"It's a large mass of land in the sea, right next to Magisteria City," Cassandra began, her tone brimming with enthusiasm as she explained why the area they were in was called the Old World. "If you really think about it, it's an incredible place," she added, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
Cassian, however, was puzzled. Despite his efforts to broaden his knowledge of the world through reading, he couldn't recall ever coming across anything about this place. Looking around, he noticed there were no monsters or anything unusual—just ordinary birds and animals. Still perplexed by Cassandra's excitement, he asked, "What's so special about this place? I haven't heard or read about it anywhere."
"Nothing special now," Cassandra said with a shrug, though her eyes still sparkled with excitement. "At first, it was unique when it suddenly appeared around the time of the last Epochal War. The first explorers discovered there wasn't any mana here. Mages couldn't use magic, and other species besides humans couldn't even breathe in this place. But that changed as mana slowly filled the area. Now, it's just another piece of land with some really old ruins."
She paused, hovering in midair within her domain, her gaze fixed on Cassian with a playful smile. "Since there's no urgent need for us to head back right away—I've already sent the information they needed—how about we go and explore those ruins?"
Cassian could understand why such a mysterious phenomenon wasn't widely discussed—there didn't seem to be much mystery left. Still, he didn't quite grasp what made people believe this landmass belonged to the so-called Old World. Not that it mattered much to him; he wasn't particularly interested.
What did catch his attention, however, was Cassandra's rare display of excitement. Having worked together for months, he knew how composed she usually was, so her enthusiasm was contagious. With a nod, he agreed, but gestured at his current attire—a simple leather armor Cassandra had scavenged for him somewhere in the jungle.
"We can do that," he said with a smile, "but can we first get me some proper clothes? And maybe some real food? Those fish were so bland."
"Well, you're in luck," Cassandra said, her excitement evident as she turned midair and began flying in a different direction. "The ruins we're heading to have a city nearby. We can get you some proper clothes there and have a nice rest before starting our exploration."
As she flew ahead, she asked. "It might delay us by a week, though. You don't have any pressing matters back in the city, do you?"
Cassian briefly considered his responsibilities, like tending to Lady Katherine's massages, but knowing she had been fine the last time he returned late—and considering he had improved his skills since then—he figured she wouldn't mind. She might have already received news of his well-being anyway. Shaking his head in answer, his eyes drifting to Cassandra's back—and inevitably to her shapely buttocks. The memory of their softness against his hands lingered vividly.
"That's good," Cassandra said, satisfied with his agreement, she turned her attention forward, focusing on the path ahead.
Meanwhile, Cassian, still fixated on her figure, slid a bit closer to her within the domain bubble she had created. Taking the opportunity, he asked with genuine curiosity, "Detective, how do warrior fly using thier domains?"
"To do that, you first need to solidify your Domain," Cassandra explained, her tone thoughtful as she tried to put the process into words. "It's also one of the requirements to advance to the Fourth Circle. Once your Domain is solidified, it becomes much easier to manipulate. You just channel the mana inside it to create a sort of jet, pushing yourself in the direction you want to go. Honestly, it doesn't even require much attention anymore—it's become as natural as walking." She paused, then added with a faint smile, "Actually, it's even easier than walking. More like moving a hand or something."
Cassian, intrigued, stood up and asked another question. "How do we solidify the Domains? Mine is still like fog, though I can make it behave like a liquid when I fight."
Cassandra, her gaze fixed ahead, didn't pay much attention to Cassian standing up. She began to explain, her tone steady and thoughtful. "You can't solidify your Domain in the First or even the Second Circle. It's not possible without an exceptionally strong will. You also need liquid mana infused with your intent, circulating through your body like we do in the First Circle. Then, by deepening your understanding of your Domain—its intent and other aspects—you can eventually solidify it. There are more steps in between, though, like gathering the materials needed to create the circle's seal."
Cassian listened carefully, his mind focused on her words, though his hand had other plans, slowly making its way to her butt.
"Then you... huh?" Cassandra's voice faltered, her words cut short by a sudden squeeze. She turned to look at Cassian with a surprised and questioning expression.
"I was just testing," he said, his tone dripping with amusement. "Wanted to see if you could still fly us even if I distracted you a little."
"Now you see I can fly just fine. Can you let go?" Cassandra asked, her voice steady despite the situation, as she grabbed his arm to pry his hand off her buttocks. She managed to free herself, but in the process, her other hand was caught by his.
Cassian smirked, giving her a firm squeeze as his lips brushed against her neck. "Not yet," he murmured, his breath warm against her skin. "I've got a lot more tests to run."
A soft moan escaped her lips at the sensation of his breath, and she instinctively arched her neck, her resolve wavering for a moment. "Cassian," she managed, her voice laced with both desire and restraint. "We talked about this. We can't keep doing this."
Cassian smirked, his other hand finding its way to her chest, squeezing one through her leather armor. The material dulled the sensation, but he didn't seem to mind. Feigning obliviousness to her protests, he asked with mock innocence, "What? Tests to see if you can still fly while I distract you?"
He leaned in closer, his voice low and teasing as he added, "We never talked about this before." To emphasize his point, he pressed his crotch against her butt, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"No, please let go me... I don't want to do this with my sister's boyfriend again," Cassandra said, her voice trembling with conflicted emotions. She placed her hands on his chest, attempting to push him back, but, like before, there was little strength behind her effort.
Cassian easily overpowered her, his strength prevailing where hers would have easily won—if she had truly meant to resist.
He didn't let her go, instead sliding his hands under her armor from below, his fingers brushing against her firm, muscular abdomen. Pulling her closer, he pressed himself against her, inhaling the delicate scent of her skin near her neck.
"We won't," he murmured, his voice low and teasing. "Just let me distract you until we reach the city…" His lips found her ear, sucking gently. Her ears, surprisingly long but small, had an almost elven elegance, perfectly complementing her ethereal beauty. Her silver-blonde hair framed her face like a halo, a striking contrast to her milky white skin, which carried a faint rose tint that only added to her allure.
Finally showing some restraint over her desire, she leaned forward, pulling her neck away from his face. Looking back at him with slightly teary eyes, she said softly, "No, you won't stop it there. I know you..."
"I will. I promise," Cassian replied, his expression turning serious. But even as he spoke, he pulled her back into his embrace, his hold firm yet teasing. With a mischievous grin, he added, "Now, let me continue with my tests."
Back in his grasp, with his lips trailing along her neck once more, Cassandra hesitated, her voice uncertain as she asked, "You promise you'll stop once we're in the city? And that you won't try to seduce me into sleeping with you again?"
"I promise," Cassian replied smoothly, a sly grin tugging at his lips. "Now let's begin with the boob test."
His hand, already inside her shirt, moved upward from her abdomen toward her chest. As his fingers found her bare skin, he gave a firm squeeze, noting the warmth of her body against his cooler hands, a slight dampness from the hot weather adding to the intimacy of the moment.
Cassandra let out another soft moan, her flying speed increasing instinctively. As she had mentioned earlier, flying was incredibly easy for her—even if they were having sex, she could still maintain control effortlessly. But she kept that little detail to herself; who knew what Cassian might add to his so-called "tests" if he found out?
Her moans grew louder as his hands played with her sensitive nipples, rubbing them while his lips teased her neck. Despite the sensations, she kept glancing around, ensuring no one was nearby.
Not that anyone could see them even if they were close—the two of them streaked through the sky like a flash of silver light, their speed too great for human eyes to follow. The jungle below stretched vast and dense, with nothing particularly remarkable about it aside from its sheer size and isolation, making it an ideal place to avoid prying eyes.
Which made cassian bolder. He began to slowly unfasten her armor, revealing her bare skin beneath, As he rubbed his crotch against her butt harder, making her feel his hardened length through the clothes.