Not the Dragon I Expected
Jump nickname: Yongba. Level 33. In Prolazia, where most players were newbies, he was somewhat of a 'ranker' and the main poster on the Prolazia gallery.
A dragon fanatic from a young age, he'd collected every bit of info on dragons. He'd devoured movies, comics, novels, anime—anything with dragons—and even kept twenty lizards at home out of sheer devotion. Living his life that way, he got chills watching the Prolazia trailer. Why? A dragon had made a faint appearance. A chance to see the creatures that only existed in dreams and imagination. Sure, whether they were 'real' was debatable, but this was the first time he could see one so vividly. So Yongba hunted for dragons from the start of the game, but sadly, he hadn't found even a hint of one. He half-gave up, figuring they'd be in high-level zones anyway... until...
"Haring... she's a god!"
He'd found it. A user who'd steadily posted climbing threads on the gallery had discovered the 'real deal'. Yongba sent Haring dozens, hundreds of whispers, and posted praise threads daily (until he got a one-day ban for spamming). But disappointingly, she never shared the dragon's location. She probably wouldn't until she'd properly claimed the hidden piece... He got it. He wouldn't tell anyone either if it were him.
"If she won't tell, I'll find it myself."
But he wasn't about to sit idly by. He'd find it no matter what. And once he did, he'd make his dream of dragon riding come true!
"Let's go!!"
...
After all that effort, he finally had a dragon right in front of him... but...
"Has God forsaken me...?"
It wasn't a dragon. Wait, it was a dragon. The little kid in front of him was unmistakably one, and that form was almost certainly polymorph. But what did that matter? 'Human-form dragons aren't real dragons!' The massive wings and twin horns—symbols of dragons—were shrunken like some cosplay. No matter how much they flapped, they had zero cool factor. Flap flap.
"......"
Could you even call that a dragon? It was just a kid in dragon cosplay, and the real dragon had probably flown off somewhere else. Yongba denied it over and over, but reality didn't change. Sure, you could argue, 'Come on, how many dragon stories don't have transformation these days?' Modern dragons defaulted to shapeshifting. Yongba didn't outright reject the trend, but there were limits.
"A little kid? That's not it..."
Even if he conceded a hundred times, he hadn't pictured a seductive big sis or badass grandpa—it was a kid? No way. This was unacceptable.
"No way... not this... seriously, no way..."
"Hey~ Wake up~"
"No..."
"Hmm. Little Flame Dragon said to wake you. No choice then."
Splash!!!
Blurble blurb!
Water poured over Yongba's head. He flailed in panic, eyes flying open, and there stood a short-blue-haired woman giggling. She tapped the now-empty bucket in her hands. Clink clink.
This was...
"...ClimberGal?"
"Oh, hey. You're Yongba, right?"
"How did..."
"You messed with Little Flame Dragon and got wrecked, huh? Just like you said on the gallery."
Giggle giggle.
Haring stowed the bucket in her inventory and spun on her heel. Yongba stood dazed, following behind her. The spot where he'd passed out was inside a cave, floored and walled with soft cotton-like padding, with orange glowstones embedded in the ceiling. More like a bird's nest than a dragon's—way too small for a dragon. Probably for someone else... or a polymorphed dragon.
'Polymorph...'
"...Damn it."
"Even if Little Flame Dragon's cute, you gotta be careful. Cross the line, and it's insta-delete."
"......"
"Saw the gallery posts, right? The thieves who stole stuff—all smashed flat. Better bow your head unless you wanna get something out of it."
"Cute my ass... I'm seriously disappointed right now?"
"Huh?"
"The dragon I imagined... wasn't like this..."
Yongba rubbed his dry face, venting. Human forms were the trend, so he'd swallow his tears and accept it. But he'd dreamed of a majestic, badass dragon or a sexy sis type—and got a baby dragon instead? What cruel joke was fate playing?
Haring shook her head at his genuine sorrow. Just like on the gallery, the guy was nuts. How did someone like this function in real life?
"Eh, well... must suck."
"Haa..."
"Your speech is different from the gallery, though. Me too."
"...Talking like on the gallery in real life would make you sound insane."
"This is a game."
"Prolazia is life."
"Fair."
Haring nodded. Prolazia was basically a second reality.
"Anyway, Little Flame Dragon's pondering."
"Pondering what?"
"Whether to kill this lunatic or not."
Even rude humans who spouted nonsense or challenged her got one mercy pass. But dragons didn't give second chances. Mess up twice, and Yongba was done for. Miss this shot, and future meetings would be impossible.
Yongba got serious.
'...Right. It's still a dragon at heart.'
Even if polymorphed into a kid, he'd seen it—the majestic beauty in that photo. If he could witness that dreamscape with his own eyes, he wouldn't care if it was a demon.
Yongba steeled himself and stood straight. Plus, she'd probably shifted back by now...
"She's still in polymorph, though."
"Oh."
＊
"Awake?"
"Yeees~"
Two figures approached from deeper in the nest: Haring waving wildly, and a guy with slumped energy. I lay in the nest, munching crunchy cookies, and nodded.
He rubbed me the wrong way big time, but I wasn't about to smite him over one slip-up. His head was probably throbbing enough to knock some sense in, and anyway, these were heroes. 'Apprentice heroes, but still.' Even a doddering goddess wouldn't pick scrubs. They had some talent, surely. Haring made me doubt it, though...
"Why?"
"Not running?"
"Huh? We did laps yesterday..."
"More."
Haring made a pouty face and started jogging. She had some grit, at least. She'd finished 100 laps once, now on her second set. I ignored her panting around the staff obstacle and eyed the slumped guy.
He looked around Haring's age, maybe a bit younger. But they were goddess-chosen apprentices.
'Age is just a number.'
The goddess's power kept their bodies prime, so age didn't matter.
"What's your name?"
"Yong... Yongba."
"Yongba. Weird name."
"Uh... yeah."
Sounds like ice cream. Yongba swallowed a sob, bowing his head. Anyone would think I'd hit him...
"I hit you, right?"
"?"
But that was his own fault. Sparing him was already generous.
'Mmm.'
I crossed my arms and nodded.
"Yeah. So? Got something to say?"
"...Could you maybe drop the polymorph just once?"
"Polymorph?"
"Yes! Please, I'll do anything!"
Yongba prostrated himself desperately. One begged for polymorph, the other to end it. I'd been shifted long enough that dropping it sounded nice...
"No way!"
"Why?"
"Don't! I love you not shifted!"
Pat pat pat!!
Haring yelled while sprinting around the nest, gritting her teeth to dodge. It was amusing. I turned back to Yongba, still groveling.
He'd pissed me off with his mouth, so part of me wanted to boot him...
'But Haring's the same.'
She'd invaded my nest and woken my nap too. I'd have kicked her out ages ago without the snacks.
"What can you do?"
"Uh... anything I can..."
"Wanna run laps then?"
"Huh?"
"Oh, bring snacks too. Haring does pastries, so meat for you."
Hadn't had meat lately; feeling a bit empty. Too lazy to hunt...
"Huh?"
"What're you waiting for?"
Run.