"Holy shit, okay, I shouldn't have rushed that." Caelus groaned in pain as his body slowly began regenerating, only speeding up because the Wyvern's blood, which was poison, was something dragons had and helped refill his body before being changed into Draconic cells.
Caelus got up, still in pain, while trying his hardest not to limp, and his right hand moved up and touched the wall. Considering his left hand had a hole going right through it.
[Well, technically, you could've since you defeated the Corrupted Wyvern, not Parasite- Oops.]
[Mission Complete! Your Reward: Two Body Refining Pills and Two Mana Regeneration Pills!]
"Yeah, and what does each one do?" Caelus wasn't really amused by its technicality and just wanted to know what it could do.
[The Body Refining one just enhances your physical capabilities permanently, but it's only for a specific thing, which is randomized. So it could be Eyesight, or it could be your tail, or even your regeneration. The Mana regeneration one is self-explanatory.]
"...Oh wait, yeah, it is, alright, sorry, I wasn't thinking straight there." Caelus sighed. He moved his right hand out, grabbed all four pills, and separated the Body pills from the Mana regeneration pill. He didn't want to mix them up.
Caelus waited a second, looking at the body refining one and his inventory. He could use the Vase, but he didn't know what'd happened and would rather test it on something weak, so he doesn't mess up.
"Alright, well, I guess Mana regeneration first." Caelus dropped the pill into his mouth, chewing it as a blue liquid flew in, swallowing it, he felt a surge in Mana along with it, covering all his body, an Aura which showed his color of Mana.
Caelus waited for a full minute before focusing more Mana towards the injuries he had to make them regenerate faster.
[Unlocked, Enhanced Touch 3/6 Senses!]
[Yes, even enhancing your regeneration counts as Touch, you didn't think it would, did you~?]
Caelus listened to it, less than amused. "I didn't expect that, but you have to stop talking like that. Again, I've told this like five times now."
[Hey! I like talking like that :<, But sure, since you're so adamant, I'll stop.]
"I wonder if you're even an adult or old enough to drink sometimes." Caelus felt a lot better after ten minutes of letting his body regenerate, manually moving his Mana back to an even amount, almost perfectly, so it didn't overwhelm a specific part of his body.
"Well, I'll be going back to the Empire, I hope-"
[Oh, also! since you killed a Wyvern, which is a powerful opponent, you reached two stages higher!, Though it just means your Foundation is more durable and your Adrenaline won't make it go haywire as much.]
"Okay, Rude, don't interrupt me, but that means I'm at Stage Five, right?" Caelus spoke, annoyed because Aphro interrupted him.
[Indeed, you're at Foundation Establishment V Good Job!]
"And you're using Roman Numerals, I haven't heard that in like ten years." Caelus was puzzled why it was using an old system instead of the current one, but it was less than interesting.
[It's just fancy, so I use it, I gotta look higher to give other people work to do after all!]
He continued walking to the entrance and kicked his leg forward, creating a hole as rocks flew down. Since the hole was big enough for him to get into and out of, he jumped, his tail scraping the bottom for a second as he winced like scraping his foot across the ground at high speeds. Just the thought caused him pain... Though not physically.
Falling Down, Caelus looked at the Trajectory as he almost reached the ground. Seeing as he was about to land on someone, Caelus's wings flew out as he started flying, right before his legs touched the person, who was clearly of a higher rank.
Caelus landed nearby, going behind because he wasn't going their direction, though he still couldn't tell which direction was left or right-
[You have to go the way the lady, or well, girl is going, since that's the way to the Empire, I'll be a guide, don't worry!]
"At least you're somewhat useful practically." Caelus was amused that it could do this. Turning towards the lady, he walked past her without much care; he wasn't going to interact with someone he didn't know, nor did he think he was going to have a good time.
A few hours later
Finally reaching the Empire, Caelus looked ahead, noticing the guards weren't there, and the doors were open with lots of people waiting, not wanting any attention on him. Caelus turned to the side, only to notice the lady he had seen earlier walk closer, this time with two guards he hadn't seen before.
He assumed she was either a Daughter of the Duke or at least a Princess, as his wings grew, he launched himself into the air to fly over and land in the training area for Royal Guards and their trainees, His wings retracted as he noticed three guys sitting there, drinking water with them sweating, so they'd have just completed their training for right now.
He shrugged and looked behind him, seeing that the doors were open with Sol talking with two girls, with one of them blushing, and with that, he noticed Arjuna walking in, though he expected them to be training for this, considering he was powerful.
Still, he found no sign of Tellus, whom he was looking for, since she had a Mission and there was still plenty of time before it began. Though it was turning nighttime, the ground beneath him seemed to change. Snapping his head down, he saw a crack form.
Sol from the other area spoke. "Oh, Hello Caelus! What are you doing here again? I thought you left for something since Tellus was annoyed; she had something important to tell you."
Caelus, hearing this, turned and flickered, almost teleporting to be closer, standing a few feet from Sol. "I was looking for some more food since I burned too much energy in a single day. Where did she go?"
"She went to her home to talk with her parents, who are currently greeting the Crown Princess after she went to do something involving another Empire," Sol spoke, his expression unreadable.
"Oh, so the lady I passed when coming back, then I'll just go back there to find Tellus. Thanks." Caelus spoke, happy he'd gotten a straight answer, since he'd expected people to dodge. It took him a second to realize this was Sol, not a random person, even though he had identified him earlier.
Caelus nodded before asking. "Also, before I go, how has your day been?"
Sol was a little surprised to say the least, he'd never been asked this, mainly because Cultivators never did, but since he knew Caelus was a Dragon, he assumed it was something they did with each other.
"I have been fine, though, from the looks of it, you've been doing a lot better. You look stronger than before. Am I wrong?"
Caelus was puzzled. Was it not expected that he would grow stronger, or was it something rare? He didn't mind. "Indeed, I want to go to that Mountain called Tianyun Peak, or well, the one with lightning striking near the top.
Sol stood still for half a second before clearing his throat. "...I see, not many usually go there since a Wyvern rests and defends the place." Sol didn't think Caelus had defeated the Wyvern; he just thought Caelus had gone there to train.
The wind blew in as something crashed into the wall, sending debris flying and hitting Caelus on the back of his head at high speed. Noticing it, he turned around as he saw the dummy impaled into the wall with Arjuna's hand steaming, probably the sweat evaporating, unless he was wrong.
Caelus wanted to know how mad Arjuna was. However, he didn't want to bother either. Still, he had to meet with Tellus to get information on what the Mission she was doing was even about, Jumping at full force, alongside using Mana, he was sent flying, reaching close to the Empire's main entrance, falling as he scanned the ground to see where Tellus was, looking near the front she saw Tellus standing there next two what she assumed was her parents along with another Girl standing with an annoyed expression looking away.
Falling, he landed right behind the other girl, who jumped, startled by Caelus falling from the Sky. "AHH- What the hell?!"
From there, Tellus turned around, saw him, and sighed, her mood somewhat lowered by the interruption, even when she was just standing with her parents. More people looked in their direction, noticing it was the same Dragon.
"Hey Tellus, I just needed to ask what you're going to do for that-" Caelus spoke, not seeing Tellus's expression yet.
"Shh-, nope, they don't know, don't say anything right now." Tellus interrupted, covering Caelus's mouth with her hand.
Caelus looked at the hand... "What if I bit it- No, Okay No." Caelus blinked as he stopped himself from thinking that, alongside speaking. A blank expression on his face as he saw her move her hand back to her side.
"Alright, well, what even are you doing here?" Caelus sighed; the other girl was clearly annoyed, but Caelus paid no attention to her, and she noticed and turned away as well.
"Just with my Parents, they're going to be talking with the Princess since my Little sister here can heal and is blessed, apparently," Tellus spoke, a little bit jealous, since she wanted it but wasn't going to fight over it.
"I see, speaking of, what even is your family? I doubt you're just... I forgot the word-" Caelus asked, since he didn't want to call them commoners, since it was another world.
"Masses? No, we aren't. That's what they're called, though." Tellus interrupted
"Weird name, though it's been used a few times..." Caelus thought. "I see, thanks for telling, but still, what err... Realm in terms of Power."
"Oh? Simply Viscounts, we can still talk with Royals personally since we're dealing with an attack from another Empire."
Caelus listened; he heard from Sol something similar, but Caelus assumed he didn't know enough about it. "I see, and the Princess whom I walked past went to settle it? Or..."
"Indeed, she's been successful-"
"Tellus Dear, it appears a new rumor has appeared... Is that oh no." An older lady spoke, as Caelus looked up; it was Tellus's Mom, who began laughing softly. "Well, a rumor has been circulating already about your friend over there leaving as soon as the Princess gets near."
Tellus heard this and turned, her eyes wide in surprise and also embarrassment. She knew it was going to be some kind of overreaction. "What is it... Mom?"
"Well, they're saying the Princess is so pure that she makes Dragons leave whenever they're near her." Her mom spoke in evident amusement, though a little worried about how Caelus would feel.
Caelus, on the other hand, wouldn't really care, even if this Empire had a Church which wasn't so great towards his very existence... He wouldn't pin that on someone who's just doing what she needs to. "I mean, if it helps the Empire stay safe, then I don't mind it." Caelus shrugged.
Tellus listened and only felt more embarrassed that he wouldn't try to debunk the rumor or at least protect his pride. "Really...? Why won't you just explain you were going somewhere?"
"Because what they think doesn't really change how I live," Caelus answered.
"And also because I want to see how humans would react to that and what would even happen." Caelus chuckled. Looking up at her mom, who looked happy, at either the fact that Caelus didn't fit her expectations or that he was getting close to her daughter.
"Why do you speak so weirdly?" Tellus's sister spoke, which made both Tellus and their mom look at her in shock at the bluntness.