“Eat slower, don't choke.”
“I would never choke, human!” Velyan mumbled, her cheeks puffed out. “Elf, your cooking is delicious! It's better than anything I've ever eaten.”
Flora sat opposite her, resting her chin on one hand. She smiled at the compliment. “Thank you. Eat as much as you like, I made plenty.”
“Really?” Velyan's eyes lit up, but she quickly stiffened her face, trying to maintain her dignity as a dragon. “H-However, I won't eat and drink for free. Once I recover, I can pay you back with treasures.”
“There's no need,” Flora replied with a shake of her head and a smile.
“No!” Velyan slowed down her eating slightly. “Elf, what is your name?”
“Flora. And yours?”
“Velyan... Velyan Val is my name.” Velyan spoke with her mouth still full, looking truly starved.
“And... human... what is your name?”
“Chen Mian.”
“Chen Mian, you saved my life. What kind of reward do you want? I can give you... anything,” Velyan said, looking at him. Then, as if worried, she quickly added, “But at most, I can only give you half of my treasures... I accumulated them over many years.”
“Half it is, then,” Chen Mian said.
A look of sheer heartbreak flashed across Velyan's face. Then, as if making a monumental decision, she nodded with difficulty. “Very well... Once my mana recovers a bit, I will take them out and give them to you.”
“Of course, we can skip the treasures and agree on other terms instead,” Chen Mian said.
“...What terms?” Velyan looked at him warily.
“Tell us what exactly you encountered. The aura on your wound is highly unusual.”
“I can tell you that without needing to exchange treasures,” Velyan said after a brief silence, looking up. “While I was traveling, I encountered an area shrouded in darkness in the wilderness.”
“That area was very strange... It looked as though it had been eaten away by something. The surrounding trees had all vanished, leaving only a pitch-black void.”
“A pitch-black void? What did it look like exactly?” Loviki also stopped what she was doing.
“It was like a chunk of the ground had been scooped out, leaving only a bottomless pit, with black mist swirling above it,” Velyan said with a frown. “Out of curiosity... I flew inside.”
“And then... the moment I entered, the black mist rapidly expanded and enveloped me.” Velyan lowered her eyes. “The mist quickly condensed into a distorted, humanoid creature. As soon as it appeared, it attacked me. Its attacks were incredibly bizarre. Even though it didn't pierce my defenses, the black mist still seeped into my body.”
“Every time my dragon breath dispersed it, the black mist would quickly reform. No matter what, it couldn't be killed.” Velyan's voice was filled with frustration. “I tried to retreat from the mist, but it clung to me relentlessly. I couldn't shake it off at all.”
“Later, I grew exhausted from the fight, and my defenses weakened slightly, allowing it to wound me. With each injury, the erosion of the black mist grew worse. It felt as though it wanted to possess my body.” Velyan's tone turned heavier. “In the end, with no other choice, I had to unleash the secret technique of the Chaos Dragons with everything I had... Fortunately, I succeeded in shattering the creature. It couldn't reform in time, so I took the opportunity to escape.”
“After that, my injuries were too severe, and I passed out,” Velyan said with a grimace.
“How strong was that thing?” Chen Mian asked, frowning slightly.
“From what I felt, it should be at the Saintly Radiance Rank. If it were Mythic Rank, I would have been dead long ago,” Velyan recalled.
“Even now, I can feel the black mist constantly eroding my body, and I have no way of getting rid of it for the time being,” Velyan added despondently.
“I can actually help you remove it, but it will take some time,” Chen Mian said.
“Really?” Velyan looked at Chen Mian in pleasant surprise, but then, as if realizing she was losing her dignity, she quickly stiffened her expression again.
“Yes.”
“How do you do that? Even someone as powerful as me can't do it.”
“It's just a matter of using mana to peel it away.”
“Mana... Thank you, human.”
“You should thank Louise instead. Without her help, it would have been really difficult to save you in your condition,” Chen Mian said, pointing at Louise.
“Thank you,” Velyan said softly, looking at Louise.
“Me?” Louise, who was eating the meat on her plate, looked up. “No need to thank me. He did the heavy lifting; I just helped out a bit.”
Velyan stared at her earnestly for a moment, then lowered her head to continue shoveling food into her mouth. She mumbled incoherently, “Don't worry... Once I recover, I definitely won't go back on my word!”
“There are other dragons in the Forest of Death right now. They're looking for you, aren't they?” Chen Mian asked.
Velyan nodded, but then shook her head. “Dragons aren't just one single tribe, and the relationships between different tribes aren't very good. I belong to the most powerful Chaos Dragon tribe and carry the bloodline of the Primordial Dragon. It's possible that some dragons are coveting my bloodline... So it's best if they don't find me. Right now, I'm too weak to protect you all.”
Chen Mian nodded and said no more.
Velyan also lowered her head and resumed devouring her food, stuffing bowl after bowl of rice into her stomach. Soon, all the food on the plates was completely gone.
“Cough... I usually don't eat this much!” Noticing everyone's gazes, Velyan puffed out her chest rather guiltily. “It's just that I haven't eaten in so long... And it's all because the food is too delicious!”
“Thank you for the compliment,” Flora said with a soft smile. “Are you still hungry? There's more in the kitchen.”
“N-No, thank you.” Velyan patted her slightly bloated belly and said sheepishly, “I'm already very full... If I eat any more, I won't be able to fly.”
Louise let out a soft giggle, making Velyan even more embarrassed.
“Get ready. In a bit, I'll help you peel away another portion of the black mist,” Chen Mian said, sitting down on the sofa. “It might be a little painful.”
“...Okay.”
Flora and Luolin began clearing the dishes and walked into the kitchen, but they were soon pushed back out by Loviki. “You two should rest. I have to wash the dishes to pay my rent.”
Flora walked over and sat down next to Chen Mian, picking up her book to read quietly.
Chen Mian turned his head to glance at Flora beside him, then looked out the window.
“Human... I'm ready!” Velyan's voice suddenly rang out.
“Let's go upstairs.” Chen Mian stood up and walked toward the stairs. Velyan folded her wings and followed him rather hesitantly.
Seeing this, Louise also stood up and followed them.
Flora looked up at the backs of the three, then lowered her head to look at her book again, though she seemed somewhat distracted.
Rate on N.U.
