Vol. 4 Ch. 35

Inside, the second season of the Dragon Combat Tournament was in full swing.

Outside, there were others who weren't idle either.

Under the cherry blossom tree on the practice grounds, Noa sat cross-legged, her eyes gently closed. The cool autumn air occasionally stirred the petals, which fell softly from the branches, landing atop her head and hands.

Several petals had already nestled onto her small head, but she seemed entirely unaware.

In her mind, Noa was in deep conversation with her ancestor, "replaying" recent events.

"I wanted to discuss that live interaction game from a few days ago."

In front of her, a massive white dragon yawned lazily, lying down with an indifferent gaze in its ancient eyes.

"Hmm? It’s over already, so why is it still on your mind?"

"Because I can't shake the feeling... In that final game, when I managed to snag the bell from Dad’s waist—it almost felt like I didn’t do it on purpose, but…"

Noa’s expression grew more serious as she looked at her ancestor.

"Ancestor, you controlled my body in that instant, didn’t you? That’s why I managed to grab the bell with my tail."

The old dragon gave a soft chuckle and didn’t respond immediately, instead countering, “Well, you’ve thought about it for days. Even though you’re only asking now, haven’t you already come to a conclusion yourself?”

Noa bit her lip and nodded. “Yes… at that moment, you took control, even if just briefly. Otherwise, Dad would’ve just caught me like a stuffed toy."

She vividly recalled that moment—it was rare to directly compete against her father, and she remembered every detail with perfect clarity.

In the final seconds of their one-on-one game, she’d lunged for the bell at his waist. Though initially missing her mark, she’d instinctively used her tail to snatch it from behind, securing her victory.

But in her mind’s pregame rehearsals, she’d never planned to use her tail that way.

So she’d been left wondering—was her win simply a lucky fluke, or… was it her ancestor’s aid?

“Alright then,” the ancient dragon said with a smile, “since you’ve figured it out, I’ll reluctantly take credit for it.”

The ancestor continued, “Yes, I did briefly take control of your body and used your tail to grab the bell.”

“But I—”

“I know you seek a true victory, but you must also acknowledge the vast difference in strength between you and your father.”

“When you can’t bridge the gap in strength, a little trickery becomes essential.”

“You might feel that winning this way isn’t honorable, but—”

Noa’s tone softened, her serious gaze meeting the dragon’s as she listened intently.

“Little one, don’t push yourself beyond your limits.”

“I understand your motivation.”

“You’re the eldest, wanting to protect and care for your younger sisters.”

“You also have exemplary parents whose actions and words have taught you much about life.”

“You wish to grow stronger, to possess abilities far beyond what your age implies.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that; for a dragon, seeking greater strength is natural.”

“I admire the resilience and spirit you show.”

“And I have no doubt that one day, you’ll become an even greater Dragon King than I.”

“But know this—the higher your expectations, the greater your potential for disappointment.”

Noa listened quietly, absorbing her ancestor’s wisdom. “The higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment…”

The ancestor’s tone became even more solemn.

“When that disappointment becomes too great, it can turn into self-doubt.”

“And that is something I don’t wish for you.”

“Your parents care deeply for you, but they aren’t like me; they can’t be with you twenty-four hours a day.”

“I know your every thought, every action. I know exactly what you want to accomplish.”

“So let me remind you, little one, to be strict with yourself but also to relax. Otherwise, the results might backfire.”

“Remember, if a string is wound too tightly, it will snap prematurely.”

Drip—

A single drop fell from the golden ceiling above, landing on the water beneath them, sending ripples outward.

The ripples slowly reached Noa’s feet.

She looked down at her reflection in the water.

Noa rarely took the time to examine herself. She was always moving forward, discarding the past, never stopping or looking back.

But after listening to her ancestor’s words, she seemed to gain a new understanding.

It wasn’t just about “high expectations leading to disappointment.”

There were deeper, more meaningful lessons within, ones that Noa, at her young age, could only grasp faintly.

After a long silence, Noa finally looked up, a faint smile breaking through her usual serious expression.

“Alright, I understand. Thank you for telling me this.”

“Hmph, I’m just trying to make sure my host doesn’t ruin her body,” her ancestor replied. “After all, I’ll need your body in the future to stop the ultimate fear.”

Noa blinked, tilting her head in amusement.

“Pfft—”

This blunt, proud response felt oddly familiar.

It reminded her of her parents!

After a moment, she chuckled softly, “Just admit you care about me. Is it really that hard?”

“I don’t care about you. I care about your body.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Believe what you like!” Her ancestor huffed, standing abruptly.

The massive body shook slightly, causing the entire space to tremble.

“Our conversation is over. Time to get back to business.”

Noa nodded, understanding what the ancestor meant.

In the next instant, she exited her mindscape.

The cool air brushed her face, bringing her fully back to awareness. She shook her head, dislodging the cherry blossom petals that had settled there, then reached into her pocket and took out a small black stone.

The Black Sacred Stone.

Or rather, the Night Spirit Crystal.

Though rare in her current time, the Night Spirit Crystal was usually only used as a decorative item due to its lack of magical enhancements.

But in Noa’s time, it was a treasure.

Only with the power of ancient origins could the crystal’s dormant abilities be awakened.

And as the ancestor had assured her, it significantly boosted her ability to condense primordial strength.

In just a few weeks, she had accumulated more primordial power than she’d achieved in half a year before.

While she wasn’t sure exactly how much power her ancestor would need, the benefits to her body made it worth it.

As she concentrated on refining her strength, two small heads peeked out from behind a nearby tree.

“There she is, Big Sis Noa!” whispered Aurora.

“Wow…” Moon’s eyes widened. “Wow? What do you mean ‘wow’?”

“Big Sis looks so cool when she’s focused on her training!”

“…”

Aurora gave her sister’s chin a gentle nudge with her forehead. “This isn’t the time to be fangirling. We’re here to catch the ghost inside Big Sis’s body!”

Reluctantly tearing her gaze from Noa, Moon looked down at her little sister.

“Aurora, you’ve been trying to catch that ghost for months now, and we haven’t even seen a shadow of it.”

“That’s because you don’t understand, Moon.”

“What do you mean?”

“Ghosts… don’t have shadows!”

“Really?~~ Is that so? (*≧▽≦)ノ”

Aurora nodded firmly. “Absolutely. But I have a feeling that tonight, we’re going to make a major discovery!”