Rebirth

It was summer. The forest was hot and humid. The cicadas ceaselessly screamed as if they were in competition to decide who were the loudest amongst them. Toad croaking. sinister hissing of anaconda as it was moving closer to its prey. And all the sound that would make a sane person turn insane.

In the middle of the forest, there was one tree which size easily a few time bigger than standard tropical forest tree. Below it, were vines intertwining, creating an imperfect spherical ball. The tree was probably sentient, acted as the guardian of the forest. Contained within it was a young man engulfed within dark purple miasma.

Despite having been sleeping for a century, he was still sleeping like a broken doll. His back was supported by a round rock, head fell down. Despite maintaining bad posture for a very long time, the young man with long silver hair was looking healthy.

BA-DUMP!

'My child…'

A faint low growl was sounded within the young man's head. However the young man was still sleeping.

'I am revived…'

Suddenly another sound of high pitched scream that seemed to be coming from a girl was produced inside the young man's head again. However the young man was still sleeping.

'EMPEROR YOU DARE!'

ROARRR

BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP!

"Aaaargghh!!" Suddenly the young man screamed, waken up by several throbbing intense pain from his heart.

'Wake up you insignificant.' Growl…

The young man heard the same voice he had never heard before.

In his vision, he saw view floating words and shapes.

"My name…"

One of the floating word was 'Charles Dragfell', and beside it was, "huh? Level 1? What are these things."

'You dare ignoring me?' Growl…

Each time that weird voice was sounding inside his head, it always sounded angry or belittling him. However…

"Huh. Who are you? No, what are you?" No matter how arrogant and intimidating the voice was, he still had his dignity as a warrior and king for more than 500 years.

'You do not know me you emperor's slave!?'

"Gah! This king is emperor's slave? Aren't you mocking me you emperor's slave?"

'DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT!' ROARRRR

BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP!

"Kukkk…"

'I am the great dragon Mortelix! The one your hateful grandfather had slain by borrowing that wretched emperor's origin power.'

"So you were the evil dragon?"

'I seem to be called by that name for more than a millennium while I was sleeping inside your liniage. Yes... Not a bad name. Ha ha ha.' Growl…

"But why are you inside me?"

'I was lucky, that idiot of your grandfather only knew how to swing his sword. Ha ha ha! After he slain me, he drank my blood essence, it allowed me to regenerate my soul all this time.'

"But my grandfather and my father both lived for 350 years and have sired many descendants, why are you inside me then?"

'Did your uncles live as long as you? Did your cousins live as long as you? My blood essence can only be transferred once.'

"Wait a second, but I first queen has since long gone."

'By the time I arrived inside you while you were still baby, my soul had been regenerated fully, but not my consciousness. My blood essence that contained my soul couldn't be easily transferred.'

"So that's why… by the way, what was that scream of a girl I heard earlier?"

'That was my child, Alina. The egg that the emperor stole over a millennium ago. He might have did something to her to provoke me!'

"So it was all the plotting of the emperor! The destruction of my kingdom as well!"

'You are wrong. Why would that emperor with power so almighty bother with your small kingdom?'

"Why else? It must be his greed!"

'Hah hah hah. You were so consumed by hatred and your heart cry for vengeance. But look at you, looking so innocent.'

'The cause of the fall of your kingdom was me! HAHAHAH. The emperor felt my awakening and he must have felt groggy. HAHAHAH. It must be a destiny thread by the god of justice! Your grandfather slain me and drank my blood essence, now his kingdom had fallen because of me. High Heaven was not blind!' ROARRR

BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP!

Obviously, Charles didn't like what he had heard. However he knew, he could do nothing against this dragon, even one roar would cause him such pain. He gritted his teeth, and closed his eyes. He recalled all the tragedy that befell him. 'I won't forget it.' His heart was seething with rage.

'Heh, your enemy is the peak of humanity. You don't understand anything. Sooner or later you would find yourself needing my power.' Mortelix snorted coldly.

Suddenly he felt the world turned silent, but it wasn't that. It was because he couldn't heard the random growl and roar of a dragon inside his head anymore. Then he realized just how loud the sound of nature around him.

"Hot…" The current Charles wasn't protected by a purple mist anymore. The part-broken battle plate were boiling him inside. And he removed it.

"First, I must seek power. I need to go east. To the kingdom of Eternia."

On his sitting position he stretched his limbs, and then he slashed the vines that confined him.

"…???"

In his vision he saw multiple same words combination.

[Forest Guardian Vine][Level 50]

[Forest Guardian Vine][Level 50]

[Forest Guardian Vine][Level 50]

…

"Level 50. And there is Level 1 beside my name. Does that mean? I've become a weakling?"

Suddenly he heard a faint laughter of a dragon, it seemed happy.

Charles couldn't care less with the forest anymore, he immediately thrust his left hand wanting to use that intense heat palm that he usually had used in the past. Nevertheless, nothing coming out of the palm, he couldn't feel his hand emitting any heat.

[Not enough mana to activate Dragon Retribution Level 1]

"Damn it all!"

'HAHAHAH' Growl… Mortelix didn't say anything.

He felt Mortelix was watching him with anticipation.