Chapter 9: The Dragon's Past

“Gu Gu Gu…”
“Gu Gu Gu…”
The pesky spotted dove was calling again early in the morning.

Lin De frowned, clicked his tongue impatiently, and rolled over.

His headache was severe; the quality of his sleep was terribly poor.

Without opening his eyes, his hand instinctively reached toward the pillow, trying to grab his phone to check the time.

But after searching for a while, he couldn’t find the familiar bulky shape.

Moreover, when did his bed become so cold and hard?

He forced his eyelids open and squinted around. His mind stalled for a few seconds before gradually recalling what had happened yesterday.

He had crossed over to another world...

Victoria was not by his side; instead, a thick layer of fresh grass was laid over him.

The little dragon was surprisingly considerate, Lin De thought.

He tidied the grass blanket to one side, piling it neatly, then stepped out of the cave entrance.

Before him, Victoria sat upright, like a large cat, coiling her tail halfway around her dragon claw that was resting on the ground.

Her beautiful scales appeared almost pure white without direct sunlight.

But when touched by the warm light, they blossomed with various strange colors, like a magnificent rainbow, pleasing to the eye.

Lin De considered that he and Victoria had only just met, barely enough to call acquaintances.

Yet judging by her lively nature yesterday, she was a restless, active young dragon.

Seeing her just sit quietly, staring blankly at the sky, was somewhat novel to him.

He did not disturb her but slowed his steps and sat down beside her, hugging his knees.

Noticing the dew droplets condensed on her fine scales, he guessed she had been sitting there for some time.

In the early morning, the summer breeze was gentle, bringing the leisurely scent of blooming flowers as a morning kiss to both man and dragon.

In this fresh environment, Lin De squinted and enjoyed the simple beauty of nature, his earlier annoyance at “Gu Gu Gu” vanishing into thin air.

The birdsong was truly delightful!

Indeed, without the pressure of work, even the air seemed sweet.

“I really like sitting outside, looking at the sky just as dawn breaks,” Victoria said softly.

She had sensed Lin De’s arrival early on and was prepared to end her solitary morning.

Yet in her heart stirred a faint sadness at the disruption of her tranquility.

But since he only sat quietly beside her, gazing at the sky, that sadness shifted into an inexplicable sense of expectation and surprise.

He understands me!

The thoughts she longed to share were meant for someone willing to listen.

“The weather today can be guessed by looking at the morning sky.

Though sometimes it’s inaccurate. I clearly see a blue sky with not a single white cotton cloud, yet by afternoon, heavy rain suddenly pours down, drenching me while I’m flying outside.

Especially in summer, it’s the most unreasonable.”

“Pfft.”

Lin De suddenly laughed out loud at the young dragon’s final complaint.

He neither nodded in agreement nor shook his head in denial.

Sometimes, listening was more valuable than expressing one’s own views.

He sensed Victoria had more to say because her eyes were still fixed on the sky instead of on him.

“But there’s an even more important reason...”

“At dawn, when the cotton clouds haven’t yet filled the sky, and the stars of night are still blinking as they prepare to sleep, I’m just waking up.

At that time, I still have a chance to say goodnight to Grandpa Othtaslav and watch him slowly bury himself into his cotton bed.”

As Victoria spoke, she lowered her head toward Lin De, her clear eyes shimmering with tears.

The first rays of morning sunlight fell upon her, and her white scales reflected a spectrum of colors, like white crystal transforming into exquisite gemstones, breathtakingly beautiful.

Lin De took in this moment fully, etching it deeply into his memory, vowing never to forget.

He reached out to gently touch her moist nose, then pressed his forehead against the tip of her snout, comforting her:

“Your grandfather must be a very beloved gem dragon.”

“No~”

The tickling sensation on her nose made Victoria twitch her nostrils twice, as if about to sneeze.

“Ah?” Lin De was surprised. “Your grandfather is a fierce dragon?”

“No, your grandfather is the fierce one!”

Victoria retorted angrily, then earnestly explained:

“Grandpa Othtaslav isn’t a gem dragon; he’s a time dragon, a time dragon who has lived for an incredibly long time.

He lives in a picturesque valley, welcoming every dragon who passes by to listen to his stories. Whether they are metal dragons or five-colored dragons, he never looks at them with prejudice.”

“But most of the dragons who come to play at his place are young ones like me. Because Grandpa cast a barrier spell around the valley that only allows dragons with a childlike heart to enter.”

“He says he doesn’t want resentment and bitterness to pollute the valley. He wants to pass on knowledge and teach the ways of being a dragon to those who still believe in innocence and goodness, so they can strive for the unity of the dragon family.”

As she spoke, a look of reminiscence appeared in Victoria’s eyes, but suddenly a thought crossed her mind, and her mood sank, becoming listless and downcast.

“Forget it... I won’t say more. Lin De, thank you for listening to all my rambling.

My parents are good dragons, but they are busy with many things and have no time to hear my worries. My little brother and sister are too young and only cry for food.”

“I really appreciate you.”

“Why so formal...”

Lin De chuckled and nudged Victoria’s wing with his elbow:

“I’m not a child, so it’s only natural to listen to a young dragon’s troubles. Holding it all inside is exhausting; spilling it out makes it easier.”

“Whenever you want to share something, I’m always here. But for stories like this, I recommend chatting before bed. Talking about these things during the day makes it hard to get through the day.”

“Alright! Lin De, you’re so kind!”

Victoria affectionately rubbed her head against his cheek.

“Alright, alright, the sun is about to shine on our backs; it’s time to get to work.”

As he spoke, Lin De suddenly realized—he still had to work.

Though he could choose freely what to do, with no one forcing him.

Of course, there was no money involved.

But now, money wasn’t the problem; what to eat at noon was the real concern.

Sigh...

Who would have thought that after crossing into another world, his biggest worry would still be this problem that had troubled him throughout university.

Could the survival knowledge he’d seen on wilderness shows finally be useful?

Starting off with a dragon, relying on digging for food—bro, come survive with me, I’ll be waiting for you on Dragon Island.

Lin De shook his head, casting away the distracting thoughts.

“I’ll go chop some wood to stockpile for backup. You do whatever you want.”

“I’ll help you. Look at these muscles—solid as rock!”

“Great, just don’t get in the way.”

Man and dragon walked side by side, their banter and laughter gradually fading into the distance.