地瓜時空大探險
The footsteps of the National Day long weekend drew near.
國慶連假的腳步聲近了。
For the curious "Miniature Stealth Dragon," this was an unprecedented major event.
對於這個充滿求知慾的「微型隱身龍」來說，這是從未體驗過的大事件。
Ever since witnessing the vitality contained in the ordinary soil of the sweet potato field over the weekend, Little Fat Dragon's craving for "non-fruit" magic had only grown.
自從週末在地瓜田見識到那平凡泥土中蘊含的生命力後，小肥龍對「非水果」魔法的渴望有增無減。
"Dad," Xiao Xuan said in the living room, typing on her braille machine while addressing her father who was reading the newspaper, "Little Fat Dragon said that since Yunlin is a major agricultural county and there are so many sweet potatoes, he wants to experience them fully during the long holiday."
「爸爸，」小萱在客廳一邊用點字機打著字，一邊對著讀報的爸爸說道：「小肥龍說，既然雲林是農業大縣，地瓜這麼多，他想在連假時好好體驗一下。」
"He says... a sweet potato holds the 'essence of fifty years of the great earth.'"
「他說…地瓜裡藏著『大地五十年來的精華』。」
Xiao Xuan's father chuckled, putting down his newspaper, "So, Teacher Steven's fantasy novel really sparked a 'sweet potato craze' in our house!"
小萱爸爸哈哈一笑，放下報紙：「原來Steven老師的幻想小說，真的在你家激起了『地瓜狂熱』啊！」
"No problem, sweet potatoes are essential in Yunlin. Dad will take you to dig them up and personally feel the power of the earth."
「沒問題，雲林的地瓜不可少，爸爸帶你們去挖地瓜，親自感受大地的力量。」
During the long holiday, Little Fat Dragon acted like a sweet potato connoisseur.
在連假期間，小肥龍簡直像個地瓜鑒賞家。
He no longer needed to eat to balance his magical power, but every bite of baked, steamed, or deep-fried sweet potato balls from various townships in Yunlin triggered a faint resonance in his internal dragon energy.
他不再需要靠吃東西來平衡魔力，但每一口來自雲林各鄉鎮的烤地瓜、蒸地瓜、地瓜球，都讓他體內的龍族能量產生微弱的共鳴。
He secretly observed his body in Xiao Xuan's backpack; a sliver of golden light occasionally flashed across his scales.
他偷偷在小萱書包裡觀察自己的身體，鱗片上不時會閃過一絲金色的微光。
He was secretly delighted, realizing that these foods from the earth were indeed awakening and accumulating the mysterious energy that had long slumbered within him.
他沾沾自喜，這些來自大地的食物，果然正在喚醒並堆積他體內沉睡已久的神秘能量。
Time quickly jumped to the eve of Taiwan Retrocession Day.
時間很快跳到了台灣光復節前夕。
It was an evening filled with the smell of soil; Xiao Xuan was organizing her textbooks for the next day when Little Fat Dragon suddenly sprang out of her pencil case.
那是一個充滿泥土氣息的傍晚，小萱正在整理隔天的課本，小肥龍突然從她的鉛筆盒裡彈了出來。
His whole body radiated a stronger, yet extremely stable, seven-colored glow than before, his previously round physique elongated a bit, making him look more like an elf-like dragon creature, and his eyes flickered with the afterimages of time and space.
他渾身散發著比以往更強烈、卻又極為穩定的七彩光暈，原本圓潤的體型拉長了一些，變得更像一隻精靈般的龍形生物，眼中閃爍著時空的殘影。
"Xiao Xuan! I... I feel it!" Little Fat Dragon's voice trembled with excitement, "It's about to break through! My internal energy has accumulated perfectly, I can feel time flowing, and I can grasp it!"
「小萱！我…我感覺到了！」小肥龍的聲音因為興奮而有些顫抖：「它要突破了！我體內的能量已經堆積圓滿，我能感覺到時間在流動，我可以抓住它！」
Xiao Xuan was surprised and touched Little Fat Dragon's back; the warm light made her feel at ease.
小萱驚訝地摸了摸小肥龍的背，那溫暖的光芒讓她感到安心。
"Little Fat Dragon, did you... really succeed?"
「小肥龍，你真的…成功了？」
She immediately picked up her phone, found Teacher Steven's Line, and with trembling fingers, sent a message: "Teacher Steven, I'm sorry to bother you so late. Your story... it's actually true! Sweet potatoes, they really do have mysterious power! Little Fat Dragon seems to have gained a new ability from eating sweet potatoes."
她立刻拿起手機，找到Steven老師的Line，顫抖著手指發出訊息：「Steven老師，對不起這麼晚打擾您。您說的故事…它居然是真的！地瓜，它真的有神秘的力量！小肥龍好像因為吃地瓜，獲得了新的能力。」
Teacher Steven replied almost instantly: "Welcome to Houlong Township, Xiao Xuan."
Steven老師幾乎是秒回：「歡迎來到後龍鎮，小萱。」
"I didn't lie to you, did I? The essence of a fantasy novel is a magical imagination of the real world."
「我沒騙妳吧？幻想小說的本質，就是對真實世界的神奇想像。」
Teacher Steven then sent a voice message: "Since Little Fat Dragon is so sensitive to 'non-fruit' magic, welcome to Houlong Township in Miaoli to dig for treasure."
Steven老師接著傳來語音：「既然小肥龍對『非水果』的魔力這麼有感應，歡迎來苗栗的後龍鎮挖寶。」
"Here we have the 'Three Treasures of Houlong'—watermelon, sweet potato, and peanut."
「這裡有『後龍三寶』——西瓜、地瓜、花生。」
"We don't just have the single variety you have in Yunlin; we also have many different sweet potato varieties from all over the world, and even varieties improved by Taiwan's agricultural research. Come, I'll treat you to try the latest chestnut sweet potato."
「我們這裡不只有雲林那種單一品種，還有很多來自世界各地的不同品種地瓜，更有台灣農業改良的品種。你來，我招待你們試試最新的栗子地瓜。」
The next day, Xiao Xuan's family drove to Houlong, Miaoli, and Teacher Steven welcomed them warmly.
隔日，小萱一家人驅車前往苗栗後龍，Steven老師熱情地招待了他們。
When Little Fat Dragon ate a "chestnut sweet potato"—a sweet potato shaped like a chestnut, with a soft and sweet taste—at the teacher's home, a feeling of vertigo swept over him.
當小肥龍在老師家中吃到一顆外形像栗子、口感鬆軟香甜的「栗子地瓜」時，一陣天旋地轉的感覺席捲了他。
Boom—!
轟——！
It was not an explosion of out-of-control magic, but a subtle, precise calibration.
那不是魔力失控的爆發，而是一種內斂、精準的校準。
As the light dissipated, Little Fat Dragon found that he had gained the brand-new, long-desired magical ability: Time Travel, Ancient and Modern.
當光芒散去，小肥龍發現，他已經獲得了夢寐以求的全新魔法能力——穿梭時空 古今。
With his new ability, Little Fat Dragon's daily life became much more exciting.
擁有新能力的小肥龍，日常生活變得更加刺激。
One day, Xiao Xuan had a history class at Beigang Junior High School.
有一天，小萱在北港國中上歷史課。
The teacher was talking about the story of Koxinga (Zheng Chenggong) driving out the Dutch in the Ming Dynasty.
老師正在講述明朝鄭成功驅逐荷蘭人的故事。
Little Fat Dragon perked up his ears in Xiao Xuan's backpack, becoming keenly interested in this general who "built a country on the sea."
小肥龍在小萱的書包裡豎著耳朵，他對這位「在海上建立國家」的將軍產生了濃厚的興趣。
That evening, Xiao Xuan was doing her history homework at her desk, the content of which was exactly about Koxinga.
晚上，小萱在書桌前寫著歷史作業，內容正好是關於鄭成功的。
Little Fat Dragon transformed back into the size of a palm, the Miniature Stealth Dragon, and quietly climbed next to Xiao Xuan's ear, saying in his calm but lowered childlike voice: "Xiao Xuan, stop doing your homework."
小肥龍變回了巴掌大的微型隱身龍，悄悄爬到小萱耳邊，用他那沉穩卻壓低了的童音說道：「小萱，別寫作業了。」
"Tonight, I'll take you through time to find Koxinga... The words in the history book are too flat; let's go see with our own eyes how this human general built his fleet on the waves."
「晚上我帶你穿越去找鄭成功… 歷史課本上的文字太過平板，我們去親眼看看，這位人類將軍如何在波濤中建立他的艦隊。」
That night, using the power of the chestnut sweet potato, Xiao Xuan and Little Fat Dragon traveled through time for the first time, landing off the coast of Tainan in the seventeenth century.
那天晚上，藉由栗子地瓜的力量，小萱和小肥龍第一次穿越時空，降落到了十七世紀的台南外海。
They stayed there for a few days, experienced a thrilling landing battle, and witnessed the magnificent Age of Sail.
他們在那裡待了幾天，經歷了驚心動魄的登陸戰，也見識了波瀾壯闊的大航海時代。
What excited Xiao Xuan the most was their encounter with a passing British merchant ship.
最讓小萱興奮的是，他們曾與一艘經過的英國商船相遇。
When Xiao Xuan conversed with the Englishmen on board using her fluent modern English, the feeling of being able to talk to ancient people was super special!
當小萱用她流利的現代英語與船上的英國人對話時，那種能與古代人對上話的感覺，超級特別！
However, behind these exciting moments, Little Fat Dragon was actually always feeling down.
然而，在這些興奮的時光背後，小肥龍其實一直悶悶不樂。
He looked at his kind, curious owner, Xiao Xuan, and he knew she was a visually impaired child.
他看著身邊善良、充滿好奇心的主人小萱，他知道她是個視障小朋友。
He possessed the abilities to balance his magic, be invisible, and even travel through time, but his dragon magic contained no spell that could cure her eyes and restore her sight!
他擁有平衡魔力、隱身、甚至穿梭時空的能力，但他龍族的魔法裡，居然沒有可治眼精恢復光明的！
This was the biggest regret for a dragon who genuinely loved his owner.
這對一隻真心愛主人的龍來說，是最大的缺憾。
During the Age of Sail, they once chatted with a knowledgeable old sea captain.
在航海時代，他們曾與一位見多識廣的年邁船長閒聊。
Under the dim light, the captain recounted a legend passed down from an older dragon era:
船長在昏暗的燈光下，講述了一個在更古老龍族年代流傳的傳說：
"Children, in the mysterious Folding Forest of England, there is a rare treasure guarded by the Golden Dragon lineage—the Flower of Light."
「孩子們，在神秘的英國折疊森林裡，有一種黃金龍族世代守護的奇珍異寶——光明花。」
"This flower blooms only once every millennium, and each time it produces only three flowers, each with exactly five small petals."
「這種花，它千年才開一次，每一次只開出三朵，每朵花瓣剛好是五小瓣。」
"Legend says, whoever obtains it can... return everything to the initial light."
「傳說，只要得到它，就能…讓一切歸於最初的光明。」

Back in the modern era, Little Fat Dragon's mind was completely focused on the Flower of Light.
回到現代，小肥龍心心念念的都是那朵光明花。
He knew that to obtain the dragon race's supreme treasure, the ability to "time travel" alone was not enough.
他知道，要得到龍族的至寶，光靠「時空旅行」的能力還不夠。
He needed the guidance of the highest-level dragon power.
他需要龍族最高階力量的引導。
One weekend afternoon, Xiao Xuan's family went shopping at a convenience store.
一個週末的午後，小萱一家人到便利商店購物。
Little Fat Dragon seized the chance to slip out of the backpack, letting out a low growl at the hot, numbered Baked Sweet Potato No. 57 on the oven counter.
小肥龍趁機從書包裡溜了出來，他對著店裡烤箱櫃檯裡那顆熱騰騰、印著號碼的烤57號地瓜發出低吼。
He lightly touched it with his dragon claw; the sweet potato, having absorbed the essence of Taiwan's land combined with the fire element from the oven, formed a special time-space medium.
他用龍爪輕輕觸碰它，地瓜吸收了來自台灣土地的精華，加上烤箱的火元素，形成了一種特殊時空介質。
Flash!
閃身！
In the moment Xiao Xuan's father was paying, Little Fat Dragon had already used the sweet potato's energy to find the location mentioned in the captain's legend—the Folding Forest of England.
小肥龍在小萱爸爸付賬的瞬間，已經利用地瓜的能量，找到了船長傳說中的位置——英國折疊森林。
The trees in that forest were all curved inward at a peculiar angle, filled with colors that were hypnotic and magical.
那片森林裡的樹木都以一種奇特的角度向內彎曲，充滿了迷幻的色彩。
As Little Fat Dragon carefully walked into the depths of the forest, a Spiritual Mark of the Golden Dragon, composed of golden light, suddenly appeared in the air.
當小肥龍小心翼翼地走到森林深處時，空中突然現出一個由金色光芒組成的黃金龍的睛神印記。
"You, descendant from the East, have come here seeking the highest light."
「你，來自東方的後裔，來此尋求至高之光。」
The mark emitted an ancient and majestic voice.
那印記發出了古老而威嚴的聲音。
Little Fat Dragon immediately bowed his head respectfully: "Great Golden Dragon, I have come for my owner, Xiao Xuan, and I beg you to grant me the Flower of Light to cure her visual impairment."
小肥龍立刻恭敬地低下了頭：「偉大的黃金龍，我為了我的主人小萱而來，我請求您賜予我光明花，解除她的視障。」
The Golden Dragon's mark slowly rotated, issuing a sound like falling stars: "To obtain the Flower of Light, you must enter the Dragon Race's Hyperdimension and accept the Eighty-One Trials to prove your loyalty and power."
黃金龍的印記緩緩旋轉，發出如同星辰墜落的聲音：「要得到光明花，你必須進入龍族異次元，接受八十一難考驗，證明你的忠誠與力量。」
Then, the golden light projected onto Xiao Xuan, far away in Yunlin: "And your owner, she must also pass her own test."
接著，那金色的光芒投向遠在雲林的小萱身上：「而你的主人，她也必須通過自己的考驗。」
"She must learn English well, and be able to master the ancient English to communicate with spirits, so she can understand the Flower of Light's revelation."
「她要出學好英語，並能學會古老的英語和神靈溝通，才能理解光明花的啟示。」
"She must, through her own efforts, come to the UK for studies and personally find the entrance to the Folding Forest."
「她必須通過自己的能力，來到英國留學，親自找到折疊森林的入口。」
"This proves that she is worthy of the Flower of Light."
「這證明她有資格獲得光明花。」
"Because we have discovered that Xiao Xuan is the incarnation of a Goddess from another dimension."
「因為我們已經發現，小萱是異次元某位女神的化身。」
The Golden Dragon's voice echoed in the air, revealing an astonishing secret: "She actively chose to be reincarnated in this challenging Eastern nation."
黃金龍的聲音在空氣中迴盪，揭示了驚天的秘密：「她是主動選擇投胎到這充滿困難的東方國度。」
"She is blind, yet she can see people's hearts; she learns braille, yet she can decipher ancient runes."
「她失明、卻能看見人心；她學習點字，卻能解讀古老符文。」
"Her purpose in coming here is to find the way to undo the Dragon Race's seal, allowing all lovely dragons and magic to return to this Solar System."
「她來到這裡的目的，就是要找到解除龍族封印的方法，讓所有可愛的龍族及魔法，能重新回到這個太陽系。」
Little Fat Dragon returned to Xiao Xuan in Yunlin, feeling utterly shocked.
小肥龍震撼地回到了雲林的小萱身邊。
He knew that this journey, from "one hundred fruits" to "one sweet potato," was just the beginning.
他知道，這段從「一百種水果」到「一顆地瓜」的旅程，只是個開始。
Xiao Xuan and his fate were now closely intertwined with the cosmic revival of magic.
小萱和他的命運，已經與整個宇宙的魔法復興緊密地聯繫在了一起。

