Seoul City Hall, Fissure Management Division. Today was as peaceful as ever, just like any other day. It was finally autumn, a season many had been waiting for. The clouds floated high, and the crisp autumn breeze wafted through the windows, lifting spirits. Well, except for one person. On Do-Jun’s desk in the office, Yong-Yong stretched and let out a huge yawn. Hyuk-Soo, who had been glancing at him, locked eyes with Yong-Yong. Startled, he flinched and quickly turned his head to focus intently on his monitor. If he wasn’t mistaken, Do-Jun’s pet, Yong-Yong, was actually a dragon. And on its forehead was a prominent “1” etched clearly. Hyuk-Soo stood up from his seat and headed to the break room. He left his racing heart behind and called Do-Jun on the phone, who answered promptly. “Uh, Do-Jun... When will you be back?” —If I finish the meeting with the vendor and inspect the goods, it should be around 5 PM. “Uh, um... I just have one question. What should I do if Yong-Yong, well, goes on a rampage?” —A rampage? In what way? “For example... firing Dragon Breath?” —That won’t happen. Don’t worry too much. Oh, and please keep him lowkey. “O-okay, understood.” With that, Hyuk-Soo ended the call. Then, he recalled everything he knew about the situation with Yong-Yong. From the beginning, when Do-Jun supposedly Awakened and started carrying around an animal resembling a puppy called Yong-Yong, he should have realized something was off. He remembered the incident in Bangbae-dong where two dragons had gone on a rampage. At that time, Yoon-Hee confirmed that they were indeed dragons. Later, when he cautiously asked Do-Jun about it, Do-Jun had nodded casually. Honestly, it was too absurd to believe. Sitting in a chair in the break room, he let out a deep sigh. “A dragon... as a pet... A dragon... as a pet...” he muttered while ruffling his hair. He resolved to tread carefully so as not to upset Yong-Yong. If that dragon went berserk, not just the office but the entire City Hall could be obliterated instantly. “Stay calm. At times , you have to maintain your composure,” Hyuk-Soo muttered to himself. After taking a deep breath, he composed himself, but just as he was about to leave the break room, he stopped. Yong-Yong was standing at the entrance, staring up at him with wide, sparkling eyes. Startled, Hyuk-Soo stumbled backward and fell on his rear. The noise was loud enough to draw attention, and Cheol-Soo approached to find Hyuk-Soo practically sprawled on the floor of the break room. “What’s going on? Are you okay?” Cheol-Soo asked him. “Y-yes, I just tripped.” “Okay...? Oh! There you are, Yong-Yong.” Cheol-Soo let out a hearty laugh and picked up Yong-Yong, whom he liked a lot. After all, he was the beloved pet of one of his treasured subordinates. Rumor had it that Yong-Yong was very helpful during Fissure explorations. Since Do-Jun was considered the department’s lucky charm, Yong-Yong, as Do-Jun’s pet, was like a mini lucky charm. “Oh, our adorable Yong-Yong. Hahaha,” Cheol-Soo said genially. “Aaah! Let me go!” Yong-Yong squirmed and wriggled in Cheol-Soo’s arms, trying to escape. “C-Chief!” Hyuk-Soo’s eyes widened in shock. His trembling finger pointed at the mini dragon. “P-put Yong-Yong down!” “Why? You want to hold him?” “J-just put him down quickly!” “Why is your face so pale? Ah, finish cleaning your desk and come out.” Cheol-Soo set Yong-Yong down, closed the break room door, and walked away. Yong-Yong yawned again as if nothing had happened. Cautiously, Hyuk-Soo crept back to his desk and tidied the scattered mess. At noon, the staff of the Fissure Management Division took their lunch breaks together. They occasionally ate out, but usually stayed at the Seoul City Hall cafeteria. Today, as usual, Cheol-Soo and Hyuk-Soo headed to the cafeteria with Yong-Yong tagging along. Carrying trays loaded with various dishes, they found a spot at a table. For Yong-Yong, they piled the main dishes into a single soup bowl. Yong-Yong wagged his tail happily and began devouring his food. Hyuk-Soo glanced around nervously, taking a small sip of soup. An employee who had planned to sit next to Hyuk-Soo noticed Yong-Yong eating on the chair and hesitated “Hyuk-Soo, who’s this little guy?” Han Seo-Yeon asked. Cheol-Soo answered, “Oh, you know our youngest staff, Do-Jun, right? He Awakened recently. It seems he’s got taming abilities and managed to tame this monster. Do-Jun is out on a trip, so we’re taking care of his pet for him. This is Yong-Yong.” “Oh, right! I heard someone in our City Hall Awakened, but I didn’t know it was Do-Jun. That’s amazing! Awakening and still working as a civil servant... How admirable. But what kind of monster is this?” At Han Seo-Yeon’s question, Hyuk-Soo flinched. Cheol-Soo replied, “No idea. He doesn’t really say. Maybe it’s a Mad Dog?” “A Mad Dog, huh...? Ah, it says online that it’s an E-rank monster. But it doesn’t really look like the photos on the internet. And what’s with the number on its forehead?” Han Seo-Yeon lightly touched Yong-Yong’s forehead. Yong-Yong let out a low growl, but to Han Seo-Yeon and Cheol-Soo, it sounded like an adorable whine. “Hehehe, you’re so cute!” Han Seo-Yeon remarked. Right then, Hyuk-Soo let out a quick yell. “Seo-Yeon!” Everyone in the cafeteria turned to look at him. Startled, Han Seo-Yeon looked flustered, and Hyuk-Soo quickly lowered his voice, deftly changing the topic. “I-I heard the budget reports for this quarter are quite tough to prepare. How are you holding up?” “Well, yes. Lots of overtime lately. Oh, by the way, about the Fissure Management Division’s supplemental budget...” Hyuk-Soo let out a sigh of relief. An elevator stopped on the seventh floor. The person stepping out was none other than Kang-Hyun, who had come to pick up some materials from Do-Jun in preparation for the upcoming thirty-fifth Dive. He had heard that the fourth floor of the Core was called the “Celestial Realm.” As the name indicated, it was said to be a place where celestial beings lived and where one could learn Taoist techniques, though it seemed rather challenging. Anyway, Kang-Hyun stood in front of the Fissure Management Division’s office. Do-Jun was expected to arrive around 5 PM, so Kang-Hyun only had to wait for two more hours. He had come early, just in case Do-Jun showed up ahead of schedule. When Kang-Hyun entered the Fissure Management Division’s office, the staff immediately recognized him, stood up, and greeted him with respectful bows. Cheol-Soo quickly came out to escort Kang-Hyun to the meeting room. It seemed he had come to meet Do-Jun today, but regardless of the reason, one thing was clear: he deserved the best hospitality. “What would you like to drink?” Cheol-Soo asked him. “Oh, I’m fine, tha—” But Kang-Hyun stopped mid-sentence, and his steps came to an abrupt halt. There, curled up on the meeting room table, was Yong-Yong, sleeping soundly. A bead of sweat formed on Kang-Hyun’s forehead and trickled down his cheek. “Please have a seat and wait a moment. I’ll give Do-Jun a call,” Cheol-Soo said. “T-that’s... why is it...?” Kang-Hyun tried to ask calmly, but his voice trembled slightly while he pointed at Yong-Yong. “Oh, that’s Do-Jun’s pet Yong-Yong. I was wondering where he had gone, but I guess he decided to take a nap here. Haha.” “I know what it is. My question is, why is it here?” “Do-Jun brought him along this morning because Yong-Yong followed him on his way to work. Well, it’s only natural for a pet to follow its Tamer, isn’t it? If he’s making you uncomfortable, I can move him elsewhere.” Cheol-Soo promptly picked up Yong-Yong, who was still asleep on the table. “W-what are you doing?!” Kang-Hyun exclaimed in shock. “Huh? I’m just moving him...” “W-what if it wakes up?!” “Well, if he wakes up, he wakes up...” Cheol-Soo replied nonchalantly. What was the big deal? So what if this pet woke up? Come to think of it, Kang-Hyun’s reaction was similar to Hyuk-Soo’s. A sense of sheer terror toward Yong-Yong. It makes sense for Hyuk-Soo, but why the Sword Emperor? It was truly baffling. “Behave yourself, got it?” Those were the words Do-Jun had said to Yong-Yong before leaving for a business trip. Left with nothing to do, Yong-Yong spent his time either wandering aimlessly or sleeping, but now, unable to tolerate the boredom any longer, he stretched lazily and made a curious discovery: Kang-Hyun and Hyuk-Soo were visibly uneasy around him. Whenever he made even the slightest movement, they practically had a heart attack. “If you provoke a dragon, who knows what might happen? I’m surprised you know about Yong-Yong’s true identity, Supervisor Kwon. Regardless, since we’re in this together now, let’s do our best to avoid any incidents,” Kang-Hyun said to Hyuk-Soo. “Yes, I agree. The last thing I want is an incident.” Feigning sleep, Yong-Yong listened to their conversation, a wicked grin forming internally. These two seemed like they’d do anything he asked if he just threatened them a little. Yong-Yong’s eyes suddenly snapped open. “Feeble creatures,” Yong-Yong spoke in Dragon Speech. The words, imbued with overwhelming magic, crushed Kang-Hyun and Hyuk-Soo under a suffocating sense of pressure. For Hyuk-Soo, who had no magic, it was expected. But even Kang-Hyun found himself paralyzed. “I am the Dragon Lord, Izaas. Do you fear me?” Yong-Yong narrowed his eyes menacingly, his voice dripping with malice. Kang-Hyun and Hyuk-Soo turned pale. Looking into Yong-Yong’s eyes, it felt as if their very souls were being sucked away. They couldn’t even lift a finger. “If so...” A wicked smile appeared on Yong-Yong’s face. “Come with me.” The local store near Changshin Villa was running a special promotion. Customer Appreciation Event! Spend over 1,000 won and receive a raffle ticket! (Limit 1 per person) Winners receive a 50,000 won meat shop gift certificate! (5 winners total) Yong-Yong wagged his tail excitedly as he looked at the poster in the store window. A 50,000 won meat shop gift certificate was a lot of money—enough to buy two packs of braised short ribs! Yong-Yong pulled out two crumpled 1,000 won bills from the wallet around his neck and handed them to Kang-Hyun and Hyuk-Soo. “Here, take a thousand won each.” The two looked at the bills in their hands silently, then at the event poster. “Get yourself something worth a thousand won. Oh, my recommended snack is the double ice cream. And with the two hundred you have left over, get a chewy taffy. It’s the best bang for your buck.” Kang-Hyun and Hyuk-Soo exchanged bewildered glances. “And remember, since it’s my money, the raffle tickets you get are mine if you win. Got it?” Scratching their heads, the two followed Yong-Yong’s instructions, buying 1,000 won worth of snacks. They wrote their details on the raffle tickets provided by the shop owner and dropped them into the entry box. “Done? Did you write your name and address correctly?” Yong-Yong asked to make sure. “Good. Let’s head back. Oh, and don’t tell Master about this.” Leading the way, Yong-Yong trotted cheerfully in the direction of Seoul City Hall. Kang-Hyun and Hyuk-Soo trailed behind, each clutching a double ice cream and chewy taffy, their faces showing a blend of exhaustion and disbelief.