Hollow Crown: SSS-Ranked Godslayer’s Rise

With determination burning in her eyes, Lirael accepted the vial from Ethan's hand. The crystal glass felt strangely warm against her palm, as though alive. For a heartbeat she hesitated, watching the liquid swirl—silver and emerald flowing into deep ocean blue.

Then she raised it to her lips. Gulp. In one motion, she drank it all.

The taste was sharp and metallic, yet tinged with something floral, like biting into lightning wrapped in blossoms. It scorched down her throat, spreading like fire through her veins.

At first, nothing happened. Lirael exhaled shakily, clutching the empty vial.

But then—

Her chest tightened. A sharp sting, like a brand pressed against her heart, made her gasp. Her body trembled. Ethan immediately stepped closer, and without thinking she seized his hand, gripping it as if it were her lifeline.

"Lirael?" His voice was steady, but his other hand hovered over her shoulder, ready.

Her body went still, her gaze unfocused.

Ethan's eyes narrowed. He pressed two fingers against her neck. Pulse steady. He kept watch, refusing to let go.

---

Inside Lirael's mind.

She opened her eyes to endless blue.

She floated naked in an infinite expanse, an ocean without horizon. The water was cool but suffused with a faint glow, as though it was not water but pure essence itself. She tried to move, tried to speak, but her body refused.

Panic clawed at her chest. What is this place? Am I… drowning?

The silence was crushing, her heartbeat the only sound—until warmth flooded through her. A soft, familiar warmth that banished the creeping fear. And then, clear as breath, a name whispered in her mind:

Ethan.

Her heart steadied.

The ocean stirred. Waves rose, churning, shaping themselves. Out of the waters stepped a figure draped in radiant light—a woman tall and ethereal, hair cascading like woven moonlight, her presence both tender and overwhelming.

Lirael's breath caught. She didn't need words to know, it was as if words came automatically. The Mother Elf… The primordial spirit said to appear only in the oldest myths of her people.

But before awe could settle, the ocean behind her heaved once more. The skyless world darkened as a shadow moved through the water, vast beyond comprehension.

Then it emerged.

A dragon.

A colossal azure dragon, scales shimmering like carved sapphire, its wings stretching wider than continents. It rose above her, vast enough to drown the very ocean that made up this realm. And then—it looked at her.

Its gaze was not hostile. It was ancient, solemn. Her chest tightened as its sheer will bore down on her.

From the dragon's horn, a fragment of light detached—a wisp of pure blue, fluttering like a butterfly woven of flame. It drifted down, slow, deliberate. Lirael couldn't move, couldn't even breathe.

The wisp touched her chest. Her heart.

A shock of warmth exploded through her, flooding her entire being. Her blood roared in her veins, as though some slumbering inheritance had just been claimed.

The vision shattered.

---

Back in the inn room.

All the while, Lirael's body lay slack in Ethan's arms. He never once released her hand, his eyes sharp, watching the faint rise and fall of her chest.

Then her face twisted, her brows furrowing in pain. Her fingers dug deeper into his arm, clutching like she might break. He tightened his hold, whispering low against her ear:

"I've got you. Ride it through."

For a moment, her whole frame quivered—and then, just as suddenly, it stilled. Her features softened, her breathing eased.

Her grip loosened. And with a sigh, she drifted into unconsciousness, her head resting against Ethan's chest.

He brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, studying her sleeping form.

"…Looks like you made it through, my elf maid." His voice was quiet, but there was a faint smile tugging at his lips.

The room was still, save for the faint glow that lingered in her veins—like rivers of blue light beneath her skin.

Ethan exhaled slowly, then called up the system interface.

> [Status Window — Subject: Lirael Vaerune]

Designation: Servant

Age: 122

Race: Elf (Awakened) — Abyssal Oceania Sovereign High-Elf (Bloodline Dormant)

Awakening: Incomplete — Full potential will unlock after class acquisition

Title: None

Talent: Indomitable Tide (Shared)

Level: 9 — (85,977 / 78,235) (Overflow)

Attributes

STR — 18.5

VIT — 26.0

CON — 24.0

AGI — 25.5

STA — 24.0

INT — 30.0

MANA — 22.0

Unassigned Stat Points: 0 (20)

Ethan frowned at the glowing screen.

"Incomplete, huh? So she needs to finish her class assignment quest first… tch. This system really is cruel."

His eyes shifted back to the girl lying in his arms. Her breathing was steady now, her expression soft, almost serene. Even in sleep, faint traces of blue shimmered beneath her skin—like rivers of starlight flowing through her veins.

"…You'll get there," he murmured, brushing her hair back from her face.

A yawn tugged at him, looking at her sleeping peacefully he also seemed drowsy. He stretched once, then lowered himself beside her on the bed. Carefully, he drew her into his embrace, her warmth seeping into him as if it had always belonged there.

Within moments, her body relaxed fully against his chest. Ethan's own eyes grew heavy, and with one last glance at her peaceful face, he let sleep claim him too.

---

Lirael stirred first.

Her lashes fluttered open to the dim light filtering through the curtains. For a moment, she was still, cocooned in warmth. Ethan's arm was draped securely around her waist, his steady breathing brushing against her hair.

But there was something else—something within her. A new current flowing through her veins, gentle like a calm stream, yet carrying the promise of a raging river if she so willed it. Her whole body felt… alive. Awake in a way it never had before.

Her eyes softened, then fell on the man holding her. His face, relaxed in sleep, was closer than she realized. Always taking advantage of me… she muttered under her breath, puffing her cheeks. This time I was even unconscious.

Her voice trailed off when her gaze settled on his lips, so close to her own. For a long moment, she wavered. Then, almost instinctively, she leaned forward and pressed her lips softly against his.

The warmth lingered.

Just as she began to pull back, Ethan's hand shifted from her waist to her butt and gripped it hard. She yelped. His voice brushed through her mind, drowsy but amused.

Want to do it now?

Lirael froze, her eyes going wide. Heat flared across her cheeks as she jerked away.

"N-No! It's still daytime!"

One of his eyes cracked open, and that infuriating smile of his tugged at his lips.

"Oh? So that means you'll do it tonight instead, hm?"

Her face went crimson. "You—you shameless brute!" she hissed, burying her face in his chest to hide her embarrassment.

Ethan chuckled softly, tightening his hold for a brief second before letting her go.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing. More importantly—how do you feel? Everything working properly?"

Lirael closed her eyes for a moment, reaching inward. The stream inside her pulsed in answer, steady and powerful. Her lips curved in a small smile. "Mmm." She nodded. "It feels… right."

"Good," Ethan said, stretching as he sat up. "Then let's get moving. I don't even know how long we've slept, but—" He rubbed his stomach. "I feel oddly empty."

Lirael pushed herself up, smoothing her hair with her fingers. "That's because you're always thinking with your stomach," she teased lightly.

Ethan grinned. "And you'll thank me for it once food is on the table."

Together, they rose and began preparing to head outside, the sunlight beyond the shutters promising the start of another day.