In a deep part of a cave, a shrine was set up.
"The Penitence Cave isn't just a prison to lock up evil yokais."
A woman with long, neatly tied-up blue hair, the Blue Dragon, slowly walked forward and spoke softly.
Horus, with his small stature, trotted behind her, turning his head from side to side to look at his surroundings.
There were all sorts of ritual tools placed here and there, such as sacred ropes, bells, mirrors, and knives. Amidst the ancestral tablets that subtly asserted their presence, the Blue Dragon stopped, then took something out of her arms.
-The Four Great Evils, Dool.
She briefly looked at the tablet from which a powerful energy was flowing, then carefully placed it in an empty space in the shrine. A short time passed, and the newly set-up place looked no different from the others around it.
"Yokai are beings who are innately born with mystique and have used supernatural abilities as naturally as breathing throughout their lives. It takes a lot of power to forcibly restrain them. The more prisoners we have, the greater the burden we have to bear."
"Heh."
Isn't that an... extremely inefficient... thing to do.
It meant that the moment a yokai broke the rules and was sent here, they had already caused a significant amount of damage to Golden island sect.
And now more additional expenses were needed to maintain the prison.
If that was the case, wouldn't it be much better to just kill them all cleanly?
'That way, we'd also be able to more easily get our hands on rare materials.'
However, the unity of the organization would have to decline. Unless it was one of the few who had caused a major incident that everyone could agree on, it would be difficult to have affection for an organization that slaughtered and butchered its own kind.
Fortunately, Golden island sect, which could be called the best in the Ganghwan Realm in Taoist Sorcery, was able to find an alternative to solve that problem.
"The principle is simple. We just draw on the yokai's energy instead of using our own."
The idea was to forcibly take away their energy to drain them of their power, and that energy would then be used to suppress other yokai while also running the illusion formation, a rehabilitation program. All the yokai sealed in the Penitence Cave would become each other's shackles.
"And you store the remaining power to use when needed?"
"As expected of Horus. You're very clever."
The Blue Dragon smiled in satisfaction, patted his head, and put a piece of candy in his mouth that she took out from somewhere.
In other words, the Penitence Cave was a prison, a rehabilitation center, and a power plant all in one.
'Now that is an extremely efficient thing to do!'
"And it's been a great help recently. We used a lot of power to maintain the world's balance, which was on the verge of collapsing anyway."
It was the best option in a situation where they couldn't easily trust those who had already caused trouble and were sealed. Most of the power to operate the Phantom Realm was being supplied from here anyway.
"So Horus? Why did you want to come here? There's nothing here that would particularly interest you."
The manager of the Penitence Cave, the Blue Dragon, finished her sentence and looked down at Horus as he chewed on the candy, her eyes clear.
She had readily agreed to his sudden request, but there was a clear look of bewilderment as to why he had done such a thing.
"Munch, munch— Ah, well..."
He scratched the back of his head as he looked around the bleak surroundings. In truth, there wasn't a big reason for him wanting to check this place out in person. He just wanted to see it with his own eyes in case there were any variables in the things he was about to do.
'I had no idea the Yellow Dragon's Orb would be something like this.'
He chose his words, recalling the prerequisites needed to activate the special perk. The usage that was naturally imprinted in his mind along with the system message was filled with all sorts of difficult conditions, but he could list the three most important points.
The first was himself, the subject who had achieved the great feat of being the world's savior and was granted the special ability as the "LastYellow Dragon."
The second was the immense energy he had just confirmed, which was no exaggeration to call enormous.
And the last one was...
"...You want to take the child of the dragon to the Dragon God'sShrine!?"
The Blue Dragon's expression scrunched up slightly.
The Dragon God's Shrine was a sacred place that was only allowed to the dragons, and not even the Golden island sect leadership could enter without permission.
So, upon hearing that he wanted to bring a human, even if she was the "child of the dragon," she couldn't help but feel a sense of rejection.
But Horus was confident. He knew that after hearing his explanation, she would have no choice but to follow his words. And that confidence soon became a reality.
"...My goodness, let's call an emergency Five Dragons meeting right away."
The moment she heard the reason, she put all her work aside and moved, instantly gathering the Five Dragons in one place. They were all busy with their own duties, but they had no choice but to come running at her firm insistence, which was unusual for her calm demeanor.
"What is it, Blue Dragon? Why did you call us all so urgently?"
The woman with short red hair, the Red Dragon, grumbled with an air of annoyance.
"A Five Dragons meeting at a time like this. Did something big happen?"
The man with long white hair, the White Dragon, spoke with the solemnity of an elder.
"Hi, Horus? We haven't had time to see each other because we've been so busy, but you're still so cute, aren't you?"
The girl with a long black braid, the Black Dragon, her eyes shining with curiosity.
However, their varied reactions gradually began to take on the same look as Horus's explanation progressed.
Doubt.
Disbelief.
Astonishment.
And... a glimmer of hope.
"Then I will assume that everyone agrees."
Everyone nodded at the Blue Dragon's words.
And so, just a few minutes after the emergency meeting of the Five Dragons began, the proposal for the child of the dragon, Jeongal Hyemi, to enter the Dragon God's Shrine was unanimously passed.
***
"Phew."
A nervous Jeongal Hyemi slowly walked forward.
She couldn't help it.
In this unfamiliar environment of the Phantom Realm, she was the only one who had been separated from her companions and called here alone.
'And to a world full of only yokai...'
But she wasn't very afraid. She took a deep breath and walked forward without hesitation. She had a strong belief that even if a crisis were to befall her, someone would surely come to save her. Just as it had always been.
"Here! This way!"
As she was walking without hesitation, a young voice was heard from the end of the hallway. She looked in that direction to see a little boy, who looked to be only six or seven years old, waving his hand at her.
'A child?'
He was a very pretty boy with brilliant golden hair and golden eyes, which were a rare sight in the central plains.
"Ahem."
The boy raised his chin and puffed out his chest as if to show off. He was so adorable that it made her lose her mind for a moment, but as the child of the dragon, who could sensitively feel his presence, she instinctively knew the truth about the child with the cute appearance.
To her surprise, she wasn't meeting this child for the first time.
"The Yellow Dragon...? Are you perhaps...The Yellow Dragon?"
He was the very Yellow Dragon who had completely wiped out Beijing with a single attack during the war against the demonic cult. And later, he had even officiated the ritual for the children of the dragon, including herself.
"Mm! You recognize me? From now on, I'll be your guide, so just follow me quietly. Okay~?"
That was the identity of the boy who was shrugging his small shoulders and walking ahead of her. She closed her mouth and followed behind him,
unable to even bring herself to ask a question.
'...This is insane.'
She swallowed and clenched her hands. Then she squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again, fixing her gaze on the guide.
'That terrifying Yellow Dragon... is this... CUTE!'
Her lips unconsciously loosened and she was captivated by the sight of him busily moving his small feet and walking with a waddling gait. It was as if she had been bewitched by a wicked yokai. There were beautiful works of art scattered throughout the hallway they were passing, but she didn't even notice them.
'Ah, I so badly want to pat his head.'
His skin was as white and smooth as rice cake, and his hair was as soft and silky as gold thread. His little head bobbed, and his arms and legs moved briskly. He even seemed to be giving off a warm, sunlight-like scent.
'So this is how lovable a child is.'
She had spent her entire life in the deepest part of her family, rarely leaving the house, so she had never had a chance to interact with children. After regaining her health, she had only faced the dark side of the world. Because of that, Horus, who exuded the aura of the sun just by his existence, felt even more impressive to her.
'If I have a child... Will I be able to have a child as cute as that?'
It was a wish she thought could never be fulfilled until recently. But now, it was no longer just a dream but a reality.
'Yes, my child will definitely be adorable, too. My looks aren't bad, and the father's side is...'
Was it because of the kidnapping incident that had happened recently? All sorts of fantasies rushed through her mind. Ultimately, she even imagined the appearance of her future child by mixing their facial features.
She nodded her head with a flushed, satisfied look.
'Yes, any combination is beautiful. Oh, speaking of which, what about a name? Should I name one for a boy and one for a girl right now? Huh! What if we have twins?!'
Jeongal Hyemi's face flushed red as she agonized over it. At that, Horus, who had been explaining things as he guided her, looked back and blinked.
"So there's no need to worry too much... Huh? Are you okay? Are you feeling sick?"
At his call, she, who had been lost in her own world, finally snapped out of it and raised her head.
And... Of course, she hadn't heard a single word he had said.
"I-I'm sorry. Could you say that again? I was spacing out for a moment..."
"Mm! It's okay! That can happen when you're nervous."
The boy, who nodded gravely, not matching his appearance, looked at her, crossed his arms, and smiled.
"Well, putting aside all the complicated stuff, if I were to just get to the point."
And he fully extended one finger and continued in a lively tone.
"We're going to make a baby now!"
"W-WHAAT—!?"
For some reason, Horus tilted his head at her reaction, which was more sensitive than he had expected.
The confusion only lasted for a moment. After Horus's detailed explanation, she understood the circumstances and fell into thought with a calm expression.
'A new Yellow Dragon.'
A baby. It was a word that meant a baby dragon. In short, it was a project to revive a true, proper Yellow Dragon in this Ganghwan Realm, not a fake one like Horus.
"Here it is, Horus. I searched thoroughly, but we only have two right now. There might be more intact ones somewhere in the central plains, but..."
"This is enough for now! We can't hatch them all at once anyway! We'll just calmly search for the rest and add them one by one."
"...We'll have to put our lives on the line to recover them."
The Dragon God's Shrine. It was the center of a stone mountain shaped like a giant dragon coiling up. Horus, who had led Jeongal Hyemi inside, took the object that the White Dragon had handed him and his eyes shined.
It was a round sphere that shone with a blue light as if it contained the clear sky. Inside it, a clear golden glow flickered like a flame or a wave, exuding a distinct presence and a mysterious beauty.
'The Yellow Dragon'sYeuiju.'
This was the relic of a dragon who had died in an unforeseen incident. And now, it would be the medium, the "egg," that would give birth to a new life
.
'I knew that the Yellow Dragon's Orb would be related to the Yeuiju, but I never thought it would be in a literal sense.'
Well, it might be a natural thing to think about, considering that the Dragon God was involved in this special ability. As long as the Yellow Dragon was absent, it was difficult to say that this world had returned to normal.
'Well, it's not bad. It's not like I can keep taking care of the Ganghwan Realm forever. It's better to leave a certain solution behind to have a clean finish.'
Of course, that wasn't the only reason. Since the Yellow Dragon's Orb was his special ability, there was a significant benefit if it truly succeeded.
"The preparations are all done. Let's start the ritual. I'll be counting on you."
The White Dragon left those words for Horus and Jeongal Hyemi, then reverted to his dragon form and soared high into the sky. He then joined the three dragons who were already waiting in the sky and took their respective positions. The Blue Dragon in the east, the Red Dragon in the south, the White Dragon in the west, and the Black Dragon in the north.
[Alright, let's begin!]
And Horus stood at the center of the altar set up in the middle of the Dragon God's Shrine, using the Elder Dragon's Heart to polymorph into a giant gold dragon.
Until now, they had prioritized survival during the disaster, and since they hadn't properly succeeded the previous generations, things had been a bit chaotic.
But in truth, the Five Dragons, the direct descendants of the Dragon God, each had a role to fulfill.
The calm and rational Blue Dragon was the manager and judge of the Penitence Cave's sealing.
The combative Red Dragon was the vanguard who actively responded to conflicts with the outside world.
The calculating and risk-averse White Dragon was the bureaucrat who oversaw all the affairs.
The shady Black Dragon was the judge who collected intelligence from the outside and punished traitors.
'And the Yellow Dragon, said to be the priest who symbolizes the connection with the Dragon God.'
A powerful aura flowed from Horus's body. Of course, since he was only a makeshift Yellow Dragon, not the real one, he couldn't fully replace the role of a priest.
Go-oh-oh—
The one who filled that lacking part was the "child of the dragon" Jeongal Hyemi, who was the proof of the miracle of world restoration and a priestess, an apostle, whom the Dragon God had personally sent down to the earth.
"...Eum."
A heavy groan escaped from her lips as she knelt and prayed with a Yeuiju in both hands.
'My body feels like it's going to explode.'
The immense energy that started from the Penitence Cave and flowed here, as well as from the other dragons who were the pillars of the ritual, was instantly being sucked into the Yeuiju in her hands. While most of it was being controlled by Horus, the Yellow Dragon, it was impossible for her, who was at the center of the ritual, not to feel burdened.
'No, I'm still fine. This is nothing compared to back then!'
The moment she was kidnapped by the demonic cult and reunited with Ha Seung-hoon. This was nothing compared to the level of when she had been possessed by the Dragon God while giving him a blessing.
Her consciousness had been swept away before she could even do anything back then.
'I've received so much since then, I have to be able to handle at least this much!'
And who knows? Maybe she'll be able to receive some kind of special ability from the dragons from this experience.
She, who had been craving for more power to avoid being a hindrance to Ha Seung-hoon after the recent incident, gritted her teeth and clenched the Yeuiju.
At that moment.
A cracking sound was heard from within her hands. The Yeuiju, as its name suggests, was an object that contained the power of a strong wish. It was a renowned crystal of mystique, with some saying that it could grant any wish.
And now, the special ability of the "Yellow Dragon's Orb" system was intervening in this entire ritual!
And the result of all of these things coming together was enough to bend a part of this world's laws and
—Manifest a miracle.
From the cracks of the shattered Yeuiju.
[Kyahang!]
Along with a faint cry that flowed out from the cracks, a small, yellow head
—popped out.