Free Web NovelChapter 385: Chapter 384: Zevran Exploring The World
Alix nodded.
"Continue."
"If I spread it over a large area, it affects more people, but the control becomes weaker."
"Correct."
Tsia thought for a moment.
"And..."
She hesitated.
"My emotions still affect the power."
Alix’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"Explain."
"When I’m calm, I can control it properly."
She lowered her gaze.
"But when I become angry..."
Her voice became quieter.
"It gets stronger."
Alix nodded.
"That part will never disappear."
Tsia blinked.
"What?"
"You heard me."
Alix folded his arms.
"Your emotions are connected to your innate ability. You can learn to guide them."
He looked directly into her eyes.
"But you’ll never completely remove them."
Tsia remained silent. After a few moments, she slowly nodded.
She understood.
The power wasn’t something separate from her. It was part of her. Just like her hands, eyes, and soul.
"Good," Alix said.
Then he handed her several books. Tsia nearly dropped them. There were six of them, and each one looked old and valuable.
The symbols on the covers alone made her nervous.
She looked at the titles.
Soul Foundations.
Soul Resonance.
Spiritual Domination.
Soul Threads and Consciousness.
Soul Pressure Manipulation.
Her eyes widened.
"These..."
"Skill books," Alix said.
Tsia looked up immediately.
"Skill books?"
Even after spending years as a slave, she knew how valuable skill books were.
Most cultivators would kill for a single high-quality manual. Yet Alix had just handed her six.
Like they were ordinary books.
"I can’t take these."
"You can."
"But they’re too valuable."
Alix looked at her. Then raised an eyebrow.
"Who do you think they’re for?"
She stared at the books in her arms.
For a moment, she didn’t know what to say.
Nobody had ever invested this much into her before.
Alix continued.
"Your innate ability revolves around souls."
He tapped the top book.
"So stop studying things that don’t suit you."
Tsia lowered her head.
A faint smile appeared on her face as she hugged the books against her chest.
"Thank you, my lord," she said sincerely. "I will do my best to live up to your expectations."
For a moment, Alix simply looked at her.
Then he raised a hand and gently patted her head.
"Good."
Tsia froze.
Her ears twitched slightly.
"Work hard," Alix continued. "But don’t overwork yourself."
The simple gesture caught her completely off guard.
A faint blush immediately spread across her cheeks.
"...Y-Yes, my lord."
She lowered her head even further, trying to hide her face.
Unfortunately for her, it only made the blush more obvious.
Alix noticed it but said nothing.
He simply turned around and began walking toward the villa.
Tsia remained standing there for several seconds after he left. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
Still holding the books.
Still feeling the warmth lingering on top of her head.
A strange smile slowly appeared on her face.
Then she quickly shook her head.
"I need to train."
She glanced at the books again.
"And study."
With renewed determination, she headed toward her room.
Meanwhile, Alix returned to his private quarters.
The moment he opened the door, a familiar sight greeted him.
His room was peaceful.
On top of a large cushion near the window lay a tiny black dragon no larger than a house cat.
Zevran.
His small body was curled into a ball, wings folded neatly against his back. Wisps of draconic energy flowed around him as he slept peacefully.
Dragons cultivated differently from most races.
Many of them naturally absorbed energy while sleeping.
The older and stronger they became, the more terrifying that process became.
Floating nearby was another familiar companion.
Mero.
The small spirit looked like a fluffy ball of white cotton drifting lazily through the air. Occasionally it spun around for no apparent reason before continuing its aimless floating.
The moment Alix stepped inside, Zevran’s eyes snapped open.
The little dragon immediately lifted his head.
"Master!"
His tail wagged excitedly.
"You’re back."
Alix chuckled slightly.
"Looks like you weren’t sleeping that deeply."
"I can always sense when Master returns."
Zevran proudly puffed out his chest.
Mero immediately floated over.
"That’s because you’re nosy."
"I’m not nosy."
"You absolutely are."
"I’m a dragon."
"Same thing."
Zevran glared at the floating spirit.
Mero spun in a circle.
The argument had clearly happened many times before. Alix sat down in a chair nearby.
"Enough."
Both immediately stopped. Alix looked toward Zevran.
"Tell me your progress."
The small dragon became serious.
"I’ve completely integrated all of the True Dragon Blood."
Alix nodded. That was good news.
The True Dragon Blood had drastically improved Zevran’s potential.
In the future, his growth would be far beyond ordinary dragons.
"But," Zevran continued, sounding slightly frustrated, "I still can’t break through to Tier 7."
His tail drooped.
"I’ve tried several times."
Alix leaned back slightly.
"How close are you?"
"Very close."
Zevran sighed.
"It feels like there’s a wall in front of me."
Before Alix could reply, Mero floated over and landed on the table.
The spirit crossed his tiny fluffy arms.
"Lizard."
Mero continued calmly.
"Dragons eventually break through to Tier 7 naturally as they age."
Zevran snorted.
"I know that."
Mero floated higher.
"If you want to break through sooner, staying in one place won’t help much."
Zevran blinked.
"What do you mean?"
"You need experience."
The spirit pointed outside.
"The world is huge."
His voice became slightly more serious.
"Some dragons spend decades wandering before they mature."
"Others find ancient inheritances."
"Some discover dragon ruins."
"Some fight powerful enemies."
Mero shrugged.
"Who knows? You might get lucky."
The room became quiet. Alix found himself nodding slightly.
Mero was ancient, much older than anyone in this room.
His knowledge was difficult to question.
Experience often mattered just as much as talent.
Perhaps even more.
Alix looked toward Zevran.
"What do you think?"
The young dragon became silent.
For several moments, he stared out the window.
At the distant sky.
At the mountains beyond the city.
At the world waiting outside.
Excitement slowly appeared in his eyes. Then determination.
Finally, he looked back at Alix.
"I want to go."
Alix raised an eyebrow.
"You’re sure?"
Zevran nodded firmly.
"Yes, Master."
His wings unfolded slightly.
"I want to become stronger."
His golden eyes shone brightly.
"When we meet again, I want to be Tier 7."
Mero laughed.
"That’s more like it."
Alix remained silent for a few moments. Then he nodded.
"Alright."
Zevran’s eyes lit up.
"But be careful."
The dragon immediately became serious again.
Alix looked directly at him.
"This continent isn’t friendly to dragons."
Zevran nodded slowly, he knew that. Dragons were treasures in human eyes.
Countless cultivators dreamed of obtaining his body.
A young dragon traveling alone was tempting prey.
"I understand."
Alix continued.
"If you encounter something you can’t handle, run."
Zevran looked offended.
"A dragon does not run."
Alix stared at him.
"Then die."
"..."
"..."
"...I’ll run."
Mero burst out laughing. Even Alix smiled slightly.
After a few moments, Zevran jumped off the cushion and landed on Alix’s shoulder.
For a brief moment, the young dragon lowered his head.
"Thank you, Master."
Alix reached up and rubbed the dragon’s head.
"Come back alive."
Zevran nodded.
"I will."
Outside the window, the evening sun slowly dipped below the horizon.
And somewhere beyond the countless mountains, forests, kingdoms, and dangers of the continent...
A young dragon was about to begin his first journey into the wider world.
----
Alix sat quietly for a few minutes, thinking.
The city had been stabilized. The recruits had been trained. The army was growing stronger every day.
It was time to move again.
A few moments later, a guard arrived outside the room.
"My lord, the generals have gathered."
Alix stood.
"Good."
Soon, he entered the large war room.
A massive map covered the center table.
Colored markers represented cities, supply routes, troop positions, and neighboring territories.
Five figures were already waiting.
Vordon.
Ruk.
Erel’na.
Varesh.
And Morgro.
The moment Alix entered, all five straightened.
"My lord."
Alix nodded and took his seat at the head of the table.
For a few moments, silence filled the room. Then he got straight to the point.
"How are the preparations?"
Vordon answered first.
"The army is ready, my lord."
His voice was firm and confident.
"The veterans have finished retraining the new soldiers. Equipment has been distributed, and supply lines are secure."
Alix nodded.
"Any issues?"
"A few."
Vordon pointed at several locations on the map.
"Some recruits still lack battlefield experience. They know formations, but knowledge and actual combat are different things."
"Expected."
Ruk snorted.
"The young ones are eager."
A grin spread across his face.
"Too eager."
Several of the generals immediately understood what he meant.
Ruk continued.
"They keep challenging veterans to duels."
Varesh folded his arms.
"And losing."
The beastman sounded amused.
"One recruit challenged three veterans at once."
Erel’na raised an eyebrow.
"I assume that ended badly."
"Very."
The room became slightly lighter as several generals chuckled.
Even Alix allowed a faint smile. At least the recruits had spirit.
Erel’na spoke next.
"The new recruits now possess basic military knowledge."
She tapped several documents.
"They understand formations, discipline, communication signals, and battlefield coordination."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"But they still lack experience under pressure."
Alix nodded.
"That’s alright."
His gaze moved across the generals gathered around the table.
"They’ll get their experience on the battlefield."
No one disagreed.
There was only so much training a soldier could receive before facing real combat. Formations, discipline, and drills were important, but battle was a different beast entirely.
Only blood and death could forge true veterans.
Ruk grinned.
"That’s what I’ve been saying."
He crossed his arms.
"A few battles and those recruits will either become warriors or corpses."
Erel’na glanced at him.
"You always have a comforting way of putting things."
