It was supposed to be a bath.
But for Su Nian, there was no such concept.
Just a simple dragon soaking in water.
No bath attendant, no massage therapist.
Such a bath was utterly boring.
However, as a dragon with delicate sensibilities, he certainly couldn't let Anna be bored as well.
So after the half-elf and dragon had soaked in the water for a while.
Su Nian's gaze fell upon Anna.
"Anna, let me scrub your back~"
"A good scrub will relax both body and mind."
"Huh?"
Anna stared blankly at the black dragon before her.
Her adorable almond eyes were filled with confusion as her gaze swept over the black dragon's claws and enormous body.
Scrub her back!?
Brother's claws were bigger than her entire body!
But she didn't want to refuse her brother, after all, he meant well.
Anna's pretty face, tinged with a slight blush, revealed a hesitant expression.
Tilting her head and thinking for a moment, Anna still couldn't quite understand. She mumbled for a while, then asked in a soft, tender voice:
"But, but brother, your wingspan might be twenty meters... how would you...?"
"Hehehe..."
Su Nian looked at Anna, licked his dragon lips, and laughed without answering.
His pale golden dragon eyes sparkled with intelligent light.
...
Southern Continent, Holy Aulist Kingdom.
"Your Highness, the mercenary army has already entered the Felinir Sacred Wall."
"They might attack the royal capital by tomorrow night."
The female knight, clad in heavy armor, knelt on one knee before Celestine. Despite her usually determined expression, a trace of sorrow and helplessness now appeared in her eyes.
"Do we have any forces left to resist?"
Celestine pressed her slightly dry lips together, the faint hope in her eyes flickering like a candle flame in the wind.
"Knight Commander Alicia Alucutorus is returning with troops from the First Fortress, but it will take about three more days..."
The female knight paused, prostrating herself on the ground with her head lowered, pleading in a soft voice:
"Your Highness, let's escape."
"Escape? ...How many of the kingdom's citizens can we take with us?"
"I'm sorry, Your Highness, we... we can't take any of them."
Celestine closed her eyes in pain.
"I won't leave. I will stay to protect Holy Aulist and my people until the end."
"Your Highness!"
"This is an order."
Celestine's voice was cold and resolute. Without waiting for the tearful knight's response, she turned and left alone.
There was still one last chance.
She needed to pray.
If that being was willing to help her, all the current difficulties would be resolved.
...
Here it comes again, again!
Damn it!
That summoning call had been ringing from last night until midnight. Su Nian had been cuddling his sweet Anna and sleeping soundly, so he couldn't be bothered to respond.
Unexpectedly, early this morning.
Before dawn, it started again.
Can't a dragon get some sleep?
Yesterday, he had just helped Anna with a special dragon-style bath.
His mind was still continuing the dream that followed yesterday's abruptly ended scene.
And now it was directly interrupted!
Could he still tolerate this?
Su Nian thought that if he accepted the teleportation.
The first thing he would do upon arrival would be to turn the summoner into ashes with a breath of dragon fire.
"System, can you block this summoning voice? It's really annoying!"
Su Nian lay on his back on the newly constructed bedrock platform and called up the system.
Anna was covered by his dragon wing, curled up on his belly where the armor had been opened, sleeping soundly.
The Silvermoon Forest was scorching hot during the day and freezing cold at night. His newly modified *Molten Heart* had successfully upgraded to become Anna's exclusive electric blanket.
[Host... why don't you go and take a look? Just a look]
[If it doesn't work out, you can return anytime]
"..."
Su Nian was silent for a moment.
He actually didn't care whether he went or not.
Mainly, he didn't want to leave Anna, fearing this clingy little one would be sad.
But having this summoning voice constantly ringing wasn't a solution either.
He had originally wanted to just let the owner of the summoning voice die.
But it seemed the person wasn't so easy to kill.
"I can go, but can I bring Anna with me?"
[Theoretically, that's not...]
"Then I'm not going."
[Yes, of course you can, but the host needs to pay a separate teleportation fee specifically for Anna]
"Oh."
"How much? Don't beat around the bush."
[Since Anna's level is relatively low, it only costs 1000 system points for her to teleport with the host, and another 1000 system points will be required as a return fee]
"Two thousand it is. I want to see what kind of ghost is on the other side, howling all day long."
Su Nian snorted coldly and paid the system points.
He had thought that the *[Command: Sacrificial Ritual]* would give him some preparation time, but in fact, it didn't.
As he activated the teleportation.
With a "whoosh—" sound.
Mysterious teleportation array patterns appeared behind him, gradually expanding and spreading across the entire bedrock platform.
Then, with a flash of silver light.
The bedrock platform, Su Nian, and Anna all instantly disappeared.
...
At the same time.
Thousands of miles away in the royal capital of Holy Aulist.
Celestine, who had been praying with clasped hands, opened her eyes. She licked her dry lips, a trace of joy spreading across her face, and even her previously empty eyes brightened considerably.
She felt it.
That being had finally accepted her summons.
Was it the Conqueror King himself?
Even if it wasn't the Conqueror King in person.
His God-Slaying Army would also suffice.
As long as she could protect this kingdom on the verge of chaos, anything would do.
The silver light of the teleportation array brightened around Celestine. The array rotated, gradually expanding, with the patterns at its six corners lighting up one by one.
It's coming!
Celestine was full of anticipation.
The light before her grew brighter and brighter, and a huge rectangular platform first appeared.
Celestine was stunned, somewhat puzzled.
Could this being be a rock-type creature?
The Hellfire Lord under the Conqueror King?
During those few breaths of her random thoughts, the teleportation had already completed.
The magical halo slowly dispersed, revealing the figure it had been wrapping.
It was a huge black dragon lying on its back.
Judging by its size, it was already an adolescent, perhaps even a young adult dragon. Its head was slightly tilted, eyes wide open, mouth slightly agape, looking not particularly intelligent.
What made Celestine even more confused was that.
On this black dragon's belly curled a delicately beautiful half-elf girl, who looked drowsy, obviously just awakening.
What a strange combination?
Celestine had no time to be puzzled.
Her soul suddenly trembled, and a sense of fear and submission dominated her mind, forcing her to kneel before the black dragon.
"Great master, please grant your humble servant some insignificant salvation."
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