Chapter 36: I Am Willing

“Ga?” Little Dream Dragon was confused. After Russell explained and gestured repeatedly, it seemed to have gained a faint understanding.

Then the dragon made a face of disdain, reluctantly opening its mouth and inhaling towards the half ghost beast wolfhound.

The next moment…

The blue and white light that had enveloped the Half Ghost Beast Wolfhound slowly began to separate, and all of the blue light flew into the mouth of the Little Dream Dragon.

“Ga-ga!” Little Dream Dragon swallowed the blue light, but didn’t show the same joyful expression as when it consumed the Ice Hail Pearl. Instead, it stuck out its tongue, looking disgusted as if it had eaten something unpleasant, and turned its head to cast a resentful glance at Russell.

“Haha, all right, all right, I know you feel wronged!” Russell quickly comforted Little Dream Dragon. “Next time, I’ll bring you an Ice Hail Pearl to eat!”

“Ga!”

“Good boy!”

After soothing Little Dream Dragon, Russell carefully watched the half ghost beast wolfhound. After the Snow Demon’s interference was withdrawn, it seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep, motionless with only white light slowly flowing inside its body.

He had done everything he could. Whether it would survive now was left to fate, or perhaps the wolfhound’s will to live.

“Let’s go, we have to check the big tree.” Russell mounted Little Dream Dragon and flew to the big tree that served as a beacon.

A minute later…

Russell sighed deeply. “No change. The Dark Dreamscape hasn’t expanded at all. The power of the Half-Ghost Beasts isn’t enough to expand the Dark Dreamscape… That makes sense. If it were possible, Snowcone would have absorbed it voluntarily instead of reluctantly”.

He rubbed his chin and thought for a moment, still unable to make sense of it.

Logically, the Ice Hail Pearl that formed after the death of the snow ghosts and the Snow Demon’s interference in the half ghost beasts should have come from the same power source.

So why was one able to expand the Dark Dreamscape while the other had no effect?

“Could it be that the power within the half ghost beasts is too weak?” Russell thought, but quickly dismissed the idea. “No, even if it’s weak, it should at least expand a little. But from what I can see, the Dark Dreamscape hasn’t expanded at all.”

Suddenly…

Russell had a realization. “I missed something important. The power in the half-ghost beasts comes directly from the snow demon, but the Ice Hail Pearl formed from snow ghosts is actually the result of the transformation of martial arts energy. Fantasy beast energy can also be transformed into Ice Hail Pearls.”

In this process, the Snow Demon’s power only serves as a catalyst, and is not directly stored in the Snow Ghosts.

Therefore, the power of the Ice Hail Pearl was still essentially the power of the earth.

“No wonder!” Russell suddenly understood. “No wonder Snowcone likes to eat Ice Hail Pearls. It’s basically refined earth power…but the power wrapped in the half ghost beasts is from the snow demon, which conflicts with the power of the Little Dream Dragon.”

The dragon that was born under the earth was naturally aligned with the earth’s power, so it enjoyed eating the Ice Hail Pearl.

With that thought, Russell stroked Little Dream Dragon’s neck apologetically. “Sorry, Snowcone. Eating the snow demon power of the half ghost beasts must have hurt you… I’ll never let you eat something like that again. It’s no different than forcing you to eat poop!”

“Ga!” Little Dream Dragon lifted its head, still confused.

Most of the time, their exchanges weren’t real communication; they each spoke their own language. Without a real contract, there was no mental connection.

Besides, Russell didn’t understand dragon language – if Little Dream Dragon’s calls could even be considered dragon language.

Russell felt a little relieved. “It’s a good thing I didn’t go to my father and ask Lord Ross for help in treating the half ghost beasts… Forcing Lord Ross to eat poop – I don’t know if that would make him break the contract and burn me with a dragon’s breath”.

Anyway…

His eyes flickered, and a mischievous smile appeared on his face. “This Clay Dragon disrespects me; sooner or later, I’m going to make it eat poop!”

When Little Dream Dragon eats poop, it’s just disgusting, but Clay Dragon, being a bipedal wyvern, would probably go crazy for half a day after eating it.

Thinking about it made him feel much better.

“Ga!” Little Dream Dragon shook its body, looking slightly displeased, perhaps already tired.

“Alright, let’s go back and rest properly,” Russell knew it must be feeling uncomfortable after eating poop, so he quickly waved to say goodbye.

The dark dreamscape collapsed in an instant, and his consciousness fell into boundless darkness.

Until the loud crowing of a rooster woke Russell from his slumber. He looked up at the clock on the wall – it was nine in the morning. He had been staying up late these past few days, breaking the routine he’d kept for over a decade of waking up before 7:30 AM.

After washing up, he went downstairs.

He ate some fried eggs and bacon, then went outside.

He saw that Eric and some of the armored knights had finished their morning training and were arguing vigorously around the doghouse.

“My lord!”

“My lord, good morning!”

Seeing Russell, the group stopped arguing and bowed in greeting.

“What’s going on?” Russell asked knowingly, obviously something had happened to the half ghost beast wolfhound. “Why are you all gathered here arguing?”

Eric stepped aside and motioned for Russell to take a look. “My lord, it’s strange.”

Russell looked over and saw that the half-Ghost Beast wolfhound, which had been on the brink of death yesterday, now had its tumorous lumps reduced by half. While it still looked grotesque, there was at least a bit of vitality left. It could now stand up on its own and was whining towards Russell.

“It seems like it’s quite affectionate towards you, my lord!” James exclaimed in surprise.

John was also amazed. “Yeah, it’s amazing. If we touch it, it’ll try to bite our hands, but it becomes docile when it sees my lord!”

“I thought it was going to die, but it seems to have come back to life.” Jack said.

“Exactly, my lord, we were just betting whether this wolfhound would die, and now it looks like it won’t.”

No one could explain the changes in the half ghost beast wolfhound except Russell. But clearly, he wasn’t going to reveal his ‘golden finger’.

So the wolfhound’s transformation could only be described as miraculous.

Finally, Eric spoke. “My Lord, the Snow Demon’s interference power in Kevin has diminished. Perhaps it really can survive.”

The half ghost beast wolfhound was named Kevin by the Wildcat Sisters.

“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?” Russell smiled.

“But it’s strange,” Eric continued. “Another force within it, the Earth’s power, seems not to have faded, and it’s even transforming into… Martial energy, like the energy of a fantasy beast.”

“Oh?” Russell finally began to show surprise. “You mean, it might evolve into a Fantasy Beast?”

Eric frowned. “Hard to say. It seems to be missing something.”

“Missing what?”

“I’m not sure. I’ve never experienced it.”

“Maybe it needs a rider, a Knight Commander,” James laughed from behind. “Maybe once you ride it, it’ll really evolve into a fantasy beast.”

He had meant it as a joke.

But Russell raised an eyebrow. “Teacher Eric, as a Great Knight, your martial arts energy chains should be pretty well honed, right?”

“Masterfully honed, my lord!” Eric seemed to understand what Russell was getting at. He clenched his fist and suppressed his breath.

A wolfhound that could possibly evolve into a fantasy beast.

A rare chance to become a Fantasy Beast Knight.

Eric could feel his heart racing as he looked at Russell, eagerly awaiting his decision.

With a slight smile, Russell calmly asked, “So, Eric, are you willing to swear allegiance to me and become my sword?”

No surprises.

Eric got down on one knee. “I am willing, my lord, I am willing!”