The wind made the water of the lake ripple. Vivian’s golden hair danced in the wind and she put a hand up to keep it away from her face. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Xiu in the woods but her surprise quickly turned into pleasure “It’s you.”
Xiu was quietly observing Vivian’s expression. When he saw how the girl’s face was filled with joy, he walked out from the shadow of the woods with a smiled and greeted her as though they were two friends who had not seen each other for a while: “Long time no see, did you lose your bracelet in a lake again?”
The lake’s blue surface reflected the image of two people. A long time ago, when Xiu was still a student of the Magic School, they had met when Vivian lost her bracelet in a lake and Xiu helped her find it. Thinking of that time, Vivian began to smile and she stretched out her hand to reveal an old-fashioned chain on her wrist.
“Thank you for helping me find it. To me this is a very important memento.” Vivian’s beautiful eyes stared at Xiu: “Last time, because of an urgent summons, I did not have the chance to thank you before I left. Thank the god of light that we have met again.”
“Me too, seeing you again … I am happy.” Xiu smiled and said: “I did not expect you to be one of the tower climbers.”
The corners of Vivian’s mouth turned up slightly, forming a crescent moon shape. This handsome golden-haired, blue-eyed youth has made a good impression on her. Perhaps because they didn’t exchange names, this person will not compliment her because of her identity. Neither will he approach her because of her beauty. Whether it was the first time they met or the present meeting, they were able to get along with each other naturally, as if they had known each other for a long time.
The two people have a tacit understanding that it’s better not to ask each other’s name. Vivian asked Xiu: “How long have you been here?”
“I just arrived.” Xiu smiled somewhat helplessly: “I haven’t figured out this situation yet.”
“I’m nine days ahead of you so I’m leaving soon,” she said. Vivian winked at Xiu: “Let me give you some tips as a thank you since you helped me last time. We are now in the dragon caves. The lizard creatures will continue to try to to seize our nests and we must hold them off for 10 days. On the last day, the dragon god Io will appear – have you ever heard of Io?”
“Ah, the nine-colored dragon god Io, he can appear as any type of dragon.”
“Yes, Io can transform into any type of dragon. He is strong, but there is a way to weaken him.” Vivian smiled: “There are many troglodyte caves among the dragon caves. They have treasures. Bring those treasures back to your lair. The more of those treasures you have in your lair, the more dragons will drawn to attack it.”
“Each time you kill one of those dragons, you seal one of Io’s dragon forms.” Vivian smiled slightly: “Without his dragon forms, fighting Io won’t be too difficult.”
Xiu looked at the ignorant holy woman. He lowered his eyes and smiled. “Thank you, really… Thank you so much.”
Vivian can’t help but stare at Xiu’s mouth. That person’s hair and smile, they are both as dazzling as the sun.
“I have a friend who looks like you.” Vivian murmured: “He also has a splendid blond hair and is a good knight.”
Xiu’s eyes darkened; knew that Vivian was talking about the son of the lord, Eric.
“If I ever have the chance, I’d like to see the friend you’re talking about.” The curvature of Xiu’s lips was unchanged: “Am I really like him?”
Vivian nodded. “I think you would be able to get along with each other, but …”
The beautiful face of the holy saint became touched by a slight melancholy. “I have lost my friend, because he used a forbidden magic he is no longer able to use martial arts and magic. On one day, he and his partner quietly left the Temple of Light… left us.”
“I’m sorry,” Xiu said.
Vivian shook her head and motioned to Xiu that he shouldn’t apologize. Leaves fell from the trees into the lake, satirically looking at all of this.
“I left a long time ago and now I have to go back. You -” Vivian paused, and then said: “Would you like to come with me? I can let my disci-… companions help you.”
Being with this person felt right and parting with him makes her feel sorrowful.
“You want to help me because you are seeing ‘me’ now.”
Vivian was very confused. She looked at Xiu. The young blond’s voice was light, as though he was talking to himself. Before she could ask him what he meant, Xiu suddenly asked her another question: “Do you have someone you like?”
Vivian’s heartbeat sped up. This was the first time she felt this type of strange mood.She was silent for a moment then said: “I wholeheartedly believe in the god of light, I have no other thoughts but to serve him.”
“…So you will never feel my feelings.” Xiu said softly: “Do you know what it feels like to drift on the sea with only a piece of driftwood? Knowing that you can live because you have that piece of driftwood… the driftwood in your arms becomes even more important than your life – it sounds ridiculous, but that’s how I feel right now.”
Vivian stared at Xiu. The person in front of her was smiling – his lips were curved up and his eyebrows were raised in a smile but his eyes weren’t smiling at all. They were like water, a pure, beautiful blue light that brought only a terrible cold.
“There is someone I like so I can’t stand anything that might threaten to steal him away from me.”
Although Vivian’s necklace automatically triggered and quickly created a defensive barrier around her, Xiu’s dragon spear easily penetrated the light shield. The spear stabbed into Vivian’s stomach. Xiu bent close to Vivian and said: “I am not like Eric. His honor, compassion towards the weak, and sense of justice towards all … I don’t have any of those.”
The reflection on the surface of the lake was like a portrait of two perfectly matched people. Although the scene was the same as that time long ago, one of them had already changed.
Vivian opened her eyes. She spoke with great difficulty, her voice trembling and stuttering like the hands of an old clock: “Eric… You … are …?”
Xiu smiled, showing an almost gentle cruelty
“- The wicked Xiu, I remember you called me that.”
“…”
Vivian fell to the ground without a sound. Xiu pulled out the dragon spear. There was no blood on the spear and Vivian’s abdomen also had no scar – she was not dead but she was frozen in time. Xiu sent the sleeping girl down into the lake. He watched as, little by little, she was swallowed by the blue water.
Floating in the water, desperately holding on to a piece of driftwood, even if the driftwood is lost, death will not come immediately but the pain of struggling in the water is worse than death.
He fears losing Du Ze in the future, therefore he will do everything he can to keep him.
“Boing. Boing ~”
The fire phoenix was jumping from Du Ze’s left shoulder to his right shoulder then from his right shoulder to his left shoulder. It was as though he could not find the right place so he was searching for it. Du Ze, without a word, tugged on the phoenix’s tail that was wrapped around his neck, trying to pull the creature down.
The black dragon lifted his head, but it was just Xiu. The fire phoenix, who had been acting very sticky, suddenly became obedient and let go. Du Ze saw that Xiu’s clothes weren’t even mussed. It seems that this enemy is not someone who was difficult to deal with.
“I got some information.” Xiu sat behind Du Ze and hugged him. “Let’s go back.”
Muir spread his wings and flew back with Xiu and Du Ze.
When he arrived at the lair, Du Ze saw Enoch was throwing a gem the size of an apple up and down. Seeing them return, the thief waved excitedly to them and the gem nearly fell on his head.
“You’re back!” Enoch showed Du Ze and Xiu the jewel in his hand: “Look at what this thief found.”
They listened to Enoch’s story. The thief found a cave nearby that was guarded by troglodytes. Inside was full of gems and treasures and Enoch immediately shoplifted a lot of them and brought them back.
“There are a lot of precious gems.” Enoch excitedly said: “Why don’t we bring them back?”
“Yes.”
Du Ze didn’t think Xiu would agree to Enoch’s proposal. Xiu smiled at Du Ze. When everyone had returned Xiu told everyone what he had found out.
“… Therefore, we must guard the lair for 10 days.” Xiu glanced at the dragon cave and smiled: “And fill it with treasure.”
***
People will die for riches, just as birds will for food.
During the days that they were in the dragon race’s simulation, Du Ze gained a deep understanding of that saying.
Waves of troglodytes came to besiege them. At first it was just a handful of the yellow-green lizard people then it became hundreds of them, all rushing over with a weapon in one hand and a sack in the other. That intense determination, as though it was their duty to succeed or die trying – countless words seemed to form a sentence:
Boss, let’s be friends.
Moe Lord: Scram!
Wanting to hug the boss’s thigh, the lizard creatures rushed forward but failed miserably as they were turned into meat paste by the black dragon.
…What tragedy! You could almost see their tears falling like rain.
In order to hug the boss’ thigh the lizard creatures began to use tactics. One of them rushed forward while mounted on a drake.
Troglodyte Fighter (riding the drake): Boss, we want to be your friends ~
Silly, cute person: …
When the drake caught sight of Du Ze, a disaster happened. The drake roared, driven into a frenzy of terror and madness. He dumped his rider and trampled to death half of the lizard creatures.
…Please observe a moment of silence for all those who have fallen.
The drake they used the first time was just one of the most common mounts of its type. The lizard creatures did not think that their tactics were wrong so they simply changed to a stronger beast. Therefore, next time they came they rode a wyvern.
Troglodyte Fighter (riding a wyvern): Boss, we want to be your friends ~
Silly, cute person: …
Thump, the whole army was wiped out.
….On that day the troglodyte finally learned their lesson after they were trampled by the terrified beast mounts twice, humiliatingly killed by some silly, cute person.
To sum it all up, because the beast mounts were terrified of a silly, cute person, the defenders were less pressured by the invading lizard creatures and were able to spare a few more people to search for treasures. Enoch has a natural gift for sniffing out treasure and can find the lizard creature’s lairs. Thus, the poor thief didn’t join the fighting and was made to run back and forth, carrying the treasures with him until he was dog-tired.
The most time-consuming thing about the simulation was the way they had to find the treasure then fight the troglodytes for it and, finally, bring it back with them to their lair.
Rachel and Thunder Regiment members had to spend half a day to draw a teleportation array since relying on the human way of chanting a teleportation spell was not efficient.
Du Ze could not help but wonder why Xiu did not turn into his silver dragon form that has spatial magic. No doubt the Moe Lord has already thought of this, too, but he did still did not choose to change his form.
Is it because of what happened when he was in his dragon form?
“Why do you not use your dragon form?”
Hearing Du Ze’s question, Xiu ran his fingers across the back of Du Ze’s neck.
“I cannot restrain my dragon form.” Xiu smiled and said: “I won’t be able to stop myself from grabbing you, taking you to a place where no one can find you, and then mercilessly enjoying you.”
The Moe Lord’s tone was light and it sounded like a joke but Du Ze knew that he was quite serious. After that the silly, cute reader dared not bring this matter up again to Xiu.
The treasure in the lair grew at a rate visible to the naked eye. Du Ze discovered that the cave could endlessly expand and could never be filled up, like the dragon’s endless greed for more. In the vast majority of legends, the dragons always like to collect treasures, amassing piles of coins. Dragons can never have enough. They love to count their coins and bask in the light of their treasure.
Yi Ye Zhi Qiu wrote: The Dragons gave away their self-control, received durability.
They do not restrain their desires, for they are strong enough to take whatever they want, so strong that no one can steal from their treasure hoard.
Just like they are now.
Guarding the hoard and seizing more treasures.
As the pile of treasure grew ever larger, the first dragon appeared the next day. It was a white dragon who suddenly swooped down from a high place and used its ice breath on the black dragon. Du Ze was nearly frozen but the fire phoenix chirped and veil of fire covered Du Ze’s body, driving away the cold.
After the initial shock, the group of defenders calmed down. The demon sisters took the opportunity to clear out the lizard creatures that were attacking the lair. Xiu rode the black dragon and flew up to battle the white dragon. Compared to the other dragons, the white dragon wasn’t very intelligent. Apart from its ice breath, it only knew how to use its body to fight savagely. It didn’t take Xiu and Muir long to defeat the white dragon.
When the white dragon died, the troglodytes disappeared into thin air. This was the beginning. Their ever-growing treasure attracted more and more dragons. The emerald dragon sprayed out a green mist. The sapphire dragon used its sonic attack. Glittering, shining crystal dragons … A variety of dragons came and attacked.
On the seventh day, a silver dragon came. This was the battle that was the most difficult for them. The silver dragon used its spatial magic and half of their treasure hoard was sent outside where the troglodytes immediately swarmed over it. Although they eventually defeated the silver dragon, they had to chase after the treasure that the lizard creatures had carried away.
Xiu wiped away the blood from the middle of his forehead. He thrust his dragon spear into the air and there was a ripple in the seemingly empty place. An amethyst dragon suddenly became visible. Xiu’s dragon spear had pierced its weak spot. It fell on the ground and disappeared into nothingness.
Enoch was gasping for breath as he lay on the ground and cried out: “Ah! Ah! That was the last one! This thief is so tired …”
The others were so tired they didn’t even want to talk. Today was the last day of the dragon race’s simulation and everyone was exhausted As Du ze expected, the last day was full of huge waves of lizard creatures. Although the yellow-green enemies were not strong, they attacked day and night. They were like an endless tide of ants – the defenders could easily stomp them, but having to repeatedly stomp ants all day long had worn them out.
They took turns to defend the lair but each person could only rest for a very short time – not only did they have to defend their treasure, they also had to attract and kill all of the dragons within 10 days. Everyone’s nerves were stretched to the limit. The more enemies came, they more stress was accumulated.
This trial made everyone tired. Their weariness was more than the first three trials combined. Although there was no life-threatening danger, they were still extremely fatigued.
It was then that Old John, who had been outside cleaning up the waves of troglodytes, jumped inside the cave.
“Little master, all of the lizard creatures suddenly left.”
Everyone knew what this meant. Du Ze wanted to cry: “Mr Tower of God, this is too much! let the Moe Lord rest first!”
Without warning, the hole above the cave was covered, plunging the whole place into darkness. The only light came from the glittering heap of treasure. Muir raised his head and started fiercely lashing his sharp tail in the air, shattering the void.
A man with long, white hair came out of the void. Though the man did not speak and had no dragon characteristics, his aura was similar to that of Soth. The people present knew that he was the lord ruler of the dragon gods, Io.
Io descended on the pile of treasure and looked at the group with eyes that were empty of praise or blame.
“You have killed all of the dragons so I will not fight you in my dragon form.”
After that quick introduction, the dragon god launched an attack. Faced with his own god, Muir hesitated for a moment and Io seized the opportunity to climb up Muir’s body. Xiu took out his dragon spear and jumped up to fight Io on Muir’s back. However, the dragon spear is a giant melee weapon that is very slow so that its user will reveal a lot of openings. Io easily avoided the dragon spear’s sharp tip. The god raised his blade and cut at Xiu’s arm.
Xiu slashed at Io. The god did not dodge but instead moved closer to Xiu since the dragon spear’s side is not dangerous for him. He slashed at Xiu’s right arm again, but Xiu changed his weapon into the Burning Desire Demonic Sword. Io’s reaction was so swift that he was able to pull back just as Xiu stabbed his body. Therefore Io only suffered a shallow cut.
Io covered his bleeding side with a hand, looking with surprise at the sword in Xiu’s hand.
“That’s a very good weapon,” said Io, glancing at the wound on his waist. Sighing, he said: “The humanoid form is too fragile.”
Muir finally reacted; he tried to bite Io who was still on top of his body. Io jumped to the side to avoid the black dragon’s bite. The god could not help but look again at his wound. The long, shallow gash was bleeding and was showing no signs of healing. In fact, it seemed to be trying to squeeze more blood out of his body.
The Burning Desire Demonic Sword cast a scarlet light and made a soft humming sound. Xiu’s right arm was injured so he transferred it to his left hand. Muir no longer hesitated. With his Dragon Knight on his back, they attacked the dragon god together.
Io seemed very familiar with the dragon’s typical attack patterns and he easily avoided the black dragon’s attacks. However, Io’s movements were subtly uncoordinated. He did not seem to be good at fighting in his humanoid form. This is a common weakness of members of the dragon race. Coupled with his bleeding wound, Io’s movements became more and more sluggish. Io dodged Muir’s wing and moved away to avoid Xiu’s downwards slash.
The Burning Desire Demonic Sword was only centimeters away from Io’s nose when Xiu changed Qian Bian into the dragon spear, bridging the distance. Io was powerless to dodge.
“Ugh-”
The dragon god’s blood fell on the pile of treasure. The gold color of the treasure and the red color of Io’s blood merged and formed a beautiful color. Io glanced at his pierced chest then at the black dragon Muir. His eyes were full of praise, like an elder looking at his own child.
“Your Dragon Rider is very good.”
The dragon god had just finished speaking those words when the treasures inside the cave turned into powder that became a blue pillar of light. Enoch, seeing the gold, silver, and gems disappear, uttered a complaint: “Leave a piece of it for this thief to keep as a memento! Where will I ever find so many treasures again!”
Once the portal appeared, the cave they were in started to collapse. Rocks rained down on them. Xiu asked the vanishing Io: “Do you know anything about the god who created the world?”
Du Ze ran closer to them when he heard Xiu speak the words “the god who created the world.” Io’s expression was difficult to describe.
“The God of Creation, if only we could find the father.” Io’s figure faded away, leaving only as sigh and his last words. “Perhaps my race would not be so sad…”
The dragon race was in desperate straits because of their breeding crisis. From the way Io spoke, it seems that he was also looking for the God of Creation. Du Ze wondered if Soth’s words were true and only Bael and Bright knew where the Creator God is?
Du Ze had missed his chance to speak to Bael so now he can only ask the god of light about it. The silly, cute reader began to think of how to make that tsundere BOSS talk. This is a problem.
With the death of the Io, the cave was collapsing faster. The group quickly returned to the hall. Du Ze had formed the habit of looking around at all of the stone platforms. He found the new dragon statue opposite the statue of the undead. It was a statue of a huge Western dragon sitting on the stone platform, its long tail wrapped around itself. It had no defining characteristics to show which type of metal, chromatic, or crystal dragon it was.
The new dragon statue, together with the demon, undead, and human statues, now filled half of the stone platforms in the hall. Du Ze was very excited, he wanted to pull Xiu by the hand to look at it but his outstretched hand was not able to grasp anything.
His hand appeared like a transparent white shadow and passed through Xiu’s hand
********
The author has something to say: Everyone is currently staging the disaster film “The Start of a New School Term.” Please allow me to make a sad expression.
(Uploader: I added Darken - Zutomayo cuz it seemed to fit Du Ze and this part of the novel. I'll also probably add this in the ending.)