TCPUAAV Chapter 45

 

The adult form of Ymir was nothing like its frail cub stage.

 

As a cub, Ymir had soft white fur, brown eyes, and undeveloped horns—weak and fragile, no stronger than a puppy. This was the only period of vulnerability in a Ymir’s life.

 

But once they outgrew their infancy, entering their growth phase, they would develop rapidly, their strength increasing exponentially.

 

A fully matured Ymir, when revealing its true form, could stand over sixteen meters tall and stretch more than twenty-five meters in length—a true interstellar colossus. The once pure white fur would gradually darken from the tips inward, forming black markings, while the small forehead horns would grow continuously with age, reaching up to three meters long—as sharp and unyielding as dragon horns.

 

This incredible might was one of the key reasons why the Ymir race had once ruled the empire.

 

As adults, Ymir had no weaknesses in either lifespan or strength. Their only vulnerable phase was during infancy—and only then. Once they reached maturity, a fully-grown Ymir in its prime could single-handedly rival an entire army, equipped with the best weapons and technology.

 

Each fallen Ymir had left behind a glorious legacy of war.

 

Even the mighty dragon race, in a one-on-one fight, had no chance against a mature Ymir.

 

So even though Heli, with his twenty-meter wingspan, appeared massive, in Rong Heng’s eyes—he was still just a clumsy cub.

 

The enormous Ymir crouched on the high ground, lowering his body.

 

He turned his head, staring at the stunned black dragon cub, and grumbled impatiently, “Get on.”

 

Heli was still covered in mud, stinking of swamp rot.

 

Letting such a filthy creature climb onto his back was an exercise in extreme patience.

 

The golden pupils of the Ymir flickered with barely concealed irritation.

 

But the little dragon, snapping out of his shock, cautiously grabbed onto his thick fur, using all four claws to scramble onto his back.

 

The broad, muscular back of the adult Ymir felt solid and secure, giving him a strong sense of safety.

 

Heli inhaled deeply, taking in the familiar scent—it was the same as Snowball’s.

 

Instantly, he felt even more at ease.

 

Daddy had said Snowball’s older brother was a good person.

 

Snowball was his big brother.

 

And his big brother’s big brother… must also be his big brother!

 

The little dragon tightened his grip on Ymir’s thick mane, folded his wings neatly, and pressed himself closely against the warm fur, even rubbing his face against it.

 

Rong Heng glanced back at him, sneered, and gave a curt, “Hold on.”

 

And then—

 

Like a gust of wind, the Ymir shot forward, dashing effortlessly across the swamp.

 

Despite their lack of wings, Ymir could move as fast as the wind itself.

 

The colossal beast glided across the soft, treacherous marsh—yet not a single footprint was left behind.

 

At first, Heli had his eyes squeezed shut, but curiosity soon got the better of him.

 

Peeking out, he saw the landscape blurring past, and his golden eyes widened in amazement.

 

“Will Snowball grow up to be this strong too?!”

 

No wonder Nota always said Snowball was impressive.

 

If Snowball’s big brother was already this strong, then in the future, Snowball would definitely be amazing too!

 

The unintentional praise made the speeding Ymir’s ears twitch slightly.

 

He shot the naïve little dragon a side-eye, then gave a cool, indifferent grunt.

 

Of course.

 

If he weren’t strong, how else would he have gotten this little idiot out?

 

If they had actually tied Heli up with ropes and had him airlifted out by a shuttle, it would have become the biggest joke on B3024.

 

A dragon.

 

A dragon that couldn’t fly—being carried away like cargo.

 

The Crown Prince of the empire couldn’t afford that level of embarrassment.

 

Heli, completely oblivious to Rong Heng’s disdain, kept his wide eyes fixed on their surroundings, filled with childlike awe.

 

By now, he had completely forgotten the despair of being stuck in the swamp.

 

Under the cover of night, Rong Heng carried him out of the Lost Marsh—heading straight for Fragrance Tower Manor.

 

By the time they arrived, Mo Li and the others had already prepared everything.

 

He had cleared out most of the manor’s staff, leaving only a small, trusted team to watch over Ruan Shiqing inside.

 

So when Rong Heng landed, no one was around to see the mighty Ymir carrying a filthy black dragon into the back garden.

 

Heli was still dazed, overwhelmed by the exhilarating journey.

 

“Get off,” Rong Heng grumbled, flicking his tail impatiently.

 

His expression twisted in disgust as he glared at the dirty dragon cub still clinging to his back.

 

He looked so incredibly dumb.

 

Heli clumsily jumped down, his movements uncoordinated.

 

His massive body wobbled, nearly toppling over, but he managed to steady himself using his wings.

 

He looked utterly awkward.

 

With a sigh, Rong Heng used his horn to nudge him upright. Then, without another word, he turned to Mo Li.

 

“Clean him up. I’m taking a bath.”

 

The journey back had left his once-sleek fur coated in dried mud—some of it even clumped together in chunks.

 

Every inch of his skin felt unbearably filthy.

 

Without waiting for a response, he shifted back to his human form and disappeared into the manor.

 

Mo Li, watching his retreating figure, couldn’t help but think—

 

His Highness treats Master Ruan’s family incredibly well.

 

If it were anyone else, forget carrying them back—they’d be lucky if they weren’t dragged back with a rope.

 

He turned to the crouching black dragon, keeping his tone gentle.

 

“Can you turn back into your human form?”

 

Heli shook his head.

 

“Can you at least shrink down a little?”

 

Heli shook his head again.

 

Mo Li: “…”

 

What can this big lump even do?!

 

Then again—

 

Just a few days ago, this giant dragon had been attending preschool.

 

He had to remind himself that this was still just a clueless baby.

 

With a sigh, he called for his men.

 

“Get him cleaned up.”

 

The guards looked at the huge, swamp-covered dragon, their faces pale.

 

They barely stopped themselves from clutching Mo Li’s legs and begging for mercy.

 

Mo Li glanced at the nearly ten-meter-tall dragon.

 

Yeah.

 

For an ordinary person, giving this beast a bath was basically suicide.

 

Thinking quickly, he had the manor’s automated irrigation bots brought in.

 

“Can you wash yourself?” he asked Heli.

 

Heli hesitated, then nodded.

 

Thus, the cleaning operation began.

 

The moment Nota, the little mermaid, and 09 heard that Heli was back—

 

They raced outside.

 

Seeing them, Heli lowered his head, carefully touching them one by one with his claw.

 

Nota grabbed onto his talon, looking up in admiration.

 

“Someday, I’ll be just as strong as you.”

 

The little mermaid gave an enthusiastic chirp, patting Heli’s muddy tail.

 

They were going to help him clean up.

 

The mighty and imposing black dragon, at this moment, looked oddly innocent and obedient.

 

Standing by the window, Rong Heng watched for a while, the corners of his lips curving slightly.

 

Now that the dragon cub was clean, he didn’t look that ugly after all.

 

“Master Ruan has raised these young ones well.” Noah’s voice carried a rare note of admiration. “The Four Great Clans of the Galactic Empire—only the first generation was ever this harmonious and united.”

 

As the AI companion of Queen Farah, Noah had witnessed countless power struggles. She had seen how the once-allied Four Ancient Clans, who had built the Galactic Empire together, eventually tore each other apart in pursuit of power.

 

The brotherhood of old was gone.

 

Now, the Ancient Clans were rivals, always watching their backs for betrayal.

 

Thinking about the ugly, scheming nature of those clans, Rong Heng’s expression turned icy.

 

“With that kind of upbringing, what kind of decent people could they possibly raise?” He sneered.

 

Among the Three Other Ancient Clans, only the dragons seemed somewhat normal.

 

Dumb, yes. But at least they weren’t full of deceit.

 

Unlike the merfolk and the nine-tailed foxes, who were all calculating manipulators, practically born with ‘power-hungry’ written on their foreheads.

 

“Has he woken up yet?” Rong Heng changed the subject.

 

“Not yet,” Noah replied. “Mo Li already had a doctor check on him. The diagnosis is excessive use of stimulants, combined with extreme fatigue and prolonged stress. Once he gets enough sleep and recovers, he’ll wake up on his own—there’s no danger.”

 

“Good.”

 

Rong Heng’s gaze lowered, his long lashes hiding his expression.

 

“I won’t be seeing him. If he asks, just tell Mo Li to say I’ve already left.”

 

When he first heard that Ruan Shiqing had gone into the Lost Marsh alone, he had been desperate to return to B3024 immediately.

 

But now that the danger was over, now that Ruan Shiqing was safe—

 

He suddenly didn’t want to face him.

 

He had never lost control like this before.

 

In his twenty-six years, through countless battles, he had fought zerg hordes, faced death time and time again, and never once had he lost his composure.

 

This feeling was foreign to him.

 

It left him confused, uneasy—and made him want to avoid it entirely.

 

*

 

When Ruan Shiqing finally woke up, it had been three days.

 

With his missing sleep replenished, the dark circles under his eyes were gone, and he looked fully refreshed again.

 

The moment the others heard he was awake, the young ones and 09 rushed into the room.

 

The little fox perched on the edge of the bed, asking eagerly, “Daddy, are you hungry?”

 

The little mermaid clutched his hand tightly, unable to speak, but his worried gaze said it all.

 

Snowball had been placed on the blanket, where he nuzzled his arm affectionately.

 

Even 09, the ever-efficient robot, asked anxiously, “Sir, are you feeling unwell? Do you need water?”

 

Mo Li and the Xiong brothers had followed behind them, but they couldn’t even get inside, stretching their necks to peer through the crowd.

 

Scanning the familiar faces around him, Ruan Shiqing smiled.

 

“Don’t worry, I’m fine now.”

 

Then, his eyes searched the room.

 

“Where’s Heli?”

 

“He’s outside!” The little fox pointed toward the window, using both hands to gesture dramatically. “He’s too big! He can’t fit!”

 

Ruan Shiqing turned toward the window—

 

And sure enough, a golden eye was pressed right up against the glass.

 

The giant dragon cub, too big to fit inside, was desperately peeking through the window, trying to get a glimpse of him.

 

Heli was now fully cleaned up—his scales gleaming, his appearance majestic.

 

He was extremely eager to show Daddy how impressive he looked now.

 

Chuckling, Ruan Shiqing got up and stepped outside.

 

The moment he did, he was met with a majestic-looking black dragon, standing proudly.

 

Heli lowered his head carefully, pressing his snout lightly against Ruan Shiqing’s arm.

 

“Good boy.”

 

Ruan Shiqing patted his nose reassuringly, then turned to Mo Li.

 

“This wouldn’t have been possible without your help. If you ever need anything in the future, just ask.”

 

Before, he had considered Marlin a temporary business partner, someone he still kept some level of guard against.

 

But after everything that had happened—Marlin was now a friend.

 

Mo Li, visibly moved, said, “It was nothing, really! Not worth mentioning!”

 

They exchanged polite words, and then Mo Li invited him to lunch.

 

Since the house was still a disaster, Ruan Shiqing readily accepted, gathering the little ones and following Mo Li to the dining hall.

 

Meanwhile—

 

In 09’s arms, Rong Heng—still in his tiny form—was growing increasingly irritated.

 

??????

 

Why hadn’t anyone even mentioned him?!

 

He had been the one to find Heli.

 

He had been the one to carry the dumb dragon back.

 

And yet—

 

No one had said a single word about him?!

 

Unbelievable.

 

Even as they sat down for lunch, Ruan Shiqing casually accepted Snowball from 09, then offhandedly asked, “By the way, where’s Mr. Rong?”

 

Mo Li, recalling his instructions, smiled politely and replied, “Mr. Rong had some urgent matters to attend to, so he left earlier.”

 

Well, that made sense.

 

Ruan Shiqing nodded thoughtfully, not giving it much more attention. Instead, he started discussing plans to rebuild the house.

 

Across the table—

 

Rong Heng stared at him in sheer disbelief.

 

??????

 

Excuse me?

 

That’s it?!

 

He had literally carried them out of a deadly swamp—

 

And he didn’t even get a thank you?!

 

Glancing at Ruan Shiqing, then turning to glare at Mo Li, his cold golden eyes narrowed dangerously.

 

Mo Li: ??????

 

What now, Your Highness?!

 

*

 

After lunch, Ruan Shiqing announced they were going home.

 

Even though the house was in ruins, they needed to sort through their belongings before reconstruction could begin.

 

He had already worked things out with Mo Li—he would pay, Mo Li would provide workers, and they would rebuild the house as quickly as possible.

 

Now, it was time to start cleaning up.

 

Leading the way, Ruan Shiqing pushed the mermaid’s cart, while Heli walked beside him. The Xiong brothers followed closely on the other side.

 

Meanwhile—

 

The little fox, Snowball, and even 09 had climbed onto Heli’s back.

 

Nota lay sprawled across his head, looking high and mighty.

 

Rong Heng, still in his small form, sat on one shoulder, while 09 sat on the other.

 

The giant black dragon naturally drew a huge crowd.

 

Word of what had happened at the Ruan family’s repair shop had spread all over the outer city.

 

But no one expected that—just a few days later—

 

The rampaging black dragon had already been tamed.

 

The onlookers turned to stare at Ruan Shiqing in awe.

 

Raising a dragon cub is one thing.

 

But taming a full-grown dragon?

 

That takes true skill.

 

Master Ruan… truly deserves his reputation.

 

*

 

Back at the repair shop, Heli stared at the wreckage he had caused, his face filled with guilt and unease.

 

The second floor had been completely torn apart, reduced to nothing but rubble. The first floor, though still barely standing, was covered in fallen debris and thick dust from above.

 

The courtyard, where he and the other cubs had once played happily, was now a mess.

 

The Falling Star Vines, which they had carefully trimmed together, now hung limply in the pond, their leaves wilting in the water.

 

Their favorite small pool, where they often splashed around, was now clogged with fallen leaves and broken stones.

 

The wooden lounge chair lay overturned at the side, just one of the many signs of destruction.

 

Heli, trying to help, carefully reached out with his paw to pick up the overturned chair and set it upright.

 

But the moment his claws grasped it—

 

CRACK.

 

The wooden chair collapsed into pieces in his grip.

 

“……”

 

The sound of splintering wood immediately drew everyone’s attention.

 

Heli froze, his entire body stiffening.

 

Still holding his paw in the air, he lowered his head, his ears drooping in shame. Even his tail tip stopped moving.

 

Ruan Shiqing, seeing his cautious, guilty expression, barely held back a laugh.

 

Instead, he patted the dust off Heli’s large paw, reassuring him, “If it’s broken, we’ll just buy a new one. It’s okay.”

 

Then, turning to the other cubs, he said, “If there’s anything you still want—tell 09. We’ll sort everything out later.”

 

Since the house was at risk of collapsing, Ruan Shiqing naturally wouldn’t let the cubs go inside.

 

Immediately, the cubs crowded around 09, excitedly listing the toys and personal items they wanted to keep.

 

09, ever the diligent helper, noted down each request one by one, then turned to Rong Heng and asked,

 

“What about you, Snowball? Is there anything you want?”

 

Thoughtfully, he even pulled up a virtual screen, in case Rong Heng preferred to type out his request.

 

Rong Heng, still perched on Heli’s shoulder, stared down at him, expression unreadable.

 

After a long pause, he reluctantly jumped down, landing gracefully.

 

Then, after a moment of hesitation, he typed—

 

[Pillow.]

 

Unlike the other cubs, he was the first one Ruan Shiqing had brought home, and thanks to his small size, he had always slept in Ruan Shiqing’s room.

 

Most of his belongings overlapped with Ruan Shiqing’s, so there wasn’t much he truly cared about.

 

But his pillow—

 

The soft, comfortable pillow he had grown used to—

 

That, he wanted.

 

By now, the crown prince had to admit—he had become a bit attached to that particular spot.

 

No matter how chaotic things were, as long as he slept on that pillow, he could fall asleep quickly and peacefully—without a single dream.

 

09 dutifully noted it down.

 

Heli, seeing that 09 still hadn’t asked him, finally couldn’t hold back any longer.

 

“My Blue Star Necklace is missing!” He blurted. “And my gemstone box…!”

 

Pausing, he pouted, “I don’t know if they’re still in the house.”

 

Ever since he woke up in the swamp, his necklace had been gone.

 

Hearing this, 09 chuckled.

 

“Your necklace and gemstone box have already been collected by the master,” he said. “Some parts were damaged, but he’s going to fix them.”

 

“Really?!”

 

Heli perked up immediately, his tail tip wagging excitedly.

 

“Really,” Ruan Shiqing confirmed, stepping out of the workshop. He smiled. “Once it’s fixed, I’ll give it back to you.”

 

At this, Heli’s golden eyes narrowed happily, and he beamed.

 

Sorting out the cubs’ belongings was easy.

 

The real challenge was Ruan Shiqing’s workshop.

 

He had acquired many new materials and tools, all of which needed to be carefully packed and transported.

 

Thankfully, with the Xiong brothers and 09 helping, everything was handled efficiently.

 

Once everything was secured, Mo Li’s men demolished the unstable house.

 

As the building crumbled, 09 suddenly gasped.

 

“Wait!”

 

In a hurry, he grabbed a shovel and ran to the corner of the garden, where the Falling Star Vines grew.

 

Digging frantically, he soon uncovered a hidden treasure—

 

A flower pot holding a small Falling Star Vine… and something else.

 

Nestled within the roots was a worn, old robot shell—his first body.

 

The one that Ruan Shiqing had helped him replace.

 

Back then, with his master’s permission, he had buried it under the vines as a way to preserve the past.

 

Now, cradling the dirt-covered remains, 09 held the pot tightly against his chest.

 

He murmured softly, as if comforting both himself and the cubs,

 

“When the new house is built, we’ll plant the vines again. They’re strong. By next year, they’ll cover the whole garden once more.”

 

*

 

Since the new house would take time to rebuild, Ruan Shiqing and the cubs temporarily moved into Fragrance Tower Manor.

 

But without his workshop, many of his projects had to be put on hold.

 

So instead, he focused on a more pressing concern—

 

What to do about Heli?

 

According to his research, adult dragons should be able to control their size freely.

 

They could also switch between their human and beast forms at will.

 

But Heli was different.

 

Even though his body looked fully grown, his mind was still that of a young cub.

 

He had been forcefully “matured” by the mysterious gemstones he had eaten.

 

Determined to find answers, Ruan Shiqing tried contacting the merchant who had sold him the gems.

 

But the number was disconnected.

 

With no way to trace him, Ruan Shiqing had no choice but to drop the matter for now.

 

Still, he had one other option—

 

Seeking help from Mr. Rong.

 

Since Rong Heng worked for the military, he might know a dragon who could help.

 

So, he sent a message, explaining Heli’s situation.

 

Honestly, he expected a delay.

 

Rong Heng was a busy man, and he figured he would have to wait for a reply.

 

But surprisingly—

 

Within just ten minutes, he received an answer.

 

[I happen to know a dragon nearby. He’s on a planet close to B3024. I can invite him over to take a look.]

 

The unexpected good news made Ruan Shiqing pause in surprise.

 

Then, quickly, he typed out his thanks.

 

“Thank you so much, Mr. Rong!”

 

“I really appreciate this!”

 

Meanwhile—

 

Hiding in a nearby room, Rong Heng smirked as he read the message.

 

Finally.

 

A good deed should never go unnoticed.

 

The crown prince was satisfied.

 

 

---

 

RONG RONG IS SO TSUN YET DUMB I can’t deal with him akdjksjds!!! Cutie!!! But yay, the whole family is reunited! And Hector is going to meet Heli…!!

 

Thanks for reading!

For every three ko-fis, I will upload a bonus chapter~