Umbu controlled qi better than his limbs.
It was like breathing to him—natural, effortless, something he was born with.
Qi moved in arcs. It curved around the dragon, tracing behind his tail. Each movement he made was strengthened or accelerated by it, subtly following his every command.
Noticing qi was a challenge at first.
Barely one day old, Umbu was subconsciously suppressing it.
And he was doing it near perfection.
"I have never seen something like this," one said, eyes squinted not to miss a single detail.
The second one nodded.
He was just as focused, afraid that speaking would break his concentration. So he watched the baby dragon in silence.
It was hard not to.
Umbu, just like Yun Qiqi, had a special, unseen aura around him.
Being in the same space as him was already enough to affect one’s mood, and considering how well he was handling an energy that was a lifeline for this world, not even Noa could take his eyes off him.
’He is such a rascal,’ he thought, smiling.
Mia, Qiqi, and now Umbu were a tough trio to deal with.
Noa didn’t even want to imagine how chaotic it would be when the three of them let loose.
But his sister had to befriend the dragon first.
Umbu was still shy around her, and there was a lot of work she had to do. Turns out steaks didn’t do the job.
Thankfully, she wasn’t present just yet.
So Yun Qiqi and Umbu were the only ones who ran around the store, almost trashing the place completely.
However, they did actually have an objective.
The dragon wanted to catch Puff, constantly dashing after it.
The little girl played a different role in their relationship by acting like a referee. She didn’t leave their side and made sure that none of them were harmed in any way, unaware that she was the most dangerous one of all.
Puff was at the center of the attention.
But it was less troublemaker, only caring about escaping the devilish dragon’s sharp claws.
Umbu didn’t really know how to express his excitement.
So he was constantly damaging the slime, tearing its squishy body every time.
Thankfully, Puff could mend itself.
Noa would have gotten involved otherwise.
That’s why he remained silent and watched the scene with people around him, waiting for exhaustion to invade the kids.
However, he underestimated their stamina.
And even after half an hour of endless games, he had to speak up.
"Let’s calm down, shall we? We can do so much more here," his voice was quiet and soothing, causing Yun Qiqi to stiffen instantly.
She didn’t want to disappoint Noa and glared at the creatures as well.
Puff stopped, directing his playful smile in Noa’s direction.
Umbu was about to leap out of the chair when Qiqi caught him by the tail, yanking him back to the ground.
Only now did the dragon hold his breath.
He blinked with his wide eyes, confused why he had to stop when he was having so much fun.
Noa grinned, catching his reaction.
Knowing where the baby dragon was coming from, Noa didn’t scold him.
"Good," he said, pointing at the surrounding shelves. "Now it’s time for experiments and to see if our little creatures love the product."
At his words, Xue Hanly and Qing Xuan flung into action.
They quickly dashed through the neatly arranged products and collected two from each category.
Less than one minute later, they bowed before Noa.
"Here they are," Xue Hanly announced, handing him a tray full of his items.
As Noa was looking through them, the guards coughed to themselves—they, too, moved, cleaning up the wreckage Umbu and the others had made.
They did it without any instructions.
Not because they feared Noa and his employees.
Neither because they felt awkward without doing anything in the chaos.
It came from the feeling of gratitude after two consecutive breakthroughs that the store had helped them with.
Noa, meanwhile, made up his mind.
Protein shakes.
Both Umbu and Puff should easily drink them, differing from other items he had for sale.
So he turned them in his hands.
"Come here," he instructed, gesturing for Umbu first to stand before him.
The dragon had a good nose.
He easily identified that whatever Noa was holding in his hand was for him, and it had a sweet, qi-rich scent that made his mouth water.
Hence, he vanished from his previous place.
This action was instantaneous, coming from his persistent appetite.
In a moment, he circled Noa and climbed up his legs, reaching all the way to his knees before making a single, long leap to land on his shoulder.
"Here you go," Noa said, offering him a plastic straw.
Umbu looked at it, his breathing stopping.
He had no idea how to use the tiny object Noa put into his mouth.
So he began with the most obvious answer—chewing through it to taste the delicious meal he had been promised.
For one, he had no teeth.
It made his attempts pitifully unsuccessful.
Then came the taste.
Everyone who had nibbled on plastic before would know that they aren’t the most delicious delicacy in the world.
Turns out, Ligma couldn’t spice up its flavor either.
Disappointment and irritation made Umbu scowl, glancing at Noa like he was asking, "Why did you make me eat something so bitter?"
Even his eyes became misty.
Noa, however, wanted to laugh at him.
Still, he chuckled silently and patted the dragon’s head and said, "You know what, let’s forget this thing. Just open your mouth. I will help you."
Umbu narrowed his eyes.
He didn’t know whether he should trust Noa again.
But the scent still lingered in the air, causing his stomach to rumble in hunger.
Left with no other choice, he opened his mouth.
Instantly, smooth liquid poured onto his tongue, enveloping it with a mix of banana and cocoa flavors. His jaw shifted, creating more space. Sёarᴄh the NovelZone.fun website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
"See?" Noa said, helping his son enjoy the shake. "I knew you would like it."
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