"Oh? What is it?"
"Lord Xiaoming, I think I just encountered one of my own kind in the dungeon."
"Your own kind?"
"Well... I guess you could say they're my kind. I sensed a similar aura, but it also felt different. The feeling they gave me was like a dragon, but also similar to the monsters here. I'm not sure if they're really my kind, so I haven't told you, Lord Xiaoming. I've been thinking about it for a while and I'm still not sure, so I thought I should tell you."
"So, you sensed someone with a similar, but not entirely the same, aura as you?"
"Yes, that's right, Lord Xiaoming."
Wang Xiaoming was a little surprised.
Gelinda is a dragon, able to transform into a human or a dragon. But there are also dragon monsters in the dungeon, yet Gelinda slaughters them without hesitation, showing no regard for them as her kin. This is because those dragon monsters have no intelligence; they are merely monsters controlled by the dungeon, essentially dragon beasts.
For Gelinda to call someone in the dungeon her kin, but also different from her kin, there is only one possibility.
"I didn't expect to encounter them first..."
In the dungeon, there exists an alternative being, a race ultimately rejected by this world. They possess the bodies of monsters, yet they have the wisdom and heart of humans.
They are the beings born in the dungeon: the Xenos!
455. Savior of the Xenos
Xenos, a special group in the DanMachi world.
They possess bodies like the monsters of the dungeon, but they have human minds. In a sense, they should be considered a type of demi-human.
However, unlike demi-humans, they possess magic stones within their bodies, just like monsters.
Moreover, due to special reasons, they have more advanced special materials and magic stones in their bodies. It can be said that they are treasures from head to toe. Once their identities are exposed, adventurers will target them directly, initiating a hunt.
In fact, some adventurers are already aware of the existence of the Xenos, but they have not revealed this matter. Instead, they secretly carry out their own hunting. They have a morbid mentality towards these special beings, a monster race with intelligence, giving them a special desire for conquest and satisfaction. Therefore, they enjoy hunting Xenos.
As Wang Xiaoming understood as soon as he came to this world, the sword and magic otherworld is never beautiful. Among the adventurers, even within the familias, there will always be some dregs. The Xenos of this world, although not yet known to the public, are already being secretly hunted by a group of scum adventurers.
From this perspective, these Xenos should be considered monsters, but they are not monsters, because monsters have no reason. And the Xenos, who have reason, are rejected. This leads to these Xenos not only being hunted by adventurers, but also being attacked by the monsters of the dungeon.
Adventurers and monsters alike despise these Xenos. This is a race rejected by the entire world.
And this is the biggest special point of the DanMachi world. The dungeon is alive, and the dungeon is changing. The Xenos are a new race born from the changes in the dungeon, but they are not accepted.
In fact, the existence of the Xenos is not only known and hunted by a few adventurers, but the Guild also knows about the existence of the Xenos. The Guild has been trying to find a way to settle these Xenos, because the Guild's god Ouranos is a kind god. This first-generation god-king of the sky in Greek mythology is the founder of the Guild, and also the first god to bring [God's Grace] to the human world. He is also the real leader of all the gods in Orario today. When the Hestia Familia and the Ishtar Familia waged their War Game before, the gods applied to use divine power to Ouranos, and they could only use divine power with his permission.
In the beginning, he brought [God's Grace], leading mankind to resist the invasion of monsters. Under his leadership, mankind successfully resisted the invasion of monsters and established the fortress city that became the prototype of Orario today. Subsequently, he established the Guild, bringing the adventurer system, allowing adventurers to continue to enter the dungeon to weaken the power of the monsters within.
He usually does not appear in public, but is in the underground altar of the Guild, constantly monitoring the dungeon, suppressing the dungeon with powerful divine power, preventing monsters from appearing frequently and invading the surface like in ancient times.
Because he has been monitoring the dungeon, he knew about the existence of the Xenos very early on, but he didn't have many ways to help the Xenos, so he has been waiting for someone who can help the Xenos to appear.
Originally, the person Ouranos favored was Bell, because Bell was the grandson adopted by Zeus, and also the last "hero" of the Zeus Familia, and Ouranos and Zeus had a good relationship.
Zeus and Ouranos placed their hopes on Bell, hoping that he would become a real hero, from an adventurer who longed to encounter a fateful meeting, to a hero who saves the Xenos.
However, Wang Xiaoming was not interested in the wishes of Ouranos and Zeus, because in Wang Xiaoming's view, what they expected was not for Bell to become a hero, but for Bell to become a [Saint], yes, the kind of saint who can love everything indiscriminately!
In the early days of Bell's arrival in Orario, he had a relatively happy life. Bell was a very pure Yasashi, gentle to everyone. His dream was to become a powerful adventurer, and then encounter his destined beautiful girl.
However, after he entered Orario, the friction between the various familias and the conspiracies of the gods made him grow passively and rapidly step by step, until he met the Xenos. He completed his transformation. It can be said that he finally left the novice village and entered the main quest of this world, helping the Xenos.
What he was destined to become was not a hero, but the savior of the Xenos, just like the saints who appeared in myths and saved the world. The object he was going to save was the Xenos who were rejected by all races. This is not something a hero can do at all. To love and help a race indiscriminately, it was originally a young man who was indiscriminately Yasashi, growing into a saint who was indiscriminately Yasashi to everyone, isn't this very reasonable?
In short, it is the evil Yasashi.
This is the wish of Ouranos and Zeus, so Wang Xiaoming is not interested, because he is not a saint, and does not want to become a saint!
However, Wang Xiaoming's attitude towards the Xenos is still very gentle, or rather, Wang Xiaoming's attitude towards all people who do not actively do evil is gentle. He will not target them, nor will he be particularly good to them, but will face them with an equal attitude. As long as they don't pit him, then everyone is a good friend.
Because the Xenos are born from the dungeon, they have an extraordinary growth potential. If they are also adventurers, they, with monster bodies, surpass most adventurers in terms of growth potential. This means that as long as they are given enough time, they will become stronger warriors than adventurers.
But they did not attack the adventurers, but have been avoiding the adventurers. The reason why they went to war with the adventurers was because they were forced to act by the adventurers, and then launched an attack on the adventurers.
Therefore, facing this special group, Wang Xiaoming's attitude is gentle. If they encounter any trouble, Wang Xiaoming will choose to help them if he can.
For example, now.
In the dungeon, Leticia and the others are still resting on the 50th floor, but Wang Xiaoming and Gelinda left the 50th floor and headed towards the upper floors along the original route, arriving at the floor where Gelinda felt she saw her own kind.
Here, Wang Xiaoming met the kin that Gelinda felt, a long-eared girl lying on the ground with gray-white skin, blue hair, and some areas covered in scales.
456. Newborn Dragon Girl
The girl in front of him was a dragon, but not quite a dragon, because the dragon settings of each world are different. Wang Xiaoming is also a dragon, but it is the dragonification brought by the Authority, allowing him to have dragon attributes when he dragonifies. Usually, he is still a person, while Gelinda's dragon is from the Strike the Blood world, created by Cain using the technology of the Heavenly Department, based on the dragons found by the Heavenly Department in the universe. She is different from the dragons of other fantasy worlds. She is talking about biological science!
The blue-skinned girl in front of them possessed the characteristics of the Dragon race from the dungeon of this world. At least, both Wang Xiaoming and Ge Lianda could sense the dragon's aura emanating from her.
"Is it her?"
"Yes, Master Xiaoming, it was her aura that I sensed back then."
Ge Lianda nodded, confirming Wang Xiaoming's question.
"This appearance is much faster than I expected."
After receiving Ge Lianda's confirmation, Wang Xiaoming looked at the girl on the ground. He recognized who she was – the dragon girl adopted by Bell in the original storyline. However, according to the timeline of Bell's arrival in Orario, this dragon girl shouldn't have been born yet. But now, she had appeared before him first. This timing was off, wasn't it?
"Master Xiaoming, she seems to be in a deep sleep."
Ge Lianda paid no attention to what Wang Xiaoming was saying. She had already crouched down, observing the girl on the ground, and was now filled with confusion.
Although she didn't understand many things, she knew that this was the dungeon, filled with disgusting monsters. Sleeping here was practically asking for a mobile tomb.
"Hey, wake up, wake up. Why are you sleeping here?"
Ge Lianda repeatedly poked the girl's face with her finger, trying to wake her up.
After being poked several times, the girl frowned with her eyes closed, seemingly disliking Ge Lianda's face-poking behavior, but she didn't wake up. It wasn't until Ge Lianda couldn't resist pinching her nose, making it difficult for her to breathe, that she finally woke up.
"Ugh... ~ ~ ~"
The girl opened her eyes with a soft groan, shaking off Ge Lianda's hand that was pinching her nose. With dazed eyes, she slowly opened them and looked at Ge Lianda and Wang Xiaoming, who were peering at her.
Suddenly seeing two people upon opening her eyes, the girl was startled and quickly crawled backward several steps, then huddled in the corner, wrapping herself with her wings.
As a Dragonoid, she had wings on her back, similar to bat wings, but covered with irregular scales, giving them a somewhat underdeveloped appearance.
"Are you scared?"
Ge Lianda, being an innocent child, immediately asked curiously upon seeing the girl's defensive posture, moving even closer to her face.
"Why be scared?"
"Perhaps it's because our sudden appearance startled her."
Wang Xiaoming snapped out of his thoughts and walked to Ge Lianda's side, pressing her head down with one hand. 'She's already so nervous, don't get so close to her face.'
After pressing Ge Lianda's head down, Wang Xiaoming extended his right hand to the girl. Seeing Wang Xiaoming's outstretched hand, the girl quickly shrank her head, using her wings to shield herself as much as possible, but still revealing her head. Then, under the girl's nervous gaze, Wang Xiaoming placed his hand on her head and gently rubbed it.
The girl's tense expression visibly relaxed, and eventually, she completely lost her nervousness.
"Master Xiaoming, she's not afraid anymore."
Ge Lianda couldn't help but speak again, observing the changes in the girl's expression.
"Yes, she's not afraid anymore."
Of course, she wasn't afraid anymore, because her favorability had started to increase.
[Secret Art: Head Pat Kill]
A skill obtained after completing a mission in Black Bullet. Usually, Wang Xiaoming pats his wives' heads whenever he has the chance, and it's not just because he likes their soft hair!
The benefit of increased favorability was that the dragon girl no longer regarded Wang Xiaoming and Ge Lianda as enemies. However, it would still take some time for her favorability to reach a higher level.
However, the girl's favorability increased faster than Wang Xiaoming had expected. After her nervousness disappeared, she immediately spread her wings, hugged Wang Xiaoming's leg, and then spun around, hiding behind Wang Xiaoming and clinging to his leg, nervously looking at Ge Lianda.
This time, Ge Lianda was dumbfounded. 'What do you mean? You have dragon blood, right? I'm also a dragon, right? You should be close to me, right? Why are you close to Master Wang Xiaoming, and afraid of me?!'
Ge Lianda looked at Wang Xiaoming in confusion, wanting to know why, but unfortunately, Wang Xiaoming simply spread his hands, shrugged, and said nothing, leaving Ge Lianda utterly puzzled.
Although he didn't say anything, Wang Xiaoming probably knew what was going on. This child was just born, so she was sleeping in a corner of the dungeon. After waking up, she was completely ignorant and innocent. But instinct made her afraid of unfamiliar things, and after gaining basic favorability, she immediately regarded Wang Xiaoming as the closest person.
Wang Xiaoming took out a bed sheet from his spatial pocket. Yes, it was the same type that he put on Ge Lianda at Shenming Lake, though it wasn't clear if it was the same one, because there were many in his spatial pocket.
He simply arranged the bed sheet and wrapped it around the girl, leaving only her head and feet exposed, and covering her wings on her back. As for the issue with her head, Wang Xiaoming wasn't worried at all. In the original storyline, Wang Xiaoming made sure the girl was completely covered, not even letting people see her face. As a result, when the girl's face was seen, it immediately caused chaos, and Bell was forced to become assertive.
But with Wang Xiaoming here, there was no need to worry about that. This bed sheet was just temporary clothing for the girl, and he would prepare suitable clothes for her when they returned.
"Ge Lianda, do you still sense any other members of your race?"
"No, I only sensed a little here, and that's her. I don't sense anything at all in other places."
"If that's the case, then it's fine."
There were many Heterodyne in the dungeon, but Ge Lianda was a dragon, so she could only sense dragons. She probably couldn't sense the rest.
"Alright, let's go. We've found the person we were looking for, let's go back first."
"Okay, Master Xiaoming."
Ge Lianda followed Wang Xiaoming back to the 50th floor, and when they returned, they had a girl by their side.
457. Wang Xiaoming's Daughter, Wang Xiaohong
Underground 50th floor, Head Maid Leticia looked at the girl hiding behind Wang Xiaoming, only poking out her head, and sighed helplessly.
"Master, where did you abduct another ignorant girl from this time?"
"Hey, Leticia, what do you mean 'abduct'?"
"Oh? Wasn't it an abduction?"
"It was rescuing!"
"I think for Master, there's no difference between abduction and rescuing."
Still with a disdainful but beautiful eye roll, Leticia spoke as she walked to Wang Xiaoming's side, reaching out to pull the girl out from behind Wang Xiaoming. But when she reached out, the girl directly shrank behind Wang Xiaoming, causing Leticia's hand to grab nothing but air.
"Hmm?"
Leticia was a little puzzled. She, who considered herself very approachable, was actually avoided by this child. She looked at Wang Xiaoming, wanting to get an answer from him, and Wang Xiaoming cooperated by providing an answer.
"She was just born, so everything is unfamiliar to her. She instinctively rejects everything, even Ge Lianda was rejected by her."
"So that means... Dragon?"
"Yeah!"
The clever Leticia immediately guessed the girl's race.
"Yes, but not quite. She's a very special existence."
Wang Xiaoming reached out and patted the girl's head behind him, comforting her again, then slowly pulled her out from behind him, letting her face Leticia.
"Leticia is my family, there's no need to be afraid."
"Family?"
The girl asked softly, questioning.
"Yes, she's my family, so there's no need to be afraid."
After receiving Wang Xiaoming's explanation, the girl dared to look at Leticia, but she was still quite nervous and didn't dare to speak.
Although she didn't dare to speak proactively, being able to face Leticia was already making Leticia very happy, especially since Wang Xiaoming had just said that this was just a newborn child.
"What's your name?"
Leticia held the girl's hands in hers, asking gently.
"Name?"
"You don't have a name?"
"Name, I don't know."
The girl shook her head.
"She was just born, everything is non-existent to her, so she doesn't have a name either."
