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Having finished my Qi circulation, I exhaled a long breath.

The damaged meridians throughout my body were steadily recovering.

When I first realized I’d been brought to a dragon’s lair, I worried about what I would do, but at least I had freedom of movement within this limited space.

It had been two weeks since Gal Dragon imprisoned me here.

The dragon’s lair was always as bright as midday.

Though the artificial light emanating from the gems in the ceiling filled the vast cavern, the ceiling was sealed tight, without a single hole to glimpse the sky.

Moreover, it was a perfect, sealed room with no exit in sight, making it difficult to gauge the passage of time based solely on my surroundings.

Still, the keen senses of a master, accustomed to controlling their body, served as a kind of organic clock, allowing me to know that two weeks had passed.

‘Even so, a faint breeze is constantly flowing in.’

No matter how much I looked, there wasn’t a single hole, yet I could consistently feel the breeze ventilating this vast cavern.

‘Which means this space isn’t just what meets the eye.’

This was a dragon’s lair, where mere words could manifest phenomena.

It seemed likely that she was an Elder Loa, so there was no way her dwelling would be ordinary.

Though I couldn’t be certain due to the damage to my Upper Dantian, I judged that this space, saturated with Gal Dragon’s energy, was akin to being inside a formation.

‘It’ll be difficult to return by spring.’

It seemed unlikely I could keep my promise to return by spring for next year’s expedition.

In the first place, I couldn’t even be sure when I’d be able to leave, let alone by spring.

But I decided not to rush things.

It was fortunate I hadn’t died in this defeat, but it had been a humiliating experience, beyond painful.

‘…I must have been arrogant.’

In my nearly eighteen years as an Elf, the only real adversity I’d faced was the life-or-death struggle with the wild god when I was young.

Even then, I’d ultimately won, and even when I’d suffered a major injury that brought me to the brink of death, I’d recovered in just a few days with my mother’s help.

Since then, I’d grown steadily stronger, and honestly, I’d thought the only being in this world who could defeat me was my mother, and even she would be surpassed in about a hundred years.

Under the reign of the High Elves, Elves had settled into this world without any significant hardships.

Since then, had there been anything in my journey to Pohailan that made me feel a sense of energy?

A life of uninterrupted success, like a protagonist in a novel.

That’s why I’d been mistaken.

I’d assumed everything would flow according to my will.

In my past life, there was a saying in the Murim world to be wary of women, children, and the elderly.

Wasn’t that ridiculous?

More than half the people in the world fell into those categories.

The essence of that saying was that danger could come at any time, in unpredictable situations, so one should be cautious.

All beings in this world lived under the constant threat of death.

Not to mention the beasts desperately fighting for survival in the wild, and the humans I’d first encountered.

Like the time the merchant Kyle and his companions were attacked by wolves and faced a life-threatening situation.

Ordinary beings worried about and prepared for the misfortune and danger that could befall them at any moment when they ventured outside their group.

And many of them couldn’t escape that misfortune and danger.

But even though I knew it intellectually, I’d secretly thought those laws of the world would be an exception for me.

If I’d prepared for survival instead of victory, the outcome might have been different, but there was no point in dwelling on “what ifs” about something that had already happened.

And that misjudgment had led to my current situation.

I was fortunate to be alive, but I’d suffered injuries that required long-term recuperation, and I’d lost all my cherished possessions.

Moreover, my living situation itself was humiliating and shameful, something I’d never experienced in either my past or present life.

I was steeling my mind and body with the determination to endure hardship.

‘…More like enduring hardship naked…’

I gave a wry smile, making a joke that wasn’t even funny in my mind.

For the past two weeks since I’d woken up, I’d been living without a stitch of clothing.

It wasn’t as if I was exposed in front of everyone.

In this dragon’s lair, there was only Gal Dragon, the owner, and me.

The problem was Gal Dragon’s lifestyle.

This beautiful, golden dragon, contrary to her appearance, didn’t move from her home, her lair, all day long.

Perhaps it was because Elder Loa Ara wasn’t a typical being, but she didn’t seem to need to eat to maintain her massive body.

She didn’t even sleep.

What did a dragon who didn’t hunt or sleep do?

She did nothing.

She simply stayed in the center of the lair all day long.

And that idle dragon just watched everything I did, all the time.

I wanted to tell her to get out of the house and go hunting or something.

I knew Gal Dragon was a different species and that she regarded me as a pet, but the feeling of being constantly observed by a sentient being with intelligence… it was truly horrifying.

It wasn’t just that I felt naked; I was actually naked, so even if the other party had no such intention, it was impossible not to feel strange.

With a troubled heart, I released my lotus position and stood up, and as had become the norm lately, I saw the dragon’s eyes, watching me with interest.

‘I can’t understand what’s so interesting that she keeps staring.’

I hadn’t spoken to Gal Dragon once since our conversation when I woke up.

But if I couldn’t escape from here right now, I felt the need to improve my environment until I could escape.

◈ ◈ ◈

“Clothing, you say?”

“That’s right. I don’t need the food you promised, but I would appreciate it if you could provide clothing to cover my body.”

“Clothing… are you referring to that grassy substance that used to cover your body?”

When I nodded, Gal Dragon tilted her massive head.

“Is such a thing necessary? There is nothing here to threaten you, and the temperature is warm, so there is no need to worry about losing body heat to the cold wind. With the energy enveloping your body, you won’t be harmed, will you? It seems more like it would be cumbersome.”

“The reason for wearing clothes isn’t just for those reasons…”

“Is it because of the monkey that was the raw material for the abilities you acquired later? Since you don’t have fur to cover your body, do you have an instinct to conceal your weaknesses or shameful parts? Perhaps it’s an instinct that manifests regardless of the strength of the flesh.”

“…That’s not it.”

During my explanation, Gal Dragon began to speak to herself with great enthusiasm, as if she found it interesting.

After a short time, Gal Dragon calmed down a bit and spoke in a more composed manner.

“Still, I prefer your current appearance. When you go outside, your snow-white skin is more pleasing to the eye than the common green of the grass that covers the world. It also goes well with your hair color.”

“Could you please do something about your choice of words?”

She was using words that would immediately cause misunderstandings if spoken among humans, so I couldn’t help but be alarmed.

“I don’t see what the problem is. Isn’t it a compliment to you?”

“…At least among humans with the same intelligence or culture as me, that kind of compliment is only allowed to be given to a female by her intended partner.”

“Hmm. Difficult.”

“And speaking of clothing, it’s not just for maintaining body temperature or protecting the body; it also represents social status.”

“Social status?”

“I don’t know how long you’ve been alone here, but humans usually live together and share relationships with others. Therefore, they use various elements to distinguish themselves and their relationships with others.”

“One of those is clothing?”

“Not always, but you can somewhat infer a person’s position from their clothing. But what’s more important here is the absence of clothing itself. In human society, even those in the lowest positions cover themselves with something shabby.”

“You mean it’s the minimum requirement for belonging to society.”

Seeing that Gal Dragon was starting to understand, my voice naturally brightened.

“In human society, the only time a human is without clothing is when they are a deviant or have committed a heinous crime that threatens the peace of society and are being subjected to severe punishment.”

“Hoo… indeed.”

Of course, there was one more reason, but… honestly, I didn’t want to say it out loud.

Gal Dragon nodded as if she understood something.

“So, is that why you’ve been looking uneasy every time I see you in your natural state? I thought you were just experiencing confusion because you hadn’t adapted to your new home.”

“…You knew that?”

“I’ve been watching the unique flow of energy moving inside your body whenever you coil up in strange ways.”

“Ha…”

“I see. So your natural state is actually uncomfortable for you. I thought I was being as considerate as possible. It seems I had the opposite effect.”

Gal Dragon said with a somewhat disappointed voice.

“Still, I like your original appearance a little better. It’s a shame. If it’s not too uncomfortable, can’t you stay that way? After all, nothing else will be coming in here.”

“…Please. I’m not a deviant who feels comfortable exposing my bare body to the world.”

“It was pleasing to the eye. It’s a little disappointing.”

Gal Dragon, who had said something chilling without malice in a regretful voice, then replied that she would provide whatever I needed for clothing if I told her.