Chapter 76: Humans Are Fragile (34)

"I remember!"

"I finally remember!"

"I need to give him a return gift!"

Snap!

The hungry dragon in the endless labyrinth clapped its hands in awe of its own wisdom.

To still remember—that's what you'd expect from this great one!

"When you receive a gift, you must give a corresponding return—that's right, exactly!"

But after her excitement faded, Valentina fell silent.

She suddenly remembered the one who had taught her these things.

Wendy.

A slender human girl who, after awakening her sorcerer talent as a child, was shunned by her family and ultimately chose to wander alone.

In her own words, her talent was actually excellent—she had unconsciously awakened her sorcerer abilities at age five.

This should have been a blessing.

But her family were mere ordinary people, and among the most conservative of believers.

Unable to understand, even hostile toward this power, her family saw Wendy as a monster and subjected her to open discrimination and prolonged abuse.

Finally, after enduring for ten years, Wendy set fire to the place and left without hesitation—a place no better than a nightmare.

Wendy went to seek out the dragon.

She had once read this line in a book—

Through certain studies, some believed that sorcerer bloodlines originated from dragons; if one could become a dragon's servant, the dragon would grant the sorcerer even greater power.

After another ten years of wandering, she endured countless dangers and finally found a sleeping dragon atop a sheer cliff.

A massive beast radiating terrifying aura.

But Wendy forgot one thing—intruding into a beast's territory was an act of provocation!

The dragon, awakened by the unfamiliar presence, instinctively swiped its claw to crush the intruder.

Wendy desperately tried to flee but could not escape—easily pinned in the corner by the dragon's tail.

But at the last moment, the dragon stopped.

Perhaps because the two shared a similar aura, Valentina ultimately did not kill her, merely flapping her wings to drive her away.

Yet Wendy, who had barely escaped, did not give up.

Again and again, she climbed to the summit, repeatedly pleading with Valentina—let me become your servant.

And Valentina rejected her each time, sweeping her off the cliff.

At first, Wendy could climb back in a single day, but later it became two days, three days… four days.

Finally, on the eighteenth day, after she climbed the summit for the eighth time, battered and bruised, the softened dragon no longer drove her away.

The dragon permitted Wendy to remain by her side.

Wendy gained her first sanctuary; Valentina gained her first servant.

Thus, the two spent thirty years together.

During those thirty years, Valentina spent most of her time sleeping, and each time she awoke, the scene around her had changed significantly.

With each blink, once-new things grew rusty, the clifftop became more grandiose, adorned with unfamiliar objects.

Such as strange dragon totems, unknown stones delivered by unseen hands, newly built staircases…

And most notably—Wendy had changed from how she first appeared.

She had grown old.

Not yet fully aged, but time had left clear marks upon her face.

Though they resembled each other, they were ultimately different.

Valentina was a mighty dragon; Wendy was merely a frail human.

And humans are fragile.

They die easily.

Injury, illness, hunger, war… and aging.

Even if untouched by external forces, they still wither and vanish with the passage of time.

How can one make humans never age?

But the answer, deep within, she had long known.

No matter what, all things must eventually meet death.

Whether human or dragon.

Whether mortal or deity.

All will perish.

She understood.

But Valentina could not accept Wendy leaving so soon.

She wanted this time to last longer.

Under the pretext of rewarding her years of perseverance, Valentina made an exception and granted Wendy the status of kin, helping her transform her bloodline into a draconic sorcerer.

She succeeded.

Wendy became young again, returning to the appearance of their first meeting.

She gained a powerful body, the power to breathe fire, a commanding aura…

Though Wendy's future power growth would now be as slow as a dragon's, she would also gain a far longer lifespan.

Valentina had thought that this would be enough.

It should have been enough.

But later.

When Valentina woke from her dream that day, all she saw was Wendy, who had fallen in a wretched heap beside her.

She lay in a pool of blood, wounds of all sizes remaining on her body, her entire heart torn to pieces.

Wendy's injuries were far too severe.

Holding on until Valentina awakened was already her limit, not even giving her a chance to try to save her.

She only managed to leave behind a single sentence—"My lord Valentina, I have disappointed you, I did not accompany you to the end of this millennium…"—before closing her eyes forever.

Valentina understood.

Humans are weak.

They are extremely tenacious, yet incomparably fragile.

With just a light tap, death arrives.

Wendy betrayed her master, and her soul returned alone to the embrace of the Sea of Chaos.

Just as she had once walked alone to Valentina's side back then.

And after that…

The memories that followed were somewhat blurry.

Valentina only remembered herself spewing a great deal of dragon breath, reducing that lord's castle, which had been cast in molten iron, along with all the filthy trash inside, entirely to ash.

No, not just one… it was four!

Those four fallen cities that gathered together evil folk—every single bastard who dared to lay a hand on Wendy, on her own servant—she let none of them go!

She burned them all with demonic flames!

Every single one!!!

Although in the end this led to her being caught by that wretched old man, beaten up, and thrown here to be locked away, Valentina never regretted her actions back then.

She only regretted not turning tail and running the moment she saw that old man… sigh.

Clack.

Just as Valentina was pouting and lamenting her past choices, a great door suddenly materialized not far in front of the barred gate.

"Oh? Why are you only just getting bac—"

Thud.

A bloodstained figure burst out from the door and, without a word, crashed heavily before her.

Boom!

"Herbert!?"

The witty, humorous, noble and elegant youth of days past now smashed before her like a piece of torn rag.

"…"

Valentina's breath stopped.

Past and present—two completely different figures gradually overlapped, and finally merged completely into one.

Snap.

In that instant, a string inside Valentina's mind…

Snapped once again.

You all tell me… if I were to cut the chapter here today, would this chapter-cutting class be considered about entry-level? *sigh*

What a pity, I still can't bring myself to be heartless, sigh!

Still too soft-hearted!

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(End of this chapter)