A small dragon child trying to wake his parents.
"Mom... wake up!"
…
"Dad...? Dad!"
…
"My... son... run..."
…
A loud voice boomed across the battlefield, "We've taken down the Dragon Emperor! Kill all of the remaining dragons!"
The battle cry of human soldiers followed, and they began mercilessly slaughtering the remaining dragons, ripping apart their bodies to create weapons and items.
"Huh? A baby dragon, huh?" a voice sounded from behind the boy. He turned to see one of the human soldiers. "A baby dragon... crying near the Emperor and Empress's corpses? Aha! It appears its my lucky day. You must be the prince, right? I'll be rewarded greatly for killing you..."
The young dragon stood up, tears streaming down his face. He clenched his fists tightly, trembling but resolute to fight the human.
"I love the spirit, kid. Maybe you'd stand a chance against a weak, fragile human like me if you were in your proper form. But you're in your half-human form. Just go down quietly, and I'll make it as painless as possible."
The mans leg shimmered with a faint, transparent blue light before he suddenly kicked the dragon's side, sending him flying into a wall. The dragon coughed up blood, his mind racing. He mumbled, "Am I going to die? Mom... Dad... save me please..."
The man smirked. "Don't worry... I'll send you off to your parents now." Unsheathing his sword, he raised it high. The dragon stared at it, his body paralyzed with fear.
Just as the blade was about to descend and the dragon closed his eyes, the man's entire torso was incinerated into ashes. The dragon had instinctively unleashed his fire breath before blacking out.
…
A bright light seeped through my eyelids. "Mom can you turn off the light please..."
No response. I asked again, louder this time. "Mom, could you please turn off the lights?"
Yet again, no response. I opened my eyes, the blinding light making it hard to see. Rubbing them, my vision finally adjusted. All I saw was a vast, dry desert with a single, massive rock in the middle. I panicked, "Huh? Where am I? Where's my clan?"
In an instant, the memories came rushing back. I was overwhelmed by emotions I'd never felt before: sadness, depression, grief, frustration, anger. What was I supposed to feel? Tears flowed endlessly but alongside them came a strange, uncontrollable desire to destroy. An unruly headache struck me, and overwhelmed by it all, I blacked out again.
When I woke, dusk had arrived. Strangely, a sense of clarity had washed over me, regulating my emotions.
"Humans... huh. What am I supposed to think of them now? Strangely, I don't feel an innate desire to kill them all, but at the same time, I feel that's the appropriate thing to do. I've never felt this way before..." I pondered, the question looping endlessly in my mind.
The crackling of a fire caught my attention. I turned towards its direction, and there lied a well-dressed rabbit roasting marshmallows by a fireplace. It was whistling an unknown tune.
I stood up and walked toward the fire. Only then did I notice the cold chilling air and how little mana I had left. The rabbit turned to me, smiling. "Ah, so you're the one chosen this time, hm?"
Confused, I asked, "Chosen? What are you on about, rabbit? I'm too exhausted for this. Let me sit by the fire, and I will leave you be."
The rabbit chuckled. "Be my guest. Though, I can see something is troubling you, young man. May I be rude as to ask what that may be?"
I sighed. "A rabbit is a rabbit, and a dragon is a dragon. We are not the same, we have different problems. Don't concern with matters that do not involve you."
"That's quite the perspective. So you're suggesting that because I am different, I can't possibly understand your struggles? Like how a human might feel remorse for a starving homeless dog, do you believe the dog should dismiss the human's empathy? Can I not lose loved ones, train, learn, drink, or eat as you do?"
I hesitated, reflecting on the rabbit's words. "Then tell me this: have you had your entire clan betrayed and slaughtered before your eyes?"
The rabbit responded, its expression somber. "No, I haven't. We rabbits don't live in large groups or clans. But I've lost those that I care about. My suffering might not match yours, but that doesn't mean I can't understand pain or have empathy for you. I watched you cry and punch that rock for hours despite you being unconscious. So, what troubles you so deeply?"
"What troubles me?" I repeated. "My emotions- that's what troubles me."
The rabbit inquired, "How so?"
"I don't know how to explain it. I have all these conflicting emotions, and I don't know which to feel. I don't know what to do. It feels like I've lost my purpose, though I'm not even sure what that purpose was to begin with."
"That's to be expected," the rabbit replied. "You lost your world and what sheltered you from the universe's cruelty. But your new purpose if something you'll have to find yourself. Here's the important question: What do you desire? Is it wealth, glory, absolute strength, or something else?"
"What do I desire? What's the point of that question, rabbit?"
"You'll understand in due time, but for now, think of your desire as the force that will drive you to find a purpose. We're running out of time, so answer quickly."
"Time? What is taking our time when we're alone in this entire desert?"
"You ask too many questions. Stop asking, just answer."
I groaned. "Quite the stubborn rabbit. Fine, I'll let up... what do I desire..."
After thinking for a while, my emotions naturally began to settle. Eventually, I had come to one desire.
"What I desire is... absolute power."
"Absolute power... I can't say I'm surprised. Be more specific. A broad desire won't do."
"I want the power to... change the universe, even reality itself. I want the power to humble the strong and protect the weak. I want the power to create peace and destroy chaos. I want the power to make the populace happy and rid society of its cruel, unfair hierarchies."
"Good. You've taken the first step toward finding your purpose already, young man. The journey you've chosen will be filled with sorrow and pain, but if you can endure..."
The rabbit had suddenly faded, and I awoke in a hospital bed surrounded by humans. It appears that I had passed out in my human form, hence why they had treated me. Was that a dream? It felt too real...
I rubbed my head, still lying down. "Man, what am I to even think now? Whatever, I'll just leave this place and find somewhere quiet for a bit."
Right as I was about to sit up, a voice echoed in my head.
[Welcome host to the Desire Development System or D.D.S.]
[Please confirm your desire: ___________]
A screen had appeared, and on it were these text. Below them, was small, button like shapes with different letterings on them. Is this similar to the computer technology of the ancient humans that I've read about? Though it isn't the human language, but rather the draconic language...
I pressed one of the buttons, and it filled in the empty text box.
"Interesting..."
[Desire Confirmed. Verifying Host Information, please wait.]
[Verifying... 20%... 30%... 50%... 80%]
[Verification Complete. Before proceeding, ensure the information is correct.]
------------------------
{INFORMATION PANEL}
Host Name: Seno Kazuhiro
Host Race: Dragon (???)
Host Age: 13 (Baby-Toddler Dragon)
Host Height: Human; 170.18cm (67in, 5'7ft) | Dragon; 762cm (300in, 25ft, Adolescent Dragon Size)
more...
{CONFIRM: Correct | Incorrect}
------------------------
"Correct."
[Advancing... Initializing System Adjustment...]
[...Adjustment Complete. Loading Statistics and Abilities, please hold on.]
After five minutes of waiting, a new pop-up message.
[System has been adjusted in accordance with the host.]
[ALERT! New task loaded.]
{TASK #1}
[Task Details: Complete the System Tutorial]
[Reward for Completion: 2 Levels and Unlock System Features]
[Failure to complete the task will result in losing the system.]
"Huh?"