Chapter 45: “Lantern Fish”
The Male Fire Dragon’s gaze swept across the lakeshore, his appetite spiraling out of control as it urged him to seek any meat that could fill his mouth.
The aquatic beasts residing by the riverside were struck down heavily by the Sky Tyrant. Their bodies shattered instantly, blood blooming like crimson flowers on the water’s surface.
The remaining aquatic creatures didn’t even have a chance to flee before being roasted alive by the searing flames dancing in Jié Jié’s mouth, their bodies flipping over from the heat as steam rose into the air.
The aquatic beasts were bitten apart and swallowed, the sensation of a full mouth suppressing the intense hunger clawing at Jié Jié’s insides.
Jié Jié had encountered both Thunder Wolf Dragons and Swift Dragons who practiced joint hunting with social structures, but when met, they were all in weak states.
As for those Water Dragons, they took advantage of their geographical superiority to gang up on foes—truly lacking in martial virtue.
He grumbled to himself, turning his head to examine his wings that had undergone some strange transformation.
Through observing young dragons, Jié Jié discovered that Fire Dragons are born with very delicate wing membranes filled with fine capillaries.
As they develop, the inner parts of the wings grow much like nails, causing the initially thin wing membrane to wrinkle as it grows.
These wrinkles layer upon each other, making the wing membrane tougher while also creating the characteristic patterns found on Fire Dragons’ wings.
When the wing membrane is injured, these layers squeeze inward, reuniting the tissue together.
This squeezing process abandons the fragile capillaries, cutting off blood flow to them.
In Jié Jié’s current state, after briefly activating Dragon Attribute Energy, his heart raced, pumping blood—and seemingly Dragon energy—throughout his body.
Even the abandoned capillaries, part of his system, did not reconnect; instead, blood pooled around the edges of the layered wing membranes, forming new patterns akin to bruises.
Some of the blood even burst through the vessels, droplets rolling across the wing membrane before splashing onto the water below, sparking tiny bursts of Dragon energy.
He recalled old rumors claiming Terror Tyrants had dragon lineage—the term “dragon” here likely referring to Ancient Dragons rather than Flying Dragons.
Could it be related to Dragon Attribute Energy?
“Huff!”
Jié Jié flapped his altered wings, unleashing a fierce wind pressure that stirred waves across the lake.
The water that had seeped into the wing membrane’s folds was now expelled, leaving his wings heavier than before.
While downward strikes became more powerful, lifting them required more effort, but overall, it seemed like an enhancement.
So what was the cost?
Jié Jié devoured the roasted aquatic beasts one by one, filling his stomach.
Recalling the appearance of a Terror Tyrant suffering from Ancient Dragon ailments despite lacking Ancient Dragon fate, Jié Jié realized Dragon Attributes were too profound for him right now. Best to use them sparingly.
With his belly temporarily full, the Male Fire Dragon returned to the skies, heading toward where he had hidden his hatchlings.
He pondered how to catch a Water Dragon. Eating one would surely compensate for his weaknesses against aquatic monsters.
If only he could find a Sea Dragon too—a creature capable of discharging electricity underwater, unmatched in its domain.
Surely, along the coasts of the New Continent, there must be Sea Dragons lurking…
He mourned the stillborn dream of catching one, then refocused his attention on the wetlands below.
Besides fish, Water Dragons often preyed on Herbivore Dragons drinking by the shore—there’d be opportunities.
Diving down, Jié Jié snatched an Herbivore Dragon near the Water Dragon’s hunting grounds and brought it back to his hatchlings.
After transforming into a Sky Dog Beast and kneading meatballs to feed them, he repacked his belongings and prepared to settle by the lake, waiting for the perfect moment to hunt Water Dragons.
If they dared to step onto land in front of him, they wouldn’t return to the water alive.
On the way to the lakeside via the river shallows, numerous fish and crabs dotted the path. Unfortunately, no Shield Crabs or Sickle Crabs appeared among the ordinary crustaceans.
Still, he occasionally picked up some pretty shells along the way.
The hatchlings were lively, attempting to hunt the crabs but failing repeatedly.
The crabs scuttled sideways with ease, leaving behind frustrated baby Fire Dragons stumbling about in the shallow waters.
Porcelain Bowl managed to bite down on a crab missing a leg, but Iron Pot approached to snatch it away, leading to another tussle between the two, rolling toward deeper waters.
Wooden Ladle watched enviously, hesitating due to the depth of the water.
Of the four siblings, only Basin, the lone Female Fire Dragon, remained quiet, chasing Giant Bees amidst the bushes instead of playing in the water.
Naming her “Basin” was quite abstract—blame the difficulty of coming up with good names.
Jié Jié shook his head helplessly, wading into the water toward the two hatchlings who were about to drown.
Amidst the aquatic plants, a cluster of lantern-like objects swayed gently.
During the struggle, the injured crab escaped, only to collide directly into the Sky Dog Beast.
Acting swiftly, Jié Jié grabbed the crab, resisting the urge to snap its legs off and tossing it to Wooden Ladle.
“Roar~”
Wooden Ladle pounced, but missed, allowing the crab to escape in another direction.
Meanwhile, Iron Pot and Porcelain Bowl had separated, both flailing helplessly in the water, their short claws unable to touch the riverbed.
Porcelain Bowl seemed tangled in some aquatic plants, thrashing violently.
But Jié Jié narrowed his eyes—those weren’t plants! A Lantern Fish was biting onto Porcelain Bowl’s leg, dragging it underwater.
Ignoring the added weight of soaked fur, the Sky Dog Beast leaped forward, pulling Porcelain Bowl and the Lantern Fish out of the water while grabbing Iron Pot with the other hand, lifting both hatchlings aloft.
Throwing Iron Pot back onto the shore, Jié Jié carefully detached the Lantern Fish from Porcelain Bowl’s leg.
Upon closer inspection, this wasn’t quite a Lantern Fish.
A Lantern Fish is an aquatic organism with a glowing lantern atop its head and a mouthful of sharp teeth, resembling the Anglerfish from his previous life.
However, this one not only had a lantern and sharp teeth but also possessed four stubby webbed legs and inflated its body when held.
Ugly.
Was this really a Lantern Fish? Environmental creatures in games were often glossed over, rarely receiving detailed reports.
“Could this be the larval form of something else?”
Jié Jié tossed Porcelain Bowl back to the shore, stroking his chin thoughtfully as he murmured softly.
In the game, there existed a monster with low popularity, classified as a Sea Dragon despite resembling a fish-dragon hybrid, becoming a relic of past eras alongside other Sea Dragons.
“Eating it will tell.”
The Sky Dog Beast stripped the “Lantern Fish” of its spines, finding it increasingly disgusting and difficult to swallow.
After contemplating for a moment, Jié Jié transformed into Great Thief Dragon for the first time since gaining the ability, ignoring the revulsion and swallowing it whole.
