The Monster King's Legacy - Chapter 121

Chapter 121: Illusions
“Why didn’t you kill them? At least killing one will set an example for the rest not to attack, right?” Lance said.

“Unless excessively aggressive, spirits are not to be killed. Have you stayed in the forests amongst the goblins your entire life? You appear to lack some common knowledge about things.” Aelyndra asked.

Not interested in telling anyone he was from another world, he just laughed it off, claiming that it was as she had said. He already had the ladies back home, whom he had divulged the secret to out of fear for his life when he first arrived. They did promise to keep it a secret when he asked them to, so to remain safe, there was no need to go around spreading the information.

Soon, the sun dipped below the horizon, and just as any desert, it transformed into something else entirely. The blistering heat of the day gave way to a biting cold that seemed to seep into Lance’s very bones. He shivered, pulling his cloak tightly around him as they settled beside a rock.

“I take it back,” Lance muttered through chattering teeth. “The heat wasn’t so bad after all.”

Aelyndra, curled up nearby, let out a soft rumble of amusement. “First, you complain about the heat, and now the cold? You should know, this is nothing compared to the next place we will be visiting.”

“What? It can get cooler? Also, not all of us have a built-in furnace,” Lance shot back, glaring at her half-heartedly.

The dragon tilted her head, her golden eyes glinting mischievously. “Perhaps I should let you freeze? Hahaha…”

Lance groaned, his teeth chattering. “That’s a bad joke.”

With a soft chuckle, Aelyndra extended one of her massive wings, draping it over Lance like a. The warmth from her body was immediate, chasing away the chill and making him relax a bit. “Perhaps, I have to practice more then.” She said, lowering her head, her eyes coming shut.

“Thanks,” he muttered, his voice still shaky.

“Don’t get used to it,” she replied, though her voice was softer than usual.

The following days brought more challenges. In the end, a massive sandstorm forced them to take to the skies. Though there wasn’t much to the desert past its extreme weather conditions, Aelyndra still had one place to take Lance to before they left.

They flew for a while, Aelyndra unusually staying close to the ground after evading the storm. Out of nowhere, the harsh desert landscape suddenly softened into a surreal beauty. Before them lay an oasis, its crystal-clear waters shimmering beneath a canopy of lush palms. Brightly colored flowers bloomed in the shade, their sweet fragrance drifting on the warm breeze.

Lance wiped the sweat from his brow and stared, his mouth slightly agape. “Is that… real?” He asked, surveying the entire scenery.

Aelyndra lowered her body into a resting position. “It looks real, but appearances can be deceiving.”

“There’s no way this isn’t a trap… Even children cartoons know that much…” He said to himself. Regardless, he moved closer, still keeping an observant eye on everything. AT this point, his throat was parched, and his legs felt like lead He had since ran out of water, which was when Aelyndra suggested bringing him there to the oasis.

Seeing as Lance was hesitant, Aelyndra assured him that she would keep constant watch in case anything was to happen. With that assurance, Lance could no longer hold back his thirst and went closer.

After drinking a gallon worth of water, Lance drank a bit more, then he took out his water patches and filled them with water. Once that was done, he cause his reflection in the water, realizing how sweaty he was, so he decided to wash his face a bit before they departed.

All the while, he had been looking around, waiting for something to happen, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Just when everything looked alright, the shimmering waters began to reflect not just the sky and his face, but something else, something impossible to look away from.

Lance froze briefly as the images began to take shape. He saw his the familiar faces he knew and loved, Rynne, Mira, Zarra, Kaeli, and Lia. They were gathered around him in the waters, and when he looked around, he found them to also be in reality, their smiles warm and inviting. Each of them reached for him, their voices soft and enticing as they called his name.

“Lance,” Rynne whispered, her arms wrapping around his shoulders.

“Come rest,” Mira said, her gentle hands brushing against his face, blocking some of his vision with her endowment upfront.

His vision blurred, and suddenly, Aelyndra appeared among them—not as a dragon, but as a strikingly beautiful human woman. Her golden eyes gleamed with warmth and desire, her features regal yet soft.

“Lance,” she said, her voice low and sultry, “you don’t need to resist. You deserve all of this… and more.”

It was as though he had lost the strength in his body. No matter how hard he tried to fight against the illusions, he could break free of it, or free of the alluring females surrounding him.

A few minutes in, and the females all turned into mist, disappearing as the familiar heat from the sun reached Lance once more. His entire body was sweating, his breath a bit labored.

“My God, that was some illusion. Aelyndra… you must have helped me, right?” Lance said, turning to face the dragon, but what awaited him was a ferocious beast staring at him as though he were prey. Immediately, he realized what was wrong, quickly pleading with Aelyndra to calm down.

“T-T-T-That wasn’t me, I swear!” Lance said, his expression showing the fear in his heart. What was he supposed to do? He didn’t control the illusions!

“A-Ehem… Y-Y-yes, of course, I know that much…” Aelyndra said, her energy relaxing as she calmed a bit. “I’m not blaming you, me being close must have influenced the illusion you saw… and…” She stopped, not saying more.

‘WHAT WERE THEY DOING?! WHAT WAS I DOING?!’ She screamed in her mind. If she hadn’t intervened, she would have seen more than her eyes could handle. Luckily, the main action had yet to start… even then, what she saw was still unbelievable… new discovery. ‘Isn’t that meant for breeding? Why did they have such expressions on their faces? This… this needs to be studied more.’ She thought to herself.

While Aelyndra was caught up in her thoughts, Lance couldn’t clear the image of Aelyndra in a human form… she looked rather, charming.

With no misunderstanding between the two, they left the desert promptly, speaking very little on the way, both sides doing well not to bring up what had happened at the oasis.