DADH Chapter 23

Because they received a group of cubs, the dragons deliberately found an empty dragon’s lair in the abyss that was situated on the ground and close to flat terrain. They transformed it into a specialized area for the cubs to live in.

The races that sent the cubs were quite cunning; they sent all sorts of cubs. It wouldn’t be feasible for the dragons to take care of them all.

So, the ‘nannies’ responsible for caring for the cubs were also sent over, and it was a situation where one cub was pulling along N adult caretakers.

Regarding this, the dragons chose to turn a blind eye as long as the young masters liked it. After all, the races that sent these cubs were all small in size. In the eyes of the dragons, both cubs and adult members of these races were like ants, no difference at all. A couple of empty lairs would easily accommodate them.

After the cubs’ living quarters were settled, the adult members of the various races who moved into the abyss along with the cubs included skilled craftsmen in construction. Soon, three lairs and the area around them were filled with many beautiful and charming small houses.

It was evident that everyone was well-prepared.

Soon, a mini-market appeared underground in the abyss, and interestingly, none of the creatures were human. It seemed like a mix of a fantasy world.

Flying creatures from the sky, half-beast beings, crawling creatures on the ground, and even amphibious creatures were present. The most surprising thing was that there were several fish species with their own pools.

The mini-market was bustling, bringing a breath of fresh air to the abyss.

Of course, “mini” was mainly for the dragons; for Jing Nian and the little dragon, it was still a normal-sized street.

Both of them were having a great time in the mini-market.

When the Shell-Cracking and Naming Ceremony officially began, Jing Nian and the little dragon were still in the mini-market, watching the construction while petting the fluffy little creatures (small beast people) on the side.

The elder dragon Hesse arrived outside the mini street. Its feet were too large to enter, so it stood outside to inform the young lords that the ceremony was about to begin.

It bent down, carefully placing its massive dragon claw in the open space before Jing Nian and the little dragon. It waited for them to come up.

The younglings playing outside the mini street with the little dragon noticed a vast shadow cast over the sky. They raised their little heads and saw a terrifying dragon with its mouth open, which frightened them, causing them to scream and flee.

The fluffy creatures under its paw also scattered away. The little dragon stood up with a huff, placed its hands on its hips, and walked up to Hesse’s enormous paw, playfully patting it a few times.

Hesse chuckled, quickly apologizing, “Sorry, I’ll be more careful next time.”

The little dragon cub snorted and climbed onto Hesse’s palm skillfully, then looked at the elder dragon’s large wings with curiosity.

“Ready to fly~”

Hesse understood its intention, lifting its paw and placing the young lord gently on its shoulder. It took a couple of steps towards the edge of the mini street and then pushed off the ground, flapping its wings, and took off with a “Ready to fly~” according to the young lord’s wish.

However, it still underestimated its own power. The force generated by its large wings caused a strong gust of wind that directly knocked over the little wooden houses of a group of little bear people on the outskirts of the mini street.

In the quickly rising view, the family of little bear people hurriedly picked up pieces of wood.

Jing Nian: “…”

So, just how terrifying were these invaders, even if these little different races risked being stepped on by a dragon to avoid them?

“Prophecy” and “invaders” were two terms that Jing Nian and the little dragon had heard from the mouths of these little different races while playing in the mini street. However, they only understood fragments of their conversations.

After obtaining the player system, Jing Nian could understand the common language of the continent. However, these little different races often alternated between the common language and their own language while speaking, making it difficult for Jing Nian to fully comprehend.

And although the dragons had mentioned prophecies as well, they usually wore expressions of disdain and indifference.

They rarely went into detailed explanations, which led to Jing Nian’s curiosity about the prophecy but still not fully understanding what the invaders were all about.

That is until he saw—

The giant dragon clan altar, burning with golden flames, slowly rises from the center of the Abyss Valley.

When he and the little dragon were placed together in the middle of the altar.

A certain string in Jing Nian’s mind suddenly snapped.

He remembered a long time ago, a studio had sent a self-recommendation email to his [Yi Nian] account, inviting him to try out a game.

There was a holographic CG in the email that left a deep impression on him!

In the center of the circular altar burning with golden flames, a colossal golden dragon was impaled through the heart by a sharp sword, collapsing with a thunderous roar. Blood flowed from the dragon, turning into golden flames, igniting the surrounding area. The dragon’s blood acted as fuel, and soon the altar and the dragon were both engulfed in flames.

Beneath the altar, dragons lay headless, their cries of anguish echoing everywhere…

The injured dragons rushed into the altar without hesitation, not only failing to stop the golden dragon but also being consumed by the flames themselves.

However, the main focus of this CG wasn’t the dragons.

It was a player, the one who threw the massive sword into the air and killed the dragon mid-flight…

As the familiar scene of all the dragons bowing around the circular altar appeared before his eyes.

Jing Nian’s mind buzzed, leaving him dazed.

Dragon Slayer!!!

The name of the game on that CG was Dragon Slayer!!!

When Na Yang gave him the closed beta invitation, he couldn’t recall if the name of that game was mentioned in their communication!

However, he was certain that this game world was “Dragon Slayer”!

Slay.

Slay dragons.

Dragon Slayer.

He was a dragon now, and the little dragon was also a dragon.

So, the outsiders mentioned in the prophecy, are they all players?

Are they all here to kill dragons?

He had been looking forward to the game’s launch!

Just as a tingling sensation swept over Jing Nian, outside the altar.

From the formation set up on the other side, the Holy Dragon Blood Pool slowly emerged behind the altar. Controlled by the power of the formation, it began to tilt, and the Holy Dragon Blood flowed into the flames surrounding the altar.

Instantly, the flames burned even more fiercely. At the same time, a distant dragon’s roar echoed through time and space, and all the bowing dragons raised their heads to greet it.

A colossal golden dragon shadow flew out of the flames, instantly enveloping the little dragon sitting curiously in the middle of the altar, surrounded by flames.

The flames completely covered the situation on the altar.

The dragons raised their necks even higher, and pairs of dragon eyes widened significantly. They watched the center of the altar in breathless anticipation.

Soon, the intense flames exploded and slowly dissipated, followed by a burst of powerful, kingly aura that erupted. The flames returned to their initial state of small flames encircling the altar.

A colossal golden dragon stood majestically in the center of the altar. Its size was twice that of the largest elder dragon, Hesse, below. With a proud dragon head, its golden eyes looked down on its subjects.

Then, it lifted its noble dragon head and let out a resounding roar to the sky.

This dragon’s roar echoed throughout the heavens and the earth.

Almost instantly, all the ancient beings that had been in a deep slumber on the Grans Continent were stirred by this dragon’s roar.

Beneath the altar, the dragons excitedly joined in with raised heads.

The various races that had recently moved into the Abyss were huddled together in fear, startled by the terrifying dragon’s roar.

…

After the moment of tingling scalp passed, Jing Nian felt a bit dazed.

He felt as if a scorching yet non-burning power had suddenly pierced through his body. Then, his bones throughout his entire body made a series of brittle sounds like “crack, crack, crack…” It wasn’t painful, but he could clearly sense that all his bones had been shattered and were regrowing!

Jing Nian quickly reached for his body. The sensation was no different, but he had an unsettling feeling that something was off.

Before he could lower his head to see what had changed about his body, the ground under his feet suddenly shook violently. He instinctively grabbed onto the nearest pillar, then felt the “ground” beneath his feet slowly rising.

A terrifying and resounding roar emanated from beneath him, followed by numerous familiar echoing roars.

It was the language of dragons, yet it didn’t hold specific meanings.

It was merely a representation.

The first roar indicated it was the king of dragons.

The subsequent echoing roars signified their belief and submission to the king.

The moment Jing Nian understood, his heart shook greatly. He only then realized that the pillar he was holding onto wasn’t an ordinary pillar at all – it was a massive dragon horn!

Was he currently standing in human form on top of a dragon’s head?!

Jing Nian muttered in disbelief, quickly hugging the dragon horn and attempting to retreat. However, unexpectedly, the dragon beneath him slowly turned its head, exposing him to the assembly of dragons.

He didn’t even have time to hide.

In the instant when he was stared at by countless pairs of dragon eyes, Jing Nian’s mind went completely blank.

Whether the Dragonslayer comes or not becomes irrelevant; he might be slain by a dragon first.

However, in the eyes of the dragons, a different scene unfolded.

On the forehead of their dragon king stood another dragon king.

Due to the calculations of two human mages, its appearance had transformed into that of an elegant and slender young man.

Behind the young man sprouted a pair of miniaturized dragon wings, while a beautiful and delicate miniature dragon horn adorned his forehead. He had golden hair and azure eyes.

All these features were familiar to the dragons, but it was the first time they had seen his physical form, especially one that bore dragon characteristics!

Even their expressions carried the familiar adorably timid demeanor of the dragons.

The dragons below stirred excitedly.

Although the future form of the Second Young Master wasn’t the majestic dragon form, this appearance was also quite attractive!!!

The dragons all expressed their fondness!

The sound of submission echoed once again towards Jing Nian.

Dragon language differed from other languages; apart from conveying its literal meaning, it could express many things. For example, Jing Nian could understand that this time, their act of submission was directed towards him.

Still recovering from his fear, Jing Nian: “…?”

Suddenly being revered by dragons, I’m a bit puzzled!

But soon, he felt a flick from the dragon beneath him. Jing Nian slipped and instinctively reached out to grab onto a nearby dragon horn, only to realize he had inadvertently triggered something on his back…

He was airborne…

Quickly, he skillfully flapped his wings and floated in front of the head of the dragon that was previously beneath him. Flying a little further away, he also got a clear view of the dragon’s appearance.

Just as he had speculated, it was indeed the same golden dragon he had seen in the CG, and it was… the little dragon cub!

When their gazes met, Jing Nian became even more certain, and he realized their consciousness connection hadn’t been severed.

“Together, let’s go!”

Although the size had grown and the appearance had become more handsome, the little dragon cub was still the same little dragon cub. With enthusiasm, it requested Jing Nian to fly together.

Jing Nian realized that even when the little dragon cub transformed into a 50-meter-tall dragon, those eyes looking at him with anticipation and playfulness still made him feel unable to resist the child’s feelings.

This was probably what being a parent was like.

No matter how old a child grows, they are still precious in their parents’ eyes.

Even though he was now a 50-meter-tall dragon cub.

So, Jing Nian took a brief glance at the dragons beneath him, who looked at him without hostility, even with a hint of a smile.

Turning his head, he agreed to the little dragon cub.

The moment Jing Nian agreed, the ‘small’ dragon cub stomped its huge golden legs twice on the sacrificial altar, shaking it so much that even Jing Nian felt nervous.

Fortunately, there were formations on the sacrificial altar, and it quickly stabilized again.

The little dragon cub cautiously spread its large wings and hesitated as it lifted its foot once more.

Although it was still a baby now, when it truly assumed the stance of a king with its regal dragon body, being watched by its subjects, the burden of a monarch had fallen upon it.

In case it failed, and everyone watched, wouldn’t that be embarrassing~

Jing Nian, connected to the consciousness of the little dragon cub, burst into laughter.

Seeing a majestic 50-meter dragon hesitating in a manner reminiscent of a little baby before taking a step, and still considering the burden of a monarch while coaxing each dragon to fly and playfully calling out “Ao wu~”, wasn’t it already rid of that burden!

However, Jing Nian didn’t crush the child’s spirits.

Suppressing his laughter, he encouraged the little dragon cub, “You couldn’t fly before because your wings were small (and your body was a bit chubby), but now your wings have grown, you can do it!”

The golden dragon showed a mix of yearning and skepticism: Really?

Jing Nian flew around it in a circle, saying, “Really!”

Watching the increasingly skilled scene of Jing Nian flying, the little dragon cub’s eyes lit up with envy, and it couldn’t resist flapping its wings.

Its massive body lifted off the ground, and with a strong flap of its wings, the golden dragon soared into the sky with a rush.

The dragons grinned in a “kind” manner, gazing up at their dragon lord. Then, they pushed off with their legs and all followed suit.

Jing Nian also experienced the joy of having wings for the first time!

The pleasure of soaring freely in the sky was beyond imagination.

He swung his wings and flew side by side with the little dragon cub, darting into the clouds, briefly forgetting his identity and all worries, completely letting go and relaxing.

“Race~” came a mental communication from the little golden dragon cub beside him.

Jing Nian responded, “No problem!”

Both of them accelerated together, quickly leaving the other dragons behind. Only the Wind Dragon could barely keep up with the shadows of the dragon lords’ feet.

Jing Nian and the little dragon cub flew almost half of the continent’s sky in a circle before returning to the sacrificial altar.

The first to arrive, the little dragon cub landed and proudly puffed out its chest, looking smugly at Jing Nian who arrived later. “Hehe, you lost~”

Just as Jing Nian was about to playfully “lecture” it, a sudden dizziness overcame him.

He returned to the Dragon Soul space.

Drip—Your Dragon Experience Card has expired.

Suddenly reverting back to its “little dragon cub” form, the bewildered little dragon cub sat in the middle of the sacrificial altar.

Then the dragons that had chased after let out a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, the Dragon Lord returned on their own. Otherwise, if the time limit had expired and they suddenly turned back into cubs in midair, they probably would have fought each other again to catch the young lord.

Fighting would be troublesome, and the Hatching Ceremony had just begun!

Fighting would only delay the ceremony.

With a sense of relief, the dragons returned beneath the altar and began cheering for their young lord.

The altar had already revealed the future appearances of the two young lords!!!

Both of them were the supreme and majestic Golden Dragons, the pinnacle of the dragon clan!

This indicated a bright future for the dragon clan!

And they were even two times larger!!!

Because of the golden color of his wings.

However, reality showed that the emotions of dragons and little dragons couldn’t quite align.

Sitting in the middle of the altar with a dejected expression, the little dragon cub pouted: Your happiness is my sadness!

It stomped its feet and spun in circles on the altar in frustration!

Look at the size of my wings!

Look at the size of my body!

How did I become small again, wuwuwu.

Feeling the little dragon cub’s anger and its adorable stomping expression, which was so cute that it could only stomp its feet, Jing Nian chuckled within the Dragon Soul space.

As the dragons became more familiar with their young lord, one by one they couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

The little dragon cub crossed its arms, sitting in the middle of the altar with its back turned to the dragons, even hiding its heart-shaped tail in its frustration.

How unreasonable! They couldn’t coax it!

In the Dragon Soul space,

Jing Nian was faced with the angry back of a little dragon.

He walked over and poked it, “… Little one, be good.”

It shifted forward, avoiding Jing Nian’s touch.

Jing Nian continued to approach, giving its chubby neck a light pinch. While it stretched, he quickly tickled it.

Instantly, the little dragon cub, who was previously aloof and ignoring Jing Nian, was now rolling on the ground in laughter from being tickled.

After returning to its cub form again, the brief transition from [Sovereign > Subject] consciousness to returning to the protective [Subject > Sovereign] state.

So, the dragons could once again see the Dragon Soul of both young lords within the little dragon cub’s soul space.

Thus, this scene was once again watched by everyone with smiles.

Seeing Jing Nian successfully appease the little dragon cub,

The dragons approached calmly and began preparing for the next stage.

–

In a small fishing village.

The three brothers from the Jing family had finally completed the first stage of the warrior’s quest and reached level 15. They could now leave the small fishing village and head to the town.

They had already confirmed that there was no trace of “Jing Nian” in the small fishing village. Therefore, the three of them were planning to move to the town. However, at this moment, a health notification popped up on their panels once again, reminding them that for the sake of their health, they should log off and rest within ten minutes, otherwise they would be forcibly logged out.

The eldest and second brother of the Jing family, who were novices to gaming, once again voiced their annoyance and confusion, “Can’t we turn off this restriction?”

This time limit was causing a delay in their search for their younger brother.

Originally, the physique of Imperial soldiers who had used some genetic enhancements was already stronger than that of ordinary people. Moreover, they were among the elite. When hunting down the Zerg, they could go for half a month without sleep or rest, like steel machines, and they didn’t need to rest at all.

Jing Yan felt exhausted, “… No, it’s illegal to turn it off.”

Holographic online games were different from flat-screen online games. Holographic online games involve sensory stimulation. Over time, they could cause certain sensory illusions in the player’s physical sensations in reality.

For example, your body feels hungry, but you misunderstand and think that you’re only hungry in the game. At this point, when you eat something in the game, there’s a simulated feeling of “fullness” in the game. The simulated feeling of fullness will create a certain illusionary impact on the real sense of hunger, counteracting the feeling of hunger.

Some people even use this virtual sense of fullness for weight loss online.

However, if the health monitoring mechanism is lost to an extreme degree, the holographic player’s sense of hunger will be constantly counteracted, leading them to believe they’re not hungry. Eventually, they will actually starve to death!

Therefore, according to the Interstellar Network Law, health mechanisms were added long ago. A holographic online game without a health mechanism was equivalent to committing intentional murder.

After being educated by their younger brother in yet another area of knowledge, the eldest and second brothers of the Jing family frowned, sharing one thought.

—— Trouble.

In the end, the three of them had no choice but to log out of the game.

—

Three days later.

One of the dual emperors who had just achieved the Interstellar Grand Slam, Qu Huang [Yiqu Liushang], announced on Star Expo that he would be entering a game called “Dragon Slayer.”

Enthusiasts of holographic online games flocked in, and they came in droves.

Star Knows Me: I want to see what kind of magical game this ordinary “Dragon Slayer” is. It actually managed to pull me, Qu Huang, away!!!

Twin One szd: I don’t care about the game, I only care about Qu Huang. What about Nian Huang!!!

World With Twins: Are the Twin Emperors’ cp going to break up!!!

[Yiqu Liushang]: (smiling) Yi Nian entered “Dragon Slayer” before me. If you’re interested, you can go in and look for him. You might just run into him.

Netizens: !!!

The news that [Yi Nian] would also be joining “Dragon Slayer” quickly spread across the star network, accompanied by screenshots personally stamped with Qu Huang’s seal!

As is well known, [Yi Nian] was no longer active on social media accounts. Often, if there was something to say, Qu Huang would help convey it.

Instantly.

The other half of the holographic online gaming world rushed to “Dragon Slayer” as well.

An obscure Star Expo account without many fans was pushed up to the hot search.

#Dragon Slayer Studio V: In three days, the full interstellar public beta will begin.#

#I’m here to meet the Twin Emperors!#

 

Author’s Note:

Little Dragon Cub: Waaah, my wings are so big!

Jing Nian: Waaah, players are here to kill me!

The opening is approaching~