Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, four years had gone by.
With the supplement of the mana crystal vein, Jonavili Frator Amody's mana capacity and recovery speed had been greatly improved.
Consequently, in just four years, she had already reached the point for her periodic hibernation.
By now, Qiao and Mofana had almost entirely adapted to the lifestyle of White Crystal City.
Qiao had successfully become a loyal enthusiast of various entertainment activities. Because his talent and skill were top-tier and he was almost undefeated, he was dubbed the "God of Gamblers" by his fellow card players.
Qiao himself believed that as long as he was the one dealing the cards, he would definitely win, so he gave himself the title of the "Dealer God of Gamblers."
In contrast to Qiao's harmonious integration with the subordinates, Mofana remained relatively aloof, projecting a cold and distant aura.
Combined with her expression of total indifference, she gave off a vibe of "don't approach me, I'm cold and hard to talk to." As a result, the only people she spoke to besides the three dragons were the peace-loving Anna and the chatterbox Fanni.
However, she still felt quite good about herself.
The human merchant caravans arrived at White Crystal City every year as agreed, and Jonavili had no interest in managing such trivial matters.
Feeling the increasing drowsiness, Jonavili knew that the day of her slumber was not far off.
Looking at the thriving city-state, she cracked her draconic snout and summoned Fanni.
Jonavili established five Five-Year Plans and ordered Fanni to implement them.
Normally, she wouldn't sleep for such a long time, but Jonavili wanted to be lazy. She wanted to have a long, deep sleep—an undisturbed travel through dreams.
As for what would happen if she didn't wake up after twenty-five years? What else could be done? There were a few tall ones to hold up the sky; it was impossible to wake up and immediately see a hero's party coming to slay her, right?
...
Time spun on, and ten years vanished in a flash.
Almost simultaneously, all the black-armored trolls felt something in their hearts and looked toward a single direction, where a majestic palace stood.
"Master..."
Just as the words fell, a roar filled with newfound majesty echoed out. Every monster and White Crystal knight in White Crystal City fell to their knees. The Imperial Guard stationed on the palace steps turned in unison and knelt.
Everyone shouted at the top of their lungs.
"Congratulations to the great Lord Gris on his awakening!"
The heavy doors were slowly pushed open, and a handsome youth stepped out, his medium-length black hair fluttering in the wind.
"As expected of me, Gris! I shall be unrivaled under the heavens!"
As he spoke, he clenched his fists, feeling the power within his body, and couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile.
In the next second, he took to the sky, transforming into a massive dragon covered in black scales. His wide dragon wings cast a great shadow under the sunlight.
Looking at the dragon in the sky, which appeared to be nearly thirty meters long, some felt tremors, some felt surprise, and some felt fear. But without exception, all the kin cheered for Gris's awakening.
After circling a few times to show off his dragon body—which, though looking somewhat lean, was still incredibly powerful—Gris flew over White Crystal City and transformed back into the black-haired youth.
He descended slowly. Standing before him was a red-haired human.
The moment their red and black pupils met, both of them smirked.
Qiao took out a deck of cards, shook them at Gris, and teased.
"Want a round?"
Gris lifted his head slightly and said proudly.
"I'm not the same person I was before."
...
Three years after Gris woke up, Furiel slowly stirred from her slumber.
Feeling the changes within her body, her red draconic snout split wide, revealing the sharp dragon teeth within.
A voice filled with pride rang out.
"Hehe hehe hehe! Jonavili, the next time we meet, it's uncertain who will win or lose! Hehe hehe hehe..."
Furiel walked out of the palace, but after staying outside for a few years, she felt as if something was missing.
She returned to the palace and went to the place where Jonavili was sleeping.
Looking at the dragon whose size was now incomparable to before, Furiel felt that staying with this fellow... wasn't so bad after all?
Unconsciously, Furiel shifted into her dragon-girl form, stretched out her fiery-red dragon tail, and couldn't resist poking Jonavili's massive claw.
But soon, Furiel's expression froze as she realized her own inexplicable behavior, and her movements stiffened.
"What... what am I... doing?"
A faint pink hue inexplicably climbed onto her fair cheeks, and Furiel felt her heartbeat... speed up a bit?
Once she regained her senses, Furiel turned her head away and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Hmph! It's all your fault. You must have done something to me before. I'll settle this debt with you when you wake up!"
With a cold snort, Furiel turned and left.
Just like that, Furiel returned to her own sleeping quarters and proactively entered hibernation.
...
The merchants and adventurers who had luckily survived before continued to fulfill their contracts, and many more humans joined their merchant caravans.
However, this annual, repetitive behavior had long since attracted the attention of many people.
In a bustling tavern, a woman hidden under a hood swirled the wine in her glass.
The noisy tavern made her knit her beautiful brows, but she did not get up to leave. Instead, she became even more focused.
The discussion at the neighboring table was the reason she remained here.
"Have you heard? Frey is going to Jesup Continent again."
A middle-aged man with a full beard deliberately lowered his voice, looking mysterious.
Hearing this, his drinking buddies looked at each other in surprise.
"No way, he's going again? It's been how many years now? Why does he go every year? Is there really some treasure over there?"
A man with pale skin and a pointed chin spoke, greed flashing in his eyes.
An adventurer-dressed man beside him slapped him.
"Ow! What was that for!"
The sharp-chinned man cried out in pain and stood up to glare at his companion.
The stool behind him fell to the ground with a loud thud.
However, because the tavern was too noisy, this commotion did not attract much attention, as it was dismissed as normal drunken rowdiness.
The companion who slapped him sighed in relief when he saw that no one noticed them, then looked at the angry sharp-chinned man.
"Frey lost his entire left arm. Do you think that looks like there's treasure?"
"Besides, you've seen Frey's face. Has he ever gone there without a miserable expression?"
"Don't be too greedy. Be careful, or you'll lose your life."
Hearing this, the sharp-chinned man set the stool upright and slowly sat down.
"Now that you mention it, that does seem to be the case."
Rate on N.U.
