Supreme Hunter of Beautiful Souls

Chapter 552: Bathtub with a Cosmic Dragon

Kael remained completely still for a few seconds after Nidhogg’s casual statement. The bluish steam continued to slowly drift through the colossal bathroom while the golden currents beneath the water’s surface pulsed like living liquid stars. The condensed mana filled the air so intensely that his thoughts seemed a few seconds slower than they should be, and that definitely didn’t help his ability to rationally deal with the situation.

Nidhogg, on the other hand, seemed perfectly comfortable.

She remained standing beside the gigantic pool, observing him with that dangerously amused golden gaze while the thin towel embraced her body in a way that was utterly inappropriate for any minimally healthy concept of male emotional stability. The golden sheen of the roots reflected on her damp skin and the small scales scattered across her shoulders and collarbone, making her look less like a living creature and more like some kind of absurd draconic deity who had decided to turn a bathroom into hostile territory.

Kael finally sighed slowly.

"You say that as if I had a choice."

"You really don’t have it," Nidhogg replied immediately, overly pleased with that. "Your body is still adapting to the primordial sap. If you go in alone, there’s a considerable chance you’ll absorb too much mana and pass out underwater."

"That sounds like important information that should have been mentioned earlier."

"I mentioned the risk of you glowing."

"That’s not the same thing."

"It’s a natural progression of events."

Kael slowly brought his hand to his face.

The worst part was that she probably sincerely believed it.

Nidhogg then took another step closer, and the natural pressure of her presence seemed to increase along with the heat spreading through the bathroom. Even partially intoxicated by the primordial sap energy, Kael could perfectly perceive how absurdly large the dragoness was up close. The top of his head practically aligned with her chest at that distance, and the combination of size, body heat, and ancestral presence created a strangely suffocating sensation.

Not threatening.

Worse.

Too comfortable.

"Besides," she continued calmly, "you’re tense."

Kael slowly opened one eye.

"I’m trying to survive a cosmic mana bath while a nearly naked dragoness corners me in an interdimensional bathroom."

"And?"

"...That’s a worrying sentence."

Nidhogg smiled.

Then, without any further warning, she reached for the edge of the towel fastened above her bust and simply let go.

Kael froze immediately.

The towel slid slowly down her body, falling onto the living wood of the floor with a soft sound muffled by the warm steam of the surroundings.

His mind simply went blank for a full second.

Nidhogg was gigantic.

That much was already established.

But seeing her from that distance, illuminated only by the golden glow of the roots and the starry blue reflection of the primordial water, was an experience completely different from anything Kael was emotionally prepared to face. Her body seemed sculpted with an offensive level of physical perfection, broad curves and smooth musculature blended in an absurdly harmonious proportion that made it seem unfair that she existed that way naturally.

The dark blue scales scattered across parts of her hips, thighs, and waist shimmered softly under the condensed mana in the air, almost like wet sapphires. The long dragon tail swung slowly behind her, lazily, while the steam slid around her legs.

And then she smiled again.

Kael immediately looked away at the ceiling.

"That was deliberate."

"Completely."

"You’re a dimensional problem."

"Thank you."

"That wasn’t a compliment either."

"I’m interpreting it as one."

She moved even closer.

Now close enough for Kael to clearly feel the warmth of her skin mingling with the pulsating mana of the bathroom. His brain, already partially intoxicated by primordial energy, decided at that moment to abandon any remaining effort at functional reasoning.

Nidhogg tilted her face slightly until it was close to his ear.

"Relax," she murmured in a dangerously soft tone. "I’m just going to wash your back."

The shiver that ran down his spine was immediate.

Kael closed his eyes slowly.

"You talk like a predator."

"Because I am a predator."

"...Fair enough."

She let out a low laugh, overly pleased with his reaction, before finally entering the water.

The sound was soft.

But the pool’s reaction was immediate.

The golden currents beneath the surface lit up more intensely the instant the dragon’s colossal body partially submerged in the primordial water. Waves of mana spread throughout the bathroom like luminous pulses, making small liquid stars shimmer beneath the deep blue surface.

Kael felt the energy hit his body again.

Stronger.

Much stronger.

His balance wavered for a moment as the combination of Nidhogg’s presence and the primordial sap caused the ambient mana to rise absurdly in intensity. Small golden currents involuntarily slid down his arms as his magical core reacted to the increasing pressure.

Nidhogg observed this immediately.

"See?" he commented calmly as he sank until the water reached his waist. "You’re already synchronizing with the sap."

"That should sound less threatening."

"You complain a lot for someone who’s clearly enjoying themselves."

Kael decided not to respond.

Because she was right.

That was the worst part.

Despite the absolute chaos of the situation, his body was actually beginning to feel the positive effects of the primordial energy. The deep fatigue accumulated within him seemed to slowly dissolve as the mana coursed through his internal channels. Even old muscle tensions gradually disappeared under that absurd pressure of liquid vitality.

Nidhogg then rested her arms on the edge of the pool and tilted her head towards him.

"Are you going to get in or do you intend to stay there trying to survive psychologically?"

Kael stared at the starry water before him.

Then he stared at the dragoness.

Then he stared back at the water.

His brain clearly understood that this was a terrible idea.

Unfortunately, the rest of his body had already given up on rational cooperation several minutes ago.

With a long, tired sigh, he finally began to enter the pool.

The reaction was instantaneous.

The moment the primordial water touched his skin, an absurd explosion of energy coursed through his entire body.

Kael completely lost his breath.

The liquid mana slid through his muscles like warm, golden fire, penetrating directly into his magical channels with an almost violent intensity. His spiritual core reacted immediately, spinning so fast that he felt a real pang in his chest before the sensation was replaced by pure heat.

Intense heat.

"Ah..." his voice came out involuntarily low.

Nidhogg smiled immediately.

"It’s good, isn’t it?"

Kael rested his hand on the edge of the pool as he tried to steady his breathing. The water seemed alive around his body, small luminous currents sliding across his skin like curious creatures made of liquid mana.

"This should be illegal on several dimensional planes."

"Probably is."

The dragoness slowly approached in the water, producing small golden ripples around her colossal body. As she got closer, Kael noticed another immediate problem.

She was even larger in the pool.

The water only reached her waist, while it already rose to his chest. The size difference became absurdly evident at that distance, especially when Nidhogg stopped directly behind him with a satisfied smile.

"Ready," she murmured.

Kael felt his heart slow dangerously.

"Ready what?"

"Time to wash your back."

Before he could answer, huge, warm hands landed gently on his shoulders.

His body froze instantly.

Nidhogg chuckled softly at the realization.

"You really do look adorable trying to act normal."

"There’s a naked ancient dragon behind me."

"And?"

"...Nidhogg."

"Kael."

Her voice was too close.

Too hot.

The blue steam continued to fill the bathroom as the primordial mana made his senses feel both numb and sensitive. He could perfectly feel her fingers slowly sliding across the tense muscles of his shoulders, pressing firmly enough to ease the accumulated stiffness without hurting.

The problem was that it was absurdly pleasant.

The dragoness seemed to perceive exactly where the tension was accumulating in his body. Her hands slowly descended down Kael’s broad back as the starry water shimmered around them, scattering small golden reflections across their skin.

Kael exhaled slowly as she pressed a specific point near the nape of his neck.

"You carry too much tension here."

"...Many people try to kill me regularly."

"Yes, but that’s not the main thing."

He remained silent.

Nidhogg too.

For a few seconds, only the soft sound of the water pulsing within the pool filled the air.

Then she spoke again, now in a much lower tone.

"You’re tired of carrying everything alone."

Kael slowly opened his eyes.

Her hands continued to glide down his back with slow, surprisingly careful movements. There was no teasing in that instant. No exaggerated playfulness. Just warmth.

Comfort.

And that, somehow, was more dangerous than any previous teasing.

Because Kael realized at that moment that there wasn’t much room to run there.

Not physically.

But not emotionally either.

Nidhogg continued to glide her hands down Kael’s back, each movement slower and more deliberate. The primordial water pulsed around them, enveloping them in warmth and golden light. Then she stopped, her fingers resting on his waist.

"Now the front," she murmured, her voice deep and too close to his ear.

Before Kael could process it, her large, warm hands slid forward, circling his hips, and one of them firmly enveloped his already fully erect member.

Kael held his breath, his whole body tensing again, but in a completely different way.

Nidhogg let out a soft sound, almost of curiosity. She held him with a firmness that was both secure and exploratory, her thumb slowly tracing the already sensitive head, spreading a mixture of primordial water and the fluid that was already escaping from it.

"It’s the first time," she whispered, her warm breath brushing against his neck, "that I’ve held a man’s penis. The texture is... interesting. Softer than I imagined. And warm. Very warm."

She began to move her hand, a slow, experimental movement, from bottom to top, her damp skin gliding perfectly over his even wetter skin. The pressure was perfect, instinctive, as if she, an ancient predator, perfectly understood how to extract the response she wanted from his body.

"My hybrid form," she continued, her other hand rising to caress Kael’s chest, her fingers finding a nipple and gently pinching it, "is the closest thing to a female body I can create without sacrificing... essence. Scales, tail, inner heat. But the curves, the softness in certain places, the way it reacts to touch... it was made to be appreciated."

She squeezed his member a little harder, synchronizing the movement with a slight rotation of her wrist that made Kael’s eyes roll back.

"Did you like it?" she asked, her voice a deep, seductive growl. "The body I made for you to see? For you to touch?"

Kael tried to form words, but only a low moan escaped as she quickened the pace, her grip becoming more assertive.

Then Nidhogg tilted her head and gently bit the tip of his ear, her sharp teeth pressing into the flesh without breaking the skin, a dangerous and electrifying contrast to the warm, insistent hand between his legs.

"Answer me, Kael," she commanded, the command vibrating through his body. "Did you like what you saw? What you’re feeling now?"

The combination was overwhelming: the magical water intensifying every sensation, her hands dominating his body with absolute confidence, her voice and teeth claiming his attention. His brain, already intoxicated by primordial mana and pure desire, surrendered.

"Yes," the word escaped his lips, hoarse and without resistance. "Nidhogg... fuck, yes."

A low, victorious laugh echoed in his ear.

"Good," she whispered, her hand quickening even more, her movements becoming fluid and precise, savoring every inch of his reaction.

"So relax completely. Let the sap and my hands take care of you. It’s the least you deserve, after carrying so much weight alone."