Chapter 373: Intertwined

Priam quickly assessed Dandara’s condition. The strange red pollen was still clinging to her skin—and, to be honest, it was also on him. But it was suppressed, and it wouldn’t be able to spread any further for the time being.

Without wasting any time, he created Soul Poison Runes and spread them throughout the inside of the Mutant Beast that had swallowed them.

Before long, Dandara took control of the creature without much difficulty.

A few moments later, the two of them cautiously emerged from the water. Once they surfaced, Dandara waved her hand and destroyed the contract rune, freeing the Mutant Beast.

As he surveyed the surrounding area, Priam’s expression remained grim.

"They haven’t located us, but they’re patrolling the entire region in strict rotations. We don’t have much time before they surround this area again."

Dandara nodded. Before leaving, Priam turned around and drew a large amount of pure river water into his spatial ring. Immediately afterward, Dandara grabbed his arm, and the two of them shot away at high speed.

He kept his senses spread out and alert.

After an hour, Priam found a discreet cave in a mountain and entered.

Inside, now that they had some time, he immediately set up concealment inscriptions, sealing the place off from any outside perception.

The inscription wasn’t perfect, only being of mediocre quality. But as long as they didn’t use any power or do anything conspicuous, it would be difficult for anyone to sense them.

"They’re taking turns covering different sectors. They’ll spend a few hours watching this area before moving on again," Priam explained, letting out a restrained sigh.

He turned toward the back of the cave and dug into the ground, creating a two-meter-deep pit shaped like a small pool. Then he poured the water he had taken from the river into it.

With a quick manipulation of the System, he synthesized a dozen *Nature Purification* Runes.

They were made from the essence of herbs and natural energy. These power runes normally had a modest effect, but when combined with Yin and Yang energies in perfect balance, their power multiplied exponentially.

By luck or fate, he had a perfect source of both.

When he threw the runes into the water, the pool transformed instantly: the earthy brown color gave way to a clear, almost transparent emerald green, releasing a fresh and invigorating fragrance.

"The water from this river is perfect," Priam commented. "I’m almost certain this strange pollen will be flushed out of our bodies with this."

Dandara smiled, a playful and audacious gleam in her eyes. "Great. Let’s take a bath together."

Priam froze, completely caught off guard. "N-no need... just splash some of the water over your body—"

"Meh, why not take advantage of the fact that we’re alone?" Dandara shot back without the slightest hesitation. "Don’t be shy, Boss!"

Although her cheeks were turning a vivid red, Dandara’s hands didn’t hesitate as she began unbuttoning her own clothes.

Priam almost jumped backward and turned his back at lightning speed, feeling his heart pounding in his chest.

A few seconds later...

"Why are you still dressed? Come on!"

Dandara’s teasing voice suddenly echoed right behind him. Before Priam could even process how she’d gotten so close so quickly, he felt a pair of hands mercilessly shove him from behind.

*TCHURM!*

Priam fell face-first into the pool, sending a wave of water splashing up.

When he resurfaced in shock, shaking the water from his face, he found Dandara already in the water, openly laughing.

Without giving him time to recover, she moved closer and grabbed his tunic, beginning to undress him without hesitation.

Priam was completely stunned. A wild and shameless side of her had taken full control. And yet, there was something terribly attractive about that boldness.

He let her remove the upper part of his clothes, but when she started to bend down to remove the rest, he gently caught her hands, taking control and doing it himself before he lost what little composure he had left.

In the end, both of them were almost completely submerged in the water, facing each other, completely naked.

They were both powerful, and the water in the pool was almost completely transparent. Naturally, they could easily see every detail.

Once the initial excitement settled down, the sight before Priam made the air leave his lungs. Through the crystal-clear emerald waters, Dandara revealed herself in all her glory.

"Hehe... you’ve already seen me in detail and touched every inch of my skin before...", she murmured, her voice soft and slightly hoarse. "But that time, I was covered in poison and reeking of decay. I didn’t want that image of me to stay in your mind."

Priam swallowed hard.

Now, he was truly looking at her. Even in her new incarnation, Dandara possessed the aura and beauty of an incomparable Goddess. There was simply no way anything could be more beautiful and perfect than this; at least, not in his eyes, of course.

Her full, shapely breasts floated gently in the water, while the perfectly defined curves of her waist and hips shimmered beneath the emerald glow of the pool. Her pale skin seemed to radiate a light of its own.

Priam’s mind simply froze.

"You’re... unbelievably beautiful," the confession slipped involuntarily from his lips.

A scorching heat rose up his throat, and he felt a warm pressure at the tip of his nose, as if he were about to get a nosebleed from the sheer overload of his senses. He had to hurriedly circulate his energy to suppress the sensation.

Dandara was staring at him intently as well, making no attempt to hide it. Her eyes traveled over Priam’s broad shoulders and sculpted chest, occasionally drifting lower before quickly moving back up, accompanied by an adorable blush that burned across her face.

He could be considered skinny and short compared to other people, but when he revealed himself, he was shockingly mesmerizing and stunning. She felt dizzy just from looking at him for a moment.

After a few brief moments, Dandara smiled sweetly before gliding through the water until she pressed her body against his, hugging him tightly.

The direct contact of Dandara’s soft, warm skin made Priam feel like he was going to lose his mind at any second. But when he looked down and saw her face drawing closer, he abandoned any resistance.

They lost themselves in that embrace and connection. The kiss was sweet, deep, and filled with pent-up desire that made the water around them seem warm.

When they finally parted, breathing unevenly, Dandara looked at him through half-lidded, teasing eyes.

"Don’t you want to touch me again?" she murmured, a mischievous smile playing on her lips as she looked down at her full breasts. "Back then, you spent quite a while lost in these two, slowly spreading that herbal ointment... I guarantee it’ll be much more pleasant this time."

Priam shook his head vigorously, immediately averting his gaze. He knew perfectly well that if he dared to put his hands there at that moment, things would escalate beyond the point of no return.

Even so, the sense of intimacy and mutual understanding surrounding the two of them was indescribable.

Dandara let out a radiant little giggle when she noticed his physical reaction. Seeing that, her mind imagined some rather peculiar things, but she preferred not to put them into words just yet.

To cool his head and body down, Priam completely submerged himself in the water for a few minutes. Then, he emerged, shaking his hair.

After that sweet and torturous ordeal, their bodies were finally one hundred percent free of any pollen residue. The purification had been an absolute success.

After they got out and changed into clean clothes, they looked into each other’s eyes. A radiant, knowing smile appeared on both their lips. They both felt their chests warm and reenergized, a cozy warmth taking hold of them both.

Although they knew it still wasn’t the right time to take the final step, that shared bath had intertwined their hearts in a way that nothing could ever undo.