The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

And indeed, that was the case, because the Fat Pupa Stage meant evolution, as well as death.

Within just a month or two, if it could not break through its own constraints and evolve into a Little Minor Elf, it would use up its remaining vitality and turn to dust.

“It has already sensed the pheromones of the new variety of thorn!”

Liszt picked up the Thorn Bug from the Jade Box, deeply connected by the Mind Connection, and could profoundly feel the Thorn Bug’s emotions at that moment.

Those were complex emotions filled with excitement, anxiety, fear, and courage—emotions that ordinary Elf Bugs definitely would not possess. It was only during evolution that it could grow.

The new variety of Thorn was just a Thorn that exhibited a variation in the color of its branches and leaves, and wasn’t much different from the common Thorns.

Regardless,

When the Thorn Bug landed on a branch of Thorn, its originally sluggish movements suddenly quickened, as it swiftly climbed along the trunk of the Thorn.

It had no legs, only small fleshy protrusions, but however it climbed on the trunk, it would never fall off.

This magical creature was capable of defying physical laws, moving through the air. Especially when it wanted to climb from one Thorn to another, it did not need to touch the ground at all but instead wriggled through the air effortlessly, bridging the gap between two Thorns to collect the pheromones from the next Thorn.

After arranging for the Retainer Knights to stand guard and patrol, Marcus had already hurried over.

He looked anxiously at the Thorn Bug, “My lord, can the Thorn Bug… succeed?”

“Of course, it can!”

Liszt’s lips suddenly curved into a handsome arc, smiling as brightly as the March sun, “Don’t worry, Teacher Marcus, the Thorn Bug has already succeeded… I can feel the restlessness inside it, that’s a brand new power brewing, it’s evolving!”

In fact, this was imperceptible.

The reason he was so certain was that the Smoke Mission was emerging right before his eyes.

“Complete the mission, reward one Thorn Minor Elf.”

Due to Marcus’s interruption, the Smoke Serpent Script quickly dissipated, as if nothing had appeared before him.

Sometimes, Liszt felt that there was no smoke at all; the reason others couldn’t see it was simply a projection of “fate” in his mind—otherwise, the Smoke Dragon must have visited Earth, or else why would they display it in the form of missions, in a style familiar to Liszt.

Just like the Formless Dragon couldn’t be seen, and only those with “integrity and courage” could see it.

The smoky form of the Smoke Dragon was likely similar to the Formless Dragon, both being a special existence beyond Magic Power. The other Immortal Dragons, Jade Dragons, Twilight Dragons, probably exist in some special forms as well.

This also made it easy to explain why the Sacred Dragon was just a legend—people couldn’t see their true form.

Even the common Tri-Element Dragons, and the Elves.

Were also special existences in themselves.

At this moment, the skin of the Thorn Bug turned grey at a visible rate, its shine completely faded, and its once firm skin was now covered with wrinkles, as if it had arrived at the end of its life in an instant.

But its emotions were intensely exhilarated, filled with indescribable joy and happiness.

Using the Eye of Magic, Liszt could see the Chaotic Magic Power inside it bubbling like boiling water, then the bubbles burst, and some unseen changes occurred. As if blown up by the boiling bubbles of Magic Power, the Thorn Bug’s body continued to grow.

The bigger its body became, the more its appearance decayed and aged.

The more tumultuous its excitement surged.

The surge was so stimulating that Liszt felt a wave of excitement himself, almost wishing to burst into song.

Marcus, beside him, couldn’t experience this excitement, but seeing the Thorn Bug inflate like a balloon, his eyes shone keenly, clenching his fists tight, sweating for the Thorn Bug’s evolution.

Time seemed to stretch on endlessly.

But the wind only needed to brush through Liszt’s forehead a few times, stirring his pale golden, slightly curled hair, before the Thorn Bug had already inflated into a thick, gray, and large insect as wide as a calf.

The setting sun dyed the clouds at the edge of the sky red.

In the distance, the barking of Douson could be heard, followed by the Earth Matron in the Dog Prison, responding with barks of her own.

The castle bathed in the afterglow of the sunset, as if it had been coated with a layer of golden brilliance, making it hard to distinguish the windows from the rock walls; only the silhouette of a spire’s rooftop was clear.

The tranquility of twilight, at this moment, was especially distinct.

Liszt continued to use the Eye of Magic, staring intently at the Thorn Bug; he had witnessed the birth of Little Minor Elves in Tulip Castle before. But those memories had grown distant, and since he was just a boy then, they weren’t deeply imprinted. Now, the clear process of the transformation of the Elf Bug into a Little Minor Elf unfolded before his eyes.

Suddenly, as if understanding each other telepathically, Liszt whispered two words, “It’s here.”

That moment.

There was the sound of paper being torn—ssla.

The gray, withering outer shell of the Thorn Bug split open, and then a delicate, fair little hand emerged from beneath the skin of the Thorn Bug, followed shortly by a palm-sized white Little Minor Elf who burst through the Thorn Bug’s skin and jumped out. In the blink of an eye, the white Little Minor Elf opened its translucent wings at its back and flew up into the mid-air.

“Wow!”

“Wow!”

The crisp shouts, like those of a three-year-old child, echoed in the air, circling around Liszt. The flight wasn’t fast, but the movements were graceful and agile, tumbling countless times.

“Wow!”

“Wow!”

One could feel that cheerful mood, even without any Mind Connection, just by listening to its shouts.

Liszt’s gaze was firmly locked on the figure of the Thorn Minor Elf, and a warm smile spread across his lips. He finally had a Little Minor Elf that was bound to him by contract, blood, and a shared heart.

He did not disturb the Thorn Minor Elf’s emotional release.

He could feel the little creature’s joy after successfully evolving.

Turning his attention to the ground, he knelt down and touched the shed skin of the Thorn Bug gently with his hands. The molt swiftly turned to dust and dissipated with the breeze, leaving not a trace behind.

He didn’t see clearly how the Elf Bug had evolved into a Little Minor Elf beneath that skin. It was just a surge of magic power, followed by a transformation into a Little Minor Elf; so brutally simple and operating beyond logic.

When he came to his senses again.

The Thorn Minor Elf had finished expressing its emotions and landed on his shoulder, holding onto his hair with one hand to stabilize its body, and gazing at the world with large, curious eyes as it looked back at Liszt, who had turned his head to see it. Its eyes were very large, unlike human eyes—black and shiny, as if it wore cosmetic lenses.

“Wow.”

“Come here.”

Liszt reached out his hand, and the Thorn Minor Elf immediately climbed onto it, hugging one of his fingers.

Upon closer inspection, one could see on top of its round little head a tiny sprout of a thorn; a normal thorn, signifying that it had been born from an ordinary Thorn Bug.

Its little hands and feet were chubby.

Very exquisite.

As if they could pinch out water.

Underneath was bare, with no distinction of gender.

“Teacher Marcus, how is my Thorn Minor Elf?” Liszt said with a proud smile.

Marcus expressed sincere admiration, “Beautiful!”