Chapter 7: The Dragon Man's Revelation
When he heard this, Shen Xinghui felt a wave of relief.
The warmth of the water seemed to seep into his very core and gradually easing the tension in his body.
"Here, drink this," the man said, handing him a cup.
The cup contained a steaming liquid.
Shen Xinghui took a cautious sip—it tasted like plain hot water.
"It's diluted spring water. From the look of it, the sap must have entered your mouth as well. Drinking this will help detoxify your system faster," the man explained.
"Thank you so much," Shen Xinghui said earnestly.
He could hardly believe how kind this man had been to him, a complete stranger.
His gratitude was genuine and heartfelt.
"There's no need to thank me," the man replied with a gentle smile. "I'm just glad I made it in time."
With that, the man stepped away, stripping off his clothes and slipping into the hot spring with a sigh of contentment.
Shen Xinghui couldn't help but notice the man's physique.
He wasn't bulky like a wrestler or a bodybuilder, but his body was well-toned and defined, with visible eight pack abs and a balance of strength and elegance.
"Now that I think about it, I haven't introduced myself," the man said, breaking the silence.
"Uh, no, I don't think you have," Shen Xinghui replied while feeling embarrassed to have been caught staring at his body.
"My name is Ignatius Jörbahamut. I'm from Dragon Man race."
"…Excuse me?" Shen Xinghui blinked in confusion.
Dragon Man race?
Did he hear that right?
Was that even a thing?
Based on the word alone, Ignatius didn't seem to be human at all.
"Ah, I suppose such race don't exist in your world?" Ignatius asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, they don't. I've… I've never seen anyone who wasn't human before," Shen Xinghui admitted honestly.
At his response, Ignatius's expression shifted to one of genuine surprise.
A heavy sense of foreboding crept into Shen Xinghui's chest.
"Um, does this world happen to have various kinds of races?" Shen Xinghui asked hesitantly.
Since Ignatius was familiar with humans, it was clear that humans existed as a race here.
But what about the others?
"This world is home to many different races," Ignatius explained. "There are plenty of humans like you. Then there are the Beast Man."
"Beast Man!" Shen Xinghui exclaimed, his mind instantly conjuring images. "Do you mean people with ears and tails?"
"There are many Beast Man," Ignatius confirmed. "Even among them, there are different types, each with unique traits and ear shapes."
Alright, Shen Xinghui thought, this is still within the realm of things I can handle.
He was familiar with such characters from novel and manga.
His brain could keep up so far.
"And then, there are the Dragon Man, like me," Ignatius continued. "We are a clan of dragons who can take human form. We can also revert to our dragon form when needed."
"Dragons... but you look like a human, I can't see the difference at all."