The mental link had been used several times now, and Ming Shuang had grown increasingly proficient at it. He could even alter the surrounding environment with his thoughts.
At this moment, they were in the back mountains of the Card Pool.
By now, Ming Shuang’s daytime excitement and urgency had calmed considerably.
He pondered deeply for a long time, wondering if there might be others besides himself…
Other members of the Dragon Clan?
Ming Shuang had never seen any of his own kind. Back when he lived in the Card Pool, he had Xuzhi and Coal Ball for company, so the thought had never crossed his mind.
If there were others, perhaps… perhaps even Xuzhi didn’t know?
Xuzhi had never seen other dragons either, which was why he had once said that Ming Shuang was the only one.
Ming Shuang thought it over and asked, “Master, do you really remember nothing from before?”
He still believed that the Dragon Clan’s treasure was most likely something Xuzhi had left for him.
However, the Xuzhi in this dream was different from before.
Having seen Ming Shuang in his human form, he had deliberately waited for this new dream, his mind perfectly clear.
Things from before?
Xuzhi truly remembered nothing from his past. His memories began only two years ago.
Was Ming Shuang asking because everything that had happened in the Thorny Jungle back then wasn’t mere coincidence?
The silver-haired youth before him seemed like someone he had known for a very long time.
But right now, Xuzhi couldn’t calmly consider any of that.
Most of his attention was fixed on Ming Shuang, on that strikingly handsome face and those unique blue-gold heterochromatic eyes.
His suspicions were finally confirmed: the silver-haired youth was the magical beast cub he carried with him every day.
A being with a human form who met him in dreams, who called him “Master” so affectionately.
Xuzhi instinctively held his breath, as if afraid to disturb the dream.
Seeing no answer, Ming Shuang asked again, “Is the treasure something you left for me in the past?”
Treasure… something he had left for Ming Shuang?
Xuzhi remained silent, though in previous dreams, he had often been quiet and dazed, as if not fully conscious.
“Never mind…” Ming Shuang muttered softly, then asked, “So, shall we go to… Netherworld Mountain?”
Since Xuzhi didn’t remember, there was no point asking about his kin.
Xuzhi finally reacted, repeating in a low voice, “Netherworld Mountain?”
That was exactly the commission he had seen during the day. Ming Shuang, tucked inside his coat, must have overheard the conversation.
Ming Shuang nodded. “I want to go there and see what the treasure really is. But I haven’t grown up yet, and it might be dangerous…”
He recalled the information from the unfamiliar humans that day and worried that even with Coal Ball along, it wouldn’t be safe enough.
This world was far too dangerous, especially those few days before they arrived here…
In Green Pine Town, Xuzhi was still a stranger, but with Coal Ball following him into town and his status as a Beast Tamer, there would be far fewer troubles.
Ming Shuang hesitated, wanting to head to Netherworld Mountain quickly to investigate, yet afraid of causing problems for Xuzhi.
Xuzhi wasn’t part of the Dragon Clan anyway, and with his amnesia, he might not agree to take him…
Even if he did, he might forget everything once the dream ended.
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Ming Shuang looked up at Xuzhi with wide, pleading eyes, just like the Little Dragon Hatchling’s.
Xuzhi’s breathing hitched for a moment as he caught another piece of information in Ming Shuang’s words.
He lowered his gaze and murmured, “Grown up…”
“Yeah,” Ming Shuang said. “I need to eat magic stones to grow.”
He had told Xuzhi this before and knew he wouldn’t remember.
So Ming Shuang cupped Xuzhi’s face and repeated it earnestly, trying to imprint it deeper: “Once I grow up and recover my magic power, I can protect you, Master…”
Xuzhi quickly realized that Ming Shuang must be in a suppressed or sealed state. His human form looked nearly adult, but his beast form was still a cub.
The sudden shift to human last night was probably because of the six magic stones he had eaten over the past couple of days.
Yet Ming Shuang seemed oblivious to last night’s events, not mentioning it at all.
“But it’ll probably take a lot of magic stones,” Ming Shuang added, nestling into Xuzhi’s arms and nuzzling him affectionately. His voice was muffled as he said, “Thank you, Master…”
For not minding that he had shrunk into a needy, troublesome little thing, and for finding delicious food for him every day.
The soft silver hair brushed against Xuzhi’s neck, and his back stiffened as he held perfectly still.
No matter how clear-headed he was, a dream was still different from reality. Being this close required immense self-control to stay calm.
Besides, Xuzhi had many questions.
He had always known he was different—not just his mysterious origins, but his body that was immune to all poisons, healed wounds at extraordinary speed, and now possessed a talent utterly unlike anyone else’s.
Xuzhi was cautious by nature. In the two years he had lived in town, the only people he somewhat trusted were Lante and Tuji.
No matter what happened, he preferred to observe and think things through on his own.
He couldn’t yet discern the truth in Ming Shuang’s words.
Magic stones, treasure…
Another fleeting thought crossed Xuzhi’s mind, too quick to grasp.
Ming Shuang in his arms grew drowsy and lifted his head for a yawn.
Looking at him, Xuzhi couldn’t help asking softly, “What’s your name?”
Ever since the Giant Scorpion attack, Xuzhi had decided to keep the Little Dragon Hatchling by his side, but he had never named him.
He wasn’t good at such things, and with Ming Shuang always right there with him, there was rarely a need to call out.
Ming Shuang gazed at him. “Master, I’m Ming Shuang.”
He leaned in close, cupping Xuzhi’s face once more to reinforce the memory, lest he forget again.
“The ming of tomorrow, the shuang of frost—Ming Shuang!”
Xuzhi silently repeated the name, then replied after a moment, “Got it.”
The dream was nearing its end now. Exhausted, Ming Shuang buried himself in Xuzhi’s arms again, ready to sleep.
The surroundings began to blur, thin ice mist spreading through the air.
Just before his consciousness fully detached from the dream, Xuzhi glimpsed a glowing magic formation deep within the mist.
It looked like some kind of contract, slowly operating as if sustaining the dream itself.
In the next instant, Xuzhi’s eyes opened silently.
The room was pitch black and dim, with faint moonlight seeping through the curtain gaps.
The Little Dragon Hatchling lay curled at his collarbone, stirring slightly with steady, even breaths.
Xuzhi reached up and touched the hatchling’s cool claws.
Everything from tonight’s dream began to come back to him bit by bit.
Magic stones, Netherworld Mountain, the Dragon Clan’s treasure, Ming Shuang.
Eat magic stones to grow up, go to Netherworld Mountain for the Dragon Clan’s treasure.
But he seemed to have forgotten to ask why Ming Shuang was so interested in the treasure.
If they went, Xuzhi didn’t want to travel with others, lest his unique talent be discovered.
Going alone—even with Coal Ball—would involve many unknown risks.
He was a Tier 5 Beast Tamer now, but his Metal Magic focused on defense and support. With Tier 3 Lightning Magic added, his combat prowess might barely reach Tier 5.
Moreover, he couldn’t save up much money, and the medicine from Tuji would run out eventually.
Xuzhi thought of another issue.
Did Ming Shuang know about his frail constitution and innate deficiencies?
And if his true age matched the dream version, how had he grown up so smoothly before?
Ming Shuang had said eating magic stones would make him grow, but magic stones weren’t easy to come by.
Xuzhi closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.
His thoughts were a tangled mess, and uncontrollably, he recalled Ming Shuang nestled in his arms, sweetly saying “Thank you, Master.”
Xuzhi stared at the window, his expression blank.
The situation’s complexity had far exceeded his expectations.
~~~
The next day.
Ming Shuang woke groggily but didn’t see Xuzhi beside him.
Coal Ball stirred too, hopping onto the bed and rubbing its face against the Little Dragon Hatchling’s claws.
Ming Shuang rolled over and sat up, yawning with his eyes still shut. “Awoo!”
Footsteps approached from afar—Xuzhi had gone to fetch water earlier.
He set down the basin, waited for Coal Ball to huff out a puff of hot air, then used a towel to wipe Ming Shuang’s face.
The Little Dragon Hatchling tilted his head back cooperatively, extended his claws, and let his tail and wings get cleaned too, finishing with a mouth rinse.
Afterward, they headed downstairs for breakfast and feeding, everything as usual.
While eating, Ming Shuang sneakily studied Xuzhi, unsure how much of last night’s mental link had taken hold.
Coal Ball couldn’t understand him anyway, and no one else knew he wanted to go to Netherworld Mountain…
Ming Shuang focused on his meal, leaving half a meatball for Xuzhi as always.
Xuzhi ate it silently, lost in thought.
After breakfast, he took Ming Shuang and Coal Ball to the Mercenary Hall early.
Yesterday’s commission had been a simple first try, with limited pay.
To earn more, he needed higher-difficulty ones.
Xuzhi scanned the board: a medical clinic seeking herbs, escorting a client through the jungle, assisting with specific magic for potion-making or item crafting, recapturing an unbound magical beast that had escaped…
He calculated the approximate time for each and boldly accepted several, planning to complete them all in one day.
Coal Ball got an important task too—the first stop was a pharmacy.
Xuzhi led it to a strange device and pointed. “Breathe some fire.”
Coal Ball glanced at him, then at the coat he had bunched up.
The client waited to pay, so Xuzhi said, “Three corns, buy at noon.”
Only then did Coal Ball obey, its red bean eyes fixed on Xuzhi as a reminder not to renege.
Leaving the pharmacy, Xuzhi rushed to the next location.
~~~
Meanwhile, far away in the neighboring town’s Mining District, beside a valley.
Gray mist permeated the air, and somewhere deep in the jungle lay a patch of charred black earth. The grass and trees there had been burned away and showed no signs of recovering their vitality.
Wu Shao held a specially crafted magic stone, carefully scanning the surroundings.
His expression grew grave. “Dragon breath appeared here too, but it only lingered for a short time.”
“Like someone deliberately erased it,” Yan Si said, his gaze fixed on the distance. “The human beast tamers’ team is over there.”
They had first scouted the outskirts of the Thorny Jungle and the nearby town, disguising themselves as traveling merchants to gather clues. But they had found nothing useful.
In the end, they had slipped into the sealed jungle and made their way to the valley mining district.
The valley was brewing a fully formed miasma fog, guarded by several beast tamers. Yan Si suspected the dragon breath was connected to them—a perfectly reasonable theory.
Wu Shao pocketed the magic stone and snorted coldly. “Then let’s grab one and interrogate him.”
Behind them, Xing Huai covered her mouth and nose with her sleeve as she stood beyond the scorched ground.
She spoke up. “Astrology tells me the source of the dragon breath is a young dragon.”
Yan Si didn’t turn around. “Does your astrology ever hit even once out of twenty tries? Don’t bring up such low-probability nonsense right now.”
Xing Huai ignored him, letting her other hand hang at her side. A glow at her fingertips slowly rotated.
“We can scout the human beast tamers from there—that’s your job,” Yan Si told Wu Shao. “Be cautious, no matter what. I’m heading to Central City for a bit, so I’ll split off from you temporarily.”
Wu Shao asked, “What’s in Central City?”
“A human expert in alchemy. I have questions only he can answer.”
Yan Si glanced at Xing Huai, but she cut in. “I’m not sticking with you two either.”
“I’m not interested in whatever you’re up to,” she sighed. “It’s rare for me to come back here. I just want to wander on my own.”
Yan Si nodded. “Fair enough. Once we’re out, buy three human-use communication devices. Everyone carries one.”
Beside him, Wu Shao opened his storage bracelet and rummaged around before finally pulling out a gold coin—the smallest denomination available.
Suddenly, Xing Huai snapped her head up, the first to catch a whiff of something off.
Yan Si was blunt. “We leave. Now.”
The three dragons sprang into motion, retreating swiftly to a safe distance beyond the valley.
They reached the edge of the sealed zone just as the miasma fog—brewing for days—finally erupted in full.
Thick black gas burst from the ground, spreading outward without cease.
It devoured the grass and trees, blanketing them in decay. In moments, everything turned gray and withered, stripped of all life.
This outbreak spanned a vast area. It took a full twenty minutes for the black gas to finally subside.
The zone it engulfed resembled a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
Staring at the towering plume of black gas, Wu Shao’s face darkened. He muttered, “Coming up with a way to handle the miasma fog isn’t easy for humans.”
“It’s not handling it,” Yan Si said, shaking his head. “They’re just barely coexisting with it.”
After that, the three dragons headed to town to buy communication devices before parting ways.
Wu Shao veered toward the far side of the valley, intending to sneak up on the beast tamer team and strike when the moment was right.
Yan Si asked locals for directions and set off alone.
Xing Huai lingered, unfolding the map in her hand.
She invoked her astrology. The glow at her fingertips traced a circle before settling on a single coordinate.
Netherworld Mountain?
Xing Huai tucked the map away and set her course for it.
~~~
At midday, Xuzhi found a small stream winding through the forest and filled his water flask.
He had completed three commissions but lacked time to return to town. Instead, he decided to rest there and eat lunch on the spot.
Xuzhi came prepared, with soup that only needed heating and two slabs of dried meat.
Coal Ball returned from nearby bushes with a handful of fruit. With no one else around, Ming Shuang poked his head out of Xuzhi’s jacket. He wagged his tail and sprawled by the stream to play in the water.
He had always loved this as a child—dipping his claws in to splash around, then blowing on the droplets to freeze them into icy shards that rained down.
After a while, Ming Shuang started feeling chilly. He wobbled back to Xuzhi’s side and rested his cold claws on Xuzhi’s hand to warm them.
Coal Ball had just finished heating lunch. Xuzhi tore the dried meat into thin strips.
He lowered his gaze quietly and fed them to Ming Shuang.
His side pack held the items for his commissions; three more remained, which he figured he could finish that afternoon.
This pace of earning money beat his old method of foraging materials solo and scrambling to sell them.
He still hadn’t decided about Netherworld Mountain… but more savings never hurt.
Besides… he wondered if his strength could grow further.
Tier 3 thunder magic and Tier 5 metal magic, plus this third one—could they truly coexist?
The thought had crossed his mind since arriving in Green Pine Town, but he hadn’t tested it yet.
The woods here were secluded, with few people or magical beasts passing through. After lunch, Xuzhi planned a short rest before moving on.
He sat beneath a tree, watching Ming Shuang craft a few ice balls. He batted them around the grass with Coal Ball.
Once he grew tired and his claws chilled, Ming Shuang flew back to Xuzhi and plunged straight into his arms.
Xuzhi steadied the little dragon hatchling and gently squeezed the proffered claw.
Ming Shuang nuzzled close out of habit, then licked Xuzhi’s cheek.
The Little Dragon hatchling’s tongue was cool and soft.
Xuzhi instinctively tilted his head away for a moment, a flicker of unease passing through him.
A faint blush crept up his ears as he steadied his breathing.
