I Received System to Become Dragonborn

Chapter 1471: The Forest

Sylven entered his subconscious and immediately found himself standing within a vast forest. Unlike Erend, who had first witnessed the dormant lump of black energy inside his mind, Sylven experienced no such encounter. This was his first time confronting the Black Rage, and just like Eccar and Aesa, the Black Rage immediately dragged him into a vision connected to the deepest parts of his memories.

The moment he began his meditation, his consciousness had been pulled into this place.

Sylven slowly looked around him before a grim expression appeared on his youthful face. Although he had used the appearance of a young boy for centuries, the face he wore seemed to carry wounds far older than it appeared.

How could he ever forget this place?

This forest was where he opened his eyes for the very first time after losing all of his memories. Before arriving here, he was certain that he had lived another life somewhere else. There was no logical explanation for why a Dragonborn like him existed in the middle of an ordinary forest without any memories of his past.

Yet he remembered nothing. For Sylven, his life began in this place.

When he first woke up, he had already possessed the appearance of a small boy. He had been confused and frightened. He knew nothing about the world and only had vague instincts that guided him through his early days of survival.

Slowly, the Plant Dragon walked through the familiar forest path. His steps felt heavy as memories he had not thought about for centuries resurfaced within his heart.

Then, he saw her.

A woman stood before him while carrying a basket filled with herbs and freshly harvested vegetables. She possessed gentle green eyes and long brown hair tied behind her back. Although she wore simple farmer’s clothing, the warmth within her expression remained exactly as he remembered.

She looked younger than the version he had lost all those years ago.

"You..." Sylven whispered quietly.

The woman blinked in surprise after noticing him standing alone in the middle of the forest.

"Child? What are you doing here all by yourself?" she asked with concern.

Sylven froze in his place.

He no longer remembered what he had said during their first meeting hundreds of years ago. The exact words had long disappeared from his memories. But the longing he felt at that moment remained vivid even after all this time.

An overwhelming longing immediately overwhelmed him.

Without realizing it, tears began falling from his eyes. His vision blurred, his emotions he had buried deep within his heart came back all at once.

He immediately ran toward the woman and tightly embraced her.

He missed her. He had missed her more than he ever realized.

The woman widened her eyes in surprise and awkwardly looked around before slowly placing her arms around the crying boy.

"What happened, child? Are you hurt?" she asked softly.

Sylven simply shook his head and buried his face against her shoulder. He couldn’t bring himself to answer. He merely cried silently within her embrace.

This woman was the one who eventually became his mother.

And she was also the woman who died because of his mistake.

—

Her name was Arin. The years passed peacefully inside the vision.

Sylven relived the happiest period of his life alongside Arin. She adopted him without hesitation despite knowing absolutely nothing about his origins. They lived as simple wheat farmers together in a small village near the forest.

Their life was not luxurious or extraordinary. They spent their days harvesting crops, tending their small field, and sharing simple meals together.

For Sylven it had been more than enough.

He remembered laughing with her during festivals, learning how to harvest wheat and repair farming tools, and the warmth of returning home after spending the entire day working beneath the sun.

Most importantly, he remembered being loved.

Then time began moving forward.

Sylven slowly grew older and became a young adult. Arin’s hair gradually turned white while wrinkles began appearing across her face.

Sylven then realized something terrifying.

Humans grew old, and they died.

But he did not.

The Dragonborn’s lifespan far exceeded that of mortals. Hundreds of years meant nothing to him, while Arin had already reached the twilight of her life.

He couldn’t accept it.

Back then, Sylven had desperately searched for a method to make his mother immortal. He spent years researching Magic and his own Dragonborn abilities, believing that there had to be a way to save her.

And that desire eventually led him toward his greatest mistake.

This time Sylven chose differently.

Since this was merely his subconscious, he decided to live through those moments once more while accepting reality. He spent every day beside Arin while allowing her to live peacefully as an ordinary human.

Eventually, Arin lay upon her bed as old age finally caught up to her.

"No," she suddenly said while looking at him with desperate eyes. "I don’t want to die."

Sylven froze. "Mother..."

"You can do it, can’t you?" she asked while grabbing his hand tightly. "You’ve always been special. Please, Sylven. I want to stay with you."

Sylven’s expression immediately filled with pain.

"No," he replied quietly while shaking his head. "It’s impossible."

"Then make it possible!" Arin shouted desperately. Tears began flowing from her eyes as fear consumed her heart. "I’m afraid! I don’t want to disappear! I don’t want to leave you alone!"

Sylven lowered his head.

"If I give you my power, you’ll become something else," he explained with a trembling voice. "You’ll become a monster. You won’t remain yourself anymore."

"Then I don’t care!" she cried, her voice was hoarse and shrill. "Anything is better than dying!"

Sylven’s body trembled as tears slowly streamed down his face.

"You don’t understand," he whispered painfully. "I tried this before. I already know what happens."

He had already witnessed this tragedy once. But hearing her plead for her life once again shattered his heart.

"Please..." Arin begged softly. "I don’t want to leave you, my son."

Eventually, Sylven broke.

Just like before, he surrendered to his emotions.

Unable to watch the woman who raised him beg for her life, he cut his hand and allowed his Dragonborn blood to flow into her body.

At first, nothing happened.

Then everything changed.

Vines suddenly burst from Arin’s body as she screamed in agony. Her skin began turning green while flowers and roots violently emerged from her flesh. Her eyes lost their warmth and transformed into feral and inhuman eyes.

"No..." Sylven whispered in horror despite already knowing what would happen.

The woman who had once called him her son disappeared before his eyes and became a grotesque plant monster overflowing with uncontrollable power.

The monster immediately attacked him without hesitation.

Sylven could only stand there in silence as tears streamed down his face.

He had failed once again and just like hundreds of years ago, he was forced to raise his hand and kill the person he loved most.

The Black Rage had not shown itself yet. Instead, it forced him to relive the greatest regret of his life.

Somehow, Sylven knew that this was only the beginning of his trial.

—