96. Dragon

Lucia, who had been hesitating for a moment, spoke.

“How could I possibly beat Yulian-nim half to death…”

Rosette’s reaction was similar.

“T-there’s no way I could do that to you, Yulian!”

I had already told them I would spar with them, but I don’t think they expected me to ask them to go that hard on me.

‘Since both of them like me, it’ll be hard for them to attack me for real.’

But that wouldn’t do. Time was running out, and I absolutely had to master the breath within that time.

‘Like dropping a baby lion off a cliff. I need some very intense training. That’s why I came all the way to this primeval forest.’

I wasn’t joking. Those two really had to push me to the point of being half-dead.

Only by pushing my limits to the maximum like that could I extend that 30-second dragonification time.

Also, both of them were powerhouses of Pantheon and heroines with an S-rank destiny.

So, if those two were to seriously fight me, even I would feel threatened by their teamwork.

‘Both of them have improved a lot since the Demon Subjugation War.’

Lucia and I had risked our lives together against Leister. Rosette, too, had fought against the demon beast soldiers led by Olivia for days on end.

I had seen Lucia’s skills firsthand, and I had heard that Rosette’s firepower was also amazing.

Lilia’s tactical instructions were quite difficult, but.

I heard from Lilia that she had defeated the demon beast soldiers with the Black Magic Wand’s mobility and the immense firepower from her True Blood Witch blood.

That wasn’t all. I subtly checked the weapons they were carrying.

——-

「Black Magic Wand made from the World Tree – Yuli」

* Rank: Legend

* Details: A special magic wand made from the branches of the World Tree. It was made by modeling a part of the body of someone with a special destiny. The Black Magic Wand also evolves according to its owner’s destiny.

* Performance: Can temporarily buff the user’s Mana Heart. The effect is doubled when injecting magical energy. Output is more than three times higher than a normal magic wand. Can be used for various purposes.

..

..

——-

First, Rosette’s magic wand. The Black Cock Wand, no, the Black Magic Wand that I made for her myself.

‘Because of the voice, no, the Curse of Cnoia, I wasn’t in my right mind, but…’

The strange art I was into at the time actually seemed to temporarily block the curse, like Aylin’s care.

An artist’s skills improve as they meet people who recognize their world.

Although my works were not recognized as art in this era, Rosette alone acknowledged that bizarre world.

Thus, the magic wand made with affection for Rosette was the Black Magic Wand.

‘It wasn’t just an ordinary object.’

Now its rank was Legend. It was a handmade magic wand that I made, but this magic wand was like a wizard’s familiar.

Because it was an object that was modeled after my precious thing.

So, whenever my destiny, which had to face the foretold destruction, grew stronger, the magic wand also seemed to gain power.

‘But what does “can be used for various purposes” mean…’

The system was also a special divine spell from the ancient empire. So, I could even see the nickname that Rosette secretly gave to the Black Magic Wand.

‘Yuli, huh? It’s a very cute name for such a hideous cock-shaped magic wand.’

It was definitely a nickname modeled after my name, but perhaps Rosette called my name longingly every night while using the Black Magic Wand.

Anyway, what was more important was the explanation before that. The Black Magic Wand was a special object that could temporarily buff the user’s Mana Heart.

The magic wand, which perfectly reproduced all the reddish blood vessels unique to my cock, created a special enhancement effect like my Mana Heart.

‘And in the first place, Rosette also has a special True Blood Witch lineage like my Reinhardt bloodline.’

So, training with her would definitely be a great help to me.

Rosette was currently a pure 5th Circle magician. But with her special constitution and the magic wand’s buff, she could temporarily use 6th Circle power like me.

‘She can unleash the power of a High Witch.’

In terms of swordsmen, it was equivalent to an Aura Master.

Of course, the circle of the Mana Heart doesn’t represent all of an individual’s strength, but Rosette’s magical theory and proficiency were also so outstanding that she was called a genius throughout the Order’s history.

So, not only was she the best training partner, but Rosette was also the best party member to enter Grius’s hideout with.

‘Next is Lucia.’

I checked Lucia’s sword in the same way as Rosette.

***

Lucia’s sword was originally a standard Imperial sword.

Unlike me, who used a longsword, she used a rapier. But now she was holding a different sword.

——-

「Wanderer’s Sword Akierin」

* Rank: Legend

* Details: A special rapier made of ice crystal stone. It is chosen by the previous user to be the next owner.

* Performance: Temporarily increases the speed of rotation that lasts in the user’s Mana Heart. Akierin absorbs the recoil. Mana can be transferred through the selection of the previous user.

..

..

——-

‘Akierin,’ huh.

Lucia had started carrying a special sword since the Demon Subjugation War.

The Wanderer’s Sword Akierin. As the system explained, its rank was Legend, so it wasn’t an ordinary sword.

A special sword made of ice crystal stone. Moreover, it seemed to be a special sword that chose its owner, passed down from the previous owner.

‘Lucia hardly ever talks about her personal life to me, but…’

I knew where she got this sword. Before becoming a foster daughter of the Meiga family. Lucia, who lived in the slums of the south, had a swordsmanship teacher.

Lucia’s mother, who was abandoned by Duke Pedro. A nameless swordsman who fell in love with that mother and protected Lucia’s mother and Lucia in the slums.

‘I don’t know who he is yet, but he doesn’t seem like an ordinary person.’

It seemed that she had received this special sword as a gift from that swordsman.

‘But she must have only been able to use it relatively recently.’

Since it was a special sword of Legend rank, there was no way she could use it easily. Lucia’s skills had improved dramatically after learning Lucia-style with me.

And being able to use Akierin would be a great help to both her and me.

Ice crystal stone was a special mineral that had a very good compatibility with mana users, like mana light. So, this Akierin seemed to have a mana acceleration effect.

Naturally, it was the best sword for her, who used the Lucia-style Mana Cultivation Technique.

Like Rosette, Lucia’s Mana Heart was currently at the 5th Circle. It would create an output beyond that.

So, if both of them were determined, they could beat me half to death. Although I was capable of the 6th Circle without dragonification thanks to Sielteia.

It meant that I could never let my guard down if those two teamed up. No, if those two were serious, I would have to risk my life too.

‘Very good.’

I said to the two of them.

“Grius’s hideout will be a very dangerous place. Not only that Chris that Lucia saw, but also the elites of the Assassination Squad will be guarding Grius. So, if I want to behead that Grius, I absolutely have to master the breath.”

The two of them were silent. It seemed that they both felt that a battle at least as intense as the Demon Subjugation War would take place there.

“So, will both of you lend me your strength? Let’s not only make me stronger, but also both of you, and return to the Imperial Capital.”

The two of them looked serious. It seemed that they both felt that I was serious.

“Yes. I understand. I will spar with Yulian-nim to the best of my ability… no, I will do my best.”

“I’ll give it my all too!”

I nodded. And I left one more word for those two.

“And if you beat me half to death properly, I’ll make sure you both have very good dreams tonight. I mean, I’ll send you both half to death in your dreams.”

“In our dreams? What do you mean?”

Unlike Rosette, who was momentarily puzzled, Lucia seemed to understand what I meant right away.

“I heard from Aylin-ssi that… Yulian-nim has the blood of the Demon King, so you can also use the power of a succubus…”

“T-that’s what you mean.”

Rosette’s cheeks flushed belatedly after hearing Lucia’s words.

A moment later. The two of them became very serious and started training with me.

***

The three of them began training in Yunir’s temple, in its basement.

Yunir’s temple had a unique shape. A temple that resembled a small pyramid. But the basement was in the shape of that square pyramid turned upside down.

‘Is the vertex of that inverted square pyramid this underground chapel?’

I heard from the priest that the special structure allowed the magical energy of the primeval forest to be concentrated in the underground prayer room. Like concentrating light with a convex lens.

Naturally, that magical energy also affected the three of them.

——-

「Yunir’s Temple – Underground Chapel」

* A temple made with a special structure. Magical energy is concentrated here, which is full of the blessings of night and darkness.

### Blessing of the Primeval Forest

: The amount of magical energy accumulated in the body increases more than three times compared to the outside of the primeval forest.

——-

So, even though time was short. The mana and magical energy I felt around me were incomparable to those in the Imperial Capital.

Shuuuuuuuuk-

And the buff from that magical energy was the same for Lucia and Rosette. I barely dodged the sword she was wielding.

‘Lucia. She’s much faster than her usual sword.’

Lucia was also a high-ranking swordsman who had long since surpassed the realm of style and entered the realm of form in swordsmanship. Moreover, the silver energy that was formed on her Akierin was definitely Aura.

‘The power is also irrational, perhaps because of the amplification effect of the ice crystal stone.’

I barely dodged it, but the chest of my combat uniform was cut by the tip of the sword. Of course, this one strike wasn’t everything.

It looked like a single stab at first glance, but it was an amazing speed sword and variable sword that stabbed ten times in an instant.

‘If I get tricked by the feints mixed in between, I can get a critical hit right away.’

But since Lucia had entered the realm of form. It was very difficult to even distinguish between feints and real attacks. I dodged the attack with an instinctive sense and aimed for a counter against Lucia.

‘A gap!’

I barely dodged almost 30 stabs and created an opportunity for a counterattack. The black Aura that was formed on Sielteia.

The moment its tip was about to stab towards Lucia.

Shashashashak-

My sword strike was not completed. Because a sharp slash came flying from right behind me.

‘Damn it!’

It was an attack from Rosette. I couldn’t even feel the movement of mana. I barely noticed the sign of it when the slash reached right next to me, and I bent my back to dodge it.

‘Is it a slash created by the wind spirit!’

It wasn’t magic created through a direct spell. A slash that was unleashed by borrowing the power of the spirit. Unlike ordinary spirits, there wasn’t even a loud wind sound.

An attack that perfectly controlled the surrounding airflow. As expected, the spirit that Rosette used had already become close to a Spirit King.

‘I can tell because I’m also a spirit contractor.’

The two of them continued their combined attack like that. I couldn’t let my guard down even for a moment.

The two of them were from different Orders, and they had never done a mission together in the reserve squad. But they were receiving a buff from the magical energy through this underground chapel.

‘Both of them have created Yin Gates. So, they can naturally absorb that magical energy.’

So, their movements were much faster than usual. If I barely caught one person’s gap, the other person would stab my gap in reverse like now, so I couldn’t unleash a proper attack.

‘Even if I reached the 6th Circle with Sielteia. It’s the same for those two.’

Since those two were also receiving buffs from the Black Magic Wand and Akierin. If I let go of the tension even for a moment, it wouldn’t be half-dead, but really dead.

‘As expected, it’s not easy at all without borrowing the power of the dragon.’

I was intentionally excluding that power right now. Pure Reinhardt blood. I was facing them with only my skills as a human swordsman.

I had to reach my limit even more than now. At the end of that cliff, at that limit, the potential of my blood would awaken even more.

In particular, the breath was completely different from the process of learning swordsmanship. Just like I don’t consciously learn how to breathe. My body had to naturally awaken the concentration of that enormous power.

‘I have to open all the senses of my body like this. Only then can I absorb the magical energy to use the breath by using my whole body.’

But since I was being pushed into a corner like this. I was slightly regretting that promise to make the two of them have erotic dreams tonight.

‘Damn it. Ruiruil and the Grand Duke of Gluttony are also excited…’

It seemed that Ruiruil was expecting a large amount of lust to explode in that erotic dream. I could feel the two demon grand dukes lending more magical energy to them through the Yin Gates.

So, if I continued like this, I would be rolling on the floor before I could even realize the feeling of the breath.

‘Wait. I hate that like hell.’

No matter how much those two were women who would become my wives. I was Reinhardt. That instinctive competitive spirit began to boil even more from the current disadvantage.

‘I absolutely refuse to lose like this. Then I won’t be qualified to be a husband.’

I always won against Lucia and Rosette at night. Of course, I had no intention of losing during the day either. Because that would be a complete disgrace as a future husband.

I gripped Sielteia tightly. Then, a magical energy different from the current Aura began to ripple along the blade.