Chapter 22 The Storm Dragon

The colossal beast folded its fleshy wings and landed on the ground, standing before the teleportation structure, its broad silhouette entirely obscuring the edifice behind it.

Its beastly eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a thoughtful expression.

At that moment, Ye Mi was sorting through the vast fragments of memory in her mind.

This winged creature—no, more accurately, this Storm Dragon—belonged to a tribe that had existed for countless ages.

The one Ye Mi inhabited was considered a child among its kin; even so, its life had already spanned nearly a hundred years, during which the land it roamed had changed little.

The ground beneath its feet was known as the Inner Province Mountain Range, boasting immense tracts and a thriving, diverse ecosystem. Snow persisted year-round atop the highest peaks.

The Storm Dragons were one of the dominant tribes here, and their king, the Cloud Storm Dragon, resided deep within the snowy mountains at the range’s end. It was rare for Storm Dragons to encounter their king.

The sky belonged to them, yet the earth harbored many unforeseen dangers.

Fragments of memory revealed that Storm Dragons had seen lion beasts crackling with lightning, their mere presence altering the very color of the heavens and earth; they had witnessed terrifying lizards whose open jaws could flood the land with poisonous marsh gas. These creatures respected boundaries, rarely crossing paths, but when they did, disaster struck, altering the world itself.

Such calamities were infrequent, for the mountain range was vast beyond measure.

Everything could be found here, save for humans and their bewildering technologies.

This was a world ancient and monstrous, belonging solely to creatures.

Prison Mountain, the highest peak and an active volcano in the Inner Province Mountain Range, erupted once every hundred years.

The aftermath brought devastating ashfall, which caused monstrous mutations—some creatures perished horribly, others were reborn in the flames, emerging stronger than before.

All monsters in this land held these eruptions in utmost regard.

Even the Cloud Storm Dragon would personally guard the volcano, seeking purification in the disaster to grow more powerful.

It was rumored that there were eighteen such Prison Mountains across the continent.

As Ye Mi recalled this, she suddenly understood where the energy of the Light Ruins was hidden in this world.

In Light Ruins within Prism City and along the shores of the Bronze Giant City, traces of Light Ruins energy could be found, but in this forest, she had seen nothing upon entry.

Now, she knew why.

The characteristics of monstrous mutation and rebirth through disaster mirrored those brought by Light Ruins energy.

For reasons unknown, the energy lay dormant within the eighteen Prison Mountains, erupting each century to transform the monsters within.

If Ye Mi wished to become stronger, perhaps she too would need to seek out one of these mountains.

But that was a matter for the future. For now, what mattered most was finding a way for the Storm Dragon to reach the planet where the Twin Sea Islands lay.

Expand the teleportation structure? Clearly, Ye Mi lacked the ability.

Shrink the Storm Dragon’s form? That too was beyond her.

After much consideration, Ye Mi realized that aside from sneaking into the dragon’s lair to steal an egg and raise it until birth, or parasitizing a dragon of suitable size, she had no other options.

As she pondered, her wings unconsciously unfurled, brushing against the pitch-black surface of the teleportation gate.

The shadowy darkness, seemingly intangible, began to stir like a living thing, gradually stretching outward as her wings spread. The once narrow entrance expanded until it was large enough for the Storm Dragon’s massive frame to pass through.

The black, lightless gate grew several times its original size.

“It can change its form automatically?”

Ye Mi was stunned.

But upon reflection, it seemed only reasonable; whoever possessed the ability to construct a device capable of interplanetary transport would surely have no trouble with such a feature.

She had never encountered this issue before, and with time so short earlier, she hadn’t thought to test it. Only now did she discover this trait of the teleportation gate.

It had been a needless worry.

Ye Mi smiled wryly; all her previous concerns were now rendered obsolete. She tucked thoughts of Prison Mountain away for later and quickly returned to the Twin Sea Islands.

The sea breeze swept across jagged reefs, carrying a salty tang to her senses.

Ye Mi, peering through the Storm Dragon’s golden slit pupils, surveyed her surroundings, confirming she had arrived on the Twin Sea Islands with nothing amiss. Her wings gave a powerful beat—

Boom!

A violent gust swept the beach, sending pebbles soaring high.

Ye Mi delighted in the vast perspective her new body afforded.

The Storm Dragon’s flight altitude and speed dwarfed those of any seagull, and now the entire sea was laid bare beneath her.

She circled overhead twice, startling countless mutated seabirds.

These usually fierce predators scattered like frightened sparrows; a few crashed into the cliffs in panic, producing dull thuds.

Such a giant, they had never seen before.

“Transport problem solved.”

Having had her fill of amusement, Ye Mi landed at the edge of Flat-top Mountain, her sharp claws gripping the rock crevices to steady herself.

The natural platform was cramped, forcing the Storm Dragon to fold one wing just to stand securely.

Ye Mi began planning renovations in her mind: first, carve a stable foundation atop the mountain, then reserve space for a garden to plant healing fruit trees...

A sudden rumbling sounded from her abdomen.

Instinctively, she turned toward the sea, her slit pupils catching the shadows of swimming fish.

Only then did Ye Mi remember that this body needed sustenance.

She spread her wings and dove toward the ocean.

The hunt was unexpectedly easy; the Storm Dragon’s dive sent shockwaves through the water, stunning entire schools of fish, and her claws scooped up dozens with ease.

Resources here were truly abundant.

Remembering the island’s bounty of plants—including many fruit trees and wild vegetables—she thought only a few needed to be transplanted beside the healing fruit trees in her garden, and she would never again worry about food.

As for water, the Gray Fox Gang possessed filtration devices; without them, humans could not survive within the Light Ruins.

As if summoned by thought, as soon as Ye Mi recalled the Gray Fox Gang, Reva’s communications link chimed in.

“Hey? The security robots, drones, and basic materials and facilities you requested are ready. They’re piled up on the open ground outside the western gate of the human camp—when will you come collect them?”

She paused, then added, “Let me be clear, the Gray Fox Gang won’t help with transport. We’re busy. You’ll have to figure it out yourselves.”

Reva saw no issue with this arrangement.

It wasn’t that they were unwilling to do a favor for their partners, but the items requested by the Rust Tide King totaled several tons. Helping with transport would drain the Gray Fox Gang’s manpower.

They sought cooperation with monsters, not servitude; tasks beyond their capacity were naturally their own responsibility.

Ye Mi, now possessing the Storm Dragon, paid it no mind: “Alright, wait for me. I’m coming now.”

She ended the transmission, had the Rust Tide King leap onto the Storm Dragon’s broad back, and flew toward the human camp.