READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 3: Motivation
After enjoying the softness of Luna's things for some time, Zaroth decided he had gotten enough rest and got up.
"So, what now?" she asked him.
"Well, this depends on your answer to this question: can you assume dragon form, and for how long?"
"Yes, I can, for about a minute. After that, your core would need to recharge, or I would risk your life. From what I've seen, your core would need about 10 hours to fully recharge. If you eat food, it should take less than that."
"From what I know, I can desummon and summon you at will, right?"
"Yes, by desummoning me, you are storing me in your soul, and your mana would refill faster. But it's not recommended, because summoning takes time, and in an emergency, you might die before being able to summon me."
"Because I am too weak?" Zaroth asked.
"Tamers rely on their summons, so usually their physical and magical abilities aren't as strong as their peers from different classes."
"Could I change that? I don't want to always be weak."
"Of course you could." She smiled widely. "But it would take more time than the average person."
Surveying the area around him, he couldn't see much except the ash that had remained after the entire camp had been obliterated by Luna's flame.
Scanning the ground, he saw the trail that the carriage had left as it transported the prisoners.
"This is where we would go," he said confidently.
"From where you came?" Luna asked, intrigued.
"Yes, I suspect we are in the Crimson Sun Empire, and I can't speak their language, so going home is the better option."
"If I'm not mistaken, in that direction is the Draconian Empire. So we're going to a place where they worship dragons? I don't object," Luna grinned when she heard the news.
"But what is the plan exactly?" She couldn't help but feel a bit curious.
"Following the trail left by the carriage, we will arrive at my home. Once there, I will bury my mother's body if it's still there and then head to the capital of the Draconian Empire, where I'll enter one of the many magic academies."
He took a deep breath before adding, "To enter it, the most important thing I will need is money, which I plan to steal after killing the people we come across on our journey."
Luna raised an eyebrow slightly. "Have you ever killed someone?"
Zaroth shrugged. "Not really, but I don't plan on letting morals stop me."
Glancing at Luna's tempting body, he added with a smile, "Plus, I'm too weak to kill anybody, so I'm sure my loyal dragon wouldn't object to doing the deed for me."
Deciding it's better to walk rather than chat while standing still, they began following the trail, still engaged in their conversation.
"But there is a problem," Zaroth admitted, looking at Luna.
"Which is?" she asked, noticing his gaze on her body.
"Frankly, you are too hot. Your body is too tempting. So many men would try their luck with you, which is something I don't want happening."
Luna grinned from ear to ear as she spoke. "So, what do you suggest then?"
Zaroth stopped and removed the old coat he was wearing, then put it on Luna's body, cursing himself inwardly that he wouldn't be able to glance at her anymore.
'It's for the greater good,' he tried to convince himself with that thought.
Something he had realized too late was that while he himself was around 170 centimeters, Luna was easily pushing 190 centimeters. So, the act of putting his coat on her not only brought his face closer to her breasts, which were at his eye level, but also it wouldn't cover her completely, leaving her feet exposed a bit.
"I like it; it smells like you!" Luna seemed to like it, though Zaroth didn't pay it much attention.
It was strangely calming as they walked together, following the trail. They were engaged in a pleasant chat, so time passed pretty quickly.
After a few hours, Luna stopped, which made Zaroth follow her action.
"People ahead."
"How many?"
"Three, they are pretty weak."
Deciding, Zaroth wanted to approach them, he changed their course a bit, leaving the trail. After following the directions Luna gave, they finally arrived at the place where the humans were located.
Three men sat around a fire and chattered happily, eating animal meat they had caught not too long ago. Looking at their armor, one could guess they were part of the Crimson Sun Empire. The reason they were here was simple: they had deserted the army.
Taking a deep breath, Zaroth revealed himself from the shadows.
Upon seeing him, the three men immediately stood up, grasping their swords tightly.
"Hello, how far are we from reaching Draconian Empire land?" he asked with a smile.
Two men muttered something, and then the one at the front spoke in a language Zaroth could understand.
"You… your eyes! You must be from the Draconian Empire!"
"How far are we from reaching Draconian Empire land?" he asked again, but this time with a hint of aggression in his voice, a hint the men failed to pick up on.
Instead of answering, the man in front spoke, "Die, scum!"
"Luna, kill them… but don't melt them. We want their food and money, whole."
Seeing a stranger emerge from the bushes, hidden by a black coat, the men hesitated. Then, the stranger swiftly removed his coat, revealing a breathtakingly beautiful woman. The men couldn't appreciate her beauty, though, because in the next moment, she transformed into a giant dragon made entirely of bones.
In an instant, the dragon slashed three times, killing the men by splitting them in half.
As Luna returned to her human form, she found Zaroth sitting on the ground, his forehead drenched in sweat.
"Huh, it didn't hurt much this time," he said weakly, offering a faint smile.
"Of course I work fast."
"It's getting dark. Let's spend the night here. Tomorrow, we should be able to reach my homeland."
After he finished speaking, Zaroth checked the makeshift camp the three deserter soldiers had created and found a few gold coins.
"This... this is so much money! This is going straight into my savings for the academy!" he exclaimed, happily.
Luckily, the men had a lot of food prepared, so all Luna and Zaroth had to do was cook it over the fire.
The night had long settled, so Zaroth's vision was limited by the fire that lit the surroundings around him. As he ate his food, he secretly threw glances at Luna's body. She had removed her coat since she didn't need to hide in the dark. As a result, her almost naked body was being illuminated by the fire.
Her flawless skin made Zaroth's blood heat up.
"Like the view?" Noticing his gaze, she grinned flirtatiously.
Gulping loudly, he replied, "Very much so."
"Do you want to see more?" she asked, pointing to her bra, clearly implying she might remove it if he asked.
"Yes," instant answer, without hesitation.
Luna placed a finger to her lips, making a humming sound as though she was thinking. After a moment, she said, "One hundred push-ups, pull-ups, and squats. If you can do them all without a break, I'll take it off."
The confusion on Zaroth's face was clear, so Luna explained, "You wanted to get stronger, right? I'm giving you the motivation you need."
"One hundred, huh…" Zaroth had trained before, so he knew how hard this request was.
"But I'm your master. If I order you, wouldn't you have to do it?" he asked.
"Technically yes, but I know you wouldn't," she replied quickly with a smirk.
"Why are you so certain?"
Leaning close, almost touch his ear, she whispered, "Because it's not as fun getting the reward without the struggle."
Getting back into position, she added, " Besides, who doesn't like getting stronger?"
With a sigh, he got up and began. After about 10 minutes, he was completely spent. Overall, he had managed to do 30 squats, 15 push-ups, and 3 pull-ups. It was clear his malnourished body was weak. Not only that, but these numbers were overall; he had to stop countless times to rest in between.
"Hm… I guess we also have to work on your stamina," Luna said, blushing slightly.
Zaroth wanted to respond, but his body was too spent, and he drifted into sleep.
Seeing him sleeping peacefully, Luna grinned.
"Good night."
The next morning, Zaroth was awoken by two soft things pressing tightly against his face.