Dragon Tamer

Editor: Exodus Tales

“`

“Luruluruluruluru~~~~~~”

Suddenly, a trough opened, and a mix of various feeds flowed in. Hearing this sound, the surrounding juvenile spirits frolicking about scattered and pounced into the feeding trough.

It’s feeding time!

Those who were larger and born earlier essentially nabbed good spots, eating their fill until their bellies were round and full, while those small and frail ones could only anxiously circle around. They hardly squeezed in a position before being shoved away after just a few bites.

Zhu Minglang paid attention to the food in the feeding trough, vegetables, chicken, fruits, meat worms, large bones… To be honest, it was more abundant than the rations of the little commoners of Wutu.

“Large Meat Silkworms?”

Suddenly, Zhu Minglang noticed a type of food, the very Large Meat Silkworms he had been raising for years. Interestingly, the overwhelming majority of juvenile spirits had no interest in them at all, including some Bird Spirits…

After a round of competition, all that was left in the trough were some rotting food and a few unclaimed Large Meat Silkworms. At that moment, Zhu Minglang spotted a little black Crocodile Spirit, which cautiously skirted past several sturdy Little Wolf Spirits. It picked up a Large Meat Silkworm and bolted!

The Little Wolf Spirits noticed the little black Crocodile Spirit and immediately chased after it, biting and tearing at the little thing.

The Crocodile Spirit was still very young, each of the Little Wolf Spirits was one size bigger, not to mention there were four of them surrounding and chasing the little crocodile.

The little Crocodile Spirit was quite agile in its moving, managing to shake off three Little Wolf Spirits, but in the end, it was cornered in front of its den by the Little Wolf Spirit the size of a grown dog. It didn’t even have the chance to swallow the Large Meat Silkworm before being pinned to the ground by the Little Wolf Spirit…

“Bullying here too, huh,” Zhu Minglang shook his head, grabbed the Little Wolf Spirit, and tossed it to the side.

Once free, the little black Crocodile Spirit immediately pounced on the meat worm covered in mud. It didn’t care about the dirt and gulped down the meat worm in two or three bites.

“Little Crocodile Spirit, want to hang with big bro? Whether you can transform into a dragon or not, there’s no end to the meat worms you can eat. I’m a professional when it comes to raising silkworms!” Zhu Minglang lifted the little black crocodile.

This little black crocodile looked somewhat ugly and cute up close, with a big, silly head and a body like that of a thick little crocodile.

Its skin was still smooth, not covered in bumps like most Ferocious Crocodiles.

“Here, take another one, and we’ll consider that an agreement,” Zhu Minglang picked another unclaimed Large Meat Silkworm from the trough and offered it to the Little Crocodile Spirit’s mouth.

The Little Crocodile Spirit must have been starving, as it quickly nibbled away the whole thing.

Zhu Minglang tried feeding it chicken, but he discovered that the Little Crocodile Spirit would not eat it. It had a particular fondness for meat worms…

This indeed reminded Zhu Minglang of something the Valkyrie had said: some True Dragons have a preference for meat worms during their juvenile stages.

However, Zhu Minglang had noticed that on the forehead of the Little Crocodile Spirit, there was a small bulge, which felt distinctly like hard bone when touched.

Could it be an undeveloped hidden horn?

Crocodiles with hidden horns?

Only dragons have horns!

Well, it must be you, then.

Being a bit ugly and black doesn’t matter; there’s no need for it to be all charming and cute.

As long as it could fight and take hits in the future!

The aloof young master was already growing impatient.

Li Shaoying glanced at Zhu Minglang’s juvenile spirit, but his face showed utter confusion.

The aloof young master, on the other hand, didn’t even bother to look. He didn’t deign to choose a juvenile spirit here at all.

…

Once tethered with a Spirit Bond, the Little Crocodile Spirit became Zhu Minglang’s new spirit pet.

“`

Next came the accommodation arrangements. As expected, the aloof young master was not traveling with them, he had his own private courtyard.

Zhu Minglang and Li Shaoying were placed in a large courtyard house.

There was a communal practice yard, twelve independent wooden houses lined up side by side, clean and comfortable.

Behind the houses was a separate area for the Juvenile Spirits that could not be taken into the Spirit Realm. Depending on the Juvenile Spirits’ habits, the students made some modifications themselves.

As the Little Crocodile Spirit was amphibious, Zhu Minglang dug a small pond for it. The pond was surrounded by clean sand, and since he had decided to adopt this little Juvenile Spirit, he ought to treat it well!

After tidying up, Zhu Minglang was surprised to discover that meals were prepared thrice a day, which you could enjoy at the canteen whenever you wanted. Students who had money on hand could also go to Phoenix Embankment Town and spend freely.

Having made up his bed, and night already deep, Zhu Minglang took a hot bath, feeling refreshed and comfortable, which immediately brought on a wave of fatigue.

He lay down in bed, truly tired, and as soon as he closed his eyes, he fell asleep. Perhaps due to the release of suppressed emotions, he slept soundly and comfortably, even revisiting the dungeon in his dreams…

…

The morning light was gentle, the sound of other students’ stern rebukes already coming from outside the house.

Some ambitious young men were already training their Juvenile Spirits, hoping they would transform into dragons soon.

Little White’s transformation into a dragon would likely need several more days. Zhu Minglang enjoyed this rare peace and could not help but be stirred by the morning training sounds of those young men.

He wondered, shouldn’t he also start being diligent?

“Wuu wuu ooh ooh!”

From behind the house, the call of the Little Crocodile Spirit came from the pond.

Only then did Zhu Minglang snap out of his thoughts to check on the Little Crocodile Spirit he had just adopted.

“Do you want to train too? Indeed, you’re too small now. For now, just swim in the lake,” said Zhu Minglang to the Little Crocodile Spirit.

He stretched out a palm and placed it by the sand. The Little Crocodile Spirit crawled up his slender fingers to the palm of his hand and gently moved to his shoulder, lying obediently on Zhu Minglang’s shoulder.

As Zhu Minglang left the house, the Little Crocodile Spirit’s round big eyes were full of curiosity as it observed everything around it – people, trees, the courtyard, and other Juvenile Spirits.

Three parts curious, seven parts wary.

“You seem to have grown a bit, and you’ve gotten a lot heavier in just one day.” Zhu Minglang opened a box and offered a prepared Large Meat Silkworm to the Little Crocodile Spirit on his shoulder using a bamboo stick.

The Little Crocodile Spirit swallowed it in one gulp, without chewing.

As soon as he stepped out of the house, Zhu Minglang immediately saw several youths and teenagers gathered together, discussing something. They were likely all Zhu Minglang’s classmates.

“You haven’t seen her in person. She’s as beautiful as a fairy. It’s just the cruel fate of the gods, why would they treat her that way?”

“Did you hear it was an old beggar?”

“I heard it was a young vagabond.”

“You know nothing. In a place as disordered as Wutu, with her celestial beauty, certainly everyone would want a taste. Just think about being locked up in a dungeon. Even a warden would not be able to resist.”

“Please stop, I am begging you to stop! She is my sun, moon, and stars!! Don’t talk about such indecent things anymore!”

“No one’s holding you back oh, but why do I feel like you’re drooling with excitement?”

In the dormitory courtyard, this group of people was discussing the topic that had already caused a sensation in the town first thing in the morning.

Zhu Minglang walked past them, his brow furrowing.

How the rumors have become more and more outrageous.