Chapter 1: The Dragon’s Awakening

Pain. An insurmountable, overwhelming pain.

It felt as though my body was being dismembered.

As if my bones were being gnawed away.

As if my very soul were being seared by the karmic fires of the red lotus.

My talons were already twisted, my blood a dark, ominous black, reeking of death.

My wings lay broken, my scales stripped away, and countless wounds marred my body, revealing grotesque white bone beneath.

I could not fathom the reason for this, why I was enduring such torment.

Broken bodies and severed limbs, soaked in foul blood, carpeted the entire plain.

I knew not how many dragon-slaying warriors I had torn apart.

Destruction…

Slaughter…

Destruction…

Slaughter…

Destruction…

Slaughter…

This monotonous rhythm repeated endlessly.

Until, my talons could no longer lift.

My breath held not a trace of power.

My spirit, drained of magic, gradually withered.

I lay prostrate by the side of a ruined hill, my rage utterly futile. I knew then that this remnant of a life would meet its end here.

Click… clack… clang.. The metallic rasp of heavy armor in motion echoed nearby.

It was a human, clad in thick, cumbersome plate. Their hands, gripping a sword, trembled incessantly—whether from fear or elation, I could not tell.

I recognized this as the last surviving dragon-slayer, the leader of their band. Had I retained any strength, this human would not have withstood a single swipe of my claw.

Yet, at this moment, I lacked even the power to raise a limb.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t want this…” The human’s voice, quivering, emerged from beneath their faceguard. They raised a hand, removing their helmet.

I saw that they were weeping.

Though their forehead was streaked with sweat and grime, this human, who had come to be my executioner, was indeed crying.

I could not comprehend if these were tears of joy, celebrating their triumph as the last victor, or tears of sorrow and indignation, having witnessed the horrific deaths of so many comrades.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I know this isn’t right, it shouldn’t be like this!” The human sobbed, confessing, their entire body trembling. “This was all a conspiracy… Glynn’s conspiracy.”

“But I had no choice… to save Vinay… I had no choice!”

I, too, found myself unable to understand, unable to grasp the reason behind this senseless slaughter. The pain I endured, the hardship I suffered, fueled my anger at this incomprehensible situation.

How could a mere apology ever erase such suffering?

But I could not speak, my mouth unable to open, my talons powerless to rise. I could only watch them in silence, this human, feeling my life ebb away, little by little.

“I’m sorry…” The human raised the sword in their hand. Though their voice still trembled, their grip on the blade was unwavering. “To save Vinay, my daughter… I must have the dragon’s heart.”

The last image in my consciousness faded here.

I knew it was the final moment of my lingering life.

Yet, reflecting on all I had done in this existence, my soul incessantly questioned itself.

There was nothing I cherished, no memories I yearned for—just an empty, barren void.

‘Is this truly you?’

Votila, the reclusive Wise Dragon.

Born from the void, wandering throughout its life, desiring nothing. Yet, angered by pain, maddened by hardship, ultimately ending in slaughter.

‘Are you…’

‘Such a creature…?’

‘No, that’s wrong!’

‘It shouldn’t be like this!’

My soul responded thus.

‘No matter the creature, once born into the world, it holds a purpose for its existence.’

My spirit cried out.

‘I, too, once yearned and wished to pursue something meaningful.’

My consciousness retorted.

‘Therefore, no matter what, my life must have meaning. But that meaning is absolutely not to be hunted, treated as an object, and have my life arbitrarily taken.’

‘No creature has the right to arbitrarily take another’s life!’

My rage roared.

It felt as though I had dreamt a very long dream. I awoke from it, bewildered, as the thunder of ancient war drums gradually faded from my ears.

The last memory was of the blood-stained, silently weeping human, and my own heart, still beating, torn out alive.

***

“Woof! Woof!”

A strange sound gradually roused Votila’s consciousness.

It heard sounds—not the fleeting memories and illusions of a dying mind, but the genuine sounds of its surroundings, heard as a living being.

‘I’m alive.’

This was an emotion it had never experienced in the fourteen millennia of its past, muddled existence. An emotion called joy.

“Woof! Woof!”

The strange sound came again, and Votila felt a warm, moist sensation on its face.

Votila opened its eyes, like a blind person long deprived of sight, looking upon the world once more.

However, the first thing Votila saw was a fierce beast with a gaping maw. Its fur was a base of black and white, its snout long, its teeth sharp, its tongue a vibrant crimson, and its ears stood fluffy and erect.

Had Votila not sensed a complete lack of hostility from the beast, it would have lashed out with a claw.

“Woof woof!” The beast stared at Votila, emitting cheerful sounds.

Votila could sense the beast’s delight. It recalled that this was a creature called a dog. But why was its size so immense?

‘No, it’s not that the dog is large; it’s that I’ve become small.’

Votila extended a front paw. It saw that this limb was no longer the fearsome talon it remembered, but a fluffy, spherical paw.

‘This is not the body of a dragon!’ Instead, it had transformed into a ‘meow-meow’ sounding, adorable creature, kept as a pet in the human world. Votila remembered that such creatures were apparently called ‘cats’.

In an instant, Votila understood what had happened to it. Having been resurrected for an unknown reason, it had become a cat.

Though still alive, possessing clear consciousness and complete memories… it had become a cat.

‘So this is the so-called price,’ Votila mused, feeling no particular emotional turbulence.

As a Wise Dragon, Votila had never truly pursued power. For a dragon was inherently the king, standing atop all other creatures.

The dog in front of it extended its tongue, joyfully licking Votila’s face with saliva. Votila froze.

The dog’s saliva was filled with a pungent odor, a mix of various strange scents. It was like decades-old unwashed socks blended with half-rotted sour meat, striking its olfactory nerves like a bolt of lightning.

‘So-called dragon’s breath is nothing compared to this, perhaps?’

‘Ugh…’

The unbearable smell assaulted Votila’s nostrils. After a brief moment of stunned silence, Votila’s first reaction was to raise a paw and slap the dog’s face.

“Awoo! Awoo! Awoo!” The large dog seemed startled, leaping away instantly. It tucked its tail between its legs and crouched far away on the ground, watching Votila with an expression of terror, continuously whimpering.

‘Is this really a dog?’ This was quite different from the fierce and brave image of a hound Votila held in its memory.

Just as this ‘vicious dog’ continued to show weakness before Votila, a human voice came from behind Votila. “Gasla, what’s wrong with you again? Oh, the little kitten’s awake!”

‘There are humans here?!’ Votila’s fur instantly bristled, and tiny, sharp claws abruptly extended from its soft paws.

Upon turning, it saw a young human girl dressed in a simple, long dress. Her golden hair flowed naturally behind her, and her blue, crystal-like eyes held a faint joy.

The girl had a delicate face and a fragile body, appearing utterly harmless. From a human perspective, she would undoubtedly be a lovable girl next door.

But Votila would not judge solely by appearance. It crouched low, observing the human girl with hostile eyes.

“Little kitten~!”

The defensive attack Votila expected did not materialize. The seemingly delicate human girl completely disregarded Votila’s hostility, gently scooping Votila up as if holding a rare treasure.

‘Human!’ Votila bared its sharp teeth, emitting a threatening growl. Its tiny claws swiped, leaving several scratches on the girl’s hand. Perhaps because the kitten was still small, its claws could not inflict much damage on the girl.

“Don’t be scared, don’t be scared.” The girl seemed oblivious to Votila’s attack, a warm smile gracing her face as she gently stroked Votila’s back. “Good kitty~ don’t be scared.”

Its struggles fruitless, Votila could only glare fiercely at the girl, continuously emitting warning growls.

“Good child, little kitten is a good child. Biting is not nice, you know.”

‘This human… seems to have no intention of attacking.’

Votila stared at the girl for a long time. The girl’s eyes were clear and transparent, like flawless crystals, without the slightest impurity.

Eyes are often considered the windows to the human soul, with some believing the human soul resides deep within the pupil, serving as a vital conduit. When a great dragon gazes directly into a human’s eyes, it is directly scrutinizing that human’s soul.

The Dragon’s Gaze was a unique secret art of the dragon race; direct eye contact meant a direct interface between souls, soul scrutinizing soul. Although Votila was no longer in its dragon body, it still possessed the soul of a great dragon.

‘This human truly bears no ill will.’ This was the information Votila gleaned from the depths of the girl’s eyes.

Though this human currently harbored no malice, further observation was needed. Showing hostility towards her now would be meaningless.

Votila’s mood remained volatile for a long while before gradually calming down. Its sharp claws slowly retracted, and it simply watched the girl in silence.

Gasla, the ‘vicious dog,’ also lay on the ground, watching the cat in the girl’s hands, letting out soft whimpers.

“That’s a good child, little kitten,” the girl said with a knowing smile, holding Votila up to her eyes and looking directly into its large, golden orbs. “Then I’ll call you Rinna from now on.”

‘Human! When did I ever permit such insolence?! Rin…na? No! That name is absolutely unacceptable!’

Votila angrily turned its head away in protest.

“You like this name too, don’t you, Nana?”

‘No! I don’t like it at all! Why would you interpret my reaction as liking this name, human?!’

Votila was extremely displeased. It truly didn’t know how to communicate with this girl, for it was merely a cat.

“Come, Nana.” The girl placed Votila on a cushion and unfastened a small bell from her wrist, gently tying it around Votila’s neck.

She then checked the tightness of the string, nodding in satisfaction only after ensuring Votila would not be uncomfortable. “Isn’t it pretty, Nana?”

‘Human! You must know when to stop!’

“Meow~! Meow~!”

“Awoo!!” The ‘vicious dog’ lying on the ground howled in what seemed like shared sentiment.

***

Perhaps it could be described thus: on an ordinary day, the once-feared evil dragon, who had been vanquished, began a new life in a small, unremarkable human town.