《Bent World: A Pathfinder’s Legacy》 Prelude Irony comes in many forms; these are the thoughts that many of the remaining humans are now experiencing. Everything that could have gone wrong did. Efforts to clean up the sun, to help prolong its lifetime worked. At least, that is what the calculations are saying. The only problem was that there would be a brief eruption of electromagnetism that would erupt in a wave and disable all electronic devices. There were contingencies for this, but it was determined that such magnetic waves would travel through planets, rendering the idea of bunkers obsolete. Similarly, it was concluded that space travel would just be metallic coffins in space. This was where humanity had its next great breakthrough. While everyone worked feverishly on different ways to advance, multiple psionic breakthroughs were achieved. This lifted human brain power to its ultimate age of enlightenment. Once the psionic barriers were broken, and a universal peace accord was struck something marvelous happened. For five years straight everyone of the nearly ten billion people on Earth, or what was soon noted as Earth01, worked together all trying to achieve advancements. This was where theories of the multiverse were first posed, then demonstrated, and finally reached. Success. At least that is what everyone claimed. A dozen nearby renditions of Earth01 were visible. Everything from Earth Minus Five, to Earth7 were reached. Some were deemed to be too technologically deficient to transfer over, as those planets still had residues of industrial growth that had not been dealt with. While it was theorized that going to such planets would not be hard, especially as they could offer to clean up the atmosphere to earn their place in society. Ultimately it was determined that such efforts would take years or decades before they could begin the trans-migration process. This was where proponents for Earth07 got a lot of traction. The world was a dream come true. First the magnetic fields were easier to establish due to already noted spatial anomalies. This caused violent creatures to appear but would make creating permanent land bridges to Earth07 easier and more stable. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. There were talks of the ability to awaken magic powers, as the women were somehow able to wield the elements to fight back many of these spatial anomalies generated monsters. It didn¡¯t hurt that even with their advanced infrastructure, life expectancy, and development of superior mental acuity that the warrior women were all gorgeous. Virtual muscular goddesses capable of reducing giant monsters to ash with the wave of their hands. Added to this mystic was the fact that men were rarely observed. Noting that an influx of viable males to such a planet should only be seen as a good thing. There was also the noted fact that they could provide and possibly limit the amount of technology they intended to share with the natives of this seemingly primitive planet. Yet, time for a final and drastic choice was drawing close. Estimations on when the species ending super EMP pulse from the sun were said to occur within a year, eighteen months tops. This was how the humans of Earth01 made their last and fatal choice. Not having time to understand the matriarchal society that they wished to put all their efforts into joining they trusted their chance to fate. Fate, big boobs, and a pretty face. What happened next was a faux pas of epic proportions. Having long since dealt with rift monsters, and pursuing open rifts to find valuable resources to take back the inhabitants of Earth07 at first seemed pleasant enough. The fact that the warriors of Earth07 only chose to speak to the female assistants and tech leads proved to be an obstacle at first but was soon accepted. Many believed, incorrectly, that the warrior women of Earth07 were afraid to interact with men. Had there been more time to truly understand the society of Earth07, then many scientists would have likely chosen to choose any other planet instead. But their dye had been cast and what happened next could best be described as a massacre of ten billion people. Tensions had been rising for a while. Particularly with males who were used to being the leaders in negotiations suddenly finding themselves cut off. Similarly, some male soldiers went out of their way to try to seduce the female warriors. Then the unthinkable happened. A group of males found one of the alien females alone in the streets and wished to ¡°have a good time.¡± That was the final straw, that erupted a powder keg of tension and frustration infused hostilities that had been building up for months. Violence ensued. That one warrior burnt down half of Washington. Then rather than wishing to hear of possible ways to break peace between the two nations. The warriors erupted into action. Aided by Earth01¡¯s own technology and their superior magical abilities, the inhabitants of Earth07 treated the inhabitants of Earth01 the way they would any enemy force from a spatial anomaly. They burnt, erupted, flooded, electrocuted, and mangled every human they could find. Ensuring that none of the humanoid doppelgangers of Earth01 survived. Yes, that is what the humans of Earth01 were now classified as doppelgangers. A species so powerful and corrupt that they had to be destroyed at the root, lest one slip through and rise from within their ranks to destroy their whole planet. Once the cursory police and military forces were defeated, the rest of the inhabitants of Earth01 quickly followed. Their idyllic and sedentary lifestyles catching up to them, against warrior women who could cast destructive spells so powerful that tectonic plates would move under their massive wills. Worse, any time the women took damage, they could be healed by energy that was far beyond the scope of what their scientific records could comprehend. Ironically, the super EMP wave, the life ender that the inhabitants of Earth01 worked so feverishly to avoid passed without a trace. By the time of its passing, all human life on Earth01 had already been destroyed or eradicated. All valuable resources stripped and taken and provided as an offering to the different Empires of Earth07¡¯s Matriarchs. But this isn¡¯t the story of the death of the members of Earth01, but rather how a few managed to rise from the ashes and exact revenge for their home planet, their fallen loved ones, and most importantly for their own deaths. For those that survived did so only as vengeful spirits, using lost and forbidden psionic teachings to reincarnate themselves into the unborn children being carried into battle by warrior maidens who upheld the old traditions of exposing their children to blood and battle even from the womb. Chapter 1 My First Day In A New Life (Seven Months After the Fall of Earth01) Chapter 1 My First Day In A New Life (Seven Months After the Fall of Earth01) ¡°Master, do you wish to hold your child?¡± My maid asked the head of the matriarch of the Aberty family. Tension. Even in this state, I could feel the anger and rage radiating from the matriarch. Her contempt for my very existence clearly etched in her mind and the waves of energy that she somehow was able to affect with her emotional state alone. Even now, after nearly a year of exposure to these warrior women, I cannot help but be impressed by their power. Still, I can¡¯t help but harbor my own form of resentment towards this woman, my mother. Well, the biological mother of this body, at least. My real mother died the day of the uprising. The day when the warrior maidens of Earth07 got their kill commands and began attacking each and everything they could. There was the pretense that it was due to a rape allegation, or at least an attempted rape allegation, but Telepath confirmed that it was all a ruse. The alien invaders had no intention of brokering a true peace with us. They just wanted us for our resources, our technology, and then burned the world around us while they left with the spoils. Honestly, I couldn¡¯t help but feel the irony in such an action, for many of my ancestors did much the same. In fact, if we had our way, we would have likely been able to do the same with the disparity in technology. ¡°No, I do not want to see this stain on my reputation,¡± the Matriarch, my new mother, states as venom spews from her lips. My being a male is clearly seen as a blight to her name. The fact that I was to be her first child, born and bathed in the blood of her enemies, was meant to be a good thing. From the womb, I could hear her calling out to us. Yes, us, there were more, but as in Highlander, there can be only one. I was the one that managed to survive until the end, thus my now vaunted status as both a powerful first born, and a male was seen as a wasted effort. ¡°Should I dispose of him?¡± The maid asked. Tension. For a moment I paused. I was still young, but my mind was still as sharp as ever. While I had been able to kill off my fellow brothers and sisters in the womb, I would have a harder time taking out two fully grown adults. One I was fairly certain I could take care of, but two, especially mother? No, I don¡¯t think I could take her down. There is an uncomfortable pause, that proves that my new mother is in fact contemplating my death. The potential for murder based solely on my sex is mildly concerning. Fortunately, that moment quickly passes. ¡°No, he can still be used as valuable breeding stock. If he is anything like his seed donor, then he will be able to unlock many rare and powerful classes of magic when the time comes. Speaking of which, do ensure that you send a negative reputation to that donor for birthing a male child,¡± my mother states coldly. There it is, my value only in the type of powers I can unlock in women. Also, apparently being noted as the source for a male child is also noted as a negative review feature, good to know. I heard a few stories while in the womb. Granted my time in the womb was a mad dash of trying to fight off unprotected minds for resources. That was likely why the act of survival was so easy for me. What I did, how I survived, was monstrous. I found myself surrounded by over a dozen minds at first, almost like a make-shift litter of puppies. Then I heard the most frightening words ever uttered. *** ¡°The time for the first culling is nearly drawing close. If the children do not choose on their own, then we will have to use chemical properties to help ensure you are capable of going onto the next trimester.¡± A female doctor said coldly, her words all but piercing through the odd layer of liquid that surrounded me, allowing me to hear every word clearly. Almost as if the words were being spoken directly into my mind. ¡°How many days?¡± Mother asked. ¡°You have until your first trimester, so three days.¡± The doctor replied. ¡°Very well.¡± ¡°Have you thought about what groups you would like to get rid of, if chemical assistance is needed?¡± The doctor asked. ¡°The males first, followed by any Darkness aligned children.¡± Mother answered. ¡°Very well, we will have the order ready in the next three days, should you not be down to a healthy number of children.¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°How many?¡± ¡°You currently have fourteen, so to make it past your first trimester, we are looking for at least three, but ideally you want six.¡± The doctor answered not helpfully at all. ¡°Well, I will see you in three days,¡± mother replied. *** And like that, my existence here began in bloodshed. I did things that I swore in my past life I would never do. I will not comment on what I did, or how I managed to survive. Just know I was rewarded for my efforts. Not only was I allowed to live, but each potential problem that I removed made me stronger, strong enough to come to full-term. Strong enough that if needed, I should be able to put up marginal resistance, I might not survive, but the maid would not be able to live past today. Fortunately, nothing so drastic was needed on my part. Clip-clop. The maid¡¯s expensive shoes echoed across the smooth marble flooring of the mansion we were in. From what I had gathered, I was effectively royalty. Yet, being a male born to such a condition meant little more than I would be needed for awakening the power in females. While I was not completely sure how this would happen, it was clear that it would take several years before two things happened. First, it would be years before what powers I could unlock in women were known. Then secondly, I¡¯m assuming at around that time I would find out how to awaken the power within females. This meant that for the moment the only reason why I was still alive. The only reason why my mother did not press for my death as per the suggestion of my traitorous maid was solely due to the fact that I had perceived future value for the matriarch. Realizing that I only had a few years that I could truly bank on for my survival, I began coming up with plans. With this being my second life, I vowed to do things differently. While my past life offered medical advancements that effectively offered immortality, the abuse I put my body to by the time we achieved immortality as a society was noticeable. That is why I plan on doing three things daily, at least until I find out my perceived value to my biological mother. That third task has a lot of caveats, as I am positive I can be used to awaken multiple different power types, as my seed donor was so noted. Part of me also wonders why males are unable to wield magics on their own. It is clear that males do not die as part of this process, but how is their life after the female awakening process? I don¡¯t know. Honestly too little was known about these people. Oof. I feel my body almost being dropped into a soft mattress. ¡°And here you go,¡± the maid says, her tone trying to broker a higher pitch but clearly not that interested in the act. Shove. After that, I have a bottle of milk shoved into my mouth, which the maid props up on a blanket so my swaddled hands don¡¯t have to be used to hold the bottle. ¡°And finally, this is for you, now enjoy,¡± the maid finally states as she moves a crib mobile over my crib. The maid looks at it confusedly for a moment, apparently never having seen an older battery powered device. Maybe she is not used to the battery powered product. Looking at it, I can easily see the black knob on the side that is meant to be pushed, but knowing this maid it seems likely that there aren¡¯t even batteries in the device at all. The maid looks at it confusedly for a moment, then proceeds to tap the spinning wheel at the top. After her movements, the wheel does a full quarter of a turn, before jerking to a complete stop. Seeing that the device still won¡¯t move and realizing that the alien device from my home planet is apparently beyond her, she just shrugs and leaves. Clip-clop. Once again, her shoes echo across the open marble flooring. I use the echoes to help realize that I am in a crib in the middle of a large but empty room. Likely at some disused portion of the giant mansion. From what I¡¯ve gathered, I assume that I am physically as far away from my mother and other real members of the family and staff as physically possible, while still being on the same premises. This suits me just fine. Knowing that with the lack of knowledge of how to turn on a simple rotating crib mobile, the odds that these people could use some of the more advanced spying equipment from my world also seems to be farfetched. That and given that given the fact that I have seemingly been abandoned out here, I realize this is perfect. What others might consider cruel and unusual, I can¡¯t help but feel is an ideal scenario for me. Focusing on the frog type creature from the crib mobile, I focus my mind and nothing. This is okay, training in psionic activities takes time and dedication, and I have plenty of both. Calming myself and centering my mind, I once again focus on the green frog and try to imagine punching it with an invisible fist. If I wasn¡¯t being swaddled, this might be easier, but that would only cause bad habits, like thinking I needed to use my hand to direct my consciousness. I didn¡¯t need my hands, just as I knew that so long as I could see or mentally detect the shape and relative size of the object I was trying to manipulate, I could find it. As I continued to strain my mind, forcing brainwaves to carve their way deep into my as yet undefined cerebral cortex, I continue my efforts. Until finally, after nearly an hour, or at least one full bottle of milk, I managed to do the impossible. Squeak. The frog jumped back and caused the entire crib mobile to shake and turn again. Not as much of a turn as the maid managed in her attempt, but it was comparable. With that move, the frog was just out of focus, leaving the floating cow to receive my efforts. Fortunately, after managing to do it once, and having had years of previous experience in my past life, the process goes a bit smoother as I am soon able to hit the cow, then the sheep, then the horse, until we are finally back to the frog. Having gone one full cycle around, I feel fatigue taking me, as I close my eyes and quickly collapse from mental exhaustion. I woke up some time later, somewhat confused as apparently, I am in a new position. My arms are in a slightly different spot, and my milk bottle is once again full. Somewhere in my nap, I had apparently been visited by a stranger. One who managed to change my clothes and gave me a new bottle while I was passed out. For a moment, I have a thought of horror, realizing that should the maid have wanted to, she could have easily killed me in my sleep. I wonder if I should not push myself to such limits in the future, knowing that I might be able to defend myself if I was awake. I have these thoughts, then instantly dismiss them, as I realize I¡¯d rather die comfortably in my sleep. After pondering my situation for a few moments, I realize that things are out of my hands. If I die here, then I know my consciousness will likely be gone forever, as I have not built up enough residual psionic energy to attach myself to another embryo. No, if I die here, then that is it. I feel a cold rationality come over me with that thought. Almost as if I suddenly feel empowered by the way that I can now completely disregard many of my safeguards that I would normally implement in my training. All for creating gains as quickly as possible. With that, I doubled down on my training. Squeak. Squeak. Patoo. I am so fast that I end up hitting the sheep before it stops dangling, causing a less than full punch on the object. ¡°What the?¡± The voice of my maid cries out, as she jumps up. Turing my head, I look to see that she had been passed out on the couch a moment ago. Apparently using the location of this place as a chance to get additional sleep. Seeing her, I feel surprised for a moment, but then she goes to the open window and closes it. Shut. ¡°There we go, that should cut down on any wind gusts,¡± the maid says while holding out her hand as if trying to feel if any more cold drafts come from the now closed window. She pauses for a moment, before finally relaxing. ¡°All right, now you need to eat up, if your are going to be able to unlock future maidens¡¯ powers,¡± the maid begins, as she once again thrusts the new bottle into my mouth, before checking that it is propped up. I eat, closing my eyes, and just reading her body language. I am close to tired and could take a nap, but I know I should do at least one more hit on the horse before I call it another session. That said, I can¡¯t do much with the maid watching. As such, I just try to play sleep chicken, a game most kids fail at. Seeing that I am once again eating and relaxing, the maid bobs her head. Her shadow dancing over me as she does so, before she walks back to hear lounging sofa. I wait, watching her with barely opened eyes. From my angle, I see her first lie down watching my crip contently. Then slowly I see her posture relax, until she finds a comfortable spot. Then finally, she passes out completely. Seeing that she is now out, I begin my training again. Though this time I try to be gentle with my manipulations. Only pushing the horse just enough to get the frog to be in position. I see the frog, realizing that I am once again at my original starting position, but I try to go further. Pushing the frog to the cow, then to the sheep, and that¡¯s when I feel myself losing consciousness again. I do note that my bottle is once again empty at this point as well. I could cry for more, but I don¡¯t want to be the annoying child. Instead, I just opt to lay low and hope to get through this as easily as possible. With one last focus of will before I finally pass out again, I push the horse. Squeak. Panic fills me, as I realize I let go of my control for that last burst. I pause, wondering if the maid noticed my slip up, but thankfully she is fully passed out. Seeing her sleeping soundly, I decide to call it a win, and I too pass out. Chapter 2 A Sue Girl (Five Years Later) Chapter 2 A Sue Girl (Five Years Later) Now that I am up and mobile, I have been even more involved in improving my physical conditioning. Starting with rolls in the crib, then push up, half rolls, then leg ups, I worked every part of my body. This of course was in addition to spinning my crib mobile until the ornaments finally fell off. This was good, as by that point I had long since mastered the five initial forms of telekinetic moments. Push, pull, lift, drop, and horizontal movement. Five directions that all worked together to form the basis of what everyone, well everyone in my old world thought of as Telekinesis. I will say that it is odd not having nanite trackers marking my progress with measurable indicators has been tough to accept. However, after years of having the nanites in my bloodstream measure my progress, I feel I¡¯ve been able to measure my progress. The easiest way to mentally track your progress is via the fingers to hands methods. Just as there are five fingers on a hand, there are five basic movements needed for moving an object. At their most basic form, these can be mentally visualized as fingers. This was how I managed to punch, or maybe flick my crib mobile animals each night with my mind. Once you push your understanding of each concept enough, you can develop a second finger. Or basically split your consciousness to perform the same action from two different angles on the same object. You could do two, if they were close together, but that was not possible with my manipulatives that I had available to me. Then once you get a full five fingers or points of contact for each action: Push, pull, lift, drop, and horizontal movement. You gain what is often referred to as mental mastery. Once all five types of components are mastered, you then would unlock Basic Telekinesis I. Which could then be started over, as you used Basic Telekinesis I or the first extra hand available to you. With one hand unlocked, you could then repeat the process developing out the five manipulatives for a second hand for each of the noted actions again. Then once that was completed you would unlock Basic Telekinesis II, then III, then IV, until finally you mastered the Basic Telekinesis. At which point you would be thrust to Intermediate Telekinesis, which allowed you to lift or manipulate heavier objects. Each hand of the initial stages of Basic Telekinesis were limited, only being able to lift of move ten pounds. By contrast, each arm of Intermediate Telekinesis was able to lift a hundred pounds. Once beyond the five Intermediate Telekinesis limbs, we upgraded to full Telekinesis, or the ability to lift a thousand pounds with each mental limb. Then with enough effort of building everything up again, and gaining five fully realized Telekinetic limbs, you could further improve yourself to Advanced and then Superior forms of Telekinesis. While the entire process is trivial, it is made easier by repetition, as the neural pathways to develop the fingers to the hands to the limbs are a lot easier with each iteration through. There is also the added benefit of my knowing all the steps required to make each mark. After five years, I am pleased to admit that I have one quite a lot. While I still cannot see my personal readout, I would have to guess that my current functionality looks something like this.
Telekinesis Tree: Intermediate III Basic Telekinesis II Push IV, pull IV, lift V, drop III, and horizontal movement V.
The goal is to always be moving and improving. So as soon as I max out Push, Pull, and Drop. I will begin working on those, even as I work on maintaining my Intermediate III and Basic Telekinesis II. Given how many times I have maxed out all three, I plan to do so by the end of the week. Then in another week or two I should have Basic Telekinesis IV, complete, putting me on pace to complete Intermediate IV by the end of the month. Of course, the times when I need to be the most worried about advancing are when you go up from tier to tier of power. While there is a dramatic jump, going from being able to move five items for a total of fifty pounds total, to one item that is a hundred pounds. There is of course the fact that you can then only lift one item, versus the five you used to manipulating. As a child, I should be safe from such concerns, but I can¡¯t help but be paranoid. While my personal maid, whose name is apparently Sarina, oversees my food, clothing, and overall health, she is terrible at her job. Which is good for me, as she is so unobservant that she hasn¡¯t noticed my training regimen. Which now that I can move about on my own, includes being able to run in the gardens at the back of the estate. With our estate having brick walls and clear boundaries, it was accepted that I could go out and explore, so long as I was back by the assigned mealtimes. Also, we had a deal worked out, where if there were any important meetings or gatherings, then I would be told at least a day ahead of time. Fortunately, as a boy, I was not expected to meet many people. By this time mother had gotten over her shame of having a male born first, as I now had two biological sisters to claim. I was allowed to see them, and I did draw a few odd looks when I didn¡¯t immediately take to wanting to hold my sisters. Something that caused me to be scrutinized even more harshly by the others. My apparent lack of affection towards my siblings, along with my intense desire to constantly run and work out while no one was looking. Along with the fact that I often came back with dirty or ruffled clothes, got me more than a few odd looks from the other staff members and their children that attended to the estate. ¡°Are you really not a girl?¡± A freckle-faced girl asked me, when I finished running my laps. The girl had apparently tried to follow me and catch up, but despite her being older by a year or two, her body was not used to my pace and conditioning. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°No,¡± I replied honestly. ¡°Momma calls you a Suegirl,¡± the freckle faced girl replied next, as if that was a natural progression of our conversation. ¡°A what now?¡± ¡°A Suegirl, you know a boy who tries to be a girl,¡± the girl explained matter-of-factly, as if speaking from years of experience and knowledge. ¡°Momma says that you will soon grow out of it, but we are to give you time and patience while we wait.¡± Yep, there it is right there, taught to children to perpetuate the cycle. If I had any doubt about the current status of the world, or if I had somehow gone back to the conditions of my old life, this moment, and many more like these let me realize a few things. First of all, I probably owe my sister an apology, from all the times she complained as a kid. That¡¯s when channeling my little sister I responded, just the way she would have. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t need your patience, and I¡¯m not trying to be anything. I just am myself,¡± I replied, before deciding to go for a second run, not wanting to stick around this girl. From that moment on, the staff kept quiet around me. Which was fine, as I almost never spoke. I did have a teacher come in to tutor me and teach me the basics. This was where I was taught some of the hardest lessons of my life. ¡°You do not need to run around and play. In fact, it is improper for young men to be running around. You could fall and cut your face open, thereby decreasing your lifetime earning potential due to being an ugly breeding candidate,¡± the woman explained. Yes, my entire life worth would be ruined by showing that I lived a little. Yet, my etiquette lessons were not over there, for they continued with more inane drivel. ¡°Boys are to be seen but not heard,¡± the old lady instructed. That was my first lesson, when I just stared back coldly at her she smiled. ¡°Very good, now here is a sweet,¡± she stated through yellow teeth that had been rotting. The sweet that she spoke of was a glazed sphere of sugar that came directly from her pocket. With it were matted hairs and other dirt and debris that had somehow found its way into her pocket. Toss. Not even giving the candy the time of day, I threw it on the ground. ¡°Those are no manners for a young male,¡± she chastised while running over picking up the lozenge and trying to give it to me a second time. Hearing her condemnation, and realizing this was going to escalate, I just crossed my arms over my chest and turned my head away. A clear sign that I was not playing this game. ¡°Come now, you¡¯ve earned this, now take it like a good boy,¡± she hisses as she blurs over to me, grabbing my mouth with her powerful hand and all but forcing my jaw open. What is she doing? I immediately began to protest, but my small body was unable to muster any defense against her older frame. She had me by size, weight, and clear combat prowess. In a moment, I tried to understand what exactly she was doing and why. Was it poisoned? Drugged to help subdue me? Then just as I had this thought I looked up, at her wide open mouth and saw the old gnarled yellow teeth. Teeth that had been rotted away. That¡¯s when I realized that this was likely poisoned, or at least laced with something. This was when I realized at best it was just a harmless lozenge with just cat fur and other odd debris attached, and at worst, it was all of the above laced with something that would force compliance. Likely an opioid of some kind. With that realization in mind, my instincts took over and suddenly my training acted. Before I could even think, my Intermediate Telekinetic arms went to work, quickly snatching the small pebble out of the witch¡¯s fingers and shoved it down her open throat. Cough, gag, cough. Immediately the old hag began to cough violently as she tried to hack the orb back up. ¡°What, have you¡­¡± Wheeze. The hag tried to scream, to talk, but she couldn¡¯t. Instead, she just clutched her hands up to her neck in the international chocking sign. For a moment, I was surprised that this symbol crossed world boundaries, but then again, I figured this was fairly standard. I mean where else should she grab? I watched her coldly. ¡°Call for help,¡± she finally managed to wheeze out. By now, whatever had been within the center of that lozenge was now broken, as I could see white mist crack open and out from her breath. Staring at her coldly, I just watch as the white powder foams in her mouth causing more acrid smells to fill the room. With pleading eyes she looks at me, like why are you not helping. That¡¯s when I respond, ¡°how can I get help, when boys are to be seen and not heard?¡± Snarl. With a feral look in her eyes, all look of etiquette and decorum fade as she lunges at me. At least she tries to. SLAM! Again, my survival instincts are on point as they react before I can fully understand the threat. Within seconds all three arms of Intermediate Telekinesis are at work, picking up the elderly warrior and throwing her across the room. While she is far heavier than me, she is not heavier than three hundred pounds, the amount I can lift with my three tiers of Intermediate Telekinesis. With simple movement, she is slammed against the far wall and held in place. While she is more than strong enough to work her arm free, she makes her first mistake. She tries to use her powers indoors. Magic powers of any kind are by their very definition powerful. Even lower and degraded powers that the elderly wield. While this woman likely never proved to be strong enough to make any impact on a battlefield, she still had somehow managed to awaken an affinity for fire. Watching her, I looked on in amazement as she tried to hold up her hand and to use that hand to direct flames at me. Fortunately, there were several things already at play. First, that white powdery substance was clearly in direct effect being both inhaled, swallowed, and tasted by the hag. Secondly, the hag didn¡¯t seem to understand that I could redirect my Intermediate Telekinetic points within a second. Resulting in two holding the hag against the wall, while the third grabbed the hag¡¯s wrist and turned it in on herself until she released flames right into her face. I still don¡¯t know what that white powdery residue was, but apparently it was flammable as was noted by the eruption that happened next. Followed quickly by the horsehair wig, the pounds of hair spray used, and other chemicals for the face. ¡°AHHH!!!¡± The hag finally screamed out. Slam! The doors to the room burst open. Either the loud slamming, the sudden increase or release of power, or maybe the blood curdling scream being released by the hag were enough to draw the guards¡¯ attention. As they arrived, they looked first at me. I was just sitting in my chair, my hands covering my mouth with shock as I looked at the burning instructor. Now that safety was here, I let go of my mental hold over the hag. Collapse. Immediately after I let go, the hag fell face first to the ground, causing some of the flames to go out, but not all. Fortunately, one of the guards was a water manipulator as she quickly summoned a ball of water and doused the instructor and then the walls before the flames could spread too much. By now more guards came, and finally my maid and even my mother showed up. Odd, as I didn¡¯t think she knew where this wing of the mansion was? That or maybe a fire was enough of a threat to take things seriously. ¡°What happened?¡± My maid asks, concern on her face. That¡¯s when I respond with most of the truth. ¡°I don¡¯t know, she just swallowed a weird lozenge that she pulled out from her pocket, then started going crazy.¡± ¡°Crazy? Yeah, her eyes turned blood red, her voice went raspy and she cast a fireball at her face,¡± I respond. With that there was an investigation, a healer was called forth. Seeing the healer in action, I was in awe. Instantly, the burnt and chard skin that lay mostly melted on the old etiquette teacher¡¯s face were healed. ¡°Master Andry, there is something I need to tell you,¡± the Healer began and pulled my mother aside. The moment the healer spoke, I felt a wave of relief hit me, as my mother¡¯s piercing gaze finally was directed at someone else. Feeling her penetrating gaze disappear for a moment, I mentally sighed in relief as I am momentarily free of her piercing gaze. That moment of relief is quickly brought back to full force as the healer begins to head towards me. ¡°Hello there,¡± the beautiful blonde haired woman speaks. As she does a natural smile fills her face. ¡°I am a healer, and while we should be careful with the types of energy we expose you to, particularly at a young age, I need to check you real quick to make sure the mean lady over there didn¡¯t fill you with any bad substances.¡± There is a pause as the healer just looks at me. I nod. ¡°She didn¡¯t give you anything, did she?¡± ¡°She tried to, but I resisted, then she ended up swallowing it herself,¡± I answer, trying to use my five-year-old appearance to my advantage. ¡°Oh, she did? Any reason why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like candy, also it had dirt and hair on it,¡± I answer truthfully. ¡°Uh-huh,¡± the healer replies as she sends a gentle jolt of energy through me. For a moment, I almost feel like I am being hit with concentrated radiation. Radiation that tingles. Then just as quickly as the sensation fills me, it stops. ¡°Well, the good news is that you seem fine. In fact, if I didn¡¯t know any better¡­¡± she trails off. ¡°What?¡± I ask, curious about what the healer noticed about my condition. ¡°Oh, nothing,¡± she responded with a smile before standing up and heading towards mother. As they speak, I feel mother¡¯s powerful gaze once again settle upon me. For a moment I hold my breath, afraid that she might come over and interrogate me herself. There is a moment when it looks like she might do just that, but then thinks better of it. ¡°Have this room repaired immediately,¡± mother demands, gesturing to the burnt and wet spots of the wall and floor. With that she turns and leaves. At least she seems to attempt to leave, going straight to the door, before pausing where she turns to glance at me. Once again, I can feel her judging aura on me, and I almost wonder if she will call tonight the night that she will end me. I know that if I don¡¯t offer enough promise as a breeding stud for her, then my time here will be cut short. That is why, though I think I should still have a few years left for this, but seeing her gaze on me, I realize I might need to speed up my own timetables for leaving. Mother then turns her eyes from me and looks at my maid, before speaking to her. There is a hushed conversation, before she nods a few times. Then she leaves, followed shortly by most of the guards who all but drag the etiquette teacher out of here. I am glad I don¡¯t have to sit through more of those man-hating lectures. The healer is the last one to leave, only stopping at the door to give me a curious glance for a moment before turning around and leaving. With that, it is just me, my maid, and a smoke and water logged room. ¡°Well, good news,¡± my maid says overly excitedly in a way that I know will only bring misery. I just stare at her. ¡°I get to be your etiquette teacher for the time being, while we look for a replacement.¡± The maid exclaims. With that, I just exhale, trying not to let my disappointment show. ¡°Don¡¯t worry though, at most this will be until you go to school, where you will get to meet and interact with other children your age,¡± the maid exclaims. And like that, I realize the worst thing about a second life, is having to likely sit through fart and knock-knock jokes for a second time around. ¡°I hear there are almost enough boys to create your own classroom,¡± the maid continues, again not filling me with the most confidence. Chapter 3 A Boy Named Sal (One Year Later, Age 6) Chapter 3 A Boy Named Sal (One Year Later, Age 6) To say that time flew by would be an understatement. If anything, life seemed to trudge by at a glacial pace. Especially, with Sarina, my maid, pulling double duty with both my personal care, etiquette, and personal hygiene maintenance. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I don¡¯t know what the new styles are right now,¡± Sarina fusses over me as she styles and fades my hair back for the hundredth time. ¡°It¡¯s fine, now let¡¯s go before I am late,¡± I let out with a mild form of irritation filling my speech. Though given how little I actually talk, this speaks volumes. ¡°Now come on, you are a gentleman and need to look the part,¡± my maid says. ¡°Also, stop pulling out your shirt from your wait line, you will look like a girl with that.¡± There it is, once again being told I don¡¯t look the part of being me. ¡°I¡¯m just going to pull it out once I get to classes, you know this right?¡± I offer her. ¡°Please don¡¯t, it will be clear that we don¡¯t have a man at the house to help groom you and teach you manners,¡± Sarina pleads with me. Hearing her speak, I can all but hear the thinly veiled threat in there. Not from Sarina, but the one that Sarina is actually trying to protect me from. Her comment is that, if I don¡¯t follow her easy guide, my mother might take it upon herself to higher a male nanny to teach me the proper ways to be a man in this backwards society. Meaning, that if I think it is bad now, I will only have myself to blame for how bad things get in the future. ¡°Why is this world even like this? Why aren¡¯t males and females equal?¡± I ask, still trying to figure this out. Deep sigh. Oh shit, I¡¯ve done it, I¡¯ve finally broken Sarina. Hearing my protest, she lets out a huge exhale and then collapses to her knees and even hunches her back a bit so that we are both eye to eye. Women are freakishly tall in this world. That or they hit a major growth spurt after awakening, which isn¡¯t too hard to believe from what I¡¯ve managed to gather. Apparently, my mother gained over a foot, while pregnant with me. Part of the effects of killing void creatures, part of the effects of having her magical powers awoken before coming over. Also, it is said that women¡¯s maternal instincts to grow stronger fully manifest during prolonged conflict, while pregnant especially for the first time. This was why my mother¡¯s growth had been so explosive. Partly due to how much she killed, how long she stayed in a combat zone while pregnant, and how linked she became to her powers. All of those caused her to hit a massive growth spurt and likely her last growth spike of her life, but now mother was a giant of a woman. Sarina had performed similarly, having slept with my biological sperm donor, but she never got pregnant. As such her growth rate while in combat was half of that of my mother¡¯s. Meanwhile, I will likely grow until about eighteen, where my height is expected to stay for the rest of my life. Then after almost an eternity of staring into my eyes, she speaks. ¡°Oh honey, it¡¯s okay, the world isn¡¯t fair,¡± she states as she pulls me in for a quick but deep hug. Then pushing me away she stares right into my eyes and continues speaking. ¡°Right now, you will grow at the same rate as women. But then, women on the night of their crowning, will be able to grow again. Based on three factors, the powers we unlock after our first crowning, if we are pregnant, and how well we apply ourselves in hostile territories. These three things are what help us grow as women, and earn our place as protectors in society.¡± The only reason Sarina wasn¡¯t a seven-foot-tall monster of a woman like my mother was because she likely missed those last six inches from not being pregnant herself. She was still freakishly tall, especially for my old world standing at around six foot ten inches, or eighty-two inches tall. Even in boots I was only six foot two inches tall in my past life, and that was considered tall. I also don¡¯t quite know all the powers she unlocked, but I know that Lightning and Air are likely two of her skill sets. But both of those powers being unlocked helped Sarina prove her worth, grow to be an acceptable height to maintain being in the Andry guards that mother employed. But her lack of breeding success made it so she was relegated to me. Not the glamorous jobs of taking care of my two little sisters or even helping out as a personal bodyguard for mother herself. Just me. Which was why I could understand Sarina¡¯s concern. Without me being on board, her position might be lost. At least, that is the impression that I get. ¡°I get all of that,¡± I hiss. ¡°I just don¡¯t get how it got like this in the first place. How is it that men cannot unlock powers during these same processes.¡± With that Sarina pauses for a moment, looks up and then does that weird head bobble she does when she is about to tell me too much. ¡°Well,¡± she begins, her eyes looking around, then apparently focusing on the brass doorknob behind me. Seeing the doorknob apparently fills her with the confidence she needs to continue. ¡°Well have you heard of the doors and the keys?¡± Just hearing her ask such a question makes me realize this is likely going to be a bad analogy that will scar me for life, even in my second life. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°No,¡± I manage. ¡°Well, think of crowning ceremonies like doors and keys. You need a key to open the door, but then once the door is open, the key is useless. But the doorknob on the other hand still has value, because it can open wide, and reveal things that would have remained hidden. There could be anything in that room from knowledge, to weapons, to food.¡± Sarina stumbles over that last one, apparently getting sidetracked by her normal hunger pains for the analogy she is clearly butchering. ¡°Well, in this world boys are the keys. They are great, needed to help open every door. But then once that door is open, their use is done and they need to go off and find more doors to try to open. While the door can do anything at this point, hold a family, hold knowledge, provide shelter for the key and all of its little key friends.¡± Yeah, Sarina is terrible at analogies. Also, did she just state that my job in life will effectively be a person who goes around trying to open lady¡¯s doorknobs? Thinking back to some of my more sexist co-workers, I could see how this would be a dream come true for them. A dream that could quickly turn into a nightmare based on negative feedback. I know my mother registered a negative report with my sperm donor for only siring a male offspring at first. Then I must ask about Sarina. ¡°Did you give your key a bad review by not getting you pregnant on your first time?¡± I asked, trying to talk around the subject that I know Sarina will easily fall into, if I give her enough of a chance to out herself. Sigh. Sarina gives another deep exhale before nodding her head, ¡°I did, though I have since learned that the issue lies with me. Fortunately, our bad reviews were not enough, as your sperm donor has had at least two more successful siring attempts with your sisters, so he is still alive.¡± Yep, again my fate was at the bottom, again. Produce either female offspring, while awakening a lot of powers in females so they can grow to be astronomically large or get put out to pasture. My mood is officially killed for the morning. ¡°All right, we are getting late. If you have any more questions be sure to ask your teacher,¡± Sarina states after rising to her feet and then reaching down to grab my hand. I reach up, my tiny hand getting completely wrapped around her massively long and smooth fingers. With that we go out front while we wait for our driver to arrive. Even with the driver, Sarina will ride with me, to no doubt protect my modesty. Even though she is a female, having already gone through the crowning process once, she is considered safe. Almost like a girl going with an uncle from my planet. As we ride, Sarina gets more and more fidgety the closer we get to wherever we are going. Finally, I just look at her. She sees the stare and stops fidgeting for a moment, before her little ticks take over once more. ¡°What is it?¡± I ask, finally at my end for her antics that make it look like she needs to pee. ¡°Well,¡± she begins, and as she does, I instantly inhale, knowing that this can be one of many things. Though most likely it will be about ways I can be a better male. ¡°Now that we are going to school, are you sure you don¡¯t want to go by your real name? And instead, just want to be called Sal?¡± ¡°I hate my name,¡± I respond honestly. I know I am acting like a child, but seriously my name is stupid, and I refuse to even acknowledge it as a name, let alone mine. I mean, I know mom was mad at me at the time for being a male, but that¡¯s what she gets for burning down my planet? ¡°I, I know. Lord knows, I know. But you have such a pretty masculine name,¡± she preens. ¡°Yes, Sal,¡± I answer. It is not Salvator Nunez, but then again this is the closest I could get to a name that even sounded like one I was used to have. ¡°But Sal is such a girls name, and you want to be pretty, don¡¯t you?¡± Sarina presses. ¡°I don¡¯t care if I¡¯m pretty.¡± ¡°Of course you don¡¯t,¡± Sarina rolls her eyes back as she takes in my comment. The more she talks, the more I can see the gears in her mind working, trying to come up with a new way to talk to me about this subject. ¡°But Missala, is such a great an pretty masculine name,¡± Sarina pleads. ¡°It sounds weak and pathetic.¡± Hearing that, Sarina pauses. I can see the gears in her mind turning as she tries to counter my comment, but she can¡¯t. ¡°Look, you¡¯re a boy, and boys have pretty names.¡± Hearing her response I don¡¯t even point out that her only defense was to fall back on apparently bad stereotypes. Instead, I just straighten up my posture, cross my arms over my chest, and just stare at her. She stares back for a second, but then quickly breaks eye contact. ¡°Fine, but don¡¯t come crying to me when the other girls in class pick on you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of any little girls,¡± I spit back. We remain like that for the last little bit on our way to school. I continue to stare down Sarina, who has apparently chosen to keep her mouth shut for the rest of the car ride. After an awkward moment of silence, Sarena just clamped her mouth shut, straightened up her own posture, and then proceeded to break eye contact and look out the window. I won. Seeing that she has given up on this topic at least. Apparently, she was expecting some sort of hazing from my fellow classmates to be enough to make me fall in line in the future, I call it a win. With the victory in hand and me just staring down Sarina from the side, I too stop my staring and turn out the window to see the great outdoors. Or at least, I kind of expected to see the great outdoors. The manor and estate that mother¡¯s mansion is on is immaculate and well maintained. With earth and life mages hired to help tend the fields and keep the estate looking pristine, it is easy to become complacent with well-maintained beauty. This is why what I saw next was so disconcerting. Everything was dirty and grimy. The roads were dirt covered, with apparently poor drainage systems in place. The buildings that lined the streets were all stone or otherwise rundown wooden structures. The cobblestone structures had multiple fissures that looked like they were welded together with terrible earth patching jobs. While the plants that had been there also looked like they were poorly tended to or removed where needed. Worse, there was smoke and soot trails over most of the street. Apparently, rather than investing in individual fireplaces or heating systems, the cities hired fire mages to send fire through metal pipes that heated buildings. I had read about such events but found the words to be vastly different to the actual experience showed. In all, it looked like a society that was caught between multiple generations of life all at one time. There was the seventeenth century manor house style that I lived in, with a few modern amenities, like running water, and centralized heating and air conditioning. Then there were places like this, that looked like they were being built over with advancements that were otherwise pushing the old and dated housing down. It almost seemed like an industrial revolution was taking over the city and burying the past in its attempt to take over and modernize the world. Finally, the schoolhouse came into view. As a noble male, I was apparently allowed to go to the local school. This was a change that had only happened within the last half decade or so. I¡¯d like to think that my planet had some bearing on this sudden inclusion of male students to the population, but I can¡¯t tell for certain. I am certain that my mother would have paid for my entrance spot if needed, being the first born of a family, was important. Despite my not being able to carry on the mitochondria of my mother to future generations, I was still carrying her mitochondria, making me unequivocally hers. Thus, my not being accepted to school, at least the primary classes would be seen as an insult. My only concern for school would be on ways to work on improving my Telekinesis while being watched by a teacher and other students. Though if they were anything like Sarina, then I would be fine. ¡°Here we are,¡± the driver, a young, awakened female who apparently never saw combat stated. I can tell she never saw combat, because she is somehow even smaller than Sarina. I get out, only to find that Sarina has exited the vehicle and has run around to join me. ¡°I will only be able to walk you to the doorway,¡± Sarina states nervously as she holds out her hand, in a gesture to walk me to my class. Seeing the hand, I just shake my head, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± With that, I get out and walk my own way towards class and begin my first day of integration with fellow students. As I arrive, I wonder if there are any other psionic users like me, ones who managed to perform the dark arts and reincarnate their way to a second life. *** As the boy walked away, seemingly unfazed by his new surroundings, Sarina could only look on with muted horror. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll be fine,¡± the Driver, Ceecee states reassuringly. ¡°I¡¯m not worried about him, I more worried about what he will do to those other kids,¡± Sarina answered honestly. This was part of why she tried so hard to get Missala, or Sal as he insisted on being called, to change his name. That way, he could lay low and be relatively normal for at least one day. One day, that was all Sarina asked for, but yet, that seemed like far too big of a task to ask for from the boy who already brought great shame on the master¡¯s name by being such a Sueboy, that even the staff muttered about it behind her back. Of course, the master was well aware of all that was said and done within her domicile. Which meant that Sarina had many late-night conversations with the mistress, while going over ways to help curtail Missala¡¯s rebellious nature. Which only seemed to cause the boy to lash out even more. This was how they were here now, watching a clearly effeminate boy walk right into a school like he owned the place. In a way, Sarina was glad she couldn¡¯t in fact enter the school, otherwise she would never be able to leave due to the actions of her one ward. ¡°Where should we go to now?¡± Ceecee asked, as this was her duty assignment for the day, as well. ¡°The pub, somehow I think I am going to need a really big drink after today,¡± Sarina began. ¡°But it is only eight AM?¡± Ceecee explained. Hearing her, Sarina could only nod. ¡°Right, right, good call. Let¡¯s get a greasy breakfast first, then go to the pub.¡± Ceecee looked like she wanted to again protest, but Sarina had already left her spot and began going back to the car. ¡°Okay?¡± Ceecee said, closing the door that the young master had vacated and then got into her own driver¡¯s seat. As she did, she thought apparently today is going to be a long day. Chapter 4 When Sexism Actually Helps, But Doesn鈥檛 Chapter 4 When Sexism Actually Helps, But Doesn¡¯t First day, and I¡¯m already at the principal¡¯s office. I guess I should have expected something like this to happen. My mind and body are all off kilter in this new life. I¡¯m not certain if it is the different physiology, or an effect of hormones being released in a constant flood in my brain. Regardless of the reason, I¡¯ve found myself having a shorter temper than usual. I¡¯ve also found that I argue more than I wish. Like my argument with Sirenia earlier. Looking back on that moment, I feel like I could have been perceived as a petulant child, which I guess I am? That said, I don¡¯t know why I found myself acting like that. I assume I was like that as a child in my first life, but that was so long ago that I thought I had outgrown that stage. Maybe that is all there is, all we can do is hope to outgrow puberty, and survive to tell the tale afterwards. Knock, knock. ¡°Why hello, I was told that my charge is here?¡± The unmistakable draw of Sarina calls out from the door. ¡°Oh, yes you are here in Miss Andry¡¯s stead?¡± The principal, an intimidating female who stands easily over six and a half feet tall asks. Hearing her voice I don¡¯t even turn around to look at her. I am so embarrassed. I shouldn¡¯t have done it, I know. While she was bigger and stronger than me, and at least a year older, I still did a taboo. I hit a girl, multiple times. ¡°Yes,¡± she answers, then I can all but feel her eyes bore into the back of my skull. ¡°Misalla?¡± She cries out as she apparently sees something from the back of me that causes her to cry out in concern. ¡°It¡¯s Sal!¡± I hiss, not really sure why I chose this hill of all things to die on. Other than the fact that I hate being called by that name. ¡°Right,¡± Sarina states in her overly calming way she would, if she was trying to calm a wild horse. I can feel her walking forward, each step a moment of concern that leads to the next. Then out of the corner of my eye, I can see her face drip to first shock, then fear. ¡°What happened to you?¡± Sarina cries out as she goes over to me. Just looking at me, I could see her concern. I have a few torn buttons off the top of my dress shirt. My sweater is almost torn down the front. And my face has a scratch or two on it. In all, I will not last long. ¡°What happened here?¡± Sarina demands going over to me and turning my face towards her. Just the slight cut on my lip from my own tooth, and the torn buttons. But she still feels the need to manhandle me. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I cry out, and then without even thinking about it, I pull my hands that I had been hiding to that point within my pockets out and try to push away her hands. ¡°Your hands, what happened to your delicate hands?¡± Sarina cries out, as she then grabs my hands and begins twisting. As she does, bloody scrapes and minor cuts can be seen. ¡°Stop,¡± I cry out as I try to pull by my hands and once again place them in my pockets. Then a switch gets flipped in Sarina¡¯s mind as her eyes go from overly caring to me, to outright angry at the principal. ¡°What happened?¡± Sarina hisses. ¡°There was an altercation with a girl from the upper classes,¡± the principal began trying to be as delicate with the process as possible. ¡°A girl? You let my charge get attacked by a girl, and not just any girl but an older girl?¡± Sarina demands. Hearing her speak, I feel that I might actually have a chance. That this might not be so bad. ¡°Staff was on hand to break them up, but only after the activity started, by the time my staff realized there was a problem, things had already escalated,¡± the principal began. ¡°Escalated? Things escalated? You let a¡­¡± Sarina began. She was building up steam and righteous anger. If this kept up, I was certain that we could be out of here in no time, because for whatever reason the principal wanted nothing to do with the intimidating Sarina, who was close to half a foot taller than the principal. Her size and standing position making it so the principal herself had to stand to try to maintain some authority. ¡°Tell them, I want to see the principal this instant!¡± An irate mother cried out. Hearing the vocal tones and inflection, I could only curse fate at making it so it was clear that this would not be a good time. ¡°One second, let me see if she is busy,¡± a very flustered secretary called out from beyond the door. Knock, knock. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. There was a knock, and before anyone could respond, a flustered secretary entered the door and began to speak. ¡°Principal Nef, Landrina¡¯s mother would like to have a word with you,¡± the secretary began. Oof. Before being pushed out of the way by a very tall and muscular woman who clearly had unlocked her powers and done quite well on recent missions. While she wasn¡¯t as tall a mom, she was slightly taller than even Sarina. Maybe seven feet, or just below. Either way, her presence, made it so that Landrina¡¯s mother was now the tallest woman in this room. ¡°Just what type of school are you running here, where my daughter will get so badly beaten that she loses a tooth and has two black eyes,¡± the muscular woman yelled out. As she entered, I like everyone else turned to stare at her. While she was entering a tiny shadow also entered in her wake. The little girl next to her I knew all too well, for she was Landrina, the girl who started this whole mess. This was not going to be good. The mother looks around the room, sees me, then seems to get even more outraged. ¡°Where is she?¡± Landrina¡¯s mother demands. ¡°She?¡± the principal asks. ¡°Yes, the girl who beat my poor Landrina so badly that she has a black eye and at least one missing tooth.¡± Looking at Landrina, it was clear that her jaw was still swollen, and a bit of blood had dried on her lip. Whistle. Yeah, of all the responses, Sarina who was just as captivated by all of this just whistled at the damage done to the poor girl. Of course, the poor girl is the one who started this whole mess, and could have avoided it, had she not been so handsy or demanded I pay the kissy tax. That part of our genetics has not changed, apparently, as girls here are far more interested in kissing than boys at young ages. The only difference here is that girls are at lot stronger and more capable of forcing their way, at least at first. I¡¯m assuming they grow out of this phase, likely before it could be dangerous, but I don¡¯t know. This planet sucks. ¡°You too were hurt?¡± The monster of a woman, Landrina¡¯s mother asks as she sees my face and comes over to see me. Seeing my torn buttons and my all but ripped sweater, it is clear that I too was in a scuffle. I freeze, seeing the big woman come close to me, knowing she could break my neck before I even had a chance to respond. I have my Intermediate Telekinesis barriers ready to react, but they likely won¡¯t be able to protect me much from her. Maybe I could use the Intermediate Telekinetic appendages to hold her off long enough to drop down and roll behind Sarina. But even the normally tough and stoic Sarina seems to be at a loss with this woman. Landrina¡¯s mother comes close and holds up her hand like she wants to grab my face, which I try to pull away from. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t hurt you,¡± she coos nicely to me. Hearing her, I let out a slight breath, as I realize she means it. My relief is short lived, for she immediately turns to the principal and demands, ¡°now where is she, the girl who beat up my girl, who was apparently trying to protect this boy?¡± Silence. There is a long pause that seems to stretch on for eternity, before the principal begins. ¡°Miss Oteranski, I think there might have been some confusion. This boy, is the one who fought with your daughter. A fight that all witnesses claimed was started by your daughter not letting him go, and threatening harm, unless he paid a quote, kissing toll.¡± ¡°WHAT?¡± Landrina¡¯s mother, Miss Oteranski, shouted before turning her head to face her daughter. A daughter who already looked pathetic due to bruises covering her face but now seemed to be cowering from her mother¡¯s intense stare. ¡°That¡¯s not true, it was,¡± Landrina replied sheepishly. ¡°What¡¯s not true?¡± Miss Oteranski asks, a bit of her temper dropping as she seems to understand what her daughter is going to say. For my part, I really need to learn to control my emotional outbursts. That said, I hate being touched, and when she wouldn¡¯t let go, well it was too much. ¡°It was a Kissing Tax,¡± Landriana clarifies. ¡°A Kissing Tax?¡± The mother clarifies. ¡°Yes,¡± Landrina nods her head excitedly. ¡°And that was a reason to start a fight with a boy?¡± ¡°He started it?¡± ¡°He did?¡± Every time this girl opens her mouth, I feel my life expectancy shortening. ¡°Yeah, he wouldn¡¯t pay the kissing tax, so I wouldn¡¯t let him go, then he tried to push me away. That¡¯s when I slapped him, doing as you told me. Only hitting once I am touched first,¡± Landrina began, but then seemed to get embarrassed before she continued, ¡°that¡¯s when he started hitting me until I finally let go.¡± Phew. Hearing her, I feel relief, as it was clear that I only struck as the victim, and even then I only fought until I was free. There is no way this monster of a woman would be mad at¡­ SMACK! A powerful backhand comes out of nowhere causing Landrina to clutch her already swollen and sore jaw, before she dropped to the ground. Shock. I like everyone else, not named Miss Oteranski stares in shock at what just happened. She just hit her daughter. Then turning from her daughter to face both me and the principal the craziest thing happens. ¡°I apologize, I swear I have raised her better than this. I tell her over and over again that you do not touch boys. I swear, I do not know where she got it from.¡± Yes, She apologized. She apologized to me, for her daughter losing. Well, not losing. Apparently, this was the fact that I am being apologized to due to sexist mentality, or the fact that this poor girl just got embarrassed in front of the school and now is being punished again by her own mother. ¡°Had you not lost so badly, I would beat you black and blue myself,¡± Miss Oteranski declares as she stares down her daughter. A daughter who can only clutch her jaw in pain while staring up with watery eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, he is a boy. Furthermore, he is half a foot shorter than you. You do not put your hands on boys,¡± she stated again. This time she just shook her head clearly trying to contain her rage at her daughter. Then realizing she had just performed the equivalent of domestic violence in a school, she turns back to the principal. ¡°Will there be any punishment for her?¡± Miss Oteranski asks. Blinking. ¡°Yes, we have a strict zero tolerance policy on violence towards males. Particularly by older females, we must uphold the standards.¡± The principal declares. WHAT? I almost want to shout, but all I can do is stare on in horror about how this backwater sexist planet apparently deals with school fights. ¡°I¡¯d say be lenient on her, as this is her first time, but I don¡¯t know what to say in her defense.¡± The mother answers. Wow, even thrown under the bus by her own mother. ¡°We are afforded some leeway, but unfortunately three days is the least we can offer for such an offense.¡± The principal offers. ¡°I fully understand, and you will not hear a complaint about this from me. But to be clear she can be back by Friday?¡± Miss Oteranski asks. ¡°Yes, Friday at the earliest.¡± ¡°Well, she will be here, and in a much better mood to learn and appreciate the opportunity that she has to learn while here.¡± Miss Oteranski says to the principal before reaching forward and shaking her hand. Then with that done, the scary woman turns to me. Seeing her, I instinctively lean back as I prepare for anything. This woman is clearly unhinged. I mean she just smacked her own daughter in front of witnesses. Then again, that does help me to understand the culture a bit more. This is a barely above eighteenth-century mentality world. ¡°I truly am sorry that you had to endure this, I can assure you that it will not happen again.¡± Miss Oteranski is speaking to me, but her entire head and face are pointed towards her daughter who only quivers slightly. For a moment, it looks like that will be enough to solve everything, that the moment is now over. Then of course that is when Miss Oteranski seems to remember Sarina. Turning back to Sarina, she continues even further. ¡°I am so sorry about this, this will never happen to your son again, I promise.¡± Miss Oteranski apologizes while offering her hand to Sarina. Sarina for her part looks flustered for a moment, before shaking the offered hand. ¡°Oh, this isn¡¯t my son. He is my charge,¡± Sarina clarifies. ¡°Your charge?¡± ¡°Yes, my Master, Miss Andry, has asked me to take care of her first born.¡± Sarina clarifies. ¡°Miss Andry?¡± Miss Oteranski asks, before turning to face me. Then as if dawning recognition hits her she nods and replies, ¡°I see.¡± Then quickly breaking her handshake from Sarina she turns to her daughter and all but yanks the muscular girl from the floor. ¡°Come on, we need to begin your suspension,¡± Miss Oteranski tells Landrina as she all but drags her out of the room. ¡°Ouch, you are hurting me,¡± Landrina¡¯s voice could be heard from the hallway. ¡°This is what you get for fighting a boy, and then losing,¡± there was a slight pause, before Miss Oteranski continues, ¡°but it is a good thing you did lose, as do you know who his mother is?¡± Muffled response. At this point the two are far enough down the hallway that I can¡¯t make out anything else they are saying. Seeing the recognition within Miss Oteranski¡¯s eyes, and hearing her comments to her own daughter about losing, lets me wonder if my mother might be more of a big deal than I knew. There is a pause as everyone stares out the doorway for the two. Then finally once all sound of a final slamming door could be heard, we turn our attention back to the principal. Hearing that I have the next three days off, I mentally prepare for how I will get the most out of my new free time. At least, that was what I planned to do. However, it seems that sexism doesn¡¯t pay. ¡°Again, I apologize that such an event happened here, know that you can trust your boy here, and we will make sure to protect him from females. His virtue will be protected at all costs,¡± the principal begins. ¡°Wait? I am not suspended?¡± I ask, wondering what happened to the minimum punishment and all that. ¡°You, no. You are the victim in all of this, why would we punish you. Particularly when the aggressive female upper classman began the altercation.¡± And like that, I finally found one instance where sexism finally paid off, but even as it did, I still lost. Then not for the first time today, I found myself thinking. This world sucks. Chapter 5 The Off-Limits Healer Chapter 5 The Off-Limits Healer ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I protest. ¡°I know, I know, but I was ordered to let you get checked out first. Besides, you love Auntie,¡± Sarina protests as she pushes me through the right wing of the mansion. This is the completely opposite wing from the one I am used to going to. While I mentally understand the dimensions of this place, it is still disconcerting to see the equal but reversed side of the mansion splayed out. The only reason why I am following Sarina is that she has my wrist in a vice-like grip. While there is enough room for my hand to move around, barely. I still cannot get my hand to slide through her grip, maybe if I broke a thumb I could wiggle my way out of her hold, but that seems to be impossible now. Instead, all I can do is follow Sarina down the hallways. I want to protest that I don¡¯t even know any Auntie, but arguing with Sarina is like arguing with a deaf bull. She won¡¯t hear anything, and there is nothing my small frame can do to protest her actions. Curse this stupidly weak body. Finally, we make it to the end of the main hallway, somehow up ahead I see a grand room. Just staring at the room, I realized it is likely mother¡¯s room. I have never seen inside that room. Well, I have on my first day here when Sarina casually offered to dispose of my body. Perhaps that is why I now have such an aversion to this side of the building. Before I could get too lost in my own fears of what that final room represented, my wrist was once again yanked, and we made a sharp left turn. That was when I saw a clean looking hospital room. At least, that is what I assumed was meant by the odd black and white checkerboard style flooring. The sterile smells that came from the room, and the way everything was seemingly kept in a pristine condition. Seeing the room, I instantly knew its purpose. Which was why I should have almost guessed the lone occupant of the room. There in a formal white coat that was unbuttoned, revealing form fitting black leotard like attire that accentuated every one of her muscles on her stomach. Added to this look was the fact that she wore knee-high white pleather boots, apparently trying to go for something like a slutty nurse look that was prevalent for Halloween on my old planet. I knew this wasn¡¯t her costume, for this planet had no tradition of Halloween. Here, a planet filled with near constant breaches to other worlds would not be celebrated. If anything, it would be a day that all kids were forced to stay inside, while the adults went out to do whatever adulting thing they normally did to seal away such rifts. That does make me wonder about whether there are in fact days here where the veil between worlds is frayed, and if that had anything to do with how this planet changed so much. These were my thoughts, until I saw the bare thighs of the doctor move and dance as she moved to stand up. Seeing her, something changed within my tiny little body. Badump, badump. For the first time in the body, and likely the first time that I could remember I felt paralyzed in fear. Not from how scary she was, but from how beautiful she was. ¡°Oh, is this our little war maiden?¡± The doctor cooed, as she got closer and saw me. ¡°Yes, he has the cut on his face, along with lacerations on his hands,¡± Sarina declared. ¡°Oh, poor little guy,¡± the doctor coos some more as she holds out her hand for me to grab. I all but melt at her presence. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t move and find my body not responding at all to my commands to grab her hand, to do anything. Something in my face must give me away that I am frightened by my body¡¯s sudden inability to respond to my commands. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t bite,¡± the doctor says as she reaches out her long slender fingers to wrap around my wrist. And suddenly like that, the fear that had been gripping my body and holding me in place lessened as I was suddenly able to move. I am okay with walking, but the doctor quickly scoops me up and carries me on her hip. Out of reflex alone, I almost fight her to get down. ¡°No, wait, you should¡­¡± Sarina begins to warn the doctor. Fortunately, I can gain control over myself and not hit or strike out at the doctor. Instead, I just take in one deep scent and smell an odd mixture of vanilla and honey and feel my body all but melt as I collapse onto her shoulder. ¡°Ohh, look at you, so tired. It must have been a big day, first day of school and got in a fight.¡± She says while moving me over to the sterile bed that even this world seems to have. For a moment I know she is going to put me down, which is why I hold just a little tighter. Feeling her heat, and her muscular body hold me in place. Perhaps not wanting to put me down herself, or seeing my reluctance to let go, she holds on for a bit longer. ¡°You are a clingy one,¡± she purrs. Sarina for her part just looks shocked, as I never react like this to her. ¡°Is he always this clingy?¡± The doctor asks Sarina. For a moment all Sarina can do is shake her head in amazement as she looks like I¡¯ve changed completely. ¡°No, normally he wants nothing to do with being affectionate in any way. I honestly thought he was broken, until you,¡± Sarina answers with far more honesty than was required. Broken? I was broken for not being masculine? Or at least what this world considers to be masculine? What a messed-up system. Chuckle. The doctor chuckles at that, ¡°well we can rest assured that I think he is going to be just fine.¡± Then turning back to me she asks, ¡°do you mind if I put you down so we can check out your injuries?¡± I just shake my head. For whatever reason I still can¡¯t speak in her presence, but I don¡¯t want to disappoint her by refusing to be put down. Plop. I land with the unmistakable sound of wax paper crackling under me. Then I feel a tingling wave of energy flow through me again. ¡°My, you still have the muscular structure of a female,¡± the doctor states with a bit of surprise. I just sit there, still hating to be compared to females but I don¡¯t mind her attention. As the scan goes on, I swear I can smell more of a slightly warmed scent of vanilla and honey coming from her. Sniff. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Are you okay?¡± The doctor asks perplexedly at me. Realizing I might have gotten a bit carried away, I pause and reel back at my own shock. ¡°You just smell nice,¡± I reply. ¡°I do?¡± ¡°Yes, you smell like vanilla and honey,¡± I reply. ¡°Right now?¡± ¡°Always, but definitely more right now,¡± I answer truthfully. The doctor just stares at me for a moment, before turning to face Sarina. ¡°Does he always have reactions to smells?¡± Sarina wants to deny the claim, but then pauses as she seems to recall a few moments from my past. ¡°He does seem to claim he smells a few odd smells, he says I smell like ozone and sea salt,¡± Sarina replies. As she speaks, I remember why I always fought to get out of her grip, because she always smelled both clean and dirty at the same time. The difference in smells would often give me a headache. With that the doctor seemed to pause, before asking Sarina a follow-on question. ¡°Your elements are Lightning, Ice, and a minor in elemental rain?¡± The doctor asks, seemingly already knowing the answer but just wanting to confirm. ¡°Yes, why?¡± Sarina questions. ¡°Oh, it is said that males who can awaken exceptional grade powers often note the smells of powers they can eventually unlock.¡± The doctor clarifies her comments as she begins to jot down a few more notes on her paper. ¡°What does that mean?¡± Sarina always slow on the uptake asks. ¡°Well, for starts it means that he will likely be able to awaken an exceptional variant of Lightning, and Water magics if he is that averse to being around you,¡± the doctor replied. Then turning back to me, she asks, ¡°would you mind doing a few experiments for me?¡± ¡°What would you want me to do?¡± I ask, curiosity taking me as I try to understand exactly where this is going to go. ¡°Would you mind smelling me again to see if you notice any different smells?¡± Being close to her? Not a problem, she smelled wonderful. ¡°Okay,¡± I reply. I don¡¯t know what exactly I expected to happen next. Whether I expected to smell her hand or maybe her wrist. Instead, what happened was she once again scooped me up, placing her hands under me and held me close to her body. From this position, I instinctively felt myself collapsing forward and resting my head against her neck and shoulder. I just relaxed in the position for a moment, before realizing I was likely supposed to do something. For a moment I forgot what was requested of me and instead just inhaled her amazing aroma. Then I realized I was supposed to try to determine the different smells she had. ¡°Vanilla, honey, and lilacs?¡± I finally manage after a bit of trying to determine what that last smell is. ¡°Very good,¡± the doctor says as she ruins the embrace and once again places me on the bed. ¡°Is that good?¡± Sarina asks. ¡°Very good, while he is still too young to do the official elemental resonance testing. It is clear that he can determine a few very important elements by smell alone.¡± The doctor confirms. Hearing this, I pause, wondering if it means what I think it means. Then thankfully Sarina is here to hammer home the important questions, and make sure there is no ambiguity. ¡°Wait, does this mean he will be able to awaken the talents in others?¡± Sarina asked, a note of excitement in her voice. ¡°Yes, as far as I can tell he can determine Lightning, Water, Holy, Healing, and even my very minor affinity for Spirit magics.¡± The doctor explains. ¡°You mean it?¡± Sarina continues to ask. ¡°I mean, we will have to wait until he is officially a teenager to get his true rankings on these. Then we can see if these are in fact elements he can awaken in others, but so far as all the data I¡¯ve seen indicates. If a male can smell the presence of these elements this early, then it is a sign that the level of power he can awaken in a female candidate is often the exceptional level or higher.¡± I still had no clue what any of this meant. That said, I hoped it meant what I think it meant. Sarina for her part just held her hands to her lips and began stomping her feet excitedly. Then after taking a second to regain her composure she continues, ¡°this mean we won¡¯t have to discard him for being useless?¡± Yeah, that was the concern I had. The looming sword of Damocles hanging over my neck. The warning I had as a child. One where I was told not to be useless. While this wasn¡¯t a full get out of jail free card, it did give me a bit more time to build myself up before I inevitably left to make my own way in this world. ¡°This is great, can I tell her?¡± Sarina exclaimed excitedly. ¡°The Andry Matriarch? No, it is likely best that I broach this subject with her.¡± The Doctor explains. For a moment Sarina looks sad, but then realization sinks in and finally acceptance. ¡°You are probably right.¡± With that the doctor nodded her head, then turning back to me she stated, ¡°now then, let us see what we can do about your wounds.¡± What happened next was magic. Magic on more levels than just one. Reaching a hand up she gently dragged a finger over the cut on my mouth, causing my skin to tingle slightly. From there, she went and grabbed my hands and began rubbing her thumbs over the sore and battered knuckles. Wince. I hissed in pain involuntarily, at the sudden touch. ¡°I know, you did a number on your hands here. You even had a hairline fracture,¡± the doctor stated as she rubbed my sorest knuckle a few times. With each stroke, a gentle tingling filled my body and slowly the pain ebbed away. ¡°Not my fault that she had such a hard head,¡± I reply. ¡°She?¡± The doctor asked, raising her eyebrow. ¡°Yeah, an older girl wouldn¡¯t let him go, until he paid a kissing tax. So he punched her, but only after she backhanded him.¡± Sarina replies, almost getting me into trouble by conveniently forgetting that I was the victim in this act. ¡°You fought an older girl? I¡¯m surprised there wasn¡¯t more damage,¡± the doctor replied. ¡°Oh, you should have seen her. She was a mess, two black eyes, a missing tooth, and a swollen cheek bone.¡± Sarina responds, almost proud of me? ¡°Really? You did all that?¡± The doctor asks. Seeing her sudden attention, all while feeling her gentle fingers massaging my hands with healing energy, I couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed. I look away and just shake my head. ¡°Very good, as a male you need to learn to protect yourself. There are many dangerous women out there, and if your talents are as remarkable as they seem, then you will be a target.¡± ¡°A target?¡± Sarina parrots. ¡°Yes, he will be targeted by many would be suitors, particularly once his statuses are revealed. Until then, all we can do is help him train in self-defense.¡± At the talk of self-defense my ears perk up as I look at her and make sure she is not joking with me. ¡°You really think he will be that valuable of a target?¡± Sarina, again always with the questions continues. ¡°Oh yes, with his looks alone he would be a catch. Added to that, the fact that he likely has the ability to unlock at least five talents a few at an exceptional level,¡± the doctor begins and pauses as she tries to come up with a finish to this thought. Then finally she concludes, ¡°heck if he didn¡¯t have my own mitochondrial strain coursing in his blood, and I was not yet awakened, I too would have been drawn to him as an awakening candidate. Particularly if I could get him for free, when he was not able to defend himself.¡± Hearing that, something in her explanation stands out that I think I need to pay attention to. ¡°Wait, we shouldn¡¯t be together because we have the same mitochondrial strain?¡± I ask, trying to clarify. ¡°Oh, yes, where are my manners. You see mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell and are used to help prove family lineages. While you are a mitochondrial dead end, being as only females can pass on their mitochondrial to their offspring, it is still taboo to try to open powers between people having the same mitochondrial strains.¡± The doctor explains in a way that sort of makes sense. Realistically, this could be this world¡¯s equivalent of genetic mutations caused by inbreeding and other acts that don¡¯t allow for genetic diversification. If this was the case, then it made sense as to why families would focus on having one or two powerful male heirs around. This way, they could have that male impregnate other families, who were tracking their own mitochondrial lineages. There was still a chance for inbreeding, but a family devoted towards following the mitochondrial strain was an interesting way of building out a family tree. Silence. It takes me a moment to realize that something is off. Only after a second do I turn to see that Sarina is unusually quiet. I just stare at her in confusion for a moment. ¡°What?¡± She asks, reading my confusion. ¡°Nothing, I just found it odd that you weren¡¯t asking any questions.¡± ¡°Hey, what does that even mean?¡± Sarina demands indignantly. ¡°Oh good, you are still there,¡± I respond realizing that her questioning nature had once again returned. ¡°Hey,¡± Sarina exclaims. Chuckle. But her mini-tantrum is cut short by the melodic laughing of the doctor. Just hearing her laugh, causes my heart to flutter a bit more. Unfortunately, my body¡¯s involuntary reaction does not go unnoticed. ¡°My boy, if I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d swear you had a thing for me.¡± I just look away, not wanting to respond, but it is clear she is reading me like a children¡¯s book on bad love stories. ¡°Unfortunately, it could never happen. First, we both share the same mitochondria. Secondly, I am 247 years old, and by the time you will be old enough to realize I was mistake, you would already be too old.¡± ¡°247?¡± I parrot. At that, the doctor just smiles, ¡°I know, I look good for my age, don¡¯t I?¡± I just nod my head in agreement. This must be good genetics, great healing magic, and maybe the effects of holy magic as well? I don¡¯t know. ¡°Besides, I am your great-great-great aunt.¡± And there it is, my prepubescent body apparently fell for Auntie. Hearing that, I feel disgusted with myself. ¡°There we go, that is the recognition that I need to see from you. Don¡¯t worry though, I am flattered that I still have what it takes, even at my advanced age.¡± The doctor continues, making sure to end this childish infatuation at the root. ¡°Can I call you auntie?¡± Chuckle. ¡°You know, if your sisters, or any other female of this family asked, I would deny them on the spot.¡± She began but then seemed to mull over her response before answering. ¡°That said, for you, if you must, then I will accept you calling me Auntie.¡± ¡°Auntie?¡± Sarina again parroted; her mouth unable to hold back her impulse control over the thoughts seemingly pouring out of her mind. ¡°Not from you, and not a word of this to anyone else,¡± Auntie declares seemingly staring straight through Sarina. For her part, Sarina looks visibly cowed but the stare. ¡°I, I wouldn¡¯t dream of it¡­¡± Sarina stammers out. Seeing Sarina¡¯s reaction, Auntie, the doctor, nods to herself before turning back to me and patting me on the head. Ruffling my hair as she does so. ¡°I have a feeling you are going to be a lot of trouble in the future,¡± the Auntie begins, but then seems to relax as she finishes her thought. ¡°Probably for the best, we could use some excitement around here anyways.¡± And like that, my punishment for getting into a fight was over. I was healed and even managed to find out that my great great great aunt was a powerful healer. I could tell she was going easy on me, likely due to my small body. Clip-clop. We walked in silence. Well, I walked in silence, Sarina as usual walked with her odd clopping sound that seemed to echo in these large hallways. Finally, once we left the right wing and began heading down the left, towards my room. Only then did Sarina begin to speak again. ¡°You got the Ice Queen to be wrapped around your little pinky,¡± Sarina finally exclaimed. ¡°The what?¡± ¡°Doctor Andry, she is the best doctor in the region and always known for being cold and heartless. Yet, you managed to melt her in your hands and she even let you call her Auntie?¡± Sarina was just shaking her head at this, apparently seeing that gorgeous woman be nice was an oddity? Though I had a hard time seeing why, she was perfectly nice. ¡°She smelled nice,¡± I blurted out, even now I tried to recall her nice warm fragrance. Stop. At that, Sarina stopped and stared at me, ¡°speaking of that, you must never tell anyone that you can smell powers. Do you understand me?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I reply as I take a step back from the suddenly serious Sarina. ¡°I mean it, swear that you will never tell anyone outside of the Matriarch, Dr. Andry, or myself. Swear that you will never tell anyone.¡± ¡°I swear,¡± I reply shock evident on my face at her sudden switch in demeanor. She just stares at me for a moment, before finally nodding to herself. ¡°Good, now then, she is right, we do need to get you some self-defense courses. Today was your first, but it likely won¡¯t be your last fight that you will experience. You need to be prepared,¡± Sarina stated. And like that, I knew my life would become much more interesting. Chapter 6 Anomalies (Two Days Later, Wednesday) Chapter 6 Anomalies (Two Days Later, Wednesday) Squeak. One of the great things about being what is collectively referred to as a second-class citizen is that no one bothers you. At least, that is how Sarina has taken to handling me. If I am here, within the confines of the manor, I can go out, explore, and investigate. There is just one caveat, do not get in trouble. What is trouble? Well, I don¡¯t know, but I can¡¯t get into it. With the discovery of Auntie being so many generations old, it came to my understanding that I knew relatively little about this world and how it functions. This of course sparked my first and likely worst mistake. Knowing that I had no reference to go off of, and no one else to really turn to, I made the mistake of asking Sarina a question. A simple question. One that even now two later, I am regretting ever having asked. ¡°How is Auntie so old?¡± I asked, as I wanted to know what her secret was, because logically I wanted to look that good when I was nearing a hundred, let alone the two hundred plus that Auntie was at right now. A simple question, and while I realize there were likely a lot of possible reasons why this was not the time, nor place. Sarina chose this as her moment to address multiple issues that she somehow thought related to this one question about how Auntie could live to be well past two hundred years old. ¡°Oh, thank goodness. I am so glad you asked,¡± she began. Hearing her initial reply, I realized I might have messed up. Then her next comment all but confirmed my suspicions. ¡°See right now, you are at that age when you can grow and mostly keep up with maturing women,¡± Sarina began. ¡°Thus, how you were able to somehow beat up that third-year girl in your school.¡± What she didn¡¯t know, what I didn¡¯t know was that most of that was ingrained mental training from my past life coming out. Ingrained training and pent-up rage at constantly being told I couldn¡¯t do things, because I was a boy. ¡°That said, while you can and likely will be able to keep up with women. You will eventually hit a plateau. At the age of legal maturity, also called the age of awakening for females, we undergo a vastly different change. That is when we first gain access to the system.¡± Hearing this wild tangent, I took in a deep breath, as I hoped this would eventually get to the original question I had asked. I knew that asking a second question now would only confuse her, as such I decided to sit through this and see if she would finally get to the point. ¡°Once we first awaken, we are often sent into little pocket dimensions where monsters appear. In these pocket dimensions you can see everything from regular animals seeking to flee their planet. Or you can see truly monstrous beings and creatures bent on destroying all other life forms. In fact, the mission where I proved my worth to your mother was the one where I went through what is called my first awakening. This was where my powers were awoken. Had I been pregnant at the time, I would have been able to achieve a second awakening. Though when you do both at the same time like your mother did, it is called a double awakening as the bonuses are fifty percent more for the second awakening.¡± At that comment, Sarina¡¯s eyes went distant as she looked off into the distance, apparently remembering a moment, something that only she could see. Realizing that I likely needed to push this conversation along, I realized now would be a time when I could clarify something that I had been wondering about. ¡°Can you still achieve a second awakening?¡± I ask. ¡°Yes, I can. The only problem is that right now, if I want the largest increases. Then I need to find a realm all but saturated with mana, like the one where you had your shared indoctrinated.¡± A shared indoctrination, that was the term used to describe what an impregnated zygote undergoes while partially absorbing some of the energy and achievements of the mother. Had I been a girl, when my first awakening happened, I would likely have several major achievements already unlocked. Or shared from grandmother, to mother, to me, the disgrace. Having heard all about shared indoctrinations and how it would have set one of my sisters up for success for life, I couldn¡¯t help but understand the contempt that mother had for me. Even now I wonder if she regrets not forcefully purging the male offspring first, when she had the chance. While I myself wouldn¡¯t ever get to see those shared achievements that my mother earned and would share with me. I can¡¯t help but think they are still there, just somehow hidden from me. I do feel stronger, not just from working out. But I recover faster, and am able to do more than I could in my past life. Though this might just be the effects of living within a mana rich environment. No, wait. Sarina said my old world was a mana rich environment? ¡°So the planet where mother came from was mana rich?¡± ¡°Yes, there it was almost like the planet itself had never experienced true mana users. When I was there, I could easily take out a whole city grid with my electric bolts,¡± Sarina sighs in reminiscence at the apparent surge of power she had while there. ¡°I take it, you don¡¯t feel that same level of power here?¡± I inquire. ¡°No, here I am sad to say I am about a tenth as powerful as I was in that world. It was a perfect first awakening spot. Those like your mother who achieved a double awakening while there were instantly pushed to the heads of their families due to how much more powerful they had become. Even now, at a tenth of her power there, your mother is more than two and a half times as powerful as other heads of households. That is mostly thanks to you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes, had you not been born at that time, gestating within her womb, she would not have come back nearly as unstoppable. While I was ten times more powerful there, your mother and the few others like her were on a completely different level. Capable of burning the that damnable world down and ending the corruption in a matter of days.¡± Hearing her get nostalgic for destroying my home world caused a few emotions to flare up within me. Everything from rage, to understanding, to sudden clarity all sparked in my mind as I remember that time myself. Rage occurred at the apparent lack of concern. We were just there, and they were power hungry monsters who were given the powers of Gods and began destroying the world, just because they could. Comprehension came from the fact that I now understood how we lost so quickly. While I was part of a psionic research team and far removed from everything going on, I heard everything was going well. Then the next thing we knew, we were dying and then the methods used to survive were not as important. Rather than surviving ethically, it became more prudent to just survive, and that is what I did. There was an awkward silence that filled the room as both Sarina and I were lost in our own thoughts, for vastly different reasons. Sarina was no doubt reliving her glory days of destroying the connected power grids of our planet, while I was remembering my own horrors of survival. ¡°Well, I hope that answers your questions on why you shouldn¡¯t fight with girls, as eventually they will get much stronger and they will remember these slights,¡± Sarina concludes. ¡°Wait what?¡± I ask, completely confused. ¡°You question, about why you shouldn¡¯t get into fights, even if you think you can win, I hope I answered it well enough?¡± Sarina replies standing up and acting like she is about to leave for the evening. ¡°That wasn¡¯t my question at all,¡± I demand. With my statement a confused look crosses her face as she looks at me, ¡°what was your question?¡± ¡°I asked how is Auntie so old?¡± I repeat my question from the very beginning of this maddening conversation. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°You did?¡± Sarina asks confusion clearly evident on her face. ¡°Yes,¡± I reply frustration filtering through my word as I sat through all of that nonsense about not fighting girls because they will eventually be far bigger and stronger, for nothing. ¡°I don¡¯t know, you should ask her,¡± Sarina responds as she turns about and then leaves quickly. Glancing at the wall clock, it is clear that it is now seven in the evening, and Sarina¡¯s shift is well over, especially for a Wednesday. Which of course gives me a lot of time to work out and explore on my own. Squeak. That is when I first heard the odd echoing sound coming from somewhere deep within the abandoned wing of the mansion. Having been a former scientist, I knew the sound quite well. It was the sound of a large mouse. Yet, the reason why it drew my attention was the fact that such an animal should not be here. In fact, from my understanding, the life repellant wards that Auntie allegedly set up, along with other natural magical barriers would keep pests away. That was why the sound seemed so out of place. Gnawing. The closer I got, the more I could also hear the unmistakable sound of gnawing. Gnawing on what I didn¡¯t know, but I knew full and well what a mouse or other rodent could do to the wood paneling of an old manor like this one. Had I not been completely alone, I¡¯m certain a maid, or maybe even Sarina would already be out investigating the sound. Yet they weren¡¯t. Possibly a girls night? Or maybe some odd planetary holiday? Maybe it was just how this planet dealt with Wednesdays, but for whatever reason I was alone in my wing. No doubt my younger sisters had their maids still with them on their wing. But mine was empty. Which was why the sounds of the creature going to town on wood and other items sounded so crisp to my ears. Munch, munch, munch. Squeak. Only once I got closer to the sound did I realize that the magical wards and traps were in fact working. The room that was closest to the sound was the west end back room facing the garden. I knew the area quite well, as it was built in the shade, where many of the staff would go to relax during their time off. Or maybe even while they were supposed to be working. I didn¡¯t care, mainly because everyone that went there made no comment about my coming or going. It was an unspoken truce, I didn¡¯t inform anyone of the lack of productivity, and they didn¡¯t comment on my activities. The staff also seemed to know that this room was the only room with a window facing the lounging area, as they purposefully put a large wooden writing desk right by the window. No doubt if anyone asked about the placement of the desk, it would be so that the lady who used said desk could use the sunlight while looking out over the garden. What wasn¡¯t said was that, in order to see the resting benches, one would have to climb over the desk and then look down through the window at the ground, which is exactly what I did. Munch, munch, munch. There at the base of the window were creatures that caused my skin to crawl. For there were giant rat like creatures with six appendages desperately clawing at some type of invisible barrier. Seeing their actions, I realized that this was likely their attempt to tear through the protective wards that had been placed. For a moment, I thought about calling for help, to do something. But I realized that most would be on the other wing, and who knew where or how far these creatures would have moved by then. Also, another part of me realized that this was exactly what I had been planning for. Seeing the giant rat like creatures, all with glowing purple with pink streaks, I realized that their eye color likely reflected the light of the odd visual apparition behind them. A visual apparition that even now let more of the large six-legged rodents come through. SQUEAK! There was moment, where I just stared, but somehow I got too close to either the window, or the rats just had that good of senses. Either way, one of the larger creatures noticed me staring through the window, which caused a strange red rage to fill their eyes as those that had only been casually clawing at the wards suddenly began clawing with fury. Seeing their rage, I began reacting on instinct. Reaching out with my Intermediate Telekinetic arms, I struck out with invisible hands. Finding soft spots just beyond the base of the skull, where the skull intersected the spine. There with one quick strike down, I slammed my invisible arm down pushing the monster down to the ground. It twitched, showing that it was still alive, but unable to move. That¡¯s when the true horror of the moment hit me, as the other rats who saw their fallen comrade, just climbed over the still twitching corpse and began clawing at the same spot where the previous rodent had been digging. Seeing that this wouldn¡¯t be easy, and that they didn¡¯t care about their fallen brethren and would likely do far worse to me I did the only thing I could. I defended my home. Yes, this was my wing. No one else cared about it, save for me, that was why I knew it was up to me to defend this place. Not that I could call for help, not that anyone would come when I complained about there being a large next of rodents that suddenly appeared. Knowing the culture, it would likely be laughed at, claiming childish male exaggeration of the size and scale of the threat. By then it would be too late. That is why I acted. Lashing out with invisible tendrils of Telekinetic power, I struck at the creatures. Chopping, snapping, and throwing I did it all. Striking down or incapacitating a front line rodent, only for it to collapse and be trampled or otherwise suffocated by the next wave of monsters that came. This was where my relentless training paid off. While I should have been tired, I felt nothing but adrenaline. Adrenaline and the certainty that I needed to continue crushing these monsters until Sarina returned. She did live here somewhere, one of these rooms along with a few others were claimed and occupied by the staff. Staff members who all went out on Wednesdays. Sweat. I had been focusing for so long on these precise strikes that I was now sweating. From what I could tell there were apparently three types of rodents here. The diggers, those that blindly surged forward and attempted to claw at the walls. These were the easiest to deal with, a quick strike to the base of the neck and they were paralyzed and left to rot. Then there were the sergeants, these were tougher and required one entire Intermediate appendage to find the trachea and slowly suffocate the creature to death. Those were annoying as they could still cause the diggers to flip out with rage and continue digging faster. Somehow those sergeants were smarter as they were the ones that first noticed my appearance and apparently began directing the workers towards me. Workers that were climbing over the bodies of their fallen members to climb up higher so that their bodies were in front of the window and all but blocking my view. Fortunately, once I had a Telekinetic hold on an object, I no longer needed to see that object so long as they were within my mental range. With a joined Telekinetic push, I would push the bodies of the stacked high diggers down, causing many to trip and stumble backwards. This in turn allowed me to snap the necks of the first to recover and once again slow the progress of the diggers. For each sergeant it took at least five minutes to ensure they were dead. In combat such a time sink is death. At least it should have been death. But I refused to die here. Well, I was still protected, the wards were still up, and I could begin to see the barrier that separated the rodents from actually destroying my house. That knowledge that a slight slip up, or minor mistake wouldn¡¯t lead to my immediate death was the reason that I continued. Finally, after dealing with the third sergeant rodent, that¡¯s when I saw the rift in space pulse with violent waves of energy as the leader came through. A queen. Seeing that the final boss was a queen was not surprising. Somehow I just expected that a female would be the root of the trouble with this alternate world, and I was apparently not mistaken. The rodent was visibly pregnant, as her rotund stomach scraped over the ground. Ground that was now covered in rodents in different states of death and paralysis. Working quickly, I focused on taking out the last of the diggers. By now all of the sergeants had been handled, leaving just one Telekinetic arm to try to strangle the queen, like I had managed to do to all of the others. Only the choking didn¡¯t work, not for the queen as her neck was apparently far stronger and more capable than the sergeant¡¯s throats had been. While their necks were too muscular to snap with one decisive strike, they had been collapsible enough to cause strangulation from prolonged states. KA-ZAPP! Even from inside a sealed room, I could smell the intense fragrance of ozone that was released after the now enraged pregnant queen let out a bolt of powerful lightning. ¡°Shit,¡± I hissed as I quickly began using each and every one of my free Telekinetic limbs, hands, and even the fingers to claw and strike at the queen. Four Intermediate arms all grabbed and attempted to strangle the queen. That was four hundred pounds of force being applied to constrict the neck of a monster, and to try to wrestle the monster away. Unfortunately, that was not enough force as the queen just reared back on her hind legs and attempted to battle the invisible appendages. Her claws slashing through air that contained nothing for her to defend against. Flashing purple. Realizing the futility of her attempts, she then attempted to lower her head and face me. Of course, I was not going to let her do anything so easy. Instead, I used two of the appendages to push her head up and straight back, while the other two desperately tried to continue to strangle her. Still even from this angle, I could see the darkness of her lateral round eyes that helped her peer over and around obstacles. Even now, I could feel the intensity of her focus on me, as even that slight bit of black sliver of her eye was enough for her to see me. Static. With that gaze, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise. There was even the faintest scent of ozone that began to form. It was that smell that caused my body to move on impulse. Fall, tumble, shatter. Shatter-Zzapp A burst of lightning crashed through the last bit of the barrier, a barrier likely not meant to protect against supernatural lightning bursts. Then through the window that I had been peering through. Fortunately the frame was wooden, as I think that helped dissipate a bit of the burst, then I could feel the tendril of energy reach for me, but found the wooden desk instead. A wooden desk that I now hid under. With my mental limbs already activated, I knew exactly where the rodent queen was. From there, I just began strangling, clawing, and scratching at the beast. Using my Beginner¡¯s Telekinesis, the relative hands of my Telekinesis, I began clawing and ripping at the large black eyes that desperately tried to look for me. ¡°What was that?¡± The voice of Sarina called out over the grounds. I was never so excited to hear her voice as I was right then and there. ¡°We lost track of the last special anomaly that was recorded for the town. Allegedly it is here, but I don¡¯t see it.¡± A second, familiar voice calls out. Hearing that second voice, I realize she is like a maid or someone I likely heard. Rage Squeak! Hearing the new voices, the queen lets out a deep squeak. Or at least as much of a squeak as she is capable of given her condition. ¡°There it is, in the lounge area,¡± Sarina called out. ¡°Wait, what is that?¡± Zzapp---fry-hiss. Sarina true to form, asks a question and then begins to blast away before an answer can be rendered. ¡°There¡¯s the anomaly,¡± the second voice cries out. ¡°What¡¯s with these rodent corpses?¡± Sarina asks. Zzapp---fry-hiss. Once again, Sarina rather than stopping to investigate electrocutes first, then waits for an answer second. ¡°Wait they were already dead, I got no experience from them,¡± Sarina stated. Experience? What is that? I wonder to myself, but I quickly dismiss that thought as I realize I might soon be caught if I stay around her for too long. ¡°I need to check the house, the young master,¡± Sarina cries out. ¡°Wait, help me close this dark portal first,¡± the second warrior maiden cries out. Realizing that I only have a few moments before Sarina comes to check on me, I quickly crawl my way out of the door, not wanting to be seen through the now open window and then go out the door, into the hallway. Only once I am in the hallway do I get up and sprint to my bedchamber. Quickly sliding under the covers as I force my mind and body to slow down the last of its adrenaline fueled high. I am sweating. Now that I am on my clean sheets, I can feel just how much I sweat from the mental exertion. I had been foolish, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel a slight tingle as my body and mind both felt alive. Clip-clop. Then my heart froze as I heard the unmistakable walking sound of a focused Sarina all but running down the hallway to check in on me. Phew. As soon as she comes in and sees me sitting still on the mattress she lets out a big sigh of relief. Apparently, she saw the open window and thought the worst and came to check on me immediately. Well almost immediately, she did waste a few seconds working to close the spatial anomaly, but that might just be how the world works here. Close off the immediate threat, then perform clean up. Sarina quietly walks over to me. Clip, clip. Well, silently for Sarina. Then she places one hand on me to make sure I am real. And is about to leave, before she reaches down to brush away my damp and matted hair. ¡°What?¡± And like that, I know this terrible night has only just begun, as I try to think of an excuse for why I was suddenly sweaty in my bed.