Broadcast Day 4 - The Crimson Blood Kingdom Saga (4)
A city teeming with the color red. Clay-fired tiled roofs and thatched straw roofs woven from rice stalks left a striking impression. And above that city loomed mechanical contraptions powered by engines called steam engines. It was on one particular day that a golden meteor streaked down from the unchanging sky of that very city.
"Indeed. So they say."
My method of crossing dimensions is similar to how I moved from the gate to Korea. I tear open space, connect it into a passage, and travel through it.
"But this way of moving is, frankly speaking, rather crude. I roughly check the passage with my Heaven Dragon Eye and head to a suitable spot."
Because of that, I've sometimes ended up in a planet's outer core, or popped out into outer space beyond the atmosphere. It's only because I'm an elder dragon who has transcended limits to attain divinity that I can use such a brutish method—anyone else would have died on the spot.
"Don't try this at home, children."
"……Can you do it?"
Humans gleefully bombarding me with teasing vibes. What rascals they are.
"Ahem. Now, back to the story."
Fortunately, having emerged near the moon, I made my way to the planet. After piercing the atmosphere and landing on the surface, I dug a tunnel and slipped inside.
Skipping space within the same dimension is simple enough, but crossing between dimensions isn't easy even for me. Having just jumped dimensions, I was a bit drained and needed rest.
["Mother. Shall I deal with these rude humans...?"]
No need, Henisia. It's just the children's playfulness.
Anyway, continuing the tale. Deep underground, I dug down, melted rock into magma, and slipped inside to warm myself and rest. To open another dimension, I needed to gather Cosmic Energy, and I didn't want my presence strongly influencing that dimension. And so, ten years passed in that dimension's time. Local anomalies sensed my aura, challenged me, and got devoured; gold flowed from my body along the tunnel I'd dug, forming veins.
"This is... gold?!"
"Village chief! It's gold! A natural gold mine!"
"Hahaha! Money!!"
= ...Hm?
After devouring a worm-like monster that had ambushed me and soaking in the magma, human voices reached my ears.
...Didn't I mention? Humans sweat; I produce gold. Stay in one spot long enough, and gold veins radiate from me.
Such silly chatter. Anyway, I paid no mind to the voices at first. Humans couldn't harm me... and honestly, I was post-meal drowsy.
Yes, food coma fits. So I ignored them, soaking in magma. They'd grab the stray gold and leave satisfied, or spot me and flee tail-tucked.
["But that didn't happen, right?"]
Correct.
"Eek?!"
"M-monster!!"
Days after those humans fled from my lair, a rumble echoed.
Roooar!!
"M-Milord. Are you sure this will work?"
"Hmph! Dare you doubt the Iron Sword Clan?!"
"N-no, sir!"
= Hm?
Not just those humans, but hordes armed with weapons came seeking me.
"This is?!"
"My god... a yokai?!"
"No, a spirit beast!"
My chamber gleamed golden; molten gold-magma filled it. There I lounged, half-submerged. Across countless dimensions, I've seen it: weaklings take stray gold and leave, or flee in terror. But those with some power? They covet the gold cloaking my body and charge in greed-blinded.
"All gold?!"
"A golden spirit beast!"
"Clan head!"
"Yes. With this, the Iron Sword Clan rises again!"
These self-proclaimed Iron Sword Clan folk were no different. Greed-overcome, blind to our power gap, trusting their meager might, they bared sword-claws at me. Realizing annoyance inevitable, I rose.
Drrrrrrrr...
"Gasp?!"
"So... huge..."
= Humans...
"?!"
"It spoke?!"
Even small among dragons, I tower over humans. And in their world, speaking anomalies were rare or nonexistent—they gawked wide-eyed. I addressed their "clan head," the elder among the weapon-wielders.
= Human of this world. Why bear hostility toward me?
"...This land is under Iron Sword Clan management. A yokai appears, so we guardians must draw steel!"
= You claim so, yet greed fills your hearts.
Humans' greed was plain to my Heaven Dragon Eye—even they'd sense it in each other. They hid it not at all. He eyed the gold dripping from me.
"...Kuhuhuhu. A gold-forging spirit beast. The clan’s blessing!"
= Hm...
"East Sword Squad, surround it! Iron Sword Squad, form ranks! Blood Sword Squad, with me against the beast—shamans, draw capture arrays!"
"Yes, sir!"
Thus barked the clan head, charging with his strongest toward me.
Amid surging viewer prompts, I shoved aside the empty pizza box. Reached for a new one... but.
"Hm. All gone."
Every pizza we'd bought had vanished into my daughter and me. My tale matters, but today's main event was the pizza mukbang. With human-plentiful pizzas devoured, time for reviews?
"Before finishing the story, let's review today's pizza."
Viewer outcries flooded chat, but my mind was set. Old tales anytime; first pizza mukbang now or never. Streaming lessons: stick to core content. Change rashly without experience, lose focus. If boring, end early—don't pivot and flop harder.
"Core content first, then. Story later..."
Having soothed the viewers, I turned to my daughter.
"Well, Henisia. Your thoughts on human pizza?"
"It was astonishing. I never dreamed frail, greedy humans could make such food."
"......"
I let out a small sigh.