I had been kidnapped by the Red Dragon.
Well, maybe "kidnapped" wasn’t the right word—more like "detained."
Luckily, she hadn’t flown off with to so unknown location. Since her nest was on the very volcano I climbed, escaping would be simple—just sneak away and I’d be back in Ten Thousand Grand Mountain.
I could always run to Baek Yeon-Yeong and let out a few “geks” for help. Assuming, of course, that I could actually escape.
The fiery aura of this volcano was intense—enough to roast alive just by staying here.
The higher up I went, the stronger the heat beca, and since I was close to the summit, just standing here made feel like I was cooking from the inside out.
Fortunately, the Fire Rat’s hide that I’d draped over myself was helping, especially after I’d eaten its inner core. But the mont I took off this hide, I knew there’d be a whole host of problems waiting.
And to make matters worse, the Red Dragon kept eyeing like she was considering throwing into the lava. For her, that would be a cozy hot spring, but for , it would an becoming Komodo stew.
Could I escape if I evolved here?
The thought crossed my mind, but that’s all it was—a fleeting thought. If I evolved, my choice would be Komodo-Salamander, the mystical beast that controls fire.
It wasn’t a bad option, but against a Red Dragon? Even if I had fire abilities, they’d be pointless.
She’d probably think it was funny and toss into the lava to “test” my resilience.
No, I had to delay evolving for now.
If only I could evolve into a Fire Dragon…
So, for now, I was stuck in this life—nestled on the Red Dragon’s lap, reluctantly resting my head there. Not ideal, but this was the reality I faced.
“Gekgek.”
“…Seeing you like this, I can tell you’re not just so baby.”
And so, I endured the unavoidable lap pillow.
“Hey, little one.”
The Red Dragon had started calling that strange nickna.
To call the divine Komodo of Gegek “little one”… Unacceptable.
“Gek.”
Just this once, I’ll let it slide.
“Could you open your mouth?”
She said it like a question, but her hand was already on my snout.
Why does everyone want to look inside my mouth? First Baek Yeon-Yeong, then the Serpent Queen…
Even Chickadee had wandered in on her own, and Do So-Yeong’s dumpling-head even went in a few tis.
Sighing, I opened my mouth as she’d asked.
As if it were perfectly natural, the Red Dragon stuck her head inside.
“Gek…”
“I can sense fire and cold inside you. You’ve been eating Ice Crystal Herbs and Fire Pears, huh?”
Her tone was one of fascination.
“Whoever’s been feeding you really knows their way around mystical herbs.”
This mystical herb, certified by the Red Dragon herself, had been bestowed on by our very own Serpent Queen.
“And you’ve got venom in there too… and inner cores… Wait, just how many have you eaten?”
“Gek?”
“Honey of the Jade Peak, Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng Fruit, and… Golden Tranquility Dew?”
The Red Dragon withdrew her head and stared at .
“There’s no way you gathered all this in such a short ti…”
She traced a finger down one of my scales.
“Have you been charming creatures with those pretty scales of yours?”
“Gek!”
Charming? How rude.
I’d earned them fair and square.
“No matter what, I can’t believe creatures would just fall for a mute lizard… It’s not like they were raising you to eat later.”
She seed slightly indignant.
“Had I known, I might’ve stolen so Purple Brew Pills for you.”
Purple Brew Pills?
That was the sacred elixir of the Volcano Sect.
“Gek…”
I gave the Red Dragon a hopeful look.
If I played my cards right, maybe I could get one.
“Hmm, so you know what’s good for you, huh?”
“Gekgek.”
“For now, it’s a bit tricky, but I’ll bring you so next ti I move my nest.”
The Red Dragon gave a gentle pat on the head.
For a divine creature like myself, this was a rather unexpected treatnt.
But the promise of a mystical herb was enough to make overlook it.
If I was going to escape, I might as well take everything I could first.
“Now that I’ve checked what’s inside, all I have to decide is how to raise you.”
Her words made realize she didn’t an “raise” like Baek Yeon-Yeong did. She really thought of as a baby lizard.
Of course, dragons are naturally long-lived, so considering her human form, she was likely ancient compared to .
If I thought about it that way, I guess it wasn’t too strange.
It’s only been a year since I was born here, after all.
But just look at my size.
How could anyone think this was a baby lizard?
“…This is starting to feel like a hassle.”
The Red Dragon yawned.
“Maybe if I just hold onto you for fifty years, you’ll be fully grown?”
Her sense of ti was vastly different from mine.
Fifty years? I’d be nothing but bones by then.
“Kidding, kidding.”
Good. If you’re planning to raise , at least take responsibility.
Just toss a few techniques and so mystical herbs, and I’ll be grateful.
“I suppose I should at least teach you how to talk.”
“Gekgek.”
Learning to communicate was essential.
How difficult it had been to get by with only “geks.”
…In so ways, it had worked out, though.
Even if I couldn’t speak human language, I needed a way to communicate with other mystical creatures.
“But there’s sothing else I have to do first.”
“Gek?”
“We’ll be living here for a while, so we need to set up the nest.”
Building a nest didn’t seem that important to , but this was a Red Dragon.
And Red Dragons were known for their greed.
They gathered all kinds of treasures into their nests and scorched any intruders.
“Little one, I’m going to fetch so treasures. Guard the nest while I’m gone.”
She was going to bring treasures?
…Was this my chance?
There were a few things I wanted to learn from this Red Dragon, but those were just ideas based on my current captivity.
Honestly, my top priority was finding a way out.
If I had to describe this Red Dragon, she was kind of like a “gyaru” character.
She might keep teaching enthusiastically only to yawn and say, “I’m bored now,” before swallowing whole.
It seed rather irresponsible.
Her golden eyes locked onto .
Not taphorically—it felt like they were boring holes into .
“Hm…”
She let out a small hum.
“You’re not planning to escape, are you?”
“Gek!”
How did she know?
“Of course, I doubt you would, but you know what would happen if you tried and got caught.”
Crack.
Her form began to change.
Her horns and tail grew larger, and wings unfurled from her back.
And that wasn’t all.
From her human form, she was slowly transforming back into her true self.
---
A massive form that I had to crane my neck to see.
Every breath she took radiated fire.
“Little one, I suggest you don’t make such foolish choices.”
Her voice sounded the sa as in her human form, yet the aura she gave off was completely different.
Just looking at her…
A true dragon.
Her scales looked like they were crafted from crimson rubies, her wings vast enough to block out the sky.
Flas danced between her scales, and her claws and talons were razor-sharp.
How could I possibly look away?
As I stared in awe, the Red Dragon let out a characteristic little hum.
“Hm. Even little ones know beauty when they see it.”
She seed pleased and flapped her wings.
Whooosh.
The powerful gusts caused the flas and lava around us to flare wildly.
“Little one, guard the nest well.”
That’s when I realized how foolish my plan to escape was.
If I tried to flee and got caught, I’d end up as roasted lizard.
“Gek…”
I needed to find another way.
A way to leave that would satisfy her.
---
“Monoga… e…”
“Mono… ga… e…”
The two-horned beasts.
Known to be as mystical as the unicorns.
Unicorns were said to guard the love of pure maidens.
Did the two-horned creatures, by contrast, despise pure maidens?
Not necessarily.
Even if a maiden was pure, they would nod approvingly if she were part of a group.
If her heart had already fallen.
They actually despised those who flaunted their bodies carelessly.
As social creatures, the two-horned beasts constantly debated what counted as purity and what didn’t.
Their debates usually ended peacefully in conversation.
But not always.
“Monogamy!”
“Mono… ga… e!”
Boom!
The two two-horned beasts were butting heads, caught in a fierce debate.
Today’s topic of argunt was their idol, the Black Sun.
The Black Sun had been captured.
Of course, monogamy played a part.
But the fact that it was the Black Sun who had been captured was a problem.
The Black Sun was a legendary being who could unify all races.
Yet, it had fallen into the hands of
a single individual.
An individual was trying to consu the Sun.
“Is… it part… of the plan…?”
“Is it? Is it?”
“Monogamy!”
Thud!
The debate was intense, as they clashed to prove who was correct.
One thing was clear: if this continued, the Black Sun’s fire would be consud.
Dragons were inherently greedy.
They didn’t share what was theirs with anyone.
“Monogamy!”
Monogamy would disappear.
“Mono… gone…? Aaaah!”
“Pure… love… vanquished!”
The two-horned beasts understood the gravity of the situation.
The Black Sun becoming monogamous was unthinkable.
Yet they had no power to intervene.
Except for one white wolf who was watching them from the side.
The two-horned beasts paused.
They sensed where this wolf was going.
“…No, I’m not.”
Baekrang denied it.
“I’m just going to check on sothing.”
But her words gave it away.
“Monogamy!”
Her body was pure.
But her heart was sowhere else.
For the two-horned beasts, she was the ideal being.
She had fallen, but she hadn’t acknowledged it.
“Monogamy… vanquished… hahaha…”
The two-horned beasts were delighted.
“What?”
At that mont, they also realized she was the only one who could save the Black Sun.
“You an that lizard is being held captive?”
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