《Revolver》


 Chapter 1 - Chosen

    Theo stared absent-mindedly at the board, his hands moving on autopilot, copying the contents. These things were too easy. As long as one had enough time to waste on it, studies were almost too easy. Copying, rehearsing and bluffing. That¡¯s all it took to ace everything, to be excused from some classes even.


    He stood up, handing over his work. The assignment was to translate the hundred or so words into German. A piece of cake.


    The teacher nodded and excused him, just like the countless times before. The eyes of his classmates remained on their sheets, not even caring. That is to be expected, since he was a nearly perfect being. More of a machine than a human to be exact.


    Next class was physical education. He didn¡¯t bother with it since the teacher hated his guts. Theo never liked the subject either way. The woman just grinded the boys to dust and let the girls play around. And Theo returned the hate in kind.


    There were several occasions he had to show the difference between a mere human and a superhuman in sports. It resulted in him being excused from the said class for the rest of the teacher¡¯s time working in the school with an automatic full points on his part.


    He didn¡¯t mind it in the least.


    ¡°Hey, Theo. What ya doing here?¡± Asked a larger man, with the same black hair as Theo and most likely everything except the expression. His brother Edward was a strange man, constantly with a smile on his face. To think he could smile all the time just like him before that incident.


    The man¡¯s gleeful mood was infectious. Though his face refused to move from its deadpan state, even curving his mouth was hard after such a long time of the muscle not being used.


    ¡°I was excused.¡± Theo explained as he walked past him. Edward wouldn¡¯t accompany him either way. He wasn¡¯t smart, let alone a genius like himself.


    Edward nodded with an understanding nod. ¡°


    ¡°How many times has it been again? 100? Maybe more than that.¡± Edward¡¯s fleeting voice sounded out.


    ¡°549.¡± Theo corrected, mumbling to himself. It was this long, yet the empty feeling still resided within his chest. He waited for it to go away, but it wouldn¡¯t do that for a long time, he assumed.


    The walk home took no more than 5 minutes, considering nothing significant happened. It never did, and he would turn on his computer within a minute of coming in without fail. It was his only companion in this dark world. The only thing that was remotely as smart as him.


    He pulled out a notebook from a cleanly kept shelf, filled to the brim with text. As he turned the pages to find an empty page, he noticed there were only 5 or so left. He¡¯d have to get a new one tomorrow.


    Google was his best friend, it could give him access to most of the information. Theorizing was truly interesting, in science and myth. But even so, science went only so far. Theories could never be put to the test, not in his lifetime at least. Truly, there was nearly nothing left to theorize.


    However, myths were different. They told of impossible things, unimaginable by mortal mind. Or in this context, it would be the extent of imagination. He chuckled to himself. All the named gods and creatures were recorded by him. Theo had now started researching the forgotten. The unknown were a little too much for him for now.


    As he readied his pen to write, a presence behind him made it known to him. Theo was the type to believe in ghosts and spirits, even looking forward to an experience with one. That would at least break this eternal monotony known as boredom and peace. He wanted a challenge in life. However, Theo didn¡¯t want to endanger innocents with a war, and he doubted he could enjoy a nuclear warfare as much as a fight only seen in movies. Those times were far in the past.


    Throwing his pen to the presence, he turned around to look at the perpetrator. No one he knew would enter his room without permission, let alone with him in it.


    His eyes caught the form of a woman, in her early twenties with hair blacker than the word black implied, simply an impossible color. She wore nothing more than a simple garb covering her privates, exposing her lesser than optimal chest and petite body.


    She sat with her feet crossed, donning his bed like it was her own. A smirk appeared on her face as Theo stared at the woman with deadpan eyes.


    ¡°Well, well. To think you were so attached to that girly.¡± She said with a mocking tone.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Whatever do you mean?¡± Theo asked, hostility clear in his voice.


    ¡°Oh, I mean the girl that stole away your emotions.¡± She said, pointing her finger at the boy. ¡°The one that you loved.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just imagining again, huh? I should go to the psychiatrist to get new medicines.¡± Theo commented as he turned back to look at the wiki page on his computer. At least that¡¯s what he would have liked to do. The computer¡¯s screen was blank, not turned off, as in just blank white.


    ¡°Oh, trust me. I¡¯m so much more than your imagination. The combination of many, if you will.¡± The woman said, as the room itself turned white with a flick of her wrist.


    ¡°Well shit, I really went crazy. Now I¡¯m imagining some kind of goddess.¡± Theo shook his head as he turned his chair to look at the impossible female. Her hair was definitely not fake, but red. Each strain didn¡¯t have even one piece of black.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, I¡¯m as real as every other mythical creature and being in existence. But not in this world.¡± The woman said.


    ¡°Again. Whatever do you mean.¡± Theo said as his eyes narrowed. This woman might really be some kind of paranormal being.


    She giggled.


    ¡°Well, you know what, there¡¯s a tournament on a planet much like yours during the medieval period with some¡­ differences. A tournament to decide who would become the next One God.¡± She explained. ¡°I would like you to participate under my name and win.¡±


    ¡°That would mean I¡¯d die, isn¡¯t that right? I don¡¯t really want to do that.¡± He said, shaking his head.


    ¡°Even if you could bring her back? I can do that if I become the One God. Maybe you could if you become a deity governing over the dead.¡± The woman said, noticing the solemn gaze had turned to an eager one. The only part that was alive in Theo.


    ¡°Now that your interests are piqued, I¡¯d like to assure you that I¡¯m not lying. Currently, I am powerless in your world, as are you. If you, however, make me the One God, then I can possibly negotiate with the God of this world.¡± The woman said.


    ¡°Why me?¡± Theo asked.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re the one that knows everything there is to know about the gods and the creatures.¡± The goddess said.


    ¡°Does that mean your universe has all of that?¡± Theo asked, puzzled.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Every god, creature and hero your world has ever thought of exists in my world. So we call your world: The Origin.¡± She said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the details. Can I bring her back if I win the tournament?¡± Theo asked. As surprised as he was, it seemed he was irritated. Something he hadn¡¯t felt for ages.


    ¡°Indeed, young one. You can do that, and so much more.¡± She said with a wide grin.


    ¡°I¡¯m in.¡± Theo said with determined eyes. He would definitely win this thing and get her back. Whatever it took.


    ¡°So you must die to traverse through dimensions, which I will summon you from the other side. Is that fine with you?¡± She asked.


    Theo nodded his head, as everything went back to normal with her disappearance. So, now was taking his life. He didn¡¯t really mind if it was all his imagination. After all, something like an afterlife should exist where she existed.


    ***


    Theo opened his eyes in the complete darkness, the complete lack of light obstructing his vision. Darkness swirled all around him. It was better than an endless desert filled with bells. He was fine wherever that bewitching sound couldn¡¯t reach his ears.


    ¡°¡­May you come, hero of a distant land,


    Our dusk is nigh,


    A new dawn is upon us,


    A light of destruction,


    Of chaos and flames,


    May you come, hero of a distant land


    For our hope is only you!¡±


    The sudden flash of light blinded Theo, forcing him to close his eyes of instinct. That¡¯s when he realized he couldn¡¯t. The woman from before stood before him in a dusty old library, with a big grin on her face. That meant this most likely worked.


    ¡°Wow, I theorized it would bring your corpse with it, but it was more of a soul summoning process which would create a new body for the subject. Then that would mean my tweaking summoned you from your afterlife, rather than before you left it. Interesting.¡± She tapped her chin, staring at him.


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll live. Or rather, be reincarnated. All you have to do is become my avatar and we¡¯re ready to roll.¡± She said.


    ¡°I¡¯m called Morrigan, which I assume you know better than I know myself. There are literally too many races to reincarnate you into that I just slimmed it down to those optimal and closer to your form, meaning humanoid. And do not worry about longevity, as an avatar you¡¯ll live far longer than expected unless you get killed, and as long as you get stronger you can become immortal somewhere down the line.¡± She said while swiping through the air, several words appearing before Theo.


    He stared at them for a while, not comprehending some of them. With an enlightened expression, Morrigan swiped her hand again and short descriptions appeared below the words. That helped, tremendously to be exact.


    ¡°I¡¯ll choose human. I¡¯m most used to it.¡± Theo answered, a voice originating from the small red ball of light.


    ¡°Geez, you¡¯re no fun.¡± Morrigan pouted with a scowl.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste time.¡± Theo roared, a voice he was unaware he could produce.


    She sighed and produced a book from one of the many shelves, turning the pages until she pointed at one, narrowing her eyes.


    ¡°Well, I want you to stay completely quiet for this to work, okay?¡± She said.


    Theo nodded back, however it was doubtful that the woman saw it.


    ¡°O being of flesh and bone,


    O being of will unbound,


    Will you accept this old myth as your One God,


    Will you fight to the bitter end for this old one?¡± Her voice deepened, resonating through the library endlessly.


    ¡°I will.¡± Theo answered.


    ¡°The bond is made,


    I, Morrigan the Crow, name you my child.¡±


    Theo could feel a nauseous feeling in his stomach, a migraine forming in his head, but it didn¡¯t feel as unpleasant as it should. It felt right, as if he was breathing the fresh air after walking out of a humid room filled with people.


    ¡°Good luck, my child.¡± She said as Theo felt his body warp impossibly, adding onto the nausea and migraine, but it somehow felt right.

 Chapter 2 - Zauberei Pfeil

    Theo opened his eyes, blinded by the light yet again. He felt himself being lifted from the back, and he regained his vision soon after. The astonished voices of people could be heard. Although it wasn¡¯t quite English or German, he could understand it. That meant this world used a different language, but he somehow instinctively understood it.


    As he opened his eyes, he saw a woman with azure hair holding him, she was quite beautiful, enough to be a model by Earth standards. The smile and confused expression on her face conflicted each other. Then Theo remembered he always had a deadpan expression, and that might have carried on to this life as well.


    That was problematic. He tried to fake a cry, but it came out as a shout. The surprised face disappeared, being replaced by a genuine smile. Looking to the side, he saw several people, dressed in maid outfits with long skirts. This truly was a medieval era.


    Of course, after a few seconds he was taken away by a maid. It was a younger one, maybe a teenager. Staring at her face would have freaked out any girl, but he was a child so she¡¯d have to bear with it. Living as a baby for a while would be fine, he thought to himself.


    Having so many servants surely meant this place was a noble household. And that would mean everything. He dozed off due to the movement. The one thing he hated about being a child.


    ***


    Three years later,


    A child with azure hair opened his emerald eyes, lying on a master sized bed. Living life as a noble was truly good. Theo had learned his new name was Edward, the only son of the lord¡¯s third wife.


    Of course he would be treated miserably by his older siblings and father, IF he hadn¡¯t learned to speak when he was only one and a half year old. That skyrocketed his place in the family and he was now deemed the genius of the family. Truly, trying to move the tongue and making sounds was harder than comprehending the language with his young mouth.


    ¡°Selena.¡± He called out, rising from his bed. She didn¡¯t seem to be here. With a sigh, he decided to lie down for a while. Thinking back, he had lost all connection with Morrigan since reincarnating. Not even a sound from her. The position of the sun seen through the small gap in curtains revealed it was early in the morning.


    She was a human, after all, and needed to sleep. He decided it would be better to read, so he pulled out a book from one of the shelves prepared specially for him, and brought it to the bed after opening the curtains. He placed the book on the bed, the blanket on himself and started reading.


    The book was titled ¡®Basic Understanding of Mana¡¯ and he was about to finish it after a full year. It was practically used to do magic, and one had to be able to see it first. That needed rigorous meditation. However, as a child, his only concerns were eating and sleeping, thus, it didn¡¯t take him even quarter a year to do so, then moving it half.


    Trying to accomplish the skills before continuing it seemed to work well. He usually just skimmed through the instructions and would figure it out later, but a mistake would mean he would most likely die from an explosion. He didn¡¯t want that.


    As such, he finally finished the final step, in a rather sluggish pace. That was transforming it into another form. He couldn¡¯t just forget his limit and use magic that would exhaust him. Then he¡¯d die from magic exhaustion.


    The book said something about imagination making the user stronger. Merely imagining it as a pool wouldn¡¯t give him any advantages, but a way unique only to him would make him incomparable to half assed mages.


    So he took it in the form of a gun. Filling the bullets and firing it with another bit of mana. It was something unique, only he would think of such impossibility. Most would imagine it as an element, he just knew it. Even those of his world.


    His mana existed inside his mindscape as a formless gas. He would shape it into a bullet and fire it from the gun and out. Edward pointed his index finger to the wall, making a gun shape with his hand. It would help him imagine it somewhat.


    He had used a revolver before, belonging to his father for hunting. It was an exact replica of the gun, as far as he understood it. There was nearly no way to forget it after the overly detailed explanation by his father.


    ¡°Create bullet.¡± Edward said as he condensed the gas into a small ball, and reverted some part inside of it back into gas. He concentrated on the pistol, perfecting it even further.


    ¡°Load bullet.¡± He said as he willed for it to enter one of the six holes of the cylinder.


    ¡°All set. Fire!¡± He said as he pulled the trigger, imagining the hammer moving backwards, the spring coiling, the pawl attached to the trigger pushing on the ratchet to start rotating the cylinder. Another pawl stops it. As the trigger hits its limit, the hammer is released and driven forward by the uncoiled spring. The firing pin is then hammered forward and hits the primer, igniting the propellants made of the mana in solid form, as small as dust. They burn and instantly evaporate, turning into a great amount of gas mana. It pushes forward, sending the bullet forward.


    A loud boom resonates through the mansion. Edward hit his head with his hand, the recoil too great for his miniature body, falling on his butt on the soft bed. Holding his aching head, he stares at the cracked wall before him. The destruction wasn¡¯t too great, but it wasn¡¯t too bad either. However, if a human were to receive that attack, considering it wasn¡¯t someone strong enough to smash buildings to smithereens which seem to be like weeds growing outside an old house in this world, then that would mean they¡¯d be greatly injured if not straight up dead.


    A smile appeared on his face. Edward instantly felt out his face. It was really a smile. It was the first time in ages since he actually changed his expression. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh maniacally as a result.


    He would make it stronger. Although he couldn¡¯t see exactly what happened due to its speed. Then his thought process stopped. It was too hard to see. If it was silent, then he could probably kill someone strong with it with a well-placed shot. The day was getting better by the second.


    Of course that only lasted until the worried servants rushed into the room, most likely fearing for the safety of their young lord. The lord would have their heads for breakfast if he knew the genius of the family was dead.


    And of course, Edward¡¯s personal maid Serena was the first to come. She was more of an older sister after two years, when his mother was always by the lord¡¯s side, Serena was the only one keeping an eye on him.


    ¡°Are you alright, my lord?¡± Serena asked. She was an attractive girl with shoulder-height orange hair tied into a bun at most times, and would have stolen Theo¡¯s heart as she was 18, his old age. But he was Edward now, and she would become an adult even before he hit puberty. Truly a sad encounter.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Her eyes widened as she saw the smiling boy. Edward never did that, and she would be overjoyed about it if not for this catastrophic event.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just a little happy is all.¡± Theo explained. He had used roughly a third of his mana to achieve this result, and if he used half, then it would be surely stronger. However, which one strengthened it? It definitely wasn¡¯t the size, maybe the speed, which would make him use more propellant. But he doubted it that the method would work.


    She wore the maid outfit with long skirts and an apron on top. It was perfect for cleaning and such, but not for stealing the hearts of men unlike the modern version.


    ¡°Understood.¡± Serena bowed her head. The other servants rushed to see the well being of Edward, and everyone went to their respective jobs after seeing he was all right. Fortunately, Serena had changed his clothes from pajama to outdoor clothes, not revealing his sleeping state to the others.


    ¡°Serena. Go ask my father for a private conversation. Somewhere without prying ears. Relay my exact wordings. Edward said, sitting on his bed cross legged and closing his eyes. Meditating was the fastest way to regenerate his lost mana. Simply passively absorbing the ambient mana wouldn¡¯t do so well in the beginning stages, as per the book.


    ¡°As you wish.¡± She bowed her head and exited the room swiftly. Serena wouldn¡¯t drop her maid persona without his order, but that is a lot of trouble as she always insists not to.


    Then he closed his eyes, entering into his mindscape while sitting in a fetal position. Absorbing mana also needed a good image. He used a vacuum cleaner as the image. He would absorb the surrounding mana by moving his mindscape through the air, leaving not a trace of it there.


    That also meant his room would be devoid of mana for some time, until the mana particles invaded the room through the astral dimension. Although not hard by any means, it surely wasted a lot of time. After he had managed to fill his mana pool to 90 percent, a knock on the door shook him off from his meditation.


    He took note of the self-repairing concrete that was possible through alchemic means, had already fixed the crack. Truly a miracle.


    ¡°The lord has approved of your request.¡± Serena said.


    ¡°Take care of the cleaning.¡± Edward said as he walked past her. She seemed to enjoy being ordered around for unknown reasons.


    Walking through the long corridor, he failed to meet a single soul. The servants were preparing lunch in the kitchen, his four brothers training outside, two older sisters studying in the lecture hall and one younger sister being taken care of by her personal butler. The attendant tended to be of the opposite gender, Edward had noticed.


    So he walked unnoticed by anyone, his small steps changing a mere five minutes of walk to fifteen. Walking to his father¡¯s office was annoying. He¡¯d rather have Serena carry him than walk, but the room wouldn¡¯t clean itself and only the personal attendants had a small amount of spare time.


    He knocked on an unassuming door, leading to the lord of the mansion¡¯s office. It wasn¡¯t as extravagant as the other rooms indicating the library, kitchen, dining and lecture hall, just a simple brown wooden door.


    ¡°Enter.¡± Sounded out a voice of a man.


    ¡°I would like to, but I¡¯m a little too short to do so.¡± Edward explained as a laugh came from inside.


    ¡°Hahahaha, that¡¯s my son alright.¡± Said the man, opening the door from inside. It was an older man with a goatee, and black hair unlike Edward. ¡°Do come in. It tends to get boring when the only other civil person around is my three year old son.¡±


    This man was Albert Kyle, the lord of the mansion and also the town of Riverfront. A baron granted the title by the king himself, and holds the name with pride.


    ¡°Truly is. My brothers are all muscle heads and sisters are merely made of glass.¡± Edward said. This man was a mage, and most likely could tutor him.


    ¡°Sometimes I wonder if you are a sage from a distant land. You most likely are, sometimes feels as if you are even smarter than me. That coupled with your calm demeanor proves you are indeed a person worthy of my respect. And not entirely my child, are you?¡± Albert said shaking his head.


    ¡°I would like to thank father for his flattering words. If I could remember any more than my common sense, then it would surely be a great asset in my future. But everything feels too hazy to me, as if I was in a drunken state my entire other life.¡± Edward said. This was the excuse that managed to win over his father¡¯s support and get the rare book about mana and magic. Talking smart also proved to be a great asset.


    ¡°I see. The fact you cannot write is most likely due to your haziness in writing them.¡± Albert joked as he took a sip from a glass of wine, placing it in place. ¡°As much as I¡¯d like to share it with you, I don¡¯t think your body can handle it, do you?¡±


    ¡°Surely not. I am a tea drinker either way, it doesn¡¯t matter much.¡± Edward said with a shrug.


    ¡°Then from what I¡¯ve heard, the maid seemed to be using smart words.¡± Albert snapped his fingers, a transparent blue barrier appearing around the two. ¡°I reckon you have something important to tell me.¡±


    ¡°Indeed those words were dictated by me. In my humble opinion, it is best ask my father before revealing it to the servants, no? Magic that is.¡± Edward said, the faint trace of the smile still on his face.


    ¡°I suppose you are aware that those words can¡¯t be simply thrown around, my friend.¡± Albert said with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°I have seemed to have completed the manual and used magic. You have surely felt the tremor earlier this morning.¡± Edward said, closing his eyes and entering his mindscape.


    Surely Albert knew what his son wanted to do, and kept quiet. Even apprentice mages had to close their eyes to cast magic, along with a long chant or a long casting time.


    Edwardcharged a bullet up, using the proportions he used earlier, but a weakened one. It merely took an eight of his mana to cast, creating a miniature version of the bullet, the gun shrinking to fit the size.


    He made the gun sign with his right hand, this time holding it with his other hand. The recoil wasn¡¯t as great, but was enough to steal away Edward¡¯s balance, nearly falling over. There wasn¡¯t as big a crack, but this one had definitely penetrated deeper. A smaller tip meant more penetrating. He would try some more later.


    Albert stared at the target site, tapping his chin.


    ¡°Was that perhaps air you have controlled? Then it would truly be a miracle.¡± Albert looked at his son, with a questioning look. A far more serious one this time.


    ¡°I feel as if it was raw mana, but it moved too fast for our eyes to see.¡± Edward explained, sitting in a fetal position to regain his mana. It helped him concentrate. This time it wasn¡¯t to regenerate his mana, but to trace the bullet. Indeed there was a small trail of mana. He exited his mindscape and turned to look at his father. ¡°There¡¯s a small trail of it, unlike elemental magic I¡¯ve read about.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. It seems your image is peculiar. I shan¡¯t ask as it is the greatest secret of a mage, and a taboo if forced. What I would like to ask is, would you like to help in my research. Your theoretical knowledge may even surpass mine after the dozens of books I have bought for you to read during the last year. I did not have such a luxury as you, you see? Time was lacking for me.¡± Albert asked.


    ¡°It would be my honor to work along with a named mage.¡± Edward answered as he nodded.


    ¡°First of all, it bothers me to see such a talented mage like yourself concentrating so hard on using raw mana. What about naming the spell, and forcing your mana to go through the process automatically after chanting its name? It will truly win some time for you.¡± Albert suggested, pointing his hand to the wall. ¡°[Mana Bolt]¡±


    A bright blue light shone from his fingertip, hitting the wall and dispersing without doing much damage.


    ¡°Sadly, these are nothing compared to yours.¡± Albert commented. ¡°I¡¯m not truly talented, you see?¡±


    ¡°I will name it [Zauberei Pfeil].¡± Edward said.


    ¡°Whatever might that mean.¡± Albert raised his eyebrow.


    ¡°It means Magic Arrow, in my old language.¡± Edward lied, but it wasn¡¯t wrong either. Somewhere in the middle. It was true, and no one was here to mock him on his bad naming, after all, it sounded cool to him.


    However, it was interesting. English came out as the original language of this world, but German didn¡¯t, not even resembling another language in this world. Maybe it was one Albert was unaware of.


    ¡°That proves my theory... You are a reincarnated being, aren¡¯t you?¡± Albert nodded his head. ¡°But it is truly rare to see your kind. I¡¯ve only known two, and they¡¯re both rulers of two major empires: Rose Empire and Crimson Dawn Dynasty.¡±


    ¡°Rose? So the empress is the same as me? I¡¯m not the only one?¡± Edward asked himself, a blatant lie. He knew there¡¯d be thousands of others like him, and didn¡¯t want to bother hiding his identity. It would merely waste his time and all the benefits he could harvest from the few years children spend doing nothing. Edward didn¡¯t want his love to live in the afterlife for too long, there might be some side effects. He¡¯d make haste.

 Chapter 3 - Unlikely Kidnappers

    The dark rain clouds filled the sky, hiding the sun behind its back, not allowing any light through. The rain constantly washed away the blood on the ground, drenching the bodies of the victims. A boy no more than ten years of age with brown hair sat on one such body, his hands shaking and tears streaming down his face, washed down by the rain as well.


    The stench of iron hung in the air, however faint it was. The gentle pitter patter of footsteps on water broke the boy from the trance he was in, wearing a uniform much like the boy¡¯s, of the opposite gender. The drenched sight of the attire couldn¡¯t hide the bloodstain on its belly.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t protect me.¡± She said. The boy nodded, looking at his hands. They were red. The color of blood. The boy watched solemnly as the girl degraded into nothing more than a skeleton, everything liquidifying and pouring down to the ground. As the siren of police cars resounded through the forest.


    ¡°Hey kid, are you fine?¡± The shout of a policeman could be heard, walking out of the car.


    The boy nodded. Falling to the ground.


    Edward¡¯s eyes opened wide as he saw the silhouette of a man covering his mouth and dragging him off the bed while not letting his limbs move even a tiny bit. The man was strong, and Edward was the epitome of a squishy glass cannon as of now.


    His eyes had been blindfolded and he could hear the glass cracking, most likely belonging to the window due to some shallow cuts he had attained in the process, from the pain. Then he could feel the wind relentlessly smashing into his body, most likely due to the extreme speed the kidnapper was traversing.


    Not long after, no more than 5 minutes, he was thrown to the ground. The sharp pain seemed to be one of his ribs breaking. His body was far too weak compared to his old one. Without the rigorous training, he doubted his body could attain its former superhuman glory.


    ¡°We got the cursed child.¡± A man of hoarse voice said.


    ¡°Good job, now we can claim the bounty.¡± Another man, with a smoother and higher pitched voice said. For convenience sake, he would think of the first man as Villain No.1 and the other one as Villain No.2


    ¡°Can we be so sure? The vixen was the type to reap all the benefits and would rather not spend unnecessary money.¡± A female said, a Villainess.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we could steal the lord¡¯s precious son. What makes you think we can¡¯t run away if things go south?¡± Villain No.2 said.


    ¡°Holding him for ransom would be the best course of action for us. At least we won¡¯t be cheated.¡± The Villainess said.


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous! You want the goddamn imperial army on our tail? At least a fallen noble family placed against another one would be more reasonable.¡± The Villain No.2 said.


    ¡°And it¡¯s fine because they are a FALLEN noble family. They don¡¯t have anything to do with the empire without gold.¡± The Villainess explained with a sigh.


    ¡°I agree. As long as you give me back, I¡¯ll assure your safety.¡± Edward added, resulting in an awkward silence.


    ¡°Is that really a child? I don¡¯t think so. He¡¯s definitely possessed.¡± Villain No.1 said, followed by what appeared, or rather, sounded to be two weapons clashing.


    ¡°Wait. Since he¡¯s smart, I think we can reason with him.¡± Villain No.2 said. ¡°Brat, how about you just forget about all this after we give you back? That¡¯s surely better than giving you to-¡°


    His words were cut off by Edward, knowing in advance who he would say.


    ¡°The wretch known as my mother.¡±


    ¡°Well, damn this. If he¡¯s this smart, then we can just talk the conditions with him than send one of ours to negotiate with the lord.¡± The Villain No.2 said, followed by another boot of silence.


    ¡°Like hell. He¡¯ll stab us in the back!¡± Villain No.1 said.


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you, we wouldn¡¯t be in this idiotic situation where we are being threatened by an arrogant viscount and offending a titled baron. This is just damn ridiculous and the pay isn¡¯t that good, you buffoon. We could have been chilling and killing some goblins for some spare change instead of this damn suicide mission. And who even allowed you to go and kidnap the child without our consent?¡± Villain No.2 argued, followed by a small noise of metal sliding on another, most likely a sword being drawn.


    ¡°Wait, you idiot. Let this be a warning not to leave Rock alone again, okay? And as for the ransom part, if we get on the good side of the baron, we  can possibly get out of this scot-free. Like a lie.¡± The Villainess suggested.


    ¡°The sly brat¡¯s not gonna agree.¡± The man now known as Rock chimed in.


    ¡°Will you?¡± Villain No.2 asked.


    Edward sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t care. And you brought me valuable information that the hag is after me. Surely I won¡¯t forget that.¡±


    ¡°He seems legit.¡± The Villain No.2 said. ¡°Elena, put a geas on him. He looks like he¡¯s the type to agree.¡± The woman now known as Elena then chanted, from what Edward could hear. It was mostly because her voice deepened much like Morrigan¡¯s when she declared him her child.


    ¡°By the ancients of dictum,


    And elders of onus,


    Let the mana be our stone,


    And the trust our chisel,


    The words our law,


    And the act our oath.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    The cloth tied over Edward¡¯s eyes was taken off, the bright flash of light blinding his eye for a few seconds before his gaze fell on the three figures before him. The closest was Elena, a blonde haired woman, quite attractive with blue eyes. She wore a dark blue cloak, the hooded pulled down.


    The smaller man behind her appeared to be of Asian descent, unlike the Europeans that Edward was constantly seeing after coming to this world. He had long black hair, tied in a ponytail, a curved blade known as katana at his waist. In a world of myth, it could be less fragile than normal, but he didn¡¯t wish to count on it. The attire he donned resembled what he had seen in movies depicting Edo period in Japanese history, a dark green and blue kimono.


    The other man couldn¡¯t be said to be big, just¡­ athletic. His muscles showed from behind his clothes, his skin tan and a bald head. All in all, he gave the impression of a shaolin monk with European looks, wearing black clothes that looked as if it consisted of several bandages, suggesting he was closer to a ninja than anything.


    Then as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could now see some transparent words floating in the air. They formed to create:


    ¡°1. One who breaks the code of conduct will lose their free will, if not stated elsewise.


    <ol start="2">


    <li>Party 1 mustn¡¯t reveal the truth of the kidnapping to anyone.</li>


    <li>Party 2 mustn¡¯t hand over the member(s) of Party 1 to Party 3.</li>


    <li>Party 2 will see to the safe return of member(s) of Party 1.</li>


    <li>If any Party has a distance of more than 1000 meters aka 1 kilometer, the geas will be nulled.¡±</li>


    </ol>


    ¡°I accept.¡± The three of them said and Edward followed stead.


    ¡°I accept.¡±


    He could feel the nauseous feeling from before again, but this wasn¡¯t wrong or right, just like it was¡­ supposed to happen. As if a hot room was now feeling humid instead of nothing at all.


    The words faded into nothingness as the sympathetic kidnappers all sighed in relief.


    ¡°So this is the plan. We find some of the men from the viscount¡¯s family, murder them, and place them somewhere isolated, like this place. Then we will act as good-willed Samaritans and give you back, which of course the baron will pay back in kind with a reward.¡± said Elena.


    ¡°You said we were gonna hold him for ransom.¡± Rock lashed out.


    ¡°You can kill him now if you want.¡± Elena said, shaking her head. As Villain No.2¡¯s hand was placed upon the hilt of his sword, a smile appeared on Rock¡¯s face as he took a fighting stance, probably a hand-to-hand fighter.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the child to the baron. You two take care, and be ready in about half an hour. The scouts are most likely fast on their legs, comparable to Rock.¡± She said, standing up.


    ¡°I would rather not taint my blade with the blood of the innocent.¡± Villain No.2 said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the time for one of your petty honor squabbles today. We¡¯re talking about our lives, and do you really think they are innocent? Those corrupt fools who serve a rotten lord?¡±


    ¡°You have a point.¡± He nodded, walking out the room with Rock.


    Elena sighed, cutting the ropes binding his hands and feet with a knife.


    ***


    The building started quaking, and the worried face on Paul even deepened. Her daughter was angry again, and that spelled the doom of more than several guards and servants. The family was on its last legs, yet she continued to murder them without care. He was just too old and tired for this.


    He slammed his hand on the table of his study, shattering it into a dozen pieces and another small quake. This couldn¡¯t go on any longer. He had to stop this. And stopping his daughter was plain suicide. She was a little wrong in the head. As much as he hated to admit it, her only equal in power, in the town of Riverfront was Albert, her former husband.


    The only way was to kill his grandchild. As much as he hated to, it had to happen one way or another. Or the family would be driven to ruin. Kidnapping him wouldn¡¯t be such a challenge to a warrior of his caliber. Even if his time as a paladin and with it, his longevity would end. It had to happen. The house of Adams couldn¡¯t fall this simply.


    It was then that he turned around, instantly purging the foolish undead that dare barge into his room. However, as he realized what it was, his thoughts halted. A transparent silhouette of a woman floating in the air caught his attention.


    It was a banshee.


    ¡°Your powers of light can not phase me, little one.¡± She said, the temperature in the room dropping steadily.


    ¡°What do you seek, witch?!¡± Paul hissed, the powers of Lugh overflowing through his body and his eyes glowing as bright as the sun.


    ¡°You should know¡­¡± It answered as it faded into nothingness, of its own will than the holy light of the sun.


    Paul stumbled to the ground, his old body unable to contain the great power of the light any more. His time was near. And he would rather save his family and meet his maker than do nothing and fall on his throne.


    This was his final quest.


    ***


    The gates of the mansion opened wide, to the presence of the young lord. The happiness on the faces of the servants was genuine as far as the atmosphere told. Trees lined up at the sides of the cobblestone path, magnifying the beauty of the dirty white building reflecting the lights of the mid-noon sun.


    As far as it went, the woman traversed the path far slower, in all senses. She even took rests along the way, Edward taking on the kind offer to rest his childish body as well. The town seemed to be a nice place, filled to the brim with smiling people and the aroma of sea and fishes clear in the air.


    The name Riverfront was betraying in ways more than one. It was a sea, and it wasn¡¯t front, more along the lines of half of the town being submerged under the ground. It was all too clear from the mountaintop the small cottage was located on.


    As they approached the gate, the familiar form of Gilbert, his brother, could be seen. He was a musclehead with crimson hair, as big as an adult, with a muscular body. Considerably large for his age of fourteen. There was the talk going around in the mansion that his mother, the second wife of Albert, was a descendant of a berserker clan, not seen in the least bit by Gilbert¡¯s sister Anna.


    ¡°Glad you¡¯re back, brother.¡± He hugged Edward, nearly breaking a bone or two and put him down after. If there was anything good about him, it was his honesty and kindness.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Edward nodded his head, walking past. On the other hand, Dario was the exact opposite. He hated Edward for an unknown reason, and it was visible from the glare he received from the leaner teenager, standing with his back against a tree in the shadows.


    The reunion between brothers lasted no more than half a minute as the duo were led by an older warrior, the steward of Albert. The scar over his left eye was all he needed to recognize the man, after all, there aren¡¯t many who live after being scarred.


    ¡°The lord waits for you in the meeting room.¡± The warrior said nonchalantly before leaving. He was one of the people that didn¡¯t feel that formal, just what Edward was used to in his old world.


    Edward gestured for his companion to follow him and walked through the long corridor. The sound of hurried footsteps overtaking them sounded out from behind. Not many people run around in the corridors except his brothers. As he turned his head to see who it was, he fell into the gentle embrace of Serena. She hugged Edward, as if a mother would to her child. In a sense, she was more of a mother than his birth mother.


    He wondered if a mother was supposed to unconditionally love her child. Theo as a person never knew his mother, and Edward was abandoned by her. Which was better? Not knowing at all or knowing she wanted him dead.


    Edward embraced her as well, just to let the girl feel more at peace. She deserved it after worrying this much.


    Elena stared at the two with a confused expression and nodded her head after a while, more or less figuring out the situation. And she knew being quiet was the best course of action to take. After what seemed to be forever, Serena then carried Edward to the guestroom, the rest welcome to his tired feet. The muscles didn¡¯t have much time to come into existence, let alone be strengthened. The simple act of him reaching the place was, however, surprising. A normal child shouldn¡¯t be capable of that. There were certainly some biological differences, surely about growth rate and longevity.


    The chamber¡¯s door opened, revealing a serious looking Albert sitting on one end of the long table, resting his head on his knuckles. Edward had never seen him so angry, or serious for that matter.

 Chapter 4 - Age or Death

    ¡°I hope you can explain yourself, Miss Adept.¡± Said Albert, glaring at the woman. An oppressive aura enveloped the room, making it suffocating. The surely unnerved woman stared at the ground, unable to answer. ¡°Should I take that as a no?¡±


    His formal talk pattern only served to unnerve her even more, as if he was even more dangerous than he seemed.


    ¡°It seems I have been misunderstood.¡± Said Elena, trying to sound calmer. ¡°I, along with two of my companions, have found some goons carrying this boy while on the way back from a quest.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯re from around these parts.¡±  Albert stated, his cold gaze never wavering.


    ¡°No, it is true. An assassin kidnapped me from the mansion, and proceeded to using the underground tunnel to appear outside the winter mansion. These people found me on the way back to town, while I was being transported to where you most likely assume by now.¡± Edward said, taking a seat on one of the tables, only his head sticking out from under.


    The oppressiveness in the air seemed to thicken, Elena almost unable to breathe and Edward holding his. Then it disappeared without a trace, as if it never existed in the first place. A carefree laughter came from Albert¡¯s end as he stood up using the table as a handhold.


    ¡°It seems the Adams are making their move.¡± He twirled the wine in his glass, taking a sip while looking out the window. ¡°Still, to think they were this afraid of the carcass of a lion.¡±


    ¡°I assume there is something about the family I am unaware of.¡± Edward stated, looking at his father.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t obliged to tell my oh so innocent son just yet.¡± Albert answered with a smile. ¡°Miss Adept, I must thank you for saving my child. Who knows what those religious old-timers are up to?¡±


    ¡°I-it¡¯s nothing.¡± Elena answered, caught off guard by the sudden change in atmosphere.


    ¡°Pallas, guide her to the treasury and reward her with twenty gold.¡± Albert said, a previously invisible guard appearing near him, dressed in rather colorful clothes consisting of a light green sleeveless shirt and violet pants. Aside from his fashion sense numbering below zero, the man had purple hair. Edward had given up about the absurd hair colors by now, after seeing a garden of revolving exotic colored grass from his room on the second floor.


    The man, Pallas, nodded and started walking out the room. Elena quietly followed. Although Edward didn¡¯t know how much twenty gold was, or even bread or anything for that matter, it sounded like a large amount. Definitely not something a fallen noble family could afford.


    ¡°Well then, it seems you were caught off guard. Even after shortening the cast time.¡± Albert sighed. ¡°Maybe I should call a friend of mine to tutor you. It seems I can¡¯t do anything about it since I tend to respect civilized people such as you.¡±


    ¡°That would be welcome, but I¡¯d like to ask about your peculiar wordings.¡± Edward said, staring at the now seated Albert.


    ¡°Ah, that is right. I should tell you since you were most likely of age before. The thing is, there is a legend about a guardian beast of the Kyle household and a demi-god serving the Adams, albeit all but forgotten by any other than the house master and their next in line.¡± Albert said. ¡°The beast is called Oilepheist, an Imoogi of great power that is said to have fought a god¡¯s messenger for a day and a night. The demi-god is called Cu Chulainn, the son-¡°


    His words were cut off by Edward, who surely knew better than the man. ¡°Sun god Lugh, user of Gae Bulg.¡±


    ¡°Gae Bulg? What is that?¡± Albert asked, raising his eyebrow.


    ¡°It¡¯s a legendary weapon said to kill with a single hit.¡± Edward answered.


    ¡°Is this possible? To be reincarnated in the same world. For all I am aware of the Empress is rumored to be from a world with better technology. Then again, there is the emperor of the dynasty that is from a world with a strange energy he is spreading about. But as per¡­¡± He mumbled to himself for about five minutes, shaking his head occasionally.


    Edward looked at the window, and noticed something rather peculiar. It was midday, yet the sun was on the horizon. This was most likely bad.


    ¡°There is another sun, if I¡¯m right.¡± Edward pointed at the window, a smirk appearing on Albert¡¯s face.


    ¡°[Mana Barrier Activation]¡± Albert said, prickling his index finger and letting the blood drip on a metal disk.


    A gentle blue wall of transparent light rose up slowly, enveloping the entire mansion, along with its grounds. It seemed as if hundreds of hexagonal figures made it up, darker blue colored vein-like things separating it.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°[Support: Tough Exterior], [Arcane Blood Integration]¡± Casted Albert, still letting the blood drip into the disk. It then evaporated, creating an impossible amount of steam that then travelled out the window to join the barrier, slowly changing its color to red.


    The invisible man from before appeared at Albert¡¯s side, bowing. ¡°What are your orders, my lord?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll engage the enemy in our home field. I don¡¯t believe that old monster would be stopped by this. And Pallas, I don¡¯t think I can take on both Flora and him. Summon Iseult. The underground tunnel to the north is open.¡±


    The recipient had already disappeared, on his way to summon the person known as ¡®Iseult¡¯.


    ¡°So is this some kind of war?¡± Edward asked, surprised. Wars aren¡¯t supposed to happen this easily. It should start by an assassination or the like and then both sides start sending troops. But in this world, it seems like the presence of these monstrous people has changed their psyche over a millennia, making charging upfront the most common way. This was just ridiculously stupid. Who even charges shining as bright as a sun? And who is ready to cast some really strong barrier spells at a moment¡¯s notice.


    Edward concluded it as: his common sense wouldn¡¯t work in a world like this where lives are cheaper than dirt.


    Not betraying Edward¡¯s expectation, the said sun crashed into the barrier, but surprisingly it bounced right back, as if a ball hit a wall. The sun dimmed considerably, the figure of a male emerging from it.


    ¡°Albert, give me my grandchild!¡± The man¡¯s voice resonated thorough the town, as loud as a lightning strike.


    ¡°Oh, excuse me. I thought he went by ¡®cursed child¡¯ in your household!¡± Albert shouted back, flying through the air and floating right before the man.


    ¡°Give him to me, or face the wrath of god!¡± The man threatened, creating a giant sword made of light, most likely solid. ¡°You know you can¡¯t face me, yet why do you bother?¡±


    ¡°Ahaha, such big words from an old fool who is scared of his own daughter.¡± Albert spit back.


    ¡°Your arrogance knows no bounds. Now, FACE JUDGEMENT! [JUDGEMENT BLADE]!¡± The man said, swinging it down.


    Albert merely chuckled, taking on the blade that cut through the barrier not unlike a warm knife through butter. Surprisingly, he punched it away with his bare hands, knocking it off course.


    ¡°Well shit, even mages are this violent.¡± Edward mumbled to himself, watching the fight like it was the best form of entertainment. In a way, it was. Or rather, it was better than all the movies he ever watched. If only he could watch from a better angle.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, father? It seems your blade has gone lukewarm.¡± Albert mocked the man, resulting in a maddening charge. He merely stared at him with cold eyes, shooting him down with what appeared to be¡­ a gun?


    Edward¡¯s eyes opened wide as he stared at the antique gun in his father¡¯s hand, with a wooden handle and the figure of an animal made from iron. It was just like what pirates used in movies.


    ¡°You should know, the Empress has bestowed upon me a title. And with it a weapon, no?¡± He said, the man reverting back to his original form of a frail old man, too old to be even living anymore. ¡°And you should know without faith, you are nothing but a puny old man. It seems it just ran out before you hit me.¡±


    Then he proceeded to incinerating the body of the old man, staring at the far distance with a wide smile


    ¡°Geez, if he tried to stop his daughter, he might have won. Well, not my problem. I wonder if she got stronger.¡±


    Lightning stroke right behind Albert as he turned his back, the sky instantly covered in dark clouds. The form of an azure haired woman appeared from the striking point, the woman Edward recognized as his mother.


    ¡°Ah, Flora, my love. It seems you are here to see how our child has grown.¡± Albert said, the smile never leaving his face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t play innocent. Where is my father?¡± Flora asked, clutching her hands tight.


    ¡°It seems he was fed up with you killing his oh so precious servants, and decided to kill you. I just happened to stop him from harming my wife.¡± Albert explained nonchalantly, a blatant lie leaving his mouth.


    ¡°[Thunderstorm]¡± Flora said, the clouds above crackling and countless lightning bolts raining down from the sky, destroying everything in its wake. ¡°You shall pay for your crimes!¡±


    ¡°My only crime is brainwashing the guardian beast, just as you¡¯ve devoured the demi-god¡¯s power.¡± He said, the ground quaking beneath his feet as a giant worm no appeared, no thinner than 10 meters and infinite lengths, its body flying in the air graciously and fending off the countless lightning.


    A spear appeared in Flora¡¯s hand, an ornate spear, the tip as long as a human torso and the handle thrice the size. It burdened her movement as she charged towards Albert, answered by two shots, one hitting her shoulder and the other missing.


    Albert¡¯s flight speed looked sluggish compared to Flora¡¯s, albeit burdened by the giant spear. In her desperate attempt, she threw it at Albert, aiding its movement with a piece of earth. Edward easily moved aside from the trajectory, dodging in the process.


    ¡°I thought you could control metal. Why not control this weapon of mine or the spear?¡± Albert mockingly asked as he danced through the lightning strikes. As Edward¡¯s sight turned to the town which was being destroyed by the battle, he noticed it was unscathed. As if an invisible barrier had enveloped it.


    ¡°None of your business!¡± She shouted, flying towards Edward. Albert¡¯s speed wasn¡¯t remarkable by any means, losing his child to the wretch.


    Edward¡¯s eyes widened as he fell down onto his butt, watching the giant ball of blue flame appear above his mother¡¯s hand. All the while Albert hastily tried to reach him.


    In his desperate moment, he charged up all his mana into a single shot, not caring about the consequences.


    ¡°[Zauberei Pfeil]!¡±


    He was sent back from the recoil, his body breaking through the concrete and hitting his head. Edward¡¯s eyes closed, falling into the gentle embrace of darkness.


    Flora¡¯s eyes widened as she stared at her body, her chest pierced with what appeared to be his father¡¯s solar blade. Even with the mage armor and the arcane blood, her defenses weren¡¯t enough. The ball in her hand disappeared as a bullet travelled right through her head, from behind.


    ¡°Well, well. Look at that. He even killed a Magus. That is quite startling.¡± Albert remarked as he noticed the gaping hole that had taken away most of Flora¡¯s chest. His eyes opened wide. ¡°He might actually be a blessed child instead. But it seems he is suffering from mana exhaustion. Well, he wouldn¡¯t mind wasting a few years anyways.¡±

 Chapter 5 - Blessed

    Morrigan looked out the window of her study and at the sun. Or rather, where it should have been. There was no sun at all, but merely a proxy. Standing near her was an azure haired boy of ten years of age, with a handsome face and an athletic build. He had a constant expressionless face, sighing occasionally.


    ¡°So, I assume you¡­ used up all your mana.¡± She said.


    ¡°Yeah. And where am I, and who are you?¡± Edward asked, glaring at the woman.


    ¡°I¡¯m Morrigan, your patron god. Did you forget me?¡± The woman asked, pressing her hand on her chest.


    ¡°No. You aren¡¯t. Which one are you and which one did I meet?¡± Edward asked, looking out the window and admiring the beauty of the landscape. It was as if everything he was seeing was through a vivid filter.


    ¡°So you know. The one you met was Badb, and I am Macha. Do you have a problem?¡± She asked, answering his face with another still one.


    ¡°Not at all. Your presence is calming, unlike the irritating one of hers.¡± Edward answered, taking a look at the tubes filled with strange colored liquids, glowing in the darkness of the room. ¡°However, shouldn¡¯t you three have blessed others?¡±


    ¡°Do you know of the Moirai?¡± Macha asked, tilting her head.


    ¡°Yes. Sisters of Fate from the Olympic pantheon.¡± Edward answered.


    ¡°If one of them ascends to the One God, the others will fuse with the ascendant into a superior being to what any other couldn¡¯t even dream to become. The same goes for us.¡± She explained, still staring at the window.


    ¡°Well that is also why we want you to win even more than others, isn¡¯t that right, sis?¡± A familiar voice sounded out from behind. ¡°Now then, why won¡¯t you give her your blessing. He learned magic and all.¡±


    ¡°So I suppose you will bless me as I get stronger, to not spoil me, am I right?¡± Edward asked, turning to the nearly naked woman as opposed to the other one wearing a black robe reaching down to the ground and further.


    ¡°As expected of my champion. You¡¯re sharp. But you¡¯ve gotta figure it out yourself.¡± Badb said with a wide smile.


    ¡°He is our champion.¡± Macha countered.


    ¡°Tch, tch, tch. You haven¡¯t blessed him yet.¡± Badb said, looking at what seemed to be her older sister.


    ¡°Neither have you.¡± Macha said.


    ¡°I summoned him.¡± Badb corrected.


    ¡°You¡¯re smarter than you look.¡± Edward said, looking at Badb.


    ¡°Well, that is right. I¡¯m smarter than these two since I¡¯ve been living on Earth for a while.¡± Badb said, producing a comic book from thin air. ¡°And I read more.¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡± Macha shouted and Badb complied. She sighed as she walked out of the room.


    ¡°May your will aid you in your journey,


    Disrupted by none,


    And feared by all,


    Here stays your faith,


    And in you lies ours,


    As your patron as per the heavenly decree,


    I now bless you with my blade, my shield and my life.¡±


    ¡°Now you are free to go, young one.¡± Macha said. ¡°May you bring us fame.¡±


    ***


    Edward opened his eyes, staring at a white ceiling. That was rather strange. He was always met with the ceiling of his master sized bed. The smell of cooking reached his nostrils as he noticed he wasn¡¯t in the mansion. The kitchen was at the other side of the mansion and he could never smell it.


    Getting up from the bed, he noticed it was a normal bed. The slight peek at the lightbulb and desk was all he needed to realize where he was. The lack of notebooks on the shelves and his small body resembled his body when that happened.


    It was another one of his nightmares, but at least the beginning wasn¡¯t as bad. This was when he was still Theo, and when he still had parents.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Theo, you¡¯re going to be late from class.¡± A female voice sounded out from the other room: the kitchen. It was unmistakably his mother. Although he wanted to storm out and hug her, he refrained from doing so.


    ¡°Wait¡­ is this¡­ possibly emotion? What in the world?¡± Theo stared at his hands, tears streaming from his eyes. ¡°It feels like I¡¯m being warmed from inside.¡±


    Tears streamed out from his eyes as he fell to the ground, grasping his chest as hard as possible.


    ¡°Why does this hurt so much? It¡¯s, I can¡¯t live with it.¡± Theo told to himself, the pain and the warming feeling disappearing in but a moment. The tears steamed down his eyes endlessly, obstructing his vision. ¡°No¡­ no¡­ don¡¯t go away. Please come back!¡±


    The emotions had long since been destroyed. This feeling was different from the exciting tingly feeling he got after creating Zuaberei Pfil. It hurt. But it was a good feeling. One he wouldn¡¯t mind having from time to time.


    ¡°Are you fine, sweetie?¡± Asked his mother as she opened the door. But what met Theo wasn¡¯t his mother. Or rather, it was, but not the one that should be. It was Flora.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Edward asked. The warming feeling wasn¡¯t here anymore, it was replaced by a scorching feeling, destroying his body from inside out and his hands automatically clenched into fists.


    ¡°What do you mean, darling? Are you feeling okay?¡± She asked as everything went grey. The curious expression on Flora¡¯s face remained as Theo looked around, finding a shady black shadow sitting on the chair next to his desk.


    ¡°Do forgive me. That was the closest to the definition of mother I could find in your memories. It seems you don¡¯t remember her, or the face of the girl for that matter.¡± Several voices spoke at the same time, a male, female and that of a child.


    ¡°Is it fun toying with people¡¯s emotions? In a literal sense in this case.¡± Theo growled, glaring at the man, still retaining the anger from before.


    ¡°No no, it¡¯s all you. You just seem to have locked away all your emotions, pain, suffering and even memories.¡± The shadow said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen many, some who had their homes ravaged and parents murdered before their eyes, some traumatized by certain encounters and even those who knew nothing but suffering in their entire lives. But I doubt I¡¯ve seen anyone with so much grief.¡±


    ¡°Why does it matter to you?¡± Theo asked, a stern expression on his face.


    ¡°Oh, maybe I¡¯m persuading you to join my child in its conquest. Or maybe I¡¯m trying to kill you. Or even I might be able to help you get her back from Belial if you give up.¡± The shadow said.


    ¡°Even if I don¡¯t remember my mother, I surely remember her telling me not to talk with strangers.¡± Theo said, sticking out his middle finger at the shadow. ¡°And I¡¯ve read my fair share of myths and stories to know that you¡¯re up to no good.¡±


    ¡°So be it. You might have had a chance to become a minor god. Too bad, my child will end up devouring you with no trouble.¡± The shadow said, Theo¡¯s eyes opening to his new bed and new world, back in the body of Edward.


    Was that some kind of messed up dream caused by him shooting his new mother in the stomach and killing her, or was that something far more sinister. The ache in his body prevented him from moving, but from what little he could gather, he was a pre-teen now.


    ¡°Finally, goodbye to that child body.¡± Edward mumbled. If only he could feel those emotions again. He would probably be laughing. It was as if he was intoxicated with feelings as a drug addict would.


    As he tried to move his body, it proved fruitless again. The futility would most likely have made him angry or irritated. However, he still had the ability to feel but not to feel emotions. It was as if he could still feel it in a subtle manner.


    Then his thoughts landed on the talk with the Morrigna. If what they said was true, then Badb hadn¡¯t blessed him and only Macha did, let alone their older sister from what he could gather.


    ¡®Morrigan is known as a goddess of fate, war and magic in Celtic mythology. If I would place them from weakest to strongest and it would follow the rules of growth, then that meant I would get the blessing of magic. This is most likely due to the strange alchemy lab Macha had.¡¯ Edward thought to himself as he closed his eyes, entering into his mindscape.


    It was still the endless blank white space from before, the giant gun in front of him. He felt cold, hot and chilly all at the same time, which was ridiculous. Then again, he felt sturdier as if he could endure anything.


    The abundance of mana in his mindscape made him feel like a god, however far that might be from the truth. He created an extremely condensed ball of mana, and unlike controlling it like before, he ordered it.


    Edward ordered it to create a fire, and so it did.


    The mana started glowing a fiery yellow, a ball of fire the size of his fist appearing over it. Then he ordered it to disperse, the mana simply following it without a problem. Then he assembled it again, turning it into a ball of water. He then decided to try to use it.


    He created a giant mass of water, the size of his body and threw it out of his mindscape, his hand moving painfully as he pointed it at a wall, palms facing outwards. As he had expected, a ball of water came out and crashed into the wall, albeit a very small one. Nothing more than a drop.


    The conversion was ridiculous. But now he at least knew about it. Just shooting it with the revolver wouldn¡¯t do. Water couldn¡¯t be ignited and shot out, it would just wet the gunpowder. So he pressed it in, turning it into a block of solid water, in other words, ice.


    He then realized there weren¡¯t any bullets in the barrel. It confused him, but he shrugged it off as the mana dispersing for him to gain this large amount. He then shot it out, aiming at the wall from before and stared at the result. Not much different from his mana bullet, but it splintered and cracked, turning into a dozen pieces, giving him a great idea.


    The mana had the nature of eating away at existence, and would destroy the insides of the mage if they didn¡¯t have magic circuits. If shot at a non-mage, it could most likely pierce clean through their body. But if Edward shot at an armor, which would repel mana and its compositions, then the ice could most likely penetrate through the armor and crack due to the revolver¡¯s peculiar nature of its incredible speed, and would cause some blunt force damage otherwise.


    Then he closed his eyes again, gauging his mana. It was at above 90% after two shots, and as such, he thought of another way to employ the mana around himself. That would take time for him to actually think of how he could make it work, but he thought it couldn¡¯t be so hard for someone who was deeply fond of drones in his last life.

 Chapter 6 - Mentor

    After enough time for him to recover, Edward still hadn¡¯t found how to even create a non-mechanical structure with it. Mana didn¡¯t serve as electricity as he had first assumed and it was more of an air turning the windmill. He could only create a wind-up clock-like device that would turn its hand with a certain interval. Of course its uses were numerous, such as launching pre-made ice shots after he turned the handle until the bullets ran out.


    However, that was far from what Edward wanted. Trial and error, trial and error, trial and error, rinse and repeat a thousand times, he still hadn¡¯t accomplished anything. The stainless steel constructs didn¡¯t move at all, let alone function as he wanted them to. There was that time he got the eye of one light up, but that resulted in an explosion inside his mindscape.


    His aching body had healed and he was now sitting on his bed in a lotus position, but the lack of muscles was apparent. He even seemed malnourished before he had eaten a week¡¯s worth of food. After a frustrated night, he had gained some muscle, and some more the week after. It was his third week after his recovery, and he was now looking like a normal preteen.


    Exercising was his way of letting out steam, and that happened very often, leading to his superhuman body from before. It wasn¡¯t really a surprise after he had went through an exercise marathon for an entire year once.


    A knock on the door halted Edward¡¯s training. He grabbed a towel and opened the door while wiping off his sweat that would have otherwise drenched his shirt if not for his lack of one. The slightly taller than him Serena stood before him. Edward came to realize she wasn¡¯t as tall as she seemed and he noted that she hasn¡¯t grown an inch since his birth.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Edward asked. As much as he didn¡¯t want to, he had grown up into his gloomier and loner attitude. The one who wanted to, and knew he could do everything by himself. The one who thought he was better than an entire team. These conflicting thoughts were killing him from the inside.


    But he was never one to dwell on the past, a realist. He didn¡¯t have emotion now, and he would probably get it after bringing her love back. Still, that was hopeful thinking. As long as he got her back, he would be happy.


    ¡°Umm¡­ The lord has called for you.¡± Serena said hesitatingly.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming.¡± Said Edward, slamming the door shut and proceeding to get dressed. He didn¡¯t have many clothes, three or so shirts and two pants. One had been cut at knee-length, turned into a short. He changed into his more formal clothes: a white shirt and dark blue trousers, complete with a belt.


    He was used to wearing formal wear, mostly due to the uniform he had to wear to school every single weekday. It was more of an obligation than a must, as he could get accepted to university without it, and learn everything in a single year. That only served to show how annoyingly hard magic was.


    He swiftly left the room, thanking his height and leg length that helped him cut the time it took to reach the dining hall from fifteen to five. Serena had disappeared from sight, to who knows where when he had exited the room in a minute. There weren¡¯t any doors out as far as he knew.


    The dining hall¡¯s giant door opened with the slightest touch, assisted by some butlers from the inside. Their presence signaled to show his sisters were here. Meeting all his siblings in a single place wasn¡¯t Edward¡¯s form of nice. Rather, it was the worst possible scenario.


    He saw that his father was seated at his usual spot, at the head of the table. His siblings were seated along the two sides of the long table, attended by their servants. The image of two nearly identical girls, with green hair caught Edward¡¯s eye. They were the daughters of the second wife of Albert, who died by illness leaving them in their father¡¯s care.


    They seemed to be acting like noblewomen, not letting a word drop. Those shallow camouflages must have already been seen through by Albert. They were the epitomes of corruption and sadism, and even tried to pick on Edward.


    However, when the person is the beloved son of the lord, who could easily beat them at their own game of arguing and the lack of any other weapons than the house guards was surely a letdown for them.


    The silence reigned supreme, forcing Edward to start a conversation.


    ¡°What is the matter, father? It isn¡¯t like you to go out of your way to summon me.¡± He said.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. It is common courtesy to indulge in studies and weapon training for a nobleman, especially our falling family.¡± Albert explained, pointing at the men standing behind him. There were two, one a larger man with an enormous blade on his back, not bothering to cover his upper body. The other one was a smaller one, holding a spear that looked to be too outsized for him. ¡°I have excused you from the former, but I would like to ask you which weapon you prefer.¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to learn the spear.¡± Edward answered. He had tried kendo and fencing for a while, but they weren¡¯t his style. They had too much of an emphasis on sports, which he didn¡¯t fancy much. It didn¡¯t feel right and he didn¡¯t have many options to choose from except kenjutsu, which appeared to have too short a range for his preference. Spear, on the other hand, seemed to be a semi-ranged weapon that could possibly be thrown in this absurd world known as Terra.


    The bigger man walked away with a long face, and the smaller man seemed to have a smug smirk on his face. However, calling him short wasn¡¯t really true.


    ¡°Well then, this is Adrian, a Grandmaster spearman. He¡¯ll be your mentor for the next year.¡± Albert explained, pointing his palm to the man. ¡°He is also the mentor of your brother, Dario. I do hope you two get along.¡±


    Edward¡¯s sight landed on Dario. Now that he took a look at him, the fifteen year old didn¡¯t look as dangerous. Athletic, but that was all. Not muscular, but a lean type. The age difference could be seen, as Edward looked at his likely ten to twelve year old body. It was immature, but the fruits of his training showed in the form of an athletic body. It was the way he liked it: no excess fat and a small layer of muscle. Having more would be impractical for the swift type like him.


    Adrian walked out of the room, following the larger man and a face that said ¡®I¡¯m going to brag to the loser so he is even more miserable than now.¡¯


    The breakfast concluded quickly, and silently. The most silent of them was Dario, who hadn¡¯t made a single noise. Edward noted that this guy hated him, for an unknown reason at that. His occasional glares would interrupt him from his thought process. Was that killing intent as pictured in some books? This world was ridiculous, after all.


    As he found himself outside on the training ground, wearing his homemade shorts and the T-shirt, Edward saw Adrian, his new teacher, bringing two wooden spears, the front looked no duller than an arrow and he wondered if there was the concept of going easy on Terra.


    Dario had a smirk on his face, warming up. Although Edward hadn¡¯t really tried anything connected to spears, he once tried bojutsu once, finding it was a little too defensive for his liking as well before he finally settled on Muay Thai after all the looking. His fists, elbows and knees ended up being the most efficient weapons.


    Dario had a smirk on his face, for the first time after they had met.


    ¡°Prepare to be beaten senseless, younger brother.¡± Dario said as Adrian threw one of the training spears at him.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± Edward countered, grabbing the spear flying at him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go too rough on him. And Edward, it is strictly for measuring your physical prowess.¡± Adrian explained as he walked backwards, taking a seat on the ground.


    Dario¡¯s movements were fast, on the level of Edward being able to see, but not react. He thrust the sharp end of the spear at Edward, aiming at his shoulder. This wasn¡¯t something that could be covered with technique alone, it was more a matter of speed.


    He then slipped his feet, falling backwards. What would have been impossible for a normal person was easy for Edward. It wasn¡¯t just this world which was absurd. If there was any absurdity or abnormality, then he stood heads and shoulders taller than most of them.


    Then Edward used his spear as a staff and used it as a hold, jumpkicking Dario while holding onto it with one hand. It connected with Dario¡¯s ribs, not much of a damage dealt. Moving without muscle memories was harder than expected. He¡¯d have to train his techniques for a while in his new body. The difference between action smart and book smart showed. The body lagging behind.


    Albert¡¯s eyes widened as he swiped the ground with his spear, evaded by several backstep. Edward proceeded by thrusting with his own spear, the tip aimed at the shoulder. It never connected, but Dario¡¯s did. He had countered with a single hand thrust, hitting Edward¡¯s solar plexus, and would have pierced if not for Adrian¡¯s hand grabbing the spear.


    ¡°Great. Your talent is even greater than your brother¡¯s when he was your¡­ started training.¡± Adrian explained. ¡°As long as you put the effort in it, you can be as strong as him.¡±


    Edward stared at the man in disappointment. He was the encouraging type, but the man didn¡¯t know that he¡¯d pass Dario in a month at most. That was the type of teacher he didn¡¯t want to deal with too much. They hated his extreme talent the most.


    Adrian pointed the spear at Dario.


    ¡°Run around the field 100 times and do a 1000 thrusts.¡± He commanded. ¡°You can do twice less.¡± He said pointing at Edward.


    Edward steadied his breath, breathing with his nose and letting out with his mouth. The field was no bigger than the school gymnasium, a hundred laps around it wasn¡¯t too hard for the ace of the basketball team. The temporary one.


    However, it evidently became true that his younger and lesser trained body was dragging him down. That wouldn¡¯t do. He forced it to move. That was the way he trained his old body to that extent. Pushing forth after reaching his limit.


    And he had passed it after the 80<sup>th</sup> when he was practically about to fall down. Muscle development came with age, not so easily to someone who just skipped eight years. The misimpression he had enough muscle and stamina for a normal preteen was falser than anything he had thought of.


    Every step was a dozen times harder and he hated his guts for even accepting the challenge. But he smiled. It was only when he did the impossible when it happened. He dragged his ragged body through the field with an absurd grin. It was what he enjoyed most.


    He could have stopped at fifty, but that wasn¡¯t his style. He would get a perfect score, definitely.


    Edward forced his legs to move, until he heard them nearly crack. That is to be said, he was in no form to walk let alone run. But he reached his goal nonetheless.


    Next up was thrusting.

 Chapter 7 - Peerless Prodigy

    ¡°Let¡¯s see how strong you¡¯ve become.¡± Adrian said, turning to look at Edward. He held a practice spear in one hand and another one in the other. That is to be said, they looked oversized for the eleven year old.


    It was idiotic how Edward took an entire year to even learn the basics of the martial art. It was called Thunder Hedgehog Style, and focused more on defending and dodging while countering the opponent down with superior range more than anything else. What he learned during this time was that he couldn¡¯t help but admire the intricacy of the fighting style and that every movement had to be precise to avoid death on a daily basis, executing the moves in any environment. Dario hadn¡¯t stuck to the rule in their mock battle.


    However, Dario hadn¡¯t even learned the basic level, so there was that. Dario had treasured his single practice spear like his life, always striking the air instead of dummies that Edward was fond of.


    ¡°The winner learns Ki imbuement, good luck.¡± Adrian said, taking a seat on the ground like the many times he did before. It was only about a month ago that Edward realized he was actually sitting on air by using his leg muscles, which would be a hard exercise when sitting that low.


    ¡°Edward, you¡¯ll definitely lose today!¡± Dario shouted, thrusting his spear at him. Edward ducked to the side, hitting his ribs with the staff end of the spear. Dario moved backwards, sending several thrusts at Edward¡¯s head, stomach and right leg.


    However, the recipient moved the spear with his right hand one and thrust his other one at the boy¡¯s chest, hitting it straight. However, the power was greatly dulled with Dario¡¯s strong hold on the spear, dealing no serious damage.


    He instantly abandoned his extra spear and clung on to the other. Weapons were nothing but tools, disposed of when wanted and used when needed. Keeping his distance was the best way to do things, especially for a mage.


    Water fell on Dario¡¯s face, making him close eyes out of habit. That was when a strong impact on his chest sent him backwards. It was terrifying how durable these humans were. Their breastbones should be cracked, but nearly every trained warrior stands up without a hitch. That also meant the battles would last longer and it wasn¡¯t just a decisive moment that decided the victor. It was overall battle prowess.


    The stunned boy tried to stand up, but a spear was placed upon his throat and Dario spit to the side. ¡°I give up.¡± If anything, the hate in his eyes only amplified.


    ¡°Why must you steal everything from me?¡± Dario mumbled as he walked away, tears falling from his eyes unseen by the others, his words evading their ears.


    ¡°Well, well. You truly ended up getting stronger. I had no idea you could learn the basics in a year. That¡¯s really good.¡± Adrian complemented. ¡°Follow me, we should learn your Ki type.¡±


    ¡°There are types?¡± Edward asked, following Adrian into below one of the trees.


    ¡°Indeed. There are five. Aether of creation. Entropy of destruction. Prana of life. Wither of death. Soul of Will.¡± Adrian explained, grabbing a leaf from the tree.


    He closed his eyes and pinched the leaf as it slowly started burning, into nothing but ash.


    ¡°Mine is Entropy, and the others will change the leaf in different ways. What you must do is try to inject your life energy into the leaf. It won¡¯t affect your lifespan in any way, so don¡¯t worry.¡± He continued.


    Edward picked up a leaf from the ground and held it, closing his eyes. He willed his energy to enter the leaf and opened his eyes. It had gotten a metallic exterior, hard to the touch.


    ¡°That was mana. Try again.¡± Adrian said, giving him another leaf.


    Willing the energy into the weapon didn¡¯t work, but he wanted to inject the life force. That would mean it is inside everything, and could be controlled by common folk even if they weren¡¯t a mage.


    He held the leaf, closing his eyes and letting what would be wasted move to a single spot, to the leaf. Edward had noticed his mana leaving his body before, but the volume never changed. That gave him an idea that another energy source existed, and could be tapped into with certain methods. The theory happened to be true.


    Edward opened his eyes, staring at nothing but a black piece of charred leaf.


    ¡°That was Wither, the element of death. The users are extremely dangerous where even a single hit from them can greatly weaken the opponent. Let me show you what Ki is capable of.¡± Adrian said, slamming his spear to the tree. It nearly budged, but nothing else. As Edward tried to open his mouth, Adrian hit the tree again. This time a loud thud sounded out and the tree greatly moved to the side.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°That was a skill called Impact, a staple Entropy skill everyone is capable of learning. This is another one.¡± Adrian¡¯s spear tip lit up a violent blue as he swung, the light getting brighter. Then he swung his blade, a lightning strike hitting the aimed spot and charring the grass. ¡°That was Discharge.¡±


    ¡°Interesting.¡± Edward tapped his chin. They were truly powerful. Maybe even more so than his bullets. That could mean only one thing. The power scaling raised the mages to ridiculousness in the latter stages, raising their status.


    ¡°Father said you were a grandmaster. Can you tell me more about the rankings?¡± Edward asked, his thirst for knowledge taking over.


    ¡°Ah, you wouldn¡¯t know since it isn¡¯t really formal. There are seven stages to knights, from weakest to strongest: Trainee, Fighter, Warrior, Master, Grandmaster, Ancestor and Divine. Mages have five rankings: Acolyte, Adept, Magus, Arch-Magus and Divine.¡± Adrian explained. ¡°A Magus is as strong as an Ancestor, while a Divine knight is stronger than a Divine mage. The bottleneck is really troublesome to walk through and would make the user a true divine if you could believe the words of strangers.¡±


    ¡°Where does that place me on the food chain?¡± Edward asked.


    ¡°A Trainee is the lowest, but considering you are an Apostle, you could fight a Warrior or an Adept toe to toe.¡± Adrian answered. ¡°Well, it seems I can¡¯t teach you anymore. Wither isn¡¯t my specialty.¡±


    ¡°What about the Thunder Hedgehog style?¡± Edward asked.


    ¡°Hmm? You still want to learn it? Beyond the basic level? That is a first.¡± Adrian commented. ¡°Everyone is swayed by Ki control.¡±


    ¡°That can come later. I won¡¯t stop until I¡¯m as good as you.¡± Edward said, placing a smirk on Adrian¡¯s face.


    ¡°Hahaha. Then your new sparring partner will be me, since I know of no other way to make you an Intermediate.¡± Adrian said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Edward said. He had to get used to fighting a stronger opponent.


    Adrian produced a wooden spear from thin air, greatly surprising Edward. These were padded, however. Adrian instantly shot a thrust, bounds and leaps above Dario. If he wanted to win, he needed to use magic. Edward didn¡¯t shy from playing all the cards in his hand.


    He shot the spear with a water bullet, enough to divert its course, countering with a thrust of his own. Adrian sidestepped, swinging the spear at his head. Edward slipped, shooting a lesser condensed Zauberei Pfeil mid-fall. The fast projectile took its rightful place on Adrian¡¯s left knee.


    Adrian tried to strike his fallen opponent, but Edward rolled to the side. A grin appeared on Edward¡¯s face, answered by another one on Adrian. As he got up and swung the spear, the impact sent Edward away, breaking his spear.


    The juggernaut known as Adrian never stopped his charge, threatening to hit his student. Edward entered a trance, running to the training field absentmindedly as he quickly recharged four stronger bullets and supercharged another two.


    The fact that the previous one didn¡¯t affect him made Edward even more troubled. He snapped out of his trance as he reached the training ground, picking up another spear. The abnormally fast thrusts forced Edward to take a step back from each of them. The violent blue light from before sparked up on Adrian¡¯s spear blade as he sent several thrusts at Edward, every one of them forcing Edward to take a step back, all the while the lightning started flaring a pure white.


    ¡°[Zauberei Pfeil X2]¡± Edward shouted, shooting it from the tip of his spear. It caught Adrian with  his guard down, letting it tear off a part of his clothes at his right shoulder, the bullet bouncing off of him.


    ¡°That¡¯s crazy.¡± Edward stated, thrusting the blade at Adrian¡¯s solar plexus. The recipient easily grabbed the spear, throwing it away along with Edward. The cat-like reflexes came into view as the boy fell on his feet. There was no way for him to defeat such a monster. No. There was. But Adrian wanted to teach him something.


    ¡®Thunder Hedgehog style. Dodging and parrying, sending one decisive strike after another.¡¯ He thought. Tightly clenching his spear, he injected his Ki into it. He thrust the blade at Adrian, not hitting the man. Surprisingly, a black trail of smoke was left where his spear had been, giving Edward an idea.


    He haphazardly swung the blade everywhere. Adrian grunted as he spun his spear, finding it unmovable. The smoke blocked his sight, not even letting him see beyond a meter. That was enough. But the effect of Miasma wasn¡¯t great for him, as it would chip away at his stamina with great speed if he stood here. So he run ahead, exiting the miasma.


    ¡°[Zauberei Pfeil X5]¡± Edward shouted, scaring Adrian into the smoke as a bullet flew straight past his head. That was bad news if it hit the head. His shoulder still ached from the blunt force.


    Edward stared at the smokescreen he made with respect for himself, filling the cylinder with supercharged bullets.


    The silhouette of Adrian couldn¡¯t be seen from the oily black smoky substance, the same true for Adrian who feared the bullet and stayed inside.


    ¡°[Clock of Bullets]¡± Edward shouted, jumping head into the smoke. Adrian heard the boy, but the Miasma had an effect on ears too and would confuse the ones inside. He regretted ever giving the brat a chance. It was really tricky staying inside the smoke and not get tired and not get ambushed on the way out. Not to mention this thing was incorporeal.


    A strong force hit his right arm, instantly shattering his elbow. The piercing power was nothing, but the blunt force was simply ridiculous. It wasn¡¯t something Apostles should be playing with.


    Edward had found the man as his finger gun had brushed past him at some point in time, thrusting his spear at where he assumed his chest was. It was his first time, but there was a first to everything. He created a bullet outside of his mindscape, or rather, a shielding or a spearhead.


    ¡°[Zauberei Mantel]!¡± It hit the man, sending him flying out of the smoke.


    Adrian laughed as Edward walked out of the smoke. He had fallen on the ground.


    ¡°Haha, now you¡¯re an intermediate.¡± Adrian said, breathing heavily.


    ¡°How?¡± Edward asked.


    ¡°Since you learned how to correctly use the style.¡± Adrian said, holding his hands up. Edward assisted in him getting up. ¡°But it¡¯s ridiculous. How did you learn imbuing your weapon with Ki mid-fight?¡±


    ¡°I just tried what I did with the leaf.¡± Edward explained. ¡°Just moving what would have been lost to power my weapon.¡±


    ¡°Huh? So you¡¯re saying you found such a great method from my explanation? Honestly, you¡¯re a goddamn prodigy.¡± Adrian said, scratching the back of his head. ¡°It should take at least four years to get to the basic level.¡±


    "Prodigy, huh? Might be." Edward mumbled.

 Chapter 8 - The War Begins

    The town of Riverfront was a prospering town full of life, away from wars and where no crime bigger than a theft occurred. Murder was incomprehensible and it was a happy village. The children were well-behaved, and the adults were nice. That is before the rise of the Cult of One Sun as Edward liked to call it.


    It all started with a sunny day like any other, except the lack of clouds. The children started disappearing one after another, and then some adults too. The baron was, of course, speechless. It seemed that his child was the only one spared, placing all the doubt on his shoulders alone.


    ¡°Give us back our children!¡±


    ¡°Where is my son?!¡±


    ¡°Murderer! Die!¡±


    And so went on the infinite curses from outside the fence, kept away by the guards. Edward sighed as he looked out the window. How was he any different than the other children? Of course because he was an Avatar. That linked the crimes to another Avatar.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure it is something connected to an Avatar.¡¯ A female voice sounded out inside his head. Macha now lived inside his head, signifying the tournament has finally started after the tutorial stage. He had learned many things in his five years of life, albeit in the body of a 14 year old. An adult by the standards of Terra.


    Clapping his book shut, Edward thought back.


    ¡®I know that. The problem is, are they being converted?¡¯


    The silence remained for a while, suffocating the boy. She had a habit of thinking in complete silence, and that was oddly eerie.


    ¡®It seems so. But only high gods or above could bless so many.¡¯ Macha explained.


    ¡®Then it is possible they are the Avatar of a high god or there are several.¡¯ Edward suggested.


    ¡®It is possible, however, I suspect a certain god for this.¡¯ Macha said.


    ¡®There are no clouds, right?¡¯ Edward asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how Badb found you, but you are rather resourceful.¡¯ Macha stated. ¡®It seems you won¡¯t have any trouble with just my blessings alone.¡¯


    ¡°It seems so. But is it truly that simple?¡± Edward said out loud, letting Albert in on the conversation.


    ¡°Do you mean it isn¡¯t a kidnapping?¡± Albert asked, turning to look at Edward, his conversation with the guard captain interrupted.


    ¡°Are you aware of others like me or the Empress? It seems to be their work.¡± Edward suggested, closing his eyes.


    ¡°That is absurd! Do you think reincarnated beings are grass? It is impossible for three to exist in the same kingdom!¡± The hot-headed guard captain shouted. He was in charge of protecting peace in the town and was the one who was shaken to the core.


    ¡°Oh, but what if there are, let¡¯s say, a thousand of them in existence right now. Then would that be possible?¡± Edward asked, raising his eyebrow.


    ¡°You¡¯re just a brat after all!¡± The captain shouted, stopped by Albert¡¯s raised hand.


    ¡°Wait just there, Barry. What might that entail, my son?¡± He asked.


    ¡°It seems the world is about to change. Kingdoms will fall and monsters will be born.¡± Edward answered, looking out the window. ¡°The clouds have disappeared, have they not?¡±


    ¡°What might that have anything to do with this?¡± Albert asked. ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain the disappearances of the children and the guards.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Nothing at all. It¡¯s just that this might be an omen of something big.¡± He said, walking out of the room.


    ¡°What do you mean?!¡± The captain shouted.


    ¡°It just means don¡¯t believe the words of the ghost.¡± Edward answered, closing the door behind him.


    ¡®Do you think it was necessary to reveal its existence?¡¯ Macha asked, referring to the shadowy ghost from before.


    ¡®Not really. Better ready than not.¡± Edward explained, lying down on his bed.


    Closing his eyes, he entered his mindscape. The form of Macha appeared before him, staring at the peculiar piece of weaponry known as a gun. Edward created several other bullets. An absurd world called for absurd measures. Pointier things pierced better, that was the logic behind it. That called for some tweaking to the weapon, but he easily changed the bullets into pyramids and the holes in the cylinder as well. In the end, it became something closer to a needle than anything else.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering for a while, what are those strange things?¡± Macha asked, examining the strange clockworks Edward had come up with.


    Mana didn¡¯t serve as a power supply, but also as something that gave meaning to nothing, mass to nothing and turned nothing into something. That also meant instead of what Edward had been trying to do all that time ago, he just had to give a meaning to a drone and it would do what he wanted.


    The drones stayed at a steady circle from him, each charged with twelve bullets which would be shot at an interval of two seconds if anything tried to attack him. It was ineffective against assassins, but any open hostile could be shot in the face if Edward didn¡¯t will it to turn off.


    And that wasn¡¯t on his to-do list.


    ¡°They¡¯re called drones. Kinda like golems, but more modern.¡± Edward said, turning to look at the woman. ¡°Anyone will suffice as long as they accept it, is that right?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Macha nodded her head. ¡°It seems that you have an idea of who your first blessed is.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Albert will do, won¡¯t he?¡± Edward asked.


    ¡°Of course. The closer you are, the stronger he will be.¡± Macha explained. ¡°That is actually a good idea. That protects him from the hands of the angel as well.¡±


    ¡°Angels are judges as you said. Why would they interfere?¡± He asked, raising his eyebrow.


    ¡°They can¡¯t be described by the human standards. Think of corrupt politicians who can¡¯t raise their hand directly.¡± Macha explained.


    ¡°Thought you never got out of your lab.¡± Edward joked.


    ¡°Badb brings movies sometimes.¡± Macha said, inspecting the area. ¡°Your mindscape is rather peculiar. I can see how you can materialize mana outside of you so easily.¡±


    ¡°Does that have anything to do with the methods? Someone else told me the exact same thing several years ago.¡± Edward grumbled, loading up two more clocks, raising their number to 10. They were his version of machine guns, after all.


    ¡°It does. If you concentrated it in the form of a pond, as many people do, then you would have to will the liquid outside of the mindscape and solidify it, think of freezing water. However, as you always do that in your mindscape, by sacrificing a certain amount of mana, you can effortlessly do so in the real world as long as it is in your domain.¡± Macha explained.


    ¡°Domain?¡± Edward asked, his attention fully on the woman.


    ¡°Ah, yes. You do not know yet. It is the area that you can materialize your mana effectively, sometimes diminished in the presence of stronger mages. I doubt yours would be any different than a Magus even after diminishing. You are my champion, after all.¡± Macha said with a smile.


    Edward nodded. He had to become a god, and the war had only started. Fire burned in his eyes. He lost too much time. There was no need for more dilly dallying and friendship.


    ***


    A boy with short blonde hair, no older than 12, sat on a throne. The number of his servants had finally reached a hundred, each one blessed by the name of his father. Still, he wasn¡¯t used to this treatment. As a former delinquent, George was used to making people do what he wanted. Now they did it willingly, greatly disturbing.


    ¡°Charisma.¡± He mumbled, looking out the window of the church. The stained glass had been shattered, the belief in the sun god all but abandoned. The guards had all been converted into his forces, which would be protected by the angel if anyone wanted to interfere. Then the children were trained under the guards, effectively creating an army. There was no one capable of standing up to him, not yet. If there was something he learned from card fights, early rushing was the best method available.


    ¡°Rise, my brothers and sisters.¡± George said, keeping up the kind Samaritan act. ¡°Why is this world so unfair? Why do things such as talent exist? It is because this world is corrupted. Fret not, you have been granted everything you may need to overthrow this world with me. Let us pray to the great Sun God Lugh!¡±


    The hundreds of his slaves prostrated themselves before the shattered remains of the statue. George couldn¡¯t get enough of it, the tingly and pleasant feeling he got when people started worshiping him and his god. He felt almighty if even for a second.


    His lieutenants sat on miniature thrones similar to his, next to him, numbering three. The three other Treasure Holders that served under him, not of weakness but respect. With this strong of an alliance and this big of an army, George laughed maniacally. The win was as good as his. There would be no challenge at all.