Chapter 453: A Date in a Dragon’s Lair

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Chapter 453: A Date in a Dragon’s Lair

For a draconic lair, the submerged cave was underwhelming. Rich in shipwreck fragments and skeletons, it was poor in actual treasure. Metal coins, a handful of gemstones, and tattered fabrics hardly amounted to the hoard Priam had hoped for.

As he opened a papyrus half-digested by bacteria, Esmée called out to him through their mental bridge. 

“I found something.”

Swimming toward the back of the cavern, Priam frowned as the water grew cloudy. Dense with particles he preferred not to name. Had he been able to breathe, the scent of the fouled environment would surely have made him retch. Or perhaps I can smell?

Driven by curiosity, Priam took a shallow breath. Just enough to circulate water through his nasal cavity, not enough for it to reach his lungs. Only, aside from a mildly unpleasant burning sensation, he felt nothing. The odor molecules must be dissolved in the water, and my olfactory sensors can’t latch onto them. I wonder how fish manage?

He forgot the question when, upon spitting the water out, a revolting taste coated his tongue. The liquid did nothing to stop his taste buds from informing him that the Terror whose corpse he had used to block the entrance had not possessed a latrine.

The polluted cloud vanished abruptly, held at bay by a golden barrier. Priam joined Esmée, who was staring downward. Toward bubbles rising swiftly to the ceiling.

Feeling a warm current brush against his skin, Priam raised an eyebrow. “A natural jacuzzi?”

“The beast’s bed.”

Rather than sleeping on feathers or sand, the Terror had chosen a hot spring.

“Comfy. Do you think the hardness of its carapace is related to this?”

“That’s what my aether sight suggests.”

“Hum?”

Under [Ideal Aether Perception], each bubble carried a considerable amount of energy. Listening to the skill, Priam tried to analyze it.

As a fundamental building block of the world, primordial fluid permeated every atom, and high concentrations often indicated a specific effect. For example, when a protective rune infused a material with aether, its function was easy to intuit: structural reinforcement. Still, it remained an educated guess.

After a minute, Priam thought he perceived a shifting structure within the bubbles’ aether. Yet, he had no idea what it did.

“Not going to lie, I see something, but I couldn’t tell you what.”

“It will come with practice. As a child, I spent weeks staring at my father’s portrait before I could distinguish two patterns. The amber paint radiated majesty. The red, an intimidating aura. I later learned they were, respectively, sap from a millennia-old tree and the blood of a titanic feline.”

“Aether governs the world, and runes aren’t the only way to manipulate it,” Priam mused, thinking of Sna’s alchemy and Concepts.

“Exactly. Recognizing these patterns is seeing the world as it truly is.”

“And what do you see here?”

“Evolution?” The princess frowned. “Adaptation? I don’t have a word for it, but this spring was born from a local concentration of Valaryth’s Concept.”

With those words, Esmée extended her hand, palm down. Guided by a sequence of improbably stochastic events, an air bubble leapt from marine updraft to marine updraft before bursting against her open palm. The trapped aether rushed into her pores and vanished into her body.

A spasm ran through her before she stiffened, seized by what looked like a full-body cramp. She would have sunk if Priam had not caught her and pulled her away from the bubbles.

“Esmée?!”

In his arms, the princess fluttered her lashes, then smiled. “I just gained one point in constitution.”

Priam sighed in relief when he saw she was unharmed. Then, strongly aware of their closeness, he released her.

“Good for you, but I’d rather build resistances for that. Still, you should make the most of it,” he encouraged. “I’ll guard the lair’s entrance. Just in case.”

At Esmée’s instruction, he had used a kinetic drill to carve enchantments of divinatory obscuration and camouflage, ensuring the Terrors prowling nearby waters would not detect him.

Esmée shook her head, and the water shaped her pale-gold hair into a flowing mane. “This aether wants to reinforce my bones, and without an existing structure, it does so in the most primitive way. On the other hand, you have a System resistance…”

“You mean—”

Hope stirring, Priam swam toward the hot spring and grabbed a bubble. It burst, releasing energy that seeped into his pores, then into his veins, traveling to the bones of his fingers. There, it vanished, leaving no immediate effect beyond sharp pain. Like an injection of acid in his bone marrow. Not acid; distilled Valaryth Concept.

Suppressing a grimace, Priam recalled Esmée’s stoicism. The princess bore pain with an indifference that betrayed a tragic past.

Setting the thought aside, Priam focused on his aether-infused hand. Another would have felt nothing, but the Juggernaut was a resistance specialist. Despite the System’s silence, he was certain he had gained something… Experience, for lack of a better word. I’m pretty sure I’m closer to the next level of [Sun Steel Body] than I was a moment ago. 

[Potential required to level up [Sun Steel Body]: 481.
Fifteen seconds ago: 623.]

At every instant, his addon spammed the System to keep his progress updated. A routine dating back to his encounter with Ève; by monitoring the Potential required for [Memory Manipulation Resistance], he ensured he was never controlled without realizing it. This trick wouldn’t work if the Fae used a piercing skill, but it was better than nothing.

Priam grabbed a second bubble. Then another. On the fourth, something changed in his hand.

Lvl Up: [Sun Steel Body] lvl 37
CONST +6
META (Endurance) +3

[Tribulation]: One attribute above 2 800 was detected in Tier 0.

A Tribulation is coming.

Time: 51 days 4 hours 58 minutes 39 seconds.

“It works!” 

Esmée did not reply. Eyes closed, she appeared to be meditating.

Curiosity wrestling with gallantry, Priam hesitated to look away. Before he could decide, he sensed a wave of aether flood the young woman’s body. She opened her eyes and smiled at him.

“Let’s welcome my new skill: [Obsidian Bones]. My policy is to preserve my Potential for later Tiers, but the opportunity compelled me to make an exception.”

“Opportunity makes the thief,” quoted Priam.

“I am no thief.”

“I didn’t mean—That’s a proverb.”

“Oh. I’ll remember it.” She clenched and unclenched her fist, delight plain on her face. “I already feel sturdier.”

“Gaining a new resistance is the most addictive thing I know. Better than sex,” Priam laughed.

“I wouldn’t know.”

The two swam toward the center of the thermal spring. Warm currents tried to lift them until Priam anchored himself with kinetic control. Esmée used solid aether vines. Beneath them, fissures leaked an orange glow and a myriad of bubbles. Priam grabbed one and pressed it to his face.

Using Micro to filter the pain caused by aether infusion, Priam took his first breath in hours. [Breathless] deactivated; the Juggernaut no longer needed to bleed aether for oxygen.

Satisfied with his training regimen, Priam lay back on the warm rock. Currents rising from Valaryth’s depths began to massage his skin like countless miniature geysers. A pleasant treatment, conducive to relaxation.

Lvl Up: [Sun Steel Body] lvl 38
CONST +6
META (Endurance) +3

Anyone else would have savored the moment. It took less than thirty seconds for Priam to frown. One minute later, he was growling at the intolerable situation he was enduring: the bubbles were not caressing his buttocks. Beyond the physical injustice of enjoying no massage, the part of his anatomy covered by his 2die4 boxers was not benefiting from the spring’s magic. As a result, the reinforcement of his pelvic bones was blocked. In the long run, that could mean the equivalent of one lost level. Unacceptable for the Juggernaut.

Exasperated, Priam propped himself on one elbow and looked at Esmée. Cubes of solid aether captured bubbles and pressed them against the princess’s arms, face, and collarbones. She still wore her silver gown, spread around her like flower petals—or like a sea anemone’s tentacles, the fabric soaked through. A mischievous current lifted the hem by a few centimeters, revealing that she was seated in seiza, Japanese-style. As such, the bubbles could only reach her legs—and potentially her backside, depending on her undergarments—but not her stomach or back, covered by the form-fitting top of the dress.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” he asked.

Esméralda opened her eyes and nodded. “We should compress and reinforce these bubbles before injecting them into our veins, so the radiation reaches our entire bodies.”

“…Or we could simply undress.”

Esmeralda tilted her head to the side, then summoned her grimoire.

Struck by a bad premonition, Priam asked, “What is that for?”

“To sentence you to a month of hiccups.”

“I unlocked Micro.”

“Which will allow you to suppress the reflex for a few hours each day,” countered the mistress of the butterfly effect. “When you are awake.”

The Juggernaut knew how to recognize a battle not worth fighting. “…I swear my intentions are pure, and that I will not spy on you. Let us not allow prudishness to hinder our progress.”

Esmée frowned. “I do not know that word. But among the Empyreans, nudity outside of marriage is taboo. Only prostitutes, slaves, and infants may be seen or encountered naked. Conversely, anyone caught naked with someone other than their spouse is condemned to prostitution. Men included.”

“You would follow the customs of a diseased society?”

“My father was the most blighted fruit of our civilization, yet even he was prone to uttering the occasional truth. Just as the sage is liable to err. This theorem may be generalized to an entire society,” Esmée retorted.

“A point in your favor. Still, without wishing to moralize, the punishments you mentioned remain barbaric.”

The princess nodded. “I concede that point. Nevertheless, it changes nothing about my view of nudity. If you wish to undress me, you will have to marry me.”

“I can imagine worse fates.” Priam winked as he saw the princess blush. “Alright, what about a wall between us? We do not see each other, we do not share space. I can offer you nothing better, unless I were to shackle my own fertile imagination.”

Esmée sketched a smile. “I shall invoke the wall.”

A minute later, a veil of light stood between the two Champions.

After confirming that the separation extended into the infrared and ultraviolet spectra, Priam undressed completely and lay down against the ground. Feeling the benefits of the spring seep into his entire body to reinforce his whole skeleton, he relaxed…

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Lvl Up: [Sun Steel Body] lvl 39,..., 42
CONST +24
META (Endurance) +12

Priam awoke from his nap feeling his progress slow, then halt. A Micro scan confirmed that the bubbles were still pouring aether into him, but without effect. Perhaps his bones had attained the maximum fortitude permitted by an Epic skill. The remaining levels would have to be bestowed upon the rest of his anatomy. Or perhaps, it was not that Valaryth’s Concept could take him no further, but that the spring itself was too weak. It could be a matter of purity… or density?

With a thought, Priam unleashed his kinetic mastery to widen the fissures at the heart of the hot spring. Stone cracked, the cavern trembled, but the rock ultimately gave way. Shoving aside a block weighing several tons, Priam glimpsed an exposed vein of orange metal. Then his aether sight corrected him: the material was a blend of a Concept shard and solid aether.

An inch of such a treasure could sell for thousands of Sun Points at auction. Here, it was a vein plunging into Valaryth’s depths, potentially for kilometers. A conservative estimate placed the mine’s value at several billion Sun Points.

The greed in Priam’s heart died the instant he noticed an enchantment protecting the spring’s origin. A few runes arranged to form a stylized dragon. Vertex.

Stifling a sigh, the Juggernaut placed his hand on the orange vein and grimaced as an immense force reverberated through his body before withdrawing.

Lvl Up: [Sun Steel Body] lvl 43
CONST +6
META (Endurance) +3

Having harvested all he could from the thermal spring, Priam emerged with a smile playing upon his lips, his mind alight with the tally of his spoils. To plunder a draconic lair was an endeavor as perilous as it was providential. To think that some aspire to be dragon riders. I’d rather be a dragon raider!

With a look of quiet satisfaction, he turned toward the shimmering wall of light that still stood firm. Esmée had yet to conclude her tempering. Lacking the [Homo Elysian Obsession] to bolster her adaptation, the Empyrean would require far more time than he to advance her new resistance to the point of saturation.

After dressing, Priam began weaving a mental bridge to offer her a race upgrade, then remembered their earlier conversation. The young woman did not wish to be seen naked, which was unavoidable when [Primogenitor] projected them into a mental space. That was likely the source of her discomfort. Damn, it’s absurd to miss an upgrade over this… but I suppose we all draw lines around what we’re willing to do for power.

Shrugging, Priam split his attention in two. One part linked to his addon to review Colosseum matches and pursue avenues of improvement. After all, he fully intended to reach wave 95 without cheating. And to beat it.

A parallel thought focused on his current progress and the implications of the day’s revelation. The hot spring had been a remarkable surprise. Seven levels in an ideal epic skill were normally the result of clutch moments in lethal combat, brutal training, or repeated use of [He Who Eludes Death]. Even then, it took weeks. I underestimated the value of resources. The Seven did not place Valaryth so close to the Champions’ spawn for nothing.

It was possible that other Terrors—or the locals—guarded resources just as valuable. Perhaps springs that strengthened parts other than his bones? Enough to elevate [Sun Steel Body] to legendary rank and push him toward creating his Matter gate. Or benefits targeting resistances beyond compression. [Shear Resistance] also needed attention, and Priam still lacked [Bending Resistance], [Torsion Resistance], and [Tension Resistance].

Smiling at the future, Priam gathered his thoughts and ordered his addon to simulate a fight against Paakrux the naga. A second later, the illusion of the Colosseum boss appeared, and the Juggernaut began striking the air, pummeling his imaginary foe.

The second Reunion was approaching, and he had not a second to waste.

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Lvl Up: [Shadow Boxing] lvl 24
STR +1
AGI +1
DEXT +1

The veil tore open a few hours later. After touching the vein herself, Esmée followed Priam toward the exit. As he prepared to push aside the corpse of the Sixth Terror, the young woman seized his arm.

“Wait. I sense a threat to my life.” She drew out her grimoire. As she flipped through it, her expression grew increasingly troubled, until she emitted an unladylike sound. “Two Terrors are lying in ambush.”

“Oh. Is that all?”

“The Second Terror is here.” She swallowed. “A Tier 1 Prince.”

“Yeah. I’m not worried.”

“You think we can take it together?”

“Oh no, one of us will die,” Priam replied, tapping his left chest. “But it will be me.”

A minute later, the two Champions emerged into the oceanic abyss and split apart. The princess quickly ascended toward the surface while Priam shrouded himself in flames. Pyro’s tyranny was such that the Concept burned even underwater.

Bright as a lighthouse in the night, Priam triggered [Echolocation] at maximum power, drawing the attention of half the ocean. Behind him, a mass clinging to the cliff face began to crawl upward, pursuing Esmée.

Promesse pierced its tail as easily as a nail crucifying an unfortunate soul. Priam had spared the Fifth Terror for one reason alone: to locate its lair later. Even so, he spared it not a glance, focused entirely on the presence before him.

Less than a hundred meters away, against the black backdrop of the depths, an eye appeared. The rest of the body remained invisible as a colossal runic formation materialized beneath Priam.

The Juggernaut deciphered its effect at a glance: superimpose a gravitational singularity—or the closest approximation a Tier 1 glyph could achieve—to a targeted individual. Dodging was meaningless. Shields were useless. The instant the array triggered, someone would die.

The formation activated. 

Priam felt as though a giant hand were forcing his body into a funnel, compressing and stretching him like spaghetti. Then he heard a strange cracking sound. His mind understood it was his skull an instant before a shard of bone tore through his brain.

From the start of the battle until the moment [He Who Eludes Death] activated, Priam never took his cloudy eyes off the Second Terror. In them burned a promise. Soon, I will come for you as well.

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[Tribulation]: Two Tribulations pending.

Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 1 200 / 6 attributes > 1 600 / 3 attributes > 2 000 / 3 attributes > 2 800 / 1 attribute > 3 200

Time: 51 days 2 hours 29 minutes 14 seconds.

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Esmée - waiting for Priam