Hatching as a Dragon

In a sun-dappled, lush forest where birds sang and wild beasts roamed freely, right in the heart of this peaceful woodland, there lay a single small egg.

No one knew where this egg had come from. All they knew was that it had suddenly plummeted from the sky one day. Even the old fox, who claimed to have lived a good long while, had no idea what it was.

At first, everyone was fascinated and paid it some attention. But no matter how they poked and prodded, the egg didn't budge. A few even tried to crack it open for a snack, but it was tougher than any ordinary stone.

It didn't take long for the wild beasts' interest to wane. If it couldn't be eaten or used for anything, to them it was just a strangely shaped rock—nothing more, nothing less.

And so, this mysterious egg quickly faded from the beasts' memories.

Until one day.

Thud—Plop—

"...!?"

The egg began to move. It was a faint vibration, but unmistakable.

The sudden motion startled a passing squirrel into freezing and turning its head. This egg, which hadn't twitched once in all the time since it fell here, was enough to draw the attention of the surrounding beasts.

Shake—Shake—

The movement, which they'd assumed would stop soon, only grew more violent. As if something inside was trying to break free.

Having never seen anything like this before, the beasts couldn't hide their astonishment.

And finally.

Thud—Plop—!Crack—!

Cracks spiderwebbed across the egg's surface until it shattered, and a tiny, adorable hand emerged from within. Soft-looking, yet tipped with sharp claws—it was unmistakably the paw of a baby predator.

The struggling hand thrashed with all its might until, at last.

Snap—!

It fully broke through the obstructing shell.

And what emerged... was a teeny-tiny lizard.

Kyuu!Kraaang— No, could you even call it a normal lizard? It looked like one, sure, but there were clear differences. Small wings on its back... a horn on its head... and tiny claws.

Yes. It was less a lizard and more like a dragon. Or rather, a dracling, if you wanted to be precise.

Whatever the case. The important thing was that this baby dragon was utterly bewildered right now.

Kuwaaang?

'Ah, no... what the hell is this place?'

He was beyond confused. He'd finished a grueling night shift at his part-time job, cracked open some beer and chicken while reading a web novel, and fallen asleep in his room. Yet when he opened his eyes, he was alone in some remote forest—in this bizarre(?) lizard body, no less.

He first thought it was a hidden camera prank, but then a translucent status window popped up in front of him, forcing him to accept this was real.

'Dr, draaagon...? And what's Hwallangnim? What is this place?'

'Seeing "Beomin" makes it seem like I've dropped into a xianxia world...'

There were too many confusing things, but he took a deep breath and calmly surveyed his surroundings. More bizarre windows were popping up in front of him.

Kyuuung..?

'Daoyeongbang...? Xianxia Gallery?'

The sudden status windows looked just like the galleries he'd browsed endlessly in his past life. The name even had "gallery" in it, so it had to be that.

Somehow, he'd tumbled into the xianxia world he'd only read about in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠novels.

Then.

With basic profile and settings done, he could finally explore this xianxia gallery in earnest. As a massive community for cultivators from all over, it brimmed with all sorts of cultivation info.

'Whoa... the info is insane!'

Of course, true to community nature, it mixed info-sharing with plenty of entertainment.

Still, having access to this was a huge win. While browsing, curiosity struck, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and he posted something.

Kyu, kyuuut?!

'Wha, what's this? Why are they like this?'

Unlike his expectation of a casual response, the comments on his post exploded.

Stunned by the overwhelming attention, he added another reply.

The attention was burdensome, but not unwelcome. They all seemed friendly, and with so much interest, they'd probably answer his questions well. For someone who needed info badly, this wasn't so bad.

Seizing the momentum, he was about to ask everything on his mind when.

Kyu?

'What?'

A prickling unease on his skin made him pause his gallery fun and look around.

Kyuuu...?

'Tch... when did they all gather?'

Dozens of eyes from the surrounding beasts were fixed on him.

Ruuuumble—

Even as a dragon, a hatchling had to beware even small beasts. This was probably the most dangerous time in his dragon life, so fresh from the egg, he couldn't relax—especially without parents to protect him.

Glared at by the beasts, he glared right back, eyes fierce.

The comments heated up even more than before, filling the thread.

But no sharp ideas for escaping the situation yet.

As he pondered whether to turn and flee now.

A single comment from a high-nick caught his eye.