Dragon's Awakening: The Duke's Son Is Changing The Plot
Chapter 212 - 211 - The Training and Romance Arc Begins.

Chapter 212: Chapter 211 - The Training and Romance Arc Begins.

Some minutes later.

Raven cleared his throat as the group stared at him with varying degrees of suspicion, awe, and barely restrained sarcasm.

They stood in a massive, ethereal courtyard made of glowing marble and floating gardens—Arietta’s divine domain stretched endlessly in every direction, with stars glittering in a gentle sky overhead.

The air shimmered with dense mana particles, thick enough to see.

But it was quiet.

Too quiet.

Not the awkward-type quiet.

Just the kind of silence where you felt like anything you said might get quoted in a religious text.

"I’ve gathered you all here today," Raven began, doing his best not to sound like a cult leader, "because we have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to train at a pace that’s basically cheating."

"Oh gods, it is a cult," Rufus whispered.

"Shush," Clara replied, half-amused.

Raven ignored them and gestured around. "Time in this realm flows at a ratio of sixteen to one. One day out there is sixteen days in here. One week out there is almost four months in here."

Jessy raised a brow. "Wait... you’re saying we’re gonna be stuck in here with no food, no water, and—"

"You don’t need food, water, or sleep," Raven cut in smoothly. "Arietta has placed divine laws that suspend those needs. You’ll want to eat. You might think you’re hungry. But you won’t actually need to."

Alex blinked. "So... this is like a really pretty jail."

Graye’s hand shot up. "But can I still eat if I want to?"

Then she turned toward Arietta, who was still trying her best to be graceful. "I mean, can she get us food?"

Her tone made it clear that it wasn’t a curious question but one where she was actually doubting it.

After all, for some reason, Graye didn’t like Arietta.

She felt like Arietta was cutting in line.

Like, she was next in line to become Raven’s girlfriend, right? So why does this not-so-goddess-like goddess get to take that chance?

Thank god, she didn’t say that out loud.

Or Arietta might have pushed forward the plan about the screaming flower.

Arietta, however, didn’t take those words of doubt lightly.

She huffed, still holding Raven’s hand and looking very pleased with herself. "I can create anything anyone wishes for. Even limited-edition spicy grilled wyvern wings. At least until we are in here."

Graye paused for a second.

Then, slowly, all thoughts about Arietta cutting in line evaporated.

The only thing left in her mind was, ’Limited edition spicy grilled wyvern wings.’

She let out a war cry of joy. "I love this goddess."

Jessy muttered, "This is going to be unhinged..."

"Anyway," Raven went on, "the point is—we’re going to use this time to cultivate. All-out. No breaks. For the next four months in here."

Selena crossed her arms, her dark eyes flicking with interest. "What’s the rush?"

She—or more like, everyone—already knew the answer, but she asked for the sake of asking.

After all, there were some people—Alex and Graye—who were dumb enough not to realize the seriousness until they were told.

"Because we’re about to face something that shrugged off everything we threw at it last time," Raven replied with a serious voice, ignoring the fact that Alex seemed sleepy already. "If we go back out there as we are, we lose. So we use this time."

There was a beat of silence. Everyone looked at each other.

Then Siris, who had been quietly sharpening a dagger against her boot (out of pure habit), asked, "Are we still using the same technique, or do we have something new?"

Raven smiled, shaking his head. "We would be using what we had been using until now—the Soul Kiln Purification Art."

Siris, however, tilted her head, glancing at Arietta before she asked, "Should we be getting our technique upgraded? Like, you have a goddess—apparently someone I can’t stab—on our side."

"Ah," Raven’s eyes lit up in realization. "I guess I haven’t told you guys yet, but this technique is god-level—divine-rank, to be precise."

"How did you pay for it?" Selena asked, her expression serious.

"Well, I didn’t," Raven replied, making everyone pause for a second.

Even Alex, who had almost dozed off, blinked. "Huh? What? What’s happening? Why do I feel like someone said something absurd?"

Nibbles face-pawed himself, shaking his head, ignoring the dumbhead like others.

"Why—No, who would give it to you for free?" Clara asked, leaning forward.

Before Raven could reply, someone else did.

"...I did," Arietta said, almost smug. "I used to cultivate my powers with it during my earlier days. I gave it to my Raven so he could grow as strong as me."

Then, her eyes turned gloomy as she added in a whisper, almost to herself. "...but now some temporary people get to use it."

Others couldn’t hear the last part; even Raven couldn’t, so the conversation continued as it should’ve.

"...You gave him a divine-tier cultivation manual?" Clara asked slowly. "As in, god level?"

"Yes," Arietta said, beaming again.

Clara exhaled. "Cool. Normal. Fine."

"I knew this technique was cracked," Selena muttered. "It made no sense how effective it was."

Lia placed a hand on her heart and whispered, "This is how legends are born."

Nibbles flipped up a sign that read, I’M GONNA BREAK THROUGH TO SQUIRREL HEAVEN.

Graye began flexing in place, already radiating excitement. "I’m gonna get so strong, I’ll punch a mountain and make it apologize."

"Okay, calm down, Doomfist," Jessy sighed.

"Now," Raven said, his tone firming slightly, "because the Soul Kiln Art fastens your mana absorption, purifies it, and tempers your mana as it draws it in, and the mana density here is insanely high, the speed at which you’ll cultivate is roughly... fifteen times the normal rate."

Everyone blinked.

"Fifteen?" Rufus echoed. "So, like... we’re gonna be training for four months, but it’ll be the equivalent of five years of cultivation?"

"Yep."

Rufus promptly fainted backward.

"Dramatic," Jessy noted.

"I’m going to evolve again," Alex said with mild horror, already feeling his symbiote ripple in delight.

Siris clapped once. "I’m in. No sleep, no food, no responsibilities? Just endless progress? Sign me up."

Clara smirked. "If I’m not breaking space-time with my vibration control by the end of this, I’ll be disappointed."

Graye pulled out her huge sword and yelled, "LET’S BEGIN!"

"Graye, we don’t cultivate with our swords out," Lia deadpanned at the armored girl, who looked around, and seeing everyone—including Alex—looking at her like she was the odd one, scratched her head.

"Teehee~" She struck a cute pose, hoping to ease the atmosphere, and it actually did, because inside that hunk of armor, she was a fine girl with a destructively cute face.

..............................

The first two days were intense.

Silent. Focused. Glowing like a motivational poster made of sweat and mana.

Everyone sat cross-legged across the marble garden, soaking in the dense spiritual particles like overachieving sponges.

Trails of light spiraled around them, flickering with each breath as their bodies refined mana through the Soul Kiln Art.

Even Alex’s symbiote began humming ominously like a computer downloading a suspicious patch.

But of course...

That peace didn’t last.

..............................

Day 3, Morning.

Graye cracked open one eye and frowned.

Her body radiated heat. Her mana channels were glowing. Her armor was gently vibrating from the pressure of her internal power.

Or at least that’s what she thought.

She had improved more in the past few days, but that didn’t mean she was at a level where her armor would be trembling.

Her stomach, however, had questions.

Specifically, about wyvern wings.

"...I was promised spicy grilled meat," she muttered to herself, sitting up in the lotus position like a battle monk possessed by hunger.

She marched directly across the garden, dodging floating islands and people mid-cultivation like a starving missile.

She found Arietta humming softly near a celestial tree made of starlight.

"Goddess," Graye said, hands together, her voice unnaturally formal.

Arietta raised a brow.

Graye knelt.

"I invoke the sacred contract of grilled wyvern wings."

Arietta blinked.

"...You mean the one I casually mentioned in passing?"

"I heard ’limited edition.’ My soul remembered."

With a sigh that sounded like a prayer, Arietta snapped her fingers, and a floating golden platter appeared in front of Graye.

Wyvern wings. Glazed. Spicy. Piping hot.

Graye exploded with joy. Literally.

A shockwave of battle intent puffed outward like she’d broken through hunger itself.

The others flinched. Rufus fell out of meditation. Again.

..............................

Day 5, Afternoon.

Jessy cracked open one eye, feeling vaguely annoyed.

She’d taken a short break to stretch her legs and splash her face with some water from the celestial koi pond (don’t ask).

That’s when she saw it—

Alex. Lying flat on a floating marble platform.

Not cultivating.

Not evolving.

Just snoring.

His black symbiote had formed a blanket and pillow.

Jessy stared for a full ten seconds before whispering, "... really now?"

She walked up, leaned down, and whispered sweetly, "Hey, Alex."

He didn’t stir.

Then she said in her coldest, deadpan voice, "Your evolution is going to revert if you don’t wake up."

Alex sat bolt upright, eyes wide. "WHICH ONE?"

Jessy gave him a blank look.

"... you are so not ready for the power-up."

.............................

Day 6, Midnight.

Raven stirred.

He was halfway through another deep, soul-purifying meditative trance when a pair of soft lips pressed against his cheek.

"Wake up," Clara whispered, her breath brushing his ear.

Raven opened one eye and found Clara crouched next to him, smiling. "Kiss."

He stared at her for one full second, his lips parting to ask if this was why she woke him up from his cultivation, but he didn’t ask.

Because the moment his eyes fell on her lips, he started feeling a bit thirsty.

He smiled sleepily. "Of course."

He kissed her softly, brushing his fingers along her cheek.

"Now sleep well," she murmured, walking off with a wink.

He chuckled and closed his eyes—

Only to feel a shadow loom.

He opened his eyes again.

Selena stood there.

"Don’t think you’re done," she said, folding her arms, eyes glowing faintly with water and shadow. "I want mine, too."

Another kiss. Another smile.

"...Goodnight, shadow queen."

"Smooth," she said, grinning as she turned away.

Thirty seconds passed.

Then...

"Hey."

Raven didn’t even need to look. "Siris?"

She crouched beside him, flipping a dagger idly. "They woke me up."

She tilted her head. "Kiss?"

He smiled, sat up, and kissed her gently on the forehead.

She blinked. "Forehead? That’s not what the other two—"

He cut her off with a proper kiss, one that made her ears glow bright red.

Omni’s voice drifted out from Raven’s back: "Yo, I’m just sayin’... when do I get a kiss, boss?"

"Go to sleep, Omni."

"Rude."

But just when Raven was back into meditation, thinking that he was done—

Ahem!

A soft cough made him snap open his eyes.

Standing before him was now Arietta.

’Of course,’ he muttered, grabbing her wrist and pulling her onto his lap.

Without even asking, he sealed her lips, only letting her go after a good, long minute.

She was a goddess—someone who could stop her breath for who knows how long—yet that one kiss left her breathless, her cheeks flushed.

"Happy?" Raven asked, and the goddess nodded dumbly.

Raven smiled, staring at the starry sky, still marveling at how she had turned one room into something this big.

Then he looked around, only to see others cultivating diligently.

’I wonder what they would be after this training session is over.’

"Don’t wonder, man," Omni said, calm but hyped under the surface. "You’ll know once it’s done—and I’m tellin’ you, this upgrade ain’t gonna be some baby step. It’s gonna hit different."

’That’s for sure,’ Raven replied.

The progress of everyone would be astonishing, but that wasn’t all, as Raven had some other things he had to do.

He still hadn’t given Selena, Siris, Lia, and now Graye anything new.

But that didn’t mean he didn’t remember his promise.

He was going to get something for them, and the one who would help him find it would be—

"Arietta," he called out to his sugar mommy, who wasn’t rich right now, but her divine connections were still there.

He was going to use them.