Lord blessed by the elves

Chapter 109 Long Ears
This seemingly casual remark sent a jolt through Kruse's heart.

He could clearly feel the oppressive aura emanating from the wyvern, a power powerful enough to make even a golden knight's heart tremble.

But in the mouth of this "transformer dragon", it was just a "defective product"?
Seeing that the other party did not seem to be making a move or turning hostile immediately, Kruse calmed himself down.

Now that everyone had laid their cards on the table, he took the opportunity to ask the question that had been bothering him, maintaining a tone of both respect and curiosity:
"Your Excellency Shapeshifter, are you referring to 'defective products'... like wyverns, which are sub-dragon species?"

Instead of answering directly, the panda refocused its sharp gaze on Kruze and asked, "Boy, tell me first, how did you know my identity? In this remote place, no one should be able to recognize a 'shapeshifter'."

Kruze was prepared for this. He showed a perfectly timed "recollection" and "sudden realization" on his face and recounted his experience that night with a slight alteration: "Your Excellency, the strange fog that shrouded the mountains that night, and everyone inexplicably falling asleep while I remained awake, followed by your appearance with serious injuries... it was all too coincidental."

Even if I were incredibly dull-witted, I could sense something unusual about it. Fortunately, years ago I had stumbled upon an extremely ancient fragment about different types of dragons, which seemed to mention dragons with the ability to change form, called 'shapeshifting dragons'.

He cleverly attributed the system's prompts to a "fragment he stumbled upon."

In fact, his final account of the dragon books was entirely a fabrication he made up in a moment of inspiration.

After listening, Panda stared at Kruze for a long time, seemingly trying to determine the truthfulness of his words.

Finally, the sharpness in its eyes softened slightly, and it reverted to its lazy demeanor, picking up a straw and chewing it. It replied telepathically, its tone still old-fashioned:

"Hmph, you're lucky, kid. Since you understand High Elf language, you must have mastered some of the Elven heritage. Those long-eared creatures have lived long enough and recorded a lot of random things, so it's not too surprising that they know about the existence of 'Shapeshifters'."

Its words can be seen as an admission of Kruze's explanation, and at the same time, it indirectly acknowledges its own identity as a "shapeshifter".

It connects Kruze's knowledge of Elvish with his knowledge of shapeshifting dragons, providing a seemingly reasonable explanation for Kruze's "erudition".

Kruze secretly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the first hurdle was over. He pressed his advantage, steering the conversation back to the topic: "So, sir, regarding the 'defective product'..."

The shapeshifting dragon glanced at him, seemingly in a slightly better mood, and lazily explained in a condescending, educational tone: "So-called sub-dragons and earth dragons... are merely products of the radiation of our true dragon magic. They may resemble us in appearance, but they haven't even grasped the basics of the true power of the dragon race. What are they if not defective products?"

Its words carried the deep-seated pride unique to the bloodline of true dragons, along with contempt for sub-dragons and secondary dragons.

"That thing doesn't deserve the word 'dragon.'" The panda said, chewing on a blade of grass, its disdain undisguised, as if saying that the soil on the ground didn't deserve to be called gold.

Kruze felt a chill run down his spine; the true dragon's pride in its own bloodline was evident.

He then picked up another keyword – “long-eared guy”.

This reminded him of the elves from his previous life's fantasy stories. Could they really exist in this world?
Unable to contain his curiosity, he continued respectfully in Elvish, "Your Excellency, what do you mean by the 'long-eared creatures' you just mentioned? Are they a race similar to us humans?"

The panda-form dragon glanced at Kruze, its eyes filled with disdain that said, "You don't even know this?" But it seemed to be in a good mood because Kruze understood Elvish and its desire to confide had just been satisfied. So it lazily explained in its mental imagery: "Hmph, they're those creations made by the Elven gods. As for their appearance, they're similar to you humans, except they have long, pointed ears. They're generally more beautiful and live much longer, often hundreds of years." It gestured with its paw to indicate the length of its ears, its tone casual, as if describing some common animal.

"However," it changed its tone, its voice laced with a hint of mockery and blunt criticism, "he's incredibly stubborn, one-track-minded, and once he's made up his mind, not even a few cave lions could sway him. He's always spouting nonsense about nature, balance, and ancient traditions… and in the end…"

Just as it seemed about to utter some crucial information, its voice abruptly stopped.

In those obsidian-like eyes, the previous laziness and disdain were instantly replaced by an extremely clear fear, as if they had touched some extremely terrifying taboo.

It even subconsciously shrank its neck, abruptly shut its mouth, and swallowed back the words it was about to say. It just looked around warily, as if worried that something might come down because of its words.

All these subtle changes were clearly seen by Kruse, who was closely monitoring it.

Kruse was deeply shocked.

What kind of terrifying existence or event could make a "shapeshifting dragon" of noble status and unknown strength so fearful that it dared not even mention it?
The secrets hidden behind this are probably far beyond his current imagination.

He immediately realized that the problem had crossed a dangerous line.

Curiosity is important, but survival is the most important thing.

With his current mere Bronze Knight strength, attempting to explore secrets that even shapeshifting dragons keep to themselves is no different from an ant trying to peek into the source of thunder.

So, Kruse wisely refrained from asking any further questions.

He offered a perfectly measured apology, then quickly changed the subject, saying in a relaxed tone, "I see. I apologize for my intrusion. Your injuries seem to have healed considerably. I wonder if you enjoyed lunch today? I've had the kitchen prepare some fresh honey..."

Seeing that Kruze was so "cooperative" and didn't press for details, a barely perceptible hint of approval flashed in the panda's eyes. Its fear slowly faded, and it returned to its lazy demeanor. Its attention was indeed drawn to the "honey," and it smacked its lips, replying telepathically, "Hmm...not bad. Next time, you could add more..."

The atmosphere in the pet room returned to "harmony," but a seed had been planted in Kruse's heart.

The elves, the shapeshifting dragons' fear, the mist and slumber of that night... these clues seem to point to a lost history or a huge conspiracy.

Until we have enough strength, these secrets can only be kept buried deep in our hearts for the time being.

The most important thing right now is to improve ourselves, develop our territory, and... take good care of this "national treasure" in front of us who has a bad temper but a terrifyingly powerful background.

(End of this chapter)