Chapter 518 – Mind Over Matter

As much as Asterios enjoyed serving as his foxy lover’s mattress while she comfortably splayed herself over him, they had already wasted a lot of time with this slight detour. So, after a few more minutes of spoiling the beguiling lady, he stopped caressing her cloudy tail and slowly raised them to a sitting position.

Selene let out a quiet whine of protest, but didn’t obstruct the motion, snuggling closer to his chest. When the affectionate touches didn’t resume, she forced herself to clear her mind of the pleasant haze and opened her eyes. Sliding to the side so she could sit next to her lord, she let her gaze roam over the room.

A tiny bit of beastly pride tickled her heart at the sight of the marks she had left on all the surfaces as proof of their recent coupling. She might be a proper lady, but beastfolk blood still flowed through her veins.

However, when her attention turned to Ast’s still fully exposed body, she involuntarily tensed up.

Just like the walls, his skin was marred with countless claw strikes, some deep enough to draw blood. Naturally, they were healing up fast now that he had allowed his regeneration to kick in properly, boosted by their so valuable Dryad companion. Still, while the sight of the room did bring her a bit of wild satisfaction, the sight of her precious master did the direct opposite.

The moment she opened her mouth to voice out those thoughts, a finger pressed to her lips, and she glanced up from Ast’s chest to meet his warm but somewhat stern gaze.

“Hey,” he addressed her with a whisper. “None of that. I don’t even need the bond to know what’s going on in your head. Your beautiful eyes change when your mood shifts.”

Drawing back, he could tell she was still intent on speaking up, so he rested his palms behind him to support himself and let out a faint sigh.

“Speaking of change... Change is a good thing. Most of the time.” Asterios closed his eyes as his face turned to the ceiling. “Locations change. Circumstances change. People change. Usually, I welcome change, without it, I wouldn’t be where I am, who I am. Without it, Grea wouldn’t find her confidence not to hide behind improper remarks. And Tina wouldn’t be able to confidently speak her heart’s desire. That’s a good change. I welcome it wholeheartedly.”

Selene observed him calmly, albeit a tad confusedly. She could sense that he was going somewhere with this monologue, but she couldn’t figure out the but just yet.

“You see, I’ve already made peace with the role I’ll have in the universe.” He faced her directly, opening his eyes to stare right back at her. “Our journey can’t be described as long, and even so, it was full of significant developments. I’ve been Asterios the Student, then Asterios the Adventurer, suddenly Asterios the Local Lord, then Asterios the Ruler. And so on into the future.”

A delicate frown appeared on the fox lady’s brow.

“I’ve changed too. I had to. For you, and for everyone else, including our subjects.” Asterios reached out to graze his thumb over her smooth thigh. “As we continue on our path, more people will come to learn of me, the proud monarch, and someday the powerful Dragon. And they’ll treat me adequately to that perception.”

“It’s only natural, my Lord.” Selene placed her hand over his and brushed his skin too. “You deserve it.”

“I won’t deny it anymore.” The corner of his lips curled up a bit. “But, as that populace grows, the number of people who remember the real me will remain stagnant. No, it might even decrease. The individuals who still recall the man who had nothing will be few. They’ll be allies, friends, companions, and… family. Only those groups will look at me and see me for who I am. Only those groups will treat me like they always had.”

Selene’s eyes widened instantly as she finally understood. Before they could both process it, she was already throwing herself at him, wrapping her arms around Asterios in a tight hug. He paused for a second before returning the gesture. When she pulled back just enough to peer at him, she was the one to quickly press a finger to his lips this time.

“Don’t shush me down. I need to apologize for losing myself in this grand perception of yours. You are a mighty True Dragon to be obeyed and served, but you also are my beloved mate, the one who risked his health in a desperate attempt to calm my rampaging powers,” she stated firmly. “I swear to you that I won’t let myself forget about our beginnings ever again. And I will immediately make sure all my sister-mates won’t either.”

“It’s not ne—”

She shut him up with a loving kiss.

“It is necessary.” Selene ran her fingers through his hair. “It’s a serious and important matter, and I thank you for bringing it to my attention. As you said, we are the ones who can see through the mask you put on for the masses. You should get nothing but our honest selves. Even if it means getting slightly roughed up when I lose control of my desire.”

He chuckled at the gorgeous fangs she flashed him, her tail swaying languidly like that of a predator eyeing up its prey.

“That’s what I want.” Asterios leaned in for one more kiss. “Don’t hold back on me just because I’m some scary True Dragon who is supposed to be dominant over everything and anything. That isn’t who you are.”

“Your wish is my command, my Draconic Lord.” Selene batted her lashes at him. “You have your hands full of needing to be commanding with just one bratty female who still hasn’t learned her place.”

He groaned at the obvious jab at Noir.

And the more than clear encouragement about what to do with it.

Taking pleasure in his amusing reactions, the sly vixen hopped off the massage table, stretching with an enchanting moan. She threw a peek over her shoulder to see if her master was appreciating the view she was putting up for him, her tail raised so as not to obstruct anything. And a joyful smile painted her lips as she found him admiring her charms openly, as he should as her lover.

Fighting down the urge to present herself to him for another moment of passion, Selene spun around seductively and materialized a fresh dress over her nude form.

“Allow me to take care of the… aftermath, my Lord.” She stopped at the door, smirking slightly as they glanced at the state of the room together. “I’ve taken too much of your precious time already. Don’t make our new friend wait for you, or she’ll get even more grumpy. Grea is just so close to giving her a new nickname.”

Asterios shook his head with a smile, moving to the floor too. “Very well. We should avoid that at all costs. I’ll leave everything on this side to you.”

With a respectful bow, Selene excused herself from the chamber. He took a deep breath, looked himself over, and got dressed properly. After one final check, shadows swirled around him, assuming a thin, stirring layer, just like Noir had taught him. Invisible to the naked eye, he plunged into the darkness pooling at his feet and moved out of Glimmervale.

Moments later, Asterios resurfaced in the streets of Wintercrown. Cold and snow assaulted him in a familiar manner. The rectangular buildings shielded him from the worst of it, but the frigid mountain air moving through the spacious corridors was still biting ferociously.

Before he would risk getting spotted by a random Rubytongs patrol walking with one of their Fe-Lines, he knocked on the nearby door. It took half a minute for someone to swing it open and squint at the empty road. The dwarf sneered and slammed the entrance shut.

“Damn pranksters…” Clicking his tongue, the man turned around. “By the grovely cunt!”

And he smashed his back into the door in fright as a tall figure suddenly stood before him.

“Apologies. It would be prudent for someone like me not to be seen walking into the premises of your clan.” Asterios inclined his head. “I’m—”

“The sponsor!” The bearded male pointed at him, then peered around, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “The… The Dragon…”

“That’s… right.” Asterios was surprised to see a common household member aware of such secrets. “I’ve come to check on the Patriarch’s progress. My associate should have arrived ahead of me.”

“Lady Truvi.” The dwarf nodded. “Follow me, My Lord. I shall guide you to our workshop.”

As they walked together through the low-ceiling corridors and rooms, numerous people offered their polite greetings, sometimes murmuring about him amongst themselves. It looked like nearly the whole family was trusted with the recent dealings. But, considering how important it was to their status, perhaps it shouldn’t be that surprising. This was a chance for them to come out on top, which didn’t show up often.

Soon enough, after numerous flights of spiraling stairs, they arrived before a massive circular stone gate. His guide shoved his arm into a hole next to it, winced as some mechanism must have pricked him for blood, judging by the faint smell, and the vault entrance rolled to the side.

Quite heavy security measures.

An incredibly tall and wide space greeted them. Rather than a workshop, the chamber inside could be called an industrial warehouse filled to the brim with forges, furnaces, machinery, and lots of eccentricities that Asterios had a hard time identifying. Just like the Spellsongs amongst the elves, the dwarves had their own techniques and technology that would confuse anyone else.

Orders and instructions were barked around, the hot air filled with a nearly deafening noise produced by all the artisans. Amongst them, one stood out, jogging from place to place and shouting madly at each group. During another pass, the person spotted them and ran straight to Asterios, abandoning everything in their wake.

“Our benefactor!” Truvi’s grandfather spread his arms wide.

“Patriarch Garm.” Asterios accepted the brief squeeze. “I wasn’t aware your family was in possession of such a grand foundry.”

“Ah, we might be a lesser clan, but every dwarf household hides its deepest ambitions even deeper in the ground.” The man grinned at him. “Even if we’ve been making forgettable trinkets so far, we are always ready to change course when a pure diamond pops out of a wall of coal in our mines.”

“An interesting expression.” A quiet snicker escaped Ast’s lips. “And how goes the process of turning that diamond into something even more impressive?”

There was a joyous spark in the patriarch’s eyes. “It will be my greatest pleasure to show you, My Lord.”

“Please, let’s drop the honorifics. Business partners, right?” Asterios raised a brow at the shorter man.

“Call me Garm, then.” The clan head laughed out loud. “Now, this way.”

With the guide returning to his previous matters, the two of them wandered deeper into the manmade cavern. During the trek, Ast’s ears caught a familiar tone, and he sought out the pleasant voice throughout the chaos. Pinpointing its origin, he found none other than Truvi, carefully working on something at one of the forges. His receptionist friend was accompanied by a much older woman, who offered her assistance.

“That girl has great potential.” Patriarch Garm stopped as he noticed Ast’s attention on the pair. “And even greater pride. That’s why I’m unspeakably grateful for convincing her to take part in this endeavor. I know it will be impossible to change her mind about the profession she loves so much, but moments like these, the two of them working in tandem, are the happiest I can ever see my wife be.”

“That’s the lady who insists on respecting the old tongue?” Asterios asked.

The man cackled. “Aye. No wonder they are so perfect together, eh? Just be prepared if you wish to enter a conversation with both of them present. Even our youths struggle to follow.”

They laughed together and moved on.

A few steps later, the scenery changed slightly. The goods being produced and developed at the back of the hall were of a very dangerous nature. Weapons, armors, and artifacts. And Patriarch Garm was leading them towards the section focusing on the second aspect.

“Are you going to submit a set of armor as your entry?” Asterios roamed his eyes over various metallic plates curiously.

“Yes and no.” The man brought them to the end of multiple assembly lines. “Even though you can present anything, most clans will choose to showcase weapons.”

“That’s because it’s easier to capture the attention of judges, I assume.” Asterios stroked his chin.

“You are pretty much on spot.” Garm snapped his fingers at him. “And we predict that Rubytongs will follow that trend this time too, as they always have. Therefore, we decided to use the resources you provide us to create something even flashier.”

They watched as a few clan members were in the process of attaching shiny black segments of metal onto an empty frame, inside of which stood one of their brothers, wearing nothing but a loincloth. Piece by piece, the muscular man’s body disappeared behind the protective layers. In mere minutes, a heavy, plated figure appeared before them, not a single gap in the whole arrangement.

“Is it wise to make it nearly two times thicker and taller than a common dwarf’s size?” Ast’s brow furrowed as he studied the weird, bulky set.

“It’s necessary.” The patriarch set his hands on his hips. “This is not a simple set of armor. It’s a Power Suit.”

“Power Suit?” Asterios took a peek at his ally.

“You know what a Golem is, right? That they can be made artificially too?” Garm turned to him.

“Yes. It’s a construct that follows a set of predetermined rules to respond. They can get extremely advanced, as far as I heard. Nearly reaching the capabilities of a real person,” Asterios answered.

“Correct. The Fe-Lines that you’ve seen on our streets are a type of Golem made in the image of a beast, which is much easier to program.” Truvi’s grandpa scoffed to the side. “But that’s also their crucial weakness, that synthetic mind following specific instructions. And so, we’ve decided to try something new… by putting a man inside a Golem.”

As he finished, a whirring sound rose from the armored figure. A crimson glow peeked from between the plates, slithering from the very feet up to the visor, lighting up the fierce eyes. It soon became obvious that the entire metal statue had been fashioned in a truly draconic way. The helmet depicted a Dragon’s head, and the rest of the body had been molded into scale-covered muscles similar to Ast’s nude Battle Form, just much thicker and heavier.

A mechanical Man-Dragon Golem.

“What previously stopped everyone from attempting something like this was lethality,” Patriarch Garm continued. “But, with everything you bring us, we can build a much safer suit than anyone ever could. The driver will be more comfortable inside this thing than in the softest and fluffiest equipment. Draconic materials are a godsend for heat dispersion and mechanical components. With them, we can achieve heights never before dreamed of.”

The test subject began trying out a range of motions while the dwarf engineers gathered around and monitored the strain from up close. They stood with their notepads and wrote down countless comments and numerical values. Steam released from various joints of the suit as the energy coursed through its circuits. It gave the hulking figure an even more ominous presence as the mists tinted red from the glow.

“All variables are inside the estimated norms, Patriarch,” one of the artisans announced.

“Perfect.” The clan head smacked his hands together. “Shall we see how it fares against something better than a training dummy?”

Noticing the excited gazes of everyone near them, Asterios smirked and stepped forward. The area around them cleared up, and he faced his opponent. The Power Suit made his dwarf challenger rival his height, or even pass it over ever so slightly. Their bulk couldn’t be compared, however, with the other guy winning by a landslide.

Without further ado, the piloted construct squared up and kicked off the ground with a sharp crack.

Ast’s brows rose slightly as the heavy armor crossed the distance between them in one stride, much quicker than he would expect something this cumbersome to do. He extended an arm forward to meet the incoming fist. The strength with which the punch landed made him even more impressed. While he wasn’t sent flying or anything like that, the impact forced him a step back, his elbow bent to receive the oppressive force.

And Asterios hadn’t been underestimating his foe, making use of his draconic physique right from the start.

But he guessed this much should be expected from something made out of draconic materials.

His own, at that.

More blows followed, and while they seemed fairly slow, Asterios understood that they wouldn’t really be so for a common opponent. This speed would catch countless people off-guard, proving fatal rather quickly as substantial mass behind the metal fist pulverized the weak flesh or obliterated ordinary armor.

Dodging out of the way, he covered his arms with scales too and went into an offensive. At first, it was important to hold back his strength. It would be regrettable to ruin the suit during its first showing. But finding out where its durability lay was just as crucial.

So, hit after hit, Asterios increased the intensity of the bout. Three minutes in, his sparring partner was the one getting smacked around, each blow shoving the sizable metal statue back over the hall’s ground, which evoked countless sparks. When a punch right in the solar plexus that would have torn through numerous mighty beasts left a fist-deep dent in the armor, they knew the presentation came to an end.

Applause rained upon Ast’s display of strength, but it didn’t last long. The brilliant researchers and artisans rushed to check on their masterpiece, already discussing changes and improvements amongst themselves. As Asterios let out a deep sigh and relaxed his shoulders, Truvi’s grandfather patted him on the back.

“That was real something. Hopefully, our friend inside hasn’t shat himself in fright when part of the front plate bulged in close enough to tickle his chest. Cleaning this thing up is a nightmare.” The man laughed out loud. “The suit held, which is good. It surpassed our calculations, even. And that’s without using any of the artifacts and combat modules we planned to activate after the test.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Having a Golem body combined with a real person’s military training and experience is a frightening prospect.” Asterios smiled generously. “So, everything is now in place?”

The Patriarch’s joyful expression shifted into a more serious one.

“I would love to say so, but there’s one more matter that’s a worry. And it’s unfortunately out of our hands to control.” Garm grimaced. “Due to the incident that delayed the Clash of Forges, the organizers put forth one more qualifier round, which allows us to participate. But, considering the resistance’s temperament, they are highly likely to cause even more trouble during that final opportunity before the main event. We are confident in passing, but it will be all for naught if the round is canceled.”

“I see.” Asterios nodded in understanding. “Fret not, my friend. That’s something I can handle on my side. You just focus on dominating the competition the proper way. I’ll ensure our shy revolutionists don’t do something stupid again.”

The Patriarch peered into his eyes deeply for a moment, then let his tension dissipate, finding Ast’s confidence reassuring.

“Yes, sir. We’ll bring those lying bastards down. Once and for all.” The man smacked his chest with resolution.

With Garm turning around to join his men and women, Asterios moved away, walking into a nearby shadow.

It was time to get in touch with his black-haired operatives.