“Mana Shield!”

Its claws nearly pierced through his defensive layer, forcing him backward. One more attack and the Shield would collapse. He knew this, but there was no window for him to cast a Mana Sphere and attempt to retaliate. The second mole, which had thrown itself against the wall, shook its head and looked at him. Despair blossomed within his heart. Was this it? Was he going to die to two fucking weird-ass moles? Not to some great monster or powerful enemy, but to two random beasts?

The despair he felt was overwhelmed by a primal wave of rage.

[Your blood continues to burn.]

The two moles went at him, one from each side. This time, instead of trying to raise another Shield and standing dumbly in place, Michael attempted to dodge out of the way. He pushed his speed to its limits, narrowly avoiding the moles’ attacks. He had barely found his footing when he created a Sphere.

“Mana Sphere!”

In a startingly similar response, the moles dodged his attack. As if they were mindless and tireless, they simply continued to come at him. One of them jumped at him, and this time, he failed to dodge. His Shield was broken and the beast’s claws tore at his skin, one of them piercing the space between his ribs. The claw dug in far too deeply before he managed to hurriedly rip it away from him. He couldn’t believe how close he had just gotten to dying, but his bleeding wounds only served to remind him of that.

[Your blood continues to burn.]

It was as if time itself had slowed down to a crawl. Even though they were nearly in complete darkness, the only sources of light being the openings to the ground above and his Mana Spheres, he felt as if he could see everything clearer than ever before. He couldn’t die here. He had a mother to come back to and protect. He hadn’t achieved or become anything. He was at his life’s starting point.

He wouldn’t die here. He would fight tooth and nail for his survival, as he should. There were still things he wanted to do.

He couldn’t die here.

As this sentence was endlessly repeated in his mind, the moles charged at him. Breathing heavily and struggling with the pain, Michael narrowed his eyes. There was no room for mistakes. He needed to nail the timing perfectly. As one of the moles approached him from the right, he pointed his wand at the area bit in front of it, speaking with a raspy voice.

“Mana Sphere.”

He had taken into account the mole’s movement while the Skill took shape, instead of aiming directly at it. The Sphere flew through the air before he could even blink and reached the mole’s head, piercing straight through it. The moving carcass dropped to the ground.

One down.

Michael drew a cross with his wand before the second mole reached him. A thin layer of mana came into being over his skin. It rippled as the remaining mole crashed against his body, throwing him to the ground, and clawed at it. The abrupt movement broke his concentration and the Shield disappeared. He kicked the mole and pushed himself backward, climbing to his feet as fast as he could. New wounds had appeared over his old ones, but he couldn’t pay them any attention.

“Mana Sphere!”

Instead of condensing the attack to minimize its area of effect, as he had done before, he went the opposite route. He focused on expanding the Sphere in order to make it more difficult to dodge. His mana pool rapidly drained as the Sphere grew. At the same time, the mole moved, charging at him once more. At that moment, he was grateful that his enemy didn’t have any way of damaging him from a distance; it needed to approach him. This fact gave him a bit of time to cast the Skills when he managed to create some distance between himself and the mole.

He stared at the incoming enemy without blinking. The Mana Sphere had grown to its limit. The outcome of the battle would be decided at this very moment. As the mole leaped towards him, Michael let out a breath and stopped straining his mind to hold the Sphere in place. As if it had been waiting for it, the Skill flew at the mole’s head, destroying it completely.

[Your blood continues to burn.]

Blood showered his frame, tainting his robe, but he didn’t care. He felt only relief.

I survived.

He heaved, standing in place. The difference in difficulty between fighting a single enemy and two of them had been too great. Pain racked every corner of his body. Yet, relief was still the predominant emotion. For some time, he merely reveled in his survival.

Then, the sound of footsteps reached his ears. They were heavy and slow; in an instant, Michael realized that they couldn’t belong to a human. He completely raised his guard, taking a few steps back. The sound was coming from further in; it meant that he would need to get past whatever creature the footsteps belonged to if he wanted to proceed on his journey downwards.

Tension filled his frame as his pupils dilated, his breathing hurried. He created a Mana Sphere and held it in place, using it for lighting alongside the holes that led to the surface. Slowly, a figure crept closer under the dim starlight, coming into view. Despair filled Michael’s heart as he gritted his teeth.

It was a grizzly bear.

I’m dead.

He felt the strength leave his limbs. He was tired and injured; how was he supposed to face the biggest foe he had encountered under these circumstances? A grizzly bear was much stronger, bigger, and heavier than the moles or even the lion. Even in perfect condition, Michael held no hope that he would be able to kill one. Yet, reality didn’t change. The animal still walked towards him, sniffing the air.

The blood drew it here.

His vision focused. There was no more time to waste in idle thoughts. He couldn’t give up before he even tried. His frame froze for an instant as the bear’s gaze bore into him. As it bared its fangs, he moved. The beast ran at him while he shot the Mana Sphere at the tip of his wand. The bear abruptly moved its head just as the Sphere arrived in front of its face.

Blood flew through the air, while a pained roar filled the tunnel. A thought crossed Michael’s mind as he jumped to the side to avoid the animal’s charge.

Not deep enough.

The attack had burrowed into the bear’s left eye and destroyed it completely, scorching the bone around the eye socket, but that was all; the damage wasn’t too severe. Michael rolled on the ground and dragged himself back to his feet as quickly as he could, looking at his enemy. The bear shook its head from side to side, roaring and groaning. Momentarily, there was a window of time where it did not go after Michael, likely due to the pain.

There was no time for complex, analytical thinking. His instincts took over as the realization that he should take advantage of the only injury he’d inflicted hit him. The bear was now blind on one side; there was a chink in its armor that did not exist previously. Using this blind spot would be essential to walking out of this battle alive.

These thoughts crossed his mind in an instant. He raised the wand, pointing it at the empty eye socket. Chanting left his lips. The creature snarled, turned to him, and charged. Forced to discard his chanting, Michael forced his tired body to get out of the way, dodging to the beast’s left side. However, this time, the result was different. The bear stopped in place almost immediately after passing by, turned, and swiped its claw at Michael. There was no time to dodge completely; he managed only to take a single step back and lower his body. The claws grazed his shoulder, sending a burning pain throughout his body.

One clean hit and I’m good as dead.

Even if the inflicted injury wasn’t too severe, the pain would paralyze him for long enough for the bear’s fangs to reach his throat or for its claws to break his neck. The despair, which he had tirelessly suppressed since the start of the battle, rose up to the surface. There was no way for him to get out of this alive. He racked his brain, but he couldn’t come up with a plan. The enemy was too strong and he was too worn down. The various wounds on his body still caused him pain, distracting him.

At that moment, the bear lifted its other paw. A horizontal swipe at the height of his chest; Michael took a large step back, but the claws still touched him, sending his blood flying through the air. His back touched the tunnel’s wall. Dread filled every corner of his body. Too focused on avoiding the attacks, he hadn’t realized that he had cornered himself. As if it could read its thoughts, or out of sheer instinct, the bear walked forward with a roar. His only choice would be to dive to the side before the animal could reach him, but that would mean sacrificing his posture and footing.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Either way, he would die. A few seconds earlier or later did not matter. The end result was the same. Michael gritted his teeth.

No!

He refused to die a mundane death like this. At that moment, it was as if the world slowed down. The bear’s movements were accurately grasped by his vision, but his body couldn’t keep up. He only had the time to block as the bear’s right paw hit his left arm. The claws dragged themselves over his skin, turning his arm into a mangled mess. Michael screamed.

His blood boiled, both inside his veins and out of his wounds. It sizzled as it fell to the ground. In this atmosphere of slowed time and mind-numbing pain and wounds, Michael felt power course through him. It was unknown where it was coming from, but it didn’t matter. He moved to the side at a much higher speed than before, avoiding the paws that had been aiming for his head. He let out a breath; the air coming out of him was hotter than steam.

Bright-red System windows appeared in the corner of his vision.

[Your blood has ignited completely!]

[You have awakened to your true Race.]

[Unawakened Human (F) has become Young Draconic Human (E.)]

Power flooded every corner of Michael’s body, and in his current state, he didn’t think of where it was coming from. Power was power, and he would use every bit of it to survive. He felt warmth radiate within him as his injuries were mended. At a much higher speed than before, he stepped towards the bear’s left side, placing himself in its blind spot. As the animal attempted to turn its one eye to him, he waved a circle in the air with his wand. His tone was much calmer than before.

“Mana Sphere.”

His voice carried the razor-sharp edge of his determination. A football-sized glowing sphere formed in front of his wand, then shot toward the bear. It pierced through its shoulder, coming out on the other side. Michael knew that he had veritably crippled the animal. The bear’s front limbs gave out, making it fall to the ground. He didn’t miss this chance and pointed the wand at the bear’s head. As the creature struggled to rise to its feet, the Mana Sphere fully formed. It shot through the air, entering the bear’s empty eye socket and drilling into its brain. The creature died instantly.

Michael took several deep breaths, the roaring sound of rushing blood in his ears getting weaker. Slowly, he calmed down, but the feeling of his blood boiling didn’t leave him so easily. He had survived. Even though this battle hadn’t been against a particularly grand or powerful enemy, he had nearly died. His death would’ve been worthless and mundane. He would be completely forgotten, as his Title said he would.

Fortunately, his desire to live had been a powerful enough trigger for his bloodline, which had healed him. He looked down at his body. His clothes were ruined, but all of his wounds were now gone, including the damage done to his arm. He was thankful, as he would have likely bled to death shortly after the battle.

Feeling relieved, he brought up the details of his new Race.

[Race

Young Draconic Human (E): a human blessed by the blood of ancient Dragons, awakened from his slumber by a near-death experience. While humans are the most numerous of all Races in existence, those descended from Dragons are extremely few. The Race’s rank will gradually increase as the descendant adapts to the draconic blood.

Perks: +10 to all Stats, +15 to Wisdom. Higher proficiency in wielding magic.

Per Level: +3 to all Stats, +1 Skill Point, +3 Free Stat points.]

He blinked a few times, acting like he had just been slapped.

What?

He furrowed his brow before coming to the conclusion that he must have read something incorrectly, somehow. Yet, the information on the translucent screen in front of him didn’t change. Michael read the text over and over, completely unwilling to believe what it was telling him.

I’m not human?

A great feeling of alienation filled him, as if he didn’t belong in his own body. The fight was over, but he felt as if he were still being injured. His first instinct was to deny the System’s words, but it had made no mistakes so far, at least that he was aware of. There was no reason for the System to lie to him.

He struggled with trying to wrap his head around this discovery. Draconic Human? Did this mean that either his father or mother was a Dragon? Or some ancestor? Was this even real? Moments passed by, but he didn’t feel even remotely closer to grasping this situation. Anxiety pooled within his chest, but he tried hard to calm down.

He wasn’t human. Nothing he’d ever heard had been more life-changing than this, but he needed to accept it. Worrying about it would result in nothing. No matter how unbelievable it was, he needed to face reality.

Fuck, man.

Those were the words he told himself, but they weren’t enough to placate his raging anxiety. He felt like a monster. For a few minutes, he simply let the knowledge truly sink in. It was difficult. He rejected the very idea of not being human; it wasn’t something that he could easily acknowledge.

He rubbed his eyes and sighed. There was no way for the current him to find out the answers to his questions, but that didn’t mean he could easily dismiss them. He needed to understand himself. Michael looked at the bonuses his Race granted him.

+3 to all Stats and one Skill Point both being granted every level is insane.

It was especially so when it came to the Skill Points. As he had learned before, Skills could be acquired by spending a single Point, and so long as he had enough Points, more than one Skill could be acquired every time the System granted an opportunity. At least, those seemed to be the System’s current conditions. As such, it meant that his array of Skills could increase massively from this point on. It was a reason to rejoice, though he wasn’t in the mood to celebrate. He brought up the information about his Title, which had been updated.

[Title

Dragon’s Descendant: you have proven the worth of your determination. You are the descendant of an ancient, almost forgotten race that once stood at the pinnacle of magic. The Dragon blood flowing through your veins changed you, giving you unprecedented power.

Effects: +20 Wisdom, +10 Constitution, +20% Wisdom.

*This Title’s effects may change over time.]

Michael was genuinely surprised. The Title’s effects were much greater than he anticipated. He carefully read the Title’s description. If he had to guess, he would say the increase in Wisdom was related to Dragons being at “the pinnacle of magic,” but he wasn’t sure. However, as it was, his mana pool, which had previously limited him, was now his greatest asset. While his mana hadn’t been refilled by the sheer increase in Wisdom, he could already tell that it was recovering faster than before. The increase in Constitution was also welcome. With a nod, he closed the System windows and looked at the carcasses of the two moles and the bear.

To think that I almost got killed by such ordinary creatures.

He had handled one mole just some time earlier, but two at a time proved to be too difficult. The difference caused by the addition of a single enemy was greater than Michael expected. The bear had been a different case. If he hadn’t managed to partially blind it, he would have died within seconds. The same would have happened if he hadn’t awakened to his true Race and Title. The bear had been an overwhelming opponent that his past self couldn’t hope to defeat.

He caught his breath and rested while standing, not wanting to be caught defenseless. After some time and having decided it was enough, he continued to follow the tunnel, descending ever lower. But first, there was something he needed to do. Breathing deeply, he created a Mana Sphere at the tip of his wand. He stared at it for a few seconds.

Alright, let’s try it.

His intention wasn’t to shoot the Sphere or to hold it in place. Instead, he would attempt to move it to his left hand. His right hand would grasp the wand. This was an arrangement that he had figured out after some thought. If the need arose, he would be able to cast a Mana Shield with the wand, executing the necessary movements quickly. The Sphere would disperse, naturally, but at least he would be protected.

Slowly, he tried to make the Mana Sphere move from the tip of the wand to his left hand. In nothing but a moment, he realized that this was much harder than he thought. The traditional way of using the Skill had been embedded in his mind. He had created an alternative method, which consisted of keeping the Sphere still, but now that he was attempting to achieve some middle ground, the feeling that he should pick either method was strong. Shooting the Sphere or keeping it still; those were the options his current self had. Making it float from one hand to another wasn’t one of them.

Furrowing his brow, Michael felt his control over the Sphere slip. It came undone, fizzling out of existence as the mana was dispersed. He didn’t even blink and drew a circle in the air with his wand.

“Mana Sphere.”

Another Sphere appeared at the wand’s tip.

The drain on my mana pool is much more manageable.

He felt that the rate at which he recovered mana had also improved, while his mana pool had somewhat recovered after awakening to the Dragon blood. Continuously, he attempted to move the Sphere to his left hand, making a bit of progress with each attempt. Soon, he succeeded. A smile appeared on his face. The Mana Sphere above his left palm looked far more unstable than the other ones he had cast, rippling and shimmering, but it served its purpose. With a satisfied expression, Michael continued on his way.

As he continued through the tunnel, the earth around him got darker and deeper in color, with much more stone composing the walls. The change in the earth’s color supported Michael’s theory about being able to find water down here. Tree roots could be seen reasonably often, winding downward for a much longer distance than he previously calculated. He no longer knew just how deep underground he was. All he knew was that he needed to keep going, no matter what.

On his way, he encountered two more moles, but by quickly casting a Mana Shield and then switching to a Mana Sphere, he managed to end both fights swiftly. Standing over the broken corpse of the second mole, Michael looked down at himself and sighed.

I’m a mess.

His robes were torn and bloodied, and his face and limbs were covered in dried-up blood. In general, it looked as if he had been put through a meat grinder. At the same time, he had gained much from these two battles. He looked at the two System notifications still clouding his view.

[You have reached Level 5.]

[Your state of existence has risen. Skill Point has been awarded. The number of Skills you can learn has increased.]

These were the notification that had appeared after killing the bear. He turned his gaze to the newly-appeared notifications.

[You have reached Level 6.]

[You may now choose new Skills.]

[You have acquired a new Title.]

[You have unlocked further features within the System.]

[Party system has been unlocked.]

[New Stats may be acquired.]