Ancient Dragon in Arknights

The two kidnappers had kidnapped many people in the past, including some rich young men. They were just doing it after accepting the commission, which is what is known as the "black gloves".

In the power struggles and family feuds within Colombia, who knows how many such underhanded tactics will be employed? Who will bother to close the door and care about them?

Unfortunately, those who walk by the river often are bound to get their shoes wet. They themselves probably didn't even know which important figure they had offended or what kind of vortex they had been drawn into during that operation.

In short, some powerful figure orchestrated the interstate police to arrest the two men.

"The two human traffickers have been dealt with. We are currently at..."

Nesario quickly handed the map to Saria and pointed to the markings left on it.

Saria reported the facts truthfully. There was a moment of silence on the other end, after which she told them to stay put.

About thirty minutes later, two modified land vehicles bearing the South Carolina flag sped over.

Nesario and Saria were taken in and confirmed to be safe, and the three bodies were recovered. The officers quickly documented the surrounding environment.

This matter is getting out of hand; the guy who demanded to be captured alive is now a corpse, and the person who killed them...

“It was that scavenger—he attacked this place. So we found our opportunity.”

Neltharion and Saria responded nimbly. Their wounds could be attributed to abuse, but the calcium on Saria's hands, the different bloodstains on Neltharion's body, and the unique wounds on the corpses were all too obvious to hide. It was also difficult to explain why the three of them fought to the last one.

So they chose to avoid the main issue and focus on the more serious one, at least not to expose Neltharion's unique constitution—Saria's understanding of the darkness was still too shallow, but she knew very well that her brother could not be treated as a monster.

We'll have to wait and see how things ultimately turn out.

But Nesario and Saria were at least successfully rescued and sent back to Tiralendo. Both received treatment, and Saria may even be able to test her Originium Arts afterward.

Chapter 22 Aftermath

As the wheels slowly came to a stop, the interstate police force successfully returned to Ticalondo.

When they emerged from the entrance to the mobile city, the Ticalendo police and reporters who came to greet them were hardly incredulous at the outcome—two children had been kidnapped, and the kidnappers had escaped into the wilderness in a land vehicle. It was like finding a needle in a haystack; could they really have retrieved them?

If this is true, how can the police in Tikkarendo still have the face to stay? After all, they haven't even made any corresponding efforts.

"Sister, we are back."

"Officers, thank you."

"It's our duty... However, you may need to cooperate with us for some time afterward, as there are some things that still need to be investigated."

"understand."

When the bandaged Saria and Nesario jumped off the land vehicle, the surrounding reporters nearly wore out their camera shutters as they snapped photos and considered their next move.

Should they rush forward to grab the best interviewing position or quickly return to the newspaper office to grab tomorrow's headline?

But compared to the reporter's happy predicament, the local police in Ticalendo are finding it hard to justify their decision, as they had previously declared the case unsolved...

Predictably, the interstate police will receive flowers and praise, while the Ticalando police will only receive infamy and contempt.

The Colombian press is like this: there are hordes of journalists who can quickly find a lot of big news—but usually much less of it gets published.

After all, most scandals are related to tycoons and conglomerates; if a newspaper publishes their scandals, the newspaper may go bankrupt tomorrow.

Therefore, news like this, where there's no need to worry about retaliation, will definitely be widely publicized, as if they want the whole world to know about it.

And then those so-called sociologists and commentators will rush in like wild beasts that have smelled blood and want to kick it while it's down.

The salaries of police officers in Ticalando are likely to be drastically cut, and the police chief should now be thinking about quickly producing results to gain public forgiveness.

Nezario and Serrea were transferred to an ambulance; they are now children in the public eye, with many public resources being directed towards them—don't be surprised, that's just how strange Colombian society is.

Some important matters may be delayed again and again due to the interference of conglomerates, but some insignificant matters may attract widespread attention after they are publicized.

......

"Are you sure the results of your investigation are correct? To me, it sounds like something a scoundrel would write after a hangover."

Interstate Police Temporary Base

A voice came through the intercity communication system, indicating that the other party was very dissatisfied with the officers' report on their actions.

"But according to our investigation, the facts seem to be like this..."

"Ha... I can believe those two rats and the stray dog ​​killed each other, but you're saying two of them were killed by those two children... Do you think I'm so easily fooled?!"

"Sir, please calm down. These analyses are all verified by us—the girl awakened Originium Arts, and we did detect traces of her Originium Arts on the corpse. Moreover, the fatal wounds on two of the three corpses were sharp lacerations, which could not have been caused by a dagger. Among them, Polly Mark was killed by a surprise attack in the carriage."

After a thorough analysis by the police inspector, the person behind the communications reluctantly accepted the explanation—he wasn't at the scene, but he knew his men weren't incompetent either.

Have you investigated those two children?

"Seria and Nesario, these two siblings are from a middle-class family in Ticalendo. Their father, Senat, is a very ordinary Vaiva, whose only notable achievement is his participation in the Great Frontier in his youth. But as you know, Columbia was in a very chaotic time then, so the details are rather vague. Their mother has passed away. Seria, the older sister, is rather timid..."

The officer pulled out a file from his inventory—it was filled with information about the Waifan family. However, none of it was particularly useful—it was just an ordinary family's record, the most unusual thing being the recent bullying incident at school.

This only reveals the extraordinary nature of the two children, especially Nesario, but that's not a cause for doubt. They remain law-abiding citizens.

"Cowardly? A cowardly child could calmly kill two kidnappers in the wilderness, my God! Do you even know what you're talking about?"

"My lord, now comes the important part. Some time ago, my sister Saria suffered greatly from school bullying, and her brother Nesario got into a conflict with three Lupo children because of it. As a result, all three Lupo children were hospitalized, while he only suffered minor injuries; Senatet's subsequent handling of the situation was also very decisive. Since then, Saria has changed, and remains so to this day."

“Sir, we can confidently conclude that those two children possess the strength and courage to kill an adult.”

The officer in charge of the report spoke rapidly; he had to convince the higher-ups that the target was dead, and the evidence certainly didn't look like professional cover-up. If they continued the investigation, it would likely be a futile effort.

"So—that's the end of it? There's no more possibility?"

"It's... like this."

"...Sigh, come back."

While recovering in the hospital, Saria and Nesario were unaware that a storm powerful enough to destroy everything was about to pass them by.

This is Colombia. The closer you are to the center of economy, politics, and technology, the more opportunities and dangers there are—they can make you soar to the top, or they can plunge you to the bottom.

Ticalendo is just an overlooked border town—but being overlooked has its advantages; at least it's peaceful and tranquil.

"Father." x2

In the hospital ward, Nesario and Seria were finally free from being treated like rare animals by hordes of reporters. After their wounds were treated, they were able to have some peace and quiet in the ward.

Senat arrived here not long after.

"Tell me what happened."

No matter how ruthless Senat may be, he wouldn't be indifferent to a life-or-death crisis.

He desperately needed to know the whole story, what had led his children to such a dangerous situation.

"The thing is..."

Nesario slowly recounted the cause and course of events to Senat. Upon hearing that they had been kidnapped not far from their home, the Vaivaman man rarely showed anger—Vivaman's aura slowly spread out, but it posed no threat to Nesario and Saria.

Neltharion concealed the mutation that had occurred to his body, replacing his claws with daggers. When he heard that Neltharion and Saria had killed both enemies, Senat was somewhat incredulous—he knew his two children were excellent, but he never imagined that they could unleash such power in such a desperate situation.

“Father, you said—if you are bullied, fight back. That’s what we chose. They wanted to kill us, so we chose to fight back.”

"You... did a very good job, very good."

Senat knew that this extreme education was against social regulations—but having witnessed the darkness of human nature and the wickedness of society, he knew that although this way of life was extreme, it could at least protect him.

My own children...have truly grown up.

Chapter One: Eighteen Years Old

Hey everyone, long time no see.

This is Neltharion, who is eighteen years old this year and has just entered adulthood. After reaching adulthood, young dragons often need to leave the protection of their parents and venture out of the nest to explore the outside world on their own.

Nesario was no exception—well, actually, he was going to university. The Vayvans were, after all, a race more like dragons, but in thought and feeling, they were just like humans. Naturally, the cruel rules of nature didn't apply to them; an 18-year-old human was at the age to be immersed in the ocean of knowledge.

As the older sister, Saria had already entered university and completed a year of study. As expected, Saria, who had shown outstanding talent since childhood, did not encounter any obstacles on her learning path.

She and Nesario finished high school in Ticalondo, a border city with few renowned schools—at least compared to the bustling cities of Colombia, Ticalondo's educational resources were negligible. But talent will always shine through, and Celia gained admission to Trimont University with outstanding grades—one of the top universities in Colombia.

Since Saria's personality change, she no longer needs Neltharion's protection; in fact, thanks to her age, she can even protect Neltharion.

When Nesario entered seventh grade, Saria was already famous throughout the school in eighth grade, and Nesario, as her younger brother, naturally shared in the glory; when Nesario entered ninth grade, Saria had become the student council president, and the student council president in the tenth grade, which broke with tradition.

Student council presidents are usually 11th graders and then step down when they graduate in 12th grade.

Saria secured this position a year early, meaning she has an extra year to wield absolute power.

Nesario has always lived in his sister's shadow. After Seria was admitted to Trimont University, everyone thought Nesario would also pursue that goal. However, he unexpectedly rejected Trimont University's offer and instead chose to study abroad. He applied to the Royal Victorian Guard School in Lentinham, the capital of Victoria.

After this story spread, many people mocked Nesario behind his back, saying he didn't want to hide in Saria's shadow anymore.

In fact, Seria did have some opinions about this—the two siblings had always supported each other, and she originally thought that Nesario would join Trimont University; she had even prepared a position for Nesario.

“I’m sorry, sister. You know, I’ve always preferred fighting to using my brain. Trimont University is great, but it’s not for me. Sister, you want to be a scientist, which is a wonderful dream, but I’d rather be a general.”

"...Relations between Victoria and Colombia have always been tense. You must protect your safety. If you encounter a danger that you cannot resolve, escape back to Colombia."

"Okay... I understand."

And so, Nesario persuaded Saria.

The two siblings went their separate ways; one went to Trimont and began to challenge the corrupt scientific community in Colombia; the other went to Victoria and began his own story.

As for Senat... this man, the father of the two siblings—he only revealed that he was adopted when Neltharion came of age and then did nothing more. The children grew up and he no longer needed to worry about them.

As for whether or not to adopt... it's obvious to anyone with eyes, isn't it?

Ten years have passed, and the two little dragons have fully grown up. Although they are still in their adolescence, all their features have begun to develop completely.

Saria and Senat are very similar – long, smooth, silver-white hair; four curved dragon horns growing from the back of her head as if to wrap around her skull, the main body of the horns being black, gradually turning orange at the ends; her pupils are an amber color that can make people drown in them; her tail is short and thin, hanging only from between her thighs, and the end of the tail is covered with spikes, like a small meteor hammer, but because of its size, it has no practical value in combat.

As for Nesario... this guy has gone beyond mutated development and evolved to the point of abnormal development.

His hair color was the same as Saria's, a beautiful silver-white; however, he had six horns, with two extremely thick horns growing from the sides of his head, pointing towards the sky, and the overall color was jet black; the other four horns were located behind these two horns, and they appeared extremely small in comparison, and the overall color was also black; these six horns were like a black crown on Neltharion's head.

Neltharion's eyes were crimson, and his eyeballs were covered with a thin layer of transparent keratin, a trait inherited from the Odogaron—making his pupils appear as clear as jewels.

His body is a perfect combination of human and Odogaron – his body fat percentage is not as extreme as that of the Odogaron, but it meets the human requirements for endurance and resistance to blows; under high-intensity exercise, Neltharion's muscles will turn red like those of the Odogaron.

In addition, his body underwent a unique change over time—several shark gill-like slits appeared above Neltharion's collarbone, which was the poison gas filtering system evolved by the Odogaron to survive in the miasma-filled valley; his tail, like the Odogaron's, became a solid dragon tail made of layers of keratin, which not only made it easier for Neltharion to maintain his balance, but also had great practical value in combat.

Neltharion was initially worried that this evolution was too conspicuous, until he recognized the races "Adaklis (crocodile)" and "Mantico (manticore)." Terra is full of wonders! What's wrong with having one more big-tailed dragon?

The only downside is that only Neltharion's hands evolved claws; his feet "degenerated" because he wears shoes.