The banging on the cold storage door continued violently for a while before gradually weakening, as if whatever was inside had finally exhausted its strength.
The door creaked open slightly, leaving a dark gap. From the windowsill, Nota could only see the narrow slit, nothing more.
Driven by curiosity, Nota climbed back onto the windowsill and cautiously approached the cold storage door.
Her movements were extremely light, her ten fluffy tails hanging still and tense behind her. Step by step, she edged closer.
One step, two steps…
Suddenly, when she was less than two meters from the door, the thing inside began banging again—fiercely this time.
Startled, Nota froze in place. Her silver pupils narrowed in tension, staring fixedly at the door.
Under the pressure, the gap in the door widened, and moments later, a dull gray egg rolled out, tumbling to a stop.
???
The tip of one of her tense tails twitched, and Nota’s ears perked up. Carefully, she extended a paw to nudge the strange egg.
The egg remained motionless, except for the slight roll caused by her push.
Relaxing, Nota realized it was just an odd egg and couldn’t harm her.
Her natural boldness surged. Moving closer, she picked up the egg.
The egg was heavier than she expected, and she struggled a bit to hold it.
As she was about to set it down, she felt something press against her right palm. Startled, Nota dropped the egg, which fell heavily to the floor.
Cracks spread across the iron-gray shell like a spiderweb.
Wide-eyed, Nota quickly picked it up again, shaking it gently to check if she had broken it.
Before she could see clearly, footsteps sounded from outside the kitchen, and 09’s voice rang out, “Where’s that noise coming from? Did someone break in?”
A golden mechanical leg appeared at the kitchen door.
Nota panicked. If the house’s robot caught her, would it think she was here to steal something?
Hurriedly, she tossed the egg back to the ground and leapt onto the windowsill, disappearing out the window in one swift movement.
09 arrived just in time to glimpse a retreating figure before his eyes fell on the cracked egg on the floor.
“What is this?!” he exclaimed.
The iron-gray shell, already riddled with cracks from two falls, suddenly showed more movement. From the largest fissure, a tiny black claw emerged, scraping against the shell as if searching for a way out.
09 froze in shock. Then, as the creature inside pried the shell wider, a second black claw, tipped with sharp hooks, appeared and clawed at the shell.
Despite its effort, the shell was unusually tough. After much struggle, the creature widened the gap slightly and stuck its head out. Although its eyes hadn’t opened, it let out a soft yet commanding roar.
Though young, the sound carried innate authority.
09 staggered back in terror, nearly crying out for help before remembering his scanning function. Hastily activating it, he scanned the creature.
As he processed the scan results, the hatchling inside clawed a hole in the shell and continued prying it apart. With sharp teeth and claws, it finally broke free and tumbled out, shaking its tiny bat-like wings. Exhausted, it slumped against the shell.
This egg was too tough!
The little black dragon remembered struggling to hatch a long time ago but failing despite all its effort. Eventually, it had no choice but to go back to sleep. Even sleeping hadn’t been peaceful—sometimes it was too hot, other times too cold.
It had been unbearable for a dragon to endure.
Now fully awake, the little dragon became angrier the more it thought about it. With a flick of its wings, it let out two disgruntled cries.
Why wasn’t its dad here to pick it up yet?!
Ruan Shiqing arrived home just as he heard the roaring from inside. The sound was soft and juvenile, yet impossible to ignore.
09, who had been hiding behind the courtyard pool with the little mermaid wrapped in a large towel, ran out as if seeing a savior. He pointed toward the kitchen and exclaimed, “Sir, it’s in there!”
“I’ll check it out. Stay outside,” Ruan Shiqing said. He grabbed a makeshift weapon from his workshop and cautiously approached the kitchen.
Intermittent roars echoed from the kitchen, and Ruan Shiqing grew increasingly puzzled as he listened.
Initially, he thought it was just a young dragon, but the sounds… they had a distinctly babyish tone. Could it be… a nursing dragon1basically a real baby baby dragon?
Weapon in one hand, the other gripping the doorknob, Ruan Shiqing cautiously opened the kitchen door, quickly stepping inside and locking it behind him.
The little black dragon, sitting against the eggshell, heard the noise and scrambled to its feet. Clumsily, it rushed toward Ruan Shiqing.
“Dad, you’re back! Heli(Heli has the characters fr “awe-inspiring”!!!) is so hungry!”
It wrapped its stubby arms around Ruan Shiqing’s ankle.
Ruan Shiqing: ????
Looking at the chubby black dragon clinging to his foot, Ruan Shiqing felt like he had stepped into a fantastical dream.
This was supposed to be a fearsome dragon?
He lowered his weapon and shook his foot gently, attempting to clarify: “I’m not your dad.”
The little dragon clung tightly to his leg with all four claws, its tiny wings flapping behind it. Raising its head, it stared at him with golden dragon eyes. “Then, are you Papa?”
Ruan Shiqing: “…No.”
The dragon hatchling tilted its head in confusion. “Then what are you?”
In its limited pre-hatching memories, there were only two figures—Dad and Papa2It was basically baba and diedi, which is basically “father/dad and daddy”, though the latter is less formal and cuter. I decided to go with Dad and Papa to make the distinction—who cared for it. They had named it Heli and often argued over whether its surname should be “Karlfury3Had the character sharp/advantageous in it” or “Ignatius Woods4This one has the characters to enjoy and red-orange silk.”
Ruan Shiqing: …
When Ruan Shiqing remained silent, the little dragon skipped the question and pleaded eagerly, “Daddy, I’m hungry.”
It could eat the eggshell if it absolutely had to, but it was much too hard to chew. Now that it had found its dad, there was no need to suffer through the eggshell anymore.
The little dragon’s cunning mind began to work.
“…”
This was the first time Ruan Shiqing had encountered such a shamelessly clingy baby. For a moment, he didn’t know what to do.
After two minutes of mutual staring, the little dragon’s mouth turned down, and it pitifully called, “Daddy,” again, its golden eyes brimming with watery sadness.
Alright… It must be a lost hatchling.
Softening, Ruan Shiqing pulled out an unopened nutritional supplement from his pocket, unscrewed it, and handed it to the dragon.
The little dragon sniffed the bottle, licked it tentatively, and immediately spat it out with a grimace. “What is this? It’s awful!”
Hugging Ruan Shiqing’s leg, it twisted back and forth in protest. “You said I could eat the gems at home once I hatched!”
Ruan Shiqing: ???
What kind of family feeds their children gems?
He picked up the little dragon from his leg, intending to explain that he wasn’t its dad and couldn’t afford gems to feed it.
But the little dragon clearly considered him its parent. Climbing up his arm, it perched on his shoulder and nuzzled his cheek.
How could anyone resist that?
The little dragon wasn’t furry, but its newly hatched scales were smooth and warm, like fine jade. Unable to help himself, Ruan Shiqing pinched its stubby tail.
The hatchling fluttered its wings, wagging its tail to evade his hand.
Amused, Ruan Shiqing then grabbed its tiny claws. This time, the dragon didn’t resist. Instead, it gripped his fingers tightly and beamed up at him, eyes curving with delight.
Ruan Shiqing began to waver.
Temporarily raising a dragon didn’t seem so bad. He could return it to its parents once he found them…
Helping a lost baby was everyone’s duty, after all.
The decision was made in an instant.
Letting the hatchling remain on his shoulder, Ruan Shiqing opened the kitchen door and walked out.
When 09, still clutching the little mermaid, saw the scene, the red light on his display froze in disbelief. “As expected of you, sir, you even managed to tame such a ferocious dragon!”
The little mermaid, clueless as ever, echoed, “Ah!”
Ruan Shiqing, bemused, replied, “He’s just a baby.”
09, still wary, kept his distance. “But he looks very—” Ferocious.
Before he could finish, the little dragon suddenly spat out a small burst of dragonfire, sending 09 scrambling away in terror.
See? Ferocious!
“He can breathe fire?”
While soothing the frightened 09, Ruan Shiqing observed the dragon with fascination. Although he had long known about the mystical races in this world, seeing a dragon in person was still astounding.
The little dragon, feeling triumphant, flapped its wings and bared its teeth at the timid robot. Its expression was nothing short of menacing.
Ruan Shiqing, however, pinched its snout. “No breathing fire at people. It’s very rude, understand?”
Oh.
The little dragon pouted but nodded reluctantly.
Satisfied, Ruan Shiqing told 09, “You can put the little mermaid back. He won’t hurt anyone.”
As 09 placed the mermaid back into the pool, he muttered, “Are you really going to keep this dragon, sir? He seems… difficult.”
“For now. I’ll see if I can find his parents first.”
Ruan Shiqing set the little dragon on a lounge chair by the pool. Seeing the little mermaid curiously eyeing the newcomer, he introduced the two.
The little dragon paced a few steps on the chair, flapped its wings, and asked, “Is he my brother? Why doesn’t he look like me?”
Hearing this, the little mermaid’s eyes dimmed, and its playful tail stilled. He glanced at Ruan Shiqing uncertainly, worried it was being disliked.
“That’s because you didn’t come from the same egg,” Ruan Shiqing explained simply. Complex biological differences were too much for a newly hatched dragon. “But you both have scales, don’t you?”
Hmm, that made sense.
Accepting the explanation, the dragon crawled closer to the mermaid, scooped up a pawful of water, and offered it. “Here, for you.”
The water formed into a small, crystal-clear ice sphere.
Though not a precious item, it was undoubtedly a gesture of goodwill from the pure-hearted hatchling, marking the start of their friendship.
The little mermaid hesitated before accepting the gift, making a soft sound of gratitude as its tail swirled the water in delight.
“If anyone bullies you again, tell me,” the dragon said, pointing at the scars on the mermaid’s face. “I’ll bully them back for you.”
The mermaid nodded, sapphire-blue eyes squinting happily as it smiled. After some thought, it offered the dragon its favorite rubber duck in return.
For baby creatures, friendships blossomed fast and wholeheartedly.
Having exchanged gifts, they became sworn siblings.
Leaving the youngsters to play, Ruan Shiqing returned to the kitchen with 09 to clean up the mess. The broken eggshell remained where it had fallen.
Picking it up, Ruan Shiqing examined it closely, finally realizing it was one of the fire crystals that Snowball had lost. The crystal hadn’t melted under high temperatures, so he had set it aside. Later, Snowball had taken it to play with, and he hadn’t had a chance to search for it.
He hadn’t expected it to end up in the cold storage—and accidentally hatch a dragon.
Turning to the holographic network, Ruan Shiqing searched for information about dragons. Instead of academic results, the interface was flooded with gossip and scandals about the dragon race.
The dragon-related news articles were utterly absurd. Stories ranged from a dragon aristocrat showering a famous singer’s concert with gem rain, injuring several audience members, to two dragons fighting in the streets over a mate, ending with both being arrested.
This species… didn’t seem particularly smart.
Ruan Shiqing sighed in resignation and sought help from Noah. “Noah, find me some educational material on dragons.”
“I know quite a bit about dragons. What specifically would you like to learn?” Noah asked.
“Something like feeding guidelines or care instructions for dragon hatchlings?” Ruan Shiqing was at a loss; this was his first time raising a dragon and he lacked experience.
?
After a brief pause, Noah replied, “Dragon hatchlings develop self-awareness while still in the egg. Viviparous species practice prenatal education, and for dragons, that would equate to ‘egg education.’ They also inherit some ancestral memories, enabling them to live independently after hatching. Most dragon parents don’t provide special care for their young.”
In short, dragon hatchlings are tough and can survive with minimal effort.
Ruan Shiqing: …
He decided to search on his own.
After wading through a slew of ridiculous dragon gossip, he finally found some relatively reliable information.
Dragons were one of the ancient noble families of the Galactic Empire, originally residing on Luso Star. Due to Luso’s harsh environment, most dragons had migrated to Xijin, leaving Luso to be developed as a resource planet. The volcanic-rich planet was abundant in gems and rare minerals, which was the reason behind the dragons’ wealth.
Luso was considered the dragons’ private treasure trove. Every dragon received their own vault upon birth, and gems and minerals mined from Luso were continually delivered to these vaults.
No wonder they could afford to feed gems to their children.
But wouldn’t such a diet hurt their teeth?
As he read further, Ruan Shiqing found pictures of dragon hatchlings. One image showed a robust red dragon with sharp black horns on its forehead and bat-like wings large enough to wrap around its body.
???
Heli looked very different from the hatchling in the picture.
The little black dragon was round and chubby, its belly slightly protruding. Its limbs and tail were short and stubby, and its tiny bat wings seemed comically small compared to its plump body. The article stated that dragons could fly using their wings, but looking at Heli, Ruan Shiqing doubted that possibility.
As for horns… unless he was mistaken, Heli didn’t have any.
Ruan Shiqing searched terms like “dragon hatchling without horns” and “dragon with wings too small to fly,” only to find results suggesting congenital defects or genetic disorders.
Apparently, such dragons were often weaker and less capable in combat compared to their peers. A dragon’s horns and wings were vital weapons, and as a martial species, dragons highly valued strength. Hatchlings with underdeveloped horns or wings were deemed genetically flawed and often terminated in the egg stage, never given the chance to hatch.
Ruan Shiqing’s expression grew heavy.
Initially, he had intended to help Heli find his parents. But now, it seemed more likely that this egg had been abandoned rather than lost.
With today’s technological advancements, genetic screening of dragon eggs to avoid hatching unhealthy or defective offspring was a simple task. Heli’s flaws must have been identified during the egg stage.
Closing the educational article, Ruan Shiqing asked 09 to store the eggshell. As he was about to check on Heli, he noticed a tuft of red fur beneath the shell.
Pausing, he picked up the tuft and examined it. “Did someone else come by earlier?”
Reminded by his words, 09 finally recalled the earlier break-in. “There was a thief! But they ran too fast for me to catch.”
Comparing notes with 09, Ruan Shiqing confirmed the red fur must have been left by the little fox.
He walked to the windowsill and noticed the nutritional supplement was gone, replaced by new parts. Looking further outside, faint footprints could be seen below the sill—small ones, clearly left by a child.
“She’s not a thief. Don’t scare her if you see her again,” Ruan Shiqing instructed. The little fox was long gone, but he still advised 09.
Although the outer city was still under search for the missing nine-tailed fox cub, Ruan Shiqing wasn’t sure how she had managed to evade capture. He currently had no way to resolve her troubles, but if they crossed paths, he wouldn’t hesitate to help.
Though puzzled, 09 was obedient and agreed immediately. He collected the parts and began tidying the kitchen.
Ruan Shiqing, carrying the eggshell, ran into the little pup coming downstairs.
Scooping him up, Ruan Shiqing ruffled his fur. “Were you scared earlier?”
He had assumed the pup had been hiding upstairs, frightened by the little dragon’s roars.
The pup, Rong Heng, glanced at the pool in the yard, his expression grim.
Although his face was covered in fur, it wasn’t hard to guess his mood.
In the yard, the little black dragon floated on its back in the water while the little mermaid created waves with its tail, pushing the dragon along. Two rubber ducks bobbed around them, drifting with the ripples.
One troublemaker hadn’t been dealt with, and now there was another.
He had only left the house for a short while, yet the egg he’d hidden in the cold storage had hatched!
Weren’t dragon eggs supposed to require volcanic heat to hatch?
The crown prince was feeling irritable. Was there anything reliable about dragons?
Casting a critical glance at the hatchling, Rong Heng turned away.
He needed to resolve this problem before he could leave.
*
Nota fled back home in a panic, clutching the three tubes of nutritional supplements. Reading the words on the tubes, her silver eyes welled with tears, and her fox ears drooped sorrowfully.
She had done something wrong.
But she hadn’t meant to.
“I’m sorry.”
Hugging the supplements tightly, she murmured the words repeatedly. Her tears threatened to fall but stubbornly refused to.
In the past, when mocked, ostracized, or driven away, she had never cried.
But this time, she wanted to.
The fleeting happiness she had felt earlier evaporated like a drop of water on the ground, vanishing without a trace.
Nota feared that the only person who had ever been kind to her might now hate her. She didn’t even have the courage to return and check. As if by not going back, she could pretend that the house still had someone who would leave the window open for her or prepare thank-you gifts just for her.
Wiping her eyes, she carefully hid the two labeled supplements and took the remaining one as she ventured deeper into the scrapyard.
If she could find more valuable parts to make amends, perhaps she could be forgiven.
Meanwhile, Ruan Shiqing carried the little pup into the yard.
The playing dragon cub rolled over and, together with the little mermaid, lay by the pool, watching Ruan Shiqing and the pup in his arms.
The little mermaid keenly sensed Rong Heng’s unsettled aura, while the dragon cub was simply curious.
As a fearless dragon, the concept of “fear” wasn’t in his vocabulary.
Climbing out of the pool, the dragon cub pointed at Rong Heng and asked, “Who’s that?”
“…”
Rong Heng’s face, already dark with displeasure, darkened further.
He scrutinized the audacious little dragon, noting the two small lumps on its forehead and its ridiculously tiny, chubby wings. With a dismissive snort, he concluded:
No wonder it had been abandoned—it was clearly defective.
Only Ruan Shiqing would treat every stray like a treasure.
“This is your brother,” Ruan Shiqing said, unaware of the undercurrents between the two. He set the pup on the lounge chair and introduced the siblings.
The introduction didn’t go smoothly.
Rong Heng turned his head, showing no interest in acknowledging the troublemaker.
The dragon cub, meanwhile, crossed his arms and objected indignantly, “But he’s covered in fur and doesn’t have scales!”
Why would someone without scales be his brother?
He even came up with his own twisted logic: “He doesn’t have scales, so he should be my younger brother!”
Rong Heng suddenly turned, baring his teeth in a silent threat.
Ignorant fool.
Scales were unsightly; fur was far superior.
“…”
Ruan Shiqing coughed to suppress a laugh, deciding to pacify the hatchling. “In this family, we go by who arrived first. You’re the youngest, so you’re the little brother.”
Fine.
Though the dragon cub wasn’t happy, he didn’t argue further. Instead, he mumbled, “Next time, I want to be the big brother.”
Being the eldest would be much cooler! He had to be the big brother next time!
Ruan Shiqing, amused, dried the dragon cub and began checking his body.
He carefully felt the little dragon’s forehead and confirmed that he wasn’t hornless—his horns were simply underdeveloped. His fingers detected small bumps that were likely the budding dragon horns.
According to the educational material, dragon horns were a defining characteristic. Hatchlings’ horns were typically half a finger in length and two fingers thick, extremely hard. Dragon hatchlings used their horns to pierce through their eggshells. As they aged, their horns grew larger, eventually reaching half a meter in length, becoming formidable weapons.
The dragon’s other primary weapon was its wings. Hatchlings’ wingspan matched their height, while adult dragons’ wings could cover the sky. The wings’ outer skeletons were lined with bone spurs, serving as both weapons and flight tools.
But the little dragon had neither of these defining features.
His horns hadn’t developed, only small bumps were present. His wings were comically tiny, without a trace of bone, let alone spurs.
He was an overweight, chubby dragon.
The little dragon squirmed under Ruan Shiqing’s touch, tickled by the examination. Lying on his back in Ruan Shiqing’s lap, he pawed at his forehead and asked curiously, “What are you touching?”
The newly hatched dragon was blissfully unaware of his flaws.
Ruan Shiqing decided not to reveal the truth, which would surely upset the cub. Instead, he tapped the pup’s forehead and lied smoothly, “You and Snowball both have little bumps on your foreheads. That’s proof you’re siblings.”
Huh?
The dragon cub scrambled upright and reached out to touch Rong Heng’s forehead. Sure enough, he felt two small bumps.
His expression turned from doubt to amazement. Patting his own forehead, he found they matched.
The dragon cub pondered for a moment, then solemnly declared to Rong Heng, “I accept you as my brother.”
Though he had agreed earlier, he hadn’t been convinced. How could they be brothers when they looked so different?
But the identical bumps on their foreheads had persuaded him!
Even when Rong Heng swatted his paw away, he didn’t mind.
Rong Heng, however, shot an annoyed glance at Ruan Shiqing.
This dragon cub was clearly underdeveloped, with no horns, while Ymir pups naturally lacked horns in their infancy. How could he equate the two?
Ruan Shiqing ignored the distinction. Successfully integrating the new cub into the family put him in high spirits.
After all, raising one cub or two was the same effort.
And adding another… wouldn’t be a problem.
The chaotic day finally ended. Ruan Shiqing rescheduled his car test with Luther and went to bed early.
The house lights went out, and even the small robot 09 entered its rest mode for recharging.
Outside the courtyard, two figures gestured to each other before scaling the wall.
The intruders were two burly Beastkin. One had scales covering half his face and neck, while the other had clawed hands.
“Endor, are you sure there’s a dragon cub here?”
“I’m sure,” hissed the scaly Beastkin, Endor. “It roared for a long time earlier. I’ve seen dragon hatchlings before—I wouldn’t mistake it.”
“Last time, a nine-tailed fox cub sold for over 300,000 credits,” Endor added. “If we get a dragon cub, even without auctioning it, we could sell it to a dragon family without offspring for a fortune.”
Dragons weren’t as united as the foxes. Infighting and theft of eggs or hatchlings were common. They weren’t worried about offending anyone by selling it.
The prospect of immense profit excited them both, but the other Beastkin, Carl, remained cautious. “If they’re raising such a valuable cub, why isn’t their security tighter?”
“Relax. I’ve scouted this place. It’s owned by an ancient human,” Endor sneered. “Somehow got rich and bought this house. Runs a repair shop with little business and only has two Beastkin friends. Most of the time, he’s here alone.”
Taking down a loner? Easy pickings.
“Well, his luck just ran out,” Carl remarked enviously.
Endor chuckled coldly. “Not so lucky meeting us. Let’s check upstairs first.”
The two Beastkin crept toward the small house.
On the second floor, the little dragon cub’s eyes snapped open, his golden pupils gleaming in the dark.
Flapping his wings, he glanced at his sleeping “dad” and quietly climbed out of bed, heading downstairs.
He had smelled something foul.
Downstairs, the Beastkin rummaged through the house. Unable to understand the tools in the workshop or carry the heavy equipment, they moved to the kitchen.
Finding a stash of nutritional supplements in the cold storage, they stuffed their pockets and drank one tube on the spot.
“An ancient human living so luxuriously? If we’d found this place sooner, we wouldn’t have had it so hard,” Endor muttered.
Carl nodded in agreement and headed for the stairs.
Reaching the stairway, he froze in shock, then grinned.
“It’s a dragon cub!”
Standing on the landing was the black dragon cub, barely a foot tall.
They couldn’t handle an adult dragon, but a tiny hatchling? It was like free money.
“Be careful not to scare it,” Endor whispered, taking out a supplement as he crept closer, attempting to lure the cub.
Heli, rather than being scared, boldly stepped down two more stairs, baring his sharp teeth at the intruders.
Filthy creatures, don’t wake my dad!
The dragon cub’s audacity amused the two Beastkin. They exchanged glances, unable to suppress their glee. Rubbing their hands together, they prepared to pounce on the cub.
“Did all the nutrients in your egg go toward growing fat instead of brains, you fool?”
A snow-white hand suddenly reached out from the shadows, grabbing the dragon cub by the scruff and lifting him into the air.
A tall man emerged from the corner, his dark golden eyes lazily sweeping over the two intruders. Before they could react, his hands closed around their throats.
The dragon cub, now perched on his shoulder, was unceremoniously told, “Hold on tight.”
The suffocating grip rendered the two strong Beastkin unable to make a sound. They clawed desperately at the hand throttling them, but it was as unyielding as a metal vice.
Rong Heng dragged the two into the courtyard. The dragon cub clung to his shoulder, watching the scene with great interest.
Though he had no idea where this person had come from, it didn’t stop him from enjoying the show.
Tossing the Beastkin onto the ground, Rong Heng casually gagged them with towels and dislocated their joints with practiced ease. Only then did he have time to deal with the insolent dragon cub.
Holding the cub up, he gave it a shake and sneered, “Dragons truly inherit their stupidity.”
The dragon cub: ?
He wriggled indignantly. “Put me down!”
Rong Heng remained unmoved. “You can’t stay here.”
An artificial mermaid connected to forbidden experiments was troublesome enough. Adding a dragon hatchling to the mix would guarantee chaos. Without his protection, these two would only bring endless trouble to the boy.
“I’m sending you away.”
Rong Heng had already decided to send the dragon cub back to Luso Star, where the dragons would take proper care of him. Even though this cub was clearly defective, the many childless dragons on Luso would likely be willing to adopt him.
He had everything planned out.
But the dragon cub refused to cooperate. Flapping his wings and breathing fire, he growled fiercely, “Let me go, or I’ll burn you to ashes!”
Rong Heng remained expressionless as he extinguished the tiny burst of dragon fire with his bare hand.
The dragon cub: …
Realizing his predicament, the cub stopped struggling.
Satisfied that the hatchling was subdued, Rong Heng bent down to haul the Beastkin away. Just as he was about to leave, the dragon cub let out an ear-splitting scream:
“Dad! Help me!”
The sound was so piercing that by the time Rong Heng tried to cover the cub’s mouth, it was too late.
Upstairs, there was movement—Ruan Shiqing had woken up.
Glaring at the troublesome cub, Rong Heng had no choice but to drop him and make a swift retreat.
Ruan Shiqing threw on a coat and hurried downstairs, only to find the dragon cub sitting on the ground beside two unconscious, burly Beastkin.
“What happened?” he asked, scooping the cub into his arms.
Robot 09 rushed out after him, exclaiming, “Did burglars break in?!”
The dragon cub pointed at the unconscious intruders. “They tried to catch me.” Then, glancing around for the person who had threatened to send him away, he huffed angrily, “And one of them ran off!”
Ruan Shiqing assumed the missing individual was an accomplice. His brow furrowed. Within just a day, someone had discovered the dragon cub’s existence and even broken into his home. It seemed the recent peace had lulled him into overlooking potential dangers.
He instructed 09 to tie up the intruders while he carried the cub upstairs.
The commotion had woken the little mermaid and Snowball.
The mermaid peeked out anxiously from his bucket, while Snowball sat at the bedroom door, tilting his head in curiosity.
“It’s alright now,” Ruan Shiqing reassured them. “Some thieves broke in, but Heli caught them. They’re tied up now.”
The little mermaid relaxed, sinking halfway into the water and blowing a string of bubbles.
Rong Heng, however, looked grim. His canine features couldn’t fully convey his displeasure, and the dragon cub didn’t pick up on his mood.
Ruan Shiqing, oblivious to the tension, placed both cubs on the bed and coaxed them to sleep. It was still the middle of the night, with hours until dawn.
The frightened dragon cub quickly drifted off, but Rong Heng, unable to sleep, feigned slumber.
Once the cubs were sound asleep, Ruan Shiqing quietly left the room. Checking the living room, he found the little mermaid sleeping peacefully underwater before heading downstairs.
Robot 09 had already tied the intruders tightly. The Beastkin shook their heads frantically, seemingly trying to communicate, but Ruan Shiqing wasn’t interested. After a long, silent stare, he instructed 09 to keep an eye on them and retreated to his workshop.
Tonight’s incident had rekindled Ruan Shiqing’s sense of urgency.
Life had been so smooth after the auction that he had let his guard down, forgetting the latent dangers of this lawless star.
Here, there was no rule of law, no true safety.
His earlier peace had been mere luck.
Ruan Shiqing pulled up old blueprints he’d sketched for relaxation, browsing for designs suitable for immediate use. He selected two versatile, defensive weapon systems:
Energy Blaster Gun: Compresses and heats air to release high-temperature energy beams capable of significant damage. Unlimited ammunition.
Shield Defense System: Derived from spacecraft shielding, it offered mobility and flexibility. It could attack targets within range and defend against external threats.
These designs were still rough drafts with many incomplete ideas, but the night’s events demanded immediate action.
After a sleepless night refining his plans, Ruan Shiqing tasked 09 with procuring the necessary components and called the Xiong brothers for assistance.
They melted and reshaped materials, polished components, and assembled intricate parts. Slowly but surely, the weapon began to take form.
By dawn, the Energy Blaster Gun was ready.
Ruan Shiqing instructed the Xiong brothers to drag the Beastkin to the outskirts of the junkyard while he stood a safe distance away, testing his creation.
Raising the gun, he aimed casually and pulled the trigger.
With a deafening roar, metal debris exploded into fragments, the acrid scent of scorched metal filling the air.
The two Beastkin, closest to the blast, screamed in terror. Though their bindings had been removed, they were too afraid to run.
Nearby scavengers, drawn by the noise, stared in shock as two burly Beastkin begged a slim, ancient human for mercy.
Ruan Shiqing achieved his desired effect. Holding the gun, his scorched hand trembling slightly from the heat, he showed no weakness.
Raising the weapon again, he aimed at the scrap heap behind them and declared, “I’ll spare you this time. But if there’s a next time…”
He left the threat unfinished, letting the next thunderous blast of metal debris do the talking.
Super HUGE chapter this time around! I was going to post multiple chapters to celebrate my birthday, but this one took everything I had lol sorry~ It was 16 pages on docs, while usually a chapter is 4-6 pages!!
So many things happened! HELI IS SO CUTE!!! Though it’s so sad that he’s been abandoned too… My poor Nota, I can’t wait for her to join the family too ｡ﾟ･ (>﹏<) ･ﾟ｡
Also, Rong Rong is so mean (and jealous) lol
And that end… Ruan Ruan is such a badass!!
Thanks for reading!
For every three ko-fis, I will upload a bonus chapter~
![Dissatisfied [e-sports]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/4997572.jpg "Dissatisfied [e-sports]")
![Professional Red Thread Cutter [Quick Transmigration]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_6298.jpeg "Professional Red Thread Cutter [Quick Transmigration]")
Heli is so cute!! And Rong Rong is so upset hahahahah
Happy birthday translator-sama ~~ thanks for the chapter (๑>◡<๑)
He’s definitely the funniest little guy! I love him very much! Thank you for the birthday wishes <3
merry Christmas and happy 2025. I can’t wait for the next chapter.
Thank you for reading and all the best wishes to you too!
Rong Rong don´t be jelly. And our MC finally got some defensive measures