Dragons are universally fond of gold and treasures, easily bribed with heaps of gold coins, and red dragons, in particular, are born with the ability to unleash flame breath, making them the perfect choice for destroying evidence.
It all clicked. Everything lined up.
This Crimson was indeed that level 11 juvenile red dragon.
Ming Die hadn’t lied—those who passed her trials were truly one-in-a-million powerhouses.
Bai Yue Ling’s lips curled into a smirk. The key clue to changing the world was closer than she’d ever imagined.
Who killed the Priestesses of Nature, sparking the Light Faction’s civil war? The answer lay with this Crimson!
[Crimson: Later, when those black-clad figures saw things going south, they actually asked for my help. But the enemy was so strong, how could I possibly fight them? I didn’t even think twice—just bolted!]
[Amethyst: So you just disposed of some bodies and got 2000 gold coins? Doesn’t sound like a bad deal.]
[Crimson: But it caused huge trauma to my young heart! (;へ:)]
‘Your dragon body, bigger than a sedan, has a young heart?’
Bai Yue Ling couldn’t help but scoff internally.
She pondered for a moment before deciding to ask directly in the group chat:
[White: Crimson, where did that incident you mentioned take place?]
The question dropped, and the Dark Players Mutual Aid Group fell silent for a moment, as if caught off guard by White’s blunt inquiry.
Though Ming Die had said everyone in the group was a Dark Faction player and the chat was meant for mutual aid, it was still early in the game.
Most players had just left their novice villages—how could they help each other?
Even within the Dark Faction, there was always the risk of future conflicts or rivalries, so no one wanted to reveal too much about their in-game identity.
Bai Yue Ling didn’t want the group to know she was the infamous Priest Hero, and Crimson certainly wasn’t eager to admit she’d drawn a Legendary-tier race—red dragon.
As expected, Crimson sidestepped the question entirely:
[Crimson: What’s that, White, little sis? Trying to dox me?]
Surprisingly cautious… Bai Yue Ling remained unfazed and replied:
[White: Nah, I’m not interested in your info. I just happened to pick up a similar quest yesterday and wanted to check if we’re dealing with the same NPCs.]
As a yuri-oriented “scummy flirt,” spinning a little lie to charm a big sister was second nature to her.
She already knew Crimson was the red dragon, so all she needed was information about those black-clad figures.
Sure enough, Crimson took the bait:
[Crimson: You also got a body-disposal quest? (o_O)]
***
Meanwhile, about twenty kilometers away from Bai Yue Ling, in a mountain cave, a teenage girl—clad only in fiery red scales covering key areas—stared at a translucent holographic screen with a puzzled expression.
She was Crimson, the juvenile red dragon, in her human form.
[White: Yup, and those NPCs didn’t pay me a single coin. In fact, they stole 500 gold from me.]
[Crimson: What did the people you met look like?]
[White: A group of black-clad figures, fully covered in dark cloth, each wielding a curved blade. Their voices were super hoarse.]
A moment later, Bai Yue Ling added:
[White: I ran into them in the Rose Kingdom.]
The Rose Kingdom was vast, and as long as she didn’t specify a main city, there was no risk of exposing herself.
So, Bai Yue Ling shared confidently.
“Rose Kingdom, black-clad figures with curved blades… it’s exactly the same!”
Crimson’s interest piqued, her thick, powerful dragon tail smacking the ground repeatedly.
[Crimson: Haha, looks like we’re dealing with the same NPCs! They robbed you yesterday?]
[White: Yeah, I want revenge, but I’ve got no leads beyond their appearance.]
Staring at the holographic screen, Crimson fell into thought:
“So White just wants revenge on those black-clad figures and isn’t interested in me. But if she defeats them and asks around, she could still find out I’m the red dragon…”
“Should I tell her?”
After a moment’s hesitation, she typed:
[Crimson: I can share what I know, but what can you offer me? (￣﹃￣)]
The Dark Players Mutual Aid Group was built on “mutual aid,” which essentially meant “exchange.” Trading for mutual benefit was far more sustainable than giving things away for free.
***
Bai Yue Ling had anticipated this response:
[White: Actually, I have a friend who’s an insider at Destiny Company, so I know a lot of game secrets normal players wouldn’t. If you’ve got questions, you can ask me.]
The group didn’t react with much excitement; instead, they seemed skeptical:
[Indigo: Even the Federation can’t locate Destiny Company’s headquarters. You’re saying you know an insider?]
[Amethyst: That’s a classic ‘I have a friend’ line. Definitely fake.]
[White: But I really do know some game secrets. Anyone interested can trade with me.]
Ming Die’s Ring of the Dead didn’t support private messaging, so all exchanges had to happen publicly in the group.
Sure, lurkers might benefit from the open conversation, but it didn’t matter much. Most information one player found valuable was just irrelevant noise to others.
For example, Indigo and Amethyst couldn’t care less about the black-clad figures.
[Crimson: I want to know where I can get pure Dragon Blood.]
Dragon Blood… Bai Yue Ling paused to think.
From what she knew, dragon players were unique.
They didn’t have standard class divisions like warriors or mages; instead, their level was tied to their dragon age, advancing every 10 levels: Hatchling, Juvenile, Young, Adult, Mature, Old, Ancient, Elder, Archaic, Primordial.
Dragon Blood was a required material for each age-up, enhancing bloodline purity, and the blood needed ideally matched the next age they were approaching.
Crimson, a level 11 juvenile red dragon, would need Young red dragon blood.
[White: The most direct way to get Dragon Blood is obviously to hunt a wild dragon, but I’m guessing you’re not strong enough for that yet…]
[Crimson: No kidding! (#｀皿´)]
Red dragons really do have fiery tempers… Bai Yue Ling noted silently.
[White: But I do know a place where you can get pure Dragon Blood. There’s a dragon graveyard at the border of the Rose Kingdom and the Iris Church, where you should find the remains of a Young red dragon.]
[Crimson: A dragon graveyard? Sounds like a crazy tough dungeon. It’s only the third day since launch—how do you know so many secrets? You’re not scamming me, are you? (?﹏?)]
[White: Little fish~ I told you, I have a friend who’s an insider.]