Chapter 77
Editor: SimoB
It was only natural that the golden dragon would have such thoughts. After all, he had been a pariah even back when he was just an egg.
He’s never even seen a small shrimp growing up. Everything he knew about the various deep-sea species came from his inherited memories, which also showed how different his personality was from other dragons.
Before his ancestors all died off, leaving only a single egg behind more than 100,000 years ago, they found thrill in roaming the depths of the ocean.
On the other hand, the golden dragon liked to be a shut-in and sleep all day.
While his ancestors were willing to travel to distant oceans for their favourite prey, fighting the fat birds in the skies just for a bite of the giant ice crabs that lived in icebergs, he ate whatever he could find when he was hungry.
The reason the golden dragon was so different was probably because his only companion growing up was his pearl.
A pearl that couldn’t speak or move at that. All it did was glow.
After tens of thousands of years of solitude, the fact that no living creature dared to approach him was engraved deep in the golden dragon’s sense of self.
And now his pearl had vanished.
The huge pearl that was supposed to be securely in his mouth was gone.
Plus, there was a little mermaid sleeping soundly where it used to be, who didn’t seem the least bit afraid of him.
This must be his pearl.
Because only his pearl wasn’t afraid of him.
He didn’t let the fact that the pearl wasn’t alive affect his line of reasoning.
As the golden dragon pondered this, his long long long long body confidently curled around the little mermaid in the center some more.
This had to be his pearl.
Ecstatic, he started searching through his memories about creatures with a similar appearance to the little mermaid. After identifying him as a siren, he combed through his inherited memories for how to raise sirens.
He was too excited about finally meeting another lifeform to wonder about why the spirit form of his pearl would be a little siren.
This was the first time a living creature had dared to approach him since he was an egg.
If he couldn’t swim as fast as he could to swallow the sea creatures that desperately avoided him, the golden dragon would’ve quickly starved to death.
But the golden dragon was too busy eating during his binges to notice what exactly he ate.
He would clear out all life in an area for a century or two anyways.
Therefore, according to his recollections, this was the golden dragon’s first time meeting a siren.
Fortunately, his almighty inherited memories prevailed once again.
The golden dragon carefully shielded his little pearl with his body while checking his inherited memories.
Sirens did exist 100,000 years ago.
But the conditions of the time were very different from now. Dragons were still the masters of the seas then, and they roamed underwater in groups, searching for entertainment.
Namely, eating other creatures, ripping apart other creatures, and toying with other creatures.
If said creatures existed now, they would be called prehistoric behemoths. But they were nothing more than the dragons’ playthings in the deep sea of long ago.
Sirens at the time were more like the food of the food of the food…of the dragons’ playthings.
They were at the very bottom of the food chain.
The ancient sirens were too busy with survival to even think about playing with humans. Besides, humans didn’t even exist back then.
Ancient sirens were notoriously ugly, with big flabby tails and gray dull scales. Their claws couldn’t be retracted yet and their fangs grew right out of their mouths.
Even the golden dragon, who had never directly seen a living creature, shook his head in disgust at the sight of the sirens from his inherited memories.
Then his large head turned back to the little mermaid his body was wrapped around.
The little mermaid shifted comfortably at that moment and turned over. In the dark sea, his beautiful silver fishtail that seemed to glow from within appeared especially slender. His flawless skin was milky and bore no resemblance to the blue and scale-covered skin from the dragon’s inherited memories. The mermaid seemed to be having a good dream, since the pastel pink lips on that tender little face curled up slightly.
The disgust in the golden dragon’s heart cleared in a flash.
His whiskers trembled with joy as he purposely forgot about how ugly the sirens in his inherited memories were. He continued to watch the little one.
Inherited memories were pa.s.sed down from one generation of dragons to the next.
Even though the golden dragon was the last of his race, he could still learn the various skills of a dragon thanks to his inherited memories.
Of course, the other dragons would’ve never guessed that the last surviving dragon would be a shut in.
Other than breaking out of the egg sh.e.l.l using his own power, the golden dragon took a very pa.s.sive approach to life.
The changes that the world had undergone in the past 100,000 years were very beneficial to him. All the golden dragon had to do was eat and sleep since no creatures would dare come close.
Getting back to the topic at hand, the golden dragon went through his inherited memories a second time and carefully took notes.
Sirens were fragile. They could die from a slight touch.
The golden dragon looked at the little mermaid he was coiled around and carefully brought him closer so that no stray sea creatures could ram into him.
Even if this area seemed to be completely devoid of life, you could never be too careful.
The golden dragon continued to review.
Sirens liked to sing, but the creatures around them didn’t like to listen. They would gang up on the sirens and beat them for disturbing the peace, causing many sirens to die from anger.
If they could anger themselves to death, sirens must be very mentally fragile.
Also, sirens were the weakest creatures in the sea. Anyone could bully them, so sirens were often very timid. Due to this, some dragons used to keep sirens as pets.
Unfortunately, sirens were just too fragile. A casual tail sweep was lethal to them, and their meat wasn’t even tasty.
So dragons from back then used to keep sirens as pets…
The golden dragon flicked his long tail thoughtfully.
So my pearl became a little siren because of what happened 100,000 years ago?
The golden dragon diligently reviewed the information about sirens again. He paid particular attention to how sirens were fragile and delicate creatures that liked shiny things.
His inherited memories said that sirens were on the lowest rung of the food chain, but the golden dragon was confident in his ability to protect him. After all, whether it was 100,000 years ago or now, dragons were still the rulers of the sea.
He didn’t even consider that things might be different now, that the pitiful little sirens might’ve overturned their fate and became the new rulers of the sea.
The golden dragon looked at the still sleeping siren with pity. He felt very protective towards this weak yet lovable creature.
Poor little thing. If a little guy like him hadn’t been sleeping soundly in my mouth, he might’ve been bullied by the other sea creatures.
Since he had kept the pearl with him for tens of thousands of years, one could argue that he hatched the little mermaid.
He tried his best to widen his eyes and closely examine the little mermaid that was even tinier than his claws.
The golden dragon’s gaze took in his little face, his little arms, and his little tail.
Look at how l.u.s.trous and round the scales on his tail are. They’re just like the ones on my tail.
After forcibly creating a resemblance between himself and the little mermaid, the golden dragon was even more convinced of his theory.
That would make me this little mermaid’s dad then.
After coming to that conclusion, the golden dragon tried to recall how dragons raised their young.
Oh wait. They didn’t.
Dragons threw their eggs away without a care in the world. The little hatchlings would find their own way back to the tribe with their inherited memories.
The golden dragon looked at the tender little mermaid and felt like he couldn’t bear to do such a thing.
He was so small.
And he was once the golden dragon’s pearl.
…But why hasn’t his little pearl woken up yet?
The golden dragon carefully retracted a claw as much as possible, but he was still hesitant to directly touch the ‘weak’ mermaid. Instead, he slowly touched the strands of Shi Qing’s hair.
The soft hair fluttered between the dragon’s claws, and the golden dragon’s heart became overwhelmed with tender and warm emotions.
The orphaned dragon vigorously swished its tail. A thought came to mind.
So this is what it feels like to be a dad…
The golden dragon’s tail continued to move as he reveled in the joy of fatherhood, just like it once did when he was playing happily as a child. But then, there were no other creatures to see it.
His tail flicked again and again in delight.
After taking a break, it swished some more.
Hundred of meters below, in the trench, countless deep sea creatures were swept away by a sudden vortex of water.
After managing to endure the initial a.s.sault, they were caught up in a second wave.
If they could speak, they would definitely curse and condemn that vicious dragon who could create whirlpools just by flicking its tail.
Oh, you think you’re so impressive just because you’re big?!
Just because your tail is longer than this trench?!!
Just because you can cause whirlpools just by moving?!!!
Ahhhhh!!!
—-
In the tranquil sea above, Shi Qing yawned, rolled around comfortably, hugged his tail, and slowly opened his eyes.
His vision was immediately filled with the gigantic head of the dragon.
And the dragon’s two eyes which resembled twin suns.
His whiskers fluttered in delight as he affectionately rubbed the little mermaid in front of him with them.
[h.e.l.lo little one, I’m your daddy.]