The Dragon Pearl of the Yellow Dragon (1)
In a shrine deep within a cave.
“The Shrine of Repentance isn’t just a prison for the monsters that have committed crimes.”
The Blue Dragon, a woman with long, neatly styled azure hair, spoke softly as she moved gracefully.
Behind her, Hoo, a small-statured figure, looked around curiously, his head darting back and forth.
Gold threads and bells, mirrors and swords – all sorts of ceremonial items were placed here and there.
Among them, tablets quietly asserted their presence, while the Blue Dragon, who had stopped in her tracks, fished something out from her robe.
– The Four Beast – Do-ol.
She gazed briefly at the tablet from which a strong energy was emanating and carefully set it down in a vacant spot in the shrine.
Moments later.
The newly created space looked no different from the other areas around it.
“Monsters are beings that were born with mystery and have used abilities all their lives. It takes a lot of power to forcefully restrain them. The more criminals we imprison, the greater the burden we must bear.”
“Heh—”
That was extremely inefficient.
The moment they broke rules and ended up here, they had already caused considerable damage to Gonmudo, and now they needed to spend more to maintain the prison.
Wouldn’t it be much better to just eliminate them all?
‘That way, we could stock up on rare materials more easily.’
But that would inevitably weaken the organization’s cohesion.
Unless there was an incident so major that everyone would recognize it, it would be hard for members to feel attached to an organization that slaughtered their own kind.
Fortunately, Gonmudo, known for its techniques, was not without alternatives to solve this issue.
“The principle is simple. We draw on the abilities of the criminals without utilizing our own power.”
The idea was to forcibly drain energy from them, sapping their strength, and using that energy to suppress other monsters while also activating a reform program called Hwan-sang-jin.
“This way, all monsters sealed in the Shrine of Repentance can become each other’s chains.”
“And any excess power will be saved for when we need it later?”
“Exactly, Hoo. You’re very insightful.”
With a pleased smile, the Blue Dragon ruffled his hair and gave him some snacks from somewhere.
In other words, the Shrine of Repentance was essentially a prison, a reform facility, and a power plant all in one.
“And this has been very helpful lately. The depletion of power has been significant in maintaining the balance of a world that was on the verge of collapse.”
It was the best choice given the situation where they couldn’t easily trust those who had previously caused trouble and were sealed away.
Most of the power to operate the realm was currently being provided from this end as well.
“So, Hoo? Why did you want to come here? There’s nothing here to pique your interest.”
The Blue Dragon, the administrator of the Shrine of Repentance, looked down at Hoo, who was munching on snacks with bright eyes.
Though she had complied with his sudden request, she was clearly puzzled as to why he had acted that way.
“Um, well···.”
Hoo, who had been exploring the bleak surroundings, scratched the back of his head.
In truth, there wasn’t a significant reason for him to check this place out directly.
He just wanted to confirm with his own eyes that there wouldn’t be any unexpected variables in the tasks ahead.
‘I didn’t expect the 「Dragon Pearl of the Yellow Dragon」 to be something like this.’
He recalled the prerequisites for activating his special trait before it was triggered.
Although the system message naturally etched all sorts of complicated details in his mind, three crucial points could be pinpointed.
The first was himself, who had achieved the feat of being the savior of the Ganghwan Realm and had been granted a special trait as the ‘Last Yellow Dragon.’
The second was the immense energy he had just confirmed.
And lastly…
“…Can you take the child of the dragon to the Dragon God Shrine?”
The Blue Dragon frowned slightly.
The Dragon God Shrine was a holy place that even the top ranks of Gonmudo could not enter without permission, exclusively allowed only to the dragons.
Hearing that they were going to let a human in—no matter how much of a ‘child of the dragon’ they claimed to be—could not sit well with someone as gentle as her.
But Hoo was confident.
He believed she would have no choice but to agree once she heard his reasoning.
And that certainty soon became reality.
“…Incredible, let’s call for an Oryong Meeting immediately.”
Upon hearing the reason, she set aside everything and immediately summoned the Oryong together.
Although they were all busy with their own tasks, they couldn’t decline her urging, filled with her usual calm authority.
“What’s going on, Blue Dragon? Why did you call us all together so urgently?”
With an annoyed huff, the woman with red bobbed hair, the Red Dragon, muttered.
“To hold an Oryong Meeting at a time like this? Is there a big problem?”
The elder among them, a dignified-looking man with flowing white hair, the White Dragon, opened his mouth.
“Hey, Hoo! I haven’t seen you in a while; you still look cute!” shouted the curious girl with long braided black hair, the Black Dragon.
However, their varying responses gradually shifted to similar expressions as Hoo proceeded with his explanation.
Curiosity, distrust, shock.
And maybe even a flicker of hope.
“Then I’ll take it that everyone agrees.”
Upon the Blue Dragon’s words, everyone nodded in agreement.
Thus, within just a few minutes of the emergency meeting of the Oryong beginning, the proposal concerning the entry of the dragon’s child, Je Gal Hye-mi, into the Dragon God Shrine was approved unanimously.
*
“Hoo.”
Nervous, Je Gal Hye-mi slowly stepped forward.
It was only natural.
After all, she was summoned separately from her companions in this strange environment called the realm.
‘Especially in a world full of monsters···.’
But she wasn’t too afraid.
Taking a deep breath, she walked confidently ahead.
She firmly believed that no matter what crisis came her way, someone would surely come to save her.
Just like they always had.
“Here! This way!”
As she walked without hesitation, a youthful voice echoed from the end of the passage.
Looking in that direction, she saw a little child, maybe seven or eight years old, flailing their hands at her.
‘A child?’
He was an exceptionally cute boy with bright golden hair and eyes, a rarity seen in the central world.
“Ehem.”
The boy puffed his chest out, lifting his chin as if bragging.
He was ridiculously cute, enough to make her head spin, but as a child of the dragon, she was sensitive to energy signatures and instinctively realized something.
She was not meeting this cute boy for the first time.
“Yellow Dragon…? Could it be that you’re the Yellow Dragon?”
The same Yellow Dragon that had wiped out Beijing with a single attack during the war with the Demon Cult and later presided over the rites for her and the other dragon children.
“Um! You know me? From now on, I’ll be your guide, so just follow me quietly!”
That was the identity of the small boy now shrugging his little shoulders and leading the way.
She could hardly utter a word out of disbelief as she followed him.
‘…This makes no sense.’
Swallowing hard, she clenched her fidgeting hands.
And she blinked furiously, refocusing her gaze on her guide.
‘The terrifying Yellow Dragon is this cute?!’
As the boy walked on his small feet, his adorable movements naturally softened her expression and captured her full attention.
It was as though she had been enchanted by a ruthless monster.
Gorgeous art pieces adorned the passage they were traversing, but none of it caught her eye.
‘Ah, I want to stroke his head.’
With skin as white and smooth as rice cakes and hair that flowed like golden silk.
The way his little head bobbed and his limbs swung energetically was fascinating.
Perhaps he even emanated a scent like warm sunlight.
‘I guess being a child is what makes them so lovable.’
Having spent her life hidden away in her family’s shadows, she had never had the chance to interact with children.
Most of the time, she had faced only the dark side of the world after regaining her health.
Thus, the aura that Hoo gave off, radiating like the sun, felt all the more striking.
‘When I have a child… would I be able to bear such a cute one?’
It was a wish that just a short while ago seemed impossible.
But now, it was becoming a real possibility, not just a dream.
‘Yes, my child will surely be adorable. I, the mother, won’t fall behind in appearance either. And the father’s side will…’
Perhaps due to the recent kidnapping incident.
Her mind raced with a barrage of thoughts.
Eventually, as she imagined the faces of the two combined into what their child would look like, satisfaction spread across her face as she nodded happily.
‘Definitely, no matter how I mix the two, they’ll be beautiful. Oh! What about names? Should I pick one for a girl and one for a boy starting now? Ah! What if it’s twins?!’
Je Gal Hye-mi blushed deeply, starting to fret over it.
Meanwhile, Hoo, who had continued to explain things, turned back and blinked at her.
“So there’s really no need to worry about that···. Huh? Are you okay? Do you feel unwell?”
At that calling, she snapped back to reality, raising her head.
Naturally, she hadn’t heard a word he said.
“I’m s-sorry. Could you say that again? I was lost in thought for a moment…”
“Um! It’s okay! It can happen when you’re nervous.”
The boy, who didn’t seem to fit his cute appearance at all, nodded wisely, folding his arms and smiling brightly at her.
“Well, to skip all the complex stuff and get right to the point.”
And pointing one finger energetically, he continued with an upbeat tone.
“We’re going to make a baby now!”
“Eeeh—?!”
Her response was unexpectedly strong, causing Hoo to tilt his head in confusion.
*
The moment was briefly lost in chaos.
After continuing with the detailed explanation from Hoo, Je Gal Hye-mi, now understanding the situation, returned to a calm expression as she contemplated.
‘A new Yellow Dragon.’
A baby.
That meant the offspring of a dragon.
In simpler terms, it was a project to resurrect a true Yellow Dragon in the Ganghwan Realm, not a counterfeit like Hoo.
“Here you go, Hoo. I thoroughly searched, but we only have two at the moment. There might be more intact elsewhere in the central world, though…”
“This will suffice for now! Besides, we can’t hatch them all at once! We’ll search calmly and gradually increase our numbers.”
“…We need to pull out all the stops for recovery.”
The Dragon God Shrine.
Inside stood a massive stone mountain shaped like a colossal dragon coiling.
As Hoo led Je Gal Hye-mi inside, he took the item presented by the White Dragon, his eyes lighting up.
The orb, a vibrant blue that seemed to capture the clear sky, shimmered with a golden glow that flickered like flames or waves, exuding a distinct presence and mystical beauty.
‘The Yellow Dragon’s Yeouiju.’
This was a relic of a dragon that had perished in a tragic incident.
Now it would serve as the medium to conceive new life.
‘The “Dragon Pearl of the Yellow Dragon“? I knew it would relate to the Yeouiju, but I didn’t envision it to be so literal.’
Well, considering that the Dragon God was involved in this special trait, it was perhaps only natural.
Since the real Yellow Dragon was absent, it was hard to say that this world had resumed its original state.
‘Well, it’s not bad. I can’t just keep focusing on the Ganghwan Realm forever. I must leave behind a solid plan at the very least to ensure smooth sailing.’
Of course, that wasn’t all there was to it.
With all the ups and downs, the Dragon Pearl of the Yellow Dragon was also a part of her special trait, and if she succeeded, it would yield significant benefits.
“The preparations are all set. Now, let’s start the ceremony; I’m counting on you.”
The White Dragon, having left those words with Hoo and Je Gal Hye-mi, transformed into his dragon form and soared high into the sky.
He then joined the three dragons already waiting in the sky, taking their positions.
The Blue Dragon to the east, the Red Dragon to the south, the White Dragon to the west, and the Black Dragon to the north.
[Now, let’s get started!]
With that, Hoo, standing at the center of the altar in the Dragon God Shrine, transformed into a colossal Gold Dragon using the powers of the “Heart of the Elder Dragon”.
Until now, they had prioritized survival in disaster situations, and hadn’t properly succeeded in the heritage from the previous generation, leading to somewhat chaotic circumstances.
In fact, each of the Oryong, being direct descendants of the Dragon God, had specific roles assigned to them.
The calm and rational Blue Dragon was the administrator of the Shrine of Repentance and judge.
The combative Red Dragon was the vanguard who actively responded to external conflicts.
The calculating White Dragon oversaw the affairs concerning resources.
The cunning Black Dragon was in charge of gathering intelligence from the outside and judging betrayers.
‘And the Yellow Dragon serves as the priest, symbolizing the connection with the Dragon God.’
Hoo’s body radiated powerful energy.
Of course, while he was only being treated as a Yellow Dragon by default, he could not fully substitute for the actual priest role.
Goooh—
The one who filled that gap was none other than the ‘Child of the Dragon’.
Je Gal Hye-mi, the proof of the world’s restoration and the direct messenger of the Dragon God.
“…Ugh.”
As she knelt, holding the Yeouiju tightly with both hands, a heavy groan escaped her lips.
‘My body feels like it’s going to explode.’
This was in addition to the vast energy flowing through the other dragons forming pillars of the ceremony, now being simultaneously drawn into the Yeouiju in her possession, a burden she couldn’t escape from.
While Hoo, as the Yellow Dragon, managed most of the energy, she still had to bear her share as the center of the ceremony.
‘No, I can hold on. Compared to that time, this is nothing!’
During the moment when she had been kidnapped by the Demon Cult and reunited with Ha Seung-hoon.
When she had conferred a blessing upon him and connected with the Dragon God, it had overwhelmed her immediately.
At that time, she hadn’t been able to do anything before being swept away.
‘How much more have I been through? I have to endure this much!’
Who knew?
Perhaps as a result of this endeavor, she might earn a special ability from the dragons.
Determined not to become a hindrance to Ha Seung-hoon due to what had happened recently, she gritted her teeth, clutching the Yeouiju tightly.
At that moment.
Creak—!
A cracking sound echoed from within her grasp.
The Yeouiju, as its name suggested, was an artifact imbued with potent energy.
It was said in some corners that it could grant any wish, making it a famous mystical artifact.
Especially considering the entire ceremony was infused with the system trait of the “Dragon Pearl of the Yellow Dragon”!
And the culmination of all these factors combined was
Screech—!
From the cracks in the broken Yeouiju,
[Kyahng!]
A faint cry slipped out, as a little yellow head popped up.
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