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CHAPTER 22

My lips sucked heavily on the water skin. My eighth day at war and I was having trouble making a core. I had mana condense near my heart but my body wasn't accepting it.

There wasn't a person I could question or reference but the humans did allow us to read a collection of legacies left by important families. Upon making war achievements my kill count was high enough that the royal family took notice.

I dropped down on a stool in front of my tent. I reached in and grabbed a booklet that explained how to use mana to increase your body combat capability. According to the book, I only broke through the first level but this first edition only had five levels.

I glanced at the fort behind me that stood like an imposing father figure. An interesting young man looked down from the black stone ramparts. I could feel his stare as he watched me, watching him.

Yet, I didn't very much care for him. His power level was worse than some of these randoms. With all the resources he had at his fingertips, regardless of aptitude. He should have been one of the powerful commanders of this war. Instead, this was probably his punishment and test. A way for him to gain some experience while not being in any real danger with eight powerhouses around.

My lips turned into a solid frown as I heard the footsteps of a woman who tried to recruit me to her team many times now. Apparently, mercs had ranks and a system similar to adventure guilds. My id card only placed me as an elite silver which was cannon fodder material. This lass was elite gold.

This was something that I couldn't handle even with my knowledge and skills.

"Pretty thing, have you decided to join me or not?" The second princess was only 15 but she had the destructive power of a tank.

If you didn't think tanks were that dangerous then think about how one round could easily blow open a three bedroom apartment. In a battlefield, that was enough to take out a platoon and half easily. Plus she wasn't limited to reloading delays that the tanks had.

However, I cast a glance at her older brother who had his sights on me. I could understand why. I am a dragon and when I entered the first stage, my aura was as obvious as expecting the sun to rise.

"What benefits do I get?" I conceded, after all, a dead dragon was the same as a living dragon.

"I'm glad you agree. I was growing impatient." She tossed a ring to me and my eyes widened for a second.

A spatial ring is an incredibly rich item. Only nobility could have them and they were indeed a sign that someone owned you. I dropped a drop of blood and watched how the Princess' eyes lit up. Inside was indeed a lot of wealth. Everything to help me reach the seventh level which was equivalent to an early platinum level adventurer.

Plus four hundred black square coins which I think was equivalent to four hundred thousand gold coins. However, the weapon was what really drew my attention. I had seen tons of magic items that vastly boost the holder skill above their levels.

This dark blue blade was three fingers wide without a hilt. Silver runes formed a dragon character on both sides of the blade. An interesting double sided blade that resonates with my water attribute.

"Great, now that you see my sincerity. Come let's get out of this place." The second princess turned and walked away.

I quickly gathered my gear and chased after her. This is going to be an interesting training session. Hopefully the time delay is enough that I don't miss any major events back home.

"Now that you join me, I can't have you walking around smelling like sweat and days old blood." Second princess waved a badge at the fort door and it opened without any delay.

For us random adventurers to go on, we had to wait until the end of the week and had six hours to handle everything.

The lass hopped on a white horse that almost looked like a stallion to me but I wasn't a horse person. It wasn't hard for me to keep up with her horse on foot, after all, animals here were very sensitive to my natural scent. Even with training, they wouldn't allow me to ride without fainting.

The fort was bigger than I thought. I only went to shops on the plaza but as a broke joker, I didn't stay long after getting what I wanted. The plaza was capable of holding a thousand people easy without people bumping each other. Yet, we zoomed past that area and other stone houses or buildings towards one of nine towering buildings that had weird signs boards at the gate. Each palace looked like they were as big as a mall.

The second princess stopped at a palace that had the title of 'Bloodmoon Palaces.' I was curious about why they chose blood to go onto their name but upon walking in. Everything was the color of blood. Not the fresh spilled blood but blood that had been pooling for a good minute. That's almost black with a red tint of blood.

Everything in the hallway depicted epic battles or statues of some famous person.

"This is just one of our headquarters. We have many more deeper into our empire but the royal family is just ranked second among the top ten guilds. You will probably encounter many of our rivals or many of my idiotic brothers or sisters." The second princess spoke while she led me down the hallway and a few corners. "My father respects strength and intelligence over the weak and arrogant. Thus if you want to gain something you have to showcase ability. If you attack someone that you shouldn't, you have to have value above the one you killed."

We walked through a large room that had people talking or just staring. Many greeted the princess but only a few had postures that exhibit hostility.

"One thing you will find out is that, here. We, princess and prince are competing for the throne. In truth, I am currently the crown princess. My biggest rival is the first prince but he doesn't have the talent to hold me back, Just has accumulation over me."

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We entered a long corridor after exiting a set of stairs on the second floor. We walked towards the end of the hall and she pointed at probably a house inside of a palace. The room was just unnecessarily big.

"This is my room. As one of my guards, you will sleep near me to assist me in case someone wants to assassinate me." She wrinkled her nose as she led me to a bathhouse that seemed like it was an open bathroom for anybody here as there were two women already bathing inside.

"Go clean up." She waved her hand as she retreated quicker than she came.

I turned around to see three servants looking at me with a slight lift of their chinny chin chin. I took off my clothes and grabbed my body wash and shampoo. Letting them direct me towards the washing area.

"Use the green body to wash my body and the two purple ones to wash my hair." I held up the bottles in order of the process.

They work quickly and efficiently. Drying me off and kicking me out in the same instance. I left dressed in clothes vastly similar to my own but the material felt like silk.

"Follow me, please."

I barely had a second to orient myself when this little lady with an upper lip issue beckoned at me. I followed her short ass to a room and she handed me a key.

"This is where you will sleep. Her majesty is just down the hall." She said from the side of the door.

I unlocked the door and saw the very bare room. Other than the bed, dresser and stool, it was bare. Not used to being in a room so deprived of natural creature comfort. I don't know how I should feel about this.

"Follow me."

I really detest this little lady. Follow me here, follow me there, what the hell next? A trip to the Arctic?

Sadly, while it wasn't all that far, it was a decent distance. However, without her telling me, I could see that this was a training room. I mean, the dummies, weapons, and three people sparring while a bunch of others watched were heavy clues.

Well, the little lady didn't deign to instruct me either way. So I guess she thought it was obvious too. Clicking my tongue, I followed her over to the second princess who sported a very tight outfit. Which I took for her training garb. The man beside her looked like he saw war and war saw him.

"This is the one I want you to train." The princess said and left right after. No introduction, just boom!

The man tossed me a dull Longsword as he held a big ass broadsword. In the deepest voice you ever hear, "attack me."

I caught the sword and swung it the next instance. My body flows into motion to provide the greatest strength. Yet, he effortlessly blocked it and returned the same strike. After being blocked, I didn't bother fighting head on. He had greater strength but our agility was equal or he was slowing down to my level.

While I worked my ass off, using the perfect amount of strength and precision to keep my blade from touching his but always aiming for his vitals without wasting any motion. He kept up with me effortlessly.

I mean, I had buckets of sweat dripping off my forehead. My clothes felt extra heavy but he looked like he was walking his dog.

After a few hours, he called a quit by pushing me backwards. You could tell how much he was holding back on me.

"That is enough. Your foundation is excellent. You can perfectly control your strength and your reaction is exceptional. You just need to cultivate your strength and you will be fearsome." The man praised me but I couldn't feel excited at such praise.

It felt like the first day of football camp, where the coach wanted to establish elites from the wheat. All I wanted to do was roll into bed but the coach was giving what he felt like was a memorable, inspiring speech.

Thank God the man had consciousness. After praising me, he turned around and left. I hurried to bed but I knew I was swaying worse than a drunk.

The next morning, I woke up feeling hungry as fuck. The smell led me to the dining hall and I wasn't the only one there. It was a buffet style, pick what you want.

Nine plates later, a servant showed up to lead me to the training room again. This time the big man and a small woman held a sword. The big man tossed me the same longsword from yesterday, then attacked me together with the short woman.

I wanted to say I hung in like a champ. That I had an amazing defense. Yet, facts spoke out. They defeated me within thirty seconds. I had a two minute break and then they resumed the abuse. They only let me go during lunch where I ate in a hot tub. After lunch I was brought to a very silent room with great insulation.

Mediation was supposed to be a fun thing. At least to me but this was straight torture to someone alive during 2020. I had to walk around a lot before returning to the cushion.

The sad thing is that this was my routine. Day after day, I was abused then sent to learn how not to showcase adhd. It was only during battle that I was allowed to break this regime but the lights went from smooth easy kills. To the enemy triple teaming me to the point that when I manage to kill one, he was replaced by another elite. This kept my kill score down to one every hour or two. The fights might start two hour after sunrise to three hours before sunset but it was tiring.

I felt like my life was like a regulated soldier. After a month passed, I completed the first volume and started on the second. I was considered to have the strength of an early gold.

Yet, I still didn't create a core but I felt like I was close. The first volume made my body as strong as its limits. Unifying the marrow to the outer layer of skin. A complete makeover that you could feel.

The second volume would be working on spiritual energy aka chi. Using it to send attacks hundred of yards away. Not just being some thug with a bat but a thug with a sniper rifle and the training to headshot people more than 600 yards away.

Benefits…

I stabbed my sword into my last enemy, piercing his eye as I leaned against the hilt. Today, it looks like it was the last battle. The orcs were retreating and the diamond level elites were throwing down in the sky. Each contact was enough to cause a hurricane for us little guys.

Shit really stung, my guy.

Turning my back to the fierce wind, I headed on back to the fort. Time to tally my kills and revel in my wealth. Not to mention, now that the fighting was done, I could sneak off and head back home. Check on Lily, get laid, watch some TV, anything but be abused.

***

I woke up to the sound of someone moaning. Well, two people were fucking but I am a month and twelve days sober. Throwing on my combat gear, I walked into the hall and shifted towards her majesty door. A quick peek let me know it was consensual but eh..

Isn't that her fourth brother? Interesting.

"Everything good?" Alissa asked from behind a yawn. She only wore sheer nightgowns that showed off her muscular physique.

I admit that why she wasn't pretty, she had an aura that I wanted to dominate. Plus she was a mid grade platinum warrior. Very talented but a calm, killer on the field. The small woman was also one of my coaches.

"Yes, master. Just fourth prince." I spoke as I retreated on silent feet.

Not long after I did the cries died down. Both me and Alissa stood in the shadows as the fourth prince walked out, looking both ways before quickly leaving.

I could smell how good he was. He carried her scent on him in excess.

"You two, come in." The princess's voice sounded through the crack in the door.

I threw Alissa a glance as I strode forward. I was surprised to find the princess running a cloth down her long leg. Other than being a Princess and having a toned body, she wasn't fairytale beautiful. So it was incredibly easy to stare into her blue eyes.

"Tomorrow, we will be heading to the Frontline in the demon realm. My father wants us to secure a foothold. There is something there that he wants. So it is important to me that we are the first to arrive."

Second Princess dropped the cloth in a bucket of water. She grabbed a rolled up scroll and tossed it at Alissa.

"I want you two to head out tonight. Pick a good location to build a fort for three hundred."

Second princess bent down and squeezed out the cloth. Clearly, dismissing us.

Turning around, I went to pack up. With my spatial ring, shit was nice. However, when I got outside expecting horses or something, I was disappointed.

Alissa just stared at me with a bemused twirl to her thin lips.

"So dragon boy, are you going to turn into a dragon or what?"

My eyes twitched but I figured they knew. Those diamond experts clearly didn't have the strength to only crush me but also see through me. Otherwise, why would the princess take in some ordinary silver warrior.

Sighing, I grabbed her neck as I jumped up, shifting into my dragon form. With a beat of my wings, we soared through the air. Yet, behind us, fire beacons and alarms went up.

I felt somewhat proud that my aura could cause them to feel such panic. Of course, I quickly realized I was probably heading the wrong way. Thus I stop on a mountain and look down at Alissa in my paw with a smug look. She was no bigger than the tip of my fang.

"Fly eastward. The first white fort is our destination." She yelled.

I corrected my direction and raced off