1631 Venerables Are Weird
When I woke up, my body had fully regenerated again, and I was resting above the snow. Everything I experienced in that fight felt like a really bad dream, but it was real, all of it, wasn't it?
Yeah…
"You're finally awake."
The Ice Queen's voice greeted me, she was sitting right to my left side, she had a rather pleasant smile in her often serious and expressionless face.
"Ah… I lost pretty badly again, seems like I passed out."
She chuckled at my words.
"No, no, I would say you won in a way. You were able to develop something incredible, something that might have even surpassed a Venerable's Enlightened Senses, in a way. Something only you with your body could accomplish properly."
Memories of what I had done quickly reached my mind, of feeling my soul and body melt and become like water, quite figuratively and literally.
Not only were my senses expanded as I released my Soul Ether everywhere, but also my own body, and my Divinities, and everything. My flesh could instantly regenerate wherever my consciousness reached.
It was as if I had reached some sort of unity between soul and body.
"That's… I did that?" I asked. "It feels terrifying whenever I remember it. I can't believe I was so desperate I started using my torn apart body in such a way."
"Don't feel ashamed." She said. "This is your power; this is who you are. I told you before that without it, you wouldn't have been able to get this far, right? You must embrace this power, because it is the key for you to accomplish what you want."
"So what did I exactly accomplish?" I asked her.
"You did a lot. For a moment, you overwhelmed a being such as me! And you forced me to use one of my Venerable Techniques, something that Pandemonium definitely does not possess as he's not a Venerable, but an otherworldly soul that possess a Unique Skill that grants him all his powers," she said. "I was honestly scared… For a moment, I panicked, and you forced my hand. You had truly become something terrifying, but in a good way."
"A good way you say…"
I looked at my own hands, I was already on my humanoid form, mostly to preserve energies after what I did. I felt rather exhausted, mostly an exhaustion in the soul rather than the body. I spent a lot of Soul Ether Essence to get there.
I quickly drank more Soul Potions to recover, and let the Demonic Energy flow through my soul, hastening its recovery until I finally felt better.
"Do you remember how it felt?" She asked.
"What?" I wondered.
"How it felt to activate that power? It'll be the key for you to use it again in the future." She explained to me. "You must remember that feeling and never let go of it, channel it within you and release it."
"That feeling…"
It was a feeling of dread.
Of fear.
Anger.
Frustration.
And above all…
To let it all go out.
Remembering that frustration I felt and all those swirling emotions, and then releasing my Soul Ether again.
My consciousness slowly melting away, becoming water.
"Ahhh…"
And then I suddenly did it.
"Ah!"
I felt strange.
It was the first time I was doing this without being in the middle of an intense battle.
I could both see, taste, and smell the grass below the snow, the snow, the sky, the air, even my skin, and I could see every single detail of everything.
It was embarrassing to admit, but that also included the Ice Queen herself, her soul could solidify to the point it was almost a physical body, and her hair smelled very sweet, with an enchanting floral scent.
"It seems you've accomplished it." She smiled. "Congratulations, I am rather proud of you, Drake. In only a week you were able to accomplish something incredible."
"Wait… A week?!" I asked in disbelief. "Didn't we only fight for a day?!"
"It might have felt like that to you because you were constantly coming in and out of unconsciousness as we fought, but no, we fought for over seven days." She laughed. "You've been sleeping for another two."
"EH?!"
I didn't realize it was that long of a time frame! But it seemed that it was the case indeed. I had spent nine days doing all of this. And even then, my growth felt phenomenal. My stats might have not increased, and I haven't gotten any new ability, but within me, it felt like I was finally tapping into abilities I always had but that couldn't access before.
"I'm sorry for taking away so much of your time I suppose." She smiled. "You may return with your family for the moment, continuing to fight might affect your mental fortitude. You need to rest and spend time with those you love. We can practice more of this ability in a few days."
"Alright then." I sighed, retracting the aura back to my body. "Ice Queen, thank you for helping me so much so far."
"Don't worry, you'll owe me a few favors once I return. I hope you can repay them." She smiled rather… coquettishly?
"Err, what kind of favor, exactly?" I sighed.
"Nothing too much, it has to do with your allegiance to me, and your loyalty." She said.
"You reject the advances of every female that approaches you, so I never thought you would do the opposite for me anyways." She shrugged. "But you're perhaps one of the few men that could actually make me fall in love, how are. You should be proud of that. Now let's go, you invited me to a meal, right?"
04:41
"Haha, but of course. We'll be allies even when the rest of the Venerables revive, what made you think otherwise?" I laughed.
"Maybe I'm paranoid I suppose. Just to make sure things go well." She crossed her arms. "Now, return with your family."
"Fine, fine…" I said. "Come with me, let's have a meal together with them."
"Oh?" She blushed for a bit. "A-Ah, well… They're not really my family so… Wouldn't it be odd?"
"Not at all, you're a friend, come with me." I laughed, holding her hand and dragging her to the castle.
"Drake…" She sighed, looking at me with a calm smile. "Thank you, I suppose… I never had a family myself, nor a husband, or children. I never found the time, maybe I also didn't want to. Hah, now I regret that! I wish you were single, maybe we could make a good couple."
"What?!"
That just came out of nowhere…
"Sorry, sorry, not interested at the moment… Three is enough." I said, apologizing.
"Don't worry, I wasn't really planning on doing anything or asking for anything." She smiled, caressing my head. "I know you're a man loyal to your family. But at the very least, could you let this old woman have her way?"
She suddenly kissed my cheek.
Her soft lips were very cold, yet her kiss alone felt very nice.
"Huh?"
"Fufu, this might be the first time I kiss a man. It might have not been the lips but, it felt nice."
"A-Ah… Okay."
It was in the cheek, so I suppose it was okay. I didn't mind it I suppose, like friends.
"You reject the advances of every female that approaches you, so I never thought you would do the opposite for me anyways." She shrugged. "But you're perhaps one of the few men that could actually make me fall in love, how are. You should be proud of that. Now let's go, you invited me to a meal, right?"
"Ah, yes, sure." I nodded.
Did she confess her love or something?
Seriously, Venerables are so strange in the way they convey their feelings.
