Candle Dragon

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Candle Dragon (烛龙)
Alias(es)	Candle Dragon; the name is both his personal name and an inherited alias 134
Species/Race	Human Infected; bearer of the hereditary Candle Dragon Meme 133
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Tianshu Tower Hunter; later operates as a free agent 131 456
Occupation/Role	Third-Rank Anomaly Hunter; field investigator and combatant 131
Status	Active 586
First Appearance	Chapter 131

Background / History

Candle Dragon is the fifth-generation bearer of the Candle Dragon Meme, a lineage that has persisted for over seventy years. The first bearer was his great-grandfather; when the meme transferred to Candle Dragon's grandfather after his birth, the previous bearer died immediately. The meme continues this pattern by manifesting randomly in one descendant when its current bearer grows old, killing the older bearer as soon as the new carrier is born. 133

The lineage treats reproduction and transmission of the meme as its inherited mission. Although Tianshu Tower has attempted to transplant the meme into unrelated people, every attempt has failed; Candle Dragon considers the family bloodline itself to be the Anomaly rather than merely infected by one. 133

His inherited name originates from the Candle Dragon of ancient legend: a human-faced, snake-bodied creature also called Zhu Jiuyin or the Fire Spirit. Legends describe its blood as extremely Yin-cold and its body oil as fuel for everlasting candles. 134

Appearance

Candle Dragon dresses in conspicuous winter clothing even during hot weather, typically wearing a heavy trench coat, hat, and gloves. The clothing contains the extreme cold constantly emitted by his body rather than protecting him from the weather. 133 454

• His bare fingers instantly frost nearby surfaces. 133
• Releasing his cold can cover nearby floors, furnishings, and objects in frost. 454
• He carries himself calmly and is often seen with a flat silver flask. 203 522

Personality

Despite the severity of his Yin-cold abilities, Candle Dragon is cheerful, patient, and approachable in ordinary conversation. He readily explains topics ranging from cocktails to Anomaly inheritance, and he enjoys visiting the Useless tavern during his free time. 132 133

He is deeply interested in history, ancient texts, and antiques. He prefers works others consider dry or difficult, including the Zizhi Tongjian and the Book of Han. 134

As a Hunter, he is disciplined and cautious about responsibility. He avoids making personal judgments over decisions that determine others' lives, believing his duty is to carry out assigned missions rather than act as a commander. 586 His pragmatic side is evident in his understanding of institutional politics, though his desire for power stems from having witnessed too many tragedies and wanting the ability to change the world. 206 544

Abilities & Skills

Candle Dragon Meme

Candle Dragon possesses a stable hereditary meme that grants extremely powerful Yin-cold abilities. Its cold is so intense that his body must be insulated to avoid freezing his surroundings. 133

• Rapidly lowers ambient temperature over a wide area. 131
• Produces and controls chilling streams of water, which can reform after being dispersed by physical attacks. 131
• Bound and immobilized the mutated Overlord with water streams before freezing him for containment. 131 132
• Can form a water curtain to protect himself and allies from extreme heat. 205
• His cold properties were ineffective against Cordyceps hyphae puppets, which were immune to the meme's negative cold effects. 585

Pale Green Cold Flame

Candle Dragon can create pale green flames that radiate cold rather than heat. He can extinguish them immediately when their presence endangers allies. 134

• The flame sharply lowers the temperature around it instead of warming the area. 134
• Can ignite his controlled water streams as an ultimate technique. 134
• He deliberately withheld this technique against the Overlord to avoid destroying Zhong Ling's prospective Anomalous Corpse. 134

Anomaly Knowledge and Fieldcraft

Candle Dragon is an experienced investigator with practical knowledge of Anomaly behavior, classifications, and fallen-zone survival.

• Identifies distinctions between Type C and Type E Anomalies, including the difficulty of killing fungal-type entities without obvious vital weaknesses. 546
• Has explored fallen zones west of Lake Baikal, Jeju Island, and the Taklamakan region. 454
• Survived an encounter with a Sand-Sinking Giant Worm in the Taklamakan, returning with meme samples after the expedition suffered heavy casualties. 455
• Understands the anomalous sandstorms of the Hexi Corridor and their attraction to nearby life forms. 512
• Investigated Nanhua Town's missing-person cases and connected them to the Anomaly operating beneath the abandoned oilfield. 537

Antiques and Historical Knowledge

Candle Dragon is a knowledgeable collector and amateur antique appraiser.

• Identified anomalous armor plates as modern industrial replicas and contacted archaeologist Professor Du for authentication. 231
• Recognized that the tunnel's ever-burning lamp was an inaccurate imitation rather than an authentic Qin-era artifact. 231
• Distinguished historical legends about Candle Dragon oil from the actual materials used in ancient everlasting lamps. 231

Equipment / Items

• Insulating winter clothing — Heavy coat, hat, and gloves used to contain his body’s constant cold emission. 133 454
• Flat silver flask — Frequently carried and used for drinking. 203 522
• Hunter bracelet — Used to check time and receive Hunter-related information. 522

Relationships

• Sun Hang — Ally and frequent field partner. Candle Dragon aided Sun Hang during the Overlord incident, worked alongside him in Tianfu City and the Hexi Corridor, and offered his fallen-zone experience for Sun Hang’s planned Egypt expedition. 131 205 454
• Zhong Ling — Fellow Hunter known to him as “Miss Zhong.” He protected her from the Overlord and restrained his strongest cold-flame technique to preserve her Anomalous Corpse. 131 134 205
• Yang Qiaoxi — Trusted old friend and former leader of Dragon City's second-ranked mercenary group. Candle Dragon calls her the only one among his old friends he fully trusts. 508 511
• Professor Du — Archaeology authority at Chunming University and a personal acquaintance whom Candle Dragon consults for artifact authentication. 231
• Pei Zongjun — A senior Tianshu Tower figure whose reported death deeply shocked Candle Dragon; he described the news as equivalent to being told the sky was falling. 454
• Charles — Questioned Candle Dragon's individuality and rigid adherence to mission duty during the Cordyceps operation. 586

Story Role / Major Arcs

Rank Advancement Trial and the Overlord Incident

Candle Dragon arrives as a Third-Rank Hunter when the Overlord undergoes irreversible meme mutation. He restrains the Anomalous Corpse with chilling water streams and freezes it for Tianshu Tower containment. 131 132 During the resulting trial suspension, he brings Sun Hang and Zhong Ling to the Useless tavern, where he explains his inherited meme and lineage. 132 133

Tianfu City Investigations

Called back from vacation due to Tianfu City's reduced Hunter strength, Candle Dragon joins Sun Hang in investigating the fireball anomaly near Panlong Airport and Lizhou City. He shields against the high-temperature zone with water and later discusses whether they should accept credit for an Anomaly they did not actually eliminate. 203 205 206

He later assists the group in investigating the Phoenix Factory, authenticating anomalous armor and providing historical context for artifacts encountered in the tunnels. 230 231

Egypt Preparation and Dragon City

After Pei Zongjun's death, Candle Dragon offers Sun Hang his experience in fallen-zone exploration and warns him about Egypt's Sand-Sinking Giant Worm population. 454 455 As a free agent, he helps Sun Hang prepare the Egypt operation by guiding him through Dragon City, contacting old associates, and seeking capable recruits. 456 504 508 511

Yumen and Nanhua Town

Candle Dragon travels with Sun Hang's group through the Hexi Corridor and assists in navigating its anomalous environments. 511 512 He survives an ambush targeting him and Yang Qiaoxi, helps investigate the Nanhua Town oilfield, and warns Sun Hang about the reality-altering Anomaly known as Desire. 529 537 543

Within Desire's rock cavity, Candle Dragon's deepest desire manifests as the other half of the Sphinx's brain, revealing his wish for the authority to change the world. 544 He later helps Sun Hang and Xue Yue escape the collapsing mine after Desire is defeated. 545

Giant Cordyceps Operation

After the mine releases a massive fungal Type E Anomaly, Candle Dragon advises that a missile strike may be necessary due to its size and lack of clear weaknesses. 546 During the subsequent operation, he candidly assesses his own abilities as nearly useless against the Cordyceps and its hyphae puppets. 585 He remains with the Hunter force during the assault preparations, maintaining his stance that operational command lies outside his assigned role. 586

Notable Quotes

“Rather than saying we are infected with an Anomaly meme, it's more accurate to say that our bloodline is the Anomaly itself.” 133

“After seeing too many tragedies, one naturally develops a desire for power and authority. Only by obtaining power and authority can this world be changed.” 544

“As an Anomaly Hunter, I am only responsible for executing the missions assigned to me by my superiors.” 586