He had hatched from his shell on a carriage laden with goods. Along with him was only a necklace made of golden scales and that terrifyingly long name.
Surrounding him, aside from the scattered eggshells, was a mysterious barrier that isolated him from the outside world.
Little Gold was utterly confused as to why he had appeared on a human carriage. Fortunately, the moment of his birth occurred in the dead of night, and combined with the hidden protection of the barrier, it failed to attract any outside attention.
While carefully sensing that barrier, Little Gold captured a heart-palpitating aura. Although he was a newborn, the memories deep within his bloodline made him instinctively feel a strong repulsion toward this aura.
Unwilling to be bound, Little Gold soon began to strike against the barrier. However, for a newborn life, this indestructible barrier was undoubtedly a massive obstacle.
He tried again and again, failing every time until he was exhausted.
Just as he fell into despair, the necklace around his neck suddenly erupted with a dazzling light. In a mere instant, a massive hole was torn through the previously unbreakable barrier.
After catching the scent from outside the barrier, Little Gold decisively crawled out through the rift. But as a newborn, he didn't even know where he was; he only dimly realized he was in the middle of a temporary camp.
Driven by instinct, he chose a seemingly deserted path, intending to slip away from the edge of the camp. Unexpectedly, in his panic, he accidentally knocked over a torch.
Before long, patrolling silhouettes began to close in, followed by the shrill and piercing sound of alarms coming from the direction of the carriage where he had been hidden.
This series of sudden events terrified the already uneasy Little Gold, and he began to flee recklessly.
Fortunately, he seemed to possess an innate talent for concealing his presence, and his speed was by no means slow. He soon escaped the heavy encirclement of the humans.
But his luck did not last. Although the enemy found it difficult to capture his aura, the tracks he left while fleeing were exceptionally obvious, and the trackers soon locked onto their target.
Thus, Little Gold and those pursuers began a long chase across the Great Plains.
After fleeing for several days, Little Gold was still unable to shake the tails behind him, and the pursuers could not pinpoint his exact location—until he was attracted by the scent of the dinner Starlight was cooking and slipped near their camp.
The team led by Sima also happened to discover Little Gold, who had deactivated his concealment, alongside the four members of Starry Moon Shadow. Already harboring prejudices against adventurers and other races, Sima immediately commanded the artillerymen under his command to launch a surprise attack on them.
“That’s everything I know. I don’t know what they were talking about, but... if I’m not mistaken, it should be this necklace.” Saying this, Little Gold looked down at the necklace on his chest. It looked quite normal now, almost blending in with his golden scales.
“Hmm... indeed. A necklace capable of absorbing and emitting the Power of Destruction—its value is no less than a Saint weapon no matter how you look at it. It’s only natural those guys would want to claim it for themselves...” Po Kong nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face.
However, a flash of inspiration hit Starlight as he thought of something else: the news Xia Duo had heard from the two Dragon Kings while they were at the Spiritual Arts Academy.
“Do you think... is there a possibility that Little Gold’s necklace... is the item that was stolen from Seranox?”
As soon as these words were spoken, the group turned their gazes toward Starlight, beginning to ponder his hypothesis.
“No, that doesn't quite make sense logically...” Xia Duo soon shook her head, raising her own doubts.
“It’s been over a month since we left the Spiritual Arts Academy. If this item were truly that important, who would allow it to drift and circulate outside for such a long time?”
After listening to Xia Duo’s analysis, Moen also quickly captured another key information blind spot. She added, “Also, the news we heard back then mentioned that the people who infiltrated the Dragon Valley included elves. However, in the team we just saw, there were no members of our race.”
“That’s not necessarily true, Little Crescent,” Po Kong suddenly interjected. “We only saw what that guy Sima and a few of his teammates looked like, but we haven't confirmed the identities of those two assassins yet. Do you remember? One of them was quite handsome... is it possible he was one of your kin?”
Po Kong’s speculation did have a certain degree of rationality. Unfortunately, those two assassins had activated their self-destruct devices before their identities could be confirmed, leaving all guesses shrouded in a layer of mist.
“Noah, what’s your opinion? You were the one who tracked those two assassins just now. Did you find anything new?” Starlight removed Noah from his waist, his eyes shining with anticipation.
“Yeah! Senior, you must know something, right!” Po Kong slapped his thigh, looking at Noah with excitement, hoping to get an answer from him.
However, their expectations were soon dashed. Noah gave an ambiguous answer: “I can’t say for sure, but what I can tell you is that those two didn't have the same aura as Moen and Xia Duo. But then again, their aura didn't quite seem like ordinary humans either. Perhaps they used some kind of method to hide their presence?”
“Why is it always like this! Every time, it feels like we’re just one step away from the finish line!” Po Kong scratched his hair irritably, his face full of annoyance. “I’m seriously pissed off by those bastards from Crimson City-State! Why do they just blow themselves up over a disagreement? This is too much; how can they be so extreme!”
“Hmph, complaining now won't help anything!” Xia Duo snorted, a hint of disdain in her tone. “But speaking of which, you reminded me. Since those people are so extreme and xenophobic, it should be impossible for our kin to be in their team.”
“Yes, Xia Duo has a point.” Starlight nodded, turning to Po Kong with a grave expression. “Let’s set that topic aside for now and talk about another urgent matter. Po Kong, you mentioned earlier that you have a way to get us into Crimson City-State? This directly affects our next move.”
“Right... I was also reminded by that prick Sima. I just need to borrow some of my family’s influence. Even if the news of our clash is sent back, it shouldn't be a big deal. Besides, those artillerymen miles away couldn't possibly have seen what we look like,” Po Kong shrugged, his tone quite relaxed.
“Is it really that simple?” Moen’s brow furrowed slightly after hearing this, a flash of doubt in her eyes. “That man Sima—wasn't he a noble? And he was quite strong. If something happened to him, will the people of Crimson City-State let us off easily? They don’t seem like the type to just let things go.”
“Ahem! It should be fine~” Po Kong cleared his throat, not directly responding to Moen’s doubt, but instead turning his gaze to Little Gold, who was currently yawning.
Little Gold seemed to have no interest in their discussion; having endured days of flight, he was already exhausted. Combined with the use of that mysterious necklace’s power earlier, he now felt as if his eyelids were made of lead, and he barely had the strength to remain standing.
“Little Gold, what are your plans for later? Now that the people chasing you have been dealt with by us, are you planning to go on your own, or...?” Po Kong asked, his tone carrying a hint of a probe.
“On my own?” Little Gold thought about it carefully and then shook his head. “No way, I don’t even know where to go! You know my strength is only so-so; it’s more reliable to follow you guys... even though what you’re planning to do next sounds pretty dangerous, at least there’s good food~”
After speaking, Little Gold gave a long yawn. His head drooped, and without any intention of further discussion, he fell straight asleep.
Rate on N.U.
