I reign supreme in the Western fantasy world for eternity.

After briefly discussing the details of the intelligence exchange and confirming that Ji Tian's identity as a hero was genuine, the Dragon Knight was visibly relieved.

She tucked the helmet under her arm, the silver armor gleaming warmly in the twilight, and the restraint in her voice lessened somewhat:

"So you are the new hero. I heard your story when I was in Lion Fang City."

You're too kind.

"..."

"..."

Ji Tian was good at killing conversations, the Dragon Knight was a socially awkward person, and Elena and the others felt they couldn't get a word in edgewise, so the atmosphere became a little awkward.

Stop being so dense, think faster!

The information was indeed exchanged, but they haven't made amends for Xiaohua breathing on them yet!

How should we compensate them?

I have a lot of money hidden away, but he's a brave man, he definitely wouldn't care about such mundane things.

Give them magical items as compensation? That won't do either; the things the church gives are definitely better than what I can provide.

What should I do?

Jinlong immediately saw what his master was struggling with, sighed, and said to Ji Tian and the others:

"My master would like to invite you to dinner. As compensation for my offense today, we hunted quite a few rather delicious animals during our adventure."

"Huh? Eat?" The dragon knight was taken aback, but realized what she meant when he saw Xiaohua's eyes. "Yes, yes, that's it. Stay and have a meal before you leave. I'm very good at grilling meat."

Under Lilith's expectant gaze, Ji Tian nodded happily: "Okay."

As dusk settled slowly over the island like a thin veil, the light from the campfire danced around the dragon knight, casting flickering shadows on her silver armor.

"My name is Mia, an S-rank adventurer. I excel at fighting and adventure, and have completed twenty S-rank missions and over one hundred A-rank missions..."

She rarely interacted with anyone, speaking as if reciting a memorized text, adding dry twigs to the campfire as she spoke, a few sparks flying up and disappearing in the night wind.

The golden dragon had completely collapsed onto the stands, its golden scales gleaming warmly in the firelight. Its vertical pupils were half-closed, and its posture was languid, but its ears were perked up, listening intently to the sounds coming from the stands.

Lilith crouched by the campfire, her hands resting on her knees, her face filled with longing:

"An S-rank adventurer! The rewards for those missions must be huge, right? I've heard that an A-rank mission rewards at least several thousand gold coins, enough to live comfortably for a lifetime even in a place like the capital. Sister, you're already S-rank, why are you still taking on so many missions?"

Mia smiled at his words, the firelight casting a warm glow on her gentle face, her dark eyes reflecting the dancing flames.

"Because I enjoy the quests themselves, whether it's defeating those mutated monsters or hunting down the evil five-colored dragons. They don't talk, they don't bargain with me, so there's not much communication required. I can just take action."

I really like that feeling, simple and carefree, without having to think too much. So I've never stopped, whether it's A-level or S-level, I do whatever I get. When I retire, I'll find a deserted island to live on. If there's an owner, I'll buy it; if not, I'll build my own house and live a peaceful life. And when I die, I'll let Xiaohua—"

Jinlong's previously tightly closed vertical pupils suddenly opened a crack, and a faint voice drifted over from the direction of the stands:

"Have you considered that you're about to break through to Legendary Archmage? Don't think about dying of old age or anything like that."

Lilith and Elena both paused for a moment, their gazes towards Mia filled with obvious surprise.

He looks very young. Is it possible to reach legendary status so quickly using conventional methods?

Mia herself didn't react much, just gave a soft "oh" as if she had just remembered it.

She looked down at her hands, which still had some calluses despite her frequent use of Holy Light to maintain them:

"Hmm...that seems to be the case."

Jinlong seemed somewhat displeased with her nonchalant attitude, exhaling a hot breath from his nostrils:

"What I mean is, once you break through to Legendary Archmage, your lifespan will double, and you'll be able to take on more quests. That way, when you die, I can inherit a larger portion of your legacy!"

"Yes, I will work hard to earn money."

Elena turned her gaze from the golden dragon to Mia's face and exclaimed in sincere amazement:

"Miss Mia, you don't look very old, but you're already close to becoming a legendary mage. This is rare even in the history of the Royal Capital Magic Academy."

Mia shook her head, her tone calm:

"Actually, it's all thanks to Xiao Hua. At the time, I was just a high-level mage. I encountered it during a chance mission. Later, when the Adventurers' Guild heard that I had tamed the golden dragon, they directly gave me the title of S-rank Adventurer and even provided me with an anchoring rune, reserving a spot for me to be promoted to Grand Magister. If it weren't for all of that, I might still be saving money to buy the channels and qualifications to obtain anchoring runes."

As night deepened, the light from the campfire gradually dimmed. Mia stood up, skillfully took out several pieces of canvas and tent poles from her storage ring, and began to set up the tent.

Her movements were swift and efficient, clearly those of a seasoned professional.

"I'll sleep here tonight. Tomorrow I'll go to the market to see that oyster stall you mentioned. If you're not in a hurry, you can stay on this island a few more days. I'll take you there after I've finished my business. Little Flower flies very fast."

Ji Tian casually replied, "We'll see."

After saying goodbye to Mia, Ji Tian led Elena and the other two back the way they came.

Back in her hotel room, Elena gently closed the door and turned to look at Ji Tian:

"Do you think that golden dragon's behavior... was normal?"

Ji Tian sat down on the edge of the bed: "Why are you suddenly asking this?"

Elena sat down beside him, her brows furrowing slightly:

"I mean, I always felt there was something off about that golden dragon. If you call it its master, it doesn't really listen to Mia; if you call it a friend, it calls her 'master.' And the way it looks at Mia..."

How to put it? It's like they're taking care of her, as if she's the one who needs to be taken care of. A golden dragon shouldn't willingly submit to a high-level mage, even with Mia's exceptional talent.

Lilith poked half her head in from outside the door: "Yes, yes, yes! I think so too! That dragon spoke as if it were the one in charge!"

"Children shouldn't interrupt when adults are talking."

As soon as she finished speaking, Lilith, who was listening to the adults talking outside, was dragged away by her second senior sister.

Ophelia is more reliable.

Ji Tian nodded in satisfaction and then began to answer Elena's questions.

"It's very simple. This kind of thing has been recorded in online novels before. Isn't it just a copy of the old man with the ring? It's just that this time the old man with the ring has become a golden dragon, and Mia is the protagonist chosen by the golden finger."

Actually, these kinds of protagonists are incredibly cunning. In the early stages, they can use the Heavenly Rank technique "Ghost Possession" to summon spirits, and later they can even remember their friendship and bonds when the old man is in danger, thus unlocking a second stage...

Elena froze: "Are you serious?"

"I've always been serious."

"Never mind, forget I asked."