Morning crept slowly into the cave, pale light filtering through the cracks in the stone ceiling. The faint scent of intense sex and dragon blood still lingered in the air, mixed with damp earth and the fading traces of the mist that had nearly killed them.
Leon stirred, wincing as a sharp throb pulsed behind his temples. "Ah—fuck, my head…" he muttered, pressing a hand against his forehead. His body ached, every muscle sore from battle and exhaustion. For a brief, dazed moment, he tried to piece together the chaos of last night—the fight, the heat, and then...
He turned his head, expecting to see Eleice lying beside him where she'd fallen asleep in his arms. But the space next to him was empty—her warmth gone, the faint imprint of her form on the soft grassy surface .
Confusion tightened his chest. "Eleice?" he called out softly, his voice echoing faintly off the stone walls. Only silence answered him.
Then he saw it—a folded piece of parchment resting on the ground near the ashes of their small campfire. His heart sank as he reached for it. The handwriting on it was familiar, elegant yet sharp, like the woman herself.
Leon was still staring at the note when a familiar, sharp voice echoed inside his mind.
> "Now you think about that, huh? I told you to get away from the mist! But no—you didn't listen. It's like you wanted to do those dirty things with that woman!"
Leon froze, blinking hard. "...Velie?"
"Hmph! Pervert! Stupid master!"
Her voice practically screeched through his thoughts, each word stabbing his already throbbing head. Leon groaned, rubbing his temple. "Ahh damn it, not now…"
Then it hit him—like a punch to the gut. His eyes widened.
"Wait… Velie…" he muttered, glancing toward the cave's entrance.
The realization made his stomach drop.
He had left her—his spirit companion, his partner—right there at the mouth of the cave. In the heat of the mist, with his mind fogged and instincts tangled, he had completely forgotten her.
Leon scrambled to his feet, nearly tripping over a loose stone as he rushed toward the entrance. The cool morning wind struck his face, clearing his senses. There, lying near a boulder, was the small, glowing crystal orb that held Velie's spirit form. A faint pulse of light shimmered weakly within it, like a heartbeat struggling to stay alive.
"Velie!" Leon shouted, kneeling beside it. The guilt hit him harder than any battle wound. "I—damn it, I didn't mean to—"
"Hmph! Don't talk to me!" she snapped again in his mind, but her voice wavered, softer now, more exhausted than angry. "You left me there like a useless trinket… and then… ugh, I don't even want to remember what you did inside that cave…"
Leon buried his face in his hands. "I swear it wasn't me—it was that damned Dragon's Mist!"
"Excuses! You humans always have excuses!"
He sighed heavily, leaning back against the cold stone wall.
The truth was, she wasn't entirely wrong. He'd lost control. The dragon's mist was infamous for twisting mind and body alike, but even knowing that didn't wash away the shame pooling in his chest.
The forest outside the cave was quiet again. Only the faint rustle of the wind and Velie's indignant huffs filled the air.
Leon stared up at the pale morning sky beyond the cave mouth.
He had survived the dragon, but now… he wasn't sure how to face what came next—Eleice, the academy, or the spirit companion who refused to let him forget.
He unfolded it with trembling fingers and read:
> "We both know it was because of the Dragon's Mist.
If you tell even a single person, I'll kill you when you arrive at the Academy."
— Eleice
Leon froze. The words burned in his mind, dragging last night's memories back in jagged flashes—the thick, silver mist that had poured from the dying dragon's body… how it had filled the cave, clouding their thoughts, heating their blood until reason blurred into instinct.
His stomach twisted. "Fuck… fuck, fuck!" he swore under his breath, clutching the note. "I messed up big time…"
He pushed a hand through his tangled hair, pacing a few steps in the cramped cave. How could I possibly… with an elder of Astralis Academy of all people?
He could still remember the faint scent of her hair, the warmth of her breath against his skin , her perfect big breasts and round plump ass . The guilt hit him harder than the headache. Outside, a thin wind moaned through the forest, carrying the distant echoes of beasts. The battle was over, but a new kind of danger had begun—one that no sword could save him from.
Leon sighed for what felt like the tenth time, still kneeling near the cave's mouth.
"I said I'm sorry, Velie…" he muttered softly, his voice low and genuine. "I didn't mean to forget you. I just—everything went blank after the mist."
For a moment, there was silence. Only the faint hum of her spirit orb flickered in response. Then, finally, her voice came again—quieter this time, still sharp but less venomous.
> "Fine…" she grumbled, "I forgive you… but—haa—just wear your damn clothes already! I can't even look at you, standing there naked like an idiot! Pervert!"
Leon blinked, realizing the state he was in. His upper body was bare, his clothes from last night was stained with love juices and dragon blood. No wonder she was scolding him—he probably looked like a wrecked barbarian after a drunken brawl.
He let out a short, awkward laugh and scratched the back of his neck. "Right… right. My bad."
Rummaging through his travel pack, he pulled out a clean set of clothes—dark elegant Robe, As he dressed, he could feel Velie's glare radiating through the air like a physical weight.
> "Ugh… men," she muttered, "always getting into trouble and then expecting forgiveness with puppy eyes…"
Leon smirked faintly. "You're the only one who nags this much, you know that after my mother?"
> "And I'll keep doing it until you stop being stupid," she shot back.
When he finally tightened the straps on his gauntlets and straightened up, the tension in the cave seemed to lift. Velie's orb pulsed once, brighter this time—a soft, forgiving glow.
Leon exhaled, relief washing over him like cool water. "Thanks, Velie."
> "Hmph. Don't thank me. Just… don't forget me next time, idiot."
A small smile tugged at his lips. "Deal."
The faint warmth of her presence filled his mind again. Outside, the light filtering into the cave brightened; morning had fully arrived over the Stone Veil Forest. Leon fastened his sword to his waist and glanced toward the horizon.
The dragon was dead. Eleice was gone.
And the road to the Astralis Academy awaited.
As Leon continued bickering with Velie, he didn't even notice the subtle but powerful changes coursing through his body. The dull ache in his muscles was gone, replaced by a steady warmth that pulsed beneath his skin — like molten energy flowing quietly through his veins. His breathing felt lighter, his senses sharper; even the air around him seemed to bend slightly under his presence.
Velie's voice suddenly cut through his thoughts.
> "Okay, enough talking! First, stabilise your cultivation, you idiot!" she snapped. "You've broken through all the way up to the fifth stage of the General Realm!"
Leon froze mid-motion, eyes widening. "Wait—what?"
He focused inward, extending his spirit sense for a moment. The energy swirling within him surged like a storm — wild, dense, and far stronger than before. He could feel the power coiled in his dantian, radiating in rhythmic waves through his meridians. His aura was no longer that of a beginner… it was solid, refined, and potent.
"How… how is this even possible?" he murmured, genuinely bewildered.
Velie's tone turned dry, though a hint of disbelief lingered behind her words.
> "Hmph! You pervert, stupid master!" she scolded, her voice echoing in his mind. "You were too busy enjoying your time with that woman to even realise what happened!"
Leon's face twitched. "H-Hey! It wasn't like that! You know it was the mist—"
> "Excuses again!" she interrupted sharply. "Do you even remember who she is? That woman isn't just anyone — she's a Second Stage Grandmaster Realm cultivator. Her body holds an enormous amount of refined Spirit energy! And…" Velie paused dramatically, making Leon's heart skip. "…she was a virgin, which means you absorbed her Virgin Yin Spirit Energy."
Leon's jaw dropped, a horrified realization creeping up his face.
"W-wait, are you saying—?!"
> "Yes, idiot! That energy was pure, untainted, and far denser than anything you've ever cultivated. It poured straight into your body during the mist's effect — that's what pushed you through all those stages!"
Leon blinked, still trying to process it. His cultivation had leapt forward by nearly two full realms in a single night — something that should've been impossible without years of training. The thought both amazed and unsettled him.
He looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers as faint trails of black spirit energy danced along his skin. "So… that's what this feeling is," he muttered, half to himself.
> "Hmph! You're lucky you didn't die," Velie grumbled. "Absorbing Yin energy of that purity could've torn your spirit apart… but somehow, you survived. You stupidly lucky bastard."
Leon exhaled slowly, a complicated mix of relief and shame crossing his face. "Guess I owe her more than I realized…"
> "You owe her an apology, not gratitude," Velie snapped.
That's somthing is very valuable for a woman.
Velie's voice suddenly shifted — the teasing vanished, replaced by a tone heavy with warning.
> "Hmph… and one more thing, stupid master."
Leon tilted his head, sensing the sudden change. "What now?"
> "If she had been in her right condition, you couldn't have even touched her shadow."
Leon frowned, half confused, half offended. "What's that supposed to mean? She's strong, yeah, but—"
> "Strong?" Velie snapped, her tone cutting through him like a blade. "She isn't just a Grandmaster Realm cultivator. That woman carries a special constitution — one that even seasoned elders would fear."
Leon stiffened. "A… constitution?"
> "Yes," Velie said softly, her voice dropping into something colder, heavier. "Her body holds the Ice Phoenix Veins, a rare bloodline that only appears once in several thousand years. Even in her weakened state, that power was dormant — sealed. If she had been in her normal condition, that Phoenix blood would have frozen you solid before you even reached her , although I felt like it hasn't awakened yet."
Leon's breath caught. Ice Phoenix Veins…
> "You're lucky the Dragon's Mist dulled her senses," Velie continued, her tone bitter. "That mist suppressed her Ice spirit energy— and yours — just long enough for her body to react instinctively, not consciously. Otherwise, you wouldn't be sitting here right now."
Leon swallowed hard. His mind was a storm of disbelief and dread. "So… that's what you meant when you said I wouldn't have touched her shadow."
> "Exactly," Velie said flatly.
"Even touching her bare hand could've shattered your meridians if her constitution had awakened. You were dancing on the edge of death, idiot. And somehow, you still managed to enjoy yourself."