Chương 166: Reborn as the Dragon — Chapter 166 - Faction Abilities Discovered

When Su Nian finally reached the river and lifted Anna down from his back, she hadn't said a word the entire trip — he found her barely conscious. The poor thing's face was a deep, blotchy red. Her eyes were glassy and unfocused. Her fox ears and tail had matted together in clumps of sweat-soaked fur. Below her status bar, a [Mild Heatstroke] debuff pulsed in slow, lazy flashes.

"The Nine-Province Divine Ice-Water Cooling System really is something else..."

"Didn't feel a thing out there. Not even a little warm." Su Nian shook his head and muttered to himself. Black Dragons were, by nature, creatures of cold and damp. They despised heat, loathed volcanoes, wanted nothing to do with deserts. Swamps and mud pits were their idea of paradise. But clearly, he wasn't really a proper Black Dragon anymore. He set Anna down with care on the soft grass of the riverbank, then waded into the river and drew in a massive gulp of water.

He turned back and sprayed it over her gently, starting with just a thin mist. A sudden shock of cold after that much heat could make things worse, not better. The cool water worked quickly. Anna's eyes flickered. The [Mild Heatstroke] debuff's color began to bleed away.

"Big dragon... brother?"

"Anna's going to... the sun is going to cook Anna alive..." She squinted up at him, one soft hand reaching toward him, her voice barely above a murmur. Su Nian said nothing. He undid the light restraints keeping her secure during the flight, went back for another mouthful of river water, and began washing her down properly, methodically, completely, until all the tension drained out of her. It had to be said: water flow and dragon scales made for an excellent bath scrubber combination.

And Su Nian was nothing if not a diligent bath attendant. His technique was flawless. He was nothing if not flexible. He started with the little cutie's long, snow-white neck. Then her delicate collarbone. Her soft, rounded shoulders. Her arms. Under the arms too. Thoroughly. Then the stretch between them. Her slender waist. The smooth, taut skin of her belly. And then, the fox tail. That furry tail collected more dust than everything else combined. It required special attention. Dedicated attention.

Su Nian spent nearly twice as long on the tail as on anywhere else. By the time he was done, Anna's whole body had settled into quiet contentment. Her cheeks were a healthy flush of pink. A faint smile rested on her lips, and her two little dimples curved sweetly. Her pale, delicate feet curled inward at the toes, then fanned back open. The [Mild Heatstroke] debuff was still blinking, just barely.

Still present enough that she couldn't quite string sentences together, only small, soft sounds, half-conscious and unhurried. Her peach-blossom eyes, glassy and half-lidded, seemed to have little pink hearts drifting through them. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Satisfied that she was stable, Su Nian carried her to the shade of a broad tree near the bank. A light breeze moved through the branches. The air here was cool and clean.

She'd be fully recovered in no time. He scanned the area. No threats. Nothing close. He took off. A short flight brought him to where his monsters had stopped to rest. He located the only player in the group without any trouble. This particular Sakura player had been serving as Su Nian's living storage unit for the journey. Su Nian had no inventory space of his own, a minor inconvenience, one he'd addressed practically.

And to prevent any funny ideas, he'd removed the player's limbs and trussed him up into a neat, compact bundle, a zongzi with a head. Just the head, out in the open. For communication purposes.

"Get out the clothes." Su Nian looked down at the blank-faced Sakura player, voice flat and cold. The player moved like a machine. At the command, a large pile of clothing materialized in front of Su Nian, various styles, various sizes. Some had been purchased new from the system shop by female Sakura players. Others were donations from Serestin, Saintess of Saint Olst, who had apparently contributed to the cause with some generosity. All of it was meant for Anna.

Su Nian picked through the pile and pulled out a lightweight spaghetti strap dress. He added two pieces of underwear to the selection. Then he ordered the player to put everything else away. The player complied immediately. Nearby, the terrifying Banana Wolf was watching with patient, hungry interest. A single moment of slowness would not go well. Su Nian gripped the clothes in his teeth, flew back to the tree, and set them beside the still-drowsy Anna.

Then, alone and unannounced, he turned and launched himself into the river. Boom. The impact shook the water for fifty meters in every direction. The river actually stopped flowing for a moment, the current disrupted entirely by the sudden insertion of one very large Black Dragon. Fish and shrimp catapulted into the air in a glittering, flailing cloud. Su Nian opened his mouth as they came back down and ate a few. A light snack.

With nothing pressing to do, he sank to the riverbed and let the current carry him along. The cold water worked into him slowly. The heat, the dull edge of restlessness he'd been carrying all afternoon, it all softened and quieted. He drifted. Lost track of time. Then voices broke through from above. He looked up. A group of people on the bank. An argument, by the sound of it. Curiosity stirred. He glided toward the surface. The voices sharpened.

"Let go of me! You filth — I'd rather throw myself in this river than let you have your way!" Young. Female. And frightened under the anger.

"Hehehe~ Scream all you want, little beauty. Scream your throat raw. No one's coming."

"Hah! Jump in the river? Really?"

"Don't you know we Ah San boys grew up right here on the Heng River? You could sink to the bottom and hold your breath all day, sweetheart. I'd still fish you out." Two voices. Greasy, ugly. Pleased with themselves. Fabric tearing. A girl's cry, sharp and desperate. Heng River. Ah San. Su Nian's expression shifted. This wasn't random. Ah San players? Out here? But the map hadn't shown any beginner villages nearby. Not a single marker. Was the system broken? [Ding! Hello, Host. This System is functioning correctly. Given the situation you have encountered, this System will now provide an explanation.] [Players arriving from the other world each possess a unique faction ability. The faction ability of Ah San players is: Conceal Beginner Village Location.]"Conceal their beginner village? That's actually insane."

"No wonder it doesn't show on the map. Alright — what are the faction abilities for the Sakura players, the Pretty players, and the Tianchao players?" He needed to know. Know yourself, know your enemy, and you will never lose a hundred battles. Comfort is where empires go to die. The elf milk was nice. Very nice. But if he got complacent, the players would eventually bury him. [The faction ability of Sakura players is: Bushido Spirit. This ability enhances team combat morale, reducing the likelihood of fear responses and increasing willingness to fight to the death.]"Oh." Su Nian nodded. Useful ability, that. Translation: they could be thrown at problems without worrying about them running away. [The faction ability of Pretty players is: Tech Analysis, Accelerated Unlocking. Their efficiency and innovation capacity on the technological side receive a significant boost. Host has already observed the quality of the firearms they manufacture.] [The faction ability of Maoziguo players is: Heart of Courage and Warrior Physique. These players possess exceptional innate combat talent, comparable in some cases to the finest knight-trained geniuses among this world's nobility.] [Host has not yet made close contact with Tianchao players. Intelligence is insufficient. The System has not yet obtained data on the Tianchao player faction ability.] ➤ Next: A Little Girl's Heart Is Hard to Guess