ISWTDB Ch135

Chapter 135: The Boss is Always Acting Up (5, 6)

Ying Zhao was almost knocked off his feet by the strong wind generated by the wings of the dragon. He had to firmly grab onto a pillar not far from the great hall.

A flash of blinding red light pierced through the air, and the red dragon hovering midair unexpectedly transformed into a human form right before Ying Zhao’s eyes.

When Ying Zhao saw the face of the Flame Dragon, he instantly widened his eyes. The human form before him was exactly that of Zhu Que in the mortal realm.

In Ying Zhao’s memory, although the image designed by the original character for the Flame Dragon was also quite majestic and similar to his lover, it didn’t match up to this level of perfect likeness.

So, perhaps this was a manifestation of his lover’s soul fragments, reflecting his own consciousness. Thus, the Flame Dragon adopted a familiar appearance in this whimsical world. For Ying Zhao, this resemblance felt comforting and intimate.

At that moment, the dragon king, dressed in a dark red robe and draped in a black cloak, hovered in midair. His red eyes keenly observed Ying Zhao, seemingly waiting for his submission.

What he didn’t know was that in Ying Zhao’s heart, this was merely a display of childishness. As he gazed at the Flame Dragon, Ying Zhao couldn’t help but recall images of Ming when he was still a playful child.

However, he was also aware that his lover had not yet awakened his memories. So to him, he was simply the dragon king, the Flame Dragon.

Moreover, even if he had awakened his memories, Lu Yan was only sixteen when he met his tragic fate, and his mental maturity was not quite developed.

Understanding that the world of Journey was the reality for the Flame Dragon, Ying Zhao dusted himself off and stepped forward steadily.

Then, according to protocol, he clenched his right fist and placed it on his left shoulder, slightly bowing as he respectfully said, “Your Highness the Flame Dragon, King of the Dragons, I apologize for awakening you. Please forgive my transgression!”

After speaking, Ying Zhao lifted his head to face the Flame Dragon, removing the mask from his face to reveal his true appearance.

Upon seeing Ying Zhao’s face, the Flame Dragon felt his internal data jolt wildly for a moment, almost as if the entire dragon had been infected by a virus.

His expression suddenly changed, and he quickly descended. He then grasped Ying Zhao’s chin tightly, staring directly into his eyes as he solemnly said, “Who exactly are you?”

Before Ying Zhao could respond, the Flame Dragon meticulously scrutinized him and muttered to himself, “Elf tribe? Could it be that you are a spy sent by the Elf King to gather intelligence on the dragon tribe?”

As he spoke, the Flame Dragon snorted coldly. “You can tell your Elf King that I won’t fall for your tribe’s schemes! You treacherous little people! Do you think I would let my guard down just because you sent such a beauty? I wouldn’t just hand over the treasures of the dragon tribe to you!”

Ying Zhao couldn’t help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation. He thought to himself that his man’s ability to imagine was still remarkably strong. But if his lover was calling him a beauty, shouldn’t he be thanking him?

Thinking of this, Ying Zhao couldn’t help but smile helplessly as he replied to the Flame Dragon, “No, Your Highness. The world has changed significantly from the past. The races now coexist peacefully, and the entire continent has opened up to the outside.”

“Though I belong to the elven race, we harbor no schemes. If you don’t believe me, you can check the information about this world yourself.”

Hearing Ying Zhao’s explanation, the Flame Dragon furrowed his brows and began to access the data of this world. Since the moment this game world was constructed, the Flame Dragon had been in a state of slumber. Therefore, his memories still lingered in the era of the great wars between the races.

According to the setting in Journey, the Flame Dragon had been asleep for hundreds of years. However, as the game’s ultimate boss, he naturally had high authority. Soon, the Flame Dragon grasped the current situation on the continent.

He realized that the world had transformed into an era of adventure and that numerous outsiders were altering this world.

Upon realizing this, the Flame Dragon also recognized that his previous assumptions were incorrect. Generally speaking, the rulers of each race only stayed in their own royal cities and wouldn’t randomly invade foreign lands.

Yet for some reason, upon learning that this elf was not sent by the elven race to employ beauty tricks on him, the Flame Dragon felt a bit disappointed.

But thinking of himself as the dragon king, the most powerful being on the continent, he proudly addressed Ying Zhao, “Alright, I understand now. I have been sleeping here for a long time and have only just awakened. I didn’t expect so many changes to have occurred on this continent. Since it was you who awakened me, I shall graciously accept you as my servant!”

As he spoke, the Flame Dragon scanned Ying Zhao up and down, feeling quite satisfied with his beautiful elven servant.

However, it was clear that he was the only one who felt this satisfaction. After hearing the Flame Dragon’s words, Ying Zhao gained a new understanding of his man’s level of childishness.

He inexplicably felt a tingling in his palms, wanting to stomp on the man’s face hard. What should he do? He was anxiously waiting for an answer!

However, even though Ying Zhao’s heart was racing, he maintained an expressionless demeanor as he looked at the Flame Dragon and said, “You want me to be your servant?”

Ying Zhao raised an eyebrow and gazed at him. For some reason, the Flame Dragon felt a chill run down his spine under Ying Zhao’s casual glance, sensing that something terrifying was about to happen.

Yet, the pride of the dragon king prevented him from easily backing down. So, taking a deep breath, he arrogantly lifted his chin and said to Ying Zhao, “Yes! You feel honored, don’t you?”

Seeing this, Ying Zhao squinted his eyes and nodded, saying, “Yes, I am truly honored! But since that is the case, I believe Your Highness the Flame Dragon must have some very good rewards in store for your servant. I wonder what esteemed rewards you plan to give me? After all, you are the strongest king on this continent.”

Upon hearing Ying Zhao’s words, the Flame Dragon felt they were quite reasonable. How could a master treat his servant poorly? He began to think about what other races might like.

However, the dragon tribe had always been indifferent to other races, believing that according to their own preferences, everyone else must also love gold coins and treasures.

Glancing at the mountains of gold and treasures piled up in the dragon tribe’s holy palace, he recalled that during the time he was asleep, it seemed like one could buy a decent servant for just a hundred gold coins. He just didn’t know if that was still the case after so many years.

While pondering this, the Flame Dragon meticulously examined Ying Zhao beside him. Noticing the smile at the corner of Ying Zhao’s mouth, he felt a sudden jolt in his heart.

He couldn’t help but marvel at how good-looking his servant was. Even the most beautiful elf king, known to be the most handsome on the continent, paled in comparison to this man in his heart.

Such a beautiful elven servant would likely require more than just a hundred gold coins. Should he give him all the gold and treasures in the holy palace instead?

Gently pinching Ying Zhao’s chin, the Flame Dragon felt a little conflicted. The more he looked at Ying Zhao, the more satisfied he became, and he really wanted to possess him.

He even felt that emptying the entire holy palace of gold and treasures for him would be worth it.

However, he soon realized that he seemed to be too concerned about this elf. Although the other party said the continent was now at peace, it couldn’t be guaranteed that other races had no intentions of domination.

Especially since this person appeared to be so remarkable, suddenly showing up in the dragon tribe’s holy palace and having the ability to awaken him, he should not be an ordinary character.

If this person truly was a spy from the elven race, then his satisfaction with him could easily lead him down a dangerous path.

Thinking of this, the Flame Dragon decided to assert his authority as a master, ensuring that Ying Zhao did not underestimate him.

He deliberately snorted at Ying Zhao and said, “Although you’re not bad, you’re just a servant after all. How much reward do you think you deserve?”

Looking into Ying Zhao’s bright black eyes, the Flame Dragon was worried he would lose control and promise more rewards. He quickly averted his gaze and casually said, “Then let all the treasures in this great hall be your reward!”

After speaking, the Flame Dragon thought for a moment and, fearing that the treasures might be too little for the person beside him to be satisfied, quickly added, “Of course, if you perform well, I have even more treasures to give you. But you must be absolutely loyal to me; the dragon tribe does not tolerate deception!”

He emphasized the last sentence, hoping to warn Ying Zhao, so he could understand his situation and choose to abandon any dark intentions to gain more.

Upon hearing the Flame Dragon’s words, Ying Zhao’s lips twitched. He was unaware of what his lover had been imagining.

However, looking at the treasure-filled holy palace, he found it amusing that all this wealth could be considered his just from the Flame Dragon’s casual remark. He felt that his man was quite generous toward him.

So, it seemed that his lover was indeed an undercover wealthy person!

In the world of Journey, there were quite a few ways to earn gold coins, with defeating monsters and completing NPC quests being the most common.

However, ordinary quests from NPCs usually yielded around a hundred gold coins, with most rewards being materials.

As for defeating monsters, a small creature would drop less than ten gold coins. As players leveled up and challenged higher-level monsters, killing one could yield dozens or even hundreds of gold coins.

This was the main source of gold coins for players, but even defeating a top-level boss would only grant about ten thousand gold coins.

Yet, looking at the abundant treasures before him, there must be at least hundreds of millions of coins here!

He remembered that when the original character led the team to design Journey, they had paid special attention to the dragons’ gold and treasures.

The dragons were designed to be powerful in combat, capable of dropping high-level equipment, but notoriously stingy with their gold and treasures.

But now, his lover had clearly exceeded the attributes of his own race and was being so generous toward him, which made Ying Zhao feel a sense of relief.

Indeed, no matter what world he was in or what identity he took on, he treated him differently.

Thinking of this, Ying Zhao even found the Flame Dragon’s earlier childish behavior of wanting him to be a servant somewhat less detestable.

There was no way around it; his lover was merely influenced by the character setting.

Ying Zhao revealed a hint of helplessness on his face, and his tone softened as he smiled gently at the Flame Dragon, saying, “Then thank you, Your Highness. You really are generous.”

Upon hearing that Ying Zhao accepted his reward, the Flame Dragon finally relaxed. He felt that his beautiful servant was quite commendable, entirely unlike the greedy nature he had come to associate with other races.

After all, it was merely the treasures of a holy palace. As a dragon king who adored treasures, he had the entire wealth of the dragon tribe stored in his own spatial realm, accessible at any time.

Although the treasure of a single holy palace was substantial for any dragon, to the Flame Dragon, the value of these treasures paled in comparison to the person before him.

He completely overlooked that if it were a different elf or any other individual standing in front of him, demanding servant rewards, he would probably hesitate to part with even a single gold coin.

However, facing Ying Zhao, he instinctively wanted to offer everything he had, all while worrying that it might not be enough.

Once the two reached an agreement, the Flame Dragon quickly formed a gesture with his hand. Immediately, Ying Zhao felt a warmth surge at his brow, a flow of warmth coursing through his entire body.

At the same time, he sensed that some kind of connection had seemingly formed between him and the Flame Dragon. This reminded him of the moment in his previous life when his lover had given him the fish pearl.

Touching his brow, Ying Zhao couldn’t help but ask the Flame Dragon, “What did you do to me?”

Upon hearing Ying Zhao’s question, the Flame Dragon revealed a proud expression and replied, “It’s just a master-servant contract. Since you’ve agreed to become my servant, there naturally must be some contractual binding; otherwise, who knows if you might run off to the elven king and sell out the dragon tribe!”

Listening to his lover’s contradictory words, Ying Zhao couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. Given that he had the designer’s privileges, he could easily tell that the contract the Flame Dragon had formed for him was not a master-servant contract, but rather a rare protection contract.

High-level NPCs of each race had this privilege to establish various contracts with players: equal contracts, servant contracts, formation contracts, and so on.

Of course, the master-servant contract that the Flame Dragon just mentioned also existed, but the protection contract was a way to quickly earn gold coins, requiring a player to serve the NPC for a long time.

It could last anywhere from a few days to several years, generally imposed as a punishment. During this time, players had no freedom and could not independently undertake other tasks.

Thus, even though this contract could yield a considerable amount of gold coins for players, most were unwilling to enter into such a contract.

As for the protection contract that his man had just formed with him, it was the best and most valuable type. In the game, such contracts could only be obtained by meeting very stringent conditions and fulfilling specific requirements of high-level NPCs.

In Ying Zhao’s memory, fewer than twenty players in *Journey* had ever obtained a protection contract. Moreover, none had ever established a contract with a king.

The benefit of this contract was that while it connected players with NPCs, it did not impose any mandatory restrictions. When a player faced danger, the NPC could sense it and even appear proactively to protect the player.

Even in a PK arena, where partners could not fight together, the power of the protection contract allowed players to borrow a portion of the NPC’s energy during critical moments in battle, even using the NPC’s weapons to fight.

The combat power of high-level NPCs was naturally formidable, so possessing this contract meant that players could almost dominate in the PK arena.

Knowing that his lover was subconsciously looking out for him filled Ying Zhao with warmth. Without thinking, he leaned in and kissed the Flame Dragon’s cheek before smiling and pulling back.

The Flame Dragon never expected Ying Zhao to do such a thing; he widened his eyes, covering the spot on his face where he had been kissed, staring at Ying Zhao in shock.

Pointing at him with a finger, he stammered, “You bold elf! How dare you! How could you?!”

“I just wanted to express my gratitude to you!” Ying Zhao’s expression grew even gentler as he looked at his red-faced lover, feeling a strange fondness.

Upon hearing Ying Zhao’s explanation, the Flame Dragon let out an uncomfortable snort. He appeared reluctant, yet his heart couldn’t help but feel a hint of sweetness.

In fact, after the contract was formed, the Flame Dragon found it strange that he had chosen such a clearly non-restrictive protection contract.

This meant that what he had just said about binding this elf with a contract didn’t hold. But on second thought, as a master, he certainly needed to protect his servant.

Moreover, the person under the contract wouldn’t clearly know what kind of contract it was; only the one who established it would be aware.

It couldn’t be that this elf knew he had actually established a protection contract rather than a master-servant one, causing him to show such delight, could it? The Flame Dragon furrowed his brows, feeling a bit worried.

However, as soon as this thought crossed his mind, he quickly dismissed it. He believed Ying Zhao was just an ordinary elf and should not possess such abilities.

Unconsciously, his fingers brushed the spot where he had just been kissed, feeling inexplicably hot. At that moment, it seemed as if even the data within his body was in disarray.

But then, the Flame Dragon thought of another possibility. He instantly turned to Ying Zhao and asked fiercely, “Do you express your gratitude like this to others as well?”

Seeing his lover in such a flustered state, Ying Zhao shook his head, exasperated but amused, and said, “Of course not! I only do this for you, Your Highness!”

Hearing Ying Zhao’s words, the Flame Dragon finally nodded in satisfaction. He cleared his throat and ordered, “Very well, from now on, you can only do this for me. My servant cannot kiss anyone else!”

Seeing his lover’s expression of casualness, seemingly unaware of how inappropriate it was for a servant to kiss their master, Ying Zhao couldn’t help but chuckle and nod.

Then, he took a moment to survey his lover’s imposing figure from head to toe, licking his lips in satisfaction.

A servant was just a servant; he decided to treat it as a little playful intimacy with his lover. After all, he would eventually come to understand his place in the Flame Dragon’s heart.

After speaking, the Flame Dragon’s gaze unconsciously drifted toward Ying Zhao’s rosy lips, reminiscing about the feather-light touch from moments ago, which caused him to smirk. He quite liked this expression of gratitude.

Then the Flame Dragon recalled the serious matter he needed to attend to. He looked around the dragon tribe’s holy palace, a tide of emotions swirling in his red eyes.

He spread his arms wide and began reciting an ancient incantation. Soon, the entire hall started to tremble.

Seeing this, Ying Zhao’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly grabbed the Flame Dragon’s arm and asked him, “Your Highness, what exactly are you doing?”

The Flame Dragon turned his head, looking at Ying Zhao’s nervous demeanor with a hint of curiosity, “Don’t disturb me. Can’t you see I’m waking the sleeping clansmen?”

Just as expected!

Upon hearing this, Ying Zhao remembered that the awakening condition for the dragon tribe’s block was to awaken the Flame Dragon. After the boss woke up, the first thing he would do would naturally be to resurrect all the dragons.

After that, the options for the dragon tribe and the dragon continent would be opened to all game players.

However, under the current circumstances, Ying Zhao needed to stop the Flame Dragon. Waking his lover was a private matter; if it were just the Flame Dragon awakening, no one would notice. But if the entire dragon continent awakened, it would surely attract the company’s attention.

Especially given the Flame Dragon’s special status—if the male lead, Lu Chenhui, learned about it, he would definitely investigate the matter, which would be very detrimental to Ying Zhao’s plans.

Thinking of this, Ying Zhao hurriedly said to the Flame Dragon, “Your Highness, please don’t wake the other dragons just yet!”

Hearing this, the Flame Dragon furrowed his brows, somewhat confused as he looked at Ying Zhao. Then, Ying Zhao continued to explain, “Your Highness, you’ve just awakened and still need to adapt to this world. After all, the other dragons will need your guidance once they awaken, so I think it would be best for you to personally understand this world first.”

Upon hearing this, the Flame Dragon recalled his own awakening moments earlier, his mind still lingering on memories from hundreds of years ago. While he could use his privileges to learn about the current changes in this world, nothing could replace firsthand experience.

Moreover, as the leader of his clan, it was imperative for him to strategize and fully grasp the changes in this continent.

Thinking this way, the Flame Dragon found Ying Zhao’s argument to be quite reasonable. Yet, he couldn’t help but feel a bit suspicious. Was this little fellow’s hesitation to let him summon all the dragons due to concerns that the revival of the dragon tribe might pose a threat to other races?

After all, their dragon tribe was the strongest power on this continent. Was he worried that all the dragons would awaken and then attack the other races?

But before the Flame Dragon could ponder this further, he noticed a captivating smile on Ying Zhao’s face as he softly said, “Moreover, I hope to accompany you on your travels across this continent. I’ve always admired you and wanted to spend more time alone with you!”

“Hmph! What do you mean by ‘alone’?” The Flame Dragon coldly huffed at Ying Zhao’s words. However, the involuntary upward curve of his lips revealed his good mood.