"Hey! Wake up! If you don’t get up now, you’ll be shipped off to the shores of reincarnation!"

I opened my eyes and glanced around. Never had I felt so comfortable—like floating in midair. Though I was an ancient dragon, this sensation surpassed ordinary flight. It was as if I were cradled in clouds. I closed my eyes again, savoring it all. So death isn’t painful after all...

"Wake up! At this rate, you’ll die of laziness before any warlord can kill you, you lazy four-legged lizard! Wake up!"

How dare they! As the noblest descendant of dragons, being called a "four-legged lizard" was utterly intolerable! I snapped open my golden eyes, glaring at the source of the voice.

"Who dares disturb my rest? Do you know this is a death sentence?"

Blinking away sleep, I searched for the speaker. Standing before me was a golden-haired angel—wings sprouting from her back, attire rather revealing.

*Angels?* A race I hadn’t seen in millennia. I thought they’d vanished from the Illusory World entirely. Though dragons and angels rarely mingled, they always showed us respect. Yet here one stood.

"D-death sentence? Don’t you realize you’re already dead? This is the afterlife. And how dare you shout at me? Bold little lizard."

This ordinary-looking angel didn’t flee from my draconic aura. Instead, she stood her ground. *Fine. Courage deserves a clean death.*

Wait—where were my claws? My fangs? My wings? I looked around. All that remained was a flickering golden flame.

"What’s wrong? Feeling powerless now? Were you plotting how to kill me? Come on then! Hit me! Whoever backs down’s a coward!"

*Hit you?* Even with two extra limbs and a tail, I couldn’t win. *You don’t even have a tail.*

The odd angel punched my soul. My golden form shattered like mist, then reformed—only to be shattered again. After a dozen cycles, she finally stopped.

"Now you know my strength! Think twice before crossing me!"

"No! The honor of dragonkind guides me! I am the apocalyptic hymn that heralds the end—Dreadwyrm Mordred! I am power incarnate!"

*Slap!* Her palm sent me scattering into vapor once more.

"Enough! This is exhausting. I’m trying to be a lady now—no more violence. Listen carefully: You’re dead. Your soul should’ve reincarnated like others. But yours is too powerful. As the oldest dreadwyrm alive, you’ve outgrown this world’s cycle. There’s no place for you here anymore..."

"So... nowhere in heaven or earth can hold me? Then let me fade to ashes. Becoming a cloud on the horizon wouldn’t be so bad."

"Hold on! I never said you’d vanish. Don’t be so gloomy. The Illusory World has no place for you—but other worlds exist. You have two choices: First, stay as a soul beside me forever. Heaven’s empty except for Father God, who’s never around. You’d never face reincarnation’s pain again."

I eyed the golden-haired angel. *Hmph. Flat as a board.*

"I choose the second option."

"Won’t you ask what it is? And I feel like you just thought something terribly rude."

"Impossible. You’re imagining things."

"Good. Strong souls like yours can’t wander aimlessly. You must reincarnate as another being. What would you become?"

Memories flooded me: icy caves, solitude, hunger. *No more.* I wouldn’t return to that life. Not even for eternal power. I craved companionship.

"Human! I want to be human!"

"What? You’d choose the very creatures who killed you? Why? I don’t understand."

"Human lives are brief, yet they’re never alone. They’re happy. I’ve lived millennia in loneliness and boredom. Let me be human. Please."

"Alright, alright. May you have a joyful life."

The angel opened a portal and tossed me in. Darkness swallowed me. My draconic essence faded, replaced by a comforting warmth—like resting inside a dragon’s egg.

*What’s this?* Something gripped me—a claw? But it felt safe. It pulled me toward light. Blinding light.

"His head’s out! Push harder—we’re almost there!"

Darkness vanished. A brilliance brighter than the sun hung above. I tried to open my eyes, but everything blurred. *Human sight. Weak.* Still... I was human now.

"Why isn’t this baby crying? Is he sick?"

A strangely dressed human slapped my bottom. Pain flared. *Dare you strike me? I’ll roar you into the floor!*

"Wah-wah—"

*Why does my roar sound like infant cries?* I tried to speak, to bite him with fangs—but my mouth was smaller than his finger. This body was frail, curled tight.

"My son! It’s a boy! I’m a father!"

Wrapped in soft cloth, I was passed to another. His scent was familiar—like mine, yet unknown.

"Typical father! He should meet his mother first. So impatient."

"Ah! Sorry—I’m just overjoyed. Here, my son belongs to his mother now."

*Am I cargo?* No one asked *my* consent!

Transferred again, I inhaled a sweet fragrance. *Mother?* Her warmth eclipsed icy caves and hay piles. A comfort I’d never known.

"Hmph. Seems you’re satisfied. Good. I worried this four-legged lizard would complain."

The golden-haired angel appeared beside me—visible only to me.

"Wah-wah—"

I tried to reply, but only infant cries came out. The mother hugged me tighter.

"Shh. Humans can’t speak at your age. But I know what you’re thinking. Just remember: this world has no magic, no dragons, no dungeons. Those are just game fantasies... I’ve said too much. Forget your old life. Relearn everything. Goodbye!"

*Hey! Flat-chested angel! How long until I can talk in this body?!*

"Hush, you’re just hungry." The mother loosened her clothes. A milk-scented warmth filled my senses. My eyes drifted shut. Instinct took over.

A finger poked my cheek.

"Hehe. My son’s adorable."

"Ah! I’m feeding him! Don’t barge in like that!"

"Sorry! I’m just excited. Time to name him. How about ‘Yuchen’?"

"Qiuyuchen? A fine name. Hear that? You’re Qiuyuchen now. Grow up strong."

*I haven’t agreed! My name is Mordred! Qiuyuchen? Ridiculous!*

---

Sixteen years flew by. To a millennia-old dreadwyrm, it was a blink. Yet here, I found the family I craved. No more loneliness. Adapting to human society was rough. This world held no magic, no monsters—just mundane routines. But one void remained: a mate. A partner.

*Damn it.* Back as a dragon, solitude was bliss. Here? Being single slashes your social status. They even brand you a "single dog." Everywhere—friends, social media—couples flaunt their love, rubbing your nose in their coupled-up glory.

Today, I start high school. Today, I find my other half. I’ll shed the "single dog" label. Let the world witness the fury of ten thousand years of singledom!

"Hahahaha! This Sovereign begins a new chapter!"

"*Sigh.* When will this chuunibyou end, Yuchen? It’s your first day of high school. No trouble, okay? Remember kindergarten? You told a girl, ‘Mate with me!’ I got scolded by the teacher for ‘teaching you weird things.’ Unfair!"

"T-that was childhood ignorance! Mom, I’m late! Gotta go!"

*Rosy school life—I, Dreadwyrm Mordred, have arrived!*