Chapter 358: My Name is Annie
The young dragon looked at the human blocking her path in shock.
This human was the same one who had been sitting on the ogre's shoulder.
However, now he had dazzling tendrils of light extending from his back.
Was he truly human?
It was the first time she had seen a human with such strange wings.
"Little one, tough luck running into me. Don't worry, I won't let your meat go to waste. I've never tried grilled dragon meat before," Li Meng said, his face filled with greedy anticipation.
Though the dragon was still a juvenile, her muscular form exuded power, giving off an imposing aura.
While Li Meng preferred raw meat, it seemed more civilized to grill it first.
"I won't let you eat me!"
The young dragon roared, opening her mouth to release a blazing fireball.
The fireball's heat was so intense that the very air seemed to warp as it passed through.
Facing the incoming attack, Li Meng threw a punch.
A shockwave burst forth as his monstrous strength and combat aura clashed with the fireball.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion echoed through the sky.
The fireball detonated mid-air, expanding into a wall of flames.
After the impact, the young dragon flapped her wings and veered westward, attempting to escape.
"Fall!"
Li Meng roared, unleashing radiant beams of light that shot toward the fleeing dragon.
Seeing the incoming attack, the dragon turned sharply, spitting out another massive fireball.
This fireball exploded as soon as it left her mouth, forming a fiery barrier that intercepted hundreds of the glowing projectiles.
However, the relentless light beams tore through the fiery barrier almost instantly.
In a flash, they pierced through the dragon's wings, leaving them tattered and useless.
"Roar!"
The dragon let out a pained cry as her massive body plummeted toward the ground.
Even with the dragon's tough physique, such a fall would either cripple or kill her.
As the dragon hurtled earthward, Li Meng shot forward like a blur, quickly catching up.
In moments, he was freefalling alongside her.
"Hey, little one, you're about to die. Still don't want to reconsider?"
The dragon glared at him with hatred in her enormous eyes.
"Don't be so stubborn. Leaving home to roam the Augus Continent, only to die in these small Ogre Mountains—doesn't that sound like a waste? Becoming my subordinate isn't such a bad deal."
"I'd rather die than become your lackey. My parents won't let you get away with this!"
Even at the brink of death, the dragon maintained her pride.
Her arrogance remained, refusing to bow to a human.
Hearing her threat, Li Meng grinned.
"That's even better. I hear your kind can transform into human form once you're grown. Male dragons for meat, female dragons to bear children—so, how do I get your parents to find me?"
"You pervert! Keep dreaming! I'd rather die than serve a human!"
"Who told you I'm human?"
The dragon froze mid-fall, her massive eyes widening in confusion.
"Boss, save me! I don't want to die!" she suddenly cried, tears streaming down her face as she pleaded with Li Meng flying beside her.
"That's more like it," Li Meng said with a grin, waving his hand.
A burst of holy light enveloped the dragon.
Under the restorative glow of the light elements, the dragon's shredded wings began to heal at an astonishing speed.
Within five seconds, they were completely restored.
Feeling the pain in her wings vanish, the dragon flapped them frantically, stabilizing herself just a hundred meters above the ground.
Meanwhile, a loud crash echoed from the forest below as the dragon's immense body collided with the trees, sending debris flying.
Before the dust settled, the dragon shot back into the sky, her massive crimson form soaring high.
And perched on her head was a small figure—Li Meng.
"Boss, if you're not human, then what are you?"
"I'm a goblin!"
"A goblin? Hahaha!"
The dragon burst into laughter mid-flight, clutching her stomach with her claws as she laughed uncontrollably.
"There's no way! Ugly goblins can't be this strong!"
"Then what do you think I am?"
The dragon stopped laughing, sniffing the air around Li Meng.
"You don't smell like a human. As long as you're not human, it's fine."
"You hate humans?"
Li Meng could sense the disdain in her tone when she spoke of humans.
"Yes, I hate them. Humans are wicked. They hunt dragons for glory, treating our alliance as worthless. I heard they've fallen from power and were driven out of the Central Continent. Serves them right!"
Driven out of the Central Continent?
It seemed the humans she referred to were ancient humans from the Central Continent.
"What's your name?"
"My name is Annie!"
Annie?
The name reminded Li Meng of a certain fire mage from a game, but it was a common name. Countless people could be named Annie.
"Annie, how old are you?"
"Boss, I'm 219 years old."
A 219-year-old juvenile dragon?
"Annie, when do dragons reach adulthood?"
"At 1,000 years old!"
Hearing this, Li Meng was speechless.
It seemed Annie wouldn't become a powerful asset anytime soon. She'd just be eye candy for now.
No wonder dragons had declined—they were undeniably strong and had near-immortal lifespans, but their strength took centuries to develop.
Meanwhile, humans, with their short lives, could reach the peak within decades.
Though an adult dragon's power was beyond what a human god-level powerhouse could rival, humans, with their sacred artifacts, could still pose a threat to dragons.
---
Before long, Annie returned to the volcano's crater.
Her wings stirred up a cloud of dust as she landed gracefully on the crater's edge.
"You'll stay here. My Throne Tribe doesn't have room for someone your size."
"By the way, don't eat the ogres or other creatures in the Ogre Mountains—they're my subordinates."
"And don't go north. That's human territory. If you show up there, heroes will hunt you down."
"You can roam around Goblin Forest and the Ogre Mountains, but don't stray too far."
After issuing his warnings, Li Meng leaped off Annie and flew away.
Watching his retreating figure, Annie pouted slightly.
Boss was just like her parents—constantly nagging.
---
"Benben, let's go back!"
Landing on the mountain peak where Benben waited, Li Meng perched steadily on her shoulder.
"Boss, why did you turn into a bird?"
Benben looked at him curiously, her massive eyes filled with wonder.