Chapter 197: Dragon Dragon Dragon

The Azure Dragon Empire, Central Magic Academy—another school year was beginning.

It had been thirty years since that devastating cataclysm. The continent had slowly recovered, and the magic academies were once again bustling with life.

Among them, Central Magic Academy, which had suffered the greatest losses during the disaster—and had once been the only academy to possess a dragon—welcomed the largest number of new students this year.

In the first-year magic summoning class, twelve-year-old students leaned forward eagerly, eyes fixed on the teacher at the podium as she demonstrated a summoning magic circle.

Melya was a new teacher. To be hired at Central Magic Academy at her age was proof of extraordinary talent. But even so, facing the expectant faces of her students on her first day, she couldn’t help feeling nervous.

“This is a magical summoning circle I reconstructed based on ancient magic,” she began. “It’s different from the usual ones used to summon wraiths or skeletons. Depending on the core item placed in the center, it can produce different summoning results.”

“Some have used this kind of circle to summon elves, merfolk, even strange creatures from distant stars.”

The students gasped in awe as Melya carefully placed a green gemstone into the circle.

“This is a gem brimming with life energy. It might summon an elf.”

A soft glow filled the classroom. Within the magic circle, a vague silhouette began to form.

The students stood up, squinting against the bright light, crowding forward for a better look.

As the light faded, a little girl appeared in the center of the summoning circle.

She had black hair and black eyes, wore a dress, and carried a backpack. No matter how you looked at her, she seemed like an ordinary human girl.

The once noisy classroom fell silent. The students stared blankly at the girl, then turned to the equally stunned Melya.

“Is this Central Magic Academy?” the girl, standing in the circle, turned to ask the petite, brown-haired woman with glasses.

Melya nodded dazedly. “Yes.”

“Oh, thanks!” The girl, wearing little leather shoes, stepped off the now-dim circle and headed for the door. The fourteen-sided die hanging from her chest swayed with her movements, emitting a faint glow.

Having absorbed two Systems, the Divine Artifact Die possessed the power to travel through time and space. This world had been difficult to access, but when Qian sensed someone opening a “gateway,” she used the summoning circle to come through.

She was here to leave a coordinate—next time, returning would be much easier!

Ten-year-old Qian, a fifth-year student in her own world, dashed out of the classroom, startling the group of twelve-year-olds.

They slapped their desks and each other, shouting, “Teacher! The thing you summoned ran off!”

“What was that?! Was it an elf?!”

Melya herself had no idea what she had summoned. Flustered, she grabbed her wand and ran after the girl.

Qian stepped out of the classroom and found that everything looked just as she remembered. Excited, she continued forward.

But none of the students or teachers looked familiar. She didn’t even know if her giant Dragon Dad was still here.

“Wait! Wait a second!” Melya caught up to her.

Qian turned, puzzled. “What is it? Something wrong?”

Her confident tone left Melya momentarily speechless.

“You’re just going to leave like that? But I summoned you.”

Normally, when she summoned strange creatures, she had to send them back afterward. This was the first time one had just… walked off.

Their commotion drew the attention of someone who had just stepped out of a nearby classroom.

“Teacher Melya, what’s going on?”

Both Melya and Qian’s eyes lit up when they saw him.

“Principal Fizk!”

“Fizk!”

Qian finally saw a familiar face.

Back then, Fizk had been a young man who constantly called Lacia “Teacher,” took care of the children, and frequently had his beautiful potions stolen by Qian.

Now, there were lines on his face, and he looked more mature.

“Fizk!”

As the little girl ran up to him, calling his name so familiarly, Fizk felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

“Child, do you know me?”

Qian rummaged through her backpack and pulled out a high-quality crystal ball she’d bought on Taobao, handing it to him with a sweet smile. “I’m Qian! I came back to see you all.”

Fizk was just about to take the crystal ball when her words made him nearly drop it.

“What?”

In the principal’s office, Fizk returned with a cup of hot tea. Watching the little girl swinging her legs and glancing around from her seat, he felt a complicated mix of emotions.

Qian took the tea and drank a big gulp. It was the fruit-blossom blend Fizk used to make—her favorite back then.

“Where’s Grandpa Principal Wude?”

Fizk paused for a moment. “It’s been thirty years. Principal Wude has passed on.”

Qian fell silent for a while, then finally asked the question she most wanted answered.

“What about my dad?”

“Teacher Lacia? He came back once after the academy was rebuilt, but never again. He’s stayed on Dragon Island ever since.”

Fizk recalled the last time he saw Teacher Lacia.

The magnificent silver dragon looked just as he remembered, but his violet eyes were filled with sorrow. He crouched there like a mountain of grief.

He told them that his beloved hatchling had left this world, and that he would remain on Dragon Island to keep her company.

Back then, Principal Wude was still alive. He asked if Lacia wanted to take Qian’s belongings with him.

Her paintings in the gallery, her toys in the high tower.

But Teacher Lacia shook his head.

“Leave them here. Maybe in a few decades, you’ll all forget Qian. But for now, remember her with me.”

At Central Magic Academy, the dragon’s tower still stood tall in the Icecrystal Valley. Protected by powerful wards cast by the dragon himself, no new student adventurers could enter.

It was the quietest corner of the academy—its master long gone.

“We can’t go in anymore,” Fizk said, bringing Qian to the door of what had once been her home.

He looked at the little girl whose face was so different from the Qian he remembered. Though unsure of her identity, he offered comfort. “After this, I’ll take you to see other places.”

Qian reached out and touched the magic circle glowing with violet light. Her hand passed through without resistance, and her whole body followed.

Fizk stared in shock as she stepped through. Qian, realizing what had happened, quickly strode toward the tower.

The tower, large enough to house a dragon, was massive and wide. Inside, it was packed with clutter.

The nest of gemstones that had once been her bed was still there—empty now.

The colorful tapestries hanging from the walls, the magical plants and toys piled in every corner—nothing had changed.

She walked past a cactus-like magical plant and gave it a pat. Instantly, her voice sang out from it:

“I’m a Little Azure Dragon,
I’ve got lots of little secrets…
But I won’t tell you…”

On the long table lay an unfinished painting. The brushstrokes were clumsy but colorful—it was a picture of Dragon Island.

Beside the table stood a large chair and a smaller, taller one.

When the window was pushed open, the wind stirred the many wind chimes hanging inside the room, setting them jingling.

Dragon Island—a silver-white dragon lay resting in the water.

His massive body was submerged, with only his head resting on a long, white-boned island.

Compared to other dragon bones, this island was especially small and delicate, smooth and pristine from frequent use.

The Ice Dragon’s head took up only half the island. The other half was crowded with brightly colored dragon hatchlings.

Each of them was only about half the height of a human, round and chubby, with tiny wings.

These hatchlings, awakened by Little Azure Dragon, had only been out of their shells for a few years. Most of the time, they either played in a tangled heap or slept.

Like the only adult dragon, Lacia, they were especially fond of this little bone island.

The victorious hatchlings got to share the “pillow” with Lacia, while the ones who lost could only lie beside them, pressed close.

Once they woke up, full of energy, the hatchlings began to cause mischief—climbing onto Lacia’s back, nibbling at his tail and wings.

Lacia kept his eyes closed and didn’t move. Only after they had all scampered off to play on other islands did he roll over and bury his nose in the only flower growing on tiny Dragon Island.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, revealing a pair of icy purple irises.

He had sensed someone triggering the magical array in his lair at the Academy—someone had broken in.

A dragon’s roar echoed across Dragon Island. Two enormous wings unfurled, and he soared from the water into the sky.

Fizk stood outside the tower, eyes shining with excitement.

He had waited a long time, but the child hadn’t come out. Instead, he was greeted by an unexpected dragon.

The dragon’s shadow swept over his head. Fizk looked up in delight. “Teacher Lacia!”

But his teacher didn’t respond. With a fierce presence, he flew straight toward the tower and dove through the massive dragon-shaped window.

Perched on the windowsill, the dragon craned his fearsome head and cold eyes inward, spotting the figure inside the tower.

A little girl with black hair and black eyes lay on a colorful mat, drawing. She looked up at him.

In the past, many times when Lacia returned from outside, he would see his hatchling just like this, lying on the mat, drawing.

“Daddy!” she would cry, standing up with arms wide open.

In an instant, the silver-white dragon transformed into a tall man with silver hair. With one foot on the windowsill, he leapt down under Qian’s gaze and walked toward her.

His expression, like a melting snow mountain, gradually revealed the gentle stream flowing beneath.

Qian scrambled to her feet, clutching her dress, shifting nervously from one foot to the other, hope trembling in her voice.

“Do you still recognize me?”

Lacia scooped her up into his arms. Her head bumped into the wind chime hanging above.

“My Little Azure Dragon, you’ve come home.”

Qian immediately flailed her arms and began to cry, “Daddy!”

Fizk waited eagerly outside the tower. He was dying to know if the little girl was truly Qian, and whether Teacher Lacia had returned because of some mysterious connection.

The dragon appeared again, but before Fizk could speak, he took off in a rush. Sharp-eyed, Fizk spotted a small figure riding on the dragon’s back.

“Daddy, I’m human now. I can’t fly anymore.”

“That’s alright. Daddy can fly for you.”

They soared over the long scar across the land. Along the edges of the rift, new cities had been built, with strange-looking structures scattered about.

“Those are magic arrays developed by humans. They absorb the corrupted magic underground and convert it into usable energy.”

Qian thought of that student named Huo Jia—it seemed his idea had worked.

As they neared Dragon Island, Qian slid down to the dragon’s neck and asked,

“Daddy, I’m not a dragon anymore. Can I still go to Dragon Island?”

“Of course you can, my child. You are a descendant of the dragon race, blessed by the Dragon God. Your soul has always been recognized by Dragon Island. Everyone will welcome you back.”

Qian buried her face in the dragon’s mane, wiping away her tears.

They passed through the rainbow ring and arrived at Dragon Island.

Lying on the dragon’s neck, Qian saw a Dragon Island dusk she had never seen before.

Just as Lacia had once described to her, the golden sea was slowly turning shades of peach and violet-blue—breathtakingly beautiful.

“Look, Dragon Island has dusk and night again. Because of you, Qian, life has returned here. Twelve dragon eggs have hatched into hatchlings.”

They landed on the island. Qian stood at the edge, watching countless points of light drift down around her. The silver dragon gently nuzzled her with his nose.

Qian leaned against Dragon Dad’s snout, watching with him as Dragon Island transitioned from dusk to night.

“I’m so happy, Qian. Just like the day I first saw you hatch.”

Central Magic Academy had dragons again!

The news shook the entire continent. People came from all corners of the land to the Academy.

Students and faculty went wild. The Icefang Valley and the tower were unsealed, and they all saw the dragons with their own eyes.

Not just the Ice Dragon Lacia—there were over a dozen dragon hatchlings!

The hatchlings played near the tower. Those who could only watch from afar longed to get closer, to touch them with their own hands.

Unlike the young students’ excitement, the elderly professors and alumni who had graduated decades ago focused more on the little girl surrounded by the hatchlings.

“Qian!” someone called out.

Qian turned and waved at them, her smile radiant.

Because they had been awakened by her power, the hatchlings adored her as their “big sister.” From the moment they saw her, they followed her everywhere, wanting to play.

On the way, Lacia carried them all on his back. They fought over who could sit closest to Qian. Once they arrived, she was constantly buried beneath a pile of chubby little dragons.

Qian could hardly stand the little fatties. Whenever she ran, a swarm of hatchlings—each about her height—chased after her.

They couldn’t talk yet, but they could breathe fire, water, ice, and wind.

At ten years old, Qian became the youngest student at Central Magic Academy.

Because of her enrollment, Lacia became a teacher once more.

Several retired teachers returned as well, including the wood elf Lexuer.

Qian began to see more and more familiar faces.

The students who used to sneak her snacks during class, those who had turned into cats and other animals to play with her—

Time had clearly passed for them, but they still remembered her.

Qian took the dragon hatchlings to visit her art gallery, grabbed snacks from Fizk’s office, and led them to Dragon Dad Lacia’s Draconic Language class.

After half a month of magic lessons, Qian’s backpack was stuffed with gifts.

“Daddy, I have to go now. I’ll visit again during the next break!”

Lacia saw her off, looking every bit like a parent sending their child away for the first time—filled with worry and reluctance.

“Oh, right.” Just as she was about to leave, Qian suddenly turned back and winked at Lacia. “Daddy, I started dating early in the other world. I have a boyfriend.”

Lacia: “?!”

Lacia: “What?! Qian!”

The gentle, loving expression on his face completely fell apart.

Seeing his world-shattering reaction, Qian just shrugged with a grin and stepped into the swirling vortex opened by the Divine Artifact Dice.

Of course it was a lie—but she’d explain next time. Haha!