Black Snake bounded out of town. Before he had gone far, he spotted a small heat source by the River in the darkness, peering toward the rocks. A closer look confirmed it was the boy who had offered him incense.
He immediately felt helpless. He really did not want to deal with these special beings.
Clutching something in his arms, the boy crept up onto the rocks. Suddenly, he sensed something and turned his head.
Under the moonlight, a little boy with messy short hair had appeared beside him at some point, arms folded across his chest, head tilted as he studied him.
His hands shook, and he nearly dropped what he was carrying.
His throat bobbed, and he put on an ingratiating smile.
"D-Dragon King..."
Black Snake scratched his head.
"I'm not the Dragon King! This is ridiculous! Whoever wants the title can have it!"
He sighed.
"I'm trying to find a way to shake off this identity. If you have any ideas, let me know. Also, don't offer incense next time. If you need something, just think of me." The boy nodded blankly, probably without understanding a word.
Black Snake glanced at the coarse-grain flatbreads in his arms. He could even smell a hint of their toasted fragrance from the cooking fire.
The human world was truly strange. There were so many bad people in it, forever wreaking havoc on everything. Yet there were also people working hard to stitch this shattered world back together. "Take them over. She hasn't eaten all day."
The boy nodded. Holding the food in one arm, he carefully climbed over by moonlight. One careless step onto a wet, slippery stone sent him tumbling, his knee striking a sharp edge. He gave a muffled grunt and climbed back up.
At last, he reached