In a corner of the Yorliss capital city, a discreet salon lays nestled between two warehouses. In this destitute lot sits a store with “Salon” carved into wood. Neither the street or the salon have any redeeming features or names.

Upon such a hermit-like salon, I found Granny Abaleyn, the old woman that is in reality the Dragon God as called by all Wyverns. She explained to me that the title is just a half-baked name they forced onto her.

A title born of rumors, which shows a slight effect on dragonian species, in other words the kind of title that even I could get someday. A glance at my current status and title only shows two so far.

Self-Made Hero and Trans-World Traveler. I must have earned them somehow, but I don’t notice any effect so I’ve only ignored them so far. I suppose titles don’t have such outrageous effects like in games, and they’re just badges or fancy medals.

Granny Abaleyn’s title of Dragon God doesn’t actually mean she is a God, and in actuality if I could see her Status it would likely list under her titles, Dragon God Candidate or Dragon God(semi).

She hasn’t reached Godhood yet, because as she puts it, a God cannot easily exist in the mortal plane. The Gods usually employ Oracles or invade their dreams with visions if the need arises.

If a God descended then I guess the closest analogy would be like when a grown man dives into a kiddie pool. The splash and displaced water would certainly catch attention by the other kids.

Even if they slowly crawled in, their height would catch attention with the water only reaching knee-high. That’s just how high the realm of a God is, far above the waters of the mortal world. A Demigod on the other hand is shorter and less noticeable, able to squat below the water level and move in peace.

In short, anyone standing in front of Abaleyn should be able to tell if she’s really a God or not. This Demigod Dragon of legends is now currently enjoying a hair wash and massage. No sign of any godly presence here.

I tracked her down to this nondescript salon because I wanted to know about how to surpass the bottleneck past level 500 abilities and into the realm of Demigods.

After I sent the girls away to have fun I had paid a visit to Dionyss a while ago to discuss the bottleneck, to which she could only helplessly shake her head.

Dionyss 「 I became a Demigod naturally since I became infused with the Demon God’s longevity curse. I can’t explain the process or help you but maybe my sister Abaleyn would know more, since she’s lived longer than I have. Plus, they say that ancient dragons covet knowledge and harbor an insatiable curiosity. Surely she would know more than I. 」

I left the Grand Priestess shortly after she arranged a time later that evening for me to visit and meet the royal family. I agreed thinking a meeting with royalty would be an amusing way to kill time. Dionyss assured me that the bride of the upcoming wedding would be there as well.

I look forward to meeting the princess, but soon put it out of mind. I enter the salon to see a gingerly middle-aged man with graying hair grooming and washing Abaleyn’s hair.

He gives me a refreshing smile and nods to acknowledge my presence. He uses the towel wrapped around his neck to wipe his hands, before stepping aside to another room. Abaleyn, still in position laying back with hair dripping wet and eyes closed, talks like she has eyes on the back of her head.

Abaleyn 「 Young child, what brings you to this old woman? If you’re here for the salon I suggest getting a full package including the deep scalp massage. It’s not easy to make an appointment with Mr. Barbert just so you know. 」

Becca 「 Granny Abaleyn, I’m here to ask if you know anything about the bottleneck that stops mortals from reaching Demigod status. 」

The old granny is silent as if to enjoy the lingering scent of shampoo and the massage. The silence is unnerving to me but she ignores it with a faint smile on her lips.

Abaleyn 「 The method to breach the mortal limit? I haven’t heard such a question for at least a few centuries, give or take a few decades. I tend to take long naps at my age you know? 」

I guess if you’re an ancient Demigod Dragon your naps end up years long. I wonder who was the last people to ask her? Granny Abaleyn sits up slowly with a regal presence and her clear eyes seem to pierce my thoughts.

Abaleyn 「 The bottleneck between mortal and Demigod is a natural process that is engraved in one’s bones and blood. For some species, especially long-lived ones like dragons and High Elves, Demigod status comes naturally. 」

Note to self, add High Elves to sightseeing list. I’ve seen Elves before in cities like Realight that promote a hodgepodge of races, but I haven’t seen Elves in their natural habitat of the forest.

On a side note, Elves are pretty elusive figures, mainly because their beauty and rarity is so exaggerated that they run into no small amount of trouble. Most elves walk with hoods and clothes wrapped around their heads. The ones that walk freely are mostly the Half Elves and Dark Elves, who aren’t so afraid of attracting trouble.

Abaleyn 「 Now why is it that longer living species don’t experience the limits? It’s because their bodies are fundamentally closer to godhood. In fact, gods used to be a colloquial term for beings that surpassed normal lifespans several times over. 」

She pauses to let that sink in. So any being that lives long enough was recognized as Gods. I suppose their sheer amount of power and long lives would arouse worship in anyone.