Even after being reincarnated, there was one fact I couldn't deny.
My parents were monsters.
Not literally—but in terms of power? Absolute beasts.
That morning started like any other. I had crawled around my crib, chewed on a blanket, and cast Ember a few dozen times to test if I could ever run out of mana.
(Still couldn't. Not that I'm complaining.)
Eventually, I got bored. I gestured at the door like I had done before, and Mom—Faylen—picked up on the message. She leaned over the crib, her long, pointed elven ears twitching as she gave me her warm, radiant smile.
"You want to go out again, Leon?" she asked.
I gave a firm nod. Well, as firm as a half-elf baby can.
She chuckled and picked me up. I was rewarded with a gentle kiss to the forehead and a lullaby as she stepped outside, revealing the paradise we lived in. Rolling fields of green, sparkling rivers, wildflowers in bloom—it was a place out of a storybook. Even the sky was painfully perfect. Too perfect.
That should've been my warning.
Because as I waved at my shirtless dad—who was flexing while swinging his hoe like it was a divine blade—a shadow fell over the land.
Not a cloud.
A dragon.
An actual, colossal red-scaled dragon. Its wings were wide enough to eclipse the sun, and its roar shook the air like an earthquake in the sky. Six crimson eyes locked on us like laser sights.
I froze. And not from the chill of fear. I mean literally froze. My body stopped responding. My knees went weak—even though I didn't have proper balance yet. My lungs refused to breathe.
I was one inch from passing out.
Thankfully, Mother noticed my condition right away.
"Leon!" she gasped, placing her hand over my chest. Her aura surged like divine sunlight as her Domain of Holy Light enveloped me. Warmth flooded through me like a thousand blankets wrapping me in safety.
Still, the dragon came closer.
And roared again.
"Where is the legendary hero? I have come to fight him!" it bellowed in a deep, guttural voice. Flames poured from its mouth as it landed with an earth-shattering impact.
Apparently, it wanted to duel my father.
…What kind of lunatic asks for a fight like that?
But my mother didn't wait.
"You filthy reptile! You dare threaten my baby boy?!"
She raised her hand. A massive spear of divine energy formed—Holy Arrow. Before I could even blink, it pierced through the sky.
CLAAAASH!!
BOOOOM!!
It struck the dragon square in the chest, sending it crashing down like a meteor. A massive gash opened across its armored scales, blood spraying across the field in a steaming arc.
I blinked. My jaw dropped.
I was about to witness a showdown between literal demigods.
---
The dragon wheezed, blood pooling beneath it, but it rose again.
"A-Amazing… this is it… the real thrill! The one I've sought for centuries!" it growled. "Now, legendary hero! Show me your strength!"
My dad—Allan—finally stepped forward, still carrying his farming hoe.
"Haha… sorry about that. Usually, I like to save these moves for pest control."
Then he snapped his fingers.
FWOOOSH!
A massive, five-meter-long sword of blazing red and orange flame appeared in his hand. It looked more like a slab of molten steel than a weapon. It pulsed with energy, humming like the core of a volcano.
"Watch closely, Leon," Mom whispered beside me, her lips curling in a proud smile. "This is your father's might."
Then he jumped.
I mean—he jumped.
Thirty meters into the air, instantly.
He clashed with the dragon mid-air, sending shockwaves that warped the clouds. Flames collided with flames. Swords and claws blurred through the sky, slicing the wind into ribbons. It was like watching two hurricanes dance.
BOOM! CRASH!
I couldn't even see them. All I could do was hear it. Roars, slashes, explosions. They fought in a sphere of fire above the world. Everything went red. The clouds evaporated.
And then… I heard it.
SLAAAAAASSSH!
"UUGGGRRRAAAAGGHHHH…!"
The fight ended.
The dragon's head hit the ground like a mountain falling. Its body twitched once… then stopped moving entirely.
Father landed a moment later, flames still flickering from his shoulders. He looked at the corpse like it was a chore done.
"Phew… that was a fine workout. Let's have dragon meat for dinner. I bet Leon will love the taste of dragon heart."
My mouth hung open.
…What the hell?
---
Later that evening, we actually ate dragon meat.
The heart, to be precise.
Mother roasted it with her holy flames while Dad seasoned it with volcanic salt. I don't know how I feel about eating a sentient, talking creature… but I was too young to argue.
They gave me a tiny piece, shaped into a paste and spooned into my mouth.
And…
Holy crap, it was delicious.
Warm, tender, smoky, and oddly energizing. I could feel my mana responding to it.
"Look at his face!" Mother giggled. "He likes it!"
"Of course! Dragon heart boosts mana affinity. Might as well start him young," Father added, laughing heartily.
Apparently, this was normal to them.
Slay a dragon. Cook it. Feed it to your toddler son.
Sure. Why not?
---
After dinner, I felt something change inside me.
That night, when I dreamed, I found myself standing in the empty void again. The System—still flickering as a small white flame—was waiting for me.
"You consumed powerful essence…" it whispered. "Dragon's heart… has stimulated soul integrity…"
"Wait, really? Am I gonna get a power boost?" I asked, hopeful.
"Negative. Your status remains frozen. But… soul-body connection strengthened. Resistance increased. Mana control improved…"
So no new stats, but better control. I'd take that.
Then the flame flickered again.
"Thank you… for eating that. Some of its energy reached me. I have absorbed 0.13% error correction protocol…"
I smiled slightly.
"You're welcome. We'll get you fixed up eventually."
The System flickered brighter, almost like a smile.
---
When I woke up the next day, something clicked.
I tried casting Ember. Just a spark.
Then I focused harder—really focused—tried to feel the mana, not just cast it.
A tiny orb of fire formed, perfectly shaped. Not chaotic like before.
Then another. And another. I fused them slowly.
And then—
A floating fireball hovered above my hand.
Perfectly stable.
I grinned.
Finally. Progress.
This world… this family… this power…
It was becoming more real by the day.
And I, Leon—half-elf, system glitch, reincarnated soul—was just getting started.
---