After leaving Jean's office, Xia Zhi headed to the Library, where he found Lisa and invited her to lunch as well.
She agreed immediately.
Without lingering, Xia Zhi took his leave.
He only needed to invite Jean and Lisa; the others in Mondstadt would be invited by someone else.
Now, Xia Zhi set out to find Dvalin, bringing along a diamond-tier [Transformation Pill].
This was the "new friend" he had mentioned to Venti.
Hopefully, it would give Venti a pleasant surprise.
Leaving through the city gates, Xia Zhi walked into the quiet forest. He took out a guqin and plucked a few notes.
Before long, a gust of wind swept the woods, and a massive dragon shadow descended from the skies.
Dvalin lowered its head, rubbing against Xia Zhi affectionately.
Smiling, Xia Zhi patted him. "I brought you something good today."
Curiosity gleamed in Dvalin's eyes.
"You asked me last time about taking human form. I've obtained a pill that will let you do just that."
Excitement surged in Dvalin's gaze.
"It's true. Look."
Xia Zhi pulled out a vial and tipped a single pill into his palm. Its surface shimmered with the aura of law and order itself.
Dvalin lowered its head, staring fixedly at the pill.
"Here. Open your mouth."
The dragon obediently opened its jaws—an abyssal cavern of darkness.
Xia Zhi tossed the [Transformation Pill] inside.
"After taking this, you'll feel very sleepy. Don't resist—just rest. You'll soon enter the stages of transformation and metamorphosis. There'll be no pain."
Dvalin rumbled lowly in dragon tongue, acknowledging.
Minutes later, a soft teal glow began radiating from Dvalin body.
Dvalin indeed started to grow drowsy.
"Sleep. I'll guard you here," Xia Zhi murmured.
The dragon curled up, wings folding close, and drifted off. The teal glow enveloped fully, shrinking down until it formed a large egg nearly a meter tall.
Xia Zhi studied the egg, thoughtful.
Just like when Durin underwent transformation.
---
Though both Dvalin and Durin had taken on egg-like forms during their transformations, the pills they had consumed were not of the same quality.
Compared to Durin, Dvalin had one extra stage of metamorphosis.
In other words, this "hatching" before him would take more time.
"It's already nine o'clock," Xia Zhi muttered, glancing at his phone.
He still had to get back to prepare lunch.
He didn't have the luxury of waiting here slowly.
Forget it—just like with Durin's transformation, he'd give it a little boost.
Xia Zhi pressed his hand lightly against the egg.
The shell felt like the cut surface of a gem, cold and smooth.
"Time Acceleration."
Divine power flowed endlessly from his palm into the egg.
Minutes passed.
The egg remained motionless.
He kept his hand there, channeling more power.
Several more minutes went by.
Suddenly, he felt a strange suction from within the egg—his hand stuck fast to the shell, unable to be pulled away.
"This is… absorbing the power of the time law on its own?"
Xia Zhi was surprised.
After a moment's thought, he didn't resist, instead increasing the flow.
More divine power poured out of his palm, greedily swallowed by the egg.
He pulled up his character panel.
His Divine Power value was dropping at alarming speed.
Even faster than when he had revived his cousin.
At this rate, he'd run dry in minutes, and still not necessarily satisfy Dvalin's transformation.
Xia Zhi took out a [Universal Battery].
The battery was at [100%] charge.
He pressed it into his chest.
Immediately, his plummeting Divine Power began to climb.
Maintaining the flow, he continued feeding the egg.
Ten more minutes passed.
At last, the still egg began to tremble faintly.
A sign that Dvalin's transformation was about to succeed.
A sharp cracking sound echoed.
Thin cracks appeared across the smooth surface of the shell.
Based on his experience with Durin, this meant success.
Yet the suction within still hadn't ceased—it was still drawing out his power.
Though puzzled, he didn't stop.
The cracks spread wider, fragments falling away.
Then, with a sudden shatter, the egg burst apart.
Fragments exploded outward in every direction.
But in the next instant, they froze in midair.
[Time Stop].
Xia Zhi stared at the shards hanging motionless just inches from him.
He knew this scene well—but he hadn't used "Time Stop."
So who had?
His answer came at once.
Meanwhile, his hand pressed against the shell felt an odd sensation—an itch, especially on his forefinger.
Wet. Warm. Soft.
Xia Zhi looked down. Through the vision of his crystal glasses, he saw a teal-haired girl before him.
Her mouth was wrapped around his finger, sucking gently as if it were candy.
Just like when Xia Lin had broken free of her egg, the teal-haired girl was completely unclothed.
The system's voice echoed in his mind:
"You have come into contact with a new creature. Obtained [Blessing of the Time Dragon]. All attributes +1."
"You have come into contact with a new creature. All attributes +0.0001%."
Xia Zhi blinked.
He turned his head, shutting off the glasses' vision, and tried to pull his hand back.
But failed.
The girl gripped his hand with both of hers, eyes wide, cheeks adorably puffed as if scolding him.
He could feel divine power flowing out from the finger in her mouth.
She was siphoning the law of time through him.
From above, he looked at her again.
Her eyes curved with delight, her expression blissful, as though savoring the most exquisite treat.
The scene oddly reminded him of feeding a hatchling.
Well, with the [Universal Battery] sustaining him, he had divine power to spare. Let her have her fill.
With his free hand, Xia Zhi plucked a shard of eggshell frozen in the air.
His mastery of time laws allowed him to ignore the stop field.
So could the teal-haired girl—proof she too wielded the power of time.
It was she who had halted the fragments.
Dvalin had many titles.
Every one of them tied to wind—none to time.
But he recalled the [Transformation Pill]'s description:
[Transformation Pill]
Quality: Diamond
Type: Consumable
Traits: Shapeshifting, Blessing, Metamorphosis
Effect: After ingestion, a monster enters Shapeshifting; randomly grants one extraordinary talent; metamorphoses into a new form according to the highest compatible law.
Hidden Effect: No discomfort during Shapeshifting or metamorphosis.
Combined with the system prompts—could it be that Dvalin had become a [Time Dragon]?
Was it true affinity with time… or because she had devoured the time law he had been channeling into her?
Xia Zhi wasn't sure. It was his first time using a diamond-tier pill.
He selected Dvalin from above.
"Would you like to use [Skill Steal] on the target?"
"Yes."
"Skill Steal successful. You have learned [Whispered Melody]."
[Whispered Melody]: Your voice is a natural song.
The first time they'd met, he had already stolen all of her skills.
This new ability could only have come from her metamorphosis.
But judging by the description, it was unrelated to time—likely the gift from the pill, like Xia Lin's [Eye of Truth].
He selected her again.
"Skill Steal successful. You have learned [Time Dragon]."
[Time Dragon]: Automatically master the law of time.
So it was true—Dvalin had become a Time Dragon.
Or rather, a dual-element dragon, retaining original Anemo power.
Minutes later, the teal-haired girl finally released his finger, satisfaction written across her face.
Xia Zhi withdrew his hand, now slick with saliva. "Full now?"
"Hehe."
Her smile was bright and pure. She flung her arms wide and lunged at him.
But recalling how Xia Lin had nearly knocked him over, Xia Zhi calmly held out his clean hand, pressing against her face.
"Dvalin, enough."
"Mmmph… Big brother, why are you like this?"
Her voice was crystalline and melodious, like a song.
"What are you trying to do?"
"I just wanted to snuggle you, like before!"
"Clothes first."
"Clothes?"
Tilting her head, she glanced at his attire, recalling that every human she'd ever seen wore fabric.
"I don't have clothes."
"Can't you at least shape something from the eggshells?"
"Shape…?"
Another clueless fledgling.