Reawakening: Primordial Dragon with Limitless Mana-Chapter 25: I crave you

A change in training location meant setting up everything from scratch.

For now, the forest had become his new ground.

Hanging upside down from a sturdy branch, his legs curled tightly around it, Hades performed crunches—each movement powered by the weight strapped to his torso.

He wore a special vest—borrowed from the gym—which, through magic, allowed the user to increase its weight.

Right now, it was set to one hundred and ten kilograms.

{20 more to go!}

The system’s voice echoed in his mind, pushing him forward.

His breath came out rough and steady, muscles strained, yet his focus didn’t waver.

There was nothing else in his mind—only the rhythm of repetition.

His face flushed a deep red, sweat glistening on his bare torso, dripping down in thin trails.

"Hmph!" With a sharp exhale, he powered through the final rep.

{Added one point to Endurance!}

{Added one point to Strength!}

With that, Hades unlocked his legs and dropped from the branch.

He fell fast—air rushing past him—until, just a few feet from the ground, he twisted his body mid-air.

He landed smoothly in a squat, legs absorbing the impact, his motion fluid and controlled.

Not a single bone jarred.

He checked his stats and couldn’t help but mutter, ’My growth rate has just turned incredible.’

[It’s the awakening. Your body has a whole ceremonial hall to grow, and you are still having a cubicle’s worth of space.]

Hades rolled his eyes at the exaggeration.

He soon put on his shirt and began walking back to the academy.

Today, no one attacked him.

No shadows trailed behind.

No presence lingered just out of sight.

Hades couldn’t spot a single spy on his trail.

That, in itself, was suspicious.

Three possibilities crossed his mind:

First—Cedric had run out of people to hire.

Second—he was pretending to back off.

Third—he was scared of getting exposed.

And knowing Cedric as well as he did, the second option felt the most likely.

’Well... at least I’ve got a little breathing room.’

As he stepped onto the campus, his thoughts shifted.

’Tell me something,’ he asked the voice in his head, ’what kind of mess did I create... or whatever I used to be—why are dragons so hell-bent on finding me?’

[Hmm~ you could say... You saved lives by sacrificing thousands?]

"..."

Why wasn’t he surprised?

[All you need to know is—only a few powerful dragons will ever stand beside you. The rest? They’ll hunt you to the edge of the world. So... prepare for hell.]

Hades let out a slow sigh.

He would grow stronger. That much he knew.

But if the voice was right—and it usually was—then this path wasn’t enough.

He needed more. Much more.

’So from your perspective... hunting is better than training, huh?’

[Exactly. Dragons don’t waste time in gyms. They hunt. Their bodies adapt naturally.]

[So go on. Trigger some chaos. You’ll be amazed how fast your stats skyrocket.]

Hades sighed... well, he wasn’t wrong.

He returned to his room and quickly took a shower before changing into fresh clothes.

Once he was ready, he decided to head out for breakfast.

But just as he reached the stairs, he suddenly bumped into a barrier. novelbuddy-cσ๓

"What the..." he muttered, frowning. He hadn’t sensed anyone casting a spell here.

Before he could smash through it, a voice called out behind him,

"Why are you ignoring me?"

Startled, Hades spun around and saw the last person he expected.

"Rinne? What are you doing here?"

This was the male dormitory—it didn’t make sense for her to be here.

But the silver-haired girl ignored his question.

"Tell me... what did I do?" she asked, stepping closer. "You’ve been ignoring me."

Hades instinctively took a step back.

Rinne’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"You’re running away from me now?" she said, her voice trembling.

"What did I do wrong?"

She looked completely shaken, almost horrified.

Hades shook his head.

"You did nothing wrong... It’s me. I’ve caught a strange illness, and the nurse told me to avoid others for now."

Of course, he couldn’t tell her the truth—that every time he looked at her, something inside him stirred. That he saw her not just as a friend, but as a potential mate.

Rinne narrowed her eyes, clearly not buying it.

"Then why do you keep avoiding my eyes? I don’t believe your story. Just be honest—what did I do?"

Why is she always this sharp?

He was still scrambling for an answer when he felt a sudden warmth.

She had reached out and gently held his hand.

Rinne stood close, her silver hair brushing past her shoulders, her eyes shining.

"Whatever it is... just tell me," she said softly. "There are only two people in this world I can’t stand being ignored by—you and Grandma. So no matter what it is... I’ll deal with it. But please, don’t shut me out."

Hades let out a long breath. There was no escaping this anymore.

He gently placed his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eye.

"Rinne... the truth might disgust you."

She didn’t even flinch.

"If it’s about you, nothing will ever disgust me. So please... just tell me."

She wasn’t going to let this go. She never did.

He couldn’t bring himself to reveal everything—the monstrous truth about his inhuman nature. So instead, he chose his words carefully, speaking just enough.

"Sometimes," he began, voice low, "even without being in a relationship or having feelings of love... There are urges that rise up in someone like me. A young man."

He paused, guilt weighing on his tongue.

"And when I started feeling those urges... toward you... I was furious at myself."

Rinne stared at him for a long moment, her expression unreadable.

Then, in a quiet voice, she asked,

"So... even though you don’t have feelings for me, you’re still attracted to my body?"

Hades hesitated, then slowly nodded. He braced himself, expecting to see disappointment in her eyes... maybe even disgust.

But when he finally looked up, he was stunned.

She was smiling. Blushing.

"Rinne?" he breathed.

"I’m glad," she whispered, almost as if speaking to herself. "You’ve always been so kind to me. I thought you only saw me as a friend... maybe even like a little sister. But now I know—you see me as a woman."

Hades had no words. He stood frozen, unable to understand how she could be so calm... so accepting.

Then Rinne stepped closer and gently cupped his cheeks, her touch warm and tender.

"I don’t care if it’s love or not," she said, her voice trembling with emotion. "If you want me, just say the word. My body, my heart, and my soul... they’re already yours."

He could only nod—dumbly, silently—lost in the depth of her eyes.

With a final glance, Rinne stepped back, dispelled the barrier, and dashed down the stairs.

Hades remained where he was, slowly lowering himself onto the steps.

His heart was still racing when a voice echoed in his head:

[Dragons possess an instinct to sense their destined mate. When she’s near you, she unconsciously releases pheromones—]

’Alright, that’s enough,’ Hades groaned inwardly.

He really didn’t want to start his morning thinking about sex.

The best cure for this?

Food.

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Tch, coward. Thanks for reading.

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