《Einder Bloodline》


 Chapter 1: The Einder Blood

    He has numerous titles, to his allies, he is known as a man respected by the masses, one whose fame reaches the heavens, and is a noble hero that every kid aspires to be. But to his enemies, he is a man who has single-handedly slaughtered a thousand soldiers, the number one enemy of the empire, and was especially known as the Crimson Death God.


    But after nearly 200 years, his name shall be written in history books as someone notorious with various accusations of deaths that are tied alongside his name. He will be known not as a hero but as the traitor who is foolish enough to lead an alliance of misfits in a large-scale rebellion against the sheer might of the empire.


    Currently, that same man is about to face his largest battle yet. Conquering almost half the lands of the empire, he is merely a breath away from capturing the Royal Capital and liberating the citizens from the evil clutches of the empire.


    "My liege, as expected, the enemy troops have sent their elites to die right at our doorsteps." A man wearing a monocle reported the current situation. "All according to plan."


    "Great, now I can finally see the end of this fighting." With a deep breath, he switched his attention from the map that was in front of him to the man who spoke with him. "Vlad, with this, we can finally avenge our fallen brothers! If it weren''t for you, I wouldn''t have finished this plan in time, this victory is also thanks to your brilliant proposition. If only Ethan and the rest could see you now, they would''ve been proud of how much you''ve grown. "


    "My liege, the battle is still not over. We should still be focusing on the field in case the empire still has another trump card." Although he was somewhat nervous he still hid it, but although it couldn''t be seen, he was still sweating bullets as he tried to grin and gestured towards the enemy reinforcements.


    "I know. Gather all the men, today is our last battle! We will finally settle the score with the empire!"


    Thousands of men swarmed towards their respective positions. They were all holding their breath, awaiting the moment of battle silently as they felt the adrenaline slowly creeping up their bodies.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Launch the attack in 5.....4.....3.....2.....1.....ATTAAACCCCKKKKKK!!!!!"


    The enemy troops cautiously advancing were immediately met with surprise as they were ambushed right when they were near their designated target. However, living up to their name as the elites of the empire, they responded quickly enough to defend themselves against the incoming wave.


    Meanwhile, in a dark corner within the headquarters of the rebellion. "Vlad, I hope you kept your part of the plan. If not, you know what will happen to your wife and daughter here."


    "I know, I properly did what you told me to do. Now, it''s time for you to do your part of the deal and give them back to me!" Vlad responded with a furious voice, his throat was trembling with sheer anger. His eyes slowly being dyed with pure violence.


    "Don''t worry, we''ll release her... AFTER YOUR BELOVED LEADER DIES, OF COURSE!"


    Vlad was about to say something when suddenly, he heard an explosion near the base and as he lost his ground, the earth trembled.


    "What the-"


    A large beam of light enveloped their whole base. After the huge explosion, a series of small explosions ensued as the base continued to receive enemy bombardment. Presently, the inside of the now-ruined base was filled with dead bodies scattered all over the floor and a large amount of blood that seemed to paint the remaining walls of the base.


    "I swear, from this moment on....."


    There was a silhouette of a man who, on closer inspection, is too wounded to even stand. That man was breathing hard as he clenched his fists. His eyes were filled with incomparable sorrow and wrath. His lips were trembling with rage. He felt defeated, yet the determination in his eyes never waned, not even once did he look back, he already knew that from the moment he started his futile struggle against the empire, that the moment that he did even looked back just once, all the regret, despair, and self-loathing would swallow him whole.


    "I SHALL HAVE MY REVENGE!"

 Chapter 2: Cray Anderson

    Time flew by, seasons changed, and it was once again summer. This summer morning was no different from any other. Yet for one person, it was the start of something different. This was the start of the day for young Cray Anderson, a boy living alone in an old house left behind by the people who took care of him. This morning, he specifically woke up early while disregarding the fact that he still had bed hair. He immediately stood up from the old and creaking bed, still wearing his favorite blue shirt, he swiftly ran towards the basement.


    "Today is finally the day!"


    Today, at the 12th of Solmanour, Cray Anderson has officially reached his fifteenth birthday. Fulfilling one of the conditions set by the man that he treated and loved as his father on his last will. The conditions are; to reach the age of fifteen, to receive the key code from the person that he treated and called his mother, and lastly, to open the mysterious package that his father had left behind. Only then can he finally get his hands on the inheritance that apparently came together with him when the people he treated as parents started taking care of him.


    His mother had already died about a year ago so he had long received the code that was being kept by her. "Now then, let''s bring this box up!"


    He lifted the box and placed it on top of the table in his dilapidated room. Entering the code slowly but surely, making sure that he would not make any mistakes, ¡°1-4-3-3¡±


    With a heavy thump, the lock dropped down the box. He then slowly opened the box by pulling on its handle.


    "Huh? Why won''t it open? Is it stuck after being sealed for so long?"


    He wondered to himself as he slowly made his way to the kitchen to grab a knife and tried to open it by force. It didn''t work at first, so he tried to exert even more strength to his grip as he tried to utilize the mechanical force by using the knife to lift open the lid. Unfortunately, by trying to do so, he hurt himself. But it proved to be worth it because it still ended up being the secret to actually opening it.


    "Ahh! I shouldn¡¯t have used the knife. Now I got myself cut."


    A single drop of blood dripped on top of the box. Little did he know that my blood was necessary to open it.


    "Initializing the system. Identity confirmed. Cray "Funf" Anderson, the fifth descendant of the Einder bloodline. The Flame of Origin detected. Starting transmission."


    "What? This box can talk? Is this actually a device from the inner city?"


    Surprised, he momentarily forgot the pain and started inspecting the box where the sound came from.


    "Good day, Host! I am your personal AI-aide number 9128 code name, N.O.T.E."


    The box had mysteriously started to let out a dim, blue light when the female voice spoke. Startled, he fell onto the floor. Currently, he didn''t know how to respond to the current situation and all he could do was become frozen for about a minute to process the whole situation.


    "Host! Host? Please, respond! Are you okay? According to your facial expressions, it seems that you feel disturbed by the fact that a box is talking to you. If so, I''ll switch to my humanoid mode. Please forgive me, Host, I have yet the capacity to establish a real physical body."


    Curiosity flashed through his eyes as he looked at the mysterious object in front of him. Not even knowing what it was supposed to be, all he could do was to honestly ask a question.


    "What the hell are you?"


    Tilting his head towards the right as he held up his left hand to his chin was a habit that he has every time he starts thinking. The sight was so surreal, an inanimate container who could speak, had suddenly emitted a flash of light, and all of a sudden there was a hologram which had sprouted out from the box.


    A white-haired girl about my age wearing something that resembles a frilly dress with patterns of black and white had appeared.


    "Well then, I''ll repeat my introduction, Host. I am your personalized assigned artificial intelligence made for your use only. AI-aide number 9128 code name N.O.T.E."


    After hearing all that, Cray clasped both of his hands and opened his mouth. It finally seemed like he understood something.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "AHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, It looks like I was so excited that I ended up dreaming of opening the box and started seeing this hologram. Alright, I guess it''s about time for me to wake up now!"


    He tried pinching himself on the cheeks. He tried it again. He tried it about three more times.


    "Huh? Why am I not waking up?"


    This female hologram who called herself an AI was visibly making a funny expression. It was as if she was looking at something stupid and funny at the same time. This result has finally made Cray realize that he should at least accept the truth for the time being.


    "I''m not dreaming, am I?"


    "Affirmative, Host, you are not dreaming."


    "I see." Cray sighed as he once again regained his composure.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s just say for now that something like you is related to me. Is there anything else that you would like to say? After all, I have been waiting all my life trying to figure out what the hell was inside this box only for you to come out. You said your name was Note right?"


    "Yes, Host."


    "Note, what exactly are you? And judging from how you express emotions and other gestures, you must be an advanced AI, right?¡±


    ¡°Assuming that you are indeed so, you should''ve been made by someone incredibly rich or smart. How in the heavens are you a part of the inheritance that was meant for me to own? Do I have, like, an actually important background or something?"


    "Restricted Information, the host does not have enough clearance level to access that classified information."


    "What do you mean by level? Why is it restricted, you said I''m your host right? Then shouldn''t I be at least worthy enough to know that?¡±


    "The host is currently at clearance level 2, the only accessible information is about the Fourth Descendant."


    ¡°Fourth Descendant? I do recall you calling me the Fifth Descendant, but what does that even mean?¡±


    Cray was now convinced that there was definitely something different about him. As a kid, he always thought of himself as different from the others, but he just can¡¯t seem to point it out. He was now certain that with the appearance of this thing, he could make it clear.


    ¡°Come to think of it, I don¡¯t even know a thing about my real father. Those that took care of me looked too different from me to be my real parents, so even I can figure it out even if they decided not to tell me.¡± Laughing to himself, he reminisced a little about the only people that he can call his family.


    ¡°Due to the personality trait of the new host, It is advised to utilize log 4521. Host, would you like to see it for yourself?¡±


    ¡°Wait. What do you mean by seeing for myself? Is he still alive? Is he physically near for me to actually see him?¡±


    "Based on my calculations, it is 89% better for you to experience it firsthand than to explain it to you."


    "Huh?"


    Sitting face to face with Note, Cray was surprised when she suddenly raised her left hand and began to slowly move towards him while pointing with her index finger. She then gently pushed it through my forehead.


    ******


    The surroundings suddenly turned dark. The morning sun was never to be seen, only to be replaced by the elegant shine of the crescent moon. His room turned into a dark alley that was eerily silent, it was as if there was no one living there. Suddenly, seven figures appeared. All were standing except for one.


    "Hey, boss, shouldn''t we stop now?"


    A guy wearing a red shirt with anxiety plastered on his face pleaded as he was not used to this kind of job.


    But even he was stopped immediately when a fat man with a big golden ring in his middle finger looked viciously at him. "Nah, not until he''s half dead.¡± The man was filled to the brim with golden articles, from his heavy looking chain necklace, all the way to his golden tooth, he sparkled under the illumination of the moonlight.


    "Please! Stop!" said a young blonde man in his early twenties while crying "Please! At this rate, Nick wouldn''t last!"


    Seeing how much the standard for his subordinates had fallen, the fat man immediately sent a sharp gaze towards one of his lackeys and shouted. "Restrain him properly." The fat man then switched his focus as he looked at the person which the young blonde obviously cared for.


    He was a man whose looks could¡¯ve attracted women left and right if not for his currently bloodied appearance. His brown hair was stained with a mix of dirt and sweat, his nose was bloodied and he was also on the verge of getting killed.


    "So, Nick, tell me. Where did you hide our dear father''s inheritance? Is it with the Arcos Family? The Chen Clan? or maybe..." Before the fat man could even finish talking, he was immediately stopped.


    "I WILL NEVER TELL YOU!" and with a spit that was mixed with a deep red color of his own blood, Nick shouted. He knew that deep inside, he was afraid. Even so, his anger and determination overpowered his feelings of fear, so he made a gamble. One with his life on the line and he was prepared to die.


    Seeing this, the fat man changed his approach. His facial expressions changed in an instant. He suddenly looked amiable, in fact, if others saw his face they would think that he was instead helping a bloodied poor man on the road. Unfortunately, things were never as they seemed.


    "Nick, Nick, Nick. It still seems that you don''t understand your own position here." The fat man wiped off the spit containing blood with a white handkerchief and immediately gave a nod at another guy who was holding Nick from behind.


    "You know what, Nick? Wait, should I call you Vier for old times'' sake? For once I actually respected you as my older brother back when we were young. But too bad for you. I mean, even I would have spared you if you just told me the truth.¡± All of a sudden, the cold breeze gently blew against these men.


    ¡°We¡¯re taking too long.¡± The fat man then stood up and gave Nick a long side glance.¡±Well, it looks like your time is up."


    "No! Stop! Please! Don''t do this!"


    A gunshot was heard as it echoed across the street. Immediately following that was a sound of a loud cry of grief. Meanwhile, in a corner of the street, one man was constantly watching. "This is Special Agent Ryan, the arrow has shot the eagle, I repeat, the arrow has shot the eagle. HQ, do you copy?"


    "Copy that, Operation Blue Falcon is a go!"


    Armed men went in and arrested the fat man and his goons while the previously restrained man immediately ran towards his friend who is now at death''s door.


    "Ch-Char...les." Groaned a man with a soft voice who seemed like he was at death''s door. The man who was called Nick slowly took out a silver pendant. Inside it was a picture of a baby, one that had similar brown hair like him.


    "Nick! Stay with me! Nick!!!!"


    "Charles, p-please take care of my son. Raise him like your own... now, go!"


    And just like that, everything faded and eventually became dark as if it was just an illusion.

 Chapter 3: Home

    Human beings, through having vast experiences, build up a perceived notion about the world around them. This helps humans to make the most optimum choices and further reaffirms their beliefs. However, the moment when their reality goes against their preconceptions, they tend to reject it as their minds try to link it to something that they have experienced before, creating a lapse in judgment. The same thing is currently happening to Cray. He, who has experienced something previously unknown to him, was rejecting it.


    The moment he returned to the environment that he was used to, his brain has linked the experience to dreams. After all, without even noticing how much he felt like throwing up, he used his right hand to pinch his face and felt pain. This was something that is opposite to what dreams are, as they do not conform to the rules of logic, meaning that the pain that he was feeling proves that he is not in a dream.


    ¡°That just now-¡±


    It felt like madness had taken over him as he lost power over his body, which caused him to lie flat on the floor face up.


    "Hahahahahahahahahahahaha. I think I''m turning crazy.¡±


    "Warning. There is a chance that the host will experience slight pain due to the forced brain wave transmission. Scanning incapable, insufficient power. It is advised for the host to rest and wait for the body to adjust for about 1 to 3 minutes before once again utilizing your body."


    Hearing this, Cray unconsciously followed the instructions when all of a sudden,


    "3% remaining entering sleep mode."


    A sharp pain flashed throughout his head. It felt like his brain was expanding and wanted to burst out from the constraints of his skull.


    "AHHHHHHHH! WHAT IS THIS?! WHY DOES IT HURT SO MUCH?"


    This snapped him out from his previous state, returning him once again to reality. After a couple of minutes, he finally settled down and once again regained his strength to stand up. His hand now resting back on his chin.


    ¡°What happened back then?¡±


    Without any distractions and noises, he began his focus and tried to recall all the things that he saw back then. Of all the people who were there, he only knew one person and that person was Charles, he was the one who looked after him and raised him like he was his own son. Aside from that, he also remembered the fact that Note told him his biological father was supposedly related to that momentary flashback. It was a no-brainer connecting the dots.


    "Ah, the pain is gone." Belatedly realizing this, he decided to remain vigilant against Note, after all, with unknown origins, he really couldn''t immediately put his trust in it. With a sigh, he scratched his head and felt his stomach grumbling.


    ¡°There''s a lot of information that''s flooding my head right now and I¡¯m not sure of the validity of them all. I think I need a rest.¡± After mumbling such, he began swaying his head back and forth before eventually coming to a stop.


    Come to think of it, today is my birthday, right? I''m also getting hungry. Alright, I''ll stop thinking about this and eat some breakfast first.¡±


    Cray stood up and looked at the box that he just opened and was suddenly surprised because he couldn''t seem to find the hologram that previously gave him an inexplicable headache.


    "Note? Where are you?"


    But before Cray got any more clues as to Note¡¯s whereabouts, he heard some knocks on the door.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "CRAY! WAKE UP! TODAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY!" A female¡¯s voice was calling out to him just outside the door. As soon as he heard her voice, all of Cray¡¯s worries suddenly disappeared. He stood up and went towards the entrance to welcome his guest.


    "Hannah? Why are you shouting, it''s still early in the morning you know? You might wake up the neighbors."


    He immediately opened the door only to see a girl who looks about the same age as him wearing a bright red sundress that suited her blonde hair and snow white skin. She was carefully holding a tray that had a small cake on top. It was covered on the side to prevent the wind from blowing the candle out and had a lit-up candle right in the middle.


    She looked surprised as she didn''t seem to expect that Cray would wake up this early, he usually wakes up about an hour from now. But after making a sweet smile, she suddenly looked as if she figured out something.


    "Hmmm... looks like a certain someone was too excited and woke up a little too early." Hannah giggled and went directly inside his house, placing the cake on top of a table and taking a seat as she gestured to Cray to do the same, which he did. After that, she sang a song that was vastly different from what people from the old era would recognize as a birthday song. She then smiled and stared at Cray as a signal for him to blow the candle. "I made that cake y''know? It was really hard, it took me a whole week to finally make something that tastes like one, so you better eat it all up!"


    Cray jolted as if he was hit by a thunder and started thinking.


    His train of thought goes along like this. ¡®Hannah made me a cake. So, it''s homemade huh? Does she have to make such an effort just to bake a cake for a friend? Is there some hidden meaning as to why she is doing this? Come to think of it, we¡¯re at the age where it''s normal to have some potential love interests. If she is making this much effort for me does she actually consider me as one? Since when? Why didn''t I notice it before? Well, she is cute. She also smells nice. And she lives just across the street. We''ve also been together all throughout our childhood. I guess I¡¯m fine with it if she¡¯s fine with me.¡¯ Cray suddenly felt that he was being a little narcissistic and this wasn¡¯t like him so before he¡¯s thinking spiraled out of control, he decided to look at Hannah directly in the eyes.


    While all this was happening, Hannah¡¯s cheeks, on the other hand, were slowly turning into a pout as she started to glare back at Cray for not even trying to eat the cake that she worked so hard to make.


    "If you don''t want to eat it then just say so from the beginning. And here I thought that my dear childhood friend would surely appreciate all my hard work.¡± With a sly expression, she turned to look at Cray.


    ¡°What a bummer. If you can''t even appreciate the things that I do for you, then I''ll never come back here again." Hannah then started to slowly stand up and acted as if she was about to leave.


    Cray who knew all about Hannah¡¯s weird antics didn¡¯t really think that she would do as she said and leave, so he laughed in his mind and decided to play along with her. "My dear childhood friend, how could I possibly eat something that is handmade from you? My heart would break after-¡± Before he could finish, Hanah threw a nearby pillow at him straight in his face.


    She knew that he would simply tease her ability to cook and her hands moved before she could even think about it. She really did her best this time around.


    ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll eat it, okay?¡± Cray snickered at her. He always teased her about her cooking because he was once fed her cooking when they were younger and it was really bad, however, he also knew that she had improved a great deal after that and he really likes her cooking. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t say that out loud to her because it was too embarrassing. This time though, he will make an exception and be honest because it is his birthday.


    After taking a quick scoop, he realized the smooth and fluffy texture of the cake and he looked forward to taking a bite. ¡°Hannah, Thank you for the cake. You even made it out of chocolate, my favorite!" Cray then started stuffing his mouth with the cake to hide some of his embarrassment.


    They looked at each other and laughed. They both spent time talking and eating with each other, not caring about their loud voices.


    "Hey... Cray, it''s about that time, right? Are you really going to join the military?... Can''t you just live life like this? Are you really not satisfied with what you have now?" Hannah started to become a bit emotional as she started to sob midway.


    "Don''t cry, Hannah. It''s not like we wouldn''t see each other anymore, right? Look at the bright side, if I were to join the military, I might even have a chance at becoming at least a Rank 8 citizen, right?" He bashfully rubbed her hair, then swept away some of her tears.


    He smiled with conviction. He had already told this to her before and has already made up his mind so nobody else can change it.


    The two continued to spend time together for the whole day and were making idle talk. When the sun was about to set, Cray walked Hannah back to her house and bid farewell to her and her mother. He then returned to his room.


    He spent time thinking about his future.


    He slowly sighed and whispered in a low voice. "I hate this..."


    He opened the window near him and started to look at his surroundings. He saw a couple of rugged-looking old houses, some had holes, some were too small and cramped to even live in. Even his own house was shabby. He looked at the huge banner on the far distance, only visible to him due to its sheer humongous size, with the royal crest of the empire. He slowly read each word out loud. "Welcome to Zone 9, Division 12, Sector 2, Main Island of the Western Continent."


    He then looked at the emblem that was pinned on his shirt. It shined with a golden sparkle with the words "Rank 9 Citizen" written on the surface.


    He looked agonized as he slowly caressed those words that were embedded. "I definitely wouldn''t let Hannah remain a Rank 9 Citizen. If I were to climb up the military ladder, then I would definitely be able to bring along 3 people with me all the way to the 8th zone. I really owe Hannah and her family a lot."


    He made another sigh as he remembered how Hannah''s mother took care of him and Hannah when his parents had just died, leaving him alone without any other relatives to count on.


    ¡°I guess I need to start preparing soon. The camp starts within 3 days after all.¡±


    He then straightened his back with clear resolve reflected in his eyes. He was about to start washing the dishes when he heard,


    "I''m back, Host!"

 Chapter 4: N.O.T.E.

    "AAAHHHHH!" Cray cried out as he looked at where the voice came from, only to find a miniature version of the girl who appeared earlier. He was genuinely surprised, he was so used to living alone in his house that his guard was down, so when a voice suddenly from somewhere near him appeared, it made him jump out.


    "Host, I''m sorry if I suddenly disappeared a while ago, I didn''t expect that the transmission would take up this much energy that I nearly reached depletion." The hologram, who is now only the size of a fist, spoke apologetically. "Due to the immense consumption of energy, I''ll initiate power-saving mode. Oh! Before that, I forgot to mention the necklace that''s inside the box. Please take it and wear it at all times, Host!"


    Cray walked all the way towards the box and slowly took out the necklace, it had silver chains with an inverted triangular metal hanging on the middle, shining with a golden, metallic luster. "What''s this for anyway?" Cray asked as he put it on his neck while fumbling with the sharp tip of the triangular shape in his necklace.


    "Host, that''s my core, in short, we''ll be in contact with each other as long as we''re together." I''m pretty sure Host can now hear me talking inside their mind? Please respond if you do so, Host.


    Cray, with a dark look on his face, examined N.O.T.E.''s previous location only to see that she wasn¡¯t there. He suddenly had a bad premonition for what could possibly happen in the future. Uhm... Note? If this is the case, wouldn''t you be able to listen to all of my thoughts? Uhmmm, wouldn''t that be awkward?


    ¡°Wouldn''t that be the best? Host and I will be together forever? Well joking aside, you can select which thoughts you''d like to send me by just thinking of talking to me. As long as you imagine it, you''d be able to talk to me. But in my case, as long as I decide to talk to you then I''d do so. By the way, Host may have a lot of questions to ask, as I have analyzed the situation, I will explain only the things that are allowed within your current restrictions.¡±


    With a sigh, Cray looked relieved. He then walked towards the used plates and started washing them while listening to Note''s explanations.


    First off, your identity. You are Cray "Funf" Anderson. "Funf", That is the branding that has been passed down throughout your family¡¯s generations. It gives you the right to become the family head of the Anderson family.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Cray suddenly interrupted Note''s explanation when he uttered, "Anderson? Why would I even have a last name, only Rank 6 citizens have the right to inherit a family name, right?"


    ¡°Host, I''m still not finished explaining, so please listen to me first before you ask your questions. I only have a limited time before I become dormant again.¡±


    Just like so, Cray shut his mouth and let Note explain, though he was worried about what Note just said about becoming dormant, he decided to stay quiet about it for now instead of asking more questions.


    ¡°Now, about your father, Nicholas "Vier" Anderson, he was the successor of the Anderson family. At that time, the Anderson family was preparing to initiate another large-scale revolution, the basis for this movement was their forces that were hidden in the empire. Unknown to them, however, was that before they were able to start the rebellion, the fourth successor died at the hands of his own brother. And as you may have already known, you were not the real son of the person who raised you as his own, Charles. You are an Anderson. As one of the descendants of the Einder, you have been given the power to stand for your own. You are destined to become someone great. Just like your ancestors, you have the capacity to reach the top. That''s why you should follow their footsteps and fight for th-¡±


    "Hey, wait! You keep on saying, descendant this, descendant that, I don''t even know who those people are. I may not be the real son of my father, Charles, but he treated me like a real family member. And in the first place, why should I believe in you? How would I even know if you are telling the truth? You are not even a real human. You are nothing but an AI! A plaything by the people of the 3rd Rank citizens!" Cray replied, but he soon realized that he may have gone a bit too far. So, he was deciding whether he should apologize or not, but before he got to a conclusion, Note responded.


    ¡°I understand, Host. I apologize for being too hasty. You may not believe what I say, but in the near future, your bloodline will start to activate and that would not only alert your enemies, but so shall the allies that will come for you. In a few days, if they indeed come for you and you happen to see it for yourself, then please trust me. I will definitely not let you die so easily¡±


    "Nearing depletion mode."


    ¡°Uh oh, I''m sorry, Host. Looks like this will be our last time talking. For now, please always wear your necklace. I will probably be able to recharge and return again after 3 days. Until then please stay safe-¡±


    And just like that, the pin-drop silence returned to the room that Cray was in. He had just finished washing the dishes. He then came towards the box that he just opened not too long ago and he looked for any more items that may be inside. As he did, he saw a piece of paper sitting in the middle. He read it only to start crying after.


    "Cray, by the time you''re reading this, I may no longer be in this world. I''m sure by now you already know that you are not my real son. I had been with you for as long as I can remember, but even if you aren''t, your mother and I treated you like our own. Always remember that we love you, no matter what or who you are."


    After he finished reading it, the box that once carried this message has already started to disintegrate. After a couple of minutes or so, it was as if it was never there in the first place.


    Two days had already passed since that night, the start of the military recruitment camp was near.

 Chapter 5: The Awakening

    In the Empire, there are ten ranks that can be given to a citizen. Once that citizen reaches the 1st Rank, he or she will be able to receive an honorary noble status. The Rank 1 citizen may be promoted into a noble by going through military service and obtaining the lowest rank of nobility, the 7th Rank called Knight.


    Every 6 months, the Empire starts recruitment to enlist some willing citizens. The recruits are to first undergo special training before they are dispatched to various parts of the empire to slay beasts and protect the territories of the empire.


    "Citizens of Zone 9! The recruitment of military personnel will begin tomorrow at the Battle Arena at 7:00 in the morning." A manly voice alerted everyone as his voice reached every nook and corner of Zone 9 using a loud speaking device.


    At this moment in time, Cray was doing his own preparations before he left for the Battle Arena. "35, 36, 37, 38....39...40!" He then lied face up after doing his final set of stretches. He had just finished a beginner level set of exercises that are said to be part of what trainee''s encounter at the military. He learned this some time ago when his foster father was still alive, a friend of Charles who came from the military taught him this when he asked.


    While panting, he remembered to head towards the Battle Arena at six in the morning for him to be early in case of anything that might happen to him while on the way. He can''t afford to miss it after all.


    He then thought of the reason why he''s doing this. "Hannah...." I''ll definitely return the favor that you guys showed me. He then remembered that he''d promise to go to Hannah''s house to have a big feast before he left for the military.


    While he was still lost in his thoughts he started to become a bit worried as he touched the necklace that hangs on his neck. He could still vividly remember the figure of the female AI who told him about his identity, about his real father and her warning of supposedly incoming enemies. "Ugh... Why doesn''t it feel like a lie? Even though what she said is clearly absurd, it still makes me uncomfortable."


    Cray then started to undress as he headed towards the bathroom to take a shower. But as he started to turn the knob he then felt dizzy. He had accidentally slipped and made a small concussion on his head after directly taking a hit from the floor. Blood started to accumulate as he lied there without moving. Just like that, he had lost consciousness.


    In the midst of this, the necklace that was pressed against his chest started to emit a faint light. It then slowly began to shine brighter. Then came a soft humming sound. It slowly floated as if aiming for his heart it was just an inch away from stabbing its pointy tip. A strange mantra suddenly started echoing out from the necklace. "An eye for an eye, A tooth for a tooth! I''ll slay your lies and show the world the truth!" Then the light gradually enveloped his body then it covered the whole room.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Meanwhile, Hannah was just outside the door as she was asked to check on Cray as he might have already forgotten about the feast. As she was about to call out to Cray she saw a bright light that suddenly stretched out towards the heavens. The light didn''t seem to show any signs of stopping soon so she went inside to look at the source of the light. When she did, she became surprised she saw Cray¡¯s bloodied body lying cold on the floor. By then, the light that was being emitted from him had already stopped. His blood that had splattered on the floor had mixed together with some dark murky substances that seemed to ooze out from Cray''s body. Without saying, this had really scared her.


    "Cr-CRAY! What happened to you? Cray, please wake up! Oh no! Cray!" She repeatedly called out his name but upon a closer look, his body seemed to be fine without any hint of injury. In fact, it looked like his body became a bit more toned, even better than she remembered.


    The beacon of light that had shone brightly suddenly stopped shining after a minute, but that was enough for those people who saw it from far away. To some selected minority they rejoiced, for this was a sign of the return of the son of an Einder. However, there was also a group of people who were infuriated for this was a sign of impending danger to the empire. The last time this happened was around 200 years ago when half of the empire was in the enemy''s hands and was seemingly about to completely fall apart.


    On a far-off island, a certain man was looking at the sky. "Clan Head! Have you seen the light? Isn''t this what you were looking out for 16 years ago?" An elder had reported to a man who has a very muscular build yet still looks so noble and elegant. "Elder Bai, I have clearly seen it, prepare our men! Tiss the sign, the fall of the empire, and the start of the beacon of hope to us! Call out to our other allies! We must secure the Einder descent at all costs!" Just like how a ripple will appear if a stone was thrown into a calm pond, the whole island was filled with a never before seen vigor and excitement.


    A similar thing was happening in the Capital when a man covered with a heavy-looking armor began reporting to the current emperor. "LeBran Hanz Brintin Emperor, Son of the Heavens, Almigh-"


    "Spare me the honorifics Brian, Is this about the enigmatic pillar of light?" A man who seemed to be in the prime of his life replied to the man wearing heavy armor.


    "Yes, your majesty. I''m afraid that this was what the late emperor had warned us about. It was said that 200 years ago a similar thing had happened and that was the sign that destruction is coming."


    "SURELY, YOU JEST!" The man gave Brian a strange look and started to laugh out loud. "My great empire? Be it the heavens, none can fell the empire as long as I am still alive! Find out the source of the light! I''ll show just how foolish it is to even think of it as something that great just because it has managed to scare off the empire of 200 years ago." The man had a crazed look on his face as he was actually looking forward to facing something worth his time, for now, though, all he could do was to observe the situation and make the appropriate countermeasures each adapting to the various possibilities that his new prey could do.


    Seeing all this, the man who wore the armor felt the chills as he stared at the person he was serving. He thought on the back of his mind that it was a good thing that he wasn''t an enemy of this person. Despite being quite strong himself, the thought of being one, simply made him shudder.