《Blood Creed》


 Prologue

    Blood creed


    Volume 1


    (The Book of death)


    Prologue


    Them, who are ¡®them¡¯? Beasts in human form, monsters of great impurity, people that take the lives of others without a single thought or consideration, the scourge upon the land, its fall and its demise, yet why do they still live in our world?


    None knows why yet all know one thing, ¡®they¡¯ need to die, ¡®they¡¯ need to be obliterated and exiled from this peaceful land. They are but a calamity sent by the God of death to destroy the humans for having once crossed him. They are the promised end to all and are what will end this race if they are kept alive anymore.


    Though hated and feared, there is one type of these humanoid beasts that is most loathed.


    The hybrids. If for once a human and one of these scourges mate, their offspring -if they manage to reproduce- will be the end result of a most hated being in both worlds, the hybrids; are exiled from both parties left to die and killed at birth if they were ever brought to this world.


    Why? Simple, because unlike ¡®them¡¯ who can only use blood magic. The offspring can manage to use both the human magic and ¡®their¡¯ magic. Yet why would one decide to kill something so talented? Able to wield multiple sources of magic?


    First, for the human world, using blood magic is strictly forbidden. In addition, its usage is paid in blood, death awaits any that uses ¡®Their¡¯ magic. As for the other part, these heinous creatures are but a demon set upon the land, easily fooled by power and can grow to feast upon others for sustenance, Unlike ¡®Them¡¯ who can manage their urges, these hybrids are unable to hide their thirst for blood and carnage. Probably their weak willed human nature is disabling their power over their urges. But how can a human have a will of a beast if in their own nature their will is unparalleled? Does this mean that humans have less will power than mindless beasts (mind you I speak about ¡®them¡¯ when I say beasts)?


    It is unknown, and rare are those that can identify the reason behind this contradiction. Simply catching these hybrids, dissecting them is not enough to know what is their weakness, no one can understand the reason behind their cravings, and more so, even if they are left without blood while they crave it most, they do not die.


    Yet why do they need it? For sustenance? I doubt it, perhaps a passing whim. However, the researchers had shown that if they were to be kept from blood they would only turn more vicious, more powerful and harder to control.


    What is most dangerous is their ability to hide within society, unlike ¡®them¡¯ who are easily distinguished by the redness of their eyes the black veins on their bodies, the Hybrids are an exact replica of a human, magic can not distinguish them, they only show their true nature in the presence of blood. Once in contact or in the process of consuming it, their red eyes show, and their body shudders while black veins pop out on every inch of their body.


    Now, in every part of the city, its gates, the schools, also within the government establishments, a blood orb is present, which is responsible for checking every human entry, placing one¡¯s hand over it is enough to verify their ¡®humanity¡¯. If one is proved to be unhuman, then their death awaits¡­


    ¡°Wow, what a scary text to read in the morning,¡± I said to myself.


    This is a book I obtained from the library yesterday after having promised the librarian to bring it back to her within the week, it was hard to get it due to my financial difficulties.


    My name is Basara, I don¡¯t have the last name and didn¡¯t even need one, the only thing I know that this very name of mine is one I chose myself.


    My story is simple, one that is shared amongst many others of my generation, I am an orphan.


    I was taken in by a group of people when I was two years old. They took care of me, placed me in an orphanage and I was doing quite well for once. The sister that was taking care of us was gentle and pure hearted, she did her best to help us, to teach us, and make us feel less ashamed about being an orphan.


    Ashamed you might say why would one feel so?


    That is simple, within this place, those that do not come from a noble house, or the commoners are looked down upon, now what would one that has not even the status of a commoner have for a treatment? Simple; utter and complete destitution and discrimination. We, the orphans have it worse than the bastards, we are of no known origin, and our rights, that is if we have any are overlooked.


    That happy life ended when I turned 12. I was kicked out, not by the sister as she had passed away, but by the manager of the orphanage, the government refuses to pay for those that passed this age, and I was one that did was deemed no longer worth the effort. So I walked out of the place and decided to take my life in my own hand.


    I have been living alone for almost two years now, it was not that easy, at first I suffered a bit, then went on to steal for a living, honestly though it was an easy way to get a piece of bread, once you are caught¡­ regret is all there is to it, as the beating, whipping will make anyone rethink about taking that route in life.


    I then decided to go with the honest way and work for my living.


    Today is my birthday, my fourteenth year, this is considered the coming of age for many here, the Nobels celebrate this day with their children, throwing extravagant parties.


    Why is this day so special one might say, it is because this is the day that their children and the ones that came of age first show the signs of magic aptitude?This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    In all my life, I never expected anything to happen to me, never believed that my dumb luck would get me anywhere in life, I worked as a sweeper within the city, sweeping dust and dirt for the past two years and getting enough money to pay for my living expenses.


    Two bronze coins for a day¡¯s work. It is enough to get a decent stew. And some bread, two meals a day was more than enough for me, and I needed to work hard every day to keep on living, getting sick is not a question, because falling ill is the equivalent of starving. So I had to work hard day in and day out.


    Until this day, today should be the day I know of my ability, to know if I will be able to wield magic or the sword, to have a goal in my life, and hopefully be sponsored by a noble¡¯s house, then I might probably have a better chance at life.


    If I end up with a rare magic, multiple houses might want me in their home, then I will have the luxury of choice and change this life of sweeping to that of seeking knowledge and hopefully indulging myself¡­ I suffered for 14 years, I truly could use a break.


    ¡°Hey Gunther,¡± I said to the guard


    ¡°Basara, Early as always, hey where are you going, you know the rules¡±


    ¡°Yes, Yes,¡± I said as I got my hand on the floating red orb.


    ¡°See, nothing, now tell me why do I have to do this every time? I mean I have been going through this gate for almost two years, do you really think I might be corrupted?¡±


    ¡°Well I know a kind hearted person like you can not be one of ¡®them¡¯ but still no one gets to pass without doing this check.¡±


    ¡°Kind hearted eh¡­what do you want from me today, and stop sugar coating your words, you suck at it¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ you caught me, well I need you to do an errand for me, once you finish your job could you pick up some Wolfsbane from the alchemist and take it to my wife, my little son has a strong fever and most guys here are stuck with me until midnight, you know, today is the Ling house¡¯s eldest daughter¡¯s coming of age ceremony, now that I think of it, you told me that you will turn 14 today right? You must be lucky to have the same date of birth as the daughter of the richest and strongest house in our city¡±


    ¡°Luck my ass, this just means that I will be doing double the work because of the parades and people walking and throwing all kind of garbage all over the place. Well am off to work, I will try to get your task done by the evening, I wouldn¡¯t want to see little Josefer sick¡±


    ¡°Thank you lad, have a nice day,¡± said the guard as I walked inside the city


    The city of Ariendel, named after a strong mage of flame. It was positioned in a field with a river passing right through it, the buildings and roads were made of stone and cement. It looked elegant and was reserved for those of high bringing, there were multiple commoner houses on the external circle, while the inside was reserved for the nobles. This city hosted no royal supervision, but its owner was Yo Ling, the lord of the city, an appointed duke by the king himself, and is the one who¡¯s daughter will be having her coming of age ceremony today.


    The flags and the house¡¯s emblem were all over the place as people began working on preparing for the parade. As for me, I began sweeping the roads making them cleaner, I knew for a fact that tomorrow this nice scenery will turn into a nightmare of trash, bottles of liquor, and whatnot will be thrown everywhere.


    A few hours later, the party began, I then took the time to get the wolfsbane to Gunther''s house and was rewarded with a warm meal. I thanked his wife and went back to the streets, though I missed the parade I was still able to see the fireworks of flame from afar made by the Lin house¡¯s mages. It was still nice, now I had to go back and clean after them otherwise I might get yelled at by the ¡®agency¡¯ that is hiring me.


    Well, the man¡¯s life goal seems to be yelling at me and beating me up sometimes. The bastard¡¯s wife is always doing so to him, and I think that as a way to release the pent up stress he discharges it at me¡­ and I do the same to the dirt and garbage I find, it¡¯s a give and takes circle where everyone ends up being beaten except for the manager¡¯s wife, she is the only one doing the beating without any drawbacks¡­


    My day ended eventlessly, and I like it to be that way, now walking back home I had to wait until midnight before the symptoms of magic release would start.


    In rare cases these symptoms can cause a person to lose their lives, I just hope that mine is not that severe, the stronger the magic the more severe the drawback as the body begins channeling the energy for the first time through the unused veins.


    I know much about this stuff because I read about it, because I need it, it is my ticket out of this mess, otherwise, if tonight ends up with a failure I might have to rely on sweeping the streets for the rest of my life¡­


    I wonder if they could take in one such as me in the army, I heard they give decent meals there¡­


    Stop with the negative thoughts, it will lead nowhere, stay positive, today will be the day you become a legend! Today I will get the best and rarest magic ability and will be taken in a great noble house¡­.today will be the day I am freed.


    Inside my shack, which by the way I built myself. A small shack barely able to hold the wind and night¡¯s cold, and is leaking everywhere once it rains, I rested and waited for midnight.


    I was waiting for the symptoms to appear, normally it should be something like feeling hot or cold depending on the element, or even feeling heavy or light if it is the wind or earth oriented, but so far nothing¡­ midnight is about to come while I remained unchanged and feeling nothing of any of the known symptoms¡­


    The closer the timer gets to the midnight hour the more doubts I get¡­


    I heard loud explosions once again in the horizon as I went outside to see what it was.


    Looking at the city I saw hundreds of fireworks exploding everywhere¡­ it seems that the daughter of the Lin house has come of age and now is able to wield powerful magic, depending on the power of one''s magic the city launches a number of fireworks¡­ looking at the exorbitant number¡­ I am honestly feeling scared as for how one could be that strong...


    As for I, midnight¡¯s hour had passed while I got nothing¡­


    I must be a mana-less¡­ if my luck as an orphan hadn¡¯t been that shitty, it just got worse¡­


    Feeling disappointed and sad that my tears began to well up, however, I refused to let them go, there is no need for me to cry. This is my fate.


    I began to feel light headed, probably from the sadness of my unfortunate destiny, but I didn¡¯t bother¡­I wanted inside the house and tried to get to my bed but I fell down before I could even reach it as the world turned dark.


    It took some time for me to wake up but once I did it was morning and my whole body was shivering, I was sweating and had a cold sensation all over me, it was not the coldness of the weather, it was something else¡­something more primal more¡­terrifying.


    Looking around I saw something different within my house, something new.


    A black leather book, it looked old, something that was not taken care of, or just the passage of time made it look like that.


    I tried to grab the book but on its own, it rose and opened itself, hundreds of blank pages turned all the way to the first page where nothing but a single sentence was written.


    Give blood to seek knowledge¡­


    ¡°give blood?¡± I said fully ignoring the still hovering book.


    Looking at my palm I cut through it with a small blade I always carried on me, in case I was mugged, though I never was a worthy target.


    I made a small cut on my hand then squeezed my right hand into the open book¡¯s page.


    A droplet of blood sunk in the page and was sucked in, without smearing it or making a mess.


    A new text was soon written, this one, however, was unreadable.


    I looked at it, tried to figure it out but without a prior notice, my head wanted to split in two from pain.


    The book then fell on the ground and the pain was no more


    ¡°what the fuck was that?¡±


    Something then felt strange, the sounds, the pictures, everything turned clearer everything became more¡­defined, I was able to see a fly moving in slow motion, its wings slowly flapping, then everything returned to normal. While I felt dizzy.


    I opened the book again and this time I was able to read the scribbles on it


    Focus, for one to hold such a book one needs to focus, for one to hold such power one needs to be in balance, for one to seek more knowledge, one must give blood¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s a Grimoire!!¡±

 Chapter 1 A Damned book

    Chapter 1


    I admired the old book for a while, now that it was on the floor I felt an urge to grab it and check it out. However most of the pages were empty, some of the papers seemed to be torn, the only written thing that was there said


    Focus, for one to hold such a book one needs to focus, for one to hold such power one needs to be in the balance, for one to seek more knowledge, one must give blood


    Perhaps it needs more of my blood.


    I looked at my open wound and squeezed another drop, yet nothing changed. I probably need to understand the hidden meaning behind those words.


    To focus means to concentrate, something that I need to do to unravel its mysteries. However, what does it mean to be in balance?


    I need to go to the ministry to find out about this magic; perhaps they might have an idea. After all, they are the ones to verify the legitimacy of such rare finds. Also, I am quite late for my job.


    A job I hope to never go back to, once their council approves of this book.


    Once inside the city and after having checked up on little Joseph''s health from Gunther, I moved to my manager¡¯s home to take a leave of absence. I needed to notify him before I go to the council else I get yelled at again.


    Once I walked into the old building that hosted the ¡®administration¡¯ of our network of sweepers I heard loud yelling inside.


    ¡°I told you before that I was going to be present at the Ling house flame ceremony next week, WHERE IS THE MONEY THAT YOU PROMISED ME!¡± said the voice of a middle-aged woman


    ¡°B-but dear, I have yet to be paid, the government is holding off on giving me the money I owe them this month, wait a couple of days dear, and I will have the money for your dress okay?¡±


    ¡°You better have it by then, else I will be sure to tell father about your treatment to me. Look at Divina her husband is getting her all she ever wants and more, and I have to come here to this disgusting place filled with dirty children and scum every time I need something from you. I should have never married you in the first place¡­¡± said the woman as she stormed out of the building.


    I heard her grumbling something about wasting her youth on some failure, who was probably the manager. But I didn¡¯t care to overstep my boundaries, especially after having a look at her. She was old, probably between forty and fifty years of age, she was¡­round, for the lack of a more fitting word, and had a black dress with a hat to match that made her look like an old witch. Something I needed to keep to myself as insulting her will be the same as insulting the manager, something that one like me with an unstable job should never do.


    ¡°fat old hag using her father¡¯s pressure on me, in truth I should have never married that old bitch. I only took her for her dad¡¯s wealth, and now the old bastard refuses to die, and I suffered long to gain whatever little fortune he has left right now¡­¡± said the manager grumbling under his breath.


    Something that I should not have been able to hear due to the distance but I still heard it ¡­ strange.


    ¡°Is someone there?¡± said the manager


    ¡°Yes, boss, it¡¯s me, Basara.¡±


    ¡°What do you want little shit. Don¡¯t you see am busy?¡±


    ¡®busy bad mouthing your wife, I can see that.¡¯


    ¡°I know you are occupied sir but I came here to ask you for a leave of absence, I need to go to the ministry to get a check up on my new magic.¡±


    ¡°New magic? Did you turn fourteen? Congratz brat, but still no, you didn¡¯t even arrive in time for your work. And now you want to take a leave of absence? You must think me a fool; you just want to get the day off and squeeze me for money like that bitch, go back to the street, and by the way, for having been absent, you will only get half your salary.¡±


    ¡°But sir, not validating the new magic in time will get me in trouble, I don¡¯t want to end up with a bad record on the council.¡±


    ¡°That is not my problem, get out of here and go back to work!¡±


    ¡®damn bastard, I need to get a better job¡­too bad no one is willing to hire an orphan¡­ God damn it..¡¯


    I walked out of the old place and went to my designated spot whereas I feared was an enormous pile of junk and mess.


    I began by gathering all the bottles of liquor, broken glass and some of the torn pieces of paper here and there.


    Today is going to be a long day.


    It took me three hours to get just the first part done. By now the noon bell rang, and it was time for me to get my lunch break, so I took the chance to hurry up to the council and validate my magic.


    Once before the building, I saw its greatness, it was made with marble and stone. Supported by enormous pillars of white marble and had several strange words on the entrance.


    It was written in the Victorian language, something that only the nobles are eligible to read and have the time to learn.


    I walked inside after having verified my humanity by validating my entry using the Blood Orb.


    I searched for the magic office where the procedure is done and my magic needed to be recorded.


    There was an old woman inside. She looked bored and not interested in saying hello back to me after being the first to greet her.


    ¡°Mam, I turned fourteen yesterday, and I wanted to validate my magic, what should I do?¡±


    ¡°You came of age yesterday huh? What is your name?¡±


    ¡°Basara.¡±


    ¡°Basara what?¡± she saidHelp support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°Just Basara, I don¡¯t have a family name.¡±


    ¡°An orphan¡­ Do you have any papers? Something to verify your age? A birthday certificate, or the certificate of the orphanage that took you in.¡±


    ¡°Yes I do,¡± I said as I gave her paper that was handed to me by the orphanage, normally it should have been impossible to verify my age as I was found when I was an infant, yet thanks to magic age can be easily tracked.


    Once given to her the papers she said


    ¡°Show me then your magic.¡±


    ¡°Euh¡­I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to make a fool out of me little kid?¡± she said


    ¡°No mam, but here,¡± I said as I gave her the book.


    ¡°What is this?¡± she said


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Mam, but this is something I found when I woke up today, and it floated, I also was able to ¡®focus¡¯ for a moment and was able to hear and see much better. It is probably a grimoire of spells.¡±


    ¡°a grimoire? Interesting let me have a look.


    She said and began turning the pages


    A moment later she said


    ¡°Nothing is written here lad, are you sure you are not trying to mock me?¡±


    ¡°No mam, can¡¯t you see these strange symbols? I said pointing at the words inside the book.


    ¡°there is nothing written here kid, keep this up, and I will call the security.¡±


    Is it possible that only I can see what is written?


    ¡°That is strange; It said that I needed to give blood to know more it should probably work if I do so.¡±


    ¡°Blood?¡± said the woman now her eyes were opened.


    ¡°Yes, Blood, once I did some words were written, and I even was able to focus¡­¡± yet before I could finish my sentence, the woman pointed her open palm towards me and spoke the words.


    ¡°Infernal bind!¡±


    Two thorny veins rose from the ground and tried to wrap around me, yet they grew a bit too slow and with but reflex I jumped backward.


    The veins collapsed on each other while I managed to escape the cage


    ¡°What the hell are you doing.¡±


    ¡°Security! We have a breach!¡± cried the woman as I heard footsteps of several men coming in.


    ¡°You wretched fiend, how did you manage to get here!¡± she said as she summoned more veins to try and catch me


    ¡°What the hell woman! Am just trying to ask for help why are you doing this!¡±


    ¡°Shut up you wretched monster,¡± she said as more veins popped in existence, trying to catch me.¡±


    I dodged several of them while one grew from behind me and tried to stab me in the back.


    However, the book that was still on the woman¡¯s desk floated and opened itself sucking all the veins inside it.


    Huh?


    What Is Happening?


    Once I thought of the word ¡°Numb mind.¡± Said a man that appeared out of nowhere.


    The world turned dark as I fell unable to control myself.


    What the fuck is going on?


    ¡­


    ¡°Yes, he should be up in a few.¡± Said someone


    Once I woke I saw that I was strapped on a table unable to move.


    ¡°what are you doing to me, where am I? set me free!¡±


    ¡°Shut it up,¡± said a man.


    ¡°Mute!¡± another one said, and I was unable to speak no matter how much I tried.


    I tried to struggle but couldn¡¯t the more I did, the feebler I felt.


    ¡°So what Is the verdict?¡± said one of the men


    I was unable to identify any of them due to the intense light that was aimed at my face.


    ¡°We still can¡¯t know, blood admission hadn¡¯t changed it, perhaps blood consumption.¡±


    Theys aid and a vial of blood were forced into my mouth.


    It tasted like metal, it was disgusting and made me want to gag.


    ¡°Nothing¡­ Strange, we need further inspection. have it enter a comatose state we need more time and more research.¡±


    I fell unconscious once again.


    ¡­


    ¡°What are you?¡± asked a man I woke up, this time in a different room but I was still strapped down to a chair.


    The man looked to be about thirty years of age, had a well-trimmed beard he was handsome, but clearly meaning business as his serious looks were intimidating.


    Two other men were behind him, they were magic police, and I have seen them many times in this city. They are responsible for the incidents revolving around ¡®Them.¡¯


    ¡°What do you mean? I am Basara, a human just like you!¡±


    ¡°Why did yous ay a human just like me? why didn¡¯t you think of yourself being an accused criminal?¡±


    ¡°It is simple, the two magic police behind you, and the blood ministration your guys gave me¡­¡±


    ¡°So you seem to understand your situation.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is probably because I mentioned blood to the lady at the ministry of magic¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed, However, we found nothing


    ¡°And you will find nothing! I have been able to go through the gate of the city for more than two years, I am a normal human, what you do to me is nothing but cruelty over no valid reasons but having said that I used magic that relied on a blood drop. What kind of logic is that?¡±


    ¡°Interesting, you look smarter than your age young lad, to be able to understand your situation from mere hints, no matter. You should know that I can¡¯t let you go until we verify your humanity now.¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you done enough? The tests the questioning and all? Shouldn''t that be enough, I know nothing about any blood magic or being one of ¡®Them¡¯¡±


    ¡°But we don¡¯t care, it¡¯s the fact that you are an orphan that is keeping you here. If you had valid parents, then you could have been set free after validating the humanity of you and your parents. But as you see, your case is rather peculiar, and you won¡¯t get out until we have a validation of your humanity.


    ¡°Then what, Am I just going to stay here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry I will keep you company.¡±


    ¡°That is no comforting¡­¡± I said


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry until you are proven one of them you are safe.¡±


    He seems fixed on pinning the corruption on me.


    ¡°So, Basara, what are you doing for a living? I mean I checked up on your records, and it seems that you ran away from the orphanage that was taking you in.¡±


    ¡°Ran away? More like kicked out, the government stops paying for anyone that is over the age of 12, and I was deemed unworthy my value, so they chased me out¡­ I am working as a sweeper for Ludik cleaning syndicate.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, Very well, now can you tell me about this?¡± he said as he had my book in his hand.¡±


    ¡°that is something I know not the origin of. So the only information I can give you is what I have, I found it when I woke up. And I think it is a grimoire. It gave me some sort of ability to focus that works on its own, I have no control over it. Also, I saw it suck in that old lady¡¯s magic when she tried to kill me with it¡­¡±


    ¡°Kill you with it? that was just a binding spell, anyway I looked through the book and found nothing in it.¡±


    ¡°That is what that lady said, she can¡¯t see the words, it''s probably that only I can.¡±


    ¡°What do you see then?¡± asked the man


    ¡°I need my hands-free for that¡­ I said¡±


    ¡°Untie him,¡± he said to the two guards


    ¡°But sir¡­¡±


    ¡°Just do it, even if he tries to run he will be taken down before he can manage.¡±


    ¡°Alright sir,¡± said the same guard and set me free.


    Having a feel of my hands, I scratched them a bit due to an irresistible itch that was growing.


    I opened the book and told him


    ¡°Here it says Focus, for one to hold such a book one needs to focus, for one to hold such power one needs to be in the balance, for one to seek more knowledge, one must give blood¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t seem to understand the meaning behind those words¡­But if you are telling the truth then this book asked you for an offering of blood¡­ I can¡¯t seem to think of any magic, but blood magic that requires such a medium and you know the punishment for that is death¡± said the man


    ¡°I know, but that is if the ritual includes taking lives or anything to cause harm to others, either directly or indirectly with curses, hexes, and anything of relation.¡±


    ¡°You seem to know these things, tell me did you ever attend school?¡±


    ¡°Never, but I read a lot.¡±


    ¡°Very interesting to find one such as you interested in reading.¡±


    ¡°I rarely find anything else to do¡­so I read as a hobby.¡±


    ¡°That is a good hobby to have,¡± said the man ¡°you seem to be telling the truth, but we ill still have to wait for the results from the lab.¡±


    ¡°there seems to be something else in the book¡­something new something I haven¡¯t seen before¡± I said


    ¡°What is it?¡± said the man intrigued by the discovery


    ¡°it is strange, this time it is not readable not even for me¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, that is a shame then¡­I will let you rest here for a while next time we meet will be to decide your fate whatever it may be.¡± He said and walked out of the room, leaving me alone and thankfully with my hands untied. He still took the book with him¡­


    I went to the ministry just to learn about my magic and try to have a better chance with my life¡­ how did things end up like this?

 Chapter 2 (The just lord)

    Chapter 2


    ¡°Who is that boy?¡± said an old man that just got into the establishment.


    ¡°Master Yo-ling we believed he is a corrupted soul however after inspection it turned out that he is but a mere child.¡± Replied the investigator that was responsible for the situation of Basara.


    ¡°Why did such beliefe come in first place?¡± said the old man


    ¡°It is due to this book.¡± Said the investigator as he handed it to the lord of the city.


    The man looked at the book and began turning its pages. He stopped to take a better look at the strange symbols and unreadable content within it before he said


    ¡°In all my life I have never seen a language such as this. does it mean anything?¡±


    ¡°I know not my lord. However, the boy claims it means something as he is able to read it. I doubted it to be true at first however his words made me give him some credibility.¡±


    ¡°What did he say that the book contained?¡±


    ¡°Something about focus I don¡¯t remember the exact words, but they seemed meaningless to me.¡±


    Focus, thought the old man


    ¡°For one of those beasts to focus is a strange notion, they thrive in murder and in carnage forwarding their desires over their senses, to focus is an impossibility to them. Let the boy out, there is no need to keep him here, he is free of guilt.


    Guilt? Thought the investigator but did not want to disobey the Lord''s orders.


    ¡°And what about the book?¡±


    ¡°Give it back to him, that is not our property.¡±


    ¡°The boy believes it is a Grimoire, shouldn¡¯t we keep it with us? I mean he is but an abandoned orphan, and he does not need nor does he deserves such a treasure.¡±


    ¡°That is not yours to decide, that thing belongs to that kid, and unless it proves to be harmful to others, he has all right to keep it. If we take what we want from orphans who barely have anything, then we are worse than bandits. Also, give the child a compensation for the treatment, none deserves to suffer through that for a mere suspicion.¡±


    ¡°Yes my lord.¡± Said the investigator and left the place.


    The lord of the city, Yo ling the dragon amongst men wielder of the true flame and the right hand of the King. Considered a hero and a fair judge, who would never hesitate to show his power against oppressors and injustice, for that alone he earned the king¡¯s favor as for his deeds, many of them resulted in his current position as lord over one of the greatest city in the current world.


    The old man who was barely fifty years old walked out of the room and headed back to his mansion. He wanted to check up on his daughter that just came of age and now is going through a stage of great difficulty. The house of Ling is a house that is hosting a dragon¡¯s flame as their ancestors were blessed by one. From generation to another this flame would strengthen itself more and more, and for that reason this old man is worried. His transition phase almost made him lose his life. However, he managed to breakthrough resulting in the strength he holds now. If his daughter suffers from the same thing while he is away, then she will certainly die as the flame within her is much stronger than his.


    He could not afford to waste time these days with normal people¡¯s matters however the deal with ¡®one of them¡¯ made it an urgency that he needed to investigate.


    Now that his job is done he will head back to his daughter¡¯s place and make sure she is well guided; for the flame to take root within her body without damaging her. However, he still went towards the nearby market to check up on his people, what kind of a lord would he be if he does not at least that?


    Though he was a man of great power, once he walked the street none cared to look at him. It was his attitude and his walk, he was able to blend in with people without being noticed by any. He was just a face in the crowd that one would forget once they pass them by¡­ And so the man of the highest standing within the city walked the streets of commoners like if he was one of them.


    ¡°You can leave this place kid.¡±


    ¡°What are you for real? Nice! But can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± said the investigator


    ¡°You see, I work for Ludic¡¯s syndicate, I need a leave of absence because honestly I don¡¯t know how much time I spent here and I would really appreciate you guys helping me out¡­¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t offer such things here, but don¡¯t worry about that, here you go.¡± He said as he threw a pouch towards me. I grabbed it and was baffled to see the contents.


    ¡°Those are a hundred Gold coins given by the government for the inconveniences.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit I have never seen so much money in my life, this is enough to feed me for three lifetimes!¡±


    The investigator looked at me with a strange face,


    ¡°You are happy with such a small amount of money?¡± he said


    ¡°Small amount? I work for two bronze a day this equal to one million coins divided by two this means 500 000 days of food and that is 1369 years of food! Holy shit, I can now afford to eat something better than a stew and have money to spare¡­¡±


    ¡°I- don¡¯t know what to say, I am both amazed by your ability to work with such a meager salary and your ability to calculate¡­ You said you loved to read? I would suggest that you get some books with that money, though I don¡¯t know if there is a school that would take you in considering your background I think if you continue with self-study you might not need one. Another thing, you need to better your filthy looks your hair is covering most of your face that no one can even take a good look at you, and that body of yours sure needs a good bath¡­ take care of yourself and don¡¯t overspend what you have been given. Oh yeah and don¡¯t tell anyone from where did you get that.¡±


    ¡°Yes yes, that is a good idea, it''s been months since I last took a bath¡­¡± I said not paying attention to his last words.


    It was not my fault. Actually, there was a close river from my hut where I used to bath. But now it became someone else'' property, and I could not go there anymore. I can''t even afford the money to go to a public bath, so I just didn¡¯t go, I would wash with rainwater whenever it fell through, but that is a far cry from a real bath.


    ¡°Thank you for your great hospitality,¡± I said as I walked away taking the money and my old book that was given to me.


    Though I was roughed up and was treated like shit, the end result was much better than I expected. Now I can leave to enjoy some ¡®well-earned money.¡¯


    I walked outside the establishment and went towards the syndicate, I needed to make sure that I resigned properly else I get in more trouble.


    Once I was walking down the street, someone bumped into me, making me drop the pouch while a few gold coins fell on the ground. I hurriedly grabbed them and placed them back on the pouch before I looked up.


    People looked at me with strange eyes, and even some said


    ¡°He must have stolen them from someone.¡±


    And shit¡­ here goes my shitty luck again


    ¡°These are mine!¡± I protested and began walking away


    A man then grabbed me by the shoulder with enough strength I felt it about to rip flesh from bone


    ¡°There is no way you can fool us ¡®Theif!¡¯¡±


    ¡°let me go!¡± I shouted at the man while many others


    ¡°Where did you get that? Which noble did you steal?¡± said another man, these were, but commoners and I knew their intentions, it was if they revealed me to have ¡®stolen¡¯ this from some noble they will earn their favor.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t steal anyone, this money is mine, and I earned it!¡±


    ¡°What is going on here?¡±


    Said a man of about 18 to 20 years old that just got in, looking at him he seemed to be a nobleman with great backing as he was wearing clothes that showed it.


    He had a tall and well-built body frame, he had a small goatee and well-combed hair, all in all, he was a handsome young man.


    ¡°Young lord Fernand.!¡± Said one of the men and everyone gave way to the man


    Whispers were heard here and there, and I knew who this person was¡­


    He was the son of one of the second strongest families in the city. The Videls ranked second after the Ling family in power and wealth.


    ¡°Sir, we caught this thief who stole someone¡¯s money, and we were going to present him to justice. However, he didn¡¯t want to admit his wrongs and is insisting that this money is his.¡±


    The man named Fernand looked at me with eyes filled with disgust and said


    ¡°Is this true?¡±


    ¡°No! that money is mine!¡±


    ¡°Then where did you get it from?¡± asked the man


    ¡°I cannot say,¡±


    ¡°then you have stolen it,¡± he said


    ¡°I said I didn¡¯t!¡± I answered with a higher tone, refusing to be labeled a thief after having learned my lesson years ago.


    ¡°You dare raise your voice in my presence!¡± said the man as he slapped me with his backhand making me feel as if I was hit by a pole of metal


    My lower lip was cut, and my mouth was bleeding as I feel on the ground


    ¡°Disgusting thing¡­¡± said the man as he wiped his hand with a handkerchief


    ¡°You dare steal and not admit your wronging you should be punished.¡±


    ¡°Why?!¡± I cried out ¡°Why are you doing this to me? I didn''t harm, anyone I didn¡¯t hurt anyone, this is mine, and none of you have the right to take it away with me! just because I look like this doesn¡¯t mean I illegally received this!¡±


    ¡°Grab him,¡± said the man and so they did


    Holding me from my hands and forcing me to kneel before him.


    The man took the pouch and opened it.


    ¡°This is much to be given as charity to one such as you, this further proves your lies¡­ A hundred lashes. Fifty for the theft and another fifty for lying to me.¡±


    The crowd went silent, though thieves were treated with strictness, a hundred lashes to a kid are way too much.


    ¡°B-But sir,¡± said the man that was responsible for my ¡®capture.¡¯


    ¡°He needs to learn his lesson, and for the others to learn from. I will not allow such things if I see them those that commit crimes need to be punished, and I will personally do it.


    With that twisted concept of justice id rather lives in injustice you fucking asshole, you just want a reason to beat other up, you sadistic fuck! I thought to myself.


    The ones holding me didn¡¯t dare release me else they feared that my escape will cause them trouble, but I could still see in their eyes that they didn¡¯t want me to suffer through this¡­


    Some of them are good men with good hearts, I don''t blame them for suspecting me to have stolen them, I mean what kind of a beggar would hold this much fortune within their hands¡­


    One of them men removed my shirt, by just pulling on it. The thing was so fragile and overwashed that it was but an old piece of cloth on my back


    ¡°Huh?¡± said one of the men¡­


    ¡°You were whipped before?¡± he said


    People then took an interest.


    Another man then showed up


    ¡°What is going on here? Basara what the hell have you done?!¡± said a man I knew well


    ¡°You know this kid?¡± said The young lord.


    ¡°Y-Yes young lord¡­he ¡®used¡¯ to work for me¡­ let me guess he was caught for theft?¡± said Ludic


    ¡°How would you know?¡± said the young Lord


    ¡°I knew since he applied to work for me, I gave him a chance to repent and look at him now, he went back to stealing even after being punished once, he never learned his lessons¡­ no wonder he didn¡¯t show up for work even after a week¡­¡±


    A week had passed? It felt like a day?


    But what the fuck are you saying! Are you trying to get me killed here you rotten old stingy bastard! I cried within myself


    ¡°So you stole before, and did it again¡­ a hundred and fifty lashes!¡± he said


    Once ludic heard the number his face turned pale, even more than mine


    ¡°Sir-¡° yet before he could speak the Lord himself stood up and summoned a thorny vein with his right hand and struck at my exposed back with all his strength.


    The vein looked exactly like the one that old lady used when I was in front of her office, but I didn¡¯t have enough time to ¡®admire the magic¡¯ as I felt my back was about to break from the strength of the hit.


    Before I could even gasp for air another hit struck at me forcing skin to open and flesh to show


    He kept on striking as I kept on screaming from pain


    I lost consciousness at one point, but another hit would wake me back up feeling more pain.


    This kept on for a lot of time,


    Though what felt like few minutes were like an eternity of pain to me. Another hit forced the book I had on my waist to drop to the ground.


    ¡°What is this? said the lord but I couldn¡¯t answer as I was gasping for air and going in and out of consciousness


    He grabbed the book and opened it after finding nothing of interest he threw it like if it was garbage.


    ¡°You must have stolen this too, thinking that it was worth something,¡± he said


    And he continued on hitting me


    People began to feel pity for sorry old me as with every hit they winced from the intensity of the strikes


    Why did I have to suffer this injustice? I would have not taken that gold at all if I knew this would happen¡­


    The crowd began to thin out as most felt disgusted by the merciless treatment I was receiving.


    Even the lord began to feel tired as sweat began to drip from his forehead.


    I hoped that he would stop, but I knew he wouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°What is happening here?¡± said a man


    Another intervention, I wonder if this one will add more fuel to the fire¡­


    They all turned at first looking at the strange man, but they didn¡¯t recognize him at first


    ¡°Lord Yo ling!¡± said the young lord


    Everyone then gasped from just hearing the name, even I was shocked to know that the lord of the city is actually here¡­


    I couldn¡¯t feel more shame now that even the Lord will know of this, I will probably be killed today¡­


    ¡°Greetings my lord!¡± said the man as he bowed a bit


    ¡°That is a rather harsh treatment for a boy, why is this happening?¡±


    ¡°This kid has stolen someone else'' property, he even lied to me after having given a chance to come clean, also he had been proven a thief that didn¡¯t repent after being proven guilty¡­ he stole before, and he stole again.¡±


    ¡°Those are serious crimes, however who is this one whose property was stolen? Can I meet them?¡± he said


    Everyone then looked at each other in bewilderment. It is actually true if he had stolen something, where is the victim?


    ¡°They probably have yet to report the theft, my lord,¡± said the young lord


    ¡°Then you are giving punishment to one before you have all the facts, that is not justice, one must face their crimes and their victims before they are punished, you are acting as a judge before you know the whole truth¡­¡±


    ¡°You are right my lord, but all evidence is against this kid.¡±


    ¡°Kid,¡± said the lord, ¡°did you truly steal someone else¡¯s property?¡±


    ¡°I did no such thing,¡± I said gasping for air


    ¡°You dare lie in the presence of his lordship!¡± said the man as he held the whip high trying to strike me again with more fervor, strength, and rage


    ¡°Enough!¡± said the Lord


    ¡°What is this property that you are accused of stealing.¡±


    ¡°A hundred pieces of gold¡­¡± I said


    ¡°A hundred gold? if you say, you didn¡¯t steal it how did you get it?¡±


    ¡°It was given to me by someone.¡±


    ¡°That is no small amount of money to be given as a charity, who gave it to you?¡±


    ¡°I cannot say, I promised to keep it a secret,¡± I said


    ¡°That is no valid reason, if you do not tell me who gave it to you, then I cannot help you.¡±


    ¡°I cannot say, that is not my right to say.¡±


    ¡°Even if it means suffering more pain?¡± said the lord


    ¡°Even if, I promised, no matter how people see me, a beggar, a thief, a dirty orphaned brat I will still keep my word, my word is all I have, and if I was to resign it then I have nothing else¡­¡±


    ¡°What a dilemma¡­¡± said the Lord


    ¡°He must be saying this just to get away from trouble, I am sure that the one that is the owner of this money will show up soon.¡± Said the young lord Fernand.


    ¡°Look, he even stole this book, I am sure we can track its ¡®real¡¯ owner.¡±


    ¡°A book?¡± said the City lord


    ¡°Yes, this book.¡±


    Once the lord saw the book, his eyes opened wide.


    He began releasing murderous intent the moment he placed his hand on it. He flipped the pages a bit and said in a calm yet domineering voice


    ¡°Kid¡­ I will ask you a question and depending on how you answer your fate will change¡­¡±


    Everyone gulped hard after hearing the rage within the man¡¯s voice


    ¡°Did you steal this book?¡±


    ¡°No sir¡­ that book is mine.¡±


    ¡°You dare lie again! You must be courting death!¡±


    The city lord didn''t even want to answer as the kid¡¯s words made sense to him more than they did to anyone else.


    Then just to make sure that his doubts are true


    ¡°Can you tell me what it says then?¡± said the lord


    ¡°Those words might be unreadable to you my lord, but it says; Focus, for one to hold such a book one needs to focus, for one to hold such power one needs to be in the balance, for one to seek more knowledge, one must give blood ¡°


    ¡°What a bunch of lies, he must have made those words up-¡° yet before he could finish his sentence a powerful slap was heard.


    Fernand, the son of the second strongest family in the city, was struck by the city lord.


    ¡°You stupid! Ignorant! Idiot!¡± said the city lord with rage


    ¡°W-What what did I do?¡±


    ¡°This kid is telling the truth. The money belongs to him, it was given to him for his troubles by my order, I just didn¡¯t know his real face. He was asked not to reveal the source of the money¡­ good god, what would you have done if I was not here, not only did you treat him with injustice you didn¡¯t even check if his words were true, you are a disgrace to your family name! go back to where you come from!¡±


    The man felt shocked at the city lord¡¯s words and left in a hurry, unable to understand what happened.


    ¡°I knew you were innocent kid,¡± said Ludic


    You fucking liar¡­ to gain the favor of the Videls you threw me into the fire, and now you wanted to gain the city lord¡¯s favor by siding with me.


    ¡°Enough with this farce. You and you¡± said the city lord to the men that were holding me down


    ¡°Release the kid!¡± he ordered, and they did without hesitation afraid of what he might do, no one wants to cross the hero of flames.


    ¡°Kid, what is your name?¡± he asked me


    ¡°My, My name is Basara.¡±


    ¡°Good, Basara, can you walk?¡± he asked me


    I then stood up but felt light-headed, and instantly dropped to my knees


    ¡°God damn it¡­ He went to these lengths¡­ I am going to make sure he pays for this!¡± said the Lord


    ¡°You two,¡± he addressed the same guys that were holding me down and said


    ¡°Carry this child and follow me.¡±


    And so they did


    ¡°Ouch!¡± is aid


    ¡°Gently!¡± said the old man caring for my injuries¡­


    I wonder where I might be going now¡­ I hope that nothing serious is going to happen from now on¡­ at least I got out of this situation alive, and I just hope that it remains the case¡­


    However, this shitty luck of mine is a mystery to me. At one point it is going to get me killed, and the second it gets the Lord of the city to save my ass¡­


    I can¡¯t understand what is going on, nor do I feel like it right now. Though I was In pain, I had to close my eyes as fatigue hit me and my mind faded into darkness.

 Chapter 3 (Nocturne)

    Chapter 3


    I woke up in a strange place before I could open my eyes I felt myself laying on something soft and warm.


    It was a bed, though I was sleeping on my front side my back was still stinging from pain.


    I tried to wake up but heard a gentle voice saying.


    ¡°You need to rest little boy; your wounds have yet to heal.¡± She said. A woman that I didn¡¯t who she was.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± I asked


    ¡°You are in the manor of Master Yo Ling. He took you in until your wounds are healed, you should be grateful.¡±


    ¡°I am, I really am¡­¡± I said as I thought about what happened then.


    I then drifted back to sleep.


    The next time I woke up I was feeling better, I managed to stand on my own, though there was some pain it was tolerable. I stood up and looked at the room I was in.


    The first thought that came to my mind was


    How the hell can someone afford to equip a room like this?


    Jade vases, murals, weapons of all kinds on the walls and a carpet that was smoother than silk. The bed itself was huge, I even felt afraid that I might have dirtied it.


    However looking at my appearance, I was shocked to see a new me,


    I looked at an enormous mirror on the wall and saw myself.


    I was dressed in a white shirt and pants, my skin was paler than I remember, but not the bad kind of pale. My hair was cut short and handled with care.


    My face looked much better than the last time I saw it¡­


    I had a slim face, looked like a triangle, a small scar on my right cheek, barely visible, probably from a beating I took when I was younger, my eyebrows were rather thick, but my eyes were black as night. my nose was not too long or too wide, just about right. All in all¡­ I honestly looked alright¡­


    Is that really me?


    A shadow passed behind me as I saw it in the mirror and turned.


    ¡°You seem to be admiring yourself, I would never have thought that under all of that would lay a handsome young man.¡± said the same womanly voice that I heard before.


    ¡°You are?¡±


    ¡°I am the head maid in this house, I took care of you on the orders of the master.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your hospitality and sorry for the inconvenience!¡± I hastily said as I bowed in respect to the treatment


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It was master¡¯s orders. He also said that if you do feel better, then you should meet him in the courtyard.¡±


    ¡°Right away¡± I replied


    ¡°You should wear something more formal than that. You don¡¯t want to meet the lord dressed in sleeping clothes.¡±


    They consider these sleeping clothes? If I owned these clothes, I would treasure them¡­


    ¡°I am sorry to inform you, but I don¡¯t think I have anything else to wear, the last thing I had was torn by some guy¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, I already prepared something for you to wear.¡±


    ¡°Really? Thank you!¡±


    I said to her then I just remembered¡­ who the hell dressed me?


    ¡°You should wear this,¡± she said as she handed me a set of clothes.


    They were¡­a set of black cotton pants and a long sleeve shirt to match with shoes and a pair of socks.


    ¡°Are these for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, now hurry up, there will be a maid in wait to accompany you to where the master is¡±


    ¡°Alright, mam¡­¡± I said as I waited for her to leave the room.


    She took notice and smiled bashfully... yet she didn¡¯t say anything and left.


    I think I know who changed my clothes¡­ I thought to myself as my face heated up a bit.


    Putting on the clothes and leaving the room I met the maid that was waiting for me.


    She, however, unlike the gentler looking head maid was rather stoic and cold, she had a tall frame, her face was oval face along with a small nose and high cheekbones. She wore glasses and a long hair in braids. Her face was rather¡­ emotionless, but you could clearly see her beauty and elegance as she moved leading the way after signaling me to follow her.


    As I did I admired the scenery, the long hall was decorated with all kinds of portrays of people and battle scenes, even some had the picture of a dragon, a red mighty looking dragon.


    I felt like I was taking a walk in history. But the walk soon ended as we reached the next corner where we were supposed to go down a long set of stairs.


    The whole place was marvelous and whoever was responsible for decorations didn¡¯t spare a single coin to make it look more refined.


    A girl then walked by. She was not a servant as she was younger, she wore elegant clothing. She had a fiery orange dress that had long sleeves and covered her back and would only show a bit of her neckline, she had a bright red hair color that looked like if it would burn any that touched it. She looked to be in her youth, probably fifteen years of age¡­


    However, she was not smiling, and signs of clear exhaustion could be seen on her.


    ¡°M-Melinda,¡± she askedReading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°Yes my lady!¡± said the woman who¡¯s cold expressions changed to those of worry the moment she saw the girl.


    ¡°I need more ice¡­I can¡¯t take it anymore¡­ it''s too hot.¡±


    Too hot? The weather is actually rather nice I thought to myself.


    ¡°Right away! She said, and she turned to me saying with a cold tone.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t move from here and wait until I come back.¡±


    I was then left alone with the ¡®lady¡¯ who was sitting on the floor with clear signs of fever.


    ¡°Can I help you with something?¡± I asked


    The girl looked at me and said


    ¡°Who might you be? I never saw you before¡­ are you one of the servant¡¯s relative?¡±


    Though she tried to say that in a dignified manner, the fever made her efforts go in vain as she was clearly suffering from something.


    What a terrible feeling I am feeling right now.


    If only I could do something to help this young girl¡­ but it seems that the maid will be bringing help to her.


    ¡°Akari!¡± cried the old man as he ran towards the stairs and up to where we were.


    That old man¡¯s gentle look changed instantly to those of worry and panic. The master of the house Ling worried over this girl.


    ¡°F-Father!¡± she cried out


    So she is his daughter!


    The maid called Milenda then came with many other servants holding buckets of ice.


    ¡°Hurry up!¡± he said as they began pouring ice on the girl.


    I looked at what was happening and noticed that the ice itself would instantly melt the moment it touches the girl causing large amounts of smoke to rise.


    She was like a burning inferno.


    ¡°God damn it¡­ Hold on a little longer my daughter, it won¡¯t take long before the side effects are gone¡­ just a few more days¡± said the man clearly out of the conviction of his own words.


    ¡°What is going on here?¡± I asked


    ¡°Ah, you are here lad¡­ This is a family business you don¡¯t need to bother yourself with it¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah sorry to intervene in your family business, but I thought I could help¡­¡±


    ¡°Help?¡± said the maid ¡°The best doctors and medics, mages and saints came here and were unable to do so and you orphaned beggar think you can help?¡±


    Her words actually made me feel hurt. However I could not blame her, I am not from their world. They must have lived in great wealth and in a higher position in society, so why should she even consider one of a lower class, and more so, why should she even consider an orphaned ¡®Beggar¡¯s¡¯ feelings¡­


    The girl looked to be in more duress than it seems as her facial expressions conveyed pain and agony, it was rather painful to look at. To look at someone that weak and that exposed while no one could help.


    ¡°What did you mean by you could help?¡± asked the old man, at tear point.


    The strong, powerful hero of flame, the one that is the richest within this city and most influential looked meek and powerless at this point¡­ what a sad thing to see¡­


    ¡°Sir, he is but a nobody, I know of a strong fire magician that can probably help, he is one of my relatives, and I think he would be more willing to help us with his vast knowledge, it would take just a few days for him to show up.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a few days,¡± I said


    They then looked at me with anger


    ¡°You are looking at the situation from the wrong point of view,¡± I added


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± said the old man, a bit interested, yet with a hint of hidden anger to his tone.


    ¡°I-I somehow am able to see the magic that is running rampant within her¡­ what you all did was that you are tired to suppress it, block it and let it die out¡­ the ¡®fire¡¯ within the girl is out of balance, she must reach for balance.


    ¡®the hell am I saying? Where did I get such knowledge over such thing?¡¯


    ¡°Balance? What is balance?¡±


    ¡°She needs to surrender to the flame, the more she fights, the stronger it will get until she is able to resist no more. The more she struggles, the less power she will have when the flame takes over, and if she doesn¡¯t have enough, her body will die¡­¡± I said


    ¡°How would you know such a thing?¡±


    ¡°For one to hold power¡­ one needs to be in the balance¡­ that is what my book said, and that is what my instinct is telling me.¡±


    ¡°And how do we reach for balance?¡± said the girl in a weak voice.


    ¡°You can¡¯t¡­¡± I replied


    The others felt the world crashing on them once I spoke the words¡­


    ¡°To reach balance you must be in perfect harmony with your body and soul, you are struggling tired and exhausted, you will never reach such a state alone¡­ but I can help¡± I said


    These words I said, I knew not why I said them or why I was saying them or what guided me to say them. Yet they were spoken without my will¡­ what followed soon made me tremble¡­


    I raised my right hand, and the black book appeared from thin air. It floated, and the pages turned until an empty page was left.


    Two words were written


    ¡°Give blood.¡±


    And I did, as I grabbed a sword from the ones within the walls and cut my right wrist, However, unlike the first time, the cut was significant, and a huge amount of blood poured down my wrist.


    Though I was disgusted and afraid, I had no will or control over what was happening.


    I tried to will my hand to stop but it didn¡¯t, and then I heard.


    ¡°Don¡¯t struggle master!, don¡¯t be afraid, we are one, and I shall be your guide


    Once the blood poured down the pages of the book, a new page filled with scribbles appeared.


    The cut on my right hand was sealed


    ¡°Blood magic!¡± cried a maid and the old man was alerted, he even tried to stop me with force. However out of nowhere


    ¡°Don¡¯t disturb me!¡± I spoke with a vicious and ancient voice, a voice that was not mine.


    Red thorns of blood, much larger much stronger and much too scary appeared from the ground and sealed the movement of everyone present, the long spiky thorns made sure that no one was going to move.


    ¡°Holy shit whoever you are, and whatever you are trying to do, please stop! That guy is the lord of this city, and you are going to get us killed, if he gets pissed he will turn us to ash!¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t dare do such a thing, we have his daughter under our control.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you doing you fiend!¡± cried the man but he couldn¡¯t move


    ¡°I will burn you to ash if you don¡¯t stop what you are doing!¡±


    ¡°Try it, it will only lead to the death of many innocent lives, I am trying to help you. Don¡¯t do anything you will regret.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit! You are threatening the lord! You will get us killed!¡±


    ¡°I fear not death.¡±


    ¡°But I do!¡±


    ¡°With me, nothing should terrify you, have faith,¡± he said as he dropped to his knees or, our knees.


    The girl in question looked terrified, wet and unable to speak or move, she would look at her father with eyes filled with fear, but he couldn¡¯t move as the thorns were on his skin, making it bleed a bit.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch her!¡± he cried


    I moved my hand forward and said the word


    ¡°Sleep!¡±


    And she fell unconscious,


    My right hand began channeling the energy within her, making it move towards different spots within her body. As I Looked, the fire was gathered within her abdomen, now with the guidance of my right hand, it moved towards every place within her body; Through her chest, her head her members and everywhere in between. The torrent began to settle down, and her face began to feel at ease. She was recovering


    ¡°This should do it¡­ the flame of a dragon needs not to be imprisoned by a weak-willed being else it would devour its wielder¡± I said as I stood back up. I looked at everyone who was still shocked at what just happened and willed the thrones to disappear, all of this happening without my accord.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± asked the old man who was clearly seething with rage.


    Yet before I could answer him, I fell face first¡­.


    My mind went into darkness as I was unable to register what happened, the last thing I heard was the sound of the book falling near me as I drifted once again into unconsciousness.


    Darkness welcomed me, I felt afraid yet somehow familiar with this darkness, looking around I could only sense that there was something old and terrifying, yet it was not trying to harm me, no it was beckoning me¡­ calling for me¡­ asking me to go forward and reach for it.


    So I plunged into darkness, moving forward until the darkness suddenly disappeared by the appearance of a glowing white orb that turned the black domain into a white void.


    The glowing orb then became a huge black throne made of bones, and a figure sat on it.


    He was huge in size to match the throne he was atop, as I barely made it to his knee.


    The man or thing had its whole body covered in a long black cloak with a hood to cover his face. Only two dark red pupils could be seen through the darkness of his face. Behind him and atop the throne lay a giant scythe, its wooden part was made of an old looking dark wood, while the blade was made from some sort of dark blue metal the bladeless part had spikes growing on it.


    It looked like It would cause a lot of pain if one was struck with that thing¡­


    It got its face closer to mine and said


    ¡°Greetings Master, you seem to have picked up my Book, or that the Book had picked you. I am Nocturne, As for what am I, this shall be divulged once you uncover more of the Book¡¯s secrets¡­ Kekekeke¡±


    He said as he began to laugh frighteningly chilling manner.


    I probably need an exorcist¡­I think I was possessed by some sort of grim reaper¡­

 Chapter 4 (A butlers responsibility)

    Chapter 4


    Waking up I saw that I was unable to move, I have been restrained once again¡­


    ¡°I can¡¯t seem to understand what to do with you, kid¡­¡± said the old man as he was sitting in front of me.


    ¡°Wait a second¡­ Before you do anything I just want you to know that I was not myself when whatever it is that happened.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I was somehow¡­ possessed¡­ something or someone took control over my body, and was doing whatever it did¡­¡±


    ¡°What is done is done,¡± said the old man ¡°but that doesn¡¯t excuse the fact that you suppressed me and disabled me from reaching my daughter, you or whatever it is that controlled you, is¡­ strong enough to cause harm to my family, and for that, you can remain here no longer¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand, I knew it the moment that that happened¡­ I will be leaving the moment you set me free¡­¡± I said fully knowing what is going to happen.


    ¡°However,¡± he said


    ¡°You have suffered great injustice that day under the hands of one of the families that I have under me, which is equal to having suffered injustice by me. And for that, you shall be compensated¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need any compensation, my lord, for the problems I caused it is enough for me to walk out of here with my head on my shoulders.¡±


    ¡°No, I will not let it be the case, and that is not even everything¡­ my daughter¡­ she woke up, with the dragon fever fully dissipated¡­ her body began to manage the flame and she is feeling rather¡­ comfortable¡­ something that took me three months of suffering to achieve, you managed it in a single session¡­ for that, I shall reward you with whatever it is that you wish, and I am capable of¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t deserve such things¡­¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! You have done what many had failed at, refusing this gift is the same as insulting me¡±


    ¡°Then can you set me free, I can¡¯t think straight while I am stuck here¡±


    ¡°release him,¡± he said and two men came setting the straps and ropes off


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said as I was scratching the itch again from my hands, I have the feeling that I am being roped and bound more than I should normally be.


    ¡°Then what I ask is, I want to go to school¡­¡±


    ¡°School? Out of all that you could ask? To be a noble? To get richer or to live free of any laws, you chose to go to school? Why?¡±


    ¡°I know the true value of money, thus I need it not, and I know how arrogant nobles can be, so I would rather not become one of them, but a scholar¡¯s knowledge is a treasure that can never be weighed in gold¡­ so I chose to fill my mind than filling my belly. I would rather spend my day reading a book and eating stew than to spend money I did not earn, to do things that I shouldn¡¯t, falling in depravity is not something that I want.¡±


    The old man looked at me with interest and said


    ¡°You say you are only fourteen¡­ yet to have such a view of the world at such a young age¡­ and even considering your background¡­ I am amazed, then here is my offer, you will be going to school but not here, you will go to Visania.¡±


    ¡°Huh! Isn¡¯t that the royal school of magic? I can¡¯t go there I will be chased out before I reach the capital, it is only reserved for the royal family and the high nobles, or any that could afford the extravagant entrance fee¡­ I can''t-do that.¡±


    ¡°You can, with my blessing, however, you will not go as a student, you will go as a servant¡±


    ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t think I qualify as that, but going as a servant is a bit far from what I intended, I meant by going to school, to learn and know stuff, just the regular school here can grant me such knowledge, going as a servant to that place is nothing compared to what I would gain just by going to this city¡¯s school¡±


    ¡°You fail to understand the reason behind my words. That school teaches the rulers of the next generation, my daughter shall be going there, and you shall follow as her servant, servants are allowed to attend classes, because they are responsible over their masters, and will be their bodyguards.¡±


    ¡°So they can attend courses¡­ hang on, you seem to be contradicting yourself, you said yourself that I was not to be trusted, not even I think that I should be trusted especially after that possession¡­ yet why would you send me as your daughter¡¯s servant, don¡¯t you think that I might harm her?¡± I said


    ¡°You are rather blunt, but worry not, I will be sending one of my own guards with you, she is rather¡­ ruthless if you show any signs of aggression, however, she will not cause you harm as long as you remain true to your purpose, to know and to learn this is my reward to you, so pack your bags, and bring what you need here you will leave in two months to the capital, so you will spend that time here.


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry about me packing anything¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, I forgot¡­ well then just enjoy your stay for the upcoming days, ah right, go speak to Melinda, you know her she was the one that blew up in your face that time, it''s rather refreshing seeing her expression different expressions now and then, she will teach you how to become a decently accepted servant¡±


    ¡°Right away,¡± I said as I walked out of the room, this room was rather damp and dark, I thought I was in some sort of prison at first, but once I left the place I found out that it was just the manor¡¯s basement.


    Hang on, where could I find that woman anyway? I thought to myself as I walked up the stairs.


    Once I reached the upper floor which had the entrance to the courtyard, I saw the maid named Melinda. Yet before I could speak


    ¡°How did you leave the dungeon?!¡±


    ¡°Easy there, it was Lord Yo ling that asked me to go up and look for you, it seems that I will be going with the mistress as a servant¡­¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°What absurdities are you speaking?¡±


    ¡°He speaks no such things, it was indeed what I had asked him to do, and you Melinda shall aid him in his task, show him the ropes, teach him as much as you can¡±


    ¡°But sir, the lady¡¯s safety is jeopardized with him as company¡±


    ¡°Worry not, for that you shall be accompanying them. You are responsible for my daughter Melinda,¡±


    ¡°Of course sir!¡± she said with confidence and pride. ¡°Now, follow me, we need to get you to look decent enough as a servant¡­ two months will probably not be enough to teach you anything but I will do my best, I just hope you are a fast learner.¡±


    ¡°I will do my best,¡± I said as I followed the girl.


    We left the manor walking through the garden until we reached a large house.


    ¡°This is the servant¡¯s house, this is the lodging of all the maids within this place, you being a male servant will be a butler, and I will teach you how to tend to your mistress¡¯s needs. Do you understand?


    ¡°Yes Mam,¡± I replied


    ¡°Good,¡± first things first, you need to dress like one, I will get you something, we still have some butler clothes from others you will be using these until a new set is ready for you.¡±


    I nodded and waited until she entered the house


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Get in!¡± she said


    I followed suit.


    It was a large wooden house, fully equipped with all kind of decorations, even the maid''s house was not spared from expensive decorations. However, though it had less than what the manor was equipped with it still didn¡¯t pale in comparison to it.


    The floors were wooden made, and they were shining, they must have been polished with great care.


    I even feared that if I walked on them that I will dirty them.


    ¡°Stop wasting time and hurry up, we don¡¯t have much time. I can¡¯t even think how you will be up to level in two months time, Master has sure given me an impossible mission¡±


    ¡°I will try my best not to disappoint you,¡± I said as I followed her.


    We kept on walking until we reached the end of the walkway, at the corner, there was a small door. A room was behind it, it looked nice, though it was a bit dusty, it had a bed and some books on the side, and an old lamp on a desk.


    ¡°This will be your room, from now on, wait here until I bring you the clothes you will be wearing for the job,¡± she said as she walked away


    I looked around the room and saw a closed window, I opened it to le the air circulation in, to remove the damp smell.


    I then took liberty in cleaning it up, there was a broom near the door that I took and began removing the piled dust after cleaning the desk with an old cloth, it got a bit dusty but the air sucked it out almost instantly.


    ¡°I see that you are rather initiative for having started cleaning your own room even before I asked you to,¡± said Melinda ash she came back holding a set of clothes.


    ¡°Yes, like you said this was to be my room for a while so this is the least I can do, I wouldn¡¯t want to rest in this place without at least cleaning it.¡±


    ¡°Very good, once you finish, come to the kitchen you will find some food there, I think you should be starving by now. After you eat we will start your real training¡±


    ¡°Yes, mam, I will make sure to get there, but where is the kitchen? I wouldn¡¯t want to wander off somewhere I am not allowed to¡±


    ¡°Just go back the hall and up to the second floor it is the first door on your right, and don¡¯t call me Mam, we are both servants for the same Level, the only one you need to call Mam is the head maid, other than that, you call everyone by either Lord, or mistress, that includes Mistress Akari who we will be working for, for the next few months.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Melinda,¡± I said and she left.


    Before I would wear my new clothes I decided to continue with cleaning the room, so that I wouldn¡¯t dirty the rest.


    It took me about half an hour before the room was spotless.


    I also discovered few old books that were laying here and there and had them organized by order, they were mostly about history and something about the royal family, I might give them a quick skim through the night.


    I then wore the new clothes, they were a set of black pants and a black vest, with a white shirt underneath and a tie, the vest was long on the back and ended with a twin tail cut, there were also two white gloves with them. Combined with black leather boots. They were cotton made and were really nice to wear.


    Once I finished wearing them, I walked upstairs to the kitchen, Melinda was there waiting for me.


    The kitchen was really huge, it must have taken the whole top floor, as it had several long foods preparing tables, there was a food storage inside and several other maids were busy doing their job, some was cutting vegetables, and some was busy preparing food, the smell of ingredients and food being prepared really made me feel hungry.


    ¡°Here, come,¡± she said


    ¡°Sit,¡± she said


    ¡°Wrong!¡± she said never sit on a table without your master¡¯s permission, I am not your master and if any asks you to do so then politely decline¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to argue with her as she was the one to have asked me to sit¡­ and so I said


    ¡°I will remember that,¡± I said and stood back up


    ¡°Let¡¯s pretend that I am the mistress,¡± she said, ¡°And that both of us have been invited to a table with a noble, what would you do before we start?¡±


    ¡°I will pull the mistress¡¯s chair for her?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything you are not sure of,¡± she said ¡°But that is correct, now pull my chair¡± she said and I did.


    I went to sit near her and she said


    ¡°What are you doing? When the master sits you are to stand behind them in wait for orders, a servant always eats after their master had finished¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will remember that,¡± I said


    ¡°Good,¡± she said now sit,¡± she asked


    And I sat beside her like she said before she is the master now and I have to follow her orders.


    Two other maids came and stood behind us, on the table, there were three empty plates one atop each other and beside them, three forks a knife and two spoons, the spoons and forks were in different sizes.


    The maids brought some sort of vegetable salad at first, and they served it to us, it was a small portion that would barely feed a bird but I was hungry but had to wait for the mistress to eat first.


    ¡°Now, first thing first, there is a set of rules you need to learn, every fork and spoon you see here serves a different reason, this, for example, is a spoon for soup, while this is for dessert, this fork is for salad while this one is used with a knife to cut steaks, sometimes there might not be a stop in the menu but this spoon will still be here, but never use a soup¡¯s spoon to eat dessert or a salad fork for meat, everything needs to serve its purpose¡±


    Holy shit¡­ All of this just to eat a salad¡­


    ¡°Now begin,¡± she asked and waited for me to start


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± she asked


    ¡°The mistress first,¡± I said


    ¡°Good, you still remember, you are not hopeless after all, now follow my lead¡±


    She then took the salad fork and began eating, though I say eating what she did was that she used her fingers with finesse to control the fork and eat. But she never finished the thing. She even left more than she ate.


    ¡°Never eat your fill,¡± she said ¡°Eating with other nobles is not about filling your belly, it is about showing dignity and well manners even doing something primal as eating¡±


    Primal?


    I followed her lead and ate just a bit, this only served to make me feel hungrier.


    She then wiped her mouth gently with a napkin then waited for me to do the same


    ¡°good, now to the next dish,¡± she said


    And we continued like that, the food consisted of several servings going from salad to soup to a piece of steakto roasted duck to some sort of ice cream dessert. In all my life I had never eaten something as luxurious as this and Melinda said that we will be doing this until I can perfectly manage myself, I honestly think that I should never improve so that these sessions will last forever, I rarely eat anything other than that horrid stew¡­


    ¡°Very well, not bad for a first day now you will be going back to the courtyard for your sword and magic training¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    ¡°What did you expect that you will just sit here all day and do housework when you go to the royal school? You are needed to protect your mistress under all circumstances and lay your life on the line when it is needed, all servants are experts in combat and magic, though two months is not nearly enough to get you up to shape it should do if you give it your all, a private master swordsman will come here to teach you all you need about dueling.¡±


    ¡°You said magic and sword training, who will be doing the magic training?¡±


    The girl gulped for a moment and said.


    ¡°it seems that your ability is rather¡­peculiar so the one that is going to train you will be no other than the master himself¡­ try not to die¡± she said with a look of terror on her face.


    ¡­


    I don¡¯t know if I should feel happy that the hero of flame will be training me or that I should fear for my life because I will be responsible for his daughter¡¯s safety¡­

 CHapter 5 (Shen the sword master)

    Chapter 5


    One day earlier


    ¡°What the hell are you?¡±


    ¡°What am I? I cannot say, for that you should discover with your own means. Like I said, the Book is the only way for you to know what I am, and once you do you shall be something else. Now the book asks for tribute, for having used my might, you should pay, and the payment must be in blood¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you taken enough?¡±


    ¡°It is not your blood that the book wants, it is someone else, find them, then make them bleed, lest that the book would take vengeance upon you.¡±


    ¡°Why should I do that?¡±


    ¡°You have opened a book that you should have left unopened, and with its power unsealed its lust for blood has become ravenous, and now you must satiate it¡±


    ¡°Then isn¡¯t anyone¡¯s blood enough? Why do I need to find a random person to give their blood to the book? And do you really think that they will just give it to me?¡±


    ¡°There is no such thing as random or a coincidence, what the book asks you shall be not reliant on luck, the one who you shall seek their blood shall be named within the pages of the book, they have done something that made their name be labeled on its pages, for that you need to get back from them what they had stolen.¡±


    ¡°If they had stolen something then shouldn¡¯t we report it to the security? I mean why do I need to take their blood if they had stolen something?¡±


    So far I was still unable to accept all of this, I can¡¯t understand what is happening anyway. A book? To get someone¡¯s blood? And a god damned grim reaper¡­


    ¡°What they took was not material, and you shall know once you meet them. Now go master, I have left a bit of my power to aid you in times of need, once you are in danger It will come in handy, but if the book¡¯s command is not satisfied within due time, then I shall be the one to slay you¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t understand how this relationship is working out¡­ I mean really, you call me master and promise to help, but if I don¡¯t get some blood I will be killed by you¡­¡±


    ¡°Why should you understand what you don¡¯t know? Kekekekke¡± he said as he laughed while disappearing from view.


    What is up with that reasoning of his? People want to know what they don¡¯t understand¡­ god damn it I need to get out from here and think of a way out of this stupid mess¡­


    While I thought of that my sight opened up on a roof, as I was strapped down to a table while the manor¡¯s lord was there


    Here we go again¡­


    One day later


    Arriving at the courtyard, I waited for this private swordmaster. I was alone as I watched the beautiful scenery of well-kept flowers, and beautiful roses all around the courtyard, there even was a small pond with an arc bridge passing above, the pond had many small golden fishes swimming within it.


    It was a piece of paradise.


    However turning my gaze I saw a bum¡­ an old looking guy who was pissing near a bush, the guy had a circular hat that protected him from the sun and wore old ragged clothes, he was taking his time and pleasure without giving a damn about where he was or whose house this was.


    I have no idea how he got here in the first place.


    I got closer to him and wanted to urge him to leave before any of the guards would see him, yet once I got closer, two of these guards were already down.


    The door to the manor was broken, and only the old man was here. Did he do this?


    ¡°Hey you,¡± I said trying to sound as threatening as possible


    The guy turned around after zipping his pants saying


    ¡°God that really hits the spot,¡±


    Once he turned I saw his face, he was bearded, with a large scare through the bridge of his nose, his hair was dirty looking, greasy and unkempt. And the smell of alcohol was reeking out of him.


    ¡°You look too young to be a servant boy, what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°You look too messed up to be here sir, what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we have a smart one, Then how about you move out of the way before I cut you in half?¡±


    ¡°With what? Your bare hands?¡±


    ¡°Even a blade of grasse can be deadly in the hands of an expert.¡± He said as he moved forward, almost disappearing from sight, his left hand ripped out a strand of grass and somehow made it straighten, the tip of the blade of grass stopped a millimeter from my right pupil, the man moved so fast I could only look. My body was unable to react to what happened


    ¡°You have good eyes lad, you kept your eyes on my movements all the time without even blinking, yet your body is in terrible condition. You lack muscles, your reaction time is horrible and you are absolutely paralyzed from just this encounter, I guess that you will need much to learn.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Might you be?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am, I was asked by that old fart to come in and help you toughen up, you seem to fit the profile of someone I was looking for¡±


    ¡°were you looking for me?¡± I asked


    ¡°No, I said the profile, It''s your eyes. That old bastard did tell me you have a good eyesight and it seems that it is true, now tell me would you like to learn the way of the blade?¡±


    ¡°I personally would prefer the pen over the sword, but as my new job commands, I will be in your care¡±


    ¡°Shen¡­¡± Said the Housemaster Yo ling


    ¡°Brother, it''s been long¡­¡±


    Are they brothers?


    ¡°You look in terrible condition¡­ what the hell happened?¡± asked the master of the house in a worrying tone


    ¡° Just the usual, we met a couple of them, nothing serious, but some of the guys got careless¡­ and Rivel lost her life¡­¡±


    ¡°God damn it¡­ that crazy woman should have never been permitted to go there¡­¡± said the Lord ¡°Go inside, wash up, and try to be presentable, this will be your disciple for the next two months, try to make him as passable as possible to guard my daughter¡±


    ¡°Two months? I would rather try fighting a dozen of them than to do this, you know well enough that it is impossible to get someone up in shape in two months¡±


    ¡°Then do as best as you can, he is a fast learner, and I am sure he will not slack around,¡± said the lord as he looked at me ¡°Will you slack around?¡± he asked


    ¡°Never, I am ready to learn and ready to train right now¡±


    ¡°At least he got the spirit,¡± said the man named Shen ¡°Well then, I hope you are ready for what is to come, with scrawny muscles like yours this is going to be torturous,¡± he said as he laughed together with his ¡®brother¡¯


    These two guys sound awfully sadistic¡­


    ¡°Oh yeah, Brother Yo, two of the new guards didn¡¯t recognize me and I couldn¡¯t get in no matter how much I asked them¡­ I guess they are in need of a little help, it shouldn¡¯t be much, I was easy on them too¡±


    ¡°Oh god¡­ those two were good men, did you kill them?¡±


    ¡°No¡­but I guess they will wish I did once they wake up¡­ you see I really needed to pee¡­¡±


    ¡°Good god¡­ just go inside, Hey Basara, could you please bring them to the servant¡¯s house, they will know how to handle them¡±


    ¡°Right away,¡± I said and went to the downed guards. Lord Ling went inside along with Master Shen.


    I took a look at one of the guards and saw that hi was barely able to breathe, his windpipe was damaged, the other was spasming and foaming while his hands were on his crotch, he was probably hit in the nuts the both of them looked to be unconscious.


    I tried to get the first one with the breathing problem first, as he was probably in more danger. The man was heavy, but after lifting him and putting him on my back I was able to move him, though the servant''s house was close, it was a hard task taking a grown man to it, I was only 14, and didn¡¯t really have much strength.


    Once I dropped- I mean gently placed him on the door, I went inside, looking for anyone to help, a Maid that I haven¡¯t seen before was nearby and I told her of the circumstances, she then went inside looking for help while I went back to the get the second guy, this time I was a bit smarter as I took a three-wheeled cart and placed the guy on it, and drove him all the way to the house again. The maids took the two of them inside and began treating them.


    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Melinda as she showed up on the door.


    I was gasping for air as my body was not that adapted to the effort I just used.


    ¡°It seems that master Ling¡¯s brother is back and this was his doing.¡±


    ¡°Lord Ling? The lord has no brothers, what are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Huh? The man clearly said to his brother,¡±


    ¡°What man?¡± she asked


    ¡°The one responsible over this. he goes by the name Shen if I remember correctly¡±


    Melinda¡¯s facial expressions changed almost instantly from indifferent to horrified


    ¡°That old lecher is here! I must inform the rest!¡±


    And she instantly went inside.


    Old lecher? Strange¡­


    I went back to the garden and waited by a tree¡¯s shade.


    It has been long since I last took time for me and rested¡­ I wonder how my life will change now that I am under the care of one of the strongest houses in the continent. Though as a servant, it is a far cry from where I came, also benefiting from the knowledge that I will gain from the best school of magic and swordsmanship is a thing to be grateful for.


    I dozed off under the shade until I was woken by a young looking man, this man I would have thought him to be one of the nobles that came and visited this house as he was dressed in elegant clothes and had a charming smile, his hair was well kept and had a handsome face.


    However, the scare on the bridge of his nose revealed him to be none other than the bum I saw before, this man is the swordmaster¡­ talk about a complete makeover


    ¡°You seem to be enjoying your rest, I would have left you to relax more but we are on a tight schedule, Now wear these you will need them,¡± he said


    As he gave me two silver bracelets with various inscriptions on them, two leg greaves from the same material and a chain vest that was made of springs


    ¡°What is this?¡± I said


    ¡°This is what you will be wearing for the next few years, you will never remove them, even if you want to take a shower or take a dump, even if you want to make love or under any circumstances, unless your life is endangered, these shall be your companions for better and for worse, and trust me, there will be a lot of worse once we start¡± he said as he laughed menacingly.


    I took the silver bracelets and placed them on my hands.


    Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, I then tried to put the greaves on top of the pants I was wearing when he said


    ¡°Are you an idiot? How will you remove your pants then? put them under so they don¡¯t look stupid, by the way, make sure that your equipment remains hidden under your clothes.¡±


    I then did as he said and pulled up the pants while placing them, they felt cold at first but their temperature changed after a while.


    ¡°Now remove your jacket and the shirt and link the vest to everything¡±


    ¡°How? This think links?¡±


    ¡°Yes, let me show you,¡± he said as he waited for me to remove the jacket,


    Once I did I truly felt a bit embarrassed being half naked in front of a man in the open. But I soon let go of the thought.


    This equipment looked to be for body reinforcement probably they act as a set and once they are linked they will make moving a bit difficult, but it shouldn¡¯t be hard to move with this, it is not heavy and would probably not hinder me much, it should be but a matter of getting used to it.


    Once he finished linking everything to the vest he said


    ¡°Well, the preparations are finished, how do you feel?¡± he asked


    ¡°Well, it is rather itchy and a bit strange to the feel but I don¡¯t think this would be problematic¡±


    ¡°Well I am glad you feel like that,¡± he said as he placed his hand on my chest and spoke the words ¡°Activate¡±


    Once he did I felt my legs dig in the ground from the humongous weight of the formerly light equipment, I wasn''t able to stand up. My arms and legs instantly sprung while my body locked on itself, I felt like I had transformed into a human ball.


    ¡°W-what the hell?!¡±


    I said as I lay curling like a ball on the ground


    ¡° the First task, try and move out of that position, without removing the chains, or asking for help, once you do and you are able to move properly we will begin our real training,¡± he said she smiled and walked away leaving me on the ground unable to even move a muscle¡­ literally


    And he said this is not even the real training¡­

 Chapter 6 (struggling with daily life)

    Chapter 6


    The springs didn¡¯t let me move a muscle, I tried to do anything even tried to force only one arm to move but to no avail. The weight was not helping at all, as I lay there curled up like a human ball. How in the hell was this training if I can¡¯t even move? I was expecting some weight training or some shadow swordplay, but this, this is utter nonsense!


    It took me some time before I was even able to move my right arm a bit, the strain and the pain kept me from doing anything else, I thoroughly gave up as I laid there face first.


    ¡°Oh, you managed to move an arm, that I quite the progress for a day¡¯s work.¡± Said the swordsman Shen. ¡°But you will need to find your way to your own bed before we can call this day off. Of course without help from anyone, else you will spend the night here in the open, which is not strange to someone like you.¡± He said


    ¡°But what about Lord Ling¡¯s magic training?¡± I said


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, I already spoke to him and as long as you don¡¯t manage to move with that thing, you will not be attending his crash course on magic. You need to live with that thing, and using magic requires finesse that you don¡¯t have at the moment¡± he said as he left


    I struggled more and more just to get my legs to work, but still nothing. This was a near impossibility.


    ¡®Master¡¯ said something that I knew very well


    ¡°What is it Nocturne¡±


    ¡® no need to loudly voice out your thoughts, just think of what you want to say and we can speak I can hear you like that. No need to sound like a crazed man¡¯ he said as his voice was inside my head


    Great now I have a voice inside my mind.


    ¡®You are approaching this the wrong way, this tool is primitive, it is not about strength, it is about control.¡¯ He said


    ¡®What do you mean?¡¯


    ¡®That tool is sapping a lot of your meager strength, but whatever is left, try to control it, and use it equally on all of your body members. That way, you will be able to move¡¯ he said


    ¡®Sounds logical, but how can I do that?¡¯


    ¡®that is yours to know. For I shall not show you what you need to learn. Power comes from one that seeks it not ask for it and so does knowledge¡¯


    Well at least that was a hint I could use


    I then tried to move every muscle of my body at once, the springs moved a bit but not by far.


    This was probably the way, but it seems that I will need more control.


    I then tried to focus on just my thigh muscles tried to move them in sync.


    The springes moved, this time giving me more room.


    With a bit of struggle, I managed to stand up, but my arms were still wrapped around themselves.


    ¡°Good, this is a start¡±


    There is no need to move my hands at the moment, I should just think about getting back to my room. It actually turned dark and I need to rest soon.


    But the moment I tried to make a step, my whole body sprung back and I was on my face again.


    What the hell happened¡­ I even made sure to move slowly¡­


    ¡®Master, you seem to have gotten the gist of it, but your body, all of your life has relied on not only its legs to maintain balance, but every other part of it, even your hands, when they moved they gave your mind a sense of balance, trying to move in this strange manner is something your body rarely encountered so you are bound to fail using these tools, you must move like you would normally do, other than that you will fail¡­¡¯


    ¡®so no shortcuts¡­ sigh¡¯


    I then tried to move back up, which took less time than the first time, then slowly began to move my arms, at first I felt that my legs would crumble back but thankfully I managed to give my arms less power and just enough to move the springs.


    Now that my hands are extended and my body is somehow standing, I decided to move¡­ slowly


    I took a step, and with it, I made sure to remain focused on every other part of my body, to know the function of every muscle in my body, to feel everything and to know when to move and what move to make next, which hand to move after which foot.


    Right foot first, left arm to the back, slowly left foot to follow and right hand to go back while my left hand was to move forward. In sync, I tried to move, step by step, I managed to move forward.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    It took me about thirty minutes to move all the way back to the room, I only fell down a couple of times, once because I had to step over a small ledge, and the second one because I tried to open the door of the house.


    Thankfully the house seemed to be rather empty, it must be because everyone went to sleep, I didn¡¯t even bother with trying to eat anything, first because I already had lunch about six hours ago¡­ and secondly, because I really didn¡¯t want to suffer from eating food. I also was thankful that now one saw me walking that awkward and weird way.


    This is really tough.


    Though I wanted to read some books that were here inside my room the exertion and fatigue soon told me that a rest will be most welcomed now.


    And so I got on the bed and instantly relaxed,


    I expected my body to spring back, but it didn¡¯t


    ¡®Worry not about that, for that no your body is accustomed to this form and knows it best, to relax means that you are using the least of your strength and it will not suffer from the jerks of this thing.¡¯ Said Nocturne


    ¡®This is probably for the best, otherwise who would stand to sleep in that awkward form¡¯ I said as I closed my eyelids.


    Waking up on the feeling of something poking at my right cheek I slowly opened my eyes to see who it was


    ¡°Morning sunshine!¡± said Master Shen in a frighteningly cheerful tone.


    ¡°Paint me surprised boy, I never thought you had it in you to get here in one night, I truly was expecting to see your sorry ass still back and stuck in the yard, but you managed to get here on your own, believe me I know it, even some of the maids saw you move all the way here so I know no one helped you¡±


    Shit, this means that someone actually saw me¡­


    ¡°Well, I did my best¡­¡±


    ¡°Your best? You must be kidding, it took me three days to get my ass to move out of that thing, and I can tell you my teacher was proud¡­ you just created a miracle¡±


    ¡®Don¡¯t mention me or my help¡­¡¯ said Nocturne


    ¡°You gave me a hint, and I followed it, I just needed to use finesse, be delicate and concentrate on every body part, move naturally but with minimal effort¡­¡±


    ¡°Good, good that is the gist of it, that seriously took me a lot of thinking but for you reader boy it really didn¡¯t take much. Now up you go, take a shower, you stink and change your clothes, meet me after you have done all that and have eaten your breakfast we will continue our training¡± he said and walked away


    I then tried to stand up, this time slowly and not forgetting to move my body as naturally as I could, I mean I didn¡¯t want to end up in these clich¨¦d moments where I will just fall down after having said all that stuff.


    Once up, it took me some time to get to where the bathes are, and I had already asked where was the men¡¯s bath.


    Which unluckily was on the upper floor¡­ lucky me¡­


    I walked upstairs which was not fun by the way and managed to get inside the bath chamber. Which was a square room with a big tub filled with hot water, thankfully someone already prepared it for me.


    So I dived in, with all the knickers and stuff still equipped on me, strangely it hasn¡¯t even been a full day and I am almost fully in control over these things. I thought it would take longer to control but it seems I was wrong.


    ¡®The human body is filled with mystery, you should get used to it¡­¡¯ Said Nocturne who was clearly still here


    I was having some inconveniences about another being watching me take a shower, but I soon got those ideas out of my head once I was in.


    It took me some time after having finished my business, after that I left wearing a towel, I even found spare clothes (another butler uniform that was exactly my size) perhaps master Shen had asked that from the maids.


    Once down I entered the kitchen to find Melinda with the sword master who was clearly way too close to her as she looked disgusted from his approach.


    ¡°Would you please keep your hands to yourself Master Shen else they would be cut off and I think that wielding a sword without hands might not do well with your business¡±


    ¡°True true, I need these things for swordplay and another type of play¡­¡± he said in a lecherous manner


    I think he was speaking about foreplay¡­


    ¡°Master Shen,¡± I said


    ¡°Oh, it took you long enough, Good of you to join us, now have your breakfast and meet me back at the yard. Mely, until we meet again,¡± he said and walked away


    ¡°I hope to never do¡­¡± Melinda said with disgust.¡° Damn old bastard.¡± She hissed at him.


    ¡°Come here now,¡± said Melinda addressing me as I walked barely properly towards her.


    ¡°That thing must be annoying, but you will have to get used to it, you need it for your task so make sure you don¡¯t mess up.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said as I looked for what is to be my food¡­ fantastic¡­ rice¡­chopstiks and stop¡­ you have to hand it to these guys to make stuff much more difficult than they are, I mean would it really be that hard for you guys to make something easier to eat while I am in this condition?


    I sucked up my complaints and began eating. It actually was difficult I even managed to splash my face with food a couple of times due to the sudden jerking of my right hand, this earned me a stained face and a bit of laughter from the people watching.


    After having ¡®safely¡¯ finished my meal I went out to meet with the sword master.


    I was surprised to see him do what he was doing.


    He was moving, using a blade, a curved sword of some sort, something I never saw before. He moved as if he flew, the wind-aided him his blade cutting air and leaves that fell like if they were nothing. He moved both slow and fast at the same time, his muscles pumped sudden bursts of power, the minimum and only what he needed, never extending never giving less than what he needed. He danced in the wind as if it was the most commune thing to do.


    ¡°What is that?¡± I said


    And he replied never stopping the forms, ¡°This is the lotus blossom move, it has seven stages, this is the third stage¡±


    ¡°That actually looks cool.. complicated but cool,¡± I said


    ¡°I know, but don¡¯t worry this is just a warmup, your training will be less strenuous,¡± he said


    Less strenuous?


    ¡°You see those logs over there?¡±


    He said as he kept on moving like he did before.


    I looked around and saw a huge pile of wood that was brought in probably this day in the morning.


    ¡°Yesterday, you managed to move your body using the minimally required strength, now you will do so using the maximal required strength,¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me! I couldn¡¯t even eat properly this morning! that is impossible! I don¡¯t even think I can do that even without this limiter¡±


    ¡°Nothing is impossible, you only need to change your view of things, find balance between strength and control, then you will probably find a way, I mean you managed to pull off a miracle yesterday, do it once again¡±


    Good god¡­ I thought to myself as I saw the huge pile of logs¡­


    This is not going to be fun¡­ How in the hell is this classified as less strenuous?

 Chapter 7 (Prodigious disciple)

    Chapter 7


    Within the manor, a girl sat crossed legged while hundreds of miniature orbs of flame floated around her. One would only think that this person was a prodigy.


    The orbs dimmed out and disappeared once the girl felt tired. Her body was glistening with sweat and fatigue looked apparent on her. a maid approached her and gave her a towel while saying


    ¡°That was well-done my lady you will certainly surpass your father in no time¡±


    ¡°That is a hard goal to achieve Melinda, but I will certainly do, tell me then who is that boy?¡± said the daughter of Lord Ling


    ¡°He says he is an orphan, and I don¡¯t know what made the lord agree on sending him with you to Visania, Worry not miss Akari, I will be there too¡­¡±


    ¡°I am not worried, but he just seems rather interesting. For a fact he managed to subdue the flames within me like no other had done so, rather than forcing them to submission, they became¡­ willing to give me their power, it was like¡­ they fear him¡­¡±


    ¡°That is nonsense, the flame of the mighty dragon fears nothing¡­¡± said Melinda


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, but what is he doing with uncle Shen?¡± asked the mistress


    ¡°He is training him to be a worthy bodyguard, but I don¡¯t think he can make it¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be trusting his efforts, I was told that he managed a feat that even master Shen was unable to¡±


    ¡°How did you know of such a thing?¡± said Melinda in a teasing way


    The girl blushed a little and said


    ¡°I heard the maids speak of a boy moving in a strange way and I got interested, it was not like I was spying on him¡­ just curiosity¡±


    ¡°hmm curiosity, well anyway it usually takes a lot of time for one to be a proper bodyguard for one such as you, and two months is severely low¡­ but I will make sure that he will do his job properly¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Melinda.¡± Said the girl as she went to take a shower to refresh herself from the morning¡¯s practice


    This is absurd! Impossible even¡­


    I thought as I suffered under the weight of the log


    Normally even without the chains I would still find it hard to reallocate these logs where the master had instructed, but with this limiter, it was a nigh impossibility


    Even carrying one of them proved to be too difficult for me. it was hard for me to use the minimal strength to carry something that even while fully energized would fail to do.


    ¡®You are not focused, you see weight as matter, and you see strength as power, it is but balance and you are failing to balance yourself to reach the required strength you need. Focus¡¯ Said Nocturne


    ¡®Could you be a little bit more specific and less enigmatic, I really find it hard to do anything here¡­¡¯


    ¡®Sigh¡­ Master, you need to see what you are carrying, feel its texture, its density, the weight and its substance, you need to ingrate these in your mind, and make your body feel them, to know what you are dealing with, the energy within it and try to make it a part of you.¡¯


    ¡®I really don¡¯t think that would make the weight any less if I feel the log¡­ no pun intended¡­¡¯


    ¡®Let me take over for a moment¡¯ he said and I lost control over my body


    I was standing near the pile of logs and now took a backseat within my own mind, looking at what I was doing like if I was navigating my body.


    Master Shen who was sharpening a piece of wood instantly jumped up looking around for probably what seemed to be a sign of danger, he looked agitated and a bit flustered, I even saw a drop of sweat coming down from his forehead.


    ¡°I must have been mistaken¡­¡± he said and resumed sharpening his stick (no pun intended again)


    Nocturne took a deep breath, and I felt the springs unusually contort, and expanding leaving more room for his lungs to expand.


    Exhaling I felt my body filled with unusual freshness and probably what seemed to be energy.


    He placed his palm on the log and easily placed it on his shoulder.


    ¡®This is how we do it¡¯ he said


    ¡®I still have no idea how you carried that¡­¡¯


    ¡®You need not think as if these limiters as restraints, think of them as a part of you, like if you were born with them, your mind will then unseal your potential for it to grow, the human mind is filled with secrets, and only putting it to great difficulties will it unlock some.¡¯ He said


    ¡°How in the hell did you do that?!¡± said master Shen as he stood up shocked from what he just saw


    ¡®Take your body back¡¯ said Nocturne and left me back in charge


    For a moment, I didn¡¯t even feel the weight of the Log, then as I lost concentration it all came down crashing on me and I fell to my knees, while the log rolled over towards the master who stopped it with one leg


    ¡°How did you do that,? That is impressive, I truly find you to be filled with mystery young lad¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know how, but it seems that I lost that control, let me try again,¡± I said then went toward the Log that rolled over


    I didn¡¯t even notice myself as I actually jogged towards the Log, totally forgetting that I was restrained, and as if it was an epiphany that struck I knew what I needed to do.


    Once I crawled over, I only focused on my task the Log and to carry it, not how heavy it was, but what it was made of, it was made of wood, had a low density so it was not that heavy, the shell was a bit rough, other than that it was just a regular log.


    I then took a deep breath, the springs expanded, though not to the same limit that nocturne made them, it was still decent


    Exhaling, I felt the same rush of energy.


    I focused on my task and grabbed the log with both hands, putting it over my shoulder without even a thought, I managed to do a feat that should be impossible for anyone my size and age.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Then went toward the location where I needed to drop it.


    Once I dropped it, my muscles began to scream from pain, but I endured and continued with my task.


    Ignore the pain, focus on the task, find Balance between your strength and your task, then you will find the way.


    Easy.


    All that while Master Shen stood mouth agape.


    Once I placed the second Log, he instantly went toward the manor bringing Master Ling with him.


    I ignored the two and continued on with my task, body filled with sweat, head almost spinning but I endured, and carried the logs to where they needed to be.


    ¡°How is it possible?¡± asked Lord Ling


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± replied Master Shen ¡®He seems to have a knack for the impossible¡­ this took me more than a month to just carry the first log, even for three steps, this is his first day and he already allocated the third piece¡­¡± he said


    Though they were far, and I should have normally been unable to hear them I still did, and with clarity.


    ¡°You must take great care of this boy, Shen¡­¡± said Lord Ling


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will never let him wither.¡±


    It is good to hear people speaking good about you, I thought to myself as I continued on with my task.


    It took me three more runs to finally collapse, unable to even move a muscle where I faded into nothingness.


    ¡°Seems about your limit¡­ you have done well master,¡± said Nocturne ¡°once your muscles develop more, you will find yourself able to carry out an inhuman task, so worry not about the present. Rest for you shall need it, once the time of reckoning is upon you, you will be tested. Winning will assure your survival, while if you lost¡­I dare not even think of the consequences¡­¡± he said to me who was barely able to catch on to his words.


    I woke up the next day with massive cramps but after taking a refreshing bath and having my breakfast I felt like new, I resumed my task of moving logs, this time it was a bit more arduous with all the compiled fatigue but still I managed to do more runs, thankfully without collapsing this time.


    A week after that, I managed to fully displace the logs, which accounted to 350 pieces.


    I was even able to carry two at a time, but never was able to get the third one, Nocturne called it the human unbreakable limit, where without further training the bridge can never be breached, one must always become stronger so that this human limit will rise making room for him to grow.


    ¡°Very well, Basara,¡± said Master Shen ¡°Now do you want to learn the way of the blade?¡± he said


    ¡°Yes!¡± I said, ¡°But first tell me why did I have to carry those logs?¡± I added


    ¡°Those are for what we will be doing next,¡± he said ¡°Hold this¡± he threw me a wooden sword and said


    ¡°Put one of those logs in a horizontal position, and chop them using that sword without breaking the sword¡±


    ¡°That is impossible-¡° yet before I could finish my statement


    The master swordsman slashed at one of the logs in rapid succession with a wooden stick he had on him


    The log didn¡¯t even feel damaged then parts of it slid on the sides¡­


    I just witnessed something that should have been unthinkable


    I went toward the log remains and saw that they were cleanly cut, like if they had been slashed with a sharp tool¡­ looking at his stick I saw it be blunt and without sharp edges¡­


    ¡°How did you do this?¡±


    ¡°Practice,¡± he said


    ¡°That can¡¯t be, there has to be a trick to it, I am sure, I mean how can this even be happening¡­¡±


    ¡°it can, and I just showed it to you, I know this is hard to grasp, but you will understand with time. I know this is a step above what I intended to show you but looking at your progress I believe you will find a way.¡± He said and left


    I stood looking baffled at the wooden log and began forming theories on how he managed to do this feat¡­ I mean the thickness of the log was a lot greater than the stick so the impact should have broken it, but the stick managed to slide through the log and cut it with great accuracy and speed that it was nearly severed.


    ¡®It is about control again, if you control your strength and power, you will be able to hone your weapon or any object, you saw him do that to that strand of grass the first time you met him, but this is a feat I think to great for you to achieve at your current strength, why not start with smaller objectives then proceed onwards.¡¯ Said Nocturne


    I thought about it then moved away from the pile of logs, I didn¡¯t even need to try striking the log with the wooden log I had on my hand that was and I knew it is impossible for me right now.


    I took a tall strand of grass and sat down, trying to remember how the sword master did his thing and how he reinforced it to become sturdier and stronger.


    But after looking at the blade of grass nothing came to me, I even felt that that was impossible and I needed more hints from the sword master.


    ¡®All humans have innate ability to merge with nature, they have an inner energy that transforms into movements and power, in some cases, they can exercise this energy to materialize, like magic. In your case you are unable to use this source, for let me tell you of your ability. it is I; your power is derived from the book you hold, and for that, you are forbidden to use any magic besides what is within the book. What the book learns shall be yours to use, what others exercise will not be of any use to you, you must unlock the secrets within the book to know more about your ability¡¯


    ¡®What does that have to do with this task, I mean if I can¡¯t learn what the master is teaching me then whyto bother?¡¯


    ¡°Simple, what he is teaching you is already within the book, you only failed to notice. It is balance, once you reach balance between you and your environment you will see for yourself what it is that you need to do in order to achieve your goal, you needed to be in balance to manage your body in the restraints, you also needed to be in balance with your mind to carry the weights, and you will need to be in balance to see through the weaknesses of your targets, once you are successful with these three tasks, you will be in perfect balance, body, mind, and environment¡±


    I thought about it for a second then remembered


    For the first time I wore the restraints, I was finding difficulties to move with my body, after managing that, I needed to forgo my thoughts and pain to be able to carry the weights. Now I need to focus to learn the weaknesses of the log, there is a link between these things that should make me achieve what I am looking for¡­


    ¡®So if I manage to see through the weakness of an item, how will that help me to cut it?¡¯


    ¡®once the weakness is revealed, you will need another thing. That is if you remember to extend the energy within you, to spread through your weapon of choice, once it does it will be your task to make it sharper, more durable and strong enough to cut through your target, however, there are some materials that can be reinforced to an enormous degree but would still fail to cut through weak points. A blade of grass no matter how reinforced and honed will never cut through ordinary steel, and a honed piece of iron will not cut through a honed piece of steel, the density and material improve the quality of your honing and strengthening.¡¯ Said Nocturne


    He is quite chatty today¡­


    ¡®Alright then let¡¯s give it a try¡¯ I said as I took in my hand my wooden sword. (definitely not a pun)


    I looked at it, and felt its texture, it was wooden, obviously and it had some small dents, it wasn¡¯t perfectly made, it must have been rush made, it was even a bit uneven, a side of it had more density as I pressed on it while it didn¡¯t even move under the pressure of my fingers, the other was a bit softer and I felt it contract a bit after a strong press with my thumb and index


    It seems that this is the weak side.


    As I kept on inspecting the thing, I lost track of time, looking at the veins of the sword I was left wondering how to think it was where it would fail to block, the side that had the weakest point where I can cut through it with ease¡­ and without intending, my vision turned black and white and several spots on the sword revealed themselves to me. about a few hundred tiny spots, with three of them being quite big and looked to have hundreds of veins growing out of it.


    ¡®Monochrom vision¡¯ said Nocturne


    ¡®What is this?¡¯


    ¡®It is the first level of the Monochrome world, you can see weaknesses with this, getting better and higher understanding of this ability will teach you how to manage it. look around you, you will understand what I mean¡¯


    Taking a look around I saw the world like never before, the ground the walls the flowers and every other object anything and everything was riddled with these red dots, some were big the size of a fist, and some were small like dust particles¡­


    ¡®These represent the weak points of anything, living or object¡­ cutting through these things will cause their destruction.¡¯


    ¡®Very well, this should probably do the trick in cutting those logs¡¯


    ¡®This is not enough, though this is far from what the swordsman was seeing when he cut through those logs, this only shows you the weak points, not the way how to cut through them. Even if you use a steel blade to cut through these weak points that wooden log will not be cut down, at least not to the degree you expect¡¯


    ¡®Then what to do?¡¯


    ¡®First, you will need to learn how to hone your weapon, then you will need to learn the required strength to cut through any of these things, not all of them need similar power to cut through so you will have to train and practice¡¯


    ¡®Indeed. Alright, I will try, now how do we hone?¡¯


    ¡®take a deep breath, you will feel a small surge of energy within you, once you breathe you force that energy to float, after further practice you will be able to naturally harness it¡¯


    I did as I was told, taking a deep breath and holding a strand of grass in my hand I tried to circulate the rapidly dissipating energy and push it towards the strand of grass.


    It was fruitless at first, so I tried and tried again, then Nocturne said.


    ¡®This should not be possible¡­¡¯ with a tone filled with surprise


    As I opened my eyes to see, the strand of grass caught fire, yet not any fire¡­ a black flame of intense heat¡­ Now, this is interesting!

 chapter 8 (Honing)

    Chapter 8.


    ¡®What is this? I asked Nocturne as I waved my finger around.


    ¡®Don¡¯t do that! That is the flame of creation!  One should not play with it so carelessly, let me take over.¡¯ He said and without even waiting for my approval he took my body as his own.


    ¡®Interesting, it is so condensed, and in its rawest form, so powerful yet so dangerous¡­¡¯ he said


    ¡®What is this flame of creation you talk about?¡¯ I asked


    ¡®This is the first flame, the flame behind everything, its heat made life, and now you have it. boy, for whatever fortune or misfortune you ended up with this thing, you need to hide this well, if anyone discovered it then you will be hunted down. It is said that it can grant life to the dead, or bring havoc to the living¡­ This is the magic of the god of death¡­ only his direct descendants have access to such power, and even they, do not come by it so easily, it is a rare occurrence that you see this even within his descendants¡­¡±


    ¡®hang on here, so you are saying I am a descendant of a god?¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t really know, but you obtaining the book of death, and having the flame is proof enough don¡¯t you think?¡¯ he said


    ¡®It is hard to comprehend actually, why would a god of death even have descendants?¡¯


    ¡®I know not, but I have known many of them, and they somehow descend to this world to try life as humans, some even end up with children of their own¡­¡¯


    ¡®I should take pride in being a descendant of a god then¡¯ I said as I laughed


    ¡®Don¡¯t! that being is feared and loathed by all, reason enough for you to never mention your relationship to him, in doing so, They will hunt you down, for that, it is that very being that turned them to the way they are.¡¯


    ¡®That sounds dangerous, so tell me what does that flame do?¡¯


    ¡®I know not much about it, but what I know is that it will only bend to the will of its master, and I am not on, this power is yours and you need to understand it, I can hold this flame because I am one with you, but I cannot use it. there is, however, a way for you to use a part of its power¡¯ he said. He then raised his left hand and the black book appeared within it.


    The pages turned until a blank one appeared and he pressed his enflamed hand on it.


    The book didn¡¯t catch on fire, but the flame faded into writings and scribbles into the book¡¯s pages.


    Hundreds of symbols and writings were written within it.


    ¡°Good,¡± said Nocturne


    ¡®What did you do?¡¯ I asked and found myself back in control.


    I looked at the book¡¯s scribbles and somehow felt like I actually understood what they meant, I just couldn¡¯t explain what they meant, but instinctively I knew what to do.


    I pressed my right hand onto the book¡¯s pages, my hand sank inside and a black magical circle appeared inside the book.


    ¡®Pull!¡¯ said Nocturne and I did, dragging with me an enormous object, it was the same scythe that I saw back above Nocturne¡¯s throne¡­ only this one was enormous, ridiculously so that ti felt amazed how I was able to carry something of such size without feeling the weight.


    The scythe contracted to match my size, from four meters to two, it was a bit taller than me and looked terrifying, but the power emanating from it was lavishness.


    ¡®What is this?¡¯


    ¡®That is the power of that flame, it created something you craved, something you wanted and wished for¡¯


    ¡®But why your weapon?¡¯ I asked


    ¡®Simple, my weapon represents oppressive power, strength beyond comprehension, your mind is thinking of it as something that will be the end to any that cross it, and it is indeed the truth, so your subconscious created something you wanted. Power materialized in a weapon¡­¡±


    ¡®Does this mean I seek power?¡¯ I asked


    ¡®Perhaps, But I never thought you to be one that seeks power for yourself, you strike me as one that wants to be left alone, perhaps this is related to where you come from, if it is true that you are descendant from a god, else that you seek power just for your protection, to be left alone, which all comes down to one thing. You want power not for power itself, but for that those that have power stay away from you. This is all I can think of¡¯


    ¡®Now I wonder what should I do with this hulking thing,¡¯ I said as I placed the bottom of the scythe on the ground.


    This was impressive, as I stood, wearing the black clothes of a butler and wielding a giant scythe of devastation¡­


    ¡®Put it back within the book.¡¯ Said Nocturne


    ¡®How?¡¯ I asked I mean it is a book thought I pulled the scythe out is it that easy just putting it back?


    ¡®The same way you pulled it¡¯ he saidReading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    I then held the book against the scythe and it disappeared within.


    ¡®Good¡¯ he said


    Then I fumbled down the ground, my energy leaving me and was barely able to breathe, my face redden as blood began to rush to my head and my limbs began to hurt and spasm


    ¡®W-what the hell is happening?¡¯ I asked


    ¡®Side effect of carrying something of that weight, size, and power. Your body is far too feeble to use that thing, only carrying it caused you this state, using it to its purpose will mostly kill you¡­¡¯ he said


    ¡®what is its purpose?¡¯ I asked barely managing to stand back up.


    ¡®To kill¡¯ he sad then his presence faded from my consciousness.


    Now how do I go about my earlier task?


    To hone the strand of grass I must have done something different than I was instructed.


    Channeling the energy toward the strand of grass managed to lit them on fire, what if I just try to channel that energy to the edges of the grass.


    I then began the same operation, breathing calmly inspecting the blade of grass then sending the smallest amounts of the energy around its edges.


    It took some time because it was hard enough to encompass it all without it turning to flame.


    But once I managed to do it, the blade of grass felt like a sharp knife.


    Good,


    I then took another strand of grass and compared them, there was a small difference that the one I had on my right was slightly glowing while the other was normal


    I then crossed them and the one that was glistening easily cut through the other one without bending or losing its form.


    A moment later the one in my right hand turned limp, as the energy circulating it must have dissipated.


    This is only temporary, I guess that honing requires precision and bursts of honing, or I just have a low amount of energy to do the job. Either way, I must learn how to hone any item just before contact with another object, then release the energy so that I don¡¯t end up with wasting energy.


    With this mindset, I took a piece of wood and tried to cut it with the strand of grass, results¡­ it didn¡¯t even slice it.


    Perhaps the density has a huge role in this¡­


    I then began focusing on the piece of wood until I saw many small dots, Monochrom vision allowed me to see the weaknesses of any given object.


    I then decided to cut through the wooden piece passing by the points of weakness.


    Once the blade of grass touched the first point, it easily slid through, like a hot knife passing through butter, there was barely any resistance or any form of friction, I thought about a problem when I was cutting through, it was that the moment I passed the weak point the blad would find trouble cutting through the material, that was however soon proven pointless as once I cut through the first point, another soon appeared next to it, then another, then another, and I kept on sliding the blade of grass until I ended up with cleanly severing the small piece of wood.


    It seems that whenever I pass a weak point, the material becomes much weaker next to it resulting in the creation of another weak point¡­ this is most useful.


    Good.


    I then moved toward the large pieces of logs, I grabbed the same strand of grass and decided on cutting through it.


    The results were satisfying as I managed to slice it in the first try, though I lost the energy while the strand of grass was in the middle of the log, after taking a short break and another deeper breath I managed to fully slice through it.


    So it is possible to do it, now to the harder task. To slice that log with a blunt tool. Though the wooden sword was much stronger and sturdier than a strand of grass it would prove to be much harder to achieve the same result. The first hurdle was the bluntness of the sword which I needed to find a way around, the second was the size of the wooden sword, it was much larger than a strand of grass and would require more energy to hone. Even if I knew how or managed to do it, honing all of it is not going to prove to be helpful¡­


    So I sat down and tried to remember how the master swordsman did his trick, but nothing came to mind, he was too fast and I was not in a correct position to see how he managed to do it¡­


    I then stood up and tried to hone just the side of the sword that will be in contact. But soon found that it would be problematic to just keep one side of it honed long enough for it to pass


    But once I managed (that was after a few dozen tries) I slowly tried to slide the wooden sword on the log, results


    Nothing happened even after contacting a weak point¡­


    This will be problematic¡­ I can manage to cut through the wooden log if it was a smaller and sharper tool, but with this, if I didn¡¯t see Master Shen do it I would have thought it to be impossible.


    Nocturne seems to have left me to figure this out on my own, he gave me enough insight to find the way around this, but I need a hint, I need to see the same act again¡­


    I went to find master Shen whom I found resting nearby. I guess he was asleep when I managed to summon the flame of creation, otherwise, he would have intervened¡­


    ¡°Master Shen¡± I spoke


    ¡°Yes?¡± he answered while sounding like he was still half asleep.


    ¡°I need you to show me once again how you cut through the wooden log.¡±


    ¡°I already showed you once, if you didn¡¯t get it the first time there is no need to do it again, you must find the way yourself¡±


    ¡°But I already managed to cut through one of them but with a smaller object, the wooden sword is much harder¡­¡± I said


    ¡°What?!¡± said master Shen as he stood up instantly as if woken from he daydreaming


    ¡°You are telling me that you already cut through it? boy, if you lie to me I will strangle you right now!¡±


    ¡°I will never lie to master, I just did what you asked me and found the way around it, Honing is not that hard just needs to be accurate¡­¡±


    ¡°Show me,¡± he said


    Then I took a strand of grass and began honing it


    ¡°Boy¡­ you are bringing me great pride and shame at the same time, pride having you as a disciple and shame for having spent much, much more to achieve this. follow me and I will show you again what I did¡± he said and moved forward


    His surprise didn¡¯t go unnoticed once he saw the wooden log that I cut through but he decided not to say anything.


    He took a wooden sword and slowly cut through the log


    ¡°Did you see it?¡±


    ¡°yes¡­ now I understand¡±


    It was actually simple, he never sliced the wooden log with the blade, it was only the tip, he took the sword, and managed to transfer the energy that I was trying so hard to make it encompass the whole of the sword and gathered it at the tip, making a sharp wave of energy as an extension to the length of the blade.


    With that energy, he sliced through the weak points of the log and managed to cut it.


    I then began by mimicking him, it was not as hard as trying to focus the energy to one side of the blade. The energy gathered atop the blade¡¯s tip, but it was wavering, I need more control to make it more stable, so I took me more time just to stabilize it. Once I did I felt that I don¡¯t have much time before it would fade.


    All of this happened under the gaze of the master.


    I was also thankful that the black flames didn¡¯t appear, I wouldn¡¯t want to cause him a heart attack¡­


    Slowly, I sliced through the wooden log, but couldn¡¯t manage to cut through all the way as I dropped to my knees gasping for air.


    I was spent.


    ¡°That was impressive¡­ need just a bit more time and you will be able to do wonders.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, master,¡± I said


    ¡°You can go to rest, you are done for today,¡± he said while inspecting the cut I made with his own hands¡­


    Walking towards the main house I saw a group of people entering the manor. They stood before Lord Ling, one of these people was someone I knew¡­ Fernand Videl, the man that was responsible for that day¡¯s humiliation.


    Lord Ling turned around and saw me¡­ he then smiled and said


    ¡°Basara¡­ come over here¡±


    Well, this is aught to be troublesome I thought as I walked toward the group¡­

 Chapter 9 (A Bloody Supper)

    Chapter 9


    Walking in stride and confidence I stood before the guests of master Ling who then spoke saying


    ¡°This is Basara, I believe you know him, Fernand.¡±


    ¡°I believe I do,¡± he said ¡°I would also like to express my deepest apologies for that day, I have truly done something terrible having accused you of theft where I should have taken into consideration all the facts, for all that is done I am prepared to compensate you for your troubles¡± he said, though he spoke the words, his expressions never matched them, this man was clearly despising me.


    ¡°There is no need for such things,¡± I replied ¡°If it was not for that, I would have probably never managed to find a job at a place such as Master Ling¡¯s house, for that I should be the one to express my thanks,¡±


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± said Master Ling, ¡°Now that our differences have been cleared, I would like to invite you all inside, Basara, I believe your training has yet to end am I right?¡±


    ¡°I was dismissed by Master Shen after having succeeded Honing, I will be helping the servants with whatever task they are doing right now¡± I replied


    ¡°You have managed to Hone already? Wonderful you truly are full of surprises. Then off you go,¡± he said as he walked inside the manor while the guests followed him.


    I even heard one talking about how generous Master Ling was for talking to servants the way he did.


    I walked inside the maid¡¯s quarters and looked for Melinda who was ordering people around.


    ¡°Melinda, what can I do for you today?¡± I asked


    ¡°You already finished?¡± she asked


    ¡°Yes, I was dismissed by master Shen¡±


    ¡°Then you can just rest, I won¡¯t be needing you right now but you will be serving lady Akari tonight, make sure you are up to the task, we don¡¯t want these people to look down on you.¡±


    ¡°I will do my best,¡± I said


    It took some time before the meal was set up, The maids began organizing themselves in waves to serve the guests, it was nearing night time so it was a dinner with various and different servings.


    ¡°Follow me Basara,¡± Said Milenda.


    Once inside the manor we headed to the dining chamber, it was huge adorned with various portraits, scenes of nature and many, many dragons. It was said that a dragon was the source of the Ling family¡¯s power.


    In the middle of the hall was a table of enormous length, it could host more than thirty persons at once where in the middle of it, candles and chandeliers were neatly positioned to brighten the room.


    I took a look at the guests, one of them was one I knew and it was Fernand who wore a white tunic under a deep purple vest, with black pants. It was quite colorful and was rather distracting, probably to call for attention when he walked into the crowd. On his chest was an emblem of a golden lion, two others were next to him, they looked relatively old, probably his parents, a woman that wore a deep blue dress that had a slit on the side to show a portion of her thigh, though she was older than whom I presumed to be her son she was still a beautiful looking lady. Next to her was a man wearing the same emblem, he wore a black suit with a purple scarf that had the lion emblem on it.


    In front of them was another group that had a different emblem all together, it was an eagle. These I don¡¯t know which family they belong to, but they seemed to be rather powerful as they too were treated the same as the Videls.


    This group consisted of four members, two of them were old men that wore matching clothes of a green vest over white shirts, and black pants, accompanied by a young girl of probably my age. She wore a golden dress to match her blond hair that was wrapped in a bun. She had beautiful azure eyes her dress was a bit alluring as its neckline was cut right above her cleavage, For someone that looked so young her body was rather well developed.


    Another tall looking man that seemed to not be interested in anything that was going on here. He, however, was the only one that was not dressed formally, as he was wearing a normal black shirt and pants to match.


    Lord Ling, was wearing a white long-sleeved shirt that was folded all the way to his elbows, it had the emblem of a dragon drawn on the back. His shirt thought was not tight; it still managed to show his muscle lines. Which was impressive for someone that looked like a grandpa.


    A seat remained unused which was probably lady Akari¡¯s.


    There were two sets of servants, the first group was responsible for presenting the food, they dismissed themselves immediately after doing their job. The second group remained behind the guests in order to attend to their needs.


    Lady Akari finally presented herself, and boy it was a sight to behold. She wore a red dress to match her hair color, which had beautiful embroidery on it. her hair was let loose as it swayed with each move step she made, she gave a bow to everyone and proceeded to take her seat.


    I moved her chair for her and she sat, without giving me a glance.


    Why would she even bother though, I am but a servant, I should keep my thoughts to myself¡­


    ¡°Lady Akari, beautiful as always.¡± Said the man I presumed to be Fernand¡¯s father


    ¡°Thank you for the kind compliment Lord Folio,¡± She said.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Pleasantries and compliments were exchanged for few minutes before Lord Ling clapped his hands for the banquet to begin.


    I and the other servants proceeded into removing the covers of the food, and the guests began eating.


    I took my place back behind the lady and made sure to take in the whole view.


    Everyone was eating in quiet, not even the sound of spoons could be heard, this act was that of showing etiquette rather than actually eating.


    I didn¡¯t bother remembering what was on the menu as it was mostly a four-course dinner, salad fish meat, and dessert at the end¡­


    The first to break the silence was Fernand, who wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and said


    ¡°So, lady Akari, it came to my knowledge that you will be going to Visania this year. I wonder why did you decide to do so? I mean one such as you are, an heir to the house Ling should just enjoy your life as a maiden, not bother with all the gruesomeness of the world. War should not be sought by delicate flowers¡­¡±


    This man¡¯s view of woman is rather subjective. He probably thinks that they are weak, and do not have a place in war. It is rather narrow sighted¡­ his way of speech though filled with compliments shows a disdain of woman¡¯s efforts.


    ¡°Thank you for your concern Sir Fernand, but I am no delicate flower, I am like you said, the Heir of the house Ling. I need to act the way and bring pride to our name. If I do not then I am not worthy of being here, we of this house need to forever stand at the front, we are the honored selectee of the king himself. We cannot bother with gender, it is strength above all.¡±


    Wise and frightening statement Lady Akari had just said, clearly throwing the man off as he must have thought her to be like every other girl. Those who don¡¯t work for their own dignity, those that wait for the right man, without ever proving themselves, those girls are forever weak. It doesn¡¯t matter which strong house they come from, if one is not capable of showing her dominance, her power, and why she is who she claims to be, then she is in a weak position, if one day a man came to take that girl¡¯s hand then he will be the one to call the shots, as she will always be in that man¡¯s shadow, a weak girl¡­


    ¡°Those are rather brave words coming from you Lady Akari,¡± Said the man I presumed to be Fernand¡¯s father. ¡°You should know that that place though, a royal school it is not for the weak-willed, and with what you just said, I believe it is the place you should be, Fernand my son this girl is brave and I am sure that she inherited this out of her father, you should respect her wishes even if she is your bride to be¡± said the man in a laugh¡­


    So lady Akari is this man¡¯s fianc¨¦e¡­


    ¡°Rather, that courage must have been inherited from her mother,¡± said Lord Ling. ¡°She was a strong-willed woman, stubborn too, but I truly loved that about her, seeing my daughter having inherited that I truly feel proud¡±


    Lady Akari¡¯s mother had passed away,something everyone knew, it was due to an assassin that managed to take her down in this very house, a scene that almost caused this country to go to war against its neighbor, thankfully the culprits behind the assassination were caught and found to be independent, a great calamity was prevented but the loss of the lady of this house was too grave¡­


    ¡°let¡¯s not speak about that,¡± said Akari who looked hurt when her mother was mentioned.


    ¡°True let the ones that passed rest in peace.¡± Said the father


    ¡°It is wonderful news, to know that your daughter will attend Visania this year,¡± said one of the two old men that were seated before the Videls


    ¡°Our daughter will be attending this year too, I hope they make good friends¡±


    ¡°Sure we will¡± happily said the girl in gold


    ¡°I hope so,¡± replied Akari ¡°We will surely have good times, I hope we can make the best of our years there¡±


    ¡°You there,¡± said Fernand, while looking at me.


    ¡°Tell me, how come you managed to learn how to hone? You said so yourself that you managed to do so, I know for a fact that you were an orphan so it struck me as odd to believe that someone with no backing managed to hone in these few numerous days. It usually takes years to achieve something like that¡­¡±


    I did not answer, not because I didn¡¯t want too, but because it was not my place to answer.


    ¡°You can answer him, Basara.¡± Said Lord Ling.


    ¡°Gladly,¡± I said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but master Shen called me talented, perhaps it was that.¡±


    ¡°Talented¡­¡± said Fernand with a bit of disbelief showing on him.


    ¡°Ah speaking about master Shen I was truly looking forward to seeing him, he is rather absent,¡± said the man that looked uninterested at first.


    ¡°He had something to take care of, I sent him off on a task¡­ But I was wondering my lady might you be, I never saw you with the Selidors before¡± said Lord Ling


    But why did he address the man as the lady? Is he a travesty?


    ¡°This is lady Vivian, my lord, she is our long distant relative we haven¡¯t seen her in five years, she just came here with us for a visit.¡±


    This is rather absurd¡­ there is no way in hell that that person is a woman¡­ what the hell is going on here¡­


    ¡®Nocturne¡­¡¯


    ¡®Yes, master¡­¡¯


    ¡®Tell me¡­ what do you see when you look at that man?¡¯


    ¡®I see what you see and a bit more¡­ that is one of them¡­¡¯ he said


    I instantly shuddered at the thought, what the hell would one of them do all the way here, within the lord¡¯s very table! With his family! How did this come to be?


    ¡®Do not be rash, do not make it show, if it is alert it shall go on the offensive¡¯


    ¡®But I need to alert Lord Ling immediately, I don¡¯t know how it managed to infiltrate the city. But its place does not belong here¡­¡¯


    ¡®I agree with you, it needs to die, yet if you alert the lord then a carnage will be the result¡­¡¯


    ¡®Then what should I do? Just wait until it bares its fangs on these people¡­¡¯


    ¡®You need to know its objective first, act calmly¡­ if things go south, I will take care of it¡­¡¯


    ¡®Understood¡­¡¯


    The man-woman or whatever it was, I will refer to it as IT


    It spoke saying that it was only out of boredom that it came to this city, to see its relatives and it was but a coincidence that they were visiting the Ling house, it tagged along wanting to see the Lord¡­


    ¡®I believe he asked for master Shen probably due to him being capable of identifying them¡¯ I said


    ¡®Indeed, that man has a good grasp of his surroundings and a good instinct, he even noticed when I took over your body the first time, I managed to make it more subtle that it is no longer distinguishable¡¯


    ¡®Good, so you can take over without blowing our cover¡­ very well¡­¡¯


    The man looked in my direction and our eyes met, I don¡¯t know what it saw but I felt that he sensed that something was off, like if I was on to him. I even tried to act naturally but I couldn¡¯t help but feel¡­


    ¡®He is on to us! Let me in!¡¯ said Nocturne


    The man jumped forward summoning a sword from thin air, instantly jumping toward The Lord of the city, saying a single word


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Everyone was too surprised to act, some were still chewing their food, but the motions of everything slowed down.


    I was able to hear the sound of my heart thumping, the slow breath of everyone, the flickering candles¡­


    And the red-eyed man that was hanging in mid-air¡­ everything slowed to a halt, the picture froze¡­


    Ever so slowly the man closed the gap, its eyes filled with hatred towards the lord of the city, unknown to me why would one act this way to someone that was as gentle and caring as this old man, I refused to let it go.


    In a fraction of a second, Nocturne summoned his book and from within it pulled out the scythe, all in one motion before the man would even land, Nocturne had cleaved through him and was already standing on the table.


    He was so fast, it felt like I teleported.


    Time resumed, and only a splash of blood on the ones present on the table, while the one responsible for the act was cut in half, his torso apart from his lower body, both on the far ends of the room.


    On the table where everyone was still unable to grasp what had happened, I stood, my scythe grabbed behind my back, blood still dripping from its enormous blade¡­


    All remained unmoving, unbelieving...


    it only takes a split second to make the difference between life and death¡­ this was a fine example of it¡­

 Chapter 10 (loss of control)

    Chapter 10


    ¡°Sleep¡± spoke Nocturne and everyone on the table fell down. Even the servants fell down. All except one; Lord Ling.


    ¡°B-Basara! What is the meaning of this?!¡±


    ¡°My lord.¡± Spoke Nocturne, in an unholy voice, ¡°You must have guessed the identity of that being¡± he said


    ¡°It is one of them¡­ but what are you?¡± said the lord with a slight tone of worry on his face.


    ¡°So you took notice¡­¡±


    The lord raised his brow before saying,


    ¡°I knew something was off the moment you managed to subdue the flames within my daughter, the way you speak the way you move and even the way you used magic. That is not something a kid of 14 years old can do, but I decided to remain quiet, I think that the kid is oblivious of your presence right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he knows not I exist with him,¡±


    I don¡¯t know why Nocturne lied to the Lord but it seems that he did so for a reason.


    ¡°So you must be the reason behind his breakthroughs, am I right?¡±


    ¡°No, he did that on his own, he truly is talented¡­ but let¡¯s go back and focus on the main thing, I only have but moments left¡­¡± said Nocturne


    ¡°Yes, yes, I will be needing to get these two from the Selidor family into custody. To dare bring such abomination to my house is a crime¡­¡± said the lord almost seething with rage.


    ¡°You should not bother with trivia, these two were being manipulated, it is the reason why this abomination managed to infiltrate this deep. This one must be gifted in illusion and mind magic. Easing his way into the city¡­ you need to first figure out who wants you dead, and why¡­¡± said Nocturne¡­


    ¡°Indeed, it must be mind manipulation¡­ he would have used that on the guards to make them think he already passed the blood orbs¡­ As for who wants me dead¡­ I can¡¯t keep count, Being righteous is becoming more of a liability than a good trait¡­¡± the lord even snorted at that statement before saying  ¡°but I will do my investigation¡­ The problem is how am I going to explain this¡­¡±


    ¡°I would rather that my existence remains a secret¡­ the rest I will take care off¡± said Nocturne as he summoned a black flame from his hand¡­¡±


    ¡°The flame of creation¡­¡± said Lord Ling while his face expressed worry, he still looked excited¡­


    He knows about it¡­


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± said Nocturne, he then swung his hand and the fire took over the blood stains and ended up with eating the corps of that being, not even ash remained.


    Nocturne placed his hand over the head of the closest one to him, who was Lady Akari.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± asked Lord Ling, with a voice filled with seriousness¡­ he even stood up, both his arms turned to a roaring flame, it was his daughter after all.


    ¡°Calm down¡­ We do not want them remembering what just happened, it is traumatizing enough for your daughter to have witnessed this, consider this an act of mercy¡­¡±


    ¡°You will wipe her memory?¡± asked the lord while lessening the scorching heat coming from his arms.


    ¡°Alter it. wiping memories only make gaps in one¡¯s mind, it will turn problematic later on, I will just erase the presence of that thing from their minds so that none would know what happened.¡±


    ¡°Carry on with it then¡­¡± he said fully expunging his flames


    ¡°You don¡¯t trust me?¡± said Nocturne¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± replied the lord


    ¡°Good, and you should not, but I am all that you have now¡­¡±


    Lord Ling gritted his teeth and waited for Nocturne to finish his job.


    ¡°It is done, the banquet will resume like nothing happened, do act the way and don¡¯t let it show. And one last thing, make sure you teach this boy how to manipulate fire, for once he is ready, the flame of creation shall be his¡±


    ¡°I was never one to tolerate commands, only the king would be given that luxury¡­ still you seem rather compelling... anyway, I won¡¯t trust anyone besides a god with that flame, what makes you sure that I will not just outright kill him for it? I know many would do the same if they know he has it¡±


    ¡°First, because I know you are a just Lord and will not kill anyone so that you may have their possession. Second, this boy will never use this for anything he deems unnecessary, and lastly because I know you love your daughter so much, that this boy shall never be harmd¡­¡± said nocturne in an eerie voice


    ¡°You dare threaten me?¡± shouted the Lord


    Nocturne could only smile while the white of his eyes turned darker than night.


    ¡°I don¡¯t threaten, I deliver. For now let us remain allies, you should keep this child under your care, and I will promise that nothing shall ever bother your daughter, you know now that you are hated by many, and your daughter might be seen as an easy way to get to you, so I will be the one to protect her¡­ consider it a job offer where lives are at stake¡±


    ¡°You really thought this through didn¡¯t you,¡± said the Lord in a defeated tone.


    ¡°It is what it is¡­¡± said Nocturne and raised his hand, the people that fell down rose back up like puppets being led by invisible strings.


    Nocturne took his place behind Lady Akari and said


    ¡°You are left to remember what happened not because I trust you, but because I know that you should remember that you now owe your life to this child, treat him well¡­¡±


    Then he snapped his finger


    Like if the world that was once frozen resumed, the people that were hanged by the invisible thread woke back up.


    The Moment felt awkward, like when everyone in a room suddenly quieted down.


    ¡°So tell me Lady Sumia, what are your parents doing? I see you brought your uncles with you.¡±


    ¡°Ah, pardon me, I was distracted for a moment. Well, my parents went on a task by his majesty, they were tasked with being ambassadors to the Zangh kingdom¡±


    ¡°Oh, well I assume the treaty is going rather well for that the king of Zangh is actually accepting ambassadors right now¡±


    ¡°Yes, even more, the will be sending students to study at Visania this year, I assume they will be the elites,¡± she said with a smile that never left her face


    ¡°We can¡¯t be too sure about their intentions, they might be spies for all we know¡­¡± said Fernand.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t label them as spies before we see them, it is of bad character, we must first understand the reason behind their call for collaboration. The threat of those beings is looming over all of our heads¡­ in these times cooperation is what will get us through difficulties¡± said Lady Akari.


    For a girl her age, she truly does understand what is at stake, we should not bother with killing each other off, the true enemy is those beings¡­ if she could have known how close she was at dying she would have truly felt the weight of her own words¡­


    ¡®Nocturne¡­¡¯ I said


    ¡®Yes, master?¡¯


    ¡®It has been said that those beings don¡¯t die that easy. It should have been an impossibility for anyone to kill them in one blow, normally they would reattach themselves and would rise back, but only one cut from you, and the thing died not even registering what happened¡­ how did you do that?¡¯


    ¡®That weapon of mine cuts not only flesh¡­ it severs the soul from its host, nothing no matter what it is as long that it is sentient, will fall down the moment the blade cuts through them¡­¡¯


    ¡®That is a rather horrifying weapon¡­¡¯This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡®A weapon worthy of the followers of the god of death don¡¯t you think? Kekekeke¡¯ said Nocturne as he laughed eerily.¡¯


    ¡°Well lady Akari that is rather on point, I guess your father brought you up rather well, caring for other and only judging after you have seen everything, unlike our hasty and rash child,¡± said Fernand¡¯s mother.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t be so tough on sir Fernand lady Vanessa. Sir Fernand did what he deemed right, we all make mistakes don¡¯t we?¡± she said


    ¡°What a great lady, look at her defending your honor Fernand, you are truly blessed for having been given the honor of asking her hand, even if it was thanks to the king¡¯s blessing himself¡­¡±


    Said Fernand''s father


    At this statement, I could sense lady Akari wincing a bit¡­ was she not approving of this engagement?


    ¡°Would you please excuse me,¡± said Lady Akari as she moved away from the table. I even saw a tear on her¡­


    ¡®Follow that girl! Now!¡¯ said Nocturne.


    And I did


    ¡°Why did you have to say such words you idiot!¡± said the wife of the man that just spoke.


    ¡®What is it Nocturne? This does not concern us¡­¡¯


    ¡®It indeed does not, but her life is at stake, I only stabilized her flame, I did not cure her, she needs time for that, the fire of a dragon is power driven through sentiments, she is now saddened enraged and in desperation, all of these are strong emotions that will cause people to do stupid things¡­¡¯


    Once I was out I met Melinda who just tried to stop Lady Akari but got told off.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± asked Melinda


    ¡°My lady needs me¡­¡±


    I said as I walked away from Melinda who could only utter a silent


    ¡®Huh?¡¯


    I followed the running girl upstairs where she closed her room


    ¡°Lady Akari?¡± I asked as I knocked on the door


    ¡°Leave me alone!¡± she shouted


    ¡°I cannot, you must come out My lady, there is no need to dwell on these things¡±


    ¡°What would you know?¡± she shouted ¡°What would an orphan servant knows?!¡± she added with a tone filled with hate¡­


    That actually stung a bit. It was true, but still¡­ ouch¡­


    ¡°I might be able to help?¡± I said not even knowing if I could truly help or not, but the nagging and impatience of Nocturne made me rather rash with words¡­


    ¡°How will you help? With your status? You are a nobody, this world is ruled with power, only being strong can help¡­ not even my father one of the strongest in this country could, so how can you?¡±


    ¡°With time I can grow stronger, I will then help,¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time¡­¡± she said behind the door and I heard a thud¡­ like if something was dropped, or someone fell


    ¡®GET IT NOW!¡¯ roared Nocturne


    I tried to press on the door but it didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡®I can¡¯t open this¡­¡¯


    ¡®I can¡¯t take over your body anymore today else you will die¡­¡¯


    ¡®God damn it¡­


    I tried breaking the door but it was sturdy as heck, I mean it was a wooden door with three inches thickness¡­ something my frail body can¡¯t manage to break right now¡­


    I looked around and saw a sword hanging on the wall.


    I picked it up and took a deep breath¡­


    I managed to actively hone it and made it far sharper than normal


    Using monochrome vision I saw the weaknesses of the door,


    Right in the middle was a large red dot, it was the biggest weak point


    I pressed gently with the honed tip of the blade and several weakpoints apeared once I tore through it.


    I heard footsteps behind me as I continued on with my work.


    ¡°What are you doing Basara?!¡± cried out Lord Ling who was the one that came behind me.


    ¡°Opening the door, I Think Lady Akari is in trouble


    ¡°Let me do it! il burn it all!¡± said the lord as he ignited his hands


    ¡°Calm down sir! Lady Akari might get hurt, you seem rather rushed for someone that is calm all the time¡±


    It seems that the wellbeing of his daughter is making him agitated¡­


    I crossed the sword and the door collapsed, it was far easier than cutting through wood with a strand of grass¡­


    Once inside I saw lady Akari on the ground, her body heating up like if it was on fire.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?! I thought she was cured...¡± said the lord


    ¡°No, she was only stabilized, let me try again¡­¡±


    I dropped to my knee and held my right hand up, this was all under the guidance of Nocturne.


    The black book appeared within my hand and it turned all the way to the ritual of guidance, how did I know its name I don¡¯t have an idea¡­ this was the same ritual that appeared when I cut my hand the first time I treated Lady Akari.


    It was rather simple, take a feel of the energy of the person in question.


    ¡®Place your hand on top of her abdomen¡¯ said Nocturne.


    ¡®Now use monochrome vision¡¯ once I did I saw various weak points on Lady Akari, the largest of them were in the head and heart area.


    ¡®The energy gathers in the abdomen it will go wild the more it is entrapped, you must see the energy to be able to guide it¡­¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t know how to do it, I can only see the weak points¡¯


    ¡®See not with your eyes, but your mind¡¯ he said


    And I closed my eyes, though closed I was still able to somehow see¡­


    After a moment I managed to see a torrent moving about, right between her ribcage and her waist.


    It looked like a raging volcano of flame exploding, rebelling and trying to get freed¡­ it was a contained monster¡­


    ¡®Good, Now try to guide it, use the ritual, You only have one chance¡­¡¯


    ¡­


    I got a feel of the energy, it was similar to what I was assimilating when I was breathing in, only on a much, much larger scale¡­


    I struggled on how to do it at first, then saw that I needed to link my energy to hers¡­ something about being one¡­


    I then tried to force my energy onto her, same as honing but not with the intent to sever, but to link¡­


    Once I did her energy responded in kind, only it did not seek to link, it sought to burn me.


    My hand began to heat up, I felt like it was on fire¡­


    ¡®Don¡¯t cut the feed, make it bend to your will, not by force for it shall devour you, but with guidance.¡¯


    He said


    So I tried, I did not try to force the energy away from me, or into other parts of her body, but I lured it, it tried to eat away at me, so I only had to move my hand for the flame to follow. And I did make it follow from the abdomen I traced my hand all the way to her chest, her head along her other body parts¡­the torrent began to die down and circulate her body in a smoother way, yet it was not enough, she was still looking like if she was in pain.


    ¡°What is wrong?¡± asked The Lord¡­


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡­ it seems that there is much more energy than last time¡­ What has forced this fire to go berserk?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡­¡± said the Lord¡­


    ¡®I know, it was the feeling of helplessness, not from the words spoken by that man, but by the event that happened earlier, that being that attempted to kill her father triggered something within her that caused her emotions to go on a rampage¡­¡¯


    ¡®But didn¡¯t you erase her memories?¡¯


    ¡®I altered them, but emotions and memories are two different things, she must have remembered a trauma due to that event, I didn¡¯t think it would cause this much of an effect¡­ I can fix it, but you will die in the process as I will have to take over¡­ but I cannot risk you to die for someone else¡­¡¯


    ¡®So you will just give up?!¡¯ I shouted in my head.


    ¡®There is nothing I can do¡­¡¯


    ¡°God damn it!¡± these words, however, were vocal rather than internal¡­ I didn¡¯t cry out at Nocturne for that he helped as much as he could, I cried out because I was unable to do anything¡­


    The girl still looked fragile, as ice melting in a dessert she was a goner¡­


    The old man fell on his knees almost crying¡­


    ¡°My daughter!¡± he said ¡°Please wake up! don¡¯t leave me¡­ not like your mother please¡­¡± he begged his unresponsive daughter¡­


    ¡®Nocturne¡­¡¯ I said


    ¡®Yes¡­¡¯


    ¡®Is it possible to force the energy outside her?¡¯


    ¡®That is usually done by the person themselves, they need to be conscious for it, to release the surplus energy outside as a spell¡­¡¯


    ¡®What if I guide this energy towards me¡­¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t know what will happen, in most you will burn to ash¡­ but if you take just about the right amount¡­ it is highly unlikely¡­ but it just might work¡­¡¯


    ¡°My lord¡­ let me try something¡­ I don¡¯t know if it will work but it is the best shot we have¡­¡±


    ¡°Please help her! I will do anything I can for you, if you save her I will move mountains for your sake please!¡±


    ¡°You have done enough,¡± I said as I got closer to the unconscious girl.


    ¡°This is going to hurt¡­¡± I said as I moved my hand once again within her.


    The torrent of energy responded in kind and moved towards my hand trying to eat it.


    ¡®This is not working, the energy refuses to be released¡­¡¯


    ¡®I have never attempted or heard of anyone trying to do this, this is new to me¡­ you are on your own¡­¡± said Nocturne


    At least he doesn¡¯t know everything, this removed the idea of him being an omnipotent being.


    Well if it does not work like that¡­ I might as well just¡­


    I got my face closer to hers and opened her mouth¡­ then got mine close to hers, I didn¡¯t try to force my mouth onto hers, I just positioned it dangerously close to her lips¡­


    God doing this in front of her father¡­


    Breathing in, I called for the energy within her to come forth, and it did, like a parasite seeking another host it came running towards me, an air hotter than molten magma. I felt it burn through my throat and into my stomach and lungs.


    Thoughts of regret passed through me as I was suffering the intolerable pain


    ¡®Basara!!! You will die like this! I must stop you!¡¯ cried out nocturne within my head


    ¡®Don¡¯t you dare! I can still manage it.¡¯


    I said as I sucked in more and more energy, it was like opening your mouth to a gushing river made of flame, it is too much too hot and too overwhelming, but still I persisted, my body burning I even thought that my organs were burning¡­


    Why was I doing this? I could have just left her, no one would have questioned me, I already saved her once, why risk my life again?


    Thoughts like these passed through my head while my body felt like if it was literally burning.


    ¡®Stop! You did enough she is stabilizing! More than that and you will kill both of you!¡¯ said Nocturne.


    I closed my mouth and regressed back, my body burning up from intense heat.


    My hands were spasming and my body shivering from an uncontrollable fever.


    ¡°Basara! What is wrong my boy?!¡± asked  the lord in a panic


    I was laying on my back next to Lady Akari while the lord was unable to figure out who should he tend for first, His beloved daughter whose case just stabilized, or the servant boy who was spasming next to her¡­


    ¡®Release that energy!¡¯ said Nocturne


    ¡®Gladly!¡¯ I spoke within my mind,


    The pain was mind-numbing and at the same time maddening.


    I exhaled out and the energy turned to an enormous breath of flame that scorched the ceiling of the room, there was so much of it that it broke through the roof and rose all the way to the heavens.


    The Lord immediately took action forcing whatever flame that seeped out from devouring his house and at the same time protecting his daughter and himself.


    That night was known as the dragon¡¯s night


    Where a dragon made of flame suddenly appeared atop the Ling¡¯s manor Roaring out once before leaving the world of mortals¡­


    ¡°My boy! Are you alright?!¡± said the lord checking up on me


    ¡°Alright? I mean you don¡¯t ever get to see someone breathing out fire¡­ and something this huge¡­ I am feeling rather amazed¡± I said as I laughed a little.


    My body was in an inoperable state, I couldn¡¯t even turn or move a muscle, but was still happy managing to do something like this¡­


    ¡®This is but a fraction of what that girl is hosting, you managed to save her life and you gained something in return kid¡­¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t tell me! I can breathe fire whenever I want?¡¯ I said to Nocturne hoping that it was true¡­


    ¡®No, something far deadlier than that¡­ once you recover, I will show you¡­ I thought it would take years, but with this energy that circulated through you¡­ all of your spirit veins have opened, you will see the marvels of magic like none had ever done before¡­ and I will be your guide¡­¡± he said as his voice disappeared in the background¡­


    The future is far and holds many secrets, for now, a well-earned rest is all I need I thought to myself losing consciousness and surrendering to sleep¡­


    To be continued

 Chapter 11 (Assimilation)

    Blood creed


    Volume 2


    Visania The Royal school.


    Chapter 1


    Waking up in a strange bed I looked around to notice that I was in the same room I woke up the first day I came to lord Ling¡¯s manor. The softness of the bed was unparalleled, soft yet comfortable. It made me want to remain on it for the longest possible time. But I don¡¯t have time, I have much to learn now, a new goal, a new objective. I must learn magic, all of it and most of what I can. It is not power that I seek, it is knowledge.


    ¡°Remain where you are, child.¡± said the gentle voice of an old woman.


    I turned around to see her, she was the same woman that I met the first day here¡­ this feels like a d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    ¡°Yes Mam,¡± I said then added, ¡°Can I ask who are you, Mam?¡±


    ¡°I am the Ling house¡¯s Health career, my Name is Shivana, nice to meet you.¡±


    So a doctor of sorts¡­


    ¡°Thank you for taking care of me¡± I politely said


    ¡°That is my job, child. However it seems that you are a fond of sleep, you took three days to wake up from that incident¡­ However I must strongly object on what you did last time, you almost died doing that idiotic stunt, though you managed to save the lady¡¯s life you almost lost yours in the process¡­¡±


    ¡°Three days¡­ Is the lady alright, however?¡±


    ¡°She is in perfect condition,¡± said the doctor ¡°She even came and asked about your welfare a few times,¡± she said with a mischievous smile on her¡­


    I don¡¯t know why but something stirred inside me, having someone from the Ling house to actually care for my wellbeing is a feat that I should feel proud of, I am but an orphan¡­


    ¡°Tell me, child. What drove you to do what you did there?¡±


    ¡°What? To help the lady?¡± I said


    She nodded


    ¡°It is gratitude,¡± I said


    ¡°How come? You risked your life for someone that you barely spoke too, barely talked too, not only once but twice. The one who should be grateful is not you but them¡­ so how come you say it is gratitude?¡±


    ¡°You must know by now who I am, my lady. I am but an orphan child, not worth much within this growing world. ;y life is meager compared to the powers of the people around me, however, Lord Ling gave me a new life, a new purpose. He even gave me a hope toward something I sought, a promise to go to Visania, to learn¡­ a wish that many have taken for granted, yet a far from reach dream of mine¡­ he gave me what I wanted¡­ and in his moment of despair, if I was not one to help then I have failed that man¡­¡±


    ¡°But you have yet to go there, what if the lord was lying? What if he never intended on taking you there? You risked your life for something that is not set in stone¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are trying to do my lady but let''s make one thing clear, I will forever be indebted to the lord, just him promising to send me to Visania is enough for me to risk my life for him for I have no value in the eyes of many but his¡­¡±


    ¡°A loyal child¡­¡± she said then stood up and left the room.


    What was she trying to do? Her way of speech was like if she wanted me to not save the lord¡­ as if she tried to probe me of my true thoughts, though I hid nothing from her I still felt like I was being interrogated than spoken to¡­ strange.


    I was dressed in different items of clothing, not my butler clothes but the white silky pajamas.


    The same I was given that time, I took a look around and left the room soon after changing back to my old clothes that were near the bed. There was nothing worth doing there and no need to waste more time, three days of rest had made my body feel refreshed, any more and I will be just a lazy slob.


    Once out, I looked around for one of three people, Master Shen, The Lord or Milenda. Any of them would be enough to fill me up on what happened and what I am to do next.


    The first to meet was Melinda who was walking down the hallway. She looked at me like if she had seen me the first time


    ¡°You are awake?!¡± she said with a voice expressing worry more than surprise


    ¡°Yes, is there a problem?¡± I said


    ¡°Heh, the doctors actually said that you would remain in that state for few more days, I truly am surprised¡±


    Doctors? There was only that woman¡­ they must have brought in more to assist her¡­ well no matter


    ¡°I am up and awake now, I guess I need to go back to training, I have much to learn¡­¡±


    ¡°Master Shen is in the courtyard. The Lord is not home yet, once he gets here I will tell him that you have awoken¡±


    I gave her a slight bow after excusing myself, but before I could walk away I turned around and asked


    ¡°What about lady Akari? How is she faring?¡±


    ¡°She is doing quite well, the flame no longer welled up within her, her control is firmer than ever¡­ boy whatever you did is nothing short of a miracle, that was a case of severe magical overload, she was not supposed to survive that¡­ I am truly glad you managed to save Lord Ling¡¯s only daughter¡­ on his behalf I thank you¡± she said while giving a deep bow¡­


    I felt awkward after that, I never was bowed to by anyone, all my life I was the one doing so, so seeing someone do it for me made me feel rather uncomfortable


    ¡°Please Melinda, that is nothing I owe them more than just that¡­ it is alright¡±


    I took the stairs and went down toward the courtyard where Master Shen was there.


    I have been trying to contact Nocturne but it seems that he is unresponsive for the moment, I don¡¯t know what happened but I kinda miss the creepy guy¡¯s voice¡­


    Once I was in the courtyard near the wooden logs I saw master then resting under the sun, with a round hat covering his face.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Master Shen,¡± I said


    He then slightly lifted his hat and glanced at me with one eye saying


    ¡°You are rather up early, good I was feeling bored, are you ready for your training?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± I said with all eagerness.


    ¡°Very well,¡± he said and he stood up.


    ¡°You seem to have had the gist of Honing, now we will begin with a similar practice, Strengthening¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°it''s rather simple, it is a part of honing too, the energy you use to strengthen the strand of grass and hone it at the same time, yet this time you use it on your body, the only difference is that you need to carefully strengthen your body so that you don¡¯t shatter it.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Unlike honing where you reinforce and sharpen the tool your body is a more delicate matter, you need to understand it, strengthening an arm, for example, can make you punch through a steel door, yet overdo it and your arm will shatter like a piece of glass from the impact. It makes not only your blood vessels strong as steel your skin, muscles and everything becomes rock hard. if you make contact with something of similar density you might break your arm.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound practical at all, I mean I could just use a tool, hone blades or strengthen clubs for combat if I ever need too.¡±


    ¡°One day you will find yourself without tools, and the only tool you will need to rely on is your own body, strengthening is needed for our next practice, I will teach you the Lotus martial art, it may sound girlish but believe me, it is an art derived from an ancient demon, it is strong beyond strength, and will need a body that can practice it.¡±


    The prospects of learning a martial art almost made me salivate¡­ I need this, no I want it!


    ¡°Alright, how do we strengthen?¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t jump the wire, before strengthening you need something else. First, sit in this position,¡± he said as he sat down cross-legged with both arms on his knees.


    It wasn¡¯t that difficult but the restrains on me made it a bit uncomfortable. I almost forgot I had them¡­


    ¡°You are rather accustomed to the Limiter¡­this should make it very potent once you master the moves. Alright now, you do remember that breathing technique you use before you used Honing?¡±


    I remembered my body being filled with energy whenever I took a  deep breath with the intent to use that technique


    ¡°Yes, I do,¡±


    ¡°That is called assimilation, it has many names some even call it cultivation. The idea is that you will harness natural energy within your body and keep it inside you, it will help build up your body bit by bit.¡±


    ¡°what is the use of this technique?¡±


    ¡°It is simple, your body is made of flesh, assimilation makes your body soak in natural energy speeding up the build-up of tissue and reinforces them. This will be needed so that you can strengthen your body, let me give you an example, if you take your current body, it will be like a bottle of glass filled with small and unnoticeable defects, assimilation makes you reforge your body, but it is a long and arduous task, some people assimilate energy for years upon years to make themselves stronger, it can even elongate one¡¯s lifespan.¡±


    ¡°Would this process help with clearing those small defects?¡± I asked


    ¡°Yes, not only that if mastered correctly it can remove impurities, and cleanse the body, even the smallest amounts of toxin within the body can be cleared. It reinforces, and strengthen the body from the smallest possible point, it is like building a house not with brick, but with sand, one spec at a time, until it becomes an immovable indestructible object.¡±


    ¡°Well this will probably take too much for me to start strengthening would it not?¡± I asked


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to reach that stage to begin strengthening. Once you breathe in the natural energy it will immediately guide itself to the impurities within your body, once you reach a respectable level of purity then you will start training¡±


    ¡°How do you track this level then?¡±


    ¡°There are several ways, the first being that once you gain enough energy your body will go on a breakthrough. And believe me, you will know when that happens. The second way is using this.¡± he said as he grabbed a small jade medal. ¡°Put this over your neck,¡± he said


    Once I did it glowed a bit and turned dark like coal


    ¡°That is your body¡¯s state, I am actually amazed that it is this bad¡­ your body is filled with impurities, mostly due to your history as an orphan your environment wasn¡¯t helping, you need food¡­ a lot of it. As the nutrients within your body are sorely lacking. Your bones are fragile and will break if you try strengthening, hell I don¡¯t even understand how you managed to hone with how much impurities you have in your body. The energy you circulate should dissipate before you exert it outwards¡­ anyway, this medal will track your level. once you remove all the darkened stuff from it, it will glow in a pure green, once that is done it will turn dark again, that means that you have cleansed the first level.¡±


    ¡°Ah so once the first level is over it goes to another level, how many levels are there?¡±


    ¡°There are a total of ten levels, of purity. The purer your body is, the more energy you can harness, the more you can harness the stronger your body will become, the stronger it is the more powerful you become.¡±


    ¡°What level are you at master?¡± I asked with a bit of curiosity


    ¡°I stagnated at level seven, it is hard to break through the bottleneck to level eight, it should take me few years through,¡± he said a bit disappointed.


    ¡°Wow, this takes years?¡± I asked in surprise


    ¡°Only the later levels, the first three levels shouldn¡¯t take even one year, the first level is the hardest and I need you to manage it before this month ends¡­ you will need to eat more and train more, I will add some weight lifting to your training, you will need it to build muscle.¡±


    ¡°Why do I need to build muscle when if I assimilate my body becomes stronger?¡±


    ¡°Assimilation doesn¡¯t make you stronger, it strengthens your body, and if you strengthen a weak body it still remains weak, if you strengthen a strong body it will become powerful. Eat more, train more and assimilate as much as you can, I will check up on you once you reach your first breakthrough, now start breathing in and circulating the energy within you as much as you can.¡± He said and left.


    ¡®Well this shouldn¡¯t be that hard¡¯ I thought to myself.


    Once I began breathing in the energy, I started noticing a few changes, especially after closing my eyes and using monochrome vision.


    It was a strange thing, like my eyes removed themselves from my sockets and I was able to see myself from another point, a rush of powerful wind would drive itself from my nose and into my lungs, I was even able to track it, to see inside my body all the way to the smallest of veins, a small insignificant dark spec was linked to a vein within my body, the strang energy came in and pushed it toward a bloodstream, then a speck of gold took its place and fused to the tissue make in it tighten, this happened all over my body, not in one part but everywhere, on a small scale so small I found it amazing. Just being able to see these changes made me feel awe. It was wonderful, even mesmerizing to see a change at such a small level that I lost track of time.


    Once I opened my eyes it was already night, and my body was feeling cold, not from the weather¡­ I was soaking wet, like if I sweated a river.


    The sweat however was¡­ grassy, like fat melted out of my pores, it was disgusting.


    I went straight for the showers to take a bath, and on the way, I saw that the medal was slightly glistening, it was less ¡®black¡¯ and more like bottle green, this was going to take time to make it shine, but I knew it would be worth it.


    Once I cleaned up and left I heard a voice I actually missed


    ¡®Basara¡¯ said Nocturne


    ¡®Where have you been?¡¯ I asked before letting him finish.


    ¡®Watching¡­¡¯ he said


    That sounded a bit creepy because I was just taking a shower so I missed the meaning behind his words¡­


    ¡®I was watching you train and found the chance to tell you something.¡¯


    ¡®What is it?¡¯ I asked


    ¡®What is the road you will choose? The blade or that of magic?¡¯ he asked


    ¡®Why can¡¯t I choose both?¡¯ I said


    ¡®To choose both is a greedy request, yet nevertheless, it will require discipline and a willpower like never before, so do you truly want to take the path of a mage and a warrior?¡¯


    ¡®If it means I get to learn many and different things, then yes, if I have the chance I will take it. to know is to live¡­¡¯


    ¡®Then so be it. Your lord will teach you how to wield magic, the swordmaster will teach you how to wield the blade, and I will teach you how to master them both¡­ yet to do so you will need something first.¡¯


    ¡®What is that thing?¡¯


    ¡®Your cultivation technique is lackluster, it is of low efficiency, I can teach you a trick or two on how to harness Qi, into your body without the need to needlessly remain sitting, so that you may harness it, and train with it. reinforce your body while you strengthen your mind to learn magic, use them both to manage both¡­ for that is why I am here, to make you a blade against the darkness¡­¡¯


    ¡®What darkness?¡¯ I asked


    ¡®You are not ready to know the dark. But it will come, and without a blade to cut through it, your world will share my old world¡¯s fate¡­¡¯


    ¡®What do you mean by that nocturne?¡¯


    ¡®You remember our promise? I will tell you about me once you become strong enough. Today you earned the right to know a part of that knowledge¡­ For I was once a human like you until I stumbled upon that book¡­ it gave me power, knowledge, and strength to defeat my enemies, yet I did not use it well, I did not fight off the dark, and for that, I was trapped within it¡­ and that is your fate, Basara¡­ we are rarely given the luxury of choice when it best suits us, and you are now sharing my fate, you have one of two option, become strong enough to fend off the looming destruction, or wait for the devastation of this world along with me, inside this prison¡­¡¯ said Nocturne


    Words of a weight I had not the slightest idea about¡­ but time would tell how Nocturne was right, and how I was too slow to understand¡­

 Chapter 12 (Breakthrough)

    Chapter 2


    I remained awake all night, Nocturne engraving in me the ¡®Better¡¯ method to assimilate which he stubbornly kept on calling cultivation. I wasn¡¯t one to argue as he probably outlived anyone I had ever known, and by his way of a speech, he was probably the one in the right.


    His explanation was rather more complicated and simple at the same time. The energy that I was harnessing was called Qi, natural energy, it exists everywhere and anywhere, some places have a better concentration of it, and some don¡¯t, for example, this city is rather lacking in it, making those that dwell here not benefiting from it, in places where it is in higher density people might find themselves outliving others from different part of the country even if they don¡¯t consciously use assimilation.


    The source of this energy is rather ambiguous, no one knows what is it, but Nocturne explained it to be a force of nature, like the wind or the rain; it is something that always was here and will remain long after we are dead. Looking for its origin gives not the slightest benefit so why waste time.


    Asking him how to manage to harness it without needing to remain still was rewarded with a statement saying that I was a newborn trying to run long before I even managed to crawl.


    I needed to at least reach the second level of assimilation before I could begin harnessing the energy while doing something else. The premise of multitasking was rather alluring and I truly wanted the ability to do so.


    I tried asking Nocturne about the looming darkness that he spoke about earlier, but he refused to tell me anything saying that I was far too weak to it right now. whatever it is that got even Nocturne agitated must be something to be feared¡­ This being represented power. He fears not death but it seems that there are things much scarier than that¡­ probably he is wise not to tell me¡­ though I can¡¯t understand why me of all people, why should I be the one tasked with finishing this book¡¯s unfinished business?


    No matter, once Nocturne¡¯s lecture about the origin of Qi finished he told me to take the same position that Master Shen had asked me to do and assimilate as much as I could. I found it to be rather relaxing for the moment and I did take advantage of it, it makes the body feels better the more you live in that trance, and I forgot myself within the world of specs, the small changes that happened within me were too fascinating to draw my eyes anywhere else.


    ¡°Basara!!¡± cried out Master Shen who was within my room along with Melinda.


    I opened my eyes and felt my body shivering. I was once again covered in that greasy sweat. But I felt much, much better.


    ¡°Yes, master?¡± I said


    ¡°Were you assimilating all night?!¡± he asked


    ¡°Yes?¡± I said with hesitation


    ¡°I have been trying to wake him from that position but he was rather unresponsive¡­¡± said Melinda ¡°You look disgusting, you need to take a shower¡­¡± she then added


    That woman was as stern and blunt, but deep down I knew she was a nice person so I nodded.


    ¡°Indeed, I do smell terrible. I will take a bath later on.¡±


    ¡°Basara,¡± said master Shen, ¡°I thought you overslept from yesterday¡¯s training but it seems that you were still training, you show great attitude towards your tasks which I appreciate a lot,¡± he said


    These words filled me with pride hearing what master Shen felt.


    ¡°I came here to urge you to train more so that you can achieve a faster breakthrough, we only have one month left before Visania opens its doors, you need to be at least level 3 by then, I know it might sound unreasonable but you need to make it as fast as you can, you will be adding these to your limiter too. they will help¡±


    He said as he handed me two more sets of bracelets that he attached to the ones I already had, now my arms were covered in that silver metal until my elbows. And another set to be attached to my thighs.


    The weight of them was immense, to say the least.


    ¡°These will act according to your strength, the stronger your body becomes the heavier they will get, due to the slow process of gaining strength you will not feel them getting heavier once you are used to them,¡± he said


    Which was a good thing, being constantly reminded how heavy, and how restraining these things were, would be a pain.


    ¡°Take your shower and continue on with your assimilation, you seem to be talented in that area too, you already removed a third of the impurities of your body. That is just the first level mind you, you still have a long way to go but you are doing a great job for one day worth of work.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said then left for the showers.


    Once I finished I had my breakfast and went back to the courtyard to continue on with assimilation.


    ¡®Basara, you are far too slow, let me take over.¡¯ He said and he did without my consent (again)


    ¡®What is it Nocturne?¡¯ I asked


    ¡®The method you are using takes too much time and is impractical, you are harnessing the energy through breathing which is fine but you are not using your full potential, the body you cleanse can also absorb energy on its own, though it is easier to breathe in that energy, your skin can also absorb it. Take a closer look at how it is done.¡¯ He saidUnauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    He then began doing some strange movements with his hands, waving his fingers in circular movements


    ¡°What are you doing, Nocturne?¡¯


    ¡®This is meant to relax the body, yours is still suffering from the weights though you are unconscious about it, your flesh is struggling to keep itself together, these moves help stretch the body and will relax it, for the time being, it can also be used to focus.¡±


    Once nocturne was seated in the lotus position as he called it he pushed his right hand on his left palm. Taking a deep breath the air around him changed drastically, the wind howled and the grass trembled, I focused on the change in my body and noticed a humongous change.


    The tissue in my body, I actually saw it grow at a frightening rate, muscle tissue strand after strand would break and triple in number, every single one of those fibers broke and mended back three times stronger, and then those that were newly made would break once again and become more. This kept on for few seconds until Nocturne said.


    ¡®here it is, your first breakthrough!¡¯ he even sounded excited.


    My body then exploded with energy, a shockwave tore through the grass and ground around my body rippling the ground, it created a small crater and a light beam that lasted for a few second originated from my body.


    ¡®This is the first level that your master spoke of, the second one shouldn¡¯t be that difficult to reach, use your old method and once you breakthrough again, I will give you the way to cultivate without needing to stay immobile. Take your body back the rest is up to you to handle¡¯


    He said as I got the control of my body.


    What I felt was¡­ fatigue, not like I had hoped for, my body felt on fire, my libs were heavy and my bones shook, my head was thumping and my blood pressure rose, yet somehow I felt¡­ different. Ever so slightly different, like a weight was removed and I was able to breath better¡­


    ¡°Basara! You damned bastard! You broke through on your second day how in god¡¯s name did that even happen?!!!¡± cried out master then who came along with Lord Ling running to the courtyard.


    ¡°It just did,¡± I replied to the master.


    ¡°Brother,¡± said master Shen addressing Lord Ling ¡°You know the meaning of this don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± said Lord Ling who looked in deep thought


    ¡°Basara, meet me later tonight, I have something to discuss with you¡­ I wanted to tell you something before but looking at the sudden change, I will have to make different arrangements¡± he said and hurriedly walked away


    ¡°What happened?¡± in sked


    ¡°You don¡¯t really know the meaning behind what you have just don don¡¯t you?¡± asked Master Shen


    ¡°Not really¡­¡±


    ¡°You just managed what non of the highest families and strongest within this country could ever do. Even with the backing of the strongest families, children that chose the path of the blade even geniuses could barely mimic what you have just done. You, an orphan child managed to a breakthrough in two days, while not even the Conqueror managed such a feat¡­¡±


    ¡°The Conqueror? Who is he?¡±


    ¡°A tale for a different time, Listen, boy, if anyone asks you about your first breakthrough time then answer them that it took you a week, though it is a lie a week is still something amazing for anyone to achieve.¡±


    ¡°What difference does it make?¡±I asked


    Then master Shen answered me with a question


    ¡°Where does your loyalty lies?¡±


    ¡°It lies with my Lord and the King¡±


    ¡°Then beware, if your secret is divulged many would want to recruit you within their ranks if you refuse you will be seen as a future threat and will be shut down once you are still weak.¡±


    ¡°I will make sure to keep my mouth shut then,¡± I said shuddering at the thought of people being sent to kill me.


    I took a look at the pendant and saw that it was glowing in a surprising emerald light.


    ¡°You even broke through with the maximum purity possible, your next breakthrough should be much easier to achieve¡­ what a monster¡­¡± he said proud more than worried.


    ¡®Nocture, I think we should tone down on the way we learn things, else we might be sent to be experimented on¡¯


    ¡®I disagree, you need to gain strength and fast, though the darkness looms far in the future it will still come, and at this rate, you will never make it fend it off¡­ you need more strength¡­¡±


    Sigh¡­


    I tried to stand up but felt unable to.


    The new muscle growth has changed the ratio at which the strength and power needed for me to move with the Limiter on.


    Once I found the balance I stood up and felt that my feets actually dug a bit in the ground, like I have gained a noticeable amount of weight.


    ¡°Basara, look carefully at this!¡± he said


    And brought out his weapon.


    First, he took a stance where his right hand held his sword closer to his shoulder level. His left hand was in an open palm position, and both his legs were firmly holding on the ground yet they were slightly bent.


    He remained in that position for a moment, then stabbed with his right hand while moving forward at the same time, his upper body rotated and his open palm tilted backwards, once he took a full first step, he spun around and slashed in a horizontal way while changing his position to one where his entire body was at my waist level. He then finished with a diagonal pierce that rearrange his stance to one where he was standing. Right after that he took his initial stance and unsheathed his weapon.


    ¡°This is the set of moves for the first level of the lotus arts. It is designed to initiate a fight, it is both defensive and offensive, it holds great power at destabilizing your opponents, mixed in with other move sets of different levels it will make a great mean to engage upon various enemies. Now you try it¡± he said


    Honestly, it looked like he was just playing around, the moves he used that other time we much more refined than these and looked deadlier, why was he teaching me this?


    ¡®Respect the base, even a mountain needs a strong base to stand proud.¡¯ Said Nocturne almost sounding like if he was defending the man.


    ¡®Alright alright, I will try it¡­¡¯


    Then I began mimicking the master, what I thought to be simple, and idiotic moves turned out to have an enormous strain on my leg muscles and torso. This was incredibly taxing, it was probably due to the exhaustion from the breakthrough, but I understood that these basic moves held a lot of potentials to grow and to mold into limitless variations of moves.


    ¡°Marvelous, your eyesight is as impressive as always, it is an almost perfect imitation to what I have just done, yet you need to put more torque behind your moves, your legs are taking too much strain because you move your body mechanically, you must move in a flowing way, practice this move sets a much and as many times as you can.¡±


    ¡°Alright master,¡± I said and began rehearsing the moves.


    Time flew by until I began to feel an insatiable hunger.


    ¡®You must eat lad, the breakthrough needs you to feed more and more, just take in as much food as you can, Cultivating will make sure that the nutrients will be molded into your body correctly.¡¯ Said Nocturne


    ¡®I will, Nocturne, I will¡¯


    ¡®At this rate, you will be able to wield my weapon with ease, progress more and I will teach you how to use it.¡¯


    ¡®Well, I guess that a scythe has a different move set than a sword right?¡¯


    ¡®Not only that, don¡¯t compare this to mortals weapons, it is a scythe designed to harvest souls and not cut flesh, it never dulls never rusts and always delivers¡¯


    ¡®A fearsome weapon¡¯ I said


    ¡®Indeed, once you begin learning about magic, I will show you the marvels of it.¡¯ he said as his voice faded into the background


    Ah I just remembered, Lord Ling asked me to join him¡­ I wonder what he needs of me¡­

 Chapter 13 (Merger)

    Chapter 3


    Lord Ling was sitting in the dining room, alone and without company. He sat. contemplating and waiting. His house was truly blessed, to have his daughter inheriting the flame of the dragon. Yet as it turned out that that gift had turned to a fearsome danger, when the amount of energy that swirled within her far surpassed anything his predecessors had ever dealt with, the power of such magic was too much for one person to contain. In that, he truly feared that his daughter will die due to the monstrous power within her. Yet somehow all of that was changed by the arrival of a child. A boy that was intelligent, hardworking and was most of all loyal.


    In his short period in this place, he managed to make a place for himself. He worked hard for simple treatments, even saved the life of his daughter twice from overloading. His results stunned Shen and he himself found them admirable. Though he just started with the basic forms of martial training, he managed to hone in numerous days, an even breakthrough in two days¡­ However, what he truly feared was that thing within him, that monster of a creature that managed to slay one of ¡®Them¡¯ in a single strick, something not even the strongest in this country can do with ease¡­


    That boy was both a gift and a curse, for as if his potential was ever revealed many would seek him, many would desire him and many would want him dead just so that no other would have him¡­


    Perhaps, just perhaps he might actually be the one to succeed the Conqueror, it was a flimsy thought that the lord instantly rebuked, the Conqueror was a person of immense power, able to withstand the calamity that prevailed this world before, he was even thought to be a god that descended upon this land, defeating the Singularity of Jehad in single combat¡­


    It was foretold that he will resurrect within their lifetime and with the looming threat, any and every powerhouse struggled to refine their pawns seeking to be the first to slay this abomination to gain honor, prestige and most of all to inherit the title of the Conqueror¡­


    The boy entered the room and the Lord had a grim look on his face. He looked at him and spoke


    ¡°Basara¡­ my boy, I want to speak with you about something¡±


    ¡°Yes my Lord¡±


    The lord Sighed and said


    ¡°Once you enter Visania, you will face many difficulties, among them, are numerous challenges that will prove your mettle. For the current you, though you are advancing at a frightening rate, I don¡¯t think that you will be able to take on these challenges, so what I want you to do is hide¡­¡±


    ¡°Hide? My Lord, I don¡¯t understand what you are trying to say but, Hide?¡±


    ¡°Let me finish. You are weak, right now, and compared to the many different people that will be in visania I don¡¯t even think you will stand the chance against them, the system in that school is severely different from normal ones, let me explain. There are various classes within the school, ranging from the bottom of the classes, The F class, all the way to the top The S class, based on merit and influence one may climb or fall down. The class¡¯s teachings and potency change with how powerful an individual is. So if you seek knowledge you need to seek out the higher echelons. With my daughter being the heir of the house Ling, she is given straight access to the A class.¡±


    So even the daughter of the House Ling doesn¡¯t have access to the S class¡­


    ¡°This is indeed a great honor. But you will not be attending the same courses as her and will not have access to the same level of knowledge as her. which is what your objective is. Due to your status as a servant you will have to suffice yourself with the basic knowledge of the F class, which is mostly composed of servants.¡± He said then took a breath


    Well I didn¡¯t think it will be like this, but still I don¡¯t think that F class is that bad, they will probably have access to more material than I could find anywhere. For one such as me, it is more than I could hope for


    He then continued ¡°However, why I asked you to hide is simple. There is a way to climb the ladder of classes, a simple and effective way. You will need to challenge those of higher echelons and take their position for yourself.¡±


    Indeed that does seem like a good way to have access to more knowledge, but if my guess is correct¡­


    ¡°A servant will not be tolerated to reach higher classes¡­¡± I said in a low voice¡­


    ¡°Yes, Basara it is indeed what you just said. That school is reserved for the elite, you, however, will be looked down upon and not tolerated, if there is a servant within the higher classes then you can challenge them and your right to access that class is guaranteed, but if you somehow manage to defeat a noble and take their positions then you will be attacked. Mercilessly so, the world where those people live in is much different than what I have shown you here¡­ they are monsters¡­ and for that, I will offer you a choice¡­ if you are willing to take it.¡±


    ¡°What is that choice?¡±


    ¡°I offer that you officially take the name Ling as your own, I will be willing to adopt you into my family, thus you will have the same privileges as the rest of the nobles¡­¡±


    ¡°I refuse!¡± I said instantly and before the lord could even finish


    ¡°What why?¡± he said surprised at my refusal


    ¡°No matter what you think I did for you sir, I do not deserve this, adopting someone like me will be the fall of your family, the Ling family has been and remained a prestigious house, you have been given the blessing of the dragon and were selected by the king himself, adding me to your family will come with the price of renouncing such privileges.¡±


    ¡°Why would you say so, Basara¡±


    ¡°Simple, this country runs on pure blood, those of the purest lineage and the oldest origin will be shuffled to the side once their blood has been corrupted by an outsider, I know it is dumb and it is stupid, but these are the traditions that this country rose upon, and I don¡¯t think that I have the right to challenge them as I am. I will, however, promise that I will never back down, I will climb that ladder and rise above.¡±


    Pureblood, another word for power, those that do not possess power are looked down upon. Linking my impure blood to the Ling house will be their doom if I was to ever be one of this house I need to gain strength enough to make my pitiful self noticeable for the ones above, to become strong is to own your own blood. To become strong gives you the right to be one with pure blood, then and only then will one such as me be allowed into their circle¡­This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°You are even knowledgeable about the traditions of this place¡­ I must admit you really are full of surprises. However, a problem remains¡­ for the last four years, there have been no servants attending the A class¡­ you will find it hard to rise above the B class if you seek to reach the highest¡­¡±


    Well, this will be a problem¡­ if there are no servants in the higher classes that means that if I want to go up, I will be needing to challenge the Nobles¡­ something I don¡¯t think I can handle¡­


    ¡°However, you need to know that you have the backing of my family, I will ask you to never seek to challenge a noble, but if you were challenged¡­ Never refuse no matter who it is. We seek not trouble, but we will not let ourselves be tested, this is our way of life Basara. Embrace it.¡¯ he said with a clenched right fist that showed his resolve.


    ¡°I will, my Lord I will,¡± I said then he gestured to me to leave him


    I left the king that my road to knowledge will be filled with challenge, I am not against it, but it seems that it will be interesting, to say the least.


    My stomach growled at me for ignoring it today, I felt famished. So I went toward the kitchen and found no one there. Looking around I saw that there were still leftovers form today¡¯s lunch and I ate ravenously and to my heart¡¯s content. I even felt that my stomach swelled a little that the Limiter was forced to expand for the extra room.


    Walking back to my room I slept like a baby. Today was exhausting even if most of what I did was just sitting around and assimilate.


    Waking up early in the morning I began assimilating, there was no need for me to take a morning shower as I will just get dirty again after doing this so I might as well do both at the same time.


    I broke through the first level yesterday and reaching the third level will let me use Nocturne¡¯s technique, then I will begin learning how to strengthen. I have much to learn and many things to know, and not much time to do all, I think a wise person said the statement ¡®Too many books, so little time¡¯ this was exactly my case, I have too much stuff on my plate I can¡¯t keep track of everything.


    Sigh


    Once I began assimilating I noticed the difference between my method and Nocturne¡¯s. He was able to absorb absurd amounts of that golden energy that he called Qi and fuse it to the flesh at a frightening rate, it seems that he was experienced in doing this¡­ while I, on the other hand, am barely able to allocate a fraction of what he did, at this rate breaking through the second level will at least take two more days.


    And so I sat, waiting, gathering, and harnessing the energy.


    Once I felt that I was close enough to halfway point I opened my eyes and went to the showers once again. After finishing I went back to the kitchen took my breakfast and went back to the courtyard where I resumed assimilation. This continued for two days with nothing apparently happening. Once I managed to breakthrough for the second time I felt much relieved. There is not much time left for the start of the school year, and once that time has come I will need to be as strong as possible.


    ¡®Basara, you seem to have managed to break through and now you are at the third level. However, do you see the difference and vastness of the sea you will need to cross before you breakthrough again?¡¯ Nocturne asked


    ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ I asked.


    ¡®Look within yourself, focus your vision on your inner self, see like you did to that girl before then you will understand¡¯ he said


    I closed my eyes and used monochrome vision, then I waited.


    After a brief moment, I saw what he meant, there was a small globe of energy that was swirling within me, far smaller than what I had seen on Lady Akari.


    ¡®Reach for it¡¯ he said.


    And I did, getting my vision closer to it, I was instantly engulfed by that gentle light and my world changed.


    My vision opened up on a black void where only a yellow glowing orb was shining. Behind it stood a figure, far too big and far too imposing. It was Nocturne, he stood behind the orb both hands around it his skull face was reflecting some of its light making him look terrifying.


    ¡®This is your inner sea. It is a translation of your current ability, the strength within you and your power. This sea is a representation of your strength¡¯


    I then saw small specs of light that looked like dust flowing toward it


    ¡®Those specs that you see are the result of your Cultivation, those small glowing specs enlargen this sea and make you stronger. However, one cannot gather as much as he can, there is always a limit, and those limits once broke you breakthrough to another realm of power.¡¯


    ¡®So that is what happens when I breakthrough¡¯ I said


    ¡®Yes, your next breakthrough will require you to enlarge this sea a hundred time more.¡¯


    ¡®A hundred time?!!¡¯ I asked in surprise, I mean this thing was huge it was a mostly three-meter diameter, a hundred time gathering this energy that is a lot.


    ¡®Indeed, the next level will require you to enlarge this sea a thousand times more, every level will make itself harder and harder, but you have time and me as a mentor, reaching the final levels will not be as difficult for you as it is for everyone else.¡¯


    ¡®Damn, this sure does sound like hard work¡¯ I said still unable to fully grasp the enormity of the task.


    ¡®Now this,¡¯ he said as he summoned a black swirling ball, it was quite ominous and quite frightening.


    ¡®This is the sea of your magic ability¡¯he held both orbs one in each hand, however, the difference in size was apparent, it seems that the black ball of energy was about one-tenth the size of the other¡¯


    ¡®the golden one represents your strength, the black one represent your magic, what you seek is a path that you can manage both at once, thus.¡¯ He said as he pushed both the globes into each other. They both transformed into a huge ball. It looked like a black sun that would consume all.


    ¡®This is the path that you will be reaching for, However, the condition that you need to breakthrough again have multiplied by tenfold.¡¯


    ¡®That is absurd! No way will anyone be able to reach even the fifth level like this.¡¯


    ¡®Like I said, I will be your mentor, this is indeed a hard task but I achieved the final breakthrough in my life with this, and so will you.¡¯


    ¡®How old were you when before you died Nocturne?¡¯


    ¡®I never died, Basara, I am only imprisoned, this form you see is the result of a mistake, but worry not, I will make sure nothing like this happens to you. As for your answer, it took me three hundred years to break the fifteenth realm.¡¯


    ¡®Weren¡¯t there only ten?¡¯ I asked as I really remembered master Shen only mentioning ten


    ¡®Ten is the limit of what a human can do, once you reach it, you transcend. And become¡­ something else¡­¡¯ he said.


    I didn¡¯t even want to know what that something else¡­ because truly, if it could survive three centuries then it is obviously something inhuman. I took another look at nocturne¡¯s physic and confirmed it¡­ definitely not human.


    ¡®Once you awaken you will feel a grand difference in your body condition. Do not worry and do not fret, you will see things differently and feel things differently, but make sure that no matter what never use magic without my permission.¡¯


    Then I awoke.


    As I was sitting around. I expected that my body would feel drenched with sweat, but no.


    It was almost on fire, so hot yet at the same time, not painful it was refreshing.


    I could feel my own pulse all around my body, my vision blurred a moment then turned sharper than I could have ever felt, I was able to see details with great efficiency.


    I could feel a pulse of power emitting from my body, so strong that if I forced myself a little I would break the Limiter.


    ¡®You seem to have noticed the change¡¯


    ¡®What is this?¡¯


    ¡®This is what happens when your inner Qi and Mana harmonize, they fused together and are now empowering your body. This state is only available to those that have broken through the seventh realm of cultivation and have extraordinary magic ability. You, however, cannot use this power efficiently yet. If you try to force it, then your muscles will tear from strain and your mind will explode from the recoil of magic. You need to slowly build your mind and body for it to contain the power that you now hold.¡¯


    Master Shen then approached and as he got closer he instantly flinched.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me!¡±


    ¡°I broke through again Master Shen, I think I will be needing A stronger Limiter, this one is about to break¡­¡¯


    Master Shen could only look dumbfounded as he was unable to grasp what was happening.


    I should go easy on him, too many shocks are not good for one¡¯s mental health¡­

 Chapter 14 (Creation, and Death)

    Chapter 14.


    "Very well, Basara, it seems that your progress is quite frightening and suitable at the same time, we will have to step things up a notch. Now that you are at the third level you should be able to do basic Reinforcement." said master Shen while scratching his chin. the shock must have been powerful as he had yet to fully grasp the situation, the variables and the sudden progress must have ruined his plan and now he will need to reorganize himself in order to make a new training program.


    "I cannot make you use full body strengthening right now, though you managed to breakthrough your body will suffer the consequences, due to it not being fully developed and your young age of fourteen is still not suitable for it, forcing your body to do such a task will mostly result in severe side effects, so first we start by the basic, your index finger..." he said while holding his right hand''s index forward.


    "To strengthen the body is different than to hone a weapon, unlike weapons, they don''t feel pain and they can be honed and reinforced without a problem, however, the human body is different, it is made from flesh and muscle so your task will be to enhance these specs without harming yourself. let''s take this finger, for example, if it is properly reinforced it can withstand a chop of a none reinforced blade without a problem. however do it poorly and your finger my either collapse on itself or shatter like a piece of glass on contact with a weapon. the trick is to find a balance between strengthening the body member and keeping it in a state where it can still move."


    "So it has to maintain its flexibility while gaining enough durability to sustain damage from other weapons... this will not only need minute control over the body, I suspect it will need enormous focus and concentration to keep the state of the body member as it is even after receiving a shock, am i right?" I said to Master Shen.


    "Indeed, that is the basics, now try to use your inner energy to not only to coat your finger but to fully imbue it muscle bone and skin, once you manage that we will proceed to the next step," he said


    "Can you do a demonstration?" I asked


    "Why do you need a demonstration, this will not be seen by simple vision it is an operation that happens deep within the body. I don''t think you will be able to see the change"


    "Well I have a way," I said with a smirk


    Master Shen then forced his inner energy to circulate through his finger while I Focused on his index.


    using monochrome vision I began to notice the change


    "Monochrome vision... the second level already... quite frightening indeed," said Master Shen "With this, you will probably be able to see... good"


    I didn''t mind him and kept on looking at the energy. it swirled and moved then latched to his muscles, every fiber strengthened yet at the same time, not enough for it to turn rigid, just enough for it to remain flexible but they gained enormous durability.


    "Alright, I think I got it," I said


    looking at my index I willed Qi to move within it, as I already saw the process it was much simpler to do it once I saw it once.


    the energy that I called, however, was much more than I needed, in the end, my finger felt like if it would explode if I didn''t somehow redirect that excess energy somewhere else. so I made it coat my whole right hand.


    "This should be about it?" I said.


    Master Shen was mouth agape that moment and stayed that way for another moment before he said.


    ¡°I told you to only reinforce one finger¡­ and you managed your whole hand¡­ What a monster¡­¡± he said clearly in a good and encouraging way.


    ¡°I feel like I can break through a steel made a door with this,¡± I said as I was amazed at the newfound strength of the hand.


    ¡°No, you might feel like your hand became stronger and sturdier it but if you try you will break your wrist, if you want to do that, you will need to strengthen your hand, wrist elbow your shoulder your spine, your back ribs muscles and lower body and finally your legs in order to send a punch with that, if you fail to strengthen any of them at the same time then your body will break. Just because your hand is strengthened doesn¡¯t mean that your body is. That is why you need time, though your progress is magnificent your body is far behind your talent.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like hard work¡±


    ¡°Hard work? What you just did took me three months! You succeeded on your first try! Don¡¯t you dare speak about hard work you make my achievements fail one by one!¡± he said clearly dissatisfied, but at the same time, I could feel a hint of pride in his words.


    ¡°Good, now that you are able to properly strengthen your hand, try to reinforce your joints, and redo the exercise for the first level of the Lotus technique that I showed you the other day. It will help a lot once you manage to practice the formes while your body is reinforced.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I will do it at once,¡± I said then closed my eyes and concentrated.


    The moves that Master Shen showed me were still etched into my mind, however having to move around like that time will be most troublesome if I use the reinforcement on my joints mainly I will be like an unoiled doll, but practice makes perfect.


    Clearly envisioning the move set and all the movements that the body should move through I understood what is the reason behind adding reinforcement over the joints. Simply put it is to put as much strain on the body for it to force itself to evolve to accommodate to the needs of the moves, by strengthening the joints the pressure on the body will become far larger and it will force it to grow in ordre to accommodate to the change, adding Assimilation to the mix will make the body grow the needed muscles to perfect that martial art.


    At first, I thought that the teachings of master Shen were rather different and are saw no mean to use them all at once, but just right now, everything fit in.


    From basic honing to assimilation to the lotus martial art and strengthening, they all harmonized in one single practice, to force the body to develop itself to become a war machine.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡®Only the more for you to respect that man, he is well versed in the arts of war and knows the human body better than many, that man is one with himself and for your to reach his level not only talent is needed, but also dedication.¡¯ Said Nocturne who sounded like he was admiring Master Shen


    ¡®I know, he is an amazing man to be able to understand so many different methods to strengthen the body, and even apply them to his training¡­ quit and impressive person¡¯


    ¡®True, however, there is something that you can do to make your training even more productive.¡¯


    ¡®What is it Nocturne?¡¯ I asked as I was tracing all the different joints in my body and was imagining all the moves that I was going to be using.


    ¡®You will be needing to Cultivate while in the process of training your strengthening technique. You already managed to reach their level of Cultivation, now you will be needing to imbue that into your training,¡¯


    ¡®Ah, you are right, you already told me that there was a way for me to Cultivate without having to remain still in one place, well what should I do?¡¯ I asked Nocturne


    ¡®You subconsciously found the way even without me telling you how. What you are doing now is a part of that technique, you need to breathe in, and circulate the Qi in the outside world, you must remain within your monochrome vision world, and at the same time make your body do the moves, split your mind and make it do many actions at once, then you will be able to reah the realm of experts.¡¯


    ¡®Two tasks at once, that is difficult¡­¡¯


    ¡®Not but two tasks Basara, you will be needing to strengthen, move your body, and cultivate. However, the mind of a man is filled with mystery and can bring many miracles if one only has the will. What is your aim Basara? What is it that you seek? What is it that you want and need?¡¯ said Nocturne.


    ¡®You know what I want, I just want strength so that no one would bother me¡­¡¯


    ¡®The weight behind those words are too much for you to understand now Basara, acquiring enough strength so that no one will bother you is the equivalent of becoming a god. Only them cannot be bound by mortal matters, and if you truly wish to have power equivalent to them, then your will is far too feeble to acquire what you want¡¯


    ¡®Become a god you say? That is absurd Nocturne, What I want is power to defend myself and power to make others move out of my way, but a god? You seem to have forgotten that I am at the end but an orphan¡­¡¯


    ¡®You value yourself too lightly Basara, you have the blood of a god of death, don¡¯t you dare forget that¡­ Now show me your will, show me that you can manage what I had just asked of you, split your mind and do the tasks¡¯


    I sighed audibly while thinking that this multitasking will be quite arduous.


    Complaining about things before I do them is not in my nature so I sucked it up and tried my best.


    Breathing in the energy I found it quite difficult to make it submit to my will, to both be assimilated within me and whatever remains to strenghten my joints, whatever megere energy that I was harvesting was not sufficient to do both tasks, I could barely manage to strenghten my right hand¡¯s and managing to assimilate a fraction of energy to refine my body and remove the impurities of the third stage.


    To manage this on the whole body would be immensely difficult¡­


    ¡®It is only you who makes this task seem difficult Basara, you are beyond capable of doing this so persevere and find balance¡­¡¯


    Balance again¡­


    Sigh


    I drooped down stopping the exercise to ponder about the current situation


    ¡®Do you give up so easily Basara?¡¯ said Nocturne


    ¡®No, I need to think things through¡­ it is something is missing, I just can¡¯t get my hands on it, forcing myself to do it this way is not going to prove useful¡­¡¯


    ¡®Kekeke¡¯ laughed Nocturne saying ¡®Then think all you want, if it is you, then you might figure it out on your own¡¯ he said as he faded into the background.


    The main problem why I can¡¯t do this task is probably due to the small intake of Qi that I can hold, my body is probably unable to contain much, however, that is wrong in itself. The last time Nocturne took over to show me how to Cultivate properly the amount of Qi that he harnassed was magnificent if I could copy that I might find it easier to circulate the energy¡­


    How did he do that? Is the first question that popped into my head


    A difference in experience is on reason however, I refuse to accept that, he used my body and the same resources I have now to dot hat deed, why can¡¯t I?


    Thinking about it, what is the origin of this Qi? I might as well find out.


    I used monochrome vision, this time not to look at myself, but at the world itself, what composed everything, I ignored the weaknesses of the objects and tried to focus on the immaterial, I wanted to see where this energy is stemming from.


    And I saw it, there and here and everywhere, minute changes, on a scale so small that it was absurd, small specs of energy encompassed the world and originated from¡­ everywhere!


    Literally everywhere, even I, who wanted to gather this energy was releasing some of it into the world¡­


    This energy is not originated from all-powerful sources, the source was before me, it was the world itself that gave this energy and it was the world itself that took it in.


    All beings would release these particles, for others to feed on. Like water that would vaporize into the sky, forme clouds then fall on earth to revive it. Then it would seep into the ground and would merge again with seas and rivers and circulate, again and again. Never stopping never halting, always moving in a circle of life. These particles were the same, they would go from a being to another, be consumed and once that being is dead, or still alive it would release this energy to the world for it to grow¡­


    Looking at my body in a new light I discovered the reason behind why I was lacking.


    My body was releasing more energy than it absorbed, simply due to the fact that it could not process it fast enough for it to be implemented in it. What nocturne have done was to force these particles to remain within the body without letting them escape.


    He forced them to do what was needed of them before they would go out of their way and back into the world, he fused them to the body¡­ However, understanding this is quite different than doing it, yet it is the mean for me to use this energy with more effectiveness¡­


    Now the only way for me to do what Nocturne asked is if I gather enormous amounts of this energy as fast as I can, and use it as rapidly as I could. A hard task but a needed step.


    Now how can I assimilate this energy the same way that Nocturne did?


    Simply breathing it will not give me enough to fill my body.


    As I was looking around within the monochrome world I was struck with an epiphany.


    My body that absorbed Qi using that breathing method was not releasing the unprocessed through my breath ¡®only¡¯ it was my skin, my pores my hair and everything¡­


    There was not just one way for the energy to be assimilated then! But probably breathing it was the simplest and most forward method¡­ then what if I could revere this?


    What if I could not only breath in the energy through my lung but also take it in with my whole body?


    I sat down in the lotus position and began cultivating this time I didn¡¯t breath in the energy but I tried to ¡®feel¡¯ it with my body.


    And just like that, the pores within my skin opened like ravenous beasts and began in taking the energy at an absurd rate. So much that I felt stifled as how much energy the human body could harness. Then something unexpected happened


    The medal on my body glowed and just like that¡­ I broke through the third level¡­


    That insurmountable Sea of consciousness that I thought would only be filled in years to come was instantly filled and broke into another realm.


    I opened my eyes to see the world in a different state¡­


    The ground that I was sitting on, the grass and the tree behind my back withered and shrunk, dead and unresponsive, stones crumbled to dust and all signs of life that were surrounding me disappeared¡­


    ¡®KEKEKEEKEKEK! BASARA! YOU DID IT, YOUNG CHILD!¡¯


    ¡®What the hell happened Nocturne!¡¯


    ¡®THE BOOK! OPEN THE BOOK! RECORD THIS!¡¯


    I called upon the book and it instantly glowed in a dark sheen, the pages turned and a new line was written


    ¡®The path of death is open to you, lead the path of despair and may the rest follow.¡¯


    ¡®What is the meaning of this Nocturne?¡¯


    ¡®Once you broke through the book has acknowledged you as its ¡®true¡¯ owner, now one of its secrets has been revealed.¡¯


    A magic circle was written in the book


    Before I could touch it however


    ¡®Don¡¯t! you are not strong enough yet to wield that. In due time child, in due time.¡¯


    ¡®But tell me nocturne what the hell was this?¡¯


    ¡®in the process of breaking through, your true magic was evoked. Your sea of consciousness evolved and took in your magic to a newer hight, the flame of creation gave its true presence and now you can feel it around you.¡¯


    ¡®What do you mean by true nature? The only thing that I could feel around that is around me is¡­ death¡¯ I said unable to believe the staggering change of the once animated garden


    ¡®Indeed¡­¡¯ said Nocturne, in a voice much clearer and more powerful than before.


    So it seems, that creation and death go hand in hand, to those of lower minds they may seem different. to create is to give life. And to destroy is to Kill life, yet at the same time, these two are but different sides of the same coin.

 Chapter 15 (Inspiration)

    Chapter 15


    ¡®Can you explain this better Nocturne?¡¯ I asked while looking at the damage to my surrounding, the once beautiful garden just shriveled up and died. I will get in trouble if I don¡¯t fix or find a proper explanation for this.


    ¡®When I harmonized the flame of creation to your sea of consciousness, I was hoping to accelerate the time needed for you to awaken to the book¡¯s magic. But it seems that you did so on your own. Death, that book is the book of death, one of many but a unique on in its own. It harbors the magic that controls life and creation, used properly you can quench the lives of your foes with but a glance. Poorly and it will consume your essence of it. So don¡¯t you dare try to use its magic now.¡¯ Said nocturne in a warning tone.


    ¡°Then what is the use of this magic if I were not to use it?¡± I said as I stood up.


    The world felt vaguely different, I could almost swear that my body began to suck in the particles of Qi on its own without the need for me to will it to do so. Strange¡­


    ¡®You don¡¯t need to use it at the moment, your body is still too feeble, and your mind is still immature, though you are far more intelligent than people at your age and far more talented. Handling death needs you to be more¡­ vicious.¡¯ He added


    ¡®Vicious, huh¡­ well, there is no need to dwell on things I won¡¯t be needing for the moment. So Nocturne what will we do about this?¡¯ I said as I was looking at my surroundings.


    ¡®No need to worry about those things, try to use the same move set that the master swordsman showed you.¡¯


    ¡®Well, you are rather heartless¡­¡¯ I said as I stood up.


    Practicing the moves I felt the strain on my joints shift in a more comfortable way.


    Now I need to reinforce my joints.


    The moment I thought about that, an amazing wave of energy rushed within me. It seems that the Qi I am able to harness change in the quantity I could consume about ten times the same amount of energy that I used to do before¡­ quite frightening.


    ¡®Indeed, you should have reached this stage after years upon years of practice¡­ what fate has brought such a talented and gifted youth to me, I could only be thankful.¡¯ Said Nocturne sounding more happy than proud.


    ¡®Now then.¡¯ I said as force the particles to empower my joints and they did so with ease.


    ¡®Now, do you remember the feeling of consuming the world with your body? Try that¡¯


    It was probably when my pores opened up and consumed the Qi. Though this is quite hard to do all at once I tried.


    Surprisingly unlike last time where I had to suffer just to reinforce a single joint, my whole body went into a state of calmness after absorbing Qi. Nothing went to waste. The particles either reinforced my joints or reconstructed the flesh, whatever was left was sent to my Sea of consciousness to amplify it.


    Looking at the situation using monochrome vision it made me feel rather¡­ pleasant.


    I was able to detach from the world and look at my body doing the once mechanical moves in a more fluent manner, it seems that it still needs some tweaks but I could handle that.


    Moving around with grace my body failed to notice the passage of time.


    I was oblivious to the world around me for god knows how much as I moved around unstoppable, tireless and full of vigor.


    Moments became minutes became hours, hours became days and I finally collapsed.


    My eyelids felt too heavy for me to even open while my body shivered, from both power and extreme exertion.


    ¡°God damn it, kid¡­ you scared me there for a second¡­¡± said master Shen as he was nearby.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked


    ¡°What happened? How the hell would I know? You were in that state for most of the week, no one could even get close to you, you were unresponsive as you used the lotus martial art¡­¡±


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry about that Basara, it is a case of Inspiration, it rarely happens but it seems that you somehow managed to remain in that state for several days, not even I could stop you. If your body was stronger than what you have now I would believe that you would have remained in that state until you died.¡¯


    ¡®Heh¡­ strange things are happening to me¡­¡¯


    ¡®No, for if we consider the fact that you own this book, this should be within reason, though it is still unfathomable. Your growth is too fast, I believe that you should halt it¡­¡¯


    ¡®You were the one that said we don¡¯t have time right?¡¯


    ¡®Indeed we don¡¯t but at this rate, you would die before you can reach where I need you to.¡¯


    ¡°Well, its due to Master that I somehow managed to find inspiration. However, I feel really weak¡±


    ¡°Well, of course, you would, you didn¡¯t eat drink or rest for almost a weak, no man no matter how talented can go against the limits of their body. Now you need to eat my child, you exerted so much energy that your muscles are in dire need of nutrition. Sustaining a body with just Qi is only possible if you have reached higher realms of Assimilation and have a healthy body, to begin with. Your body is like a glass of water and you are trying to fill it with the water from an ocean. Take it easy child.¡± Said master Shen clearly sounding worried.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry master I won¡¯t try that again, I don¡¯t think I even have the power to do it again.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said ¡°I will ask someone to bring you some food. Don¡¯t move from here, I don¡¯t think that even if you wanted you won¡¯t be able but anyway stay here and rest.¡±


    He said as he moved outside.


    I was in my room this time. The one that came in after few moments was no other Than Melinda.


    ¡°What a troublesome child you are.¡± She said


    ¡°Sorry to cause you any worry Melinda I know I shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°No, it''s not me. Lord Ling was worried sick about you. When you entered that state he couldn¡¯t even wake you up no matter how he shouted. There was a moment when he was going to stop you by force but Master Shen asked him not to. They both remained for days watching over you.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I need to apologize to them.¡± I said as I imagined the old man waiting under the coldness of the night just for the sake of an orphan like me.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand do you Basara?¡± said Melinda


    ¡°What?¡± I said


    ¡°You still think yourself as an orphaned child. You are one of the servants of the House Ling, you need to have some self-esteem, don¡¯t belittle yourself. Master Ling himself said that you are a talent amongst talent and I can vouch for that. You learn things faster than anyone and you always put your heart in them. Don¡¯t let anyone take away your honor from you. Hold your head up high child it is not fit for one from the house of dragons to bow down and apologize to others.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°Even if it was worrying the Lord?¡±


    ¡°If worrying the lord while empowering oneself to protect his daughter and his house in the future, then even if never apologize he knows and understands your dedication.¡±


    Hmm.


    ¡°Well enough of that, here,¡± she said as she brought out a broth¡±


    ¡°Open your mouth,¡± she said


    ¡°I-I can eat without the need for you to bother feeding me so please,¡± I said as I was too embarrassed being fed by another and especially someone as beautiful as Melinda. It brought out all kinds of awkward scenes in my head. (I am 14 and not some saint)


    ¡°Can you even move your arms?¡± she asked


    As I tried¡­ I couldn¡¯t


    ¡°See, your muscle fibers tore so much that you can no longer feel them. Now open your mouth or I will force this into your throat¡± she said smirking while sounding sinister¡­ there is no way I can say no to her.


    So I opened my mouth, thankfully I was still able to swallow.


    It took me some awkward moments to finally get along with the fact that I was being fed by a lovely looking lady, and unfortunately, that small pleasure ended once the broth was finished.


    ¡°Good, I will come back later so don¡¯t move and rest¡±


    It took few days and some awkward moments especially when I had to do my business.. for me to fully regain control over my body.


    Once I left the room. I was met with Master Shen. Who said


    ¡°It seems that I won¡¯t be able to finish my training with you Basara. I wanted to show you the rest of the move set of the Lotus martial art but apparently, your little break took most of our time. Here¡± he said as he gave me a book.


    ¡°This contains all the remaining moves for the martial art, though without a mentor it should be neighed impossible for anyone to mimic or try, but you Basara¡­I don¡¯t think I will be needed, you have enough power to even surpass me¡±


    I took the book and looked at the master Swordsman then said


    ¡°Thank you, Master,¡± I said then deeply bowed.


    ¡°No need to thank me, you will be going to Visania, don¡¯t slack on your training and don¡¯t overexert yourself like that time.¡±


    I skimmed through the book and saw something strange


    ¡°You, hmm, these moves all look very difficult to practice even more difficult than the first level, however, something is missing here¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it, Basara?¡± Said Master Shen. He, however, had a smirk on his face. He knew what I was going to say.


    ¡°The move set you did that day¡­ it does not appear to be here¡­¡±


    ¡°That move is a special addition that I intend on adding to this martial tome, however, it is still incomplete I need more time to master it.¡±


    ¡°Ah, amazing, you want to add an original move set to the Lotus arts which like you said is derived from a demon¡¯s martial prows, fascinating. You are indeed an amazing master, master.¡±


    Master Shen was pleased with my reply and said


    ¡°You should go and meet Lord Ling. There are but two weeks left for you to leave to Visania, I can¡¯t teach you anything regarding the art of the blade in that time. Not because you are not capable, but because your body still needs to mature. Perhaps your mind is different so go and learn as much as you can from the lord of fire.¡± He said as he took his leave.


    As I left I saw Lord Ling standing at the desolated part of the garden.


    Shit, I will get scolded for that.


    His figure was rather imposing. He was holding both his hands behind him and even before I could say anything he spoke


    ¡°Basara my boy. You did this right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am sorry for causing trouble I will compensate the damage whenever I can¡±


    ¡°No need for that. I could fix this at any time however it is interesting to see this. In all my life I never once saw a place so desolated so void of life, and now it is here where a garden thrived with life, it is no so voided of it not Even Qi would gather here¡­¡±


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± I said


    ¡°Don¡¯t be, this is in itself a grand achievement, it showcases your affinity with death.¡± He said as he turned around his eyes looked very serious.


    ¡°Do you know why though Death magic is far more fearsome and far more dangerous than Blood magic it is still not regarded as blasphemous or is treated the same way as the other.¡±


    ¡°It was told that the


    Singularity of Jehad would resurrect from a user of blood magic.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, and do you know the conqueror''s magic was also Death magic?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t¡± I lied. Nocturne clearly said that the last Conqueror wielded this book.


    ¡°I could teach you fire magic, however, I believe your affinity with death is far higher than fire. In that regard I cannot help, no. No one can, Death magicians have all perished ages ago, it Was Jehad¡¯s own work to disseminate them and their families. But you somehow emerged and changed that. I thought about this before, it even came to me as a whimsical thought, that maybe you, you may one day reach the stage of the conqueror. But now that flimsy thought became more solid.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I will show you the way of fire, however, not even I dare trifle with death. That is a path you must seek on your own, my child. Yet before we start I need you to know something. The lords of the other houses know well the fact that the Conqueror wielded death magic. If you ever show it, you will be hunted for its secrets and its power. So protect yourself using my flame until your magic is developed enough for you to stand without the need of fire.¡±


    ¡®Basara¡­ let me in¡¯ said Nocturne as he took over.


    The presence around my body shifted, from submissive to a domineering one.


    ¡°You¡­¡± said Lord Ling as he understood the shift instantly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about this Child,¡± said Nocturne ¡°I will teach him how to use his talent, you just need to show him how to wield flames. For that, they are needed for me to start.¡±


    ¡°You said you will not interfere with that child, didn¡¯t you say he doesn¡¯t know you exist?¡±


    ¡°He is not an idiot apparently he figured it out on his own, now Lord of the dragon flame. Give me that which I seek¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Lord Ling summoned an orb of flame and said


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be able to do this on your own?¡± said the lord


    ¡°No, I am not able to wield that kind of pure magic.¡± Then Nocturne summoned the book of death


    ¡°However this child¡¯s talent is limitless. He will figure it out so don¡¯t worry¡± he said as the ball of fire was sucked in by the book and a new text was written on it.


    Nocturne closed the book and he gave back my body to me.


    ¡°Basara, are you alright?¡± said Lord Ling.


    ¡°Yes, Yes, it''s just whenever he does that my head starts to spin¡±


    I looked at the book and depend on where the text was written and could vaguely understand the meaning of those words.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ This will be hard to use.¡± I said


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Lord Ling


    ¡°It seems that fire is a representation of pride. To use it one must have a great self-esteem and appearance, I will find it difficult to properly use for the moment¡­¡±


    ¡°How the hell did you manage to understand the secret behind the usage of fire with just that?!!!¡±


    ¡°Secret?¡± I said


    ¡°Yes! That should not be known to anyone, the reason why many fail to use fire is that they lack pride or knows not their true self¡¯s value, we of the Dragon lineage know ourselves through and through.¡±


    ¡°Well if it is like that, then probably to use water one must be at peace with themselves, to use air magic one must be rather fickle and could bend around the rules, to use earth magic one must have a great comprehension of themselves with an insurmountable resolve¡­ this is rather direct and I could understand it just by going through one of the magic¡­¡±


    ¡°Child! Those are secrets that belong to the highest order of magic, don¡¯t you dare divulge them.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, but tell me, this should be quite understandable to anyone. So Why would someone like you Lord Ling can only use fire magic? Shouldn¡¯t you be able to use all of the other ones?¡±


    ¡°It takes amazing amounts of concentration just to manage fire even if one has enough pride and self-esteem. But rare is when you find someone with great pride and is able to use wind magic. Like you said to use wind magic one must be fickle and rather an unbound by laws, as for one to use earth magic one must have strong sense of value and to remain unperturbed, having an affinity towards one element instantly removes the possibility to use the other, a user of earth magic cannot use water magic because the two of them are fundamentally different while activating.¡±


    ¡°So no one can bend the laws of affinity, their own self forces them to be only capable of using one type¡­ however, I can still see people using different types of magic rather than elemental¡±


    ¡°Yes, for the elemental type of magic like I said one needs to be true to their self. The rest of none elemental magic is easy to use but requires high concentration from the user. To will the world to manifest what it should not. The magic that controls thoughts and forces the target to submit requires the user to be able to understand human¡¯s nature and attack the feeble points in one¡¯s mind. Be it by forcing the target to fear them. Or to care for them, one would find breaches in these sentiments and have a hold over their target¡¯s mind. And such are the other types of magic, you just need to figure out the trick¡±


    ¡°Now I understand why houses try to procure talented people to their ranks¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± said Lord Ling


    ¡°The houses try to acquire children that just awoke to their magic and gives them this secret to enhance their comprehension over their own abilities, if left alone they might never blossom due to the fundamental lack of understanding over the nature of magic and its secrets.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, the houses try to monopolize the children but that in itself helps the country to grow stronger in terms of power.¡±


    ¡°Well now, I should start practicing this new formula.¡±


    ¡°it sounds like you don¡¯t need my help,¡± said Lord Ling


    ¡°Well, if it is to create a magic with the true nature of fire, then I am severely lacking.¡±


    I then pressed my hand into the book and pulled out.


    ¡°However, I can just use it like this¡±


    A black orb of flame then rose atop my open palm. It looked vicious and sinister, filled with malice and hate, a power compromised from the heat of the flame and the coldness of death.


    It swirled around my palm then vanished moments later.


    ¡°But it seems I cannot use it offensively, I will still need to have a better understanding of magic, and my self¡­¡±


    Lord Ling could only stare mouth agape at what just happened in front of him.


    I really am starting to feel uncomfortable with seeing so many people do this whenever I try anything new¡­

 Chapter 16 (Learning magic)

    Chapter 16


    ¡°Do that again, Basara?¡± said Lord Ling


    I then summoned the orb of black magic, I can¡¯t feel the usage of this thing, though it feels truly ominous and threatening it is barely of any danger whatsoever.


    ¡°This is death magic indeed, but it lacks a fundamental element¡­¡± said Lord Ling as he pressed his hand into the floating orb


    ¡°If this was truly fire magic I should have sensed heat coming from it, but though it has the appearance of flame, it is as cold as death. Yet¡­ like you just said it is useless. It lacks killing intent. Without it is not so different than a magic trick.¡± Said Lord Ling.


    ¡°Indeed, that what you called, killing intent¡­ How do you develop it?¡± I asked


    ¡°Simple. You must kill for it to take its truest shape, and for it to be of any usage. However, are you sure you can unleash this magic¡¯s potential? Wouldn¡¯t you rather refrain from using such ominous magic?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I have the right nor the ability to take another¡¯s life. So I believe that it truly is useless¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± said Lord Ling. ¡°Well then I can only but show you what you should learn to be able to caste regular fire magic, this is the least I could do.¡±


    ¡°That would be most welcomed sir, Thank you,¡± I replied while slightly bowing my head.


    ¡°first of all, it seems that you affinity toward death is far superior to that of other types, so no matter what kind of magic even if you know the formula you will not be able to cast it properly, so you must somehow seal it or at least reduce the release of it. Can you differentiate between the different types?¡± he said


    ¡°I have not met many that used different types of magic but if you could show me I will try,¡± I said


    ¡°Alright I will then, now look closely,¡± he said as he summoned a ball of water that began to float atop his left hand while one of air rose on his other hand.


    ¡°Hmm, you seem to be able to use both magic didn¡¯t you just tell me that it was impossible?¡± I asked


    ¡°No, I never said it was impossible, it is just really hard to manage, but as you can see with practice you can manage multiple magics but the potency will be far lower than when one has a higher affinity towards that same magic. Now of these can you read the pattern? Or manage to do the same as you just did to that black fire orb?¡±


    ¡°I will try,¡± I said.


    Then used Monochrome vision to see the difference between the two orbs.


    Apparently, they are derived from the same energy, Qi particles are swirling around to create the same phenomenon. Yet something that is at the base is different, it is as if the will of the invoker changes the very substance and nature of this Qi, one to water and one to air. But how does he do that?


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I will understand with just observation, though, may I?¡± I asked as I got closer to Lord Ling.


    ¡°Can you press one of these orbs into the pages of this book?¡± I asked


    ¡°Heh? Won¡¯t that ruin it?¡± he said


    ¡°No, it is a rather resilient book,¡± I said


    Then he pressed the airball into the pages of the book.


    Yet nothing happened, the ball disappeared but no text was written. It seems that for it to absorb the magic something need to trigger.


    ¡°Well, that is a closed end, but anyway I will am needing to ponder over it. So how can I seal or reduce the effect of death affinity over other magic so I can use them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand the concept of Death magic exactly, but what I do to invoke other magic is that I focus on changing the energy to match a ¡®feeling¡¯ of sorts, it is rather hard to explain with words, it is as if I try to harmonise the energy to whatever sentiments that are closer to the said element, like I said, water is subtle, wind is fickle, earth is concrete, and fire is proud. I would have been much better if it was just fire, but you somehow still regard yourself as proud-less, that is something that you need to take care of yourself. You are a part of this household, you need to derive a bit of pride in that, and in doing so you may manage to conjure this element¡±


    ¡°I understand, then it is probably why my own magic is useless, it seems that Death magic without killing intent which is probably the accompanied feeling to it useless. Now that I think of it, perhaps white magic as in healing is derived from being pious¡­ and Blood magic¡­ I can only think of bloodlust.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, and exactly so, now you begin to understand the crust of magic. If you manage to understand your own self more you will be able to use better grads of magic.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± I said ¡° It is going to be very hard to manage multiple magics at once, I will be needing to focus on just one for the moment¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± said Lord Ling


    ¡°How?¡± I asked.


    ¡°There is a way to use other types of magic but it is a bit¡­ well it is rather not so efficient in combat as you will probably not have enough time¡±


    ¡°What is it? It might prove helpful in some situations¡±


    ¡°It''s about incantations, here look,¡± said master ling as he dissipated the waterfall


    ¡°The waterfall spell was the most I could do even with years of experience and knowledge about magic, though I am not proficient in water magic I can still cast the base form, however if I use incantations I can drastically change the effect of the spell, but it comes with an equivalently high cost due to the lack of affinity. Look¡±


    He said then pointed his hand at a faraway tree.


    ¡°Water that submerges all, Water geyser!¡± he spoke then a huge torrent of water shot out from his palm enough to look like a dam broke loose as the bursting water flew forward and destroyed the tree that was more than twenty meters away.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± I said surprised to what just happened


    ¡°Mind your language child. But like you see the effects change drastically, although a person with water affinity can cast this same spell without incantations. You can see for your self. However, there is a problem in using this.¡±


    ¡°I think I understand,¡± I said


    Due to me still having monochrome vision activated I saw the change and then began to explain.


    ¡°The first would be the cost, as I can clearly tell that it must have required a substantial amount of energy.¡±


    ¡°True then what is the other reason?¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°It is the incantation itself, it will reveal the spell that one would use, though I still don¡¯t understand how mere words change the spell to this degree if anyone was to hear you spell the incantation they will make immediate countermeasures.¡±


    ¡°Precisely. That is the reason why casting spells with incantations are really dangerous especially in battlefields. But you are making a mistake. Though they might sound like normal words the incantations require great focus and concentration so that you can conjure the Natural energy to do your bidding.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Should I try it then?¡± I asked


    ¡°Well, would you be able to use it?¡±


    I beckoned the same black of before then used the same incantation.


    ¡°Water that submerges all, Water geyser!¡±. However, nothing happened.


    ¡°Well, this doesn¡¯t seem to work¡±


    Nocturne then emerged into my consciousness and said.


    ¡®Of course, it won¡¯t, you are using a water incantation to force a death magic mixed with a fire formula to launch a spell you don¡¯t understand anything about¡­¡¯


    ¡®Ah¡­ that, I didn¡¯t think about.¡¯


    ¡®Sigh, sometimes I don¡¯t know if you are a genius or an idiot.¡¯


    ¡°Well, it seems that the incantation it is not compatible to the affinity I am using¡±


    ¡°I can give you a book about different incantations to different affinities of magic. You can read them, but do know that they are all just the basic spells and most of them are at the level of the water geyser that I showed you before.¡±


    ¡°That would be wonderful.¡±


    ¡°Very well, this is all I have to teach you, I was truly wanting to show you more but you are fundamentally lacking the appropriate mindset, that I cannot help you acquire, you should do it on your own.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that I will be able to do that within these few days I have left here. It is a shame I won¡¯t be able to learn more magic from you, Lord Ling.¡±


    ¡°That is not a problem, the teachers at Visania are more than competent in showing you the basics, though I would rather that you refrain from showing anyone your affinity to Death magic. You must learn to use at least the basic fire magic if you are willing to learn more about it. So try and study whenever you are alone and away from prying eyes, once you manage your flame then the teachers will guide you the rest of the way. Shen will be there in three months time, he will be taking a teaching position, but for now, he will be undergoing another mission from the king¡±


    ¡°Ah, master Shen will be there, that is reassuring. But a mission from the king himself that sounds rather important.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you must know, Shen is one of the elites forces of the Enforcers, he is always given special tasks,¡±


    ¡°So he goes out there, to hunt them?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And you must know the objective of Visania.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is to train the strongest enforces, those that fight for the wellbeing and survival of mankind right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is. And if you manage an honorary position you can be one of the selectees to defend the country. You will be able to remove yourself from the shackles of the society. Once you join the elite force you will be able to establish your own house then you will be able to grow in this world without the need for any backing. However, do know that it is most difficult with your current situation, there are only ten chosen people from the entire school every year, they are mostly composed of senior students, in three years if you manage to get in one of these positions you will be fated to greatness, but you must hide you ability for now, it is still not fully developed so, train harder than anyone else, and bring pride to you, and to this house.¡±


    ¡°I will my lord,¡± I said in a bow then followed Lord Ling as he handed to me the book about incantations.


    It was an omnibus covered in an old leather that had several different sections on it. Each represented a type of magic. Mostly composed of light, water, earth, and fire. There was also a section that was fully torn¡­ I don¡¯t know what was here but it seems that it was not meant for anyone to read.


    While handing me the book Lord Ling had a serious look on his face and said


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever show this book to anyone, if anyone knows that you have it then only trouble will follow, I trusted you with it due to the fact that you showed great honesty and dignity so please don¡¯t let anyone find this with you. If worst comes to worse, then destroy it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for trusting me with this,¡± I said as I was carrying the book with care.


    ¡°Then off you go.¡± Said Lord Ling.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said again as I left


    There was no need for me to go to Master Shen to resume training, he already said that I won¡¯t be able to manage the following forms in whatever remaining time was left so I better just use the time left to learn as much as I can about this.


    Once inside my room and of course after having my fill with eating I began reading the book.


    ¡®Don¡¯t forget your Cultivation training¡¯ said Nocturne


    ¡®I never forgot, I was using the technique to assimilate all day long even while I was walking¡¯


    ¡®Sigh, I don¡¯t know why you call it assimilation¡­ anyway, that book looks interesting, the last torn pages must have contained some secrets but you can read through it first¡¯


    ¡®Well, I was wondering, shouldn¡¯t you be able to know of these incantations though?¡¯


    ¡®I know of but the ones that are related to death magic, and a few that are too much to your current level. These will prove a good source of information to you in the future so learn as much as you can, then I will go over it with you once you are done¡¯


    ¡®Alright I will finish it quickly¡¯


    ¡®How long will it take you to read the book?¡¯


    ¡®Something of this thickness will probably take all night to read¡¯ I replied


    ¡®It will be difficult for you to memorize all the incantations in the few remaining days we have left before you move to Visania, you should probably just focus on one type.¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry about memorizing stuff, I only need to read through it once and I will be able to fully remember it.¡¯


    ¡®Just once?¡± said Nocturne in disbelief


    ¡®Yes, Just once and I will be able to fully memorize it. That was the talent I have, I never forget a passage I have read. So it enabled me to learn how to read and write much earlier than my peers at the orphanage, I finished the books in the orphanage library in two months, and most of the available books in the city library. It was really hard to find new material, but I guess Visania will have an abundance of new books to read from.¡¯


    ¡®Interesting¡­¡¯ said nocturne and fell silent


    And there I spent the entire night reading the book under the flame of a flickering candle.


    It was dusk before I could finish the Omnibus then I decided to sleep for few more hours. I never stopped Assimilating the entire night, it was like if I was in an autopilot mode the entire night but reading this book was fun.


    It mentioned many people that were able to harness the power of the elements, however, most of the spells and incantations were just basic stuff, however, it gave me great insights on how to properly use incantations.


    Simply put, the words that are used will empower the magic cast depending on the will and imagination of the caste, this comes with a huge cost of natural energy or Qi. Like what Nocturne called it.


    Interesting enough, that both mages and swordsmen rely on the same element to empower themselves. Mages use this Qi to change its form to that of miraculous nature bending spells. While swordsmen and warriors use it to reinforce themselves and become inhumanly stronger.


    It is the same energy, but it is used differently depending on the user¡¯s affinity towards it. That is why it is hard to find both a mage and a swordsman in a single body, the probability of a master swordsman that uses magic is very low, some swordsman however still learn magic to boost their attacks, but not its entirety. And vice versa.


    This was very insightful.


    Once I woke up, it was almost noon, I should probably watch my manners I shouldn¡¯t show myself to be a useless person.


    I got to the showers and took care of myself, then went to have breakfast. None of the other maids or servants gave me a second glance and I didn¡¯t really bother with it. It was better this way.


    I took my leave then went back to the courtyard where I began the multitasking training, I tried my best to not overdo it so that I don¡¯t end up in that state again.


    Once I felt satisfied I took a look at my Sea of consciousness and saw the huge ball of dark energy swirling alone.


    ¡®It will take a lot of time to get to the fifth level by this thing¡¯s size¡­ and the levels above it are far greater than this¡­sheesh¡¯


    However, the difference was showing, ever so slightly I was feeling that I was becoming stronger, much more than what I used to be. With more diligence, I can probably be able to achieve Lord Ling¡¯s request. To establish my own House¡­ probably a family, huh¡­me with a family that is a funny idea¡­


    I then went back to Melinda who was waiting for me with more tips on how to better myself in front of others.


    Due to me following most of her tips to the letter, she could barely spot any lackings in my ¡®butler behavior¡¯


    ¡°You barely look like a proper butler now, very well this shall do.¡¯ She said with a satisfied smile on her face.


    I then left after having lunch and went back to magic training.


    ¡®Nocturne¡¯


    ¡®Yes?¡¯ he said


    ¡®Let''s try then¡¯


    ¡®What do you want to try?¡¯


    ¡®To cast real magic!¡¯ I said


    ¡®Very well, but you do know that you still lack the necessary tools like that Lord had said, you need to develop your personality, you still lack pride.¡¯


    ¡®Well let''s just try something first¡¯ I said


    ¡®very well, then try. And I shall observe¡¯


    I then spoke in a deeper tone than I used to


    This was also mentioned in the book, even the tone mattered.


    ¡°Fire that incinerates all, Fireball!¡¯


    A black orb of flame soon appeared on my palm, ti was quite larger than the one I used before but


    ¡®A failure?¡¯ said Nocture.


    ¡®No!¡¯


    The black orb soon turned red and an infernal heat was soon felt seeping from within it. The blackness of fire dissipated and the heat of a true fire began to warm my face.


    I had a grin on my face before something unexpected happen, the spell on its own shot forward out of my hands.


    ¡®You idiot!¡¯ shouted Nocturne as the fireball landed on a bush.


    I barely managed to avoid being scolded for having ruined the garden using death magic before and now¡­I just sat the garden on fire¡­

 Chapter 17 (Deathly Spar)

    Chapter 17


    ¡°Water that submerges all, Water geyser!¡± I summoned a smaller torrent of water than what Lord Ling cast before, and it vaporized the flame.


    The garden was scorched and beautiful bushes were damaged.


    God, I will get scolded for this¡­


    ¡°That is of no importance now, Basara¡­ buckle up.¡± He said


    ¡®Huh? Why?¡¯ then I understood a moment later.


    Veins on my body began to pulsate, my fingers turned rigid, my movements dulled and I was unable to move. For but a moment, I dropped to my knees in pain.


    I was barely able to breathe as a wave of fatigue hit me.


    ¡®W-What is happening¡­¡¯ I groaned the words.


    ¡®Qi insufficiency, your body used more Qi than it can handle at the moment, it is true that your veins were opened, but your body has yet to be accustomed to the natural energy. The pain will subside in a moment, but tell me, Basara, how did you feel using real magic for the first time?¡¯ said Nocturne while laughing.


    ¡®Heh¡­ how can I say it¡­ I felt like if I was a god.¡¯


    ¡®Indeed, that power over nature makes one believes themselves to be above the laws of the world, however, like you have just witnessed, that power is fading, and so you must never become arrogant enough to believe yourself on equal footing with the beings of above.¡¯


    ¡®I will make sure to remember that,¡¯ I said as I stood up. The pain was gone but the fatigue still hanging .


    ¡®It seems that my limit is two spells with incantations, seeing how long it takes to just use a single spell, this will be needing massive amounts of practice and preparation to properly use.¡¯


    ¡®And for that, I exist, I needed that Lord to show you the path, and I will be the one to guide you through it. Now lad, to properly use magic you will need to be able to circulate Qi within your body and explore all of your unsealed potentials.¡¯


    ¡®How is that?¡¯ I asked


    ¡®Simple, it is no different than to continuously assimilate, I will be doing a practice session with you inside your sea of consciousness. Now get your matters settled and go back to your room, it is time for your first enclosed training session.¡¯


    He is probably speaking of the garden catching fire, I need to get it settled before I go and see what nocturne truly wants from me.


    Melinda was the first I met after I went to the servant¡¯s room. After explaining what happened, I got scolded but she still praised my ability to learn magic, I really felt joy for being praised even while I was scolded.


    Once she said that she will take care of it, I went back to my room and began meditating.


    I instantly dove into my consciousness and saw Nocturne hovering around the floating dark orb.


    The white void that encompassed everything had but four things within it.


    An enormous floating orb of fire that represented my sea of consciousness.


    Nocturne that was hovering around it.


    His throne and me.


    He went back to his throne and sat as he said.


    ¡®Welcome Basara. You should know that this training will be taking a toll on you, so be prepared.¡¯


    ¡®How long will this take?¡¯ I asked ¡® I might be called outside, so I need to help if they task me with anything¡¯ I was speaking about my duties as a butler, but Nocturne seems to have understood.


    ¡®Time flows differently here Basara, you can will it to flow slower or faster than real time.¡¯


    ¡®I can?¡¯ I asked questioningly


    ¡®Yes, it is simple you can spend days here and only moments would pass in the real world. However I don¡¯t recommend you to do it continuously, your mind and fatigue might not cope with it, and you may lose your mind after awakening.¡¯


    ¡®Then I will do it in moderation, how about a ratio of 4/1?¡¯


    When I said that the floating swirling orb slowed down considerably.


    ¡®what happened?¡¯ I asked


    ¡®What do you mean, didn¡¯t I tell you, you just need to will time to slow and it would, now every four hours spent here is one hour spent outside. Don¡¯t overdo it or you will go mad.¡¯


    ¡®I will not. This, it is really surprising, I thought that I will need a lot of practice to do this but heh. It was as simple as this.¡¯


    ¡®Indeed, now¡¯ he said as he stood up bringing up his scythe.


    ¡®Survive¡¯ he said as he disappeared from view.


    It only took a moment for my view to turn upside down as I saw my body standing¡­ without a head.


    ¡®What the fuck?¡¯ I said while my body dropped down and fell.


    Nocturne was behind my body and got down, his scythe was bloodied¡­ this was mind shuddering.


    ¡°You are far too slow Master.¡± He said as he grabbed my head with his bony hand.


    ¡°How the hell is this possible?!¡± I said shouting my lungs out¡­ hang on, my lungs are still inside my body how am I able to even speak?


    ¡°This is your sea of consciousness, it is like a dream world, whatever happens here cannot affect you physically, mentally. However, that is a different story.¡¯


    ¡®Did you just kill me Nocturne????!¡± I cried out


    ¡°Kekekeke, Didn¡¯t you hear what I said, you can¡¯t die here, but can still feel pain. So will your body to reconstruct.¡¯Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    The moment he said that my body was back together.


    I began tapping on my neck fanatically as I looked around and saw nocturne with an amused face laughing.


    My brows furrowed as I looked at him.


    ¡®That was uncool! Yet cool at the same time damn¡­ ¡°


    ¡°You find yourself being decapitated to be cool, then I guess we will have a lot of fun here. Ready up!¡¯ he said as I saw him disappear once again


    My vision then split in two as I was split in half by his scythe.


    ¡°Hand the fuck on DAMN IT!¡¯


    I said as I willed myself to reconstruct once again.


    ¡°How the hell is this training where I don¡¯t know what I should be doing?!¡± I said


    ¡°I already told you before, survive!¡¯ he said as he disappeared from view again.¡±


    I have no idea how this is going to help me god damn it!! I then dove forward rolling on the ground and saw Nocturne¡¯s scythe carve the ground from the strength of the impact.


    ¡°Very good, you managed to dodge, but can you do that again?¡± he said as he laughed eerily and disappeared


    How the hell does he manage to do that while I am looking at him?!


    I dodged randomly again, but my face met the curved blade of his weapon.


    I reconstructed my body once again and stood up. I need a method to repel him. This is not going to work.


    This place workes on will. Can I will him to stop moving?


    ¡°That won¡¯t work,¡± said Nocturne as he appeared in front of me while swinging upwards splitting my body in half.


    ¡°My will is far stronger than yours, Though this is your own mind, I still am much stronger mentally than you, you cannot control me here.¡¯ He said as I stood once gain reconstructing my body.


    ¡°Then I can only control my own self isn¡¯t it.¡¯ I said


    ¡°Indeed, but you cannot surpass your physical limit, you can become strong here, but you will never be able to overcome your mind¡¯s limited. Your mind knows your body and will not generate more power than it could handle, so make due with what you have, use your head.¡±


    He said as he appeared before me. I dodged to the left, then he swung his scythe again.


    Somehow I didn¡¯t feel fear here, I was secure and knew no matter how much he tries I will still survive, but it still ticks me that I am unable to retaliate.


    The second swing of his scythe was much wider and would split my body in half if it lands.


    I then made an exaggerated dodging attempt and bent my body backward, the scythe passed harmlessly above me while I continued my motion to make a backflip and landed on my feet.


    ¡°Very well.¡± Said Nocturne you seem to be able to manage frontal attacks to a certain degree. Now dodge these¡± he said as his hands blurred.


    It took but a second before he turned me to minced meat.


    ¡°Goddamn, it man! You are way too overpowered! How the hell am I supposed to dodge those?!¡± I said as I reconstructed my body for the god knows how many time¡­


    ¡°Indeed, I seem to have been a bit excited. I will tone down on the offensive.¡± Said nocturne as he appeared before me, movements slower than before but not less deadly, I began to dodge and barely was able to do anything¡­


    God damn it I need a way to defend myself.


    Hang on.


    I can use magic!


    ¡°Fire that¡­¡±


    Before I could finish my right hand was ripped, and my head flew.


    Shit¡­ this is absurd, he won¡¯t let me use any magic to this extent, I don¡¯t even know if it would work¡­


    ¡°Excellent, you started to properly use your head, retaliate and struggle so that you may become stronger.¡± He said as he came forward.


    I never saw him use his legs he was always hovering above ground while he black robe would sway like if there was an invisible wind moving it.


    His eyes were focused, and he only wanted one thing. To eliminate me.


    There was not a single hint of killing intent coming from him. He did not want to kill me, he truly wanted just to help.


    This is my world he said. So anything I wanted should happen here. However, there is a flaw here, if I were for example to use magic spells that I normally can¡¯t with my own body then no matter how godlike I become here, it is pointless once on the outside world.


    So I must use only the thing I already know, and the skills I already have.


    Then.


    I brought my hand forward half hoping that what I have in mind would work.


    Nocturne stopped in his tracks to wait for me to finish. It seems that he understood what I wanted to do.


    And the book appeared!


    Yes!


    I willed the book to open a certain text, and it showed it to me.


    I pressed my hands forward and brought the same scythe that Nocturne was using.


    One must fight a blade with a blade.


    ¡°Interesting. You began to understand the reason behind our session then. Let''s start!¡± said Nocturne as he moved even faster than before.


    I activated monochrome vision. Simple eyes will not be able to track this person no matter how powerful one is.


    I saw him this time, he was the shape of a shadow that moved only his eyes were showing, and his scythe was apparent in the white void.


    He moved his scythe at an absurd speed to rip my head off, but I blocked his blade using the shaft of the weapon. However, something unexpected happened. Though I blocked the scythe, that damned thing was a vicious weapon.


    The blade was not easily blocked, so I tried to stop it. But that was a mistake.


    When two swords cross, they prevent the attacker from reaching his target, and the defender from being pushed to a worse position. However, in the case of the scythe, the blade is curved, so it is impossible to block it normally, so one needs to stop the shaft that is holding the curved blade. Yet in doing so, one will unwillingly let the length of the blade go past his defense, and that situation is what happened.


    The curved blade managed to penetrate my right shoulder as I groaned from overwhelming pain.


    Nocturne unceremoniously ripped the blade from my shoulder, and massive amounts of blood gushed out.


    ¡°Good God! That fucking hurts!¡± I said as I reconstructed my body.


    ¡°That is one hell of an annoying weapon to deal with¡­¡± I said as I stood a bit behind Nocturne.


    ¡°It is indeed that, but that means that mastering it is not simple. This weapon is meant to harvest souls and not cross blades, again!¡± said Nocturne as he moved forward.


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    I held my weapon forward and tried to defend myself.


    Crossing blades with him will be idiotic, I will not be able to beat him I have no experience wielding this weapon, even the lotus arts that Master Shen had shown me are useless, they need a sword, and even if they were to be applied to this weapon I need more than just the first stance.


    I will have to improvise and adapt if I want to survive.


    His blade then came down, and I decided to not cross mine with his, I will have to dodge.


    I know for a fact that Nocturne is going easy on me. But even this is too much, to become stronger I need to be able to bring more of his restrained strength, and to do so I must struggle


    This¡­ this is fun. I thought to my self as my lips rose in an unintentional smirk.


    This is really fun!


    And I dashed forward, pain? Death? To hell with that, all that matters is now, and now I am sparing against a grim reaper, how can this not be fun?


    The smirk on my face must have amused Nocturne as he smiled too and slashed fiercer and with more fervor.


    I moved back from the onslaught. There is an incantation that I can use it might help.


    ¡°Wind that moves all, Haste!¡± it was quick and instant, unlike when I needed to conjure fire to attack, summoning magic to empower my body felt much easier and quicker.


    My body felt lighter, and I was able to dodge more effectively, Nocturne saw that, and he increased his attack speed just enough for me to barely dodge.


    He is bringing me to my limit.


    I need more, more than just thins.


    I then began to hone my blade. And it came to me, simpler and easier than when I tried it on the outside world, probably because I am closer to the source of Qi here than when I am conscious.


    I reinforced my joints to make my movements much accurate and not overextend.


    In a moment where I lost concentration, I saw Nocturne¡¯s blade to be about to rip the hand that was holding the scythe.


    Once his swing came to be, I instinctively rotated my hand and crossed the top of my scythe which had spikes on it to his curved blade.


    Yes! You can block that blade when you cross it like that. However, I miscalculated the strength behind his strick and was flung several meters in the air and was sent rolling down the white void.


    Good, this is good. This is how it is supposed to be. This is how one becomes stronger. One must fight for their life on the line and learn using his mind and instinct. This is how to become stronger, through arduous trials and the looming threat of death.


    Though I don¡¯t die here, it is still painful, and it is a great drive for the mind to move forward.


    If the mind becomes strong, the body will soon follow.


    ¡°Again!¡± said Nocturne as he moved in a fiercer manner. It seems that the more I understand about myself and the closer I get to my limit, Nocturne forces me to surpass them and to reach newer heights.


    And so just like that we kept on sparring. The time dilation meant that I can remain here for long periods of time without worrying about the outside world.


    And without my knowing, the spherical orb that floated was slowly gathering Qi particles. I was growing stronger, just like that. And so it should be, and so it will.

 Chapter 18 (Moving out)

    Chapter 18


    It was today when we will be moving toward the royal capital and join Visania.


    I woke up from the void feeling ragged and lethargic, it was mental exhaustion. It was morning, and I don¡¯t know how much time had passed, looking at my state I was once again covered in sweat


    I took care of it by going to the showers and taking a bath.


    The servant house was bustling where several people walked around carrying different chores. I just walked by looking for Melinda who was supervising the staff.


    ¡°Finally you decided to join us, very good. You should eat. First, we will be going to the capital by noon.¡± She said.


    ¡°So it is time,¡± I said


    ¡°Yes, it is time for you to see a new world and a newer perspective.¡± She said with a genuine smile


    I smiled back as I headed back to the kitchen where I was to have my last breakfast in this house.


    So much changed. I was but an orphaned child that roamed the streets looking for a piece of bread to fill my daily needs and now I am destined to study at the highest academy of magic and swordsmanship in the country. I can¡¯t be more thankful


    The carriages soon appeared near the mansion¡¯s entrance. There were three of them.


    Each of them was being pulled by two horses while one of them looked more glamorous. This one should be where Lady Aakari would be sitting. While the two others were probably for her luggage and the servants that will accompany her to the royal school.


    I waited in front of the door until Master Shen and Lord Ling showed up. They looked like a strange due, two of opposite nature but they were brothers in soul.


    Approaching the lord I gave a slight bow before speaking but he was first to say.


    ¡°Basara, I need not tell you, take good care of my daughter and learn as much as you can. It is the least I can do for your child.¡±


    ¡°Your words honor me, sir, I know for a fact that your kindness far exceeds my worth,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so humble in accepting gratitude child.¡± Said the Lord while he smiled. ¡°Work hard so that you may be one of the elites. You must claim a spot amongst the Enforces, with your talent I know you can do it.¡± He said giving me hope and renewing my sense of objective.


    Indeed, I need to be one of those so that I turn around my origin. So that I become something other than an unfortunate orphan.


    ¡°Don¡¯t neglect your Assimilation training, and practice the forms in the book I gave you. I will be coming to Visania in three months to check on your progress and will be a teacher there, I will be looking after the two of you but in the meantime make sure that you serve your Lady well and with no problems Basara¡± Said Lord Shen.


    ¡°Remember, do not seek trouble but if a challenge comes to you never back down. It is our slogan.¡± Said Lord Ling.


    ¡°You can count on me, sir,¡± I replied with firm resolve.


    Lady Akari then came forward, she was last to arrive.


    She was wearing cotton made long sleeved shirt due to the still warm weather. And a skirt that showed her beautiful figure swaying in view. She was as old as I was but she looked mature and had an air of nobility around her.


    Her red hair would sway on the occasional breeze and would make her seem divine.


    I wouldn¡¯t mind staring at her for all eternity, but I know my place. The difference between our social stands is large as heaven is from earth. And she was already taken¡­


    ¡°Close your mouth, Basara.¡± Said Master Shen in a playful tone as I just noticed myself to be starring too much.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Lord Ling could only give a grin at the situation but decided to not say anything.


    ¡°My Lady,¡± I said while bowing while Lady Akari passed me by.


    She didn¡¯t say anything, no she didn¡¯t even register my existence. Sigh, she probably thinks that I am here out of Lord Ling¡¯s pity¡­ but whatever, I will still take this chance and learn more and many things.


    Lady Akari entered the first caravan, and I was left standing.


    Melinda came by and entered the second caravan and signaled for me to follow her.


    Once inside I saw the spacious and luxurious looking caravan from inside, I even felt a bit of aw and believed that I would taint it by my presence.


    ¡°Stop acting all giddy and sit down we have a long road ahead.¡± Said, Melinda, as she took a seat.


    ¡°Won¡¯t the Lord accompany his daughter?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, there are guards inside her Caravan, and they will be protecting her. The Lord has a city to run and can¡¯t leave it just to attend his daughter¡¯s school admission.


    Indeed, Lord Ling was a busy man.


    The caravan moved forward, and I began to enjoy the scenery.


    Lady Melinda took a book and began reading. She wore glasses for reading that gave her a more allure, a mature lady was before me.


    The ride will probably take a lot of time, to reach the capital. A couple of days at most, I cannot train my magic nor martial arts inside this caravan. So I will be using this time to train with Nocturne.


    I closed my eyes and entered my sea of consciousness.


    The floating black orb remained as always swirling and gathering minuscule amounts of energy.


    Nocturne seemed to be waiting for my arrival, and before I could even speak, he brought his weapon and charged at me with astonishing speed.


    I was used to his ambushed, so I instantly summoned the book and brought the scythe from within it.


    There was no need for words, I know well what this meant.


    The floating glob began to slow down as time dilation took effect. And with that, our never-ending battle began.


    Using wind magic Haste, I pushed myself back to gain some distance. I know this won¡¯t be enough, but it should just give me enough time to cast


    ¡°Fire that burns all, Fireball!¡± I chanted. And a black fireball that turned red in an instant shot forward threatening to scorch anything before it.


    This was, of course, a diversion, and I knew for a fact that It would do nothing to stop the advance of the grim reaper.


    Nocturne smirked and slashed at the orb cutting it in half. The sphere broke, and his figure appeared from within the flames.


    ¡°Earth¡¯s blessing, entangle.¡± I chanted once again, and a wave of roots sprouted from the white void threatening to entrap anything that it catches.


    However, a dark aura that soon engulfed Nocturne was enough to burn the root into nothingness.


    I just need a split second to distract him.


    ¡°Water that submerges all, water geyser!¡± I chanted. However nothing seemed to emerge out of my hand, Nocturne looked a bit annoyed.


    Then I moved forward holding my scythe wanting to clash blade against Nocturne.


    In any time of the day, I would be split in half. However, there was a reason why I did this. I held my hand forward, and a torrent of water burst towards the now barely surprised skeleton.


    I then swung my scythe after creating a distraction trying to hit him.


    ¡®Clang¡¯


    Metal hit metal, and I knew that my distraction failed.


    I was prepared to be destroyed, but Nocturne was first to speak


    ¡°Delayed cast¡­ when did you learn that?¡± he said.


    I responded while trying to recover my scythe that was stuck to his.


    ¡°I learned that a few days ago but I never found the chance to use it. It seems that it was useless¡± I said then I was sent tumbling on the ground. It was not that I succeeded in retrieving my weapon, but it was that Nocturne pushed me away using his inhuman strength.


    ¡°Rapid cast and dual cast are still too hard to use right now though,¡± I said as I stood back up.


    ¡°Indeed, they are,¡± he said with an eerie laugh that accompanied his words. ¡°You should probably use a demonstration. You might get inspired.¡± He said then swirled the scythe on his left as he brought his hand forward.


    Two voiced rungs at once, he spoke, but it was like two people speaking at once!


    ¡°Fire that burns all, firestorm!¡±


    ¡°Ice that freezes all, blizzard!¡±


    Two waves one of heat and fire charged forward, one that emerged from his right hand and the other from the swirling scythe.


    They threatened to both freeze and burn me to nothingness.


    I then jumped and ran trying to dodge the mad man¡¯s attack as he laughed like a maniac trying to obliterate me.


    How do you fight against this!


    I thought to myself as my futile attempt at escape was met with an end.


    I was too focused on escaping his magic that he appeared before me and with a violent swing of his scythe I was cut apart.


    ¡°No rest for you Basara rise again.¡± He said


    And I stood back reluctantly.


    How was he able to do that? Cast two different elements with a huge difference in size, and nature like if it was nothing¡­


    And that dual voice¡­ is that a special ability?


    ¡°How did you use the dual cast? It is not like just casting two spells differently¡­ you spoke like if you were two persons at the same time.¡± I asked


    ¡°You will learn that in time.¡± He said then charged forward.


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    And our sparring session continued. There was no rest and no fatigue, we could go with our all here, and there was nothing to interrupt us.


    I learned something from our several days of sparring. Nocturne is strong¡­ his strength is immeasurable. Yet he failed in his mission he said, he failed to defeat something that proved to be stronger than him? How high are the heavens for that people are this powerful yet they still find something that is greater than them¡­ what is the limit, if there is one?

 Chapter 19 (Entrance day)

    Chapter 19


    The trip ended uneventfully, there was just continuous sparring and meditation for me to do within the carriage, and once inside the royal capital I saw a whole new scenery; Unlike the city of Ariandel, this place looked majestic,as if everyone here was of noble origins, the streets were clean and water was flowing from fountains and grand gardens that littered the place, it was beautiful almost a heaven on earth.


    The houses were well organized in various districts. Unlike noble houses that had huge spaces, these were of lesser sizes but never lacked in decorations or prestige.


    The paved stone road would guide you anywhere into the various places of the city, and our destination was a grandiose school that was on the rims of the city.


    It was situated on an open space with several kilometers of open field, a majestic three-story building that hosted hundreds of classrooms, and two enormous buildings, one on each of its sides.


    Behind the central building was a vast paved stone floor, it was squared and was surrounded by rows of seats.


    This was an arena inside the school, due to the nature of the school various duels would be upheld every now and then.


    This place, I was certain that I will be visiting in the near future.


    Once passed the steel gates, I saw several caravans entering and leaving, they were carrying people from prestigious houses.


    All of them were followed by their guards and servants like high-class nobles. These Young masters and mistresses were the daughters and sons of the most prominent and influential nobles.


    Once it was our turn, I was asked by Melinda to leave the caravan and wait outside.


    The carriage holding our luggage was guided by some of the school¡¯s personnel towards one of the two buildings that were on the sides of the main school building.


    As for us we were asked to move forward toward the entrance and guided toward a grand hall.


    The nobles and the servants were separated in there as we stood behind them in ten perfect rows of twenty servants per row.


    Two for each noble, meaning that the new batch of nobles consisted of one hundred noble.


    This was of course only a quarter of the total students that would be enrolling this year. Meaning that the total of the enrolling nobles were more than four hundred with eight hundred servants.


    It would have been, too much if it was that each of these nobles was of different houses, but many of the nobles would enroll several of their children this year.


    And only 10 of these twelve hundred will be eligible to become an active enforcer. Without doubt the nobles had a lot of backing and power behind them so they will certainly secure several of the spots for the final 10, however it is not rare to find some of the servants within those ranks, after all the powerful houses always try and are the strongest servants to accompany their children so it will not be weird if they are amongst them.


    And I will be needing to get a spot there.


    A man walked forward, he was veiled and looked rather imposing, he wore a white attire that covered his entire persona and a black veil on his face, both his hands were crossed into each other while the long sleeves of his white robe were dangled.


    The first rows of students were all nobles of the most dignified and prestigious houses, amongst them was lady Akari of the House Ling.


    ¡°Greetings young ones, I am the vice Headmaster of this school, and I will be welcoming you to Visania. Where your mettle will be tested and your knowledge enriched. Your role in this place is to become more understanding toward yourselves and towards those around you. You should become more proficient in the art of war, to help become our leading figures in times of crisis. You must all know that the calamity will soon prevail this land, and we are all here to ensure that our most gifted and strongest will be there once the time comes, so train well, and know more. For it is only that that will aid you in venturing into the unknown future.¡± Said the man


    After a brief pause, he then added


    ¡°You should all know, that here, your class or status is irrelevant, high, or low nobles, servants or not, you are all here to learn, make sure to abide by the rules of this school, for all differences this school shy not from proving one¡¯s worth through combat, and I am sure you all know about the ranking system for high classes. Your status will be measured and your class will be assigned, once that is completed you will prove yourselves by attaining higher classes. Sadly contradicting what I just spoke before about the school not discriminating between nobles and Servants here the rule falls short. For the servants, you will only be eligible to attain high classes if you prove your worth through challenge. Once you will you shall obtain the loser¡¯s position in their class. The school library is divided into seven segments, once your student cards have been issued you shall be given a rank according to it. The higher our rank the more floors of the library you shall be able to access, this card will also enable you to access higher classrooms. They will be your keys to your dorm and your way to rank up, you can initiate a challenge with another student once you press both cards on each other, the rank swap will be initiated once the duel ends.¡±


    Ah, now I understand this way they can keep track of everything.


    ¡°Now the ranking ceremony shall commence, all of you step forward in an organized manner first row first.¡± He said as two men that were wearing school personnel clothes moved forward carrying a small floating orb, it looked like a blood orb but was white.


    ¡°Press your hands here and your potential will be tested, based on it you will be assigned a class. State your names and your household before it.¡±


    The first was a young handsome man wearing a black jacket that hung all the way to his knees, he had the emblem of a tiger on his back.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°First Prince of the Sun Kingdom. Dior Visania.¡± Said the man as he pressed his hand forward.


    Once he said the words the room turned to whispers and low speaking, many must have known of his existence and many must have wanted to get closer to him he was after all the royal prince.


    So this is the king to be. The son of the current king Roland Visania.


    The white orb crackled with lightning as it gave signs of great magic power. I was using monochrome eyes to see the fluctuation of the magic in the air.


    ¡®This place holds many talents¡¯ said Nocturne as he swept with his gaze through everyone. ¡®However¡­¡¯ he said as his tone grew heavy


    ¡®I saw them¡­ there are many of them here¡­¡¯ I replied as my heart sank¡­ not only amongst the servants even amongst the nobles, many gave staggering and unholy signs of defilement¡­ they are here¡­ why would the school permit their existence? Did they not know?


    ¡®Don¡¯t make a move Basara, and make sure to not alert them, let''s see first what they want and how the school will handle them, if they are not exposed, we shall hunt them down one by one.¡±


    ¡®Do you think we can do that? There are many of them here, you can see for yourself.¡¯


    ¡®Attacking them all at once is suicide, but we can with their numbers one by one.¡¯ He said ¡®You still need more power in order to fight against them¡­¡¯


    ¡°As expected of the royal lineage, S class magic potential with A class potential for swordsmanship,¡± said the Vice headmaster. A card then emerged from the orb and fell into the prince¡¯s hand. It carried the emblem of a tiger and had an S and A letters one on each of its sides.


    ¡°Next!¡± said the headmaster as the boy walked forward and waited in line. It seems that the ceremony will have to continue while everyone remains in this room.


    ¡°Lissandra Visania, first princess of the Sun Kingdom,¡± said a girl that had black silky hair, who resembled the boy by a lot¡­ they must be twins¡­¡±


    Once her hand was on the orb, it also sparkled in a somewhat less imposing lightning than her brother, but the results were not less in any aspects as the Vice-headmaster said


    ¡°Splendid indeed, A class magic potential with an S class potential for swordsmanship! Indeed the royal lineage is most powerful.¡± You may take your card.


    So the boy excels in magic while the girl excels in swordsmanship, they must be quite powerful indeed¡­


    The ceremony continued, with various and prominent figures showing their overflowing potential


    ¡®I thought that it should be impossible or rather hard for anyone to be able to wield both blade and magic at once.¡¯ I said to Nocturne remembering what he told me before.


    ¡®It is hard indeed, but you should know that that orb only verifies their potential, though they have the potential in mastering both the sword and magic, if they follow that route they will find themselves unable to master any of them, thus why they will mostly focus on one or another.¡¯ Replied Nocturne.


    ¡°Akari Ling, of the fire dragon household,¡± said Lady Akari as she was now next in line.¡±


    The orb then illuminated the room with a bright red light, it was her power.


    ¡°Amazing talent from the city of fire Ariandel! Lady Akari, S Class magic with a B class potential for swordsmanship¡± said the Vice-principal.


    Oh, lady Akari sure is amazing, already securing a high position and gaining herself a lot of admiration.


    Since the royal lineage first got their hands on the orb, it was rare to find anyone with an S class after them, I even thought that only they would be able to get access to the S classrooms. However, it seems that Lord Ling¡¯s daughter had betrayed his expectation that his daughter will be stuck in the A class, and managed to attain higher ranks.


    ¡°Lady Akari sure is amazing.¡± Said Melinda next to me


    As I was wearing the emblem of the Flame of dragon obviously once the results were said, many servants gave us looks of awe, we were from her entourage after all.


    A card with a coiling dragon was soon handed to her.


    ¡°It will be really difficult to reach where she is,¡± I said to Melinda.


    ¡°Yes, it will be but we must reach that point else we will be left behind.¡±


    The ceremony continued, even the girl that once attained that bloody dinner was here¡­ but I never got to know her. She had an A class for magic and c for swordsmanship, it is rather impressive to say.


    Only a dozen nobles managed to get an S class and were added to the ranks of the Highest classes.


    Then began the assortment of servants, for this they had to make it faster, and several orbs were placed. Though they will all be assigned the F class and they will have to start from there through challenges, it is better to make the hierarchy known, and for the most powerful servants to advance they should know their own power.


    Surprisingly there actually were several servants with an S class potential, they were taken in by  the most powerful of nobles, two of them were from the royal family.


    ¡° A class for magic and¡­Negative for swordsmanship¡± said one of the ones that were assigned the cards to the servants.


    ¡°What is that? A negative?¡± I asked Melinda


    ¡°Ah, a negative is for those that have an extremely low potential in one of either magic or swordsmanship. They are not rare.¡±


    ¡°I hope I don¡¯t end up as a negative¡­¡± I said


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry about that, the fact that you managed to cast even low-class spells using chants is enough for you to be an F class at least, while your swordsmanship is lacking due to your inexperience I was told by Master Shen that you managed the first kata of his Lotus swordsmanship so you should be exempted from being a negative.¡± She said in a comforting tone.


    ¡°Oh, that is truly comfortable,¡± I said as I breathed a sigh of relief.


    Melinda¡¯s turn was next.


    As the daughter of the Lin has scored an impressive result her servants must be of proper caliber. That is a minimum requirement for us, though I know I will not be of the level at least Melinda will be capable of tilting the results.


    ¡°S class for magic and C class for swordsmanship!¡± said one of the managers.


    Oh! Quite impressive! She managed to hold the honor of the Lin house herself with just her potential, I just hope that my results are not that horrible else I would be the doom of lady Akari¡¯s reputation.


    Then it was my turn.


    ¡®Whatever the results Basara, those are only numbers. What rules over your potential is your dedication and your hard work, even if given an impressive result it will only lead to arrogance and will hinder your progress.¡¯ Said Nocturne before I could touch the Orb.


    ¡®Well no matter,¡± I said as I pressed my hand on the orb.


    First, there was nothing, then a small speck of black was floating inside the orb, the spec grew until it became a miniature floating orb, strangely resembling my sea of consciousness, then the orb slightly shook and a wave of dark light washed over the room, instantly turning day into night, while everything became shrouded in darkness¡­


    The light soon retracted, while everyone felt rather surprised the results actually were quite frightening.


    ¡°D- Double negative!¡±


    Huh?


    Haaaaaa?!!!!


    The room broke into laughter


    What the hell! Double negative?!


    ¡®I told you do not bother with those results Basara¡­¡±


    The card I was issued was a white one with a dark orb inside it. It had a negative sign on it without any Letter.


    ¡°What does this mean?¡± I asked the man who was holding the orb.


    ¡°As a servant¡­ no matter what your Rank you will be assigned to the F class first. So even if you are not worthy you will still be able to enter the class¡­ however you must still prove yourself worthy of your class I have no idea why the Ling house would put an incompetent person like you with their servants, but still, you are now one of this School¡¯s students. You should still strive to become better, Next!¡± he said as he dismissed me without giving me a second glance.


    ¡°What was that?! I think that orb is faulty.¡± Said Melinda trying to comfort me, but I couldn¡¯t give it any thoughts¡­ I mean a double negative! Sigh¡­ I was trying to keep a low profile, but somehow during that blackout, I grabbed the attention of everyone in the room, then with this stupid result I managed to be the laughingstock of everyone.


    I took a glace at the face of Lady Akari and saw a look of disappointment on her face¡­ which just broke something inside me¡­


    What a stupid way to start the school year¡­

 Chapter 20 (Undying Forest)

    Chapter 20


    ¡°Why are you so out of it Basara?¡± said Melinda as she looked at me.


    We were now inside one of the buildings that were around the School main building.


    This was like a dorm room for students of this school. Lady Akari was to soon join us but for the moment I and Melinda were alone inside the giant room.


    I kinda feel weird about the whole thing, a boy living together with two girls, but I should still remember my status, I am here to serve, and learn nothing else.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I said a bit dejected.


    ¡°You should not bother with whatever result that thing showed, it must have been faulty, I know for sure that you should at least get a higher score than that.¡± She said trying to comfort me, this girl was quite frank, she was a nice person, some of the rare kinds of people that I have ever met in my life.


    ¡°Thank you for your words, but that is not the real reason. It is the looks of everyone, not towards me but towards our lady. Having an incompetent servant only serves to ruin her image within the school.¡±


    ¡°Lady Akari won¡¯t be bothered with such trivia, don¡¯t worry about it. Just practice and try to prove them wrong, I know you will.¡± She said with a smile on her face.


    It was almost evening, Lady Akari was invited to a noble¡¯s gathering, While we, her servants were not, this was the case for everyone within the school. Though we should have accompanied her, the school insists on leaving the Nobles to attend this banquet with the supervision of the school staff, once this Gathering is dismissed, we will continue our duties like the usual.


    The room we were at was quite grand, it had several separate rooms, where I took one. While the remaining two were for Lady Akari and Melinda.


    After arranging the luggage, I found nothing better to do. So I decided to take a tour outside and see the size of this school.


    ¡°I will head out, I want to see this school in its entirety,¡± I said to Melinda who gave me an approving look without saying anything.


    Once out I saw the vastness of this school, it was ten times the size of Lord Ling¡¯s manor.


    Behind the main building was the grand arena, and as I approached I saw many people gathered there.


    On the Arena, there was a fight. Two guys were fighting, they were servants. However, this seemed more like a spar than a fight.


    One of them was bulky as an ox, while the other looked small and meager. I don¡¯t think I recognize them, due to me not having paid attention to them in the phase of ranking.


    The bulky guy was actually being pushed back by the small guy, he struck like a mountain but every strick of his would be redirected or countered, they were not using blades or tools, just martial combat with empty hands.


    Every time the big guy strikes the kid either evade, dodges or counters with swift and small hits.


    Hitting the same spots over and over again.


    ¡®Hmm, swift palms¡­ I guess this art still lives on¡¯ said Nocturne


    ¡®What is that?¡¯ I asked


    ¡®That is a martial art derived from sucking at the stress points of the human body, forcing the blood circulation to destabilize, a continuous usage of the art forces the enemy struck with it to lose consciousness, a specialist can actually kill their enemy with one hit.¡¯


    ¡®That sounds dangerous,¡¯ I said


    ¡®Indeed, fighting against a swift palm practitioner head-on is suicidal¡¯ said Nocturne


    ¡®However it seems that big guy is not falling down,¡¯ I said


    ¡®the small kid is going easy on him. He could have destroyed him many times over, probably he is not showing his full strength, however, the other guy is a natural at strengthening, his muscles are forcing most of the attacks to deal less damage and reach their maximum potential, however, there is a limit to defending¡¯ said Nocturne


    Then the big guy keeled over and fell.


    ¡°Sebastian Luge wins!¡± said a man wearing the school staff uniform.


    There was a small crowd of people around them that began cheering while others looked dejected.


    ¡°50 points will now be transferred to the winner. Next challenge please¡±


    ¡°Points?¡± I said then a boy with red hair wearing a butler''s outfit like mine casually said


    ¡°The school implemented a new system. Each student is given a number of Points at the start of the school year, they can use them for their daily necessities and even upgrade their ranks if possible.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I never received anything like that,¡± I said


    ¡°Well that is probably due to your double negative status, Points are given based on the potential of everyone.¡± He said with a smirk


    ¡°I guess your life in this school will be rather hard.¡±


    ¡°What is your name?¡± I asked


    ¡°I am Viktor Dilen,¡± he said giving a courteous bow ¡°Servant of the House Dantess¡±


    I am Basara, Servant of the House Ling,¡± I said giving the man a nod of acknowledgment


    ¡°Is there a way to get these points?¡± I said


    ¡°The easiest way to get them is by combat, you can bet a certain number of points, Winner takes all.¡± He said


    ¡°How are the points distributed at first though?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Each servant¡¯s potential grants them a certain amount of points. An F class servant Gets 1000 points, and for each rank and additional 1000 point. A servant with an S class gets 7000 points.¡±


    ¡°So the maximum amount can get to 14 000 points,¡± I said


    ¡°Yes, that is a lot of points, however, there was never anyone with that score, the maximum was 13 000 and it belonged to the royal family.¡±


    ¡°How can we rank up?¡± I asked


    ¡°You need to upgrade your card, for each rank up, you need to pay twice the number of points there is to get to it. To rank up from class F to rank E it will require 2000 points, but from E to D it will take 4000. You see where I am getting?¡± he said


    ¡°Yes, ranking up all the way to S class should be extremely difficult with just points.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is why there is the option to swap ranks, you can challenge a higher class to a duel and if they accept and you win you may be able to take their position in the class.¡±


    ¡°Interesting.¡± I said, ¡°But I guess no one will even accept a challenge without proper compensation.¡±


    ¡°Yes, to challenge a higher class member you will need to provide appropriate compensation for their risk of drinking. And they must accept.¡± He said with a smile on his face.


    ¡°Thank you for the information, I appreciate it,¡± I said


    ¡°No worries, But with all respect to your house, I believe that your situation is quite dire, you will probably not be able to rank up. But all hope is not lost, you can still get points by doing various Jobs at the school notice board¡±


    ¡°The notice board?¡± I asked


    ¡°Yes, there is a huge board that will put some quests to the students, Even achieving high grades in school grants you points, just work hard and you will certainly catch up, Even none fighters this way can get a chance.¡± He said, ¡°It is only fair¡±.


    ¡°Thank you for everything,¡± I said


    ¡°No worries, not everyone here is an enemy you should make sure to ask whenever you are in need of assistance, I am sure many will help.¡± He said as he left.


    Good, now I should go check out the notice board.


    ¡®So many uselessness, but it might be a good opportunity for you to learn more if you take in these challenges.¡¯ Said Nocturne.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    I then headed back towards the school leaving the arena.


    Once before the school gate, I saw  a huge board with many students around it.


    Once I made it through I read the different quests on it.


    Some gave up to 1000 points but the condition of them was absurd.


    ¡°It needs for us to fetch a Silver fang¡¯s horn. They inhabit the Undying Forest behind the school¡±


    ¡®Oh, quite an interesting challenge, you should take this one Basara, it will prove your worth.¡¯


    ¡®What is a silver fang?¡¯ I asked


    ¡°It is a Wolf of sorts, it has a horn on its forehead and a gray-like silver fur, its entire body is useful for alchemy and its horn is quite precious for making some remedies and alchemical concoctions,¡± he said.


    ¡®Can I hunt it?¡¯ I asked


    ¡®If it is alone, then maybe you might be able to take it down with my help, however, a Silver Fang is always accompanied by a group of wolves. You will need assistance¡¯ he said


    ¡®Hmm, I should probably ask Melinda then, ah wait¡­ there is a condition¡¯


    Looking below the request it said


    ¡®Minimum class Rank A¡¯


    Sigh¡­


    I can¡¯t take this one.


    Looking all over the other quests, they all had a condition, even some herb gathering quests had an at least F class quest.


    This is really starting to annoy me.


    ¡°You should probably just try your luck with a challenge then Said Nocturne¡¯


    Nothing is going how I like.


    I wanted to look at the fights but decided to check out the entrance to the forest behind the school.


    It looks like most quest requires one to visit the forest.


    ¡®That place is giving enormous signs of life and many powerful beasts reside in it. Don¡¯t venture too far, it is dangerous¡¯ Said Nocturne.


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry I don¡¯t plan on croaking on the first day here.¡¯


    Once I reached the entrance to the school forest I saw an old man lying there he was wearing old clothes and something like a cloak that covered his face, only his white beard could be seen he looked to be enjoying the breeze.


    I didn¡¯t want to bother a man sleeping so I went forward.


    ¡°Where are you going Lad, that place is off limits for the unworthy.¡± He said without batting an eye or moving an inch


    ¡°I want to take a look at the forest,¡± I said


    ¡°You are not here for a quest, are you?¡± he said


    ¡°No, just some sightseeing.¡±


    ¡°You need to prove your ability before you enter anyway. What class are you?¡±


    I hesitated before speaking but then said


    ¡°A double negative,¡± I said with a bit of embarrassment, however, the man didn¡¯t say anything. I thought that he would chase me out but he said


    ¡°You may proceed, here,¡± he said and threw me a coin.


    ¡°What is this?¡± I asked


    ¡°This is to help you if you are troubled, once you press on it a teacher will soon appear by your side and help you, however, its usage costs 500 points.¡± He said


    ¡°I don¡¯t have 500 points¡­¡± I said


    ¡°I know,¡± said the old man with a smirk. ¡°Your master However has it, it will be deducted from your master¡¯s balance,¡± he said then continued on with his light nap.


    The gates then opened and I entered.


    ¡®Well am already here, there is no point in turning back, I should probably continue forward.


    I really hope nothing serious happens though, it will be quite irresponsible for me to make trouble for Lady Akari.


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry about that, first you must look for some resources, this forest contains many treasures, you can make use of them and they will help your current situation a lot.¡± Said Nocturne


    ¡®Treasures?¡¯ I asked


    ¡°Yes, though many of them had been plucked out, there are still hundreds of rare ingredients laying in this forest waiting to be discovered, I can sense them.¡± He said


    ¡®I find it strange that there remain many of the said Treasures, shouldn¡¯t the school have taken all of them? I asked¡¯


    ¡®Normally yes, but I guess it is that they either couldn¡¯t locate them or chose to leave them for the students to find. Either way, this is a good opportunity for you to learn alchemy.¡¯ Said Nocturne


    ¡®Alchemy?¡¯ I asked


    ¡®Yes, the art to bend the rules of the world.¡±


    ¡®You mean like turning stone to gold?¡¯ I said as I read about alchemical legends.


    ¡®Gold is useless compared to what you can do with true alchemy lad, now head forward there is something hidden under that tree¡¯ said Nocturne.


    I moved forward, looking at this normal looking tree, it wasn¡¯t that different from the ones next to it, but after using Monochrome vision, I saw that one of its roots was different from the others.


    ¡®What is that?¡¯ I said


    ¡®That is a golden root of Yggdrasil. It is an incredibly rare item, and very hard to spot or locate, you should dig it. It can be used for some concoctions¡¯ he said


    I then began digging the ground, until I reached the Root.


    ¡®Should I just rip it out? It looks quite sturdy¡¯ I said


    ¡®Let me take over¡¯ he said and took control


    He placed his hand on the root then black flame covered it, and severed it from the tree.


    ¡®Good, he said then placed it on the ground.


    ¡®The root will start emitting a strong scent, it will attract various creatures to it, you must cover it.¡¯ Said Nocturne,


    I removed my vest and covered the root with it.


    We should head deeper, there are many other things you can take with you, always use your vision to spot creatures or the treasures sprang about in this place.


    Once I regained control, I felt a bit fatigued


    ¡®That flame is taxing to the body, I am not proficient in using it, and it costs a lot of stamina to use, but that was the only way for you to cut the root out.


    ¡®Couldn¡¯t you use the scythe?¡± I asked


    ¡®No, that weapon serves to severe life, if I had touched that tree with it it would have withered, that and the root.¡¯


    ¡®Oh. Quite fearsome indeed.¡¯


    Oh, look, bird beak mushrooms! I said as I looked at huge colocations of mushrooms growing from a withering tree.


    ¡®That doesn¡¯t look like a treasure. Said Nocturne¡¯


    ¡®No, it actually is!¡± I said then moved forward to the tree


    ¡®Explain? I am sure I have seen many incredible resources of nature, but this is most definitely not, it gives not even the faintest aura of Qi


    ¡°These mushrooms rarely grow on trees, where I used to live, once in a while once I find one or two of them I can roast them or put them in a soup, they are definitely delicious and have a great aroma to them.¡¯ I said as I started picking them up.


    I then went towards a tree that had enormous leaves and began putting the mushrooms on top of the leaves.


    Once finished I carried the root and the mushrooms with me and moved forward towards a location that was giving off a strong Qi signal.


    ¡®A ten-leaf clover¡¯ said Nocturne, as I looked at the almost camouflaged clover.


    It was inside a field of normal clovers and would be really hard to spot.


    ¡®Take it while uprooting it all gently pull it from the ground not to ruin the roots.¡¯ Said Nocturne.


    Once I did I placed it in the vest alongside the Root.


    ¡°It is quite the harvest,¡± Said Nocturne in a joyful manner.


    ¡°there is another ingredient nearby but there is a creature near it. You should move with caution, I cannot know for sure what kind of a beast it is from just his Qi signal but I guess it is a bit strong¡¯ said Nocturne.


    Then I remembered the Silver Fang and hoped that it is not it.


    ¡®Hmm, I guess you should move faster, the beast Qi signal is declining fast¡­ and there is also the smell of blood.¡¯ He said


    Then I approached and saw a painting stage littered with wounds all over¡­ it will not make it.


    ¡° a golden stag¡­ their horns are precious, you must take them too¡¯


    ¡®What are we gathering these for? I said ¡®are you trying to make something out of these? I asked


    ¡®These ingredients are not related to each other, and will not make something, however, they are still precious and it will be a wast to leave them be. You may need them later though, so don¡¯t bother with the quantity and just get them for now¡¯ he said as I approached the stag.


    It looked frightened as it tried to run, but it was powerless. And couldn''t move.


    I wonder what caused it this pain. The wounds on it don¡¯t look like wounds made from an animal¡­


    ¡®These are wounds made from blades¡­ there is a hunter here and he must be looking for this, I think you better finish this beast fast and take your trophy before things get complicated.¡¯ He said


    ¡®Wouldn¡¯t that be stealing? I should probably just give it to whoever was hunting this¡¯ I said


    ¡®Don¡¯t be an idiot, as a hunter he lost his prey he has no right to claim it.¡¯


    Sigh¡­


    I then approached the beast and crouched down.


    ¡®I am sorry for this,¡¯ I said then brought the Scyth forward after summoning my book.


    The Stag had a fearful look on its face and began breathing heavily, unable to escape and met with danger it was afraid of what was to happen.


    I then placed the blade of the scythe on its neck and decisively pulled.


    Blood gushed out and the stag soon passed on.


    I then tried to cut the horns with the scythe but Nocturne once again said


    ¡®Did you forget, using that scythe will ruin the material, use the flame I am sure you can use it on your own.¡¯ He said


    I then placed my hand forward and summoned the flame that cut the horns cleanly.


    Placing the horns with the other ingredients.


    ¡®It is getting darker, this animal¡¯s blood will attract many beasts, you should leave for now¡¯ said Nocturne.


    ¡°Alright, we should leave, we should go back here later, this place is a treasure trove.¡¯ I said


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Said Nocturne as we left.


    Once back at the entrance I was met with the same old man


    ¡°Oh, a good Stag¡¯s horn, A golden root of Yggdrasil and a ten petal clover¡­ what a great harvest for your first day,¡± said the old man.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± I said towards the man.


    ¡°Their smell, though covered it is still leaking¡­¡± said the man, ¡°Are you willing to part with those items?¡± he asked


    Then I took a step back¡­ I think he wants to rob me.


    The man held both his hands up and said


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry lad, what is yours is yours, what I asked is, if you are willing to exchange those resources with School points I am ready to exchange them right now.¡±


    ¡®The ten petal clover and the roots of Yggdrasil are for you, don¡¯t exchange them no matter what he offers¡¯


    ¡°How can I know that you will not just cheat me out of my loot, and give me a low price for their value?¡±


    ¡°For the stag¡¯ horns, I can give you 500 points and 2000 points for the ten petal clover¡­ as for the Root¡­ how about 10 000 points?¡± he said


    ¡®That much?!¡± I said


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how valuable these things are, and believe me I am offering a reasonable price. You can check out the prices at the school Library it has many resources that can be found in it and their corresponding price. The school is ready to give any students that find rare ingredients a reasonable price for their efforts.¡± He said


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I guess, I will have to decline for the Clover and the Root, as for the horns, you can have them.¡± I said


    ¡°Hmm, what a shame, I was really interested in the other two, but the horns are of use. I hope that you are not going to waste those precious ingredients.¡± He said


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I think I will manage,¡± I said, ¡°However, why is no one doing this, it looks easy to gain more points by foraging and scavenging the forest.¡± I said


    ¡°Because the forest hosts many dangerous creatures, rare are those that actually venture inside it. Only those of high class can have the confidence in challenging it, Death is no stranger to the ones that challenge the forest,and that is why I am here, I am here to prevent anyone not worthy of entry.¡±


    ¡°Well, why did you let me in?¡± I asked ¡°Isn¡¯t my grade a double negative. I shouldn¡¯t be granted access normally


    ¡°Well, indeed you shouldn¡¯t but, Basara. You are not unworthy.¡±


    ¡°Huh, how do you know my name?¡± I said


    ¡°Shen spoke a lot about you, and I guess I wanted to test you myself and you passed.¡± He said


    ¡°Who are you old man?¡± I said


    ¡°Just someone working for this school, nothing much,¡± he said with a laugh. ¡°Now are you willing to give me that Horn?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but how do we exchange then?¡± I asked


    ¡°Your card, bring it forward,¡± he said.


    And I did, as I handed him my card he placed his next to it and said.


    ¡°Exchange 500 points to Basara.¡±


    And my card seemed to give a faint light, and a small number on the bottom side of the card was written.


    500.


    ¡°Oh, thank you,¡± I said then handed him the horns.


    ¡°Hold up you thief!¡± said a womanly voice of someone that just left the forest.


    This girl was¡­ oh.


    ¡°In the name of my Father the King I Demand you to give back what you stole!¡± she said with an angry look on her face was showing and a finger pointed at me.


    This was the first princess of the royal family Dior. Lady Lissandra¡­ so the stag that I killed was her prey.


    What is a princess even doing there? Weren¡¯t the nobles all gathered at that banquet?


    Shit¡­ this is so awkward¡­

 Chapter 21 Challenge

    Chapter 21


    ¡°Is there a problem here?¡± said the old man.


    ¡°Yes, there is, this boy here stole my prey, I was hunting in the Undying forest until I found a golden stag, and he took the chance once the deer managed to escape from my grasp t take his horns as a trophy. Those horns are mine!¡± she said as she approached menacingly.


    Before I could speak the old man said


    ¡°These horns belong to the school right now, they have been exchanged. Furthermore, you lost your chance once you let that Stag escape. Nothing belongs to anyone within that forest, failing to kill that beast was your mistake, and not this boy¡¯s problem, he found a treasure and took it.¡±


    ¡°But that is absurd! The beast was clearly wounded. He could have waited for someone else to come and claim having done the damage to it, this is just thievery!¡± she said while raising her voice even more.


    ¡°Miss, I assure you, I had not the slightest intention of stealing from anyone, I thought that it was just a wounded wandering deer and decided to take the trophy for myself,¡± I said in an apologetic voice hoping that she would calm down.


    ¡°Stop with your nonsense, Hang on, aren¡¯t you that Double negative servant? What the hell were you even doing in that forest in the first place? Does the school not follow regulations? Why let an incompetent wander off into the forest?¡±


    Ah shit, this is getting more and more complicated¡­


    ¡°You should have stopped this boy from entering the forest, he could have gotten himself killed. Or at least not have taken what is rightfully mine, I wonder what would Royal father think about this.¡± She said


    Bringing her father into the conversation is clearly a way for her to put pressure on the old man.


    ¡°Your father has no dealing with the way this school runs, no matter if you are of royal lineage or just a simple servant all rights are kept, that boy slew the beast and the rewards are his, it was due to your own lack of attention that it escaped in the first place.¡±


    The girl had an aggravated look on her face as her strongest bargaining chip turned useless.


    ¡°You,¡± said the girl pointing at me ¡°Give me back the compensation for those horns, you know well it is mine.¡± She said


    I felt hesitant at first before I conceded.


    ¡°There is no need to aggravate things. Here,¡± I said as I approached her and wanted to give her the points back, I can always get more points by going back to the forest, there was no need to aggravate things and make it more difficult for me, and lady Akari.


    ¡°I am sorry sir, I know you wanted for me to keep the points but it will be absurd to keep them right now. I don¡¯t want any fallouts with the Royal family especially I would not want my mistress to have any problems with them.¡± I said


    ¡°I understand, what is yours is yours and what you do with it is your choice.¡± He said


    Once I approached and wanted to exchange the 500 points back to her the old man smirked and said


    ¡°You know that with the golden root of Yggdrasil and the ten petaled clovers you have you can gain more than what you just gave away, you can still exchange them for points if you want.¡±


    ¡°Golden root of Yggdrasil? You have one of them?¡±


    I squinted my eyes at the old man who just blew away the thing I didn¡¯t want to keep secret but didn¡¯t want other people to come sniffing around for it.


    ¡°Yes, I managed to find one in the forest,¡± I said


    The woman the pulled back her card before the exchange could be done and said


    ¡°Then give that to me in exchange for the humiliation you caused me.¡±  She said while an air of haughtiness was oozing out of her.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The old man¡¯s smile grew wider.


    ¡°Why? You should know well that the root has twenty times the value of the horns and you want it for yourself aren¡¯t you being a bit too greedy?¡±


    ¡°I needed the Hornes of that Stage, not the points I have many of them, now the root has more value than the points, give it to me so that all our differences can be resolved peacefully.¡±


    I looked at the old man who was smiling mischievously and thought


    That man knew that this was going to happen if he were to divulge that I have the root. But why do so? Was it just in spite? Because I didn¡¯t give him the root?


    ¡°I am sorry Lady Lissandra, but I cannot do that, I am in need of that element.¡±


    ¡°Ae you trying to challenge the royal family,¡± she said angrily.


    Holy shit this girl is blowing things out of proportions.


    ¡°No my lady, but I Of the house Ling shall not tolerate being bullied. I would gladly give you the compensation for the stag¡¯s horns but I will not be guilted into exchanging the root for it.¡± I saidUnauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°You are courting death.¡± She said ¡°Though the Ling family are close friends with father, I am sure that he will not tolerate if a servant refuses my order, even if he is from another family, I guess the demise of the Ling family shall be caused by your incompetence and foolishness,¡± she said as she strode off


    ¡°Hey wait! Everything here is due to your greed, The Ling house has nothing to do with it!¡± I said shouting at her back.


    ¡°Greed you say?¡± she said as she turned back ¡°While of course, it is greed, I am the daughter of the king, all I need I should have and all I want I should get, and you are standing between me and what I want, so why would you think that you have the right to complain? You of a lower class, a servant daring to oppose a member of the royal family? Do you know what a deep problem you just caused your family?¡± she said.


    ¡°The only one who is causing problems is you!¡± I said ¡°Excuse me for the following words, but you are selfish and arrogant, and want to take other people¡¯s belongings with unjustified actions, indeed I happened to stumble upon that stag but once I knew it was yours I tried to give you back its worth, now you want to take what is mine without even a proper compensation or me ever having a choice to refuse.¡±


    ¡°Arrogant? Selfish? You sure are courting death boy¡± she said as she brought a golden shafted long sword from thin air.


    ¡°Hold up!¡± said the old man as he appeared between us.


    ¡°There shall be no fighting within this school if you want to resolve your differences do it in the arena.¡± Said the old man


    ¡°I refuse to even fight this lady,¡± I said as I strode back.¡±


    ¡°I evoke the rite of a challenge! Said Lady Lissandra as she threw a black coin at the old man¡±


    ¡°This one accepts, the Rite of challenge shall be evoked. Lady lissandra of The Visania Royal linage Vs Basara of the house Ling¡± Said the old man


    ¡°What is this? I said I don¡¯t want to accept the challenge.¡± I said


    ¡°You have no right to refuse this challenge,¡± said the woman. ¡°Using the rite of challenge I get to challenge anyone from any class forcefully or refuse a challenge from anyone of any class forcefully, this is only due to me being a student of an S class. Unlike you¡±


    ¡®This is just plain old bullying where even the school permits!¡¯ I said to myself.


    ¡°What will be the stakes?¡± said the old man.


    ¡°I want the golden root of Yggdrasil, in exchange for my class status,¡± she said with a smile


    ¡°Very well, this old man believes that the stakes are proper. Winner takes all.¡± He said as he smiled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t I get to choose not to fight?!¡± I said


    ¡°If you have one of those black coins then you could, but due to you being a double negative, you cannot escape. Don''t worry, there can only be one coin per person, and once used they cannot use it again, this serves to avoid complexities where S class students might go on a rampage taking everyone¡¯s belongings. However, I am quite surprised that this Lady here used this coin so early on.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, I just don¡¯t like it when I am being made fool of. This way you shall know the difference between us, how a servant should act this one shall teach you properly!¡± she said as she strode off.


    ¡°The fight shall begin tomorrow morning, before noon.¡± Make sure that you are there at the time, failing to arrive in time is equal to a loss.¡± Said the old man then he turned toward me with a smirk on his face


    ¡°Good luck tomorrow, a disciple of Shen,¡± he said when he walked off.


    ¡®I have been played¡­¡¯ I said


    ¡®Indeed,¡± replied Nocturne ¡®That man is no ordinary man¡­ to test your mettle he made sure that you confront one of strongest in this school even on your first day. To make matters worse, I am sure that by tomorrow many will have known of this and many shall attend. Make sure not to disappoint me, Basara.¡¯


    ¡®Hey! Why did you remain silent all that time? I mean you could have suggested a way for me out of this mess! Pay your rent!¡¯


    ¡®Kekekekeke!¡± laughed nocturne in a creepy manner, ¡°Am I already not? I have been training you day and night, you should prove yourself, Ah, by the way, don¡¯t use that scythe tomorrow, you cannot yet control it, and you may end up killing that woman. I don¡¯t think that killing someone of the royal family is a wise idea.¡± He said as he kept on laughing in the background.


    God damn it¡­


    I went back to the dorm room and was met with Lady Akari at the door. She had a strange look on her face.


    ¡°What were you thinking about directly challenging the royal house?¡± she said


    ¡°Eyh. I am sorry my lady, I know I stepped out of line, but she wanted to take what was not hers.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? All I do know is that you took her trophy, that is what she said, I know that father trusted you, however, you stealing someone else is putting that trust to question.¡± She said


    ¡°My lady, you must have been misinformed,¡± I said as I told my part of the story, on how all of that happened and how I was tricked into challenging her by that old man.


    ¡°So that is the case¡­ she didn¡¯t accept the points for the horns and wanted to take your trophy instead¡­ however, what are you going to do with that root? Are you going to exchange it for the school?¡± she asked


    ¡°No, I will be making a concoction of it, I happened to know of a strong potion that can help the body and its main ingredient is that root,¡± I said


    ¡°So you know alchemy?¡± she said


    ¡°Just the basics,¡± I said


    ¡®I wonder if anyone would believe you saying just the basics, the root of Yggdrasil is used in some of the most potent potions to ever be made.¡¯


    ¡°No matter, I don¡¯t think that you could defeat that woman alone, I should probably just publicise that she is bullying the weak to get their belongings, this way the heat of this matter will lessen the fact that the challenge had issued, and our house would receive less pressure.¡± She said¡±


    ¡°I am sorry for causing trouble,¡± I said apologetically


    ¡°There is no need to apologize, she sought to take what was yours. Father never liked being bullied into submission, in fact, I think he will feel rather pleased that you, as a servant challenged a royal for what was rightfully yours.¡± She said as she waved her had.


    ¡°Melinda, can you take the place of Basara tomorrow? I guess he is still inexperienced and will have trouble fighting against a much higher classed person¡± she said


    ¡°I would have loved too, but I looked around and understood that unlike normal challenges where one can ask for another to take part in their challenge, a rite of challenge forces the original two to duke it out without interference. He has to fight¡­¡± she said apologetically.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Basara, it is indeed a huge loss if you lose the root. However, the fact that you are able to challenge one of royal lineage is a good opportunity to grow stronger. Try to remain standing as much as you can, that is enough to deal a blow to her in the matches tomorrow.¡± Said Lady Akari


    ¡°I will do my best,¡± I said as I retreated back to my room.¡±


    ¡®What are the chances of me winning that fight tomorrow?¡¯ I asked


    ¡®If she uses her full potential I think you would be taken down in an instant.¡¯ Said Nocturne


    ¡®She is that strong?¡¯ I asked


    ¡®Her muscles, the Qi around her, even her stage of cultivation is one stage higher than yours.¡¯ Said Nocturne.


    ¡® the fifth stage?¡¯ I said


    ¡®Yes, though she is young reaching that stage is praiseworthy. However do remember that you just began cultivating three months ago, where she must have spent much longer training. However, I don¡¯t intend on letting you lose that root that easily¡­ remember about dual casting and speed casting?¡¯ he said


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Its time to show you how it is done.¡± He said with a laugh.


    Then I entered my sea of consciousness where Nocturne was patiently waiting.

 Chapter 22 (Lion hunting rabbits)

    Chapter 22


    ¡°Welcome welcome! TODAY MARKES THE FIRST TIME WHERE AN S CLASS STUDENT IS CHALLENGED FOR HIS SEAT!¡± said the voice of a commentator.


    She was one of the school personnel. The arena looked grand with many people lining up to see the event. A lot of them were servants and most were nobles that came to watch out for boredom.


    The royal prince is nowhere to be seen probably not interested in his sister¡¯s bullying rampage¡­


    The old man who was at the gate yesterday was now on the sidelines watching the event.


    Lady Lissandra was not here though, and it was almost noon.


    What is taking her so long?


    The pressure I was getting at standing alone within the arena was not something small. Everyone was now appraising the one that challenged one of royal lineage, a double negative challenging an S class student, one with enough power backing them to change the fate of the country while another is nothing but a speck of dust in the dirt.


    Lady Akari and Melinda were both watching the stage attentively.


    I even hoped for one moment that Lady Lissandra would not come, this would make it much simpler to solve this problem. However, I doubt it.


    ¡®Indeed, this is a psychological attack from her part, she has commenced combat with you long before you sat stage on the arena, making you wait here, giving you hope that she may not come then abruptly breaking it when she shows up in the last minute for you to be demoralized. This is a tactic that was often used in the past. Giving hope to the weak then snuffing it. Forcing their world to crumble as they grew reliant on a fleeting hope¡¯ said Nocturne


    ¡®Hey¡­ no need to make my situation sound desperate¡¯


    ¡®Ah don¡¯t worry about that, when worse comes to worst I will take over and finish this farce, I wouldn¡¯t want that root to go into their hand. After all, you came in with a 100% chance to win. As long as I am with you that is.¡¯


    ¡®That is cheating¡­ assuring, but still, it is cheating.¡¯


    ¡®One uses all their resources in a fight, there is no such thing as cheating. The one who is right is the one who is standing at the end of the fight.¡¯ Said Nocturne


    ¡®However, don¡¯t for even a second believe that I will help you if you do not give it you''re all. Afterall if you fail me and show weakness, or show yourself to be unable to exert all your potential, then I will not help you and will give up the root. We can still find another one someday, but the honor you will lose will scare you forever. And that is a lesson you must learn in order to always give it your all.¡¯


    ¡®Honor? What honor does a mere orphan have¡¯ I said


    ¡®Not yours Basara, you are now carrying the honor of your house and mentors. Your Lady of flame, the swordmaster, and the Just lord¡¯s honor are all on your shoulders¡­ no pressure¡­Kekekekek¡¯


    The announcer then spoke once she looked high in the sky, it was noon.


    ¡°It appears that Lady Lissandra will not be showing up today¡­ the Victor of this match is¡±


    ¡°Hold up!¡± said a woman as she walked forward, wearing a black as night suite of leather, perfectly showing her blasphemous curves. While her long golden hair was neatly tied into a bun.


    She had the emblem of the lion on her back while she exuded a sense of charm and dominance.


    ¡°I had some things to do, I hope you didn¡¯t think I was going forfeit the match?¡± she said


    ¡°Ah don¡¯t worry about it, I knew you would come. It was getting a bit boring here.¡± I said while shrugging


    The confident look on her face disappeared as she knit her brows.


    ¡°Enough with the ramblings, I have better things to do, now ready up for a whopping.¡¯ She said as she brought forward her sword.


    I stood still like an idiot there.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Bring up your weapon? Or are you a magic user?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I didn¡¯t bring any weapons¡­¡± I said as I scratched my head a bit in embarrassment.


    The people around us began to laugh¡­


    ¡°What a waste of time¡­ Someone throw¡¯s him a weapon.¡± She said as she looked more confident.


    ¡°Here you go.¡± Said a guy, and as I turned I saw him again, the red-haired dude of the House Dantess, Victor.¡± Use it well¡± he said.


    I picked up the sword and looked at it.


    It was alright, a bit heavy on the hand, but was of good quality, it had a nice patterned design on it. More of an accessory than a sword but it will do.


    Once I held the sword the smile on the girl¡¯s face grew wider.


    ¡°You have no stance, you are not even wielding your weapon properly, your grip is too tight like you are afraid it will run away from you. Are you sure you want to fight against me using swords¡­ no matter prepared to lose¡± she said as she moved forward.


    She was¡­ slow?


    No, she was actually moving really fast, but¡­ why does she look slow? I thought to myself as a chopping swing came forward, she was not trying to land a killing blow as her swing was calculated, she was trying to injure my shoulder, probably rendering me unable to fight.


    Before the sword would make contact, I sidestepped.


    And her sword struck empty air.


    ¡°Huh?¡± she said as she looked at me with wide eyes. She immediately jumped back without hesitation afraid of an incoming retaliation.


    ¡®What are you doing? You could have finished the fight right there Basara¡­¡¯ said Nocturne


    Everyone turned silent at the scene.


    ¡®Hang on, what the hell is going on, she is way too slow¡­¡±


    ¡®She is not slow, it is your eyes, and the training we were doing, you were accustomed to a much higher speed than that of a human, of course, she will look slow, however, don¡¯t underestimate her. That was but a probing strick that failed, her next attack will be more serious¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you re trying to do, Servant, but why didn¡¯t you retaliate? I obviously overextended and made myself vulnerable, this is a mistake that anyone other than you would have took and ended the fight. Indeed I underestimated you, but you underestimating me is a stupid thing¡­¡± she saidLove this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°Ah, sorry I just didn¡¯t think you would be that slow¡­¡± I said in all honesty.


    The girl¡¯s face turned bright red


    ¡°ME?! Slow! Alright, do you know even when lions hunt rabbits they use all fo their power, I have failed to abide by that rule. Next time shall not be like this¡± she said as she moved, much faster than before.


    She then pierced forward with her sword.


    I moved my sword in order to push her weapon away, but it was like trying to move a mountain, the weight of that sword was amazing.


    Forced to dodge I moved aside while my vest was cut from the side.


    Oh¡­


    ¡°You should be careful, your body is still not able to coop with your eyes. You can see the speed of their sword, but your body cannot move accordingly, at least not for now.¡± Said Nocturne.


    Another attack soon followed. Then another, while I was forced to retaliate with less efficiency each time.


    Her attacks would shred and withling at me, without apparent injuries however they still cut my clothes.


    She is moving faster and faster.


    ¡°Lion¡¯s dance!¡± she said as a flurry of attacks soon followed, her sword turning to hundred of needles as it tried to destroy me from all directions.


    ¡°Wind that moves all, Haste!¡± I said with an extremely rapid chanting. As I moved back ten meters with a single step.


    The place where I stood was riddled with holes as the ground was pierced by many invisible powers.


    ¡°Holy shit¡­¡± I said a bit too loud.


    ¡°You can use magic?!¡± the girl said¡­ ¡°Incantations still¡­¡± then her stance changed that her sword was of the same length as her shoulder.


    ¡® A defensive stance, she fears that you might be able to use magic¡­¡¯ said Nocturne ¡®She is adapting to your battle style, while you are showing all your cards rather fast. Now her attacks will be more dangerous, you must end the fight soon¡¯ said Nocturne in a nonchalant way.


    How can I end the fight soon¡­


    I can¡¯t even use Master Shen¡¯s Lotus art as I only know the first stance, but vaguely understand the following stances¡­


    I can¡¯t defeat her using weapons at least not this sword¡­ I should really use my scythe.


    ¡®Don¡¯t, like I said you still don¡¯t understand the power of that weapon, killing her is the same as making yourself an enemy of the royal family, that was never a wise idea..¡¯ said Nocturne


    She moved forward while I chanted


    ¡°Wind that moves all, Hast!¡±


    ¡°Water that submerges all, Water geyser!¡±


    Were both said in a single breath!


    Moving to the side instantly dodging her extended pierce then pulling my free arm forward shooting a torrent of water.


    However, the girl didn¡¯t even look fazed as she flicked her hand and a fireball much too huge soon consumed the water torrent.


    She then followed up with a horizontal chop.


    ¡°Lightning that destroys all, lightning bolt!¡± I cast then using double casting


    ¡°Ice that freezes all, Hailstorm!¡±


    Soon a wave of cold ice washed over a side of the arena while a bolt of lighting was shot from my sword.


    I wanted to electrocute her once my attack lands on her own sword as it acted as a catalyst for electricity.


    However without batting an eye she threw her sword and jumped both her hands summoning an enormous globe of fire that destroyed the cold air and turned the arena into an inferno, she shot it forward.


    ¡®This is cheating! She is using both magic and weapon to a much more better ability than I! you said that it is rare to find people that excel in both categories!¡¯ I said complaining to Nocturne.


    ¡®Relax, this is nothing compared to what a true magic user can use, your ability to summon magic is still small while she was tempered in it from birth. Her progress must have stopped at this level however it is still ar from yours, just suck it up.¡¯ Said nocturne in a laughing manner as he was amused at my suffering.


    I waited until the globe was close to me before I used once again Haste and dodged to the side letting the fireball explode on the arena.


    However, the shockwave sent me tumbling, as I rolled over until I halted to a stop.


    Yet before I could move she was already before me trying to chop away at my side with her sword.


    I hastily pulled mine up, and without a proper grasp on it, it was sent flying outside the arena.


    Then she soon tried to end the game by finishing the fight with a pierce that I dodged right in time while landing a punch on her left ribs luckily I somehow thought about using reinforcement and my hands became harder than steel Which served to force her to groan from pain.


    I moved a bit away. Weaponless this time and really in a deep trouble.


    The girl looked a bit surprised as she said


    ¡°There is no way you are a double negative¡­¡± she said. ¡°I doubted that the moment I saw the blackout, however, this confirms it¡­ how come you have reflexes like these and are not even considered at least with a B class potential.¡±


    ¡®She is buying time¡¯ said Nocturne ¡®that attack right now, must have bruised her ribs, with your hand reinforced in the last moment while she didn¡¯t expect it, she must have taken a heavy hit right now, you should end the fight.¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t think I can, the sword is now outside the arena and cannot be taken back¡­ using magic against her is idiotic and I will not win. However, using my hands¡­ no with carelessness I might end up injuring myself. It was lucky that I managed to reinforce my hands at the last moment, but I don¡¯t think I can do it again.¡¯


    Using monochrome vision I saw that she was reinforcing her side ribs with Qi.


    ¡°I am sorry for causing you such pain Lady Lissandra,¡± I said apologetically


    While her face turned even redder


    ¡®You have no tact, Basara¡­ people of her status, saying these words to them will only serve to infuriate them, and antagonize you. She didn¡¯t want to look weak and now a servant has claimed that she suffered pain at his hands¡­¡¯


    ¡®oh¡­ shit I should probably stop talking¡¯


    ¡®That would be a wise idea¡­¡¯ he said


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. She said, however, I don¡¯t like bullying people without weapons, you should take your weapon again and we can resume the fight. She said¡±


    ¡°Here you go Basara,¡± said the Victor who came bringing the weapon.


    ¡°Ah thank you, However.¡± I said as I looked at the announcer,¡± Is it possible that I get another weapon? No offense Mr. Victor, but I am not that proficient with swords.¡± I said


    ¡°You may if your contender agrees,¡± said the woman as she looked at the royal princess.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± she said


    Hmm, it must be a good chance for her to regain some stamina as I get a replacement.


    ¡°Ah is that so, I was wondering why you were holding that weapon in that sloppy manner. What would you like I could bring you, a hammer? A long sword? A bow?¡±


    ¡°Euh¡­ is it possible that I find a scythe here?¡±


    ¡°A scythe? Like the ones used in harvests?¡± he said


    ¡°Yes preferably one with a long shaft,¡± I said


    ¡°Lady Natalia, do I have permission to go and get one from the gardening house? I am sure I saw one yesterday there.¡± Said Victor.


    ¡°You may, in the meantime the game will pause if both parties agree once again,¡± she said


    ¡°It is alright with me,¡± said the royal princess as she sat down in the lotus position.


    Oh¡­ meditating in the middle of the arena


    I then smirked as I sat opposed to her and did the same.


    In a time of wait, the both of us closed our eyes regenerating the lost energy.


    ¡®Quite an interesting view there, the many people watching must be unable to understand what the both of you re doing right now, however, use that time to replenish your lost power.¡± Said Nocturne ¡®You have lost more energy than you should as I told you before don¡¯t use dual cast for prolonged periods of time, you still don¡¯t have the power for continuous casting.¡¯


    It took about ten minutes for Victor to come back and in that time he came back. The both of us were still meditating.


    ¡°The fight may resume now,¡± said the woman named Natalia


    The first to open her eyes was Lissandra as she stood up


    ¡°Hmm¡­ this is even more proof¡­ someone able to assimilate and a double negative¡­ that orb needs to be checked once again¡­ it must be faulty¡± she said as she stood.


    ¡°Well, I wonder if they would let me take the test once again,¡± I said with a smirk.


    ¡°Here you go, Basara, I hope this is to your liking,¡± he said as he handed me a wooden shafted Scythe with a long blade. This compared to Nocturne¡¯s Scythe is lacking. However, it should do¡­


    ¡°This is a bit too light though,¡± I said then ripped my right and left sleeves


    On it were five metal rings. On each hand. These were part of the limiters that Master Shen had given me.


    He gave me permission to remove them if the need askes for it, however never to remove the whole thing. Just two at most¡­


    Everyone looked shocked¡­ but I still didn¡¯t understand why


    ¡°Five! You have Five on each hand!¡± Said Lady Lissandra! ¡°They must be fake! There is no one capable of even walking with that!¡±


    ¡®I should probably not show her that I have another ten five on each leg and that the linking mechanism is set at max value¡­


    ¡°it helps a bit in controlling my balance,¡± I said smiling as I removed two one from each hand.


    I placed one of them on the end of the wooden shaft, then another on the top. Using a bit of Qi, they locked and made the weapon much heavier. Just to my liking.


    Using a bit of power I swung it around, the sound barrier broke as the scythe made sounds like a while striking at empty air.


    Her ribs looked brand new, or even stronger than before due to the time she meditated, she must be proficient in reinforcement.


    ¡°Begin!¡± said the woman as the girl dashed towards me.¡± With a heavy horizontal chop, she tried to break the wooden shaft of the scythe. After all, it was its weakest point.


    ¡°Cleaning!¡± a sound of metal hitting metal was then heard.


    A look of surprise was painted on Lissandra¡¯s face.


    With a smile I said


    ¡°I forgot to tell you, I am quite good at reinforcement too,¡± I said as my counterattack began.

 Chapter 23 (Rabbits hunting Lions)

    Chapter 23


    I pushed her weapon aside as she took back her stance, moving slower like she was hunting a prey. However, our roles had changed once I have now a weapon I can use better than a simple sword.


    Moving forward I was met with a hail of spells as Lady Lissandra shot a huge fireball towards me.


    Dodging would be a good idea, however¡­


    Strengthening the weapon I struck forward in a single motion destroying the spell as I split it in half. The fireball dissipated as I moved forward like a grim reaper¡­


    With a single stride, I closed the distance as I struck at her.


    She tried to block the attack, however, to block the curved blade of a scythe with a sword is an impossibility. As the scythe managed to slide down and strike at Lady Lissandra¡¯s shoulder.


    Her hand wielding sword shuddered from the impact as a gash was now apparent on her shoulder.


    ¡°That is cheating!¡± said someone from the side, ¡°That is by no mean a swordsman¡¯s weapon!¡± he said


    ¡°Silence! Continue the match¡± said the woman who was supervising the match.


    Lady Lissandra now switched her stance. Her right hand no longer able to hold her sword she was now using her left.


    Her body tensed up for a moment before the blood that was flowing from her shoulder stopped.


    She began now moving more cautiously, defending rather than attacking and probing my defenses with spells cast from range.


    I could easily dodge them right now, as the more spells she uses the more exhausted she looks.


    However, so am I, the longer this match lasts the more I am feeling fatigued. After all, I am much weaker physically than her. She must have trained in the sword since she was young while I only began three months ago.


    Dragging this match longer will result in my loss of advantage, an advantage I gained by using an unexpected weapon.


    If she manages to understand the trick behind it I might lose. So I must end this as soon as possible.


    ¡°Saint slayer¡± she spoke and used a vertical slash.


    The sword let out a blinding light as a wave of energy shot forward, much faster than I anticipated.


    Barely dodging as I slid beneath it I saw her lunging forward with her arm fully extended.


    A fast piercing attack is a good way to penetrate the range of the scythe, However, I was taught the hard way how to not do this blindly.


    Swiftly moving the shaft of the scythe the sword was struck away with ease.


    While I was holding the weapon with both hands I managed to follow up with sticking with the blunt end of the weapon at her exposed chest sending her reeling.


    This time without waiting for her to retaliate or find her stance I went on the offensive.


    Using the butt of the wooden shaft I struck at her hand forcing her weapon away from her arm while at the same time placing the end of the weapon on her neck.


    ¡°Concede defeat,¡± I said as she was now laying on her back, weaponless and unable to do anything.


    The lady gritted her teeth, however, she didn¡¯t try anything foolish.


    ¡°This match is my loss,¡± she said as she stood up.


    The crowd turned to an uproar as most of them didn¡¯t believe the outcome.


    I gave the Lady my hand trying to help her up, but she didn¡¯t bother as she stood on her own.


    She moved away from the arena without uttering a word.


    ¡°Today¡¯s winner is Mr. Basara of the House Ling. Following the rules Basara is now eligible to access the S class.¡± Said the overseer of the match.


    ¡°In accordance, Lady Lissandra is now demoted to class F¡± she then added.


    With that final statement, I understood while looking at the crowd that I made many enemies¡­


    Many had a foul look on their faces, and many were outright hostile¡­ a servant demoting the royal princess to the lowest class¡­


    However, this was not something that I had control over. She came looking for trouble and she had what was coming to her.


    ¡°Give me your card Mr. Basara,¡± said the woman


    Once given to her she placed hers on it and gave it back to me.


    The card still showed a double negative but the bottom of the card showed something different.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    7500 points.


    ¡°As an S class student, you are now entitled to these points. Your class, however, will remain a double negative due to the orb of testing¡¯s influence. Apparently, there was a mistake in calculating your potential and the card showed this absurd result. You can go back to the same hall you took your testing the first time to have it checked once again.¡± She said then she brought a black coin from her pocket. ¡°This is now yours, you may force a challenge or evade one using it. However¡± she said as she looked around ¡°I guess you will be needing more than just one coin¡­¡±


    Well, it is true, I guess that once the S class students understand that I have now joined their ranks, and I am sure that many will come asking for a challenge. I may be able to refuse one¡­ but not everyone¡­


    However losing to an S class person is not a big deal, I will still retain my class¡­ unless¡­


    ¡°Can the black coin be given to anyone?¡± I asked


    ¡°Yes, that coin is given to S class students, but can be given to anyone.¡± Said the lady.


    Sigh¡­ now, this is troublesome if they were given to a powerful servant they can challenge me to a duel and I might end up forced to fight¡­


    ¡°However, now that you have participated in a challenge you are absolved from forced challenges for one week. Unless you accept the challenge of course.¡± She said as she walked away.


    I remained standing on the platform while many of the watchers left.


    The first to approach me was Viktor.


    ¡°Hey! I never thought that you would be able to defeat the princess here, but man that was a good way to use an unorthodox weapon¡­ never had I thought that I would see someone wielding a scythe in my life as an actual combat weapon¡± he said with a smile.


    ¡°Oh indeed,¡± I said ¡°It is a bit unfair that many don¡¯t understand how to fight against it due to how rare it is to see it in an actual combat but still this doesn¡¯t mean that it was easy to learn how to use it,¡± I said as I removed both rings from the weapon then placed them back on me.


    ¡°How are you even able to move using those, by the way?¡± he said


    ¡°What do you mean? The limiters?¡± I said


    ¡°Yes, those rings, they are used to force slaves and convicts from using their full strength. Those are tools of torture, but they are also sometimes used as a form of body tempering, however, five? You must love suffering.¡± He said


    ¡°Well, this was my master¡¯s desire, he said it will help me build a better base of my body.But it just needs time to get used to. Nothing much¡± I said


    ¡°Huh¡­ you are a strange one, Mr. Basara. And by the way, my lady asked me to bring your house, she is Hosting a banquet tonight and is willing to have your house as guests, would you please tell Lady Akari of this?¡± he said


    ¡°Well of course,¡± I said as I gave him back the Scythe. ¡°This is school property, I think it should go back to where it belongs.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, I will make sure to put it back where it was,¡± he said as he grabbed the scythe and scurried away.


    What a serviceable fella.


    ¡°Basara, That was¡­ how can I say, unorthodox, but impressive.¡± Said the old man who was guarding the forest that day.


    ¡°Oh it''s you old man,¡± I said


    ¡°It appears that Shen was not boasting about you, no seeing this with my eyes I guess he didn¡¯t even say half the truth. You, my child, are far stronger than I expected. You are indeed of use¡± said the old man.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I said


    ¡°You are able to locate various treasures within the forest, able to cast magic using a quick cast, and even dual cast. And your Assimilation level has already reached the fourth within but a mere three months.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you managed to sense my level? I didn¡¯t even tell master Shen¡± I said


    ¡°That is of no concern right now. What I want to say is. Looking at your progress I believe that you are worthy of knowing this¡± he said


    ¡°This school teaches people, also it gives them the chance to become one of the most elite of forces, the Enforces. Every three years, ten get chosen to become an enforcer, these ten are always preselected. Most of them are the sons and daughters of powerful houses and some lucky ones that proved themselves. However, you Mr. Basara as a servant of an unknown origin, though you are affiliated to the House Ling, you will never be chosen as one of them¡±


    He said


    in his words, I felt that my heart sank


    ¡°Unless,¡± he said you buy your way in¡± he added with a smile


    ¡°How do you do that? I don¡¯t believe I have enough money to do so¡±


    ¡°There is a ticket that enables you to be one of these enforces. It is the most expensive item in the school glossary, if you get your hand on enough points to get it, you will undoubtedly become an enforcer. Even if ten seats are taken. You shall be given the eleventh seat. No one in their right mind will ever think of not giving you that seat once you acquire that ticket¡­¡± he said as he walked away.


    A ticket? And a guaranteed spot¡­ I should probably check it out.


    Looking where Lady Akari and Melinda were seated I saw that they had left while I was speaking with these guys.


    I had nothing better to do so I went to see this glossary.


    Once inside the school¡¯s main building I was met with several gazes of different people, many had a look of mild interest, but the rest were outright hostile.


    I tried to avoid any confrontations or contact with any of them as I headed straight for the library that held the records.


    Looking through them I understood many things.


    This school works based on points, these points are like merit points. They can be exchanged for food and commodities. You can even supply your room with different furniture or even outright buy another room with enough points.


    It had many things, and the prices would get higher the lower you get on the list.


    Some items were resources found only in the Undying forest. Some were resources that were too rare that their price was in the one hundred thousand points.


    Some items had a buy and sell option on them, why some had only one


    ¡®Oh a red devil¡¯s heart, that would help a lot to reinforce your body if you could get your hand on it¡¯ said Nocturne.


    ¡®You know these things?¡± I asked


    ¡®Most of them are used in high-level alchemy I don¡¯t think that they are still here at this time. Like that item right there Thrall¡¯s fang¡¯ thralls have disappeared from this world a long time ago. That fang is so valuable that if you fill this entire library with gold for it, it will still be far from its true worth.¡¯


    Hmm. That fang was given the price of 500 000 points¡­ quite the price¡­


    However, this was not the most expensive one, as there were two other things beneath it.


    ¡°A true Qi refining Pill¡±


    ¡°Valued at 750 000 points to purchase and not to sell¡­ ah this means that the school will not buy this from you if you have it but will only sell it to you at this price¡±


    ¡°Huh? That is absurd, that pill should be valued a lot less than the thrall¡¯s fang.¡± Said Nocturne.


    ¡°How come?¡± I said


    ¡®They are not that difficult to make, the only ingredient that is hard to get is a golden root of Yggdrasil¡­ you already have one¡± said Nocturne.


    Ah¡­ so the school operates that way. They will sell you items that are no use to them, but will never sell things that are really that expensive.


    Lastly.


    An enforcer¡¯s badge.


    1 000 000 points.


    Having enough points to get this will not be easy¡­ I would be needing at least a thousand of those roots from that tree, or to fight a lot in that arena¡­


    This will be a lot difficult than I expected. Still, I have three years where I can gather up everything.


    I should head back to the dorm. I need to inform lady Akari about that party and change these clothes, I ripped the sleeves and they are filled with cuts¡­ there is no way that I should accompany her looking like this.


    Walking away from the glossary I had a new objective in mind¡­


    Securing 1 000 000 points¡­ how hard can it be?

 Chapter 24 (Party invite, and a date with a princess?)

    Chapter 24


    Going back to my room I saw Melinda at the door with a smile beaming with pride. She was happy. It seems that my victory today gave them a lot of pride, and some leverage.


    A double negative that managed to defeat an S classed. How often does that happen? Never.


    ¡°lady Akari is very glad that you managed to defeat Lady Lissandra, though it might get a bit troublesome in the future I like to assure you that you have done well in defending our House¡¯s motto. Never back down from a challenge, from whomever it is.¡± She said


    ¡°Thank you for your kind words,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°I only did what I could, I never thought I would win though, it was more luck than skill, I still have much to learn¡±


    ¡°There is no such thing as luck, even if many think that your weapon was unorthodox and not a weapon sued by a swordsman, it still brought you victory, it is your opponent¡¯s fault for not being able to adapt, not yours for winning the match.¡± She said as she entered.


    ¡°I have brought you a new set of clothes. Yours have been damaged and we don¡¯t want to appear like beggars.¡± She said as she handed me a newer butler suit.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, By the way, the house Dantess has invited Lady Akari to a Party that will be held tonight I hope that you would inform her,¡± I said


    Melinda gave an acknowledging nod and moved away.


    I took the new set of clothes and entered my room. After closing the door I heard Nocturne saying.


    ¡®Don¡¯t get arrogant, that was just one win, if you were to fight with that woman again I believe that you will face defeat. You have still much to learn, and many things to improve.¡±


    ¡®You don¡¯t have to act like that, I won, and that is that I won¡¯t act arrogant and I know my limits if it truly was not for that weapon that match would have ended differently that I know. Furthermore, I know that many would now be wanting to take me down, I have one week to get stronger then challengers will come knocking on my door¡±


    ¡®At least you know what is good for you. Then we shall resume, I have many complains about how you dealt with that game and where you could improve many, many things¡¯ said Nocturne as I took the lotus position and began assimilating.


    Entering my sea of consciousness I thought that Nocturne will attack as soon as I stepped in, but luckily he didn¡¯t


    ¡°Relax,¡± he said ¡°Look¡± he added as he waved his hand replaying the game of this day.


    ¡°Your movements are sluggish, you never properly held your sword correctly, your grip was too firm but without balance or confidence behind it. You moved based on instinct and not on skill. The woman you fought was rather accurate, organized and knew what she was doing, while you were passive, and only acted based on the outcome of her attacks. Never in the whole game have you taken the initiative. Only counter attacking which places you in a feeble position against people that have strong and continuous attack patterns.¡± He said fully analyzing my combat.


    ¡°You are too lax. I should probably step up our spars by a notch.¡± Said Nocturne as he grinned a bit


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    Then there were two Nocturnes before me.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    They both grinned at each other and looked towards me saying


    ¡°This should be just about enough to bring you to your limit Basara.¡± They both said as they dived me.


    And so the hellish training began.


    Within the slowed time a dodge practice started.


    Nocturne wanted for me to see an opportunity to turn the tables, to be the one that initiates an attack and not remain passive while waiting for a counter. However, I was barely able to remain standing with just one Nocturne, now that they are two¡­ I could barely survive for five breaths before I die a gruesome and horrible way.


    The giant black orb that floated inside my sea of consciousness was gradually growing in size. Bit by bit consuming the natural Qi and evolving.


    Every time I would exert myself I would feel the specks of Qi invading my body, refining it, and removing the various impurities within it.


    My body would grow stronger the longer I am assimilating, while also training with Nocturne my Mind will grow sharper.


    After few hours of constant agony and without visible progress on how to deal with the duo Nocturne I was wakened up by Melinda.


    ¡°It is time Basara, we should start preparing for the Party at the Dantess¡¯s lodging,¡± said Melinda.


    ¡°Ugh! You stink!¡± she then added, ¡°Hurry up and take a shower, you are becoming an assimilation maniac.¡± She said before she left.


    Looking at my body it was indeed filled with sweat. A greasy kind of it. Once Qi enters the body it refines it from the base. Doing so the bloodstreams cause the impurities to be exerted through the body¡¯s pores as a form of sweat.


    ¡®Your body is almost ready for a breakthrough. Once you reach the fifth level you will have fully refined your flesh, then you will begin with refining your bones and marrow, after that, you will have to open your meridians and unlock your Dantian so that you can circulate Qi within your body¡± said Nocturne.


    ¡°Meridians? Dantian? What are those?¡± I said as I heard these terms for the first time in my life.


    ¡°Sigh, your world knows not about the secrets of Cultivation, even naming it assimilation is an offense to its name. in order to empower your body, you must know of its secrets. You will understand what I am talking about once you reach the sixth level. Your master Shen is unable to breakthrough due to his lack of understanding regarding the matter.¡±


    ¡°No need to hurry then,¡± I said ¡°all will be known in due time,¡± I said as I went to the showers.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Once done I wore my clothes and dried my hair. I met Melinda who was wearing her usual maid clothes, she was elegant. I wonder how a dress would look on her.


    ¡°Finally you are done. Hurry up, Lady Aakarii has been waiting for a time now¡± she said as she moved forward.


    Outside the room Lady Akari was waiting for us, she was wearing a sleeveless red dress patterned with a golden style, and on the back, there was a coining red dragon that washes roaring defying the heavens.


    ¡°We should not delay any longer,¡± Said Lady Akari.


    ¡°Sorry for taking your time My lady¡±I answered apologizing.


    ¡°No matter lets go,¡± she said as she moved forward. The two of us followed behind¡±


    It was night time and the weather was rather chilly, but that didn¡¯t seem to bother Lady Akari.


    The Dorm room of the Hosue Dantess was on the other building. So we had to cross the large school entrance to reach it.


    Once our identities have been approved by the operators within the building we were granted access.


    Going all the way to the seventh floor via a strange platform that would carry people up and down. We reached the designated room.


    It was of the same size as ours, however, it had much more decoration than where we were lodging.


    It seems that the room owner had spent a huge amount of points into modifying their room purchasing luxurious furniture and different items to make themselves more comfortable.


    Victor was there to receive us as he bowed before Lady Akari saying


    ¡°Welcome to our humble stay Lady of the House Ling.¡± He said then looked at Melinda and I giving the both of us an acknowledging nod.


    Once inside we saw a huge table that was filled with luxurious looking food and on one side of it a woman of almost the same age as I was sitting.


    ¡°This is the first daughter of the Hosue Dantess, Lady Selena Dantess. I present to you the first Daughter of the House Ling Lady Akari Ling¡± said Victor in a polite manner


    ¡°I am glad to make your acquaintances,¡± said Lady Akari as she gave an elegant bow.


    ¡°The pleasure is mine, please have a seat Lady Akari,¡± she said


    Once lady Akari sat, the both of us, me and Melinda stood behind her as Melinda was first to move and helping Lady Akari by moving her chair for her.


    Once seated the both of them began by asking about family and stuff.


    While the food was being served by another servant, he, however, wore a mask on his face and didn¡¯t utter a word.


    ¡°This is Drogo, this is of rare words don¡¯t be bothered by his mask he is a caring person,¡± said Lady Selena


    ¡°No problem,¡± said Lady Akari as they continued with their small talk.


    This was the number one rule of the noble etiquettes, where people ask about miscellaneous stuff in order to prove another¡¯s mind, hoping to find anything to use as a leverage, though this was a simple conversation, the both of them were trying to grasp something of one another. It was also a battle, however, this one was without sword or magic, but with words. A deadly battle¡­


    ¡°So, today¡¯s invitation was due to something I need from you Lady Akari.¡± Said Selena.


    Then she looked at me.


    ¡°Would you be willing to sell me that servant of yours?¡± she asked.


    ¡®Huh?¡¯


    ¡®It seems that you became some sort of livestock to be bought and sold¡¯ said Nocturne as he laughed.


    ¡°I Have to refuse, my Lady,¡± said Lady Akari


    With those words, I felt relieved but didn¡¯t show anything.


    ¡°I know what you are thinking, Indeed Basara showed a remarkable talent and incredible power, defeating Lady Lissandra and managing to bring back honor to our house, however, we don¡¯t treat our servants as merchandise to be bought and sold at our whims.¡± She said with a serious look on her face.


    ¡°Relax, relax,¡± said Lady Selena as she laughed ¡°I was only wanting to see your reaction. Even I don¡¯t consider my servants as tools, they are like my family and I treat them right. Thus I wanted to see how you are treating yours, I am amazed though, as I understand¡­ Basara is an orphaned child, who was groomed by your house only a few months ago. And now he is the most talked about within the royal School Visania. I believe the king will also come to know the name of the person that had defeated his prized daughter.¡± She said with a grin.


    Easily bringing about the fact that I am of an unknown background¡­


    ¡°What do you intend to say with words like these?¡± said lady Akari while raising a brow.


    ¡°I just want you to know, that once the secret is known you will face heat from the rest of the students, I am here to elevate that heat. I am willing to do a business relationship with you.¡± She said.


    ¡°As you know, the House Dantess is the one responsible for intelligence and acts as a safeguard to the kingdom¡¯s intelligence. We know everything about everyone. The current events have proven to be problematic. The fact that a servant reached the Higher class is enough to cause problems for everyone here in the school. What I ask is that Basara would accept a challenge from one of my servants and would lose the match. Thus demoting him back to the S class. In doing so my servant will challenge Lady Lissandra and lose to her giving back her seat.¡± She said


    Yet before lady Akari would speak Lady Selena said


    ¡°I know this is rather selfish, however, you will be compensated for this. I am willing to give you 50 000 points in exchange for this. There is no need for Basara to remain in the S class, though I am being a bit discriminative, however a noble will be much of use if they receive the teachings of the S class. On the other hand, I am ready to prepare for Basara to study in a B class without him being forced out of it or looked down upon by others.¡± She said


    Melinda looked a bit angry but didn¡¯t speak.


    Even I didn¡¯t understand why she would be asking something like this¡­


    ¡°Lady Selena, I would have to decline. Basara had earned his class due to his hard work, and I will not be the one to force him out of that class, he has gained it and it is his responsibility to keep it. No matter who, our house will not tolerate pressure and will stand firm against other trying to leverage us with pressure. As for lady Lissandra, I am sure someone with her talent can climb back easily to the S class.¡± Said Lady Akari


    ¡°it seems that you failed to understand the reason behind my words Lady Akari, Basara will sooner or later be demoted from his class, I am just saying that we should take advantage of that certain fact before it is too late. If we give back lady Lissandra her seat then she will be indebted towards us and we can use that dept in the future.¡± She said trying to convince Lady Akari.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I am willing to listen to this anymore. I have said this and will say it again, We in the house Ling will not tolerate being bullied. If Lady Lissandra had lost her seat she better work hard to reclaim it. As for Basara, he earned it with his hard work and I will not be the one to take that away from him, no matter the reward.¡± Said Lady Akari as she stood up and left.


    I gave a bow towards everyone and followed by Melinda Lady Akari.


    ¡®That is a good mistress you have there, Basara¡¯ said Nocturne


    Indeed. I never thought that she would think so highly of me¡­ I have to work hard to make her not feel that she made a mistake in not taking this chance.


    ¡°Thank you lady Akari for everything,¡± I said.


    ¡°What are you talking about, this is rather normal, I was expecting someone to do this anyway. She tried to take a place of power mentioning the background of her house and how she knows about your background, then tried to give an easy solution which will benefit her more. I don¡¯t really like people like that. And you should better stay away from them, Points? Favors? Those are but sweet words that have no weight. I will not tolerate people trying to take what is rightfully mine, and you too Basara don¡¯t let anyone take what is yours unjustly.¡± She said as she moved forward.


    Once we reached our dorm room, it seems that there were two people waiting outside the door to our room.


    They were two servants with the emblem of the lion on their back¡­ servants of the royal family¡­


    They turned around exuding an authoritative aura. One of them was a tall man who was probably in his early twenties. While the other was a short looking buy probably around 14-15 years old.


    ¡°I presume you are Basara,¡± said the short servant without giving a glance towards Lady Akari.


    ¡°Lady Lissandra wishes to speak with you.¡± He said and gave me an envelope.


    ¡°Thank you for your time,¡± he said and left the perimeter.


    The tall looking man gave us a probing look and left.


    Lady Akari looked at me and said


    ¡°Remember, Never let anyone take what is yours without your consent.¡± She said without Asking what was inside the envelope.


    Once Lady Akari entered the room I looked at Melinda who was a bit interested in the contents of the letter but didn¡¯t want to say it.


    Sigh.


    I opened the letter and saw something written inside it.


    ¡°Come meet me at the gates of the undying forest at Midnight, come alone¡± Lissandra Visania.


    Huh¡­


    ¡°It seems that you have a night date with a royal princess,¡± said Melinda with a smirk.


    Sigh¡­


    this letter smells of trouble¡­

 Chapter 25 (Treasure hunting in the undying forest.)

    Once it was midnight I walked alone to the rims of the undying forest. where the old ma was still diligently guarding the entrance.


    ¡°You have proven yourself, Basara, I apologize for troubling you will all that,¡± said the old man.


    ¡°It is alright, I got a good experience out of it, but please don¡¯t try to do something like that again, I had enough problems with just this,¡± I said to the old man who laughed at my words but didn¡¯t say anything about it.


    ¡°Finally you are here,¡± said Lady Lissandra who showed up from nowhere.


    She was rather alluring under the moonlight. Her body was looking lustrous and eye-catching as the various curves on her showed how splendidly well proportioned she was. A body honed to perfection, just about the right size of muscles with the right amount of flesh to make her look both strong and beautiful¡­


    ¡°Yes, my Lady I have received your letter,¡± I said towards her as I gave a polite bow.


    ¡°No matter, follow me,¡± she said


    ¡°Where to?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Inside the forest, I need your help,¡± she said


    I squinted my eyes at her statement but followed after the Old man Nodded.


    I still have the coin, so if I end up in trouble I can just use it to call upon a teacher for help.


    ¡°Stop acting all tensed up, I won¡¯t eat you.¡± She said as she walked forward.


    I used monochrome vision trying to locate anything out of the ordinary.


    ¡°I guess that wandering the forest at night shouldn¡¯t be that much of a good idea Lady Lissandra,¡± I said


    ¡°Not for weaklings that is, this time is the time of hunting treasures¡­ I had my eyes on something from this forest and I really need it¡± she said


    ¡°What thing?¡± I asked


    ¡°A moonlight butterfly¡¯s wings,¡± she said


    ¡®so there still exists that creature¡­ if it is indeed here we must capture it, Basara, it is needed for your advancement¡± said Nocturne


    ¡®What is this moonlight butterfly?¡¯ I asked


    ¡®It is an enormous creature that feeds on the Qi from the moon, it is mostly harmless and would not attack unless threatened, but still, it uses the energy of the moon to dispell its foes, you must be careful you barely meet the minimum to fight against it.¡¯ Siad Nocturne


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they dangerous these creatures?¡± I asked


    ¡°Indeed,¡± she said


    ¡°Then why not ask one of your servants? They should be of more help, and are a safer choice than asking a stranger for help¡± I said


    ¡°Indeed they are, but none of them has a grimoire.¡± She said as she stopped.


    ¡®Huh!¡¯


    ¡°I saw it, that day, I saw you using that book. You even managed to summon that unholy weapon. But you didn¡¯t use it in the arena¡­ why?¡±


    ¡°if you had seen me using it why not show yourself up?¡± I asked


    ¡°Answer my question first,¡± she said while squinting her eyes.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ this is a weapon that is incompatible with life forms¡­ if I were to use it, I might have accidentally killed you¡­ or something like that¡± I said as I scratched my head


    ¡°Interesting¡­ can I see it?¡± she asked.


    Nocturne didn¡¯t say anything and so I called the book.


    Once the black book appeared, it looked more¡­ lustrous, and newer.


    ¡®How come it looks like this now?¡± I asked Nocturne


    ¡®The state of the book represents your state, once you are in a perfect physical and mental condition you will be able to read more from its pages and understand more about its secrets.¡¯ Said Nocturne.


    The book floated on top of my right arm, while Lissandra¡¯s eyes were wide open.


    I pressed my hand on the pages of the book and the scythe was pulled from within.


    Fearsom, eerie, and death beckoning the scythe¡¯s blade was vibrating loudly that my ears felt like they were ringing.


    ¡°What an awful looking weapon¡­. Said Lady Lissandra¡±


    ¡°Indeed it is¡­¡± I said


    ¡°May I hold it?¡± she asked.


    ¡®She must not touch the blade with her hands, the shaft is alright, that is if she could withstand the weight¡¯


    ¡°Here,¡± I said as I gave it to her ¡°try not to touch the blade¡­ considered it to be extremely poisonous.¡±


    She nodded then she took the weapon. However, the moment I passed her the scythe, her entire body was almost thrown out of balance as the weight of the weapon pulled her down.


    ¡°Oh my god! so heavy!¡± she said as she was barely able to hold the weapon right.


    ¡°How come you are able to hold this with ease?!¡± she said as she was appraising the weapon while its shaft was implanted on the ground¡±


    ¡°I just happen to be able to do it. Perhaps as its owner I don¡¯t feel the same weight¡± I said


    ¡°Probably¡­ or it is probably because of those rings you have on your arms¡­ tell me the truth, are they real ones? I believe that you one have two real ones and the rest are fakes. A sort of psychological attack before a match?¡± she said


    ¡°You can assume what pleases you most,¡± I said towards her.


    She puffed her cheeks but didn¡¯t pursue the matter.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± she said as she handed me the weapon.


    ¡°As for your question, those servants are not mine. How can I explain this¡­¡± she said as she walked forward.


    ¡°Our house is a house of royals, we are supported by nobles. These nobles represent one¡¯s power. The more one controls the more one would be able to exert this power. My twin brother has a lot of nobles under his hand, considered to be the next heir to the house many gave their support to him. As for me, I will finally end up as a gift to some random noble¡¯s house once my brother ascends the throne.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked


    ¡°Sigh¡­ once brother manages to take the reigns and rule the kingdom, I will be kicked to the sides, no one wants someone to compete with him for the kingdom. If I were to be wed to a noble¡¯s house I will no longer have the right to claim the throne, and if brother manages to take control of the kingdom fast enough. Then I will not be able to say no.¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°So your objective is to take control over the kingdom before your brother?¡± I asked


    ¡°Many would think that way, but no. there is no way for me to do that, Brother has a lot of supporters, and he is a male, so being an heir is a sure thing. What I require is to become an enforcer before brother¡¯s certain ascent to the throne.¡± She said


    ¡°Why an enforcer?¡± I asked


    Lady Cassandra paused for a moment before saying.


    ¡°I never had any intention of becoming a ruler. All my life I studied the sword, wanting to become someone to leave a mark in history, not as a commander but a soldier. Someone that walks the way of the blade, and ends up carving his name with blood¡± she said


    ¡®A difficult dream¡­¡¯ said Nocturne.


    ¡°remaining within the safeguard of the palace, waiting to be wed is no different from being a prisoner to be traded for benifices. I understood this when I was young and therefore I took the blade. My master thought me many things, however, I still was not able to defeat you. I held the sword since I was 6 and still was not able to defeat you, you who were told to have started learning under Lord Shen for only three months¡­however, I know of Lord Shen¡¯s style of demonic lotus, you didn¡¯t use that to defeat me¡­ tell me Basara, who truly is your master? Can I meet him?¡±


    I sighed before saying


    ¡°He is an old bag of bones right now¡­ so sorry I don¡¯t think you could.¡±


    Nocturne then laughed as he heard this saying


    ¡®Well said¡¯


    ¡°I am sorry for your loss,¡± she said as she walked forward.


    ¡°Once I become an enforcer, I will no longer be bound to my family. I know it is only me escaping from my duties, however, it is all I have right now.¡± She said


    I nodded at her statement and we continued on walking forward.


    Looking around us I saw many things giving a faint luster to the darkness of the night.


    ¡®there exist a lot of treasures here¡­¡¯ said Nocturne


    ¡°I remember you needed a golden root of Yggdrasil, do you intend on making a Qi refining pill?¡± I asked


    ¡°How would you know?¡± she asked a bit surprised.


    ¡°I have the same intention,¡± I said as I remembered Nocturne saying that he wanted to make one.


    ¡°However, that root can only be useful to make a single pill¡­¡± she said, ¡°I will try and ask father to get me one.¡± She said


    ¡°There is no need, there is one right under you,¡± I said with a smirk.


    ¡°Huh,¡±? she looked under her but squinted her eyes ¡°Are you making fun of me?¡± she said


    ¡°No! I wouldn¡¯t dare. But really there is one, please step aside.¡± I said as I dug the ground.


    Then revealed a lustrous shining root that was an underground extension of a nearby tree.


    ¡°Oh my god, it truly is a golden root!¡± she said with awe. ¡°Hang on we need proper tools to unearth this least we damage it,¡± she said, ¡°Ah damn it, we will need to go all the way back to get some proper tools.¡± She said ¡°Could you wait here I will go and get them?¡± she said


    ¡°No need,¡± I said as I crouched placing my hand on it she tried to stop me saying


    ¡°You will ruin it if you use your hands!¡±


    ¡°I can uproot it, but you will have to keep what you see a secret,¡± I said


    ¡®Are you sure about this Basara? If she understands that you are using the flames of creation you might find yourself in deep trouble later¡¯


    ¡°Do you promise?¡± I said


    ¡°I vow on my honor that I shall not divulge your secret,¡± she said wanting to know how I will do so


    Then a wave of black light covered the root digging it out without damaging it in the least.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± I said as I handed it to her.¡±


    ¡®What are you doing Basara? Didn¡¯t you find this? It should be yours. one is enough you might sell this for points¡­¡¯ said Nocturne


    ¡®Points are irrelevant, do you remember what that woman in the house Dantess said¡­ she wanted the favorite of one of royal lineage, and now I am doing that in a more convincing and a better manner. This way she will feel indebted to me and will be willing to pay back her dept later in the future. I am not giving it for free, and I think she will understand that too.¡¯


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± she asked


    ¡°Consider it a gift,¡±I said with a smile


    She didn¡¯t hesitate before getting her hands on it and covered it with a cloth she brought with her.


    ¡°Thank you, I will cherish it well,¡± she said ¡°But tell me¡­ how were you able to see the root? Can you sense Qi?¡±


    ¡°That would be a secret and I really have told you many things right now,¡± I said as I walked forward.


    ¡°Indeed, sorry for prying too much¡­¡± she said, ¡°You are just too interesting.¡± She said as we walked forward.


    ¡°So tell me, where is that Butterfly you spoke about,¡± I asked


    ¡°I was told by someone that there exists a lake close to the center of the forest. there are several moonstones there and today is a full moon, the resonance between those moonstones and the moon creates the perfect environment for a moonlight butterfly to roam the place. My informant had told me that he saw several of them going about that place and I intend on getting my hand on one of them¡± she said.


    ¡°We are rather close to that lake though so we should walk in a slower and more confined manner, many beasts roam the place and it might get dangerous¡±


    ¡®It is rather strange that though I feel the presence of several beasts, they are all heading away from us¡­¡¯ said Nocturne.


    ¡°I thought this forest should be filled with monsters,¡± I said


    ¡°Normally, yes. However, I bought this with me¡± she said as she brought a small black with several red lines. It looked like an ignited ember.


    ¡°This thing chases away lower beasts, its smell is strong enough that it gives them the feeling that a strong predator is nearby.¡± She said then placed it back on her backpack


    ¡®That is indeed a good way to chase away lower beast, yet using it is the same as using a beacon that will summon stronger and more powerful beasts towards your location¡­ said Nocturne


    I remained silent the entire time.


    Once we reached the clearing we saw an enormous creature that was floating around a huge colocation of with stones.


    It looked like a giant creature that had winges made of roots. Its body was rather small, almost resembling a human made of roots while its wings looked like to encroach to the skies.


    ¡°That is the creature we need to hunt.¡± She said


    ¡°Well getting up there will be a huge trouble,¡± I said.


    ¡°Not really if we cant get there we need it to come down to us.¡± She said


    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t have any long-range attacks, but I remember your saint slayer ability can send waves of Qi to long distances¡­ can they reach there?¡± I asked


    ¡°yes ic a manage¡­ however, killing that thing is not the problem¡­ its actually getting away from here once we do so.¡±


    What do you mean?¡± I asked


    ¡°This member is about to die down, thankfully the creature over there is not bothered by its scent otherwise it would have escaped or even worse attacked us. However once it goes off, the various beasts that were chased out will come back here and will probably hunt us down.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you light another one?¡± I said


    ¡°It won¡¯t work, it only works once on these things, using it a second time will be just a waste.¡± She said


    Sigh, we should have brought more members


    ¡°So while you are fighting that thing, I will be protecting you from the incoming monsters right?¡± is an aid as I understood her reason for bringing me with her.¡±


    ¡°Right, I couldn¡¯t bring my servants because they will probably just let me here to die, and couldn¡¯t ask another house due to their affiliation with my brother. The rest were weak even if loyal. It only leaves you, from the House Ling who is affiliated to the king himself, and has a servant strong enough to defeat the princess.¡± She said with a smile.


    ¡®Sigh, I feel like I was used.¡¯


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about compensation, I will give you half the spoils,¡± She said with a wink.


    You can¡¯t go against that¡­


    ¡°Alright let''s see, how long do we have before the coal¡¯s effect ends?¡±


    ¡°About three to four minutes, I am glad we managed to get here that fast¡±


    ¡°I need just two minutes,¡± I said as I sat down in the lotus position.


    Closing my eyes and sensing the Qi around me I forced my pores to open and absorb the energy within the world. In doing so the whole world brightened up as various colors were visible around me.


    With a strong vibration, the energy within me erupted as a strong pulse of Qi blew outwards.


    I achieved a breakthrough to the fifth level. With it, my sea of consciousness erupted with energy as several parts of the enormous black sun were pulled apart from it.


    Five in total. They were dimmer and less powerful than the central sixth one.


    Opening my eyes I could feel six different new¡­ things within me


    One on my forehead, One on each wrist, and another one on each thigh.


    And the final one in my abdomen.


    ¡®What are these?¡¯ I said as I asked Nocturne


    ¡®Congratulations, you have finished refining your fleshly body and now began with your spiritual one. The five different parts, head hand leg are your meridians, while the one in your abdomen is your Dantian, it serves to store Qi while your meridians serve to release it. Now you will no longer need to use your breathing technique to circulate Qi around you, you may store it in your Dantian and exert it to your meridians for usage, however, don¡¯t do this right now, you need a lot of training before it. Your physical body has not reached its most optimal condition, feeding it less or sleeping less will not hinder you, however, I would advise you to eat more and train more, further refining your muscles and body¡± said Nocturne.


    ¡°You achieved a breakthrough? Congratulations. What level are you right now?¡± she said¡±


    ¡°Oh I just reached the fifth¡± I answered


    ¡°The fight?! You mean you defeated me while you were only on your fourth level¡­ sigh, this is shaming me more, anyway, we have something to deal with we can talk about this later.¡± She said as she looked at the hovering creature.


    ¡°Once it begins attacking it will not stop until either of us dies. Make sure to not let any creatures get too close to us, I will be needing my wholehearted concentration to defeat this.¡± Said Lady Lissandra


    And just like that, various howls resounded throughout the forest where hooves and various beasts got closer to where we stood.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± she asked


    ¡°Whenever you are, I said as I brought forward my weapon.¡± We were back to back, where one side faced an enormous butterfly while the other faced numerous creatures¡­ How come a private discussion turned out to be something like this? But it doesn¡¯t matter when worse comes to worse I still have Nocturne to get me out of this mess¡­ I hope.

 Chapter 26 (Death strolling within the undying forest)

    Chapter 26


    Looking ahead I saw several wolves like creatures approaching us with steady and careful steps. Behind me, Lady Lissandra was preparing to engage in the butterfly. These wolves looked strange. Pitch black fur, and huge in size, with drooling maws that asked for flesh. Amongst them, a solitary wolf stood tall, he was twice their size with almost three meters long, while it had a horn on its head.


    ¡®it seems that a silver fang wolf has appeared¡­¡¯


    ¡®You must retain carefulness while fighting against it. It will try to kill you using superior numbers, be very careful Basara.¡¯


    This is the first time I saw a wolf though. And somehow a deep primal fear premature my bones and body, it was the fear of death, the fear of the unknown, truly. Looking at this beast made the hairs on my back stand to no end.


    ¡®Steady your heart Basara, you have met with greater danger than this, met with me, and suffered countless deaths at my hand, why fear what can be killed while not fearing what cannot be killed.¡¯


    He must be talking about himself¡­


    ¡®Indeed, I should steel my heart, however, I can¡¯t help but be afraid.¡¯ I replied as I moved forward calling upon my Scythe.


    ¡®Youcan only use this for a brief amount of time Basara, once you quell a life it will grow heavier and rampage more. Be wary and be careful lest that you lose control and die to it sucking all of your energy away.¡¯ Said Nocturne


    Hmm. So this all powerful weapon has a weakness like this.


    ¡®How long do you think I can stand using this?¡¯ I asked.


    ¡®At most, five minutes. Any longer and you will suffer from splitting headache and you will lose your body¡¯s balance forcing your limiter to destroy you.¡¯


    ¡®I guess five minutes is about alright¡¯ I said as I looked at the charging wolves.


    The first to come forth was three black wolves that encircled me. While two others went toward Lady Lissandra.


    Without batting an eye, I jumped forward ignoring the three wolves and came down crashing with my scythe towards one of the two wolves that got too close to Lady Lissandra who just commenced her attack on the butterfly.


    The moment the scythe cute through the skin of the wolf, it turned limp. Falling down dead and unmoving.


    However, the scythe grew heavier as a result. It was still bearable, yet if this continues it will be very hard using this.


    Striking at the second Wolf it also died on the spot. This forced the other wolves to become much wearier from the weapon as they slowed down their approach and became much more careful.


    ¡°Careful Basara!¡± said Lady Lissandra.


    Turning around I saw the huge butterfly¡¯s wings glowing white with hundreds of light bolts shooting towards me.


    I could only run forward trying to evade as the bolts struck and shattered the ground. With each bolt caving and piercing at the same time a huge portion of the earth.


    Receiving only one of them is equivalent to death.


    The wolves grew much wearier as they began to retreat slowly yet not giving up on the hunt.


    The silver fang then howled, and just like that, the moment the torrent of bullets stopped I found myself swarmed with wolves as they all charged at once.


    I could kill one, or even two, yet once I am caught I will be ripped to pieces.


    ¡°Fire that burns all, Firestorm!¡±


    ¡°Lightning that destroyed all, Chained lighting!¡±


    I dual cast my two strongest spells. Normally for anyone else, these spells wouldn¡¯t even be considered strong spells, they are used via a chant, making them weaker than their original. And also used by someone of low magic capacity. However, they were the strongest spells I could call upon right now.


    A ring of fire burst out from beneath me and shot toward the wolves, right after that. A lightning streak shot forward, the moment it landed on one wolf, it spread to the others channeling the lightning that began to resonate as it burnt every single one of the wolves touched by it to a crisp.


    Once the majority of the black wolves died, the silver fang decided to retreat. No longer wanting to fight. This wolf is smart, knowing that it has not the chance to win it decided to retreat sacrificing his own kin to give him a chance at it.


    A wail sounded from behind me as the butterfly cried out.


    Once I looked at the scene I saw that Lady Lissandra was already atop the butterfly hacking away at the root of one of its wings.


    Successfully cutting the wing, the butterfly struggled to remain afloat and fell down. However looking at the situation it seems that the beast was trying to bring down Lady Lissandra with it. As she looked to be struggling to get her stuck feet free from the tangling roots.


    Wanting to help but unable to I only looked at the scene helplessly.


    Then the crash came. I hurried towards the location of the two to find the butterfly unable to move, with green blood spilling from its side.


    It was a huge creature, almost ten meters long without accounting for the gigantic wings on its back. Lady Lisssandra was somewhere stuck under this. Fearing the worst I struggled to try to free her from under the beast.


    Once I reached out to her, she had blood seeping from her forehead and various cuts all around her.


    Using monochrome vision I saw that her left hand and right leg were fractured. Her head also had a small fraction on the forehead side, the shock must have rendered her unconscious, I believe that if she didn¡¯t strengthen her body at the last moment she would have become a splat on the ground. She doesn¡¯t have a lot of time¡­


    I picked up her sword and hacked the roots that were entangled to her away, in doing so the Butterfly gave more howls of pain. Forcing me to end its misery with a stab to the head.


    Its head was disgusting to look at, like a creature of horror with but teeth and five lifeless eyes looking forward. Now dead only a look of horror was printed on it.


    The situation is dire¡­ without help, Lady Lissandra will die.


    I placed my hands in my pockets and picked up a golden coin. This was the coin to be used to call for assistance. If in trouble.


    Once I pressed on it. It instantly turned to dust without giving a signal.


    ¡°Huh? This shouldn¡¯t be right?¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡®That coin is fake¡­¡¯ said Nocturne ¡®Once you broke it, instead of the Qi surging towards the school it died down. There is something or someone not wanting you to send a signal for help¡­ there is no other choice you must hurry and cut off the other wing before it begins deteriorating.¡± Said Nocturne.


    ¡®This woman will die


    if not taken care of, I don¡¯t think that wing is worth the life of Lady Lissandra.¡¯


    ¡®Indeed it is not, however you can use that wing to cure her, don¡¯t waste the chance.¡¯ Said Nocturne.


    I walked towards the wing and sliced it. It wasn¡¯t that tough right now, due to Qi no longer circulating, once the two wings were cut apart they looked like enormous flags that spanned a few dozen meters.


    ¡®How are we going to use this?¡¯ I said to Nocturne.


    ¡®You must first refine them. Once that is done their size can be immensely decreased and their potency enhanced.¡¯ He said


    ¡®How do we refine them then?¡¯ I asked


    ¡® use your energy to force the impurities out of the wing and enhance Qi, like you do to your body you will force this item to undergo the same treatment. Due to it being infused with Qi, it will not need external Qi to improve its quality but will use its own Qi to become pure.¡¯ Said Nocturne explaining the matter.


    Using the black flame the wing was almost instantly covered with it. I didn¡¯t even feel that I exerted a fraction of the energy but a huge curtain of black fire covered the wing.


    Almost immediately the wing began to shrink. And after few seconds it was the size of my palm.


    ¡®You have successfully refined it. Now around us lay hundreds of usable medicinal herbs, take those¡¯ said Nocturne as my vision dimmed out. Only focusing on three different herbs.


    ¡®This is a ten-year spirit grass¡¯ he said as I grasped at a normal looking batch of grass. However, it radiated a huge amount of Qi.


    A purplish flower that had more thorns than anything I had ever seen was also valiantly swaying against the wind.


    ¡®That is a purple demon thorn,¡¯ it is also usable, get as many as you can they can be used later for other things.¡¯ Said Nocturne as I collected a whole batch of them suffering from some injuries in the process. The thorns were stronger than steel it seems.


    ¡®Finally, shadow wolf¡¯s blood¡¯ he said as I looked at me.


    ¡®Blood? Using blood in rituals is forbidden, aren¡¯t we committing a huge sin here?¡¯ I said


    ¡®Indeed, for your world right now, they all fear them, however, they fear what they don¡¯t know and at the same time don¡¯t try to understand it. The only way to help this person is using this, afterward, they can complain however they want. Saving a king¡¯s daughter should be overlooked even if one uses forbidden means. Without this, she might not survive until you reach the gates of the school.¡¯


    ¡®Alright let¡¯s hurry, how do we use this then?¡¯ I asked


    ¡®Open your book there you will see the method.¡¯ Once I opened the book its papers turned until a black paper showed up. Words began being inscribed on it until the method of concrete a Qi and body restoration pill was shown.


    A refined butterfly wing added to few strands of spirit grass of at least 10 years of age, with the essence of a purple demon thorn. These three items must be refined with intense spirit flame. While being submerged in the blood of a dark beast.


    I already have the three items, and I guess the dark beast is the shadow wolf, it seems that any dark beast''s blood would work, however.


    ¡®Where would I get a spirit flame?¡± I asked


    ¡®You don¡¯t need it, you have the hottest flames of them all. Use your flame of creation¡¯ said Nocturne


    ¡®However, without a proper furnace, it will be hard to contain the fire. Still, this pill is not hard to make just the ingredients that are a bit difficult to come by.¡¯ Said Nocturne


    ¡°Now let me take over lest you ruin it, now you must watch carefully how a Reciptarier does his job.¡± Once he took over the items floated and their essence was extracted.


    The grass released a green lustrous fluid while the flower and the wing each released a corresponding color to their nature. Their remains becoming dregs and falling to the ground.


    The beast¡¯s blood swarmed he essences and condensed itself until a small red pill, the color of blood was all that was left.


    ¡®this is a perfectly refined Qi and Body restoration pill.¡¯ Nocturne said, then went towards Lady Lissandra. Gently flipping her over and opening her mouth the pill was swallowed.


    ¡®Normally it is stupid to force pills down one¡¯s throat while they are unconscious, however, if one was proficient in guiding Qi, they can assist in helping the other party using the pill¡¯s effects to heal their body¡¯ said Nocturne.


    He positioned Lady Lissandra on the lotus position and gently pressed his palms on her back.


    I instantly felt my world change as I entered Lady Lissandra¡¯s sea of consciousness.


    Unlike mine, hers was a gigantic sword of fire that had five separate parts smaller swords floating about. Representing her Dantian and meridians.


    However, one of them was cracked and the middle sword was faintly glowing.


    ¡®I stood there alone looking at the scene until Lady Lissandra showed up.


    ¡®Who are you?What are you doing here? How come you managed to enter this place?¡± she said with a bit shock on her face she looked weary and stood still she pressed her right hand forward and a sword of light showed up on her hand. However, she instantly fell to the ground unable to use any ability


    ¡°You lost your consciousness and your meridians have been damaged, don¡¯t use any Qi else you will die. Said Nocturne¡¯


    How come she doesn¡¯t recognize me? I asked


    Then Nocturne looked down. What I saw was strange¡­ it was nocturn¡¯s body¡­ how bad will it be if someone that looked like a grim reaper appeared within your mind?


    ¡°It seems that I messed up¡­¡¯ said Nocturne


    Indeed you did¡­


    ¡°Anyway, I made you swallow a Body and Qi restoration pill, you must allow me to circulate its energy through your body or else you will die,¡± he said


    ¡°Get out of here!¡± she shouted unable to harness any strength. ¡°I will not be swayed by the words of death,¡± she said


    ¡®Take over Basara¡¯ said Nocturne as he gave me control.


    In that moment I regained my former body and found myself in control


    ¡°Illusion?¡± she said


    ¡°No this is the real me¡­ do you remember when I told you about the one who taught me how to use the sword? You just met him¡­ anyway let me help you, we are surrounded by a lot of monsters and I can¡¯t get you fast enough back to the gates..¡± I said


    ¡°Why not use the gold coin to ask for a teacher to come and help,¡± she said gasping for air¡­ can you even breathe in this place?


    ¡°The coin that I was given by that old man turned out to be useless and no one showed up, I tried¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t trust you¡­¡± she said


    ¡°Then you will die,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Tch! Fine do what you want¡± she said


    ¡® ask her to give you her hand.¡¯


    ¡°Give me your hand,¡± I said as I approached


    The fearsome, and pride Lady lissandra looked a bit hesitant, with a look of fright on her face. Yet without any other way, and with the clear deterioration of her sea of consciousness, she understood that she will truly die if she does nothing.


    She then gave up and gave me her hand


    ¡®Now what?¡¯ I asked Nocturne.


    ¡®Circulate your Qi into her¡¯ he said


    Once I did, a surge of energy flowed out from her etheral body and began washing over the floating swords in the background.


    The broken sword regained its former appearance while the other ones became brighter.


    ¡®This should do ask her to wake up and let her finish the job, it seems that there is someone getting closer to us.¡¯ Said Nocturne.


    ¡°This should be enough, you should now be able to awake from unconsciousness, you will need to guide the remaining energy of the pill yourself. There is someone that want us harm and is closing on us¡± I said as I left her sea of consciousness letting her alone and bewildered.


    Once I awoke I felt the Qi of Lady Lissandra Surging madly, it was repairing the damaged parts and refining her Qi at the same time, making it more abundant, and cleaner. Circulating rapidly from her Dantian towards her meridians and back.


    ¡®She will be well soon, however, a thief that I once thought your encounter with will be far off in the distance is approaching¡¯


    ¡® a thief? I asked


    ¡®Indeed, someone of old, someone that stole something from me long ago. It is now due time for him to pay, it is now due time for him to repent by giving away his life, and in doing so, once he is slain you shall gain one more secret of the book. Fail and you will die. Now stand forward¡¯ said Nocturne.


    As I did and summoned the book, a voice resounded in the distance.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look like someone who will be easily willing to die. Give me that book, you need it not young one, do that and your end shall be swift.¡±


    Surging my scenes all around me I couldn¡¯t even feel anyone¡¯s presence.


    ¡®He has the Death¡¯s shroud¡­, you will not be able to locate him unless he attacks¡­¡¯ said Nocturne.


    ¡®What is this Death shroud?¡¯ I asked


    ¡°That is my cloak. It is that what he stole, and you have to get it back. The torn pages of the book are the secrets that I have lost once I died that day. This one managed to get a paper of the book and in it lay my cloak. You must get it back, without it you cannot be complete.¡¯ Said Nocturne


    Lady Lissandra then woke up and looked around


    I was standing before her, while she was barely able to remain seated.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move Lady Lissandra, it seems that we are in deep trouble right now, concentrate on recovering, I think someone very dangerous is approaching us.¡¯ I said without turning back. Trying to sense where the attacker might be.


    My heart began to beat faster as beads of sweat began to trickle down my spine. A cold wind of the night soon brushed past me forcing me to look at where it came. Then the coldness of death approached from behind.


    Space distorted and a figure emerged from it, wearing a black cloak that covered him from head to toe a long sword went forward headed towards my chest. Without a sound, the blade moved forward towards my heart, without me ever sensing the person.


    In that brief moment, in that brief second, I had a good look at who it was. It was not someone I knew, however, it was someone that clearly was working for the school. He was wearing the school¡¯s teacher¡¯s uniform.


    Once the blade made contact, I heard Lady Lissandra shouting out my name¡­


    Death comes without invitation¡­

 Chapter 27 (Blood creed!)

    Chapter 27


    My mind raced to find a way out of this mess but to no avail, only the sound of a loud shout woke me up from my daze. However, the blade was far too close for me to do anything, only watch helplessly as it would cut inside rendering me dead with a single strike.


    ¡°Clang!!!¡±


    The sound of a blade cutting flesh was never head, however, metal striking metal as sparks flew out from my chest. It was the limiter! Death was miraculously evaded but the damage was still suffered as I was sent rolling down the ground.


    Instantly fixing my posture I stood up trying to reposition myself to fight back against the incoming threat.


    ¡®Basara Let me take over!¡¯ shouted Nocturn within my head. ¡®I wanted you to fight him yourself but it seems you are far from strong enough. At least not now.¡¯


    ¡®Whatever you say,¡± I said as I gave him control.


    ¡°Oh, you switched. That won¡¯t do.¡± Said the shrouded man as he brought forward a dark stone with several white markings on it.


    ¡°A dark sigil!¡± said Nocturne then I felt shocked as I was forcefully given back control over my body.


    ¡®Run Basara!¡¯ Cried out Nocturne, yet without even a moment¡¯s rest, I saw a blade coming forward trying to lop my head off my shoulders.


    Hastily pulling up my scythe the blade was forced off trajectory, yet still managed to slice my ear forcing large amounts of blood to gush out.


    Gazing at my side I saw Lady Lissandra who was looking pale¡­ if I were to run¡­ she will die.


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    I swung the scythe sideways with barely enough strength to move the blade and jumped backward.


    The man didn¡¯t give me a chance as he followed suit with another lunge directed at my head.


    On reflex I exerted the first Move of the Lotus arts, bending down and slicing upwards with the blade of the scythe, although not a blade I used the momentum to slice at the man.


    He, however, didn¡¯t dare come close as he jumped backward.


    ¡®He won¡¯t dare touch the blade, you just need to cut him and I will suck the life out of him, if you can¡¯t fight, you need only to wound.¡¯ Said Nocturne.


    ¡°Haste!¡±


    ¡°Empower!¡±


    ¡°Strengthen!¡±


    I called upon the meager skills I could use.


    If I could have the time to remove the limiter I would probably be able to move much faster¡­ however, I believe that if I were to falter, just for a second, it will be my head that will roll.


    The man moved forward with more viciousness as he struck the air thrice. Dodging the first two with the skin of my teeth, I was forced to take the third hit to the right thigh.


    More blood gushed out while I was forced into a corner.


    ¡°Give up lad, you are no match for me, hand over the book and die. You are unworthy of its power.¡± He said as he got closer.


    ¡°Why are you doing this,¡± I said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Why not, you have something that I want. And you don¡¯t have the strength to protect or wield it. It is only natural that I will have it, now enough of this talk, hand over the book and your life too.¡± He said as he chopped forward.


    ¡°Saint slayer!¡± shouted Lady Lissandra as a wave of Qi shot forward.


    ¡°Impudent bitch,¡± said the man as he swung his hand destroying the majestic Qi wave as if it was but a nuisance. The mere act of him moving his hand was enough to destroy Lady Lissandra¡¯s spell and smack her into a nearby tree. She let a groan as her body was once again damaged before she could fully heal her injuries, adding damage to damage.


    ¡°Do you think that just because you are highly esteemed amongst the school, being a class S that you will be able to take down one of greater understanding towards martial prows? Those are scores based on your potential, not your real value.¡± Said the man as he moved forward, this time I barely had the time to stand up. Forcing balance on my unwounded leg. The limiter making this harder now that I can no longer properly control the distribution of weight.


    ¡°Die for me,¡± said the Shrouded man as a swing of his sword was about to land on my head.


    ¡°Not so fast,¡± said another voice as he appeared from nowhere.


    It was the old man guarding the entrance to the forest. on his hand was a long wooden staff that he used to block the sword of the shrouded man.


    ¡°You think that you have the ability to run rampant in this place without being punished for it? You think too highly of yourself, Selazar¡± said the old man


    ¡°Headmaster¡­!¡± grunted the shrouded man as he was forced back.


    Headmaster? That old man? Is the Headmaster?


    ¡°You have the last Conqueror''s treasure, however, just one of them, it is not enough.¡± He said as he moved forward striking with the wooden staff repeatedly, parrying and forcing the man back.


    ¡°Why interfere with my plans Old man! I never liked you at all. It seems that I have no choice.¡± Said the shrouded man.


    ¡°Blood calls! blood shall be answered. I give this flesh for strength, I give this flesh for blood, I call upon the old oath, I call upon the blood creed!¡± chanted the shrouded man


    ¡°Get back! Both of you! Now!¡±  cried out the headmaster


    A surge of powerful Qi emanated from the shrouded man as his body bulged and muscles tore. Blood, so much of it, that no human can ever hold this much, and more, more surged out creating a silouhet of a true demon descending upon the land. A monster, a behemoth of blood.


    Crimson red, humungous and threatening. With two enormous arms that looked to be hanging from its shoulders. Each of them was thrice the width of man¡¯s waist. On top of the shoulders were two blades of bone. While his head was grotesque and monstrous it had a lone horn on its forehead protruding upwards.


    It had no legs, as it looked to be floating from the waist up.


    It dripped from blood and gave a dangerous air of corruption around it. Something primal within me stirred, it was fear¡­A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡®Damn, he turned fully¡­ Back away Basara. Don¡¯t let it get its hands on the book.¡¯ Said Nocturne.


    Forcing my self to move I went towards Lady Lissandra.


    My leg barely able to move, I moved towards her, putting all my weight on my left leg.


    Once I reached her, I shook her a bit hoping to have a response. Thankfully, she opened her eyes, she looked to be in a daze as she looked at me, but the moment she saw the blood behemoth her eyes widened.


    ¡°No time! We need to move, Now!¡± I said as I pulled her up.


    ¡°Where do you think you are going!¡± roared the monster, a voice that didn¡¯t sound human at all shook my very soul.


    It moved its hands and the Headmaster showed up before us.


    Swinging his staff a huge barrier emerged, the hand of the beast was destroyed by contact forcing blood to spray out. However, the whole barrier, with but a single hit shook as if it was about to break at any moment.


    ¡®Reinforced with the Death shroud, it is not an ordinary one of them ¡® Said Nocturne.


    ¡°Headmaster. With your old injuries, do you think yourself able to defeat the current me?¡±


    The old man laughed under his veil.


    ¡°Indeed, these old wounds caused me to fall behind and unable to fully exert my strength, many had thought me unfit, due to me clearly being far weaker than my subordinates. However, do you know why I still remain the headmaster?¡± said the old man as he pushed his right hand forward and a wave of energy washed over us. ¡°Because never had I ever lost a single time against any of your kind!¡±


    The barrier that was created by the headmaster shuddered and a palm the size of a mountain came down crashing towards the blood made beast.


    ¡°Futile!¡± roared the beast as a similarly sized palm made entirely of blood was created, it roared forward clashing with the palm of light.


    All the spells I used, all the abilities I saw before. They all paled compared to the scale of these two¡¯s fight. How can I even reach there? Fight the calamity? Defeat the singularity? What an absurd dream.


    ¡®Calm your mind Basara!¡± said Nocturne ¡°These attacks are normal for someone of their age and experience. Worry not, you still have much to learn. A day will come when you will treat attacks like these as if they were but a nuisance.¡¯ Said Nocturne as I felt that he was looking through my eyes, more interested in the blood made beast than the fight itself.


    A shockwave soon washed over us. Ripping trees and upturning the earth. Blood and energy washed over the forest.


    ¡°You can¡¯t beat me, old man! I am not like those of inferior strength! I lived for hundreds of years and I survived hundreds of battles! The day where I die shall never be today!¡± roared the creature of blood as he created a humongous sword, thrice his size and chopped downward.


    ¡®That barrier won¡¯t hold.¡¯ Said Nocturne.


    ¡°Today I will have to prove you wrong!¡± roared the old man as an enormous pitch black shield emerged from nowhere.


    ¡®A dragon scale? These still exist? Huh, this was truly annoying back in the days, but it is only good for defense.¡¯ Said Nocturne


    The sword cut down while the huge shield blocked it with ease. The blood that splattered afterward fell on trees corroding them. As if it was a potent acid.


    ¡°Basara, take the princess and leave this place. I can¡¯t both protect and fight against this thing!¡± said the old man


    ¡®Indeed, two people of equal strength fought, the one protecting is always disadvantaged against the one attacking. You must leave this place.¡¯ Said Nocturne


    Looking at the monster that was fighting the Headmaster I felt a bit of shame leaving him here¡­ thus I asked


    ¡®Hey, Nocturne¡­ you said that this Scythe can kill anything as long as it has life in it right?¡¯ I asked


    ¡®Indeed, however, with your current wounds, you will have no chance at getting closer to him. Let along wounding him.¡¯


    ¡®Indeed you are right¡¯ I said as I smiled ¡®Of course I cant, not with my current strength.¡¯


    ¡°Lady Lissandra¡­ can I ask you for a favor.¡± I said looking at the pale looking lady who I was supporting with my shoulder¡­ or was she supporting me?


    ¡°Hu? Ah, Yes?¡± she said looking a bit lost, trying to assess the situation.


    ¡°I need your help removing some of these cuffs. The ones on my right tight. I said


    ¡°You have more of these? No wonder the earth you walk on caves¡­¡± she said as she looked at my wounded leg.


    While I tasked her to remove the limiters on my right thigh. I began by removing the ones on my hands.


    ¡°Oh my god, the wound is too deep¡­ she said with a shocked expression¡­ we need to treat this fast!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Just help me remove the cuffs, it is getting harder and harder to remain standing.¡± I said


    She then unlocked the first, then the second, and a third.


    ¡°That is enough,¡± I said.


    ¡°Huh? You clearly have more, I should remove them.¡±


    ¡°Ah, no, I made a promise to someone that I will have to keep them on unless my life is threatened,¡± I said with a smile


    ¡°Isn¡¯t your life threatened right now!¡± Shouted lady Lissandra.


    With a smirk, I answered, ¡°Apparently not.¡± Then I removed three from my other thigh, and two from each arm.


    Ten rings removed. Ten rings remain. And a body limiter.


    The mere fact of raising my left arm made me feel reborn. Energy, so much of it exploded from my now unrestrained arm. Though still many rings are still attacked, a huge burden was removed.


    I don¡¯t really understand why Master Shen asked me to never remove them, but it seems that they are tempering the body, every hour, every minute, and every second. Indeed, tools of torture used this way can be of great help towards becoming stronger.


    Holding the scythe with both hands I strengthened myself


    ¡°Haste! Strengthen! Empower!¡±


    Body lightened, joints reinforced, muscles pumped. My suit was about to be ripped apart once the muscles in my body pumped up.


    The huge monster of blood discarded his giant sword that dissipated in the <u>thin air</u>. His two hands grew enormous claws and swung forward slicing at the air and aiming at the huge shield.


    ¡°Good he is distracted, careful Lady Lissandra please step a bit back,¡± I said to the beautiful lady who immediately retreated.


    Using all my strength, I bent my body back. With both hands firmly gripping the Scythe, I jolted it forward with enough strength that I felt my muscles tear.


    The scythe flew into the air with enough strength and speed that it felt like the winds were howling madly.


    The fight between the two was instantly halted as the scythe tore through the air. The blood made beast tried to stop it with using his right hand forward.


    ¡°Idiot,¡± I said as I laughed


    The moment his blood made hand made contact.


    ¡®I got him¡¯ said Nocturne as a surge of immense dark Qi resounded through the forest. waves upon waves of dark Qi washed over the empty space, an orb the size of the sun was created from the tip of the scythe that began consuming the blood beast.


    ¡°No!¡± Roared the creature, trying to pull itself out of that mess, to no avail, the pull only grew stronger as his body began to tear. His hand was consumed and his chest was soon to follow, the black orb would eat away at the man¡¯s blood and what seemed to be supporting flesh as if it was in unbearable hunger.


    The beast¡¯s body would tear at points as blood was absorbed only mutated bones of a former looking skeleton was seen.


    The beast would scream and howl, try to pull itself as the orb would slowly but surely suck him in. every time he trashed around he would sink deeper until the skin of its face would melt until the eyes on it would pop, and the bones on its skeleton would crumble.


    With a final howl, the beast that brought fear to the world was destroyed.


    ¡®Holy shit¡­ that was awesome Nocturne!¡¯ I said addressing him


    ¡®Indeed it was potent, however¡­ think not that an ability this powerful can be used without backlash¡­ be prepared you will suffer the consequences of this¡­I didn¡¯t want you to use this scythe¡¯s power so early on¡­ I am sorry¡±


    The black orb soon dissipated and nothing but torn dirt and uprooted trees could be seen for a long distance.


    In the middle of the zone, there was a paper that glowed faintly.


    The old man looked stunned as he grabbed the paper and approached me saying


    ¡°I believe¡­ this belongs to you.¡± Said the old man as he handed me the page


    Looking at it, there were several strange words, exactly like the ones that I have in my book.


    ¡®This is what he stole from Nocturne I guess¡¯


    Once I grabbed the paper, the black book floated from its position as I always hanged it on my side.


    It opened where a torn page was and the paper perfectly attacked itself there.


    Hmm.


    The world began to turn as I started to feel a bit dizzy. It seems that I lost a lot of blood.


    I will be needing that pill I guess¡­ looking around I saw that the Wing of the moonlight butterfly was destroyed.


    Shit¡­


    ¡°Hey, Basara¡­ are you alright?¡± said Lady lissandra as she approached, supporting me by the shoulder.


    ¡°Headmaster! He doesn¡¯t look alright, look!¡± she said pointing at my skin.


    Dark veins soon began to primate my body, as an old curse was swimming through my flesh with every single strand of it burning its way deep into my figure.


    It hurts, yet I didn¡¯t even have the strength to express it. The book fell and I dropped to my knee, not even Lady Lissandra could support my weight as I fell.


    Pain, the searing and suffocating pain!


    ¡°This looks like Their mark!¡± said Lady Lissandra ¡°He can¡¯t be one of them!¡± she said crying out.


    Them? Ah, I remember, they grow black veins like this when they are in need of blood¡­ am I turning?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he is suffering from Qi deficiency¡­ however, I never saw a case this severe¡­ let''s get him back to the school first.¡± Said the old man as with a single swipe of his hand a gust of wind carried all three of us.


    Closing my eyes in hope to fall asleep I was jolted back with insufferable pain¡­ it seems that I will have to suffer a bit before I could regain my sense¡­ this is going to suck.

 Chapter 28 (Discussion and proposal)

    Chapter 28


    Within the royal school of visania, injuries were often, and death was no stranger to those that venture out through the undying forest. true it was known that many had died, and yet many still venture within it, to both temper themselves and become more independent.


    Though some nobles might suffer death, none had the right to complain, it was well known that the school will hold no responsibility for the death of anyone that ventures out into the undying forest. Yet the school still holds a ground for treatment, a hospital of sorts. It was to help those that were injured or are suffering from diseases.


    This hospital was situated on the top floor of the school¡¯s main building. In one of the rooms, a loud screaming could be heard.


    ¡°How long is this going to last?¡± Said the lady of the royal lineage Lissandra.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know,¡± replied the headmaster who seemed to be weaving Qi into the body of the boy who was screaming from pain.


    ¡°He should have died a hundred times over by now. Yet something keeps pulling him from the rims of death to the threshold of insufferable pain, not letting him even rest in the oblivion of sleep nor losing consciousness from the pain.¡± Said the Headmaster.


    The commotion brought many to that room, most of them were students that were chased away, yet the rest were teachers and health carers who came in. both interested and with a bit of weariness.


    ¡°I sent a message to his mistress, she should be here soon.¡± Said Lady Lissandra


    ¡°Good, however, it might be a bad idea if she sees him in this state.¡± Said the old man


    Thankfully the black lines receded a bit, but they still looked frightening. So that the boy doesn¡¯t get labeled as one of them, he was brought in while a cover was hiding his body.


    ¡°It is alright, at least he still lives,¡± said Lady Lissandra


    ¡°How are your injuries by the way?¡± asked the headmaster


    ¡°Mor or less alright. Before that thing attacked us, he made me a Qi and body restoration pill. All injuries I suffered were healed, and I have yet to fully absorb it. It was of the finest quality¡­¡±


    ¡°A qi and body restoration pill? Are you sure about that?¡± said the headmaster


    ¡°Yes, that is what he called it, I am sure that at least one of the ingredients is a moonlight butterfly¡¯s wing and he used one of them, I was injured when I was fighting the butterfly and he used that to treat my wounds.¡± Said Lady Lissandra. Though she was unconscious while Basara was making the pill, she still woke up and saw that the butterfly only had one wing left which was later destroyed by the conflict between the headmaster and that beast.


    ¡°That is incredible. I am not trying to say that I don¡¯t believe you, but a body and Qi restoration pill requires at least three days to become ready, and even then its quality might not be that great. The ones we have in this school are of moderate quality and they took a lot of time to prepare¡­ seeing the Qi fluctuation in your body I can assure that indeed, the pill you took is the Qi and body restoration pill, and also its quality¡­ is unprecedented¡­ if the boy was able to make something like that¡­ I think the receptarier¡¯s guild will do everything in their power to acquire him¡­ you must keep this a secret.¡± Said the Headmaster.


    ¡°Of course. Still, I feel guilty due to being unable to provide any help.¡± Said Lady Lissandra looking gloomy and sad.


    The headmaster laughed looking at her expression, indeed it was rare to see a noble feeling pity or guilt towards a servant, however a royal person? This boy is sure is blessed the headmaster though.


    ¡°What about his weapon?¡± said Lady Lissandra


    ¡°It was too heavy¡­ not even I could pick it up, I don¡¯t know what monstrous strength this boy had to easily wield such a weapon, however. I hid it well, none shall uncover it and I closed off the Undying forest. one more thing, the incident where a teacher was found to be one of them must remain a secret. You of the royal family should know best.¡±


    ¡°I do, there is no way the royal school will admit it. A teacher as one of those monsters is a political nightmare¡­¡±


    The door to the room burst open where a flustered and angered lady entered


    ¡°You!¡± the lady wearing a red dress shouted ¡°What have you done to him!¡± she said as she looked at the boy in incomparable pain.


    ¡°Hold it, young lady,¡± said the Headmaster


    ¡°You need to know some things.¡± He added explaining the situation


    Indeed, lady Akari of the house Ling would feel distraught finding out that her servant was met with an incident. She came running towards the first culprit she could think of. The lady of the royal family.


    The motto of the house Ling was to never back away from a challenge and never let others bully them no matter who. Not even the royal family could oppress them. And thus she came. Knowing that before this calamity befell her servant it was this royal member that was last to contact him.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Once the lady understood the whole story, she felt both helpless and shocked. Due to her being the boy¡¯s master she was entitled to know of the incident, and due to the background of her family, she was also trusted with the information.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe all of that happened. It has only been two days since we applied and already many things happened¡­¡± said Lady Akari looking with a sad expression on the boy in pain.


    His body was convulsing, snot and tears running down his face unable to speak a word but shouts of continuous pain. His voice turned hoarse but he could not calm down. The black veins on his body would burn and retreat, but with every inch, they withdrew they would bring more pain.


    ¡°How long will this last?¡± she said looking at the headmaster


    ¡°He is recovering rather fast. By tomorrow the flashback should be over, however his ability to use Qi might be harmd, he may probably no longer be able to Assimilate Qi¡­¡± said the Headmaster


    ¡°How come he used such a powerful attack is still a mystery to me, yet it cost him way too much¡­ without his help, I would have probably still been fighting that beast right now¡­ or worse¡­¡± said the Headmaster.


    ¡°What did it want from Basara?¡± asked Lady Akari.


    ¡°His book¡­¡± replied Lady Lissandra


    ¡°His book? It is filled with nonsense, what would one of them need of it?¡± replied Lady Akari


    The headmaster had a solemn look on his face.


    ¡°It seems that my doubts were correct¡­¡± he said


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± replied the lady in red


    ¡°This is something that many of you don¡¯t know¡­ but long ago, when the calamity struck, there was but one to challenge it head-on. A powerful being that stood against it. Of all the powerful men and woman of that age, all fell at the sight of the calamity, thus our lack of understanding of what truly it was, all but one. The same one that destroyed the Singularity of Jehad, the same one that wrote his name in history with blood and death that followed him¡­ the Conqueror. He too wielded a book like this¡­ or so the rumors said.¡± Explained the Headmaster with a solemn look


    ¡°You mean? Basara has the same book as that hero? This will cause a turbulence in the world if anyone knows of it¡± said Lady Lissandra.


    ¡°Indeed, your family included must never know of such things, why I said this to you because I fear that if you tell any of your family members they might come to this inclusion¡­ you know full well why he must not be revealed or should I say it out loud¡± said the Headmaster with a serious tone.


    ¡°Indeed. Lest that he dies before his time¡± she replied with a look filled with complexity.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± said Lady Akari when she heard that


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will not tell anyone¡± replied Lady Lissandra ¡°I owe him my life. I won¡¯t be so little to reveal his secret, however, he too must know that my family¡¯s power shall not be handed to anyone without a fight, I shall remain silent on this yet he must know that if he ever dares stand in our family¡¯s way, he shall not be tolerated.¡± She said


    ¡°Can someone please explain to me what is going on!¡± shouted lady Lissandra.


    ¡°The Conqueror¡­ of the royal family, he was our ancestor.¡± Said Lady Lissandra. ¡°Before he turned¡­ to that¡­ he was a normal man with a family and a home. Once he reigned supreme and defeated the singularity, he became loved and some even worshiped him. This place was nothing but a small town, with the protection of the Conqueror it grew and they elected him their king. After he survived the calamity and pushed it back. The people revered him and all took it to heart that the Conqueror is their rightful ruler. However few words from him left them dazed, these words are still told to every generation from the first king. The calamity shall come once again, a thousand years later, once the red star passes, it shall signal the birth of the singularity. Five years after it the gates of hell shall open and the calamity shall come once again.¡±


    Taking a deep breath Lady lissandra then said


    ¡°The calamity that we all fear is due these years. And of yet we still have no signs of people strong enough to compare to the Conqueror of legends, thus this school was erected to create people strong enough to defend the land without the need of someone of old myths. Yet it seems that this boy here¡­ if he truly is wielding the conqueror''s book¡­ rumors might spread, people might think he is the rightful ruler and the nobles might split. Some will try to entice him to take the rule so that they become stronger. Many will try to lure him to their homes, groom him then use him to their agendas¡­ these thoughts might become of great trouble to our country, and I will not allow anyone to trouble father¡¯s reign¡± she said


    ¡°Huh? I understand your fear, but¡­ shouldn¡¯t you be saying your brother¡¯s reign? I know for a fact that your father will soon elect one of his children to be the next heir, and clearly, it shall not be you. Pardon the words, so why not say your brother¡¯s reign?¡± she said


    Lady Lissandra could only smile as she said


    ¡°Indeed, I feel indebted to father for raising me, and truly I would love to see him govern, however, if the rule falls down to brother¡¯s hands¡­ I really won¡¯t have any will to stop him¡­ no¡± said Lady Lissandra as she pondered a bit


    ¡°Hmm, interesting, right.¡± Said Lady Lissandra as a smile grew on her face. ¡°It seems that if he truly is the one that holds the conqueror¡¯s legacy¡­ it might actually work¡­ Alright, Listen Lady Akari. This is a vow I swear, if indeed this boy is the one that is entitled to the conqueror''s legacy, I shall claim him as my husband.¡± She said


    ¡°What?!!!¡± replied the girl, while the headmaster could only chuckle thinking how truly blessed this child was.


    ¡°W-what do you mean husband? He- he is, euhh  he is a servant! You can¡¯t be thinking of him as suitable¡± said Lady Akari a bit flustered


    ¡°Oh, and I thought that you of the house Ling treated your Servants better than that¡±


    ¡°We do! We do!: but why? I mean no, what do you mean your husband!¡± lady Akari could only speak jumbled words as she was flustered and unable to think properly.


    ¡°Why not, if he truly has the Conqueror¡¯s legacy, then he will be the one with the most influence in this world. Not even kings can oppose him, I better take the chance as long as I have it. Do you feel jealous though? You are a bit too embarrassed if I remember correctly you have a fiance right?¡± said Lady Lissandra in a  teasing manner


    ¡°J-jealous? Me?! No! I have a fiance indeed, right, right¡­ you can do whatever you want, I don¡¯t care.. husband! Unbelievable¡± said Lady Akari as she turned to look at Basara


    ¡°And here I was worried about you! Humph!¡± she said as she stormed out.


    The boy was still in pain, but the two remaining in the room could only smile.


    ¡°Lady Lissandra, your words right now you should know they hold a lot of weight. Are you sure about this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know, but this is the best way. Becoming an enforcer might reduce the influence of my family on me, however, they will still control my movement to an extent¡­ becoming the ruling queen, however¡­ that is a different story altogether. It seems that fate brought us both together. I hope that you can inform Basara of this. I will be needing to head to the capital in the following days, I will have to miss the first courses. I need something from our household.¡± She said as she left in a hurry.


    The veins on the boy¡¯s body began to recede, more and more. And his creamed became duller as he finally fell unconscious.


    The headmaster looked at the snot and tear-filled face of Basara and said in a humorous way


    ¡°May you rest well, your highness¡± then left the room with a smirk on his face.

 Chapter 29 (High stake trade)

    Chapter 29


    Within my sea of consciousness, I swam. The lit space turned dark, with hundreds of thousands of cracks littering the white space.


    ¡°So much trouble.¡± Said An old voice, that sounded more distorted than usual.


    ¡°Thankfully that old man is helping with your Qi and weaving some of it into you. It should be done soon¡± said Nocturne who I didn¡¯t see no matter how hard I concentrated.


    ¡°What is going on Nocturne?¡± I said


    ¡°You almost shattered your sea of consciousness, using every bit of Qi in your body you managed to successfully deplete it. Though this should have killed you, amazingly¡­ you survived while having some unexpected gains¡­ this grim situation is actually better than I thought¡­ quite strange¡± said the voice


    The dark space began to mend back, the cracks began to heal and the white space became better by the second.


    The five flowing orbs looked dim, while the one on the bottom right looked to be the dimmer as if it would fade any moment.


    ¡°If you are wondering why that is due to your injury. Your right leg¡¯s meridian was damaged and would take a bit of time for it to heal. Focus on reconstruction your sea of consciousness first.¡± Said Nocturne


    ¡°How can I do it?¡± I asked


    ¡°Simple, you are this place¡¯s ruler, will the veins to read and will yourself to regain control.¡± He said as if it was the simplest thing in the world.


    Looking around I traced the source of the cracks that were gradually receding.


    It was a dark hole high above where every crack emerged from.


    ¡°That should be the center.¡± I thought and traced it to my eye.


    Seeing small specs of Qi flowing there and repairing the damage. Willing more of the energy to flow, the five flying orbs rotated faster and the cracks began to recede until the white void was whole. Except for a dark hole that remained there.


    ¡°What is that?¡± I asked


    ¡°That is what you gained from this¡­¡± said Nocturne who managed to manifest himself now.


    ¡°Your Qi had evolved. Now you have fulfilled the first condition of using the power of the book. You have claimed a life¡± said Nocturne


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You have killed a human, this should only appear once you have fulfilled the first condition, however with your injuries this power almost consumed you. Death magic, you got closer to understanding it by claiming a life and almost dying in the process. Your magic should now be more potent and your Qi should be easier to control. Before you try anything, you must circulate your Qi from your Dantian to your meridians, once that is done you will have perfectly stepped out from the body tempering realm to the spirit tempering realm.¡± Said Nocturne.


    ¡°Meaning?¡± I said trying to understand


    ¡°Once you broke through the fifth level, you no longer need to refine your body. Now it is Qi circulation, you will need to upgrade your inner sea and condense Qi, you will no longer need to use your breathing technique to use Qi, but you will be able to store it in your Dantian and use it at will. However, it will need a lot of training to master. Another thing is that you obtained one of the five items that you need to face the Calamity¡± said Nocturne


    Looking at the state of the flowing orbs I felt dazed, they began to glow as QI began to circulate.


    ¡°Your body is currently absorbing Qi, it no longer is in pain but it will take some time for you to repair the damage¡­ if you had a Qi and body restoration pill this would have been much easier...¡± said Nocturne ¡°But you had to give it to that girl, sigh¡­¡±


    ¡°No need to cry over spilled milk, she was going to die if I didn¡¯t do that, and I don¡¯t think a royal family member will forget this debt,¡± I said


    ¡°You trust people too much. You will be used like this by everyone¡± said Nocturne


    ¡°You are not the one to speak Nocturne. You have been using me for your own agenda since we met haven¡¯t you.¡± I said with a smirk


    ¡°Indeed, I will not deny it, but if I didn¡¯t you will face death, not only you, but the lives of everyone you know will know despair. The calamity will soon come.¡± Said Nocturne


    ¡°How would you know that?¡± I asked


    ¡°Sigh¡­ now you earned the right to know more,¡± said Nocturne he waved his hand and the book appeared.


    This time it was not the same ragged looking book, the leather on it became more lustrous with silver linings on it. However, it was still far from good looking.


    ¡°The book represents your state remember, once you are at your optimal strength it shall reveal its true appearance. Now, what I spoke about, the calamity shall descend soon yet before it, a red star will cross the skies. This red star signals the arrival of the Singularity¡± said Nocturne


    ¡°You spoke about this singularity multiple times what is it?¡± I asked


    ¡°The singularity is their monarch, it is their king and their ruler. They all await this day, once the red star appears every one of them will receive an upgrade to their physical and mental states, they will become more vicious and stronger than ever. They will seek out the singularity and they will use it to command them. It is a chosen hybrid, one that was conceived between one of them and a human, a hybrid of immense power that would be able to blend in with humans and with their species. Not much is known about their monarchy, however, once the singularity appears they will all follow it. In my time I had to fight against thousands of their troops to finally defeat it. And believe me, with this country¡¯s current power¡­ they are far from the strength needed to defeat it.¡± Said Nocturne then added


    ¡°The singularity is strong, able to wield the lives of them without a problem and use it to sustain itself, with troops around it it will be invincible, the only way to make it mortal is by secluding it from its troops or killing all of them. As for the calamity¡­ it is a beast. Of immense size, able to cover the sun with one of its limbs. With a single breath, it can decimate an entire city. Only with the full set of the death servant can it be faced head-on. And you only have two items of it¡±


    ¡°this is a lot to take in, so this giant behemoth is coming for us, and if I understand correctly, we might even die before we see it due to how strong the singularity is? Right?¡± I said


    ¡°Indeed¡±


    ¡°What about that set you spoke of?¡± I said


    ¡°Death servant¡¯s set. It is what you see me wearing.¡± Said Nocturne ¡°Though this is but a mere spiritual replica the real one is immensely powerful.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so the scythe is one of the items¡­ and the hood you are wearing too. Right?¡±


    ¡°Kekeke, right, however. There is a small difference, every servant of death had a different weapon, the one before me had a sword, while the both of us are using scythe, this is the sole different item from the set, it changes according to the user¡¯s will and inclination, it seems we both have the same taste¡­¡± said Nocturne with a laugh


    ¡°Hmm, indeed. So what are the rest of the items and how can I get them? Honestly, I really don¡¯t think I can defeat this so-called singularity. Not even a country can face it¡­ s for the calamity, with my current strength¡­¡± I didn¡¯t continue as silence was enough of an answer


    ¡°Indeed, you lack strength, immensely so, that spawn that almost killed you is proof, he is slightly stronger than many others yet that was because he wielded my cloak for a long time, it even hides its owner from death¡¯s sight itself¡­¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°Oh, interesting, no wonder he is strong,¡± I said


    ¡°He was, strong he was lucky enough to happen upon a page of this book,¡± said Nocturne as the book opened where a new page was written


    ¡°Death sees all even those that hide from it, however still a veil against death means not immortality.¡± A new line was written and under it, a symbol of strange writings was drawn there¡­ this looks like the same symbol for the scythe


    ¡°This is the Death Shroud. It is the cloak that I wear, and you will be using soon. There remain three other items; Death march. Death guards, and Death¡¯s honor. Boots, gauntlets and a body suit. Like what you see me wearing¡± said Nocturne


    Looking at his boots they were adorned with small skulls on the side while they were pitch black with a metallic luster. His gauntlets were of black leather while they had metallic joints that ended with claw-like blades. The guard was a body vest that was riddled with chains and had a skull in the center where every chain converged.


    ¡°These are all what you need to be able to wield the power of a death¡¯s servant. Using this you may be able to bring yourself closer to defeating those beings.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that you have the other three items right?¡± I said to Nocturne.


    ¡°No, once I died I tried to destroy the book so that no one else gets it, however, it seems that the book had its own plans and he spread the papers containing death¡¯s servant¡¯s armor across the world.¡±


    ¡°Hang on¡­ of all items, they all have a name, except for the scythe, why so?¡± I said


    ¡°The weapon is a presentation of the wielder¡¯s intentions and will, you will be the one to name it. I was going to tell you this later, only by giving it a name shall it truly be yours. Do you have a name for it?¡± said Nocturne with a smirk.


    ¡°Hmm, I have an idea¡­ but this should wait after I wake up.¡±


    ¡°A wise choice. Now wrap this up, you need to be awake to see your body¡¯s state. I can tell you it will not be pretty. You have been carried back to some health careers outside. You should investigate what happened but be wary if any of them are nearby¡± said Nocturne.


    Closing my eyes then opening them I found myself in a white room, sitting on a bed with white sheets.


    My muscles were torn from overuse and I felt light-headed.


    ¡°Shit I should have remained unconscious¡± the pain I felt surging was enough for me to feel dizzy. There was also a ringing in my ears and my right thigh felt like if it was on fire. My throat felt like if it had lit coals in it as it burned intensely.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ this sucks¡­¡±


    ¡°Someone calls the Headmaster! He is up!¡± said a woman dressed in school uniform.


    Moments later the man who guarded the forest gates entered.


    ¡°Oh finally up Basara.¡± Said the old man ¡°Please leave us, don¡¯t let anyone enter¡± said the Headmaster.


    He then turned towards me and said


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Not good! Terrible actually,¡± I said not hiding the fact that I was in pain


    ¡°Well, it is a miracle that you still live,¡± said the headmaster as he got a chair and sat next to me.


    ¡°Listen, I have some things to tell you first.¡± Said the headmaster explaining what happened when I was unconsciously embarrassing myself with infinite screams.


    So it seems that the school is trying to hide the fact that one of its staff was one of them. I would understand that, and the headmaster even agreed to buy my silence. A silence worth 50 000 points. Well, I wouldn¡¯t say no to that. However what was interesting what he said after that¡­ the girl I was with, Lady Lissandra had vowed to take me as her husband, Hah! Me! A god damned orphaned child, with no family! No background! A king of the country! What a load of unbelievable horseshit¡­


    ¡°She is only using me for power, isn¡¯t she? Woman are strange things, the first day I met her she wanted to kill me, the next time she wanted me to go out with her for a date and now she wants to marry me?! Sigh¡±


    ¡°Indeed, women are fickle beings, however, you need to understand her reason behind this. I wouldn¡¯t say anything to deter you from this chance you may become king one day, however, that is only if you prove yourself to truly be the next Conqueror. Now for the more pressing matters. What was that thing you used then?¡± said the Headmaster.


    ¡°Dark Harvest,¡± I replied


    Huh? What? How would I know what was that spell¡¯s name?


    ¡®Relax Basara, that was an old spell of mine, it helps a lot against them but the cost like you saw is immense. Why you know it is because your mind understood a bit more about the book, some spells will come to you like this don¡¯t worry¡±


    ¡°Huh, Dark Harvest¡­ so indeed you are using the same abilities of the old conqueror¡­ Now I don¡¯t know what that man wanted to do with you, but it seems that your book has brought you some unwanted attention¡­ some school staff began asking questions about your origin¡­ even some wanted to see that book of yours, I don¡¯t know how the information got to them¡­ but seeing that one of the school¡¯s staff attacked you bring me to the conclusion that..¡± yet before he could continue


    ¡°There are more of them in this school,¡± I said


    The Headmaster had a solemn look on his face while he nodded.


    ¡°Indeed, but I can¡¯t locate them, if I did I would personally handle it, but now I can¡¯t trust anyone. You should probably leave this school and go back to your dwelling¡­ it is dangerous for you to remain here.¡±


    ¡°No need, I can see them,¡± I said


    ¡°Really?¡± said the headmaster with a shocked expression


    ¡°Yes, I saw many of them the day of the entrance. Even more amongst the students¡­¡± I said


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± said the Headmaster


    ¡°Would anyone believe me?¡± I replied ¡°And the school was festered with them, saying this to the wrong people might get me killed. Hell, I don¡¯t even know if you are with them or not.¡± I said as I looked the Headmaster I the eye


    He smiled and said


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I just fight one of them in front of you?¡± he said


    ¡°Well it could be just a trick to get to me wouldn¡¯t that be a possibility,¡± I said with a smirk.


    I know what I am saying is stupid but I felt that I had to say it, to know the headmaster¡¯s true colors if he truly was with them, then there was o need for me to remain alive in the first place. However, his next words will prove some things for me if my speculations are correct.


    ¡°Hmm, I cant say if you are an idiot or a genius really, divulging this in front of anyone might be dangerous however you need not fear anything. I personally loath those beings, he said. Use your ability to see my Qi flux it will explain a lot¡± he said


    Using monochrome vision I understood what he meant.


    His Dantian¡­ it was shattered


    ¡®That is a grave injury¡­ he should no longer be able to cultivate¡­ that must have destroyed his path to power¡­¡¯ said Nocturne


    ¡°Your Dantian¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed, when I was younger I suffered a terrible injury against them, though I can use powerful attacks it is only temporary as I only use external Qi, I can no longer assimilate nor harness Qi. It is something that made me loathe those beings. I have as many reasons to hate them as you do right now Basara, they want your life, and I want theirs.¡± He said with a more serious tone.


    ¡®That injury can be fixed, however¡¯ said Nocturne


    ¡®really?¡¯ I said


    ¡®Yes, but it will require a lot of recourses¡­ and one of them you already saw¡­ a thrall''s fang¡­¡¯


    ¡°Headmaster¡­ you should know my objective within this school right?¡¯ I said


    ¡°Master Shen had spoken about it. You need the enforcer''s medal¡­ to become free right?¡± said the headmaster.


    ¡°Yes, however, the price for that is quite huge¡­ but I have an offer for you¡­ I believe I can heal your injury and you can resume Assimilation¡­¡± I said with a smirk


    ¡®Kekekeke you are using your head the right way Basara¡¯


    ¡®Yes, not everyone can use me however they like, I can do that too¡¯


    ¡°Lies!¡± said the headmaster angered ¡°Don¡¯t give hope to someone who discarded it!¡± he said


    ¡°I don¡¯t lie. Truly I can help you, but if I do what shall be my reward?¡± I said


    ¡°If your words are true. Then I will do my all for you to obtain that medal.¡±


    ¡°Very good then we have a deal, however, I will need you to acquire some things for me first.¡±


    ¡°What do you need?¡± said the old man with a glint in his eyes, it seems that finally hope was restored to him


    ¡®What are the ingredients Nocturne?¡¯ I asked


    ¡®A thrall''s fang. A bloodied demon¡¯s heart, a heavenly tiger¡¯s wing, the essence of purple jade and a silver stone of nightmares and a phoenix''s feather. They will make a pill of the eight-tier, it can restore the Dantian and reconstruct the body, reinforce it and make it more powerful than ever, a body fit for a deity while the Qi will retain enormous purity¡¯ said Nocturne ¡°Its called the pheonix¡¯s seed¡¯


    ¡°You will need, two thrall fangs, two bloodied demon hearts two wings of a heavenly tiger, a large amount of purple jade essence and two stones of nightmare and finally two pheonix feathers,¡± I said with a smirk


    The headmaster understood immediately what I intended to do but didn¡¯t say anything


    ¡°hmm. The resources you are asking are fairly difficult to obtain¡­ even more so¡­ double the amount, I can manage to obtain the ingredients for creating one pill¡­ the second, however¡±


    ¡°There is no problem. I will make yours first.¡± I said


    ¡°Very well, I know about your pill making ability, Lady Lissandra of the royal house vouches for it and I made sure that it was true. Now, it seems that your body needs to be restored to a better condition first before you can make the pill, I am afraid with your current body condition it might be difficult for you to¡­¡± however before he could continue


    I concentrated for a second and forced Qi to accumulate within my body. Surprisingly the amount was much larger than before and the particles began healing the damaged meridian of my right leg in no time


    ¡°You said?¡± I said with a smirk


    ¡°Sigh, nevermind. I have enough resources in store for you to craft a body and Qi restoration Pill, consider it a gift from me due to having rescued a royal member. I will also give you immunity towards matches for the next few weeks I don¡¯t want to see you forced to fight in your current condition. I really do hope that the pill you will make for me is the real deal. Both for my and your sake¡± said the old man with a serious tone


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry I won¡¯t cheat you, you saved my life after all.¡± I said with a smile.


    The old man gave a long sigh and left the room.


    ¡®With a Qi and body restoration pill you will be able to regain your former strength and more, it will help a lot with what you will be training in first. However, you must first take note of all those that infiltrated the school.¡¯


    ¡®Yes, I was thinking about that too. I will make a list of all of them then discuss it with the headmaster. Now that I have a method to become an enforcer my objective is much closer than I hoped for¡­ however¡¯


    ¡®Yes¡­However, you still lack the strength for it¡­¡¯


    ¡®Sigh, it''s going to be another arduous training session right?¡± I said with a dispirited heart.


    ¡®Kekekek, indeed, a hellish training awaits you, Basara, hurry up and fix that body of yours so that I can show you a real nightmare!¡± said Nocturne with a morbid laugh.


    God my days are only going to get worse¡­

 Chapter 30 (S class)

    Chapter 29


    Once I left the room, I went straight to the classes, it seems that I slept for many days that they commenced without me. The hospital was on the top floor of the school¡¯s main building, descending one floor down I found the room where teachers, school staff, and administration staff were situated at. The floor below it was where the S classes are taken.


    The main school building had a total of ten floors, starting from the underground lab, the entrance, and the classes. From F to S and two more floors, administration and the hospital.


    Entering each floor requires one to swipe their card on a pad that will activate the elevator to take them to their classroom or where they wish. Low-class cards can only take one of their respective classes so that F students don¡¯t end up entering S classes, however, any class can enter a lower level classroom. And S class can enter any classroom.


    I was looking rather haggard, however, thankfully I found a new suit which I had worn before getting down. Still, I was feeling some lingering pain my muscles were hurting all over and I was barely able to properly walk


    ¡®You need the body and Qi restoration pill as soon as possible Basara, you don¡¯t really look like the person who defeated one of them at all¡¯ said Nocturne with a hint of sarcasm.


    ¡®Sigh. I would need to wait for the Headmaster to bring me the resources first. It is rather difficult to move now¡­ though I can cultivate and repair some of the damage it will take a lot of time to fully restore my body.¡¯ I replied


    I swiped my card at the door to the S class and found a huge room with a lot of people already seated in luxurious looking chairs. It was an amphitheater of a great size where many people looked to be quite attentive looking at an old woman who was explaining something.


    The room was vast, however, the attendants were not many, some of them, however, turned to look at me.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the servant boy, finally he arrived.¡± Said someone from the front seats.


    ¡°Silence!¡± said the woman who I think is this room¡¯s teacher.


    She was rather old, had white hair and looked a bit stern.


    ¡°Basara, I presume,¡± said the woman whose voice boomed throughout the class.


    I nodded to her, yet she said


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know what you have between you and the Headmaster, nor do I care. In this room, I am the one that has the first and last say. You seem to be lacking some manners, this class has already started and you arrived quite late, I don¡¯t tolerate such behavior.¡± She said


    ¡°I was hospitalized my lady¡± I replied


    ¡°Here, you call me professor. Leave the titles to your master and those above your status. And frankly I don¡¯t care, even if you were at death¡¯s bed you should still enter this class in time. Now tell me, Basara, due to your absence I will need to ask you something before you enter this class.¡± She said


    ¡°How many assimilation layers can someone achieve throughout their lifetimes and what is the secret behind breaking through the realms of power?¡±


    Many students smirked at me, probably thinking I will not know the answer


    ¡°What is it?¡± said the old woman ¡°if you don¡¯t know the answer to such an easy question how are you entitled to study here?¡± she said


    ¡®What an absurd question, this is the most common facts. There are a total of fifteen layers, the first five are body tempering where the cultivator tries to get rid of the impurities within his body, the second is spirit tempering where the cultivator assimilates qi into their body unlocking the meridians and his Dantian and channels them between them, the last layer is the saint layer, where the cultivator channels the Qi outside their body forging weapons or armors at will and bending the world to his command¡¯ said Nocturne


    ¡°I believe I can answer that question,¡± I said.


    ¡°Please do,¡± said the old woman.


    Once I finished the explanation, some of the students began to laugh.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t even know that there are just ten levels of Assimilation, he even called it Cultivation, it seems that this servant is only speaking nonsense to fool us into thinking he knows many things, too bad we all learned about the ten layers of assimilation yesterday, and he can¡¯t fool us.¡± A student said this while the others laughed at me.


    ¡®Huh? What are they talking about? Nocturne is this true?¡¯ I asked


    ¡®No, they must have been misinformed¡¯ Replied nocturne without a care


    ¡°Silence!¡± said the woman ¡°You there, you have been interrupting order too many times, -100 points.¡± She said and it seems that due to the pale face of the student he must have lost some credit on his card.


    ¡°Hmm, You, child. Though I have mentioned only ten levels of assimilations, I indeed didn¡¯t speak about a third layer. What you have said, is true and correct. I didn¡¯t want to explain about the third layer due to how hard it is to reach or break through it right now. The technique to reach that realm has long since been lost and rare are those that could even manage to reach that realm. And none could now ever breakthrough. Qi condensing and unlocking the meridians, channeling the Qi to the body is all that we can do right now. Your knowledge about Qi is praiseworthy. +200 points¡± she said


    The moment I looked at my card I saw that I gained 200 points.


    So this is a way to get points, neat!


    ¡°You may be seated,¡± she said with a smile on her face.


    A boy with golden hair raised his hand¡­


    This is Lady Lissandra¡¯s brother. Dior Visania.


    ¡°If I may speak,¡± he said and the professor nodded for him.


    ¡°Indeed, I agree with Mr. Basara, there are three layers of assimilation, yet this a secret safeguarded by the highest authorities, limiting this knowledge is a way for the people to not grow too powerful, though we have lost the technique to breakthrough, by chance some may manage to do it, or find the way. What I am interested in, is how did you, Mr. Basara come to know of such facts?¡± said the prince.


    ¡°Hmm, indeed, I would have asked the boy the same question, and now that it has been brought to the open. Please tell us, that is if you can.¡± Said the professor.


    I should probably decline to answer but it might get me in more trouble.


    ¡°This is some knowledge I have been given by my Mentor. I will have to decline about giving you his identity. I am sorry¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± said the Professor and then resumed the class.


    ¡°Now that we brought the subject, I will be telling you about the remaining layer. Yesterday we spoke about the first two layers, and I know many of you know about it, and some have even managed to make it to the second part. The saint realm is a Layer where the old text mentioned people able to fly in the air using Qi, able to live long without requiring food, nor sleep. The body will no longer need mortal sustenance but Qi, which will have fully refined their body and made it be something of a different nature altogether. Saint realm breakthrough-ers were said to have bodies that once they die they dissipate into Qi, not leaving a single piece of their body once they die. However, they gain a lengthy life, and almost reach immortality.¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°There were very few people that managed to reach this stage and the one that presides over all those that ever reached the realm. The strongest to have ever lived. The Conqueror.¡± She said with a  sigh


    ¡°The objective of this school as you all know is to forge elite enforcers. Though our country has many of them, most of them are stationed at towns or cities safeguarding the people and preventing crime. Of the one thousand years that the Kingdom of the sun had gone through, the enforcer''s era was the safest and most prosperous. Due to the help of the graduates from this country we kept the kingdom safe and sound. Many of the graduates don¡¯t officially end up being enforcers, however. Some just use this chance to learn more about politics and know more about the world to implement this into their lives. Especially the nobles who take this chance to have a better chance to gain more power in the world.¡± Said the old woman explaining the general situation.


    ¡°The Elite enforcers, however, are a different thing. Every three years ten students get elected to this position. By the school board, though many of the spots are taken by the nobles¡± said the professor then looked at me ¡°In some cases, many servants that manage to reach the high classes can also claim a position. Once a servant that manages to do so reaches this position, they are immediately elated from their servant class to a noble class. No matter the background¡±


    ¡°An elite enforcer is considered to be more valuable than several noble houses. Where they can serve the kingdom and the people in fighting against the defiled enemy. They are given financial and political support by the kingdom. It is no wonder that many nobles try to reach this position, the power it gives them enables their hose to grow in rank and reach a more prestigious position. We have several examples here in this class too.¡± Said the professor.


    Then looked at the corner of the room.


    ¡°For example, the House Ling,¡± she said looking at Lady Akari who was seated at the far side of the class. I didn¡¯t even notice her until the teacher spoke about it.


    ¡°The house Ling is considered one of the prominent houses of the kingdom. Its Lord, Lord Yo Ling is an elite enforcer and a close friend to his highness. His sword Brother Master Shen, who is a teacher in this academy is also an elite enforcer and they both serve the country to great lengths. Given the power, they wield the King himself gave the lord of the House Ling a city to rule. The city of flame Ariandel has prospered since, due to the financial and political aid of the king and the power of its current lord. This is an example that many of you should take into consideration. To become an Elite enforcer is a difficult and hard task, though all of you present here in the S class have a better chance at it, it doesn¡¯t mean that those of lower class will just give up the fight for it. You must all reach out to become better than what you currently are. Class dismissed!¡± said the professor and she left.


    The voices in the classroom then rose. Many people began discussing what the professor just spoke about and the rest were using the time to speak casually amongst themselves.


    Looking at lady Akari our eyes met and she turned around and left the class.


    Hmm¡­


    The moment I decided to leave the class, someone smacked their hand at the table where I was seated.


    ¡°You!¡± he said


    He was a tall looking boy, with short-cut blue hair, and azure eyes. He had a look of arrogance in his eyes, perfectly fitting a high noble. Looking at everyone beneath him with contempt, and all above him with either envy or reverence.


    ¡°I challenge you for your class position! Give your position back to lady Lissandra and go back to where you belong!¡±


    ¡°I refuse¡± I replied as I stood up


    ¡°What do you mean you refuse,¡± he said as two more guys showed up behind him. I didn¡¯t have a good look at their appearance, but they looked like fodder characters that follow another fodder character.


    ¡°We know you have a black coin. But once you negate mine, these two will challenge you, let''s not waste our coins, you can save yours to challenge someone later on.¡± He said with a smirk


    ¡°Give the position back.¡± Added one of the two other guys.


    ¡°You have no right to challenge me if you don¡¯t give me anything of equal value if I lose I will give up my seat however what will happen once I win?¡±


    ¡°Such arrogance! You think a servant can defeat me?¡± said the blue-haired man


    ¡°Then you are claiming that you are stronger than Lady Lissandra, are you?¡± I said with a smirk.


    These nobles are easy to deal with. Hit their pride and they will stagger.


    ¡°You!¡± said the man with gritted teeth


    Of course, he can¡¯t say it. it is clear that his objective is to win favor for the Royal family however, he cannot claim to be stronger than Lady Lissandra, even on the off chance he truly is.


    ¡°Please, I don¡¯t have time to waste here. And more so,¡± I said as I brought my card forward


    ¡°I am immune to challenges for a month. Stop bothering me¡± I said as I left.


    There was no need to waste time with these people, I have better things to do.


    Once I was out, I wanted to go back up to the administrative building to speak with the headmaster. However thankfully he was right next to the classroom, apparently, he was waiting for me.


    ¡°Here,¡± said the headmaster as he threw me a ring.


    ¡°What is this?¡± I asked


    ¡°That is a storage ring, I placed all the ingredients for a Qi and body restoration pill there. You can keep the ring, it is of lesser quality, it can store items, you can use your Qi to sweep through it with your sense and also retrieve what is in and also place items within it.¡±


    ¡®Oh a spatial storage ring, though it is weak and has barely enough space it is more than enough for you right now, I will teach you later how to refine it to become of better quality¡¯ said Nocturne


    ¡°Thank you, I will start by crafting the pill,¡± I said as I thanked the headmaster.


    ¡°Once I obtain all the ingredients to make the phoenix seed I will come to you. Also, I would like to see you concocting the pill, would that be all right?¡± said the Headmaster


    ¡®there is no problem in him watching, understanding how to make it is the secret.¡¯ Said Nocturne


    ¡°There will be no problem,¡± I said


    ¡°Then very well. There is a small house near the forest entrance where I spend my time, you can go there and start your pill concoction. I still have many matters to deal with.¡±


    ¡°Ah before you go, there is something I need to tell you,¡± I said.


    Looking around I saw many people that were walking around


    ¡°But I think we will need a more of a private place.¡±


    The headmaster then placed his hand on mine and spoke directly into my head, startling me.


    ¡®This is called sending, if you wish to speak you can concentrate on words and use your Qi to say them, not your voice.¡¯


    After few seconds I managed to do it


    ¡®is this working?¡¯ I said


    ¡®Quite amazing! I thought it would take some tries for you to do it. however, you really are talented. Anyway, you should always use this to speak private things, there is also distance sending but it requires more technique. What did you wish to tell me?¡± said the Headmaster


    ¡®Within the classroom, the third row from the left, the boy wearing the black outfit with a swan on the back. He is one of them.¡±


    ¡®Are you certain about this? We will need to make sure before we act.¡¯ Said the headmaster.


    ¡®I just presented you with one, how you deal with that is your job, I don¡¯t think I have the strength to defeat any of them especially after what happened that day.¡± I said to the old man


    ¡®Indeed, that is not your job, actually helping us locate them is more than praiseworthy. For each one, we correctly apprehend I will be willing to give you a set of points for it. Also, you should go where you were attacked that day, your weapon is buried under the same spot where you threw it, I believe you can find the way.¡± said the headmaster


    ¡°don¡¯t worry about that and thank you, I appreciate everything.¡¯ I said with a smirk then left after giving the headmaster a nod.


    Using my Qi to sweep through the ring, I managed to somehow look into it, there were actually all the ingredients needed to create a body and Qi restoration pill also, I managed to understand the total size of it. it was a cube of 2 meters. Normally it would be a cramped place to store anything, even more, a wing of the moonlight butterfly, but it seems that this one is already refined.


    The next class will start tomorrow morning, I should be done by then¡­ I still need to retrieve the scythe¡­


    Once I was near the gate I saw the small shack that the headmaster spoke about.


    Using my card to open the door I entered and closed it behind me. It was a simple dwelling with nothing but basic needs, a bed, a desk and some books.


    Willing the ingredients to pour out from the ring I began refining them.


    After having already made the first pill, it didn¡¯t take much effort to make another. With the help of Nocturne, I managed to create another one of the same quality.


    ¡®Eat it and start consuming the energy of the ingredients, it will mend your wounds, restore your body and its Qi will purify yours.¡¯ Said Nocturne.


    Once I did that, I sat in the meditative pose and began looking within me.


    A small orb of powerful energy floated within, as it swirled around sending energy waves that rebounded throughout my body. Fixing the damage and reinforcing flesh.


    The damaged meridian was almost instantly repaired as the flow of Qi hastened. My body burned to a high degree then stabilized itself.


    ¡°Hmm, why is it not melting all the way?¡± I asked Nocturne


    ¡®The pill still needs some time to be fully integrated, you must keep cultivating so that it fully fuses with you. Now enter your sea of consciousness, its time to teach you more about how to use your newfound abilities.¡¯

 Chapter 31 (Mortal Reminder)

    Chapter 31


    Once inside the white void, I saw the same scene that I was met with last time. However, this time it was a bit different. The orbs that were floating were glowing with a faint dark aura and the Qi was being channeled from the middle orb, which is the biggest and is the Dantian towards the other five smaller meridians.


    The damaged meridian was fully fixed and the giant black hole in the ceiling was releasing the same feint black aura.


    Nocturne was sitting on the throne contemplating the whole scene.


    ¡°What is going on here? Is this a sign of a breakthrough?¡±


    ¡°No, actually this is far from it¡­ it seems that your Qi is changing, no longer will it be using natural Qi to cast spells, but it will be using energy from this black hole¡­ this opened the moment you killed a person¡­. And it will always be here, for every one in this world they can only use spiritual energy to cast spells or reinforce their bodies, however, you are harnessing energy from somewhere else¡­ somewhere dark.¡± Said Nocturne


    ¡°Do you know about it?¡± I asked


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? when I was alive I had something like this, however, it was much smaller and much less noticeable. It seems your link to the god of death is rather peculiar¡­ as his descendant, I guess in the long term you will be able to wield more power than I ever had, however still, you must reach that point. Even geniuses are considered trash if they don¡¯t reach a place of power in their lives. Blessed by the heavens means nothing if you die early, so live and strive and once you hold the world by your hand can you truly call yourself his descendant.¡± Said Nocturne while gazing upon the dark hole.


    ¡°So what was it that you wanted to train me for?¡± I asked


    ¡°Before that, sit down. The Body and Qi refining pill has yet to be fully consumed. Let me help you with that.¡± He said as I sat down and Nocturne appeared behind me.


    The moment his hand pressed on my back the whole white void shook. The small orbs began to shake and tremble while the giant one remained still.


    Cracks appeared on the smaller five orbs and an unimaginable amount of pain rushed through my physical body and I felt it even here.


    ¡°Cleansing the body, and linking the meridians, this is the first step.¡± Said Nocturne.


    The orbs then shattered and the meridians gave a never before seen a sheen, they were black in color, but they gave a dark ray and aura.


    The Dantian, however, didn¡¯t budge or showed any signs of change.


    ¡°I know what you are thinking about. However, you have yet to reach the breakthrough point for the sixth level of Qi connections. You managed body refinement which is the first step in a much faster way than many people. However, to breakthrough, the second step will need you to absorb enormous amounts of spiritual energy to gain an understanding of the world and walk your own way.¡± Said Nocture without bothering with the happenings in the white void.


    ¡°This should do it for the pill, now all that remains is for you to cultivate diligently and breakthrough to the next level. From now on, until the tenth level, it will be just grinding spiritual energy, once after that, I will show you the method to break from the second step of Qi connections to the spiritual link with heavens.¡± Saidnocturne as he moved away.


    ¡°Now, let me show you how to use your body properly.¡± Said Nocturne as he charged forward with a scythe in hand and a creepy smile.


    Here we go again¡­


    After many hours of pain and death. I was let out from the white void.


    It turns out that Nocture can really make one¡¯s life miserable with how strong he is within that space. He really had much to show and so far I seem to have only seen the tip of the iceberg of Nocturne¡±s real strength.


    Once outside the cabinet where I was staying, I saw that it was getting darker.


    Crossing the gate that had no guard I went deeper into the forest. The wind was howling rather viciously this night. The walk to the depth of the forest was somewhat lonely and calm. I still kept monochrome vision up to see if there is anything unusual with the surrounding. Finding nothing out of sorts I kept walking forward.


    Of all the places around me, some gave feint spiritual energy, even the ground would release small specks of spiritual energy that would float and merge with trees, air and the world as a whole.


    However, one spot was not releasing anything, no it was as if it was absorbing the world¡¯s energy. The space around that spot was pitch black, as an enormous sink that would consume anything that got close to it.


    Removing monochrome vision to see what it was and discovered that it was a small dun of dirt.


    ¡°it seems that this is the place where the scythe is,¡± I said to myself as I got closer.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    It took me a while digging in until I found the hilt and pulled the weapon up. It was a bit dirtied but once I got it closer to the book it disappeared within it and the dirt fell on the ground.


    ¡°You still need a name huh¡­ I have been thinking about it for a long time, and I think I found something suitable¡­¡±I said as I looked at the book.


    Summoning the scythe back again, I saw its feint luster under the veil of the darkness of this forest. a frightening blade, able to harvest the lives of mortals with a single hit, and can claim the lives of them with ease¡­ a weapon to make others remember their mortality. Against it nothing can remain, nothing can stand supreme¡­


    ¡°I name you¡­ the Mortal Reminder!¡± I said as I held the weapon high.


    Almost instantly the weapon vibrated shining with a great sheen as it jerked itself away from my hand as it hovered around me.


    ¡°A fine name you chose,¡± said Nocturne.


    ¡°What is happening?¡± I asked


    ¡°It is truly acknowledging you as its master, now you will be given free reign to it, and will be able to truly wield it. you used it as a tool and now it will be your friend and compared.¡± Said Nocturne


    The blade hovered and vibrated for a bit and an inscription was now written on it, it was the same strange symbols on the book but they were now on the side of the blade. Written in a majestical way.


    It soon came to me and I grabbed it. instantly I felt a rush of spiritual energy coming from it. almost as if this weapon was imprinted in my soul.


    The scenery of where I stood changed and I was now looking from high above on a strange and almost deserted place.


    There was a sole man standing, wearing the same set that Nocturne had. Before him stood thousands of creatures of different shapes, some were humanoids and some were giant creatures that looked massive, like that beast that was absorbed by that spell the scythe used that day.


    ¡°Where is this?¡± I tried to ask Nocturne but no one answered. I tried to move but couldn¡¯t. I can only watch.


    ¡°King of Humans,¡± said a man that was probably the leader of these creatures. An old looking hunchbacked man with dark pustules spreading on his body.


    ¡°Why must you challenge us? You know full well that your end is nigh, surrender your kingdom and your lives so that we may spare your kind. You are strong indeed but courage can¡¯t beat numbers.¡± Said the old man while opening both his hands, it gave him a dignified look despite his disgusting appearance.


    ¡°Vile thing,¡± said the man whose voice sounded exactly like Nocturne.¡± You should know that you are nothing but a pawn, used to call upon the power that is backing you. You shall die today and your minions will follow. My people will not be dragged by this and you shall lose your life this day along with these things.¡±


    ¡°No need to make this last any longer,¡± said the hunchback. ¡°Kill him. He is only one¡± he said as he waved his hand forward.


    The beasts began to shout and howl like maddened creatures as they charged forward like a ruptured dam.


    The man grabbed his weapon and spoke some words, it was a scythe¡­ clearly, this must be nocturne when he still lived.


    Immediately the man turned to two, then four then eight. Each of them ran forward to a portion of the incoming creatures.


    The contact with these beasts and the copies of Nocturne were like explosions as they were knocked back, up and sideways as he sliced through them with extream ruthlessness and wrath.


    The scythe moved as it harvested the lives of any that came in contact with it, reaping lives and spilling blood, without pause rest or mercy. Before it all the beasts fell to the ground, a single slice is all it took to cull the lives of anyone that met it.


    No matter who it was, a beast of an enormous size of a midget of extream quickness they were all ripped apart.


    It seems that the wave of beasts that were attacking was pushed back almost instantly.


    ¡°Dark Harvest!¡± roared one of the eight copies as he summoned a dark ball. It looked like the spell that killed that beast that time, only¡­ it was much bigger, much wider and ridiculously more powerful.


    The beasts began to howl madly and squirmed away trying to run away from the sphere pulling influence, however, it was to no avail.


    ¡°Dark Tear!¡± roared another of the eight as a horizontal slice cut through the wave of beasts as a hot knife through butter.


    A dark arc of energy would rip anything it crossed its path apart, it was as if the fabric of the world was tearing away.


    Another of the eight that looked to be moving like a ghost, he appeared and disappeared from sight as a shadow.


    No, he actually was moving through shadows, jumping from the shadow of a creature and ripping his head apart then disappearing into another¡¯s shadow, appearing few hundred meters away every time.


    ¡°Death March!¡± roared one of them as hundreds of ghost-like people appeared from nowhere and charged forward tilting the battlefield and culling lives.


    One lone man stood against an army, and he was enough to tear through them like nothing. If this was not a show of power¡­ nothing is.


    ¡°Impudent!¡± cried out the hunchback man


    ¡°You, nothing but a weak singularity trying to claim the power against a servant of the death god. You are curting death!¡± said the voices of the eight copies of Nocturne as they kept on shredding their enemies apart.


    Though I wanted to see how it would end¡­ my mind was forcefully pulled from that space and I was back to where I stood. However, instead of night, it was day¡­ it seems that a lot of time had passed while I was looking at that place.


    ¡°Finally back? What did you see Basara?¡±


    I shuddered at the voice of Nocturne as I said with a smirk.


    ¡°A monster¡­¡± I said


    ¡°Kekekeke, indeed a monster,¡± he said as his laughter grew in the background.


    ¡°Teach me¡­¡± I said


    ¡°Teach you what?¡± he replied while fully knowing what I meant.


    ¡°That Dark Tear of yours¡­ also how to properly use the dark harvest¡­ also that movement where you moved through shadows¡­ everything. I want to learn everything¡­ that death march was especially powerful!¡± I said while smiling like a madman.


    ¡°I will, for the moment, I can teach you how to use the Dark Tear and the Shadow Walk. You already have the items for them, the Death shroud that you gained can make you walk through shadows. The Dark tear is an ability that you can utilize with your scythe, and also the Dark harvest is another one of the Scythe¡¯s abilities¡­ however, to split yourself, and to use the death march, you still need the boots and the chest piece of the armor¡­ and to empower them all, you will need the gauntlets¡­ once you obtain all of them you will be powerful enough to match me in my old days. Kekekek¡±


    ¡°Very well. Then should we start?¡±


    ¡°Not now, you still need to reach the tenth level of the Spirit realm. Then you can use my abilities without destroying your body like what happened that time.¡± Said Nocturne


    ¡°Alright! Time to train then!¡± I said as I headed back to the school¡­


    Nocturne¡¯s strength is praiseworthy, if I were to fight those things, I need the power of a servant of the death god. Then and only then can I truly be free¡­


    A position as an elite enforcer can surely give me enough freedom from others, but the power of a servant of death can actually destroy the shackles of anyone trying to either control or use me¡­


    With a goal set, I moved with wide strides to the school. Time to start working for real!

 A deal

    When I arrived at the school grounds, Lady Lissandra was leaning on the main school building¡¯s entrance.


    She was tapping her foot impatiently as she looked around. When her eyes landed on me, a beautiful smile appeared on her face for a second, then she shook it away and scowled as she moved toward me with hurried steppes.


    Lady Lissandra was a well-known person in the school of Visania. Not to mention she was the King¡¯s only daughter; she was a beautiful person and had great charisma. Thus, whenever she moved a few of the students would stare at her. And when their eyes landed on me, they turned hostile.


    ¡°Where have you been?¡± She asked. It sounded more like a demand than a question.


    I tilted my head and casually spoke, ¡°I had a foot in the grave just a few hours ago and I just woke up. I think you should know well where I was.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that, I went to the hospital early this morning and you weren¡¯t there.¡± Lady Lissandra¡¯s eyes wandered around and she noticed the fixated gazes of the students on her and the ¡®servant¡¯ she was talking to.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk while we move,¡± she said.


    ¡°But we have a course soon,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, Basara, I asked the teacher for leave permission. There is something important I need to show you.¡± She said.


    ¡°If you insist,¡± I replied and followed after her.


    Lady Lissandra was a tall person, perhaps because I was still in puberty and was still growing up, she reached my height and her steps were fast. I had to pick up the pace to keep up with her walking. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be behind her, not that I minded the view. But that would only get me in trouble.


    After a silent long walk, we found ourselves next to the Forbidden fortress entrance.


    ¡°This place again,¡± I groaned.


    ¡°Yeah, this is the only place where we can speak without getting interrupted.¡± She said and walked inside.


    I looked around using Monochrome Vision. There was not a soul in sight and there was just the two of us here.


    I disabled the visual ability and walked after Lady Lissandra into the forest.


    ¡°What did you want to tell me, Lady Lissandra?¡± I asked looking over my shoulder for any unwanted company.


    ¡°Drop the titles Basara, it makes me uncomfortable,¡± she said as she faced me.


    ¡°That¡¯s not right, with my status it would-¡± but she cut me off with an angry tone.


    ¡°Just shut up!¡± she yelled. ¡°I said drop the titles. When we are alone, call me by my name, do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Of course, L-Lissandra.¡± I said. My words cutting.


    However, she flashed a delightful smile my way, her face flushing a bit, then she coughed saying, ¡° I wanted to show you something,¡± she said and showed me a piece of paper.


    The piece of paper was familiar to me. The moment it appeared; Nocturne stirred in my sea of consciousness.


    ¡°I think this is a piece of your book.¡±


    But Nocturne disagreed saying ¡°No, not the book. It¡¯s another¡¯s¡± he spoke in my head.


    ¡°May I see it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said and handed me the paper.


    When I took it in my hand, I felt my hand shaking. Like lightning had struck me from the piece of bland white paper.


    I held on tight to the paper then the feeling of shock disappeared soon after.


    The paper was white, but several letters in red emerged on it.


    Lissandra¡¯s eyes widened as she peaked to see what was on the paper.


    ¡°By rite, the blood seeketh death, by law Death seeketh life. And by will, life seeketh blood. Fallen of the ages find will within they self, to call upon the spirit visage and bloom in the darkest of the nights. A wandering reaper may find pray one day, a bloodied soul may find Death one day, but life forever prosper if the soul is intact.¡±


    I read the passage and had absolutely no idea what it meant. However, Nocturne had another say.


    ¡°Basara, it is time I tell you a bit more about this book. When you are alone that is¡± He said.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Lissandra asked.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know. I replied. Where did you find this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°My father¡¯s vault. He has kept this piece of paper. He told me one day that it belonged to the conqueror. I noticed that your book had the same paper material. So I thought it came from it. Did it not?¡± she asked.


    I snapped my fingers summoning the black book, I took the piece of paper and compared it to the book. But the paper Lissandra brought me was a bit larger than the papers of the book.


    I shook my head saying, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t have come from this book. Perhaps there are other copies out there.¡± I said.


    ¡°You mean, there are more of those books?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes and no,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Meaning?¡± she asked.


    ¡°This book is unique, but that doesn¡¯t mean that there aren¡¯t other books similar or close to it. There could be other servants of Death.¡±


    ¡°Servants of Death? Like your master?¡±


    ¡°And like the Conqueror. Anyway, I don¡¯t know much about this subject. And seeing that this piece of paper doesn¡¯t belong to my book, you should return it.¡±


    ¡®Or burn it,¡¯ Nocturne spoke.


    I frowned, ¡®Why is that?¡¯


    ¡°You think I was chosen to serve death because I was special?¡¯


    ¡®Then why were you chosen?¡¯ I replied.


    ¡°It was because I was one of many who received the blessing of the Death God. Unlike you Basara, you are a descendant of the god of death. But I was nothing but a commoner who obtained this copy of the book. I will tell you more about it in private.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I said then looked at Lissandra with a serious gaze.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to handle this kind of power, Lissandra. Take this paper back where it belonged. I¡¯ll tell you more when I know more.¡±


    Lissandra had a disappointed look on her face, surprisingly, she didn¡¯t demand to know what I knew and accepted my request.


    ¡°Alright, if you know anything, share with me.¡±


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she replied.


    ¡°I mean, if this piece of paper was in the royal vault, that means it was important enough to be saved there. That also means that not anyone can take it out from there whenever they liked. Inferring that you had applied some sort of pressure to obtain it, perhaps power or money, but still, you paid something to obtain it.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah, kind of.¡± She said looking away.


    ¡°Anyway, why are you doing this?¡±


    She took a breath, sighing then said, ¡°I need power, political, or physical power. The struggle for the throne will turn bloody very soon. And so far I¡¯m on the losing end.¡±


    ¡°So you thought of conscripting the boy with the grim reaper in his head.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, kind of, I mean who has that kind of power,¡± she said, moving a strand of hair to the back of her head.


    ¡°What¡¯s in it for me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh, finally recognizing yourself. Interesting, and here I thought you¡¯d be willing to do it for free.¡± She said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not one of your goons, princess,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Neither did I think of it, let me propose to you a deal.¡± She said.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I can guarantee you nobleness in exchange for your service,¡± she said.


    ¡°You mean a title?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a knight for now. My Knight.¡±


    ¡°That means I will have to abandon my household. I¡¯m sorry, your offer is tempting, really it is. But I gave my word to Lord Ling, and I will respect it.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to abandon the household of the phoenix. You can still serve them, but you will be given a title as my knight. You don¡¯t need to listen to any of my orders and I won¡¯t order you around or shackle your will. You¡¯re free to do as you wish. Unbound to my family, only by name.¡± she said.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ aren¡¯t you going too far? You almost sound desperate.¡± I said.


    She had a rueful smile on her face as she spoke,¡± I really am disparate. My future is sealed. If I don¡¯t manage to obtain enough political power by the end of my schooling years here, I will be offered to the highest bidder. A trophy for any man who has enough money or power to influence the ruling of the kingdom.¡±


    I frowned saying,¡± I don¡¯t fully understand, aren¡¯t you the king¡¯s own daughter,¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and this is exactly the reason why I¡¯m not being wed off to someone else right now. But my father grows ill and weaker every day. And soon, the first heir, my brother will take the throne. Not wanting competition, he will force my hand and have me married to some other lesser noble house to have full control over the country.¡±


    ¡°And how can my service change that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°For now, as a knight. Nothing. But perhaps in the future this might change. You have the Conqueror¡¯s book. His ability, you have power. Even if you didn¡¯t know it.¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯m a pawn for you to use,¡± I said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that! I don¡¯t want to use you.¡± She said.


    ¡°But everything you spoke was nothing short of exploiting me to your own benefit!¡± I replied.


    She took a deep breath and looked up at me saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry then. Forget about it,¡± she turned around to leave.


    ¡®Basara,¡¯ Nocturne spoke in my head.


    ¡®Yeah? What is it?¡± I asked.


    ¡®In chess, do you know what¡¯s the strongest piece on the board?¡± asked nocturne.


    ¡°The queen¡± I replied casually.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s the pawn.¡¯


    ¡®What are you trying to say, Nocturne?¡± I asked again.


    ¡®A pawn may be weak, may be useless, may be common. But that¡¯s the pawn¡¯s ability. It is easily ignored and once it reaches the other side of the board it can transform to any piece on the board. Flexibility. The girl was not trying to control your faith, she was giving you a chance. Take it or leave it. It¡¯s your own fate.¡¯


    ¡®You mean you want us to be controlled by the princess?¡¯


    ¡®You think with me by your side, someone can control you?¡± Nocturne spoke all casually.


    ¡°True, I forgot about that.¡±


    ¡°Kekekekek, then go. Take the knighthood and see how it goes.¡±


    ¡°Lissandra!¡± I shouted.


    The girl stopped, she didn¡¯t turn to face me and said, ¡°W-what is it?¡± she asked.


    I heard a faint quiver in her voice, was she crying?


    ¡°I¡¯ll accept. But the moment I think you¡¯re using me. Everything is over,¡± I said.


    Lissandra went silent for a moment then said,¡± I¡¯ll see you soon at school. Thank you,¡± and she scurried away.


    ¡®Was she crying?¡±


    ¡°Kekeke, aren¡¯t you something, slaying demons by night and breaking hearts by day. You make me remember my old self.¡±


    I shook my head at nocturne and was about to leave when the Headmaster literally appeared out of nowhere.


    His clothes were a bit crumpled and he looked fatigued, however, there was a bright smile on his face.


    ¡°Basara, my boy! You were right!¡± he said.


    ¡°About?¡± I replied.


    ¡°The kid you pointed out to be one of Them, it was true. I trapped him and killed him. I¡¯ll need your ability. Here¡¯s your reward.¡±


    The headmaster waved his card at me. I pulled out my card from my pocket and found 10,000 points added to it.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Now, if you see others-¡±


    I cut the headmaster off, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll inform you. But you should rest now, you look beaten up.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Back in the days, these wounds wouldn¡¯t have been more than an itch. I can¡¯t wait for you to make the pill for me.


    ¡°Once you supply me with all the materials, I¡¯ll do it for you, old man.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± the headmaster said and left.


    ¡®Good, now that everyone is gone, let me tell you more about the book of death.¡¯ Nocturne spoke, his voice grimmer than the usual¡­