I Became the Descendant of My Favorite Character

Chapter 1: Descendant of the Hero (1)

I was born with the trait [Dragon Heart].

In a typical game, being born with [Dragon Heart] would be an immense blessing.

But a moment’s thought would inevitably raise questions.

Dragon Heart is the heart of a dragon.

It’s an engine that performs at its best when paired with a dragon’s powerful physique.

To put such a Dragon Heart into a frail human body—my current state could be likened to fitting a nuclear fusion engine onto a Chinese restaurant delivery scooter.

If it were to go out of control, the fallout wouldn’t end with just my death.

Because of this trait, when playing as Adjak, I had to keep my HP above 15% until I obtained the ‘Heart Engraving.’

‘I need to channel Mana into my heart.’

Only by surviving could I conquer Myeolji in this damn world or uncover Adjak’s legacy.

“Ugh….”

Even while dry heaving, I could feel my heart spinning faster and faster.

This was no time for stray thoughts.

I focused entirely on channeling Mana into my heart.

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Feeling the heartbeat gradually stabilize, I started running across the grasslands again.

Twenty-three laps, twenty-four laps.

I kept running without stopping, then froze in surprise.

In the distance, I saw a familiar silhouette.

The red flag the instructor had planted.

As I approached the turnaround point, the figure of a man became clearer.

Looking at me with complex eyes was my biological father, Gerd.

When our eyes met, Gerd gave an awkward smile.

‘Why is Gerd here? Oh, today’s that day….’

Without a word, Gerd turned and left.

Knowing why, I couldn’t bring myself to stop him.

* * *

I grabbed my trembling legs and headed home.

While enduring the instructor’s scolding and running thirty laps around the field, I also had to keep guiding the absorbed Mana into my heart to stabilize it.

As a result, I was not only physically but also mentally exhausted.

It had been fifteen years since I came to this world.

From the moment I started walking, all my actions were focused on conquering Tune World.

I even tried completing the daily quest tasks I had done countless times in the game.

To not forget the strategies, I kept a record.

[Strategy Log]

- Running 30 consecutive laps around the grasslands grants a +1 stamina effect.

Of course, without a status window, I couldn’t confirm the changes clearly.

But I could feel the effects of the recorded quests being applied to my body.

‘Finally finished the 30-lap quest. Tomorrow….’

Creak.

Opening the worn-out door I’d passed through countless times and entering the dark living room, I heard:

“…You’re back.”

A voice heavier than the deep darkness resounded.

“Yes, Father. I’m home.”

Usually, Gerd would be asleep by the time I returned from training.

But today was a special day, wasn’t it?

He glanced at the dining table, gauging my reaction.

On the table was something I hadn’t seen before.

“A gift. It’s your birthday today, isn’t it?”

Today was my birthday and the anniversary of my mother’s death.

Gerd handed me a wooden sword.

Judging by the scratches, it wasn’t new.

“…Thank you.”

I took the wooden sword from Gerd.

It felt heavy.

The wooden sword I’d been using had long since broken at the tip.

I’d only patched it up with mud to balance the weight.

‘No wonder the side dishes have been sparse lately….’

For Gerd, who had no proper job, even getting a wooden sword like this must not have been easy.

“You’ve been working hard.”

“Of course. I ran thirty laps around the grasslands today.”

“Good. Keep it up, and you’ll see good results.”

Gerd gave a faint smile as he looked at me.

But the smile quickly faded.

It wasn’t joy, sadness, or hope—a complex expression tangled with various emotions.

It wasn’t hard to guess Gerd’s thoughts.

Having seen his face since birth, I could tell what he was feeling just by looking at him.

“I can do it.”

He wasn’t particularly talented, but he was a devoted father.

It was true that he always felt awkward about our relationship, given his less-than-charming son.

But even in trampling poverty, he tried his best to support me within his means.

I knew it wasn’t just because he loved his child.

‘Gerd is a man of the Adjak Autonomous Region, after all.’

All men of the Adjak Autonomous Region admired their ancestor, Adjak.

Gerd, who hadn’t distinguished himself at the Coming-of-Age Ceremony long ago, hadn’t given up despite learning I lacked the ‘Mana Blessing.’

He wanted to fulfill his unachieved dreams through me.

“Believe in me.”

“Alright. Rest well.”

With a brighter expression than before, Gerd gave a short reply and headed to his room.

Among the children of District 18, I was in the lower ranks.

But Gerd’s back, as he clung to even a sliver of hope, looked smaller than usual today.

* * *

The next morning, I left the house with the new wooden sword Gerd had bought.

The atmosphere on the street was different from usual.

Adults bustling about, children with bright faces.

The village felt as lively as if a festival were approaching.

As I passed through the noisy streets toward the training ground, a shrill voice called out to me.

“Polarin! No class today! Did you forget?”

“No, I know.”

“You’re going to do that weird training again, aren’t you? The instructor said it’s useless.”

Weird training.

They meant the physical exercises like push-ups and sit-ups I did every day.

On Earth, these were basic exercises, but I never skipped a day to strengthen my body even a little.

“They say Lord Tayon is coming as the Coming-of-Age Ceremony supervisor! Don’t be late, or there won’t be any spots left in the square!”

I waved off the excited kid and continued on my way.

The time had finally come.

There was something I had planned to do today.

* * *

Among the Adjak clan’s annual events, the Coming-of-Age Ceremony drew the most attention.

Every year, the Adjak clan gathers all 18-year-olds to hold the ceremony.

The children faced ever-changing trials to test their skills.

Simply passing all the trials allowed one to take any desired role within the clan, regardless of background.

Those who ranked in the top 1 to 10 were called hero candidates and were respected across all districts.

The hero Adjak—no one in the Adjak clan’s history had succeeded him.

But those who ranked in the top 10 at the Coming-of-Age Ceremony were treated as potential successors to Adjak, hero candidates.

I already knew the supervisor was coming today.

The village had been preparing to welcome the supervisor for a long time, and even the grumpy instructor had declared no classes today.

—All those participating in this year’s Coming-of-Age Ceremony, as well as those who will join later expeditions, must report for roll call at the square before sunset!

When I learned that this year’s supervisor was Tayon, the only hero of District 18, it was hard to calm my racing heart.

But before meeting Tayon, I had to take care of today’s planned task.

[When the character reaches age 15, they can perform the ‘Heart Predation’ ability of the Dragon Heart.]

‘It’s like a time bomb now, but if I can control it….’

The only way to permanently stabilize the Dragon Heart was to achieve high results in the Coming-of-Age Ceremony and receive a Heart Engraving.

To rank high in the ceremony, I needed to temporarily resolve the heart’s overload.

And to do that…

‘I need to absorb a beast’s heart.’

The Dragon Heart’s ability, ‘Heart Predation.’

Dragons, the superior beings of all races in this world, grow by consuming the hearts of strong creatures.

If I consumed the heart of a high-grade beast, my heart would quiet down as it digested the Mana within.

Then I could fully utilize the results of my training so far and even use the Dragon Heart’s abilities.

The restricted area of the Gullok Mountains.

I carefully stepped toward it.

A high-grade beast wasn’t far away.

Having died several times in this area while playing Tune World, I knew it well.

Grade 4 beast, Shaber.

A monster capable of wiping out a small village single-handedly.

Even the instructor would struggle to survive against a Shaber.

Naturally, I had no intention of sneaking into Shaber territory.

That would lead to being detected by their keen sense of smell and torn apart by their long fangs.

To hunt them, I needed to lure a Shaber to my prepared stage.

I began climbing the Gullok Mountains.

Having frequented the area like my own home, the path was clear.

At the mountainside, where the ground was soft.

I didn’t have a shovel, but I had sharpened a wide stone as a substitute.

I gripped the stone and started digging.

Thwack! Thwack!

The sound of the stone breaking the earth mixed with my panting breaths.

While digging, I had to constantly manage my heart to avoid overloading it.

Through that grueling process, I dug and dug.

By the time the sky turned red, the pit was deeper than my height.

I poured water and ‘Shaber churu’ I had prepared into the pit.

For a feline Shaber, it was something they’d go crazy for, but I couldn’t afford to attract an adult Shaber I couldn’t handle.

I took out dried plant root powder from my pocket and sprinkled it over the churu.

Freya root powder.

Powder from the roots of Freya flowers grown in ice caves without ever seeing sunlight, it was fatally toxic to adult Shabers.

With their keen sense of smell, adults would perceive the Freya root’s scent as rotting and avoid it.

In other words, this churu was perfect bait to lure only young Shabers.

I planted sharpened wooden spears in the pit.

‘Now I just have to wait.’

Wait for the sacrifice that would keep my heart from exploding.

* * *

“I’ve lived a long time, but who’d have thought I’d use a descendant of Lord Adjak as a porter.”

“Haha, I’m counting on you.”

Gerd applied the odor-blocking cream given by the hunter, smiling awkwardly.

Though called odor-blocking cream, it was made from dried animal feces, emitting a foul stench.

Normally, Gerd would have recoiled, but he endured and applied it thoroughly.

He was ready to part with the past, where he idled as a jobless man, refusing menial work because of the pride of being from the noble Adjak clan.

The reason he changed his mind wasn’t anything else.

—Our son… you have to watch over him. Please take care of him.

A few days ago, he saw his deceased wife in a dream.

She asked him to look after the son she bore in pain.

So Gerd headed to the training ground after a long time.

There, he saw his son lagging far behind his peers.

Panting as if he’d collapse any moment but never giving up.

It pained Gerd that he couldn’t even afford to buy his son a proper sword despite his grueling training.

‘He’s had a weak heart since he was young.’

Seeing his son stagger but persist until the end, Gerd made a decision.

He would cast aside the empty pride of being ‘Adjak’s descendant.’

He’d earn money, even as a hunter’s porter.

He wanted to earn money to cure his son’s illness.

Even if his son lacked the ‘Mana Blessing,’ Gerd feared he might not even be able to participate in the Coming-of-Age Ceremony due to his condition.

“There are some decent beasts in the Gullok Mountains. Keep your steps quiet and follow as I told you.”

“Yes. But if we go too deep, we might encounter beasts.”

“We won’t overdo it. The cream will protect us from animals, if not beasts. Besides, aren’t you a descendant of Adjak?”

“Haha… that’s true.”

Gerd shouldered the backpack handed by the hunter.

The name of his ancestor, his son’s illness, and the weight of the backpack were as heavy as his burdens.

Gerd’s shoulders felt heavy.

“I’m looking forward to today’s journey!”

The hunter laughed heartily and stepped forward.

With each step following the hunter, the humiliation Gerd initially felt faded.

The hunter was skilled at tracking animals and turned back without hesitation upon spotting terrain tainted with demonic energy.

The backpack grew heavier, but Gerd could bear it.

No, he was happy.

Until now, he had no stories to share and only listened to Polarin’s daily life at the dinner table.

But now, he had plenty to talk about.

The fact that he wasn’t ashamed to speak of his day made Gerd’s heart race.