⌈Weekend update: 0/2⌋
The second dragon lord accepted the sand sculpture gifts from several giant dragons to be used as pets. It didn’t take long before he proudly shared the story, causing many dragons to gather around the palace, lurking outside the grand hall to observe. They were eagerly anticipating the young lord’s next request, ready to fulfill it at a moment’s notice.
Amid the blatant observation, Jing Nian, the dragon who was being observed: “…”
Your massive size that can’t be concealed, the dragon breath that ignites with excitement, the whirlwind caused by a flap of your wings, and the ground shaking beneath your steps… Let’s not even mention those.
That young fire giant dragon outside the window, please put out the flames on your head first!
And that one on the right, your frost has already reached the corners of the window!
…
Well, for now, he’s just an innocent and adorable dragon hatchling. He can’t say anything yet.
Jing Nian could only choose to turn a blind eye and not be bothered. He sprawled in the hatchling’s nest, gazing out at the palace with a dazed expression.
Equally resigned to their fate was his newly acquired pet, the Sand Sculpture King. It lay prone at the foot of the throne, its indifferent fish-like eyes occasionally glancing at the dragon heads that popped up outside the window.
It wasn’t until Hesse, the dragon who had gone to the elven realm to fetch the life fruits, returned and chased away the clueless dragons that Jing Nian was finally freed.
However, faced with the affectionate and well-intentioned elder dragons who even helped with nursing…
Jing Nian: Thank you. QAQ I’m tired. I don’t really feel rescued.
Jing Nian discreetly poked the slumbering dragon soul of the hatchling and attempted to awaken it with his consciousness: “Little hatchling, wake up and have some milk!”
“Whimper… Maa! Maa! Maa!” Within the realm of consciousness, the chubby dragon soul smacked its lips, turned over, and snuggled its back to Jing Nian. The tip of its heart-shaped tail playfully flicked at Jing Nian’s hand.
Hesse stood before the throne, watching the interaction between the two hatchlings with a twinkle in its slightly narrowed eyes, a hint of amusement escaping its grinning mouth that seemed to stretch wider than ever before.
It had initially worried about the inherent dominance of dragons, fearing that the young lords who shared a single body might eventually clash. But now, it seemed like those worries were entirely unnecessary.
The previous incident where the first young lord shared his gemstones and gold with the second young lord had surprised everyone. The possessiveness ingrained in the first young lord didn’t seem to manifest towards his younger brother at all. And now, the second young lord had even generously offered his favorite fruit milk to his older brother!
Even the knowledgeable and experienced elder dragon Hesse couldn’t help but be slightly surprised by this.
After all, the saying “Brothers should be harmonious and friends respectful” wasn’t really applicable in the dragon realm. Even among siblings born from the same mother, they would usually be raised in separate dragon nests to avoid competing for resources. Not fighting for resources was already considered fortunate.
As for sharing? What did you say? Oh, everything belongs to me? Alright, alright! I’ll immediately clear out my brother’s/sister’s nest!
Then the two siblings would end up fighting from one nest to another.
As they grew a bit older, their quarrels would mean dismantling a nest.
As the most powerful beings on the continent, the dragon tribe consistently encouraged and supported the “internal training” of their offspring. They even practiced it themselves to lead by example.
However, when faced with the “fragile” first young lord, born prematurely, and the “delicate” second young lord, who only possessed half of a dragon soul, the dragons were rather inconsistent in their standards.
What fighting, what quarreling? Wasn’t it better for the little hatchlings to love each other?
Jing Nian couldn’t wake up the hatchling, so in order not to reveal his true identity, he had no choice but to step up himself!
He maintained an appearance of innocence on his face, but the shame in his heart kept intensifying.
Rubbing his face, Jing Nian recalled the adorable sight of the hatchling drinking the fruit milk. He extended his small dragon claws from the nest, opened his eyes wide, and waited for the elder dragon to toss the fruit into his embrace.
However, Hesse gazed with a playful smile at the hatchling’s form—Jing Nian’s human face slowly blushed a rosy pink. Hesse couldn’t help but find amusement in the situation, without reminding Jing Nian of the thought that “the hatchling’s nap time is still far from over, and you’ll have to play the hatchling for a while longer.”
It remembered the guidelines for raising hatchlings that the elves had given, and with a bit of elemental power, it pierced a small hole in the fruit’s surface, allowing the milky white juice to trickle out. Hesse carefully and gently brought it to the edge of Jing Nian’s lips. At the same time, using its large dragon claws, it held a soft “drool cloth1somewhat like a bib” against the hatchling’s chest.
This was a feeding technique that the elves deliberately demonstrated using their own hatchling in front of the dragon Hesse.
Thinking about Jing Nian’s own dragon soul, also in a human form, Hesse found it quite agreeable.
Following a set of gentle yet irresistibly persuasive actions, until the sweet fruit milk flowed into his mouth, Jing Nian, lying on his back in the hatchling’s nest, finally reacted.
Now, the dragon soul of Jing Nian within the hatchling turned crimson.
The appearance of that blond-haired, blue-eyed, fair-skinned little person within the hatchling, looking helpless and embarrassed, was simply too adorable.
Hesse couldn’t hold back a chuckle, the amusement escaping through its nostrils with a “snort.”
Jing Nian, who had been nervously nursing, suddenly jolted, raising his eyes alertly.
Old Hesse quickly composed its expression, earnestly looking outside the window and then towards the door.
There seemed to be nothing unusual.
“Huh~” Jing Nian quickly sucked in a breath, preventing the fruit milk from flowing out of the corner of his mouth.
And in his mind, he let out a sigh. Pretending to be a hatchling was truly challenging. He had to endure the embarrassment of acting like a baby and be on edge to avoid the dragons sensing anything out of the ordinary.
Fortunately, after this level 99 dragon, with its dazzling presence, finished feeding the fruit milk, it quietly picked up the fruit peel from Jing Nian’s embrace and left after noticing that Jing Nian’s eyelids were beginning to droop.
With his eyes half-closed, Jing Nian pretended to sleep for quite a while. Only then did he cautiously open his eyes and sneak a peek from the edge of the nest.
He realized that the elder dragon not only left on its own but also took away the group of silly dragons who had been secretly watching outside the palace. Jing Nian felt a sense of relief both mentally and physically.
The chubby little dragon feet kicked the blanket off, and Jing Nian confidently sat up in the nest, flipping through his task list, and began crafting a new plan.
And after a while, more time passed.
Jing Nian struggled to turn around, using his dragon claws to grip the edge of the nest. He called out to the Sand Sculpture King, and the king, nestled beneath the golden throne, lifted its head from under the chair, revealing its bald scalp and a pair of silly dead-fish eyes.
The scene was too comical.
Jing Nian couldn’t help but let out a “puh” sound, causing a message to pop up on the interface.
[Pet [Sand Sculpture King] Mood -1]
Jing Nian: “…”
After all, the Sand Sculpture King was a key part of his mission now. Jing Nian thought for a moment and decided to appease it.
He rummaged through the pile of treasures that the hatchling had given him and pulled out a small crown that seemed to match the sand sculpture’s head quite well. He walked over to the edge of the golden throne, padding his feet to reach its height, and then placed the small crown on the Sand Sculpture King’s head. It perfectly covered its bald spot, and Jing Nian sincerely complimented, “Looks great.”
Surprisingly, the small crown and the sand sculpture’s head indeed matched, as if it were naturally meant to be there. It added an air of regal majesty to the sand sculpture that wasn’t there before.
He had thought the Sand Sculpture King would be touched by the gift, but instead of gratitude, it not only didn’t thank him but also rolled its eyes at him.
“Sigh~”
Jing Nian couldn’t help but put his hands on his hips, wanting to have a reasonable conversation with it. However, he suddenly caught a glimpse of his pet inventory.
Pet 1: [Sand Sculpture King]
Equipment 1-1: [Sand Sculpture Crown]
Oh, this…
Jing Nian looked at the small crown seemingly attached to the Sand Sculpture King’s head and realized that it was indeed attached there.
One had to admit, dragons were quite impressive. So, had that group of silly creatures already stolen someone else’s crown before the powerful Sand Sculpture King was captured? ==|
Nevertheless, despite the eye-rolling, there was an undeniable change in its mood.
Jing Nian suppressed a chuckle, knowing better than to let on. He cleared his throat, opened the map, pointed to their destination for the Sand Sculpture King, and conveyed his hope that it could carry him there.
The Sand Sculpture King’s dead-fish eyes glanced at its chubby “hatchling” owner and rolled its eyes instinctively, but given its improved mood, it didn’t refuse.
After a brief preparation, Jing Nian wrapped himself in a makeshift cloak made of fabric as a disguise. He mounted the Sand Sculpture King and was ready to depart. Just before taking off, he thought for a moment, then went back to the side of the nest, huffing and puffing, and rearranged a string of dragon characters.
[Playing, just, coming back2TL’s note: “Going to play, will come back later~”~]
It mimicked the tone of the hatchling’s voice.
–
Finally, the Sand Sculpture King, carrying a bundle of moving fabric, quietly escaped from the depths of the dragon abyss.
As soon as they left the Dragon Abyss, the Sand Sculpture King couldn’t contain its excitement and spread its wings, soaring freely in the sky. It tilted its head back and let out a joyful cry.
Jing Nian also poked his head out from the fabric bundle. The sensation of escaping the dragon’s nest and weaving through the clouds was fantastic. He couldn’t help but join in with a howl of his own, “Awoo~”.
Both the dragon cub and the Sand Sculpture King had regained their freedom. They tilted their heads back and howled excitedly as they joyfully headed towards the teleportation point.
–
On the other side, within the Dragon Abyss.
When Jing Nian, wrapped in the fabric bundle, mounted the Sand Sculpture King and prepared to leave the Dragon Palace, the dragons had already found out. However, once they realized that Jing Nian intended to “run away,” the dragons felt a bit melancholic but didn’t stop him.
After reading the string of dragon characters left by Jing Nian, their sadness deepened. However, their sorrow wasn’t about the young lord’s desire to go outside and play. No, it was about—
What’s so great about riding that darn sculpture?
Does it fly faster than me? Does it fly higher than me? Is it as stable as me?
No, no, no!
While the dragons indulged the runaway young lord and the Sand Sculpture King, they channeled their jealousy into determination and engaged in an urgent battle.
Two victorious dragons sneaked after the young lord in the depths of the clouds, secretly protecting him.
–
After more than ten minutes of leaving the Abyss, Jing Nian and the Sand Sculpture King arrived at the nearest teleportation point outside the Abyss.
Only players could see and use teleportation points. Since the Sand Sculpture King had been bound by Jing Nian as a player’s pet, it could also use the teleportation point.
The pillar of light at the teleportation point flickered faintly, and Jing Nian and the Sand Sculpture King appeared together in a distant fishing village.
In the sky above, the two dragons, without sensing the presence of their young lord, sped toward the spot where he disappeared, yet they saw nothing.
Before long, news from the Lost Forest spread across the continent: the Dragon Tribe was going crazy again!
…
After arriving at the teleportation point outside the fishing village.
Jing Nian rode on the Sand Sculpture King’s back and struggled to use the short claws of the hatchling to hand the map to the Sand Sculpture King, instructing it to take him to the nearest mission point.
In reality, this teleportation point wasn’t far from Uncle Pipi’s house, where Jing Nian was heading. For a novice player, it was a distance that could be walked.
However, when he took control of the hatchling’s body and tried to walk a few steps, Jing Nian realized that the bouncy steps the hatchling took earlier weren’t because it hadn’t learned to walk properly yet. It was because the chubby baby body was genuinely inconvenient for walking.
The Sand Sculpture King quickly reached their destination and stopped outside Uncle Pipi’s house.
As Jing Nian dismounted from the Sand Sculpture King’s back, he silently decided that he would secretly help the hatchling lose some weight when he got back.
He let the Sand Sculpture King depart, waiting for his summons.
Jing Nian adjusted the fabric cloak he wore, making sure that he hadn’t revealed any dragon-like features. Then, he lifted his small dragon claw, wrapped in the same fabric, and knocked on Uncle Pipi’s courtyard gate.
“Clang, clang, clang…”
Silence.
“Clang, clang…”
He knocked for a long time without any response. Jing Nian furrowed his brow and opened the quest list. The mission guide still indicated that Uncle Pipi was at home. His brow furrowed even more tightly.
Just as he was wondering if it might be because the game hadn’t officially started yet, and the NPCs weren’t in place…
The door creaked open.
Jing Nian’s peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a figure. He looked up in surprise, and his jaw dropped in astonishment.
Could a farmer really be this handsome?!
Author’s note:
Author: Of course, a farmer can’t be this handsome (wearing sunglasses).
PS: I realized this book can never remember to set scheduled updates. In any case, it’ll be between 6 PM and 9 PM.
PPS: Thanks to little angel Ah Ye, who is the dominant partner and sent 30 bottles of nutrient solution~
