When Galev heard that Lu Qiuchen’s first concern was for her fellow dragons, he nodded to himself in approval. To the wounded Lu Qiuchen, he said, “You all were recklessly casting forbidden spells here—the magical fluctuations could be felt all the way on Dragon Island. The Elder Council has already dispatched Kalmo and Impat to carry out the rescue, so you needn’t worry.”
Hearing that the two Water Dragon Kings themselves had set out, Lu Qiuchen felt her worries ease. Then she paused, a bit stunned—since when had she started caring this much about the dragon race?
What she’d just said was a purely instinctive reaction, blurted out without thinking.
Moreover, it seemed she’d been spending less and less time in human form lately—most of the time, she now lived as a dragon…
‘I really have become a dragon.’ Only now did Lu Qiuchen realize this, and no wonder she’d been feeling something strange lately—now she understood it was because her human way of thinking was fading.
Even now, knowing this, Lu Qiuchen didn’t have any strong opinions about it, nor could she tell whether this was good or bad.
Thinking carefully, if she never had to face the people she once knew and could just live in this world, this state wasn’t so hard to accept.
Back when she was in the human world, wearing long skirts and gowns, wasn’t it only at first that she’d felt awkward and shy?
At first, she’d thought that if she dressed inappropriately, she’d draw even more attention. She’d even felt that those light, floating skirts gave her no sense of security. But as she wore dresses more and more, that feeling gradually faded away.
So, after a long time, she’d grown used to women’s clothing whenever she took human form.
The power of habit is truly frightening.
Suddenly, Galev spoke, interrupting Lu Qiuchen’s thoughts: “You must have many questions in your heart, right? About this world, and the one you came from.”
Lu Qiuchen was confused, not knowing why he’d ask such a thing. But after hearing what followed, she became so excited that her four claws clenched tightly together, her tail stiffened, and she nodded, trembling.
‘So the dragons really do know the truth of this world!’
Seeing Lu Qiuchen’s excitement, a flash of pity appeared in Galev’s eyes. He said, “Relax, take human form. I’ll take you somewhere.”
Lu Qiuchen didn’t know his intentions, but thought that whatever he wanted to do, she didn’t have the strength to resist. Besides, judging from his previous attitude toward her, he didn’t mean her any harm, so she obediently complied.
*****
A flash of white light, and the two dragons appeared in a cramped room.
After the dizziness from teleportation faded, Lu Qiuchen looked around and realized it was just an ordinary bedroom—except that all the furniture was sealed in ice.
“This is Christine’s home. Time really flies—over four thousand years have passed in a blink.”
Galev was the first to speak, his voice tinged with nostalgia. “We’re in the Northern Continent now. There are no living beings nearby, so no one can overhear us here. You can ask any question you want—I’ll answer everything I know.”
Lu Qiuchen suddenly understood—so this was the home of that legendary woman who, together with this old man, had created an entirely new race!
Such an opportunity was rare, and she’d long been eager for it. Not bothering with Galev’s unusual concern for her, she asked the question she most wanted answered: “Why did I come to this world?”
“I guessed that would be your first question.” Galev coughed lightly and asked in return, “What do you think you came here to do?”
Lu Qiuchen grew even more confused and anxious. If she knew that, she wouldn’t be asking you!
Galev could already read her bewilderment from her expression and said, “Because you are the dragon race’s prophesied ‘Savior’—the Chosen One.”
‘But isn’t that just the game’s backstory…’ Lu Qiuchen didn’t say this aloud, not knowing how he’d react.
After all, she’d previously been a half-dragon. Was Galev treating her so kindly because he thought she was his descendant?
If he found out that the half-dragon was just something created by the system and that she was merely a soul possessing the half-dragon’s body, would he fly into a rage and kill her? Or would she be imprisoned, living out her days in the dungeons of Dragon Island?
She vaguely remembered that, in the backstory, many people had traveled back to the past. Lu Qiuchen decided to test him a bit first.
“Savior? Aren’t there supposed to be lots of saviors in this world?” Lu Qiuchen feigned ignorance, putting on a confused look.
“Where did you hear such nonsense?” Galev chuckled.
Lu Qiuchen breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed he didn’t know much about Earth—or maybe he was pretending as well.
After laughing, Galev’s expression turned serious. “This is no joke. There is only one savior of the dragon race—and that’s you.”
He paused, then continued, “The dragons foretold your coming, to change this world’s doomed fate.”
“But even as the savior, if you only had the weak body and magical affinity of a half-dragon, it would be almost impossible to accomplish this mission. Only after becoming a pure-blooded dragon was there a real chance.
“So Auduin performed the precious bloodline transformation ritual for you, and even gave you the dragon inheritance.
“The dragon race needs you. You increase the chances of our survival—that’s why you came to this world.
“But as for Auduin’s thinking, if you had refused back then, the dragons could still have survived this calamity on their own.”
Hearing this, Lu Qiuchen was nearly in tears. She’d just wanted to play a game—she had no grand ambitions to save the dragons or be some kind of double insurance!
If they all knew she’d come from the future to save the dragons, how could Auduin believe the dragons would survive without a “Savior”?
Surely, the dragons must have been wiped out before they sent a half-dragon back—couldn’t they treat the “Savior” a little better?
And there were 3,000 people in the closed beta—why did something like this have to fall on her?
Thinking of this, anger welled up inside her, and her tone turned harsh as she demanded, “Why me? Your prophecy can’t be wrong? How does Auduin know the dragons can survive without the ‘Savior’?”
Galev wasn’t angered by her attitude and replied, “I don’t understand Auduin’s thinking either, but the prophecy can’t be wrong. You came from the future, and you’re carrying a ‘Curse’—only you fit the prophecy’s description.”
“Curse”? Lu Qiuchen was stunned. What was that?
“When you reach beyond the Legendary rank, you can perceive the energies within all things. You possess a unique energy—it can control your actions, but it can also help you.”
“This unique energy is called a ‘Curse’ in the prophecy. It is both a shackle and a boon.”
Lu Qiuchen understood—he’d sensed the system’s presence on her and mistaken her for one of those people in the backstory who were sent to the past before the world’s destruction.
This realization left Lu Qiuchen feeling down. She’d thought he might know about Earth, but he was still talking about the Eternal World.
But why did Galev say she was the only savior?
When she asked, Galev explained firmly, “I meant the dragon race’s savior. The prophecy says that every race has one and only one savior.”
Lu Qiuchen reluctantly accepted this explanation, then heard Galev awkwardly change the subject: “As for that ‘Curse,’ it’s the first time I’ve seen it. But just now I had an idea—if it works, I might be able to let you temporarily break free from its control. If you’re willing, I can give it a try.”
She knew Galev might just be changing the subject, but if there really was a way to counter the system, she didn’t mind being used.
Lu Qiuchen braced herself. Even though she still didn’t understand how she’d transmigrated, if she could temporarily break free from the system, she’d be able to communicate and share information with players during dungeons, right?
Lu Qiuchen nodded, agreeing to the experiment.
*****
A while later, Galev saw off the jubilant Lu Qiuchen, then returned to the room, as if speaking with someone else.
“Sigh, I really do feel sorry for her, but you still insist on doing it this way.”
“We almost got exposed in the middle—this little girl is pretty sharp.”
“Her mentality has completely shifted, and we still can’t tell her the truth?”
“The plan? Just to counter that β, you have to make things so complicated…”
“Auduin! Next time, you handle this yourself!”
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