseya’s eyes, I noticed something strange. I found her cute expression with a soft smile on her lips to be both charming and attractive.
Were you always this beautiful? I asked her as I moved my fingers through her red hair.
It was strange how I never noticed something as remarkable as this until now.
Maybe, but I guess this confirms it… she said and looked down.
What? I asked.
You asked me if I can trust you, if I can truly trust you… What you did for me today. What you did for me ever since I came to this academy: saving me from assassins, curing me of my curses, and protecting me from Dankyun… These are things nobody else would have dared to do even if they knew they could… she smiled softly and cupped my cheeks in her palms. Illsy, I know I’m not worthy, but I think I love you, and I wish to become your wife. she shook her head. No, you are the only one I can accept as my husband… The only one to whom I wish to devote myself fully and if this means trusting you with my entire being, then so be it! she declared with a soft smile, tears pouring down on her cheeks.
When faced with a confession like this, how could I say no? I nodded and kissed her again.
A moment later, our lips parted, and I told her Then I will do everything I can to accept your love and reply to it with my own.
In the end, to love was the ability to feel that strange attraction deep inside your chest towards another being. The feeling was like a hurricane of positive energies, constantly swirling and cutting of your breath. You wished to be besides that other person, and you felt completely opened towards them. A full trust and understanding for one another bloomed from this energy. The connection was made when the other replied.
In my case, Ayuseya started it, and I replied to it by letting it appear in my soul as well. I also felt the same thing for Shanteya and maybe even for Nanya too. Where it would lead us, it remained to be seen, but for now, it was enough to begin our relationship, and I had other matters to take care off.
Ayuseya, I’m not going to give you back to Dankyun. After this, I won’t even think about it. You, Shanteya, and Nanya… I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath as I prepared myself for this declaration. You are all my women, my lovers, and my friends! I want to be with all of you and out of any other man's embrace! It may be selfish of me to desire such a thing, but if you three were brought before me like this, then surely even the gods approve of my love towards you three! So yes, I want you all!
That would make me very happy! came Ayuseya’s reply.
Me too, Master! said Shanteya.
All that was left was Nanya, but I had yet to discover the way to get her to trust me or rather what she was afraid off in regard with myself.
Well now, with that settled. You both have [Bond of Trust] activated and set to maximum, meaning Shanteya gets 50% of my stats, and Ayuseya 70%. This means that Ayuseya has the same strength and speed as a Supreme, and Shanteya a lower Supreme. I explained to them.
Supreme? But how can that be? Ayuseya asked confused.
It’s my ability. My spouses whom I love and trust, and also who naturally and selflessly love and trust me in return receive the equivalent of 70% of my power. I explained with a smile.
To trust me with such a power… Ayuseya shook her head I don’t know if I am worthy… she said.
I see no reason as to why I should be afraid or deny it either. I said and embraced her. I even pulled Shanteya in You are both my lovely women, whom I trust with my life and power! Only time will tell us if you don’t, but so far, I believe you do and hope this will never change!
Thank you… said Ayuseya.
Likewise… blushed Shanteya.
Speaking of which, what did you want to ask? I looked at my cute el’doraw slave.
Master, the two el’doraw sisters who came here with Dankyun… I wish to cross daggers with them. They are after me. It’s their missions, and I wish to make it clear that I hold no desire of ever leaving your side and returning to that place! she declared with her hand over her heart.
I see… I looked down for a moment, but I knew that if she really wanted to do this, I had no right to say ‘No’ to her. Besides, I trusted that she had both the strength and ability to defeat those two. Very well! I’ll allow it! But, if things get messy, call me. Alright? I told her.
She nodded and kissed my cheek.
Illsy, I also wish to fight. Ayuseya said all of a sudden.
Erm, I don’t think you can defeat Dankyun… I told her.
The dragoness shook her head.
Not Dankyun, but his Emperor Rank commanders. They don’t hold any sort of loyalty towards the Pleyades Royal family, and I believe they plan to dethrone us. If I can, I won’t allow such a thing to come to pass! she declared clenching her fist.
Erm, I see, but there is a big difference between the two of you. At the very least Shanteya trained in order to properly control her sudden boost in strength, but you were sealed your entire life… I warned her.
Yes, I know. That’s why I won’t ask to go alone, but for you to accompany me as well… I want to prove I’m not the same weak little princess as they believe me to be! she declared with fire burning in her eyes.
I honestly didn’t know what to say to her. If I said yes, Ayuseya could end up in a bigger trouble thanks to the simple fact that she couldn’t control her power. The one who came to my rescue, however, was Shanteya.
Princess, with all due respect, I don’t believe you can do it. Your Magic Armor is far weaker even than that of an Intermediary Rank. Those commanders have both the strength and military experience to defeat you. I speak from experience because I also know what it means to receive Illsy’s boost in strength and speed. You are not ready yet, Ayuseya.
The draconian princess looked a bit disappointed, but she accepted her fate and nodded. It wasn’t her time yet, that was all…
I understand, I may have been a bit too excited because of how strong you said I am now… she showed me a small smile.
After this whole thing is over, I’ll take my time and train you properly, Princess. said Shanteya.
So be it then! she nodded.
There’s still time until they get here. I can let you out meanwhile and enchant your dress so it doesn’t break if you use your full strength in it. I told her.
Very well. Just so you know, I don’t mind being seen naked by you, but I would dislike to be gazed upon by other men. she replied with a giggle.
That being said, I released both of them and enchanted Ayuseya’s clothes to survive her sudden boost in strength. Nanya didn’t even open her eyes to look at us, she continued to meditate and focus on releasing her seal.
“Someone is approaching my dungeon…” I told them when the two el’doraw assassins discovered the entrance.
“Master?” asked Shanteya with a bit of worry in her eyes.
“I’ll prepare the grounds for you… Get ready.”
“Yes, Master!”
And so, the battle began… as for their stats. This was what I saw in both of their status windows:
[Name]: Ayuseya Drekar Pleyades
[Species]: Hybrid of Draconian and True Dragon
[Race]: Gold
[Level]: 48
[Strength]: 224+840
[Agility]: 200+805
[Intelligence]: 216+889
[Magic Energy]: 5525+5841.5
[Magic Energy regeneration]: 0.33+28 points per second
[Bond of Trust] <70%> Change? Y/N
[Available points]: 0
[Skills] > List all skills? Y/N
[Available skill points]: 0
[Allegiance]: Omniak Drekar Gladarash, God of the Ancient Dragons
[Spouses]: Illsyore
[Slaves]: None
[Pets]: None
[Minions]: None
_____________
[Name]: Shanteya Dowesyl <Slave name not selected> slave of [Illsyore]
[Species]: El’doraw
[Race]: Albino <Rare>
[Level]: 78
[Strength]: 246+600
[Agility]: 321+575
[Intelligence]: 144+635
[Magic Energy]: 3895+4172.5
[Magic Energy regeneration]: 1.5+20 points per second
[Bond of Trust] <50%> Change? Y/N
[Available points]: 0
[Skills] > List all skills? Y/N
[Available skill points]: 0
[Allegiance]: Brasil, God of Shadows; Illsyore, Godlike Dungeon Lord
[Spouses]: None
[Slaves]: None
[Pets]: None
[Minions]: None