C2 It Was too Normal for Him to Start Worrying!

"Carrick, Garcia, are you there? Your child is about to hatch, come quickly!"

The female dragon cradled the trembling dragon egg as she stepped out of the cave, calling to the multitude of dragons lounging on the ground outside.

"I'm here, I'm here, I'm coming right now!"

A thunderous roar erupted from the dragon crowd as a majestic silver dragon, standing twenty meters tall, soared into the sky. With its wings outstretched, it raced toward the cave, performing an elegant, spiraling landing.

"Haha, my precious child, let Daddy take a good look at you."

He extended his hand to the female dragon as he descended.

"Boom!"

But before he could land, another slightly smaller silver dragon charged out, slamming into the larger one and knocking him to the ground.

"Step aside! The child should see me first, naturally."

The smaller dragon towered over the one on the ground, stating its claim.

"Come, my child, the first face you'll see is your mother's."

She smiled warmly, taking the dragon egg into her arms from the female dragon.

"Wait a minute, Garcia, that's my child too!!"

"I know, Carrick. I'll let our child memorize me first, then you can have your cuddle~"

Garcia laughed affectionately, holding the dragon egg close.

"Come on, my little one, hatch quickly. The first sight you'll behold is your mother!"

Garcia gazed at the dragon egg lovingly, murmuring softly.

"Try again. You've got this!"

Inside the egg, the young dragon gathered its strength and prepared to break free again. This time, with no obstacles, it effortlessly shattered the shell's constraints.

"I'm finally free!"

The young dragon's inaugural cry was a loud 'aww,' not quite as it had anticipated.

"The sound... isn't quite right?"

After its call, the young dragon blinked open its eyes to see a huge face before it. Sunlight danced off the silver scales, and golden slit pupils mirrored a tiny figure still topped with a fragment of eggshell. The diminutive dragon, just over half a meter tall, was sheathed in delicate silver scales, its wings damp and quivering.

"Monster!"

The young dragon emitted another endearing 'aww.'

"See, you've scared our baby. There, there, come to Daddy."

Carrick teased Garcia as he reached out to take the young dragon into his arms.

"Another one!"

Upon spotting an even larger dragon nearby, the young dragon let out increasingly panicked cries before fainting.

“...”

Carrick's hand hovered in mid-air as he blinked at the unconscious young dragon, then turned to the female dragon who had emerged with the dragon egg.

"Is this normal?"

"Who knows? Maybe your little one is just extra sensitive and shy. I've seen plenty of young dragons, and believe me, there have been weirder cases. One hatchling took to chewing on its father's claws right after coming out of the egg. This? This is nothing."

The female dragon shrugged and sauntered back into the cave.

“...”

“...”

Carrick and Garcia exchanged bewildered looks as the female dragon disappeared, then gazed down at the young dragon cradled in Garcia's arms, unsure of what to say.

...

"Uh..."

After a while, the young dragon slowly came to, whimpering softly as it opened its eyes.

"Look, Garcia, our son's awake. Isn't he simply beautiful?"

The sound of low growls startled the young dragon into full consciousness. He lifted his head to see two towering dragons staring down at him, and his body froze.

"Quiet, Carrick, you've frightened him again."

From the young dragon's perspective, a slightly smaller silver dragon was rebuking the larger one beside her.

"I just wanted to get closer to my child," Carrick muttered, a hint of sadness in his voice as he poked at the ground with his claw.

"Let's not dwell on that. Have you thought of a name for him?"

Garcia turned to Carrick, prompting him.

"Of course, Garcia. Though our child's arrival was a bit earlier than expected, I've been prepared."

Carrick perked up at Garcia's question.

"So, my son, I, Carrick Trix, hereby give you the name that is rightfully yours. From now on, you shall be known as Igrel Trix. As an heir to the Heavenly Dragon Seed, one of the Giant Dragon Clan's three great dragon seeds, may you grow to be strong and noble."

Carrick gently placed the young dragon on his claw, making the solemn proclamation.

“！！！”

Up close to Carrick's massive visage, the newly named Igrel felt an intense wave of claustrophobia wash over him.

"It feels like fate itself has me by the throat..."

The young dragon, or should I say Igrel, thought to himself in a daze.

...

"Hmm... a dragon?"

Days later, Igrel basked at the mouth of the cave, soaking in the sun, his eyes narrowed in contemplation.

On the first night after hatching, Igrel received the Dragon Clan's ancestral memories in a dream, providing him with a rudimentary understanding of this new world and the means to communicate within it.

"Why am I here? I used to be a... human, right?"

Igrel rummaged through the corners of his mind, where the human memories he once had were now eclipsed by the overwhelming legacy of the Dragon Clan.

"I recall feeling lightheaded, then waking up here. So... I'm dead? This doesn't seem like a dream; it feels too real."

Igrel stretched out his diminutive claws, silently confirming his realization.

"I don't remember being sick. Could I have fallen ill after my last medical check-up? Or was it just... sheer exhaustion?"

Igrel tirelessly speculated about his previous circumstances.

"No car crash, no electrocution, no lightning strike. Such an ordeal, and all while safely at home. Is life just full of surprises? Is this what they call transmigration? Or reincarnation? It's overwhelming; my mind is struggling to process it all."

Igrel collapsed onto the ground, his tiny wings spread wide, as he sighed deeply.

"So what now? Where's the quintessential golden finger for transmigrators? Miss System, are you there?"

Igrel half-heartedly muttered, but still, nothing happened.

"At least a status panel could show up, right?"

Of course, there was no response.

"So now, apart from being a dragon, I've got nothing?"

"If it were possible, I'd return in an instant, but... that's unlikely, isn't it?"

"Given the common themes in fiction, there's no sign of a System genre, nor a Data genre. Surely it's not the 'good-for-nothing' genre, right? Could I be a defective dragon?"

This thought sent a wave of anxiety through Igrel.

"Then again, I'm not missing any limbs, and my wings are intact. At least on the outside, I appear quite normal—for a dragon, anyway..."

Igrel continued to inspect himself, evaluating his appearance.

"Could it actually be... magical power?"

The thought struck Igrel with a chilling intensity. According to the Dragon Clan's ancestral memories, every giant dragon was naturally imbued with vast magical power. However, Igrel was unsure whether he still counted as a pure giant dragon. The idea of being a dragon without any magical power was not just inconvenient—it was downright alarming.

"Magical power... magical power..."

Heeding the instructions from his inherited memories, Igrel attuned himself to the magical energy flowing within, whispering the words under his breath. Soon enough, he felt a warm surge moving inside him. Although he was not yet able to wield it, Igrel understood that this was indeed his own magical power.

"Phew—seems like a pretty standard beginning. No complications, which is a relief."

With a gentle exhale, Igrel allowed himself a moment of reprieve.

"So, is this it? Am I to live out my days simply as a dragon?"

Staring into the distant sky, Igrel mused quietly to himself.