The Storage Ring

“Little Jiu, listen to your sister. If anything happens, call Daddy, okay?”

“Mm-hmm.” Little Aya Jiu lay in her father’s arms, feeling glum.

Daddy was going on another business trip. She wasn’t happy.

After a brief moment of tenderness, Aya Tone boarded the plane to Magic City.

Accompanying him was Li Jia, who had just emerged from a two-week seclusion.

“I heard from the President that you went overboard and now need to be sent back for repairs…”

Li Jia rolled her eyes. What a strange analogy.

She had clearly realized that her control over her newly awakened ability was still unrefined, and she intended to seek advice from Ao Yu.

How did that turn into Fire Finch calling her a defective product being recalled by the manufacturer?

With company, the journey wasn’t boring. They chatted back and forth until they arrived at their destination before they knew it.

To be honest, when he wasn’t in his female form facing Li Jia, her behavior was quite normal. Their conversation felt like old times, before Li Jia had revealed her true nature.

How nostalgic—

The two walked out of the terminal together and casually hailed a taxi to the Azure Dragon Guild headquarters.

“Bro!” Ao Yu pulled open the car door under the astonished gazes of everyone, dragged Aya Tone—who still hadn’t figured out what was happening—out of the car, and they walked side by side into the guild.

Li Jia quietly paid the fare and hurried after them.

“Bro… don’t you think this is a bit too much…” Aya Tone covered his face with his hands.

He was traveling in his male form this time, and with Ao Yu making such a scene, he could already imagine the next day’s headlines.

“Shock! The Azure Dragon President is actually—!”

“The Azure Dragon President, in broad daylight, with a mysterious man…”

“The man who got the Four Symbols President to greet him in person!”

…

“Don’t worry, I guarantee not a single news article about you will appear online!”

Ao Yu leaned in and whispered in Aya Tone’s ear, “This is to mislead the spies from Country H.”

As he spoke, Ao Yu led Aya Tone into the President’s office, leaving Li Jia outside to handle security.

“This token will allow you to join the S-rank dungeon in Country H without hindrance. Don’t hold back, and don’t worry about causing international issues. Whatever happens, the country will take responsibility!”

Ao Yu exuded a murderous aura.

We do not attack unless we are attacked. But they crossed the line this time!

If they dare to invade our territory, we’ll make them pay a hundredfold!

“Bro, is this really a good idea?”

“What’s not good about it?”

“I think, since they took our stuff, if we go over and don’t take it back, wouldn’t that be a wasted trip?”

“You little rascal, you’re even more cunning than I am.” Ao Yu looked meaningfully at Aya Tone, whose face still held a trace of shyness. The next moment, a rough laugh echoed through the entire floor.

He knew getting this kid was the right move.

He knew getting this kid was the right move.

Vicious enough! I like it!

“Come here, since you’re so enlightened, your big brother won’t hold back either.”

Ao Yu walked over to a bookshelf, fiddled with it, and the entire shelf emitted a low grinding sound.

“This storage ring is for you.”

Taking the box Ao Yu handed him, Aya Tone saw a ring of ordinary design inside, even with some wear in places.

Aya Tone pursed his lips and couldn’t help but doubt, “Bro, don’t try to fool me just because I haven’t read much. You’re saying this ring is a storage ring?”

A storage ring? What is this, a cultivation world?

There had never been a storage item in the shape of a ring on the market.

They were all storage pouches, made from the hide of spatial creatures, which couldn’t withstand fire.

“This ring was made using the magic core of a space sheep, combined with various materials, and then Old Yang set the array…”

Listening to Ao Yu ramble on about the ring’s origins, Aya Tone opened his mouth and swallowed hard.

He didn’t understand, but he was deeply impressed.

Space sheep were nationally protected creatures. It was said that the dungeon where they lived was guarded by multiple S-ranks, and entering required layers of scrutiny.

These were national treasures; losing even one was a huge loss.

And yet this ring was made from a space sheep’s magic core?

Damn…

And Old Yang, whose original name was Yang Fucheng, was the chief director of the National Research Institute. To have him personally enchant it…

“…”

For a moment, Aya Tone felt the ring in his hand burn.

“Bro, this is too precious. I can’t take it.” He gripped it tightly, and as he rubbed it, it accidentally slipped onto his ring finger.

Ao Yu: “…”

Next time, could you at least pretend better? Do you think I look like a fool?

“This ring is useless to me anyway. My request isn’t high—I want to see it full when you come back. Can you do it?”

“Mission guaranteed!” Aya Tone clenched the ring on his ring finger and nodded emphatically.

Just filling a storage ring? Easy peasy.

Let me see—

Aya Tone channeled the calm mana within him, and in an instant, his figure shrank and long silver hair cascaded down.

“What the hell???” Aya Tone stared wide-eyed, looking from Ao Yu to the ring in his hand.

Not believing it, he fed another strand of mana into it.

[Oh my god, this is too much.]

There was actually a playground inside the ring, complete with a sky.

Ha ha ha…

Seeing her unwilling-to-face-reality little face, Ao Yu couldn’t help but curl the corners of his mouth.

But he still put on a pitiful expression, “It’s a pity that Old Yang wasn’t at his peak back then, or it would have been more than a thousand cubic meters.”

A thousand cubic meters???

Alright, those dangling hopes were finally dashed.

“I may have spoken a bit loudly just now. Can we pretend I didn’t say anything?” Aya Tone rubbed his hands and smiled sheepishly.

A thousand cubic meters? Even if I emptied the entire national treasury of Country H, I couldn’t fill that.

Ordinary space bags only had a few cubic meters, the largest maybe a hundred. Suddenly jumping to over a thousand? That’s terrifying.

Her bag wasn’t that large, even if she hadn’t measured it exactly. It could hold over a hundred playgrounds, for crying out loud.

“Go ahead. Remember, behind you stands a nation!” Ao Yu put away his playful expression and spoke solemnly to Aya Tone.

He didn’t actually expect her to fill the ring.

His goal was to make those scheming conspirators know that the Z country could not be insulted!

“Understood.” Aya Tone felt a warmth in her heart. Indeed, having backing made all the difference.

“By the way, bro, could you guide my friend…” Having troubled Ao Yu so many times, even Aya Tone felt a bit embarrassed despite her thick skin.

“Leave it to me. You get ready; your flight is registered under your male identity.”

“Thanks, bro.”

Watching Aya Tone, who had transformed back into a boy and pushed the door open to run out, Ao Yu couldn’t help but chuckle.

Actually, even if Aya Tone hadn’t asked, he would have guided Li Jia anyway.

After all, from the moment Li Jia’s ability evolved into a dragon, Li Jia could be considered his disciple.

“Yin!” Seeing the tightly closed door swing open, Li Jia, who had been waiting outside, brightened up.

She had clearly sensed Aya Tone’s mana fluctuation just now. She had learned from Fire Finch that when Aya Tone used mana, he turned into a girl.

On the plane, with so many people around, she had held it in for so long. Now, finally!