《Reincarnated as dragon》


 Is this really a baby dragon?

    "What in the nine hells is going on?!" A hatchling dragon scrambled across a field of shattered stone, his gleaming amber eyes wide with panic. The desolate landscape stretched endlessly around him, amplifying Zephyr¡¯s terror¡ªand a strange, flickering curiosity.


    He shook debris from his obsidian-scaled body, staring at the rocky fragments beneath his claws.Eggshells?His mind reeled.Since when do creatures hatch from stone? Am I some kind of¡­ rock-born Monkey King?


    A worse question clawed at him: Why washehere, encased in a petrified egg? Had he¡­crossed worlds?


    His back twitched. With an instinctive flex, a pair of slate-gray wings unfurled from his shoulders. Zephyr craned his neck to examine his transformed body¡ªclawed limbs, armored hide, and wings shimmering with the same mineralized texture as the eggshells.


    A dragon.


    The hatchling flopped onto the cold ground, staring blankly at the crimson dawn. Well. It had happened. And in some bizarre way¡­ this didn¡¯t feel entirelybad.


    Sleep. If this is a dream, I¡¯ll wake. If not¡­


    <hr>


    When Zephyr stirred, the sun hung low on the horizon. His claws¡ªstill very muchnothuman hands¡ªgleamed faintly in the twilight. Hunger gnawed at his belly.Typical hatchling problems, he mused bitterly.Where are my so-called parents, anyway? Leaving a newborn in this wasteland¡­


    His gaze drifted to the stone shards nearby¡ªhis "eggshells." Despite their rocky texture, an irrational craving surged.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    If it¡¯s edible¡­ stone be damned.


    The crunch of mineralized shell echoed through the gathering dark.


    "Stay sharp! That thieving wyrm¡¯s nearby!" growled Sander, a grizzled mercenary, his hand tightening on the greatsword strapped to his back.


    "Oh, relax, old man," drawled a pale-skinned noble youth. "The dragon hasn¡¯t hurt anyone. We¡¯re just here for the spectacle!"


    Idiots, Sander seethed. These spoiled aristocrats had only heard half the guild¡¯s warnings. True, the dragon hadn¡¯t drawn blood¡ªyet. But it had a habit of relieving travelers of their valuables.


    Most avoided provoking wyrmlings. Their mothers tended to take offense. Yet here these fools were, treating a apex predator like a tavern oddity.


    A primal dread prickled Sander¡¯s spine. The forest around Thunderpeak Ridge was unnervingly silent¡ªno birds, no insects. Only the weight of a predator¡¯s gaze.


    Too late to turn back.He¡¯d stashed all valuables save his sword. The job¡¯s pay would cover the loss¡ª


    A vine snaked from the shadows, yanking him upside-down into the air.


    "The dragon!!" the nobles shrieked, their excitement eclipsing sense.


    Morons.Sander thrashed in his bindings.Insulting a dragon to its face? Pray its mother isn¡¯t listening.


    Trees shuddered as a shadow emerged¡ªlarger than Sander remembered. The dragon¡¯s obsidian scales drank in the moonlight, its slit-pupiled eyes freezing the nobles mid-breath. Two girls collapsed, their leather skirts darkening with fear.


    By the gods, Sander thought.It¡¯s nearly doubled in size since last moon.


    "Foolish mortals!!" The dragon¡¯s roar shook the forest¡ªthough the words blurred into guttural growls.


    "U-Uncle Sander!" A trembling noble girl stammered. "Is that¡­Draconic?"


    The mercenary shook his head. True dragons spoke only after adolescence. Yet this creature¡­


    Zephyr flicked a claw, disarming a guard. He hoisted a squealing noble girl by her collar, stripping her of jewels with practiced ease. "Robbery hour," he declared in Mandarin¡ªa language none understood.


    The humans stared, bewildered.


    This, Zephyr decided,is going to be fun.

 There will definitely be no next time.

    Inside a cave, Zephyr, returning with a pile of loot, lightly scratched his claws against an unfinished tally mark on the wall, adding another stroke. Counting the strokes, there were now thirty-one.


    Sitting on a rock, chin resting on his dragon claw, he fell into a thoughtful daze. It had been half a year since he arrived in this world. Apart from the language barrier, he had mostly adapted to life here. His size grew rapidly, like he was fed some miraculous growth supplement. The long growth cycles typical for dragons in novels or games seemed not to apply to him.


    The consequence of rapid growth meant Zephyr needed to periodically expand his cave digs.


    In the early months, he worried about being targeted by genuine dragon slayers due to his ''dragon'' identity. Instead, he encountered only a group of self-proclaimed ''dragon slayers'', characterized by their poor skills but excellent equipment and wealth!


    Looking through today''s loot, there were some jewelry emitting unknown energies. After witnessing someone cast fireballs, Zephyr knew these items weren''t ordinary; they must be magical artifacts, though he didn''t know how to use them and left them aside.


    Another type of loot included armor and weapons, followed by gold and silver coins. Lastly, Zephyr stared at two small, damp items hanging from his claw, falling into brief silence. How did such things end up in his loot? Perhaps it was because... one dragon lived too lonely?


    Should he emulate other dragons in stories and capture a princess or two for company? Shaking off the water, he tossed them onto his bed, deciding to use them as bedding!


    Looking down at his claws, he decided to stay put for now. Encountering powerful opponents could spell disaster for him. Scratching the nearby black stone with his claw, sparks landed on prepared tinder, illuminating his dragon face.


    In a town below Tot Mountain, residents were accustomed to seeing the ragged return of ''dragon slaying'' teams after raids. Such scenes happened several times daily. Thanks to the young dragon, this remote town gradually gained more attention.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    "Ugh, Bina, do you think we''ll ever get married?" Judy, walking awkwardly with a red face, whispered to the girl ahead, equally flustered. They regretted their impulsive decision to challenge the dragon. True to rumors, the dragon didn¡¯t kill but...


    "Shh! Keep it down! Only we know about this!" Bina covered Judy''s mouth under the puzzled gaze of Sand and the other nobles. "I''ve decided, we''ll train hard and once we defeat that lecherous dragon, no one will know what happened."


    "But... can we win?" Thinking of the dark dragon effortlessly knocking out their elite guards with a flick of its finger, Judy felt immense pressure. "Maybe we should just let it go, it¡¯s just underwear..."


    "Not just underwear, it''s a matter of honor! We can''t let it slide." Bina clenched her teeth, utterly humiliated. Watching their undergarments stolen by the dragon was unforgettable, despite the dragon''s courtesy in taking them elsewhere for the act.


    "Well then, Bina, good luck?" Judy said weakly.


    "You? No way! To keep this secret, you have to join me!" Bina was firm.


    "Though unpleasant, you both made it back safely. Our contract is fulfilled," Sand said at the mercenary guild branch, clearing his throat. "We may work together again if the opportunity arises!"


    Seeing their terrified faces, Sand knew there wouldn¡¯t be a next time.


    Handing over his badge and submitting his mission report, Sand asked the receptionist quietly, "Is that really a young dragon?"


    "Of course, it''s definitely a young dragon."


    "...How old is that information?" Recalling the dragon¡¯s size today, Sand felt frustrated. Young dragon? Yours is that big already!?


    The receptionist consulted a booklet, "Five months ago. According to dragon growth rates, this information remains valid for five years."


    "But the dragon I saw today looked more like a juvenile..."


    "That feedback has been noted, and we¡¯re investigating. You can take on related investigation missions to expedite the process." Looking at the task list, Sand considered.


    The mission involved determining the young dragon¡¯s exact status and, if possible, locating its mother for a fivefold reward. Despite everyone believing the mother dragon secretly protected the young one, she hadn¡¯t appeared yet.


    Was there really a mother protecting it?


    "No, I need to rest for two days." Sand declined, shaking his head. Taking this mission wasn¡¯t worth risking his life, especially after earning a considerable sum. He¡¯d consider it once his funds dwindled.


    "Huh? What are they looking for?" Peeking out of his cave, carefully concealing the entrance, Zephyr found a hidden spot. Using his enhanced vision, he spotted several sneaky figures near his lair!


    Flapping his wings slightly, Zephyr felt conflicted. With rapid growth, his wings became broader and thicker, capable of generating strong winds but unable to fly!


    No matter how hard he tried, he could only glide. Concluding that flying required specific techniques, and as a human soul inhabiting a dragon body, he struggled to master them... Self-consolation helped.


    Glancing back at his cave, his most crucial hideout, imagining hordes of ''dragon slayer'' teams constantly besieging his home...


    After silently moving away from the cave, Zephyr roared towards the sneaky figures.


    "Roar roar roar!! ~Burp..."