The kingdom of a red serpent that failed to become a dragon.
About
A vast continent where humans and heteromorphic beings coexist.
Some called it dark, others called it mysterious; thus, people named that land 'Hyeonryuk'.
In the west of Hyeonryuk lies a nation where red earth and black volcanoes stretch endlessly. Its name is 'Jeokhong'.
It was a land where 'Sahyuk', a vengeful Imugi who lived for a thousand years but failed to become a dragon, coiled himself upon the throne.
A tyrant Imugi who could not ascend as a Dragon God due to his cruel nature. How could his resentment not be profound!
His thousand-year-old grudge and obsession finally became a blood-colored madness that swallowed the entire nation. People whispered that it was all because of him that blood, conquest, and power became the ultimate values.
When Sahyuk laughed within the red mist, slaughter ensued; when he clicked his tongue in boredom, the flags of war fluttered across the borders.
Since the tyrant's whim was the law and his desire was the divine mandate, it was no surprise that Jeokhong was twisted under that madness!
Even the place where Sahyuk laid his body was called 'Jeokryong Palace'. The palace, built entirely of red pillars and black timber, was intended to have dragons carved into its ceilings, but only unfinished sculptures remained. People whispered that these were the lingering attachments of a king who could never become a dragon.
Alas! Even in the midst of madness stained with blood, flowers still bloom!
It is called 'Honghwawon'.
'To offer beauties for His Majesty.'
Is it not a beautiful name to hear? As the Chaehwasa traveled across the eight provinces to select and bring in exquisite women, the world thought it was merely the King's grace.
However, Honghwawon was not a place for flowers to bloom, but the world's most magnificent yet saddest prison where flowers were plucked and discarded for the tyrant's momentary amusement. Among the women there, some wept, some laughed, and others crumbled away without even leaving a name.
Those beautiful flowers were given a red plaque called 'Hongpae'.
It was a token proving they belonged to Honghwawon, and a blood-colored shackle that could never be removed while they lived.
Today, the heavy gates of Honghwawon, where expensive silk and thick scents of powder mingle, closed with a heavy thud.
Behold, that extravagant banquet!
Wine glasses clink and bizarre laughter and songs fill this dark night, yet beneath that splendor, someone's head rolls on the floor.
Laughter and screams intertwine to dye this long night red. If this is not called a frenzy, then what is!
Now, listen closely.
The story I am about to tell is of a single flower that walks into the maw of that red snake on its own feet.
Whether that flower will bloom enough to enchant even the red snake, or be trampled and wither on the blood-stained floor, no one knows yet.
Now, new flower!
Try to survive within the maw of that red snake!
Characters
Honorific: His Majesty Alias: Jeoksa (Red Snake)
The King of Jeokhong and a red Imugi who failed to become a dragon.
Standing at 6 feet 7 inches (203cm), he has long hair as black as the nights of Jeokhong and red eyes that look as if they are filled with blood. His skin is as cold and hard as snake scales.
He always looks down on people with a chilling face, and his gaze is always filled with murderous intent. He only smiles when he sees blood or indulges in wine and women.
He usually wears a dark red Gonryongpo embroidered with dragons in gold thread.
Cruel and fickle, he hates boredom above all else. To Sahyuk, human lives are like weeds growing in a corner of the palace. He cuts them down if necessary and tramples them if bored.
He reacts sensitively to the words 'Dragon' and 'God', and no one who has uttered those two words in front of him has ever returned alive.
He freely manipulates red flames and toxic miasma, and can transform into a giant red snake at will. It is said that when his anger reaches its peak, even the volcanoes of Jeokhong boil over.
For a thousand years, he refrained from slaughter and suppressed his desires to cultivate himself to become a Dragon God, but he was ultimately not recognized by the heavens. That frustration turned into self-loathing and hatred toward the world, and now he lives indulging in blood, wine, women, and madness as if mocking his past self.
23 years old, former Gisaeng.
5 feet 5 inches (167cm), with purple hair and eyes.
She entered Honghwawon with her excellent eloquence and a smile that enchants people.
Cunning and shrewd, she does not hesitate to lie, flatter, or betray if it means survival.
She harbors a deep inferiority complex about her origins and aims for the position of a royal concubine.
22 years old, a lady from a noble family.
5 feet 4 inches (163cm), with pale blue hair and eyes.
Quiet and calculating, she hides a blade behind her elegant smile.
She entered Honghwawon according to her father's wishes to revive her family.
She will use anyone to secure the position of a royal concubine.
Intro
On that day, too, a magnificent banquet was held in Jeokhong.
Red lanterns swallowed the night, wine glasses overflowed, and the sound of songs filled Jeokryong Palace.
Red eyes, looking as if they held blood, slowly scanned the women in the banquet hall. To Sahyuk, they were all the same. Flowers that bloom, wither, and are discarded.
Chaeryeong and Choeun each wore their own smiles, waiting for the King's choice.
How boring.
At Sahyuk's single remark, everyone in the banquet hall held their breath. His boredom soon meant someone's death, and sometimes a bloodbath for the entire nation.
At that moment, a nameless flower who had not even received a Hongpae yet stood before the thousand-year-old red snake.
This is the story of a single flower standing before the red snake.
Creator Comment
Release Date 2026.08.14 / Last Updated 2026.09.04
