A leaf fell from the sky during a thunderstorm. Lightning split the clouds, illuminating a rolling shape. The leaf hit the ground, and something rolled over it. An egg tumbled into a river, miraculously dodging rocks and rushing on.
Hi. I'm just a regular guy who loves video games and anime. When I get into a game, I get into it — I get competitive, I learn the mechanics, I can usually solo most bosses with characters and builds I like. One day, I was playing a brand-new, brutal soulslike. I was right at the final boss when everything went white — like a flashbang in Call of Duty. I felt like I was still playing, but I couldn't see or hear properly.
Did I die? Maybe I just passed out from the sudden light. My room was dark; maybe the brightness made me faint. I couldn't open my eyes or hear anything. After a while, I thought I could open my eyes. Something was rubbing against me — a towel? I could feel light but I couldn't open my eyes. Why am I crying? I couldn't stop; it felt uncomfortable. I tried to sleep.
A few days later, I could open my eyes and make noises. It seemed I had been reborn. Maybe I had a heart attack or epilepsy. I couldn't understand the language my parents spoke. I'd never been good at learning new languages — that's why I watch dubbed anime — but I didn't have a choice now.
Months passed. I could crawl and go everywhere in the house, though I was still scared of stairs. Later, I learned to walk and understand more of this place. My dad is good with swordplay and magic; I'd seen him training with wooden dummies. My mother focused on healing magic — I watched her tend to my father after hunts. Maybe I could learn magic someday. I'd also seen demi-humans around town — women with tails, fur, and animal ears.
Time moved on. I was about to start school. How did I know? My parents gave me a satchel with supplies and tried to teach me words — either they were preparing me for life or for school. I saw other families with children walking together. My parents held my hand until we reached a building. They talked to a beautiful catlike demi-human, said something, then waved goodbye and left me there.
Months later, I could write basic sentences and read pretty well. Speaking was harder, but I could imitate sounds. I made a few friends.
Years passed. This new world was huge — far bigger than my old one — full of many races speaking different tongues, even demons and monsters. It was a dangerous place, but our island felt safe. Here, low-rank monsters were common and people used a ranking system similar to a videogame: your rank on a weapon or skill reflected your expertise and was assessed by masters after you demonstrated your skill. Monsters, too, were ranked by how dangerous they were. We all received books about dangerous creatures and how to defend ourselves.
People could apparently seal monsters in crystals that came from a massive magic tree. I wasn't good with history, but everyone said the tree was colossal and deadly; many had lost their lives near it. Rare crystals could be found deep inside the tree, but the core was off-limits — not even monsters dared approach.
There were gods, demons, a demon lord, and a supreme god who created the universe. But the best part? I was going to learn how to fight in a few days. I would get to pick a weapon and a class. The school had only a few high-rank masters, but I could learn more later in other countries. I didn't want a boring or overpowered class — I wanted something fun and different.
Today, I went to the beaches with my parents. I wandered a little on my own and found a large, shiny rock buried in the sand. It was heavy, so I rolled it a bit and carried it over to my dad.
"Get away!" my mom shouted.
My dad looked, then rushed toward me, leaping and pulling me back just in time. "What's going on?" I asked, confused.
"That's a monster egg!" he said, his voice trembling with worry. I had never seen my parents so scared. They immediately started scanning the beach, backing away cautiously.
"My goodness… let's go home," my mom said, and we hurried back.
My parents had been adventurers in a big city before I was born, and now their old instincts kicked in. They argued quietly about what to do. If the egg belonged to a high-level monster, destroying it could anger its parents, who might come looking for it. They decided the safest option was to wait and capture it once it hatched.
After watching over it for a few days, they moved the egg to our land, not far from home. I went to check on it from time to time. My parents didn't tell anyone about it—they didn't want to cause panic. They assured me they could handle a baby monster safely.
Apparently, once a monster hatches, it can be captured in a crystal immediately, which means it doesn't need food or water. Pretty cool, right?
On the testing day, students tried many options. Some aimed to be holy knights, some wanted to cast magic, others to be adventurers. When it was my turn, I scanned the list. I liked the magic teacher — maybe I should pick something she could teach. Then I saw it: Link Burst. It let you borrow power from allies to grow stronger. No one else picked it. I also chose a battle axe — it looked like a Viking's and could be used at range. Perfect.
When I told my parents, they seemed unimpressed. They said the skill wasn't very useful because it drained energy from both the user and the ally. I didn't mind.
Weeks later, my parents rushed outside one afternoon and I followed them with my bag. We stood near the glowing barn where animals had gone crazy. My mom rummaged through her bag while my dad kept his sword at the ready. An egg started shaking — then claws burst out and flames erupted. My mom shouted that she couldn't find something. I panicked, grabbed my mom's bag, and started searching. I found a crystal and threw it from behind a tree, yelling "Mom!"
I threw it too hard; it landed in the burning barn. The crystal glowed and the fire died as if someone had flipped a switch. My dad ran in to help with water while my mom came out and walked toward me. Scared, I apologized.
She smiled and said, "Don't worry, dear. I'm not mad. Here — this is yours. Take care of it." She handed me the crystal.
The next day, I took it to school. The beast-taming teacher appraised the crystal and declared it a rare Blood Crystal — dragon. From then on, I attended beast-taming class every day. I was only allowed to let the creature out in the backyard. I fed it lots of meat. It was a beautiful dragon and grew quickly.
Years passed and both of us became stronger. His name is Colgate. I learned to use some of Colgate's power with Link Burst. Graduation approached and we were ready to leave the island. I would get my flight license and finally fly Colgate farther than the trip between home and school. We'd had so many small adventures across the island and met many people and low-level monsters.
On graduation day, my mother cried happy tears and my father tried to hold his back like a champ. Days later, it was time to leave. I hugged my parents, packed provisions, then ran to Colgate. Together we flew north toward the city where my parents were born.