Mo Fei wasn't angry; this sister was one of his proudest trophies. Kidnapped here three months ago, the King of Stromgarde Kingdom issued a heroic quest specifically to attract adventurers to rescue the Princess (a heroic quest means that as long as you complete it, you can become a hero, and if you're already a hero, you can use it to upgrade your rank).
Now, the heroic quest had been elevated to an epic quest, but until now, nobody had managed to complete it.
This sister often made trouble for Morphis; she never missed a chance for some biting sarcasm whenever they met, but Morphis always tolerated it generously.
Firstly, having a beautiful woman to chat with when you're alone in an instance isn't too bad.
Secondly, having a princess locked up here as bait can attract a lot of fellows who walk right into the trap.
Thirdly, a princess in an Evil Dragon's lair is akin to a yacht owned by a wealthy family—it doesn't really matter whether it's used or not, the key point is that you can't be without one; it's best if it comes with a few bounty quests, the higher the level the better. If there's a dragon-slaying quest, that would be perfect; what matters is the status.
Otherwise, it's embarrassing to meet other Black Dragon Lords at the Black Dragon Legion's annual meeting.
To make her stay more comfortable, Mo Fei specifically ordered his goblin craftsmen to build a mini-castle deep in the cave for her to live in, complete with a lava moat outside, and draconian guards to deliver her meals every day.
Mo Fei wasn't worried about her escaping. Although her name included 'Princess,' Katherine wasn't actually a hero template, but the second weakest combat one in the game—just above the small animal template (the weakest). In other words, if she really did escape, just a couple of Kobolds could finish her off.
The NPCs with names in this game were very smart and would never do something as foolish as seeking their own death.
"How long do you plan to keep me locked up?"
"What, do you still dream of returning to your kingdom? I would say forget it, court intrigues are not for a naïve girl like you. Isn't it good to stay here? You have servants at your beck and call, no worries about food and drink, and a handsome, understanding dragon like me to talk to. Where else could you find such a good deal?"
"Don't be so smug. Sooner or later, a hero will rescue me from your evil den, and a brave warrior from my kingdom will come and chop off your head. Your head will be hung on the gates of Stromgarde, and then let's see how you can still laugh."
"Wow! How vicious, how dark—yet some say I am the villain, which I can't understand. I think you are the more evil one between us. I've been so kind to you, yet you curse me like this.
But I'm magnanimous, so I'll overlook your rudeness... However, if you're so confident, then what's the hurry? Just wait patiently, isn't that fine?"
Seeing the Black Dragon's unconcerned expression, the Princess grew even angrier, "You've imprisoned me here for three months already; what exactly do you want from me? My father has fallen seriously ill; I must return to the kingdom! Hey, are you listening? Don't you dare fall asleep when I'm talking to you!" In her anger, she rushed over and began to punch and kick the Black Dragon's forepaw, but sadly, for a dragon with over a thousand in armor, it was hardly a tickle.
The Black Dragon, with eyes closed, responded nonchalantly, "Okay, Katherine, save your energy. I'm going to sleep now; we'll talk more tomorrow. You should go to bed too; anything can happen in a dream—maybe your dragon-slaying hero will save you then."
He lay his head down and let out a long snore, smoke pouring from his nostrils; the scorching breath forced Katherine to quickly step back, stumbling a little before regaining her balance. By the time she steadied herself, the Black Dragon before her had fallen asleep.
Katherine made an obscene gesture at the sleeping Black Dragon, sighed, and turned back to her castle.
The golden exclamation mark lit up the path like a torch, ensuring she didn't fall in the darkness...
——————
Morphis opened his eyes, rubbing his neck sore from lying back for so long. He took off the Gaming Helmet from his head, stretching languorously.
He stared blankly at the computer screen not far away, getting used to the physiological change from dragon back to human.
Every time he came out of the game, he would have a very peculiar feeling. Controlling the body of the black dragon was no easy task; it had four limbs and a pair of wings, requiring full immersion to manipulate freely. And once immersed, it was often hard to distinguish between reality and virtuality, leading to a sense of unreality when returning to the actual world.
The temperature in the streaming room was set to be quite pleasant, but the persistent scent of dried shredded pork and beef jerky just wouldn't dissipate.
He stretched his limbs, quietly ridiculing in his mind. Compared to the black dragon's formidable physique, this human body was truly frail.
Alas, a game was still just a game, no matter how realistic the full holographic virtual reality was, one must always return to reality in the end.
He checked his phone and saw it was getting late. Mo Fei prepared to say goodbye and head back to the dorm to sleep early.
However, when Mo Fei stepped out of the streaming room, he found his supervisor waiting right outside the door, as if he had been waiting for him specifically.
"Mo Fei, come over here, there's someone you need to meet."
Mo Fei was somewhat puzzled and followed the supervisor to an adjacent rest room, where a sharply dressed man was engrossed in the live stream on the computer screen, which happened to be the black dragon massacring an army of adventurers. The man was so captivated, his face flushed with excitement as if he were watching a Hollywood blockbuster, his hands holding a tub of popcorn.
"Let me introduce you, this is Mr. Wang Ziheng, the young executive of Xingyao Group."
The young executive? Wang Ziheng? Mo Fei was slightly taken aback, but the other party had already extended a friendly hand.
"Hello Mo Fei, or should I say, Morphis, wow, I just watched your stream, and it was really cool. That black dragon was so awesome. I've never been much into games, but I must say, your video has changed my impression. Maybe one day we can go out and play together."
Mo Fei was bewildered. Having mixed in society, he understood the principle that unsolicited favors often hid ulterior motives. Someone like the company's young executive wasn't in the same world as him and wouldn't be buttering him up without a purpose.
But since the man was a high-ranking executive, politeness was due.
"Haha, you're too kind, young executive. It's all part of the job."
"Hehe, you can't say that. There are many streamers who broadcast 'World of Sky', but there are only a few who can play their character with such an epic feel as you do. Honestly, watching you gets my blood boiling, so domineering..."
As he said this, his expression suddenly became even friendlier, "Are you interested in switching to streaming a different game character? Our company is planning to establish a large-scale, all-encompassing monster community, and we need multiple streamers to join forces and debut as a group. Maybe I can arrange a position for you, a rare opportunity for substantial company support and deep collaboration."
Mo Fei was not dazzled by the jargon and probed, "What about my current game character then?"
"Hehe, of course that will be arranged by the company. The popularity of the Black Dragon Lord Morphis is still very high, the company certainly won't give up on it."
Mo Fei's heart sank. It seemed the truth had finally come to light.
"Hehe, you're not joking, are you young executive? When signing the contract, it was agreed that the game account ownership belongs to the streamer themselves. Unless I've violated the platform's agreement, you have no right to take it away."
"That's true, and I'm here just to discuss it with you. We know how much you've invested in this account, and the platform will compensate you. A million in compensation, and the company will also invest in establishing a new BOSS character for you, or if you prefer to play a hero or lord template, that's also possible. Trying new things is always good, right?"
PS: Special thanks to the alliance leader '乌伤仲麟' for the reward, your support is truly inspiring.