Eluna's pleas once again did not fall on deaf ears, and Ethan didn't refuse.
Finding the perfect position, the colossal serpent plunged deep inside, bestowing upon Eluna an unimaginable pleasure.
She couldn't help but tightly embrace Ethan, as if trying to meld her entire being into his.
Ethan began a series of thrusts, one after another.
In this most primal of movements, both of them continually released their energies, expending everything to attain ecstasy.
Time passed swiftly within these motions, with the moon that had hung high in the sky slowly fading away.
The darkness also receded as dawn approached, and just as the sun was about to rise, their movements ceased.
Eluna's body was drenched in sweat, and Ethan was no different.
Despite the damp discomfort, Ethan and Eluna did not rush to freshen up. Instead, they lay side by side on a grassy field, looking into each other's eyes.
"Eluna, I've found a way to lift your curse," Ethan said earnestly.
A glint of excitement flashed in Eluna's eyes before tears spilled out. She sobbed quietly, "Ethan, I was afraid that I might..."
"Don't worry," Ethan interrupted. "What you fear will never come to pass. I've made a promise to you and I intend to keep it. The same goes for Mia and Sherry."
Though they were alone, Ethan made no exclusive promises to Eluna. She nodded, her gaze deepening with affection and admiration for Ethan's sincerity.
"No matter what, Eluna will always be by your side," she said softly but firmly.
Ethan nodded and returned her smile. Afterward, they found a pond to clean up briefly, then sat atop a boulder to watch the sunrise in silence.
The deep crimson sun climbed over the mountains, illuminating countless hidden corners with its rays. Night was expelled; a new day was dawning.
"It's getting late; let's head back," Ethan said to Eluna.
She nodded and followed him back to the Abandoned Temple. Once there, they saw that summoned monsters had begun to patrol the area, while many others had been dispatched to gather resources from forests and mines.
Looking at all this, Ethan couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. This was his domain.
Pride didn't mean arrogance, and Ethan was well aware of this.
Even though the monsters in his domain seemed formidable now, the world had changed dramatically.
These monsters would soon be cannon fodder if they didn't evolve.
To remain strong, he knew he must continually upgrade both himself and his creatures.
So, without wasting any time upon returning to the Dungeon, Ethan summoned Victor.
After discussing key aspects of his domain's development, Ethan made a decision: he would travel to the Snowy Plains to find the dwarven forging master Henry Powell, as Victor had suggested.
Victor naturally agreed, but Mia and Eluna expressed their concerns.
"Ethan, the journey to the Snowy Plains is a long one. Let Mia come with you," Mia insisted, unwilling to part from him.
However, this time Ethan firmly declined, "Mia, I have pressing matters to attend to in the Snowy Plains. We might encounter powerful enemies on the way. Only Sherry and I will go. She's from the Snowy Plains and knows the area well."
"And Eluna, you stay at the Temple. Wait for my return."
In the end, the pleas of Mia and Eluna could not alter Ethan's resolved plans.
Two days later, amid farewell from the people of his domain, Ethan and Sherry set out.
Following the Azure Empire's defeat of the Sunset Empire, hero activity had become more frequent, leading Ethan to forgo transforming into a dragon.
Instead, he and Sherry rode a horse they'd seized from a hero.
They chose routes that skirted human Residential Districts, keeping to the shadows.
"Ethan, I can't hold it in any longer," Sherry muttered, her face flushed and her posture uncomfortable.
She was sitting in front of Ethan, her back pressed tightly against his chest.
Yet her hips were raised slightly, as if obstructed by something.
And Ethan, naturally, was up to some mischief.
As the horse trotted along, jostling was unavoidable. The bumps had little effect on Ethan and Sherry, but they did cause Sherry's body to rub against Ethan's, leaving him struggling to maintain composure. Seizing an opportunity when Sherry was distracted, Ethan released his dragon form.
What followed was inevitable. Despite Sherry's initial resistance to Ethan's audacity, the body is the most honest vessel, and so the pair began a frenetic interlude right there on horseback. In this feverish state, they passed through the territory that once belonged to the Sunset Empire.
As they were about to enter the Snowy Plains, Ethan and Sherry decided to rest. At the edge of the Snowy Plains lay a small town. Upon entering, they checked into an inn and were escorted to their room.
"Sherry, how long do you think we've been traveling?" Ethan asked, patting the dust off his clothes and wetting his face with water.
"About six days," Sherry contemplated. "If we could use the Azure Empire's teleportation circles, we might have shortened this journey to just one day."
Hearing this, Ethan nodded in agreement.
He had no strong feelings about the Azure Empire's annihilation of the Sunset Empire.
The rise and fall of kingdoms were natural phenomena.
Besides, he had no allegiance to the Sunset Empire; the advanced Magic Circles that the Azure Empire introduced had improved many lives, and that earned some respect from him.
However, those circles were primarily intended for human use.
Being at odds with the Dark Lord, the Azure Empire was strict about non-humans using their facilities.
Even human-like species such as dwarves and elves were scrutinized by Azure Empire guards before they were allowed to use Magic Circles.
To avoid unnecessary complications, Ethan had refrained from using the human city's teleportation services.
Yet, he had not completely abandoned the idea.
If the Azure Empire wouldn't permit those aligned with the Dark Lord to use their teleportation circles, then couldn't he construct his own?
Moreover, the matter was of utmost importance.
As his territory expanded, transportation would inevitably become a critical issue.
The presence of Teleportation Magic Circles could flawlessly solve this problem, allowing for unabated expansion.
However, acquiring such circles was a challenge.
Ethan had set this goal in his mind, but had yet to outline a detailed plan.
His immediate focus was to locate the master blacksmith Henry Powell and forge Oksd's heart.
Beyond that, he had another obligation: to fulfill his agreement with the Lava Dark Lord.
In Red Jade Valley, Ethan had secured an evolution formula for the Thunder Dragon from the Lava Dark Lord, in exchange for fifty pieces of red jade.
According to the Dark Lord, he possessed even more potent formulas for monster evolution—something Ethan urgently needed.
With those formulas, he could evolve even more formidable monsters and form an army.
The thought made Ethan realize he had overlooked something.
Turning to Sherry, he asked, "What happened to that Thunder Dragon and the group of sandworms I had?"
"Huh?" Sherry paused, then answered, "I'm not entirely sure. After you were taken back to your territory, the Thunder Dragon and sandworms followed. Victor seemed to have taken care of them afterward, transporting them somewhere special. I don't know where."
"I see. That Victor didn't bother to tell me," Ethan murmured, finding assurance in knowing the creatures were not lost but were instead handled by Victor.
He opened his messaging system and pulled up his previous conversation with the Lava Dark Lord, sending a direct message.
[Unknown Dark Lord: I'm almost at the Snowy Plains. Where are you?]
After more than half an hour, Ethan finally received a reply, and the Lava Dark Lord seemed utterly astonished.
[Lava Dark Lord: ?? You're still alive?]
[Unknown Dark Lord: What do you mean? Did you think I'd perished?]
[Lava Dark Lord: No, no, my friend, don't misunderstand. I'm just amazed. According to the information I received, nearly everyone who ventured deep into Red Jade Valley perished. I heard the only survivor was Lana Mokos from the Azure Empire.]
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