Zhao’er, without any clairvoyance, had no idea what was happening in the distant Abyss. To him, it felt like a simple, friendly exchange with his kin. After their brief interaction, he promptly forgot about the whole thing.

He joyfully turned his attention to exploring the world with Morrison. Zhao’er was eager to see places beyond human territories, starting with the dwarves. Their frequent trade with other races made them easier to locate.

Compared to the beastmen—who lived close to humans yet harbored deep grudges against them—the elves, whose territory was both hidden and unwelcoming, and the Abyss dragons, who looked down on humans, the dwarves were by far the most approachable and friendly of the non-human races.

They even had a designated trade district.

The closer Zhao’er and Morrison got to the dwarven lands, the more bustling it became. Human merchants were everywhere, mingling with other non-human traders, creating a lively atmosphere. However, the fluffy, fur-covered beastmen looked intimidating to Zhao’er.

Morrison, who had visited the area a few times before, knew the layout well and took on the role of a tour guide. He led Zhao’er around, and Zhao’er was utterly fascinated.

For the first time since arriving in this foreign world, Zhao’er found himself surrounded by so many creatures who were smaller than him. Having spent most of his time looking up at others, he was now relishing the experience of looking down at others for a change.

He felt an odd, indescribable sense of… satisfaction?

While the dwarves didn’t entirely match Zhao’er’s expectations, their short stature was consistent with what he’d imagined. Most were adults, stout and bearded, and even the children had oddly proportioned facial features that didn’t align with his idea of cuteness.

Still, he kept these thoughts to himself.

“This place feels really nice…”

Zhao’er crouched down slightly to talk to a dwarf named Melva, watching as the latter carried a longsword that was taller than himself. Zhao’er, out of kindness, considered helping him carry it, but the dwarf holding the sword didn’t seem too willing.

Morrison sighed and explained to Zhao’er that a competent blacksmith would never let a weapon leave their hands before it was finished. Moreover, while dwarves might look small, they were anything but weak.

Zhao’er didn’t dwell on the issue and focused intently on watching Melva forge the longsword. Though the technique didn’t appear particularly special—similar to what Zhao’er had seen before—dwarven-forged weapons always commanded higher prices on the market.

He had a basic understanding of the process and observed how Melva heated the blade until it glowed red, then hammered it repeatedly with a large iron hammer. Once the red glow dimmed slightly, the blade was put back into the furnace to be reheated, and the hammering process was repeated. It looked monotonous, and Morrison mentioned that this process had to be repeated thousands of times.

Even from a distance, Zhao’er could feel the intense heat radiating from the furnace. Just standing there for a moment made him feel hot, yet Melva, who was closest, seemed completely unaffected. The fiery glow reflected on his face as beads of sweat rolled down, yet he didn’t even have time to wipe them away, focusing steadily on his forging.

“Really not easy…” Zhao’er muttered.

The area was packed with smithies, one after another, densely arranged. The living quarters were on the other side. Melva, who had initially guided them, walked ahead.

It was clear from their interactions that Morrison and Melva knew each other. From their conversation, Zhao’er guessed that Morrison must have saved one of them in the past, and that he had even lived here for a short time.

At one point, Melva made a remark that Zhao’er couldn’t quite understand, commenting that Morrison seemed to be in better shape than before and no longer reeked of alcohol.

Melva also asked if Morrison remembered what he’d told him before.

When Melva said this, he made exaggerated facial expressions, as if hinting at some private joke only the two of them knew. Morrison rubbed his nose and gave an awkward laugh.

“What? What? What is it? Tell me!”

Zhao’er, always brimming with curiosity, was even more intrigued. He circled around Morrison, asking repeatedly. Normally, Morrison would indulge him, but this time he said nothing. Instead, he ruffled Zhao’er’s hair and said:

“Next time. I’ll tell you next time, Zhao’er.”

---

The dwarf children were very warm and welcoming to Zhao’er.

Of course, their enthusiasm wasn’t directed solely at Zhao’er—they were equally friendly to all the visitors and guests from different races who came here. This reminded Zhao’er of the time he visited a large supermarket, where the sales staff were just as enthusiastic.

It was just another ordinary day. Zhao’er woke up as usual, squinting his eyes as he sluggishly washed his face. Just like the past few days, he could hear Morrison outside, already up and neatly prepared.

As always, Morrison helped untangle and braid Zhao’er’s messy bedhead. Zhao’er had watched Morrison’s braiding skills improve over time. In the beginning, Morrison could only manage one or two simple styles, but gradually he learned more intricate designs and became much faster, much to Zhao’er’s delight—especially since Zhao’er’s impatient nature made him dislike sitting still for long.

Due to the differences in local cuisine, most of the so-called local delicacies didn’t suit Zhao’er’s palate. He still remembered an instance when the local tradition was to eat roasted fruit. While everyone else seemed to enjoy it, Zhao’er frowned in confusion. Fruit should be eaten raw, shouldn’t it? Why roast it?!

Thus, for most of their journey, Morrison took over the cooking. He understood Zhao’er and his tastes better than anyone else.

When Zhao’er was with him, it felt like he didn’t need to worry about anything.

Morrison always thought ahead, and he had never done anything inappropriate toward Zhao’er. This considerate behavior completely disarmed Zhao’er, who had been wary at first due to his knowledge of events from the previous timeline.

“Morrison…”

Zhao’er hadn’t even finished his sentence when a series of startled exclamations came from outside. At the same time, the ground started to tremble, and the sky darkened significantly. The sudden turn of events interrupted Zhao’er’s train of thought, and he couldn’t even remember what he had wanted to say.

Looking out the window, he saw that the once-bright blue sky had become overcast, as if something ominous was about to happen. For a moment, Zhao’er froze, instinctively meeting Morrison’s gaze. Morrison gave him a reassuring look.

What on earth was happening?

Was it an earthquake? A solar eclipse?

For a brief moment, Zhao’er’s mind raced with these thoughts.

---

Zhao’er didn’t have to wonder for long, as he soon figured out what was happening. He heard that familiar, faint voice again—the one belonging to his kin.

This time, the voice was clearer than before.

The deep voice was brimming with joy. It said they had come to fetch him, proudly adding that they had defeated several other dragons to earn the privilege of picking him up.

Finally, the voice declared, “Child, I’ve come to take you home.”

Zhao’er: ?????

If confusion could be visualized, Zhao’er’s head would’ve been covered with question marks, so many that they could have filled the entire room.

Since Zhao’er’s first interaction with his kin, he had occasionally received messages from different voices. Some had even offered to come and get him. Zhao’er had politely declined each time, and they had all seemed to take it well.

With nothing else to do, Zhao’er thought of them as casual online friends. Their conversations were pleasant, and he’d even picked up a few new vocabulary words.

He’d also casually mentioned that if he ever got the chance, he’d visit the Abyss someday. But that was just a polite remark!

Zhao’er assumed they all understood this as a shared, unspoken agreement.

But now, it seemed like it had only been his understanding.

If they wanted to come, fine. But why make such a huge commotion? The uproar outside had caused widespread panic—people might have thought the world was ending.

Zhao’er: …This is so frustrating.

No matter how confused Zhao’er felt, he still had to go out and face the situation.

After all, it was his own kin who had come to find him.

This time, Zhao’er was the one calming others down. He told Morrison to stay in the room and quickly explained what was happening—his relatives had come to pick him up.

He assured Morrison that he would handle it quickly and asked him to wait.

But just like before, when Morrison asked Zhao’er to wait and Zhao’er didn’t, this time Morrison didn’t wait either. Not all humans have the courage to face a giant dragon.

Zhao’er was staying in a building in the Dwarven district that looked like a tenement structure. The houses were made of wood and weren’t very sturdy. As soon as Zhao’er stepped outside, he looked up and saw a massive, pitch-black dragon circling in the sky not far off.

Other confused dwarves and creatures from different races were terrified—some trembling in fear, while others immediately knelt in worship. The scene was chaotic.

When Zhao’er first grew up, he thought his size was enormous. Now, seeing a real adult dragon, he realized his size was only large compared to humans.

But when standing next to a full-grown dragon of his own kind,

He felt quite small in comparison.

Thanks to the special connection among dragons, even though Zhao’er didn’t speak, the black dragon could sense his exact location.

---

What happened that day was enough to be recorded in history.

Abyssal dragons rarely ventured out, so the other creatures on the continent had limited knowledge of them. The dragon tribe’s secret histories and Abyssal archives that circulated were often filled with fantasy and exaggerated details.

Most of the time, the image of dragons wasn’t based on reality but was a product of human imagination and embellishments—distorted and untrue.

Over time, many humans and even other races had forgotten what a real dragon looked like. But that day, they saw it for themselves.

They had heard of their immense size,

But had no idea just how huge they were,

Were they as tall as a city wall? Or as tall as a watchtower?

They used their limited understanding and poor imagination to speculate about dragons, but when they finally saw one in person, they realized just how absurd their previous guesses had been.

The dragon at the edge of the horizon had a tail so large that it could block out the sky. Everything around them appeared particularly insignificant in comparison. Many witnesses later vividly remembered a particular moment.

The giant black dragon seemed to be searching for something, its tail swishing back and forth in agitation, emitting low, unintelligible murmurs. When it casually flicked its tail, a fierce gust of wind erupted, and several houses were lifted into the air.

Because everyone was too preoccupied to notice, no one specifically saw when the smaller pink dragon appeared. It seemed to appear suddenly, and it was clear that the black dragon was looking for it.

The pink young dragon flew straight toward the black dragon, heading directly for its head. The two dragons lightly collided in the air. While they couldn’t understand the dragons’ language, they could tell that the pink dragon’s voice was noticeably more juvenile.

As for why they made contact at the beginning, some speculated that this was a unique form of communication among Abyssal dragons.

What happened that day completely shattered a previous rumor about dragons. No one knew who had spread it, but it was said that dragons only came in black, white, or red. After that day, another color was added to the list—pink.

If they could have heard what the dragons were saying last night, they would have strongly opposed it. The initial contact wasn’t a greeting at all.

It was Zhao’er being reckless, trying to collide with the black dragon.

To him, it seemed like a challenge, but to the black dragon, it didn’t seem that way at all. The black dragon kindly told Zhao’er that if he wanted to play, they could do so when they got back.

The black dragon actually considered it a playful gesture, like a child’s tantrum.

In terms of power and size, Zhao’er was no match for the black dragon. His attempt to crash into the black dragon felt like a mere scratch to the dragon. The black dragon even praised Zhao’er with a slight hint of amusement.

Zhao’er was then taken back to the Abyss, like a rebellious child being led home by a parent. As he left, he occasionally looked back.

He didn’t know how Morrison was doing. For a human to stand firm without backing down in the presence of a dragon was impressive, and it even caught the black dragon’s attention. Despite being able to blow him away with a mere breath, the black dragon, even though losing consciousness, still instinctively wanted to protect Zhao’er.

In fact, seeing that the human seemed to carry the faint scent of a young dragon, the black dragon was angry. He had an inherent bias against humans, and now, this lowly human had somehow managed to deceive their young dragon.

He was surprised that the human could withstand the first blow. After inspecting the sword, he grew even angrier, realizing that the sword had the faint aura of dragon bones.

A human had no chance at all against an enraged giant dragon. That’s why Zhao’er had tried to strike the black dragon in the first place.

The Abyss has no daytime, only an eternal night. When Zhao’er first arrived, he was fascinated by the dense stars in the sky. They were clearer and brighter than any stars he had ever seen before, as if they were within arm’s reach.

The next day, he didn’t see the sunrise. The third day passed without it as well…

It was very similar to the phenomenon of polar night he’d heard about in the Arctic Circle.

The days felt extremely dull and oppressive.

Moreover, there were far fewer dragons in the Abyss than Zhao’er had imagined…

“Sigh…”

This was Zhao’er’s 389th sigh.

How annoying…

He had his own personal lair now, filled with gold, silver, and jewels that were dazzling enough to blind him. There were all sorts of rare items he’d only heard of before, or some he’d never even heard of at all…

At first, there wasn’t so much, but after Zhao’er arrived, some adult dragons would occasionally visit his lair, presenting him with treasures. Gradually, the items piled up more and more.

It seemed dragons really loved treasure…

So they thought giving him treasure would make him happy…

Zhao’er hadn’t seen the sun or felt the warmth of sunlight in a long time. At first, the beautiful starry sky was mesmerizing, but after staring at it for a while, it started to lose its charm.

However… Zhao’er tried to make light of the situation. At least, he thought, he had fulfilled a small dream. He could now sleep on a pile of gold. Every time he opened his eyes, all he saw were glittering, golden treasures…

He couldn’t even figure out where they’d found so much.

Zhao’er tried to make out the markings on the treasures.

Wow, some of these were from the last century.

And there were many more things that amazed him—beautiful ornaments all made of gold.

They were really good to Zhao’er. Whenever he said he wanted something, they would immediately go out and find it for him. His food was always plentiful, so much that he couldn’t even finish it.

Even his lair was decorated by them.

Not bothering to change into human form, they were very proud of their true selves. Although Zhao’er knew this, watching them drag soft silks into his lair with their tails made him laugh.

Though it was called a lair, it wasn’t shabby at all. It was overall quite comfortable, and the ground was even warm. And if Zhao’er ever got upset and wanted to fight, those adult dragons were always willing to play along.

When he was angry, they thought he was just being playful.

They called him “little dragon cub” all the time…

Zhao’er couldn’t help but feel like he had gained several fathers.

In just a few days, Zhao’er had learned to use his tail to strike the ground to express his anger. His biting strength had also increased, but after a few more bites, he stopped.

Mainly because their scales were too tough. Not only could he not bite through them, but it felt like he was hurting his teeth. It didn’t relieve his frustration—instead, the more he bit, the angrier he became.

Seeing the little dragon cub downhearted, the black dragon who had first come to collect him voluntarily extended the tip of its tail to Zhao’er. It was well known that the scales on the tail tip were a bit fewer, making it less rough on the mouth.

When faced with the offered tail, why not bite it?

Zhao’er opened his mouth and took a bite. This time, he managed to break through the scales, but the black dragon still seemed unchanged, silently watching him. The fierce vertical pupils were now filled with tenderness.

Since that day, Zhao’er had been staring at several tails in front of him… lost in deep thought. Seeing the little dragon cub silent, they kindly asked, “Which one do you want to bite?”

Damn!!! Did they actually think he was just grinding his teeth?

“………..”

They were really good to Zhao’er. Whatever he wanted, all he had to do was ask, and they would agree. There was just one exception: everything was fine, except for one thing, which was non-negotiable.

That was—he could not return to human territory.

One of the red dragons, named Ayaz, had not only expressed dislike for humans in front of Zhao’er, but seemed to completely detest them.

Zhao’er cautiously asked if it was because of this hatred for humans that he couldn’t go to their territory. Ayaz didn’t respond to the question, looking as if there was something he couldn’t tell Zhao’er.

This evasive attitude only made Zhao’er more curious.

But no matter how many times he asked, they refused to tell him.

When Zhao’er sensed the white dragon’s presence slowly fading, he once again checked on Morrison’s condition, just like before. Due to their bond, he clearly sensed that Morrison was in very bad shape.

He might still be unconscious, his breath weak…

This made Zhao’er even more anxious…

He used the command function of their bond to try communicating with him.

—Don’t die, you’re the main character!

—Wake up quickly!!

After countless calls, Zhao’er finally heard a faint response. It was Morrison’s voice, softly calling his name.

Zhao’er, who had been resting with his head resting on his claws, immediately opened his eyes. He had been planning to nap, but hearing that faint voice, he thought Morrison had woken up and was ready to talk to him. However, no matter what Zhao’er said, Morrison only repeated those two words over and over again.

At this point, Zhao’er realized that Morrison hadn’t actually woken up.

Even calling Zhao’er’s name seemed like instinct…

When communicating with him, Zhao’er often had to glance around cautiously. The feeling of being afraid of being discovered made him remember the times he secretly played games behind his parents’ back.

But that didn’t quite match the situation; the scene felt more like a disobedient child secretly having an early relationship with a boyfriend their parents didn’t approve of…

Unfortunately, Zhao’er had never had an early relationship.

So he hadn’t even considered this angle before.

He couldn’t think about it any longer; he had already heard someone calling his name from outside.

Dragons have an astonishing appetite. They eat a lot, and the food prepared for Zhao’er was naturally plentiful as well. Before, compared to Morrison, Zhao’er thought he was a big eater. But now, compared to a true adult dragon…

He realized he was nowhere near their level…

“Hey… it’s coming, it’s coming…”

After spending half a month like this, Zhao’er decided to sneak out.

After all, he wasn’t a real cub, and he still had some brains.

When he realized that no matter what he said, they wouldn’t let him leave, Zhao’er stopped bringing up the idea of wanting to go back. He decided to build a good relationship with them, and as for the rest… he would take his time to figure it out gradually.

However, before he could do that, it seemed that the black, white, and red dragons were extremely interested in him. In fact, even after he fell asleep, they would secretly watch him sleep.

He couldn’t understand what was so interesting about him sleeping?

Zhao’er had once tried to guess what they were thinking.

After all, no new cubs had appeared in the Abyss for thousands of years, so it wasn’t too hard to understand that they would get so excited when a new cub appeared. In simple terms, it was because of the rarity, and because he had ignored them when he was angry at first…

What if he took a different approach and started actively seeking them out every day?

Would they eventually get annoyed by him constantly bothering them, and then stop watching him so closely?

Maybe then he could find an opportunity to sneak out?

To carry out this plan, Zhao’er made many preparations.

He started by changing his usual indifferent attitude toward them and proactively went to their lairs to play with the dragons. Their reaction, of course, was surprise at first! But when the little dragon came to find them, they were naturally happy.

If Zhao’er really wanted to charm someone, he could definitely do it.

He was sweet-talking and good at reading faces. The dragons of the Abyss already liked him very much, and under his playful behavior, they liked him even more.

Although they hated humans, they could accept Zhao’er, in his human form, riding on their backs to play…

Zhao’er enjoyed this game.

The feeling of the wind blowing in his face was particularly refreshing. Not only did he feel an inexplicable sense of joy, but he didn’t have to move his wings. It was like a completely open-air observation deck…

So he broke from his usual behavior and actively sought them out a few more times. They loved the little dragon cub so much, they would agree to anything he asked, let alone such a simple request. Naturally, they were happy to oblige.

It was a delightful thing for the little dragon cub to be so close to them.

Fearing he might fall off, the black dragon below flew very, very slowly. They took the little dragon cub to the deepest part of the Abyss. Although most of the Abyss was in eternal night, it was because of this that many unseen landscapes could be found.

In this friendly atmosphere, Zhao’er hardly had to exert any effort to learn most of their information, including their ages, names, preferences, and so on.

Zhao’er learned that the black dragon who first came to find him was named Urian, which could be transliterated as (Yūlǐ’ān). He also discovered that when the dragons were discussing who would go to fetch him, they all wanted to go, even leading to a fight over it…

Urian was the victor, so before going to pick up Zhao’er, he must have just come from a fierce battle, but he was still full of energy when he went to meet him. Upon meeting Zhao’er, he gave him a playful nudge…

—What an enthusiastic little dragon cub!

That was what Urian was thinking at the time.

Zhao’er also learned that the youngest dragon among them was over 1,300 years old, so it made sense that Zhao’er, being a newly hatched dragon, was still seen by them as a little cub in need of care.

No matter how much he tried to attack them, they naturally regarded it as playful behavior from a child.

It was no wonder they always looked at him with such a kind, loving gaze. They even praised him when he ate a bit more than usual…

When they played, they always controlled their strength just a little, worried they might accidentally hurt the little dragon cub.

In this way, Zhao’er frequently convinced them to take him to the outer edges of the Abyss, repeatedly learning the routes.

In the end, after much effort, Zhao’er finally returned to human territory.

But after just three months, he found himself struggling to recognize the surroundings. The world outside didn’t look the same as when he left.

Although there had always been many dark sides to it, with severe class conflicts, at least on the surface, things had seemed peaceful. Now, the once bustling town was completely deserted under the vast, white sky.

It was supposed to be midsummer, but snowflakes were falling from the sky.

Few people were on the streets, and those who were looked numb.

Zhao’er randomly pulled someone aside to ask what had happened.

The answer left him completely stunned.

It seemed that now he understood why the dragons of the Abyss didn’t want him returning to human territory. Despite their previous conversations, where they hadn’t restricted his behavior much, the urgency of their actions during the last meeting was out of the ordinary.

Now, he finally understood the reason. The dragons had already known that a devastating disaster was about to strike the human continent.

They couldn’t bear to let their precious little dragon cub remain unaware, waiting for the impending destruction.