Chapter 253: She Wants to Eat Me (42K)

"Aaaah—"

Fu Leimei, stuck to the ceiling, is now panicking.

Very uneasy!

She carefully watched Valentina's every move, ready to flee again at any moment.

Don't come over here, aaaah!!!

She was like a salted fish stuck upside-down to the ceiling, trying to slowly wriggle toward the exit... but when she looked back, she found the path she'd come from had vanished.

The exit was gone!

Hiss—

With the Warden absent, the entire prison automatically entered self-operating mode, restricting the prisoners' escape just as before.

Don't! Even! Think! About! Running!

"... This is bad."

Can't escape!

Now, since she couldn't get out, there was actually another choice before Fu Leimei.

That was to press deeper.

Enter the Deepwater Prison and return to her own safe little room!

If it were only this much, Fu Leimei could manage it.

Even now, she could faintly sense where the water element was most concentrated.

But before Fu Leimei had slowly moved very far, she was glared at by Valentina, who had noticed her little movements!

Valentina's slit pupils narrowed as she stared at the sneaky salted fish and huffed in a bad mood: "Hey! Where do you think you're going?"

Fu Leimei:!!!

The moment she was discovered, Fu Leimei had originally wanted to just charge straight through, but she had barely started before she forced herself to stop on the spot.

She had a feeling.

If she really didn't obey... she might actually be in mortal danger.

Seeing Fu Leimei obediently stop, Valentina pouted and muttered: "That's more like it."

After saying that, she bared her teeth at the uneasy mermaid Young Lady and huffed unhappily: "Stay right there and behave yourself, don't move!"

Valentina was now feeling very wronged, very hurt.

She felt her dragon dignity had been insulted.

Why run?

What do you mean?

What are you doing?

I'm not going to eat you!

Making it sound like I'm some evil dragon!

Hmm... although the past me really was an evil dragon, the current me is already different!

The past me is already dead.

The current me is the real me.

According to Herbert — as long as I obey the law, don't take the initiative to attack others, then I might become a great and respected good dragon!

And if I do this, he will keep his promise and keep praising me, giving me rewards.

"Hehe."

Thinking of this, Valentina crossed her arms, squeezing the waves on her chest out of shape.

She looked at Fu Leimei and proudly raised her chin, giving a light hum.

"Hmph hmph~"

Fu Leimei: "Hmm?"

The mermaid Young Lady looked at the hungry dragon Young Lady's proud, chest-out posture, but completely interpreted it as a different meaning — she's showing off, isn't she?

This damned giant dragon, she must be showing off!!?

So what if they're a bit bigger?

What's so great about that!

A figure like yours would encounter who knows how much resistance in the water! You'd swim who knows how many times slower than me!

I'm... much... faster... than... you!

Hmph!

Am I being smug?

Am I being proud?

Heh.

"Hmph hmph!"

And after finishing her dissatisfied hmph, when Valentina's gaze swept over sideways, Fu Leimei's spirit deflated once again.

She tucked her head in, and her whole body was shrouded in a layer of mist like a chameleon, vainly trying to reduce her own presence.

Don't see me don't see me don't see me...

Stop it, she's chickened out.

No, this isn't chickening out!

This is merely following the choice of her heart.

The instinct of life!

Fu Leimei was prepared before formally meeting Valentina.

It wasn't that she had never seen Valentina before; while the latter was fast asleep, she had quietly sensed the other's strength.

She had long known that this rival of hers was very strong, and understood that the two of them might have just a tiny, tiny gap between them in actual combat.

A powerful dragon at the peak of Legendary...

But who wasn't?

You may be a special Legendary dragon, but am I not also a Legendary sea-sorceress with the bloodline of a queen?

Hmph, I, Fu Leimei, am not someone to be trifled with either!

Looking at their strength, the two of them were roughly fifty-fifty, at most four-tenths.

Although I'm four and she's six, no one can say for sure that they'll win!

Moreover, the duel between experts has never been something one can conclude simply by looking at the win-rate!

Beyond strength, there are far too many factors that can influence the final outcome of a battle.

Experience, technique, terrain, timing... even luck — all sorts of factors can change the course of a fight.

Therefore, Fu Leimei actually wasn't feeling inferior when facing Valentina.

What's the big deal?

If it really won't work, the two of us can just have a go at each other.

However, Fu Leimei truly had not expected that the gap between the two of them would actually be this huge.

The instant she saw Valentina again, Fu Leimei was utterly shocked.

The biological instincts she had buried for many years were madly warning her — she absolutely must not come into direct conflict with the fellow before her!

Four-six?

No, no, no, the difference is far too great!

Three-seven?

Still a bit off.

Eight-two?

Mm, roughly about right.

Nine-one?

Mm... sigh!

"..."

Although proud Fu Leimei was very unwilling to admit such a fact, the fact itself was this cruel.

Fu Leimei had absolutely no chance of winning.

She couldn't see any chance of winning at all.

This dragon gave her a feeling of strength that was simply exaggerated!

Just the aura she casually emitted made the scales all over her body tremble slightly, and she couldn't help wanting to "take to her heels" and run — and she really did take to her heels.

At the critical moment, she flung off her two alchemical prosthetic limbs, instantly reverted to her true form, swiftly soared upward, and turned herself into a ceiling-dried-fish.

Legendary?

Is this freaking still Legendary?

What kind of joke is this!!?

But according to what Herbert had said before, she shouldn't be this strong!

Fu Leimei knew that Herbert sometimes used sweet words to deceive her, telling harmless lies.

However, she shouldn't have concealed the truth from her about something like Valentina's strength.

And since Herbert hadn't lied to her, then clearly some change had occurred in one of the links in the chain.

Could it be that Valentina had made further progress during this period?

Had she already successfully broken through that barrier and advanced to become an Epic-tier dragon?

Judging solely from the threat she posed, Valentina indeed had such a possibility.

But judging from the aura emanating from her, she was still within the Legendary category.

Valentina might be Epic — that Valentina was Epic was not very likely.

Regardless of what strength Valentina actually possessed, the threat she posed to Fu Leimei was genuine.

Although it hadn't been long since she parted from Herbert, she was already starting to miss him now.

"Herbert, where are you? Come back quickly!"

"She, she-she-she... she's not cute anymore!"

Before, Fu Leimei had actually always felt that Valentina's sleeping face was quite cute.

But she had never imagined that this fellow who was so cute while sleeping would turn into such a dangerous sight after waking up!

Not cute at all anymore!

Fierce.

And, most crucial of all, and what made Fu Leimei most uneasy... was the look in Valentina's eyes when she first glanced at her.

"Valentina actually developed an appetite for me!"

She actually wants to eat me?

How scary...

Fu Leimei was also well aware in her heart that this was very likely just an illusion produced by her own excessive nervousness.

But she didn't dare to gamble.

Better to believe it exists than to believe it doesn't.

Better wait until Herbert comes back.

With him here, she probably won't get rough with me, right?

The Mermaid Young Lady's inner monologue ran wild as she warily watched the Hungry Dragon Young Lady.

But really, all of this was just Fu Leimei overthinking it.

Scaring herself~

Regardless of whether Valentina would actually take a bite out of a humanoid… just the fact that Fu Leimei is connected to Herbert means she absolutely wouldn't do that.

Besides, Valentina had already eaten her fill!

After a lovely big meal at Swanny's place, she wasn't hungry at all now, couldn't eat another thing… well, except for dessert.

Thinking this, Valentina, in a foul mood from being treated with suspicion, reached her hand into the crevice at her chest, fumbled around carefully, and pulled out a shriveled "dried mushroom."

When she had eaten her fill and was leaving Swanny's place, this newly-met generous friend had specially prepared some extra little snacks for her to nibble on.

Dark elf gives me yummy food, dark elf is good.

Sea demon guards me unreasonably, sea demon is bad.

She shoved the dried mushroom into her mouth and tore at it hard, chewing viciously, trying to vent her anger this way.

Chew chew chew chew chew chew…

Valentina had originally been reluctant to eat these things, planning to save them for when she got hungry.

But upon seeing Fu Leimei, even Valentina could figure out one thing—Herbert was back.

Once he returned, she wouldn't be short on food.

So, what "emergency rations"? Aren't these all just my "little snacks"?

She turned the humiliation she'd suffered into appetite, chewing in big bites.

But because this snack had been specially made for her by Swanny, it just wouldn't break apart, like chewing gum.

Chew chew chew chew chew chew…

The Endless Prison fell silent, with only the "creak creak" of chewing echoing.

One dragon, one mermaid, silently "stared each other down" like this.

After a while like this, Fu Leimei's emotions gradually calmed down, and she adapted to the threat the other posed to her.

She also saw it clearly now—although Valentina looked "fierce and menacing," toward her she probably truly meant no harm.

Sure enough, that initial sense of threat was just an illusion!

Thinking this, Fu Leimei revealed her form, preparing to descend and have a proper, formal conversation with Valentina…

And just then, Fu Leimei suddenly saw Valentina raise her head, toward her direction, and very stealthily swallow a mouthful of saliva.

Gulp.

!!?

Noooo!

She still wants to eat me!!?

And just as Fu Leimei stared at Valentina in shock, Valentina also noticed her gaze.

Four eyes met, leaving only awkwardness.

"……"

"……"

Valentina, caught red-handed, awkwardly rubbed her nose, then blinked rapidly, and finally gave an unnatural whistle as she turned her head away.

After that whole sequence, even Bai Chi could tell she was feeling guilty.

"……"

But this time, Fu Leimei didn't freak out and overreact again.

Instead, after a moment's hesitation, she actually took the initiative to slowly descend from the ceiling, landing on the ground.

Just as Valentina had said before, the Hungry Dragon Young Lady could fly just fine.

If she really wanted to make a move, whether Fu Leimei hid in the sky or stayed on the ground, there wasn't really much difference.

But the attitude those two represented was completely different.

Fu Leimei suppressed the unease in her heart and proactively asked Valentina: "…What are you eating??"

Seeing that Fu Leimei had lowered some of her guard, Valentina's mood improved a little, and her pursed lips weren't puckered quite as high anymore.

"Mmm mmm mmm, gulp… hmph."

She let out a slightly tsundere hum, acting all cool, but after swallowing a mouthful she obediently answered: "I don't know either, someone gave it to me."

Valentina bit into her "dessert" and thought for a moment, then reached her other hand into the crevice of the valley to fumble around, and pulled out another piece of dried mushroom.

"It takes a bit of effort to bite through, but it tastes pretty good… want one?"

She waved the dried mushroom at Fu Leimei, just like an elementary schooler hiding by the school gate sharing spicy sticks.

Here, want one?

"Uh, I don't—okay, thanks."

Fu Leimei had been about to refuse, but changed her mind halfway through.

It's because I want to eat it that I'm eating it—definitely not because Valentina's suddenly sad-looking eyes made me change my mind.

Fu Leimei used magic to pull the dried mushroom in front of her eyes, and seeing Valentina clearly happy now, biting into her food with puffed-out cheeks, she couldn't help but press her lips together.

Hold it in, can't laugh out loud.

If she laughed out loud here, then everything would be ruined.

Pressing her lips together and lowering her head, she couldn't help thinking: "This girl, she… really is a lot like a sea otter!"

The last time she'd seen Valentina while she was fast asleep, Fu Leimei had already discovered her cute side.

And now, it had proven her initial thought.

Alright, I'll take back what I just said—Valentina, she... is still a little bit cute.

Mm, just a little bit.

Fu Leimei hid her emotions, raised her head with a small smile, then brought the dried mushroom to her lips.

Snap.

Crunch, crunch!

"..."

Fu Leimei's face twitched, and with a smile she silently took the dried mushroom away.

"As expected... I can't bite through it."

That was only natural—even with Valentina's dragon-level bite force it was hard to snap one, let alone her.

Seeing her take it out, Valentina let slip a regretful sigh: "Ah..."

Fu Leimei looked at Valentina's somewhat disappointed gaze, suddenly produced a small pouch, and asked:

"Um, Miss Valentina? I still have some little dried fish I made myself here—would you like to try them?"

Whoosh!

Before the words had even faded, a crimson streak shot over.

Before Fu Leimei could barely react, Valentina's figure had already pressed right up against her.

"Really!?"

Her eyes sparkling, she stared with a face full of anticipation at the somewhat unnatural-looking mermaid Young Lady.

Fu Leimei:... hiss.

Truly fast—an absurd speed!

Feeling the dragon right at arm's length, she barely managed to suppress her instinct to flee.

By now, she could finally be certain that Valentina truly bore her no ill will.

Otherwise, at a speed like hers, she would have been dead from the very start.

Fu Leimei forced a smile, opened the small pouch, and nodded: "... Of course."

"We can chat while we eat—I have many things I'd like to ask you."

Watching the hungry dragon Young Lady whose eyes were practically falling into the pouch, she couldn't help but laugh, shook her head, and said: "I imagine you must have plenty of things you want to ask me too, right?"

"Right!"

Valentina stared at the dried fish and said earnestly:

"What flavor is this!?"

"How much more do you have?"

Please!

These two questions—to me—are Truly Heavy!

(End of chapter)