Episode 1: The Day I Was Born
Thunk!
A spear pierced through his heart, shattering his soul.
Simultaneously, a severe headache surged, as if his head was about to split.
Intense pain tore through his body, causing his forehead to involuntarily crease.
Creak…!
His wide crimson eyes narrowed vertically, sharp like those of a wild beast. His crumpled nose and exposed sharp fangs made the black weapon snarl ferociously.
[You… bastard…!]
His breath, thick with the scent of blood, grew intense.
Whack!
The weapon, soaked in blood, convulsed in agony.
Though he had not done anything particularly benevolent and had never sought revenge against humans, he had also never acted maliciously toward them.
That was how it had been.
He had never imagined that someone would come along and reveal such intense resentment.
[Who… the hell are you…!]
As he opened his mouth to ask, thick dark-red blood oozed out.
The man smiled upon seeing the blood.
“I did it.”
‘Crazy bastard.’
The weapon sighed.
The man’s face was burned and scarred by the weapon’s curse, and his left eye, still intact, was bloodshot.
He looked more like a demon than a human.
‘Is he really human, being able to smile in such a situation?’
A shiver ran down his spine, causing his scales to bristle.
The weapon had attacked him like a mad dog, ruthlessly tearing his body apart. The man’s right arm was torn, and his left side exposed pale ribs.
They fought each other on equal terms, unable to determine who was stronger or weaker. It was a fierce brawl with no clear winner.
Their once solid feet and thighs were now mushy and decaying.
The weapon’s relentless attacks, despite his gruesome state, grew tiresome.
‘He definitely seems closer to death, but I’ll probably be the first to die.’
The weapon thought to himself. And then, he roared.
[Why?! What was all this hatred for…!]
“…Die.”
As the weapon looked at the man holding the blood-stained spear, sensing impending death, a surge of anger coursed through him.
His chest trembled with outrage.
Just one more year!
One year would have been enough for him to become a dragon.
Before ascending to the rank of dragon, he had lived as a spirit for 999 years.
Who would have imagined that such an intense life force could be extinguished by a mere human?
He had quietly lived, not interfering with the flow of cause and effect, not causing any significant disturbances.
Even on a remote island that was not marked on any map, it was difficult for anyone to find their way there. Yet, the madman had arrived and stabbed the weapon in the heart with a spear capable of killing him.
Thus, the weapon, one year away from ascending, met his end.
[Groan…! Damn it…]
The weapon’s decaying flesh was tainted with fresh blood, trickling down from his mouth. Blood flowed and stained his torn body.
‘How pathetic.’
The sensation of life draining away and the chilling coldness engulfed his entire being.
[You wretched bastard.]
Despite the weapon’s strong aura, the man’s presence was ominous.
He desired to vanquish the weapon even if it meant burning up his dying life force.
“Damn it! Is this the end? Am I going to die like this?”
He felt indignant and angry.
The black weapon, already considered ominous, had lived a life without receiving anyone’s recognition.
He didn’t regret it.
The weapon had also lived without associating with them, without seeking to catch anyone’s attention.
He was a revered spirit.
Something that harmed humans.
A being that had cultivated for a thousand years to ascend to the rank of dragon.
Whatever was said about him in the mortal realm was merely the imagination of those who had never truly seen him.
He had never felt the need to resist or be swayed by them, and he naturally paid no attention to them.
Except in exceptional cases, there were no beings who could truly see the weapon.
But now…
‘Is this the price I pay…?’
To die in such a state according to their preconceived notions.
‘What’s the point of thinking about this now?’
The weapon smirked.
[What do I gain from all this?]
He half-mocked himself.
If he took the weapon’s corpse, which was a divine body, he could pass down his arm or scales for generations to come, but this madman would also die here.
In the end, he had become like a weapon, annihilating himself along with the weapon.
The man, whose vision had been blinded, turned his unfocused gaze toward a distant place.
“I only repaid a favor to a benefactor.”
His breath mixed with a sneer, as if he were spitting out his organs.
After exerting excessive power, the man wiped off his white, singed hair and faced the weapon squarely.
Resentment? Desire?
It was neither.
In his eyes, there was a belief that was purer and stronger than anything else.
“Now, is it done, weapon?”
Before the weapon could even ask who he was, he began to lose consciousness.
The excruciating pain from his torn heart and soul was unbearable.
As his body shattered like glass, a sensation of being torn apart engulfed his entire being.
Kwaaaaah!
Finally, the explosion from the weapon’s body swallowed the entire island, erasing even his existence from this world.
He couldn’t gauge how much time had passed.
He couldn’t move his body as he wished, but he was aware of his consciousness, a peculiar situation that lasted for a while.
“It’s frustrating.”
The weapon furrowed his brow.
From where he couldn’t even open his eyes, he sensed the sound of fluid gurgling.
Thump… Thump.
And then, the rhythmic sound of a heartbeat began again.
The weapon perked up his ears, listening to the sound.
“The heart is beating.”
The sound of life in motion.
He halted his attempt to move his body and focused on the palpitations.
“I am alive…”
The fact that life hadn’t ended yet filled him with a bit of excitement.
He mustered his strength and gradually moved his fingers and toes.
A slight twitch, but even feeling that was astonishing.
With all his might, he slowly twisted and wriggled his stiffened body.
How much did he move his body?
Thunk.
His toes touched a solid wall.
It was the same with his fingertips and the tip of his tail—everything was a wall.
“Am I trapped?”
The rough pounding of his heart, now growing rougher due to anger, filled his being.
“How dare they! How dare someone confine a deity!”
The enraged weapon struck the wall with his hand before him.
Thump!
“The wall is intact?”
Naturally, he expected the wall to crumble.
With a wag of his tail, the ground crumbled, but he couldn’t break through the wall with his hand.
“So stubborn!”
He kicked and struck the wall like a madman.
Thunk! Wham! Thwack!
He pounded the wall with all his might, using everything he had to break through.
“Urgh!”
The weapon’s clenched fist hit the shattered wall piece and heaved for breath.
“Just this much!”
He felt a sense of pride at the fact that he had created an opening.
“What a wall!”
Thump! Thump! Thump!
His heart pounded fiercely, filled with anger.
“I won’t sit here and wait. I don’t know when those who imprisoned me will come.”
Holding a piece of broken wall in his hand, he tightly squeezed his palm and concentrated.
“This is my only chance.”
In the absence of any energy flowing through his body, he mustered all his remaining strength for this one attempt.
“Break (破)!”
Thwack! Crash!
The shattered wall fragments and liquid burst outward.
“I did it! I did it!”
He felt a surge of accomplishment upon realizing he had created an escape route.
“Ugh, ugh.”
Having exerted his strength, the weapon trembled and held the broken wall piece, gasping for breath.
“I can’t stay still. I don’t know when those who imprisoned me will arrive.”
Gripping the broken wall piece tightly, he mustered his strength and focused on his trembling legs.
Fresh air filled his nose and mouth as he took a deep breath.
Swish… Ha.
“The air is so refreshing.”
From where the liquid had receded below his waist, he greedily breathed in the energy contained in the dry air.
Feeling revitalized, he, with trembling legs, took a step forward, then another, using all four of his limbs to walk steadily.
