CLICHE Chapter 598-599: DLC? (Patreon)

The initial sensation that enveloped Asahi was the tangible presence of Veldora’s aura — his presence felt less overwhelming than what one would anticipate of a True Dragon. The relentless draining of the Unique Skill Infinity Prison had weakened Veldora and would ‘kill’ him in time.

“Asahi?” Ruby’s fists beating the barrier came to a stop as she whipped her head around. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t my beautiful mate from another world. Would you mind waiting while I work on this stubborn cage?”

Ruby’s spirit brightened immeasurably with Asahi, her selected mate, gracing the scene.

“Are you acquainted with this human?” Veldora, arms folded across his formidable chest, regarded Asahi with intrigue. “Normally, I look down upon humans, for they are a race of wimps and trash. You, however, possess a Unique Skill that compels me to admire your very existence. I also cannot appraise you as if the World Language refuses to reveal your secrets. How mysterious.”

Ruby’s wings jutted out, her Dragon Aura exploding and stirring the magicules in her surroundings. “I dare you to look down on Asahi. He—”

Asahi arrived by Ruby’s side and held her from behind. “Relax, Ruby. Veldora didn’t even say anything insulting.”

“She called you human, which is the utmost insult for the most powerful and the most perfect being in all of creation. I’ll tolerate anything said towards me, but not towards you.”

Ruby’s outburst carried important information that almost blew him away. But first, he had to quell her rage. He reached up and stroked her hair. As the power of his ‘Headpats’ skill was invoked, the magicules around his hands were overwritten with the knowledge of his skill. The magicules flowed through Ruby and calmed her own magicules.

“It’s unfair to tame me like this.”

He ignored her feigned annoyance. “Ruby, my dear, did you refer to Veldora as ‘her’?”

“Because she is. I traced her scent here in hopes of finding a servant of my kind.”

‘Darling Klyscha.’

(Ahem, it’s not my fault. I cannot win against the degeneracy of the fandom shipping him and Rimuru. That said, my love’s journey of encountering genderbent dragon continues!)

He never would have foreseen Veldora being a woman in his altered world. Perhaps it was for the better as a dragon woman was infinitely better than a male one.

Veldora watched Asahi’s surprised expression with a hint of glee in her eyes. “I’m the youngest and most perfect of the current Three True Dragon Sisters.”

With a changed perception, he could see resemblance between Veldora and Alise, both of them being narcissists. He purged the thought as soon as it appeared.

“Ruby, I’ll help with the Prison.”

“You don’t have to…”

He tightened his arm around her waist, the calming energy making her relaxed in his arms. “Are you saying no to me?”

Taking time to explain the intricacies of the unique properties of the Infinity Prison wouldn’t convince Ruby. It was simply more efficient to talk to a dragon in their language — the language of force and authority.

Pressing a hand against his face, she let out a sigh and pecked his cheeks. “I forgot the most amazing mate is also the most stubborn man in all of creation.”

“Yet you love me with all of your heart.”

“I don’t just love you; I love you to death. You’re the only man who’ll impregnate me with lil’ baby dragons.”

He chuckled at her enthusiasm to bear his children and released her. With narrowed eyes, he cast forth his Domain of Insight, an invisible net that ensnared every nuance within its reach around Veldora. Information, intricate and overwhelming, surged toward him, yet easily subdued under his exceptional processing skills.

Extra Skill Magic Sense acquired.

The World Language, the voice representing the universe itself, echoed in his consciousness. The skill itself wasn’t registered in his System as his skill ‘Domain of Insight’ served the same function.

Within the domain, he focused on the whirlwind of Magicule that surrounded Veldora in a dome-like structure. They were no ordinary Magicule as every particle was written with the complex laws by the Unique Skill. The laws of Imaginary Space that created a nigh infinite space, preventing Veldora’s physical body and her will from ever escaping its grasp. The prison also halted Veldora’s ability of gathering magicules and brute-forcing an exit.

Should Veldora exit the prison in her spirit form without complete control over her will, her essence would scatter everywhere like wind, and she will be reborn as a new dragon somewhere in the world.

Asahi had gone over the basic concepts of this world with Klyscha and helped her reiterate on certain aspects to maintain consistency with his System. One could say he had reached a level where he could help Klyscha in tackling complex details of a universe.

(That reminds me... My love, as we both are Level 100 now, I can endure making even better changes to our system — Heavenly Path — without swapping to my main body. Think of it as a free DLC gift from your wife!)

Between bedding Aria and his own wedding nights, he had forgotten that he had reached Level 100, even forgetting about activating a new class.

‘You really hate switching over to the main body, don’t you?’

(Umu, it’s painful to not have my heart in sync with my love.)

Her smooth words caused his heart to skip a beat. The once-awkward woman who could barely meet his gaze without faltering had blossomed into a succubus capable of charming his mere words. Together, they had grown, each positively shaping the other.

(My love…) Klyscha cleared her throat, clearly flustered by his tide of emotions. (...As for the changes, I’ll detail in due course. The Heavenly Path 2.0 update will change the way my love’s skills fundamentally works.)

‘I look forward to it, Dungeon Master Klyscha.’

He fully trusted her judgment to make changes that made his life easier. After all, he’d need all the strength to survive the challenges imposed by this world. In terms of scaling, the world was already above the world of Saitama, and his extreme decision of raising its power level transformed the world into a nightmare.

(Fufu, now dissect the Infinity Prison’s life vein and destroy the canon timeline.)

‘Gotchu.’

His previous knowledge on the Life Element applied to this world as well, that everything in this world possessed a life vein, even the inanimate bundle of magicules. He extended his grasp into the unseen, seizing the intricate web that governed the magicules’ life force. Numerous threads intertwined, yet his mind, adept in concentrating on myriads of thoughts, methodically dismantled the life veins.

Each severed vein weakened the once-impregnable boundary isolating Veldora from the Physical World. As the last life vein crumbled, the prison splintered, fragments cascading into the void of nonexistence.

“And the timeline is fucked. Veldora, you’re free now.”

(The Time Traveler will be so confused.)

The story of Tensei Slime may have started innocently as a simple slime reincarnation, but the endgame was the struggle of a hero stuck in a time loop, unable to break out of it, and unable to prevent the end of the world. A hero who obviously wasn’t Rimuru but an otherworlder summoned to this world.

Chloe Aubert.

“That looked so uncool,” Ruby whispered. “By my standards, of course. The shattering was still awesome.”

He offered a wry shake of his head, turning to Veldora, whose expression was a picture of stunned bewilderment. Without hesitation, he flew forward, his fist connecting with the dragon’s scaled cheek. Veldora’s head whipped sideways, the physical shockwave jolting her from her daze.

“Idiot, it’s a moment of celebration, not sadness.”

Veldora slowly regained her posture and flapped her majestic wings, creating mini tornadoes around the cave. The water got swept into the tempest, creating numerous water cyclones that danced around the cave.

“Ahahahaha, the Prison is no more. World, shiver in terror, for I, Veldora the Storm Dragon, is free from her imprisonment.”

She celebrated like a prisoner, who came out of the prison after finishing a long sentence — a reasonable response for her situation.

Ruby’s smile grew at the thought of ruining Veldora’s happiness. “Not necessarily free. You shall serve me and my mate in exchange for the help we provided.”

A shiver, akin to the touch of ice, cascaded down Veldora’s spine. Memories of the Frost Dragon Velzard and Scorch Dragon Velgrynd, the sole forces in existence that could inspire dread in her heart, flickered in her mind.

With an earthshaking roar, Veldora snapped out of her trauma and imbued her magicules with Dragon Spirit Haki, the intrinsic skills possessed by all True Dragons. A storm stirred, the water cyclones disintegrated, and the cave quaked from the overwhelming pressure from her Haki. The entire structure might have collapsed were it not for Veldora’s magicules strengthening his surroundings for three centuries.

“I acknowledge and respect your aid in my liberation,” she thundered, “however, I shall not allow anyone to hinder my freedom. No one shackles Veldora the Storm Dragon.”

He maintained his composure under her outburst. “Ruby was just kidding. I want us to be friends.”

Currently, Veldora’s emotional state was the most fragile it had ever been. Sweet words of comfort would weave a stronger loyalty than Ruby’s aggressive approach, which he admitted had its own charm.

“Huh?!” Faced with Asahi’s frankness, the black dragon leaned down, sitting like typical dragons. “Wh-what? A human, seeking the friendship of mighty Veldora?!”

The socially awkward dragon became flustered at Asahi’s straightforward proposal to be friends. Even before her three hundred years of isolation, she had no friends, and she was constantly bullied by her sisters, who wanted to discipline her unruliness.

Suffice to say, her sisters failed miserably, and her actions led her to being sealed by the Time Traveler.

“Veldora, you don’t think I’m worthy to be your friend?”

Veldora’s neck craned, her fangs exposed in a defensive snarl. “You fool. You foolish fool. Who said anything about your worthiness?! To end my cycle of imprisonment, I shall always consider you my equal.”

Caught off guard by her tsundere reaction, Asahi blinked in mild surprise. The original Veldora was a tsundere, but not to this extent. “Then what’s the hurdle?”

“None… Ah, so be it. I will become your…friend. I do hope you appreciate the gesture and never think of betraying me!”

He smiled at the happiness bursting in her rather hoarse voice. “That’s a relief, Veldora. Having a True Dragon at our side will make our life smoother with the major powers of this world. After all, Otherworlds like us will be met with skepticism and hostility everywhere.”

Veldora would be Ruby’s backup in case she provoked the ire of other True Dragons — enemies even he couldn’t take on with his current power. Despite all their flaws, Veldora’s sisters cherished her.

Veldora thumped her chest. “Fear not, for I, Veldora, the Storm Dragon, will be by your side. Whoever wishes to harm Asahi shall face my fury.”

“What about Ruby? Won’t you befriend her as well?”

Ruby laughed. “You better, or I’ll beat the crap out of you.”

Veldora shrank a little under Ruby’s domineering voice, which resembled his Velgrynd to an extent. “Ah, yes… she is your mate. Very well, Veldora shall be an ally to both you and your loved ones.”

Thus, started a new alliance under the pretense of friendship.

…

Asahi, Veldora, and Ruby engaged in more conversations, entertaining the black dragon and learning things. Despite being a dragon, Veldora was knowledgeable beyond most sages, due to her Unique Skill ‘Investigator’ and her deep hunger for knowledge.

Yet despite that, she lacked the patient to hone her abilities. She possessed the highest magicules among the current living True Dragons, yet fell behind in terms of technique, experience, and most importantly, an Ultimate Skill.

(Time to be the dragon mentor!)

He wouldn’t be surprised that he earned a class along the lines of teaching dragons at this point.

Ruby pulled him aside, pulled him by his collar, and kissed his lips. “Asahi, stop worrying about me. Focus on your world over there and let me conquer this world for you.”

He could only respond with a resigned, yet affectionate chuckle. “Everything’s fine as long as you have fun.”

The world was created for the sole purpose of keeping Ruby entertained.

Before parting, he assessed Veldora’s status.

Veldora had weakened considerably, owing to the Infinity Prison’s effect. Even so, she would’ve posed a challenge to Ruby. He looked forward to going all out against the Demon Lords, especially the True variants.

‘The title ‘Dragon of Chaos’ fits her more than the protagonist’s friend.’

(Hehe.)

A/N: I had to change the status with image since Patreon for some reason don't support strikethrough text.