I Became the Only Reptile in the Community

Chapter 25

—–CROW—– 

All those who possess a Yeouiju qualify to become an Imugi and potentially a dragon.

However, only a minuscule fraction of them actually achieve dragonhood.  It was so incredibly difficult that the word “excruciating” felt like an understatement.  Think of the odds of getting the best item in a gacha game, then multiply that difficulty by a hundred, no, a thousand.

*Crack*

A snake creates a Yeouiju to become an Imugi.

An Imugi amplifies the power within the Yeouiju to ascend the Gate of the Dragon, often called the Deungnyongmun, the gateway to heaven, and become a dragon.

Compared to the process of becoming an Imugi, which simply requires accumulating power through prolonged training, becoming a dragon was a relatively simple task, achievable with sufficient time and effort.

But as I mentioned earlier, the chances of an Imugi becoming a dragon were extremely slim.

Why?  What prevented them from accomplishing this seemingly simple task?

There was a hidden secret, unknown even in the distant future.

The reason countless Imugi failed to become dragons was that their Yeouijus weren’t self-made; they were given to them by someone else.

This was a fact unknown even to the Dragon Kings who created the Yeouijus.  They, too, had become dragons in the same manner and believed there was nothing wrong with it.  If they had known, they would have helped their chosen ones create their own Yeouijus instead of simply gifting them.

A bad practice passed down since time immemorial.  And the heavens greatly disapproved of this practice.

Those who became Imugi using a Yeouiju created by another were cursed with a gradual mental affliction known as Simma (Heart Demon), which worsened over time.

Of course, some managed to endure and become dragons despite the curse.  The current Dragon King was a prime example.

*Crack*

Did you know?  All current dragons had blue scales, brown antlers, and golden manes.  It might seem like dragons simply shared the same appearance, but did that make sense?

The original dragon, the one who first bestowed the Yeouiju, had blue scales, brown antlers, and a golden mane.  The astute among you would have already figured it out.  Those who displayed blue scales even in their Imugi form had inherited the traits of the original dragon who bestowed the Yeouiju.

*Crack*

And here, in the present, where everyone considered it natural to receive a Yeouiju from the current Dragon King and become an Imugi, unknowingly bearing the curse of the heavens…

A challenger appeared, defying the norm.

The wise snake didn’t simply use the Yeouiju created by the Dragon King.  Instead, it absorbed the energies within, intending to create its own Yeouiju.

*Crack*

The wise snake realized the Yeouiju it had consumed was no ordinary object.  It had felt fine at first, but over time, the Yeouiju’s energy began to wreak havoc within its body.

*Crackle*

The snake’s struggle to suppress the pain and crush the Yeouiju was a pitiful sight.

But strangely, despite the apparent suffering, there was no sense of worry.  Like a radiant protagonist in a manga, enduring hardship to achieve victory in the end.

*Crack!*

Once again, the wise snake succeeded in the seemingly impossible.  The shattered Yeouiju within its body dissolved and was absorbed, like cotton candy melting in water.

Fire. Water. Wood. Metal. Earth. Wind. Lightning.

The five elements that constituted a Yeouiju, along with the two energies that shaped it, were now fully integrated within the snake’s body.

*Crack*

“…!!”

But then, something unexpected happened.  The wood energy, already present within the snake before it absorbed the Yeouiju, began to surge out of control.

*Crackle, pop*

The wood energy had been abundant to begin with.  The snake had continued to consume amrita, further increasing the wood energy, and the addition of the Yeouiju’s power had finally pushed it over the edge.

*Crack, crack*

The wise snake thought, *Oh, this might actually kill me.*

But it wasn’t completely hopeless.  If the surge was caused by excess energy, then all it had to do was release that excess.

“Shaaaaa…!”

Was this a stroke of luck?  While the Yeouiju had caused the wood energy to go haywire, it had also allowed the wise snake to clearly perceive the energies it hadn’t been able to sense before.

The wise snake realized, *Ah, this immense energy causing all this chaos is the power of wood!*

*Crackle, pop*

It released the power, channeling the overflowing wood energy into the earth beneath it.

*Crackle*

Releasing the energy wasn’t difficult.  It would have been different before, when it hadn’t been aware of the extent of its power, but now, it could clearly perceive and control it.

Carefully releasing the wood energy, wary of causing further problems, the wise snake saw a small sprout emerge before it.

*Rumble*

As it released the excess energy to maintain balance and stay within its limits, the sprout grew into a tree.  A single tree, formed from pure wood energy.

The wise snake looked up at the tree it had created, then turned its attention to the task at hand.  Now that balance was restored, it was time to create the Yeouiju.

Thanks to its previous experience, gathering and shaping the energies wasn’t difficult.  With impeccable control, minimizing any loss of energy, the wise snake watched as something began to take shape before it.  A mass imbued with the energy of the five elements.  Now, all it needed was to add wind and lightning, and the Yeouiju would be complete.

*Whirr*

*Crackle*

Since it had already absorbed the powers of wind and lightning from the Yeouiju, there was no need to call upon Silphy or pray for a thunderstorm.

The wise snake carefully manipulated the wind and lightning, shaping the five elements, and the mass slowly formed into a sphere.

A Yeouiju created not by another, but by its own power.  Naturally, this Yeouiju carried no curse from the heavens.

*Crack*

With the completion of the Yeouiju, the snake’s body began to transform.  Having obtained the Yeouiju, it was time to acquire a form befitting its new status.

*Crackle, pop*

“…!”

Bones twisted, and muscles, rejecting the brain’s commands, thrashed about.  The unprepared body was forcibly reshaped into a form capable of absorbing and withstanding mana more effectively.

*Crackle, pop*

And so began the transformation of a young, yet wise snake, a true prodigy destined to become a dragon, a sight unseen in a long time.

—–CROW—–

Strangely, the first to react to El’s transformation was the Dragon King, ruler of the Dragon Palace deep within the ocean.

“Hmm?”

The Dragon King frowned, sensing a faint tremor in the ocean and a surge of energy from the sky.

“What is…”

An Imugi.  An Imugi, on the verge of becoming a dragon, was about to be born.  But why was the sky reacting so favorably?  Countless Imugi had been born before, but this was the first time the heavens had responded so enthusiastically.

“Hahaha.  Could it be that snake?”

The location was far beyond his domain.  It must be the owner of the Yeouiju he had given to the Wind Spirit King, the snake said to possess wisdom beyond its kind.

“But this is strange.”

The Dragon King narrowed his eyes, trying to understand the heavens’ intentions.  Countless Imugi had come into being, and some had even ascended to become dragons.  But why was he witnessing something he hadn’t seen before?

“Why?”

Why was the sky so welcoming?  Was it because the snake was a land-dweller?

Unaware of the curse the Yeouiju carried, the Dragon King wondered if the snake’s species was the reason.

“In any case, it’s certainly cause for celebration.”

Another Imugi was born into the world.  Would this Imugi become a dragon?

*Gulp.*

The Dragon King took a sip of his wine, silently cheering for the distant snake that had become an Imugi with his Yeouiju.  The chances were slim, but the Wind Spirit King had personally intervened, and the heavens had welcomed it with open arms.  So, who knew?  Perhaps this snake would be the one to ascend the Deungnyongmun, a feat no one had accomplished recently.

—–CROW—–

While the Dragon King raised his glass, far away in the western region, in a mist-shrouded, high mountainous area, a tiger with piercing amber eyes bared its fangs in a certain direction.

“Grrrr.”

There was nothing within its sight.

But its instincts told it something powerful had been born in that direction, something that demanded its attention.

The tiger, its body covered in scars, leaped forward, its eyes gleaming.  To face an opponent that stirred its instincts so intensely…  It was frightening, but that’s precisely why it wanted to fight.

The Mad Tiger, as it was called, began its journey towards the Imugi.

—–CROW—–

As the Dragon King and the Mad Tiger sensed the change, other powerful beings around the world were also becoming aware of the anomaly.

In a world teeming with blue Imugi…

A black Imugi opened its crimson eyes.

—–CROW—–