Scales brushed against the fluffy cloud wisps, a soft sensation spreading along her back.
Lumiya shook her head, golden dragon mane fluttering lightly with the motion—a golden dragon stretching a thousand meters long, carrying the title of Sovereign of the Sea of Clouds for nearly a millennium, every move exuding endless majesty and composure.
Yet those massive vertical pupils always carried a hint of loneliness.
It had been far too long.
So long that she was close to forgetting that, before she transmigrated, she had been a snarky young man.
Back then, he always complained that dragons in anime weren’t domineering enough, but after experiencing millennia himself, he didn’t really care anymore.
She only clearly remembered that cloud wisps were lighter and more refreshing than the cotton candy she used to munch on during all-nighters gaming.
“Another challenger again?”
Lumiya’s slit pupils brightened, a subtle flicker of expectation crossing them as her tail-tip swept gently over the Sea of Clouds, scattering delicate sprays of cloud foam.
In the distance, a Three-headed Hellhound was spewing sulfurous flames, approaching step by step. She absentmindedly counted the layers in its fire.
“One thousand and eighty-seventh. Hopefully this one lasts two seconds longer.”
Before the Hellhound could get close, Lumiya casually let out a sneeze. A streak of golden dragon breath shot out, instantly dousing its flames.
Watching the drifting sparks fade, she pursed her lips slightly and lifted her paw a bit.
“Still so fragile. I wanted to keep it for decoration, but I’m honestly sick of Glowing Moss.”
“It’s really getting more and more boring.”
Lumiya rested her massive head on a pile of crystals, her dragon mane becoming a bit messy from the friction, yet there was less reckless frustration than before.
For the first few centuries, she’d enthusiastically drawn graffiti in the void and taught cloud larks to sing pre-transmigration anime songs.
But ever since she slapped that arrogant Abyssal Behemoth to pieces, she hadn’t met a single opponent worth a proper fight.
“If this keeps up, I’ll end up turning the Sea of Clouds into a tangled mess.”
She’d tried roasting the dimensional barrier with dragonflame, and whenever she baked out a mini black hole, she patched it up quickly with magic power.
She dug at the void beneath the Sea of Clouds with her claws, and when she dug out a few glowing little bugs, she felt too soft-hearted to not let them go.
She even pretended to sleep to trick the rainbow cloud lark onto her nose, but every time she woke up, it was still the same old routine—even the most mischievous cloud larks had figured out her little tricks.
“This dragon does not want to be an idle mascot.”
Lumiya flicked her tail, kicking up a golden breeze that knocked a few Crystal Fruit off the Floating Island.
As she counted the rolling fruit, she suddenly missed the oden from before her transmigration, catching up on new anime episodes, and even the pre-exam jitters.
At least back then, there was always something new to look forward to.
Not like now, facing nothing but the empty Sea of Clouds every day.
Just as she was pondering stacking the Crystal Fruit into a little castle, her entire body was suddenly wrapped in a warm sensation.
A beam of golden light emerged from the depths of the space, flickering before Lumiya’s eyes.
“What is this?”
Lumiya perked up, paw lightly digging through the Sea of Clouds, eyes wide and round.
She glanced around, but the Sea of Clouds remained as calm as ever.
That golden light, however, seemed alive as it pulsed within her consciousness, far more interesting than any glowing bug she’d ever caught.
Curious, she poked the golden light with her mind.
Lumiya’s eyes shone even brighter, her tail wagging faster in excitement.
“Is that the aura of a living being? More fun than an Abyssal Behemoth! Come on, change shape again so I can see!”
She focused her mental power, and the golden light burst apart, turning into fragments that flew into the center of Lumiya’s brow.
“Tamer’s Space? Contract Beast? Beast Tamer?”
Lumiya’s dragon eyes burst with joy as the fragments of information flooded her mind.
She couldn’t help but lightly clap her claws.
Before transmigration, as a boy, she had been a die-hard fan of Taming Novels, always fantasizing about contracting a cool magical beast.
Never expected her dream would come true—except now, she was the Contract Beast herself.
Countless unfamiliar messages surged in, intermittent but clearing the fog in her memory.
She seemed to see her pre-transmigration self, that Taming Novel tossed by the corner of the desk, its pages describing “Tamer’s Space,” “Contract Beast,” and “Beast Tamer”—now, these words had become real bonds.
“Where’s the Beast Tamer? Boy or girl? Please let it be a beautiful girl.”
Lumiya tilted her head at the thread of light, muttering to herself.
“Someone from the human world actually dares contact me?”
But if the Taming World could reach her, why hadn’t the Beast Tamer appeared yet?
All these years, she’d never once felt any connection from a contractor.
Could it be that this eternal Sea of Clouds was just too high up?
No way, right? If that’s the case, what a ridiculous trick fate has played on me.
Back then, Lumiya had gone to great effort to create this luxurious endless Sea of Clouds just to show off.
Yep, definitely not her fault.
It’s those humans who are just too useless.
One look at such a luxurious Sea of Clouds and anyone would know there’s a super powerful, super rare Contract Beast hidden inside!
She still hadn’t figured out all her questions when the golden light acted up again.
It split off from Lumiya’s brow, sending out a thin strand of light that stretched toward the edge of the Sea of Clouds like a guided beacon.
Following the strand, Lumiya looked out to see, at the border of the previously empty Sea of Clouds, a doorway woven from light gradually forming.
Behind the gate, noisy human voices drifted over, so much more vibrant than the monotony of the Sea of Clouds!
Lumiya spun in excitement, carefully keeping her dragon wings clear of the crystal piles on the Floating Island.
“Finally, I can go out and take a look! No matter what the Beast Tamer is like, it’s gotta be more interesting than staring at Glowing Moss!”
“New world, here I come!”
Lumiya beat her wings, golden scales reflecting dazzling spots of light, her eyes unable to hide her excitement.
She strode steadily toward the light gate, every step sending golden ripples across the Sea of Clouds, her magic power flowing more lightly and cheerfully than ever.
“Really hope I get to meet the Beast Tamer soon. Please let her be a beautiful big sister.”
She strode forward toward the glowing door.
With each step, golden ripples spread across the Sea of Clouds, her magic power inside growing more active than ever.
When she reached the door, that thread of light suddenly flew back into her forehead, and a warm power instantly swept through her body, as if opening the door to a brand new world.
Lumiya couldn’t wait—she reached out her claw to touch the light gate.
The door dissolved like water, letting in fresh air and a rush of noisy human voices!
A fast-talking youth’s voice rang out from beyond the door.
“Golden legend” “Blindingly bright”
“Hope my Contract Beast is a waifu in human form”
“Waifu?” Lumiya’s dragon pupils shrank, her golden mane bristling—so after waiting a thousand years, what came wasn’t a beautiful big sister, but a brain full of fantasies?
She reflexively slapped the pile of crystals beside her, making a few Crystal Fruit tumble down, cursing inwardly,
“This guy’s read way too many Taming Novels, hasn’t he?”
“But… showing my cards right away would be boring. Might as well mess with him a bit.”
Lumiya quickly restrained her dragon’s aura, shrinking her massive body silently down to just over ten centimeters long.
The golden sheen of her scales softened to a gentle glow, and her pupils relaxed into round curves.
She simply sat quietly beside the light gate, her tail-tip resting lightly on the edge of the Sea of Clouds.
The youth outside grabbed the door frame and poked his head in, eyes instantly lighting up as they landed on her.
“A dragon! Except… kinda small?”
“You’re my Beast Tamer?”
When Lumiya spoke, she intentionally softened her voice, not forcing her throat, just carrying a bit of shyness at encountering the outside world, her tail-tip swaying slowly.
“My name is Lumiya.”
She casually gathered a small cluster of golden flames.
The fire wasn’t big or small, just enough to see its shape without being too eye-catching.
She tossed it at the nearby cloud wisp, and as the flame touched it, it quietly dissipated, not stirring the slightest ripple.
“That’s about all the fire I can do, nothing special.”
The boy hurriedly pushed open the gate and rushed inside, cautiously approaching her with a well-worn Contract Handbook clutched in his hand.
“My name’s Lin Xing! Don’t be scared, I’ll protect you!”
Seeing Lumiya’s mini dragon form, his mind exploded with excitement.
Small as she was, these golden scales looked incredible! Better than even the epic pet models in games!
His bizarre wish for a humanoid Contract Beast as a waifu was long forgotten, his head filled only with the thrill of striking gold—it’s a dragon! A real dragon!
“I’m just a beginner Beast Tamer right now, but I train super fast! Once we get enough Magic Crystals, I’ll definitely raise you to be even stronger than that Wind Fox from the next class!”
Lumiya didn’t reply. She just tilted her head and gently poked at the boy’s sleeve with a paw, her movement curious and cautious.
“I’ve been in this space for so long. Is the outside… different from here?”
Her eyes held a touch of confusion at the unfamiliar surroundings, though out of the corner of her eye she spotted Lin Xing nervously straightening his back, and she chuckled to herself.
“Of course it’s different! Outside there’s delicious food, new friends, and all sorts of entertainment! Way more fun than here!”
Lin Xing’s eyes sparkled as he flipped through the Contract Handbook with vigor.
He was already plotting out his dragon-raising strategy.
“Let’s make the contract quick! Afterward, I’ll take you to the most popular Magic Plant Milk Tea Shop in the academy—it’s the Contract Beasts’ favorite!”
Just as he was about to infuse his magic power, Lumiya spoke up.
“My magic power isn’t that strong, so… I might need you to look after me a little more.”
Her tone was flat, as if stating a fact, but if you listened closely, there was a trace of fragile fear of being abandoned.
“No worries! I don’t have a ton of magic power either, but it’s definitely enough!”
Lin Xing nodded immediately and poured almost all his magic power into the handbook without hesitation.
As he watched the following words appear on the page—
[Contract Beast: Lumiya (Unknown Dragon Species); Beast Tamer: Lin Xing; Bond Level: Beginner]
—he clenched his fists in excitement.
Already, he was dreaming of the future.
Once Lumiya got stronger, wouldn’t beating classmates be a breeze?
By then, he’d be able to save up for a Shapeshifting Crystal—or, er, wait, rare Magic Crystals!
“Awesome! From now on, we’re partners! We’ll be the strongest of all Newborns!”
Lumiya pretended to wag her tail happily, but inside she was thinking,
Strongest Newborn? More like strongest in the world!
Well, beating up the weaklings is still pretty fun!
This mutt’s creepy grin probably means he’s thinking some nonsense… Hmph, if he ever dares lay a hand on me, I’ll show him what the wrath of the Sovereign of the Sea of Clouds really means!
She lifted her head and gazed at Lin Xing with those big, harmless eyes.
“S-so… can we go outside now? I want to see the world out there.”