Chương 69: Reborn as the Dragon — Chapter 69 - Since They Have Come, Let Them Rest in Peace

"Really? These stockings are really that magical?" Girls love beauty. Anna was no exception. She was already cute, already pretty. But the moment she heard she could become more beautiful, more charming, she couldn't help feeling a little pull toward these strange stockings. If she wore them, would big brother like her even more? The thought settled warm in her chest, and Anna felt a sudden, very impatient urge.

"Of course it's true. When have I ever lied to you?" Su Nian puffed out his chest, wearing the expression of a man who has never told a single dishonest word in his life.

"Then, big brother, how about... how about Anna puts them on right now? And then — then shows big brother?" Anna bit her soft pink lip. A blush crept across her pretty face. Saying it out loud made her shy; her small hands fidgeted with the hem of her dress without thinking. A woman adorns herself for the one who appreciates her. She just wanted to. Instinctively. But Su Nian didn't see any of it, because Anna was riding on his back.

"No rush... heh heh, this place reeks. Once we're back at the Dragon's Nest, you can put them on properly... heh heh..."

"Okay. Anna will listen to big brother." Anna's eyes curved into a sweet smile. Two little dimples appeared, soft and pretty, and she settled back contentedly onto his back. Su Nian looped the Black Stockings and White Stockings around his neck and went back to sifting through the pile of salvage. The rest was all ordinary monster materials. Sellable to goblins or human merchants, nothing more.

"A bunch of paupers." He cursed under his breath, gathered Anna, and headed back into the temporary dungeon to stand before Jingtian Kami.

"How many magic coins do you have?" The Black Dragon's gaze was not a kind one. Jingtian Kami thought briefly about lying, but the stench hanging at the tip of his nose and the sounds of agonized retching echoing through the cave killed that instinct immediately.

"Respected, great, mighty Black Dragon Lord — I have, uh... about ten thousand magic coins."

"Only ten thousand? Useless."

"Exchange for keys. Five keys for silver chests, and spend every remaining coin on bronze keys. Don't tell me you can't afford it, I know the price of every key in that shop." Jingtian Kami didn't dare drag his feet. He obediently spent 5, 000 Invasion Points on five silver keys, then used what was left on twelve bronze keys. He retrieved them from his inventory, held them out with both hands, and presented them with a respectful bow.

Su Nian watched him being so cooperative, blew a disdainful smoke ring, and nodded to Grey Wolf, who collected all the keys and sealed them into a sturdy leather bag. The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The gold chest could wait. He'd open it once his level climbed a bit higher.

"Jingtian Kami. I have a task for you."

"Take these humans and plant potatoes for me. Do it well and everyone eats. You even get a little meat."

"Do it poorly, and you can look forward to Tyrant Stinkbug dung eggs for every meal, every day."

"Black Dragon Lord!" Jingtian Kami dropped to his knees, arms waving, head bobbing.

"I guarantee I will complete your task! We, people from our homeland are born to plant potatoes. It runs in our blood. In our very genes. Even if these brats have never so much as touched a potato, I swear on my life that under my guidance they'll be productive in no time!" He was practically glowing. The confident light in his eyes when he talked about potatoes was, somehow, genuinely impressive.

"Let's hope so." Su Nian didn't dwell on it. He climbed out of the Dragon's Nest, called Grey Wolf and Bolikri to his side, and gave his orders with full seriousness.

"Assign monsters to watch these humans in rotating shifts, around the clock."

"They will absolutely try something. Sabotaging the potatoes we eat is the obvious move. Double the patrol count around the potato fields." The moment their sacred potatoes were mentioned, both Grey Wolf and Bolikri's eyes went hard. They swore to Su Nian they would not take their eyes off those humans for a single moment. Privately, they had already agreed on the consequences.

Any human caught causing trouble would be fed fifty jin of Tyrant Stinkbug dung eggs, and then tied up and thrown into the Stinkbug breeding chamber for three days. Let him bond with those lovely creatures at close range. With that settled, Su Nian went to check on the Flame Arrow Tower construction. The other four towers had been underway for a while and were nearly finished. All five were built into mountain walls at staggered heights, arranged in a staggered triangular formation facing the Morrigan Plain.

Coverage toward the Silvermoon Mountain range was thinner, but that wasn't a serious concern. The Dragon's Nest had a towering cliff at its back, and the surrounding terrain was riddled with kobold-laid traps and a maze of tunnels. Anyone foolish enough to try sneaking up from behind would get a very thorough education in the art of trap-making. What the kobolds called "Since they have come, let them settle in."

A supreme mantra the Black Dragon had recently imparted to them, now enshrined as absolute truth among the entire kobold population. The meaning, as they understood it: Since they have come, let them be buried here.... Back inside the Dragon's Nest, Su Nian and Anna sat together on a fur mat, both freshly washed and clean. Su Nian turned the pages of the [Magic Primer] and turned the [Nast Silver Bottle] over in his claws, but his attention kept drifting sideways, toward Anna.

The Magic Primer could grant an unclassed player the Mage profession directly, no Invasion Points required. For most players it was a throwaway item, but for Anna it was exactly right. Anna had already slipped out of the trousers she wore under her princess dress. She stole a careful glance at Su Nian. He was focused on the bottle, turning it over and studying it with full concentration. That was all the clearance she needed. Her cheeks went pink as she gently lifted the hem of her dress.

The poison sores on her thighs had healed cleanly, thanks to dragon saliva and herbs. A pair of slender, fair legs came into the open air. Anna took out the White Stockings and gave them a small, careful pinch. Silky smooth. Cool against her fingertips. She couldn't tell what they were made of. She'd worn stockings before, never any this long, but her hands moved without much fumbling, and the White Stockings slid smoothly up her legs.

"Why does this feel... a little embarrassing? That's... so strange..." She pressed both hands to her burning cheeks. Shyness rose in her chest like a reflex. She stood there for a moment, her dewy eyes drifting toward Su Nian, and then made up her mind. She took hold of her hem, lifted it just a little, and walked over to stand in front of him.

"Bi... big brother — do they look good?"

"Do... do you like them?" Her pink lips pressed together gently between her teeth. Her eyes dropped, just slightly, from shyness. Long lashes fluttered. The hand holding up the hem trembled the smallest amount. The princess dress, lifted just so, met the White Stockings at mid-thigh, and between them, a perfect line of bare skin, flawless and absolute. Anna stood there with flushed cheeks and soft, uncertain eyes, and Su Nian's mind went completely blank. BANG. Another hole opened in the bedrock platform.

➤ Next: Can I Live Longer?