Chapter 621: Yes, This is Another Family Therapy Session.

I remembered when I was still on Altrust, where I could either act as the raid-style giant boss monster, or I was fighting another raid-style giant boss monster as the second raid-style giant boss monster. The battle in Griffonpeak against the geisenlarg king came to mind, or the raid on the rachonoid queen in Cedaraille. Even that random encounter with that grimgarian battalion would count, since the ogre towered over a normal human.

Reminiscing about those days made me feel old, but good memories were hard to find, right? Especially now that I didn’t even count as a raid-style giant boss monster any longer. I was the small protagonist trying to fend off that raid-style giant monster with a height difference comparable to a single ant trying to kill a human.

It was the same when the leviathans attacked, or, to be more accurate, taunted Frozen Nest to distract us from their poisoning our fish farms and coral reefs. Nong was right to question my participation in the upcoming war.

“Can the weak survive a war?” Naturally, the answer to this question was a “maybe.” Luck, after all, was a factor in everything, and people weaker than the power level of a battlefield could survive by being lucky. Though I was sure the question was actually asking me directly whether I was worthy of fighting in the Kargryx-leviathan war.

Naturally, no.

“Kriaaaaaaaaah!” Nong released an ear-piercing screech as he flew over to Kahalameet. With both of my brothers in their dragon forms, the sky became a standoff between those two giants.

The dungeon goers who usually stand around the entrance had also made space for our imperial fighting, with many just eyeing what was going on as if this was a show. If they had popcorn, they would be eating it, but instead, they were making do with meat skewers and other food.

The same applied to my own family as well, as all my siblings had arrived at the Dungeon of Infinite Feasts and were groaning with scowls as they watched everything unfold in their dragonewt forms. Wendriosa, especially, looked a bit paler than usual as she held a hand in front of her left eye, as if she was unable to look at everything that was happening in front of her. Stress was probably just one of many emotions she was feeling.

“Lady Hestia, good morning.” As I was gazing at the sky in bafflement, I turned to the side as I heard Tasianna. Aside from Vifi, Grimnir, and the twins, Uriahn was standing to the side with a complicated smile. “I hope you had a good breakfast. We spent yesterday at our hunting camp, and we were supposed to buy groceries for dinner with your father, His Majesty. Unfortunately, it seemed the time your brother mentioned might have arrived earlier than expected.”

“But why?” I asked, prompting Tasianna to sigh. However, before she could say anything, Nong once again let out an ear-piercing scream.

“Krauuuu!” Kahalameet responded with a low growl, posturing to fight him as his serpentine-like body slithered around in the sky, using the clouds like a platform. Black flames burst from his mouth, gathering around his back like an ink cloud.

Meanwhile, Nong’s feathers started to burn black, looking a little bit like a black phoenix so high in the sky. Seeing those two like this, most onlookers would think they would fight any moment now, but to a Kargryxmor, this felt like—

“Posturing,” I mumbled as I couldn’t see their scales light up. If those two wanted to actually fight, they would use [Battle Frenzy]. “What are those—”

“Kriiiiiaah!”

However, with a sonic boom, Nong disappeared from my vision as he suddenly slammed his talons onto Kahalameet’s back, sending him off his cloud for a moment before unleashing a roar that shook the air and ground! My companions and I all jerked back as the sonic attack struck all of us, rattling my brain, organs, and even muscles as I could feel his scream tearing through my body.

The same applied to everybody who watched, even causing some of the dragonewts and weaker dragons to fall unconscious. I almost wanted to do the same with how much my brain was smashing against my skull, causing a headache that stunned me long enough that I couldn’t do anything if Nong had wanted to attack me now.

Fortunately for me, just as that sound attack happened, it quickly ended when a giant [Air Shield] appeared above the dungeon area, protecting everything underneath it, including the many popcorn-eaters. I snapped my head up, seeing Tasianna biting down on her lips as she held her arm up with her catalyst in hand.

She quivered in pain, but managed to cast [Air Shield] before blood started coming out of my eyes and ears. Struggling to stand from how much my bones were rattling, I noticed that most of my party had experienced the same. Even Neill, Ryra, and even Taim, closer to my siblings, had felt the same thing, but, surprisingly, or maybe not, Wendriosa and Phso were standing up as if nothing had happened.

And just like them, some of the dragonkin watching all of this had also protected themselves with a barrier of scales just in time. And one of those was none other than Father, who stood alone below my two fighting brothers, staring up with his arms crossed. He didn’t make a move, simply watching the two in the sky duking it out.

And those two did exactly that as Kahalameet’s body burst into flames, snapping and striking like a snake as Nong had to distance himself to dodge the former’s sprays of black flames. Even a breath clash wouldn’t work, as our eldest’s flames burned hotter than Nong’s, searing some of his emerald feathers and scales when he failed to dodge. Charcoaled remains crashed on the ground like little meteorites due to Nong’s size.

Spells did not fly between them; instead, both focused on manipulating their mother-side elemental alignment, causing wind and water to crash against each other like two bombs exploding. I could feel Kahalameet’s water blasts and bursting cloud bubbles even from down here, and those two were now flying up and down the cloud line. Meanwhile, Nong’s wind pressure and supersonic speed made Tasianna nervous, as if every time that guy flew, her barrier was damaged by it.

“Haha, at least they’re letting their anger out instead of holding it back.” I could hear Phso say, scratching the back of his neck with an uneasy smile. Wendriosa, though, was shaking her head, looking frustrated and furious, to the point I would be surprised if she—

“QUIET!” she shouted as mana mist expelled from her body, causing a powerful, turbulent storm as she flew up, bursting through Tasianna’s [Air Shield] as she released a water breath, stopping Kahalameet and Nong from clashing their claws.

Some scales on both brothers were torn off, forcing them to take notice of our eldest sister as she rose into the sky like a shark striking at its prey. Her brilliant blue-black scales glimmered as a black inferno burst from her mouth, creating a wall between the two as she pierced through her own flames with her head. She rose above them, growling deeply before unleashing a loud cry that silenced both of them.

“DOWN!” I heard my ears ringing. The tinnitus was already making me nauseous.

As Wendriosa said that, my two brothers stared at her, with Kahalameet looking like he was backing off, though that only ticked Nong off even further. He screeched, creating a tornado around him before he flew right through the lingering embers of the flame wall, only for Kahalameet and Wendriosa to time a tail slam just where Nong flew with a whip-like sound.

Their [Foresight] beat his, leaving my fourth brother to take two water-covered tail slams at once. Even though Wendriosa wasn’t as humongous as our eldest, her tail slam still smacked right on the head, probably causing a lot of damage even if he managed to reinforce himself with his scale barrier. Regardless, our black phoenix landed on the ground like a failing airplane, gouging out the earth in a serious crash landing.

Yet, taking the damage like a tank, Nong immediately, after his momentum was killed, rose with a loud screech and his wings flapping around, reforming his blazing coat. At the same time, the flames surrounding Wendriosa’s and Kahalameet’s tails hadn’t died out yet, covering the water mantle with Nong’s black flames due to his feathers boring into their scale barriers.

Stomping forward, Nong screamed again, though this time, underneath his blazing black veil, I saw his feathers and scales start to turn neon green. He was entering [Battle Frenzy].

“Enough!” Father’s voice bellowed like thunder, echoing through the battlefield. As he slammed his long tail on the ground, Nong froze with a low growl before dispelling his flame coat, revealing that the light had dimmed on his emerald feathers. “Enter the dungeon. Hestia, come first. Everybody else, ready yourself to enter per your age.”

Father swiftly turned around and slowly walked to the entrance, to the total silence of everything. His mere presence was enough to command every single dragonkin here to lower their tails to his orders. Age, strength, or his own children do not matter before the supreme authority of the Empire of Kargryx.

With my friends, I followed behind him, although Uriahn had decided to stay behind. “I’m the only holy dragon around, so I’ll take care of your siblings’ wounds,” he said, smiling cheerfully as he distanced himself from Father. Those two will never get along, it seemed.

As we entered the dungeon entrance and dropped into the hole towards the lowest floor, Father sent me a telepathic message.

[“Could you keep up with Nongramos’s movements?”]

[“No. I would have to rely on [Foresight] or [Danger Perception] for that,”] I replied.

[“Yours are high-level, so you should be able to react if you are lucky in defeating his sensory skills, but if your eyes cannot match his speed, then your Agility is not fast enough. If you must fight somebody that fast, you can only predict. Never react,”] he advised, probably speaking about everybody who was too fast, for example, Quasdrakeen. She had already broken my neck before I could even eke out a pained yelp.

[“How do I predict,when I am caught off-guard.?If I can see my opponent, I can predict, but before then, I have to react, no?”]

[“That is what an ambush does. You can’t change that, unless you can sense your opponent beforehand, but that isn’t what my advice is supposed to address. Having your guard down is normal. Knowing how to rely on your skills to protect yourself from those attacks is another matter. Being constantly on edge is an easy way to overstimulate your senses, which Wendriosa showed signs of at the end.”]

[“Then how do I avoid these situations, or better yet, come on top of it?”]

[“That would be difficult with your particular skill set. You have no unique skills related to sensory skills. That is your main disadvantage. A unique skill made from a skill or a fusion of it will usually be more efficient, but I believe you should be aware of that. Your identity as one of the best supportive dragonkin is no mere praise. You fight for that position and title with the entirety of Sacred Nest and maybe also Marsh Nest, due to [Idol]’s incredible flexibility and blessing from Aurena,”] he explained. [“When two similarly leveled [Foresight] clash, it will become a matter of skill, timing, and luck. You cannot ‘come on top’ of that unless you always keep your guard up. For your particular skill set, I would just recommend having somebody around who can react to attacks like this. Demonkin, Vifi, you were supposed to act as such.”]

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[“… I’ve no excuses,”] Vifi replied, sounding actually guilty. I hadn’t blamed her for what happened, but was she feeling bad for it?

[“I don’t believe you have one yourself, but you have the same type of skill set as Nongramos in this particular circumstance: you are fast. Your mana magnetism requires a windup for the initial acceleration, but you can react to Nongramos. You might not be faster, but you only need to react faster than the people who wish to attack Hestia, and she can continue with her variety of buffing spell songs,”] Father said. [“I suggest you throw away those normal boots. That manatech prosthetics of yours is what I actually like. Master Dwarf, I had heard of this from my wife. You made it?”]

“AYE, EMPEROR ELTHARION!” Grimnir had to shout since he could use [Telepathy] since he was a dwarf.

[“Good, then produce some proper shoes or legwear for her. Not mere protective equipment that increases her agility, but something that will supplement her speed even further. Make her lightning work, despite the unstable magnetism.”]

Hearing this, Vifi and Grimnir gave each other a look, making me think both of them had spoken about it, but the idea never got any traction. After all, I knew the latter well enough to understand he would be jumping up and down if he had heard any new interesting ideas… although maybe not while we were falling into a deep hole.

In any case, we safely landed, with Grimnir landing like a superhero in his dreadnoughtus armor. Father ordered my retainers to get some refreshments and treats ready for my siblings, mostly as an excuse so he could continue talking to me.

“Let us say you manage to avoid defeat in the first few moments of a battle, and let us say you manage to activate all your buffs in time, what will you do next?” Father asked.

“Hmm, trying to catch somebody like Nong would be wrong, right?” I asked as Father nodded, prompting me to retreat to my past fighting experiences, specifically, when I fought and sparred against Vifi and Neill, as they were the only other speedsters I knew well.

Naturally, I had my own method of acceleration with my rocket boosters, so I knew how a speedster would use their agility to fight. Entering and leaving an opponent’s attack range was easier with high agility, but a fighting style like that required an offense that could complement that speed, and some spells just weren’t the best. Though that didn’t mean it wasn’t possible, since keeping distance and shooting spells at my approaching enemies was viable. Like a car chase with somebody shooting a gun at the cars in hot pursuit.

Though if we looked at physics and using it to fight somebody, using velocity and force together equalled a mightier strike, as Newton’s Second Law of Motion explained. Dragoon spearmanship relied on this fact to produce thrusts strong enough to pierce through draconic scales. As such, melee combat synergized well with somebody who relied on high agility.

And this logic applied to how Vifi and Neill liked to fight, relying on their various movement abilities and skills ot maneuver around an opponent before unleashing a powerful strike. Neill had her dragon veins to ignore defenses completely, while Vifi’s voltaic red techniques allowed her to adapt to various situations, which also included a defensive bunker-busting move.

“However, at the same time, standing around was just as counterproductive. Being fast alone doesn’t do anything if you do not possess the firepower,” I added to my statement.

Father nodded. “Correct. If we’re speaking at a lower power level, for example, at around rank D and C, speed with some power would be enough to kill somebody, since you can target one of their vulnerable areas for a critical strike. However, at our level, our health would make such moves just a momentary inconvenience. You survived having your neck obliterated. That is a testament to your health.”

I groaned, feeling like the phantom pain was returning.

“Yes, no sane combatant would only focus on one type of stat or fighting style. Instead, you must combine all your skills to maintain control over the battle momentum. Agility and high strength or intelligence will lead to a lethal strike. You saw how Nongramos fought Kahalameet, using his agility, [Aerokinesis], and explosive feathers, correct? Nongramos is not close to the max level for a rank A, but he could still damage a rank S, even if the rank S is a newly evolved one. Utilize your strength well. Even a small spider may snuff the life of a human if they land one lucky venomous strike.”

“… Ah, my Terri—”

“Your Territory, no?”

As I was about to answer his question, the words I wanted to say came flying from above me. I looked up, seeing Kahalameet had made it down to the bottom floor, landing before me while tapping on my shoulder gently.

With a smile, he continued, “I heard you speaking about me, Father. From context, I presume you were talking about my fight with Nongramos. Not quite polite.”

“[Battle Frenzy] isn’t the only thing we talk about during this training session. To watch others fight and to analyze it can grant one great enlightenment,” Father responded, slightly nonchalant.

“I would agree, Father. Please, do not take it as a slight. I am merely embarrassed that our youngest had to witness such a sight.” He then turned to me, still smiling. “A speedster’s greatest weakness is the moment they hit you. A force that strikes you can be rebounded, redirecting most of the momentum back to the attacker. The answer isn’t to remain passive, but to await a chance for a counter. Take control over the battle by disrupting the enemy’s rhythm and confidence. That is how one defeats a speedster with a blade that can rip through scales.”

You heard a bit more than just the tail end of that conversation, Bro, I thought, believing he could have joined us earlier, but decided to hover above us to eavesdrop. Kahalameet called Father rude, but he wasn’t very polite himself, heh?

Still, Kahalameet’s answer made sense, seeing how Wendriosa and Kahalameet smacked Nong to the ground. Furthermore, a Territory expanded from oneself as the center, so Kahalameet agreed with me that a perfectly timed Territory could just overwhelm the speedster before they could release their own.

[Dreadflare Aura] or a Territory could have maybe warded off Quasdrakeen’s attack if I had been fast enough, but as Father said, trying to stay on guard against an ambush every second would make me paranoid. Having Vifi or Saori… use their reaction speed would be better, though that would put the burden on those two. The stat difference is such a difficult bridge to gap.

“If you were also planning on speaking on how to defeat a serpentine dragon, like me, then the answer is a bit harder. Though if I have to say… poison.” Kahalameet waved his hand as he turned towards the open [Room] portal. However, before he could get anywhere, I rushed in front of him.

“What happened up there?” I asked, bluntly, as I couldn’t wait any longer.

Hearing this, he shook his head and tried to walk past me, but I stepped in front of him again. “Hestia…”

“Must it wait? What happened? Tasianna gave me the gist of it, but that still doesn’t explain how it led to a fight where Wendriosa had to intervene out of frustration and where Nong almost used [Battle Frenzy].”

Kahalameet’s brows furrowed, though his mouth stayed shut. He shook his head again and laid a hand on my shoulder as he moved around me. Entering the subspace, I let out a sigh, feeling that any progress in helping this family come together was fading before my eyes. What about Kahalameet and Wendriosa getting along and agreeing on a new succession process to prevent conflict between them? What about Taim creating a plan to approach the war?

Come on, I wasn’t around for over a month, and my family just had to find a new problem to deal with? Okay, maybe that was being too arrogant. Maybe… there was an actual problem here.

Regardless, the others quickly arrived, giving Father a minimum greeting out of respect. Phso and Wendriosa both gave me a fat hug when I offered it to them, causing the former to burst into laughter as he expected me to have gone crazy from all the [Battle Frenzy] training by now. Wendriosa, on the other hand, was just glad I was healthy.

“… No hug for me?” Taim asked when he came after Wendriosa, leaving me embarrassed as I had forgotten that I hadn’t hugged him yet.

“Uh, sorry, wasn’t personal. I just thought you were a big fan of personal space,” I said before giving him a small embrace.

“Oh, I am. It would just feel awkward if I’m the only other sibling who gets hugged by you.”

“Huh?” I raised an eyebrow as Taim chuckled slightly in confusion, only for Father to suddenly sigh as if he already knew what was going to happen. Feeling like an omen was coming, I looked up when I noticed a new signal on [Detection Sensor], seeing Nong descend gracefully.

He walked up to Father and bowed before moving towards the subspace, showing none of his usual flamboyant peacock behavior. In fact, instead of a wide smile, Nong’s eyes were sharp with focus, telling me he wouldn’t stop his march forward for anything trivial. Seeing him like this, I wanted to step forward to ask him what was wrong, but I held myself back, remembering how we last left off.

“H-hey, Bro,” I forced myself to eke out.

“Hey, Scamp. I’ll be entering your subspace, so give me permission, please?” he asked somberly, although it sounded more like an order. “And, sorry about last time.”

… Well, you didn’t have to chuckle when you knew this would happen, Taim. Come on.

My meeting with Ryra and Neill was far more explosive, as those two arrived just moments apart from each other, with Neill gathering Ryra and me in a hug before they could even say anything to Father. She then released us and wrapped her arms around our shoulders, pulling our heads closer in a whisper, as if we were conspiring a super evil world-dominating plan.

“Fargryneill, your—” Ryra wanted to complain, but Neill shushed him.

“Give me a moment, Bro. Sis, you probably saw it, but Nongramos is not in the mood for any jokes, so keep it serious. Ryranakus, I know it’s been stressful for you, but Brother Phsothophus already said to show some spine in today’s meeting, all right? I know you want to take your brother’s side, but help your younger sisters in this, okay?”

Ryra stared uneasily before turning to me. “How confused are you, Hestia?”

“I feel my mind fog up, so I guess very. You?”

“… You’ll learn it when we start the meeting, but Nong is turning a bit radical. Brother Phsothophus is also a bit on edge as our nest’s dragon ruler demanded from Mother and him to pursue the crown. We’re… No, more like—”

“Your mouth is so flappy today!” Neill pressed her hand against his mouth, silencing him before pulling him away for her to look at me. “Here’s the deal, Taimatrak and I already explained to Ryra how the four of us will handle this. Follow Taim’s lead. I need you to be a bit more assertive today with your influence over Frozen and Sacred Nest, okay? Like, actually act as those two nests’ princess. Okay?”

I cringed, feeling annoyed at how I was learning this just now. “… Will I get a telepathic message for this?”

“Maybe? Don’t know. Taimatrak probably just figured out the plan on the spot because I don’t think he expected everybody to arrive today, just after you met with the Abyssal Warden. Oh, right, you got good news on that front?”

I nodded. “Plesia confirmed she will be pleasantly surprised if we manage to kill both. She gave me her word that she will protect me if we manage it.”

“How about the Warden?” she asked with a smile, looking like that was exactly what she wanted to hear.

“She will only give support for one leviathan. The one we call—”

“Shit.” Neill suddenly let go of us to massage her temples. “What a damn coward. Bah, I’ll have to tell Taimatrak that. Man, if she had grown a spine, we could just refute everything Nongramos says, but—”

“Ahem.” Father suddenly coughed with a smile, causing Neill and Ryra to freeze up and greet him before he let out a small chuckle. “In.”

With one order, we rushed into the subspace, making me feel like a misbehaving child for some reason.

For the meeting today, I had decided to use the same meeting room where I usually have my Shakaie-Narn Alliance. Father also used it when he was talking to the members to officiate our alliance with them, with Kargryx as an official member, instead of only using my name as its figurehead. It was spacious and had enough chairs for multiple people, and with the circular table, it allowed everybody to look at each other.

Tasianna, Svena, Haati, and Lorena had filled the tables with snacks ranging from pastries, jerky, and fruits for everybody to enjoy, while one of my dragonewt maids was pouring tea for my siblings. Once Father entered the room with us, I sat down on the left side with Neill to my right, while the left was empty, probably since I was the youngest. Ryra was also on our side, while Wendriosa, Taim, and Nong were on the opposite side of us.

Father, as the patriarch, sat at the head of the circular table, signified by the empty spot opposite him. As the eldest, Kahalameet and Phso flanked him, with the latter sitting next to Ryra on Father’s left side.

Once the maids and my retainers left the room, Father poured his own tea with the teapot. All of us remained silent, reading the room, as the tea water gushed into his small teacup. He picked up the filled cup, smelling the aroma with a deep breath before trying it.

“I can taste it. Tasianna’s brew always has a succinct taste and aroma. I see she made a teapot for everybody. Hestia, please, grant her our thanks.”

“Yes, Father.” My etiquette training was active. I stood up and bowed slowly before sitting down.

Seeing this, he nodded before trying some of the Berliner, smiling widely. He did say he liked it, so why not serve some? With me spending this week with him, I had Priscilla and my dragonewt maids bake some for him every day. Gotta get to my Father through his stomach, right?

Once he was done, he cleaned his hands and mouth with the napkin. He inspected the room for a moment, glancing at each of us before he nodded.

“Nongramos, you may speak first.”

Nong stood up, bowing. “Thank you for your graciousness, Father. Then, let me not beat around our tails any longer. I have come here on Taimatrak’s invitation to present my case for a new path for the safety of the Empire: the subjugation of Lecullius as Kargryx’s vassal!”