I wake up, lying on what seems like a very soft mattress in a dark cave. The cave is relatively small, like a cave fit for a cave bear—one rather ample open space and a one-way in and out of it. There were no long and pointy stalactites on the ceiling of this cave. Not only that, the walls look smooth, as if they were polished for some unknown reason.

I moved the very comfortable blanket that was covering me and sat up.

"Where… am I?"

I look around, inspecting the cave. There's a small pile of worn-out bags at my left, and an exit blocked off by a large boulder. Small beams of light still shone through the boulder gaps as it's the only source of light I have.

I stand up off the mattress and stretch. My body feels invigorated, and the soft bed could be the reason for this refreshing feeling. I stretch my body for a few seconds, only to have many questions flood my mind.

"Where am I? Why am I still alive? How did I get here in the first place? Is Charles still alive? Was… it all a dream?"

The last one is obvious. I didn’t know why I asked myself that. The others have many possibilities. However, I think it’s best not to dig into all of these questions right away. I should look around and try to find out what's happening first. From there, time will surely answer my questions.

First off, I need to think of a way to move the boulder blocking the entrance; it doesn’t look like it will budge anytime soon. Perhaps there is something in those bags I can use?

I turn to the giant pile of worn-out bags—all of them varying in size with something in them. I walk up to them and unknowingly sniff.

Congratulations! Your Natural Senses has ranked up to Rank D! +3 PER

"That… is weird. When did I get this skill?"

“Status.” My status screen pops up, and I blankly stare at it as it reveals my new stats. “What?”

Aden Haraldson:

Race Currently: Dragonborn (Infant)

Age: 13 Years Old

Guild: None

Classes Currently:

Draconic Warrior (Level 5) All Attributes +10

Condition:

Normal

Stat Currently:

Strength: 108 Intelligence: 67

Dexterity: 93 Agility: 96

Perception: 84 Endurance: 98

Willpower: 69 Faith: 0

Charisma: 803 Luck: 211

W-when the hell did my stats grow so big!? More importantly…

What

Charisma: 803

The

Charisma: 803

FUCK!?

Charisma: 803

GOD DAMN IT!

I slam my head against the wall.

WHY!? Why did charisma also have to grow too!?

I then begin to slam my head rapidly against the wall.

Sooner or later, this charisma will make my damn adventure story into a garbage harem story, god damn-...

I pause.

What’s a harem? Anyways…

I turn to the bags, which all smell of blood and copper. Still shaken by the charisma bullcrap, I begin checking inside every bag. And indeed, there are copper coins in many of them, several stained with blood.

I take a sniff of the bag I'm holding.

Strange… I smell something different inside the bag… it smells like an apple.

I dig through the bag and pull out an apple just like that. It seems like my sense of smell is overwhelmingly strong, even when certain fruits like this apple don't have any scent on them. I can sniff out fruit inside a bag. Probably thanks to this skill.

Natural Senses

Description: Smell, taste, feel, see, and hear are more sensitive than an entity without this skill.

Requirements: ???

Type: Passive

Effects: All senses are more sensitive.

Usage: None

Cooldown: None

The higher level this skill is, the more sensitive your senses are.

I’m getting off-topic.

After testing my Natural Senses passive, I continue to inspect my new status until I see why I have these skills.

"Dragonborn…? When did my race change? My class also seems to have changed. Draconic Warrior? Is this some kind of secret class or something?"

After finally calming myself, I turn back to the bags. I've gone through all except two of them. But out of all them I've gone through, twenty-three out of twenty-five have nothing but copper coins in them, besides the apple one. Maybe…

I turn to the boulder that is still blocking the entrance.

Maybe I can move it; I don’t know if it will work, though. Even if my strength were twofold, I still doubt it would even budge.

I keep thinking of any possible way to move the boulder until I catch a scent, a mixture of two I recognize.

“Mr. Pap! Layli!” I quickly turn, only to be met with the last two unchecked bags. I stare at them emotionally, as if knowing what will happen to me if I open those bags. But… still…

I walk towards them, grab one of them… and open it.

Like many others, it has copper coins, but a note is on top of it. I slowly pick it up, open it and read.

“Good luck, boy! You’re going to need it! From your Mr. Pap.”

My stomach twists as tears already begin to fall down my face. The contents from my stomach slowly went up, ready to explode at any moment.

“Pap…” I struggle to say his name as the note becomes soggy from my tears. I hug it like a child and close my eyes as if thinking once I do, I’ll see him again. But my eyes open wide out of realization… as I slowly turn to the other bag next to me.

Suddenly, a voice similar to mine… begins speaking out to me.

“Don’t… if you do… the you everyone loved will disappear.” But still, even if it warns me, I slowly reach out to the next bag… and open it.

“The you Mr. Pap loved will disappear…” I reach into the bag and take out a letter with a heart stamp.

“The you Layli loved will disappear…” I open the letter and reach into it.

“The you… Charles loved will disappear…” I pause as I hold a note in my hand. Tears already begin to stream down my face. I struggle to breathe as I start to hiccup from my own tears.

“Don’t… do it… Please…” I begin to open the folded note.

“Aden… I love you.” Then I hear Layli’s voice as I read the note. I drop it, run to a corner and begin puking as the note softly lays on the ground.

“No matter where you are… No matter what you do… No matter what separate world we live in… I will always love you, Aden. From, Layli Everheart.” I cry out. I scream as I once again fail to do anything right.

It is all my fault! WHY! WHY DO I HAVE TO BE SO WEAK!

I slam my fist into the smooth wall, not realizing that my fist made a huge hole.

Why… why do I have to be so dumb, so weak, so foolish, so…

I fell to my knees as tears still fell…

So… weak-hearted.

“Aden…” But… I slowly stand up and look at my hand, held by another. I looked forward… and saw a ghostly image of Layli smiling.

“No matter where we are… No matter where we go… I will always love you.” She hugs me.

“So please…” Her ghostly image kisses me. “Let’s explore the world!” She took a step away and looked behind me. I turned… and saw everyone I loved, smiling as well. “Together!”

But, the moment I blink… I am alone, again. I stand silent for a few moments… until I finally turn to the boulder… and begin walking towards it.

“Morph.” My fleshy hands begin to change. Shifting and turning into scally, red dragon hands.

Congratulations! Your Morph has ranked up to Rank D! +2 END +1 WILL

Not enough…

“Morph!” My legs shift into scaly red, humanoid dragon legs.

Congratulations! Your Morph has ranked up to Rank C! +2 END +1 WILL

Not enough!!!

“MORPH!!!” I scream as most of my chest area and my cheeks turn scaly red. I run, slamming my left foot in front of the boulder, and begin rounding up a punch with my right hand.

Congratulations! Your Morph has ranked up to Rank B! +2 END +1 WILL

“RAHHHHH!!!” I slam my fist into the boulder, then... it shatters. It shatters into a million pieces and flies up to the air. The light shines brightly onto me as the boulder turns into small bits within the air, but thanks to my already morphed dragon eyes, my vision quickly adjusts.

Congratulations! Your Natural Senses has ranked up to Rank C! +3 PER

Congratulations! Your Natural Armor has ranked up to Rank D! +3 END

From there, I finally set foot into the outside world. The fresh air slowly but surely went past me as my hair gradually shifted to the rhythm of the wind. The clear sunny skies…

“I see you’ve already learned how to morph.” I hear a familiar voice and, at the same time, smell a familiar scent, both of which I despised. I slowly turn my head and see Lilith standing with a smile.

I want to kill her, but the moment I think about it, I feel this strange sort of dread, a dread telling me that what I'm about to do isn’t a good idea, for now.

Congratulations! You have learned the skill, Natural Instincts! +3 PER

So I didn’t. I didn’t charge at Lilith with all my might. Instead, I begin walking towards her on the smooth stone surface. But my objective isn’t her. My objective is the boy lying down behind her, unconscious.

Charles…

I continue walking, and the moment our shoulders meet,

“I swear, one day… I’ll kill you.”

End of Beginnings