Over the course of a year, Alice felt she had grown up suddenly. Ever since that weekend visit to her hometown with her mom, her dad had not returned. Her mom said he had gone to work far away and would come back in a few years, but Alice had seen her mom secretly crying in her room several times. In just one year, her mom had aged a lot.

After her dad disappeared, rumors of demons began to spread throughout California. Many places experienced entire villages of people suddenly vanishing, causing widespread panic. Although Alice lived in the city with many people and armed police, she still had nightmares. Every night, as soon as it got dark, she would hide under her covers and try to sleep.

Many of her classmates talked about what the demon looked like, some saying it resembled a snake, others claiming it had horns. But Alice never joined these discussions. To her, dragons were the most powerful beings. No demon could possibly match a dragon.

Since she saw the dragon, Alice often dreamed about it. Many times, she dreamed the dragon was waiting for her in the forest of the city she had seen in her dreams, but she wasn't there. Each time, Alice would wake up crying in her bed.

A few months later, Alice and her mom moved back to their old place because many people were leaving California, including several of her classmates.

Back in her old home, Alice ran frantically to the place in her dreams, hoping for a miracle, that the dragon would be there waiting for her.

She ran and ran, sweat adorning her forehead. Her legs began to ache, but she felt a strength propelling her forward. After running through several streets, she arrived at the spot from her dreams, but there was nothing—no forest, no dragon, just tall buildings.

Alice stared blankly, scanning the area over and over, but no miracle occurred. Feeling dejected, she took out a piece of paper and a pen, writing: "Dragon, Alice is waiting for you!" She dabbed some glue on the note, glanced around, and quickly stuck it to a wall before running off.

Back in class, she saw many of her old classmates. Handsome Jack had become even more handsome and was chatting constantly with Lisa. Apart from a brief conversation with Alice at the start, he remained glued to Lisa's side. Lisa, too, had matured and grown taller.

Although Alice no longer liked Jack, she still felt a pang of sadness. She couldn't understand why she hadn't grown taller and still felt like a little kid.

She now had a new seat next to a boy she didn't know, likely a recent transfer.

The boy seemed happy to see Alice, greeting her enthusiastically with a sincere smile on his kind face. However, the two long strands of snot under his nose betrayed him.

Alice curiously watched the glistening snot, fascinated that it hadn't broken yet. The boy, noticing Alice's gaze on his nose, blushed. He quickly sniffed, and the snot retracted back up his nostrils.

"What's your name? I'm Hawk!" the boy said, scratching his head.

"My name is Alice!"

"Alice, have you ever seen a dragon? I heard there was one that landed here once." Hawk's round eyes gleamed with curiosity.

"I have! It was so magnificent! It even talked to me and said it would take me flying one day!" Alice's excitement bubbled over at the mention of dragons, washing away the unhappiness she felt seeing Jack and Lisa together.

"Really?" Hawk's eyes shone with envy. "When the dragon takes you flying, could you let me know? I'd love to see it from a distance."

"Of course!" Alice noticed his excitement and added, "But you mustn't get too close. Dragons don't like strangers."

"Yes, yes!" Hawk nodded vigorously. Suddenly, he rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a thick stack of dragon pictures.

"Look! These are my collected dragon photos. They're limited editions; I queued up for ages to get them. Do they look like the dragon you saw?"

"Not at all! The dragon I saw was a majestic purple-gold color, and it was as big as a house," Alice exclaimed, standing up and waving her arms to demonstrate the dragon's size. She didn't notice the bell ringing or the teacher entering the classroom.

"Alice, it's class time. Sit down!" a plump middle-aged woman snapped.

Pouting, Alice slumped into her seat, casting a sidelong glance at Hawk.

...

Stolen novel; please report.

Since releasing the giant serpent, Hanson had been on the run. He didn’t dare contact his family, fearing to face his wife, and he certainly didn't dare return home, knowing the police would be looking for him. Everyone in the lab was dead, except for him. No amount of explanation would suffice, and the police had ways to extract the truth.

He had to flee, far from his beautiful wife and adorable daughter, far from this country. He prayed to the dragon for the safety of his family and himself.

Hanson’s made-up face made him almost unrecognizable. He pulled up his high collar and started walking away.

Months later, with a forged passport, he embarked on a journey to Europe.

In a massive, dimly lit hall, the space was filled with a mesmerizing array of colors and shapes. Strange and oddly shaped stalactites grew intertwined, emitting a kaleidoscope of colors. Unknown minerals embedded in the walls gave off a faint glow, serving as the cave’s only light source.

A gigantic serpent lay sprawled across the hall, making the vast space feel slightly cramped. The serpent’s eyes opened and closed slightly, a gleam of light flickering through them. Its belly was slightly distended as it had just returned from a distant hunt and was now slowly digesting its meal.

It had been a year since it entered the human world. Every day was spent hiding, constantly on the move, hunting and evading human capture. Under such immense pressure, the serpent's strength had improved rapidly. Despite the lack of abundant spiritual energy, it had managed to reach earth level strength through abundant food and relentless effort. However, it had not been long since its advancement, and it could not yet fully control its newfound power.

Although it had only recently reached earth level, it had already awakened its innate magic, capable of spitting a massive wind blade. Constant running had also increased its speed.

All the severe wounds on its body had healed, and it had grown larger. Its strength had more than tripled compared to a year ago.

In the morning, the giant serpent awoke in the hall, its belly having digested its food. It felt sluggish and didn’t want to move. This hall connected to many other caves, allowing it to travel far for hunting. Some caves connected to underground rivers, while others even led to the sea.

It was through this network of interconnected caves that the serpent had managed to evade human capture repeatedly. However, hunting had become increasingly difficult recently. Human presence in the area had diminished, but the number of military forces had increased. Several times, the serpent had narrowly escaped capture. This area was becoming less and less safe, and it now had to travel hundreds of kilometers to find hunting grounds.

Moreover, it could only hunt in a place once; after visiting a location, it became highly unsafe as human troops would arrive, lying in wait.

One thing puzzled the serpent: it noticed more and more statues of the king. It seemed the king’s slaves were multiplying. Soon, the entire world would be the king’s domain, and it wouldn’t have to keep running. It wondered when the king would come to rescue it.

Living alone was so lonely and boring. The serpent missed the king and its companions every day. It longed to see them again, but it feared the king might think it was dead. This thought made the serpent slightly dejected.

Suddenly, it raised its body and listened intently, becoming alert. The roar of helicopters grew louder, seemingly approaching. The serpent lay back down, unconcerned. This noise was something it heard several times a day, preventing it from getting a good sleep. The environment was harsh, and the air had a foul smell, far from the fresh air of its former jungle home.

However, after a while, it raised its body again. The helicopter noises increased in number and volume. They seemed to be heading this way. The serpent heard human voices and the sound of footsteps. They were searching for it.

The giant serpent slithered out of the hall towards the cave entrance, its massive head peeking out cautiously.

A dense swarm of humans was advancing from the mountain’s base, carrying various tools and seemingly searching for something. The helicopters overhead roared thunderously. One of the humans glanced in the serpent's direction. The giant serpent didn’t have time to pull its head back. That human immediately shouted something.

Several helicopters suddenly changed direction, and a few small missiles were launched toward the cave. The serpent’s entire body trembled as terrifying memories surged to the forefront of its mind. It quickly retreated into the cave, slithering at full speed. Before it was halfway through, it heard a massive explosion and felt a wave of searing heat rushing toward it through the cave.

The serpent's energy surged, allowing it to withstand the impact. The force threw its massive body several meters back. As it hit the ground, explosions continued to erupt outside, sending another wave of heat toward it. The serpent flipped its body and swiftly twisted, creating afterimages as it moved. Within a few breaths, it had passed through the hall and into another tunnel, continuing to slither deeper inside.

This tunnel led to a vast underground river, a route it had often used for hunting.

The tunnel was damp and dark, an environment the serpent found quite comfortable. The recent explosions had caused its internal organs to ache, with waves of pain coursing through its body. Though injured, these minor wounds didn’t impair its movement. As it continued, it soon heard the sound of flowing water. The tunnel began to flood, water levels rising until the entire passage was submerged.

In the water, the serpent moved with ease. Known for its prowess in aquatic environments, it swam forward with a flick of its fish-like tail.

The underground river widened, but the serpent knew this terrain well. It understood that soon it would reach a medium-sized lake connected to the river. The humans had abandoned the lake area due to the serpent’s hunting activities.

Swimming faster, the serpent saw light ahead. With a powerful thrust of its tail, it entered the lake.

It didn't swim toward the surface, hearing the rumble of human machinery above. The massive iron birds were circling in the sky. It was clear the humans had surrounded the area.

The serpent hid in the lake's muddy bottom, remaining perfectly still. The thick mud concealed its large body, and it worried that any movement would disturb the lake's surface, stirring up the sediment and muddying the water. Such an action would reveal its presence to the humans.

Its nest was now unreachable. It could only move between the underground river and the lake, hoping the humans would soon retreat.