Chapter 88. Almost Reflexive
Vulcanus, Naiyel and Kim Do-Joon had arrived at the fortress. After laying Naiyel down to the side, Vulcanus sat down across from Kim Do-Joon. Despite being a dragon, Vulcanus maintained a human form as they spoke.
"You’re making quite the racket on someone else’s turf," Vulcanus remarked with a gruff voice.
"She started it," Kim Do-Joon replied calmly, looking at Naiyel.
"Hmph," Vulcanus grunted.
Despite Vulcanus’ curt tone, it was clear he wasn’t blaming Kim Do-Joon. After all, like he said, Naiyel initiated the conflict, so he had no reason to feel guilty.
"You have quite the unusual ability," Vulcanus said, narrowing his eyes.
He was referring to the power to dampen affinity, which was a rare skill indeed. Just like Naiyel and Nereid, Vulcanus couldn’t help but find it intriguing. However, unlike Naiyel, who had immediately sought to recruit Kim Do-Joon, or Nereid, who had watched with fascinated interest, Vulcanus didn’t seem particularly drawn to the ability itself. Instead, he was more interested in the result.
"Is this your doing?" Vulcanus asked, pointing at Naiyel.
Kim Do-Joon nodded without hesitation. His expression was calm, as if he had nothing to hide. Then, Vulcanus let out a low groan at the response. Despite having lived for centuries, he’d seen one’s natural affinity getting so drastically reduced. Moreover, it wasn’t a minor decrease, Naiyel’s affinity had plummeted to a terrifying degree. To put it bluntly, Naiyel’s vessel was shattered beyond repair.
"What exactly happened?" Vulcanus asked, trying to make sense of it.
"It’s just as you see. I lowered her affinity, causing the Water Spirit King to break their contract. I assume the shock of that caused her to pass out," Kim Do-Joon explained only the facts.