Why, after scaring people, did he still need to rob them? The loot couldn't be spent and could only serve as shiny decorations. This question needed serious discussion...

It was an appearance fee!

Since every day a group of overconfident newcomers came to experience the life of slaying a dragon, Zephyr, in his cooperative manner, provided them with a lesson named 'True Reality'. Shouldn’t there at least be a tuition fee?

Well, actually, Zephyr just felt uncomfortable not taking something from these people.

Perhaps it was the dragon's nature getting the better of him?

If it was natural, then dragons should be able to fly. His wings were broad enough to wrap around himself, even coil once, yet he still couldn't fly!

As for why he played this game of cat and mouse with those who came here to risk their lives, it was likely due to loneliness and the desire for some form of connection. Even if these weren't people from his original world, they were still humans, and encountering them brought a sense of "affection." It also helped avoid the madness of boredom. Spending too long as a wild monster might truly turn him into one.

A sharp claw tapped lightly on a stone, while another claw rested under his chin. Those black-clothed individuals, whom Zephyr had individually prodded, widened their eyes in shock. Such human-like gestures! Dragons in this world indeed had high intelligence, but that started from adolescence.

For a young dragon... capable of running and jumping, expecting a mature mind was asking too much.

And was this suspected black dragon really a young dragon?!

"You all..." Staring at the black-clothed figures, Zephyr’s thoughts drifted briefly. Since emerging from a stone, any slight contemplation easily looked like deep thought, leading others to think he was genuinely lost in thought!

With a flick of his claw, a dislodged stone arced through the air, striking a black-clothed figure trying to sneak away. People in this world had good constitutions; a blow that would send someone to the hospital back home barely made him faint, just causing a bit of bleeding.

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Hmm, about five months ago, a group of black-clothed figures secretly observed him, even collecting his droppings meticulously. They took every bit!

Back then, despite being annoyed, those slippery figures vanished before he could act. Five months later, what were once agile figures now seemed clumsy under his gaze.

Being reincarnated as a non-human wasn’t so bad, was it?

No, no, it was terrible. Certain physical pleasures were impossible. Finding companions? No interest. A lone dragon body emerging from a stone couldn’t possibly satisfy human aesthetic standards... sigh.

"You all... never mind, you wouldn’t understand anyway." Realizing the inconvenience of the language barrier, Zephyr waved his claws, deftly stripping them clean.

Under the despairing gazes of the black-clothed figures, he tore their clothes into tiny pieces, then left gracefully—if only he could fly!

Thinking about it, he was quite kind, leaving behind the underwear for the female. Hearing curses and whip sounds behind him, Zephyr mused, yes, he also left part of a whip behind.

After circling around his cave for a while and ensuring no one was nearby, he carefully removed the camouflage covering the entrance, slipped inside, and resealed it.

Looking at the accumulated treasures within the cave, a claw that could pierce hard rock and cut through steel scratched his chin thoughtfully. Should he move?

Whenever returning to his den, Zephyr was always cautious. Though large and covered in thick scales, his senses were acute. In a state of focus, even a mosquito landing on his scales could be detected.

Now, with activity near his lair, it wasn’t a good sign. With a human soul and knowledge from his previous life, Zephyr remained wary of the humans in this world.

He was an outsider. Even if he loudly proclaimed his human soul, it would only attract more curious researchers.

Thinking thus, Zephyr dismissed the idea of actively engaging with humans again. Language barriers aside, forget it!

But... did he really want to leave? Looking at the cozy nest he had expanded over time, it was hard to say goodbye. He had adapted to the environment and learned about local species.

Most importantly, finding food wasn’t difficult anymore!

"Let's wait a bit longer," he muttered, adding another stroke to the tally on the wall. Zephyr nudged the gold coins at his feet and lazily lay down on his bed made of soft grass pads. With a dragon's top-tier predatory aura, small creatures dared not disturb him.

However, this applied only to larger predators. Was 'dragon aura' really that powerful? Zephyr wasn’t sure!

He encountered rabbits and deer; even glaring fiercely only scared them off without killing them. Roaring for effect only stunned or knocked them out.

Once, he met a lion nearly three meters tall. It attacked him unprovoked. Perhaps it was strong, but Zephyr dealt with it efficiently, gaining a week’s worth of meals.

Interestingly, the lion lacked a magic core, typical for magical beasts. Maybe it was just a mutated beast, not a magical one. Thus, 'dragon aura' might be exaggerated or improperly used by him, merely instilling fear through physical and racial advantages...

Zephyr underestimated human greed. As more information about his 'young dragon' circulated, some people began plotting. Still, given certain considerations, they wouldn’t act hastily but would verify the information slowly.

Dragons were apex beings in this world, rare and valuable, with every part precious, even droppings. A seemingly unguarded young dragon tempted countless adventurers!

Ultimately, the allure of profit was irresistible!