Chapter 455: Escaping Reality

"Elder Lione, this is going way too far!" the Sect Master exclaimed in an extremely serious tone.

The man sighed softly. "Don’t worry, we have no intention of stealing your disciple. Since our sects are partners and there has never been any friction between us, that old woman decided to accept him as a special disciple. He’ll be able to receive everything our sect has to offer without having to leave your Ironweald Sect."

The Sect Master’s expression changed instantly, genuine shock washing over his face.

All the surrounding Central Elders were equally stunned.

Accepting a disciple who already belonged to another sect was an absolute taboo throughout the world—the equivalent of secretly having two families, something utterly unacceptable.

However, the Ironweald Sect would never complain about such an arrangement, since Priam would gain unrestricted access to all the resources of one of the greatest sects in the northern region while officially retaining his status within Ironweald.

The next second, the Elder turned to Priam. "Everything I said also applies to your sister. Both of you will receive exactly the same status."

Priam nodded thoughtfully.

The Sect Master murmured, "What do you stand to gain from this?"

The man smiled faintly. "Nothing, really. According to the Goddess’s teachings given to the founders of our sect, we should extend a helping hand to those who belong to our family. The old woman studied everything about Priam and concluded that he acts according to the right principles and is someone worthy of trust. As a member of a sect founded directly by the Sovereign Goddess, he deserves our goodwill.

"We simply want both of you to come to our sect and receive what you deserve as our disciples. After that, you can return and do whatever you please. It’ll be like having a second home to visit from time to time."

Seeing everyone’s bewildered expressions, the man added curtly,

"I don’t need to explain that we’re not the kind of people who scheme in the shadows, do I? The Sovereign Goddess didn’t leave us a Core Inscription with strict rules, but our two founders established a solid enough foundation to filter out anyone with malicious intentions. I’d even say our system is several times more efficient than yours."

The Sect Master sighed and nodded.

Indeed, he was absolutely certain that all the important figures in the Heavenly Elemental Body Sect were completely trustworthy. It was almost embarrassing to admit that his own sect, despite possessing so many direct legacies from the Goddess, still suffered from chronic problems with its members’ conduct.

The man turned to Priam and took out a storage crystal.

"Boy, here’s our complete technique. I recommend taking some time to study it and correct what you developed on your own. My sect is a place where we train hard in a rather unconventional way. Does your sister enjoy physical combat, or is she the overly delicate type?"

Priam narrowed his eyes at the question.

Suien was undeniably as beautiful as an elven goddess. However... she had developed a direct and brutal fighting style on the front lines, acquiring, just like Priam, the habit and preference of using her own body as a weapon. She had even abandoned her staff, preferring to attack with her fists or smaller blades.

"She’s like me in that regard. I don’t think she’ll have any problems with close-quarters combat," he replied promptly.

The man nodded in satisfaction. "Excellent. Ninety-eight percent of my sect consists of men. The few women there are even wilder than the men, which makes them incredibly charming and highly sought after. If your sister adapts to our training methods, everything will work out perfectly."

Priam stored the crystal, feeling genuinely excited to analyze and assimilate this knowledge.

At that moment, the man turned his attention back to the Sect Master.

Suddenly, his imposing, haughty demeanor vanished completely, and his eyes lit up with a peculiar intensity.

"Sir... did you happen to obtain some Goddess’s Dew?"

The desperate plea and undisguised excitement on his face contrasted absurdly with the aggressive figure he had been moments earlier, leaving Priam dumbfounded—especially at the mention of this so-called "Goddess’s Dew," something he had never heard of before.

The Sect Master pondered for a moment before finally nodding.

A small transparent bottle appeared in his hand, slightly larger than an ordinary drinking glass and filled with a crystal-clear liquid.

"This is the annual batch we obtained. We don’t have any stored away, since we sold what little we had left a few months ago."

Upon seeing the container, the man grabbed it with both hands as though he were holding the most precious treasure in the universe. He immediately stored the bottle in his spatial ring and burst into an ecstatic laugh.

"Thank you so much! This is exactly what I needed! I’ve already taken care of everything I came here for, so I should be on my way."

He turned toward Priam.

"Boy, bring your sister as soon as possible, because our Celestial Pools have opened this year. If you’re late, you’ll have to wait ten years until they fully open again."

Priam didn’t understand the urgency, but he nodded.

Without wasting another second, the man clenched his fists and twisted the space around him. He hurriedly disappeared, clearly eager to enjoy what he had just obtained.

The hall fell silent.

Priam was extremely curious about the Goddess’s Dew. It seemed to be something extraordinary, and since he would be visiting that sect soon, he considered it wise to find out what it was.

He looked at the Sect Master seriously.

The Sect Master didn’t even need to hear the question to understand the doubt in his eyes.

"This Goddess’s Dew isn’t exactly what you’re imagining. Although it possesses unique properties and we can collect only a minuscule amount each year, its commercial value on the market is moderate.

"To put it simply, it’s produced by an Artifact created by the Goddess herself within the sect’s facilities. According to the historical records we’ve preserved... the Sovereign Goddess created it strictly for her own personal use, not as a resource for others.

"She was... let’s say she was an extremely reserved person, strict with everyone—and equally merciless toward herself. During her lifetime, she would do nothing but train and work tirelessly, never cultivating close relationships with anyone. However, when she was alone and wanted to relax, she would isolate herself in her private chambers and consume the Dew."

Priam grew even more intrigued. "But what exactly is this Dew?"

The Sect Master sighed. "To put it simply, it’s a divine beverage whose effects are identical to those of an extremely potent alcoholic elixir. No matter how powerful a Sage’s physique is, their body, mind, and soul are thrown into a state of absolute drunken stupor, with no room whatsoever for defense or resistance. Hours later, when the effects wear off, the individual awakens refreshed, with their body feeling incredibly invigorated and an enormous increase in their ability to improve their physical skills."

"For lower-level Physical-class Mages/Sages, who need to train their bodies to the absolute limit, this recovery and enhanced plasticity effect is useful. However... the members of the Heavenly Elemental Body Sect are obsessed with this Dew for one simple reason: their physical levels have become so absurdly high that, no matter how hard they try, no conventional drink in the world can get them drunk."

After hearing the entire explanation, Priam was genuinely surprised.

So... the Dandara of the past really had been an extremely cold, rigid, and antisocial woman. Yet, during her moments of rest, she had created a drink capable of bypassing her own defenses so she could get drunk and shut off her mind.

The current Dandara didn’t like alcoholic drinks. That meant that, in her past life as a Goddess, she had used that Dew purely as a means of escaping reality. She hadn’t enjoyed the loneliness or the cold demeanor she displayed, but the sheer magnitude of her mission had forced her to act that way.

Priam sighed before nodding. "Can I get my hands on some of it?"

"As I said, the Goddess never intended to leave it behind for future generations. Because of that, she never developed any conventional extraction method. After a long time, even using my authority as Sect Master, I can only forcefully extract a negligible amount each year," the Sect Master replied.

Priam thought for a moment before asking, "Can I take a look at it?"

The Sect Master nodded. "I don’t see why not."

"Great. But before that, I need to call Dandara."

...

A few minutes later, using the teleportation inscriptions, Dandara arrived at a magnificent, secluded building deep within the sect. Priam and the Sect Master were already waiting for her there.

She hurried over to Priam, and then the Sect Master opened a heavy door at the back of the hall.

When the three of them stepped through the doorway, they found a bluish spherical object floating and spinning gently in the center of the room. It radiated a concentrated aura of the water element while also giving off a subtle toxic, poisonous sensation.

"This is the Artifact. Since it’s nothing particularly conspicuous, it’s practically an unknown secret among the sect’s members," the Sect Master murmured calmly before turning toward the couple.

Priam kept his eyes fixed on Dandara, who was gazing at the relic with a bewildered, distant expression.

’Do you remember anything?’ he asked telepathically, his tone exceptionally gentle.

Dandara swallowed hard, feeling a lump in her throat.

’Among those fragmented memories, I can recall spending cold nights bent over the creation of a drink... something that would help me bear the crushing weight of stress and exhaustion. I wanted to create a miraculous elixir. But I don’t remember ever finishing the process. That must have happened much later.’

’That’s already enough. From what I’ve heard, you used to spend hours drinking alone, trying to relax. This creation was tailor-made for your tastes. Don’t you want to try it again?’ Priam asked.

However, Dandara slowly shook her head.

’I’m absolutely certain I created this drink because I was buried beneath an unbearable sense of loneliness... I painfully missed the people I’d left behind in the other world while carrying the weight of the entire world on my shoulders. Even in the old memories I’ve retained, I’ve never felt the slightest hint of attraction toward anyone, nor any desire to experience love. I was an empty existence, drowning in silent sorrow...’

She paused briefly, looking straight into Priam’s eyes. The tone of her mental voice shifted, filling with emotional warmth.

’But now... I’m the complete opposite. With each passing day, I feel my heart beating more vividly than ever before. Especially after our nights together... when we lose ourselves in each other without holding back, devouring one another like mad until we’re completely exhausted... those moments make everything bad in the world feel utterly irrelevant.’

She spoke to him mentally, gazing at him with half-lidded eyes brimming with raw desire as a dazzling smile spread across her lips.

’I’d much rather work, fight, and give myself to you completely, always by your side. If you want to drink with me to relax, I don’t mind trying a little. But I have absolutely no need to seek refuge in a drink to escape my reality. My world is perfect exactly as it is with you.’

Priam swallowed hard, feeling his blood heat up beneath Dandara’s intense, passionate gaze. He felt indescribable relief at hearing how genuinely happy she was by his side, silently vowing to protect that happiness forever.

’Understood... But tell me, can you extract a decent amount of it right now? Suien and I are heading somewhere where people are obsessed with this drink. It would be an incredibly valuable bargaining chip.’

Dandara nodded without hesitation. ’Leave it to me. I’ll give it a try.’

The very next moment, she turned toward the Artifact and slowly approached its base.

She stopped just a few centimeters away from the floating sphere and extended her hand.

The Sect Master simply watched everything with indifference and curiosity.

What exactly was this young woman planning to do...?

Suddenly, the Artifact shook violently and began spinning at an insane speed.

A thick, crystal-clear, fragrant liquid began overflowing from its top, pouring out in an endless cascade.

Priam grinned from ear to ear and rushed toward her, pulling dozens of empty bottles out of his spatial ring.