Gospel of Blood

I am a severely wounded black dragon.

I don’t know where I come from, nor do I know where my home is. Even my name was given to me by others.

I still vividly remember the moment I first awoke.

Those were painful days, curled up weakly in the darkness of the mine, tormented by the tearing of my wounds and the agony in my soul.

No memories, no past, only the searing pain of my body and a lingering fear deep in my soul.

In the darkness, I seemed to hear a faint female voice whispering in my ear.

“So that’s how it is…”

“I’m sorry, Eudoxia, time is limited, I can’t do more…”

“Sleep, the wheel of fate has begun to turn…”

…

I am a severely wounded black dragon.

If it weren’t for the magic-infused mithril in the veins of the mine, I might have already died from my severe injuries and depleted magic.

But even though I found mithril to replenish my magic, even though it eased my pain, it was just prolonging my suffering without food.

Until… I met him.

I still remember the day I saw him.

The collapsed mine, the swirling dust, the harsh coughing from the smoke, and… a thin, weak figure that looked quite delicious.

It was a demi-human.

I don’t know how I knew it was a demi-human, but the moment I saw him, my desire to survive almost overwhelmed my reason.

He was a demi-human, but also… food.

Dragging my heavy body, I attacked. I growled lowly, baring my fangs and claws. I saw his face pale with fear and heard his terrified shout.

“Dragon… a dragon!”

But I failed.

Even with the mithril’s magic, my strength was still fading day by day. Despite my will to survive, my body grew heavier.

I was so weak that I couldn’t even kill a frail demi-human. I collapsed in front of him.

I saw his terrified expression gradually turn to surprise. I sensed his fear quickly dissipating, replaced by… curiosity.

“You… are hurt?”

Those were the last words I heard before I lost consciousness.

…

I am a severely wounded black dragon.

I thought I should have died.

Although I had lost my memory, and forgotten everything, I still knew who I was.

I knew the fate of a severely injured dragon found by lesser intelligent beings. I knew I was so weak that even a mortal could easily kill me.

But… I did not die.

When I awoke again, I saw a bright campfire, felt its warmth, and smelled an enticing aroma.

That thin demi-human was sitting by the fire, quietly roasting something.

Food!

At first glance, I saw the food on the fire. The enticing meat aroma even surpassed that of the demi-human himself.

Struggling to get up, I noticed that my wounds had been covered with a pungent powder at some point.

It was a foul-smelling powder.

But after it was applied, my pain seemed to lessen instantly.

“Ah, you’re awake…”

“Don’t move, you’re badly hurt. Fortunately, I found these medicinal powders from the tribe, they’ll help you feel better.”

The demi-human said.

Why didn’t he kill me?

That was my first thought.

I was puzzled.

Very puzzled.

But he did not explain, instead, he handed me the roasted food.

This time, I saw what it was—a large burrowing rat.

“Here, you must be hungry. This is all I could find.”

“I’m afraid the burrowing rats around here are scarce because of your presence. I had to go far to catch one.”

He said.

I looked at the burrowing rat he handed over, without responding.

“Hey, are you okay?”

He asked again.

Strange fellow…

I didn’t answer him, but I decisively ate the food he handed over.

Because I was really hungry.

…

I am a severely wounded black dragon.

I don’t know why he saved me, or what his intentions were. But I knew I wouldn’t thank him for his aid and food.

I am a dragon.

A black dragon.

Known to be the most ferocious of all dragon species. To me, food is just food.

Even if he saved me, he was still food.

I decided not to try to kill him for now.

I would wait.

Wait until my body recovered, until my strength returned.

I would kill him with my own hands once I regained my power.

I would show him that food should know their place.

It was foolish arrogance for the prey to try to save the predator.

In the meantime, I would use him.

Use his ignorance, use his stupidity, use his kindness…

…

I am a severely wounded black dragon.

Oh, no.

With his help, my wounds have gradually healed over time. He is a very strange demi-human.

Though terrified of my dragon’s might, he always ventured deep into the mine.

Bringing me food and herbs.

Though the food he brought could never fill my stomach, it gave me the strength to heal myself at critical moments.

I found myself gradually getting used to his presence. He returned almost every day, always bringing new food. Sometimes it was burrowing rats, sometimes armadillos, sometimes mountain rabbits, sometimes wild chickens… He enjoyed roasting meat over the fire while telling stories.

Sharing his experiences in the tribe, and his daily life.

Of course, most of the time, he complained about the tyrannical mine manager and the stubborn tribe elders. He didn’t care if I was listening or if I understood.

He seemed to just treat me as a silent confidant.

Of course, I learned his name.

“Kael, my name is Kael, and I’m a werewolf.”

“Mr. Black Dragon, can you tell me your name?”

He asked with a smile.

I turned my head, ignoring him.

He scratched his head, while I arrogantly lifted my head and swallowed the piece of meat I had just put in my mouth. Seeing his slightly awkward expression, I felt quite pleased.

Hmm, today’s food tasted better than usual…

…

I am a black dragon who has lost my memory.

When I woke up, I found myself lying in a mine, covered in wounds, and met a strange demi-human.

This demi-human neither feared me nor exposed my existence. Instead, he found food for me and treated my wounds.

I don’t understand why he did this.

Even though I’ve lost my past memories, I still know how much of an allure an injured dragon holds for the mercenaries of the mortal world, representing enough wealth for an ordinary person to squander a lifetime.

Unknowingly, I seem to have grown accustomed to this daily feeding routine.

The demi-human named Kael still brings food every day, sharing his mundane daily life.

And my wounds are healing day by day.

I have long since regained enough strength to kill him.

However, I have not acted.

Through his stories, I’ve come to know where I am.

This is the Northland, a place called Castell, ruled by two young Blazing Suns.

I have not acted rashly.

Because I know that although my wounds are healing, I have not yet recovered enough to face such powerful beings.

I will continue to wait… wait…

Wait until my wounds are completely healed.

I will personally kill this self-righteous werewolf, then spread my wings and soar into the sky under the gaze of the Blazing Suns.

…

I am a black dragon filled with confusion.

I don’t know how long I have stayed in this mining area.

I just watched that young demi-human grow into a youth, his once naive eyes becoming resolute.

Gradually, I began to enjoy listening to him share those mundane daily stories and complain about his repetitive life on the surface.

In the dark mine, during the long healing process, his stories seemed to become my only source of entertainment.

At some point, Kael stopped coming every day. Sometimes two days, sometimes three days, and sometimes… even a week passed before he returned.

He seemed more tired than before, and each time he came to the mine, most of his sharing was replaced by silence. I felt a bit agitated.

I didn’t know why I was agitated, I just really disliked this instability.

At some point, I had grown used to his daily visits.

I somewhat… didn’t want to kill him anymore.

Finally, one time, I didn’t see him for an entire week.

When he finally came to the mine again, it was half a month later.

I still remember that day.

He limped, seemingly injured, with a mountain deer on his back.

“Sorry, Mr. Black Dragon, I’m late.”

He said with a bitter smile.

Despite having been irritable, I felt strangely calm the moment I saw him.

“You are indeed very late this time. What happened?”

I couldn’t contain my curiosity and asked.

Kael was stunned.

I saw the mountain deer on his back fall to the ground with a thud, and I saw him stare at me in astonishment, stammering.

“You… you… you can talk?!”

“Wait… Mr. Black Dragon, no… Ms. Black Dragon… you’re a lady?!”

I proudly lifted my dragon head.

“I am a dragon, a noble dragon. Learning the common language of Myria is a given.”

As I spoke, I glanced at him.

“Besides… when did I ever reveal my gender?”

That was the first time I spoke to him.

I never thought I would initiate a conversation with such a short-lived species, and what surprised me even more was that I didn’t feel any aversion to it after speaking to him.

Unconsciously, I seemed to have lost some of my initial pride and no longer viewed him merely as an overconfident demi-human.

“These days… where have you been?”

I asked.

For the first time, I saw him at a loss. He scratched his head, seemingly unsure of how to respond, and after a moment, he sighed.

“I went mining.”

“Mining? Haven’t you always been mining?”

“Yes, but it’s different now, Ms. Black Dragon. I need to mine more because I need money, a lot of money…”

“What do you need money for?”

Kael’s expression turned gloomy.

“The Count and the Countess died in battle, and the high ranks of the mining workshop have been replaced. Now the workshop demands more mining from us, and if we don’t meet the quota, they deduct our pay…”

“My father has already passed away from illness, and now it’s just my brother and me at home. We used to have my father to protect us, and the workshop wasn’t so strict before, but now… everything is different.”

“To treat my brother’s illness, I owe a lot of money…”

“I need to pay off the debt… and support my family… so I must mine more silver.”

“Sorry, Ms. Black Dragon, I won’t be able to come as frequently in the future.”

Hearing Kael’s explanation, I fell silent.

Honestly, I don’t quite understand family or familial bonds.

As a dragon, I can’t grasp the significance and value of money for mortals.

But I felt an impulse.

An impulse I couldn’t understand…

I turned around, and under Kael’s puzzled gaze, I returned to the cave I had dug.

From the pile of mithril blocks I had collected over the years, I picked the smallest one, but after some thought, I replaced it with a slightly larger one.

“Take this, this piece of mithril should be enough for you.”

I said.

Kael was stunned, looking at the piece of mithril bigger than his head, his expression dazed.

“Ms. Black Dragon… this… such a large piece of mithril…for… for me?!”

“Take it. I am pleased with the food you bring each time. Kael, you have earned the recognition of a great black dragon and become someone the great black dragon is willing to converse with. Consider this mithril your reward.”

I proudly lifted my head and said.

“Recognition? Reward?”

Kael was stunned.

“Yes, recognition and reward.”

I nodded proudly.

Kael immediately became excited.

“Ms. Black Dragon, does this mean we are friends now?”

Friends?

I frowned.

Looking at the excited demi-human wagging his tail, I snorted and said,

“You are overthinking it. I never make friends with the weak. This is just a reward.”

“Not… friends.”

Kael looked somewhat disappointed.

For some reason, seeing his drooping ears made me even more agitated.

“But… you can be an exception.”

For some inexplicable reason, I blurted this out.

After saying that, I was stunned.

I think I’ve gone mad…

As a black dragon, I was willing to lower myself to discuss friendship with a lowly demi-human!

I am a black dragon!

A cruel and ruthless black dragon!

What made me even more uncomfortable was that I realized I didn’t feel as repulsed by this fact as I had imagined…

Habits are terrifying.

Unknowingly, I had become unlike myself!

“Remember, I hate tardiness. Don’t let it happen again.”

I coldly said and turned to leave.

But perhaps, it was more accurate to say I fled.

“Ms. Black Dragon! May I know your name?”

Kael called out loudly from behind me.

Name?

I paused slightly.

A name…

Honestly, I didn’t know my name.

At least… at that moment, I seemed to have forgotten my name.

In a trance, I recalled the call I heard the day I awoke.

A strange emotion rose in my heart…

“Eudoxia, you may call me Eudoxia.”

I replied.

“Eudoxia?”

Kael was stunned again.

Seeing his dazed expression, I frowned.

“What? Do you have an issue with this great name?”

Kael quickly shook his head, explaining as he shook.

‘No, no! No issue! Of course, no issue, it’s indeed a great name!”

Saying that, he scratched his head.

“I just… didn’t expect that Ms. Black Dragon would share the name with a totem our tribe once worshipped in legend…”