DATSOTBT Chapter 2: Squish?

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Ancient Babylonian Palace.

Master artisans had built the king’s palace with grandeur and elegance. The high, vaulted ceilings featured intricately carved statues of deities at each corner. Tall, white stone pillars with vertical grooves supported the structure, and the polished floors gleamed like mirrors.

White gauze draped from the pillars in a fan-like arrangement, creating layers of flowing elegance.

Antique bronze vases, filled with broad palm leaves and peacock feathers, were placed along the walls and furniture. Soft, tanned animal-skin rugs covered the floor beneath the king’s throne.

Red tassel-trimmed linen and sheer white drapes intertwined around the bedposts, forming a canopy.

The grand hall was illuminated by nearly a hundred oil lamps, but during the king’s rest, only a dozen near the entrance remained lit. This provided enough light for the maids and attendants on night duty while ensuring the king could see if he awoke without risking a fall.

The maids standing by the pillars wore white, one-shoulder gowns. Silent as lifeless statues, they did not move.

Until muffled groans broke the stillness.

The male voice, husky and tormented, carried a hint of agitation, as if he were trapped in a nightmare.

One of the maids glanced at the chief lady-in-waiting.

“Lady Latas…”

“Shut up.”

The old lady-in-waiting, Latas, shot her a sharp glare and hissed, “Mind your duty and keep your mouth shut.”

The maid hesitated. “But His Majesty seems to be in pain… shouldn’t we wake him?”

Latas sneered. “The last person who tried that had their neck snapped! His Majesty suffers from chronic headaches. Unless you want to be his outlet for anger, act like you saw nothing!”

Terrified, the maid fell silent. Seeing how the others kept their heads down, already used to this, she bit her lip and dared not speak again.

“Damn it…”

The king’s anguished murmurs grew louder.

Hanging on the wall, Luo Lai finally regained consciousness.

The first thing he did was check whether there was any blood on his body.

After confirming there was none, he sniffed carefully. No trace of blood.

Luo Lai exhaled in relief.

Thank god…

He had no idea why he hadn’t ended up killing someone, but as long as there was no blood, it was a blessing.

If he had smelled blood, he would have passed out again, no question!

Also, what kind of rotten luck was this?

Other transmigrators got to be powerful protagonists. If not world-dominating figures, at least they got cool forms—fierce beasts, awe-inspiring warriors.

And him?

Pfft. Not even a living being.

And with hemophobia, of all things!

Almost tearing up, Luo Lai then noticed something odd. His perspective was strange—floating on the Sage King’s Sword, without a body. His view was wide and clear, almost like he had a 360-degree camera.

That was kinda cool!

Excited, he zoomed in and out, then turned toward the massive bed.

That mad king… was he having a nightmare?

Why wasn’t anyone waking him?

…Weird.

He cheerfully floated to the bedside, lifting the heavy bed curtain with a ghostly motion—only to be nearly blinded by a set of eight-pack abs!

Luo Lai swallowed his saliva: Holy crap, this Babylonian king’s body is too—

—too perfect!

Those arms, those long legs, that perfect nine-head-tall ratio, that sculpted chest!

Damn it, I’m a sucker for a well-built chest!

The valiant and heroic king from the daytime now lay on a snow-white bed, not a single piece of clothing covering him.

His skin, full of the vitality of youth, was a warm honey tone. With broad shoulders and a narrow waist, every muscle fiber looked as if it had been sculpted by a master artist.

His head rested on a deep red pillow adorned with golden tassels. Normally slicked-back black hair was now damp with sweat, strands messily sprawled across the pillow. His eyes were tightly shut, his features sharp and commanding. Even in sleep, the slight arch of his brows and the tension in his brow ridge exuded an innate authority—majestic and unchallengeable.

Luo Lai curiously poked at the man’s firm arm and observed him closely.

That’s when he noticed—the young king’s hands were tightly clenched, his entire body tensed. His full lips were pressed into a tight line, and from time to time, low grunts escaped from his nose and throat.

Was it pain? A nightmare?

No, it didn't look like an ordinary nightmare.

It looked more like… a headache.

His old dorm roommate used to get hangover headaches just like this—pale lips, a clenched jaw, and cold sweat dripping down his forehead.

After pondering for a moment, Luo Lai muttered, Sorry in advance, before floating above the bed and leaning closer to examine the Babylonian king’s face.

A strange impulse overcame him. He reached out and placed his hand on the man's forehead.

The moment they made contact, strands of dark purple mist started seeping from the king’s ears and eyes—twisting like living serpents before darting into Luo Lai’s ghostly form!

It all happened in an instant.

Luo Lai gasped in shock. “What the—?!”

Before he could react, the purple mist had already been absorbed into his body.

The weightless form he had just moments ago suddenly became much heavier. Meanwhile, the Babylonian king on the bed seemed to have stopped groaning, his pain apparently relieved.

What the hell was that purple mist?!

Oh, crap—was it poisonous?!

Luo Lai anxiously examined his translucent form. Seeing no visible changes, he finally exhaled in relief. But before he could fully relax, an odd sensation welled up inside him.

In the blink of an eye, his ghostly consciousness rapidly condensed—shrinking into a tiny humanoid figure the size of half a palm!

Caught completely off guard, Luo Lai let out a shriek as he tumbled from midair—

—and landed smack on the Babylonian king’s face.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, the man had just so happened to open his mouth.

Luo Lai fell straight in, getting himself stuck.

Luo Lai (relieved): Whew, good thing I’ve got a big butt—otherwise, the protagonist of this book wouldn’t have survived past chapter three… Wait, hold on a second!

What just happened? Why did I shrink?!

And… why do I look different?!

He reached up and touched his forehead—where a small, jade-colored horn protruded. His outfit was now a white robe with two vertical green stripes. Looking down at his stubby little hands and feet, he saw that they were absurdly tiny.

Something itched near his tailbone. Reaching back, he grabbed onto something long and thin—

A tail.

A tail with a black spade-shaped tip, swaying side to side like an unruly little devil’s.

Luo Lai was stunned.

Wait, wait, wait…

What the hell is this?!

He pulled at his tail.

Then he patted his small, horned head.

After a long silence, he almost burst into song:

"I have horns on my head~ Horns! And a tail behind me~ A tail! I am a little green dragon~ A little green dragon~"

…No.

NO.

What the actual f—?!

Nobody told him this was going to be a “sentient sword” storyline!

And not just any sentient sword—he was apparently the legendary sword of an ancient Babylonian king?!

I was just complaining about not even being alive, and now the universe decides to upgrade me?!

Damn you, heavens above!

Still in shock, Luo Lai clutched his tail and sat there, completely dazed—completely unaware that the man beneath him had opened his amber-colored eyes.

A sudden chill crept over Luo Lai.

He shivered.

Stay calm.

Stay calm, damn it!

The most urgent thing right now was to get out of here.

Luo Lai took a deep breath and pushed against the man’s cheek, trying to extract his tiny butt from the man’s mouth.

…Huh?

Why did it feel like the man’s mouth was closing in tighter around him?

His tiny, horned head tilted upward—only to lock gazes with a pair of bloodshot, amber eyes, staring straight down at him.

The eyes followed his every movement, completely expressionless.

Oh.

Oh no.

OH, HELL NO.

The tiny creature’s tail and hair instantly stood on end.

Tears welled up in his eyes.

He almost wet himself right then and there!

Overwhelmed by fear, Luo Lai let out a high-pitched shriek—

“Puchi—!!”

Oh my god!

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