Reincarnated With A Glitched System: Why Is My MP Not Running Out?

Chapter 2198 A Playful Little Dragon

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”But it’s in the past,” Flamie continued, his small voice carrying a quiet acceptance that still held a trace of old pain. ”I know... I also feel somewhat bad about everything that happened. I was resentful as an Undead for a long time, carrying that bitterness with me. But now that I think about it carefully, I am grateful Lolth took care of me in her own way. I would have hated for you to see me in such a twisted form. That creature was never really me after all.”

My father nodded slowly, still wiping at his eyes. ”We faced some strange dragon monsters before this... they could talk just like you, yet they were dead set on killing us without hesitation. They resembled the dragons from some old tale I used to tell you back then. It was so bizarre. They carried pieces of your essence inside them. Lolth... did she do something with your power?”

Flamie rubbed his small chin thoughtfully with one clawed hand. ”Maybe she used what remained of my power to conjure beings from the darkness I left behind. But now that she has been defeated and purified, I don’t think that’s possible anymore. And once I finally pass away, I will completely disappear from her soul as well. Nothing of that corruption will remain.”

My mother nodded in clear relief, her shoulders relaxing for the first time in a while. ”I see... well, that’s a relief to hear...”

My father looked back at all of us, a faint flush of embarrassment crossing his face as he realized how openly emotional he had become. Tears still clung to his cheeks. ”I see... Well, this is truly relieving indeed.”

My brother finally spoke up, his voice filled with both hope and urgency. ”So... you’re like an inheritance? How so? Do you plan to give some of that power to dad? Why not use that power to come with us instead? Maybe Sylphy can give you a System Seed, and she can bring you along as a Spirit!”

”I didn’t think about that possibility before, but it’s right,” I said, glancing between them. ”It might actually work...”

Flamie looked at each of us in turn. For a brief moment a faint, gentle smile appeared on his small face. Then his eyes settled on Ignatius, and he slowly shook his head. ”Nah, I’m good.”

”But why?!” Allan asked, his voice cracking slightly. ”Don’t you want to go with me?”

Flamie chuckled softly, the sound light yet carrying years of quiet resolve. ”Hehehe, since when have you been such a crybaby, Allan? You said it once, right? That we would be partners forever...! I don’t need to be there every day just to remind you of your old mistakes, do I? And... my true soul has already passed away long ago. It feels wrong to me to keep living as him when I myself am only an incomplete being. I feel like the correct thing to do is to pass whatever power I’ve managed to amass on to you... or... well, to the one you said you wanted me to share this power with. Ignatius is your name, right?”

Ignatius staggered for a moment, clearly caught off guard, before nodding slowly. ”Uh, yeah, that’s me... I... I am not really sure what Allan meant by that, seriously! I didn’t ask for anything, really! You should give that power to him. He’s your master, your friend... I... we’re complete strangers.” He muttered the last part with genuine shame. For the first time he seemed completely honest and open. He clearly felt terrible about Flamie’s fate.

Flamie flew closer to his side and smiled up at him with surprising warmth. ”You’re a little older than me, like a big brother! Hehehe... Did you die too? You’re also like a Soul... but a more complete one? Unlike me...”

Ignatius nodded quietly. ”Not completely whole. I was born from... around sixty to seventy percent of my true soul. The rest simply faded away. But it was mostly thanks to Sylphy that I managed to remain. I guess I do feel more like myself than you do right now... how much of yourself are you?”

”Ah... I’m likely less than ten percent,” Flamie admitted, shaking his small head. ”It really isn’t the full me after all... but you’re different. You became a true dragon spirit... that’s amazing! Are you the first dragon spirit?”

”I... guess so?” Ignatius laughed lightly, a bit of pride returning to his voice. ”Yep, I am!”

”Oooh, amazing!” Flamie said happily, flapping his cute little wings with clear excitement. ”That’s so cool, big bro!”

”...” Ignatius smiled softly at the praise. ”Still, are you sure this is fine? You leaving like this? Look at him. I’ve never freaking seen Allan like this in my entire life. He’s usually the happy-go-lucky dumbass type. To see him this depressed is honestly crazy.”

Flamie looked back at Allan with gentle eyes. ”He’ll be fine! He’s never been like this either, so stop crying, okay Allan? What I did, I did it for everyone’s safety. By now I can see that you’ve changed. I can clearly see it here with the family you’ve built... You’re no longer the reckless brat who attempted stupid things and got punished for them. You’ve grown into a real person.”

My father sighed deeply and nodded, a small, tired smile finally appearing. ”I have indeed changed. And... heh.”

He cleared his eyes with the back of his hand and looked at Flamie with a bit more confidence. ”Would you stop calling me a crybaby already? I just cried once and you start mocking me that way.”

”Boohooo, Flamie don’t goooooo! I am such a crybaby I need my pet dragooonnn, boohoooo!” Flamie mocked him in a childish, exaggerated voice, making my father laugh despite his lingering sadness.

”You damn little brat, you’re still the same as I remember!” my father laughed, trying to chase after him. He ran around the space while Flamie chuckled and flew just out of his grasp, wings beating playfully.

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