The road stretched far beyond Riverbend, across rolling hills and fields where wildflowers swayed in the breeze. For Orin, every step was discovery.
"WOOHOO!" he shouted, sprinting ahead. "So many colors! So many smells! So many wives hiding somewhere!"
Code's staff thudded against the dirt as he walked steadily behind. "Shut up."
"Can't! Too happy!" Orin spun, ran backward, then tripped on a stone and rolled into the grass. He popped up, grinning with dirt in his hair. "See? Even the ground loves me!"
Code sighed.
But the boy was changing.
Orin still acted like an idiot, but his strides no longer wasted energy. His breathing followed rhythm. When he ran, his chest didn't burn out after a few minutes. And when he smashed a rock in two that morning, he didn't cough blood after.
Step by step, the lessons were taking root.
That afternoon, Code stopped in a clearing. "Test. Show me what you've learned."
Orin's grin widened. "Dragon time?"
Code nodded.
Orin planted his feet. Inhale—slow, steady. Exhale—sharp. His hands came together. Sparks flickered, but this time no red haze clouded them. The aura formed golden-blue, light coiling. It lengthened, sharpened.
With a roar, he thrust forward.
A dragon of ki burst from his palms—smaller than Code's, half its size, but solid. Its scales rippled, eyes glowing faint gold. It roared silently, slamming into a boulder. The stone exploded into fragments, dust raining down.
Orin stood panting, chest heaving, eyes wild. Then his grin returned, wider than ever. "HA! My dragon has eyes now!"
Code nodded once. He didn't praise—but in his heart, he was impressed. The boy had formed a true Dragon Vein Wave.
"Good," Code said. "Again."
But Orin shook his head, smirk curling. "Nah. That's your dragon. I want mine."
He dropped into Beast Stance, crouched low, fists clenched. He inhaled sharp, then exhaled through gritted teeth. Aura crackled—not gold this time, not black either. Blue. Pure, sparking blue.
It coiled violently around his arms, compressed into a squat, feral shape.
Orin roared. "BEAST DRAGON BURST!"
The aura surged out—short, brutal, like a dragon cub smashing forward. It slammed into another boulder, not slicing like Code's technique but shattering it into rubble. The shockwave rattled trees, dirt splitting in jagged lines.
Orin staggered, blood on his knuckles, then threw his head back and laughed. "SEE?! Mine bites harder!"
Code's eyes narrowed, watching the boy clutch his bleeding hand but grinning like a maniac. The aura was messy, but… stable. No black haze. No red eyes. Just Orin's will.
"Idiot," Code muttered. "But maybe an idiot genius."
Days passed. The forest thinned, giving way to grasslands. The road widened, worn by travelers. And then, one morning, Orin froze.
"Wooooooahhhhhh…"
Ahead, rising in the distance, was a city.
Stone walls climbed high, banners fluttering. Smoke curled from chimneys. Beyond the gates, the roar of a thousand voices mixed—merchants shouting, horses neighing, hammers ringing on anvils.
Orin's jaw dropped, eyes sparkling. "A WHOLE CITY! That's… that's… so many waifus in one place!!!"
He sprinted toward it, arms flailing. "HELLOOOO WIVES, YOUR FUTURE HUSBAND HAS ARRIVED!"
Code's staff shot out, catching him by the collar.
"You'll be killed before you reach the gate."
Orin dangled, feet kicking. "Then I'll punch the killer and marry his sister!"
Code let him drop. "Idiot."
The gates loomed. Guards in chainmail watched as the pair approached. Orin marched proudly in his blue uniform, sword at his hip, staff strapped to his back. His grin was so wide the guards exchanged wary glances.
"Who are they?" one muttered.
"Travelers," the other said. "But that kid… he feels strange."
Inside, the city was alive. Market stalls spilled fruit and cloth into the streets. Smiths hammered iron. Children darted past with wooden toys. The smell of bread and meat drifted thick.
Orin spun in a circle, eyes like saucers. "FOOD! TOYS! WIVES! THIS IS HEAVEN!"
Code's hand slapped the back of his head. "Control yourself."
But whispers already spread.
"Did you see his aura?"
"That sword… where did it come from?"
"He's not from here, is he?"
Among the crowd, a man in martial robes paused, eyes narrowing at the strange boy. He felt something. Something wild and dangerous, wrapped in laughter.
By night, Orin sat in a tavern, a mountain of plates before him. Meat bones piled high. Bread crumbs dusted his shirt. He burped loud enough to rattle mugs.
"HAHAHA! Stronger punches, bigger food, bigger harem! This city loves me already!"
Code sat across, expression stone.
"You're a menace," he said.
"Future legend," Orin corrected, grinning with grease on his cheek.
Around them, patrons whispered, eyes darting. Some with amusement, some with unease. The boy's laughter carried like a storm brewing.
Code sipped his tea, gaze distant. The world is about to meet him. And the world is not ready.