Lu Cai hadn't expected Zeesia to be so easygoing and a smile spread across his face, touched.
Zesia was so captivated by the gentle, powerful and domineering smile of her dragon rider that when she flew to the waterfall she didn't realize Lu Cai just wanted to leave alone.
The waterfall resembled a vast chasm carved into the mountain. The turbulent river flowed through it like a canopy of heaven emitting a tremendous roar. This showed that the terrain below was very low. A rash attack could easily result in shattering. This was why Lu Cai had been nursing his injuries for so long.
He could only leave if he was sure he could cast a spell.
But just as he confidently planned to lie across the waterfall he found himself blocked by an invisible force.
Lu Cai was stunned!
He had long known that there was a crisscrossing energy here, like a range restriction but weren't restrictions usually just for preventing unauthorized entry?
How could he not even leave? He turned to look at Zeshia. "Here, out? Can't we?"
Zesia, slumped in the river, was taking a cold shower. Seeing this, she blinked, stood up, shook off the water and jumped over.
He had never attempted to leave the valley believing it was meaningless for a dragon to leave alone. It had to wait until its destined dragon rider appeared and took it away with them. That would be truly meaningful.
Being a dragon requires a sense of ritual; otherwise, what's the difference between a dragon and a lizard?
But it was also blocked by the restriction. A dragon and a human stood by the waterfall violently washed by the relentless water chilling them to the core.
"Ahem, this, this isn't a big deal. Perhaps it's just the valley's reluctance to let us stay."
Zesia glanced at Lu Cai cautiously regretting not asking Grandpa Ode about leaving the valley sooner!
Doesn't this make it seem unprofessional?
Before Lu Cai could say anything he quickly replied, "Wait a moment. I'll make some preparations."
Lu Cai was touched. He understood that Zeshia was likely trying to help so when the silver dragon flapped its wings and flew away he didn't think much of it.
When Zeshia returned the look in his eyes seemed a little off.
He consulted the elderly Grandpa Ode and concluded that because Zeshia was still a child the valley wouldn't allow young dragons to leave and venture into the dangerous outside world. Humans, without a dragon's escort, couldn't leave the valley either.
Zeshia's eyes immediately turned red: "I've grown stronger than a full-grown dragon! This doesn't make sense!"
Grandpa Ode expressed his understanding and told Zeshia there was another solution: Zeshia could sign a soul contract with the heroic dragon rider allowing them to leave the valley with the help of a human's wish.
Zesia was skeptical but Grandpa Ode nodded trustingly:
"I heard from Ryan that your dragon rider is a powerful and majestic being. I'm sure he'll protect you."
Oh, that's no problem. Zeshia couldn't help but wave her tail reviewing the requirements of the soul contract then turned and flew away.
Chris was surfing the internet in the cave next door when he heard the noise and ran out scratching his head.
"Grandpa Ode, are you so confident Zeshia can go out? I heard things haven't been peaceful out there lately and that humans can't be invincible."
Grandpa Ode waved his hand and turned to turn on the TV. "What's there to be afraid of? He's the toughest dragon in our valley."
The toughest dragon turned and taught Lu Cai the dragon spell word-for-word, his expression solemn and serious.
Although Lu Cai was full of doubts he still followed along and learned it.
"You're such a clever biped... oh, no, human."
Zeshia looked at Lu Cai with admiration then lowered her head, gritted her teeth, peeled off the thinnest scale and handed it to Lu Cai.
"My dragon rider, lick my blood then recite the spell to connect with my soul."
Lu Cai probably guessed that he would need Zeshia's blood to escape but he didn't understand anything else. The blood-stained silver dragon scale held a strange power that made him stare at it again and again.
"Is the price so high?"
His murmur was soft and he habitually spoke Chinese. Zeshia thought he was marveling at his own beauty so he tilted his head back and hummed softly:
"My blood contains powerful magic. Strength is the most beautiful manifestation. Do not be afraid you deserve it."
Lu Cai heard the word "worth it" and nodded subconsciously, trusting this innocent and friendly dragon and doing as Zeshia said. After spending the past few days together Lu Cai completely believed that Zeshia's original intentions were good because given its intelligence it was unlikely that it would be able to plan anything.
But the moment he finished licking his light brown pupils suddenly narrowed!
Dragon blood... just one sip almost filled his spiritual power to the point of overflowing!!!
"Cai! Can't you handle it? Quickly chant the spell to relieve the magic power!"
Zeshia urged a little worried.
Lu Cai struggled to contain the surge of spiritual power, gritted his teeth and recited the spell...
In an instant the power that struck his soul overwhelmed his mind and spirit and the pleasure more stimulating than physical release directly knocked him unconscious.
*
The sun set and the moon's shadow slowly rose in the sky as bright as red wine. A rustling sound echoed on both sides of the quiet path.
Not far from here a dense fog rose. Strange vapors swirled and swirled and within its depths something visible to the naked eye moved constantly.
A group of people in worn, coarse cloth walked stiffly along a nearby path.
The crimson sky shone, their skin pale against the backdrop and their dazed eyes gazed aimlessly around.
One of them stumbled and fell onto the back of the person in front of him, immediately slicing his wrist with the axe hanging from the other person's waist. Blood streamed down his hand.
But the injured man simply glanced at his wound numbly and continued on his way not crying out in pain, and no one around came to his aid.
Until they encountered the drenched Lu Cai.
The young man, clad in soaking wet clothes, his face pale from the cold and a hint of...fear still lingered.
Life is full of unexpected surprises; you never know which will come first, the next or the next.
The group seemed to have flipped a switch, suddenly becoming animated from their initial stiffness and numbness.
"Who are you?"
The man in front drew his hatchet from his waist and shouted fearfully at Lu Cai from a distance.
The voice was in Chinese. Lu Cai paused, his eyes subconsciously glancing towards the woods beside the road. Then, in a deep voice, he replied:
"I was passing by by accident and couldn't get out. May I ask where this is?"
The group looked at each other for a moment before tentatively responding, "This is Xiaojia Village. Are you alone? What are you doing?"
Lu Cai replied calmly, "I got separated from my friend. We went to the beach to investigate and are returning to the Northern Base."
The Northern Base is the largest gathering place for humans in the Chinese region and it is also where the Foundation's headquarters is located.
Lu Cai glanced at the thick fog in the distance, suppressed his suspicion and added:
"Excuse me, can you take me with you? My phone's soaked and I need to contact my friends."
The man standing opposite seemed to discuss among himself for a moment before finally sheathing his knife and approaching. He carefully examined Lu Cai confirming that nothing was wrong with him and then muttered softly:
"You better not lie kid. If you're connected to those monsters, I'll kill you!"
Lu Cai had become particularly attuned to this kind of mumbling lately. He grinned and hummed in a resigned manner. Looking up, he saw someone in the group had an arm injury and casually asked:
"Was he attacked by a monster?"
The man in the lead holding the hatchet, hummed a "hmm," and sheathed it back at his waist. Lu Cai glanced at the blade and saw blood still stained from it having been stained recently.
Lu Cai followed them down the path, head lowered, a submissive demeanor on his face but his ears never faltered, keenly catching the rustling of the trees nearby.
He glanced at them, a blur of silver light flickering faintly in the darkness.
Flash forward half an hour and he was vomiting fishy-smelling seawater as Zeshia pulled him ashore...
Huh?
Zesia!?
Lu Cai jumped up, looking at Zeshia in disbelief. "Why are you here too?!"
He rarely got so excited. After his customary questioning in Chinese he looked at the silver dragon's gleaming, innocent golden eyes, coughed regretfully and then continued to question it in ancient Latin:
"You? Left?"
Zeshia tilted his head then nodded seriously:
"Of course you're going, that's where my dragon was born!"
Lu Cai didn't understand anyway. He was forced to accept that the dragon had left the valley. If he didn't help it might be torn apart by other monsters or captured and dissected by the Foundation or other organizations in the next second.
It was about to break apart.
Dragon Island was a wonderful surprise. The few short days gave him great relaxation just like the vacation people often talked about before the dark matter explosion with Zeshia being the brightest spot.
But now he had returned to reality, a reality filled with strangeness and horror surrounded by bloodshed. He wasn't sure he could protect Zeshia.
Lu Cai thought of the puppies he once raised, dying and then looked at the pair of golden eyes before him. He was momentarily at a loss for words.
But reality soon taught him a lesson. Suddenly, the dense fog around him stirred a volatile energy rapidly gathering as if something had spotted fresh prey and was about to strike with all its might.
Then, Zeshia, unsure of why, raised her claws and crushed a giant worm that had emerged from the fog to the ground.
"Wow, is food so plentiful out there these days? It looks nutritious!"
Lu Cai's face suddenly turned strange and he took a few steps back without a trace.
Finally, Lu Cai conceded defeat and said, "Zesshia."
Zesshia, who was fiddling with the now-dead worm, looked up and saw Lu Cai's slightly serious expression.
"Tell me about your abilities or what makes them so powerful."
Lu Cai planned to develop a temporary protection plan for Zeshia based on his strengths. Zeshia thought for a moment, then replied seriously, "I can fly."
Lu Cai: "...and more?"
"It's very hard."
Zesshia confidently crushed the worm's eyeball, splashing his hands with juice, which he rubbed against a nearby tree.
Lu Cai choked, nodded numbly and turned to rinse himself again in the sea. He would have spent his entire life trying to heal those few seconds if he could.
But as he returned to shore intending to explain to Zeshia the precautions here, most importantly not to eat these unidentified creatures, he suddenly heard footsteps nearby.
He immediately drove Zeshia into the nearby woods telling her not to come out unless he told him to.
Zesshia hastily agreed thinking that the outside world was so exciting. She loved it.