Elegy from Another World

Seeing Tia still asleep, exhausted and injured, I rose and began a thorough search of the enormous dragon's lair. The legendary dragon's blood branch was the primary objective of this expedition. I searched every corner of the cave, examining every seemingly peculiar rock crevices and crystal clusters, but found nothing but ancient dust and the remains of some unknown creatures.

"Could the legend be wrong? Or has the dragon blood branch been consumed or destroyed by this dragon?" I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. However, upon further reflection, the almost complete white dragon before me was itself a vast treasure trove. Its scales, bones, blood, and muscles were all extremely precious magical materials, far more valuable than a few dragon blood branches.

The most urgent task was to deal with this enormous dragon corpse. I walked to the side of the white dragon's slumped, massive body, preparing to begin dissecting it. I started with the relatively easier left forelimb. I gathered my magic power, forming a sharp energy blade, and forcefully cut at the joint.

However, the white dragon's defenses were beyond imagination. Its scales were incredibly hard, and the muscle fibers beneath were as dense as steel. It took a tremendous amount of effort to barely cut through the outer layer of defenses. Just as I was about to sever the limbs, something unexpected happened—instead of a small amount of blood seeping from the wound like a dead thing, a torrent of scorching, magically potent dragon blood gushed forth!

I took a step back abruptly, alarm bells ringing in my head: "It's not dead yet?!"

Logically, if it were merely exhausted and unconscious, such a severe injury should have awakened it and caused it to roar in pain. But this white dragon remained motionless, with only the gushing dragon blood from its wounds proving its tenacious vitality.

I gripped the energy blade, ready to deliver a swift blow, ending its suffering, and also to ensure my safety. But just as the blade was about to touch its relatively vulnerable neck, my movement froze.

Because I saw large, crystal-clear tears, like melting crystals, seeping from the corners of those tightly closed, enormous dragon eyes, sliding down their ice-crystal-like scales.

Tears?

This is highly unusual. Animals may groan or struggle in extreme pain, but to shed tears… this is usually a behavior of highly intelligent creatures expressing complex emotions such as sadness, fear, or pleading. This dragon's eyes were not damaged in the battle, and its tears at this moment are clearly not due to physical pain.

An astonishing conjecture came to my mind: Could this dragon possess intelligence no less than that of humans?

But if it truly possesses intelligence, why is its fighting style so singular (despite its immense power)? Why did it never attempt to communicate through language or mental means, instead launching deadly attacks directly?

I fell into deep thought. Perhaps... there was some reason limiting it? Like an ancient pact, a curse, or perhaps it was simply in an abnormal state?

Regardless, seeing those silent tears, the string of "pure plunder" within me trembled. Not out of overflowing sympathy—after all, it almost killed me and Tia—but out of a more practical consideration:

1. Material Sustainability: A living dragon is far more valuable than a dead one. Dragon blood can be extracted periodically, and scales and some tissues may regenerate. Killing it is only a one-time gain.

2. Information Value: If it truly possesses intelligence, the information it holds about ancient secrets, dragon knowledge, and even the deeper secrets of this world would be invaluable. This is precisely one of the ultimate purposes of our explorations.

3. Unsolved Mysteries: Why did it attack us? The legend of Dragon's Cry Cave and the whereabouts of the Dragon Blood Branch? Perhaps a survivor can provide the answers to these mysteries.

"I'll spare its life for now," I decided. But to be on the safe side, I absolutely cannot let it regain its fighting ability.

I continued, this time with a clear objective: disarm it and ensure it posed no threat. It took me over two hours to carefully detach the white dragon's remaining three limbs and a pair of enormous wings from its torso. During this process, its body trembled slightly, and tears streamed down its face, but it remained unresponsive and did not resist, as if its consciousness were trapped in some deep abyss. I ensured that sufficient vital tissue connections were preserved and roughly stopped the bleeding with healing magic, maintaining a minimal level of life.

Just then, Tia groaned and slowly woke up. She was shocked to see me "dealing with" the dragon, which was now just a head and a torso, and the scene of dragon blood and severed limbs all over the ground. When she heard that I planned to take the living dragon back to Utopia, she expressed strong opposition.

"Lady Liscia! This is too dangerous! It's a dragon! What if it recovers in Utopia..."

“I understand your concerns, Tia,” I interrupted her, calmly analyzing the situation. “But in its current state, the threat has been minimized. Moreover, a living, potentially intelligent dragon would be of immense help in understanding the world and acquiring knowledge. I will have Utopia implement thorough containment and surveillance measures. The risks are manageable, and the benefits are enormous.”

Looking into my determined eyes, then at the weeping dragon head, Tia gritted her teeth, and was finally persuaded: "...Alright, you're always right. But you must ensure absolute safety!"

"certainly."

We began the arduous task of transporting the dragon. Tia cast a spell to enhance our strength, and together we dragged the still incredibly heavy dragon body outwards along the narrow exit I had discovered on our way here. When we encountered sections that were too narrow, Tia used magic to blast open rocks and widen the path. After more than an hour, we finally saw the light of day again.

Fortunately, our magical vehicle, parked not far from the cave, was still there. With great effort, we lifted the dragon's body onto the truck bed and secured it firmly with thickened ropes and enchanted chains.

We started the engine and sped towards Utopia. As we passed through the inner and outer perimeter of Teferi, the broken yet still majestic dragon head on the vehicle caused a sensation! Residents gathered around, pointing and exclaiming in amazement. We had no time to explain and could only accelerate away.

After traveling day and night, enduring two days and two nights of dust and toil, we finally returned to the depths of the Ghostly Forest, back to our hidden, underground home—the Flesh and Blood Utopia. The next challenge before us is how to settle and study this special "prisoner."