《I Need Money to Level Up》


 Chapter 1 - 01 - Awakening

    <h4>Chapter 1: - Awakening</h4>


    Raiden''s consciousness emerged from the depths of sleep, only to be met with a shock that jolts his senses awake. The sound of rushing water reverberates in his ears, apanied by the unmistakable sensation of being drenched. Water drips from his tousled hair onto his face, instantly causing him to shiver.


    As he blinks his eyes open, Raiden finds himself surrounded by a weird scene. The flickering light of a single dim candle casts eerie shadows across the cramped space. Disoriented and confused, he slowly checks his surroundings, his gaze falling upon the encircling metal bars that form a confining cage.


    Raiden''s body feels unfamiliar, a mismatched vessel that doesn''t align with his memories. As he looks down, he discovers he is clothed in tattered, oversized rags, barely covering his short frame. The realization strikes him with a mix of disbelief and distress, he has somehow awakened within the body of a ten-year-old boy.


    His surroundings reveal a bleak enviroment. The cage itself seems to be located in a dimly lit room, its walls stained and weathered. A lingering musty smell hangs in the air, suggesting the absence of cleanliness and care. Sparse beams of light seep through small cracks in the walls, revealing dust particles suspended in the air.


    Raiden''s heart races with questions, his mind struggling to piece together the puzzle of his circumstances. Who would imprison him in this manner? And why has he been thrust into the body of a child? The weight of confusion and fear presses upon him, amplifying the urgency to understand his situation.


    "What the hell... what kind of dream is this?"


    "Time to work, ve."


    Raiden had a few things to say about that, but after getting up and hearing the sound of chains in his legs, perhaps protesting about that wouldn''t be fair. Raiden''s body had been reduced to a mere shell of skin and bones. Every contour of his skeleton was painfully visible, his limbs resembling fragile twigs barely holding his weight.


    The realization of his own malnourishment hits him like a punch to the gut. Raiden''s stomach churns with hunger, reminding him of the prolonged deprivation he has endured. He can feel his ribs protruding through his frail chest, evidence of the neglect and mistreatment he has suffered.


    Not only does Raiden bear the physical toll of starvation, but he also discovers ayer of dirt and grime covering his skin. His body is covered in a thickyer of filth as if he hasn''t been given the opportunity to wash or cleanse himself for a very long period. The umtion of dirt on his face, hands, and ragged clothing serves as a reminder of his dire circumstances.


    Adding to the distressing sight, Raiden notices a series of scars etched across his body. These marks tell stories of pain and abuse, a testament to the torment he endured during his captivity. Some scars are fresh and raw, probably recent injuries. In contrast, others have healed over time, leaving behind jagged reminders of past trauma.


    Thebination of Raiden''s skinny appearance, the dirt clinging to his skin, and thework of scars show a bleak picture of his existence. The man who called him a ve approached and opened it while keeping a sword and a whip filled with thorns on his waist. Still, he was two meters tall and pretty muscr... it wasn''t a good idea to try his luck against him now.


    Raiden left the cage and proceeded to move. Soon, he found others in a simr situation, and he decided to follow them. He had no idea what was going on, but for now, he decided to endure and observe. Hopefully, that crazy nightmare would end soon...


    It didn''t take long for Raiden to realize that they were in some sort of cave or mine. There was no light around, and the air was too dusty... Some of the other ves were coughing hard, and that was bad since they were all kids... they didn''t have the chance to grow up properly, so they weren''t that resilient against sickness. Since everyone looked as bad as him, Raiden could tell that it was only a matter of time before the disaster was to befall them.


    Before long, they reached the end of a tunnel where some people who didn''t look like ves at all were hitting the walls with pickaxes. Along the way, Raiden saw a bunch of armed guards with spears and swords. All of them had whips, though.


    Each ve, including Raiden, began to work and carry things on their weary shoulders, lugging heavy rocks and stones towards the cave''s exit. The weight presses down on their weakened bodies, threatening to break their spirits along with their backs.


    After walking for five minutes, they reach the end of the cave and throw the rocks to the other side. They were in the middle of a mountain... Raiden looked around for anything, but he only found an endless forest.


    "The hell am I?"


    Four armed guards were watching the ves there with their eyes and hands ready to grab their weapons and hit any troublemakers. Raiden quickly turned around and resumed his work. He had to do that several times to study them, but they didn''t drop their guard even once.


    One of the guards was a merciless figure of authority, standing tall with a whip in hand. His cruel eyes scan the ves, his impatience very visible. As Raiden struggles to keep up, his aching muscles pleading for a break, he bes a target for the guard''s wrath.


    The whip cracks through the air, its searing stingnding mercilessly on Raiden''s already battered frame. Pain shoots through his body, but his determination keeps him moving forward, refusing to sumb to the torment. He had a really hard time holding himself back from ring at the man.


    "You will be the first one to die..."


    However, as Raiden witnesses a fellow ve, a girl, falter under the weight of her burden, he instinctively steps forward to shield her from the guard''s anger.


    The whipshes out once again, this time finding its mark on Raiden''s exposed back. The agony intensifies, but his act of pure reflex does not go unnoticed. The guard''s sadistic satisfaction at inflicting pain shes with the flicker of admiration that briefly shes in his eyes.


    However, the consequence of Raiden''s selflessness was severe. Even after working from dawn to dusk, he was denied any respite or sustenance; he was left without a single meal that day, the pangs of hunger gnawing at his already depleted strength. The injustice of the situation fuels his determination, as anger and defiance mix with his hunger-induced exhaustion. The other ves only had half of the bread, and it was old, though... but it felt really tasty while Raiden watched them eat.


    "I have to leave this ce and return home..." Raiden thought and then recalled a medium-sized apartment, and then the image disappeared from his head when a head-spitting pain began to torment him. "My memories are... I can''t remember anything aside from my name and.... Ugh!"


    The pain returned with full power, and Raiden had to take several deep breaths to make it disappear. At least it didn''t leave any brain damage... instead of that, it gave him something very valuable.


    You have unlocked the skill Money is Power (MAX)


    Raiden - Lv 01 (0/100)


    HP: 04/10


    MP: 10/10


    STA: 05/10


    Raiden blinked several times, trying to understand what was going on... he recognized the game HUD, but he didn''t think that he would see one there. When he tried to think of reasons as to why he could see that now, the headache returned... it seemed that the answersy in his memories from Earth.


    "Why can''t I... ugh! Try to recall anything!" Raiden thought while holding his head.


    It was useless... the answer to the question as to why he was there might be in his memories too, but he will probably die if he insists on recalling it. Regardless, at least he knew what it was, so while he couldn''t recall the knowledge in detail, it was fine for him to know indirectly. It was like electricity in a bulb; you will be fine using it as long as you don''t get rid of the ss.


    "Let''s see..."


    Raiden - Lv 01 (0/100)


    HP: 04/10


    MP: 10/10


    STA: 10/10


    Strength: 01


    Vitality: 01


    Endurance: 01


    Magic: 01


    Spirit: 01


    Wisdom: 01


    Dexterity: 01


    Quickness: 01


    Perception: 01


    Fortune: 00


    Free Points: 00


    Skills: Money is Power (MAX)


    Magic:


    Passive:


    "Just like a... fucking hell..." Raiden thought and then sighed. "I need to get used to not thinking too much about this. In any case, at this point in time, I can say for sure that I was transmigrated or I reincarnated as a boy in another world, but only now have I recovered my memories, to some extent. I guess my awakening also awakened this system..."


    Money is Power (MAX): you can use your fortune to level up yourself, your skills, and other things.

 Chapter 2 - 02 A New Skill!

    <h4>Chapter 2: A New Skill!</h4>


    Raiden checked the skill, and he found a description... he had never seen anything like that before. Probably... he couldn''t say for sure without risking those annoying headaches. Regardless, it seemed that the day without eating made his body pay the toll. Or maybe the whip shes did that... either way, Raiden was going to die quite soon at that rate.


    "I can''t y hero anymore... I can tell that those fucking guards are stressed and looking for reasons tosh out at us," Raiden thought. "Let''s see what I can do here."


    Raiden tried to level up, but that didn''t work. Instead of that, he received the message: you need 100 points of fortune to level up. Fortune... Raiden had no idea how he could get that, but then he checked his parameters one by one.


    Strength: This parameter measures physical power and the ability to exert force. It determines how much weight can be lifted, how hard a blow can be struck, and overall physical prowess.


    Vitality: represents a character''s overall health and resilience. It determines their ability to withstand injuries, endure physical hardships, and recover from illness or exhaustion.


    Endurance: measures a character''s ability to sustain physical damage. It influences their resistance to fatigue and their capacity to engage in activities that require prolonged physical effort.


    Magic: represents a character''s proficiency in manipting and harnessing mystical energies. It determines their aptitude for casting spells, summoning mystical entities, and utilizing magical artifacts or abilities.


    Spirit: reflects a your inner strength and connection to the spiritual realm. It influences your ability to resist and ovee magical, mental, and emotional challenges, as well as your aptitude for spiritual or mystical practices.


    Wisdom: gauges your depth of knowledge, intuition, and ability to make sound judgments. It epasses your umted experiences, insights, and understanding of the world, enabling you to make wise decisions and solveplex problems.


    Dexterity: measures your agility, coordination, and fine motor skills. It affects you precision in tasks that require hand-eye coordination, such as wielding weapons, performing intricate maneuvers, or engaging in activities that demand nimbleness.


    Quickness: reflects your speed and reflexes. It determines their ability to react swiftly to stimuli, dodge attacks, and move with exceptional speed, both inbat and in everyday situations.


    Perception: represents your awareness and ability to observe details in your surroundings. It influences your sensory acuity, your capacity to detect hidden objects or beings, and your aptitude for noticing subtle cues or changes in your environment.


    Fortune: The total value of resources that you have obtained so far.


    After thinking for a while, Raiden assumed that the value of fortune would be equal to the same amount of money that he has... that was a problem, though. He was a ve, and he certainly couldn''t make money in a ce like that.


    "At least I have a path ahead of me... the path is blocked with a bunch of boulders, though," Raiden thought and then sighed. "I need to think about this more clearly tomorrow when the hunger isn''t bothering me so much."


    The hunger came to bother every fiber of Raiden''s being. A relentless emptiness gripped his stomach, aching and growling with increasing intensity. Each passing hour felt like an eternity as his body yearned for sustenance, its primal instincts urging him to seek nourishment.


    The feeling of hunger intensified, sending waves of difort throughout his body. Dizziness and weakness became constantpanions as energy reserves dwindled, and the body struggled to function without the fuel it desperately craved. Concentration wavered, and even simple tasks became arduous as mental rity diminished.


    While he was falling asleep, Raiden thought that eating some ants would help, but he didn''t find even those in that damn cave.


    Raiden woke up when he heard the sound of footsteps and quickly got up. The hunger was still bothering him, so he certainly didn''t need a bucket of cold water. Still, the same guard that hit him still threw the bucket of cold water at him.


    "... I will definitely kill you first," Raiden thought after a long sigh.


    While he was heading for another day of work, Raiden wondered if his way of thinking was normal. Of the few things that he had the chance to recall, he didn''t remember himself being that violent or revengeful... he probably didn''t live more than twenty years on Earth either. So, he wondered if he had returned to his most primal instincts due to the conditions.


    "It is also weird the fact that I can''t recall anything that this body experienced..." Raiden thought.


    In any case, that day took quite a while to end, and Raiden was really looking forward to eating the hard bread. Still, before that could happen, he noticed that they received a visitor... a chubby and bald man showed up at the entrance of the cave alongside some chained ves... all of them were kids as well. At the same time, the guards gave the man a purse filled with coins... Raiden had to get the money that the guards had in one way or the other...


    During that night, Raiden thought of many things he could do to steal the money of the guards. The question was, would he be strong enough to deal with all of them once he seeded? That was very unlikely.


    In the end, Raiden fell asleep before that could happen. Still, he woke up with a single idea in mind. Usually, he would have a shop or something simr to help him learn skills, but since he didn''t have that, there must be other triggers to learn skills.


    When the guard tried to drench him with water, Raiden moved to the side and avoided most of it. He let his hands get a bit wet to clean the dirt on his face, though.


    The guard looked at Raiden as if he saw someone with a death wish... the cages were filled, and more ves woulde in a few days, so he had some reasons to kill the most troublesome ves.


    Still, when the ve of a nearby cage left him, he began to cough violently and fell on the ground and behind the guard. He turned around just to see the kid coughing blood on his boot.


    Raiden didn''t like to see that... nothing woulde out of that. When the guard raised his leg back to kick the boy, Jason found a purse on the back of that asshole. Raiden approached and pulled it when the guard kicked the boy.


    The boy began to groan in pain and began to cough even more. There wasn''t much for Raiden to do there... aside from opening the purse and then getting the coins. He found the silver ones, and they disappeared as soon as he touched them.


    (You learned the skill: Pickpocketing.)


    (You obtained 1000 points of fortune.)


    Raiden threw the purse to the corner of the room and then saw the guard about to kick the boy again. Acting now to y the hero would only make Raiden look suspicious, and losing another day without a meal would be harsh. Still, a boy in that situation certainly won''t survive another kick of a grown and muscr man.


    "Hey, if you want to kill someone, at least do so after they work for the day." Another guard suddenly said.


    The piece of shit contained himself when he heard that... then he saw Raiden passing by him like nothing had happened.


    "You... make sure that he will work properly; if he falls or slows down, you both will be punished for it," the guard said.


    That was basically a death sentence; Raiden could barely stand by himself and do what he had to and think, and now he had to help someone else. Still, he went to help the kind once he realized something. While he was looking at the guard, he could see certain numbers on the things that he could steal from him.


    Sword - 0%


    Whip - 3%


    That was probably one of the effects of the skill of Pickpocketing; it showed the valuable things that a target had and his chance of stealing, considering the moment. In any case, Raiden helped the boy get up and then moved while giving him a shoulder to lean on. Each movement was making him tremble and sweat all over, so Raiden assumed that the first kick broke some of his ribs.


    "Coughing blood and with broken ribs... this isn''t good for him," Raiden thought.


    In any case, another hard day of work started just like that... Raiden kept an eye on the guards to see what he could steal from them, but it seemed that they only had their weapons and whips. Maybe it was because they used the money to buy some ves that day.

 Chapter 3 - 03 First Blood

    <h4>Chapter 3: First Blood</h4>


    In any case, Raiden recalled that the piece of shit guard that usually wakes him up with a bucket of cold water didn''t have a purse with him the other days... maybe they would get money at night. Raiden didn''t see anything valuable being found in the mines, but he didn''t have the chance to see much there either. If he wasted any time not carrying rocks or buckets filled with sand, the guards would have a reason to whip him.


    Raiden looked around at the other ves and couldn''t help but sigh. Each ve, their spirit long since crushed, was consumed by an overwhelming sense of istion. Chained by fate and circumstance, they work side by side, yet a clear division separates them. The weight of their individual burdens, both physical and emotional, prevented any form of connection ormunication. They existed as mere specters, their faces etched with exhaustion, mirroring the bleakness of their surroundings.


    The ves move with mechanical precision; their eyes cast downward in a futile attempt to find sce in the monotony of their tasks. Their movementsck coordination,cking the unity that might arise from shared suffering. The cavernous expanse amplified their solitude, swallowing any trace of conversation or camaraderie that might have alleviated their suffering.


    It looked like they had seen people in their situation dying many times, so they didn''t mind anymore... they didn''t feel anything when someone else was suffering; they were just waiting for their turn toe to bepletely free of that hell hole. Some people believe that death can be freedom, but Raiden isn''t one of them.


    Somehow, Raiden managed to survive the day even while helping the kid... he also had the chance to eat his half-hard bread in peace. Still, when he went to bed, he began to panic... he was starting to cough.


    When Raiden woke up the other day, he was still being bothered by the cough, and his health had dropped again... he didn''t have any sustenance on his body to heal from his wounds, so it was clear that he had even less to heal from some kind of sickness.


    "I was nning to postpone using this and get more money, but I don''t think that I can..." Raiden thought when he felt his arms trembling when he tried to get up.


    Before the guard coulde, he used some of his fortune to level up, and he was surprised to see his body being reinvigorated with energy when that happened. His HP was back to full!


    (You leveled up. HP, MP, and STA were restored.)


    (You obtained 05 status points.)


    While the hunger still bothered him, Raiden forgot about it for a while. He could use that to escape... when he goes to take the dirt out of the cave, he could increase his endurance and roll down the mountain and disappear into the forest. He had no idea what was there, but there must be food... he can worry about everything else once he escapes.


    Just when he thought about that, the guards approached and began to open the cages. That day, Raiden escaped from the bucket of cold water, but his coughing neighbor didn''t. That wouldn''t help him with his condition, even though the guards decided to use him for another day.


    Still, it seemed that he had run out of luck... he could barely move his arms even after the cold bucket of water. Raiden left his cell while seeing the guard sighing. He put his hand on his sword but then recalled that he had to open it first.


    "No more heroics... you can escape now, just endure it," Raiden thought.


    The other guards moved away from the area, and then Raiden noticed the chance of him stealing the guard''s sword increasing by ten percent. When the guard put the key in the hole, the percentage doubled. When he turned, the chance of Raiden seeding without being noticed was one out of three... in the end, he made his choice.


    After opening the cage, the guard tried to grab his sword, but he found nothing. Instead of that, he felt a sharp pain in his back that paralyzed his whole body and prevented him from even screaming.


    "I told you that you would die first, didn''t I?" Raiden whispered.


    The guard fell to his knees and then on the ground. Raiden used all of his fortune to level up three more times, and then he used the points in strength. The sword was almost as big as him, but it was extremely light now.


    The other ves had left the area with the guards so that they would be fine for a while. Still, Raiden saved the boy, but it didn''t seem like he wouldst for more than a day... Raiden probably had to find some coins and try to make the boy level up. He didn''t owe him anything, but letting the kid die now after going that far seemed like a waste.


    In any case, Raiden moved the body of the guard to the corner of the area and then hid on the side of the entrance of the chamber. That piece of shit didn''t have any more money with him, and he probably didn''t notice that he had lost his coins since he didn''t have to check it. Either way, Raiden could wait for the other guards.


    It didn''t take long for Raiden to hear the sound of footsteps, so he waited until the guard showed up. When that happened, he stepped forward and then made a sword pierce the side of the guard... it was good that none of those shitheads had any armor with them.


    "You little..." The guard muttered while moving his hands to grab his sword.


    Raiden twisted his weapon and made the wound increase. The guard''s face contorted in pain thanks to that, and he stopped thanks to it before falling to the ground. Raiden didn''t stop there and made sure that the enemy was dead by piercing his throat.


    "Shit, I should level up by killing them as well..." Raiden muttered while moving the body and then clicking his tongue since it was leaving a trail of blood.


    It was hard to imagine that Raiden would be able to surprise someone else... the smell of blood was starting to spread as well... Still, going down while killing as many of those pieces of shit as possible didn''t seem a bad idea. Raiden didn''t know how he ended up in that ce, but it must be one hell of a shit world if kids no older than ten are treated like that.


    Still, much to Raiden''s surprise, no one came even after a while... he tried to check if he could transform the weapons and other things into fortune, but that didn''t work... All of a sudden, Raiden began to hear the sound of metal colliding and then some shouts... he was too far away to confirm that, and he didn''t feel like leaving that chamber and risked himself in a corridor where he would easily be seen.


    Raiden felt that the guards were fighting. He wondered if it was against some kind of beast. He also wondered why that was his first thought. Usually, one would think that humans would be fighting humans.


    Eventually, things got eerily quiet, but nothing happened. After some time, Raiden heard the sound of footsteps and then readied himself to fight... it was two pairs of footsteps... so he couldn''t waste time and had to finish the first one as soon as possible. Still, when Raiden saw someone in silhouette and dashed forward while thrusting his sword, the target easily repelled it with a sheathed sword.


    "Woah... not bad for a malnourished kid of your age," A man wearing brown leather clothes said.


    The man who blocked Raiden''s attack was tall and muscr, with a rugged and weathered appearance. He had piercing yellow cat-like eyes, a paleplexion, and a strong, square jawline. He also had white hair, even though he didn''t look older than thirty.


    His clothes consisted of abination of leather and chainmail, providing him with both flexibility and defense. No wonder he reacted so fast. He also had a dark cloak on his back.


    "Father, don''t say such things... he is ring at you and won''t understand the situation if you joke around," A girl said.


    The girl seemed a few years older than Raiden. She had a slender and graceful figure. She was a bit simr to the white-haired guy, which contrasted with her vibrant red hair. Her hair was long and flowing, reaching past her shoulders.


    The girl was also wearing a dark red robe that covered most of her body, but the borders were green, the same tone as her eyes. She didn''t look much like a warrior, but it looked like she was about to grab something under her robe.

 Chapter 4 - 04 Help

    <h4>Chapter 4: Help</h4>


    "You are right... go check the other boy; it looks like he needs your attention," The white-haired man said while showing a serious expression. "Calm down, son. We are not your enemies. We came to free you all... but it seems that you already have a n to escape in motion."


    The girl went to check on the other boy, and Raiden stepped forward while still holding the sword with both hands. He didn''t know those people, and he knew better than to trust strangers. While he only had a few days of experience in thatnd, he already knew that he couldn''t trust many people.


    Still, Raiden couldn''t help but drop his guard a bit when he saw the girl treating the boy. Some green light began to leave her hands, and she was absorbed by his body after she checked his condition. That could only be magic...


    "It seems that you stole the weapon of their Capitan and killed him with a strike from behind," The white-haired man said after he checked the bodies. "As for the other guy... you ambushed him and finished off by cutting his throat. You know a thing or two about killing people at your age, kid. Are you the son of a soldier or an officer? Where do youe from?"


    Raiden hated the idea of being the one answering questions in that situation. Still, he wasn''t the one who had the upper hand there. The white-haired guy smelled like a cut way above the guards... his strength was the real deal.


    "... I don''t know, I don''t remember," Raiden replied.


    "Hmm... could it be that you have been here for as far as you remember?" The white-haired man asked while frowning. "I find that hard to believe... ve kids don''tst that long, nor would they try to free themselves after being ves for so many years. Amnesia, perhaps? Do you have a wound in your head or something?"


    Raiden couldn''t say since he didn''t have the chance to check it. He didn''t even know what he looked like aside from looking like a walking skeleton. In any case, after not so long, some other people appeared, and Raiden confirmed that he was more outnumbered than anything. They also seemed better soldiers than the guards as well... Raiden couldn''t do a single thing against them, even with a sword in hand.


    "Boss, all the other kids are at the base of the mountain already," One of the men wearing simr clothes to the white-haired man said. "Most of them are in pretty bad shape; reaching our camp before nightfall will be difficult."


    "I suspected as much... a lot of them are coughing as well, so we will take our time," The white-haired man said while looking at Raiden, who was trying to contain his coughing. "Just clean the ce with whatever you can find and burn the bodies. Our base is the closest to this ce, but no one will be able to tell who did this."


    "Yes sir," The others said and then nodded.


    "Father, this one here is a little better, but I can only do so much when he is withering away due to the malnourishment," The redhead girl said. "His bones were broken in several spots, so carry him with caution."


    "All right... we are leaving this ce, kid," The white-haired man said. "You may not trust us yet, but you should at leaste with us. You can keep the sword with you if you want, but you won''t be able to surprise the beasts in the forest if you try to leave by yourself."


    While Raiden didn''t like having limited options, he decided to follow those two to the exit of the cave since he was offered a meal as well and since he could keep the sword. While it was a dangerous weapon, no one would fear a ten-year-old malnourished boy in a fight.


    Regardless, Raiden rxed a bit when he saw the bodies of the guards piled outside and ready to be cremated. Going that far to fool the kids would be too much... Raiden didn''t know those people''s intentions, but they were on their side.


    The path down the mountain had been easy since there was a route that the ve trader used. That being said, while Raiden was used to working all day, he got tired of walking downhill the mountain. When he almost fell, he noticed that the redhead girl had almost helped him, but she was quick to retreat when she noticed Raiden recovering his bnce. When he looked at her, she tried to y dumb.


    In any case, the people working for the white-haired guy were close to twenty, and at the entrance of the forest, they set up a camp and cooked a meal for the kids. They wanted to depart at noon, so they had to help them recover even some strength. They looked like good people, but Raiden wasn''t able to rx around them without knowing what they would gain in all that. Unfortunately, he was the only kid interested in that... the others were only looking at the pans that were cooking some kind of bird soup.


    "What''s up, kiddos." The white-haired man said. "My name is Harth, but you can call me Uncle from now on since I am the cool uncle that rescued you all. We are going to take you all to a safe ce, I assure you. You might not remember how your old lives were, and I am not going to promise that you will recover everything you lost. Still, you will have the chance to start over and live a new and happier life. Chains won''t slow down your feet any longer."


    The kids didn''t know what to make of that, so they didn''t react much. They were probably too traumatized... While Raiden didn''t think too much about that, he could easily assume that wars were what turned the kids into ves. Wars and invasions.


    In many ancient and medieval societies, women and children of the defeated group were often captured and enved by the victors. They could be sold as ves or forced into servitude, enduring various forms of exploitation and mistreatment.


    Unfortunately, sexual and other types of violence have been used as a weapon of war throughout history. When men lost wars, women and sometimes even young girls were subjected to sexual violence by the victorious soldiers. This was a traumatic and grotesque aspect of warfare in many conflicts.


    Wars often left behind orphaned or abandoned children. Without the protection and support of adult family members, they face a high risk of exploitation, violence, and neglect.


    Raiden could tell that the women and girls older than ten were probably sold somewhere as servants or worse. At the same time, the kids could only be used like that for simple tasks.


    "Here, eat slowly," The redhead girl said while passing a bowl of soup to Raiden when the food was ready. "There is plenty for everyone, so don''t hold yourself back."


    "... What do you all gain from doing this?" Raiden asked while receiving the bowl and then gulping when the nice smell filled his nostrils.


    "I suppose it makes sense that you are doubtful of our intentions," The redhead girl said. "We don''t gain much; we are just following tradition. We are from a ce that was created hundreds of years ago by a runaway ve. He created a vige that grew when he began to fight to free others who were in the position that he once had been in. His friends, followers, and descendants decided to follow in his footsteps since he made a promise to the goddess of freedom. As long as our vige exists, we must continue doing this. We don''t do this often or all the time, so it isn''t troublesome at all for us to help each other when it is necessary."


    That seemed too good to be true, but Raiden was more worried right now about the food. He began to eat the foot, and he felt almost as good as when he leveled up. He couldn''t even remember thest time he ate something so good... since his memories were sealed.


    "My name is Iri; what is your name?" The redhead girl asked.


    "Raiden," Raiden replied and then resumed his meal.


    "That is an unusual name. Are you from a farawaynd?" Iri asked while looking at Raiden''s hair.


    Raiden didn''t know the color of his hair, and he didn''t think that everyone was different since they were all dirty, but the guards had some weird hair colors. Brown, yellow, blue, red, and white... they didn''t feel unnatural, though.


    "Don''t know," Raiden replied after he looked around.


    "Can I check your head for wounds?" Iri asked. "I am not a full-fledged healer, but I am almost there. You said that you don''t remember anything... what is the oldest thing that you remember?"


    "No... don''t get closer," Raiden got up when the girl approached.


    "All right, all right," Iri said and then moved away. "Sorry for bothering you."

 Chapter 5 - 05 Village

    <h4>Chapter 5: Vige</h4>


    Raiden checked his head for wounds after he finished eating, and he felt a part that was a bit sore on the back... he wondered if one of the guards hit him there. Either way, he exined the situation and the location of the swollen part to Iri.


    The specific area of the head that is damaged in cases of amnesia can vary depending on the underlying cause. However, the mostmonly associated region with memory impairment is the medial temporal lobe, including structures such as the hippocampus and surrounding areas.


    In cases of traumatic brain injury, which can lead to post-traumatic amnesia, the damage can ur in different parts of the brain depending on the location and severity of the injury. The frontal, temporal, and hippocampus lobes are particrly vulnerable to injury in such cases, and damage to these areas can result in memory deficits.


    Raiden wanted to sigh... why did he know that kind of thing, but his memories were sealed? It was just too weird... that kind of knowledge was too advanced, after all. He assumed that people would forget about that kind of thing as well... maybe it was an after-effect of the fact that he wasn''t in his real body.


    "Aside from the amnesia, you look fine... so maybe we don''t have to worry about that wound, and your memories should return soon," Iri said while studying Raiden. "Still, you should let our doctor check your wound, just in case."


    It was as if Raiden would let people check his head when magic was a thing in that world. His n was just to tag along for a while, learn as much as possible, and then follow his own path. While he was in the body of a ten-year-old boy, he was at least eight years older mentally, and with his system, he was able to ovee most obstacles. He just needed to get money.


    "For someone without memories, you sure are cautious and doubtful of others... we won''t mind if you just tag along to get some free meal, but the world isn''t a good ce for those who live alone right now," I said.


    "Well said; it seems that you are getting more responsible now that you are growing up, Iri," Harth said. "Anyway, you don''t have to stay with us for long, kid. We are only bringing you all to the safety, and then you will receive the chance to follow your own paths by making your own choices."


    "His name is Raiden," Iri said.


    "That is a weird name... are you from a faraway country?" Harth asked while making the same expression that Iri had shown before. "Once we reach our vige, you will be given time to recover your heart. If you want to stay with us, you can be adopted by the families there. Half of us are direct descendants of runaway ves, after all. If you dislike that idea, we have some allies around, and we can lead you to them; they will give you a job and teach you how to master a craft. It is all up to you."


    Raiden just focused on his soup since all that was too good to be true, even if their story was sound. Truth be told, they didn''t have to fool or feed the kids if they wanted ves for themselves.


    Regardless, after everyone filled their bellies, they began to prepare to move. The kids had the chance to rest for a while, but then Harth decided that they needed a bath, and since that would take some of their time as well, it was better to leave a bit earlier.


    While they were moving, the soldiers protected the sides, the front, and the back of the group while the kids stayed in the middle. Raiden could count thirty kids that looked better now, but they were still pretty silent. They became beings that couldn''t do anything aside from following orders.


    After walking for a couple of hours, the group reached a river with shallow water where the kids had the chance to clean themselves. Raiden was surprised to see how much dirt he had to wash away from his body. While he was a grown man mentally, he felt a bit bothered by getting baked in front of the others. The group that rescued them was guarding the area, after all. Since they didn''t have other clothes, they had to wash and wear their rags even while they were wet.


    "The trip home will onlyst three days, so don''t worry too much about it; soon, you all will get some real clothes," Harth dered.


    Once he cleaned himself, Raiden finally had a chance to see his appearance... short ck hair and green eyes. Green eyes were rtivelymon, but no one was around with ck hair... not even among Harth''s group.


    In any case, Raiden also confirmed that he was at max ten years old. He was a bit taller than the other kids, but his youthful appearance made it clear that he was at that age. Raiden also felt a bit bothered by the fact that he didn''t have hair down there as well... It was a bit weird to think about that, but he finally had the leisure to think of something aside from just escaping.


    In the end, the next three days of travel had been quite uneventful... the guys from Harth''s groupnded the kids their nkets and tents to sleep when night came; they also had three meals a day and the chance to eat some fruits in the afternoon at the same time... Raiden would dare say that he was bing quite spoiled.


    At the same time, I told him and some other kids that were coughing to drink tea that would clean their throats and lungs from all the dust that they breathed in. On the next day, they were a lot better already.


    "I guess they really are good guys..." Raiden thought. "No, something is off... They are trying to fool us with food, and then they will force us to work eight hours a day in exchange for food and shelter... what a devilish n."


    One can''t eat without working, or maybe one doesn''t deserve to eat without sweating a little. Regardless, putting Raiden''s crazy suspicion aside, it was clear that those guys weren''t enemies. He couldn''t exin why, but he had a gut feeling... just like he had a gut feeling about the guards, and he didn''t feel even slightly as if he killed two of them.


    While Raiden was thinking about that, he suddenly noticed something ahead. At the entrance of the vige lies a great gate, a monumental structure that guards the vige and signifies its presence.


    The great gate of the vige is an immense structure made of sturdy wood and stone. It is embellished with intricate carvings and symbols, disying the vige''s cultural heritage. The gate consists of two massive doors that open and close to control ess to the vige. It stands as a symbol of protection and unity.


    Beyond the gate, the vige was a bustling and livelymunity. It was characterized by a fusion of medieval and modern structures. The vige was situated amidst dense forests, with houses and buildings nestled among the trees. The streets are lined with shops, markets, and various establishments that cater to the needs of its inhabitants.


    There are parks, gardens, and open spaces where vigers can rx and enjoy nature. The vige also hosts festivals and events showcasing its rich cultural traditions.


    "Wee to our vige, kiddos," Harth said. "It is a pretty nice and cozy ce."


    Raiden was surprised to see that the vige was more like a town. Perhaps it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to call it a city. It was a lot more advanced than Raiden had imagined... while he couldn''t see things like electricity wires and whatnot, they certainly didn''t live in houses made of y like he had imagined. The gate was open, so it seemed that the ce was open for visitors despite the fact that they did something that they didn''t want to reveal to the whole world. A group of twenty light-armored spearmen nodded and then greeted Harth.


    While the roads weren''t paved, they were even enough and free of deformations to make sure that people and animals would walk without the risk of being injured. In some parts of the ce, Raiden found some poles that resembled energy poles, but they had some candles inside them, big ones that would be lit at night to illuminate the area.


    A lot of people wereing and going on the streets, a lot of kids as well. Raiden was certain that, at the very least, fifty thousand people were housed there. Everyone greeted Harth and his group since it looked like they were famous.


    "What do you think? It is a pretty nice ce, don''t you think?" Iri asked. "Although you look a bit too surprised... were you expecting something shabby? We are one of the oldest viges in the world, you know."

 Chapter 6 - 06 Battle School

    <h4>Chapter 6: Battle School</h4>


    "Where are we going to stop?" Raiden asked.


    "Don''t dodge my question... Father has to report about the work, and you all need to be taken care of for a few days to regain your health fully; there is a free building that we have where you will be taken care of," Iri exined. "You will be able to live freely here for a month before deciding what you want to do."


    That didn''t look like the kind of ce that would have ves, so it seemed that everyone would be fine. The kids looked more lively now since they could eat as much as they needed to be healthy, and they looked quite excited since they hadn''t seen anything like that. Raiden thought that he would recall some things naturally after seeing a city in that world, but that didn''t happen... when he tried to ess his memories, that annoying headache returned.


    At the center of the vige, the group stopped in front of tworge buildings. One of them seemed like a dormitory with a bunch of floors and rooms, and the other seemed like a ce where business and meetings would take ce. Harth headed there alongside half of his soldiers while the others moved to the other building, where they helped the kids find rooms for them to use. All of them had beds, bathrooms, and some furniture... It truly seemed like a hotel.


    Raiden felt weird having room for himself; he didn''t know why, though even though he was certain that he had an apartment before.


    In any case,ter that day, some people came and gave the kids new clothes, and at night, some others came to prepare dinner. Iri was among them... she seemed to like kids a lot; maybe she wanted some siblings, but Raiden didn''t know anything about her family situation. Maybe she lost her mother or something, but Raiden didn''t look like that.


    The kids all had dinner together in arge hall on the first floor of the building, and while they were eating, some people showed up and went to talk with the guys making the food. Raiden noticed that Harth was among them a woman that also looked a bit like Iri, redhead, green eyes, really pretty... it was probably her mother, and she was leading the group.


    Raiden looked away when they looked at him; it was better to keep a safe distance from them. The next day, Raiden woke up feeling full of life, and he decided to do some training before breakfast. He needed to be able to fend for himself if he had to, and just increasing his parameters wasn''t the only option.


    "I am recovering my weight, so this should be fine..." Raiden thought while he grabbed the sword and began to swing it in his room.


    (You learned the skill: Sword Mastery.)


    Sword Mastery: it is abat-focused skill that enhances your proficiency and effectiveness in using swords by one percent per level.


    Pickpocketing: is a stealth-oriented skill that enables you to steal from others without detection. High levels and increased dexterity increase the chance of sess.


    Raiden resumed his training, and with each swing, he demonstrated a shape focus and an unwavering determination. The room echoed with the rhythmic swish of the sword as Raiden practiced his movements,


    After just half an hour, Raiden was exhausted... he thought that he had gotten stronger to do that for longer, but it seemed that just strength wasn''t enough. Just swinging the sword was enough for him to learn the skill, but not to make it level up even a bit.


    Raiden took out his shirt, drenched in sweat, and let it dry in the window before he cleaned himself and put on one of the light blue robes that he had received on the previous day. Those were prettyfortable and high quality. They closed in the middle with a belt that was also a part of it, so it made him feel pretty nostalgic.


    In any case, Raiden had breakfast with the other kids as well but soon left the building to check the city. He wanted to make some money, but he didn''t want to use Pickpocketing there... he still felt a bit hesitant toward the people of the ce, but they helped him and the others. He didn''t want to pay back kindness with such a thing.


    "I bet there aren''t many things that I can do here to make money... I am a stranger, after all," Raiden thought while looking at thergest building in the vige where the important people would meet regrly.


    After walking around for a while, Raiden found some people working. Still, it seemed that everyone worked on their family business, and they didn''t need help. Although he was a stranger to them, the people still greeted him while showing their smiles. He could tell that the people there didn''t suffer that much in the hands of neers or visitors in a while, even though they were used to free ves.


    Raiden had the chance to explore a lot of ces before noon. They only explored the main street on the previous day, after all. During his exploration, he found something like a school on the west side of the vige, but instead of learning how to read and write, the kids there were learning martial arts. Those who were his age were already using wooden weapons and training with each other.


    "That exins why Harth''s group won so easily against those pieces of shit. They learn from an early age," Raiden thought.


    The vige was peaceful, but they didn''t ck off. Raiden only looked from a distance and soon left before the people there could notice him, but it seemed that at the school, the kids were split among their ages, and each ss had around one hundred kids. It was quite a high amount. Maybe not so much if they produced only one hundred soldiers per year in a vige of that size.


    Or so Raiden thought. He found three more Schools like that in the afternoon... The ce was peaceful, but they produced a lot of soldiers. Even when they were only fifteen, like Iri, they probably could fight against people of the level of the guards in the mine.


    Speaking of which, Raiden saw her using magic, and he wondered if she learned that at school as well. It was probably something really hard to learn, but Raiden felt that it would be useful... he wondered if he was too old to learn it. Even if he had the mind of someone ten years older and he could learn better than kids, he came from a ce that didn''t have magic, anyway. It was something worth investigating.


    At first, only Raiden left the dorms to explore the city. Still, eventually, the other kids saw him returning just fine and decided to do the same. Some of them got lost and had to be helped to return, but nothing major happened.


    Around one week after they arrived there, Raiden felt like he waspletely fine. He could train for one hour, and his swings were getting sharper as well. He felt satisfied with that, being that healthy, he wouldn''t have a hard time finding a job.


    "I should save some money and then try to open a business... that will be better in the long run despite the risks," Raiden thought. "If only I could recall things about my previous life without the headache, I probably could make a killing here."


    While Raiden was thinking about that, he noticed that they had received some visitors. Harth, Iri, and the redhead that showed up the other day showed up in the dining area and then looked around the area, and they stopped when they found him.


    "I tried to make myself as hard to find as possible, and I didn''t do anything odd, but I guess my behavior stands out... I am not a kid mentally, after all," Raiden thought.


    "Hello again," Iri said when she approached with the others.


    "You look a lot better, kid, but it doesn''t seem like you are interacting that much with the other kids," Harth said while looking around.


    That was because Raiden had no reason to interact with them. At least, that was what he was telling himself... after walking around the vige a bunch of times, Raiden didn''t find anyone with ck hair. While they greeted him normally, it seemed that he was an anomaly, and they were also just being polite, but they didn''t want to interact with him.


    "So it seems," Raiden said and then noticed the woman studying him with a serious gaze.


    "Did you remember anything about your past now?" Harth asked.


    "No," Raiden replied.


    "What about the wound in your head?" Harth''s expression got more serious.


    "It doesn''t hurt anymore," Raiden replied.

 Chapter 7 - 07 Family

    <h4>Chapter 7: Family</h4>


    "I am a healer, and while I never saw anyone suffering from amnesia, maybe I can help you," The redhead woman said.


    "... As long as you don''t touch my head and use any magic, you can check my head," Raiden said after realizing that he would only look suspicious if he kept rejecting medical attention.


    "By the way, she is my wife; her name is Lenore," Harth said. "Aside from being the best healer here, she is also the current leader of the vige."


    Now Raiden felt like he had even more reasons to avoid that family... he didn''t want to be at the center of the attention, and he would interact with them. He had nothing against them, but he wanted to keep a low profile at all times.


    In any case, Lenore went to check the back of Raiden'' head, and she didn''t do anything, but she asked him to move his hair. There was no wound there, no scar either... Still, she kept staring at it for a while.


    "It seems fine... if you got hit there, the damage wouldn''t be only some amnesia that sealed many years of your life," Lenore said while holding her chin. "Can I check your body?"


    "I will have to skip that; there is nothing wrong with my body," Raiden replied while turning around.


    "There is no need to be shy, Raiden; you have a lot of room for growth," Harth said. "Besides, I am the most impressive man naked in the vige; my wife can confirm that."


    Raiden stared at him while feeling like rolling his eyes... as if he would care about that. He just didn''t want to be the test subject of anyone. Also, he knew what Lenore was looking for: other signs of mental trauma. She was probably thinking that something happened that forced him to seal his memories. He was absolutely sure that it wasn''t the case... something else was keeping his memories sealed. At first, he didn''t know what it was, but he could tell that it was rted to magic and the gods that he heard about. If they brought him to that world, they didn''t want him using his knowledge to change things too much.


    "I am a healer; I just want to confirm every single possibility; you don''t have to," Lenore said, and then Raiden interrupted her.


    "I already made my choice; if you want to insist on it, you will have to force me," Raiden dered.


    "What a stubborn kid... fine, I will give up on this," Lenore said and then shrugged. "Don''tin to meter if you don''t manage to recover your memories."


    As if Raiden would. His memories probably were sealed, and human hands wouldn''t be able to seal them. At least that was what his instinct was telling him... based on the knowledge and experience that he also couldn''t recall because of the same.


    "Putting that aside, we came to talk with you about something else as well," Harth said and then sat down since the table was empty. "You must have realized by now that you are a bit different than the other kids, and this might cause you some problems."


    "Because of my ck hair?" Raiden asked. "Something like this won''t bother me in the slightest."


    "The people of the vige will be more understanding, but people from other ces, like the kids, won''t; that is why you will have a hard time outside now," Harth said. "We have allies, but we can''t say that they will be with us no matter what. Alliances are only useful for as long both signs are getting something out of it."


    "You can go to the point already," Raiden said while feeling like rolling his eyes.


    "We want to adopt you," Harth said.


    That was a bit unexpected... Raiden assumed that only families that didn''t have kids would try to adopt other kids. Besides, he was far from being a normal kid... Harth saw that he killed two men despite his age, and adding his amnesia, Raiden would probably be thest kid to be adopted.


    "... I am really thankful for your... thoughts, but I don''t think that I would fit in your family or in anyone else''s," Raiden said after hesitating for a bit since it might cause a misunderstanding. "Besides, I don''t think that I would be able to treat you all properly like family. I want to look for a ce to work and then make sure that I won''t end up in the same situation."


    "You shouldn''t misunderstand us; we aren''t pitying you. We are aware of the type of kid that you are, and I knew that you would say something like this. Still, I think that this would benefit us." Harth said. "We talked with Javier and Ruth, and we already have an idea what kind of kid you are. Reserved, but not apathetic and someone who doesn''t give up easily."


    "... Who are Javier and Ruth?" Raiden furrowed his eyebrows.


    "You helped them without knowing their names?" Harth furrowed his eyebrows as well. "They are the boy that you protected and the girl who was almost whipped."


    "Ah, those two kids..." Raiden said.


    "Aren''t you a kid as well?" Iri asked while frowning. "I am pretty sure that they are older than you are."


    "Back to the topic, you are someone who endured the mistreatment while the others didn''t, and you also made them feel like exploring the city; they look up to you to a certain extent," Harth added. "Usually, few kids stay here since they don''t have any connections to this ce, but things will change if you show them that you will. We think that this time, all the kids should stay here. It is better for them to interact with the other vigers when they have people that they know to make them take the first step."


    "That is fine and all, but I can''t make my choices just because it will benefit someone else," Raiden said.


    "That is fair, but like I said, this will benefit you as well," Raiden added. "While it is a bitte for you to start your training, I think you would be pretty strong if you were to train under us. Aside from the fact that you surprised those guards, I can feel that you have some potential in you."


    Some potential... Raiden wondered if Harth could feel the effects of the system on Raiden''s body. While he wanted to learn how to fight, Raiden wasn''t sure if he wanted toy his roots in that vige.


    Raiden wondered why he was so against that as well; having allies was never a bad thing... Was he that self-centered and antisocial before? He couldn''t tell.


    "Aside from all that, we always wanted a boy as well, but Lenore is too busy with her work, and most likely, she will keep her position for a while, so she won''t have the chance to bear another child for a while," Harth added. "Iri always said that she wanted a little brother."


    "Don''t put me into this; it is fine either way," Iri said while looking away and snorting.


    Raiden thought that her actions were weird, but it seemed that she just wanted to act like an older sister to the first person she could. The other kids were too closed off when she met them for her to try, but Raiden was another matter. Despite her words... she indeed seemed like she still wanted one. Raiden felt that adopting a younger kid would be better for them, but... wait a minute. He said that Lenore wouldn''t be able to bear children for a while. How old was she, considering that she had a fifteen-year-old daughter?


    "Anyway, you don''t have to decide now. Can we return one week to talk about this again?" Harth asked.


    "Sure," Raiden replied.


    After that, those three said their goodbyes to Raiden and then left. He could understand their thoughts and decisions better now, and they weren''t egoistic; they were calctive, but they also had good reasons behind them, and none of them would cause problems to others.


    "Receiving training here and then building a business alongside here is probably the best option, but..." Raiden said and then sighed.


    Raiden had all the reasons to stay; if it would be more beneficial for the other kids, then it was for the better. However, he wasn''t an actual kid per se... acting like one made him feel a bit odd like he was trying to fool everyone. That didn''t sit well with him...


    "Well, I have one week to decide... I guess I can''t have any more than that since my actions are also supposed to influence others," Raiden thought.


    After finishing his dinner, Raiden noticed that some of the kids were interacting with each other already. It was a bit too soon to call them friends, but at least they had better rtionships with each other than with Raiden. Speaking about outliers, Raiden noticed that those two kids were alone as well.

 Chapter 8 - 08 Considerations

    <h4>Chapter 8: Considerations</h4>


    "What were their names again?" Raiden thought. "Ruvier and Jath? I guess I mixed their names in more sense than one... anyway, I am not their babysitter."


    Raiden thought that Harth, Iri, and Lenore would visit him in the next few days to see if they could convince him to make his decision sooner or influence him somehow to ept it, but they never did. They said what they wanted, told their reasons, and now were calmly epting his choice.


    "While I am not a real kid, refusing them wouldn''t make things better," Raiden thought. "Might as well keep acting like usual and let everyone think that I am weird because of my amnesia."


    The more he thought about it, the less inclined to refuse Raiden felt. Perhaps staying there was for the best... On one of his trips around the city, Raiden found a library in an area that he hadn''t been to before, and while he went to check some books and scrolls, he couldn''t read their titles either.


    "I don''t know much about this world; I can''t read... so I can''t study," Raiden thought. "I guess ignoring all this and leaving would be a pretty stupid thing to do."


    In the end, it didn''t take long for Raiden to make his choice. So, he found himself with a lot of free time and no useful thoughts in his mind.


    "I guess I will deal with another matter to keep my mind busy... I just hope that this won''te to bite me in the asster," Raiden thought while having his lunch and seeing those two alone again.


    Raiden looked at Javier and Ruth and wondered if there was anything on their appearance that made them stand out in a weird way, but he didn''t find it. The boy had short brown hair and eyes of the same color. He had recovered from his coughpletely already, but he was the type who was always looking down.


    The girl had light blue hair and eyes also of the same color. Raiden didn''t recall anything weird happening to her before, but it seemed that she didn''t like it when people got closer to her. Whenever someone finished their meal and passed behind her, she would tremble like a leaf while holding her spoon.


    "Those sure look like a pair of really troublesome kids," Raiden thought and then shrugged.


    Children who struggle with social interactions may have difficulty understanding social cues, initiating conversations, or maintaining friendships. These skills are essential for building connections with others, and when both childrenck them, it can create a barrier to forming friendships.


    Some children who are not sociable may be naturally shy or experience social anxiety, which can make it difficult for them to approach others or engage in social situations. When two shy or socially anxious children interact, they may find it challenging to break through their own barriers and initiate friendships.


    Kids like that may develop negative self-perceptions, such as feeling unworthy of friendship or believing that others won''t like them. When two children with simr self-perceptions interact, it can reinforce their negative beliefs and hinder the development of a friendship.


    Raiden approached the boy, and then he opened his eyes widely in surprise. Raiden didn''t remember how he was when he was a real kid, but he could tell that he probably wouldn''t get along with someone who reacted that way. Kids can be pretty stupid, and they find it fun to bully that kind of kid.


    "Come with me; let''s sit down with her," Raiden dered.


    "Hmm... are you speaking with me?" Javier asked.


    "... Yes," Raiden said after he decided not to respond with: no, I am talking with the ghost behind you; the boy probably would believe in him.


    As if the boy was an obedient dog, it didn''t even try not to disobey Raiden. He could tell that the kid would probably have a hard time learning how to fend for himself or even train with the other kids.


    When those two sat at Ruth''s table, she stopped eating her soup. Her filled spoon stopped in front of her mouth as if time had stopped. Then, she began to sweat bullets... Raiden was already regretting his choice.


    "Don''t try to run off," Raiden dered. "Let''s be friends since we are all outsiders here. I am a weirdo with ck hair, you are very timid, and you don''t like people getting too close to you. Let''s bond over our supposed inadequacies."


    It seemed that thest passed far over their heads, but at least they understood the first part. They were a bit surprised, but they didn''t dislike the idea.


    Still, Raiden soon found a w in his n since he didn''t know what to talk about with the kids. He could tell that the moment he ran out of things to say, things would get silent and awkward.


    "Let''s finish our meals and then take a walk around the vige," Raiden dered. "We can talk while we walk."


    That was the first thing that he thought of, and then he said it. Raiden didn''t think that it was a bad idea, but he would need more than that. Perhaps calling them to train in the morning might be a good idea, but Raiden didn''t want to tell them anything weird. It was better to just interact with them in that regard once they went to the schools of the vige.


    In the end, Raiden didn''t talk much with those two, and they didn''t try to talk all that much either. Still, at least they didn''t try to run away from him the other times he called them to walk around it.


    Raiden decided to take things slowly and then eventually began to talk more. He also tried to make Javier and Ruth talk, but it was hard to do that without asking About their paths. It might cause more problems than it solves.


    "... Is there a reason why we have to walk around the vige?" Javier asked.


    "If you are going to live somewhere, you might as well try to get used to its surroundings," Raiden exined.


    There was also the possibility that something might happen to the vige. That way, they would be able to escape faster if they knew the best routes, but they didn''t have to know that yet.


    "It seems that some of us are already being approached by some families..." Ruth suddenly said.


    "Everyone will have their chances; no one will be left behind," Raiden shrugged. "You weren''t picked up yet because you two stand out in a negative way."


    Speaking of families, Raiden had to give his answer today to Harth, Iri, and Lenore... he wondered how things would work with them. Even if he isn''t an ordinary kid, he should be able to affect their lives positively, and that will make him feel better.


    Although they still had a long way to go before they truly could be friends, Raiden noticed that those two were looking at him with worried eyes; they could tell that under normal circumstances, Raiden would have the worst chance of being picked.


    "Stop with the look of pity," Raiden ordered.


    Raiden felt like telling them that he would be adopted by Harth''s family, but he decided not to. It was better to reveal who adopted him once they found their new families.


    In the end, Raiden wondered if he should pack his things already or wait for Harth, Iri, and Lenore... while he was thinking about that and having dinner with Javier and Ruth, they showed up as expected.


    "I guess it is better if I reveal this already, but Harth wants to adopt me," Raiden dered. "Still, I will keeping here in the morning and in the afternoon to kill time."


    "... Won''t you be busy with them?" Javier asked after thinking for a while.


    "I won''t have to be with them all the time, and they must have their own things to do," Raiden exined, and then he saw Harth calling for him to talk with him outside... maybe he could have kept hidden for long.


    Raiden left the building, and he was surprised to see a bunch of people outside as well, watching the kids eat... he didn''t notice that. Still, they had been watching everyone since they had arrived and were thinking of whom they should pick.


    "You didn''t notice them before?" Harth asked.


    "No, but now that I think about it, it is weird that some people contacted some kids already, and it seemed out of nowhere... I was wrong thinking like that," Raiden exined and then saw the look in their eyes. "... I am not sure I will be able to behave or act like you expect, but I decided to ept your offer. I will be in your care from now on."

 Chapter 9 - 09 Towers of Mastery

    <h4>Chapter 9: Towers of Mastery</h4>


    "That is fine. We don''t have to act all buddy-buddy so soon," Harth said and offered a handshake to Raiden. "Let''s work together from now on."


    "It seems there is still hope for you," Lenore said and then snorted. "Are you already packed toe with us?"


    "... I don''t have many things to pack," Raiden replied after noticing the eyes of satisfaction in Lenore''s eyes and the smile on Iri''s face.


    "Now, now, let''s not get ahead of ourselves," Harth said. "I wille to pick you up tomorrow morning. You should talk with your friends and stay with them until tomorrow. Also, some of my friends want to adopt them, so you don''t have to worry. They live close by as well."


    "Is that so?" Raiden asked.


    Raiden wasn''t that worried, but that was some good news. Those two will take some time to fit in, but they are making progress with their social skills... still, it is better not to reveal that yet. After those three left, Raiden sighed... in a way, the whole situation was more tiresome than the situation before... Raiden felt thatparing it was unfair, but it was a fact that he was mentally exhausted.


    After finishing his meal, Raiden packed his things into his room. His life was going to change again, and he didn''t know how it would... it would change for the better, but he didn''t know the specifics. Speaking of change, he still had the two swords that he got from the guards, and he wondered if he should sell them... he won''t need them, and the money probably would help him level up.


    "I need to check how my life will be from now on and then make ns for my next steps," Raiden thought while packing his things. "It doesn''t look like I will be in danger anytime soon, but I should work on mitigating trouble."


    Harth came to pick Raiden up after breakfast, and he came with his friends, who wanted to talk with Javier and Ruth. Still, he didn''t wait for them, and then Raiden followed him.


    "I never told you what I really do, didn''t I?" Harth asked. Lenore decides most things here, but I am training the guards and our agents who are hired for jobs outside."


    "The people here are hired to work outside the vige? Like guards and soldiers?" Raiden asked.


    "It depends from client to client; we produce one of the best types of warriors in the world, after all," Harth exined. "It might be a bit too soon for you to know, but we do a bit of everything when ites to working for others."


    Harth exined that kids from the age of five up to fifteen receive training to defend themselves. They also learn how to write and read. When they are ten, they are told to choose between continuing their training or changing to another profession. There is no pressure on them since the vige always needs all kinds of workers.


    "Once they graduate, they can start working outside, but they keep their training with me since a good de is one which is always sharpened," Harth added. "Iri joined us this year, so she stays with me most of the time, and Lenore works during the whole day as well. You will have the chance to study in the morning and then during the whole morning and half of the afternoon once you reach the fifth group. You look smart, so I am sure you will do it in no time."


    Raiden imagined that the ten years old kids would have to train more once they made up their minds. It was a bit embarrassing to practice with five years old, but the requirements to pass on their lessons shouldn''t be that high.


    The house was a two-store mansion featuring a strikingbination of traditional design and modern elements. Its exterior was adorned with charcoal-colored wooden panels, meticulously crafted to showcase intricate carvings depicting various scenes from nature. The roof, covered in sleek, curved ck tiles, adds an air of sophistication to the overall structure.


    The interior boasts an exquisite blend of traditional and contemporary design elements, seamlesslybiningfort and luxury. High ceilings adorned with intricate woodwork lend an aura of openness and grandeur to the rooms.


    "This is our home; I hope that you can get used to it soon," Harth said. "Today is my day off, but the other two are already working. So, I will show you the house and the school and your instructor. You can start whenever you want."


    "Tomorrow will be fine by me," Raiden replied.


    "I guess you are in a hurry..." Harth said. "Well, I can understand your feeling."


    Raiden was a bit bothered that he wouldn''t be able to make money like most adults in the vige as soon as he wanted, but there were other ways. Besides, he will have the afternoon and some part of the night to work on it.


    "This is your room; I hope that it isrge enough for you," Harth said once they moved the door to the side and revealed a room that was five meters wide and ten wide, and the walls, ceiling, and floor were made of high-quality wood. "Iri sleeps on the left side, and we are on the other side of the corridor."


    "It is way more than big enough," Raiden said while looking at the bed, closet, chair, and table.


    "If you need something to give the room more of your personality, you can tell us," Harth said.


    "Okay," Raiden said and then put his back on the side of the bed.


    "... Do you want to go to see the school already?" Harth asked. "Fine by me."


    Harth thought that Raiden would get a good feeling of the room for the morning, and then they would check the school in the afternoon, but it seemed that Raiden lived his life at an insane pace.


    The school of the district wasn''t very far away from Raiden'' new home, and thanks to the situation, he was able to see it up close better. Before he only saw the first floor, where the youngest students were practicing martial arts and learning how to read and write, but soon he confirmed that things were way more than just that.


    The Towers of Mastery was a unique educational institution where knowledge and martial arts intertwined. It was a towering structure, rising majestically into the sky, consisting of ten levels, each dedicated to the holistic development of its students. Here, hundreds of enthusiastic learners from various age groups gather to explore a multitude of disciplines, with a special emphasis on martial arts.


    The ce had ten levels, Foundation level, novice level, apprentice level, journeymen level, adept level, and Schr level... apparently, there were four other levels, but those could only be obtained after graduation; they were master level, elite level, grandmaster level, and council of the masters level.


    Raiden was quite surprised by the grandeur of the ce... the vige took very seriously the fact that they were raising the next generation there.


    The instructor on the first floor was a woman in her twenties who was teaching the five-year-old kids how to do handstands.


    The woman had a youthful and petite appearance, reflecting her age and stature. She was a slender young woman with a fairplexion. Her most distinctive feature is her short, chin-length yellow hair, which was styled in a bob cut. Her bangs are neatly parted to frame her face, with a few strands falling across her forehead.


    The woman''s eyes wererge and expressive, typically portrayed in a warm shade of brown. She wears a robe consisting of a ck kimono with a white under-robe, held together by a ck belt.


    Their bnce was quite impressive for their age. In any case, she stopped and made everyone copy her while she greeted Harth. At the same time, she nodded while looking at Raiden, and he did the same.


    "It has been a while, Harth," The woman said. "It seems that you finally found the son that you all wanted. Are you nning to enroll him soon?"


    "He wants to start tomorrow; it seems that another training freak joined the family," Harth replied.


    "My, that is quite something... that is a good sign, though, isn''t it?" The woman asked. "You look strong and healthy already, so I am sure you won''t be under me for long. Still, I will be looking forward to having you here."


    "Yes, ma''am," Raiden said and nodded again.


    "It seems that you are disciplined already; I suppose Iri didn''t spoil you too much already," The woman said. "We will be waiting for you tomorrow."

 Chapter 10 - 10 Warning

    <h4>Chapter 10: Warning</h4>


    Raiden was curious to see the upper floors of the school, but he felt that it would be more fun if the suspense were to motivate him to go up as fast as possible.


    "We should buy you some training wear," Harth said when they left the area.


    "I am fine with what I have," Raiden said. "How do people usually graduate from school each year? Is that something that I can know now?"


    "It is fine; each year has some requirements," Harth exined. "Knowing how to write your name and do five minutes of handstands are the requirements for the first year. Usually, people can''t graduate too fast, but there are exceptions, so you will be able to go to the group as soon as you are able to do that."


    Raiden didn''t know if those five minutes were harsh or not... he would have to practice for a while to confirm. In any case, Harth was a bit bothered by the fact that Raiden was acting like that, too reserved, even though that was how he usually was. Still, he felt a bit better when Raiden asked where he could sell his swords. Those two weren''t of the highest quality, but they sold each for five silver coins... Once again, Raiden got one thousand fortune points. When he was about to click his tongue, the coins returned to his hands, and he lost the fortune points... he could do that, so it was fine.


    "I should do some research before investing the money," Raiden thought.


    Since they had time, Harth guided Raiden through the city to see some other ces that mighte in handy to know in the future. He knew that Raiden had been wandering around most ces, so he only showed areas that he hadn''t been to yet.


    Raiden hoped that he would see where the soldiers of the vige would be trained once they became fifteen, but he didn''t show him, nor didn''t he mention it. Maybe it was a secret spot or something.


    "It is rare for this to happen, but now and then, I have to leave the vige when we receive some important missions," Harth said. "Iri is too young to join that kind of mission, so she probably won''te with me, so I will be counting on you to look after them."


    "This seems a bit too soon and rushed to ask," Raiden said while frowning.


    "This is a life and death matter to you, Raiden... I am serious," Harth said. "You have to look after them. Otherwise, you might die! Don''t tell them that I said this, but their cooking skills are terrible; it is borderline poisonous and deadly."


    "So, that is what you meant..." Raiden felt like facepalming.


    "That is why I am going to teach you how to cook some dishes while they aren''t here; it should be easy for you," Harth said.


    Raiden wanted to know why Iri and Lenore were bad at that. Still, he felt that it would turn into a massive exnation, so he decided to avoid that. In the end, as weird as that sounded, Harth spent the rest of the day teaching Raiden how to cook... for some reason, Raiden felt that women who didn''t know how to cook were bing something more and moremon.


    When those two showed up at home when the sun was setting, they looked pretty tired. They smiled while when they saw Raiden and looked better. They looked more honest, too.


    "It seems that we are saved... now we won''t suffer from chronic stomachs when Harth isn''t around," Lenore said when she noticed that Raiden also helped cook dinner.


    The next few days passed without any issues; nothing major happened. Aside from the fact Javier and Ruth came to visit a few times once they settled down in their new homes.


    Life had be more normal than Raiden had expected; the only thing that made him feel ufortable was the fact that Iri sometimes was a bit too clingy. Raiden spent the mornings in the tower of mastery and the afternoons training this handstand. At night, he would try to read and write some words, and Iri told him many times that she could help him study.


    "I am fine on my own... for now," Raiden said and then corrected himself when he saw Iri''s sad expression.


    It seemed that everyone had a day off once per week, but it didn''t fall on the same day. So, Iri pestered Raiden for a full day, and that had been really tiring. Lenore didn''t have a day off per se, but there was a time when she returned after lunch and rxed at home.


    About the school, Raiden, as expected, didn''t get along with the other kids, but it was fine since Javier and Ruth soon joined them. Aside from learning how to read some simple words and write others, and do handstands, they also sparred against each other. The goal was to make everyone used to punching and getting punched. Hesitating when one has to fight is never a good thing.


    The trick to do handstands were a few. First of all: one had to start with some light exercises to warm up their wrists, shoulders, and core. This will help prevent injuries and increase flexibility. Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart. Engage your core muscles by pulling your belly button in towards your spine. This will help stabilize your body during the handstand.


    Raiden ced his hands on the ground shoulder-width apart, fingers facing forward. Spread his fingers wide for better stability and grip. Making sure his shoulders are directly above your wrists. To initiate the handstand, bend forward and bring one leg up, focusing on kicking upward with the other leg. The key was to generate enough momentum to bring your hips over your shoulders.


    Once in the handstand position, Raiden focused on finding his bnce. To maintain stability, he made small adjustments by contracting his fingers and wrists. He used micro-movements of his fingers and forearms to keep his body aligned.


    Truth be told, Raiden learned the trick of the handstands after one week, and he also already could write his name correctly and without faltering. Still, he decided to wait for Javier and Ruth to do the same before they went to the next level. They were fine with kids who were younger than them, but they might feel some pressure if they were left behind.


    "This is a bit tiresome, but I guess I can use this chance to do some research on what kind of business I should focus on," Raiden thought.


    Some people worked in apothecary shops in the vige. Apothecaries yed a vital role in there because they provided remedies and treatments using various herbs, nts, and natural substances. They also prepared ointments, potions, and tinctures based on recipes handed down through generations or acquired from ancient texts. Raiden checked some shops, and they were always producing new things; their stock rarely could keep up with the demand.


    Herbal medicine was the cornerstone of medical treatment in the vige. Apothecaries and healers relied heavily on nts and herbs for their medicinal properties. They collected, dried, and stored different herbs, roots, flowers, and leaves. These natural ingredients were used to create remedies for a wide range of ailments, including digestive issues, skin conditions, respiratory problems, and pain relief.


    After doing his research, Raiden confirmed that growing herbs was pretty profitable. Lenore could use magic to help with most kinds of wounds, but she also grows them in her free time in the building that she works in. Raiden heard of that and wanted to see how she worked, but only some people had the ability to enter the building where she worked.


    "Keeping this a secret won''t work, but I also don''t want to make her feelpelled to help me," Raiden thought.


    While he was making some progress in his studies, Raiden still had a hard time trying to read books and scrolls on that subject at the school. The terms wereplicated, and the words were sometimes too big... still, Raiden confirmed that he could make all sorts of things with herbs. Potions, medicine, pills... and they had all kinds of effects as well... Some could make people even stronger.


    Raiden decided to start by researching and identifying medicinal nts that are in demand and suitable for cultivation in the vige. Consider factors such as climate, soil conditions, and market demand. Look for nts that have proven health benefits and are used in herbal remedies or the pharmaceutical industry.


    After that, he would develop aprehensive business n that outlines his goals, target market, marketing strategies, and financial projections. Determine the scale of his operation, whether it will be a small-scale herb garden or argermercial enterprise. Include details on the cultivation methods, infrastructure requirements, and potential customers.

 Chapter 11 - 11 Business Research

    <h4>Chapter 11: Business Research</h4>


    "I guess I should focus now on learning as much as possible about herbs and nts and then sell them to professionals," Raiden thought. "Once I am get used to handling and making all sorts of types grow, I can expand my business and activities."


    Raiden began to interact with the healers and apothecaries of the viges and asked them all kinds of things. First of all,nd or growing space: ess to suitablend or growing space is crucial. Consider factors such as sunlight exposure, soil quality, drainage, and avable space for the desired number of nts. Depending on the scale of his operation, he may choose to cultivate medicinal nts in a backyard garden, a greenhouse, or even a dedicated farm. It seemed that no one in the vige had ess to a dedicated farm.


    "Well, we have arge yard at home, and Lenore doesn''t use it... I guess I will have to ask for permission," Raiden thought.


    Obtaining high-quality seeds or seedlings of the medicinal nts he wished to grow was another important part. Ensure that the seeds are from a reputable source to guarantee their authenticity and viability. If starting with seedlings, he had to select healthy young nts from a trusted nursery. That goes without saying.


    The choice of soil or growing medium was critical for the sess of his medicinal nt cultivation. Different nts have varying soil preferences, so he had to research the specific requirements of the nts he intended to grow. Ensure that the soil or growing medium is well-draining, fertile, and nutrient-rich. Consider conducting soil tests to determine and optimize its nutrientposition.


    "It is gettingplicated now..." Raiden thought. "I wonder if my power can help me with that. "I will have to test it."


    "Are you interested in medicine, young''un," asked An old man who was making some kind of powder in a wooden cup.


    "A bit," Raiden replied.


    "Aren''t you the one who was adopted by the vige leader? Why don''t you work and ask her those things?" The old man asked.


    "She is a busy person, and I don''t want to bother her," Raiden replied. "Anyway, do you sell a lot of medicine to people outside the vige as well?"


    "Yes, we sell to the people of other areas ny percent of what we produce," The old exined.


    "That exins things," Raiden rubbed his chin thoughtfully.


    "I have to make a stock of pills that I will have to deliver to a merchant next week; you cane to work with me during this time to learn more and earn some money if you want to," The old man said. "I am too old to carry and do the heavybor, and my stupid kids all decided to be soldiers, and their kids as well."


    "Sounds tough... I won''t mind helping out in the afternoon," Raiden said while trying to change the subject.


    "That will do. I will see you tomorrow at this hour; if you work hard enough, I can give you some of the old tools that I don''t use anymore," The old man said, appealing to make Raiden work harder.


    Raiden couldn''t believe his luck. Pocket money, knowledge, and even some freebies it was more than he could have ever asked for. He had always dreamed of having such opportunities, but he never thought they woulde so easily. In his mind, he had imagined himself spending weeks pleading with the city''s healers for a chance like this, but fate seemed to be smiling upon him.


    Raiden decided to change his daily routine a bit. Instead of training by himself in the afternoon, he decided to train early in the morning. Maybe it was because of his increased strength, but after two weeks, he could already do handstands for ten minutes. Javier and Ruth were almost there, so it was only a matter of time before they were promoted to the next ss.


    "I should try to save time by doing something more difficult," Raiden thought when he woke up the next day and then looked around. "While it isn''t much, this will work for today."


    Raiden grabbed his rucksack that he used to bring his things and field with his clothes. After that, he tried to do his handstands while keeping it at the top of his legs. The bnce was a bit off, but it helped him work with that.


    "Hey, Raiden, breakfast is ready!" Iri suddenly opened the door of the room and then shouted it.


    Raiden lost the notion of time since he got too focused on the practice... he fell and got up a number of times, but he forgot about that. He fell harder thanks to the surprise. He sighed while his face was lying down on the wooden floor... it was the first time that such a thing had happened, so he couldn''t me Iri.


    "Well, aren''t you smart?" Iri asked while she approached and picked up the rucksack. "Kids around your age do something simr in the tower of mastery."


    "That so... can you please knock the next time?" Raiden said while getting up.


    "I heard that boys, when they reach a certain age, start to demand that kind of thing, but I didn''t expect that they would do that to train in secret," Iri shrugged and then left. "I guess even you want to try to look cool by doing that."


    Iri was mistaken in her guess, but it probably wasn''t a good idea to correct her assumptions and exin the real reason why teenage boys ask for more privacy.


    On his first day of work with the old healer, Raiden mostly worked cleaning a bunch of things in his house and shop that didn''t have a single thing rted to medicine. It was some manualbor, and it was a bit tiring, but at least he had the chance to see the old man''s garden. It was the size of four houses, and that showed how profitable that kind of business was.


    Some nts were on the same bed, while others were on different types of vases with different kinds of soils. The old man carefully moved them to get more or less sunlight and also gave them more or less water ording to their types. It seemed that while it was profitable, Raiden would need to do a lot of studying.


    "All right, this is enough for today; from tomorrow onwards, you will learn the real deal since you have already finished most of the manual and hardbor that I had postponed until now," The old man said and then passed one silver coin to Raiden. "Here is your pay for today''s work."


    Raiden received the money and then nodded. It didn''t seem much, but the journey of one thousand kilometers starts with a single step.


    The sun was already setting when Raiden left the shop and then frowned when he saw Javier and Ruth outside.


    "We went to check on your house, but no one was there, so we came to check on you," Ruth exined. "We noticed that you have been hanging around a lot with the healer."


    "... Do you have to pay rent, Raiden?" Javier furrowed his eyebrows.


    "Of course not... what the hell," Raiden said and then sighed. "I just like the idea of making my own money and not over-relying on others. Before you think that you should do the same, you need to at leastst longer than me doing the handstands."


    "We already can do it for five minutes," Javier said and then smiled, showing some confidence. "My writing style needs some work, but I already can write my name."


    "I am on the same boat," Ruth added.


    "Good, then tomorrow we can show the results to the instructor. "Let''s hope that you won''t make a fool of yourselves and then fail."


    Their confident smiles froze on the spot... it seemed that they had gained some confidence, but it couldn''t be helped. A long nose tends to break easily. Trying to help them ovee theirck of social skills wouldn''t work if they didn''t find some bumps along the way.


    In any case, despite that, they managed to pass the tests the next day, and then the instructor congratted them. She also guided them to the next level, and they were introduced to another female instructor. It seemed that was the norm for kids until they made their choices when they were ten years old.


    The new instructor had a slim and petite figure, standing at an average height. She has short, orange-red hair that falls just above her shoulders. Her eyes were sharp, depicted as serious and observant. She had a fairplexion, and she typically had aposed expression on her face. She was also wearing the same clothes as the previous instructor.

 Chapter 12 - 12 Leveling up Something

    <h4>Chapter 12: Leveling up Something</h4>


    The kids on the next level were just a year older than the others, so those three still stood out like sore thumbs. Their new instructor told them to observe for the day.


    In the new level, the kids were doing basically the same things as in the previous level. Still, they also had not only to improve in their studies but they also had to work on their social skills by reading full sentences in front of everyone. Raiden could tell that Javier and Ruth were sweating cold thanks to that.


    The kids learned some new exercises and fighting moves in the more practical activities. Most of them focused on grappling and throwing the adversaries on the ground, so they were rtively harmless.


    "This feels quite familiar," Raiden thought while he watched the lesson.


    Despite that, the test to pass that level wasn''t rted to that. Aside from reading an entire chapter of any book out loud and without making any mistakes, the kids had toplete ap around the vige while running on the walls... they couldn''t stop for any moment, and they couldn''t slow down either.


    "I guess it is a way to make the kids train by themselves and develop some independence," Raiden thought.


    Raiden could tell now why the soldiers of the vige were hired often... he saw several groups leaving the vige on a daily bases toplete those missions. Although Iri was a clingy one when he was at home, he also could see her often biting her nails, waiting for her chance to leave the vige and do some jobs as well.


    Despite that, it didn''t look like Harth believed that she was ready to leave without his guidance, and since he was the one training most of the soldiers, it was rare for him to leave as well. He left to free the kids in order to make sure that no mistakes would be made or traces would be left.


    "I don''t interact with Lenore too much; she keeps studying me since she feels that I am her patient... it will be weird when that happens," Raiden thought.


    After working for one week with the old man healer, Raiden learned a bunch of things. When ites to harvesting them, he should harvest herbs when they are at their peak potency, which is usually in the morning after the dew has dried but before the sun gets too hot. Use clean, sharp scissors or pruners to harvest the herbs. This helps minimize damage to the nt and ensures a clean cut. When harvesting leafy herbs, leave at least a third of the nt intact to allow for regrowth.


    When ites to cleaning, Raiden should remove dirt, insects, or damaged parts from the harvested herbs. If they are particrly dirty, he can rinse them briefly under cool running water. However, he must avoid excessive washing, as it may remove some beneficialpounds.


    About storing nts, he had to tie the herbs into small bundles, making sure not to overcrowd them. Hang the bundles upside down in a cool, dry, and well-ventted area away from direct sunlight. Once dried, store the herbs in airtight ss jars or containers. Label them with the name of the herb and the date of harvest. Keep the jars in a cool, dark ce, as exposure to light, heat, and moisture can degrade the herbs'' quality.


    "You learn fast, and I can help you with that if youe here every day, but I spoke about you to the other healers, and they want your services as well; you can learn from them, too," The old man healer said.


    "Thanks, I will do that," Raiden said.


    "As promised, aside from the payment, you can have some of my tools, they are old, but they are a good starting set," The old man said and then began to pack a bunch of things in a box. "I wish I could give you some seedlings or samples, but I can''t afford to do that."


    "It is okay, it is more than enough, and I am thankful for your gifts," Raiden said and bowed slightly. "You can hire me again if you need help."


    Raiden got a bunch of starting tools to produce herbs, and he was sure that those were far more expensive than he could afford. It felt like the old man was getting rid of his junk as well, but someone''s junk is also someone else''s treasure. As long as Raiden works hard, he can save a lot of money for a while with those tools.


    The box was really heavy since some vases also had all kinds of dirt used for the nts as well, so Raiden arrived at home, and he was exhausted. At that point in time, there was no point in hiding what he was doing in his free time, so he told everyone how he was spending his afternoons while he was having dinner.


    "Having a job is an admirable thing at your age, but I thought that you didn''t need anything aside from what you already have," Harth said while showing a confused expression.


    "It is just a way to make good use of my free time and learn something useful while I am at it," Raiden exined. "I am already far behind most kids here, so I don''t have time to waste."


    "Why the herbology of all things?" Lenore asked.


    "It seemed the best way to make money, and it is a field that is always in high demand," Raiden exined.


    "I appreciate your honesty, but I feel that you won''t take it seriously if you are In only for money," Lorene said while furrowing her eyebrows.


    "Having a good reputation is extremely necessary for business, so I won''t do half-assed things," Raiden exined again. "I am not nning on bing a healer exactly, only cultivating herbs and making medicine. The real healers can decide if my products are worth it or not."


    "I suppose that is fine... it seems that you put a lot of thought into this," Lenore said and then nodded. "If you have any questions, feel free to ask me anything."


    "I don''t get what is so fun about herbs; it seems a boring job," Iri shrugged.


    Lenore looked at her daughter with a cold smile, but Iri didn''t notice it. It seems that Iri was a bit of an airhead... She learned magic from her mother, but only basic stuff when ites to medicine.


    "You can use the garden as you see fit," Lenore said. "I like the smell of medicinal nts; it will make things more pleasant here."


    Some nts have a refreshing and cooling aroma, characterized by a strong, sharp, and clean scent with a hint of sweetness. Others have a distinct floral and herbaceous fragrance. They were often described as sweet, calming, and slightly woody.


    Raiden liked the nts that had a strong, sharp, and intense scent. It was refreshing and invigorating. Some others have a gentle, apple-like scent, often described as sweet and floral with a hint of fruity aroma.


    Raiden obtained the chance to use the garden easily... he felt that he was using the situation a bit too much to his advantage. He had to repay the favor something, and not just by making the house smell better.


    The next morning, aside from his mourning routine of doing some exercises, Raiden set up the vases that he had in the backyard of the house and then decided to check if his power could affect them.


    (Do you wish to spend 100 fortune points on the medicine vase? Y/N)


    Medicine Vase Lv 02


    Herbal Production: 05


    Herbal Efficiency: 05


    Herbal Resiliency: 05


    Free Points: 05


    As soon as he chose yes, Raiden was able to see the status screen of his system. It looked like everything that he used his fortune on would reveal its status to him.


    "It looks like I can really improve them, but I don''t have much money, and I need to save for the herbs, so I can''t make them level up now," Raiden thought. "Getting at least one sample of each type and then increasing their numbers by using the powers of my system will help a lot."


    Raiden could also focus on mass-producing the most demanding types for short-term gains. That would make him gain money and level up faster as well.


    Things were getting interesting since Raiden could imagine his business working really well. He would make a name for himself fast if he made the vases level up at least once. That way, he would be able to double the speed of production and the quality of the herbs.

 Chapter 13 - 13 Family problems

    <h4>Chapter 13: Family problems</h4>


    "I will help the other healers and see which one of them can afford some seedlings and samples for the time being," Raiden nodded to himself.


    After finishing his business there, Raiden went to follow his morning routine. Come to think of it, he also adjusted it to make sure that he would pass the test at his current level in one month. He also had to make sure that Javier and Ruth won''t fall behind.


    During the next few weeks, things got really busy. After finishing reading the vases, Raiden only needed the herbs. Still, he was only going to get them after a while. So, he focused on working and running around the walls with Javier and Ruth. They didn''t climb the walls, even though they found some stairs while they were doing that.


    After two weeks, Raiden had be acquaintances with all the healers of the vige. He also was promised that he could buy the most basic type of one of them with five silver coins each.


    The herb wasnce-shaped and arranged alternately along the stem. It had a rough texture and was hairy. The leaves may vary in color, ranging from dark green to grayish-green.


    The most distinctive feature of the herb was its flowers. The flower heads areposite flowers consisting of numerous individual flowers grouped together in a central cone-shaped structure. Surrounding the cone are ray florets, which are usually a vibrant pink, purple, or white color. The ray florets are long and drooping, giving the flower a daisy-like appearance.


    In any case, they weremon and could make leaves that could be turned into powder to heal and close wounds quite fast. While they sting a bit, their quality and effectiveness are high.


    After working for three weeks, Raiden had enough to buy seven of them, but the healer decided to give him a discount for buying in bulk, and he got ten of them. He smiled and bowed in satisfaction.


    The nts were supposed to give three leaves every month, so Raiden was bound to have forty of them in three months. He already learned how to get them and still make them give more and how to rent them as well; now he just needed to learn how to make the powder.


    "Those are in high demand, so I will get other samplester," Raiden thought after he returned home and then put the herbs on the vases. "In the end, I need to get stronger faster."


    "WHY?"


    "Because I don''t know what will happen in the future, and all this training isn''t showing that much result," Raiden replied. "Anyway? Why are you shouting?"


    No one was talking with Raiden; the one who shouted was Iri, and she was following her father to the house. Raiden didn''t realize, but it was already past sunset... he probably would have to go and help with dinner to be cooked in time.


    Regardless, it seemed that those two disagreed over something, but Harth was ignoring his daughter''s questions. Technically, Raiden was his son and her brother, but he didn''t feel like he had the right to get involved in their matter.


    When Raiden headed to the kitchen, he heard the sound of Iri''s room closing with a massive noise. She was a teenager, so he didn''t expect anything less from her... she was in her rebellious phase, after all. Still, Raiden could also tell that Harth did something to enrage her. Instead of asking, he just helped with the cooking in silence.


    "Do you want to know what is going on?" Harth asked.


    "Me knowing will help the situation in any shape or form?" Raiden asked.


    "Don''t answer questions with questions... and no, it won''t change anything, but you have the right to know," Harth exined. "I am leaving on a mission soon, and since I am taking some kids around her age with me to gain experience, she is mad that she was chosen."


    Raiden disagreed with that first statement, but he didn''t voice that... Anyway, it all made sense now.


    Dinner tasted as usual, but everyone was eating in silence as if they weren''t enjoying their meal. At least Iri ate her bowl and then left after putting her bow on the sink... she made to door close with another bang, though.


    "I am not sure... is she mad at you or something?" Lenore asked. "I can''t tell."


    "Very funny," Harth said and then sighed. "You gave me that job knowing that this would happen."


    "Indeed, I take it that you choose kids her age to apany you. Is she inferior to them in any regard?" Lenore asked.


    "Not inferior, but not superior either," Harth replied.


    "I am pretty sure that you said once before that she was the best of her age when ites to magic," Lenore said while scratching her chin.


    "She is, but her short temperament bnces that out and makes her an asset of the same level as the others," Harth exined, already imagining that his wife was cornering him.


    "You didn''t give her any job until now because you felt that you needed to watch over her during the first mission, and now this is happening?" Lenore asked, and Harth rolled his eyes.


    Raiden sped up his eating speed since he didn''t like to be in that kind of situation. He wanted to ask for seconds, but he decided to give up on that.


    "She isn''t ready yet; that is final," Harth said and then resumed his eating.


    "Fine by me, you can go and leave for a few months knowing that you left Iri angry during the whole time without giving her a sound exnation," Lenore shrugged.


    While she was the boss of the vigers, Lenore wasn''t a dictator; she wouldn''t force everyone to do what she wanted. The atmosphere got worse, but in the end, Raiden agreed with Harth even though it didn''t make much sense. For his own selfish reasons, it was better to leave Iri behind. Otherwise, Raiden would feel like a test subject being studied by Lenore.


    In any case, it was a typical case of a father being overprotective of his daughter. At the same time, the mother wasn''t that worried and believed that she had been raised well.


    Raiden finished his meal and then hurried to his room. His day starts earlier from now on since he couldn''t let insects target his herbs.


    The next day, Raiden began to work on the herbs, and soon enough, he noticed Harth leaving the house and approaching him. He looked like someone who had to stay awake during the entire night because his wife was nagging at him.


    Raiden tried to stay away from that kind of family business. Still, he was adopted by a group of people who were also a bunch of chatterboxes.


    "Do you think that I am wrong?" Harth asked.


    "I think that things are pretty bad if you need advice from a guy about my age," Raiden replied. "I can''t tell if you are right or wrong, though. Even if you are right, how is this going to convince the others that you are? If you are right, it is better to make Iri realize that during the mission."


    "Still, what if she is ready?" Harth asked. "Then I won''t have any more excuses to keep her here."


    "So, this was your goal all along... there is no case here, then," Raiden said and then resumed his work.


    Raiden kept an eye on the herbs while he was exercising there as well. He borrowed some books from the school to study herbology and then put them in his rucksack. Now he has to do handstands while keeping a tower of books as big as him from falling off. That really helped him improve faster.


    "All right... I will let here," Harth said after a long sigh. "Look after the house while I am away. I should pay you as well for making Lenore''s meals..."


    "That won''t be necessary since I will be eating as well," Raiden shook his head.


    "You are really stubborn," Harth said. "Anyway, this is one of the first times in my life I will have to back down... how the hell am I going to do this and keep my dignity?"


    Harth left while questioning himself about that... In the end, Raiden didn''t even know what the mission was about, but it shouldn''t be dangerous since Harth made his choice now.


    While trying to make himself look as important as possible, Harth dered that he had changed his mind while they were having breakfast. Iri had a hard time hiding her smirk, but she knew why her father believed that she wasn''t ready yet, so she contained herself.

 Chapter 14 - 14 Keen Sight

    <h4>Chapter 14: Keen Sight</h4>


    "We are going to protect a merchant of a nearby vige and reach another territory that is filled with beasts. I believe that it will take two weeks for us to return, so don''t worry if you don''t hear from us for a few more days," Harth exined. "We will depart tomorrow morning."


    Beasts... Raiden heard that a few times, but he couldn''t imagine the monsters. He had only been reading books about medicine and herbs... he wondered if books talking about them could be found in the Tower of Mastery. While the books for the youngest kids were simpler, it was hard to imagine that they would hide that kind of knowledge from them since it could motivate them to train harder.


    The next day, Raiden made breakfast by himself since Harth and Iri were preparing to leave. Iri spent the whole time humming, and her eyes were shining when she showed up once she was ready.


    "See you in two weeks, little brother," Iri said and then hugged Raiden.


    "Sure," Raiden said while patting her back two times.


    "Ouch, the cold shoulder," Iri said.


    "Sorry for burdening you, Raiden, but I will leave the house in your care," Harth said and then whispered the rest. "Since Lenore is hopeless when ites to anything rted to it."


    "I can hear you... you will get an earful once you return," Lenore dered, and then she left to work.


    It didn''t seem that she was that worried... she was probably used to seeing Harth leave. Speaking of which, how were the people of the advanced groups trained when he wasn''t around? Raiden couldn''t tell.


    Soon afterward, Harth and Iri left. Iri spent a while waving her hands, and then, eventually, they disappeared into the distance. Raiden had a day off, and he decided to train in his yard; soon enough, Javier and Ruth joined him.


    "You are really starting your business... it looks small considering how much you worked," Javier said while looking at the numerous empty vases.


    "You can say that again in two months; when the timees, I will throw gold coins at you," Raiden furrowed his eyebrows.


    "As long as they be mine afterward," Javier shrugged.


    "It seems that everyone was adopted, but not everyone is heading to the tower of mastery yet," Ruth changed the subject while studying the herbs. "They are having a hard time adapting. Do you think we should help them?"


    "No, my hands are already full with you two," Raiden shook his head. "Besides, I am nning to graduate from this level in two weeks, and you two better not fall behind. On the next level, we will start training with wooden weapons; training with those that can''t use it yet will only hinder us."


    "It wouldn''t hurt, you know, if you praised us a bit," Javier said and then sighed.


    It looked like they had gained some backbone and could talk back to Raiden, but they still had a long way ahead of them. They had the chance to help the others if they wanted to do so and alone, but they decided that it would be better with Raiden.


    Regardless, at that point in time, Raiden found it hard to believe that following the training routine of kids would make him stronger... he didn''t even get a single skill yet. They might be able to defend themselves after five years of training. Still, they would only be at the level of average civilians... something must change when the kids be ten and decide to continue with the training.


    Until now, they didn''t learn anything about magic, and since it was something dangerous that could be used against them, they had to be careful with those they would share the knowledge with.


    Regardless, Raiden began to cook dinner after spending the entire day training with Javier and Ruth. Due to the habit, he almost made it to four people.


    "The house looks really empty without those two," Raiden thought. "Lenore is also a chatterbox, but she isn''t as lively as those two."


    Lenore showed up when the dinner was ready, and they ate it in silence. Raiden knew that things would end up like that, but he managed to keep hisposure.


    "They are starting to change the air around; you did well in making them stay in a ce where the wind would make the aroma spread around the house," Lenore suddenly said.


    "The healers said that it was better that way to raise at least most of them," Raiden exined. "I am nning to make the ones that can turn into powder and then be put on the wounds. To make money faster and expand things."


    "You already said that you won''t ck off on the quality, so it is fine by me that you are focused that much on money," Lenore said and then studied Raiden again. "No signs of headaches or of your memories returning?"


    "None," Raiden replied.


    Things got quiet after that, but not awkward. It was better than trying to force each other to look closer and more friendly than they actually were.


    Over the next few days, they talked more about the nts and herbs. It seemed that Lenore was testing his knowledge most of the time, but that was fine. Raiden felt that he needed a reason to recall everything he learned, and that would help him in the long run.


    Lenore also exined that she tried to make Iri follow in her footsteps the moment she noticed that she was too adventurous. Still, that didn''t work... in the end, Iri only learned magic because it would help her with her goal to explore the world faster. Lenore felt a bit disheartened, but she knew that Iri was a lot like her father in that regard... Apparently, Harth barely could stand still in the vige when he was young; he changed when he got married and when Iri was born. Now, he had more reasons to be there than to leave.


    It didn''t feel like Raiden and Lenore got closer, but they found somemon topics to talk about on a daily basis without running out of things to say. During those two weeks, he learned a lot from her.


    "This one here seems to be growing a lot better and faster than the others," Lenore said while pointing to the vase that Raiden had leveled up.


    She was really sharp... Raiden had nned to level up the others after gaining some more money, and thanks to it, Lenore was able to identify it. He escaped further questions by saying that the nt was of high quality or the soil was, and Lenore epted. She asionally would create some that were like that as well.


    In any case, around the time for Raiden, Javier, and Ruth to do their test to reach the next level of the tower of mastery, they decided to see how things would be for real, and then they climbed one of the stairs that led to the top of the wall and began to run around it.


    As they scampered along the edges of the walls, they couldn''t help but marvel at the breathtaking sight that unfolded before them. Lush green fields stretched as far as the eye could see, dotted with colorful wildflowers that swayed gently in the breeze. The distant mountains, their peaks kissed by wisps of clouds, added a touch of grandeur to thendscape.


    After enjoying the scenario, Javier and Ruth froze on the spot once they realized how high in the sky they were... the worst thing that they could do in a ce like that was to look downward, and they did that. Still, eventually, they got used to it.


    With renewed enthusiasm, the trio continued their race along the walls. They ran freely, their worries momentarily forgotten, feeling the rush of exhration that came from being on top of the world, even if it was only for a little while.


    Raiden didn''t make sure that they ran without stopping, but he felt that they were fit enough to pull that off. The only issue was if they could read a section of a bookpletely. After returning home, Raiden gave them one of the books he borrowed for them to read... while medicine books wereplicated, they managed to read quite a bit.


    "I guess you didn''t ck off... but you should choose easier books to read in front of the others," Raiden said after crossing his mind.

 Chapter 15 - 15 More training

    <h4>Chapter 15: More training</h4>


    "Only someone like you would choose to read this kind ofplicated book," Javier said. "Still, my... new parents are surprised that we are able to read so soon."


    "Mine too," Ruth added. "I told them that Raiden helped a lot, but they find it hard to believe that a kid could teach another kid how to read this fast."


    In any case, since they didn''t have anything else to do, they decided to spend the time reading the books and the parts that they were nning to read in the ssroom. Javier and Ruth felt like they should do everything to embarrass themselves. Their insecurities were making progress, but they still had a lot of work to do.


    In the end, they passed the test with flying colors. Still, their instructor warned them that their next ss would have children that were seven and eight years old. From now on, the tests would be harder thanks to that, and the training would be more arduous, so she told them that they should expect to graduate from the same ss in a month as well.


    The next instructor was a guy who had an imposing and muscr physique, exuding strength and determination. He stood tall and proud, his broad shoulders and well-defined muscles straining against the fabric of the uniform.


    He had a cross-shaped scar that stands out prominently on his face, adding to his rugged appearance. His wild, untamed brown hair cascades around his face, with strands asionally falling across his stern gaze. His brows furrow slightly, conveying his focused determination and intensity. He was tough enough to always watch the kids train and not even blink while they got hurt.


    On the first day of the new ss, they were greeted by a rtively small ssroom of kids. Around one hundred kids were supposed to be on each level, but that one only had sixty... their previous instructor didn''t tell them why. In the end, they soon learned why. The kids sparred with wooden weapons for real, and the sparring only ended when one of them fell or dropped their weapons... they had been training for a while, so only some bruises would make that happen.


    "Interesting," Raiden thought. "Finally, some fucking delicious action."


    The kids could borrow the wooden weapons as well and take them home. They could easily be made, so there was no problem in breaking them. Still, when Raiden borrowed a wooden spear, he didn''t feel any weight behind it, so it felt weird.


    "The difference in strength between us and these kids shouldn''t be that high, but I can''t still hurt them too much if I make a mistake," Raiden thought. "I need to be careful and focus on getting used to the pain."


    On the next day, the instructor called Raiden and Javier to spar against each other. He knew that they were friends, and he also knew that making them spar together would make them get rid of their hesitation faster...


    Javier looked nervous because he was being the focus of everyone around and because he had to spar against Raiden... as for Raiden, he wasn''t feeling anything. He doubted that he would feel while sparring against kids, even those who were almost fifteen.


    "Well, no point in waiting around," Raiden thought and then assumed his stance while pointing his spear at Javier.


    Raiden practiced a bit with the wooden sword and spear, and he felt better with the spear. So, he decided to see how well he could go using only that.


    Without hesitation, Raiden trusted the spear toward Javier''s stomach, and he tried to move to his side while blocking the attacks. Since he only used one hand, he barely parried the attack, but Raiden also held back a little.


    Before Javier could do anything else, Raiden swung his spear to the side and then hit Javier''s left side with the spear. He opened his eyes widely and grunted in pain, but he didn''t drop the wooden sword.


    "At least he has some spirit," Raiden thought.


    Raiden didn''t give him any time to rest, he kept thrusting the spear at Javier''s stomach, and he barely had time to dodge or block them. Still, while he didn''t suffer any direct damage aside from the side sweep, he eventually dropped his weapon since the impacts affected his hands and fingers.


    "The match is over," The instructor dered. "Javier, work on your courage and try to fix your posture when parrying it. Raiden... don''t hold back. If you are able to only hit the opponent''s stomach, you don''t have to worry about wounding them too much."


    As expected of an instructor, he could tell that Raiden was sandbagging. Still, before he could return to watch the next match, the instructor stopped him and told Ruth to step up and fight him as well. Raiden wasn''t being full of himself, but the result was clear. Javier and Ruth weren''t as active as him when it came to learning new things, and until recently, they knew very well that trying to fight back in any situation was a bad idea.


    Still, Ruth knew that she didn''t have any other option but to step in and be done with it. She chose a spear as well, but instead of assuming an attack position, she was pointing the spear upward, apparently nning to focus on defense. That wasn''t the best of the ideas... one would need some skill and experience with that kind of weapon to be able to block attacks properly.


    "Start," The instructor said.


    Raiden thrust his spear forward, and then Ruth moved hers to block. She reacted fast, and she actually put the spear oh the right ce, but her stance was all messed up, and she didn''t have enough strength in her arms to block the attack fully and was pushed backward and fell on her butt.


    "The match is over, do something about yourck of hesitation," The instructor said. "Both of you spar every day against the others in order to get used to hurting and getting hurt, so prepare yourselves."


    Javier and Ruth nodded while showing difficult expressions. They could tell that they would have a hard time on that level... Raiden might have to leave them behind. The reason was obvious; many kids would give up at that level since the training was too harsh.


    After the spars, the instructor told everyone to practice with their weapons. With swords and spears. shing, Thrusting, Parrying, Cutting, Drawing Cuts, Disarming... they had to train all of those moves using a sword one hundred times a day. The same thing happened with spears. Stabbing, Lunging, Blocking, Hooking, Sweeping... they were all simple but quite hard to practice with their current bodies. They had to get used to it over time... and they were just basic moves; things might get moreplicated in the next levels.


    Still, Raiden felt more satisfied with them since he was doing something more practical and truly seemed like fighting. The other levels were too boring.


    "I can tell that I will have a hard time adjusting to this level..." Javier said and then sighed when they were going home.


    "Me too... as expected of Raiden, who fought those guards before, you have a knack for fighting," Ruth said with her head down.


    "That wasn''t fighting, far from it," Raiden said. "The real thing is a lot more bloody and painful. I don''t know what you two were going to do, but I am not nning on staying on this level for more than three months. You saw the number of kids in the level; a bunch of them gave up overtime. You can do that too if you want. If you want to try for a while longer,e to my house now ande early in the morning to train together. You will feel more motivated doing that."


    "More training, huh..." Javier said and then sighed. "How can you train this much, work with the healers, and still look after your nts?"


    "It is called diligence and the will to follow a strict routine to obtain the best results possible," Raiden exined. "If you don''t want to be average, you have to try harder than average people. That is all."


    While they were walking, Javier and Ruth thought about what Raiden said. While they were young and couldn''t understand that very well, they could tell that Raiden'' reasoning was sound, so they decided to follow him.

 Chapter 16 - 16 No Sweat

    <h4>Chapter 16: No Sweat</h4>


    In the end, before doing anything too advanced, Raiden decided to work on the willpower of Javier and Ruth. Training with them would also be more beneficial, even if they give up eventually. Training with partners was better than just swinging the weapons around.


    Just one hour of training before breakfast and after lunch didn''t seem enough, but since Raiden wasn''t nning to fool around and waste time, he was serious with them enough to make them attack him seriously on the first day... he had to repel all of their half-assed ones, first, though.


    After the training session, Raiden went to work, and thanks to that routine, he was able to level up all of the vases that he had. Forty of them... now they could produce leaves two times faster. The first harvest will be ready in one week, and then he willplete all of the forty vases.


    "I hope that it can make them grow faster as well instead of just producing more leaves," Raiden thought.


    It was time to prepare dinner, and then Raiden decided to go home, but as soon as he turned around, he was tackled by a massive... creature. Actually, it was just Iri that approached in silence to surprise him and then suddenly hugged him.


    "It has been a while, little brother," Iri said. "Did you behave while I was away?"


    Raiden sighed, and then he saw Harth crossing the gate of the house. It seemed that the mission had been a sess, but he looked troubled since he didn''t have any more reason to lock Iri in the city.


    "How have you been? How is Mother?" Iri asked.


    "Well, and same as usual," Raiden replied.


    "Your report is seriouslycking... if you ever were going to work with us, the Father would make you five pages of reports after every mission, even on the ones that he participated in," Iri said and then let Raiden go.


    "I take it that nothing happened while we were away," Harth said after he approached and confirmed that Raiden was the same as usual. "No news is good news, I suppose."


    "That is right," Raiden said.


    "I can''t imagine you and Mother having long conversations like this... things must have been pretty quiet while we were away," Iri furrowed her eyebrows.


    Raiden decided to cook dinner since he was hungry and changed the subject. Unfortunately, those two were noisy, and Harth helped while they pressed for more Intel. Nothing actually happened aside from Javier, Ruth, and him reaching the next level and him talking with Lenore about medicine.


    "So, you already reached the third level; I take it that the other kids aren''t trying as hard as you three," Harth said. "Still, things will be harder from now on, so pace yourself."


    "I will graduate from this level in three months, no sweat," Raiden dered.


    "I wouldn''t be so sure of that... the instructor is the one who decides if you can do the test or not, even if you have the skills to do so, they might think that you arecking in other aspects," Harth exined.


    "I graduated from the third level after defeating ten other kids without suffering any damage," Iri exined.


    "Well, you stayed there for two years; in Raiden''s case, he will really have to prove that he is a cut above the others," Harth said. "I forgot his name, but your instructor has a cross-shaped scar on his face, right? He might ask you to do the same with twenty or thirty of the other students."


    "That would be fun," Raiden said while showing an unusual smile.


    Harth and Iri looked at each other, Raiden was more of the quiet type, so they were surprised to see that it looked like he was looking forward to sparring with the other kids. Although the others had been trained for a while, they still feared pain. Raiden didn''t look particrly bothered by it, and they wondered if that would change once he started getting back home while covered in bruises. While they were thinking about that, Kenoe showed up and noticed the weird atmosphere.


    "You two are finally back, so what is this weird atmosphere?" Lenore asked. "Did something happen during the mission?"


    "No, everything went well... we will give our report tomorrow morning," Harth replied after thinking for a short while.


    "And that means..." Iri said while showing her eyes filled with expectation.


    "It means that you did a mediocre job, not good, not bad," Harth said and then looked away. "So, you can receive mediocre missions. Looking for herbs around our territory should be enough."


    Iri furrowed her eyebrows and studied her father with eyes filled with suspicion. Still, she knew better than toin again. Besides, while it had been fun, two weeks away from home had been a bit tiring. For now, it would be fine to go on missions thatst one or two days now and then. In the meantime, she was nning to help Raiden, who could finally train with wooden weapons. At least that was her n, but when she woke up the next day, even though she tried really hard to wake up early, she found him with the other two already practicing. Jumping and interrupting them would be too rude, so she decided to help him another time...


    Unfortunately for Iri, she didn''t have any chance to train with Raiden since he was never alone. Moreover, he knew very well what he was doing. He had read a few books about spear techniques. So, he already had a good posture after one week of training, and his thrusts were quite heavy, albeit not so precise. When Javier and Ruth failed to block his thrusts, they would be hit and agonize on the ground for a while without air... it seemed that he had a knack for spear techniques. Still, Raiden knew that his strength also yed an important factor in it.


    "In about three months, I should be able to have a stock of one hundred nts and have them with upgraded vases... I should be able to produce two lots of medicine every month, then," Raiden thought while he was waiting for Javier and Ruth to get up in order for the training to continue. "Ten leaves are enough to create a pack of the medicinal powder, and each pack costs five silver coins. So, I will be able to get one hundred silver coins per month."


    Raiden won''t have to work for the other healers anymore unless he wants to ask them about some things. In any case, things were starting to look up to him.


    One month passed in the blink of an eye, and Raiden was able to make his first pack of medicines after Lenore and the other healers inspected it. In fact, they were surprised by the quality of his products... to the point that all of the healers told him that they could buy all of his monthly production for thirty percent more than the usual price... it was worth fifty percent more. Still, Raiden was fine with it since it would help him have better connections with all the healers.


    That worked like a charm, to the point that they also decided to invest in him. Some of them gave their old tools, and others also offered money in order to be given preference when he sold the medicine and to increase his production as well. Raiden was fine with that, but for now, he decided to keep the same pace of production.


    Regardless, instead of three months, Raiden began to produce the medicine after just one month, and money started toe in.


    "I guess I will use half of it and use the other half to improve my skills," Raiden thought after doing some math. "I basically gain four thousand fortune points per day, and that is enough to make me level up a bunch of times already. Still, it is better to be low-key and cover my bases."


    While Raiden was making a lot of progress when it came to his business, he wasn''t making much progress when it came to training. Yeah, he was getting used to handling a spear... but the daily practice with his friends and at school wasn''t helping much. Thanks to his level-ups, he knew that he was basically two times stronger than the other kids, so that made it hard for them to pose a real challenge. He could tell that Javier and Ruth had already improved and even won some sparring sessions, but he couldn''t feel his own growth.

 Chapter 17 - 17 Secret Technique

    <h4>Chapter 17: Secret Technique</h4>


    "I can''t have my cake and eat it too, I guess," Raiden thought. "The system is useful, but it handles a lot of things. It gave me the chance to survive, so I can''tin."


    While Raiden was thinking about that and watching Javier and Ruth sparring in his backyard, he felt a presence, and when he turned to the side, he saw Iri spying on them. She tends to do that on her day off... her spying skills could use some work.


    "I guess she wants to help, but she would feel embarrassed by suddenly jumping in," Raiden thought while acting as if he hadn''t noticed her. "Still, she is definitely stronger than me... wouldn''t help me train a lot, and I also would be able to see what the difference is between those who reached level four of the training and those who didn''t."


    That seemed like the best option, but Raiden didn''t like the idea of getting something out of someone without offering something in exchange. Speaking of which, he felt that he was helping in the house enough by making the food and doing some cleaning, but Harth does most of that... he had to do something to feel less like a burden.


    "... You guys are doing well now, but you will need to do some strength and resistance training in order to pass the next test," Raiden suddenly dered. "Instead ofing here in the morning and in the afternoon, we spar together for one hour after lunch. You can use that time in the morning to solve the other issue."


    "Can''t we just do that here?" Javier asked. "I don''t think that I can be that diligent by myself."


    "That is just another reason to do so," Raiden shrugged. "If you don''t do it and fail the test, we will know that you can''t me anyone for that failure."


    "Only strength training?" Ruth asked. "I don''t particrly want to be as big as a guy."


    "Work on your strengths and try to make sure that no one will be able to exploit your weakness," Raiden exined.


    The following day, Raiden woke up as usual, and then, after checking his nts, he began to train by himself. It didn''t take long for a sleepy Iri to show up, but she soon woke up when she realized that Raiden was alone and then approached in a hurry.


    "Are you alone today? What happened? Are your friends sick or something?" Iri asked.


    "We are doing separate training in order to improve their diligence," Raiden exined. "Can you help me train for a bit? The other kids aren''t strong enough to make me drop my weapons."


    "Hoh, do you think you can keep up with me?" Iri asked while showing a confident smile. "Modesty aside, I am one of the best students that graduated in thest five years."


    "That mind of self-assuring attitude is probably why Harth is so against letting you go on some missions," Raiden scratched the back of his head.


    "There is nothing wrong in being confident in one''s training and skills!" Iri protested. "Anyway, I will grab my knife. Since it will be sheathed, it will be fine for even training."


    Raiden nodded, but Iri left before she could see that running like the wind. Raiden didn''t know how he could repay her for the help, but he could think about thatter. Or he could get stronger faster and make sure that she will have a decent opponent to spar against it when she is at home. Harth was too busy even on his days off to help her with that, and the difference in strength was probably too great.


    Raiden recalled that he heard that the difference in strength increased in the higher levels of the towers of mastery. He also heard that a single graduate could face five fifteen-year-old students without breaking a sweat. He could tell that he had a long path ahead of him before he could reach that level.


    In any case, Iri soon returned, already wearing her Gi for training and with her sheathed knife. Knowing her, Raiden thought that she would shout all around that she could use magic and use a sword as well. Still, she knew better than trying to master a sword would be harder while learning magic, so she settled for a knife.


    "You can attack me whatever you want," Iri said. "I will only counterattack once every ten strikes."


    Iri was getting carried away again, or maybe Raiden was the one thinking that he was at her level... he could level up a few times and then try to make things even. Still, he decided to see what could happen as he was now.


    Raiden stepped in andunched a barrage of thrust attacks toward Iri. He didn''t put much weight behind them, but Iri still easily and quickly sidestepped them while parrying them at the same time.


    While Raiden could tell that she was nning to make him finish all the motions of the attacks, he still pulled them fast enough to avoid her chances of counterattacking. Still, on the tenth thrust, she suddenly grabbed the spear with a single hand and prevented that before stepping on him and hitting his forehead with a flick.


    "... If it were a real spear, you would have messed up your hands," Raiden said while ignoring his forehead getting a bit red.


    "You are right, but it isn''t," Iri shrugged.


    Putting that aside, Iri was really fast. She moved with the speed of the wind and with the fluidity of a river''s water. There was no wasted movement orck of skill with her.


    "All right, let''s try again and see if you learned something out of this," Iri said and then stepped backward.


    Raiden definitely did; he wasn''t nning to make full by falling for the same trick. In any case, he resumed the sparring with a barrage of thrusts once again, and this time, he put all his strength behind it. Iri was surprised to sense that her parries weren''t going the way she wanted because of the extra strength that Raiden put in. Still, she lowered her stance and made her position defense get firmer... she began to parry the thrusts just like before, but on thest bit, Raiden changed the thrust to a sweeping strike.


    Iri reached in time to block the attack, but when she tried to step in to hit Raiden again, she ended up colliding her chin against his forehead. He had stepped in as well all of a sudden.


    "I didn''t think that there are headbutt attacks when one uses a spear," Iri said while checking her chin.


    Although she was supposed to be the one to suffer the most damage, Raiden was the one who had his forehead throbbing, her chin causing more damage than her forehead flick.


    "... You did something to make your chin harder," Raiden suddenly said after thinking for a while.


    "I didn''t; anyone from my age has this much defense," Iri shrugged. "In fact, I think that my defense is weaker than the others since I use magic. Anyway, this isn''t something you need to worry about. You will learn in time if you follow this path."


    As expected, there was something that the martial artists could learn after spending several years training hard... Raiden couldn''t pinpoint what, though, since he couldn''t feel anything around Iri. Maybe he should improve his Perception or Wisdom to get some hints.


    Although Raiden tried really hard, he failed at knocking Iri. Actually, he failed to evennd a clean hit on her. That was more than just a little bit unnerving, but at least Raiden had a good reason to train harder... he couldn''t even win any aspect against a little fifteen-year-old girl.


    At the same time, Raiden began to train with her every day for one hour, and it didn''t take long for him to see some results. Before, he could overpower the other kids in his level, but now he could use the skill as well to stop their attacks and hit their hands, making them drop their weapons. As much fun as it was to hit their weapons and make them drop just like that, being more skilled was also pretty rewarding.


    "You are getting better... it looks like we were holding you back," Javier said once Raiden finished sparring with another kid.

 Chapter 18 - 18 Connection

    <h4>Chapter 18: Connection</h4>


    "I wouldn''t say that; it is more because I am training with my older sister in the morning now," Raiden exined after he sat down. "She is above me in all aspects for now... so I am learning a lot."


    "She asionally watched us, but she never got closer," Ruth tilted her head. "I thought that she didn''t like you, but if you are calling her sister, then you must be pretty close."


    "I haven''t called her like that yet," Raiden said.


    That was a bit of a hard thing to do, even if they had already been living together for a few months. Calling Harth''s Father and Lorene''s mother would be even more difficult... even though Raiden couldn''t recall his real parents. Now and then, he would try to check his memories and get used to the pain, but he didn''t make any progress in that aspect; he was about to give up... Maybe he will be tougher and more resistant to the headaches if he increases his endurance and spirit.


    Although he didn''t think too much about it until now, once he realized the matter, Raiden couldn''t stop thinking about it. While it was easier, trying to call Iri''s sister would have to make him call Harth and Lorene''s mother as well. That certainly was difficult, and Raiden knew that the more he took his time deciding that, the more difficult it would beter.


    One day, when they were eating dinner, Raiden decided to solve the issue as soon as possible by asking the ones involved in the matter.


    "Would it be weird if I suddenly started calling you sister?" Raiden suddenly asked.


    Iri was eating her food to fill her stomach as soon as possible, like usual, so she froze when she heard that. She didn''t think that she had heard it right; Harth and Lorene also seemed surprised.


    "Would it be weird if I called you father and mother?" Raiden added.


    "Well, huh..." Harth said and then looked at his wife.


    "Well... if you ask us all of a sudden..." Lorene showed an unusual,plicated expression.


    "I guess it would," Raiden said and then nodded and then resumed his meal.


    "No, it wouldn''t! At all!" Iri said. "You can call me big sister all the time!"


    "I see," Raiden nodded and then resumed his meal.


    "Well, if you are fine with that, I am fine too," Harth scratched the back of his head. "We are family, after all."


    "I suppose calling us by our names all the time would be weirder," Lorene said while nodding Several times.


    "Got it," Raiden said and then finished his meal and then put his bowl on the sink before he turned around and scratched his head while looking to the side. "Good night, Big sister, Father, and Mother."


    "Hehehe, this is what I signed up for," Iri smiled bashfully.


    "Good night... son," Harth said and then resumed his eating.


    "Why did you have to hesitate? Now it gotplicated for me," Lorene said after she crossed his arms. "Don''t forget to brush your teeth, son. See, I said it. Now you look like a moron."


    "Well, excuse me," Harth shrugged.


    Raiden left to his room to make the atmosphere return back to normal, and while it took a while for that, it eventually happened. It also took a while for him to get used to calling them Father and Mother every day, but that was more of an imaginary barrier than he had thought.


    Harth and Lenore weren''t at the age where they would show a lot of emotion; their jobs also prevented them from doing that often, but Iri sure liked to be called Big Sister. Even after the hundredth time, she still looked delighted as usual. At the same time, she got way more clingy. Whenever she had the chance, she hugged Raiden and then spun him around for fun. Perhaps calling her little sister would be more urate.


    Regardless, the atmosphere in the house seemed better after those changes. Lorene would talk more while they were eating, and Harth would tap Raiden''s head whenever he approached. They looked more like a family now, but Raiden didn''t feel like he had done enough for them.


    Around that time, Raiden sold his first set of medicine and suddenly saw himself with sixty silver coins. Getting some levels and increasing all of his parameters seemed a good idea... then again, Raiden didn''t know how hard it would be for him to get more levelster.


    "I am already busy as I am... but I can always increase my workshop and hire someone to work for me in order to level up faster," Raiden thought. "Those two seem the best candidates..."


    After training for one month with Iri, Raiden''s skill with the spear could barely bepared to before. He wanted to check his stamina by sparring with as many students as possible on his level every day. Still, the instructor had no favorites; everyone had to practice the same amount, and they could only practice with others so much. So, he decided to practice with his sister, Javier, and Ruth as much as possible.


    At some point, Javier decided to use two swords style since a single wooden sword felt too light for him. It took a while, but he was getting used to it. Mixing a style that focused on quick attacks to keep the enemies from doing anything or focusing on defending with a single sword and counterattacking with others.


    Javier and Raiden faced each other for a friendly sparring session. Javier wielded two wooden swords with finesse, while Raiden held a sturdy wooden spear. They began their duel with focused determination.


    Javier''s swift movements showcased his agility as he deftly attacked and defended with his swords. Raiden, utilizing the spear''s reach, kept Javier at bay, countering his strikes with calcted precision. Their sh filled the air with the sound of wood meeting wood.


    Adapting to each other''s tactics, Javier closed the distance, engaging in closebat. His lightning-fast strikes tested Raiden''s defense, but Raiden held his ground, wielding the spear with controlled power. Their skills pushed each other to their limits... until Raiden suddenly swung his spear at his legs and forced Javier to jump. Still, then Raiden quickly changed the direction of the attack and hit his chin, knocking him down.


    "Not bad; you have a lot to improve when ites to decision-making, but you are on the right path," Raiden said while offering his friend a hand to get up.


    Ruth was also improving with the spear, but she still was focusing too much on defending only. She was learning how to use a bow and had a knack for it, but bows ran out of arrows all the time, so she knew that she couldn''t ck off when it came to meleebat.


    Ruth stood strong, parrying Raiden''s attacks with unwavering determination. Her arms strained under the continuous onught, but she refused to give in. As the spar progressed, her blocks became slower and more difficult.


    Despite her fatigue, Ruth persevered, her arms barely able to move. Raiden recognized her resilience and adjusted his approach, pushing her to her limits. The sh of their spears filled the area... until her weapon broke.


    "You will have a hard time passing the test if you focus solely on defending," Raiden said. "Still, I assume that you have a n of your own."


    "Kind of," Ruth forced a smile. "We will do it in two weeks, right? I will have time to perfect my idea."


    "If you say so, I don''t think that the instructor will let us pass that easily, so be ready for a hard test," Raiden warned them. "The test when ites to studying will be to give a presentation about a random book. Are you two ready for that as well?"


    Javier and Ruth looked away... they didn''t like to study. Figures, it would be hard to find kids who were into martial arts and studying as well; that was why most kids would need two full years to graduate from that level. Still, Raiden knew that shyness was no longer a problem for them; the real problem was theirck of discipline to study by themselves.


    "I guess I will take some time from working with the other healers to make you guys study for real," Raiden dered while furrowing his eyebrows. "I invested too much on this to make you two fail now."

 Chapter 19 - 19 Invitation

    <h4>Chapter 19: Invitation</h4>


    "Aren''t you going to lose money due to it?" Javier asked, visibly surprised.


    "If it is only for two weeks, it will be fine. While I make sure that you two will study, I will expand my business a bit," Raiden exined. "Also, I am nning to hire some people to help. Are you two interested? You won''t have to do much but make sure that the conditions of the nts will be perfect and harvest them when the timees. I can give you half a silver coin per day of work. One silver coin per day If you two be skilled enough to help me make the medicine."


    "I really want to buy some things, but I don''t want to bother my family... Can we start after the tests?" Javier asked, and then Raiden nodded.


    "I guess we will have a job if we fail to graduate from the tower of mastery then," Ruth said while forcing a smile.


    "Having a backup n isn''t a bad idea, but whatever you do, you''d better try your very best," Raiden warned them. "You might regret itter. Besides, you have already experienced the results of being weak. Do you want to risk letting something like that happen again?"


    They didn''t say a thing... The idea of bing ves again had never crossed their minds, but that had been a wake-up call for them. They could tell now the reason why Raiden was going all out. He didn''t want to be weak again because he despised weakness.


    During those two weeks, Raiden used half of the money he had to upgrade his vases and buy new ones. Since soon he was going to have the help of his two friends, it would be fine if he at least tripled the number of herbs that he had.


    At the same time, Raiden did some other tests. He used some of the fortune saved to level up, and then he used the points to increase his Wisdom. Just as he had expected, he began to learn things faster. Memorizing was even easier than before; recalling his knowledge with uracy was also pretty easy.


    "I should use my power on all sorts of things... let''s see what I can do with it," Raiden thought.


    While he had to use the money to test that, it was a necessary sacrifice. He tried to level up a book, but it didn''t work... he tried to level up his clothes, and it worked.


    Cotton Shirt Lv 02


    Durability: 05/05


    Free Points: 05


    "I guess it would be weird if a shirt had any other parameter aside from durability," Raiden thought while rubbing his chin thoughtfully.


    Now that Raiden thought about it, his power could improve things through money. A book couldn''t be improved... it could be more durable, but it wasn''t like it could be used defensively and effectively.


    "If I level up a set of armor, shield, and a weapon, I should be strong really fast... they should have other parameters aside from just durability," Raiden thought.


    Raiden wanted to check the wooden spear that he had, but since it belonged to the tower of mastery, it was too dangerous. He could buy and improve er; Raiden just has to save money.


    "It should be nice if I could improve items that have magic effects and properties and level them up as well, but I guess it would be too much," Raiden thought.


    Items can break and be stolen, so for now, unless he finds something of really high quality, Raiden will focus on leveling up himself.


    Raiden - Lv 09 (0/900)


    HP: 35/35


    MP: 35/35


    STA: 35/35


    Strength: 21


    Vitality: 06


    Endurance: 01


    Magic: 01


    Spirit: 06


    Wisdom: 06


    Dexterity: 01


    Quickness: 01


    Perception: 06


    Fortune: 4.600


    Skills: Money is Power (MAX)


    Magic:


    Passive: Pickpocketing Lv 01, Sword Mastery Lv 01, Spear Mastery Lv 01, Alchemy Lv 01


    "Wow, I really feel a lot better than before... like I can''t remember how it is to feel sick," Raiden blinked in surprise when he decided to increase his health, mana, and stamina. "I can barely believe that I just became three times more resilient and durable... I can''t use magic now, but maybe I should try to use mana."


    Raiden sat in concentration, attempting to ess his inner mana. But he struggled, unable to fully feel its presence within his body.


    He closed his eyes, focusing on the energy that should be within him. However, it slipped through his grasp, like trying to catch a fleeting breeze. Raiden felt frustrated as his attempts to connect with his mana fell short.


    "I guess learning by myself was supposed to be like this..." Raiden said and then sighed while scratching the back of his head. "I didn''t find any book or scroll mentioning abilities that make one''s body tougher like Iri did. It is truly a secret well kept."


    At least Raiden was able to train for longer and without getting tired that fast. He probably could do some heavy lifting or even use real weapons to make things more real; their weight should be fine now. He grew a few centimeters in thest few months, but real spears still were too long for him; the short ones would do the trick.


    After making mental notes to do those things, Raiden decided to rest for the next three days in preparation for the test. He deserved that much, and he also needed to be in his top condition. Those three days passed very slowly thanks to it... it seemed that he became a workaholic at some point. Maybe a training freak would be more urate.


    Once the preparations had been made and Raiden confirmed that his friends were ready as well, he went to talk with the instructor about it. Still, much to his surprise, he didn''t have to say anything. When he approached the instructor after the end of the lesson, he stopped him,


    "... I got it; you three wanted to do the test, right?" The ck-headed instructor said.


    "Was it obvious?" Raiden asked.


    "I can tell that you got stronger recently and that you have been practicing together daily; your growth is surprising," The instructor said. "Tomorrow, each of you will face twenty students. If you defeat all of them without breaking your weapons, then you can reach the next level."


    Those three nodded and then left greeted the instructor before leaving the tower of the mastery; some of the other kids heard that, and the rumor quickly spread. Javier noticed that and gulped before hurrying to tell the others. They didn''t make any friends at that level either, so they could tell that the kids would try hard to stop them... Raiden really liked to imagine that.


    Raiden woke up feeling full of energy; he was in excellent condition. He didn''t feel like there were any chances of failing in the test...


    Still, when he found the other two, he saw their expressions and faces. It didn''t look like they had the chance to sleep a lot. Raiden just shrugged and then began to walk toward the tower of mastery.


    "I heard that only around half of the students that reach the tower of mastery manage to reach the next level, and only sixty percent of them graduate," Raiden suddenly said. "There is no shame in failing now."


    "What a way to motivate us..." Javier said and then sighed.


    "You don''t expect a lot from us, do you?" Ruth asked.


    "It would be better if I hoped a lot and you all failed anyway? I think that it is better if you feel like I was right in not expecting that," Raiden exined.


    "That is so wrong in so many ways..." Ruth sighed.


    "I will go first and then try to deal with the most troublesome students," Raiden said. "Everyone will have the chance to fight, so the instructor won''t have to choose."


    When they reached the tower of mastery, even though they still had twenty minutes before the lessons started, the other kids were already there warning them... they also wanted to duel at the peak of their performance.


    "I guess children born and raised here would feel better than us, and they also would feel ashamed of being left behind us," Raiden thought.

 Chapter 20 - 20 Friends

    <h4>Chapter 20: Friends</h4>


    It was hard to believe that the others would be doing better than them. Regardless, Javier and Ruth began to warm up while Raiden just sat down to rx. He would warm up during the duels and save some energy forter. He still had work and training to do.


    When the instructor arrived, he nodded in satisfaction, as everyone was there and wanted to try their hardest.


    "All right, the duels will start in five minutes. Who will go first?" The instructor asked.


    "I will," Raiden stepped forward and then said it.


    "All right, who wants to duel Raiden?"


    A lot of the kids raised their hands, around eighty percent of them. Raiden felt like shrugging since he was so popr... All those kids had faced him before, but they never won, and now they wanted their revenge.


    In the end, the kids decided to use the best ones against Raiden, just like he had expected. They won against Ruth and Javier a few times, but leaving Raiden undefeated would be too much, so such a tactic was necessary.


    When the five minutes, Raiden stepped forward, and then his first adversary did the same. It was a red-headed boy who was one of the oldest kids in the ss. He seriously looked for some reason... he also had a spear.


    The adversary moved to mirror Raiden''s posture and stance as if he was nning to use the same power against him... Raiden knew that he shouldn''t expect much from an eight years old boy, but that was certainly something funny to see in any case that worked for Raiden well.


    "Start," the instructor dered.


    Both of them stepped forward while thrusting their weapons forward. Raiden has a hard time not using a trick. Still, the weapons collided, and the


    ponent''s arms began to tremble viciously. Raiden used that chance to strike the opponent''s stomach; the kid opened his eyes widely and fell on his butt. The first match was over.


    Some kids began to whisper to each other, analyzing what had happened. They also thought that Raiden was all strength and the times he won skillfully had been by luck... now they had to change their strategy.


    "At least there is hope for them," Raiden thought.


    There were many ways for one to fight while using a spear, and Raiden knew most of them after sparring with his sister hundreds of times. The spear''s advantage lies in its reach. By keeping a safe distance from the opponent, Raiden can utilize the spear''s extended length to strike while remaining out of their range. Continuously assess the distance and adjust his position ordingly.


    Swift and agile footwork is crucial when fighting with a spear. Move deftly, circling around his opponents, and be mindful of his positioning. He can make it challenging for his opponent tond a hit by constantly changing angles and positions.


    The thrust is the primary offensive technique with a spear. Raiden practiced urate and quick thrusts, aiming for vulnerable areas while maintaining his defense. Use controlled lunges to hit your opponent and quickly retreat to safety.


    Take advantage of his opponent''s openings and mistakes. When they overextend or leave themselves vulnerable, he seizes the opportunity to strike. Swiftly counter-attack with a well-timed thrust or lunge, catching them off guard.


    Deception can be a powerful tool in battle. Raiden knew how to use feints to create openings or confuse his opponent''s defenses. Feign attacks in one direction, only to change course and strike from an unexpected angle. Using all of those, he defeated twenty kids in less than half an hour; he didn''t feel much pride in doing that; he would feel if he couldnd a clean hit on Iri, fair and square, though.


    In the end, Raiden showed a perfect disy of skill and strength, to the point that the kids who lost to him didn''t even feel mad. They didn''t have any chance of winning in the first ce, and they quickly realized that. They didn''t endure the harsh training until now to be spoiled and dumb. They knew when they faced a superior opponent, and they lost because they didn''t train enough; that was all.


    Javier and Ruth, on the other hand, had a bit of a hard timepleting the test. They were tired since they didn''t sleep well and since they are the type that gets nervous during a fight due to theirck of experience.


    Javier had a hard time pacing himself; he ended up trying too hard when his opponents were just defending themselves. Thanks to that, in the final ten, he was breathing roughly. Still, the fact that he was physically stronger than the others made himpensate for that. While he didn''tnd many clean hits, they began to umte, and his opponents eventually messed up due to the pain of broken fingers or swollen wounds.


    Ruth didn''t have the same problem; she paced herself really well, too well, in fact. She focused on defending and waiting for openings... still, even when she found them, she hesitated more than a little bit. Battles that could have ended in one minute or twosted for ten... she was more skilled than most kids but nowhere near as confident.


    Also, it looked like her trump card was her ability to read the movements of the enemies; she didn''t get hit a single time because of that. Raiden wondered who she learned that from... regardless, thanks to that as well, she took a while to actually attack. Raiden could imagine her hesitating to kill people with a bow if one day she had to.


    "You three passed the test; you can show up on the next level tomorrow," the instructor dered.


    Raiden was expecting something else, like some tips and warnings. Still, that instructor really apparently disliked the sound of his own voice.


    Javier and Ruth felt relieved since they were finally going to be around kids of the same age. Still, Raiden wasn''t interested in making more friends. He was going to pass through that level as well like a storm... His n was to teach the sixth level of the tower of mastery in two years and graduate from it. He could only live in a hurry after suddenly waking up in a new body when he was already ten years old.


    "From tomorrow onwards, you will work with me," Raiden dered. "It will be only in the afternoon, and you will be able to do that between the training sessions, so things will be as efficient as they can be."


    "You mean as hardcore as you want to be," Javier furrowed his eyebrows.


    "What about your job of helping the other healers?" Ruth asked. "Are we going to spend the whole afternoon training?"


    "They said that they will be fine if I just keep selling them my high-quality medicine," Raiden exined. "And yes, we will train the whole afternoon. If you two don''t manage to do that and get used to it. Then, graduating from the next level will be impossible. Remember, from the fifth level onward, we will train during half of the afternoon as well, and you can tell that those guys on the fifth level are way above us."


    "It feels like we are in an endless loop, training to get stronger and get stronger to train even more," Javier shrugged.


    "At least we have the option to choose now," Raiden said.


    That ended the conversation. Raiden noticed that he tended to end their talk with some serious, heavy words. He felt that it was fine since it was a reminder of what happened before... kids tend to forget some things faster, even if they experienced hell for who knows how long.


    When he was having dinner with his family that day, Raiden told everyone that he reached the fourth level of the tower of mastery. They were quite surprised since it didn''t take even six months. They probably would have their mouths hanging open if he told them about his ns of graduating when he was just twelve or thirteen. That would be easy if he exploited his system, but Raiden also wanted it slow down for now to see if Javier and Ruth could keep up with him and continue to train hard. They were ten years younger than him mentally, but they were his friends.

 Chapter 21 - 21 Hardcore Training

    <h4>Chapter 21: Hardcore Training</h4>


    Thanks to his instincts, Raiden didn''t have to act like a kid, but he couldn''t recall his memories, knowledge, and experience, so he wasn''t quite there yet. He was in a really weird spot.


    "The fourth level of the tower of mastery is quite difficult, so try to pace yourself now," Harth said.


    "Why?" Raiden asked.


    "You will be pretty busy even though you will only train in the morning," Harth exined. "Also, you don''t have to study anymore, and all the extra time will focus on strengthening you. This is the level where we separate civilians who can defend themselves and those who are on the path to bing true warriors. Also, you will often be called to train or do other things outside the tower of mastery. You can consider that kind of thing your homework in the ce of your studies."


    Raiden was curious to know what Harth was talking about, but he had a feeling that he wouldn''t reveal it for some reason. That kind of thing probably was kept as a secret to surprise the recruits as much as possible to forge them into real warriors.


    Still, Raiden, Javier, and Ruth soon learned those things on the very first day on the new level. As soon as they climbed the stairs, they noticed that the level was pretty silent, even though some students were supposed to be there already.


    The instructor was an elderly man with amanding presence, exuding an aura of power and wisdom. Standing at a formidable height, he possesses a strong and robust build, reflecting his years ofbat experience... at least from a distance.


    His most striking feature was his long, flowing white hair that cascaded down to his shoulders. His eyebrows, also white, are thick and bushy, emphasizing his intense gaze and giving him an overall stern and no-nonsense expression.


    His face was etched with deep wrinkles, a testament to the wisdom and hardships he had endured throughout his long life. His sharp, piercing eyes, which bear a reddish tint, disy a fierce determination and an unwavering resolve.


    "From now on, you will be number 55, 56, and 57," The old man suddenly said, and this time, even Raiden was surprised. "Number 55 will do squats until noon. Number 56 will do handstands until noon, and number 57 will run around the Tower of Mastery until noon. If either of you stops doing that for more than seconds, you will continue doing it until evening."


    Raiden was supposed to be number 55, and while he didn''t mind doing squats, he had something against being referred to as a number. Still, considering what he had heard on the previous night, he decided to move on, and then he pushed the others to do the same.


    "Getting going and don''t say or do anything Unnecessary," Raiden said.


    "You just did something unnecessary, so you will stay here until evening," The old man said.


    Javier and Ruth were left speechless, but soon, they began to move when Raiden began his squats in the corner of the room. They took a glimpse at the other students and noticed that they were meditating while sitting on some weird wooden chairs. The seats were pointy like pyramids, and there were five of those, so all the weight of their bodies was being pressed against that.


    "This old man certainly caught me off guard..." Raiden thought since the old instructor didn''t seem like a harsh guy, one could even think just by looking at him that perhaps he had the aura of a weary gentle grandpa. "Appearances sure are deceiving."


    While he was doing the squats, Raiden looked around and confirmed that there was nothing in the room. No ce to store weapons, books, scrolls, no nothing... The silence was finally exined, but he wondered if he and the others would have to endure that kind of order for how long until they joined the others.


    Raiden thought that he would be fine for quite a while, but soon he began to realize that things would getplicated for him as well. Raiden felt a deep burning and heaviness in their lower body.


    He also experienced muscle soreness and tightness, particrly in the thighs, buttocks, and lower back. The muscles felt tender to the touch and exhibited reduced flexibility.


    Maybe it was because his endurance was low, but after just ten minutes, Raiden realized that things were getting quite painful. In the end, he began to take breaks of five seconds between each squat... he was supposed to be allowed to do that much.


    On the other corner of the room, Javier smiled since he finallysted longer than Raiden at something; soon, he regretted not pacing himself when he started to fall and hit his face on the ground.


    "What a dumbass," Raiden thought.


    Ruth was the type of girl who was too obedient for her own good, so she probably will follow themands even without anyone watching her. Still, Raiden didn''t think that the old man would have countermeasures to make sure that she would do what she had to do.


    Although he didn''t sweat a lot, Raiden felt like his legs had be stiff as hell when noon came. The students began to get up from their meditation, and after stretching their bodies, they began to leave while the old instructor was nodding off while sitting on the ground.


    Javier and Ruth came to check on Raiden, but he told them to go home and then rest their bodies while they kept an eye on his herbs. He didn''t know if that training would help him that much, but at least it would improve his discipline and mental strength.


    At the end of the afternoon, Raiden felt like a single squat was worse than a kick on the balls... forget about the sweat caused by the exercise; the pain was what made him sweat the most. Despite that, the old man instructor was nodding off... or at least pretending to nod off since he did that the entire afternoon. Still, it was hard to imagine that it was the case since he had a bubble of snort growing and decreasing in size on his face.


    "... You can home now, number 55," The old man suddenly said when the snort bubble exploded.


    Raiden felt on his butt and then sighed in relief... it was going to be hard to go home with his legs that stiff.


    Raiden massaged his legs in the end, but that only helped a bit. He only returned fast because he decided to move by doing handstands... in any case, it was already dark, but Javier and Ruth were still there.


    "Sorry for the day; here is your payment for the day," Raiden said and passed some coins for them.


    "Your hands are a mess... did youe by doing handstands?" Ruth furrowed her eyebrows.


    "It is a novel experience; don''t think too much about it," Raiden replied.


    They couldn''t help but think about it because they would have to experience that six days a week... the first day had already been too intense, and the fact that they didn''t even tell their names was another problem. Still, everyone was smart enough to understand that it was something necessary to reach the next level... to obtain the real secret techniques that could be taught at the tower of mastery, they had to deserve it by enduring that and forging their spirits.


    "Maybe I should buy some herbs that help with muscle pain," Raiden thought while he watched his friends heading to their homes.


    A good night of sleep would do wonders for Raiden, but first, he had to make dinner, and he was prideful enough not to look like he was having a hard time at the new level, so he had to use all of his willpower to walk like nothing was wrong... that had been another ordeal. At least he fooled everyone while they were eating.

 Chapter 22 - 22 Real Weapons

    <h4>Chapter 22: Real Weapons</h4>


    "I thought that the old man would make you suffer a bit for reaching his level after a couple of months, but perhaps I underestimated you," Harth said while he studied Raiden from top to bottom. "How was the first day with the old man?"


    "Just a bit tougher than I had expected, just a bit," Raiden replied.


    "I really hated the old man... I lost count of how many times I tried to punch and kick him when I was at his ss," Iri said and then sighed. "I got used eventually, but what pissed me off the most was his attitude of ignoring our anger."


    "That is the reason he is there in the first ce," Lenore added. "Anyway, don''t talk too much about him, or he will notice that Raiden knows more than he is supposed to, and he will give him a harder time."


    "I am fine with that, as long as I can graduate faster," Raiden said while shrugging.


    "The graduation test has already started; you will have to convince the old men that you should reach the next level," Harth said. "He is a tough one to convince; being old and stubbornes with the territory. So, good luck with that."


    Raiden nodded. He was fine with a food challenge as long as he could get something out of it. In any case, Raiden sighed in relief when he reached his room and didn''t have to pretend anymore. Any movement on his legs made him feel like groaning, so he didn''t move a single bit once hey on his bed.


    "I definitely need some herbs to help with muscle pain... the ones with work as tea should do the trick since they are cheap and are supposed to taste good," Raiden thought. "In any case, I can''t mess up anymore. Doing that kind of exercise all day is almost a waste of time if I don''t have some time to train with weapons."


    Raiden training in the morning was very efficient, but more in a practical sense. Raiden could only truly improve his basic skills while he was training by himself, sharpening his moves a thinyer at a time.


    When Raiden woke up the following day, his legs still were a bit sore. Still, he soon felt better once he began to move around and try some spear moves. Raiden knew the reason for that... because of gentle exercises and active recovery.


    Gentle exercise refers to low-intensity activities that aim to increase blood flow and promote muscle recovery without putting excessive strain on the muscles. These activities help flush out metabolic waste products, deliver nutrients to the muscles, and promote overall cirction, which can aid in muscle recovery. Gentle exercise is typically performed in afortable ce.


    Active recovery involves engaging in specific activities or movements that are designed to enhance the recovery process after intense workouts. It is a proactive approach that focuses on active movement rather thanplete rest. Active recovery can include exercises such as low-intensity aerobic activities, mobility drills, or flexibility exercises. That is exactly what Raiden was doing.


    In any case, a few hourster, those three were back at the tower of mastery, and the old man insisted on calling them by numbers and telling them to do other things. The old students received the order to do handstands for half an hour and then take a break of five minutes. During this time, Raiden received the order to do push up, Javier to do sit-ups, and Ruth to do nks...


    "I suppose we will have to endure this for a while until we confirm if we are getting results or not," Raiden thought while furrowing his eyebrows.


    After two weeks of that grueling training method, Raiden, Javier, and Ruth finally had the chance to do the same thing as the other kids and soon confirmed that the old man treated everyone the same shit way. They were all numbers, people who don''t deserve names until they realize that they don''t deserve to be true warriors or until they show that they deserve that title.


    They thought that they would get used to the exercises, but the old man made sure that they would always do something that would make the whole session almost unbearable. Meditating on that weird chair that made feel like their asses were being pierced by knives. Moving around the tower of Mastery while crawling and unable to use their arms, doing push-ups with a single arm all morning... those were the most basic examples.


    "I feel like my mind has gotten stronger, but not my body," Raiden suddenly said when they were heading home. "We should buy weapons and train with them for real now."


    "Real weapons?" Ruth asked, visibly shocked.


    "Naturally, we will use them while they are sheathed," Raiden exined.


    "Most weapons are too big for us, though," Javier said. "Still, I like the idea of having one. We can use it in case of emergencies. Suppose things get dicey for some reason here. In that case, we will have to defend ourselves, and there will be others that will need the protection of the soldiers and the others who already graduated."


    Those two were holding up, so Raiden could tell that they were on the right path to reaching the next level. With that in mind, helping and being helped by them was the best option for the group.


    Speaking of groups, Raiden realized that even in that ss, they were considered outsiders. The kids and then were of the same age, but the others were good friends and even went to their homes together. They seemed to have developed some pride for being born and raised there... The fact that it has been a while since the group feared ves was probably one of the reasons.


    "Do you know any good shops?" Javier asked.


    "No, but we don''t need anything high quality to train," Raiden shrugged. "Besides, do you have that much money to spare? I am pretty sure you are using everything you earn."


    "Only half," Javier said while showing a thumbs up.


    "What about you, Ruth?" Raiden turned to the side and asked.


    "I already bought a bow, arrows, and a target to train at home," Ruth replied. "Two hundred shots after waking up and two hundred more before going to bed. Still, I suppose I need a melee weapon as well."


    That was pretty hard work for her. Raiden thought that girls at her age would care less and less about training and more about their appearance. Still, since she didn''t have any girlfriends, she wasn''t following that route. She also would buy some medicine from Raiden now and then since he offered a discount to her friends. She probably uses it on her hands.


    Now that Raiden thought about it, the ratio of boys to girls in the ss was sixty to forty percent, and the girls didn''t look that rough... Iri also didn''t seem much of a muscle woman; she actually had thin arms.


    "I guess on the next levels, physical training and muscle gain don''t be that important; that aura thing that Iri used should work way more than any amount of muscle would," Raiden thought and then recalled Harth. "Father still looks quite buffed, though. More for aesthetics, I guess."


    In any case, Raiden decided to ask his parents where he could buy some durable weapons when they were having dinner. It didn''t seem like the best of topics to have while they were having a meal. Still, they all had things to do, and they were only together during meals early in the morning and at dinner, soon before he went to bed.


    "You three have the energy to spare despite the old man, huh? I respect you for that..." Harth said while nodding and furrowing his eyebrows.


    "I suppose we can''t buy weapons, huh, even to use them only at home," Raiden said while he watched Harth lost in thought.

 Chapter 23 - 23 Types of Spears

    <h4>Chapter 23: Types of Spears</h4>


    "No, there is no rule like that; I was just recalling something else," Harth said after he shook his head. "Anyway, there is this old guy that I know of that makes some decent equipment. I used his creations when I was young and wanted to build my strength. His creations are a bit rough, but they are durable and heavy enough to be a challenge for you all to wield. I don''t rmend using them during spars, though. Only when you do some strength training."


    "I suppose even without des, a heavy weapon could cause a lot of damage," Raiden said.


    "He is training with a spear; wouldn''t a lighter weapon be better for him?" Lenore asked. "It will be better if he grows to be the type that never gets hit. For that to happen, he should train to be as nimble as possible."


    "The nimble ones are never taken seriously; Raiden will be more imposing with a big spear that he can move and attack with enough speed and enough power to break even shields," Harth said. "I believe he has the potential for that."


    Lenore and Harth argued for a while about the type of spear that Raiden should use. Now that he thought about it, it was time for him to choose a proper type and try to master it as soon as possible.


    "You know the types, right?" Iri asked. "You really like thrust attacks for some odd reason, so I would rmend the Hastas. Some of them have some nasty designs; even if you miss the direct hit, they have side des that can cut flesh insanely easy."


    Raiden recalled the types of spears that he had seen so far. The first had been javelins. Javelins are light spears designed for throwing. They have a pointed tip. Javelins can vary in length and design depending on the specific throwing technique.


    A pike is a long spear-like weapon that typically has a long shaft, often measuring several meters, with a narrow and pointed metal head. Infantry formationsmonly use Pikes, particrly in massed formations known as pike squares or pike formations.


    Boar spears are designed specifically for hunting boars or otherrge animals and beasts. They usually have a broad, t de with crossbars or wings near the tip to prevent the animal from running up the spear shaft and attacking the user.


    The yari is a traditional spear from a certain distant tribe. It typically has a straight de with a sharp point and a long shaft. The yari was a versatile weapon used for thrusting and shing.


    The assegai is also another traditional spear used by various tribes. It has a narrow, leaf-shaped de and a wooden shaft. Assegais were used for both hunting and warfare and were known for their effectiveness and versatility.


    Boomerang spears, also known as woomera spears, are a type of throwing spear used by some small and recluse tribes. They feature a hooked or curved throwing arm at the end of the spear shaft, which helps increase throwing distance and uracy.


    The hasta was a spearmonly used by ancient soldiers. It typically had a long iron head with a leaf-shaped or triangr de and a shaft made of wood. The hasta was a versatile weapon used for thrusting, and it could be used both in closebat and in formation.


    "I guess I will ept the suggestion; I like to attack fast, after all," Raiden said.


    "That is fine and all, but you should have some countermeasures to defend yourself when you are surprised," Harth said.


    "The enemies won''t have the chance to attack if I knock them first," Raiden smiled.


    "That sounds like something Harth would have said in his youth," Lenore sighed.


    "I can take you to the shop in two days on my day off," Iri said.


    "The other two wille as well. Is that fine with you?" Raiden asked.


    "No problem," Iri replied while smiling.


    That was weird; Raiden thought that Iri liked kids so much that she was a bit shy while approaching them. Still, two dayster, they reunited in front of the house and then left to buy the weapons. If anything, Javier and Ruth were the ones being a bit too shy or stiff since they didn''t interact that much with other people aside from the ones in their family and Raiden.


    "Raiden will get an hasta; what about you two?" Iri asked. "I saw you all training, but it isn''t toote to change your weapon of choice if you feel like you should too."


    "I am getting better at using two swords, but I think that I should get some smaller but heavier ones," Javier replied.


    "I don''t think that I am suited for fighting, so a spear to keep the enemies away will be the best option for me," Ruth added. "Still, I am starting to think that it will be hard to change from bow to spear fast enough in a battle."


    "As I said, it is a bit too early to determine that things will changepletely once you reach the next level, so you should focus on using a weapon that you feel the mostfortable with," Iri exined. "I also only use a single knife for meleebat, and Raiden had yet to hit me even once."


    Raiden wanted to sigh... she was boosting already. He could knock her down if he used his fortune to level up, but his pride didn''t allow him to do so. Winning against someone in a mock battle didn''t mean anything, after all.


    "That sure sounds impressive; maybe I should try using knives as well," Ruth said.


    The cksmith shop wasn''t far from home. Loto''s cksmith shop was a ce filled with the sights, sounds, and smells of metalworking. Located in a modest building, it boasted a heavy wooden door that creaks when opened. The interior was organized and cluttered, showcasing Loto''s expertise and dedication to his craft. The shop is illuminated by the warm glow of arge forge, where the intense heat radiates throughout the space.


    An anvil sits prominently in the center of the shop, scarred from countless hammer strikes. Shelves and racks hold an array of hammers, tongs, and other forging tools meticulously arranged for easy ess. The walls are adorned with worn leather aprons hanging on hooks alongside heavy gloves and protective goggles, testaments to the hazards of the trade.


    A coal bin, filled with the fuel for the forge, stands nearby, its contents giving off a faint but distinct aroma that permeates the air. A sturdy workbench sits against the wall, cluttered with stacks of metal sheets, ingots, and unfinished projects. Various molds, chisels, and grinding wheels are arranged in an orderly manner, ready to be utilized.


    It was really a fantastic ce, but Raiden wondered where the weapons were. The cksmith and clerk of the shop was an old man. His face bore the marks of his age and experience. Loto has a strong and square jawline, adorned with a short, grizzled beard that covers his lower face and chin. His eyes are sharp and keen, disying a depth of knowledge and wisdom gained over his long years of cksmithing.


    One of Loto''s most recognizable features was his bald head, devoid of any hair. The smoothness of his scalp contrasts with his rugged appearance, adding to his imposing presence.


    Godot wore a traditional cksmith''s apron made of thick, durable leather. The apron is heavily worn and marked with soot and smudges from the forge. Underneath, he wore just some simple and sturdy trousers, providingfort and protection during his work.


    "I am busy;e backter," Loto said.

 Chapter 24 - 24 Planning Ahead

    <h4>Chapter 24: nning Ahead</h4>


    "Can''t do that, old timer," Iri said. "We want some weapons, and since you don''t have any to sell, we will have to ask you to forge new ones."


    "I don''t sell toys, so go look elsewhere for them," The cksmith said while he was messing with some ingots.


    "You are as stubborn as ever, but I am even more stubborn," Iri proudly dered. "We won''t leave until you promise us to make the weapons that we want."


    "... It looks like you are part of the bunch that came from thest rescue mission," The old cksmith said after he turned after a long sigh. "I heard that Harth adopted a son recently; it must be you, huh."


    "Recently? It has been over six months!" Iri said, then facepalmed. You need to leave this ce and breathe some fresh air, old timer."


    "Humph, weapons for kids, I suppose anything will do since you won''t use it well anyway," Loto said after he snorted. "This one uses a spear, and this one is crazy enough to think that he is skilled to use two swords. You should decide what you want already. When I was half of your age, I was already forging weapons."


    The man was the real deal; he could tell what those three used as main weapons just by looking at their postures and muscle development. Still, he was a pain in the ass to deal with.


    "Don''t just go around telling the inverse of what I just said," Iri said. "Anyway, they have time since they didn''t learn the secret techniques yet. Just make a hasta for my little brother, two short swords that arerge and a spear that can be turned into two. We will be back in one week."


    Raiden heard of that, but he didn''t think that the old man could do that. A spear that can transform into two short spears was often referred to as a "double-ended spear" or a "spear staff." It is a weapon that consists of a long shaft with a pointed de on either end. The unique feature of this weapon is its ability to separate into two shorter spears, each with its own handle.


    The transformation allows the wielder to adapt their fighting style and tactics duringbat. They can choose to use the spear in its full-length form for longer reach and increased leverage, providing advantages in thrusting and sweeping attacks. When the situation calls for close-quartersbat or dual-wielding, the spear can be separated into two shorter spears, enabling the wielder to engage in quick and agile strikes with both hands.


    The versatility of a spear that can be two short spears makes it a valuable weapon in various scenarios. Itbines the advantages of both long-range and close-range weapons, offering flexibility and adaptability in differentbat situations. Ruth seemed surprised but not at all against the idea. She was actually thinking if she had enough money to pay for it, even if she had to pay in one week.


    "I work at my own pace so that I won''t promise anything," Loto said. "Now leave and let me work in peace."


    The group left the shop while watching the old man looking for other ingots. While he said that, it seemed that he was going to start working pretty soon.


    "Now we just wait," Iri dered. "He shouldn''t ask for more than twenty silver coins for each weapon. While it is a bit pricey for kids of your age, his weapons are worth the price. They basically never get any rust, and they are hard to damage as well."


    "The idea of the double-ended spear was pretty good, but you should have informed that earlier or asked Ruth about her opinion," Raiden said while furrowing his eyebrows.


    "It is fine, really," Ruth said while smiling. "I have a good feeling about that, and since I am quite indecisive, I needed that kind of push."


    Putting that aside, it seems that being a cksmith was quite profitable as well... if Loto could make three weapons like that per week and then obtain at least half of them as payment for services... it was more time-consuming than making medicine and looking after herbs. Still, Raiden wondered if it was worth trying.


    While the group waited for the week to pass, Raiden made some more money and decided to use it on his skills to see the difference. He already knew their descriptions, but he also wanted to see them in action.


    Raiden used around twenty silver coins to make his Alchemy reach level seven, and thanks to it, he noticed that he could make the medicine faster than before. Three seconds faster per level wasn''t half bad. He usually would need ten minutes to smash the herbs and seal them in a bottle or other containers.


    Thanks to that, he could save around one hour of work whenever he was making the medicine. That didn''t seem much of a difference, but he knew that time is money, and he could use that extra hour to train or even expand his business.


    Raiden tried to teach Javier and Ruth how to make medicine as well, but it would take a while for them to pull that off with enough efficiency and speed.


    "I am already producing enough of that medicine at the same pace as the other healers," Raiden thought. "I suppose I should make other types as well... I should ask them what they rmend."


    Much to his surprise, Raiden heard the same answer from all the healers. He should try to cultivate and produce healing potions. They taste bitter like hell, but they apparently can make one recover lost blood and elerate the healing process. The downsides of creating them were many, though.


    A solid understanding of nts, their medicinal properties, and potential side effects is essential. This knowledge involves identifying and selecting the right herbs, flowers, roots, or other botanical ingredients with healing properties. Understanding their chemicalposition, activepounds, and appropriate preparation methods is crucial for creating effective healing potions.


    For the healing potions that everyone told him, they dly would share their form with Raiden. The materials involved would only be some nts and herbs, too. It wasn''t that difficult, and he could study them for a month while he cultivated them, but there were other issues as well.


    Having the right tools and equipment is essential for creating healing potions. This may include a mortar and pestle for grinding herbs, distition apparatus for extracting essential oils, filtration equipment for removing impurities, and scales for urate measurement. Additionally, ess to a well-equippedboratory can facilitate quality control, stability testing, and analysis of the potion''sposition.


    "I will need to make quite the investment to create aboratory...." Raiden thought. "Training Javier and Ruth mighte in handy in that regard, but they might look for other means to work, and then I will have to train others..."


    Quality control measures must be in ce to ensure the potency and consistency of healing potions. This includes testing for contaminants, verifying the concentration of active ingredients, and assessing the overall quality of the final product. Tools such as analytical instruments...


    "I am starting to think that they want to make me bo bankrupt..." Raiden thought and thenughed. "Perhaps I was too naive imagining that they were my friends."


    Raiden had to continuous learning, staying updated with scientific research, and coborating with experts in rted fields can further expand knowledge and improve the efficacy of healing potions. Experimentation, documentation, and feedback from users can also contribute to refining and developing effective formtions.


    Despite all that, Raiden felt quite excited about the idea of doing that. He had no idea how much he would be able to produce, but he would have some for himself whenever he needed.

 Chapter 25 - 25 Weapon鈥檚 Level Up!

    <h4>Chapter 25: Weapon''s Level Up!</h4>


    "Everyone said that they are in high demand since some conflicts are happening around, and those potions can save lives despite being the simplest ones... doing this really is the best option," Raiden thought.


    After making up his mind, Raiden decided to ask around about the things he would need and where he could buy them. Much to his surprise, he felt like he lost some brain cells due to a certain surprise... The healers didn''t produce the potions. They knew the methods and forms, but they were too expensive. They only obtained the knowledge many years after they started working, and suddenly changing their supply was too much of a risk. For them, Raiden didn''t have to worry about that since he only produced a single type of medicine, and he was still young.


    Raiden tried to ignore that since he owed the healers a bit... even though he was already repaying the favor by selling his medicines to them, and they were getting all the credit for it. Still, he felt like his head was about to split when he learned the initial investment to make the potions. Aside from a workshop that will have to be the size of a small house, he will have to invest around twenty gold coins... around two thousand silver coins.


    The surprise left Raiden speechless and shocked for several minutes. When he recovered, he decided to do some math. He learned that with his current production, he would need to use all the money that he would receive in four months just to start with the production of potions... just to create and be able to make ten of them a month.


    Raiden decided to consult Lenore about that. She seemed interested in the subject, but she also had a main concern.


    "Alchemy is an area that we arecking in the vige. You would be able to help us a lot," Lenore said. "However, it is also a field that requires a lot of hard work and discipline. You are also training to be a warrior. Do you think that you can be both?"


    "Ultimately, some missions will make you get away from home for several days. You will need people of trust to keep yourboratory safe and process everything," Harth added. "If you began to produce those potions on arge scale, you won''t have to worry about money. We will always be able to buy it, so you won''t have to risk yourself outside the vige."


    "You were only in for money, right?" Lenore asked. "You should have enough saved up."


    Actually, no. Raiden used most of his gains to level up his items to produce medicine of better quality and faster. Also, he only wanted to make money because his power required it. He also leveled up his Spear Mastery to see what would happen, and thanks to it, he managed to make Iri take a few steps backward while they were sparring. That was progress...


    In any case, Raiden didn''t know what to say after hearing all that. He didn''t want just to be able to make potions that could save lives, and he also wanted the power to protect himself and travel around the world as well... but perhaps wishing for all that was a bit too much. Being a jack of all trades and master of none couldn''t be what he truly wanted.


    "Well, the choice is yours," Lenore said and then resumed her meal. "Whatever you choose, it will be fine as long as you ept the final results."


    Raiden nodded. In the end, he didn''t have to make his choice now... he had a few months to think about it. While he was thinking and considering all that, one week passed in the blink of an eye, and then they went to get their weapons at Loto''s shop. Everyone aside from Iri was surprised to see their weapons on a table waiting for them already.


    "As expected of the old timer, you never disappoint," Iri said while checking the weapons.


    The steel hasta was a weapon with a long shaft and a spearhead made entirely of steel. The shaft was made of a sturdy, hollow steel tube, ensuring a bnce between weight and strength. It was designed to be lightweight enough for ease of handling and maneuverability while still providing enough structural integrity to withstand the rigors ofbat.


    The spearhead, also crafted from steel, was the business end of the hasta. It was meticulously shaped and sharpened to a keen edge, allowing for effective thrusting and piercing strikes. The spearhead may feature a symmetrical design, with a pointed tip and a tapered body for improved pration and minimal resistance.


    The steel construction of the hasta provided several advantages. First and foremost, steel was known for its exceptional strength, making the weapon highly resistant to bending, breaking, or deforming under normalbat conditions. This sturdiness allows the user to engage in close-quarterbat and parry blows with confidence.


    Additionally, the durability of the steel ensures that the weapon can withstand repeated use and remain functional for an extended period. It can withstand the stress of impact, making it suitable for rigorous training or prolonged battles. This durability also reduces the need for frequent maintenance or repairs, adding to its reliability on the battlefield.


    Raiden was shocked... he didn''t know why, but he thought that people from that world wouldn''t be able to make steel. In any case, he felt really confident while grabbing the weapon. It was just heavy enough for him to feelfortable while using it with both hands.


    "It seems that you measured my strength perfectly just by looking at me," Raiden said, surprised. "How much do I owe?"


    "For that trash? Just twenty silver coins," Loto replied. "It is a good enough weapon for a weakling."


    Raiden furrowed his eyebrows. It seemed that the old man truly wanted to give him a reason to trash his shop... still, that would be regrettable after getting such a good weapon.


    "Don''t worry about that; he just says that when he is grumpy," Iri whispered in Raiden'' ears. "He likes to make weapons for those who are truly strong, and since his creations are top ss, theyst for long, so the strongest warriors in the city don''te here often to ask for weapons. He has some crazy good eyes to understand the strength and weaknesses of people at a nce and what would be the best weapons for them, so he feels really satisfied when he creates something good for a powerful person. Unfortunately, he only gets inspired to do that when he finds the right clients."


    Putting it in simple terms, the old man was a massive pain in the ass. In any case, everyone looked more than satisfied... maybe it was because that was their first weapon, and they didn''t have an eye for quality. Still, Raiden soon confirmed the true worth of the weapon when he made it level up.


    Steel Hasta - Lv 02


    Bonus Damage: 15


    Armor Nullification: 15


    Durability: 50/50


    Free Points: 05


    The weapon was so good that a single level-up wouldn''t make much of a chance in it, and that was somehow trash in the eyes of its creator.


    In any case, Loto was in a bad move, and everyone wanted to test their weapons, so soon they left after leaving the payment behind.


    "As expected, you look a lot more imposing with a weapon," Iri said and then checked Raiden''s heightpared to hers. "You grew quite a lot in thest six months, so you should be able to use the weapon properly in no time."


    Iri was 1,7 meters tall, while Raiden was 1,55. Now that he thought about it, it looked like that was the case. He grew up around five centimeters... he didn''t notice, thanks to all the work he did in thest few months. The spear was two meters long, so he couldn''t use it fully until he became at least 1,8 meters tall... but he should be fine with the thrust attacks.


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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!