I reign supreme in the Western fantasy world for eternity.

Mia was a quiet child from a young age.

Her adoptive parents treated her very well, and no one in the village treated her differently because she was adopted.

On the contrary, everyone loves this cute and well-behaved little girl.

But she always preferred to be alone, sitting under the old locust tree at the village entrance watching the clouds, or squatting by the stream watching the water flow over the stones.

She would also participate if the children in the village wanted to play the "Dragon Quest" game.

She always vied to be the hero, holding a twig she had picked up, pointing at the child playing the dragon and shouting "Take this!" before chasing him across half the village.

At that time, she thought that the bravest person was the most powerful person in the world.

A brave person is not afraid, does not hesitate, and will not stare blankly at the moon outside the window when they wake up in the middle of the night.

The adults in the village all said she was a sensible child, but only she knew that she just didn't know what kind of expression to use to face those acts of kindness.

Until one day, an adventurer party stayed at her house.

Those men wore worn-out leather armor, their weapons at their waists showed signs of actual use, they spoke loudly, and they would slam their fists on the table when they laughed.

They roasted wild rabbits in the yard and sat around the fire telling each other absurd yet true stories they had experienced: about giant pythons in the swamp, about moving statues in ancient tombs, and about vines in the cursed forest that could mimic human voices.

Mia crouched under the eaves, listening intently.

The next morning, she stood at the courtyard gate, mustered her courage, and said to the female adventurer who was adjusting her bowstring:

"I...I want to go on adventures when I grow up."

The female adventurer glanced down at her and smiled, "We'll talk about it when you're older."

Later, when the female adventurer returned from completing her mission, she brought a magic crystal with her to test Mia's talent.

When Mia placed her hands on the crystal, it shone brilliantly. The female adventurer said to Mia's foster parents:

"Can I raise this child? I can offer to pay you."

Of course, before her adoptive parents could refuse, the female adventurer was dragged away by the team leader and lectured, who said things like "be careful not to be arrested as a slave trader." Then, he warned Mia's adoptive parents not to reveal Mia's talent.

Mia's talents are not limited to magic; she also has a great aptitude for close combat.

Later, she really did become an adventurer.

Step by step, from F-level to E-level, from E-level to D-level, taking on missions that others thought were too low-paying or too far away, rolling in mud, enduring torrential rain, and bandaging wounds alone by the campfire.

She likes this kind of life.

Because it is simple enough.

There's no need to guess what others are thinking, and no need to consider what kind of expression to use.

When a task comes up, I accept it; when I accept it, I do it; when I finish it, I hand it in; and when I hand it in, I get paid.

Until she met that golden dragon.

She was very young at the time and accepted a mission to defeat the "Demon Wolf Leader".

After a brief exchange of blows, Mia unexpectedly swung her staff, stunning the wolf leader, and then defeated him in one fell swoop.

Just as she was about to go forward and collect the valuable loot such as teeth and magic crystals, she looked at the bushes not far away as if she had a premonition.

A golden dragon was lying there, staring at him.

It is entirely golden, and in the sunlight it looks like a breathing, molten gold statue.

"What did the Adventurer's Handbook say again? Basically, it says if you can't win, run. But running usually means you can't outrun them. If you do fight, a sneak attack is best."

Mia gripped her staff, about to proceed with the mission, when the other party turned their head and scrutinized her with their molten gold vertical pupils.

"Foolish human, are you still planning to hit me with your staff?"

Mia was silent for a moment, then put down her staff. She piled her money pouch, spare staff, food bag, and even spare boots on the ground, took three steps back, raised her hands, and spoke much more fluently:

"Take it, I'll give it all to you, just please eat it quickly, I'm afraid of getting hurt."

"...Are all humans so prejudiced against dragons?"

"Otherwise what?"

"That's something only chromatic dragons would do! Metal dragons don't do that, and do you really think my chromatic dragon brothers enjoy eating people? They just think it's fun, understand?"

"Is it true? Thank you, dragon."

Mia reached out with some doubt to retrieve her purse.

Jinlong instinctively took a step forward and pressed his claws against the edge of the money bag.

Both pairs of eyes looked at the claw at the same time, and then raised their heads simultaneously, staring at each other in the air.

Mia had saved up this money for a long time to buy the anchoring rune and the corresponding qualifications. Now that she could survive, she was a little reluctant to part with it, and said with a hint of grievance:

"Didn't we agree that it wouldn't be like the Five-Colored Dragon?"

"I can't exactly tell you that this is a dragon's instinctive reaction, can I?"

After a moment of silence, Jinlong cleared his throat and said with an air of authority:

"Human, I'm giving you a chance. You'll take on various adventure quests and earn gold coins for me. In return, I'll fight alongside you. This is the deposit."

"Then, can I refuse?"

"cannot."

Mia stared at it for a long time, and finally gave in:

"How much money do you need?"

Jinlong shifted his gaze, finally confirming that the person before him was the child he had once saved, and said calmly:

Anyway... it's more than what's in your purse.

……

The interior of the World Tree was far more complex than Mia had anticipated.

The moment she landed, she instinctively rolled to dissipate the force, her silver armor sparking as it scraped against the transparent ground. She then knelt up and quickly scanned her surroundings: a gray-white void, a transparent ground, and no boundaries in the distance.

But...where is my dragon?

"Little Flower!"

A deep dragon roar came from the side and above. The golden dragon spread its wings halfway and adjusted its posture before landing. Its claws plowed several shallow marks on the transparent ground before it landed steadily.

Mia breathed a sigh of relief, quickly walked to its side, and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

"What could possibly be wrong with me? It's you who landed rather awkwardly."

Mia chuckled and landed not far ahead.

A fierce battle is taking place there.

About a dozen second-generation fairies of varying sizes were locked in combat, their roars and howls echoing through the air as their claws slashed into flesh, and the subtle buzzing of magic energy emanating from their bodies as they were torn apart.

A simple and brutal fight, devoid of any skill.

The magic essence splattered and spread with the blood.

A severely injured deer-shaped fairy was bitten on the back of the neck by a fairy resembling a giant lizard. After struggling for a few breaths, it stopped moving.

The monitor lizard opened its mouth and began to tear apart the remains of its prey. With each piece it swallowed, its scales would flash with a dark green halo, and its body would visibly swell.

"They are devouring each other."

Jinlong noticed this as well, his golden vertical pupils narrowing slightly: "Then we need to leave here quickly."

Too late.

The four fairies have recently taken notice of them.

Two lynx-like creatures, but the size of adult tigers, raised their heads from the pile of corpses. Their amber vertical pupils locked onto Mia, and then they lowered their limbs, assuming a pouncing posture.

The other two larger, bear-like demons circled around from the side, attempting to block the golden dragon's retreat.

Mia gripped the staff in her right hand and quickly ran her left hand across the staff, causing silvery-white magic to glow along the patterns on the staff.

"Little Flower, the two on the left are mine, and the two on the right are yours."

The golden dragon grunted, its wings spread slightly, and its breath surged deep in its throat. Golden light shone from the surface of its scales, illuminating the surrounding dim space as if it were daytime.

"Come on, let's get to work."