Heat soaked into his skin, dissolving the tension in his muscles.
With half-lidded eyes rolling in pleasure, Elias melted into the hot water until only his head remained above the surface. He hadn’t felt this relaxed in… well, he couldn’t even remember ever feeling this relaxed.
Actually… there was that one time he’d gotten a massage from a fairly well-known masseur—but that didn’t count. It had been very expensive, and the masseur in question had Skills that revolved entirely around that sort of thing.
Just being in her presence had been relaxing.
He could only see a couple of meters ahead through the thick steam rising from the pool, but he didn’t mind. He could still hear Marco and talk just fine. He didn’t need to see what was in front of him right now, and if a monster did show up, he’d surely hear it coming.
“Oh man, this water is even better than advertised. How come people don’t come here more often? I mean, with how good this feels, I’ll definitely be coming back. Even when I’m stronger,” Marco said languidly.
A deep moan of pleasure escaped the man’s chest, and Elias did his best to ignore it. Suddenly, he was very glad he couldn’t see Marco. He was pretty sure his friend was making some very expressive faces.
“You might not know this, but there are pools like this one in every zone of this dungeon,” Elias explained. “They get larger, and the water in them becomes more potent as the zone rank increases. It all culminates in a massive pool inside the Temple at the center of the Journeyman zone—the Thermal Duality Temple.”
Like the Temples on the surface, the ones within the dungeon are each unique in some way. Some are infused with magical properties, capable of healing or strengthening those who reach them. Others contain rare resources, or serve different, more mysterious purposes. There’s little rhyme or reason to what each Temple holds.
Only one thing is universally accepted: the deeper into the dungeon a Temple is found, the more powerful its magical effects. The pool they were swimming in now didn’t even come close to matching the potency of the waters found in a Journeyman-zone Temple.
“Oh? So people would rather go to the other pools instead of this one? I guess that makes sense,” Marco said thoughtfully.
“Pretty much. The problem with coming to this pool specifically is that it just takes too long to get here, so most newbies like us don’t bother,” Elias replied.
“I’m actually hoping my parents will take me to that Temple once I get all my attributes to level 10,” he added with a hopeful smile. “The water there is said to be so potent it can be of significant help in perfecting your foundation. I also heard the place is incredibly beautiful.”
As peak Expert-rank adventurers, Vivian and Peter were more than strong enough to escort him there, so it was a real possibility.
“Come on, man, you’re making me jealous over here. I already feel like I’m in heaven. I can’t even imagine what it’s like to relax in a pool better than this one.” Marco paused for a beat, then continued in a louder voice, as if struck by sudden inspiration. “Actually… do you think I could bring some of this water back with me? I could get someone with a spatial ring to take a bunch of it so I could bathe in it every day. Maybe I could even start a business! I’m sure—”
Elias laughed as his friend rambled on with growing enthusiasm, his smile full of amusement even as he slowly shook his head.
“I hate to break it to you, but your idea just isn’t going to work,” Elias said, cutting in before Marco could start working out the logistics of his new business idea. “For some reason, this water loses its magical properties when it’s taken out of the glade. Even if it didn’t, someone would’ve already done what you’re suggesting. Trust me—a lot of people have tried.”If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“I guess that makes sense,” Marco said with a disappointed sigh.
For some reason, Elias pictured him sulking and blowing bubbles in the water—a mental image that made him chuckle quietly.
“Tell you what… why don’t you stick around until I hit level 10, and we can go to that Temple I told you about together?” Elias suggested. “It’s a really good place to work on your foundation, even if it’s not all that well known internationally. Actually, we could even make it a group trip and bring Rebecca along too. That way, we could all reach the Beginner rank at the same time.”
He had started speaking softly, hoping to comfort his disappointed friend, but the more he talked, the more excited he became. By the end of his suggestion, he was on his feet, speaking loudly and gesturing with his hands energetically, even though Marco couldn’t see him through the steam.
It was a great idea.
He’d just have to convince his parents to bring his friends along when the time came. Actually, he’d first have to make sure they really were taking him there. They’d implied it a couple of times, but they’d never actually said it outright.
“Yeah… I really appreciate the invitation, but I don’t think I can come with you,” Marco said, his tone awkward. “Like I mentioned before, my dad’s already made plans to take me somewhere else to perfect my foundation.”
“Oh… that’s fine. It was just a suggestion anyway,” Elias said, trying to sound reassuring. “I mean, it sucks that we won’t be able to hang out while you’re gone, but you gotta do what you gotta do.”
“Thanks for understanding, man. To tell you the truth, from what my dad told me about his plans, it’s an incredible opportunity for me. If that weren’t the case, I’d definitely be down to go with you,” Marco said sincerely, before his tone turned a bit awkward again. “I even asked if I could bring you and Rebecca along, but he said ‘no.’ I really can’t tell you any more than that though. He asked me not to say anything about where we’re going.”
By the time Marco finished speaking, Elias’s eyebrows were raised and his mouth hung slightly open. He hadn’t expected his friend to try and share what he considered an incredible opportunity. After all, they hadn’t really known each other that long.
Even if he wouldn’t say it out loud, Elias was genuinely moved by Marco’s thoughtfulness and generosity.
For Elias, inviting his friends to the Temple in the Journeyman zone, assuming his parents were actually taking him there, wouldn’t really cost him anything. The true expense lay in hiring an escort powerful enough to guarantee safe passage. But if his parents were the ones escorting him, it wouldn’t matter whether they brought one person or three. Most professionals charged per person they were responsible for, but that wouldn’t apply here. He didn’t think his parents would mind him bringing his friends along.
Marco’s situation seemed different.
From the way he talked, Elias got the sense that the opportunity he’d mentioned came with some kind of cost. For Marco to even consider covering that cost for his friends… well, that said a lot about the kind of person he was.
It also meant he was probably a lot wealthier than Elias had originally thought.
“Wait, so you’re telling me you’re actually rich, and you still made me pay for—hold on, I did pay for the dueling ring by myself that day!” Elias exclaimed, full of indignation.
He did his best to glare at Marco hard enough for it to be felt through the steam.
Unfazed, Marco burst out laughing, the sound echoing in Elias’s disbelieving ears.
“You’re the one who was so eager to fight,” he said between chuckles. “And you did offer to pay. Who was I to say no?”
When Elias said nothing, still in disbelief at his friend’s gall, Marco added cajolingly, “Come on, man, don’t be like that. You did win that sparring match in the end.”
Then, after a brief pause, his tone grew a little more genuine. “But yeah... I don’t like talking about it much, but my dad’s a pretty strong adventurer. Among other things, that means we’re doing really well financially.”
“Anyway, let’s head to the cold side now,” Marco said suddenly, getting up and making his way to the other end of the pool.
Elias narrowed his eyes at the obvious attempt to change the subject but decided to let it go as Marco was clearly uncomfortable talking about it.
Well… he let it go after shooting one last glare at his friend’s retreating back.