Federal Calendar 7708, December 31st, early morning.

Within the Beastkin Star Domain, among the mountains west of Canbera City.

Loren, who had already attained the Legendary tier, was leisurely flying eastward toward Canbera City while warmly bickering with the Raven perched on his shoulder.

The morning breeze, carrying a hint of chill, tousled the hair beneath his top hat as it danced in the wind.

In the distance, the sun had just risen.

The warm Dawn Light gradually spilled across the land, dispersing the night mist that had shrouded the vast mountains and lush forests.

Golden rays illuminated everything directly ahead of Loren—including his own silhouette...

A new day had begun, and it had arrived.

Not far away in the sky, an elegant figure in a silver gown and a rugged silhouette wearing a cowboy hat were welcoming Loren back.

These two figures, whose styles could not have been more mismatched, stood together in the same stretch of sky, quietly waiting.

And between them, the distance spanned a full two meters.

It was a very standard "social distance"—not close, yet not too distant either.

The historical grievances between "Dragons" and "Hunters" were clearly not something that a short period of friendly coexistence could resolve...

Soon.

The utterly relaxed Loren finally flew before the two.

In a good mood, he smiled and raised his top hat, greeting them against the golden Dawn Light:

"Good morning."

"Miss Jessistan, and Mr. Cook."

Both figures nodded slightly at Loren, smiling in return.

"Good morning, Mr. Loren."

"Good morning, Mr. Loren!"

Jessistan and Cook P. Jones’s greetings rang out almost simultaneously.

Realizing this, both silently shifted a little farther apart.

The distance between them had stretched to "three meters."

Having been completely unaware until now, Loren, after greeting them, subconsciously glanced at the gap between the two.

Hmm? Why did the atmosphere feel so weird...

With his keen instincts, he almost intuitively sensed the strange tension lingering between them.

Mr. Cook, you're this bold? Even in broad daylight, you didn’t offend Miss Jessistan, did you... 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Then, Loren’s curious voice broke the silence:

"You two... didn't already throw down last night, did you?"

For a moment, the scene grew quiet.

Loren’s inquisitive gaze swept straight toward Cook P. Jones, whose face bore a slightly awkward expression.

There was no mistaking it—the look on the other party’s face practically screamed guilt.

"Not yet."

At that moment, Miss Silver Dragon said coldly, with an air of aloofness.

"But if you had shown up any later, it might have been a different story..."

Hearing this, Loren reached up and rubbed his chin, asking in confusion:

"Did something happen?"

At Loren’s inquiry, Miss Silver Dragon cast a look of utter disdain at Cook P. Jones, three meters away, and let out a cold laugh before speaking:

"Heh!"

"Nothing happened. He just looked at a 'Dragon' a little too long with a 'Hunter’s' gaze."

As Miss Silver Dragon’s words fell, Loren finally pieced together what had transpired between them.

He nodded with a look of sudden understanding, offering no commentary on the matter.

After all, he had vaguely heard about the grievances between "Dragons" and "Hunters" on the Interstellar Hunter Forum...

Now that he understood the friction between the two, Loren, as a friend to both, simply shot Cook P. Jones a look of deep sympathy, the meaning behind his eyes all too clear...

A Demigod-tier dragon—and you wanted to contract it? A guy who moonlights as a Hunter—are you this brave?!

And you got caught too...

Seeing Loren’s gaze, Cook P. Jones’s expression grew even more embarrassed, his eyes darting wildly...

Trust me, Mr. Loren!

I really didn’t want to contract that hot-tempered Silver Dragon!!

I know I can’t beat her, okay?!

I just... looked at her out of curiosity!!

As a Legendary Hunter, this is the first time I’ve ever been this close to a dragon!!

Can’t I even be curious?!

Faced with the look Cook P. Jones was sending him, Loren could only read the word "bravery" from it.

Then, grinning with schadenfreude, he flew up to Cook P. Jones and patted him on the shoulder, saying solemnly:

"Mr. Cook, don’t die."

"I’d miss you."

At those words, Cook P. Jones’s expression instantly twisted into one of panic and grievance!

Huh?!

Me?! You?! Wait?!

I was hoping you’d explain for me, you bastard Loren!!

"Pfft!"

A sweet, pleasant laugh rang out from the air not far away.

At the same time, a dangerously gleaming magical light flared up!

A blue magical array had appeared beneath the elegant silver figure’s feet.

Crackling threads of lightning sprang from the blue array.

A strange, burnt smell spread through the surrounding air!!

"Mr. Jones, seeing as you’re a friend of Mr. Loren’s..."

"I’ll let you run five thousand meters first~"

Jessistan smiled with a deceptively "kind" expression, her eyes glinting with mischief as she stared at the slightly panicked Cook P. Jones.

"You bastard Loren!! Are you even human?!"

After spitting out that resentful curse, Cook P. Jones didn’t dare linger a moment longer, speeding westward into the mountains...

That Loren was a bastard—that much was true!

And the fact that Miss Silver Dragon, egged on by Loren, wanted to beat him up—that was also true!

As for why he didn’t fly east toward Canbera City...

It was simply because he didn’t want to get thrashed by a female dragon in front of Canbera’s residents, especially his goblin partners!

After all, Cook P. Jones had a clear understanding of his combat capabilities in broad daylight.

He couldn’t win, so he had to find a secluded spot to take the beating...

Now, Loren, who had been cursed out by Cook P. Jones, watched the rapidly fleeing figure in the distance with a heartfelt smile, speaking softly:

"Good luck, Mr. Cook~"

For my sake, she probably won’t kill you... maybe.

Just let you experience what a true powerhouse feels like—consider it a little 'preparation' for your future trip to the Abyss...

I really mean it for your own good, Mr. Cook, hahahaha...

After all, Miss Jessistan isn’t as simple as she looks... Loren thought to himself, a little slyly.

At that moment, the Miss Silver Dragon, already standing atop her raging magical array, tilted her head and said goodbye to Loren after seeing Cook P. Jones start running:

"Mr. Loren, see you next time!"

"I’m going to take care of some personal business now~"

"Don’t worry, I won’t kill that Mr. Jones—don’t fret~"

"I’ll just have him bedridden for half a month!"

"Oh, and I really like this kind of summoning. It gives me some entertainment and lets the world know our relationship~"

After saying all this to Loren with a sly grin, Miss Silver Dragon chased after the already distant Cook P. Jones...

Watching that graceful silver figure, Loren silently smiled without a word.

The blue magical array beneath her feet and the wild magical energy radiating from it made Loren shake his head.

Mr. Cook, why did you have to provoke her? Tsk tsk, so mischievous...

Having become a Legendary Psychic under the rule-system, Loren, whose combat ability had drastically improved, could still sense a deadly danger from this Miss Silver Dragon.

This meant that this seemingly ordinary Demigod-tier Miss Silver Dragon was far stronger than the average Demigod!

Not like that Davi Cafer, the Demigod from the Security Bureau last night.

Once Loren activated his Legendary ability, the other party had virtually no room to resist!!

The moment the ability was triggered, it essentially declared who would win that battle.

But even with such power, Loren could still perceive a lethal threat from Miss Silver Dragon...

Such a perception itself said a lot...

After all, in Loren’s current view.

There weren’t many beings left who could withstand his new ability...

This newly born ability was almost an incomprehensible level of divine power!

And Loren had thoughtfully given this new ability a unique name—"Puppet of Fate."

[Within the range of the first ability, vast amounts of Fortune and Misfortune transform into golden dashed lines and black dashed lines, visible only to Loren, descending from the void.]

[Enemies who come into contact with the golden dashed lines or black dashed lines will undergo different miraculous changes.]

[And once entwined by both types of dashed lines simultaneously, the enemy’s spirit, consciousness, soul, energy, physical body, and all other concepts will no longer be under their own control.]

[At that point, everything about the enemy falls under Loren’s command.]