"Whoa!"
Anna was startled by the sudden loud noise.
She was already an adult, no longer a naive child. The elders of the Elven Forest had taught her about matters between men and women at an appropriate age.
Moreover, during her journey of being sold, she had encountered many other enslaved girls like herself.
Everyone had their own stories.
These stories were often cruel in tone, though they inevitably touched upon other topics.
Sometimes, she would even sneak a peek at the storybooks Su Nian collected. Those books told tales of love between princesses and black dragons, complete with illustrations that often left her blushing furiously.
Anna shyly lowered her head, not daring to look at Su Nian. Her soft little hands fidgeted nervously.
Her fair, delicate face turned visibly red, and her adorable peach blossom eyes glistened with a hint of moisture. The rising blush even spread to her slender, pale neck and her fox-like ears atop her head.
"Umm, Big Brother Dragon, maybe I should step out for a bit?"
Anna murmured hesitantly, casting a quick glance at Su Nian with her watery eyes before hurriedly lowering them again. Staring at her toes, she seemed at a loss for what to do.
"Ahem, it's no big deal!"
"I just wanted to test the sturdiness of the kobolds' construction. Turns out, it's nothing impressive. Clearly, those kobolds cut corners... Yes, that's definitely it!"
Perched on the bedrock platform, Su Nian's massive dragon wings drooped down as he rested his dragon chin on one claw, earnestly changing the subject.
"By the way, Anna, you look really good in that outfit. Yes, very charming!"
"Really?"
Anna's eyes lit up as she lifted her skirt and twirled lightly, mimicking the maids' gestures as she performed a curtsey, bowing slightly and softly asking, "Master, would you like Anna to help clean your scales?"
Su Nian's dragon claw dug forcefully into the bedrock platform.
"Crack!"
A piece of hard stone was pried off.
He felt his recently calmed emotions stirring once again. Taking a deep breath, he mentally recited the Clear Heart Mantra, the Sutra of Kṣitigarbha, and the Diamond Sutra in succession.
Finally, he felt a little better.
"Anna..."
"Yes? What's the matter?"
Anna tilted her head up, holding her skirt. Her soft pink lips curved into a slight pout, revealing two enchanting dimples. Her watery eyes gazed at Su Nian with a hint of confusion, her small head tilted slightly.
Damn it!
How can she be this adorable?
Su Nian took in the sight, his eye twitching as he swallowed hard, carefully pulling Anna into his embrace. In a low voice, he said, "It's nothing. I just thought... it's been six hours since our last kiss. We should kiss more often because it helps deepen our bond..."
"But..."
Anna hesitated, wanting to act reserved.
She bit her lip shyly, her bright peach blossom eyes lowered as she shrank into Su Nian's arms. Her soft little hands gently wrapped around his neck, her demeanor a mix of reluctance and acceptance.
[Anna Hathaway's Favorability +1. Current Favorability: 78 (Likes)]
"No buts. Hehehe..."
...
After some affectionate moments, Su Nian took out the Beginner's Guide to Magic and handed it to Anna.
"Anna, try tearing this open. It might make you a mage."
"Tearing it open is all it takes?"
Anna accepted the Beginner's Guide to Magic, puzzled.
She didn't understand how tearing open a scroll could grant her such a noble profession. But since Big Brother Dragon said so, she would obediently comply.
Big Brother Dragon wouldn't harm her.
Without hesitation, Anna tore open the Beginner's Guide to Magic.
"Buzz—"
A burst of dazzling colorful light erupted from the guide, instantly merging into Anna's body.
Immediately, her body radiated with soft white and bright blue elemental light, which gradually faded and disappeared within her.
At the same time, in Su Nian's eyes, Anna's information panel underwent a transformation:
[Name: Anna Hathaway (Dragonification Stage One)]
[Rating: SSS]
[Personality: Lively, gentle, kind]
[Race: Dragonified Elf]
[Strength: Level 1 (Tier 1) Mage Apprentice]
[Health: 150 (-450)]
[Magic: 440 (Mental x40) (Affinity Bonus)]
[Strength: 1 (+1)]
[Constitution: 5 (+1) Armor: 60]
[Mental: 1 (+10) Attack: 220 (Mental x20) (Affinity Bonus)]
[Status: Illness (Remaining lifespan: 62 days)]
[Talents: Top-tier Water Element Affinity, Top-tier Light Element Affinity, Peerless Beauty (Activated), Delicate Body (Passive), Alluring Fragrance (Passive)]
[Skills: Waterball (Automatically Learned), Illumination (Automatically Learned)]
[Current Favorability: 78 (Likes)]
[Evaluation: A girl both unfortunate and fortunate]
Though Su Nian was displeased about Anna being quantified in such a manner, he had to admit that these stats highlighted her extraordinary talents.
One point in Mental adds 10 points, and this is just at the apprentice stage. Player mages gain only 2 Mental points per level.
Even more astonishing is the conversion rate of Mental: 40 times for mana and 20 times for magic attack. Player mages only have conversion rates of 20 and 15 times, respectively.
But this isn't a game.
Quantified data can't explain everything, and many aspects simply can't be captured by numbers.
For instance, the massive waterball in Anna's hands right now.
"Look, Big Brother! Anna can use magic now~"
"Now Anna can protect Big Brother too~ Hee hee~"
Anna was overjoyed, carrying the enormous waterball as she ran circles around Su Nian. Then, like a child showing off a treasure, she held the waterball up to Su Nian and said with a grin:
"Big Brother, do you want some water? Now we'll never have to worry about running out of water~"
Su Nian obligingly swallowed the giant waterball. To be honest, it tasted quite plain—being pure water condensed from water elements, it was far less flavorful than the spring water of Silvermoon Forest.
However, seeing the sparkle in Anna's eyes, Su Nian still hugged her and planted a kiss on her cheek, generously praising her:
"Anna is amazing~ If we ever cross a desert, your waterball spell will keep us alive~"
"Oh, Big Brother, stop licking me!"
Anna protested playfully, burying her blushing face in Su Nian's neck to avoid his tongue. Her soft hands gently stroked the dark scales on his neck, her eyes brimming with sweetness and hope.
With a hint of anticipation and unease, she asked softly:
"Big Brother, does this mean Anna can live a little longer now?"
Anna didn't care about becoming a mage; she was simply happy at the thought of living longer. What she didn't know was that even as a mage, her lifespan hadn't increased at all.
"Yes... Anna can live much longer now, a very long time..."
Su Nian's heart ached as he nuzzled her cheek, his voice gentle.
But his dragon claw gripping the bedrock tightened silently.
He had thought that activating the light-element magic within her might affect the demonic curse on her. At the very least, it should have extended her lifespan.
But it hadn't made any difference.
Was it because Anna's power was still too weak?
If she became a stronger mage and learned healing spells, or even Purification, could she then lift the curse on her?
If Anna couldn't lift it herself, then even seeking a priest in the Winter Empire to perform Purification would likely yield the same result.
After all, the effects of divine power and light-element magic are essentially the same. The former is called divine arts, while the latter is referred to as magic. """