Ever since that night I spoke with the system—well, the soul-fragment voice hiding inside it—I've been meeting her again and again in my dreams. Every time I sleep, she's there, waiting in that same dimly lit void.
For something labeled a "failure," she's surprisingly knowledgeable. She's like a walking magical compendium with emotional issues and voice static. But I guess that's to be expected, being a discarded prototype made by a lazy god with no QA testing.
Apparently, that guy—the so-called "God of Transmigration"—oversees not just this world, but many others. That means I'm probably not the only person who's been tossed into an unfamiliar world with a system stapled to their soul.
Am I angry at him?
...Not really.
I mean, he gave me a second chance at life, even if he half-assed it. I've got loving parents, a beautiful world, and my mana is limitless. I'm not planning to fight a god just because my UI glitches out from time to time.
That said… when I grow up, I wouldn't mind punching him in the metaphorical face for abandoning her. Just a soft jab. Professional courtesy.
Anyway, over the past few weeks, she's helped explain more about the system's condition. My stats are locked—completely frozen. No increase, no decrease. Even if I "level up," the energy won't strengthen me. Instead, it gets rerouted as surplus to help patch her broken functions.
Honestly? Not a bad deal. I might be stat-locked, but in exchange, I've got infinite MP. And based on what she said… I might not be able to die from physical damage either.
It's like playing a game on hard mode with god-mode turned on.
There's just one problem—because my growth is tied to the system, and it's broken, I can't learn new skills either. I'm stuck with the four I had at birth. Unless I find a workaround.
She did mention there were ways to develop outside the system. Physical training. Mana manipulation. Gear-based stat boosts. It would take "hundreds of times" more effort, but it was possible.
I'm fine with that. I've already died once for the people I love. Nothing about effort scares me.
Though I had to ask the more important question recently…
"If my growth is frozen… does that mean I'll be stuck in this baby body forever?"
She answered in my dreams without hesitation.
"No. Your physical body will mature naturally. The system only restricts stat tracking, not biological development. However… as a half-elf, your aging will be slower. It may take longer to reach adolescence."
Thank the gods.
That said, she warned me: while HP and MP don't go down, my body and soul still get tired. Apparently, even immortality comes with stamina management.
Makes sense. I've got a baby's body trying to contain a magic furnace.
Speaking of which, it's been nearly a month since the fireball incident.
I'm still spoiled daily by my parents—Mom especially—but I've started crawling now. Baby steps, literally.
I move around the crib with surprising determination. It's hard, but the body adapts little by little. The only issue? I can't get past the damn bars yet.
Whenever I get to the edge and rattle it dramatically, Mom notices and comes over.
"What's wrong, sweetie? Want a ride? Come here, my little star."
She picks me up gently and hugs me like I'm the most precious thing in the world. Then comes the cheek kisses, forehead kisses, lullabies… the works. I've memorized her favorite lullaby by now—though I don't mind hearing it again.
While she held me close, I reached up and touched her ears—long and delicate. Definitely longer than mine.
She chuckled softly.
"You like Mama's ears, hmm? Elves have long ears so we can hear things clearly in the forest. Our hearing is unmatched."
Yeah, I'm noticing that now. She can hear me even when I barely mumble a syllable.
Eventually, she brought me near the big mirror in the corner of the room. It was my first proper look at myself since I was born.
Damn, I really am a baby.
Chubby cheeks. Round emerald eyes. A bit of soft red hair, inherited from my dad. Ears slightly longer than a human's, but not quite as long as Mom's. A true half-elf, through and through.
As I stared at my reflection, I pointed toward the window, then at the door.
"Muh!"
She raised an eyebrow. "You want to go outside?"
I nodded.
"Hmm… it's dangerous…"
"Muhhh…" (Translation: Come on, just a peek!)
She sighed, defeated by my patented baby stare.
"Fine. But just for a moment."
And with that, she opened the door and carried me outside.
It was…
Beautiful.
Bright blue skies stretched endlessly above. Rolling grasslands filled with white flowers danced in the breeze. The wind was crisp. The sunlight was warm. In the distance, majestic snowy mountains pierced the heavens.
To the side, I spotted a clear lake and a winding river, where a few cows and horses grazed lazily. And in the middle of the fields, shirtless and glowing with sweat, was my dad—tending the crops.
He noticed us and waved.
"Say hi to Papa, Leon."
I raised my tiny hand and gave him the best wave I could manage. He smiled like I'd just handed him a treasure.
No other houses nearby. Just this single large wooden cabin in the middle of nowhere.
Honestly… I liked that.
Peace. Quiet. Safety.
To the far right, I noticed a large forest—dense and mysterious. It tugged at my curiosity.
What kind of monsters live there? What sort of plants? Magic beasts? Dungeon entrances?
I was about to ask Mom if we could walk a little closer when—
WHOOSH.
A massive shadow swept over the field.
The air grew heavy.
Mom's body tensed.
I looked up—
And saw a titanic red-scaled creature descending from the sky. Wings like molten blades. Fire leaking from its mouth. A burning presence so intense, the clouds parted around it.
A dragon.
Descending.
Right. Toward. Us.
Wait… WHAT?!
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