Sophia’s ears twitched slightly.
She felt embarrassed but didn’t know how to explain, so she silently leaned her face against Enya’s shoulder, then pretended as if nothing had happened.
She said shyly, “Ahem… let’s go.”
“Mm, hold me tight, Missy~” Enya said teasingly.
Sophia wrapped her arms around Enya’s neck, and where Enya couldn’t see, she lightly bit her lower lip, her face flushed with embarrassment.
Three white light orbs first plunged into the water.
Then Enya, holding Sophia, jumped into the cold, dark river as well.
The icy water was clear, and the light orbs formed a long chain, illuminating the riverbed.
After they entered the water, the dirt on their bodies dissolved into murkiness.
Enya’s tail swayed behind her.
She surged forward through the water with Sophia in her arms.
Enya’s speed was so fast that Sophia dared not open her eyes.
She had to rely on her body’s senses and magical awareness to make sure they weren’t about to crash into anything.
But every time they neared a collision, Enya managed to turn just in time, though it kept Sophia’s heart on edge.
The elf Missy’s fair arms clung tightly, and her long, shapely legs squeezed Enya’s waist with surprising strength.
Thankfully, Enya could still handle it.
Soon, Enya leapt out of the water and lightly landed on the riverbank.
Water dripped from their bodies onto the ground.
Sophia wiped her face with her palm, then looked around and realized they were already on the shore.
But Enya didn’t seem to have any intention of putting her down, and Sophia herself wasn’t eager to get off.
Being held was so much better—no need to walk, right? It was as if an unspoken agreement had formed between them, and neither made a move to change it.
Enya continued along the path.
The underground river twisted and turned, sometimes a small pool, sometimes a great waterfall; shallow here, deep there; sometimes slow, sometimes rapid.
She carried Sophia all the way.
Sophia seemed to grow restless.
She lifted her head to look at Enya’s helmeted profile and, with a small open mouth, said, “Miss Ain, can I see what your face looks like?”
“Why?”
“You’ve already seen mine. I want to see yours.”
“Can I refuse?” Enya replied.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to show, but having promised the little one an exclusive look—and having already accepted her payment—she had to keep her word. How could she betray gold?
Sophia pouted, a small trace of grievance flashing in her bright blue eyes.
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not very pretty. Unlike you, Missy, so it’s better to keep it covered.”
“But I wouldn’t mind… ahem. We’re not exactly close, just ordinary employer and hired…”
Sophia’s voice grew softer and softer until she stopped talking and simply leaned against Enya’s shoulder, sulking.
Enya sighed helplessly.
“There’s actually another reason.”
“What?”
Sophia’s curiosity was instantly piqued.
Enya stopped moving and stood in the rushing water.
The cavern echoed with the noisy rush of the river striking the rock walls, a sound both overwhelming and irritating.
Sophia looked at Enya seriously.
Enya slowly turned her head and glanced at the elf girl nestled stubbornly in her arms, still refusing to get down.
Beneath her mask, her golden-red dragon eyes flickered with cunning as she feigned sadness.
“The reason I came to the Human World is because I was injured once in a battle with my own kind.”
She lowered her head, her voice deepening with gravity.
Now a full dragon, she considered her fight with Pandrake as a battle between kin.
So she hadn’t lied after all.
Still holding Sophia, Enya continued, “Battles between dragons are extremely brutal.”
Sophia’s eyes, clearer than gems, brightened with excitement as she asked, “I read in a book that dragons fight each other, and the victor eats the loser to gain their power. They say it’s a sign of respect for the opponent.”
“?”
Hearing this, Enya was instantly filled with question marks.
She quickly lifted the silence spell on Pandrake and asked the Black Dragon Princess about it in the library within the Sea of Consciousness.
Pandrake rolled her eyes. “Isn’t eating your own kind common? What’s the big deal?”
After getting her answer from the Black Dragon Princess, Enya felt a wave of nausea but managed to hold it back.
Sophia watched Enya and thought to herself, Could that really be true?
Hiss…
Would I be in danger? But it seemed only dragons ate their own kind…
Sophia imagined Enya pinning her down and biting at her neck with her open mouth. Her body shuddered involuntarily.
Then she felt the hand holding her waist tighten slightly, making the delicate elf Missy tremble again.
“Miss Ain, did I say something I shouldn’t have?”
“No…”
Enya figured it out quickly.
Dragons, wyverns, draconic beasts—all descendants of the Mythic Species giant dragons—shared the trait of Bloodline Convergence.
Draconic beasts can evolve by devouring their own kind, a well-known conclusion drawn from experience. Half-Dragons can do the same.
This is Bloodline Convergence!
Besides, eating one’s own kind wasn’t unusual.
Humans eat humans too, just in different ways.
The Mist Lord Faith Cult are humans, yet they nourish themselves on the souls of the living to please their Lord and gain power in return.
Isn’t that the same thing?
Enya shook her head at Sophia and said, “It might seem strange to you, but it’s just the natural way of life for many beings.”
Sophia widened her eyes.
She wanted to argue, but seeing Enya’s solemn, story-filled expression, she closed her mouth.
As a sheltered Missy, she was aware of her own ignorance about the world.
Seeing Sophia’s silence, Enya slowly shared the explanation she had just made up.
“I left because I was tired of that kind of life. I came to the Human World to travel as an adventurer.”
“Being a dragon, and a female dragon at that, I naturally attract ill-intentioned people. Once…”
“I met a very strong enemy, one even I struggled to fight. After a difficult battle, my face was injured, leaving a large scar. I’m afraid I’d scare you if I took off my helmet.”
Sophia opened her mouth but then closed it again.
After a long moment, the elf Missy quietly said, “Sorry for bringing up sad things, Miss Ain.”
“No need.”
Enya shook her head lightly. She was just comforting the girl. It was a harmless little lie.
What she hadn’t expected was how serious Sophia was.
The elf girl shifted uncomfortably in her arms, adjusting to a more comfortable position and resting her head on Enya’s shoulder.
Sophia said, “Miss Ain, please come back with me. I can ask my Teacher to help you. She’ll definitely be able to restore your appearance. She’s a very good person and won’t ask for any reward!”
“Uh…”
You don’t charge, but she does!
Sophia’s earnestness put Enya in an awkward position, but having been in tough spots before, she remained composed.
Jokingly, Enya said, “No need. I’m fine now, even better than before, with fewer troubles. But thank you for your kindness.”
“Um, but…”
“Sophia Missy, we’ve only known each other for two days.”
“Alright, I get it.”
Sophia’s mood immediately sank.
She had hoped to take Enya home and, if possible, keep her as her protector—
No, as her knight!
Enya sighed in relief, but just as she relaxed, a playful female voice echoed in her mind.
“Hehe, quite the pro now, huh?”
“Shut up…”
Enya twitched the corner of her mouth, immediately casting silence on Pandrake again, then turned her attention back to Sophia.
No doubt, Sophia’s body was incredibly light.
Compared to humans of the same size, she was at least two-thirds lighter.
Strictly speaking, elves were half-human, half-magical beings.
This was a glimpse into the truth of bloodlines Enya had discovered through Henna’s transformation.
After a stretch of travel, Enya dove into a river.
When she resurfaced, she saw a circular cavern with a ceiling six or seven meters high.
It was the bottom of a water well.
Enya leapt from the water, instantly clearing the well, and then carried Sophia into a small, abandoned courtyard.
After setting Sophia down, she evaporated the water clinging to her body, feeling instantly refreshed. Sophia did the same.
Enya looked at Sophia as she tidied her hair and said, “Let’s go to the Capital.”
Enya had known since someone had blocked their way who they needed to find.
She accompanied Sophia and Nina to the mine tunnel, but her curiosity had driven her to see what the Mist Archbishop Order was preparing.
She was a bit disappointed.
Enya had expected them to prepare something like a demon.
But it was just an underground sightseeing tour?
Now that the cave adventure game was over, it was time for her to get down to business.