01

As an evil dragon, there are three things I have to do each day: wake up, eat, and clock in for work.

My daily job is to trounce the brave knights who come to challenge me.

If the knight is instantly killed, lunch is just a boxed meal; if it’s a close match, I get an extra drumstick; and if they stage a last-ditch comeback from near death, I enjoy a sumptuous feast at night.

This is currently the continent’s most popular tourist attraction—the Dragon Slayer theme park.

By paying a hefty challenge fee, you can get the chance to challenge the world’s last remaining dragon.

If you cherish your life, you can also buy tickets for yourself and your family to sit in the absolutely safe spectator stands and cheer for my flames and claws (kids under 1.2 meters enter for free).

This performance has been going on for five whole years.

And all this time, I’ve been eagerly waiting for the dragon-slaying teenager to appear.

White, where are you now?

02.

The first time I met White, I was still just an egg.

Perhaps out of curiosity, he took me home and kept me warm by the forge’s bellows.

A month later, I hatched and saw the world for the first time.

“Eh, you look like a pig!”

Seeing me, he had a slightly disappointed but still delighted expression.

It wasn’t his fault; young dragons really do resemble pigs before their first molt.

“From now on, I’ll call you ‘PP.

‘ PP, I’m White, your best friend!

White was a blacksmith’s kid.

His father made a living nailing horseshoes and crafting farm tools.

Although their family wasn’t wealthy, they were comfortably fed.

But after White began taking care of me, their food supplies became tight.

His mother would always grumble, “That pig you’re raising sure can eat! It even eats more than our horse!”

To avoid her complaints, I would diligently swallow anything edible I found outside, almost kicking the bucket a few times because of strange food or being mistaken for a crop thief.

If not for White protecting me, I might never have had the chance to become a dragon.

White’s friends would always tease him about keeping a pig as a pet, and White, unable to bear losing face, would often fight with them.

Don’t be fooled by White’s small stature; he was the son of a blacksmith and had quite a bit of strength.

“Listen to me, don’t underestimate me now, because I’m going to be a dragon slayer one day!”

Dragon slayers were children’s favorite stories.

Legend has it that in a distant land, there was a skilled warrior who had bathed in the River Styx, becoming immortal.

Undaunted by danger, he obtained a dragon-slaying sword and silver armor, ultimately defeating a dragon that had seized a castle, rescuing the princess imprisoned by the dragon, and marrying her.

White idolized dragon slayers more than anyone else.

He begged his father to forge an unsharpened sword for him and asked a retired old knight in the village to teach him horsemanship and swordsmanship, practicing day and night.

However, as White grew older and entered school, his teachers told him that dragonkind had long vanished from the world, and that tales of dragons occupying castles were ancient legends.

“PP, if there are no so-called evil dragons in this world, then what good would it be for me to become a dragon slayer?”

White felt utterly discouraged and very disappointed.

Seeing my best friend become increasingly gloomy, I was also worried, so much so that I couldn’t even eat.

I walked along the riverbank, examining my reflection in the water.

I now had a pair of ugly wings, but my skin was gradually hardening, and signs of horns starting to protrude from my head.

Now, the village kids called me “Flying Pig.”

Right! Wasn’t I a dragon myself? As long as I could become an evil dragon, White’s dream would have meaning! So, that night, I packed a bag of my favorite apples and left that home under the moonlight.

I was going to visit the world’s last remaining dragon.

03

“In the far eastern lands, there is a place called the Caucasus Valley, where it’s said the world’s last evil dragon, Lunasca, resides.”

Dragons have very long lifespans, and I believed that dragon still lived in the Caucasus Valley.

So, I hurried eastward towards the rising sun.

The apples I brought were soon eaten, and I’m not skilled at hunting, often failing to catch even a single rabbit after chasing for hours.

When my hunger became unbearable, I’d think of White, who would always steal apples from the village orchard to feed me.

It turned out that rain was a frequent occurrence too.

Without a place to shelter from the rain, sometimes I had no option but to cuddle up in a mouse or snake’s hole with the shivering creatures for the night.

After over two hundred days of effort, I finally reached the Caucasus Valley, a live volcano with boiling lava seemingly everywhere.

The notorious dragon called Lunasca was residing right at the heart of the active volcano, comfortably snoring in the fiery magma.

“Hello! I want to ask you how to become a legendary dragon!”

“Huh? Little guy, what’s your name, and where did you pop up from?”

Lunasca looked at me with wide eyes.

“I’m PP!”

“PP? That’s not a dragon’s name!”

Lunasca chuckled heartily.

“Tell me, little one, why do you want to become a dragon? If you do, foolish knights will constantly come after you.

Why not live quietly in a hidden valley like me?”

“I’m sorry, but I have a reason that I must become a dragon!”

“Is that so…”

Lunasca appeared thoughtful.

“I can help you, but you need to grow up first.”

And so, Lunasca became my mentor.

It taught me that dragons needed to feed on rocks and minerals; apples alone wouldn’t suffice.

“As a dragon, if you can’t breathe fire, that’s quite a failure,” Lunasca pointed at a sulfur-smelling rock in the volcano and said.

“That’s called saltpeter.

Swallow it, and you’ll be able to breathe fire.”

I started searching for saltpeter daily in the volcano.

They tasted awful, and each time I swallowed a small piece, I had to drink several mouthfuls of water.

“Dragons usually have armor-like scales.

If you die too easily, you won’t become legendary,” Lunasca informed me.

I began using hard obsidian to hone my scales.

After my first molt, the new scales were very small, and many were scraped off by the sharp edges of the rocks, exposing raw red flesh, which made me whine.

“Teeth and tail are a dragon’s mightiest weapons! For those brave knights who dare to bother you, bite their swords in half without hesitation and shatter their shields with your tail!”

I trained in the forest every day.

At first, I could only leave tooth marks on saplings, but later, I could easily snap ancient trees as thick as a bowl.

Dragons grew at an astonishing rate.

Despite being only seven years old, my size was now several dozen times larger than before.

I missed the days when I lay on hay bales with White.

I wonder how White is doing now…

04

In a cave on the volcano, I completed my final molt and grew the wings that dragons took pride in.

With these wings, I could fly to any corner of the world within a day.

This world is vast to humans but tiny to dragons, Lunasca always said.

Now, I finally understood what he meant.

For a dragon, reputation was crucial.

Lunasca chose a town as our target.

At midnight, I landed on the town hall with my massive wings, symbolically breathing fire.

The cavalry guarding the place immediately fled.

The mayor didn’t have time to run and embarrassingly wet his pants.

“Great, mighty dragon! Please, spare me! We’ll give you all our gold and silver…”

Gold and silver? What good were they? I fiercely poked his chest with my claw.

“Give me all your apples!”

The mayor was dumbfounded.

05

I attacked a few more towns.

But no knights came to challenge me.

I was very depressed—why was that? Looking at the apples piling up like a small mountain.

Lunasca sighed, “If you don’t pilfer some gold, who would dare to fight you? Remember, humans risk their lives not just for honor but also for their greed.”

“But gold isn’t edible, and it’s heavy.

It’s a burden wherever you go!”

Lunasca covered its dragon face, apparently annoyed.

“Well, then, at least abduct a beautiful princess.

That way, many knights might come to challenge you!”

Upon hearing Lunasca, that night, I flew to the capital and abducted the princess from her castle tower.

To my surprise, when Lunasca saw the princess, it immediately shook its head.

“This princess won’t do.”

“Why?”

“She’s too plump.”

Hearing our conversation, the princess became furious and started hitting and kicking.

I had no choice but to rush back and send her home.

I went to a few other countries, but Lunasca’s standards for human females were strict.

With just a glance, it would reject every princess I brought back.

“A nose that’s a bit flat.”

“A small chest.”

“A face full of pimples.”

“Her face resembled those of internet celebrities, surgically enhanced.”

“Each of these kidnapped princesses returned home, deeply disappointed.”

Rumors spread that a dragon’s selection made a princess truly beautiful.

As a result, some countries sent envoys with letters, welcoming the dragon to abduct their princesses to prove that theirs was the most beautiful girl in the world.

Whenever I went to a castle, they would play music and set off fireworks, and the king would personally hand over the elegantly dressed princess to me, as if it were a national holiday.

However, Lunasca never gave a positive response.

Following Lunasca’s advice, I hurried to the southern Castle Castor, where a princess with exceptionally rare beauty resided.

Upon hearing that I was coming to kidnap his daughter, the king was delighted and arranged a grand feast for my reception.

“Noble dragon, may I ask your noble title?”

“Hm-hm” —I couldn’t let him know that.

I decided to give myself a fierce and majestic dragon name.

“My name is Hendagosis.”

“Esteemed Hendagosis, I’ll have our nation’s musicians and bards compose glorious epics for you! As long as you ensure my lovely daughter finds a dashing and suitable husband, I’m willing to build a temple in your honor and engrave your image on our country’s most valuable gold coin!”

I uneasily scratched my head.

If the king knew I planned to let a blacksmith’s son marry his daughter, he’d probably kill me, then.

The king brought out the princess, who was indeed a very beautiful young woman.

She gracefully bowed to me.

“Young lady Linda, greetings, Lord Hendagosis.”

Carefully, I placed her on my back and flew back to the volcano.

This time, even the picky Lunasca didn’t comment, perhaps because it was getting tired of it all.

06

The king promptly announced to the realm: Whoever rescued the princess from the legendary dragon, Hendragonus, would marry the world’s fairest princess and inherit the Castor Empire.

News of this spread like wildfire across the continent, thrilling princes, lords, and knights alike.

If even a discerning dragon approved of Princess Linda, she must be a rare beauty! The propaganda was highly effective.

A few days later, a knight, riding a white steed and wielding a rose-tipped lance, appeared.

So handsome was he that even Linda mouthed repeatedly: Choose him, choose him!

Alas, I couldn’t let anyone but White enter the castle, so I firmly swatted the knight with my tail, sending him flying into the woods several kilometers away.

The next challenger was a towering swordsman wielding a colossal sword as tall as himself, which he struck against my neck with full force.

Sadly, after sparks flew from the clash between his blade and my scales, it shattered with a loud snap.

The third and fourth challengers’ faces have blurred in my memory, but they didn’t last more than five minutes.

Once it became clear that one-on-one battles were futile, the warriors started forming teams or even armies.

I repelled them all, systematically destroying their weapons and equipment to dash their hopes.

Initially, Linda eagerly awaited her dragon-slaying hero.

But as the number of failures mounted, she grew weary of the “Dragon-Slaying Marriage Proposal,” nitpicking our lair’s living conditions and throwing tantrums.

Eventually, the king had no choice but to retrieve his daughter temporarily and have Linda dress as Linda’s substitute.

Over time, the area near the volcano transformed into a theme park.

Challengers paid high fees for dragon-challenge tickets and used expensive park-provided supplies, while spectators watched safely from designated areas.

The Dragonslayer vs. Dragon Park quickly became the continent’s top tourist attraction, boosting the king’s wealth and Castor’s GDP.

Business-minded visitors saw opportunities, partnering with the king to build resorts around the park, which eventually evolved into a bustling town.

Nearly every establishment catered to dragon-slaying, including blacksmiths, pharmacies, and several princess-themed clubs.

They all thrived.

Thus, the town was aptly named “Dragon-Slayer Town.”

Years passed, and things changed, yet White never appeared.

Yearning to find him, I requested leave from the king, who reluctantly granted me a one-day break, on the condition that Luanaska fill in for me.

I set off for the village, now unrecognizable.

07

The children from before had grown, and the adults were now elders.

In the familiar blacksmith shop, White’s parents, astonished by my size, greeted me.

“I’m PP, do you remember me? When I was just a hatchling, you took care of me.”

“PP.”

I remember, you were that piggy with such a big appetite!”

They exclaimed.

“Thank you for your kindness.

I’m here looking for White.”

“White has already gone to slay the dragon! He set off a long time ago! We have no idea where he is now!”

A long time ago— but I had never seen him before?! I panicked.

Had White gone to find another dragon? Or had my flames turned him to ashes? Following the clues provided by White’s parents, I started searching for him worldwide.

I even confirmed the names of those valiant warriors who perished challenging me – they were all interred in a monastery outside Dragon Slayer Town, a very costly service, with a minimum charge of 3,000 dinars just for an urn, valid for five years.

Thankfully, White’s name wasn’t among them.

Of course, it could be that he couldn’t afford the steep fees.

Dragging my weary body towards the town, I altered my appearance using Dragon Speech magic to Lindade challengers, planning to wander the city.

As I passed the blacksmith shop, I noticed newly crafted swords and armor displayed on a stall outside, with a sign that read: “White’s Dragon-Slaying Equipment, affordable and top-notch:

Dragon-Slaying Sword – 100 dinars;

Silver Helm and Armor – 90 dinars.

08

White? Just as my jaw dropped in disbelief, White dashed out of the shop, promoting his wares with a merchant’s enthusiasm:

“Sir, which piece of equipment catches your fancy?”

It was truly White!

A knight nudged me aside and pointed at the gear, questioning him, “Do these items actually function? They’re not counterfeit, are they?”

White harrumphed and rolled up his sleeve, pointing to a burn scar from blacksmithing, boasting, “If it weren’t for this equipment, I might not be alive today.”

Hearing this, the knight reached for his gold but was deterred by his companion.

“His gear isn’t as costly as a bottle of ointment in the park.

If it were genuinely effective, he would’ve worn it to slay the dragon himself.

Come on, use your noggin.”

The group chuckled and strolled away.

Witnessing a potential sale slip through his fingers, White couldn’t conceal his disappointment.

I decided not to reveal my identity for the time being, as I wanted to uncover why he abandoned his dream.

09

Upon learning about the dragon’s resurrection, White promptly set off with his meticulously maintained equipment.

However, upon seeing the defeated challengers returning one by one, White began to waver.

“Slaying a dragon can’t be that simple! So many princes and knights have failed, and I’m merely a poor country boy.

Why would Lady Luck favor me?”

He heaved a sigh.

Fortunately, due to the dragon’s destruction of all weapons, the demand for equipment in Dragon Slayer Town was immense, and White’s profession as a blacksmith made him perceive an opportunity.

Thus, White sold his equipment and used the funds to open a blacksmith shop.

Soon after, he encountered a “princess” in a bar and promptly tied the knot.

But their joy was short-lived.

Due to the park’s contentious regulations facing scrutiny and resistance, the old king had to yield – allowing challengers to bring their own weapons but mandating the use of the park’s proprietary medicine and supplies.

This led to a downturn in White’s business.

“Why don’t you try slaying the dragon with your equipment? It was your lifelong dream!”

“Forget it, equipment doesn’t come for free? Treatment doesn’t cost money? Just the challenge fee alone is enough to break the bank.

Sir, if you’re not purchasing anything, can you please not hinder my business? If I can’t sell these today, my wife will make me kneel on the washboard.”

10.

I recounted what I had witnessed to Luanaska.

The old dragon let out a sigh, “This is the sadness of being human.

“Once people realize the gap between their dreams and reality, they easily compromise with the latter, even when they’re standing right at the doorstep of their dreams.”

“So, what purpose does it serve me becoming a dragon then?”

I sat down, on the verge of tears.

Eva consoled me by stroking my scales.

“In this age, there aren’t many legends or fairy tales left.

You’ve successfully revived the tale of the dragon and the hero.

To those living in this world, you’re the final glimmer of dreams and miracles.”

Luanaska smiled, a rare sight.

“Given that you’re a dragon, you should take responsibility and let the heroes defeat you!”

11.

Dragon Hendagosis, after abducting Princess Linda of Castor, finally succumbed to the sword of a prince nearly five years later.

Before him, three thousand one hundred and sixty-nine warriors, each skilled in combat, had been vanquished by the dragon.

Yet, this prince seemed indeed favored by the Goddess of Fortune, Not only dodged the dragon’s flames and claws but also piercing its obsidian-hard scales!

In his interview, the prince declared passionately, “It was because my profound love for Princess Linda was known to all that I received the gods’ protection.”

Of course, my triumph was largely due to this sword!”

The journalist’s face lit up with excitement.

“Was this the fabled Dragon-Slaying Sword?”

“Indeed! This sword, crafted by the renowned blacksmith White, is affordable and high-quality.

It’s yours for a mere five hundred dinars!”

12.

Despite the defeat of Hendagosis, Dragon Slayer Town thrived.

Business boomed at White’s forge, and he even acquired a factory to mass-produce “Dragon-Slaying Swords.”

Oddly, none of these ‘Dragon-Slaying Swords’ were honed.

Thus, rumors spread that true mastery lay in subtlety! In reality, White lacked the time to hone the metal rods, and since the swords had no practical use, their stories had ended.

The victorious prince, already betrothed to Linda since childhood and hailing from a wealthy family, proposed thirty cities and a fortune of one hundred million gold coins as a dowry, securing the park’s rights.

The old king nodded in approval.

The day after their nuptials, the prince began penning works like “The Prince’s Struggle,” “How to Cultivate Dragon-Slaying Skills,” and “Three Years of Dragon Slaying, Five Years of Practice.”

As writing was a slow process, Linda passed the time shopping.

Back in the tranquil Caucasus Valley, Luankasca lounged in the bubbling lava, enjoying its favorite pastime.

I scratched an itch on the back of my neck; fortunately, the “Dragon-Slaying Sword” wasn’t very sharp, causing only a small wound, but the itch could be unbearable at times.

For a dragon, reaching that spot was no easy feat.

I had to lie on my side so that Eva could climb onto me to scratch the itch.

“Isn’t it great that everyone’s happy?”

“Yes!”

Eva finally reached the scabbed wound, and I hummed contentedly.

Bards would keep singing the legend of dragon slaying, and White enjoyed a blissful life.

Yet, without a purpose, I felt adrift.

“For dragons, our lengthy lives can sometimes be burdensome,” Luankasca smiled.

“So, how do dragons usually pass the time?”

“All sorts of things.

For instance, I pass the time by taking lava baths,” Luankasca pointed to the nearby lava pool.

“You can use that if you want.”

“I don’t want to take baths every day!”

“Is that so? Well, most dragons choose to transform into human form and travel on foot.”

“Travel on foot.

That sounds interesting!”

“Eva, let’s set off right now!”

“Yeah!”

The End