CHAPTER 120: MOVING FORWARD

Luna and Peri were already asleep, even though the sun had only just dipped toward the horizon.

With nothing else to do but eat and train, their days had fallen into a heavy rhythm. The endless drills left their bodies aching, so when exhaustion came, they gave in, letting sleep take them early.

What they didn’t notice was the pair of warm eyes watching over them from the corner of the room.

Hades had returned, and the very first thing he did was check on his mates.

For a while, he simply stood there in silence, his chest easing at the sight of their peaceful faces. Then, as quietly as he had come, he slipped back out. He hadn’t meant to leave without waking them—he only wanted to let them rest until he finished taking a bath.

His mother was not around. She had gone to tend to her duties—as one of the Dragon Kings, her responsibilities stretched far and wide.

The thought still left him shaken.

Dragon King... my mother.

When he first learned the truth, it stunned him. The very idea felt too great, too unreal.

No wonder she could overpower me that night, he thought, recalling what she and the voice within him had told him.

According to the being that lived inside him, on that night when he lost control, his strength had risen to the level of a High Duke-ranked dragon. The revelation had left him reeling.

And yet, it planted something in him too. Hope.

If his body could reach such heights even in madness, then perhaps—with enough training, enough battles—he could reach that power while still holding on to himself.

Hades exhaled softly, his resolve deepening. He would rise. But this time, he would not lose who he was.

"Hey," he called out.

A maid turned at once, bowing her head quickly.

"Greetings, young lord."

Hades wasn’t used to such formality. He scratched the back of his neck and gave a sheepish smile.

"U-Umm... could you tell me where I can take a bath?"

If he used the one in his room, he would end up disturbing Luna and Peri. That wasn’t something he wanted.

"Yes, of course. Please follow me." The maid bowed again and led him down the gallery. At the end, she stopped and gestured toward a door.

"This room was prepared for your mates, young lord. You may use it as you like."

Hades tilted his head. "My mates’ room was prepared so far from mine?"

The maid’s composure wavered. She lowered her eyes, flustered, and said nothing.

Hades sighed softly, letting the matter drop. Without another word, he was about to step inside, when suddenly the maid suggested,

"If you allow me, my lord, I would like to assist you in the bath-"

"No, it’s okay." Hades waved her off and hurriedly stepped into the room.

’Haa~seriousy...’ Shaking his head, he looked around.

The room was just as magnificent as his own. Dark red curtains draped the tall windows, their folds rich and heavy. The furniture was kept minimal, leaving the space open and easy to move around in. Two wide windows near the bed looked out over the town that lay downhill, the distant lights flickering like tiny stars.

He let out a long breath. The bed was large, soft-looking—so inviting it made his body ache just to look at it.

But first things first. He decided he would bathe before giving in to its pull.

He pushed open the door on the left and let out a quiet breath at the sight before him. The bathroom was far larger than he expected, almost overwhelming in its size. But rather than wander around, his body begged for one thing first—a bath.

He slipped off his clothes and stepped toward the bathing pool. His skin carried the map of his struggles—scars old and new lined his body, reminders of battles fought. Though he had washed himself in the lake that morning, a lingering itch and heaviness clung to him, as if his body still carried the dust of the past days.

The moment he lowered himself into the warm water, a soft groan escaped his lips. "Ah...heavens." The heat embraced him, and little by little, the tension melted away. His sore muscles eased, and his stiff shoulders gave in to the comfort. For the first time in days, he felt like he could breathe.

A voice stirred inside his mind.

[You have made more progress in four days than you could have in months back in the human realm.]

Hades didn’t argue. He knew it was true. He could feel it in his bones, in the weight of his own strength. His limbs felt sturdier, his body more alive, more powerful than the Hades who once stood proudly as the captain of the alpha team.

No wonder his inner voice had been urging him to step into the dragon realm as soon as possible.

Leaning his head against the stone edge of the pool, he asked quietly, "With my current strength...what rank can I defeat?"

Silence lingered for a breath before the answer came.

[An experienced Elder rank. Someone like the soldiers you came across back at the border.]

Hades’s face fell. "Just that... I thought I’d be able to take down at least a young Duke-ranked by now."

The words tasted bitter. Back when he was only a student, he had already managed to bring down an Elder-rank, albeit a young one. And after all his effort, after pushing his body to the brink for days, hearing that he had only reached that same level left him...disheartened.

[It hasn’t even been a week since you entered this realm. What were you expecting—to rival your mother already?]

Hades let out a long breath, the water rippling softly around him. "I know...I’m sorry. But still, it feels slow."

[Slow?] The voice sharpened with a mix of irritation and pride. [You foolish youngling. For a dragon, eighteen years is nothing but a heartbeat. If you can defeat an Elder-rank with such little time behind you, the world would already call you a prodigy.]

Hades sighed, "You know I never chased fame. I just want to become strong enough to protect my mates from any danger in this world."

This time, there was no response.

After a brief pause, Hades asked, "System...how long before I reach my human limits?"

He hadn’t checked his stats for some time now. And to awaken his first core, he needed to reach human limits first.

Not so long later, the system responded,

{You are very close to a breakthrough, host.}

Hades hummed, "There was another requirement for me to fight a high-ranking dragon as well, right? Possibly a Duke-ranked?" With his gaze affixed on the wall across from him, he asked, ’If I fight and win against a Duke-rank, I would possibly breach my human limit, yes?’

{Absolutely, host.}

Hades hummed in understanding.

Now he has a goal in his mind.

And once he achieves this goal...the only thing left to worry about...

’A mate. Tch.’

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A/N:- Thanks for reading.