Rayder slowly lowered his head and stared at his hands. His skin, soaked in seawater for far too long, had turned pale and wrinkled, resembling the bark of an ancient, weathered tree. He moved his fingers and arms with great effort, trying to restore some sensation and strength to his limbs. Every movement was a small victory, a painful reminder that he was still alive.Suddenly, a massive shadow loomed over him. Kidora, who had been silently guarding him all this time, clearly sensed that he was waking up. The giant dragon's massive body trembled with excitement, and its three heads turned toward Rayder almost in perfect unison. Without warning, the entire beast lunged forward!The three heads scrambled over each other in a frenzy, shoving and nudging as they rushed to get close to Rayder. Long tongues lashed out with enthusiasm, licking his face and arms wildly. Sticky, hot saliva trailed wherever they went, covering him in a wet, pungent mess."Cough, cough! Stop! Kidora, stop!" Rayder spluttered, caught completely off guard by the overwhelming display of affection.The sudden assault left his face drenched, his hair plastered down with gooey dragon spit. He looked utterly disheveled and, despite the absurdity of the moment, couldn't help but chuckle through his frustration. His hands, still sluggish and unresponsive, flailed awkwardly in a futile attempt to shield himself.It was absurd—a three-headed dragon acting like an overexcited puppy.To Kidora, he must have been like a family member returning home after a long absence. But this reunion ritual felt less like a warm welcome and more like a biochemical assault.Rayder winced as the cold, wet tongues—each easily larger than his head—continued their eager onslaught. The strong suction of each tongue left his skin tingling, and the overpowering scent of dragon breath wasn't helping. Every hair on his body stood on end.This wasn't affection—it was a full-scale sensory invasion!With tremendous effort, Rayder finally managed to grab one of Kidora's heads and weakly pushed it away. Fortunately, Black Dragon Im and Red Dragon Egon stepped in, gently pressing down the other two heads to restrain the overenthusiastic Kidora.Seizing the opportunity, Rayder scooped up some nearby seawater and hastily splashed it over his face, scrubbing at the saliva with grim determination. The water was warm but gave him a slight jolt of clarity. He wiped his face clean, took a deep breath, and slowly got to his feet. Though his joints were still numb, they responded enough to let him stretch and move around.He checked himself over carefully. His skin remained wrinkled from the seawater, and his limbs felt stiff, but there were no major injuries. That alone was a relief. However, he couldn't help but glance at Kidora with some confusion.They had both been exposed to the same burning seawater. They had endured the same ordeal. So why was he the only one knocked out cold for so long, while Kidora remained so energetic?Was it because he had passed out and his body's resistance weakened as a result? Or did Kidora possess a resilience he simply didn't understand?Rayder shook his head. The answer didn't matter right now. What mattered was that he was alive and able to move. Whatever mystery surrounded Kidora's resilience could wait.Once he was steady on his feet, Rayder's attention immediately shifted to his other two companions.He first approached Black Dragon Im. The sight made his heart sink.Im's massive form was covered in wounds—deep gashes, scorched scales, and charred patches of flesh. In some areas, its protective scales had been peeled back entirely, leaving exposed raw skin underneath. The holes in its wings had been crudely patched up, likely by Kidora, but the edges remained blackened and brittle from the heat.Worse still, Im's breathing was labored and irregular, a clear sign of internal damage.Rayder clenched his fists and turned to Egon, the Red Dragon. Egon wasn't in much better shape. Its dark green scales bore the marks of high temperatures and collisions. Abrasions and cracks crisscrossed its body, and a dull lethargy had settled in its usually fierce eyes.These dragons—his comrades—had suffered deeply during the battle.Rayder bit his lip. It seemed the system had prioritized healing him, leaving his dragons to bear the consequences of the disaster unaided. A bitter pang of guilt stabbed at his chest.He stepped forward, resting a hand on Im's thick neck."Im, Egon, how are you two holding up?" he asked quietly.Both dragons let out low, pained growls. But in their eyes, Rayder saw something that lifted his spirits slightly: determination. They were in pain, but they hadn't given up.Still, their injuries were severe, and the sea around them remained treacherous. Rayder knew he couldn't solve this alone.If there was any hope left, it would lie in the newly updated system.He exhaled slowly and steadied his emotions, then accessed the system interface within his mind. The updated system showed a version suffix: "Version 1.0", along with a note beside it:Next update in ten years.Ten years. A lifetime in a world like this—both incredibly long and alarmingly short.The first thing that caught his eye was the revised personal panel. One change stood out immediately:"Evolution Points" were now labeled "Energy Points."Even more alarming, his total had dropped from nearly ten thousand to just over three thousand. Rayder's expression darkened. He hadn't realized how much the system had consumed during his unconsciousness. Over two-thirds of his points were gone—used just to save his life.His heart skipped a beat. If the system had pushed a little further, would it have drained him completely?Still, compared to the hospitals in his previous life—where the cost of survival was often more than anyone could afford—the system was almost merciful. It had at least left him enough to keep going.Suppressing his frustration, he turned to the newly added Medical Repair Function.Following the system's prompts, he walked over to Black Dragon Im and gently laid a hand on the beast's battered scales.Immediately, a rush of information flooded his mind.A massive data stream poured in—dozens of detailed reports, medical charts, structural diagrams, tissue scans. Each entry described Im's injuries in terrifyingly specific detail:Dislocated vertebrae in the upper spine34% tendon tear in the left forelimbBurn trauma to 62% of lung tissue from inhaled steam112 damaged or missing scales requiring replacementIt was as if an entire research hospital had opened up inside his brain.Rayder's eyes twitched. This wasn't just a treatment—it was an engineering-level repair protocol. He wasn't a doctor, let alone a dragon specialist! What was he supposed to do with all this data?Overwhelmed, he reflexively clicked "Skip" and jumped straight to the treatment options menu.He didn't want to read another report. He just wanted to heal his dragon.The treatment interface loaded, and a prompt appeared:"Comprehensive Recovery Treatment – Cost: 1100 Energy Points."Rayder's face twitched again.Over one-third of his remaining energy points—gone in one click. His heart ached. But looking at Im, lying battered and breathing heavily, he knew there was no alternative.He took a deep breath, steadied his hand, and confirmed the treatment.
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