Su Cheng: "..."
Could she really possess a physique that naturally attracted the Dragon race?
Perhaps she could actually become a dragon rider?
In the original novel, Lin Yun rarely engaged in serious combat; similar plots were mostly just build-ups for explicit scenes. The ancient Dragon King wife mentioned in the spoilers was probably the same.
Moreover—
She had killed Count Gauler's son, caused the downfall of his family, and made Xiao Lan and Murong Yue fall out with each other, along with various other miscellaneous things.
Many of the original plot points had likely been altered by the butterfly effect, and she did not expect certain events to inevitably happen anymore, such as the setting where a dragon mount was automatically assigned.
To this day, Su Cheng still had not figured out the relationship between the Dragon race and the factions of the two Supreme Gods.
She also had no idea who Lin Yun's ancient Dragon King wife actually was.
She had only caught a fleeting glimpse of this in the comment spoilers, but the specific name was never mentioned—if she was from the Dark God's faction, things might fall through entirely.
Although her current relationship with that side seemed a bit delicate as well.
For a moment, she recalled the God of Lust leaning against the steps, looking as if he were waiting to be ravished, and the God of Envy resting on his couch, watching her.
Su Cheng: "..."
Su Cheng suppressed the images of the two beautiful faces that popped into her mind.
She looked up. "Can I touch him?"
"You may," the dragon rider nodded, "but keep away from his eyes."
Su Cheng gently stroked the side of the horned dragon's neck. The sub-dragon beast let out a soft purring sound, seemingly quite pleased.
She had touched two dragons in one day and was in a very good mood. As she passed by the dragon riders of the city defense force, she noticed that several horned dragons were sniffing the air.
Su Cheng: "?"
Did they all like the scent of that little wyvern?
She continued walking east. The commercial district's dazzling array of shops crowded the long street, with storefronts large and small, offering an extremely complete variety of goods.
The display windows of the silk and spice shops were colorful, while the various magical alchemy workshops sparkled with light. Different specifications of magic arrays spread from the walls to the counters, protecting all kinds of rare items.
Su Cheng stopped in front of a weapon shop.
The shop's facade was quite elegant. Behind the crystal display windows stood set after set of gorgeous armor, ranging from light leather armor to heavy plate armor. Next to each set of armor were gem-encrusted weapons, including swords, spears, and axes.
She did not know how practical they were, but they were certainly highly decorative, looking more like collectibles or equipment for a ceremonial guard.
She stared at a set of heavy black armor inlaid with gold thread, imagining that if the Captain wore this, he could probably end up straight on a magazine cover.
Although he probably preferred a more revealing style.
Su Cheng's thoughts drifted for a moment.
At the corner of the street, there was an even larger weapon shop. Its interior design was much more low-key and simple. The wooden walls were covered with weapons, and the air was filled with the scent of rust, leather, and aged wood.
"...No, the hardness of black scale stone is indeed sufficient, but if used as a medium for battle aura, its affinity is too poor. At least, it does not match our battle aura attributes. Let alone amplification, even channeling battle aura through it would not be smooth..."
The fire in the fireplace burned low, casting a flowing copper glow over the displayed swords.
"...Rhyolite iron is indeed acceptable, but I need it to undergo at least three hundred gas-forge foldings. The iron base must also be infused with high-purity mithril and..."
The sound of hammering continuously came from the workshop in the back. The forging hammer vibrated against the anvil, the echoes lingering in the somewhat quiet shop.
Beside the counter in the center of the hall stood an extremely tall man. His broad, robust back almost obscured half a wall of weapon racks.
He slightly lowered his head. Firelight flowed through his dark, curly hair, and a faint red shadow of flames veiled his snow-white skin. His full muscle lines were smooth and sharp, exuding a sense of power forged through countless trials.
The steel shoulder guards and chest armor were tightened with leather straps, and his exposed, muscular waist and abdomen rose and fell slightly with his breathing.
His expression was very serious. His flawless, handsome side profile looked like a sculpture, and his long eyelashes drooped, half-concealing those gilded eyes.
"You can take a look at the sample."
The counter was shorter than standard size, and the boss behind it was also small, likely having dwarven blood. He was bringing out a piece of black-and-white metal raw ore from a drawer.
He placed the ore on the table. "My mother mentioned you. She said she had never seen such material before, and that the sword she forged for you was the most satisfying work of her life..."
As the boss spoke, he used both hands to lift out a short-handled battle axe. "Since you are a regular customer and an expert, you can also look at the finished product first..."
The axe blade was quite broad, sharp like a crescent moon, with a blade length of about twenty centimeters. The edges were polished extremely finely.
The back of the axe was much thicker, covered with irregular bumps and patterns. In the center was a delicate diamond-shaped blue sapphire decoration, which contrasted with the faint blue dark patterns wandering across the axe face.
The dark-haired man reached out to take it, casually weighing it. The solid muscles of his forearm suddenly bulged, with veins winding like tree roots.
Holding the battle axe, he turned his head. The firelight reflected off the sharp blade and brushed past his chiseled jaw.
Their eyes met.
Su Cheng waved at him. "I thought you would still be drinking at this time."
The dark-haired man smiled. "I have more important things to do."
Saying that, he turned and took large strides toward her.
The moment the shadows cast by their bodies merged, an inexplicable emotion surged in Su Cheng's heart.
In truth, they had only been apart for a day, but she inexplicably felt as if they had been separated for a long time, feeling the excitement of a long-awaited reunion.
So she subconsciously reached out her arms.
Su Cheng had imagined the embrace of an old friend, but a moment later, she realized that given their height difference, her face would probably just end up buried in his chest.
The next second, Kai wrapped one arm around her waist and lifted her up.
Su Cheng naturally looped her arms around his neck. "Captain—"
She paused.
They were close at hand. The dark-haired man took a light breath, as if catching a scent.
Su Cheng had just wanted to give him a hug, and seeing this, she was momentarily stunned. "What is it?"
Kai blinked. "You went and touched other dragons?"
"Oh," Su Cheng was taken aback. "I just met someone with a baby wyvern, and then a group of horned dragons. Good heavens, you can smell even that?"
He watched her expression, noticing the smile in the girl's eyes as she spoke, and could not help but curl his lips. "It seems you really do like the Dragon race."
Saying that, he finally gave her a proper hug, resting his chin on the young woman's shoulder. "...That is good. You have recovered."
"Thank you."
Su Cheng gently patted the man's broad back. Even through the cloak, she could feel his knotted muscles. The fur material was warmed by the sun, making it feel like she was petting some large wild beast.
"I was not really injured to begin with, just a bit exhausted."
She said softly, "I heard you were the one who took me to the temple—"
"You have been traveling constantly these past few days," he straightened up slightly. "They could put you in a better condition. How do you feel now?"
"Fantastic!"
Su Cheng leaned against the man's broad, powerful shoulders, feeling the vibration in his chest as he spoke. "Actually, I just slept, but I feel like I've improved a lot!"
"Yes, I can feel it too."
Kai leaned down and set her back on the ground, handing her the battle axe in his other hand. "Give it a try."
Su Cheng was about to take it but hesitated. "Can I hold it?"
"With both hands."
"Okay."
She took it as if facing a formidable enemy. She found that she could indeed hold it, but she could only grip it upside down from the top. Trying to swing it was quite a struggle.
However, the attempt the commander asked her to make definitely didn't mean this.
Su Cheng tried to channel her battle aura, and a streak of black flame flashed across the axe blade.
The dark, eerie firelight quickly enveloped the entire surface of the axe.
"Is it smooth?" Kai asked. "From the moment you infused your battle aura to its current state, was there any dissipation in between? How is its responsiveness?"
Su Cheng tried it a few times repeatedly. "The main thing is I haven't tried many weapons, so it's hard to compare. Besides, isn't our battle aura the same?"
"Different people might feel a bit differently. If there's no obvious sluggishness, then it should generally be fine."
Kai took the axe back. "The owner of this shop made my sword, but she has passed away. I originally wanted her to make another one—"
Su Cheng suddenly remembered that he had promised to get her a sword.
It was truly wonderful.
Just a few minutes ago, she was pondering whether to gift him a suit of armor.
Of course, she purely thought that outfit looked handsome and figured he would look exceptionally good wearing it.
"Um, actually, you don't have to be so serious about it. I'm not in a hurry. Oh, by the way, I have something to tell you!"
She apologized to the shop owner and hurriedly pulled the commander outside. The latter still let her tug at his bracer, allowing himself to be led to the door.
Su Cheng pulled an invitation letter from her chest and handed it to him like presenting a treasure. "Look!"
It was a parchment invitation sealed with gold-stamped wax, bearing the gold coin and rose crest of the Aolu family.
Kai slightly raised his eyebrows. "This is—"
"An invitation to the banquet at the Marigold Palace!"
The young girl in front of him said cheerfully, looking up at him with a beaming smile, seemingly trying hard to keep the corners of her mouth from turning up any further.
"I received a whole pile of letters after I woke up, and this was mixed in among them."
She raised her chin. "We don't need to bother getting an invitation anymore! It seems some big shots receive invitations automatically—"
Kai couldn't help but laugh, reaching out to pat her head. "Indeed, you big shot."
Meeting those smiling golden eyes, Su Cheng inexplicably felt a bit shy. "...I was just joking."
Then she remembered the previous situation. "Wait, did you guys see that there was a problem with that person back then? That's why you said that before I went to fight."
"I could feel some power in him that didn't belong to him, but his body wasn't sufficient to fully utilize it."
Kai thought for a moment. "So if he lost control, his end probably wouldn't be very good. Thus, it was actually an opportunity for you, because he was destined to be unable to maintain that state for long."
Su Cheng shrugged. "True, I also thought it was quite worth it."
Kai seemed to want to say something else, but noticing she kept stealing glances into the shop, he couldn't help but ask, "Do you want to try other weapons?"
Su Cheng was actually quite curious, especially since her battle aura had reached a higher level, and her strength was much greater than before.
Otherwise, she probably wouldn't have even been able to lift that axe from earlier.
Su Cheng: "I basically don't know how to use any of them, except for—"
She suddenly remembered the things her swordsmanship teacher had taught her.
However, there were no rapiers in this shop either.
Perhaps because the forging here was in the dwarven style, and that race didn't like this kind of weapon. If it were an elven shop, maybe they would have them.
Kai glanced at her and didn't ask further. He just continued lightly, "Actually, in a combat state, there are some techniques for circulating battle aura—"
He casually picked up a conical spiked warhammer by the wall, its gleaming, cold edges featuring blood grooves.
Seeing that he seemed to want to hand it over, Su Cheng instinctively tried to take it.
Kai didn't give it to her immediately. Instead, he tapped her right arm with his other hand. His cool fingertips brushed past her radius and elbow one by one, then slid from her shoulder down to her lumbar spine.
"Battle aura," he reminded her. "With the amount of battle aura currently in your body, you can reinforce yourself at critical moments."
Su Cheng tried to circulate her battle aura, gathering it in those few spots, and then took the hammer. She found she could hold it with one hand, although it was still a bit heavy.
Kai smiled slightly. "This is heavier than the axe from just now."
Su Cheng grew even happier and couldn't help but give it a swing. The black fire on the hammerhead flashed and vanished.
"...Feel its weight."
The man beside her gently held her hand, his palm completely covering the back of her hand. Then, he guided it slightly upward while simultaneously tapping her shoulder.
"Don't be so tense."
He stood behind her, the warmth of his chest transmitting through their thin clothing.
Su Cheng turned her head slightly, feeling as if she were embraced by a snow-capped mountain exuding a chill. A faint scent of wine and metal lingered at the tip of her nose.
"It's different from those lightweight weapons. You let it drop naturally, and then guide its momentum—"
His breath brushed over the top of her head. "For low-tier warriors, the posture and habits of exerting force will affect the performance of the battle aura."
Su Cheng nodded and tried to swing the battle axe according to his instructions. Sure enough, it was smoother, and the black flames attached by the battle aura burned even brighter.
In her peripheral vision, there seemed to be an extra figure at the doorway.
She turned her head.
A blond man dressed in a dark red mage robe and wearing a top hat stood at the door. The brim of his hat was pulled down very low, revealing only his sharp jawline.
Su Cheng: "...Oh? You're back?"
After parting ways at the bookstore earlier, she had no idea what this guy had gone off to do.
Camus crossed his arms and watched them, his expression obscured beneath the hat's brim. "I hope I haven't interrupted this heartwarming lesson."
Kai took the warhammer from her hand and put it back in its place. "Considering the current situation, it's hard to say you didn't at all—"
Su Cheng couldn't help but look at him sideways.
Mainly because she didn't expect him to speak like that.
Although his words were mostly meant as a joke.
The black-haired man tilted his head to look at her, blinking with a slightly sly expression. "But we still have plenty of time. How are you guys doing?"
"Not too good."
The figure of a certain vampire appeared at the doorway.
He walked up the steps and stepped into the shop. "I ran into a lot of people on the way here. It's no exaggeration to say that everyone coming out of the temple..."
The silver-haired young man frowned slightly. An undisguised look of disgust appeared on his handsome face, and his crimson eyes shifted, landing on the girl in front of him.
Sasha: "...Looks like they just slept with the God of Light."
Su Cheng chuckled. "They probably wished for exactly that, if you saw how excited they were in the square."
Sasha raised his eyebrows slightly. "What about you? Do you want to try it too?"
"No," Su Cheng said immediately. "I don't even like—"
She recalled how the God of Light in the original story had disguised himself as an innocent young girl to trick the male lead. She had wanted to say that she liked neither little girls nor little boys, but that sounded far too weird.
Besides, the main issue wasn't about some beautiful young boy anyway.
If the God of Light was an expert at reading people and catering to their tastes to trigger their protective instincts or hero complexes, he might just as easily turn into an injured puppy, kitten, or little bird to get close to her.
She felt it was best to keep a respectful distance from someone like that.
Su Cheng: "I like black hair."
The weapon shop instantly fell dead silent.
Su Cheng: "..."
Oh god.
What did she just say.
Camus had just taken off his hat, revealing his beautiful dark golden curls, his low ponytail brushing against his neck.
Hearing her words, he completely froze for a few seconds, as if someone had hit the pause button on him.
Kai tilted his head slightly to look at her, his expression somewhat surprised.
Su Cheng subconsciously turned her head and happened to meet those pale golden eyes. She watched as the vertical slits expanded into round black spheres, looking exactly like a happy cat that had just spotted dried fish.
Su Cheng: "..."
That was probably not an appropriate comparison.
"Huh?"
Sasha also wore a bizarre expression, looking as if he wanted to laugh, though he also seemed a bit annoyed. "You like black hair? You mean after you just slept with two blondes in a row?"
Camus shot him a dark look, perhaps wanting to object to the nickname, or maybe he just hated the remark entirely.
"But," Su Cheng blurted out instinctively, "I slept with a black-haired guy back in Ash Mountain Town!"
The surroundings once again plunged into a dead silence.
