NOVEL NEXT Chapter 109: Coaxing
[March 4th, 750DBT]
dink dink dink
Since there was only so much space within the cave and checking the status of his crops didn't take too long, Vahn had a fair amount of free time each day. He was tempted to pass it with Grayfia, but since there were a few events he needed to prepare for, he spent a few hours each day expanding the cave by mining out and reinforcing a tunnel he hoped to convert into a forge and smokehouse.
CRACK
By targetting specific points in the wall, denoted by his [Prospector's Eye] Skill, the pick in Vahn's hand sent faintly glowing cracks through the wall's surface. Afterward, a sizeable section of the wall he had struck crumpled like loose gravel that promptly vanished amid flashes of bluish-white light, absorbed and sorted within Vahn's Inventory.
Ding!
The Rank of your [Mining] Skill has increased from E to D!
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[Mining]
Rank: E->D
Description: You have a moderate understanding of mining and where and how to swing a pickaxe.
Use: Decreases the rate at which durability decreases for pickaxes, mattocks, hammers, and chisels. Grants a 2->5% chance of inflicting a Critical Hit while striking stone or mineral deposits, breaking them down into their constituent parts.
Cultivation Method: Excavate stone, soil, or mineral deposits.
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"A three percent increase? Nice..." remarked Vahn, raising his one-handed pickaxe with the intent to continue before a notification window appeared to his left.
[Grayfia will be finished preparing food soon. You should return and wash up.]
"Oh? Thanks for the heads up," hummed Vahn, returning his pickaxe to his Inventory before returning through the nearly thirty-meter-long tunnel he had excavated. Grayfia had been using her Devil Magic to ensure its walls and floor were perfectly flat with an arched ceiling, so even though it was fairly dark due to a lack of lighting, he didn't have to worry about bumping into or tripping over any sharp, jagged rocks or uneven terrain.
[The Tower Administrator would like to know if any of the Manga in your possession has a female Dragon as either the protagonist or primary love interest.]
"Hmm...despite their tremendous popularity, there aren't a lot of stories that immediately come to mind where the main character is a Dragon..." revealed Vahn, cupping and caressing his chin as he appended, "I know of one, but it's about a Dragon named Tohru who becomes a Maid for a computer programmer named Kobayashi. There are quite a few where a Dragon is the primary love interest, but I'm not sure how much you would enjoy them."
[The Tower Administrator expresses that they can read the introductory volumes of each series and ascertain for themselves if they would like to continue them.]
"Alright, but it will take some time," responded Vahn, acquiring the first volume of Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid from the System Shop before producing and holding it up with his right hand as he said, "You can have this one to tide you over."
[The Tower Administrator thanks you for your tribute.]
Following the notification, the volume of Manga in Vahn's hand vanished into thin air. Around the same time, he reached the end of the long tunnel, prompting four of the six baby bunnies to rush over and pounce on him as he emerged.
"Vahn~!"
"Hyung!"
"Snacks!"
"Nap time!"
Catching the four nearly identical bunnies and supporting them with his hands and forearms, a faint chuckle emanated from Vahn's throat before he hummed, "Well, hello, Hana, Seulbi, Junsoo, Donghyun. Have the four of you been behaving today? And no snacks. We're about to eat lunch, so finish that first, and I might consider it."
"Boooooo~" responded Junsoo, the largest and chubbiest of the bunnies for a reason.
"Thanks for bringing them back. I hope they weren't too much of a bother," expressed So-Young, presenting a welcoming smile as Vahn arrived at the picnic table where everyone typically ate lunch together. Witnessing an apron-wearing rabbit helping to set the table was still a little peculiar, but Vahn returned a friendly smile as he set down each of his passengers atop the table, answering, "These little cuties? They're no trouble at all."
Scratching under Hana's and Donghyun's chins, Vahn suppressed a soft chuckle as the latter rapidly thumped his foot. He did his best not to treat the adolescent rabbits as pets, but they were too adorable not to pet and pamper at least a little.
Emerging from the cabin with a sizeable, thirty-five-liter pot of fragrant carrot curry, carrying it as if it were empty, Grayfia set it down without a sound, offered Vahn a smile, and asked, "Should I use my Magic to clean you, or would you prefer a more direct cleansing...?"
"How could I possibly refuse...?" countered Vahn, his smile gaining a hint of playfulness as he and Grayfia left So-Young to finish preparing lunch in favor of taking a bath. The bunny couple were used to them disappearing for long periods, but instead of judging them, So-Young cupped her cheek and directed a glance at Moonguk in the distance, causing the male rabbit to shudder and exhale a tense, nervous laugh as he knew he wouldn't be getting much sleep that evening...
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"You were able to increase your Mining Rank from E to D? It sounds like you've earned yourself a reward..." hummed Grayfia, licking her lips as she wrapped her arms around Vahn's shoulders, her breasts squishing against his neck and shoulders as she gently bit the tip of his left ear from behind.
"We get to spend virtually every day together...what greater reward could I ask for...?" questioned Vahn, eliciting a throaty and sensual chuckle from Grayfia's throat. After nearly nine months of cohabitation, there was little that she and Vahn hadn't tried without crossing the line into the extremes of sexual gratification. However, as she relished their current relationship, Grayfia didn't propose anything new and instead spent several minutes just clinging to Vahn and nuzzling the side of his head with her mouth and nose.
"Enjoying yourself...?" asked Vahn, eyes closed and head tilted slightly to the side to allow Grayfia to kiss and suckle his neck.
"We could both be enjoying ourselves..." responded Grayfia, gently biting Vahn's left earlobe.
"You mean more..." countered Vahn, a contented groan emanating from his throat as he exhaled from his nose. He had been trying to restrain his urges during the day, but with Grayfia's warmth flowing into his body and her fragrance filling his head with a dizzying sensation, he eventually had her place her hands against the wall, her breasts dangling as he spent the better part of an hour fucking and cumming inside her six times, bringing their count for the day to thirteen...
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[March 6th, 750DBT]
With thirty days passing since the previous one, Vahn was lounging on the periphery where light entered the cave with Grayfia seated atop his lap, their hands overlapping atop her stomach.
[Shouldn't the two of you seek shelter?]
"We'll be fine," responded Vahn, his tone relaxed as he glanced at where the notification window had originated, asking, "What about you? What do you do during times like this...?"
[The Tower Administrator is taken aback by your question.]
[Me? I don't do much besides wait for the event to pass. Right now, I'm reading volume thirteen of Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid. It's a lot more interesting than I thought it would be.]
"Oh? I'm happy to hear you're enjoying it..." hummed Vahn, his smile broadening at the thought of Aileen happily gushing over a comparably tiny Manga with her large body. He didn't know what she looked like due to the virtual world's graphical reconciliation, but since the bunny couple and their kids were nearly as cute as their Manhwa counterparts, it wasn't difficult to imagine Aileen being pudgy and adorable.
Ding!
Hearing the sound of a notification, Vahn opened his eyes and turned his head to read it.
[What was your mom like, Vahn?]
Though he was briefly taken aback by the seemingly random and very personal question, Vahn soon understood why Aileen was asking when Sis brought forth his knowledge of volume thirteen of Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid. The final chapter of the volume had Tohru playing the part of Kanna's mother to understand humans better. Their respective mothers had abanded them shortly after they were born, as was customary among Dragons of their world, so Aileen had likely read the chapter and got to thinking about her own mother, Elizabeth Pritani, who had vanished many years ago in a battle against the Apostles of Destruction.
"Unfortunately, I never had the chance to know her..." responded Vahn, causing Grayfia's ear to perk as he revealed, "My mother died on the day I was born, but I can say this much with confidence...she was prepared to give her life to ensure I had a chance at life. I have never known a greater form or expression of love..."
[I apologize for bringing up such a sensitive topic...]
"No need," responded Vahn, closing his eyes and smiling as he asserted, "I have few secrets and have no problem sharing with those who seek to know or understand me better. That said, if you ever want to share or talk about yourself, I'm a good listener."
[...]
Following a lengthy pause, Aileen revealed [I also lost my mother when I was very young, but my father assures me that she is still alive. One of my many dreams is to live long enough to see us reunited.]
"You will meet again," affirmed Vahn, his tone relaxed but confident as he recalled what he knew of Aileen's mother's situation. She was presently in a world known as Omid, which had its connection to other worlds severed approximately 150 years prior. In canon, Sejun was able to locate and gain access to Omid using the inexplicable power of the adorable orange feline merchant, Teo, but if Aileen asked him to, Vahn could theoretically reunite them right there and then.
'It would probably complicate things, but a child shouldn't have to grow without their mother...' thought Vahn, opening his eyes and looking to his left as another notification appeared, accompanied by a soft ding.
[Are you aware of any medicines from other worlds that can revitalize or restore the function of a Dragon's Heart?]
As her primary goal was to change topics, Aileen was more than a little surprised when Vahn casually proclaimed, "Sure I do. Why, do you know any Dragons in need of treatment?"
[I know of one...] responded Aileen, the ellipses at the end of her words suggesting she was hesitant about revealing the truth.
"Then here, have them drink this..." suggested Vahn, producing a large and expensive-looking crystal bottle with a thin neck and a tear-shaped base embossed with an angel wing motif, within which was approximately 800ml luminous white and gold liquid.
After hastily teleporting the bottle to themselves, more than a minute passed before Aileen remarked [I can sense tremendous life force, but the contents can't be analyzed. Just what is this liquid?]
"It's called Panacea..." responded Vahn, revealing, "It's a liquid that can cure all conditions and diseases, regardless of their severity. In the world it originates, it's known as a Universal Cure..."
Though it was actually a vial of his blood, Vahn wasn't lying when he said it was called Panacea. That was the nickname that had been forced upon him in his previous life, but since Aileen would presumably be weirded out if he gave her a large bottle of his blood to consume, he passed it off as a special elixir. Fortunately, that was precisely what it was...
[And they simply need to drink this? There are no special preparations or anything?]
"There may be some heat, pain, and discomfort caused by the Dragon's Heart rousing, but the Panacea itself is safe to consume and should have the effect of clearing any sequelae," responded Vahn. "Just ensure your friend consumes it quickly, as the liquid within will disappear within a few hours, even if temporarily preserved."
[Are you willing to stake your life if the effects aren't what you say?]
"Sure," responded Vahn, unbothered as he had absolute confidence in his blood's ability to remedy all ailments. It had been tested against poisons, viruses, and even late-stage necrosis, and, worst-case scenario, he could teleport to Aileen's side to complete her treatment. Instead, after signing the contract that materialized before him, he closed his eyes and awaited the good news along with the arrival of the Blue Moon...
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