TCPUAAV Chapter 48

 

As everyone knows, the Dragon Clan’s chief, Garland, and Brigadier General Hector are bitter rivals who can’t stand the sight of each other.

 

Their long-standing feud dates back nearly a century. However, no one remembers that over a hundred years ago, they were once lovers.

 

Dragons only reach adulthood at sixty, but Hector and Garland had met even earlier.

 

From their youth to adulthood, from best friends to lovers, they spent decades together. When Garland turned sixty-eight, they officially registered their marriage and conceived a dragon egg of their own.

 

Same-sex dragon couples are unable to naturally produce dragon eggs. Some choose to adopt, while others, in more extreme cases, resort to stealing eggs from others.

 

However, their special dragon egg was created using the latest breeding technology. With the help of a familiar professor from the merfolk race, they combined their genes to create the egg.

 

At the time, they were still young and full of anticipation for their shared child.

 

To ensure the best incubation conditions, they put aside all their work and returned to Luso Star. Inside the volcano that bore his name, they carved out an incubation nest. Every piece of furniture in the nest was personally arranged by them, holding all their hopes for a home together.

 

They often argued over whether the hatched dragonling would resemble one of them more, and even fought over the right to name it.

 

The name “Heli” was won by Hector in a bet, something that Garland remained resentful about for years. Later, they had yet another fight over whose surname the dragonling should take…

 

But that much-anticipated dragon egg never hatched.

 

One year, two years, five years… even ten years passed, and it remained just an egg.

 

Dragon eggs typically take no more than three years to hatch.

 

Yet theirs had been incubating for ten years without breaking its shell. The supplies they had prepared for their baby were replaced time and time again.

 

Hector began to suspect something was wrong and suggested taking the egg to the hospital for a full examination. However, Garland insisted that artificially bred dragon eggs had different incubation cycles than naturally conceived ones. He firmly believed that doing a genetic test at the hospital would ruin their expectations and excitement for their child.

 

So, they patiently waited another ten years.

 

During this time, the dragonling still showed no signs of hatching, and Garland moved his research lab into the incubation nest.

 

It was also during this period that Garland proposed storing some dragon crystals for their child.

 

Hector could still remember the look on his face, but he had been too careless back then to notice anything amiss.

 

Garland had said, “A dragonling that stays in its egg for too long might be weak. I found records in ancient texts suggesting that dragon crystals can enhance a dragon’s strength. Using them for a newborn could promote development. Since little Heli is hatching so late, his physical condition will surely be worse than other dragonlings. We need to prepare dragon crystals for him in advance.”

 

So they went mining for dragon crystals.

 

Luso Star was covered in volcanoes, rich with mineral veins. Following Garland’s chosen locations, they dug one mine after another, only managing to collect a small bag of dragon crystals.

 

But no matter how many crystals they gathered, it was meaningless if the egg wouldn’t hatch.

 

Hector couldn’t hold back any longer and brought up taking the egg to the hospital again.

 

This time, Garland exploded in rage.

 

Although they frequently bickered and fought, Garland rarely got truly angry. Despite his cold exterior, he was actually soft-hearted.

 

But his reaction was so intense this time that it deepened Hector’s suspicions.

 

He became convinced that something was wrong with the egg.

 

So he tricked Garland into leaving the incubation nest and secretly took the egg to a hospital in Sikkim for examination.

 

Unhatched dragon eggs typically undergo genetic testing.

 

And it was then that Hector finally understood why Garland had been so adamant about avoiding the hospital.

 

Garland was a professor at Sikkim University, specializing in biological research. He didn’t need a hospital to conduct a genetic test—he had likely figured out the problem long ago.

 

The egg had a severe genetic defect.

 

Something must have gone wrong with the breeding process. The dragonling inside was developing extremely slowly, with barely any signs of life. Even if it did somehow hatch, it would be gravely impaired.

 

Incomplete dragon horns and underdeveloped bat wings… It might never be able to fight, or even fly.

 

And suddenly, everything clicked.

 

Garland had repeatedly asked about Hector’s hopes for their child, but those questions weren’t just idle curiosity—they had been careful tests of his attitude.

 

And what had Hector said back then?

 

“A child with our genes will, of course, be the strongest. I’ll personally teach him how to fly and fight…”

 

The Dragon Clan revered strength. They were a species born for battle. Even with their low fertility rate, many dragons refused to accept offspring with severe genetic defects.

 

That was why genetic testing was a standard procedure for every dragon egg.

 

If a defect was found, the hospital would advise the parents to stop incubation.

 

When Hector took the egg to the hospital, the doctor gave him the same recommendation and told him the chances of hatching were extremely low.

 

Afraid that Garland would be heartbroken, Hector even asked if there was a way to obtain another egg—so that if this one truly failed to hatch, Garland could at least have some consolation.

 

But, of course, there was no alternative.

 

Dragon eggs were far too precious, and he couldn’t bring himself to steal someone else’s egg.

 

In the end, he rejected the doctor’s suggestion and brought the egg back to the incubation nest. He was still thinking about how to break the news to Garland, but before he could find the right moment… the dragon egg vanished.

 

Garland searched frantically for a long time but never found it. Instead, he discovered the genetic test report.

 

Following that trail, he uncovered the truth—that Hector had tricked him into leaving and secretly taken the egg to the hospital.

 

Garland believed that after learning about the genetic defect, Hector had deliberately deceived him and abandoned the egg.

 

He even found hospital surveillance footage of Hector asking the doctor if there was a way to obtain another egg.

 

Everything fit together too perfectly. Hector had no way to explain himself.

 

And it was then that he learned the truth—Garland had actually known about the genetic defect since the first ten years of incubation.

 

Merfolk breeding technology was illegal. The professor Garland trusted had merely used their genes as part of an experiment.

 

And the dragon egg they had cherished so deeply… had been nothing more than a failed product.

 

Garland had known all along, carrying the weight of guilt and torment by himself.

 

Hector blamed himself for not being cautious enough, believing that his carelessness had led to this tragedy.

 

Garland had forbidden any tests on the dragon egg because he was afraid Hector would discover its defect and suggest stopping incubation. He had moved his research lab into the incubation nest to find a way to compensate for the dragonling’s congenital deficiencies… Hector had no idea how much pressure Garland had secretly been shouldering all this time. All he knew was that losing the egg was the final straw that broke Garland.

 

He had never seen Garland so hysterical before.

 

As the future chief of the Dragon Clan, Garland had always been reserved and composed. Yet, during that period, he became highly emotional.

 

Day and night, he searched relentlessly for the lost dragon egg, punishing himself for his mistakes.

 

At first, Hector tried to explain, to make Garland understand that the egg’s disappearance was just an accident. But later, he realized that what truly drove Garland into despair was the crushing guilt and self-reproach he had been carrying all along.

 

Garland blamed himself for everything. He was punishing himself.

 

But the decision to create a dragon egg through artificial breeding had been theirs, a choice they had made together.

 

So, in the end, Hector told Garland that he had abandoned the egg—that it was gone forever and could never be found again. He told him that if Garland was willing, they could try to conceive another egg instead of clinging to one that was so critically flawed…

 

Not long after, they divorced.

 

Hector was exiled from the Dragon Clan, stripped of his name and status, and forbidden from ever setting foot in Luso Star’s incubation nest again.

 

For all these years, Garland had buried himself in his research, rarely stepping outside. Meanwhile, Hector had gone to the Ota frontlines. The number of times they had met could be counted on one hand, and whenever they did cross paths, they fought. But those fights were just an excuse—an excuse for Hector to see him a few more times.

 

He had never once imagined that the dragon egg, lost all those years ago, could have actually hatched.

 

Hector’s eyes turned red as he gazed at Heli, his voice hoarse. “If Garland saw you, he would be so happy. He always longed for your birth.”

 

The little dragonling stared at him in confusion.

 

But Ruan Shiqing had picked up on something, hesitantly asking, “Mr. Hector, you mean…?”

 

“Over a hundred years ago, I lost a dragon egg,” Hector said, his tone slow and deliberate. “From what you’ve told me, the timeline, the name, and even the surname all match Heli.”

 

He originally wanted to pull up old video footage as proof, but when he accessed his smart brain device, he suddenly remembered—his original device had been lost long ago. All the records from those years were gone. Left with no evidence, he could only describe what he remembered. “If I’m not mistaken, the egg was iron-gray, covered in strange patterns. At the bottom, there was a tiny dent—that was from when I accidentally dropped it once…”

 

Ruan Shiqing’s expression shifted in surprise. He glanced at the little dragonling before instructing 09 to retrieve the eggshell fragments.

 

These sentimental keepsakes had all been carefully preserved.

 

It wasn’t long before 09 returned, holding a small box filled with the broken eggshell.

 

Ruan Shiqing carefully examined the fragments, and sure enough, he found a small dent where the shell had been chipped.

 

Standing quietly on the sidelines, Rong Heng finally showed a rare look of shock.

 

He scrutinized Hector up and down, his gaze unreadable.

 

So Hector had once been involved with the Dragon Clan’s chief?

 

He had hidden it well—so well that after all these years, no one had realized that these two were actually ex-lovers.

 

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Nooooooo you’ve got to be kidding me this is so sad…!!! And who the heck could steal an egg from such powerful dragons…??

 

Thanks for reading!

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