A Dragon’s True Form and a Teasing Kiss

Jiu Hui was, in truth, no stranger to the concept of war. After all, one need not eat pork to have seen a pig run; her previous world had witnessed its share of conflicts.

However, she had only ever heard tales, never taking part herself. It was utterly unexpected, then, to find herself on the cusp of war in this new realm.

While she wouldn’t be personally wielding a blade in battle, this would undoubtedly be her closest encounter with it yet.

As she envisioned the wars she had only ever heard whispers of in her former world, and the cinematic battlegrounds she had witnessed on screens, a sudden thrill coursed through Jiu Hui.

Smoke signals, war beacons, clashing steel, and thundering hooves.

The mere thought ignited a fervent heat within her veins!

She couldn’t help but wonder how the battlefields of this world would compare to those of her previous existence.

Would there be stark differences? Given that this was a war between various races, she anticipated encountering species entirely unknown to her former world.

In fact, she truly yearned to witness the appearance of the Winged Race and the Beast Race.

However, she mused, which particular race would they be confronting on this upcoming battlefield?

Observing Lisa, who walked a few paces ahead, her hand firmly clasped in Jiu Hui’s, Jiu Hui decided to voice her question directly.

“Lisa, which race are we going to be fighting against on this battlefield?”

Lisa turned her head, her gaze falling upon Jiu Hui. Noticing the faint glimmer of expectation on Jiu Hui’s face, Lisa largely surmised her thoughts.

Hadn’t she herself felt a similar way before her very first battle? Yet, the moment she truly set foot on the battlefield, that initial thrill and anticipation had vanished in an instant.

All that remained was a profound sense of shock, tinged with a melancholic sorrow.

However, Lisa refrained from sharing her thoughts with Jiu Hui. After all, while she would indeed bring her to the vicinity of the battle, she had no intention of allowing her to truly step onto the battlefield itself.

Her pace subtly faltered, allowing her to walk alongside Jiu Hui. Lisa offered a soft chuckle, then turned to speak. “This particular battlefield involves a conflict with the Dragon Race. You’ll actually get to see dragons there, you know.”

“The Dragon Race?”

Jiu Hui gasped in surprise. “Are they the enormous creatures, resembling colossal lizards, with immense wings spanning their backs, capable of breathing fire and spitting ice?”

Lisa stared at Jiu Hui, whose eyes were wide with a mix of curiosity and excitement as she gazed back. For a moment, Lisa was taken aback.

“Breathe fire? Spit ice? How could that be? Where on earth did you ever hear of dragons capable of such feats?”

Gently tapping Jiu Hui’s forehead, Lisa wore a look of utter helplessness. ‘What whimsical notions are swirling inside that little head of hers?’

“However, you weren’t entirely wrong about them being enormous, possessing wings on their backs, and resembling lizards. They are indeed quite like that. In fact, referring to them as ‘lizard-like’ is rather amusing.”

As she spoke, Lisa’s lips curved into a light smile, an amused expression gracing her features.

Jiu Hui, however, couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment.

“They don’t breathe fire or spit ice? Then these ‘dragons’ are merely overgrown lizards with an extra pair of wings, aren’t they?”

Lisa observed Jiu Hui’s face, now etched with disappointment, and her smile deepened. She reached out once more to gently tap Jiu Hui’s forehead.

“If the Dragon Race ever heard you say that, they’d undoubtedly be furious. Still, your description is rather apt—dragons truly are just a bunch of overgrown lizards, aren’t they? Haha.”

“However, this ‘lizard-like’ appearance is only when they manifest their true dragon forms. Ordinarily, they refrain from revealing their colossal bodies, as they are simply too immense.

When appearing in human form, the Dragon Race merely possesses an additional pair of draconic horns and a tail, distinguishing them from humans.”

At this, a spark of insight flickered in Jiu Hui’s eyes.

‘Ah, so that’s the case. And speaking of which, dragon girls might be quite appealing as well, wouldn’t they?’

Lisa, oblivious to the peculiar, unbidden thoughts blossoming in Jiu Hui’s mind, continued her explanation.

“As for your notions of breathing fire or spitting ice, the Dragon Race is absolutely incapable of such feats. Furthermore, it’s not just the Dragon Race; even the Winged Race, the Beast Race, and even the most enigmatic Elf Race possess no such abilities.”

“Seriously, where did you ever hear that the Dragon Race could do such things? If they truly possessed those powers, how would our Human Race ever hope to fight them?”

Lisa paused, casting a bewildered glance at Jiu Hui.

Upon hearing Lisa’s dismissal of such exotic abilities among other races, Jiu Hui suddenly understood. This world, it seemed, was devoid of superpowers, magic, or anything of the sort; there were only the distinct races themselves.

Then, as Lisa continued, a jolt of alarm shot through Jiu Hui, leaving her feeling rather flustered.

‘Where did I hear that from?’

‘Why, from the movies and novels of my previous world, of course! But I absolutely cannot tell Lisa that!’

As Lisa’s puzzled gaze settled upon her, a wave of anxiety washed over Jiu Hui. Just when the bewilderment on Lisa’s face deepened, a brilliant idea sparked in Jiu Hui’s mind, and she quickly spoke.

“That was merely my own imagination. Such things are rather outlandish, after all, ahahaha~”

Jiu Hui offered a dry, strained laugh, stealing a quick glance at Lisa’s expression.

Lisa, however, harbored no suspicions. Instead, she chuckled softly and tapped Jiu Hui’s forehead once more, a hint of resignation in her tone.

“Honestly, what wild fantasies occupy that little head of yours all day? I can only imagine what sorts of races you conjure up in your mind.”

Jiu Hui clutched her forehead, glaring at Lisa with a pouting, indignant expression.

“Don’t hit my head! What if you make me stupid?!”

Lisa observed Jiu Hui’s puffed cheeks, then reached out to gently stroke her head, a soft smile gracing her lips. “It’s quite alright. You are my personal attendant, after all. Even if you were a little foolish, I wouldn’t mind in the slightest.”

“Hmph,” Jiu Hui scoffed, responding to Lisa’s words. “Even if I am your personal attendant, that doesn’t give you license to tap my head whenever you please!”

Lisa watched the slightly displeased Jiu Hui, the curve of her lips deepening further. “Yes, yes, I won’t tap it again, alright?”

At this, Jiu Hui let out another soft ‘Hmph.’ “That’s more like it.”

“Haha~”

Lisa couldn’t help but burst into laughter, amused by Jiu Hui’s childlike demeanor.

Jiu Hui, however, saw this and her brow twitched. A flicker of indignation crossed her eyes as she glared, cheeks puffed out, at Lisa.

“What are you laughing at?!”

Lisa, observing Jiu Hui in her current state, simply leaned forward and pressed a light kiss to Jiu Hui’s pouting lips.

Instantly, Jiu Hui froze, her gaze locked on Lisa’s large, gem-red eyes. A deep blush immediately bloomed across her face, and she instinctively took a step back, her hand flying to cover her mouth.

“What was that, all of a sudden?!”

At Jiu Hui’s reaction, a mischievous glint sparkled in Lisa’s eyes.

“Oh my, is Jiu Hui feeling shy? Yet, we’ve certainly done things far more intimate than a mere kiss.”

Hearing this, the blush on Jiu Hui’s face deepened even further. She exclaimed, mortified, “That’s different!”

“Oh? How exactly is it different?”

Lisa inquired, her expression still playfully teasing.

Jiu Hui opened her mouth to speak, but no words emerged. Finally, after a frustrated glare at Lisa, she declared, “I’m not talking to you anymore!”

With that, she turned abruptly and strode forward.

Lisa watched her go, then chuckled softly before following close behind.

“Hey, hey, won’t you tell me what exactly is so different?”

From up ahead, Jiu Hui’s only response was a cold ‘Hmph!’

“Hmph!”