Chapter 69: Worship the Dragons (1)

Wooden doors, iron doors, and automatic doors. There are various types of doors in the world, each with its own characteristics. The same goes for dimensional gates.

There are many different kinds of dimensional gates.

First, the erosion-type dimensional gate is the most threatening. If not closed quickly, the dimension inside the gate slowly erodes its surroundings.

Simply put, an erosion-type gate will devour the Earth's dimension unless its core is destroyed.

And then.

The trap-type gate I'm currently dealing with doesn't eat dimensions. Trap-type gates consume nearby living beings. They forcibly drag you in and close the exit.

You can't escape unless you destroy the core.

"Sigh, I've gotten myself into quite a troublesome situation."

I sighed and looked around.

"A forest again. But it feels different from a normal forest. The air seems better. Choryeon would like this."

I had landed in a lush green forest. One peculiar thing was the giant tree the size of a building visible in the distance.

"Anyway, where did the kids land?"

It seems the dimensional gate scattered us. Just in case, I raised my voice and shouted loudly.

"Hwaryeon! Suryeon! Choryeon! Answer me if you're nearby!?!"

...

There was no response. Only the sound of leaves rustling in the wind could be heard.

"...I'm worried about the kids. I need to move quickly."

Once caught in a trap-type gate, you never know what dangers might be lurking. Worried, I quickly ran through the forest to find the kids.

"Can you hear Dad's voice?! Answer if you're there!!"

Even if they're dragons, they're still weak kids. Most magical beasts would probably run away in fear. But if there's a magical beast intelligent enough to realize dragons are still weak, the children could get seriously hurt.

'Of all things, it had to be a trap-type gate. Just my rotten luck.'

As I was running around the forest shouting at the top of my lungs,

Rustle—!

"...There's something."

I heard the sound of something moving through the undergrowth nearby. I immediately ran towards the source of the sound.

When I arrived, I saw Hwaryeon chasing a fleeing magical beast.

"Chicken! Come here!! Where do you think you're running?!"

"Cluck cluck—! Cock-a-doodle-doo—!!"

"I said stop!!"

Hwaryeon was chasing Mike, a headless chicken magical beast, with a tree branch in her hand.

"Sigh, I was a fool to worry. I feel drained."

I grabbed the branch Hwaryeon was swinging and stopped her.

"What, Dad?! Don't interfere! My sword might hurt you!"

"It's not a sword, it's a branch. Nothing happened before you met me, right?"

"Huh, nothing? But more importantly, the chicken is getting away! Let me go quickly!"

"Alright, do as you please."

I released Hwaryeon's seal. Immediately, Hwaryeon started chasing Mike again.

"Hey, chicken! I'll eat you deliciously! Be grateful to be eaten by a dragon!"

"Cock-a-doodle-doo—!!"

Oh boy. That reckless kid.

Hwaryeon finally succeeded in hunting Mike by knocking him down with the branch, and held him up high, shouting.

"Yahoo! Successful hunt! Dad, make chicken with this!"

"...I'll just buy you chicken later. For now, put that down and let's talk."

"Promise! I'll never forget!"

Thud—

Hwaryeon put Mike down on the ground. Mike soon regained consciousness and ran away.

Anyway.

"You look healthy. Haven't you seen Suryeon or Choryeon?"

"Nope, don't know! But there's one way to find out!"

"What is it?"

"Set the forest on fire! Then all the trees will disappear, and we can find Suryeon and Choryeon! How about that, am I a genius?!"

"..."

Heave-ho—

Without a word, I picked up Hwaryeon and tucked her under my arm. Then, I quickly ran through the forest to find Suryeon and Choryeon.

"Let me know if you sense Suryeon or Choryeon nearby."

"Okay! But I asked if I'm a genius. Why didn't you answer?"

"...The air is fresh."

I diligently avoided answering and searched through the forest. As a result, I found a waterfall with rough water falling nearby. Suryeon was sitting on a rock, quietly staring at the waterfall.

"There you are, Suryeon. What are you doing?"

"I was just waiting for Dad to come."

Stretch—

Suryeon reached out her hand to me with an expressionless face and said.

"You found me, so take me with you. I roughly know what kind of dimension this is. I want to go home now."

She seems tired from the unintended outing. I tucked Suryeon under my other arm and ran to find the last one, Choryeon.

And during that brief moment, I asked Suryeon a question.

"Suryeon. You said you know what kind of dimension this is, right? Can you tell me?"

Suryeon Wiki mode ON. Suryeon immediately started explaining.

"First, this is a very nature-friendly dimension. Apart from the forest, there are too many spirits. So I don't like it."

"Set aside your personal feelings and tell me."

"Okay. I'll only state objective facts. To continue the explanation. The spirits are probably living in that tree visible in the distance. And there's a high probability that civilization exists around it."

Hmm. So there's a civilization other than magical beasts around here.

"Why do you think so?"

"Because I picked this up."

Rummage—

Suryeon rummaged through her back and pulled out a long stick with a sharp end to show me.

"This is..."

"An arrow. This is the basis for my thought that there's a civilization here."

Shrug—

Suryeon shrugged her shoulders, seemingly pleased with her logical reasoning. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I had to acknowledge her this time. I decided to praise Suryeon while inwardly impressed.

"Wow, Suryeon, are you a genius? Why are you so smart?"

"Ahem, this much is basic. I'm a dragon, after all."

"If you just didn't cause trouble usually, you'd really be a genius."

"...Dad, why are you bringing that up now?"

Glare—

Suryeon glared at me with sharp eyes, and Hwaryeon pouted and muttered.

"Hmph, you didn't call me a genius."

"Hwaryeon, that was a genius idea in a different sense."

"I'm annoyed!"

I held my tongue before Hwaryeon could get more vicious. Then, I searched half the forest to find Choryeon. But in the end, I couldn't find her.

"I've checked everywhere on the surface... She's not here..."

"Then there's only one place left."

Point—

Suryeon pointed at the giant tree visible in the distance.

"She's probably around there. She likes nature unnecessarily, so she's surely there."

"...That does seem likely."

Choryeon is crazy about trees, after all. There's a high chance she's around there.

"Let's go there."

"Hmph, setting it on fire would solve everything!"

"Everyone hold on tight. I'm going to speed up."

Ignoring Hwaryeon's words, I ran and ran and ran again. Before long, I felt we were getting closer to the giant tree.

"It looks even bigger up close. Dad, I want to see it from even closer."

"Me too! I want to set it on fire! I want to see it burn!"

And so.

As I was about to get closer to the giant tree, listening to the children's chattering voices.

"Dad, something's flying from the left! Dodge!"

Whoosh—!

Thud—!

"...You shot an arrow when there's a child here?"

An arrow flew from inside the forest. I coldly stared in the direction the arrow came from. Then, a person fell from a tree to the ground.

I put the children down and approached that person with all my might, grabbing their collar.

"Did you just shoot an arrow at my daughter? Do you want to die?"

"Uh, uh... N-No...! I thought it was a human...! I saw wrong...! Dragon-nim...! P-Please forgive me...!!"

"Dragon? Do you really want to die! Talking nonsense!"

Punch—!

I punched him in the face to make him come to his senses. He started begging me with both hands clasped.

"P-Please...! Spare my life, Dragon-nim...! Please have mercy on your fellow being...!!"

Looking closely, the appearance of the person begging for his life was unusual. A beautiful face with long ears, and an overall greenish impression.

"I've only heard rumors about dimensions with elves... Don't tell me, you're an elf...?"

"Y-Yes... Please forgive me and spare my life..."

Tremble—

The male elf begged me for his life. Suryeon watched this and whispered to me.

"Dad, you seem not to know, so I'll tell you. Elves are beings that follow dragons. And don't kill him. He might know where Choryeon is."

"I wasn't planning to kill him anyway. What do you take me for, Suryeon?"

Still, he was sincerely apologizing for shooting the arrow. It really seemed like he shot the arrow at me by mistake.

I asked the elf, who was bowing his head and kneeling, with his head lowered.

"Raise your head. I'll spare you if you answer my questions."

"Y-Yes!!"

The male elf immediately raised his head.

'...Is it because he's an elf? He's handsome.'

For some reason, I felt inferior and wanted to punch his face more, but I decided to hold back for the sake of finding Choryeon.

"Anyway. Have you seen my daughter Choryeon?"

"Ch-Choryeon? Who is that..."

"A dragon about the same size as these two. She's green."

"Perhaps, are you talking about the Great Green Dragon-nim...? If it's her, she's with our World Tree..."

So that big tree was the World Tree. Still, it's good to know Choryeon's location.

I helped him up and ordered.

"Guide us to where Choryeon is. We need to go back home."

"Y-Yes! Understood! I'll guide you with my life!"

"No need to dedicate your life."

"Yes!"

What an energetic response.

The elf agreed to guide us to the World Tree. On the way, the elf glanced at Hwaryeon and said to me.

"By the way, isn't that person behind you a Red Dragon?"

"Oh, yes."

At my answer, the elf bowed 90 degrees and apologized.

"I'm truly sorry, but... Red Dragons have difficulty entering the village..."

"...Why suddenly?"

"Whenever Red Dragons come, the village always burns or they set fire to the World Tree... The risk of arson is too high..."

"..."

Is arson a Red Dragon trait? I looked at the indignant Hwaryeon and asked.

"Hwaryeon."

"I'm wronged! I haven't even set anything on fire yet!"

"You won't set fire to the village, right?"

"I don't have any plans to right now!"

That's what she says.

I signaled to the elf that it would be fine. The elf was flustered and shed a few tears, but eventually held back his tears and started guiding us.

'So Red Dragons are the nature destroyers after all.'

Even for a group that worships dragons, it seemed that Red Dragons, who destroy nature, were natural enemies to elves.

After all, grass types are weak against fire types.

***

We entered the elf village under guidance, glimpsed beautiful elves from the corner of our eyes, and when we reached the World Tree, the elf gestured and said to me.

"The elves' god, the Great Green Dragon, is over there."

I looked in the direction the elf was pointing. A Green Dragon was sitting on the lower trunk of the giant World Tree.

Choryeon was taking a very arrogant pose and shouting at the worshipping elves.

"Everyone, bring me bananas! Also bring the apples I just ate!"

"..."

What's this all about?

Choryeon had become the king of the elves and was giving orders recklessly. I was relieved she was safe, but quite taken aback.

Unaware of my feelings, Choryeon spotted us and waved happily with a bright smile.

"Father, hello! I've been waiting! The air here is amazing, and it's so eco-friendly!"

She's even wearing a crown woven from grass on her head.

It's fortunate nothing serious happened, but it felt like only bewildering things were happening.

"Hehe!"

Oblivious to my feelings, Choryeon was just smiling happily while wearing her crown.

I only asked for her to be healthy, and she's really just healthy. Still, I felt truly relieved that she was healthy.