One day, strange monsters invaded the world I lived in.
In the blink of an eye, the world changed and I accidentally awakened a certain ability.
The eyes which penetrate the essence and the body that supports it.
It was a talent in itself, and one of the best.
When dealing with things, it was the ability to know how to reach the essence, so the time I saw a certain movement, I was able to copy it intact.
Dealing with monsters every day; That was the role the world had given me.
Since the world changed, countless values had changed, and people's thoughts had gradually changed too.
What changed the most was, of course, the perception of good and evil.
And just like that, before anyone know it, the people's values gradually changed too, now goodness was working for oneself and evil become something that harms itself.
I also surrendered to the flow... Because I didn't want to be a hogu and I wanted to live.
[TL NOTE: Hogu is the slang word used by Koreans for a person who is trustworthy and naive, and who is easily deceived.]
It was my job to protect people through my superior abilities and get paid for them.
Of course, if the price was insufficient, I did not give them protection.
Even when people died right in front of my eyes it was nothing to me, because it was natural.
But then one day, I rescued a child.
Scruffy face, shabby clothes... that child was holding an old book dearly in her hand as if it was something very important to her.
She was a kid who couldn't afford to pay. So I didn't know why did I save her.
Could it be that it was a remnant of the morals and values that only existed in the previous era that still remained in my mind?
But that was just fine.
It was not much important to me, but that child, who was saved by me, lowered her head, and with a big smile on her face, said...
"Thank you"
And that movement... It changed me.
The child handed me a novel she was holding very dearly. And as I cherished the old novel, I felt a certain value pierce into my heart.
It was from then, I started to have hope in the value of 'Good'.
I saved a person and did not receive the price.
I just went out alone, dealt with the monster, and saved the people who were trembling in fear.
No one said thank you to me. It must be because the values of the world had changed. It must have been because of the desolate life.
As time passed, people started calling me a geek.
I didn't care, and It wouldn't matter if there was at least one geek like me in this twisted world.
Time continued to pass. I fought and broke my body every day.
Now they didn't call me a geek anymore.
The title which they used to call me had changed and became 'Hogu' before I knew it.
It was good though.
Being a hogu must have meant realizing the value of the real good.
My body was tired, but my heart was proud.
'One day there will be someone who will say thank you to me.' I thought.
Still, no one said thank you.
* * *
As a human being, I had no choice but to be exhausted.
Actions that were not reciprocated wear out a person and their feelings.
As my hopes gradually faded, then one day I remembered that book.
The book which was given to me by the only child who said thank you to me.
The title of the book was 'The Dragon's Child.'
It was a coming-of-age novel, a romance novel, in which a girl with dragon lineage and a ferocious appearance with scales all over her body, overcomes all her fears and contempt for those around her.
The novel in which the depraved heroine awakens and sheds her scales covering her body and takes on her outstanding appearance was a rather common novel, but nonetheless, it was a novel that strangely touched my heart.
The main character of the novel was a girl named Adilun Rodenov.
Even in the Rodenov family, which has the pure dragon lineage, she is the girl with the thickest blood.
With her dark blue hair and golden eyes like the eyes of a dragon, she was outwardly admired by others but rejected humans after realizing the hatred that lurked inside.
After being Abandoned by her fiancé, she has tempered herself. She developed her own abilities without relying on others.
Numerous setbacks hit her.
Even so, Adilun did not give up. Even in the midst of people who feared her and despised her as a monster, she realized that she was worthy and worked tirelessly.
The only ones who supported her in her process were the people of Rodenov, who held her dragon lineage sacred, which she had inherited from her ancestor dragon.
Everyone except them rejected her.
The girl continued to break down the prejudices surrounding her- In order to train magic and not betray the trust of the people who supported her.
And finally, she became a whole dragon, she shed all the ugly scales that clung to her and took on a more beautiful appearance than anyone else.
People who feared and rejected her in the meantime now worshiped her, but she refused to be worshiped by them.
Her beautiful appearance attracted many people to her, but she had already closed her heart.
Then one day.
Even in the world of the novel, terrible things began to strike in succession. Monsters were infested and plagues were rampant. The area where she lived was no exception.
Even after leaving the humans who had rejected her so far and seeking a way to live, she fought for humans and helped those suffering from the plague.
Adilun, who had a friendly disposition from birth, could not turn a blind eye to the person who was suffering in front of her.
Even though she was constantly disappointed in the existence of humans, she did not stop doing good things for humans.
The novel was cut off there.
The ending was not revealed, and Adilun's future was unknown.
In particular, since it was a romance novel, I wondered if there would be someone who would care for her later, but that person did not appear.
This wasn't a romance novel.
But just in case, I searched for the story behind the novel, but I couldn't find it in the end.
I felt sorry. Because I wanted to see Adilun's life to the end.
I wholeheartedly supported her as she saved even those who hated and rejected her. By all means, I wished her to be happy with the remaining life left unspent.
After recovering my exhausted body and mind, I went to rescue people again.
* * *
Fighting every day was proof that one was living a life close to death.
Like I said, I was dying right now.
I threw my body to deal with the monster that came into the street, but that monster was too strong. To the extent that I, who was proud of having one of the best skills in the world, was easily pushed back.
Even at this point, when I was dying, no one shed tears for me.
On the threshold of death, what I remembered was Adilun, the main character of 'The Dragon's Child'.
'Did Adilun feel this way too?'
She devoted herself to serving people, but could she become the same after being rejected endlessly?
At that moment, even when I was dying, I wanted to see the story behind the novel.
If there was no backstory, I hoped her end would not be as miserable as mine.
My vision was gradually blurring.
My eyes were closed, and all I could hear is the beeping of tinnitus.
At that moment, a small drop of water fell on my face. The one who came into sight filled with blood was the child who handed me the novel the dragon's child.
"Thank you."
I heard those words in my ears that shimmered.
Why did this child say thank you to me?
I was not sure. But before I could ask anything, I died.
However, strangely, I was able to open my eyes again.
'I was definitely dead.'
"Young master!"
"Are you all right!?"
"Here…"
I felt a terrible pain running through my body, and I opened my eyes to a place other than the monster-infested street.
At the same time, countless memories began pouring into me.
When I accepted all that memories, I finally realized.
Everything I thought so far was my past life.
Now I was a different person than I was in my previous life.
'Physis Ortaire.'
The fiancé of Adilun Rodenov, and the one who broke up their engagement and abandoned her.
That was me...