The snake that was looking at me—no, Yongyong—gave a satisfied glance.

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"Yongyong, pleased to meet you?"

"......"

I guess he can't speak yet? Well, it'd be creepier if he could talk right after being born.

Anyway, it's about time to log out.

"I'm going to sleep now. See you tomorrow."

I carefully moved Yongyong onto the bed, lay down next to him, and pressed the logout button.

[Yongyong is looking at the contractor.]
[Yongyong is looking at the contractor.]
[Yongyong is looking at the contractor.]
[Yongyong is looking at the contractor.]

I checked several times to see if my contractor—the human—was asleep.

I opened the subspace of the sleeping human and took out the Yeouiju that was inside.

An item stolen from me thousands of years ago.

No, I was deceived by cunning humans and had it taken away.

I spent a millennium in the cold water, waiting solely for ascension, but it all turned to nothing in an instant.

Since that day, I gave up on ascension and spent countless years dreaming only of revenge against those deceitful humans.

But now, the Yeouiju has returned to me.

With the Yeouiju, I could ascend...

No, I cannot ascend.

Having stained myself with the blood of countless humans, I can no longer ascend.

As I held the Yeouiju and looked at the sleeping human, something felt strange.

Was it an illusion that the human girl I met before becoming an Imoogi came to mind?

The girl who saved me when I was dying in the mountains.

Suddenly, a strange emotion welled up, and my mind cleared.

This sensation was just like when I was on the verge of ascension.

That feeling led me into the subspace.

And there, I found it.

The "Crystal of Light."

With this, I can ascend.

As I was about to swallow the Yeouiju and then the Crystal of Light, I looked at the sleeping human.

The human who gave me the name Yongyong.

To me, who couldn't become a dragon, she gave the name Yongyong, meaning "Dragon Dragon," wishing for me to become one.

As I stared at her for a long time, she overlapped with the girl from back then.

A human's lifespan is, at most, 100 years.

"In exchange for the Crystal, I'll protect her for just 100 years."

I've yearned for thousands of years; can't I wait 100 more?

[Constraint: While contracted with the contractor, ascension is not possible.]

I imposed the constraint and swallowed the Crystal.

At that moment, I felt a surge of energy.

I gained the power I had dreamed of for millennia.

In this world, there is no longer an Imoogi.

The moment a dragon was born.

From now on, I can grant whatever my contractor desires.

If she wants a country, I'll help her obtain one; if she says she needs a Dragon Heart, I'll hunt a dragon and bring it to her.

I can hunt as many lizards that can't even ascend.

Unless they are Dragon King level.

After finishing my thoughts, I nestled into the contractor's arms.

Feeling warmth for the first time in thousands of years.

It wasn't bad.

The next morning, I logged into the game early.

Yongyong was sleeping in my arms—wasn't he just too cute!?

If only I had a camera, I would have taken tons of pictures; what a pity.

Sensing that I was awake, Yongyong opened his eyes and looked at me.

"Did you sleep well?"

"......"

I gently touched the tiny Yongyong with my finger, and he relaxed his expression, seeming to enjoy it.

People say a snake's expression is always the same, but I could tell Yongyong's emotions and expressions at a glance.

Is it because I'm a summoner?

After petting Yongyong for a while, I tucked him into my pocket and went downstairs for breakfast.

Today, as usual, the place was bustling with people, and I saw Bell noona working.

She was serving customers when she noticed me and waved, greeting me. But then she was surprised to see the snake in my arms.

"Oh my, is that your summon?"

"Yes! Isn't he adorable!?"

"It's been a while since I've seen a snake summon..."

I looked at Bell noona with a bright smile, but her expression seemed a bit off.

Moreover, Yongyong was looking at Bell noona strangely.

He was flicking his tongue, eyeing her as if she were something tasty...?

"Please wait at your seat for a moment, okay?"

"Yes!"

I wondered what would be for breakfast today. While I was playing with Yongyong, Bell noona returned.

She brought breakfast along with a bunch of orbs—what were those?

"These are mana stones. They contain magical power and are good for summons."

When I handed the mana stones to Yongyong, he happily ate them one by one, flicking his tongue.

He was so cute that I desperately wished for a camera.

Wait a minute. Didn't the goblins mention taking pictures before? Then cameras must exist, right!?

"Bell noona! Do you have a camera by any chance?"

"You need one?"

"Yes!"

"Oh dear, what should we do? They have them at the Magic Tower, but we don't have any right now."

The cruelest thing in the world is giving hope and then delivering despair.

In a daze, I finished my meal and watched Yongyong eating the mana stones.

Noticing my gaze, Yongyong tilted his head as he looked at me.

"You're so cute!"

If he were at least the size of a doll, I could hug him and rub my cheeks against him, but he was too small to do anything.

I need to help him grow quickly.

"Eat a lot! Bell noona! Do you have more of these? I'll buy them!"

"They're 100,000 gold each—is that okay?"

In the real world, the in-game gold has a 1:1 ratio with cash.

That means each of those small orbs Yongyong is eating costs 100,000 won.

So how much has Yongyong eaten so far...?

All those mana stones had disappeared.

Yongyong, with a full belly, wore a satisfied expression.

Well, as long as he ate well.

Should I go do some quests...?

At that moment, Bell noona made me a proposal.

"Do you have any plans today? We have a group reservation, and I was wondering if you could help out for a day?"

[A quest has arrived.]
Help Bell, the innkeeper, with the inn work for a day.

Reward: A small amount of experience, mana stones.

"I'll do it! I want to! I can even help for several days!"

"Hehehe, then please take care of things."

I should have run away this time too.

Throughout that day, countless people came in, and we recorded the highest sales ever.

Moreover, upon hearing that I was working, the guards decided to have a group dinner—I thought I was going to collapse.

After closing the first-floor restaurant, Bell noona patted my head, saying I worked hard, and gave me experience and mana stones. With trembling steps, I went to my room and collapsed onto the bed.

Yongyong was watching me like that.

"I'll work hard so I can feed you well, Yongyong."

"......"

"And I got these from Bell noona."

When I handed the mana stones to Yongyong, he happily ate them. He was so adorable.

Is this what it feels like to raise a child?

"Yaaawn. I'm going to sleep now. See you tomorrow."

"......"

I was watching the sleeping contractor.

She was sleeping like the dead; why does she go through such trouble?

If she just asked me, I could get not just these mana stones but all sorts of rare treasures in the world.

Because I'm bound as a summon under a constraint, I can't act on my own.

The contractor has to ask me first.

At that moment, I felt a sensation.

I opened the window and went outside. Someone stronger than other humans was looking at me.

The human who had worked my contractor hard all day.

I was going to forgive her since she gave me mana stones, but she crossed the line.

"What is your intention in approaching Yuna?"

"......"

She pulled out a staff from thin air and pointed it at me. I snorted and tried to unleash my power.

I can use my power at will when it's to protect the contractor.

But it wasn't working?

There's only one conclusion.

That human has no intention of harming even a hair on the contractor.

My interest waned.

[Yongyong conveys that he has no ill intentions toward the human.]

"Hehe, Yongyong..."

At that moment, the strange human covered her mouth and giggled.

What's with her?

[Yongyong declares that he will return now.]

"W-wait a moment! I have something to say!"

She put away the staff she'd been holding into her subspace and looked at me.

"Please swear just one thing: that you will not cause any harm to Yuna. She's a poor child."

[Yongyong says he has no intention of harming the contractor.]

"I'll believe you. Ah, this is a gift of apology."

She handed me a large pouch.

Inside the pouch were numerous mana stones.

[Yongyong says he will forgive her just this once.]

Leaving the strange human who was covering her mouth and giggling, I went back through the window and locked the door.

I climbed onto the bed and ate the mana stones from the pouch while waiting.

Waiting for the contractor to wake up.