“Kyaaaaaah!”

A vivid memory from a distant, ancient past unfolded.

“I love you!”

“You look amazing today!”

“You’re so beautiful!”

It was an era when interactions between the divine realm and the mortal world were active. This was my first life as a human, meticulously crafted by the gods with utmost care and affection at the beginning of time.

As I was a being created by the gods with the passion of an artist, I was praised wherever I went.

‘Of course I’m beautiful and wonderful. So go on, praise and worship me more.’

My luscious hair, flowing with glossy, luminous particles, was an uncommon purple color, as were my eyes.

My skin was also flawlessly clear and smooth like cotton, so the second generation of humans born after my creation looked up to me in awe, revering me as different from themselves.

‘Huh? What’s that dragon doing?’

The day I met Yongyong was like any other. I was striking various poses in front of a large tree, feeling pleased with the exclamations of admiration when I noticed something curled up with its body and wings a short distance away.

“You can all go now.”

“Yes!”

“Our angel is tired, let’s come back later!”

Curious to observe it up close, I dismissed my followers and, as soon as I was alone, I moved towards it.

Thump, thump-.

As I walked, barely brushing the grass mixed with white and yellow flowers, I examined the condition of the young dragon. Its bluish scales looked dull and dark, giving it an uncomfortable appearance.

“Kyuu?”

Finding its sickly appearance strange, I stared intently at it. The creature, which had kept its eyes closed until now, barely opened one eye, unable to withstand the intense gaze.

“Are you weak because you’re hungry?”

I sat down at a slight distance and spoke to it, then noticed a half-eaten mushroom nearby.

“Oh?”

The mushroom, characterized by a red body dotted with white spots, could cause various pains such as stomach aches or headaches when consumed by young individuals.

‘It must have left its habitat and eaten whatever it found because it was hungry.’

I clicked my tongue, making a “tsk” sound, and shrugged my shoulders.

“What should I do…”

I had always been worshipped, but I had never personally cared for a small, fragile creature. Because of this, I fell into contemplation for a moment.

‘It seems to have a high fever, so I should take it home for now.’

I couldn’t ignore it after finding it, and as it continued to make pitiful sounds of pain that increasingly bothered me, I finally decided to take it to my dwelling.

“Once the fever goes down, I’ll send you back to your habitat.”

I said gruffly as I carefully picked up the young dragon, whose body temperature was soaring with a raging fever.

“This is a high-quality leather cushion offered by humans who admire me. I’ll give you the honor of resting here specially.”

As soon as we arrived home, I laid the creature, who seemed to be struggling even to breathe, on something soft and let it rest.

“Stay still.”

“Kyuu…”

The young dragon barely managed to respond, squeezing out what little strength it had, and then went limp.

“To think I’d end up helping a young dragon in my lifetime.”

I muttered while rummaging through the shelves in the room where I kept gifts and various supplies.

“I feel it’s a waste of treasure, but it can’t be helped.”

Since I had taken it in out of pity, it was only natural to take responsibility, so I searched for a remedy to alleviate its symptoms.

‘Powder of all purposes.’

There were also herbs with fever-reducing properties, but they took a long time to boil and prepare.

Above all, I wanted to use something that would show immediate effects, so I chose a medicine I had been preciously keeping for several years.

‘I’m not sure if it will work on a dragon, but since it’s a gift from the gods, its efficacy should be certain.’

Placing the pouch containing the powder of all purposes in my palm, I hurriedly returned to where the young dragon was, praying that it would show some effect.

“It’s okay now.”

I smiled faintly and soon untied the string of the pouch containing the powder. Then I sprinkled the powder of all purposes evenly over the young dragon’s head and body.

Rustle-.

Befitting a gift from the gods, the powder of all purposes emitted a blue light like a sapphire before changing to a brilliant gold color as it was absorbed.

“Kyuuut!”

A moment later, perhaps finding the alien sensation given by the powder strange, the dragon opened its eyes wide in surprise, not knowing what to do.

“You’re awake.”

I tried to soothe the startled creature, but it was too wary, which was troublesome. It lowered its body forward as if stretching, raised its tail straight up, and took a step back, clearly saying not to come closer.

“Just stay still. I’m not trying to hurt you, I’m trying to make you better.”

Thinking that the dragon clan might come looking for their young one, and since the fever had miraculously disappeared when I touched it briefly, I decided to take it out somehow.

“Let’s go to your habitat now. Surely there must be a family waiting for you.”

I even tried to smile as warmly as possible to help it relax, but the creature, perhaps misunderstanding that it was being taken somewhere, quickly ran away.

“What are you doing, you little…”

I was surprised by the young dragon’s unexpected behavior and then panted heavily as I ran around busily.

“Stop, you!”

Unlike when it was sick, now that the fever had gone down and it had returned to normal, the creature was overflowing with energy and quickly moved around various parts of the house at a rapid pace.

To what extent? It circled a few times at a speed similar to an arrow flying near the ceiling. So it was difficult to keep up with it.

“Got you!”

The real reason I chased it while breaking a sweat was because I was worried it might touch and break expensive sculptures or frames, and after an hour of struggle, I was finally able to hold the young dragon tightly in my arms.

“Kyuu…”

“I won’t let you go until we get near your habitat.”

Having been thoroughly fooled once, I carried it with force until I released the embrace-like hold on a hill near the entrance of its habitat.

“Oh, you silly thing.”

Then, sighing, I gave a light tap on the forehead of the creature circling around me and placed my hands on my waist as I spoke.

“You looked ugly when you were frowning earlier, but you look a bit better now.”

I laughed with a “kook” sound and waved my hand as I watched the dragon fly towards its habitat.

I thought I would never see it again.

But…

“Look over here just once!”

“I love you!”

“You’re amazing, how can you always be so consistent?”

A few days later, when I met with the humans of the mortal world in a place similar to a temple, an unexpected reunion took place.

‘Geez, do dragon clans not know manners? How can there be no word of thanks for saving their young one?’

I inwardly grumbled while wearing a flower crown I had received as a gift and responding to the cheers with a smile. I was displeased with the attitude of the dragon race for not showing gratitude for saving their young one from danger.

Moreover, usually in such situations, one should act discreetly on their own, and if they came directly, it could be seen as seeking a reward, so I was frustrated, unable to do this or that.

Peek-.

“Kyuut!”

I was contemplating whether to speak to the gods if there was no response after two days, when suddenly a cute voice was heard from the right.

“Kyuuu, kyuut!”

“You… why are you…”

The young dragon that suddenly appeared and smiled brightly expressed its joy with its whole body.

‘This is truly astonishing.’

Soon after, the creature settled on top of my head as if making a nest, and when the humans’ cheers grew louder, far from being scared, it curiously howled several times loudly as if trying to match the harmony.

“Indeed, you are a mysterious being!”

Thus, with the dragon’s appearance, the second generation of humans on earth came to look up to me even more, and my fame grew day by day, giving rise to new rumors.

“From today on, you’re Yongyong.”

And from that day on, I gave a name to the dragon that started visiting me every day, saying I couldn’t keep calling it ‘you’, and that name is ‘Yongyong’, which I’ve been calling it since earlier.

Even when Yongyong occasionally caused accidents like knocking over flower pots, I was only angry at that moment, and I considered it okay to keep it by my side as a friend.

“Yongyong~”

But one day, Yongyong disappeared without a word.

“Where did you go~ Are you playing hide and seek again?”

I couldn’t bear the emptiness when someone I had been with every day like family disappeared. So I wandered around the land of the gods day and night, looking for Yongyong in every corner except for the habitats of other beings, but found no clues.

“Bad kid.”

At this time, while feeling very sad, I also came to resent Yongyong, but in one corner of my heart, I couldn’t let go of the hope that it would return someday.

“Time flies so fast.”

It was one morning after several years had passed like that.

“It’s been quite a while since Yongyong disappeared.”

When I impulsively visited the place where I first found Yongyong, I felt my nose tingle with longing.

“After all I did for it…”

Suppressing the surging emotions while saying I would make it beg thoroughly if it just came back, I quickly decided to go to another place lest I show tears.

Whoosh-

‘Why is the wind suddenly blowing so strongly?’

At that moment, I had to frown for a while due to the strong wind dominating the area, unlike usual.

Wheeee-

“What… what is that?”

Soon after, as the wind stopped, I unconsciously looked up and witnessed an unbelievable sight.

Thud-!

Something large had landed precisely in front of me, flapping its wings.

“I’m sorry for disappearing without a word, my friend.”

“Yongyong? Is it really you, Yongyong?”

I asked several times because it wasn’t the appearance I knew.

“Yes, my friend.”

As if understanding such a reaction, the now enormous Yongyong paused for a moment before lowering its body and bringing its face close.

“When I was in spirit form, I had limitations in language expression and couldn’t communicate.”

Yongyong, who said it couldn’t tell me even on the day it left for its coming-of-age ceremony due to the same reason, growled “grrrr” when I stroked it like before.

“So that’s what happened…”

At this moment, I was too moved by the unexpected reunion to say much else.

“You think I’ll forgive you easily just because of that?”

“Can’t you give me a chance, my friend?”

But thinking about the heartache I had endured for years, I wanted to be petulant two or three times, so when I showed signs of being upset, Yongyong looked dejected in a way that didn’t suit an adult dragon.

“Then let me ride you every day from now on. I’ve never seen the land of the gods from the sky before.”

Seeing that expression, I felt I might have been too harsh, so I showed a softer attitude and said as a condition for forgiveness that it should become my mount.

“Very well. I will be your wings until my life ends.”

Yongyong answered without a moment’s hesitation, and thus, the friendship that transcended species with the now adult Yongyong became solid in an instant, making the previous separation seem laughable.

“My friend, if I had the power to grant a wish, would you make one?”

One day, after diligently building our bond by soaring through the skies of the divine realm every day and descending together to the mortal world.

“It wouldn’t hurt. But I’m surprised. Is that possible when you become an adult?”

“It’s a power that manifests only in a very small number of dragons who have reached adulthood. Not all dragons receive this ability.”

On an evening when the sky was tinged orange, Yongyong, who was watching the sunset with me, made an interesting proposal.

“However, there’s something to be cautious about.”

Yongyong, wanting to do something good for its only friend and feeling that if it had to use its power, I should be the sole recipient, also informed me of the price for granting the wish.

“My power makes the person a deficient being in exchange for granting their wish. Even so, would you make a wish?”

“I don’t mind.”

I reacted indifferently, thinking what’s the big deal about becoming deficient.

“If I lack something, I can just fill it up again. That’s how I’ve lived so far anyway.”

Yongyong repeatedly asked and reconfirmed my intention, wondering why I was acting like this after it brought up the topic first.

“Are you sure you won’t regret it?”

“I don’t do that kind of thing~ I was starting to feel that beauty alone wasn’t enough!”

I shrugged my shoulders and said that since it had come to this, I wanted strong power.

“I need to be perfect in everything,” I said.

“I see…”

Yongyong hesitated for a moment but reluctantly agreed to proceed with the ritual.

“Alright. First, stand facing me.”

And so, Yongyong recited an incantation in an ancient language and moved to a space that seemed to be studded with the universe.

Thud-.

Soon, at the moment when strong power was bestowed according to the law of equivalent exchange, I felt something inside me break.