Chaper 1: The Cave

For a moment, I just stood there in the dark cave, staring at my reflection in the shallow puddle. My brain was still catching up.

At first, all I could think about was Minako-san walking in and catching me watching Sailor Moon. Honestly, that embarrassment alone should’ve been enough to kill me. But now… the bigger picture finally hit me.

I’d been transported. Summoned. Reincarnated.

This wasn’t a dream. This wasn’t some game.

I’d been isekai’d.

The thought slammed into me all at once, and before I knew it, I let out a scream.

“YESSSS!” My voice echoed through the cave. “I really got isekai’d!”

I couldn’t stop myself—I started jumping up and down like an idiot. “This is it! This is the moment! A new world, new chances, endless possibilities!”

I paced in circles, my mind racing. I could become an adventurer. A knight. Maybe even a hero. Defeat the Demon King, save the world, get my own harem—

I froze mid-thought, forcing myself to take a breath.

“Okay, calm down, Tengen. Calm down. Step one: get out of the cave. Step two: figure out where the hell you are.”

Closing my eyes, I activated the Mugengan Eyes.

When I opened them again, my vision shifted. Lines, shapes, and distances painted themselves into focus, as though the entire structure of the cave had been laid bare before me. Every tunnel, every bend, every level—I could see it all.

And sure enough, I was at the very bottom. The deepest point.

A grin tugged at the corner of my lips.

“Perfect.”

Most people would probably be panicking right now. Alone in some pitch-black cave, surrounded by who-knows-what kind of monsters, with no idea how to get out.

But not me.

See, I don’t fear death. I never have. Death comes when it comes—whether you’re ready or not. So why waste your days worrying about it? Better to live the way you want. That way, when the end shows up, at least you’ve got no regrets.

And right now? I had some seriously broken abilities on my side. Resistance to pain, immunity to poison and curses, regeneration, and a skill that lets me straight-up steal other people’s powers. That wasn’t just strong—it was unfair.

So, instead of smelling danger, all I smelled was fun.

I ran my hand along the rough cave wall as I walked forward, the air cool and damp against my skin. My footsteps echoed softly, like I was the only living thing in the world. The darkness didn’t bother me. If anything, it made me smile wider.

Because this cave wasn’t a prison.

It was my first playground.

And with that thought, I kept walking, eager to see what kind of monsters were waiting for me in the shadows.

I kept walking.

The air was damp, and the sound of water dripping echoed faintly. Every step I took left a soft crunch on the rough stone. I half-expected some kind of monster to leap out of the shadows, fangs bared, ready to make me its first meal.

But nothing came.

No claws scraping the stone. No glowing eyes watching from the dark. Just silence.

I frowned. Weird. Shouldn’t a cave like this be crawling with monsters?

After what felt like forever, I reached the end of the tunnel. And that’s when I saw it.

A soft glow, floating ahead.

At first, I thought it was a torch, or maybe some kind of enchanted crystal. But as I got closer, I realized it wasn’t either. It was a perfectly round orb, suspended in midair, radiating a faint blue light.

My heart skipped.

“…Loot.”

I rushed forward, grinning. “Jackpot! My first treasure drop. I can totally sell this at the Adventurer’s Guild once I get out of here.”

I could already picture it: me, walking into the guild like some cool protagonist, casually tossing the orb on the counter, and the guild receptionist’s jaw dropping in shock.

I reached out my hand

And the orb pulsed.

A hologram flickered to life above it.

The figure of a tall, lean man appeared. Well-built, skin tanned by the sun, and long crimson hair flowing behind him like fire. His sharp eyes glowed with the same red, and he carried himself with the kind of energy that made the whole cave feel brighter.

I froze. “…What a sexy man.”

Then I caught myself and scowled. “Wait. Who the hell is this uncle?”

The hologram’s lips curved into a smile, and a voice, deep, warm, and strangely familiar filled the cave.

“Tengen. If you’re seeing this, it means that old man actually managed to resummon you. I’m sorry.”

My stomach dropped.

What?

The man straightened his posture, grin still in place. “Let me introduce myself properly. I’m Ashryn. Your father.”

My eyes widened. “Huh? Father?!”

No, no, no, no. This had to be a mistake. I’d never once met my father. Never asked about him. Never even thought about him. To me, he just… didn’t exist. My life had always been just me, Mom, and Minako-san. That was it.

So who the hell was this red-haired guy, claiming to be my dad?

Ashryn’s smile didn’t waver. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, speaking with a casual energy that felt strangely… familiar. “You must be shocked. Let me explain. You were actually born here, in this world called Aetherion. It’s a little different from Earth. No phones, no TV, no games. Just good old-fashioned swords and sorcery.”

He laughed, loud and carefree, like it was the funniest thing in the world. It wasn't, I promise you.

But I froze again. Wait… how does he know about Earth?

Almost like he read my mind, Ashryn chuckled. “You’re wondering how I know, right? How I know you’re from Earth?” He leaned back, crossing his arms. “That’s because I sent you there. You and your mother.”

I stopped breathing for a second.

He went on, still smiling, though there was something softer in his eyes now. “I’m a Dragon. The second one to ever exist in this world. Your mother, on the other hand, was a Hero. When you were born, things got complicated. Dangerous. I used my Space-Time Manipulation to send you both away. To Earth. Somewhere safe.”

My chest tightened.

Mom… a Hero?

I thought back to her, the way she fought, the way she trained me, the way she never held back. Stronger than anyone I ever knew. Stronger than anyone I could imagine.

If this man was telling the truth, then… it made sense. She wasn’t just some battle-crazed laundromat owner. She was a Hero.

Ashryn laughed again, waving his hand as if brushing away my thoughts. “You must be having an existential crisis right now. Don’t overthink it. All you really need to know is this: you’re not just human. You’re Dragon, Human, and Demon.”

I blinked. “Wait, what?”

This man was dumping all this stuff onto me like it was nothing.

He grinned wider. “That’s right. Your mother and you are both half-Demon. And you, Tengen, got my Dragon blood on top of that. Lucky you.”

I staggered back. Mom… was half-Demon? A Hero… and half-Demon?

Out of everything he’d said so far, that part hit the hardest. It didn’t add up. Demons weren’t supposed to be heroes. Heroes weren’t supposed to be demons. It shattered every isekai trope I’d ever known, and for a moment, I felt like the ground under me was crumbling away.

Ashryn kept talking, his voice steady. “Of course, I sealed away your Dragon blood when you were born. So our enemies couldn’t track you. So no one could resummon you back here. I guess… that that failed, haha. But here’s the problem, I don’t remember how to undo it. So you will have to figure it out yourself.” He said with a guilty smile and a wink.

My eye twitched. “This guy…”

He just smiled, like he hadn’t just dumped a mountain of responsibility onto me.

Then, for the first time, his grin faded into something sad. “…And if you were resummoned… then it also means you really are the reincarnation of Azul.”

My heart sank. Azul? The God I’d heard the system mention earlier? Why was that such a bad thing? His face, his sadness gnawed at me in a way I didn’t like.

But Ashryn shook his head. “I won’t explain that. That’s something Azul will tell you himself. I don’t want to drown you in too much at once.”

Then his smile returned, brighter than ever. “Still, I’m glad. I got to see you again, even if it’s just as a hologram.”

Suddenly, my chest burned. Something sharp and hot pressed into me from nowhere, racing through my body like fire. I gasped, stumbling back.

Ashryn laughed, his voice booming. “Relax, it’s just my Dragon Core. The last piece of me I had left.” His smile grew sharper, almost predatory. “I’ve given it to you. But there are three more cores out there, held by my siblings. Collect them, and ascend as a Supreme Dragon.”

“Siblings?!” I shouted. “Wait, you mean I actually have family here?!”

Ashryn’s expression softened. His grin mellowed into the look of a real father. “Tengen… listen. Don’t make the same mistakes I did. Don’t let the weight of responsibility crush you. Live. Have fun. Be yourself. Make allies. Trust the people around you. That’s what I want most for you.”

His image began to flicker, fading away with the orb’s glow.

“One last thing,” he said, voice echoing softer now. “Protect my Forest of Calm for me. That’s my final wish.”

The hologram vanished.

I stood there for a long while, staring at the empty space where he’d been. My head spun with everything I’d just learned. Dragon blood, family, Azul, my mother being a Hero, my father being… well, him.

But then, slowly, a smile tugged at my lips.

“…Yeah. Some parts were kind of gloomy. But whatever. Nothing’s gonna ruin my party.”

Three Dragon Cores to collecf. A forest to protect. Actual family.

“I got it, ‘Dad,’” I said quietly, grinning into the dark.

I let out a long sigh. All that “dad” stuff was… heavy. But honestly? I wasn’t the type to sit around crying over family drama.

I finally had something I’d been wishing for my whole life. I’d been isekai’d. Dropping it all just to mope didn’t feel right.

Fun was right in front of me. And right now, I wasn’t going to let it slip.

The first monster showed itself not long after.

It slithered out from the shadows of a side tunnel, scales glistening in the faint glow of moss along the walls. Its body was long, its fangs dripping with venom, and its yellow eyes locked on me with the hunger of a beast that thought it had cornered its next meal.

By my estimation, this thing was at least a B+ in strength. Maybe even scraping A rank.

I smiled. A slow, hideous smile that stretched across my face, the kind of grin that made me feel less like prey and more like the predator.

“So you think you’ve found food,” I muttered, cracking my knuckles. “Sorry, but it’s the other way around.”

The serpent lunged.

I stepped forward. My fist connected with its jaw in a satisfying crack, sending it crashing into the cave wall. The impact left a dent in the stone, dust trickling down from above.

It hissed and tried to coil around me, but I drove my fist straight into its side, then grabbed its tail and slammed it into the ground over and over until the cavern floor shook.

When it finally stopped moving, I crouched beside it, and poked its body.

[Skill Acquired: Venomous Bite.]

I shook my head. “Not bad… but too weak.”

The disappointment in my voice was real. For all its build-up, the fight was nothing more than a warm-up.

The next monsters didn’t fare any better.

I came across a hulking beast covered in bone armor, a quadruped that looked like a cross between a bear and a rhinoceros. Its roar shook the cavern walls. I just smirked, walked right up to it, and punched it across the jaw so hard it spun in a half-circle before collapsing.

[Skill Acquired: Body Armor.]

“That’s it?!” I snapped, genuinely irritated. “Come on, you look like a boss monster but you fold in one hit? Pathetic.”

I sat on its back, arms crossed, glaring down at it. Then, in a moment of sheer frustration, I barked:

“Push-ups. Now.”

The creature groaned, trembling, but I lifted its massive frame with one hand and started pushing its front legs against the stone like I was training it.

“One! Two! Don’t slack on me!” I shouted, like some deranged drill sergeant.

If anyone had walked in, they would’ve thought I’d lost my mind. Maybe I had. But it made me laugh.

Day after day, I hunted. Monsters of every size and shape, fanged wolves, fire-breathing lizards, grotesque bugs the size of carts. Some of them were strong. Some of them even managed to land a scratch or two. But in the end, all of them fell.

And with each kill, my skills grew.

[Skill Acquired: Black Flame.]

[Skill Acquired: Regeneration Boost.]

[Skill Acquired: Enhanced Reflexes.]

Each ability sunk into me like a puzzle piece snapping into place, shaping a body and mind that were already absurd into something beyond broken.

For anyone else, two weeks in the lowest level of this cave would’ve been torture. They’d be lucky to crawl out alive, if at all. But for me?

It was paradise.

Hunting. Fighting. Testing myself. Laughing at the so-called “threats” that thought they could take me down.

Two weeks passed like it was nothing.

And then, finally, I stood at the mouth of the cave, sunlight spilling onto my face.

I took a deep breath, stretching my arms wide. For a second, I thought about going back inside. The cave had been fun. But the experience… it wouldn’t be the same anymore.

Besides

I grinned, baring my teeth.

“The forest has way more prey.”

And with that, I stepped out into the light, ready for whatever this world had waiting for me next.