Chapter 17: Withered Bones in the Grave

Perhaps due to the earlier incident, the little dragon showed an unusually close attitude toward him. Before he could even speak, the small dragon took the initiative and said, “Come on, hold tightly to my neck, I’ll fly you down.”

“Then I’m counting on you,” Lind said without hesitation. He placed the little pink dragon inside his jacket pocket and swung himself onto the dragon’s back.

Serona, having wings herself, could easily fly down on her own.

When they landed on the circular platform and came face to face with the massive, long-deceased creature’s skeleton, the sight was even more awe-inspiring.

This colossal carcass was no longer mere bones; it resembled a stone forest built from white bones, a heavy, slumbering mountain ridge.

The thickest vertebrae looked as if some external force had twisted a towering ancient tree into the shape of a giant wheel.

Time’s erosion had stained the surface, no longer pure white but mixed with shades of gray and black, presenting a dull, somber hue.

They now stood before the dragon’s skull.

Even Victoria, the largest among them, appeared only about the size of the creature’s snout.

Now truly, they were but tiny beings in comparison.

As Lind marveled at this, Victoria asked an offbeat question, “Do you think we’ll ever grow this big?”

“Uh…” Lind scratched his chin, pondering for a few seconds before replying with a question of his own, “How big do you think your droppings are?”

“Hey!” Victoria indignantly butted his back with her dragon horn.

Serona beside them couldn’t help but envy the bond between the young dragon and Lind.

“Alright, alright, stop fooling around. Let’s see if there’s anything left behind by this giant. Given your dragon kind’s hoarding nature, the stronger the creature, the more treasures it should have stashed.”

“Even the weaker ones can hoard quite a lot,” Victoria muttered quietly.

Lind caught her remark. “If you’re not strong enough, you won’t be able to keep your stuff anyway. Isn’t that just giving others a chance to snatch your gold?”

Although the young gemstone dragon didn’t understand what “snatching gold” meant, it could tell from Lind’s tone that it wasn’t a good thing.

Seeing Victoria about to butt him again, Lind wisely chose to slip away first.

He traced the skull down to the chest bone, noticing no obvious fractures.

However, the bones bore many bite marks, and it was unclear what creature possessed such powerful jaws.

Reaching the abdominal area, a sinister black sludge came into view.

In this realm of deathly silence, it writhed as if alive.

Around it, the dragon bones were completely corroded.

Where the blackness touched, the broken edges were as clean as if cut by a blade.

At the center of the sludge, something faintly glowed—so subtle that one might easily overlook it.

The faint light resembled a crescent moon’s reflection rippling on a lake at night—not bright, yet strikingly conspicuous in the dark, instinctively drawing one to chase the moon on the water.

It seemed that touching it would grant boundless power, fulfilling every desire.

Under this allure, Lind stepped closer to the black sludge, unaware of his own approach.

Just as he was about to step inside the dragon’s skeleton, something splashed water onto his face.

This sudden awakening brought Lind back to his senses.

When he looked again at the sludge, the glow at its center had vanished, and all desire to approach it was gone.

A strange thing.

Wiping his face with his sleeve, he looked at the young dragon who had splashed him.

“Victoria, are you a puppy? You really like licking my face.”

“I just didn’t want you to get hurt!” The plump young gemstone dragon pouted, glaring. “If my claws hadn’t stopped you earlier, wouldn’t you have ended up with a few scratches on your face?”

“I don’t even know why that stinky black sludge attracted you. Are you trying to become a sludge monster?”

“...”

Lind was momentarily speechless.

After the glow disappeared, he wasn’t sure how to describe what he had seen.

His silence made the lively young dragon think she had said something wrong, so she quickly comforted him.

“Oh, come on! Even if you really become a sludge monster, I promise to stay your good friend. At worst, I’ll help you get cleaned up. No one can despise a good friend, right?”

“Though I’m touched, becoming a sludge monster is still a no-go,” Lind murmured softly.

“Alright, then let’s drop that subject. Look at the treasure I found.”

Victoria pulled out a round, plump object hidden behind her.

“Ta-da, a dragon pearl!”

“???”

Seeing Lind’s shocked expression, she felt quite pleased, lifting her head proudly and teasing, “If you say something nice about me, I might even let you play with it a little.”

“Miss Victoria, your unparalleled beauty will surely make you a great gemstone dragon king one day.”

“Heeheehee…”

Lind’s words made the young dragon beam with joy, happily handing him the dragon pearl.

This pearl, nearly the size of his head, was heavy in his hands, smooth to the touch, and cool as ice. Inside, colorful hues shimmered like a rainbow orb.

“Dragon pearls are the condensed power of a dragon’s lifetime, but not every dragon can form one. Only those with strong bloodlines, reaching above five colors, and power above the seventh rank can achieve this,” Victoria explained.

After hearing her, Lind counted six colors within the pearl.

This dragon was no ordinary being.

But one thing puzzled him:

“Logically, the stronger the bloodline, shouldn’t the colors be more uniform?”

“No, no, no,” Victoria shook her head vigorously like a rattle. “Only those dragons who embrace diversity and inclusivity can become dragon kings.”

“That’s what my aunt says—she’s the current gemstone dragon king.”

“Being colorful doesn’t mean the bloodline is mixed; it means it can incorporate the blood of other dragon species, using their unique innate abilities.”

“For instance, if a red dragon’s bloodline is only red, its potential is limited to the magic a red dragon can wield. If such a dragon becomes king, it would mostly consider red dragon interests, neglecting others.”

“This only deepens conflicts between different dragons. To realize true dragon unity, every species’ interests must be considered.”

“Our metal dragons are more united than the five-colored dragons partly because we follow order and partly because our gold dragon king mediates disputes among the clans impartially—no favoritism, not even towards the gold dragons.”

“I see.”

Lind nodded in understanding.

Seeing a chance to teach, Victoria felt a small sense of accomplishment.

Finally, she wasn’t just listening to elders and nodding; now it was her turn to impart knowledge to a younger one. How wonderful.

She decided to teach Lind everything she knew, so he could grasp these insights as well.