Chapter 10: I Want to Be Ripe
“What is that?”
As he spoke, Vitte carefully examined the creature.
It looked very much like a cow from that world, but it was much larger, standing over twenty meters tall and measuring about thirty meters in length.
Its body was covered in long brown fur, beneath which were not skin but scales. Its feet were not hooves but claws, and its occasionally opened mouth revealed two rows of teeth, with four massive canines and the rest being flat. In terms of the terminology from that world, it could be described as omnivorous!
Additionally, this “cow” had a pair of spiral dragon horns on its head, and its tail resembled that of a dragon.
"This is a Bous Dragon Beast. It has a gentle temperament, moves slowly, and comes in various types. This one is a Star Source variant, living in the Star Source Mountains in the western part of Desidero.
By the way, it is not yet an adult. An adult Bous Dragon Beast will be about the same size as I am now!"
Upon hearing this, Vitte’s eyes lit up.
“So this is a Dragon Beast?”
“It is a postnatal Dragon Beast. After millions of years of breeding, it has essentially become different from the original innate Dragon Beasts!”
Winter paused for a moment before continuing, “Innate Dragon Beasts and postnatal Dragon Beasts are actually easy to distinguish. Innate Dragon Beasts have no differences from dragons except in terms of intelligence!”
Winter always explained Vitte’s questions in great detail. This intricate knowledge was incredibly important for Vitte, who lacked inherited memories!
Of course, the knowledge about the Bous Dragon Beast was also quite unfamiliar to Celine.
After all, the Bous Dragon Beast was just an ordinary omnivorous Dragon Beast, and it was not a formidable opponent worthy of being included in the bloodline inheritance of true dragons!
However…
“If it’s not yet an adult, what purpose does bringing it to the dragon lair serve?”
Hearing this, Winter smiled mysteriously.
“It’s here to give you your first lesson. Come with me!”
With that, Winter grabbed the tail of the little Bous Dragon Beast and walked into the depths of the dragon lair.
First lesson?
Upon hearing this, Vitte and Celine exchanged glances, both filled with curiosity.
They quickly followed after him.
Of course, Celine flew, while Vitte ran!
Noticing this, a hint of pity flashed in Winter’s gaze as he looked at Vitte.
No matter what kind of future the power Vitte inherited held, flying would undoubtedly become his most apparent weakness!
Soon, Vitte followed closely behind Winter and entered the depths of the dragon lair. As it was his first time inside, he instinctively took in his surroundings.
The interior of the dragon lair was extremely spacious, and it seemed that even Winter could spread his wings and fly!
No wonder five young dragons could reside in a single dragon lair.
Not to mention five, even fifty would not feel crowded at all!
Winter’s arrival stirred the three sleeping dragonlings, Billy, Dinit, and Ao, awake.
The reactions of the three dragonlings upon waking were entirely different.
Dinit greeted Winter quietly and then lay still, curiously watching the Bous Dragon Beast.
Billy, on the other hand, circled around the Bous Dragon Beast, filled with curiosity.
As for Ao, he was quite displeased at being disturbed from his sleep. Unfortunately for him, it was Winter who interrupted him, so he could only sulk there.
With all five young dragons gathered, Winter pulled the completely unresisting Bous Dragon Beast to stand not far from the five dragonlings.
"Although I’ve already told Vitte and Celine this, I need to repeat it! This is a Bous Dragon Beast, a still juvenile Bous Dragon Beast.
Adult Bous Dragon Beasts vary in size depending on their type, but they generally exceed six hundred meters in length, and the largest types can even reach eight hundred meters!"
Upon hearing this, Vitte paused for a moment, a glimmer of joy flashing in his eyes.
The length units in both worlds were roughly similar, and while he didn’t know if the concepts were the same, at least it would make learning related knowledge much easier for him in the future!
While Vitte was momentarily distracted, Winter continued, “Our first lesson is quite simple. It may seem easy for you, but it could also be quite challenging!”
He paused for a moment before solemnly stating, “The content of the first lesson is… killing!”
Looking at the five dragonlings, who were all stunned, Winter continued, "I previously told Vitte and Celine that Bous Dragon Beasts are gentle and slow-moving, and they come in various types.
However, I didn’t mention that the meat of the Bous Dragon Beast has extremely high nutritional value, providing rich nourishment and energy for you as young dragons.
It can help you grow stronger!
So, rather than calling this first lesson ‘killing,’ it would be more accurate to say that this is about teaching you how to acquire your own food and how to grow!"
“Now, who wants to go first?”
“Who wants to go first?”
Winter’s voice was unusually low.
Upon hearing this, a wave of resistance rose within Vitte.
In his mind, the world of his inherited memories was generally peaceful, so he instinctively recoiled from the word “killing.”
However, he also understood that that world could be treated as a dream, for what he was experiencing now was reality!
And reality was cruel!
For a moment, Vitte didn’t know how to react.
Feeling lost, he looked towards Celine and the others, only to see that the other four dragonlings also wore expressions of confusion.
Seeing that no dragon responded, Winter continued, "Desidero can provide you with excellent protection, but this world is dangerous. Relying on others for your safety is the mark of a weakling.
If you want to be weak, I have nothing more to say."
“But if you want to take control of your own fate, then killing is something you must face!”
At this point, Winter’s voice softened once more.
"Killing never represents anything good. If it were possible, I would hope that you wouldn’t have to confront it just a day after your birth!
But unfortunately, Desidero is not strong enough to allow you to grow up carefree.
I’m sorry! We brought you into this world, but we cannot give you freedom and safety!
You must fight for those yourself!"
As his words fell, the dragon lair fell silent, with only the juvenile Bous Dragon Beast left, breathing in fear and anxiety.
It desperately wanted to escape, but an invisible force rendered it unable to move even a muscle.
“I’ll go first!”
The young dragons turned to see Celine stepping forward slowly.
“I’ll go first!”
It sounded like she was telling others, but also reassuring herself.
Seeing this, Winter dragged the Bous Dragon Beast in front of him and laid it down on the ground, then looked at Celine.
“Whether it’s a Dragon Beast or a true dragon, the neck is always a fatal spot!”
Celine nodded, then walked up to the neck of the Bous Dragon Beast.
Taking a deep breath, she shakily extended her claws, forcing herself to focus on the creature’s neck, and then she struck down hard.
Bright red blood gushed from the wound, and Celine, standing at the injury site, was no longer pure white.
However, at that moment, Celine’s attention was not on herself.
Compared to the warm liquid spraying onto her body, the fading light in the creature’s eyes gave Celine a more direct view of the passing of life!
"Celine, life is fragile. If you don’t want to face your own death helplessly one day in the future, then becoming stronger is your only choice!
And the first step to becoming stronger is to allow yourself to grow, and growth requires food!"
Upon hearing this, Celine’s dazzling golden slit pupils constricted sharply. No longer hesitating, she bit down on the wound she had just created.
Gulping down the warm blood and flesh, a powerful aura began to brew around Celine, one that sent shivers down the spines of the other dragons.
Feeling this aura, Winter nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze to the other young dragons.
With a wave of his paw, another Bous Dragon Beast, similar in size, lay down in front of him.
“Next!”
This time, as soon as Winter’s voice fell, Ao rushed to the neck of the Bous Dragon Beast and bit down hard, followed by the sound of him gulping.
“Next!”
Winter moved aside and summoned yet another Bous Dragon Beast.
The remaining three dragonlings exchanged glances, and then Billy stepped forward first.
Next was Dinit!
Finally, Vitte walked slowly to the neck of the newly summoned Bous Dragon Beast, an inexplicable light flashing in his pupils.
Is this the world of the survival of the fittest?
Thinking this, Vitte looked at his own claws, then plunged them into the neck of the Bous Dragon Beast.
However, as he watched the blood spray out, Vitte’s pupils constricted sharply, and a wave of inexplicable revulsion filled his heart. By the time he realized what was happening, he had already distanced himself from the corpse of the Bous Dragon Beast.