Chapter 54: WHAT’S THAT THING

Chapter 54 — “THE THING ON HIS CHEST”

Long Hao woke up slowly.

Not because of danger.

But because something felt… wrong.

Warm.

Soft.

Heavy.

Right on his chest.

For a few seconds, his mind refused to process it.

His breathing was steady.His room was quiet.The faint hum of Dragon Turtle Academy’s morning formations vibrated through the walls.

And yet—

There was weight on him.

Long Hao frowned slightly and opened his eyes.

Green.

The first thing he saw was green.

Jade-green light, to be precise—soft, translucent, gently pulsing like a sleeping flame.

Something small was curled up on his chest.

No.

Someone.

“…What,” Long Hao muttered hoarsely.

The thing shifted.

A tiny hand—made of glowing jade light—gripped his robe.

Then a very annoyed voice exploded directly into his face.

“HEY!! DON’T MOVE!!”

Long Hao froze.

“…I wasn’t planning to.”

The small figure snapped upright.

She hovered a few inches above his chest now, arms crossed, wings of faint light fluttering angrily behind her.

She looked… ridiculous.

And cute.

A tiny sylph-like spirit, no bigger than a house cat, with flowing jade-to-silver hair that floated as if underwater. Two small jade horns curved elegantly from her head. Her eyes—sharp, emerald, unmistakably draconic—glared down at him like he had personally offended her ancestors.

“UNBELIEVABLE,” she snapped. “Do you have any idea how delicate this manifestation state is?!”

Long Hao stared.

“…I must be dreaming.”

“YOU ARE NOT DREAMING.”

She puffed her cheeks.

“And stop staring! I know I’m magnificent, but still—rude!”

Silence stretched.

Long Hao blinked once.

Then twice.

“…System?”

Hoping it would answer his questions.

Her eyes went wide.

Dead silence.

Then—

“SYSTEM?!”

The temperature in the room spiked.

“WHO are you calling a SYSTEM?!” she shrieked, glowing brighter. “Do I LOOK like some cold, emotionless interface to you?!”

She flew closer, pointing a tiny glowing finger at his face.

“SHOW. SOME. RESPECT.”

Long Hao calmly raised a hand and gently pushed her away from his nose.

“…You’re floating.”

“OBVIOUSLY I’M FLOATING.”

“…And glowing.”

“ALSO OBVIOUS.”

“…And sitting on my chest.”

She froze.

Then looked down.

“…I was resting.”

“You were drooling light on my robe.”

She looked away.

“That’s a side effect.”

Long Hao exhaled slowly.

This was new.

Very new.

“Alright,” he said evenly. “Then tell me who—or what—you are.”

She straightened instantly, chin lifting, aura flaring with pride.

“I am Longyu,” she declared.”The Jade Dragon Sovereign.”

She paused.

Then added quickly, “Currently sealed. Severely. Temporarily reduced. And this form is NOT permanent.”

Long Hao absorbed that without visible reaction.

“…So the Eclipse System turned into a dragon.”

“I DID NOT TURN INTO ANYTHING,” she snapped. “I was always here.”

She hovered closer again, voice dropping into something more serious.

“The forced unsealing during the King-tier fight pushed the seal integrity past a threshold.”

Long Hao’s eyes sharpened slightly.

“…Thirty-two percent.”

She clicked her tongue.

“Don’t remind me. Reckless human.”

“But it wasn’t enough,” she continued. “Your body alone couldn’t sustain further manifestation.”

“Then how did this happen?” Long Hao asked.

Her eyes flicked toward the window.

Toward the distant, heavy presence of Dragon Turtle Academy.

“…This place,” she said slowly, grudgingly, “is nourishing.”

“Dragon veins. Ancient formations. Residual beast-god essence.”

She crossed her arms.

“Disgustingly physical… but effective.”

Long Hao understood immediately.

“So entering Dragon Turtle Academy stabilized you.”

“Yes,” Longyu said. “Barely.”

She looked at him again, expression sharp.

“And don’t think this means I’m fully awake. This is… partial.”

“…You’re still sealed.”

She scowled.

“Obviously.”

A knock sounded at the door.

“Long Hao,” Ling Yifan’s voice came from outside. “You awake?”

Long Hao glanced at Longyu.

She instantly vanished—compressing into a streak of jade light that sank into his chest.

“…Don’t call me SYSTEM again,” her voice hissed inside his mind.

“I’ll consider it,” he replied mentally.

The door slid open.

Ling Yifan stepped in, already dressed, expression focused.

“…You look different.”

“Do I?”

“Your aura’s slightly… heavier.”

Long Hao nodded faintly. “We need to talk.”

Ling Yifan didn’t ask questions.

“Cafeteria,” he said. “Now.”

THE BOYS’ DORM — TEN MINUTES LATER

The room felt empty without them.

Chen Wulian lounged on his bed, arms behind his head, when the door slid open again.

Bai Qianlan stepped in.

“…Is Ling Yifan here?”

Chen’s eyes lit up instantly.

“Oh,” he said innocently. “He left.”

“With someone too.,” Qin Shuo added, deadpan.

Bai blinked.

“…Left where?”

Chen grinned.

“Date.”

Silence.

“…What.”

“They walked out together,” Qin Shuo continued. “Romantic expressions. Early morning.”

“Very suspicious,” Chen nodded solemnly.

Bai’s ears turned red.

“That’s— that’s not—”

“Oh, they didn’t even invite us,” Chen added dramatically. “Cold. Heartless.”

Bai stood there for three seconds.

Then turned sharply.

“…I see.”

She left.

The door slid shut.

One second passed.

Two.

Chen burst out laughing, rolling off the bed.

“HAHAHAHA—DID YOU SEE HER FACE?!”

Qin Shuo smirked. “Cruel.”

Chen wiped a tear. “Worth it.”

CAFETERIA — EARLY MORNING

The Dragon Turtle Academy cafeteria was already roaring with life.

Metal trays clanged. Heavy footsteps echoed. Laughter and arguments blended into a loud, restless rhythm that never seemed to stop.

Ling Yifan and Long Hao sat at a corner table.

Neither of them had touched their food.

Ling Yifan leaned forward slightly, voice low.

“…There’s something bothering me.”

Long Hao looked at him calmly.

“About Chen?”

Ling Yifan nodded once.

“Early morning,” he said slowly, choosing his words with care, “I woke up to get some water.”

Long Hao listened without interrupting.

“I saw Chen outside the dormitory,” Ling Yifan continued. “He wasn’t training. He was… talking.”

“On a communicator?” Long Hao asked.

“Yes.”

Ling Yifan’s jaw tightened.

“He noticed me halfway through and cut the call instantly. Pretended he was just getting air.”

Silence settled between them.

“…That’s not like him,” Long Hao said.

“No,” Ling Yifan agreed. “Chen is reckless, loud, stupidly honest.”

He paused.

“He doesn’t hide things.”

Long Hao tapped a finger lightly against the table.

“…Did you recognize who he was talking to?”

Ling Yifan shook his head.

“No voice. No aura trace I could follow.”

Then he added quietly:

“But his posture changed.”

Long Hao’s eyes sharpened slightly.

“How?”

“He wasn’t joking,” Ling Yifan said. “Not even pretending.”

Another pause.

“I’m not accusing him,” Ling Yifan added. “Not yet.”

Long Hao nodded once.

“…But you don’t trust coincidences.”

“Not after Blackfang,” Ling Yifan replied.

They both fell silent again.

Around them, the cafeteria noise continued as if nothing was wrong.

Students laughed. Seniors argued. The world moved on.

Long Hao finally spoke.

“…We don’t confront him.”

Ling Yifan looked up.

“We watch,” Long Hao continued. “Carefully.”

“If he’s hiding something, he’ll slip.”

Ling Yifan exhaled slowly.

“…Agreed.”

Inside Long Hao’s chest, Longyu shifted faintly, her presence quiet.

She said nothing.

For once, even she understood—

This wasn’t a moment for drama.

Something was off.

And whatever Chen Wulian was involved in…

It hadn’t revealed its shape yet.

But for the first time since arriving at Dragon Turtle Academy—

The unease felt real.

And growing.

[Chapter ENDS]

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