Yu Long

About 5 minutes ago...

"Huff huff why is it so far??" I panted, sweating as I made my way back to where I encountered the dragon.

I didn't know why I was being so foolish, returning to that place out of concern for myself. But somehow, if I didn't do anything, the feeling was extremely uncomfortable. It felt like if I didn't go there, I would be ignoring a very serious issue.

"RAGHHHHHH!!!!" The dragon's painful roar echoed loudly.

*Ting

And the arm emitting energy was reacting to it.

I didn't know what my power was, but as I approached the battlefield, my strength seemed to grow stronger. And for some reason, I almost lost my sense of fear.

This was quite strange because I was usually a coward, terrified of death. So why was I suddenly so brave?

I didn't know if I was having some psychological issues or if it was related to my power.

This issue was still uncertain for me because this was only the second time my power had been activated. But the negative emotions... they just disappeared inexplicably.

Suddenly, a red-colored pillar became enormous, piercing through the clouds.

"Damn it!" I was certain that was Wukong's signature weapon, the Ruyi Jingu Bang, and its immense power.

"If I don't make it in time, It would be terrible!" I gritted my teeth, forcing my aching legs to continue running.

Purple energy also began to appear at the site of the battle, thick and discomforting.

*Ting

The Chinese characters on my left hand lit up again to the point where I felt like they were burning my flesh.

But I kept running nonetheless.

"I AM THE STRONGEST!!!!" The familiar roar echoed in my ears, indicating that I was getting close.

The energy around me gradually got drawn into Wukong's hand, and the same happened with the dragon.

I felt short of breath, but I endured. The light on my left hand emitted even fiercer energy.

Somehow, I became determined and resilient, feeling like nothing could stop me.

The pressure intensified, almost knocking me unconscious, but I struggled to get up and move forward.

"Why... am I so determined?" I wondered. Why did I have to go? Wasn't it safer to stay back on the empty land? Why did I feel so uncomfortable?

Many questions remained unanswered.

*BOOM

The deafening explosion rang out, flattening everything around the area.

"D-darn it!" Grimacing, I was about to find shelter when my energy emanated, forming an invisible shield like before, only this time it was larger and covered my entire body.

The tremendous blast cracked the shield several times, causing my nose to bleed.

As the dust settled, I deactivated the shield and continued running forward.

Before me stood Wukong, with only a few specks of dirt around her, holding her staff up and seemingly preparing to kill the dragon.

Sweat covered my body as I shouted, "Wait!!"

Hearing me, Wukong looked surprised and asked "What?"

I responded, but she wasn't satisfied and glared at me.

It took all my wit to persuade the stubborn monkey.

'Not all fish all mean to... oh forget it, if I say that, she might just kill me.'

Finally, I settled on a line I once saw in an anime.

"Wukong, you've never been wrong, but that doesn't mean you're always right," I thanked the hero of justice in my mind for this famous line.

After some back-and-forth, Wukong stubbornly conceded and lowered her weapon.

Then, I approached the heavily injured dragon. It eyed me warily, emitting strong pressure aimed at me.

But by now, I was accustomed to the feeling. I no longer felt like a huge rock pressing on my back.

As I stood right in front of it, I looked straight into its eyes with the most honest gaze I could muster.

We stared at each other intently, causing the monkey on the other side to scratch its head in confusion.

'Finally, I understand...' I finally understood why I felt uneasy about leaving this dragon.

'It's the purple energy, and... the dragon.'

What do you mean by "dragon"? It's simple

Riding a dragon is faster than riding a regular horse, isn't it?

My body began to emit streams of warm golden energy with a clear purpose.

'That purple energy... it's causing both the dragon and Wukong to become negative. If it continues, both will turn into mindless killing monsters.'

I had to eliminate the purple energy clinging to this dragon and turn it into a mount!

And because you are my mount, I will cherish you. The deeper the affection, the more you will care for me, protect me!

My eyes filled with compassion as I gazed at the confused dragon, wondering what I thinking.

As I touched the dragon's head...

Its body started to glow golden, forcing me to shut my eyes.

The dragon's energy began to change noticeably, no longer violent as before but gentler.

And... huh?

There was a girl sleeping soundly, her long white hair flowing, and two horns that looked like blue crystal, and the girl wasn't wearing anything.

"..." both Wukong and I fell silent, staring at the girl.

"...where's my mount?" Instead of what I anticipated, there was no appearance of the creature I hoped for, but instead, a girl who looked around 13 or 14 years old.

"I WANTED A DRAGON MOUNT!!!!" Tears streamed down my face, full of anguish.