Rio was transferred to a new world.
He was born there as a prince, but was immediately rejected because he possessed no power or skill—except for shapeshifting.
He was exiled to a forbidden forest.
Amid the intertwined shadows of the trees in the forbidden forest, Rio sat silently in front of the system screen.
"One skill only? Shapeshifting?"
He smiled mockingly.
"This world is not much different from the previous one…"
Then he closed his eyes, and changes began to devour his childish body.
In moments, his small body transformed into that of a grown young man—fourteen years old, yet his appearance suggested someone in his twenties.
A pair of torn black wings emerged from his back, and twisted black horns extended from both sides of his head.
His hair became pitch black, darker than a night that knows no light, and his eyes turned crimson red, glowing like a blood moon.
His skin was unnaturally white, shining under the moonlight. His beauty was deadly, terrifying, almost indescribable. His fangs were sharp like dagger blades, pulsing with thirst for the blood of this cruel world.
Then the system's voice appeared:
"New skill activated: Flight."
Suddenly, Rio's wings spread, and he flew into the air at high speed.
After that, Rio landed on the ground and began to understand his power system:
"Hmmm… it seems everything in this world is acquired, one way or another."
Rio wanted magic, so he tried to turn himself into a tree—part of the earth and nature—in hopes of gaining earth and nature magic.
The system said:
"New magic type activated: Earth Magic."
"Nature Magic."
"Level: 3"
Rio landed. He felt an instinct pushing him to test his new power.
A huge monster approached, with glowing eyes and massive fangs, its body covered in rocky skin. Its roar shook the forest.
But Rio did not retreat.
He raised his hand calmly, without uttering any spell.
All he did was imagine.
A massive tree with lightning-like roots rose up, wrapped around the monster, pierced it, then burned it from the inside.
The ground cracked open and swallowed it.
The monster was not defeated that easily. Rio was still at the beginning of his path.
The monster advanced and launched a powerful kick-like wave.
Rio barely dodged it by a miracle—even he could not believe it.
Rio faced extreme difficulty. He knew nothing about magic or combat. Even though he used imagination, he was not strong enough.
Rio began to run at full speed, the monster chasing him relentlessly.
Panting from exhaustion and fear, he said: "Am I really going to die when I just arrived in this world?"
Suddenly, everything froze.
The ground, trees, and sky disappeared and turned blue, as if it were a virtual reality game.
The system said: "Danger, danger. The user is unable to win. Switching will occur."
Rio: "Wait, what—"
Before he could finish speaking, Rio felt drowsy and collapsed to the ground.
Rio's eye color changed. His hair turned golden blond, his eyes golden, his skin became even whiter, and he began to look more like a girl than a boy.
The system began analyzing the area and the enemy:
"Area analysis complete."
"Enemy abilities analyzed."
"Target determined."
"Loss probability: 2%."
He spread his wings and shot toward the target like an arrow.
The monster did not remain still and advanced as well.
A collision occurred between them, resulting in an explosion that burned everything within their range.
The dust clouds dispersed…
The monster fell to one knee, while the system remained standing and said: "I told you before. I have analyzed all your abilities. You will not be able to defeat me."
Rio returned to his body once again.
The system said: "Conditions fulfilled."
"The skill the user wished for has met its conditions."
"Suffering does not apply to the user."
Rio did not care much about the battle. He checked what the system showed him and said in surprise: "What a wonderful skill… but did I really wish for it? …Oh, I remember—before I died."
Rio spread his wings and flew, enjoying himself greatly.
Then he stopped for a moment. He was carrying the name of his royal family, Ilzarl, and decided to change his surname. (He whispered:)
"Right, I almost forgot. I should change my name… What should I choose?
What about Rio Valkrin? Yes, that sounds good. Now let's continue our journey."
Rio continued flying and began to hear sounds like roars.
"It seems there is a battle."
He rushed toward the sound and saw two giant monsters and a small bird. Rio went to help it.
He landed on the ground and imagined a tree trunk binding them, along with walls of earth.
Rio restrained the two monsters, took the bird with him, and spoke to it: "Alright… alright, little one. You're safe now."
After carrying the injured bird, Rio continued flying high, enjoying the cold breeze of the sky against his skin, before finally deciding to stop and rest.
Rio, smiling lightly at the bird: "Alright, little one… let's sit here for a bit. I'll bring you suitable food."
Rio left the place while hiding himself, entered the city quietly, slipped through the shadows, stole some food without being noticed, then returned at incredible speed to his winged friend.
Rio, placing the food in front of the bird: "I'm back… how are you? Let me check your condition, system!"
Scanning…
Scan successful.
Name: Unknown
Type: Dragon
Lineage: Descendant of the Ancient Emperor
Age: 4 years
Level: Cannot be determined
Skills:
Flight: [Max Level]
Blue Flame Breath: [Level 4]
Fire and Ice Control: [Level 10]
Element Fusion: [Level 2]
Magic:
Complete Control over Fire Branches: [Level 1]
Complete Control over Ice Branches: [Level 3]
Rio, eyes widening in shock: "…D… Dragon?!"
Yes.
Rio, stunned: "I can't believe it… how did I end up taking care of a dragon? This is… a lot."
After a period of calm and thought, Rio suddenly stood up.
Rio: "Alright… it's time to train. I'll train in the earth element."
He extended his hand and imagined a gigantic tree, over 50 meters tall and 50 meters wide. Moments later, the earth trembled… and a massive tree rose, piercing the sky.
Rio (astonished): "That tree… it's bigger than I imagined! Come on, little dragon, let's explore it."
Rio flew with the dragon to the highest point of the tree. There, he used earth magic to build a massive and incredibly beautiful castle, large enough to house three adult dragons.
Rio: "This will be your home when you grow up… but there's a problem."
Rio thought for hours, worried that the massive tree would attract the attention of human adventurers.
Rio (in a low voice): "What should I do?"
Rio asked the system for help, and it responded.
He closed his eyes, and a massive wall appeared surrounding the tree. Then he created a multi-floor maze with no end, which he could modify at will. He did not stop there—he created nature and earth monsters, towering mountains, and an unbearable environment below, while the top of the tree remained a place of beauty and peace.
After three months…
Waves of humans began to gather toward the mysterious tree, driven by curiosity and rumors of hidden power.
But none of them were able to pass the mazes, which changed on every floor. The maze was cunning, changing its shape every time so no one could find the exit—it was alive.
On one of the floors…
"Zalarosa! Watch out behind you!" shouted a pink-haired girl named Yui.
Zalarosa turned quickly, dodging a fatal strike from a giant ghoul, and sliced its body into a thousand pieces in a swift motion.
Zalarosa (with a mocking smile): "Don't worry about me. Watch yourself."
She charged into waves of monsters, while Yui prepared herself.
Yui: "…Hellfire magic, Flame Collapse."
A black-and-red beam of fire appeared, sweeping through the monsters like a storm and annihilating them completely.
Zalarosa (proudly): "Well done, Yui… that's my friend!"
Yui (shyly): "Thank you…"
Above…
Rio was watching what was happening while eating beside his little dragon.
Rio (curiously): "Those two girls… they're really strong."
Rio (excited): "Come on, little dragon… it's time to discover my new ability."
Suddenly, Rio's right eye began to glow with a dark violet aura…
To be continued…