This was the Scale of Calamity granted by Tiamat after Seria became a devout believer, capable of warning her to a certain extent of impending disaster.
Just as the thought of retaliation had crossed her mind, as she prepared to rally her vassals and teach the humans in that inconspicuous border city a lesson, the Scale of Calamity transmitted a trace of icy chill.
This was a trap; the humans had prepared in advance.
Before the dragon deity statue, Seria prostrated her body and recited her prayer:
“Great Lord of All Dragons, Queen of the World, Lady Tiamat. Your devout believer offers You a sacrifice and vents her humiliation. I pray You grant Your weak servant some guidance.”
Once the prayer concluded, the blazing crystal upon the altar had vanished.
A moment later, the Dragon God's will poured directly into her mind:
A witch, Eighth-Tier, anti-flight formation.
Viscount Cullen, Seventh-Tier, knight.
A dragon-hunting party...
...
My devout believer, beware of the anti-flight formation.
“My Lord, I understand your meaning.”
Seria slowly rose.
“Humans. How interesting. Hmph.”
With that, Seria beckoned with a dragon claw, and a magic crystal flew from a corner of the cave, floating before the red dragon.
After an incantation, the crystal began emitting light, revealing the face of an unfamiliar red dragon on its surface.
“Lesa, I have a deal I'd like to discuss with you.”
“Oh! My respected Priestess, what is—”
...
Perhaps the Dragon God merely intended for her believer to proceed with caution, but prudence—a trait Seria had been forced to cultivate since childhood—had long since become ingrained in her mindset.
Two days later.
In the southern part of the city, inside the witch's cottage.
Kael sat by the wooden window, resting his chin on a dragon claw as he gazed up at the stars in the night sky.
Back in his rural hometown in his past life, he used to sit on the ridge between farmland at night watching the stars, and when the mood struck, he would even count them.
Tonight, however, the stars in the sky were far fewer, their starlight obscured by dark clouds.
“Little guy, who are you missing?”
Behind him, Elise walked over holding a cup of black tea. With a gentle wave of her left hand, a flash of magic aura flickered, and another cup of black tea appeared, which she handed to the little red dragon's side.
Kael took the black tea, nodded in thanks, and tilted his head back, pouring the tea straight into his mouth.
As the tea was drained, the cup dissolved into a shower of starlight and vanished. The tea tasted slightly bitter upon entry, but after a subtle sip, a lingering sweetness filled his mouth.
Turning his head to look at Elise, he asked, “How did you know what I was thinking?”
“Hmm... that's how I was when I missed my family before, staring up at the stars and zoning out on the ground.”
Elise glanced at the stars in the sky, then looked at the wyrmling that had grown from the size of a calf to 3.5 meters in length in just seven days.
(A dragon's tail and neck accounted for nearly half of its body length.)
“Do you know how different you are from other red dragons? Your calm demeanor, a growth rate never recorded in books, your ability to conceal your breath, your attraction to starlight, an appetite far exceeding that of red dragons your age... and the way you were just contemplating things.”
“If you're missing your red dragon mother, your draconic heritage should have told you that such a life isn't good. Besides, you've never even seen your red dragon mother. So...”
Elise bent down, bringing her face close to the red dragon's, her expression brimming with childish curiosity.
This was precisely what Kael feared most; this witch's curiosity was far too overwhelming.
This morning, after sleeping for a week, Kael had woken up.
He shook his head, recalled his experiences before the slumber, and looking at the empty house, he decided to escape from this place.
Oh, right, he still had his cheat system.
Kael focused his mind.
Race: Red Dragon
Tier: First-Tier
Growth Stage: Wyrmling
Special Talent: Rapid Growth (Possesses a digestion speed far exceeding ordinary dragonkind, faster growth rate, and can gain more benefits from food.)
Passive: Blessing of the Starry Sky (Grants an initial talent; with each tier advancement, grants the special talent you desire most.)
He could gain talents? Kael thought to himself that he was far too weak right now. It would be great if he had a talent that could protect him, ideally one that could hide his body and conceal his breath.
Suddenly, his mind went blank, accompanied by a sensation as if his very soul were being cleansed.
Kael looked at his status panel once more.
An additional special talent had appeared: Turn a Blind Eye (Distorts the attention of other creatures, dampening one's presence. Effect is influenced by the relative tiers of both parties. Grants an extra boost to other stealth skills and talents. Can be freely controlled.)
Kael chuckled bitterly out of sheer exasperation. It was a good talent, but was it of any use right now?
Could a witch who conjured Third-Tier magical beast meat out of thin air possibly be lower in tier than him?
Things having come to this, Kael decided to take a gamble. He quietly shuffled over to the cottage's wooden door and cracked it open slightly.
Unevenly lined buildings, roads that weren't very tidy but were wide enough for carriages, and occasional figures passing by.
Was this a city? At the very least, it was a town.
Kael pulled the door shut and prepared to return to his spot.
Looking at his body, which spanned over three meters including his tail, Kael could easily weigh the choice between going outside to be turned into roasted suckling dragon and staying behind to scrape by for a few more days.
As for "greedy plays," he didn't dare attempt anything yet.
The moment he turned back around, what met his eyes was the witch's face, brimming with a light smile.
Kael threw his head back and collapsed again.
“Little guy! Get up quickly, the ground is cold.”
...
Looking at the smiling face full of thirst for knowledge before him, Kael finally mustered the courage to ask:
“Lady Witch, c-can you let me leave?”
“Hmm... no problem, I respect your thoughts, but I have to study and understand you first. Also, I'd prefer it if you called me Sister Elise.”
Elise cupped her chin with her right hand, gazing at the red dragon with a soft smile.
Kael threw his head back and flopped over, closing his eyes completely. His life had truly reached its end.
“Little guy, I'm only living here temporarily. In the future, I can take you to many places. But once you grow up, you have to help me out.”
Hmm! There was still a turn of events?
Kael hastily scrambled onto his side and sat up, gazing at Elise with an expectant face.
“Mm, we have to resolve things here before we can leave.”
“Also, the target this time is your red dragon mother. But... you can beg me for help right now, you know!”
...
Night enveloped Greystone City like ink.
Guards on the city walls carried torches, patrolling back and forth to keep watch for potential attacks by magical beasts outside the city.
To the north of the city, taverns and shops stood in rows; even in the middle of the night, one could spot drunkards and gamblers who had lost down to their underwear roaming the streets.
A petite, gracefully shaped tigerkin girl walked along the street. Her face was delicate and lovely, with a bright red scale at the center of her forehead, fiery red long hair atop her head alongside a pair of furry beast ears, and a tiger tail behind her curving downward without touching the ground in the slightest. Her gaze was cold and aloof, showing no interest in the surrounding people or things.
She strolled along the street, seemingly sensing something in the air.
Suddenly, a commotion came from the direction of a tavern as three low-tier adventurers reeking of alcohol stepped out of the tavern doors after finishing their ale.
One burly man, a fine-iron shield slung at his waist, caught sight of the half-beastkin girl walking alone in the alley.
He nudged his two drunk companions with an elbow and signaled to them. Exchanging malicious glances, the three burly men followed her.
The half-beastkin girl continued forward without looking back, a cold curve tugging at the corner of her mouth. She naturally slowed her pace, luring the three step by step into a secluded alley sandwiched between tall walls.
Rate on N.U.
