At the white corridor of Lloyd Underground Research Facility lingers the fresh aftermath of an intense battle as punctured walls, gouged ground, and cracked floor laid bare, proving that a destructive fight had commenced.

Supporting her trembling body battered from the fight, Ezili Clear’s ragged breathing reverberates. The chains she summoned to enclose Seigen earlier are now dispelled. Her deadpan eyes gaze at Seigen with a glint of frustration.

“This is it, Ezili. You are strong.” Seigen said as he stood there with the same state as Ezili with the exception of his firm posture as he said those words of compliment.

“You really is something else, Light boy. Strong as I remember, to even render me unable to fight even if you are unarmed. Also, I don’t take your words as a compliment.” Ezili’s words which she squeezes as she tries to stabilize her breathing.

“Well then, Ezili, is there something you want to say?” Seigen poses a question as he walks close to Ezili.

“Ah, well, you deserve an explanation for going through my selfishness, right? I get it, I’m a decent person unlike my father so I’ll spill…some beans for you.” Ezili uttered those words with a tone of resignation as she falls on her butt from tiredness.

“I was stopping you because you intend to go to Seyren Aern, right? To be his…protégé.” Ezili’s words made Seigen took a step back.

“I can’t hide anything from you… Sometimes, it’s scary being your acquaintance.” Seigen directed those harsh words.

“Seigen, be Headmaster Meld's protégé. I beg of you…I want to be Sir Seyren’s protégé.” Ezili looks at Seigen with resolute eyes in contrasts to her default emotion earlier with hear bunny ears perking up.

“Won’t you settle with Headmaster yourself? Sir Meld and Sir Quarts are close acquaintance after all.” Seigen suggested.

“That’s the reason why I don’t want to. I don’t want to be accepted easily for such meager reason. Although right now, I am negotiating with you for favorable circumstances, I at least know that I am doing this by myself. Seigen, do you know what are the Eight Tomb Ruins?” Ezili’s desperate voice caught Seigen in shock as he never saw her like this before.

“I already have the basic preface of it from someone I know. If you can provide me with something deeper, I might consider your request.” Seigen said as he gets to his knee and looks at Ezili eye to eye.

“Might consider…you won’t yield just for friendship's sake…” Ezili muttered in disbelief.

“There are things I won’t easily pull away.” Seigen simply replied.

“Fine. Listen well because I got this information from my father for a fee of a massage he called Lovey Dovey Daughter Press. Honestly, that was horrible…” Ezili’s face pales as she uttered those.

“You actually don’t have to say it if you are embarrassed by it!” Seigen retorted inside his mind.

“The Eight Tomb Ruins are to follow, Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Light, Dark, Life, and Void. Each of the ruins holds their specific element and are discovered throughout the world. What I don’t get is why they are called Tomb Ruins. Do you know what my father told me?” Ezili knitted her brows.

“What?” Seigen gulps as he seethed that question.

“Apparently, from records of the past, in these ruins lies tombs before they became the ruin they are now. If my hunch is correct, then those are probably tombs dedicated to the demon lords…no, for Sigrun Valker, they are called Vajras. Eight of them.” Ezili said as she holds out eight fingers to Seigen.

“Eight…” Seigen ponders a little.

“Agni of Fire, Neptune of Water, Zephyrus of Wind, Tera of Earth, Lumen of Light, Diabolos of Dark, Vitas of Life, and Inanis of Void. According to my father from Sigrun’s own words, those are the names of the Vajras. What also confuses me is that there are thirteen of them and so far, only eight are discovered. There are five more…” Ezili recounted those names from her memory.

“If you say it like that, it does make sense. However, Ezili, what does it have to do with you?” Seigen’s words immediately pierce Ezili’s deadpan countenance as she broke out in a frown.

“My reason is none of your concern! I’ve said what I need to say! Anyway, please, let me appeal to Seyren Aern first as his protégé. Good riddance.” Ezili said with a pout as she bolted from the ground and marches away with her bunny ears pointing upward in an irritated manner.

“I see. Anyway, Ezili, about the repair cost…” Seigen said with a serious tone as he observes his surrounding which is devoided of orderliness.

However, upon hearing those words, Ezili’s shoulders jolted and she hastens her walk.

“Hey, don’t run!” Seigen shouted as he follows Ezili.

From there on, Seigen runs after Ezili who also started sprinting with all her might to escape. Leading on up unto outside of the facility up to the streets of the busy business district.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Meanwhile, to Sigrun’s group.

“G-greaat One…” Nio’s faint and broken words reach out to the person she is talking to.

“As I said, it’s fine. Anyway, you recently hatched, right? About twenty-nine years ago. Do you like your name, I am the one who suggested it to your father. Ah, don’t worry! Unlike him, I think I like you. A few more years and yeah, that’ll be perfect.” Sigrun joyfully said as he led them into his garden.

“Sigrun! What’s with the deal of that Fafnir anyway?! Hey, tell me!” Emeralda raises a fuss with raging eyes.

“Like what he said earlier, I taught him how to take on a form of a human. Maybe he taught the technique to Nio but, as far as speech, I guess Nio is still struggling.” Sigrun explained as he shifted his gaze to Nio who is riding on Reed’s shoulder.

“Yeah, I heard that. In the first place, why do someone like him and his daughter looks more human than us Oreals?!” Emeralda shouted her query.

“That’s a little complicated. As an Oreal, that’s your natural disposition, appearance-wise. Fafnir and other dragons here have high intelligence. I just happened to experiment on Fafnir long ago and the result is evident, a dragon capable of using Eight Magic. If turning into a full dragon and maintaining it costs you magical energy, for them, turning into human form cost them magical energy too but they can maintain their form indefinitely. That’s especially true for the dragons here who lives in a magically dense land.” Sigrun explained.

“Hmph, some privileged lizards.” Emeralda only replied while adjusting how she carries Alisa on her back.

“…This garden is freaking huge…we’ve been walking for almost an hour now.” Reed voices out those thoughts inwardly.

“Savior, problem?” Nio asked while she latches her cheek on Reed’s head.

“Ah, nothing. Anyway, just call me Reed as I call you casually as Nio.” Reed asked sincerely with a gentle tone befitting of a treatment for a child.

“Savior, you. That, food.” Nio pointed first at Reed then the last word is pointed at Emeralda.

“Ho? Really? I almost fried you and your father earlier and I am still food?” Emeralda said with twitching cheeks while letting out clear hostility towards Nio.

“Please stop that Lady Emeralda. Getting worked up in a child’s words is nothing short of childishness.” Reed said with a stiff smile.

“Didn’t you heard Sigrun? That child you are referring to is actually twenty-nine years old!” Emeralda pointed out some facts.

“That’s pretty much young for their years. Even at your age too Emeralda, you are still considered to be in your early adulthood, right?” Sigrun intervenes in the conversation to still Emeralda’s anger.

“Fine. Hehe, maybe I’ll just take this child away and brainwash her. That way, my greatest nemesis will feel despair from having his daughter distant from him.” Emeralda leaks out an evil plan as she showed a twisted smile.

“I think I’ll hold on to Nio for a while.” Reed said inside his mind.

“Ah, we’re here.” Sigrun said as he pointed at the house a few meters away from them.

“Oh goodness, at last, I’ll set my foot once again in that place!” Emeralda stated as she hums.

“…Wait.” Reed muttered from the sight in front of him.

Sigrun said house, however, what in front of Reed is nothing exactly as a house but rather, an eastern themed mansion.

The mansion at the top of the world, not even exaggerating it. At the top of the world as it is the highest point. Both the sun and moon are in plain view and the cosmic beauty presented by the stars are in plain sight. Even the dancing aurora is just at his eye level.

Reed looks back and there, he saw the floating islands the levels lower than the said mansion. He instantly felt how abnormal the flow of magic in the mountain, however, as a place where the ultimate existence dwells, it was not wrong to say how awfully majestic the place is.

“Welcome, everyone. This is the Valhalla of Elementals, though there are no actual Valkyries since they do not exist in this world.” Sigrun said as he led them inside.

“What are Valkyries?” Reed threw a question.

“That’s something trivial so please don’t mind it.” Sigrun replied nonchalantly.

He opens the huge wooden door with an intricate design of something beautiful but at the same time, indiscernible for everyone’s eyes. Inside is still a series of stone stairs as the huge wooden door is still an inside gate. However, as soon as Reed sets foot in the mansion, he was attacked with a strong sensation.

“This is…too unworldly…” He can only mutter as his magical energy that was almost depleted instantly recovered in a blink of an eye. Even Nio on his shoulders shudders from the sensation.

“Do you get it now, lad? We are basically intruding into someone who is basically a god. For you to be liked by that existence, you are quite fortunate.” Emeralda said to Reed without turning her head to Reed’s direction and walks inside casually.

Wanting not to be left out, Reed followed behind while his eyes swim from left to right. The mansion is nothing special though when it comes to design but, everything feels unnatural. The floor, as well as the walls, are made of wood.

Sliding doors, old-fashioned ceiling decors that he himself doesn’t have any idea what are for, and even the simple architecture of the mansion itself is too unfamiliar for Reed.

“Then, how about I drew up some bath for you, Reed? I bet you want to clean yourself first, right? Here, let me take Nio!” Sigrun happily said.

“B-Bath? I guess I want to.” Reed weakly said as he lifts Nio from his shoulder.

“Join, savior.” Nio suddenly grabs on Reed’s head, denying Sigrun’s approach.

“Eh, you can’t Nio!” Reed hurriedly said.

“Why not? It’s just a kid for you, right? And even if you teach Nio the difference between boys and girls etiquette, it’s pointless. After all, her common sense spans on dragon knowledge.” Emeralda said as she tried to pat Nio but the girl in question dodges it.

“Err…I guess it’s okay? Let’s go.” Reed concedes to Nio’s wish.

With Reed’s confirmation, he and Nio are taken to a large open bath. The place is like ridden with natural hot spring but the difference is that there’s no wall to ward off any people from outside. Rather, with where they are right now, that’s impossible.

The unworldly view of the cosmos reflects on the water making it unnaturally beautiful as it reflects the streak of the constellation. Even though they are at the highest place in the world, the bath isn’t cold but rather, it is as Sigrun prepared it, warm enough.

While wearing nothing but a wrapped towel on his hips, Reed descended to the open bath.

“Savior, this?” Nio asked as she squatted in front of the warm water without wearing anything.

“Ah, just take a good dip and It’ll feel good.” Reed said as he relaxes.

From Reed’s words, Nio also soaks herself in the warm water. Her face melts into one of comfort and she casually came closer to Reed and sat on his lap.

“Amazing. Do dragons gets easily attached like this?” Reed asked himself while he places a hand on Nio’s head and strokes it.

Suddenly, Reed broke out into a cold sweat as everything suddenly sunk into his head.

“What the hell? Anyone would probably kill for this kind of opportunity! Also, if Alisa saw me like this together with Nio, no doubt, she’ll call the police on me once we get down the mountain!” his mind grew in jumbles.