Chapter 0
I became a dragon.
When was it…? It must have been about 200 years ago.
I remember I was on my way home after buying a beer, like usual.
But suddenly, a crack opened in the sky and dragged me straight in.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a completely different world. That’s pretty much the story.
I used to keep lizards at home, but I never imagined I’d become a giant lizard myself.
If there’s one consolation, it’s that dragons are among the more romantic monsters.
They can burn a city with a single breath, wield countless great spells all at once, and stand against heroes—a truly overwhelming sight.
But…
[Hehe… I finally collected them all!….]
When I became a dragon, I found out it wasn’t all majestic.
[Treasure Collection: 100%]
Dragons are instinctively drawn to anything that shines.
They collect gold and jewels, and simply gazing at them fills them with satisfaction and elation.
I was a Gold Dragon, and my hoarding instinct was especially strong.
Or rather, I’d been transmigrated into a dragon known as the Yellow Dragon, or the Dragon of Greed.
In terms of sheer power, I was an apocalyptic-level dragon capable of destroying an entire nation with ease.
But perhaps because I embodied greed?
Other dragons devoted themselves to waging war on humans or ruling as monarchs, but I did neither.
I spent that time hunting for treasure.
Besides, as long as I had enough treasure, I was the strongest dragon around.
Still, one painful fact was that, as a Gold Dragon, whenever I got into a fight, I had to use gold and jewels in place of mana.
Of course, in most situations, the treasure I gained as a result was worth more than what I spent.
In fact, I’d just fought a Red Dragon and come away with a red diamond.
[Polymorph]
Tap-
“Phew… Gems really are the best.”
After arriving at my lair, I paid gold to take human form and rubbed a fist-sized diamond against my cheek.
The jewel’s cold surface brushed against my skin, while its heavy weight seemed pleased that I’d recognized its true worth.
“Ah… yeah, this is it.”
Sometimes people would offer women of their own race as tribute, claiming them as valuables, but I just couldn’t understand it.
I don’t have that kind of taste.
What era do they think this is, offering human sacrifices?
Go mine some more gold instead.
“Haaah…”
Anyway, after I’d been absorbed in the gems for quite a while…
A familiar window suddenly appeared in midair.
[Conditions fulfilled!]
[You have collected all the treasures in this world.]
[You are authorized to return to your original world, along with a special reward.]
The system had been assisting me ever since the moment I’d been transmigrated here.
That ever-helpful presence spoke to me.
“…A special reward? Don’t tell me I’m getting another new treasure?!”
Thinking of another valuable gem, I swished my tail.
And then the next message appeared.
[Special Reward [Treasure Digitization] has been granted.]
Along with the new skill granted as a special reward,
[Would you like to begin the return procedure (Earth)?]
[Warning - Only the belongings you possess at this time will be transferred with you.]
It was the return to Earth I’d wished for so desperately ever since I first arrived in this world.
Of course, by now, I wasn’t particularly attached to Earth anymore…
‘I bet there are new treasures on Earth, too?’
For a different reason, I found myself wanting to return.
I’d already collected every treasure I could find here.
Of course, looking at the treasure piled up in my lair was enough to sate me, but that was all.
I could no longer satisfy the urge and joy of collecting things, so it didn’t seem like a bad idea to seek that pleasure anew somewhere else.
“Even so, I can’t just leave all this treasure behind.”
With that, I reached out toward the endless piles of treasure in my lair.
[Material Conversion - Make Treasure from Treasure]
With a single gesture, one-fifth of the treasure vanished as payment.
Everything melted together except for the treasures with special properties that prevented them from being combined, then slowly converged into a single point.
Thunk-
Compared to the value of the original treasures, it was woefully inadequate, but I could accept that size as the price of compression.
A gemstone holding almost all of a world’s treasures.
The Immortal Diamond.
This should be enough.
It was a shame to leave the rest of the treasure behind, but there was no way I could take it all.
I picked up a few more treasures within reach and walked out of my lair.
Step-
Earth, huh.
I wonder what kind of treasures I’ll find back in my homeland.
“Send me back.”
A brilliant light engulfed me.