NOVEL WEB Chapter 92: Self-Confession
"Mm..mmm... Where am I?"
Venus stirred awake, feeling the cold ground beneath her.
"Ahh?!"
As her eyes adjusted, the first thing she saw was a towering black dragon—nearly 20 meters tall—its obsidian scales glinting in the void-like light. Its abyssal eyes glowed faintly, and just one look made her body tremble with instinctive fear. An overwhelming pressure rolled off it like a tidal wave.
But then her gaze shifted.
Before her stood another dragon, smaller yet no less majestic. It was ten meters tall, cloaked in golden and white scales that shimmered like sunlight piercing through clouds.
Her breath caught in her throat as she recognised those kind golden eyes.
The fear that had gripped her heart melted away in an instant.
"Mana Daddy... is that you?" she whispered, her voice shaking with disbelief.
"Yes, it's me," the golden dragon rumbled softly. "And I've come again to grant you more power."
"Mana Daddy... It's really you." Her voice cracked. Tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks. "I was praying to see you for so long..."
She wiped her eyes, shaking her head fiercely.
"But I don't want power," she said, almost pleading. Her gaze lifted to the dragon's glowing eyes, full of raw hope. "Can you fix my mother instead? Or bring my father back... just this once..."
She stepped forward, desperation in her voice.
"I'll do anything. Anything for you..."
"Ahem..." The golden dragon made an awkward expression, his radiant aura dimming slightly in embarrassment.
Venus tearfully blinked, catching the look. "Can't you do that ?"
The dragon let out a heavy sigh, then answered in his low and apologetic voice,
"Sorry, little one. Bringing the dead back to life is beyond me. And as for your mother... I can't heal her either."
Hearing this, Venus lowered her head, her hands tightening into fists.
"But," the dragon continued, his tone firming, "I can make you stronger. Strong enough to find the cure yourself, with your own hands. Doesn't that sound a good plan?"
A moment of silence followed.
Venus exhaled and looked up.
"You're right... I will find a way to fix my mother. No matter what it takes."
She stepped forward as she added,
"Please... give me more power. You can even enslave my soul if that's what you desire—"
"Cough!" the dragon choked, jerking his head back. "No need! I don't have those kinds of fetishes, little girl!"
Venus flushed slightly, her brows twitching at the reaction. "Then... why are you helping me?" she asked, curiosity finally overtaking her sorrow.
The golden dragon's expression turned distant, his glowing eyes dimming with thought.
"Because..." he said slowly, "that answer will come in time."
He stepped closer, his body radiating warmth and calm.
"For now, just accept the gift I'm about to bestow. Because there's a great Catastrophe approaching your world. One that will engulf everything in ruin. You must grow stronger before it arrives... and survive."
Venus' eyelashes trembled. Her usually lively face was now clouded with worry.
"Catastrophe? Bigger than the Hollows? Please clarify, Great Dragon..."
"That I cannot tell," Ryuzen replied in his deep, ancient dragon voice. "But I can sense it... looming closer with every passing day."
Venus lowered her gaze, then took a deep breath.
"Then... please proceed. Make me stronger. I have people I must protect—Mother, Brother John, Sister Maki..."
Her voice softened at the last name.
"...and Ryu."
Ryuzen, still in his draconic form, blinked in surprise.
'She... said my name?'
For a moment, he was stunned. Then a warmth crept up his neck.
'So she genuinely cares about me... But wait—why am I blushing? I'm the man here. I'm stronger than her... I'm supposed to protect her.'
His dargon eyes quietly observed her.
Venus was standing firm despite the dread of catastrophe. Her brows were furrowed in resolve, her gaze full of conviction and protective instinct.
For a moment, she appeared to be the most beautiful woman in his eyes. Her fearful brown eyes, the nose, the soft natural lips—everything became charming to him.
Something stirred within him.
His pulse quickened. A strange impulse to take her into his embrace formed within him. Those pink lips tempted him beyond reason.
And he recognised this feeling. Because he experienced it once in the past. With Maya.
'I have fallen for her? But how? Is this kind love that came without reason?' he questioned himself, remembering Versalon's words.
But he was sure that she was now more than a friend to him now.
He didn't want to admit it at first. But the way her presence brought warmth to his heart, the way she had matured... After Maya, it was the first time he'd felt this kind of connection.
Maya was his first love, but that didn't a person cannot fall for a second time.
'But... a dragon and a human? Can we really... form a family? Can we even have children together?'
A brief flash of embarrassment hit him.
'Cough... Why am I thinking about making babies already? But wait...Will Maya accept her?'
He shook his head sharply and muttered to himself,
'Screw it all. I'll think about those problems later. For now... let's focus on growing stronger. That's all that matters right now.'
With that thought, Ryuzen began fusing another diluted Sun Dragon bloodline into Venus, aiming to strengthen her physique.
He repeated the process three times, each fusion more intense than the last, until her body could no longer handle the strain.
Steam rose from her skin, her muscles twitching under the overwhelming pressure. At one point, she was on the verge of permanent mutations that could have altered her human form forever. Still, she gritted her teeth and endured to the very end.
Finally, the process was complete.
Her bloodline had ascended to A Grade which was previously at C-Grade. With his system's appraisal ability, Ryuzen could now see her full stats and bloodline clearly.
---
[ Appraisal ]
[ Name: Venus Versalon ]
[ Age: 16 ]
[ Race: Human-Dragon ]
[ Bloodline: Sacred Earth Dragon (A) ]
[ Level: 9 ]
[ Strength: 119 ]
[ Agility: 101 ]
[ Vitality: 105 ]
[ Mana: 809 ]
[ Unique Skills:???? ]
---
Her remarkable improvement wasn't just due to the fusion. It was also the result of her willpower and relentless drive to grow stronger.
Ryuzen felt a sense of relief wash over him. She could now stand on her own two feet, no longer needing protection at every turn.
Once she leveled up further, she would become even more formidable.
And maybe, someday, they could fight side by side as an unstoppable duo.