Extra 04 Dekan's Danger Index is Zero

Noon is approaching.

The sky was a clear blue, white clouds drifted lazily by, and the windows of the houses in the town shone exceptionally brightly in the sunlight.

The lush foliage of the trees lining both sides of the street provides a refreshing respite for pedestrians.

At this moment, the town is full of life.

In the church of the Sun God Church.

Amidst the echoing laughter, Dekan finished teaching the children the day's planned lessons.

He glanced at the church clock and realized it was still early before lunchtime.

Perhaps I can stay in church a little longer.

The nun led the children into the courtyard.

The priest looked around and walked somewhat awkwardly to Dekan's side.

"Dr. Dekan, Zestera has disappeared again..."

The priest said to Dekan with a troubled expression,

"I'm sorry, but could you please help us find her? You always seem to know exactly where she is..."

Although generally speaking, Dekan is very popular with children.

However, there was one child who lived in the church, except for one.

On the contrary, she disliked Dekan.

Whenever Dekan came to teach the children, Zestera would run away.

"Oh, I see. I understand."

Dekan nodded.

He had actually noticed it during class.

Zestera ran away again.

He had a strong impression of that child.

What sets Zestera apart from other four- or five-year-old children is that she is not entirely human, but a little girl with dragon blood.

However, most half-dragons reside within the Salon Empire, though a few stragglers may wander to unknown places in other kingdoms.

Of course, it could also be a case of atavism.

Furthermore, even Dekan didn't quite understand why Zestera hated him so much.

"Well."

Dekan sighed and closed his eyes.

Even now, almost all the Magic Card slots have been used up by Talomati.

The spell remains the same: [Starlight Irrigation], which makes flowers bloom.

However, just by virtue of his mental strength surpassing that of an eighth-tier expert, his perception within a small area would also be exceptionally sharp.

So every time Zestera hid in a corner of the church, he could find her easily.

However.

Dekan sensed it briefly but did not detect the familiar yet faint Magic Power fluctuations.

He frowned slightly.

Normally, although the child is mischievous, he is still obedient to the priests and nuns and won't run off to faraway places.

"She seems to have gone a bit too far this time... but I'll find her before lunch."

"Thank you for your help, Dr. Dekan."

The priest bowed to Dekan.

He knew that Dr. Dekan was very good at seeing through Zestera's "hide-and-seek" game.

"I'll be right back."

After saying his goodbyes, Dekan walked out of the church.

As for distances that are too far, there are solutions.

He gently rubbed the ring and bracelet on his hand.

However, the automatic recovery of mana after the increase or decrease is now extremely slow.

It's best to minimize Talomati's mana usage and keep her at full health.

After leaving the town's borders.

Beyond the valley lies a forest.

As noon approached, a refreshing scent filled the forest.

Sunlight filters through layers of leaves, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow across the lush forest. The light filtering through the towering canopy resembles a thin, golden-green curtain, revealing a tranquil and mysterious world.

Dekan hummed a cheerful tune as he walked through the forest.

"I used to think I was pretty good at comforting kids, but I later realized I was wrong."

Dekan muttered to himself.

To this day, Dekan still feels somewhat guilty towards Tata.

For example, Demon Realm tales like "Teacher Batchel's Kitchen" are actually not suitable for children at all.

Furthermore, "coaxing" a child does not count as coaxing a child.

Cornelia told him all of this very carefully.

Cornelia knew that Dekan was a good husband.

But she was worried about whether Dekan would become a good father in the future, so she carefully taught Dekan how to treat human children gently.

As it turns out, Dekan has now put Cornelia's mind at ease.

The fact that she is loved by the town's children is the best proof of that.

Um...

Imagine this is a test paper with a perfect score of 100.

Dekan might only be able to get 99 points right now...

Because one child still doesn't like him.

Zestera dislikes Dekan, and Dekan hasn't yet figured out why.

So Dekan is actually quite curious about why Zestera dislikes him.

A gentle breeze rustled through the leaves.

The sound of Dekan's footsteps, combined with the gentle melody of nature, created a beautiful soundscape.

Soon.

Dekan seemed to have deliberately found a spot in the forest behind the valley.

Sunlight dappled the moss-covered tree trunks and stones, revealing what was clearly a spacious meadow nestled among the trees.

Dekan, however, scanned the ground and the distance with great interest, as if observing something.

Then he raised his head and looked straight up at the tree.

"Zestera, today's hide-and-seek is over."

Dekan smiled and waved to the little girl in the tree.

There was a moment of silence.

"Waaah..."

A low, dragon-like growl came from the tree.

It's a baby dragon, of course.

With her long, glossy black hair, she quickly climbed down, her movements light and agile, like a nimble squirrel.

Unlike ordinary human little girls, she has a pair of dragon horns on her head that have a metallic texture.

What's most striking is the lava-like red pattern on her horns, coupled with her large, brown, vertical pupils, making her easily recognizable among the children.

Even so, Zestera reluctantly moved a little closer to Dekan.

"Weak doctor, hurry back to town and call the adventurers to come and take a look!"

She looked nervous and spoke with great seriousness.

"What's wrong?"

Dekan remained calm and composed as he spoke to her.

"This is not something you can handle! I sense a strong sense of malice; it seems that ferocious monsters and humans are lurking near the town."

Zestera looked around and said in a low voice.

This surprised Dekan somewhat.

It seemed that they weren't surprised by whether there was any crisis, nor were they surprised that Zestera might have a special perceptive talent, but rather that Zestera was actually quite intelligent.

"Hurry up and go!"

She absolutely hated this weak and fussy doctor!

He's definitely a good person!

Because I never sensed any malice or threat from this guy; he was as pure as a blank sheet of paper.

But that's also one of the reasons I dislike him!

She clearly shares the same name as the adult she admires.

That great demon king, who symbolizes power and authority, is utterly evil, wicked, insane, ferocious, and cruel—a peerless figure in the world!

Whenever she heard people around her call out "Dr. Dekan," she couldn't help but think of the dark legends she had heard.

But when I looked up, all I saw was this overly gentle, kind-hearted doctor!

Even knowing it wasn't the same person, this was still too much of a blow to her fantasy.

Over time, her initial dislike even turned into extreme aversion towards Dekan.

Because Dekan's words and actions were a complete insult to that name!

Why don't you go back and deliver the message yourself?

Dekan crossed his arms, still showing no sign of leaving, and looked at Zestera, asking...

Because, because...

Zestera stammered.

She felt anxious because this idiot doctor didn't believe her at all and didn't even have the slightest sense of crisis.

On the other hand, they didn't know how to organize their thoughts to explain their predicament.

A gentle breeze blew through the forest, drifting between the two figures, one tall and one short.

Zestera suddenly felt a tickle in her nose.

She frowned and tried rubbing her nose with her fingers, but it didn't work.

She felt the itching getting stronger and stronger, and a look of confusion and discomfort flashed across her face.

Finally, unable to hold back any longer, Zestera her mouth and cried out, "Achoo!"

A sneeze suddenly erupted.

However.

This sneeze brought about an unexpected change.

As she sneezed, a burst of intensely hot flame erupted from her mouth, spreading through the air like the breath of a fire dragon!

The surrounding trees and bushes immediately emitted wisps of smoke due to the flames.

Zestera stared wide-eyed in horror as she watched in disbelief as Dekan was suddenly engulfed in flames.

Dekan was also stunned; he had never expected that the little half-dragon girl's sneeze would ignite such a fire.

Fortunately, the fire did not spread and was quickly extinguished.

"Are you... alright?"

Zestera was relieved to find that she had not caused much damage to Dekan.

She was worried that she might hurt the seemingly harmless doctor.

"Wow, I think you have some potential as a dragon!"

Dekan couldn't help but exclaim in admiration!

Compared to half-dragons, Zestera looks more like a half-dragon demon.

Although her strength and Magic Power were terrifyingly powerful compared to children her age, she was ultimately only at the first level.

Such a breath only slightly scorched the edges of Dekan's clothes, without harming him.

Before Zestera explain...

Dekan now understood why Zestera was staying in the forest and not going back.

He shook his head with a helpless smile.

This little guy is still a fool.

Presumably, she had just awakened some racial trait today, and coincidentally, the annoying doctor came to class. Fearing that her suddenly acquired but uncontrollable dragon breath would harm the other people in the church, she took the opportunity to hide here.

However, it wasn't just her; even Dekan noticed something unusual about the forest.

Zestera originally planned to return to town to inform the guards and adventurers, but she worried that she might accidentally trigger dragon breath on her way home and attract the enemy's attention.

So he simply hid in a tree.

"Oh no!"

Zestera suddenly seemed to remember something and quickly covered her mouth, which was still emitting smoke.

If there were any dangerous enemies nearby, her breath attack would have been as conspicuous as a signal flare!

"You weak doctor, go back now! I'll distract them!"

She quickly spoke to Dekan.

But right after those words were spoken...

The ever-approaching, intense aura of danger sent chills down Zestera's spine.

Fear, like an invisible claw, gradually gripped her heart, as if a chilling current was climbing from the base of her spine all the way to her neck.

The surrounding air seemed to freeze, and every breath became unusually heavy.

Her heart was pounding, as if it would jump out of her chest.

Before my eyes, it was as if night had fallen in an instant, and the tranquility of the forest was replaced by an unsettling silence.

The gradually cooling, thin sunlight shrouded the surrounding environment in a veil of mystery.

Suddenly, a cold wind swept in, rustling the leaves.

"Hehe, too late."

A ghostly voice, seemingly from nowhere, echoed across the empty grassland.

"You two shouldn't have seen me."

Accompanied by that hoarse voice, a dark figure finally appeared in Dekan and Zestera's sight.

The silhouette of the figure that walked step by step from behind the tree became clearer, exuding a strong bloody aura that sent chills Zestera.

She felt her limbs stiffen and she couldn't move, as if bound by invisible shackles.

Her warning was spot on; an extremely dangerous individual, filled with malice, had approached the vicinity of the town!

However, Dekan simply stared in that direction expressionlessly, grabbed Zestera, and dragged her behind him.