Chapter 198: Lucky

Chapter 198: Chapter 198: Lucky

"It’s... It’s Lucky. Wait, Lucky?"

The waiter froze again. It took a moment to recover before asking, "Are you saying this Gloomdrake is named Lucky? In human culture, isn’t that a dog’s name?"

Seraphina Sinclair didn’t argue. She just picked Lucky up by the scruff of its neck and held her other hand out in front of it.

Lucky, ever the suck-up, obligingly licked the hand Seraphina offered.

Seraphina said nothing, yet her expression said everything. Her gaze toward the waiter held a single, clear meaning: ’If this isn’t a dog, what is?’

The waiter: "..."

Fine.

It was Seraphina Sinclair’s pet now, anyway. She could call it whatever she wanted.

The waiter moved on. "What kind of dragon eats these inferior creatures? This is clearly a gift from that big dragon."

It then added with a sigh, "How strange. I suppose this is its way of compensating you? Gloomdrakes are a rare Species, and I don’t know much about them, but they seem to possess high intelligence, so they should understand the concept of compensation. Its child might kill you in the future, so while you’re still alive, it’s trying to be a little nicer to you."

’Compensation?’

Seraphina mulled over the word, unsure of what to say.

’Before, seeing all this food, I thought I was getting a great deal. Now, my conscience is clear.’

’And here I was, thinking this was food for Lucky. Turns out it’s my last meal.’

Seraphina stopped dwelling on it and asked the waiter, "Can you process all of this?"

The waiter nodded. "Of course. But I came in a hurry and didn’t bring any tools, so I’ll have to take them back to process them. Besides..."

It crouched down and gently stroked the vulture’s feathers. "These creatures aren’t just food; they’re also good materials. I’ll save the materials and bring them to you next time we meet."

Seraphina nodded and asked, "So, do you know what Lucky should eat?"

The waiter’s expression turned to one of disbelief again. It glanced furtively at Lucky, then lowered its voice as if afraid of being overheard. "You don’t need to worry about it. Once it gets a little bigger, it’ll start hunting on its own. It might even bring some prey back for you."

"And how does it get a little bigger?"

Seraphina pressed for an answer. After all, it was her pet now; she couldn’t help but care.

’In my last life, I never even had a cat or a dog. Now I’m here, and I’ve jumped straight to raising a dragon. Talk about skipping a few steps.’

The truth was, the waiter didn’t really know either.

"To be honest, every Species has its secrets. If the Gloomdrakes’ coming-of-age ritual weren’t so unique, and if they didn’t go around looking for unlucky saps, I wouldn’t know this much. But I only know about their ritual. The specifics of how they grow are also a secret."

Seraphina "Unlucky Sap" Sinclair: "..."

’How can this non-human thing be so tactless?’

’Who goes into someone’s home and calls them an unlucky sap?’

"So, in short, I don’t need to worry too much?"

"Correct, human. You just need to cherish this final stretch of time you have left."

Seraphina: "..."

’This thing really has no tact.’

But Seraphina grew curious. "Is there no way to control Lucky and prevent it from undergoing its coming-of-age ritual?"

The waiter looked at Seraphina with a hint of pity, like a helpless doctor facing a terminally ill patient. "Human, your question... is like asking if a flower can never bloom, or if a river can never flow into the sea. The Gloomdrake’s coming-of-age ritual is an instinct carved into its very bloodline. It is the ultimate meaning of its existence."

It pointed at Lucky, who was dozing in Seraphina’s palm. "Look at it now, so docile and cute. But as it grows, that craving will build inside it like a tide, until it drowns all reason. It’s not something it can control, and it’s certainly not something you can stop."

Seraphina fell silent for a moment, reaching out to stroke Lucky’s cool scales.

The Little Dragon nuzzled her palm comfortably, letting out a faint purr.

"But there are many trees that never flower, and plenty of rivers that never reach the sea."

The waiter was choked by her words, its eyes widening slightly as if it had never heard such a rebuttal.

After a long moment, it said, "It’s not that there’s no way. If you can grow faster than it does, fast enough to completely dominate it..." ℯℯ𝘭.

The waiter narrowed its eyes. "Its inner desire to kill you will turn into fear. Perhaps... in that twisted way, you could control it forever."

Seraphina’s eyes lit up slightly. It seemed her guess had been right on the mark. But...

"During this process, won’t the big dragon outside interfere?"

"Of course it won’t. This is its child’s business, not its own." The waiter gave her a meaningful look. "Besides, this is an incredibly difficult feat in itself. A Gloomdrake’s growth rate is far beyond what one might imagine. And what’s more... you’re a human."

Seraphina didn’t answer right away, just gently stroked Lucky.

The Little Dragon seemed to sense something, lifting its head to look at her with its unique draconic eyes.

"Humans have their own paths, too." Seraphina suddenly smiled. "Since there’s a way, I have to at least try."

The waiter shook its head. "Do you have any idea what this means? It means you’ll be in a race against a Gloomdrake. Before it reaches adulthood, you must possess enough Strength to make it fear you. Otherwise..."

"Otherwise, it’s a dead end. I understand."

Seraphina finished its sentence, her tone as calm as if she were discussing the weather.

The waiter said no more. It busied itself with packing up the three kills in the room. Only then did it give Seraphina a complicated look and say, "I’m actually looking forward to that day. Perhaps... you can achieve more than I imagine."

Without even looking up, Seraphina just chuckled and replied, "I’ll prove that you’re the one who got the better end of this deal by working with me."

The waiter laughed too. After packing everything up, it handed her a new card. "Call me again next time you need something."

Seraphina took it and watched the waiter leave.

After the mobile cabin fell silent, Seraphina played with Lucky for a while before looking up to consider her next move.

’Rune painting, and then tonight, I’ll see if meditation can replace sleep.’

’If it can...’

’Then I’m going to start cultivating!’

Early the next morning, Seraphina, who had been pestered by the Sunflower for half the night, opened her eyes.

After a full night, she was certain.

Not only could meditation replace sleep, but its effects were also far superior! She was now bursting with Spirit, and her physical condition had reached an unprecedented peak! She felt like she could take on ten guys at once!

Lucky was curled up by her leg. Seeing her awake, it nuzzled her hand affectionately.

Seraphina noticed that the Little Dragon seemed to have grown a size larger as well.