Exalted Champion: Ch 4 (rough draft) (Patreon)

Chapter 4: Enchanted Dungeon

The elevator chimed. The doors sliding their bright bronze cages open onto first layer of the tower. Rachel and I stepped out. Students in varying styles of black and gold were hurrying to their classes. I stepped into the hallway that would lead to Professor Trianna’s enchanting class and every student stopped, those close to me at any rate. The motion rippled until everyone in the hall was still and unmoving.

They moved aside parting like draw window currants to allow me past. They bowed their heads in deference, making way for their new exalted prince. Rachel kept pace besides me, elegant in her form-fitting uniform, with hair done in an intricate pattern. She had placed more importance on her looks this morning than she had before. She was the acting wife of an exalted prince, and she wanted to present the best image.

Well, fuck this to be expected, I guess. I had never seen any of them treat Leonard this way.

I had never seen anyone stop for him, let alone bow. It might have been the fact I won the prince ship from a duel. Empires and the people there within always loved power and those who had it. And I in no uncertain terms had power, proving my dominance in the arena.

By me cutting the crown from the head of their former prince, I had shown them strength. Leonard was by no means weak, and with his enchanted armor and other enhancements he had been using anyone else would have fallen to his blade.

We moved past the bowed heads until we reached the double doors to Professor Trianna’s. The amphitheater lecture hall was the same, with the podium and black bords and the imperial golden eagle clutching chains on the wall behind.

The usual chatter of students fell silent as heads turned toward us. More stares, more whispers barely contained behind cupped hands. I kept my expression neutral as Rachel and I took the steps toward our usual seats in the middle section.

The whispers started, hushed and urgent. I caught fragments: "...killed him with one strike..." and "...emperor himself declared..." and "...wonder what happens to Tiffany now..."

"Exalted Prince Grayson. You bring great honor to my class with your attendance." Professor Trianna's voice cut through the silence as she took her place at the podium. Trianna wore the same black throw over robe but had not closed it. Her black pencell skirt ended just before her knees framing her wider hips, her belly was barely covered by a tight vest and blouse, cleavage spilling into the room. She bit her lower lip when she spoke her words directed at both Rachel and me. every syllable aimed at seduction.

“Rise for the imperial devotion,” she said, and we all stood, reciting the words, the oath. hole as it may be. “Eternally devoted, we stand with the emperor, forever the exalted, noble mages defend. Under Ack, we obey. By Alleystra, we thrive. By Sippsie, we are pleased. And by Roxclou, we are served.”

Professor Trianna waited until the room fell silent again before speaking. "Today we continue our study of advanced enchantment matrices, but first, I believe congratulations are in order." Her smile was different now, directed, focused on both Rachel and me. She inclined her head.

“Thank you, professor,” I said inclining my head back to her.

Trianna smiled and continued, “We have been over materials, and system interactions, today we will be diving into the difference between dungeon created enchanted items and our own.”

With her pronouncement and the focus of the other students diverted from me, they turned to their practices of Sippsie. Girls slid under desks, buckles being undone and the wet slurping of cock sucking began. a low background noise for the whole class to hear.

"Dungeon enchantments," Trianna continued, her smile toward me held promises, promises I was looking forward to having her keep. Her fingers tracing abstract patterns in the air, "differ from our crafted enchantments in three fundamental ways. First, durability."

She drew a glowing sigil that hung suspended before turning to chalk on the blackboard. "Dungeon-created items contain enchantments that resist degradation far more effectively than anything we can create in a laboratory setting. We enchant on the outside of an object, though those more skilled can manage eternal crafting, but never to the degree the dungeon can make."

Rachel's quill scratched across her parchment beside me. Her focus was absolute, even as whispers continued around us. I tried to concentrate on Trianna's lecture, through the gaging and wet glugging of the acting wives around me.

"Second," Trianna said, drawing another sigil, "dungeon enchantments often contain elements we cannot replicate, patterns that defy our current understanding of magical theory."

“And third,” Trianna said, "the components of dungeon enchantments often bond at a fundamental level with the base material, creating a unified whole rather than a layered application."

"This is why dungeon-harvested items command such high prices in the imperial markets," Trianna continues, her eyes finding mine again. "The depth of integration makes them nearly impossible to replicate."

"Today, we will examine several dungeon-retrieved artifacts," Trianna continued, gesturing toward a covered table beside her podium. With a flourish, she pulled away the black cloth, revealing three items, a sword, a shield, and a ring.

I leaned forward in my seat, studying the artifacts with interest. The sword's blade seemed to shimmer with an inner light that shifted between silver and gold. The shield bore intricate patterns that appeared to move when I wasn't looking directly at them. The ring, however, drew my attention most—it pulsed with a deep crimson glow.

"Who can tell me what makes these particular enchantments so unique?" Trianna asked, her fingers hovering over the sword's hilt without quite touching it.

A student in the front row raised his hand, pushing his acting wife away, clearly not waiting to be pleasured and wanting to focus on the lecture. "The mana density, Professor? Dungeon items always register higher on scrying tests."

"Partially correct," Trianna nodded, "but that's merely a symptom, not the cause." Her gaze swept across the room before settling on Rachel and me. "Lady Rachel? Your thoughts?"

Rachel straightened beside me, her voice clear and confident. "The enchantments aren't applied to the items—they're grown into them during the creation process. The dungeon doesn't craft an object and then enchant it. It births the entire artifact as a unified magical construct."

"Excellent," Trianna purred, her approval evident. "And what does this mean for us as enchanters?"

I felt compelled to contribute. "It means we're working backwards. We're trying to force magic onto materials that weren't designed to hold it, while the dungeon creates materials specifically to channel the enchantments it wants."

"Precisely, Exalted Prince." Trianna's smile widened, and I caught the subtle emphasis she placed on my new title. "This is why studying dungeon artifacts is crucial to advancing our craft. We must understand their construction to improve our own methods."

She moved to the shield, her fingers finally making contact with its surface. The patterns immediately began shifting more rapidly, responding to her touch. "This shield, for instance, was retrieved from level five. Notice how the defensive matrix isn't only on the outer layer,” she pealed the shield back, it having been cut into a few slices like a book. Each lay had the same effect, the same patterns.

The sounds of devotion continued around us, creating a bizarre backdrop to the academic discussion. I caught sight of a girl three rows down, her head bobbing rhythmically under her desk while her acting husband tried to maintain focus on the lecture as he guided her head up and down.

"Notice the consistency," Trianna says, tapping each layer of the shield. "Each stratum contains the complete enchantment pattern, creating redundancy that makes dungeon items nearly indestructible."

“The sword is a combination of materials with the same layering effect as the shield. impressive but the true wonder is the ring though…” she picked it up and held it to the light. the red ring had a faint glow almost like an ember.

“The other two items we can see the enchantments. We can study them. This ring, though, made from normal enchantable material, we can see no discernable enchantments. Yet when inspected with the system it registers and an enchanted item. even with the most power full magnification we have, we cannot see the enchantments on it.” She let out a sigh, a long sound of someone who had been working on a problem for most of their life and was no closer to finding the answer. The sigh only a researcher or scientist can make.

"For years I've studied this ring, trying to understand its properties," Trianna continued, rolling the crimson ring between her fingers. "It resists all conventional analysis. The enchantment exists but remains invisible to our detection methods."

"An… and what does it do?" asked a student near the front, his groan chocking his words as his acting wife fully deep throated him.

"We know it grants enhanced protection against fire damage, and It kills. Quite efficiently." She set the ring back on the display table. "The wearer can channel destructive energy through it, but at a cost. Each use drains the user's vitality. A perfect example of Legions balance. Power for sacrifice."

"For your assignment," Trianna announces, "you will attempt to replicate a simple dungeon enchantment using conventional methods." She gestures to several boxes at the front of the room. "Each group will receive a dungeon-harvested item and materials to attempt replication."

Students began to stir, some reluctantly disentangling from their acts of devotion. I glance at Rachel, who's already gathering her notes.

"Exalted Prince Grayson, and Exalted Lady Rachel," Trianna called, her voice carrying over the shuffling of the class. "A moment of your time after the lecture, if you please. I believe we have matters to discuss regarding your... advanced studies."

Rachel and I waited at the edge of the amphitheater as the last students filed out, some adjusting belts or hurriedly dabbing at stains on their uniforms. Professor Trianna lingered at her podium, arranging her notes with slow, deliberate movements that flaunted her confidence. She closed the folio with a crisp snap and beckoned us forward with a single, crooking finger.

"Exalted Prince. Lady Rachel." Her voice was lower now, the classroom hush amplifying every syllable. "Was the lecture satisfactory?"

"It was very illuminating," I said, matching her tone. Rachel stood at my left, hands folded in front of her, a perfect picture of composure.

"You flatter me,” Trianna gestured us forward. “Walk with me,” she said, voice softer now, as if the absence of the student audience freed her from the need for spectacle. We walked down the steps, Rachel’s heels tapping with practiced confidence.

Trianna led us through a side door, away from the main hall and into her private office. It was spare, shelves lined with artifacts, some humming with residual magic, others inert but dangerous-looking. She perched on the edge of her desk, crossing her legs and folding her arms. The slit of her pencil skirt opened, revealing more thigh than would be considered professional back on earth.

“Well, Exalted Prince,” she said, arching an eyebrow, “I suppose congratulations are due.” She gave a sidelong glance at Rachel, “And to you, Exalted Lady. You now have the finest husband on campus. Some might say the most dangerous.”

Rachel smiled, all the warmth of a frostbitten handshake. “We are honored, Professor.”

Trianna’s eyes returned to me. I felt her gaze slide over me, as if testing the fit of my new title. “You are not the first to win a duel in the emperor’s presence, but you are the first in a century to take a prince’s place and live to tell of it.” She tapped her nail against her desk. “Your reputation is now… considerable.”

I nodded, uncertain what she wanted from me.

She leaned forward, conspiratorial, “I do not care for politics, Eric. What I care for is the pursuit of knowledge. And you have caught the eye of several in the higher echelons, myself included.” She paused, letting the words settle. “You will need tutoring beyond what I can offer in lectures. Real, meaningful advancement. We spoke of private tutoring, now it is a necessity, your oddities have not gone unnoticed, and many will seek to take advantage of you. you will be approached by many of the faculty, do decided well on who you will allow to privately tutor you. your choices have many ramifications, for you and others.”

She uncrossed her legs leaning forward. “I would like to begin our private sessions next week, after hours.” She glanced at Rachel, then back at me, as if confirming that my acting wife would not object. “I can guarantee discretion. The faculty are not permitted to enter my laboratory, and the scrying wards are of my own design.”

Rachel’s eyes glittered with excitement, a rare crack in her usual composure. “We would be honored to learn from you, Professor. What day next week?”

“Any day works for me, let’s say Mundnass evening? my private apartments…” Trianna asked.

the swelling roll of her breasts and hips was guaranteed I was not going to miss a private study session with Rachel and her. “Mundness, evening then.”

Rachel’s lips curled, equal parts hunger and desire. “We’ll be there, Professor,” she said, and I heard the promise buried in it.

Trianna’s smile flashed with calculation and true want. “Wonderful, I’m looking forward to it.”

Back in the corridor, Rachel reached for my fingers, her grip tight, almost electric. “She wants to fuck you,” she whispered, voice low and delighted.

“She wants to fuck both of us,” I said, unable to keep the grin off my face.

“Good.” Rachel’s tongue flicked against the edge of my ear, fast and hot. “I hope you enjoy being watched while you fuck me. She will and I’m looking forward to watching as your cock plunges into her. Mmm, enchanting and… Oh, I wonder if she has toys…” Rachels mind wandered and the bluish on her face only got deeper and deeper.

We walked in silence for a minute, letting the flow of students swallow up our private conversation. The halls were a river of black and gold, the current parting for me as if I were a stone in the center of the stream. I caught glimpses of Tiffany, pale and rigid, standing at the edge of the corridor as we passed. She bowed, just enough for protocol, then vanished around the corner. A shadow trailed her—Adelia, hair perfectly arranged, face a mask of disdain.

we reached the elevators, “I’ll see you later, time to head into the dungeon.” I said, pulling Rachel in for a kiss. the other students waited for us to finish not wanting to risk upsetting their new prince.

“I’m off to go try and replicate a dungeon item,” Rachels fingers slipped from mine as she headed down a hallway to stairs that would lead to the enchanting workshop lab.

I entered the elevator, thoughts of Rachel and Trianna all the company I needed.