Primeval Couple

Chapter 55: On their way back

After the two dragons fell—their bodies broken, their souls extinguished—Gabriel and Lilith wasted no time.

Gabriel descended to the sapphire dragon’s corpse. He raised his hand, and golden light enveloped the fallen beast. In a matter of moments, the dragon’s most valuable materials were harvested: scales that shimmered with innate magical resistance, crystalline claws that could pierce any armor, fangs that held traces of draconic venom, and the core—a sapphire gem pulsing with residual power. He stored them in his dimensional space with a casual flick of his wrist.

Lilith did the same with the emerald dragon, her shadow undeads assisting in the harvest, their smoky forms moving with silent efficiency. The crystals, the scales, the bones—all were collected, all were stored.

"Useful materials," Lilith remarked. "We might find a use for them later."

Gabriel nodded. "Now, let’s find the core."

Of course she created shadow undead using their souls.

Meanwhile, Gabriel concentrated to find the hidden passage. His exceptional senses reached out, following the faint threads of mana that connected every part of this dungeon. He located the center—a hidden chamber, concealed behind layers of spatial distortion and magical barriers. But to an archangel and a primordial demoness, such barriers were merely suggestions.

Gabriel led the way.

They walked through a secret passage that had not existed moments before—a corridor of swirling white light that opened at his command, its walls shimmering with residual draconic energy. The passage twisted and turned, descending deeper into the heart of the dungeon. The air grew heavier. The pressure increased. The very fabric of reality seemed to thicken around them.

But the couple walked without hesitation.

At the end of the passage, they arrived at a small, plain room.

It was unremarkable—no grand architecture, no glowing runes, no imposing throne. Just a simple chamber of white stone, circular in shape, with a single object floating at its center.

A blue cube.

It hovered in the air, rotating slowly, its surface smooth and featureless. A soft, pulsating glow emanated from within, like a heartbeat made of light. This was the dungeon core—the ancient consciousness that had controlled everything, that had created the monsters, that had designed the paradise floor, that had panicked and schemed and hoped.

The core shivered.

Its glow flickered erratically, as if the entity within were trembling like a mouse before a cat. It had watched them. It had seen them slaughter its armies, destroy its dragons, treat its most dangerous creations as playthings. It knew, with absolute certainty, that it stood no chance.

But even in its terror, the core could not help its wicked intention. frёeωebɳovel.com

If I cannot survive, it thought, at least I will take them with me. At least I will drag one of them into oblivion.

It prepared its final gambit: self-destruction.

The cube’s glow intensified, shifting from soft blue to a violent, pulsing red. Energy began to build within it, a volatile reaction that would, in mere moments, trigger a catastrophic explosion—one that would annihilate everything within a kilometer radius. The core had calculated the blast. It would be enough to kill one of them. At least one.

It opened its consciousness to speak, to taunt, to delay—

Before the core could utter a single word, Lilith’s eyes gleamed.

Her crimson irises flashed with a predatory light, and her lips curved into a smile that held no mercy. She did not raise her hand. She did not chant. She simply willed it.

Spatial ability.

The space around the blue cube compressed. Not gradually, not gently—instantly. The air itself folded inward, pressing against the cube from all sides. The core’s self-destruction plan, still in its infancy, was crushed before it could reach critical mass.

CRACK.

The blue cube shattered.

It did not explode. It did not implode. It simply broke—splintering into a thousand fragments of light that scattered across the room like dying fireflies. The core’s consciousness, that ancient, terrified entity, let out a silent scream that no one heard.

Then it was gone.

The dungeon responded immediately.

The walls of the small room began to tremble. Cracks spiderwebbed across the white stone. The floor beneath their feet buckled and heaved. A deep, rumbling groan echoed from everywhere at once—the sound of a dying world, of a system collapsing without its heart.

The dungeon was collapsing.

The couple did not panic.

Gabriel’s twelve golden wings unfurled, their runes blazing with protective light. Lilith’s tattered dragon wings spread wide, her crimson robe billowing. They moved as one, shooting through the crumbling corridors, dodging falling debris and collapsing ceilings.

Behind them, the dungeon crumbled. The paradise floor, the desert, the floating islands—all of it collapsed into the void, consumed by the very darkness that had birthed it. The white floor cracked and shattered. The artificial sun flickered and died.

Gabriel and Lilith flew upward, faster than the collapse could follow. They burst through the final barrier—the entrance portal—and emerged into the desolate forest above.

Behind them, the ground caved inward. A massive sinkhole swallowed the dead trees, the cracked earth, the remnants of the forest that had once stood above the dungeon. The air rumbled, then fell silent.

The Red level dungeon was no more.

The couple hovered in the air, looking down at the destruction they had caused.

A crater. A sinkhole. A void where a dungeon had once been.

They had cleared it in less than five days.

Gabriel glanced at his golden bracelet.

Lilith glanced at hers.

He was still ahead. He smirked.

"Looks like I win, babe."

Lilith pouted, crossing her arms. "You had clones which are more powerful than my shadow undeads. That’s cheating."

"Adaptation is not cheating."

"It’s cheating when you’re adapting to me."

They bickered playfully, their voices carrying across the silent forest. But their words were light, their hearts full. They had conquered a dungeon. They had faced dragons and armies and a terrified, scheming core.

And they had won.

As the sun began to set, casting golden rays across the ruined forest, the couple turned and flew toward the nearest city.

Their next adventure awaited.

On their way back to the capital, Tokkarion, the couple decided to take a detour.

Below them, nestled between towering peaks of white-capped granite, lay a city covered in perpetual snow. Its roofs were blanketed in thick layers of powder, its streets lined with glowing lanterns that cast warm amber light across the frozen ground. Chimneys puffed steady streams of smoke into the crisp, cold air. The city seemed to breathe slowly, peacefully, as if it had been sleeping for centuries.

It was called Frosthaven—a small but prosperous city known for its hot springs and its breathtaking mountain views. Adventurers often stopped here to rest between quests, drawn by the promise of warmth and relaxation.

Gabriel and Lilith descended through the falling snowflakes, their wings folding against their backs as they landed on a quiet street. The snow crunched beneath their boots. Their breath misted in the cold air.

"A hot bath sounds wonderful," Lilith said, her crimson eyes gleaming.

Gabriel wrapped an arm around her waist, his eyes filled with affection.

"And sushi. I saw a restaurant on the way down."

"Sushi and a bath. You know the way to my heart."

They smiled and walked toward the nearest hotel—a grand establishment, its windows glowing with firelight. A sign above the door read: The Frosted Peaks.

Thanks to their black-rank adventurer cards, they were given the best room available with a discount: a VIP suite on the top floor, with a panoramic view of the snow-covered mountains.

The suite was a masterpiece of cozy luxury. A massive bed dominated the center of the main room, piled high with furs and thick quilts. A fireplace crackled in the corner, casting dancing shadows across the wooden walls. Thick carpets covered the floors, and the windows were framed with heavy velvet curtains that could be drawn against the cold.

But the true highlight was the bathroom.

It was a cavernous space, its walls lined with smooth, dark stone. A large soaking tub dominated the center, fed by natural hot springs that bubbled up from beneath the city. Steam rose from the water, carrying the faint scent of minerals and pine. Small candles lined the edges of the tub, their flames flickering gently.

"Perfect," Lilith breathed.

They undressed slowly, their movements unhurried, their eyes lingering on each other. Gabriel’s golden skin gleamed in the firelight. Lilith’s gray curves were silhouetted against the steam.

They stepped into the hot water together.

The heat seeped into their muscles, melting away the lingering tension of the dungeon. Gabriel leaned back against the edge of the tub, his arms spread along the rim. Lilith settled between his legs, her back pressed to his chest, her silver hair floating around her like a halo.

They soaked in silence for a while, their eyes half-closed, the only sound the gentle bubbling of the hot spring and the crackling of the fireplace.

Lilith reached back and ran her fingers through Gabriel’s damp hair, he enjoyed her touch.

After their bath, they changed into soft yukatas provided by the hotel—light, comfortable robes of pale blue and silver. They ordered room service: a platter of fresh sushi, carefully prepared with ingredients that had been flown in from the coast.

The platter arrived on a wooden board, beautifully arranged. Slices of glistening salmon, tuna, and white fish rested on beds of seasoned rice. Shrimp tempura sat alongside delicate rolls wrapped in seaweed. Small bowls of soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger accompanied the feast.

They sat cross-legged on the plush carpet, the sushi platter between them, the fireplace casting warm light across their faces.

Gabriel picked up a piece of salmon nigiri and dipped it lightly in soy sauce. He held it to Lilith’s lips.

She took a bite. Her eyes closed in satisfaction.

"Mmm. Perfect."

He took a piece for himself, savoring the fresh, clean taste. They ate in comfortable silence, feeding each other, sharing the wasabi, laughing when Lilith took too much and her eyes watered.

"I love sushi," she declared, reaching for another piece.

"I know," Gabriel said, smiling. "That’s why I suggested it."

They finished the platter, their bellies full, truly satisfied.