How to Survive as a terminally-ill Dragon

Chapter 2. The Birth of the Dragon Lois (2)

“I am rich!”

Lois’s voice echoed off the walls of the treasure vault in every direction.

Atop a pile of gold, Lois rolled from side to side, reveling in his new reality.

‘The dragon’s lair is heaven!’

Such were the frequent mentions of a dragon’s lair bathed in riches in fantasy novels.

And with that setting came the dragon’s treasure which naturally followed.

It was indeed true.

In fact, to Lois’s eyes, it seemed that no dragon in those stories had amassed as much treasure as this.

Of course, that was strictly his personal opinion.

“Money… gold… hehe, Peehpah!”

Lois chuckled, savoring the unique metallic scent that surrounded him.

Remembering the first time he saw a mountain of gold, he had been so astounded that he had nearly suffered a heart attack, and that was just a month after being born.

In his past life, Lois had never even worn a gold-plated ring.

So, you can imagine how shocking a whole mountain of gold was to someone like him.

And what was more astonishing was that this wasn’t the only treasure pile.

There were many vaults throughout the lair, overflowing not just with gold but with silver and jewels as well.

‘How did they gather all this?’

Initially, that question had puzzled him, but now it was all too familiar.

There was simply no need to be curious.

Every day felt like a dream, and it was bliss to know all this gold belonged to his father.

‘But as his child, surely he’d share some with me?’

Lois joyfully tumbled around on the gold, indulging in happy fantasies.

‘With this much gold, one could live a lifetime without worrying about money!’

A nostalgic glint crossed Lois’s eyes as he recalled memories of his past life, struggling each day just to survive through his early twenties, and going to bed each night fearing an untimely death.

But no more.

Breathing alone was enough for a dragon to live a long, healthy life, not to mention the colossal inheritance awaiting him.

The life after death was the polar opposite of his previous one.

‘Gold spoon? Diamond spoon? No… this is a dragon spoon!’

Internally, Lois shouted ‘Long live the dragon!’ dozens of times over.

“Yes, being born a dragon, this level of wealth is a given. Plus, if you can crunch through an orc or two and breathe out a blast of dragon’s breath, then you are indeed a true dragon.”

The infant dragon lying on the pile of gold giggled as though he’d dealt with the harshness of life.

Lois delighted in the thoughts of the future unfolding before him.

He continued to enjoy what had become his hobby, ‘swimming in the golden pool’, serenely and contentedly.

Once the scent of gold had clung heavily to him, Lois headed off to his room with a very, very refreshed expression.

* * *

Upon returning to his room, Lois headed straight for a large pile of books.

“Now, where did I leave off yesterday?”

He drew out a book the size of his own body and flipped it open with practiced ease.

Tiny letters filled the pages.

“Was it around here?”

The characters written in the book would have been incomprehensible in his past life; they were of a strange and unknown form.

However, Lois read them effortlessly.

‘Is this what they call the dragon’s innate power?’

The transference of knowledge, something he had only read about in novels, was real.

Lois had experienced it firsthand.

The dragon way of passing down knowledge quickly and easily.

That’s why Lois, who had just been hatched and chirping, was able to speak naturally – thanks to that transference.

‘Pity. It would be nice to inherit other knowledge as well.’

He had wished to inherit not just the knowledge of speech and writing but more; his father, however, had objected, saying Lois’s brain was not yet fully developed and it would be dangerous.

‘Well, I can learn anything that’s missing myself.’

Concluding his thoughts, Lois focused his attention back on the book.

Rustle—

The sound of pages turning resonated softly.

“Hm… this area has a long history.”

He was reading a book that recorded the history of the continent, spanning from 50,000 years ago to the present.

Such a collection could only be owned by a dragon race, detailing epochs unrecorded by mere humans.

Rustle, rustle—

The pages quickly turned.

As time went on, Lois’s hands moved faster and faster.

To anyone watching, it might seem he was just flipping through without reading, but Lois was diligently reading every word.

Not only that, he stored it all in his mind.

‘Dragons are really something.’

The dragon race not only possessed physical strength but also a superior intellect.

He was able to memorize everything just by skimming, something impossible for him in his past life.

Lois was now able to recite a book he had read weeks earlier without missing a single detail.

Thus, he was experiencing an ardor for learning that had not been conceivable in his former life.

‘Since when was studying this easy?’

The fact that everything he read stuck in his memory made studying fun, a feeling he was experiencing for the first time in his second life.

Time passed as he lost himself in the pages.

The thick book, which was about 20 cm in depth, was nearing its end, and the history of the continent was reaching modern times.

At that moment…

‘The Howard Empire?’

A name of a familiar empire halted Lois’s hands in their tracks.

His little head tilted in confusion.

“What’s this? It feels both unfamiliar and familiar at the same time.”

The strangely familiar name made him tilt his head left and right in thought.

Lois was embroiled in confusion and mental strain.

While engrossed in his thoughts,

“Lois! It’s time for a snack.”

Had he not just eaten? Suddenly, his father was standing right behind him.

“Peehpah! You scared me!”

A chick-like squeal burst from his mouth, followed by frustration over the unexpected noise.

‘Aish, seriously! When will this stop?’

Lois grumbled about the strange cries that escaped despite his will.

After calming his startled heart, Lois glared behind him.

“Father, make some noise when you move, will you?”

“…Call me dad, and I might consider it.”

There was a hint of hurt in his father’s voice as he let his shoulders slump.

Quickly shaking off the gloom, he picked up Lois naturally.

“For now, let’s go get some snacks.”

Lois’s short legs and tail shuffled about.

Dangle, dangle—

Lois stuck out his lip as he was carefully held in his father’s hands.

‘I’m only letting this go because of the snack.’

At the mention of a snack, saliva pooled in his mouth and, against his will, his tail began to wag frantically.

As he was being cradled like a puppy on his way to the dining room, a thought crossed Lois’s mind.

“Dad.”

“…What?!”

Surprised by Lois’s call, his father stopped dead in his tracks.

His eyes filled with anticipation, he asked eagerly,

“What, what did you say? Say it again!”

“…Father.”

The corners of his father’s eyes drooped again at the abrupt change of the calling.

With his father looking away, Lois cheekily curved his lips upward.

“What’s your name, Father?”

There was silence.

Lois’s father responded with a smile that suggested he was taken aback by the question.

“Are you curious now?”

“…Yes.”

He had been referred to simply as dad, father, or father all along.

Yet, Lois had never known the actual name of the man who fathered him.

And this had gone on for a full month.

The father, with a gentle smile, finally spoke.

“Genelocer.”

“…Genelocer?”

“Yes. Your dad’s name is Genelocer.”

“Aha, I see.”

Nodding as if he understood, Lois quickly lost interest and turned his bright eyes toward the dining room, eager for his snack.

Genelocer looked on for some time, anticipating a different reaction.

But all he got was his son’s indifference.

Tap, tap, tap—

Lois’s tail tapped impatiently against his father’s arm, signaling him to hurry.

“Ugh…”

Genelocer, bearing a hint of disappointment, slowly began walking.

Meanwhile, cradled in his arms, Lois pondered idly while flicking his drooping tail.

‘Genelocer, that’s a cool name.’

He silently repeated to himself the compliment he could have shared with Genelocer.

As Genelocer took a few steps towards the room with the dining room,

“Uh…?”

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

“Ah… uh?”

A powerful sense of déjà vu shot through Lois.

‘Genelocer?’

The name echoed in his mind, bringing with it a sudden memory projected onto the face of Genelocer above him.

Lois’s expression turned to stone.

“Could it be…?”

A face filled with rage and madness superimposed itself over Genelocer’s peaceful features.

‘Destroy them all! Remember, this is all because of your sins!’

The enraged bellowing of a vast black dragon, spewing malice from its red eyes, flashed vividly before him.

Struck by the vivid memory, Lois writhed in an involuntary spasm.

Using the momentum, he sprung from his father’s grasp.

“Lois?”

Surprised, Genelocer called out his son’s name, but Lois was already jumping back to his room in earnest.

‘Could it be…? Could it be?!’

With ‘could it be’ repeated in his head, Lois bolted to his room.

Without delay, he dove back into the pile of books, flipping through the one he had been reading just a moment ago.

‘The Howard Empire!’

Lois’s face was grave.

He frantically skimmed through other books as if possessed.

All the books Lois looked at gathered the names and features of the lands across the continent.

Without relaxing his stern expression, he delved deeply into the books.

“Lois? What’s happening?!”

Genelocer had followed and now looked at his son with deep concern.

However, Lois gave no indication of acknowledging Genelocer, fixated solely on the book.

Then, after a while…

“Ah…”

As if realizing something profound, Lois put the book down.

He turned to face Genelocer, who looked back with a concerned gaze.

“What’s the matter?”

Silence lingered as Lois continued to stare, not responding to Genelocer’s question.

“Lois?”

Amidst the questioning gaze from Genelocer, Lois cursed under his breath.

‘Damn it… wasn’t this supposed to be reincarnation?’

Lois had been firmly convinced that he had been reborn as a dragon following his death in his past life.

But that wasn’t the truth.

A month ago.

In his last moments before dying, he had been reading a webtoon with a fantasy theme.

And the Howard Empire… was the name of the empire featured in the webtoon he had been reading just before his death.

Confusion spread across Lois’s face.

‘Is this what they call transmigration into a work of fiction?’

It didn’t matter.

If dragon reincarnation was a thing, then why not transmigration into a work of fiction, too?

It could be considered another form of reincarnation, after all.

But there was a reason why Lois was inwardly swearing.

‘Insane!’

The concern on his father’s face only drove Lois into turmoil because of the name…

‘Genelocer.’

It could be thought of as a name not out of the ordinary for a father.

Yet the title that came with that name…

‘The Mad Dragon.’

Genelocer was none other than the Mad Dragon.