181. Even Small Ones Are Cute
"…Did she shrink?"
Li Aozi was a bit amazed, momentarily forgetting about going out to gather supplies and search for survivors.
He lifted the blanket and carefully examined Diaran. She had indeed shrunk considerably. Now, her height wouldn't exceed 1.6 meters, and her complexion and breathing seemed labored.
As time passed, Li Aozi observed that Diaran's body was continuously 'melting.' Her flesh seemed like gold in a blast furnace, gradually shrinking and dissolving. Colorless blood and bodily fluids seeped out, quickly soaking her blanket and dripping onto the floor like raindrops.
She continued to shrink, her appearance becoming increasingly similar to a 12- or 13-year-old child. Her hair, however, hadn't shortened, remaining as long as ever, draped over her body and rising and falling with her breathing.
"Mmm…"
With no other choice, Li Aozi used a towel to wipe her body. Diaran squirmed uncomfortably but had no strength to resist.
Her body temperature was still high. Simply using a wet towel didn't seem enough to bring it down.
Searching around, Li Aozi found a suitable item in the corner:
A dry ice fire extinguisher.
Hissssss————
The pale dry ice mist enveloped Diaran's body, and a layer of frost formed on her delicate eyebrows. Only then did her furrowed brows relax.
"Looks like it's working."
Li Aozi continued spraying, holding the extinguisher for dozens of seconds. Only then did Diaran's complexion fully stabilize.
As a Dragon-Titan, she seemed entirely unfazed by the cold.
Li Aozi put down the extinguisher and stayed by her bedside for a while longer, ready to act immediately if anything went wrong.
After a dozen minutes, Diaran's eyelids fluttered.
She opened her thick lashes, the blood in her irises gradually fading, restoring her vision. A few breaths later, Diaran slowly sat up.
"You're finally awake."
Li Aozi exhaled beside her.
Diaran turned her gaze to Li Aozi. Her golden eyes, molten-like, stared at him. After several hours of unconsciousness, her first words were:
"What's the score?"
Li Aozi hadn't expected her competitive streak to be so strong. He straightforwardly replied, "529:529. It's a draw."
"…No." Diaran pursed her lips and turned away. Her exquisitely beautiful face bore no expression.
"I lost."
Li Aozi tried to console her, "The score is the same, though."
"Does the score matter?"
Diaran threw off the blanket, showing no concern about exposing herself. She glanced down at her body and raised her hands, looking at her now significantly smaller palms. She spoke gravely:
"After the battle, I collapsed with severe injuries and fell unconscious—while you stood here perfectly fine."
Li Aozi blinked.
Diaran clenched her fists, seemingly unwilling to accept it:
"I gave it my all and couldn't even scratch you. You even had to come over to take care of me… to look after a defeated foe."
"It's no big deal."
Li Aozi said casually:
"We're classmates, after all. I can't just leave you there unattended. What if someone hangs me on the campus wall later, saying, 'Ugh, girls, today I ran into this awful scumbag. So annoying!'—The damage to my reputation would be far greater than partnering with you."
Diaran fell silent, seemingly unsure how to respond.
After a long pause, she finally said:
"Leoz, you look even more beautiful than before."
"Thank you."
Diaran choked up, sinking into awkwardness.
She didn't know how to continue the conversation.
Li Aozi glanced at her, realizing she was evidently not skilled at socializing.
At the moment, Diaran had one hand on her knee, her gaze shifting nervously. Her flushed face made it hard to tell if it was due to lingering fever or embarrassment.
Li Aozi didn't mind at all. Instead, he tucked the blanket back over Diaran.
"I'm not cold," Diaran reminded him.
She felt a sense of relief deep down.
—Finally, she had restarted the conversation.
"I'm afraid you'll evaporate before my eyes. Is that a good enough reason?"
Li Aozi said with mock exasperation:
"There's no rule saying girls must uphold virtue or protect chastity. You have the freedom to wear what you want. But I think it's better to be mindful of appearances around others. Civilized beings differ from animals in that they wear clothing. Otherwise, we're all the same."
"You're not 'others,'" Diaran said.
"You're my workshop partner."
That statement…
Li Aozi turned to meet Diaran's gaze.
He could clearly sense the increased closeness in her eyes.
Diaran had come to accept Leoz as a partner, both in strength and character.
"Partner… haha, let's set that aside for now."
Li Aozi pointed to Diaran's petite frame:
"Explain this. How did you go from a 1.75-meter tall girl to a little kid?"
"Talent. A gift from my bloodline."
Diaran glanced at her now-flat chest and said:
"You might have wondered before… why, as a Dragon-Titan, I only ever used the dragon side of my bloodline powers?"
"I was curious," Li Aozi admitted. "Looks like it's related to your condition?"
"Yes." Diaran explained, "Titans are regarded as natural-born Warriors. No matter how severe their injuries, as long as they aren't killed outright, they will eventually heal. What doesn't kill them only makes them stronger."
She placed her hand on her chest, her gaze somber, as if recalling something.
"The bloodline I inherited didn't include many combat skills related to Titans, but it fully carried over their regenerative abilities."
Diaran elaborated:
"My Titan lineage comes from the 'Molten Gold Titans,' a branch renowned for both combat prowess and exceptional healing. When a Molten Gold Titan suffers fatal injuries, they enter a dormant state, shrinking their bodies to conserve energy and discarding their injuries in the process."
"Reverse evolution?" Li Aozi stroked his chin. "Sounds like the immortal jellyfish."
Immortal jellyfish could reorganize their cells into a larval state after sustaining significant damage, effectively producing hundreds or thousands of identical versions of themselves.
To humans, the process resembled reversing aging.
"It's somewhat similar… The Molten Gold Titans regenerate by reverting to a juvenile state and growing back from there."
As Diaran spoke, she shrank another two centimeters, looking even more like a grade school-aged child.
"What about your strength…?"
"Naturally, it diminishes as well. In cases of severe injuries, even fatal ones, I could regress to an infant. But once fully healed, I'll regain my peak strength."
In other words… had Li Aozi pushed her to the brink of death?
Li Aozi twitched his mouth.
It wasn't intentional. Since his transmigration, few who fought him left unscathed.
Out of habit, he'd gone all out. It wasn't his fault, was it?
Besides, Diaran had also been fired up. Two Delta-tier combatants going all out with summoned dragonkin and constructs—the resulting explosions had the impact of Zeta-tier clashes.
Li Aozi had [Bloodline] and his construct's thick HP bar, so he emerged unscathed, though his mana bar was drained.
At the time, he'd even thought that if Diaran wasn't satisfied, he could keep going with [Bloodline] and cast an 'Earthquake Spell.'
Clearly, that wasn't necessary now.
Diaran had sustained serious injuries.
Still, it was impressive.
After all, Li Aozi hadn't activated his other three Sequence Omega Energies, used his Divine Sword, entered his Dictator Form, or deployed the White Obelisk to summon Omega Energy… yet he'd gone all out in his base form.
It was about 50% of his full power.
Diaran had nearly forced him to go beyond that. Most couldn't even pass the Lava Guardian test.
That's a Dragon Titan for you—a top-tier bloodline.
Her strength was impressive, and her potential was excellent.
Diaran looked at Li Aozi without a trace of blame. On the contrary, her tone suggested admiration.
"Truly fascinating." Li Aozi marveled. "The dragon race's casting talent and elemental resonance combined with the Titan's indomitable body—the advantages of two of the strongest races in the universe united in you. Remarkable."
'Indeed, all thanks to the [Doctor]…'
Diaran nodded and reminded him:
"Although I've temporarily awakened, I'm still far from fully recovered."
Her round, cute face became even more delicate, resembling a doll's. Her golden hair cascaded like a waterfall over the bed, covering sensitive areas.
With the grand and majestic name "Diaran" now associated with a petite girl under 1.4 meters tall, a peculiar feeling stirred in Li Aozi's heart.
[It's like a sparrow calling itself an 'eagle.']
Diaran, already not an adult, now looked even younger. Li Aozi couldn't consider her a peer anymore.
Her complexion wasn't great, a flush spreading across her skin. After speaking for a while, Li Aozi explained the current situation to her.
"Remaining Moon attacked our campus. The purpose remains unclear, but for now, it's beyond our control. I think we need to gather survival supplies first…"
"Mm."
Initially, Diaran listened intently, biting her lip. But her strength and stamina rapidly declined, making it increasingly difficult to keep up.
"Next, I must head to the library. My friends Hobbs and Lucite are waiting there. Once I confirm it's safe, I'll entrust you to these reliable people before heading off to find Yavanna…"
As he began discussing his plans, Diaran lost the energy to sit upright. Her head leaned against the wall, her breathing heavy, her gaze becoming unfocused and hazy.
"Diaran? Are you okay?"
Li Aozi placed a hand on her forehead, feeling its fiery heat. His eyes narrowed.
"Is it starting again?"
"Mm…"
Diaran's consciousness faded. Li Aozi applied some force to her forehead, and her body went limp, collapsing into his arms.
Plop.
Li Aozi caught Diaran. His hands were immediately coated with colorless blood and bodily fluids. Her body shrank drastically, becoming pitifully small.
This time, she had completely turned into a toddler, no older than three or four.