[Vol. 7] Chapter 109: Three Little Girls, One Big Show
Finding the adventurers bothersome, and shortly after bringing her master in from outside, while the large group was distracting the enemy, the little dragon girl quietly slipped away using her own methods, heading to the ritual's inner space first.
By the time she returned, the hundreds of Church of Truth members who had been assisting with the ritual were completely gone. She knew, they were all dead. Their so-called god had drained them until nothing remained, not even a trace. Perhaps, in their eyes, this was the ultimate opportunity, a chance to "ascend" to a higher existence. But in reality, not a single one of them passed their god’s test.
And for those who failed, there was only one outcome.
This ritual was a brutal process of survival of the fittest. It didn’t just select sacrifices from the young victims. It judged every cultist who took part, with even harsher standards.
But despite knowing they might die, none of these fanatical believers hesitated or refused to participate. Maybe they all thought they’d be the lucky ones who made it through. Or maybe they were just so devoted that they saw sacrificing themselves for "truth" as a worthy cause.
Where exactly the Church of Truth had gathered these people from, Xiao Guang hadn't been able to find out. But one thing was clear, these cultists had serious mental issues. Brainwashing wasn’t out of the question.
Of course, none of that mattered to her.
It didn’t matter whether they had reasons, regrets, or tragic pasts. Xiao Guang wasn’t interested in that. If it were Violet, she might have taken the time to investigate and judge the situation carefully. But Xiao Guang only believed in what she saw, facts that couldn’t be hidden behind excuses.
Everyone must answer for their own actions.
Floating high above, the golden-haired girl gazed downward.
The battle seemed to be over. A pillar of light descended upon the altar below, illuminating the scene.
The Church of Truth leader, known as Timos Young, was nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, the vampire princess who had fought him, seemingly named Lucine, was now seated at the center of the altar. She rested her blood-red spear across her lap, and dark crimson light flickered across her body, beating in rhythm like a heartbeat.
All the young ones gathered for the ritual had fallen into unconsciousness, except for one. The girl who had been with the dragon girl earlier, the one who called herself Lenka Dorgon, still stood just outside the altar’s glowing barrier. She was continuously burning away the ash-like creatures that staggered toward the altar, using dragon breath, or rather, something that closely resembled it.
That’s right. Dragon breath.
Or at least, a power that was similar to it.
Xiao Guang had noticed it from the first time they met. This Lenka possessed dragonkin blood, and not just any kind. It was one of the purest and superior types.
Because of her interest in her own kind, Xiao Guang had read a lot about dragonkin. This world had many beings connected to dragons, and as long as a creature carried even a trace of dragonkin bloodline, no matter how faint, they could be classified as dragonkin hybrids. The most famous example was the half-dragon royal family of the Beastman Kingdom, supposedly born from the union of humans and dragons.
But dragonkin were not hybrids. They weren’t the result of dragons interbreeding with other species. Despite the "dragon" in their name, they did not actually carry a single drop of dragon blood.
Dragonkin were worshippers of dragons.
Dragons were one of the oldest and most powerful races of the Origin Realm. Even among mythical beings, they stood at the absolute pinnacle. Their power and status were so legendary that they became the focus of religious worship, forming their own sects and cults. Even though myths had faded from the world’s consciousness, the awe and reverence for dragons remained.
It was said that during the golden age of dragons, even the gods themselves avoided direct conflict with them. The strongest dragons commanded legions of devoted followers across countless species, wielding power on par with deities.
And the greatest proof of this power?
The existence of dragonkin.
Dragonkin could come from any race, but through their unwavering faith, they were blessed by the Dragon Lords, beings as powerful as gods. These blessings granted them a portion of dragonkin power, something they could never obtain on their own. Over time, their appearance subtly changed, making them resemble dragons.
Lenka Dorgon was clearly one of them. Because of this connection, Xiao Guang had tolerated her foolishness far more than she normally would. She even took time to teach Lenka some self-defense techniques, using it as both a test and a lesson.
Now, looking at her, Xiao Guang thought, "Well, at least she’s not completely hopeless. At least she didn’t waste her natural talent."
Flapping her small dragon wings, the golden-haired girl descended from the sky. She landed behind Lenka, who, despite also being a loli, was noticeably taller than her. With a quick motion, Xiao Guang patted Lenka’s shoulder, startling her.
“Wahhh! There’s one behind me too?! Take this, Dragon Breath!”
“...Hold it in, idiot.”
Before Lenka could release the powerful energy building up in her mouth, Xiao Guang grabbed her face, pinching her dirt-smudged yet still fair-skinned cheeks. With a slight lift, Xiao Guang forced the energy back into Lenka’s core, neutralizing it before it could be unleashed.
Although this body of hers wasn’t technically biological, Xiao Guang was still a true dragon. She understood Dragon Breath better than anyone, and more importantly, she was the one who taught Lenka how to use it in the first place.
“Mmmph! Mmmphhh!!”
Lenka swung her arms wildly like a drowning duck, signaling that she had finally realized who was in front of her. Only then did Xiao Guang let go, looking both exasperated and somewhat amused.
“Well, well, you actually survived. Guess you're luckier than I thought. So, tell me, still think this was all just fun and games?”
“Of course it was fun! No, no, it was thrilling, Sister Light!"
Lenka bounced up and down excitedly. "This is the most exciting thing I’ve ever done! If possible, I’d love to do it again!!!”
“...?”
Xiao Guang froze for a moment, watching the dragonkin loli jumping around like an overexcited child, showing no signs of fear whatsoever. A second later, she sighed and rubbed her forehead, completely speechless.
“I give up… Whatever. So, what’s the situation now?”
Lenka nodded, just about to answer when a new voice suddenly cut in from behind them. It was soft and youthful, yet carried an air of maturity and dignity. Unlike Xiao Guang’s habit of pretending to sound old and wise.
“I’ve been wondering for a while now... Little dragon, where exactly did you come from? How did you end up in such a dangerous place? And where are your parents?”
“?”
Without turning around, Xiao Guang casually swiped her golden claws through the air, instantly erasing a few ash-like monsters that had tried to attack while they were talking. Then, she finally looked back toward the source of the voice.
It was Lucine Constantius, the Vampire Princess.
She seemed to be trapped inside the altar, at least for the time being. But judging by her expression, she was doing just fine, even calmly chatting with them across the distance.
Clearly, she wasn’t referring to Lenka as “little dragon.” If she had been, she wouldn’t have waited until now to bring it up.
That meant she had recognized Xiao Guang’s true nature.
“And what’s it to you? Are you some kind of dragon expert or something?” Xiao Guang replied harshly.
Lucine, however, wasn’t the least bit offended. Instead, she simply smiled gracefully.
“I do happen to know quite a few dragons, actually. But as far as I’m aware, none of them have children like you… Little one, no need to bare your fangs at me. I am just reminding you with good intentions that the [Dragon Emperor's Ring] isn’t something a mere hatchling can protect."
"Wearing it so openly like this... Do you really think no one would notice?"