Dragging his unusually slow body out, the scene before him was enough to make his eyes widen.
Mystical jewels and equipment, all kinds of weapons, raw minerals, and black rocks that exuded both ferocity and nobility, forming the horizon and hills.
'Is there really such a place in this world?'
Gold piled up like mountains, and clothes and accessories filled with the beauty and aura crafted by divine hands.
From the patterns engraved on the gold coins to the weapons, an exotic atmosphere permeated.
'I didn’t die. Could I have been dragged to another country...?'
He took slow steps and looked around.
Gold cups underfoot, artifacts with unknown patterns intricately carved by artisans, ancient books, items of unknown use, and mountains of gold coins piled endlessly.
'At first glance, this place is filled with extraordinary items.'
He could feel an overwhelming wealth and power that seemed to have no end.
'Who is the owner of this place to have amassed such an enormous treasure?'
For someone who lived secluded on an island, it was a place hard to imagine.
As he slowly looked around, something that was neither a weapon nor a jewel caught his eye.
A stone was neatly carved, and heavy handwriting was inscribed on it.
Even though it was a script he had never seen before, he could read it.
[Child who has never seen the light of the world. Even if we may never meet again, may you be happy in that distant place.]
It was an epitaph mourning the death of a young life.
'This is... a gravestone.'
Only then did he realize that this place was for a child who had been sent away.
Surely, it contained absurd things buried alongside a child who had died before being born.
Imugi lightly clicked his tongue.
He extended his arm to touch the gravestone, intending to recite a short prayer in his heart.
For a moment, he thought there was someone else there.
His arm, reaching out to the black and transparent gravestone, touched a face that was completely different.
'Why does my face look like this?'
The toes of his extended front paw were short and plump.
'...Are my toes this small?'
Bending down to look, his belly was noticeably round and full.
'...Why is my belly so big?'
Turning around, he saw that his once sleek and powerful steel-like tail was now small and lizard-like.
His large red eyes widened in shock.
He opened his mouth wide, looking at his body in disbelief.
'Who is this? Why is there a strange little kid here?'
A chill ran down his spine.
Staring blankly at the gravestone, he pinched his cheek.
Instead of the hard, black scales of a diamond, his soft and tender skin stretched and snapped back into place.
'My... why is my body so small and chubby?'
He touched his waist and belly with his short hands.
Then, he felt his thighs and head, his face showing a look of bewilderment.
Sitting on the ground, Imugi looked as if he had lost everything.
Chapter 2: Is This My Appearance?
He, who once wielded great power and placed all things under his feet.
Imugi, the powerful divine beast until yesterday, was now a powerless and weak creature.
'Wait... Calm down and think.'
He suddenly reconsidered his situation.
'Right. Reincarnation! It must be that, something I only heard about.'
The cycle of the universe, something he couldn’t understand until he ascended to become a dragon.
He pulled at his nonexistent hair with both hands.
It was an absurd idea, even to him.
'Can you even reincarnate with your memories intact?'
Imugi shook his small head.
Looking up, he saw a gentle light coming through the ceiling.
He sniffed, letting the light shine on his face.
The warm scent of sunlight filled his nostrils.
His eyes closed involuntarily.
Feeling relaxed, his breathing became steady.
It felt like he was breathing for the first time.
The calmness and peace were comforting.
As he relaxed his tense shoulders, he felt a warmth spreading with each breath.
Feeling his small body being replenished with energy, he stretched his front paws.
In the quiet peace, the tension in his emotions slowly dissipated.
After a while of steady breathing, he slowly opened his eyes.
His gaze was calmer as he looked around.
Feeling more at ease, he began to organize his thoughts.
'First, I’ll do what I can. There might be something helpful. To do that... I need to figure out what kind of place this is.'
Imugi moved his unfamiliar small feet.
'Luxurious swords. I can feel their abilities. Ritual tools or talismans...? There are cursed items too.'
As the successor of a black dragon, he was highly resistant to dark attributes and curses, but for most, touching these items would drive them mad.
Some items had effects he couldn’t understand, but for some, Imugi could discern the nature of the curses.
'Just looking at it turns you to stone. How cliché.'
'A curse that condemns you to a lifetime of hunger... Quite a traditional curse.'
'A curse that takes away your voice and gives you legs? This is ambiguous for a curse.'
'A potion that makes you lose your original form and turn into something else, and a potion that makes you look like a designated person... This is actually pretty good.'
To others, these items could ruin a life, but to Imugi, they seemed like toys made for fun.
So, he found himself evaluating the value of each item.
'...Not particularly interesting, but surprising.'
Imugi looked around at the items surrounding him.
'For someone who manages a space with positive energy, this is a rather dark hobby.'
His thoughts led to another possibility.
'Or perhaps they are sealed here.'
If someone collected so many dark and cursed items, it was usually the case.
'Oh, this is interesting.'
After walking around for a while, his eyes sparkled when he saw a pile of jewels that could fill his arms.
'They contain strong and pure darkness.'
He extended his hands and gathered a handful of black jewels.
Imugi, feeling the darkness contained in the jewels, which were a source of power, suddenly looked up.
'Is this a treasure mountain?'
The mountain of jewels in front of him made his eyes widen.
Without realizing it, his tail was wagging gently.
'Impressive! Impressive!'
With the weapons and jewels here, it was only a matter of time before Imugi regained his power.
He climbed the mountain of jewels, picking up random jewels and examining the power within.
Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet gave way, and he flailed his arms, losing his balance.
In the end, he tumbled backward, rolling down the mountain.
'Even if I fall, I can’t let go of this!'
While rolling down like a snowball, Imugi clung tightly to a particularly large black jewel.
After rolling a few meters, he finally stopped, trembling.
As he lay there, groaning and trying to gather his wits, a distortion in the air was felt.
'...! What is this oppressive presence?'
Imugi frowned, sensing something large and powerful emerging.
'An existence that even my former self might not be able to overpower.'
His pride was hurt, but his judgment was clear.
Intuitively sensing the owner of this place, he stood on all fours and raised his head.
His muscles tensed, and his tail stood up.
'No need to cower. Whoever this guy is, I am... Imugi, the divine beast, the black dragon!'
His eyes were filled with determination.
Staring straight ahead, the space split open, and a massive mountain emerged.
The ground shook with just two steps.
The powerful vibration caused the mountain of jewels to collapse.
The towering creature was enormous, its entire body gleaming with gold.
The being, which instantly dominated the space, inhaled deeply and then exhaled forcefully, creating a powerful shockwave that almost swept him away like a leaf.
'So, this is how you appear.'
Despite the massive presence blocking the sky, he stared with wide eyes.
To gain the upper hand, Imugi took a deep breath and shouted loudly.
A sound like a quack came out, surprising him.
'What kind of sound is this?'
He had imagined a powerful roar.
But what came out was a "quack."
Stunned, he looked up at the being, whose entire body seemed to be made of gold, revealing blue pupils.
Compared to the golden giant, Imugi was a tiny speck.
Despite this, he stood resolutely, holding a handful of magic stones, and shouted at the golden giant.
He tried to say his name, but only a series of high-pitched sounds came out from his underdeveloped vocal cords.
Frustrated, he shouted, but only a sound that made him want to hide in a mouse hole came out.
He slumped to the ground, more dejected than before.
The being, who had been staring at him blankly, blinked its blue eyes and then looked at the egg from which Imugi had emerged.
Seeing the remains of the eggshell and the liquid inside, he inhaled sharply.
[Did it... hatch? A black dragon's egg.]