3. Guest

"Are you saying you want to go to the Elves?"

"Yes."

"Isn't this a bit hasty? I mean, preparation would be best..."

"If I had more valuable information to refer to, of course, I would be better prepared. But your empty head doesn't have such things."

"Well..."

"Covering up with words only exposes incapacity in a more hideous form. Shut up now, turn that idiotic face of yours away where I can't see it. I don't want to catch stupidity for no reason."

Not quite a barrage of insults, the razor-sharp mental attack licked new bleeding wounds in the sensitive heart of Nidhogg. Putting on a crying expression, the Black Dragon lay on the ground, secretly brooding.

With his back leaning against the cold stone wall looking up at the three moons of different sizes and colors in the sky, Li Lin shimmered palely, moonlight-like.

This was not the Earth where he was created, but a weird planet called Welt. This planet was not previously detected by Earth, therefore the possibility of a parallel universe was not ruled out. After all, the research on singularity has been focused on utilizing the energy generated by the singularity, and the influence of singularity on the interference of time and space remains an unresolved mystery.

This cave now stood on a steep cliff in the Northwest of the Ratatosk Valley. The entire valley was a paradise for reptiles where dragons and snakes mingled (70% were snakes), a savage land that the Wisdom Species would never approach without special goals.

Even ignoring the desire to be a reptilian ruler, having to live with a still young, according to their species lifespan, Neet Dragon... Viewed from an economic, beneficial, and mental health perspective, such a living situation can hardly be considered passable.

Moreover, the problem preventing the gathering of information so far was precisely this dragon... Or to be precise, the unbelievable Neet lifestyle of the entire Dragon Clan hindered further intelligence gathering.

Being a dominant species with considerable intelligence, a body that other races envy, and the ability to use Mana, this community was only satisfied with eating, sleeping, and collecting shiny things. They hoarded these items until they died, things that couldn't be eaten or drunk and meant so little to their lives that they could be ignored...

"Instead of collecting, endeavor to find a pretty female and perform fire-spewing or shoot freezing rays, gravity rays, killing rays, or something from your eyes to attract the opposite sex. At least that way you would stand a chance of reproduction."

Li Lin issued such a mocking comment about the lack of efficiency and direction in the Dragons' lives.

"But even if we are to mate, female dragons prefer those with comfortable and spacious nests filled with ample treasure."

Innocently bringing back the title of "Neet Dragon" with objective facts, Nidhogg without hesitation revealed the dragon's unwritten rule, a long-standing tradition for the entirety of Dragon Clan. This was not merely the tale of one dragon, but of the entire clan.

The females of the Dragon Clan were indeed realistic: post-marital life truly was an important consideration.

However, considering the issue of species propagation, such a rule is too arbitrary and irresponsible. The goal of sexual reproduction is to find appropriate individuals to exchange genetic information for the next generation. Nest size or the number of collections has no direct relationship with this. This self-serving rule only led to a decrease in the population, and a threat to genetic diversity.

Li Lin put the lid on his merciless critique of the Dragon Clan, leaving the future of these winged reptiles far behind. These Cocoon Dwelling Neet Clan members shouldn't be bothered with. Even if they had longer lifespans, greater physical strength, and special abilities than other species, they were destined to self-destruct if left to their own devices.

"We'll embark tomorrow morning. You're coming with me."

No matter what emotional state Nidhogg was in, this well-planned agenda was a multiple-choice question that Black Dragon only had to heed. While settling its emotions to think about the flight route, the second multiple-choice question made its way forward.

"You can't leave in the form of a dragon."

Referencing through Nidhogg's memory, Li Lin realized that other species had a substantial fear of dragons. Riding on him would be too conspicuous, contradicting the mission's intention. This was unacceptable to Li Lin who would have chosen to kill Nidhogg - only a marginally useful Neet Dragon - had he not known it could change into a human form.

If they could avoid unnecessary disturbance and integrate into society, it would be more sensible not to waste available resources.

Nidhogg had fallen asleep worry-free, continuously letting out bad breath. Stinky wind brushed over the rocky walls and touched Li Lin's hair. Basking in the moonlight, Li Lin continued to gaze upon the sky with an alien gleam reflecting in his red eyes.

############

A small "hill" slowly squirmed on the rock face. The rhythm was so indifferent you might forget about this naturally occurring wonder. The inhabitants of this place were all reptiles, such as dragons and snakes, so they wouldn't pay attention to such details.

The dwarf, Alberish, was very familiar with this and used it to his advantage. He went in and out of Ratatosk Valley time and time again, collecting old snake skin or lost dragon scales, which were unique to this wasteland. He brought these specialties back to his workshop in the swamp. After carefully crafting them into armor, he sold them for ten or even twenty times the cost, earning a hefty profit.