Ancient Dragon in Arknights

Just as Toby was about to collect his spoils, a powerful impact and a sharp pain shot through his right cheek.

The key to a sneak attack is to remain silent, and Nesario changed his mind the moment Saria was pushed down.

Reporting to the teacher is indeed the wisest choice right now, but it may not be able to eradicate this phenomenon.

Therefore, he chose a more immediate method.

Nesario leaped forward, landing firmly on his lower body as he approached Toby, and then used his waist as a pivot to swing his right fist.

Nesario's well-trained body showed no hesitation in this punch, knocking Toby to the ground. Judging from the way he was clutching his face, it must have hurt a lot.

"..."

Nesario didn't stop; stopping to utter threats at this point would only waste valuable offensive opportunities.

After knocking Toby down, he quickly turned and punched the henchman on his left. Before the henchman could react, the punch landed successfully; the henchman's nose was broken, and blood immediately flowed from both nostrils.

'The last one—!'

Just as Nesario was about to press his advantage, someone bumped into his back; the last Lupo brat finally reacted. He didn't know any fighting techniques, but at this point, all that was needed was to disrupt Nesario's rhythm.

The two were a year apart in physical development, and the opponent exploited the weakness in his back, leaving Nesario unable to avoid being knocked to the ground in an embarrassing situation.

"Hit him!"

Toby's furious roar echoed throughout the classroom, and many children had already run far away, while some sensible ones went to find the teacher.

Nesario quickly got up from the ground. Of the three enemies, one was paralyzed with fear because of a bleeding nose, another was struggling to face his boss under threat, and finally... Toby was enraged.

"Come on, let's see who stands last."

......

The sun slowly set, its last rays painting the entire sky a hazy orange-yellow. Dusk—the moment the sun is about to set—is known in the Eastern Lands as the "Hour of Twilight."

Senat put down his newspaper and glanced at his watch—his two children still hadn't returned home.

It's not unusual for Nesario to come home late occasionally; but it's very unusual for Saria, that timid child who is better suited to staying at home than the outside world.

Several child abduction cases have occurred in Colombia recently. Although Ticalondo is not a popular city for such cases, it is not impossible for them to happen.

Senat decided to wait five minutes, and if the children did not return within five minutes, he would call the police.

"jingle--"

The doorbell rang at the main entrance.

"I need an explanation."

Senat's cold voice reached the ears of the two siblings. He rarely inquired about the children's affairs, but once he did, he wouldn't allow any evasion or concealment.

"Daddy... Toby and the others bullied me, and they even... Waaaaah!"

Seria carried the wrecked toy car to her father, pleading for his help.

"How many times have I told you! Don't cry! Do you think crying will solve anything?! Do you think venting your emotions will protect you from being bullied?"

"No, Saria. If you're bullied, fight back. If your car gets broken, fix it. You have to take responsibility for your cowardice."

Hearing Senat's words, Saria's tears did stop, but they were forced back by her father's intimidation.

Chapter Four: Facing the Dragon (Revised Version)

Senat stood up and walked towards the door, where he saw Nesario, who had sustained minor injuries.

Of the three Ruperts, the unlucky one who got a bloody nose panicked the moment he saw the blood, sitting on the ground covering his nose and yelling; the remaining little follower was a bit hesitant to use his full strength, and apart from the first impact, he just threw wild punches the rest of the time.

The only one who could be considered a fighter was Toby. Accustomed to being the boss, he had a strong sense of pride, and this time, Nesario had humiliated him. Consumed by rage, he used all his strength in every move.

However, the difference in their combat experience was too great. Toby's punches lacked technique, and in Nesario's eyes, Toby's whole body was full of openings. If there hadn't been two of them, Nesario could have pinned Toby to the ground and beaten him.

His wound was from a fingernail scratch; as for a fist? Such a heavy blow should naturally be avoided. In the end, the teachers who arrived quickly separated the group and provided treatment.

"What's going on with you now? Are you fighting?"

"...My sister was bullied by Toby, so I stood up for her."

In other families, parents would first focus on the child's injuries; then encourage the child, saying that being brave enough to protect family members is a very valuable virtue; but they might also educate them not to resort to violence, but to learn to report to the teacher.

"Hmph, Saria was bullied because of her cowardice; while you were hurt because of your weakness."

This is Senat, this is their father, this is what makes this family different.

How could such a man be called a father? But in reality, Nesario was quite satisfied.

Senate never skimped on the siblings' living standards, always providing them with the highest level of middle-class living, and even granting them a great deal of freedom. In other families, a strange child like Nesario might have suffered quite a bit.

“I knocked at least three noses out of shape, and I knocked out one of Toby’s teeth. Father, you should worry about the school’s reprimand.”

Nesario was not as submissive as his sister; he showed Senat whether he was weak or strong through his attitude.

"......I see."

Senat remained silent for a moment, then looked Neltharion over before giving a curt reply.

Senate went out; I don't know where he went, he always has his own things to do.

"Nesario..."

Saria, fighting back tears, walked up to Neltharion. She was probably heartbroken. For a child, the safest place is in their parents' arms.

As a result, Saria did not enjoy this safety; instead, her father rubbed salt into her wounds.

"Sister...you are not a coward. Didn't you rush in back then? It's just that the other side was too despicable, bullying the few with the many of them."

Nesario had no experience in comforting girls; he could only do his best.

"Waaaah... Ah—"

Seria still cried. Her father's indifference was like an ice wall, freezing her tears. But her brother's comfort easily melted that ice wall.

Looking at the crying girl in front of him, Nesario could only open his arms and hug her tightly; sometimes it's better to cry.

"Nesario...I want to go with you tomorrow..."

As she sobbed, Seria made up her mind. She was determined to make a change, at least she wouldn't watch her brother fight alone anymore.

"Where?"

"Gym".

At that moment, Nesario was unaware that this was the last time Saria would cry, and for many years to come, he would never see his sister cry again.

That night, Saria reapplied the medicine to Nesario and then went to sleep.

At this moment, Nesario was unable to fall asleep. He tossed and turned in bed, even kicking the blankets aside.

"What's wrong... Do I have a fever? That shouldn't be the case..."

Nesario felt as if his body was in a furnace, burning hot all over.

He even felt so energetic that he wanted to stand up and throw a few punches.

Without hesitation, Nesario stood up and raised his fist in the center of his room. Looking back on the conflict with Toby and his group during the day, he realized there were several instances where he had mishandled things.

Strong people always reflect on themselves! Nesario resolved not to make the same mistake again.

After an unknown amount of time, Nesario lay on the floor and fell into a deep sleep.

......

In a hazy state, Nesario's senses gradually became clearer: the hard, cold ground beneath him, the wind whistling through his skin, and the pungent odor spreading through his nostrils.

"!"

The smell was so unpleasant that it woke up Nesario, who was still asleep.

"What is this place?"

Nesario covered his mouth and nose, stood up, and looked around. His eyes were met with towering rock walls and dark plants and fungi covering the ground, creating an overall gloomy and oppressive atmosphere. Judging from the surroundings, this was a valley, its unique ecosystem created by the dim light.

"But what exactly is causing this pungent smell?"

Nesario didn't know why he was here, but he quickly accepted it. After all, since time travel had already happened, perhaps the so-called gods were just having fun with him?

Nesario began to walk forward. Hiding in the valley would not allow him to gather information, so he planned to climb out of the valley and gather information about the surrounding area from a higher vantage point.

A cold, pungent valley wind howled around Nesario, the air currents indicating that there was indeed an entrance to the valley—good news.

"pat-"

A sharp cracking sound came from under Nesario's foot. He lifted his foot and saw two broken bones.

Judging from its appearance, this piece of bone has been corroded for a long time and is as brittle as a poor-quality building material.

Nesario looked around and saw many bones scattered on the ground, some huge and some small, belonging to different parts of the animal—this was a slaughterhouse!

"Damn it... I hope the owner here is resting or out today. Sorry for the disturbance."

Nesario quickly turned and walked away, but he hadn't gone far when he heard a muffled thud behind him, like the sound of some large animal landing.

Whew—don't panic, and don't run away with your back to them. Slowly turn around.

Nesario saw a strange beast.

Its entire body is covered in bright red skin and sharply defined muscle lines; its ferocious and terrifying head has a gaping maw with four huge, sharp fangs that are definitely not just for decoration; its tail is covered in layers of thick keratin, resembling a wolf-tooth club; most striking of all are its claws, each hand bearing ten sharp, knife-like claws, arranged in a double layer through two different joints.

The only thing that gave Nesario any solace was the size of the other person—the size of a small pony, looking like a girl who hadn't yet become a grandmother.

A young monster!

Chapter 5 - ¥1/3 (Revised Version)

will die!

Nesario knew he had no chance against the monster in front of him. Although it was small, its sharp teeth and claws were not dulled by its size. Since he was sure he could not fight it, he should focus on self-preservation.

Give me the way!

Nesario quickly ran in the original direction. The worst thing you can do when facing a beast is to run away with your back to it, because that will trigger its hunting instincts and make it chase you frantically.

Humans can hardly outrun wild animals in nature; such an attempt will only result in your death from a severed nape.