Chapter 62: Active world quest, Phase 2
The silent palace corridors were bathed in the deep, quiet purple of midnight.
Vince moved like a ghost through the winding, vine-draped halls.
Reaching the wing of the royal chambers, he silently slipped toward Lyrielle’s room. Inside, he could hear the faint, frantic rustling of silk and the soft hum of elven magic.
Instead of knocking and risking an unnecessary confrontation, Vince reached out, his fingers sliding a folded piece of parchment beneath her heavy wooden door.
> Meet me at the outer walls of the capital. Don’t be late.
With the message delivered, Vince turned on his heel and made his way back to the royal bedchamber. He had one final duty to perform before he could leave the Canopy.
Moriele was waiting for him. She had already dressed in a simple, flowing emerald robe that loosely draped over her voluptuous curves, though the purple Sovereign Crest still pulsed with a soft, warm glow through the silk fabric.
When Vince entered, her amber eyes lit up with immediate, worshipful devotion.
"Master,"
She murmured softly, stepping into his arms without a second thought.
Vince wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. He looked down into her beautiful, expectant face, his voice calm and steady.
"I’m leaving now, Moriele. But there has been a change of plans."
Moriele’s breath hitched slightly, her hands clutching his chest.
"A change?"
"Lyrielle is coming with me,"
Vince said directly.
"She asked to join me on my journey, and I have agreed to take her as my companion."
A sudden, sharp look of maternal worry and disappointment flashed across Moriele’s face. The instinct of a mother who had kept her daughter shielded within the safe, golden borders of the Canopy for her entire life fought against her submission.
A reluctant, bittersweet pout formed on her full lips. She didn’t want her daughter to face the harsh, unforgiving world outside.
Seeing her reluctance, Vince gently cupped her chin, tilting her head up.
"I will bring her back to you safely, Moriele. You have my word."
Hearing his promise, the tension in Moriele’s shoulders completely melted away. The absolute, unyielding devotion of the World Tree Tamer bond surged through her chest, painting a soft, worryless smile on her lips. She trusted him implicitly.
If Vince said she would be safe, then she was safer with him than she would ever be in the palace.
"I believe you,"
She whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
"I am glad... I am glad she is going with you. Keep her safe."
She leaned up, pressing her lips to his in a deep, lingering, and sweet goodbye. She kissed him with everything she had, pouring her entire soul into the embrace.
When Vince finally pulled away, she looked up at him with glassy, adoring eyes, watching silently as he turned and disappeared into the shadows of the balcony.
---
At the ancient, vine-covered outer walls of the capital, the cool midnight air rustled the leaves of the towering sentinel trees.
Vince waited in the darkness of the heavy stone gate, his arms crossed over his chest. A few minutes later, a slender figure in dark leather traveling gear and a deep cloak came rushing down the path, breathing heavily.
Lyrielle panted, her cheeks flushed as she skidded to a halt in front of him.
"You’re late,"
Vince teased softly, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
"I am not!"
She hissed back, trying to catch her breath.
"Do you have any idea how hard it was to pack everything? I had to organize my entire research notes!"
"And where is your luggage?"
Vince asked, glancing at her empty hands.
Lyrielle smirked, a playful spark returning to her emerald eyes.
"Please. I am a Princess of the Canopy."
With a elegant wave of her hand, she channeled a thread of green mana. The air beside her rippled, tearing open to reveal a swirling, emerald-colored dimensional pocket—a personal, conjured storage space that hovered seamlessly in the air. With another casual wave, she sealed the pocket, letting the magic dissolve back into nothingness.
"I don’t need clunky bags,"
She said proudly.
Vince chuckled, genuinely impressed by the high-tier elven magic.
"Impressive. Now let’s move before the patrol routes rotate."
Using his passive Dominion of the Leaves buff, Vince subtly manipulated the surrounding flora.
The ancient vines and leaves along the outer wall stretched and shifted, casting deep, unnatural shadows that completely shrouded their figures.
To the passing elite guards, Vince and Lyrielle were nothing more than whispers in the wind as they slipped through the iron-wrought gates and vanished into the wild woods.
They walked in silence for hours, the towering, luminous trees of the Canopy slowly thinning out. The vibrant green moss and sweet jasmine scent of the elven empire gradually gave way to rugged, rocky terrain, and the air grew steadily colder.
Suddenly, as Vince’s boot stepped over a cracked stone marker bordering the desolate northern path, a heavy, resounding chime echoed directly in his mind.
A fiery, deep crimson system interface flared vividly in his vision, cutting through the dark night.
---
[ACTIVE WORLD QUEST: THE SOVEREIGN TRANSCENDENT ELIXIR – PHASE 2]
*Target: Vetra, the Crimson Calamity (Strongest Female of the Dragonkin Race)
*Location: The Volcanic Peaks of Mount Ignis (Directly North)
*Ingredient to Acquire: `[Primordial Dragon Heart-Blood]` (0/1)
*System Note: Dragonkin possess dual forms (Humanoid & Full Dragon). Their pride is unmatched, and their territory is inherently hostile to all outsiders. Proceed with absolute caution.
---
Vince stared at the crimson screen, a cold, predatory smirk spreading across his face.
Vetra, the Crimson Calamity,
He thought, his chest tightening with a thrilling sense of anticipation.
A dragon. This is going to be fun. Who knows I may get to ride one
"Vince?"
Lyrielle asked, noticing the sudden, sharp smile on his face as they walked. She wrapped her cloak tighter around her shoulders against the biting northern wind.
"What are you smiling about?"
"Nothing,"
Vince replied smoothly, dismissing the system screen with a wave of his hand.
"Just thinking about the road ahead."
As they walked further into the cold, barren foothills, Vince’s thoughts drifted back to his territory. He thought of Elena. He wondered what she was doing right now, whether she was managing the Academy well, and if she was staying safe in his absence.
He closed his eyes for a brief second, focusing on the deep, passive connection of their bond. Far away, he could feel it—a steady, warm, and incredibly calm heartbeat pulsing quietly in the back of his mind.
A genuine, soft smile touched his lips.
"She’s doing just fine,"
He murmured to himself, opening his eyes and looking toward the smoky, darkened peaks of the northern horizon.
The Dragonkin Arc had officially begun.
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