5. Rok Was Not a Lizard
Su-ryeon closed the sliding door and latched the hook, her heart heavy. Seeing Sohan unable to let her go made her even more uneasy. She needed to recommend a successor immediately. However, for a Museong-ja (nameless one) to recommend someone was no simple task. Usually, one recommends a family member, especially when time is tight. But she had no family.
The people of Shin-Nong, who obsessed over bloodlines, would find a recommendation from a nameless orphan insulting. She thought of the Chu family, whom she once had ties with, but shook her head. To them, she had been nothing more than a bug.
‘If only I had a mother or a father…’
She pushed the melancholy aside. Usually, Rok would greet her at the sound of the door, but the creature was nowhere to be seen. She also realized she had forgotten to buy fruit at the market.
‘Tsk, all because Sohan insisted on walking me home.’
“Rok! Where are you?” she called out.
Before leaving, she had left a pile of earthworms for him. Lately, he had lost his appetite and refused to leave the dark corners of the room. Moreover, his gaze had become… intense. If it were the look of a predator eyeing prey, she would have recognized it. But this was different.
‘It’s a strangely lingering gaze…’
Could a different species even look at a human like that? She chuckled at herself. It was likely just the awkwardness of having a pet after a lifetime of solitude. She pulled back the covers on her bed. “Rok?”
No response. A sudden, inexplicable anxiety gripped her. Surely not.
CRASH!
The metal bowl where she had piled the earthworms clattered loudly. Standing beside it was Rok, his eyes flashing as he stared at her.
“Rok!”
She screamed his name in surprise. Rok responded with a sharp crackle-hiss, his mouth hanging open as if baring teeth. For a split second, something seemed to flash inside his throat, but it was so fast she couldn’t be sure.
“What’s wrong, Rok? Come here!”
Thinking he was just startled, she called him in a soothing tone. After a tense standoff, Rok’s sharp aura faded. He crawled toward her, curled up in her arms, and yawned. Su-ryeon let out a long breath of relief.
Then, from behind the door, came Sohan’s voice. “Cheong Su-ryeon!”
“Sohan?” she shouted, her voice high with disbelief. The sound seemed to provoke him further as he rattled the door.
‘Is he insane?!’
Despite her telling him to go away, he threatened to break the door down. Su-ryeon hated intruders, but she knew Sohan was more than capable of following through on his threat. When she opened the door, Sohan stood there, his face pale. I’m the one who should be pale, she thought irritably.
“What are you still doing here?” “What happened?” “It’s nothing. I just couldn’t find him for a second.”
She pointed to Rok, who was flicking his tongue contentedly in her arms. As she stroked his back, a strange sensation hit her fingertips.
‘Was Rok always this warm? And this texture…’
She frowned and lifted Rok up to the light of the lamp. Rok let out a purring sound and yawned again. There, on his back, were tiny wings.
Sohan stared at the creature with dry, unblinking eyes.
**"Cheong Su-ryeon."**
**"What?"**
**"Are you absolutely sure that’s a lizard?"**
Su-ryeon was speechless. She had never seen a lizard with wings. When he first showed up shivering at her door, he had looked like a normal lizard.
“That is unmistakably a Dra—” Sohan started. “No, it’s a lizard.” “…” “It’s a lizard.” “Lizards fly like that?” Sohan pointed.
Rok was now flapping his tiny wings, struggling but definitely airborne. Su-ryeon turned pale. Rok hissed at Sohan, looking ready to bite his finger off.
“Rok, no!”
Rok continued to flap about the room, the sound of his wings filling the space. Su-ryeon looked exhausted, as if she had aged ten years in a minute. Sohan watched the creature with a sharp, piercing gaze.
“I won’t tell anyone,” Sohan said. “It’s late. I’m leaving.” “Fine.” “Just in case…” Sohan added. “Don’t even think about making a contract with that Dragon.”
He left her quarters after dropping that terrifying warning.
The next day, Su-ryeon rushed to the Archives and pulled every book she could find on Dragons. The conclusion was terrifying: if she contracted with a Dragon, her dream of a quiet life as an archivist was over.
In Shin-Nong, Dragons are sacred. They are weak until they reach adulthood unless they contract with a Dragon Master (Yong-ju). A contract allows a Dragon to wield power based on the Master’s Divine Power.
“Did you find a Dragon?”
“Of course not!” Su-ryeon shouted, jumping in surprise. King Jae-hu was standing right there, smiling warmly. She scrambled to her feet to bow.
“Long live Your Majesty.”
She quickly hid the books. Gyeong-chip and Gok-u were away in the preservation vaults.
“What brings you to such a humble place, Sire?” “My most cherished vassal is here, isn’t she?”
Su-ryeon’s eyes darted around, unsure how to respond. Just then, the voices of Gyeong-chip, Gok-u, and the frog echoed from outside. They entered and bowed in shock; the King had never visited the Archives before.
“I was just passing by,” Jae-hu said, dismissing them with a wave. “I hope the personal attendants aren’t making you uncomfortable.”
“Not at all, Sire,” Gyeong-chip replied politely.
After the King left, a heavy silence remained. Gok-u rubbed his dark-circled eyes. “Did His Majesty visit the Assistant’s office often?” “No,” Su-ryeon replied. It was strange. In five years, he had always summoned her to his office; he had never come to her.
“Assistant Su-ryeon,” Gyeong-chip said, “Sohan is looking for you. Something about funeral records.” “Riiibbit.”
Su-ryeon sighed and left. Gyeong-chip watched her go and clicked his tongue. “She asked for a demotion to have less work, but she seems busier than ever.”
Once she was gone, Gok-u looked at Gyeong-chip. “Why did the King really demote her to the Archives?” “She said she wanted it. She likes books.” “That’s just the surface reason, Gyeong-chip…”
Gyeong-chip remained silent, secretly impressed by Gok-u’s intuition. He recalled his private audience with Jae-hu a few days prior—a rare event for a low-level official.
[A certain assistant will be demoted soon. Help her adjust.] [Yes, Your Majesty.] [That was the official order. Privately… help her awaken as a Technician (Sul-beop-sa).]
Gyeong-chip had been stunned. No one outside his family knew of his true ability. Gyeong-chip was the Incarnation of the Awakening, possessing the power of “Man-mul-gak-seong” (Universal Awakening)—the power to wake all things in the world.
