Su Nian looked at the obedient elven girl before him, feeling a sharp pain in his heart.
He wanted to say something flirtatious to lighten the mood.
Like how eating Anna and the others wouldn't bring them together, but would only make him throw up...
But he found he couldn't say it.
He wasn't in the mood to joke around either.
Anna was very aware of her own physical condition, and he couldn't fool her no matter what he said.
However.
Whether she believed it or not was her business.
Whether to say it or not was his.
This was about attitude.
"If that's the case."
"Then let's make a promise."
Su Nian looked at Anna seriously.
There wasn't a hint of joking in his demeanor.
"If one day I die."
"You'll heat up a pot of oil and eat my dragon heart."
"You can leave only after you've finished eating it."
Anna stared blankly at the black dragon before her.
The small hands clutching her skirt trembled for a moment, and even her breathing stopped.
What she felt in her heart was indescribable.
But the world around them suddenly seemed to fall silent, leaving only the sound of heartbeats.
[Anna Hathaway Favorability +1, Current Favorability 100 (Till Death Do Us Part)]
[Based on the current state of the special SSS-grade female NPC and the host, generating bond ability]
Anna gently embraced Su Nian's dragon head.
Her slightly cold face pressed against his nasal bone, her voice soft and tender like a summer night's breeze by the riverside.
"Brother... Anna..."
"Likes you so much..."
...
Sometimes, meeting someone is a wondrous thing.
It is both fate and not fate.
Just like Anna at this moment.
Like a whale returning to the sea, like a bird flying back to the forest.
Inevitable, with no retreat possible.
Su Nian didn't speak.
He simply felt the girl's soft cheek against him, sensing her dependence and love.
If one day he really died.
And if Anna happened to be by his side, with the opportunity to take out his dragon heart.
Eating that dragon heart would greatly increase her strength, perhaps even transforming her into a half-dragon.
Then maybe she could live a bit longer?
Of course, this was just an objective possibility.
The probability of it happening was extremely low.
After all, if he died, Anna would basically be dead too.
Enemies wouldn't spare Anna just because she was cute. Even if they wanted to capture her, Anna would die alongside him.
Su Nian firmly believed this.
However.
The system immediately gave him a big slap in the face.
[Bond ability activated (Unique)]
[Heart of Beloved]Even such a humble existence desires the power to protect their beloved.
Effect 1: If Anna dies, Anna's heart will completely merge with the host's heart under the power of the rules, generating a shield that lasts for three days. This shield is a power of the rules and cannot be broken.
Note: Anna's soul will be completely annihilated.
Effect 2: If the host dies, Anna's heart will completely merge with the host's heart under the power of the rules, inheriting some of the host's abilities, inheriting this system, and gaining an invincible shield that lasts for three days.
Note: The host's soul will be preserved in the heart.
Well, this certainly confirmed Su Nian's thoughts, with no way to escape.
But this was actually a good thing.
Although this special ability didn't bring him any improvement, it at least resolved his concerns.
This was an incredibly dangerous and cruel world.
Death could happen at any time.
Su Nian had thought more than once about what would happen to Anna if he was killed by players one day.
Now it seemed that at least Anna would be able to protect herself and have a chance to survive.
Besides, there was still the system, right?
Speaking of which, was this system really not meant to serve Anna?
Su Nian suddenly wondered if the system had bound itself to the wrong person.
...
Two hours later.
The drowsy Su Nian was awakened by Anna's cool, moist kiss.
It turned out that the dragon's nest had been cleaned up by the kobolds.
He finally didn't have to bake under the sun anymore!
Couldn't they see he had gotten sunburned?!
Even his spikes had turned black!!
As for Anna, she had been sheltered under his wing the whole time, not exposed to the scorching sun at all.
Now the top of the dragon's nest had been opened up by half, with many kobolds busy working on it.
They were rushing to expand the dragon's nest, preparing a comfortable lair for their master and mistress.
"Brother, hug me~ snuggle me~"
The soft, sweet voice came for the nth time.
Looking at Anna clinging to him and acting coquettishly, Su Nian sighed inwardly.
After her favorability reached one hundred, things had turned into this.
In just two short hours.
Anna had washed her face 73 times.
This wasn't really a big problem—licking treasures was something Su Nian enjoyed too, but the issue was that he was now ten meters long with a wingspan of sixteen or seventeen meters, a massive creature the size of a bus.
Guess how big his dragon head was?
There was absolutely no intimacy in the experience.
But since it was his darling's request.
Su Nian still very skillfully licked her once.
Fortunately, he could control his tongue so there wasn't a drop of dragon saliva, otherwise it wouldn't be very hygienic.
"Alright, my Lady Anna, please allow your dragon gentleman to rest quietly for a moment. He needs to experience the essence of evolution."
Su Nian put Anna on the ground, speaking with an exaggerated accent.
"Okay, brother."
Anna nodded obediently.
Before Su Nian could react.
She quickly planted a "smooch" on Su Nian's lowered dragon face.
Then giggled and jumped to the side.
The snow-white fox tail behind her swayed happily, and even the fox ears on her head twitched lightly.
It was clear that she was in a very good mood.
"Brother, I'm going to watch those kobolds work, I'll be back to find you soon~"
"Don't wander off, okay? Anna will miss you~"
Watching Anna bouncing away like a little deer, Su Nian couldn't help but shake his head with amusement.
Now it was time for serious business.
"System, give me that advanced sleep time reduction thing, and that Molten Heart thing too!"
[Right away!]
[Host's Molten Heart requires 7,500 system points]
[Massive reduction in sleep time, improving the efficiency of receiving inheritance, requires 20,000 system points]
[A total of 27,500 system points are needed, conditions met. Begin modification?]
"Let's start, I'm ready!"
Su Nian waved his dragon claw, showing no fear at all.
Heaven places great burdens on this dragon; it must first strengthen his will and exhaust his sinews and bones.
[Note: This modification will bring intense pain to both soul and body. To prevent damage to the host's vocal cords, the system has automatically sealed your vocal cords]
[Please prepare yourself, modification begins in 0.5 seconds]
"???"
Su Nian couldn't speak.
If he could, he would definitely say:
"What the hell kind of preparation can I do in 0.5 seconds?"
...
At some distance from the dragon's nest, on a rocky wall, Anna was inspecting the kobolds' construction work, accompanied by Grey Wolf and Bolikri.
Suddenly, a rumbling sound came from the direction of the dragon's nest.
It was followed by earth-shaking tremors.
As if a massive creature was rolling around.
"What is brother doing? Why is he so happy?"
"There's no roaring sound..."
"Could it be that he's too excited about evolving?"
Anna tilted her little head, her adorable big eyes full of confusion.
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