Even though it was only at its first level, the potential was massive. The more he used it, the stronger it would become. That's how all abilities worked in this world — constant use, constant growth.
Nixis's sultry voice interrupted his thoughts, ringing directly in his ear. "Humans are truly favored by the universe," she chuckled, startling him back to reality. "This will make things much easier. I knew you were the right choice. With chests like these, my treasures will multiply tenfold."
Horizon frowned, knowing exactly what she was implying.
Nixis read his thoughts, her fiery eyes glinting. "Relax. I have no interest in grimoires or spells. I already possess power beyond what most can dream of. As for weapons and armor? I don't need them either. As you can see, I can't wear them. My bones are enough to deflect high level spells and skills out there. What I seek are beautiful things. Shiny, unique, precious things."
That eased Horizon slightly. "Since we're on the same side now, how about you let go of Von?"
Only then did Nixis notice the still-frozen figure of Von in the corner. "Ah, right."
With a simple gesture, Von collapsed to the ground, gasping for air as he scrambled back to Horizon's side, glaring warily at the dragoness.
"Now that you're one of my servants, you can roam freely in my domain," Nixis continued, her voice thick with amusement. "My little ones won't attack you now."
Horizon nodded but got straight to the point. "How do we get out of here? Can you teleport us to Eternia?"
Nixis walked languidly toward her treasure hoard, her massive claws scraping across the mountain of gold and gems, before lounging over it like a queen on her throne. "No one can teleport to Eternia. The only way to travel there is through the Red Moon, and it only opens once a year."
"What?!" Von shouted, then immediately shrank behind Horizon when Nixis fixed him with a sharp glare.
"Relax," Nixis said, yawning. "Time flows differently here than in Eternia. The Red Moon may open sooner than you think."
Horizon exchanged a glance with Von, feeling a spark of hope.
"That's good then," Von said with a sigh of relief. "We can explore Drakha while we wait. It's not like we're in a rush."
Nixis stretched lazily, her tail flicking in the distance. "Don't stray too far," she warned. "This is the safest place for you two. Outside my territory, you could easily find yourselves captured, sold as slaves, or worse — eaten by a dragon."
Von swallowed hard as Nixis smirked at him.
"But don't worry, Horizon," she added with a laugh, "I won't let anything happen to you. I still need you, after all."
Von pointed at himself, raising an eyebrow. "And me?"
Nixis chuckled darkly. "You can go die for all I care."
"Harsh," Von muttered, while Cappy flitted around his head.
"Don't worry, Master! Cappy still loves you, even if you're an idiot."
"Make up your mind. Are you insulting me or comforting me?" Von groaned.
Horizon chuckled, finally relaxing. He glanced around and spotted something that piqued his interest — the ancient mausoleum was lined with shelves upon shelves of dusty tomes.
"Can we read these books?" Horizon asked, eyeing the collection.
Nixis waved her claw dismissively. "Do as you please, just don't touch my treasures," she mumbled before curling up and drifting off into a deep, rumbling slumber.
"Shouldn't we be getting out of here?" Von asked, but Horizon had already walked over to the bookshelves.
"I want to understand more about this world before we leave," Horizon replied, his fingers brushing the covers of ancient dragonic texts. "The more we know, the better off we'll be."
Von nodded reluctantly, joining him by the shelves. "Well, we've got time. No point wandering out there unprepared."
As they both sifted through the old tomes, Von couldn't help but ask, "So, how exactly did you get dragon blood in you?"
"I don't know," Horizon answered truthfully. "Before leaving for Eternia, our sperm was collected to preserve the human race, but there were no dragons in my world, definitely none in the ARK. Unless . . . a dragonkin somehow entered the ARK. But the portal's only one-way, so that's impossible."
Von leaned back, thoughtful. "You gonna try and figure it out? I was surprised by your draconic blood too. No wonder you don't look like human."
Horizon shook his head. "That can wait. Right now, I'm more interested in learning about dragons."
As he continued scanning the shelves, something else came to mind — the gold chest he'd yet to open. Summoning it, Horizon eagerly opened it up.
[ACQUIRED: Necklace of Endurance]
A simple accessory, but it added +10 to his Constitution.
Satisfied, Horizon wore the necklace and returned to studying the dragonic tomes, eager to uncover more about his mysterious heritage.