《Strongest Sorcerer: Realm Beyond Recall》 Chapter 1: The Village of Lopan Chapter 1: The Village of Lopan ''Chirp chirp chirp'' The sound of the local birds resonated through the air on a pleasant and peaceful day in Lopan village, a tiny settlement on the outskirts of Peach Country. "Nana!!" a little boy with blond and curly hair ran as he called out to a girl sitting under the shade of trees. The little boy was carrying an ancient book covered in cured leather. "Wow! Where did you get this book?" the little girl asked. "By that pile of rubble." "So, what kind of book is it?" the little girl took a glance at the ancient book. It was dusty and worn out. "I still don''t know. I can''t read what''s in it." The little boy replied. Both of them didn''t notice that a shadow was creeping behind them. Then suddenly... "Guahahahahahah!!! I see that you need this hero''s help!" Another little boy with black hair and spectacles suddenly appeared behind their backs. "Sheeesh! It''s only Mishael! I thought it was some monster." recovering from his sudden fright, the little boy wiped his forehead from sweat while the little girl was giggling. The little boy glared at Mishael and sarcastically asked." Sooo... what does it say Mr. Know-it-all?" Mishael took the book and opened it to read. "Shhhh! Let me concentrate. It says... ummm... sha... den... eiss?? Opps! I head Ma calling me. Got to go! See yah guys! "Ma your fart! You just can''t read it can you?" the little boy exclaimed as he took hold of Mishael''s leg, preventing him from leaving. "Come on! Use those extra eyes of yours." the girl said while giggling. "For your information Nana, these are called spectacles! A Magic item that helps me see better." Mishael proudly said. "Psh!! Magic item your sister... those are just glasses for your deaf eyes!" the little boy said while smirking. "What deaf? Eyes go blind, not deaf! It''s the ears that go deaf! You unlearned commoner!" "You are a commoner yourself!" "Hahahahahahaha" As the two boys kept on bickering, someone with an unfamiliar voice laughed. "Hey! What?! Who are you?" The two boys asked in unison. They were shocked to see someone suddenly sprout behind them. As the two boys glared at the hooded stranger, they kept Nana behind them and grabbed wooden sticks hidden behind their backs.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. "Now now... take it easy boys... This sister is just resting after a long trip." the stranger replied. "Oh really now? Since when have you been here?" the little boy asked. "Well... an hour before the little lady came picking flowers here." "What?" Nana grasped. "But I didn''t see you here earlier!" "That''s because you never looked? Hehehe" "Ah, I know! You''re a bandit! Here to take little kids and sell them to slavery!" Mishael cried out. "Really??!!" Nana and the little boy exclaimed. "Hahaha! No.. really now... accusing me of banditry hurts my feelings... wuwuwu.." "Then... what are you? You must show proof that you''re not hostile!" "Look who''s hostile here. Oh well..." The stranger removed the hood and stunned the children. A beautiful girl around the age of 16 was revealed. Her eyes were Amber and her hair was long and pink. She wore a light armor that showed her curves and perfect proportions and physical endowment. "Wow... your so beautiful big sister!" Nana exclaimed while the two boys were struck dumb from the beauty they saw. Nana eyes caught took notice of a pin on the stranger''s collar. It was in the shape of a silver sword pointing downward. "Big sister... are you a Knight of the Silver Sword empire?" Nana asked excitedly as she neared the stranger. "Yes, I am. Knight Alice Heart of the Silver Sword Knight Academy at your service. May I know that name of the lady that graces me with her presence?" Alice smiled as she asked. "Ah! Um! Right!" Nana flustered at being called a lady. "Um... My name is Nana Helmlet of Lopan Village. Daughter of the village chief and muse of the Lopan Forest Protectors." she introduced herself gracefully in a ladylike manner. "Ahh! Wait! Let us introduce ourselves too!" the two boys scampered in front of the beautiful knight. "My name is Mishael Oak! Sage, Genius, Scholar extraordinaire! Son of the lumberjack artisan Bulion! Chief knight of the Lopan Forest Protectors!" Mishael proudly introduced himself. "I am Maurice... just maurice... I''m an orphan from the border wars years ago..." before he could finish his introduction, a hand suddenly slapped his head. "Ouch! whatch doing that for?!" Maurice asked, feeling wronged. "What Orphan?! I adopted you 2 years ago! You are now my little sworn brother! A member of the Oak family!" "What little brother? Im atleast 3 days older than you!" As the duo started bickering again, Alice felt warm sweltering in her heart as she remembered a distant memory. She then took a glance at the book which was now at the hands of Nana."Your book... It seem''s to be written in Ancient Lunarian Texts." "Lunarian?" "You mean those Myths and Legends?" Nana seemed to be astonished with the findings about the book while Mishael was trying to remember what Alice was talking about. Maurice pretented to cough and asked Alice to read it for them. ''A long time ago, on the 7th Realm, the Mortal Realm, there existed a civilization existed a civilization called Lunaria that was ruled by the Sun Queen. It was a Queendom so vast, every living thing has a niche in it and all lived harmoniously. It was a country overflowing with resources and abundant with life energy. But things don''t remain the same once greed takes over. "Sire! Lord Malibourne! Lord Malibourne! I bring great news!" a green goblin in mage robes jumped and roared excitedly as it neared a throne. "What is it, little goblin?" A man with long ears and gray skin was sitting at a black throne that was emitting a dark evil aura. "Sire! The orb has awakened!" the goblin spoke "Exellent! Bring it to me! Bring me the pheonix orb!" Malibourne commanded as he grinned sinisterly. Malibourne, a demigod, craved for power. Unknown to every one, he unearthed an ancient energy source which came from absorbing living sacrifices. This source was called the Phoenix Orb. This energy source was so powerful, it had the ability to destroy all of Lunaria. The gods saw this and intervened. But the orb could suck energy and life force at Maliborne''s command. Though they were gods, their energies were absorbed by the orb and some of them were turned to mortals. Maliborne bacame a full god himself with the Orbs power. He summoned beasts called Scaths; beasts with the strength of gods. He invaded the royal castle of Lunaria and killed everyone except for one little girl. Chapter 2: Prophecy of the Hero Chapter 2: Prophecy of the Hero "Your Highness!! We must hurry!" A soldier implored to a girl in hooded robes. "Your Highness!! We have to leave at once!" "Shushh... Let her be... she only wants to bid farewell. The girl looked at a castle behind her being destroyed. Dead soldiers, broken walls, melted buildings, and burning hellfire consumed her home. She remembered this place as a peaceful world, where the only problem she had was preparing to be a queen. Tears rolled on her cheeks as she now only saw devastation and evilness. The Princess of Lunaria, Princess Ellune. She was taken to safety by some loyal Palace Guards and simply vanished from Lunaria. All Lunarians were sad for the loss of their beloved royalty. The people were then oppressed by Malibourne, taking anyone with exemplary life energy to add to his Orb to make it more powerful. The gods this time cannot keep on with his power. Every attempt to defeat Malibourne ended in failure. The Oracle of Lunaria, Priestess Valune, had a vision. In her vision, she saw a young dragon pretending to be human. The Dragon fell in love with a beautiful human female. He made her conceive a child, a human who inherited his dragon powers. It loved both the female human and the child, but it was a rule of the heavens that dragons shouldn''t live with humans. As kin who broke the commandments of his clan, the young dragon was cast into imprisonment by solitude on the Central Continent. So the Dragon was forced to leave the mother and child as he faced the punishment. "Th..This..!!" Priestess Valune opened her eyes and stared at the skies. She was sweating and breathing heavily. "Lady Valune!" a priestess called out to her. "What happened? Valune... are you alright?" a high priestess asked anxiously. "Fellow Priestess... High Priestess... A Prophecy... I have received a prophecy from the heavens! "Speak of it Valune, that we may know!" Valune sucked in a mouthful of mana to regain her strength. "50 years from now, a hero will rise... a half-human-half-dragon will appear. This being will have the power to fight against Malibourne and the Orb...." "That''s good news!! Is there more? Tell us!"Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. "I was not shown of the events that will happen after the rise of the hero..." The high priestess gave a mournful sigh "I see... then we cannot conclude if this hero will win... or lose..." It took 50 years since the prophecy was shown for the hero to appear. His name was Reign Eclipse, son of the Crystal Dragon. He fought Malibourne and the Phoenix Orb. With the Crystal Dragon''s attributes, he was immune to mana absorption. Malibourne then vanished from the face of Lunaria. But the Phoenix Orb still remained. It was self-renewing. Every time the orb was destroyed, it just returns to its original form. The orb was too powerful and Reign was wise enough to know that he cannot wield such dangerous artifact. So he sealed and protected it. He hid it away in a place that was safe from the hands of evil. Due to Malibourne''s battle with Reign and the gods, Lunaria was in ruins. Lunarians then agreed to disperse and settle at the southern part of the Pearl continent. The Queendom of mixed races, which lost its rulers fragmented into 8. Alluria the largest group of settlers, Mardoka Black Steel, Emerald, Holy Land of Lir, Dragon Forge, Zebul, Dark Wing Agnakar and Wiztra of the wind. The 8 Nations: Alluria, ruled by the Grand Knight King Alluria Silversword, prospered and became a great city-state. The Knights of Alluria became famous for their strength and valor. Then the Silver Sword Knight Academy was founded. And thus Alluria became the Kingdom of the Knights. Mardokans of the Black Steel Kingdom were Miners and Craftsmen. They excelled in inventing mechanical objects and machinery. Masters of the Smith, they excelled in technology and made excellent equipment. Emerald, land of the Nephilims. They were sons and daughters of gods who became mortals. They think of other beings as inferior to them. Holy Land of Lir, led by the Priestess Valune, became a Queendom. They found a place that was abundant in energy and settled there. Dragon Forge, Kingdom of the Dwarves. Zebul, the nation of the Beastmen was composed of 7 tribes. The tribes banded together and formed the "Council of Seven." Endowed with Physical strength, the Zebuls lived peacefully in the Fields of Gremon. Dark Wing Agnakar also became a very powerful country. The Founders of Alluria and Agnakar were rivals. Grand Knight King Alluria Silversword and Death Knight King Agnakar Ironfingers were fellow apprentices of a great knight from the ancient Lunaria. Before, they only had friendly competitions, but later developed into bloody confrontations. From then on, the two Kingdoms were in a state of war which resulted in contesting each other''s territories. Wiztra of the Wind was a group of scholars dedicated to learning. They maintained a neutral political stand and never took sides in controversies. Their high intelligence level earned them the name, "The Great Sages." Their country provided schools for all the other nations. "And that''s what the book says." Alice concluded as she closed the book and gave it back to Nana. "That was It? I want to hear more!" Nana faintly said as she started to yawn. "Big sister is done reading the whole book Nana..." Maurice uttered while stretching. "But..." "Big sister Alice... ummm... do you know anything that happened after that?" "Hmmm... do you really want to know?" Alice asked in a teasing manner. "YESSSS!!" the trio replied energetically. "Hehehehe... ok... Four hundred years passed..." Chapter 3: Stawberries Running through the Howling Forest, a group of children with ages ranging from 10 to 13 rustled inside the thick dark forest. A burly boy led the group and was followed by a young crimson-haired girl carrying a large thick sword and a curly-haired boy with a rapier. "Hey!!! There it is!!! Run!! Catch it!!" The burly boy shouted. They were chasing a wild blue colored spirit bull. "Leave it to me! Come now, my oversized friend! My sword wants to meet you! Hyahhh!" the curly-haired boy said as he thrust his rapier towards the blue spirit bull. "Milton! Stop! You didn''t remove the safety cover of rapier!" the young girl cried out as she saw the curly-haired boy''s weapon. "Nguuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!!!!!" The blue-colored spirit bull charged towards Milton. Fortunately, Milton had quick reflexes and was able to do a side step to evade the charging bull while lunging his rapier towards the bull. Shplitch~! But due to the safety cover, the weapon didn''t do its purpose. "Again!!" Milton shouted as he performed quick vertical and diagonal slashes. Shing Shing Shing Shing~! Still, Milton''s attack didn''t leave a scratch on the Blue Spirit Bull. "What the!!?? I could even slice a boulder with this thing¡­ but why can''t I scratch this spirit bull?" Milton said with a confused look. "Didn''t you remember what father said?" the girl explained as they continued to chase the wild beast. Milton uses spirit energy on his rapier to make it sharp. But the spirit bull is a spirit beast and is immune to spiritual powers. So even if he uses the sharpest spiritual sword, the spirit bull will just absorb the spirit energy and deflect the physical attack. "Ugh¡­ that''s right¡­ dang!... Ekk!!!" Milton''s eyes nearly popped out of his head as he saw the bull charging towards him again. "Bombs Away! Boulder Crusher!!" Wapak! The burly boy hits the bull with his fist and the beast got stunned, stopping it on its attack. It was surprised that someone could stop its charge. "Hahaha! Serves you right! You destroyed the town elder''s house and ate the carrots in his garden. Now its time for you to feel pain. What can you say about that? Huh?" the burly boy said. "Nguuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!" the bull roared while the burly boy concentrated on gathering physical energy on his fist. "Milton! Alice! Distract it while I gather energy for a more powerful blow!" "Yes, Second brother!" the curly-haired boy and the crimson-haired girl responded.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Eldest Brother! Cast the Slow Spell!" the burly boy ordered. "Affirmative!" A frail-looking boy was hiding behind a large boulder. He had long white hair, blue eyes, and a trendy wooden staff. "Wings of Lunaria, I, Gray Silverleaf invoke thee!! Remove agility!!" A pink cloud of dust swarms around the bull''s legs and slowed down its movement. "Second Brother! I could only do half Slow Spell¡­ The bull is immune to spirit attacks and has a high resistance to magic attacks!" the frail boy named Gray shouted. "As I thought¡­ even my physical blows¡­ Spirit energy is still the main force of our combat style, so we can only do half the damage. Okay! I''m half done gathering energy!" the burly boy said. "I''ll try the new move Master taught me! Swarm Sting!" Milton roared. Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Swarm of rapier points flashed at the bull causing it to be pushed backward. "Yes! A slight success¡­ sigh¡­" "Hahaha¡­ Fourth Brother¡­ Master said you can only use that skill after you become Rank 2 copper stage mortal art practitioner." Alice said. "I''ll try mine! Shield Arts Buckler Bash!" Alice gathered her energy on her left arm as she slammed her shield on the spirit beast. But then something else happened. All eyes directed at Alice and her shield. Everyone''s face was showed a shocked expression while their mouths gaping wide and their jaws felt like falling on the ground. Crack~ Alice''s buckler was a magic item crafted from a spiritual wood. When it hit the spirit beast, all the spirit energy that held the wooden particles together got absorbed by the immunity. Without the spirit energy holding it together, the result was¡­ the disintegration of materials. "What!!! Nooooo!!!" Alice felt like crying as she saw her beloved buckler turn to dust. "Hahahahahahaha! Third little sister, you actually forgot that spirit energy holds that buckler of yours together? Now¡­ Out of the way!!" the burly boy shouted Everyone evacuated 10 meters away from the bull. The burly boy''s hand now grew as large as the bull''s head. It had a red glow and shone like polished steel. "Majestic Hammer!" BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!!!!!!!!!!! A mushroom cloud of dust rose to the sky above the Howling Forest. Some frail trees were uprooted in the process. "No way!!" everyone exclaimed as the dust fog cleared out. The Blue spirit bull was still standing firmly on the ground. No wounds, no bruises. Only a minuscule dent on its left horn could be considered the damage they had done after 3 hours of chasing and fighting. "Everyone! Run!" The burly boy distracted the spirit beast as the rest retreated after which he too ran away. "Nyoo! Puff!" with a smirk on his face, the blue spirit bull puffed some steam showing of its pride as the winner. The group was panting hard as they left the spirit beast''s range. "I didn''t think it would be that powerful¡­ ouch! Sprained my wrist¡­ where''s rosemary?" the burly boy asked. "I had her hide up that big tree." Gray replied. "Let''s pick her up and head for the hut. I guess my devised plan in capturing the spirit beast failed huh? "Man! I''m glad I''m still alive¡­ Damn that bull¡­ Where''s Gin by the way?" Milton asked. "Picking Strawberries." Alice replied. "Wahahahaha!! That sissy of a man! He''s always doing the weak stuff." Milton laughed. "Hahahahaha! He''s different from us Milton¡­ Gin is eccentric and does really weird things. He likes to experiment with stuff. He even made that old Cherry tree bare Strawberries¡­ Now ain''t that weird? A forb fruit bearing on a tree of a different fruit¡­" the burly boy said. "No¡­ Gin is just doing what ''he'' can do since he can''t cultivate due to his crippled mana vein." Alice retorted. "There goes Third sister''s maternal instincts again¡­" Milton asserted. "Oh you¡­ just shut up¡­" "Hahahahahaha!" "Elder Brothers! Elder Sister Alice! I''m here!" a soft cry was heard on top of a large tree. There sat a petite girl that looked like 6 years old but was actually 10 years old. "There she is¡­ Rosemary¡­ can you fix my wrist first before we head home? Master will notice this." The burly boy asked. "Sure thing big brother." Rosemary happily responded as she placed her hand on the burly boy''s wrist. A soothing feeling was felt by the burly boy as Rosemary''s mana entered his wrist and healing any damaged tissue and bone. A light breeze carrying the little girl''s mana surrounded the group as it rejuvenated their strength. Chapter 4: Leaving the homestead Inside the central part of the Howling Forest, a young boy was indifferent to what was happening. He was busy poking elemental sprites, imitating the movements of Howling Forest Bull Frogs, playing Rock-Paper-Scissors with Axe Rabbits, and harvesting strawberries from the lone cherry tree beside a pond. "Mhm¡­ Yup! Just the right sweetness¡­ Sister Alice will really like this one¡­" a small boy around the age of 8-9 years old was picking fruits from the tree. Tak ta tak ta tak ta tak~ A sound of something running through the woods was heading towards the small boy''s direction. "Huh?" "Ngoooooooooooooooo!!!!!" the spirit beast stops in front of the small boy and roars. "Oh! Oh! A spirit bull! Hello there little guy!" the small boy greeted the spirit bull in wide smiles. ''Huh? This puny human called me little?'' the spirit bull was bewildered. Normally, humans without spirit power would run away at the sight of the spirit bull. And most would call the bull huge or monstrous. Little? That''s a new title¡­ "Ngoooo?" "Uh yes, I called you little¡­ If you''re not then what are you?" ''Huh? This puny human can understand me? W¡­ w¡­ wait¡­ I can understand this puny human too?'' "And yes I can understand you." ''Huh? This puny human is saying that he can understand me? I don''t even understand me¡­ w¡­ w¡­ wait¡­how come I''m talking to myself in human language??'' the bull''s eyes widened. "Are you an idiot?" the small boy was also confused looking at the bull. Amazingly, this small boy could converse with animals and thought that it was a normal and natural thing. He could talk to Forest Sprites, Bull Frogs and Axe Rabbits so why not this bull? ''Huh? This puny human called me an Idiot! NO! I call me an Idiot! Not you! Puny Human¡­'' "Really now? Hahahahaha¡­ Calling yourself an idiot¡­ this is a first for me hahahaha!" the small boy was rolling on the floor laughing out loud. "Ngoooooooo!!!" the spirit bull was angry from the insult of being called an idiot. It went into attack position when suddenly a small hand patted its forehead. "Now now little blue¡­ I know what you did to the village elder''s house." The small boy smiled calmly as he gently patted the spirit bull''s head. The spirit bull was wide-eyed in shock with its mouth open. Although the small boy was smiling and calm, what the spirit beast felt was different. From the bull''s perspective, a large hand, as large as the howling forest was trying to pat its head. The bull felt chills on its back and was terrified with its current predicament. A suffocating aura surrounded the area. Then the feeling suddenly disappeared as the small boy withdrew his hand. "It''s ok though¡­ since you''re untamed and all¡­" the small boy said. "Ngooo?" the spirit bull felt utterly defeated for the first time in its life. It ran amok the howling forest and the surrounding villages like it were the king of the world. Yet here, it met its match. A small boy who doesn''t even have a single bit of mana in his body yet had a very terrifying aura. "Hmmm¡­ I need to go pick some carrots from the southern fields for tonight''s stew. Wanna give me a lift?" the small boy asked. "Ngoo!" ''sure bro whatever you say bro!'' The small boy mounts on the spirit beast''s back and called out, "Come on guys! Hop on for a joy ride! Let''s goooo!!! Nyahahahaha!" then the elemental sprites and some axe rabbits hopped on the bull''s back to join in the fun. ~In a small homestead inside the Howling Forest~ After the group of children failed to hunt the spirit bull, they went home dejected since they weren''t able to obtain the village elder''s reward. "Hahahaha! Failed big time huh? Wahahahaha!" A loud laugh suddenly sounded from inside the hut. Then an old man with grey hair and a short beard came out. He was garbed in a worn-out scholarly robe and red long scarf. "We got owned Master¡­" the Eldest Brother Gray said while being embarrassed with the results. "Hahahahaha! I knew that would happen. Generally, on a one on one duel with the spirit beast, all of you are worlds apart in terms of cultivation level. But you could have stood a chance of not being too miserable if all of you did things right." The Old Master emphasized. "First of all, Gray¡­" "Yes, Master?" "You weren''t using attack skills earlier¡­" "But the spirit bull was immune to all spirit attacks¡­" "Are your magic spells all spirit attacks?" the Old Master asked. "Oh!! That''s right¡­ I have elemental spells¡­" Gray exclaimed. "Yes¡­ and the second mistake you made was leaving little Rosemary on that tree to hide. If she was with all of you, she could have buffed you with recovery and body enhancement Arts. You failed as a mage and as a strategist this time. Now, do you know your mistakes?" "I acknowledge my mistakes master." Gray bowed his head feeling dejected but enlightened as well. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere."Next¡­ Gregory!" the Old Master looked at the burly boy. "Yes, Master?" Gregory replied. "You failed at¡­." The Old Master reiterated their mistakes and supplemented them with lessons to their individual weaknesses. After the theoretical session, the Old Master reinforced their actual experience with a round of beatings. The training didn''t end until all of them were beaten blue and regressed to shrimp position. The Old Master''s hut was small but cozy. During meals, everyone gathers on the central part of the homestead where a cooking pit and dining tables are located. This is the territory of the youngest disciple, Gin. Due to Gin''s crippled mana veins, he is unable to gather mana and cultivate. So he does the household chores and the old jobs from nearby villages. In his free time, he experiments with his ideas and trains in Smelting and other professions he deemed fun to learn. In terms of the time spent with the Old Master, he was supposed to be the Eldest Senior disciple because the Old Master took care of him since he was still a baby. But due to his inability to cultivate and his age, he became the youngest brother within the group. "Seconds!!! Wow¡­ you sure do cook like one of them high-class restaurant chefs, sissy boy¡­" Milton praised while holding his bowl for another scoop of stew. "Hahaha¡­ Thank you Fourth Brother Milton¡­ I placed poison ivy on yours for added spicy taste¡­ you''ll be scratching your mouth later." Gin grinned evilly. "Eh!!! Why You!!" Everybody laughed and joked during the meal. It was what made the Old Master''s homestead lively. It was when these few disciples of his gather around the cooking pit and interact with each other, the Old Master reminisced on old memories. "Hahaha¡­ Gin, how about coming with us for the second time hunting that spirit bull¡­ We''ll tame it this time for sure." Gregory affirmed. "Umm¡­ I think I''ll pass for now Second Brother¡­ with all of you being defeated today, it won''t be safe for me joining your party¡­ I can''t cultivate remember? I''ll just get trampled over by them spirit beast and die a miserable death¡­" Gin awkwardly reasoned. "Ah¡­ I see¡­" "Ah¡­ Sissy¡­" ~SMACK~ "Ouch¡­ Third sister really pampers the youngest brother!" Milton mumbled as he held his head, feeling aggrieved. "By the way sis Alice¡­ I have those strawberries you like¡­ ~poook~ ouch¡­" Alice''s finger flicked Gin''s forehead while smiling playfully. "What sis Alice? I''m 2 years older than you¡­ called me Big Sister!" "What? That''s just 2 years gap! I won''t even call you Big Sister even if your 100 years older!" Gin exclaimed giving a vibe of saying ''listen to mah logic yoh!''. "Why?" Alice asked. "Cause I''d be calling you Grandma by then¡­ hur hur hur" Gin sinisterly smirked. "Grandma your sister!" Alice roared angrily. "But you''re my sister¡­" "Why you smart little¡­" as Alice angrily charged towards Gin, the small boy flicked a strawberry towards Alice''s mouth. As she bit the fruit, what she felt was a heavenly sensation. The sweetness of the fruit''s juice twirled in her mouth and its scent was greedily absorbed by her pores, afraid that others would smell-snatch it. "Woahhhhh!!!! This strawberry!" "Here''s a bowl for you¡­" "Yeey! Thank you so much Gin!" Alice happily hugged the small boy. "Hehehe¡­ Instead of thanking me¡­ why don''t you just marry me and we can plant strawberries together." Gin said. "What¡­ why you¡­ you''re taking advantage of this big sister aren''t you?" "Nyahahaha¡­ Sis Alice really treats me best¡­" The others were staring at them blankly and shook their heads. This ancient little ancestor really is something¡­ to tame this hot-headed woman with just some fruits¡­ As the Old Master saw this he laughed. He then told a story of two Grand Knights who broke all friendly ties with each other due to a bowl of strawberries. He then gathered his disciples around him and instructed them of their future tasks. On his hand were 2 letters of recommendation and 3 letters of introduction. Of the 2 letters of recommendation, one was for Gray, recommending him to study with the wizards and sages of Wiztra of the Wind. The second one was for Gregory, recommending him to learn and join a warrior tribe of Zebul, in the fields of Gremon. Of the letters of introduction, 2 were for Alice and Rosemary, as they were 11 and 10 years old respectively. Alice was a daughter of an Allurian King so she was to enter the Alluria Silver Sword Academy while Rosemary was to enter the Medical department of the academy. Milton given the letter of recommendation to enter Emerald, the city of Nephilims. "You all know that I''m not your father¡­ But I see you as my own children. And every one of you is not related by blood but you kids treat each other like true siblings¡­ even more than that." The Old master said. "That''s because we ARE family Master. And once a master, a father for life. A family doesn''t just mean someone related by blood, but it''s someone who you care for more than yourself!" Milton seriously interjected. "You have learned well Milton. You are now ready to face a new life. In two months, after I give the final lesson, I want every one of you to shape your own destinies and embrace your fates. Remember¡­ wherever you are¡­ you always have a family. No matter how far are we from one another¡­ We exist in each other''s hearts." Then suddenly a grieved voice sounded. "Hey Old Man! How about me?" a small boy asked. "Uh¡­" "Gin¡­ stop stepping on Master''s moment!" "What? Why? I''m the only one who didn''t receive a paper thingy!" "Shh Gin, keep quiet!" "No!!! I want to go with sis Alice to that academy place! What if she and sis Rosemary get bullied?" "Who''d bully them?" Milton didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. "No! I will go with¡­ ugh¡­ ufff¡­" The Old Master suddenly grabbed the back collar of his shirt like a little cat. The poor small boy struggled but unfortunately, didn''t win. "Nooo!!! Old Man! I want to go with them! Wait! Old Man! Damn!! Old Fart! You!!!" "Um Excuse us for a moment. I''ll talk with this little beast and have him return to his senses. Meanwhile, get ready to start your 2-month final lesson." The Old Master instructed with a gentle smile while holding Gin on his hand who was like a little cat biting and squirming. ------------------------------- "And then¡­" as Alice was telling the story to the trio, she noticed that it was getting dark and the children were getting sleepy. "It''s already nearing sunset¡­ I think you should go home now." "Aw¡­ but we want to hear more!" The three kids said in unison. "Hmmm¡­ how about we listen to you tomorrow again?" Mishael asked. Alice shook her head and said, "I''m sorry¡­ but I need to go someplace else by tomorrow." "Awww" "But¡­ If I''ll be able to pass this way again¡­ I''ll certainly go visit you guys hehehe." Alice promised them. "Ok! That''s a deal, big sis! Maurice¡­ Nana¡­ Let''s go¡­ before our parents will scold us." Alice looked at the backs of the three children as they marched back to their village. "May the ''Ancient'' bless and keep you." She walks towards the sunset and looks up to the sky. "It''s already been 2 years since then¡­ I wonder how they are right now. Master left with Gin and they were nowhere to be found ever since¡­ I guess he''s 10 years old now¡­ and can enter the Silver Sword Knight Academy¡­ but¡­ unfortunately¡­ he has crippled mana veins¡­sigh" 2 years ago, after their 2-month extreme training lesson, the second brother Gregory Helm joined a caravan heading for Zebul while the eldest brother Gray Silverleaf went to Wiztra of the Wind to experience the knowledge of the world. Milton Highward went with some bards and dancers heading to the Nephilim City of Emerald. Rosemary Vough and Alice Heart went to Heart Kingdom together, then traveled to the Empire of Alluria to enter the Silver Sword Knight Academy. "I joined the knight academy hoping to become a grand knight and maintain the level of affiliation of our Heart Kingdom and to protect the people I love. And Gin¡­ he was the closest to me because our personalities had chemistry¡­ in the 6 years, I was with him¡­ I never knew his full name. He was the naughtiest as well as the kindest person I ever knew¡­ as second brother Gregory said before, he''ll just hurt himself if he fought. I remember Master telling us that ''Strength doesn''t only come from being physically strong, from being mentally intelligent, or by being spiritually gifted. Strength also comes from the heart of a person who always believes.'' I didn''t understand what he meant, but maybe, he was saying that Gin had a different kind of strength of something. Well anyways, this is how we left¡­ our little homestead." Chapter 5: Academy Entrance Test The Silver Sword Empire of Alluria is well-known for its Holy Knights or Paladin. Among the warriors of Alluria, there are 100 Paladins all around the empire. Some are designated as kings by the Empress. Above the Paladins are 12 Great Holy Knights or High Paladin. 10 of these High Paladins are situated on the 10 defensive fortresses all over the empire while the last 2 guards the Empress. Above the high Paladins are Grand Holy Knights or Paladin Lord. In the history of Alluria, there are only 3 Paladin Lords. The first one was the Grand Knight King Alluria Silversword. The second one is Oz Espilce, and the third and last is the Emperor Consort Hugh Silversword. The Knights of Alluria are divided into 5 divisions, namely the Sword division, Mage division, Medic division, General division, and last and the least, the logistics division. The Sword division is composed of both melee and ranged units. It is the main force of the army that comprises the infantry, archers, ground cavalry, air cavalry and, beast units. The Mage division comprises both the offensive and defensive mages. The Medic division is composed of the Healers and Alchemists. The General division is where the cream of the crop general grade knights belong. This division is in charge of training and leading the Empire''s military. Lastly, the logistics division is the support unit. They bring the food rations, equipment, supplies and do all the odd jobs. To provide manpower to these divisions, the empire built the Silver Sword Knight Academy. By the age of 10, one can apply for apprenticeship by taking the entrance test every start of spring. Through these series of tests, passers will be designated to the different divisions and will be called Knight Apprentices. Knight Apprentices have several ranks. Starting from the lowest, the White Knight Apprentice, Grey Knight, Red Knight, Blue Knight, Black Knight, Bronze Knight, Silver Knight, and the Golden Knight Apprentice. After they pass the academy''s Knight Initiation Test, they become official Knights that have the same corresponding rank system as the apprentices. With the addition of higher ranks such as the Knight Champion, Guardian Knight, Paladins, High Paladins, and the Paladin Lord. It''s now the start of spring in the year 2199 of the Mortal Realm Calendar. During this time of the year was the busiest for the Silver Sword Knight Academy. Due to a very large populace applying for an apprenticeship, the Silver Sword Knight Academy created 5 subsidiary schools that train apprentices from White to Bronze. Only when the students pass the Silver Knight Apprentice Test will they be sent to the mother academy in the capital city of the Silver Sword Empire, Alluria. The 5 subsidiary schools were placed under the supervision of tier 5 Kingdoms. They were the Heart Kingdom, Sapphire Kingdom, Luna Kingdom, Scorching Sand Kingdom, and Peach Country United Front. Aside from the subsidiary schools, there are also accredited schools formed by different powerful families and sects. To be an accredited school, one must have at least an Allurian Guardian Knight as their guarantor. In the Silver Sword Knight Academy branch of Heart Kingdom, a middle-aged man with the badge of "Red Knight" overseer was supervising the entrance examination for an apprenticeship. He was sent by the main school and was given special authority to manage the event. Currently, the power he held was equal to that of the King. The overseer was sitting beside the King of Heart Kingdom and was looking down the testing grounds where a multitude of people of different ages from different walks of life and diverse races gathered to take the Knight Apprentice Entrance Examination.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. The series of tests within the examination include; the traditional strength test, mana test, command aptitude test, Arts showcase and the optional Individual battle to determine the newbie rank. "Oh! We have a lot of examinees this year." The king of Heart Kingdom was elated to see a sea of people lining up for the tests. If ever there are students with good potential in this batch that are able to pass the Silver Knight Apprentice Test before the age of 30, then the tier of his kingdom will be secured for at least another 20 years. He only needed 3 more high-potential knight apprentices since his daughter, the youngest Blue Knight Apprentice at the age of 13, already secured the slot together with a 25-year-old Black Knight Apprentice. He only needed a quota of 5 every 2 years. "Well, it seems to be so-so." The Red Knight replied arrogantly. He was an official Red Knight from the capital and had an elitist point of view as someone of higher status originating from a higher place in the society. Anyone that was not from the capital was of lower status from his perspective. He believed that people from the capital are highborn and those from the surrounding affiliated kingdoms are lowborn. ''These hicks from the countryside are trying to climb up a ladder that''s not theirs. They are not deserving of the title Knight! Why is the empire doing this low-class conscription?'' the Red Knight thought to himself. "I remember you have a daughter that''s already a Blue Knight Apprentice?" the Red Knight asked the King. "Yes, yes. Oh! She is just wonderful. Strong and brave just like our ancestors. Hur hur hur!" The King happily praised his daughter. "Mhm. When she passes the Silver Knight Apprentice Test, have her come to me to be my squire. Maybe she will have the chance to become a White Knight in 20 years." The Red Knight sneered, showing his haughty attitude. After the Red Knight made his remark, the smiling face of the King turned into a slight frown. He was displeased with the comment of the Red Knight regarding his daughter. The youngest Blue Knight Apprentice in the history of Alluria and you want her to become a squire? Someone in the Silver Sword Empire that has the potential to be a Paladin before the age of 30 and you want her to be your minion? She is Princess of my Heart Kingdom and you want her to become your follower? A servant to your beck and call? Dream on buddy! The Red Knight noticed the change in the King''s expression, but he only smirked and said in a righteous manner, "I''m only doing you a favor since it was fate that led me here to this dirty corner of the world. But if you do not appreciate my kindness and generosity, then let it be!" With the follow-up remark by the Red Knight, the King of Heart Kingdom became angrier. His hot blood rose to his head and his face distorted to a very aggrieved frown. He obviously couldn''t take the insult to her beloved daughter and the condescending behavior of the Red Knight towards his Kingdom. "Red Knight Bodu! What do you mean by this?" the king angrily asked. "What I mean is what I mean. If you are insulted by my words then what I said was correct." Red Knight Bodu replied. "Why you¡­!!!" The King was somewhat at a loss of words since he didn''t want to acknowledge what the Knight said as correct. So he just held on to his anger and thought of ways to make a comeback in the conversation when suddenly a commotion was made at one of the testing areas. A blue-haired boy caught the attention of everyone in the nearby area as well as the viewing platforms. This was because the boy was riding a spirit beast. But not just any ordinary spirit beast. It was high tiered Royal Blue Spirit Bull. "Finally!!! I''m here! Wait¡­ Am I at the correct place?" the blue-haired boy said. "Ngoo?" the spirit beast replied. "Ah¡­ I guess I might as well asked that mouse-faced person." The blue-haired boy said as he looked at one of the examiners. ''Eh¡­ is that little brat talking about me?'' the mouse-faced examiner thought to himself when suddenly he was startled to find out that the blue-haired boy was in front of him. "Ey! Mister Mouse¡­ Is this the Heart Kingdom''s Silver Sword Knight Academy Examination site?" the blue-haired boy asked the examiner. "Uh¡­ yes, this is¡­ wait¡­ what mister mouse?!" "Oh, I see! Then I''m in the right place! Hur hur hur! Finally!" the blue-haired boy cheered. "Hey, you! Who are you? What is your purpose in coming here? Why are you disturbing the conscription process?!" Red Knight Bodu shouted. ''Huh¡­ what conscription!?'' When the King heard the Red Knights remark, he was incensed. Treating the sacred event of this examination as mere conscription? But before he could say anything, a reply came from the blue-haired boy. "Hey! Mister Tomato-looking-soldier! The Name''s Gin Ordric Dawnfall! My purpose here is to become a Knight to earn lots of money and become the ''Richest Man in the World!'' the blue-haired boy happily exclaimed as his eyes sparkled. Chapter 6: Junior Brother ~Inside one of the classrooms of the Academy~ The class was busy doing their own personal things while waiting for the Knight Instructor. Some were simply chatting while others were sparring and exchanging pointers with each other. A middle-aged looking man with a Blue Knight badge entered the room without anyone noticing him. As he looked at this class, he smiled while sighing. Then he suddenly shouted, "DEATH!" The students inside the room were startled with hairs on their skin standing. This was because the shout contained Arts that gave them the illusion of death. "Ehemmm!" the instructor coughed. The students didn''t seem to hear the instructor. They were still under the Art, Mind Art Fear. "Ehemmm!" the instructor coughed again. "Wah!!! It''s Instructor Kent!! Behave Yourselves!" a knight apprentice noticed the instructor and shouted at his fellow classmates. As they gained back their senses, everyone rumbled back to their seats and settled down. "Geez, you guys are already Knight Apprentices. Once you pass the Silver Knight Apprentice Test in the future, you''ll be only a few steps to reaching your dreams of becoming an official knight. But sadly, just now, you died." Knight Instructor Kent reprimanded. "But instructor, we weren''t ready for that sneak attack¡­" a knight apprentice said. "That''s why it''s a sneak attack¡­ because you weren''t ready¡­" Instructor Kent smirked. "As Knights, you have to be always ready. Death is always at your door. Especially these days as the Agnakarians seem to move sneakily these days. Where is your Class Representative?" "She''s not here Sir Kent." a knight apprentice replied. "Geez! Having a prodigy and princess in our class is a pain. Always doing what she wants." Instructor Kent sighed. "Erickson, call the Little Miss Genius. The rest of the class, get ready. We will be watching the Entrance Examination today. We will scout students with high potential to join our class so that we will win this year''s Combat Exercises!" "But sir¡­ I don''t know where she is¡­" the knight apprentice Erickson sheepishly said. "I think she just arrived this morning from Peach Country United Front. She went to visit her Arts Master." a female knight apprentice said. "Ah¡­ is she just returned, then she''s where she''s always is¡­ The Hall of Heroes. She loves that place. Her favorite statue is that War Hero Ozweild Espilce¡­ now he is a hero. Do you remember the time I told you about¡­" As Instructor Kent was swallowed by his own world of storytelling, Erickson left the room to find the Class Representative. ~Hall of Heroes, Heart Kingdom Silver Sword Knight Academy~ The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.A crimson-haired girl was looking at a statue. She felt familiar with the younger version of Ozweild Espilce. Her eyes sparkled as she strengthened her resolve to reach the heights of this Paladin Lord. With the Old Masters Arts Lineage, she will be able to achieve her goals. "Princess Heart! Princess Heart! There you are¡­ Sir Kent is looking for you." Erickson said as she saw the crimson-haired girl. "Sir Kent? What is it about? There are still 10 minutes before training starts again." The crimson-haired girl asked. "Umm¡­ he didn''t say anything¡­ but I guess it''s about the Knight Apprentice Entrance Examination. It''s still ongoing right now." Erickson replied. "Hmmm¡­ Okay¡­ lets head for the¡­" as the crimson-haired girl was talking to Erickson, a group of Knight Apprentices from the Special Section approached them. "Well, well! My day is complete! Because such a lovely flower is present in the hall of stones! Hello Princess Alice¡­" a knight apprentice with a red badge arrogantly interposed himself as she greeted the crimson-haired girl. "Hello¡­ Kirk¡­" Alice replied while trying to be nice. "Ah¡­ I really don''t get you, your highness¡­ You being a prodigy among the apprentices, being one of this branch academy''s "Who''s who" list with regards to beauty, body, and brains, and is one of the strongest Knight Apprentices¡­ yet you still manage to enjoy the company of this¡­" he looks at Erickson. "Trash??" "Hahahahahahaha!" the group from the special section mockingly laughed. "Well, that''s why I never associate with YOU¡­ Special Children¡­" Alice nonchalantly replied. "What! How dare you little¡­" a special section knight apprentice was displeased. "Stop it! She dares because she can. As she is my precious little flower¡­" Kirk ordered. "Mister Millianard¡­ don''t forget¡­ "Your" precious little flower has poisonous thorns around her¡­" Erickson inserted. "Hmpphhh" Alice chuckled "Nice one Erick!" "And who might that thorn be? You? You''re just a weed!" Kirk retorted. "Not just him Kirk¡­" a knight apprentice with a semi-pompadour hair said as a group arrived behind Alice. "But all of us¡­" a bulky knight apprentice said as the 5 of them stood in front on Alice. They were her friends and part of her unit. "You dare oppose us Maggots?!!" someone from the special section roared. "Stop it¡­ They''ll have their day. Farewell, Your Highness. Let''s go men." Kirk ordered as the left the Hall of Heroes. "You guys are the best. Thanks for preventing me from thrashing them." Alice said as she smiled at her friends. "Hahaha Your highness¡­ Even though we''re knights, we are still fragile little ladies. Let''s just let the men protect us. You don''t have to imitate their violent vulgar ways." a pretty girl named Alyssa said as she wrapped her arms around Alice from the back. "And who would protect you, my dear beloved sister? I''m sure I won''t¡­" a boy with similar looks to Alyssa interjected. He is Jefferson, Alyssa''s twin brother. Together with him was the bulky knight apprentice named Ivan and Nicky, the silent short boy with 5 swords on his back. The 4 of them together with Erickson are part of Alice''s unit. With Alice as the core shieldmaiden, Alyssa the healer, Jefferson as the heavy melee, Nicky as the light melee, Erickson as the heavy lance cavalry and Ivan as the heavy archer. Their team is one of the top-seeded units for the Silver Sword Knight Academy Annual Combat Exercises. They''re only missing a combat mage for support. "Oh really now? Are you sure about that?" Alyssa smiled wickedly. "Sheesh¡­ having a sister stronger than me is annoying." Jefferson said looking aggrieved. "Hahahaha" "Big Sis! Big sis!" as everyone laughed, a cute voice sounded from afar. A petite beautiful girl around the age of 12 with brown hair and round eyes ran towards them calling out to Alice. It was her little junior disciple, Rosemary. When she and Rosemary enrolled at the academy, they were assigned on different units due to their above excellent performance on the Entrance Test. Alice chose to join the 2nd Class and led the 4th unit while Rosemary was assigned against her will to the Special Section as the 2nd healer. "Big sis ALICE!!!!! He''s here! He''s here!" Rosemary cried with obvious excitement shown on her face. "Who''s here?" Alice asked feeling confused with Rosemary''s exclamation. With sparkling eyes and face agitated with excitement, she said. "It''s Junior Brother Gin!" Chapter 7: Barely Passing A lot of people started to gather around the Knight Apprentice testing grounds ever since the 10-year-old blue-haired boy insulted the Red Knight "Tomato-looking-soldier". Most of the people were there to watch how this blue-haired boy will die while others were wondering who gave the kid the courage to insult the overseer. The Red Knight was incensed while the king felt pleased with the sight of this young boy. He was finally able to return a slap without doing anything. "Why¡­ this little punk¡­" the Red Knight Bodu gritted his teeth in anger. "Relax¡­ chill out, Sir Bodu. He is just a junior from the countryside. You don''t need to take him seriously." The king said to Bodu. "Okay everyone, continue with the test." As the king gave the order, the examiners continued to receive the applicants in their respective testing areas. A few hours later, it was Gin''s turn to take the test. "Okay kid. In order for you to pass as an apprentice, you''ll have pass 4 out of 5 tests. The 1st one is the traditional strength test. You have to use your physical strength against this power scale. You have to score average points of 250 to receive a passing mark." The examiner said. "Oh cool! I''ve always wanted to try this strength thingy." Gin happily went in front of the power scale when suddenly a loud sound resonated from one of the strength testing areas. "Wow, isn''t that boy from the Isenburg family?" "Yeah, he is. Just 10 years old and he can reach 380 points on the power scale." On a neighboring testing area, a handsome boy punched his 2nd and 3rd tries with 385 and 399 points respectively. The people around him were in awe. He was Rick Isenburg, the 2nd young master of the Isenburg family, one of the 3 major families in Heart Kingdom. The most common number of points that a person below the age of 15 can attain is around 250 to 280. Individuals with innate abilities can reach up to 350 points. It was rare to see a 10-year-old to reach beyond 390 points. But this rare occurrence was superimposed by someone from another family. Another 10-year-old boy from the Stella family punched 3 times consecutively and had 400 points on each punch. He broke Rick Isenburg''s 390 point record and overwhelmed him with higher average points. Rick Isenburg clicked his tongue as he looked at the boy from the Stella family. On the other hand, Uden Stella grinned arrogantly at Rick Isenburg as he won their little competition. The Heart Royal Family, Isenburg Family, and the Stella Family are the 3 major families in Heart Kingdom. These 3 families are always in competition on who was the stronger lineage. Whoever gets to have the strongest young generation will take the sit as Royal Family of Heart Kingdom. It''s also amazing how the 3 families never waged in war with each other and only fight in friendly competitions.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. 2 years ago, both Isenburg and Stella Families were mopped on the ground by the Royal Family when Alice Heart returned from training. As a Rank 3 Copper Mortal Arts Practitioner, she made a record of 700 points as an 11-year-old. This was 200 points higher than what the strongest 15-year-old can do. Starting that day, the Silver Sword Knight Academy even posted prize money to those below 15 years old who can break Alice Heart''s record in the traditional strength test will receive 1000 silver coins which were equivalent to 1 gold coin. "Alright! My turn to shine! Here comes my money!" Gin raised his hand and slapped the power scale and a sharp sound resonated around the testing area. It sounded like someone slapping a fat belly. It took the people''s attention and when they saw that it was the blue-haired boy that did the sound, they were amazed until they saw the points. The points that were projected by the power scale shocked them. "75? Am I seeing things? Is it actually 75?" "Uhhh¡­ I might be hallucinating¡­ 75¡­ even 5-year-olds can do that right?" "I thought he was something¡­ insulting the Red Knight like that¡­" "Hahahahahahaha!!! He''s actually trash! Wahahahahah!" Red Knight Bodu laughed while the king beside him frowned. The examiner overseeing Gin shook his head and sighed. ''He''s actually so weak¡­ To think that he stood here so proudly before¡­'' Unfazed by the mocks around him, Gin smiled and grinned as he raised his arm again. This time, he rotated his hand and formed a chopping stance. As he gathered his energy, the examiner beside him was astounded. He just realized that the earlier slap, no¡­ it was more like a slight tap¡­ contained no mana. Meaning it was done without exerting bodily energy. Only natural gravitational energy was used. But won''t that hurt his hand instead? Gin now swung his hand performing a chop action, just like hand-chopping a friend''s head. 250! The mocking crowd suddenly turned silent. The examiner''s eyes stared at Gin as he felt bewildered of what had happened. 75 points on the 1st hit and got 250 points on the 2nd hit. Wasn''t the difference a little large? From a failing point to a passing point. Before the examiner could record the 2nd hit, Gin once again raised his hand and formed a fist. Then his hand fell and hit the power scale. What happened next stunned everyone looking. Even Rick Isenburg and Uden Stella widened their eyes on the projected score. A casual hammering of his hand caused a huge change in the score. "Am I imagining things?" "How did that little boy do that?" "425 points¡­ the difference between his 1st hit and 3rd hit is huge. It''s just like a cripple suddenly turned into a prodigy¡­" As the others were busy discussing, Gin moved his fist and moved into a punching position. As he was about to release his fist, the examiner interjected. "Hey, Kid! Your strength test is over. You only get to have 3 tries. You get an average score of 250 points. You barely passed. Here''s your Strength badge, representing your pass in this test. Now move to the other testing area." The examiner explained. "What? Wait¡­ I haven''t surpassed the previous record yet. How am I supposed to get the prize money?" Gin nervously asked. "Tough luck kid, you only get 3 tries to receive the prize money. Your highest score so far is 425¡­ although it''s the highest this year for now¡­ it''s still far from the current highest in the record." The examiner said. "But¡­ but¡­ I haven''t tried anything yet¡­" Gin tried to plead the examiner to give him just 1 more chance to hit the power scale as he will use all power he had, but the man only shooed and pointed him to the direction of the next text. Feeling aggrieved, Gin reluctantly left the strength testing site and went to the Mana testing site. He looked sad on the outside but sadder on the inside. He was crying in his heart thinking about the 1000 silver coins. It was already in his palms but still failed to grasp it. "It''s really him!" Far away on the observation platform entrance, a pretty crimson-haired girl and a petite beautiful brown-haired girl stood, eyeing Gin in excitement. It''s been 2 years since they got separated and this junior brother of theirs who had crippled mana veins is now able to score 425 points on the strength test. Chapter 8: Shocking the Crowd On the Mana Testing stage, Rick Isenburg stood straight with his hands on the Stone Mana scale. This was to test the 2 standards for mana wielding; the Mana Pool Density and the Mana Absorption Rate. The Stone Mana scale can project the content of the Mana pool. For 15 years old and below, a standard of 20 drops of mana should be present. Once a practitioner reaches rank 2 of the Mortal Copper Arts, the Mana gates would be open and the mana content would become a small puddle, depending on the person''s talent. Usually, it would at least need 20 years for a person to have a hardened mana vein in the body in order to open the Mana Gate. But for Prodigy like Alice, since she became a Rank 3 Mortal Copper Art Practitioner before reaching 20, her Mana pool would be vastly superior to that of normal practitioners. Her supposedly 1-foot small puddle of mana is around 5 meters in circumference. As Rick Isenburg placed his hand on the Stone Mana scale, it glowed with a red-colored aura showing that his body is gathering mana from the air. The color of the aura shows that he is a Copper Mortal Arts Practitioner. One by one, drops of mana came out from the Stone Mana scale. 5, 18, 20¡­ then it stopped at 25 within 30 seconds. Top-quality talent! For a ten-year-old, Rank 1 Copper Mortal Arts Practitioner, having above the average number of mana droplets makes one superior above all of the same level and age. Gathering 25 droplets in 30 seconds is also considered very fast. For mages, having 25 droplets of mana means that he can fire a large scale fireball or any element he is proficient in for 25 times. For a weapon and martial art specialists, he could use a Rank 1 Copper Mortal Art for 25 times. Placing aside the Royal Princess and her junior sister, Rick Isenburg''s result was above satisfactory. Rick Isenburg, showing his pearly white teeth, radiantly smiled as he thought that he was above the common rabble. This emotion didn''t go down even after his rival Uden Stella got his results. He got 24 droplets in 30 seconds which was 1 point lower than Ricks. As Uden Stella got off the stage, he didn''t forget to glare at Rick Isenburg while the other clicked his tongue and glared back. Ever since both their elder brothers lost to the Royal Family''s princess 2 years ago, the 2 of them swore to come on top of this year''s entrance examination. But since there was no one from the Royal Family taking the test this year, the competition was only between their two families. This will decide who will be the 2nd strongest major family in Heart Kingdom. But both of them didn''t expect that there were some great competitors this year. One was a youth from Brightmoon City, a city under Heart Kingdom. She scored an average of 280 points from the strength test and had 28 mana droplets on the mana test. Another was from the western outskirts of Heart Kingdom near the Sabara Desolate Desert. He was a dark-skinned bald-headed burly boy with very thick calluses on his hands and feet. His strength test overpowered everyone with an average of 450 points. Although his Mana test only got 19 droplets, it was passable considering that he was only 10 years old.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. But what was most shocking was this dark horse in the entrance test this year. The one who insulted the Red Knight yet barely passing the strength test. The blue-haired boy. Gin was now standing in front of the Stone Mana scale. He thought that he failed to get the prize money on the previous test was because of him testing the waters. Ever since his 2-year-training slash journey ended, he wasn''t able to gauge the limits of his current strength. From being a cripple to being able to wield mana, he hadn''t had a single moment to think about how strong he is. All that was on his mind was to train and make money until he arrived at the gates of Heart Kingdom. Although he was curious about his potential and current limits, this was not the right time to test the waters. What if he failed to enter the academy just because he was testing the tests? Won''t the Old Man smack his face to blue berating him to be stupid? This time, he was going to go big. As Gin placed his hands on the Stone Mana scale, the crowd, the other test takers especially the young prodigies, Alice and Rosemary, the Red Knight and the King, had their eyes focused on him. After a few breaths, the Mana examiner frowned. Usually, it only needs 3 seconds for the Stone Mana scale to glow and project as the practitioner gathers mana into his body. But for this blue-haired boy¡­ there was nothing. "Are you gathering mana right now?" the examiner asked. "Huh? Oh right! Gathering mana¡­ well¡­ I can''t gather mana because I have crippled veins." Gin replied. "Eh? Then why the heck are you taking this test?!" the examiner asked with a confused look. "I may not be able to gather mana¡­ But I can do this¡­ hur hur hur" Gin said as he connected his mana pool to the Stone Mana Scale. Blue thread-like energy entered the stone and then it emitted a light blue aura. A surge of energy went up from the stone and exploded in the air like fireworks on New Year. The ground shook and the air blew wildly. As the atmosphere started to settle, Gin''s mana pool was projected on the air. It was as vast as the whole testing ground. It even had some weird koi fish swimming and jumping around. But this only lasted 3 seconds before it disappeared. It seemed that the Stone Mana scale wasn''t able to hold on the energy emitted, it broke into pieces and the energy dissipated. The King looked at Gin and joyfully laughed. He was so happy that a prodigy with heavenly mana pool entered his Heart Kingdom. The Red Knight on the other hand angrily looked at Gin. He was pissed because this boy''s potential was high, the kingdom will likely protect this talent with all their strength, making him lose his chance to teach this boy a lesson from insulting him. The crowd was lost in thought as they looked at the sky then at the boy. This level of Mana Pool coming from a 10-year-old boy was unprecedented. It was already comparable to the Red Knight overseer who was already a Silver Mortal Arts Practitioner. The other prodigies had their eyes and mouths wide open from the shock. Especially Rick Isenburg and Uden Stella who was staring blankly at Gin. Where did this super dark horse crawled out from. Alice and Rosemary were similarly shocked. Was this still their little junior brother? What heavenly food did he eat to have this level of mana pool¡­ Never mind that¡­ How did he get a Mana pool having crippled mana veins? Chapter 9: Winning the Battle but losing the War "....." The examiner became speechless as he stared at the sky. The projection already disappeared but his mind was still caught in the moment. "Hey bro?" Gin called out. "Uh.. Huh?" the examiner was still dazed. "Hey man¡­ Should you now be announcing my pass?" "Uh.. ukkk¡­ ehem¡­" The examiner swallowed some saliva to moisten his throat. "Although you failed at the standard for mana gathering, with your mana pool, I guess there''s no need to gather mana ey?" the examiner smiled. "And?" "You passed of course!" "Cool!" Gin happily cheered. "So like¡­ did I break the previous record? When do I get the prize money?" Gin asked. "Uh¡­ Well¡­ you did break the previous record, by a huge margin at that. Unfortunately, only the strength test had prize money." The examiner replied. "Eh? Dang¡­ what a bummer¡­" Gin said as he sadly turned around to proceed to the other test area. "Uh¡­ Kid¡­ wait!" the examiner called. "Huh? What''s up, bro?" "Gin Ordric Dawnfall right? My name is Maximilius Belathorn. I''m a teacher here at the branch school of Silver Sword Knight Academy. If ever you need someone to teach you Arts later, don''t be shy to approach me okay?" the examiner smiled amicably. "Uh¡­ yeah¡­ sure¡­" Gin smiled wryly. ''I already have problems with the Spartan-like teaching style of the Old Man and you want to add to the list? What can you even teach me that he hasn''t taught yet? Dream on buddy!'' The next test Gin went to was the Arts showcase. This is where the examinees go bring out the different Arts they learned as a ''Masterless'' Copper Arts practitioner. Most of the copper arts level have no masters to teach them except those who came from prominent families and sects where Arts are passed down from generation to generation or innate heredity. Arts is the method of gathering and using mana by using various techniques. Common Arts are often used as the generic training method. For example, Mages use Elemental Arts for casting elemental spells. Different type of mages uses a different type of Arts. There are Formation Arts, Summoning Arts, Conjuring Arts, Illusion Arts, Spirit Arts, Healing Arts, and Destruction Arts. Meanwhile, Warriors use the Martial Way such as Fist Arts, Sword and various weapon-based Arts, and Body Strengthening Arts. These are the basic form of Arts and practitioners who master their Arts to the peak, formulate their own new way of Arts that fit their own style and potential. Arts Levels are ranked by the aura they release. Mortal Levels releases a Red glow, Grayish for the Immortal, Pure White for King Level, Blue for Saint Level and Yellow for Emperor. To know which stage a certain level is at, one has to look at certain body parts that emit the aura. Let''s set a Mortal Arts practitioner as an example; For a Copper stage, only the hands would emit a reddish aura which is ranked from 1 to 5. Each rank increases the density of the color. A Silver stage has the eyes and hands to emit the aura. For the Diamond stage, the hands and the head emit the aura while for the Gold stage, the whole upper body bursts in a flame-like aura of their respective color level. The Orichalcum Stage has the whole body as a certain Mana gate inside the body is fully opened. But after every breakthrough to a new level, the emission of aura returns to the copper stage since the Mana Gates and Mana Pool are upgraded to new ones. Mortal Levels have the Mana Pool, Immortal levels have the Mana Sea, Mana Ocean for the King Level, and Saints have the Mana Core while Emperors use the Mana World.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. On the testing stage, various geniuses have already showcased their Arts. Some were able to conjure flaming petals while others were able to summon fluffy rabbits and teddy bears. Below the stage were 5 judges. They were all Gray Knights from the Heart Kingdom. 2 of them were instructors while the other 3 belonged to the army. All 5 were at peak copper mortal level. Their task was to determine if the Arts that were showcased were up to standards. Rick Isenburg trained in Sword Arts and performed a series of sword movements that showcased the control he had over his Sword Arts. Uden Stella practiced Mage Destruction Arts of the fire element so he cast a Flame Wall with the height of 5 feet, an excellent performance being at Rank 1 Copper Stage Mortal Level. He fainted at the end due to Mana exhaustion. The young girl from Brightmoon City excelled in Spirit Arts so she used a lute as with sound as the medium to control her spirit energy and shattered 100 wine bottles that were prepared for her on the stage. The burly boy, on the other hand, used his First Arts to suppress 5 wooden puppets of the same cultivation level as him. Gin asked for a power scale that was used for the strength test. As he went on the stage, the eyes of those in the testing site were glued to him again. "Big Sis¡­ what is junior brother going to do?" Rosemary asked. "I really don''t know. Let''s just watch for now." Alice replied as she too had a difficult time guessing what Gin would do. Back in the Old Masters homestead, all Gin would do was to grow plants, harvest fruits, experiment on vegetation, play (experiment) with animals and do odd jobs of the common folk. He didn''t show any talent in Arts aside from cooking. He had no mana since he was supposedly crippled from birth. He did some physical exercise as he joined the morning group routine but would always come last due to a lack of mana sustenance. But this time, from the strength test to the mana test¡­ It was like the exact opposite of Gin was here¡­ except for the eccentric part that remained the same. Not carrying about offending people and minds his own business without a care for the world around him. As Gin stood at the center of the stage, a power scale was placed in front of him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The crowd watching also took a deep breath when suddenly and oppressive force broke out from the center of the stage. Gin''s whole body was bursting with a crimson red aura that raged like wild flames. The people who were watching widened their eyes and opened their mouths as they gasped. What sorcery was this? A 10-year-old boy showcased a Rank 5 Copper Mortal Level. This has been unprecedented. It surpassed the level of surprise they had when the Royal Princess took the examination two years ago. What she did was summoning Holy Chains that can suppress Copper Mortal Level Spirit Beasts. But what Gin did was breaking the norms of Arts. To wield this much power as someone below 20, one must have opened all 7 Mana Gates in the body. That is the only reason why the whole body would be covered by aura. Gin positioned his body in a common fighting stance and grasped his fist tightly. Then he said something that left people puzzled. "Rock¡­ Paper¡­ Scissors¡­ Rock 1 Ton Hammer!!!!" Gin shouted as he threw out his punch. A yellowish fist-like aura covered his fist as he punched the power scale. Pakkkk! The impact resonated all over the testing site while the ground shook and vibrated. A crater was formed on the center of the stage as the stone blocks crumbled on the pressure of the punch. The whole testing site went silent. Even other test takers stopped at what they were doing. Examiners were looking at the stage where the blue-haired boy was at. When Gin''s Fist hit the Power scale, the stone object started to vibrate. The score 500 instantly got projected. But the number kept increasing. 600~ 800~ 1500~ 4000~ 7600~ 8000~ 9999~ ~Crack~ Web-like cracks starting appearing on the Power Scale until it finally broke and crumbled to pieces. Everyone was stunned. What happened was something a 10-year-old was beyond capable of doing. While everyone stood there looking stupid, Gin was grinning of bliss. Finally, he vented out his frustration from the 1st test he took. He made sure that the power scale will never want to test his strength in the future¡­ because it did NOT have any future¡­ aside from being street dust. The 5 judges on the other hand, as dazed as they may be¡­ still regained their senses and judged the showcase as a definite pass for the academy. No need to take any other tests. But they had a condition for Gin''s acceptance. He had to pay for the Copper Stage Power Scale and the broken stage for a total of 20,000 gold coins. Or else he will be sent to prison for the crime of destroying kingdom property. "WHAT?!!!" Gin shouted as he was greatly dumbfounded by his situation. First, he failed to get the 1000 silver coins¡­ now he had to pay 20,000 gold coins¡­ Passing the Academy''s test while losing money that I don''t even have¡­ Truly¡­ a case of "Winning the battle but Losing the War." Chapter 10: Duel Battles The Silver Sword Knight Academy Entrance Examination was about to conclude. Only the ranking through duel was left. It was to determine the newcomer''s ranks in terms of overall strength and aptitude. Gin was already allowed to enter the Academy once he accomplishes the added requirements set to him. But when he discovered that there was 10,000 gold coin prize money to the champion of the duels, he desperately pleaded with the examiners to allow him to join the duels. When he got permission, he almost cried tears of joy. At least he will be able to pay half of his debt. For the Duel Battles, only the top 10 highest scorers were allowed to join. This included Gin, Rick Isenburg, Uden Stella, Brightmoon City''s Bridgette Olsen, the dark-skinned burly boy Kobie Beetrot and 5 other examinees. The duels were to be held in the Academy''s combat stage. This was because the stage contained a powerful formation that only projects the avatar of the duelist, preventing death and actual physical injuries. Projection Stones were placed on a platform on the sides of the Duel stage. Once the duelist places his hand on the projection stone, his astral projection will be the one fighting for him on the stage. The viewing platforms were now packed full. This was the entrance examination with the highest quality of entrants. The Heart Kingdom branch of the Silver Sword Knight Academy had a good harvest of potentials this year. Aside from the 2 young prodigies from the major families of the kingdom, there were several dark horses that turn the tide in the competition. The darkest horse was the blue-haired boy who broke the power scale. Geared with high strength and vast mana pool, he was the highest contender. "Big Sis¡­ how did junior brother become this strong?" Rosemary asked as she fixed her gaze on Gin. Ever since he showed his mana pool and broke the power scale, they were bewildered. Gin never showed this side of him during the many years they spent together as fellow disciples. Growing crops then selling them and doing odd jobs from other nearby villages to earn a few coppers were his daily routine. Was he training with the Old Master and them not knowing? Or was he pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger? For sure, his mana vein was really crippled. It was confirmed just now at the Mana Test. But how did he acquire such as large mana pool? It was impossible to believe if they had not seen him showing so. While the two girls were still pondering how Gin got this newfound strength, the Red Knight and the King of Heart Kingdom sat at their seats quietly. They too were thinking of how this 10-year-old kid able to project strength comparable to Red Knights. Only at the level of Red Knights which broke the borders of the Copper Mortal Level are able to break the Copper stage power scale. Practitioners on the Copper Stage of the Mortal level were considered Masterless since no Master would teach someone with uncertain potential. Aside from the King of Heart Kingdom who had a good range of connections, sending her daughter to train under an unknown master and the major families and sects who had high leveled Arts Practitioners to guide the young generation, common folk would only depend on themselves to break through the 5 ranks of the copper stage and enter the silver stage. Once they enter the silver stage at a certain age below 30, their potential will be clear.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. For sure, they didn''t know that this blue-haired kid was the princess''s junior disciple. But even if they knew, they wouldn''t believe he can do what he just did. A cripple with a mana pool as vast as Red Knight Bodu''s? A cripple that had absolute control on mana to be able to exert enough strength to break a power scale of his level? This concept only existed for those who live in Emerald, the country of the Nephilims, where children are born with the strength of the Gold Stage Mortal Level. Back at the stage, the duel battle was about to begin. 10 newcomers were about to face each other in an elimination match. The competitors drew lots and were matched according to the number they''ve drawn. Gin drew number 10 and was first matched against a youth from the Millianard Family of the Capital. Whoever won this duel will skip the next round and proceed directly to the 2nd finals. Rick Isenburg, Uden Stella and Bridgette Olsen were able to defeat their opponents in a hard-fought battle. If not for them having a higher amount of mana drops, no one would have known the outcome of the match. Only Kobie Beetrot got defeated by default when he ran out of Mana amid the fighting, causing his astral projection to disappear. It was now Gin''s turn to battle. Even knowing how powerful this blue-haired boy was, the young boy from the Millianard family was not fazed. He was a proud member of the Millianard Family from the Capital and he won''t bow down of trash commoners. As both of their astral projections stood on the Duel stage, the Millianard boy didn''t forget to act like someone from his family. "Let me experience the power of a crippled trash. Hehehe." He provoked Gin while grinning arrogantly. "Hello, there ghost boy." Gin smiled as he greeted in response. "Ghost boy?" the Millianard boy asked slightly perplexed. "Well, your skin so white from lack of sunshine that it looks almost transparent. Well, to me¡­ you''re even less than a ghost¡­ more like air¡­" Gin smirked. On the viewing platforms, Alice and Rosemary were giggling. There he goes again. Saying whatever''s on his mind not thinking that it was already an insult. That''s our little Gin! "What did you say? What did you mean by that?!" the Millianard boy who was doing the provocation was provoked instead. "Uh¡­ Well¡­ It means what it means¡­ No one taught you that? Wow¡­ you must have very low common sense." Gin said in a serious manner. In his mind, he only said that out of pity for someone who can''t understand basic words during a conversation. He didn''t know that it was a great insult for someone with a sense of superiority such as a member of a Millianard Family. "Why YOU!!!" the Millianard boy roared. He was angered beyond his limits. He dashed towards Gin and used a speed Art he mastered when he was back at the capital. When he was near his target, he sinisterly smiled as he was about to shot a Finger Art called Absolute Point Finger. It was a killing move that concentrates mana on the finger and shoots towards the opponent, piercing even steel plate armors. His target, Gin''s heart. Although this would not kill the real person, it would still cause fear for the one who blasted a hole in the body. It was a brutal and cruel way from someone to die. Those below rank 4 of the copper mortal level only saw a blur on the stage. But as his astral projection stood in front of Gin, ready to throw his attack, Gin''s astral projection swatted this hand towards him. "Paper! Swatter!" Gin''s hand was so fast that the Millianard boy was only able to react and jump backward when his consciousness was already back on his physical body. What just happened? I was the one who attacked yet I''m the one who went back to my body¡­ Did my mana get depleted? No¡­ I''ve only used 1 drop for the speed Art and another 1 drop for the attack I was trying to do¡­ It was when the examiner announced that the winner was Gin that he regained his senses back. Rewind of the battle set in slow motion was projected to explain what happened. As the Millianard boy attacked, Gin''s hand instantly struck the head of his astral projection. The head even caved in causing the astral body to die and instantly disappear. When the arrogant Millianard boy saw this, cold sweat ran through his back. If it was his real body¡­ He''d be dead without him knowing.