《The System Favors Me Too Much》


 Chapter 1 - 01: Prologue

    <h4>Chapter 1: Prologue</h4>


    In the Extensive domain of a particr Universe, there was a world known as Arcane, as the name suggests, it was a world of mages and heroes.


    Mages are beings capable of doing extraordinary feats, feats that defy themon sense of mortals, like destroying mountains and creating them with a wave of their hand, like shapingndmasses to their liking with the whispers of spells.


    Heroes, beings who could sever the ocean with the swing of their swords and spears, create hurricanes with the punch of their fists, they are martial artists who strive for immortality through cultivation.


    The mages and heroes are not so different; they actually share the same origin.


    It''s just that they have evolved to pursue different paths to immortality.


    Even their source of power is the same: Mana.


    One of the most mysterious forms of energy existing in the universe, it is present in almost everything from the air we breathe to the earth we walk upon.


    Now, the territory of the Heroes was divided between five noble hero ns: the Tatsuya n, the Shimura n, the Kusanagi n, the Urahara n, and the Asuna n.


    These noble ns directly answer to the Hero King, Rowan Asuna, who is also the son of the leader of the Asuna n.


    The Asuna n and the Tatsuya n were unique even among the noble ns because not only are they rted to each other, but they are also descendants from the first king of the first generation of Heroes of the world of Arcane.


    In the territory of the Tatsuya n, within the personal training grounds that only the main family members of the n have ess to, there was a man with gray aging hair.


    However, no one could call him old because he looked like a bodybuilder in his thirties. In reality, he was much older.


    He stood with one hand back and in his other hand held a wooden sword. He felt something blow past him and casually moved his wooden sword to block the iing attack.


    "You are never going tond a single attack on me if you keep moving at this speed," he said amusingly.


    He looked at the young man in front of him, standing in the stance he taught, holding a wooden sword with both hands firmly.


    His dark ck hair was drenched in sweat and messy, but that didn''t stop him from looking handsome. His eyes resembled blue Zircons.


    Even though he was tired from ying catch with his grandfather, who actually trained in swordy, he still refused to show it in his eyes.


    "Dammit," the teenager seemed unfazed by his words, as if he was already used to these petty remarks, but it did sessfully provoke him.


    He pushed his leg to the ground beforeunching at the old man like an assassin.


    He was very fast, far faster than any human, but to the old man, he was still moving pretty slow.


    "Still slow," the old man swung his wooden sword upwards, blocking the attack, but the teenager still found himself hurtling to the ground a few meters away, unable to absorb the impact of their sh.


    "Ouch, that hurt like hell," the teenager muttered, lying on the ground, unable to lift his body up.


    "Why don''t we stop here for today, Sam?" the old man asked, extending a supporting hand as he helped him stand up.


    "Yeah, let''s do that," the teenager named Sam replied, wiping the sweat from his brow. Then, his eyes went to the screen visible only to him.


    ---


    [Name: Sam Tatsuya/Brunheart]


    [Hero Level: 15]


    [Mage level: 20]


    [Titles: An Anomaly]


    [Race: Half Mage, Half Hero]


    [ss: None]


    [Strength: 18


    Agility: 20


    Stamina: 20


    Perception: 18


    Heroic Power: 20


    Mana: 20]


    [Elemental Affinity(s): Wind, me]


    [Ability: !@#$%^&* (Unawakened)]


    [Skills: Heroic Sense, Mana Sense, Swordsmanship, Spearmanship, Spellcasting]


    ---


    "My agility stat went up by three points since ourst training session," he said, still engrossed in the things that only he could see on the system panel.


    In this world, everyone had the ability to ess an entity called the system.


    It served many purposes, but its primary function was to show the status of oneself, quantifying attributes for each person in numbers.


    "Is that so? Let me take a look at your stats board." The system panel of a person could only be seen by the person himself, but if he wished, he could show it to others.


    Sam raised an eyebrow, contemting something. "Yes, here you go."


    Then the system screen disying Sam''s stats became visible to his grandfather, Jin.


    [Strength: 18


    Agility: 20


    Stamina: 20


    Perception: 18


    Heroic Power: 20


    Mana: 20]


    "Interesting. Your talent astonishes me every time I see your stats," his grandfather, Jin Tatsuya, said with a sigh, still unable to get over the talent his only grandson possessed.


    "Your level is 15, but your attributes areparable to someone with level 20. I can understand your strength, agility, stamina, and perception reaching these numbers because they can be improved through training, and you have incredible talent like me. But how did your heroic power stat increase to 20? It should be at o, right?"


    "You have yet to awaken your martial potential, which means you shouldn''t have any heroic energy within your body. Where did ite from?"


    Then Jin shifted his focus to the mana stat, unique to mages. But Sam, a natural-born anomaly, possessed both the powers of heroes and mages.


    "It''s your mana stat, isn''t it?"


    "Yes, grandfather. As you know, unlike heroes who cultivate to increase their overall abilities, mages only focus on the mana stat because they can''t increase their physical attributes."


    "I''m the only person in this world with both Mage roots and Mana veins. When I increase my mana stat, the heroic stat, which remained dorment, also increases simultaneously. I don''t quite understand the reason, though."


    Sam was born to a Mage father and a hero mother.


    It''s not that he was the only one born with this type of lineage; there were many who were born to a Mage father and hero mother, and vice versa.


    However, they couldn''t be both a Mage and a hero at the same time. This is what makes Sam an anomaly, special.


    Mages were born with what they call a Mage root.


    This Mage root helps them absorb mana from the surrounding environment and store it inside their bodies, forming a condensed structure called the mana core.


    The mana core is what stores the mana of the Mages, and using the same mana, the mana core can be expanded to increase the mana pool.


    As for the heroes, they possess what they call Mana Veins. These are like vessels present in every part of the body.


    When heroes absorb mana, these mana veins convert the mana into heroic power and use this heroic energy to nourish the body, helping them break through levels.


    But Sam, who possesses both of these traits, is indeed special. Not everyone knows this secret, only his family members do.


    "I don''t know how I''m going to exin this when people begin to be aware that you have an unusually high amount of heroic power that''s totally iparable to your level," Jin sighed again, thinking about the potential future trouble that may arise.


    "You possessed heroic power even before embarking on your cultivation journey."


    "Not only does my grandson possess immense potential, but he also has the potential to be a great Mage. You will be the hot topic for a long time if this gets out," Jin said slowly, contemting the consequences.


    "You haven''t told anyone about your special condition, have you?" Jin asked, side-eyeing Sam.


    "Of course not," Sam replied instantly.


    "Good, and it''s better to keep it that way. We don''t know how people might react, especially the noble ns."


    "I wonder why you are so worried about the noble ns learning about what I''m capable of? It''s not like they can do anything to me when you guys are here. After all, both my grandfathers are the leaders of the strongest ns of the Arcane," Sam said with a small smile.


    "You are right. We are the strongest. If anyone dares to try anything funny with the beloved grandson of the Tatsuya n and Brunheart n, they will never see the light again in their life. I''m not scared of the noble n''s reactions; I''m scared that dealing with them would cost me too much of my free time," Jin exined. "That is all"


    Sam shook his head in response, as if he shouldn''t have even asked that question.


    In an instant, they left the training grounds.


    As soon as they disappeared from view, a shadowy figure appeared. This figure had been silently eavesdropping on their conversation.


    The figure nced in the direction the grandson and grandfather duo went. A smirk, tinged with hostility, formed on his face before he vanished.

 Chapter 2 - 02: He is an aberration

    <h4>Chapter 2: He is an aberration</h4>


    Unbeknownst to Sam, a shadowy enemy had been investigating him from the darkness.


    Sam, together with his maternal grandfather, returned to their grand mansion where they were warmly greeted by his maternal grandmother.


    She exuded the appearance of a woman in her early thirties, possessing long, white hair and piercing blue eyes. "How was your training? Was he pushing you too hard again?"


    "It''s training; I''m supposed to be pushing him hard as his sparring partner," Jin retorted, shaking his head in jest as he spoke to his wife.


    "I don''t care; I just don''t want you hurting my only grandson in the name of training," Hana Tatsuya shot a chilling re at her husband, silencing him with a mere look.


    Hana''s face softened into a sweet expression as she turned her attention to her grandson. "I have something prepared for you."


    Sam watched as Hana produced a scroll, beautifully tied with a red ribbon adorned with an image of an eagle.


    "This is the sword technique belonging to my mother''s ancestral family. I intended to give it to you on your sixteenth birthday, on the day of your martial awakening, but I couldn''t resist," Hana said, handing the scroll to Sam.


    [Name: Infernal Bird Reincarnation Art


    Type: Evolutionary-Grade Sword Technique


    Description: A collection of sword techniques created by the martial artists of the first generation of heroes, passed down for generations in the noble household of Tachibana.]


    "Grandma Hana, this is amazing. Thank you," Sam eximed, his eyes lighting up with excitement.


    "I''m d you like it. This sword technique should be very suitable for you. The more you use it, the stronger it will be. In the long run, if you have the Aptitude for it, you may even develop fire immunity to an extent, and some other things" Hana smiled warmly at her grandson.


    Her day would beplete as soon as she saw her grandson happy.


    "The Tatsuya family''s techniques are far better," Jin interjected with a jealous expression.


    Hana and Sam ignored the grumpy Jin as they continued their conversation. "Your grandfather said you have reached your mortal limit?"


    "Yes, I''ve reached level 15, and all my attributes except for strength and perception have reached 20, which is the limit a mortal can achieve unless awakened," Sam replied, looking at the system screen.


    "Hmm, to reach the mortal limit at the age of 15, you really are a genius. You could easily enter the ss of elites when you join the academy," Hana slowlymented.


    The academy she was referring to was the Academy of Heroes, a prestigious institution for aspiring martial artists.


    When a person reaches the age of sixteen, they awaken their innate martial potential, unlocking the ability to absorb mana into their bodies and convert it into Heroic energy, thus bing cultivators.


    Bing a cultivator was the first step to even attempting to enter the academy.


    Initially, the academy was established to house and train martial artists from low and middle-ss households whocked the necessary knowledge or masters to teach them.


    As centuries passed, it became a tradition for noble ns to send their young martial artists to the academy to prove themselves to themunity and establish their reputation.


    Most noble ns took this tradition seriously, and as a result, those young masters would do anything to stand out in the academy, from cheating to brutally killing anyone who stood in their way.


    Not everyone could enter the academy; their abilities, techniques, battle prowess, and potential would all be tested rigorously.


    Only those who passed these harsh conditions could gain entry.


    Even after gaining entry, students would be assigned to different sses based on their test results.


    Those who barely passed would be ced in the C ss, the lowest tier. Those who performed slightly better would be ced in the B ss.


    Above them was the A ss, reserved for students who demonstrated great potential and skill.


    And then there were the elites - those who showed unmatched potential, outshining their peers, and oveing every challenge thrown their way.


    They would be ced in the ssroom of the elites, a distinction reserved for the best of the best.


    ...


    Somewhere in the territory of heroes, within the opulent confines of a noble n''s mansion, a man adorned in regal attire sat at his work desk, engrossed in the tedious task of paperwork.


    Suddenly, his attention was drawn to the door, where a figure stood, concealed within the shadows.


    "Didn''t I make it clear before? If you haven''t brought anything of worth to my time, then go away," the man said, his gaze remaining fixed on the papers in his hand.


    "I have been following that kid from the Tatsuya n, just as you instructed me. Today, I was able to confirm your suspicion, and indeed, you are right. He is a hero who can wield magic," the shadowed figure replied, his tone stern and resolute.


    At once, the man behind the desk froze, his demeanor shifting to one of intense focus as he peered up, meeting the gaze of the figure in the shadows with a steely re.


    "Do you want me to dispose of him?" the shadow-cloaked man queried, his voice steady but edged with anticipation.


    "You won''t be able to kill him. Whenever he''s within the city, he''s virtually untouchable. And why would he leave the city when everything he desires is readily served to him on a silver tter? Let''s not forget, he is the grandson of the great Jin Tatsuya," the man responded with a smirk, tapping his chin in contemtion.


    "Even if he were to venture beyond the city walls, his family would ensure he remains under the utmost protection."


    "Then what do you want me to do?" the shadowed figure inquired, awaiting his nextmand.


    "Nothing," came the reply. "I will deal with him myself."


    "If I may ask, why are you so intent on killing him? What threat does he pose?" the cloaked figure pressed, curiosity evident in his tone.


    The man nced at the shadowy figure, his expression hardening. "He is an aberration, a deviation from the natural order. An anomaly such as him cannot be allowed to exist."


    "Is that reason good enough for you?"

 Chapter 3 - 03: Sam鈥檚 Confusion

    <h4>Chapter 3: Sam''s Confusion</h4>


    The next day, Sam found himself once again in the training room, but this time he was alone.


    Two stats remained that could be improved before he reached his mortal limit.


    He had be so engrossed in enhancing his speed, reaction time, and stamina that he hadpletely neglected his strength and perception.


    The most effective method to address this was intense physical training, pushing his body to its absolute limits, hoping it would adapt and grow stronger under the pressure.


    Sam nted one foot firmly behind him, drawing his hand back until it was coiled with tension before unleashing all his strength with a rapid rotation, his fist connecting with the steel dummy in front of him.


    The impact sent the dummy hurtling through the air, crashing into the wall with a resounding thud.


    But Sam didn''t halt there. Utilizing his incredible speed, almost supernatural for a mortal, he moved with the fluidity of a speedster,unching into a relentless assault on the hundreds of identical dummies, each one sent flying by his blows.


    After hours of exertion without respite, Sam finally came to a stop, sweat glistening on his brow.


    He had pushed himself to the limit, utilizing his maximum speed and strength, yet he had still failed to increase his power.


    "Damn it!" Frustration boiled within him as he pounded the ground, creating a small dent.


    Unbeknownst to him, a woman stood silently observing his training from the bleachers.


    "Punching the floor won''t solve your problem, my beloved son," the woman approached Sam, offering him a hand up.


    "I''ve been training non-stop for weeks now, and I''ve made no improvement in my strength," Sammented.


    Suddenly, a notification from the system interrupted his impending tirade.


    [Your Strength stat has increased by 1.]


    Before he could voice his frustration to his mother, he felt a surge of energy coursing through his tired body.


    Instantly, his exhaustion melted away as if it had never existed, his heartbeat steadying into a calm rhythm once more.


    "What the hell just happened?" Sam eximed, his confusion palpable.


    He was intimately familiar with his body''s capabilities, and he knew he was nowhere near the strength threshold to cause such an abrupt breakthrough.


    It was precisely this frustration that had unsettled him in the first ce.


    "Why are you suddenly silent?" His mother, Maya Tatsuya, a woman with dense white hair and eyes the color of blue zircon - traits Sam inherited from her - questioned, breaking the stillness with concern etched in her features.


    "Um, my strength stat has increased," Sam replied, his gaze fixed on the system panel before him.


    "Hah! Maybe punching the floor out of frustration did the trick, huh?" Maya teased, a smile ying at the corners of her lips.


    Sam shot his mother an annoyed nce. "Anyway, Mother, I thought you were busy dealing with the Radicals alongside the Imperial Knights."


    "Well, they managed to slip away. It seems they had the assistance of mages. We''re in discussions with the Court Mages to form a coboration team to apprehend those pieces of filth," Maya exined, her irritation palpable as she recounted her frustration at not catching the perpetrators.


    "Anyway, that''s for me to worry about. Tomorrow is your birthday, and coincidentally, it''s also the day young martial artists who turn sixteen wille together for the ceremony to awaken their potential... I won''t lie, I''m concerned about you," Maya said, her hand resting gently on Sam''s shoulder as she expressed her worry.


    "Why?" Sam inquired, his brows furrowing in confusion.


    "You''re already a mage. Unlike ordinary mages, you''ve shown great potential in martial arts. Hence, we came to the conclusion that you are a Hero who can wield magic," Maya exined slowly, her concern evident in her voice.


    Sam sighed, understanding his mother''s unease. "You''re concerned that there might be a possibility that I may not awaken my cultivation potential, aren''t you?"


    "...Yes," Maya admitted, lowering her head slightly, a pang of hurt evident in her expression as she confessed her fears to her son.


    "It''s alright, Mother. So what if I don''t awaken my potential?" Sam reassured her, his voice steady and confident.


    Sam pointed his hand at a broken dummy lying nearby, and a basketball-sized fireball manifested, striking the dummy and sending it flying into the wall in pieces.


    "I''m still a mage. Even if I don''t fit among the heroes, I''ll carve out my ce among the mages," Sam dered, his expression radiating confidence. It was evident that he harbored no concerns about his future.


    Maya smiled in relief, her earlier fears dissipating. She had been afraid that her son might spiral into depression or despair.


    Sam had always harbored a desire to be a hero more than a mage, favoring swords over spells.


    But now, he seemed to have found his own path, strong and resilient like herself.


    Maya sighed again. "Just don''t do anything stupid if things go down, you hear me?"


    "Mm," Sam nodded in agreement.


    "Anyway, here. This is for you." Maya took out a scroll containing some kind of technique from her spatial ring and handed it to her son.


    [Name: Soul Animation Concealment Art


    Type: Evolutionary-type concealment technique


    Description: A technique created by Grace Brunheart, one of the elite mages of the Brunheart Family. It is one of the highest forms of concealment existing in Arcane. The technique is an evolutionary type and in its earlier stages, so it is still unknown to what extent the technique could be developed.]


    "Your eldest sister herself developed this technique, and theoretically, it should work for you," Maya said with a strange expression, as if she really didn''t believe her daughter created a technique of this kind herself.


    "It''s a concealment technique tailor-made for you. Only a person with both mana and heroic energy can use it. She said that this is more than just a concealment technique," Maya ryed what Grace had instructed her to inform her little brother.


    "What can it do other than concealing?" Sam asked, turning his attention back to his mother.


    "I don''t know. Your sister couldn''t figure it out," Maya replied.


    "Then it''s for me to figure out?"


    "Yeah, I guess because only you can use it... Ahh, she had one job and she couldn''t do it right, can she?" Maya said with a frustrated face.


    "Mom, you should really stop trash-talking about her. Your eldest daughter is a genius mage. Don''t you know how many techniques and spells she invented?"


    Sam couldn''t understand why his mother and his eldest sister always trash-talked about each other and did not miss an opportunity to put out provocative taunts and petty remarks at each other.


    "Once she stops," Maya grumbled, her expression sour.


    Sam could only roll his eyes in response.


    There was no use in discussing this; they were never going to change.


    He actually believed they loved arguing with each other as if they couldn''t live without it.


    "Anyway, learn the technique before the academy''s entrance exam. We don''t want anyone to find out that you can wield magic." After a few more minutes of conversation, Maya left the training grounds.


    Sam sat on the ground in a lotus position, circting the mana inside his body in the direction instructed by the scroll.


    It was veryplicated to follow, but Sam managed it quite easily.


    He was incredibly knowledgeable when it came to magic. His sisters were all mages, actually genius mages.


    He himself was a genius.


    There wasn''t a single technique he found hard to learn or train.


    He was even knowledgeable about all kinds of theories about mana and heroic energy and such.


    Soon, every ounce of mana he hadpletely covered his meridians, vessels, and veins like a veil.


    After circting his mana, he probed his heroic energy, somehow acquired because of his mana.


    Heroic energy was just another form of energy, much like mana.


    The heroic energy began to circte in the same way as the mana, then it covered the areas where the mana had covered inside him.


    When he opened his eyes, he sensed that there was no mana or heroic energy leaking from his body. "I guess my eldest sister really deserves to be called a genius."

 Chapter 4 - 04: I鈥檓 Onto You

    <h4>Chapter 4: I''m Onto You</h4>


    Finally, the day of the Awakening Ceremony arrived at Sam''s doorstep, coinciding with his sixteenth birthday, marking his transition into a person capable of Awakening.


    In this world, only those who turn sixteen have the potential to awaken, and if they fail to do so, they''re deemed as ''trash'' by the cultivators for the rest of their lives.


    The ceremony was to be held at the Arena of Heroes, a ce steeped in history since the first generation of heroes.


    Situated at the center of the territory of heroes, it had been the venue for Awakening ceremonies for generations.


    The Arena was vast, capable of amodating about two hundred thousand people simultaneously.


    Though named the Arena of Heroes, its sole purpose now was to host Awakening ceremonies.


    Sam Tatsuya, apanied by his maternal grandparents, Jin Tatsuya and Hana Tatsuya, arrived at the Arena.


    The Tatsuya n guards surrounded them, protecting them from all sides.


    Sam''s mother, Maya, couldn''t attend the ceremony as she was needed elsewhere with the imperial knights under hermand.


    Meanwhile, Sam''s sisters, being mages unlike him, were with their father in the Brunheart n territory.


    The ceremony was restricted to heroes only, even if one had mage rtives; they wouldn''t be allowed entry unless under special circumstances.


    "It seems that technique really worked; I don''t sense an ounce of mana or heroic energy from your body," Jin remarked without looking at his grandson.


    "That''s good," Sam replied, his gaze drifting over the bleachers where people nced at him and started whispering amongst themselves, as if he was a man walking the path of shame.


    Most of these people had never seen Sam before, naturally curious about him, being the grandson of one of the strongest heroes.


    It wasn''tmon for noble ns to keep their most promising talents shrouded in secrecy from other noble ns.


    Yet, the way the Tatsuya family shielded Sam was intense, raising curiosity among other noble ns about the reason behind his secretive protection.


    "Ignore them," Jin advised. "They''re just curious."


    "And hostile," Sam noted, observing some eyes ring at him with undisguised hostility.


    "Who cares? Let them look all they want; they can''t do shit about it," Jin snorted, sending a piercing re at them, causing them to avert their gazes.


    "Thesepdogs of noble ns are likely here to observe all the awakeners, and they''re showing you even more attention because you''re a total mystery," Jin exined as they reached the area designated for the Tatsuya family, situated right after the ce reserved for the Hero King''s family.


    "Well, well, well, if it isn''t the great Jin Tatsuya," Sam nced at the person who casually referred to his grandfather by name, and found a man about Jin''s age standing with a group of people simr to his own n.


    "Ryo Shimura," Sam recognized the man. Ryo Shimura was the leader of the noble household of Shimura.


    "I see you finally decided to bring your precious grandson out of your household. I guess today I will really get to see why you kept him out of our sight," he said before setting his gaze on the ck-haired young man with blue eyes like sapphires.


    "I hope you won''t disappoint me," this time he directed his words straight at Sam.


    Jin intervened, positioning himself between them, shielding Sam from Ryo''s sight. "Get lost, Ryo. I''m really not in the mood to engage in idle chatter with you. So why don''t you just... you know, go away."


    "Having a bad day, I see," Ryo Shimura smiled to himself before casting onest nce at Sam and leaving, leaving a bad impression on Sam.


    "That guy always gets on my nerves," Jin sighed.


    "Isn''t he your friend?" Sam asked.


    "Don''t call him my friend. It''s embarrassing enough that I have to tolerate him in public. I don''t want you to get the wrong idea," Jin rolled his eyes.


    As they reached their destination, they encountered the leaders of the noble households of Urahara, Kusanagi, and Asuna ns, all of whom had brought their younger generation for the awakening ceremony.


    Sam learned that the noble leaders all had some kind of rtionship with the Tatsuya n, especially the Shimura n.


    Despite Jin''s insistence that they weren''t friends, their friendly rtionship was evident in the way the two ns interacted.


    Then there was the Urahara n, not hostile but not friendly either.


    They maintained a formal and indifferent demeanor towards everyone, as far as Sam could discern.


    As for the Asuna n, they were really close to the Tatsuya n; there were several reasons for that.


    The main ones were that they were rtives and always kept that kinship for generations.


    Lastly, there was the Kusanagi n.


    They appeared friendly, perhaps too friendly, which raised Sam''s suspicion. In particr, the youngest brother of the n leader seemed overly gentlemanly, almost unnervingly so.


    Sam felt a sense of unease around him, as if his instincts were warning him to be on guard. He sensed danger lurking beneath the fa?ade of friendliness.


    "Grandpa Jin, that guy from the Kusanagi n, don''t you think he''s kind of creepy?" Sam scrutinized his grandfather, his curiosity brimming over.


    "You sensed that, haven''t you? That guy is dangerous. I haven''t told you about this because it simply hadn''te up. I have a feeling that he''s up to something, something perilous that concerns you," Grandpa Jin''s words gripped Sam''s attention entirely.


    "What made you assume that?" Sam inquired, his toneced with a mixture of concern and intrigue.


    "He''s been asking too many questions, questions about you," Jin divulged slowly, seeking his wife''s permission to share their suspicions with their grandson, who received a nod of agreement.


    "When did this happen, and why haven''t I been informed?" Sam pressed further, his mind racing with a whirlwind of questions.


    "Because I didn''t think much of it at first. He seemed harmless. He just came to our n and asked to see you a couple of times. Of course, I rejected him. But it''s almost as if he knew what you are capable of. I could see hostility in his eyes, but it wasn''t directed at me, it was directed at you," Jin exined, his voice carrying a weight of concern for his grandson''s safety.


    ...


    After a few hours, the arena became filled with people. It wasn''t overcrowded, but it certainly looked packed.


    The ceremonies weren''t just for the Noble kids; they were for all the children in the territory of heroes once they turned sixteen.


    As for the Awakeners, they were directed to a specific area where they would be called by name to take their turn in awakening.


    When Sam arrived at that area, he recognized some of the individuals his grandparents had warned him about. They might pose the greatest obstacles in his life.


    Especially the Noble brats. Most of them openly disyed displeasure on their faces, while others regarded him with curiosity.


    They knew the illustrious Tatsuya n had someone like him, but since Sam was kept a secret due to his unique abilities, they knew almost nothing about him. Now they were left wondering what made him so exceptional.


    Sam also noticed the kids from the Kusanagi n eyeing him as though he were a dead man walking.


    Meanwhile, the other kids hesitated to involve themselves in whatever issues the noble brats had brewing.


    "I''m going to have my hands full at the academy, that''s for sure," Sam sighed to himself, sensing all the eyes filled with various negative emotions fixed upon him.


    Thest to arrive was the Hero King, Rowan Asuna, and his family.


    The arena fell silent as everyone, including the nobles, stood in respect¡ªeveryone except for the noble n leaders.


    After allowing them to settle, the king took his seat.


    Surprisingly, he cast a nce at the area of the Awakeners before narrowing his eyes at a certain handsome young man with ck hair and eyes that resembled blue zircons.


    Even Sam was taken aback. He subconsciously looked beside him, hoping that the king''s gaze was directed at someone else.


    Unfortunately, it was not the case; the king was indeed looking at him, as if to say, ''I''m onto you.''


    This drew the attention of all those present ¨C the noble n leaders, the fellow Awakeners ¨C all turned their predatory gazes toward him.


    He became the literal center of attention; every eye was fixed on him, and he could hear the murmurs and whispers around him, but he chose to ignore them.


    He was here to awaken and gain entry into the Academy, to join the ranks of the elites.


    He wouldn''t allow mere whispers and the attention of the crowd to affect him.


    It was something he had to face head-on. He knew he was an anomaly, attracting excessive attention simply because he was an enigma; they knew nothing about him.


    Just imagine what would happen if the others were to learn that he was a hero with the ability to wield magic.


    It was sure to be a wild ride ahead.

 Chapter 5 - 05: A Phenomenon

    <h4>Chapter 5: A Phenomenon</h4>


    Sam once again nced at the majestic blue crystal growing at the center of the arena.


    It stood about 30 feet tall, almost five times taller than him; Sam was 6 foot and 1 inch tall.


    This crystal was known as the Awakening Crystal, one of the purest forms of mana in existence.


    It formed due to the condensation of natural mana over a long period.


    Heroes were born with Mana Veins, granting them the ability to absorb mana from their surroundings and convert it into heroic energy within their bodies.


    This energy nourished their body, blood, muscles, tissues, and senses, enabling them to break through levels and significantly expand their lifespan.


    However, they couldn''t ess this power because their Mana Veins remained dormant throughout their lives.


    It only became possible to awaken the Mana Veins when they turned 16.


    To awaken the Mana Veins, they needed to be stirred up with pure natural mana, and this was where the Awakening Crystal came into y.


    Awakeners would touch the crystal, and pure, unsullied mana would flow into their body, awakening their Mana Veins.


    This enabled them to tap into their dormant powers, if they had one.


    While this could be done at home with a soft ball-sized mana crystal, what made this particr overgrown mana crystal special was what followed after sessfully awakening a person.


    Right after a person was awakened using the pristine mana from the Awakening Crystal, a phenomenon would ur.


    This phenomenon showcased the person''s potential, talent, and the boundless infinity running through their blood.


    This phenomenon served not only as a measure of the awakener''s potential but also became a gauge of their abilities and limits.


    The more intense and real the phenomenon, the greater the potential the awakener possessed.


    There were other factors at y as well, such as the type of phenomenon and its elemental attributes, all rted to the awakeners themselves.


    Most of the time, the phenomenons were materialized by their unique abilities, adding ayer ofplexity and depth to the whole awakening process.


    Just by observing the awakeners'' demeanor, Sam could discern a basic idea of who might be a pain in the ass once they entered the academy.


    He knew that most of these kids were eagerly awaiting their turn to see what kind of phenomenon he would conjure.


    As for Sam''s thoughts on the matter, he believed it didn''t matter much.


    If he failed to conjure a noteworthy phenomenon, he would likely be bullied for his perceived weakness.


    Conversely, if he conjured a remarkable phenomenon, he would attract attention and likely encounter various troubles.


    Sam harbored a slight worry that he might not awaken during the ceremony.


    Nevertheless, he resolved to go with the flow and allow events to unfold as they may.


    A figure approached the center of the arena and stood before the awakening crystal, capturing everyone''s attention.


    "Alright, everyone, if you could all settle down, we will proceed with the awakening ceremony," the man''s voice resonated throughout the arena like a wildfire. He exuded an authoritative aura, utilizing his heroic power tomand attention.


    "I am Ragnar ckthorn, the Vice Principal of the Hero Academy. Following tradition, I will oversee this year''s Awakening ceremony," Ragnar dered before casting his gaze upon the awakeners and then the general audience.


    "Before wemence, let me remind you of something. There are dozens of high-ranking Imperial Knights on the lookout. If anyone dares to attempt anything funny, they will be dealt with swiftly. Consider yourselves warned," he issued a stern warning, scanning the masses before turning his attention back to the awakeners.


    "I will call out the names, and the awakeners will get their chance to awaken their potential," he said.


    "Now, if you have any questions, now would be a good time."


    "Then, we begin. I will reprise once again: this ceremony is just for awakening your potential and nothing more, so don''t go out of your way to do anything shy or show off. Let your phenomenon do the talking," he said before calling out the first name.


    "Themoners will be the first ones to awaken, followed by the nobles. For some reason, the noble kids will be called out randomly," Sam learned about this when he read a book about the history of the hero academy.


    "Ryan Carter."


    Sam returned his attention to Ragnar as he called out the name of amoner.


    The kid walked up to the crystal and did as Ragnar told, cing his hand on the crystal and letting its pure, pristine mana flow into his body.


    As soon as it did, the crystal began to glow gently before it began to glow intensely. Not enough to blind one''s eyes, but it was somewhat intense.


    "Your potential is good," Ragnar nodded at him, then proceeded to call out names one by one.


    Sam noticed there was no reaction from the crowd for these awakenings.


    They weren''t phenomenal nor too intense.


    The most reaction themoners got was intense light strong enough to make one close their eyes.


    But that was all.


    These were not enough to bring out a strong reaction at all.


    In fact, thesemoners were actually a lot better than thest year''s, but they were not special.


    "Cedric Wardrad."


    Sam looked at themoner called with a neutral expression.


    He wasn''t expecting anything different from othermoners.


    But when themoner boy named Cedric touched the crystal, a phenomenon urred.


    The crystal glowed bright red that slowly turned into something like mes and began to spread to the sky.


    "It''s a phenomenon..."


    "He caused a phenomenon!"


    "He must have great potential."


    "A phenomenon!" Sam''s eyes reflected the mountainous mes in the sky.


    The mes took on the form of a fiery, four-legged beast before disappearing.


    The boy, Cedric Wardrad, had mes swirling around him before it disappeared into his body.


    Then, as if nothing incredible happened, he returned to the exit and disappeared from view.


    No one tried to stop him or intercept him, at least not under the presence of the Hero King and Imperial Knights.

 Chapter 6 - 06: Weird Generation

    <h4>Chapter 6: Weird Generation</h4>


    No one tried to stop him or intercept him, at least not under the presence of the Hero King and Imperial Knights.


    "Get information about thatmoner. I want him in my faction," Sam heard an authoritative voice speak to the person beside him.


    He saw a boy named Yami Kusanagi, the grandson of the leader of the Kusanagi n, looking all arrogant when he saw Sam looking at him.


    His face formed a sly smirk as if he were looking down on him.


    "Yep, this guy''s definitely trouble," Sam turned his gaze away as if he didn''t care, but this only made Yami more dissatisfied.


    Then the awakening ceremony proceeded as normal. No one other than Cedric Wardrad had been able to conjure a phenomenon of his level, which frankly disappointed a lot of people.


    Sam noticed that it was time for him and the other nobles to awaken.


    Among the nobles, Sam didn''t know anyone personally other than what his grandparents and mother told him, but he did see a familiar face.


    The person was a girl with long blonde hair and green eyes.


    She also stood alone and didn''t talk to anyone. Even if someone tried to initiate a conversation, she wouldn''t go through with it.


    "If I remember correctly, this girl is my mother''s friend''s daughter, right? Her name is Isabe Lancaster," Sam gazed at her for a few seconds, merely appreciating her great looks and nothing more.


    Yes, definitely nothing more.


    Then, the vice principal of the Hero Academy began to call out the names of the noble kids one by one, randomly picking names from a jar filled with parchment papers.


    After some of the nobles were called out and awakened their potential, each showing outstanding potential, though none conjured any phenomenon, they all triggered extreme reactions from the awakening crystal.


    Though there were some who seemed on the verge of conjuring phenomena, it didn''t ur in the end.


    Now, there were four people left: Sam, the disdainful Yami Kusanagi, Isabe Lancaster, and a girl with short white hair and blue eyes.


    At first nce, Sam found the girl with short white hair and blue eyes quite attractive.


    For a moment, he even thought he fell in love with her on the spot, which was ridiculous considering he had only just seen her for the first time.


    The girl seemed to sense eyes on her, and as she looked at Sam, he quickly turned his face so she couldn''t catch him in the act.


    "Isabe Lancaster," Ragnar called out.


    Isabe walked to the crystal and ced her palm on it, allowing the mana to flow into her veins.


    Then, something manifested from the crystal¡ªa bird, arge yellow bird resembling a crow, with red eyes.


    "CREEEEAAA..." Its cry resounded throughout the arena, a deep, guttural sound reminiscent of a crow''s hoarse call.


    Isabe''s eyes gleamed as brightly as the sun. As mana flowed into her body, she was surrounded by a yellowish light energy that flowed from her body and into her back.


    [Mana flows through your veins.]


    [You have awakened your potential.]


    [You have awakened your Dorment Unique Ability.]


    Even after she removed her hands, the phenomenon didn''t disappear, and a small smile formed on her lips.


    "An apex level phenomenon, huh?" the Hero King nodded to himself.


    "It''s been a while since someone conjured an apex level phenomenon. It''s certainly refreshing," Jin muttered slowly.


    After Isabe, Sam grew even more nervous. He didn''t want to summon anything less impressive than Isabe''s manifestation.


    But fortunately, it was Yami''s turn. When he ced his hand over the crystal, simr to Isabe, a bird manifested. This bird had three snake-like tails, a big red beak, and eyes filled with darkness.


    [Mana flows through your veins.]


    [You have awakened your potential.]


    [You have awakened a rare stat.]


    While Yami was engulfed within a dark energy, it eventually disappeared back into his body.


    "Another apex level phenomenon? What''s wrong with this generation? Two apex level phenomena?" Now even Jin became nervous. He shot a nce at his grandson, who mirrored his expression.


    The Hero King nced at his daughter, who had short white hair and blue eyes, and didn''t let these disys of power get to her head.


    "Yuki Asuna," Ragnar called out.


    Sam sighed; it seemed he would be thest person to awaken his Mana veins.


    It felt like a huge red g.


    Yuki, the daughter of the Hero King, walked down, totally ignoring the two massive phenomena that covered the sky in golden and ck brilliance.


    She touched the crystal, and mana flowed into her body.


    In response, an icy aura began to flow out and cover her surroundings, but Ragnar didn''t seem to mind it at all.


    [Mana flows through your veins.]


    [You have awakened your potential.]


    [You have awakened a rare stat.]


    As she watched the system prompt, a figure began to form from that aura, growing asrge as fifty feet, just like the earlier phenomena.


    It turned into arge humanoid monster, or rather, a yeti.


    It was massive and menacing, with bulging arms that seemed capable of smashing anything into a pulp.


    Yuki was surrounded by mist-like energy, cold to the touch, yet she didn''t seem affected by it. Then, she left the ce.


    "Sam Tat... Sam Tatsuya?" Ragnar looked at his name with a weird expression, then called it out, instantly catching everyone''s attention.


    Even the Hero King and the other noble n leaders were now looking at him with great interest.


    Sam took a nce at the three apex level phenomena in the sky, passed Yuki, Isabe, and Yami, and walked up to the awakening crystal.


    He ced his hand over it and let the mana flow into his body.


    But there was no reaction from the awakening crystal at all. A few seconds passed, and nothing happened.


    Just when everyone was beginning to think that Sam had failed the awakening, a blinding red light assaulted the entire arena.

 Chapter 7 - 07: Transcendent level

    <h4>Chapter 7: Transcendent level</h4>


    Just as it seemed that Sam would remain an unawakened hero for the rest of his life, something unprecedented urred.


    The awakening crystal emitted small whips of red mes before an intense red light, never before witnessed, assaulted the arena, blinding everyone present.


    Even the Hero King and noble n leaders were forced to shield their eyes.


    "What in the heavens is that?" When the intense red light finally subsided, what became visible was countless monsters, all formed of red and ck energy.


    Each one was distinct from the others, more terrifying than thest, deadlier in appearance with every nce.


    Dragons, vampires, lycans, qilins, snakes, phoenixes, spiders, four-legged beasts of all varieties, detestable abominations straight from nightmares, angels, demons, and countless more beings manifested before their eyes.


    Compared to these manifestations, the earlier apex-level phenomenons seemed like child''s y.


    "What kind of phenomenon is this? I have never seen anything like it before," Ragnar said, putting some distance between himself and the awakening crystal as he noticed that the awakening showed no signs of stopping anytime soon.


    And indeed, he was right. Sam''s awakening was far from over.


    Another round of intense red light, mixed with ckish energy, erupted.


    When it dissipated, hundreds of thousands of bits and pieces of energy floated in the air.


    This time, a tree¡ªan immense tree, resembling a divine banyan¡ªappeared, surrounded by the manifestations as if they were worshipping their god.


    Sam, enveloped by a myriad of energies, felt as though he were in a daze.


    His eyes seemed distant, and his dark ck hair mysteriously turned pure milky white, growing several inches down to his shoulders, covering his ears and the back of his neck.


    His body lifted from the ground, ascending about thirty feet into the air, before the manifestations transformed into streaks of red and ck light, merging with the divine tree''s manifestation.


    Then, the divine tree itself transformed into a massive ball of golden light, which shot towards Sam, merging with his body and causing a pir of golden light to pierce through the clouds.


    ...


    Somewhere within the territories of the heroes, the White Lotus Knights were gathered in a meeting.


    They constituted one of the Squads of Imperial Knights, under the leadership of Maya Tatsuya.


    Maya Tatsuya presided over the meeting with her knights when a pir of light struck the sky, seizing her attention.


    Even from this distance, it was vivid and awe-inspiring.


    "Son..." Maya couldn''t help but think of her beloved son who had gone for the awakening ceremony.


    ...


    Back in the arena of heroes, the pir of light slowly receded back into his body as he descended to the ground.


    Gradually, he regained consciousness as his hair returned to its normal state.


    He stood there, bewildered, clearly notprehending what he had just caused.


    He noticed Isabe Lancaster, Yuki Asuna, and Yami Kusanagi looking at him as if he were a monster.


    Then it dawned upon him that not just them, but everyone in the arena, bore simr expressions.


    [Mana flows through your veins]


    [You have awakened your potential.]


    [You have unlocked your Dorment-Innate Ability.]


    [Since you are favored by the System Administrator, you are granted a special rewards]


    [Reward: +5 Free Stat points.]


    [Reward: +1 Rare Stat]


    Sam was dumbfounded. Did the system, which had never given anything to anyone before, just reward him with attribute points?


    ''What the hell does it mean by saying I''m being favored by the System Administrator? Wait, is there a system administrator? Does that mean there is a person who can control the system?'' Sam didn''t know what to make of this revtion.


    He was too engrossed in looking at the system to realize what was happening around him.


    The Imperial Knights, who were hiding in the dark, had emerged and stood at the corners of the arena as if protecting the people inside under the Hero King''s orders.


    "This awakening ceremony is done. Have a good day and get out," Ragnar said, immediately ushering the awakeners backstage, but not everyone; only the ones that caused the phenomena.


    Under the Hero King''s order, the arena emptied, and then he took his daughter, Yuki Asuna, and left along with the Asuna n.


    While leaving, Yuki gave onest nce at Sam, who also returned the look.


    It was a simple, expressionless look, but Sam felt like there was more to it.


    He ignored that when his grandpa, Jin, pulled him out of the arena and hastily brought him back to the Tatsuya n''s territory.


    Upon arrival, he noticed Ragnar, the vice principal of the Hero Academy, and captain of the Imperial Knights'' Crimson de squad, waiting for him.


    Jin spoke first. "Sam, do you know what you just did?"


    "I... don''t know," Sam replied honestly.


    All he remembered was touching the awakening crystal; after that, everything was as ck as a white paper.


    When he regained his senses, he saw some weird things the system was showing him that he had never seen before.


    "You don''t know? Are you saying you don''t remember the things you conjured?" Jin asked violently, grabbing his shoulder and yanking him.


    Sam shook his head sideways in response.


    "You caused a transcendent-level phenomenon, and not a simple one at that," Ragnar, the vice principal of the Hero Academy, answered, moving forward.


    "It was unique, and this marks you as a target for people who already had eyes on you for a long time," the captain of the Crimson de squad, Alden ckwood, said.


    Sam looked in the direction where he was pointing, and sure enough, he could see the remnants of his phenomenon yet to dissipate.


    What he didn''t know was that all the heroes in the vicinity had been able to see the phenomenon adorning the sky in ck, white, and golden resilience.


    "Oh?" That was Sam''s reaction.


    Jin didn''t know whether he should cry orugh at his reaction.


    Just from the intensity of the phenomenon alone, Sam surpassed all the heroes in the history of awakeners.


    "I have work to do. The selection for the Academy will start in a few days," he said before looking at Sam.


    "As the vice principal of the academy, I have some privileges, and using that, I''m allowed to give direct admission without a test, and I want to give it to you."


    "So, no hardass test that you guys usually conduct?" Jin asked.


    "Nope. And it''s only for your grandson. His potential was nothing short of divine; even the principal would do anything to have him as his personal student."


    Sam thought for a second silently. "No, I will take the test. I''m already standing out too much; I don''t want to make it worse by you giving me special privileges. Moreover, I''m confident I can get into the elites."


    Ragnar smiled in satisfaction. "Okay then, I will see you back in a few days for the entrance exam."


    After he left, Alden ckwood handed a scroll containing a technique to Sam.


    "The Hero King sent me to give this to you as a gift for showcasing your extraordinary potential in the awakening ceremony."


    [Name: Asura Sutra


    Type: Evolutionary-type Body Cultivation Technique


    Description: Cultivating the body to the absolute limit using natural heroic energy, and with enoughprehension, one can manifest an avatar of Asura.]

 Chapter 8: Tasha & Sasha

    <h4>Chapter 8: Tasha & Sasha</h4>


    The Next Day.


    After the awakening ceremony, Sam went straight to his n mansion.


    Awaiting him there were the vice principal of Hero Academy and Alden ckwood, the captain of the Crimson de squad, who had given him the [Asura Sutra].


    By the time they left, it was already past dinner.


    Sam, too exhausted to think about food, went straight to bed without even checking the strange notifications the system was showing him.


    He was mentally drained from the day''s events and didn''t want to overload his brain with more information.


    The next morning, Sam was still curled up in his bed, unaware that two figures were nestled beside him, using his arms as pillows.


    He awoke to the sensation of movement and, upon opening his eyes, found two women with the same hair and eye color as his own.


    They were his elder sisters, identical twins who even wore matching clothes.


    The only difference between them was their hairstyles: the elder twin had short hair, while the younger one had long hair.


    "Ha," Sam sighed softly.


    He didn''t want to wake them, so he remained still.


    This wasn''t an unusual situation for him; he was used to his sisters sleeping beside him since he was young, especially these two.


    Sam had a total of four sisters, with the twins being the second eldest of the four.


    Suddenly, the events of the previous day came rushing back to him.


    He still couldn''t remember conjuring that transcendent-level phenomenon, but it had undeniably happened.


    The system''s message about being favored by the system administrator and receiving rewards for sessfully awakening, despite never having done so before, was beyond a doubt.


    "System logs," Sam silently called out in his mind. In response, a blue screen appeared in his field of vision.


    {System Logs}


    [Mana flows through your veins]


    [You have awakened your potential.]


    [You have unlocked your Dorment-Innate Ability.]


    [Since you are favored by the System Administrator, you are granted a special rewards]


    [Reward: +5 Free Stat points.]


    [Reward: +1 Rare Stat]


    Then he focused on the free stat points.


    [Stat Points: You can use these points to freely allocate to any attributes of your choice. (Note: Some rare and special stats might be immune to free stat point allocation, so use them carefully.)]


    "Free stat points that I can allocate to any attribute of my choice, huh? This coulde in handy in tight situations. But wait, should I even use them?"


    He hesitated. The system had never granted anyone such a special privilege before, and it seemed suspicious.


    Typically, the system could only quantify and disy one''s attributes and status; it couldn''t grant free stat points like this.


    He definitely felt there would be problems in the future if he epted whatever the system was offering without question.


    "I was also rewarded a rare stat and unlocked my innate ability," Sam remembered.


    With this in mind, he decided to investigate further.


    "Status," Sam called out in his mind.


    ---


    [Name: Sam Tatsuya/Brunheart]


    [Hero Level: 15]


    [Mage level: 20]


    [Titles: An Anomaly]


    [Race: Half Mage, Half Hero]


    [ss: None]


    {Physical Stat(s)}


    [Strength: 19


    Agility: 20


    Stamina: 20


    Perception: 18


    Heroic Power: 20


    Mana: 20


    Stat Points: 5]


    {Rare Stat(s)}


    [Charm: 15 (Note: 10 is the average charm level for a mortal.)]


    [Elemental Affinity(s): Wind, me]


    [Innate Ability: Extraction ]


    [Magic: Wind Magic, me Magic, Non-Elemental Magic]


    [Skills: Heroic Sense, Mana Sense, Swordsmanship, Spearmanship, Spellcasting]


    [Techniques: Soul Animation Concealment Art (Level: 1), Infernal Bird Reincarnation Art (Level: 1), Asura Sutra (Level: 0)]


    ---


    "Charm? What use does charm have for a martial artist?" Sam pondered as he moved his eyes towards the Innate Ability section.


    As if it had always been a part of him, his ability [Extraction] and everything about it came rushing back to him in vivid detail.


    In an instant, he knew what this ability could do, its limitations, and its potential.


    He understood everything.


    The ability was simple: it could extract anything from anything.


    For example, he could now absorb the elixirs from pills without having to swallow them, or instantly draw mana from mana crystals.


    The extent of the things he could use this ability on was yet to be discovered.


    From his knowledge of the ability, he knew that its potential was limitless; there could be an infinite number of things he could extract.


    "Good morning, brother," one of the twins¡ªthe one with short hair, the elder¡ªwoke up and immediately threw herself on his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck.


    Sam instinctively responded by hugging her back. "Good morning to you too, big sister Tasha. I missed you."


    "I missed you so much," Tasha said, cing a kiss on his cheek. The younger twin woke up then and, seeing her sweet little brother, promptly hugged him.


    "I missed you," she said, kissing him on the other cheek.


    "When did you guys arrive? Aren''t you supposed to be on the expedition to the Green Lake Valley?" he asked.


    The Green Lake Valley was a ce in the Mages'' territory, a dense forest teeming with all kinds of dangerous beasts.


    He remembered that signs of a beast tide had been detected for weeks, prompting the Mage''s Tower to form expedition teamsprising their best high-ss mages to investigate the forest.


    "No, we heard from Grandpa Jin about what happened and we couldn''t wait to see you after you caused such amotion with the heroes... I''m proud of you," Tasha said.


    "Yeah, yeah, if only you could do the same thing in the mage territories," Sasha added.


    "Well, I can''t. Only our family can know I''m a hero who can wield magic. As far as others are concerned, I''m just a hero from one of the strongest ns... and someone who conjured something unbelievable during the awakening ceremony," Sam said, sighing at the end of the sentence.


    "Where is Xenovia?" he asked.


    "She''s still at the academy; she said she couldn''te," Tasha answered. "I tell you, she doesn''t love you as much as we do, even though she''s your twin sister."


    "Yeah, same goes for the eldest," Sasha said, shaking her head.


    "Don''t say that. The eldest even created a technique to mask my mana and heroic energy, and it''s been great," Sam said. "And as for the youngest, even though she wouldn''t show it, I know she wanted toe but couldn''t."


    "You never hesitate to defend them, do you?"


    "Yes, and I would do the same for you two if they were the ones saying bad things about you two," Sam said.


    "My sisters are my world. You guys knew that, don''t you?"


    "Of course, we knew," Sasha said, cing her hand on his head.

 Chapter 9 - 09: A Rare Stat

    <h4>Chapter 9: A Rare Stat</h4>


    The Next Evening in the Tatsuya n.


    Sam''s grandparents were alone at home; Sam had gone out with his elder sisters, Tasha and Sasha, as they wanted to spend some quality time with him.


    Jin nced at his wife, who was busy preparing dinner. "Do you want to talk about why you gave the [Infernal Bird Reincarnation Art] to our grandson?"


    "There is nothing to talk about," Hana replied without turning her head, clearly indicating that she did not want to discuss the matter at that moment.


    Jin''s eye twitched slightly in annoyance. "Fine then, let me ask you this: what makes you think he will be able to use that technique? I thought only those with the Tachibana bloodline could utilize it."


    Hana turned around slowly, her face expressionless yet intimidating. Jin felt a pang of nervousness, knowing his wife was genuinely angry this time.


    "He is our grandson. Why don''t you have some faith in him? Or are you doubting our grandson''s talent and potential?" she asked sharply.


    "Of course not! Only someone out of their mind would say that," Jin responded quickly.


    "It''s not about talent. The technique you gave him¡ªyou yourself said that only someone with the bloodline of the Tachibana household, your household, can sessfully use it."


    "Unfortunately, my n is no more," Hana replied in a low voice.


    "Then why do you want Sam to learn that technique so badly? You know he''s never going to use it. But if he did, it would make him one hell of a martial artist."


    "It''s not about my n. My n is long gone. As the sole survivor, I harbor this small hope that I might see my n''s potential awaken in him," Hana said slowly.


    "He was able to awaken the potential both as a mage and a hero from both his parents'' bloodlines. I have faith that if he can do that, he can surely awaken the bloodline I passed on to him."


    Jin wanted to say there was no chance of that happening, but he couldn''t bring himself to crush his wife''s hope.


    He didn''t need to educate her on this; as the only survivor of the Tachibana n, she knew how unlikely it was for their grandson to awaken a third bloodline.


    Perhaps it was because Sam had managed to awaken two noble n bloodlines, making him the only hero capable of wielding magic, that she dared to hope he could awaken the bloodline she passed on.


    "I know what you''re thinking, Jin. I realize how ridiculous it sounds," Hana said, grabbing his hand.


    "But you''ve seen how talented our grandson is, right? He is the definition of extraordinary. Even if there is the tiniest chance he could awaken my n''s bloodline, nothing could make me happier."


    Jin didn''t know what to say. As he thought about it, he couldn''t help but consider her words.


    Even he realized that their grandson was an anomaly.


    "What if he doesn''t? Won''t you be disappointed in him?" Jin asked with a serious expression.


    He didn''t want her to be disappointed, especially not in their grandson.


    Not everyone understood just how much disappointment from a loved one could hurt.


    Take it from a man who had faced a lot of disappointment in life and from himself.


    "Disappointment? Ridiculous," Hana snorted. "I am the proudest grandmother in Arcane. He could never disappoint me."


    "That''s reassuring," Jin said, smiling slightly as he ced his hand over hers.


    ...


    The next day dawned, with only a couple of days remaining before the entrance exam for the Hero Academy.


    Sam found himself in the training ground of the Tatsuya family, apanied by his sisters Tasha and Sasha.


    They stood together, hands sped in a familial bond.


    Sasha''s hand emitted a small bluish glow as she waved it in front of her eyes.


    The glow vanished and reappeared in her own blue eyes.


    "Wow, our brother has gotten so much faster. I have to use magic to enhance my senses just to follow his movements now," Sasha remarked, her voice filled with awe.


    "Indeed," Tasha agreed, nodding in agreement. "Hey, did you notice that our mana sense couldn''t pick up any mana signature from him?"


    "Mm, Grandma Hana said that the eldest invented a technique solely for our brother. It can hide his mana and heroic energy at the same time," Sasha exined, her gaze fixed on her brother.


    Sam moved gracefully, shing his sword left and right.


    His movements resembled a dance, executed with fluidity and precision.


    With every swing, bursts of wind were created, apanied by barely visible wisps of crimson mes.


    [Agility Stat Increased: +1]


    [Stamina Stat Increased: +1]


    Upon seeing the notifications, Sam halted his training.


    "Why did my stats increase? I don''t think I was anywhere close to breaking through. Is it because of the technique Grandma Hana gave me, or is it something else? Perhaps it''s the reason for the system."


    [Soul Animation Concealment Art Level Increased: +1]


    [You have awakened a rare stat.]


    [Congrattions on awakening a rare stat on your own. This deserves a reward.]


    [Reward: +5 Stat Points]


    Sam shook his head and sat down cross-legged, his gaze fixed on the system notifications.


    "First of all, are you rewarding me because I''m being favored by the system, Administrator?" he inquired, but no reply came.


    Ignoring the system rewards, Sam focused on the rare stat he had awakened on his own. "Is this because of the Soul Animation Concealment Art?" he wondered aloud.


    Doubts swirled within him, but he had no means to confirm it.


    Even the creator of the technique, his eldest sister, had no clue.


    All they knew was that with this technique, Sam could hide his mana and heroic energypletely.


    As long as anyone simr to him, possessing both mana and heroic energy, appeared or Sam deliberately revealed himself, no one would be able to sense any energy from his body.


    Then he focused his attention on the rare stat he awakened.


    [Rare Stat: Soul Power]


    [Effects: Increases soul strength, enhances perception, elevatesprehension level, amplifies insight, fortifies soul defense, boosts stamina, augments self-healing, enhances defense against mind maniption, intensifies aura]

 Chapter 10: The Hero King鈥檚 Concern

    <h4>Chapter 10: The Hero King''s Concern</h4>


    A week passed swiftly, and the entrance exam for Hero Academy was set to begin in the Luminous Forest.


    This forest separated the cities from another forest, known as the Forbidden Forest.


    The Luminous Forest enveloped nearly every part of the seven great cities, effectively concealing the Forbidden Forest from anyone''s reach.


    The Forbidden Forest earned its name due to its perilous nature, being home to a multitude of the most dangerous wild beasts and monsters of all shapes and sizes.


    Additionally, numerous strange and unsettling urrences were rumored to have taken ce there, instilling fear in the hearts of the people.


    Many who ventured into the Forbidden Forest for unknown reasons never returned, and those who did were irrevocably broken, their wills shattered.


    They spoke of witnessing indescribably horrific things.


    Some even imed to have seen ghosts, though such ims were never substantiated.


    However, the mental and emotional wreckage of those who returned was undeniably real.


    If ghosts weren''t the cause, something else certainly was.


    Thugs who attempted to exploit the istion of the Forbidden Forest met grisly fates, often found dead with their throats inexplicably shed.


    These and many other tales contributed to the forest''s infamous and forbidden reputation.


    Ironically, Hero Academy was situated somewhere between the Luminous Forest and the Forbidden Forest.


    However, the entrance exam was to be held in the heart of the Luminous Forest, several kilometers away from the Forbidden Forest.


    "The academy sure chose a hell of a ce for the entrance exam, didn''t they?" Sasha remarked as they reached the area designated for the exam.


    "Isn''t this unusual?" Tasha asked, ncing at her grandfather, Jin Tatsuya.


    "It is unusual," Jin replied. "If I know them well, they probably made this year''s exam particrly challenging."


    "Why?" Sam inquired.


    "Why? Because of you and those kids who managed to conjure Apex level phenomena. You conjured a transcendent level one, and they must be curious. This is an excellent opportunity to assess your talents," Jin exined.


    When they arrived at the exam site, they saw a building structure reserved for the Academy officials and five noble leaders.


    The presence of the ns ensured that the Academy wouldn''t engage in any misconduct, such as rigging the exam or judging unfairly or with discrimination.


    Most of the Awakeners were already present, and Sam was thest of the noble Awakeners to arrive, though he was on time.


    The other noble Awakeners, such as Yuki Asuna, Isabe Lancaster, and Yami Kusanagi, stood with their respective n members.


    Sam''s eyes caught sight of Cedric Wardrad standing with Yami''s group.


    Cedric noticed Sam''s gaze and looked back with an unreadable expression.


    As Sam entered, everyone from the Academy officials to the noble n leaders turned their gazes towards him, as if he were the Eiffel Tower of the mortal world.


    "You are getting a lot of attention, my dear brother," Sasha chuckled, patting her brother''s back.


    "I know, I can see them," Sam replied with a sigh.


    "Ignore them and just do your best, alright?" Jin said before he and his elder sisters moved towards their designated area.


    This was a private event, so there was no audience.


    The space was essentially empty except for the Academy officials, the five great n leaders, and the Awakeners.


    Sam joined the group of Awakeners, who were all looking at him as if he were an alien.


    Some even cast negative nces his way, with Yami Kusanagi being one of them.


    Sam remembered something.


    When he first arrived, he noticed Yami talking with the younger brother of the Kusanagi n leader.


    He had learned from his grandfather Jin that this was Yoru Kusanagi.


    In his grandfather''s words, Yoru was a narcissistic, superstitious bastard with a superiorityplex.


    That was all Sam needed to know that Yoru was someone to be cautious around.


    Ignoring Yami, Sam noticed Yuki Asuna, who, oddly enough, kept her eyes fixed entirely on him.


    This made him even more ufortable as there was no discernible expression on her icy face.


    Just then, a notification appeared in his mind:


    [Iingmunication from the user titled ''The Hero King'']


    [Do you ept?]


    ''The Hero King wants tomunicate with me now?'' Sam thought, instinctively looking towards where the Hero King was seated before epting themunication.


    Their eyes met.


    [The Hero King: How was my gift? Did you like it?]


    "It was great, Your Majesty," Sam replied through the system''smunication interface.


    [The Hero King: Don''t be too formal, just speak naturally. I know that you wield magic.]


    "You... you do?"


    [The Hero King: Don''t be surprised. And don''t worry, your secret is safe with me. I actually contacted you to discuss something else.]


    "What would that be, Your Majesty?"


    [The Hero King: I have concerns regarding the safety of my daughter at the academy. It would ease my mind greatly if you could keep an eye on her.]


    "This..." Sam hesitated. He wanted to decline, but it was the Hero King asking.


    The Asuna n and the Tatsuya n had always had a good rtionship, and he didn''t want to jeopardize that by refusing.


    After much thought, he replied, "I will do it, but I want to know why she needs someone to watch over her. Isn''t the academy one of the safest ces?"


    [The Hero King: You are correct. I''m not worried about external threats. It''s the internal ones that concern me. Many want her dead, and they might have people inside the academy as students. The academy does not interfere in student matters unless it leads to death. You understand what I''m getting at, don''t you?]


    "Yes..." Sam understood that the academy would not intervene in conflicts between students unless it resulted in death, meaning anything short of absolute death could ur.


    [The Hero King: From this moment on, you are to be my daughter''s protector.]


    "I don''t understand why you''re choosing me. Why not someone else?"


    [The Hero King: It''s because of our ns. We are rtives and have a long history together. While other ns seem loyal, I cannot be certain of their true intentions.]


    Sam closed his eyes and thought for a moment. "I will protect your daughter, Your Majesty."


    [The Hero King: Good. And don''t worry, you will have help.]

 Chapter 11: First Test

    <h4>Chapter 11: First Test</h4>


    Sam watched as a man dressed in a red Japanese yukata, adorned with a majestic image of a lion-like beast, took the stage.


    "I am the principal of the Hero Academy, Agor Leonidas," he announced.


    "First of all, I want to say congrattions on sessfully awakening. Secondly, not all of you will make it to the academy, so I suggest any useless brats who don''t have the guts to scram now."


    The expressions of the awakeners changed; they hadn''t expected the principal of the prestigious Hero Academy to speak so bluntly, especially not in front of the five great n leaders and the Hero King.


    "He never changes, does he?" the Hero King remarked, shaking his head in eptance.


    "If he did, he wouldn''t be himself," Alden ckwood, the captain of the Crimson de Squad, said with a sigh from behind him.


    Principal Leonidas snorted in annoyance as he observed that no one was moving from their ce.


    He had hoped to intimidate the weak-willed into leaving.


    "Very well, you asked for it. Your first test starts right now," he dered.


    Silence prevailed for a few seconds before every single awakener felt a formidable presence emanating from the principal and pressing down on them.


    The awakeners began to wonder when the test would start or even what the test entailed.


    Suddenly, it felt as if a mountain of weight had been ced on their backs.


    "What the...?" Sam felt the crushing pressure on his back, his neck, his head, and in every part of his joints.


    He suddenly became acutely aware of his breathing, his heartbeat, his blood running through his veins, and even his hair standing on end.


    It wasn''t just him; every single awakener who hade to take the entrance exam felt this overwhelming force.


    "This is your first test," Principal Leonidas said. "Try to hold on to your consciousness as much as possible and try not to puke. I would hate to have to clean it up afterward." He increased the pressure even more, making it impossible for anyone to even partially stand.


    As minutes passed, the pressure only seemed to increase further.


    It had only been ten minutes, but for the awakeners, it felt like an eternity.


    The test area was filled with the sounds of strained breathing and suppressed groans as each awakener fought to remain conscious under the immense pressure.


    At one point, one of the awakeners couldn''t handle the pressure and copsed, unconscious.


    This triggered a chain reaction; one by one, dozens of awakeners began to fall to the ground, unable to withstand the overwhelming force.


    This greatly affected the mentality of the remaining awakeners, both positively and negatively.


    Some feared they might soon fall and be eliminated, while others gloated, feeling confident because they were still standing strong.


    "I don''t think the test is over just yet," Sam said, his tone grim.


    He was someone who always expected the worst, and he felt that the test seemed too easy so far, contradicting what his grandfather had told him about the difficulty of this year''s trials.


    And he was right.


    With a wave of his hand, Agor Leonidas summoned six elders from the academy, who stood three on each side of him.


    "The real test begins now," Agor said with a grin.


    "Isn''t this too much?" Just as Sam thought of something absurd, it began toe true.


    The six newly arrived elders started to release their pressure.


    Like waves of the sea, the pressure began to fill the air, surging like a boiling tunnel rushed with heat.


    The awakeners began to feel the temperature rising rapidly; the second level of the first test was just that intense.


    Previously, only a dozen awakeners had fallen, but now almost fifty copsed to the ground, their faces red, some even bleeding from their noses.


    "This is too much," Sam struggled. He was already on the ground, using his hands and knees for support.


    He was among the few who were faring better than others.


    [Your soul power is increasing]


    "W-What?" Sam saw the notification but couldn''t understand why his soul power was increasing.


    He wasn''t in any state to research it because the level of pressure showed no signs of relenting.


    "Fuck this shit," Yami Kusanagi punched the ground in frustration.


    He nced at a boy with dark ck hair and blue eyes, noticing him holding on strong.


    Isabe Lancaster, Yuki Asuna, and the other nobles were not in great shape either.


    They desperately wanted to resist, but the pressure was overwhelming.


    It was only Sam who seemed to be doing rtively well, even though he was on all fours and sweating profusely.


    [Your soul power is increasing]


    [Your soul power is increasing]


    [Your soul power is increasing]


    As time passed, it had been almost an hour. The system repeatedly informed him that his soul power was increasing, yet not a single point had been added to his Soul Power attribute.


    However, he did feel that handling the pressure became easier.


    As his soul power increased, he could definitely feel his resistance increasing, his mind bing clearer, his senses sharpening.


    Yes, clearer, not stronger. There was a difference.


    [Your soul power is increasing]


    [Soul Power Stat Increased: +1]


    [Perception Stat Increased: +1]


    Sam felt his mind te. He could feel the effect of the pressure reducing rapidly.


    He felt as if he could even stand up under this pressure.


    "Oh, interesting," Agor, who had noticed Sam standing up, grinned mysteriously.


    He raised his hands, signaling the others to stop releasing their pressure, allowing the tension in the air to dissipate.


    This relief enabled the candidates to breathe properly again.


    The test was over. Out of the three hundred candidates, about fifty had lost consciousness and were consequently eliminated from the exam.


    Those who remained conscious were not in great shape.


    While they bore no physical injuries, they were mentally exhausted, sweating profusely, and their faces were flushed red.


    Theyy on the ground, utterly drained of strength.


    Some of the more powerful candidates, like Yuki, Isabe, and other noble children, were struggling and barely standing.


    And then there was Sam, standing with unsteady breathing but otherwise appearing perfectly fine.


    At that moment, all eyes were on him. From the academy officials to the noble n leaders and the other awakeners, everyone was watching him intently.


    "How the hell is he standing after all that?" one of the awakeners couldn''t contain his frustration and blurted out.


    "He''s the one who caused that abominable phenomenon during the awakening ceremony," another replied.


    Yami''s face was contorted with anger, a vein visibly throbbing on his forehead. He punched the ground in fury.


    "Damn this bastard," he muttered through clenched teeth.

 Chapter 12: Aimless

    <h4>Chapter 12: Aimless</h4>


    "That marks the end of the first test, and those who fell unconscious are henceforth eliminated from the entrance exam. The medics will provide you with three vials of rejuvenation potions," the principal announced before turning his attention to the remaining candidates.


    He was especially focused on the boy with dark ck hair and piercing blue eyes, who seemed to be in peak condition even after enduring all that pressure, while the others were barely standing.


    [Soul Power Stat Increased: +1]


    [Soul Power Stat Increased: +1]


    [Soul Power Stat Increased: +1]


    [Perception Stat Increased: +1]


    [Perception Stat Increased: +1]


    [Congrattions onpleting the first test of the Hero Academy entrance exam. You deserve a reward.]


    [Reward: Eye of Truth]


    [Innate Ability: Eyes of Truth (Active)]


    [Effects: Grants ability to see others'' Status windows, Energy lines, Energy Signatures, increases Visual Comprehension, Increased Perception: +3]


    "Another reward? Can you at least tell me what I did that others didn''t to deserve these special rewards?" Sam wondered silently.


    Of course, he never received an answer. He wasn''t even sure if he should use these rewards.


    He felt like he was cheating, and at the same time, he was suspicious of the whole system being too generous to him.


    There was also this feeling that the rewards he was getting from the system were rightfully his.


    These wereplicated and contradictory emotions.


    "The final test is simple. We are currently standing at the borders of the Luminous Forest. A few kilometers in is the Forbidden Forest. That''s where your final test will take ce," the principal said, pointing in a specific direction.


    Upon hearing him, the awakeners'' expressions instantly changed to one of disbelief, with some even showing fear.


    "Is he crazy or something? He wants us to go into the Forbidden Forest? Did he forget why it''s called forbidden?" one of the awakeners couldn''t help but voice out.


    "There are all kinds of dangerous beasts in that forest," another said, with a dissatisfied expression.


    "I heard from the granny in my area that there are ghosts in the forest that will suck the life out of anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in its clutches," another awakener said, trembling.


    Within minutes, the entire ce had be a chatterbox, as they began to babble in fear, questioning why they should go into the Forbidden Forest.


    "SILENCE!!!"


    Like a thunderstrike, the principal''s voice descended,bined with an overwhelming pressure that instantly silenced the students.


    "Didn''t I say this before? If you don''t have the will to take risks, then this academy is not for you," Agor said, his expression filled with annoyance.


    "I will now tell you about the test, and I will not tolerate any interruptions. Do I make myself clear?"


    Seeing that no one dared to open their mouths, Agor smirked slightly. "The test is simple: it''s a beast hunt, and points will be allocated based on the beasts you hunt."


    He then began to exin the rules.


    First, there was the point system: the awakeners would receive point for hunting beasts.


    If the hunted beast was three levels below that of the hunter, no points would be awarded.


    If the hunted beasts were within three levels below that of the hunter, then one point would be awarded for each beast.


    If the level of the hunted beast was the same as that of the awakener, then two points would be awarded.


    The reward points would increase by one for every level the beast was higher than the hunter.


    "To prove your kills, you must bring the beast cores," Agor exined.


    "Oh man, that means there will be some opportunistic awakeners trying to steal beast cores from others," Sam grunted, envisioning a possible scenario.


    "Killing other awakeners is strictly forbidden. If anyone is found guilty, there will be severe consequences," Agor warned, raising his pressure slightly.


    "You will be given bracelets imbued with magic. These will send us a signal if you encounter beasts too dangerous to handle or if you are killed so we can collect your bodies. You can also use them to send a distress call if you feel you need to be saved. However, if you are saved, you will be disqualified."


    "Don''t you think this exam is a little too harsh?" Jin asked, looking at Agor.


    "Usually, the beast hunt is conducted in a secure and controlled part of the Luminous Forest. It has been a long time since the Forbidden Forest was freely used for the entrance exam."


    "You should thank your grandson for that," the Hero King replied.


    "He is the one who conjured a phenomenon that, in my opinion, transcends even the transcendent level. This is the best opportunity for the academy to assess your grandson''s talent."


    "Well, your daughter doesn''t fall behind either, does she?" Jin asked, smiling slightly.


    "I love my daughter, but the fact is she didn''t conjure a transcendent phenomenon."


    "Are you disappointed?"


    "No, not really. It''s just that neither of us expected someone like your grandson to appear, even though I kind of foresaw something like this happening," the Hero King sighed.


    "I hope it''s alright that I asked your grandson to look after my daughter, Uncle."


    "Don''t worry about it, Rowan. He needs a hobby anyway," Jin replied, lost in thought.


    "What''s wrong?" the Hero King asked, noticing the strange expression on Jin''s face.


    "It''s my grandson. He is so... aimless. All he ever does is train, train, and train. He says he trains because he likes getting stronger, that he loves the feeling thates with it," Jin said slowly.


    As far as Jin could remember, Sam had always been quiet and reserved.


    He was highly talented in both magic and martial arts, but he never took an interest in anything else, and this always concerned his family.


    "My daughter is the same. All she does is train. In fact, it''s be more intense after witnessing your grandson''s disy of talent. She says she wants to be the strongest hero ever."


    "At least she has a clear goal, right?"


    "I guess so."

 Chapter 13: Sudden Assault

    <h4>Chapter 13: Sudden Assault</h4>


    After a few minutes of rest, the final test for entrance was about to begin.


    "The Forbidden Forest can be dangerous," Agor began, "but I won''t stop you from venturing deep into it. However, if you want to hunt stronger beasts, you have no choice but to go deeper."


    "You will be given twenty-four hours to hunt as many beasts as you can. You are allowed to take nothing with you except your weapons; no medicine or rejuvenation potions are permitted."


    They were brought to another part of the Forbidden Forest, which seemed less ominous.


    "This part of the forest will be your starting point. After the hunt, you are to regroup right here," Agor instructed.


    The awakeners knew it was toote to back out.


    They could only grit their teeth and venture into the Forbidden Forest, doing their best to hunt as many beasts as possible while protecting their prey from poachers.


    A bell rang, signaling the start of the final test¡ªthe beast hunt.


    The awakeners rushed into the forest, their futures hanging in the bnce.


    Sam sprinted into the forest, moving quickly.


    For now, he had no particr goal other than to earn enough points to pass.


    Temporarily, he decided to keep an eye on the other awakeners, especially the ones who had caught his attention.


    Approximately two hundred and twenty awakeners took the final test.


    Once inside the forest, everyone went their separate ways.


    Sam noticed some awakeners forming hunting parties.


    There were also individuals like Yuki Asuna and Isabe Lancaster, who chose to hunt alone, showing no fear.


    As for Sam, he was unsure of what to do.


    He didn''t want to join a party; he was a loner with secrets he preferred to keep hidden.


    "It seems that guy Yami formed a hunting party with his underlings," Sam observed, noting that Cedric Wardrad was among them.


    Yami and his group also noticed Sam, and their expressions were not friendly.


    Sam ignored their hostile looks and ventured deeper into the forest.


    Soon, he encountered a beast.


    It was a huge brown snake with glistening scales,rge enough to wrap around a full-grown elephant with just a quarter of its body.


    Despite the pair of wings on its back, Sam knew the beast was not aerial.


    [Winged Earth Snake Titan (Infant Stage)]


    Its horrible hiss reverberated through the air, adding to its menacing aura.


    "It''s about as strong as me," Sam muttered, sensing the aura it emitted.


    His perception stats were higher than his other stats at the moment, enhancing his overall senses significantly.


    Sam''s eyes locked onto the snake''s as he drew a long, pointed sword with broad edges from his storage ring.


    The sword gleamed in a silvery-white hue, reminiscent of the moon.


    [Equipment Equipped: Eclipse Sword]


    Upon seeing the weapon in his hand, the snake hissed viciously before lunging at Sam, its pointed fangs aimed directly at him.


    Just before its fangs could tear through his flesh, Sam vanished from the spot, reappearing at the center of its body.


    "Shit," the snake reacted swiftly, its tail shing at Sam.


    Yet, Sam was even swifter than the snake.


    He nted his foot firmly into the ground, propelling himself into the air, andnded on its head, piercing his pointed sword into one of its eyes.


    Fresh, cold blood spurted out, causing the snake to panic and attack him on impulse.


    Sam utilized itspromised vision, exploiting its blind spot tounch sessive attacks on its head.


    More cold blood gushed out as Sam relentlessly shed his sword dozens of times, creating deep cuts on its head, causing it to bleed profusely.


    Finally, he thrust his Eclipse Sword directly into its head, ending its life.


    "Mm, that was easy," Sam remarked, making a deeper cut on the back of its head to create a hole before retrieving a brown-colored gem as big as a baseball.


    [Infant Winged Earth Snake Titan''s Core: +1]


    Suddenly, Sam felt a chill run down his spine, and his pupils dted.


    Without hesitation, he moved from where he was standing.


    Not even a secondter, a sh of dark energy struck the spot he had just vacated, scorching the ground with jet-ck mes.


    "What the fuck?" Sam eximed, pointing his sword at the person who had ambushed him.


    It turned out to be Yami, apanied by his underlings.


    "You bastard, you are going to die today," Yami grinned viciously.


    In his hand was a sword, emanating a menacing dark energy.


    It gave off an aura that sent a shiver down Sam''s spine.


    "What is that?" Sam wondered as he analyzed the situation.


    Yami had brought six underlings with him, including Cedric Wardred.


    Sam wasn''t worried about the others because he could sense they weren''t as strong as he was.


    His main concern was Yami and Cedric.


    [Skill Activated: Eye Of Truth]


    Sam finally decided to use his system rewards.


    His eyes took on a faint, almost imperceptible white glow as he examined Yami''s status window.


    ---


    [ Name: Yami Kusanagi ]


    [ Hero Level: 16 ]


    [ Race: Hero ]


    {Physical Stat(s)}


    Strength: 21


    Agility: 21


    Stamina: 21


    Perception: 18


    Heroic Power: 16


    {Rare Stat(s)}


    Dark Power: 10


    [ Skills:... ]


    [ Techniques:... ]


    ---


    "Dark power, huh? It seems like an offensive ability," Sam muttered, narrowing his eyes. He also had two rare stats, but they were more supportive in nature.


    ''It looks like he awakened a rare stat during the awakening ceremony,'' Sam thought, tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword.


    He didn''t have time to ponder further. He was already surrounded by Yami and his underlings, and the threat was imminent.


    "You do know killing is not allowed, right?" Sam casually asked.


    "Then we won''t kill, we''ll just break all your bones. That should be enough," Yami snorted.


    "I highly doubt you can aplish that," Sam smirked confidently.


    He wasn''t intimidated by Yami and his group.


    Though they might pose a challenge in numbers, he was certain he could defeat them with enough effort.


    Yami felt a vein bulge on his forehead. "Finish him," he ordered.


    Hearing hismand, his underlings drew their weapons and swiftly moved to subdue Sam.


    Though weaker individually, their sheer numbers posed a threat.


    But to Sam, it was an opportunity to hone his skills.


    He didn''t rely on any fancy techniques; he believed he didn''t need them to defeat these mere underlings.


    Five of them, except Cedric, rushed at him with swords in hand.


    Sam pressed his foot and appeared before one of the attackers, striking like a baseball bat, using his sheathed sword to deliver a powerful blow to the abdomen.


    The force sent the poor soul flying, blood leaking from his mouth as he crashed to the ground, unconscious.


    Without pause, Sam used the momentum to kick another assant in the sr plexus, the sound of bones cracking echoing as the man groaned in agony and copsed.


    Witnessing theirrades falling, the remaining three attackers hesitated.


    Two of them decided to attack head-on, while the third attempted a sneak attack from behind with heroic energy.


    Sam sensed their movements and raised his own heroic energy, channeling it through his sheathed sword to intercept the iing attack from behind, neutralizing it.


    As the two attackers lunged forward, Sam proved too quick and strong for them.


    He seized one by the hand, pulling him in before delivering a powerful punch to his nose, disfiguring it horribly.


    Then, he struck the other assant in the abdomen, causing him to double over in pain before copsing to the ground.


    Utilizing the energy within him, Sam channeled it through his eclipse sword, unleashing a condensed ray of energy at thest remaining attacker, sending him crashing to the ground.


    "You''ll regret ever crossing me. What you sow, you will reap," Sam warned, his voice firm.


    "You can either stop now or suffer the same fate as yourrades."

 Chapter 14: Dark Power

    <h4>Chapter 14: Dark Power</h4>


    "You''ll regret ever crossing me. What you sow, you will reap," Sam warned, his voice firm. "You can either stop now or suffer the same fate as yourrades."


    "Die," Yami snarled.


    In response, he channeled his dark power to its maximum output, recognizing that Sam was not going to be an easy opponent.


    The dark power coated Yami''s sword with intense dark mes that burned ferociously, yet seemed to leave him unaffected.


    Sam was somewhat concerned about this dark power, as he knew nothing about it.


    He enveloped his entire body in heroic energy, forming a protective shield.


    Yami attacked first, utilizing his speed to its fullest extent.


    He appeared in front of Sam and swung his sword, the dark mes morphing as if they had a will of their own.


    Sam raised his sword, ready to deflect the strike.


    When their des shed with a resonant ng, their initial attacks canceled each other out.


    However, the dark power intensified and sought its prey.


    Sensing danger, Sam jumped back before the dark power could reach him.


    Once at a safe distance, he noticed that the heroic energy that had covered his sword was gone.


    He didn''t have time to ponder this development as Yami, relentless, came at him again, his dark mes burning even more fiercely.


    This time, Sam chose to dodge continuously rather than make direct contact with Yami''s sword, all the while trying to understand the nature of the dark mes.


    Yami swung his sword in a frenzy, unable tond a single blow on Sam.


    Frustration mounted, and he began to lose control over his emotions.


    Meanwhile, Cedric Warder watched the battle unfold.


    He had no intention of interfering; his alliance with Yami was born out of a promise of riches, which he no longer needed as the academy was about to start.


    He decided to sever his connection with Yami then and there.


    Growing tired of dodging the dark me-covered sword, Sam once again enveloped his eclipse sword in heroic energy and switched to the offensive.


    He began to overpower Yami with sheer strength, pushing him back repeatedly.


    Yet, with each sh, the heroic energy covering his sword was chipped away.


    Sam narrowed his eyes in realization. "So that''s how it is? This dark power feeds off heroic energy and grows stronger. Very interesting."


    He also noted that the dark power granted Yami the ability to produce mes significantly more potent than ordinary fire.


    Sam deflected Yami''s sword before kicking him hard in the abdomen, sending him crashing into a tree.


    Not even a second had passed before Yami collided with the tree, and Sam reappeared, hurling him against a nearby rock.


    He then punched Yami in the face, breaking one of his teeth.


    "Ahh," Yami groaned, trying to get up, but Sam wasn''t finished yet.


    He punched him again, this time breaking his nose, followed by a series of bone-crushing punches that would have killed an ordinary mortal.


    Yami couldn''t even scream; every time he involuntarily opened his mouth, it got punched shut. His face now resembled rotten pig meat.


    Sam mmed him against the tree trunk again, breaking one of the branches.


    He held Yami''s palm against the tree and used the sharp end of a branch to pierce through his hand, nailing him to the tree.


    "Aaaaahhhhhh.... you bastard...." Yami groaned, his bloodied eyes trembling with pain.


    "Don''t move, it will only hurt more," Sam said casually and continued his assault.


    He then repeated the process with Yami''s other hand, nailing it to the tree as well.


    "This is your punishment for trying to break my bones," Sam said, lifting Yami''s head by his hair. "Now answer my question. Did Yoru Kusanagi ask you to deal with me?"


    "Go to hell," Yami spat blood and cursed.


    "Heh, you won''t admit it, huh?" Sam smiled to himself, then nced at Yami''s hand nailed to the tree.


    A small spark of dark mes began to burn on the wound before spreading to the tree branch. The mes were weak, even weaker than normal mes.


    "Hmm... would you look at that? The dark mes also heal wounds. I wonder what else they can do?" Sam mused, focusing on the dark power shown on Yami''s status.


    [Rare Stat: Dark Power]


    [Description: A type of energy born from the negative side of the universe. It is powered by negative emotions and is the counterpart of Holy Power from the positive side of the universe.]


    [Effects: Ability to produce mes powered by Dark Power, supernatural healing, ability to influence negative emotions, ability to defend against Holy Power, immunity against venoms and poisons.]


    "Anyway, it''s been nice breaking your faces," Sam waved his hand like an innocent child. "And may we never cross paths with each other for your sake."


    Yami couldn''t help but feel fear looking into those icy blue eyes.


    Not for a second did he believe that Sam was merely intimidating.


    He truly believed that if rules hadn''t prevented it, he would have died on the spot.


    Then something strange happened.


    A feeling of intense anger brewed within him.


    He felt every negative emotione over him at once.


    In response, the dark power within him spiraled out of control.


    Before Sam could react, it erupted and sted him away.


    It painted the area in dark smoke emanating from the dark mes that scorched everything to ashes.


    Not even a de of grass escaped.


    "Shit," Sam groaned, looking at Yami and instinctively pointing his sword in defense, but Yami was already unconscious.


    It seems that thest outburst of dark power drained him dry.


    "Ah..." Sam groaned in pain. Just before the st of dark power hit him, he was able to create a protective shield using heroic energy, but the dark mes still reached his left arm.


    "The mes won''t go out." Only an inch of his arm got burned, but the mes slowly, very slowly, continued burning his skin.


    No matter what he did, he couldn''t extinguish them.


    He disappeared from the area and arrived at a ce where he noticed a small pond of water.


    He tried to extinguish the mes using water, but it was useless.


    "Dammit, I was careless," Sam cursed, trying to use his heroic energy to expel it from his body.


    But it didn''t work; it only made it worse. "What do I do now?"


    Sam gritted his teeth, closing his eyes, thinking of everything he knew, trying toe up with a solution while the mes began to enter his flesh.


    He opened his eyes and sighed, then pointed his free hand at the wound and activated his unique ability.


    [Innate Ability Activated: Extraction]


    A bluish energy covered his palm, almost like a wild, blue slime that formed thread-like substances.


    Theynded on the me-covered wound, and the dark-powered mes began to be sucked in by these threads, transporting them to his hand and then to his body.


    Within a few seconds, all the dark-powered mes were absorbed into his body.


    This was the power of Sam''s innate ability, Extraction.


    It could extract resources from anything and turn them into fuel for his own evolution.


    It was both simple and terrifying at the same time.


    [Your body absorbed Dark power]


    [Dark power is being registered into your Spirituality]


    [Your Physiology is evolving to Synthesize Dark power]


    [Dark Power Assimtion: 0.05%]

 Chapter 15: Charm

    <h4>Chapter 15: Charm</h4>


    [Your body absorbed Dark power]


    [Dark power is being registered into your Spirituality]


    [Your Physiology is evolving to Synthesize Dark power]


    [Dark Power Assimtion: 0.05%]


    Sam looked at the system panel without any notable expression.


    When he awakened his innate ability during the awakening ceremony, he not only unlocked the dormant power but also gained all the memories and knowledge rted to it.


    "Dark power..." he murmured.


    Even though he had anticipated this oue due to his ability to absorb anything and use it as a resource for his growth, he couldn''t help but be amazed.


    "I might have to cross paths with Yami again. Poor bastard is fated to get his face pped by me," Sam chuckled to himself.


    "I can''t believe that with this dark power assimtion, I have gained three rare stats. It''s unbelievable."


    Rare stats were not easily obtained; martial artists who managed to acquire them often became some of the strongest heroes in history.


    There weren''t many ways to obtain stats like Yami''s dark power or its counterpart, holy power.


    Most existing rare powers were either inherited through bloodlines like Yami''s or awakened during the ceremonies.


    Another way was through fortunate encounters.


    There were also unconventional methods, which usually ended with poor results, and then there was sheer luck.


    "Speaking of rare power, I also obtained the rare stat, Charm," Sam thought, focusing his attention on the charm stat.


    [Rare Stat: Charm]


    [Description: This supportive type power greatly influences how other beings perceive and are influenced by you. The higher the charm, the greater the level of influence.]


    [Effects: Increased Persuasion Mastery, Enhanced Ability to Sway Decisions and Opinions, Charisma Boost, Trust Maniption, Allure Enhancement, Emotion Maniption, Social Dominance, Emotion Control, Seduction Skill, Deception Immunity, Fear Suppression, Loyalty Induction, Empathy]


    "No wonder Yami''s dark power didn''t affect me," Sam realized.


    Dark power could influence negative emotions, but when he was hurt by it, he remained unaffected.


    Now he understood that it was because of his charm and its effects that he could maintain control over his emotions.


    "It looks like I was wrong. The charm is more useful than I realized," he concluded.


    [Time Remaining: 22:30]


    An hour and a half had passed since the beast hunt began.


    After bullying Yami and his pals, he went on to hunt beasts for about half an hour before stopping to rest for a bit.


    He pointed his hand at the several dead bodies of the beasts he had gathered and activated his innate ability.


    [Innate Ability Activated: Extraction]


    A bluish, water-like energy manifested before transforming into a spiraling force that pulled the beasts into it, disappearing into him.


    [Extracting resources from the beasts'' bodies]


    [Pure mana detected]


    [Extracting mana and using it to replenish energy reserves]


    [Excessive mana is fed to the Mana Core]


    [Mana Stat increased: +6]


    [Mage Level increased: +1]


    "With this, I can fight without a break," Sam muttered to himself, clenching his fist.


    His attention then shifted to a particr direction where he sensed a disturbance in energy.


    Sam''s senses were distinct from both mages and heroes.


    Mages had mana sense, and heroes had heroic sense.


    Mages could sense the presence and cirction of mana in their surroundings.


    It was akin to how sharks smell blood, but instead of using scent, they perceived mana.


    Heroic sense, however, was more intricate than mana sense.


    A hero used all their seven senses to perceive their surroundings, simr to echolocation used by bats, but instead of relying solely on sound, they utilized all their senses simultaneously.


    Being both a mage and a hero, Sam could use these senses concurrently.


    Additionally, his soul power further enhanced his perception, making his natural senses significantly mightier than those of others at his level.


    Following his senses, he arrived at the top of a small mountain, instantly noticing the rtively cold temperature.


    Seeking a better vantage point, he climbed a tall tree.


    From there, he saw a girl wielding a sword, surrounded by the corpses of dozens of wolf-like beasts.


    "Yuki Asuna," he whispered. This was the girl he was supposed to look after. "Does she even need protection?"


    Sam could sense that this girl was far stronger than Yami.


    He wasn''t even sure if he could win against her in a confrontation.


    Utilizing his speed, he moved closer by leaping through the tree branches.


    "Should I introduce myself?" he wondered. Shaking his head, he decided to observe her first instead.


    Suddenly, three wolf-like beasts, each asrge as a full-grown elephant, emerged from the shadows.


    [Silver Moon Wolves]


    GROWL!!!


    Yuki''s cold eyes flicked towards the beasts. With a fluid motion, she brandished her sword and leaped onto the nearest wolf.


    The wolves moved with lightning speed.


    The first wolf lunged, its jaws snapping viciously, intent on devouring the intruder in their territory.


    Yuki''s expression remained serene.


    She gripped her sword, now glowing with a brilliant white energy.


    Without hesitation, she arced her de from left to right.


    A crescent of white light emanated from her sword, trailing delicate ice crystals, and struck the wolf''s eyes.


    The energy instantly froze the wolf''s head solid.


    With grace and precision, Yukinded on its back and, with a powerful strike, shattered its frozen head into a hundred pieces.


    She pivoted swiftly, dodging the next beast''s crushing attack.


    Gliding under its belly, she sliced it horizontally from the center to its back.


    Every ce her sword touched froze instantly, causing the beast to shatter like fragile ss.


    The third wolf, now terrified, turned to flee. But Yuki was relentless.


    She summoned a surge of energy, concentrating it into her sword.


    Raising the de high above her head, she brought it down with a decisive sh.


    A fierce ray of icy white energy burst from her sword, striking the fleeing wolf.


    Half its body froze instantly, sending it crashing to the ground.


    Yuki calmly approached the immobilized beast and ended its suffering with a final, precise strike.


    "Yep, she definitely doesn''t need anyone to watch over her," Sam thought as he was about to leave her to her own devices.


    However, just as he turned to leave, a dangerous aura emanated from the depths of the forest.


    "Shit, this is not good," Sam muttered as he watched a pair of glowing red eyes emerge from the shadows.


    Yuki''s expression shifted to one of intense seriousness.


    She immediately adopted a defensive stance, fully aware that she couldn''t defeat this beast on her own.


    "Looks like she needs someone to watch over her after all," Sam whispered before disappearing from the spot.


    The beast prowled forward menacingly.


    It was a colossal silver furred-wolf, standing at a towering fifteen feet in height, with a crescent symbol emzoned on its forehead.


    [Alpha Silver Moon Wolf]

 Chapter 16: Yuki Asuna

    <h4>Chapter 16: Yuki Asuna</h4>


    "An Alpha Silver Moon Wolf," Yuki muttered slowly as she looked at the beast in front of her.


    It was at least five times stronger than the Silver Moon Wolves she had killed earlier.


    Those wolves had been more or less as strong as she was, but this wolf... It was an absolute monsterpared to her current state.


    GROWL!


    The Alpha Silver Moon Wolf slowly approached, emitting terrible grating noises as if it were in pain.


    It growled continuously, and saliva mixed with something red dripped in buckets from the corners of its massive, fanged mouth.


    On its head, a crescent symbol glowed brightly in red.


    Yuki felt increasingly agitated, but she tried to keep herposure.


    The first lesson a martial artist learns is to remain cool even in pressured environments.


    Yuki had to act fast. She knew she wasn''t strong enough to defeat it alone, so the only option was to run away.


    However, wolves were known for their agility, and Alphas were the best among them.


    That''s why they were Alphas¡ªthey were stronger and faster than normal wolves.


    There was no way in hell this Alpha wolf would let her go; it was nning on avenging its packmates by devouring her whole.


    Yuki gave up on running away.


    She decided to fight it head-on.


    Her final n was to engage it inbat and try to create an opening or distract it enough to make a run for it.


    Many do not realize this, but beasts like these Silver Moon Wolves have the ability to sense changes in the emotions of their prey.


    The wolf knew that the girl in front of its eyes was afraid of it, and this only fueled its hunger to rip her flesh apart.


    Aura exploded from Yuki as she brandished her sword and shed at the Alpha wolf.


    An intense and thick ray of white light emanated from her sword, heading straight for the beast.


    The wolf whined in a threatening tone before charging at her.


    It growled weakly before leaping from the ground, dodging the sword attack, and pouncing on Yuki.


    The wolf managed to get close to her, but Yuki used her ability, the Ice Pulse, to conjure an ice barrier just before the wolf made contact with her.


    CRACK!


    The Alpha Silver Moon Wolf was strong. It easily shattered the ice barrier and continued its assault on Yuki.


    "Come on!" Yuki managed to create another ice dome, that covered from all sides, using thest bit of her energy reserves just before the wolf could crush her with its fangs.


    The ice dome was beginning to crack under the continuous assault of the alpha wolf.


    Yuki was already nning her escape, timing it to coincide with the exact moment the dome would crumble so she could use her full speed.


    CRACK!


    Finally, the cracks on the ice dome became most pronounced, and the wolf grew more aggressive.


    Its teeth and sharp ws began to shine with a red hue.


    With onest strike of its ws, the ice dome shattered.


    Yuki seized the brief pause in the attack and tried to run.


    She didn''t get even fifty meters away before the alpha wolf caught up to her.


    Desperately trying to evade it, Yuki unleashed a heroic energy ray with her sword, but the wolf was smart; it easily dodged the attack and used its tail to strike at her sword, which she had raised in defense.


    Yuki reinforced her arms with Ice Pulse, trying to ward off the tail attack, but it was too strong.


    She was sent flying, crashing into a tree that broke in half and fell down.


    The wolf let out a screeching noise before charging at her, its mouth wide open and its fangs elongating with a white hue.


    Yuki was unable to react, and without a second''s pause, the alpha wolf attacked her continuously.


    Just before the wolf''s fangs could tear through her flesh, it was flung away, thrown in the opposite direction.


    "W-What...who?" Panting heavily, Yuki looked at the person who had tossed the beast away from her, the person who had saved her life.


    Standing before her was a man with dark ck hair and pale blue eyes resembling blue zircons.


    He was so handsome, a face she could never forget since she first saw him during the awakening ceremony, a face she had been remembering constantly and randomly for unknown reasons.


    "We will talk once I finish him off," Sam said, pointing his sword at the wolf, which had gotten up and was growling at him.


    Sam could sense the fury emanating from the creature, angered by the interruption of its hunt.


    "Don''t... It''s too strong. You will die," Yuki pleaded, her face disying a rare expression of worry.


    Sam gave her only a brief nce before turning his gaze back to the beast.


    "Allocate half of the attribute points to Agility and the remaining to Stamina," hemanded.


    [Agility Stat Increased: +5]


    [Stamina Stat Increased: +5]


    He felt the mana in the area surge into his body, spreading a warm sensation throughout his physiology.


    Suddenly, he experienced a sharp, albeit mild, pinching pain, definitely noticeable but not debilitating.


    Yuki watched in disbelief as the aura and presence standing before her transformed abruptly.


    She didn''t understand what had happened, assuming that Sam must have broken through to another level, exining the sudden change.


    Ignoring her reaction, Sam summoned his status board to confirm the changes.


    ---


    [Name: Sam Tatsuya/Brunheart]


    [Hero Level: 17]


    [Mage level: 25]


    [Titles: An Anomaly]


    [Race: Half Mage, Half Hero]


    [ss: None]


    {Physical Stat(s)}


    Strength: 22


    Agility: 27


    Stamina: 27


    Perception: 24


    Heroic Power: 42


    Mana: 42


    Attribute Points: 0


    {Rare Stat(s)}


    Charm: 15 (Note: 10 is the average charm level for a mortal.)


    Soul Power: 4


    [Elemental Affinity(s): Wind, me]


    [Innate Ability: Extraction (Level:1), Eyes of Truth (Level:1) ]


    [Magic: Wind Magic, me Magic, Non-Elemental Magic]


    [Skills: Heroic Sense, Mana Sense, Swordsmanship, Spearmanship, Spellcasting]


    [Techniques: Soul Animation Concealment Art (Level: 2), Infernal Bird Reincarnation Art (Level: 1), Asura Sutra (Level: 1)]


    ---

 Chapter 17: A Hunting Party

    <h4>Chapter 17: A Hunting Party</h4>


    The alpha wolf barked at the intruder, its eyes glowing a menacing red.


    It growled weakly before pouncing at the new threat.


    Sam gripped his Eclipse sword and adopted an offensive stance.


    He pressed his foot into the ground, grinding it for traction before sprinting forward at full speed.


    Yuki felt a gust of wind blow past her face, and suddenly, Sam was already in front of the wolf.


    She was surprised to find that he was much faster than her, nearly matching the alpha wolf''s speed.


    The wolf could sense his emotions; it knew Sam wasn''t afraid or intimidated by it in the slightest, which annoyed it greatly.


    Sam didn''t hesitate as he closed in on the wolf.


    As he approached its mouth, the wolf tried to crush him with its elongated red fangs.


    Just before the fangs could tear him apart, Sam sprinted and ducked, slipping between its legs.


    Using the brief opening, Sam swung his Eclipse sword and made a deep sh on one of the wolf''s left front legs, right at the joint.


    The alpha wolf''s wounded leg buckled under its weight, causing it to limp and growl terribly in pain.


    Sam wasn''t about to take a break.


    Utilizing his speed, he continued without pause, targeting the joints of the wolf''s remaining legs.


    He didn''t use excessive movement or strength, relying purely on his extreme speed to move and focus his attacks on the alpha wolf''s weak points, especially its legs.


    The wolf''s greatest asset was its speed, and Sam aimed to restrict its movement before confronting it head-on.


    Though its movements werepromised, the wolf remained tenacious.


    With bloodshot eyes, it pounced on Sam, but its attacks were slow and sloppy, unable to match its previous agility.


    Sam shed like lightning, appearing randomly around the alpha wolf, delivering swift shes to its massive body.


    He wanted to conserve his strength for the beast hunt, so he used the most efficient means to deal with the alpha wolf without expending too much energy.


    Each sh was not too deep but deep enough to cause continuous bleeding.


    He moved constantly, evading the wolf''s relentless attempts to attack him.


    Despite being in pain and bleeding profusely, the wolf behaved like a rabid dog, blindly attacking anything in front of its eyes.


    Soon, the wolf became visibly slower.


    Within minutes, under Sam''s continuous assault, its fur was covered in thick red blood, and numerous deep cuts marred its body.


    The once formidable alpha wolf was now a staggering, blood-soaked shadow of its former self.


    Sam covered his Eclipse Sword with dense heroic energy and stabbed it deep into the creature''s neck.


    With a swift pull, he drew the de out, forming an arc as the heroic energy spiraled from within, separating its head from its body.


    Calmly, Sam walked up to the severed head, made a small hole at the top, and extracted a handball-sized beast core.


    He then made another incision on its forehead and removed a crescent-shaped crystal that looked markedly different from the beast core.


    Smiling to himself, Sam stored the crescent-shaped silvery crystal into his storage ring and then approached Yuki.


    She watched in a daze as Sam slowly walked towards her, her heart beating faster as everything seemed to slow down¡ªtime, the wind, everything.


    She suddenly became acutely aware of her surroundings.


    ''Did she get hit in the head or something?'' Sam wondered, noticing her dazed expression.


    Sam was always passively using his charm and knew she was experiencing some strange emotion.


    He ignored it, attributing it to the injury she sustained from the alpha wolf.


    Since she wasn''t particrly expressing any specific emotion, to Sam, it seemed like she was in a state of confusion.


    "Give me your hand," he said.


    "Huh?" Yuki, too focused on analyzing his face, didn''t understand what he said.


    "I said, give me your hand."


    "My hand? Oh," she replied.


    Sam helped her stand up and then showed her the alpha wolf''s beast core.


    "You don''t mind if I take this, do you?" he asked with a small smile, his eyes drawn to her shoulder-length white hair, disordered and dirtied by the fight with the alpha silver moon wolf.


    "You killed it, so you should have it," Yuki said, reverting to her cold demeanor.


    Suddenly, before Sam could reply, Yuki shed at his throat with her sword but stopped just before it touched his neck.


    "What are you doing?" Sam asked with a stern face.


    He could sense she had no killing intent, so he knew she wasn''t going to harm him.


    But what was she doing pointing her sword at his neck?


    "You... form a hunting party with me," she said in a cold tone, as ifmanding him to obey or she would cut his throat, though in reality, she had no intention of harming him.


    Sam was bewildered. "Okay... can''t you ask that in a normal way?"


    Seeing her not lower the sword, Sam sighed and agreed. "Yes, yes, I was about to ask you to be my partner myself."


    Only after hearing the answer she wanted did she lower her sword.


    [Time Remaining: 18:30]


    Five and a half hours had passed since the beast hunt began.


    Sam sighed again before observing Yuki, who had turned away, focused on clearing the dust off her clothes and hair.


    Watching her ruffle her milky white hair, her blue eyes, simr to his own, scanning her clothes for dirt, Sam had to admit she was a gorgeous woman.


    He wouldn''t mind forming a beast hunt party with her or watching over her.


    You couldn''t me him; he was a very healthy young man at the start of his carnal prime.


    Of course, he would want to get close to a beautiful girl if he could.


    "So, how many beast cores have you got?" Sam asked casually, trying to strike up a conversation.


    Yuki nced at him for a couple of seconds before replying, "Thirty-five lower-level beast cores and twenty-five cores from beasts around my level."


    "In just five hours? That''s impressive," Sam nodded and said, though it didn''t bring any expression to her cold face.


    He then noticed she was still looking at him without saying anything.


    Realizing she was waiting for him to share, he added, "Oh yes, I have collected forty lower-level cores, thirty cores from beasts at my level, and eight higher-level beast cores, including the Alpha wolf I just killed."


    "Mm," was Yuki''s only reaction.


    She didn''t respond to his aplishment, which was definitively greater than hers.


    Yet, Sam could sense she was actually quite impressed and also... happy?


    "What is she happy about? Is she pleased that I hunted more beasts than her? That doesn''t make sense," Sam thought, confused.


    Yuki''s face revealed nothing, but it was fortunate for Sam that she didn''t know he had the ability to sense the emotions of others.


    "This emotion-sensing ability is kind of a pain in the ass," Sam thought to himself, shaking his head.


    [A/N: If you liked this chapter, don''t forget to donate some POWER STONES. Thank You]

 Chapter 18: The Hero King鈥檚 Plan

    <h4>Chapter 18: The Hero King''s n</h4>


    After Sam saved Yuki, he allowed her time to heal her wounds and restore her energy before they resumed their beast hunt.


    They continued hunting for hours before deciding to take a break.


    In truth, it was Yuki who needed the rest to regain her energy.


    During the hunt, Yuki couldn''t help but acknowledge that Sam was probably the most powerful awakener in this final test.


    He had hunted significantly more beasts than she had.


    She didn''t think Sam was much stronger than her in terms of raw power.


    As far as she had observed, Sam didn''t use excessive strength.


    Instead, it was his speed that set him apart¡ªhe was much faster than her.


    His swordy was exquisite, and his techniques were exceptional.


    She couldn''t help but be impressed.


    As they continued their hunt, they asionally encountered other hunting parties.


    However, no one dared to interfere with Sam and Yuki, as they were widely feared.


    Sam discovered that his previous fight with Yami and his underlings had be widely known among the other awakeners.


    As a result, Sam had be the most feared individual among those taking the test.


    Sam, however, remained indifferent to his newfound notoriety.


    [Time Remaining: 10:00]


    ---


    [Name: Yuki Asuna]


    [Level: 18]


    [Race: Hero]


    [ss: None]


    {Physical Stat(s)}


    Strength: 21


    Agility: 22


    Stamina: 20


    Perception: 19


    Heroic Power: 18


    {Rare Stat(s)}


    Ice Power: 18


    [Innate Ability: Ice Pulse(Level: 1) ]


    [Skills: ...]


    [Techniques: ...]


    ---


    Sam took a look at her status board while she cultivated on a rock to rejuvenate her strength.


    He offered to keep watch while she cultivated, ensuring she wasn''t disturbed or attacked by any wild beasts.


    Sam didn''t need to cultivate to regain his strength because he could simply extract energy from dead beasts to restore himself to peak condition.


    As he examined her status, he noticed two unique stuffs: the Ice Power stat and the innate ability Ice Pulse.


    ''Ice Power stat should be a sub-effect of her innate ability, Ice Pulse,'' he mused, turning his attention to the innate ability.


    [Innate Ability: Ice Pulse]


    [Description: This ability grants the user the power to create frost energy that can freeze anything. It forms an Ice Core in the user''s heart that rapidly converts and stores heroic energy into Ice Power in a separate domain.]


    [Effects: Ability to release Ice Rays, Ability to create Ice Structures, Grants Cold Aura, Increased me Resistance, Increased Poison Resistance, Increased Physical Attack Resistance, Increased Pain Tolerance, elerated Healing]


    [Sub-Effect: It grants a rare stat, Ice Power. This stat represents the energy stored in the Ice Core. The user must feed the Ice Core to increase its level and energy capacity.]


    ''Ice Pulse,'' he thought, ''It seems like it can be used for both offense and defense, making it perfect for a close-quarters fighter.''


    Soon, Yuki finished restoring her energy and opened her eyes, catching Sam looking at her oddly.


    Yuki subconsciously touched her hair, adjusting it without changing her expression. "Why are you looking at me like that?"


    "I''m sorry, it was unintentional," Sam quickly said, hoping to avoid any misunderstanding.


    He had been ncing at her status board and, admittedly, checking her out, though he wasn''t about to confess that now.


    Yuki''s face remained impassive, giving away no hint of anger, disappointment, or disgust, leaving Sam uncertain about her feelings.


    After a brief, scrutinizing nce, Yuki turned away. "Let''s continue our beast hunt," she said, sprinting off in a random direction where she sensed a group of beasts, without giving any warning.


    "Is this how it''s going to be, her bossing me around?" Sam sighed and followed her.


    [Time Remaining: 4:00]


    ...


    All the awakeners were doing their best to collect as many beast cores as possible.


    Yami and his gang were also on the hunt.


    However, since Sam had severely injured them, they weren''t as fast or efficient as the others and were not doing well.


    Some of Yami''s underlings couldn''t keep their mouths shut, and as a result, their little brawl had be known to most of the awakeners.


    This led to widespread ignorance of Sam and whatever he was doing.


    In another part of the forest, a couple of miles away from where Sam and Yuki were, a woman was hunting beasts.


    She stood with a spear in her hand, smoke rising from its tip.


    "Ah," she eximed, skillfully spinning and shing it, dragging it along the ground and creating a burning trail.


    A ray of golden fire shot from her spear, striking an Earth Snake hissing viciously in front of her, cutting it in half and continuing to burn it.


    She was surrounded by a golden, hot aura that made her look like a miniature sun, capable of incinerating anything that came near her.


    The snake thrashed its body in a desperate attempt to extinguish the mes, but it was futile.


    The golden fire continued to burn intensely.


    Once the beast was dead, the woman, who had golden hair and green eyes, walked up to its half-burned body and retrieved a beast core.


    [Time Remaining: 1:00]


    There was only one hour left before the beast hunt came to an end.


    Isabelle nced in a random direction, her green eyes shimmering brightly for a moment.


    "I wonder how he''s doing?" she mused.


    Like Yuki, ever since the awakening ceremony, she couldn''t get rid of his face from her mind.


    He kept resurfacing in her thoughts, and she couldn''t understand why.


    She couldn''t ignore it either.


    "I guess it''s time to go back," she muttered, then made her way to the designated gathering ce for when the hunt waspleted.


    "Looks like a lot of them finished the hunt before me," she observed.


    Her eyes automatically scanned the crowd for the man from her memories, but she couldn''t find him.


    "There''s still some time left. He should be on his way," she reassured herself, then noticed Yami and his gang approaching.


    "What the hell happened to them?"


    She could see the scars and bruises all over their bodies, especially Yami.


    He looked like he had been through hell.


    They attracted everyone''s attention, and everyone was wondering what had happened to them.


    Most of the awakeners already knew what Sam had done to them.


    A few minutes passed as the Awakeners began to return.


    Among them was Sam, who arrived with Yuki, drawing even more attention than Yami and his group.


    Isabelle noticed Yuki standing close to Sam.


    "Why is this bitch standing next to him? Did they form a hunting party?" she muttered.


    She felt an unexpected surge of anger and irritation, as if she were being left out, and turned her face away, pouting.


    Funny thing was, she didn''t even realize she was feeling these emotions.


    The Hero King observed his daughter walking alongside Sam with a mysterious grin, sensing that his n was progressing sessfully.


    Jin shook his head knowingly, casting a suspicious nce at the Hero King. "Rowan, What exactly are you nning to achieve by making my grandson her guardian?"


    "Come now, uncle. I just want my daughter to have a good friend at the academy," the Hero King replied.


    "But you didn''t have to lie to him, saying she needed his protection inside the academy?" Jin asked, narrowing his eyes.


    "Well..."


    "By making my grandson her protector, are you hoping something more might happen between them?" Jin pressed.


    "The way Arcane is right now, it needs guidance, stronger leadership. I''m just following the ways of the High Order," the Hero King exined.


    "Meaning you''re using your daughter''s rtionship with my grandson to rope him into your politics and groom him for the future," Jin deduced.


    "There are still many years before those predictions coulde true. Don''t you think you''re cing too much on my grandson''s shoulders? He''s just a kid," Jin argued.


    "Your grandson is the second hero to ever wield magic. He has the potential to unite mages and heroes under one banner, as it used to be. I know I''m cing high expectations on a child, but..." the Hero King trailed off.


    "I understand. I''m worried about the predictions as well, and I know about his alleged involvement in them," Jin said, looking at his grandson.


    "Maybe instead of waiting for the predictions toe true, we should strengthen our own forces."


    "I suppose you''re right. Worrying about something that may or may not happen in the distant future is pointless. But I still want your grandson to be my sessor," Rowan said, his expression serious.

 Chapter 19: A New Friend

    <h4>Chapter 19: A New Friend</h4>


    "The cores you have will be collected by the academy officials to test their authenticity and calcte your points," Agor announced as a dozen academy staff members moved among the awakeners, collecting the cores.


    The awakeners disyed a range of emotions.


    Some sighed with dissatisfaction, while others, like Sam, Yuki, and Isabelle, appeared confident.


    A few, like Yami, looked so furious their eyes seemed ready to pop out.


    After a few minutes, the academy staff processed the cores. Agor floated towards the gathered awakeners, a scroll hovering beside him.


    He nced at the scroll for a moment, noting the names of the awakeners and their points in descending order.


    He hesitated briefly before sighing, as ifpromising on something. "I have your results right here. All your sorry-assess passed the exam, except for the brats who had to be rescued because they couldn''t continue the hunt."


    "Thank God, I was worried for nothing."


    "I told you we did well."


    The awakeners expressed joy and relief at passing.


    What they didn''t know was that the principal had topromise with the noble n leaders to pass them due to the exceptional difficulty of this year''s entrance exam.


    Compared tost year''s results, almost all of them did better; even the weakest among them had enough points to gain entry to the academy.


    However, Principal Agor rejected those who had to be saved because they couldn''t continue the hunt and nearly got eliminated.


    "Don''t get too excited. Other than a few dozen of you, most of you barely made it. So if you think you''re great, you''re not. You''re just weak shits."


    "Somebody go stop him from running his mouth," the Hero King sighed.


    "Like I said before, Your Majesty, he wouldn''t be himself if he didn''t speak his mind," Alden replied from behind, smiling bitterly.


    Agor snorted at the awakeners before ncing at the scroll again. "Before we take you to the academy, I believe it''s appropriate to announce the names of the top ten awakeners who passed with outstanding results, unlike you fools."


    Almost everyone turned their eyes toward Sam, as if it was obvious he had scored the highest.


    "Sam Tatsuya. His scores were on another level, making the rest of you look like useless garbage," Agor said, openly pointing at Sam and continuing to criticize the others.


    The crowd''s focus shifted, murmurs of acknowledgment and jealousy spreading through the ranks as they absorbed the information.


    "I see, you even acknowledge that he would get the highest score before I even said his name. It shows just how little confidence you have in yourselves."


    "You''re pathetic."


    "You should be better suited for cleaning toilets, so why don''t you stop pretending to be martial artists ande clean my toilets instead?" Agor''s taunting words cut deep, making the Awakeners feel more ashamed than angry.


    "That''s enough, Principal. Get to the point," the hero king interrupted, halting Agor''s further attempts to demoralize and traumatize the Awakeners.


    "Fine, have it your way" Agor rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed.


    "I will now announce the top ten highest scorers, starting from the top."


    "Sam Tatsuya," he dered.


    It was obvious; with the system favoring him and granting all kinds of rewards, of course, he would be first.


    Even without the system''s help, his strength alone would have secured him the top ce.


    "From second ce to tenth ce, the names are as follows:"


    "Isabelle Lancaster"


    "Yuki Asuna"


    "ric Dawnsworn"


    "Lissa Fulmina"


    "Cedric Wardrad"


    "Ria Shimura"


    "Isaac Oldton"


    "Koro Zoronoa"


    "Yami Kusanagi"


    Isabelle and Yuki both simultaneously nced at Sam, their reactions inscrutable, but one thing was certain: they were very impressed by the man who kept appearing in their thoughts.


    Yuki also felt a tinge of disappointment.


    She knew she couldn''t surpass Sam, but she had expected to at least achieve the next best score.


    What she didn''t anticipate was Isabelle outperforming her.


    ncing at Isabelle, who returned her gaze, they both simultaneously thought, ''That bitch needs to be monitored.''


    Meanwhile, Sam wore a bitter smile, sensing the attention he was receiving, before a system notification appeared in his field of vision.


    <strong>[Congrattions on attaining first ce in the Academy entrance exam. You deserve a reward.]</strong>


    <strong>[Reward 1: +5 Free Attribute Points]</strong>


    <strong>[Reward 2: +1 Master-Spirit Soul Contract]</strong>


    ''A soul bind contract? Like the one mages use to form a contract with beasts...'' Sam mused, focusing his gaze on the second reward.


    <strong>[Name: Master-Spirit Soul Contract]</strong>


    <strong>[Description: Allows the user to form a soul-binding contract with a soul. The master will forge a spiritual connection with a soul, and the contracted soul will evolve alongside the master. The stronger and greater the evolution of the master, the stronger the evolution of the beast will be.]</strong>


    "Mm," Sam narrowed his eyes, pondering for a moment.


    He had harbored a desire to acquire a pet beast, and as if reading his mind, the system granted him a contract that he could use to form a bond with a single beast.


    ''This contract is entirely different from the ones mages usually create,'' Sam wondered.


    ''Typically, those contracts onlypel the beast to submit to a master. However, this contract forms a soul bond between the user and the target beast, making the beast''s evolution dependent on the user.''


    ''What kind of beast should I contract with?'' Sam pondered silently, though he already had a perfect candidate in mind.


    ''I still remember the spot where I saw that beast. I hope it''s still alive,'' he thought, his gaze drifting toward the direction where he had encountered the rare creature during his previous beast hunt.


    ...


    The beast hunt was over, and the Awakeners had two hours to prepare before being taken to the academy.


    Sam entrusted his older sisters, Tasha and Sasha, with handling all the preparations.


    They almost cried because their brother was going away for a long time.


    After consoling them for at least half an hour, Sam left and ventured into the forest.


    He clearly remembered the ce where he had spotted that particr beast.


    After sprinting at full speed for about forty minutes, he arrived at the spot. "I don''t see it anywhere. Where did it go?"


    He began to look around but found nothing. "Did a wild beast get to it? Am I toote?"


    This particr beast was an invasive species and could grow incredibly strong if left unchecked, but it had a significant weakness in its initial phase.


    Until it began devouring other beasts to evolve, it would be utterly vulnerable.


    "It''s not here..." He closed his eyes and spread his senses as far as possible. "Found you."


    He arrived at the entrance of a six-foot-wide cave opening at the base of a mountain. The cave led directly into the mountain.


    Inside was a beast in the form of a five-foot-tall ant¡ªan Ant Queen, to be precise.


    <strong>[Name: Beast Ant Queen (Infant Stage)]</strong>


    <strong>[Description: The queen of an invasive ant colony, it has the potential to create an army incorporating a variety of ant beasts in different shapes, sizes, and abilities. The more the Beast Ant Queen devours other beasts, the more it evolves. The more the Beast Ant Queen evolves, the stronger and fiercer her ant army will be.]</strong>


    "Krrrrr," the Beast Ant Queen screeched fearfully, looking at the intruder.


    It was still in its infant stage, not very strong, and had yet to give birth to soldiers to protect her.


    It was already in hiding because it was scared of the wild beasts.


    The other beasts would not let her live because she was an invasive species.


    If she were allowed to live, she would bring this forest under her control within years.


    The beasts had intelligence; they would not let a threat grow knowing it could be easily killed right now.


    "Don''t be scared," Sam said, taking a step forward and activating his charm.


    An almost invisible pink energy spread from him, covering the entire cave, and the beast stopped screeching.


    When Sam got near, he ced his hand over its head and invoked the Master-Spirit Soul Contract.


    He first poured a drop of his blood on its head before a scroll appeared in front of him, floating with a blue aura surrounding it.


    The drop of blood glowed faintly before being absorbed into its head.


    The scroll shattered into pieces of light, forming threads of energy that created a connection between him and the Beast Ant Queen.


    <strong>[Forming a soul bond between you and the Beast Ant Queen]</strong>


    <strong>[Establishing a spiritual exchange between you and the Beast Ant Queen]</strong>


    <strong>[As part of the contract, you are to name your contracted beast]</strong>


    "Name, huh?" Sam pondered for a moment.


    He ced his hand over her head, and the Beast Ant Queen lowered her head, allowing him to ce his palm.


    "Anthra," Sam smiled. "You shall be called Anthra."


    <strong>[Connection sessful]</strong>


    <strong>[Contracted Beast: Anthra (Beast Ant Queen)]</strong>


    <strong>[A/N: If you like this chapter, don''t forget to donate some POWER STONES. Your Support mean a lot to me. Thank You]</strong>

 Chapter 20: Running For Life

    <h4>Chapter 20: Running For Life</h4>


    After finishing the contract, Sam ventured out, spending around thirty minutes hunting some formidable beasts.


    He had roughly an hour before he would be transported to the academy, and he needed to ensure that Anthra, the Beast Ant Queen, would not be prey to other creatures.


    The only way to secure her safety was to make her stronger, and the quickest way to achieve this was by facilitating her evolution.


    Once evolved, she couldy eggs and hatch the first batch of worker ants.


    Toy these eggs, the Beast Ant Queen required a substantial amount of energy and resources, which was precisely why Sam was hunting¡ªto gather enough resources for Anthra to develop the initial batch of worker ants.


    As Sam was about to conclude his resource gathering, the system surprised him with a notification:


    [Your contracted beast Anthra (Beast Ant Queen) has cocooned herself and started to grow into the adult stage.]


    "Good, it looks like the energy I provided was enough for her to progress to the adult stage," Sam thought.


    He hunted a few more beasts, then returned to the base of the mountain and entered the cave.


    "It looks like Anthra went deep inside to cocoon herself," Sam observed.


    He ventured deeper into the cave and found Anthra cocooned, resembling a giant egg.


    Summoning a ball of fire with his magic, he illuminated the cave, revealing another opening.


    "A cave within a cave?" Sam mused.


    As he continued, he found multiple openings, seeing skeletons of various beasts along the way.


    "This cave is like a maze, leading deeper and deeper with each path branching into more paths... It''s almost like an anthill," Sam noted.


    He decided not to venture further; anthills are notoriouslyplex, and one could easily get lost.


    Returning to where Anthra was cocooned, a theory formed in his mind. "This must have been the home of a Beast Ant colony. That exins how a rare beast like Anthra appeared here out of nowhere."


    "She must have been a dormant egg while her entire colony was eradicated. When she absorbed enough energy, she finally hatched without any help," Sam spected, gently cing his palm on the cocoon.


    "You''re a resilient beast, aren''t you?" he said.


    As if responding to its master, the cocoon emitted a faint blue light.


    At that moment, a small wisp of red energy left his hand and entered the cocoon, which then glowed with a mixture of blue and red light.


    Sam then ced the dead beasts around the cocoon.


    After emerging, Anthra would need a significant amount of energy toy eggs.


    He didn''t want her to go out to hunt and risk being eaten.


    These dead beasts should be enough to sustain her and raise at least the first two batches of worker ants.


    Afterward, Sam returned to the main entrance of the anthill.


    He looked around to ensure no one was hiding.


    Pointing his hand at the cave entrance, he invoked a series of non-elemental spells.


    "Silence"


    "Barrier"


    "Cover"


    "Block," hemanded, and an invisible energy left his body, sealing the cave.


    "Good, this way no sound, energy, or smell can leak out. This should suffice for now."


    He paused to think. "Just to be on the safe side, I''ll also block the entrance with debris. The ants should have no problem digging their way out when they hatch."


    Using his fire magic, he sted a few giant rocks to block the entrance.


    No one could go in, and no one could get out.


    He wasn''t worried about the ants; they were excellent diggers and could easily navigate their way out. "Moreover, the anthill should have a secret entrance that the ants could use."


    Having done his job, Sam turned and began sprinting toward the campsite.


    Suddenly, he stopped midway.


    He slowly turned around, only to see nothing there. "Was it just my imagination?" he wondered.


    His breath quickened as he resumed sprinting, but he stopped again after a few steps.


    This time, he felt a pair of eyes watching him.


    Biting his lip, he slowly turned around, again seeing nothing.


    Yet, the feeling of being watched was stronger than before, apanied by an eerie coldness.


    It was as if a ghost was standing before him, unseen but undeniably present.


    He became acutely aware of his surroundings, realizing he was near the edge of the Forbidden Forest.


    All the rumors about people encountering ghosts in the Forbidden Forest resurfaced in his mind.


    His pulse quickened as he tried to shake off the unsettling sensation.


    "Those rumors can''t be true, right?" Without hesitation, Sam began to run away.


    He used his fastest speed from the start, as if he believed that if he didn''t, a ghost would catch him.


    From time to time, he nced back, but there was no one there.


    Still, he could definitely feel a presence.


    His breathing grewbored, and gritting his teeth, he pushed his speed to the limit.


    He didn''t know what was following him, but he needed to get away as soon as possible and regroup with his grandfather, Jin.


    The needling pain assaulting his calf muscles grew more intense, but he didn''t stop.


    Something far more threatening seemed to be on his tail.


    He widened his eyes even more, beginning to hear the sound of cracking and rustling leaves and branches behind him.


    This only made him more anxious; the fear of the unknown began to creep into his mind.


    Ignoring the pain in his leg joints, he ran.


    He was almost within the campsite, but he felt he was also within the reach of whatever was chasing him.


    The campsite was within sight.


    He could see Tasha and Sasha talking to each other, and they also noticed him running. "What''s wrong with him?"


    Sam could feel something about to grab him from behind.


    Gritting his teeth, he didn''t stop running and crashed into the tent.


    He tumbled and fell to the ground.


    Ignoring the situation, he immediately turned to look back, but he found nothing.


    The presence he had felt was no longer there.


    "Ahhh", Sighing, he then became conscious of the pain in his legs.


    It felt as if a hundred needles had been stabbed into his calves.


    [Your Agility stat increased: +1]


    [Your Stamina stat increased: +1]

 Chapter 21: Rules

    <h4>Chapter 21: Rules</h4>


    "You have an injury on your head," Sasha muttered as she applied medicine to the wound.


    "What were you running from, a ghost or something?" Tashe asked, her worried expression deepening as she checked for other injuries on her brother.


    She had been quite concerned when she saw him anxiously running as if he were fleeing from a serial killer.


    "N-No, it wasn''t... It was nothing. I was just trying to test my agility... My agility and stamina stats even went up a point," Sam said, smiling slightly.


    He didn''t want to admit that he had been chased by a ghost, especially when he wasn''t even sure if it was a real ghost.


    "We thought you were in danger. Don''t scare us like that again, you understand?" Sasha pinched his arm, though it obviously didn''t hurt him one bit.


    "I won''t do it again, I promise," Sam replied, smiling.


    Using the skills he had gained from the Charm, he was able to hide and control his emotions, so no one suspected he might be lying.


    Still, Grandpa Jin didn''t seem topletely buy his exnation.


    He didn''t say anything, though.


    Since Sam wasn''t talking about it, he wouldn''t ask. He didn''t even think much about it.


    Time passed, and soon the sun was high in the sky.


    Then a huge, mountainous shadow slowly appeared, blocking the sun.


    When everyone looked up, they saw a majestic ship hovering above.


    "It''s a Nimbus Cruiser," one of the Awakeners muttered in awe.


    "Magnificent, isn''t it?" Agor smirked, seeing how the students were in awe of the ship they were about to board for the Academy.


    ...


    The sun shone brightly, casting a golden hue over thendscape, while the wind whispered through the trees as the Awakners rode the Nimbus Cruiser about two hundred feet above the ground.


    "Here we are, one of the oldest institutes of our world," Ragnar announced as they came to a stop at a particr spot within the forest.


    "Where is the academy?" the Awakners peered down, but all they could see below were dense trees, lush greenery, and thick vegetation.


    Some of the Awakners couldn''t fathom what they were searching for in this seemingly random part of the forest.


    "The Academy is concealed by an ancient formation. No matter how much you look, from the outside, it appears as nothing more than a normal forest," one of the Awakners from a noble household exined.


    "That''s correct. The formation hides the academy and creates an illusion of a forest," the Vice Principal, Ragnar, confirmed as the Cruiser began its descent to the ground.


    Once theynded, they followed the Principal and Vice Principal, watching as they seemingly vanished within a few steps.


    Following suit, the Awakners entered the invisible veil.


    The first thing Sam beheld was a towering wall, standing at least thirty feet high and seven feet thick forming a barrier around the Academy.


    Passing through the arched entrance, a sprawlingplex greeted his eyes.


    It resembled a miniature city, with various buildings of different shapes and sizes dotting thendscape.


    Students d in martial robes bustled about, while academy staff could be seen going about their duties.


    Among them stood a group of students, Sam''s future seniors, positioned as if awaiting their arrival.


    "From this point onward, your seniors will guide you and acquaint you with the rules. If you have any doubts, rify them with them," Principal Agor announced, gesturing towards the senior students.


    "We value rules greatly here. Breaking them leads to severe consequences. So, if anyone here struggles to abide by them, now is your chance to reconsider," Agor added, scanning their faces for any reaction before nodding to himself.


    "Headmaster, you have a meeting to attend," the Vice Principal whispered to Agor with a grave expression.


    Agor nced at him briefly before they departed.


    Sam watched them leave, his gaze narrowed.


    He sensed their concern, yet couldn''t discern its source.


    "First years, follow me," one of the seniors, arge-built second-year student named Karen Rudolf, said with a neutral expression.


    "We will exin the rules as we take you to your dormitories."


    "The first and most important rule is no killing. If anyone is found guilty of causing a death, there will be severe consequences, ranging from the death penalty to crippling, as the headmaster stated."


    Some of the neers couldn''t help but gulp at hearing this.


    "What if I kill someone in self-defense or identally?" Sam asked, raising his hand.


    "In such cases, there will be a trial conducted by the studentmittee. The decision regarding the incident will be made anonymously by the trainers and academy officials," said another second-year student beside Karen. She was a girl with short ck hair and dark eyes.


    "Lucy here is a member of the studentmittee," Karen introduced.


    "Any conflicts between students will be handled by them. They are the strongest group inside the academy."


    "So the studentmittee is an official gang that keeps the unofficial gangs in check," Sam thought to himself.


    "Continuing, the second rule is that if you have conflicts with another student, regardless of year difference, you can resolve it with a duel," Karen said as they arrived before a colossal structure.


    "Speaking of duels, any official or unofficial duels will be conducted inside this arena. That doesn''t mean you can''t duel outside; it just means that if you cause any damage outside, you will be responsible for it," Karen continued as they resumed their walk.


    "The third rule isn''t much of a rule. It''s about currency. You can''t use ordinary money inside the academy. We use a credit system."


    "If you want to buy something from the consumer street, you need credits," Karen said, pointing at arge area where most of the students were roaming.


    "Credits can be earned in many ways. The most popr method is through duels."


    "You can challenge each other and bet credits, and the academy will also award you credits for each of your wins," Lucy, the second-year martial artist, added.


    "You can also earn credits bypleting quests assigned by the academy. These tasks can range from cleaning toilets to killing bandits."


    ...


    In the headmaster''s chamber:


    "Did you find anything?" Agor asked, scrutinizing the men standing before him.


    They were the individuals responsible for the behind-the-scenes work at the academy, taking orders solely from the principal.


    "We found the kids, but they''re not waking up from the shock," one of the men reported.


    "It''s as if their souls have been sucked out of their bodies. They''re not responding to anything," another added.


    Agor closed his eyes, pondering for a moment. "Tell Roman to keep the kids under intensive care until they''ve recovered."


    The men nodded and vanished from the room.


    "Maybe it wasn''t such a good idea to conduct the test in that part of the forest," Ragnar mused.


    "No, that part of the forest wasn''t as dangerous, but not anymore. It''s been spreading. From the area where we found these kids, I can confidently say it''s beginning to encroach on other areas," Agor replied gravely.


    "We have to do something about it. We have to eradicate it before it can cause serious damage," Ragnar asserted with a solemn expression.


    "How do we do that when we can''t even see it unless it wants us to? We can sense it, but we have no means to stop it, let alone kill it, unless we have soul-rted techniques," Agor remarked, clicking his tongue in annoyance.


    "Soul powers and attacks... only the progenitors have those abilities," Ragnar murmured, shaking his head.


    "There was someone else, a hero who possessed a technique that could target souls," Agor said, gazing out the window.


    "Ryuga Tachibana."


    "Well, he''s dead, and he took those techniques with him. His bloodline ended with him," Ragnar replied, his expression one of dissatisfaction.


    "Actually, there is a descendant he left behind," Agor revealed.


    "Who is it?"


    "Sam Tatsuya," Agor disclosed.


    "That abnormal kid?"


    "Yes, his maternal grandmother is Ryuga Tachibana''s granddaughter."


    "No wonder the boy possesses such formidable strength at his age, hailing from the esteemed Tatsuya and Tachibana lineages," Ragnar murmured in realization.


    "The hunt... there has never been an Awakener who has performed as remarkably as he has. He''s truly exceptional. I still can''t fathom the sheer number of beasts he''s single-handedly hunted. He''s beyond extraordinary," Ragnar mused.


    Agor cast a knowing nce at Ragnar, a peculiar smile ying at his lips.


    "Oh, Ragnar, if only you knew the extent of his capabilities."

 Chapter 22: A Challenge

    <h4>Chapter 22: A Challenge</h4>


    After learning about the rules, Karen and Lucy led the students to their dormitory district.


    The students had four years before they finally graduated, and each year had its own dormitory district.


    The first-year dormitories were located at the very end.


    "Each of these houses has four bedrooms and two bathrooms with attached bathtubs. Each of you will share a house with three others, except for..."


    Lucy nced at the scroll floating beside her, searching for the top name on the list.


    "Sam Tatsuya," she called out. "As a reward for winning first ce in the beast hunt with extraordinary scores, you get a house for yourself."


    "As for the rest of the Awakeners, the houses have been allocated based on the number of Awakeners, so you have no choice but to share a house with three other students," Lucy continued, sneaking a nce at this year''s top ranker.


    "This is unfair! Why does he get to have a house for himself?" one of the Awakeners from Yami''s group ranted in anger.


    "How is this unfair? Exin," Lucy frowned.


    "You know, he scored the highest points not just in thest beast hunt but in the history of the entrance exam. So, I suggest you think twice before using this of being unfair."


    Hearing Lucy''s words and seeing her intense expression, the brat who used of unfair treatment lowered his head and dared not speak up again.


    "Now, if you want special privileges, then you have to do something special. Privileges are earned, not given," Lucy looked at the crowd.


    "This goes for all of you."


    "If you want his house for yourself, challenge him to a duel with it on the line."


    "Then I will challenge him right now," Yami dered.


    Sam grinned mischievously, recognizing the challenger.


    It was none other than Yami himself, asking for a second round of beating. "Like a pig stepping into the ughterhouse on its own, he''s begging me to beat him up."


    "I want to challenge him. If we win, he has to give up his house and lick my feet right here," Yami and his group of underdogs stepped up.


    Sam could feel their thirst for revenge.


    "If you wish to have your bones broken by me again, I will dly grant your wish," Sam smirked confidently.


    "For a man who is about to lick my feet, you talk too much," Yami sneered as a dark, purplish-ck aura began to emanate from him, taking the form of a terrifying giant wolf mixed with killing intent.


    "We will see about that," Sam retorted.


    He was no pushover.


    If someone wanted a fight, he would give it to them.


    In retaliation, a dark blue aura mixed with a reddish hue grew from Sam, forming a predatory beast with three menacing heads and blood-red eyes and fangs.


    The Awakeners instinctively took a step back, terrified by the killing intent in the air.


    Even Yuki and Isabelle, who had scored in the top five, couldn''t help but take a few steps back from Sam, sensing the extraordinary presence he was emitting.


    "That''s enough!" Lucy appeared between them before the situation could escte, and released an invisible aura that pressed on both of them like a mountain.


    Yami retracted his aura, taking a step back withbored breaths, unable to handle the pressure from Lucy.


    Sam, on the other hand, casually retracted his own aura, shrugging his shoulders at Lucy.


    Lucy narrowed her eyes at Sam. ''I put some considerable strength into that killing intent, and he can handle it?''


    Putting that fact to the back of her mind, she looked at Yami and Sam.


    "If you guys want to fight, go to the arena andy out your bets in front of a trainer with mutual agreement."


    ...


    "Have you heard? There''s a duel between two first-years," one of the seniors said to another standing beside him.


    "Already? Didn''t they just arrive?"


    The news of the fight spread quickly among the second and third years.


    Those who were curious and had nothing else to do flocked to the arena to watch the spectacle.


    Sam and Yami stood facing each other, with a man in a white martial robe positioned between them.


    "I am Trainer Austin," the man began, his voicemanding attention.


    "I will be one of your teachers at the academy, and I also oversee duels between students." He nced back and forth between Sam and Yami.


    "This is an official duel," he continued, "which means the winner will be rewarded with credits by the academy. You can keep track of your credits using the device provided to you."


    Sam nced at the device in his hand.


    It looked exactly like a mobile phone that mortals used, except it was powered by mana.


    Mages had developed this technology based on mortal innovations.


    These devices could perform all the functions of modern mortal technology but with much greater efficiency, and they were powered by mana.


    "Just for the record, you agree to fight Yami and his gang alone, don''t you?" Trainer Austin asked, looking directly at Sam.


    "Sure," Sam shrugged, as if it were no big deal.


    "And you," Trainer Austin turned his gaze to Yami and his gang.


    "Don''t you have any shame? Why can''t you man up and fight him yourself without the help of your buddies? Are you that scared of him?"


    "Heh, it''s fine. I''m still going to thrash his ass and his bootlickers," Sam grinned menacingly, eliciting odd looks from the seniors in the arena.


    "This guy is arrogant," one of the seniors couldn''t help but speak.


    "Or confident. I''m pretty sure he''s the guy who scored the top ce in the entrance exam, and I heard this year''s exam was pretty hard," another said.


    "He''s handsome too," a girl beside them muttered.


    "I wonder which group he''ll join?"


    "Don''t you see Lucy standing there? I''m pretty sure she''s here to recruit him for the Student Council," another one said.


    "A strong and handsome guy like him will definitely choose the strongest group, and the strongest student gang are the Hounds."


    "Don''t forget, the Student Council is not far off either."


    "The Hounds and the Reapers don''t exactly abide by the rules like the Student Council. They might use force to make him submit."


    "Whatever happens, it''s going to be fun," the girl smiled, as if anticipating an entertaining ride.


    Back in the arena, Trainer Austin called out, "Now, state your bets."


    "If I win, I want his house, and I want him to be my ve for a month," Yami said, his eyes shing with a dangerous intent.


    It was clear that Yami harbored a deep hatred for Sam; he would kill him if given the chance.


    "What do you say to that?"


    "I agree. And if I win, I want him and his underlings to be my ves for an entire month," Sam''s eyes showed no mercy.


    If Yami posed a threat to his life, then he would respond in kind.


    An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.


    [A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! ??]

 Chapter 23: Inevitable Defeat

    <h4>Chapter 23: Inevitable Defeat</h4>


    "It''s the Hounds," remarked one of the Awakeners who had gathered to watch the fight between Sam and Yami.


    A group of people entered the arena, each bearing the image of a purple dog-like beast on the back of their hand.


    "The Reapers are here as well," someone else noted as another gang arrived, disying the emblem of two crossed scythes with a skull in the center on their wrists.


    "Even the Reapers havee to watch. This guy is drawing too much attention," someone muttered.


    Sam couldn''t care less about the Hounds or the Reapers.


    All he wanted now was to beat the guys standing before him so they wouldn''t disturb him again unnecessarily.


    Within a few minutes, the arena was filled with students from the first three years, all eager for some action.


    "The fight will start when the line of fire burning in the center of the arena is extinguished," the trainer announced, moving to the corner of the arena.


    He was there to ensure that nothing against the rules would ur during the fight.


    Sam''s grip on the Eclipse Sword tightened as he waited for the line of fire to burn out.


    After a few seconds, the entire line of fire went out in a puff.


    Sam was the first to make his move.


    He immediately utilized his full speed and sted towards Yami and his underlings.


    "This bastard has gotten so much faster than before," Yami thought.


    He didn''t know that Sam had used the free attribute points rewarded by the system to increase his agility and stamina stats.


    Even without that, Sam''s specialties were speed and technique.


    "Surround him," Yami ordered as his four underlings encircled Sam.


    Yami stayed put, beginning to conjure dark purplish mes powered by his dark energy.


    Unlikest time, Yami was going all out from the start.


    He wasn''t entirely confident he could beat Sam.


    Sam watched in amusement.


    He had wondered from the beginning why Yami wanted to fight him again, knowing how strong he was.


    Perhaps they had a n this time.


    Once his underlings surrounded Sam, Yami used his dark mes to create a ring of fire, trapping Sam and his underlings in a confined space.


    "So that''s your n, huh? Trying to limit my movements," Sam mused.


    Yami then focused his dark power and made a small exit for his underlings to escape from the ring of fire.


    "That''s a lot of heat."


    "What kind of ability creates such terrible ck mes?" the Awakeners wondered, intrigued, wanting to see how Sam would escape from the ring of fire, which seemed to be growing stronger even without anything to burn.


    "I''m going to fry you alive, you bastard," Yami dered.


    He raised his hand, and the ring of fire gained more strength.


    It grew more intense, its height increasing, and it began to spread throughout the entire arena.


    It was fortunate that the arena had a protective system that shielded the outside world from the events urring within its confines.


    From the bleachers, spectators could see that the only area not engulfed in mes was the center, where Sam and Yami stood, surrounded by a dome of dark, seething fire.


    As the dome began to shrink, Sam remained at its center, seemingly unfazed.


    The fire grew thicker and more intense, threatening to consume him entirely.


    Yet, Sam did not move.


    "I think he gave up," one observer remarked.


    "How can he escape from something like that? I think he epted his fate," another responded.


    The awakeners felt a pang of disappointment.


    They had hoped for a more spectacr disy of skill.


    Despite this, they anticipated watching someone burn, knowing that Trainer Austin would intervene before the situation turned fatal.


    Lucy appeared beside Trainer Austin. "You''re not just going to stand here and let him burn to death, are you?"


    "Of course not," Austin replied, his gaze fixed on Sam. A small grin slowly formed on his lips. "But I don''t think he needs saving."


    "What do you mean?" Lucy asked, following his line of sight.


    She saw Sam, a dominant grin on his face, as if everything was going ording to n.


    He stood still, eyes closed, focusing intently.


    The dome of dark fire grew stronger and denser as it shrank further around Sam.


    "This is it," Sam muttered.


    He opened his eyes and straightened his posture.


    His heroic energy erupted, filling the dome with a brilliant yellow light.


    "What the hell?" someone eximed.


    "Just how much energy does this guy have?" The first years who had participated in the beast hunt with Sam gulped solemnly.


    They had never seen anyone their age wield such immense power.


    "This kid... I sensed he was around level fifteen, but his energy reserves are more than double that," Trainer Austin said, bewildered.


    "He is... abnormal"


    "I''m beginning to see why you''re giving him extra attention," he added, ncing at Lucy, who remained expressionless.


    "So what if you have more heroic energy? My dark mes will still devour you. You''re going down today!" Yami bellowed, his negative emotions fueling the dark mes further.


    Sam''s energy continued to surge, pouring out like water from a floodgate, pushing against the shrinking dome from within.


    But it seemed futile.


    The dark mes, feeding on energy, grew even denser and began to overflow.


    The dark mes expanded to a point where even Yami struggled to maintain control.


    "Shit, I''ve lost control," he muttered, lowering his hands and covering himself in a protective mass of dark energy.


    Suddenly, the yellowish energy gushing from Sam transformed into a dark bluish hue.


    This new energy seemed to absorb the overflowing dark mes, pulling them in like a sponge soaking up water.


    "Haha, looks like there was a reason why he let Yami do all this... I wonder what he''s doing exactly."


    From Trainer Austin''s point of view, Sam was just casually standing there with one hand raised, constantly releasing a blinding, almost divinely dark blue energy that rapidlytched onto the dark mes.


    [Innate Ability, Extraction Level Increased: +1]


    Even the dark mes protecting Yami were slowly being extinguished.


    "What the hell is going on?" Yami suddenly had a bad premonition that it was going to end badly for him.


    Then something happened. In a split second, the dark blue energy pulled every ounce of dark mes along with it into Sam''s palm, into himself.


    [Extracting enormous amount of Dark power essence from the Dark mes]


    [Dark Power Assimtion Increased: 7.95%]


    [Dark Power Assimtion Increased: 14.74%]


    [Dark Power Assimtion Increased: 24.34%]


    [Dark Power Assimtion Increased: 48.94%]


    [Dark Power Assimtion... ]


    [Dark Power ... ]


    [...]


    [Dark Power Assimtion Increased: 100.00%]


    [Dark Power Assimtion Complete]


    [You have awakened a Rare Stat on your own using your own Abilities]


    [Rare Stat: Dark Power]


    [Description: A type of energy born from the negative side of the universe. It is powered by negative emotions and is the counterpart of Holy Power from the positive side of the universe.]


    [Effects: Dark me Creation, elerated healing, ability to influence negative emotions, ability to defend against Holy Power, immunity against venoms and poisons.]


    [This Achievement deserves a reward]


    [Reward: +5 Free Stat Points]


    "Oh, yes, free stat points!" Sam''s grin widened.


    Then he noticed he still had some dark energy he had yet to absorbpletely, so he decided to increase its dark power.


    [Dark Power Increased: +1]


    [Dark Power Increased: +1]


    [Dark Power Increased: +1]


    [Dark Power Increased: +1]


    [Dark Power Increased: +1]


    [Dark Power Increased: +1]


    Yami watched in horror as Sam began to emanate a very familiar sensation.


    A throb pulsed through his veins, recognizing a threat far greater than anything he had ever encountered.


    It wasn''t just Yami who felt this fear; it was something within him, an innate terror one would feel in the presence of a superior being of power.


    Before he could gather his senses, a sh blinded him, followed by a searing pain in his chest.


    In an instant, he found himself mmed into the wall at the corner of the arena.


    His bones shattered, blood poured from his mouth, his ears rang incessantly, and numbness spread through his body.


    Then, his vision blurred, and he lost consciousness.


    Sam looked down at Yami, then pointed his hand, activating his Extraction.


    [Extracting Heroic energy and Dark Power from the target''s reserves]


    [Cultivation Level Increased: 69%]


    [Dark Power Increased: +3]


    Sam then turned his gaze to Yami''s underdogs. "Do you still wish to fight?"


    "N-No, no way in hell," one of them stammered.


    "You won... Just don''te near us," another added hastily.


    They had no desire to end up like Yami, especially considering Sam had emerged unscathed from the onught of dark power.


    Defeat was evident,pounded by the fact that they were already obligated to serve as his ves for an entire month.


    They had no wish to exacerbate the situation by facing Sam inbat.


    [A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! ??]

 Chapter 24: The Founder

    <h4>Chapter 24: The Founder</h4>


    In the headmaster''s chamber:


    Headmaster Agor was engrossed in some files, his expression unsmiling and thoughtful.


    He reced the book he had been reading on the shelf when he noticed a figure entering the room.


    Recognizing the person, he spoke up, "Austin, I was wondering when you would show up."


    "Headmaster, who is this kid? I''ve never encountered a student like him in all my years... he is abnormal," Austin said with a grave expression, the scene of that enormous amount of energy being rapidly absorbed by Sam still fresh in his mind.


    Agor smiled slightly. "Looks like you''re impressed."


    "Impressed? That''s one way to put it. Who is this kid?"


    "He is Jin Tatsuya''s grandson."


    "That exins a lot. Grandfather like grandson, I guess," Austin replied, well aware of Jin Tatsuya''s reputation as one of the strongest heroes in history.


    "Anyway, enough about Sam Tatsuya. He isn''t going anywhere for four years. Tell me about the report," Agor said as he settled into a veryfortable chair and gestured for Austin to take a seat.


    "Like you instructed, we scouted the area where it wasst seen. We were able to find evidence that it has been widening its territory," Austin reported, handing over a scroll.


    The scroll floated on its own, as if imbued with life, and ced itself onto a shelf alreadyden with hundreds of other scrolls.


    "Something''s changed. It used to stay in the deepest part of the Forbidden Forest, but now it''s moving, expanding its hunting grounds... this is not good," Agor muttered, clicking his tongue and tapping the table with a finger.


    He then looked at Austin.


    "There should still be some time before it reaches the academy area, and even if it does, we have no way to know if it could breach the walls," Agor sighed, ncing at a painting in the room.


    The painting depicted the back of a man in a golden robe, with an image of a red fiery bird at the center.


    "If only he had left us the answer to our problems."


    "That''s the Founder, right?" Austin asked, looking at the majestic, life-sized image hanging high and mighty between two sets of three candles on each side.


    "Ryuga Tachibana, the founder of the Hero Academy, was the only hero capable of wielding a technique that could harm a person''s soul."


    "He was also the strongest hero of his time, single-handedly elevating the Tachibana n to the same prestigious level as the Tatsuya and Asuna ns, before his untimely fall."


    "I still don''t understand what happened to him and his n. The records were unclear," Austine said, puzzled.


    "Life happened. Every great thing muste to an end at some point; it''s just a matter of when. Unfortunately for the Tachibana n, their time came sooner than anyone expected," Agor replied with a sigh.


    "Were they killed?" Austine asked, leaning forward.


    "No. Long story short, the n was cursed never to bear sons again, leading to their ultimate demise and leaving Ryuga Tachibana''s granddaughter as the lone survivor," Agor exined.


    "Is she still alive?" Austin asked with a spark of hope, thinking that perhaps Ryuga Tachibana''s granddaughter might hold the key to solving their problems.


    He hoped she might possess the technique needed to defeat the terror lurking in the Forbidden Forest.


    "Very much so. She is married to one of the strongest heroes in history," Agor said, looking at Austin with a knowing expression.


    "You know him well, Austin. He is the grandfather of the kid who freaked you out earlier."


    ...


    After Sam defeated Yami, he disappeared from the arena, grabbed the keys to his house from Lucy, and went straight home.


    ---


    [Name: Sam Tatsuya/Brunheart]


    [Hero Level: 17 (69%)]


    [Mage level: 25 (92%)]


    [Titles: An Anomaly]


    [Race: Half Mage, Half Hero]


    [ss: None]


    [Contracted Beast: Anthra (Beast Ant Queen)]


    {Physical Stat(s)}


    Strength: 22


    Agility: 28


    Stamina: 28


    Perception: 24


    Heroic Power: 44


    Mana: 44


    Attribute Points: 10]


    {Rare Stat(s)}


    Charm: 15 (Note: 10 is the average charm level for a mortal.)


    Soul Power: 4


    Dark Power: 9


    [Elemental Affinity(s): Wind, me]


    [Innate Ability: Extraction (Level:2), Eyes of Truth (Level:1) ]


    [Magic: Wind Magic, me Magic, Non-Elemental Magic]


    [Skills: Heroic Sense, Mana Sense, Swordsmanship, Spearmanship, Spellcasting]


    [Techniques: Soul Animation Concealment Art (Level: 2), Infernal Bird Reincarnation Art (Level: 2), Asura Sutra (Level: 1)]


    ---


    It was already dusk when Sam was interrupted by a knock on the door as he was reviewing his status screen.


    "Who could it be at this hour?" he wondered.


    Spreading his senses, he noticed a lone figure standing on the other side of the door¡ªa familiar presence.


    He reached for the door handle but hesitated as a thought crossed his mind. "Why do I feel like I''m walking into something?"


    Ignoring the feeling, he opened the door to find a beautiful girl with short white hair, bangs brushing her curved eyebrows, and bright blue eyes.


    "Yuki? What are you doing here?" Sam asked, bewildered.


    Yuki remained silent.


    Without warning, Yuki swung her sword at him, aiming for his neck.


    The de stopped just before it could cut his skin.


    "Let me live with you," Yuki demanded in an authoritative tone.


    "Oh god, I just had d¨¦j¨¤ vu," Sam muttered, unable to believe his eyes. He thought he was seeing things.


    "What did you say again?" Sam asked, rubbing his eyes in confusion.


    "Let me live with you," Yuki repeated, her voice steady.


    "...You do know I won this house because I don''t have to share it with anyone, right?"


    "..." Yuki remained silent.


    "Why don''t you live with the other girls?"


    "My father asked me to live with you," Yuki finally replied.


    "Of course he did. If your father wasn''t the Hero King, I''d give him a piece of my mind," Sam said, frustrated.


    That man had already asked him to look after his daughter, and now he wanted him to share his prized house with her?


    A girl?


    Oh, hell no.


    "And you... you just agreed with your father? Is he pressuring you into this?"


    "No... I made this decision on my own. My father just suggested it," Yuki responded.


    "Why would you do that?" Sam asked, shaking his head.


    "..." Ignoring him, Yuki walked into the house, found a room for herself, and began unpacking her things.


    "Why does she have so much stuff?" Sam asked in frustration, momentarily forgetting why he was frustrated in the first ce.


    Just as he was about to enter his self-proimed room, his phone rang, disying a message from his grandfather.


    [Jin Tatsuya: Hey my grandson, just wanted to let you know that Yuki will be living with you. Take your time and get to know her. She will make a great wife.]


    "This old man... colluding with the Hero King," Sam muttered, speechless.


    KNOCK! KNOCK!


    He heard two knocks on the door. "Who is it this time?"


    Simultaneously, his phone rang again, showing the name Maya Tatsuya. "Mom?"


    "Hey sweetie, how are you? I heard you won the top ce in the entrance exam. No surprise there," a sweet voice replied on the phone.


    "Mom, why are you calling me?"


    "What do you mean? I''m calling because I miss you."


    "That''s pure crap, and you know it," Sam retorted. "What do you want?"


    "You know my friend''s daughter, what''s her name again? Ah yes, Isabelle Lancaster. Such a pretty name, don''t you think?"


    "No," Sam interrupted before she could continue.


    "I didn''t even ask you anything."


    "Whatever you''re going to ask, my answer is no."


    "Fufufu, you really are my son," Maya chuckled. "Well, you don''t have a choice. Be a good boy and let Isabelle live with you."


    "Seriously, Mom?"


    "Come on, her mother is kind of worried about her, and I told her I''d let my son protect her. I already told her Isabelle is wee to live with you. Are you really going to make me go back on my word?"


    "Did you ever think I might need privacy?"


    "Why would you need privacy?"


    "You know... doing man stuff alone."


    "... I don''t even want to know what those things are. Just let her live with you. If you''re lucky, you might have some happy idents with the girls... Yes, your grandfather told me about Yuki. Way to go, son."


    "You know, you''re just like your father."


    "Oh, did he also suggest you spark things up with Yuki?"


    "..."


    "Hehe, anyway, be a mommy''s boy and treat those girls well, okay? And just so you know, I don''t want grandkids right now." Then she hung up.


    Trying to erase the whole conversation from his mind, he opened the door and found a long, curly, golden-haired woman with green eyes standing there, her charming smile almost making his heart explode.


    "I''m guessing you want to live with me," Sam said.


    "Yes, that''s right."


    "Did you make this decision on your own?"


    "Yes... Don''t worry, I asked permission from your mother, and she was very happy to let me move in with you."


    "Why would you want to do that? I''m a stranger."


    "Well, not to me, you''re not," Isabelle replied, looking inside and noticing bags in the hall.


    "What?"


    "I''ve seen you dozens of times before when we were little. My mother used to take me with her whenever she visited your mother. They are close friends, after all. I don''t see why we can''t be."


    Sam sighed. "Come in."


    [A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! ??]

 Chapter 25: This Is a Bad Idea

    <h4>Chapter 25: This Is a Bad Idea</h4>


    "This is just great," Sam sighed.


    He found himself standing between two girls, one wielding a long spear and the other brandishing a sword.


    Each weapon was aimed precariously close to his throat.


    In reality, the girls were pointing their weapons at each other, and Sam was trying desperately to prevent them from shing.


    "Can you both lower your weapons? You might poke someone''s eye out, and that someone could be me," he said, cing his hand over Isabelle''s spear, which was dangerously close.


    "Tell her to lower her sword first, and then I will lower my spear," Isabelle demanded, ring at Yuki.


    Sam turned his gaze to Yuki. "Would you please lower your sword?"


    Yuki nced at his face, meeting his eyes for a second before she lowered her sword.


    Following suit, Isabelle also put away her spear.


    "What''s the problem here?" Sam asked, looking back and forth between them.


    "She started it," Isabelle used, pointing a finger at Yuki.


    "What happened, Yuki?" Sam inquired gently.


    "Why is she here?" Yuki asked, visibly irritated.


    "She''s going to be living with us... apparently," Sam replied, sounding as though he was resigning himself to some inevitable fate.


    Yuki narrowed her eyes, shooting an irritated nce at Isabelle, who returned a simr expression.


    Without another word, Yuki turned and stormed off, mming her door shut.


    "You..." Sam began, but Isabelle also turned and stormed off to her room, mming the door closed.


    The house was square-shaped, with three rooms and a hall on the first floor and onerge room on the second floor.


    Sam upied the room opposite the main door, while Yuki had the left-side room and Isabelle the right-side room.


    He had chosen not to take therger room upstairs because it required more upkeep.


    The students had to manage their own rooms, including sweeping, cleaning, mopping, dusting, and washing.


    Everything was their responsibility.


    Sam watched them go with a tired expression, using his charm to gauge their emotions.


    "Irritation, annoyance, and... disappointment? What are they both disappointed about?" he wondered.


    Sam went up to Yuki''s door, wanting to make sure she was okay.


    He knocked, and after a few seconds, Yuki opened the door just enough for her right eye to peer out at him.


    "Can Ie in?" Sam asked, looking into her blue eyes that shimmered lightly.


    Yuki opened the door wide and let him in.


    His eyes wandered around the room, noticing that most of her belongings were clothes and various beauty products.


    "Wow, you brought a lot of clothes," Sam muttered.


    He himself had only brought a few hoodies, t-shirts, pants, and some training gear.


    Yuki didn''t respond to hisment, instead, she looked at him with an expressionless face that made Sam ufortable.


    "I was just wondering if you''re okay. You seemed like you were angry. Is everything alright?" he asked.


    Yuki stood up and moved close to him, so close that Sam could feel her breath.


    ''Whoa, she''s too close,'' Sam thought, but he didn''t move. He wanted to see where this was going.


    Yuki slowly ced her hand on his arm. "I thought we were going to be living alone together."


    ''Wait, is that what she''s worried about? Is she into me? Does she have romantic feelings for me?'' Sam had a million questions running through his mind.


    Controlling himself, he ced a hand on her shoulder. "It''s okay, we can still have some time alone together."


    It was strange for Sam; it had only been a couple of days since they''d known each other, and it seemed Yuki had already developed certain feelings towards him.


    He could sense it, but he wasn''t sure if these feelings were genuine or if she was under the influence of something.


    He suddenly didn''t feel very happy about this development with Yuki.


    He felt concerned, as if something wasn''t right.


    He removed his hand from her shoulder. "I''ll talk to you tomorrow... Good night."


    Then he left, but instead of going to his room, he went in the direction of Isabelle''s room, wanting to check something with her.


    He knocked on the door, and Isabelle opened it with a charming smile on her face.


    "I just wanted to check on you... You seemed angry about having to share the house with Yuki," Sam asked in a gentle tone.


    "Yes, I was angry," Isabelle''s face turned into one of annoyance before reverting to a charming smile as she ced her hand on his shoulder and moved closer.


    "I was expecting to live alone with you... maybe even spend time together... alone," she whispered.


    Sam could feel her breath on his neck.


    Normally, a boy would be over the moon in this situation, but not Sam.


    He felt this was too good to be true.


    Two gorgeous girls, whom he hadn''t even known until a few days ago, from noble families, wanted to get close to him and even spend four years with him in a house.


    Usually, it would take a lot of convincing, begging, and proving to get a girl to like someone, especially beautiful, talented women from noble families.


    This was just too good to be true, but it really was happening to Sam, and he felt there was something wrong about this situation.


    He could me this on his charm ability, but even though he was handsome, he wasn''t handsome enough to pull this off, and this only made the situation even more suspicious.


    He suddenly had an idea and activated his other innate ability, the Eye of Truth, on her.


    [Innate Ability Activated: Eyes of Truth]


    His blue eyes had a faint light glow.


    He could see a golden energy surrounding her that constantly entered and released from her body, but other than that, he didn''t find anything abnormal.


    "W-we will talk in the morning," he gently grabbed her hand and said before making his way out to his room.


    Hey on the bed, exhausted, and sighed deeply.


    "Having them live with me is such a bad idea. Why are my mother and grandfather making me do this?" he muttered to himself, staring at the ceiling.


    "Part of me wants to enjoy this situation... two beautiful women showing interest in me? Who wouldn''t want that? But another part of me refuses to believe they have genuine feelings for me, especially when I only met them recently," San sighed again.


    "What should I do? Should I just tell them it''s a bad idea to share this house?"


    [Aren''t you being a little too paranoid about this?]


    .


    .


    .


    [A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! ??]

 Chapter 26: The Factions

    <h4>Chapter 26: The Factions</h4>


    "What should I do? Should I just tell them it''s a bad idea to share this house?"


    [Aren''t you being a little too paranoid about this?]


    Sam was surprised by the system initiating a conversation.


    It had never spoken to anyone before, even when it revealed that he was favored by the system administrator.


    The system had always remained silent unless absolutely necessary, but now it had taken the initiative to speak to him.


    "What do you mean I''m being paranoid? They have no reason to act like this, yet they do. I refuse to believe it''s all natural," Sam argued.


    [Their feelings for you are genuine. There is no conspiracy as you believe.]


    "Why should I believe you?" Sam asked skeptically.


    [You should believe the system because it would never deceive the only person favored by the system administrator.]


    "Hmm, then tell me why I''m being favored by this system administrator," Sam demanded, but predictably, the system did not respond.


    [I may not be allowed to discuss certain things with you, but I can assure you, no one is manipting those girls. There are definitely no external factors influencing their feelings.]


    [Whatever they feel towards youes from within them.]


    After saying this, the system fell silent, leaving Sam to ponder deeply about Isabelle and Yuki''s interactions with him.


    As he closed his eyes, he drifted into a deep sleep.


    The next day, Sam woke up early, the sky still dark and filled with twinkling stars.


    "The training area should be empty," he thought, heading towards the training grounds for an early morning workout.


    The training grounds were an enclosed dome-like structure, built with thick walls to contain the effects of intense training.


    As he walked inside, he noticed someone was already there¡ªLucy, who acknowledged his presence as he entered.


    "Early morning training?" she asked.


    "Mm," he nodded, then moved a little distance away from her and began stretching in preparation for his sword training.


    Lucy didn''t take much notice of him ignoring her.


    She was preupied with thoughts of Sam''s duel with Yami from the previous day.


    He should be with the student council, she thought as she approached him.


    He was in the middle of doing pull-ups with no shirt on, his well-built and maintained, heavily desirable body on full disy.


    She couldn''t help but steal a second, third, and fourth nce.


    At the same time, the powerful, dominant, and strong demeanor he had shown when he beat the shit out of Yami yed out in her mind.


    She couldn''t help but feel attracted to him.


    Then, she shook her head, reminding herself why she wanted to talk to him.


    Sam noticed her approach and sensed her emotions.


    He let go of the pull-up bar andnded on his feet before looking at her. "What do you want?"


    "I''m sure you''ve heard about the student factions in the academy, right?" she asked, maintaining eye contact.


    "Yeah, I''ve heard of them, but they have nothing to do with me," Sam replied.


    "You might think that, but they certainly have things to do with you. Join the student council," she said, getting straight to the point.


    "Why should I do that?" Sam asked, curious to hear what kind of benefits he might gain from joining the student council, which was supposedly the second strongest faction after the Hounds, even though he had no intention of joining any faction.


    "Because of your incredible disy of strength yesterday, both the Hounds and the Reapers will be after you, and they won''t take no for an answer. They''re a dirty bunch," Lucy said with a hint of disgust.


    "Your best option is to join the student council. We can provide immunity."


    Sam smirked. "Immunity against what, exactly?"


    Lucy narrowed her eyes. "You don''t understand. The Hounds, the Reapers, and the student council all have equal strength, but the bnce is starting to tip towards the Hounds."


    "This is a critical time. The Hounds want to maintain the status quo, and the Reapers will do everything to prevent that from happening."


    "And what about you? Where does the student council stand in this power struggle?" Sam asked, crossing his arms.


    "The student council would rather consolidate all the power."


    "Sounds to me like you guys are no different from them," Sam scoffed.


    "Don''t put us in the same category as those dirty scoundrels. We are nothing like them," Lucy said, almost letting her emotions get the best of her, releasing a slight killing intent.


    "If you say so, whatever," Sam replied, ignoring the faint killing intent emanating from lucy.


    The soul power not only made his soul stronger and denser, but it also gave him significant resistance against such intents.


    This level of killing intent was nothing to him.


    In the academy, two things were of paramount importance: resources and opportunity.


    Both were equally crucial in a ce like the Academy.


    While the academy itself provided ample opportunities, the real challengey in acquiring resources.


    There were two primary ways to obtain resources: winning them through duels orpetitions held by the academy, and acquiring them from the Alchemy Division.


    The Alchemy Division was an integral part of the academy, where students studied alchemy alongside cultivation and martial arts.


    These resources, produced by the students, were sold in Consumer Street.


    However, the majority of these students belonged to one of two factions: the Hounds or the Reapers.


    In essence, because these resources were produced by factions, they had the power to monopolize the flow of resources, manipting prices and distribution.


    If one faction grew stronger than the others, it could force the weaker factions into submission, further monopolizing resources.


    This scenario is where the student council came into y.


    They opposed such monopolization, advocating for equal treatment of all students¡ªor at least, that was their stated goal.


    "If you join the student council, you''ll receive your share of resources without resorting to the dirty tricks used by those other bastards," Lucy continued.


    "You can''t grow stronger without a faction backing you up. Your talent will be wasted," Lucy said, taking a deep breath.


    "Thanks for the offer, but the way I see it, relying on others is a waste of my talents. I don''t need resources handed to me. And frankly, even if I did need resources, I could acquire them on my own," Sam replied.


    He was not someone who followed orders or worked well with those who relied on underhanded tactics and others to grow stronger.


    He would never consider joining a faction oring under someone''s leadership.


    He would rather be the head of a cat than the tail of a tiger.


    "You can reject me just like that, but the Reapers and the Hounds won''t let you off as easily as I do. They''ll do anything short of killing you to make you submit. You may be the strongest among the first years, but even you can''t face the monsters from the second and third years."


    "It doesn''t matter," Sam shook his head.


    He had already prepared for whatever troubles these factions might throw his way.


    They were nothing but stepping stones on his path to invincibility.


    "Are you confident or arrogant? I can''t decide," Lucy smiled wearily.


    At first, she thought he was arrogant, especially before he fought against Yami.


    But soon she realized he had the power to back up his arrogance.


    This was different, though.


    This time it was Sam against two factions of older and more experienced students.


    If it were anyone else iming they could go against so many students, she would haveughed and ridiculed them to their faces.


    Buting from Sam, she couldn''t do that.


    For one, he was abnormal, that much was obvious.


    Second, he didn''t seem like he was boasting or being arrogant.


    "It''s not about confidence or arrogance; it''s about doing what I want. I would never let someone else dictate my actions."


    Lucy turned her face away and began to walk away from him.


    After a few steps, she stopped. "The student council''s door will always be open for you," she said, before continuing on her way.


    "Like I care" Sam smirked, before going to back to his training.


    .


    .


    .


    [A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! ??]

 Chapter 27: The Prophecy

    <h4>Chapter 27: The Prophecy</h4>


    After Lucy left, Sam trained for an hour before returning home, where he felt many hostile eyes on him.


    "They purposely ced the first-year residents in the very back, didn''t they?" Sam muttered to himself as he walked past the second and third-year residential areas.


    It had only been a day, and he was already attracting too much attention.


    He sighed, ignoring the hostile gazes, and arrived home to find Isabelle standing in front of his room.


    Her expression was one of irritation, as if she were mad at him for something.


    "You''re here," she said, her tone sharp.


    "And you are too," Sam replied, confused.


    He wondered why she seemed upset and if he had done something wrong.


    "Where were you?" Isabelle asked, crossing her arms like a wife reprimanding her husband for leaving without a word.


    "I was doing a bit of early morning training. Why? What''s wrong?" Sam asked, not appreciating the usatory look she was giving him.


    "Why didn''t you tell me before you went?" she demanded.


    "Is that what she''s mad about?" Sam thought, baffled by her reaction.


    They had only officially met the day before, and after that, she had asked his mother to let her live with him.


    She even wanted to spend time alone with him.


    Now she was mad that he didn''t tell her where he was going, like a housewife would be.


    What should he say to her now? How should he handle this situation?


    He had been raised with four sisters, so he figured he could manage it.


    Whenever his sisters used him of something he hadn''t even done, he learned a way to defuse the situation.


    This method even worked with his mother.


    "I''m sorry, it was my fault. I shouldn''t have gone without telling you," he said.


    No matter how right you are, in front of a woman, you are always wrong.


    His father''s words, not his.


    It was that easy to cool down a brooding girl: just admit you''re wrong, even if you''re right.


    "Mmm," Isabelle''s mood improved upon hearing his apology.


    "Don''t go anywhere without informing me. We''re living together; we should always know where each other is."


    Sam gently patted her shoulder. "Why don''t you head to ss with Yuki while I go freshen up?"


    Isabelle shook her head vigorously. "No, I want to go together with you. I''ll wait for you."


    Yuki appeared as well, nodding in agreement with Isabelle.


    Strangely, they didn''t seem to be at each other''s throats this morning.


    ''It seems they are getting along well,'' Sam thought to himself. ''I wonder what happened between them to reward me with this oue''


    "Alright, I''ll go freshen up," Sam said, nodding at them.


    He was about to head to the bathroom but stopped midway and turned back around.


    "I can bathe on my own," Sam said, noticing that both of them were following him.


    "Wait outside my room," he instructed clearly before closing the door.


    Isabelle and Yuki nced at each other before each took a seat outside his room.


    From time to time, they would cast wary nces at each other.


    ...


    Some time ago, a few minutes after Sam had left home for his early morning training, Isabelle woke up and went straight to his room, only to find it empty.


    "I can''t believe he didn''t tell me where he was going, especially when I''m with him," she muttered to herself.


    Only then did she realize she wasn''t alone¡ªYuki was also there, for the same reason, she presumed.


    Isabelle didn''t want to start an argument with Yuki.


    There was something about her that she couldn''t ignore, simr to what she felt with Sam, but tinged withpetitiveness and annoyance.


    Turning to go back to her room, she noted that there was still more than three hours until sunrise.


    "You have it too, don''t you?" Yuki''s voice surprised her, causing Isabelle to stop in her tracks.


    "What?" Isabelle questioned.


    "This," Yuki replied softly, turning her back to reveal her snow-white hair lifted to expose a birthmark on the back of her neck.


    It was shaped like the roots of a tree¡ªan ancient tree''s roots, starting from the base, devoid of trunk, leaves, or branches.


    "You..." Isabelle''s expression turned to surprise.


    She quickly lifted her long golden hair to reveal a simr birthmark on the back of her neck, shaped like tree roots, just like Yuki''s.


    "We aren''t so different after all," Yuki said, a rare smile forming on her face. "You know what this means, don''t you?"


    "Of course I do, or I wouldn''t be here... I never expected there would be someone else besides me," Isabelle admitted.


    Yuki looked at her thoughtfully for a few seconds before speaking again. "My father, the hero King... he once mentioned a prophecy to me about this.""Long ago, a prophecy was foretold," Isabelle began, reciting from memory.


    "He is the all-powerful Emperor, an anomaly unto himself. He holds the key to life and death, infinity and dreams; with himes both chaos and order"


    "Only when the saintesses of the elements unite by his side shall he recognize his true self."


    "When he ascends, his faithful may look up, for the gates of nine hells and heavens will open in full glory, and the bnce shall tremble as chaos intertwines with order."


    "He will cast shadows of both creation and destruction."


    "Those who stand with him shall find salvation, while those who oppose him shall face retribution."


    For a moment, silence enveloped them as they gazed solemnly at each other.


    "How long have you known that you''re part of this... prophecy?" Yuki asked, settling onto Sam''s bed and supporting her weight on her arms against the cushion.


    "For a while... my mother told me a few days before the awakening ceremony," Isabelle replied, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. "I believe his family members know about this as well."


    "Why do you say that?"


    "His mother and mine are good friends. When my mother suggested I live with him, his mother didn''t question it. I figured she must have known about my destiny with her son, so they arranged it," Isabelle said, smiling slightly.


    Suddenly, Yuki also had a realization.


    When her father, the Hero King, asked her to live with Sam, he mentioned that he had already spoken with Sam''s grandfather about the arrangement.


    "Now that you mention it, I also suspect they knew about this. At least his grandfather knew," Yuki said, sighing.


    "Do you... believe he''s the one the prophecy talks about?" Yuki asked.


    "I don''t know. I''m not sure anyone knows who the prophecy refers to, but I want it to be him. There''s a feeling I can''t ignore that makes me believe he''s the one," Isabelle nced at Yuki.


    "Everyone seems to think he''s the one, but there''s been no proof or signs."


    "What about you?"


    "I wouldn''t be here if I didn''t want him to be my destiny," Yuki replied, her gaze drifting to a photo frame on the bedside table disying Sam with his four sisters.


    "It seems we''re on the same page."


    .


    .


    .


    [A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! ??]

 Chapter 28: The Two-Week Rewards

    <h4>Chapter 28: The Two-Week Rewards</h4>


    It had been two weeks since Sam, Yuki, and Isabelle entered the Academy, and so far, their routine had been quite simple.


    Sam would rise early each morning to train with his sword and spear for an hour.


    asionally, the girls would join him as training partners, but it was clear that his skills in both swordy and speary were unparalleled; they were no match for him.


    After his morning training, Sam would attend sses.


    The ss schedules varied for each student, as they focused on different aspects of cultivation or specific pursuits.


    There were alsomon sses held once a week to cover fundamental topics.


    Although Sam was already familiar with much of the material, these sses proved useful for deepening his understanding.


    Manyplex questions were often rified by revisiting the basics.


    Speaking ofplexities, it had be widely known that Sam was living with Yuki and Isabelle.


    Wherever Sam went, the girls were always by his side.


    Interestingly, despite expectations, neither the Hounds nor the Reapers had approached him for recruitment.


    Sam spected that Lucy might have had a hand in this unexpected peace.


    Neither Lucy nor the student council had made contact with him directly.


    However, they did approach Yuki and Isabelle, inviting them to join the student council.


    This invitation came from another member, not Lucy herself.


    Knowing that Sam had not joined the student council, the girls declined the offer as well.


    The council soon realized that to recruit Yuki and Isabelle, they would first need to secure Sam''s allegiance.


    This situation drew even more attention because Sam, Yuki, and Isabelle were the top three scorers of the entrance exam, and their refusal to join any faction became a hot topic.


    It became apparent that whichever faction seeded in recruiting Sam would gain significant strength in the ongoing power struggle.


    Despite the intrigue, no one aside from Lucy had made any overt moves towards Sam.


    They didn''t even attempt to make things difficult for him.


    Apart from receiving constant curious nces, everything was proceeding smoothly.


    However, things took a strange turn when Sam decided to enroll in all avable sses, astonishing everyone with his talent in every subject.


    The Academy offered a wide range of sses, bothmon and optional.


    Themon sses included Cultivation Theories, Martial Arts, Energy Principles, History, Logic and Critical Thinking, Bestiary, Mythology, and the Study of Mortals.


    The optional sses covered more specialized subjects such as Swordsmanship, Spearmanship, Hand-to-Hand Combat, Alchemy, Assassination Arts, Archery, Survival Arts, Tampering Arts, Energy Maniption, etc.


    Sam, being the natural freak he was, had enrolled in every ss the academy offered.


    Initially, many assumed he was either out of his depth or simply showing off, but it quickly became evident that he excelled at everything he pursued.


    His presence was steadily bing a focal point of interest within the Academy.


    Yet, what was most difficult for others to ept was that Sam wasn''t just inherently talented; he was also an incredibly diligent worker.


    Then, there was the system.


    Over the past two weeks, Sam had umted a plethora of rewards from the system for his achievements across all stuffs.


    Moreover, he had garnered acim for winning duels against more than half of the first-year Awakeners.


    His exploits had made him the talk of the academy, with everyone buzzing about his capabilities.


    This only added to the mystery of why neither the Hounds nor the Reapers had approached him yet.


    Currently, Sam sat cross-legged on his bed, eyes closed, with a system prompt glowing in front of him.


    [Your contracted beast, Anthra (Beast Ant Queen), has Awakened from her slumber]


    Sam took a deep breath as his consciousness detached from his body and arrived in a cave hidden within a mountain.


    Inside, he could see Anthra cocooned, but she appeared vastly different from before.


    The once white cocoon had transformed into shades of red and purple, exuding an intense, flesh-ripping Aura.


    Sam could hear deep heartbeats resonating and glimpsed the swirling silhouette of the beast within the cocoon.


    "She''s awake, though not yet ready to hatchpletely. It seems she''ll hatch in a few days," Sam murmured upon opening his eyes.


    It had taken Anthra fifteen days to awaken, a longer period than usual for a Beast Ant Queen. "It seems my connection with her is affecting her more profoundly than I anticipated."


    Raising his hand, Sam conjured a single mana dot that swiftly expanded and multiplied into dozens of condensed mana spheres before vanishing.


    Back in the Anthill, dozens of condensed mana spheres materialized out of thin air, and merged with Anthra''s cocoon making it glow intensely for a few seconds


    "Show me all the rewards I received," hemanded.


    In response, the System disyed the cumtive rewards he had earned over the past two weeks:


    [Reward 1: +40 Free Stat Points]


    [Reward 2: +30 Mana]


    [Reward 3: +35 Mana Stones]


    [Reward 4: +30 High-Level Beast Cores]


    [Reward 5: +1 Rare Stat]


    [Reward 6: +1 Innate Ability]


    [Reward 7: +1 Noble Attire Set]


    [Reward 8: +1 Magic Mirror]


    [Reward 9: +1 Herald''s Wand]


    [Reward 10: Elements of Suits (Complete Set)]


    These were the rewards the System had granted him in just the past two weeks.


    He had yet to ept them because he hadn''t found the time to review them properly.


    While he was perusing his System rewards, Yuki and Isabelle were deep in cultivation.


    Their focus was abruptly interrupted by a knock on the door.


    Sam was also disturbed, and when he went to answer the door, he saw Yuki and Isabelle already there, talking to the visitors.


    Quickly, Sam hid under the stairs so they wouldn''t notice him.


    "We are the Reapers," one of the men in the group announced with a confident grin.


    Sam could tell, using his charm ability, that this guy was trying to court Yuki and Isabelle.


    "Who is this bastard?" Sam thought, instantly annoyed, but he didn''t move.


    He wanted to see what else they had to say.


    "The Reapers? What''s this about?" Isabelle asked, her smile remaining, though annoyance flickered in her eyes.


    "We heard that you youngdies have yet to join any factions and have even rejected previous invitations," the man said, his smile growing more sinister.


    "Consider this another invitation, and this time, we won''t take no for an answer."


    "And if we say no?" Isabelle asked, narrowing her eyes.


    "Then we won''t be asking nicely," the creep replied, his aura rising.


    The pressure he exuded made the girls cautious; they could tell he was at a higher level than them.


    They were right.


    These Reaper thugs who came to force them into joining their faction were all higher-level than Yuki and Isabelle.


    They were second-year students and some of the best members of the Reaper faction.


    Suddenly, a powerful aura erupted, dispelling the pressure exerted by the second-year reapers as a figure emerged with an intense presence.


    "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked, his aura growing stronger, consuming theirs and forcing them to take a step back.


    "They said they don''t want to join your little gang, so why don''t you... you know, fuck off," he said, smiling.


    However, the tension in his expression and the veins bulging on his forehead betrayed anything but friendliness.


    .


    .


    .


    [A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! ??]

 Chapter 29: Humiliating Message

    <h4>Chapter 29: Humiliating Message</h4>


    "They said they don''t want to join your little gang, so why don''t you... you know, fuck off," he said, smiling.


    However, the tension in his expression and the veins bulging on his forehead betrayed anything but friendliness.


    The creepy, smirking guy named John narrowed his eyes in dissatisfaction.


    He felt especially offended by Sam''s good looks and the fact that he lived with two gorgeous women, while he was ignored by women like a gue.


    "Sam Tatsuya, this doesn''t concern you. Go away," John said with obvious hostility, making it clear that if Sam didn''tply, he would be forced to make him.


    "Let''s see," Sam replied with an equally unfriendly smile.


    "You came to my home, knocked on my door, and threatened the two girls living under my care. That sounds a lot like something I should be concerned about. They''ve already made their decision, so get the hell out of my house."


    "Or what?" John challenged, narrowing his eyes further. "You might be the strongest first-year, but even you''re not at the level where you can threaten us."


    "Oh yeah?" Sam wasn''t one to back down. If John wasn''t going to retreat, a fight was inevitable.


    Sam was ready to use all his strength and the system''s rewards if necessary.


    "You''re lucky I''m not in the mood to kick ass today," John said, smirking as he took a step back and turned to leave with his group.


    Sam had expected him to attack right away, but unexpectedly, John chose to leave without causing a scene.


    "By the way, this isn''t finished. Don''t make me point my sword at you¡ªit won''t end well for you," John added, turning back to deliver his threat.


    John probably thought he was making himself look cool and heroic in front of Yuki and Isabelle, trying to prove he was the alpha.


    But all he managed to do was insult Sam and make the girls frown, while sessfully infuriating Sam.


    Sam did not appreciate being threatened, especially not in front of two women who could potentially be more than just roommates in the future.


    "Are you okay?" Yuki asked, cing her hand on his arm.


    "I''m fine," Sam replied. Suddenly, a thought shed through his mind, and his frown turned into a grin.


    "Actually, I''m more than fine."


    "You know, there are many ways to initiate a challenge with literally anyone in the Academy, regardless of their year? It''s so simple that we can do it with a click on our phone," he said, pulling his phone from his pocket and opening an application.


    The Academy had installed an app on everyone''s phone, one of whose functions allowed any student to issue a duel challenge to any other student at any time.


    The interesting part was that when issuing a duel challenge, everyone in the Academy, from trainers to students of all years, would be notified.


    "This guy thinks too highly of himself. He needs to be put in his ce," Sam said, searching for the name of the bastard who had just angered him.


    He clicked on the challenge button, typing: "I hereby challenge John Connar to an official duel. Should he refuse, it will be clear that he''s nothing more than a cowardly pig with a mule''s intelligence, unworthy of respect. Also By declining, he agrees to grovel at my feet, proim me as his superior, and publicly dere his own disgrace and gayness."


    Sam sent the challenge, his grin widening as he imagined John''s reaction to the very public humiliation that awaited him.


    The phones here are powered by mana, enabling instantaneousmunication and data transfer.


    As soon as Sam clicked the send button, every single person in the academy heard their phone ring.


    Yuki and Isabelle heard the ring, opened their phones, and their mouths dropped open when they read the message.


    "Did you do this?" Isabelle asked, both concerned and shocked.


    "Yep," Sam nodded, smiling proudly.


    "You do know he''s a senior and very powerful at that? What are you doing publicly challenging him to a duel with that humiliating message?" Isabelle crossed her arms, unable to believe the message he had sent along with the challenge.


    "And you called him gay?" Yuki asked, setting her phone down.


    "No... I only said he''s gay if he doesn''t ept the duel," Sam replied, noticing that people who were going about their lives were now staring at him, holding their phones.


    "I told you before and I''ll say it again: that guy is crazy."


    "I can''t believe he challenged a senior... and called him gay. Hehe, that is kind of funny."


    "Did you see who he challenged this time?"


    "John Connar?"


    "John Connar? Isn''t he one of the top five strongest second-year students around?"


    Not just the first years, but even the second years were quite shocked by the challenge announcement.


    There had never been instances where a junior challenged a senior because even the weakest second-year hero was at least ten to fifteen levels higher than the strongest first-year students.


    Somewhere in the academy, in a private room of the library, a group of people was gathered, sitting at a round table with their phones in hand.


    "Very interesting," one of the guys said, chuckling.


    "He''s causing waves after waves. First, he scored the highest points in the entrance exam in history, then he put on that huge dramatic show fighting that Yami guy and his crooks, proceeded to duel every student in his year and win, and now this," a girl named Lina from the group said, grinning mischievously.


    "Hoo, looks like someone has a crush on him," another guy beside Lina named Leon teased, while also side-eyeing a girl seated at the edge with short ck hair and dark eyes, who seemed displeased with his joke.


    Seeing her expression, the guy stopped speaking, and not just him, everyone else also fell silent.


    "What are you thinking, Lucy?"


    "Nothing," the dark-haired girl with intense eyes replied.


    "Nothing? Sam Tatsuya just challenged John Connar. It won''t be a problem if he loses, but if by some miracle he wins, we need to bring him to our side. We have to do something," a guy named Ken said with uneasiness.


    "Haven''t I made it clear? Don''t bother him. I won''t repeat myself," Lucy red at Ken, who took it as a sign to shut up.


    "And ask the Reapers to ignore his challenge."


    "Ignore? Didn''t you read his humiliating message? There''s no way John or the Reapers are going to ignore this," Leon replied.


    "Mm," Lucy tapped her finger and sighed.


    "Have you noticed Lucy has been acting weird for the past two weeks?" Leon whispered in Lina''s ear.


    "Yeah, and I bet it''s because of Sam Tatsuya," Lina whispered back with a grin.


    .


    .


    .


    [A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! ??]

 Chapter 30: Happy to help... I Guess

    <h4>Chapter 30: Happy to help... I Guess</h4>


    Somewhere in the second-year residence area of the academy, John Connar and his cronies had just finished threatening Sam, basking in the moment of looking cool in front of two gorgeous women.


    They were about to leave when their phones rang simultaneously.


    "What the hell?" one of his cronies muttered, ncing at his phone and seeing the message Sam had sent, along with a challenge announcement.


    "Oh my God," another crony eximed, staring at his phone in shock, his mouth agape. "John, you have to see this."


    Noticing their reactions, John frowned and quickly checked his phone.


    His expression grew darker and more twisted with every passing second, veins starting to bulge on his forehead as his face turned an rming shade of red.


    "That bastard," John Connar growled, smashing his phone into pieces in a fit of rage.


    He never could have imagined a junior daring to oppose him, let alone publicly humiliating him.


    "This fucker," John seethed, punching a wall and leaving a sizable crack.


    "I will make him suffer. I want him to feel such excruciating pain that he''ll crawl under my feet and beg for mercy."


    Just then, two more individuals entered the room. They surveyed the scene, noting John''s furious destruction.


    "Looks like you''ve found yourself a challenge," one of the neers remarked.


    "Don''t forget the added humiliation; that''s the highlight," another man said with a chuckle.


    "What the fuck do you want?" John snapped, ring at the two men who had just appeared.


    "We sent you to recruit those girls, but instead, you provoked that guy into challenging you," the first man, Nn, said, crossing his arms. "Nicely done, John."


    "And don''t forget about the humiliation," added Kaze, the man standing beside Nn, grinning.


    "Thanks to you, the embarrassment is spreading throughout the entire faction."


    "This is a minor issue," John snarled.


    "This isn''t humiliation; it''s just him digging his own grave. I''ll make him regret ever challenging me. As for the so-called humiliation, I''ll make him suffer so profoundly that everyone will forget the arrogant message he sent."


    "Can you defeat him?" Kaze asked.


    "Is that a joke?" John retorted, clenching his fists.


    "He''s a first-year. There''s no way in hell he even has a chance of winning against me."


    After some time, Sam sent a message stating that he wanted to finish the battle right away and headed straight to the arena, followed closely by Yuki and Isabelle.


    When he arrived, the ce was already packed with first and second-year students and trainers.


    Sam noticed Lucy sitting with a group of people who were looking at him as if he were an alien.


    Sam was already standing on the battleground when Trainer Austin arrived, gazing at him.


    "Didn''t you just finish battling every student in your year?" Austin asked.


    Sam smiledically. "Am I bothering you too much?"


    "No, I love watching people try to kill each other with everything they''ve got. It helps me sleep better," Austin said, giving a thumbs-up to Sam.


    "Happy to help... I guess," Sam replied, returning the thumbs-up.


    Just then, the audience began to murmur even more noisily.


    Sam raised an eyebrow as John walked to the battleground, a very ugly look on his face.


    Seeing him made Sam feel a bit petty and kind of bad, like he was about to beat up an innocent, poor, sick, rabid dog.


    ''Well, sometimes even dogs require someone to put them out of their misery,'' Sam thought, smiling evilly at the thought of putting this dog in its ce.


    ''Maybe I should break all his bones, pluck all his hair, and feed it to him, or make him eat my shoe after the battle right here in the academy.''


    "You both know the rules, so state your bets," Austin said, looking back and forth between them.


    "When I win, I want him to be my ve for the next two years, and I want him to break all his bones in front of everyone," John Connors stated without pause, an ugly grin on his face.


    Sam could see the rage emanating from him in the form of veins bulging on his forehead.


    If Sam didn''t win, he would be John''s ve for two whole years.


    Only John knew the pain he was going to make Sam feel for the humiliation caused by that message.


    He was never going to let Sam live in peace after this; he would make Sam feel like he was living in hell.


    "What about you, Sam?" Austin asked.


    "I won''t go that far. If I win, the Reapers stay the fuck out of my way, and John admits he is gay in front of everyone here. That''s all," Sam shrugged, smiling slightly.


    Austin looked at Sam for a whole minute. "You do understand that he is at least ten to fifteen cultivation levels higher than you, right?"


    "Yes," Sam nodded.


    "Well then," Austin said, looking at John.


    "You already know this, but I''ll say it again: the fight will start once the line of fire is extinguished."


    With that, he vanished, and a line of fire ignited at the center, separating Sam and John.


    "ept the rewards," Sam muttered.


    Suddenly, a massive amount of mana began to rush toward him, spiraling downward onto him.


    "Um, what''s happening?" Lina, who was sitting beside Lucy, eximed, sensing the sudden surge of mana converging on Sam.


    "I guess he''s doing it... Is he breaking through to another level?" Leon spected, narrowing his eyes.


    "Shut up and watch," Lucy said, not taking her eyes off Sam, who was standing at the center of the mana convergence.


    John narrowed his eyes as he felt the mana in the surroundings being drawn towards Sam.


    Sam ignored him and focused on the line of fire at the center.


    As soon as the fire extinguished, he would charge.


    [Your Mana Increased: +30]


    [Your Heroic Energy is Synchronizing with Your Mana Core]


    [Your Heroic Energy Increased: +30]


    [You Have Awakened the Rare Power: Holy Power]


    [Rare Power: Holy Power]


    [Description: A type of energy born from the positive side of the universe. It is the counterpart of Dark Power, originating from the same positive source. It is said that only angels, holy gods, and mortals blessed by the holy gods possess this power.]


    [Effects: Ability to produce holy mes, elerated healing, positive emotion influence, dark power resistance, immunity to venoms and poisons.]


    [You Have Awakened the Innate Ability: Rune Pulse]


    [Innate Ability: Rune Pulse]


    [Description: One of the rarest and most powerful abilities born from nature, it grants the user the ability tomunicate with elements through the creation of runes. Whoever possesses this ability can manipte the elements of nature to their will.]


    "Holy Power and Rune Pulse, huh?" Sam murmured.


    He felt a strange sensation coursing through his body and became acutely aware of his surroundings.


    He could see countless, differently colored dots floating and gathering in random groups.


    Elsewhere in the arena, among the hundreds of students gathered, Yami felt a chill run down his spine, followed by a familiar sense of fear.


    It was not the fear of a superior as before; this time, it was the fear of being in the presence of an eternal enemy.


    "What has he done now?" Yami couldn''t help but feel even more terrified of Sam.


    Ever since being defeated by Sam two weeks ago, he had developed a trauma.


    Sam hadn''t made things any easier for him, either.


    Over the past two weeks, Sam had been making Yami wash his clothes, clean his house, tend his garden, act as his training partner, and, most disturbingly, absorb his dark energy, somehow gaining Yami''s abilities for his own use.


    .


    .


    .


    [A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! ??]

 Chapter 31: Sam Vs John - 1

    <h4>Chapter 31: Sam Vs John - 1</h4>


    "Put all my free stat points into Stamina and Agility equally."


    [Your Stamina Increased: +25]


    [Your Agility Increased: +25]


    Everyone in the arena felt another surge of mana converging towards Sam, leaving them bewildered and causing them to look at him with a mixture of awe and confusion.


    "What the hell is he doing, and how is he doing it?"


    "Is he breaking through again?" The awakened couldn''t help but rub their eyes repeatedly.


    There were no words to exin orprehend how or what Sam was doing.


    One minute he was like any other awakened, normal, and then, out of the blue, he would break through or power up as if it were a routine urrence.


    From the students'' and trainers'' perspective, witnessing the mana rushing towards him and feeling his presence growing stronger, the most logical conclusion they could draw was that he was breaking through levels.


    However, the truth was that since the day he awakened, he had only broken through twice.


    All this time, he was merely using his free attribute points to enhance his attributes.


    Because some of his attributes had be disproportionately higher than his level, it became increasingly difficult for others to urately gauge his current level.


    This discrepancy made it even more challenging to distinguish between when he was genuinely breaking through levels and when he was simply improving his attributes.


    "I have a very bad feeling about this," Kaze said to Nn, shaking his head as he watched the convergence of mana around Sam.


    "These are all just tricks. Frankly, even if he is breaking through, there''s no way he can beat John. Don''t forget, John is one of the strongest second-years around. There''s no chance a first-year can stand against him," Nn replied with a stern expression.


    "I''m just saying, what if John loses here?" Kaze asked, an uneasy smile ying on his lips.


    Nn stared at Kaze for a few seconds. "We can''t afford to have one of our strongest lose to a first-year. If John loses, the Hounds and the Student Council will start to walk all over us. The Reapers will be aughingstock. That''s why it''s crucial that John wins this."


    All eyes were drawn to Sam, but his focus was on the screen in front of him, visible only to his eyes.


    ---


    [Name: Sam Tatsuya/Brunheart]


    [Hero Level: 18 (69%)]


    [Mage level: 25 (92%)]


    [Titles: An Anomaly]


    [Race: Half Mage, Half Hero]


    [ss: None]


    [Contracted Beast: Anthra (Beast Ant Queen)]


    {Physical Stat(s)}


    Strength: 23


    Agility: 54


    Stamina: 54


    Perception: 25


    Heroic Power: 73


    Mana: 73


    Attribute Points: 0]


    {Rare Stat(s)}


    Charm: 15 (Note: 10 is the average charm level for a mortal.)


    Soul Power: 12


    Dark Power: 20


    Holy Power: 1


    [Elemental Affinity(s): Wind, me]


    [Innate Ability: Extraction (Level:2), Eyes of Truth (Level:1), Rune Pulse (Level:1) ]


    [Magic: Wind Magic, me Magic, Non-Elemental Magic]


    [Skills: Heroic Sense, Mana Sense, Swordsmanship, Spearmanship, Spellcasting, Alchemy (Basics)]


    [Techniques: Soul Animation Concealment Art (Level: 2), Infernal Bird Reincarnation Art (Level: 2), Asura Sutra (Level: 2)]


    [Storage: Eclipse Sword, Elements of Suits (Complete Set), Herald''s Wand, Magic Mirror, Noble Attire Set, 30 x High-Level Beast Cores, 35 x Mana Stones, ]


    ---


    After taking a quick nce at his Status board, Sam activated his Eye of truth on John with a shine on his pupils.


    ---


    [Name: John Connar]


    [Level: 43]


    [Titles: Member Of The Reaper Faction]


    [Race: Hero]


    {Physical Stat(s)}


    Strength: 55


    Agility: 47


    Stamina: 48


    Perception: 43


    Heroic Power: 43]


    [Innate Ability: Terra Titan]


    [Skills: ...]


    [Techniques: ...]


    ---


    "His strength is a problem... and the Terra Titan ability," Sam muttered, concentrating further on the details of the Terra Titan ability.


    A new screen appeared, providing more information.


    [Innate Ability: Terra Titan]


    [Description: Grants the ability to draw strength from the earth, exponentially increasing physical power. As long as the holder of this ability is in contact with the earth, they can draw power, fortifying and amplifying their physical strength indefinitely, and manipte the earth energy to their will in any form.]


    At that moment, Sam felt a strange sensation spreading throughout his body.


    It was ufortable, making him feel as if something was wrong.


    Ignoring the feeling, he refocused on the line of fire, tightening his grip around the Eclipse Sword.


    A gentle breeze brushed against his skin, and in an instant, the line of fire extinguished with a soft puff, as if it had never existed.


    Sam channeled a surge of heroic energy into the Eclipse Sword, gripping it tightly.


    As the line of fire was extinguished, he assumed a Iaijutsu stance, drawing his sword swiftly from its sheath and propelling himself forward.


    Right at the moment, when the de left it''s sheath, a ray of highly condensed heroic energy sted from the de, hurtling towards John with immense speed.


    "Shit, he''s fast!" John''s pupils dted, and he immediately activated his unique ability.


    [Terra Titan: Ability Activated]


    His aura expanded as he rapidly drew energy from the ground, covering himself in an instant.


    His skin hardened just before the energy ray struck.


    Using his enhanced strength and defense, John punched the ray, causing it to explode.


    But in his focus on deflecting the attack, he didn''t notice the figure emerging from the smoke.


    Seizing the opportunity, Sam dashed out of the smoke, swinging his sword at John''s torso.


    The de made a ttering noise upon impact, as if striking a metal wall.


    Sam felt the resistance and jumped back just before John couldnd a punch on his face.


    "You''re fast... How the hell can you move like that? A first-year student shouldn''t be this quick," John remarked, his concern evident.


    A moment ago, he believed he could have ended the fight if not for Sam''s agility.


    Ignoring the question, Sam infused his sword with energy again, striking at John''s back.


    The de failed to dent John''s iron-like skin.


    "He really is thick-skinned," Sam thought, amused.


    Deciding to unveil a ability he had never shown before, dark mes sprouted from his arm, engulfing the Eclipse Sword.


    In a sh, he appeared in front of John, striking at his neck.


    "You have the same ability as that Yami guy," John observed, as he began unleashing a barrage of punches.


    Energy from the earth condensed around his fists, transforming into solid rock, though his speed started to wane.


    Despite the relentless punches, John couldn''tnd a single hit on Sam. He moved with the agility of a ghost, evading every strike effortlessly.


    Sam remained silent, noting the earth energy forming around John, creating an armor-like shell.


    Then the energy condensed further, forming dozens of boulders around him.


    John pointed his palm at Sam, and the boulders hurtled towards him like nes about to crash into the living.


    "Hmm," Sam murmured as he saw the dozens of seven-foot bouldersing at him in rapid session.


    He decided to use a technique he had possessed for some time and had trained in intensely over the past two weeks.


    The Infernal Bird Reincarnation Art.


    Assuming his stance, he held his sword pointing backward before beginning his movements.


    As he moved, the dark purple mes on his sword transformed into crimson fire.


    Like a graceful sword dancer, he initiated his dance with a sudden yet fluid motion with a burning sword in his hand.


    Each step was deliberate, each swing of the sword precise.


    The de cut through the boulders with a barely audible whisper, leaving trails of glowing fire and wisps of smoke in its wake.


    As he continued, his speed increased, yet his grace remained unbroken.


    He spun and leaped with the agility of a dancer, each motion seamlessly transitioning into the next as he shattered boulder after boulder.


    Each strike was more precise, more powerful, more fluid than thest.


    It didn''t matter what direction or how many boulders came at him; he maneuvered through them effortlessly, as if he had anticipated their every move.


    .


    .


    .


    [A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! ??]

 Chapter 32: Sam Vs John - 2

    <h4>Chapter 32: Sam Vs John - 2</h4>


    "That technique... it seems familiar," Ragnar, the vice principal, said as he rested his arm on the bar.


    He was in the VIP lounge together with Principal Agor and other trainers.


    The VIP lounge was unusually crowded today.


    Even the trainers couldn''t resist the allure of a match between a first-year student and a second-year student.


    This was an unprecedented event, for obvious reasons: no first-year had ever been able to match a second-year in terms of battle prowess to even initiate a challenge.


    Moreover, Sam had been doing extraordinary things¡ªachieving a record-breaking score in the entrance exam, excelling in every single ss, dueling and defeating more than half of the students in his year, breaking through multiple times in rapid session, and now, challenging a second-year student.


    "It''s one of the many famous techniques belonging to the Tachibana n," Agor replied, looking at Ragnar.


    "He must have inherited it from his grandmother."


    "I keep forgetting that he is rted to the founder and his n," Ragnar mused.


    "If the Tachibanas had techniques like these, no wonder they were hailed as one of the strongest ns, on equal footing with the Tatsuya and Asuna ns."


    "Most of the techniques they possessed were created by the Academy''s founder himself. But even that wasn''t the main reason for their greatness; it was the power passed down through their bloodline," Agor said, turning his attention back to Sam.


    "I''ve heard of that power. It was said to be the hardest ability to control, yet the Tachibana n achieved such mastery of it. And Ryuga Tachibana, our founder, was said to be the greatest Tachibana ever. He turned that power into his greatest weapon," Ragnar added.


    "I wonder," Agor smiled, then returned to watching the fight.


    Sam was in a state of extreme calmness.


    Everywhere he moved, he left a trail of me wisps.


    After dealing with the boulders, his speed increased as he approached John, who was growing increasingly frustrated at his inability tond a blow.


    "Damn it, I won''t let you win!" John roared, veins bulging on his forehead.


    His fear of losing to a first-year began to creep into his heart.


    Fueled by rage, the earth energy covering his body condensed further, transforming into actual rock armor.


    The ground trembled as if assaulted by a mini earthquake, and John began to punch the ground with ferocity.


    Each punch sent tremors through the arena, and with every blow, sharp stone spires erupted from the ground, aiming to pierce Sam''s flesh.


    But Sam, entranced by the Infernal Bird Reincarnation Art, moved with unparalleled grace and speed, leaving behind a trail of crimson mes.


    The stone spikes could only touch the fiery remnants of his presence, failing tond a hit.


    Sam''s figure danced across the arena, a blur of fire and motion.


    No matter how swiftly the sharp stone spikes attempted to strike, they could only pierce the trail of mes he left behind.


    Seeing that his method of offense was not working, John became increasingly irritated as the energy he gathered from the ground went rampant.


    The rock armor on his body began to expand, and the stones on his armor grew until his figure reached fifteen feet tall.


    Only his face remained visible, making him resemble a colossal titan¡ªa Terra Titan.


    "Um... looks like John''s losing control," Kaze said with a nervous smile.


    "No kidding, Sherlock," Nn retorted, frustration evident on his face.


    Even he wasn''t confident that John could win.


    Things weren''t looking too good for the Reapers.


    John seemed to have lost control of his consciousness, sumbing to his instincts.


    He was no longer fighting with strategy but letting his emotions take over.


    The fifteen-foot-tall titanous John swung his massive fist, capable of squashing an opponent like a bug, but he was so slow that he couldn''t catch Sam.


    "Should we step in?" Austin asked, noticing John''s loss of control and the earth energy continuing to grow, making his already massive figure evenrger.


    "Don''t," Agor warned. "I don''t think the fight is over yet."


    Sam was still moving around the battleground, and the crimson mes that had been covering his sword started to envelop his entire being.


    His blue eyes released a crimson hue.


    [Infernal Bird Reincarnation Art has leveled up]


    Crimson mes erupted, and Sam''s figure transformed into the silhouette of a fiery bird made of intense mes.


    The fiery bird circled around the titanous John, leaving behind long trails of burning crimson mes that enclosed John in a prison-like tornado of fire.


    Inside the crimson tornado, a fiery figure bounced off random ces on the titanous John, and each time itnded, a chunk of his rocky body broke off.


    The fiery figure moved so fast that it seemed to leave mirages behind, creating the illusion of multiple crimson figures slicing away at John''s rock armor, causing a rain of debris.


    In an instant, the crimson tornado exploded into a million whips of me as a figurended on the ground, his sword and eyes burning with a crimson hue, smoke emanating from his entire being.


    Behind himy a man, unconscious, amidst huge pebbles of rock chunks with burns all over his body.


    "He... won."


    "He beat a second-year student."


    "And he didn''t even have a scratch on him."


    After a few seconds of stunned silence, the arena erupted into an uproar.


    "He beat John," Nn muttered with aplicated expression.


    "I can''t believe John lost to a first-year," Kaze said before he and Nn left the arena, along with the others from the Reaper faction.


    "He actually did it," Isabelle muttered with a smile on her face, but then concern washed over her expression.


    "Something''s wrong," Yuki whispered, noticing Sam''s motionless form and the way he kept his head down, clutching the Eclipse Sword tightly.


    Within moments, a few individuals rushed forward and carried the unconscious John away to the infirmary.


    Sam, however, stood unaffected, not a scratch on him.


    "Why is he frozen in ce?" Lucy questioned with a furrowed brow as she stood up and approached the battleground.


    Before she could reach him, Sam, who had been standing like a statue, emitted a low growl.


    Suddenly, intense dark purplish mes erupted from his body, spreading out like wings and scorching the ground beneath him.


    "What the hell has he done?" Yami, who possessed a simr dark power, recognized the phenomenon immediately.


    Sam''s dark power was spiraling out of control.


    But the situation didn''t stop there.


    Alongside the dark energy, another force of nature erupted, forming an opposing wing of pure white silvery mes¡ªholy power.


    The two energies shed violently, refusing to blend, each repelling the other with powerful force.


    "This is bing too dangerous," Ragnar remarked grimly as he materialized beside Sam.


    He refrained from approaching further; the chaotic mix of holy and dark power was scorching hot, capable of burning anything in its path.


    "Everyone, get back!" Agor shouted, conjuring a shield to protect the onlookers from the surging energies.


    "What''s happening to him?"


    "Will he be okay?"


    Yuki and Isabelle voiced their concerns, their faces etched with worry.


    Agor scrutinized Sam closely, recognizing the unprecedented situation unfolding before them. "Holy power and dark power¡ªthe two opposing forces from opposite realms. They cannot coexist in the same vessel."


    "How did this happen? How can he wield holy power when he already has dark power?"


    "He''s disrupting the natural order," Agor exined gravely, his eyes fixed on the intensifying struggle between the two energies.


    "Breaking the order means breaking the rules, and breaking the rules disrupts the bnce."


    "And what happens if the bnce is disrupted?" Austin asked, his concern for Sam evident in his voice.


    "It cannot be allowed. The universe will always find a way to restore equilibrium, often resulting in catastrophic consequences, even death," Agor replied, his expression darkening.


    "We can''t let him die! We have to do something; he''s too important," Ragnar pleaded, his hand clutching his forehead as if battling a severe headache.


    "There might be a way to save him," Agor said thoughtfully.


    "We would need to separate one of the powers from his body, but it''s incredibly risky and weck the means to do so."


    Just when despair threatened to overwhelm them and the shing holy and dark powers appeared on the brink of catastrophic implosion, they suddenly vanished.


    Sam copsed to the ground, unconscious and spent.


    .


    .


    .


    [A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! ??]

 Chapter 33: It鈥檚 In His Nature

    <h4>Chapter 33: It''s In His Nature</h4>


    The arena was empty except for the principal, vice principal, trainers, and infirmary staff of the academy.


    Sam''s dark and holy powers spiraled out of control, threatening to obliterate the arena into thousands of pieces.


    Yet, the expected explosion never came.


    Instead, the vtile energy receded back into his body, leaving nothing in its wake, and Sam copsed to the ground, unconscious.


    Principal Agor ordered the students to evacuate the arena, allowing only Isabelle, Yuki, and, strangely, Lucy to remain, who stood a bit farther from Sam''s roommates.


    He didn''t want to risk Sam''s powers spiraling out of control again.


    Agor calmly inspected Sam and determined that his powers were no longer unstable.


    Sam didn''t seem injured, his aura was normal, and it appeared as though he was in a deep sleep, one from which he could not be easily roused.


    "Roman, take him to the infirmary and don''t let anyone near him until I give the all-clear," Agor instructed.


    Roman was a highly talented mage and an even more gifted healer, though it was a mystery why such a mage was working at an academy for heroes.


    "I will take care of him," Roman replied, snapping his fingers. Sam''s body began to float, following Roman towards the infirmary.


    "We''reing with you," Yuki and Isabelle said, their worried expressions revealing their concern as they followed Roman.


    He halted, turning to face them.


    "I don''t think this is a good idea," Roman said, trying to dissuade Isabelle and Yuki from following.


    "It''s alright, Roman. Let them go with you," Agor nodded reassuringly.


    "Let''s go then," Roman said, leading the way with Sam levitating in front of them, Yuki and Isabelle close behind.


    "He shouldn''t be alive. How is he surviving with two opposing forces inside him?" Ragnar asked, his gaze fixed on the principal.


    "He''s right. By all ounts, he should have been blown to pieces by now. But it seems... his existence remains intact," Trainer Austin added, equally perplexed.


    "Whatever has happened, it is because of who he is and who he will be. We need to keep this incident from reaching unwanted ears and inform the other members of the High Order. I''m summoning them for an immediate meeting," Agor dered, looking intently at each of the trainers.


    "First, inform Jin Tatsuya and the Hero King. I imagine they would want to see the boy," Agor instructed before disappearing from the spot.


    He reappeared at another location within the academy.


    The new location resembled a shrine.


    A massive, seven-foot-tall silvery stone hovered above a podium, emitting a soft golden glow.


    Inscribed in the center of the stone were words of prophecy.


    ???? ?????? ???? ???????????? ?????????? ?????????????????? ??????????????????????????, ?????????????? ?????? ?????????????? ??????????. ?????? ?????????? ???? ?????? ???????? ??????, ?????? ?????? ???????? ???????? ???? ?????? ????????, ?????????????????? ???? ?????? ????????????


    "The rules do not bind him," Agor repeated, fixating on a particr sentence. "The signs are revealing themselves. I hope you are truly him... Sam Tatsuya."


    ...


    The Ancestral Mansion, Tatsuya n


    Jin Tatsuya, the n leader, was meticulously reviewing some official documents when his wife, Hana, brought him a cup of tea.


    "Thank you," Jin epted the tea with a smile.


    As Hana sat before him, he noticed she seemed unusually happy. "You seem to be in a good mood. Any particr reason?"


    "No particr reason... Have you heard from our grandson?" Hana asked.


    "He sent me a message saying he challenged a second-year student," Jin replied with a weary smile.


    "And you let him, didn''t you?" Hana asked, raising her eyebrows.


    "Well, it''s not like he listens to me."


    "I just don''t want him to get hurt. No matter how powerful or talented he is, a first-year challenging a second-year is risky. He could get seriously hurt," Hana said, crossing her arms and looking at Jin usingly.


    "What did I do?" Jin shrugged, not understanding why he was being scolded for something beyond his control.


    At that moment, a dark brown, shiny-feathered owl flew in, hooting as itnded on Jin''s shoulder.


    It was gripping a small parchment scroll with its legs.


    Jin took the scroll and read it.


    "What does it say? Is it about our grandson?" Hana asked, noticing the scroll bore the emblem of a fiery crimson bird with three burning tails¡ªthe symbol of the Academy.


    "It''s from the Academy. Agor has asked us to visit as soon as possible," Jin replied, looking at the scroll.


    "Did something happen to Sam?"


    "No, the letter says our grandson is fine. Agor just wants us to visit, and the Hero King is also invited, it seems," Jin said, ncing at his wife.


    "You''re going, right?"


    "We''re going. The letter specifically mentioned that I should bring you with me. They have some questions for you. You can decline if you don''t want to go."


    "It''s alright. I will go with you. I want to see how our grandson is doing. I don''t mind answering a few questions while I''m at it," Hana replied with a serious expression.


    "Alright then, we will leave in an hour."


    ...


    After a few hours, in a private chamber, the principal, vice principal, some of the trainers including Austin, the Hero King, and Sam''s maternal grandparents gathered for a not-so-serious discussion.


    "What you''re saying is he won against a second-year student without even a scratch on his body?" Jin asked, a smirk ying on his lips.


    "Did you even listen to what I said?" Agor looked at him, his expression filled with concern.


    "Your grandson possesses both dark and holy powers. After his battle with the second-year student, he spiraled out of control, yet, for some unknown reason, he is still in one piece. Aren''t you curious about this?"


    "What''s there to be curious about? We all know he was an anomaly. Maybe it has something to do with that," Jin replied casually, as if it were no surprise that Sam could harbor two opposing forces within him.


    "You have to take this seriously, Jin," Agor said, sighing.


    "There are rules in this universe that cannot and will not be broken. Breaking these rules disrupts the order... Well, no one''s ever broken the rules before until now," the Hero King said slowly.


    "Your grandson has broken the most fundamental rule of all."


    "He has forces of opposing nature, both positive and negative, inside him, and he is still in one piece. What do we make of this?"


    "Nothing. What''s there to think about? I don''t even know why we''re even discussing this. We all know he''s an anomaly. It''s part of who he is. Breaking the rules is in his nature," Jin said, rolling his eyes as if stating the obvious.


    "I too think this is pointless. We don''t need to break our brains trying to understand him. He''s an anomaly, something unexinable," Ragnar said.


    "Shall we change the subject then?" Jin suggested.


    "I''ve been meaning to say, you made a bold move by having the saintesses move into his residence at the academy," Agor remarked, looking at both Jin and the Hero King.


    "Aren''t you afraid he might figure it out? He seems pretty smart."


    "Not when ites to women... He still thinks it''s because Isabelle''s mother is worried about her that his mother, my daughter, is making him live with her to keep an eye on her," Jin replied.


    "Same here," the Hero King added.


    "Do the saintesses know about each other?"


    "Yuki and Isabelle know about each other and their connection to him," Austin said, pursing his lips.


    His main job was to teach students martial arts and manage the arena.


    He was also assigned by the High Order to watch over Sam and his saintesses from the shadows.


    "What about the third and fourth saintesses?" Jin asked.


    "The third saintess is doing fine. She hasn''t made contact with them yet, so they don''t know about her," Ragnar said, side-eyeing Agor.


    "It''s pretty inconvenient that the saintesses can recognize each other if they''re in close proximity."


    "As for the fourth saintess, she is perfectly safe in her castle in the Mystic City."


    "I would hope so. King Magnus is a lot like me in that subject. He keeps his daughter away from everything," the Hero King replied.


    "Enough about the saintesses. What do we think about telling him about the prophecy?"


    "No," Hana outright rejected the idea, shaking her head vehemently. "My grandson doesn''t like being controlled. If he learns that his life is being led by a prophecy told thousands of years ago, he will freak out."


    "My wife is right; he wouldn''t take it well," Jin agreed.


    "Maybe we can have the saintesses tell him after they get a little closer to him," Agor suggested.


    "That feels wrong. Let''s not do that," Hana shook her head.


    "Look, my grandson is smart. Eventually, he will figure out something is wrong, especially if we keep pushing the saintesses on him."


    "The saintesses are meant to be with him. Even they understand this," Trainer Austin said.


    "That doesn''t mean we have to push them into this prophecy thing. Let them do it on their own time," Hana said with a threatening tone.


    .


    .


    .


    [A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! ??]

 Chapter 34: Implode The Vessel From Within

    <h4>Chapter 34: Implode The Vessel From Within</h4>


    It had been roughly 72 hours since Sam had defeated John, and he had been asleep ever since.


    The sun was on the horizon, casting a warm glow over Sam''s home.


    Hey in his bed, still asleep, while a woman watched over him.


    The woman had long, dark hair and bright brown eyes that frequently nced at the two girls sitting timidly on the couch, who seemed afraid of her.


    "What do you think happened to your brother, Grace?" Hana asked as she entered the room, her gaze shifting to the dark-haired woman.


    "It''s quite interesting," Grace replied, cing her hand caringly on her brother''s forehead.


    "I don''t know how he has both holy and dark power within him, but I can tell you why he has been sleeping for three days straight," Grace said with a sigh.


    "And what is that?" Hana inquired.


    "Let me exin. A normal person cannot contain forces of both positive and negative nature within them because the rules of the universe don''t allow it."


    "If contained within the same vessel, these opposing forces will sh, leading to chaos and eventual destruction. It will implode the vessel from within," Grace exined.


    "Usually, powers like holy power and dark power aren''t just simple abilities. They embody the very essence of positivity and negativity."


    "These kinds of powers alter the Constitution of their vessel to increasepatibility and eventually affect their nature," Grace continued.


    "This is exactly what''s happening with our Sam. Instead of shing, the dark and holy powers were settling inside his body, altering his physiology so that his vessel could contain both powers simultaneously."


    "Were?" Hana asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Yes, his alterations werepleted two days ago, by the looks of it," Grace said, sighing again.


    Even though she had watched Sam grow up and seen him do things that seemed impossible¡ªlike wielding magic despite being a hero¡ªshe couldn''t help but be amazed at her brother''s capabilities.


    "If the alterations werepleted two days ago, then why isn''t he waking up?" Hana asked, her worry evident.


    "It''s because another prominent power is taking its ce in his body," Grace replied, giving Hana a strange smile.


    "Here, take a look at this," Grace said, gently lifting her brother''s eyelids with her thumb.


    Instead of blue, his eyes glowed with a crimson light.


    "This... is that?" Hana couldn''t believe her eyes. "His eyes are just like mine when I use that power."


    "Yes, I can''t exin it any other way. I don''t know how, but he unlocked that power, which means he has awakened your bloodline," Grace said with a small smile.


    Hana''s eyes welled up with tears as she sat on the bed.


    It felt like a long-lost dreame true.


    Even though she knew the chances were slim, she had always hoped, in some corner of her heart, that this day woulde.


    She was the sole survivor of her n and had always carried the guilt of being alive, alone.


    But not anymore.


    "He did it. He actually managed to awaken my bloodline," Hana said, smiling as she wiped away her tears.


    "How did you know he might awaken your bloodline?" Grace asked, curiosity piqued.


    "He had already awakened the bloodlines of the Tatsuya n and the Brunheart n before he was even born. If he could do that, I thought maybe there was a chance he could awaken mine too," Hana said, sighing.


    "He is bing so much more handsome," they remarked before their attention shifted back to Sam.


    Sam felt as if he were floating in an infinite white space.


    It wasn''t like floating in the air; it felt more like being suspended on light water.


    The temperature was perfect, neither too hot nor too cold, but he wasn''t even conscious enough to realize he was in such a state.


    It all felt so surreal.


    A voice from within disturbed his deep sleep, slowly pulling his consciousness back.


    His heavy eyelids fluttered open but quickly shut again as if the brightness was too much to bear.


    "Ahh... it''s so bright. Why is it so bright? Turn it off," he groaned.


    His eyes were extremely sensitive, the brightness causing them to itch and blur, bringing him difort.


    He heard a familiar voice, though he couldn''t ce it because the sound was high-pitched and just as ufortable as the light.


    Panic began to set in.


    "He''s awake," a voice announced.


    "Sam... Sam," the voice called out again.


    "Who... who is it?" Sam stammered, his panic rising as his eyes remained blurry and his ears buzzed.


    The sensory overload was too much, and he started to thrash until a pair of hands gently but firmly held him, calming him down.


    ''Is this why they are called his saintesses?'' Grace wondered, watching Sam respond to Yuki and Isabelle''s touch.


    She chose not toment on it, aware they were keeping the whole prophecy thing from him.


    "It''s us, Yuki and Isabelle," Isabelle said softly.


    "What are you doing here? What''s happening?" Sam asked, still unable to open his eyes.


    "Sam, it''s me, your sister Grace," Grace said, pulling her brother into aforting embrace.


    "Grace? What are you doing here?" Sam asked, beginning to calm down.


    It had been months since hest saw his eldest sister, Grace.


    "Before that, let me help you with your senses. They are sensitive because you haven''t used them for three days, and it seems they have grown stronger too," Grace exined.


    She pointed a finger at her brother''s face, and a small magic circle appeared, then disappeared after a few seconds.


    "There, how do you feel now?" Grace asked, finishing up the spell.


    Sam opened his eyes and blinked a couple of times before sighing. "Fine... What happened?"


    "What''s thest thing you remember?" Grace asked as she helped him sit up.


    "Mmm... I remember fighting John. He lost control, and my Infernal Bird Reincarnation Art reached level three. I used it to defeat him... After that, it''s all nk," Sam said, shaking his head.


    "Your holy power and dark power went out of control, then you fell unconscious and have been sleeping ever since," Hana said, smiling.


    "How do you feel?" she asked.


    "I feel fine... extremely fine. My senses are heightened, and I think I''ve grown stronger too," Sam said, finally bing conscious of the changes in his body.


    "And..." Sam trailed off as he noticed the particles moving and floating around him, resembling blinking, constantly shifting dots.


    These dots that Sam had been seeing were the particles of elements in nature.


    It was the result of his new innate ability, the Rune Pulse.


    With this ability, he couldmunicate with the elements and manipte them at will.


    Then he remembered the notification that had been buzzing in his ears before he woke up.


    .


    .


    .


    [A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! ??]

 Chapter 35: Graces Curiosity

    Chapter 35: Grace''s Curiosity


    Sam remembered that the system had been ringing in his ears before he woke up. He dug deep enough and could vividly remember that the system also notified him when he finished his duel with John.


    "Show me," Sam asked internally, and the system showed a long list of logs from the moment he finished his battle with John up to the time he woke up a few minutes ago.


    {System Logs}


    [Holy power and Dark power are shing inside your vessel]


    [Your constitution ispelled to evolve to harmonize Holy and Dark powers]


    [You are entering hibernation until the metamorphosis isplete]


    [Constitution reconstruction in progress: 1%]


    [Constitution reconstruction in progress: 4%]


    .


    .


    [Your Constitution has been reconstructed]


    [Your Charm Increased: +2]


    [Your rate of mana absorption has increased]


    [Your recovery speed has increased]


    [Your pain tolerance has increased]


    [Your strength increased: +2]


    [Your stamina increased: +2]


    [Your agility increased: +2]


    [Your Dark power and Holy Power have achieved harmony]


    [Your Spirituality has regained the essence of Chaos]


    [Your affinity to nature has increased]


    [Due to the side effects of the Infernal Bird Reincarnation Art, your dormant bloodline has been activated]


    [You have awakened your dormant bloodline]


    [You have unlocked the Tachibana n''s Bloodline ability]


    [Rare Power: Force]


    [Description: One of the rarest powers in the universe, Force bestows upon the user three extraordinary abilities: Absolute Domain, Telekinesis, and Reinforcement.]


    [1. Absolute Domain: This ability allows the user to establish an area with themselves at its center, functioning as an extension of their own body. Within this domain, the user can manipte their abilities in any conceivable manner. With advanced control, the user can even alter thews of physics.]


    [2. Telekinesis: This power enables the user to move and manipte objects using only their mind. They can lift and throw objects, create barriers or shields, and potentially influence the movements of living beings to a limited extent.]


    [3. Reinforcement: This ability allows the user to enhance their own powers or those of others. They can increase the potency, range, or duration of magic, strengthen any supernatural abilities, or even empower artifacts and weapons.]


    [The ''Force'' is taking its ce inside you]


    [Your constitution ispelled to evolve to contain the ''Force'']


    [Your constitution is being reconstructed]


    [Your Constitution has been reconstructed]


    [Your Perception increased: +2]


    "Hey, do you hear me?"


    "Hmm? Yes, what is it?" Sam returned his attention to his sister and grandmother.


    "I asked if everything was alright," Grace repeated.


    "Yeah, yeah, I''m good," Sam replied, smiling as he watched Grace close the door with a snap of her fingers, leaving only her, her brother, and their grandmother in the room.


    "Now that we are alone, I won''t ask you how you acquired all those powers¡ªeveryone has their secrets¡ªbut I''m curious about the things you can do," Grace said, holding his hand lovingly.


    "Yeah, but before that, tell me," Hana grabbed him by the shoulders and asked calmly, "You... you''ve awakened my bloodline, haven''t you?"


    "I did... How did you know I would awaken the bloodline you passed on to me?" Sam asked, looking at his grandmother with realization.


    "Do you remember the technique I gave you?" Hana inquired.


    "The Infernal Bird Reincarnation Art?" Sam responded.


    "Back then, some children from the Tachibana n had trouble unlocking the ''Force.'' To solve this problem, our ancestors created that technique. When used frequently, it could arouse the bloodline and help them unlock the ''Force,''" Hana exined.


    "I gave that technique to you, hoping that you had what it takes to awaken my bloodline. You are a miracle child, after all, and you didn''t disappoint. You obtained the ''Force,''" Grandma Hana said, smiling. Only she knew the depth of her happiness at that moment.


    She didn''t fully understand why it was so important to her that her grandson awakened her bloodline, but she knew it was her wish.


    Sam smiled and raised his hand.


    A crimson glow appeared in his eyes as an invisible energy left his body and formed a domain around him with a 1.5-meter radius.


    "Your Domain is alreadyrger than the average genius of the Tachibana n," Hana observed.


    "Now show us your other abilities," Grace added.


    Sam showed his palm, and a dark purplish me appeared.


    "Dark Power," Grace muttered, watching Sam open his other hand to reveal another me, this one silvery white. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "And Holy Power in the same ce as its nemesis," Grace smirked, clearly proud of her little brother.


    "You never cease to amaze me. You possess Mana, Heroic Energy, Dark Power, Holy Power, and even the ''Force'', plus your innate ability you awakened during the ceremony."


    "There is one more thing," Sam said, smirking.


    "There is more?" Hana and Grace asked simultaneously, unable to contain their astonishment.


    Sam retracted his Force back into himself and made the dark and holy mes disappear.


    He pointed his finger at a bowl of water on the table.


    Taking a deep breath, he activated his Rune Pulse.


    The element particles moved ording to his will, and the water in the bowl began to levitate like a snake in the air.


    "Whoa, what are you doing? How are you doing that?" Grace asked, confused.


    She knew this wasn''t magic, and even if it was, Sam didn''t have an affinity for the water element.


    "It''s another ability I obtained. I can manipte the elements around me to my will," Sam exined as he waved his other hand, and wind began to blow in the closed room, as if a tornado was brewing inside.


    "All elements?" Grace asked, watching the wind respond to the wave of his hand.


    "Yes," Sam replied.


    "Show me. Try manipting other elements like conjuring mes or summoning lightning," Grace suggested eagerly.


    "I can''t, not yet. I just obtained this ability and I''m still learning. Right now, I can only manipte water and wind to a certain extent," Sam exined.


    "Hmm, I see. That''s a bit disappointing," Grace admitted, though a wild idea suddenly crossed her mind.


    "Tell me something, theoretically speaking, if you were surrounded by a body of water, like the ocean, could you control it?"


    "I honestly don''t know. I haven''t tested the limits of my ability yet, but I think it might be possible," Sam said, uncertaintycing his words.


    "Listen to me, dear. You have to be careful, do you hear me?" Hana said, grabbing his shoulder firmly.


    "There are a lot of people out there who want you dead. If they learn about what you can do, it will only motivate them further. I''m not asking you to hide your abilities; I''m just asking you to be cautious."


    "I will be careful," Sam nodded, understanding the gravity of her warning.


    He knew there were many who would kill him simply because he was different.


    ...


    Sam realized that he was extremely hungry, so his grandmother, Hana, took him to the academy food court.


    Mages and heroes didn''t really need to eat food to survive; all the energy they needed came from Mana.


    Despite this, they still experienced hunger.


    The sensation of hunger and all the emotions associated with wanting to eat food were always present.


    With her brother gone, only Grace and her brother''s roommates were present in the home.


    "I guess it''s time you and I had a talk," Grace said, looking at Yuki and Isabelle with a smile that seemed gracious, but to them, it felt more like a predatory grin.


    Grace gracefully walked around them as they sat on the couch, waving a finger, causing their hair to levitate.


    "Hmm," Grace observed the symbol of tree roots on their backs. "So, you two are the first and second Saintesses, huh?"


    "Wait, there are more of us?" Isabelle asked, confused.


    "Oh, you didn''t know?"


    Yuki and Isabelle shook their heads.


    They definitely didn''t know this.


    They had thought they were the only Saintesses before they met each other.


    "Well, yes, there are more like you. I can''t say their names, but don''t worry, you will meet them soon enough," Grace said, taking a seat in front of them.


    "Let''s talk about Sam. Does he know about you two or why my family is having you two live with him here?"


    "No, he doesn''t know about us."


    "And you don''t want to tell him that you two are his Saintesses?"


    Yuki and Isabelle felt weird being called his Saintesses.


    They hadn''t thought about the future yet.


    They didn''t even know how they felt about Sam.


    "He... we aren''t really close," Yuki said meekly.


    "What do you mean?" Grace asked, confused.


    "What she means is, Sam doesn''t let us into hisfort zone. He always maintains a certain distance," Isabelle exined.


    She was a better speaker than Yuki.


    "That sounds like my brother," Grace said, making herselffortable on the couch.


    Yuki felt really nervous in front of Grace, so she tried to go to her room.


    Well, she tried, because as soon as she got up, a mountainous pressure descended upon her.


    Isabelle, sitting beside her, also felt this, as if gravity had suddenly be a hundred times stronger.


    "It''s bad manners to leave during a conversation," Grace smiled as she eased the pressure, allowing the girls to breathe again.


    "I still have some things to discuss with you."


    ...


    "Where is Grace?" Sam inquired.


    Hana suspected Grace was deep in conversation with the two saintesses.


    "There she is," Hana eximed, as Grace arrived and took her ce at the table beside her brother.


    "Where were you?" Sam asked, his curiosity evident.


    "I was just chatting with Yuki and Isabelle," Grace replied, her smile innocent and bright.


    "Is that so? What were you discussing?" Sam inquired further.


    "Nothing important," Grace replied casually. With a snap of her fingers, she conjured a couple of books.


    "Are these spell books?" Sam whispered.


    "Yes, these are for you," Grace handed the books to Sam.


    .


    .


    .


    [A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! ??]

 Chapter 36: Sam Is Suspicious

    Chapter 36: Sam Is Suspicious


    "Let''s talk about why I asked Jin to bring you along, Hana," Agor said.


    Sam was spending some quality time with his big sister, Grace. Agor had been kind enough to let Grace stay with Sam for a few days, while Hana and Jin were meeting with the principal and vice principal.


    "What do you want to talk about, Agor?" Jin asked, though he had a good guess about the topic Agor wanted to discuss with Hana.


    Jin suspected it was rted to the entity terrorizing the Forbidden Forest. This creature was the very reason the forest had earned its ominous name.


    "It''s about that thing," Agor began. "Its patterns have changed. It''s no longer confined to a single ce. It''s moving, and it has started to attack students outside its usual hunting grounds."


    "Up until now, something has been keeping it from entering cities, locking it in the deepest parts of the Forbidden Forest. But whatever that was, it''s no longer effective," Agor continued.


    "Save the lecture, Agor. I don''t have that technique. My grandfather took it with him when he died," Hana said, shaking her head.


    "Perfect, we officially have no way to stop it," Agor said, rolling his eyes and sighing. "That thing has be extremely agile. Whatever was keeping it from going on a rampage is no longer working."


    "And now it''s expanding its hunting ground. It won''t be long before it reaches the cities or the academy," Ragnar added, sighing even harder.


    "Then why are you still keeping the children in the academy? It''s not safe for them here anymore," Hana said. "Send them home."


    "Actually, it''s not safe anywhere," Ragnar replied. "The poption in the cities is much higher. If we know anything about this creature, it''s that it grows stronger by consuming the souls of the living." "There''s a high chance it will go after the cities."


    "Is there really no other way to kill it without my grandfather''s technique?" Hana asked. She had many techniques from the Tachibana n, but the only high-grade one was the Infernal Bird Reincarnation Art, which only worked for those of the n''s bloodline.


    Her grandfather, Ryuga Tachibana, had once created a technique that could target a person''s soul. It was exactly what they needed to kill this creature.


    This creature, which had been terrorizing the forest,cked a physical body. It was invisible to the naked eye and made no sound. The only way one could sense its presence was when it started draining their life force. By the time they realized what was happening, it would all be over.


    This entity was a massive conglomeration of souls, preying on living beings and devouring their souls to grow stronger.


    It had no emotions, no morals, only an insatiable and unquenchable hunger to feed.


    It never slept, never rested, and would never stop. Its sole purpose was to inflict pain upon its victims as it drained their life force.


    "What did Rowan say about this?" Hana asked.


    "What can the Hero King do? Only a method that targets the soul can kill it," Agor replied.


    "We need to devise a solution or brace ourselves for a significant loss of lives."


    ...


    Grace was about to return to Mystic City, the city of magic, after spending two days with Sam since he woke up from hibernation.


    She hugged her brother tightly, burying his face in her bosom. "You know I love you, right?" she asked.


    "I know. I love you too," Sam replied as she released him from her embrace.


    "How is Xenovia doing? I haven''t spoken to her in a while," Sam asked, avoiding eye contact.


    "She''s doing her thing... I know why you don''te to Mystic City anymore. She doesn''t hate you, you know," Grace said.


    "I know... She''s better off without me," Sam said, smiling, though Grace doubted its sincerity.


    Grace nced at him for a few seconds but chose not to press further. "Anyway, the spellbooks I gave you contain a lot of unconventional spells ording to the Mage Tower."


    "Some of them are highly dangerous and require significant sacrifices for their results. I advise you to be very careful with them."


    "Mm, I will," Sam nodded.


    "How is your magic traininging along?"


    "It''s progressing well, I think."


    "Remember, what makes you unique is that you are a hero with the ability to wield magic. Don''t just focus on one side," Grace ced her hand on his shoulder. "Your magic is just as important."


    "Mm... By the way, I''ve been meaning to ask you something," Sam said hesitantly.


    "What is it?"


    "I don''t know if it''s just me, but I feel like you guys are hiding something from me."


    Grace narrowed her eyes, struggling to keep her face from betraying any sign of guilt. She didn''t want Sam to pick up on anything.


    Sam was hyper-vignt, analytical, and very observant. If she showed even the slightest change in expression, he would suspect something was wrong and wouldn''t rest until he found out what she was hiding.


    He watched closely, studying every muscle in her perfectly carved face, every vein coursing through her neck, the movements of her eyes and eyelids.


    "What do you mean?" Grace asked.


    "Nothing, it''s just a feeling," Sam replied with a slight smile.


    "Well, I don''t think I''m hiding anything from you," Grace shook her head as she began to get ready to leave.


    Grace thought she had sessfully deceived him, but she was unaware that Sam had the ability to sense others'' emotions.


    Sam deactivated his charm ability, fighting the urge to call out his sister for lying. He had been using his charm for a while and could feel the guilt she experienced every time she tried to misdirect him from whatever she was hiding.


    It was the same guilt he sensed from his maternal grandparents.


    ''I can''t believe my whole family is hiding something from me,'' Sam thought.


    ...


    In a quiet corner of the library, Grandma Hana and Grandpa Jin engaged in conversation with Yuki and Isabelle.


    "How is your mother doing, Isabelle?" Hana inquired, her gaze fixed on the long, golden-haired girl.


    "She''s fine," Isabelle replied softly.


    "You know, I''ve known you since you were a baby. Your mother used to bring you to our home quite often. Now, you''ve grown into such a fine, gorgeous woman," Hana remarked warmly, before turning her attention to Yuki.


    "How are things with my grandson? Grace told me he''s been keeping his distance from both of you."


    "And you, Yuki dear, you''re just as beautiful. You may not know this, but I was there when you were born."


    "I didn''t know that," Yuki admitted quietly.


    "It''s alright," Hana reassured her.


    "How are things with my grandson? Grace told me he''s been keeping his distance from both of you."


    "Yes," they nodded in agreement.


    "Tell me something," Hana continued, her tone earnest.


    "You two know how you are connected to him, how you will eventually end up by his side forever in the near future. What do you think about him? I mean, what are your feelings on this matter?"


    "Hana, don''t you think this is too much?" Jin interjected, trying to halt his wife from prying into sensitive matters.


    "You stay quiet. It was your idea to keep things from our grandson, and now he''s questioning Grace about whether we''re hiding something from him. I feel guilty," Hana retorted sternly, her gaze silencing Jin.


    "I''m sorry, but I need to know," Hana redirected her attention back to Yuki and Isabelle.


    Yuki and Isabelle exchanged nces before Isabelle spoke up. "Ever since the awakening ceremony, I couldn''t stop thinking about him. It''s not that I want to, but his face keeps recurring in my mind."


    "I feel the same way," Yuki added softly.


    "Is it because you''re his saintesses?" Hana pressed on.


    "Has anything unusual happened during these two weeks you''ve been living with him?" she continued.


    "Other than feeling a constant desire to be by his side, nothing out of the ordinary," Isabelle replied.


    "Actually, this feeling has been intensifying."


    "It''s not just that. When he copsed after his fight with John three days ago, I felt like my heart was being torn out. It was just a feeling, but it was incredibly strong."


    "I felt this overwhelming fear of losing someone so important... It was suffocating," Yuki confessed, speaking at length for probably the first time.


    Even Jin couldn''t help but be curious upon hearing this revtion. "Wait, how long have you been experiencing these feelings?"


    "It''s been slowly growing stronger ever since we started living with him," Isabelle exined.


    "This is new... I wonder if the third and fourth saintesses are experiencing this as well," Jin pondered aloud.


    "This could be a sign. The saintesses may be subconsciously drawn to him," Hana mused, raising an eyebrow.


    "The prophecy is clear: the saintesses will find their way to the man born of miracles on their own."


    "I believe that''s exactly what''s happening. The saintesses are beginning to feel the need to be with him," she concluded confidently. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    .


    .


    .


    [A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! ??]

 Chapter 37: Dont Be So Narcissistic

    Chapter 37: Don''t Be So Narcissistic


    The Next Day.


    It was early morning, still dark outside, with stars clearly visible against the ck sky. Sam, our protagonist,y in bed in a fetal sleeping position. He was enveloped by a swirling of yellow and blue trains of energy, long lines of mana and heroic energy swirling around him protectively. Sam''s eyes were closed, unaware of what was happening to him. Then, a new energy began to emanate from Sam''s body, particrly from his eyes.


    This energy was dark blue, invisible to the naked eye, unlike mana and heroic energy.


    This dark blue energy influenced both the mana and heroic energy, causing them to shift and make room for its presence. It began to guide the mana and heroic energy, aligning them into single, intertwined lines without mixing as it circted throughout his body.


    The dark blue energy then cloaked the mana and heroic energy lines, transforming them into multiple strands of dark blue energy. This was the result of Sam passively using the Soul Animation Concealment Art for an extended period.


    The technique was initially developed to conceal the presence of mana and heroic energy within Sam''s body, thereby hiding the fact that he was a magic-wielding hero.


    To everyone''s astonishment, including his sisters'', the technique worked wlessly. They had doubted its efficacy. Creating a presence-masking technique was challenging enough, but concealing both mana and heroic energy simultaneously was a feat previously thought impossible, especially considering Sam''s unique case.


    Sam was the second person ever to possess both mana and heroic energy, making the development of such a technique unprecedented. His family believed the world was not ready for an anomaly like him, particrly since thest person with both mana and heroic energy was a significant figure in the history of Arcane.


    If people learned about him, they might think he was the seconding of that person or believe that Sam was the reincarnation of that legendary figure.


    To conceal this fact, Sam''s eldest sister, Grace, one of the greatest mages of her generation, developed a technique using unknown methods solely for Sam. Everything worked well, but even she didn''t fully understand the technique''s extent, as the method she used to create it was shrouded in mystery.


    It was a passive ability, meaning Sam was constantly using it to prevent any energy leakage. Over the past three weeks, the technique had be second nature to him.


    Unknown to anyone but Sam, the technique had another effect apart from masking his energy¡ªit tempered his soul. This tempering strengthened his soul energy, which grew passively without his knowledge until it gave birth to a separate ability called Soul Power.


    This dark blue energy that masked his mana and heroic energy was his Soul Power. Each time it circted, entering and leaving his body, his Soul Power increased proportionally. This process had been urring every second since he started using the technique, causing his Soul Power to grow slowly but steadily.


    Right now his Soul Power was increasing rapidly.


    [Soul Power Increased: +1]


    [Soul Power Increased: +1]


    [Soul Power Increased: +1]


    [Perception Stat Increased: +1]


    [Soul Power Increased: +1]


    [Soul Power Increased: +1]


    [Soul Power Increased: +1]


    [Soul Animation Concealment Art Level Increased: +1]


    Sam woke up feeling a cold sensation spreading throughout his being, greeted by the system panel. Before he could read the system messages, he became aware of multiple presences around him.


    "What the hell are those things?" he wondered.


    He sensed thousands of entities around him¡ªnot just people, but all sorts of living brings. This wasn''t like mana sense or heroic sense; it was like a natural awareness of their existence.


    He just knows that they were there from where he was sensing them.


    Then, he looked at the system panel.


    [Your Soul Power has reached the threshold]


    [You have unlocked a additional effect of the Soul Power]


    [Unlocked Effect: Soul Sense]


    "Soul sense?"


    [Soul Sense: Gives you the ability to sense the presence of souls, both alive and dead, within a certain radius. Your other senses can influence its effectiveness]


    "So that''s what these are? Souls, or more like beings with souls," he mused, looking around as he perceived hundreds of souls around him.


    "Another interesting skill," Sam thought, as an idea sparked in his mind along with memories of being chased by something invisible in the Forbidden Forest.


    "Maybe now I can figure out what chased me that day in the Forbidden Forest," he pondered. The fear of that pursuit during his return from making a contract with the Beast Ant Queen still lingered vividly in his memory.


    Turning off his Soul Sense, he nced out the window. "It''s still pretty early. The training grounds should be empty."


    Deciding to train, he arrived there to find someone sitting by the entrance, seemingly waiting for him.


    "You''re here every morning, the same time Ie to train, yet I''ve never seen you train even once," Sam observed, looking at the girl in front of him with jet-ck hair and dark eyes.


    "Correct me if I''m wrong, but it seems like you intentionallye here to see me," "Don''t be so narcissistic," Lucy retorted with a stoic face.


    "Ah, alright then. You do your thing, and I''ll do mine," Sam nodded, returning to his training.


    Lucy watched him go, a faint frown on her face. As much as she disliked admitting it, she hade to meet him.


    Sam was an early riser, almost crazily so. His solitary morning training sessions made this the ideal time for Lucy to approach him¡ªquiet, secluded, with no prying eyes, especially not those two girls who always seemed to be around him. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    For reasons Lucy couldn''t quite exin, she avoided Yuki and Isabelle. Sam remained unaware of this preference.


    Lucy watched him train, unable to tear her eyes away from his delicately carved, handsome face and perfectly sculpted physique.


    "Why does it feel like he''s be even more handsome?" Lucy gulped, her gaze following his every movement like a hawk tracking its prey.


    Sam sighed and continued his training. Over the past two weeks, he had learned to ignore her constant staring.


    [Your contracted beast, Anthra (Beast Ant Queen) has awoken from her slumber.]


    He halted his training abruptly at the system notification, indicating that his contracted beast, the Beast Ant Queen, had finally awakened.


    "It took her significantly longer than it usually does for an Beast Ant Queen to reach adulthood. I wonder if her growth is influenced by me," Sam mused as he sheathed his sword.


    He closed his eyes, and his consciousness left his body, arriving in an anthill at the foot of a mountain.


    Inside the cave, there was a colossal, ten-foot-tall egg-like structure, markedly different from thest time Sam was here. The substance forming the cocoon covered the entire cave, seemingly absorbing energy from everywhere around it.


    The cocoon was constantly emitting pulses, apanied by an intense purplish glow with red ents, making it appear as though the entire mountain hade alive. The pulses grew stronger, and the glow became more prominent until a crack appeared on the cocoon, spreading across the entire structure.


    BOOM!


    The cocoon exploded into thousands of pieces, releasing a tremendous burst of energy that swept debris into the air. Sam saw twopound, blood-red neon eyes emerging from the smoky debris, and then a queen ant walked out, her wings standing straight.


    Anthra, standing on all six of her legs, was about eight feet tall, her body covered in purplish-red scales. "Is that...?" Sam squinted his closed eyes in surprise, sensing the dark power emanating from her.


    It seemed Anthra noticed his presence as she screeched in the direction of his consciousness.


    "Don''t go outside until I tell you, okay? I will bring you all the food you want," he ordered. Anthra seemed to understand him as she screeched softly at his consciousness before she began to eat the beast''s flesh and beast core that Sam had left there.


    [Ability Activated: Eye Of Truth]


    "It works?" Even with his separated consciousness, he could still use the Eyes Of Truth.


    ---


    [Name: Anthra]


    [Race: Mutated Beast Ant]


    [Rank: Queen Ant]


    [Trait: Infinite Mutation]


    [Racial Ability(s): Savage Consumption, Colony Enhancement, Colonial Evolution, Regeneration, Venomous Bite, Acid Spray, Winged Flight,Territorial Domination, Territorial Marking, Pheromone Emission, Tough Exoskeleton, Night Vision, Adaptability, Resource Conversion, Burrow Creation]


    [Unique Ability(s): Colony Regeneration, Egg Laying, Hive Mind Control, Telepathic Awareness, Dark me Creation]


    ---


    .


    .

 Chapter 38: Grandpa, I messed up

    38 Chapter 38: Grandpa, I messed up


    Lucy watched him with a curious expression, unaware that Sam''s consciousness was in the anthill.


    To her, he appeared to be merely standing there with his eyes closed.


    She sighed. She couldn''t understand why his presence always bothered her.


    Ignoring him was impossible, and approaching him was out of the question because Yuki and Isabelle were always in the same room. She wanted to avoid them at all costs.


    The only time she found herself alone with him was during his early morning training.


    When she noticed him opening his eyelids, she moved in front of him.


    "Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked.


    "You looked like you were in a daze," Lucy replied.


    "Why do you care?" Sam asked, scoffing.


    "...I care," Lucy said, hesitating for a few seconds.


    Sam was taken aback by her response.


    He secretly activated his charm as he began monitoring her emotions.


    "What do you mean, you care?" Sam asked again.


    "I said I care. Why are you always seeking rified answers?" Lucy asked, crossing her arms.


    "Usually, when someone tells me they care about me for no apparent reason, I ask why. It''s kind of my thing, simr to how stalking me seems to be your thing," Sam said sarcastically, all the while carefully monitoring her emotions.


    Lucy looked at him with an irritated expression. She did have an answer to his question, but she was unsure whether to say it or lie.


    Sam watched her closely. Ever since he arrived at the academy, he had felt that this girl was up to something, though he couldn''t pinpoint what.


    "I care about you because you are my junior and the best student the academy has seen in its thousand-year history. I don''t want to see you wasted, and I like you," Lucy said.


    "Are these reasons satisfactory enough?"


    But she was lying, or rather, not telling the whole truth.


    Everything she said was true, but she didn''t reveal the main reason why she was following him and doing the things she did. Not because she didn''t want to, but because once she told him the truth, there would be no turning back.


    There was a big chance she would screw things up if she told him the truth. Many people had high hopes for the man standing before her, and she didn''t know if he was ready for the truth, even though she had every right to tell him.


    Sam just looked at her nkly, his eyes reflecting disappointment as he constantly observed her emotions.


    "Tell me, Lucy, do you know what kind of emotion a person feels when they lie?" Sam asked, his expression stony.


    Lucy''s face shifted from expressionless to concerned, but Sam didn''t wait for her to respond. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "They feel guilt. No matter how cold or detached people are from society, they always feel at least a little guilt. Of course, there are some whock a conscience, who have no heart to feel guilt, but I''m guessing you are not one of them."


    "What are you trying to say?" Lucy asked, unease creeping into her voice.


    She didn''t like where the conversation was heading.


    "I''m saying you are probably a person with a conscience because you are feeling an awful lot of guilt," Sam said, shaking his head while smiling, though it was clear he was anything but happy.


    "I''m not lying," Lucy said, her voice tinged with desperation.


    "Another lie to cover the first," Sam said, turning his face away from her as if it pained him to look at her.


    "I''m not lying! You''re just going insane. How do you even know what I''m feeling? You''re not an empath. You don''t understand the millions of emotions I''m experiencing. Don''t speak as if you know everything about me," Lucy screamed, her face turning red with anger.


    This anger welled up inside her, but the worst part was that it wasn''t directed at Sam.


    It was aimed at herself.


    She hated that she was lying to him, and she hated herself even more for having every right to tell him the truth but choosing not to.


    Sam looked into her eyes and silently scoffed.


    He brought his hand in front of his face, and a small magenta-colored me appeared.


    It wasn''t hot; it was soothing and calm, and Lucy felt entranced by the me.


    "Do you know what this is?" Sam asked, his eyes fixed on the me dancing around his hand.


    "So yes, I can sense what you are feeling... I can feel the guilt you felt just now when you lied to my face," Sam said.


    Lucy met his gaze and felt a sudden urge to confess everything.


    But she quickly turned her face away before she said anything.


    "I... I have to go," she stuttered, trying to walk away, but a firm hand stopped her in her tracks.


    "Don''t walk away. What are you hiding?" Sam demanded, locking eyes with Lucy.


    "If it''s something about me, I have the right to know. Please, don''t lie."


    "I can''t tell you, I''m sorry," Lucy replied softly, admitting she was keeping something from him.


    "Why can''t you?" Sam pressed.


    "Because it''s not just my secret to tell,"


    "Are you kidding me?" Sam scoffed. "If this is about me, I deserve to know."


    Suddenly, a realization struck him, and his gaze sharpened as he turned to Lucy, who met his eyes with a guilty expression.


    "Whatever you''re hiding, it''s not just you who''s keeping it from me, is it?"


    Memories flooded back one by one¡ªhis secretive grandparents, Grace''s evasive answers, his mother''s insistence on Isabelle living with him, even the Hero King''s strange request to watch over his daughter for no apparent reason.


    "My family... everyone''s hiding something from me," Sam muttered, his expression darkening.


    He nced at Lucy, who didn''t deny it, confirming she knew his family was keeping secrets from him, and perhaps she was involved too.


    The more he thought about it, the more betrayed he felt by those around him.


    He turned to Lucy, his expression sour. "You know, every morning when you came here, I thought you liked me. Turns out, I was wrong. You''re just stalking me, but not for the reasons I expected."


    With that, Sam turned away and walked off, leaving Lucy standing alone, her face filled with disappointment and her eyes glistening with tears.


    ...


    Principal Agor and Vice Principal Ragnar were engrossed in conversation when a figure suddenly appeared before them.


    It was Lucy, her eyes darkened and a tired look etched on her face, as though she hadn''t slept well in days.


    "Lucy? What happened?" Principal Agor''s eyes narrowed with concern at her disheveled state.


    "Grandpa, I-I messed up," Lucy said, visibly shaking.


    "What is it, dear?" Agor asked gently, guiding her to sit beside him.


    "I... I didn''t mean to, but..." Her voice faltered.


    "It''s alright. Just tell me what happened," Agor reassured her calmly.


    "He knows..." Lucy muttered.


    Agor understood immediately whom she meant and what she was referring to. "Does he know about... it?"


    Lucy began to ramble uncontrobly, recounting how Sam had first questioned her actions, how he somehow uncovered her guilt, suspecting everyone else, and now knowing that they were all keeping something from him.


    Ragnar listened intently to the conversation unfolding.


    After Lucy had detailed everything that had transpired, Agor couldn''t help but sigh heavily.


    "It''s alright, dear. I''ll talk to him. I''ll convince him he''s just being paranoid," Agor consoled, gently patting her back.


    "No, you can''t... He has some sort of ability to sense emotions. He''ll know if you lie, and I don''t want to hide it from him anymore," Lucy said, shaking her head.


    "Did he yell at you?" Agor inquired.


    "No, but he was so upset, and it hurt me to see him like that," Lucy replied softly.


    ''It''s only been three weeks. I''m not even sure if she''s exchanged ten sentences with him, but she seems so connected already. Is it because she''s a Saintess?'' Agor pondered silently.


    "Do you think we should just tell him about it?" Ragnar interjected.


    "Not yet. We should inform his family and the girls'' families. I can''t make that decision alone," Agor replied, before sighing once more.


    .


    .


    .


    [A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! ??]

 Chapter 39: He Knows

    39 Chapter 39: He Knows


    Yuki knocked on Isabelle''s door. Isabelle, still half-asleep, opened it with her hair tangled and disheveled.


    "Yuki? What is it?" Isabelle asked, her eyes barely open.


    "He''s not in his room," Yuki replied.


    "Mmm, what? Oh, he must be trainingte... Go back to sleep; we''ll talk in the morning," Isabelle said in a sleepy voice.


    "Hmm..." Yuki nodded, not thinking much of it.


    Training a little longer didn''t seem out of the ordinary for Sam.


    But then they heard someone ringing the doorbell.


    Yuki and Isabelle exchanged nces, wondering who could be at the door at this hour. They knew it wasn''t Sam because it was his house, and he had a key. He wouldn''t knock; he would juste in.


    "I''ll see who it is," Yuki said, heading to the door. Isabelle sighed deeply and followed her.


    When they opened the door, they found a girl with short dark hair and dark eyes standing there. This was the first time they were officially meeting Lucy, Sam''s senior, who had tried to recruit him into the Student Council. Lucy seemed to be ignoring Yuki and Isabelle for some reason.


    "You..." Yuki immediately understood why she was ignoring them. It wasn''t because she hated them or was jealous of them; it was because she was one of them.


    "You''re like us," Yuki muttered, her expression confused.


    "I''m awake. I''m fully awake. I hope I''m not dreaming. Say that again," Isabelle thought. She was convinced she was not just half-asleep but also dreaming because she thought Yuki said Lucy was a saintess.


    "Focus, Isabelle. You can sense it too," Yuki said, pinching her arm.


    "Yes, I''m a saintess... like you," Lucy confirmed, not waiting for Isabelle to fully wake up. "I''m the third Saintess."


    "You were in the academy the whole time? How do you know about us? Do you know about him?" Isabelle asked.


    Lucy sighed heavily. This was one reason she hadn''t introduced herself earlier; exining everything from the start was a drag.


    "That''s not important," Lucy said as she entered Sam''s room with an air of entitlement, casually sitting on his bed.


    "Um... Why are you here?" Isabelle asked.


    "Why can''t I be here? I have the right to be here, the same as you," Lucy replied, narrowing her eyes.


    "She didn''t mean that," Yuki said, also taking a seat on his bed, tacitly acknowledging Lucy''s earlier statement and asserting her own right to be there.


    "Oh," Lucy smiled, seemingly impressed, before her expression turned sour as she remembered why she hade. "I messed up," Lucy said nkly.


    "What did you do?" Isabelle asked, a bad premonition dawning on her. If Lucy had messed up something that only affected her, she wouldn''t havee to them. Since she was here, whatever she messed up likely affected them too, and was probably rted to Sam.


    "He knows everything." Those words were enough to make Yuki and Isabelle understand, then she exined everything that had happened between her and Sam.


    "He has the ability to sense emotions, so he probably knew all along that we were hiding something from him."


    "You know, I''m still having a hard time digesting the fact that you are a saintess, and now you''re dropping another bomb... he knows... What are we going to do?" Isabelle sighed and held her head as if she had a massive headache.


    "He didn''te home, did he?" Lucy asked, her eyes wandering around the room. This was the first time she had been in his room, and he was the man she liked, so of course she was curious.


    "Well, you did reveal what is probably the biggest truth about his life. I would expect this reaction from him," Isabelle said, her expression turning sour. She also hated that Sam had to find out about them this way.


    "Do you guys have any idea where he could be?" Lucy asked in a low voice.


    "No. Why? Do you want to ask for his forgiveness or something?" Isabelle asked, scoffing.


    She was still pretty disappointed that Lucy was the one to tell him and not her or Yuki.


    "Yes," Lucy replied, nodding her head. "And I think you should too."


    ...


    15:43


    After his little outburst with Lucy, Sam didn''t go back home. He knew Yuki and Isabelle would be there, leaving him with nowhere to go. So, he aimlessly wandered around the academy.


    Eventually, he ended up in the Academy garden, a sprawling area asrge as a park. The garden was home to all kinds of herbs and weeds, carefully tended by the alchemy department. It wasn''t open to everyone since some students had a tendency to damage the nts while fooling around.


    Sam, however, was allowed inside because he was one of the best students in the alchemy department and had earned that privilege.


    "What are you doing here this early in the morning? You don''t have sses today," Trainer Roman asked, noticing Sam standing there at an unusual hour.


    Sam nced at him and managed a small smile. "I just have a lot going on... I just learned that everybody but me knows about the prophecy, which includes you, I guess."


    "...so you know," Trainer Roman sighed.


    "Yes, I do... but the thing is, I don''t know what I''m going to do with this," Sam sighed again.


    "There''s nothing I can say that''s going to make you feel better," Trainer Roman said before he turned his attention back to the herbs. Some of them were difficult to grow and required constant care.


    Sam didn''t expect anything from him. He was just there to divert his thoughts. He began to tend to the herbs, plucking out unwanted weeds, adding natural fertilizers, and checking for any infected leaves.


    "Do you know what these are?" Trainer Roman asked, pointing to a particr herb in the garden. The nt was unique, with crescent moon-shaped leaves that were dark green with blue zigzag patterns.


    "Geist Ferns. They say it can heal the soul, and it takes dozens of years for them to reach maturity," Sam replied, looking at the nt.


    "Hmm... they''re a lot like you." "They don''t need any help to grow, aren''t specific in their growth requirements, and thrive in all kinds of environments. They adapt to any changes, be it environmental or otherwise."


    " No matter how many weeds surround them, even in the darkest conditions, they stand out the brightest."


    "Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Sam asked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.


    "No, I''m just saying you remind me of that herb," Trainer Roman replied, noticing a Geist Fern that appeared to be dying. "Sometimes even the brightest ones can falter, like this little Geist Fern."


    Sam nced at the dying nt in Roman''s hand. He activated his Rune Pulse, his eyes glowing faintly as he observed that the elemental particles weren''t flowing as they should. With a wave of his hand, the particles were forcefully redirected into the nt, which rapidly regained its health. "Even the brightest ones need help sometimes."


    "Hehe," Trainer Roman chuckled and said nothing more. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Sam also smiled in response, then noticed a figure arriving in a sh.


    "So you were here," Principal Agor said with a relieved sigh. "I heard you had a very nice chat with my granddaughter."


    "Heh, Lucy is your GRANDDAUGHTER? I honestly didn''t see thating," Sam shook his head.


    .


    .


    .


    [A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! ??]

 Chapter 40: The Truth

    40 Chapter 40: The Truth


    "Do me a favor and cut my granddaughter some ck. Trust me, she wanted to tell you so badly, but I told her not to," Principal Agor said, sighing.


    "What do you want from me?" Sam asked, not even looking at him.


    "You''ve only heard her side of the story. Don''t you want to hear the rest?" Agor asked.


    "I want to, but is it going to do me any good?" Sam asked with a tired smile.


    "You won''t know until you do," Agor smiled. "Follow me. I''ll take you somewhere private so we can talk."


    Sam stood for a few seconds, then nced at Trainer Roman, who nodded at him. He then followed Agor.


    Trainer Roman watched him go before turning his attention back to the Geist Ferns, muttering the thought that appeared in his mind. "Being the brightest can sometimes leave you alone in the end."


    Following Agor, Sam arrived at a shrine-like structure, where a huge stone floated on the altar with words carved into it.


    "To understand this, you first need to grasp how the prophecy came to be and how it might be connected to you," Agor exined.


    "Might be? So you''re not sure?" Sam asked, crossing his arms.


    "Don''t get hung up on every little detail. Let me finish," Agor replied.


    "Fine," Sam said, taking a seat opposite Agor. After his conversation with Lucy, everything seemed pointless to him. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He felt like his life was no longer in his control.


    Right now, he had lost interest in everything, so he might as well hear what Agor had to say.


    "It happened a long time ago, during an era when mages and heroes thrived under a single banner, the time when the true King of Arcane reigned supreme."


    "The first King of Arcane was a hero with many gifts. His greatest gift was the ability to wield mana."


    Sam''s expression changed when he heard that. "He was..."


    "Yes, he was like you, or rather, you are like him," Agor confirmed.


    "He wasn''t just the first king; he built Arcane. Everything you know today came from him. Mages and heroes originated from him... he was our progenitor."


    "Many do not know this because our ancestors were very careful about what got recorded." "


    15:44


    For many reasons, they erased the fact that our progenitor had the ability to predict the future. Now, I don''t know what kind of ability that was, but the first prophecy came from him."


    Agor waved his hand, and another stone appeared out of thin air. It was simr to the one on the altar but much older, yet the words carved on it were as new as if they had just been etched.


    "I came to this world alone, and I shall leave it with nothing but regret, alone.


    Yet, I see hope on the horizon; I see Him.


    He shall possess all my powers; he shall correct all my mistakes.


    He will aplish what I have failed to do; he will sit upon the throne that is rightfully his, and Arcane shall kneel before him." Sam read the words carved into the stone.


    "He left these words on his dying breath," Agor said.


    "After his death, the loyal followers of the progenitor were determined to see his vision realized, leading to the creation of the High Order."


    "The High Order? Is it some sort of secret society?" Sam asked.


    "You could say that... The High Order safeguarded the true history from beingpletely obliterated while they searched for the person whom the progenitor designated to take his ce," Agor exined.


    "I don''t understand one thing: why is it so important that his visiones true? What did the progenitor regret so much?" Sam asked, wearing a confused expression.


    "Ah... That regret is what started all this," Agor said, as if he understood the progenitor''s feelings at the end of his life.


    "The progenitor had two sons who weren''t like him but were unique in their own ways. The eldest son was a hero rivaling his father''s sword, and the second son was a mage standing on equal footing with his father."


    "The progenitor loved his children equally, but only one could inherit his throne. The sons tried everything to sway their father''s favor, but he wouldn''t budge."


    "In the end, the progenitor decided to let the people choose their next king, but this turned out to be a grave mistake."


    "The sons turned the mages and heroes against each other in their bid for support. The eldest son became the Hero King, and the youngest crowned himself as the Mage King."


    "It might have been eptable if it had stayed that way, but the sons wanted the throne of Arcane for themselves to the extent that they even waged war against each other," Agor said with a sigh.


    "Let me guess, neither side emerged victorious, and the animosity between mages and heroes continues to this day... Is that his regret?"


    "Yes, the progenitor didn''t live long enough to see the oue of his sons'' actions," Agor said.


    "At one point, after his sons died, his grandchildren took their ce. Unlike their fathers, they tried to undo this madness their father started."


    "Let me guess again, it didn''t work?" Sam interjected.


    "Again, yes. Again, you are correct. The war imed many lives, mages against heroes, heroes against mages. There was no way they were going to reconcile after that, but at the very least, the fighting stopped."


    "I''m the only hero after the progenitor who can wield magic. I suppose you expect me to restore Arcane to its former glory by uniting mages and heroes?" Sam asked with a knowing smile.


    "Well..."


    "I understand. Just tell me, where do the saintesses fit into all of this?" Sam rolled his eyes, his impatience showing.


    Agor looked at Sam knowingly, then sighed softly. "The only reason you''re here is because you want to know about the Saintesses, isn''t it? you don''t care about the other stuff"


    "Either you answer me or I''m leaving," Sam stated, his eyebrows narrowing with determination.


    "Um, okay... As mentioned before, the first prophecy foretold this. After the war, life continued, and the High Order carried on with their duties."


    "Over thest millennium, more than a dozen prophecies have arisen, and the High Order has diligently recorded each one," Agor exined, snapping his fingers to summon a dozen stones, each carved with inscriptions.


    "Each of the prophecies was different, but the onlymon element among them was the mention of the anomaly," Agor said.


    "The anomaly, the Hero with the ability to wield magic... me," Sam replied, clutching his head as if it were about to explode.


    "Only the progenitor can be the hero with the ability to wield magic. Your ability to do so makes you an anomaly, thereby fulfilling the progenitor''s prophecy," Agor continued.


    "After that, almost every prophecy mentions the existence of the saintesses. Supposedly, the saintesses are the key to finding the ''person''."


    "How exactly?" Sam asked, narrowing his eyes.


    "The saintesses have the ability to sense the presence of other saintesses and the anomaly, but it doesn''t end there. Some prophecies state that the saintesses, no matter how far apart they are, will always find themselves or end up in the life of the ''person''."


    "... How do you find the saintesses then?" Sam inquired resting his face in his hand.


    "The saintesses bear the birthmark of the anomaly. It resembles the roots of the divine tree."


    "By fulfilling the other prophecies, are you fulfilling the prophecy the Progenitor left behind?" Sam asked.


    "Basically, yeah. Any questions?" Agor replied, patiently waiting for Sam to speak.


    He understood how overwhelming this must be for Sam. Anyone would have a hard time being suddenly introduced into a world of madness like this.


    "Other than you, who else are the members of the High Order?" Sam asked, a resigned expression on his face.


    "Your family, your maternal and paternal grandparents, the trainers, the, um, saintesses'' families, some of the leaders of the noble ns... I will give you a list of members afterward," Agor said.


    "Do the other members know that you''re revealing all this to me? After all, this is one of the biggest secrets in the history of Arcane."


    "We had already agreed that if it came to this, we would tell you everything. The saintesses already know about all this," Agor exined.


    "Why didn''t I know any of this? You obviously told everything to them. Why keep me in the dark?" Sam asked, frustration evident in his voice.


    "The saintesses are the key to finding the person. We had to tell them. As for why we didn''t tell you, it''s because we weren''t sure it was you. The saintesses were too young, and you were just beginning to show signs of the anomaly," Agor said.


    "Also, your mother didn''t want to burden you with this. She wanted to let you figure things out on your own," Agor added with a sigh.


    .


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    [A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! ??]

 Chapter Chapter 41: Final Warning

    41 Chapter 41: Final Warning


    Lucy, followed by Yuki and Isabelle, arrived at the spot where Agor and Sam had been having an intense conversation.


    "Where is he, Grandpa?" Lucy asked with an uneasy expression. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Principal Agor is your grandfather? I didn''t see thating," Isabelle eximed.


    "You just missed him," Agor said with a sigh. "By the way, I told him everything. It should make things a lot easier for you all."


    "What did he say?" Lucy asked.


    "Nothing... He''s just upset that everyone hid this from him," Agor replied, cing aforting hand on her shoulder.


    "I think what''s bothering him the most is the issue with the saintesses. You should talk to him."


    "Did he say anything about us?" Isabelle asked.


    "No..."


    Lucy, Yuki, and Isabelle''s expressions turned solemn, and the atmosphere grew heavy with a sense of depression.


    Tears began to form in Lucy''s eyes. "I don''t know what to do, Grandpa. He hates me."


    "He doesn''t hate you... If anything, I think he cares for you deeply. It''s just... the timing is all off. Don''t worry too much; everything will be alright," Agor reassured her before directing them to where Sam had gone.


    ...


    Sam was not in a good mood.


    Unsure of how to deal with his emotions, he decided to cope by filling his stomach with lots of food.


    The cafeteria was not crowded, but it was still busy. Everyone''s eyes were on Sam. After his battle with John, Sam had be something of a celebrity at the academy.


    There wasn''t a single person who didn''t know about his achievements.


    People murmured among themselves as they saw him, and young women couldn''t help but stare at him like predators eyeing their prey. When the dark and holy power reconstructed his physique to harmonize his powers, his charm increased significantly. Unlike his other abilities, a single point increase in charm made a substantial difference. Right now, he was probably the most handsome man in the entire academy. However, Sam hadn''t noticed these changes because his mind was upied with other matters.


    He went to the kitchen and got himself a big te filled with two double meat patty burgers, a small bowl of egg fried rice, and five pieces of fire chicken legs. He began to munch on them, trying to eat his stress away.


    While he was devouring his food, the Hounds, the Reapers, and the Student Council all entered the cafeteria. They were just there to have their breakfast; nothing interesting was expected to happen. They were supposed to eat and then go about their business. But, of course, some idiots couldn''t understand this.


    As soon as they entered the cafeteria, their attention instantly went to Sam. There were no third-year students present; the academy teaches the Awakeners for the first two years. In the third and fourth years, students are sent out on missions that usually take months. The third and fourth years had yet to return from their missions, so only the first and second-year students were in the academy right now.


    The Student Council didn''t bother Sam. They simply found a table and started focusing on their own tasks. They were smart and knew that Lucy would torture them if they bothered him. The Hounds and the Reapers, however, were the idiotic ones.


    Yami could be seen among the Hounds. He too noticed the bane of his existence eating breakfast as if he hadn''t beaten him to a pulp. John was among the Reapers, and his expression instantly turned red with a mix of fury and anxiety. Sam had not only handed him his ass but also crushed his confidence into a thousand pieces.


    "Let it go, John. You''ve been humiliated enough. Ignore him," Nn said, ring at Sam.


    "Actually, I think we can take him right now," Kaze suggested, grinning.


    "What?" John asked.


    "It''s him versus us. We have the numbers. I say we teach him a lesson for what he did to you."


    "I think Kaze is right. He''s the talk of the academy now, and if we let him be after he humiliated one of our own, the Reapers will be theughingstock," another Reaper added.


    "I think we should beat the crap out of him right away," another one agreed.


    "I don''t think it''s a good idea," Nn said.


    "It''s a great idea... Look over there, I think the Hounds are going to do exactly what we''re talking about," Kaze pointed at four of the Hounds who were approaching Sam.


    Seeing them, the Reapers nced at each other and then approached Sam as well.


    "Don''t do it. I think it''s best we leave him be," Yami tried to persuade the Hounds, but they wouldn''t listen. Yami had joined the Hounds after he was defeated by Sam.


    "Don''t be a coward," one of the Hounds replied.


    "I won''t be a part of this," Yami said, ncing at Sam before he disappeared from the cafeteria


    Sam was focused on eating, ignoring the attention he was receiving. He only noticed the eight second-year students approaching when they were already standing near him.


    Sam narrowed his eyes, an irritated expression forming on his face. "Look, I''m in a very bad mood... if you''re thinking about doing something stupid, I suggest you scram. I don''t want to identally kill you."


    "Big wordsing from someone who''s about to get their ass kicked," Kaze retorted, drawing his sword, followed by the others.


    Famousst words, A major red g.


    "Oh shit," Leon eximed. "Should we do something?"


    "I don''t think Lucy will appreciate it," Lina replied, watching as all eight of them attacked Sam simultaneously.


    "You never learn, do you?" Sam snorted, his eyes beginning to glow with a crimson light. Energy radiated from him, creating a domain with a 1.5-meter radius, freezing the eight attackers in their tracks.


    "I-I can''t move!"


    "It''s him... he''s doing something!"


    They were immobilized as if frozen at absolute zero, unable to move even their eyeballs. They could see what was happening, but were powerless to react, held in ce by an overwhelming force.


    "What''s happening?" Lina asked, confused.


    "They look like they''re frozen in ce," Leon observed. "Is it possible he''s grown even stronger in thest few days?"


    Their attention shifted back to Sam.


    "I warned you, I''m in a bad mood, but you had to threaten me, didn''t you?" Sam said menacingly, as the attackers struggled, raising their energy to the maximum, their bodies shaking.


    Sam narrowed his eyes, noting their struggle.


    His ''Force'' wasn''t strong enough to hold thempletely, but it significantly slowed them down. He pointed his palm at them, and something ck and white appeared, apanied by a sound like breaking ss, gathering before his palm.


    A bizarre energy condensed into a ball of ck and white substance. With a slight movement of his hand, the energy exploded in their faces.


    BOOM!


    An explosion shook the ce like an earthquake, obliterating everything in its path and leaving behind a blinding grey light.


    "This is madness..." Lina muttered, shaking.


    When the smoke cleared, a huge crater was revealed, and the cafeteria was destroyed into a million pieces. Sam looked at the eight men lying unconscious on the ground, their bodies covered in burns. They had never been in a worse situation.


    Their clothes were burned to nothing, they werepletely hairless, and more than half of their bodies had suffered extreme burns, but they were alive.


    Sam turned to one of the onlookers. "Tell them when they wake up" "I held back at thest minute so they wouldn''t turn to ashes. Consider this myst warning. If they provoke me again, I will not hold back," Sam said, and walked away from the scene.


    ..


    Lucy, Isabelle, and Yuki were calmly walking towards the cafeteria when they heard a bizarre explosion.


    In its ce was a massive crater with eight men lying unconscious within it.


    15:45


    "What the hell happened here?" Lucy asked as she noticed Lina and Leon approaching.


    "It came from the cafeteria," Isabelle said.


    "Let''s go check it out," Yuki urged. Within minutes, they arrived at the cafeteria, only to find itpletely destroyed.


    In its ce was a massive crater with eight men lying unconscious within it.


    "What the hell happened here?" Lucy asked as she noticed Lina and Leon approaching.


    "What happened here? Who did this?" Lucy repeated, her expression serious.


    "It was that first-year student you''re obsessed with," Lina replied.


    "Sam did this? Why?" Isabelle asked, bewildered.


    "He was just minding his own business when the Hounds and Reapers messed with him, and he retaliated," Lina exined.


    "More like he obliterated them," Leon added, rolling his eyes.


    "Those are second-year students?" Yuki asked, pointing at the eight men lying in the crater, who were being carried away by other members of the Hounds and Reapers.


    "Where did Sam go?" Lucy asked, ignoring themotion.


    "The student residence," Lina said, then noticed something unusual. "Why are you with these two?"


    "Oh, that? Yuki and Isabelle are my sisters," Lucy said as she sprinted towards their home.


    "When did we be sisters?" Isabelle asked, confused. Then, as she recounted the dynamics of their rtionship, Yuki also realized it.


    "I guess we are sisters now, aren''t we?" Lucy said with a smile.


    .


    .


    .


    [A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! ??]

 Chapter 42: It鈥檚 The Start Of My Harem

    42 Chapter 42: It¡¯s The Start Of My Harem


    Lucy, Yuki, and Isabelle arrived at Sam''s home and noticed the door was ajar.


    Upon entering, they found Sam lying on the couch, staring at the ceiling.


    "He looks so depressed," Yuki sighed.


    "No, he''s being dramatic," Lucy retorted before walking up to him. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Can we talk?" Lucy asked, crossing her arms.


    "Sure, why not? It''s not like you guys are going to lie or hide things from me again, right?" Sam said sarcastically, shaking his head and smiling to himself.


    As soon as those words left his mouth, the girls realized what his problem was. From what they could gather, Sam wasn''t angry or disappointed about the secret itself or the fact that his family had maintained the lie. What hurt him was that the girls had kept the lie from him.


    "I''m sorry I kept this from you," Yuki said, and for the first time, she grabbed his arm and held it to her chest.


    "It''s not just about the lie... I thought we were friends and on our way to bing more, but you still kept things from me," Sam said.


    Sam didn''t have any friends. He grew up alone, except for asional visits from his older sisters and his twin sister, who hated him. He never had a proper rtionship with anyone other than his mother and his maternal grandparents.


    His sisters were always in Mystic City because they were mages, not heroes like him. Yes, they visited him from time to time, but they were his sisters. They were never consistent and would only stay with him for a couple of days before returning to Mystic City.


    His mother... she loved him dearly. There wasn''t a day that went by where she didn''t think about him, but she couldn''t always be there for him. She was one of the leaders of the Imperial Knight Order, and she had more pressing duties than to be there for him.


    Not that Sam expected her to be, but he still wished it could happen.


    His first-ever true friends¡ªor at least he thought he was forming true friendships¡ªwere with Yuki and Isabelle. Despite keeping them at a certain distance, he was just beginning to open up to them. But before he could fully do so, he found out about the whole prophecy thing and that Yuki and Isabelle had been keeping things from him.


    And most of all, it made him question if Yuki and Isabelle were truly trying to be his friends or if it was all orchestrated by the High Order to make the prophecye true.


    Sam felt another hand grab his other arm. It was Isabelle. "We are truly sorry we hid this from you," she said softly.


    "It''s not the lie that angers me but the fact that I don''t know if any of it was even true," Sam replied, looking at each of their faces.


    "It was real," Lucy said, cupping his chin with her hands, letting him feel her warmth.


    "Whatever you think I felt for you, I did... I may have hidden things from you, but I never falsified my rtionship with you."


    "You see, I can hear you saying that, but I don''t know if it''s real," Sam said, averting his eyes.


    Lucy sighed, then gently yanked his hand off of Yuki and ced it on her chest, making him feel her more-than-generous breast.


    "What the hell are you doing?" Sam asked, narrowing his eyes at Lucy.


    "You have the power to sense my emotions. Now, see what I''m feeling," Lucy said, holding his hand firmly against her breast.


    "Do you think I would let a person I don''t like touch me like this? So, tell me, am I lying?"


    Sam''s expression changed, his feelings growing moreplicated as he sensed that Lucy wasn''t lying. In fact, none of them were lying now.


    The guilty expressions they had shown earlier had vanished, reced by genuine affection and love.


    Even though his conscience wanted to reject this, he couldn''t, because she was telling the truth.


    She truly did love him.


    "I hate this emotion-sensing ability," Sam said slowly, cing his other hand over hers.


    A small smile formed on Lucy''s juicy red lips. "Are we good?" she asked gently.


    The day passed swiftly, filled with long, arduous conversations between the girls and Sam.


    They even delved into the topic of the fourth Saintess, who remained a mystery to all of them.


    After their conversation, Sam took some time for himself until the end of the day, long past dinner time.


    He hadn''t gone to bed¡ªmore urately, he tried but couldn''t sleep.


    Instead, he went to the garden and sat on a bench, gazing at the two moons in the dark sky.


    "I thought you would be here," Sam heard a very familiar, very lovable voice.


    He turned to see a golden-haired young woman approaching, her smile the sweetest he had ever seen.


    "How do you know I''m here?" Sam asked, smiling.


    After the secrets were revealed to him, any distance he had felt between himself and the girls had vanished.


    He was now beginning to appreciate just how beautiful and unique they were.


    "Well, I may not pay as much attention to detail as you do, but I''ve learned a few things about the boy I like," Isabelle said as she sat beside him.


    "Don''t you think it''s weird to say that you like me when it''s only been a couple of weeks since we met each other?" Sam asked.


    "You wouldn''t understand... We are your Saintesses; it''s kind of our thing," Isabelle replied, subtly wrapping her arm around his.


    "This Saintess thing... it doesn''t force you into feeling things for me, does it? Doesn''t that concern you or gross you out?" Sam asked.


    "Being a Saintess does involve us in your life involuntarily, but it doesn''t force us into anything," Isabelle replied.


    "And don''t go asking the same thing to the other two... I don''t think they will take it as well."


    "Especially Lucy; she''s obsessed with you," Isabelle said, rolling her eyes.


    "Is that so?"


    "You have no idea... Ever since we found out she was the third Saintess, all she ever talked about was you," Isabelle said, sighing.


    "Mmm..." Sam sighed, watching her face and mesmerizing green eyes. Sensing his gaze, Isabelle saw Sam''s face closing in.


    Her eyes closed as she moved closer, her heart pounding with excitement.


    But her dreamy kiss never came.


    Instead, Sam wrapped his arms around her in a deep hug.


    "Disappointed?"


    "Mm, you can''t leave a girl hanging like that," Isabelle said, pouting.


    "Haha..." Sam looked at her for a few seconds before he kissed her, not on her pink lips, but just beside them.


    SMOOCH!!!


    "You missed my lips by just an inch," Isabelle said, still pouting.


    "Let''s take it slow."


    "Aren''t we already taking it slow?"


    "It''s only been three weeks since we met."


    "Let''s go home; it''s gettingte," Sam said. He helped her stand up, and they walked back to their home while Isabelle sessfully held his hand.


    "What are you thinking?" Isabelle asked while walking.


    "Nothing... Everything''s so much clearer now. I don''t care about this prophecy thing anymore. All it has made me realize is that the prophecy is just a prediction of a future that''s definitely going toe."


    "We can''t change the future, so why shackle our brains with this?"


    "What... what''s your opinion about us?" Isabelle asked nervously.


    "The three of you are going to be with me forever..." Sam said, massaging her face.


    "It''s the start of my harem."


    .


    .


    .


    [A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! ??]

 Chapter 43: I Call This Chaos

    43 Chapter 43: I Call This Chaos


    Sam felt a presence around him and woke up, but he didn''t sense anything hostile or negative, so he didn''t panic.


    "I thought I concealed my presencepletely, but I guess there''s no escaping your senses, huh, darling?" a sweet voice said.


    Sam noticed a stunningly gorgeous girl with dark hair and dark eyes lying beside him, her arm draped over him in a loving embrace.


    "It''s not proper for a young maiden to be in a man''s room at this hour," Sam said, gently brushing the hair off her forehead.


    "It''s not wrong if the man is the young maiden''s darling, darling," Lucy chuckled and snuggled closer to him.


    "When did you get here?" Sam asked.


    "A few minutes ago... I was on my way to the training grounds to meet you, like we always did, but then it hit me."


    "What?" Sam asked with a curious expression.


    "If I want to meet you, I could juste here... We''re way past that hard line, right?" Lucy asked nervously in a soft, barely audible voice.


    "Yes, we are..." Sam replied, tenderly massaging her face.


    "Then you won''t mind me living with you here?" Lucy asked, ncing sideways with a small grin.


    "What would Principal Agor think about his granddaughter living with a single young man?"


    "He won''t say anything because he was the one who suggested it in the first ce," Lucy said, letting Sam see that she was only wearing a pair of panties, a bra, and a very thin, see-through purple nightdress.


    Sam couldn''t take his eyes off her, and Lucy smiled, noticing his gaze. "Like what you see?"


    "It''s not a good idea to tempt a man like this," Sam said, holding her by her thin, incredibly soft waist and making her sit on hisp.


    "Fufu, you''re not so uptight anymore... You''ve changed," Lucy said, massaging his face with her thumb.


    "Is it a good thing or a bad thing?" Sam asked, gently wrapping his arms around her back and pulling her into an intimate hug, feeling her sweet warmth against his chest.


    "It''s good... I''m loving it," Lucy whispered.


    Suddenly, both Lucy and Sam turned their faces toward the door, sensing the presence of someone outside Sam''s bedroom.


    "I think it''s one of the girls," Sam said, getting up from the bed while Lucy quickly put on a T-shirt and thick long pants.


    She would never, ever let anyone else see her intimate side;


    Sam was the only person allowed, and would ever be allowed, to see her like that.


    When they opened the door, they found Yuki standing there, but something was off. Her eyes were closed, yet she was walking.


    "What''s wrong with her?" Lucy asked, concerned.


    "I think she''s sleepwalking," Sam answered, waving his hand in front of Yuki''s face.


    She didn''t react; she was definitely sleepwalking.


    "Sleepwalking? Should we wake her up?"


    "No, waking someone in the middle of sleepwalking can be potentially harmful unless we''re sure of the cause," Sam said.


    "Then what should we do?"


    "Sleepwalkers aren''t aware of what''s happening during their sleep, but they are aware of their surroundings. Sometimes they even respond verbally," Sam said, gently cing his hand on Yuki''s shoulder and calling out to her.


    "Yuki."


    "...Mm," Yuki murmured.


    "I''ll take you to your room," Sam gently whispered, patting her back.


    "Hmm," Yuki murmured as Sam gently guided her back to her room, while Lucy watched with a small smile, admiring their man''s gentle care.


    After setting Yuki in her bed, Sam gently closed the door on his way out.


    "Um... she''s sleepwalking again," Lucy pointed out, and Sam turned to see Yuki standing just behind him.


    "Yuki?"


    "Mm... Sam..." Yuki murmured in her sleepy voice.


    "I think she''s sleepwalking to you... Let her sleep in your bed. We have to go out anyway," Lucy said. Sam nodded and brought Yuki to his bed, where she immediately snuggled into his pillow and went back to sleep.


    "What was that about?" Sam asked with a confused expression.


    "I guess it''s a saintess thing; she''s subconsciously drawn to you even while sleeping," Lucy said, chuckling.


    "You should show her extra affection."


    "Why?"


    "I think the sleepwalking is just a projection of her desire to be with you... I think that''s why she''s sleepwalking to you," Lucy exined.


    "... You got all that just from watching her sleepwalk?" Sam asked, pursing his lips.


    "Well... it''s just a theory," Lucy shrugged her shoulders.


    "Whatever it is, I should inform her father," Sam said. "... Anyway, where do you want to go?"


    "It would be easier to understand if I show you," Lucy said, intertwining her fingers with his as she led the way to the ruined cafeteria.


    When they arrived, they saw some of the trainers, including Austin and Roman, along with the principal and vice principal.


    "Hehe, if you brought me here to make me feel guilty about destroying the cafeteria, don''t bother. I don''t feel bad," Sam said, shaking his head. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Hehe, it''s not that," Lucy chuckled, patting his arm. "Well... it is about the cafeteria."


    "I see you brought him with you, my dear granddaughter," Principal Agor said, appearing and noticing his granddaughter''s arm intertwined with Sam''s.


    "I heard it was your handiwork that caused this," Agor said, pointing at the crater and the destroyed cafeteria.


    "Yup, some second-year student pissed me off real bad, and I might have overreacted," Sam replied, shrugging his shoulders as if it wasn''t his fault.


    "This..." Agor pointed at the crater, "you call this an overreaction?"


    Agor sighed deeply, as if he had seen everything in life and could now die peacefully.


    "Why haven''t you rebuilt the cafeteria?" Sam asked, confused.


    It had been two weeks since he destroyed the cafeteria, and they still hadn''t rebuilt it.


    "Actually, darling, that''s why I brought you here," Lucy said.


    "What happened?"


    "I''ll answer that," Ragnar said, raising his hand. "That''s actually why we wanted to talk to you."


    "You see, the academy was built thousands of years ago on a massive magic circle. Every part of the academy is inscribed with magic, which is how the academy has survived for so long," Ragnar continued.


    "Any damage done to the academy would automatically heal over time, like wounds."


    "Then why hasn''t the cafeteria healed yet?" Sam asked.


    "That''s why we need you here. We don''t know how you did it, but when you unleashed your attack, you somehow disrupted the magic, and as a result, the cafeteria is not being reconstructed," Agor exined.


    "And you want me to fix it?" Sam asked, pointing at himself. "Why don''t you call the court mages to fix it?"


    "The academy is a major power of the heroes. We have a lot of secrets hidden here... we can''t have mages snooping around," Ragnar said, with a pleading expression.


    "We hate mages... except you, of course," Agor said, smiling innocently.


    "Fine, I did cause this, after all," Sam sighed.


    "I''m curious, what kind of attack did you use to cause this much destruction?" Agor asked.


    "It''s a secret," Sam chuckled, deflecting the question.


    Lucy noticed his evasion but chose not to call him out, while Sam sensed her awareness with his emotion-sensing ability.


    Agor understood and didn''t press further.


    If Sam didn''t want to reveal his secrets, there was nothing he could do about it.


    Many cultivators held their secrets close, and Sam, an extraordinary cultivator, surely had plenty.


    "Anyway, I''ll check if anything is wrong with the magic at the academy, but I can''t promise anything. While I do that, make sure no one unwanted sees me using magic," Sam instructed.


    He raised his hand and pointed at the crater.


    A ten-foot radius blue magic circle appeared and expanded above the crater, filled with all sorts of unreadablenguages and symbols.


    "Wow, you really can use magic, huh, darling?" Lucy said, her eyes astonished.


    "What kind of magic is this?"


    "It''s a magic I use to analyze things. There are many versions of analytical types of magic out there, but the one I''m using now is the most advanced one that I learned from my eldest sister," Sam exined as the patterns and symbols on the magic circle shifted positions, and the circle itself began to spin slowly.


    "I can''t understand anything on it," Lucy admitted, seeing the contents of the magic circle as nothing but pure scribbles and gibberish.


    "Of course you cannot understand because you are not a mage," Sam smiled.


    "This magic will analyze everything in the academy and will list all the abnormalities, inconsistencies, and deviations in the flow of energy. It won''t find the problem directly, but it will give us an idea of where to look."


    "How long does it take?" Agor asked.


    "A few hours," Sam replied.


    "Hmm... I will keep the students froming here and discovering you can use magic," Agor said, signaling the others to secure the area, leaving Sam and Lucy alone.


    "I''m sorry if you feel offended that I didn''t answer your grandfather when he asked what attack I used," Sam said slowly, looking down.


    "Hey, everyone has secrets. I wouldn''t expect you to give up yours just because we are together," Lucy said, tightening her grip on his arm.


    "But I certainly want to tell you," Sam admitted.


    He extended his index finger, and dark and holy energy began to concentrate at the fingertip into a single ball of gray energy.


    Though they didn''t collide or mix, they appeared to be in a sort of harmony.


    "I-I feel goosebumps... What is that?" Lucy asked, trembling.


    "It''s Dark and Holy powers in a single condensed gray ball of energy. Even though they don''t mix, They are like contained water and oil in a single bottle."


    "they be quite aggressive when they are together, but I somehow manage to control them and manipte their reaction to each other," Sam exined.


    "And you can use them in an offensive attack?" Lucy asked, staring at the gray energy.


    "Yes... I call this Chaos," Sam replied.


    .


    .


    .


    [A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! ??]

 Chapter 44: Wicked Father, Virtuous Son

    44 Chapter 44: Wicked Father, Virtuous Son


    After three hours, Sam had finished analyzing the entire academy.


    "It''s done," Sam said to Lucy as the magic circle shrank to the size of apact disc, moving towards him andnding on his palm.


    The same magic circle appeared in his pupils as he absorbed everything his magic had picked up about the academy.


    Every existing spell or remnant of past magic in the academy walls, the intricate pathways of energy flow, and various other fascinating details about the academy became an open book to him.


    "Did you find out what''s wrong with the academy''s magic?" Agor asked.


    "I found a few anomalies, but none of them should be interfering with the magic. The most notable observation is that, for some reason, mana is moving away from this area, almost as if something scared it off," Sam replied.


    "What caused this? Could it have been your attack that destroyed this ce?" Agor inquired.


    "I don''t know... Even with the highest grade of analyzing magic, I couldn''t pinpoint the exact cause. But I''m certain the magic itself is intact; something else is causing the interference," Sam said, contemting the possible causes.


    This was a veryplex magic created by powerful mages trusted by the founder, Ryuga Tachibana, when the academy was built.


    The magic had several critical functions. The primary one was enveloping the academy in a protective barrier that prevented intruders and cloaked the academy in an illusion. Another essential function was the automatic repair of the academy''s structures when damaged. This magic drew its power from natural atmospheric energy and resources from the earth to maintain and repair the academy. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Can you determine what caused this? If the magic fails, it could bring down the academy''s entire protection system," Ragnar stated, looking at the crater.


    "I will try something"


    [Eyes Of Truth: Ability Activated]


    "Mmm..." Sam thought as he activated his Eyes of Truth ability. His blue eyes glowed brightly, making his pupils stand out in his entire face. His vision transformed, revealing the lines and flows of energy and everything invisible to the normal eye.


    "Did you find out what''s causing this?" Lucy asked, tugging at his arm.


    "I did, and it''s very simple to resolve," Sam said, pointing his palm at the crater.


    Substances almost invisible to the naked eye shot from the crater to his hand.


    It was invisible, but Lucy could sense something moving from the crater to his hand, though she couldn''t understand what it was.


    "What was that, darling?" Lucy asked, watching Sam absorb something invisible from the crater.


    "It''s chaos," Sam replied.


    "When I used that attack, remnants of that gray energy got stuck in the crater, warding off the mana from flowing properly. This caused the magic to be disrupted."


    "Is that supposed to happen?" Lucy asked, her brow furrowed in concern.


    "No," Sam said, shaking his head.


    "Normally, when we use offensive powers like that, it disrupts the flow of energy in the atmosphere temporarily, but it resolves itself quickly."


    "My attack didn''t just disrupt the flow; it''s been actively preventing the energy from regaining its natural flow. This shouldn''t happen."


    "Why not?" Lucy asked, her curiosity piqued.


    "Energy flow is a natural process. We shouldn''t disturb it," Sam exined.


    "In fact, energy flow is something that can''t usually be disturbed. But my chaos energy seems to have done just that. I guess I still have a lot to learn about my powers," he muttered, watching as the energy flow began to stabilize.


    "Hey, you did it! The magic is working again!" Agor eximed as he arrived, patting Sam on the back.


    "Of course he did, he''s my darling," Lucy said with a proud expression, hugging Sam''s arm affectionately.


    Agor narrowed his eyes.


    Even though he knew this was to be expected, he still felt uneasy seeing his granddaughter so close to Sam.


    "Granddaughter, why don''t you go pack your things while I have a word with your darling here?" Agor suggested with a smile.


    "Okay, I''ll be back, darling," Lucy said, leaving the area.


    "Lucy said it was your idea for her to move in with me," Sam said, turning to Agor.


    "I think it''s for the best," Agor sighed.


    "She''s obsessed with you. And when I say obsessed, I mean batshit crazy."


    "Whoa, easy. That''s your granddaughter you''re talking about," Sam said, his expression a mix of confusion and amusement at hearing her grandfather call her crazy.


    "Forgive me, I didn''t mean to call her crazy. It''s just... I love my granddaughter, but she is so hard to deal with," Agor continued, sighing again.


    "When she first learned about the prophecy, she got so angry and started to rebel. She didn''t like that her future was already decided, and she hated you."


    "Is that so? I certainly didn''t expect that," Sam said slowly.


    "It was only until she met you... Ever since then, everything she does and talks about is all about you. You should see her room; it''s filled with pictures of you."


    "She even has things like your used clothes and your hair. I couldn''t handle it anymore. I think she will be better off if she''s with you," Agor said, his eyes pleading.


    "Wow, I thought she was only stalking me..." Sam said slowly, followed by a sigh.


    He didn''t know how to react to this revtion.


    For someone who could understand the emotions of those around him, he struggled to understand his own.


    After a few moments of thinking, he made up his mind. "I will take care of her," Sam said, nodding with a gracious smile.


    "Her obsession with me makes me like her even more."


    "Um... okay... I guess, just don''t let her go overboard with her obsession," Agor said.


    "And try not to break her heart."


    "I''m not my father... I won''t break her heart," Sam said, his expression turning sour.


    "Good... And for the record, I didn''t mean to that way... I know you''re not like him," Agor said with a pause.


    "I didn''t realize your rtionship with your father turned so horrible."


    "Horrible is a weak word to describe my rtionship with that wretched man," Sam said, his expression darkening with anger he rarely showed.


    Agor decided not to press further, sensing the conversation was veering into sensitive territory that clearly bothered Sam.


    "Anyway, I''m not worried that you would break her heart. I know your grandparents and your mother raised you right. I only said that because... she''s my granddaughter," Agor said, taking a deep breath.


    "Mmm... I''m sorry for raising my voice," Sam said, looking down.


    Agor looked at him for a few seconds before cing his hand on Sam''s shoulder. "Don''t let what your father did to your mother get into your head. You are not your father, and you never will be."


    "I know," Sam said, nodding and returning to his usual self.


    After a few more exchanges, Sam left the ce, leaving Agor alone as he watched the cafeteria repair itself.


    "Wicked father, virtuous son," Agor muttered to himself thinking about something to himself.


    .


    .


    .


    [A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! ??]

 Chapter 45: The Secret Chamber

    45 Chapter 45: The Secret Chamber


    Yuki woke up with a start, surprised to find herself in Sam''s bed. "What am I doing here? How did I get here?" she wondered aloud.


    Her face flushed a deep red as a particr thought crossed her mind, just as Sam entered the room.


    "Hey, sorry, did I wake you?" Sam asked, smiling warmly.


    "No, I was already awake... How did I get here?" Yuki asked, her expression puzzled.


    "Well, you were sleepwalking and ended up in my room. You wouldn''t go back to your own bed, so I let you stay in mine," Sam exined, taking a seat beside her.


    "Sleepwalking? I''ve never done that before... How long has this been happening?" Yuki asked, still confused.


    "I think today was the first time," Sam replied, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Do you have any idea why you were sleepwalking?"


    Yuki shook her head, indicating she had no clue.


    "Maybe Lucy''s theory wasn''t so far-fetched after all," Sam thought to himself. "It''s alright, sleepwalking is usually nothing to worry about."


    Yuki gazed at Sam''s face for a few moments, her blush deepening as she became more aware of her surroundings: his room, his bed, and their proximity.


    The same thought from earlier reappeared, making her heart race.


    "Don''t worry, nothing inappropriate happened," Sam reassured her with a gentle smile.


    "We didn''t?" Yuki asked, her voice tinged with a mix of relief and something else.


    "Nope, you have nothing to worry about," Sam said, cing aforting hand on her shoulder.


    "I wasn''t worried..." Yuki murmured, grabbing his arm and moving closer until their shoulders pressed together.


    "We can... if you want."


    Sam gazed at Yuki, noticing the blush on her cheeks and her deep, nervous breaths.


    He couldn''t help but admire how beautiful she was, her presence making his heart beat faster.


    He ran his fingers through her soft, silky hair, feeling the warmth of her skin.


    mHer pink lips looked especially inviting, and the blush on her cheeks gave her an angelic appearance that stirred feelings within him he had never experienced before.


    He ced his hand gently on her chin, letting her rest her face against him, feeling the warmth radiating from her.


    16:53


    "You are one of the most beautiful women I have ever met... but we can''t do this. We need to take things slow," Sam said, gently caressing her face.


    "Hmm..." Yuki was disappointed, but she tried her best not to show it, even though she knew Sam could sense her emotions. Still, she thought it wouldn''t hurt to try.


    Sam sensed her disappointment and could only sigh in response.


    He was supposed to be the one taking the lead, but it seemed their rtionship dynamics were reversed, with the girls being the proactive ones.


    "But..." Sam muttered, before surprising Yuki by bringing his lips closer to hers.


    He pressed his lips against hers in a simple yet memorable kiss, without the use of tongues.


    It was a moment that would linger in both their memories.


    The kisssted for a few seconds before Sam let go, but his hand remained on her beautiful face.


    "Was it good?" Sam asked with a light smile.


    "I-It was..." Yuki touched her lips as her smile widened.


    Then she jumped into his arms, burying her face in his chest.


    "That''s good... It was my first time kissing a girl, so I wasn''t sure if I did it right," Sam said, sighing.


    Yuki let go of him and looked into his stunning blue eyes. "W-Why did you choose me to be your first? Surely the other two wanted to be your first kiss."


    "Well..." Sam paused, gathering his thoughts.


    "You are the first woman I''ve met who is my age and whom I genuinely like. I haven''t told you this before, but during the entrance exam, when we were hunting together, I developed a crush on you."


    "You, Isabelle, and Lucy... all of you are unique and special in your own ways, and I love you all. But you are the first girl who made me want to pursue a rtionship," Sam said, gently brushing her short white hair.


    "It makes me so happy that I was your first kiss," Yuki said, still snuggled against his chest.


    They stayed like that for a few minutes, enjoying the quiet intimacy.


    "By the way, Lucy is going to live with us from now on," Sam said.


    "Is that so... That didn''t take long," Yuki replied.


    At that moment, another figure entered the room¡ªa woman with long, elegant golden hair and eyes that reminded Sam of emeralds.


    "Did I interrupt?" Isabelle asked, grinning while side-eyeing Yuki with a smug expression.


    "No, you didn''t. I was just about to call you guys to see if you were interested in exploring something with me," Sam said, pulling Isabelle closer and holding her hands.


    "Where are we going? Are we leaving the academy?" Yuki inquired, her curiosity piqued.


    "It''s somewhere inside the academy. I found something unusual while scanning the academy for anomalies using magic," Sam exined.


    "Why were you scanning the academy using magic?" Yuki asked, clearly puzzled.


    "It''s nothing major... Lucy will fill you in on the details," Sam said.


    He then went on his way, and the girls approached Lucy to hear about Sam''s magical exploration earlier that morning, when he used his magic to detect irregrities throughout the academy.


    After freshening up, Sam led the girls stealthily to the back of the arena.


    The area was secluded, with only a few trees, bushes, and rocks¡ªan overlooked and rarely visited spot.


    "This ce is full of bugs... I hate bugs," Lucyined, her expression dissatisfied.


    She nced at Sam, noticing his eyes glowing with magical circles in his pupils.


    "When I was analyzing the academy with my top-notch analytical magic, I discovered a cubic structure beneath the arena, right under this spot," Sam said as the magical circles in his pupils vanished.


    "Whatever is under this arena attracts an incredible amount of natural energy. I believe it might be the source that collects and distributes energy to the magic protecting the academy," he continued.


    "How do we enter this ce? I don''t see a door," Lucy said, touching the arena wall randomly, hoping to trigger a hidden passage by pressing an inconspicuous brick.


    "Well, even if it isn''t the source of the magic, it has to be something important; otherwise, it wouldn''t be buried under the arena. There has to be a way in... we just have to find it," Sam said, his eyes narrowing as he noticed a peculiar marking on the edge of what seemed like a normal brick.


    Sam brushed off the dirt on the marking, revealing an insignia: the image of an infernal bird with three zing tails soaring through the sky.


    "I recognize this insignia... it''s the symbol of the Tachibana n," Sam muttered.


    "Your grandmother Hana''s n, right?" Isabelle asked.


    The girls were well-acquainted with Sam''s grandparents. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    During their visits to Sam''s home, they had grown close to Hana.


    She was sweet and always cared about them and their rtionship with her grandson.


    Hana Tachibana was the best, sweetest, and most caring grandmother one could ask for.


    They loved her, and she wasn''t opposed to them being together with Sam.


    "Actually, I''m also a part of the Tachibana n now. I awakened the Tachibana bloodline, remember?" Sam disyed a small smile.


    "I''m also Sam Tachibana."


    "Why is the Tachibana n''s symbol on that brick?" Isabelle asked.


    "Well, the founder of the academy was from the Tachibana n. It wouldn''t be unusual to find their symbol on parts of the academy," Lucy replied.


    "It''s not just the symbol... it''s the specific brick it''s etched on. Why would anyone leave a mark on this particr brick?" Sam wondered aloud as he touched the insignia, but nothing happened.


    At that moment, three figures appeared beside them.


    "What are you four doing here?" Following the voice, Sam and the girls turned to see the principal, the vice-principal, and Trainer Austin, who had probably informed the principal about their presence.


    "We were just exploring, Grandpa. How did you even know we were here? Are you stalking us?" Lucy asked, crossing her arms.


    "First of all, granddaughter, I''m your grandfather, and you have to listen to what I say. Secondly, I''m not stalking you. I just asked Austin to make sure the four of you were okay," Principal Agor replied.


    "So, answer me when I ask: what are you guys doing here?" Agor asked with a dissatisfied expression.


    "Principal Agor, I brought them here with me. When I was analyzing the academy for abnormalities, I found that something was hidden beneath the arena right here," Sam said with a stern expression.


    When Agor heard this, a realization appeared on his mind.


    .


    .


    .


    [A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting it with a few Power Stones. And if you absolutely loved it, you can even contribute a Golden Ticket. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much! - Arigato! ??]

 Chapter 46: Force Is The Key

    Chapter 46: ''Force'' Is The Key


    "What do you know about what''s down there?" Agor looked at Sam with a stern expression.


    Sam expected anger, assuming Agor would reprimand him for exploring academy secrets or whatever was hidden beneath the arena.


    But Agor''s expression suggested he needed something from Sam instead.


    "I only know it''s a room-like structure under the arena. Something inside that room attracts a great deal of nature energy," Sam said, crossing his arms.


    "Hmm," Agor murmured, ncing at Ragnar and Austin with a knowing look.


    Sam suspected they weremunicating telepathically.


    After several minutes of silence, even the girls wondered why they were being made to stand.


    "Grandfather, how long are you going to make us stand here like statues?" Lucy''s expression turned dissatisfied.


    She didn''t like bugs, and they had been standing in a nest of them for more than five minutes.


    "Mm..." Agor looked at Sam with a calm expression.


    "That ce is under countless protection and security spells. Even the mages of today would find it nearly impossible to break those seals. We have no way to enter."


    "You don''t know what''s inside the chamber, do you?" Sam asked, narrowing his eyes.


    Their expressions revealed that even the academy had no idea what was inside the hidden room.


    "That secret chamber has existed since the days of the founder, back when the Tachibana n was at its peak," Ragnar sighed.


    "We only recently discovered its existence."


    "From the academy''s journals, we found out that the secret chamber was a meeting ce for the higher officials of the Tachibana n under the leadership of Ryuga Tachibana, your great-great-grandfather," Ragnar continued.


    "What do you think is under there? Any wild theories?" Sam asked, smirking.


    "Judging by your expression, I''d say you desperately want something from inside."


    "Sam... I guess it''s time to tell you," Agor sighed.


    "All you need to know is that there''s something invisible and terrifying down there in the deepest part of the Forbidden forest, something that feeds on souls."


    "It consumes the souls of everything it encounters, and the worst part is we have no way of defending against it. We can only clear the dead bodies after it has had its fill."


    "Huh?" Sam''s expression turned solemn.


    "What?"


    "Now that you mention it... after the entrance exam, I went back to the forbidden forest for something. That''s when I was hunted down by... something."


    "Back then, I didn''t know what it was. The only thing I remember is its terrifying presence, which made me feel death itself. It was the worst feeling I''ve ever experienced," Sam said, his expression darkening.


    "The thing that pursued me back then could be the same creature you''re trying to kill now," Sam suggested.


    "That''s impossible," Ragnar replied.


    "That entity cannot leave the deepest parts of the Forbidden Forest. Even if it had somehow reached you, it wouldn''t have left you alive without draining your life. It can''t be the same thing."


    "I''m not so sure about that," Sam muttered.


    "Whatever it was, it cannot be killed... at least not anymore," Ragnar continued.


    "Legend has it that Ryuga Tachibana, our founder, had the means to kill it back in the day, but that knowledge has been lost to time."


    "The creature was born from the hatred of a mage who had descended into madness. It''s nothing but a pure soul."


    "Your great-great-grandfather never trusted anyone enough to entrust them with the technique to destroy it, but we believe it might be among the secrets hidden in the secret chamber."


    "But you can''t open the secret chamber," Sam sighed.


    If what Ragnar said was true, then there was something terrifying within the Forbidden Forest that could kill anything it encountered.


    ''Oh fuck, my Anthra is in that anthill on the mountain,'' Sam''s expression turned solemn.


    His contracted beast was inside the Forbidden Forest, and this creature could harm his Anthra.


    Sam had grown quite fond of Anthra.


    He wouldn''t let anything threaten his contracted beast.


    "Yes, you''re right. We don''t have a way to open the secret chamber... until now," Agor said, turning his gaze back to Sam with a small smile, as if he''d found the answer he''d been seeking for a long time.


    "Why are you looking at me like I hold some sort of key or something?" Sam asked uneasily.


    "Because I think you do," Ragnar chimed in.


    "This secret chamber was created in a way that only the Tachibanas can enter. It must be rted to their bloodline, which triggers the door to open."


    "And since I''ve awakened my grandmother''s bloodline, you think I might be able to open the door, don''t you?" Sam asked with a knowing expression.


    "It wouldn''t hurt to try," Agor said.


    "We have to stop this thing before it''s toote. It could end countless lives," Agor added with a solemn expression.


    "If there''s even a tiny possibility that a technique to kill this creature exists, we have to give our all to find it."


    "If you''re so sure about it being in the secret chamber, why not just nuke the ce and bring everything out?" Sam asked.


    "We can''t," Austin chimed in with a sigh.


    "This ce is protected by unrivaled spells. We''ve already tried sting our way inside, but the chamber is like a fortress. It didn''t even make a dent and reflects any attack back at us."


    "Fine... what do you want me to do?" Sam asked.


    "You think the key to opening the door might be rted to my Tachibana bloodline, right? I''m thinking maybe a drop of my blood should do the trick."


    Yuki, Isabelle, and Lucy watched calmly as Sam pinched a small hole in his finger, allowing a drop of blood to form.


    Sam let the drop fall onto the insignia of the Tachibana n and waited for a couple of minutes, but nothing happened.


    "Maybe it''s because it''s old magic that it''s taking extra time to work," Sam said sarcastically.


    Suddenly, they felt a tremor beneath their feet.


    "I guess it''s working," Sam muttered, observing the insignia of the Tachibana n on a single brick beginning to glow with crimson light.


    They felt movement on the ground they were standing on, before a crack appeared and the ground broke into pieces of soil, sinking into the earth and revealing stairs made of rocks leading to an underground door.


    "It worked!" Lucy eximed, about to step onto the stairs, but Sam stopped her.


    "Wait a minute... My ancestors weren''t idiots. There should be more barriers of protection, maybe even traps," Sam said cautiously, before taking a step down the stairs himself.


    Nothing happened, as expected, since he was a member of the Tachibana n and the magic didn''t recognize him as an intruder.


    Sam then cast a spell, and a magic circle appeared in his pupils for a few seconds before disappearing.


    "I think it''s safe for you to step on the stairs now," Sam assured the others.


    The others cautiously followed Sam down the stairs, relieved that nothing happened.


    The stairs led them to arge double door that looked ancient yet strangely recent.


    Sam could see various inscriptions on the door that appeared as jumbled scribbles to even genius mages like himself.


    He sensed potent and turbulent magic emanating from the door, wondering what could possibly lie beyond.


    "This is some extremely advanced level of magic... Even my eldest sister, Grace, would struggle to understand a quarter of these spells," Sam muttered as he touched the door.


    He felt a strange and familiar sense of belonging emanating from whatevery beyond the door.


    "Whatever is on the other side, it''s resonating with my Tachibana bloodline," Sam said, his expression bing increasingly peculiar.


    "And it''s ancient... I sense an unquenchable anger."


    "Hmm... Can you open the door?" Agor asked.


    "I don''t think so... This is lost magic, and Ick the knowledge," Sam replied, examining the inscriptions that remained iprehensible to him.


    "There must be something that can be used to open it... perhaps a key of some sort."


    "A key? I don''t see a keyhole," Ragnar observed, keeping a safe distance from the door, like everyone else, due to an overwhelming sense of fear.


    "There''s something here," Sam noticed writing on the wall beside the door.


    ???? ?? ?? ???


    "It''s an ancientnguage..." Agor recognized, reading it aloud.


    "''Force'' Is The Key."


    They immediately understood the reference¡ªit was the ''Force'', the unique bloodline ability of the Tachibana n.


    They knew there was only one person in the world who possessed that extraordinary power right now.


    Sam realized what he needed to do. Without hesitation, he activated his ''Force''.


    A barely visible crimson energy emanated from his body, forming a Domain centered around him. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His normally blue eyes now glowed with a deep crimson light.


    As the Domain extended towards the door, Sam could feel the magic within it reacting to his ''Force''.


    With a rotating motion of his hand, a subtle clicking sound came from within the door.


    The crimson glow from his ''Force'' spread across the entire surface of the door before vanishingpletely.


    Then, after a moment of tense silence, the door opened on its own, as though it possessed a life of its own.


    .

 Chapter 47: Angry Souls

    Chapter 47: Angry Souls


    Then, after a moment of tense silence, the door opened on its own, as though it possessed a life of its own.


    When the door slid open, it revealed a dark room enveloped in eerie silence.


    From this side, it looked like a creepy warehouse, the kind that seemed to house something extraordinarily dangerous.


    "The door opened," Sam eximed, taking a deep breath.


    The principal, driven by an insatiable curiosity, immediately wanted to enter the secret chamber to uncover the secrets the Tachibana n had guarded for so many years.


    He was desperate to find the technique that could finally vanquish the soul-sucking entity that had been wreaking havoc.


    Just as he was about to step inside, a hand grabbed him, halting his advance.


    "Why did you stop me?" Agor asked, narrowing his eyes.


    "If you value your life, you''ll listen to me... don''t go in," Sam said, his voice shaking and his expression one of intense fear.


    "What''s wrong?" Agor noticed Sam''s unusual state.


    The girls did too; they had never seen Sam scared before.


    Sam was known for his unwavering courage, so his current state was deeply unsettling.


    They didn''t know whaty beyond the door.


    If they did, they would be in the same condition as Sam, if not worse.


    With a trembling hand, Sam pointed at the open door, towards the darkness that seemed to lead into an endless abyss.


    "What? There''s nothing there," Agor said, baffled.


    All they could see was a creepy door leading to an even creepier dark room.


    "They''re standing right there... you don''t see them?" Sam''s eyes widened further with terror.


    What the others couldn''t see were the hundreds of damned souls, their empty eyes staring at them in eerie silence.


    Sam was the only one who could see and feel their presence, a presence that was anything but normal.


    He felt death, anger, and hurt emanating from them.


    And then there was that look, the one that sent chills down his spine.


    Sam was certain it was a warning: if anyone other than him took even a single step, there would be unimaginable consequences.


    "There''s no one there... Sam, tell us what you''re seeing," Isabelle grabbed his arms and held him close as she asked.


    "I-I can see hundreds of angry souls on the other side of the door... and they are not happy that you are here," Sam said, ncing nervously at Agor.


    "That''s not possible. Souls are not of the living world. No living thing is capable of seeing the souls of the dead."


    "There was only one person in the whole world who could do that, and that was our progenitor..." Then a realization, more of an off-chance possibility about Sam, dawned on Agor.


    "The only way for someone who is not a progenitor to have the ability to see souls is if they had the Soul power," Agor nced sharply at Sam.


    "You possess Soul power, don''t you?"


    "Hmm," Sam simply smiled in response.


    "... Look, even if you have Soul power, we need whatever is inside that secret chamber to defeat that thing," Agor ignored Sam''s warning and took a step inside the door, but nothing happened.


    "See, it''s just your imagination. These souls should not have the power to stop us, the living, from doing anything."


    BOOM!


    Not even a second had passed since he said that before something invisible attacked him.


    Only a strong, intense thud-like noise was heard before Agor, like a statue without support, fell to the ground.


    "Grandfather!" Lucy''s face darkened, and she immediately went to support her fallen grandfather, but a hand grabbed her to stop.


    "Wait, the souls won''t let you be... I will take care of him. You trust me, right?" Sam looked into Lucy''s eyes and asked.


    Lucy aggressively nodded her head.


    Sam was everything to her right now, the most trusted person in her world, even more than her grandfather.


    She didn''t know why she felt this way, but right now, she knew she would trust Sam.


    He quickly gave her a few reassuring nods before swiftly going to her grandfather, carrying him back to her.


    Sam proceeded to check Agor using his magic and the Eyes of Truth.


    "I couldn''t find what''s wrong with him... but it''s got to be rted to his soul, causing this paralysis."


    Sam closed his eyes for a moment, steadying his breath.


    He invoked his soul power, directing it onto his eyes.


    His Innate Ability, the Eyes of Truth, which he had already activated, reacted to the incredibly pure soul energy and began to evolve.


    [You have met the conditions to evolve your Eyes Of Truth]


    Suddenly, he felt a strange sense of nourishment in his pupils.


    His intensely shining blue eyes transformed into neon blue, with a hint of white hue.


    [Your Eyes of Truth have evolved into Eyes of Illumination.]


    [Innate Ability: Eyes of Illumination]


    [Description: One of the rarest, and upgraded versions of the Eyes of Truth, born from the union of the purest form of soul power. Its effectiveness has increased more than tenfold along with additional unlocked effects.]


    [Additional Effects: Soul Recognition, Soul Interpretation, Soul Scan, Soul Precognition, Soul Gazing]


    Ignoring the system notification, Sam activated his Eyes of Illumination and began to scan Agor''s soul.


    As expected, he could see injuries on Agor''s soul.


    "The souls of the dead have injured his living soul," Sam muttered, observing Agor closely.


    "Does that mean he is going to die?" Lucy asked, her face darkening.


    "No... I mean, he is going to stay unconscious for a few weeks, maybe even months, before he regains consciousness. Souls are like our skin; if wounded, they need time to heal," Sam continued, his gaze still on Agor.


    A thought crossed his mind.


    Sam didn''t like the sadness in Lucy''s expression. He held her hand and said, "I might have a way to speed up the healing process... Can I try?"


    Seeing her nod, Sam immediately summoned his holy power, forming a ball of silvery white mes in his palm.


    With his other hand, he raised a ball of light blue energy shaped like mes, and carefully ced both the holy mes and soul power onto Agor.


    The holy mes seemed to absorb the light blue energy.


    As they spread across Agor''s entire body, they didn''t cause any pain, nor did they seem to be doing anything at all.


    As a result of whatever Sam did, the wounds on Agor''s soul began to heal even faster.


    "You can heal souls now?" Austin couldn''t handle the amount of nonsense Sam had been revealing to them; this was the most outrageous yet.


    "I''m not healing souls per se," Sam exined patiently.


    "The soul is like our physical body. When it''s wounded, it needs time and nourishment to mend, but unlike the physical body, the soul doesn''t get nutrients from eating."


    "I just used my own excessive soul energy and my holy power as a conduit to deliver the nourishment to his soul, which sped up his healing process."


    "It''s fortunate the souls weren''t intended to kill your grandfather; they just wanted to show what the consequences would be if you don''t listen to them," Sam said, turning his gaze towards Lucy. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "He should take at least a day to heal, but he will be back to his old self," Sam reassured her, patting her head gently and meeting her dark, abyss-like eyes that seemed capable of pulling him inpletely.


    Seeing Lucy smile like her old self reassured him as he turned towards the door and listened to the souls.


    "Are you talking to the souls?" Ragnar asked, clearly puzzled.


    "You can talk to souls now?" Austin rolled his eyes, wondering why Sam kepting up with such far-fetched bullshits.


    "Yes, it seems I can see andmunicate with souls now," Sam muttered thoughtfully.


    "And they''re telling me that only I am allowed to enter... Actually, the girls are allowed as well."


    Sam narrowed his eyes, puzzled as to why the souls permitted him to bring the girls but not the principal and the others.


    ncing at Ragnar and Austin, Sam instructed, "You take the principal to the infirmary while I take the girls with me inside to explore."


    Sam then looked at Lucy. "Lucy... You don''t have toe with me if you want to be with your grandfather."


    "It''s alright. You said he''ll be alright in a day or so. I trust you... I will go with you," Lucy replied confidently.


    Sam led the way, and the girls followed closely behind him like obedient wives.


    With each step Sam took through the door, the stonemps hanging on each side of the wall ignited in crimson mes, as if by magic, one by one.


    Their fiery glow illuminated a cave that stretched deeper and deeper into the darkness.


    "Let''s go in," Sam urged, his voice echoing faintly against the stone walls.

 Chapter 48: Priceless Treasure

    Chapter 48: Priceless Treasure


    With every step Sam took, the stonemps hanging on either side of the corridor lit up like crimson mes, casting eerie shadows and revealing the long path ahead.


    "This ce is so ancient, yet it looks as if it was made yesterday," Isabelle remarked, ncing back asionally as if she sensed someone following them.


    "This ce is imbued with magic to keep it from deteriorating or even gathering dust. Even if another thousand years were to pass, it would remain as pristine as it is today," Sam replied.


    He alone could see the souls creeping in every corner.


    Sam didn''t want to unsettle the girls by revealing that dozens of souls still surrounding them so close them, silently observing with dark, featureless faces hidden beneath shadowy, ck clothing.


    What Sam found so unsettling was that, even though he could see the souls, he couldn''t distinguish between them.


    All the souls looked identical, resembling shaded figures in dark, ck clothing that covered their entire bodies, with only darkness where their faces should be.


    After passing through the doorway, the souls stopped talking to him, and had been silent ever since, as Sam and his girls walked down the solitary path undisturbed.


    After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at a chamber filled with what seemed to berge stone boxes, there were hundreds of them.


    Sam approached one of the stone boxes and finally realized what they were.


    "These are sarcophagi," Sam said, narrowing his eyes.


    "What''s a sarcophagi?" Isabelle asked, her tone uneasy.


    "They''re like coffins used in ancient times to house the deceased, except sarcophagi are not buried but hidden in some ce... They were often used to safeguard something from escaping," Sam exined.


    "These are what now?" Lucy asked, her expression growing solemn as she instinctively drew closer to Sam.


    Yuki and Isabelle mirrored her unease, staying near Sam forfort.


    Something about the word ''Coffins'' made them ufortable.


    The sarcophagi were rectangr with t bases and sides that rose to a certain height, capable of fitting about three people at once.


    They were anthropoids, shaped to resemble the person resting inside.


    Sam calmly examined one of the sarcophagi and noticed one of the souls appearing beside him, silently staring, making him ufortable.


    He doubted the souls would even listen to him, if he asked them to not do that.


    Then a thought urred to him.


    He looked at the soul near him. "Are you the soul of the person inside this sarcophagus?"


    A faint murmur, audible only to Sam, emanated from the soul.


    He understood that he was right, that the soul standing before him belonged to the person sealed within the sarcophagus.


    Sam then noticed the symbol of the Tachibana n on each of the sarcophagi. "These are the sarcophagi of the Tachibana n members..."


    He turned his gaze to the souls scattered throughout the chamber. "And these are the souls of the fallen Tachibana n members."


    "Your ancestors?" Isabelle asked.


    "Yes." Sam''s attention shifted back to the souls as he heard their eerie whispers ovepping.


    The indistinguishable murmurs of dozens of souls were iprehensible to most, but somehow, Sam understood everything they were saying.


    His furrowed brows did not go unnoticed by the girls.


    "What''s wrong, Sam?" Isabelle asked, cing her hand on his shoulder.


    "Is it the souls? Are they telling you something?" Lucy inquired, observing that whenever Sammunicated with the souls, his naturally blue eyes would turn a neon metallic blue.


    At this moment, his eyes were indeed that bright neon blue.


    Sam nodded as he listened intently to the souls.


    "What are they telling you?" Yuki asked. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "They... um, they are telling me they know I am the person spoken of in the prophecy of the progenitor, and you guys are the saintesses. They say they can sense the mark of the saintess on you." Sam tranted the essence of what the souls were conveying to him and shared it with the girls.


    "Is that why they allowed us toe with you?" Isabelle muttered, ncing around as if trying to see the souls.


    "I guess so," Sam sighed.


    His neon metallic blue eyes turned back to the souls as he heard another round of whispering murmurs.


    "Hmm... they are telling me to follow them. They want to show me something."


    Sam followed the souls as they led him to the other side of the chamber, where they encountered another massive, thick-walled double door, much like the one they had entered through.


    "Whoa... this door looks even creepier than the one we entered through," Isabelle muttered, clutching Sam''s T-shirt.


    "Yeah... this door is protected by even moreplex spells. At least with the main door, I understood what those spells were for, but this... this is beyond my understanding," Sam said slowly, still listening to the souls.


    "Hmmm... it seems I have to use my ''force'' again." Sam immediately activated his ''force,'' creating a domain before making a turning gesture with his hand.


    A metallic nking noise came from the door as the magic circles and patterns on it began to glow with a crimson light for a few seconds before it opened on its own.


    As soon as it opened, Sam sensed even more souls inside, along with something else that felt vastly different from the presence of the souls.


    "What is this ce?" Lucy asked. Neither she, Yuki, nor Isabelle dared to move from Sam''s side.


    They were acutely aware of the souls monitoring them from all corners.


    Even as his saintesses, the Tachibana n souls wouldn''t allow them free reign. Only Sam could move as he pleased.


    "Stay close to me," Sam instructed, as he walked into the room and began to explore.


    The girls nodded, remaining close to him.


    This room was smaller than the tomb chamber.


    There were no sarcophagi here, but it was filled with scrolls, books, and various pieces of equipment.


    The sheer volume of materials rivaled the entire library of the academy.


    Sam approached a particr shelf lined with hundreds of books, all with simr leather covers and bearing the Tachibana n''s symbol.


    He grabbed one of the books, read it for a couple of minutes, and then said, "These are journals belonging to the Tachibana n members..."


    Opening another journal, he read the first page. "The journal of Ria Tachibana."


    "My ancestors... The Tachibana n members recorded everything that happened in their lives in these. Each one of these journals belonged to a member of the n. They documented significant events, their experiences, even their techniques... These are priceless," Sam said, his eyes glowing with excitement.


    "Take it..."


    "Yours it is..."


    "Your inheritance..."


    He heard the whispers of the souls, urging him to im the journals.


    "Thank you..." Sam smiled and bowed to the spirits.


    He was profoundly touched by how the souls treated him as one of their own.


    Despite not being from the direct bloodline, merely inheriting and awakening the bloodline from his grandmother, they seemed to be embracing him as family.


    Even in death, the Tachibana n remained prideful and true to their principles of caring for their own.


    Sam noted to himself that he would read the journals after finishing his business here.


    He and the girls moved to another shelf filled with neatly stacked scrolls, numbering literally in the thousands.


    "Are these scrolls containing techniques of the Tachibana n?" Isabelle asked with a curious expression.


    Sam opened one of the scrolls, his eyes widening in surprise. "These are not techniques... they are spell scrolls. each of these scrolls contain magic spells."


    He unscrolled a couple of them and read through. "These are very old magic... I don''t even recognize them or understand them."


    "This chamber... it''s a priceless treasure. If news of its existence got out, it would cause significant disturbances between heroes and mages," Sam muttered slowly, hopping through the scrolls with excitement.


    Despite receiving several books on higher-grade magic spells from his eldest sister and asional teachings from his elder twin sisters, Tasha and Sasha, Sam had never received proper training in magic like he did in cultivation under his grandfather, Jin, who had made him a genius in that field.


    In magic, his knowledge was self-taught, showcasing his innate talent.


    Even without formal mentorship, he was adept, but he couldn''t help but imagine how much more he could have grown with proper guidance.


    Now, with these ancient scrolls, everything was about to change.


    These scrolls contained not only traditional and powerful spells from legendary mages, but also breathwork practices, energy control methods, training manuals, meditation techniques, visualization exercises, self-regtion methods, holistic wellness practices, and more.


    Magic was the one area where Sam hadgged behind the others. But with these scrolls, he could turn the tide in his favor.


    All he needed to do was absorb the knowledge within these scrolls and perfect his magic to rival his mastery in cultivation.


    Mages were usually weaker than their counterparts, the heroes, in terms of level.


    Meaning, if a hero and a mage of the same level were to duel, the hero would win as easily as swatting away a bug.


    The effectiveness of levels between heroes and mages differed greatly.


    However, to bnce this disparity, nature allowed mages to break through levels more easily than heroes.


    It seemed nature was impartial to everyone.


    Even though Sam''s mage level was higher than his hero level, his mage side was still much weaker than his hero side.


    It would take at least ten to fifteen levels to even out this disparity. Even then, skills and techniques mattered.


    In terms of skills, his hero side was at its peak for his level, while his mage side was on the amateur side of the scale.


    His curiosity about the scrolls led him to question their origin.


    How did they get here in the first ce?


    He looked to the souls for answers.


    Some of the souls appeared before him, whispering things into his ears, which made him narrow his eyebrows in surprise.


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