Healing in the Country Side with a Baby Dragon - CHAPTER 15 (The Three Puppy Brothers)

The early morning sunlight slid through the window, warming my eyes.

These days, I don’t even need to set an alarm because the morning sun always wakes me. Back when I lived in a tiny, one-room apartment in Seoul, another building stood right in front of my solitary window, completely blocking out the light and ventilation. It was so dark that blackout curtains were entirely unnecessary. Because of that, I constantly suffered from insomnia and always woke up feeling groggy.

"Ugh..."

But after I moved back to the countryside, that sleeplessness vanished. Here, the moment your head hits the pillow, a good night’s sleep is guaranteed. I fall into a deep slumber so quickly that I often wonder exactly when I drifted off. I close my eyes, and the next thing I know, it's morning. The warm sunlight streaming through the window gently wakes me with a tickling touch. I never thought I’d get to enjoy such a luxury.

Suddenly, I felt a heavy pressure on my chest and looked down.

"Kyuuu..."

Seol-ah was sleeping face down right on top of me—currently in her dragon mode. I didn't know if it was just a habit from being so young or simply because it was comfortable, but Seol-ah often reverted into a dragon when she slept. The morning light shimmered across her scales and horns like a rainbow.

I tried to carefully slide out from underneath her curled-up body.

*Tug.*

Before I could even move away, she nipped the collar of my shirt and looked up at me with her bright blue eyes.

"Daddy is just going to make breakfast. Seol-ah, you can sleep a bit more."

"Gya-woo."

She shook her head, her teeth still firmly clamped onto my collar. It looked like she didn’t want to be left alone.

In the end, I carried Seol-ah out to the kitchen in my arms. When I gently set her down on the floor, she just lay there, her eyes tracking my every move.

For breakfast, I decided on something simple: fried eggs and sausages. I poured some oil into a frying pan and let it heat up. Then, I cracked the eggs into the pan, gently broke the yolks, and added a pinch of salt. Next, I scored the sausages with diagonal cuts so they would bloom into nice shapes as they cooked. Soon, the sizzling sound of cooking food and a savory aroma filled the room.

While everything cooked, I quickly washed the green peppers and lettuce I had harvested yesterday. Once the sausages and fried eggs were done, I plated them beautifully. Breakfast was served.

"Gya-ah!"

Seol-ah, who had shifted back into her human form, ran over and clambered onto my lap. I dipped a sausage in ketchup and handed it to her.

"Munch!"

She gobbled it up happily. I paired the salty snap of the sausages with the rich, creamy fried eggs. Whenever the meal felt a bit heavy, I took a bite of a green chili pepper dipped in gochujang. I loved the crisp texture; the sharp spiciness and subtle sweetness of the fresh vegetable instantly whetted my appetite.

But right as we were enjoying our satisfying breakfast, a chaotic noise erupted from the garden.

"Over here!"

"Hurry up, move it!"

I caught the high-pitched voices of the earth fairies. 

'What is going on out there?'

I exchanged a quick look with Seol-ah and stood up. The closer we got to the garden, the louder the commotion became.

"Hey guys, what’s happening?"

"Kyu?" Seol-ah chirped, trailing closely behind me out of pure curiosity.

A crowd of earth fairies had gathered in a corner of the yard. The moment they spotted me, they wailed in unison.

"Wahhhhh!"

"Taaaaang—!"

They burst into floods of tears. Fat teardrops rolled down their faces, filling their wide eyes to the brim, completely soaking their tiny, hairy bodies.

'Wait, why are they crying the second they see me?'

"What’s wrong? Why are you guys crying all of a sudden?"

"Dirt, dirt, d-dirt..."

"Taaaaang—!"

My question only seemed to make them weep more sorrowfully.

"Come on, talk to me. Tell me what happened."

Seol-ah tugged gently on my pant leg and pointed toward a spot deeply hidden beneath the thick garden crops. 

'Is there something over there? Is it dangerous?'

"Stay behind me, Seol-ah."

I checked the magical bracelet wrapped around my wrist and cautiously approached, pushing aside the overgrown leaves. Peering underneath the low-hanging branches, my breath hitched.

"Huh?"

A large, tangled ball of fur was lying on the ground. I stepped closer to get a better look.

"Puppies?"

There were three incredibly cute puppies huddled together. However, their condition was terrible. Their tiny bodies were covered in wounds, white foam bubbled at their mouths, and they were shivering violently, too weak to even open their eyes.

As I approached, suddenly a system message flashed before my eyes:

[Healing Life of a Beginner Farmer]

[Emergency: Save a Life in Danger!]

[These young puppies are on the brink of death after losing their parents. Please save them! If you rescue them, they may return the favor.]

"Guys, when did you find them?" I asked urgently.

The earth fairies sniffled, tears still streaming down their faces. "We just found them! We found them, but we were too late... sob, mud, mud..."

"What do you mean too late? They're still alive."

"Land?! Are they really still alive?!"

"Yeah, look, they're breathing."

"Oh, thank goodness!"

"Taaaang—! I was so heartbroken because I thought they were dead!"

Hearing that the puppies were still breathing, the earth fairies dissolved into a fresh wave of emotional tears. Still, we couldn't celebrate yet. Their condition was incredibly critical.

I stared down at the poor creatures for a moment. The system message about them losing their parents lingered in my mind. I didn't know what tragedy had befell them, but seeing them trembling like that—having lost their family with absolutely nowhere else to turn—made me realize I had to save them at all costs. I wanted to nurse them back to health and raise them safely.

Perhaps seeing them reminded me of my own past. I was only five years old when I lost my parents, left shivering and alone at their funeral.

First things first, I lined a cardboard box with a soft blanket and carefully transferred the three puppies inside.

"Kyuuu..."

Throughout it all, Seol-ah gripped my pants tight, her face twisted with worry. She looked incredibly anxious about whether the puppies would survive.

I suddenly remembered an animal hospital I had driven past on my last supply run into town.

"It’s okay, Seol-ah. They’ll get all better once we take them to the doctor."

I resolved to go straight there.

"Have a safe trip!"

"Please bring them back healthy!"

The earth fairies crowded around the front gate to see Seol-ah, the puppies, and me off, their large eyes still brimming with tears.

I started up the truck and pulled out onto the road.

"Gya-pao, gya-woo." Seol-ah cooed softly to the box, continuously chattering at the puppies as if trying to comfort them. Her own eyes were glassy, looking as though tears might spill over at any second.

'They have to be okay.' 

I prayed silently, my own heart gripping with anxiety.

I didn’t want Seol-ah to suffer a heartbreak, and I absolutely refused to let these fragile young lives fade away.

When we finally arrived in town, I spotted a clean, neat sign reading 'Sarang Animal Hospital' nestled among the older, weathered storefronts. We hurried inside. The interior was spotless and modern, looking quite recently opened.

"Welcome—"

The woman sitting at the reception desk cut herself off, her eyes widening in shock when she looked up at me.

"Wait, isn't that you, Jin-sol?"

"Huh? Mrs. President?"

It was Ms. Kim Sun-ja, the wife of our village chief, Ham Bong-seok. She was also the head of the local women's association and essentially the center of all the neighborhood gossip. 

'Since when did she work as a nurse here?'

As we stood there paralyzing each other with mutual shock, her eyes drifted lower.

"Oh my goodness, Seol-ah! Why the sad face, sweetie?"

At the sight of a familiar face, Seol-ah’s emotional dam finally broke. Her face puckered up like a swollen dumpling, her lips trembled, and her eyes welled up. Still fighting back her tears, she quickly pointed to the box in my arms.

"I found some very sick puppies." I explained quickly. 

"They need immediate treatment."

"Oh, dear. Let’s get you inside right away."

Recognizing the urgency, the association president bypassed the usual registration paperwork and ushered us straight into the examination room.

"Hello, there." a young woman wearing a crisp white lab coat greeted us. 

"What brings you in today?" 

She had a warm smile and a thoroughly professional demeanor.

Before I could even open my mouth to explain, the door burst open.

"Honey! A young man who just moved into our neighborhood found these poor puppies. Please take a look at them right away!"

"Oh, Mom! I'm the doctor here, call me Director." the vet sighed.

"Right, right, sorry, Director."

I didn't even get a turn to speak because the women's association president completely took over. 

'Ah, so the vet is her daughter.'

Only then did I notice the name tag pin to her coat: 'Director Ham Sa-rang'.

Quickly regaining her composure, Director Ham Sa-rang locked back into her professional mindset. 

"Let’s take a look at the little ones, shall we?"

I opened the box to reveal the patients.

"Oh my... they are so tiny." she gasped, visibly taken aback.

Lying in the box, the puppies looked incredibly fragile.

"We’ll do a full examination to see what's wrong and treat their external wounds." she said gently, lifting the box to take them into the back room.

I turned to see Seol-ah silently weeping.

"Don't cry, sweetie. I promise I’ll do everything I can to treat them." 

Sa-rang offered with a reassuring smile before walking away.

"Kyuuu..."

"Just hang tight, Seol-ah. The doctor is going to fix them up."

I pulled Seol-ah into my arms, gently patting her back to soothe her fears. After what felt like an eternity of waiting, the door finally opened.

"All done." Ham Sa-rang announced, carrying the puppies back out. They now had patches of white ointment applied carefully over their wounds.

Seol-ah and I looked up at her, holding our breath.

"First of all, there are no life-threatening issues." Director Ham Sa-rang said, immediately putting our worst fears to rest.

"Their bones are intact, they don't have any severe skin contagious diseases, though they are quite malnourished. I’ve administered some IV fluids to rehydrate them. If you apply this ointment to their wounds regularly, they will heal up just fine. I’ll prescribe a week’s worth of medication."

"So... they'll be okay?"

"Yes. As long as you keep up with the medicine and ensure they eat well, they'll recover completely."

'Phew.' 

I let out a massive sigh of relief. Next to me, Seol-ah mirrored my gesture, letting out her own tiny gasp of air upon realizing the danger had passed.

Director Ham Sa-rang smiled warmly at Seol-ah's reaction, though her expression turned slightly more serious when she turned back to me. "However, because they are still so young and weak, even a minor complication could quickly escalate into a big problem. Please keep a very close eye on them."

"Understood."

I could tell her gentle smile was an act of consideration so she wouldn't frighten Seol-ah, but the underlying warning was clear: they were fragile, and things could change at any moment.

"You mentioned you just moved to the area, right?" she asked.

"Yes, that's right."

"If anything happens during the night, don't hesitate. Bring the puppies and come straight to my house."

"Wait, is that really okay?"

"Of course!" she smiled brightly, a cute wrinkle forming on her nose. 

"After all, we're neighbors now."

I nodded gratefully, thanked her, and prepared to leave.

"Have a wonderful day, Jin-sol!" the president called out from the desk.

"Thank you, Mrs. President."

"Oh, honestly! I told you, I'm a nurse when I'm here! Nurse!"

"Right, thank you, Nurse."

The association president burst into loud, delighted laughter at the title. 

She immediately leaned in closer. 

"Isn’t our daughter just wonderful? Gorgeous face, brilliant mind, an absolute angel. She is the pride of our entire family."

And there it was—the classic neighborhood auntie pattern of bragging about her child. Except in this case, I couldn't even argue. She really was beautiful, and since she was a veterinarian, she was undeniably smart. You can't stop a brag when it’s backed up by hard facts.

"Oh, Mom! Stop it!" 

Ham Sa-rang’s mortified protest cut her mother's bragging session short.

Taking advantage of the distraction, I quickly scooped up Seol-ah and the box of puppies and escaped outside.

"What a relief, Seol-ah. Right?"

"Baaam!" Seol-ah beamed, a radiant smile finally breaking across her face now that she knew the puppies were safe.

On the truck ride back to the farm, Seol-ah never stopped talking. 

"Gya-pao, gya-woo, babbabu—" 

She chattered animatedly to the box. I figured since we were going to live together as a family from now on, she was probably introducing herself.

When we finally pulled into the driveway, I turned off the engine. 

"We’re home. Let’s get everyone out."

"Shhh—"

Seol-ah, who had suddenly fallen silent, pressed a tiny finger against her lips. I peeked inside the box. The three puppies were tightly curled up together, fast asleep. Watching their shallow, rhythmic breathing and their tiny twitching paws was incredibly endearing.

"Right, shhh." I whispered back.

We silently agreed to preserve their nap and walked toward the house carrying the box.

"The great master has returned!"

"What happened to the babies?!"

The earth fairies, who had been anxiously waiting by the gate the entire time, began to scream in frantic worry.

"Shhh!"

"Low volume!"

Seol-ah and I both raised our fingers simultaneously to quiet them down. Fortunately, the puppies didn't wake up. I gently placed the box down in the middle of the yard.

The earth fairies scrambled up onto my shoulders, craning their tiny necks to look inside.

"Thank goodness it’s nothing serious. They’ll be bouncing back in no time."

"What a relief..."

"I was so terrified I'd never get to see these precious babies again."

The fairies breathed collective sighs of relief, hovering over the sleeping puppies for a long time. Even in their sleep, the little guys couldn't stay completely still. They twitched their paws, yawned tiny yawns, smacked their lips, and let out deep, heavy doggy sighs. 

'How can things so small sigh so deeply?'

As everyone gathered around, staring at them with absolute adoration, a golden system message flashed before my eyes:

[You have saved a precious life!]

[You successfully treated the sick puppies and brought them home. They will never forget the debt of their lives! They will absolutely repay your kindness!]

'Wait, what could these tiny things possibly do to repay me?' 

It’s not like I saved them expecting a reward anyway. I just wanted these country pups to grow up healthy and strong.

However, the system messages weren't finished.

[The three Hell Guard (S) brothers now serve you as their true master.]

I blinked, completely doubting my own eyesight.

'What did that just say? What exactly did I bring home? S-class Hell's Watchdogs?! Who? These tiny, fluffy things?!'

[Dimensional Dragon: Baek Seol-ah Lair (SSS)]

[The three Hell Guard (S) have officially joined 'Happiness Growing Farm.']

I stared blankly down at the sleeping puppies, watching one of them lazily wave a tiny pink paw in the air, and fell into deep thought.

'Happiness Growing Farm?'

'Are they sure this isn't a farm where mythical monsters grow?!'