Stars were scattered across the pitch-black curtain of the sky, their likeness reflected in the pool below.
A flawless, white arm stirred the reflection, and a slender hand reached out to cup the moon.
However, it was impossible to grasp; the water slipped through her fingers, returning to the rippling pool.
The gentle waves brushed against the girl’s silvery-white hair.
Water droplets slid down her upturned face, trailing along her pale neck onto her soft shoulders, before finally following her jade-like skin back into the water.
The lines of her graceful body were smooth and beautiful, appearing as if they had been meticulously carved.
Floating in the quiet pool under the silver moon, she looked like a goddess from a legend who had secretly descended to the mortal realm to bathe and play in the water.
She was visible, yet unreachable.
Furthermore, the girl did not appear human.
Amidst her silver hair, a pair of crystalline, translucent, light-blue horns protruded.
Concentrated mana seemed to gather within the horns, emitting a soft, blue-white glow.
A pair of tender, pointed ears peeked through her hair, and a plump, long tail grew from her waist.
It was covered in shimmering, silver-pink scales that reflected a kaleidoscope of colors even in the dim light, creating a dreamlike appearance.
She opened her eyes, revealing a pair of magnificent golden slit pupils that further declared her non-human nature.
“Mm~”
Shu Yue parted her cherry-pink lips, letting out a few soft, melodious notes.
On a face so beautiful it could be described as a masterpiece of nature, a joyful expression flickered.
Her almond eyes were incredibly clear, and tiny scales acted as natural eyeshadow, adding a touch of charm to her ethereal features.
Her small chest rose above the water as she held her clenched fists in front of her.
‘After absorbing the second drop of dragon blood, I feel like my strength has more than doubled!’
The more Shu Yue thought about it, the happier she became.
It had already been seven years since she transmigrated to this world, making her 13 years old.
Despite her young age, it was an age where people could already get married in this world.
In her previous life, she had been a male university student on Earth.
After staying up late to study for an exam, he had closed his eyes and opened them to find himself in this different world.
He had become the apprentice of a scabby-headed alchemist—which, in reality, meant he was a human tool for experiments.
However, she couldn’t connect her consciousness between the two worlds back then, and at that time, she was still a “he” and hadn’t turned into what she was now.
Shu Yue had used her own intelligence to kill her cheap, scabby-headed master.
From a heavenly tome that the man had treated as a treasure, she learned a special technique called the **[Star-Quenching Technique]**.
It allowed her to refine an extraordinary bloodline directly, enabling a magical failure like her to possess great power.
During these seven years, she had come to understand one truth deeply: in this world, power was the only capital for survival.
Then, Shu Yue had accidentally refined herself into a Silver Dragon Maiden.
Speaking of which, this world was quite strange; girls could marry each other and even have children!
But she would pass on that…
While she was lost in thought, something suddenly pulled her underwater.
In an instant, she was completely submerged.
The suddenness of it startled her, causing her to swallow a mouthful of her own bathwater before her mouth was covered by something warm and soft.
Shu Yue was horrified to find a figure in a black hooded robe holding her waist with one hand and covering her mouth with the other.
Her eyes met the person’s underwater.
The fair, small hand covering Shu Yue’s mouth loosened.
Their faces were only 10 centimeters apart, allowing them to see each other’s features clearly.
It was a beautiful blonde girl with deep, sapphire-like eyes.
She made a silencing gesture with her hand, cutting off Shu Yue’s confusion.
Then, she flicked her robe to cover them both completely.
At that moment, Shu Yue felt a powerful, overwhelming pressure approaching.
It was a pressure she had never felt before—an enemy far beyond Shu Yue’s understanding!
Shu Yue didn’t dare move, forced to remain beneath the mysterious girl.
Fortunately, that powerful aura quickly moved away.
However, the mysterious girl showed no intention of letting go.
Shu Yue had to push her away and quickly swim to the surface to catch her breath, wanting to get to the shore and find something to cover herself.
Yet, she suddenly realized that the mysterious girl hadn’t come up.
Shu Yue dove back into the water and found the girl’s body sinking into the depths.
This pool had been formed by spring water rising after the earth cracked; there was an underground river below.
If she fell in there, wouldn’t she drown?
Anxious to save a life, she didn’t care about her nakedness and swam straight toward the sinking girl.
Just before the girl was swept into the undercurrent, Shu Yue managed to grab her wrist and pulled her back to the surface.
The moment they broke the water, Shu Yue gasped for air.
This pool was incredibly deep!
Shu Yue first went to the shore to look for her clothes, only to find that someone had stolen them.
“…”
After three breaths of silence, she was forced to strip the hooded robe off the girl to wrap it around herself.
**[Fire Conjuration: Cinder Wind]**!
Shu Yue chanted the spell in her mind.
Immediately, heat surged.
Water vapor rose from her body and quickly dissipated.
In a short time, the robe was dry.
Only then did she turn her attention to the mysterious girl.
She noticed a faint scent of blood on her, and the girl’s beautiful face was devoid of color.
Even her lips were pale, making it look as though she was on the verge of death.
Shu Yue pursed her lips and sighed helplessly.
She walked over to the girl and knelt on the ground, her plump tail swaying anxiously behind her.
“Phew…”
After taking a few deep breaths, Shu Yue pressed her thin lips together as she looked at the unconscious girl.
‘You barged in while I was bathing, hugged me, touched my waist, and then had the nerve to nearly drown so I’d have to give you artificial respiration to save you. Don’t think you can do whatever you want just because you’re pretty. What a shameless rogue!’
After finishing her mental preparation, she leaned down and pressed her lips against the girl’s.
2 minutes later, just as Shu Yue finished a breath, she felt the girl stir.
She immediately sat up straight, only to see the girl cast a water spell, her small mouth spitting out water like a fountain.
“Blegh!”
After spitting it out, the girl began to cough.
“Cough, cough, cough…”
Seeing her pitiful state and the severity of her injuries, Shu Yue gently placed her hand on the girl’s body.
**[Sacred Glow: Healing Art]**.
A soft white light representing healing merged into the girl’s body, and her chaotic breathing calmed significantly.
Eustia wiped her mouth and suddenly felt something strange.
She turned her head to look at Shu Yue, who was casting the healing spell on her.
A flash of surprise crossed her deep blue eyes.
Shu Yue noticed her gaze and reflexively tightened her grip on the robe, withdrawing her hand.
She stood up and turned to leave, not wanting to get involved with Eustia.
After all, the girl had attracted a terrifyingly powerful hunter.
If they had been discovered earlier, Shu Yue would likely have died as well.
Eustia snapped out of her daze.
Seeing that Shu Yue was about to leave, she instinctively reached out to grab the edge of the robe.
However, the tug pulled the robe right off.
Under the silver moon, Shu Yue’s flawless body turned red at a visible speed.
Especially the tender, pointed ears peeking through her silver hair—they were now completely flushed.
Shu Yue snatched the hooded robe back and glared fiercely at the stunned Eustia, her anger mixed with embarrassment.
‘Hmph, women are all the same!’
Hit by that look, Eustia remained dazed for a full three breaths.
By then, Shu Yue had already walked 3 meters away.
Looking at Shu Yue’s silvery-white hair, Eustia called out.
“Cough… Thank you. By the way, my name is Eustia.”
“…”
Shu Yue’s footsteps paused, but she quickly used her mana to sprint away in a few blurs of motion.
Eustia pushed herself up from the ground but didn’t give chase.
Her body was currently in too much pain.
‘Who exactly is she?’
‘That appearance… a Dragonoid? Is she from the Dragon Race? But why would a dragon girl appear here?’
‘Is it because my rebirth has affected this life?’
‘Did she just…’
As Eustia thought, she couldn’t help but cover her own mouth.
She still remembered that soft sensation from a moment ago.
***
The next morning.
Shu Yue looked at the hazy golden sun through the thin mist and let out a long sigh.
Her body, bathed in the warm sunlight, began to change.
Her non-human features became ethereal and faded away.
Her smooth silver hair turned into short black hair, and her ethereal beauty shifted into a refined appearance.
Although that look was still superior to most, there was a massive gap compared to her Dragon Maiden form.
However, this was Shu Yue’s true appearance.
The Dragon Maiden form was something she became when her bloodline power was activated.
In that state, her strength and speed were vastly increased.
When she first fused with the first drop of dragon blood, she could fight a Tier 1 combatant even as an entry-level apprentice.
Now that she had absorbed the second drop, she could likely defeat a Tier 1 combatant with ease in her Dragon Maiden form.
Originally, Shu Yue was quite proud of herself.
After all, collecting dragon blood was difficult; it was all extracted bit by bit using the **[Star-Quenching Technique]**, costing a significant amount of time and money.
It had taken her half a year to collect the second drop.
But after last night’s experience, she knew that this was still far from enough.
‘Shu Yue, you must remember that this world is cold and cruel. No one will help you; the only one you can trust is yourself!’
Shu Yue clenched her fists, a flash of coldness in her eyes, though it was quickly hidden.
Wait…
She slowly lowered her head because she felt an inexplicable sense of emptiness, as if she had lost something.
The gray hem of the robe was gathered together, covering her body.
Her hands slowly pushed it aside from underneath.
Shu Yue saw a pair of small “buns” from her Dragon Maiden form.
Looking further down, there was only smooth, jade-like skin.
There wasn’t even a single blade of grass, let alone a Tree of Creation.
There was, however, a small canyon.
Shu Yue wondered if she was hallucinating from lack of sleep.
She rubbed her eyes with both hands.
A cold breeze blew between her two white pillars.
That chilly sensation made the girl instinctively clamp her legs together.
She couldn’t help but tremble.
Her face turned from red to white, filled with shame and fear.
Her mind was a mess of confusion and panic, and her refined face was full of distress.
She had no idea what had happened.
10 minutes later, after some “research,” Shu Yue discovered that her parts were truly gone.
The girl wrapped the robe tightly around her body, her amber eyes shimmering with tears.
‘Why did it turn out like this…’
Clearly, everything had been fine before.
At most, her skin had become whiter and more tender, and her body had become more slender and graceful.
Why was it completely gone this time?
Could it be…
Because of her Dragon Maiden transformation?
‘From now on, unless absolutely necessary, I must never use my bloodline power again. If I use it frequently, I might lose my humanity and turn into a dragon beast. I wouldn’t be able to live in human society then!’
But she needed power, so collecting dragon blood was a must.
As long as she didn’t activate the bloodline power, it shouldn’t be an issue…
What Shu Yue wanted was to use the bloodline to improve her terrible talent for spells.
Her natural foundation was too poor; it had taken her a full year just to reach the entry-level apprentice rank while practicing the lowest Dust-grade spells.
‘I should head back first…’
Shu Yue looked once more at her body, which had completely transformed into that of a girl.
A blush crept across her face.
She suppressed her embarrassment and began walking toward the nearest pioneer camp.