When he received the call from Kaiten, the elder, Sigmund didn’t think much of it.
He wasn’t particularly interested in the human world.
Sigmund knew that some transcendents, including Kaiten, were fascinated by human behavior, but it was none of his concern. He figured that he’d just listen to Kaiten ramble and then return. Sigmund glanced at the screen and responded.
“It’s chaotic.”
“Yes, that’s what you think too, right?”
“Yes, it is, but…”
“Someone will have to intervene eventually.”
“Are you planning to go yourself?”
“No, that won’t do.”
Kaiten shook his head.
“That’s why I plan to send you.”
“…What?”
Sigmund, who had been answering indifferently, froze.
“You will go to the human world, Sigmund. Set the deteriorating human world right. I’m not asking for major intervention. Just let those who cross the line know that they’re being watched. Set an example.”
“Why me?”
Sigmund frowned slightly. He wasn’t one to show emotions often. The fact that he was visibly reacting indicated just how uncomfortable he felt. Kaiten, well aware of this, spoke bluntly.
“Is there any other dragon here besides you? If not you, then who?”
“Call another dragon. Or go yourself, Elder.”
“I cannot move directly. Neither can the other elders. As you know, we’re far too massive.”
“You’re not going in your true form, though.”
“I’m not talking about appearance. It’s our power that’s the issue. The human world can’t bear it.”
Kaiten continued.
“That’s why you’re going. Among the adult dragons, you’re the youngest, aren’t you?”
“I’m a bit too old to be called young.”
“Talking back again. You’ve only just stopped being a hatchling.”
“Regardless, I’m not going.”
Sigmund drew a firm line. Realizing that gentle persuasion wouldn’t work, Kaiten shifted tactics. He asked in a subtle tone.
“Don’t be so stiff. Isn’t it about time you visited the human world? You’ve never crossed the boundary, have you?”
“It’s true I haven’t crossed the boundary, but I don’t plan to, either.”
“The human world is much more exciting than the dull transcendent realm. It’s no coincidence that transcendents who get a taste for humans cross the boundary whenever they can.”
“That’s their business. It’s not my taste. I despise chaos.”
“Always with the attitude.”
“Pardon? What did you just say?”
“Nothing. I didn’t say anything.”
Kaiten waved his hand dismissively.
In the transcendent realm, a dragon’s appearance reflected their age.
Sigmund appeared to be around eighteen to twenty years old in human terms, as he had only recently become an adult dragon.
Having visited the human world multiple times, Kaiten knew that Sigmund’s appearance would be incredibly attractive to humans.
Short, slightly curly black hair, eyes that looked like molten gold, and sharp features with a hint of defiance.
His striking appearance was further enhanced by his clothing. From head to toe, there wasn’t a wrinkle or an unbuttoned collar in sight.
“Fussy little thing. In all my life, I’ve never met a transcendent like you.”
Transcendents generally didn’t care about their appearance. For them, power was everything. Even if an elder like Kaiten walked around in rags, no one could dismiss him.
Sigmund, too, knew this well, but he always maintained perfection. Not to impress others, but because it was his nature.
Kaiten licked his lips, recalling Sigmund’s perfectly tidy abode.
‘As expected, he won’t go no matter how nicely I put it.’
For Sigmund, a perfectionist and a germaphobe, the chaotic human world was utterly incompatible.
It was clear that persuading him was impossible, but Kaiten decided to give it a shot anyway.
“How can a transcendent be so narrow-minded without ever experiencing humans?”
“Yes, I am narrow-minded. So please send another dragon. I don’t understand why a dragon should move for mere insects in the first place.”
“Honestly, you never listen when I speak nicely.”
Regardless, Sigmund was simply tired of everything. He wanted to end this tedious exchange and return to his space, which was far more organized and comfortable than the human world.
“The truth is, I have prepared something.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve opened a portal in advance. I’m going to throw you out beyond the boundary now.”
“What?”
“Don’t come back until you’ve set things right in the human world. Even if you want to return, you won’t be able to.”
Kaiten spoke so nonchalantly that Sigmund initially doubted his own ears.
Surely, the leader of the most noble, graceful, and great race would not commit such a shameless act as tossing a distant descendant into the human realm.
“You’ll need to find a guide once you arrive.”
Kaiten said.
“Remember my words well. You must find a guide. A clueless dragon like you is bound to be backstabbed by humans.”
As a white light flashed and he opened his eyes, a strange landscape unfolded before him.
A night sky filled with seemingly countless stars had white papers falling like snowflakes.
Staring blankly at the papers, Sigmund hastily grabbed one.
“Do not think about returning. I’ve already concluded discussions with the elders. The portals you open will be closed immediately. Now that it has come to this, enjoy your time there. Do you know? You might also develop a taste for the human world. If you let go of your prejudices, human life is truly exhilarating and diverse. Once you realize that joy, there will come a day when you’ll be grateful to me.”
Sigmund’s face twisted into a grimace at Kaiten’s brazen message. He yelled towards the night sky.
“Kaiten! What in the world are you doing?!”
* * *
Kaiten had indeed dropped Sigmund right in the middle of a desert.
The leader of dragons, who could be exceedingly petty, had kept his word to Sigmund.
Throughout the night, Sigmund had tried to open a portal back to the realm of transcendent beings multiple times but failed each time.
He couldn’t even feel the dense energy typical of the transcendent realm.
It was clear that not just Kaiten, but other elders were working together to block him.
“Those lunatic elders…”
After fighting against his distant seniors all night and suffering a devastating defeat, Sigmund cursed with his eyes blazing.
After hours of struggle, even his previously immaculate appearance was now covered in dust.
Sigmund gritted his teeth.
“I’ll remember this when I get back.”
In just one night, he discovered a new side of himself. He had always been indifferent to everything. But within a few hours, he had transformed into an embodiment of anger.
Now he realized it wasn’t that he was indifferent; it was that the world of transcendent beings was peaceful.
Suppressing his anger towards the elders who had disrupted his peace without consent, Sigmund brushed his hair back.
“Ha.”
Well, whatever had happened had happened.
Then there was only one path left.
Following Kaiten’s orders, he would capture the culprits disturbing the human world and then return to the realm of transcendent beings.
Feeling filthy for losing to Kaiten, there was nothing he could do about it. No matter how much he flew or crawled, he was like a firefly before the sun in front of the elders.
It was better to act quickly than to waste emotions on pointless matters.
“This is all due to the greed of the priests.”
Recently, the greatest culprits disturbing the human world were undoubtedly the priests. It wasn’t just a single religion causing trouble. Priests from all sorts of religions were at fault. Some even harmed the lives of their own followers.
The temples of the goddess Dinute operated relatively well, but even there, corruption had taken root in places beyond her reach.
If even the countries directly managed by the goddess were in such disarray, it was no surprise that religions without the intervention of transcendents were utterly chaotic.
‘First, let’s head to the nearest temple.’
Sigmund immediately decided on his destination. He intended to punish the priests there in front of everyone.
He believed that the deceived followers would realize the truth and return to their original lives.
They would spread the word about what had happened in the temple and sound the alarm to other wicked priests.
…That was what he thought before he arrived at the temple.
* * *
“Everyone! Finally, our long-awaited god has come to us! Your prayers have finally been answered!”
“Wow!”
“Pray! He will lead us to celestial joy. He will turn the sand of the desert into gold!”
“Oh! O great god of the desert, who turns sand into gold!”
The fervent gazes of the people filling the temple turned towards Sigmund. It was so ridiculous that he could hardly believe it.
Sigmund quickly turned and grabbed the priest by the collar, shaking him violently.
“Stop your nonsense and reveal to them that you’ve been deceiving everyone! Unless you want to die by my hand!”
So, here’s the situation.
Having left the desert, Sigmund headed straight to the nearest temple.
It was a temple dedicated to a strange god named Altatang, whose abilities were unimaginable.
There, they sold charms that supposedly allowed people to survive in the desert without water.
They claimed it was a token of grace bestowed directly by the god of the desert, but of course, it was a scam.
When Sigmund arrived at the temple, the followers were gathered, praying.
Thinking he had perfect timing, Sigmund grabbed the priest.
He intended to expose the fraudsters in front of everyone and send the followers back home. However, the priest, caught by Sigmund, began to babble nonsense.
“Oh! The god of the desert has appeared! The one with the magnificent golden eyes! The only one who can turn the desert sand into gold! He has come!”
Why would he turn the desert sand into gold? It was utter nonsense not worth responding to.
In fact, it was foolish to compare his eyes to sand in the first place.
Golden eyes and jet-black hair were symbols of the Black Dragon. This was common knowledge.
Thus, Sigmund thought the followers would immediately realize the priest’s nonsense, but…
Humans were far more lacking in common sense than he expected. They didn’t even know what a Black Dragon was.
“The god of the desert has come to us! Our prayers have finally been answered!”
“Those eyes will turn the desert sand into gold?”
“The endless poverty is finally over! I spent all my wealth on this damned temple, and it was worth it!”
In a frenzy, the followers rushed towards Sigmund, who had become the god of the desert in an instant.
It was sheer madness.
Startled by human ignorance, Sigmund couldn’t react properly.
‘That was close; I almost killed them all!’
Barely managing to restrain his power, Sigmund hurriedly said,
“I am not the god of the desert! Get a grip! I am a dragon! The golden eyes are a symbol of the dragon!”
Unfortunately, it was of no use. Ultimately, Sigmund had no choice but to flee to prevent unnecessary slaughter.
The people, unable to imagine that they had nearly been killed by a dragon, fearlessly followed him, shouting.
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