"Who are your parents?"
The golden lady asked Kailen calmly, it took Kailen a few moments to register the words. The sudden change from man-eating dragon to a beautiful girl happened too quickly.
"I don't know, I was an orphan before I was sold into the service of House Avera."
"Orphan? Servant?"
The girl had a look of disbelief as she muttered quietly, she was silent lost in thought for a couple of minutes before her attention was back on him.
"What's your name?"
"Kailen"
"Nice to meet you Kailen, my name is Villith."
Kailen was thoroughly confused by her attitude towards him, he was hopeful of the outcomes of this meeting. Emboldened by her attitude he asked respectfully.
"May I know why you wished to keep me here?"
"Hmm, well you intrigue me. You see most humans that stand before me involuntarily shiver with fright, due to evolution you see. But you are different, your hand is steady yet I can hear your terror from your pounding heart and dilated pupils. Or could it be you've fallen in love with me?"
Villith's cheeks turned red at the thought, all of which blew Kailen's mind. An ancient dragon behaving like a fourteen-year-old girl, the majestic image she portrayed from earlier thoroughly shattered.
"I'm afraid you were correct on your first assumption."
Kailen answered carefully, upsetting a fickle dragon was probably not for the best.
"Oh, how boring!"
Villith explained while pouting and puffing her cheeks. It was an extremely cute action which almost caused Kailen to forget she burned all those humans alive earlier.
"Anyway, the fact remains you're different from the other humans. Even that Lana who you care so much about."
"Different how?"
Villith didn't answer and just smiled mysteriously, Kailen was frustrated by her silence which she must have noticed as she laughed.
"I want you to stay with me for a while, Kailen."
"To do what exactly?"
"Well, two reasons mainly. One, I want to find out what's so different about you and two, I'm bored."
"I don't have much of a choice either way."
"True enough."
Villith chuckled, she slowly rose to her feet and approached him. She was quite short, probably about five foot three. She looked up at him while handing him a fire spirit stone.
"This should help to increase your strength, you can go ahead and use it now."
Kailen took the spirit stone and could feel the heat burning his skin, he was excited despite the slight pain. This would allow for his muscles to become more explosive, he was anxious to see its results on his strength.
He sat cross-legged holding the spirit stone in his hands before slowly absorbing the fire qi from the inside, similar to how he did from the natural qi in the surroundings. This time, however, the fire qi was extremely painful as it passed through his hands and through the muscles on his forearm. Sweat was quickly forming on his head as the pain increased gradually, he kept his concentration and continued to move the qi slowly through each muscle fiber soaking each with the fire qi.
Kailen transferred the qi through each muscle fiber in his arms, through his chest, into his back muscles and then gradually down to the legs. The pain was excruciating especially near the end as he soaked through his calf muscles, his body faintly trembling as sweat poured off him.
Villith watched patiently as she saw his struggles, the path of cultivation was beset with tribulations. This was considered a minor price to pay for the increase in strength, once he reached the higher realms is where the major trials begin.
After a few hours, Kailen's eyes opened as he stretched his fingers and arms feeling the newfound strength increase. His body felt incredibly powerful, almost like he previously had one arm tied. He lept off the floor reaching an incredible five meters before landing.
"I've become so strong!"
Kailen exclaimed with excitement, he couldn't wait to try his strength in combat. Though his excitement died down as he heard Villith open her mouth.
"Calm down, you're still an ant."
Helplessness appeared on his face as he knew compared to her, he was really an ant. Though his depression quickly faded as he realized he shouldn't compare himself to her, she was after all a freak.
Though what he failed to notice was her expression of slight shock at his increase in physical prowess when he jumped. Her interest in him only grew, she could feel something off about Kailen and she was determined to find out what.
"After some rest, use another to enhance your muscles further. Though the effect won't be as dramatic it will help."
After a few hours of rest, Kailen willingly put himself through the pain again. This time after half-hour he was finished, he felt his strength slightly improve though nowhere near as much as last time.
"If I've grown so much in such a short time, I wonder how strong are the people who have spent decades enhancing themselves."
His excitement grew at the thought and his blood boiled, his eyes glowing faintly red at the thought of future battles and bloodshed. All of this was caught by Villith who felt slightly uneasy, a rare emotion for an ancient dragon.
"He is definitely not human."
Villith thought to herself as his faintly red glowing cat eyes seemed to confirm, though she had no clue as to his race.
"I will definitely find out what you are Kailen."