#36
“Master.”
Malik called out to Jeha from behind, his voice exceedingly cautious.
“Huh? What is it?”
Jeha asked, not tearing his gaze from the hatchling, his tone somewhat dismissive. Malik, undeterred, continued.
“The hatchling appears to be quite famished. Wouldn’t it be best to offer it some sustenance?”
Only then, upon hearing Malik’s words, did Jeha recall that the hatchling had been left alone here for an extended period, famished.
“What… what should I feed it? I haven’t brought anything with me.”
Jeha, flustered, stammered out his words. Malik then approached him with careful steps, lowering himself into a squat beside him before speaking.
“If we allow it to drink my blood first, it will regain at least some of its vigor.”
“Your blood?”
Jeha questioned, his gaze fixed on Malik, who had already positioned his long, black claws against his wrist, as if ready to draw blood the moment permission was granted.
“While demon dragons are omnivorous,” Paimon elaborated from behind, “they especially favor consuming demons. The blood of a high-ranking demon, brimming with demonic energy, would serve as an excellent source of nourishment for a demon dragon.”
Malik appeared to be in a hurry. His extended claws must have lightly grazed his wrist, for a faint trickle of red blood was now visible. In that very instant, the hatchling’s golden eyes, which had been obediently fixed on Jeha, slowly swiveled to Malik.
The hatchling’s slightly parted snout suddenly gaped wide open. As its mouth stretched, the sharp, jagged teeth, previously concealed within, were revealed in their entirety.
SNAP!
Without a moment’s hesitation, the hatchling lunged, clamping its jaws onto Malik’s outstretched arm and beginning to chew. Yet, this was no cute ‘munching’; the terrifyingly sharp teeth produced a gruesome, bone-chilling sound, closer to a ‘CRUNCH-CRUNCH.’
“Uh…” The coppery tang of blood, thick with demonic energy, wafted to Jeha’s nostrils. The hatchling, with all its might, greedily sucked the blood from Malik’s mangled arm. The intermittent crunching sounds, however, indicated it was also swallowing a considerable amount of flesh.
Jeha glanced at Malik, who, despite a slight furrow in his brow from pain, was allowing his arm to be devoured without resistance. ‘He claims to be the chairman of the Demon Dragon Protection Association,’ Jeha mused, ‘his love for dragons must indeed run deep.’
“Are you alright?” Jeha asked, casting a quick glance at Paimon, who stood silently behind him. Malik, however, responded.
“I am perfectly fine, Master. A wound of this nature will heal within a few days.”
“…Right…” Jeha murmured in response, his thoughts already elsewhere.
‘It would be fortunate if this merely ended as a wound,’ he mused, ‘but the hatchling seems intent on devouring your entire arm.’
True to Jeha’s thoughts, the hatchling continued to gnaw fiercely at Malik’s arm. Though its small snout and lack of brute strength prevented it from tearing the limb clean off, it seemed poised to suck the arm dry, leaving behind nothing but bone, if not stopped.
“Um… little one… little one?” Jeha finally called out to the demon dragon hatchling, his voice laced with caution, as he noticed stark white bone beginning to show on Malik’s forearm. The hatchling’s golden eyes, which had been relentlessly crunching on Malik’s arm, subtly shifted to meet Jeha’s gaze. The diligent movements of its snout also came to an abrupt halt.
“Kyu…” The demon dragon hatchling, seemingly unwilling to release Malik’s arm, merely turned its eyes to Jeha, letting out a subdued whimper. It appeared to be cautiously assessing Jeha’s reaction.
“Let’s stop eating now, okay? Come on, let go.” Jeha gently coaxed, stroking the demon dragon hatchling’s head. Its golden eyes rolled around, as if deep in thought, but with Malik’s arm still firmly clamped in its snout, it was clear the hatchling wished to continue its meal.
“I am fine, Master,” Malik stated, his brow still furrowed in pain.
In truth, Jeha cared little whether Malik’s arm was completely stripped of its flesh. What he truly didn’t wish to witness was this undeniably adorable demon dragon hatchling devouring a demon’s arm right before his very eyes.
“Hmm…” After a moment of stroking the demon dragon hatchling’s head and contemplating, Jeha glanced back at Paimon, who stood behind him, and inquired.
“What if I offer it some of my blood? Wouldn’t that be far more nutritious than demon blood?”
It was Jeha’s blood, after all, that had restored Hereis’s body, which had been so brutally mangled as to be unrecognizable, back to its pristine state. Blood with such potency would undoubtedly have a beneficial effect on this demon dragon hatchling.
Paimon’s expression instantly hardened.
“Absolutely not.” Paimon’s tone was firm and unequivocal.
“To wound your esteemed body, Master? It is utterly preposterous to feed your blood to a mere demon dragon!” Zephyr, equally horrified, stepped forward to intercede.
It was clear that both of them would vehemently object regardless. Jeha, therefore, turned his attention to Malik instead.
“What do you think?” Jeha asked. A profound look of contemplation settled upon Malik’s face. He subtly glanced at Paimon and Zephyr, who stood behind Jeha, seemingly gauging their reactions, before very cautiously opening his mouth.
“In truth, Master, even the most potent blood of a high-ranking demon cannot compare to a single drop of your own. A few drops of your blood would provide far superior nourishment for the hatchling than a full meal of my blood or flesh.”
“Malik!” “You scoundrel!” Paimon and Zephyr exclaimed almost in unison. Simultaneously, demonic energy billowed from behind them. Jeha cast a quick glance back, noting their menacing expressions; they looked ready to lunge and tear Malik to shreds at any moment.
“Both of you, stop,” Jeha commanded in a low voice, reining them in. At his words, Paimon and Zephyr’s aggressive demeanor somewhat subsided, yet their terrifying glares directed at Malik remained undimmed.
“I’m going to raise it anyway,” Jeha declared. “I should feed it well and ensure it grows as healthy as possible.” As he spoke, he sharpened a claw on one hand. Then, extending the index finger of his other hand, he pricked its center. A sharp sting was followed by a bead of crimson blood welling up. Jeha then presented the finger, adorned with the droplet, to the demon dragon hatchling.
“There, spit out what you’re holding, and I’ll give you this.” The demon dragon hatchling’s nose twitched, and its golden eyes widened dramatically. Simultaneously, it spat out Malik’s arm, which it had been gripping so tightly, as if it were nothing more than a tasteless twig.
“Kyu-yu! Kyu!” Instead of snatching Jeha’s finger that was offered before it, the demon dragon hatchling let out an anxious whimper, feigning extreme pitifulness. Jeha held his finger out in front of the demon dragon hatchling’s snout. Its golden eyes darted to Paimon and Zephyr, who stood behind him, seemingly gauging their reactions.
“It’s alright, it’s alright. Don’t bite down hard, just drink a few drops of blood. Can you do that?”
“Kyu!”
The demon dragon hatchling seemed to understand every word. As if in affirmation, it carefully nudged its snout towards Jeha’s finger and sniffed at the scent of the blood droplet. A tiny, scarlet tongue flicked out from between its jaws. The red, forked tongue, like a serpent’s, daintily licked the blood droplet from his finger. It smacked its lips, savoring the single drop of blood it had managed to taste. Its golden eyes, twinkling with brilliance, reflected its enjoyment.
“Does it taste good?”
“Kyu!”
The demon dragon hatchling nodded its head. Its sparkling golden eyes remained fixed on Jeha’s finger.
Jeha gently squeezed his finger. Blood welled up profusely, then streamed down his finger. Lick. Lick. The demon dragon hatchling’s long, scarlet tongue emerged from its snout, busily licking the flowing stream of blood from his finger. It licked with such diligence, eager not to waste a single drop. Having consumed every last bit of the blood that had flowed, the demon dragon hatchling smacked its lips, seemingly satisfied with just that. Jeha, deeming it enough, healed the wound on his finger.
“Kyu-woo… Kyu…”
The demon dragon hatchling rubbed its head, adorned with two adorable little horns, against Jeha’s hand with affectionate persistence. Its wings, attached to its back, flapped vigorously, indicating a surge of renewed energy. Jeha, melting at the hatchling’s blatant display of affection, continuously stroked its black scales.
Suddenly, the demon dragon hatchling’s body trembled, and its golden eyes flashed brilliantly. And in the next moment…
“SQWAAAAWK!”
The demon dragon hatchling spread its wings wide and let out a piercing shriek that was deafeningly loud!
WHOOSH!
A dense wave of demonic energy surged forth from the demon dragon hatchling’s body. The demonic energy its mother had sealed away had been completely shattered by a few drops of Jeha’s blood.
“Oh no…!”
Jeha hurriedly moved to prevent the demon dragon hatchling’s demonic energy from leaking out of the cave. However, there was nothing he could do about the demonic energy that had already spread in all directions during the brief moment the seal was broken.
“…Could we have been discovered?”
Jeha asked Paimon, his face troubled.
“It’s possible if there was a priest with moderately strong divine power nearby,” Paimon calmly replied. Then, he asked, “Master, what will you do now? Will you stop by the Demon King’s Castle to leave the hatchling there? Or will you continue your journey with it?”
“Kyu-woo…”
Hearing talk of being left at the Demon King’s Castle, the demon dragon hatchling whined pitifully, its eyes wide with sorrow. It then uncurled its body, waddled over, and pressed itself tightly against Jeha. Its reluctance to be separated was palpable.
“A mere demon dragon, acting so fragile and cute…” Zephyr clicked his tongue, exasperated. But Jeha, already utterly smitten with the hatchling, paid him no mind and scooped the clingy creature into his arms.
The hatchling’s weight, as it settled into his embrace, was surprisingly substantial. However, for Jeha, in his Demon King’s body, it was hardly an issue. The hatchling squirmed for a moment before finding a comfortable position, resting its chin on Jeha’s shoulder, as if claiming it as its rightful place.
As Jeha rose, cradling the hatchling, Paimon cast a questioning look, an expression of annoyance clearly visible in his eyes at the new burden.