SDODM 01

SDODM ✧ Chapter 1

Posted by Dustin, Released on August 8, 2026

✧ Prologue ✧

I had tried to leave quietly without letting anyone know. That was why I had come all the way into this secluded forest, where the shadows of trees covered the surroundings.

“Wait!”

How did he even know I was here?

‘락테아?!’

The moment I came face-to-face with him, I had no idea what to say and could only stand there blankly.

Vrrrrrrr—

The only sound echoing through the forest was the noise of the teleportation stone opening a portal in midair.

Unable to bear the brief silence, 락테아 spoke again.

“Are you trying to leave the Holy Land right now?”

“Ah, well…”

“Leaving on your own without permission is forbidden. You know that, right?”

“I know, but……”

How could I explain that this was the only way to protect him and everyone else? Would he even believe me if I told him?

No. Even if he did believe me, he would surely stop me, saying that it was too dangerous.

In the end, I concluded that I couldn’t afford to let the conversation drag on. So, while facing him, I slowly began backing toward the teleportation stone, moving backward like a moonwalker.

But he immediately noticed something was wrong.

He quickly rushed over and grabbed me firmly around the waist.

“Where do you think you’re going?!”

“!!”

“If you really want to leave, then tell me properly! Why are you trying to go out alone?!”

Even though he was only using one hand, I couldn’t easily shake off the hand holding my waist.

Although we were the same age, and I wasn’t even fourteen yet, he had long since lost his boyish appearance. His grip was as strong as a stone.

‘D-Damn it! At this rate, I won’t be able to sneak out!’

I struggled in panic for a moment.

“Please……”

I met his eyes, illuminated by the moonlight filtering through the trees.

At the same time, my entire body froze.

“Tell me……”

His face, which had been furrowed with anger only moments ago, was now filled with sadness. Tears had gathered in his jewel-like eyes that seemed to hold the sky itself.

‘This guy… Is he crying right now?’

I was beyond bewildered. I was completely confused.

In the original novel, he was famous for his proud and aloof personality—someone who would never shed tears like that.

Why had he changed so much?

His sorrowful appearance was so heartbreaking that, without realizing it, I opened my mouth. The story I had been hiding almost slipped out.

But I clenched my teeth tightly, pulled myself together, and turned my head away.

“Are you not going to tell me?”

“……”

“So, you really aren’t going to tell me?”

“……”

“Fine. Then I’ll do whatever I want, too.”

‘Whatever he wants?’

The moment he finished speaking, 락테아 suddenly lifted me into his arms and began walking steadily toward the portal floating in midair.

“W-Wait, what are you doing?!”

“You won’t tell me until the very end. So I have no choice but to go with you.”

“What?!”

“I can’t let you go alone when you don’t know anything and it’s dangerous.”

“!!”

I’m going crazy! I can’t let this happen! This isn’t how it’s supposed to go!

Thirteen years ago.

Ever since I had opened my eyes in the world of this novel, I had carefully planned out the journey I would take.

But somehow, it felt like that journey had become completely tangled up right from the very beginning.

And of all people, it was because of the one who had been the most precious existence to me in my previous life.

✧ Chapter 1 ✧

Jin Raon.

Age 28.

Her life had been so miserable that the meaning behind her name, ‘joyful,’ could not have suited her less.

Born with a naturally weak body, she had been abandoned as a baby and had grown up in an orphanage. After becoming an adult, even greater hardships followed.

Her body was already weak, and with no one to rely on, she struggled to survive all alone. Eventually, her health deteriorated more and more, and she received the hopeless diagnosis that she had only three months left to live.

And so, she spent the rest of her life alone in a hospital, barely clinging to life, until she finally passed away.

‘Yes, that’s what happened.’

Then what was this?

A warm and incredibly cozy sensation touched her skin. She could also faintly hear the fresh sounds of nature and grass around her.

As she slowly opened her eyes and tried to move her body at the unfamiliar sounds and sensations, she found it difficult.

Her eyes would not open no matter how hard she tried, as if weights had been attached to her eyelids. Her body was curled up as though she were trapped inside a small space.

Strangely, though, it was not uncomfortable at all.

It was incredibly cozy and comfortable, as if she were inside a cradle.

She even felt like she wanted to stay like this forever.

‘But.’

Even so, she couldn’t just remain like this forever.

Wanting to quickly understand what was happening, she struggled to move her body even harder.

Then, along with the rustling sound of grass brushing against the wind, she began to hear other voices nearby.

“These are the children who will soon be born?”

“Yes, it has been thirty years. They are very precious children.”

“But judging by the fact that there are still no signs of cracks appearing in the eggs, it seems they will need a little more time.”

What?

Children?

Was there someone else beside her right now?

No, more importantly…

Eggs?

‘Am I inside one right now?!’

Confusion filled her mind.

She was inside an egg.

Could it be that she had been reincarnated into a new life?

‘No. No, that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m a bird.’

Reptiles were born from eggs, too.

Even insects were born from eggs.

‘Damn it.’

After living such a miserable life, she had finally gotten lucky enough to experience reincarnation, only to be reborn as something like that?

She wasn’t happy at all.

She wasn’t grateful either.

Heaven was truly heartless.

How could it give her a life like this?

‘This is really too much…….’

Just as she lamented her fate and tried to soothe her bitter heart, she heard another conversation.

“I hope they are all born healthy.”

“Yes, they must be. These children are the new future of dragons.”

The moment she heard those words, her tightly shut eyes almost flew open in shock.

‘Dragons?! S-Surely they mean the dragons I know?!’

She simply couldn’t believe it.

Dragons were fantastical beings that could only be encountered in novels or games. They didn’t exist in the real world, so there was no way she could meet or even see one.

If that was the case…

‘Have I been reincarnated into a fantasy world?’

H-How could something like this happen……

But her confusion lasted only for a moment.

A faint smile slowly spread across her lips.

Because this absurd situation was actually…

‘Even better!!’

That was exactly how she felt.

The novel that had been the only thing to soothe her loneliness as she lay dying in her hospital room was Fantasia.

It was a familiar kind of story where a hero gathered companions to save the world and defeat the Demon King.

Interestingly, rather than the protagonist of the novel, she had liked the dragon who appeared as one of his companions the most.

However, since that character did not have a particularly large role, there naturally wasn’t much content about him.

Even so, perhaps because of his extraordinary appearance, he had gained a surprisingly large fanbase.

Eventually, a side story centered around him was released.

The title of the side story was the same as the name of the dragon who had been the hero’s companion:

락테아.

It was a story about his life and his race—the only surviving member of the extinct dragons—which had not been explored deeply in the main story.

It also focused heavily on the hidden history of Fantasia.

When that side story, with its unusually large amount of dragon content, was released, her excitement reached its peak.

—Crazy!!

She read it even more often than the main novel, repeating it so many times that she thought the book itself might wear out.

And as time passed, she only came to love dragons more and more.

Their overwhelming power that no one could dare to challenge.

Their noble eyes that never wavered.

Their beautiful, shining scales.

And……

Their enormous wings, capable of carrying them freely through the sky.

All of those things were objects of dreamlike admiration for her as she slowly approached death.

That was why, before she died, she had once said:

—If there really is a next life…… I wish I could be born as a dragon, just once.

She had even said those words unconsciously.

‘Could it be that heaven actually heard me? Is that…… really what happened?’

Heaven! No, whoever reincarnated me!

I sincerely apologize for saying that you were too cruel earlier!

Thank you so much for reincarnating me as a dragon.

I’ll live my new life to the fullest!

While she was excitedly curled up and trying her best to bow despite her stiff waist, she suddenly felt something happen.

Sway~ Sway~

The entire egg began to shake little by little.

“Ah! Finally!”

Just like the voice coming from above the eggshell, she also shouted ‘Finally!’ inside her heart.

Her anticipation grew.

Cracks gradually began appearing across the surface of the egg, and the cracks spread farther and farther across the shell.

And then.

Crack!

A tiny strand of light, like a single thread, began leaking in from above her head.

Although her eyes were still closed, that light was the first thing to enter the egg, which had been filled with nothing but darkness.

It was so bright that she almost found it painful.

‘Ugh!’

But the dazzling brightness lasted only for a moment.

Overwhelmed with excitement at the thought that she would now be able to live as a dragon, she gathered even more strength than before and stretched one arm as far upward as she could.

‘Hurry! Hurry!’

One by one, strands of light reached her forehead.

Crack-crack-crack!

The entire upper part of the egg broke apart.

In her impatience, she quickly pushed her other arm out through the opening as well.

Her eyelids, which had been tightly shut as though locked in place, slowly began to open.

‘Yes! I’m a dragon now! Unlike before, I’m going to live an amazing new life!’

With those ambitions in her heart, she shouted loudly, as if announcing her birth to the entire world.

“Wah!!!”

W-What?

Why did she say ‘Wah’?

Shouldn’t a baby dragon normally make a sound like ‘Kyaaang!’ or ‘Kraang!’?