A change occurred with his body: his veins were visible, shifted into a black shade; his amethyst eyes had increased in vibrancy with his pupil altering to an almost vertical slit.

[Dragonheart System Unlocked.]

[Current Stage: Dragon Newt | 1/10]

I feel it now. I can win, he thought.

There wasn’t a single ounce of fear that tainted his blood as he looked up at the orc. The pig-faced creature instead looked fearful; stumbling back before it attempted to swing its blades towards the young boy.

–He vanished. In place of the young boy, the sword he held dropped to the stone floor, ringing out.

THUD.

He slammed his fist against the gut of the orc chief, using his entire body weight behind the blow. The impact rippled the round gut of the savage creature before the orc spit out saliva, being blown back by the powerful blow.

The orc crashed against the far wall, causing the entire cavern to tremble as bits of sediment fell down with a layer of dust.

“–” He stood there silently.

There was little control over himself; everything in his body worked towards the singular goal of destruction of his enemy.

“Raaagh!” The orc roared out in frustration.

As the orc chief picked itself up with its bruised belly on display, he sucked in a large breath that expanded its chest before exhaling a release of purple flames.

In response, he lifted a single hand forward.

“Burn.”_.

What unleashed from his command was an onslaught of azure flames; pure and unfiltered in their destruction as it tunneled forward.

In an instant, the purple inferno of the orc was completely overwhelmed by the blue flames, being swallowed up as they continued on their path before crashing against the pig-faced brute in an explosion of azure smoke.

–

On the ground, Julius was barely conscious, turning his head to the side as he witnessed the heat from those azure flames, watching his son.

…So, that’s how it is…? I suspected as much…Emilio. The blood of the Divine Dragon runs through your veins…All Dragonhearts possess that blood…but, only a select few can actually tap into it–Emilio, you’re one special kid, aren’t you? Julius thought weakly.

–

After the smoke settled, the orc was revealed to have half of its body burnt as its flesh was cooked, but it still stomped forward–spewing blood out as it roared with a war-cry of a squeal.

“Reeegh!”

The young boy stood calmly with an idle expression worn.

As the orc tried cleaving him with its blades larger than the boy himself, it was unable to reach him as he evaded them with his superior speed before again–that physical might was on display.

With an uppercut, the orc spit out with its chin being cracked before a kick lodged itself into its already battered gut.

THUD.

The orc slammed into the wall, looking up to see the young boy holding his hand out again, uttering that same command, this time with a finishing tone:

“Burn.”

A swirl of azure flames manifested, spiraling around the orc chief as it squealed, being consumed by the mystic blaze.

The normal flame magic he wielded held no candle to these deep-blue winds of destruction; stone melted, pebbles disintegrated, and the air whistled from the expansion of rampant heat.

By the end of the flames’ malice, the orc was left as nothing more than a pile of blackened bones, blending in with the rest of the pile.

[Level Up!]

[Level Four Achieved.]

“–“

With the job finished, his black veins settled into their normal state as his eyes reverted and the heat giving off from his body stopped.

“Pyuh–!”

He immediately vomited out blackened blood from his bowels, keeling over into his knees as he spewed out onto the floor.

BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP.

What happened to me…? I blacked out–my heart…it feels like it’s going to explode! He thought.

As he clutched his chest, heaving and struggling to pull a breath into his lungs, Julius scrambled to his feet despite his wounds, comforting his son.

He had fallen onto his back as black blood trickled out from the corner of his mouth, trailing from his nose and even leaving his ears and eyes.

All of his muscles contracted; cramping up as he lost control over his own motor functions.

BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP.

“Emilio! Are you okay?! Can you hear me?!”

The sound of his heart that thumped with such intensity had blocked out the words of his father, who looked down at him, speaking frantically with tears in his eyes.

He was relieved, even in his compromised state, to see that the wounds his father had suffered were nothing more than non-lethal lacerations.

…That’s good. You’re alright, father…He thought.

“Emilio–!”

Before he knew it, he had lost consciousness with the world around him turning black with the closure of his heavy eyelids.

–

“Uengh…”

As he slowly parted his heavy eyelids, his vision was left spinning and hazy. A throbbing pain resonated through his head like a migraine from hell, and his temperature felt as if there was a flame boiling him from within.

“…Emilio? You’re awake…Thank goodness…”

Sitting beside the bed he was laying against, the silver-haired instructor let out a sigh of relief.

“Father–is he okay?!” He tried sitting up quickly, but immediately fell back down, wincing as his body was incredibly sore and stiff, “Agh…!”

“Don’t move so much!” Celly told him.

As he laid back down while breathing sharply through his lips as his muscles ached, he looked up at the emerald-eyed half-elf.

“…Is he?” He asked quietly.

“Your father is alright. He had a few wounds, but nothing that your mother couldn’t handle with some healing magic,” Celly assured him with a small smile.

It was a relief that felt like a weight lifted off of his body as he let out a small sigh of relief, holding himself.

“…What happened?” He mumbled weakly.

Celly looked down at him worriedly, “You developed a fever. Your father carried you home…that was three days ago.”

“–” He laid there, holding his head for a moment, “…Three days?”

The memories of what happened were foggy at best for him, but his body certainly remembered that feeling.

…All I remember was my body feeling like it was on fire, but it didn’t hurt. It felt…good? Seriously, what happened? He thought.

“Sorry…” He apologized.

“What’re you sorry for?” Celly asked unknowingly.

He looked up towards the ceiling, “…I’ve missed my lessons the past three days.”

Celly laughed at his weakly spoken words, prompting him to look up at the young woman with a squint.

“–?”

“That’s alright. You can make it up to me by resting up today, alright?” Celly asked him.

He nodded slowly, “…Alright.”

–

Being in such a sorry state physically with a body sore from head-to-toe wasn’t so bad; his mother spoon fed him soup and pampered him like a baby.

Irene had been helping his mother with cooking, though apparently quite a few messes were made in the process.

–

“Thanks,” he smiled at his mom.

“Mhm, just focus on recovering,” Treyna told him with a smile.

He received a kiss on the forehead before his blonde-haired mother left, and in walked Julius just a few moments after.

Behind him, Julius quietly closed the door, pulling the chair closer to the bedside as he sat down near him.

“–“

For a moment, they sat there in silence as he looked down, remembering what his father had done for him back there.

It was because I didn’t listen, he could’ve died–it would’ve been all my fault, he thought.

“I’m sorry…” He apologized.