Did She Hate It or Want a Bite?

Maybe his injuries were affecting him, maybe the poison from earlier had not completely worn off, or maybe dragons were simply built to sleep. Zheng Yichen had dozed all day, yet he could still fall asleep when night came.

He just had little desire to sleep now. The town had been eerily empty during the day; at night, with the streets still deserted, it became stranger still.

He pawed at the ground, his mind racing through possibilities, when he heard heavy footsteps pounding toward him.

He looked toward the sound. A huge Wild Boar came charging his way, tears streaming from its eyes, its whole body gripped by terror. Zheng Yichen had seen this kind of Wild Boar before. It had a vicious temper, and in a fight it could harden its bristles and fire them with enough force to punch straight through trees.

Its meat was delicious, too. The trouble was how rare it was. He had found only two in the past six months, and now another had appeared, scared out of its wits. Was this really the hot-tempered kind of boar he remembered?

Zheng Yichen tilted his head slightly and saw the little girl less than ten meters behind the Wild Boar. She had gone out at dusk and was now returning as though out for a stroll. Her steps were slow, elegantly slow, yet her speed was bizarre: no matter how much the Wild Boar accelerated, the distance between them never changed.

Zheng Yichen watched without a ripple of concern. He even wanted to laugh. In terms of size, the Wild Boar could easily crush the little girl, and if its hardened bristles could pierce trees, punching holes in a person ought to be easy.

Yet all it could think about was running faster. It even ignored Zheng Yichen blocking its path.

When the Wild Boar charged right up to him without any sign of stopping, Zheng Yichen swung a claw into its head. He slapped the rampaging Wild Boar's head straight into the ground. The part of its body left above the surface twitched slightly, then went completely still.

The little girl who had driven the Wild Boar over to Zheng Yichen pointed at it, then at the fire. Did she mean for him to roast the meat?

He scratched his head with a claw. That had to be what she meant, right? He hooked a claw into the Wild Boar's back, deftly peeled off its hide, and tossed it aside. Then the little girl walked over with one hand pressed against a huge water jar, big enough to fit her entire body inside.

Zheng Yichen's dragon eyes nearly popped out. Chasing the Wild Boar was one thing. The people of this world could wield considerable power, so perhaps she had some special ability. With that in mind, he had not been too shocked. He could take on ten Wild Boars like that himself!

But now... with this new point of comparison, a fresh wave of astonishment hit him. He wanted to ask whether the little girl had magnets in her hands. How could she lift a water jar just by pressing a hand against its rim?

No matter how he looked at it, the sight was absurd. That jar could hold ten little girls her size!

"Hm? Why does this water look a little black?" He lowered his head to inspect the jar she had set down. The water was fairly clear, but it had a dark tint. Puzzled, he dipped a claw into it. She couldn't have poisoned it, could she?

At the thought, Zheng Yichen shot the little girl a suspicious glance and shook the droplets from his claw. They spattered onto the ground. Hmm. Should I use this water?

He did not know who this little girl was, and she seemed unusually strong. If he refused to use her water, would she fly into a rage and do something? Zheng Yichen felt embarrassed just for thinking it.

I'm a dragon now. Am I really hesitating because of one little girl!?

"..." The little girl stared at the droplets Zheng Yichen had shaken onto the ground, and her brows drew together. She stood on tiptoe to look into the jar, gave a soft snort, and put her hand against its rim. Under Zheng Yichen's stunned gaze, the huge jar arced through the air toward the end of the street. A loud crash followed.

What... what was that supposed to mean?

Had he caught her poisoning the water, so she had flown into a rage?

Zheng Yichen looked at the little girl, whose face still held a trace of anger, and stretched his dragon mouth into a grin. He glanced at the skinned Wild Boar. He did not mind roasting it without washing it. Dragons had powerful digestion. During the first two months, when he could not find anything to eat, he had even gnawed on rocks.

But there was another mouth to feed now, and she had chased the Wild Boar here. It would not be right to think only of himself. Fine, he would find water on his own. There were plenty of houses; if he searched them one by one, he could gather enough. Still... where had everyone in this town gone?

Had there been some kind of accident? There were no signs of fighting. If anything, it was as though the people here had suddenly vanished.

"This is downright supernatural," he muttered. He used the water he had collected to give the Wild Boar meat a quick wash. His claws made excellent cutting tools, and he easily tore the meat into small pieces. Then he laid them on a rack he had scavenged while looking for water and began to roast them.

He had also found some seasonings in the empty town. Before coming to this world, he had barely known how to cook, but after so long fending for himself, he had worked a few things out.

At least he could make sure the meat came out neither charred nor half-raw. With the seasonings added, the aroma of roasting meat soon spread through the air. The little girl, who had been propping up her chin and apparently sulking, could not help turning her head.

What kind of look is that!?

Disdainful, but expectant? Maybe I'm no master chef, and my roast meat can't make someone drool from the smell alone, but do you want some or not!?

Zheng Yichen carefully speared a piece of roasted Wild Boar meat with a wooden stick and offered it to the little girl. It was the first piece ready. It was rather large, but for someone who had lifted a water jar with her bare hand, that should be nothing.

"..." The little girl stared at the skewered meat, which was roughly the size of a human head. After a moment of silence, she did not take it. Instead, she came over to Zheng Yichen and motioned for him to put it back. Then she raised a small hand and flicked a spot between his scales!

Zheng Yichen's whole body jerked. Anyone would have flinched if they were suddenly jabbed with a needle. This little girl really was ruthless!

A light flick of her finger was enough to do that. The sensation he had felt during the day, as though someone had slapped him, must have been her doing!

The little girl held a cup she had found somewhere. She caught about half a cup of blood from between Zheng Yichen's scales. By then, his regenerative ability had already stopped the bleeding.

What was she doing now? She wasn't some kind of vampire, was she?