Chapter 103: We found it!

After walking across the scorching sand beneath the blazing sun for what felt like hours, Lucien was beginning to reach his limit. His muscles trembled with every step, and an unpleasant emptiness gnawed at his stomach despite the mana berries he had eaten in the forest. He had no idea how much longer he could keep going like this.

Beside him, Zephyr continued walking as though the journey had barely affected him. Lucien had been so preoccupied with his own exhaustion that he had hardly considered how Zephyr was holding up. Just as he turned to glance at him, however, Zephyr suddenly bent down and slipped one arm beneath his knees.

Before Lucien could react, his feet left the ground.

"Wh-What are you doing?!"

Zephyr had picked him up as effortlessly as though he weighed nothing.

Lucien barely had time to protest before Zephyr jumped backward and began floating, carrying him into the air. The moment they rose, the sand beneath their feet began to collapse. A massive void opened beneath them, swallowing the ground as though something enormous had opened its mouth to devour everything above it.

Lucien’s heart nearly stopped.

A moment later, the familiar sand rushed back into place, concealing the terrifying hole as though nothing had happened.

Lucien instinctively tightened his arms around Zephyr’s shoulders, his fingers digging into the fabric of his clothes.

He had nearly died!

Zephyr frowned slightly, a puzzled note entering his voice.

"What just happened? I sensed a large amount of mana beneath us, so I reacted."

Lucien stared at him.

Sweat glistened on Zephyr’s face, and his breathing was slightly heavier than before. Yet, despite being blind, he had sensed the anomaly beneath their feet before either of them had fallen into it.

A wry smile tugged at Lucien’s lips.

"Nothing. We just avoided a trap."

He paused, glancing at the endless stretch of sand below them.

"I think we’re getting closer to the core of the dungeon. Can you keep flying? We might reach our destination sooner that way."

Zephyr turned his face toward him. His brows relaxed, and he nodded without hesitation.

"Of course."

Then he shifted his hold, wrapping his other arm securely around Lucien’s waist.

"Hold on tight."

Lucien immediately understood what he meant.

His ears turned red, but he obediently wrapped his legs around Zephyr’s waist and clasped his arms around his neck. He had barely settled into the position when Zephyr gave his butt a light pat.

"Good boy."

Lucien nearly exploded.

"Y-You!"

Unfortunately, the shameless man holding him had no intention of giving him time to complain.

Zephyr shot forward.

The sudden acceleration stole the breath from Lucien’s lungs. The scorching wind whipped past them, and the scenery below blurred into streaks of pale sand and shadow. Within seconds, they were moving so quickly that Lucien could barely keep his eyes open without feeling dizzy.

When had Zephyr learned to fly like this?!

The last thing Lucien remembered was Zephyr using Telekinesis on nearby objects to lift himself into the air. Back then, he had relied on those objects as footholds. But now, Zephyr was flying freely, carrying another person without any apparent difficulty.

Just how much more powerful had this side character become without him noticing?

Lucien gave up trying to make sense of it and buried his face against Zephyr’s shoulder, bracing himself against the relentless wind.

Unfortunately, he was not the only one suffering.

"AAAAAH! SLOW DOWN, YOU MANIAC!"

A tiny dragon’s furious roar tore through the air behind them.

Onicus, who had been dozing peacefully on Zephyr’s shoulder, had been caught completely off guard by the sudden acceleration. Its tiny body had nearly been flung away by the wind, and it had only managed to save itself by desperately clutching the back of Zephyr’s tunic with its little paws.

Now, it clung precariously to the back of Zephyr’s shoulder, its tiny claws digging into the fabric as the wind threatened to tear it away.

Onicus had never regretted a decision more in its entire existence.

Why had it ever decided to follow this bastard?!

Zephyr was only good to Lucien! He could carry him in his arms, indulge his every whim, and even call him a good boy while flying through a deadly dungeon.

And what about Onicus?

Nothing!

Zephyr barely acknowledged its existence unless he needed information or wanted it to do something he couldn’t be bothered to handle himself. Most of the time, he acted as though the dragon didn’t even exist!

Was this how a dragon of its stature deserved to be treated?!

Onicus wanted to curse him until the end of time, but the fierce wind kept forcing its mouth shut. In the end, it could only cling desperately to Zephyr’s clothes, silently swearing that if it ever got the chance, it would make Zephyr suffer!

Meanwhile, Zephyr’s eyes flickered.

A vast concentration of mana had appeared in the distance.

He turned his face slightly toward Lucien, who remained buried against his shoulder, and accelerated even further. For some reason, he had a feeling that this was precisely the place Lucien had been searching for.

He did not know why he was so certain.

He simply was.

A moment later, something strange happened.

As Zephyr flew forward, it felt as though he had passed through an invisible, watery barrier. A faint sound, like rippling water being disturbed, echoed through the air.

Then, in the span of a single breath, everything changed.

The oppressive heat disappeared, replaced by cool, damp air that brushed gently against his skin. The atmosphere became strangely tranquil, so different from the harsh, sun-scorched landscape they had just crossed that it felt as though they had entered an entirely different world.

Zephyr slowed to a stop.

Lucien lifted his head from Zephyr’s shoulder, taking a moment to regain his focus.

Then he looked around.

The sand was gone.

So was the enormous crimson sun that had hung over the wasteland.

Instead, a vast lake stretched beneath them, its surface shimmering faintly in the dim light. Cool mist hovered above the water, and an enormous, transparent barrier surrounded the entire lake, separating it from the rest of the dungeon.

For a moment, Lucien simply stared.

Then his eyes lit up.

"We found it!"

Overwhelmed with excitement, he reached up, grabbed Zephyr’s face between his hands, and planted a loud kiss on his cheek.

"Haha! Good job!"

Zephyr paused.

He had expected Lucien to be pleased, perhaps even relieved, but he had not anticipated such an enthusiastic reward. For a brief moment, he remained still, a flicker of amusement crossing his face.

"Hmm."

He seemed perfectly satisfied with this outcome.

Lucien, however, was already looking toward the center of the lake. He did not even seem to realize what he had just done. Still holding on to Zephyr, he pointed toward the distant water and spoke with barely contained excitement.

"Quick, get down into the water and take me over there. We need to reach the center!"

A crystal sphere floated at the center of the lake, suspended above the water as though held aloft by an invisible force. Even from a distance, Lucien could sense the extraordinary concentration of mana contained within it.

The dungeon core.

The final thing he had come here to find.

Behind them, Onicus finally managed to haul its tiny body back onto Zephyr’s shoulder. Its legs wobbled beneath it, and it clung to his tunic while trying to steady its spinning head.

It was dizzy.

It was exhausted.

At this point, it barely even cared what the two humans were doing anymore.

Zephyr followed Lucien’s instructions and began descending toward the lake. He carefully slowed his flight until his feet touched the water.

The lake reached his knees.

Gentle ripples spread outward from his legs, their soft splashes breaking the silence surrounding them.

The moment the cool water touched his skin, Zephyr felt an unexpected sense of relief. The exhaustion that had accumulated during their journey began to fade, and the tension in his body gradually eased. There was something deeply soothing about this place, as though the water itself could calm the mind and wash away fatigue.

It was almost unnaturally peaceful.

Zephyr glanced at Lucien and bent slightly, intending to set him down in the shallow water so he could experience the same soothing sensation.

But the moment Zephyr loosened his hold, Lucien clung to him as though his life depended on it.

"Don’t! Don’t put me down!"

Zephyr immediately stopped.

"Okay. Calm down."

He tightened his arms around Lucien, holding him securely against his chest.

Lucien took a deep breath, then glanced nervously at the water surrounding them.

This was the Water of Calmness, also known as the Water of Stillness. Its waters possessed the ability to soothe the mind, relieve exhaustion, and ease accumulated stress. For anyone capable of withstanding its effects, it was practically a sanctuary.

Unfortunately, there was a catch.

The lake was not meant for everyone.

Those with mana could benefit from its properties, but only S-rank individuals and those above that level could safely enjoy its effects. Anyone below that threshold would find their bodies freezing almost instantly upon coming into contact with the water.

And Lucien was nowhere near S-rank.

He remembered the incident involving Nana in the original novel. She had barely survived after touching the lake’s water. Erick had reacted just in time to grab her and push her out of the barrier, but the damage had already been done. Her fingers had frozen so badly that they later had to be amputated.

Lucien had absolutely no intention of suffering the same fate.

He tightened his arms around Zephyr’s neck.

No matter how badly he wanted to reach the core, he was not about to sacrifice his limbs for it.

Fortunately, he had brought Zephyr along.

And if there was one thing Lucien had learned by now, it was that Zephyr could handle almost anything he threw at him.