Ch.263263. Dragon of Fortune? (1)

Once, she was a lowly creature that crawled upon the earth.

A beast, a lowly creature, an animal, a savage. Whatever contemptuous term was used to describe her, she was a creature that crawled on the ground, barely surviving among the fierce beasts.

Among the human species around her, she was simply known as a “mountain goat.”

Called a mountain goat because she lived in the mountains, she was actually a unique species that was neither sheep nor goat (though related to sheep).

And she was a mutant born with exceptional intelligence and cleverness among her mountain goat herd.

From her appearance that differed from ordinary mountain goats to her intelligence that was too high to fit in among the animal herds—these traits set her apart.

It was obvious at first glance that she could never adapt to life as a mountain goat, so she ultimately chose to act alone… or more precisely, to become independent from the herd.

Thus, she became independent, partly by choice and partly by force. Even at this point, already possessing the beginnings of magical and mysterious powers, she secluded herself in the mountains, yearning to find truth.

Why was she different from her kind? Who was she? Where did she come from, and where would she go? What, essentially, was this world?

Exploring what might be described as humanities or philosophy, she made her home in the highest depths of her native mountain range.

She settled in a place where the territories of two magical beasts competing for dominion over the otherworld cleverly did not overlap, and unknowingly, she began absorbing the sacred energy of the surrounding area.

And then… after some time had passed.

“…Ah!”

Sacred energy that had permeated her body to the point of fullness. Magical power naturally accumulated from spending a long time in the deep mountains. And on top of that, the spiritual enlightenment she happened to gain that day.

By coincidence, having accumulated all these conditions, she eventually evolved beyond a beast, and thus a young cloud dragon was born.

Dragon (龍), this fantastical creature described in East Asian mythology—typically depicted with a snake-like body, bird-like legs, deer antlers, and fish scales—is a race that actually exists in this world.

More precisely, it is a state reached by certain beasts or serpent-like beings that have undergone transformation after reaching a certain level of enlightenment.

And she, having attained enlightenment, became a cloud dragon among the Eastern dragons.

Cloud dragon (雲龍), true to its name, not only wraps clouds around itself like a cape or ornament but, as its appearance suggests, specializes in weather-controlling powers among the various abilities of dragons.

If Western dragons can be considered creatures that have developed to the extreme within the framework of living beings to reach the top of the ecosystem, Eastern dragons are closer to mystical beings specialized in more spiritual and abstract domains.

While both are classified as pure-blooded dragon species, the abilities they possess are completely different.

For example, Western dragons possess such powerful physical bodies that their mere presence exerts pressure on the surrounding space, but Eastern dragons’ bodies are strange substances where the non-material component outweighs the material.

Naturally, the Western dragon’s body—a combination of dinosaur, reptile, bat, and human—is superior in close combat compared to the snake-like body of Eastern dragons, and their more materially dense bodies possess greater strength.

Of course, both types have their own advantages—if Western dragons have high defense, Eastern dragons instead possess physical resistance (60%). Their bodies, being mostly non-material, can fly without special organs as an added bonus.

In short, while Western dragons are versatile and well-rounded in many ways like a perfect hexagon, Eastern dragons may lack in some areas but are supremely powerful in their specialized fields.

Additionally, dragons possess the “authority” to control weather and rule the heavens—abilities that are essentially superior versions of magic, akin to “permissions to manipulate the world.”

They can also manifest supernatural powers through their orb (yeouiju), an external magical energy production and processing organ, or use their hazy material existence to move in ways that defy physical laws.

Anyway, after transforming into a dragon… or more precisely, a young dragon.

This tiny creature, having finally defined her identity as a dragon, began training to achieve “ascension”—the goal of all dragons—leaving behind her past as a lowly creature.

Dragons are already half-ascended beings by nature, with their faint material presence and deep non-material form, but truly ascending to the celestial realm changes everything.

The concept of death itself disappears—even if the physical body is destroyed, the soul (essence) remains and can restore the body. The essence moves to the celestial realm, where the soul is protected by celestial energy (so to speak).

Furthermore, becoming a spiritually higher being allows one to transform into a semi-divine entity, or to intervene in the mortal realm through authority, elevating oneself to a demigod or beyond.

Moreover, the fact that material aspects remain even after ascension means that, unlike other beings whose essences exist in different dimensions, dragons can remain in the material world through their own power.

Thus, the dragon—she—the once lowly creature, instinctively desiring to evolve into a spiritual being, gradually built her strength through repeated training.

One aspect was spiritual meditation to focus her mind and clearly regulate her mental state. Another was training to control energy and expand her range of power. She even fought enemies to protect herself.

At first, she was merely a lower-rank being with mysterious powers, but with her unique sense of time, she persevered and eventually stepped into the realm of the higher ranks…

By distorting the surrounding terrain with her supernatural powers to concentrate its mystery and energy to her location, she transformed this concentrated energy and mystery into an orb, completing her preparations to ascend as a celestial being.

And after ascending to the celestial realm…

[What’s this, a newcomer?]

[…It’s been so long since we had a new arrival.]

[Welcome, the Jade Emperor has been waiting.]

[…?]

She was confused by her first experience of “communication with others” in her 3,164 years of life, but the senior dragons, unaware of her circumstances, took her to the Jade Emperor without considering her situation.

The Jade Emperor—the ruler of the celestial court, which could be considered the Eastern pantheon—was the unrivaled leader and sovereign of the divine beings in the Eastern continent.

While the Western pantheon might be closer to gods uniting against demons or outer gods, this celestial court was an organization maintained by bureaucratic order and balance, not unlike the human world.

Someone who had lived her entire life alone could hardly be expected to adapt properly to such an environment.

At first, she tried to fit in by taking on roles based on her abilities, but could someone who had lived over 3,000 years without any interaction with others possibly lead a normal social life?

Naturally, unable to adapt to this atmosphere, she became increasingly isolated as time passed. The fortunate thing was that some friends and colleagues who understood her situation helped her to some extent.

And just as she was slowly beginning to adapt, one day she was suddenly dragged to the court’s execution ground for interrogation.

[■■■■! Do you acknowledge your crime!]

[…?]

The charge was none other than “disturbing the energy of the mortal realm.” The temporary gathering of earthly energy to create her orb for ascension—something that had been overlooked before—was now being held against her.

Considering that this could distort the flow of the mortal realm, cause anomalies, and even create spatial rifts connecting to other dimensions, it was somewhat understandable.

However, the court was now finding fault with something that had previously been verified and deemed harmless. Thus, she became a victim of political machinations without understanding why, and was unilaterally sentenced to punishment.

The punishment was none other than exile to the mortal realm for 1,000 years.

With her powers restricted (to higher rank) and forced to live in her former lowly form rather than as a dragon, it was a punishment she simply could not comprehend.

And then…

“…You’ve been through a lot.”

[No, this is… nothing.]

This was the reason the furball before her had been banished from the celestial realm, as she had just explained.