Chapter 15: A Wild Dragon Appeared. (3)

A cascade of System Messages appeared before his eyes.

But Suho didn’t have a moment to check them.

Thud-!

A pitch-black dragon opened its eyes in his hand.

Its new, yellow gaze glared straight at Suho.

“Whoa!”

Startled, Suho threw the dragon away.

Thump!

The flying dragon crashed into the wall and tumbled to the floor.

Grrrr—

The dragon growled.

‘Damn…’

Suho realized his mistake.

‘To think I threw the dragon!’

He should have subdued or incapacitated it, not just tossed it away in surprise.

Instead, he’d let it loose.

‘If that thing smashes the refrigerator, I’m in trouble.’

Suho darted his eyes around in a panic.

His claw hammer had already melted in the Breath.

He needed a new weapon.

There!

Suho’s eyes landed on the broom he’d used to beat down the Orc Shaman.

Thunk.

Suho grabbed the broom upside down.

“You dare—what have you done to me, you insolent… Kkh!”

The broom handle smacked the dragon.

“You insignificant creature… Kkhek!”

Thud, thud, smack—

Like shaking out a blanket, Suho swung the broom relentlessly.

Whether it was the confusion of being dimensionally transported or the sheer ferocity of the broom assault, the dragon couldn’t even think of escaping.

Thud, thud, smack—

“Stop! S-Stop it, human!”

Thud, thud, smack—

“You miserable—ugh!”

Thud, thud, smack—

“It hurts! I said it hurts! Stop!”

Thud, thud, smack—

“I-I was wrong. I admit it!”

A Mad Dragon begging for forgiveness.

If a Dwarf saw this, they’d be utterly shocked.

But Suho didn’t stop the beating.

Thud, thud, smack—

“I’m sorry, please! Please, forgive me! Don’t hit me anymore!”

The dragon pressed its short front legs together, pleading desperately.

Only then did the broom come to a halt.

“Huff—huff—”

Suho’s breathing was ragged from the sheer intensity of his assault.

“Damn it, how could I be reduced to such a pitiful state… Sob—”

Tears streamed down the dragon’s face.

Still gripping the broom tightly, Suho questioned the dragon.

“What are you? How did you get here?”

The dragon answered in a tone full of injustice.

“How should I know? Weren’t you the one who dragged me here by force?”

Now that he thought about it, that was true.

“Must be because of that question mark Skill… I’ll figure that out later.”

Suho changed his line of questioning.

“Why did you attack the Dwarf Village?”

“Those insignificant pests disturbed my land and ignored my warnings!”

“What do you mean?”

“They dared to enter my territory without permission, didn’t even greet me, and even killed the Orcs I sent as a warning!”

So it really was the dragon that sent the Orc horde.

“And lately, they’ve been pounding the ground so much I can’t rest from the vibrations. Hmph! I was going to teach them a lesson this time, but because of you…”

Ah, the vibrations.

Was it because of the drill?

Suho realized he was partly to blame for the dragon’s rampage.

“Well, that aside, what should I do with you?”

Even if it was acting meek, this was still a Mad Dragon.

He couldn’t just send it back to the freezer, nor could he leave it as is.

‘Should I kill it?’

That would be the simplest solution.

But seeing it cry like this made him hesitate.

Come to think of it, its appearance had changed too.

Its head had grown bigger, and its arms and legs had gotten shorter.

It looked like a 50-pixel game character.

And those big, round eyes…

He couldn’t bring himself to kill it.

While Suho was pondering, the dragon’s voice rang out.

“What did you do to me?! Why—why am I like this… And why can’t I attack you?”

Huh? Can’t attack?

“Is that true, what you just said?”

Suho aimed the broom at it and asked.

“W-What are you talking about?”

The dragon flinched.

“You can’t attack me, right? Is that really true?”

“You’re the one who made me like this, and now you ask me? How could I end up so miserable… Sob—”

Its face was the picture of injustice.

That was genuine.

The dragon’s altered appearance.

Its inability to attack Suho.

What could be the cause of all this?

Suho’s thoughts converged on one thing.

‘If there’s a reason, it must be because of the System. Yeah, those messages that flashed earlier!’

Suho recalled the messages he hadn’t had a chance to read.

[- Due to –, [???] is — applied.]

[Balangkaar is — to Won Suho’s —-]

[Abnormal –. Penalty is imposed.]

[Balangkaar’s — is temporarily –]

[You can — by raising your Exchange grade.]

Thinking it through calmly, he could make some guesses.

“So that penalty… it wasn’t for me, but for the dragon?”

If the dragon’s changes were due to a System Penalty, it all made sense.

“If something changed, it should show up on the Dimensional Panel, right?”

Suho quickly opened the Dimensional Panel.

A clear change had appeared on the Dimensional Panel.

[Target List]

“The dragon is now a registered target!”

The dragon’s name was clearly listed in the Target List.

Suho quickly focused on it.

The dragon’s information appeared.

[Mad Dragon Balangkaar]

• Affiliated Dimension: ESKHJ-0702L
• Number of Members: 1
• Satisfaction: 1/100

“What is this question mark Skill, anyway?”

Is it some kind of summoning?

Suho pondered for a moment, then turned his attention elsewhere.

‘So, this guy shrank because of the penalty.’

It was the same size as when it was in the freezer.

Its changed appearance.

All because of the penalty.

‘And it’s clearly stated that it can’t attack me.’

The most worrisome point was guaranteed by the System.

‘At the very least, my safety is secured.’

Suho looked the dragon up and down.

The dragon shuddered under his gaze.

“This guy… might actually be useful.”

He couldn’t send it back to its original world.

But he couldn’t just let it loose on Earth either.

Now that it was harmless, killing it seemed unnecessary.

‘Should I raise it?’

It was a dragon, after all.

Even if it was weakened, surely it could earn its keep.

“Alright, I’ve decided.”

“What? What are you planning? What was that look in your eyes just now?”

“A-Answer properly! What do you intend to do with me?!”

Suho decided to try raising this oddly-speaking dragon for now.

***

The moment he pulled the dragon out of the freezer.

After the incomprehensible messages, more information appeared.

[You have completed the Emergency Mission [Mad Dragon Invasion].]

[Red Hammer Dwarf Satisfaction increases by 70.]

[You have acquired the Unique Skill [Dimensional Bag (Intermediate)].]

It was a message stating he had completed the emergency mission.

Suho checked the Skill he’d received as a reward.

[Dimensional Bag (Intermediate)]

• A space created in the rift of dimensions for storing items. Anything can be stored except living things.
• If a dimensional passage is nearby, you can connect directly to that dimension using the [Exchange] Skill.
• The higher the grade, the larger the space.

“It’s like an inventory.”

It was similar to a game inventory.

As soon as he recognized the Skill, he could sense the size of the Dimensional Bag.

“About the size of a studio apartment.”

Plenty big enough for now.

“Especially useful since it connects directly to other dimensions.”

No more need to haul ramen boxes back and forth.

He could just put them in the Dimensional Bag and use [Exchange] immediately.

A new Skill acquired.

Was this a blessing in disguise?

“With the dragon here, the Dwarf Village should be peaceful.”

Except for the loss of his claw hammer, it seemed like a net gain.

While Suho was thinking this, the dragon’s voice sounded.

“Don’t get your hopes up. Now the Dwarf Village will be plunged into great calamity.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Suho raised the broom.

The dragon hurriedly explained.

“That’s not it. I’m not plotting anything…”

The dragon explained the situation.

After hearing the story, Suho frowned.

But just then, a voice came from the freezer.

“Giant!”

***

“Everyone, get a hold of yourselves! Get the children ready to evacuate!”

Tarunga was rallying the Dwarves.

The Giant had subdued the dragon, but who knew what might happen?

The dragon could return at any time.

“I hope the Giant is alright…”

Tarunga was worried.

Though the Giant could change the weather, he knew he wasn’t a true Giant.

It was obvious, considering the items exchanged so far.

He must be using some magic to manifest as a giant only in this world.

If, by any chance, the dragon regained its original size in the other world…

“If the dragon gets bigger, the Giant could be in danger.”

He remembered the scene where the claw hammer melted under the dragon’s Breath.

“This isn’t the time to just stand around. I need to bring him a weapon.”

Tarunga rushed to the forge.

A freshly finished bread knife was on the table.

Tarunga grabbed the knife and hurried to the freezer entrance.

He called out loudly.

“Giant! Giant!”

Soon, a reply came.

“Yes, Tarunga.”

“Giant, please take this! It’s the weapon I promised to make for you last time!”

Tarunga quickly handed over the knife.

“Ah! It’s finished. Thank you very much.”

Suho accepted the knife.

A weapon crafted from the materials obtained from the Irregular. Even at a glance, the reddish blade looked extraordinary.

“With this, there’s no need to regret the broken claw hammer.”

Just as Suho was about to check the item’s stats, Tarunga quickly added,

“Giant, I saw your claw hammer break earlier. I rushed over, thinking you might be in trouble.”

So that’s why he hurried over, worried.

Suho understood the situation from Tarunga’s words.

“Thank you, Tarunga. I’ll put this weapon to good use. And as for the dragon, you don’t need to worry anymore. I’ve made it behave.”

Tarunga was shocked by Suho’s answer.

“Behave? You mean the Mad Dragon?”

Mad Dragon Balangkaar—what kind of being was he?

Even as a young dragon, his madness was infamous across the continent.

“To think you didn’t kill it, but made it behave! As expected of the Giant!”

Tarunga was genuinely impressed.

“Yes, things just happened to work out. But is everyone else alright? They must have been really frightened.”

“We’ve gathered and are preparing to evacuate.”

“There’s no need for that anymore. The dragon can’t return there now.”

“Ah! Thank you. Thank you so much.”

Tarunga bowed repeatedly.

Suho continued calmly.

“But there’s bad news, Tarunga.”

“Bad news?”

“Yes. According to the dragon, monsters will now swarm the village. The monsters that lived in the dragon’s territory will be freed from its control and run wild.”

“Ah…”

Where the dragon died.

The monsters it ruled would battle to establish their own territory.

The fighting wouldn’t end until the ecosystem settled again.

Tarunga had heard of such things.

As Tarunga sank into worry, Suho spoke.

“So, I have a suggestion. Stop all other work and start building the walls. We need to fortify the village. From now on, I’ll take full responsibility for supplying food.”

The Dwarves had been hunting and gathering to some extent, but Suho was telling them to stop even that.

“We can’t do that. We’re already causing you too much trouble, Giant.”

“It’s the best way. Instead, while you’re building the walls, expand the smithy as much as possible. You’ll need weapons to defend the village. And make a few things for me to sell, too.”

That way, they could earn their keep.

“Smithing is a Dwarf’s calling, so of course we’ll do that. But it feels like we’re indebting ourselves to you even more…”

“It’s fine, really. Don’t worry about me. Just put up a temporary palisade around the village, quickly.”

“Yes, then I’ll get going.”

“If there’s any danger, call me right away.”

“Yes!”

Tarunga rushed off.

For a while, he and the other Dwarves would be very busy.

If they didn’t want to die, they’d have to hurry.

Suho was just as pressed for time.

“I was thinking I’d have to get supplies delivered soon anyway.”

Hauling food from the mart had its limits.

Not just the quantity, but he couldn’t keep feeding them only ramen.

It was time to get supplies from a professional distributor.

“I’ll have to prepare right away.”

He’d have to check out a wholesale supplier tomorrow if possible.

While Suho was thinking this—

Bzzzz—

His cell phone vibrated.

It was a call from Jung Hyunsu.

Suho answered.

“Hey, did you get home safely?”

“Yeah, I got in fine. There was a bit of a commotion afterward, though.”

“Hmm, I was calling to ask about that.”

“That’s not it. The Collection Team called earlier and sent over a monster byproduct list. I thought we could go over it and settle accounts, maybe have a meal together tomorrow.”

“Couldn’t you just send that by message?”

“I could, but you said you’re closing the store tomorrow, right? So if you have time, I thought we could go over it in person over a meal. Haha.”

“I’m busy in the morning, but I should be free in the evening. How about one o’clock?”

“Great. I’ve got stuff to do during the day too. I’ll come by your store in the evening, then.”

Suho was about to agree, then paused.

Something occurred to him.

“Actually, I’ll come to your neighborhood instead.”

“To our place, Sangwangryeon?”

“Yeah, I’ve got some business nearby.”

Sangwangryeon, in Dongdaemun.

That was the wholesale district where all sorts of goods, including items, were traded.

It was also the place Suho had planned to visit tomorrow for food supplies.