[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-ember-dragon":3,"chapter-ember-dragon-ember-dragon-chapter-194":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Ember Dragon",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1162436,1504,"Chapter 194: Valenna's Diary","ember-dragon-chapter-194",194,"\u003Cp>\"Look over here, Mantou!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I think there’s a hidden chamber here!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Singo found a secret door and easily pried open its old lock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou teased, \"You, a dignified warrior, not only have perception skills but also trained in lockpicking?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Singo replied righteously, \"A professional must master various skills and adapt to any situation. Think about it—if it weren't for my lockpicking, you'd still be stuck here!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tsk.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou scoffed and remained suspicious about the mysteriously missing gold coins earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, enough talking. Hurry before that monster catches up!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Singo opened the secret door and crawled into a narrow tunnel first, with Mantou following close behind. The tunnel echoed with rustling sounds as they finally reached a pitch-black chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Singo expertly took out a spare glowstone, lighting up their surroundings, which instantly became clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To their surprise, the chamber wasn’t small and was spacious enough to accommodate them comfortably. Thick dust covered the floor, cobwebs filled the corners, and the place appeared long-abandoned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chamber was well-furnished with a bed, blankets, and a desk complete with quills and yellowed paper. Even the walls bore childlike drawings, giving off a faint sense of home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou stared at the drawings on the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crude but colorful sketches depicted a warm family: a man, a woman, and a little girl. The backdrop was mostly a dark tower, robed figures, and terrifying dragons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chaotic strokes revealed the girl’s deep fear of those beings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A child's bedroom.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s unimaginable that someone lived in a place like this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mantou! Look what I found!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Singo opened a drawer in the desk, discovering something remarkable inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is it? Let me see.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou leaned over and saw a simple diary, clearly well-preserved despite its age. The pages were decayed, some violently torn out, and the cover bore large characters—【Valenna's Diary】.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Valenna's Diary.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou's expression grew complicated, as if he had stumbled upon a dreadful realization. He remained silent, carefully flipping through the pages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The handwriting inside was clumsy and childish, full of innocence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"January 3rd: Mom told me to write this; it’s my first diary entry. Dad, as usual, told me never to make a sound, or the bad guys from the Dragon Cult outside would catch me, and the scary dragons would eat me in one bite. I always obey.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"January 4th: Stayed in the room without speaking. Dad said I was a good girl.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"January 5th: Still stayed in the room. Found a cute animal today. Dad said it’s a spider. I invited it to share my black bread.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"January 6th: Mom brought me a book called 《Beautiful Bird》. It’s about a family of birds. I like it a lot.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"January 7th: Read the book in my room. A cute mouse kept me company. I named him Tete. As payment for keeping me company, I let him nibble a page from the book.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\".\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"February 15th: Dad hasn’t been back for a long time. When he came to see me today, I was very happy. He said he’d soon defeat the bad guys and save Mom and me from the tower. We’d be together like the family in the story.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"February 16th: Dad talked to me a lot. He said he’d show me the world outside. I was so excited.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"February 17th: Stayed in the room.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"February 18th: Stayed in the room. No more food left. I’m so hungry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"February 22nd: I ate Tete. I feel sad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"February 23rd: Mom finally came back and brought food. But she cried a lot. She said she’d been chosen as a 'sacrifice' and might never return. I hugged her for a long time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"February 24th: Dad hasn’t returned for a long time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"March 17th: Mom celebrated my 12th birthday. I was very happy. I asked her why Dad hadn’t come back. She didn’t answer but looked sad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"July 16th: I really want to see the outside world. I want a friend.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\".\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"December 27th: Mom hasn’t returned for seven days. I’m scared.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"December 30th: Dad has been gone for a long time. If I remember correctly, it’s been ten months. Today he finally came back, but he said Mom died. I cried.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"January 20th: Dad said Mom’s death was meaningful and great. I didn’t understand what he meant, but I was scared. He seemed like a different person. He used to love Mom so much.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"January 21st: Stayed in the room, trembling.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\".\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"September 12th: Dad said he defeated the bad guys. I asked if we could leave, but he didn’t answer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"September 13th: I was taken out of the room, but Dad still wouldn’t let me leave the tower. I was so angry. This tower feels like a cage, just like in the stories—so restrictive.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"September 14th: A girl named Mary was brought to the tower. She’s about my age. She was scared. I hoped to become her friend.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"September 15th: Stayed in the tower, but I snuck back here. This place feels safe. Here, I can remember the old Dad who used to love me and Mom.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"September 16th: Strange noises in the tower. Dad won’t tell me what they are. Mary is scared too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"October 1st: The noises are getting louder. I’m terrified.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"September 16th: Dad is really different now. I miss Mom. Cried for a long time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t know the date: Dad told me not to resist. His exact words were 'embrace the noble evolution with joy.' I don’t understand what he means, but he scares me more and more.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dad is completely different now. He would never have treated me like this before. Never. I’m so scared.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mary said Dad is a bad person.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dad won’t let me see Mary. He said she did something wrong and needs to be punished. He said I’ll see her again someday.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dad said everything he does is for my own good. As long as I listen, we’ll leave. I think that’s true.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will listen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Day 1: Scales started growing on my body. It hurts.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Day 2: More scales appeared.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Day 3: Spikes grew on my back. Still hurts a lot, but Dad is happy. He said I’m close to success. Seeing him happy made me happy too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Day 4: I think I’ve become a bad person. Dad fed me some meat and said it’s edible, but something feels off. My nose is very sensitive now. I think I smelled… Mary.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Day 11: No changes today. Dad said he’s disappointed in me and called me a lowly creature who let him down. I cried a lot. I don’t know what I did wrong.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Day 12: Dad said he found a new method.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Day 14: Dad replaced my hand with a new one. I’m used to it now, but it still hurts a lot. He told me not to cry, so I held it in. I can’t make him angry anymore.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Day 15: I feel strange.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\".\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The following pages were violently torn out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mantou flipped through to the end in one go, gasping sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*************************************************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you want to read more chapters, you can Read (336) chapters ahead on Patreon:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tier 1: $1\u002Fmonth for an additional 5 chapters. Free 7-day trial\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tier 2: $6\u002Fmonth for an additional 25 chapters\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Specific 3.5: $9\u002Fmonth for an additional 50 chapters [limited (2\u002F5)]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tier 3: $12\u002Fmonth for an additional 50 chapters\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Specific 4.5: $15\u002Fmonth for an additional 75 chapters [limited (0\u002F3)]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tier 4: $18\u002Fmonth for an additional 75 chapters\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Special 5.5: $21\u002Fmonth for an additional 100 chapters [limited (1\u002F3)]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tier 5: $24\u002Fmonth for an additional 100 chapters\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Specific 6.5: $27\u002Fmonth for an additional 125 chapters [limited (0\u002F3)]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tier 6: $30\u002Fmonth for an additional 125 chapters\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Specific 7.5: $33\u002Fmonth for an additional 150 chapters [limited (0\u002F3)]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tier 7: $36\u002Fmonth for an additional 150 chapters\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Specific 8.5: $39\u002Fmonth for an additional 200 chapters [limited (1\u002F3)]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tier 8: $42\u002Fmonth for an additional 200 chapters\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Specific 9.5: $39\u002Fmonth for an additional 250 chapters [limited (0\u002F2)]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tier 9: $42\u002Fmonth for an additional 250 chapters\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fuser?u=113341029\u003C\u002Fp>",1334,"2026-06-03T12:47:02.951Z","2026-06-03T12:47:07.061Z",1,"novelbin.me","10d5c3db997908be51d86e291b49b43744fbf36baa50b9020a337082b52508b6","ember-dragon-chapter-474","ember-dragon-chapter-473",603,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fember-dragon-cover.jpg"]