Epic of Ice Dragon: Reborn As An Ice Dragon With A System

Larzak was a man that faced many trials and challenges across his life, perhaps more than anybody in this entire group within this life. From the death of his entire family to his desperate survival in jungles with monsters' tens of times stronger than him. All of such hardships polished the lizardman into the man he had become today. Strong, determined, silent, and willing to fight for those he loved.

After all, even though he lost everything, over time, he slowly rebuilt a family, a village, and a place to call home. Despite the many hardships that the man faced, he never seemed to falter. He always continued moving forward. It could be said that he had no weakness in many things, someone that had gone through so much suffering simply was rough in the inside and the outside.

However, even for someone like him, there was an illusion, a Trial had emerged before his eyes. This trial was in the form of… his family. Indeed, because he was never able to say goodbyes to them, because he was never able to encounter them again after having grown up surviving in the jungle… there was a lingering regret inside of his heart, which he always thought was already made of stone.

This regret was never having seen his family after he was thrown away from his village. As he wandered alone across the jungles, he thought about going back many times, but his own insecurities didn't allowed him. after all, he was thrown away from his village because of the lack of food to maintain everybody.

But maybe, there was also a lot of resentment in his heart. He worked hard so he could go back to them stronger than anybody before, but at the end, he came back too late. The menace of the Cannibalistic Lizardmen was something that Larzak had to fight and defeat with everything he could, killing so many lizardmen in the process of his revenge, until the moment when everything ended. By that time, there was no satisfaction, and only a sense of hollowness that was slowly filled up by the one he loved and the village he built with her.

But now, his family was here, his two parents and his brother, who by the time he was a child, was stronger than him. The fight between the two was decided at the end rather quickly, as the one that lost, Larzak, was sent to the jungles, while the strong that survived remained in the village, his brother.

"So you're here…" Larzak muttered. Unlike other people, he wasn't driven into tears. He seemed oddly calm, yet there was still a strong melancholy inside of his heart. "Is there something you need to tell me?"

"Brother…"

His family remained mostly in silence. They themselves didn't knew what they wanted to tell to their son. It was slightly confusing for Larzak, but he quickly realized that these were merely made out of his own memories, perhaps, so there was no way they would really be all that complex.

Of course, that ended when his brother slowly walked towards him. So small compared to him, so little, and so frail compared to the big body that Larzak had that he couldn't help but feel slightly shocked.

"Did he die while being so small?" He sighed.

Suddenly, a mental image reached the lizardman's mind, as he saw himself within his little body back then. He was smaller and weaker than his own brother, yet now, after years of growing up and also developing his strength, he had reached such a size and appearance that completely dwarfed the one that won the battle.

"I'm sorry, Larzak…"

The boy cried, suddenly grabbing Larzak's clothes.

Larzak remained in silence, as he tried to not be moved by emotions.

"I was the one that should had gone out… I wanted to let you win."

"What?"

Larzak felt shocked.

His brother felt so ruthless and cold back then, yet he had such intentions back then?

"But I… I was afraid… I didn't wanted to go out to the jungle, even when I loved you as my little brother, even when I wanted you to stay… I ended being a pathetic big brother…"

"…"

"I should had taken responsibility and done what was right…"

Larzak sighed, as he petted his big brother's head.

"Don't worry about it… It was thanks to being sent to the jungles that I grew stronger… And also how I ended surviving this much… How I ended… not being eaten with all of you."

"Still… We are sorry, son."

"I'm sorry as well… We loved you so much."

His mother and his father quickly walked to his side.

"We missed you every day."

"We couldn't stop thinking about you…"

Larzak tried to contain himself from his sorrow but seeing his parents so close to him quickly brought down his defenses. He extended his arms as he ended hugging both of his parents tightly, with all the love he could.

"Mother, father…!"

Larzak hugged them tightly, as he wanted to cry, but he couldn't. Tears were simply not flowing out of his eyes no matter how much his emotions wanted. In the past, he had cried so much that he no longer could cry anymore.

"Why are you talking things I never knew about?! What is this… trial all about? Just what is happening?" Larzak cried. "Are you really my family's souls?"

Although Larzak asked such questions, his family evaded a definitive answer. They seemed to embrace him with their love and care, while telling him how much they were sorry. All the resentment he held back then quickly flew away, as he realized that despite what they did, they never stopped loving him as their son.

"I'm sorry too…" Sighed Larzak.

Larzak's Light pierced through their bodies gently, like an embrace of warmth. Slowly, the three of them began fading away in front of him.

"We'll always love you."

"We are proud of you."

"Take care, little brother…"

As they faded away, Larzak was filled with emotions, while wondering what the true nature of the Frost Tower was, walking away from the room, and quickly finding several others that had completed their trials.