NOVEL WEB Prologue – 2 Customization
Chapter 2
Aldrakar, the Dragon King, spoke: "Now, young warrior, I know you are confused, so let me explain."
Malthael couldn’t hear a word the Dragon said. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, each one crashing into the next, leaving him disoriented. His pulse pounded in his ears, drowning out everything else.
What is going on? Why is there a dragon here? Wait, a dragon? Oh yeah, this must be a dream. I must’ve drunk too much. Yeah, that’s it.
Aldrakar's massive form seemed to sag slightly, the weight of his words pulling him down. His voice, deep and resonant, softened with a sadness that Malthael had never imagined a dragon could possess:"Sadly, young warrior, this is not a dream as you might believe. You died—your ribs pierced your heart and lung, causing internal bleeding."
Suddenly, the memory of dying came back to him—his final moments. The world had gone silent, the cold creeping in as his vision darkened. Even without pain, the overwhelming numbness confirmed the Dragon’s words.
Malthael’s breath caught in his throat, a raw scream tore from his chest. His hands trembled uncontrollably as he clutched his head, the cold sweat of panic drenching his skin:"FUCK, I DIED! FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!"He felt his chest tighten, the weight of everything he hadn’t done crashing down on him:"I STILL HAD SO MANY PLANS. I COULDN'T EVEN SAY GOODBYE TO MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS FUUUUUUCK!"
Unlike in most stories where the protagonist just brushes over the fact that they died, Malthael wasn't like that. Even though he wasn’t a good person by any means, he still cared about his friends and family dearly.
As Malthael panicked and screamed, Aldrakar could only watch and try to calm him down.
Aldrakar's massive tail thumped the ground softly, an almost subconscious display of unease. His voice, usually so steady, held a faint tremor:"Please, Malthael, calm down. We don't have much time. I made a deal with the Reaper of your world to talk to you and help you, but... I doubt he’ll let me do this for long. "
Malthael didn't seem to register what he heard, continuing to mutter to himself. Aldrakar, growing worried, did the only thing he could: he stomped on the ground and roared.
*BOOOM*
Aldrakar, the Dragon King roared:"YOUNG WARRIOR. PLEASE CALM DOWN AND LISTEN, THEN YOU CAN ASK SOME QUESTIONS. NOW, DO I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION?"
Malthael snapped out of his chaotic thoughts, staring up at the dragon. His heart pounded as he swallowed hard and nodded. With him calmed down he slowly began to register all the things the Dragon had said.
The Dragon’s voice softened, a stark contrast to the roar that had shaken the earth moments before:"As I’ve said, young warrior, you are dead. But for you, death is not the end. Thanks to the power I accumulated over the past thousand years watching over your family, I now have enough power to revive you, but I will have to move you to a different world as the Reaper does and will not allow a soul to return to life. As compensation for not being able to revive you in your world. I will allow you to modify the world you'll be moved to as well as choose the world you'll be going to. Now please ask your question I know you have.
Malthael began processing all the information he had just acquired, and the first questions began forming:"Who are you?"
Aldrakar straightened his towering form, his scales shimmering in the dim light, as if drawing strength from his own words. He gazed down at Malthael, his eyes glowing with ancient power:"I am the last of my kind. The fear of man, the bane of gods. I am Aldrakar, the Dragon King." His voice was a deep rumble, each word resonating with unshakable pride and a touch of melancholy."
Malthael took note of the mentioning of gods.
Malthael told the second question:" You appear to be a powerful being and at the start you stated the fact that I died with a bit of sadness. Why is it that you, such a powerful being would lament my death as well as help me in not just a small way?"
Aldrakar's expression softened, a rare warmth in his otherwise stern features:"Your ancestor, Malthael the first, was no ordinary man. We struck a pact, one born out of mutual respect. I vowed to watch over his bloodline, and when another of his name was born—you—I would aid him in any way I could. That promise is what guides me now, and it’s why I’ve been with you all your life, even if you never knew. As for why I am sad? Because I grew to like your family and you especially. You have a real close resemblance to a dragon. Atleast in your behavior, it's almost scary."
With this new information, Malthael set aside his original question and asked, "How did my ancestor manage to get this deal, considering he was human?"
Aldrakar smiled again and answered:"Well we formed that deal because he wished it. As for why I accepted that wish? Because Malthael was the first being to defeat me in a fair fight."
The new information stunned Malthael. "You—a Dragon who apparently stood beside gods and can revive me and send me to another universe—were defeated by my ancestor, a human?"
Aldrakar said:"Yes, but I don't think you should dwell on this subject any longer. Time is ticking, and we still have much to discuss."
Malthael looked at him confused:"Is there really that much to discuss or are you trying to avoid the subject?"
Aldrakar looked stern:" Yes, while I am prideful I wouldn't run from such a subject. Now I ask of you this. Do you have a World in mind that you want to reincarnate to?"
The question threw Malthael for another loop.
As he thought, his mind wandered back to when he was still alive, particularly to an anime and manga he’d recently started. He had to ask, "Can I go to the world of My Hero Academia?"
Aldrakar closed his eyes. Soon he opend them again as he said:" Hmm, yes that world is a possibility. Although not my first choice but still a good one. Now, onto the next step.
Malthael raised his eyebrows:" And that would be?
Aldrakar stated in joy:" Well customization of course. Before you ask I'll explain. As I've said I'd let you modifie the world to your liking. What I mean with that is that you will make some minor, some major changes to how the world functions, such as laws, physics and biolical changes. Here let me show you.
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Soon, a digital menu-like window appeared before my eyes, displaying the description of the MHA world. There where a few sub tabs to the menu which had different names like physics and laws. I moved my finger towards the text that held the MHA description and the moment I toched it a keyboard appeared before me. Suddenly I realized what the dragon ment. Soon I began tipping away molding the World to my will but trying to not deviate to much away from the source material. As soon as I was finished the window disappeared.
I turn my head towards the Dragon who seemed to look at the way I reformed the world who then looked at me and answered my questions before I could even ask:"I quite like your style aswell as taste and no that's not all. What we or I need to do now is give you a power or to be more specific, my power."
I squint my eyes:"What do you mean by that?"
The Dragon continued."Well since I will perish the moment you leave this world since my deal with your ancestor would hold on only till you were born and would die. And it is the contract that is keeping my soul bound. Which would mean I cease the moment you reincarnate but since I've grew quite fond of you and your family I will grant you one final help. I will fuse my body with yours, but I'll modify some things. Firstly I will make it so the powers you get will adapt to the world you'll go to so it will register as a quirk in the My Hero Academia world. Secondly since I don't have time to explain the single powers to you I will make it so that every aspect of my powers will show up in a system like fashion for you. But you will not get a leveling system, don't get your hopes up, nor will you get a stat window, you will just get a descr..."
Before Aldrakar could finish his sentance something happend.
A sudden chill swept through me, penetrating my very core, as if I were submerged in icy water for weeks. My skin prickled, and a numbing cold spread from my fingertips to my bones. The once vivid battlefield dissolved into an eerie monochrome. The vibrant flames that had once roared with life were now silent, their colors drained away, leaving only a ghostly light. Bloodstains on the ground turned to mere shadows, fading into the ashen ground. My senses sharpened, the silence growing heavier. I felt an intangible weight bearing down on me, as if I were being watched by unseen eyes. When I turned around, the sight that met me was indescribable—a being with ever changing faces and ever changing forms, but two things were always there, huge feathery wings and a scythe. I should feel fear, but the moment I set my eyes upon the being, I became calm and a little bit happy, almost like meeting a friend.
The being spoke with simple words:"Tick, tock Aldrakar, time is up.
I turn my head to Aldrakar just to see his face turn serious as he opens his mouth:"Very well, young warrior, I am sorry but we got to do the last part quickly. I will show you the time line of your new world and you can pick the moment when you where born."
As he spoke, a timeline of events appeared before my eyes. With my knowledge of how I’d influenced the world, I already knew when and where I wanted to be. I clicked on the time I wanted to appear. After that the line disappeared.
Slowly, the world was turning brighter and brighter. As the world around me faded to white, I could feel a deep, almost primal connection with the Dragon. Aldrakar’s voice, once booming, now softened to a near whisper, filled with a deep, ancient wisdom:" Live like a dragon. Take what you want, do what you desire. Stand proud against all." As the world faded to white, his final word hung in the air:"Farewell, young one."
As the world around me faded to white, Aldrakar’s final words echoed in my mind. Then, everything went dark. Slowly, new sensations crept in—light, warmth, and the muffled sounds of voices. I was being born again.
I could hear a male voice say:" It's a boy. How would you like to name him?"
A female voice responded, "Malthael, Malthael Krone.