In a strange, shadowy space that seemed to ripple and twist like a living dream, a young boy lay asleep on the ground. His short, spiky white hair stood out starkly against the darkness, glinting faintly in the eerie glow that filtered through the void.
Slowly, his eyes fluttered open.
"…Where the hell… am I?" he muttered, squinting into the murky surroundings. He pushed himself up to a sitting position, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. "Is this… a dream?, Cause I don't even remember how I got here."
"Hello there!"
The sudden voice rang out like a bell, bright and cheerful—so out of place in the silence that Lucas nearly jumped out of his skin.
He spun around, searching for the source.
Out of the swirling shadows, a tall figure emerged—his outline gradually taking form. The man—or at least, something that resembled one—was striking. Midnight-black scales shimmered across his skin, catching the ambient light like polished obsidian. Two small horns curved from his temples, and a long tail swayed behind him, powerful and sleek.
Lucas took a wary step back. "Who... who are you?" His voice was steady, but his eyes darted, trying to assess if he was in danger.
The man smiled, calm and unbothered. "Relax. No need to panic. You're not in any real danger.
Lucas narrowed his eyes. "So… are you the one who brought me here?"
"Yes, I am," the man replied. "Name's Ladon. Some know me as the Dragon God."
Lucas blinked. "…Dragon God?" That wasn't the answer he expected.
Ladon nodded. "Yeah. And I'm the one who chose your soul and reincarnated you into this world. You're meant to become the next hero of the Dragon Tribe."
Lucas frowned. "Hold on—what?"
"I get it. It's a lot to take in. Believe me, I'd love to explain everything in detail—the reason you were reincarnated and your purpose in this world." Ladon shrugged with a smirk. "But for… certain reasons, I can't. Not right now."
Lucas stared at him for a long moment. "Okay… That's definitely not suspicious at all."
Ladon chuckled.
Lucas sighed, dragging a hand through his hair. "You could've at least shown yourself earlier. I've been in this world for five years. You couldn't have given me a heads-up?"
"That's fair." Ladon nodded thoughtfully. "But I needed to see how you'd adapt on your own. and i wanted you to grow up a little, Consider it a kind of… observation period."
"So you've been watching me this whole time?" Lucas asked, folding his arms. "That's creepy, man."
"Well, not every second. Just the important stuff," Ladon said with a wink. "And now that I've seen enough, I think it's time we move forward."
Lucas raised a brow. "Forward how?"
"By giving you a test," Ladon said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Lucas groaned. "what kind of test now."
"It's a simple one," Ladon assured him. "I'm going to send you to an alternate dimension. There, you'll be surrounded by a horde of beasts."
"Uh-huh. Go on."
"There are only two rules," Ladon said, holding up two fingers. "First: you're not allowed to attack or harm any of them. Second: you can't dodge their attacks either."
Lucas just stared at him.
"…What?"
"You heard me," Ladon said, still smiling.
Lucas blinked slowly. "Let me get this straight. You're dropping me into a monster pit, and you're giving me some kind of fucked up rules? I can't fight. I can't dodge. What am I supposed to do—smile at them?"
"Pretty much," Ladon said, completely serious.
Lucas took a deep breath. "Okay, no. Absolutely not. I don't care if you're a god or a dragon or whatever—you can't seriously expect me to just sit there and get eaten."
"I can," Ladon replied, still very amused. "And more importantly—you don't really have a choice."
Before Lucas could argue further, the space around him began to blur.
"Oh come on, at least explain the point of this stupid—"
And then, everything changed.
Lucas stood in a cold, damp cave. Shadows loomed from every corner, the air heavy with the stench of something old and primal.
He cursed under his breath. "This is so messed up…"
He looked around, trying to make sense of the place. "Seriously, who sends a five-year-old into a dungeon filled with beasts and says, 'hey, just stand there and take it'? Freakin' gods and their twisted sense of logic…"
A low growl echoed through the cave. His body tensed.
From the shadows, a pack of wolves emerged—eyes gleaming, muscles taut with anticipation. They circled him slowly, assessing him like fresh meat.
Lucas exhaled and stood tall, even as his heart pounded.
"Alright… I won't fight. I won't dodge." He swallowed. "Let's just get this over with."
He looked straight at the leader of the pack.
"I'm not gonna hurt you," he said calmly. "Just do what you came to do."
The alpha snarled—and in the blink of an eye, it lunged.
The pain hit him.
Then—darkness.
When Lucas opened his eyes again, he was back in the dark void—facing Ladon.
The Dragon God gave him a slow, impressed nod.
"Well, well," he said. "You really didn't fight back."
Lucas sat up, grimacing. "I did what you asked. Not like I had much of a choice."
"True," Ladon admitted. "But you didn't panic. You didn't flinch. Facing death like that—most people can't handle it."
Lucas shrugged. "Not my first time dying. And honestly? It seemed like the fastest way out."
He looked up at Ladon, deadpan. "Though next time? Maybe try a less traumatic way of testing people's character."
Ladon laughed. "Fair enough."
Ladon's laughter slowly faded as he gave Lucas a thoughtful look.
"Well," he said, his voice more serious now, "as promised, you'll receive your reward when you wake up. But before I send you back, I want to give you one piece of advice."
Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Just one?"
Ladon leaned forward slightly, his expression calm but firm. "Get strong. Stronger than you think you'll ever need to be. This world—Aldoria—it's not as peaceful or simple as it might seem."
Lucas frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You'll find out soon enough," Ladon replied cryptically. "Just remember—strength is the one thing that gives you the right to make choices in this world."
Before Lucas could ask any more questions, the space around him began to dissolve again, like smoke swept away by the wind.
"Wait—hold on. What do you mean by tha...."
He jolted upright in bed, gasping. His heart was racing, his body damp with sweat, but he was back in his room.
"...That was exhausting," he muttered, rubbing his face.
Everything about that place or dream.
"The god I met… that really was Ladon. The Dragon God." He stared at the ceiling, thinking aloud. "The same one worshipped by the dragonfolk. His temples are all over Draventha. I've even heard his name mentioned by the Man God… in the anime, at least."
He blinked, then instinctively opened his status window—, A blue screen materialized, glowing faintly in the air before him.
Status Window
Name: Lucas Whitlock
Race: Dragon
Age: 5 Years
Titles: First Son of the Whitlock Family, Little Handsome Devil
Talent: Not Awakened
Level: 0
EXP: 0/60
HP: 100%
MP: 10
STR: 8
AGL: 9
INT: 15
STA: 8
DEF: 7
Luck: 20
Charm: 20
Free Stat Points: 0
Skills: None
Authority: Copy
Inventory
Daily Quests
Running: 0m / 1km
Sit-ups: 0 / 50
Squats: 0 / 50
Push-ups: 0 / 50
Lucas squinted. "Wait… daily quests?"
He scrolled through the panel again, a bit confused.
"That wasn't there before. Must've unlocked it after I turned five. Kinda like a milestone feature."
Then his eyes landed on the word that made him freeze for a second: Authority.
"…Copy?"
He muttered the word like it might explode. Then the realization hit him.
"That's what Ladon meant by a reward," he whispered, eyes wide. "No way…"
He sat up straighter, more alert now.
In Aldoria, an Authority wasn't just a fancy title—it was one of the rarest powers a person could have. Most people never acquired one. Some trained their entire lives—centuries even—just to grasp the concept. And even then, success wasn't guaranteed. The only other group who ever awakened an Authority were the so-called "thousand-year geniuses."
And here he was. Five years old. And already had one.
"Damn," he whispered. "This is… huge."
He looked through the rest of his stats. They were definitely higher than they had been last year. Slight growth, but enough to show steady improvement.
And today... today was even more important than any stat update.
"Right," he said, stretching his arms with a sigh. "Today's the day I awaken my talent and check my affinities."
He rolled out of bed, already feeling the weight of the day ahead.
let's clear this daily quest first and then.... Freshen up.
it seems i have a long day ahead of me.