Tick-tock, tick-tock~

A cool sensation spread from the Magic Core to his belly.

o(*￣︶￣*)o~

Hehehe~!

Rustle~

What was that sound? He turned his head and found a huge, fiery-red dragon head right in front of him.

His emerald slit pupils instantly contracted.

"Agatha, you're awake."

"Mm."

"I killed Bamokangla, so I think this Magic Core..."

"Was left for you."

"Should rightfully... huh? Left for me?"

Chaos: (⊙_⊙)?

After a moment of stunned silence, Chaos gradually relaxed his tense body and looked suspiciously at the big loli before him.

The big loli had always treated him well.

But this was the Magic Core of a four-ring mutant. She was willing to leave even that for him?

"Yes."

He received the same answer again, and he could see no trace of greed in her crimson slit pupils.

Was it really left for me?

Now I don't know what to do.

"Didn't you feel anything?"

"Feel what?"

The big loli's baffling question left Chaos confused again.

The big loli was acting so strange today, always saying weird things.

"Your eyes. Your left pupil has completely changed."

My eyes?

Chaos blinked, sweeping his pink inner eyelids across his eyes again.

Feel anything? I don't feel anything.

His vision was still perfectly clear. He could even see the patterns on the stone wall across the Underground River.

Chaos shook his head.

Agatha raised a claw and pointed at the Magic Core beneath Chaos.

Seeing her gesture, Chaos instinctively lowered his head to look at the Magic Core beneath him.

Its shell was as smooth as a mirror, reflecting his dragon head.

His emerald dragon head still looked so handsome, so majestic...

Wait.

My eyes.

Why has my left pupil turned into a golden pocket watch?

He brought his head closer, and the reflection on the Magic Core's smooth surface became clearer.

Two golden clock hands kept turning within his pupil, just like a real pocket watch that could tell the time.

At that moment, a golden pocket watch appeared in his left slit pupil.

It wasn't a reflection. It appeared directly in his field of vision.

The golden hands ticked onward, second by second.

Could this be a new ability?

Let's try it!

With a thought, he channeled his magic into it.

Tick-tock, tick-tock~!

The familiar sound of ticking clock hands echoed clearly in his ears.

Silence. In that instant, the world fell silent.

He soon realized the situation felt familiar.

It seemed to have been like this when he killed Bamokangla too, with that same ticking sound constantly echoing in his ears.

It was a familiar sensation. He couldn't move his body, but he could feel his magic flowing.

Everything around him had stopped as well.

A faint, stinging pain startled him. At some point, his magic reserves had dropped to less than twenty percent.

So fast.

Stop. Stop right now! Chaos cut off the flow of magic into his left pupil.

Tick...

The ticking of clock hands disappeared from his ears.

Burble~!

In its place came the familiar sound of the Underground River flowing.

Good thing I reacted quickly. Otherwise, I'd have collapsed again right after waking up.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Did you slow time again just now?"

He looked up. The big loli who had asked the question was watching him, her crimson slit pupils calm.

For some reason, being watched like that by the big loli made Chaos feel uneasy.

"I gave it a try."

"How was it? Was there a price?"

The power of time wasn't something one could use lightly.

"A little."

Her crimson slit pupils contracted.

"It burns through magic too quickly."

Chaos had no intention of hiding anything from the big loli. She was trustworthy, and if possible, he wanted to make her his ally after they got out.

With her strength, the big loli would definitely be the ideal choice for an ally.

Quietly watching the figure sprawled on the Magic Core before her, Agatha suddenly felt her claws itch.

"Next time, say it all in one go."

"Oh," Chaos replied casually.

Ignoring him, Agatha lay down on the ground and slowly closed her heavy eyelids.

Now that the greatest threat had been eliminated, their group of dragon hatchlings could safely spend their hatchling years here in the Underground River.

Besides, Chaos's bloodline affinity for time was stronger than she had expected.

Using the power of time merely consumed his magic faster...

Huff, huff~!

Hearing the big loli's steady breathing, Chaos knew she had fallen asleep.

He lowered his head to look at the Magic Core beneath him.

Time to dig in! Dig in!

He opened his Dragon Jaws and took a bite.

(￣~￣) Chew!!

Crunch, crunch~!

The chewing continued.

Sitting on top of Chaos's head, Feeny couldn't help growing curious as she watched him eat so happily.

"Does that taste good, Chaos?"

Hearing Feeny's question, Chaos didn't answer. He scooped up a fragment of the Magic Core with a claw and held it above his head.

The meaning was obvious: have a taste.

Looking at the blue fragment offered to her, Feeny hesitated briefly before reaching out with her tiny hands to take it.

Chaos gave this to me. I have to try it.

She opened her little mouth.

Chomp~!

Feeny: o(╥﹏╥)o

So hard~!

"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey~!"

Feeny flung away the fragment in her hands.

So hard, so bitter.

It doesn't taste good at all!

Seeing the Magic Core fragment fall from above his head, Chaos stretched out a claw, caught it, and popped it straight into his Dragon Jaws.

What a waste. I'm not sharing any Magic Core with this silly fairy next time.

It took Chaos about two and a half hours to eat the whole Magic Core before he finally popped the last tiny fragment into his Dragon Jaws.

Burp~!

He lay flat on the ground and let out a satisfied burp. He didn't feel like moving. Sleeping was definitely the way to go.

"Huh? Are you going to sleep again, Chaos?"

"Mm~"

Chaos gave Feeny a lazy reply without even opening his eyes.

"All right, then~"

Huff~ Huff~

His steady breathing rose and fell.

Fluttering her little wings, Feeny landed on Chaos's round belly as it rose and fell. She lay down and lifted her tiny head, gazing wistfully at Chaos, who had already fallen asleep again.

Chaos is asleep again. At this rate, when will I ever get to form a contract with him?

Oh, right. Chaos said we had to eat together to count as friends.

It's decided. Next time, no matter what Chaos makes, I'll tell him it's delicious!

"I had my eye on that tentacle first."

"You said it yourself. You only had your eye on it."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. I'm just taking this tentacle."

"You're asking to die!"

"Roar~!"

Tsk. So noisy.

He lifted his heavy eyelids amid the clamor.

What's making all that noise?

Chaos raised his dragon head, took in the situation, and instantly perked up.

Not far ahead, a Black Dragon and a green dragon, both hatchlings, were facing off.

Were they going to fight?

[Fight! Hurry up and fight!]

"Chaos, you're awake."

Feeny's voice came from above his head.

"Mm. Feeny, do you know what's going on?"

"They both wanted the same piece of food, so they started fighting."

"Oh."

Even Chaos's reply became more enthusiastic.

Something interesting had finally happened in this boring Underground River.

At that moment, the two hatchlings began their first round: a clash of bodies. No claws, just pure bodily collisions to decide the winner.