CHAPTER 82: CHAPTER 82: VITAE’S MIRROR

Disappointment was what Zaeryn felt when he leaned closer running a hand along his jaw. It was perfectly smooth and clean-shaven.

No stubble, no shadow—nothing. He frowned slightly, tilting his head to inspect his upper lip. "Still no mustache," he muttered, a mix of amusement and disappointment in his voice.

He couldn’t help the thought. A stupid, lingering vanity from his past life.

For the second time, he ran a hand over his clean-shaven jaw, the smooth skin a constant reminder of his boyish, almost feminine features. Sometimes, he felt like he looked too feminine and not manly enough. It was a face built for charm, for getting a rise out of women like a flustered Aeris or a teasing Sage. But it wasn’t a face that commanded respect.

He imagined himself with a beard, a thick, rugged one that would make his jaw look harder, his eyes look colder. It wouldn’t just be a change of style; it would be a shield. A way to feel less like a pretty toy and more like the man he was supposed to be. Someone who could walk into a room and be judged not by his looks, but by his strength. The kind of man who belonged in this world, not just tolerated by it.

He chuckled at himself, shaking his head. "What am I, twelve? Obsessing over facial hair like it’s a badge of honor." Still, he couldn’t help but imagine it, a sharp, well-groomed beard and mustache, maybe with a slight curl at the ends, giving him that extra edge of charisma.

He struck a pose in the mirror, one hand on his hip, the other stroking an imaginary mustache, and laughed. "One day, system. Hook me up with a power for instant beard growth. Call it... Vitae Follicle Stimulation. C’mon, it’d be a bestseller.’

The system, remained silent, but he swore he could feel a faint hum of what might have been digital judgment.

He finally wrapped the towel around his waist and padded to the wardrobe, pulling out a loose shirt and pants. As he dressed, his mind returned to the system log.

Kinetic Acceleration. The name was cool as hell, but the ’[Nascent]’ tag next to it was nagging at him.

So, now he had Vitae abilities that he couldn’t even use. This was like a car without a key. He had the power, but no idea how to properly use it without tearing his own muscles apart from overexertion.

He needed a teacher. He had already made up his mind that Ravena wasn’t it. Her ambition was the Matriarch Tribunal, a battlefield of politics and law, not Vitae combat. Daphne could teach him Vitae Weaving, but this was different. That left him, with Who?

Aeris was a former Warlady, and didn’t have any abilities now, so she couldn’t train him.

A grimace touched his lips. ’Kayla.’ The thought was as appealing as swallowing glass, but she was a Tier-One Warlady and a master of close-quarters combat. If anyone could teach him control, it was her.

Assuming she didn’t just try to kill him during the first lesson. Shaking his head, Zaeryn mumbled. "Nah, this is not worth dying over. I think I’ll find someone else."

But he knew it was important to find someone soon. He didn’t want another encounter like the one with the Dragon Lord’s extension, a fight where he was completely outmatched and had to be saved by others. It was humbling in the worst way.

What was fascinating, and terrifying, was the realization that he’d barely survived a clash with a mere sliver of the Dragon Lord’s power. It was both awe-inspiring and bone-chilling. If he, Mireille, and Arya had struggled against such a fragment, just how vast was the Dragon Lord’s true might?

Zaeryn walked to his bed and sank back against his pillow, his mind racing. ’System,’ he thought, focusing inward. ’How strong is the Dragon Lord? Give me specifics.’

The system’s response came instantly, its tone cold and precise, like a blade drawn across stone.

[Answer: The Dragon Lord is of an immense, incalculable power. Should you consider engaging in direct combat with this entity again, the probability of survival is critically low. Direct engagement is not recommended at this time.]

Zaeryn let out a sharp snort, a brittle mix of amusement and unease he didn’t want to acknowledge. Fight the Dragon Lord? He’d never intended to tangle with it in the first place. Today’s brush with its fragment had been an unwelcome surprise, one he’d rather erase from memory. Pretending the Dragon Lord didn’t exist sounded far more appealing.

"Noted," Zaeryn muttered, rolling his eyes. "Just curious, System. I’m not suicidal, thanks."

He had no intention of playing hero just because some goddess couldn’t clean up her own cosmic mess. His priorities were clear: stay alive, stay safe and have lots of sex with his soon to be large harem.

Today’s brush with a mind-controlled pawn of the Dragon Lord, another near-death experience, had left his heart pounding and his resolve unshaken. Heroics were overrated.

Some might call him a coward for that, but Zaeryn called it common sense. Why play the brave fool when courage was a one-way ticket to a grave? He liked breathing, thank you very much.

And if he died while trying to be the hero for this world, what then? The world with it’s great armies, would still find a way to topple the Dragon Lord or any threat without him, making any sacrifice not just pointless but downright idiotic.

He shifted against the pillow, a new question sparking in his mind. "System," he thought, voice steady despite the unease curling in his gut. "Can all the world’s armies combined defeat the Dragon Lord?"

The system’s text appeared, cold and clinical as always.

[PROJECTION: Yes. A definitive victory against the Dragon Lord’s true form is a high-probability outcome. The combined military assets of the Queendoms, specifically the deployment of Tier-One Warladies and unique forces, serve as a significant deterrent. The Dragon Lord is aware of this, hence its reliance on indirect conflict using the Vorthaks]

Zaeryn felt a wave of genuine relief wash over him after he saw that. This meant that the world wasn’t on his shoulders. The goddesses could shove their chosen one quest. He was free.

The system, however, continued. It had a warning for him.