Evil Dragon Chapter 1: Is This a Dragon?

The Evil Dragon is Proposed to by the Knight, Again

Year: 2022

Genre: BL, dragons, royalty, paladin, magic, 

Novel Status in Country of Origin: 57 Chapters, 18 extras (Complete)

Translator: Addis

Editor: Kris

~~~~Brought to you by ExR~~~~

SUMMARY:

Lin Nuo transmigrated into the children’s picture book that he illustrated, The Knight Battles the Evil Dragon, and became the evil dragon. Since this book was aimed at children, but the beheading of the evil dragon wasn’t very pleasant, the Reading Classification Management System became unsure how to classify it. Upon his death, Lin Nuo was invited to step into his book and improve its setting.

During the day, the little evil dragon takes on the form of an imperial prince, favored by the King. At night, he turns back into a dragon, eager to grab any gold coins (the only item capable of giving him the magic to keep his human form) and hoard them. In the original story, the little evil dragon committed many misdeeds and was ultimately exposed and slain by the knight Sir Rennes. So, every time Lin Nuo encountered this paladin with his exquisite yet cold demeanor, Lin Nuo was filled with fear and tried to avoid him.

Yet, somehow the King makes Sir Rennes Lin Nuo’s magic teacher?! What is he supposed to do now!? And worse yet, the coins the Reading Classification Management System tasked him to collect are all owned by Rennes?? This can’t be!!!

 

Chapter 1: Is This a Dragon?

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Kris

 

[‘A long time ago, in a country called Saros, there was a cunning evil dragon. During the day, this evil dragon disguised itself as a prince, looking for gold and prey opportunistically; at night, it would transform into a dragon, plundering treasures and playing with pitiful creatures. This kind of life lasted for a year, making the evil dragon more and more rampant! Finally, Paladin Rennes saw through the evil dragon’s disguise! After a fierce battle that lasted for three days and three nights, the knight finally severed the evil dragon’s head!’ – How about it, sweetheart? Does this story sound familiar?], the System asked cheerfully.

“This storyline… Isn’t it the one I’m illustrating?” Lin Nuo answered with confusion. He remembered that just a second ago, he was drawing on his computer when suddenly his heart hurt a bit. Then everything went black, and he heard a voice claiming to be the System, starting to talk to him endlessly. This is… transmigration? 

[Mm-hmm, that’s right! Due to excessive fatigue, you have suddenly died!]

“Uh…” Upon hearing that he had died, Lin Nuo wasn’t surprised, just a bit saddened that he had worked so hard to save money.

[Because you happened to be illustrating the pictures for The Knight Battles the Evil Dragon, you’ve fortunately earned a chance at rebirth! Do you remember the character design you created for this book?]

“Of course. I drew the antagonist evil dragon. In the final draft, the evil dragon was majestic, with a cunning gaze, surrounded by a glittering treasure trove and stepping on human skulls. I’m quite proud of my work,” Lin Nuo said.

[Indeed, it’s a very dark dragon. But this image is too dark and violent, which troubles us.]

“Huh?”

[Mm-hmm, this book was initially listed as ‘children’s literature’, but firstly, the plot of beheading the evil dragon isn’t very pleasant. Coupled with the dark image of this dragon, the entire tone of the book is off. As the Reading Classification Management System, we’re not sure how to classify it. So, we now invite you to step into this book and improve its setting.]

“How do I change it?” Upon hearing about altering the story, Lin Nuo shivered, remembering the fear of the words ‘the client wants changes’ dominating his life.

[It’s simple. From the moment you step into this book, the book will ‘come alive’ and become a real small world, recorded by our System as a new book that meets the classification requirements. Of course, as a very tolerant system, although we prefer children’s literature, we’re not averse to an adult route. So, you can choose between two modes. One is the children’s literature route, modifying the evil dragon’s character to be purely cute and silly, with some adjustments in the plot and no diverse scenes allowed. The other route is the adult route, where the evil dragon receives its deserved punishment, and there can be a mosaic of scenes!]

“Oh? A mosaic of scenes?” Suddenly Lin Nuo was feeling excited; what’s going on?!

[Mm-hmm, so which mode do you choose?]

“Of course, the adult… wait, wait! First, tell me, which character will I become? I must be the knight, right?”

[Hehe, you drew the evil dragon, so of course, you’ll become the evil dragon. Following this route, if after a year, you deceive or overpower the knight, then you can live freely in this independent small world!], the System enthusiastically explained.

“No! No way! I choose the children’s literature route!” Lin Nuo blurted out, without thinking about what ‘overpowering the knight’ could mean.

[Children’s literature route? Are you sure? Being a silly and cute dragon?]

“Of course! I’m sure!” Since he had to be the antagonist, he’d surely choose the easy and simple children’s story.

[Alright. Your conditions for passing are the same. As long as you’re not beheaded by the knight after a year, you can continue living.] Although the System claimed to prefer children’s literature, upon hearing Lin Nuo’s choice, its tone instantly turned cold. [Now, we’ll officially send you into the world of the book. At important plot points, we’ll provide prompts proactively; otherwise, we’ll be offline. Well then, best of luck.], the System finished with a very perfunctory tone.

Lin Nuo was enveloped in a dazzling white light. He blinked hard and found himself sitting on a large bed covered with a canopy and soft velvet bedding. The surroundings were gorgeously decorated; even the bed curtains were adorned with golden tassels.

A rush of the previous plot surged through his mind. His full name now was ‘Linno Heinrich’, ¹ the youngest prince of this country. His parents had passed away over a decade ago, and the current king was his grandfather, a serious old man.

Due to his frail health, Linno had been recuperating in an outlying province since he was young until he returned to the palace a few days ago. Of course, in reality, Linno wasn’t human, let alone a prince. His humanoid appearance and identity as a prince were thanks to the dragon clan’s transformation and painstaking alteration of royal memories, giving Linno the status of a prince to conveniently amass wealth in the human world.

Later, concerned that the young dragon might lose control and revert to his original form, the dragon clan sent Linno out of the royal palace under the pretext of medical advice, until Linno turned 19 and could control his transformations more effectively. Only then did they allow him to return to the palace. 

Upon Linno’s return to the palace, the usually stern old king was unusually excited, even hosting a grand feast to celebrate the young prince’s recovery. And now, it was the early morning of the second day after the banquet.

Lin Nuo had snuck back to his room from the banquet hall. He remembered eating a lot: lamb chops, beef, fruits, various desserts… Yet, he was still hungry, craving something else, something that could truly satisfy him…

[Ding-dong! Important plot reminder! According to the original story, after your human form matures, you need human flesh as food; in the children’s literature setting, you only need to find a special kind of coin. By absorbing the magic of this coin, you can maintain your transformation. Considering you’re a novice, we’ve already opened the map for you in the background and marked the location of the coin. This is a beginner’s benefit! After this coin, the System won’t help you again. You’ll need to find them yourself!]

Indeed, a map appeared in Lin Nuo’s mind, with a small golden dot flashing constantly. Lin Nuo was about to ask how to get out, wondering if he’d be stopped by the guards if he just flew out like this, when the System spoke again, [Here, we suggest you transform into your dragon form to fly out. It’s also an opportunity for you to get used to your dragon form, as fundamentally, you are still a dragon.]

That makes sense. But how to transform? Just shout ‘transform’? As the thought ‘turn into a dragon’ flashed through his mind, BANG, the transformation had already taken place.

Lin Nuo had been worried that his dragon form might fill the entire room or even burst through the walls. After all, this was a majestic evil dragon! But now, as Lin Nuo hopped in front of the dressing mirror, seeing his reflection, he almost fainted—

In the gilded mirror, there was a pitiful four-legged animal. This quadrupedal creature, no matter how you looked at it, was not a dragon. Short little paws, a round head, a wide and flat mouth that resembled a line, bean-sized eyes lacking any intimidation, ‘dragon horns’ that were hardly threatening, and most importantly, the entire body was less than 10 centimeters long, covered in a thin layer of sakura-pink skin. This was not a majestic dragon at all!

“I say, System… Is this really a dragon?” Lin Nuo asked in despair, “This is way off from what I drew!”

In his original world, an animal growing like this would most likely be labeled as an axolotl with a tag saying: Pet, extremely difficult to raise.

[This is the children’s literature route; we made necessary adjustments to the dragon’s appearance. Furthermore, your dragon form is still in its juvenile state, both in appearance and mentality. You need to adapt quickly. Then, after you absorb enough magic, your dragon form will change, gradually aligning with the image you previously set.], the System reassured him. [In any case, please fly out quickly to find the coin! If you can’t replenish your magic in time, firstly, you won’t be able to maintain your human form. Secondly, the dragon form will also be doomed, and you will fail!]

Hearing this, Lin Nuo dared not hesitate any longer, flapping the thin wings on his back, clumsily flying into the air. After circling a few times, Lin Nuo quickly grasped the technique of flying instinctively. Then, using his small paws, he struggled to push aside the heavy curtains and leaped onto the windowsill, flying out through a gap in the window.

Flying and recalling what the System had said— ‘Dragon form is still in its juvenile stage, both appearance and mentality are immature’ —what did that mean? The appearance could be overlooked, but wasn’t his mentality his own? How could it be immature?

After pondering for half an hour, Lin Nuo finally flew to the location of the coin: the outskirts of a small hill according to the map. The coin was buried under a strangely shaped stone and needed to be dug out. 

Should he turn back into his human form to dig faster? Turning into a human, of course, would make digging quicker, but Lin Nuo didn’t have his clothes with him. If he transformed into a human, he would be stark naked under the moonlight. Although there probably weren’t many people in this wilderness, Lin Nuo didn’t want to abandon his human dignity. He decided to remain in the small dragon form and clumsily began digging a hole.

Dig! Dig hard! Lin Nuo vigorously moved his slender little paws, panting as he dug through the soil. Finally, his claws touched something hard and cold.

Lin Nuo held his breath, his small pink chest swelling, and then with both paws, he yanked—

It’s out! A gleaming golden coin!

Seeing the coin, Lin Nuo was horrified to find a strange instinct surging through his body, completely overpowering him. He couldn’t help but open his mouth and foolishly grin at the coin. While he kept laughing senselessly, Lin Nuo internally criticized himself: What’s wrong with me? Can’t I stop being this silly? Can’t I be normal?

While sneering at his own behavior, Lin Nuo involuntarily puffed his cheeks, blew air at the coin, and kept brushing it with two paws, finally clearing the soil off the coin. Under the moonlight, it was clear that this coin had exquisite engravings on the front with a small dragon claw relief at the bottom. The coin was small, with a diameter of about 2-3 centimeters, but it was almost as big as Lin Nuo’s head.

Then, something even more embarrassing happened to Lin Nuo: Despite his internal protests, he pressed his flat little head against the coin and rubbed it back and forth.

Whoosh… In an instant, instinct completely overwhelmed the remnants of his mind. He genuinely felt that the coin’s quality was incredibly wonderful! The hunger vanished instantly! Sure enough, the coin was the most beautiful thing in the world! The best friend of the dragon clan!

Just as he was holding the coin with extreme joy, twisting his small body into knots, he heard a cold voice from behind his head, “Put it down.”

The sudden voice startled Lin Nuo; his wings instinctively flapped, and his heart raced. Clutching the gold coin tightly, he cautiously turned his head to see two men standing behind him, both wearing well-tailored knight’s attire and boots.

The shorter one, standing slightly behind, curiously stared at Lin Nuo and inquired, “Rennes, are you talking to this creature? What kind of creature is this? It’s quite cute.”

The taller, slender man, positioned a bit closer, silently observed Lin Nuo. The moonlight was too hazy to make out the features, but Lin Nuo could see the man’s neatly tied back black hair, a few strands falling onto his chest, contrasting against the deep blue velvet garment.

As Lin Nuo turned his head, the man didn’t advance but instead slightly bent forward, extending his gloved right hand, calmly saying, “The object in your hand is neither food nor a toy. Please put it down, okay?”

 

Author’s note:

Feel free to check out my other novels:

“Desired Butler (Quick Transmigration)”: A story about a butler adored by many but unaware of it, sought after by various bigshots.

“Has the Demon Lord Repaid the Angel’s Debt?”: A tale of a crybaby little demon lord tricked by a heartless angel into a substantial debt, struggling to work and repay it.

Others will gradually be written. Feel free to pick your favorites and bookmark them!

 

 

 

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