Chapter 343: Iltheran Logic

Nothing.

Or at least nothing that would warrant shaking like a leaf while performing their absolute best in front of a crowd.

Because as far as one particular group was concerned, they weren’t out there to cause a scene.

They were out there to test a hypothesis.

And that hypothesis was currently proving correct.

The artifact carried by the golden dragon lord, who had just executed a perfectly controlled dive into the water, activated the moment he reached the right depth.

It pulsed once.

Then again.

And when it did, Kael felt the familiar pulse of the artifact settle into place just as a figure phased into view far beneath the surface of the water.

His twig.

Right where he was supposed to be.

Kael closed the distance in a single controlled stroke, one hand already reaching for his mate’s arm before his mind had fully caught up. He scanned him quickly, gaze sharp and assessing despite the distortion of the water.

Riley blinked repeatedly, eyes squeezed shut for a moment before opening again. He gave Kael a look that was half-sheepish and half-annoyed.

“I’m fine,” he gestured, then winced slightly as another wave of sting hit his eyes. He lifted a hand, rubbing at them carefully. Riley had tried to anticipate it, but appearing out of the blue was really different from slowly entering the water.

But it should be fine, he’d live.

However, that didn’t seem to matter to one dragon lord as his jaw tightened anyway.

__

Only after confirming that his mate was steady, with complete appendages, and not in any immediate danger did he allow himself to recognize the third presence nearby.

His own father, Lord Karion.

He was swimming a short distance away, arms loosely folded, looking entirely unsurprised that his child didn’t even bother to acknowledge his presence save for a brief glance.

One that said father returned with similar fervor. But who could blame the retired dragon lord for the lack of enthusiasm as he was going to have to show up in place of his son in case their unusual plan actually worked.

__

Honestly, Kael had never been a fan of this plan.

Then again, he had never been a fan of anything that involved Riley risking himself, especially when it included sneaking around, testing unknown variables, or taking chances in environments they didn’t fully control.

He had offered to simply return that night and test whether magical artifacts could be used at the suspected center without interference.

It would have been quieter.

Less annoying.

And infinitely less worrisome.

But his twig had refused.

Now, the ex-mortal would argue that he refused the convenient offer for a good reason.

For one, Riley didn’t want to accidentally trigger alarms that Kael would likely overlook simply because he wouldn’t care about them. More than that, what if Riley’s calculations were wrong? Then they would have wasted time, effort, and possibly drawn unnecessary attention when this approach was far simpler.

There was also another reason.

The half-baked black dragon also had a strange feeling that it wouldn’t work if it were only Kael checking it out.

Based on personal experience, the Iltherans would never have allowed for such an oversight. If they had designed something this carefully, it would likely require more than brute force or overwhelming presence.

So Riley had insisted on coming himself.

Even if the plan sounded stupid.

Even if it sounded reckless.

But what exactly were they doing to begin with?

Hmm. Nothing crazy.

Just looking for what could possibly be siphoning off all the mana that such a special and previously uncharted leyline should have been outputting to the surrounding area.

See, Riley was operating on one fundamental assumption: that his ancestors weren’t complete idiots.

If they had chosen this location for their crypt, they had probably done so deliberately.

Would the iron dragons have been insane enough to allow the black dragons to construct their clan crypt if the Iltherans had simply been winging it?

Likely not.

So there had to be a logical reason for why they went with such a choice.

And one perfectly good reason to choose this area would have been access to mana.

Not just any mana source.

A source that couldn’t be easily traced by following the flow through the well-known leylines that had long since been mapped and documented.

That would have been counterproductive to the whole hiding thing they’ve got going on, right?

So considering what they’ve been doing, they would have needed something detached.

Isolated.

Yet robust enough to sustain a crypt for god-knows-how-long, perhaps even forever.

Moreover, they would have needed a way to ensure that other magical beings, particularly strong ones, wouldn’t find the place appealing enough to be considered as a long-term residence.

So what to do with such a long list of requirements?

Well, if it were Riley designing it, he would simply configure the system to consume as much mana as possible with every cycle, leaving barely enough residual energy to attract attention.

If there was nothing left to see, then there would basically be no need to look.

When he had shared a summarized version of this theory with everyone earlier, the reactions had been mixed at best.

Most of them had stared at him as if he had sprouted a second head.

The children had opened their mouths.

Closed them.

Then decided not to question him further because they did like the part about playing with the dolphins to the best of their abilities.

But even now, while the children went to work and as he swam deeper beside two dragons who were far too powerful to be casually swimming in a dolphin enclosure, one being couldn’t help but observe the situation with quiet approval.

Thyrran thought that sure enough, the Young Master had to be an Iltheran.

Because who else would come up with something so thoroughly deranged and yet somehow logical?

And what do you know?

The last remaining black dragon had indeed been right.

Only he had to postpone any celebration because the very first thing he did upon arrival was cough.

Repeatedly.

“Kh—!”

Did they really have to negate magic like that and shock him by suddenly dispelling the bubble Kael had placed around his head?

To think he’d have grievances right off the bat.

Not only did he choke, but he even landed like a flailing fish after that unexpected, albeit technically welcomed, teleportation.

Riley pushed himself up from the ground, sputtering once more before swallowing down the rest of his complaints.

Because the moment he actually looked up, the words died in his throat.

Yeah.

No shit.

This place was most definitely made for dragons.

__

For a long second, Riley just stared.

The chamber stretched far beyond what his eyes could comfortably measure, a cavernous corridor that rose high into darkness. The ceiling arched like the ribcage of some ancient beast, tall enough for dragons in full form to walk without lowering their heads.

The floor was cracked stone, massive slabs fitted together with deliberate precision. Veins of glowing lines ran through the fractures, faintly pulsing with residual energy. The whole thing honestly felt like it was breathing.

Ahead of them, the path branched and twisted, forming what could only be described as a labyrinth. Massive doorways lined the walls at intervals, each one towering, framed by thick stone arches carved with patterns that were probably runic.

Intimidating did not begin to cover it.

Each door looked less like an entrance and more like a test.

And then there were the walls.

Riley squinted.

At first glance, he thought they were dark crystal formations embedded from floor to ceiling, jagged surfaces reflecting faint light like frozen waves. The entire corridor shimmered subtly, as though encased in some kind of polished mineral. It felt like being in some sort of geode.

He took a step closer, hand hovering near one of the glossy surfaces.

“Is this some kind of obsidian crystal?” he muttered.

Kael’s voice came from behind him, calm as ever.

“Black diamonds.”

Riley froze.

“Sorry, what?”

He turned slowly.

“The walls,” Kael repeated. “They’re black diamonds.”

Riley blinked at him.

Then back at the walls.

Then back at Kael again.

“Actual black diamonds?”

His voice cracked slightly on the last word.

Kael gave a small nod, as if they were discussing granite countertops.

Riley stared at the corridor again, this time with the dawning horror of someone realizing they were standing inside what might very well be the most expensive hallway in existence.

And that was when he noticed it.

Kael’s arm.

Riley’s eyes dropped instinctively, and what he saw made his stomach flip.

Scratches.

Long, shallow but unmistakable scratches ran along Kael’s forearm, faint streaks of red marring otherwise flawless skin.

Riley jolted upright.

“What happened?” he demanded, already reaching for his mate’s arm.

Kael stiffened slightly at the sudden movement but didn’t pull away.

Riley’s fingers hovered carefully over the injured skin, as if afraid to make it worse.

Kael was not the type to get injured.

The man was a walking tank. If tanks were indestructible.

So what was this?

Kael sighed softly, clearly realizing Riley was seconds away from spiraling.

“I was holding on to your arm when this place sucked you in,” he said evenly. “I couldn’t enhance my arm too much or I might’ve broken yours.”

Riley stared at him.

The dragon lord continued, tone casual but jaw tight.

“But if I hadn’t forced my way through, the portal would’ve closed before I got in.”

Riley’s grip tightened unconsciously.

“!!!”

Kael’s gaze shifted briefly toward the entrance they had come through as he thought about how he had to fight to keep the temporary portal open so he could follow his mate.

He flexed his arm slightly.

“Normally that wouldn’t be an issue. But when the gate started closing, it started to solidify into something closer to a bunch of diamonds.”

Riley’s head snapped toward the walls.

Then back to the scratches.

“So you’ve got scratches all over your arm because you risked yourself like that?” he hissed. “Kael!”

He fussed over the injuries, even though the cuts were already knitting together before his eyes, the skin smoothing as draconic regeneration did its job.

“Don’t do something so reckless again!” Riley lectured, still holding on to him for moral support.

The dragon lord raised a brow.

Reckless.

Really now?

He let the word hang in the air without saying it aloud as one black dragon unknowingly dug his own grave.

Because between the two of them, Kael was certain about who was more reckless.

Like his twig who was already looking down the corridor with suspicious determination.

“For some reason,” Riley murmured, squinting at the branching paths, “I have a feeling about which door we’re supposed to enter.”

“…”

“…”

Kael stared at him.

Of course he did.

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