The cave shook like it was having a mid-life crisis.
I was still admiring the smoking crater my baby Voidflame had left when a wall of pure pressure slammed into me. Not wind. Not mana. Just presence.
A shadow the size of a Boeing 747 unfolded from the darkness at the back of the cave. Obsidian scales, glowing violet eyes the size of dinner plates, and horns that looked like they'd been forged in the heart of a dying star.
Mother.
She lowered her massive head until her snout was inches from my tiny face. Hot breath smelling of ozone and ancient regret washed over me.
[Ancient Void Dragon – Lirael the Eclipse – Level 487]
[Title: Mother of Calamities]
Her voice echoed straight into my skull, smooth as silk and sharp as a guillotine.
"What… have you done, little one?"
I tilted my head, stubby wings flaring for balance. "Rawr?" I tried. It came out sarcastic even in dragon-speak.
She blinked. Slowly.
Then the System helpfully translated for both of us.
[Telepathic Link Established – Bloodline Connection]
"Your mana signature just registered on three different continents. The World Tree is screaming. Explain."
I grinned with far too many teeth for something the size of a large dog.
"Mom, I think the System gave me the cheat code to life. Infinite stats. Watch this."
I casually dumped another casual billion points into Agility and flexed.
The cave exploded with afterimages as I zipped around her head like an angry hornet on rocket fuel. I landed on her snout, patted one massive nostril, and said in perfect draconic (thanks, System auto-translate):
"See? Broken from the shell. Your son is going to make the gods file for unemployment."
Lirael stared at me like I'd grown a second head. Then she laughed—a deep, rumbling sound that made stalactites rain down like confetti.
"You are either the greatest blessing or the final curse of our bloodline. Either way… you need a name before you accidentally erase a kingdom."
She thought for a second.
"Kurogane the Voidreaver."
I snorted black smoke. "Haruto was fine, but sure. Kurogane works. Sounds like a final boss."
She nudged me gently toward the cave entrance. Sunlight spilled in like liquid gold.
"The world outside is not ready for you. But it will learn. First lesson: fly."
I looked at my tiny wings.
"Mom… I'm three minutes old. Can we start with 'walk without tripping over my own tail'?"
She ignored me and flicked me out of the cave with one claw.
Wind rushed past. Gravity remembered my name.
"SYSTEM! POINTS INTO FLIGHT SKILL RIGHT NOW!"
[Flight Skill Unlocked: Mythic – Wings of the Abyss]
[Attribute Allocation: Agility +∞, Magic Power +∞]
I stopped falling. Instead I soared, black flames trailing behind me like a comet of pure spite.
Lirael's proud roar shook the mountain range.
"That's my boy."