Looking at the spirited magical beasts before him, Su Nian was quite satisfied. With such a formidable group of creatures under his command, how could he not flatten the players and unite this otherworldly land?
Perhaps, in his lifetime, he might even return to the Subterranean Planet and reunite with his grandfather. Leaving the old man there all alone felt unbearably cruel.
However, these thoughts only flickered briefly in his mind. Su Nian was not one to dwell on sentimentality.
"All the armored crocodiles, except for those two females... dig up all the potatoes for me and bring them back to the Dragon's Lair. Oh, and don't forget to bring your crocodile eggs as well."
Moments later, the magical beasts were ready to depart.
Four of the armored crocodiles carried Su Nian, while the rest carried their eggs, as well as Grey Wolf and Bolikri, leaving their homeland behind.
There was no sadness in their hearts, only a longing for the potatoes.
Moreover, there was a small stream near the Dragon's Lair, so they wouldn't have to worry about adapting to their new environment.
Almost every beast clutched a bundle of potatoes, roots and all, in their claws. Their expressions were solemn, as if they were holding some priceless treasure.
Su Nian had no doubt.
If a beast were to suddenly appear and try to snatch their potatoes, these subordinates—each boasting prefixes like "Strong" or "Robust" in their names—would teach the intruder the meaning of strength and valor.
...
The journey was smooth and uneventful.
With Su Nian releasing his Dragon's Might and leading such a large group of followers, no other beast dared to block their path. However, by the time they returned to the Dragon's Lair, night had already fallen.
On this summer night, the sky was adorned with countless stars, like fine grains of sand forming a tilted Milky Way across the dark canvas of the heavens.
The night sky of this otherworldly realm was magnificent. A round moon hung high, its cold light casting a serene glow—scenery Su Nian could never witness on the heavily polluted Subterranean Planet.
He admired the view for a moment before quickly moving forward, as he could already hear Anna's sorrowful cries from afar.
A pang of pain struck Su Nian's heart. He soared into the air and sped toward the Dragon's Lair, arriving at its entrance in just two breaths.
Inside the lair.
Anna clutched a bearskin blanket tightly, curled up in a dark corner, tears streaming down her face. No matter what the gnolls did, they couldn't ease her sadness and helplessness.
A gentle breeze carried a warm, familiar scent, brushing against Anna's delicate face.
A dark shadow loomed over her, enveloping her. Far from frightening her, it brought a sense of safety and warmth to her heart.
She looked up to see the massive form of the black dragon. Its menacing face was right before her, and in its cold, dark-golden eyes, she saw concern and remorse that only she could decipher.
"I'm sorry, Anna. Don't cry anymore. I'm back."
"Brother..."
Anna wiped her tears with her small hands and darted into Su Nian's embrace like a fledgling returning to its nest.
Her soft little hands gently patted Su Nian's chest, her sweet, tearful voice accusing him:
"…You… liar… you promised… you'd always… always stay with Anna…"
Su Nian, filled with guilt, nuzzled Anna's cheek gently and wrapped her in his dragon wings, preventing her from hurting her hands on his hard scales.
He was afraid Anna might hurt herself.
As for him, he barely felt anything. Anna's strength was like a tickle to him.
Watching Anna sobbing and coughing in his embrace, Su Nian felt a dull ache in his heart. He lowered his head and softly explained:
"Anna, I didn't leave you. I just went out to find food."
"I've brought back potatoes. They're a very delicious food, and if you like them, I can make them for you every day."
"But… but Anna doesn't want potatoes… Anna just wants to stay with Brother Dragon… I don't want to be apart… It's… it's scary…"
Anna, still sniffling, placed her soft little hands over her heart, clasping them together as she spoke with a pained expression:
"When I'm apart from Brother, my heart feels empty… and those terrifying demons… it's like they'll appear before me again…"
"Brother, don't leave Anna…"
"Please…"
Anna's tearful, pleading expression was like that of a destitute beggar on the street, imploring passersby for charity. It was also like a sharp blade piercing Su Nian's heart, filling him with guilt.
He knew how insecure Anna was.
But this afternoon, he had not thought things through.
Anna's tragic past had shaped her sensitive nature.
She feared loss, feared abandonment.
She was pessimistic about her own condition, yet desperately wanted to live. This constant cycle of hope and despair tormented her daily.
She needed a great deal of reassurance—absolute reassurance.
And only he could provide it now, because to Anna, he was her only family.
He hadn't realized that in just a few days, Anna's dependence on him had grown to this extent.
A quick glance at the system panel showed that during the afternoon while he was away, Anna had been crying since she woke up, and her Favorability had risen to 68.
"I'm sorry, Anna. I promise this is the last time. From now on, whatever I do—eating, drinking, or anything else—I'll take you with me. Is that okay?"
"Really?"
Anna looked up at Su Nian with timid eyes, searching for the emotions that would give her courage.
Fortunately, she found them.
So she didn't ask further questions, simply resting quietly in the safest haven in her world—Su Nian's embrace.
Her home had long been on Su Nian's body, not in this clean and dry Dragon's Lair.
To cheer Anna up and atone for his mistake, Su Nian decided to make her some French fries.
There's no sadness or sorrow that a serving of fries can't chase away. If fries don't work, then perhaps potato chips will.
And today happened to be Thursday, the perfect day for making fries.
...
The pot was improvised from a turtle shell, the oil extracted from the fattest part of a wild boar, and the starch and salt purchased from the system store.
After some effort, a serving of golden, crispy, and absolutely delicious French fries was freshly prepared.
Thanks to the excellent quality of the ingredients, each fry was over ten centimeters long, steaming hot, with a sprinkle of cumin and salt on top. The aroma filled the entire Dragon's Lair.
To fully recreate the taste of Earth's fast-food fries, Su Nian even asked Bolikri to find a plant similar to tomatoes.
Its jam, however, was a purplish-red and even more acidic than tomatoes.
But it would do for now.
"Brother, are these the fries you mentioned?"
Anna curiously eyed the fries placed before her.
It was her first time seeing such food.
The enticing aroma made her swallow her saliva, eager to try.
With Su Nian by her side, Anna quickly returned to her usual self.
But she refused to leave Su Nian's embrace, clinging tightly to his claw with her soft little hands, nestled in his arms.
Driven by curiosity and a craving for delicious food, Anna cautiously picked up a fry and dipped it lightly in the jam, just as Su Nian had taught her.
However, she didn't put the fry in her mouth.
Instead, she playfully held the fry, now coated in jam, up to Su Nian's mouth, standing on her tiptoes with a bright smile:
"Brother, ah—let Anna feed you first~"
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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