"..."

Jikuhir fell silent.

She didn’t know why Cang Xiaoxi suddenly asked this. But from the boy’s utterly serious tone, she saw it clearly—the answer mattered deeply to him.

Her reply would shape their shared future.

She owed humans nothing. No need to save them. No need to befriend them.

Yet… from the moment she first met Cang Xiaoxi and chose not to kill him—

Or perhaps even earlier—an unspoken bond had already formed between them.

Not friends. Not enemies… What it truly was, Jikuhir couldn’t name. But one thing she knew. One thing she *would* do.

"Yes!"

A single word. Weightier than any long speech.

A faint smile touched the boy’s lips at the expected reply.

"Hehe… Then don’t betray my rare trust, Your Majesty the Dragon Sovereign."

"*I* should be saying that," Jikuhir shot back. "Don’t stab me in the back like Cuihua did, human—no, *Cang Xiaoxi*!"

No more words were needed.

Once Jikuhir’s feet touched the ground, the two child-sized figures exchanged confident smiles, victory already gleaming in their eyes.

Then—a roar shook heaven and earth. Wolf King Fenrir stood at the cave entrance.

"Hey. Got a plan?"

Seeing Fenrir still pacing the cave mouth, Jikuhir and Cang Xiaoxi squeezed into a shadowed corner, out of sight.

Only now did they silently thank their forms—one a legal loli, the other a pseudo-shota.

"A plan? Sort of," Cang Xiaoxi nodded vaguely. "Not to kill it. More like… freeing it from its trap."

"That’s enough," Jikuhir agreed. "Since you can’t yet wield your power, avoiding a clash is wise. Just surviving this is enough."

"Mm. Listen close. Here’s the plan…"

…

How long had it slept? When had it awakened? It did not know.

Emerging from endless slumber, its vision filled with ants—chattering meaninglessly.

"Hey hey! Is this the ancient relic His Majesty’s been searching for?"

"Must be! This detector shows power far beyond Divine Tier!"

"Perfect! No need for that weird Sage summoning. His Highness the Eighth Prince alone can wipe out those lowly beastkin. Just imagining it—*ahh*—thrilling!"

"Even better—we’ll become legendary nobles! Heroes! Endless gold and women will flood in!"

"Ugh, can’t take it… Hey! Drag those half-dead lizards over and make them unlock it!"

…

What were these ants babbling? What did they seek to unlock?

Groggy and confused, it understood nothing.

Yet the creatures the ants commanded to approach—though small like ants—carried a familiar scent.

With every step closer, its mind sharpened. Forgotten instincts stirred.

That urge—the raw hunger to tear flesh—gnawed at memory, at reason.

Nameless. Oath-forgotten. It awoke…

"*Awooo!!!*"

"Ahhh! What *is* this?! Never heard of it!"

"Wasn’t there supposed to be a Boundless Realm-level Arcane Artifact here?!"

"Where’s the Arcane Cannon?! Only the Arcane Cannon can stop it—bring it out!"

"Impossible! Both Arcane Cannons went with Er Gouzi’s squad to assault the Silverfrost Dragon Queen! We’ve got zero Arcane Artifacts left!"

"Abandon the lizards! Retreat—*now*!"

The buzzing chatter grated worse than a hornet swarm.

Awake after ages, breathing air both familiar and alien…

The awakened Wolf King, driven by instinct, hunted all traces of dragon scent—until *them*.

…

"Hey, you damn husky! Why ‘Erha’? Makes no sense… Whatever! Hey—*you*! Come get it! The world’s most delicious dragon tail is waiting~!"

Following Cang Xiaoxi’s "plan," Jikuhir wagged her nimble little tail, taunting the disoriented Wolf King.

"Eep! It’s coming!" she shrieked.

Fenrir lunged, jaws gaping, primal instinct locking onto the dragon-blooded girl.

Jet boots flaring, flight magic surging—Jikuhir zipped away. Even mid-flight, she yelled back into the cave:

"Cang Xiaoxi! Remember this! If you *dare* stand me up, I’ll haunt you to the ends of the earth as a vengeful spirit!"

"This airheaded little loli… does she even know what ‘lying low’ means?"

Once their sounds faded, Cang Xiaoxi scratched his head and stepped out.

He stared down the barren path carved by dragon and wolf.

Annoyed as he was with the legal loli, he pushed complaints aside—plan first.

Clutching the ice-imbued dagger Jikuhir entrusted him, plus a bundle of ordinary Arcane Artifacts humming with Transcendent and Divine Tier magic…

Magic-enhanced legs and jet boots propelled him *away* from Fenrir and Jikuhir.

*Am I really standing up the little loli?*

Part of him wouldn’t mind the thrill. He’d considered it.

But the Dragon Sovereign herself vouched for her. Betrayal felt wrong.

And those eyes—so utterly sincere—kept whispering in his mind as he ran: *Trust her. Trust her.*

After minutes of magic-fueled sprinting, he reached the destination.

"Knew this place was impressive during our first escape… but *this* vast? Guess that’s the charm of another world, huh."

Silvery moonlight bathed the forgotten ruins deep in the forest.

Each step bit with icy air.

Here—the place to ‘end’ that husky, Fenrir.

And the stepping stone toward a new beginning… for him and Dragon Sovereign Jikuhir.