I chatted a little more with Huros before it was time for me to leave. I bid the god farewell and was returned to the real world with a lot on my mind but ended up shaking the thoughts away.

“I’ll have time to think this over more thoroughly later on. I should find Nico.”

With that thought in mind, I stepped out of the indoor temple and searched for my friend. With some instructions from a passing member of the household staff, I made my way to a garden where Tanni was swinging a wooden shortsword at Nico. Nico used a wooden sickle-sword to redirect the girl’s weapon. Tanni had swung too hard and ended up falling face-first into the grass.

“You’re overcommitting to the swing. You have to avoid overextending while still putting your weight behind your attacks. Try again.” Nico ordered.

Tanni got up again and removed the grass stuck on her face before charging once again at Nico. I walked up next to Jezibel, who was watching the training session from the side.

“Hey Jezi. Did I miss anything?”

Jezibel shook her head.

“Nothing special. Nico’s been teaching Tanni some sword fighting since we showed up, but Tanni doesn’t have any talent for it. Nico tried suggesting that Tanni try something else like a spear, but she’s stubbornly sticking with her choice. When I tried to tell her to not waste Nico’s time, Nico herself objected to making Tanni use a weapon she didn’t want to use, so they’ve been at it ever since, and Tanni hadn’t shown signs of improvement.” She sighed as we watched Nico trip up Tanni once more.

“Hmm…”

“Kiara? Are you listening?” Jezibel raised an eyebrow at me.

“Yeah, I am. I just feel like I am forgetting about something important…”

***

Durreg

I am in deep shit. Well, technically speaking, I am about to be. I stood in the middle of yet another hallway, with no way to my destination in sight.

When Kiara entered the room with the fancy door, I asked her friend for directions to the bathroom. Not wanting Kiara to return and finding no one waiting for her, I followed her directions on my own.

Not wanting to admit I am lost, I ended up wandering the halls for a while, and my need for the bathroom was slowly becoming direr and direr. By the time I was willing to swallow my pride and ask for help, all the staff mysteriously disappeared from the halls. The situation was becoming desperate, and I was walking with a hastened gait.

“Come on, why doesn’t this place have an easily identifiable bathroom!”

Nearly half an hour later, the staff had returned, but there was no way I was going to admit I spent thirty minutes searching for an abyss-damned bathroom. Some of the staff were starting to give me subtle strange looks, but no one said anything so far.

I was dangerously close to my limits, and I could not find a way out of this predicament with my pride intact.

“What to do, what to do…” I paced worryingly, wondering if I should just take the plunge and ask for directions even if it will make me look stupid.

Suddenly, I heard a flushing noise, and a door at a nearby hallway opened. Seeing my chance, I rushed straight to the door, where a member of the staff was closing a door. Just before he did, I saw a sink and a mirror near its edges.

“I am saved! Tiamat’s tits, that was too close.”

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

In my rush to my salvation, I failed to notice the staff member shaking his head in amusement.

***

Eventually, after spending the day at Nico’s, Durreg and I had to say our farewells. We made a quick detour to the gates to give away the tracking beacon and get back my money before we left the city and headed back to the Isles.

I bid my cousin farewell and headed home, where mom was already waiting for me at the door.

“Welcome back, sweety. How did your trip go?”

“It was really productive. I’ve learned a lot, and I managed to advance into my pink class!” I said excitedly as I entered.

I could already smell some good food inside.

“Why don’t you tell me more over dinner? I’d love to hear about your day.” She said, closing the door behind me.

***

“I see.”

Mom went into deep thought while I finished the rest of my food. Her initial happiness faded into concern as I recounted today’s events to her. My past life and my missions seemed to be of particular concern to her, judging by her facial expressions.

“Thank you for sharing, Kiara. I think I know what our next steps are going to be.”

Mom stood up and started carrying plates with her. I stood up and took the rest of them with her.

“And what would those be?” I asked.

The two of us headed to the kitchen and laid down the plates in the sink.

“You’ll see. But be warned, what I have planned is dangerous, and there is no going back once we go down that path. Are you certain you wish to go through with this?”

Raising an eyebrow at the cryptic hint, I shrugged and nodded. Mom stopped washing the dishes and stared me down.

“No, Kiara. I want a proper answer. Are you sure you wish to go through what I have in mind for you, despite the unknown danger?”

I held her gaze and slowly nodded.

“Yeah, I am sure. You wouldn’t suggest it if you didn’t think it was necessary.”

“Well, let’s start with you going to bed early today. We’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow, and I’d like to start early in the morning.”

I did as she said and went upstairs to go to bed.

***

“Wake up, Kiara. It’s time to get up!”

A hand tugged at my shoulder.

“Mhmm, just a few more minutes, mom.” I murmured.

“I won’t repeat myself, Kiara. Get up, or I will drag you out of your bed myself.”

“Fine, fine! I am getting up… in just a second…” I pulled up my blankets to cover my shoulder.

Suddenly, I felt my blanket pulled out of my hands and tossed away, then a pair of hands dragged me by the feet and held me upside down!

“Mom, what the abyss are you doing?!” I yelled.

She then dropped me unceremoniously onto the floor.

“Doing what I said I’d do, of course. Now come on, we’re burning daylight.” She said.

I stood up and rubbed my eyes as I glanced at the window.

“It’s still dark outside! Why are we waking up so early?!”

Mom’s face was completely devoid of any of her usual emotions, replaced instead by a stone wall with a softspoken, yet commanding voice.

“The sun is rising, and the glacier’s ice blocks the early rays of the sun. Now follow me.” With that demand, she simply walked out of the room.

Upset at my lack of sleep, I followed after her. We went down the stairs and into the front yard, where mom turned to face me.

“Now, we’re going to move to a more appropriate setting.” She said, revealing her domain field in her hand as she activated it.

The world darkened and the stars appeared before rushing past us, sending us into mom’s familiar snowy field.

“Alright, so what’s this all about?”

Mom ignored me as she began modifying the terrain. The snowfall stopped and melted away, revealing an empty meadow beneath.

“Dragons have a tradition of training their young when they reach the pinnacle of rank A.” she said.

“Throughout your journey, you have faced beasts and mortals as your foes. Against lesser foes like those, relying on your system-granted abilities was sufficient enough. However, relying on those experiences and methods against an immortal is a certain pathway to an early grave.”

She began emanating a menacing, bone-chillingly cold, azure aura. The blades of grass beneath her feet were flash-frozen, and a layer of frost began to spread from her feet. It was then that I realized I stood before the Azure Dragon, not my mother.

“With the powers granted to you by your unique evolutions and advancements, you have reached a level of strength where creatures below rank S are no longer a threat. With the consideration of the challenges facing you, I’ve decided to uphold this tradition early.”

She stepped forward, and the ice beneath her feet shattered, only to reform once again.

“You will not be fighting me. What we will be doing cannot be called a fight. You will do everything within your power to survive. The slightest misstep can result in your death, because anything less than that will be a waste of effort.”

My heart was beating quickly, and I couldn’t breathe under the suffocating pressure. A cold sweat ran down my neck as I desperately looked around for an escape, but none was in sight. I grit my teeth as I appraised my mother for the first time since I met her in the third layer.

[Azoth, the Azure Dragon Lv. 112 – Goddess of Frost Lv. 376]

Rank S creature.

Further Appraisal Denied.