Chapter Thirteen: Legacy

Perhaps it was because the dragon’s brain had evolved to its utmost limits and the activity of its brain cells was extremely low, but in the past half a year of his life as a dragon, Huang Ze had hardly dreamed while sleeping. Yet this time, he had a peculiar dream.

He dreamt that he entered a grand temple made entirely of gold. Atop a lofty divine throne lay an immense golden dragon, gazing down at him with benevolent eyes. “At last, you have arrived, my child.”

“Yes, I have come,” Huang Ze replied, bowing his head humbly. Though he understood nothing, his instincts told him that this being was surely a figure of great power.

“Lost child, since you are fortunate enough to come here, according to tradition, as long as you swear to follow me and willingly offer one thousand jin of gold, I, in my mercy, shall ignite the fire of the totem for you and grant you the strength of your ancestors,” declared the golden dragon in a voice that resounded with authority.

“Um…” Huang Ze did not rejoice as other dragons might. Instead, he seemed hesitant and asked cautiously, “Forgive my boldness, but may I ask—who are you?”

The golden dragon was momentarily stunned, then flew into a rage. “I am the Dragonlord, the Primal Dragon, Haeberneon! How can you not know me?”

“I’m sorry, I’ve never heard of you,” Huang Ze replied truthfully. He was, after all, a solitary dragon, and he truly had never heard the name of the Dragon God.

“You unfilial descendant, begone!” Haeberneon roared, and with a surge of force, expelled the black dragon.

And then Huang Ze awoke.

“Was that… an ancestral spirit visiting me in a dream?” The dragon’s mind, apparently far more advanced than a human’s, could recall even the memories of dreams in perfect clarity. As he pondered what had just happened, Huang Ze belatedly realized, “Did I just… miss a chance to awaken an inherited talent?”

Even so, he didn’t feel much regret or disappointment. After all, he was now in contact with the authorities; his life as a dragon was fulfilled, free from want or worry. His longing for power had diminished greatly.

“The Dragon God actually demands his descendants offer gold before unlocking the power in their bloodline—how shameless is that?” Instead of reverence, the black dragon couldn’t help but complain about his ancestor.

He understood clearly that Haeberneon hadn’t suddenly taken a liking to him or wished to bestow some great fortune upon him; he simply coveted gold. Otherwise, how could it be explained that he had sensed no divine presence throughout half a year as a dragon, yet the moment he touched gold, the deity appeared, eager and impatient?

A thousand jin of gold for one awakening—how could he say that with a straight face? Wasn’t that just exploiting his kin and treating his people like livestock?

Huang Ze also noticed that even the exalted Dragon God was so obsessed with gold. This implied that in this fantastical world, gold was likely an extremely important resource—especially for dragons.

“Honestly, for a deity, your generosity is sorely lacking,” he mused. “My attitude wasn’t even bad—just a simple question, and you turn hostile?”

He did feel a touch of regret. After all, it was the Dragon God—who might well possess the magic to restore a dragon’s human form. Perhaps he should have tried to talk a bit longer.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t realized that at the time. Now, regret was useless; Haeberneon had probably already blacklisted him and would refuse to do business in the future.

“Then again, maybe this isn’t such a bad thing,” Huang Ze consoled himself. “Awakening magic from Haeberneon not only costs money but also requires a sworn oath of loyalty. If he ever comes into conflict with our nation, how could I, caught in between, keep living as a dragon?”

“What’s more, as his chosen, I’d surely be under his constant watch. If he discovered I was an impostor, what then?”

“So… paying to get stronger may be a shortcut, but it’s fraught with peril. I’d best avoid it if I can.”

After reasoning it through, Huang Ze felt much better. He was just about to relieve himself when he paused, turned, and called out to the staff on duty in the distance, “Hey, you guys over there—I need to pee now. Do you want to collect some dragon urine?”

He wasn’t just making trouble; after all, the excretions of animals could reveal a great deal, and dragons were surely no exception.

“Yes, please! Mr. Huang, if you could wait just a moment!” The staff nodded eagerly. Previously, pressed for time, they had only collected saliva and blood samples from the dragon. Their full plan included urine, feces, tears, gastric fluids… and even reproductive material.

Of these, the last was undoubtedly the most important, but it was an awkward topic, and their trust and rapport with the dragon still wasn’t strong enough to broach it for now.

“Sorry about the smell—it might be a bit much. Thanks for your patience,” Huang Ze said, unable to help himself. Dragons had the habit of marking territory, so their urine had a potent, pungent scent—sometimes lingering for months wherever it was sprayed.

The staff had converted a large truck into a toilet for the black dragon and said, “Mr. Huang, your whole body is a treasure. Please try to use this for all your excretions—it minimizes waste and makes it easier for us to collect.”

“…All right,” Huang Ze agreed readily. Though massive, dragons did not produce much waste each day. Their digestive systems were so efficient, like furnaces, that they could break down even crystalline minerals and heavy metals, absorbing energy with remarkable efficiency.

If necessary, Huang Ze could go months without defecating at all.

After emptying the dozens of jin stored in his bladder, Huang Ze felt refreshed and was about to take to the sky for some exercise when a staff member called out, “Mr. Huang, I suppose it’s been a long time since you brushed your teeth. Would you like us to clean them for you?”

“…All right.”

“Then we’ll take care of it.”

Huang Ze complied without protest. In the half-year since becoming a dragon, he truly hadn’t brushed his teeth at all. Dragons lacked dexterous hands, rarely used tools, and simply could not manage tasks like tooth brushing.

For the staff, cleaning a dragon’s teeth was no simple matter—not just because of his size and number of teeth, but also because even a foreign dragon’s presence exuded a threatening aura that made it hard for anyone to approach.

In the end, it was Huang Ze himself who lowered most of his head into the containment field, allowing the local rules of magic to suppress his dragon’s might—finally making the task manageable.