I Became a Cub in the Elven Kingdom

The little magical beast quickly recovered from its shock and studied Shu Li with bright golden eyes.

“Little Fairy from the Faerie Forest, what is your name? Why have you entered the Edas Temple?”

Sensing no hostility from it, Shu Li answered frankly, “My name is Sperien. I came here in search of the fire spirit.”

“The fire spirit?” An unusual gleam flashed through the creature’s eyes. “Who told you the fire spirit was in the Edas Temple?”

“I arrived at that conclusion after consulting ancient texts.” Shu Li asked curiously, “Who are you? Why are you inside the temple? Are you the only magical beast here?”

Two wisps of smoke puffed from the creature’s nostrils. It pulled a stern face and said, “What kind of rude Little Fairy are you? Shouldn’t you untie someone before asking their name?”

It really was a fire-element magical beast, given how easily it became angry.

Shu Li was not worried that it would attack once released. If it possessed the strength to do so, it would have torn through the vines already.

He silently recited a wood-element incantation. The vines loosened on their own and reverted to seeds.

Shu Li retrieved the seeds with wind magic and placed them inside his storage ring.

Once free, the little magical beast flapped its wings and hovered in front of Shu Li. After letting out two cries, it assumed a haughty pose and declared, “Remember this. I am a high-ranking fire dragon lizard, and my name is Sharo Redisino Falm.”

Shu Li fell silent.

Sorry, but there was no way he could remember such a long name immediately.

“Could you repeat your name?”

He took out a notebook specifically reserved for recording names, grasped his quill, and looked sincerely at the little magical beast.

The creature stared at him in utter bewilderment.

What was wrong with this Little Fairy? Was remembering a name really so difficult that he had to write it down?

That aside, the notebook in his hands appeared to be of excellent quality.

“Sharo Redisino Falm. Remember it properly!” the little magical beast repeated.

“All right... Sharo.” Shu Li wrote a line of elegant Elven script in the notebook, then quickly drew a cute, stylized picture resembling the creature.

“My name is Sharo Redisino Falm!” it corrected him.

Shu Li closed the notebook and said innocently, “Understood, Falm.”

The little magical beast bared its teeth and demanded irritably, “Can’t you say my entire name?”

“I’m sorry,” Shu Li said apologetically. “I’m a Little Fairy with an exceptionally poor talent for languages.”

The creature stared at him in disbelief.

Were all Little Fairies this shameless nowadays?

Having learned well from Ilio, Shu Li ignored its anger and grinned. “Falm, you still haven’t told me why you’re inside the temple.”

The little magical beast now known as Falm waved its fat, stubby forelegs. Unable to do anything about the Little Fairy, it replied crossly, “Someone sealed me here. Why else would I be here?”

“Who sealed you?” Shu Li asked in confusion. “What rank of fire dragon lizard are you? Why do you look different from the ones I’ve seen?”

Falm evidently regarded the identity of the one who had sealed it as taboo and simply ignored the first question. “Of course I’m different from ordinary fire dragon lizards. I’m a fire dragon lizard beyond the tenth rank!”

Shu Li was astonished. “Don’t magical beasts only go up to the ninth rank?”

Falm flapped its batlike wings and circled him, chattering incessantly. “Do ninth-rank fire dragon lizards have wings like mine? Do they have my little horn? Do they have my tail? No! They don’t have any of them! I’m an existence comparable to a divine beast. Those ordinary magical beasts could never compare to me! So don’t lump me together with those vulgar fire dragon lizards.”

Listening to its childish voice, Shu Li formed a rough theory. This was an exceptionally high-ranking fire dragon lizard that had been sealed by some immensely powerful figure, causing it to revert to a juvenile form.

“Do you remain like this all the time? Wasn’t whoever sealed you worried that you might encounter danger?” He changed his line of questioning to probe for information.

Falm’s body had reverted to childhood, and its mind seemed to have become simpler as well. “Of course not! I only turn into this on Fireday. Usually, I’m imposing and majestic. Whenever the other fire dragon lizards see me, they prostrate themselves and worship me as their king!”

It clenched its claws, glanced sideways at the Little Fairy, and sneered. “Danger? Anyone who dares provoke me will be torn apart by my claws, burned to death by my flames, and bitten to death by my sharp teeth. Even in this form, I still have ways of dealing with intruders. If you weren’t a Little Fairy, I would have activated the mechanisms and trapped you halfway here. Do you think I would have allowed you into the inner hall?”

Shu Li was mildly surprised. At the same time, his mind began racing.

Fireday was when fire dragon lizards went into heat and mated. Even the highest-ranking magical beasts could not suppress their instinct to reproduce. If eighth-rank fire dragon lizards had to visit the lake in search of mates, then the same naturally applied to Falm, who surpassed the ninth rank.

It was obvious that there was no second fire dragon lizard inside the temple. Whoever had sealed Falm had arranged for it to revert to a juvenile form on Fireday to spare it the torment of going into heat.

The temple lay nearly a thousand meters beneath the ground. In ten thousand years, no adventuring party had ever succeeded in reaching its depths. On Fireday, thousands of fire dragon lizards gathered at the lake, making it even more impossible for anyone to approach.

Shu Li alone had used the mother tree’s powerful roots to penetrate deep underground and discover the Fire God’s temple, which had remained hidden for ten thousand years.

Falm had probably been astonished to discover an intruder. Once it realized Shu Li was a Fairy, it had shown him mercy.

No wonder his journey through the temple had been completely unobstructed. If the adventuring party had come instead, they would probably have faced one deadly trial after another.

“Thank you, Falm,” Shu Li said sincerely.

“Hmph. Is that how you thank someone?” Falm closed one eye while keeping the other open, then licked its lips with its forked tongue.

Shu Li blinked and suddenly understood.

So the little magical beast was craving something tasty.

Fortunately, Shu Li made a habit of carrying food. He took a cherry-sized Kuku fruit from his storage ring and offered it to the creature. “This is your thank-you gift.”

Falm’s eyes lit up. It pounced like a starving wolf, wrapped itself around the fruit, and took an enormous bite.

“Mmph, not bad! Not bad! Mmph—delicious! It’s so delicious!”

After several loud smacks, it had devoured the entire fruit.

“Do you have more? Do you have more?” It flew impatiently back and forth in front of Shu Li.

For the past ten thousand years, it had eaten underground creatures that tasted of dirt every day. It was thoroughly sick of them.

Shu Li laughed and took out another four or five Kuku fruits, holding them out on his palm.

With an eager howl, Falm leaped onto his palm and used all four paws to embrace the entire pile. It opened its mouth and swallowed the fruits one by one, savoring every bite.

It felt as though Shu Li were holding a scaled chinchilla. The creature was surprisingly heavy.

It might have been tiny, but its appetite certainly was not.

Once it finished the fruit, it immediately begged Shu Li for more.

Shu Li took out an apple-sized fruit and held it in his left hand. “Answer my questions properly, and this fruit is yours.”

Tempted by the delicious fruit, Falm swallowed its saliva and urged, “Ask! Hurry up and ask!”

Having achieved his objective, Shu Li calmly said, “Do you know the fire spirit?”

“I suppose so! That fellow has a terrible temper. I hate him!”

Shu Li privately thought Falm’s temper was hardly any better. It had merely reverted to a juvenile form, rendering its outbursts harmless.

He asked another question. “Is he inside the temple as well?”

Falm waved a claw. “Of course not!”

“If he isn’t in the temple, where did he go?”

Falm raised its eyelids and said irritably, “Why should I care where he went? I haven’t seen him in a very long time!”

“How long is ‘a very long time’? Was it before the War of the Gods or afterward?”

“Oh, why do you have so many questions? Stop asking about him. Ask me something I actually know!”

The little magical beast spread its wings and flew away from Shu Li’s palm, flicking its tail impatiently while staring fixedly at the fruit in his left hand.

Shu Li was not discouraged by his failure to obtain the answer he wanted.

Even after reverting to a juvenile form, this ancient, high-ranking magical beast remained remarkably guarded in its answers.

Shu Li handed it the fruit and softened his tone. “Aren’t you lonely as the only magical beast in this underground palace?”

Falm seized the fruit, which was nearly as large as its body, with all four paws. It happily gnawed on it as it answered.

“I spend most of my time asleep anyway. When I wake up, I look for something to eat. It gets a little boring sometimes, but it isn’t unbearable.”

“Are you unable to leave?” Shu Li asked.

“There are restrictions. I can’t get out.”

Smack, smack—

The little magical beast ate so happily that its eyes narrowed into contented slits.

“May I go farther inside and look around?” Shu Li asked tentatively.

“You may.” The creature swallowed a mouthful of fruit and looked up to warn him, “But you mustn’t touch anything, especially the treasure on the throne.”

“All right. I won’t touch anything,” Shu Li promised.

However, any normal person who heard the word “treasure” would inevitably feel their curiosity stir.

After Falm finished the fruit, Shu Li took out a handkerchief and wiped the juice from his fingers. Then he and the little magical beast proceeded deeper into the hall.

They passed through a stone doorway and entered the innermost chamber. Its lavish decorations were almost overwhelming. Rows of gleaming golden pillars radiated magnificent light, while the polished floor reflected everything with perfect clarity. In the center stood a statue that seemed strangely familiar.

Shu Li stopped before it and looked up.

It was the Fire God.

A statue of the Fire God stood inside Miladi Palace in the Elven Kingdom. Its features were identical to those of the statue before him.

To show his respect, Shu Li placed his right hand over his chest and bowed reverently to the divine statue.

Falm hovered beside him. Seeing Shu Li offer his respects, it nodded in satisfaction.

This Little Fairy had some manners after all.

After paying his respects, Shu Li walked around the statue of the Fire God and continued deeper inside.

A narrow passage lay behind the statue. At its end was a spacious chamber dominated by an imposing throne.

The throne had been carved from precious ore and inlaid with rare crystals and jewels. Illuminated by the sea-moon stones, it appeared both magnificent and commanding.

One could easily imagine how noble and majestic the Fire God must have looked while seated upon it.

At that moment, however, what most attracted Shu Li’s attention was the object resting on the throne—a treasure chest.

A treasure chest! Another treasure chest!

By now, the mere sight of treasure chests had left Shu Li psychologically scarred.

The coffin he had traded for from the three-headed water monster was still in the hands of Saint Mage Danlov, waiting to be returned to its rightful owner!

Now that he had entered the Edas Temple and found a treasure chest sitting on the Fire God’s throne, nothing could persuade him to touch it.

When Falm warned him not to touch the treasure, it had meant this chest, hadn’t it?

The creature could rest easy. Shu Li absolutely refused to touch it.

Who knew what other bizarre thing might be hidden inside?

Shu Li glanced at the treasure chest and resolutely looked away, turning his attention elsewhere.

Falm had initially been nervous, afraid that greed might drive the Little Fairy to touch the chest. To its surprise, Shu Li merely glanced at it before turning away, showing no interest whatsoever.

Flapping its wings, Falm landed on an armrest of the throne and tilted its head as it studied the Little Fairy.

The Little Fairy wore top-grade defensive equipment, which showed that he had been raised with great care and lacked no resources.

That much had already been obvious when he casually produced five ninth-rank magic stones.

Shu Li knew that the little magical beast was scrutinizing him. Its burning gaze followed his every movement, but he paid it no attention and casually walked around the chamber.

It appeared that his theory had been wrong.

Aside from an ancient magical beast guarding the temple, there was no fire spirit inside the Edas Temple.

Shu Li could not help feeling disappointed. He sighed softly and casually rested one hand on a decorative sculpture.

The delicate sculpture stood one meter tall. Its top resembled a blooming flower, with a

The little magical beast quickly recovered from its shock and studied Shu Li with bright golden eyes.

“Little Fairy from the Faerie Forest, what is your name? Why have you entered the Edas Temple?”

Shu Li sensed no malice from it, so he answered candidly, “My name is Sperien. I came here in search of the fire spirit.”

“The fire spirit?” A strange light flashed through the little magical beast’s eyes. “Who told you the fire spirit was in the Edas Temple?”

“I inferred it from some ancient texts.” Shu Li asked curiously, “Who are you? Why are you inside the temple? Are you the only magical beast here?”

Two streams of smoky air puffed from the creature’s nostrils. Pulling a stern face, it said, “What kind of rude Little Fairy are you? Shouldn’t you untie someone before asking their name?”

As expected of a fire-element magical beast, it certainly had a temper.

Shu Li was not worried that it would attack him after being released. If it possessed the strength, it would already have torn through the vines itself.

He silently recited a wood-element incantation. The vines fell away automatically and reverted to seeds.

Shu Li retrieved the seeds with wind magic and returned them to his storage ring.

Once free, the little magical beast flapped its wings and rose into the air. Hovering before Shu Li, it cried, “Awoo! Awoo!” Then it struck an arrogant pose and declared, “Remember this: I am a high-ranking fire dragon lizard. My name is Sharo Redisino Falm.”

Shu Li fell silent.

Sorry, but there was no way he could memorize such a long name at once.

“Could you repeat your name?”

He took out a notebook intended specifically for recording names, grasped his quill, and gazed sincerely at the little magical beast.

The creature was utterly bewildered by the sight.

What was wrong with this Little Fairy? Was remembering a name really so difficult that he had to write it down?

That said, the notebook in his hands looked exceptionally well made.

“Sharo Redisino Falm. Remember it properly!” the little magical beast repeated.

“All right... Sharo.”

Shu Li wrote a line of elegant Elven script in the notebook, then quickly drew a cute, stylized portrait of the little creature beside it.

“My name is Sharo Redisino Falm!” the little magical beast corrected him.

Shu Li closed the notebook and said innocently, “All right, Falm.”

The creature bared its teeth and asked furiously, “Can’t you say my entire name?”

“I’m sorry,” Shu Li said apologetically. “I’m a Little Fairy with absolutely no talent for languages.”

The creature stared at him in disbelief.

Were all Little Fairies this shameless nowadays?

Having mastered Ilio’s teachings, Shu Li ignored its anger and grinned. “Falm, you still haven’t told me why you’re inside the temple.”

The little magical beast now known as Falm waved its short, chubby forelegs. Unable to do anything about the Little Fairy, it replied irritably, “I was sealed here by someone. Why else would I be here?”

“Who sealed you?” Shu Li asked in confusion. “What rank of fire dragon lizard are you? Why do you look different from the ones I’ve seen?”

Falm seemed reluctant to mention the person who had sealed it and ignored the first question entirely. “Of course I’m different from ordinary fire dragon lizards! I’m a fire dragon lizard beyond the tenth rank!”

Shu Li was astonished. “Don’t magical beasts only go up to the ninth rank?”

Beating its batlike wings, Falm circled Shu Li and rambled, “Do ninth-rank fire dragon lizards have wings like mine? Do they have a horn like mine? Do they have a tail like mine? No! They don’t have any of them! I’m comparable to a divine beast, an existence those ordinary magical beasts could never match! So don’t lump me together with those vulgar fire dragon lizards.”

Listening to its childish voice, Shu Li roughly deduced that it was an extraordinarily high-ranking fire dragon lizard. Some powerful figure had sealed it, causing it to revert to a juvenile form.

“Do you remain like this all the time? Isn’t the person who sealed you afraid that you might encounter danger?” He changed his line of questioning to probe for more information.

Falm’s body had become juvenile, and its mind seemed to have grown more innocent as well. “Of course not! I only become like this on Fireday. Normally, I’m magnificent and imposing. Whenever the other fire dragon lizards see me, they prostrate themselves and acknowledge me as their king!”

It clenched its claws, glanced sideways at the Little Fairy, and sneered. “Danger? If anyone dares provoke me, I’ll tear them apart with my claws, burn them to death with fire, and bite them to death with my sharp teeth! Even in this form, I have ways to deal with intruders. If you weren’t a Little Fairy, I would have activated the mechanisms and trapped you halfway through the temple. You would never have been allowed into the inner hall.”

Shu Li was slightly surprised, but his mind immediately began racing.

Fireday was when fire dragon lizards went into heat and mated. Even the highest-ranking magical beasts could not suppress their reproductive instincts. If eighth-rank fire dragon lizards had to visit the lake to seek mates, the same would surely be true of Falm, who surpassed the ninth rank.

It was obvious that there was no second fire dragon lizard inside the temple. Whoever had sealed Falm here must have arranged for it to revert to its juvenile form on Fireday so it would not suffer from the torment of going into heat.

The temple lay almost a thousand meters underground. In ten thousand years, no adventuring party had ever successfully penetrated this far. On Fireday, thousands of fire dragon lizards gathered at the lake, making it even less likely that anyone would dare approach.

Only Shu Li, with the aid of the mother tree’s powerful roots, had broken through the earth and discovered the Fire God’s temple after it had lain hidden for ten thousand years.

Falm had probably been astonished when it discovered an intruder. Once it realized Shu Li was a Fairy, it had decided to show mercy.

No wonder Shu Li had encountered no obstacles along the way. An adventuring party would probably have faced one deadly trial after another.

“Thank you, Falm,” Shu Li said sincerely.

“Hmph. Is that any way to thank someone?” Falm squinted one eye shut, and its forked tongue flicked across its mouth.

Shu Li blinked, then suddenly understood.

So the little creature was hungry.

Fortunately, he had a habit of carrying food wherever he went. He took a cherry-sized kuku fruit from his storage ring and offered it to the creature. “This is my gift of thanks.”

Falm’s eyes lit up. It pounced like a starving wolf, wrapped itself around the fruit, and took an enormous bite.

“Mmm, not bad! Not bad! Mmm—delicious! It’s so delicious!”

After a few enthusiastic smacks of its mouth, the fruit was gone.

“Do you have any more? Any more?” it asked urgently, flying back and forth in front of Shu Li.

For the past ten thousand years, it had eaten underground creatures that tasted of dirt every single day. It was thoroughly sick of them.

Shu Li laughed and took out another four or five kuku fruits, offering them on his open palm.

With an excited “Awoo!” Falm leaped onto his palm, seized all the fruit with its four paws, and swallowed them one by one, clearly relishing every bite.

It felt as though Shu Li were holding a scaled chinchilla. The creature was surprisingly heavy.

It might have been small, but its appetite certainly was not.

Once it had finished the fruit, it immediately demanded more.

Shu Li took out an apple-sized fruit and held it in his left hand. “Answer my questions properly, and I’ll give you this.”

Tempted by the delicious fruit, Falm swallowed its drool and urged, “Ask! Hurry up and ask!”

Having achieved his objective, Shu Li calmly asked, “Do you know the fire spirit?”

“I suppose so!” Falm answered. “That fellow has a terrible temper. I can’t stand him!”

Shu Li privately thought Falm’s temper was hardly any better. It had simply lost all its intimidating force after reverting to a juvenile form.

He asked another question. “Is he also inside the temple?”

Falm waved a claw. “Of course not!”

“If he isn’t in the temple, where did he go?”

Falm lifted its eyelids and said irritably, “How should I know where he went? I haven’t seen him in a very long time!”

“How long is ‘a very long time’? Was it before or after the War of the Gods?”

“Oh, why do you have so many questions? Stop asking about him. Ask me something I actually know.”

The little magical beast spread its wings and flew off Shu Li’s palm. It flicked its tail impatiently, its eyes fixed intently on the fruit in his left hand.

Shu Li was not discouraged by his failure to obtain the answer he wanted.

Even in its juvenile form, this ancient, high-ranking magical beast knew how to avoid revealing anything important.

Shu Li handed it the fruit and softened his tone. “Aren’t you lonely as the only magical beast in this underground palace?”

Falm seized the fruit, which was almost as large as its body, with all four paws. It cheerfully gnawed on it while answering.

“I spend most of my time asleep anyway. Whenever I wake up, I look for something to eat. It gets a little boring occasionally, but it isn’t unbearable.”

“Can’t you leave this place?” Shu Li asked.

“There are restrictions. I can’t get out.”

Munch, munch—

The little magical beast ate so happily that its eyes narrowed to contented slits.

“May I look around farther inside the hall?” Shu Li asked tentatively.

“You may.” Falm swallowed a mouthful of fruit and looked up to warn him, “But you mustn’t touch anything, especially the treasure on the throne.”

“All right. I won’t touch anything,” Shu Li promised.

Yet any normal person would feel tempted upon hearing the word “treasure.”

Once Falm had finished the fruit, Shu Li took out a handkerchief and wiped the juice from his fingers. Then he and the little magical beast proceeded deeper into the hall.

They passed through a stone doorway and entered the inner chamber. Its lavish decorations were almost overwhelming. Rows of gleaming golden pillars radiated splendid light, while the polished floor reflected everything with mirrorlike clarity. In the very center stood a strangely familiar statue.

Shu Li stopped before it and looked up.

It was the Fire God.

There was a statue of the Fire God inside Miladi Palace in the Elven Kingdom, and its features were identical to those of the statue before him.

As a sign of respect, Shu Li placed his right hand over his chest and bowed reverently to the statue.

Falm hovered beside him. Seeing Shu Li pay his respects, it nodded in satisfaction.

This Little Fairy did possess some manners after all.

After bowing, Shu Li walked around the statue of the Fire God and continued farther inside.

A narrow passage lay behind the statue. At its end was a spacious chamber dominated by an imposing throne.

The throne had been carved from precious ore and inlaid with rare crystals and jewels. Illuminated by the sea-moon stones, it appeared both magnificent and domineering.

One could easily imagine how noble and majestic the Fire God must have looked while seated upon it.

At that moment, however, what drew Shu Li’s attention most was the object resting on the throne—a treasure chest.

A treasure chest! Another treasure chest!

By now, the mere sight of one left Shu Li psychologically scarred.

The coffin he had obtained from the three-headed water monster last time was still in the hands of Saint Mage Danlov, waiting to be returned to its rightful owner!

Now that Shu Li had entered the Edas Temple and discovered a treasure chest on the Fire God’s throne, there was no chance he would dare touch it.

When Falm told him not to touch the treasure, it had meant this chest, right?

The creature had nothing to worry about. Shu Li absolutely refused to touch it.

Who knew what other bizarre object might be hidden inside?

Shu Li glanced at the chest, resolutely looked away, and examined the rest of the chamber.

Falm had initially been somewhat nervous, afraid the Little Fairy might succumb to greed and touch the treasure chest. To its surprise, Shu Li merely glanced at it before turning away, showing no interest whatsoever.

Flapping its wings, Falm landed on an armrest of the throne and tilted its head as it studied the Little Fairy.

The Little Fairy wore top-quality defensive equipment, which showed that he was exceptionally well cared for and lacked no resources.

That much had already been obvious when he casually produced five ninth-rank magic stones.

Shu Li knew the little magical beast was scrutinizing him. Its scorching gaze followed him wherever he went, but he paid it no attention and casually circled the chamber.

It appeared his theory had been wrong.

Aside from an ancient magical beast guarding the temple, there was no fire spirit inside the Edas Temple.

Unable to hide his disappointment, Shu Li sighed softly and casually rested a hand on a decorative sculpture.

The sculpture was small and exquisite, standing approximately one meter tall. Its top resembled a flower in full bloom. A hollow sphere rested in the flower’s center, containing a pearl that emitted a gentle glow.

Curious, Shu Li reached out and poked it.

The pearl rotated with a crisp chime.

Perched on the throne’s armrest, Falm heard the pearl strike the inside of the sphere. Its wings snapped open, and it flew over at once.

“What are you doing?” it demanded nervously.

“Huh?” Shu Li replied innocently. “I poked the pearl. Why?”

The moment Falm heard the word “poked,” its expression changed dramatically. “Run!”

“What?”

Shu Li obeyed and immediately broke into a run, but it was already too late. The floor beneath his feet abruptly vanished, and a powerful suction force dragged him downward.

Shu Li hurriedly unfurled his wings and beat them with all his strength, trying to fly back up.

Yet the suction was too powerful. It forcibly pulled him into the depths.

Shu Li’s expression changed as his body plummeted.

“Awooo—you idiot! Who told you to touch the mechanism?”

Falm’s cry came from above. Shu Li instinctively reached out and caught a soft, round ball of flesh.

It was Falm.

Before they could exchange a word, the Fairy and the magical beast were sucked into a black vortex.

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