Deviant: No Longer Human

WHOOSH!

Through the dense, smoky air above the charred ground, a massive dragon tore across the sky, its scales shimmering like molten metal under the moonlight.

SWOOSH!

The creature's wings sliced through the air with a swift gush, leaving a powerful gust behind, yet Wang Xiao stood unfazed atop it, steady and unfazed.

In his arms, he held two small dragon cubs, Lanmei and Baixue—prizes he'd managed to "borrow" from Zhenxi while she slept, a feat not easily accomplished.

Now, with the bright moon illuminating their path, all three set their sights on the same destination, a shared purpose guiding their journey through the night.

BAM!

A sonic boom exploded behind them as they surged forward, the shockwave shaking the desolate landscape below.

After Wang Xiao's last battle, the once-thriving Hollow Earth was reduced to scorched, barren wasteland—a realm left barely habitable.

"Are you sure you saw her?" Wang Xiao called out, his voice growling through the roaring winds that whipped past his ears as he stood atop the dragon.

[Yes!] Aura's voice echoed in his mind, a firm mental confirmation.

Over time, Wang Xiao had learned to delegate, allowing those around him to handle tasks while he directed from above. Though he may have looked idle, there were always countless hands working on his behalf. While he moved across the surface, Aura had already tracked down Aurora's exact location with precision.

Now, with their target in sight, both he and Aura surged forward, closing in on their destination.

_____

Meanwhile, deep inside a damp, musty cell…

Shkkkk…

"It's gonna fail again… needs more juice. Damn it!" a woman grumbled — weary —grinding a chunk of rock against the wall. The walls were a graffiti of desperate escape plans, half of them angrily crossed out—one spectacular failure after another.

She squinted at the half-finished doodle, looking like a mad genius on the brink. "This time… it has to work," she muttered, tongue poking out in concentration, eyes blazing.

Seven years trapped in this dingy, soul-sucking artifact-prison, and she was this close to snapping.

But of course, this wasn't any old prison. No, she was stuck in some ancient relic that only a sadistic genius like Yuriko would've dug up—something that held even the worst of the worst back in her era.

One side of the cell was "open," barred with enchanted metal rods that blocked every single escape attempt she'd thrown at them. And where did Yuriko hide this precious artifact? Oh, just in the depths of a massive underground forest teeming with deadly creatures and golems.

Probably snickering the whole time.

And as if that wasn't enough, this wasn't even Earth—at least, not the regular one. She was in 'Hollow Earth', a world-within-a-world with so many layers of security it'd take a millennium before anyone could even think of finding her.

Good times.

Then came the usual shaking.

BAM! BAM!

The ground rumbled as chunks of rock dropped from the ceiling. Outside, twisted vines rustled as if they'd just been woken up, their tendrils twitching like they were waiting to devour anyone dumb enough to come close.

"Another earthquake?..." Aurora groaned as a clump of dust fell on her head. Every few weeks, this place shook like it was about to collapse. And honestly? She was over it.

"What the hell's going on out there?" she snapped, running a hand through her tangled hair, looking like a woman on the verge of losing it.

Seven years normally felt like nothing to her, but seven years in this stale pit? She'd had it. If one more rock fell on her head, there'd be hell to pay—if only there was someone around to actually suffer for it.

At least it was livable now. Just a few weeks ago, the underground structure had trembled with violent quakes, the walls groaning as if about to collapse. Aurora had been sure the entire place would cave in around her, never suspecting that it was her own "kind" husband's actions that had nearly brought it all crashing down.

"How did Naomi manage to survive in prison for millions of years…" Aurora muttered, sighing as she adjusted her position within the dim confines of her cell.

___

A few minutes later…

"BURN!"

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

A blast of flame erupted through the prison corridors, sweeping across the dark stone walls in a roaring wave.

"Huh?" Aurora's head snapped up, eyes wide as she caught sight of the blaze tearing through the overgrown vines that snaked along the prison walls.

The fire licked hungrily at the flesh eating vines, igniting each twisted tendril, and as it consumed them.

SSSSSSSZZZZZ…

The vines writhed and coiled as if alive, their blackened forms shrinking and curling up under the flames' scorching touch. The thick, oily leaves blistered, popping and shriveling, releasing dark smoke that twisted and curled toward the ceiling.

SCREEEEEEEECH!

The flames crawled up the prison walls, engulfing the cursed vines that had wound themselves around every stone surface, like parasites. Screeches filled the air, as if the prison itself were howling in pain, echoing and rebounding through the halls.

Aurora shielded her face from the blast, eyes narrowing as she watched the vines in their torment, finally begin to wither. The fire blazed in deep oranges and blues, licking at each tendril consuming every last trace.

"What… now?" she whispered, her heart shook, as dread and awe swirled within her.

CRASH! CRASH!

Outside her cell, two massive stone pillars—each over twenty-five meters tall—began to tremble, cracks splintering across their ancient surfaces. With a deep rumble, the stones split apart and then rejoined, forming an enormous golem, its glowing fissures pulsating with power.

Enchanted by Yuriko herself, these were no ordinary rocks; they were walking weapons, each one radiating enough destructive energy to turn a small country to dust.

The golem rose, towering in the flames, its fiery cracks blazing, casting eerie light across the smoldering prison. Then, with a deep roar, it turned its burning gaze toward the smoke-filled corridor ahead, ready to face whatever was coming.

ROARRR…

The golem's voice filled the prison, its power radiating outward, and through the thick smoke, a smaller shadow began to take shape, moving steadily toward them.

Then—

WHOOOOOOOSH!

A colossal dragon's form burst into view behind the shadow, scales glinting in the firelight, eyes glowing with death sentence.

With a fierce hiss, it reared back, gathering energy, then unleashed a beam of pure force.

ZZZZZZZAAAP!

The beam struck the golems head-on, the sheer intensity shattering their rocky forms into shards.

BAM! BAM!

SHATTER!

The enchanted stones exploded into fragments, scattering across the ground in a cloud of dust and debris.

As the smoke began to clear, Aurora stared, mouth open in astonishment. Her gaze fell upon the dragon—Aura.

The same dragon she'd saved hundreds of millions of years ago, now fully grown, strong, and radiant with power.

Her heart skipped a beat, the frail creature she'd once protected now towering like a true force of nature.

"Aura…" she whispered, her voice filled with awe as memories flooded back. She could hardly believe that the weak, fragile dragon she'd once fought to keep alive now looked back at her as a force that could trample the world.

But then her eyes shifted, her breath catching as the figure behind Aura came into focus.

It was him.

As Wang Xiao's shadow appeared through the haze, her heart hammered, leaving her frozen—caught between anticipation, disbelief, and a feeling she couldn't yet name.

CRASH!

"Ah… it won't open like that…" Aurora's voice wavered as she snapped out of her daze, watching Wang Xiao as he reached out and wrapped his hands around the iron bars of her cell, gripping them tightly.

"Hm?" Wang Xiao paused, glancing through the bars with a flicker of surprise. She was still as striking as he remembered, her beauty untouched by time. Shouldn't she be an old hag by now? Then he recalled—with a slight smirk—that he'd spent an eternity in that graveyard, while for her, only seven years had passed. Of course, the "old witch" had managed just fine.

Misunderstanding his silence, Aurora added hurriedly, "These bars were forged by the Aegis, meant to hold warriors who defied the throne. You need a key to open it. It's completely immune to all forms of energy—"

"…"

Wang Xiao just blinked at her, faintly amused, watching her lips move quickly in worry. She looked almost cute like this, flustered and concerned. He shrugged, dismissing her warning, and tightened his grip on the bars.

"You're not listening!" Aurora said, startled, her voice rising. "The more energy you put into them, the stronger the barrier becomes! It'll be impossible to break!"

But Wang Xiao only grinned, clearly, pouring his energy directly into the bars. Find your next read at m_v l|e-NovelBin.net

CRACK!

The bars began to glow brightly under the force, straining under the pressure, until a loud, splintering sound filled the air.

Cracks spread across the metal, energy sparking from the fissures as Wang Xiao continued.

"Wh—"

Aurora took a step back, eyes wide with disbelief.