"I will give you your first command."
"What is your command?"
"I will provide you with maps and money. Within a week, come to Tevra Port City. It will soon be a city under my control."
"You mean... abandon this place?"
Pessus's expression grew complicated.
From his perspective, this was his homeland. Having never ventured outside, the outside world would feel foreign and frightening.
"You must have felt stifled here too."
"That's true, but there's no place safer than this."
"Safe?" I scoffed. "If this place were truly safe, I wouldn't have needed to come here, and you wouldn't have become slaves. As Maleph said earlier, this isn't your paradise it's merely a refuge."
"..."
"Don't worry about the journey to Tevra. Hire mercenaries using my name and money, and you'll arrive safely."
Even mercenaries have brains; they won't try any of Prucus's tricks. And just in case, I've given them Magic Communication Devices.
"Prepare to leave. I know about the Secret Passage beneath the Huge Snow Mountain that leads outside."
"Y-you know about that too...!"
Pessus looked genuinely shocked. The secret passage is one-way only, a secret known only to a few Dwarves.
"And that Golem..."
"You mean the Great Golem King?"
"Yes, that Golem with the ridiculous name. Make sure to bring it. I've taken quite a liking to it."
It was too large and heavy to fit into my inventory. Even Yuria's Shadow Subspace couldn't accommodate it.
But abandoning it would be a waste. If I used Hacking, the golem could unleash its original specifications, making it a formidable trump card.
"But the Great Golem King's condition isn't good. Wouldn't it be better to destroy it and get another golem?"
"Tsk. Pessus, are you questioning my orders?"
"A slip of the tongue! I'll risk my life to safely transport the Great Golem King to Tevra City!"
"Good. Prepare quickly. As for the rebellious Dwarves... educate them as you see fit. If their attitude doesn't improve, we'll have to hand them over to torture specialists later."
Some of the rebellious dwarves lowered their eyes at the mention of torture. Dwarves were not immune to pain; as sentient beings, they naturally feared torture.
"Move quickly! You must reach Tevra City within a week and build my mansion!"
As the Frost Hammer Clan dwarves prepared to leave, Yuria and I slipped out of the village.
My first goal in coming to Huge Snow Mountain enslaving the Frost Hammer dwarves has been achieved.
Now it was time to pursue my second objective, which, in some ways, was even more crucial than enslaving the dwarves.
I tilted my head back and gazed at the ceiling. The ceiling was made of rock, riddled with holes.
Some of these holes connected to the outside world, though a barrier made it nearly impossible to enter the cave from outside.
Let's see... the description mentioned a hole surrounded by three others to the north... there it is.
The target hole was easy to spot.
Those Dwarves never bothered to check the ceiling.
Dwarves had no interest in the ceiling. Their focus lay underground, where they could mine ore.
Why risk the difficult and dangerous task of digging through the ceiling when they could simply mine ore underground?
In the original story, Kyle accidentally discovers this passage while trying to escape.
I retrieved climbing gear from my inventory. The ceiling was too high to climb without equipment, even for Yuria and me.
"What's up there?"
"Heh heh. Something absolutely amazing."
With no monsters to impede us, we ascended into the cave in the ceiling with relative ease.
The first thing that greeted us upon entering the cave was the dampness. As we ventured deeper, the humidity intensified while the temperature steadily dropped, a consequence of the cave's connection to the outside.
We soon discovered the cave's exit and a steaming pool of water nearby, surrounded by a thick layer of snow that had drifted inside.
"What's that...?"
"A hot spring. A natural hot spring."
I grinned as I gazed at the natural hot spring.
"So, Huge Snow Mountain was a volcano...?"
"No. This hot spring isn't due to geothermal activity. It's actually a place where Spirit Energy flows out from the Dragon Vein beneath Huge Snow Mountain."
Spirit Energy in other words, it's a place where the natural Mana flowing through the earth seeps out. This hot spring was formed naturally due to that Mana.
"For at least 1,000 years, the Mana from the Dragon Vein has been concentrating in this hot spring water."
If you only heard my explanation, you might think this hot spring water is some peerless elixir. But in reality, it's not quite that extraordinary. The water here is originally melted snow, which evaporates as steam.
Fresh water flows in from outside to replenish the hot spring. Because of this constant turnover, its actual effects are less potent than you might expect.
"Still, it's true that the essence of this mountain's Spirit Energy is concentrated in this water."
In the original story, Kyle called this hot spring Dragon Vein Water.
"Yuria, if you're willing, take off your clothes and enter the hot spring. Then, circulate the Yeongcheon Qi Circulation Technique within."
"Yes. I want to try it, Master."
With my limited talent, I likely won't be able to properly absorb the Dragon Vein Water's Spirit Energy.
Even if I could absorb it, it wouldn't have any effect on me in the real world.
It's obvious that the Dragon Vein Water's potency would diminish drastically if I tried to bottle it and bring it back to reality.
Since I've decided to support Yuria's growth, there's no need for me to feel disappointed. Yuria now stands as a powerful ally by my side.
With Yuria's exceptional talent, she'll likely benefit from the Dragon Vein Water even more than Kyle did in the original story.
Yuria began to remove her maid uniform. I watched her undress with burning eyes, having witnessed this countless times yet never tiring of the sight.
Each time, it stirred a fresh wave of excitement within me.
Swish.
With a final movement, Yuria slipped off her white lace panties, revealing her completely naked form. Her tightly closed pink labia and the delicate clitoris peeking from beneath its hood were now visible.
Her vulva, always kept meticulously clean through our usual grooming, remained pristine. I nodded in approval, admiring Yuria's flawless white skin and firm, rounded buttocks.
I'm always in your debt.
Yuria folded her discarded clothes neatly on the floor. She stood resolutely against the cold wind blowing in from outside.
"Master, why don't you join me in the hot spring?"
"Once you've absorbed all the Spirit Energy from the hot spring, I'll join you."
Even if the Dragon Vein Water's Spirit Energy is absorbed, the Mana seeping from the Dragon Vein won't disappear, so the hot spring itself will remain. It just won't have any Spirit Energy.
"Yes, then I'll enter now."
Yuria stepped into the hot spring. The water wasn't very deep, reaching only to her hips. She sat cross-legged in the clear water, her posture clearly visible.
Closing her eyes, Yuria began circulating the Yeongcheon Qi Circulation Technique.
Kyle will gain about forty years' worth of Inner Strength here.
It's said to be nearly sixty years' worth of Inner Strength, but I'm not sure exactly how much that is.
In reality, Hunters prioritize the quality and application of Mana over its quantity.
As a bonus, my injured body will heal too.
An hour had passed since Yuria entered the Dragon Vein Water.
There were no visible changes. She remained with her eyes closed, focused on circulating her qi. I glanced outside it was pitch black, with about two hours until sunrise.
Hmm? Mana...
Standing nearby, I could sense the mana flowing in and out of Yuria's body in a rhythmic pattern. It didn't feel dangerous, but rather orderly.
Wait, what's that?
Crackle. Crackle.
Electricity began to crackle around Yuria's body the Lightning Flash power of the Youngcheon Style, as familiar to me as my own breath. The problem was that this Lightning Flash was black, unlike the usual white or blue.
Could it be a fusion of Lightning Flash and Dark Shadow?
The black lightning coursed through Yuria's body before vanishing into her shadow.
After that, time passed without any noticeable changes. Yuria lifted her eyelids, revealing her blue eyes to me.
"Yuria! Did you succeed?"
Yuria smiled at my question.
"Yes, I succeeded."
I stared at her. Her outward appearance remained unchanged. At my level, I couldn't gauge the extent of her strength. Moreover, Yuria was adept at concealing her true abilities.
"In magic, I've fully reached the advanced level."
"What about aura?"
"Similarly, I've reached the advanced level. However, with a slight catalyst... I believe I could ascend to the supreme level."
"Just short of the supreme level? That's incredible."
I was astonished. Yuria, who had been at the intermediate level of aura mastery, had suddenly grown to the point where she could rival the supreme level.
This exceeded my expectations. Could it be possible because she's a genius?
Maybe it's due to the Yeongcheon Qi Circulation Technique.
I stopped overthinking. The important thing was that she had become incomparably stronger than before.
More importantly, Yuria's naked body was right in front of me.
I quickly stripped off my clothes and stood naked. My member swaying, I walked toward her in the warm hot spring.
Whoosh...
A cold, snow-laden wind blew through, making me shiver involuntarily. I quickened my pace and plunged into the hot spring.
"Ugh... It's so warm."
The water was slightly hot, but the contrast with the frigid air outside made it feel even better.
"Master, shall I prepare the wine?"
"Yes. I feel like having some breast wine for a change."
"Understood."
Yuria retrieved a bottle of wine from the Shadow Subspace.
It was a vintage from the Rapelli Kingdom, crafted by the Flavit Magic Tower a premium wine aged for about ten years.
With one arm, Yuria cradled her ample breasts, creating a deep cleavage. She poured the wine into the valley between them, where it pooled without spilling.
"The wine is ready."
Her breasts pressed close to me. I buried my face in the valley between them and gulped down the wine.
"Ugh... I can't resist."
I drained the wine in one go and pulled her into my arms.
"Ahhn."
Yuria snuggled against me, settling onto my lap. Though taller than me, she deliberately leaned back to keep her gaze lower than mine.
I didn't mind her coquettishness.
I gently cupped Yuria's cheek with my right hand, stroking it softly as I met her eyes. Those blue eyes, as deep as the sea, always seemed to draw me in. Her usually composed face was now relaxed, filled with anticipation.
"Master," she murmured, her pink lips parting, "hold me."
Yuria occasionally made such requests: to be held, kissed, or simply to have her hand held.
"If you ask to be held, I'll hold you."
I didn't refuse her request. It wasn't a particularly difficult one.
I wrapped my arms around her, her head burying into my face. I couldn't see her expression, so I could only guess from her steady breathing.
Confirming erogenous zones.
Yuria's erogenous zones: vagina, cervix, mouth, breasts, armpits.
Five erogenous zones in total, and over time we'd learned together how sensitive each of them was. Each time I checked, I felt a sense of satisfaction.
I only recently discovered how sensitive her armpits were. I'd brushed them a bit while working on her breasts, but I never imagined they'd become an erogenous zone.
The armpits hadn't been something I set out to shape. One day, I became fascinated by her clean armpits and started playing with them, and that was when I learned how sensitive they were.
Perhaps she's always been sensitive there. Even if I hadn't noticed Yuria's armpits that way, they might still have been an erogenous zone.
I slipped my left hand into Yuria's armpit. The hairless, smooth skin felt slick, perhaps from the hot spring water. With practiced movements, I began stimulating her armpit.
"Mmm..." Yuria moaned softly.
"I can feel Master's hot cock pressed against my belly."
My already erect cock was pressing firmly against her lower abdomen.
"Is that so?"
My right hand moved next. It gently traced the curve of her waist before slipping into the cleft of her round, white buttocks.
My middle finger idly brushed against her anal folds before sliding deep inside her.
"I can feel your hot pussy on my finger."