Mr. Dragon Knight, the dragon girls are chasing you!

Luo Ye quickly shook his head, forcibly suppressing this bold and dangerous thought.

No, I can't think about it any further.

Once some truths are completely exposed, he may never be able to show proper respect to this arrogant queen again. He might even burst out laughing one day, completely angering the face-conscious Black Dragon Emperor. In that case, he will be the one who suffers.

He gathered his chaotic thoughts and slowly raised his eyes to look at the sky.

Dusk had completely enveloped the entire mountain forest, and the afterglow of the setting sun filtered through layers of ancient tree branches and leaves, casting scattered golden-red spots of light that gradually dimmed and dissipated.

The light in the forest grew dimmer, and the evening breeze carried the dampness and a faint smell of blood. The temperature quietly dropped, and night was rapidly enveloping the entire dense forest.

Luo Ye raised his hand and gripped the wooden spear that looked like solidified iron, his eyes quickly scanning the surrounding environment warily.

Wolf carcasses lay scattered on the ground, the stench of blood still strong, but the surroundings had returned to complete silence, with no more signs of monsters lurking around. For the time being, this open space was a relatively safe area.

After confirming that there was no immediate danger or threat in the surroundings, he was completely relieved. He walked very lightly, holding the mini black dragon that was resting peacefully in his arms, and steadily walked towards a towering ancient tree not far away.

"Let's go, Your Majesty."

"It's getting late, and there are many risks in the forest at night. Let's find a safe place to rest and recuperate for the night. We'll continue our journey when it's light tomorrow."

The moment the words left her lips, a very soft and gentle response came from her arms.

"……Um."

A very soft, weary reply came from my arms.

Luo Ye looked down and saw that the mini black dragon had rested its small head in the crook of his arm, its breathing gradually becoming steady, as if it had fallen asleep.

The evening breeze rustled through the branches and leaves, making a soft, delicate sound; the night in the forest was quiet and gentle.

He unconsciously slowed his pace and even deliberately lowered his breathing.

This legendary Black Dragon Queen, feared throughout the entire continent...

It doesn't seem so scary after all.

The night, like a giant net soaked in ink, slowly enveloped the entire ancient forest.

Luo Ye found an ancient tree deep in the dense forest, as thick as ten people could hug. Its roots were gnarled and twisted, and over the years, they had formed a natural hollow in the tree.

The entrance to the cave was partially hidden by hanging vines and thick moss, making it impossible to find this concealed hiding place without careful inspection.

He bent down and crawled inside, finding the interior space to be more spacious than he had imagined—enough for an adult to curl up and lie down, and even barely stretch out their legs.

Luo Ye spent about ten minutes clearing away the dead leaves and pebbles inside the cave, and then gathered a large handful of dry, soft ferns outside to lay under her, making a simple but barely warm sleeping bed.

After doing all this, he sat down against the rough tree roots, let out a long sigh of relief, and felt a wave of soreness wash over him.

A very soft sound came from my arms.

Eluvia peeked her head out from the edge of the dark bag, her gilded vertical pupils gleaming slightly in the darkness. She warily scanned the surroundings of the tree hole, then sniffed slightly.

"Barely...it's clean enough." She gave a very reluctant assessment.

Luo Ye smiled but didn't reply. He took out a flint and steel and some tinder he always carried, preparing to start a small fire for warmth.

"Don't light it."

A low, serious voice came from within her arms: "This forest is teeming with magical beasts, and their night vision is superb. Firelight is too conspicuous in the darkness; it will attract predators from miles around. In our current weakened state, we can't handle a relentless onslaught."

Luo Ye paused, looked down at the serious-looking little black dragon in his arms, then at the completely dark sky outside, and finally put away the fire striker.

"Okay, whatever you say."

He leaned back against the tree roots and pulled his coat tighter around himself.

I was drenched in sweat during the day's intense battle, and now that the sweat has cooled down, the night breeze makes it feel cold and sticky against my skin, which is very uncomfortable.

After nightfall, the temperature in the forest dropped sharply.

The damp chill from deep within the dense forest seeped in through the cracks in the tree hollows, carrying with it the scent of soil and decaying leaves.

Luo Ye curled up on the makeshift bed made of ferns, her body trembling slightly from blood loss and exhaustion, her teeth chattering uncontrollably.

He tried his best to suppress the trembling, not wanting to disturb the little black dragon in his arms who also needed rest.

But Elva still noticed.

She huddled in the dark bag, able to clearly feel the subtle, continuous vibrations coming from above her head, and the stiffness of the human body instinctively tightening its muscles in the cold.

She remained silent for a long time.

So long that Luo Ye thought she had fallen asleep.

Then, the opening of the hidden pocket was gently pried open from the inside.

A small figure covered in fine black scales slowly crawled out.

"Your Majesty? What's wrong?" Luo Ye's voice was weary and puzzled.

Iluvia completely ignored his question, stepping on Luo Ye's warm chest, her short legs taking steps, her movements clumsy and unfamiliar, as she slowly climbed up to his neck.

The next second, she curled up her petite dragon body, pressing her cool scales and small body tightly against his bare collarbone and neck.

A pure and gentle warmth slowly emanated from her dragon body.

This is the residual warmth of the Black Dragon's original life energy. For the Eternal Night Dragon King at his peak, this amount of heat is insignificant and not worth mentioning.

But for Luo Ye, who was severely injured, weak, starving, and with a sudden drop in body temperature, this warmth was like a warm stove that suddenly embraced him in the dead of winter, seeping into his flesh and blood through his skin and gradually dispelling the biting cold.

Warm dragon breath gently sprayed onto his collarbone, sending shivers down his spine. The scent was a unique blend of sulfur and the vastness of the stars, both unfamiliar and alluring.

"Your Majesty, what is this...?" Luo Ye's heart trembled, and he was completely stunned.

"Shut up."

Eluvia's voice was muffled, filled with awkwardness, embarrassment, and insincerity, deliberately adopting a cold and impatient demeanor:

"I'm not trying to warm you up. It's just that we signed a contract to live and die together. If you freeze to death here, I will also suffer the consequences of the contract and be implicated."

"This damn contract is incredibly troublesome."

While stubbornly complaining, she buried her small head deep into Luo Ye's warm neck, her slender dragon tail gently curling up to wrap her body tightly. Although she said she was unwilling, her body honestly pressed even closer to his warm skin.