Noona rose from the house, her body and mind shrouded in darkness. Her frail frame ached from hunger and exhaustion after her grandmother fell ill. With no one left to bring her food, she ventured into the fields along the river, gathering fresh water vegetables, wild bamboo shoots along the banks, and digging up root vegetables from the backyard. Once she had enough, she sold them to exchange for rice, painkillers, ointments, and other essentials.
The small wooden hut at the edge of the fields was her only shelter and place to rest. Her old clothes were tattered and patched together. Noona gazed at the black dragon scale her grandmother had given her as a child, her eyes filled with hope and determination.
"If you truly consider me your descendant, please… show me your power, help me find enough vegetables and fish… enough to survive," she whispered to herself, her heart burning with courage and longing. Despite her fear, she promised herself she would not give up.
Then, in the morning breeze, the riverbank flourished with thick, vibrant vegetables, and large fish swam close to the shore. Noona could hardly believe her eyes. Tears of joy streamed down her face. She had found food, hope, and the protective power of the black dragon scale that had watched over her all along.
Dragon Scale of Survival
Noona walked quietly along the riverbank, her fingers brushing the icy water as she searched for wild vegetables. Whispering softly, she murmured, "Please… guide me to vegetables, fish, anything that will help me survive."
Her gaze fell upon the black dragon scale her grandmother had entrusted to her. The more she stared, the more she felt a mysterious warmth spreading through her frail body, sparking a small flame of hope in her heart.
Beneath the twisted roots of a riverside tree, unusual, plump water vegetables had sprouted. Tiny fish darted through crystal-clear pools, and fresh bamboo shoots pushed through the soil, ready to be harvested.
Carefully, Noona gathered the bounty into a basket, planning to trade them for rice, medicine, and a small portion to cook in her humble wooden hut by the river.
Her old, tattered clothes hung under the sun to dry, and despite her weak frame, determination burned fiercely within her.
She clutched the black dragon scale tightly, focusing on the power she could sense within it.
> "If you are truly my ancestor, please… show me your strength," she whispered.
Suddenly, a faint, glossy black light shimmered around her. The air hummed with energy—the vegetables grew greener and fuller, the fish swam boldly in the river, and everything seemed to align, as if the world itself conspired to help her survive.
Noona sank to the riverbank, breathless, yet her heart swelled with resolve. "I cannot let grandmother suffer because of my failure. I will survive. I will use this power to protect our lives."
As night fell, the gentle murmur of flowing water and the earthy scent of the riverbank filled her senses, giving her courage to face another day.