8. Arcana Online

8. Arcana Online8. Arcana Online

The snake, no, Yong-yong, who was looking at me, shows a satisfied expression.

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"Yong-yong. Please take care of me?"

"......"

Can it not speak originally? Well, it just hatched, so it would be creepier if it could speak.

More importantly, I should log out now.

"I'm going to sleep now. See you tomorrow."

I carefully moved Yong-yong to the bed, lay down next to it, and pressed the logout button.

*

*

*

[Yong-yong looks at the contractor.]

[Yong-yong looks at the contractor.]

[Yong-yong looks at the contractor.]

[Yong-yong looks at the contractor.]

I checked several times to see if my contractor, this human, had fallen asleep.

I opened the human's subspace while they were asleep and took out the «Yeouiju» inside.

An item stolen thousands of years ago.

No, taken away by deceitful humans who tricked me.

After spending 1,000 years in cold water, waiting only for ascension, it all became nothing in an instant.

Since that day, I gave up on ascension and dreamed only of revenge against the wicked humans for a long time.

But now the Yeouiju has returned to me.

If I just had the Yeouiju, I could ascend...

I cannot ascend.

My body has become unable to ascend anymore, stained with the blood of countless humans.

As I put away the Yeouiju and look at the sleeping human, something feels strange.

Am I mistaken in being reminded of the human girl I met before I was called an imugi?

The girl who saved me when I was dying in the mountains.

Suddenly, a strange emotion wells up and my head clears.

This is like the sensation I felt when I was about to ascend.

That sensation led me to the subspace.

And there I found it.

«Crystal of Light»

With this, I can ascend.

Just as I was about to swallow the Yeouiju and the Crystal of Light.

I looked at the sleeping human.

The human who gave me the name Yong-yong.

They gave me, who couldn't become a dragon, the name Yong-yong, meaning "become a dragon."

As I stared for a long time, they overlapped with the girl from back then.

A human's lifespan is at most 100 years.

'I'll protect them for 100 years as payment for the crystal.'

After longing for thousands of years, can't I wait 100 more years?

[Restriction: Cannot ascend while contracted with the contractor.]

I placed the restriction and swallowed the crystal.

At that moment, I felt the energy.

I obtained the power I had dreamed of for thousands of years.

Imugis no longer exist in this world.

It was the moment a dragon was born.

From now on, I can fulfill whatever my contractor desires.

If they want a country, I'll help them obtain one, and if they say they need a dragon's heart, I'll hunt a dragon and bring it to them.

I can hunt any number of those lizards who can't even ascend.

As long as they're not Dragon King level, that is.

Finishing my thoughts, I entered my contractor's embrace.

The warmth I felt for the first time in thousands of years.

It wasn't bad.

*

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*

I logged into the game early the next morning.

Yong-yong was sleeping in my arms, and isn't it too cute!?

It's a shame I don't have a camera, I would have taken so many pictures.

Sensing that I had woken up, Yong-yong also opened its eyes and looked at me.

"Did you sleep well?"

"......"

When I carefully touched the tiny Yong-yong with my finger, its expression softened, seeming pleased.

They say a snake's expressions are all the same, but I could see Yong-yong's emotions and expressions at a glance.

Is it because I'm a summoner?

After stroking Yong-yong for a while, I put it in my arms and went downstairs for breakfast.

As usual, it was bustling with people, and I could see Bell unni working. S~eaʀᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

While serving for a while, she waved and greeted me, but was surprised to see the snake in my arms.

"Oh my, could it be a summon?"

"Yes! Isn't it really cute!?"

"A snake summon is something I haven't seen in a while..."

I looked at Bell unni with a bright smile, but her expression was somewhat strange.

But Yong-yong looking at Bell unni was also strange.

It was flicking its tongue, looking at her like something delicious...?

"J-just wait at your seat for a moment, okay?"

"Okay!"

Wondering what today's breakfast would be, I was playing with Yong-yong when Bell unni returned.

Along with breakfast, she brought a bunch of beads, but what are those?

"They're magic stones. They contain magical power and are good for summons."

When I handed the magic stones to Yong-yong, it ate them one by one, flicking its tongue.

That sight was so cute, I desperately wished for a camera.

Wait a minute. Didn't the goblins say they took a picture before? Then there must be cameras!?

"Bell unni! Do you have a camera!?"

"Do you need one?"

"Yes!"

"Oh no, there are some in the magic tower, but I don't have any here."

The cruelest thing in the world is to give hope and then deliver despair.

In a daze, I finished my meal and watched Yong-yong eating the magic stones.

Feeling my gaze, Yong-yong looked at me and tilted its head.

"So cute!"

If it were just the size of a doll, I would hug it and rub my cheeks against it, but it was too small to do anything.

I need to raise it quickly.

"Eat a lot! Bell unni! Don't you have any more of these!? I'll buy them!"

"They're 100,000 gold each, is that okay?"

The gold ratio between the real world and the game world is exactly 1:1.

That means each of those tiny beads Yong-yong is eating costs 100,000 won in cash.

Then how much has Yong-yong eaten so far...?

All those magic stones have disappeared.

Yong-yong looks satisfied with a full belly.

Well, as long as it ate well, it's fine.

Should I go do a quest or something...?

At that moment, Bell unni made a good suggestion.

"Do you have any plans today? We have a group reservation, could you help out for a day?"

[A quest has arrived.]

Help innkeeper Bell with the inn work for a day.

Reward: Small amount of experience, magic stones.

"I'll do it! I want to do it! I can do it for a few days, not just one!"

"Huhuhu, then I'll be counting on you."

As expected, I should have run away this time too.

That day, numerous people poured in, resulting in record-breaking sales.

Moreover, when the guard unit heard that I was working, they even had a group dinner, and I thought I was going to die.

After closing the first-floor restaurant, Bell unni patted my head saying I worked hard, and gave me experience points and magic stones. I entered my room with trembling steps and collapsed on the bed.

Yong-yong was looking at me in this state.

"I'll work hard to feed you well, our Yong-yong."

"......"

"And this is what I got from Bell unni."

When I handed the magic stones to Yong-yong, it ate them happily, and I can't express how cute it was.

Is this what it feels like to raise a child?

"Yawn. I'm going to sleep first. See you tomorrow."

"......"

*

*

*

I was looking at my sleeping contractor.

They're sleeping like they're dead, why are they working so hard unnecessarily?

If they just asked me, I could get them not just these magic stones, but all sorts of rare things in the world.

Being bound as a summon with restrictions, I can't take the initiative.

My contractor needs to ask me first.

At that moment, I felt a sensation.

I opened the window and went outside to find a being with stronger power than other humans looking at me.

The human who had my contractor working all day.

I was going to forgive them for giving me magic stones, but they crossed the line.

"What are your intentions in approaching Yuna?"

"......"

As they took out a staff from thin air and pointed it at me, I snorted and tried to release my power.

I can use my power at will in cases of protecting my contractor.

But I can't use it?

There's only one conclusion.

This human has no intention of harming my contractor even a hair.

My interest waned.

[Yong-yong conveys that it has no intentions towards the human.]

"Pfft. Yong-yong..."

At that moment, this strange human covered their mouth and choked.

Why are they acting like that?

[Yong-yong declares that it will return now.]

"W-wait a moment! I have something to say!"

The human put away the staff they were holding just now into their subspace and looked at me.

"Just promise me one thing. That you won't harm Yuna in any way. She's a pitiful child."

[Yong-yong says it has no intention of harming the contractor.]

"I'll believe you. Ah, this is an apology gift."

They handed me a large pouch.

The pouch was full of magic stones.

[Yong-yong says it will forgive them just this once.]

Leaving the strange human who was covering their mouth and choking, I came back through the window and locked the door.

I climbed onto the bed and ate the magic stones in the pouch one by one while waiting.

Waiting for my contractor to wake up.