Chapter 31: Don’t rush, darling, we’ve only just begun.
No!
Rose’s silver vertical pupils suddenly contracted sharply. The scene before her eyes wasn’t that the surroundings had shrunk—it was her own presence that had been infinitely magnified.
At this moment, when she lowered her head, she saw the ruins of the wooden hut lying beneath her feet like a fragile toy model. The thick tree trunks now only reached up to the bend of her legs.
She instinctively lowered her head, panic surging inside her as she tried to confirm her own existence. What met her eyes was no longer the small, scale-covered hands of a young dragon or a human, but a massive dragon claw covered in layer upon layer of coldly gleaming silver scales.
Each scale emitted a faint halo under the dim light. She blinked her enormous dragon eyes in terror and tentatively lifted the unfamiliar giant limb. The heavy sense of power and the metallic scraping sound made her dizzy.
“How is it? How does it feel?”
A voice filled with unconcealed pride and appreciation sounded in front of her.
Rose abruptly raised her head. Her massive dragon head turned with a whoosh of wind, silver pupils locking tightly onto the culprit who was still maintaining human form and standing in the shadow of her enormous dragon claw.
The expectant and delighted smile on his face looked unbearably glaring and vile in her eyes.
“This is your true appearance after your bloodline has awakened. Do you like it?”
“Roar——!” (How do I change back?!)
A deep dragon roar erupted from the depths of Rose’s throat, shaking the remaining leaves around them into rustling falls.
Dragon language could not produce human syllables, but the intense intent behind it struck like a tangible shockwave, carrying uncontrollable anxiety and panic, clearly transmitting to Rest, who shared the same origin.
She absolutely could not walk the world in this giant dragon form. It would be no different from a moving disaster. She had to find a way to return to human shape!
“Don’t be anxious, little baby,” Rest’s smile grew even deeper, carrying the calm of one who controlled everything. “Want to change back? Of course I can help you.”
He deliberately dragged out his words, dangerous light flashing in his eyes. “However, before I help you recover,” he stepped forward, staring straight into Rose’s wary giant dragon eyes, his voice filled with unquestionable meaning, “we have to finish something even more important first.”
Instinct told Rose that this was another one of Rest’s tricks. An overwhelming sense of crisis made her instinctively try to retreat. Her heavy dragon body caused the ground to let out an unbearable groan.
The pair of enormous silver wings behind her flapped violently, trying to escape the current predicament. Even if her movements were clumsy, she had to flee this source of danger first.
“What exactly do you want to do?!”
The dragon roar contained sky-high anger and questioning. The moment the sound faded, an even stronger and darker surge of magic power welled up before Rose’s eyes.
Rest’s figure was instantly swallowed by black light. The light rapidly expanded, twisted, and transformed. In the blink of an eye, a pure black giant dragon even more majestic than her stood proudly in front of Rose.
Pitch-black scales covered his entire body. Huge dragon horns rose from his head. Dark red vertical pupils looked down at her with anticipation.
The oppressive pressure brought by his massive body made the air itself seem to freeze. Rose instantly felt like a hatchling being stared down by a predator.
The black dragon slightly lowered his head. His enormous dragon head drew close to Rose. Those dark red eyes gazed at her frightened silver vertical pupils from up close. A deep dragon voice that rumbled like the shaking of the earth’s core boomed inside her mind:
“To make you better adapt to my embrace, I’ve already very restrainedly adjusted my size. See? Doesn’t it match you better now?”
That voice carried a trace of teasing, yet even more absolute dominance and irresistible possessiveness. “How about it? Do you like this form?”
Like dragons? Even like men? That was simply impossible.
Rose’s silver pupils contracted violently from fear and disgust. Her huge dragon head instinctively tilted backward, trying to create distance. A low, guarded and resistant growl rumbled from her throat as her intent conveyed her answer with perfect clarity:
“Roar!” (I don’t like it!)
“Heh…” A low chuckle came from the black dragon Rest’s throat, as if he had long anticipated her answer.
That massive body took another step forward. The enormous shadow completely engulfed Rose. Dark red dragon pupils flashed with absolute control as the dragon speech carried an icy, all-ending tyranny:
“You don’t like it?”
His huge dragon head pressed down once more, almost touching Rose’s dragon head. Scorching dragon breath sprayed across her face.
“Then you have no choice.”
Rose knew Rest had no good intentions. The instant his words fell, her enormous silver dragon body suddenly erupted with survival instinct. She forcefully flapped her wings downward. A strong gust instantly whipped up dust and dead leaves from the ground, forming a small tornado. She wanted to use this newly gained power to forcibly break free from this dangerous situation.
However, everything was within Rest’s expectations.
“Want to escape? Too naïve, my little silver dragon.” The low, thunder-like dragon speech exploded in Rose’s consciousness with absolute control.
The moment Rose’s four claws lifted less than half a meter off the ground and her massive body had just shown signs of taking flight, a giant claw covered in pitch-black scales pressed down with perfect precision onto the silver-glowing spine of her back.
“Ugh——!” Rose let out a dragon roar mixed with pain and furious shock.
The lift she had just gathered was instantly crushed. Her enormous silver dragon body had no power to resist as it slammed back onto the ground.
Where Rose landed, the ground instantly cracked and caved in, forming a huge shallow pit. Several thick trees that failed to escape in time were snapped in half. Wood chips mixed with soil flew everywhere as the ground shook violently.
The strong impact and the heavy pressure on her back nearly suffocated Rose.
She struggled desperately to twist her huge dragon head. Her silver vertical pupils burned with sky-high fury as she glared deathly at the black giant dragon looking down at her from above. Those dark red eyes contained only icy control and anticipation for what was about to happen.
Damn it! Bastard! Rose cursed wildly in her heart.
She struggled with all her might. Her tail, covered in hard scales, whipped the ground like a steel whip, kicking up more gravel and dust. Her four clawed limbs frantically dug and scratched at the soil beneath her, trying to break free from the giant claw on her back.
However, Rose could not shake Rest’s power in the slightest. The dragon claw pressing on her spine remained completely motionless, as if welded to the ground.
What made her feel even more humiliated and hopeless was that the only counterattack she could manage was a slender, crystal-clear jet of water. Carrying all of Rose’s rage, the water column shot fiercely from her huge dragon maw, precisely striking Rest’s nearby dragon head.
Unfortunately…
For a black dragon, this amount of water was nothing more than washing his face.
The cool droplets couldn’t even stay on Rest’s pitch-black scales for a moment before sliding off. Its only effect was probably to make a thicker, more playful light flash through those cold red eyes.
“Roar!” (Let go of me!) Rose’s dragon roar was filled with humiliation and anger, but even more with bone-deep panic.
What did he want to do?!
Being so absolutely suppressed on the ground, the sense of powerlessness brought by the huge size difference made her heart pound wildly.
Instinct told her that this was definitely not going to be anything good.
This demon-like guy’s goal was absolutely not as simple as just pinning her to the ground!
Rest seemed to read her fear and confusion. His huge black dragon head slowly pressed lower. Scorching dragon breath sprayed onto the sensitive scales of Rose’s neck, bringing an uncomfortable shiver.
A low yet excited dragon voice, carrying a declaration, once again boomed into her mind.
“Don’t be in a hurry, my dear. We’ve only just begun.”