As the Silver Dragon neared the Tara Kingdom, it gradually lowered its flying altitude, making it easier to observe the ground below.
In the towns along the way, the crests of the Tara Kingdom had already vanished from the castles belonging to the local lords, replaced by unfamiliar banners fluttering atop the highest towers.
The suspicions in Lu Qiuchen’s heart were gradually confirmed, making her increasingly uneasy.
The people on the ground also caught sight of the Silver Dragon soaring high above. Someone with sharp eyes cried out, “That looks like a Silver Dragon… It’s the Disaster Dragon! That evil dragon!”
As soon as the words fell, a commotion broke out in the street. People scrambled to flee the area in a panic.
Lu Qiuchen had no time to worry about the chaos on the ground. All she could think about was reaching Druid as soon as possible.
Coincidentally, the local lord was out inspecting his territory at this moment, and was left dumbfounded as he watched the Silver Dragon fly northward. When he finally snapped out of his daze, he realized the Silver Dragon was heading straight for Druid and was immediately struck with terror, rushing off toward the city’s Teleportation Array.
This lord had originally been a minor noble of the Morton Kingdom. Months ago, answering the king’s call, he took advantage of the neighboring country’s weakness—when the kingdom was a mere shell of its former self—to seize territory from the Tara Kingdom.
Compared to other lords, his luck had been quite good. The local lord here had died in the disaster at Druid, so he had encountered little resistance and easily took the land for himself.
This place was now his by conquest, and it was far more prosperous than his old fief. He had stayed here for months to manage affairs, feeling more and more satisfied as shiny coins filled his coffers.
He knew full well that his current position was thanks to that evil dragon who had emptied Druid half a year ago, allowing him to seize the opportunity. Naturally, he was familiar with the dragon’s reputation.
The instant he saw the dragon just now, his mind went blank with fear, only coming to his senses once the dragon had flown away.
I must hurry and inform Druid! He ordered his coachman to head toward the Teleportation Array. Halfway there, he suddenly realized—wasn’t he just running off to die by going to Druid now?
Besides, though they were both nobles of Morton, the one who had occupied Druid had always looked down on him. If that Silver Dragon went on another rampage and wiped out Druid again, wouldn’t he have another chance to move in?
No, it was still too dangerous. Even though the Silver Dragon was wanted across the continent, a dragon was not so easily dealt with. If it happened once, it could happen again. Better not to get involved with that cursed place.
With that thought, he changed his mind and sent only a single soldier to deliver the message.
When Lu Qiuchen arrived outside Druid, she was met with the sight of a fully prepared Mage Council and a newly rebuilt city wall. Upon seeing the unfamiliar crest on the wall, her heart turned cold. Ignoring the people below, she clung to a last shred of hope, turned, and shot up into the sky, heading toward the grasslands in her memory.
The grasslands west of Druid were connected to the Dragon’s Lair built by the Tara Kingdom. Once the royal garden for entertaining dragons, it had been designated a forbidden zone by generations of Tara kings—no one dared enter without permission.
But now, the area had been turned into farmland, with many farmers tilling the land. Soon, the spring black rye grown here would be made into bread and served on the tables of residents in nearby cities.
Flying further ahead, she finally spotted an untamed patch of grassland. Here stood a stone stele, its surface smeared with red paint, inscribed in the common tongue with the crimes committed by the Disaster Dragon Cecilia at this very place.
The dragon descended, light flashed, and she transformed into human form, stumbling toward the stone stele.
Lu Qiuchen gazed at the monument, her thoughts in turmoil. A flood of chaotic memories surged into her mind, recalling scenes from the past. In those memories, she became violent and cruel, leaving her utterly shocked.
All hope drained away, a cloud of sorrow enveloped her heart, and a wrenching pain swept over her.
“Did I really do all this? No, I didn’t do it, I didn’t kill them!” The memories rising from her mind pushed her to the brink of collapse.
On Earth, Lu Qiuchen had only been an ordinary university student. Even though she had come to accept her transmigration, even though she’d been influenced by the dragon inheritance and her thoughts and behavior were gradually shifting, her human awareness had not faded—it remained deeply buried in her heart.
Lu Qiuchen’s mind was a tangled mess. She thought of the Red-Robed Cardinal’s anger toward her that morning, of the fear in the eyes of the humans she’d seen along the way, of the disgust on the faces of those at Druid’s gates. Overwhelmed by these memories, her strength left her in an instant. She slumped to her knees and muttered, “Did I really massacre my own kind? Then what am I now… a sinner, an evil dragon, a monster?”
“Player’s mental state abnormal. Automatic management will commence in fifteen seconds…”
The System’s prompt sounded in her mind, but Lu Qiuchen’s thoughts were in chaos, her heart closed off. She heard the prompt but did not react.
After a dozen seconds, the girl squatting on the ground stood up and flew away into the distance.
*****
Today was December 24th.
Zhang Cheng finished work, clocked out, and headed home. He politely turned down the company’s Ms. Receptionist’s invitation for a date, strode into the elevator, leaving behind the well-dressed young lady, and gave a cold chuckle in his heart: ‘Heh, women only slow down my after-work speed!’
Of course, the second part was just his own imagination. He had indeed refused Ms. Receptionist’s invitation, but not for any of those joking reasons swirling in his mind.
These days, aside from work, he spent all his time gaming—no, investigating clues. He simply had no time for romance.
‘Christmas Eve, huh.’ Zhang Cheng sighed quietly. If that accident hadn’t happened, both he and Lu Qiuchen would probably have found girlfriends back in college by now. Well, maybe not Lu Qiuchen, but at least he would have.
It wasn’t just him bragging. Handsome, wealthy, young and stylish, tall, confident and cheerful—he knew all too well what kind of effect a senior like him had on lovestruck girls.
Shoving those trivial thoughts aside, he felt a little discomfort in his stomach and quickly drove home.
Finally home, Zhang Cheng shrugged off his coat, hung it on the rack, and hurried to the bathroom.
After taking care of his needs, his tense body finally relaxed. He left the bathroom looking satisfied, only to spot a familiar figure sitting on the living room sofa. Startled, he dropped his damp towel, nearly letting it hit the floor—luckily, his reflexes were quick and he caught it just in time.
“Jie, what are you doing here! You were so quiet—I didn’t even notice you when I came in, you scared me!” Seeing his own sister, Zhang Cheng gave a wry smile in his heart, but quickly plastered a grin on his face to cover up his earlier reaction.
Zhang Yu snorted and teased, “Am I really that scary? Just seeing me makes you drop your towel?”
Zhang Cheng hung up the towel, unsure if she was truly angry, and hurried over to give her a shoulder massage in an attempt to please her. “Jie, it’s just that I’m used to being alone at home, so when someone suddenly showed up, I didn’t react right away.”
Zhang Yu was only pretending to be angry to tease him. She patted his hand on her shoulder. “Enough! With hands that strong, I can’t take it.”
She knew Zhang Cheng was wondering why she was here. Pointing at a few suitcases behind the sofa, she said, “I’ve already quit my job. I just got back this morning and will start working at your company next Monday. I got your key from Mom and came straight here. Mom said you always eat out, so she told me to take care of you.”
At the end, her expression turned a bit disdainful. She already struggled with deciding what to eat every day, and now she had to cook for her annoying little brother too—what a hassle!
Zhang Yu felt bitter, and so did Zhang Cheng. Three years ago, Zhang Yu interned in S City. After more than half a year, she returned to North-Shanghai to finish her studies and then worked there. During that time, Zhang Cheng had enjoyed his freedom immensely.
Even when Zhang Yu occasionally came back, he would use his studies as an excuse, and she wouldn’t bother him. But now he was interning at a company, with a nine-to-five, two-day weekend, and flexible hours—plenty of free time. He figured this aunt of his would be hanging around with nothing to do, making him carry her bags again. The thought made Zhang Cheng smile bitterly.
“Hey! What’s with that look? I’m not interested in you anymore!” Zhang Yu snapped, annoyed by his expression.
“Not interested in me… You have a boyfriend?” Zhang Cheng was shocked, his first thought being that his sister had brought a boyfriend home.
That only made Zhang Yu angrier. She grabbed a soft pillow from the sofa and smacked her annoying brother on the head. “Why can’t I have a boyfriend? As your sister, you’re breaking my heart! I’ll beat you up!”
After the scuffle, Zhang Yu’s little bit of anger dissipated. She put the pillow back and picked up the Full-dive Helmet from the coffee table, giving it a shake. “I meant this. This game is all the rage now, and it was developed by your company.”
“You play this too?” Zhang Cheng was surprised. Though “Eternal” was indeed wildly popular, it didn’t seem like something his sister would play—she’d never liked games.
His Full-dive Helmet had only been used once since he bought it and had been sitting under the coffee table ever since. Earlier, when he saw the helmet on the coffee table, he thought it was his and guessed his sister had gotten bored at home and picked it up out of curiosity.
But when Zhang Yu shook the helmet, he realized it was a different model than his.
“Of course I play! Hmph, but only to keep someone company.” Zhang Yu looked a bit smug, making Zhang Cheng suspicious.
Scratching his head, Zhang Cheng recalled her bashful look when he mentioned her having a boyfriend earlier. He couldn’t help blurting out, “No way, did you really get a boyfriend?”