[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-milf-s-dragon":3,"chapter-the-milf-s-dragon-the-milf-s-dragon-chapter-196":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Milf's Dragon",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1208202,1564,"Chapter 196. Ghost In the Cave","the-milf-s-dragon-chapter-196",196,"\u003Cp>Day thirty-two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Owen and Yalira had been hunting together for three days. Their rhythm was good. Better than expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She moved like a predator;silent, patient, always finding the weakest point. While He moved like a battering ram; direct, overwhelming and crushing whatever stood in his way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Together, they were efficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today’s target: A cave system in Zone 12’s eastern edge. Yalira had heard about it from another independent prisoner, rumored to house a Tier 4, three-star apex predator. Worth maybe 90,000 credits if they could kill it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They approached the cave entrance at midday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You sure about this?\" Owen asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yalira shrugged. \"Sure-ish. Information was secondhand. Could be empty. Could be something worse than a Tier 4.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well, that’s Comforting.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Prison World yunno.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cave entrance was massive. Twenty meters wide. Pitch black inside despite the bright desert sun outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Owen extended his CE sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something was inside. But the signature was weird. Faint. Suppressed somehow. He couldn’t get a clear read.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You sense that?\" he asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah. Weird signature. Could be the predator hiding its CE.\" Yalira’s tail flicked. \"Or could be ambient interference from the cave structure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Or it could be something else entirely.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They activated their gauntlets. CE flared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Standard formation?\" Owen asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You take point. I’ll cover the flanks.\" Yalira pulled out two small light sources. Bioluminescent crystals. Crude but effective. \"I’ll handle illumination.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They entered the cave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The interior was vast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A massive natural chamber stretched ahead. The ceiling lost in darkness above. Stalactites hung like teeth. Stalagmites rose from the floor in clusters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yalira’s crystals cast pale blue light. Created shadows that danced as they moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Owen’s CE sense pulsed. Searching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The signature was deeper in. Toward the back of the chamber. Still suppressed. Still unclear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Whatever’s in here, it’s not moving,\" Owen whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wounded maybe?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Maybe.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They moved deeper. Cautious. Weapons ready.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chamber narrowed into a corridor. Then opened into another, smaller chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And there, against the far wall, was a figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slumped. Unmoving. Wrapped in tattered robes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Owen’s heart stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew that silhouette.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew those robes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gor...Gorvax?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The figure didn’t move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yalira tensed. \"Owen. That’s not possible. He’s dead. The notification confirmed—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gorvax!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Owen ran. Crossed the chamber in seconds. Dropped to his knees beside the figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The robes were bloodstained. Torn. The covering over Gorvax’s face was gone—shattered during the fight with Raxka. His real face was exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blue skin. Sharp features. Eyes closed. Energy faintly pulsing beneath the skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His chest rose and fell. Barely. But it rose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gorvax. Hey. Hey, it’s me. It’s Owen, it’sDragon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gorvax’s eyes flickered open. Slowly. Pain visible in every movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at Owen. Tried to speak. Coughed. Blood spilled from his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"D-Dragon...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re alive.\" Owen’s voice cracked. \"How are you alive? I saw the notification. They said you were dead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gorvax winced. Tried to sit up. Failed. Owen helped him lean against the wall more upright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Raxka,\" Gorvax rasped. \"Spared me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She... I fought her. Hard. Gave her... actual challenge. She respected it.\" Gorvax coughed again. More blood. \"Right of Offering... ancient Nullborn tradition. When prey fights well... hunter can choose mercy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And she chose mercy?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She had me beaten. Dying. But she... stopped. Said I’d earned my life. Then she...\" Gorvax struggled to breathe. \"Used Nullborn tech. Hacked the system. Made it look like I was dead. Said it would let me hide better. Recover.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Owen’s mind reeled. \"Why would she do that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She wanted to focus on you. Said... a faked death meant other prisoners wouldn’t hunt me. I could heal in peace. Get strong again.\" Gorvax managed a weak smile. \"Said it was ’the kindest cruelty’ a Nullborn hunter could offer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yalira had approached. Stood at a respectful distance. Her eyes wide. \"Holy shit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Owen looked at Gorvax’s body. Damage was extensive. Multiple broken ribs. A massive wound across his chest—poorly healed. His left arm hung at a wrong angle. Probably broken in three places.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why didn’t you contact me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Couldn’t. No way to send messages. And...\" He looked at Owen with tired eyes. \"Honestly... I thought maybe you were better off thinking I was dead. Less complicated. You’d grieve... and move on.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Owen’s jaw tightened. \"You’re an idiot.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gorvax actually laughed. It became a cough. More blood. \"Yeah. Probably.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Owen looked at Yalira. \"We need to help him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Owen, I don’t know any healing magic. And his injuries are severe. He needs Tier 3 medical equipment. Maybe Tier 2.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We don’t have that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We don’t.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Owen’s mind raced. \"What about RCT? Restoration-Cultivation-Technique. He can heal himself if he has time and energy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yalira nodded slowly. \"Yeah. RCT works for healing. But it’s slow. Days. Maybe weeks for injuries this severe.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then we protect him while he heals.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yalira hesitated. \"Owen. Gorvax has a price on his head. If anyone finds out he’s alive, half the Lifers will come for the bounty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then no one finds out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s hard to manage when we’re being broadcast twenty-four-seven.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Owen looked at the cave. The drones hadn’t followed them inside. The interior was dark. Hidden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How long until the drones come looking?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They sweep cave systems randomly. Could be hours. Could be days.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then we move fast.\" Owen turned to Gorvax. \"Can you walk?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can you stand?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay. We carry you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yalira raised an eyebrow. \"We?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You and me. Take turns.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Owen, that’s going to slow us down massively. We’re talking about weeks of carrying him through hostile territory.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s a huge risk.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yalira sighed. Looked at Gorvax. Then back at Owen. \"You really care about him, huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He saved my life. Multiple times. He’s my partner.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Was your partner. He’s not in any condition to fight right now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He will be. With time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yalira was quiet for a moment. \"Okay.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay. I’ll help. But we’re going to need a real strategy. Not just ’carry him and hope.’\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Owen nodded. \"Strategy meeting. Now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They sat in the cave. Gorvax slumped against the wall. Yalira and Owen across from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"First problem,\" Yalira said. \"Hiding Gorvax from the broadcast. The drones will eventually find this cave. When they do, the galaxy sees Gorvax alive. Bounty hunters come.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can we deactivate the drones?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No. They’re shielded. Tier 3 tech minimum to disable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Move locations regularly?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Better. But still risky.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gorvax’s voice rasped from the wall. \"I have... an idea.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They looked at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Drones... track CE signatures. Mine is distinctive. Tier 4, five-stars. Recognizable.\" He coughed. \"If I... suppress my CE completely. Make my signature so faint it reads as background... The drones might miss me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can you do that?\" Owen asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve been doing it. Last six days. That’s why my signature was so weird when you sensed me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yalira frowned. \"But that means you can’t use CE for healing. RCT requires CE flow.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can... do bursts. Heal a little. Suppress. Heal more. Suppress.\" Gorvax’s eyes closed briefly. \"Slow. But possible.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Owen processed this. \"How long until you can fight again?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At this rate? Three weeks. Maybe four.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s right around the next hunt.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Owen looked at Yalira. \"We need to find a permanent shelter. Somewhere truly hidden. Off the broadcast grid.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I might know a place,\" Yalira said slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Underground river system. Beneath the ruins in Zone 18. Goes for kilometers. Has natural air pockets. Water source. Almost impossible to track CE through that much rock and water.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why haven’t you used it before?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because I work alone. Solo prisoner doesn’t need that much hiding. But for a wounded ally? It’s perfect.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How far?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Three days travel from here. Carrying Gorvax, maybe five.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Owen nodded. \"Let’s go. Tonight. After dark. Less drone activity.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gorvax shook his head weakly. \"Owen. This is... insane. You shouldn’t risk yourself for me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shut up, Gorvax.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m serious. The smart play is... leave me here. Continue your hunt for credits. I’ll heal on my own or die trying.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not happening.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Owen—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I said no.\" Owen’s voice was firm. \"You sacrificed yourself for me. I’m returning the favor. We’re partners. Partners don’t leave each other behind.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gorvax looked at him for a long moment. Then quietly: \"Thank you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t mention it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yalira watched the exchange. Then spoke. \"Okay. I’m going to ask the obvious question. Why am I helping with this? I just allied with Owen. I don’t know Gorvax. He’s a dead weight risk for me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Owen turned to her. \"Fair. What do you want?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Honestly? I don’t know yet.\" Yalira leaned back as she eyed Owen. \"But I do know that helping you with this earns major loyalty points. And I’d rather have a Tier 4, five-stars partner who owes me his life than not.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gorvax looked at her. \"Smart.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I try.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Owen nodded. \"Then we have a plan. We move tonight. Get Gorvax to the underground river. He heals. We continue hunting in shifts. One of us always with him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Works for me,\" Yalira said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Owen looked at Gorvax. \"You good with this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m good with whatever keeps me alive long enough to see Seri again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Owen smiled. The first real smile in days. \"Then let’s get you healed up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, they moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Owen carried Gorvax on his back. Yalira scouted ahead. Through the desert. Avoiding patrols. Avoiding open ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above, the drones searched. But they searched for active prisoners hunting. Not for shadowy figures moving through the night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The journey would take five days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five days of risk. Of close calls. Of careful navigation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for the first time since Gorvax’s \"death,\" Owen felt something he hadn’t felt in weeks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His partner was alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For now, that was a secret worth protecting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Owen glanced down at Gorvax. The Sower’s eyes were closed. Conserving energy. But his breathing was steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hold on, Gorvax. We’re getting you somewhere safe.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gorvax didn’t respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he squeezed Owen’s shoulder weakly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They kept moving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The desert stretched ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And beyond it, the ruins. The underground river. Safety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a little while, at least.\u003C\u002Fp>",1673,"2026-06-03T14:09:28.083Z",1,"novelbin.me","b29d4440cc14d11981838d7677b7d339cd3bbd5be02635b824e43866bb329737","the-milf-s-dragon-chapter-197","the-milf-s-dragon-chapter-195",221,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-milf-s-dragon-cover.jpg"]