The Way to The Soul-Strengthening Realm (4)

After Princess Seraphina left, and thanks to her healing magic cast on him, Elion woke up soon, in about an hour.

"Ugh." He groaned as he slowly regained consciousness.

His gaze drifted to the ground around him. Dried blood stained the soil.

His body was aching all over, but the pain was manageable. He has felt worse.

'I remember my muscles were torn and my mana core was cracked during the training… How am I healed?'

[It seems you charmed the vampire Princess, not bad, kid. So young and already a playboy. She came here and healed you.]

'Uh?" Elion was surprised. 'How could I? Maybe she was just passing, saw me all hurt, and decided to help a fellow student.'

[I wonder about that… ]

Valen chose to stay silent about the fact that the Princess had eagerly licked Elion's blood, her face flushing with pleasure while doing it. 

He figured it was better not to tarnish the image of royalty in Elion's mind. 

Some things were best left unsaid.

'Anyway, I should get going, maybe Valeria is already home. I don't want to make her worry about me.'

Elion lifted his aching body and went home, each step felt heavier than the last.

'I hope this breakthrough won't take long, feeling like this every day doesn't sound pleasant.'

[So, what exactly is this training that you are doing? You are already at the peak of the third Realm, killing yourself like that doesn't seem useful.]

Elion told Valen about what happened to him at the trial, and how he thought he got stronger after waking up.

[Hmm… Interesting, I've never heard about anyone going past their limits and getting stronger like that, maybe you are a unique case]

Elion nodded. 'I feel like if I continue, I can soon break into the Soul-Strengthening Realm.'

[That is good, but you should pay a healer to heal you after your training is done. Your body was so broken, that if the Princess hadn't healed you, you would probably stay here overnight.]

'You are right. I do have money for a healer, but should I tell them that I'll train till killing myself, and they should heal me afterward?'

[Does it matter? As long as you pay them, I doubt anybody would care.]

'Haha, no matter where we are, money always moves the world. I'll look for one outside the academy tomorrow.'

—

The following day after class, Elion was planning to go outside the academy and look for a healer.

'My body feels a lot better already, it's indeed essential to have a healer, this way I can train every day.'

As Elion approached the academy's gate, he noticed Princess Seraphina standing nearby, as if waiting for something—or someone. 

When their eyes met, she smiled warmly at him.

Elion went to greet the Princess, since she healed him yesterday, the least he could do was thank her.

"Hello, Princess," said Elion as he did a small salute. He was already used to handling nobles because of his time in Varzinhein.

"Hello, Elion." She smiled, revealing her long, sharp canines—a smile both captivating and beautiful.

'Maybe vampires have natural seductive powers? This Princess is just too beautiful, and I've never seen an ugly vampire,' thought Elion.

"Princess, thank you for healing me yesterday, I strained myself too much without thinking about the consequences and passed out. Luckily you were there and helped me out, or I would have slept in the woods."

Seraphina's smile froze, her cheeks got red in embarrassment remembering what happened yesterday,

"H-How did you know that it was me who healed you?" Asked Seraphina, clearly nervous about the situation.

'Did he see me licking his blood? Oh my vampire god, I want to bury myself,' thought Seraphina, her cheeks getting redder by the second.

'Oh, I can't tell her that I have a vampire soul residing in my body and he told me, right?' Thought Elion.

"Before passing out I saw you, Since there were only us there, I deduced that only the Princess could have healed me. I'm sorry for troubling you."

Seraphina felt an immense relief hearing his words. 'Ah, he only saw me there, thank the vampire god. He doesn't know about my shameful behavior of licking his blood yesterday.'

"I see," nodded Seraphina. "You shouldn't train like that, I can see that you are already at the peak of Third Realm. Shouldn't you select a path and breakthrough?"

Elion gave a wry smile at her words.

"I have a special situation that I can't explain, but that train can help me on my breakthrough. I learned about this during God's Temple trial."

"I see, if it was the reward you received there, then there is no doubt that's very useful," nodded Serapinha. "But that kind of training is very stressful for your body, you should have a healer by your side to heal you after finishing it."

Elion agreed with her words, this was indeed the same thing that Valen told him.

"Yes, I noticed that after yesterday, I'm sorry for troubling you, Princess. Today I'll employ a healer in the city to work for me during the training."

'He'll pay a healer? No way! How am I going to get his delicious blood like that?' She narrowed her eyes at Elion's words.

"No need for the trouble, I'm free. You can count on me to help heal you after your training."

"Uh?!" Elion was baffled, how could he possibly use the Princess like that?

"I-I can pay a healer, no need for the trouble, Princess."

"Oh, are you denying my help? Do you think I'm not up to your standards?" Said Seraphina as she put her hands on her hips and got closer to Elion.

"Ugh, I don't mean like that, it's just that…" Before Elion could finish, he was interrupted.

"It's decided then! Every day after class I'll be waiting for you at the same place, let's go!"

Seraphina got Elion's hand and pulled him to the same location he had fainted yesterday.

After getting there, she noticed how shameless her actions were, not fitting her position at all.

She got too excited. 'Ugh, that blood, it's a drug. How can such a thing exist?'

"All right, you can go ahead with your training, I shall stay here practicing as well, after you finish I'll heal you."

Elion was really baffled by the situation. 'Why does the Princess want to help me so much? Does she feel responsible for having recommended me to the academy?'

"Would it be better for you to train using the academy's facilities? I heard they are very good."

"No need, I have access to things similar since I was born, it doesn't matter whether I use those in Eldoria or not."

'Rich people are indeed different.'

Seeing that she wasn't going to listen to him, he decided to just practice and forget about it.

'Anyway, the healer problem is resolved for now.'

"All right, then I'll be in your care, thanks." He saluted once again and proceeded to repeat yesterday's actions.

After an hour Elion once again fainted.

This time Seraphina was faster in helping. 

She managed to save more blood than the previous day, preventing over half of it from going to waste.

'Ah, such delicious blood,' she thought, savoring the lingering taste. 'What a shame that so much of it went to waste yesterday… more than half spilled onto the ground.'

Valen saw this scene and couldn't help but laugh internally.

[I wonder what the boy's reaction will be when he realizes the Princess has fallen in love with his blood.] 

Valen mused. 

[It seems she has no intention of letting him go anytime soon.]