Last Eight Fruits and the Transformation Trial
Day thirty morning, the valley air carried a salty ocean breeze, and mist swirled between the cliffs like a guarding white giant. 第三十天清晨，山谷的空氣帶著鹹鹹的海風，霧氣在山壁間盤旋，宛如守護的白色巨獸。
In the distance, the sky flickered red as a giant hot air balloon slowly approached. 遠處天空閃爍著紅光，一個巨大的熱氣球緩緩靠近。
Its canvas was painted with mysterious South Pacific totems, and long hemp ropes hung beneath the envelope, suspending a heavy wooden crate. 它的帆布印著南太平洋神秘的圖騰，氣囊下垂著長長的麻繩，吊籃裡擺著一只沉重的木箱。
The balloon swayed with the wind, bringing a mix of sea and coconut forest scents, like a floating island descending from the sky. 氣球隨風擺盪，帶來潮水與椰林混合的氣息，仿佛一座漂浮的島嶼從天而降。
“Here it comes!” Xiaoxuan whispered, her eyes sparkling. 「來了！」小萱低聲驚呼，眼裡閃爍著光。
The moment the crate touched the ground, the earth trembled slightly, and iron clasps and ropes creaked. 木箱落地的一刻，大地隱隱顫抖，鐵扣與藤繩發出嘎吱聲。
A faint fruity fragrance escaped, sweet yet refreshingly pure. 裡頭傳來淡淡的果香，甜中帶著一種無法形容的清冽。
Xiaoxuan held Xiaofei Dragon’s claw tightly; their hearts seemed to beat as one. 小萱緊握小肥龍的爪子，兩人的心跳彷彿合而為一。
Xiaofei Dragon shivered, “Mom! I’m a bit nervous… After eating these, will I really be different?” 小肥龍卻忍不住顫抖：「媽咪！我有點緊張耶……這次吃完之後，我真的會變得不一樣嗎？」
“No matter what you become, you are my family,” Xiaoxuan said softly, her tone like the deep breath she always took before playing piano—calming and steady. 「不管你變什麼樣，你都是我的家人。」小萱輕聲安慰，語氣像她每天練琴前的深呼吸——安定、穩固，足以把不安壓下去。
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The Eight Fruits Appear
As the crate opened, the fragrance spread like mist. 當木箱打開，香氣瞬間漫溢，像雲霧般籠罩四周。
Eight fruits lay on straw, crystalline and transparent, like the gems of nature: 八顆果實躺在稻草墊上，晶瑩剔透，宛如大自然的寶石：
1.	Flying Fish Fruit—silver-scaled, as if ready to soar.
2.	飛魚果——外皮閃爍銀色鱗片，像要振翅高飛。
3.	Shell Ginger Fruit—emits a soft floral fragrance, gentle yet resilient.
4.	月桃果——散發淡雅花香，氣息柔和卻帶著堅韌。
5.	Sweet Potato Plum—round and plump, like a small moon in the night sky.
6.	地瓜李——圓潤飽滿，猶如懸在夜空的一輪小月亮。
7.	Volcano Mango—its red shell resembles solidified lava flames.
8.	火山芒果——果殼赤紅，宛若岩漿凝固後的火焰。
9.	Sea Coconut Fruit—radiates blue light, with tides seemingly hidden within.
10.	海椰果——渾身泛著藍光，果心裡似乎藏著海潮。
11.	Mountain Pepper Fruit—spicy enough to make eyes water at a whiff.
12.	山胡椒果——一靠近就嗆鼻火辣，眼淚忍不住湧上來。
13.	Night Light Fruit—glows softly in darkness, like tiny stars.
14.	夜光果——在昏暗裡散出溫柔光芒，如同微小星辰。
15.	Spirit Stone Fruit—crystalline, reflecting the eater’s truest desire.
16.	靈石果——晶瑩透明，能映照食者最真實的渴望。
“Each fruit represents a challenge.” 「每一顆果實，都象徵一種考驗。」
A gray-white owl silently descended from the treetops, its eyes sharp and solemn. 不知何時，一隻灰白相間的貓頭鷹從樹梢無聲落下。牠的眼神銳利而肅穆，羽翼拂過空氣，帶來一陣寒意。
“Eat them, and you will enter the final ‘Transformation Trial’. There, no one can help you, not even Xiaoxuan’s piano will reach you.” 「吃下它們，你將進入最後的『化形試煉』。那裡，沒有人能幫助你。即便是小萱的琴聲，也只能遠遠守望。」
Xiaofei Dragon trembled, asking, “What if I fail?” 小肥龍顫抖著問：「那……如果我失敗了呢？」
“Then you will remain forever incomplete, trapped in between, unable to return to the human world.” 「那麼，你將永遠停留在未完成的姿態，被困在夾縫，無法回到凡人的世界。」貓頭鷹的聲音低沉，卻閃過一絲憐惜。
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The Realm of Trial
As Xiaofei Dragon ate the first Flying Fish Fruit, his body was instantly enveloped in white light, and the valley vanished. 當小肥龍吞下第一顆飛魚果，身體瞬間被白光包裹，眼前的山谷消失無蹤。
He stood in a strange illusion: the sky flowed with colorful water waves, and the ground beneath him was transparent stone slabs, each step producing piano-like notes, even his breathing blending with the melody. 他站在一個奇異幻境裡：天空如流動的彩色水波，腳下的大地是透明石板，每走一步便響起如琴鍵般的音符，連呼吸都在與旋律交織。
“This… is my trial?” 「這裡……就是我的考驗嗎？」
The remaining fruits floated before him like suspended stars, each requiring him to complete a challenge upon consumption: 接著，剩餘的果實一顆顆浮現，像懸掛的星辰。他必須逐一吞下，完成挑戰：
Shell Ginger Fruit: he becomes a tiny gecko, climbing through trembling bamboo, learning agility and focus. 月桃果：他變成一隻小壁虎，必須在搖搖欲墜的竹林間攀爬，學會靈巧與專注。 Volcano Mango: his body burns, must cross a lava bridge, mastering control over anger and fear. 火山芒果：烈焰將他全身燒灼，他只能通過岩漿橋，學會控制怒火與恐懼。 Sea Coconut Fruit: towering waves crash, he becomes a long sea snake, breathing underwater, learning flexibility and fluidity. 海椰果：巨浪席捲而來，他化身細長海蛇，才能在水中呼吸，學會靈動與柔韌。
Time and again, Xiaofei Dragon stumbled, burned, and choked on water. 一次又一次，小肥龍跌倒、燙傷、嗆水。
Whenever he nearly gave up, faint piano sounds echoed from the depths of the illusion—Xiaoxuan in the real world playing a melody of waiting. 每當他幾乎放棄時，幻境深處便會傳來隱約的琴聲——小萱在現實世界裡彈奏著守候的旋律。
The melody acted like an invisible hand, lifting him and reminding him: someone awaited his return. 那旋律像無形的手，將他拉起，提醒他：有人正等著他歸來。
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The Truth of the Spirit Stone Fruit
After seven fruits, only the Spirit Stone Fruit remained. 七顆果實過後，只剩最後的靈石果。
Xiaofei Dragon held it with trembling hands, crystalline and reflecting a small human child—himself. 小肥龍雙手顫抖地捧起，它晶瑩剔透，裡面倒映出一個小小的人類孩子——他自己。
This was his deepest desire: to go to school with Xiaoxuan, do homework together, rather than hiding in wardrobes or backpacks. 那是他最渴望的模樣：能背著書包和小萱一起上學、一起寫作業，而不是永遠藏在衣櫃或背包裡偷偷存在。
“Can I… really do it?” 「我……真的能做到嗎？」
At that moment, a dark shadow appeared in the illusion, identical to him but with cold eyes. 就在此時，幻境中浮現一個黑影，形貌與他一模一樣，卻眼神冷冽。
“You think transformation is just to be with her? You forget, you are a dragon, not of the human world. Choosing transformation means betraying your own roots.” 「你以為化形只是為了陪伴她？你忘了，你是龍，天生不屬於人類。若你選擇化形，就意味著背叛自己的根。」
Xiaofei Dragon froze, the fruit in his hands flickering. 小肥龍呆立，手裡的果實忽明忽暗。
Suddenly, he remembered Xiaoxuan’s words echoing in his heart: “No matter what you become, you are my family.” 忽然，他聽見小萱常說的一句話，在心底迴盪：——「不管你變什麼樣，你都是我的家人。」
He took a deep breath, determination in his eyes. 他深吸一口氣，眼神堅定起來。
“I’m not pretending to be human; I just want to protect her, and walk beside her. This is my choice.” 「我不是要假裝成人類，我只是要守護她，和她並肩而行。這，就是我的選擇。」
With that, he bit into the Spirit Stone Fruit. 話音落下，他一口咬下靈石果。
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Transformation Complete
Blinding light erupted, the illusion collapsed instantly. 耀眼光芒爆裂而出，幻境瞬間崩塌。
Xiaofei Dragon’s form reassembled amidst fire and water, gradually taking a new shape. 小肥龍的身影在火焰與水波間重組，逐漸凝結成新的模樣。
When the light faded, he had become a small, agile jade-colored gecko—eyes like amber, skin subtly changing with the environment, able to hide or leap swiftly. 當光芒散去，他化為一隻小巧靈動的玉色守宮——眼睛如琥珀，皮膚能隨環境微微變色，既能隱匿，又能敏捷躍動。
“Xiaofei Dragon!” Xiaoxuan ran forward, lifting him in her hands. 「小肥龍！」小萱衝上前，雙手捧起他。
The little gecko nuzzled her palm, eyes clear and determined. 小守宮在她掌心輕蹭，目光堅定而清澈：「我成功了。從今天起，我能自由切換形態，但我會永遠守在妳身邊，不讓任何人奪走這份平凡的幸福。」
Under the night sky, piano music played again. 夜空下，琴聲再度響起。
This time, it was not only the finale of the trial but the prelude to an entirely new journey. 這一次，不只是試煉的終曲，更是全新旅程的序曲。
(To be continued in the next episode: “Returning to Yunlin: Days of Stealth”) （未完待續，下一篇：《回到雲林：潛行的日子》）
