Chapter 1

"Long, long ago, there was a dragon living in the mountains..."

On a winter day, in a small village covered in heavy snow, an old grandmother sat by the fireplace, roasting herself by the fire, and began to tell an ancient story in a slow tone, the creaking of the rocking chair accompanying her words.

"The dragon was so huge, several times larger than a barn. It had dark red scales and could breathe scorching flames from its mouth. Whenever it roared, the sound could be heard for seven miles. Whenever it flew through the sky, it would stir up storms on the ground."

"The dragon loved shiny and beautiful things. If it saw something shiny, it would fly down to take a look, and if it liked it, it would take it away. That's why the golden-haired girl would always wear a scarf to cover her hair tightly when she went out."

"One day, the dragon flew to a kingdom. Coincidentally, the princess of the kingdom was on the balcony admiring the scenery. The princess had beautiful golden hair and wore a glittering golden crown and golden jewelry. Her dress was made of shimmering silk. The dragon immediately saw the shining princess and, flapping its powerful wings, swooped down from the sky and carried the princess away."

"When the news of the princess being kidnapped by the dragon spread, the king was very saddened. He issued a reward notice, promising to marry the princess to whoever could save her and make that person the heir to the kingdom."

"Many brave warriors came forward to challenge the dragon after the notice was issued. However, they all turned to ashes in the dragon's fiery breath. Until one day, a handsome prince came from the east."

"The prince rode a white horse, wore golden armor, and carried a sharp sword at his waist and a smooth, mirror-like silver shield in his hand. Upon learning of the king's reward, the prince resolutely set out for the dragon's lair."

"Passing through dense forests, dark caves, and scaling steep cliffs, the prince finally arrived at the dragon's lair and saw the dark red dragon."

"‘Mortal! Are you another fool who dares to challenge me?’ The dragon's roar echoed through the cave."

"‘Evil dragon who kidnapped the princess! Today is your day of death!’ The prince fearlessly drew his sword and attacked. The dragon breathed scorching flames, but the prince raised his sturdy shield to block the flames. The sharp sword pierced the weak spots between the dragon's scales."

"After a fierce battle, the dragon was finally defeated by the prince. The prince rescued the princess, who was imprisoned in the dragon's treasure chamber, and also obtained the dragon's treasure."

"Returning with the princess and the dragon's treasure, the prince triumphantly returned. The king was very pleased and held a grand wedding for the prince and princess in the palace."

"From then on, the prince and princess lived happily ever after."

"Children, a mouse just ran by, and that's the end of the story." The old grandmother closed the book and rubbed her sore eyes, smiling at the little boy and girl sitting beside her.

"Oh, the same old story again, I'm tired of it..." The little girl looked disappointed.

"Grandma, Grandma, I have a question." The little boy shook his grandmother's arm. "Wasn't the princess very delicate? Who cooked for her and served her when she was in the dragon's treasure chamber?"

"Child, I don't know that either," the grandmother answered with a smile, not angry at the boy's question. "This story was told to me by my grandmother when she was old, and she had forgotten many things."

"Oh, I see..." The little boy didn't seem ready to give up. "Then, who remembers?"

"Child, human life is short. One day, you will grow old, and I will join my grandmother in heaven. Many stories will be forgotten," the old grandmother sighed. "If there is anyone in this world who still remembers the original story, it might be... the dragon."

...

The old grandmother, who sighed, did not know that at that very moment, far away, in a forest, a large egg buried in the soil was quietly vibrating. After a long wait, half of the dragon egg was buried in the ground, and the exposed half was covered in a layer of dust, looking like a round stone. However, at this moment, the egg, which looked like a stone, was making scraping and bumping sounds. Finally, the eggshell cracked with a crisp sound, and a small head covered with slightly transparent pink scales emerged. Although the head looked like that of a small lizard, the hard horn on the nose, the hard brow ridge, the sharp horns on the head, and the sharp teeth and wide jaw indicated that it was not an ordinary lizard. If a wizard had traveled to this place at that moment, he would have recognized what the newly born creature was. It was the apex predator of the magical creature food chain—a dragon.