RISE OF EROS

Due to the new door Andrew had opened with his comment, the previous plans of the elderly Lugia and Vaelyra were now in doubt, as Galicia was closer to this place than the Demon Kingdom.

Everyone fell silent as if contemplating what they should do. Andrew didn't participate, as it wasn't something he could intervene in at the moment due to his weakness.

Although the responsibility of dealing with the fallen god was essentially his, neither the elderly Lugia nor Vaelyra knew this, and Zaros said nothing. He was aware that sending Andrew to investigate would be foolish.

It was true that both he and Elidyr had placed their hopes in Andrew, but that was for the future, in case the worst-case scenario occurred—not now when he is still weak.

Nevertheless, the possibility proposed by Andrew was valid and worth investigating. Unfortunately, the dragonesses couldn't communicate with their dragon companions to ask them to investigate, and undertaking a journey themselves for a chance smaller than that of the Demon Kingdom didn't warrant changing plans.

Before they could say anything, Zaros said, "I think you should stay your course. The chance that the remnants of the fallen god are in the Demon Kingdom is higher."

"That's true, but young Andrew's words should not be underestimated," the elderly Lugia said, and Zaros, nodding, replied, "That's also true, but it's better to divide our efforts."

Zaros paused and added, "Moving from this place is complicated for me, but I can inform Elidyr. The liquid spirits have more manpower available, let him send some of his own to investigate."

The dragons felt that guarding the remnants of the fallen god was their responsibility, as they had been entrusted with it by the gods more than a millennium ago, but they were not so arrogant as to reject help.

Even so, there was some concern. One of their own had fallen prey to the greed and temptation of the fallen god. What would stop the same thing from happening to the people Elidyr sent?

"Be honest, are they trustworthy?" the elderly Lugia asked seriously, and Zaros replied, "I understand your concern. One of the dragons fell into temptation, but that was a dragon who hadn't lived through the war a millennium ago. Elidyr will not send a youngster on a mission like this."

Zaros' words were true. There was no survivor of that war who would want to see that scenario again, so there was some security in his statement. Even so, the elderly Lugia said, "Can you call Elidyr to discuss this?"

After that, they began discussing their next moves. Andrew and his companions became mere spectators, as they didn't have the strength to get involved.

Even Vaelyra remained silent throughout the meeting, as while she accompanied the elderly Lugia on this mission, her role wasn't to deal with the fallen god's remnants but to see the world.

The dragons had lived in isolation for too long, and after the traitor appeared, they began sending their young out into the world, believing that isolation was one of the reasons behind the betrayal of the dragon who now sought to revive the fallen god.

After discussing for a while, everything seemed settled, and noticing this, Andrew spoke again, wanting to know something important, "Elder Lugia, I apologize if this is disrespectful, but may I know the name of the traitor from your race?"

Zaros also wanted to know this, as it was their enemy, and he had intended to ask the elderly Lugia once the discussion was over, but Andrew beat him to it. The elderly Lugia sighed and said heavily, "Carcom."

"I'm sorry to reopen wounds, Lugia, but could you tell us more about him?" This time it was Zaros who asked. His question carried an apologetic tone, as he understood that for the dragons, whom the gods had entrusted with the protection of several remnants of the fallen god, having a traitor was a source of shame and not something they liked to mention.

Even so, they needed to know their enemy. The elderly Lugia, although reluctant, told them everything she knew, understanding that this was a challenge the dragons couldn't face alone.

It isn't that they don't have people stronger than Carcom and they want to clean their own mess, but what is at stake is greater than their pride. It turned out that Carcom was just like any other dragon in their territory.

However, he matured much faster than everyone else. His strength grew exponentially from a young age, and he was called a "Genius," cared for by all, and even seen as the pillar of the younger generation.

Unfortunately, as the centuries passed, new talents were born, and the one once called a "Genius" began to pale in comparison to these young dragons.

In fact, Vaelyra, present here, was one of the three among the dragon race who were praised for surpassing Carcom's talent. No one expected Carcom to become jealous of these three new geniuses.

Even though he was more powerful than them, the reality was that it was only a matter of time before they surpassed him, and that blinded him. Unfortunately, he hid his dissatisfaction well, and no one noticed his thirst for power.

It was this irrational desire to be recognized as the best that led him to corruption. He began using the power of the fallen god from one of the remnants they were guarding to enhance his strength.

At first, everyone thought Carcom was having a second awakening, and he even regained his prestige. The three young dragons, who were said to surpass him, idolized him, and his ego was satisfied.

Unfortunately, the power of the fallen god is corrupt, and although Carcom grew stronger without showing any apparent signs of change, he became increasingly dependent on this power.

It reached the point where he wanted to take the remnants for himself, and that's when the oldest and most powerful dragon noticed the changes and quickly intervened. He managed to prevent Carcom from taking the remnants but couldn't stop his escape.

The room fell silent once again. Everyone had a serious expression on their faces, and Vaelyra even showed sadness. She had especially bonded with Carcom, so his betrayal hit her hard.

Even now, she didn't fully accept this reality. For this reason, both she and the other two dragon geniuses were paired with powerful ancient demigods to explore the world and not fall into corruption like Carcom.

Sensing the heavy atmosphere in the room, Andrew decided his presence was no longer necessary, and standing up, he said, "Thank you for the information. I don't think I'm needed anymore, so I'll take my leave."

However, before he could leave, the elderly Lugia stopped him and asked, "Young Andrew, I apologize for the disrespectful behavior earlier. The pressure on us is great and sometimes clouds our judgment." Experience more tales on My Virtual Library Empire

Andrew assessed her with his Eyes of Eros and saw that her aura was sincere, so he didn't pursue the matter. Instead, he replied, "I understand, no need to worry, I hold no grudge."

After a pause, he looked at Zaros and said, "If you trust her, I don't mind if you tell her," and without saying anything else, he left, accompanied by his wives and Oliver.

Once he had left, the elderly Lugia looked at Zaros, as if asking what Andrew had meant with those words, and Zaros, smiling, replied, "That boy is a candidate for godhood."

As soon as those words were spoken, both the elderly Lugia and Vaelyra's mouths and eyes opened in surprise. Zaros enjoyed their reactions but didn't tease for long and began to explain everything he knew.

Zaros hid nothing from her, knowing that the elderly Lugia was trustworthy. He explained that Andrew was a candidate for the god Eros, who had unlocked his third divine seal, and how Elidyr planned to give him the remnants of a deceased god when he unlocked the fifth seal.

Elidyr and Zaros had special eyes, which allowed them to easily see through Andrew, but the elderly Lugia, though as powerful as them, didn't have such abilities, so she hadn't suspected Andrew until now.

"I see. Although his domain isn't one of combat, he's still a candidate for godhood, which is good for us," said the elderly Lugia, pleased, but she quickly regained her seriousness and asked, "Still, it's dangerous for his identity to be exposed. Who knows about this?"

"As far as I understand, Elidyr, probably his close ones, obviously Andrew's wives and guardians, apparently the Elder Amazons of the Black Forest, the Guardian of Star City, and us", Zaros answered.

"That's not a small number, but they all seem trustworthy in their own way," the elderly Lugia reflected. "Yes, his wives and guards are beyond doubt, as their lives are tied to his, so they won't say anything. As for the others, they're war survivors, so I doubt they'll speak," Zaros added.

"Let's hope that's true. That young man is a valuable hidden card. Don't you think we should protect him?" the elderly Lugia asked, and Zaros, smiling, replied, "Why do you think I knew right away when Vaelyra approached him? As long as he's in my territory, no one will lay a finger on him."

"That's good, but what happens when he leaves?" the elderly Lugia continued to ask, and Zaros, still calm, replied, "That boy isn't entirely defenseless. Besides, garden flowers don't survive in the wild, we can't overprotect him."