A dragon appeared in the skies over Seoul.
It was certainly common for magical beasts to escape from Gates.
However, that usually applied only to lower-tier magical beasts inhabiting the initial sections of a Gate.
For a high-tier magical beast, such as a dragon, to breach a Gate and emerge was an unprecedented occurrence.
“That… I really summoned that?”
Frankly, it was hard to believe.
Wasn’t that the truth? I had only been dreaming, after all.
‘No way, it couldn’t be.’
With a lingering doubt, I extended my hand towards the dragon.
—KWOOOAAAHHH!!
It soared gracefully over the heart of Seoul, its massive wings flapping.
[Authorities have announced they will soon collaborate with the Guilds to neutralize the magical beast. However…]
As the TV news reported, no bloodshed had occurred yet.
To prevent any potential damage, this was the final moment.
So I cried out inwardly.
‘…Come here.’
That was truly all there was to it. Yet…
*Flap!
The dragon changed direction.
Its majestic wingbeats, for the first time, seemed to acknowledge a target.
It glided effortlessly through the urban jungle of skyscrapers, flying towards the outskirts of Seoul.
At the end of that trajectory was…
‘Is it really coming?’
…my rooftop apartment.
The closer it drew, the more I realized.
Its two crimson eyes, mirroring my own, were fixed precisely on my outstretched hand.
And as the dragon approached my immediate vicinity.
When I worried its powerful wingbeats might tear my rooftop apartment apart, I knew for certain.
“I… I really did summon it.”
Not only had I become a girl, but I had also gained an immense power.
The awakening of a rare ability, unlike anything seen before. It was undoubtedly something that would shake the entire Hunter industry.
Yet, I couldn’t revel in it.
*WEEE-OOOH! WEEE-OOOH!
Along with urgent sirens, a multitude of people were pursuing the dragon.
What would happen if it were revealed that I was the one who summoned it?
Whatever the outcome, a future of being hounded by people seemed inevitable.
So, once more, I cried out in my mind.
‘Disappear.’
Astonishingly, the dragon obediently followed my command.
—KWOOOAAAH!
After one final display of its majesty, it began to fade.
Like snow melting under the spring sun, it vanished without a trace.
****
The sudden appearance and disappearance of a dragon.
Naturally, the Hunter community was ablaze with more fervor than ever before.
[Title: Here are the facts about the dragon][Author: ViralBegone]
“It was just a hologram show. There’s no other possibility.”
“Ignore everything else.”
–LOL what nonsense
–Was there an Illusionist class that strong? I haven’t heard of one.
–Fr tho
–This is BS because there’s a rumor that the government is charging the culprit for deployment costs…
–Doesn’t that make it more factual? It means someone created either a dragon or an illusion.
–Uh… yeah?
–Ugh, Hunter noobs (TL Note: ‘헌평’ is a derogatory term combining ‘Hunter’ and ‘평균’ (average/mediocre), implying a typical, often foolish, Hunter.) lol
[Title: Didn’t someone just let loose a tamed dragon?][Author: BitterSweetDeal]
“Pet Magical Beast Gallery? I checked it out, and there are a lot of people raising magical beasts there.”
“Maybe one of them raises dragons, right? lol”
–?
–This is truly something only a clueless person would say.
–Who raises a dragon… and in secret, at that?
–If such a person existed, a major corporation would have already recruited them.
Ninety-nine percent… no, virtually all of the discussions were about the dragon.
As I read through them, a laugh involuntarily escaped me.
‘This is fun…!’
What exactly was this exhilarating feeling?
With every scroll, new posts accumulated, and I repeatedly checked their contents.
Another post about the dragon appeared, and as I read it, I felt a surge of dopamine.
When you think about it, all of this was really about me.
A form of self-realization? Recognition? Satisfaction?
The euphoria stemming from it threatened to overflow.
This must be why people get so engrossed in online communities. There’s a reason they strive so hard to reach the trending posts.
Swept away by that joy, I ended up writing a post myself.
[Title: I’m a newbie, but I summoned a dragon ㅠㅠㅠ][Author: IWantToRaiseADragon]
“I didn’t realize I was this amazing myself, haha;”
Of course, even if I wrote something like this, no one would actually believe I was the summoner. Many similar posts had already flooded the forum.
–Terrible clickbait
–Wait, looking at their posts, they really are a newbie? What happened in a day..?
–Fr, already corrupted…
–The Hunter community is truly terrifying.
–They learned bad habits and are copying them already.
“Heehee… idiots.”
But it was fun, so I was satisfied.
****
For the next two weeks, I dedicated time to thoroughly contemplating my abilities.
First, I confirmed the existence of a ‘Magical Beast Summoner’ class.
“But mine is a bit different from theirs….”
While their ability to summon magical beasts was similar to mine, no one—neither in the past nor the present—had been able to summon them *outside* of a Gate, as I could.
They could all only use their abilities within the unique space of a ‘Gate interior.’
Similarly, there had never been a case of someone summoning a high-tier magical beast like a dragon.
Consequently, I had sometimes wondered if my ability was merely a fluke. It was the natural conclusion to draw, after all.
*WEEEEEEEEEE!
[Seoul Central Gate Management Department]
[Citizens, please evacuate Area A immediately…]
That night, a never-before-seen type of magical beast appeared in the skies over Seoul.
It was the result of my terrible imagination within my dreams. Many people had to spend sleepless nights, fearing that disaster might strike.
“…I’m sorry! Citizens of Seoul!”
“I’ll have to be careful until I can fully control my abilities….”
To prevent my abilities from rampaging, I even bought incense sticks designed to reduce dreaming.
The musky smell wasn’t exactly pleasant, but I knew I had to endure it. What if, in a dream, I rode a dragon and breathed fire or something?
Ah, I really wish people knew how hard I was trying.
[Title: Life is so hard][Author: IWantToRaiseADragon]
“When will everyone realize I’m working hard for their sake?”
–This one’s consistent..
–Haven’t taken your meds yet, huh? Let’s take them together. It’s exactly my time too.
–LOLOLOLOL
–Yeah, keep grinding.
The comments were mostly toxic, but that was also a kind of pleasure.
I guess you could say I’d completely assimilated.
Since the Hunter community generally had this vibe, I had simply adapted.
Of course, even within it, there were places that fostered a different atmosphere.
That place was the ‘Pet Magical Beast Gallery,’ commonly known as Banma-gael (TL Note: A portmanteau of ‘Banryeo Mamul Gallery,’ meaning Pet Magical Beast Gallery, often used as a slang term for online communities focused on pet magical beasts).
[Title: (Urgent Question!) Guys, what should I feed my Horned Rabbit?][Author: CloLong]
(Photo of pet Horned Rabbit)
“This is my new friend… but it won’t eat carrots. Even though I bought expensive red carrots ㅠㅠ”
“Also, is it normal for horns not to grow? Why doesn’t my baby have horns?”
–RabbitBreederPro: Instead of red carrots, give it chicken breast. Horned Rabbits are carnivores.
–(Author): Ahh…
–RabbitBreederPro: And looking closely, it seems someone cut off its horns. They’re used as medicinal ingredients.
–(Author): Huh? I certainly didn’t hear anything about that when I bought it…
–RabbitBreederPro: Looks like the seller scammed you.
–(Author): Ugh ㅠㅠㅠ
The gallery generally had a gentle atmosphere, much like the current post.
People who raise something and give it love are truly kind, I thought.
Because I liked that, I made this place my main hub.
Of course, it wasn’t just because of the atmosphere; it also had a strong connection to my abilities.
“Good, good.”
*Stroke, stroke.* As I stroked its head, the bluish entity trembled slightly.
What sat on my lap was a slime.
More precisely, it was a Pudding Slime, a generally harmless variant.
Three days prior, I had successfully summoned this slime.
Just as I was about to dismiss it, thinking, ‘So even small magical beasts summon cleanly,’ a brilliant strategy flashed through my mind.
‘Can’t I just sell the materials from the summoned magical beasts?’
And so, I began to raise this slime.
How long a summoning could be maintained, the possibility of creating a ‘farm’ through rearing, and other such questions.
I bestowed upon it the title of ‘prototype’ to understand the full scope of my abilities.
“Eheheh…! That tickles.”
That had truly been my entire intention, yet I already felt myself growing fond of it.
But this wasn’t supposed to happen.
I was supposed to treat magical beasts with purely business-like emotions…
*Stroke, stroke.*
Yet, I couldn’t resist stroking its soft, jiggly form.
In fact, resisting felt almost criminal.
*Stroke, stroke.*
Hmm. This is right. This can’t be helped.
Come to think of it, there was a saying that the manliest men couldn’t resist cute things.
Anyway!
I diligently gathered information on raising magical beasts from Banma-gael.
I also steadily built rapport by interacting with people.
Since everyone treated me kindly, adapting wasn’t difficult.
Of course, a main hub was still just a main hub.
[Title: My powers are too terrifying][Author: IWantToRaiseADragon]
“Everyone should be grateful to me for not misusing these powers…”
–Crazy b*tch
–I’m scared of *you*
–LOLOLOL ah f*ck why is this so funny
–Because you’re old..
Naturally, I didn’t forget to visit the main gallery once, or even multiple times, a day.
But don’t people sometimes feel the need to express their true feelings?
I was merely doing the same.
