《Author's Interference (Remake)》 Death Hello, I am Ray Allen, ''was'' would probably be a more viable term. Yes, unfortunately, I am dead. Dying at the age of fourteen was by no means a pleasant experience. But the good thing about dying instantly is that you don''t have to suffer for long. It''s just that one regret bothered me... I wasn''t able to finish my novel. As an orphan who was abandoned at the moment of his birth, it was tough for me to see the world with the same eyes as others do. They said that as long as I worked hard enough, my current background wouldn''t even matter. I didn''t understand why that case wasn''t the same for everyone. Many people work hard to reach the position they are at. However, those who worked equally as much as them but failed to achieve success were forgotten soon enough. Since I didn''t have a proper guide in my life, I tried to understand everyone''s perspective in life and picture the world they saw from their eyes. I imagined myself delving into their worlds and experiencing their lives. Some were happy even when they had to shoulder so much burden and some were sad even though they had no concerns. I couldn''t understand them, their lives... It was... So complicated... When I tried to tell an adult about my concerns, they tried to give me a simple answer or, just tried to avoid the topic. Those of my similar age didn''t even understand what I meant and didn''t think much about it. Was I the weird one for thinking about such things? After getting adopted from the orphanage, I understood about parenteral love that the others in the orphanage wanted to experience. It wasn''t bad, but I couldn''t see why it was so important. I could be wrong but, maybe that love shapes you into who you can become in the future. If that was the case, then it was indeed important to others who wanted to be happy. Happiness was a good thing, even though I wanted to experience it at some point. However, happiness wasn''t easy to earn. Work hard. Put some effort. And you will be rewarded. Again with that effort... I thought my parents wouldn''t be the same, but it turns out everyone wants a hard-working child. Learning something new in school was always interesting but for some reason, it felt as if it wasn''t enough. I had a strange urge in my heart to create something from the knowledge I earned. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. I found out about web novels, a type of novel that can be read on the internet. As a child who loved to read stories but never got the chance to buy novels or story books, I delved into a new world as a writer. Although I was a child novelist with little to no experience in story writing, I struggled a lot, got criticized by my readers, and asked to stop writing and all that. It didn''t bother me. I didn''t write to please someone else, I wrote as it was my way of experiencing happiness. However, as time went on, I started getting recognised for it, and strangely enough, I understood why it was. They understood me, and I understood them. It was as if we were sharing each other''s perspectives. My novel was set in the year 30034 of the cosmic calendar. An era where most of humanity had left Earth, after discovering cosmic travel. Earth was used as a training ground for the heroes of the new era and as a memory that can remind them of their birthplace. However, after discovering multiversal travel, a new problem arises before them. Zones started to be created due to Zone Resonances. Zones were created when a section of a planet sharing the same frequency with a separate planet crashed into one spot. This caused a lot of Terra-forming on the planet it collided with and ruined the lives of millions. These Zones also brought along every living being present within it during the resonance, some zones contained passive creatures while some didn''t. The ones that had hostile creatures were labelled in five levels according to the level of threat they posed to society. The protagonist of the story was your typical main character with a cheerful personality and the goal of saving his world from devastation. Not knowing that he was one of the reasons for that devastation as well. The world was both Fantasy and sci-fi-based, which attracted a lot of attention, with all types of aliens, metahumans, vampires, werewolves and intelligent creatures living on Earth. The League of Hunters, who hunted down these intelligent life forms if any of them posed a threat to humanity, was as popular as the protagonist in my community, with most of them being humans. They were considered the best faction of my story. It was good... Everything about it was good... But it didn''t satisfy me, someone who wanted to see a world where everyone is a main character in their own story. "A pity, isn''t it?" The creature before me spoke, it was a blue robe encasing a humanoid creature with a floating big crow skull covered by the top of the robe as the head. "You could have done so much more, you could have been so much more. But your fate... Sigh. Happiness always comes to an end at moments like this." "Was it wrong for me to be happy?" I asked him, standing over my corpse that was burning down inside the back of a car as a remnant of my past self, a soul without its vessel. "Silly child, it''s not your fault to be happy," the creature turned towards my corpse. "Happiness is a trap; it comes with consequences, and unless you are ready to bear those consequences, it will always end painfully." Those words that he told me answered so many of my questions at that very moment. I felt unburdened, knowing that I had fallen into a trap by accident. The creature was able to answer something that no adult could; it made me curious about who or what it was. "I don''t think I have introduced myself yet; I am Death; to be exact, I am the incarnation of Death. But humans tend to simplify things by giving names, so you can call me Ryuk," the creature stated. "I never thought Death would look like that," I stated. "You did ''think'', but you didn''t ''expect''; every soul has a different perception of me, for I don''t have a fixed form. I exist above your plane, which is why I have to take a new form every time I manifest here; my form depends on the perception of others who want to view me as such," Ryuk explained. "Is that so?" I sighed before asking, "So what happens now?" "The cycle of rebirth takes effect and you are born again in a new vessel," Ryuk answered. I sighed heavily, thinking that I would forget about all the answers that I had received, only for the questions to resurface in my mind once again after I was reborn. "... But that is in the case of a regular soul, you are different. You are a creator, an interesting one at that, I can give you a chance to finish what you started," Ryuk continued, looking in my direction and putting forth his right hand. "Shall you accept? You will get a second chance to get what you desire?" "What is in it for you?" I asked. After living among humans for so long, it wasn''t in my nature to trust someone I just met so easily. Humans always wanted to gain something in return for giving something to someone. How could I believe that he would be any different? "I do want something in return," Ryuk stated. As I thought, it wasn''t a simple gift after all. "I wish to experience the story along with you," Ryuk continued with his statement. Uh... What? "I wish to experience and be part of a story where the antagonist defeats the protagonist with his sheer hard work and intelligence, while not being physically present in the story," Ryuk completed his sentence. "That''s it? You are not going to ask for the ownership of my soul or anything?" I asked. "I think that you are mistaking me for a human, child. I don''t have such needs as I am not a mortal, I am simply looking for a new experience to broaden my knowledge." "Why would I, the manifestation of Death, need a soul as young as yours? I can have any soul I want, I don''t need your opinion for it," Ryuk shook his head. "I think humans are interesting creators. I have made this deal with a few others as well, but all of them rejected me without thinking twice; maybe a single life was already too burdensome for them, which is why they didn''t want to shoulder the responsibility of another. Humans are complicated; when they are alive, all of them beg for a new chance to be reborn, but when they see me, they don''t act the same. Is it because their perception of me is that of the Devil? I wonder... I thought humans were willing to sell their souls to the devil for a second chance at life; I guess not all of their thoughts align with each other. Some writers in particular, never want to be reincarnated with their memories intact for some reason." "Well, that aside, have you made up your mind, young soul?" Ryuk asked, offering his hand once again. Unlike what other people told me, I didn''t feel a calling towards that hand. However, I did feel curious. Curious to know what kind of life the people of a different world have. What are their interests? How do they perceive their world, their lives? I wanted to experience them. So, I put my hand forward, for I was curious. Personality --------- Year 30034 --------- Planet 5 --------- In the Central City hospital, the safest city in the World, where new lives are born, and old lives are sometimes lost, a man was pacing the hallway swiftly, eagerly, with his head sunk upon his chest and his hands clasped behind him, front of room 013. The man had straight white hair, pale skin and blue eyes that looked like the vast ocean. He wore a grey coat that covered his upper body completely and stopped at his knees, a white shirt and long black pants. He stopped himself when a doctor came out of the operation room, taking off his mask and gloves, and the red light on the board above the door turned green. "How is..." he tried to speak, but with a single glance at the doctor''s face, he was able to judge everything except the fact that who survived. "Is she?" "Dead, yes. I am sorry, Mr. Allen, we tried our best, but without any access to advanced technology on earth, we couldn''t give you a hundred percent survival chance for metahumans. We tried our best but... Our best wasn''t enough," the doctor said, with a face filled with regret. "Accidents like this will continue to occur unless they provide us access to advanced technology, safest city... I am ashamed to even say that we live in the safest city when we couldn''t save a life." "I understand your situation, can I enter?" the man asked politely, trying his best not to show his anger and sadness on the surface. "Please," the doctor moved aside and held the door open for him. As the man walked inside, all the doctors inside the room moved away from the bed where a woman lay lifeless with her eyes open, looking at her right side. The woman had bright red eyes, black hair and porcelain skin, which had started to turn cold. The man walked up to her and tried to wave his hand above her head, expecting something but nothing happened. "He wouldn''t get here in time, I am sorry..." the man murmured under his breath, before closing her eyes with his right hand. Although he didn''t show it on the surface, the regret and sadness he carried, could be felt by all those near him. "Mr. Allen." A voice alerted him from behind, causing him to turn towards it. He saw a doctor holding a baby in her arms, washed up and wrapped around with a green cloth. "I will take him from here, sorry if he troubled you. Can you do me a favour and prepare her?" he asked politely, before taking the baby in his arms. "I will," the doctor asked, standing there in shock at how he could disregard the death of his wife so quickly. As I finally found the strength to open my eyes, a blurry figure started to come into my view. Slowly my blurry vision started to clear. At last, I was able to see in front of me. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. It was a white-haired man with blue eyes like the vast ocean and pale skin. He was handsome. However, the thing that shocked me the most was how gigantic this man was. Is this hell? "Hell is a lot worse this this, child." A voice rang inside my head. I tried to move my eyes to see the same creature that I saw after my death, standing right beside the man who held me. Ryuk? Where are we? "Inside your creation, Planet 5 rings a bell?" Ryuk asked. In my novel? I see. Am I still human? "Seems like it, something related to human, not exactly a meta-human. I guess that''s for you to find out," Ryuk answered. They can''t see you. "Fifth dimensional, remember? I could allow them to see me if you wish but I think it would traumatize them even more after failing to save a life despite being a doctor, and your father might even think himself crazy in the state he is in," Ryuk explained. Do what you wish. "You won''t sympathize with him and rather hurt him even more? It wasn''t within my expectations," Ryuk stated. Sympathize? Doesn''t that contradict your previous statement, when you said that happiness is a trap? Why would I try to make my father happy? "Think of it as advice; pretend that you care. Humans have a strong attachment to these so-called emotions; if you can learn about them and create a fake personality then you won''t have to worry about falling into that trap ever again. This might even work both ways," Ryuk explained, trying to straighten his non-existent beard. "Right now, you don''t have a personality; in human terms, that''s being emotionless. Humans don''t tend to trust emotionless people often; even a person with a rude personality is given more priority than an emotionless person. So it''s best for you to adapt to one." I see. It was a good decision to accept his deal, being around someone with a similar view of the world. His experienced mind could help me understand so much more than those on Earth ever could, not like they tried either. "Ray Allen," the man called out, as I matched his gaze and looked at his blue eyes with mine. "You like the sound of that, don''t you?" "Ra-alan," I tried to repeat after him. "... Huh?" the man looked genuinely confused, as did the people who heard me, they were too shocked to even speak a word. Metahumans did grow faster than humans and were more intelligent than them age-wise (1:3 ratio), but that didn''t mean any intelligent living creature had the ability to speak right after they were born. It was a mistake on my part back then. Are they upset because I said it wrongly? "They might be surprised that you even tried to repeat that word and succeeded partially," Ryuk corrected me. Leaving that aside... Who the hell is Ray Allen? "Shouldn''t you know that better than me?" Ryuk asked back, looking at the doctors and nurses going crazy. "Oh dear, that may have caused a ton of chaos." It''s fine, give me a minute. "Ra Al Bo Go!" I shouted, spitting a ton of saliva on those near me and smiling at them. "It''s baby language..." someone said. "Of course, it is... Sigh," another person said, moving away from me and treating this as a coincidence. Human psychology. "Hm, that''s a good way to divert their attention," Ryuk complimented me. Ray Allen doesn''t ring a bell. The one Allen family I know of is the family of Thomas Allen. Thomas Allen, also known as Savitar, God of Motion. Am I related to him? Thomas didn''t have any kids in the original story, and if he was here, he could possibly save her. I am Grey Allen''s son? "How odd..." Grey Allen murmured. "You certainly understand me... Yet don''t show it on the surface, not possessed by a demon because I carry a holy necklace all the time... Oh, you clever girl, if this is what you tried to prove then you should have stayed with me." "We could have... We could have done so much more. But this is what you leave me with? What is the point of proving something when you aren''t even there to witness it?" He continued to speak while looking at me, standing in the same spot motionless. "I did everything I could to make this world a better place for you two to live in, but this is what I get... My reward... A world without you, what kind of world is that?" At that moment, Grey Allen''s hand that held the baby felt a certain type of warmth that he thought he had lost. The baby had taken out his arms from the clothing and held his finger, trying to use it as a pillow to sleep. His empty eyes that seemed to have rejected the world once again filled with light. That one act of kindness was all it took to save him from the looming darkness that awaited his arrival. "Sorry Ray, Dad got a bit distracted. Shall we go meet your uncle? I could already imagine all of them being excited about your arrival. I can''t wait to teach you about the Science of Deduction, eighteen years... Sigh... Eighteen long years, oh what the hell? If you are a metahuman you can turn into a detective at ten or something. But then again, your uncle might influence you to turn into a hero if you are a metahuman," Grey explained, looking at me. Is he aware that he is speaking to a child? "Intelligent ones of your species tend to carry that habit of being abnormal, I think weird is also a better way to describe him," Ryuk stated. Should I copy his personality? Parents often pass on their personalities to their children, don''t you think it''s a good idea for me to copy him? "If that is what you desire, but I think you will find a better personality if you were to wait," Ryuk stated. Patience, in this case, is unnecessary. If being weird is better than causing distrust in the person I am around, like you said then why wouldn''t I copy my father? It makes my personality even more trustworthy. "Hm, if that is the case then so be it," Ryuk stated. One more thing, do I need to be cruel to be an antagonist? Isn''t there a way to avoid killing everyone? Don''t get me wrong, but killing people would be new to me and I don''t want to kill everyone. I want a world where everyone can be the main character of their own story. What kind of world would it become if there wasn''t even anyone left to be a main character? "I never asked you to be all cruel; I have seen antagonists who are half cruel and half kind; you can be just that. Kill those whom you deem unimportant or could steer up trouble for you. It''s your life, live how you want, there are no chains on you anymore," Ryuk stated. Thank you. Time is Malleable Status. As I called out in my head, a black screen appeared before my retina. ---------- [Status] [Name: Ray Allen] [Race: Human/???] [Stats] [Strength: G-] [Agility: G-] [Endurance: G-] [Stamina: G-] [Intelligence: SSR] [Charm: A] [Mana: S] [Energy: S+] ---------- Although this world didn''t have access to much-advanced technology it did have a system created with advanced technology to serve as a growth measuring device called the codex that was available to every intelligent life-forms on this planet, it was designed in such a way that the newer generation can see their growth rates and be encouraged to train more. Am I a metahuman or something else? If I was a human this screen would appear white. Is this some new type of mutation that caused this World''s system to categorise me as human but not turn the screen white? "Something like that, I didn''t think you would figure it out so early," Ryuk confirmed my statement. I have the highest intelligence rank you can get in this universe, maybe that played a factor in that. "Could be, but that aside, Grey Allen is going to die here, isn''t he?" Ryuk asked as we walked into an alleyway. In the original story, Grey travelled through this alleyway in the middle of the night because Ray was crying too much and he knew that this alleyway could get them to their home much quicker. Rather than thinking about their safety, he thought about the happiness of his child, which led them to be ambushed from behind by a mugger, although Grey could knock out the mugger to ensure Ray''s safety, he wasn''t able to hold on long enough till Thomas arrived. In the quiet streets of Central City, Grey died a father, ensuring the safety of his child till his very last breath, leaving the clueless child as an orphan, not knowing that Ray would also face his demise five years later and join their embrace. I wouldn''t be so sure of that if I were you. Time is malleable, and I am the author; if I want to save him right here, I could, but his existence might cause a massive change in the timeline. "So you are going to save his life but cripple him somehow?" Ryuk asked. Exactly. "But you can''t even swing your arms or legs?" Ryuk stated, confused about how I would save Grey Allen. I can make noises. "Wait what?" Ryuk looked at my eyes, thinking about what kind of noises I was talking about. "Mifor!" I shouted, pointing at a mirror, diagonally at the left side of the street, which showed our reflection under the night sky from the gleaming light of the bright full moon. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "Yes, that''s..." Grey tried to say something but when he looked at the mirror, he saw a shining object behind us. Without even waiting a second, he delivered a full roundhouse kick behind him, knocking the gun off the hands of the person standing behind us. BANG However, the mugger had already clicked the gun and span around at that very moment, hitting Grey in his right arm. Argh... BANG Without caring about his injury, Grey swept away the gun in a swift motion and took out his energy gun from his concealed shoulder holster with the very same right arm and shot the mugger in his right arm as it cut off and completely melted it in an instant. Ahhhhh... The mugger screamed in pain as he tried to hold his right arm but all he could touch was the hot blood that fell from the wound. "Huff... Huff... Codex... Send my coordinates to Thomas... Tell him to hurry up," Grey ordered, panting heavily. Ding! ---------- [Message sent to Thomas Allen.] [Message received from Thomas Allen.] [One second. -Thomas.] ---------- As soon as a white screen popped up before his retina, a figure appeared in front of us. At first, I couldn''t make out his appearance because of the smoke created by his entrance and the moon providing so little light. "You are bleeding?! Did you seriously just get shot by a random mugger?" Thomas asked, getting closer to us and giving me a proper view of his outlook. Thomas wore the same kind of clothing as Grey, with a different colouring and had crimson eyes like the blood instead of blue eyes like the ocean. Although they were twins anyone could immediately identify them because of their eye colours. "Huff... Take care... of him... Need to... Close the wound," Grey asked, handing me over to Thomas. "Is he my nephew? Wait, don''t answer that; I get it, you need some rest first," he asked, pointing at me with a smile before receiving me from Thomas. "Slow down a bit... The five-second time limit passed away because you decided to blabber... Never mind, I was thinking about retiring anyways," Grey declared, tearing apart a portion of his shirt and wrapping it around his right arm, tightly. Argh... "You? Retire? You are the last person from whom I thought I would hear those words. Looks like my nephew is a good luck charm," Thomas laughed, looking at me. "But... Where is big sis Noel? And why did they release him without her... No... Is she?" "Dead... Her time caught up to her," Grey sighed in sadness, his eyes filled with rage. "I will prepare everything; let''s go; you need some rest, brother," said Thomas, keeping a hand on Grey''s right shoulder. "That aside... It was a good idea to show him what a mirror is, I would have died if it wasn''t for him," stated Grey. "Mifor!" I shouted again, clapping my baby hands while smiling. "He can speak?" Thomas asked, confused by my sudden scream. "Yes, although I don''t know how but I think it has something to do with him being a metahuman. I can''t make theories without any data," Grey answered. "A wise policy indeed," commented Ryuk. "I didn''t expect anything less from a detective in this world. Although he might be a human, his intellect and knowledge are more profound than most Sages of this world. You are lucky to have the same name as Ray Allen, you know?" I agree, luck is the most important factor aside from intelligence and money in this world. Aside from that, Grey is quick to catch on. This kind of attack can open his eyes and let him see what is truly important to him. By retiring from his work or announcing himself dead, he won''t cause much trouble for me to deal with in the future. As long as he lives in the Allen family manor and does not interfere with the outside world, it won''t cause any changes in the timeline. "Hey, Thomas... Can you do me a favour?" asked Grey, taking out his energy gun once again and pointing it at the mugger''s head. "Make two coffins for the burial." BANG In a matter of seconds, the mugger''s head melted down, leaving only a pool of blood remaining in its place. "It''s time for me to say goodbye to this accused world," Grey announced, putting his gun away. "I understand," stated Thomas. "You knew this would happen?" Ryuk asked. I predicted it; I know how Grey thinks, and unlike him, I have data on him, which leaves me with an opportunity to theorize the outcome of my actions. "That brain of yours is surely affecting the way you think, isn''t it? Although it isn''t a bad thing, I would recommend you to get adjusted to it first before thinking so many complicated things. Human beings have complicated anatomy, if you think so much about so many things while having your soul transferred to this body just 2 hours ago, it may cause some problems," Ryuk explained. Problems like?- Blegh... All of a sudden, it felt as if the whole world started to spin in front of my eyes as I got overwhelmed by nausea and barfed all over Thomas. "Like that," Ryuk answered. "Is it all over me?" Thomas asked, standing still despite feeling uncomfortable. "It''s all over me isn''t it?" "Perks of being an uncle," Grey stated, trying his best not to laugh. Blegh... Once again that same nausea took over me, causing me to barf once again in a different direction. "Perks of being a dad," Thomas smiled, looking at Grey before snapping his fingers, which caused all the vomit on them to be cleared in an instant. You could have warned me. "You never asked me to warn you," Ryuk stated. Warn me next time, please. "I will," Ryuk confirmed. "But does this mean, the assassination will still take place five years later?" It will, and I will be prepared for it. Five years is a long time and with an intelligence like this, I would find a way to get past that fixed point without much effort as well. The problem is that there will be changes in the timeline after I destroy that fixed point. I need to see through all of them one by one. If I were to miss even a single one, the timeline would reset and we would be back where we started. Luckily, I have you for that. You said you want to play a part in the story without being present in it right? All you have to do is count. "That''s it? You don''t want me to help you in any other way? I surely didn''t see that coming," Ryuk stated. I am not like the other humans you have known, or else I wouldn''t have taken that hand. "Of course, it was indeed foolish of me to compare you to them, my apologies, partner," Ryuk exclaimed. "The word ''partner'' has a nice ring to it, doesn''t it?" Sure does, partner. Your Life matters to Me. (1) Five years passed away in a blink of an eye. Five years ago, after the death of my mother and the fake death of my father, I was taken to the Allen family manor by my uncle who also adopted me to further strengthen the belief that my father was dead. The Allen family was one of the five major families on this continent. The five major families are ranked according to their overall status in reputation, military strength, loyalty from subjects, wealth and governance. The Tempest family was ranked first, the Allen family second, the Silverhearts third, the Issac fourth and Ravenshade fifth in the overall ranking of the five major families. The Allen family was mainly a family of metahumans who were also the renowned guardians of the concept of Time. Their purpose was to protect the timeline and eliminate any variables that tried to mess with it. The main branch of the Allen family was composed of three people in this timeline, Thomas Allen, Grey Allen and Ray Allen. All the others of the main branch had died and returned to the embrace of the concept of Time, only to enter the cycle of reincarnation while being blessed by the River of Time. The other secondary branches of the Allen family were composed mostly of metahumans with a low amount of humans. Although humans in this kind of society had no power of their own unless they were incredibly smart or had the talent to become a mage, aura user or summoner, the Allen family didn''t care about such things. This was one of the reasons the public held them to such a high standard. I pity them... Sometimes, human beings and metahumans get so overjoyed by things such as status, fame and reputation that they fail to move forward... It''s as if an invisible wall restrains them from leaving it all behind... Rules... It is a funny name for something so insignificant... Every intelligent race seeks out knowledge relentlessly to understand the multiverse and comprehend the so-called rules to use them... However, once they are completely bound by the said rules they are left at their wit''s end and are restrained by the very knowledge they sought... Why keep such burdens by your side when you don''t even benefit anything from it? "Maybe these rules make them who they are, keep them bound to their ideals. As long as it makes them ''happy'', they will play by it," Ryuk stated, sitting comfortably in the wooden armchair beside the window under the moonlight that shined over his very being. "But then again, every life form follows its own path and lives under rules and regulations. To understand these rules and regulations, they explore an unexplored realm of darkness. Everything has its own meaning; you just have to find it; that''s the jist of it. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. "Every creature that you have seen or will see in the future will always be bound by them because even if they think that they are in control of their lives, the sad truth will one day befall them. See what everyone else doesn''t see, see what everyone else chooses not to see because of these rules and you will see the whole world anew." The room I had wasn''t too grand in comparison to my uncle''s or father''s but it was very spacious, with a king-sized bed in the middle, two bookshelves sandwiching the window on the right side of the room, two armchairs in front of the window and a small table in between them. The left side has a mirror stand with two wardrobes surrounding it. Since those five years, Ryuk has never once left my side and answered as many questions as he could. At some point it made me wonder if he even had a real job. That matter aside, a lot of changes happened in those five years. After becoming a part of the Allen family officially, I learned a lot of things. The problem with having SSR rank intelligence is that you get to use a hundred percent of your brain. While it seemed like a good thing at first, I had a hard time forgetting things that I didn''t want to remember. All the memories used to clog my brain. However, that problem was solved after I learned energy manipulation and meditation arts from Alfred, the family butler, at the age of three. I also took over my father''s research lab and learned about the nanotechnology of this world. Honestly, nanotechnology was easier to understand than the Science of Deduction. It took me a whole month to learn the Science of Deduction before I could apply it in real life. Then I started preparing for my assassination day in ''secret''. I would sometimes take away scrap metals that my father found unnecessary and melt down all of them in the smithery of Alfred when he wasn''t present, and turn them into whatever I needed. I did this on purpose to get help from Alfred ''secretly'' since my height was too small to get to high places. After falling off of the table of the smithery two to three times, trying to climb it, Alfred appeared on his own accord and helped me with my inventions. In Alfred''s mind, he thought that I was trying to copy him and make something similar to his creations. Unknown to him, my plan was already in motion, the nanobots that I created in my room in secret were out there creating similar nanobots after I gave them a blueprint to work with. While I was in the smithery distracting Alfred and learning about smithing in the process, my nanobots continued to make more of themselves and spread out in the inner manor. The manor covered 12 acres in total if you were to count the guest house, servants house, smithery, research lab, training grounds, food storage and military section. The branch families lived in different sections of Central City, far from the manor, to safeguard different sections of the city. For the assassins to get past the four branch families undetected, they would need an inside man and disguise as normal visitors who want to visit the city. Once that happens their only problem will be Thomas and his forces that live in the military section. That problem will also leave for a single day to raid a Red Zone and will return the very next day. One night seemed like a short time to pass if I were to just visit one of the branch families and let them guard me for the night but that isn''t my plan. I wanted to secure the Cyrus stone that the assassin mage had with him while also keeping the timeline intact, so leaving the manor wasn''t an option. The Cyrus stone was an ability stone that was introduced in the fifth arc of my novel, one that I never got to write, but knowing that ability stones are still a thing, there was a possibility that the Cyrus stone was on its way to me. "The garden sprinklers are turned into hydrocannons, yes?"I asked, looking at a hologram created by my first creation, Wally, while sitting on the armchair opposite to where Ryuk sat. "Yes, sire," Wally answered. Wally was a spider-shaped robot made of extraterrestrial alloy, standing 1.2 metres tall and 0.8 metres wide. Although his outer appearance might look cute, he would have no problems tearing apart a rank C aura user while giving a rank B aura user a run for their life. "The drones in position?" "Yes, sire." "Mana barrier ready to deploy?" "Yes, sire." "What about the disguised maids?" "On their way to the garden." "Have you done the calculations?" "Yes, sire." "Backup plans ready to take effect?" "Yes, sire." "Good," I sighed a breath of relief while also being thrilled about this upcoming event. How could I not be thrilled? This type of thing didn''t happen on earth, I had only ever read of this in novels... How could I not feel excited about this? "Phew... This unrest in my heart still hasn''t stopped..." I stated, placing my right hand on my chest. "Is this because my soul still hasn''t stabilized?" "Past regrets, I think it''s because of the Ray Allen that died in the original timeline, he is still frightened about today. He doesn''t want to remember, he doesn''t want to die again... That child is frightened," Ryuk answered. "I see. Is that the reason why all those years ago, when I entered this body, he didn''t want to take over my body? Because he has already lost all his will to live? Well... Worry not, young soul, I won''t let you suffer the same faith twice," I said, trying to comfort the restless soul within me; although it didn''t completely stop its rampage, it did calm him down a bit. "That method is temporary; I think it''s best for you to properly comfort his soul after it reaches the end point of its journey," Ryuk commented. "By that you mean..." "The moment he died, in that same place... You need to kill the one who killed him." Your Life matters to Me (2) --------- Allen Family Manor --------- Ryuk''s perspective: In front of the gate of the mansion, three figures were talking to each other, while a bit far from the gate stood a squad of well-organised metahumans waiting for the conversation to end. "Sorry for not being able to tag along with you, Master Allen," Alfred apologised, looking slightly unhappy on the surface, who was standing by the gate. He looked like he was in his twenties, but his dark black eyes looked so old as if they had so many stories to tell; his light skin and dark hair matched well with the butler''s dress. "It''s fine. If Ray hadn''t caught a cold, I would have taken both of you along with us," Thomas sighed, looking at me, who stood outside the gate. He was a young man in his twenties; he had pale skin, white hair and crimson eyes that shined brighter than fire, in a well-dressed manner, which made him look like a noble. "I said I am fine- *cough* *cough*," Ray tried to refute, standing beside Alfred, he looked as if he was in his teen years despite only being five years old, it was because he was a metahuman. The kid shared similar features with the man outside the gate except for the fact that the kid had blue eyes that looked like the ocean itself, he also wore a different grey coloured uniform which put his gentleman-like nature on display as no one would like to wear such clothing at night to just say a small goodbye. *** Ray''s perspective: "You are definitely not fine, young master and I don''t trust the recruits enough to take care of you by themselves," Alfred stated, placing his right palm on my left shoulder gently. "Don''t stay up all night reading books with this kind of health; go to sleep early, alright?" Thomas asked, patting my head. "... Fine," I said, grumpily. "Goodbye, uncle." "Goodbye, Master Allen, have a safe journey," said Alfred. "Goodbye, both of you, stay safe, and if anything happens, give me a call. I will be here in a second," said Thomas, walking away from us while waving his hand. "Let''s move, we don''t have more than one day to finish this mission." At his command, the whole squad of metahumans started moving towards the city in an organized manner, while he walked in front of them. And there goes my last line of defence... "Feeling scared?" Ryuk asked, looking at the back of the metahumans that marched towards the city while standing beside me. It would be a lie if I said I wasn''t. "Being scared is good, it keeps you on your toes, but... That soul... It isn''t bothering you anymore?" Ryuk asked. As strange as it may sound, he is extremely calm right now. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "... That is strange indeed," Ryuk stated, in a surprised but calm tone. "Call me when the dinner is ready," I asked, looking at Alfred. "Of course, I will, young master," Alfred replied. After my uncle, my last line of defence had left the manor, I headed straight to my room and sat down at my armchair while Ryuk sat in the armchair opposite mine. Sensing my presence, Wally walked out of his hiding place from underneath the bed and climbed on the table in front of me. "Open the project ''Cyrus stone''," I ordered, resting my head on my right arm and checking the time on my watch on my left arm; it was 7:48 pm. "Voice recognised, opening project ''Cyrus stone''," spoke Wally. As he spoke those words, a blue-coloured hologram showing the map of our manor and every being or object present in it, appeared in front of me; it was being projected by Wally''s eye. The hologram showed a detailed plan of the counterattack on the assassins. "You didn''t account for any simple means for the assassins to get out of your garden?" Ryuk asked. "Why would I account for that? I got it all covered from the other side, I don''t think they will try any simple means," I answered. "It''s primary stuff!" "Wait a minute, I deleted it..." "Deleted it?" "I deleted it from my brain. Listen, my brain is my hard drive, and it only makes sense to put important stuff in there, things that are useful, really useful," I explained, moving my head up and pointing my brain with my right hand. "Ordinary people fill their heads with all kinds of rubbish that makes it hard for me to find the stuff that matters, do you see?" "But it''s one of the first-level spells; you won''t account for short-range teleport?" "My drones can kill him as long as he is in the garden, the hydrocannons can get through his defences and then my drones will do the rest, simple!" "... You are stressed out." "Sigh... Sorry, I didn''t mean to shout... Wait a minute, you are stressed out as well. Why are you worried?" "Seriously? Are you so dumb as to not realise that I don''t want to realise that I don''t want to lose a friend I made after a millennium?!" Ryuk shouted, with genuine anger. A friend... I wonder if he understands the meaning of the word friend... A fifth dimensional being knows the meaning of the word friend and yet... Here I am, not being able to understand it yet. "Huh... Right... I... I am such an idiot!" I said, standing up. "Right, first things first, let''s have dinner. Wally, deploy some more nanobots in the water system; I want the hydrocannons to be filled with waterproof nanobots that can paralyze anyone in contact. Fifty thousand volts? No, that might be more effective since he will be wet due to the hydrocannons; make it ten thousand volts, accounting for the fact that he is a wizard." The hydrocannons are strong enough to cut diamonds; they would have no problem getting through the wizard''s defences once or twice, but I couldn''t let him have the time to think. Paralysis won''t have much effect on him for long but it will give my drones enough time to completely shed him with their energy bullets. "It will be done in a moment, sire," Wally answered. I headed towards the wardrobe and took out a white round collar shirt, a black suit with a stand-up collar, a pair of black double-layered gloves, an oval patterned dark blue tie, and lastly, a black top hat from the right side of the wardrobe. "What are you doing?" Ryuk asked, confused by my actions. "If I am gonna die again, I better go out with style," I announced, wearing the set of clothes that I took out. "Are you planning to die? I don''t understand your human humour; I can''t save you this time; remember that!" Ryuk asked. "Maybe..." I answered, slipping my right arm inside the suit. "But isn''t it thrilling? Don''t you wanna find out?" "The only thing I want to find out right now is how much of Grey''s personality you copied," Ryuk exclaimed. "Detective part, hundred percent!" I stated, putting on my top hat. "But... Something''s amiss... Hm... Right! A cane, I need a cane! Wally, can you turn into a cane? You can do that, right? I mean, you''re made of nanobots, so why wouldn''t you be able to? Of course, you can... Why am I even asking? Just¡ªgo ahead and do it already." "As you wish, sire," Wally answered, transforming himself into a black cane with a silver handle before launching himself toward my hand. Swoosh Clang! "Are your gloves made of extraterrestrial alloy as well?" Ryuk asked, confused by the sudden clanging sound that was made when I caught Wally. "Huh? It looks like you noticed that my whole uniform also has an energy barrier feature. So even if he self-destructs in front of my face, I won''t feel a thing," I explained, winking at Ryuk. "So you were worried for nothing?" "I wanted to see your reaction, I think that''s a pretty good reason?" I stated, tapping my cane on the floor. "Does the floor feel funny to you?" "The floor, what?" "I feel a small amount of vibrations; that would be Alfred, I guess," I stated, checking my watch once again; it was 8:32 pm. Knock Knock "Ok... That makes no sense, how do you know that?" Ryuk asked. We came in here at 7:48 pm, and dinner was ready by 8:30 pm, as always, I asked Alfred to call me when the dinner was ready, it was 8:32 pm, and only his shoes are a bit heavier than the other maid''s and butler''s and makes a light vibration on the ground when he walks, you can feel it as well as long as you stand on the floor or hold something that is touching the floor, it''s pretty simple if you follow that basis. I silently opened the door while answering Ryuk''s question in my mind. "Why the dress, young master?" Alfred asked, looking at my untimely outfit. "We are having some uninvited guests, Alfred," I answered, walking out of my room while Alfred followed after having closed the door. "No need to alarm my uncle nor my dad; they are mine to attend. I will explain everything later; first, prepare my dinner, please; I don''t wish to fight my first battle on an empty stomach; that would be quite unfair." "For them, young master?" Alfred asked, confidently, supporting my decision. "Yes, Alfred. For them," I answered. Tonight, we change the future. Your Life matters to Me (3) --------- Allen Family Manor --------- Dining room --------- The Allen family''s dining room was a grand but cosy space. The long wooden table, covered with a deep red velvet cloth, stretches through the centre of the room. Large chandeliers hang from the ceiling, casting a soft glow over everything. Tall windows with stained glass let in the moonlight, creating patterns on the stone floor. The chairs around the table were tall and soft, perfect for the host and his guests. Silver cups and fine plates were neatly arranged, with a variety of different dishes served neatly. I was sitting at my usual seat beside the farthest right and silently cutting my steak savouring its salty flavour in my mouth, and Alfred stood by my side to attend to me if the need arose when, all of a sudden, the alarm went off. They are here. "Shall I call them in now, young master?" Alfred asked, looking out the window. "Yes, call in every staff member and tell them to enter their quarters," I answered, trying to appear calm on the outside. "As you wish, but a little advice before I leave, what you are doing is good. The fear that you have is good as well; we have fear for a reason; it keeps us safe, but it also holds us back. If we listened to our fears we would never learn how to take risks," said Alfred, before walking out of the room. "... Thank you, Alfred," I spoke, hesitantly. "Wally, show me the status outside." A blue-coloured hologram showing the map of our manor and every being or object present in it appeared in front of me; it was being projected from my cane. The one right outside the doors of the manor, guiding every one of the staff members inside, was Alfred, and the ones who were walking closer to the manor step by step were the two assassins. One of them wore a full cloak and held a wooden staff; the other wore normal clothing. Although I can''t see their faces, it''s obvious that the cloaked figure is the mage and the other is the shape-shifter type metahuman. The shape-shifter is a newbie in the Assassins Syndicate, so he is easy to deal with, the main problem is the wizard. The Assassin''s Syndicate sent these two to assassinate me, knowing that they would die, but that was a necessary price for them to pay as long as I was dead and Thomas Allen was weakened emotionally. They should have sent more... *** Ryuk''s perspective: Outside the Allen family manor, two figures were walking towards the gates. "You remember the plan, right? I will go in and kill one of the servants, transform into them and when I am ready, I will give you a signal," the man dressed in a normal outfit asked, looking at the cloaked person. "Yes, I know, I will set up a barrier to stop the signals and buy you enough time to kill the kid," the cloaked person nodded. "But are you sure you can handle it? As far as I know, the head butler is a resilient one. He won''t let you kill the kid unless he dies." "Then I will just have to kill the butler as well." "Sigh... Young people nowadays... Why are these people so bloodthirsty," the cloaked figure sighed. "Fine, do what you want, but remember we need to get out as soon as possible. None of us can take on Thomas Allen; he is a Planetary Rank Threat; we need to retreat as soon as the mission is over." "Yeah, yeah, unless he can track us down, we will be safe." "Let''s go now; we don''t have all night," the cloaked figure said before chanting in old Latin. "Evoco spiritum fraudis, responde vocationi meae et dona tibi invisibilitatem!" The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. All of a sudden, a blinding light enveloped the man in the normal outfit as he disappeared from his place, all that remained was a small gust of wind in his place. However, before that strong wind could make it far within the manor''s outer part, it stopped at the garden. "Hm? Why did he stop?" the cloaked figure wondered, sensing his mana stop at the garden. *** Ray''s perspective: "Roselet-Runa flowers, open bloom under the full moon for five hours, they release a fragrance that can captivate the very mind of a person if they were to get close to it without a mask or any protection, this effect can last for five to ten hours minimum, their blooming can be easily controlled manually with the correct equipment." "Basically, that shape-shifter is now useless for five hours," I explained. "Contain him." As soon as I spoke those words, a silver light enveloped the entire garden and disappeared in the very instant. "Why are you stopping there when you can kill him right here?" Ryuk asked, confused by my actions. "That''s easy for you to say, asking someone to kill a person and doing it are different things, and I need him alive so that uncle can interrogate him. Also, having a shape-shifter''s DNA for the replacement of a Zygon''s DNA is not a bad choice; I can use him in the future," I explained. "A live test subject, I think according to humans, that is considered worse than death," Ryuk commented. "It''s his fault for trying to come kill me," I shrugged. Confused by the silver light and his mana connection cut off, the mage thought of retreating immediately, due to his experience he knew that confronting an unknown entity or element would always result disastrously, without any information or data about a target he couldn''t proceed with his assassination, but as soon as he had that thought a red line on his neck shined brightly holding him down in his position and making him suffocate. Every Assasin''s Syndicate members have a curse of binding imbued on their necks, it takes away their free will in return for helping them grow faster with each mission. These things are the very reason people still join that faction even if they have to give away their free will because power is one of the main factors for survival in a world like this. "This is just a suicide mission for them, and the wizard is aware of it now. However, because of the curse of binding, he can''t even think of escaping. Looks like you already won," Ryuk commented. "I wouldn''t consider this winning, my goal is the Cyrus stone, not his life. If he considers detonating himself right here, that would be my loss," I explained, getting up from my seat and walking out of the room. "It''s time for the second part of the plan, my favourite part." "Mind games?" Ryuk asked, following behind closely. "Yes, mind games, although it would be too short for me to enjoy the fun of it," I answered, opening the main door of the manor. The wizard, who had almost lost himself for a moment, looked at the open door of the manor and found me standing right in front of his eyes; the eyes that had once lost all hope for a moment shined brightly as he gathered up his courage and walked forward. "Evoco spiritum venti, me dirige et impedimenta mea remove!" the mage shouted at the top of his lungs, as a strong gust of wind opened the outer gates and blew away all the Roselet-Runa flowers of the garden. "Roselet-Runa... And here I thought it was something grand, looks like my caution was unnecessary. Evoco spiritum ignis, furere quantum vis et adferre cladem inimicis meis!" As he continued to chant, a red light shined brightly in the sky as it slowly came down aiming to destroy the manor entirely and devour it in a single strike. The light shined brighter as it got closer and enveloped the entire manor in its fiery energy as it split into smaller parts and rained down in succession. BOOM The wizard smiled in happiness, thinking that he had completed his purpose, but as soon as he turned his back, an agonizing pain took over his mind as he looked down at his left leg, only to see a hole in the place of his knee. ARGH! The wizard screamed in pain while trying to cast a barrier spell without trying to see where the shot came from. "Cautious one, isn''t he?" I spoke, surprising the wizard who thought I was dead. The wizard slowly looked back in horror at the manor that he thought he had destroyed; his eyes widened in shock when he found an energy barrier covering the entire manor, which seemed completely new. He couldn''t believe his eyes, the one spell that he thought could destroy a mountain, couldn''t even scratch a measly energy barrier. The worst part was that he couldn''t even sense the energy barrier beforehand! The very moment a low-rank wizard or witch starts casting a spell, they become senseless to the mana and energy around them, and even if someone were to use mana or energy near them, they wouldn''t be able to feel it. He is experienced, but that''s all there is to it; having experience and having knowledge of your opponents are two different things; he has the first but lacks the second. I had deployed the barrier as soon as he finished casting his spell, but with his eyes closed during the chanting, he couldn''t even bother to look in the direction of his victim. His small circular dome-like barrier protected him from the energy blasts of the invisible drones, but he failed to account for a penetration-type spell or something like my hydrocannons. And by the time he realised that... It was already too late for him. He tried to stand up from the ground with the support of his staff, but as soon as he did, another agonizing pain took over his right leg as he felt a gush of water pass through his knee, leaving behind a hole for the blood to fall steadily and his barrier broken. ARGH! At that very moment, my nanobots had already made their way into his bloodstream and started to spread out in his body slowly, taking over his vital organs. Tap Tap! After a second had passed and the nanobots were in position, I tapped my cane on the ground two times simultaneously giving the signal to the nanobots to paralyze him completely. Bzzt! Argh... Although the wizard had no clue about the nanobots, he was aware that something in his body had changed as he completely lost control of it and fell on the ground face flat, leaving only his head in his control. "YOU..." the wizard shouted in agony. "What did you do to me?!" "What you couldn''t do to me," I answered, walking up to him while tapping my cane rhythmically. "It''s a simple paralysis effect, although it won''t last long... It''s enough for me to kill you." "Wa-Wait! Yo-You don''t wanna do this, kid! You don''t want to be a killer like me!" the wizard screamed, trying to bargain with me for his life. "You are right; I don''t," I answered, which made his eyes glow with hope. "I wanted to negotiate with you, I wanted to understand why you took those lives, I wanted to know why you tried to take mine... But then I realised that from the view of humans; a person like you does things without a reason, a serial killer like you doesn''t need a valid or lawful reason to kill others. You do what you do because you think it''s right." "N-no! I didn''t do this because of that; I was forced to kill them against my will!" the wizard panicked; he was trying to desperately buy time to get rid of the paralysis, but unfortunately for him, I caught onto his act. "Your facial expressions are enough for me to understand if you are lying or not, I already understand your perception of the world; I will treat your last speech as your last words. Tonight in the honour of your victims I shall let one of them decide your fate," I said, pointing my cane at his head which slowly transformed into a energy blaster connected to my hand and started to generate a small light in front of its muzzle. I slowly closed my eyes and continued, "You can take over now, Ray." Boom All of a sudden, the energy blast shot out of the muzzle without my interference, that was when I knew that Ray had already pulled the trigger and enacted his revenge. The wizard''s head had already melted by the time I opened my eyes, and by his dead body stood a complete replica of my body, it was the original Ray Allen, phasing in and out of existence again and again. "Hello, Ray," I spoke, looking at my doppelganger. Your Life matters to Me (4) "How do you feel after having your revenge?" I asked looking at the reflection of my body in its soul form, the original Ray Allen. "Empty..." Ray answered, knitting his eyebrows and gritting his teeth. "I was once like you, trying to find answers to all of this... I once searched for the meaning behind everything. I... wanted to find myself... all of this... It remains a meaningless dream now... At this point, what even is the meaning of life?" "Humans live only for eighty to hundred years, it is like living in a dream that seems to end in an instant. The point of living is to experience the journey of life and witness the interesting things it has to offer, does it truly matter when it ends? If I were to die now in place of the wizard, I would die without regrets knowing that I lived a meaningful life. After dying once, I understood that life isn''t about how long you can experience this journey, it''s about what you experience in that journey," I explained, looking into his lifeless eyes that finally shone from the centre. "So... My life wasn''t meaningless to anyone?" Ray asked like a child. "No, your life wasn''t meaningless, not to those who knew and cared about you, not to anyone who had the slightest idea of who you were. Your life matters to me, your life matters to many others. Your life isn''t worthless," I answered, extending my hand towards him. "But... Now it''s time to let go... let go of the regrets, Ray; it''s time for you to be free from these attachments..." "I suppose so... Thank you for everything, Ray Allen," Ray said, smiling in my direction and holding my hand. "However, since you answered my questions... It would be rude for me to not answer yours." "What?" I asked before a rush of energy came from his direction, trying to override my vessel. Argh... I kneeled on the ground, grabbing my head as I screamed in pain; it felt as if my whole vessel was getting torn apart from the inside; I was losing control of it. All of a sudden the pain in my vessel... stopped? "What?" I asked myself before something started to make noises beside my heart... I tried to understand what had just happened to my body when the pain started all over again beside my heart. Argh... I couldn''t understand what was happening to me; it felt as if something was growing within my body, right beside my heart, something was trying to create its place for itself. Unable to bear the pain I finally fell beside the wizard, dropping my head on the pool of blood formed by his headless corpse. Again, the pain stopped. However, I could feel that this was the last time as I felt a new beat beside my heart. "What?" I asked myself again, holding my chest where the new beat came from. "What?!" "Two souls combining into one and residing in one body that''s mostly made up of energy... Never thought I would see that kind of mutation occur, this is a new one," Ryuk said, looking down at my face. "Your vessel is currently over ninety percent energy. It''s adapting to the mutation by forming a new heart; I don''t know how that helps in any way; I am not a spiritual biologist." This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. "... Did he just try to take over my body right now?" I asked, looking up at Ryuk. "Well, it wasn''t your body, to begin with; he should be the one suing you for living in his vessel unwarranted for five years," Ryuk commented, in a jocular tone. "... When you say it like that, it does make sense," I said, sighing at my situation. I calmed myself down and got up from the ground before adjusting my clothes, dusting off the blood so that there wouldn''t be any further stains. "I need a bath... There is blood all over my hair," I said, before kneeling beside the corpse of the wizard and taking away the bag that he carried underneath his cloak. The bag was a normal leather bag with lots of potions, herbs, materials and rubbish, nothing relevant enough to look at. I rummaged through his stuff before I came across a back rock that had a slight scratch on it, which showed its inside colour. ''A stone that looked like a normal rock on the outside but a marble on the inside.'', that was the description I wrote for the Cyrus stone. "The Cyrus stone..." I said, sighing in relief. "It exists in this world... Phew..." "Is that a pretty big deal?" Ryuk asked, in a curious tone. "The Cyrus stone is an ability stone that can grant me the meta ability called [Copy], although the wizard used it to create a golem with his magic, that wasn''t the correct way to use it. I need to purify this stone before I can consume it," I explained while looking at the stone. "I still can''t believe that he decided to combine our souls into one, that fool... I don''t even know if it will work anymore because of the mutation that happened to my body." "Ok, calm down, Ray; it can be helpful as well," Ryuk said, trying to calm me down. I know what you mean, if I want to learn magic, aura or summoning, I would need a definite perspective, something that I don''t have. However, now that both of our souls are combined, I have his perspective. I can now become a wizard, an aura user, or a summoner. I spoke in my mind while opening the doors to the manor. But before I could do any of that, I needed to see if my current body was even capable of handling a mana heart. "Welcome back, young master," Alfred greeted me, as I opened the door, he was standing in front of the door with a black towel in his hand. "How did it feel, having killed someone?" "I... feel empty, Alfred. Did I have to kill him?" I asked, lowering my head. "Why did they try to kill me? What have I ever done to them? I even wanted to negotiate with him but... He wouldn''t listen." "Life is full of the unexpected; you can''t find a meaning for everything by searching for it. In life, you will encounter people who live for themselves, but you will also meet people who live for others; some of them will do things that don''t mean anything to them, simply to satisfy others," Alfred explained, opening the towel and putting it on my head. "You would need to find the one who was behind them to find out why they were trying to kill you." "So they were simply pawns for this game... and so was I?" I asked, looking down at the ground. "No, young master, you are not a pawn, not anymore; you are someone who broke free from his shackles; you are the one who is far above them," Alfred said, kneeling on one knee. "You are now an Allen, someone who controls the rules." "He is wrong on one part; you were always an Allen," Ryuk corrected him, knowing that Alfred couldn''t hear him. "Now then, I have prepared a bath for you; how about you get changed? I don''t think it would be a good idea to go to sleep with all that blood on you," Alfred stated, standing up from the ground. "Right... I shouldn''t think so much about such horrific matters before going to sleep; I don''t like nightmares," I said before walking towards the stairs. After acting like I cared about everything that happened and managed to fool Alfred, I entered the bathroom on the second floor. The bathroom was a bit fancy; the floor was made of smooth marble, and in the middle, there was a big bathtub with shiny silver taps. There was a large shower with glass walls and several showerheads; two mirrors covered the walls, and soft lights made the room feel even bigger. Towels hung on racks, and the countertops were made of quartz, with bottles of lotions and soaps. The square bathtub was four meters on each side. There was clear water rippling gently in it with steam emitting from it. It was quite a dreamy sight. I took off my outerwear and lay in the bathtub, which caused some of the water to fall off from it. I tried to think about everything that happened in just one day, laying in the water calmed me down a little. I still can''t believe everything that happened in just one day, why did he have to combine his soul with mine? I spoke in my mind. "Just like you, he didn''t fear death. All he ever wanted were answers, and you provided him with just that. He was trying to repay you for that, you are the one who allowed him to have his revenge against the wizard. You were the one who freed him from his suffering, how could he dislike you?" Ryuk asked, looking at me. "If there wasn''t even a sliver of kindness within you, could you expect to grow a second heart?" I guess we are two sides of the same coin. I replied. "And don''t think that he is completely dead, I think there is a chance that he is very much alive within your body," Ryuk continued. "Although I have never come across this type of phenomenon, there is a chance that his consciousness is hidden deep within your soul. It would be fun to watch if you were to develop a second personality." I hope I don''t, I don''t like things that interfere with my actions. I said, looking at the mirror. But if he is somewhere in there, I would try to free him if possible. Spiritual Biology --------- Allen Family''s Laboratory --------- The Allen family laboratory was a high-class laboratory with a designed, ultra-modern space combining advanced technology, precise organization, and aesthetic elegance. The lab''s layout was spacious, with large walls made of chemical-resistant materials and the floor was coloured black to avoid any chemical stains. Stainless steel countertops and modular cabinetry line the walls, showcasing a blend of sleek minimalism and functionality. Top-of-the-line equipment was strategically placed, including advanced microscopes, a fully automated nanobot system, high-resolution imaging systems or, holograms, and temperature-controlled storage units. Digital screens and interactive touch panels were mounted for seamless data analysis, and the lab operates a state-of-the-art HVAC system to maintain optimal air quality and temperature. Each workstation was fitted with ergonomic seating, silent exhaust systems, and anti-static flooring. Touchless doors and lighting with adjustable brightness contribute to a hygienic, energy-efficient environment. Safety features were woven into the design, including emergency showers, eyewash stations, and a fully equipped containment unit for handling hazardous materials. The decorations were subtle and refined, with some small Bonsai trees; my father kept them around because it gave him a sense of responsibility towards the lab itself, as without it, there was no life present in that part of the manor. And since my dad was mostly at the lab all the time he felt lonely without the presence of a living creature. I came here after having a bath because if I slept peacefully after having killed someone, any sane person would question my sanity. But the main question is... "Why are you a crow?" I asked, standing in front of a digital screen that had a lousy drawing of a stickman and a ball that seemed to be burning while looking at Ryuk who had turned into a crow for some reason. "I saw my subordinates turning into crows when they go to collect a soul," Ryuk answered. "I wanted to test out this form, they said that most humans associate reapers with crows for some reason." "That is an interesting way to see it; I heard of that as well, which is how I came to imagine the form you were in," I replied, looking a bit confused. "But you have subordinates? Why did you come to collect my soul by yourself then?" "You are getting off-track; focus on your drawing. It looks horrendous," Ryuk complained, completely brushing aside my question. "You are deliberately avoiding the topic, but never mind if you don''t want to talk about it, I respect your privacy... However, you are right, my drawing skills are terrible," I replied, looking at my drawing. "But you do see what I am trying to draw, right?" "All I see is a stickman, a burning ball and... What even is that thing?" Ryuk asked in confusion. "The stickman is me, the burning ball is the soul of the original Ray Allen, and that lying there is the wizard. I am trying to figure out what happened back then. The moment our soul fused, let''s call it soul fusion, a second heart grew beside my main heart; I think I have a theory for why this happened," I explained, before erasing my drawing and writing down everything that I figured out. "Souls are like a spiritual form of our body that''s made up of energy. They are often thought to be intertwined with physical bodies but we know that they exist independently." Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. "So what if the main resting place of a soul is the heart? Think about it: our body might be controlled by the consciousness of our brains, but the thing that keeps our body alive is the heart. So, what if the number of souls outweighs a heart? The answer, a second heart is formed, and the energy inside a body increases rapidly, causing a mutation that will transform the body into energy," I said, finishing my explanation. "... You know that I just made up the term Spiritual Biology, right?" Ryuk asked, looking at me with his right eye in a hesitant way. "..." "..." "... But it is still a good theory," I tried to redeem myself. "Look, I am not trying to say it''s not a good theory but the problem is that you don''t have any data on this matter and since it''s a new form of mutation you should take your time instead of trying to figure out everything in a single night," Ryuk argued, heaving a sigh. "The awakening ceremony is in a month, if I can''t figure out everything in that period of time, I will be labelled as a human because I don''t want to lose my life gambling. If I am not certain whether I will die or not if I absorb the Cyrus stone, I am not doing it. I can be a human my whole life, but I won''t lose it on a gamble," I said angrily before letting out a sigh. "Wally, can you run a brain scan on me? For some reason, I can feel new emotions that were foreign to me before the soul fusion. It''s as if I am becoming... complete? I don''t know how to explain it." "Maybe the side effects of the soul fusion are starting to show up, mind if I suggest something?" Ryuk asked, jumping like an excited bird. "How about suppressing his energy with my energy?" "You said you wouldn''t help... Oh you mean that? The energy I collected when I got transferred into this body, why didn''t I think of that? I should try that," I said, sitting down in my chair to allow Wally to run a brain scan. Ryuk did explain that a fifth-dimensional being''s energy was too much to be contained inside a vessel, unlike third-dimensional beings, which is why they are formless. It''s also the reason why his energy got mixed up with mine when I took his hand before my reincarnation, and it transformed my new vessel into part energy, removing the material part from my being. My current vessel only had an outer shell while lacking some of the things that make me human; however, after the soul fusion, all of that was messed up, and my body became over ninety per cent energy. Wally jumped down from the ceiling deactivating his anti-gravity nanobots and landed perfectly on the desk next to Ryuk without even knowing it, he then proceeded to scan my brain following my orders. "Ryuk... How am I supposed to use your energy again? You never taught me how to do that remember?" I asked, looking at Ryuk who seemed to have an answer ready for me. "Figure it out yourself; I am not going to interfere any more than this; I was supposed to be a watcher, not a supporter. However, I think you should become a wizard if you want to control my energy. I think it can also solve the problems that you have with your body; it may become more humanoid from its current state," Ryuk explained. "All this science is going to fill up my brain again... If only I had a bigger hard drive," I sighed, laying back on the chair. "Scanning complete, you are currently using 51 percent of your left hemisphere and 49 percent of your right hemisphere; the other results show that your brain is functioning normally, sire," Wally spoke, causing me to wake up from my trance. "Almost... Perfect?" I asked, confused by his statement. "Yes, sire," Wally answered, making me panic. I got up from my seat and started running towards the storage unit that had the materials to conduct rituals. Time was of the essence. The left hemisphere of my brain was the logical part, and the right one was the emotional part; it''s no wonder that I got more emotional all of a sudden. I needed to control that energy before my emotions took over my logical side. Although I want to understand humans, I never intended to be like them, acting like them and being an actual human are two different things, I wasn''t even a proper human, to begin with, and I never want to lose myself trying to become someone that isn''t me, that''s the same as dying. I don''t want to lose who I am. I will never forget who I am. That is my only resolve. "Calm down; if you conduct a ritual in that state of mind, there is a chance that your heart will be overridden by mana and explode in the process," Ryuk stated, flying onto my right shoulder. "Think logically like you always do, it will slow down the process." Ryuk was right; I needed to adjust my emotions, and conducting a ritual like this would be dangerous. Phew... I heaved a sigh to calm myself down a bit. It''s not like it is as good as meditation, but I didn''t have the time for that. I sat down in front of the storage unit and opened it before taking out everything that I needed for the mana heart transformation ritual. "A white chalk, five candles, a tiger eye, an amber stone, a lapis lazuli, a moonstone, and an amazonite," I read out from my memory. After taking out everything I mentioned in front of me I took them to a corner of the room and kept them on the desk. I then proceeded to draw a pentagonal star with a pentagram in the centre on the floor with the white chalk and place the candles on the outer corners of the pentagonal star, with the stones being placed inside the gaps around the centre. After lighting the candles with the help of Wally, I bit my left thumb and dropped my blood in the centre of the pentagram. "Ouch... I need to put a bandage on it later," I exclaimed, before placing a hand on my main heart. "Let''s start the ritual." Path of Wisdom (1) "O heart concealed, yet fierce and bold, I summon thee, by secrets old. By shadowed light and breath of star, Attend thy name from realms afar. Where rivers run in secret veins, Unlock thy streams, unbind thy chains. Awake, thou flame within the deep, And stir from long-forgotten sleep. By mortal coil and spirit''s grace, Bind flesh to magic''s pure embrace. Unveil the knowledge, by ancient creed, That in thy breast, the power doth feed. Ye winds of eld, ye whispers pale, Upon this heart let mana sail. By pulse of earth, by blood of sky, Draw forth the power, nigh and nigh. With boundless force and nature''s will, Fill this vessel, quiet and still. Rise, mystic flow, on hidden tide, Within this heart, forever bide. Thus do I speak, thus I ordain, This sacred bond, by heart and vein." I chanted in Latin, keeping my left hand on my main heart. The candles in front of me shook for a while before starting to float in the air; the fire from the candles shot at the centre of the circle as they started spinning around, creating a circle of fire. The intense heat that it created was already tough for me to be around with the weak body of a five-year-old. The tiger eye, amber stone, lapis lazuli, moonstone, and amazonite started to float as well until it met the circle of fire and melted in its heat, turning the circle of fire pure white. At last, the drop of blood rises from the ground, going through the white circle of fire and turning into pure white. "Wally, don''t let me lose consciousness," I ordered before the drop of blood flew towards my heart phasing through my hand and entering my body. "Understood," Wally answered, walking up to me with two of his legs emitting electric currents on them. This was a unique chant made in Shakespeare''s language that could grant the user the ability to silently cast his or her spell. However, it was forbidden by the wizards and witches of this era because of its low success rate. If you fall unconscious during the process, your heart will be unfit for mana usage for the rest of your life, and you will lose all chances to become a mage. Although this was a quick decision, if I want to do something, I better do it right. It doesn''t matter if I can''t become a mage; what matters is that I become a good one. I know that I am not talented enough to silently cast spells like the other geniuses of the Magic Tower or the Tempest family. To compete with their level of talent, I have to resort to this kind of method. The moment that the drop of blood entered my heart, a heart-wrenching pain took over my vessel; at first, it only affected my heart, but gradually, it spread across my whole vessel, targeting every vital organ and blood vessel. ''The pain will make you lose the ability to use any part of your body, including your sensory organs.'' is the description I began with for this method. The good thing was nobody could hear me scream as I wouldn''t make any sound even if I tried to. Some would argue about how that is a good thing as no one will be there to help me. To answer that, I don''t need anyone''s help except Wally''s. As long as he keeps me conscious by shocking me repeatedly on my spine, I will fare well through this. At first, I lost the sense of touch. Although I could see and hear everything around me, I couldn''t experience how they felt any more. The next was the sense of sight, which made me feel lost, there was nothing I could see or feel. However, it wasn''t even the worst part, as I could hear things around me; it made me cling to the hope of achieving what I had yearned for. But that hope didn''t last for long as I lost my sense of hearing as well, I never thought that not being able to hear my own words would make me feel so... lost. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. It was as if I was left stranded in a vast ocean with nothing around me, no life forms, no air, absolutely... nothing. Should I just give up? I thought it was getting harder for me to breathe, and gradually I lost my sense of smell as well as any connection to my brain. I wanted to scream, not realising that I had lost my voice as well, and gradually, I lost my sense of taste. Bzzt All of a sudden every sense I lost came back in an instant. Huff... Huff... I had regained my senses, I didn''t think about it before but now I know how valuable a sense of a human can be to them. However, the process wasn''t over yet. Wizards and witches can decide to enhance a part of their body by using this incantation, and for someone like me who has learnt about the Science of Deduction, it would be best to enhance my brain. Enhancing my mind can also help me instantly open my mental plane and... maybe I will find the remnant soul of the original Ray there. I thought about moving the mana in my heart up to my brain and guiding it through the blood vessels as safely as I could with the help of Wally''s electric shocks that were directed at my blood vessels, which showed me a clear pathway from the heart to the brain. Bzzt As soon as the mana entered my brain, Wally stopped sending his electric currents into my body. The process was finally over, and I was released from the pain in my body completely. "I am never doing that again," I exclaimed, panting heavily; my whole body was drenched in sweat; it was as if my whole vessel had just been put in an oven for thirty seconds. "Those thirty seconds felt like thirty years... My emotions took over me for a second there, phew..." "Was it worse than dying?" Ryuk asked, examining my vessel with his left eye. "My death was near instant, so yes, it was much worse than my death. No wonder even talented people don''t use this method, I almost gave up halfway," I sighed, looking at my hands that emitted a strange white glow. "It is a normal reaction that you would expect from any ordinary person, I wouldn''t have blamed you if you did give up. You were an ordinary child five years ago, it''s already surprising that you can go through so much growth in five years. Failure is also one of the factors of humans, you will have to learn about it someday," Ryuk stated, hopping off of my shoulder. "However, it''s good that you didn''t fail this time, sometimes failures have some extreme consequences. That aside, your mana colour is unique." "Yes, white mana is a new one, white usually represents the purity that hasn''t taken any path or specific attributes yet," I said, remembering the things I wrote about this world. "But there is a chance that it represents the unexplored realm." "You mean... It has something to do with wisdom? That is an interesting concept; you should try to research that," Ryuk stated, thinking about the topic. "I will do that after I settle a score with someone, time to find out why he did that," I spoke, clenching my fists. It was clear that my emotions were taking over me, I needed to control it somehow by entering my mental plane and suppressing my second heart with the energy I received from Ryuk. "However, I will give him a chance to explain, from my knowledge of humans, he didn''t feel like he was trying to hurt me, was he trying to show me something? I need to know," I exclaimed, calming myself down before my emotions got the better of me. "..." I fixed my posture and sat in a lotus position once again before closing my eyes. Gradually my mind calmed down as I detached my consciousness from all the distractions in my mind. I gathered the mana once again in my heart and guided it towards my brain, only this time to enter my mental plane. *** --------- Ray Allen''s Mental Plane --------- Every inner world was based on the perspectives of the said wizard or witch. For some, it could be a boundless ocean, a serene forest, or an endless sky. In my case, it was a library with no visible end. The walls and floors were made of polished marble and the air was filled with a faint, white glow that made the space warm, illuminating the entire place. I had landed in the middle of the grand library which means the original Ray Allen would have also entered this place. "Seeking wisdom for fourteen years, without any proper guidance while the rest grow under the wings of their elders. You who should have grown under proper care with love and affection, lived your life without it. I could only wonder how lonely it is," a voice rang in my ears as I looked up at one of the bookshelves, finding someone who looked like an exact copy of me, sitting on one of the bookshelves. "Hello Ray, it''s a pleasure to meet you once again." "Why did you try to take over my body?" I asked coldly, it seemed as if I could perfectly control my emotions in this place. "I know you are impatient and probably want an explanation but can you stop looking at me with those scary abyss-like eyes, it makes me uncomfortable, looking directly at them," Ray asked politely, there wasn''t even a hint of disturbance in his expression, it was clear that he was trying to annoy me. However, I didn''t have any reason not to comply with his request. "Better?" I asked, softening my expression towards him. "Thank you. You can''t imagine how good it is to engage in a conversation with you; all those humans other than my family members used to get on my nerves every time I talked with them. Anyways, the reason I tried to act as if I was going to take over your vessel was to teach you about the cruelty of humans," Ray explained, jumping down from the bookshelf and walking towards me, he took off his hat and held it against his chest.. "The cruelty of humans?" I asked curiously, patiently awaiting his explanation. "It took me five years to understand the cruelty of humans after I had died, do you know why humans always survive, no matter what kind of challenges come at them? It isn''t because humans are the strongest or the smartest; it''s because we can be one of the cruellest creatures in existence if we want to be. Our desire for power causes us to cast aside our empathy and detaches us from the lawful morals that were supposed to bind us down. To go through this, we often create our own self-justification to tell ourselves that our actions are justified as long as we don''t see any wrong in them. I tried to take over your body to let you experience the feeling of betrayal even after what you had done for me because I knew how to use the essence of betrayal to my advantage," Ray explained, closing his eyes. "Such fascinating creatures we humans are, don''t you agree Ray? You may think of it as a crude method, but I had to make you understand what betrayal felt like, and that was the best moment to do it." "... So this is what you wished to show me?" I asked, looking at him. His words didn''t feel like a lie, I could feel that he was telling the truth. "I am thankful; although your methods were crude, they did give me a lot of insight into humans. However, that still doesn''t mean that I need to let you share my vessel." "It doesn''t, but you do need me if you truly want to have emotions. You and I, both know that although you were born as a human in your previous life, you weren''t a proper human. You lacked the main factor that makes us who we are; emotions. However, when I was in your vessel, you were able to experience everything that a human could," Ray explained, spreading his arms. "Emotions are also an weakness, humans who are too emotional are easily bound by rules, while this statement isn''t true for everyone, I wouldn''t expect an Allen to not follow the rules of human," I replied, closing my eyes. "Although it was a good experience, I am better off not having something whose cons outweigh its pros." "If that is your only concern then I don''t think you have anything to worry, although I may appear kind on the outside, I don''t need an unnecessary emotion like that. I can teach you about it but I will also make sure that it won''t weigh you down. After my death, I have realised that there is no reason to be kind in general, I would never show kindness to anyone unless the situation calls for it," Ray smirked, extending his right hand towards me for a shake. "So, what do you think? Will you accept my offer?" "75:25, you will have control over twenty-five percent of my judgements and I will have the other seventy-five; that''s how much I am willing to offer," I answered, receiving his hand. "We will make a every decision in our mental plane no matter how vital it is before acting." "I am honoured to be by your side," Ray replied in a pleased tone. "The honour is mine, believe me, it would be a crime to refuse the offer like this, that is coming from someone who is equally as intelligent as me," I stated. Path of Wisdom (2) "I have a question, if you are the one who created this universe, then aren''t you a god by human standards?" Ray asked, holding his chin with his left hand. "Even if I was a god back then, it doesn''t matter anymore; if I am not at the top, then I am at the bottom. I don''t care about my previous status anymore, nor do I have any interest in finding out about it," I replied, shaking off the topic from my mind and focusing on the book I found in the library. "I thought these books would be empty, I never expected them to contain my memories." "If you don''t want to talk about it, I guess I shouldn''t bring that up but yes, all these books have your memories in them, there are a lot of bookshelves I haven''t taken a look at but starting from that row all books are blank," Ray stated, pointing at a bookshelf far away from us. "From what I can tell, those are the bookshelves which hold the unwritten memories, they will fill up as well as we make new ones. I can''t see a visible end to this hallway but, I think some of the foggy areas that we passed through are those we forgot, so as we make new memories, the old ones that we find unnecessary will become foggy and when we need it we can clear that fog at any moment by putting aside the fog, I messed around a bit before you arrived. "But how do we control our body while staying inside the mental plane?" "Steering wheels," I answered, closing my book. "We will conjure a steering wheel in our mental plane, make it our control centre and drive our body from here. If our mana is based on wisdom then it will also have the properties of the different forms of wisdom. "So, since there are technically ten forms of wisdom... We can do stuff like this," I said, snapping my fingers and conjuring up a wooden steering wheel, attached to the floor where I first landed alongside a chair in front of it. "This is unexpected... I never thought we could use it like that," Ray stated, poking the steering wheels. "The wonders of wisdom amaze me every time." Every type of mana has its unique colours and properties; for example, black-coloured mana is often the main aim of assassins who prefer to work in the shadows or eliminate their presence or green mana resonates well with natural life forms, is the best suited for biologists and doctors. Each colour of mana has its unique meaning behind it; it is up to the user to find it and use it in whichever way possible. "So does this mean we can switch whenever we want?" Ray asked, looking in my direction. "Oh yes, whenever we want but by doing this, the one using the steering wheel will experience everything the vessel feels, I believe," I replied, doubting my words. "Or, it could be the both of us experiencing what our vessel feels equally. Sort of like a halved effect... We should try it out." "We should... We definitely should..." Ray repeated, heaving a sigh. "Are you not bothered after killing someone? From your memories, I know that we are inside a novel but... It''s just that everything feels so... real; I find it hard to accept that we are in a novel. Why did you never ask Ryuk about this?" "It doesn''t matter to me, honestly; I know better than to question an all-powerful entity about something that I shouldn''t know. I can be curious, but I am also cautious. Don''t you think he should have given us an answer on that topic if he could? We spent five years together, and he considers me his only friend, I don''t think he wishes to reveal that information to us. Maybe it will unknowingly harm us in a way we don''t expect," I replied, conjuring a kaleidoscope of butterflies above my head. "I know that it can be bothering but we need to keep that thought aside and get stronger. Wisdom always comes at a cost... There is no such thing as free stuff in this world, and power is one of those factors that bestow us the right to know more. As long as we get stronger, we will naturally be able to know more about this topic. "... And I almost forgot, you should take up a new name; it''s quite bothering to call you by my name; I think you feel the same," I continued, waving off the butterflies after they got too annoying. "Too much of anything is bad, I guess." Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "You created a... Never mind, I have already thought of a name, Moriarty," Ray replied, showing a slight smile on his face. "Navigator? That was unexpected," I stated, confused at his odd choice of name. But then again, it does symbolize his role as my guide. "So... You want to take over the vessel for a while? Give it a test run?" I asked reluctantly, I wanted him to test it out since I had no way of knowing if it would work or not. "Sure, why not?" Moriarty answered, rubbing his hands together before he sat down on the chair and held the wheels, spinning it around. "... Was that supposed to do anything." "We don''t have any view of the outside world from here; maybe we should do something about that first; let me try something," I replied, trying to conjure a holographic screen that showed us a view of the outside world. Although I was able to create it, we quickly realised that we couldn''t control our vessel with the steering wheels. Every few seconds, the hologram would turn black, and the images reappear quickly after, to not put a strain on the eyes. We weren''t able to control this action; it was more like a muscle memory. "I think we are missing something..." Moriarty stated, conjuring a string of white mana and wrapping it around his fingers like a knot. "Wisdom has ten forms, and we have only been using one of them until recently: creativity. However, when you conjured up that hologram, you used manipulation, another form of wisdom. So what if we use that to attach our consciousness to the body directly from here? "By combining the two we can do something like this," Moriarty finished his explanation by removing the steering wheel and chair with a pair of modernized chairs and sunglasses. "Would you like to do the honours?" "Sunglasses? You couldn''t think of something else? I imagined that you would make something like a headset and attach those mana strings with it to our vessel," I replied, taken aback by his odd pick once again; I took the sunglasses off of his hand. "You are an odd human, you know that?" "Sunglasses are cool, I love sunglasses, headsets are old fashioned," Moriarty retorted, putting on his sunglasses. *** --------- Allen Family''s Laboratory --------- After waking up from his quiet slumber, the first thing Moriarty saw was a crow on his left and a spider-like robot on his right. The sight wasn''t surprising to him, but it was uncalled for. "I would like it if you both moved over a bit, you see I can''t move my vessel like this," Moriarty asked hesitantly, although he knew that Ryuk wouldn''t harm him in any way, an instinctive fear remained in his heart. "Which one of the two are you? Let me guess, the original one? I think you should rename yourself, it''s quite a bother to call you both by the same name," Ryuk replied, moving away from his vessel. "Congratulations on becoming a wizard, sire," Wally replied, moving away from his vessel soon after. "Thank you, and I will go by the name Moriarty from now on; I think it''s a good name," Moriarty answered, getting up from the ground and fixing his outerwear before bowing lightly towards Ryuk. "I believe this is the first time we have officially talked with one another, it''s a pleasure to make your acquaintance." "The pleasure is mine; you can lower your guard; I don''t bear any hostile intention towards you or your vessel, don''t take any offence, but to a thing like me, a thing like you is like a bacteria. Think how you would feel if a bacteria were to ask you if you don''t want it around or not. To answer to that, if its existence doesn''t bother you in any way, you won''t simply care enough about eliminating it," Ryuk explained his feelings, examining Moriarty with his left eye. "When you say it like that... It does make sense," Moriarty replied, feeling at ease after hearing his words. "Doesn''t it? This is why I always say that humans are too paranoid over small matters; why would I even want your life in the first place? It''s not like I have a grudge against you, and even if I did, I wouldn''t care about something like you," Ryuk commented, shaking his head. "Right... That aside, can you please clean up the floor, Wally?" Moriarty asked, trying not to delve into that subject any longer, he felt a little uncomfortable being called a bacteria and not being able to do anything about it. "As you wish, sire," Wally replied, rushing off to complete his task. All of a sudden, the door to the laboratory opened up, revealing a young man in his twenties with long white hair tied at the top of his head and a charming face, wearing a white shirt and long black pants. "Dad?" Moriarty murmured under his breath as a tear rolled down from his eyes; without saying another word, he rushed towards Grey at full pace, tackling him with his arms wrapped around his waist. "I thought I lost you..." Moriarty cried, soaking his father''s clothes in his tears. Path of Wisdom (3) Huh? I wasn''t expecting this reaction, this is unlike him. It looks like he was properly scared because of tonight''s incident; after all, he is still a child. Grey thought, taken aback by Moriarty''s reaction. "Now, now, calm down, Ray. Alfred informed me of what happened; I can understand why you are scared. I know that you didn''t mean to kill anyone but it was necessary... Negotiations aren''t always the answer. Sometimes you need to be cruel to survive in this world. But... if I had known sooner about this matter, I would have surely been by your side..." Grey had never cut off his hair after his wife died, to honour her death in his own way. He usually tied up his hair and made a top knot when he was about to converse with someone. This was to remind him of the mistakes he made and remind him about what truly matters to him. "How about we take a walk?" Grey asked, patting his son on his head. "Mhm," Moriarty nodded his head after letting go of his father. The knowledge that Grey faked his death was known by everyone in the Allen manor, including the servants, as all of them were chosen by Alfred, who had served the Allen family from the very beginning of its creation. However, he was still cautious about his existence being revealed to the world and wore an invisibility belt whenever he was not inside the manor. This time was no different; the only change was that he held onto his son''s left arm while they walked around the garden, which was in a mess after the fight had occurred. "Hm... What can you judge from their attires, attitudes, untimely appearance and aims?" Grey asked, looking at the place where the wizard died which was now cleaned by the servants. Right now, both Moriarty and his father were conjuring a mental image of the wizard where and how he was when he died. While some people might find it hard to accomplish, to them it was as simple as drinking tea. "From what I can tell, they were trained assassins; well, one had some experience, whereas the other didn''t. The wizard probably brought him along to test the waters before he began his plan. From what I can tell, he wanted to turn back after watching his partner freeze randomly before being teleported away but didn''t; it was as if something or someone forced him to stay. The only assassins who do that are the Assassins Syndicate, and for their reasons... They were aiming to weaken uncle emotionally; after all, they know that I am the only family he has left after your fake death. "Since the Allen family cares too much about the lives of innocents and mainly their family members, they thought we were emotionally weak as well. It was their only mistake; even if they succeeded in killing me, they would be the ones who died first before they could even lay a finger on anyone else," I explained, looking at the place where the wizard died. "That is all I could say without using the Science of Deduction; however, by applying it, we could find that the wizard had a fragile yet sturdy body due to his old age. He has regularly trained his body even to this day or he was a construction worker in disguise, however, that wouldn''t answer how he had so many ingredients available for his potions and his fingernails which were in odd shapes, suggests that he was a factory worker of a factory which supplied or made acidic or, radioactive substances. Cheap clothes, a wand from the black market, a stolen bag-"Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. "How do you know that the bag is stolen?" Grey interrupted him in mid-sentence, forcing him to explain that in detail as well. "The bag is brand new, and looking at the state of his other accessories, I find it hard to believe that he gives them enough care. The price of such a bag would also vary from 3000-3250 credits; he couldn''t have possibly afforded it. Moving on, from the number of low to mid-quality potions he has, I could tell that he was also a good potion maker, all those potions cost a hefty amount, but not many would buy potions like them in a black-market unless they are totally out of options, which is why he decided to make use of them himself. So his main sources of ingredients had to be from a pharmaceutical research centre..." Moriarty continued, his expression showed a little bit of doubt before he found the answer he was looking for. "Profession: Chemical industry worker, potion maker and an Assassin''s Syndicate member. That is a lot to handle, he sure is good for his age." "Sure is; I don''t even know if I can handle that many jobs at once if I was as old as him," Grey shook his head while letting off a small laugh. "Don''t worry, Dad, I will be there to take care of you," Moriarty smiled at his father. "That''s all I can tell about him without taking a look inside his bag. You can start now." "Not bad on the details part but... you still have a lot to learn," Grey patted his son''s head before proceeding with his deduction. "Your statements are all correct up to this point but you missed the point that there could be a possibility that this bag was gifted to him by a person who is important to him. He doesn''t wear a mask, but he does use a robe to protect his identity from being revealed, which means not many people know him. Dark circles under the eyes tell us that he is quite a hard worker who works day and night without proper rest. Wrinkle marks on their hands show that he is an overly hygienic person or someone who enjoys potion-making so much that he can''t live without it. That concludes the level one deduction, I won''t teach you about the higher levels yet, or else you might get a little confused. "Sigh... What happened today will happen again, and I may not be there to support you at that time either. Life occurrences, even those that bring suffering, are not always bad or unjust; we humans learn from our mistakes and adapt to not repeat them. If acknowledging these mistakes can make you a better person, then why would you choose not to? You survived today without a scratch because you were prepared for the uncertain to happen and the wizard wasn''t," Grey sighed, looking at the stars. "Don''t always search for the answers to everything, son... Sometimes it''s ok to accept the lies if you want to live a long life. Let your dad and uncle handle the rest of it. Delete the files you have searched up on the Assassin''s Syndicate." "I understand, father," Moriarty exclaimed, looking at the stars with a bright smile on his face. Grey smiled at his answer and let go of the matter, knowing that tonight''s incident had changed his son for the better. The Path of Wisdom is a difficult one... Not many can walk on it... But those who decide to do so can never deviate from it. It''s better if he doesn''t follow in my footsteps. Yes, he should never follow in my footsteps, that would be the best for him. Let no strings be attached to you anymore, Ray. You have got choices, Ray... If you make the wrong ones, it will haunt you for the rest of your life, but I believe that you will make the right choice, even if I couldn''t. *** Cyrus Stone (1) --------- Moriarty''s Mental Plane --------- While Moriarty was having his fun little reunion with his father, I took my sweet time to research the different properties of wisdom and apply it through my mana. It surprised me when I found out how many things I could do with this, wisdom has the widest variety out of all the different mana colours. Wisdom has six main forms; those forms create a lot of sub-forms by combining with one another. This means that this mana had over ten properties, to begin with; although it''s not a bad thing, it would be tough to use them all in a battle without practising with each of them individually and synchronizing with them. The properties of my mana also determine the variety of spells I can learn from. Currently, creation type and manipulation types will be my main focus as I have some mastery over them. Creativity let me create anything that I could imagine, but I needed enough mana to create it, if it was too big or too strong, my spell would fail due to my lack of mana. Manipulation, on the other hand, lets me connect any matter and manipulate it however possible; I think it might work on puppetry spells; I will have to test that later on. But before I could learn any spells, I would have to experiment on my body. Two hearts might come with benefits... Should I try to drink poison? Hm... I should try out non-fatal poisons first. I thought, opening a book on poisons. The Cyrus stone isn''t harmful to regular humans but due to my weird constitution, I am reluctant to try it. Unless I am certain that there won''t be any side effects, I won''t use it. "Time to join in," I spoke, closing the book I was reading and putting on the sunglasses. *** --------- Allen Family''s Laboratory --------- After having a conversation with Grey, Moriarty returned to the lab once again as we agreed. Once he was inside, he turned on the security lock from inside and sat in the chair where we decided to switch out. Since we weren''t aware if we would face any side effects by controlling the vessel together, I decided to switch with him after he had his little reunion with his father. After closing his eyes, Moriarty calmed himself and detached his consciousness from all the distractions in his mind. He gathered the mana in his heart and moved it up to his brain, entering his mental plane and letting me take over. "How does it feel, sharing a vessel with someone else?" Ryuk asked, standing over Wally. "Better than I expected; I don''t think we need to rest our minds as long as we keep switching out occasionally. Except for the second heart, I don''t think it has any cons. It feels like having a multiple personality with some benefits," I replied, looking at the finger that I cut during the ritual. "Do you think dad found out that I did the ritual? His perception and mastery over the Science of Deduction is a big problem. If he saw even a drop of wax on the floor and my finger, he would easily make the connections. However, he wouldn''t know about the incantation I used which is a relief." "I believe if he found out, then it wouldn''t take him long to find your mana path either. You could ask him about it," Ryuk suggested, as I got up from my seat and picked up my vision-enhancing spectacles. "... What are you doing?" "Poisoning myself," I mumbled while bringing out a set of test tubes full of non-lethal poison from a storage unit. "Pardon? What do you mean by that? Why are you suddenly poisoning yourself?" Ryuk asked, confused by my sudden actions. "New constitution? I need to see what kind of effects poison will have on me. According to Wally''s DNA scan, I am two hundred percent human. I don''t know how that works but I would like to find out," I answered with a light smirk, putting the poisons in syringes. "Every main character from the novels I read in my last life always had some sort of poison resistance at one point in their lives. So, it does make me wonder if I have any."This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Sometimes... I truly don''t understand where you get those unnatural ideas from..." Ryuk heaved a heavy sigh, touching his head with his right wing. I took a low-grade paralysis poison syringe and held it against my left arm before pushing in the needle. I could feel the poison sweeping inside my body, but I could also feel something else trying to control its actions. The poison didn''t create any immediate results and... It felt like I could move it... Was it a new anti-body reaction? Guh... It felt as if some of the poison passed through the barrier created by my antibodies, so it did have a time limit, good to know. "So, you aren''t poison-resistant after all, it''s just that your antibodies produced by the WBCs have just improved," Ryuk commented, looking at the state of my vessel. "Can you move them out?" "I don''t think I can; the poison seems to be stuck in the same place; however, maybe I can use an antidote... Guh... Why are antibodies so hard to control?!" I groaned, knowing that I asked a stupid question. It was already a surprise that I could control my white blood cells but that won''t change anything if the poison kept leaking out through their gaps. I sat down on the ground and took out the antidote from the storage unit before drinking all of it in one gulp and keeping the empty test tube on the floor. Then I let go of the poison, and the antidote did its work by getting rid of it in the same instant. Phew... From this experiment, I figured out a lot about my vessel. Although I am a bit sad that I am not poison-resistant, the fact that I could keep it contained inside my body in a single place is also helpful. Simply directing my antibodies doesn''t help much but since I can feel the foreign substance invading my body and contain it with antibodies, I can buy myself enough time to take an antidote and subdue it, this is better than I expected. "... Wait a minute, if I can keep things in one place inside my body and mix them, can''t I create an antidote inside my body?" I asked abruptly, looking at Ryuk who seemed confused by my sudden question. "Where do you keep getting these ideas from? Did the wisdom path enhance your brain or something?" Ryuk asked back, wearing a blank expression on his face. "Seems possible enough, should I test-" "No." "But you-" "No." "Fine, I won''t test my brain... But if I can create an antidote inside my body, I think it''s possible to get rid of any side effects of the Cyrus stone if there were any," I explained, getting up from the floor. "Wally was the extraction successful?" "Yes, sire," Wally replied, handing me over a test tube containing the liquified Cyrus stone. In the original story, the wizard used an unpurified version of the Cyrus stone to create a golem that could rival the team of main characters by itself. The Golem was able to copy their abilities for a limited time, but the number of abilities it copied didn''t have a limit, which made it hard to counter. If it wasn''t for its stupidity, it could have wiped them all out by itself. However, the liquified version that was later discovered by a villain in volume five was different from the unpurified one. This version gave the user the ability to permanently copy two abilities from someone or something and turn them into a metahuman if they were born as a human, changing their DNA completely. It was never tested what would happen if something different than a human consumed it but I had to take this risk. In this world, nothing was free of risk. Everything had a price to pay, a cheap way to power was nothing but a lie told in fairy tales to not scare the children. The Cyrus Stone also needed me to pay a price, my personality. The Cyrus Stone cleans the emotions of its user from their souls to allow them to copy the personality of the person from whom the ability is copied in full detail. It tortures their mind by making them remember their personality and making them remember that they are no longer themselves but a different person. It plays with the feelings of its user until they somehow break free from it or die trying. I opened the lid of the test tube and brought it before my mouth before gulping it down with a single sip. As soon as I drank the potion, a black screen with a message appeared in front of me. ---------- It seems that there was an error in the system''s data, please wait a moment, dear sir, we will allow you to access the system after reorganizing the data correctly. ---------- "It looks like the Cyrus stone worked... But why does it feel like nothing has changed?" I wondered, giving the test tube back to Wally. "Maybe the side effects were only for humans?" Ryuk tried to reason, his eyes glowed with a purple glint for a moment before it reverted back to normal. "Where is your soul?" "In the mental plane... Oh, it couldn''t find my soul, that''s lucky, I never thought this could happen," I replied in joy. To wipe the personality from my soul, the Cyrus stone had to reach it first but since the mental plane is in a place that isn''t connected to the body directly, it couldn''t find it. "Sometimes, I can''t help but worship my intelligence," I spoke in a proud tone. "I call that luck," Ryuk complained. Cyrus Stone (2) --------- Allen Family Manor --------- Living room --------- The living room exuded quiet elegance, with high ceilings that rose like a tranquil sky, while velvet sofas, soft as petals, embraced the space. The marble fireplace stood dignified, and polished floors reflected light like a serene lake. Draped windows welcomed soft sunlight, and warm lamps cast a timeless, harmonious glow. In the living room there were seven people, six of them sitting in the sofas while one stood beside the one he served. On one of the sofas directly opposite the fireplace, I sat with Thomas and on the others were the heads of the branch families while Alfred stood beside us. After the murderous and silent night had passed by, a storm arose; this storm was named Thomas Allen, and the only thing that it sought to destroy was the Assassin''s Syndicate. "We will kill them all," Thomas declared without a hint of hesitation, his eyes sparkled with fiery temper seeking to destroy everything in his path. This statement didn''t come as a surprise to the ones who were present in the room but starting the conversation with a declaration did make them uneasy. However, they were ready to follow his commands without any hesitation. The Allen family didn''t like to interfere with the rest of the world and kept to themselves most of the time; since they were the guardians of the Concept of Time, they didn''t have any time to care about worldly matters; in a sense, you could call them lukewarm. Although Thomas was a renowned hero, he didn''t use that authority in any way or try to protect people outside his city. All they wanted keep themselves and their people safe while protecting the Concept of Time without meddling with the timeline. However, even they had a limit and the Assassin''s Syndicate had crossed that limit by trying to kill me. But by engaging in a war with the Assassin''s Syndicate, they will announce that they are ready to face the rest of the world and follow their rules and regulations if they were to maintain their status as a Major Family because, without it, their words will have no value to the rest of the world. No matter how good they were, they would be villainized by the rest of the world if they broke any of their rules. "I don''t have any complaints about your decision, Patriarch, but I think we should put more thought on this matter before acting," the young lad sitting nearest to uncle spoke, he had sharp red hair, warm ivary skin and brown eyes that looked like it could see through the future, he wore a black suit like all the other family heads properly to show his utmost respect for his Patriarch. This was the head of the Warwick family, Elmond Warwick, the strategist of the Allen family.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "Elm, as much as I want to agree with you, I don''t think we can take a chance. They have already tried to kill Ray once, we can''t risk another invasion like this. This time Ray had to kill someone, he is five years old! Five years, and he killed someone! How much more do you want him to go through?" the young lad sitting next to Elmond spoke, he had blonde hair, porcelain skin and green eyes that looked as if it was ready to support any decision that Thomas made. This was the head of the Albright family, Orian Albright. "I think we should hear him out first, Orian. Elm had a point: we can''t attack them head-on; we need to kill them without anyone knowing that we did it. If we charge head-on, then we will most likely lose a lot of people; the Assassin''s Syndicate is just as strong as any Major Family; the only difference it has is that it is an organisation with no bonding; we can use that to our advantage. What do you think, Lyrien?" the young lad, sitting proportionally on the other end of the sofa beside me, spoke; he had brown hair, limestone skin and black eyes, and he was wearing spectacles that he thought would make him look smart. This was the head of the Penrose family, Kalsy Penrose. "Do you like cotton candies?" the young lad sitting nearest to me spoke, looking in my direction while holding a white cotton candy in his hand; he had grey hair, beige skin and black eyes that were filled with innocence. This was the family head of the Archer family, Lyrien Archer. "..." "..." "..." "..." "I love cotton candies," I replied, breaking the tension in the room, while accepting the cotton candy from Lyrien, after which he patted on my head. "Lyrien... Not now, please," Uncle heaved a sigh out of frustration. "Focus on the topic, you can talk about... Cotton candies, later on." "I think Elm is right, and so are all of you. We are going to kill them all, but not directly; let''s split them apart first. Elm, would you care to explain the strategy we discussed?" Lyrien asked, looking in Elmond''s direction while taking his hand off of my head. "With pleasure, since the Assassin''s Syndicate are all loyal dogs of their higher-ups and follow every single one of their commands even if it means killing their colleagues, Lyrien will implant fake orders through their dreams. This will plant seeds of doubt in their hearts and make them look at their organisation in a new light while they kill their own. The ones they are ordered to kill will also be their most trusted allies and friends they thought they could trust even assassins have emotions somewhere within their hearts. By doing this on a low scale we will cause inner turmoil and lessen their numbers, and by the time the higher-ups, who will be dealing with their problems like financial crisis because of Orian, catch the news of this, it would be too late," Elmond explained his grand plan while taking a sip from his coffee. Lyrien''s meta ability was Temporal Projection; he could play past, present and future like an illusion and project them in the material world or show them to someone else in their minds. The best part is he could manipulate the events however he wants before sending them to someone else''s mind or projecting them into the material world. Since he was also a Dream Path aura user, the dreams he creates feel as if they are truly real as if it''s happening in reality. Some people even thought that they foresaw the future or regressed after Lyrien had freed them from his control. He could also make his victims dream whenever he wanted to in any state they were in, which meant that those fake orders wouldn''t be any different from real orders for the Syndicate members. Honestly, listening to Elmond''s speech inspired me a lot, although I created them. This conversation was never supposed to happen; they would have charged head-on without any plans if I died, just like in the novel. The strongest wizards and witches are not those with fancy destructive spells but those with esoteric ones that can literally screw over the powerhouses. I remembered my father''s advice. Now that I see it, he was truly right. Elmond is a very good strategist who has his fair share of bad experiences which made him the calculative man he is today. Although his ability is Foresight, he doesn''t use it all the time before calculating every possible outcome because by the rules set by the previous guardians, once a Foresight user picks a path, they can''t do anything to deviate from it, they have to stick with it no matter what happens or else it will break the timeline and cause it to reset in a loop repeatedly. This means that if he picks the wrong path, he can''t change it even if it kills him. "Hm, let''s proceed with this plan then; I will let the other Major Families finish the job. However, find out who gave the order to assassinate Ray," Thomas decided, his eyes were filled with so much killing intent that it felt like he would kill all of the Assassin''s Syndicate members by himself if he got the chance. "I would like to know who was brave enough to start a war with Time." "Eating cotton candies is better than discussing these topics," I spoke, taking a bite out the cotton candy in my hand while looking straight forward. "I couldn''t agree more," Lyrien agreed with my statement while taking a bite out of his cotton candy, which he took out of nowhere. Cyrus Stone (3) --------- Allen Family Manor --------- Library --------- The library occupied an entire wing of the manor, its soaring shelves and high ceilings creating an air of quiet grandeur. Sunlight streamed through tall, arched windows, lighting up rows of books that climbed from the polished wood floor to the carved beams above. Soft rugs muffled footsteps, and deep armchairs were placed in cosy corners, each with a small table stacked with well-used volumes. The scent of old paper and varnished wood lingered in the air, blending with the faint breeze that drifted in through open windows. At the centre, a massive dark oak table dominated the space; its surface marked the ears of study and conversation; above it hung an ornate brass chandelier, its warm glow bringing life to the vast room. This was more than a library¡ªit was the soul of the manor, a space where time seemed to slow, letting stories and knowledge unfold at their own pace. I was sitting in front of the table, reading a book while a bunch of books lay on top of one another by its side. Attending the meeting of the leaders of the Allen family wasn''t a part of my plan; I only wanted to copy my uncle''s ability: Timeless. I don''t know how a simple thing can lead to such a change, the timeline is indeed hard to manipulate. But that aside, I was satisfied with the results as I made a friend while being there while also finishing the first requirement to copy an ability. Since Copy was an overpowered ability that held even more potential than; Timeless and Void Walker, I had placed some restrictions on it. The first restriction that I had unknowingly removed was the soul torture, while the second was the condition to make physical contact with the being that has the ability that the user needs to copy. Lastly, a trial of acceptance from the said ability. In this world, meta abilities have vast origins; some are gene mutations, while some can derive from beings beyond human imagination. For the Allen family, it was both; the Concept of Time had created the Allen family by intervening with the timeline and creating a variable by adding a small part of its energy in their genes, thus creating timelessness. This means that if I wanted to get Timeless, I had to go through its Trial. A trial from Progenitors is usually a trial of words, it means that our souls will be transported to wherever the progenitor of the ability is to take the test. Before attempting the trial, I took a quick look through the library in our mansion; the book I was searching for was The Tale of the First Timeless. Although from the outside, others might confuse it for a children''s storybook, it was a clue provider for the Trial. Since there weren''t any scenes of the Trial in my original novel, I had to dig up all the information about it from this library. It took me a year and a half to get through the three thousand books related to Allen''s family''s history and the legends of the Concept of Time, but it was worth it. I learnt that throughout history, the questions of the Concept of Time have remained the same, but why was it so? What was it trying to learn? Every one of its questions... Why were they related to humans only? Is it trying to understand something? "Is it trying to learn about human minds?" I muttered, wondering about my question. "Keep those questions for later, think about which one of us is going to take the Trial," Moriarty spoke, his current form looked like a ball of light as he had difficulties maintaining control over our mana, he was projecting his consciousness outside our vessel with the new form of wisdom he had discovered, well technically, he discovered the property, projection, that originated from spiritual wisdom. This allowed him to create a projection of his consciousness in the outside world in any form he wanted to. It''s just that it would drain the mana in our vessel to maintain that form but it is a fun way to communicate, rather than leaving the vessel in a defenceless state when we were inside the mental plane. "How about we do it the old-fashioned way, rock, paper, scissors," Moriarty smiled slightly, putting forth his fist that was made of mana in front of me. "That sounds childish; I would rather say that you should take the chance first then if you fail, I can get the answers. However, if you pass on the first try, you can keep the ability; it''s not like it matters, does it? We share the same vessel, and we can switch at any moment as long as we practice a bit more," I retorted to his statement. "That''s just cheating in an exam without any consequences, but I like the idea," Moriarty replied, retracting his hand. "The rules don''t say that we can''t cheat; if it wanted a fair test, then it shouldn''t allow us from taking it in the first place; the rule maker is the ultimate cheater; we are just preparing countermeasures for it. This isn''t exactly cheating," I explained, putting down the book on the table. Status. As I called out the word in my mind, a black screen appeared before my retina. ---------- [Status] [Name: Ray Allen] [Race: Metahuman] (Unawakened) [Stats] [Strength: G+] [Agility: G+] [Endurance: G+]Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. [Stamina: G+] [Intelligence: SSR] [Charm: A+] [Mana: S] [Energy: S+] ---------- [Ability: Copy] [Slot 1:???] [Slot 2:???] ---------- "As I thought, the slots don''t change based on the number of souls," I muttered in a saddened tone; crossing my arms; I layed back in the armchair. "So, are you ready?" "Always! I request to start the Trial of the Timeless," Moriarty asked; his voice sounded ever so sincere, and the light his form glimmered grew brighter before he gradually disappeared. "... I guess he is gone-" As soon as I was about to finish my words, I felt as if I had lost something inside my vessel, the feeling of emptiness... There it was, once again. I never thought I would feel it again in this life as well, was it connected to his disappearance? I almost made a mistake yesterday by trying to let go of his soul, I can never understand emotions if I don''t have any in the first place. I am still a fool... What was I thinking? "Every one of us is a fool at some point in our lives, but it isn''t our thoughts that decide who we are, it is our actions. What you did yesterday, was the right thing to do. You didn''t let your emotions misguide your judgements. You could have been a monster that lacked any sort of emotions, but you chose to hide that; that was the essence of a human, and you grasped it on the first try. So why are you doubting your thoughts?" Ryuk asked in a comforting tone, looking down at me from the top of the books that I piled up. Hearing his words, calmed me down a little as I tried to think of an answer to his question. "Not now, be patient, don''t try to answer quickly, this isn''t a test, think of it as a riddle without a time limit. You have all the time in the world to answer my question, you even have an afterlife," Ryuk continued, stopping me from saying a word. "... The afterlife, are you planning to-" I tried to put a word in but Ryuk stopped me again. "You are focusing on the wrong part of the sentence... Why can''t you just think straight? You really know how to act like a human at the wrong moments," Ryuk commented, heaving a sigh of frustration. "Think straight and be patient, focus on the process, not the answer; you could give me a wrong answer, but make sure that the process is right." "Alright, I will think about it," I replied when all of a sudden, I felt that the emptiness in my vessel had washed off as I saw a white snake appear on the table on the book that I had just closed. "Moriarty?" "Yes, I failed the last question, but although I failed the trial, she did teach me a bit about mana control and told me that I could ask her three questions any time I wanted to before sending me out of her realm. She didn''t even tell me how to call her, it felt as if she was in a hurry," Moriarty replied, wagging his tail. "What did she ask you?" I asked him, ignoring his clumsy-looking manifestation and the questions that I wanted to ask. "I can''t tell you that. I mean, I want to tell you, but she placed a restriction on my soul; time works differently in her realm while it seems that I was only gone for..." Moriarty took a quick look at my watch which indicated that it was 5:04 pm, before continuing. "Six minutes, I was there for three hours. So, she had a lot of time to put a restriction on my soul, but even if I don''t tell you anything, you would easily pass through her test, since it''s about something that you were once curious about." Although the Concept of Time restricted his soul so that he couldn''t give me a straight answer, she forgot to account that people like us don''t need straight answers. We had a little something called code clues, and Moriarty had already given me that clue I needed. "One," Ryuk whispered in my ear all of a sudden. At first, I didn''t realise what it meant but then I remembered what I told him... We were on the wrong track; the Concept of Time had seen it coming, either she erased his memories for false ones or... She had changed the Trial of the Timeless. "What are you thinking so deeply about? Are you not going to take the Trial?" Moriarty asked, after seeing that I was a bit hesitant. I couldn''t tell him anything; the moment I did, she would catch on; I had to keep my thoughts contained. I can''t defeat Time without any preparations. However, she will catch on even if I hesitate. Numbers... Hehe, that''s how I will win. I thought in my mind before requesting an audience with the Concept of Time in the, same way as Moriarty. "I request to start ,the Trial of the Timeless.", As soon as I stated those words, I felt my soul disappear, from my original position as it reappeared in a place I was unfamiliar with. The place where my soul was transported was a bit hard to describe; in simple words, it wasn''t a place to begin with, it was nothing. I couldn''t see anything around me; it was as if I was standing in the void that I had only read about in stories. "Strange, isn''t it?" A voice came from behind, as I turned around to see a giant white snake coiled up with its head being awfully close to me. If what I knew about Concepts was right, then I was the one who thought of her as a giant snake. Maybe it''s due to Moriarty''s snake form being instilled in my mind, that I thought of his progenitor as a snake. "It''s almost as strange as you are. What should I call you? Apostle of Death? Would that be a fitting name?" The Concept of Time asked, looking at me with her gigantic snake-like eyes that seemed as if they could pierce through my soul with just a thought. "I am just a friend. Don''t you think I would have a Mark of Death imprinted on my soul if I was his apostle?" I asked back, unfazed by her stare. If I had hesitated to answer or got nervous, she would gain an edge over the conversation. I needed to hide it for now. "That is true, then a friend of a Concept... That would be a great honour by human standards. However, why did you take over the body of an Allen?" she asked calmly, without showing any signs of anger. Do Concepts not have emotions either? But Ryuk has them... Was it because of the lack of outside contact? That must be it, I could see why she is trying to understand human minds. Unlike Ryuk who has to see over the souls of the dead, the Concept of Time only has outside contact during Trials like this. "I had no power over that, Ryuk put me inside that body because he was meant to die in five years," I replied to her. "Ryuk... A funny name, that would suit me more, but I thought friends were supposed to help each other and stay side by side at times of need; why would he put you in a body that was about to die?" The Concept of Time asked once again, looking at me curiously like a baby as if I was its new toy. "That was his best choice since Ray was one of the most important characters whose death triggered the changes in the timeline, if I didn''t prevent his death, I could never change the Timeline to the one I want," I answered her calmly, to which she showed a glint of surprise. "So you were a ####### before you were reborn? That is surprising indeed, no wonder you saw the future of a different universe." "Pardon? Can you repeat that again? I didn''t hear that word." "You can''t, I made a mistake by saying it out loud. That aside, I think we should start the Trial of the Timeless," she said, ignoring my question. "Since you are not of the Allen family, I have prepared a different trial for you." All of a sudden a small board of chess appeared between us as she moved away a little to create a gap. The chess board was made of wood, and so were the pieces; the white side was directed at me while the black side was directed at her. I had expected her to change the trial but this was a bit off the rails; instead of questions and answers, she is proposing a game of chess, which is a bit odd. "Chess was made by humans. You have the advantage, yet you hesitate to play it?" "I was surprised; I never thought you would be so generous while handing out an ability like Timeless through a game of chess," I answered her, playing the first move since I was on the white side. "I guess any sane entity would lose confidence in front of a Concept like me. However, are you certain that you could beat me at a game like this? Although humans invented chess, they aren''t the masters of it while a being like me has the experience of what you call a veteran," The Concept of Time made her first move. "But you do know that humans are also imperfect, their experiences can only get you so far," I replied, shaking off her confidence. Imperfect? Me? The Concept of Time? Is experience not all there is to chess? The Concept of Time fell into doubt. If chess was all about experiences then there wouldn''t be any young grandmasters in my previous world or the current world. Chess was a game of calculations and manipulation. Its main winning factor was to drive your opponent in doubt and confusing them enough to make them nervous about their next moves. This is why humans who play chess are usually quiet, as it prevents them from disturbing their opponents and the opponents from doing the same. It was an unwritten rule that every grandmaster followed. However, when you are playing against something that isn''t a human the rule is automatically broken. "I can lead the match on for hours if you avoid my trap but if you don''t, it gives me Mate in ten moves," I declared confidently, making my move. How? From the futures that I have seen, none of them result in my defeat, is he bluffing? The Concept of Time thought, falling further in doubt; at this point, she didn''t know if she was right or wrong. "You will figure it out easily if you think straight. Oh, don''t you know the future? Hm?" I smiled lightly as I gave my remarks. Her eyes, which were once jade green, gradually started to glow as she stared at the chess pieces, trying to find every one of their moves and how she could avoid the trap that I never laid. I could already tell that no one has dared to lie to her face like this; I don''t blame them; she is a bit scary. In her panic; she didn''t realise the mistakes she made as I patiently executed her pieces one by one before driving her to a corner and capturing her king. "I lost? How did this... No... But this is not what I saw..." she tried to understand what had happened to her plans. During her panic, she failed to notice that Ryuk, who could also foresee the changes in the timeline, was using his energy that was in my body to transmit his words to me. Every time I was about to make a wrong move, he counted up and when I was about to make the right move, he kept silent. "You... Cheated?" The Concept of Time asked, finally noticing the presence of a foreign energy in her domain. "You see, we both cheated, I just did it better," I answered, looking at her eyes that were filled with confusion and doubt. "Very well... You played well, human friend of Ryuk. It was my mistake to fall for your lies, I hope I will have the pleasure to play with you again," The Concept of Time heaved a sigh, just like Ryuk would when he got frustrated with me, before removing the chessboard and placing her tail on my head. "I grant you, Timeless." What is a weapon? (1) After the real trial was over, I had a few more rounds with The Concept of Time, but this time, I didn''t resort to cheating or using any manipulation on her. And as I had expected, it was impossible to defeat her that way, if we were to not count the first match, the odds added up to 0-56. The zero was me while the other was her. "Chess is... Entertaining indeed," she spoke, scratching her chin with her tail. "Not so much for me..." I muttered, wondering how long she planned to keep me here. The Concept of Time didn''t know anything about the Cyrus stone, since all the Allens have to go through this trial, she thought I was the same and had the Timeless ability from birth like the others. The longer I stayed here, the higher the chances of her finding out about the Cyrus stone. "Can I leave now?" I asked her in the most polite tone I could produce, hoping that she would let me go. "Hm? You could have left any time you wanted to. It''s not like I told you to stay here?" she stated, looking slightly confused by my request. "You never told me how to leave... Now that I remember, you never told Moriarty how to call you either," I replied. Does she think that we would know those things... Wait a minute, were the elders supposed to tell us that? "Your elders didn''t tell you?" she asked, to which I shook my head. "Did you two come here without telling them anything about it?" "Uh... Is that a... Problem?" I smiled nervously. "Do you know the consequences of leaving a body in a soulless state? Even if you leave it like that for a minute, you will die... Sigh... Be glad that there are two of you in the same vessel," she scolded, showing a bit of anger. I felt like a child being scolded by my mother for my wrongdoings. Technically, we were both in the wrong; why do I have to get scolded? "Your soul is even older than his, why didn''t you warn him? You are supposed to be the mature one among the two," she continued, heaving a sigh of frustration. "Kids... No wonder the rest of the Allens never sent any kids, you are bound to make things difficult for your elders." What is she, my mother? Why do I have to get scolded for something I didn''t know? I wondered in my mind. "Then again... Times are changing, you can''t rely on your elders all the time. When you go back, I recommend that you try to learn everything about Timeless from your elders and get as strong as you can before the war. Not this war; I wouldn''t even call this a war; this is pest control. I wonder why Thomas didn''t end it sooner... But you know the war I am talking about, right? It draws near, you have fifteen years left before it starts to take root. When it arrives, a single man won''t be able to stop it by himself. The answer to stopping the war is hidden in plain sight, you just have to find it yourself," The Concept of Time explained. "And remember one thing, you are not the first of your species and certainly won''t be the last."A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. After finishing her speech, The Concept of Time once again placed her tail on my head and zapped me back into my vessel. *** --------- Allen Family Manor --------- Library --------- "She should have let me speak, how vague do concepts have to be..." I spoke in anger, after finally being able to return to my body. "Are all the concepts this vague?" "Most of them have never made any contact with any life forms, so they don''t know how to communicate with life forms properly; some that have are a rarity. I am just slightly more experienced than her with life forms since someone dies each and every day," Ryuk answered. "I thought so... But she told me to get stronger as much as possible in fifteen years... That''s a short time, accounting for the fact that I have to go to the academy after ten years," I replied, thinking back on her statement. "Although the academy can fasten my growth rate, I have to do a lot of other things after I get there. My role as the main villain will be active once I get there, in the absence of Thomas." Since I had changed the timeline, things will start to go off the rails. I can''t stop the process completely, but I can manipulate it in a way that is advantageous to me. Because of my survival, Thomas isn''t the main villain anymore; he still has benevolence in his heart as he didn''t lose me and my father like he was supposed to, which means it is my responsibility to take up his role. I need tools, a lot of tools and the survivors of the Assassin''s Syndicate will provide just that after the pest control... I mean the war with them is over. I almost copied our progenitor''s perspective... Silly me. I thought, smacking my head. "That aside, thanks for the help there." "I didn''t help you; I just did what you asked me to; I played my role," Ryuk stated, turning his head away. "But of course, you had to... However, I wasn''t thanking you for that... Patience... I was thanking you because you taught me its value. It isn''t that bad to be patient," I replied, shaking my head. "So patience isn''t for wimps?" "Not always." "... I am going to learn weapon arts," I declared, glancing at the cane lying by my chair. "From Kalsy or Alfred? I would say that Kalsy is a good choice, but Alfred would be the better one in the end; he has more experience and is a better teacher," Moriarty finally spoke, projecting his snake form on the table. "Sorry, I was trying to understand Spiritual wisdom a bit more, I think I missed something about it, which is why I was gone for a while." "That''s fine, and I also think Alfred would be the better choice, but he won''t be available for a while due to the war that is about to begin. I think we should ask Kalsy for help. After the war is over, I will ask Alfred to teach us in the guise of asking him about Timeless," I explained, earning a rude glance from Moriarty. "That is extremely rude; changing mentors is a luxury; I don''t think we should go that far. Kalsy would fare well as our mentor, I don''t think we need to change him. He is a weapon master, think about how many people will have the honour to learn from him," Moriarty complained. "If we are to learn the weapon arts from him, it would be better to just stick to him only. Two different mentors will teach us in two distinct ways, it would contradict our learning style if we try to change it. So, it''s better to pick only one when we have to." "I agree with him, changing a mentor is as bad as changing a parent. A mentor for once is a mentor for life, they aren''t as replaceable as you think," Ryuk added, glancing towards Moriarty in agreement. KNOCK KNOCK A loud knock on the doors of the library diverted our attention and Moriarty withdrew his projection immediately. CREAK The doors opened slightly revealing Alfred on the the other side. "Young master, Master Grey has called you to the training grounds," Alfred stated with a light bow. "..." "Looks like you don''t have to decide anymore," Ryuk laughed lightly. "Alright, I will be there in a minute," I replied, getting up from my seat and fixing my uniform. I am definitely getting scolded. What is a weapon? (2) --------- Allen Family Manor --------- Training Grounds --------- The training grounds were located in the basement of the manor, a quiet place divided into different sections, each designed for specific types of training. We were currently in the Time Alteration zone, a space reserved solely for the Allen family. It was created by the fifth Timeless, a master of magic engineering and time manipulation, a skill unique to the Timeless. The room itself was a simple, cubic chamber made from reinforced quartz. Above, the ceiling was adorned with jade stones, arranged in a runic pattern, their smooth surfaces reflecting the quiet energy of the space. I was standing slightly close to the centre of the room, receiving a scolding from my father, who stood in front of me while Alfred stood by his side. Contrary to what I had expected, he didn''t get mad at me for creating a mana heart, he was mad at me because I used his resources without telling him. I wonder how he would react if he found out that I passed the trial of the Timeless. Should I tell him about it? I wondered, trying to find a chance to escape his scolding once again. Although Moriarty wasn''t using his projection to talk with me, I could feel him boiling in anger because of my thoughts. "... And lastly you don''t get your favourite foods for a month," Grey concluded his lecture. Although the rest of the punishments were nothing grand but the last line caught my attention... No medium rare steak for a month?! However, I had no choice but to accept it; arguing with someone over something so pointless is a waste of time; I will just make sure this doesn''t happen again. "I understand, father," I apologized, maintaining a stern gaze towards the floor. "... With that aside, let''s focus on today''s main objective. Today, you will have a chance to learn weapon arts; although weapon arts are for aura users, you are a Timeless candidate. So, being a mage won''t stagnate your physical growth," Grey explained, fixing his gloves. "Now then, let''s go over the art of battle, Alfred; please prepare the golem." "As you wish, sire," Alfred replied, pressing a button on his codex. CREAK Suddenly, a circular hole opened up on the floor, revealing a wood-skinned humanoid creature with two green-coloured eyes that stood up and climbed its way out of the hole in a creepy way before the hole closed up. "From now on, listen well and keep a note of my movements. At the end of this fight, I will ask you a question and depending on the answer you give me, I will decide whether or not to teach you weapon arts," Grey declared, walking closer to the golem. The golem stood on guard as if a sudden instinct had taken over his very being forcing it to go defensive. "That golem has a memory chip of the art of battle installed into it. As the first rule states that we should always assume that our opponents are better than us in every aspect no matter who they are, that golem has become wary of me," Grey explained, looking in my direction. As soon as Grey turned his head, the golem lunged towards him, trying to deliver a solid punch to his face.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. CREAK But its attempt was a failure when Grey took a step to the back, letting the golem fall face flat on the ground. "Rule two: if you know what is coming, lay a trap, don''t walk in like an idiot... I think it missed that part." Even though the golem was made through mana engineering by an experienced engineer, the wooden body that it had created some malfunctioning errors from time to time. This is why the wooden golems were used to train newbies only as it would worsen the skills of trained fighters when they face a golem with incomplete knowledge. "Rule three: bring a friend, this one is preferable," Grey stated, signalling Alfred to turn the golem into hostile mode. With a single click, the golem stood back up and instead of lunging towards Grey, it rushed towards Alfred. CREAK The moment it got closer enough to deliver a punch thinking that Alfred was weaker than Grey, he got the same treatment as last time. However, instead of falling to the ground, it balanced itself and tried to deliver an uppercut on him which he dodged as well. "Rule four: never repeat the same mistake twice in the same fight; if you ever make one, learn from it and adapt to your opponents," Grey continued, sneaking up on the golem from behind. The golem, who was focused on Alfred, failed to notice Grey''s presence and received a heavy kick on the left side of its wrist and got knocked away towards the ground. "Rule five: beware of your surroundings, never let the slightest change in detail escape your eyes." The golem got back up once again and turned towards Grey, making him its target once again. This time, it didn''t attack right away. Instead, it observed Grey from a safe distance by circling him. "Rule six: know your foe; the more you know, the better you will do. Tell me the last rule," Grey asked, looking straight at me. "Don''t stop to talk," I answered him, as the golem lunged towards Grey from the back. CREAK Grey smiled slightly before turning around and grabbing the head of the golem before smashing it on the ground. SNAP The golem''s head blew into smithereens and blew off in different directions. "Why did you not use a weapon?" I asked, ignoring the wooden chips that scratched my clothes. "What is a weapon? Is it just a tool to defeat our opponents? Is it a lifelong companion? Is it something that exists to just serve our purpose? At the end of the day, everyone has a different perspective on a weapon. A weapon isn''t limited to just external objects, our body can be a weapon as well if we wish to use it like that," Grey explained, answering my question with a question and answer of his own. "A weapon isn''t something that is limited to a single form, it can be formless as well. Almost anything that we consider a weapon can be a weapon. "But not everyone can wield a weapon and achieve successful results. A weapon without a purpose might as well not exist. The question is... What do you wish to do with it? What is your purpose for wielding it?" "I..." I tried to say something but stopped for a moment to think about the answer. Honestly... Why did I even need a weapon? To protect someone? Who would I protect? The Allen family is made up of powerhouses, why would it need my protection? Even if I did grow stronger than them, at that time, would I even need a weapon any more? To kill someone? Why would I kill someone for no reason? What benefits would I get out of it? Even if I did have a reason, I wouldn''t be the one to kill them, Moriarty has taken that burden off my shoulders. To have something to rely on? I already have a lot of mental support from having Ryuk and Moriarty, I don''t think an object can even hold a candle to them. To defend myself? I already have Wally and my army of drones. I am also learning magic, would I need a weapon after that? "I wish to bring change to this rotten world," I declared in a serious tone, filled with dedication. "And a weapon is just a tool that will help me achieve that goal." ... That''s right. How can I forget? The only thing that I wanted was to kill the main characters and make this world a habitable place for the rest of the people who have lived in the shadows of the story till now. "Like father, like son," Alfred commented in a jocular tone, and Grey looked at me in doubt. I didn''t wish for him to make the same mistakes as me... But who am I to decide his future? Grey thought as he changed his expression and smiled warmly. "We will start in an hour; take your time to choose a weapon that would suit you." "A purpose to wield a weapon doesn''t have to be anything grand, it can be for a small purpose as well. However, what it needs is a good definition from the heart because, without a purpose, strength has no meaning; always remember that," Grey explained, remembering some memories that he didn''t want to. "I will, father," I answered, before leaving the room with Alfred to choose a weapon. The weapons that were meant for training purposes were kept in the room right next to the Time Alteration zone so that we didn''t have to waste too much time grabbing something if our weapon broke. The Armory was also a cubic-shaped room made of quartz and marble, as it wasn''t used for training purposes like the rest of the rooms in the basement. It was filled with several weapon racks containing wooden swords, shields, daggers, polearms, bows, sais, whips and everything that can be called a well-developed weapon. "Alfred, what do you think is the best thing to counter a sword?" I asked, examining the different types of weapons there were. "Something to counter a sword? That is a problematic question since I need to know what kind of weapon you want; if it''s a dual-wielding category, a sword and shield or a sword and dagger would suffice. However, you probably won''t take many hits with a mage''s physique, so we can rule out the sword and shield option. A sabre can be a good counter to a traditional straight sword as it has only one sharp edge, unlike a double-edged sword, and if you close the gap between your opponents quickly, it can easily win you the battle. Gauntlets can also be a good option if you can close the gap quickly. Blunt weapons are usually heavy, which slows down the user, so that is not a good option to counter a sword," Alfred explained, walking over to a weapon rack and bringing a sabre-like wooden sword to me. "However, for you, I would say that you should use a sabre." "Why a sabre?" I asked, confused by his statement. "For someone who has such a strategic and precise mindset, it would be easier for you to create openings and trick your opponents easily. Although this might be hard for you to handle at first, you will start to see why it is the best-suited weapon for you when you get used to it," Alfred completed his explanation, handing over the weapon to me, which I received willingly. "... Thank you, Alfred," I replied, examining the wooden sabre in my hands. "I think I could get used to this." Flow of Time (1) My weapon training lessons with my father were short-lived as I couldn''t get used to the sabre for a long time. Unlike what I had expected, physical training was way harsher than studying or mental training. For someone like me who was gifted with such high intelligence, it should have been highly humiliating to fail at something like this. At first, I tried to remember the feeling of wielding a sword to create muscle memory, but soon enough, I found out that it wasn''t enough. To properly wield a weapon, one needs to make their purpose clear for that very moment. Dad was right, a weapon is nothing without a purpose. Maybe my purpose for wielding a weapon wasn''t definite enough. Was I lying to myself when I answered him? "What is a weapon?" I asked myself while maintaining a firm grip on the wooden sabre in my hands, standing alone in the Time Alteration room. "Do you think he is having an inertia?" Moriarty asked, sitting beside Ryuk in his snake form with his eyes focused on me. "Isn''t that something writers have? Although it isn''t the correct term, it''s not far off. He is close to figuring out his purpose, the main problem that has been keeping him away from it is his mindset. Once he starts focusing on something, he removes any other thoughts that might disturb his conclusion. In simple words, he goes into a trance more often than others; while it may seem like a good thing to many, it can be life-threatening in some situations," Ryuk explained, his eyes focused on me. "... Can he not even hear what we are saying?" Moriarty asked, shifting his gaze towards Ryuk who looked a little concerned for a moment. "... I don''t think he can. Check up on his soul from time to time if you can... This is why he should have wielded a weapon in a life-threatening situation if he wanted to grow faster. Now I can see why there aren''t many records on wisdom path wizards or witches left in this world. Grey gave him an insight on weapons but I don''t think he knew the lengths of curiosity of a Wisdom path walker," Ryuk stated, pausing his explanation for a while to ponder on the subject. "That means... The wisdom path isn''t a path of knowledge but a path to seeking knowledge. That''s more problematic than I thought. That aside, I meant to ask something: can we still be called a villain if we don''t stop to talk like Dad told us to?" Moriarty asked curiously. "... Whot?" *** --------- Allen Family Manor --------- Living room If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. --------- Since I was still in a trance, Moriarty decided to take over for a while as he knew I would have asked him to do just that to not waste our time. The awakening ceremony was five days away, and I had to go there as well to meet a certain someone around whom the world revolves. The main story will start ten years from now, but the Awakening ceremony is where most of the important characters are introduced. "I thought you didn''t like to socialise with people; why would you want to go to the awakening ceremony?" Thomas asked, he was slightly confused about my sudden behaviour change but brushed it off as a growth spurt. He was sitting in the same position where he sat during the meeting while I sat on the right sofa with Alfred standing between us. "I thought that I should start practising how to be around people since I have to attend the academy in ten years. Although I do have a long time to prepare, I want to prepare for it from now on," Moriarty answered, slightly nervous about the situation. Unlike me, Moriarty wasn''t a straight-faced liar, but in a situation like this, his nervousness wasn''t a weakness; it was his strength. Any child would grow nervous when he wants to change themselves, a behaviour change only strengthens that imagery to the rest who know that child. "Well... It''s not like this sudden request is a problem, sure I will take you there. However, I have to warn you that the outside world... It isn''t as kind as it seems; if there was a good comparison, I would say that it is hell. There is no other way to describe it," Thomas heaved a sigh. Moriarty and I both knew that fact very well. Central City is called the safest city because all of the problems in this city are solved before it even begins, to put it simply, Thomas has total control over everything within the city. While this may be bothering to people of my previous world, it was a small price to pay for the safety of the people of this Earth. Due to the mass number of superpowered beings, humans are suppressed and live in their shadows. No one knows what kind of secrets the other''s hearts hold; even families betray each other just to gain a little edge over this so-called status to live a better life with meaningless honour. The problem isn''t the villains or the corrupt heroes; it''s the people with tainted hearts. "When you go out there... Trust no one," Thomas warned Moriarty with a stern gaze; his cupped hands shook a little due to his worries, but that stopped when Alfred placed his hand on his shoulder. "Don''t worry Master Thomas, think of this as a chance. The young master has to leave for the academy in ten years, wouldn''t you take the chance to let him experience the world beforehand? Only if he starts preparing from now on could he face the harsh world that awaits him later on," Alfred reassured him. Moriarty did the right thing by explaining everything to Alfred in secret before this conversation began; with him on our side, there was no chance of our plan failing. "If you say so, Alfred. I guess I am worrying too much. Fine, we will leave at six in the morning, get ready by that time," Thomas exclaimed, getting up from his seat. "If you want to carry Wally around, then make sure you transform him into a cane. That is your trump card in case something happens and I am not there." "Thank you, uncle," Moriarty answered with a smile, getting up from his seat, when he looked up to see a grim look on the faces of both his uncle and Alfred. "What happened? Why are you both looking at me like that?" "Young master... You are bleeding!" Alfred shouted, rushing towards him to give him some support if he accidentally fell to the ground. "What do you-" Moriarty tried to say something, but when he looked down, he saw blood rolling down from his eyes, nose and mouth; there was even blood on his shoulders, which seemed to have dropped down from his ears. "Wha-" Before he could speak he felt the world turn around as his head started to spin. "What is happening?! Alfred call a doctor! I am taking him to the Time Alteration room!" Thomas screamed before picking up Moriarty and activating his ability that turned his eyes, jade green. "Master Allen, wait! Take him to the Trial chamber!" Alfred stopped Thomas. "Look at his eyes! It''s reacting to your ability, he is about to awaken! Take him to the Trial chamber! I will follow you!" But I already awakened... Is he activating Timeless?! Now?! Moriarty screamed in his mind. Thomas calmed down and took a look at Moriarty''s eyes, which had a glint of green in them, before instantly disappearing from his position. When Moriarty opened his eyes again, he saw himself lying in a dark room with twelve emerald pillars on both sides divided up with another pillar on the opposite side of the door. He was lying on a bed of stone with a magic circle under it. He saw Thomas standing with a concerned look on his face by his right. The air inside the room was filled with a slight scent of blood covered by a strong smell of something sweet that made him want to fall asleep. "Don''t try to talk; your vessel is trying to split apart with your soul; you are going to go through the Trial of Timeless. There you will meet our mother, The Concept of Time. She will ask you three questions, and if your answer is to her liking, she will grant you Timeless. When it''s over, just think about the feeling that you feel right now, and you will be able to return," Thomas explained, gently closing Moriarty''s eyes. "Good luck, Ray." Flow of Time (2) Unlike what Thomas had expected, Moriarty''s soul didn''t depart from his body; it delved further inside his body until it reached his mental plane. And what he saw there... Was certainly not pleasing to the eye. All the bookshelves that had once looked elegant were now filled with dust and scratch marks. "What the hell did he do to this place?" Moriarty asked himself, landing perfectly in the middle of the plane. "Time doesn''t wait for anyone. It flows on without care," I stated, standing in the same form in which I stood in the Time Alteration room with a conjured sabre in my hand. "I didn''t do anything to them, time changed their appearance. On that thought, I learnt something, do you know why we should always train our skills? It''s because if we don''t sharpen and polish it diligently, they will rust no matter how great our skill is, such are the wonders of time." Moriarty looked at me as if he was looking at a madman before snapping his fingers to fix the surroundings. "... You haven''t even started using that, why are you acting like an experienced old soldier? Have you gone mad after activating Timeless for the first time?" Moriarty asked, slamming his head with his hand. "... Why do your eyes look... So old?" "I was trying to find my purpose and ended up practising with it a bit. Then I was bored, so I tried to calculate every possibility for our actions in the next ten years to find a way to speed up our efficiency. In order to do that, I had to accelerate the time in this place and ended up accidentally activating Timeless." "You want to improve even faster? I think we are already improving at a decent speed, the main character, even if he is a system master, I think he will have a hard time catching up to us at this speed," Moriarty stated, trying to ease my worries. "Don''t compare us to others, the only person we can compare ourselves to is us. Things like competition don''t sound appealing to me; those are things humans chase. My goal isn''t something an ordinary person can understand, which is why I don''t want to make them understand either," I explained, putting away the sword and turning towards Moriarty. "Do you know what we need in order to change the flow of time in the limited time during life?" "Prior knowledge of the future or a possible predetermined future... Wait are you planning to start calculating again? Our brain is already damaged because of your reckless activation of Timeless in our mental plane if you start now-" This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "What are you? An idiot? I meant to start after the Awakening ceremony; I don''t want to miss meeting our arch-nemesis ahead of time. It''s also a good method to train Timeless." "Except for the fact that it almost killed us, I agree." "... Sorry for that... But on the bright side, we don''t have to get scolded anymore for going through the trial beforehand; they think that this is our official trial. Just let them get a little imaginative for a while and we will go out after ten minutes," I tried to change the subject. "That... Is genius... But don''t think too much from now on. Until and unless we improve our vessel, we can''t use thought acceleration recklessly," Moriarty stated. Thought acceleration and body acceleration were two of the primary skills of Timeless and were meant to be used together but since I didn''t know how to activate it properly, I created a small accident. Timeless is an ability that is heavily dependent on the vessel, as the vessel grows stronger and better, the skills would become easier to use. The rest of the skills of Timeless would take me a while to unlock as they need a higher level of mastery over Timeless and perfect control over the primary skills. Currently, our main goal was to weaken the system of the main character to slow down his growth rate as much as possible. So, we could put aside the training for a while. "... I will try, but I can''t give my word. The wisdom path has changed me a lot, I feel more curious and attracted to the unknown. You can feel it as well right? Magic is like a double-edged sword; we have no idea what kind of journey awaits us," I explained, looking at the fog that surrounded the area of the empty books. "However, my purpose..." I remembered my father''s speech on one''s purpose. "... Is to see through the journey that awaits us." Yes, I had finally realised it. In this life, I wish to live a meaningful life while achieving my goals. After all, a goal is just an endpoint... However, a journey is what defines it. I wish to live through that story. "I think you just gave me gerontophobia," Moriarty commented, stepping back nervously. "... Start running." *** After a while had passed and I was done beating up Moriarty''s soul, I took control of the vessel. As I opened my eyes, I saw the worried faces of three people standing around me, my father, uncle and Alfred. "Did you pass the test?" Thomas asked, his face filled with doubt. "Yes, without a problem," I answered him, getting up from the stone bed. "What did I tell you?" Grey smiled while looking at Thomas who looked slightly relieved by the news. "Anyways, how did she look?" "Mother? She looked like a giant white snake... I think she was similar to the image of Ouroboros that I saw in a storybook," I answered, earning a doubtful look from Father and a jolly look from Alfred and Uncle. "Who gave you that book?" Grey asked, but his question was interrupted by the laughter of Thomas and Alfred. "Ahaha! A snake, he saw mother as a snake! That''s the funniest representation till now," Thomas continued to laugh. "Pfft! Ahem! I am sorry for my rudeness, young master but it was honestly a good joke. Till now, every other Allen that has interacted with her has seen her in the form of green light that attracts their eyes or a body of energy," Alfred stated, masking his laughter. "Is there some sort of weird humour in that which I don''t understand, or?" I asked back, hoping to understand why they were laughing. "There is no humour in that, this is why children aren''t allowed to take the Trial before they are ten years old. What is mother going to think when she hears about it?" Grey heaved a sigh. "That''s not how it works, Master Grey; she already knows about her form when you see her as such. Since she doesn''t seem to hate it, I don''t think she has a problem with it," Alfred explained, which caused him to calm down a little. "Fine, then it''s alright. However, don''t try to overwork yourself for a while; the training can resume after the Awakening ceremony is over," Grey said before walking out of the room. "And congratulations." I guess he is a bit sad that he can''t help me with this subject. Awakening Ceremony (1) --------- Moriarty''s Mental plane --------- 5 days ago --------- After I had beaten up Moriarty''s soul for calling me an old man, we sat down leaning against the bookshelves on opposite sides, far from the landing space. "... Can you promise me one thing?" Moriarty spoke hesitantly; although souls feel no physical pain, he could tell that I was still slightly angry by my expression. "I will decide after hearing you out," I answered, calming down a little. "When we... You know get out of Central City... Don''t kill anyone," Moriarty stated in a serious tone, straightening his posture. "... What did you just say?" I asked back, thinking that I heard him wrong. "I meant it. Leave the killing part to me," Moriarty replied; his voice didn''t falter even slightly, which meant that he wasn''t joking. "Did you receive some brain damage when I beat up your soul or..?" I asked, a little stunned by his statement. "That didn''t happen; I know what I am saying. "You know, being the bad guy isn''t easy... I fully understand that... In a world like this, where trust is fragile even among those closest to you, your survival is constantly hanging by a thread.... If you''re not ready to take a life, then you might as well be signing your death sentence. "But it''s not as easy as others seem to think... It''s suffocating... The world you come from stands as living proof of that. You might not understand what I''m trying to say because, right now, you lack the emotions to feel it... But once you develop them, you''ll understand what I mean. "I have already taken a life. I can''t undo it, no matter how much I try, and if I find myself in that situation again, I will have to make the same mistake again. My soul is already tainted by the nature of this world... I don''t have anywhere to go back to. "But you... You possess a pure soul, one that''s so precious in this god-for-shaken world. You just don''t know how many people would die, trying to earn that. So, please, stay true to yourself." Moriarty finished his speech while looking at the ceiling. That was the same as telling me to live the life he could only wish to live. I guess that wasn''t an easy task... However, it did make me wonder what it feels like to live a life like that in a world where you have to kill others to survive. "That''s not something hard to follow; we are already living two lives at once; sometimes, when I am driving the vessel, you can feel guilt-free. That is a good way to rest your mind," I answered, agreeing to his proposal. Kindness, I guess it''s a chance to understand that. Why do kind people exist in a world where kindness is like a poison to them? I want to find out. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. --------- Current Time --------- Allen Family Manor --------- Moriarty''s Room --------- It was six in the morning when I got ready for today''s event; although the Awakening Ceremony starts at twelve, Uncle said that we had to go there early to meet up with the rest of the Family heads and Alliance heads. The question was, what was I supposed to do by being present in their meeting? This meeting didn''t happen in the original story, I guess it''s because Thomas went to war against the Assassin''s Syndicate straight on from the moment of Moriarty''s death at that time. However, this time, I survived, which didn''t anger him that much, and he controlled himself from attacking them head-on, which planted a seed of doubt in the hearts of the Family heads and Alliance heads about what his next move would be. If he decides to go to war, then he, as well as the Allen Family, who were ruled out as the rulers of a free nation, will have to follow the rules set by the World Government. But since we are still counted as one of the Five Major Families, we will not fall under their direct jurisdiction and be exempted from some rules. Today''s meeting will decide the faith of the whole Allen family... I hope uncle can control his anger. I wore a black, impeccably tailored three-piece suit made of high-quality cashmere with a white shirt on the inside, a jacket that had a sharp, structured cut with peak lapels and a single button closure. The waistcoat was also black, with a straight bottom hem and five buttons. The trousers were slim-fit with a clean crease down the front, completing the refined and formal look. "I love the suit," I said, looking at Ryuk. "I never understood why humans adored their tailors so much but now I can guess... That is a good suit," Ryuk replied, appreciating the exquisite design of my suit. KNOCK KNOCK "Young master, if you are ready, then please come with me; Master Thomas is waiting at the front gate," Alfred said from the other side of the door. "Let''s leave," I said, walking up to the door and opening it. After walking down the stairs with Alfred, I saw Father waiting in front of the door for us. "I told you, didn''t I? Orion is a great tailor," Father smiled, indirectly saying that it looked perfect. "That aside, when you go out there, remember what I taught you. Don''t trust anyone, don''t believe anything and stay safe. Goodbye." "I will, father. Goodbye," I said, looking at him for one last time before leaving through the front door. On the other side of the main gate of the manor stood a sleek black car featuring an elongated, aerodynamic silhouette with a long wheelbase, exuding sophistication and power. Its glossy obsidian finish was accented by chrome details on the grille, window trims, and door handles, while multi-spoke alloy wheels and slim headlights enhanced its luxurious look. The streamlined design conveyed elegance and presence, making it a statement of refined style. "Did he want to show off this badly or..?" Ryuk asked, looking at the car. Rich people need to maintain their status; we could have used the smaller ones, but that would lessen our status. "... Humans have such fixated mindsets sometimes," Ryuk complained, as I walked to the car and entered through the back door. The driver started the car as soon as I entered. Uncle was sitting behind the driver''s seat and I sat on his opposite seat. The interior of the car was quite spacious. With minimal advanced technology implemented in the control system. Uncle wore a three-piece suit of the same brand as mine, but it was white; his suit was also made by Orian. "When we reach there you can stay at the upper floors with the other kids of the Major Families and Alliances. Try not to cause any trouble while you are there, and if someone is trying to anger you on purpose, try to avoid them as much as possible," Thomas requested with a smile; he was still tensed about today''s event and kept his guard up in case any assassination attempts were to happen. "I think I will fare well within them, and try to control your anger in the meeting," I asked back, straightening my posture and fixing my tie. "You think a small meeting like this is a problem for me?" "The family meetings don''t count, those are just an agreement within the family. However, this meeting will decide the fate of our family in the future, try to take it seriously, uncle." "You are giving me advice now? Sigh... They grow up so fast," Thomas said in a jocular tone. "..." It''s quite intriguing how someone joyful like him turned into the biggest villain in the main timeline after Ray and Grey died one by one. "Two deaths can change anyone, he lost everything he ever loved to that world... I could only imagine how painful it must have been for him. The suffering he went through... It must have been suffocating to live through such a life," Ryuk explained, answering my thoughts. "Why would he care anymore about the world that took everything away from him?" "Oh! I forgot to say, you should stay away from those Silverhearts," Thomas''s voice turned serious. "There are no benefits in making an acquaintance of them, all of them are... Sigh... Just stay away from them, don''t let anything they say get to your head." "Are they that bad?" I asked curiously, knowing fully well what kind of people they were. "The worst that I have encountered till now, they kill their siblings to prove who is the strongest and decide the next heir in an old-fashioned royal tradition. They also marry their siblings of the opposing gender to maintain something called pureblood... Disgusting little bastards..." Thomas said with visible disgust on his face. "I think you should have avoided mentioning the last part... That is absolutely disgusting," I said copying his expression. Awakening Ceremony (2) After we had reached the Awakening Ceremony Hall, which was based in Nova Vita, also known as the City of New Life, we entered the hall through the main gate. Two civil guards stood before the doors armed with proper equipments and energy rifles. They moved aside slightly when we came forward, letting us enter through without checking out identities. I guess no one is foolish enough to not recognise Thomas Allen from a single glance. The two-story event hall was designed exclusively for hosting gatherings, offering an elegant and functional space. The first floor featured a large main hall with a grand staircase leading to the second level, which included additional event areas and balconies overlooking the lower floor. Large windows on both levels provided scenic views, while amenities like a sound system, adjustable lighting, and private lounges ensured comfort. The design excluded an air of sophistication making it perfect for such an event. There was also a basement that was totally soundproof because it was used mostly for meetings between high-class individuals. "I will take my leave then; remember not to get into any trouble and try to make some friends while you are up there," Thomas reminded me before getting inside the left life that was right across the entrance gate. "Remember not to mess up," I replied, to which he smiled lightly as the doors to the lift closed. Following his actions, I took the right lift and went to the second floor. The second floor was quite a vivid representation of my imagination. It was lively; children of the same age as me roamed around, talking to each other and having fun. It reminded me of the orphanage in my previous world, I guess a child''s heart remains the same no matter which world you are in. "Ray Allen, I presume?" a voice came from my left side as I was thinking about my previous world. I looked up to see a young lad dressed in a three-piece blue coloured suit that was of a well-known brand. He had jet-black hair, brown eyes, porcelain skin and a handsome face; he looked like he was at least over ten years old. Never mind, scratch that thought. That piece of... Why did I have to meet him first out of all the people in this hall?! My day is ruined because of this... Curses... "Roger Silverheart, it is my utmost pleasure to make your acquaintance," I replied to him, maintaining the best possible expression that I could. "... It seems that you are quite the knowledgeable person, I wouldn''t have expected any less from the son of one of the greatest detectives in history," Roger said with a pause, it seemed as if he hadn''t expected his identity to be known by someone who is not a Silverheart as of yet because he hadn''t done anything to reveal it. Now, the main question was, why did he approach me first? The answer was simple, he needed my fame and power. Fame was a very important factor to the Silverhearts as it was their only means to live in their family. Although they keep themselves and their identities a secret until the awakening ceremony to not catch the attention of their siblings from beforehand, as soon as it''s over they immediately reveal themselves while trying to make a name and gaining allies who can be their tools to reach the top. While some of them sometimes hide their cards like Roger, most of them do not as Silverhearts are known for their pride. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Even though I can understand his nature to some point, I am still a little disgusted by their traditions... Now I feel a little complicated to have implemented them in such a way. What came over me to implement them like that? Mother tried to tell me something before we started the game: if that is somehow connected to this world, then... Maybe it wasn''t my fault for implementing them like that, only time will tell. I better not try to understand such things that I shouldn''t know. "You surely jest, I am nothing without that name, as of yet that is," I answered him with a smile, this time a little more genuine because he praised my father, I had to somehow show that I appreciated that. Roger was a very clever person who could guess the thoughts of a person by listening to their tone and reading the miniature details of their facial expressions. However, at this point, he hasn''t faced someone like me who can copy the expressions of others and relay them perfectly. "''As of yet'' that is, I do believe that you have the capability of reaching that height as well by your excellent judge skills. The ten of us Silverhearts who are official heirs haven''t even made ourselves public, and yet you could judge who I am with a single glance at my face; I think you underestimate yourself a little too much." "Well, it was a stroke of luck; that aside, I will have to trouble you to introduce me to the others if you have time. You see, this is my first social gathering, I would be lost without a guide." "Of course, why didn''t you say so earlier? I would be happy to do so but do know that I won''t be the best guide that you can find, so please forgive me if I make you uncomfortable." Your very existence makes me uncomfortable, you son of a... Then again, he is the best option I have to blend in here without any problems. "If that is your only concern, then worry not; I will be right behind you," I said with a slight hand gesture. "Should we meet my siblings first? Be warned before you make your choice, they are not going to be to your liking at all. My siblings can be a bit... Straightforward sometimes, they will definitely try to pull you to their sides if they know who you are, and if you don''t answer them immediately, you might get into trouble," Roger explained, trying indirectly saying that I shouldn''t associate with any of them. That was in his nature, after all; if he couldn''t have someone on his side, he would make sure that they didn''t join the other side either. "Must be hard to live among them," I said, walking along his side. "We don''t interact much; we are just a family in the name. There is no real connection between us; everyone knows what kind of family Silverhearts are... That aside I believe we can start with the Tempest family. They might be a little too friendly, but that is not a bad thing," Roger replied as we walked towards a pair of kids; one could tell that they were brothers from a mile away by the way they talked to each other and their hand gestures. "I believe that friendliness doesn''t apply to their own siblings... At least they look like a family." Roger''s expression seemed almost genuine; if he wasn''t like me, I would have probably considered being a little sympathetic towards him. He knew that Allens were the kindest among the five major families which is why he must have thought that this kind of behaviour would work against me. The two Tempest brothers wore the same type of clothing as the rest of us; the older one, Tobias, wore a navy blue suit, and the younger one, Vincent, wore a sky blue suit. Tobias looked like a young lad who was over ten years old; he had straight ginger hair, black eyes and light-coloured skin. Vincent, on the other hand, didn''t share his brother''s looks, although their faces were almost similar; Vincent had light brown hair, blue eyes and light-coloured skin. "I am telling you, there will be a better group of metahumans this time round. Look at the quantity of commoners that have been accepted this time round; there is no way every one of them can be bad, right?" Vincent continued to argue with his brother, trying to show him his holographic chart that contained a detailed comparison of the percentage of increase in the numbers of metahumans from last year. "That chart which you have made is absolutely wrong; quantity doesn''t mean anything; what matters is quality! I surveyed the acceptees this time around, there wasn''t even a single one that caught my eye among those kids," Tobias retorted, lying to his brother just to anger him further. "Then you are blind!" "..." "..." "Do you want to greet them later?" Roger asked, keeping his eyes on the Tempest brothers. "Yes, I think that would be better... I don''t wish to be a part of a catfight currently. Maybe we can greet them after the event starts," I replied, slowly backing off from them. "Point well made," Roger said before following what I did to slowly back out as well. Awakening Ceremony (3) After backing away from the Tempest brothers, we went towards the Ravenshade twins who were speaking with the Issac heir. The Ravenshade twins were a pair who looked like they were over ten years old; they both shared straight jet-black hair with a pair of purple eyes and light-coloured skin. Aaron, the first child, wore a black coloured three-piece suit just like everyone else and Avery, the second child, wore a black coloured floor-length evening gown or a cocktail dress. Unlike the other families, the Issac only produced a single heir every generation, and they were the only pure mage bloodline among the Five Major Families. The current heir was a girl who looked like she was around ten years old, just like everyone in the hall currently; she had bright golden eyes, blonde hair and porcelain skin. She wore a glistering white coloured cocktail dress. She was known as one of the most beautiful people in the world by the age of fifteen when she entered the Academy; she was also the first female lead of the novel and my prime target before I could kill the protagonist. Yelena Issac... A pure soul who swore to never kill a person in her entire life and stuck by that promise even when she was taken over by a demon... It''s wonderful... The things rules can do to a person. My first plan was to bring her over to my side somehow, and if that failed, then I would just kill her after my dear nemesis fell in love with her. "Why did you not consider bringing people like Roger to your side? I think they would be excellent pieces to the board," Ryuk asked, reminding me of his presence. People like us can''t trust each other, we are like demons living in the world of mortals with a disguise that makes us look human but doesn''t change our nature. We are bound to betray one another even if we form an official alliance that is known to the public. The only ones I can trust are the ones that are pure and don''t understand what I want. I need loyal followers, a force made of elites and a force who will give up their lives for me when I say so. "So, if you can make her join you, she will fall in the first division?" Ryuk asked before finding the answer to that question by himself. "That isn''t a bad idea, though I like the second idea better, I do want to see how the first plan would work out." Why am I not surprised? "I see that everyone is having a wonderful time here, mind if we join?" Roger asked, getting closer to the group. "Let me introduce you all to our new guest, he is Ray Allen, the son of Grey Allen." "Oh, so he is the one who survived the assassination attempts from the Assassin''s Syndicate single-handedly? That is impressive indeed; I am Yelena Issac; it''s a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Yelena said, smiling brightly with a light bow.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "Wait a minute, how did you even survive that assassination, the news mentioned that you deployed some weird flying objects. What are they?" Aaron asked curiously, skipping the formalities. "Do excuse my brother for his rudeness but I wanna know as well!" Avery added that it was as if they were sharing the same brain cell. "Now that behaviour is something you would expect from a child... I can''t believe I am saying this but these two are the only normal children in this ceremony," Ryuk commented, knowing that they were also a dark family like the Silverhearts. The Ravenshade family was a dark family that dealt with dark magic, which was similar to normal magic, but their rituals were not righteous and needed many sacrifices. They were mainly spirit tamers; their contracts were mainly dark-type spirits, which is why they turned towards the dark path completely in search of strength. "Those were merely drones, I just had a strategic approach to the problem and numerous traps made from beforehand. I was simply lucky to survive that encounter," I said humbly. "Luck is also a part of one''s skill, Ray. Oh! Sorry for the slip of the tongue, I didn''t mean to be informal," Roger apologized, not letting go of the matter just like that. And I don''t believe it was just your luck... No one is lucky enough to survive an assassination attempt by the Assassin''s Syndicate without any help at the age of five. You are definitely hiding something... Grey Allen, that bastard is still creating trouble for us even in death. Roger thought, keeping his facade up without any noticeable movements. "I don''t mind it; if that makes you comfortable, then you are free to call me without any formalities," I replied, reading his miniature facial movements. I could tell that he was bothered by something but I don''t know what it was. Did my story not seem convincing enough? I guess Moriarty is better at this stuff; I am not that sociable yet. "The wizard was the only problem, I dealt with the other one easily with Roselet-Runa," I explained, finding Roger a bit less tense about the topic. "Did you... Kill them?" Yelena asked with hesitation. "Unfortunately, yes, I killed the mage. There was no way around it," I answered. However, it seemed as if she didn''t believe my answer for some reason. Right... She is a Life Path witch... I should have known that I couldn''t lie to her. Even if I technically killed him, my soul wasn''t in control of the body at that time... So Moriarty would be the actual culprit who killed the wizard and my words would be accounted as a lie. I thought, but I couldn''t tell why she seemed happy about it. Creepy witch. "Did you create those drones?" Aaron and Avery asked in unison, to which I answered with a nod. While Aaron, Avery and Yelena seemed impressed by the answer Roger''s face had a hint of worry on it. Until the Ceremony started, I moved around with the current group to interact with a couple of others, sharing some stories about each of our families although I knew most of them and failed to remember a couple. Roger mostly avoided his siblings but he would show some interest in the conversations when I mentioned something. He was trying to understand and analyse my characteristics and talents while also trying to find out if I had any hidden cards. The problem with him is that he hates variables that can mess up his plans somehow, and my father was such a variable who always stood in the way of Silverhearts. Grey had created so many enemies in his active period as a detective that it''s hard to count in numbers. There was even a whole bloodline like Silverhearts who were after his head; had he not been an Allen, they would have executed him a thousand times, and even that wouldn''t satisfy them. If I turned out to be a variable like my father, Roger would probably try his best to get me to his side or, if that fails, assassinate me somehow. He asked me to make friends... When most of the people surrounding me are his enemies. The other attendees of the ceremony soon arrived in formal clothing and amongst them arrived the one person I was looking for... Samuel Ashcroft, the main character of my novel. The game... Has begun. Awakening Ceremony (4) Ryuk''s perspective: Samuel Ashcroft, the person around whom this world revolved, looked like a young man over ten years of age, with light skin, jet-black hair and eyes so dark that even the void would pale in comparison to it. He wore a black-coloured three-piece suit made of cheap wool, a pair of white gloves and a white shirt on the inside. He was nothing more than a commoner in a world where being poor is a sin itself, however, he was blessed with good parents who were kind to him and people around him who showed them proper respect. Yes, he was a resident of Central City. He came to this awakening ceremony in hopes of becoming an awakened meta-human, just like Thomas Allen, his role model. He also wanted to meet him face to face if he could as his father had told him that Thomas was present in the awakening ceremony. As the young man was walking towards a crowd, he accidentally bumped into a kid of a similar age as him. "Oh! I am sorry, I wasn''t looking ahead," Samuel spoke out in a hurry, bowing his head slightly; he knew better than accidentally angering a high-class person by accident as the awakening ceremony was a gathering of both lower class and higher class alike. "It''s fine. It happens sometimes when you are too excited, and it''s hard not to be excited in a joyful event like this; you don''t have to bow," Ray reassured him, picking him up by his shoulder. "Sorry for the trouble; I am Samuel Ashcroft; nice to meet you," Samuel put his hand forward for a shake. "Ray Allen, it''s a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Ray replied, receiving the handshake with a smile on his face. "Allen..? Like The Allen?" "Yes." "I am talking to the nephew of Thomas Allen?" "Yes." "..." Samuel stood completely still, stunned by the answer. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. He wanted to meet the Allens but didn''t think he would meet them so early. This... Is the best day of my life! Samuel''s smile brightened. "Can you let go of my hand now?" Ray asked kindly. "Oh, sorry about that... I was just a bit surprised; I didn''t think I would meet someone from the five major families so early; I am a huge fan of the Allens," Samuel continued, letting go of my hand. "I can tell by your expressions," Ray laughed it off lightly. "Well, since the ceremony is about to start, why don''t we move closer to the awakening stone? There is already a huge crowd that has started to form around it; we might not find a spot later." For meta humans who don''t have a power source like the Allens who have the Concept of Time, they can awaken their genes through the use of an awakening stone. There are two types of awakening stones: one that awakens a meta-human and is usable many times and the other changes the whole biological information of a creature and turns them into a meta-human. The Cyrus Stone that I consumed fell in the latter category. "... What? Oh, of course! Sorry, I am still in the part where I am talking to an Allen." "Hard to process?" "Hard to process." "Get used to it; if you join Paragon, this will likely fall into your daily routine." Paragon was the best academy on Earth that was known for having produced ninety percent of the best heroes on Earth and excellent soldiers for the second and even first-grade army of the sole ruler of this universe. Earth was, therefore, classified as the birthplace of many heroes because of Paragon''s existence. It also had many branches in other worlds but the main branch solely resided on Earth. "Paragon... That is just wishful thinking; someone like me can never join such an academy," Samuel replied while following Ray as they walked towards the centre of the hall where the awakening stone was soon to be placed. "Your present circumstances don''t determine where you can go; they merely decide where you can start.... Someone once told me that," Ray stated while heaving a sigh; there was a gentle smile that appeared on his face unknown to him. But now I know that everyone needs a good guide in their lives and if they don''t have that, they need to become their own guides. "I wonder if that is even true in a world like this," Samuel shook his head. After we got close enough to the awakening stone, which was surrounded by armed police forces, the announcer started the announcement from the stage. The police forces were made up of Mahoons, with some meta-humans in the mix. The Mahoons were an alien race with humanoid-shaped bodies, the skin of hippopotamuses and heads that looked like baby hippopotamus heads. They were the main Police force in this universe because of their strong sense of justice and nigh incorruptible nature. The announcer, on the other hand, was a female Atrax, an alien race with humanoid-shaped bodies, scaled green skin, a cat-like tail and a human-like face. Their mainstream of wizards and witches mostly consisted of Sound Path walkers which is why they are mostly announcers, voice actors and musicians. "Ladies and gentlemen, I wish to kindly request a moment of your attention; this year''s awakening ceremony will hereby start from now on; the pre-awakened are requested to follow the lead of the officer and make a line when their batch numbers are called. Please don''t create any chaos, as doing so results in your immediate arrest." The announcer stated as her voice was repeated a total of three times in the hall. The pre-awakened followed her words and were guided to form a line by the officers. Soon enough, an officer came with a heavy suitcase in his hand, which he placed on the pedestal in the middle of the circle. He then opened the case revealing a shiny white stone with a delicate but peculiar design. The first batch was then let through as they all gathered around the circle; some prayed in their hearts while some looked nervous; all of them had high hopes for their abilities as they didn''t know what it could be. All of a sudden, the stone glowed brightly, blinding the crowd around it for a second before they screamed out a single word, "Status". Among the ten people surrounding the awakening stone, three fell on the ground crying out tears of sadness; four shouted out in anger, arguing that there had been a mistake, and the rest accepted their fates without any complaints. ... Among the first batch, no one awakened an ability above D rank. Awakening Ceremony (5) "How did the awakening stone activate? Is there a special condition to activate it?" Samuel asked curiously, showing interest in the stone rather than the people who were surrounding it. "The awakening stone self activates when a certain number of unawakened people surround it or if an unawakened person makes direct contact with it. To activate it manually, you would need to place a magic circle underneath it for activation of energy resonance," Ray explained, looking at the crowd of scared unawakened people with visible sadness in his eyes. "Batch two, please step in," the announcer stated, as the first batch was directed out of the circle. "And why are there so many policemen?" Samuel asked as the new batch got inside the circle. RAAAARGHHHHH A bright light covered the whole area as an ear-deafening scream filled the room. "When accidents like that happen..." Ray answered backing away a little from the circle with his eyes on the creature that had transformed in front of him. The dimming light cast an eerie shadow over the monstrous figure, revealing a grotesque, worm-like creature that towered ominously above. Its slimy, segmented body writhed with a sickening squelch, while skeletal arms, long and bony, jutted unnaturally from its sides. In one of its ghastly hands, it clutched the half-devoured remains of a small child, the lifeless head lolling at an unnatural angle. Crimson blood, vibrant and fresh, dripped from the creature''s gaping, jagged maw, pooling beneath it in sticky puddles. The creature didn''t have eyes; instead, it had small horns that looked like an antenna while moving around like it was tracking something, while a rancid stench of decay and iron filled the air, making it almost impossible to breathe. "My son!" A woman cried from the crowd as some people tried to hold her down. "No! Please let me go! He isn''t dead yet! Priests! Someone help him!" "Red alert: we got a transformation-type meta out of control, requesting permission to shoot!" An officer asked, aiming his energy rifle at the creature. "Don''t fire! Secure the citizens and use stun rounds on it!" Another officer answered. The children who were inside the circle started screaming for help as they were driven to a corner by the creature it continued to feast on the kid''s corpse. The cops were hesitant to shoot because the creature was also a kid but if they used energy nets and the kid untransformed in the middle of it, they would lose another potential awakener, so they had to resort to stun rounds. "Stun rounds won''t work on it since it has an electric-resistant skin; they need to kill him..." Ray murmured making sure that his voice could only reach Samuel. "But then either he has to die or the others within the circle, can''t we rescue them somehow?" Samuel whispered back. "... No," Moriarty answered with regret. That poor child... He doesn''t even know that he ate another human... He must be in a trance, consumed by his instincts, oblivious to the horror he caused... When transformation-type metahumans awaken, they have a chance to fall prey to their bestial instincts; being blind, in this case, doesn''t help with the current situation. And since situations like these are only handled by the police, the others who are present in this ceremony won''t dare to take a step as that would go against the rules set by the government.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. But... There was bound to be someone who would oppose those rules present within the crowd. SWOOSH Growl~ Thud! All of a sudden, an arrow made its way towards the creature, hitting it in one of its arms. It was unclear where it was shot from at first, but soon enough, the creature fell asleep, hitting the ground with a heavy impact. "Seriously... None of you aliens can do one job right. I came here on high hopes, but now I am disappointed," a loud voice filled the room as several figures appeared one by one. The one who spoke was a man who looked like he was over thirty years old, he had straight black hair, small amounts of beard on his chin, black eyes and a robust build. He wore a normal office suit and carried a blue longbow that was slightly bigger than him. "I-Is that a member of the League of Hunters?" A person spoke up from the crowd as numerous people started to whisper amongst themselves about the present situation. The League of Hunters were a faction of humans who hunted down any metahumans, aliens, demons or creatures that they deemed as a threat to humanity. Their members trained their vessels to perfection from a young age, similar to Buddhists, but they also learned a variety of fighting styles and assassination techniques, which made them fall into the category of superhumans. The League of Hunters were hostile to the government and the Emperor, up until now that is. Seeing that the core members of the five major families and Thomas Allen, the head of the Allens, were following him must mean that something was going on between them or that he was a traitor. "Sorry, I will be borrowing this," all of a sudden, Thomas appeared on stage beside the announcer, who was stunned from shock, and took away her microphone from her hands. "Ladies and gentlemen, please calm down. We have an announcement to make." "First of all... I am truly sorry for your loss, Miss. I am sorry that I couldn''t save him in time but now that I am here, I will personally stand guard to make sure that something like this won''t happen again." Thomas knew that an apology like that wouldn''t bring back the child who had died, but instead of blaming the officers who hadn''t reacted in time, he blamed himself for her loss. This was not only to ease the tension of the officers but also to calm the woman who had just lost a son. "But since he awakened as a B rank and died in an accident during the ceremony, your family will receive compensation for that as stated in rule 516 of the state rules. That is the least we could do for you..." The woman wept while kneeling on the floor as some people tried to comfort her. "Sigh... Why do these Allens have to be so... human all the time?" The member of the League of Hunters murmured under his breath. "Now then, for the main announcement... Nolan, would you like to deliver the message?" Thomas asked, looking in a certain direction. "Nolan? Does he mean Nolan Voidwalker? He is here?" Someone spoke up from within the crowd. As soon as the people started to look around, a figure manifested in the middle of the stage right behind Thomas. The figure appeared to be a young man in his twenties with short jet-black hair, purple eyes and a robust build. He wore a black three-piece suit made of cashmere, which seemed to be made by the same tailor as Thomas as they looked oddly familiar. "You still can''t guess my position correctly," Nolan shook his head. This was Nolan Voidwalker, the current strongest on Earth and one of the only people of common birth who have met the Emperor and had the honour of being blessed with a surname by him. "I tried, and at least I sensed your presence," Thomas replied, handing over the microphone to him. "I didn''t expect anything less from you," Nolan replied, before moving towards the crowd and holding the microphone correctly. "The Emperor has awakened from his slumber." What the fuck? Ray and Moriarty thought in unison. An Unacceptable Alliance "The Emperor has awakened from his slumber," Nolan announced in a tone filled with respect. "And he has proposed an Alliance with the League of Hunters to which they have agreed with some conditions." The Last Living God, The Seer of the End, The Emperor had many names, as he is the one who united this universe and fought against the Demons of hell for as long as he lived. He is the only rope that holds together the hopes of trillions of planets in his hands. "From now on, the humans will have equal rights to the metahumans. This rule was already implemented in Central City, but now it will be applied all over the world. The League will also take charge of cases including aliens or metahumans from the police. Lastly, they will be allowed in Paragon from now on; those are the conditions we agreed upon, yes?" "That is correct, in return, we will stop hunting down villains without permission from the government and cooperate in the extermination of the demons," the hunter agreed with a bit of happiness. After hearing about the agreement, it was clear why the other family heads didn''t show up; they were being cautious of the hunters in case they turned against them before the announcement was made public. And since these terms were stated by the Emperor himself, no one could dare not show courtesy, so they sent their core members instead... However, these strange events that never happened in the original story left Ray and Moriarty in confusion. Did this happen because I didn''t die? The Emperor... Is he the cause of this butterfly effect, did he sense me already? Damn it, this is too early! Ray thought. I need to gain his trust somehow, I can''t have him ruining my plans. The crowd was bothered by the announcement, and some were even scared about the fact that they were sharing the same space with a hunter, but The Emperor''s words were absolute, and they had to follow them. "Since the Emperor has awakened, we will start the selection for the war soon enough, and in fifteen years the war with the demons will resume," Nolan announced in a grim voice. "That is all, but don''t let this announcement dishearten you; under the Emperor''s light, we would never lose to those demons." The ceremony continued without any accidents, and soon enough, it was the turn for Samuel to awaken. "Batch seven, please step in," the announcer stated. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "Looks like it''s my turn, wish me luck, haha... I am so nervous," Samuel heaved a sigh out of worry. "Don''t worry about it, you will do well," Ray comforted him before Samuel went inside the circle. "Is it done?" "Yes, sire," Wally stated in a low volume. The reason Ray had stuck around Samuel for so long was that Wally was planting a virus within Samuel''s system before it got activated. Yes, just like the Codex that was a system that was available to the entire universe. Samuel had a system of his own that could speed up his growth rate, after all, he was the protagonist of the story. Although this virus could only slow down Samuel''s growth rate by a little, it would be enough for Ray to catch up if he worked hard enough. Moreover, he also wanted to keep up the competition with him. For a while, Ray thought of keeping those bothering thoughts about timelines aside to focus on the task at hand because after Samuel was dealt with, his next goal was to gather allies on his side. People who could rival Samuel''s team. After the huge change in the story had taken place, Ray gave up on trying to bring Yelena over to his side. He didn''t know how the changes in the timeline took place yet so he decided to research on that later. The only one who was as valuable as Yelena on a potential basis was the daughter of the Extraterrestrial Alliance leader, Sylvia Krythalon. Wait a minute, I am sensing a pattern... Why do all the strong female characters have blonde hair? Moriarty asked, looking at the awakening stone that was about to activate. Why does that matter? Only two of them have blonde hair, better yet, how do you always come across such details when no one does? Ray asked in anger. Perspectives. Moriarty answered as the awakening stone shone brighter than ever, going as far as to even blind the core members of the five major families and the hunter who stood next to Thomas and Nolan. "A falling star has born..." Ray murmured with a smirk as the light started to get dimmer. As soon as the light faded completely, the core members of the five major families rushed inside the circle while Thomas and Nolan followed slowly. The crowd started to close in towards the circle as they witnessed the birth of a new potential metahuman who wasn''t from any noble bloodline just like Nolan. At this moment several thoughts rushed throughout Samuel''s head. He tried to understand what had just happened but as soon as he looked at his status, he was aware of it. He smiled with joy as he tried to search for the one who had cheered him on just now but... "Huh... Where did he go?" Samuel asked himself, looking at the direction he had come from, unable to find his new friend. In the midst of the chaos, he had lost the one friend he had just made within the crowd. Although it saddened him a little, he held on to the hope that he might come across him soon enough. *** Ray''s perspective: While the seventh batch was awakening, Ray made his way towards the place where the Silverheart kids had gathered; without a surprise, some of them were trying to bring the Extraterrestrial Alliance to their side with the help of Sylvia Krythalon. Sylvia looked like a human girl who was over ten years old with bright blond hair, aquamarine eyes and fair skin. She wore a silver-coloured floor-length gown made of cashmere. If someone were to compare her with a human, they would find no difference from the outside. She is from an extinct race called Kyranoids, often known as a superior humanoid species that lived on the planet Tiran, which was destroyed by a rival race. The Extraterrestrial Alliance leader was kind enough to lend help to the last one of their species and adopted her as her daughter. She wasn''t such a relevant character in my story as the Extraterrestrial Alliance didn''t have any connections with Samuel, and neither did they interact much. She was a Law Path mage, right? We should make a plan to kill her if things go south, she can be a good ally but a terrific enemy. Moriarty stated. When did you start becoming so cautious of kids? But yes, you are right, we should do that. I replied, walking towards them. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, do you mind if I join the conversation?" Moriarty asked in a respectful tone. The Emperors Shadow (1) The Emperor''s Shadow is a special position given to the most trustworthy and loyal followers of the Emperor. Since the Emperor doesn''t get off of his throne or talk to anyone without having plans for them, his Shadows relay his orders to his followers and lead the people in his stead. However, the Emperor didn''t have many Shadows as he could only appoint those who were at least at Galaxy Level Threat to such a position, and so the Shadows could be counted to only a hundred. Nolan Voidwalker was one of those few Shadows who led the "Galaxy 007", where his home was. Although he was of the lowest ranking, he was the youngest Shadow in the history of the Empire. However, if I were to not interfere in the story Sylvia would have changed that. Are you sure about this? I mean stealing the Emperor''s future Shadow won''t anger him, right? Moriarty asked. Although he knew the future because of me, he was still a loyal follower of the Emperor. The thought of stealing the property of the Emperor was a bit foreign to him. Let me get this straight. You are ok with killing her but not ok with stealing her? I asked him. Nobody has to know that we killed her, assassination is a word for a reason. Moriarty answered in a joyful tone. The Emperor has a peculiar way of finding people with potential and when he finds them, he makes sure that they are raised properly and guarantees their safety by sending someone of the Special grade army to protect them. He doesn''t manipulate their hearts to join his side but offers them a position anyway, hoping to acquire a strong ally. "Ray Allen... How nice is it for you to join us! I thought almost everyone would run off to scout the new awakened with a high potential," a kid who looked like he was over ten years old, greeted me. He had black hair, deep blue eyes and whitish skin. "I am Kairos Silverheart; I believe this is the first time you have heard of me, unlike that brother of mine." "I felt like it wasn''t a good time to approach him when everyone was surrounding him and I would be surprised if he paid any attention to us now since Sir Nolan is in front of him. Don''t you agree?" I asked back. And what makes you think I don''t know Kairos, the one who had a whole arc named after him. "I do actually, glad to meet a like-minded person," Kairos laughed lightly. Kairos is more of a respectable character when compared to the rest of his siblings. His actions are sometimes misunderstood because of the rumours that are spread by his siblings, but he is a good person at heart.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Don''t you dare think of recruiting him, I still hate his family. Moriarty warned me. All of a sudden I felt like I should definitely recruit him. "Sorry for the late introduction, I am Sylvia Krythalon," Sylvia greeted me with a warm smile. "It''s alright, it''s my pleasure to make your acquaintance. By Krythalon... Are you perhaps the daughter of the Extraterrestrial Alliance leader? If you are, then I do apologise for being informal," I apologised with a nervous smile. "No, it''s fine, actually; I prefer not to be called formally," Sylvia replied with a smile. "One," Ryuk whispered in my ear all of a sudden. I couldn''t understand what had happened all of a sudden for him to warn me like this. At first, I thought of it as a death sign, and Ryuk stopped counting, which confirmed my fears. I knew for a fact that it wasn''t Roger as he always makes a detailed plan before doing something big; even as a kid, he was a bit smarter than most of the previous era''s villains. I will continue the conversation, you think about it. Moriarty stated as we swapped positions. Was it the League of Hunters? Had they already betrayed us after Samuel''s awakening? "Two." So it''s an individual and not a whole organisation? "..." That last part brought it down to reactions. Since most of the people here are to recruit strong allies and take note of their enemy''s forces, there won''t be any adult trying to pull tricks under the eyes of Thomas, which meant a kid was targeting me, and moreover, it''s one from a major family or a noble bloodline or, the Assassin''s Syndicate haven''t given up. I can''t imagine anyone else stupid enough to just kill me out of nowhere in the middle of a ceremony and hope to get away. "If your father heard that, you would have through the Science of Deduction several times because, as it states, there exists a possibility for every result; nothing is impossible," Ryuk reprimanded me. Curses... I thought, sighing in my mind. "It''s poisonous, no matter how I look at it. The thought of a world without the Emperor''s light, that would be a hellish place in itself," Moriarty spoke up, replying to Kairos as they were on such a topic. His words contained a hidden message for me and also the one who was trying to kill us if he was nearby as he swept his gaze through the crowd around them to search for a nervous expression. Found him. Moriarty thought as his gaze fell on a waiter with a plate full of desert in his hand and as their gazes met, the waiter went away towards a different direction. Should we go after him later to find the attacker? Moriarty asked. Leave it, it''s probably the Assassin''s Syndicate who forced him to do that. They are still trying to kill me without expending their members, it seems. That guy was probably threatened to do it... He is going to kill himself, that''s the only way he can get out of this. I explained. No one wants to be labelled as a murderer of high status as it not only brought death to them but shame to their family members as well. The only way to get out of such a threat was to kill themselves. "What makes you think he had a family?" Ryuk asked. His eyes looked like father''s when he almost died while protecting me back then. I feel sorry for not being able to save him but... It''s not my job to save them either. I replied. So you mean to say we won''t do anything about him? Moriarty asked. If you want to be a hero go ahead, I won''t help you. I replied. No, I just think it''s wasteful for him to die alone... Moriarty said in a sinister voice. What are you planning? I asked curiously. Wally still has his miniature controllable bombs right? Let''s make sure his family is really safe. Moriarty replied. "Now you speak like a villain," Ryuk approved his idea and so did I. The Emperors Shadow (2) "Hm... Something isn''t adding up," I exclaimed. "Pardon? What isn''t adding up?" Sylvia asked, confused by my sudden statement. For a moment I had forgotten that she has better senses than a human and spoke up my thoughts. "Nothing... I don''t know if it''s an instinctual feeling but... I think something bad is about to happen. That may just be a gut feeling, don''t mind it," I replied, turning this mistake into an opportunity. "What-" BOOM All of a sudden, a loud explosion went off near the Ceremony Hall. The explosion was so loud that it shook up the hall and knocked out a few kids through its sound alone. "And there it is... I hate my instincts," I said calmly, unbothered by the tension around me as I was the one who caused the explosion. To be exact, it was Moriarty since I had to maintain the purity of my soul. A few moments ago, Moriarty had sent some invisible explosive nanobots with the waiter who tried to poison us, and after that guy went outside the hall to meet up with his partners, he set them off. Now, for the current part of the plan, we need to investigate the crime that we committed. Those nanobots don''t have my fingerprints as they were self-created, but they shared a connection with Wally. So, I need to collect the signal part or make sure it is properly destroyed. The only person who wouldn''t care about the citizens in here and check out the explosion site was Nolan, but since he left after his announcement I had nothing to worry about. Is investigating the crime that you committed, considered legal? Moriarty asked and I was about to slip away in the crowd enveloped in madness. I guess we are about to find out. I replied, sneakily running away from the hall as Uncle was busy controlling the crowd with everyone else. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. The lifts were shaken from the impact, so we made our way through the emergency exit, emerging at the back of the hall. From there, we stepped into the alleyway, which should have been dark at this hour but was now burning intensely. Flames clawed at the walls, their glow turning the night into a flickering inferno, while the heat pressed against me, thick and suffocating. "Right... Now how do you plan to destroy the bodies in these flames?" Ryuk asked, staring at a certain place. What gave you the idea that we were going to destroy the bodies? I asked. We just have to make sure they can''t find any evidence that it was us. Moriarty continued. And then act like we were trying to investigate it in excitement. I explained. "You are going to be injured to remove suspicion from yourself completely aren''t you?" Ryuk asked as if he already figured out my plan, to which I just smiled before covering my face with my right arm and slowly walking inside the fire carefully. There wasn''t any real danger here as the fire had started to spread, and my suit had a basic mana shield feature which meant I had enough time to explore the area before stepping back inside the hall. The air was thick with a foul stench of burned flesh and smoke, a sickly sweet scent clung to the surroundings. There was a faint stench of scorched fabric and something metallic on the way I was heading, but the overwhelming smell of fire drowned the other scents, which made it hard for me to locate the direction of the bodies. There were three bodies on the floor; they were barely recognizable, their flesh blackened and split where the flames had been the most intense. The butler''s clothes fused with his flesh, but the other two with him had red hoods made of fabric, which were still good pieces of evidence. I bent down and patted the fire a bit before tearing off a piece of fabric from the clothes of the assassins. "Wally keep this safe," I asked, standing up and dropping the fabric in the small compartment in my cane that Wally had opened up without transforming. Fortunately, Wally couldn''t detect any connections with the nanobots anymore, which meant that no one could gather any evidence against me from here. After gathering a few more scraps from the surroundings, I tried to head back inside but found my uncle standing in front of the emergency exit gate. "Who died?" Uncle asked, trying to maintain a calm voice. "One seems like a waiter and the two others seem like members of the Assassin''s Syndicate. Their corpses are destroyed to the point that I couldn''t get proper DNA samples, I guess we have to work with the cloth fragments," I answered, walking towards the gate. "You could have asked me before coming down here by yourself," Uncle reprimanded me. "I got bored, and moreover, Alfred taught me how to safely collect evidence from dangerous crime scenes like this; if I had waited for you to come with me, there wouldn''t be any more evidence left," I tried to argue. "But why would you risk yourself for something so meaningless-" Thomas wanted to shout, remembering something he didn''t want to. He clenched his fist tightly and continued in an angry tone. "We are leaving, say your goodbyes to your new friends." "Can I at least visit the forensic where they will take the bodies?" I asked, trying to convince him that I was really curious about this incident. "... We will make a quick stop there," Thomas agreed to my request, heaving a sigh of worry. Brother was right... The Wisdom path is affecting him negatively; if he continues to grow more curious, he won''t be himself anymore. We need to suppress it somehow before anything happens. Numerous thoughts clouded Thomas''s mind, the sudden alliance proposed by the Emperor after he woke up, the accident that happened today, the sudden explosion that was caused by the Assassin''s Syndicate and my curiosity rising at a rapid rate. He couldn''t decide what to think about anymore, and the fact that all these concerns took place in a single day certainly didn''t help with his situation. As I thought, Thomas is easier to mislead than my father; if he was here, I would have been caught by now. I exclaimed in my mind. Emperors Shadow (3) *** Ryuk''s perspective: In the midst of all the chaos that Ray had created, two purple eyes which had never left the Ceremony Hall kept watch on the curious child who tried to gather evidence from the explosion site. I could see why his majesty asked me to make sure these two were in safe hands; Samuel was explainable as he comes from an ordinary family, but Ray... He shares a lot more in common with his father than I thought. Nolan thought. I will have to ask Thomas to keep an eye on him later on. After Thomas arrived at the scene, Nolan wanted to walk away from the scene and let him handle the rest when he felt a strange unexplanable sensation in his heart as he turned around to see a white orb rising towards the sky through the Ceremony Hall. "... My liege... Is this truly your will?" Nolan asked as the orb vanished before his eyes. Unable to bear the sight in front of him, Nolan closed his eyes and vanished into nothingness. --------- Allen Family Manor --------- Living room --------- After the incident had occurred, Ray and Thomas had left the Ceremony Hall almost immediately after getting a call from Alfred who informed them that an unexpected guest was waiting for them. It was a code word to tell them that Grey was waiting for them. Ray did show a bit of dissatisfaction at the news when he heard that he couldn''t visit the forensic lab to get a closer view of the dead bodies but he kept quiet about it throughout the journey. Although this was a stage play to him, he never showed any signs of anger towards his uncle or Alfred. That emotion was foreign to him even after he experienced it many times because of Moriarty. He thought of it as a sign of weakness because Grey taught him that anger never solves any problems; it only elevates its difficulty. During this period he thought it would be better to find a good way to convince his father that he wasn''t at the centre of this ordeal. However, he didn''t need to worry about it as Grey had diverted his attention to a different direction. "It''s that ominous number three again!" Grey shouted in anger while scratching his head in front of the whiteboard that he brought from his laboratory. "What''s wrong with the number three?" Ray asked confused by the fact that his father had gone completely off the topic.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it "Triangles! I hate triangles! Bermuda triangle! Bennington triangle! Taured triangle! All of these had some mysterious disappearance cases, murder cases and supernatural cases attached to them!" Grey answered. "He tried to investigate all those cases and almost lost his mind in the process," Alfred explained with a sigh. "Dad... You tried to investigate cases dating back to 28034 years ago? Are you insane?" Moriarty asked, genuinely questioning his rationality. "I ran out of cases to solve..." Grey replied, drawing a triangle on the board grumpily. "Are all of you just going to ignore the fact that we are here to discuss how to maintain Ray''s curiosity? He just in a pit of fire to investigate the bodies! For the Emperor''s sake... Are you all going to purposefully ignore that?" Thomas complained with a groan. "Oh right... Great job, son! That is exactly how you should act at a crime scene that is about to be destroyed!" Grey stated with a thumbs-up towards me which left the three of us speechless. "The things that I witness in this family..." Alfred mumbled with a sigh. Sometimes I wonder if he is like us... Moriarty thought. Or it may be that Uncle and Dad both have serious and childish sides to them; they are twins, after all. Ray replied. Thomas, who still didn''t speak a word until now, looked like he was enraged by his older brother''s words. "Why don''t we change the topic and focus on something actually interesting?" Grey tried to calm his brother down while looking away from him. "The question right now is who could kill those two Syndicate members near the Ceremony Hall and get away with it without leaving a trace?" "At first, I thought Lyrien had started to cause trouble within the Syndicate, but he hadn''t made any reports yet, nor will he try to blow them up near the Ceremony Hall where both of you were. So, I will leave him out of the suspicion box," Grey drew a small box at the corner of the board and started to write the surnames of the major families including the Allens, the League of Hunters and those of the Extraterrestrial Alliance. His main policy while investigating a case was to start from the big leagues, the people who no one else would try to suspect and it included his own family members as well since he believed that emotional attachments are a liability in problems like this. "Silverhearts have a parasitic relationship with the Syndicate where they cover for each other''s crimes with the Silverhearts manipulating the evidence and in exchange, the Syndicate kills their enemies for a lower price," Grey explained, walking back and forth. "But to put a bomb there without any of you noticing is nearly impossible... It''s as if the murderer was present in the Ceremony Hall and planted the bombs when the waiter was about to get out... However, that person would have to be an extremely skilled wizard or witch to do that, or..." Grey stopped in his tracks and looked at the ceiling for a second before closing his eyes. "Sigh... It''s going to take me a while to solve this. Alfred, can you please bring me some pie? I can''t think about this with an empty stomach." "As you wish, Master Grey, I will be back in a few minutes," Alfred replied, walking out of the door. "I have to take care of some paperwork, so I will take my leave as well," Thomas stated before leaving with Alfred. After a few minutes had passed, Grey made sure that their footsteps had completely gone silent before looking in Ray''s direction. "Why did you do it?" Grey asked calmly. "If a wizard or witch at the level of Thomas had tried to use magic in the Ceremony Hall, they would easily be detected by the danger sense developed by them through years of experience. However, if someone at your level sends invisible nanobots to follow the waiter and kill him afterwards... No one would be able to sense it. For kids, they haven''t even developed their danger senses and for people at the level of Thomas, those are like bugs that mean no harm to him." I am done for... He knows... Ray thought. "Did they try to assassinate you again?" Grey asked desperately. "Please tell me it was self-defence." "After I passed the trial from Mother, she gave me an additional gift. She helped me develop my danger sense, and today, something triggered it; I tried to search for the person who seemed to have a nervous expression and found the waiter who was coming towards me with a plate full of deserts. When I mentioned the word poison, he backed off. I sent a few invisible nanobots after him, and then Wally, who had registered the type of attires the Assassin''s Syndicate wore, warned me of the impending danger, and I exploded them. I didn''t want to kill the waiter... He was forced to do this but... His eyes told me that he had to protect something, and that''s why I killed the three of them, hoping that whoever he was trying to protect was safe," Ray explained. "You..." Grey tried to say something but calmed himself down before looking away at the board and pressing his temple. "I am sorry... I am sorry for not being there to protect you." Grey gritted his teeth in anger. "You did a good job, don''t blame yourself too much for it. Leave the Syndicate to me, I will take care of it." A Second Chance (1) Humans... No matter how perfect they try to be, they are always prone to making mistakes... Grey wasn''t any different. After the death of his wife, he has tried his best to be the perfect father for his son, but now, after finding out that Ray has killed people once again trying to defend himself, he wonders if he is on the right track. Although he wanted to deny it in his heart... Ray was turning out exactly like him. "Mother... You know... Sometimes I feel so lost... The questions you asked me that day... I ask them to myself. I don''t know their answers anymore..." Grey said to himself while lying down on the sofa with a cigarette in his right hand. "Would a pie be enough to solve that problem, Master Grey?" Alfred asked as he walked in with a plate of pie in his right hand and a couple of small white plates to serve it in his left hand. "Likely not; sit down, please," Grey requested, straightening his posture. "Alfred, you have a lot of experience as a father, yes? You practically raised our whole bloodline... How do you scold someone when they didn''t do anything wrong?" "You don''t," Alfred answered, laying the pie on the table and serving a piece of it on the small white plate to Grey before sitting down on his right sofa. "You need to have a talk with them, you would be surprised at how many things a simple talk can solve." "Then why did... Father avoid me after I gave up my powers for Thomas?" Grey asked, his eyes fell on the floor. "... He was scared. He didn''t want to see you suffer like a human, grow old, or be shunned by the metahumans. However, I think that in doing so... He failed you as a father," Alfred heaved a sigh. "No matter how old and experienced you get, you can never be perfect at everything. I might be a good father but I will never be the best father as I can never have children of my own." "It must be painful." "Not anymore, Mother took it away from me. Now I feel that it is better this way... I am not strong enough to watch my children pass away one by one as I live on," Alfred lamented. "... By any chance did they target the young master again?" "... They did; Lyrien told me that he will start working from tomorrow, so it wouldn''t be a problem anymore because they would be so busy dealing with their own problems that they won''t have time to target Ray," Grey explained, taking a bite off from the apple pie in his hand. --------- Allen Family Manor --------- Laboratory --------- While discussions about the life of the young boy went on in his absence, Ray was running experiments of his own with a few test tubes on the desk and a diary by his left side.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. In the diary, there was a step-by-step formula for a medicine which he named Sangraphen. "Bloodlust control... I don''t think the name of the medicine fits its description," Ray stated, pouring a small amount of chemical in the test tube in his left hand. "I am bad at naming things unless you have a better idea. We have to make do with this, and moreover... Do you think a bunch of low-life thugs would care about the name of the medicine we feed them? They would be overjoyed after learning that they can control their bloodlust with this. I just hope they don''t do something stupid like trying to capture us," Moriarty replied, projecting a perfect copy of the vessel. In the short amount of time after their awakening, Moriarty had already mastered his mana control to a certain level while Ray completely focused on their plans and ran experiments on their vessel and "discovered" some formulas in his clouded mind which could prove useful to them. Currently, they are trying to create a medicine that can control the bloodlust of a person. This was a medicine that would be discovered after ten years in the novel but they weren''t afraid of changing the timeline anymore. "Last time we messed up with the timeline because uncle didn''t lose his rationality after the only people he considered his family survived. So if we just follow along with his route to fix the gaps, then everything will slowly return to normal," Ray explained, setting his eyes on the test tube in his left hand, which contained the finished product while setting aside the rest. "And for that, we need to divert from the path even more before taking a turn back." *** Ray''s perspective: --------- Warwick Family Manor --------- Elmond''s Office --------- I came to visit Elmond through the underground tunnel that connected the main family manor of the Allens with the branch family manors. Other than Alfred, I didn''t tell anyone about my visit here because I trusted him enough to keep a secret. The reason, I visited Elmond and not Lyrien was because Lyrien always reported to Uncle no matter how much unruly he was. However, Elmond didn''t know that; he, on the other hand, wasn''t like Lyrien and kept a few secrets. This is why I visited Elmond first to make it seem like Lyrien was my backup option, someone who would be ready for an adventure at any moment to obtain leverage over him. The office was a quiet, imposing space. A large oak desk sat in the centre, its surface nearly empty except for a cup of tea and a few neatly stacked papers. Behind it, a tall bookshelf lined with old books and family records stretched to the ceiling. On one side of the table sat Elmond with his back against the window, looking at me, who was sitting in front of him, with a stern gaze. "With all due respect, young master, I can''t comply with your request. Not that I disagree with your idea, I understand why you see a need to create a security squad for yourself, and I will be more than happy to lend a few trustworthy people for it, but is there really a need for you to visit the underworld for it?" Elmond tried to reason with me. "Uncle Elmond, do you know the number of people who have been falsely accused as criminals, misunderstood and turned into scrap goats for someone else? In our world, there are 805.3 crore people who would do anything for a second chance at redemption. Even in our city, which I don''t know why is still called the safest city in this world, there were 1034 such cases within the last five years!" I explained, tapping the table lightly with my right index while looking into his eyes. "But the Smith brothers? Those monsters have uncontrollable bloodlust, they might even attack you when they transform. Please reconsider your decision, young master," Elmond pleaded. "I guess you are not the only seer in our family any more," I smiled, taking out the test tube from the inner pocket of the coat I was wearing. "This is called Sangraphen, it can control the bloodlust of a person, bringing it down to a level where that person can perfectly control their bloodlust no matter how strong it is." "Have you tested it?" Elmond asked, surprised by my words. "Not yet... But we could use the Smith brothers as test subjects," I stated, putting it back in my coat, which disappointed Elmond. If his words are true... Then this would be a groundbreaking discovery... With this single product... The Allens would surpass the Tempest family in a single night! But taking young master to the underworld... Elmond fell in doubt; at this point, he didn''t know what to do. On one side was his young master''s great achievement, which could take their family to heights it had never reached before with a small demand and on the other was an empty path which didn''t have a beginning nor an end. "Sigh... I guess it was too much to ask of you, never mind, I will ask Lyrien," I stood up from my seat as he was rubbing his temple. "... Fine, I will take you there, young master... Phew... Just... Don''t wish to go back there if your plan fails and they try to attack us," Elmond accepted the offer, heaving a sigh. "Of course, that''s a given," I replied, smiling happily. Delay Notice. Since my ISC exams have started and the stacked up chapters I have saved a long time ago has ended, I will take some time to post the chapters till my exams are over. They have a lot of gap between them so I will figure out a way to write within the time limit as much as possible. Also, the first arc will begin after two chapters as I had done before in my original novel. I don''t know if prologues are supposed to last that long but here we are... I know that everyone of you are frustrated because of my never ending exams but so am I. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. However, since I am in my last year in school, I can''t complain about it, nothing will be the same after I leave the school... So I will get the best of it while I still can''t. Farewell for now, the next chapter might come out tommorow. (I hope it does as well.) A Second Chance (2) --------- Central City --------- Entranel Bar --------- In Central City, the underworld was in a secured place with a hidden entrance and was only open to a few criminals that Thomas had allowed. Yes, Thomas Allen had allowed the underworld to run in his city because he knew that these things couldn''t be stopped forever; you may close one down for today, but sooner or later, a new foundation would arise having the same or different mindset than the last one. He also believed that it would be a safe space for people who could turn over their lives if they wanted a second chance at redemption, away from the hateful gazes of civilians. Currently, we were inside a bar which worked as the entrance to the underworld; the bar was too ordinary to be an entrance to the underworld, which was its best disguise. However, the bartender who was the acting gatekeeper to the underworld was a member of the Allen family, placed here by Thomas; getting through him without being a registered member is only possible if I had someone with higher authority with me. "Pardon? I-I don''t think I heard you correctly... You brought who here?!" The bartender shouted. He was a man in his thirties, he had a bald head, black eyes and dark brown skin. "Quiet down, Hector, I can explain-" Elmond tried to calm him down but his words were interrupted. "I don''t need an explanation, I need you both to get out of here now! I don''t care who you are or what you can give me if I let you in, I value my life more than anything else and if there is even a scratch on that kid''s skin, Thomas is going to rip me apart, and just so you know you won''t be safe either!" Hector replied, lowering his voice as much as he could. "I don''t know what you were thinking but if there was a stupidity ranking in our world, you would be at the top of it for this very moment!" "Look... I didn''t want to come here with him either, but I needed to bring him to the underworld because if the thing he is working on results in success, we will not only be able to drastically reduce the number of deaths in our world by thirty percent but also increase our combat strength and financial power. We will be out in three hours!" Elmond tried to reason with him. "...Two hours, anything more than that and I will call Thomas right away, I am only doing this because you are here with him, you better protect that kid with your life or we are all dead," Hector answered with a pause, he wasn''t sure if it was a good idea to let them through but seeing that Elmond was desperate about it, he thought it would be something really important, after all, he is a seer. He pointed at the back side door and said, "Go in." "Thank you," Elmond replied before we went in. After going through the door, we were teleported to a vast underground city, hidden beneath layers of stone and time. The ceiling stretched high above, lined with Lumen stones which served as a light source. Towering structures carved into the rock stood connected by suspended walkways and quiet railways humming with energy. Bioluminescent plants lined the streets, their glow reflecting off the slow-moving waterways that wound through the city. The air was warm, carrying the faint scent of earth and metal, a sign of the geothermal power that kept everything running. Uncle invested a lot in a place built for criminals... Moriarty stated, looking around the area. If it was up to the old me, I would have done the same, but now it feels like this place is too good for those spawns of evil. "It seems that you could have tested the medicine on yourself before arriving here, maybe it could have calmed down that rage of yours as well," Ryuk commented, amused by Moriarty''s anger. I stayed quiet while Moriarty raged on, if I were to try and talk some sense into him in his current state, it would only worsen the situation. So it''s better to let him behave like a child, for now; I can solve his anger after we return. As we walked through the street, several gazes fell upon us because of our attires; not many people wear formal clothing like us in these areas, and the ones that do are usually the leaders of this place. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. "Young master, while we are on our way, make sure not to wander off. Another thing, in case I get in a fight with them, just stand still; it won''t take me long to take care of them," Elmond stated, looking straight ahead without a single bit of worry on his face. "I understand," I replied. Since there were barely any S-rank criminals in this place, I could understand why he wasn''t worried about my safety. Moreover, the skill level of someone with a better background is more than the skill level of someone with an ordinary background, since stats are not the only way one can gain power. Resources and knowledge about how to use your ability correctly are the primary necessities to becoming stronger. Mindlessly improving your stats will lead to a weaker base and lead to lower rank people defeating you. "We have arrived," Elmond stated as we stood in front of a large warehouse. "According to what I know, they operate here." "Are you not a regular here?" I asked since Elmond kept a thorough check on the city and its citizens. "I do come here weekly but they change their bases every now and then. Their transformation is automatically activated every week at least once, which is why they end up destroying their bases and relocating somewhere else. As I have told you before, those people can''t even control themselves, which is why if you can''t cure them, we would have to return back empty-handed," Elmond explained, knocking on doors with a slight amount of aura. KNOCK KNOCK The doors soon opened up, revealing a man with a robust build in his twenties; he had sharp brown eyes, black hair and light-coloured skin. He wore formal clothing and had a warm gesture on his face just like a welcoming host. "Elmond, it''s good to see you here, a bit early for your weekly check-up, don''t you think? I don''t think I can allow you in right now; Dante is going through his transformation right now," the man stated, refusing us from entering from the get-go. "He is? I see that we have come at a perfect time then. Zephyr, I need you to let us through, I believe we have a cure for the three of you! A cure to that uncontrollable bloodlust of yours!" Elmond stated excitedly. "This human... He is good at controlling his emotions," Ryuk complimented. "... Wait... What?" Zephyr asked, he still couldn''t believe his ears. If we had really found a cure, we would announce it to the world and not come running to the house of a criminal like them, which is why we must have wanted to use them as test subjects for the medicine, is what he thought. Zephyr was the smart one amongst the brothers, so he understood that within a short time, but knowing that there was still a chance to turn around the lives of his brothers, he wanted to give us a chance. "What are the chances it will fail?" Zephyr asked with hesitation. "There is a ninety percent chance of it working and a ten percent chance of him never being able to use it again," I replied to his question. "... You don''t have a kid... Wait..." Zephyr looked at me and then at Elmond before taking a look at me and repeating this for a while. "You... You brought ''his'' nephew... Here?!" "Please don''t start; I already went through that while dealing with Hector. This is really important, and if this medicine works, it will benefit all of you and the rest of the world. This isn''t the worst decision I have made, so let us through, I promise that you won''t regret it," Elmond stated. "I don''t need your empty promises but if you can''t cure him... I may not stand a chance against you but mark my words... I will do my very best to blow a hole through your chest even if it means that I might die in the process," Zephyr threatened him openly. He is perfect for the job... I thought in my mind. I don''t need an uncontrollable pet, I need a tool that can get the job done even if it breaks. "..." Elmond stated, quiet at the threat; he knew how to deal with a grieving family member and that it would be better not to try and talk sense to them in a situation that is about to threaten the life of their loved ones. The inside of the fortified warehouse was filled with blood and giant chains hanging from the ceiling and walls. UUUURRRHHHHNNNG All of a sudden a deep, reverberating roar reached our ears as the sight we saw in front of our eyes was too painful to describe. A hulking reptilian beast lay sprawled on the warehouse floor, its vast bulk barely contained by the thick steel chains crisscrossing over its back and snout. Its rough, scaly skin was marred with dark bruises, and its powerful tail was bound tightly, twitching weakly as it tested its bonds. Every shallow breath causes its ribs to expand against the crushing weight of its captivity. "He is wonderful..." I exclaimed, I had never thought that a creature that had gone extinct in the Late Cretaceous period would be so beautiful to look at. I am impressed with myself for making it so detailed. "He... usually gets a different reaction from kids... That is new," Zephyr stated. "That is my brother, Dante, his transformation is a Deinosuchus. Although we all have transformations from the Late Cretaceous period, our transformations aren''t the same." "Who are the guests? I thought you said we shouldn''t receive anyone at this hour?" A man''s voice came from beside Dante, making us aware of his presence. He was a tall man with a bulky physique, ranging around thirty years old with black hair and green eyes. He wore formal clothing with a black fedora on his head and a black coat. "Darius, it''s been a while since we last met," Elmond greeted him. "We are here because we believe to have found a cure to this bloodlust of yours and your brother''s." "And? You wish to use us as test subjects for this experiment of yours?" Darius asked without a hint of fear or hesitation in his voice. "Don''t believe that just because Thomas goes through all the trouble for us and provides us with this place, we are obliged to become test subjects for his underlings. I respect him for the man he is, but I won''t let me, let alone my brothers, become your test subjects." "Calm down, brother, they are only trying to help us. If it goes south, I won''t stop you, but there is a kid here as well. So, let''s put our grudges aside for now," Zephyr stepped in between them and stopped his brother. "... Who''s the kid?" Darius asked, looking at me. "He is... Thomas Allen''s nephew," Zephyr replied calmly. "... Are you insane?!" Darius asked Elmond with a face filled with horror. "... At this point... Just think what you want I am not even mad," Elmond replied with a sigh. "I needed to come here to see how the medicine I created would turn out," I explained. "Are we seriously going to trust the life of our brother to the words of a kid?" Darius asked in anger. "My father had never been wrong about judgements and always found a way to solve his cases; he was the one who proved you all were innocent; if you can''t trust me, then trust Grey Allen, put your faith in him for one last time. That is all I ask of you," I stated. "Proceed with the cure..." Darius exclaimed with anger. "Don''t let me down... Son of Grey Allen." A Second Chance (3) In this world, not every hero had a heroic purpose of their own¡­ but every villain did. Some were driven by personal agendas, some acted on their beliefs, while others were simply born that way. However, the villains of Central City fit none of these categories. They were simply forced to play the roles life assigned them, living as objects of hate in the eyes of others. But what if you gave a villain a reason to change? A chance to be better? Would they take it? No. Because the problem with this world is that it is easy to be evil, but almost impossible to be good. They might change for a while, but eventually, they would return to their roots when given the opportunity. That was what I was trying to do with the Smith brothers. This wasn''t about redemption¡ªit was a pre-revised act, a necessary step rather than an invitation to a different path. "Try not to knock him unconscious. Just hold his mouth open," I instructed, handing a pill bottle to Elmond. "This melts as soon as it touches saliva, so you can throw it in from a distance, and it will still work. Just use one for now. I don''t know how many it''ll take for him to snap out of it, so it''s best to proceed with caution." Elmond nodded while Darius grew even more impatient. I understood his frustration, but this had to be done¡ªwe all knew that. What are the chances it fails, and they attack us? Moriarty asked. Even if it fails, I doubt they''ll attack an S-rank while being just A-ranks. I replied. ...You still don''t understand humans. The things they''ll do just to save a single person¡­ you''d be surprised. Moriarty smirked lightly. GRRRHHHAAAKK Dante snarled as Elmond approached. Zephyr stepped forward to restrain him, but Darius blocked him with his left arm. "Prepare to fight if it fails," Darius whispered to Zephyr. "What about the kid?" Zephyr asked nervously. "Elmond won''t let him get hurt. Call Thomas before you transform," Darius replied hesitantly, finally allowing Zephyr to assist. Zephyr leaped over Elmond, landing on Dante''s nape, and pulled back his upper jaw to keep his mouth open. But Dante''s razor-sharp teeth made it difficult for Zephyr to hold on for long. "Would you please hurry up?!" Zephyr shouted as Dante thrashed, trying to bite his arms off. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Elmond remained silent, swiftly pulling a pill from the bottle and tossing it into Dante''s mouth before surging forward to kick his lower jaw shut. The kick didn''t knock him out, but it did force him to swallow the pill. Zephyr released his grip on Dante''s upper jaw at the same time, ensuring the pill traveled smoothly down his throat. "Did it work?" Zephyr asked, panting. "I think we''ll find out in five¡­" I replied. "Five hours?" Darius asked. "Five minutes?" Elmond added. GRRRUUUHHHNN¡­ A deep, reverberating roar echoed through the warehouse as Dante''s eyes snapped open¡ªstill red, still bloodthirsty. "Did it fail..?" Darius asked, his voice calm, but his anger barely contained. "I don''t think so," I said, stepping closer. Dante no longer seemed to be in pain. There was no rage in his eyes, no uncontrolled fury. "Ray, stay back," Elmond warned, blocking my path. "His eyes are still red." "But he isn''t reacting. This might be better than I expected," I argued, stepping past him. "Don''t you see? He''s in control. His eyes are red, and he''s in control. Do you know what that means?" "It worked?" Darius asked, still unsure. "It worked wonders," I confirmed, excitement creeping into my voice. "He has the fully functioning brain of a human and the physical capabilities of a metahuman in a bloodlust state. This is mind-blowing! Dante could probably take down a normal S-rank with ease in his current state!" I paused, taking a breath. "I am¡­ honestly impressed with my own work. Ahem. Sorry, I''m just excited. You all understand, right?" Darius, however, was too overwhelmed to respond. He had spent years believing his brother could never live a normal life, and now, that future was suddenly possible. Zephyr was just as stunned but made a quiet note to himself¡ªthis kind of help needed to be repaid, even if it came through an experiment. Elmond, on the other hand, felt something deeper¡ªrelief. Hope. Maybe he had chosen the right path after all. "Seriously? Nothing? Not even a thank you?" I huffed. "I''m being brilliant here, and I don''t even get a reaction?" "...I don''t know how to thank you for this, Ray Allen," Darius finally said, stepping forward. "Truthfully, I never thought I''d live to see a day like this. I am grateful for your kindness¡­ even if it was unintentional." He hesitated before continuing, his tone serious. "And¡­ I know I''m being selfish to ask, but could you give us three more of those? If you do, my brothers and I will carry out any task you assign us." "No. I won''t do that." Darius stiffened, but before he could react, I added, "Unless you want your payment in advance. That, I might be able to arrange." "What?" "Darius Smith, I''m offering you and your brothers a position on the new security team I''m forming. That is, if you''re willing." Darius turned to Zephyr, who nodded in agreement, then bowed lightly. "...It would be an honor to serve under you, young master," he said. "Good! Then this is a happy occasion! But¡­ why did you say three?" I asked, tilting my head. "I already gave Dante a pill, so you and Zephyr would only need two. Why three, Darius?" Zephyr opened his mouth, but Darius raised a hand, stopping him. "It''s better if we show you," Darius said. "Please, follow me, young master." Elmond moved behind me, still cautious of our new allies as Darius led us to a separate section of the warehouse. "Is this your sleeping quarters?" I asked. "It''s more comfortable than it looks," Darius replied, stepping into a small room where a curled-up ball of fur lay motionless. The creature was small¡ªno more than three feet tall, two feet wide. As I stepped closer, I could hear a faint sound. A heartbeat. "Is that a werewolf?" I asked, crouching. "I''ve never seen one before. Is it sleeping while transformed? Wait¡­ how did you even capture it?" "It''s dying," Elmond spoke up for the first time in a while. His voice was grim. "How long have you kept him like this? The child is half-dead." "We found him in a food barrel," Zephyr admitted. "We think he got separated from his pack. At first, he was extremely malnourished, but even after eating much of our rations, his condition only worsened. There''s no doctor down here to check on him. We thought it was some werewolf disease and¡­" "You assumed he''d get better on his own because werewolves don''t usually stay sick for long," I finished. I poked the fur, inspecting it more closely. "He was hit by wolfsbane," I explained. "He just needs a new heart." "Just needs a new heart?" Elmond repeated. "Where the heck are we supposed to find a fresh heart? Moreover, there aren''t many doctors who can operate on a werewolf." "Who said it had to be biological?" I smirked. "There''s nothing wrong with a functional mechanical heart. Give me a day, and he won''t even need a doctor." _______________ End of Prologue Blood Bonds (1) ------------------ 12 years later ------------------ Years passed quickly as I prepared for the main scenario''s arrival while strengthening myself and my forces. It was a joint effort since I had a lot of help from Moriarty and some business advice from Ryuk. Right, I also had to learn about the different companies run by the Allen family before I could attend the academy. Thomas thought it would be a good idea to divert my curiosity toward something less dangerous than investigation, so I played along to calm him down. I was still a novice when it came to understanding people''s intentions. This world and its inhabitants were vastly different from my last world, which is why I still couldn''t read them as clearly as Moriarty could. You could say that people here were more focused on survival. I didn''t have much time to focus on my magic training since I had to train with Thomas to improve my metahuman abilities and practice weapon combat with Dad. Sometimes, I wondered why I couldn''t just learn magic from Orian, but then again, he wasn''t a battle-type mage, so I couldn''t learn much offensive magic from him. Don''t get me wrong¡ªhe did offer to teach me auxiliary and basic magic when I was old enough to handle them, and I gladly accepted. However, now that I was seventeen¡ªthe start of the growth enhancement period¡ªI could progress faster in my magic training at the academy. I had been unable to execute my critical plans until now because the Emperor might have placed a guard on Samuel and me to watch over us and protect us in life-threatening situations. They were only allowed to sense our actions rather than directly observe us, so I devised a plan to give them both "Psychosis" by deploying an energy barrier around us. In other words, when they tried to sense us, they would only perceive what I wanted them to. It took me ten years to create since I was focusing on many things at once, and I had to run multiple tests to ensure it was perfect before using it on them. A single mistake could cost me everything I had worked for, so I wasn''t going to activate it without proper countermeasures. Currently, I was in my room, rechecking my luggage with Jonathan¡ªthe werewolf cub I had saved. After the Smith brothers cleared their names and joined the Allen family, they recruited several people from the underworld, including children like Jonathan, whom they rescued. These recruits were more than happy to join us. "With all due respect, young master, don''t task me with the burden of carrying your surname. Can''t I just have no surname?" Jonathan asked. He looked like a young man around seventeen or eighteen, with gray hair, black eyes, ashen gray-tinted skin, and a robust build. He wore formal black clothing instead of a servant''s uniform because I insisted¡ªafter all, I couldn''t let everyone in the academy belittle him. "If you want to have an easier time associating with commoners, I won''t object, but I can''t allow my closest aide to suffer at the hands of the higher class. People from Central City are already looked down upon because we take longer to adjust to the outside world¡ªmore so if they''re commoners without a surname. That''s why you have to take my surname," I explained firmly before turning to him. "That aside, how''s the suit?" Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. I wore a black three-piece suit made of fine wool. The jacket had sharp peak lapels and a single button closure, fitting snugly around my shoulders and waist. Underneath, I wore a matching black waistcoat with a straight bottom hem and five neatly fastened buttons. My trousers were slim-fit, with a precise crease running down the front of each leg, and the hems were carefully stitched for a polished, refined finish. To complete the look, I wore a stylish navy blue bowtie, neatly tied, adding a subtle touch of sophistication. "You look astonishing as usual, young master. But¡­ would it really be alright? I don''t even share your blood¡ªhow could I carry your name?" Jonathan asked, his face darkening slightly. "Family doesn''t end in blood¡­ and it doesn''t start there either. Family isn''t about what you do for them¡ªit''s about who''s there for you. Through the good and the bad¡­ all of it. Family has your back when it matters most¡­ even when it hurts. That''s family." A voice brightened the room as Alfred entered slowly. "When you''re out there¡­ look out for the young master, but try not to get hurt, Jonathan Allen. Doesn''t sound that bad." "You can trust me, sir. I won''t make any mistakes," Jonathan replied with a small bow. "Wait, doesn''t ''John Allen'' sound better?" I asked, raising my left hand. "Young master, you can''t put a surname beside a nickname," Alfred stated firmly, his expression serious. "But..." "No." "It''s..." "Still no." "You didn''t even let me finish!" "I think I know you well enough to predict what you''ll say. My answer remains the same in all cases," Alfred declared. "If you''re done packing, we should go. Master Thomas is waiting at the front gate." "Fine..." I sighed heavily before leaving the room, Jonathan following with my luggage beside Alfred. As we descended the stairs, we saw Thomas standing near the gate with Aunt Kate and my little brother, Henry. Yes, Thomas got married shortly after I turned seven and had a son when I was eight. Kate was supposed to die, but I saved her since her existence didn''t significantly impact the main scenario. Besides, I didn''t mind saving a good person. "Why are you wearing a bowtie, big brother?" Henry asked curiously, noticing that I had never worn one for a mission with Thomas before. He looked about twelve, with black eyes, white hair, and porcelain skin. "I heard the entrance exam is quite hazardous." "Bowties are cool. I like bowties now," I replied, walking up to him. "Trust me, it won''t be damaged." "Be careful during the entrance exam, Ray. I heard they''ll be using a yellow zone this time, and you''ll have to survive there for three nights," Kate said gently. She looked like a young woman in her thirties, with short black hair, black eyes, and the same porcelain skin as Henry. "Do you really think he''d die in a yellow zone? I''d disown him if that were the case," Thomas laughed¡ªuntil Kate elbowed him in the ribs. "Ouch..." "Don''t worry, Aunt. A yellow zone won''t be enough to kill me. I''ll take my leave now," I said with a saddened tone. "Goodbye, I''ll be back when vacation arrives." "Be safe out there," Uncle said softly, placing a reassuring hand on my left shoulder. "Goodbye, Ray." Goodbye, Dad. I thought to myself before leaving the mansion, Jonathan following with my luggage. We planned to walk to the station since it was six in the morning and the train would arrive at seven¡ªa good warm-up before heading into a yellow zone. Danger zones were first introduced in the first arc of Volume One of my novel. They were dwelling places for mutants and mutant beasts. Some wild races, like goblins and orcs, lived there as well. It wasn''t a safe place for survival, so heroes, freelancers, and mercenaries were regularly hired to clear them. Danger zones were categorized into three levels: yellow (lowest), orange (medium), and red (high). There were also black zones, which were nearly impossible to clear¡ªeven for an S-Ranker. There weren''t any black zones on Earth because the Emperor wouldn''t allow such a threat to exist on a planet home to some of his strongest soldiers. After arriving at the station, we waited for the train. But, of course, fate wouldn''t let me have a moment of peace... "Look what the storm dragged in¡­ Is that Ray Allen I see?" A voice came from behind, darkening my mood as I turned to face the worst person to start my day with. Blood Bonds (2) A voice came from behind, darkening my mood as I turned to face the worst person to start my day with. The voice belonged to a young man dressed in a three-piece blue suit from a well-known brand. He had jet-black hair, brown eyes, porcelain skin, and a handsome face. He appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years old. A few people, dressed in similar attire, followed behind him like wolves trailing their pack leader. "Roger... Did you come all the way to Central City just to greet me?" I asked, glancing at the group behind him and the man leading them. "What are friends for?" Roger replied with open arms as he moved toward me. "I just wanted to land closer to your location, but then again... it''s random, so I have to rely on luck." He has some nerve to say that after trying to assassinate us over a hundred times, Moriarty remarked angrily. "Why did you bring just one person? I thought there would be more," Roger asked, looking curiously at Jonathan. "Trust me, he''s more than enough¡ª" Before I could finish my sentence, Roger suddenly lunged forward, attempting to punch me with his aura-coated fist. But before the strike could land, Jonathan caught his fist effortlessly¡ªwithout even transforming his hand. "I''m jealous," Roger admitted, stepping back. "I told you," I said with a smirk. "Jokes aside, how sure are you that you''ll land in the same place as the others?" "The chances aren¡¯t that high," Roger replied, fixing his posture. "The zone they¡¯re dropping us into is pretty large, from what I¡¯ve heard. But the objectives are the same as always¡ªeither kill the creatures there to earn points or steal them from someone else. Even if we''re in the same compartments, we''ll be dropped in random locations, so it all depends on luck. I''ll try to aim for the hideouts. Let¡¯s meet up in the zone if possible." Since we had to survive for three nights while earning points, it was better to take over a pre-built base, like an orc hideout, rather than trying to build one from scratch. The academy had also set a rule prohibiting the use of tents or similar items to ensure fairness among participants, preventing anyone from gaining an unfair advantage. I also planned to take over an orc hideout, but first, there were some people I needed to eliminate before entering the academy¡ªvariables that had slipped past me while I was trying to divert the timeline back to its original course. The distant hum of an approaching train grew into a deep roar¡ªa wall of steel and speed hurtling toward us. The wind slammed against our bodies. SHHHHOOOOM! The roar shifted, the scream of motion twisting into a high-pitched whine. The rush of wind weakened, then ceased. Silence fell, broken only by the soft hum of cooling engines. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "I guess this is farewell, then," Moriarty stated, walking toward the train without looking at Roger. "I hope the next time we cross paths, we won¡¯t be enemies." I couldn¡¯t see Roger¡¯s reaction to those words, but I could feel his annoyance. The train compartment we entered was nearly full, but a few people moved aside when they recognized me, allowing us to take two seats. "When we drop down, find a river or something and take a couple of dips in it," I whispered to Jonathan. He frowned in confusion, sniffing himself once before asking, "But I don¡¯t smell. Why do I need to take a bath?" "Roger planted a bug on you," I explained in a low voice. "Don¡¯t speak loudly. Just wash it off when you drop down, and don¡¯t try to find me. Collect as many points as you need to pass, then take a rest somewhere safe." "But I¡¯m supposed to protect you, young master¡ª" "I¡¯ll be fine. I have something to do. Just follow my instructions," I replied, pulling my cane from the luggage bag. "If you¡¯re in danger, there''s a force field generator inside. Don¡¯t be stingy with resources at the worst possible time." "How do I activate it?" "I installed a voice activation system. Just sound panicked or say anything that means ''help,''" I explained, keeping my tone calm. Even though Jonathan was raised by Alfred, he still had the brain of a werewolf¡ªa species with notoriously low intelligence due to their barbaric, battle-driven nature. I always had to simplify my explanations when introducing him to my inventions. Last time he tried to help me build a suit, he blew up my entire lab... Since then, I never let him near advanced technology without first showing him how it worked. "Why is there a wi¡ª" Jonathan started to say, rummaging through the luggage, but I quickly silenced him, grabbing him in a chokehold around his mouth. Moriarty and I had grown accustomed to the taste of wine since our seventh birthday, but since the academy prohibited alcohol, I had smuggled a bottle inside my luggage. If I got caught, I¡¯d lose it. And God knows how long it would take for us to be sent on our first mission. "Do not touch my stash. Don¡¯t even speak about it to anyone," I said calmly before releasing him. "Protect it at all costs." Jonathan took a deep breath, running a few mental calculations before concluding that the luggage was now more important than me. "...I understand, young master." All of a sudden, everything went blank for a moment¡ªI found myself falling, still strapped to my seat. The train had entered the Yellow Zone¡¯s upper layer, and it had begun dropping us one by one. Screams echoed in the distance as people landed. The seats we were in had built-in cushions, ensuring that no one died from the fall. As I landed, I saw towering trees surrounding the area, their branches swaying gently overhead. The faint rustling of leaves mixed with distant bird calls, creating a quiet, almost peaceful atmosphere. When I listened closely, beyond the whisper of the wind, I heard it¡ªa soft, steady murmur of flowing water. A river, hidden somewhere nearby. "We haven¡¯t been out for a long time. This almost feels foreign," Moriarty mused, stretching our vessel. "How many variables are there?" According to my research, there are nine. They should all be dropping near us. I made sure of that, I replied, scanning the area. As more candidates were dropped, a large blue hologram flickered to life in the sky, displaying the face of a beautiful young woman in her twenties. "Dear candidates, this is a message to all those attempting to join Paragon. I am the Second Headmaster of Paragon. Your only objectives here are to survive for three days and nights while earning points by killing the monsters within the forest or stealing points from other candidates. You are not allowed to kill your fellow candidates. If you do, you will be punished by law, even if you pass the exam. In such a case, you will be stripped of your right to join Paragon. That is all. I hope you all make it to the end of the exam." With that, the hologram vanished. "Hm. Activate the illusion force field and take care of the drones, Wally," Moriarty ordered, tapping my cane twice against the ground. Just as I expected, nine people were scattered nearby¡ªall of them metahumans, each wary of the others. If we used the element of surprise, we could wipe them all out at once¡­ but where was the fun in that? In a blink, Moriarty vanished from his position, reappearing behind one of the candidates. In an instant, he sliced off the person''s head with his cane, impaling it like a giant candy. "H-He just killed him!" someone screamed, but Moriarty remained unfazed. Three candidates stood frozen in fear. Two trembled at the sight of the severed head, while the rest tried to muster the courage to fight. "Wh-Why did you kill him?!" a young woman shouted, one of the few brave enough to speak up. "Hm. No particular reason," Moriarty shrugged, a smile playing on his lips. "You see, none of you did anything wrong... but your existence is a problem for this universe¡¯s timeline. That¡¯s why you all must die." His eyes gleamed with amusement. "Now, I¡¯m a very reasonable person, so I won¡¯t kill you all instantly like I did him. Instead, I¡¯ll give you a choice. You can either run away and die immediately¡­ or work together and fight me. The choice is yours." Same Wavelength (1) *** Ryuk''s Perspective: In a decimated forest, far from the location where Moriarty had started his hunt, in a different section of the Yellow Zone, another fight had just ended. "Tom Aldric Vance... That is a big name to remember," the young lady, sitting amid the destruction on top of a broken log, stated while reading through a file in her hands. The young lady appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years old. She had bright blonde hair, aquamarine eyes, and fair skin. She wore a sleek black X-20 training suit, designed to regulate her combat abilities and prevent excessive force. It was made of a durable yet flexible material that allowed full mobility while maintaining protection. Built-in power restrictors adjusted automatically to keep her strength in check. Attached to her right wrist was a compact energy handgun, seamlessly integrated into the suit''s design, ready to deploy at a moment''s notice. This was Sylvia Krythalon. "Tell me about it. Thankfully, my mother gave me a short name that''s easy to remember, or else I don''t know if anyone would even call me by my real name," the young man, tied to a tree with an energy-dampening rope, replied to her. The young man appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen years old. He had sharp black hair, black eyes, and ivory skin. He wore a fitted black bodysuit with subtle armor lines running along his frame, giving him a sharp and imposing look. A long, high-collared coat hung over his shoulders, its dark fabric flowing with his movements. Inside, a faint insignia was stitched into the lining. His gloves were sleek and tight against his hands. Every detail of his clothing made him look precise, controlled, and unmistakably dangerous. However, what bothered Sylvia wasn''t his dangerous aura but the fact that he was wearing a black blindfold, even though the file stated he wasn''t blind. "So... Why are you carrying this file around?" Sylvia asked, restraining her curiosity about the blindfold he wore. "I was trying to judge my strength by fighting those listed in that file before you caught me... That aside, why do you carry around a gun when you didn''t even use it in our fight?" Tom asked back. "It''s more of a decoration. Why would I use it when I don''t have to? One of my friends asked me the same question many times, actually. I told him that many fights could be stopped if I just had a gun, but then he said that there was only a three percent chance of that happening on Earth and even less on other planets," Sylvia replied as she looked through the file. She then stopped at a page and slowly turned her head towards Tom. "Oh, he''s on your¡ª Where did he go?" The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. To her surprise, Tom had managed to escape somehow without making a single sound! Even the energy-dampening rope was intact. It was as if he had never been there in the first place. "Sigh... I hate the sneaky ones... I will have to warn him..." Sylvia heaved a sigh as she called out her Codex. "Call, Ray Allen." *** Ray''s Perspective: "Do you know the reason you all lost to me?" Moriarty asked the young man, whose mouth he held in his right grip while sitting on two corpses he had stacked up. "In situations like this, you need to fight as a team, but you lot fought me individually. You also had other flaws, but if I were to list them all, this day would pass by, and I wouldn''t be able to do anything productive." The battle we had been through didn''t satisfy him as much as the last variables we fought. Variables, in general, were supposed to be stronger than the average, but since we broke their morale from the start, they didn''t struggle much. Rather than working together, they were more keen on running away or offering the lives of others to save their own. "Sir, sorry for interrupting your conversation, but you have a call from Miss Sylvia Krythalon," Wally spoke up, transforming into his spider form and projecting a hologram. "... Why does she have to ruin my fun all the time?" Moriarty asked himself as I took back the vessel from him. Knowing how rude he would be, I couldn''t risk her finding out about all these things yet. "I will answer it," I replied to Wally. ... Ryuk, are we on the¡ª Moriarty tried to say something, but Ryuk continued his sentence for him. "Same wavelength? Yes, I am getting that as well," Ryuk replied, communicating directly with Moriarty telepathically. "It''s not unbelievable since he has been developing emotions for a long time, but I thought you would be first in line." I could see that Ryuk was moving his beak, but I couldn''t hear anything from him. Hearing Moriarty''s whispering voice, I concluded that they were having a secret conversation. However, I didn''t pay any attention to them, as they fool around most of the time. That aside, I had transferred my Codex data to Wally so that the Emperor wouldn''t be able to spy on me through the Codex, as he was the one who controlled it. This meant the Codex would get my data only when I updated it, and he wouldn''t be able to trace my location either. "Hey¡ª" I tried to greet Sylvia before our conversation began, but she cut me off. "Sorry, this is an emergency. There''s a hunter on your tail, so I thought I¡¯d give you a heads-up... Why does it sound like I hear an orc? Are you in an orc outpost?" Sylvia asked after finishing her warning. "No, I was just attacked by one. I think I can hear a river nearby, but I have yet to confirm my exact location," I replied, tightening my grip on the mouth of the man that Moriarty had kept alive as he struggled to break free. "And why are you in a panic? If I had a credit point for every time I was targeted or almost assassinated, I would have over a thousand credits by now. That isn''t enough to buy anything noteworthy, but it does tell you that I have the means to survive this, doesn''t it? How did you come across this information?" "Apparently, he is trying to judge his own strength by fighting the new generation of metahumans," Sylvia responded. "But he accidentally stumbled upon me before he had a chance to fight the others." "That''s unfortunate indeed... How does he look?" I asked, and she gave me the full description without pause. "... His name is apparently Tom Aldric Vance. Seems like he¡¯s from some ancient lineage," her last words were what caught my attention. Up until now, I had treated this as a normal assassination attempt, but that name... I didn''t want to fight that person yet. Tom Aldric Vance was the only son of the leader of the League of Hunters. According to my expectations, he should have participated in the previous year''s entrance exam. He was a very dangerous man who wasn¡¯t even supposed to be included in the story until the third arc. I couldn''t kill him since he was an important character... I need him on my side. I thought. "... Why are you so quiet? Did you lose confidence after hearing his name?" Sylvia asked after a long pause. "Syl, you should know better than anyone that I don¡¯t get scared by these... threats. I was just surprised that he is taking the exam this year. Thank you for the information. I will try to find an outpost or a cave to set up a base. If you find John, then take care of him, please," I replied. "And take care of yourself as well." "You too," Sylvia stated before I cut off the call, and Moriarty took over yet again. "Sorry to keep you waiting, buddy. Do you know why I kept you alive?" Moriarty asked, looking at the man in his grip. "Mhm?" The man made a curious sound as he tried to break free yet again. "It¡¯s because you sound like an orc," Moriarty stated before crushing his skull in an instant.