Chapter 187: The Dragon's Rebirth
An innocent lizard was abducted by my master.
“…Hey, stop digging in so much.”
“Geh-ang.”
Getting punished was one thing, but I still had to do what I needed to do.
Rumble.
Unfortunately, my master's light-footed technique was so quick and precise that I found myself in her room in an instant.
“Sit down.”
Baek Yeonyeong grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and gently placed me on the blanket.
Swoosh.
I burrowed between the neatly folded covers.
The familiar scent of the blanket made me feel immensely satisfied.
If I could, I would’ve rolled around in it to savor it all.
“…Gek.”
But I couldn’t just play around like a child.
The reason my master brought me here had to be something else.
The threat earlier must have been a mix of scolding and affectionate warning.
I straightened my posture.
“Your body seems to keep growing… but why does your mind…?”
“Gek?”
“It feels like you were the most mature when I first met you. It’s a bit concerning.”
Baek Yeonyeong sat facing me.
She casually scratched near her neck slowly.
“Gek-gek-gek.”
“Foolish disciple. Do you know what kind of predicament you’ve caused your master?”
“Geh-ang….”
I’m not to blame.
All I did was rescue a few people and toss them some herbs.
They were the ones who misunderstood.
…Of course, I did plan to sneak into this bedroom.
“Well, never mind. It’s my fault for not teaching my disciple the basics, so let’s use this opportunity….”
This opportunity?
What on earth is she planning?
I felt as if my skin was tingling in anticipation.
“But, Hiya, I heard you made a majestic sound like a sacred beast.”
“Gek-gek?”
A majestic voice of a sacred beast?
I mean, I am a sacred beast, but my voice doesn’t quite fit that description.
“To my ears, it doesn’t sound that way. Well, as long as I can understand what you’re saying, it doesn’t matter.”
“Gek-gek.”
What does the voice matter?
Understanding the meaning is what’s important.
…Wait, she understands the meaning?
“Gek?”
I suddenly felt like conducting a survey with some humans.
Baek Yeonyeong had always been good at guessing what I meant, but it was just guessing before.
Now, though, her attitude suggested she truly understood my words.
To be honest, I’ve spoken human words before.
When the Red Dragon injured Baek Rang, I somehow managed to speak human words.
If I think about it, I did start talking back then.
But strangely, not a single word came out after that.
Considering what Baek Yeonyeong just said, and how the Heavenly Demon Cult members misunderstood me,
…Could it be that I’m speaking now without even realizing it?
My cries of “Geh-gek” have some meaning behind them.
I think about what I want to say in my head, and my cries vary according to that meaning.
“Geh-ang,” for example, or “Gek-gek-gek.”
They might sound similar, but they carry completely different meanings.
What if, to others, my cries aren’t just gibberish but clear words with meaning?
That would explain why people thought my voice was majestic.
Let’s test it.
My master’s embrace is the best.
“Gek-gek-gek.”
I put those thoughts into words, but my master’s expression remained unchanged.
Maybe her lack of expression makes it hard to tell.
Still, wasn’t Seolhwa’s embrace a bit better?
“Geh-ang-gek-gek?”
It was softer and more comforting.
“Gek-gek-gek-gek….”
While my master just catches weird bugs, Seolhwa gave me honey dumplings when I was in her arms.
“Gari-gek-gek.”
…
No effect?
Squeeze.
“Stop wasting your energy on pointless things.”
“Geh-eek….”
“Foolish disciple. Did you really think this master of yours would flinch for something like that?”
“Geh-gek.”
“Even so, I know how much you adore my embrace.”
Huh?
“Gek-gek!”
You can understand me?
“Of course, I can.”
From her reaction, it seemed like she truly understood my words.
“I don’t know exactly what ‘Ten Thousand Demons Pouch’ means, but I can roughly guess.”
What is she talking about?
I didn’t say anything like that.
…It seems like my words are getting distorted to some extent.
At least the general meaning is getting across.
“Then what’s ‘Runway’ or ‘Ten Thousand Demon Chessboard Judge’? Some things make no sense, but it’s not too bothersome.”
“Gek-gek-gek!”
Why would you interpret it like that?
I should be thankful my master doesn’t understand everything.
If she knew those exact meanings, that’d be a real disaster.
“Geh-ang….”
Let’s quickly change the subject.
“What’s with that face? You look like a lizard caught hiding something it shouldn’t have.”
“Geh-eek….”
“Well, fine. If my disciple is this flustered, I won’t press further.”
That’s my master for you.
“I suppose I’ll just feed you truth serum and ask later.”
“Geh-eeek!”
“…I’m joking, joking.”
You’re joking, right?
It’s hard to tell since her expression never changes.
“Let’s stop fooling around and get to the main point.”
“Gek-gek.”
“I’ve already heard the news. That you turned one of the Dragon Gates into your territory.”
“Gek!”
…How did she hear about that?
“If you’re my disciple, that’s the least I’d expect from you.”
She reached out a finger and gently patted my head.
“You’re starting to look more and more like a dragon. Even though you’ve shrunk, your imposing aura hasn’t diminished.”
Baek Yeonyeong slowly stroked my horn and fur.
I felt so drowsy that I could’ve fallen asleep.
Though her demeanor was blunt and rough, her touch was remarkably gentle.
“What do you think of dragons, Hiya?”
My master suddenly asked me that question.
While I was pondering her query, she continued without waiting for my answer.
“Dragons are called the most sacred of spiritual beings, and they are also said to represent nature itself.”
That was almost exactly what I had thought.
“However, no one knows if such dragons actually exist.”
In this world, dragons seemed to be rarer than I had imagined.
There were dinosaurs who could use martial arts and unicorns advocating monogamy, but dragons were said to be completely untraceable.
“Despite that, the concept of dragons is widely known.”
The dragon Baek Yeonyeong was referring to must be the true dragon hidden by the system’s interface.
“Have you ever heard of the term ‘Yongsaengguja’?”
Yongsaengguja?
“It refers to the nine offspring of the true dragon.”
The nine children of the true dragon.
I vaguely remembered hearing about them when I was human.
“Not all of the dragon’s children are sacred or mystical.”
One of the Yongsaengguja was none other than the gluttonous beast, Docheol, which aligned with my master’s words.
But why bring up Yongsaengguja all of a sudden?
“For example, like the two beasts guarding the Dragon Gate.”
Baek Rang had once told me that each Dragon Gate had its own guardian.
The volcano had the Fire Rat.
The snowy mountain had the Ice Bird.
The rocky mountain had a snake made of stone.
And the mountain covered in flowers had a turtle with plants growing on it.
Half of these were children of the dragon?
The Fire Rat was supposed to be the weakest of the group.
The next weakest was the Ice Bird.
These two probably weren’t the dragon’s children.
The ones inhabiting the snake’s and turtle’s domains, which were deemed dangerous, were likely members of the Yongsaengguja.
“Chodo and Gongbok.”
Chodo and Gongbok.
So those were their names.
“A spiritual beast shaped like a legless dragon, wielding the power of the earth, is Gongbok.”
The master of the rocky mountain was Gongbok.
“And a spiritual beast resembling a frog or turtle, carrying a massive flower on its back, is Chodo.”
The master of the flower-covered mountain was Chodo.
“These are the children of the dragon. To take your steps toward becoming a true dragon, it would be wise to seek clues from them.”
Whether or not dragons truly existed, their children certainly did.
If the children existed, then their parent must exist as well.
Their existence was proof of the true dragon, the Jinryong.
“Of course, they too have been intoxicated by the power of the Dragon Gate, so they probably won’t be in a state to communicate. Even without the Dragon Gate’s power, they’d still have strength comparable to the Red Dragon under your command.”
“Geh-eek!”
Comparable to the Red Dragon?
Although the Red Dragon had submitted to me, I couldn’t guarantee I could always defeat her.
The outcome of our last fight was only because she admitted defeat after I landed one decisive blow.
If we had fought to the death, the result would have been uncertain.
…But my master even knew that the Red Dragon had become my follower.
I didn’t feel like I was being watched, so how did she know?
“Since you’ve claimed the Dragon Gate, it’s inevitable you’ll clash with them.”
“Geh-eek…”
“And now that you’ve driven out the Fire Qi from the volcano, you’ve lost a means to suppress them.”
The Fire Rat wasn’t particularly strong, so I had wondered how it managed to survive in the volcano.
It turns out the Fire Qi had been helping it.
Likewise, the Ice Bird likely survived because of the Cold Qi of the snowy mountain.
But now that the Fire Qi had disappeared from the volcano because of me,
It had become easy prey.
Of course, with the two mid-tier dragons guarding it, any reckless invader would likely end up as their meal.
“Still, due to the nature of the Dragon Gate, they won’t easily leave their domains, but with the mountain’s master having changed, there’s a high possibility they’ll attempt an invasion at least once.”
“Gek-gek…”
An invasion.
Having a territory meant I now bore its responsibilities.
I’d have to face opponents as strong as, or perhaps even stronger than, mid-tier dragons.
“But why does that matter?”
Baek Yeonyeong spoke as if it were trivial.
“You’re my disciple, after all.”
“Gek!”
That’s right.
There’s no need to cower in fear already.
If they come after me, that’ll actually be convenient.
I was already planning to tidy up the nearby Dragon Gates, so having them come to me saves me the trouble.
With the secret technique of the Gecko Faith, the All-Out Strike, I could defeat even the strongest of foes.
No one can withstand a proper gang-up.
“To find traces of the true dragon, you’ll inevitably have to face the Yongsaengguja. If they retain their reasoning, you might be able to negotiate, but Chodo and Gongbok won’t, so you’ll have to defeat them.”
I now had a new goal.
While clearing the nearby Dragon Gates, I’d search for traces of the true dragon.
The best way would be to defeat the Yongsaengguja.
“You’ve got a good look in your eyes. Your determination is steady and firm. Yes, as my disciple, this is the kind of mindset you should have.”
My master’s lips curled slightly into a smile.
“…At this rate, I might even admit you look a bit cool.”
I couldn’t believe my ears.
My master, who was always so stoic, rarely gave out compliments.
Of course, she would say something was well done if it was, but this kind of praise was a first.
Not “well done.”
Not “cute.”
Cool?
Just three syllables, but it made me happier than anything else I’d ever heard.
“Good. If you defeat the Yongsaengguja, not only will you find traces of the true dragon, but you’ll also obtain other valuable rewards. Since they’re dragon children, their nests are bound to contain treasures worthy of their lineage.”
Treasures didn’t matter.
One compliment from my master was worth more than a hundred gold bars.
The cool lizard handpicked by Baek Yeonyeong.
Just imagining it made me smile.
“You might even find things like Myriad-Year Seolsam, Myriad-Year Fire Carp, Myriad-Year He Shou Wu, or Azure Sky Immortal Dew.”
Though, the idea of rare elixirs did tempt me a bit.
Would my master be pleased if I brought her some?
The best motivation wasn’t treasures or rare elixirs.
It was my master’s smile.
“Well, it might be unnecessary, but I heard there’s something called Feng Yuhuan, too.”
…
Feng Yuhuan?
You could get Feng Yuhuan from defeating the Yongsaengguja?
“Gek-gek-gek!”
I could fight all day for that.
“Hiya. What’s with that face? …Ah, yes, ‘black.’ Black seems fitting. Your expression is oozing dark thoughts.”
Hehehe… Feng Yuhuan… Hehehe…