novelnext Chapter 77
Chapter 77
Chapter 77: Dragon Nature Is Inherently…
Savage Realm, Rose High School Campus, ruins behind the mountain.
Rainy Night Valley. Heavy rain continued to pour down.
But directly above Rose High School, the storm clouds had dispersed, replaced by a canopy of brilliant starlight.
The stars all hung low here, welcoming the birth of a new god.
Behind the mountain, at the center of a massive crater.
Starlight shone upon it.
A silhouette slowly emerged from the scorched pit.
Jiang Nan, having dismissed the Dragon God Imperial Armor, stood with both hands tucked into the pockets of his windbreaker, his expression indifferent.
Beneath his feet lay the charred remains of a creature that had been reduced to ash.
That was the Faceless One.
"Huu…"
Jiang Nan blew a gentle breath.
Whoosh.
The ash beneath his feet instantly dissolved into swirling dust, scattering into the night wind.
Jiang Nan raised his head and looked toward the main school building in the distance.
'Time to go check on the little guys.'
'When I landed just now, I think I ran over 2 unlucky souls like a speed bump…'
'It happened too fast to see their faces. Shouldn't be Guo Shuai and the others, right?'
Just as Jiang Nan was about to turn and leave—
Suddenly.
He noticed that amid the ashes where the Faceless One had dissolved, something still seemed to be moving.
"Hmm?"
Jiang Nan stopped, nudging the warm pile of ash aside with the tip of his shoe.
The next second.
A small figure, roughly half a meter tall and covered head to toe in ashen gray, was curled up right beside his foot.
'This is…'
Jiang Nan raised an eyebrow, reached down, and lifted it by the leg.
Under the starlight, he examined it from top to bottom.
The creature had a circle for a face, its entire body gray.
It bore no distinguishing features of either sex.
'Is this the Faceless One?'
'But it seems… like it isn't.'
Jiang Nan recalled the words the Faceless One had screamed during battle.
'Powers of 2.'
'This most likely ties into its ability mechanic.'
'Black represents positive powers. White represents negative powers.'
'So now…'
Jiang Nan looked at the small, helpless little thing dangling in his hand.
'Its power exponent… must have been knocked down to "0" by that punch of mine.'
'What is 2 to the power of 0?'
'Nothing more than 1.'
'Meaning both of those extreme personalities no longer exist.'
'Returned to its origin. A new creature has been born.'
'Interesting.'
Jiang Nan rapidly arrived at his conclusion.
He didn't crush the little thing. Instead, he simply lifted it by the leg and tucked it under his arm.
'I'll bring it along for now.'
'If it turns out to be useless… I'll sell it.'
'Making Use of Trash.'
After all, he—having been nearly solo-killed by a cesspit the moment he transmigrated into this world—had been forced to develop many good habits.
Such as…
Being very good at picking things up, then Making Use of Trash and converting them into cash.
……
5 minutes later. Main school building.
Jiang Nan, Circle-Face Entity tucked under his arm, unhurried, walked out from behind the mountain and returned to the main building.
At this moment.
Hoshino Hikari had already regained consciousness and was releasing a green radiance, healing Yekaterina's severe injuries and Guo Shuai's exhausted body.
When the group spotted that familiar silhouette emerging from the darkness, they immediately waved their hands.
"Boss!!"
"Waaah! You're finally back!!"
However.
Beyond the elated Guo Shuai and Hoshino Hikari.
Yekaterina's reaction was somewhat different.
She pushed away Hoshino Hikari's healing hands, suppressed the excruciating pain, and struggled to her feet.
Then.
Under the stunned gazes of the 2, she actually dropped to 1 knee before Jiang Nan with the utmost reverence!
Her posture was that of a subject paying homage to their sovereign.
"What the—?!"
Guo Shuai and Hoshino Hikari were both dumbfounded.
The 2 exchanged a glance, and in each other's eyes they saw an intense sense of crisis.
Guo Shuai muttered under his breath.
"Sis… aren't you going a little too far with the sucking up?!"
"No good, I'll have to discuss some new tricks with Wang Bro later!"
"Gotta properly consolidate my standing in Boss's eyes!"
Hoshino Hikari stood there blankly, at a loss.
'Do I have to compete too?'
However.
The reality was entirely different from what the 2 had imagined in terms of workplace one-upmanship.
Yekaterina lowered her head. Those golden pupils were filled with fervor and reverence, her voice trembling as she spoke.
"Yekaterina… your most humble claw…"
"Please forgive this servant for the disrespect shown to you before…"
"Dragon King."
"Hah?"
"Dragon King?!"
Guo Shuai and Hoshino Hikari were dumbstruck once again, staring at each other wide-eyed.
"Hey! Is it the kind we're thinking of?"
Guo Shuai mimed a curl of the lips.
"Like… the kind where…"
"You endure in silence for 3 years, then a single command brings back 100,000 soldiers."
"Then you smirk sideways and a whole crowd of underworld figures shows up to back you?"
Hoshino Hikari scratched her head too.
'To think Boss was actually a Dragon King! But… I've never seen him smirk sideways…'
Just as the 2 had mentally scripted out an entire live-in son-in-law melodrama—
"Idiots!!"
In Guo Shuai's mind, Albert had heard enough and roared.
"Hey! What are you two fantasizing about?!"
"Underworld this, legitimate world that! What nonsense!"
"The 'Dragon King' that Dragon Girl is referring to… is the surviving faction left behind in this world after the Dragon God's death!"
"Along with the servants who worship it!!"
Guo Shuai's ears nearly went deaf. He rubbed his temples and asked.
"What's going on, old man? Give me the details."
"I think I also heard that white-coat guy say Boss was something like the 'Claws of the Dragon God'…"
Albert gave a cold snort and began to lecture.
"Exactly! That's it!"
"In the history of the Savage Realm, they are known as the 'Claws of the Dragon God.'"
"It is a bloodline organization with a rigid hierarchy."
"Whether human or Dragon Race, rank within the organization is determined entirely by the concentration of the Dragon Bloodline within their body!"
10%~39%: The most lowly rank at the bottom, called 【Dragon Slave】.
40%~59%: Higher-level enforcers, called 【Dragon Guard】.
60%~69%: Those who hold significant standing within the organization, commanding an entire region, called 【Dragon General】!
70%~89%: The true leaders—or leading dragons—of this faction, called 【Dragon King】!
"And their only goal is a single one: to resurrect the Dragon God!"
Albert sighed.
"A hundred years ago this organization was flourishing, but now…"
"Heh, they've been nearly wiped out by the Arashin-kai, and even the Dragon Race—once the most numerous—have been withdrawing one after another."
"Who would have thought that this human girl…"
"Would actually be a member of this organization"
"I see…"
Guo Shuai suddenly understood. 'So it's that kind of Dragon King.'
Then his eyes darted sideways and he broke into a sly grin.
"By the way, old man—weren't you sealed underground the whole time?"
"How do you know so much about the outside world?"
"You even know secrets like these?"
"None of your business!!"
Albert instantly snapped, his voice jumping up 8 pitches.
"This god is kind enough to educate you, and you want to pry into this god's affairs?!"
"Truly ungrateful! I'm done talking to you! Hmph!!"
With that, the petulant old man chose to go offline entirely, ignoring Guo Shuai no matter how he called out.
Guo Shuai hunched his shoulders and apologized under his breath.
"Sorry, sorry, don't be mad~"
"I was just curious, won't do it again."
He also felt he had gone a bit too far.
Albert had genuinely helped him a great deal this time—one could even say he had saved his life.
But what he couldn't hear was—
Deep within his consciousness, Albert slowly shook his head.
'It seems this boy still has some conscience…'
'But… this god also has things that are difficult to speak of.'
He looked through the Eye of Calamity toward that man.
Jiang Nan.
'Dragon King…'
'With dragon blood of that purity…'
'Is he truly… only a Dragon King?'
'I'm afraid… it goes far beyond that.'
……
Jiang Nan looked at Yekaterina kneeling before him and let out a helpless sigh.
He pulled out the Notepad from inside his windbreaker, wrote a line, tore it off, and tossed it down in front of her.
【Get up.】
【I am not any Dragon King. Do not use that title to address me.】
Yekaterina looked at the slip of paper on the ground. Her body gave a slight tremor.
Between those lines, she read a trace of impatience and…
Restlessness.
She bit her lip, and finally raised her head.
But she did not stand. Instead she remained kneeling, only changing how she addressed him.
"I'm sorry, Jiang…"
"I shouldn't have called you that."
"But…"
Yekaterina's face suddenly flushed—an abnormal, feverish red.
Her breathing became ragged. Her eyes grew glazed.
"I have something… difficult to say…"
"Anyway… that is…"
Her voice was almost inaudible, like the hum of a mosquito.
"I need you… to do that kind of thing with me…"
"Afterward… whatever the price, I can accept it!"
"Even if it means becoming your servant for life!"
As she said this.
She opened her eyes wide, revealing them fully.
Those golden vertical pupils were trembling, surrounded by a web of black blood vessels.
She…
Could no longer shut it off.
Overusing Dragon Transformation beyond her limits multiple times had caused the bloodline within her body to spiral out of control.
A few more uses and she would degenerate into something mindless…
A 【Savage Dragon】 that knew only slaughter.
A true monster.
‘Oh?’
A cold smile formed within Jiang Nan's mind.
'So that's what this is.'
'The so-called "Claws of the Dragon God" was nothing more than a pretext to get closer.'
'This woman's real goal… is to use my blood to suppress the turmoil inside her body and slow her Savage Dragon Transformation.'
But drinking his blood directly would cause her lower-grade bloodline to be unable to withstand it, resulting in immediate death by detonation.
The gentler method—the one that could achieve yin-yang harmony—
There was only one.
Dragon Nature is Inherently… well, you know.
To be honest, Jiang Nan was also finding it difficult to endure at this moment.
He had thought that a thoroughly satisfying battle would relieve the pressure.
But as it turned out…
After activating the Dragon God Imperial Armor, the dragon blood boiled even more intensely, and the pressure had actually grown worse!
Right now his entire body burned with heat, and he was barely maintaining his composure.
Perfect.
Mutually beneficial.
And so.
Jiang Nan casually tossed the "Circle-Face Entity" he had been carrying over to Guo Shuai.
Thwap.
Guo Shuai fumbled to catch it. "Woah! Boss, what is this thing?"
Jiang Nan offered no explanation. He simply flicked out a slip from the Notepad.
【Keep a close eye on it.】
【If this thing does anything strange, deal with it directly. Don't hold back.】
【I have some business to take care of.】
Then.
He turned around and looked down at Yekaterina kneeling on the ground, his gaze deep and unreadable.
Afterwards,
he turned around, looking down at Yekaterina who was kneeling on the ground, his gaze deep and unreadable.
【Come with me to the restroom.】
【Consider it… a reward for the help you gave in this battle.】
Yekaterina saw the note, and her face instantly flushed red to the tips of her ears.
Her body trembled violently from excitement and shame.
She nodded vigorously, stood up, and staggered after Jiang Nan.
Just as they were about to step into the shadow of the teaching building,
she tugged at the corner of Jiang Nan’s clothes, her voice as faint as a whisper.
“Um… could you… be gentle?”
“I… still…”
“It’s my first time.”
Jiang Nan stopped walking.
He did not turn back.
A slip of paper floated lightly into her palm.
【That will depend on your performance.】