"Ophis...?"
This space was filled with a jumble of colors, like a child's chaotic graffiti, like a kaleidoscope...
A being with a strong presence floated within it.
It resembled both a dragon and a snake, covered in black scales inscribed with mysterious runes that glowed faintly, exuding an air of elegance and mystery.
Ouroboros—that was the name of this creature. Although it was a pure-blooded dragon, it was often referred to as a snake.
At the same time, she also inherited the name given to her in life—Ophis.
But the soul controlling this majestic body now was both Ophisand not Ophis.
This was her own judgment.
As for the previous 'it,' Ophis didn't know, but she was aware of its existence.
Dragon species possess inherited memories, yet the knowledge in her mind was overwhelmingly complex.
Beyond the knowledge of dragons, there were bits of information spanning from ancient times to the 21st century.
This included cold and hot weaponry, horseback riding, spacecraft piloting, sewing techniques, sword-making skills, and the social methods of both the nobility and the impoverished.
Despite many gaps and fragmented parts, the overall mastery was apparent.
Yet from all this knowledge, Ophis couldn't imagine anyone who could fully master these skills to the point of truly understanding them.
Unfortunately, there was no memory other than this knowledge, and much of it was incomplete. What was clear was that these were human skills, not dragon skills.
Ophis couldn't even discern whether she was truly Ophis or that 'it' now.
This feeling... it's a bit unsettling.
She could sense that regardless of whether her true identity was Ophisor 'it,' she had been affected in some way.
At the very least, the original Ophis no longer existed.
Ouroboros—this was the information she gathered from the dragon species' inheritance.
Infinitely cute... Dragon God Ophis—a character existing in the knowledge of 'it' from a work called High School DXD.
She wasn't as unique as Dai Mao nor as warm as a quilt.
But she had her own appeal.
Let's not dwell on that for now.
This dark, void-like place was the so-called dimensional gap...
Whether from the knowledge or the dragon species' memory, they all pointed to the same answer.
However, the Ophis from the knowledge seemed genderless and even depicted as an old man.
But if an old man acted like Ophis, it would be quite a sight.
Ophis didn't think her personality would match that cute dragon's exactly.
At the very least, she'd be more mature... probably.
Still, according to the dragon species' memory, her image was unchanged.
Just as Ophis's lore described, she was about 14 years old, with a petite figure, delicate features, flowing black hair, and dark silver eyes.
No clothes, by the way.
It seemed that in a world that valued unity, she was seen as a breath of fresh air.
Admiring her fair, tender body with pure eyes, Ophis made her own judgment.
Without lingering too long, Ophis quickly began to consider the information she had.
Ophis's memory of High School was quite fragmented. It seemed that 'it' might not have deep memories of this, but enough for Ophis to piece together.
The Infinite Dragon God Ophis was the strongest in the world, except for the Red Dragon God Emperor who was not in the standard ranking. It sounded impressive, but from Ophis's perspective, he seemed somewhat tragic.
He was just a show-off in the animation, and then his power was taken away. Even though he remained strong, he became a mascot in various senses.
Even when he was a major force, he was used more as a spiritual leader and deterrent.
Ophis looked a lot like a vampire queen who had been around for a whole season.
...But enough about that.
This world alone was extremely dangerous, with at least three beings who could pose a threat to Ophis in his prime.
The Beast of 666—Ophis didn't know much about this entity, but its name alone was significant, so she placed it on her alert list.
The God of the Bible—this entity, the so-called God, sealed the existence of 666. The seal could be used on the strong against the weak, the strong against the strong, and the weak against the strong. Without enough information, Ophis couldn't judge who was stronger between 666 and God, but the difference wasn't too great.
Though the God of the Bible died tragically before the plot began, Ophis suspected things might not be so simple.
In similar works, beings with the aura of a final boss who die offhandedly often come back to truly become the final boss.
So, Ophis placed it on her alert list as well.
And the last one...
This was the strongest of the three beings that could threaten Ophis.
Unfortunately...
She would have to face this being directly.
The Red Dragon God Emperor, known as the Great Red, is the Dragon among Dragons. His strength likely surpasses that of Ophis in his prime.
In the original story, it was the Red Dragon God who drove Ophis out of the dimensional gap.
If Ophis stayed here, she would eventually encounter the Red Dragon God Emperor and face a great battle.
There were no detailed descriptions of this battle in the lore, so Ophis didn't know whether it was the Red Dragon God who let her go or if she escaped on her own.
If the Red Dragon God Emperor wanted to kill everyone, Ophis needed at least the strength to save her life during the duel.
Of course, there was also a dragon eater, a restraint arising from the concept of existence itself. Ophis couldn't deal with that now and could only be cautious to avoid it in the future.
Even when facing the Red Dragon God Emperor, Ophis never intended to leave this dimensional gap.
Any normal person would struggle to endure living in such a bizarre space for more than a month, but as a dragon, Ophis liked the tranquility here and would not allow her territory to be invaded.
So, the next step was to prepare for resisting the Red Dragon God Emperor.
Ophis was newly born. According to her fragmented memories, she shouldn't encounter the Red Dragon God Emperor immediately. There was still time for training.
Future training must focus on resisting the Red Dragon God Emperor, and if possible, developing targeted abilities against 666 and the God of the Bible.
Seems like there's trouble ahead.
Ophis, who essentially preferred tranquility and laziness, thought this.
Just then—
[Yo Yo Yo, your thoughts have calmed down. Have you sorted out your situation? Then let's have a pleasant chat, shall we?]
A brisk female voice suddenly echoed in Ophis's mind.
"...who?"
Ophis wasn't too alarmed by the sudden voice in her mind.
It would be truly terrifying if a voice I could actually hear appeared in this dimensional gap where there isn't even air.
After a moment's pause, Ophis responded mentally.
[Hmm? Ah, we... if I use words you can understand, something like a golden finger?]
"...Golden Finger?"
The term made Ophis frown, though it was a non-existent brow.
In other words, something like a system?
Ophis quickly reviewed the knowledge in her mind.
Based on this knowledge, so-called golden fingers could be categorized as follows:
a blessing from heaven.Some conspiracy theories.Various reasons such as having a powerful boss behind them, carrying an important mission, having worked hard in a previous life, or having an inexplicably strong background.
In short, except for the first one, they were all troublesome.
Unfortunately, the first one is usually the least likely.
If Ophis were just an ordinary newbie, she might have to accept this kind of thing.
But—
Ouroboros was the name of her race, the pinnacle of mythical beasts—a branch of pure-blooded dragons. Their concepts include immortality, infinity, reincarnation, perfection, etc. The shadow of Ouroboros can be seen in many myths, such as Jörmungandr, who encircles the world.
As a genuine pure-blooded dragon, she didn't need a Cheat.
Even the original Ophis could fight to be the second strongest in the world. Even if she wasn't as strong now, she wouldn't be weaker.
There's no reason to take on an extra, inexplicable responsibility.
The trouble is, such things are difficult to rid oneself of once they appear, and if not handled carefully, one might end up in danger.
And—
Ophis keenly noticed something.
A term I can understand... In other words, the one who said this knows me very well?
Ophis wasn't human but a rare pure-blooded dragon. Her values, knowledge, and thinking patterns were very different from those of humans.
If someone could speak to her in a way she understood, they must have some understanding of her.
Given the origin of the term "golden finger"...
"Sister Cheat, do you know that 'it'?"
Ophis made her judgment.
Or so she hoped.