Reincarnated As A Dragon

As the winter in Japan intensified, the surroundings gradually turned cold. Pieces of snowflakes floated about and landed effortlessly on my metal window pane. Gleaming as it bounced the light that was coming from my dimly lit bed lamp. However, rather than staring at those fluffy white structure, I'm on for a bigger mission.

BLING!

My smartphone bleeped. I picked it up from the bedside shelf and glanced briefly at the clock; 2.15 a.m. Scoffing at the late time, because I don't care, I unlocked the phone's touchscreen by swiping my thumb on it's cold and slippery surface. Immediatlely after unlocking my screen, notifications popped out like mushrooms after rain. I clicked my tongue in exasperation and started my hunt for one notification, the only notification that I wanted to see.

"There it is!" My eyes lit up when it saw a single pink notification bar among all those white notifications. I quickly sat up, crossing my legs along the way as I tapped on the notification. A loading screen for a novel app appeared for a few seconds-enough for me to cover myself with my thick blanket to protect me from the cold-before it loaded the homescreen for the app. Then I squealed.

"It's here!" I squealed again. This time I grasped the phone tight on my chest and rolled on the bed in excitement for several rounds, squealing and kicking the cold air vigorously. I sat back up after some time, and after feeling a numb sensation across my feet. I brought the phone screen to my face and took another few more seconds to stare at the screen. There-reflected in my eyes-was none other than the new update for my favorite romance novel "The Evil Villainness is My Lover". It was my first ever book since I downloaded this novel app, and it has been my favorite ever since.

It tells the story of Carter, the son of a poor farmer in the countryside. Because of how penniless they are, they have to sell Carter-who's an 18 years old that year-to the capital to work as a guard. His change started when the horse cart that brought him and 12 other village kids got ransacked by a goblin. Every single one of them died except Carter who managed to escape into the forest.

Inside the forest, he spent several days trying to find food and water, but finally gave up when he have little to none survival knowledge. He was saved-however-by none other than the evil protagonist herself, Minerva Lyle Williams. Deciding to bring Carter home, she never knew that's when her love story with him began. I squealed again when I remembered the storyline, I'm not even reading the latest chapter yet but here I am destroying my vocal cords. I'm lucky that my parents allowed me to live alone in Tokyo because of my studies. If not, I'll have to stay in my hometown in the region of Osaka where the internet connection is scarce.

I gathered myself and blew a sigh, trying to calm my nerve down. Then, pressing the "PAY WITH COINS" button, the screen loaded again for a moment, before the chapter unlock. I fumbled my toes, reading the chapters intently as the atmosphere quieted down.

The other reason why I was so excited for the newest chapter was, it stopped at a good part where another new character is introduced. It was a mythical dragon, named as Clairmont but people called him Harbinger of Chaos, Rodrigar. Even though he's just introduced in about a few chapters, somehow, he immediately became my favorite. I don't know how should I put it, but maybe I'm attracted by how the author managed to explain his appearance in detail; a dark skin tone, piercing golden eyes with a spiraling red around it's cornea, tall stature, and leanly muscular body. The author also stated in their notes that Clairmont looked like an Arabic prince, but for me, he's like a beautiful being, having a perfect feature that's blessed by the author who created him.

My lips formed a smile in awe as I read this new chapter. It was at the part where Carter secretly formed a pact with Clairmont so he could gain more power to stand side by side with Minerva. Then, after a few more plotlines, the chapter ended.

I heaved a sighed of satisfaction, and maybe a little bit of regret? Because I have to wait for another three days for the new chapter to be uploaded. It was jarring, but for a story this good, I'm willing to wait. I laid back onto my bed, daydreaming about the day I'll be able to meet Clairmont, or even every character in this story.

A bright light suddenly flashed into my room. I jolted in surprise, and automatically shielded my eyes with one of my hands as I crouched down to the bed. The light disappeared soon after, replaced with a gentle sound of chattering.

"Ricky, I told you not to prematurely chant the spells and immediately enter the portal. What do you think will happen if your body get disjointed?" A smooth-thin but masculine at the same time-voice said in a low tone, as if scolding someone.

"What? We usually do it like that, don't we?" Another voice-more deeper and huskier than the first one-retorted.

"Yes. That is if we entered a portal with the rarity purple and above. There's still a risk in entering carelessly into a blue portal like this one." The first voice corrected.

I slowly lowered my hands. I'm afraid, but their human-like voice caught my interest in wanting to see their face. I gasped in shock after I caught the sight of both of them.

One guy, Oh My God... Possessed the beauty that I've never seen in anyone before, not even in the Miss universe in my university, or not even in any idol that I've seen and admired before. His beauty is his own; round eyes that lined with long and curled eyelashes, a shining grey eyes-like the color of the moon, the perfect features of his face, and chest-length dark blue sparkly hair, looking almost like the night sky. I squinted my eyes, trying to eye his other features that I couldn't determine clearly because of our distance. I'm staring too hard that I didn't realize that the two of the have spotted me hiding behind my blanket.

"Uh-" He paused, eyes fluttering from the obvious confusion shown on his face. "Excuse me?" He greeted in English, in which I took time to understand because I'm not too fluent in that Western language.

I jolted.

"Y-Yes...?" I replied in a tiny voice, slightly wary of them and their sudden appearance. I paused again for a few seconds solely thinking for words to describe my question that I have in mind, translated in English. I finally gave up when the other guy who's beside the beauty stood forward, aligning his higher shoulder with him. He looks very different from the first guy-who is elegant. At a glance, I swore I saw a lion beside that beautiful guy, not a human. He also posses a beauty of his own-all of them in a form of vigor. His slightly thick brows were paired with his eagle shaped eyes. The irises are golden like his short layered cut hair that was styled neatly, his golden bangs brushed on behind his ears. As he stood beside that grey eyed guy, his body is more muscular than him, a broad shoulder that indicates a person who's a protecter, and stunned every people that saw him.

Including me.

"W-Who are you guys?" I asked in my mother tongue, Japanese. Upon realizing what I said, I covered my mouth, eyes darted in between them awkwardly as I gradually feel shy.

"So you're Japanese, huh?" He suddenly spoke with a fluent Japanese as he weaved a smile at me.

"Eh?" My eyes lit up.

"You can understand Japanese?!" I remarked.

"We both can, actually." The golden haired guy gently scrathed the back of his head.

My eye sparkled with excitement, before soon after, turned into a scrutinizing look. "...Breaking into someone else's house is a crime, you know? I can call a police if I want." I raised my phone.

The two of them shot me a strange look, like they didn't understand what's the threat for them even if I called the police. The dark blue haired guy caned his chin, his other hand rested on his hips.

"...I'm sorry for tresspassing into your house. I actually want to ascertain something with you." He explained, still using a fluent Japanese that amazes me every time I heard them. He sounded like he had lived in Japan for a long time, given how fluent he speak.

The three of us then sat on the wide space in front of my bed that I made as a small living room. Because I lived alone with my parents' allowance, I don't want to burden them by having to pay my rent in a bigger place, so I rented a 6 tatami mat apartment. Simply put, it's a small apartment room with thin walls and a lot of flaws. But the room is cheap, so I scraped by with everything to make the room inhabitable.

Before inviting them to sit, I pushed any comic books and magazines that were scattered on the floor onto the side and gave the two of them a zabuton, a small pillow used as a sitting place. Surprisingly, the two of them also knew how to sit properly on a zabuton, which again raised my sense of respect for them. Though, I had to work a bit harder just to host two massive people which I guessed their height at about 6.4 foot to 7.1 foot. If these two people were to step on the 5.1 foot me, I think I'd probably die.

"I'm sorry, I only have green tea." I served a tray filled with two cups of hot tea.

"It's okay.We're grateful for your hospitality." The dark blue haired guy smiled. I have an inkling that he'll be my next favorite stan. Well, if he's proven to be a normal person and not a weirdo who appeared out of nowhere.

He carefully lifted the cup and handed it to the golden haired guy.

"Here, hold it like this." He motioned to the other guy with his hands-one hand supporting the bottom of the cup while the other one hold it's body.

"Like this?" The other guy reaffirmed, doing exactly as the first guy's instruction. Seeing them conversing to tenderly with each other heightened my bromance sense. My imagination suddenly ran wild and I giggled all by myself. My shameless act gained the dark blue haired guy's attention.

"What's wrong, miss?"

I immediately shook my head a no. "Nothing. Go on, have some tea."

He accepted my offer and the two of them sipped the tea almost simultaneously. My bromance radar pinged again.

Gosh, if they continue being this close, I won't be able to see them as mere friends anymore.

"Again, we're sorry for suddenly barging into your house this late. My name is Noel Kieran, and this is my partner, Ricky Kruger." He motioned to the guy named Ricky, who was enjoying the tea, now to it's fullest.

I nodded in understatement. Now that I heard their names, I'm convinced that the two of them were foreigners, a fluently Japanese speaking foreigners.

"Ah, my name is Suna Mikiya-" I paused.

...Did he just say partner?

"...Are you guys a couple?" Oops, my mouth slipped, but I really wanna ask that.

Contrary to my expectation-which I thought they'd panicked out or something-Noel chuckled to my question, as he calmly responded, "We're not. Me and Ricky are partners who ventured together between worlds."

...Partner what?

"What?" I fluttered my eyes. I think I heard it wrongly before, but did he said ventured between worlds? An idea sparked inside my mind, sending synapses all through my body, making my mouth curve into a grin and my body shuddered.

"Don't tell me, a transgressor?"

I asked. He nodded a yes as a response, earning a WOW from me.

"Awesome!"

He chuckled, while Ricky placed the cup on top of the kotatsu-a low table equipped with heater and a thick and soft futon closing in between the legs.

"I'm impressed that you didn't get surprised by us."

"Of course! It's my dream to meet with a transgressor! I knew they were out there somewhere." I heaved a determined sigh as I clenched one of my hand into a fist.

He briefly glanced at Ricky and the two of them seemed to exchange glances. Seriously, I feel like there's more to them than just being a travel partner. It's like they both understand each other without saying a word.

"Well then, you must know that every trangressor's goal in venturing into another world is to seek for something, right?"

"Indeed!" I answered enthusiastically. I've read countless of manga and novels with transgression as the theme, and if not to have a laid back life, the protagonists will always have a destination inside their mind-what they wanna do and what they wanna achieve.

I guess Noel and Ricky were also the same. Them venturing into other worlds to achieve their goal, and I'm excited to be their assist in their search.

"How may I help you with your goal?"

Noel paused, looking like he's hesitating.

"This might be too much to ask, but do you by any chance, stumbled upon an orb-a black an white colored one like Feng Shui-anywhere?" His tone sounded unexpecting. But I hate to break this to him, so I said, "I do found it, you know?"

One evening, I was sauntering my way to the convenience store after my classes in the university ended, when I saw something shining from behind the bushes. Curious, I inched closer to take a better look and saw a white and black medium sized glass ball that fits inside my hand. I contemplated, whether to bring the ball back home or not. But the air was too chilly and the snow started to fall down, so I made a quick decision to bring the glass ball with me back home.

I'm glad that I did.

Back to the present, Noel and Ricky threw me with a look of disbelief.

"What?" Noel stuttered, his mouth slightly agape. I gave a nod before digging through a cloth stash that was on my bed. Then, fumbling my hand inside that stash, I pulled out a glass ball, it's condition is the same as when I first found it.

Suddenly something struck me, a sense of danger that built up inside my mind stating that these two people with me were probably dangerous people or something, and their intentions upon getting the glass ball is unknown.

I turned to my back to look at them, my light brown pupil darted between their figures.

"Are you guys really good people?"

Noel fluttered his eyeslashes in confusion, while Ricky narrowed his eyes in a judging look.

"What makes you think we're good people?" Ricky suddenly spoke his mind, which in return, received a shoulder pat from his partner.

"Ricky, don't. This is not the time for you to throw Higher Order Thinking questions to people."

"What, she asked?"

"And she just simply ask. Let me talk, okay?" Noel then patted Ricky on his cheek.

"Alright. Having a sense of alarm in you is a good sign, which mean you wanted to maintain your well-being, but I can assure you that we're not bad people." He smiled.

My eyes squinted, still judging the pair. Though honestly, I really couldn't see which part of them that looked like they're bad people. Unless the two of them were a cosplayer or anything-Noel with his customized white garment that I've never seen anywhere before, making me think that he's an angel, while Ricky wore an also specialized black garment, like an outfit of a king that I saw in one of my favorite webtoon-their outfits were pretty normal looking for me.

Again I said, "You REALLY sure that you're not a bad people?"

Noel chuckled. "I'm pretty much sure myself."

Suspicious. Noel sounded too much like that one sincere kid in my course while Ricky sounded like a boisterous bully. They both look unmistakably intelligent though.

I still hesitated, but it's not like I have the power to stop them from doing anything given that they're able to cross worlds and stuffs. "...Here you go." I gradually handed him the magic ball before sitting back on my zabuton. Upon receiving it in his hands, Noel stared at the ball unblinked-in awe-before handing it to Ricky.

"Thank you so much for trusting us, and also for your help. You saved us a lot of time." Noel smiled, a dimple formed on both of his porcelain cheeks as he did. Meanwhile, Ricky glanced only briefly at the ball, before the ball suddenly disappeared from his hand. I again mouthed another WOW.

"Thank you." Ricky threw me a half smile.

Soon after that, the two of them excused themselves, saying that they should go and they're sorry for disturbing me. I waved my hands, denying them. Well, I don't mind having my personal time disturbed if kind and gorgeous people like them visited. I still hoped that they're good people though.

"Oh, right."

Noel turned to look at me just before they exited through the entrance door.

"As a payment for helping us, is there anything that you wanted?" He said. A thought sprung from inside of my mind and I scurried to my bed to take my phone. Treading across the room, I stopped about a meter away from Noel and showed the novel in front of his face.

"This! I want to go into this novel!" I said enthusiastically.

Noel and Ricky exchanged a look, probably feeling weirded out of me. Somehow, Noel pulled my phone from my hand and scrolled through the chapters.

"Oh, this. Is this the story about an evil woman marrying a poor farmer's child? And they grow their influence together?" He summed.

"Yes it is! How do you know?"

"I've read them before, but just a few chapters..." He scrolled down, seeking the newer chapters.

"Wait..." Ricky's eyebrow creased.

"You read novels, Noel?" He's asking the obvious.

"Well, most of us do."

Ricky paused. "But I thought you only read ancient scriptures?"

Noel drifted his gaze away from the screen and rolled his eyes, an exasperated sigh escaped his mouth. "Ricky, my love. The definition of seeking knowledge isn't limited to reading only the old books and records. They can also be gained by you reading modern stuffs like this."

Ricky mouthed an OH. He looked like he just understand something. Though, I'm curious of those ancient scriptures that they talked about.

And their intimate words.

"Anyway, I believe I've passed through this dimension once before."

His words managed to gain my interest. I looked at him with sparkly eyes. "Seriously? This world exist?"

"Every world inside novels exist."

Noel continued to scroll. He stopped at the last line from the newest chapter that I just read, and snickered. "Clairmont, huh? Interesting." He mumbled.

"So, what will it be?" He returned the phone to me while raising his slightly thin brows. "Visiting or reincarnation?"

I shuddered at the word reincarnation.

"You...You can reincarnate people?"

"Once or twice. And the range depends on my Mana." I suddenly saw Ricky's hand sneaking onto Noel's shoulders, his glancing eyes glinted with a feeling of concern.

"But are you sure you want to reincarnate? Because you'll leave everything behind, you know?" He motioned to my living space and my things-my manga and novel, my favorite novel; everything. I started to ponder. If I were to reincarnate now, I won't be able to see the ending for the novel "The Evil Villainness is My Lover", but I'm already at the climax, and I don't think I'll stumble upon this opportunity anywhere else anymore.

"Ah. How about you give me some special perk or something? You know, like the ones in the reincarnation novel where the main character posses an amazing power or something."

"Oh.. That sound's fun." He nodded while caning his chin.

"And what do you want to be?"

Here comes the question!

"I want to be something majestic! Like the last boss or something. Something that make people stare at you in awe when you appeared." I rambled. My request sounded preposterous. If I wanted to be the last boss I might as well be a demon king, but in the novel "The Villainness is My Lover", there's this one character called Aiden Mikael, an angel trascended from heaven who was in love with the second female lead, the kind and cheerful girl, Rosaria.

Since the beginning of his introduction, I've been raring to also posses his beauty. Because, I'm just a common university girl with dark brown hair and a normal looking eyes. I wondered what it feels like to be beautiful, to be looked upon in awe and to be secretly admired, like the angel and these two figures in front of me.

"So you want to be majestic, huh? I see. Then, how about your ability?"

"You can decide on that one, but I wanted to at least have an online shopping store."

He suddenly chuckled. "What? Are you trying to be like that one adventurer who posses an online shopping power and ventured throughout the world while having a big dog, slime and a small dragon with him?"

My eyes lit up again. "You've read that one?"

"Of course. I love laid back adventure stories."

The phone suddenly bleeped.

"Oh, excuse me." I switched it off, which was actually my alarm clock. The time is showing 4 am on it.

"We really should get going. It's almost dawn." Ricky reminded.

Noel gazed at him and nodded as a response.

"Give me a few moment, Miss Suna." He lifted both of his hands and brought it to his chest. As he closed his eyes, the room again was lit by a blinding light coming from his hands. I was bracing the probability that he might instantly reincarnate me into another world and closed my eyes. However, after a few moments, rather than me appearing in another space, I was still standing inside my room while in my usual pajama. The only difference that the earlier light made was a pendant that appeared in his hands out of nowhere.

"Here." He dangled the pendant in front of me. It was a teardrop shaped, equipped with black straps and the substance that was used to make this pendant is soft, like rubber.

"When you're ready to reincarnate, break this pendant. It will immediately bring you into the world you want. However, you must be quick, because this pendant has it's own expiry date." Noel informed, his smile looked a bit fatigued.

"Expiry date? When was that?"

Noel pondered. "In about three weeks from now?"

I pondered. This is the first time I saw someone giving time for the reincarnator to spend their last days in their original world. A lot of story line plot indicates an instant transfer, which made the main character in either in denial or clueless. But I guess giving time also interrupts the thrill.

I thanked the two of them again, bowing my upper body as low as I can to show my respect. They waved me a goodbye, before leaving through the door. I stared briefly at the pendant, and dashed to the door to see them off the apartment complex, but they're gone, completely without a trace.

***

My encounter with Noel Kieran and Ricky Kruger the wanderer pair was not a dream. That, I can ascertain them myself.

To make sure that my reincarnation went well, I finished all my thesis that the lecturer gave me, hang out with my friends, and cherished the few days visit to my hometown, while also saying how much I love my family and how grateful I am for them. Although weirded out, my father was the happiest to hear his youngest daughter loving confession and ordered a high class meat from his farmer friend to have a barbeque, a few nights before I return back to Tokyo.

I was at the railway station, when I hesitated. Won't my family feel sad when I'm gone? And what about my friends? I know I'm the most quiet in my circle, but I do have friends that share the same interest with me.

I paused, when I saw the novel again. The novel, which has stretched into a few hundred episode and was nearing it's end, was my company for all these years of my life. I sat down on one of the benches and started reading again, this time from the start.

By the time I realized my surroundings, they've already announced the arrival of the last train in about a few minutes. I switched off the phone, resolute with my decision. I switched my phone off and adjusted my scarf around my neck. Walking onto the line with everybody else who just returned from work, I hold the pendant tightly in my hand.

Another announcement of an upcoming train that didn't stop at my station came through. As the siren wailed and the said train fastly approaching, I darted from the platform, passing through the safety line, and straight onto the train's front.

The first sensation that I felt after I gained my consciousness is how hard and rocky the floor is. The small rubble kept on rubbing my cheeks that it became scratchy I almost want to throw a tantrum. I grunted, trying to lift my body to scold the dust. My body felt strangely heavy, and strangely seeping with some energy that I don't know. I squinted my eyes to perceive my surrounding.

In my eyes, the place I'm in looks like a dimly lit cave, only the light that comes from a hole located far above me is my source of light.

"Where am I?" I mumbled.

I suddenly froze when I heard my own voice. They were feminine, but echoing like I'm some kind of huge animal-different from my original voice-which was small and thin. Covering my mouth, I noticed that something sharp is scraping my skin. I glanced at my hand and my eyes widen in horror. My fingers... They were SCALY! And the nails were definitely not that of a human, it looked more like a reptile's claw. I fumbled on my own face. My Lord...My whole face is scaly. Then I touched my head, it was bald. I gasped in terror.

"You're kidding me, right?!" My cries sounded like a behemoth wanting to destroy the world. I weeped in agony, shrinking myself at the corner of the cave.

While weeping for a few minutes, I'm actually a little bit glad that I successfully reincarnated and didn't die a useless death. To be honest, I was scared of wanting to jump to the train track while the train is coming through. The reason as to why I did that was easy. I, want to reincarnate, but can I just disappear like that when I have people who cherished me? Of course not, right?

To add to the reason, my family consists of my parents who were a police officer and a detective respectively. They're gonna search for me, until the ends of the world, if I disappeared without a trace and without any prove that I died. So it's better to die while many people looking, because it'll provide alibi that I've passed away and no longer am available in my old world.

That's it. It's as simple as that. It's just I've never knew how nerve wrecking the feeling of wanting to commit suicide is. I might not be like those people who willfully wanted to let themselves be killed-the lifeless one who gave up on their life because of stress and something else, I'm one of those who cherished my life.

I finished my weeping, and heaved a sigh. Well, I guess being a winged scaly figure is better than crossing River Styx, for now that is. That being said, I'm still going to file a complaint to that couple for turning me into a dragon. I did say that I wanted to be a majestic creature that made people stare in awe of me, but at this rate, won't they just ran away without a second glance?

I grumbled and repeatedly clenched my claw hands into a fist. For the account, I'm satisfied by how they designed me to be; a shiny, healthy lapiz lazuli scales, a strong tail with prominent ice-like thorns at the end of it, and most importantly, I possessed two pair of wings! I stared at it's white beautiful webs that displayed like a decoration of ice on it. They're a bit burdensome though, because they're big. I really wished that I have a mirror to look at myself, I must've look like a bald lizard or something.

"Alright. Now what should I do." I mumbled after praising my features. I remembered saying that I want to be bestowed with skills, so there must be some ways for me to access the menu, right? Like in many reincarnation mangas? I started to fumble the air in front of me. If Noel was true in giving me abilities, I should be able to access my status window that said what am I and my name.

"Uh... Status... Status window?" A hologram window appeared before me. Oh sweet, Noel really give me a game-like ability.

I scrolled my status.

NAME: SUNA

RACE: ILDIAN DRAGONOID

AGE: 1021

LEVEL: 999

TITLE: TRANSGRESSOR, GLUTTON, READER

SKILL: ONLINE STORE

Hm.

I've really became the last boss, huh?

I ignored my HP and MP because the numbers ached my eyes, including my multiple connected attribute that I don't know even what's the use was for.

Rather than that, I'm more interested in my skills, ONLINE STORE. Like the adventurer who ventured with his dog, slime and dragon companion, I clicked the name, and another window displaying an online store appeared before me. I scrolled the window to make sure that it was a legit store.

Suddenly, I heard a bling from inside my head and saw a message icon popped up at the uppermost corner of the status window. I relocated the online store window to the side to see what the message is.

Clickling the icon, another window popped up in front of me.

CONGRATULATIONS!

READER BONUS:

THE EVIL VILLAINNESS IS MY LOVER CHAPTER 1-135

PROGRESS: (0/135)

"Eh? Isn't this my favorite novel that I read back then?" I tapped on the name, and the chapters appeared in front of me, all summed up to chapter 135, where I last read before I reincarnated. I giggled happily, glad that I'm able to read it here even though I'm no longer back at my old world. However, I guess I won't see the end, because chapter 135 still tells the part where Minerva got kidnapped by some Demon Lord because he loved her. For those who're wondering what genre "The Evil Villainness id My Lover" is, it solely revolves around romance. Yeah, I know. The character is epic and all, but all of them were to attract the readers to read the story, because why not slavering upon the handsome and beautiful characters with excellent background while reading the story?

After being satisfied with my perks, I closed all of the windows and started to look around for an exit. To better ascertain my surrounding, I better get out from this cave first. I started practicing how to walk on all fours. I know I'm able to walk on my hindlegs because it's bigger than my front legs, but I don't know what size did the couple put me at for me to not even able to fit inside the exit unless I walk on all fours. After training for a few minutes until I got the gist of it, I squeezed myself out through the exit and managed to get out from the place that I wake up. As I trotted on all fours, I glanced around the cave. The interior of the cave-gleaming crystals and lush greens that grow at the riverside-somehow reminded me of that slime anime I watched just a few days ago about a slime who got lost in a cave and meet a dragon.

Ugh, I'm not that dragon aren't I?

"Wait a minute..." I turned my head to the huge river, that extended almost the size of my waist down to my legs and is filled up with clear, flowing water. I inched closer, determined to see what I look like.

"Oh...My God..." I fumbled my head. I really AM bald! But to be homest, my looks weren't that bad at all. The scales of my head partained the same colour as the scales throughout my body, my mouth is like your average dragon's mouth-with an addition of upper canines on my front jaw-and dilated ashen blue eyes. I gestured a victory sign because I managed to escape my stereotypical looks.

I started to crawl again, this time following the riverside towards the direction opposite my waking up place. There might be an exit to this cave somewhere at the end of the river.

When I was busy sightseeing the beautiful magic stones that caught my eyes while I tried to find my way out, I faced my first oponent that daringly slid closer to me.

It's a slime.

"...You're joking, right?" I narrowed my eyes, my face grimaced into a look of disgust towards that wiggling figure. Just a few moments ago, I was cursing that small, wobbly figure because I wished to not be a part of their story plot and got devoured. Maybe my bad luck, I stumbled upon one.

I stared at it, contemplating whether to kill it or not. Suddenly it extended its shiny light blue body parts as it approached me little by little, irking me and giving me no choice but to step on it. It immediately died.

"So weak..." I mumbled and lifted my foot that was used to step on it.

I grimaced at the goo on the soles of my scaly feet. A shiver ran down my spine as I look at it oozing down from my toenails. I treaded to the river and dipped my feet in it to clean the remnants. Then I quickly shook my feet and went away.

How I wished to have a watch now, because I've been walking to the same direction for some time I felt like an eternity!

"Ugh..." I whined and stopped to drink some water from the river. It was chilly and refreshing. My tummy started to grumble from the hunger of not eating any food since I got up. I sat down on an opening and opened the online store to buy some food.

Scrolling through list of breads, my mouth drooled as they have the same selection as the ones back in my world; melon bread, custard bread, and even the limited edition soba noodles bread are also here!

I immediately tapped the items that I wsnted to the cart and was about to check out when they said that I didn't have enough money to pay.

"Eh...?"

You're joking me right?!

"What should I do?..." I weeped again, my tummy grumbled twice to comfort me. I'm starting to feel my hunger sucking me me into agony, but my will refrained me from getting immersed by my mind, so I scrolled the online store window and went to the search button. Suddenly, I noticed a MERCHANT icon just beside the CART icon. Curiously, I clicked.

The description said something about being able to sell items from the inventory, and if successfully bought an item from the online store, we can either store it inside the inventory or let it out to use.

I nodded understandingly, finally getting the gist of how the store worked. So it means that for me to get money, I have to sell something so I can get coins and buy something in return?

But... What items can I sell?

I glanced around my surrounding. It's hard to know what I can sell around me because I don't have the appraisal skill. I started by plucking a tiny white flower that was growing in a patch beside me. Then, tapping the MERCHANT button, a hollow space that looks like a dropbox appeared, with a description above it.

PLEASE PLACE THE ITEMS THAT YOU WANT TO SELL.

I studied the phrase, before carefully placed the flower into the space. Instantly, it disappeared. Soon after that, a notification appeared before me.

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'VE SOLD AN ITEM

DESCRIPTION:

MIULA FLOWER

• A flower used for healing.

• Commonly found in Mangreatle Cave in Rustaval Region.

• Price: Five copper

"Oh? So a single flower is sold for 5 copper, huh?" I scrolled back to the cart window to look at the price. One melon bread and one caramel bread cost me 3 copper coin respectively, while the soba noodles bread cost me 5 copper coins. The price for every bread is cheap, but I'm not quite sure if only a single one of the could satisfy my huge belly. Because of that, I start mass collecting the flowers and sell them when they've filled the palm of one of my hand.

I placed them all in the dropbox, and a different description appered in front of me.

SELL MIULA FLOWER x 167?

I mouthed a surprised OH, didn't expect that I've gathered those tiny flowers that much. I mean, there's still plenty of them that I havent plucked yet. I tapped the YES button and the flowers disappear, replaced with a new window.

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'VE SOLD AN ITEM(S)

Total income: 83 silver 5 copper

I raised my eyebrow when I saw the amount that I've made from plucking flowers. That was quite a lot. If I remember it correctly, in this novel, the currency for one silver coin is 10 copper coin, and one gold coin is 100 silver coin. I also remembered gold coins being rare in this story, that's why Minerva is called the richest aristocrat in the capital of Edith.

My tummy grumbled again, reminding me the purpose of my flower picking was to provide it with food.

I scrolled the CART window and bought about 20 breads from each type. A big box appeared immediately after purchase.

I gasped in amazement when I opened the box. Inside, was the bread that looks exactly like the one I ordered, and surprisingly, their size were bigger than what I expected, almost like a bite-sized mochi. I quickly unwrapped them and inhaled the breads.