CHAPTER 58: CHAPTER 58: ATTRACTION

Elsewhere...

Deep into the night, inside a dimly lit room, six figures cloaked in dark hoods and masks stood in silence.

The floor beneath them was engraved with strange symbols and an ancient hexagonal formation. The six stood in designated positions, leaving the central spot for one more figure, cloaked in greater authority.

"Please, cast the skill, Your Excellency," one of them suddenly said. His tone was deep but filled with reverence.

The man standing at the heart of the hexagonal formation gave a solemn nod and began to chant.

[ Divination Art: Fate’s Secrets ]

"O mighty God of Fate, please guide us. Show us the path to the Golden Dragon," he intoned, his voice ancient and heavy with solemn desire.

As the forbidden skill activated, the floor lit up in a brilliant golden glow.

Swoosh..

Then from the center of the ritual, a single red thread emerged and snaked into the distance, stretching out to the unknown, toward the one who had drawn their attention.

And perhaps, toward someone who would awaken their deepest greed.

The old man’s vision synchronized with the red thread. It soared past towering structures and pierced through the clouds, reaching for the sky. Then, it turned north, moving in a perfectly straight line.

With each passing second, the thread brought him closer to their target: Ryuzen.

But then, something unnatural occurred.

A massive, colossal eye emerged high above the sky, staring down from the heavens. Its gaze, deep as abyss, pierced through the fabric of darkness, watching the world with a power that transcended logic.

The man paused, and instinctively turned his vision upward.

And the moment he saw the colossal eyes like abyss, the very core of the man shook.

Not because of awe.

But fear. Raw primal fear. Unlike any fear he ever felt before. Before it, he felt tiny, almost nonexistent.

Buzz!

But before the old man could react, the eye twisted into a swirling vortex of darkness and chaos. It devoured the red thread in an instant, pulling it into an endless abyss.

"Plop!"

The connection was severed at once.

Huff... Huff... Huff...

The old man dropped to his knees, gasping for breath. Cold sweat streamed down his face as his hands trembled.

His hood slipped back, revealing an aged face with sunken eyes and gray hair clinging to his damp forehead.

Ba-dump... Ba-dump... Ba-dump...

His heartbeat thundered like a war drum, echoing in his ears.

The six cloaked figures surrounding him watched with alarm, confusion etched across their hidden faces.

"What happened, Your Excellency? What did you see?" one of them asked, his voice tight with urgency and unease.

Anticipation hung thick in the air, their eyes locked on the old man, waiting for his answer.

The old man stood upright, but the tremble in his limbs betrayed his composure. His hands were still shaking, and his legs barely held steady.

He looked around at the six figures in silence. Then, in a voice that rang like a command:

"Never speak of searching for the Dragon again."

His voice was hoarse, yet absolute.

"He is protected by something... something even I cannot comprehend."

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The six men exchanged uneasy glances. None of them could understand what the old man had seen, but the terror in his eyes spoke louder than any vision.

---

The Next Day

Warm sunlight filtered into the room, casting a golden glow across Ryuzen’s face. His expression was peaceful, untouched by worry, the kind of calm that only came after surviving agony.

After the brutal fusion session, he had collapsed onto the bed and slept deeply, his body curled as if instinctively guarding itself.

Click!

A soft metallic sound echoed across the room. The door creaked open just a fraction.

Ryu’s eyes snapped open.

His senses now sharpened to extraordinary level, picked up even the smallest disturbance. He could hear smallest shifts in air pressure, soft footsteps, and distant voices even while asleep.

He sat up slowly.

"Who could it be so early in the morning?" he whispered, eyes narrowing.

His body tensed, ready to spring into action. He hadn’t forgotten about the incident from the previous day. That’s why he was so alert.

BAM!

The door flung open with a loud thud, crashing against the wall.

Ryuzen’s eyes flickered toward the entrance.

Standing there with one hand on her hip and the other gripping the doorknob was Venus, her long ponytail swaying behind her and her brows tightly furrowed. Her cheeks were flushed slightly, not from embarrassment but frustration.

"Are you alive or what, Ryu?" she snapped.

Ryuzen blinked, expression unreadable.

Venus stepped inside without waiting for permission, muttering under her breath.

"Tch. Sleeping this late like a corpse. I told them I don’t want to check on you, and now look at you, drooling all over the pillow or whatever."

"I wasn’t drooling," Ryu replied calmly.

"Like I care!" she shot back, arms crossing tightly over her chest.

Only now did Ryu notice how large her breasts were. They looked round and firm. For her age, they really stood out.

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Venus caught his gaze and frowned. "What are you looking at, you pervert?"

Her face was red, soft and sweet just like a ripe peach. Her lips were red, and soft. For a moment, he felt a sudden urge to kiss them.

It was only now, after a very long time, that Ryu seemed to awaken to the natural attraction between genders. As his dragon form matured, it was expected. Dragons were naturally lustful beings, known for their overwhelming breeding capabilities. However, that instinct usually surfaced only among their own kind.

A physical relationship between a dragon and a human was difficult to imagine.

But Ryu was different.

Maybe it was the growth of his draconic bloodline, or the newly evolved Manus form he had fused into. Either way, something had changed inside him. For the first time, he found himself feeling drawn to the opposite sex. A feeling he definitely hadn’t experienced with Venus just a few days ago.

"N-Nothing..." he muttered, quickly looking away.

He didn’t want to give into his body’s desire. A relationship without spiritual connection felt meaningless to him. And that spiritual connection only existed for Maya. For now.

He coughed to clear his throat and shifted the topic. "Anyway, Venus, why did you barge in so dramatically? Did you miss me?"

Venus’s face instantly turned red as tomato.

"Wha—! Who would miss an idiot like you?!" she blurted, flustered.

She quickly turned her face away, eyes darting to the side.

"My parents told me to check if you were still alive. Last night, they heard weird noises from your room. So they made me come see if you exploded or something..."

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Then, without warning, her expression shifted. A small smirk tugged at her lips.

"Anyway, I have news to share. If you’re curious, I can tell you. But only if you ask nicely."