That Elusive and Mysterious Protagonist (14)

After all, of the three male leads she had encountered, aside from Qi Yan who seemed slightly better, weren’t the other two each more miserable than the last? At least the first two, despite their misfortune, still retained a semblance of humanity. But the one before her now was so pitiful, she could barely stand to look.

The system spoke in a timid tone: “Why are you taking it out on me? Why are you getting angry with me? I can’t control the world’s will, nor can I write the plot. Boohoo…”

Si Jiu fell silent.

Had she truly lost her temper?

It was just... she suddenly thought of Shen Huai and Qi Yan, then looked at the one before her, and for no reason at all, felt a surge of irritation.

“Is Tangtang perhaps missing young master Shen?” the system prodded.

“Damn it. I’m warning you, don’t speak to me in Shen Huai’s voice!”

“Then, is Huanhuan missing me?” the system teased.

“Enough, system! Don’t think just because you can mimic other people's voices, you’re so great. Believe me, I’ll tear you apart!”

“I just wanted to make you smile. You seemed in a very bad mood just now.”

Si Jiu paused for a moment. “Did I look that way?”

“Yes, you even seemed a little sad.”

Si Jiu grew even more silent—so much so that one might have wondered if she’d fallen asleep standing up.

Suddenly, the system heard her voice, now rather cold: “After this mission, initiate emotional detachment.”

The system was taken aback. “What?”

“I used to think I wouldn’t be affected, but it seems my strength doesn’t allow for such arrogance.”

“Emotional detachment only extracts your feelings, but your memories remain. They just won’t influence your emotions anymore. Most taskers make this choice. After all, after experiencing so many mission worlds and meeting so many targets, it’s hard not to develop feelings. Especially those in the Strategy and Healing Departments—they easily fall in love with their targets and lose themselves. Your decision is wise. There’s no need to resist it.”

“Alright.”

Si Jiu bent down and touched the scales she’d kissed earlier. As expected, the corrosion hadn’t spread; it was even showing slight signs of recovery. The progress was slow, the changes subtle, but she noticed.

“Last time it was a sleeping pill come to life, now a wound ointment come to life?” Si Jiu laughed softly, feeling a bit dizzy.

“Don’t use your healing ability too often. You won’t be able to handle it.”

“I thought it was just hunger. So there are side effects on top of side effects?”

“Of course. Your healing ability, according to the laws of this dimension, is considered healing magic—a branch of light magic—so it consumes the light element within you.”

“To avoid being rejected by the world’s will, your department really goes all out. Everything has a logical explanation.”

“After all, we are outsiders here.”

Si Jiu leaned down and kissed another spot. A wave of exhaustion crashed over her, and she slowly sat down beside the great dragon, closed her eyes, and spoke without realizing it: “Anyway, think of something. Can’t he make himself smaller? In theory, if his body shrinks, the wounds should shrink too, right? That way, I might actually be able to heal him in this lifetime.”

She didn’t see the dragon’s eyelid twitch open at her words.

The system hesitated. “Actually…”

But Si Jiu, already exhausted, drifted into unconsciousness and didn’t hear the rest.

“He can take human form,” the system finished.

As the words fell, the dragon she leaned against began to change. The massive beast shrank into the form of an adult man, wings still arching from his back.

He had long, jet-black hair, and his eyes were deep and dark with two golden flecks at their center. His eyes were narrow and slightly upturned at the corners, lending him a seductive air. Sword-like brows, star-bright eyes, a tall, straight nose, perfectly shaped lips—all together, it was an uncommonly handsome face.

At the moment, he held Si Jiu in his arms, completely unclothed. The look he gave her was wary, with a trace of curiosity.

Across his bare back, where his wings joined his shoulder blades, a wound so deep the bone was visible threatened to tear the entire wing apart. Down his back, a savage gash ran the length of it, crisscrossed with countless smaller scars. Though not a mass of bloody flesh, the sight was nonetheless shocking.

From the most severe wound, fresh blood still oozed.

Yet he seemed utterly indifferent, gazing at the woman in his arms for a long time. Finally, as if unable to resist, he reached out to poke her pale-gold hair, then gently touched her eyelid, a faintly puzzled expression crossing his face.

The system: “Aaaaah—covering my mouth!”