Within the shimmering violet expanse of the system space, the warmth that had flooded Lin Wan’s essence began to settle. The frantic, pulsing hunger that had been radiating from her womb hushed into a satisfied thrum.

The golden nectar of the Dragon Lord’s fruit had acted like a soothing balm, knitting together her frayed energy and stabilizing the mysterious void that Weiwei couldn’t fully scan.

[Alright, Host. The data streams are stable, and the little... let’s call them ’energy sponges’ inside you are tucked in for a nap. It is time to wake up,] Weiwei chirped, its neon fur flickering with a soft, content light.

[And just a heads up: things are about to get very interesting in the physical realm.]

Lin Wan felt her consciousness being pushed upward, rising through layers of velvet darkness like a bubble seeking the surface of a pond.

In the physical realm, the atmosphere inside the cottage was thick with a different kind of tension. Long Zhan sat on the edge of the bed, his large hand resting mere inches from the silk ribbon that held Lin Wan’s mask in place.

He was a creature of ancient power, a king who had seen the rise and fall of empires, yet he found himself gripped by a curiosity that bordered on obsession. He had studied her eyes, those star-bright, intelligent pools, and her graceful brows, but the rest of her remained a tantalizing enigma.

His fingers twitched. He knew he was overstepping the bounds of his own "Guardian" vow, but the magnetic pull of her mystery was too strong.

He reached out, his touch as light as a summer breeze, and tugged at the knot. The silk gave way with a soft hiss, and the mask slid from her face, falling onto the furs.

At that exact heartbeat, Lin Wan’s eyes snapped open. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Long Zhan froze. He felt as though the air had been sucked out of the room. He had anticipated her beauty; he had expected a face that matched the elegance of her spirit.

But what he saw struck him with the force of a physical blow.

Her skin was no longer marred by the dry, harsh traces of the wasteland; it was as smooth and luminous as the finest jade, glowing with a soft, internal light granted by the Golden Marrow Fruit.

Her features were a masterpiece of balance. Her nose was straight and delicate, leading down to lips that were shaped like a perfect, dew-kissed petal. It was a face that didn’t just belong to the mortal world,

it was a blend of the ethereal grace of the immortals and the grounded, warm beauty of a mixed-blood heritage.

He was dumbstruck, his breath hitching in his throat as he stared at the woman he had just "claimed" to protect.

Lin Wan, however, did not share his wonder.

The moment she felt the cool air hit her cheeks and saw her mask dangling from Long Zhan’s hand, panic flared in her chest.

She still remembered the marks, the imperfections, and the "ugly" label Su Mei had tried to pin on her. With a small gasp, she jerked upward, covering her face with both hands, her fingers splayed in a desperate attempt to hide.

’Weiwei! He saw my face! He took it off!’ she screamed internally.

[Host, please stop vibrating. You’re going to give yourself a headache,] Weiwei’s voice echoed in her mind, sounding amused.

[You don’t need to worry. With the help of that spiritual fruit, you’ve been through a total system reboot. Your features haven’t just been cured; they’ve been enhanced.]

’Enhanced? Like... like plastic surgery?’ Lin Wan asked, her heart racing.

[Yes and no. Think of it as a biological refinement. Your pores have been cleared of every impurity, your brows have been sculpted to the perfect mathematical arc for your bone structure, and your lips have been reshaped to suit your face perfectly. Just take it as if you went from being a standard Oriental beauty to a breathtaking, mixed-race masterpiece. You’re a ten, Host. A solid ten.]

’Cool!’ Lin thought, a small spark of vanity flickering through her fear.

[Yes, very cool,] Weiwei agreed, doing a digital somersault.

[Host should know that if I weren’t a system made of code and light, I would definitely want to marry you myself. But don’t get too full of yourself. Your males are not here, and as long as you don’t carry the Dragon Lord’s mark, he is technically free to leave you at any time. You need a shield, and a handsome one at that.]

’What are you saying, Weiwei?’

[I’m saying, do your best and seduce, I mean, charm—him into falling in love with you. Safety first, romance second!]

Lin Wan took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. Slowly, cautiously, she spread her fingers just enough to peek through the gaps.

She saw Long Zhan still sitting there, his violet eyes wide and unblinking, his face etched with a look of pure, unadulterated shock.

"Hello?" she whispered, her voice soft and melodic. She couldn’t help it, she batted her long, dark lashes at him, a reflex born of the sheer awkwardness of the moment.

Long Zhan blinked, his throat working as he tried to find his voice. A faint, dusty tint of pink began to creep up his golden neck and onto his cheeks, a sight that would have sent his warriors into a state of cardiac arrest.

The Dragon King, the Obsidian Terror of the North, was blushing.

"Hello," he managed to rasp out, his gaze unable to leave her lips.

By this time, Davy had long since left the room. After the doctor had been silenced and left, and the fruit had been administered, Davy had stepped out to manage the crowd, so he hadn’t been present for the actual unmasking.

However, hearing the soft murmur of voices inside, his curiosity got the better of him. He pushed the door open and walked back in, ready to report on the status of the "Selection" feast.

"My Lord, the tribesmen are asking for. . . "

Davy stopped dead in his tracks. His jaw didn’t just drop; it practically hit the floorboards.

He looked at Lin Wan, whose face was now fully visible in the soft glow-stone light, and his brain seemed to short-circuit. He had traveled the world, seen the beauties of the High Courts and the hidden valleys, but this... this was something else.

Long Zhan’s reaction was instantaneous. The moment he sensed Davy’s gaze on Lin Wan’s face, his protective instincts roared to life. He surged forward, pulling Lin Wan close to his chest, burying her face against his shoulder to shield her from view.

"GET OUT!" Long Zhan barked.

The sheer force of the Dragon’s roar wasn’t just auditory; it was a physical wave of golden energy. Davy, a powerful warrior in his own right, was caught off guard and sent flying backward.

He tumbled through the doorway, his boots skidding on the floor before he landed unceremoniously on his backside in the dirt outside.

The Orycto tribesmen and the other Dragon guards, who had been waiting anxiously in the yard, scrambled toward him. Kray reached down to pull him up, his face full of concern. "Davy! What happened? Did the Lord strike you? What did you do wrong?"

Davy didn’t answer immediately. He remained on the ground, his eyes glazed and distant, staring at the closed door of the cottage. His hands were limp at his sides.

"Too beautiful..." Davy mumbled, his voice sounding like he was in a trance. "So beautiful... it shouldn’t be possible. She makes the immortals look like common pebbles."

"Who? Who is beautiful?" Lilly asked, leaning in with Ember, her eyes wide with curiosity.

The question seemed to snap Davy back to reality. He blinked, shook his head, and stood up with a sudden, jerky movement. In an impressive display of Dragon pride, he immediately began dusting off his tunic, smoothing the creases and lifting his chin.

Within seconds, the dazed admirer was gone, replaced by the cool, arrogant commander. Not a hint of embarrassment remained on his face.

"Nothing," Davy barked, his voice regaining its authoritative edge. "The Lord is simply... protective of the patient’s privacy. Move back!"

He turned his attention to the other Dragon guards, his eyes snapping with a fake irritation to cover his lingering shock. "You! Go back to the square. Gather those spices the female was using and find the highest quality meat from the hunt. Roast it to perfection for Lady Lin. She needs nourishment, and she needs it now!"

As he crossed his hands behind his back, preparing to stand guard like an immovable statue at the door, the girls and the Chief crowded around him.

"Is she awake? Is Wanwan okay?" Lilly asked, her voice trembling with relief.

"Yes," Davy answered shortly, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "She has regained consciousness and is resting. She is... healthy."

He pointedly did not mention the pregnancy. Even in his daze, Davy’s sharp mind had picked up on the fact that Lin Wan had kept her condition hidden from the Orycto tribesmen. As a Dragon Lord’s second in command, he understood the value of secrets, and he wasn’t about to betray his Lord’s new charge, especially not after seeing the look in Long Zhan’s eyes.

"Can we go in and see her?" Ember asked, trying to peer past his shoulder.

"No," Davy said, his voice brooking no argument. "The Lord is attending to her. She requires absolute quiet to let the medicine settle. Come back tomorrow morning when the sun is up."

The girls looked disappointed, but they were also exhausted from the night’s emotional roller coaster. With a few more lingering glances at the cottage, they finally agreed to head back to their own huts..

As the Chief was about to leave, he paused and looked at Davy. "Lord Davy, your residence and that of your men has already been prepared near the guest wing. Why don’t I show you the way? You have done much for us tonight."

Davy nodded once, stiffly. "Lead the way, Chief."

He followed the elderly rabbit-man toward the guest quarters, leaving Kray—the brash, powerhouse guard, standing at Lin Wan’s door. Kray stood with his feet planted wide and his hand on the hilt of his blade, his eyes scanning the shadows.