Zhao’er thought of many excuses, but in the end, none of them were used.

Morrison wasn’t suspicious of him, nor did he stop Zhao’er from wanting to explore the outside world. Instead, he earnestly warned him to never be so trusting of others.

He told him many things… mainly that humans could be very bad and that he should always be on guard. For some reason, this reminded Zhao’er of the time when he was first boarding at school before entering middle school. His father had earnestly told him to get along with his classmates…

“Okay, okay, okay…”

The reason Morrison brought this up was because Zhao’er had been mentioning how he wanted to go here and there. This was understandable—being stuck in the mountains, how could the mission be completed?

Although the mission’s progress was at 0, with his small size, Zhao’er wasn’t likely to be involved in any princess-rescuing stories, and the idea of destroying towns was even more far-off. He’d have to wait until he recovered…

So, it wasn’t really related to the mission—it was purely because Zhao’er really wanted to see this unique world. He knew that Morrison had once crossed the Sias continent, so Zhao’er wanted to do the same.

Zhao’er couldn’t stay in one place. Even though the mountains were new and interesting at first, eventually, he’d get bored. He needed more novelty.

“Okay, okay, I get it, stop talking so much…” Zhao’er replied casually.

His casual response had a different meaning in Morrison’s ears. The little pink dragon blinked his eyes and pressed his small paws against Morrison’s palm, nuzzling his damp nose against Morrison’s knuckles.

—Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, I hear you, I’ll do whatever you say.

Before talking to Zhao’er, Morrison had spent the entire night in thought. Zhao’er leaving was definitely a good thing, but why did he feel uneasy at first?

That heavy feeling in his heart was simply because Morrison realized that Zhao’er wouldn’t always be able to sleep on his chest. It was an emptiness that even alcohol couldn’t fill.

It was as if, had he never met Zhao’er, he wouldn’t have known that he didn’t need to rely on alcohol to numb himself. When he was with Zhao’er, he had forgotten the nightmares that once haunted him.

He had never needed alcohol to sleep. Just the weight of Zhao’er on his chest and his slightly cold body temperature were enough for him to have a peaceful night’s rest.

Zhao’er had healed him. Morrison, who had studied potions for so many years, couldn’t heal himself, but Zhao’er, who knew nothing about potions, had done it.

He wished Zhao’er could stay with him…

But… that wasn’t possible, was it?

Zhao’er didn’t know what Morrison was thinking. He was the type of person who said whatever was on his mind, so he naturally rebuffed all of Morrison’s concerns.

The protagonist kept telling him where to avoid. He spoke earnestly, explaining the different customs and taboos of various places. Because he had once stumbled in these areas, he didn’t want Zhao’er to make the same mistakes.

But Zhao’er wasn’t interested in any of the precautions Morrison was telling him. It was so boring that he could barely keep his eyes open. His tail had completely healed, and the faint scars he once had had been smoothed out with some scar-removal ointment that Morrison applied.

He yawned and swished his tail around.

“Well, you’re here, right… you know what’s up, it’s fine…”

Morrison was taken aback and asked a question in return.

“What are you talking about? Of course, I’m going with you!”

“…Wait, you don’t want to go??!”

Morrison definitely didn’t mind. In fact, he was more than willing.

“Then that’s settled! No time to waste, let’s go now!”

Zhao’er said as he ran out of the house, his energy a bit too much for him to sit still.

The reason he failed so many times when Morrison taught him to hunt was that he simply couldn’t focus and wait patiently for the prey to appear.

Behind him, Morrison watched Zhao’er chasing butterflies outside.

The butterflies in Red Cliff Valley were larger than the ones outside, with beautiful patterns on their wings. They also carried a small amount of poison in their powder, enough to make your skin itch if you touched it.

“…Ying ying…”

After a moment, the little pink dragon returned, looking a bit uncomfortable. His paws were slightly swollen and red, and he stretched them out towards Morrison in a pitiful manner.

—It feels so bad…

Morrison sighed softly. “Mm, I see.”

“…………”

Zhao’er had a bad habit—or rather, he had many bad habits.

His past life had been too smooth. As the only child in a happy family, he hadn’t experienced much hardship or faced the challenges of the outside world.

This wasn’t necessarily a huge problem, but it did make him have an extremely optimistic outlook on life. He always assumed things would work out and rarely thought about what to do if a path didn’t work out.

At first, he wanted to follow Morrison, and later, he wanted to leave Red Cliff Valley, but he had never considered what he would do if Morrison didn’t want to take him along.

He never thought about the fact that he could only spit a small flame, just enough for roasting meat. He never thought about how he would protect himself once he went out there. He was bad with directions, couldn’t tell east from west, and in a strange world, what would he do?

Even when he had been overconfident and was pecked by a large bird, or almost got lost several times right under Morrison’s nose, or was chased by various strange creatures… he still couldn’t succeed at learning basic dragonfire after many tries.

Anyone else would probably have been discouraged by now, questioning themselves.

But not Zhao’er. He would try again and again, cheering himself on, thinking, Next time, I’ll definitely succeed! I didn’t do well this time, but I’ll get it next time!

And every time, he would get himself all dirty and then run to Morrison for help. Morrison, like a weary father, would sigh and pull the rambunctious little dragon back for a bath.

Morrison had told him many times not to be so impatient, to have more patience. But Zhao’er would always forget it, his ears taking in the advice only for it to go straight out the other side. He never learned.

Zhao’er’s mother would say: He forgets the pain once the scar heals…

Or perhaps, He’s asking for a good lesson.

Of course, on the bright side, it could be said that he had a pure heart.

“Why do I have to hide?!” Zhao’er was very upset, his tail, which had grown a little longer, repeatedly hitting the wooden floor, clearly expressing his displeasure.

Zhao’er should hide, even though Morrison wasn’t afraid of anything. Even though the Sias continent was not very safe, and even though Morrison knew how to protect himself, this didn’t conflict with his desire to stay low-key.

Any normal, thinking adult would try to avoid danger, staying out of harm’s way whenever possible. Hiding should be an instinct.

But Zhao’er didn’t understand that yet. He was still in an unusually naive stage, thinking hiding was a cowardly action, that if someone came to confront him, he could just fight them off. He didn’t consider that things might not be as simple as that.

“Zhao’er, your idea isn’t wrong.”

Having spent some time with Zhao’er, Morrison had learned how to properly handle his moods, and the first step was always to affirm his thoughts.

“But…”

Morrison didn’t want Zhao’er to hide all the time; he just hoped that when they were in human-populated towns, Zhao’er could quietly stay in his backpack or hide under his large cloak.

Abyssal dragons love shiny treasures. It’s said that their nests are filled with rare treasures, and just one of them could last a lifetime.

Although dragons are often seen as symbols of evil in cultures, they also represent power, which makes Zhao’er far more valuable than expected. His blood, scales, and bones—any of them would be in high demand on the black market.

There are rumors that dragon’s blood has more than ten magical properties, the most famous of which is that bathing in it can grant eternal life…

Eternal life is such a huge temptation…

It’s not unusual for people to take risks for profit.

But Zhao’er stubbornly refused to choose more remote, secluded routes. He loved lively places, so he always picked busy, crowded areas. He even wanted to visit the capital and the most famous sword-forging district.

The consequences of drawing attention like that were easy to predict.

Morrison cleared his throat. He had never raised a child, but at this moment, he couldn’t help feeling a little helpless.

“Zhao’er… you promised you’d listen to me.”

“I won’t always make you hide, but when there are too many people, can you please stay a little quieter?”

“It’d be great if you could shapeshift already…”

Dragons, it seemed, could shapeshift, but most giant dragons loved their original form too much to bother transforming into a human.

Morrison watched as Zhao’er gradually went from only being able to breathe small flames to being able to cause some real damage.

His scales also gradually hardened, and there was even one that fell off, which Morrison carefully collected.

His wings were much stronger now, going from just flapping to being able to fly on his own. At first, he wobbled and couldn’t fly steadily without Morrison helping him, but now he could fly smoothly on his own…

Morrison had seen many sides of Zhao’er, but he had never seen him shapeshift…

“………”

Didn’t Zhao’er want to shapeshift?!

He looked at the slow progress bar, more anxious than anyone.

There was still a long way to go before shapeshifting would be unlocked. How could this be? He was always close to Morrison whenever he had the chance, but the progress was still slow.

Even the system said it was unlikely. However, because there were so many bugs in this world, mistakes were normal, and it was possible the threshold could be raised…

Zhao’er knew it was his own problem and didn’t dare to speak up.

“Zhao’er?”

Morrison called his name with a hint of helplessness.

The pink little dragon looked a bit unhappy. He wasn’t so spoiled as to throw a tantrum, so after a long pause, he let out a soft whimper from his nostrils.

—Oh.

That night, because of his bad mood, he ate less than usual.

Although he started off in a bad mood, Zhao’er’s negative emotions were always quick to arrive and just as quick to fade. After a brief slump of two days, he regained his usual vitality.

Especially on the night before leaving Red Cliff Valley.

Even at his usual bedtime, he wasn’t sleepy.

The firewood crackled softly in the fireplace, and in the small, cozy cabin on the single bed, an adult human and a young dragon were staring at each other.

Because of the ambient light, Zhao’er’s eyes appeared darker than during the day. His claws were much stronger than before, and occasionally, he would unintentionally scratch Morrison, though these minor scratches were nothing to Morrison.

“Zhao’er, why aren’t you sleeping?”

“Whimper…”

Morrison gently reached up to stroke Zhao’er, who was lying on him.

“I told you during the day. First, we’ll go to Griffy Town… it has a famous flower field… Do you like that?”

Griffy was the nearest bustling city to Red Cliff Valley, though not very close. There were a few unnamed villages closer to Red Cliff Valley, but due to rumors of a giant dragon’s presence, most residents had moved away soon after, and Morrison didn’t bother with those villages.

“…Can you sleep now? Hmm?”

Zhao’er didn’t hear everything; he was more focused on the thought of meeting other humans. It had been almost half a month since he arrived in this otherworld, and aside from the strange beasts, various poisonous plants, and unnaturally tall trees, he had only seen Morrison, the only human. At first, the foreign language sounded strange, but after getting used to it, it wasn’t so bad. He had already memorized a few frequently used words.

“Whimper…”

The child who was leaving home for the first time was so excited that he couldn’t sleep. Although he would have to hide in Morrison’s clothes once they arrived in a slightly more bustling place, that was a small matter. It couldn’t stop him from being filled with anticipation.

…Anticipation, anticipation…

…

…What a load of nonsense.

It took an entire day to leave Red Cliff Valley, but in the next two days, he still hadn’t seen anyone else. Beyond Red Cliff Valley, all he saw was an endless expanse of desert. No wonder… he had wondered why Morrison was wearing such a tight, hooded cloak, and whether he wasn’t hot, but now he understood — there was this stretch of road!

In such an environment, it was only natural to wear a large cloak that covered all the skin, to protect it from the sand and gravel.

At first, Zhao’er was happy flying ahead, but soon he couldn’t fly anymore, and curled up wearily in Morrison’s arms, where it was cooler inside his clothes.

As for why they couldn’t just use spatial magic to get out, Zhao’er had asked that too, and Morrison had patiently explained the reason.

The desert was full of quicksand, and the most crucial thing when using spatial magic was to have a stable coordinate… and that just wasn’t possible. The desert formed a natural barrier, which was the main reason Red Cliff Valley had always remained secluded and undisturbed…

But none of this mattered to Zhao’er. At night, he curled up in Morrison’s arms to sleep, and when he woke up the next day, he found the landmarks outside had changed again. It was normal — this was quicksand…

His initial excitement had been completely worn away, and he even started doubting if there were any other humans in this world at all. About two more days passed… and they finally left the desert.

When they finally saw a human structure, Zhao’er, perched on Morrison’s shoulder, asked, “Should I… hide?”

And he made a move to burrow into Morrison’s clothes.

“No need.” Morrison’s gaze shifted distantly, “There are no humans living there anymore.” He then took out his water bottle. “Would you like some water, Zhao’er?”

Zhao’er gave a little whimper. He was a bit thirsty.

Morrison, upon hearing that, poured water from the bottle into the wide cap, making it easier for Zhao’er to drink. Zhao’er hadn’t known how to drink by licking his tongue from a cup at first, but he had slowly learned.

“Is that enough, Zhao’er?”

“Whimper…”

Since Morrison said there were no people in the empty village, there was no need to hide, so Zhao’er had no further concerns and was now observing the desolate place.

Several low houses stood together, forming a simple village. The craftsmanship looked rough, but truly… primitive.

“Tsk tsk tsk…”

The architectural style was quite unique, and because it was so close to the desert, most of the houses were made from a special type of stone. The gaps between the stones were filled with yellow mud as a kind of mortar.

To be honest, from a distance, it was impossible to tell these were houses.

The stones were adorned with intricate patterns, probably blessings or something similar. Zhao’er couldn’t understand the writing, so he just admired them as decorations.

What made him even happier was not finally seeing the village, but the fact that there was no more wind and sand here. Zhao’er could finally fly in the air, although he had to stop and rest after a short while.

Zhao’er had often dreamed of flying when he was younger, and the adults said it was because he was growing taller. Later, after coming to this other world, he tried flying when he first hatched.

But back then, his wings were too small to be useful, and he’d tire after just a few flaps. Zhao’er wasn’t the type to give up easily, though, and he didn’t know how many times he had fallen just trying to learn how to take off.

“Come on, hurry up!!! Why are you so slow?!”

Impatient, Zhao’er flew ahead. The architectural style here was unlike anything he had seen before. After days of yellow sand, it was finally a relief to see green hills and clear waters again, and he was a bit excited.

Even though it was eerily quiet here, he couldn’t help but act like a curious child, peeking into every window he passed…

And just like that, he encountered the second human in this world.

“!!!!!!!”

Wasn’t this supposed to be an empty village?

---

After hearing Zhao’er’s voice, Morrison quickly walked over. What he saw was Zhao’er flying in circles around an elderly woman.

“Zhao’er, come here.”

Zhao’er was frantically calling to Morrison.

“What are you doing standing there?! Come help her!”

Zhao’er flew in frantic circles. He hadn’t noticed earlier that he had been a bit reckless, and it was when he made a turn that he startled the old woman. He felt guilty about it.

The old woman looked about the same age as his grandmother, and Zhao’er had very fond memories of his grandma. Whenever he went to her house, she would sneak him pocket money, and she’d even intervene when his mom was about to scold him. That’s why Zhao’er loved visiting his grandmother during summer break.

But it wasn’t just because of that—Zhao’er had been taught to respect and care for the elderly, so he was always very polite to older people.

Besides, it was his own carelessness that had frightened the woman. That was why the basket she was holding had fallen to the ground, spilling the sliced potatoes.

Morrison, just a few steps away, watched as Zhao’er landed on the ground. Zhao’er clumsily used his claws to try to pick up the dried potato slices, but his claws weren’t well-suited for such tasks, and he struggled to grab them.

Watching his awkward movements… Morrison couldn’t help but want to laugh.

He walked up a few steps and squatted down to help as well, picking up the pieces while observing the old woman, who really shouldn’t be here.

He clearly remembered passing through here half a month ago, and there had been no sign of human presence. So, her appearance was… odd.

From her clothing, it was clear she wasn’t well-off. As she gathered the fallen items, she kept covering her legs, likely because they were weak, and her hands were constantly feeling around on the ground. Her eyesight didn’t seem too good either.

It was no wonder that the other villagers had left, but she hadn’t…

It seemed very reasonable, but… something felt off.

He couldn’t quite put his finger on what was wrong…

Morrison subtly moved closer to Zhao’er, which made the latter a little annoyed. He was just trying to do a good deed…

“Why the hell are you pushing me?!”

“…Thank you…”

The old woman slowly thanked them.

Zhao’er was so happy, his tail swaying lightly. He even intended to move closer to nuzzle the old woman, but Morrison gently pulled him back to stop him.

The elderly woman, who had kept her head lowered the whole time, slowly raised it. It was clear she had murky, dim eyes and skin that looked as dry as tree bark.

Although it seemed like she couldn’t see, she still “looked” in Zhao’er’s direction, hesitating for a moment before speaking, “Is this…”

Zhao’er felt a pang of sympathy, but Morrison quietly started to be on guard, especially not letting Zhao’er move even an inch away from him.

Zhao’er noticed Morrison’s repeated actions, and just as he was about to criticize the main character for having no sympathy, the old woman continued speaking.

“…Is this… your dragon?”

The few short words made the previously warm atmosphere freeze in an instant.

Morrison reacted quickly, or rather, he had been prepared all along. While he appeared to be helping the old woman pick up the potato slices, he was actually maneuvering Zhao’er, who was focused on the potatoes, a little closer to him.

His instincts were always spot-on, and that’s why he had hesitated for a few seconds. If it hadn’t been for Zhao’er urging him, he wouldn’t have gotten close to “her” at all.

Having been on guard the whole time, Morrison was able to pull Zhao’er away from the elderly woman with just a moment’s notice, creating distance between them in an instant.

The reaction was so quick that Zhao’er didn’t even have time to process it. In the blink of an eye, he was already about ten meters away from the old woman. When he looked up again, he saw that Morrison’s face had turned as cold as if it were covered in frost, his lips tightly pressed together.

He was angry. This was the first time Zhao’er had ever seen Morrison angry.

Morrison gently stroked Zhao’er’s dragon wing. His tone was soft, a stark contrast to his icy expression. He kept his eyes fixed on the old woman’s subtle movements while trying to soothe the young dragon lying on his arm.

“Zhao’er, don’t be afraid.”

---

The whole situation happened too quickly, and Zhao’er was left bewildered. He didn’t have time to feel fear. He didn’t know what had just happened, going from a peaceful scene one second to a sudden shift the next.

The elderly woman, who had seemed frail and in need of help just moments ago, now…

Zhao’er’s gaze shifted back to the old woman across from him. Her fingertips, suspended in mid-air, were glowing with a faint purple light. It was obvious this was something that shouldn’t be coming from “her.”

Morrison had told him a few things that he had remembered, such as how there were witches and wizards in this world, and they could control certain reptiles. If they wanted to control humans, they would need to insert bugs into their bodies… And they had to pay a price, nurturing those bugs with their own blood…

So, it must be witchcraft. He had encountered an evil witch!

The smile on the woman’s face was completely different from before. It seemed to tug at some unseen string, and suddenly, the empty alley was filled with several large men who looked like puppets.

Each one had one thing in common: their eyes were vacant, and they looked as if they had no will of their own. Their movements were stiff and unnatural, as though they were being controlled like marionettes.

“Shit!!!!”

Zhao’er suddenly thought of the phrase, “seeing is not always believing.”

At the moment the “old woman” moved, Morrison almost simultaneously reacted. Zhao’er wasn’t sure what he did, but the puppets that had been approaching them suddenly froze in place.

A moment later, bugs started crawling out from their ears, eyes, mouths, and other parts—many, many bugs, all heading toward Morrison.

“Ahhhhhhh…”

Zhao’er was so scared he almost went into a panic, scrambling into Morrison’s clothes.

“It’s okay… it’s okay…” Morrison reassured him in a soft voice, gently moving his fingers. Invisible threads in the air appeared, and one by one, the fat bugs dropped to the ground, lifeless.

“Lord Morpheus, you don’t need to do this… I mean no harm…” The strange old woman spoke, her tone almost regretful, as if lamenting.

“I’ve raised these little darlings… it’s not easy…”

The woman’s previously murky eyes began to clear, and her dry, bark-like skin smoothed out in an instant. Her previously aged voice became lighter and more energetic.

“We can cooperate…”

Zhao’er: What just happened!!!!

Morpheus was Morrison’s old name.

Morrison hadn’t heard that name in years, which was why he was momentarily dazed when he heard it again. After all, that name was tied to a past he’d been trying to forget.

This person… knows him!

That meant they were likely prepared, or perhaps they had been waiting for him here, lying in ambush. If it was just about him, Morrison wasn’t worried—he had some old enemies, but nothing to be concerned about. But if it was about… Zhao’er…

His heart sank, and his expression became more serious.

Zhao’er didn’t notice the way the “old woman” referred to Morrison.

His attention was completely focused on the woman’s strange action of peeling off a thin, skin-like layer from her face.

He didn’t want to look, but he also couldn’t help but look. The scene was just too bizarre. He watched as the witch removed the wrinkled face, revealing an entirely unfamiliar one underneath. Even her previously hunched back straightened.

Not only was she not an old woman, but even her gender was fake!

Zhao’er’s gaze froze on the stranger’s Adam’s apple—yep, it was a man.

Once the strange wizard shed his disguise, he revealed smooth, medium-length golden hair and deep, well-defined facial features. His eyes were a reddish-brown… and he didn’t look too old.

His accent was somewhat similar to Morrison’s.

“…Long time no see,” the strange young man said. “I’ve been waiting for you here for quite a while!”

Though the words seemed directed at Morrison, Zhao’er couldn’t shake the feeling that the young man had been staring at him, making the statement feel like it was meant for him. Logically, that couldn’t be true—after all, Zhao’er didn’t know this person!

Zhao’er glanced between the strange young man and the visibly troubled Morrison, his eyes darting back and forth between them.

There were so many things he wanted to ask, and if confusion could manifest, Zhao’er’s head would definitely be full of question marks.

He also knew that if he spoke up, Morrison would likely answer, but given the tension in the air, he felt it wasn’t the right time to speak too loudly. He slowed his breathing, speaking softly to Morrison.

“Hey, big guy, are you sure you’re okay? Can you beat him? If not, we should run. Seriously, it’s not embarrassing, I won’t look down on you…”

Naturally, Morrison heard all of this as Zhao’er expressing concern for him, which was no surprise. After all, Zhao’er had once been his subordinate; it wasn’t like anything had changed.

Morrison smiled lightly. “It’s fine.”

Normally, humans wouldn’t be able to understand Zhao’er unless they were using a special tool. But Zhao’er couldn’t shake the feeling that this person might somehow understand him—differently than Morrison did.

Sometimes, when Zhao’er was angry and spoke rudely, Morrison always seemed to interpret it in a completely different way.

Zhao’er wasn’t foolish enough to not notice after it happened a few times. Over time, he realized that there was a bit of a language barrier between him and Morrison due to their different races, which was why the miscommunication sometimes happened. But as long as he understood the general meaning, it was fine.

However… that person was different.

It was as if he could clearly understand Zhao’er’s true intentions.

When Zhao’er mentioned running if they couldn’t win, the man’s lips curled into a slight, mocking smile. His moist, reptilian gaze slithered over Zhao’er.

…Really… so disgusting…

Almost as if confirming Zhao’er’s thoughts, the strange man spoke again, this time very clearly directing his words to Zhao’er.

This time, he directly and clearly called out Zhao’er’s name.

“Zhao’er, only I can understand what you’re saying…”

What surprised Zhao’er even more was that beneath the tattered disguise, the man was wearing something so flashy—it was very beautiful. It looked like some kind of uniform, something that could only be worn on a special occasion.

He wore it with great seriousness, as if he were attending some sort of ceremony.

To be honest, he looked quite decent.

He reached out to Zhao’er, letting out a soft sigh, as if admonishing him, yet with a hint of affectionate indulgence.

“You’re really so foolish… Zhao’er…”

“You’ve got the wrong person. I’m the ‘main character.'”

“Come… come to my side!”