《Ability》


 Prologue- A beginning

    Author¡¯s note- Hey, this is a new story that I will be writing along with The Elements of Terra. It is called, Ability. Try it out! (This time I will try my hand at writing romance. Wish me luck!)


    __________________________________________________________________


    Prologue


    It was a normal day for me. I had gotten home from school about 30 minutes ago, and I was spending my time as usual. Reading. Why you ask? Well I could do other things, such as texting my friends, playing video games, or even taking a walk in the shade. But those were never things I did.


    Yes, there was something special about, reading, that was relaxing to me. And no, it was never nonfiction. The thing all those stories had in common was the main character had an ability, something special to him that he could use better than anyone else. It was always something that could grow, and when all these criteria were fulfilled, reading was very satisfying. In fact, when I had my birthday about 6 months ago, I wished I had more time to read next year!


    Unfortunately, this would never be the case. My chores would start soon, and I just never had any time other than the hour to myself when I got home.


    Me- ¡°Sigh¡±


    No longer in the mood for leisure, I decided to get started on my chores. In about half an hour, I finished. And this meant my time to myself was now over.


    It was time to walk back to school. Why you ask? Because for one, apparently I wasn¡¯t getting enough physical activity, and for two, I had to finish up some volunteer work that I was forced into. So I couldn¡¯t use my car, and I had to bring my backpack.


    The district I lived in was a peaceful one, at least on the surface. But¡­ Well I¡¯d rather not talk about it right now. I just moved here anyway, so I was definitely not part of the craziness that embodied this district. And I hoped I could stay out of it.


    I hit the buzzer for crossing the street, just to be safe. If you were a J-walker, you never knew when somebody would continue driving while you were in the headlights¡­ So I walked across when the electronic sign had a picture of someone strolling on it. And just as I was halfway across the street, I heard the sounds of a police car¡¯s siren along with the faint sound of children screaming. Then they all turned the corner, and the first thing I saw was a school bus hurtling at me at full speed with a million cop cars in tow!


    Crap! I broke into a sprint, trying to cross the road before they arrived! But my speed was not enough; the backpack was slowing me down! I tried to dive in desperation, but I ended up tripping because of my shoelace! No!


    ¡°Bam!¡±


    The school bus rammed into my backpack, launching me spinning into the air.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    My backpack slammed into the windshield of a cop car, causing me to do a front flip mid air and roll into a crouching position on the street.


    For a moment I froze, expecting a wave of pain to hit. But all that happened was my backpack slid off my shoulders, completely unrecognizable. But that wasn¡¯t important. I survived! How fortunate!


    The ecstasy of going through a crisis was short lived, as I realized nobody had stopped for hitting me, not even the cop¡­ A wave of righteous anger swept through me as I swore venomously to sue that cop! And especially the school bus driver! What the heck was he thinking; there were kids on that bus!


    But there was nothing I could do immediately, so I picked up my backpack and continued my walk to the school.


    Thankfully, there were not any more incidents before I arrived at the school. And waiting there was my friend/acquaintance, Chloe. She had her silky, black hair put into a ponytail, and she wore a casual shirt with some blue jeans. With her trademark glasses and a freckle on the side of her chin, she looked like the picture perfect version of a girl nerd. Nevertheless, we hit off well.


    I had met her in the anime/manga club on its first day, and we had similar interests in the anime and our love for dogs. But she was a girl, and I was a guy, so¡­ Needless to say, our relations were still a bit awkward. But that would go with time, I suppose.


    As I went up the stairs, I went to say hi, but she ended up greeting me first.


    Chloe- ¡°Hey Nathaniel, are you ok? You look like you got hit by a car!¡±


    I grimaced. She had hit the mark.


    Me- ¡°Not just a car. A school bus and a car!¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Oh my goodness! Really!?¡±


    Me- ¡°Yeah¡­ When I was walking across the street, a school bus ran the red light and hit me. Then I smashed into one of the cop cars chasing the bus. And nobody tried to stop before or after they hit me! I swear, I¡¯m going to sue both of them, the cop and the bus driver!¡±


    Chloe looked at me strangely, as if I was lying.


    Chloe- ¡°You must be joking! Even if they both hit you, one of them would have at least stopped! And you look pretty much unscathed! That shouldn¡¯t be possible!¡±


    Me- ¡°No, I¡¯m serious¡­ They both hit my backpack, so I guess it acted as a cushion in some way. Just look at it!¡±


    I showed her the backpack, and we both stared in disbelief. The thing was devastated! The zippers had broken off, there were giant imprints in the bag, the straps had almost ripped, and gravel was stuck in every visible place on the bag!


    Chloe looked back and forth from me to the bag over and over again in shock.


    Chloe- ¡°Oh my gosh! You survived that? Are you hurt anywhere?¡±


    Then without caring about my unkempt appearance, she looked me up and down more closely. As she did, the worry on her face grew stronger. And at the end of the inspection, she grabbed my hand and walked with me towards the bathroom without saying a word.


    When we arrived, the first thing I did was look at me through the mirror. And what I saw made me cringe.


    Like my backpack, my hair was filled with gravel and was now a sort of grey. My face had a couple minor scrapes, but my arms had rug burn on them from the straps of my backpack. My knees were scraped, and my back had a giant red imprint of a backpack on it. But altogether, it made me smile. That could''ve been much worse.


    Chloe- ¡°Nathaniel? Take this, and wipe the scrapes. This is the best we can do for now because the nurse¡¯s office is closed.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.She handed me a some paper towels while mumbling about suing law enforcement, and I obediently wiped the areas, still fazed by the sight before me. But suddenly, I felt filled with gratitude.


    Me- ¡°Thanks. You didn¡¯t have to go this far for me.¡±


    Chloe responded with a sweet smile. And in that moment, she became beautiful to me. My heart started beating wildly, and I couldn¡¯t help but turn away, my face flushed. So I continued to dress my wounds and in a minute or two, I had finished. Chloe had also finished plucking the gravel out of my hair.


    Chloe- ¡°Are you still able to finish up the rest of the construction? For the play? I could finish up the rest for you.¡±


    Me- ¡°It¡¯s only a couple of scrapes. I¡¯ll be fine. Plus with that ankle, how would you be able to finish up properly?¡±


    The construction work was for theater. They were having a play, and Chloe and I volunteered. Chloe was to oversee because her ankle was still healing; I heard from Chloe that her doctor had told her she couldn¡¯t lift heavy objects or run for about a week more. So naturally, she originally took on the role of supervision while I signed up for the lifting. And as a man, how could I let her do my work, especially since her ankle is injured!


    Chloe- ¡°Are you sure? I mean, my ankle is mostly healed, but you just got hit by two cars! You really shouldn¡¯t be doing this kind of work!¡±


    My heart warmed because I could feel the concern in her tone. I became even more determined to not let her do the work.


    Me- ¡°Didn¡¯t I get lucky? I only ended up with a couple of scrapes, nothing that would prevent me from working on the set.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°But¡­ Let me at least do some of the light work. You can¡¯t take everything alone!¡±


    Me- ¡°Alright fine. But don¡¯t overestimate yourself by picking up any of the heavy objects. You don¡¯t want to get hurt.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Are you my dad? Let me do what I want; I know my limits!¡±


    I giggled a bit, and we both walked harmoniously over to the theater.


    **********************


    The last object to be done was naturally the roof, as it had been suspended above the house we had been creating. What needed to be done was first of all, lifting some wooden boards and power stapling them onto the roof we had suspended. Second was to then screw those boards into our house, connecting them.


    I was currently on a ladder, placing the last board in place, while Chloe was determining if it looked straight from her point of view.


    Chloe- ¡°Looks good!¡±


    Me- ¡°Ok then, heads up!¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Thank you!¡±


    I took out the stapler and started stapling each board, one by one into the roof. Once I had finished doing that, I unhooked the rope that was connecting the roof, so I could screw in the board Chloe gave the ok for. But when I was screwing into it, I realized that something was wrong. The roof was tilting!


    Me- ¡°Hey Chloe? I don¡¯t think this board is straight! The roof is starting to fall!¡±


    Chloe¡¯s face turned pale.


    Chloe- ¡°Hurry, get off the ladder!¡±


    As I hurriedly climbed off the ladder, Chloe, who was trying to run out of the way suddenly fell over! Her ankle!


    Chloe let out a sharp cry of pain and couldn¡¯t get up! The roof was tilting towards her! Crap!


    I jumped from the rung of the ladder I was at and ran over to Chloe. She was struggling to get up, so I grabbed her hand to pull her up.


    Chloe- ¡°I can¡¯t walk like this! Get out of here!¡±


    She weakly tried to push me away while limping away, but at that rate, she wasn¡¯t going to make it alone!


    I held on tightly and yelled,


    Me- ¡°Don¡¯t give up! Let¡¯s get out of this together!¡±


    But even I didn¡¯t believe my words. Both of us might not make it if I stayed! I thought of running away on my own; it was her fault anyway. But then I recalled that sweet smile, and I realized that I could never do something so heartless.


    Pushing Chloe out of the way, I looked back at the roof, and it was in that instant that time seemed to freeze.


    ¡®Thump¡¯ The screw left halfway in popped out.


    ¡®Thump¡¯ The roof flipped over and was enlarging in my sight.


    ¡®Thump¡¯ Filled with unwillingness, I closed my eyes.


    ¡®...¡¯


    Slowly, I opened my eyes to see that the roof had gotten caught on the hook that was dangling in the air. How?


    I recalled that to screw in the board, I unlatched the rope with the hook. Leaving that rope hook swinging had caused it to catch the ring holding the roof as it flipped over. But that, that was an almost impossible amount of luck.


    Suddenly, the doors to the theater burst open, as a couple of people covered in black burst in at unimaginable speeds. In a moment, they were in front of me.


    ???- ¡°I¡¯m going to have to ask you to come with us.¡±


    Me- ¡°Who a-?¡±


    I looked down only to discover a dart had embedded itself within my arm. I fainted shortly afterwards.


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    Next Chapter</a>


    Author¡¯s note 2- So, as you can see, this one is set in an alternate, modern world. And like my other Mc, Daniel, they have a background similar to mine. But that is where the similarities end, as this mc has a totally different ability. Stay tuned, and don¡¯t worry about the Elements of Terra. I¡¯m working on it right now. Should be done in about a week (don¡¯t get your hopes up please).

 Vol. 1 Chapter 1- Ability

    Author¡¯s note- So, how am I doing so far with the romance element? Not too shabby, eh? Well don¡¯t worry, there are some sweet feelings in this chapter as well. And our first battle scene. :D Enjoy!


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    Ability


    Waking up, I found myself in a hospital style bed. The tv was on some sports channel, and if I looked to my right I could see the sun setting through a window. Strangely enough, it was open, letting hot air in. And if I looked to my left, I could see a woman in a black suit staring at me.


    Wait, what?


    I scooted back on hospital bed only to realize that I felt like crap all over. Especially my back. It felt like I had been hit by a car.1 But this was irrelevant at the time, as I could feel a threat from that woman.


    (1: Quite literally! I crack myself up.)


    Woman in black- ¡°Tell me your name.¡±


    I almost answered, but I held it back in my throat out of instinct instead. I kept silent, looking for the woman¡¯s response.


    Woman in black- ¡°Nathaniel Belair, we won¡¯t get anywhere if you are so adamant in refusing basic courtesy. Now, do you know where you are?¡±


    I shrunk back at her saying my name, yet I mysteriously felt compelled to answer.


    Me- ¡°A hospital?¡±


    Woman in black- ¡°And do you know why you are at this hospital?¡±


    Me- ¡°You, and those in black¡­ They knocked me out. Brought me here.¡±


    Woman in black- ¡°That was the how. Not the why. You had just been through a car accident or more accurately, a bus and a car accident. Our intention was to check you for hidden injuries, if, you had injuries.¡±


    Me- ¡°Why?¡±


    Woman in black- ¡°You have an ability. We detected it¡¯s usage twice today, and on both occasions you shouldn¡¯t of survived. Yet you did¡­¡±


    Me- ¡°Yes I did. Is that a problem?¡±


    I was becoming more and more hostile to this woman and the group that backed her. They knocked me out and brought me here against my will, they had obviously gathered my information without my volition, and they might be behind the ¡®accidents¡¯ that almost took my life and Chloe¡¯s. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got.


    Woman in black- ¡°We have nothing to do with those accidents, at least not in the way you think. Our name is C.H.I.B.I., and it stands for Charm, Health, Intelligence, Battle, and Innovation. We diagnose and organize those with abilities for the betterment of society. We mainly deal with other ability users, and we work with the american government to take care of anything out of their jurisdiction. Such as those with an ability, like yourself.¡±


    I felt like I was being influenced to believe her words,. Unfortunately, the knowledge of being influenced did not help me in any way.


    Me- ¡°So, then what am I to you. And why did you contact me?¡±


    Woman in black- ¡°Unlike most with an ability, we haven¡¯t been able to diagnose what yours is exactly, nor do you have the ability to control it. At present nobody knows what you could do, because your ability is fully under the control of your subconscious.¡±


    Me- ¡°And? That doesn¡¯t change anything. I must have been living my whole life without knowing, so why change now? If it even exists, the only thing it seems to do is protect me while I¡¯m in danger.¡±


    Woman in black- ¡°True, and you don¡¯t have anything in your record. That¡¯s exactly the reason that we are speaking to you after doing you a kindness, instead of the alternative.¡±


    I seemed to already know what this ¡®alternative¡¯ was, so I kept silent.


    Woman in black- ¡°Good. You¡¯re smart. So, do you know what I¡¯m going to ask you next?¡±


    Me- ¡°Something along the lines of recruiting me and testing me. Or letting me go free while you gather information about my life and observe my actions.¡±


    Woman in black- ¡°Try both together, and you¡¯ll have it right.¡±


    Me- ¡°You¡¯re also going to let me go first, and you¡¯re about tell me to keep this confidential.¡±


    Woman in black- ¡°...You¡¯re too smart for your own good. And yes, you will not tell anyone about us, or you will suffer the consequences.¡±


    It seems she didn¡¯t need to use the influence on me for that sentence. I already fully believed it.


    Sarcastically waving goodbye, the woman left, out of my sight. But I knew they had me under surveillance, especially at this time. So I waited for a bit, and in about a minute, a janitor came into the room. He made a hand motion, and I came into his cleaning cart. Draping the cloth over the cart, he escorted me out of the complex.


    The man must of taken a couple of detours to confuse me, because it had already turned dark when I got out of the hospital. I patted my pants pockets and my stuff was all in there, it was just they were all in different pockets than I had them in before. It seems they were trying to let me know that they went through my stuff. Not that I wouldn¡¯t know if they put all the stuff back in the right place, but this only reaffirmed their sheer arrogance.


    I took out my phone and checked my gps. It seemed I was about a mile away from my house, and the time was 7:30. If I jogged, it said I could get to my house with enough time to take a shower before bedtime. So I did just that.


    ************


    Nothing eventful came about during the run, but when I got home I could see my parents through the living room window. They were accompanied by a tear stricken Chloe and an unfamiliar, middle aged couple. I assumed they were Chloe¡¯s parents.


    Gripped by a strange stroke of curiosity, I pressed my ear to the area right below the window. I wanted to hear what they were saying before I came in.


    Mom- ¡°...is Nathaniel? I just¡­¡±


    Chloe- ¡°I- I told you¡­ He was taken away by those people; they gave me no chance to react! They didn¡¯t say anything, and I don¡¯t know where they went. I couldn¡¯t even get up to call you guys!¡±


    Dad- ¡°I¡¯m sorry Chloe¡­ It¡¯s just¡­ We might need to call the police. So we need a clear story¡­ Ugh, I need to go somewhere to clear my head. I miss my son¡­¡±


    I got up from my position under the window and walked towards the sidewalk. I then acted like I was walking towards the door shortly before it opened.


    When dad saw me, his eyes brightened considerably before rushing over to me for a bear hug.


    Dad- ¡°Nathaniel! Where were you!? After I heard you were kidnapped I, I¡­¡±


    I just smiled and leaned into the hug. It had felt like so long, even if the time hadn¡¯t even been a day.


    And as I closed my eyes from comfort, I noticed my mom¡¯s hands went around me as well. It felt so nice in between; I just stayed there for a minute, an hour. It didn¡¯t matter because when the hug ended, it still felt too short. My mom was the first to break from the hug.


    Mom- ¡°Come, come inside. I¡¯ll get you some water.¡±


    Dad- ¡°Yeah, come inside, Chloe and her parents are inside as well.¡±


    My parents went inside first, and as I came inside I saw Chloe by the door. I didn''t know what to do, so I stayed silent. Chloe ended up speaking first.


    Chloe- ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see you again. After you pushed me out of the way¡­ I was overjoyed when I saw the roof get stuck on the rope. But they came and¡­¡±


    Hearing her speak, I found the courage to do so myself.


    Me- ¡°For me¡­ I knew I just couldn¡¯t see you get hurt.¡±


    And before I could react, Chloe came in for a hug. I didn¡¯t hold back and squeezed her tight. After the hug broke up, we came into the door holding hands. And although we were also both embarrassed, the situation had brought us closer than ever before. And I liked it¡­


    We sat on the couch together, and Chloe squeezed my hand tight. And for some reason I knew what she was asking me. I needed to explain what happened to both her parents and mine. So I started with the car accident.


    ***********


    I ended up explaining everything except the stuff about abilities. That included the majority of my conversation with the woman in black. All I really said about her is that she was a government official of some kind, and that the rest of the information she told me was confidential.


    But honestly, I don¡¯t think they were really interested in my story. They were just  happy to know that I was alive. And after I told everyone, we just went into a normal conversation.


    Chloe¡¯s mom- ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re ok. And thank you for taking care of our daughter.¡±


    Chloe¡¯s dad- ¡°Ha ha ha! It seems you really are taking good care of my daughter! Did you two have some sort of moment before you went inside?


    Chloe and I both blushed, yet we didn¡¯t let go of eachother just yet. Hand in hand, I felt reassured that I was still a person and not just some unpredictable and dangerous weapon. I just wished I could stay like this forever.


    But good things always come to an end. In the end, Bella1 ended up jumping in between us, and she started snuggling against me while whining. I swear sometimes, these dogs get jealous!


    (1: Bella is the main character¡¯s dog.)


    Anyways, I went to bed feeling warm on the inside; I had a great night of sleep¡­


    ****************


    Like usual, I woke up to my alarm the next day. But after shutting off the alarm, I waited for about half a minute, pretending to be asleep. This was because somewhere in my mind, I expected Chloe to pop in my room and wake me up.


    But after I waited for a minute or two, I realized that this was not an anime or something written by an author who has no life. Real life couldn¡¯t be as awesome as an anime. She wasn¡¯t just going to come through the door an-


    Chloe- ¡°Good morning Nathaniel!¡±


    Yes! Yeah that¡¯s right! Who said real life couldn¡¯t be as awesome as an anime! I didn¡¯t! But now I have to play the part!


    Me- ¡®yawns¡¯ ¡°Good morning. What time is it?¡±


    Yes, I know I just turned off the alarm. And right now it was about 6:02. But I had to look like I slept in so¡­


    Chloe- ¡°The alarm clock is right next to your bed. Nathaniel, you weren¡¯t just waiting for me to come in, were you?¡±


    Urk! She said it jokingly, but the listener is guilty!


    Me- ¡°...I have dreams too!¡±


    Chloe- ¡°...Well, I¡¯ll be waiting on the couch. See you soon!¡±


    I nodded my head, and she closed the door, giving me freedom to get ready. To get ready, I usually take about 45 minutes. But with Chloe waiting for me, I couldn¡¯t have her waiting for that long! So 20 minutes later, I was seen walking down the stairs, ready to eat breakfast.


    Mom and Dad gave a knowing smile, and pointed to the table where Chloe was sitting. Breakfast was already served, and it consisted of eggs, pancakes, and turkey bacon. I guess my parents really went all out when Chloe came over. Usually I have to get some cereal. Well, time to dig in!


    After I had eaten breakfast, Chloe and I left out for school. As we walked, the conversation ended up moving to Chloe¡¯s ankle.


    Me- ¡°So, how has your ankle been? I noticed you still have the bracer on.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°After I left your house last night, we went to see the doctor about my ankle. And apparently we are now back to square one. I can¡¯t do anything but slow walks, and it hurts everytime I step on it. But thankfully it did not get worse after the incident, so I don¡¯t need crutches or anything like that.¡±


    Suddenly, I felt an urge to help her. To protect her. I wouldn¡¯t let anything like yesterday happen again.


    Me- ¡°Let me carry your backpack.¡±


    Yes it was a demand, not a question. I was not interested in courtesy right now as it involved her well being. No would not be an answer.


    Chloe looked directly into my eyes, and seeing the serious determination within, she handed over her backpack.


    Chloe- ¡°...Thanks.¡±


    Me- ¡°Always.¡±


    I slung her backpack over my own, and we walked hand in hand the rest of the way to the school.


    We arrived about 10 minutes earlier than when classes start, so Chloe and I were able to sit down in the library for a short period of time. We had a pleasant talk, and after the bell rung we each went our separate ways. I had to go to physics, while she had to go to language arts. But we also had classes together later in the day, so it wasn¡¯t like we wouldn¡¯t see each other until after school. Still, I felt like I didn¡¯t want to see her go. So I ended up walking her to her class first, before finally handing the backpack to Chloe.


    Like most main characters in anime, I always chose the seats next to windows. They loved to see the scenery, and I loved to feel like a protagonist.... Don¡¯t judge me!


    Anyways, the period went by quickly, but as I was finishing up a worksheet, the teacher got a call through the school phone. And I got a bad feeling as his face grew darker and darker. Finally, he nodded his head and motioned to me to gome to the front of the class.


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    Physics teacher- ¡°You need to go to the gym, right now.¡±


    Me- ¡°Why?¡±


    Physics teacher- ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I got a call from the higher ups. Here, I¡¯ll write you a pass. And I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be coming back, so take your stuff with you.¡±


    I nodded and grabbed my stuff. I didn¡¯t think I could refuse C.H.I.B.I.¡¯s summons, and even if I did, it wouldn¡¯t end up well for me. So I walked over to the gym obediently, and met a man in black who shook hands with me. After that, he opened the door. And waiting there was a familiar face, the woman in black.


    Me- ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Woman in black- ¡°Well, I think we collected enough about you. You have a background in martial arts.¡±


    Me- ¡°When I was young. I doubt I¡¯ll remember much of it.¡±


    Woman in black- ¡°You aren¡¯t telling me everything¡­¡±


    Me- ¡°If your information networks are as connected as you say, won¡¯t you be able to figure it out with time?¡±


    Woman in black- ¡°Sometimes, we don¡¯t need to dig deep within records. Sometimes, we can just bring it to the surface¡±


    After those words, the woman walked to the side of the gym and brought out two karate gis. She passed one to me, and the other she passed above my head. Behind me!?


    I turned around and met face to face with a man. He had a total lack of presence, and his shirt was off, showcasing his streamlined muscles. He caught the gi and put it on in a swift, practiced movement. A formidable opponent.


    Me- ¡°You must be joking! I can¡¯t beat that! Look at me; I¡¯m out of shape! And I didn¡¯t even learn martial arts! It was only self defense!¡±


    Woman in black- ¡°We will see. But for now, you must fight! I will give you 5 seconds to prepare.¡±


    I put on the gi, and I was struggling with the belt when the time was up. The man inched forward in a stance, so I abandoned putting on the belt and went into a fighting position.


    As we circled each other, I mentally went through the moves I had learned. Foot stomp, shin kick, neck chop, over head smash, and roundhouse kick. But looking at the build of this man, it seemed that the best approach would be to stomp on his foot, and follow up with a chop to his neck. Then I would keep him at a distance, and kick his shin if he tried to advance. That way I could disrupt his breathing, and keep him wary of going into close combat. Then I would exhaust him, and finish him off a bit later.


    As soon as he stepped forward, I drove down my foot with all my power. Stamp! But instead of feeling the softness of flesh, I felt like I had stomped on a board. He had a steel toe shoe!


    But I had no time for regret, so I tried to continue with my original plan by fluidly following up with a neck chop. And like I expected, it was blocked. It would''ve worked if the man flinched from the footstomp, but my plan was destined to end in failure as soon as I realized he had the steel toe shoes.


    The man knocked me back with an elbow strike to the chest, and then followed up with an overhead smash. Damn it!


    I barely dodged the overhead smash and kicked at the inside of his knee to make him lose his balance. It hit, but the man seemed to be expecting it as he squatted down to gather his strength, rendering my strike ineffective. Then as I was recovering my balance, he sprung out like a mountain lion and kicked at my midsection!


    I had no time to think, no time to dodge! The only thing I could do was block!


    His kick smashed into my half formed defense, and knocked me back while I was off balance. I did the best I could, and took multiple steps back just to mitigate the force! I had lost out in that exchange.


    The man made a provocative gesture, as if telling me to come on! But I kept my head. I was at a disadvantage, and I would just be digging my own grave if I didn¡¯t recover my breath before attacking him.


    Dissatisfied, the man started inching forward again, leaving no openings. I drew into a stance, this time deciding to stay on the defensive. The man opened up with a foot stomp, which I dodged. I countered with a shin kick, but the man dodged by swaying and swung his arms out to grapple me.


    There was no way to dodge since we were in such close quarters, but I spun with my arms out as a counter grapple. We both grabbed each other at the same time, and it became a contest of strength! Unfortunately, although I was much stronger than the average high schooler, I was not a match for this man.


    He overpowered me, and threw me onto the ground. Then he followed up with a stomp to my private area! No you don¡¯t! A warm energy flooded my body, and I suddenly felt revitalized!


    I rolled over, and he stepped on my half tied belt instead. This caused him to slip and fall flat on his nose while I spun to my feet. The tables were turned!


    ¡°Shua!¡±


    Not wasting a single moment, I charged forward as he hurriedly tried to regain his balance and struck out like lightning! Overhead smash!


    ¡°Bam!¡±


    The man was knocked back onto the floor, dazed, and as I was still angry at his previous dirty move, I kicked at his crotch!


    Woman in black- ¡°STOP!!!¡±


    Her words had a very strong coercive effect, and my body stopped rigidly against my will.


    Woman in black- ¡°The fight is over.¡±


    The man scrambled to his feet, and backed up a few steps before regaining his composure.


    Streamlined man- ¡°I¡¯m much stronger than him! He just got lucky. Give me another chance, and I¡¯ll beat him thoroughly!¡±


    Woman in black- ¡°This boy has been getting ¡®lucky¡¯ a lot lately. And,¡±


    The woman checked an alert on her phone. Smilingly, she started to speak again.


    Woman in black- ¡°And we have detected another ability usage at this area. I doubt his victory had anything to do with luck. Instead, you lost to his ability. If you fought again without using your ability, you would lose again, to a different ¡®lucky¡¯ coincidence.¡±


    The man didn¡¯t look convinced, but he didn¡¯t say anything else. And the woman didn¡¯t look concerned on how he felt either. With a cold look on her face, she turned to me and asked,


    Woman in black- ¡°Did you feel anything when you fought just now? Something unfamiliar?¡±


    Me- ¡°No. Nothing unfamiliar.¡±


    She observed me closely; I had a feeling she knew I lied. But a hunch was not enough to report to her superiors, so I could gain a bit more time.


    Woman in black- ¡°Well. If you were to have felt an unfamiliar feeling, I would of told you to grasp it and try to reproduce it on your own. But since you didn¡¯t, we are going to have to resort to more drastic measures. Blaze?¡±


    The streamlined man walked up with a vicious grin on his face and cracked his knuckles.


    Blaze- ¡°Shouldn¡¯t of lied boy! Now you¡¯re going to taste my fire!¡±


    He wiggled his bloody nose, and then bashed his fists together.


    ¡°BOOM!¡±


    His fists caught fire, and he sliced his finger across his neck. Then, taking one step forward, an explosion of fire burst out from underneath his feet, and he turned into a blur. Danger!


    Without thinking about anything at all, I dropped to the floor and rolled out of the way. Then I looked behind me and saw blaze with his fist stuck through the wall. That attack would of exploded my head like a watermelon!


    Me- ¡°Hey, we can talk about this! No need to do so much!¡±


    Blaze smiled viciously, and a rippling tattoo of flame snaked along his arm and reignited his fists.


    Blaze- ¡°What happened to ¡®let''s talk about this¡¯ when you tried to crush my crotch? HUH!?¡±


    ¡°Bam!¡±


    Blaze disappeared from my sight, leaving only a figure of flame behind! Left, right, behind, above me!


    I dove out of the way, but it seemed I was a too late as the shockwave pushed me further than expected!


    Thankfully, I was able to turn it into a roll, but I had lost sight of him! Not good! I spun out of the way while taking off my gi and leaving it where I was. It was a gamble; a risk I had to take. Come on b*st*rd!


    ¡°Woosh!¡±


    A blurred figure went straight through the white gi and rammed into the wall.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    I dashed forward to the newly made crater, a sharp steel rod in my hand! All or nothing!


    Blaze- ¡°You and your cheap tricks! Why don¡¯t you fight me like a man!?¡±


    Gripping the steel rod harder than ever before, I stabbed forward!


    Me- ¡°Take this!¡±


    Woman in black- ¡°STOP!¡±


    The rod stopped in midair, held by an invisible force. But I was NOT going to leave him unscathed; he tried to take my life!


    ¡®Thump¡¯ Blaze got up, letting the ruble slide off of him.


    ¡®Thump¡¯ Cracks extended from the area he smashed into, circling around the metal score board.


    ¡®Thump¡¯ Blaze looked up.


    ¡®Thump¡¯ It fell down.


    ¡°BOOM!¡±


    The redness in my eyes slowly faded away as I realized that Blaze was not coming back. He was dead. And it was by mostly his own doing.


    But the woman looked at me with eyes of horror.


    Woman in black- ¡°Y- You! You killed him!¡±


    My eyes grew cold, as I knew this woman was an accomplice.


    Me- ¡°The way he died was completely of his own doing. And he, he was trying to kill me as well. He got what he deserved.¡±


    Woman in black- ¡°No! You were supposed to die, and he was supposed to get promoted! It wasn¡¯t supposed to happen this way! Die, die, DIE!¡±


    She pointed at me, and a black mist rolled forward. It enveloped me, and the only thing I could see was a shadowy silhouette approaching me slowly. I tried to move, but the rolling mist formed innumerable chains around me.


    But suddenly, a strange feeling flooded forth through my body. Yes, the same one that was at the car accident, the theater, my fist fight, and when I defeated Blaze. And instinctively, I knew exactly what to do to win.


    A burning flame emerged from my body, melting the chains surrounding me. Then I walked up to the silhouette, while the rolling mist retreated at every step.


    Me- ¡°You were never able to kill me.¡±


    I grabbed her forehead, and made a golden glow emerge from her body. She groaned, and clawed at me desperately as her body grew increasingly stiff.


    Woman in black- ¡°Give it, give it back!¡±


    The cold look in my eyes grew stronger, and I quietly whispered to her.


    Me- ¡°Your words have no power over me any longer.¡±


    I tapped her forehead, and cracks lined up all across her body.


    Me- ¡°Shatter.¡±


    She burst apart into a million pieces of glass. And I walked away, leaving a myriad of frozen shards in my wake.


    Me- ¡®sigh¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s finally over¡­¡±


    ???- ¡°You pass.¡±


    The ruined remains of a gym distorted around me, and I found myself standing instead of walking. Then I looked down, and I was holding hands with the man who opened the door for me.


    Me- ¡°What is going on here?¡±


    He let go of my hand, and smiled at me.


    Man in black- ¡°An illusion. You shook hands with me before you came in the gym, remember? That was when it took effect.¡±


    Me- ¡°But how?¡±


    Man in black- ¡°Nathaniel, you¡¯re not the only one with an ability.¡±


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter</a>   Next Chapter</a>


    Author¡¯s note 2- Well, that came out at a lightning speed. That¡¯s surprising, considering the speed I write The Elements of Terra chapters. It must be because I¡¯m making this story in real life, whereas my other story is totally within my fictional universe. Or maybe it¡¯s because I just started this one¡­ Well either way, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I will see you later!

 Vol.1 Chapter 2- A Black Heart, Pitiless Tears

    Author¡¯s note- IMPORTANT!!!


    I am changing the heroine¡¯s name, Zoe, to Chloe. Small change in pronunciation, but I¡¯m still changing it. The reason is I took inspiration from a person in real life to make that character. I also took the name... Looking back, I feel stupid for making such a noobish mistake, but, hey, nobody¡¯s perfect. However, this will not happen again.


    __________________________________________________________________


    A Black Heart, Pitiless Tears


    Man in black- ¡°Nathaniel, you¡¯re not the only one with an ability.¡±


    Me- ¡°How long was I out?¡±


    Man in black- ¡°About an hour or two, enough time for you to awaken your ability.¡±


    Me- ¡°You mean this?¡±


    The surrounding area turned cold, and a flame circled around my body. But the man jumped back even before I activated the ability. He looked scared.


    Man in black- ¡°Whoa now! I¡¯ve seen what you can do with that thing! I¡¯m not your enemy! Here, take this.¡±


    He grabbed a pamphlet from his pocket.


    Man in black- ¡°It¡¯s a job recruitment offer. Although you are currently a minor, we can easily pull some strings. And I¡¯m sure the terms are not something you can resist, so check it out and give it some thought. You¡¯ll have to decide by the end of the day, as we¡¯ve already pulled the trigger in terms of your ability.¡±


    Me- ¡°How will I contact you?¡±


    Man in black- ¡°The code name¡¯s Daydream. Mention it when you call the number on the pamphlet.¡±


    Me- ¡°And if I say no?¡±


    The easy going look disappeared, and a sharp glint appeared in his eyes.


    Daydream- ¡°You don¡¯t want to say no. I would think it over carefully.¡±


    Daydream put on a pair of glasses, adjusted his tie, and he was back to the amiable man that he had been when we first talked. He then walked away, and turned a corner while I stood there, pondering.


    Reaching a decision, I opened the pamphlet and looked it over. The terms and conditions were as follows.


    1: The mission is the biggest priority. Any defects or acts of rebellion during a mission will be punished accordingly


    2: C.H.I.B.I. is to remain confidential to the all unrelated persons unless otherwise stated by a superior. Any and all violations to this order will be punished with both a fine and a disciplinary period.


    3: Outside of work purposes, you can use your ability as long as it is not discovered. Consequences of being discovered will result in punishment, unless by a special circumstance. This includes the use of a passive ability, a confrontation with an enemy, or a family member is in identifiable danger. Outside of these circumstances, punishment will vary according to the number of witnesses and the visibility factor of your usage.


    4: In the circumstance of meeting an unidentified ability usage, the closest 3 correspondants that are off duty must arrive at the area as quickly as possible. Blatant disregard for this rule will be punished, but compliance will be rewarded with 1000 dollars. Additional funds will be added according to the difficulty of the situation. And in the likely event of it being a newly awakened, they must be recruited within a week. If they do not accept within the designated period, the awakened will be registered as an enemy.


    5. Regular people cannot be harmed by your actions unless specified by a mission. Disciplinary teams will return the harm in full back to the user. For example, if a person gets a scratch from exploding debris, you will also get the same scratch that happened to the person. Resistance will be met with death.


    Those rules and conditions were the bare bones of C.H.I.B.I., and there were no areas that listed an obvious benefit, or terrible detriment.


    The organization worked on a contract basis, but from the examples listed I could see that they payed out some pretty heavy cash. But this was not the reason I was going to accept the job.


    By rejecting their offer, I would be classified as an ¡®enemy¡¯. Any member of theirs could hunt me down, and they would be provided a massive amount of information about the target, me. And the minimum bounty was 5000 in cash. If I did not accept their offer, I would probably be dead by the next day. They left me with no choice.


    Fortunately, one only had to accept one mission per year, and the only situation a person had to do something was the emergence of a new ability user.


    And the conflict between the dates of a week in the pamphlet and the day I was given by Daydream were most likely because of certain contingency plans that would take effect if I refused. But needless to say, I would not take that risk.


    Looking at the bottom of the card, I saw the number listed in bold. I memorized it, and then burned the paper to ashes. Leaving something like that in my possession was like holding incriminating evidence in front of the cops. They may not recognize it at first, but sooner or later the consequences would catch up to you because of the evidence in your hand. It was better to destroy the evidence, and get off scot-free.


    And just as the paper had finished burning, the bell rung, signifying the start of a new period. However, I had lost track of time within the illusion, and I didn¡¯t know the current period. So after wandering through the crowd a little bit, I finally spotted a familiar face. Chloe!


    Waving a hand to grab her attention, I walked forward to her in the crowd. And in a moment, I had reached her. I decided to ask her directly, as there was no real way I could explain the circumstances.


    Me- ¡°What period are we going to currently?


    Chloe looked at me strangely.


    Chloe- ¡°Fourth period. Remember? We have gym together this period.¡±


    Me- ¡°Yeah sorry, for some reason I needed a prompt to jog my memory.¡±


    Chloe showed an understanding look, and the topic changed.


    Chloe- ¡°So, I was wondering, what do you think we¡¯re doing in gym today?¡±


    Me- ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure. I heard we were playing dodge ball.¡±


    Dodge ball was a sport that I was better than average in. I could catch most balls, and my power in throwing was among the top. However, my accuracy was mostly dependent on luck. And I only had about a 30% chance to hit my target. Conversely, I had a larger body size, so I was an easier target for others. This also resulted in it being harder for me to dodge than the common body type, short and skinny.


    Chloe on the other hand, was usually average in the sport when she played. She could hit the areas she aimed for, but her power was weak. Furthermore, she did not have much of a competitive desire to win. And along with the addition of her now injured ankle, I didn¡¯t have much hope for her participation.


    Chloe- ¡°Hey, Nathaniel,¡± Chloe said, her words coming out slowly, ¡°what would happen if I told you that I didn¡¯t have a doctor¡¯s note for gym today. Would you protect me?¡±


    A string of an unfamiliar feeling welled up in my heart; a kind of gentle tugging that made me incapable of saying no.


    Me- ¡°Do you even need to ask? Of course I would!¡±


    Chloe gave off a cute smile and grabbed my hand, gripping it tightly.


    Chloe- ¡°Thanks.¡±


    We walked together until we got to the door of the girls locker room, where I reluctantly let go of her hand.


    Chloe- ¡°See you in gym.¡±


    I then turned to walk back to the gym, but in my way was a group of girls. They giggled unpleasantly as I frowned. I remembered them from my first day at school, when they were gossiping about another girl as I was walking past. This gave me a bad impression, and as such, I was questioning their intentions. Why were they in my way?


    Blonde in the front- ¡°So Chloe finally found herself a date huh? Tired of her anime, so she decided to reach for the stars?¡±


    They all burst into laughter.


    Girl in the back- ¡°Helen, no need to exaggerate so much. This guy is from the anime/manga club as well!¡±


    Helen- ¡°Oh my goodness, like really? I should have expected as much from her.¡±


    Again, they burst into annoying giggles. And my facial expression grew darker and darker. Things were about to get ugly.


    Helen- ¡°Don¡¯t get mad at me~; It was all true! And I think, you should stay away from her in the future. She¡¯s only interested in anime men, not people. So the further away you are from that weirdness, the better. Chiao!¡±


    She then walked past me, and the group filed behind her. And just as she went into the girl¡¯s locker room, she blew a kiss at me. Was she trying to flirt with me!?


    I turned my head and briskly walked to the boys locker room. Words could not describe how disgusted I was with that woman. I murmured darkly,


    Me- ¡°Helen, was it?¡±


    I burned the name into my memory.


    (Author¡¯s musings: Man, I¡¯m so pissed at her right now even though I wrote the freaking character! Ugh! How does that even happen!?)


    ************************


    Within about 5 minutes, I had gotten changed into my gym clothes and was ready for the day. And I hoped Helen and I were in opposite teams. That, would be a pleasant turn for the day.


    As I opened the gym doors, I saw Chloe in the middle of an argument with the gym teacher. The contents were immediately picked up within my ears.


    Chloe- ¡°...But that¡¯s not fair!¡±


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.The gym teacher- ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but your ankle must be good enough to play if you don¡¯t have the doctor¡¯s note. School regulations. And plus, I remember that paper. The term should have ended today. Are you trying to slack off?¡±


    Chloe- ¡°But you know how my ankle got hurt again! Nathaniel and I were working on the roof for the play, but the roof fell down. And trying to escape, my ankle got hurt-¡±


    The gym teacher- ¡°Lies! Get to work, or I¡¯ll fail you for the week!¡±


    At that point, I couldn¡¯t stand by any longer; I came to her defense.


    Me- ¡°Excuse me, but what Chloe said was true. I can verify. And as a gym teacher, it is your job to improve the physical fitness of the students. If you, by ¡®chance¡¯, ended up causing her injury to grow worse, you would be failing as a gym teacher.¡±


    The gym teacher- ¡°Shut up! When did it become your job to criticize me, Mr. Belair? The fact still stands that she does not have a valid doctor¡¯s note. And as such, I am not obligated to let her slack off while getting a good grade. You have no grounds to argue any further. Now get in line!¡±


    Defeated, Chloe shook her head and walked down to her place in line. And seeing as there was no use to argue further, I walked back to my place in line as well, ignoring the mocking sneers I got from from Helen¡¯s group. And in the next moment gym had started.


    The gym teacher- ¡°Due to a selfish disruption earlier by a select few, class is starting late. You can thank them later. But for now, let¡¯s start the activity. Nathaniel. Go get the dodge balls and line them up in the middle. Don¡¯t delay us any further.¡±


    I knew this was revenge for earlier. But petty provocations such as these were not enough to get me started. I put the dodgeballs in the middle, and then I tossed the bag over to the side. I started walking back as everyone was ready and primed to dash.


    The gym teacher- ¡°Go!¡±


    She called the start right as I got to the starting line, giving me a disadvantage in the area of getting to the ball. I ended up rushing to the line, but others had stolen the balls and were now running back to the wall. I would need to catch one to get a ball, as I doubted anybody would be willing to lend me one.


    ¡°Bam!¡±


    The first ball hit someone on my side, causing them to get out. Wait, how was Chloe doing? I ran over to her, as she was limping around in the back.


    Chloe- ¡°Thanks. I knew I could count on you.¡±


    She sat down and rested while I stood guard. And as I predicted, someone thought they had found an easy target. They hurled a dodgeball at Chloe, and that was when I stepped in. An easy catch.


    Me- ¡°Out!¡±


    Holding the ball up as a prize, I pointed out the person I got the ball from. He went out, but the other team¡¯s attention was now somewhat drawn onto me. If I showed a moment of inattention, 3 or 4 balls would immediately be coming in my direction.


    Thankfully my years in martial arts had honed my reaction speed, and reading had increased my focus. I did not give them a single second of weakness. But then, I heard something I didn¡¯t want to hear.


    The gym teacher- ¡°Chloe, what are you doing just sitting around like that? Help your team! If you stay in the back, I¡¯m giving you a detention!¡±


    Chloe¡¯s face paled, and a couple people on our team looked back, their faces full of scorn. Well fine! I¡¯ll just end the game early!


    I walked forward with my ball in hand, then broke into a sprint. And when I reached full speed, I launched the ball carrying all my momentum. It flew out like a meteor. One down.


    ¡°Bam!¡±


    I ran around in an arc like motion and returned to Chloe¡¯s side, waiting for another ball to come. And in a bit, I was targeted by another person. Another catch, another out. I held the ball out, and I noticed more gazes settling on Chloe and I. And in another moment, I saw a ball hurtling towards me. It was thrown by one of the other team¡¯s best players.


    That was a problem. Chloe was counting on me, so I couldn¡¯t dodge the ball. And I couldn¡¯t get out, because who else would help her? I had to catch it!


    ¡°Bam!¡±


    The ball bounced off my hands, but it was not over yet! I dove and grabbed the ball out of the air. Safe!


    I held out the ball, and pointed to the guy who threw it.


    Me- ¡°Out!¡±


    The guy thew down his ball angrily, and he went to the bleachers.


    Smiling, I threw his ball as well, resulting in a satisfying sound. And before I knew it, the dodgeball game had entered it¡¯s final stage. Chloe had manage to fake getting out by getting hit by a ball from the bleachers, and she was waiting for me to finish the game. Our team had me, and a few other people who like to loiter around the back. On the other hand, their team had a few average people and Helen.


    Normally, they would of won. But not today!


    I picked up two balls and calmly walked forward. And I had already decided on my next target, Helen. Focusing on her face, I suddenly sprinted, and I threw the ball forward, as hard as I could!


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Headshot! She staggered backwards, taking serious damage. And the second one!


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Right in the gut!


    A satisfying oooohhhh, went through the crowd, and I watched as she walked to the bleachers. That¡¯ll teach her to talk about Chloe.


    I stopped and made a provocative gesture to the other team. But suddenly, 3 balls were thrown at me. Drop!


    I ducked so far that my arms hit the floor, dodging all of them. I almost let out a sigh of relief, but then came the second wave. Roll!


    I rolled to the right, and the balls all hit the floor. I was safe!


    Me- ¡°Hah! You can¡¯t even hit a big guy like me!?¡±


    The other team didn¡¯t respond, but I wasn¡¯t expecting one either. And as I went back to my side, one of the people on my side who never threw a ball, suddenly ran forward and chucked it at the other team successfully getting one of them out.


    Me- ¡°Nice!¡±


    I gave him a high five, and proceeded to get 2 balls for the last two people. And somehow, I knew they were going to hit.


    I threw both of them at the same time, and they hit the last two people at the same time! I had won!


    And in a little while, gym class was over. And by my side was a fervent Chloe, who looked like the excitement had rushed to her head.


    Chloe- ¡°Hah! You got her good; Helen didn¡¯t stand a chance!¡±


    Me- ¡°Yeah, she deserved it. But Chloe, tell me the truth. Has Helen been messing with you lately?¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t stand her! They¡¯ve been getting on my nerves ever since the start of the school year, and it has gotten progressively worse since then. But- Oh look, here she come now!¡±


    Helen walked over briskly, and she looked mad. And just looking at her let me know the reason, as there was a red, circular imprint right smack in the middle of her face!


    Chloe grabbed my arm and stood off against Helen, while sticking out her tongue cutely.


    Helen- ¡°Who told you to hit me in the face!? Don¡¯t you have any pride as a man? Hitting a girl like that?¡±


    Some glances came in my direction; it was clear they were anticipating a fight.


    Me- ¡°When did this become about my pride as a man? What you said earlier about Chloe was absolutely horrible, and I thought maybe hitting you with a ball would shut you up for once!¡±


    Busybodies in the crowd- ¡°Oooohhhh!¡±


    R.P. #1 (Random person #1)- ¡°You just gonna take that lying down, Helen?¡±


    R.P #2- ¡°I thought you said you were gonna show him up!¡±


    They had formed a circle around us, and Helen¡¯s face was getting redder and redder. You couldn¡¯t even tell that she got hit by a ball any longer!


    Helen- ¡°You and that slut! Why don¡¯t you settle down in real life for once, and realize that you¡¯re not all that! You think you fooled anybody by trying to tell the gym teacher that she really fell? She never tries in the first place, and everybody knows that you two are a couple now. Who are you trying to fool!?¡± She shrieked.


    I stormed forward while she walked back hurriedly, until she stepped into a corner. Towering over her with glaring eyes, I whispered quietly.


    Me- ¡°Get. Out.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know whether it was my intimidating physique or the fact that I got her cornered, but she suddenly started trembling and burst into tears.


    Me- ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s right.¡± I said coldly, ¡°Let''s go.¡±


    Chloe and I walked away, leaving her in the corner. I felt no pity.


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter</a>   Next Chapter</a>


    Author¡¯s note 2- Nothing really to say, but see you later!

 Vol. 1 Chapter 3- A Declaration of Trust

    Author¡¯s note- So, I had a hard time naming this chapter, but I hope you guys find it appropriate. And thanks to those who commented, it really helps as motivation for writing these. Btw, this chapter was supposed to come out yesterday, but¡­ I didn¡¯t have access to internet at that time. Anyways, enjoy!


    __________________________________________________________________


    A Declaration of Trust


    I said goodbye to Chloe at the locker room, and I went back to the boy¡¯s locker room. And as I came in, there were a multitude of reactions. Some gave disapproving glares, some smiled, and some looked exited. I suppose the excited ones were the busy bodies.


    Busybody- ¡°Hey, what up cuz? You gonna diss Helen tomorrow?¡±


    Busybody 2- ¡°No man, he¡¯s gonna be roasting her! And look, I got it all on camera!¡±


    Helen supporter- ¡°Hey, delete that! You shouldn¡¯t be taking videos of Helen¡¯s business.¡±


    My supporter- ¡°What? Helen talks about people behind their back all the time! This is karma!¡±


    And as I went to my locker to change, one of my friends came up to me. With short brown hair, blue eyes, and a wiry build, Julian looked like a very athletic person. But don¡¯t let that throw you off.


    The only thing he liked to do was talk about girls, and say a dirty joke if the situation was appropriate. The only reason I was friends with him was because he was good at martial arts (if he tried). He also liked to have me around, because my serious personality made me one of those people who didn¡¯t talk dirty. Therefore, he liked to use my word choices and play around with them, putting me into numerous awkward situations when everyone was walking in the hallways. His saving grace was when he wasn¡¯t joking, he was an honest person.


    And this time, he didn¡¯t look like he was in a joking mood. Ugh, is he going to say something to me about Helen? I don¡¯t want to hear it.


    But since he was my friend, I ended up waiting for him to speak.


    Julian- ¡°Man, I know Helen can be a bitch, but honestly, doing that wasn¡¯t worth it. First of all, she has a large group of friends, that can make both your life hell, and Chloe¡¯s. Second of all, she¡¯s never going to let that go. So, it¡¯s going to be war everyday, when you could be doing better things. Third of all, she¡¯s a girl. You don¡¯t make girls cry! Not like that, and especially not in front of a crowd. Even if you didn¡¯t step out of the right, and even though she crossed the line.¡±


    At this point in time, I still didn¡¯t completely agree with his points. Especially the last point, coming from a person who likes to talk about girls, I really thought that one was biased. However, I knew that he had a point; he was asking me to apologize. I wouldn¡¯t hear the end of it if I didn¡¯t.


    Me- ¡°Ok, ok. It¡¯s just, I don¡¯t see my apology coming in the near future. It¡¯s hard to keep a cool head even thinking about her right now, much less talking to her in person.¡±


    Julian looked like he was somewhat satisfied with my answer.


    Julian- ¡°Yeah. You should as soon as possible. I don¡¯t want to see the whole school talking about you behind your back. Especially when you haven¡¯t done anything wrong.¡±


    Well, that was Julian. He¡¯s loyal too, if you didn¡¯t notice it. And that¡¯s what I value most in my friends. Loyalty and Honesty. After all, those traits resonated with my own.


    And after a little while, I had finished changing. At that time, I went over to the gym, where we had to get dismissed.


    Standing by the wall, was one lovely to behold, Chloe. She was there looking around for someone. And when she saw me her eyes brightened. Yes, the loyal and lovely to behold Chloe. I prepared to talk about Helen, and ask about what happened in the locker room. But she was positively giddy, and she beat me to it.


    Chloe- ¡°Thanks. I mean, thanks for everything. For once Helen didn¡¯t bother me about anything today. And I¡¯m not saying that she won¡¯t do so in the future, but it still felt damn good!¡±


    Well. That was not what I was expecting. But ok. That¡¯s great! I found one thing Julian was wrong about!


    Chloe- ¡°And calling me a sl*t! Hmph! She got what was coming to her! And what did she say about me before?¡±


    Me- ¡°She told me to stay away from you, while simultaneously insulting you by calling you a nerd. She also tried to flirt with me while throwing a kiss. Ugh! How disgusting!¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Hah! I think she should observe herself and see who she should be calling slut!¡±


    Right after that, Helen suddenly stood up; all eyes turned to her. But in another moment, she sat down, looking depressed. What was with her!?


    But after she sat there not saying anything for awhile, I lost my focus for looking for clues. And it¡¯s not like I was interested in her business anyway. So Chloe and I went right back into our conversation.


    Me- ¡°So, Chloe. What do you think we are doing in tech-theater today? I know I botched up the roof last time, and you know, I wasn¡¯t there to try and refix it. Do you think somebody else got it?¡±


    Chloe- ¡°I don¡¯t think so. You¡¯re gonna have to fix it.¡±


    Me- ¡°Hmph! That roof and I have a vendetta! But I¡¯m going to beat it this time!¡±


    She giggled lightly, and I smiled as well, her cheerfulness rubbing off on me. But suddenly she fell downcast, making me concerned.


    Chloe- ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sorry about that. When I gave the ok, I guess I wasn¡¯t really paying attention. But that won¡¯t happen again; I promise!¡±


    I frowned; was she still blaming herself for that? I didn¡¯t blame her anymore! Plus, I wanted her to be happy. And if she was to be happy, she couldn¡¯t keep blaming herself like this.


    Me- ¡°Listen, I don¡¯t blame you for that. Mistakes happen, but nothing ended coming out of it, right?¡±


    Chloe- ¡°But you got kidnap-¡±


    Me- ¡°That had nothing to do with the roof did it? They were investigating some details about the car accident; I already told you about that. Listen to me! It wasn¡¯t your fault, ok?¡±


    I looked Chloe in the eye, and she stared back into mine. It seemed like we could read each other¡¯s intentions at that moment, and in the next moment she relented.


    Chloe- ¡°Ok, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll stop blaming myself for that. But in return, you can¡¯t blame yourself either for the kidnapping, ok!?¡±


    I paused; did I blame myself as well? The answer came out to be yes. If I hadn¡¯t walked across the street, if I stopped to recheck the boards, there would of been a situation in which C.H.I.B.I. contacted me anyway. I would remain unknown to them. But Chloe was right. Something would''ve happened sooner or later, and my ability would''ve shown up then.


    I held my hands up in defeat and started chuckling bitterly


    Me- ¡°It seems you know me too well, better than I know myself. I admit defeat; I won¡¯t blame anyone.¡±


    Chloe gave me a half smile, and I smiled back at her in return. And we almost had another sweet moment until Julian walked in.


    Me- ¡°Julian, what are you doing here? We were just walking together, nothing really happened.¡±


    Julian smirked; I knew he could see I was flustered.


    Julian- ¡°What¡¯s there to be embarrassed about? If you weren¡¯t doing anything, then why are you acting so guilty now? Sounds suspicious. Now I know what she meant when she said everyone knows you two are a thing now!¡±


    He put his hand on my shoulder and whispered jokingly into my ear.


    Julian- ¡°And have you two done it already? Nathaniel you sly dog!¡±


    Chloe¡¯s face turned red as well; it seemed Julian didn¡¯t do too well in trying to whisper. Everyone had heard!


    In that moment, I didn¡¯t know how to respond. And Julian capitalized on this chance.


    Julian- ¡°Well I have to go. See you later Nathaniel!¡±


    He slipped away before I could grab him and ran off into the crowd. I couldn¡¯t chase after him because look and behold, I had already reached our tech theater class.


    Yes, you heard me right. The reason Chloe and I volunteered for fixing the roof was because we were in the same class. And because of the accident, we probably needed to fix it by today, the deadline for the play.


    Tech theater teacher (Director)- ¡°Hey Chloe, are you ok? I heard from your parents that something went wrong in the construction yesterday, and your ankle got hurt worse. Are you alright?¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Yeah, thankfully Nathaniel pushed me out of the way, and the roof didn¡¯t end up falling. I think we¡¯ll be able to finish it right this time.¡±


    DIrector- ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll be counting on you two again. And don¡¯t worry about another incident; we¡¯ll be there to watch your back.¡±


    Thankfully the director was more understanding. And after he had taken roll, we moved into the theater to finish up. Everyone was moving materials like nails, power tools, paint rollers, everything you could find on a construction site back to it¡¯s set place, in the workshop. Except Chloe and I.


    Me- ¡°Looks straight?¡±


    I was currently on a ladder, placing the last board in place, while Chloe was determining if it looked straight from her point of view.


    Chloe- ¡°Looks good!¡±


    I then started screwing into the board, but Chloe stopped me.


    Chloe- ¡°Why didn¡¯t you recheck it? I could be wrong.¡±


    Me- ¡°I trust you. You wouldn¡¯t make that kind of mistake again.¡±


    Chloe looked touched; and I knew we were going to have some lovey dovey moments on the floor. But right now, it was time to get the roof in place!


    I screwed in the board without problems, and came down the ladder with a big smile on my face. Chloe practically jumped into my arms, and that was the moment of my first kiss!


    It wasn¡¯t one of those deep kisses you see on the movies, but to me, it was definitely much more memorable. All I saw was cherry red, a deep, delicious red connecting with my own. But the feelings other than sight made it so much more amazing.


    Feeling her heartbeat aflutter, hearing her rough breaths, smelling her beautiful fragrance, they all tugged strongly at my heartstrings. And after she pulled away, her lingering fragrance stuck with me, making me desire more.


    It was like tasting a small amount of desert, but not being able to have any more. It leaves a small aftertaste in your mouth and makes you want more and more. If it was really good, then your mouth starts to water as you continue to imagine eating more of it.


    I was replaying the scene within my own mind over and over as I stood there, engraving it into my memory. And when I finally had enough of it, I opened my eyes only to find that Chloe was playing it within her mind as well!


    Crap, did she have more of a certain drive than I did? Thinking back, besides the time when I first pushed her over, every other time she started the advances. Wait, that sounded bad! Stop thinking of dangerous thoughts, stupid brain! You¡¯ll make me become another Julian if you continue thinking like this!


    (Author¡¯s musings: Why do I feel so conflicted after writing this? Ugh, my heart¡¯s a big mess. I blame my step-sister for convincing me to write romance, and my own total inexperience with romance!)


    I pinched my arm to rid myself of further thoughts, but my eyes got attracted by those lips again. And in that moment, Chloe¡¯s eyes flipped open.


    I looked away guiltily as if I had been caught doing something wrong, so Chloe looked at me for a second and asked whisperingly,


    Chloe- ¡°Why do you look so nervous, it¡¯s not like kissing is anything wrong.¡±


    Me- ¡°Not that, it¡¯s just¡­ Would I be wrong to say I want more?¡±


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Chloe¡¯s face flushed red.


    Chloe- ¡°Wait until after school ends! Right now we need to join up with the rest of our class and finish cleaning up.¡±


    This broke me completely out of the stupor caused by the kiss, and I nodded my head yes. So then we walked together to the workshop, and the director was waiting for us when we arrived.


    Director- ¡°You two got the roof fixed, right?¡±


    Chloe and I- ¡°Got it!¡±


    He smiled and turned to the whole class.


    Director- ¡°So, I¡¯ll see you all at the play! Remember, if your parents want to come, they will have to pay a ten dollar fee, but for you guys, it is free yet mandatory. It¡¯s at 7:30 tonight. Meet me in the classroom about 10 minutes earlier, and I will be there to hand out your test for this semester. Remember, this is a summative, so pay attention to the play and answer the questions seriously. Now if there are any more questions, speak up now.¡±


    Rp1- ¡°What was the play over, again?¡±


    The director¡¯s smile froze.


    Director- ¡°It seems somebody hasn¡¯t been paying attention to anything I¡¯ve been saying throughout the year¡­ So the play is on the life of Anne Frank, the girl who survived the holocaust. She had a diary, remember?¡±


    RP1- ¡°Oh, ok. Yeah... Got it.¡±


    Director- ¡°Any further questions?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Director- ¡°Then class is dismissed! Use the rest of your free time for a study hall or something.¡±


    The class burst into chatter, and the director raised up his hands in defeat. And that marked the start of our free time.


    And in a moment, Chloe and I were trying to talk with each other. I couldn¡¯t find a topic and neither could she, so we ended up having a staring contest until someone spoke up. And this time, it was me.


    Me- ¡°So Chloe, how¡¯s the weather today. You think we are going to have to walk today?¡±


    Yeah, I know. Terrible conversation topic¡­ But hey, it was the best one that came to mind. Fortunately Chloe went along with it.


    Chloe- ¡°Well, although it is raining, we won¡¯t have to walk today. Anime/manga club is extended to last until the start of the play. And plus, it¡¯s friday. If you can¡¯t get a ride home from your parents, I¡¯ll get my dad to drive you.¡±


    Me- ¡°That sounds cool! But what is going on in the club that will let us extend our time so long? A movie?¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Nathaniel, why does it always seem like you¡¯re always the one left out of the loop? We¡¯re watching Howl¡¯s Castle. It¡¯s an older film, but the quality is good.¡±


    Me- ¡°What¡¯s it about?¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Well basically, it follows the adventures of a young girl, who is also an owner of a hat shop. When the witch of the wild west comes, she curses the girl to be an old granny. But this is not the end of the story. Because the girl meets Howl, a wizard who has magical powers. The most notable of which being his ability to transform into a man eagle, which lets him fly around at high speeds. And his feathers are so sharp, they can cut through steel. But anyways-¡±


    Me- ¡°Wait, don¡¯t spoil it too much! I want to see it too.¡±


    Chloe chuckled, and asked me liberatingly,


    Chloe- ¡°Why did you let me go on so long if you were going to stop me right as it got good?¡±


    I jokingly let off an exasperated sigh, then continued with my reason,


    Me- ¡°You looked so happy when you were talking about it; I didn¡¯t want to stop you. But at the same time, it seemed like you wouldn¡¯t stop until the whole movie¡¯s plot was unraveled.¡±


    Chloe scratched her nose, revealing a bashful smile.


    Chloe- ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t think so.¡±


    And just then, the bell rung, signifying the start of our next class. Or would be class, because we both had lunch this period. Although, Chloe and I had never sat together before.


    As I was a transferee, I didn¡¯t have many friends, and most of them were not in my lunch. So lunch was more of a study hall period, as I read or worked on homework after eating. But this time, I didn¡¯t want to leave Chloe alone.


    After all, we had jumped from the realm of acquaintances/friends to girlfriend/boyfriend in one step. And that meant that she had risen in relative importance, and she was now much higher on my priority list than reading or working on homework. So I expressed my intention to sit with her through a conversational topic.


    Me- ¡°So, where do you normally sit?¡±


    Chloe looked somewhat embarrassed, but pointed out the place anyway as we walked to the cafeteria.


    Chloe- ¡°I sit at the table next to the corner here. It¡¯s really convenient when I want to go eat at the school food court. You could sit here as well if you want.¡±


    I immediately saw through that statement. She tried to give a benefit, but what I saw was that she really didn¡¯t have any friends to talk to. It seemed we were on the same boat.


    I sat down first, and began unzipping my backpack for my lunch. Chloe on the other hand, went up to wait in line for food. And when I opened my lunchbox; I remembered what I had gotten. Pizza!


    To celebrate me coming back, dad had ordered 3 boxes of pizza for the family. I think he ended up over exaggerating how hungry the family had been, because both Chloe¡¯s mom and mine only had one slice. My dad had two, her dad ate three, and I had a whole 6 slices to myself (Hey, remember I didn¡¯t get anything to eat for the whole time I was tranquilized). Chloe only ended up having two. This left a whole leftover pizza box for us devour.


    And the brilliant Idea he came up with was to give me four pieces for lunch, while they each had two. That was fine for the most part, except the fact that any food in a container, when opened will release a certain smell to the surroundings. Now the smell of pizza isn¡¯t bad; it¡¯s just very noticeable.


    Thus when I opened it, I could immediately hear comments about the smell.


    Rp1- ¡°What¡¯s that smell? Pizza? I don¡¯t remember having pizza in one of our food courts. Where is the smell coming from?¡±


    Rp2- ¡°I smell it too. Hey look, that guy brought the pizza.¡±


    Busybody 1- ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t that Nathaniel? Did you see what he did to Helen? He actually made her cry, look at the video!¡±


    Busybody 2- ¡°No shit, really? Oh damn, I gotta see this!¡±


    Videos started playing in the surroundings, all playing the same guy¡¯s video, along with the huge ¡°ooh¡±ing of the guy who caught it on camera¡­ And as glances from my blind spots continued to accumulate, the nervosity actually manifested into a physical sensation. It felt like needles were pricking all over my back, and my palms started to sweat. A purely instinctual reaction, but real nonetheless.


    I wished all their phones would stop being able to play that video, something that could make them looking at me. And suddenly, out of nowhere the power of the school shut off. A blackout. I heard the sound of something dropping, and then a muffled curse came out.


    Chloe- ¡°Nathaniel? Nathaniel, where are you?¡±


    I could barely see, but I could recognize the shape of Chloe floundering around. So I grabbed her stuff, walked over to her, and asked quietly,


    Me- ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Chloe- ¡°I dropped my glasses. I was wiping them, and I was so surprised by the blackout that they ended up falling out of my hands.¡±


    Me- ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get them for you.¡±


    I crouched down, and looked around the floor for them. Not finding anything but blackness with my first glance, I took out my phone and used it to light up the floor. With that I picked up the glasses, and gave them to Chloe. But just as she was about to give her thanks, the announcements came on.


    The Principal- ¡°Hi, this is your principal speaking. We are just experiencing a temporary blackout, do not panic. A technician is going down currently to replace the circuit breaker, and we will have power again in about 5 minutes. Again, do not panic. It will be over soon.¡±


    The mostly silent cafeteria now became loud, as people started talking all over the place. But before Chloe could say anything, I had already grabbed her hand to walk away from the cafeteria.


    Chloe- ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    Me- ¡°The library, it¡¯s quieter and it has windows. We¡¯ll actually be able to see there.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Why do I get the feeling that you''re trying to escape something?¡±


    Urk, a woman¡¯s intuition was really terrifying!


    Me- ¡°...Let¡¯s just go to the library.¡±


    I could feel Chloe¡¯s questioning glance, asking why I didn¡¯t answer the question. But in my defense, what else was I supposed to say? Lie to her? Admit that I was embarrassed from all those glances? Both are bad options to begin with anyway¡­


    And in darkness and silence, we both reached the library. Sunlight streamed in from the blinds, and students were sitting around next to the windows. I led her to a table next to a window, but devoid of people. And then I gave Chloe her stuff back. But it seemed she was still interested in the reason why I suddenly left the cafeteria.


    Chloe- ¡°So, Nathaniel, tell me. What was it?¡±


    I gave her a childish half smile and passed over 2 of my pizzas, but she didn¡¯t relent.


    Choe- ¡°No, I¡¯m not letting you off this time. Come on, I didn¡¯t even get the lunch I wanted because of this. Tell me!¡±


    Realizing I had no road for retreat, I bit the bullet.


    Me- ¡°Well, it was because the tables surrounding us were playing that video with Helen. They were also glancing at me from time to time, and it became really uncomfortable. So I wanted to leave while I still had the chance.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°You don¡¯t have to be nervous about that. Look, I¡¯m here aren¡¯t I? You said it before, but I¡¯m going to say it again. We can get out of this together!¡±


    She smiled and flexed her non existent muscles, but I could feel the sincerity behind her tone. And sitting there with her at that time, I found that I felt comfort and security by just being together with her, like nowhere else.


    And I didn¡¯t have any better way to express this, but to squeeze her hand slightly. Yes, this was what a relationship should be like. A mutual dependence on one another. She will protect me, and I will protect her.


    And while we closed our eyes, relishing the moment, a golden light came from my hand and onto her own without my prompting. I opened my eyes in surprise, but before I could do anything, a symbol had formed on the bottom of her wrist. A symbol of a shield.


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter</a>   Next Chapter</a>


    Author¡¯s note 2- Yeah, another chapter with almost 4000 words. I really have to stop doing that. But sometimes, I just lose track of time while writing. Now, I¡¯m off to work on some Hw. So, see you guys later!

 Vol. 1 Chapter 4- Meeting Again in the Dark

    Author¡¯s note- Hi guys! Just letting you know, there won¡¯t be another ability chapter tomorrow. But if you read The Elements of Terra, that¡¯s your day. I¡¯m keeping this note short, so enjoy!


    __________________________________________________________________


    Meeting Again in the Dark


    After the episode in the library, Chloe and I separated on very sweet words, and I went off to finish my day, looking forward to the time we reunited, which was after school. But the fact that my ability still activated without my will, and the fact that it had such mysterious effects subtly reminded me that I had only scratched the surface.


    The only way I knew to use it now was in the form of a flame. I don¡¯t know how, but I can gather all the heat in the room and focus it into a single point, making a flame. This had the side effect of making the whole area I gathered heat from colder than usual, but it was very useful.


    My other ability was to extract more golden power from others. The same kind that allows me to gather heat. Thinking back to the illusionary fight with the woman in black, I had to be in bodily contact for it to activate. And once I was, the ability causes the person to rapidly deteriorate.


    When used in conjunction with absorbing her heat, I was able to turn her into an ice sculpture, and then shatter her with a tap of my finger. But however, neither of those applications could explain how I survived the car crash, or how the roof caught hold of the rope and didn¡¯t fall.


    And with the questions in my mind, I thought about the potential solution, C.H.I.B.I. Like a devil¡¯s temptation, it kept nagging at the corner of my mind, whispering for me to accept their offer, to accept it now.


    If I accepted it earlier than normal, then there might be some problems when it comes to Chloe and the club. But if I waited, I would also have to wait for answers to the things that recently cropped up. Sigh. Such a difficult choice.


    But now that I think about it more, it was really just simply a conflict of interests. Who and what was more important? Me and Chloe, and our relationship? Or just Me, and my newfound abilities?


    But then again, why did they necessarily have to conflict? My abilities were now just as much as a part of me as my relationship; I couldn¡¯t do without either.


    I decided to call them right now, and I would decide what to do from there. So pulling out my phone, I dialed their number.


    ¡°Ring, ring¡­¡±


    When the number picked up, a dark and surly voice came from the other side of the phone.


    ???- ¡°State your name, and who referred you to this number.¡±


    Me- ¡°Nathaniel Belair, Daydream.¡±


    ???- ¡°Ah yes. Bad boy, for skipping class to call, but I¡¯m glad you did before we had to resort to more, drastic measures. You¡¯ll need to get to a more private location than the bathroom. Follow my instructions, and we can talk there.¡±


    Me- ¡°I don¡¯t have location, nor am I connected to a network. Cell phone tower location networking gives you a range of miles. How did you track me?¡±


    ???- ¡°You¡¯re well informed. Unfortunately, that is only up to the standards of commercial networking and the police. We¡¯ll update you later. For now, walk out of the bathroom, and go into the C hall.¡±


    I walked out of the bathroom, and looked to the camera posted outside the bathroom. It was pointed in the other direction. I started walking swiftly, and when I arrived, I awaited further instruction.


    ???- ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve made it. Now, you see those two teachers there? They are blocking the only unwatched exit. Find a way to distract them, and get through that exit without them noticing. Quickly, before the passing period comes along.¡±


    I racked my brains for a solution, but the ones I came up with were flawed.


    Throw something? Well if they were gullible enough to go after it, they could still hear the sound of the door opening and closing.


    Signal for a friend to distract them at the door? That would depend on first, me knowing their current period, and second, them being willing. I didn¡¯t have anybody who met that criteria except Chloe, but I wasn¡¯t going to get her in trouble.


    Wait, what if I used my ability?


    The ability that required a touch was obviously out of the question. I didn¡¯t want to become a murderer for that. And the illusionary battle didn¡¯t count because it wasn¡¯t real. Plus, according to the organization¡¯s rules, I would receive a death penalty for killing those two.


    Although my second ability, the flame¡­ I could burn an object and set the fire alarm off. Plus, I wouldn¡¯t leave traces because I wouldn¡¯t be igniting anything by hand. So I began to look for a target; what could I set on fire that wouldn¡¯t cause any lasting harm, but cause the fire alarms to go off?


    I wasn¡¯t any sort of professional arsonist, but a microwave shouldn¡¯t cause too much suspicion. So I walked off to the teacher¡¯s workroom, and in there was a guy eating doughnuts. Unfortunately, he would have to be my scapegoat.


    I concentrated on the microwave and gathered heat from across the school into a single point. Then I disrupted this pure heat ball, and suddenly the microwave was on fire!


    The fat dude looked over at the microwave and screamed,


    Fat dude- ¡°Holy sh*t!!!¡±


    It was time for me to leave. I grabbed my bag and walked back to the C hall. Soon afterwards, the fire alarm was blazing.


    Students streamed out of the classroom doors, and I merged with them, leaving through the C doors. And on a stroke of brilliance, I moved into the brush, and took off my shirt, leaving my backpack in the cover. Then I put in earbuds and connected them to the call.


    This put me into the appearance of a young adult runner, and I started jogging along the sidewalk.


    Me- ¡°You there?¡±


    ???- ¡°Very good! I¡¯m surprised you thought of that. Now, get across the street, straight ahead.¡±


    I walked across after waiting for the light, while keeping my head down. But it was not necessary because the students were positioned in such a way that they faced towards the school. And after the light turned red, I walked across the street.


    A moment later, the voice came on again.


    ???- ¡°Turn right and continue forward until you see a gas station.¡±


    I turned, and I jogged for about a minute. The gas station was a race track, and there were some cars parked there.


    ???- ¡°Go around the back.¡±


    The back? I went on guard and slowly walked forward as I gathered heat onto a point in front of my chest. I didn¡¯t disrupt the heat ball yet, so all it did currently was distorting an area of air. Hardly noticeable.


    And at the back area, there was a gang of people with tattoos rippling down their arms. Most of them were smoking, while two were resting against the wall.


    ???- ¡°Go inside the door that¡¯s in between the two resting on the wall. You can talk to me there.¡±


    I smiled deprecatingly. Did he think I was stupid? Those people were probably trained professionals. Once I got too close, they could do anything they wanted to me, whether it be knocking me out or restraining me until further orders.


    But they probably had a failsafe if I didn¡¯t go there, meaning someone could be aiming for me right at this moment. And the thing was, I wasn¡¯t sure whether this was a test or the real thing. However, no matter what I knew one thing. I wasn¡¯t going to play around with my life. So I decided to try a compromise.


    Me- ¡°Those are your guys. Right here is as good a place as any. So tell me, what do you need to talk about.¡±


    ???- ¡°... Cautious are we? Well, you¡¯ll need to go here if you want to get in contact with the organization in the future. And in the room is the mission board, which we use to keep contact with members in question. By completing more missions, we trust you more. Get it? But to do that, you have to trust us as well. Get in the room before I lose my patience.¡±


    Not having much of a choice, I walked to the door, ignoring the glares of the stationed gang members. And inside was a set of stairs that led into darkness.


    I disrupted the heat ball, forming a floating torch. Then I walked down the steps slowly, until I could see 2 big blast doors.


    Me- ¡°A little help here?¡±


    ???- ¡°Use your ability while touching the doors. It will recognize your ability signature, and it will open up.¡±


    Me- ¡°Ability signature?¡±


    ???- ¡°Ah yes. With the way you were acting, I somewhat forgot you were a newbie to all of this. A handbook of basics for ability users will be located inside. And there is a whole bunch of other more specialized stuff there too, but you¡¯ll have to pay for it.¡±


    I touched the door, and it opened slowly. Inside was a small room, full of dust. There was a bookshelf full of untouched copies of ¡®A begining to your ability¡¯, and by it was a table. On it was an sd card.


    ???- ¡°Put that into your phone. On it is our special firewall, and a list of missions that you can access with your level of clearance. But I would strongly suggest reading that handbook first. It will be highly useful to you, especially on missions.¡±


    I slotted it onto my phone, expecting a lot of changes to appear on screen. But the only thing that appeared was a new folder on my home screen. Tapping it, walls of text suddenly flooded my screen. And suddenly, it all cleared to show me a readable message. ¡®Safe¡¯.


    It opened up in its own browser, and within it was a list. The first item was a training mission, but I scrolled down and clicked an item in the middle, to get a sample of what I was dealing with.


    ¡®A deal gone wrong¡¯


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡®Work with commander Adam K to raid a gang exporting drugs. Your job is to deal with any unexpected situations, and you have clearance to harm suspects. And if you find one of the three listed below on your mission, kill on sigh-¡¯


    I stopped reading; I knew enough about the mission already. I wasn¡¯t taking it. But gosh, that was some nasty stuff. Is this what they meant by classifying me as in the ¡®grey¡¯ area legally?


    A bad impression formed in my mind, but I still looked at the first one on the list, the training. I didn¡¯t want to be classified as an enemy, and then be hunted down by one of those guys.


    ¡®Drawing out your ability¡¯


    ¡®Meet with Charm instructor Joyce Kim to work on drawing out specifics of your ability. This will help with ability classification and overall combat power. Her number is xxx-xxx-xxxx</a>.¡±


    I could not see the number, but it was linked. I guessed by clicking it, it would send me to a call while hiding her number. I decided to hold it off until I read through the newbie handbook.


    Me- ¡°You still there?¡±


    ???- ¡°I don¡¯t know why¡­¡±


    Me- ¡°Well, I need you to take care of my absence record for me. So, you know, it doesn¡¯t look like I skipped school.¡±


    ???- ¡°Already taken care of. But I guess you need my help finding your way back into the school undetected. So give me a second while I map your route, and¡­ Done.¡±


    ******************


    I went back into school during a transitionary period, so nobody noticed my coming and going. And school was finished in the blink of the eye.


    I arrived at the club room first, so I decided to read the book while awaiting Chloe and the others.


    ¡®To start about defining the basics of an ability, we must first define what we mean by the words Ability. An ability is the power to do unique things through common means. And through this definition, we can understand that all abilities are powered by the same source.


    This brings to question, if all abilities are powered by the same source, then can all train and activate their abilities in the same way? The answer to this question is yes.


    Thus, we have this book, A beginning to your Ability. And this theory can be shown in five basic applications.


    The first is-¡¯


    Chloe arrived while I was engrossed in the book, and asked conversationally,


    Chloe- ¡°What¡¯s that about?¡±


    Me- ¡°It¡¯s from the government; it¡¯s theory relating to me. Confidential stuff.¡±


    Chloe¡¯s face turned dark, and she venomously exclaimed,


    Chloe- ¡°Again!? Why are they still messing with you? Tell me, when did this happen?¡±


    Me- ¡°Well. It wasn¡¯t another kidnapping, but at the same time, it wasn¡¯t much different. That fire drill, it wasn¡¯t normal, nor was it even a drill. It was cover for me to get out of school undetected and meet at a special point.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°But I heard that a microwave caught fire!¡±


    I shook my head sadly, thinking about how I could explain while mitigating the consequences. Chloe deserved to know.


    Me- ¡°Look. I don¡¯t have any good way to explain this to you right now that won¡¯t get me incriminated. But do you still want to know?¡±


    Chloe looked hesitant. But eventually, her facial expression became determined.


    Chloe- ¡°This isn¡¯t a lawless society. What¡¯s the worst they can do to you; you haven¡¯t broken any law.¡±


    Me- ¡°Chloe... I¡¯ll trust you. But first, we have to find somewhere more private, ok?¡±


    Chloe slowly nodded her head. And then she sat down next to me in silence, holding my hand.


    We sat there for about a minute, before members of the club started trickling in. Again, I was invited by Chloe to the club, so I didn¡¯t know anyone there. But as more people came in, they started to notice me.


    ???- ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Nathaniel?¡±


    ???- ¡°Yeah, it is. Didn¡¯t you notice? He¡¯s been here since the start of the year. He didn¡¯t talk to anyone; I never knew he had it in him.¡±


    And in a little while, the leader of the club, John, came. He was a fat man of short stature, but he had dirty blond hair and blue eyes. If he wasn¡¯t a diabetic, he probably would of looked handsome.


    John- ¡°So guys, today we are going to be watching Howl¡¯s castle. A classic, I know, but it gives us the excuse to stay after school for the play. So, are we ready to start the movie?¡±


    The majority nodded their heads, and John started the video.


    John- ¡°Ok guys, quiet down. The movie is starting.¡±


    The intro of the movie played, and the girl protagonist had her first flight with the wizard. Then the witch of the west came along and turned her into a granny.


    The movie continued along its plot, and I was absorbed in it until I received an alert on my phone. Signaling to Chloe that I had to go outside, I walked out the door. And the message ended up being from C.H.I.B.I. Ugh.


    The message read as follows, ¡®Get to a defensible area as soon as possible; your position has been compromised. Assistance is on its way.¡¯


    Crap! Wait, what did they mean by a defensible area? WIthout thinking too much about it, I rushed towards the auditorium.


    Being a person in theater, I knew that people wouldn¡¯t be here until about 3 hrs later, and I also knew the ins and outs of the place.


    So when I rushed in the theater, I immediately went to all of the open doors and shut them. Then I put myself behind the door that led to the skyline.


    The skyline was the name we used for the walking area about 70 feet above the audience. It was used for maintenance on the ultra bright lights that lit up the stage when there was a play.


    But, there were two problems with that area. Up there, the only existing railing was chains. And not the strong ones that are normally used, but the cheap Chinese crap that cannot withstand more than 50 lbs of weight.


    The second problem was that there was no lighting design for the skyline, despite the fact that it held super intense beams of light. The only light you could get up there was from the flashlights by the start of the skyline.


    After entering through the door, I grabbed some heavy scrap wood and barricaded it. Then I pondered a bit. They could probably still get through my makeshift barrier, but it would delay them. Although I wasn¡¯t sure how long, so I took further measures.


    To get up to the skyline, the only way was to go through this door, and press the button for the ladder to come down. Then you could climb the ladder, and get to the staircase to the skyline.


    So I pressed the button to let the ladder come down, and right after it was fully descended, I pressed the button for it to come all the way up. I grabbed onto the ladder as it came up, cutting off my only way back down. Then I set fire to the panel where the buttons were located.


    Laughing to myself, I said,


    Me- ¡°Hah, I¡¯d like to see how you¡¯re going to get up here.¡±


    I turned around and walked up the staircase. Unfortunately, the staircase was made out of stone and steel, so my flame was not nearly hot enough to burn it up. Otherwise, I would have done that as well for the sake of caution.


    Next, I opened the steel door, and set my back against it, finding comfort in the cold, hard feeling of the metal.. But as I was waiting, I saw a dark figure sitting on the skyline as well. Was it an enemy?


    Their legs were hanging over the edge, and the figure looked, feminine. But I wasn¡¯t taking any chances, so I grabbed a flashlight and silently inched forward.


    And as I got closer to the figure, I heard faint sounds of sobbing.


    My nerves went slightly off edge, and I realized that it was most likely a student. But who?


    I started walking normally, and in a second or two the person sniffled and murmured,


    ???- ¡°Who is it¡­¡±


    The voice sounded depressed, but it was slightly familiar to me. So I turned on the flashlight, and the person looked up in my direction. It was Helen.


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter</a>   Next Chapter</a>


    Author¡¯s note 2- If you were wondering, the reason for the lack of chapters on my other story is because I¡¯m not getting motivation to write it. A lack of comments if you will, really makes one unable to write. But this story has been getting a lot more comments, and they really help my writing speed. I think it almost makes my speed 10 times faster in pushing out the chapters. Therefore, please comment. It really helps. (#Shameless author begging for comments. Have pity!)

 Vol. 1 Chapter 5- A Battle to the Death

    Author¡¯s note- Yes, I did say that there wouldn¡¯t be a chapter of Ability today because I would be working on The Elements of Terra. But, I admit, stopping to write another story in the middle of a battle scene was impossible for me¡­ And plus, I finished the chapter by yesterday, it''s just I had no internet.


    ¡®Coughs suspiciously¡¯


    So with that said, enjoy~


    _________________________________________________________________


    A Battle to the Death


    For a second, I could see the shock on her face. Then it quickly turned to smoldering anger. She stood up and started yelling at me.


    Helen- ¡°Why are you here! Here to mock me? I-¡±


    Me- ¡°Shut up! Now¡¯s not the time for that!¡±


    I looked around nervously, wondering which entrance they would come from.


    Me- ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here!¡±


    Helen- ¡°What does it have to do with you where I go!? I can go where I want! And what about you? Why can you be here, but I can¡¯t?¡±


    I put my hand on my forehead, frustrated. This woman would get us both sniped! We¡¯d be killed in an instant. I¡¯d have to improvise.


    Me- ¡°You see that area, at the end of the skyline? Go there and hide among the crates. Now!¡±


    Helen finally started to realize something was going on, but she still seemed angry.


    Helen- ¡°What the f*ck is wrong with you, why would I have to hide in the crates? You...¡±


    I tuned her out, and in a moment later there was movement in the corner of my eye. I looked over, and my eyes widened.


    Me- ¡°They¡¯re here!¡±


    I put my finger to my lips and then turned off the flashlight. Then I dropped down to a belly crawl; my heart seemed to be pounding out of my chest. Looking over the edge, I saw one of the people hoist a sniper rifle and release the safety. He/she then pointed it up at the skyline. Helen was still standing!


    Without thinking, I leaped as best as I could and tackled Helen. And a moment later, I heard the sound of a gunshot firing.


    ¡°Bam!¡±


    Helen froze; her muscles went totally stiff. She whispered out weakly, in disbelief,


    Helen- ¡°I almost died¡­¡±


    Ignoring what she said, I grabbed her arm and started furiously crawling towards the crates. And all the thoughts about counter attacking had left my mind; all I could think about was getting to safety.


    Me- ¡°Helen, we have to get to the crates!¡±


    I could see a dark silhouette trembling beside me, before it started crawling frenziedly as well.


    And when we got to the crates, Helen was hysterical. But seeing her in such a craziness actually calmed me down. It was like seeing someone with their arm just cut off, yet you only got a cut on the hand. You couldn¡¯t just start complaining about how hurt you were, if you glanced at the missing arm, could you?


    Helen- ¡°I don¡¯t want to die, I don¡¯t want to die, I don¡¯t want to die!¡±


    Me- ¡°Hide in one of the crates! Now!¡±


    This time, she couldn¡¯t refuse. Hurriedly, she scrambled to open a top and crawl inside. I, on the other hand crawled over to observe their movements. The sniper was still posted, watching for our every movement, while the others were walking towards the doors, trying one by one systematically. They were almost at the right door.


    I had to hurry! First, I¡¯d have to take out the sniper if I was going to have a chance.


    I drew heat from the auditorium, and put the point inside the end of the barrel. Smiling evilly, it only took a thought to ignite the flame.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The weapon misfired, and the explosion backfired into his face! Chance!


    Helen- ¡°Don¡¯t leave me here!¡±


    I ignored her and ran to the other side of the skyline. And right as I reached the end, the gunmen had found the right door. They started bashing it, trying to get it open. The sniper wasn¡¯t moving.


    I went down the staircase, and opened the door to the room. The ladder was still retracted, and the door jam wasn¡¯t moving. I smiled. It looked like the door jam would work.


    But suddenly, I heard the sound of rapid fire gunshots, and then the door jam was filled with holes. Next, the door was smashed open, sending scrap wood all over the room!


    I started inwardly panicking; what should I do? And as they walked in, I remembered the room was full of wood. I could burn them all!


    Sending two heat points down their barrels, I looked down eagerly.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Their weapons misfired, and they staggered back, disoriented. But they wouldn¡¯t be for long. I gathered multiple heat points from the theater room, and sent them all around the room next to scrap wood.


    Me- ¡°DIE!¡±


    My eyes had somewhat of an insane look within, and I disrupted all the heat balls at once.


    ¡°WOOSH!¡±


    The room lit up into flames! And when they realized that they couldn¡¯t get back out, they all started screaming hysterically. I didn¡¯t want to see the rest¡­


    I closed the door and left the room, my hands trembling intensely. I vomited beside the staircase, but I still determinedly climbed up. To keep myself sane, I continued repeating to myself.


    Me- ¡°They tried to kill you! Nathaniel, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong¡­¡±


    But that didn¡¯t make much of a difference, as I vomited again once I reached the top of the stairs.


    Still feeling sickly and scared, I looked down at the stage. And two people were standing there. But unlike the troops, I could see their faces. One was a skinny male, and the other was a muscular, female? Was this my support?


    Observing them more closely, they seemed to be watching a video. And at one point, they simultaneously threw away their weapons. My heart sunk. Enemies. WHY COULDN¡¯T THEY JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!?


    I rushed across the skyline to see if I could find something useful among the crates. And as soon as I drew near, Helen shrieked,


    Helen- ¡°No, please! Don¡¯t kill me!¡±


    She came out sobbing with her hands in the air, but when she saw it was me she drew silent.


    Helen- ¡°They haven¡¯t come up yet?¡±


    Me- ¡°They will.¡±


    I started sifting through stuff, looking for something sharp.


    Helen- ¡°There¡¯s nothing useful there except this.¡±


    She handed me what seemed to be a remote of some kind.


    Helen- ¡°I found it in the crate I was hiding in.¡±


    Looking at it closely, I recognized it as the remote switch to turn on all the ultra bright lights. At a critical moment, I could use it as a flash bang!


    I went to go, but Helen grabbed me, while going hysterical once again.


    Helen- ¡°No, no no no NO! I can¡¯t take this; you can¡¯t leave me here like this! What if next time it¡¯s not you coming, but them!? What am I supposed to do then?¡±


    Me- ¡°That doesn¡¯t concern me. If it¡¯s not me coming, then I¡¯ll never be coming back.¡±


    Helen- ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    She started sobbing, gripping me tighter. But in this situation, I found it annoying, and I increasingly felt the need to do something or wait for my death.


    Me- ¡°Let go of me! If we want a chance at survival, I¡¯m going to need to take them out!¡±


    Shaking off her hands with a twist of my arm, I ran towards the other end of the skyline. But suddenly, I saw the man elongate and grow wings. With a powerful flap downwards, he ascended into the air and started flying towards me!


    An ability user!


    Immediately, I gathered a heat point and tried to send it onto to one of his wings. But surprisingly, there seemed to be an foot long forcefield surrounding his body that my flame couldn¡¯t cross! And seeing this, the man started laughing unrestrainedly.


    Winged man- ¡°Hah! When I saw the video of you picking off the mercenaries one by one, I thought you were a f*cking professional! But I bet you haven¡¯t even read the basic handbook yet! An easy kill!¡±


    Arrogance seemed to be seeping out of the man, and he swooped down like a black hawk.


    Rolling out of the way, I looked back to see that he landed on the skyline and mashed his fists together.


    Winged man- ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can last!¡±


    He flapped his wings horizontally, and he was propelled forward like a bullet. Extending his arms outwards, he swept for my legs. Jump!


    I jumped over him, and charged after him, a flame concealing the golden glow on my hand. But he turned with what seemed to be an inhuman agility and flew off the skyline.


    Me- ¡°Running away like a little coward, huh? Yeah, an easy kill.¡±


    I surrounded my middle finger with flame and put it up. His facial expression distorted angrily, and he screamed,


    Winged man- ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    He swept down again, this time at double the speed. But I was prepared. With a golden aura surrounding my hand, I slammed the red button, and the ultra bright lights flashed out, blinding him.


    However, his momentum carried him to me, and we knocked into each other. The chain broke, but I grabbed a hold of him with my golden aura. If I was going down, I would take him with me!


    ¡®60 ft¡¯ The winged man screamed and tried to claw me off. His strength was rapidly waning, so I kept my hold.


    ¡®50 ft¡¯ The man gave up fighting with me, and tried to flap his way upward. It was somewhat effective at first, but he couldn¡¯t keep it up. It turned into a glide.


    ¡®30 ft¡¯ The man grabbed me as well, and rotated in mid air with his wings, so I was positioned below him.


    ¡®10 ft¡¯ I rotated my body furiously, as the strength of a man he once had turned into the strength of but a child.


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    Something broke when he fell, but at least I was safe. So I rolled onto the floor, and attempted to lift myself up. Shots of pain came from all over my body, but I was able to stand up. But unfortunately, the battle wasn¡¯t over.


    She-hulk- ¡°You! I¡¯ll rip you apart!¡±


    She advanced towards me slowly, cracking her knuckles. And the only exits I could take were behind the woman. No escape.


    I backed away slowly, until I was within the seating area. If I could set fire to the seats, maybe I¡¯d have a chance at disorienting her or escaping. But before I could formulate the best way to do this, the woman entered the row I was in. Letting out a roar, the woman started charging at me from the other end.


    Without having time to think, I vaulted over sets of seats and set fire to them as I jumped over. Then, not wasting any time, I ran towards the exit. But unfortunately, the woman was not intimidated by the wall of flame. Bursting through like a tank, she smashed the burning seats out of her way and continued her rage filled charge towards me!


    Holy sh*t! Was that even possible? If I got hit by that, I didn¡¯t need to think about the consequences. Death would be the only option.


    I jumped over another row of seats, and I changed my end target. If I continued to run towards the exit, she would eventually catch up to me. Instead, I ran for the guns that they threw off to the side. Sprinting forward in a final, desperate dash, I saw that the guns were right in front of me! I could make it!


    But suddenly, she burst into the row of seats I was in and screamed,


    She-hulk- ¡°You can¡¯t escape!¡±


    I dove for the weapon and rolled into a crouching position, the years of martial arts training finally having an effect.


    Me- ¡°Take this!¡±


    I pointed the sub machine gun at her and held the trigger. But it wasn¡¯t shooting! The safety was on!


    I hurriedly flipped the safety off, but by then it was too late! Without thinking I rolled out of the way, and she smashed into the wall a moment later. The debris smoked up the area, but before I could aim and fire again, a giant hand extended from the debris and grabbed the gun!


    She-hulk- ¡°Die!¡±


    She pointed the gun at me, but a flame point was already down the barrel!


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The gun misfired, and she staggered back, disoriented. Now was my chance!


    With a golden glow on my hand, I charged forward and grabbed onto her leg. The woman screamed sharply, and she smashed me away, sending me flying onto the floor. But it wasn¡¯t nearly as powerful as the blows from before. She was deteriorating.


    However, she still limped forward, murder clearly visible in her red eyes. No!


    I struggled to get up, but unlike last time my body wasn¡¯t listening to me! There was only this huge pain in my body, leading me to believe that not just one rib was broken from that punch. I was dying.


    But that didn¡¯t change the fact that I was struggling against that fact. I wasn¡¯t going to die, not today!


    And as I was struggling, the woman was clearly on her death throes as well. She couldn¡¯t even limp anymore, and was rapidly turning older and older before my eye. But one thing didn¡¯t change. That was the bone deep hatred for me, clearly visible in both her eyes.


    However, death came to her in the next moment. The light in her eyes faded, and she went limp, not moving.


    Seeing this, the fight went out of me, and I slumped against the wall, waiting for reinforcements to come. But in the next moment, I slipped into unconsciousness.


    ******************


    A black world surrounded me. But as time went on the blackness was no longer blackness. Instead, it was a world of memories. My life flashed by, starting from the fight and then moving backwards.


    The memories continued on, and I was but a bystander, watching. But suddenly, memories of Chloe surrounded me. Her sweet smile, the feeling of her hand, our first kiss, all of them were playing at once. And suddenly, I screamed out,


    Me- ¡°I want to live!¡±


    Something in me was awakened by this desire, and suddenly a warmth went throughout my whole body. It was comfortable...


    But suddenly, the warmth turned into a burning heat, and I was forced out of the world of blackness. And in the next moment, my eyes opened.


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter</a> Next Chapter</a>


    Author¡¯s note 2- Ok, I admit. That was very cliche¡­ But, it needed to happen. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed my ninja chapter, and I will see you guys later with another chapter!

 Vol. 1 Chapter 6- Cleaning up

    Author¡¯s note- I don¡¯t know when this will be posted, but it was done on monday. I¡¯ll try to have another chapter for you tuesday as well, but we¡¯ll have to see what happens.


    Edit- Yeah I have a chapter for you on tuesday now. I just have no way to post it¡­


    Edit 2- Lol! Site update! Hah, I guess no early morning chapters for you guys!


    __________________________________________________________________


    Cleaning up


    My eyes opened, and the first thing I tried to do was to get up.


    A dull ache came from my ribs, but the heat was still burning in that area, allowing me to continue moving. So holding my stomach, I staggered over to the stage.


    When I got there, I checked my phone. Since I left the club room, 15 minutes had passed. I almost couldn''t believe that those 15 minutes had almost been my last.


    Cloe had sent me a worried text message asking if I was alright. And a moment passed, as I thought of a million lies I could have texted through my phone. But I wouldn¡¯t tell any of them.


    Instead, I told her there had been a big fight, and I had survived. Reinforcements were currently on their way, and I was at the theater room. But I also told her to stay at the club room, as there might be more coming.


    So, I waited. And in about a minute or two later, the doors to the theater opened.


    They burst in with weapons in hand, and behind them were people dressed in black. Definitely reinforcements.


    Me- ¡°I¡¯m from C.H.I.B.I. I already took care of the people h-¡±


    Breaking into a coughing fit, black blood went flying out of my mouth.


    Me- ¡°the people here.¡±


    A person dressed in black came forward, and he held out his hand for a handshake. However, I kept my hand back.


    Me- ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you again, Daydream.¡±


    He flipped back his hood, and Daydream came out smiling.


    Daydream- ¡°Well, it seems you¡¯ve learned your lesson... But what happened here?¡±


    Me- ¡°Three soldiers and two ability users attacked me. The soldiers were sent first to test my abilities on camera, and the ability users were sent in for the kill.¡±


    I showed them the locations of each death in chronological order, starting from the sniper. But when we got to the ability users¡¯ bodies, I caught several questioning glances from the other members. However, I wasn¡¯t in the mood to care about them. I was interested in trying to hold my stomach in, and the only reason I succeeded was because my stomach was already mostly empty.


    Only Daydream didn¡¯t seem surprised, as he noted down their locations and appearance.


    Daydream- ¡°How did they die?¡±


    Me- ¡°I used my ability on the sniper''s gun, and the backfire killed him. The others in the room died because I trapped them in there and burned them all to death. The winged man flew up to combat me at the skyline, but in the end we both fell off. I landed on top. And as for the woman, she died by my ability.¡±


    The glances the troops gave me subtly changed, now not looking at a human but at a monster. But the ability users weren¡¯t fazed.


    Daydream- ¡°Anything else?¡±


    Me- ¡°Yes, there was one of my classmates on the skyline before the soldiers came in.¡± I remarked coldly, ¡°But on my way up, I destroyed the only way down, the ladder panel. I will require your assistance in getting her down.¡±


    Daydream nodded, but then asked,


    Daydream- ¡°Did she see?¡±


    Me- ¡°I had her hide in the crates up there for her own safety. I doubt she had the courage to get out of one, much less watch the battle.¡±


    Daydream patted me on the shoulder.


    Daydream- ¡°You did well. Now we need to erase the traces.¡±


    He signaled over to the troops, and they nodded and took the bodies and guns out of the area. Then a female in black clothing came forward and removed her hood, revealing the woman in black.


    Daydream- ¡°Song, why don¡¯t you finish this up.¡±


    Song- ¡°Restore!¡±


    A blackness went out from her, and it soon enveloped everything contained within the theater.


    Daydream- ¡°You must of really messed this place up. It¡¯s taking so long even for the words of power to return the area to the way it was before. Ah yes, and the girl. Lead me to her.¡±


    I nodded, and I gathered a flame point above my palm. The darkness retreated from a radius of about 3 feet away from me. Then I led the way.


    Daydream- ¡°It amazed me when I first saw this in the illusionary world. How you could counter the words of power.¡±


    Me- ¡°Words of power?¡±


    Daydream- ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the name of her ability, and it¡¯s one of the most strongest and most versatile I¡¯ve ever seen. But it always seems to be of no effect when it comes into contact with your power, making it effectively useless.¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Me- ¡°And you¡¯re named Daydream because of the illusionary world you can create?¡±


    Daydream- ¡°Yes. But I¡¯m wondering what we should name your power. It seems to be a type of telekinesis, with the way your subconscious manipulated it precisely to create these ¡®lucky¡¯ situations. And when you manipulate it consciously, your control is bad, so it exists over a defined area and not an object. Therefore, by gathering air in the defined area you can create a flame. And it would have the side effect of making the surrounding area colder, just like it does now. But that doesn¡¯t explain how you can take a golden aura out of others through touch. I guess finding out what that golden aura exactly is would be the key to finding out your power.¡±


    Me- ¡°Huh. I never thought of it that way.¡±


    We arrived at the door shortly afterwards, and I pushed it open. And as we came into the room, all the scrapwood within the 3 foot radius of my flame suddenly fell to the ground. They didn¡¯t have any trace of being burned.


    Me- ¡°I know I set this room on fire. Why is it that I don¡¯t see ashes or the like?¡±


    Daydream- ¡°It seems you don¡¯t understand Song¡¯s power. What she says will become absolute unless resisted by something living. And even then, the effect will only be reduced depending on how much they resist. When she said restore, her ability followed her intentions to restore the whole theater to the state it was before you came into it.¡±


    I nodded, and when we reached the buttons, I pressed it for the ladder to come down. The ladder descended slowly, and Daydream asked,


    Daydream- ¡°This ladder, was it retracted before you came in, or was it already down?¡±


    Me- ¡°Retracted.¡±


    Daydream- ¡°Then leave a flame here to light up the ladder. We don¡¯t want our only way down to be cut off by her ability.¡±


    I gathered another flame point and left it by the ladder. Then we both ascended the staircase. I noticed the vomit was already gone.


    I went into another coughing fit after we made it up the stairs, and even more black blood came out. The hot feeling dissipated after this, and I didn¡¯t feel pain anymore.


    Daydream¡¯s sharp eyes seemed to take note of this, but he elected not to say anything. And in the next moment, I opened the steel door.


    Walking forward with Daydream, we heard a whimpering from the crates. I pointed to the source of the sound.


    Me- ¡°She¡¯s in there.¡±


    The whimpering stopped, and a voice could be heard.


    Helen- ¡°Nathaniel? Is that you?¡±


    She opened the crate and came walking out. I had hidden the flame behind my back, and I had out the flashlight instead.


    Helen- ¡°They¡¯re gone?¡±


    Daydream came forward smiling.


    Daydream- ¡°Nope.¡±


    His smile became vicious. And the next moment, her face paled, and she asked pitifully,


    Helen- ¡°Nathaniel? What¡¯s going on!¡±


    Before I could say anything, Daydream grabbed her wrist, and she fell to the floor, unconscious.


    Daydream- ¡°And with that, she had a nightmare. She will wake up in one of the seats of the auditorium, and believe all of this was a bad dream¡­ Come on. Help me bring her down.¡±


    *****************


    We brought her down the steps and the ladder with some difficulty, but we managed. And a minute after we got down, the blackness started to disappear.


    Me- ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see you guys later. I have to get back to club.¡±


    The ability users froze for a second, but then seemed to become normal again. Daydream explained,


    Daydream- ¡°You seemed so calm looking and talking about when you killed them. It¡¯s hard not to forget that you¡¯re just a highschooler.¡±


    A cold frown appeared on my face. The world of the organization was like a wolf pack; if you showed a sign of weakness, then you were going to be attacked. The cold front was a form of protection from both them and my enemies.


    Me- ¡°I couldn¡¯t be just a weak high schooler, when killing is your only way to survive.¡±


    Daydream- ¡°True. Well, high schooler or not, you did just kill two of the organization¡¯s enemies, and they had quite a bounty on their heads. Together, they add up to about 12000, and that is quite a lot of money.¡±


    Me- ¡°I don¡¯t have a bank account yet.¡±


    Daydream- ¡°You did the moment you put that chip in your phone. This won¡¯t connect to any sort of card, but these accounts don¡¯t have any kinds of limits set up for ATMs or banks. You can empty their reserves if you have enough in your account.¡±


    Me- ¡°Thanks for letting me know.¡±


    Daydream- ¡°I¡¯m your introducer, so it¡¯s my job. No problem.¡±


    I nodded my head, and walked past him, out of the theater. And then I walked back to the club. Chloe was waiting outside the door.


    Chloe- ¡°What happened?¡±


    Me- ¡°Mercenaries and ability users, those with secrets like mine came after me to kill. Remember how I received that text message during the movie? That was the organization letting me know that I was being hunted. I moved to a better place, so they couldn¡¯t hurt you or anyone else but me.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Why? Why are they doing this?¡±


    Me- ¡°Bloodthirsty murderers. They thought I was an easy target¡­¡±


    Chloe- ¡°...Let¡¯s just go back to the club. You are going to tell me later, right? When dad drives us home, I¡¯ll just have him take us to my house. We can talk then.¡±


    Me- ¡°Alright.¡±


    We walked back inside the club, and I took my seat next to Chloe. Currently, the main character was playing with the dimensional door. Far more light hearted than reality, I suppose¡­


    And when the movie had finished, we still had about 50 minutes of free time prior to the start of the play. So this time was kind of ¡®do whatever you want as long as you don¡¯t leave the room¡¯ time.


    Chloe and I were talking about Sword Arts Online. I had personally watched up to gunfale online, until I got irritated with the amount of girls surrounding Kirato. But Chloe was different.


    Chloe- ¡°But he finally got the Excalibur!¡±


    Me- ¡°Couldn¡¯t he of got it at any time from the admin code? From the creator of the first virtual reality?¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Well yeah¡­ But that¡¯s not nearly as satisfying as obtaining it legitimately¡­¡±


    Our topics shifted from various anime, but never to what happened in the theater. It was clearly agitating Chloe, but she chose to respect my wishes. And thankfully, we hadn¡¯t run out of things to talk about before it was about 15 minutes before the play.


    Me- ¡°Chloe, do you want to go to the theater class now? He will probably be handing out the test when we get there.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Sure. What do you think the questions will be like? Hard?¡±


    Me- ¡°Honestly I think they will be pretty simple because the test is just there to make up for the lack of summatives, while the daily grades are our formatives.¡±


    Chloe nodded her head.


    Chloe- ¡°That makes sense.¡±


    When we arrived at the classroom, the director was waiting for us. Handing each of us a sheet of paper and a pen he said,


    Director- ¡°You can turn this into me at the end of the play or on Monday. But all things aside, enjoy the play!¡±


    He waved us off, and we entered the theater. I chose a couple of spots near the middle, and we both sat down, waiting for it to start.


    I was bored, so I continued reading ¡®A Beginning to Your Ability¡¯ where I left off.


    ¡®This brings to question, if all abilities are powered by the same source, then can all train and activate their abilities in the same way? The answer to this question is yes.


    Thus, we have this book, A beginning to your Ability. And this theory can be shown in five basic applications.


    The first is a defensive barrier against ability related attacks. Surrounding yourself with a manifestation of your ability can block other ability related attacks. This works because the power source can only power one ability at a time in the same space. So your abilities will repulse each other, and thus you cannot be attacked by another ability user with just their ability. This has its exceptions, but we will be skipping over them here because this is book is limited to-¡¯


    I put down the book temporarily, pondering over what was said. I guessed this was the reason I couldn¡¯t attack the winged man with my flame. But my golden aura could ignore this, meaning that I was one of the rare exceptions. This raised questions, but this edition of book wouldn¡¯t explain it.


    I picked up the book again and continued to read.


    ¡®The second application is power. All abilities are activated and controlled through first thoughts and then sometimes a simple action. So if the thought/action is done with emphasis, this can lead to a more powerful ability. Training your will power is essential for this, because in theory, a thought can become infinitely more powerful. Thus, your ability has a near infinite potential for growth.


    The third application is-¡¯


    Chloe tapped my shoulder.


    Chloe- ¡°The play is starting.¡±


    I gave a thankful smile to Chloe, knowing that I pretty much can block out the entire outside world when reading. And in the next moment, the lights dimmed, and the curtains opened. They were starting.


    I used my phone as lighting for the paper and did a last minute review of the questions.


    ¡®1. What was the object Jews had to wear to distinguish themselves?¡¯


    ¡®2. In what special occasion did Anne Frank get her diary?¡¯


    ¡®3. Who was Anne Frank¡¯s crush?¡¯


    ¡®4. When did Anne Frank and her family get discovered by the Nazis?¡¯


    ¡®5. Who was the only survivor of the Anne Frank family?¡¯


    Those were all the questions on the front, but when I looked at the back there weren¡¯t any other questions. Other than a cryptic phrase¡­


    ¡®By the light of a wisp, you shall see the the path. And the start of your path, is our sole meeting place.¡¯


    C.H.I.B.I. obviously had a hand in this. But it could wait until after the play.


    But just out of curiousity, I asked Chloe,


    Me- ¡°What¡¯s on the back of your sheet?¡±


    Chloe- ¡°An essay question about the effects of her diary on the world. Why?¡±


    Me- ¡°Just curious.¡±


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter</a> Next Chapter</a>


    Author¡¯s note 2- I¡¯m ending here. Not quite on a cliff, but it¡¯s good enough. Plus, I¡¯m getting close to my newly self-imposed limit of 2600 words, so I¡¯m ending it here. Oh yeah, the next chapter is coming out soon. Just waiting for the chapter title :P

 Vol. 1 Chapter 7- After the Play

    Author¡¯s note- Hi, finally came up with a chapter title. Enjoy~


    __________________________________________________________________


    After the Play


    The play ended after an hour or two, and my parents called as I predicted, saying they couldn¡¯t drive me. So I told them I was going with Chloe, and that I would be stopping at their house before coming home. They seemed a bit disgruntled about how fast our relationship was progressing, murmuring about young people these days. But they were still ok with it, and Chloe¡¯s parents were ok with it as well.


    So when her dad pulled up, he didn¡¯t seem surprised. But I was still a bit nervous.


    Chloe¡¯s dad- ¡°Well, you coming along?¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Nathaniel, don¡¯t be nervous. Come on!¡±


    She grabbed my hand and pulled me into the backseat along with her. And while I was still stunned, she patted my shoulder and pulled my seatbelt over my chest.


    Chloe- ¡°Man, you seem really out of it today. Put on your seatbelt, so we can go!¡±


    Nodding my head, I buckled my seatbelt and asked Chloe,


    Me- ¡°So, what did you think about the play?¡±


    Chloe- ¡°It was too sad. The whole play was hopeful, but that was the only thing that was never fulfilled in the play.¡±


    Chloe¡¯s dad- ¡°Well, that was real life back then. It may sound terrible, but that people group really got the short end of the stick.¡±


    The drive went on in silence, and we arrived at their house a short while later.


    Chloe¡¯s dad- ¡°Martha, we have a guest!¡±


    Martha (Chloe¡¯s mom)- ¡°Oh!¡±


    She rushed out of the kitchen holding a rag, and she was wearing an apron.


    Martha- ¡°I was just getting dinner ready Carol. But how are you doing Nathaniel? Everything going ok?¡±


    I nodded my head with a smile, to put on a front that everything was alright. Thankfully, she didn¡¯t catch on. But Chloe, who had a more recent knowledge on events, could definitely tell.


    Chloe- ¡°Hey Nathaniel, do you want to hang out in my room until dinner is ready?¡±


    Me- ¡°Sure.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Well then, hold on a bit. I¡¯ll call when the room is ready.¡±


    She ran upstairs, and I could hear the faint sound of a door shutting moments later. And when she was out of earshot, Carol remarked jokingly,


    Carol- ¡°Her room is almost never clean. But with a guest here, I don¡¯t even have to ask her to clean it!¡±


    I smiled, and he started chuckling a little. He motioned to the couch for me to sit, and I obliged him. When we had both sat down, Carol¡¯s face became serious.


    Carol- ¡°I think you¡¯ve got an eye for my daughter, don¡¯t you.¡±


    It was a statement, not a question. I answered seriously as well,


    Me- ¡°Yes sir.¡±


    Carol- ¡°Well at least you can admit it. So, I need a statement from you. Will you and can you, take care of my daughter?¡±


    He was trying to test my character by my answer. But I couldn¡¯t think of the best way to answer. If I answered yes, then I would be lying to him and myself. And I think he would be able to tell. If I answered no, then I would be lying as well. This would also be the answer he wouldn¡¯t want to hear. But when is anything ever just black and white?


    Me- ¡°I cannot take care of her now, but I will be able to in the future. And I will not take a step further, until the moment I actually can.¡±


    He looked somewhat surprised that I answered in that way. But he smiled and said,


    Carol- ¡°I guess that¡¯s the most truthful answer I can get out of you so far. But what¡¯s my guarantee? How do I know you¡¯ll keep your word?¡±


    Me- ¡°My pride as a man. Your approval will be the standard I¡¯ll be aiming for. And since she was your daughter first, I have no right to challenge your standards. Chloe is worth whatever price I have to pay.¡±


    Carol- ¡°Well, you¡¯ve got one thing right. But can you ever own up to my standards?¡±


    Me- ¡°I might not, but I¡¯ll go at it with everything I have.¡±


    He patted my shoulder and got up from the couch.


    Carol- ¡°Well, it seems you¡¯ve been giving it some thought. And all I have to say now is good luck trying!¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Walking over to the kitchen, he left me alone on the couch. And I thought about it seriously. Could I ever be worthy of her with all this mess surrounding me? Could I ever really protect her when my life is at risk?


    The answer was no. To let Chloe live the life she deserves, I have to be stronger. Stronger than any threat to my life, stronger than the organization and their tricks, stronger than anything that becomes an obstacle in our path.


    Suddenly, it felt like something had been cleared in my mind and body. A hot current flew like a roaring dragon, rampaging throughout my body. A few cracking sounds came from within, and I stood up feeling stronger than ever before. I wasn¡¯t as strong as I needed to be, but I felt closer. It was enough for now.


    And as I felt the need to test my ¡®new¡¯ body, Chloe¡¯s voice came from upstairs,


    Chloe- ¡°Nathaniel, I¡¯m ready! You can come up now!¡±


    I walked up the stairs, and when I had gotten up all of them, I saw Chloe open a door. They say that entering one¡¯s room was like entering through the doorway to one¡¯s soul. Or was that looking into the eyes?


    When I walked in, I noticed her room looked nice. It had walls that were tinted slightly yellow, with wallpapers on some games and anime tacked in. Her bed was placed opposite to the door, with a dresser next to it. And resting on the carpet was her dog, Max. He walked up to greet me soon after.


    Chloe gave a half smile, then walked behind me to close the door.


    Chloe- ¡°Yeah, I know it¡¯s still a bit messy in here. But tell me, what was that stuff earlier all about?¡±


    Me- ¡°Do you promise you won¡¯t tell anyone if I show you?¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Me- ¡°Then grab a cover, it might get cold.¡±


    She looked at me, somewhat confused, but she got the cover anyway. And in that moment, I gathered a flame point. The room became much colder, and I asked Chloe,


    Me- ¡°See that distortion of the air? In front of your chest? Don¡¯t touch it; it¡¯s hot!¡±


    Chloe¡¯s eyes were drawn to it, and I moved the distortion about a foot away. Her eyes followed it.


    Chloe- ¡°How are you doing this!?¡±


    Me- ¡°Just watch for now. And don¡¯t get startled by what I¡¯m about to do next.¡±


    I disrupted the flame point, and suddenly it burst into flames. Chloe stared into the burning fireball for a second, and then she looked into my eyes.


    Chloe- ¡°Is this why they found you? Because you can do this?¡±


    I fidgeted around nervously and nodded my head.


    Me- ¡°They came after me, in the theater. I almost died, so many times¡­¡±


    Chloe- ¡°What happened?¡±


    Me- ¡°Well, it was like this¡­¡±


    I recounted the events of the theater to Chloe, and she remained silent for a while. I was unsure of what to say as well, so I didn¡¯t say anything.


    Chloe- ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it was this serious. I didn¡¯t realize that those minutes could of been my last with you¡­ Nathaniel. Sit with me for a second¡­¡±


    She made room on the bed, and I sat down next to her. My heart was pounding; I didn¡¯t know what she was going to say. She placed her hand on mine, and whispered,


    Chloe- ¡°Do you know what my family name, Lockhart, means?¡±


    I shook my head, unsure of why she was asking me this.


    Chloe- ¡°Brave, hardy, strong. I can¡¯t just watch you risking your life without doing anything.¡±


    Me- ¡°But what can you do? You¡¯re different than me. You don¡¯t have any ability that can protect you from their snipers or other ability users!¡±


    Chloe- ¡°No. I don¡¯t. But I do have this.¡±


    She got up and went looking through her dresser. And she pulled something out, but I couldn¡¯t see what it was since she covered it with her hand. She walked back over to the bed and sat next to me.


    Me- ¡°What is it?¡±


    Chloe smiled and put her arm around me.


    Chloe- ¡°I got it from my grandad. I heard from him that grandma was surrounded with mystery, just like you are. This amulet was given to him by her, to protect him. Dad gave the same to me, and now I will give it to you. May it keep you safe.¡±


    She opened her hand, and a purple amulet was within. It shone eerily, with a ghastly blue glow surrounding it. And I could feel a reaction from within the deepest regions of my body. A feeling of familiarity.


    Me- ¡°Chloe, this is too valuable. I can¡¯t take this¡­¡±


    Chloe- ¡°You need it much more than I do. Wear it always.¡±


    With a gentle hug, she placed the amulet around my neck. And a sweet feeling spread throughout my body.


    Me- ¡°I won¡¯t forget this. Thanks.¡±


    Chloe nodded, but she still looked somewhat sad.


    Chloe- ¡°I just hope that it will keep you safe¡­¡±


    I drew her into a tight hug, and she hugged me back.


    Me- ¡°I love you.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°I love you too.¡±


    ****************************


    A little while later, we ended up being disrupted by her dog, Max, and Chloe¡¯s parents. I said my goodbyes, and I went to walk home. And when I arrived, Mom and Dad were not home. Although, it was to be expected. If they couldn¡¯t pick me up, of course they were working at their jobs.


    I turned on the lights in my room, and picked up ¡®A beginning to your Ability¡¯ again. I needed to finish this book as soon as possible, so I could be more prepared when fighting other ability users.


    ¡®The third application is training your ability. This comes directly from our second assumption. If we can assume that a stronger thought will evoke a stronger ability, than using your ability more often will make your thoughts of your ability stronger. It¡¯s similar to training a muscle. Using it more often will increase its strength.


    ¡®The fourth application is attachment. The only way to use body enhancement related abilities is to attach it to your body. But for manipulation related abilities, things can be a little different. Manipulators can attach their ability to a mundane object, such as a needle, and release it from this object. This is complicated to perform, but the best way is to touch what¡¯s most important to the manipulator while having a singular desire. Your subconscious will control your ability for you and imprint your desire.


    The last application is advancement. Once your ability reaches a boundary, you will find that no amount of willpower strengthening will advance your ability. This happens because the original control of your ability is within your subconscious, and it limits the amount of your ability you can control in the same way it limits the amount of strength each of your muscles can use.


    It is unknown how exactly this happens, but with an ability crystal, one can communicate with their subconscious. By directly transmitting a desire to grow to your subconscious, it will transmit more control of your ability over to your conscious mind. This can have varied results depending on the ability, meaning we will not explain further in this book. So look forward to the next volume of-¡¯


    I shut the book, already knowing there was nothing of further value to read. Then I started practicing my ability by igniting a flame and moving it around. I did this until the urge to try out my ¡®new¡¯ body grew stronger than my desire for training.


    The feeling earlier at Chloe¡¯s house led me to believe that I personally had become stronger. Combined with the fact that it seemed to heal my body at the theater, I was ready to put the ability to the test.


    Grabbing a steak knife from the kitchen, I went to the shower. I turned on the water and held the knife to the back of my hand. And no, I¡¯m not suicidal¡­


    (Author''s musings- Don¡¯t try this at home kids! I don¡¯t want to be responsible for anybody being hurt to try out a fictional ability!)


    Me- ¡®Tch¡¯ ¡°That stings...¡±


    Blood started seeping out of the wound in my hand. But the hot feeling emerged again from within my body, and the blood stopped flowing in a matter of seconds. I watched in fascination as the wound started to mend itself at a visible rate! And after about a minute, the wound was gone without a trace.


    The healing aspect of the body strengthening worked for sure. Now it was time to test my actual strength.


    I messaged Julian, but he didn¡¯t end up responding. What a reliable martial arts buddy¡­ I guess he didn¡¯t want to fight this late. And that left me with two options.


    The first one would be to go on the streets and play the superhero. As long as I didn¡¯t use my ability, the organization wouldn¡¯t return the wounds. So that way I could have a chance to gauge my current strength, while getting rid of crime. It was a crazy neighborhood anyway.


    But this option had three issues. One, I didn¡¯t know if I would even encounter a crime I could handle without the use of my ability, two, I would be sowing bad beef with the street, and three, those in the street were not an accurate standard I could measure myself by.


    The second option would be to call the beginner instructor, Joyce Kim, and arrange a meeting. Being an instructor from the organization, she would definitely have an accurate way to gauge my ability, and even increase my strength. And being a mission from the organization, I would be able to exempt myself from killing for a whole year if I was lucky enough.


    But letting her gauge my strength was the same of letting the organization know the extent of my powers. And the organization wasn¡¯t exactly my friend either. But we were allies to an extent. So¡­


    Realizing that I¡¯d probably regret my decision in the future, I pulled out my phone and dialed Joyce Kim¡¯s number.


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter</a> Next Chapter</a>


    Author¡¯s note 2- Oh yeah, the next chapter release may be a little delayed. Cause remember how I didn¡¯t have internet over the weekend to tuesday? Well, that was because of religious holidays... Now I have a bunch of work to do, and that will probably take up most of my free time. I¡¯ll write when I can though.

 Vol. 1 Chapter 8- Fighting my own

    Author¡¯s note- Omg! I was trying to read my own story on school wifi, and it got blocked! Lol!


    (Ignore the stupid author. Just enjoy the chapter.)


    __________________________________________________________________


    Fighting my own


    I hope I won¡¯t regret this¡­


    ¡®Ring, ring, ring¡­¡±


    ???- ¡°Hello?¡±


    Me- ¡°Is this Joyce Kim?¡±


    ???- ¡°Hold on...¡±


    A silence came from the other end of the phone, followed by a sharp click. The call was most likely being recorded, tracked, or both.


    ???- ¡°Yes, this is Joyce Kim speaking. Who are you?¡±


    My voice went flat; the cold front had returned once again.


    Me- ¡°Nathaniel. A new recruit.¡±


    Joyce- ¡°I assume you are here for the first mission. You¡¯re in luck. This time around, the date for instruction is tomorrow at 10:00 am, and the location is at the end of your path. You and a few others.¡±


    Me- ¡°My path?¡±


    Joyce- ¡°Don¡¯t play stupid with me; any person with the slightest bit of intelligence could see through that riddle of ours. Figure it out.¡±


    ¡°Beep.¡±


    She hung up.


    A moment passed as I recalled the riddle. ¡®By the light of a wisp, you shall see the the path. And the start of your path, is our sole meeting place.¡¯


    Knowing that the phrase came from the organization, ¡®our sole meeting place¡¯ was definitely the gas station. And they wisp most likely referred to my fireball. So I had to go the gas station in the early morning, activate my ability, and follow whatever appears due to the activation of my ability. Unfortunately, there seemed to be nothing that I could do to immediately test my body strengthening.


    Checking the time, I found that it was 10:33. I decided to get some rest.


    *********************


    I opened my eyes... A world, an endless sea existed around me. The water extended as far as the eye could see, and it reflected the clouds above. I lay in the ¡®center¡¯ of this world, and as I shifted, ripples in the water extended for miles.


    When I stood up, the sun gently illuminating the area surrounding me, I saw my reflection in the water. He blankly stared back at me, and we both stayed this way for a while. Suddenly, he looked the other way, and I followed his gaze only to find another ¡®me¡¯ looking in my direction as well.


    I had a subtle realization at that moment; I was not in some sort of boundless sea. Everything was just reflected, repeated endlessly. I was trapped.


    Looking in every direction: north, south, east, west, above, below, I only saw my blank gaze staring back in my direction. And suddenly, wherever I looked, I saw a deep frown.


    I took an aggressive step forward, and they also closed in on me from all sides. But that wouldn¡¯t last for long. I closed in with a swirling golden aura around my body, and I ignited multiple flame points around me. But my opponents were just as formidable. Their eyes had turned completely golden, and the golden aura concealed any part of them that could be considered human. Now, they were gods.


    The sea froze over, and the once peaceful clouds now had sounds of thunder. Like swimming dragons, lightning flickered within the clouds. And with a loud, reverberating roar, the lightning smashed down on the battlefield, signaling the start of the fight!


    Spinning the flames furiously around me, the fireballs had fused into a tornado of golden fire. The area around my feet melted, and the splashing of my feet on the water rose into a tempest. I was sprinting!


    The distance was quickly closed, and the frozen boundaries of each of us fused together. The flames collided next, and I sent out a golden fist!


    ¡°BOOM!!!¡±


    The fists smashed together, and a loud rumbling came out from all directions. The clash was so intense that cuts appeared all over my body, and the flames scorched me in many places. But I wasn¡¯t done yet!


    I went all out, channeling the flame and the golden aura like a drill!


    And for a moment, the world around me went silent, and the auras receded showing a figure just like mine staring into my eyes.


    ¡°Crack¡±


    Cracks extended from my feet, and slowly spread across the whole world. Then it all shattered like glass.


    ************************


    My eyes flipped open; a moment passed as I tried to recover from the sheer screwiness of the dream. And strangely, I could recall every event of it in vivid detail.


    As a habit, I checked the time on my phone. It read 6:20, a time about an hour earlier I expected to wake up. I knew my parents would currently be asleep, so afraid of waking them, I decided to read some books on my phone.


    I was following about 25 online novels simultaneously, anymore, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to finish my school work or do other stuff. But during this period of reading novels, I found them somewhat, lackluster. It was like my own life had been taken over by a novice author with a passion for action. And now life was much closer to fantasy than it had ever been, and those stories didn¡¯t have anything that was much different anymore.


    I digress. Thinking about this topic would probably be considered breaking the fourth wall. Who was I, Deadpool?


    And then I recalled last night¡¯s test on my regeneration¡­


    Moving on, my dream last night had given me plenty of ideas on how to use my ability. And seeing as reading wasn¡¯t nearly as entertaining as before, I decided to try some things out. While trying not to wake my parents¡­Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    I walked downstairs quietly, trying to mask any sounds of my walking by going slowly. But apparently, I didn¡¯t do a good enough job of keeping silent because as I got downstairs, Bella started whining.


    My dog, Bella, was always locked up while everybody was sleeping. The reason being one time we forgot to lock her up, and mayhem ensued. We woke up to dog poop all over the house, a ransacked pantry, and urine on every inch of the carpet. From that day on, we made sure to lock her up everytime we went to bed.


    But of course, the dog didn¡¯t like it. So if anybody woke up, she would whine for them to take her out. And if they didn¡¯t take her out soon, then she would start barking, pissing off everybody else in the house. Trust me, I¡¯m speaking from experience here.


    So I went over to the gate she was locked in and opened it to let her outside. I went out with her, and the dog ran off to play somewhere else, leaving me free to test out those ideas.


    Deciding to test out my limits, I started condensing flame points in front of me, drawing heat from the ground. Frost extended out in a circular shape from me, and the temperature dropped for every point I condensed. And after I had condensed the eleventh flame point all of them dispersed. So 10 at a time was my limit.


    I waited for the temperature of the ground to return to normal, and after the frost disappeared, I continued.


    I condensed 10 flame points at once, and spun them around me rapidly in a circle.


    ¡°Whoosh¡±


    A ring of flame appeared around me, causing the wind to start blowing around chaotically around me. Then on a spark of inspiration, I drew the ring of flame inwards, at my feet.


    A gust of hot air seemed to fly up in a spiral, making my clothes ripple upwards. The force wasn¡¯t enough to lift me, but it definitely made me feel lighter. Drawing the flame ring high above my head, I condensed a flame point in the middle of it, drawing heat from all the other flame points at once. Flame point X10! But it was so unstable!


    I lost control of the X10 flame point, and it exploded above my head.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Bella came around the corner, barking furiously. And the lights in my parents room turned on. I looked around guiltily, and I calmed Bella down. Opening the door to the inside, I saw two people in pajamas walking down the stairs.


    Dad- ¡°What was that?¡±


    Mom- ¡°It sounded like a bomb.¡±


    They both looked to me at the same time for an answer, but I shrugged my shoulders.


    Me- ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    I walked to start the breakfast, and seeing as I didn¡¯t make a big issue out of it, my parents shrugged their shoulders as well and dropped the subject.


    Mom- ¡°So why are you up so early?¡±


    Me- ¡°I woke up earlier than expected, and this morning I found just reading pretty boring. So I decided to let Bella outside.¡±


    Mom did a double take, a questioning expression on her face.


    Mom- ¡°You found reading boring!? Are you really my baby?¡±


    Dad walked over, his expression amused.


    Dad- ¡°Hah! It seems he¡¯s really growing up! Hey Nathaniel, do you want to spar for a bit with your old man? I think I¡¯m growing rusty!¡±


    Yeah, my Dad¡¯s side of the family consisted of martial arts fanatics. When I was young, that used to be my thing as well. And my mom agreed, under the impression that it was just for self defense. But after what happened middle school, I decided to tone it down a bit. Then I got hooked on reading¡­


    But considering what has been happening recently, I needed to pull up my game.


    Me- ¡°You won¡¯t beat me this time. I think I¡¯ve gotten much better.¡±


    Dad looked at me smilingly, not believing a word I said.


    Dad- ¡°By sitting around in school all day? You never beat me even when you were in practicing! And now¡­ Tch. I¡¯ll beat you into shape!¡±


    Was that a provocation? It¡¯s on dad!


    Me- ¡°Where¡¯s the gear?¡±


    Dad- ¡°In the garage. Come!¡±


    He walked forward confidently and flexed as he passed mom. She giggled lightly and said,


    Mom- ¡°As long as you two don¡¯t go too far, it¡¯s ok. I don¡¯t want to see any bruises!¡±


    We both nodded as we passed, and in about 5 minutes, we both had our equipment on.


    It consisted of a karate gi, arm guards, leg guards, teeth guards, gloves, a helmet, and some padding around the body. Yeah, our family went all out in terms of gear, unlike most. But also unlike most, nobody ever held back. Not even against a kid¡­


    Bad memories aside, I never came close to beating dad. For example, if you compared him to Blaze, he would win 10 times out of ten if Blaze didn¡¯t use his ability. He was faster, stronger, smarter, more agile, any area you could think of my dad was better in. Practically inhuman!


    But let¡¯s not make my confidence lower than it already is... Stop thinking about it already, stupid brain! It¡¯s almost time for the fight!


    A blue mat was laid out across the driveway, and as I walked forward, I noticed dad standing in the middle, pulling the strap of his glove tight. Giving me a vicious grin, he smashed his fists together.


    Dad- ¡°Ready!?¡±


    Touching the pendant that Chloe gave me strengthened my courage. I secured it within my clothes and drew into a fighting stance.


    Me- ¡°Ready!¡±


    We both threw fists without warning and then jumped back realizing the threat of the other¡¯s fist.


    Dad- ¡°It seems your reaction got better! But you¡¯re too slow!¡±


    He sprung forward, and I retaliated by kicking at his shin. Fall for me!


    He pivoted on his other leg, dodging my attack and rotated for a roundhouse kick. Fast!


    I had no way to dodge, so I defended to mitigate some of the damage. My feet slid on impact, and my arms numbed. But not giving me a chance to recover, dad went for a backhand!


    Normally, I would have lost at this point. But now, things were different!


    I ducked and went forward under the blow. Uppercut!


    My fist flew upwards, but dad dodged by the smallest of movements, a tilt of the head. It grazed past him, and he took the chance to strike at my unguarded ribs! I jumped backwards in an attempt to dodge the blow, but it was too late!


    ¡°Bam!¡±


    When I landed, I staggered back a few steps, the wind knocked out of me. He took the chance to throw a straight punch, right at my chest!


    I turned my body while slapping his fist away, then I kicked at the inside of his knees!


    His legs bent forwards, and I went for the finisher! A palm smash to the back!


    Rolling to escape my blow, Dad whirled around to face me once again.


    Dad- ¡°You have gotten better! What¡¯d you do?¡±


    I smiled complacently and drew back into a fighting stance. He went into one that mirrored mine and slowly inched forward. This time he was much more cautious. I provoked,


    Me- ¡°Yeah, you better be careful! Don¡¯t try and lose too badly!¡±


    He didn¡¯t respond to the provocation, only smiling.


    Dad- ¡°Who do you think taught you to trash talk during fights? Who taught you how to fight? I did! Don¡¯t think those tricks will work on me.¡±


    He continued to inch forward, leaving no obvious ways I could attack. And I was slowly losing ground, so continuing to stay on the defensive wasn¡¯t an option. I had to attack!


    I quickly advanced forward, and dad went for a shin kick. Copying his maneuver from the start of the fight, I pivoted on the other leg and shot out a roundhouse kick!


    He blocked the kick, but I had already gathered all of my momentum on my fist! Backhand!


    Dodging it by a hair¡¯s breadth, he ducked under my attack and sent an uppercut forward!


    I tilted my head to dodge the attack, but it was a feint! The fist opened up into a palm, scissoring towards my eyes, while the other attack was aimed at my chest!


    I continued the spinning motion I utilized for the roundhouse kick and the backhand, and I sent my fist hurtling towards his stomach! Mutual destruction!


    Our attacks landed at the same time, he had tensed up his abdominal muscles, while the attack on my face grazed me, and the attack on my chest landed on my shoulder instead.


    We both staggered back, but a hot feeling swimming throughout my body exploded forth in that moment!! I caught my balance in an instant and sprung forward to a still off balance Dad. Chance!


    My right fist flew forward like lightning, and before he could defend, the fist was already right in front of dad¡¯s chest!


    ¡°Bam!¡±


    His eyes widened in surprise, and he fell tumbling on the floor. I had won!


    Me- ¡°I won?¡±


    Dad got up slowly, rubbing his chest.


    Dad- ¡°My god! When did you get so strong? I guess I¡¯m getting old, huh.¡±


    Me- ¡°Heh.¡±


    I rubbed my nose and let off a bashful smile.


    Me- ¡°I guess I just got stronger.¡±


    Dad looked indignant at those words.


    Dad- ¡°You just got stronger, huh? If sitting around reading or learning at school could make me stronger, I would of done that long ago! What¡¯s your secret? And you suddenly became about twice as strong at the end of the fight! Were you holding back during the whole thing?¡±


    Me- ¡°You were off balance. Of course it was much easier to knock you down. And plus, I got myself braced before you hit my shoulder. It was easy to resolve the surplus.¡±


    Dad still didn¡¯t look convinced, but he didn¡¯t say anything about it. Instead, he remarked,


    Dad- ¡°If you were in shape, you could be so much better. And since you defeated me, your next target is your uncle.¡±


    Dad gave a depreciating smile.


    Dad- ¡°I could never beat him either you know. He¡¯s now a 7th order black belt, and he¡¯s both stronger and faster than me. But you have potential! If you could sharpen up your technique, and get into tip top shape, defeating him wouldn¡¯t be too far away!¡±


    Me- ¡°But-¡±


    Dad- ¡°Son! With so much potential, you would be disappointing both me and the family if you don¡¯t see this to the end!¡±


    Me- ¡°Ok, but we can¡¯t start today. I need to be somewhere at ten.¡±


    Dad- ¡°That¡¯s ok. We¡¯ll do double tomorrow!¡±


    Suddenly, I regretted beating him. But, maybe this was a good thing. Getting more training couldn¡¯t hurt, right?


    Later I would realize that those words were one of the most idiotic and naive words I had said in my whole life...


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter</a> Next Chapter</a>


    Author¡¯s note 2- I had fun writing this chapter because there was a lot of action. And I love messing around with dreams; it¡¯s just my thing. So I hope you enjoyed it, and I will see you tom.

 Vol. 1 Chapter 9- Start of the Class

    Author¡¯s note- Hi! I told you I¡¯d see you tom! So, enjoy~


    __________________________________________________________________


    Start of the Class


    We walked inside; I had a disappointed frown on my face, while dad had a bright smile. Mom was currently cooking breakfast, and when she saw my frown, I could tell she misunderstood.


    Mom- ¡°Nathaniel, you don¡¯t have to be so disappointed that you lost. Your father has always beaten you, what makes this time so different?¡±


    I opened my mouth to explain, but Dad ended up speaking for me.


    Dad- ¡°I lost.¡±


    Mom- ¡°Then why are you gloating? And why does Nathaniel seem disappointed?¡±


    Dad- ¡°I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s upset; he¡¯s so much stronger than I was at his age! And I was training to become a professional, while he is half assing things! With so much potential, I can¡¯t have him waste it. He will now be devoting a lot more of his time to training. Under my supervision!¡±


    He glared at me, daring me to contradict him. And mom only awkwardly smiled.


    Mom- ¡°Well, that¡¯s your dad. Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t expect this.¡±


    Me- ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect to win¡­¡±


    Dad- ¡°Son, this is a great thing! No need to be upset. Tell you what. Come to my dojo after your errand is finished, and you can reduce some of your training time tomorrow there.¡±


    He made it sound like he was doing me a favor¡­


    ****************


    I ended up walking out of the house at 8:00, after eating breakfast and texting Chloe that I was going out on governmental business. She seemed upset, but I know she understood.


    Arriving at the back of the gas station, the ¡®gang¡¯ members that stood there before were now gone without a trace. No ciggarette buts, no nothing.


    That was to be expected. To my knowledge, they weren¡¯t ability users. They could not be allowed to see what I was about to do next, even though they probably knew the significance of my existence.


    I entered into the fake wall, and walked down the steps. Once I had entered through the blast doors, they closed shut behind me. Meaning I had to do something in this room.


    I gathered a flame point in the palm of my hand and ignited it, seeing what would happen next. A purple light started to pulse from areas of the ground, and an arrow was formed followed by an inscription.


    ¡®By the light of a wisp, you shall see the the path. Stand on the path, and it shall lead you to your destination.¡¯


    After I had read those words, the arrow and inscription morphed into a perfect circle, pulsing with an eerie purplish light.


    Knowing I probably had to stand in the center of the circle, I stepped forward onto the light. And another circle appeared in front of me, with an inscription below. It said,


    ¡®Activate your ability here, and the transportation will begin.¡¯


    With a thought, the flame moved into the center of the circle.


    Suddenly, the light brightened, and the pulsing light grew in intensity. The disk started to spin, and the world seemed to twist and distort around me. After another moment, the purplish light had completely enveloped my surroundings and crystallized around me. A humming seemed to come from all directions, and my ears popped. Was I entering a higher altitude?


    The light started to fade away after a minute, and I noticed I was in a different room. The light shone in from a window behind me, and there was a table to my right. An asian woman was sitting at the head of which, staring in my direction. To my left was a couple of couches with people relaxing around.


    The asian woman, I assume, was Joyce Kim. And those on the couches were other people under her instruction, classmates if you will. Deciding I would first greet the instructor, I smiled.


    Me- ¡°How should I address you?¡±


    Joyce- ¡°You may address me as Mrs. Kim. Being early, you should sit at the couch there. We will introduce in half an hour, so make yourself comfortable.¡±


    I immediately made my judgements on how to act in the presence of the woman. She certainly seemed pretty normal at first glance, but I could tell she was somewhat put off by my greeting. Not a friendly type.


    Nodding to Mrs. Kim, I walked over to the couches. I made an assessment of the people there to decide who to sit with.


    The first person assessed was a high school aged girl. She had blonde hair, blue eyes, and let off a friendly air. She was currently engaged in a mostly one sided conversation with another black haired girl of a similar age, who looked somewhat annoyed. There was room next to them, but I feel like the blonde would try and engage me in conversation once she got bored of pestering the black haired.


    The second person was a boy, who looked to be in middle school. He had brown, wavy hair, green eyes, and glasses. He seemed upset, and was engaged in a violent tapping war on his phone. He was probably playing a game, or texting someone. Either way, he was a wild card. I didn¡¯t know what he was going to do.


    The third option was a middle aged man. He had black hair, brown eyes, and glasses that seemed to be a bit crooked. He let off a smile when he saw I looked over, and he seemed to be just sitting there doing nothing. He would probably try to engage me in conversation, but I doubt he would go too far like the blonde girl. I decided he would be my best bet out of the three.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    I gave him a smile, and I walked over to sit next to him. He scooted over a bit, and I sat down.


    ???- ¡°I¡¯m Adam Kepler. Your name?¡±


    Me- ¡°Nathaniel Belair. Nice to meet you.¡±


    We shook hands, and dove into conversation.


    Adam- ¡°So, how did you get here? I saw you come in through the teleportation post, but I mean as in getting in this organization.¡±


    Me- ¡°I was approached by C.H.I.B.I. after 2 incidents where my ability was activated subconsciously. Things happened, and after reviewing the general missions, I decided to take on this one. I don¡¯t want to kill if I don¡¯t have to. What about you?¡±


    Adam- ¡°I was a commander of a mercenary force, working for the USA. An ability user was eventually hired against me, and I was awakened while fighting against him. Luckily, he was one of the weaker ability types, a body enhancer.¡±


    Me- ¡°Ability types?¡±


    Adam- ¡°You¡¯ll learn all about that kind of stuff in this mission. It consists of miscellaneous terms such as types, signature, and ranking. And this mission isn¡¯t considered ¡®complete¡¯ unless you can pass a theoretical and practical test of what you¡¯ve learned. Oh look, someone else is coming.¡±


    A purplish light expanded in all directions, and a crystal suddenly appeared in mid-air, creating a shockwave of air that blew our hair backwards. Then it all faded away, leaving a human silhouette that rapidly became clearer as my eyes adjusted.


    Adam- ¡°Ah, there seem to be a lot of new people today. I guess everyone else passed it, while I was the only one that failed.¡±


    I nodded absentmindedly to his words, while I continued to observe the figure. It was a high school age girl, and she had long black hair with blue eyes. She turned to the instructor first, and the instructor let out a warm smile. Strange. I didn¡¯t take Mrs. Kim to be that sort of person. But I soon knew why.


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°What brings you here today, young mistress?¡±


    ???- ¡°Please, just address me by my given name, Viola Lynch. I came today to solidify the families teachings and to obtain experience from the real world.¡±


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°Ah yes, the century old no exposure rule of the families. So you came of age?¡±


    Viola- ¡°Yes.¡±


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°Well then. Make yourself comfortable with the awakeners. I will begin class shortly.¡±


    Viola- ¡°It starts at ten, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°As of now, you were the last one on my roster that was scheduled to come today. And we can¡¯t keep a Lynch waiting, can we?¡±


    Viola- ¡°I see.¡±


    She sat at the couch with the other girls, and I stopped paying attention to her any longer and went back to my conversation with Adam. Out of curiousity, I asked,


    Me- ¡°Adam. What¡¯s your ability?¡±


    Adam- ¡°A body enhancement. It allows my strength to triple at the cost of losing some rationality. You?¡±


    Me- ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure. It seems to be telekinesis, but it has some strange properties.¡±


    Adam- ¡°Show me?¡±


    Me- ¡°Sure.¡±


    I ignited a flame point in the middle of the room, and the flame drew all eyes towards me.


    Adam- ¡°Isn¡¯t this just creating fire?¡±


    Me- ¡°Well not quite. If you move around a bit, you¡¯ll find that it¡¯s colder in here than it was before. And it draws from the ambient temperature in the area, so I¡¯m not really creating anything.¡±


    Adam- ¡°Cool. In my case, I end up looking like an ape...¡±


    I smiled and dispersed the flame. And in the next moment, Mrs. Kim went in the middle of the couches and announced,


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°Socializing time is over; the lesson starts now. You all may address me as Mrs. Kim, and you will attend my class every weekend day at this time. Our organization will make the necessary arrangements. Did you hear all of that, Mrs. Rose?¡±


    Her voice had taken on a dangerous tone at the end, as the blonde was still whispering.


    Talkative blonde- ¡°Eh?¡±


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to let you all know early on, that not listening has it¡¯s consequences.¡±


    Her hand lashed out like a springing viper going in for the kill. The blonde tried to move back, but the woman only required a touch. The moment her finger touched the blonde, the blonde¡¯s eyes rolled back, and she slumped into unconsciousness.


    The hairs on my back rose up, and I made 3 mini flame points to surround my body for protection. They weren¡¯t on fire yet, but disrupting them would only take a thought.


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°Lesson two. Never let a someone from the charm division touch you in a non-activated state because once they do, you are under their mercy. Any questions?¡±


    Everyone was silent.


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°And now it is time for introductions. State your name and a description of your ability. Viola?¡±


    Viola- ¡°My name is Viola Lynch, and my ability is barrier. I can create 2 barriers to fuse together, creating a sharp edge.


    Black haired girl- ¡°My name is Stella Page, and I am acquaintances with the knocked out person there, Natalie Rose. My ability is Cat body, and it basically changes part of my body structure to that of a cat. You know, the ears, tail, whiskers, and I have more flexibility and a faster reaction in that state.¡±


    (Author¡¯s musings- I couldn¡¯t resist, ok!? Leave me alone!)


    Middle school kid- ¡°My name is Stewart Clayton, and my ability is Iron creation. The name is self explanatory.¡±


    Adam- ¡°My name is Adam Kepler, and my ability is Ape transformation. It increases my size and strength, but at the cost of some rationality.¡±


    Me- ¡°My name is Nathaniel Belair, and my ability is a form of telekinesis. I can create flames and cause people to rapidly deteriorate at a touch. The second ability has been lethal in every circumstance.¡±


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°Good. Now that that¡¯s over with, follow me.¡±


    She walked to the teleportation circle, put her hand within the circle, and activated it.


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°You will all go through this to our practical location, as I have to see what you know and teach accordingly. Viola. You may go first.¡±


    She nodded, and walked up to the circle. She disappeared soon after.


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°Adam. You¡¯re next, but bring Natalie with you.¡±


    After that, Mrs. Kim called the names one by one, and they all were sent to an unknown location. The last one was me.


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°Nathaniel. I have to say, I¡¯m looking forward to seeing your results. I heard about you from Daydream, and I heard that not even mercenaries or hunters were your match. I trust you have improved since then?¡±


    Me- ¡°I have.¡±


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°Well, get in the portal. I¡¯ll have to see for myself.¡±


    I walked into the portal, and I disappeared from that area. And after the light had faded away, I observed my surroundings.


    We were situated in a cell style arena</a>. The arena itself consisted of a half-transparent springy substance that would cushion the impact of falling and hard looking tiles made of an unknown metal underneath. The arena¡¯s boundaries were defined by four large cone shaped pillars, and the people from our class surrounded me.


    Natalie, aka the talkative blonde, was laying in front of me, while Adam and the others stood in a group to the side. I walked over to their group, and in the next moment the purple light came again.


    Joyce appeared, and she waved her hand for silence. The surroundings became quiet.


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°In order to judge your strengths and weaknesses accurately, you will engage in combat until I decide a winner. The battle will be king of the hill style, and I will allow anything that does not maim or kill your opponent. Adam and Viola will be fighting first, as the examples for how this will be run.¡±


    Viola looked indifferent to it, but Adam¡¯s face changed drastically.


    Adam- ¡°You¡¯ll have me fight with a lord from the Lynch family! Isn¡¯t that a bit of overkill?¡±


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°Do I need to explain myself?¡±


    Adam- ¡°No¡­¡±


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°Then fight!¡±


    We all backed up, and Adam glanced hesitatingly over to Viola. She did not seem perturbed by this, but instead she flipped her hand to the side, holding out 2 fingers. A red light emerged from her fingers and formed into the shape of a blade. She spoke nonchalantly,


    Viola- ¡°Don¡¯t waste my time, or I¡¯ll end you.¡±


    Adam nodded his head, and threw his hands back, looking towards the sky. And suddenly, black hair emerged from all areas of his body, and his muscles pumped up like he was on steroids! His shirt ripped open, and his shorts stretched out to fit him. He growled and smashed the stage, but it didn¡¯t do any visible damage to the tiles. Then he pounced towards Viola.


    Viola however, dashed forward to meet him, extending her fingers towards his chest!


    She slashed and Adam jumped back, howling. A giant bloody line extended from his right chest to his left arm, and it looked like it hurt.


    Viola- ¡°He¡¯s not on my level. What is all this strength if I can cut through him like paper?¡±


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°Viola wins. Nathaniel, you are next.¡±


    Viola- ¡°And what¡¯s up with sending me more people to fight? You know he¡¯s going to lose.¡±


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°Adam was just there to show him what your ability can do. However, Nathaniel¡¯s not a greenhorn like Adam. He¡¯s systematically slaughtered a whole team of mercenaries and two ability users, with barely any damage done to at all. I would be careful.¡±


    I could see Adam and the others visibly recoil at that statement, but now Viola¡¯s eyes shone with some interest.


    Viola- ¡°Well then. Don¡¯t dissapoint me. Mrs. Kim?¡±


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°Fight!¡±


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter</a> Next Chapter</a>


    Author¡¯s note 2- Oh yeah, I¡¯m not sure if anybody was confused by this, but I abbreviate tomorrow as tom. Sorry for any confusion this may have caused.

 Vol. 1 Chapter 10- The Cell Games

    Author¡¯s note- Chapters take sooooo long to write! I¡¯m serious! It takes about 4-6 hours out of my day! I hope I still have enough time for hw!


    __________________________________________________________________


    The Cell Games


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°Fight!¡±


    I ignited flame points in a circle around my body, using my new technique. Flame ring!


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°Oh, that¡¯s new.¡±


    Viola did her preparations as well, extending the red light from her fingers to across her whole hand.


    Viola- ¡°Come on!¡±


    She dashed forward, and leaped into the air to slash down on me. Naive!


    With a thought, I sent the flame ring next to her arm. Flame point X10!


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    A flash of light combined with a sharp yelp of pain rang out, and Viola flew back! She smashed against the floor and rolled back, her face contorted in pain. And as she got back up, a trickle of blood ran down her arm.


    Me- ¡°Do you want to continue?¡±


    Viola- ¡°You actually injured me¡­ You¡¯ll pay for this!¡±


    I¡¯ll pay for this? You slashed my friend! And you¡¯ve been acting like a little princess this whole time! Somebody oughta teach you a lesson. And that somebody is me!


    If I trounced her at every step, I could probably beat back that annoying arrogance of hers. So I observed her, waiting for her next move.


    The red light extended from her hand and enveloped her whole body. She turned into a crimson knight, with a red, berserking light coming from her eyes. Charging at me at a speed that could be considered somewhat fast, she extended a knife hand towards my body. But was I just going to stand there?


    I gathered a flame ring at my feet and jumped. I was sent almost triple my normal height, and it allowed me to dodge her attack by flying above her attack. And a sadistic smile appeared on my face, and I made another flame point X10 as my feet passed her head. Explode!


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    I was sent further into the air, and when I hit the ground, I rolled, mitigating the damage from the fall. And looking back, the explosion had knocked her head into the floor.


    But apparently, she wasn¡¯t done yet.


    Viola got up slowly from the rubble, coughing terribly. But she didn¡¯t look like she took any damage; the barrier armor was only a bit deformed. Let¡¯s fix that, shall we?


    Before she could even get up, I condensed another flame point X10 at the damaged area of her barrier armor.


    ¡°BANG!!!¡±


    Smashing back onto the arena, Viola started to hold her ears in pain.


    Me- ¡°Not so arrogant now, huh.¡±


    Viola didn¡¯t react to my words and continued to roll around on the floor in agony. Did I hit her too hard?


    I looked over to Mrs. Kim, and she looked concerned as well. She took out her phone, and typed something out. And in the next moment, the purple light came out signaling a teleportation. A figure of a man in a black suit came out.


    ???- ¡°Is the young miss ok?¡±


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°She will be if you heal her¡­¡±


    ???- ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    He walked over to her side, and put his hand over her. A green light came out, and in a moment, Viola stopped rolling around.


    Jumping up, Viola looked at me with hatred.


    Viola- ¡°Why did you hit me with a second explosion while I was still getting up!? What happened to your honor, your chivalry as a man?¡±


    Me- ¡°You didn¡¯t even look hurt, so I thought another one wouldn¡¯t do much damage. And how does this relate to honor, or chivalry? In a battle field, I would of had your head!¡±


    Viola- ¡°But this isn¡¯t a battle field, is it?¡±


    Me- ¡°Yes, it isn¡¯t. Therefore, I didn¡¯t kill you.¡±


    Viola- ¡°You blood thirsty bastar-¡±


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°Stop squabbling like children! The next match starts now. Stella, it¡¯s your turn.¡±


    Stella- ¡°But I have no way to block his explosions! The match would be over in an instant.¡±


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°And Nathaniel, from now on you aren¡¯t allowed to make explosions. Fight purely with your flame.¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    Viola gave a vicious grin from the sidelines, but I was worried. My flame has no attacking potential to ability users, and flame point X10 can only hurt them because it¡¯s the shockwave that damages, not the flame itself. The only useful technique would be my flame ring, as I could use it to jump higher than normal.


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°You have no objection to this, right Mrs. Page?¡±


    Stella- ¡°Yes Mrs. Kim.¡±


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°Then fight!¡±


    I went into a martial arts stance, knowing I¡¯d have to beat her in close combat, and Stella activated the cat body transformation. Black ears popped up from behind her head, a tail emerged and hung between her legs, and her nails turned into sharp, white claws.


    Activating a ring of flame points, I continuously drew heat from the area around Stella, restricting her mobility. The frost extended outwards, but I was protected by the heat of my flame. And realizing that she could not delay any longer, she rushed forward to meet me in combat.


    When she slashed out with her claws, I could tell she was a total ametuer. She slashed at my chest, but she placed all her power in her first blow. Meaning if I dodge it, she will end up leaving herself wide open. Not to mention she didn¡¯t put her weight properly behind the blow.


    Spinning to dodge the blow, I backhanded towards her face.


    ¡°Bam¡±


    She fell to the floor, but she spun to her feet and rushed at me again. Don¡¯t you ever learn?


    Slashing at my defensive arm, Stella tried to take a different approach. I moved my arm to dodge, but her claws were too long! I ended up with a bloody scratch on my arm, and she continued by slashing her claws wildly!


    Slapping an arm away, I decided I¡¯d have to do more damage than a one hit contact. So I landed a jab to her face, a smash to her gut, and when she doubled over I sent a knee to her chin.


    Stella- ¡°AHHH!!!¡±


    She fell to the floor in pain, and I waited, still battle ready. I didn¡¯t have any particular dislike for her, so I didn¡¯t go and finish her off.


    Like always, the hot feeling arose from within to heal my wounds. Noticing it, I decided to concentrate on that feeling as it worked.


    After about 30 seconds, Stella was done rolling on the floor and trying to get up. She eventually managed to stand on her feet, but I could tell she was unsteady.


    Stella- ¡°I surrender. I¡¯m no match for him.¡±


    Mrs. Kim looked at her strangely, and remarked angrily,


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°Did I say you could surrender? The match ends when I say it does! You have 5 seconds to continue, or you will face the consequences!¡±


    Stella took a glance towards the pale, sweating Natalie and looked back to me.


    Stella- ¡°Please, have mercy on me!¡±


    She charged at me again and stabbed her claws at my chest. However, her feet were still unsteady, so she fell to the ground instead. Futilely trying to stand up again, she started to whimper pitifully.


    Stella- ¡°Can you help me up?¡±


    Retracting her claws, she extended her hand for me to grab hold of. Feeling pity for her, I grabbed a hold of her hand and pulled her up. But that was naive stupidity.


    She extended her claws into my wrist, and used her other hand to stab towards my gut. Damn it!


    I grabbed her wrist with my other hand and head butted her. She backed off, but her claws were still stuck in my arm!


    The hot feeling rushed full speed throughout my whole body, and suddenly, everything slowed down.


    She sluggishly kneed towards my nether regions, but I moved the flame ring under her legs to throw her off balance. Then kicking at the inside of her other knee, I made her kneel.


    I kneed her chin once again, and the force was so powerful that her claws were ripped from my wrist. She flew quite a distance backwards, and landed on the ground, unconscious. Bitch...


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°The fight is over! Heal him, and then we will start the next match.¡±


    The healer in black came over, and extended a green light for a short moment. The green light combined with the hot stream, and suddenly my wounds started healing insanely fast. In a moment, the wounds were fully healed.


    ???- ¡°That¡¯s strange. That healed much faster than I would of imagined.¡±


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°Interesting. Stewart, you¡¯re next. Start as soon as possible.¡±


    Stewart came forward, and created an iron blob in his hand. It seemed to be slowly forming into the shape of something. A dagger.


    I ran forward, knowing the more time I gave him to create iron items, the less of a chance I would have to beat him.


    He seemed to be expecting this, as he started running the other way. Unfortunately for him, I was much faster than him normally, as he was just a middle school kid. And with the addition of the flame ring at my feet, I had caught up to him in an instant.


    ¡°Shua!¡±


    Whistling as it passed through the air, my kick whiplashed towards his face! And he raised his ¡®dagger¡¯ to block, yet it didn¡¯t have a sharp edge. My kick continued through the dagger with no obstruction, and it smashed him to the ground.


    Stewart- ¡°Ughhh¡±


    He groaned and rolled around the floor, but I learned my lesson from what Stella ended up doing. Surrounding my hand with flame, I put it near the back of his throat, while pinning him to the ground.


    Me- ¡°Mrs. Kim, this should be enough, right?¡±


    She looked hesitant, but seeing as he couldn¡¯t break free from my pin, she nodded her head.


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°Your last opponent will be Natalie. I will wake her up in a moment.¡±


    Mrs. Kim went to Natalie, while she was shivering on the floor, her face pale. Bending over, Mrs. Kim brought her red lips close to her ear. She whispered,


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°It¡¯s time to awake. Look, the man that did this to you is right before your eyes. Fight him!¡±


    Natalie¡¯s eyes flipped open, and they were red with rage. Mrs. Kim backed away hurriedly, and a twisted smile appeared on her face.


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°I would be cautious, Nathaniel Belair. She is still recovering from the illusion, and I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll hold back at all. She may try and kill you.¡±


    Natalie- ¡°I¡¯ll rip out your throat!¡±


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°See?¡±


    Dog ears flipped up from the back of her head, and she grew claws. Unlike the previous girl¡¯s cat transformation, her body didn¡¯t become more feline. Instead, her arm¡¯s muscles bulged, and a deep growl emerged from her throat.


    She pounced at me, but it was still much slower than I expected. I could easily deal with this.


    I slid under her claws and spun around to see her in the process of landing. Before I could do much more, she pounced at me again, this time much lower to the ground. But that fell within my expectations.


    I kicked her head as she flew forward, and she was smashed backward, dazed. It was time for my assault.


    Springing forward, I punched. Full power!


    My attack flew forward like lightning, and it landed on her chest.


    She was knocked back into the ground, hard, and I flipped her over in order to subdue her like Stewart. But she started to struggle like a wild beast, growling insanely. She didn¡¯t seem to care about the numerous burns that appeared on her arms.


    But when she realized she couldn¡¯t get out of my lock, she started to tremble fiercely.


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°Nathaniel wins.¡±


    Natalie started to struggle even more, though her strength was rapidly waning. She shrieked out, begging,


    Natalie- ¡°No, please! You can¡¯t! I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    I was confused for a second, and then I thought back to Mrs. Kim putting her under the illusion. What did she experience in there to have such fear and hatred towards me?


    Me- ¡°Snap out of it! You aren¡¯t in the illusion anymore; this is real life! I¡¯m not your enemy!¡±


    Natalie seemed bewildered for a second, but shouted out angrily,


    Natalie- ¡°What illusion!? You tortured me and left me for dead! I was only given a second chance by that guy over there if I fought you again!¡±


    Me- ¡°Wtf! That was part of the illusion! You were drawn into it when Mrs. Kim touched you for talking! You passed out shortly afterwards!¡±


    Natalie- ¡°Why are you making things up? That doesn¡¯t change anything; everyone knows what you did!¡±


    Me- ¡°Adam! Can you help me out here!¡±


    Adam- ¡°What he said was true. I carried your limp body here myself.¡±


    The look of bewilderment on her face grew stronger. Her trembling seemed to subside a bit, and she asked,


    Natalie- ¡°You won¡¯t hurt me?¡±


    Me- ¡°Only as long as you don¡¯t attack me first.¡±


    Natalie nodded, and I released her from the lock. I jumped back quickly, still remembering what Stella had done. But it seemed to be unnecessary, as she turned back into a human and didn¡¯t make any sudden moves.


    She turned to Mrs. Kim, tears in her eyes.


    Natalie- ¡°Is it true? Did you trap me in an evil, sadistic illusion just to be tortured?¡±


    Mrs. Kim did not have any change of emotion on her face; only coldness came through.


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°It was a fitting punishment for disobeying me. You would do well to remember this.¡±


    Natalie¡¯s mouth opened in outrage, but it closed again in a bout of fear. Her face turned pale, as tears slid down her cheeks. I felt sorry for her.


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°Today¡¯s lesson is over. You may leave through the ¡®path¡¯ at the center of the stage. It will send you back to your beginning.¡±


    Natalie was the first to jump in the portal. I guess she was too shaken by the events of today, and she wanted to get out quick. I understood the feeling.


    The next to get out was me. After I had beaten all of them in the fights, they subconsciously made way for my passage. So activating my ability, I teleported back.


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter</a> Next Chapter</a>


    Author¡¯s note 2- Yeah¡­ This was supposed to come out the day before yesterday. But life happened, and I lost my laptop charger. I found it again this morning, but during the period it was gone, I wrote the chapters on paper. The next chapter is already ready, I just have to type it up.

 Vol. 1 Chapter 11- A Date?

    Author¡¯s note- Thanks to a comment I read today at around 12:00, I found motivation to continue writing instead of reading I Shall Seal the Heavens. Thanks to Zeo Lothryn and superloner for commenting! It really helps.


    __________________________________________________________________


    <h1>A Date?</h1>


    A moment passed as I recovered my bearings. I was back in the dusty old room, at the bottom of the Racetrac. Checking the time, I found it to be 10:10. I guess the teleportation wasn¡¯t as instant as it seemed to be.


    I texted Chloe that the government affair was over, and I would be at my father''s dojo, The School of Martial Thought. She replied with an ok, and I started to run to the dojo.


    The hot feeling could now be recalled with a thought, so I used it on my way to the dojo. And I discovered that other than the fact that everything except me seemed to slow down, I also had an unlimited stamina. I attributed this to the fact that it was constantly replenishing my muscles, and thus I could heal faster than my muscles wore out.


    Because of this, I decided to sprint along the way. Why not?


    Think of it like a video game. There is a high speed movement option and a low speed movement option. Both are just as effortless to perform, so there is no reason not to go slower.


    I made it to the dojo in about 10 minutes, and I took a moment to observe my surroundings. The sky was covered by grey clouds, signaling that it would rain. And if I looked through the window, I could see tens of students doing roundhouse kicks.


    Taking a small breath, I opened the door. And it was larger than I expected; the dojo looked as if it could fit nearly 100 people. Situated at the other end with the other two instructors, my dad was looking at everyone practicing below with a stern frown. But when he looked at me, that frown turned upside down.


    He pointed me out to the other instructors and said something about me. However, I couldn¡¯t make it out clearly as they were too far way. The other two instructors started laughing a bit, and then dad came to the front.


    Dad- ¡°Practice is over. Get into your sparring groups!¡±


    The students all moved quickly, while dad and the other instructors walked towards me at a leisurely pace. One of the instructors, a short, black haired man spoke first.


    ???- ¡°I heard about you from your father. But to be honest, I expected you to be less, fat, to say the least. You look like you haven¡¯t exercised in years!¡±


    Well he had no filter. And what does he mean, fat!? I¡¯m just a bit overweight, not skinny and short like you are!


    The other instructor, a bald, muscular man spoke afterwards, looking dissatisfied with his colleague''s conduct.


    ???- ¡°Jason, give him some respect. He¡¯s looks a lot stronger than you were at his age.¡±


    They both turned to each other and started squabbling,


    Jason- ¡°I don¡¯t believe it! He must of been holding back because Nathaniel is his son or something like that. You of all people should know how much of a monster he is, Bryan!¡±


    Dad intervened,


    Dad- ¡°Do I ever hold back? No, he beat me fair and square. Why don¡¯t you fight both fight him at once? I can assure you; you won¡¯t win.¡±


    Both of them looked appalled at this statement.


    Jason- ¡°Yeah, of course you can handle us both at a time, but him!? I could take him one on one!!!¡±


    Bryan- ¡°Are you sure? He may get hurt if he¡¯s not strong enough.¡±


    I felt the need to step in at this point; they were starting to piss me off with their antics.


    Me- ¡°If he said I could win; I will win! Let¡¯s settle this!¡±


    Jason- ¡°F*ck! How arrogant! Where¡¯s the gear; I need to teach this kid a lesson!¡±


    Dad came back with the gear in a moment, and we all put it on swiftly. Taking the mat on the center stage, we took our fighting postures. The students had stopped their matches to watch.


    Dad- ¡°Fight!¡±


    I started to circle around them, trying to find an area where one could be blocked by the other¡¯s body, so I could face them one at a time. However, their circling speed was in sync; I couldn¡¯t find an opening. And while I was pondering my best approach, Jason couldn¡¯t wait any longer.


    With a low shout, he rushed forward and threw a jab at my head. Unfortunately for him, I had kept the hot feeling in effect. And although it was fast, it wasn¡¯t on the same level as my dad¡¯s.


    Tilting my head, I strode forward and bashed his stomach. It didn¡¯t matter that his muscles were tensed up, they did little to stop my blow.


    He doubled over, but before I could make a move to finish him, Bryan was already swinging towards me. I guess this was the supposed difficulty of fighting 2 on one; I didn¡¯t have time to dodge.


    Bracing for impact, I absorbed the blow, and held on to his fist. Then I returned it with the other arm, straight to his chest!


    ¡°Bam!¡±


    Bryan flew back and landed on the floor. And as I whipped back to face Jason, he held up his hand in surrender.


    Jason- ¡°I knew the apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree, but who knew gravity would make the apple fall upwards!? What do you feed him to make him so strong? Is he on steroids!?¡±


    Bryan groaned from the floor,


    Bryan- ¡°Man. Had I not had on padding, I think you would of broken some bones!¡±


    They both glanced at one another, and the same fanatical look in my dad¡¯s eyes when I beat him appeared in theirs as well.


    Jason- ¡°What if he was in shape? How strong would he be then?¡±


    Bryan- ¡°He¡¯d be an absolute f*cking monster!¡±


    Simultaneously turning me with a burning fire in their eyes, they said,


    Bryan and Jason- ¡°We¡¯ll have to train him!¡±


    Dad- ¡°No, I¡¯m training him. He¡¯s my son and my disciple. Nathaniel, come here. I¡¯ll get you in shape.¡±


    They all closed in on me with creepy smiles on their faces, and I could only smile weakly.


    Me- ¡°This¡­ Can you guys just train me like the rest of the students?¡±


    All of them- ¡°NO!!!¡±


    ************************


    The hot feeling was my savior while I was undergoing the training. And thanks to it, I was able to do whatever they asked non-stop. They finally let me go when they themselves were exhausted from barking out orders to me and the rest of the students. Interestingly enough, a lot of them tried to copy what I was doing while I was training. They fainted soon afterwards.


    So as I went to leave the dojo, I thought I saw a familiar face looking through the window. Chloe?


    Opening the door, I saw a black haired girl with cute, purple glasses and a bright red blush on her face. She was acting like she was just passing by, but she walked with a limp. Nobody with a limp would just be strolling casually through the streets. She was looking for me.


    Chloe- ¡°Oh, hey Nathaniel! What a coincidence it is to see you here today! The weather was nice, so I decided to take a stroll.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Just then, the darkened clouds started pouring down rain. Trying (but not succeeding) to hold in my laughter, I remarked,


    Me- ¡°The world is shedding tears at such a bad excuse¡­¡±


    Chloe hit my shoulder jokingly,


    Chloe- ¡°Idiot.¡±


    She huddled close to me under the extended roof, and we watched the individual droplets patter on the sidewalk.


    Me- ¡°Hey Chloe, do you want to go shopping at the mall?¡±


    I honestly hated shopping, but I heard most girls liked it¡­ And with the amount of money I had in the ATM, I could probably buy whatever she wanted.


    Chloe- ¡°Oh really? I don¡¯t have any money because I don¡¯t have a job¡­¡±


    Me- ¡°That¡¯s ok. I have plenty of birthday money saved up. I¡¯ll get you something.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°I hope you don¡¯t regret it¡­¡±


    Me- ¡°Meh, I haven¡¯t used it in so long. All it¡¯s doing is sitting in the bank, so I just need to take some out from the ATM. We might as well use it.¡±


    We walked in areas covered from the rain, and when we had to cross the street, we did so quickly. I lead Chloe inside the first general store I saw.


    Me- ¡°I¡¯m gonna go to the ATM now so we can buy some umbrellas. Wait for me here, ok?¡±


    Chloe nodded.


    Chloe- ¡°Ok, but don¡¯t keep me waiting too long.¡±


    Me- ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t.¡±


    Walking out of the store, I saw a bank around 3 blocks away. They would probably have an ATM.


    Jogging over, I noticed the blonde from the class. What was her name? Natalie, right?


    I had an impulse to talk to her, but I decided against it. What starts with the organization, stays with the organization. I didn¡¯t want to ruin my normal life by combining the two together.


    Jogging past her, I went to the ATM and placed my phone on it. I loaded up the app, and suddenly an authentication appeared on both my phone and the ATM. Then a screen showing my balance, $12,000, appeared. At least this blood money would be going towards a good purpose.


    I took out 10 $20¡¯s, 8 $5¡¯s, and 10 $1¡¯s. That was a total of $250 leaving my account, making my new balance $11,750.


    I put all of the bills in my wallet, and turned around to jog back to Chloe. I ignored Natalie, who was still standing in the rain, staring at me and ran out. As far as I was concerned right now, she was a stranger to me.


    When I got back to Chloe, we bought two umbrellas. And then we started the walk to the mall.


    The mall was pretty close to the shopping complex we were at, as it was placed there because of the amount of people that lived there. We got there quickly.


    Closing my umbrella, I said to Chloe,


    Me- ¡°You lead the way.¡±


    I followed behind her, fully expecting her to lead me to a Macy''s or Sears. But instead, she led me to the, bookstore? Walking to the manga section, she took out a couple of books.


    Me- ¡°That¡¯s all? You¡¯re not going to the clothing section?¡±


    Chloe- ¡°You shouldn¡¯t speak too soon¡­¡±


    I gave a half smile and payed for the books. Of course, I was carrying them. And as we walked I saw our destination, the sears. Ha! I knew it!


    Unconcerned about my nonsensical gloating, Chloe started to pick out clothing, look at it closely, and put it back disappointedly. And after doing this for a while, she stopped and seemed to make a decision.


    Chloe- ¡°Nathaniel, I¡¯ll let you decide. Which outfit will look better on me?¡±


    She pulled out a black and blue shirt and a pair of pants that had an etching of a beautiful flower.


    Chloe- ¡°This one? Or¡­¡±


    She pulled out yet another outfit; it consisted of a black and yellow shirt with a pair of pants that had lines of flowing wind etched on it.


    Chloe- ¡°This one.¡±


    Looking at them closely, I decided on the first one.


    Me- ¡°You would look much better in the first one.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°How much better?¡±


    She seemed like she was on the verge of putting the outfit back. But honestly, the outfit looked good! Maybe if she wore it, I could convince her.


    Me- ¡°Chloe, if you tried it out, I¡¯m sure I could give you a more accurate description.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Ok!¡±


    Taking a minute to change, Chloe came out with the yellow and black shirt and the flowing wind pants.


    Chloe- ¡°So, what do you think?¡±


    Me- ¡°I mean, you¡¯d look good with anything. But why don¡¯t you change into the other outfit?¡±


    Chloe- ¡°I was just making sure.¡±


    After that, she went back into the changing room. And a minute passed before she came out again.


    She looked, stunning! I almost couldn¡¯t believe it was Chloe who came out! The shirt perfectly complemented her hair, and the pants fit her well. And I was sure she could see my reaction from her face, as she let off a bright smile. Before I could say anything about it, she nodded and exclaimed,


    Chloe- ¡°Ok, it¡¯s settled! I¡¯m choosing this one!¡±


    Handing off the shirt to me, she limped as quickly as she could to the cash register. Leaving me to glance at the price tag.


    The shirt was $65! And the pants were $75! Why and how were they so expensive? At walmart, I could get a shirt for $15 or less! That¡¯s more than a 400% increase in price! If this happened everyday, I was going to go broke...


    Chloe- ¡°Nathaniel, why are you just standing there in shock? Come on, it¡¯s time to get going!¡±


    Following after her, I paid for the outfit. My only consolation was that she truly looked nice in those clothes, and that she looked positively thrilled. That made me feel a bit better.


    We shopped for a little while more, but on account of my dwindling funds and increasingly full hands, she stopped. And we would of been done there, had it not been for the fact that both Chloe and I were very hungry.


    So, to finish things off, we settled for dinner at a steak and shake across from The School of Martial Thought. I know, not a super fancy restaurant. But hey, it was lunch! Can¡¯t get too fancy.


    Me- ¡°So, what are you going to order?¡±


    Chloe- ¡°The triple mini burger and a strawberry shake. You?¡±


    Me- ¡°I¡¯m getting the double cheese burger, with an addition of a strawberry shake as well.¡±


    The waiter came shortly after, and I relayed the order to him. Nodding, he went back to give our order to the chefs. And so we had time to talk.


    Chloe- ¡°Are you still wearing the pendant?¡±


    I smiled warmly, thinking back to our moment together in the room.


    Me- ¡°Always. Everytime I feel like my courage is lacking, I touch the pendant. It reminds me that you¡¯re still there, and that has allowed me to overcome anything that comes my way.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is¡­ I¡¯ve been getting this feeling sometimes, like you¡¯re in danger. Are people still hunting you?¡±


    I grimaced,


    Me- ¡°Well, they haven¡¯t come since yesterday at the theater. But today, I was in a class about my, you know. Anyways, there was a misunderstanding with one of the people there; she was led to believe I had done some horrible things to her. Thankfully it was resolved, so it¡¯s alright now. Anyways, I don¡¯t want to talk about this here¡­¡±


    Chloe- ¡°It¡¯s not just that, but-¡±


    The waiter came back, this time with our milkshakes and food.


    Waiter- ¡°Enjoy!¡±


    Chloe looked like she gave up on saying what she was going to say, and honestly, I didn¡¯t want to continue talking about the matters of the organization. So we dropped the subject, and ate our food.


    Chloe- ¡°So, you like strawberries too?¡±


    I smiled.


    Me- ¡°Yeah, my grandma used to get me buckets of these delicious strawberries when I was young. I loved them, and the taste pretty much stuck with me as I got older.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°That¡¯s cool. For me, I guess I just like the taste; I don¡¯t have any history with strawberries.¡±


    ???- ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you guys are enjoying the food. Fancy meeting you here, Nathaniel.¡±


    Looking over, I saw Natalie standing there in uniform. She worked here?


    Chloe glanced over at me questioningly, and asked,


    Chloe- ¡°Nathaniel, who is this?¡±


    Me- ¡°Remember how I told you about the person who¡­ I had a misunderstanding with? This is Natalie.¡±


    Natalie grimaced.


    Natalie- ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sorry about that. Her¡­ tricks were so convincing.¡±


    I remarked casually, a bit of the habitual coldness leaking into my tone,


    Me- ¡°You don¡¯t need to speak in code. She already knows.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°So you know him from, that organization?¡±


    Natalie- ¡°Yes.¡±


    Chloe let out a sigh of relief. She exclaimed,


    Chloe- ¡°It seems I¡¯ve watched too much romance! I thought for a second that you were his, other girlfriend.¡±


    Natalie¡¯s face turned red, but I was a bit upset.


    Me- ¡°Chloe, you know I wouldn¡¯t cheat on you! Why were you so quick to think that I was?¡±


    Chloe looked remorseful.


    Chloe- ¡°I¡¯m sorry Nathaniel. Look, you can have the rest of my milkshake!¡±


    I looked at her cup, and saw that there was a little less than a quarter left. I jokingly remarked, my anger mostly diffused by her apology,


    Me- ¡°There¡¯s only a quarter left! And I¡¯m paying for it anyway.¡±


    Chloe giggled pleasantly, and said coyly,


    Chloe- ¡°Well if you combine the two in my cup, the technically the rest of my milkshake would be a lot larger.¡±


    Before I could utter a word in protest, she poured the rest of my milkshake into her¡¯s.


    Chloe- ¡°Drink it! Or, I will drink it for you!¡±


    She put her straw in the drink, and started to suck up the milkshake furiously. Not willing to be outdone, I put my straw in as well and started drinking as fast as I could.


    Natalie- ¡°Well, I¡¯ll leave you two lovebirds alone. See ya!¡±


    Not paying mind to her absence, we continued to contest the contents of the cup. But suddenly, Chloe pulled away exclaiming,


    Chloe- ¡°Ah! Brainfreeze!¡±


    I started laughing, not able to finish the rest of the drink. And Chloe started to laugh as well.


    After the meal, I went and paid at the register. Chloe looked exhausted.


    Chloe- ¡°Well, that was fun! We should do something like this again someday!¡±


    I smiled sheepishly,


    Me- ¡°My wallet can¡¯t take any further onslaughts. Out of the $250 I brought, only $90 survived!¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Tch. I didn¡¯t clean him out.¡±


    Me- ¡°What was that? I didn¡¯t clean him out? Next time, you¡¯re paying!¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Don¡¯t be like that! I was just joking; I can¡¯t pay for any of it!¡±


    We walked out the door, and suddenly, I crouched down, the hands holding the groceries at my sides.


    Chloe- ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Me- ¡°Hop on. I¡¯ll give you a ride.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    Me- ¡°Yeah. My dad used to do this all the time for me when I was tired. And you¡¯re not only tired, but your ankle is also hurt! How could I let you walk all the way home!?¡±


    She climbed onto my back, and I could feel the warm smile radiating off of her.


    Chloe- ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Me- ¡°You¡¯d do the same for me.¡±


    Getting up, I started to walk to Chloe¡¯s house. And we started to talk once again.


    Chloe- ¡°I know this may sound weird, but I guess it¡¯s no weirder than what you can do with those flames¡­ You know when we were talking in the steak and shake? And I was talking about you in danger? Well, when you were at the organization at ten, a golden shield appeared on the bottom of my wrist. Right around here.¡±


    She showed me her wrist and pointed at a shield, etched into her arm. It was glowing with a golden aura.


    Chloe- ¡°Do you believe me?¡±


    Was Chloe unable to see it currently?


    Me- ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, but I can see it. As clear as day.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Do you think it has anything to do with your ability? Everytime you go to the organization, it feels like it¡¯s tugging me in a certain direction, warning me of imminent danger.¡±


    Me- ¡°Chloe.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Yes?¡±


    Me- ¡°Don¡¯t follow it. If I¡¯m in danger, it will be something that you can¡¯t handle. I don¡¯t want you in danger as well.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°But¡­ I just feel there may be more to this shield than meets the eye. What if it gives me the power to help you?¡±


    Me- ¡°But if it gives you the power to help me, then they would start to target you as well. And that cannot happen, I won¡¯t let it happen! Chloe, please. I don¡¯t want to see you get hurt.¡±


    She was silent for a while. And we continued to walk in silence until Chloe said something again.


    Chloe- ¡°But you forget I don¡¯t want to see you get hurt as well¡­¡±


    Those words provoked an intense tug on my heartstrings, and I couldn¡¯t speak, choked with emotion. She just silently hugged my back, as I continued to carry her home.


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter</a> Next Chapter</a>


    Author¡¯s note 2- I felt like I couldn¡¯t end this at any other place than this. And this chapter was quite the monster; it had 3483 words! I¡¯m sorry, I couldn¡¯t stop myself!

 Vol. 1 Chapter 12- Testing

    Author¡¯s note- Yeah, I know. Shorter than usual. Well, just like when I ended the chapter at 3483 words yesterday, I had to end this one earlier than usual. Mostly because the chapter wouldn¡¯t really have a fitting name if I let it go on longer. I will be working on the next one after posting this one though, so it¡¯s not really like your getting less than you should be. Just think of it as getting something more often, rather than all at once.


    __________________________________________________________________


    <h1>Testing</h1>


    I dropped Chloe off and went back home, sullen. How could I convince her that this was a bad idea?


    No good answers appeared in my mind after a long time was spent pondering, and I rolled over in my bed, frustrated.


    Checking the time, I noticed it was 4:03. The day wasn¡¯t over yet, so I couldn¡¯t go to sleep. Mom and dad usually didn¡¯t have to work late on the weekends, so they¡¯d be here around 6:30.


    I decided to play around with my power a bit more, so I went to the back yard. I left Bella inside the house.


    Going to an area with no grass, I had before me a couple of insects. Tests for my golden aura. So far, I had only used it on ability users. But would it have a different effect if tried on something without an ability?


    Surrounding my hand with the golden aura, I tried to extend a part of my golden aura to the insect. The aura traveled and moved slowly, but at the end I discovered that I could extend it outwards from my hand about a foot away. It looked like a spike jutting out. However, doing this took all my aura concentrated on one point of my body.


    I used a spike on one of the ants I had collected, and it just stopped moving. Retracting my golden aura, the insect started to disintegrate. The inside of the insect poured out like water, and turned into a gas. The exoskeleton was next, as it started to slowly lose its structure. Eventually, it deteriorated and was destroyed as well.


    The effects seemed much more potent on the insect than it did on the ability user. Was my subject not big enough? Or was it because the ant didn¡¯t have an ability?


    I had no way to test this, as the only living things present in my backyard were me, and some insects. Except the rabbit that lived in the brush¡­


    Looking over to where I had last saw it, the rabbit was sitting in an area devoid of grass. Perfect¡­


    With a thought, I created a flame ring that surrounded the rabbit. Startled, the rabbit froze, not daring to go in any direction. I actually kinda felt sorry for it, but knowing how my abilities worked could be the difference between life or death. For example, if I knew I could jut out my aura like a spike, I wouldn¡¯t of had to take that blow from the hulkish woman. Or if I had the flame point X10, I could of beat her way before she even got into close range. And even the flame ring would of helped, as it could''ve slowed down my fall, making things less perilous.


    Surrounding the rabbit with my golden aura, the life faded away from its eyes. A small golden light appeared for a split second, and then went into my own. My aura extended a bit further afterwards. Then I retracted my aura and ignored the rate of deterioration.


    Both the ant and rabbit either died instantly or were fully incapacitated when my aura surrounded them. So that means it has almost nothing to do with the size or the species. Somehow their ability seems to protect them from dying instantly like the normal things. And I couldn¡¯t find ability users to experiment on, at least none that would be willing.


    So that left me with two options. One was to wait for the opportunity. If they came after me again, and they were not strong enough to deal with me, heh. But this was a gamble; if I waited for them to come without increasing my strength further, then I¡¯d probably end up in dire straits. Plus, the reason I¡¯m getting stronger is to handle them when they come, so Chloe won¡¯t have to get involved.


    The second option, was an option I was hesitant even picking: asking an illusionist from the organization to simulate a battle. Like my battle with Blaze and Song, if he could replicate the effects of battle with more ability users like that, I could test the specifications without harming anyone. But there were serious problems.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Asking it from someone like Daydream would probably be ok, but I had no way of getting in contact with him. So the only other choice that I currently know of would be Mrs. Kim, the sadistic illusionist. Upon asking her, I would be putting myself at her mercy. And considering her relationship with the barrier girl, Viola, she would probably have reason to put me through torture. Not to mention I also didn¡¯t have anything that could make her willing to do it for me.


    Knowing that I couldn¡¯t try much else with my golden aura, I decided to continue experimenting with my flame points. I had no real effective way to make use of the freezing effect that came with them against ability users, as I couldn¡¯t take away their bodily heat. But what if I drew from the same area while making 10 points simultaneously?


    With a thought, 10 flame points appeared around me, and my target, a piece of grass on the ground, didn¡¯t look any different. Except it didn¡¯t sway in the wind¡­


    Getting a closer look, I went to touch a strand of grass in that patch.


    Me- ¡°Ah!¡±


    It was so cold it burned my finger for the moment I touched it! And soon after, the piece of grass shattered into little bits. This had potential!


    Getting a water bottle from the house, I poured it across a patch of dirt. And once the water was settled, I froze it again by making flame points in midair. The patch of land was now a mini ice skating rink!


    I was unable to resist the urge to run and slide on it. But realizing this probably wouldn¡¯t melt for a while, I decided to continue trying out other things.


    The only usage of flame I hadn¡¯t replicated as of now was the flame tornado. I tried to do something similar with the flame ring, but a ring could not focus the flame like the tornado could. The tornado focused the flame into a single point like a drill, rotating in such a way that has intensifying and piercing effects. While my flame ring condensation could create an explosion.


    Trying it out, I made flame points along the path my tornado would spin. Then making them travel along that path, the flame tornado was created? Not really.


    It didn¡¯t look like the one in my dream; it was just a sorry imitation. What was I doing wrong?


    On a moment of inspiration, I made 3 flame rings that each had a different amount of flame points. The largest had 4, the middle one had 3, the smallest had two, and the focal point was a single flame point. Then I slanted part of the flame rings so they connected with each other, and suddenly, I had a flame tornado!


    It spun like a drill into the air, and when it fully converged onto one point, the point dispersed into a rotational flame that expanded outwards. Not explosive, but it was good nonetheless.


    The flame tornado would be of use in further increasing my speed, attack, and defense. Like the flame ring, the flame tornado would be able to create streams of air that would assist my movement in certain directions. But the effect would be much better, as I wouldn¡¯t be just relying on the fact that hot air flows upward. I would be guiding the air specifically, allowing my speed to increase further.


    I would be able to use it in attack by piercing through a defense that say, my flame point X10 couldn¡¯t break. The intensifying flame at the end of the tornado would work nicely for that. Plus, the flame tornado had less noticeability; if you didn¡¯t see it directly, you wouldn¡¯t notice. But my flame point X10 could only be used in isolated areas because it had a super loud noise. Using the flame tornado instead would be like adding a silencer to a sniper rifle.


    As for defense, the tornado would have less use than the other two. Flame wasn¡¯t exactly a material, so it couldn¡¯t block things directly. But I bet it could still divert thrown projectiles to a certain extent. I¡¯m not too sure about bullets though¡­


    Unfortunately, my backyard wasn¡¯t exactly the best place for testing out my flame tornado. Unlike the flame ring, these flames covered a much larger area, and I didn¡¯t want to create a wildfire. That would probably end badly.


    Deciding to play around with freezing water a little bit more, I grabbed some water bottles. I screwed off the cap of one and slashed out with it, creating a line of water in the air. Then I suddenly froze it, creating an ice blade that flew out in mid air.


    Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t manipulate that ice blade further, making me doubt that my ability was telekinesis. And coming out of the water bottle like that, it probably didn¡¯t have any attacking potential.


    It landed on the ground and shattered into ice shards that were scattered across the ground. But that made me think of another usage. What if I¡­ Froze all of the water in the water bottle except for the globe of water at the top. Would it fly out like a bullet from the instant compression of ice, like a water pressurizer?


    I opened the cap just enough to keep water from leaking out, but enough that it would easily blow off. Then I prepared to create 9 freezing areas inside the bottle, while the tenth would be prepared for the water droplet that came out of the bottle.


    Aiming the water bottle at the tree that stood in the corner of my backyard, I fired!


    ¡°Thunk.¡±


    The water bottle in my hands was now a cylindrical pillar of ice with scraps of plastic coated on the ice, or broken onto the floor. And as I looked at the area I fired at, I saw a myriad of shards embedded in both the tree, and the wooden planks that made up my fence behind the tree.


    Interesting¡­ An effective mid range weapon. Too bad the container materials aren¡¯t strong enough to fully focus the expansion of the ice forwards. That meant it was a single use per water bottle only, and the power was not as strong as it could be. But seeing as how most of them are embedded in the wood, I think it will be pretty effective against opponents made out of flesh and blood.


    I decided to keep 3 water bottles with me at all times, to use in their appropriate situations. After all, adding the ice to my range of abilities made me more versatile.


    I checked the time and realized an hour had passed while I was testing everything out. It was now 5:30. Not having anymore ideas, I melted the ice and tried to cover up the traces of what I did. Then I went inside to rest, not noticing that the rabbit had disappeared without a trace...


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter</a> Next Chapter


    Author¡¯s note 2- Rip rabbit. He was so cute until Nathaniel got to him¡­ See you guys later with another chapter!

 Vol. 1 Chapter 13- Ash in the wind

    Author¡¯s note- Hey guys! Back with another early chapter! Enjoy~!


    __________________________________________________________________


    <h1>Ash in the wind</h1>


    The clouds were the first thing that went into my field of vision. I was here again?


    Placing a hand on the water, I got up into a standing position. And from there, I could once again see my reflection. He seemed much further away from me than before, and this time I wasn¡¯t filled with an irrational hatred towards him. Had the space expanded?


    With an intention from my mind, the hot feeling arose from within. Then with another, a flame tornado emerged around me, obscuring my features. Unfortunately, I noted, I couldn¡¯t exactly see well through the flame, so I couldn¡¯t make it into something that covered my whole body. But it would do well to guard everything below my head.


    Making a flame tornado behind me, I sprinted towards one end of the space. Then I sprinted to the other end without the tornado, timing it at 6 seconds. Next, I sprinted back to the other end with the flame ring, timing it at 4 and a half seconds. The flame ring made me a bit faster, but the force was almost purely vertical, not helping me too much in the horizontal.


    Next I tried using the flame tornado to sprint, putting it directly under my feet. I timed it at 5 seconds. The reason it was slower was because I was going a lot higher when sprinting, throwing me off balance. Sometimes, lighter isn¡¯t always better.


    So as a final test, I aimed the tornado perpendicular to my back to sprint. And I made it to the other side in only 3 seconds! That meant that with the tornado at my back, my speed was effectively doubled!


    Deciding to test out how many flames I could combine before it went out of control, I started to combine the flame points one by one. The fire turned blue at flame point X5, and the fire started to become unstable at X6. It ruptured like the flame point at the end of the tornado soon after, so X5 was my limit when trying to make my fire hotter.


    I wanted to test another application of my ability, but suddenly, the whole realm started to shake intensely. What was happening!?


    It shattered like glass, and I woke up to find my phone vibrating. It seemed to be a notification from the organization.


    ¡®You have been targeted once again, this time by bounty hunters. They are ability users well versed in sniping and melee combat. Please find a defensible location at once.¡¯


    Me- ¡°F*ck!!!¡±


    Last time, the organization warned me well before the attack. However, they didn¡¯t come until well after the battle had ended. I could only depend on my own abilities to survive this. Grabbing a few water bottles, I started to sprint out of the house and to the Racetrac. If I could get there and teleport before they got to me, then that would be for the best. Plus, they normally had members stationed outside; I could draw support from them.


    I wanted to use my flame tornado to accelerate my body, but the only route I knew was the one in public. Hopefully they wouldn¡¯t try and attack me while I was still in the public¡­


    Dashing quickly, I made it to the area of my school without incident. But when I had to cross, I heard sounds of gunfire in the distance. Coming from the racetrac¡­


    I realized that they were most likely engaged in combat. And I had 2 options. One was to continue on my path to the Racetrac. I would probably have assistance, and I would be able to go down the corridor and teleport. However, if I got shot in the crossfire, it was probably going to be game over.


    Alternatively, I could abandon going to the racetrac and hide in some other location. But that would be overlooking the fact that they most likely had some way to track me, seeing as they had troops deployed in the way of my destination. Hiding would only get me killed faster.


    I decided to take an approach through the forest, and circle around the back to the race trac. That way, I could use the trees as cover from being sniped, and I could probably act as an element of surprise to the battle at the racetrac.


    Crossing the intersection, I went off road and slid downhill towards the forest. And in a moment, I was inside. Safe!


    Activating my flame ring, I started to go even faster. Unfortunately using the flame tornado would probably cause a forest fire. I would only use it if absolutely necessary.


    As I was running, I saw a plume of dirt rise up from the ground. Then a second later, the sound of a gunshot rang out. I was already being sniped?


    Putting my back to a large tree, I tried to think of something. Dash out in a zigzag pattern? You¡¯ve watched too many gun fight movies. That won¡¯t do shit against a professional.


    Send a flame point down the gun barrel? I don¡¯t even know where he is!


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Options came up within my mind and were discarded as soon as they came. Why was it so complicated!? I¡¯ll just burn it all!


    Sending flame points flying out in all directions, a slight crackling sound could be heard from my surroundings. But it wasn¡¯t spreading like I expected it to. And didn¡¯t it rain recently¡­


    F*ck! What was I supposed to do!?


    On a flash of inspiration, I sent out a flame tornado, from my big tree to the next. And as soon as the sound of gunfire rang out, I dashed over to the other tree.


    That worked? I let out a long sigh of relief, realizing my gamble had paid off. Looking for my next cover, I saw a big tree and an area of brush that led to the racetrac. If I could get to the area of brush, he¡¯d probably have a hard time hitting me.


    But I doubted the same trick would work twice for sure. If I wanted to fool him again, I would have to be within the tornado. That was a problem. I couldn¡¯t see while running around in the flame.


    Would I be able to use the fallen leaves to create white smoke? If I had a hot enough fire, I doubt that would be an issue.


    Making two flame point X5, I moved them across some leaves and twigs strewn about the path. They started to shrivel up, and then they burned away before they could release enough smoke to give me a hope of running past.


    Thinking for a bit, I realized I had to abandon that idea. It just wouldn¡¯t work.


    Realizing that there was no other way than the flame tornado, I engulfed myself in it and just ran.


    No shots rang out, but after 2 seconds I dispersed the tornado and realized the tree was right ahead of me!


    Sliding, I noticed another plume of dirt rise up behind me. Then a gunshot rang out, signaling that I almost had been shot!


    Moving quickly, I laid down using the brush as cover and started to crawl towards the racetrac. And as I crawled, I noticed something was wrong. I haven¡¯t been hearing sounds of a gunfight from the racetrac, yet I was being shot at by a sniper. Was everyone already taken out!?


    A cold feeling shook my body, and I started trembling. I was on my own now.


    When I made it to the top of the brushy area, the brush ahead seemed to thin out. If I continued crawling, I would probably get sniped. So I observed my destination, seeing if anything there can help me.


    The back of the racetrac had people lying on the ground, semi automatic guns pointed towards the forest. And the end of a black barrel stuck out from on top of the roof. The sniper!


    Like I expected, the dead bodies of the ¡®gangsters¡¯ I had seen earlier were strewn across the area. They each had a gaping, bloody hole on their foreheads. Sniped¡­


    Grasping the pendant at my neck, I silently whispered,


    Me- ¡°Chloe. Give me good luck¡­¡±


    I sent flame points down each of their barrels, with a flame point X5 down the sniper¡¯s. And with a thought, they ruptured.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Their guns all misfired, and the sniper¡¯s gun totally blew up, flying backwards. And the fight started!


    The soldiers simultaneously staggered back, but some of them recovered more quickly than others. Drawing military knives, they charged towards the forest. And one of them happened to come in my direction. I couldn¡¯t stay hidden!


    Pushing myself up, I drew into a fighting stance. And in the next moment, he was already slashing at me.


    I didn¡¯t have time to prepare a flame point X10, so I sidestepped and touched his arm, my golden aura surrounding my hand.


    He fell to the ground and didn¡¯t get back up again. But now they knew where I was¡­


    The other four turned around and ran in my direction, closing in on me from all sides.


    I picked one off with a flame point X10 and another with an ice bullet spray, but there were still two left!


    They both attacked me simultaneously, one slashing at my throat and the other stabbing towards my ribs. I couldn¡¯t dodge both of them!


    Choosing to dodge the knife aimed at my throat, I slapped his arm as it came by with my golden aura. He dropped the knife, but the other one landed his knife in my ribs!


    ???- ¡°Hah ha ha ha!!!¡±


    Letting out an insane laughter, he pulled out the knife and aimed for my heart!


    Unfortunately for him, I blocked the knife by putting my hand in the way. With red eyes, I sucked the life out of him as well!


    But the damage was done. My blood started gushing out of my side like a waterfall, and I pressed my uninjured hand to the wound, trying to stop the bloodflow.


    Thankfully, the hot feeling saved my life yet again. Concentrating around the wound, it stopped the bleeding immediately on my palm and my ribs. And the wound started to once again knit itself together at a visible rate.


    But suddenly, the fake door to the secret room opened, and out of it came two people with wide grins on their faces. One was a woman with eyes like an abyss, black with a red glint at the center. Scars extended across her face with her eyes as the center, and she held two military knives at her sides.


    The other was a girl. Her grin looked vicious, and her eyes were bloodshot, staring at me with hatred. She was caressing a dead, rabbit?


    Chills ran through my body as I remembered the rabbit in my backyard. Didn¡¯t I kill it? Were they aiming for me even then?


    The girl with the rabbit held out her hand to the woman, and the woman placed a military knife in it.


    Rabbit girl- ¡°You killed him. You killed Mr. Tom! Look at him!¡±


    Her eyes glinted with an insane look, as she walked forward, pointing to the rabbit. Holding the knife, she threw the rabbit to the side, and it rapidly deteriorated once it left her hands, turning into a skeleton soon after. She murmured darkly,


    Rabbit girl- ¡°I¡¯ll have fun with you¡­¡±


    Moving to take out another water bottle, I noticed my movements were sluggish. What was going on?


    Rabbit girl- ¡°Heh, you want to run? Mr. Tom couldn¡¯t when he wanted to, and now you¡¯re getting a taste of your own medicine. Struggle! The neurotoxin will make things fun for you in your last moments¡­¡±


    Poison? So what!? I¡¯ll make sure we¡¯ll both go down!


    Me- ¡°Hah ha ha ha! You think I¡¯ll just roll over and die? Think again!¡±


    The hot feeling started to rampage like a dragon, going bezerk! I took out the water bottle with a grim smile, aiming it at the rabbit girl. The woman realized something was wrong, and threw the knife at my head. But it was too late!


    I fired the ice bullet, and summoned a flame tornado to surround my whole body. Something sliced past my cheek, and landed in the ground behind me. Knowing that was the knife, I dispersed the tornado to see the black eyed woman staring at the rabbit girl. She was on the ground, bleeding from numerous holes in her body. Her pure white clothes were soon dyed red.


    Black eyed woman- ¡°NO!!!¡±


    I gave a bloody smile, and made a provocative gesture with my hand.


    Me- ¡°What a pity¡­¡±


    Black eyed woman- ¡°You¡­ I¡¯LL KILL YOU!¡±


    The blackness in her eyes receded to the red light, and she dashed up to me, hands outstretched.


    When she came into about a 2 foot range, I extended my golden aura from my hand. And when it touched her, the light in her eyes almost ran out. But staggering forward with indomitable will, she extended her hand weakly towards my throat.


    And just as it was almost within her grasp, I managed to overcome the neurotoxin and kicked at her stomach. She fell to the floor, and the light in her eyes faded away.


    Me- ¡°So close, yet so far away¡­¡±


    I sucked out my golden aura from her body, and set fire to both of them. In the end, they blew away, as ash in the wind.


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter</a> Next Chapter


    Author¡¯s note 2- And yet another one bites the dust.

 Vol. 1 Chapter 14- To Survive

    Author¡¯s note- Hi, back with another one! Enjoy!


    __________________________________________________________________


    <h1>To Survive</h1>


    Turning away from the ashes, I burnt away the rest of the bodies with X5 flames. Then I slumped to the ground, everything washing back onto me at once.


    The poison was moving around in me, killing me faster than the hot feeling was healing me. Was I going to die here?


    Rolling over, I attempted to force myself back up, to walk, limp, whatever away from the area. But nothing was working. My body stopped responding to my commands, and I started to find it harder and harder to breath. Eventually, I rolled back onto my back and started into the clouds; they floated freely, uncaring of the situation below.


    Ah, if I could be like a cloud in the sky¡­


    Stretching out my hand, I reached for one of the clouds. If I died, I bet I would be like one of them. Carefree, exempted from the killing, the viciousness of my life. All I¡¯d have to do was let go.


    But my life wasn¡¯t over yet... Grabbing the pendant, I started struggling, doing anything I could to survive! The golden aura involuntarily leaked from my body, and the hot feeling went berserk, responding to my desire.


    I got up, staggering, and I started walking, step by step. I didn¡¯t have a destination; the only thing that mattered was I was going somewhere. I was living!


    But unrespondant to my desire, my surroundings started to slowly turn dark. That didn¡¯t matter to me, however. Was I not still thinking; was I still not letting go? I continued to walk for a while, and eventually my surroundings melted into blackness. I couldn¡¯t move.


    A moment passed as I continued to stand there, blocking my body¡¯s shut down at every instant. And my efforts were rewarded, as my sight started to come back. Had I outlasted the poison?


    A silhouette enlarged within my eyes, the person was grabbing my shoulder, shaking me. Suddenly, the faint sound of sobbing came into my ears, and the person, the girl, broke down. Chloe?


    The realization of her being there made an intense feeling of comfort wash all over me. It was all over¡­


    Me- ¡°You¡¯re... Here¡­¡±


    I stopped fighting, and immediately I slumped into unconsciousness.


    *******************


    A cool feeling surrounded my back, and a moment passed as I watched the floating clouds drift by once again. A shadow formed as one of them passed over me, and that was my cue to sit up. Not seeing a point to do anything, I stared at my reflection. Blank eyes stared back at me, but suddenly a light went within them. He was alive?


    Me?- ¡°After you succumbed to the poison, there was nothing protecting Chloe from the organization.¡±


    It took me a while to react to those words, and I sat there dumbly, not reacting. What did he say?


    Me- ¡°Nothing¡­ Nothing happened to Chloe yet, right?¡±


    His expression didn¡¯t change, assuming the blank look that was always on his face.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Me?- ¡°...¡±


    Me- ¡°TELL ME!!!¡±


    Suddenly, the space shrunk, and they all glared at me with the same expression. They spoke in unison,


    Me?- ¡°You¡¯re already dead, right? Why does it matter?¡±


    Me- ¡°I¡¯m talking to you, aren¡¯t I? Once this space shatters, I¡¯ll wake up, just like normal.¡±


    Me?- ¡°Oh really? You don¡¯t know a thing about the place you¡¯re in, nor do you know why you¡¯re in here. See, in here, I¡¯m the ruler. You will be sent out when I feel the need. No sooner.¡±


    Suddenly, the space shifted, and the clouds became stormy once again. His expression became darker and darker.


    Me- ¡°I can shatter this place myself. I¡¯ve done it before!¡±


    Me?- ¡°But this time, I won¡¯t let you.¡±


    My shadow suddenly extended beyond my back, and I could feel an ominous presence. Jumping up, I whipped around to face a shadowy version of myself. And suddenly, his eyes were closed, ears cut off, nose removed, and his mouth sealed. He stood there unmoving, like an unshakable mountain. And a voice like mutterings from the depths of hell came from all directions,


    Me?- ¡°You may not leave¡­¡±


    A billowing dark aura came swirling around him, and suddenly, I found an inexplicable pressure pressing down on me from all directions!


    Me?- ¡°Come¡­¡±


    The words were like a rope, dragging me into his direction. I could barely fight back!


    Forcibly resisting, I activated my hot feeling and the flame tornado, resisting the assault for a moment. But it slowly grew stronger, continually dragging me into the abyss.


    Freezing the water around my feet, I regained my foot hold, and I started to shift forward. I will not be defeated by this!


    But then the black aura surrounded me, and my strength started to rapidly decline. Sliding back, I screamed out,


    Me- ¡°NO!¡±


    The golden aura emerged and started to fight back the black aura. I regained my freedom and moved forward once again.


    Me?- ¡°Why are you running away?¡±


    Me- ¡°I want to live!¡±


    Me?- ¡°We both have the same desire then¡­ If you stay in here, I can ensure our survival forever¡­¡±


    I continued to struggle against his aura, moving forward. But in the next moment, the aura in front of me swirled, and a girl stepped out.


    The first thing I saw was her throw back her beautiful black hair, and she smiled, the freckle under her smile making it so much more cute. The fragrance like a wild flower sprouting in spring surrounded her; I remembered it from our first kiss. The glasses seemed to enhance her vibrant eyes, and she drew closer to me, touching my face.


    Chloe?- ¡°I¡¯m the reason you¡¯re struggling so hard, right? You can stay with me here!¡±


    Drawing away like a nymph, she giggled and said,


    Chloe?- ¡°What is it Nathaniel? Why not?¡±


    I looked at her, and my face twisted. I wanted to believe it was real! Not caring that she was an illusion from my other side, I started talking to her.


    Me- ¡°But this is the you from my memories. This isn¡¯t the real you, Chloe. I want to see more of you in real life, not in a fake world where everything repeats¡­¡±


    Chloe looked heartbroken, and my heart wrenched painfully. But I stubbornly went on,


    Me- ¡°It would be a disgrace to both you and the real you to stay here forever¡­ How could I when I¡¯m the only barrier between her and the organization?¡±


    Chloe- ¡°But don¡¯t you understand? I am the real Chloe! Everything about her, what you noticed and what you unconsciously noted is here! I am your Chloe! You never know if someone in real life is going to betray you, especially women! Remember Alice!?¡±


    Alice? Tears involuntarily streaked down from my face as I remembered what I had locked away. Why I moved¡­


    Me- ¡°Chloe isn¡¯t like her! And plus, Alice never liked me in the first place; she only pretended to¡­¡±


    Chloe- ¡°And that¡¯s why it hurt so much more!¡±


    As the tears went from my eyes, I was rapidly growing weaker. I started to get sucked away, even with the presence of the ice. But my anger suddenly surfaced; how could ¡®she¡¯ manipulate my emotions like that?


    Me- ¡°Even if she was going to betray me, so what!? If I stayed in here, I¡¯d be betraying her first! And Chloe never knew about Alice! You¡¯re a fucking fake!!!¡±


    With a wave of my hand, ¡®Chloe¡¯ dispersed. And I continued walking on, to the boundary of the space. It wouldn¡¯t be long till I could smash it.


    Me?- ¡°Don¡¯t leave!!! I can¡¯t protect you out there!!! What if you actually get killed!?¡±


    The lightning stormed around him wildly, and I found my reflection at the boundary. He was tearing up with an extremely worried expression.


    Me- ¡°It would be because I wasn¡¯t strong enough. But I will fight to the last breath!¡±


    I sent my strongest fist forward, and the space shattered to reveal boundless darkness.


    Me?- ¡°Then take this¡­ Maybe you can survive longer with it¡­¡±


    The darkness swirled around me, and suddenly, it receded into my body. And as I was enveloped by the darkness once again, I found myself in my body.


    Opening my eyes, I saw a tear stricken Chloe buried in my chest. Stroking her beautiful black hair, I whispered,


    Me- ¡°Chloe¡­ Don¡¯t cry...¡±


    She looked up at me, and we went into a hug.


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter Next Chapter


    Author¡¯s note 2- Sorry for the delay; I had a big fight with my family. But chapters should be back on schedule from now on, so I will see you tom. with another chapter!

 Vol. 1 Chapter 15- Aftermath

    Author¡¯s note- This was done at 5:30 on wednesday. I¡¯m not sure when I can post, so¡­ Well I guess it doesn¡¯t matter since you¡¯re reading it now, and I already have the next one underway. Enjoy~


    __________________________________________________________________


    <h1>Aftermath</h1>


    After a while, I drew back from the hug. But,I was still feeling concerned.


    Me- ¡°Chloe. I told you it was dangerous. Why did you come here?¡±


    Chloe looked surprised I actually asked this and said indignantly,


    Chloe- ¡°But you got stabbed! You could of died!¡±


    Me- ¡°That¡¯s my point! What if more of them came? What would we do then? They would of gotten both you and me! But without you here, I could probably escape!¡±


    Chloe- ¡°You couldn¡¯t even see me until I was right in front of you! And you passed out as soon as you recognized I was even standing there! I thought you were dead¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t have a good response to this, but I still murmured a moment later,


    Me- ¡°I¡¯m fine now¡­¡±


    Chloe looked upset and worried.


    Chloe- ¡°No you¡¯re not! Look at all that blood on the side of your shirt!¡±


    Realizing that I may still be bleeding, Chloe started to try and rip out a piece of her shirt to tie up my wound. But I stopped her, saying,


    Me- ¡°Chloe, my ability isn¡¯t only limited to fire. I can heal as well; it just takes some time. Look, the bleeding has already stopped!¡±


    I lifted up my shirt to show her, while simultaneously activating the hot feeling. But contrary to my expectations, Chloe¡¯s face darkened considerably. She looked like she was about to throw up.


    Chloe- ¡°Oh my god! Nathaniel, how are you acting like everything¡¯s fine!? It looks so painful!¡±


    Me- ¡°I don¡¯t feel it. Plus, it will be gone in ten minutes tops. Bear with me, and continue looking at it for a second.¡±


    While she stared at it, I instinctively had a feeling that this level of the hot feeling wasn¡¯t my limit any longer. I could take it to another level.


    Letting it go full power, I suddenly felt the whole world had changed. Chloe had slowed down by at least 4 times, and my eyesight had become so much better. For example, looking at a plant from afar now was like looking at it up close, with a magnifying glass. And my wound was starting to itch like crazy; I could feel my muscles knitting together! It wasn¡¯t even on the same level as before, where if you didn¡¯t look closely, you couldn¡¯t see it healing.


    Chloe jumped, clearly not expecting my wound to heal that fast.


    Chloe- ¡°What was that!? If you could heal that fast, then why were you in such a terrible state earlier?¡±


    A grimace came on my face, as I remembered what the rabbit girl had said about the knife that stabbed into me. Poison.


    Me- ¡°They added poison to the knife I was stabbed with, delaying my healing until the poison was resolved. But I guess I was able to deal with it because my healing ability is so powerful. It was just a matter of time. That¡¯s why I could¡¯ve escaped if you hadn¡¯t come, given a bit more time.¡±


    I intentionally failed to mention how close I came to death this time. If Chloe became worried, then I don¡¯t know what she would do when I was in danger again. I needed to first assure her that I could face things alone, and then we could move on from there. For her own good.


    Chloe- ¡°What exactly happened there?¡±


    She pointed towards the back of the racetrac. And I noticed I had walked a much smaller distance than I thought I did. There was a trail of blood along with my footsteps, extending about 10 feet.


    Me- ¡°Mercenaries, they came after me with poison knives. I took down all of them, but one managed to get me with the knife. Resulting in this.¡±


    Chloe got the same sickened expression that she had before when I told her I was being hunted for money. Grabbing my hands, Chloe looked into my eyes, telling me to answer honestly.


    Chloe- ¡°Who¡¯s paying them? Why do they want to come after you?¡±


    I froze. I never thought about that; my thinking was only to the point that people were being paid. Who was paying these people to kill me? And why? A rival organization, trying to pick the flower bud before it has bloomed? But then how could the organization seem to warn me right before every attack? Did anyone else have any similar problems?


    A lingering suspicion formed in my mind, but I couldn¡¯t put a finger on what exactly it was. I answered Chloe honestly,This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Me- ¡°I, don¡¯t know. All I know for sure now is someone placed a bounty on me, and I¡¯m being hunted.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Nathaniel, we have to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible!¡±


    Me- ¡°No, I have to get to the bottom of this. They¡¯re hunting me, not you. We already discussed this, but the fact is, you can¡¯t fight! It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t want to see me get hurt, because you have no way to stop me from getting hurt on the battlefield! And I can¡¯t protect you from a sniper in a brush, who knows where! If you get killed, I could only blame myself! The best way is for you to stay out of this mess altogether! And-¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Shut! Up! You forget that I¡¯m not exactly a normal person either! How else could I find you here!? In a moment of crisis, I¡¯m sure this thing can do something! I can feel it! Nathaniel, I¡¯m not just some princess, waiting for the male lead to fight her battles for her! If you just give me the chance, I¡¯m sure I could be of use!¡±


    Me- ¡°This isn¡¯t all fun and games! People are dying like flies, and you almost turn green from a flesh wound! It¡¯s too-¡±


    The door to the Racetrac opened, and out came a squadron of soldiers in black. The organization¡­


    A voice came out from the back of the squadron, a familiar voice.


    Daydream- ¡°Why is it that you¡¯re always being hunted? How many was it this time?¡±


    I stepped in front of Chloe, and answered out coldly,


    Me- ¡°4 mercenaries, 2 ability users.¡±


    Daydream- ¡°Description? I don¡¯t see anything but ashes.¡±


    Me- ¡°One was a woman with eyes like an abyss, black with a red glint of light. Scars extended across her face with her eyes as the center, and she was accompanied by a girl, a bit younger than I am. She held a rabbit in her hands. The mercenaries were equipped with automatic rifles and poisonous knives.¡±


    He scratched his chin; his expression was truly strange.


    Daydream- ¡°Widow and her daughter, the beast tamer? I¡¯m surprised that you took them out! Unlike the last two, no-names that just grouped together for the hunt, these two were actually a professional team! They specialize in ambush, the tamer locates the target, while the widow uses her sniping skills to end the battle before it starts. How did you survive the first encounter?¡±


    Me- ¡°I went in the forest, and used fire as my cover. The rabbit girl, the tamer I guess, had her rabbit killed by me before they actually attacked.¡±


    Daydream clicked his tongue.


    Daydream- ¡°Tch, I guess you got lucky. They sabotaged the teleportation portal, so we couldn¡¯t show up on time. But, another girl? Why do they seem to show up when you¡¯re getting hunted?¡±


    He motioned behind me, but I didn¡¯t respond. Chloe started to shiver, so I grabbed her hand to calm her down.


    Daydream- ¡°Well, I guess you know this one. Your girlfriend? You know the rules right? She can¡¯t know anything.¡±


    Me- ¡°Well, she does now, thanks to our conversation.¡±


    Daydream- ¡°I can fix that.¡±


    He walked up to her, extending his hand. But I stopped him.


    Me- ¡°Can we let her go for once? I don¡¯t want to see her memories wiped.¡±


    Daydream- ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but regulations have to be followed. Step aside!¡±


    I aggressively took a step forward, a golden aura surrounding my body. And in response, Song took a step forward as well, her expression dark. I¡¯d have to take out the mercenaries guns first, then blow up Song. Then I¡¯d have to deal with daydream in close combat with my golden aura. But the problem was, the other two people who I didn¡¯t know. Their abilities were unknowns, and they could potentially throw a wrench in my preparations. I was at a disadvantage.


    As the mercenaries raised their guns, I prepared to detonate a flame point in each of their guns. But before any of us made a move, one of the people in the back spoke up.


    ???- ¡°Stand down; she is a contractor of his. I can see his power on her wrist.¡±


    They lowered their guns, and all of their facial expressions visibly relaxed. But my grimace grew stronger. A contractor?


    Daydream- ¡°Whew, you almost gave me a heart attack. I thought you were about to fight us over a normal girl. No wonder!¡±


    Me- ¡°A contractor?¡±


    Daydream- ¡°Your ability must be incredibly strong to imprint someone already. A class, or maybe even better!¡±


    He used the word, imprint¡­ When have I heard that used before? Ah yes! The fourth application from that book of basics!


    ¡®But for manipulation related abilities, things can be a little different. Manipulators can attach their ability to a mundane object, such as a needle, and release it from this object. This is complicated to perform, but the best way is to touch what¡¯s most important to the manipulator while having a singular desire. Your subconscious will control your ability for you and imprint your desire.¡¯


    Me- ¡°Yes, but what is a contractor? Does it have anything to do with the 4th ability mentioned in the book of basics?¡±


    Daydream- ¡°I¡¯d, rather not explain it to you now. You¡¯ll learn it in due time from that class, and any other questions you may have.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°But I want to know!¡±


    She stepped forward from behind me and interjected into our conversation. But Daydream didn¡¯t seem too impressed.


    Daydream- ¡°I have no obligation to tell you. Now if you excuse me, I will be taking my leave.¡±


    They walked back into the false door and disappeared. Grabbing Chloe¡¯s hand, I started to take my leave as well.


    **************


    We ended up going back to my house, as I doubted my parents were back at this point in time. And honestly, I could also care less about the condition of my room. We had more important things to discuss.


    Chloe and I were sitting together on my bed with the window providing a somewhat orangish light that lit up the room.


    Chloe- ¡°So Nathaniel, what was the class he was talking about?¡±


    Me- ¡°Every day, at ten o¡¯clock. I have to be at their class. They said they would make arrangements legally, and if I didn¡¯t attend, I could make it up by going to one at 7. But attendance everyday is not optional; any exceptions will make me have to pay a certain price. Like Natalie. She was tortured in an illusionary world, and in that world a make believe me was her torturer. I don¡¯t want to end up like her.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°What about me? How do I fit into all of this?¡±


    She looked more willing to listen to before, and I knew it was because she finally started to realize the true gravity of the situation.


    Me- ¡°Until we figure out what abilities you can use, nothing. You will be an ordinary person, as to not attract whoever is aiming for me to you. Although if we can figure it out, then¡­¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Then I¡¯ll fight with you.¡±


    Me- ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll agree to that. But only if you promise me you won¡¯t interfere until you do figure it out.¡±


    Chloe hesitated a bit, she seemed to be wrestling with something in her mind. Finally, she agreed by nodding her head.


    I visibly relaxed; it was like a big weight had been taken off my chest. And then I smiled at her.


    Me- ¡°Alright, now that that¡¯s over with, I feel much better!¡±


    Checking the time, I realized it was almost 6:30. Turning to Chloe, I said,


    Me- ¡°My parents will be here soon, and I need to get rid of this shirt before then. What about you?¡±


    Chloe- ¡°My dad is out, but my mom is still home. I should get back soon.¡±


    Me- ¡°Yeah. Chloe, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow!¡±


    Chloe- ¡°It might be earlier than you think! But come over whenever you want, alright? Don¡¯t get intimidated by my dad; he won¡¯t do anything.¡±


    Me- ¡°Of course! You can always come over too; my parents are pretty friendly. I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t mind.¡±


    With that, she walked out of the door. And activating the hot feeling, I heard the front door shut about 15 seconds later. I was now alone¡­


    Taking off my clothes, I walked to the bathroom across from my room. I looked in the mirror on my way in, and I realized that it would take a lot more than a simple wash to get rid of the effects of the battle off me. But thankfully, when I looked at my wounded area, all I saw was smooth, lean skin. Good!


    I burned up my clothing with a X5 flame, and turned on the air vent to get rid of the smoke. Then bringing my shoes into the bathtub with me, I turned on the shower water.


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter Next Chapter


    Author¡¯s note 2- I don¡¯t have much to say, as I¡¯m about to start on the next chapter. So see you guys later!

 Vol. 1 Chapter 16- An Understanding

    Author¡¯s note- A chapter is ready for consumption! Enjoy~


    __________________________________________________________________


    <h1>An Understanding</h1>


    During the shower, I washed the blood off my body and my shoes. And after I had finished, I grabbed the towel and dried myself off. Walking into my room, I put on some new clothes.


    I started to rest on my bed, thinking. What exactly was the ¡®gift¡¯ that I had been given? And how would it help me survive?


    I summoned my golden aura, and I started to examine it. It seemed thicker, and almost like a liquid. I could still only stretch it out 3 feet from my hand in a cone shape, although the cone formed faster. But what was this, benefit?


    Suddenly, I started to feel extremely tired. I tried to use the hot feeling to fight it off, but it seemed to have no effect. I fell asleep soon afterwards.


    ******************


    Opening my eyes, I was lying down in the space. And I heard my own voice, coming from behind me.


    Me?- ¡°You seem to be confused.¡±


    Him again!?


    I jumped up, and looked at my reflection. He had a playful look in his eyes, without any malice. Then he rose up from underneath the water and stood in front of me, face to face.


    Me?- ¡°You should already know what I gifted. Can¡¯t you sense it?¡±


    He took something out of his pocket, and he glanced at them for a moment before tossing them to me.


    Me?- ¡°I don¡¯t think you know the true nature of our power yet. That may be a problem in the future, so I will have to clarify for you.¡±


    Me- ¡°Isn¡¯t my power telekinesis of some kind?¡±


    Me?- ¡°In a way, yes. But it is different. Look at what I tossed to you.¡±


    I looked at the three cubic objects in my hand. And each side of the cube had a different number of dots, ranging up to six. They were dice.


    Me- ¡°What¡¯d you give me these for?¡±


    Me?- ¡°I want you to roll a 15, three times in a row. Go ahead.¡±


    I shook my head; how was this going to help me? But the other me continued to keep his stubborn stance.


    Me?- ¡°Just do it. I¡¯m showing you this for a reason.¡±


    I nonchalantly threw out the dice, and it landed on a 3, 4, and a 5.


    Me?- ¡°Look, you can¡¯t just throw them out like that. You have to will it to happen. Try again.¡±


    The dice appeared back in my hand, and the other me sat down, waiting.


    Frowning, I threw them down again, this time hoping for an 15. And surprisingly, when I released the dice there was a faint golden aura on them! They landed on the ground, and the numbers were a 6, a 4 and a 5. FIfteen¡­


    Me?- ¡°Do you get it now? What does our ability do?¡±


    Me- ¡°My golden aura works to accomplish my desire by moving objects in the appropriate ways.¡±


    Me?- ¡°Not quite, but you¡¯re almost there. Try to roll a 2 by throwing out 3 dice.¡±


    I started to grasp what he was trying to convey to me. If my theory was correct, then one of the dice wouldn¡¯t leave my hand or float in the air.


    I desired to roll a 2, then threw out the three dice. They all went out successfully, and two of them landed on the next best thing: a one. The third however, landed on a 4. That gave me a total of 6.


    Me?- ¡°So?¡±


    Me- ¡°My golden aura works to accomplish my desire by subtly influencing elements of chance. If there is no chance however, it won¡¯t happen. But how does that explain my ability to control heat, regenerate, strengthen, or kill with a touch?¡±


    Me?- ¡°You have 2 separate abilities. One is connected to your mind, namely the golden aura. The ability to control heat stems from this, as temperature is defined by the speed of the random movement of matter. Any place with heat therefore is our playground. And killing with a touch? It¡¯s really stealing their luck.¡±


    Me- ¡°How would that kill them so quickly?¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Me?- ¡°There are an almost infinite amount of things that could go wrong with the human body, and it is only by chance that people continue to survive. By stealing their luck, you steal their chance at continued survival. From then on, it¡¯s only a matter of time before they die. And the only reason other ability users survive longer is because their ability is rejects ours. But I¡¯m stronger than all of them; nobody can block me.¡±


    Me- ¡°And the body strengthening?¡±


    Me?- ¡°That was inherited. And I¡¯m pretty sure you can figure that one out on your own.¡±


    Me- ¡°Inherited?¡±


    Me?- ¡°Well, you are only 5 percent of me. It makes since you haven¡¯t figured it out yet¡­ Listen. Our whole family is made up of martial arts fanatics, except that dad married out of the clan. Is there a reason?¡±


    Was he proposing that abilities can be passed down to offspring? Viola! She was from the Lynch family, right? And that was why Mrs. Kim was so respectful to her. That ability, Barrier, was inherited.


    And that would mean that it was more than likely my ability was inherited as well!  Did dad know about this?


    I knew I was going to have to ask him about it later.


    Me?- ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. I was just about to suggest that to you. I guess I don¡¯t give myself enough credit.¡±


    Me- ¡°What do you mean, myself? Who are you?¡±


    Me?- ¡°I guess it¡¯s time to send you off now¡­ Have fun dreaming; I have a nice dream, prepared just for you! Oh yeah, who was Alice again?¡±


    Me- ¡°Who?¡±


    Why was he mentioning that name? I had a bad feeling about it¡­


    Me?- ¡°I guess you locked her away again. It¡¯s really not fair; I have to deal with her while you get to have fun with Chloe¡­¡±


    With a wave of a hand that was identical to mine, the world shattered into blackness.


    **************


    I woke up, bewildered. Was this his definition of a ¡®nice¡¯ dream? I still had a ¡®tent¡¯ standing up in my covers; what if Chloe or my mom came in!?


    (Author¡¯s musings: If you¡¯re a guy, I¡¯m sure you know what this is a reference to. If not, don¡¯t think about it too much. Please.)


    Sitting up, I wrapped myself up as thickly in my cover as possible, and waited for it to pass. Thankfully no one seemed to be awake yet, as it was still pitch black outside, so it was likely that no one would see it. I thought¡­


    Bashing the door open, Dad flew in the room yelling,


    Dad- ¡°Nathaniel! Wake up, it¡¯s time for training!¡±


    He looked at me for a second, and realized I was already awake.


    Dad- ¡°Well¡­ It seems you already know the drill. Put these on and meet me downstairs. We have a guest.¡±


    Throwing over a gi, some wraps, and a green belt, he closed the door when he left. Leaving me with a strange look on my face. Who came over, and why was dad over enthusiastic about it? Usually he¡¯s a bit more chill. A bit¡­¡±


    I put it on quickly, and wrapped it up tightly. Yes, the robes were pretty baggy, so I could afford to have it on correctly. And then I came down stairs, only to find both mom and dad sitting on the couch. Across from them sat a bald old man and a woman a bit on the fatter side, my grandma and granddad. My granddad was even more muscular than my dad, surprisingly.


    I had seen them last when I was still in middle school. He had given me some pointers and a bloody nose, but he didn¡¯t mean it. His strength was just too much for me, and he had overestimated me when I had gotten lucky. But now he didn¡¯t seem so scary; he was just a normal, kind old man.


    Grandad- ¡°It seems you have become fatter than when I last saw you. But that fat must hide some serious muscle! Come¡¯re son!¡±


    He held out his arms for a hug, and I obliged, activating the hot feeling. Just in case, you know? Better to be safe than sorry.


    Like I expected, he tried to squeeze me as tight as he could¡­ But thankfully, my body was enhanced by the feeling, and I was able to squeeze him back.


    Granddad- ¡°Agh! Damn, it¡¯s like holding a steel block! What do you feed him?¡±


    Dad- ¡°Heh, it¡¯s his talent; I¡¯m telling you. We tried to train him, but he was able to outlast even us! And all we were doing was barking orders!¡±


    Granddad gained a sharp look in his eyes, and Dad responded with a knowing smile.


    Granddad- ¡°Hey Rachel, I have some things I need to talk about with your son. Clan matters. I¡¯m not trying to be rude, but¡­¡±


    Mom- ¡°It¡¯s ok. I knew this might of come up someday, but I didn¡¯t realize it¡¯d be so soon. Nathaniel, don¡¯t be frightened by anything he says. Just listen to him and your father and be truthful. You have nothing to hide.¡±


    Mom walked out of the room, and it was just us guys in the room. And I already had some ideas about what they were going to ask.


    They both turned to me, and dad let granddad take the lead. He was pretty blunt with me.


    Granddad- ¡°Nathaniel, have you had a strange feeling? Something that wells up from within your body?¡±


    I answered honestly, knowing there was no point in hiding it from them.


    Me- ¡°I call it the hot feeling. It has been slowly making me stronger, and when I activate it, it provides an insane rate of regenteration. With it, I don¡¯t think I can run out of stamina. And when I am cut, the bleeding stops within a few seconds, and my wound heals at a visible rate. Everything grows slower in that state as well, so I can easily grasp an opponents moves.


    Granddad looked shocked, and dad did as well.


    Dad- ¡°Better than the main bloodline? That should be impossible!¡±


    Granddad- ¡°He shouldn¡¯t of inherited it at all. You mixed with an outsider, not a clan member. And you are only part of the side branch, so it should be incredibly unlikely to have a child with the enhanced body, even if you married back into the clan.¡±


    They exchanged glances, and then regained their composure.


    Dad- ¡°Have you been contacted by anyone?¡±


    Me- ¡°By an organization named C.H.I.B.I. It happened the day I was kidnapped.¡±


    Dad- ¡°I should of known¡­¡±


    Granddad- ¡°That¡¯s out of their juristiction! Clan members belong to the clan; they can¡¯t just take our members!¡±


    Dad- ¡°No, they¡¯re our allies. They must have another reason for this. Nathaniel?¡±


    Me- ¡°They said they couldn¡¯t investigate my backround for some reason. But they contacted me when I showed something different than the hot feeling. It was this.¡±


    I gathered a flame point in mid air and let it burn for them to see. And granddad immediately stood up, incredibly surprised.


    Granddad- ¡°A dual user!¡±


    His hands started shaking, and dad came to calm him down. But granddad shook him off, saying,


    Granddad- ¡°Do you know the significance of this son!? He¡¯s a f*cking absolute genius! Greater than the heir! We have to take him back to the clan, right now!!! Before they realize his talent, quick!¡±


    But I didn¡¯t share his sentiment. I was the only one keeping the heat away from Chloe, and I wouldn¡¯t forgive myself if I came back to find her missing.


    Me- ¡°Wait. I¡¯m not leaving.¡±


    Dad- ¡°Why not!?¡±


    Me- ¡°I have unfinished buisness here. If I¡¯m not here, then there is no buffer for her.¡±


    Granddad- ¡°Can¡¯t you make her come with you? You¡¯re asking because she is your woman, right?¡±


    Me- ¡°Granddad. She has a family, just as I do. And I don¡¯t know what you mean by ¡®my woman.¡¯ Chloe is my girlfriend.¡±


    Granddad- ¡°So? Why would she be targeted?¡±


    Me- ¡°She is my contractor¡­¡±


    Granddad- ¡°Sh*t.¡±


    He paced around the floor, thinking.


    Granddad- ¡°Meet me at the front of the garage. And keep on that gear; you¡¯ll need it.¡±


    Once he was out of sight, he said to me, his voice echoing from the garage.


    Granddad- ¡°We have a saying in my clan. If you don¡¯t have the strength to back up your words, you shouldn¡¯t talk. And if you don¡¯t have the strength to beat me, then you don¡¯t have the strength to talk about acting as a buffer for that girl. You¡¯d be better off safe in the clan. Agreed?¡±


    He had a point¡­


    Me- ¡°Agreed. Prepare or whatever, I¡¯ll give you five minutes.¡±


    Granddad- ¡°You arrogant brat; you¡¯ll regret it!¡±


    I sat down and waited, a confident smile on my face. He didn¡¯t know what was coming to him.


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter Next Chapter


    Author¡¯s note 2- Eh? Why am I stopping right before the fight scene? Well sometimes, Mr. Cliffy contacts me for a contract. If I write a little bit less, Mr. Cliffy will come along and torture you readers! It¡¯s a win-win situation!

 Vol. 1 Chapter 17- The Stone Clan

    Author¡¯s note- It¡¯s a double release! By the time you are done with this one, the next one will be posted!


    __________________________________________________________________


    <h1>The Stone Clan</h1>


    The five minutes passed quickly, and when they did, I got up and opened the door to the garage. And the battle had already started.


    Three knives came flying at me from the bush, each with its own target. My shoulder, thigh, and stomach. Not immediately lethal areas, but it would hurt like h*ll. Thankfully, I was already prepared.


    The hot feeling circulating rapidly, I condensed a flame point X10 in the middle of where they were flying.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    They each flew in separate directions, and I took this chance to move forward.


    Running forward to the bush area cautiously, I prepared to dodge further attacks. And when I was outside of the garage, the hypersensitive hairs on my neck detected airflow. Behind me!


    Rolling, something heavy smashed into the concrete, sending shock waves across the pavement! But it didn¡¯t let me get a single chance to turn and face it; with another sound of something slamming on pavement, it attacked me again.


    I formed a flame tornado under my feet and did an evasive backflip. Combined with the fact that the hot feeling had boosted my strength as well, I ended up soaring up way higher than his attack.


    Looking at him from an eagle¡¯s eye view, I formed a flame point X10 at the back of his knee. But surprisingly, the flame was repelled until it was about a foot away before I could explode it.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Granddad- ¡°Hah! Is that all? Your flame ability is so weak; I didn¡¯t even flinch!¡±


    Grandad stormed toward the area I would land and prepared a straight punch. If I didn¡¯t do something, that would probably hurt. Alot.


    Moving the position of the tornado to the front of me, the air started to push me behind him. This caught him off guard, as he suddenly stopped, dissipating his momentum. But unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t avoid the punch as I was still mid air. Block!


    Like a bullet train hurtling at 100 miles per hour, his gigantic fist smashed into my puny arms, sending me flying back into the garage. My arms were numbed from the attack, and my mobility with them had decreased about 50 percent. And as granddad rushed me again, I realized I wouldn¡¯t be able to win this fight without doing things a bit more cheaply. My body enhancement was currently not a match for him head on, so I had to think smarter.


    Grabbing a knife from the ground, I threw it forward as hard as I could, making the flame tornado surround it for added speed and concealment. He couldn¡¯t dodge it, but it would heal anyway.


    Holding out his left arm, he forcibly blocked the knife. But it stuck deep inside, so blood started to seep out.


    He didn¡¯t seem to care though, as he continued on like nothing happened. And in a moment, he was right in front of me.


    Letting out a kick towards my chest, I assumed he wanted to end this in one blow. Unfortunately for him, although he had the edge in bodily strength, I had the edge in terms of my ability.


    I set off a flame point X10 next to his kicking leg, and that threw it off in terms of how perfectly it was executed. Leaving me a hole to exploit.


    Dodging the blow with a shift of my feet, I used the force from dodging to aid in a punch. My desire was not to kill by stealing his luck, but I wanted to temporarily incapacitate him. Golden aura, activate!


    The punch landed on his stomach, and he spat out a mouthful of blood! He flew back, and I waited, still in stance. I could tell he was trying to get up, but he couldn¡¯t.


    Me- ¡°Convinced?¡±


    Granddad coughed from the floor, his face pale.


    Granddad- ¡°The punch I landed on you; if I was someone else, you would of died. That could''ve been a knife, poison, or some other special ability.¡±


    Me- ¡°So? I could of killed you as soon as I knew you were behind me. My golden aura can also kill with just a single touch. And I can extend it from any area of my body, meaning that you would of been dead the moment you tried to sneak attack me from the garage.¡±


    Granddad- ¡°But-¡±


    Me- ¡°We have a saying in our clan. If you don¡¯t have the strength to back up your words, you just shouldn¡¯t talk. I beat you fair and square; in fact, I was at an initial disadvantage due to your tricks. Accept your defeat!¡±


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


    Granddad- ¡°Argh. I¡¯m getting old¡­¡±


    Dad- ¡°Should I call mom? To let her notify the clan?¡±


    Granddad- ¡°Go ahead. She knows the clan elders better than I do. She¡¯ll probably be able to do something.¡±


    Dad went back into the living room, while granddad stood up, ripping the knife out of his arm. Blood spurted out crazily, and he calmly said to dad,


    Granddad- ¡°And tell her that I need something to wrap this up with. I might lose too much blood, and that wouldn¡¯t be fun.¡±


    Dad nodded, and he went to the room. And I was left in the room with Granddad, not knowing what to do.


    Granddad- ¡°Hey son, can you lend me that green belt for a second? It¡¯ll help.¡±


    I was in shock for the moment, still reeling from the fact that he was treating it like nothing. And why wasn¡¯t it healing?


    Realizing standing still pondering wouldn¡¯t help much, I grabbed the belt and ripped it off my gi.


    Me- ¡°Here.¡±


    Granddad- ¡°Thanks.¡±


    He wrapped it up tightly, and triple knotted it.


    Me- ¡°Why isn¡¯t it healing? For me, the blood stops after a couple of seconds.¡±


    Granddad shifted, and said shamefully,


    Granddad- ¡°Your ability is different than ours¡­ See, normally it¡¯s just a body strengthening in every area, whether it be thinking speed, hardness of bones, toughness of flesh, the senses, memorization ability, strength, speed, basically an average strengthening in all directions. That¡¯s what your father and I have. It¡¯s only when it gets to the main bloodline or stronger when things get different. Their bodies have specializations, and whether it is physical or mental, they still enjoy the average benefits that I enjoy.¡±


    Me- ¡°So why is your strength so much better than mine and fathers?¡±


    Granddad- ¡°I¡¯ve lived longer. Activation of the enhancement isn¡¯t just a temporary boost; it¡¯s a process. Your body will strengthen more and more the longer you have it active. Of course this has its limits, the first gear version can only do so much. But if you can advance your ability like I did, then you can become superhuman. Your father has lived too long in the secular world; he is weak.¡±


    Me- ¡°So wait. You¡¯re saying by keeping the enhancement on, my base strength will gradually grow to the percentage of enhancement I have when I activate it? And eventually there will be no difference between activating or not activating the hot feeling?¡±


    Granddad- ¡°No, not quite. For the first enhancement, your strength from base can at most double. And with the hot feeling, your double strength will be increased to triple. Once you advance though, you¡¯ll be at the second enhancement. Here, things become a little different. You can become as much as 5 times as strong, and with the activation of the enhancement that can be increased to 10 times!¡±


    Me- ¡°Damn! How do you advance?¡±


    Granddad- ¡°There is a one fits all. One must first remain conscious in their dreams, and one must overcome their subconscious. As for the details of this, it is different for everyone. I don¡¯t want to cut off your future path for something as trivial as this. In theory, there are 6 possible advancements. But in reality, even the true monsters can only complete 5.¡±


    The door to the garage opened, and dad came walking out with grandma.


    Dad- ¡°Dad, why are you telling him all of this now? It won¡¯t be of use to him until much later.¡±


    Granddad- ¡°Kids as talented as him should have ambition! And do you have the wrap honey?¡±


    Grandma- ¡°How¡¯d you get this anyway? Normally things like knives and blades only leave small scratches on you.¡±


    Granddad lifted his arm up, and boasted proudly,


    Granddad- ¡°This boy is incredibly strong for his age! And using his dual abilities, he threw the knife and surrounded it with a flame tornado, increasing its penetrative power and speed!¡±


    Grandma- ¡®Sigh¡¯ ¡°Why do you sound so happy about this? You got beaten by a child, and you admire his abilities? Why can¡¯t you just act your age for once, and keep from getting injured? I¡¯m sure you could of dodged it, or make it graze by your arm at least!¡±


    Granddad- ¡°If I had to dodge any of his blows, then I wouldn¡¯t have the pride to call myself a man!¡±


    Grandma- ¡°And yet you were still beaten by him...¡±


    Granddad paused, his face sweaty. He looked incredibly embarrassed. Grandma took the chance to further wrap his arm with some gauze and a cloth strip. But he managed to finally croak out,


    Granddad- ¡°Don¡¯t sweat the small details¡­¡±


    We all burst into laughter, and afterwards, we walked into the house. Breakfast was being made when I got inside, courtesy of mom. Grandma and granddad stayed out in the garage to finish dressing the wound, and I was trying out keeping the hot feeling active. And as I walked around, doing any sort of daily motion, I could feel my body strengthening. How had I not noticed this before?


    As my senses were boosted, I started to hear a faint sound of someone talking; it was coming from the garage. Grandma¡¯s voice. I didn¡¯t want to eavesdrop, so I started to move further away from the garage. But when I heard my name mentioned, I pulled back, now in interest.


    Grandma- ¡°Nathaniel... Yes, he is part of the Stone clan! He is not under your jurisdiction!¡±


    Silence came from the garage for a while; I assumed the other person was speaking. And then grandma spoke again, this time in a nicer tone,


    Grandma- ¡°Well, yes. That seems fair. But I will be notifying the clan of this conversation, so if you don¡¯t keep up your end¡­ There will be a reckoning to be dealt with. Goodbye.¡±


    Footsteps started to come from the other side of the garage, so I turned and walked towards the kitchen in order to not arouse suspicion. And the door to the garage opened shortly after.


    Granddad- ¡°Rachel, is breakfast ready? People like me need to eat!¡±


    Mom- ¡°You and the stone clan, forever hungry. Why don¡¯t you wait for a bit, and who knows, the food might be ready before you know it!¡±


    Dad- ¡°Heh, I¡¯m sorry honey. We can¡¯t help it.¡±


    Grandma- ¡°Why don¡¯t we turn on the television. I¡¯m sure if you guys focus on something other than your hunger, then things would be so much more bearable.¡±


    Granddad jumped on the couch and smoothed out a spot, inviting me over. I obliged him, and grandma turned on the tv. The news channel was the the first thing that popped up. The headline read, ¡®Terrorist Attack, Motive Unknown¡¯.


    Female Reporter- ¡°... and the F.B.I. showed up on scene and apprehended the terrorists. More on this? Chief Ronald?¡±


    She gave the mike over to a man in his 40¡¯s, and he wore a F.B.I. uniform. With a charming smile, he faced the television.


    Chief Ronald- ¡°At the Racetrac today, we were facing an armed group of about 6 terrorists. They were highly trained, and they were equipped with firepower comparable to special forces. Although we cannot disclose why they were stationed at this location, the public can rest at ease. They have been apprehended, and interrogation is underway. We¡¯ll root them all out before they can threaten the safety of the American people!¡±


    Female reporter- ¡°I just have one more question, and I¡¯m sure the residents are having this as well. Who are these people, and how do you plan to stop further assaults?¡±


    Chief Ronald- ¡°They are made up of a group known as New world, and their goal is the eventual overturning of government by any means. As to stopping their assaults? We have our own special forces, and they are under orders to protect the American people. Thank you for your time. We will not be answering any further questions.¡±


    Walking away, multiple reporters attempted to get further answers from him. But he refused them all with a bright smile, and he ended up going inside a vehicle surrounded by swat members with riot shields.


    When he drove off, the screen switched to a room with two people sitting at a table. I assumed they were going to give their commentary about the event, but I didn¡¯t want to hear it. It was nonsense anyway; I already knew what happened there.


    Thankfully Mom called from the kitchen, relieving me of one of my troubles,


    Mom- ¡°Breakfast is ready!¡±


    I went to the bathroom to wash my hands before the meal, but before I was able to wash my hands, a text message came in. It was from Chloe.


    Chloe- ¡°Nathaniel, did you see what they were talking about on Tv? An F.B.I. chief tried to say that the people who attacked you are a terrorist group, dedicated to overthrowing the government. But why are they targeting you?¡±


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter Next Chapter


    Author¡¯s note 2- If I said the reason this didn¡¯t come out earlier was because I was in religious services, I would only be telling a half truth. This should¡¯ve come out on Friday, but I started reading Rebirth Thief and finished all 87 chapters. Thankfully for you guys, I read pretty fast, so this one came out today. And another one is comingas an apology.

 Vol. 1 Chapter 18- Charging

    Author¡¯s note- Hi another chapter came! And I have to say, I¡¯m disappointed with the review by impaler, as it is both partly untrue, and I started to focus on the family in these two chapters. If only he read a few more chapters than the few he said he forced himself to read¡­ And I do have romance as a tag, for his information! Hmph!


    __________________________________________________________________


    <h1>Charging</h1>


    I stared at the message for a while, not knowing how to respond. Because I was a dual ability user? Or was there something else special about me? I responded back slowly, the letters each coming with a second¡¯s pause in between them.


    Me- ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ But my family on my dad¡¯s side are ability users as well. I just found out.¡±


    I washed my hands, and as I was drying them off another message from Chloe came in.


    Chloe- ¡°They can protect you?¡±


    Me- ¡°Maybe. But that wouldn¡¯t extend to you, so I didn¡¯t accept it.¡±


    She didn¡¯t respond after that, so I put my phone back in my pocket and went to the table for breakfast. My parents were having a conversation with my grandparents, but it was adult talk, meaning I didn¡¯t participate.


    Spearing a piece of turkey sausage, I used my other hand to bring a cup of water to my lips. But unexpectedly, the glass shattered as I drank from it! Did I grip it too hard?


    Their conversation abruptly stopped, and both Mom and Dad turned to me angrily.


    Dad- ¡°Why would you do that!?¡±


    Mom- ¡°Nathaniel! Be careful with our cups!¡±


    I looked at them sheepishly, and I said apologetically,


    Me- ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to break it! I guess I was using too much strength to grip it¡­¡±


    Granddad- ¡°You have the Body Enhancement active?¡±


    Me- ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Granddad and Grandma exchanged a knowing look.


    Grandma- ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, he doesn¡¯t know his own strength right now. Nathaniel, you should deactivate it right now. Once we get to the clan, we can undergo adaptation training.¡±


    Me- ¡°But I¡¯m not going to the Clan. That¡¯s why I fought against granddad. And I ended up winning! Therefore, I¡¯m not going.¡±


    Grandma gave him the evil look and turned back to me with a worried expression.


    Grandma- ¡°But you aren¡¯t safe here! Our enemies are planning to attack you right at this moment! Thankfully they were repelled by our allies this time, but who can say anything about the next?¡±


    Me- ¡°The organization didn¡¯t fight them off, I did. And the F.B.I. didn¡¯t apprehend any terrorists either; they all died by my hand. I can protect myself.¡±


    Mom was taken aback by these words, but everyone else nodded solemnly.


    Grandma- ¡°So you¡¯ve already experienced it. Then you know their viciousness. How can you confidently say that you can protect yourself, even if you beat your granddad? He¡¯s only completed his first advancement! Your father hasn¡¯t even done that! And they both need the protection of the clan! You don¡¯t?¡±


    Me- ¡°I might. But I know they might have to hesitate about coming against me again, because I¡¯ve taken them out, twice. And I¡¯m only growing stronger.¡±


    Mom- ¡°Nathaniel! Go with your grandparents! Even if you can take them out, at what cost? Becoming a cold blooded killer?¡±


    I abruptly stood up from the table, my fork clattering against my plate.


    Me- ¡°It was self-defense! It was my life, or theirs; I didn¡¯t have a choice!¡±


    Mom- ¡°But now you do. Why are you taking the hard, dangerous way out? The road to heaven is right before you, but you would rather force open the gate to hell instead?¡±


    Me- ¡°Maybe the road to heaven is there, but it is a lonely path, full of desolation. If I took the easy way out at the cost of other people, then what kind of person would I be!?¡±


    Mom- ¡°Who!? What cost of another is there?¡±


    Granddad answered for me, his face still solemn,


    Granddad- ¡°His contractor. You know how that is, right? After all, you are one¡­¡±


    Mom¡¯s face stiffened, and her eyes became blank.


    Mom- ¡°No¡­ No way¡­¡±


    Dad walked over to comfort her, and Granddad looked on with pity. Grandma spoke in a consoling tone,


    Grandma- ¡°I¡¯ve called for Stone knights from the clan to assist. A tragedy like that won¡¯t be repeated, not this time. Nathaniel is too valuable to the clan. A potential heir.¡±


    Mom blankly nodded, and she continued to eat her food. We also ate in silence, and this continued until the doorbell rang. Who was it?


    Me- ¡°I¡¯ll go see who it is.¡±


    I went to the door and looked through the doorhole. And Chloe stood there, smiling. What was she doing here? My family wasn¡¯t ready to see her right now; I don¡¯t know what would happen. But unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t tell her my thoughts. So I had to just open the door, because I couldn¡¯t just ignore her standing there.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Opening the door, I tried to smile at her. But recent events had made my smile fake, and obviously so.


    Chloe- ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t look like your normal self.¡±


    Me- ¡°My family, the side where I got the regeneration from. They want me to come with them to be protected by the clan.¡±


    Chloe¡¯s face brightened up, and it looked like there were stars in her eyes. She was, happy?


    Chloe- ¡°That¡¯s great! If you can go, then you won¡¯t be hunted anymore! And you could live like normal again!¡±


    I shook my head sadly.


    Me- ¡°I wish it was just that way. But the consequences will fall upon you if I go to the clan. Hunting me is fine, but when they can¡¯t hunt me, the question is, how could they hurt me? The answer is you. If I leave, they will turn to you.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°What? I have nothing to do with them. Why would they attack me if their target is you?¡±


    Me- ¡°You can¡¯t rationalize their actions; they¡¯re killers! I have no idea what they¡¯re going to do! By staying here, at least I feel like I can do something about the situation.¡±


    At this point, mom came from behind me with the rest of my family in tow. Mom looked at Chloe with blank eyes. She spoke out in monotone,


    Mom- ¡°Don¡¯t make the same mistake I did¡­¡±


    She walked back into the house, and Dad followed her, continuing to whisper words of comfort in her ear. Grandma stayed at the door, a painful grimace on her face.


    Grandma- ¡°Nathaniel¡­ You can stay here. I¡¯ve called the clan; they will be sending bodyguards shortly. And you there. Little girl?¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Yeah?¡±


    Grandma- ¡°My daughter in law, the woman who just spoke to you, she was in the exact situation you were in. She convinced my son to get protection from the clan until he was strong enough to defend himself. Her family didn¡¯t make it, and she survived by the skin of her teeth. Contractors just don¡¯t have the power to contend with ability users, no matter how much stronger they are than ordinary people.¡±


    Grandma went to walk back inside, but Chloe called after her.


    Chloe- ¡°How are they stronger than ordinary people? What can I do to help?¡±


    Grandma gave her a sidelong glance, and said,


    Grandma- ¡°Come inside first.¡±


    Choe followed, and she sat us both down on the couch.


    Grandma- ¡°Hold out your hand.¡±


    Chloe hesitantly extended out her hand, and Grandma asked quietly,


    Grandma- ¡°Are you sure? There¡¯s no going back...¡±


    Chloe looked to me, and then back to Grandma.


    Chloe- ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Grandma- ¡°Nathaniel. Activate your ability.¡±


    Me- ¡°But-¡±


    Grandma- ¡°Let her make her own choices. She already has her conviction set, trying to change that will only make things worse.¡±


    Me- ¡°...Which one?¡±


    Grandma- ¡°Both of them.¡±


    The golden aura arose from my skin, swirling around to envelop me fully. The dense golden aura turned my skin into a dark gold, and it started to fluctuate intensely, as if preparing for an important task.


    The hot feeling also poured out from my body, starting to rampage around with the golden aura. One within and one on the exterior, they extended my presence beyond my body. And suddenly, the mark on Chloe¡¯s wrist started to fluctuate wildly.


    Snaking along her arm, the shield turned into a black lines that stretched along her body. When they made it to her head, the black lines curled around her eyes, and started to glow faintly, like burning embers from a fireplace.


    It formed a mysterious yet familiar pattern, one like I felt I had seen before. And an intense tugging coming from my abilities tried to pull me towards her. For what, I did not know.


    Grandma- ¡°Nathaniel, grab her hand.¡±


    My abilities were only too eager for me to oblige, as they seemed to pull me in her direction. And in a moment, our hands were linked.


    Surging forward, my golden aura flooded the patterns, and they started to grow with an intense golden light. It seemed like her body was but a shell, holding the light in that yearned to emerge free.


    Grandma- ¡°Nathaniel! Let go NOW!!!¡±


    I struggled to let go of her hand, but it was like something else had taken control of my arm, refusing to let go of her! Grandma tried to take action to pull my hand off of hers, but her hand was repelled by my dominating aura. A hysterical laughter that was, yet wasn''t mine came out of my mouth. It was the shadow me.


    Wrestling for control, the battle that took place within the space happened once again within my memories. And I won.


    My hand snapped back, and the black, ominous aura that remained just beneath the surface seemed to recede back into the recesses of my body.


    Grandma- ¡°It is done¡­¡±


    I whipped around to her madly, my anger flaring up.


    Me- ¡°What was that!? You could of gotten Chloe and I killed!¡±


    Grandma- ¡°That wasn¡¯t supposed to happen! But within your ability, there is something darker, stronger than what you can control! How was I supposed to know this?¡±


    Me- ¡°How is it supposed to work anyway?¡±


    Grandma- ¡°...The best way is to think of a contractor as the battery and the ability user as the charger. Your ability flows into the contractor, and it stores activations of itself in the inscription, the dark gold tattoo that flowed over her body. The fact that that dark, evil aura attempted to come out means your ability is not just our body enhancement and your golden aura.¡±


    I was about to tell her about what happened in the dreamspace, but when Chloe started to groan, those thoughts just flew out of my mind. Was this, my fault?


    Grandma- ¡°This part is normal; she¡¯ll be fine. You took away your hand before the other ability could come out, so she is ok. But as a contractor, she needs time to adjust. I¡¯ll bring her inside.¡±


    Nodding, I watched as the lines seemed to recede from her body, forming back into the shield tattoo on her wrist. Grandma gently laid her on the couch, and turned back to me.


    Grandma- ¡°The markings are only visible by those with abilities. She may use powers equivalent to 1/4th of your current abilities, and she can use them for 5 minutes at most. If it is used any longer than that, then she is at risk of drawing on her lifespan.¡±


    Me- ¡°When will she wake up?¡±


    Dad- ¡°When the tattoos fully recede.¡±


    Coming downstairs slowly, Dad walked over to the couch and sat down with us, a lack of expression on his face.


    Me- ¡°How¡¯s mom? Is she ok?¡±


    I waited patiently for him to answer, but he stayed silent for a while, pondering. When he spoke, his speech was finally back to a normal sort of tone.


    Dad- ¡°Your mom and I, we were in this exact same situation before. And the memories, memories of what we had to face are resurfacing. No need to blame yourself, Nathaniel. It was my fault anyways¡­¡±


    Tears started to flow from his eyes, and he looked incredibly sorrowful. Getting up abruptly, he turned to go back upstairs.


    Dad- ¡°I¡¯m sorry you have to see us like this¡­ But I¡¯m glad you chose not to go back to the clan. Maybe now, you can do better than I did¡­¡±


    The hot feeling once again began to fluctuate along with my emotions, making my mind and body stronger. But this time, I didn¡¯t care. I couldn¡¯t stay in here any longer.


    I got up abruptly and sprinted out of the door. I didn¡¯t care where I was going, as long as it was somewhere else.


    *************************


    My feet ended up taking me far, far away. And when I finally had the thought to observe my surroundings, I was already at a lake area. I recognized it as one near my school.


    The clouds were stormy once again, like they weren¡¯t satisfied with yesterday¡¯s pouring. And the sun was hidden by the clouds, causing a sort of twilight to cast its shadow over the world.


    In that depressing light, I decided to head back over to the Racetrac. It was almost time for lessons to start, and I honestly didn¡¯t care whether the scene I saw around the Racetrac was still there or not. They could go and f*ck themselves for all I cared¡­


    When I arrived, the place was yes, still surrounded by a crowd. And I decided to have a little fun with them¡­ Anything to brighten my mood.


    Stepping behind a tree, I condensed flame points one by one around the area, creating a frosty chill. People started to leave, one by one.


    Rp1- ¡°How did it get so cold all of a sudden!? It''s giving me the chills¡­¡±


    Rp2- ¡°It¡¯s about to rain anyway¡­ Screw it, I¡¯m leaving!¡±


    Pretty soon, there were only a couple of activists left who didn¡¯t want to leave. I guess I would have to resort to more, drastic measures¡­ An evil grin slowly appeared on my face as I thought of my plan. And as soon as it was formulated, I went into action.


    Flipping my hoodie over my face, I masked my face with mud and dirt. Ready!


    I walked out from behind the tree and slapped down one of their signs. To the other, I ripped the sign out of the person¡¯s hands and threw it into the brush. They stared at me in shock, but when I flipped up my middle finger, things seemed to suddenly become clear to them.


    Activist 1- ¡°F*ck you!¡±


    They both attempted to hit me, but I dodged them both easily. Then I ran the other way, and they followed, screaming at the top of their lungs.


    Activist 2- ¡°Come¡¯re right now, b*st*rd!¡±


    Ironically, I was purposefully slowing down my pace, making it so the distance decreased slowly. And when they almost caught up to me, I veered off to the side and sprinted full speed back to the Racetrac.


    I went into the fake door while they were still behind the corner, and about 6 seconds later, I could hear their voices.


    Activist 2- ¡°Damn, that b*tch went flying! Where¡¯d he go?¡±


    Activist 1- ¡°What¡¯d he look like? Do you remember?¡±


    Activist 2- ¡°He was wearing a black hoodie, and¡­ Sh*t! I can¡¯t remember what his face looked like!¡±


    Activist 1- ¡°Mother f*cker! I¡¯ll kill him if I see that b*st*rd again!¡±


    Chuckling evilly, I slunk further into the darkness and to the blast door. It opened shortly after I activated my ability, and I went to the teleportation portal in the center of the room. With the flash of a purple light, I was sent to the organization.


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter Next Chapter


    Author¡¯s note 2- More insight into the main character¡¯s psychology, and how he thinks. The next chapter might be delayed again, so I¡¯m saying sorry in advance.

 Vol. 1 Chapter 19- Start of the Trial

    Author¡¯s note- Thanks to a suggestion by AMBibonlee, this chapter is coming out today. I hope there wasn¡¯t too much of a disconnect since I was gone for so long, and I apologize for the delay! The situation details will be after the chapter.


    __________________________________________________________________


    <h1>Start of the Trial</h1>


    When the teleportation finished, I entered the room on the podium. And all eyes turned to look at me, each one looking at me strangely. Was it the mud I used to mask my face?


    Summoning the golden aura as a shimmering, metallic mask, I walked down the steps slowly. Why were they still staring at me...


    Viola was sitting next to Stella, the cat girl, and they looked like they were engaged in conversation before I came. But now they both looked at me with gazes of hatred. Well f*ck them, who said I cared about whether they liked me or not?


    Stewart, the Iron creation guy, and Adam were sitting on the same couch. Adam was looking at me with pity in his eyes, but a resolute frown took hold on his face. He intentionally took up more space, so I couldn¡¯t sit next to him.


    I paused, pondering. Was Adam always this sort of person? Or was there something I wasn¡¯t aware of? Looking for another spot to sit, I glanced in Natalie¡¯s direction


    She was alone, isolated from the group. She gave a weak smile and invited me over.


    Natalie- ¡°...That¡¯s creepy.¡±


    Pulling the hood further over my face, I replied flatly,


    Me- ¡°It serves its purpose.¡±


    Natalie grimaced in response, but seemed to pay no heed to it afterwards. There was another matter on her mind.


    Natalie- ¡°Word has gone around, that you¡¯re going to be taken care of by the Lynch family. Apparently you went too far with Viola and Stella, and they want compensation!¡±


    Oh? Mess with the young, and the old comes out to play? Good, GOOD!!! If they want to mess with me like everyone else in this god forsaken world, they would have to pay the price!


    I seethed out, hints of rage leaking into my tone,


    Me- ¡°Let them come! But they might come with an even greater debt!¡±


    Natalie- ¡°You don¡¯t understand! They will-¡±


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°Silence! Mrs. Rose, I assume you know what I mean when I say silence. Consequences will be due if you continue.¡±


    Natalie started to shiver next to me, and I took the chance to glare at Mrs. Kim, imprinting her figure and face within my mind. If they came at me, she would be the first to pay the price...


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°Good. Class will be starting shortly, but first, let me take a moment to deliver the results from yesterday¡¯s fights. The battle potential rankings are as follows, from S+ being the highest, and D- being the lowest acceptable for the organization.¡±


    She took a moment to procure a fancy looking scroll from her purse, then began reading out loud.


    Mrs. Kim- ¡°1st place- Viola Lynch, for showing amazing combat precision when attacking and ingenuity worthy of praise, especially the creation of her family''s trademark combat armor. Due to being unable to showcase more abilities because of a break in the rules, her rank was moved up from B to compensate. B+ rank.


    2nd place- Nathaniel Belair, for using his ability in ways most would not think of to both boost himself and damage his opponent. However, an absence of both honor and chivalry befitting of the organization, and the fact that he relied upon his superior body from previous martial arts training, shows his lack of future potential. B rank.


    3rd place- Stella Page, for making use of her crafty intelligence to make a difference in the battle and pressing the advantage of speed from her bodily transformation. C+ rank.


    4th place- Stewart Clayton, for using his ability as a way to create weapons, such as a knife. However, the fact that creation is too slow leaves an area to easily be exploited by opponents. C- rank.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    4th place- Adam Kepler. He was not able to use his strength to his advantage, but however he knew when and how to obey orders. C- rank.


    5th place- Natalie Rose. Fought crazily, without rhyme nor reason. Did not obey orders. D rank.


    Rankings will be used to decide preference in how prizes for both the end of year and at the end of every month are distributed, and they will also be delivered to C.H.I.B.I. for consideration of future placement. And as of now, these rankings will stand unless proved otherwise by the end of year examination, or offset by another preliminary test.


    Today is another opportunity to obtain a ranking, so it would be in your best interest to come to the portal quickly. Like, right now.¡±


    She stood by the portal, waiting for us to come inside the purplish circle. I strode forward to the area, and with a flash of light, I was gone.


    ********************


    When the purplish crystal faded away, my eyes started to adjust to my surroundings. It was a room, a relatively small one, that was lit with candlelight. The walls seemed to be made of a sort of yellowish crystal, that seemed to pulsate with an aura that repelled my golden aura just enough that I could feel it. Not enough to affect my ability, but that left me with a question. Was this room part of an ability?


    That was possible, but there were most likely other means by which this was achieved. The teleportation portal was partial evidence of this. Although it had to be activated with an activation of one¡¯s ability, there was no-one actively using their ability to teleport.


    Breaking my line of thought, a red pulse from the portal forced me forward. Then the purple light came in, signifying a teleportation. Was I not supposed to stay on the podium?


    I gave a mental slap to my face for my stupidity, and I found a spot in the corner to sit. Then I watched the light fade away to reveal a transformed Adam walking down from the podium. He looked calm, composed. Walking with a steady stride, he found a spot in the corner opposite to mine.


    Soon afterwards, the room filled up with more and more people, till our whole class was in the room. And with the last flash of purple light, a man wearing a long, black trench coat walked in.


    He had flowing, blond hair that cascaded down to his shoulders, and he wore an eternal smile on his face. And if he was dressed in that wretched black uniform of the organization, you might recognize him too. His code name was, Daydream.


    Daydream- ¡°Hello class. I will preside temporarily over this examination, as your instructor¡¯s powers are more suited to say, torture. You need not to know my name, as I go by my code name, Daydream. Any questions?¡±


    Adam- ¡°If I may, what will be the subject of this test?¡±


    Daydream¡¯s grin intensified, and he answered smugly,


    Daydream- ¡°Polite. But unfortunately, I am not inclined to answer that question. Any others?¡±


    No one else spoke up for a short period of time, so Daydream shrugged.


    Daydream- ¡°Then let us begin!¡±


    Dropping to one knee, Daydream slammed his arms to the floor.


    ¡°Thump¡±


    I was the only one left standing, but an extreme coercive pressure came upon me from all directions! Both the body enhancement and my golden aura were operating at max power, working to resist the yellow light that was now pouring in from all directions. My abilities were slowly giving way though, and the barrier that consisted of my golden aura suddenly revealed a gaping crack!


    It expanded rapidly, and invaded my body within seconds of my ability failing. My vision darkened, and in a matter of seconds, I fell to the ground just like the others. My consciousness faded away soon afterwards.


    ***********************


    I opened my eyes to find myself on top of a skyscraper. The wind swirled and billowed around me, forming a barrier that prevented me from moving from my position. I assumed I was trapped within because I had lost the battle between my abilities and the yellow light, and I would be trapped until Daydream felt like letting me off.


    There were five other skyscrapers with wind barriers, and they were positioned in a 5 pointed star around a lake, which had an absolutely massive pillar that ascended past the clouds. I could not see where it ended.


    The surrounding area was an urban city, consisting of streets, buildings, and highways that inevitably all led to the pillar. Behind the skyscraper I was on, there was a wall.


    Yes, a large, circular wall that seemed to cage all of creation. It was made of an unknown metal, which had a blood-orangish tint. Black lines extended along the surface of the wall, forming a hive like pattern.


    The lighting came from the top of the tower. The top at least, from what I could tell. It was a spherical globe of light, held in place by a black pillar on the top and bottom. Pale blue markings ran along the surface of the globe of white light, hinting that it was some sort of high tech.


    I continued to observe the surrounding terrain until suddenly, the wind around my eyes intensified. I could no longer leave them open.


    I felt my body rotate around, and when the wind faded, I was positioned back towards the tower. A voice came from all directions, and it sounded like there was a person speaking right in front of me.


    ???- ¡°For today, we will be playing a little game called Orbs of blood. The goal is to bring your orbs to the center of this world, namely The Tower of Resurrection. Whoever brings an orb to the tower, wins. But there is a catch. There are only 3 orbs...


    Among you, there will be two teams, and if a team member from the same team attacks one another, they will be disqualified. The first team: The Protectors. They start off with 2 orbs, and their job is to keep all of the orbs on their journey to the tower.


    The second team consists of The Hunters. They start off with two trackers, and those trackers will display the position of all the people every 10 minutes. Their goal is to kill those with orbs and to take them. And as for the other two people?


    The first is the independent. They don¡¯t have a team affiliation, and they start off with both an orb and a tracker. Their goal is to remain undiscovered by both teams, and on the same token, get to the tower with as many orbs as possible..


    The second is the negotiator. The negotiator has an immune status; if anyone from a team attacks them, the attacker will be disqualified. But on the same token, the negotiator cannot attack anyone else, or they will be disqualified. The negotiator has a map that can display the positions of every person along with their affiliation at all times. But they cannot show anyone else their map. Their goal is to create chaos and take an orb once it is exposed.


    Once an orb holder gets to The Tower of Resurrection, they have to put an orb in one of the 3 slots in order to win. Winning allows you to raise the rank you get in this trial. That is, say you get a B- without an orb. That B- will turn into a B if you bring 1 orb to the tower. If you bring 2 orbs to the tower, then that B- will turn into a A-. And if you collect all 3 orbs, that B- turns into an S.


    Other than killing people from your group, there is another way to obtain orbs: killing outsiders. You will know when you see one.


    As an added protection, your team will be hidden from everyone, including other teammates. Now that¡¯s over with, Orbs of Blood will be starting shortly. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1¡­ Start!


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter Next Chapter


    Author¡¯s note 2- So, my laptop is still gone, as I predicted. It might still be a while before I get it back. But, now that I¡¯ve kind of acclimated to the situation, chapters will be coming out at a faster rate. See you later with another one!

 Vol. 1 Chapter 20- Orbs of Blood (1)

    Author¡¯s note- Again, I don¡¯t have my laptop still. But this one came out faster than the other one, so I hope the wait wasn¡¯t too long. Enjoy~!


    __________________________________________________________________


    <h1>Orbs of Blood (1)</h1>


    Author¡¯s note- Again, I don¡¯t have my laptop still. But this one came out faster than the other one, so I hope the wait wasn¡¯t too long. Enjoy~!


    __________________________________________________________________


    <h1>Orbs of Blood (1)</h1>


    A moment of silence passed after the voice proclaimed the start, and then lights streaked out of the tower, heading out like bolts of lightning. One struck me before I could react, and it formed into two items.


    The first one was a circular shaped disk that pulsed with a green light. A timer of 10 minutes began counting down on it, letting me know that it was the tracker.


    Glancing over to the other item, I saw a scarlet red orb. It radiated a bloody light, and it was the size of a human eye. As I stared into it longer and longer, I had a vision of endless slaughter and a resulting sea of blood. Rising out of the sea, an orb radiating a devilish glow appeared. It was the Orb of Blood¡­


    The vision disappeared, and all that was left was this, evil, orb. I had an urge to throw it off the skyscraper, but reasoning convinced me to keep it, at least until the end of the trial. So placing it in my pocket along with the tracker, I waited for something to happen.


    The wind barrier suddenly enveloped me, and I started to spin. When my surroundings started to merge into a single, grey color, I appeared on an abandoned street. Behind me was the giant skyscraper.


    Me- ¡°So I came down from there, huh¡­ Well, I might as well follow this road. It will eventually lead to the tower¡­¡±


    *************************


    When ten minutes passed, the tracker revealed the positions of the others, who were all shaken off by my pace. Their positions looked like moving dots, moving relative to me. So all I had to do was change my direction, and I would encounter traces of them. The question was, should I continue to the tower or not?


    Undoubtedly, continuing to the tower with my orb would definitely be the safest option. But I was sure this test wasn¡¯t designed to rate my running speed and sustainability. If I continued on my way to the tower, I would get a D at most.


    If I changed my direction to make contact with the other trial takers, I risked losing an orb. Once they figured out I was the independent, I would be attacked on all sides. And considering their battle abilities, I would not have to great of a chance if they all attacked together. Even regular mercenaries become a threat to my life in large numbers, much less other ability users.


    Additionally, if I came to join one of them, I would have to act as either the negotiator, or a hunter. Acting as a protector wouldn¡¯t work, because it would be too obvious if I said I just, ¡®chanced¡¯ along their path. And of course, if I pretended to be the negotiator, I would easily be exposed if I ever wanted to make use of my tracker.


    So I really only had 1 option. And that was to be a hunter.


    Reaching a resolution, I ran swiftly towards an area ahead of clustered dots. It was time to start the hunt...


    *****************


    I ran for about five minutes before my enhanced hearing picked up on the sounds of a conversation. I immediately went under a car, and waited for them to come closer.


    Adam- ¡°What do you propose?¡±


    Viola- ¡°An alliance. We can¡¯t attack each other, so it would be best if we cooperated to kill the protectors.¡±


    Adam- ¡°And the orbs? How do I know you won¡¯t just take both?¡±


    Viola growled,


    Viola- ¡°We split them 50-50, and if the independent comes, I get their orb. My word will serve as my bond...¡±


    They had come much closer than before, and I could pretty much confirm that they were on the same street I was. So, I stayed under the car, waiting for the opportune moment to introduce myself as a hunter.


    They might figure me out later, but as of now, they couldn¡¯t attack me for fear of being disqualified. As long as I didn¡¯t make the first attack, I would most likely be safe. But playing the hunter card wasn¡¯t ideal. Maybe I could pull the negotiator card off...


    Adam- ¡°Ok... but what if you are the independent? Or a protector? I was the one who found you anyways¡­¡±


    Viola- ¡°If I was the independent, you would be dead already! And as a protector, wouldn¡¯t I be exposed once the 10 minute duration depleted? Think about things before you spout off your god-damn mouth!¡±


    Adam stayed quiet for a while, and they started to walk in silence. And as soon as the sound of footsteps passed, I silently crawled from under the car and stood up.


    Me- ¡°So, when do you plan on hunting?¡±


    They both whipped around, on guard. But I gave off a disarming smile, raising up my hands in surrender.


    Me- ¡°I¡¯m the negotiator; I can¡¯t harm you. Promise me an orb, and I¡¯ll help you guys out.¡±


    They relaxed their guard a bit, but the open hostility radiating off of both of them could not be concealed.


    Viola- ¡°Why should I believe you? For all I know, you could be the independent, or a protector.¡±


    Me- ¡°How could I have found you so soon? The trackers have a 10 minute cooldown, and it would take much more time for me to come. I don¡¯t come from a neighboring building, so it would be incredibly lucky if I just happened to ¡®chance¡¯ upon you as an independent. No, I¡¯m the negotiator.¡°


    Upon hearing my explanation, Viola sent over a questioning glance to Adam. But Adam shrugged, and said reasonably.


    Adam- ¡°Well then, lead the way. Once the next ten minutes passes, we will be able to tell whether you¡¯re lying or not by the direction we¡¯re going. Negotiations can start from there.¡±


    I already predicted he¡¯d say something like that when he asked me to lead the way¡­ But I had a trick up my sleeve! Like when I was rolling the dice in the dreamspace, I could influence objects to act in my favor.


    So what would happen if I kicked part of the rubble on the ground, infusing it with just enough aura to make it unnoticeable? And what if I desired that rock to point me in the direction of the closest protector? I could replicate the effects of looking at a map with my ability!


    Kicking a random rock by the road at my leisure, I began to jog in the direction it rolled. And they followed.


    During the run, I would occasionally stop and pretend to look at a map. My act was convincing, I assume, because when the 5 minutes passed, they did not attack me. Instead, Viola grudgingly put away a grey, metallic disk. Why was it different than mine?


    Viola- ¡°Ok¡­ You¡¯re the negotiator. But why should I allow you to take an orb? You¡¯ve already led us for 5 minutes. I¡¯m pretty sure I can catch up to the protectors from here.¡±


    I smiled, and shook my head.


    Me- ¡°Then you won¡¯t be able to hunt the independent; he can view your position as soon as you can view his. As the negotiator, I can provide real time information on the location on the position of every person here. Saving you both valuable time, time that can be used to win.¡±


    Viola didn¡¯t look convinced. Instead, she had a small, irritating smirk playing on her lips.


    Viola- ¡°So? All it is, is some time, right? Without you, I can get a better score.¡±


    Adam- ¡°Then why did you team up with me? Did you plan on reneging on your promise?¡±


    Viola lost the smirk, but I saw an opportunity. If I could get Adam alone, then I could take little to no risk in killing him. And he betrayed me at the seats, so I wouldn¡¯t feel any guilt! So, putting on a sympathetic mask of my features, I reasoned with Adam,If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Me- ¡°Adam. We can do without this b*tch. If we work together, I¡¯m sure we can beat people like Stewart, Natalie, and Stella.¡±


    Adam- ¡°Well-¡±


    Viola interrupted, clearly in somewhat of a panic.


    Viola- ¡°Wait! That¡¯s not what I meant! It¡¯s just that Nathaniel is a sh*tty b*st*rd, and we can do without him!¡±


    Interesting¡­ Is there a special reason on why she needs Adam? Logically, there would be no reason to panic by losing someone you could beat in less than 2 seconds. But she had a tracker, so she couldn¡¯t be anything but a hunter. Right?


    I couldn¡¯t let her be alone with Adam. Even though I already ¡®proved¡¯ myself to them, having suspicion on me was an easy way to get exposed. And Viola was a likely candidate for all of the 3 roles because of the fact that her tracker is a grey and metallic disk, and the fact that she seems to need Adam.


    She could be telling the truth about being a hunter, and the color issue of the disk could be just a matter of randomness. But that would leave a unanswered questions. Why did she seem to need Adam? Does it have anything to do with the outsider?


    She could also be a protector, and that would mean the disk was forged through clever use of her ability. She would need Adam to find the other protector, but preferably the independent first. Then she could kill the independent, and then after Adam kills the other protector, she could betray him, taking the last orb. I would be unsatisfactory for this role because I couldn¡¯t fight anyone else.


    The only other role she could be was the actual negotiator. The disk would still be forged, but this time she could act like she was looking at the disk while actually observing the map. Once they encountered a protector, she would get Adam to do the dirty work, and let him have the first orb. Then when they went to hunt the second protector, she would disappear on a seemingly convincing excuse, to reveal herself as negotiator to the person she was previously hunting.


    Counter-killing Adam would be easy after setting up an ambush with the second protector, and she could claim his orb for her own. After another believable excuse she would then leave and try and ally with the independent, setting up another ambush for the unsuspecting protector. The protector would be killed, and she¡¯d take his orb.


    Escaping the independent would be the next priority, as independents don¡¯t get penalized for killing negotiators. And when she escaped, the next step would be to ally with the hunter to kill the independent. She¡¯d take the independent¡¯s orb, and then relax, as there would be no one else able to kill her. That would be what I would do, at least¡­


    But my appearance now made her role much harder. If she was the negotiator, she would know that I was lying. Therefore, she had to seperate Adam and I in order to allow for a chance at the first ambush tactic.


    Ok¡­ I admit, the second option is based on the premise that she would do what I would do, and it doesn¡¯t factor in the outsider at all. So it is a bit of a stretch to say she¡¯d do all of that for sure. But something similar is likely if she is the negotiator, so¡­ I will have to be on the lookout for excuses to leave the group as we approach others or after we kill a protector and hunter.


    I broke my train of thought, and looked back up to Adam, questioning his decision.


    Adam- ¡°Unfortunately, Nathaniel, I simply do not posses the combat power needed to defeat them alone. ¡±


    Viola smirked once again, her smile reignited by his words.


    Viola- ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right! He needs me to fight them off! So scr*w off Nathaniel!!!¡±


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter Next Chapter


    Author¡¯s note 2- This chapter was brought to you by working on it for hours on end in the library. And I should have the next one ready by thursday at most, tuesday at least. See you soon!


    A moment of silence passed after the voice proclaimed the start, and then lights streaked out of the tower, heading out like bolts of lightning. One struck me before I could react, and it formed into two items.


    The first one was a circular shaped disk that pulsed with a green light. A timer of 10 minutes began counting down on it, letting me know that it was the tracker.


    Glancing over to the other item, I saw a scarlet red orb. It radiated a bloody light, and it was the size of a human eye. As I stared into it longer and longer, I had a vision of endless slaughter and a resulting sea of blood. Rising out of the sea, an orb radiating a devilish glow appeared. It was the Orb of Blood¡­


    The vision disappeared, and all that was left was this, evil, orb. I had an urge to throw it off the skyscraper, but reasoning convinced me to keep it, at least until the end of the trial. So placing it in my pocket along with the tracker, I waited for something to happen.


    The wind barrier suddenly enveloped me, and I started to spin. When my surroundings started to merge into a single, grey color, I appeared on an abandoned street. Behind me was the giant skyscraper.


    Me- ¡°So I came down from there, huh¡­ Well, I might as well follow this road. It will eventually lead to the tower¡­¡±


    *************************


    When ten minutes passed, the tracker revealed the positions of the others, who were all shaken off by my pace. Their positions looked like moving dots, moving relative to me. So all I had to do was change my direction, and I would encounter traces of them. The question was, should I continue to the tower or not?


    Undoubtedly, continuing to the tower with my orb would definitely be the safest option. But I was sure this test wasn¡¯t designed to rate my running speed and sustainability. If I continued on my way to the tower, I would get a D at most.


    If I changed my direction to make contact with the other trial takers, I risked losing an orb. Once they figured out I was the independent, I would be attacked on all sides. And considering their battle abilities, I would not have to great of a chance if they all attacked together. Even regular mercenaries become a threat to my life in large numbers, much less other ability users.


    Additionally, if I came to join one of them, I would have to act as either the negotiator, or a hunter. Acting as a protector wouldn¡¯t work, because it would be too obvious if I said I just, ¡®chanced¡¯ along their path. And of course, if I pretended to be the negotiator, I would easily be exposed if I ever wanted to make use of my tracker.


    So I really only had 1 option. And that was to be a hunter.


    Reaching a resolution, I ran swiftly towards an area ahead of clustered dots. It was time to start the hunt...


    *****************


    I ran for about five minutes before my enhanced hearing picked up on the sounds of a conversation. I immediately went under a car, and waited for them to come closer.


    Adam- ¡°What do you propose?¡±


    Viola- ¡°An alliance. We can¡¯t attack each other, so it would be best if we cooperated to kill the protectors.¡±


    Adam- ¡°And the orbs? How do I know you won¡¯t just take both?¡±


    Viola growled,


    Viola- ¡°We split them 50-50, and if the independent comes, I get their orb. My word will serve as my bond...¡±


    They had come much closer than before, and I could pretty much confirm that they were on the same street I was. So, I stayed under the car, waiting for the opportune moment to introduce myself as a hunter.


    They might figure me out later, but as of now, they couldn¡¯t attack me for fear of being disqualified. As long as I didn¡¯t make the first attack, I would most likely be safe. But playing the hunter card wasn¡¯t ideal. Maybe I could pull the negotiator card off...


    Adam- ¡°Ok... but what if you are the independent? Or a protector? I was the one who found you anyways¡­¡±


    Viola- ¡°If I was the independent, you would be dead already! And as a protector, wouldn¡¯t I be exposed once the 10 minute duration depleted? Think about things before you spout off your god-damn mouth!¡±


    Adam stayed quiet for a while, and they started to walk in silence. And as soon as the sound of footsteps passed, I silently crawled from under the car and stood up.


    Me- ¡°So, when do you plan on hunting?¡±


    They both whipped around, on guard. But I gave off a disarming smile, raising up my hands in surrender.


    Me- ¡°I¡¯m the negotiator; I can¡¯t harm you. Promise me an orb, and I¡¯ll help you guys out.¡±


    They relaxed their guard a bit, but the open hostility radiating off of both of them could not be concealed.


    Viola- ¡°Why should I believe you? For all I know, you could be the independent, or a protector.¡±


    Me- ¡°How could I have found you so soon? The trackers have a 10 minute cooldown, and it would take much more time for me to come. I don¡¯t come from a neighboring building, so it would be incredibly lucky if I just happened to ¡®chance¡¯ upon you as an independent. No, I¡¯m the negotiator.¡°


    Upon hearing my explanation, Viola sent over a questioning glance to Adam. But Adam shrugged, and said reasonably.


    Adam- ¡°Well then, lead the way. Once the next ten minutes passes, we will be able to tell whether you¡¯re lying or not by the direction we¡¯re going. Negotiations can start from there.¡±


    I already predicted he¡¯d say something like that when he asked me to lead the way¡­ But I had a trick up my sleeve! Like when I was rolling the dice in the dreamspace, I could influence objects to act in my favor.


    So what would happen if I kicked part of the rubble on the ground, infusing it with just enough aura to make it unnoticeable? And what if I desired that rock to point me in the direction of the closest protector? I could replicate the effects of looking at a map with my ability!


    Kicking a random rock by the road at my leisure, I began to jog in the direction it rolled. And they followed.


    During the run, I would occasionally stop and pretend to look at a map. My act was convincing, I assume, because when the 5 minutes passed, they did not attack me. Instead, Viola grudgingly put away a grey, metalic disk. Why was it different than mine?


    Viola- ¡°Ok¡­ You¡¯re the negotiator. But why should I allow you to take an orb? You¡¯ve already led us for 5 minutes. I¡¯m pretty sure I can catch up to the protectors from here.¡±


    I smiled, and shook my head.


    Me- ¡°Then you won¡¯t be able to hunt the independent; he can view your position as soon as you can view his. As the negotiator, I can provide realtime information on the location on the position of every person here. Saving you both valuable time, time that can be used to win.¡±


    Viola didn¡¯t look convinced. Instead, she had a small, irritating smirk playing on her lips.


    Viola- ¡°So? All it is, is some time, right? Without you, I can get a better score.¡±


    Adam- ¡°Then why did you team up with me? Did you plan on renenging on your promise?¡±


    Viola lost the smirk, but I saw an oppurtunity. If I could get Adam alone, then I could take little to no risk in killing him. And he betrayed me at the seats, so I wouldn¡¯t feel any guilt! So, putting on a sympathetic mask of my features, I reasoned with Adam,


    Me- ¡°Adam. We can do without this b*tch. If we work together, I¡¯m sure we can beat people like Stewart, Natalie, and Stella.¡±


    Adam- ¡°Well-¡±


    Viola interrupted, clearly in somewhat of a panic.


    Viola- ¡°Wait! That¡¯s not what I meant! It¡¯s just that Nathaniel is a sh*tty b*st*rd, and we can do without him!¡±


    Interesting¡­ Is there a special reason on why she needs Adam? Logically, there would be no reason to panic by losing someone you could beat in less than 2 seconds. But she had a tracker, so she couldn¡¯t be anything but a hunter. Right?


    I couldn¡¯t let her be alone with Adam. Even though I already ¡®proved¡¯ myself to them, having suspicion on me was an easy way to get exposed. And Viola was a likely canidate for all of the 3 roles because of the fact that her tracker is a grey and metalic disk, and the fact that she seems to need Adam.


    She could be telling the truth about being a hunter, and the color issue of the disk could be just a matter of randomness. But that would leave a unanswered questions. Why did she seem to need Adam? Does it have anything to do with the outsider?


    She could also be a protector, and that would mean the disk was forged through clever use of her ability. She would need Adam to find the other protector, but preferably the independent first. Then she could kill the independent, and then after Adam kills the other protector, she could betray him, taking the last orb. I would be unsatisfactory for this role because I couldn¡¯t fight anyone else.


    The only other role she could be was the actual negotiator. The disk would still be forged, but this time she could act like she was looking at the disk while actually observing the map. Once they encountered a protector, she would get Adam to do the dirty work, and let him have the first orb. Then when they went to hunt the second protector, she would dissapear on a seemingly convincing excuse, to reveal herself as negotiator to the person she was previously hunting.


    Counter-killing Adam would be easy after setting up an ambush with the second protector, and she could claim his orb for her own. After another believable excuse she would then leave and try and ally with the independent, setting up another ambush for the unsuspecting protector. The protector would be killed, and she¡¯d take his orb.


    Escaping the independent would be the next priority, as independents don¡¯t get penalized for killing negotiators. And when she escaped, the next step would be to ally with the hunter to kill the independent. She¡¯d take the independent¡¯s orb, and then relax, as there would be no one else able to kill her. That would be what I would do, at least¡­


    But my appearance now made her role much harder. If she was the negotiator, she would know that I was lying. Therefore, she had to seperate Adam and I in order to allow for a chance at the first ambush tactic.


    Ok¡­ I admit, the second option is based on the premise that she would do what I would do, and it doesn¡¯t factor in the outsider at all. So it is a bit of a stretch to say she¡¯d do all of that for sure. But something similar is likely if she is the negotiator, so¡­ I will have to be on the lookout for excuses to leave the group as we approach others or after we kill a protector and hunter.


    I broke my train of thought, and looked back up to Adam, questioning his decision.


    Adam- ¡°Unfortunately, Nathaniel, I simply do not posses the combat power needed to defeat them alone. ¡±


    Viola smirked once again, her smile reignited by his words.


    Viola- ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right! He needs me to fight them off! So scr*w off Nathaniel!!!¡±


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter Next Chapter


    Author¡¯s note 2- This chapter was brought to you by working on it for hours on end in the library. And I should have the next one ready by thursday at most, tuesday at least. See you soon!

 Vol. 1 Chapter 21- Orbs of Blood (2)

    Author¡¯s note- Hey guys, apologies for not getting this out yesterday. I know I told you that I could get the chapter out at tuesday at the earliest and thursday at the latest. Today is thursday, but I probably could''ve made wednesday had not my laziness kicked in¡­


    __________________________________________________________________


    <h1>Orbs of Blood (2)</h1>


    Adam looked to me with the same sorrowful eyes of pity that he had before, and prepared to betray me yet again¡­ If I was in a normal mental state, I probably would''ve made a mental note on getting to the bottom of this. But seeing the same glance that caused him to betray me yet again? I was mad, furious!


    Sometimes, the little things matter most. Him refusing my spot next to him was a simple, small thing under ordinary circumstances. But under the situation, it had been like a Judas¡¯ kiss. The position he took was a profound betrayal, that I tried to take lightly, tried to bottle up under the excuse. ¡®I don¡¯t care.¡¯


    No. It was really like a knife digging into the emotional wound I already had when I left the house. That excuse was like a bandage, a bandage that was sliced open by this renewed sharp gaze of betrayal. Now the wound was reopened, and my eyes turned dead.


    Me- ¡°I see how it is¡­ Well then. It seems it would be more profitable to help the protectors.¡±


    Viola¡¯s face turned ugly, and she summoned the red light. But before she could use it, I warned her solemnly,


    Me- ¡°Be careful. You don¡¯t know what they dictate as an ¡®attack;¡¯ you might be disqualified if you continue.¡±


    Viola- ¡°Whatever! Leave! I hope you aren¡¯t unexpectedly attacked by anyone when you go!¡±


    Idiot! She just gave me something to use against her!


    Me- ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±


    Viola- ¡°No? Just go ahead and leave the group! I¡¯d like to see what happens to you!¡±


    ¡­This woman doesn¡¯t have a freaking brain. Well, I guess it¡¯s time for the accusation.


    Me- ¡°You must be the independent! How else would you have the assurance that I¡¯d be attacked when I leave? You¡¯d do it yourself!¡±


    Adam looked over to Viola suspiciously, and he subconsciously took a step back from her. Both Viola and I noticed this, so Viola spoke hurriedly, trying to defend herself,


    Viola- ¡°I¡¯m not the independent! Adam, I already proved it to you earlier when you found me! I-¡±


    I interjected, not giving her a chance to finish her defense,


    Me- ¡°Then how do you explain your assurance that I¡¯d be attacked if I left? That couldn¡¯t of come from nothing, right?¡±


    Viola paused, not able to immediately come up with a response. And I struck while the iron was hot, not leaving her with a chance to recover.


    Me- ¡°You would of attacked me, just like you were about to do just now. Then some kind of excuse, like you figured out I wasn¡¯t the negotiator would come. And he would''ve believed you, because you would of been disqualified if you attacked the negotiator, right?¡±


    I stepped back as a show for Adam, and I looked at Viola hostility, preparing to defend myself. But instead of attacking me, Viola calmed down.


    Aww. I thought I¡¯d be able to sow a little more discord within their group. If I could of goaded her on to attacking me, then it would probably separate them. And from there, it would be easy to ambush them one by one.


    Viola- ¡°I see what you¡¯re trying to do. Why are you trying to separate us?¡±


    Me- ¡°When did it become about separating you from Adam. You were trying to attack me!¡±


    Viola drew back, deciding not to speak further of the subject.


    Viola- ¡°... Fine. You can stay with our group. But your orb comes only when you guide us to the independent. Adam and I get the priority in choosing the orbs.¡±


    I realized putting further suspicion on her at this point would only serve to put me under question. So I decided to agree without further accusation. More chances would come in the future.


    Me- ¡°I¡¯m leading you to both the protectors and the independent. What would happen if I led you to the people and at the end you reneged on our agreement, just like you attempted just now. No. I need assurance that I will get my fair share. I will take the first orb as compensation for what just happened now, Adam will get the second one, and you will get the third. My friendship with Adam will serve as your reassurance that I will continue to guide you until the last orb.¡±


    Viola cringed at the mention of friendship, and she commented scornfully,


    Viola- ¡°Based on your ¡®friendship?¡¯ A friend that wouldn¡¯t even sit with you? Please. How about this. I get the first orb, Adam gets the second orb, and you will get the third.¡±


    I shook my head.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Me- ¡°And what assurance do I have that you will follow through with your agreement? At least I gave something; you gave me nothing! My agreement stands until you give me some kind of assurance that you will follow through.¡±


    Adam stepped in at this point; he could tell we were getting nowhere.


    Adam- ¡°How about this. We go along with Viola¡¯s order, except we give you our trackers as assurance. Therefore, we will be dependent on you directionally as the negotiator.¡±


    It¡¯s surprising that he could come up with that¡­ He mentioned this was his second year. Could it be he had already taken a test like this?


    But his agreement still had some problems. Considering it from the standpoint of a negotiator, I still had no guarantee that they would work together with me to attack the independent.


    And from my perspective as an independent, it was also disadvantageous. Although obtaining Viola¡¯s tracker would clear up the question on whether she was actually a hunter or not a bit, that was of no use to me anyways, as I was the independent. Moreover, my orb would only come when they were supposed to be hunting the independent, aka me? That would be a surefire way to get myself exposed. From both perspectives, I had to push for a better deal.


    Me- ¡°That still doesn¡¯t work. First of all, I want some sort of compensation for the earlier threats against me. And second of all, that leaves me yet again in a position that is easily exploited. How about this. Adam or Viola gets the first orb, depending on whoever gives me their tracker before we fight them. Then I get the second orb, and I will keep the tracker of whoever got the first orb. Then when we get the third orb, the trackers are returned.¡±


    Viola- ¡°That still puts you in a better position than one of us. Adam¡¯s suggestion was better.¡±


    Me- ¡°Unfortunately, although both of you could hunt on your own, I am entirely dependent on the actions of other people. Therefore, I have more to lose than either of you if I am put in the third position. It would be better if I worked with the protectors instead of you if I get put in that third position. So choose. Will you be with me? Or against me.¡±


    There was silence for a while, and then Adam handed over his tracker. Contrasting with Viola¡¯s, it was a circular shaped disk that pulsed with a green light. This meant that Viola was not a hunter... Well then, whether she is the negotiator or the protector, time will tell.


    Adam- ¡°I will be the first to receive an orb then?¡±


    Seeing this, Viola looked conflicted. But after a moment of thought, she seemed to resign.


    Viola- ¡°...It seems so.¡±


    Me- ¡°It¡¯s settled then¡­ Follow me.¡±


    I jogged off with both Adam and Viola in tow, but unbeknownst to the two behind me, I had other plans than the ones I announced out loud. They would soon meet an untimely end...


    **********************


    As we were moving closer and closer to the person, my enhanced ears started to pick up on sounds coming from in front of us. One person, alone. Easy prey.


    Me- ¡°There is a person up ahead. How should we set up the ambush?¡±


    They stopped.


    Viola- ¡°We need to go ahead of them. And then we can climb up to a vantage point to decide what to do next.¡±


    We resumed running, except this time I was wishing for the rocks I kicked to move in a path leading to a good vantage point, that wouldn¡¯t result in being discovered.


    But strangely enough, it seemed to be in a large curve around the area the person was walking. Was their hearing boosted by some kind of body strengthening? Or was my ability not working properly?


    Kicking another piece of rubble as I ran, it led in the same direction. Meaning, it was definitely some sort of body strengthening. Was it Natalie? Or Stella?


    If it was Natalie, she would have to just blame her bad luck. I wasn¡¯t that close to her, and even though she invited me before to the seat next to her, that¡­ Must of been because there was no other choice of seats. It couldn¡¯t of been anything else.


    But if it was Stella, then it might turn into a problem. Viola obviously had a relationship with Stella, but I was completely unwilling to turn around and team up with her as well. Plus, that would cause additional problems when I decided to ambush them. So what should I do¡­


    I thought about it for a moment, and then found my answer soon after. Viola said something about a vantage point, right? Heights are dangerous places¡­


    My ability is extremely useful for situations like this. Like the fall with the winged man, I could survive falls with minimal injuries. But I¡¯m sure the others wouldn¡¯t be so lucky¡­


    With a new plan in mind, I continued to follow the path set by my ability. And in minutes, it seemed we had arrived.


    Me- ¡°This place should be satisfactory.¡±


    Before us stood a glass-paned building that looked to be about 30-40 ft high. It was a building that seemed like it was previously used for business, but it was still under construction. Therefore, the side that wasn¡¯t covered in glass still had construction equipment near. This included ladders, platforms, mailboxes, etc. The only thing it lacked was railing. Perfect¡­


    Motioning for Viola and Adam to follow me, I began to climb up a ladder on the side that was under construction. A moment passed while they hesitated, but when Adam took the lead to start climbing up, Viola followed as well.


    Me- ¡°Do you think we can see her from here?¡±


    I spoke as I climbed up, attempting to make small talk before I found the best place for ambush.


    Viola- ¡°This building overlooks most of the area. If we could see the person from anywhere, it would be here.¡±


    Me- ¡°I don¡¯t think the person is the independent; he/she is moving in a straight line, even though ten minutes have passed. Obviously, whoever it is, they don¡¯t have a tracker.¡±


    Adam- ¡°Really? Then it¡¯ll be easy to find a good ambush spot.¡±


    We had all arrived at the top of the building at this time, and I started to observe the surroundings. Everything looked somewhat smaller, but at first I couldn¡¯t see the person we were looking for, even with my enhanced eyesight. However, a moment later a figure walked into a clearing.


    The person had long black hair with ears that were long and furry, like some sort of animal¡¯s. She was wearing black clothing, and by her legs, I could see a tail dangling. Although I couldn¡¯t make out the face of the person, nor the type of ears or tail the person had, the black hair was a dead giveaway. It was Stella.


    Coming up with my plan on the spot, I pointed in the direction of the person.


    Me- ¡°Look! I see a person over there!¡±


    Viola and Adam- ¡°Where?¡±


    Their eyes followed my finger, and then they looked in the direction I pointed.


    Me- ¡°Who is it? Can you guys tell from here?¡±


    I knew that they couldn¡¯t tell; even I could barely make out her features with my enhanced vision. But they squinted anyway, looking closely. And I started to slink backwards, slowly. Silently.


    Adam- ¡°It looks like¡­ A girl?¡±


    Viola- ¡°I can¡¯t tell¡­¡±


    They instinctively shuffled closer to the edge of the building, trying to get a closer look. But this would spell their doom.


    My preparations ready, I set off a flame point X10 behind their backs.


    ¡°BOOM!!!¡±


    Sent staggering forward to the edge, they let out sharp cries of surprise! Unfortunately, before they could catch their balance, I was right behind them!


    Me- ¡°DIE!!!¡±


    With a powerful push boosted by my ability, they both fell off the edge screaming!


    My hair billowed in the wind as I watched them fall. And in midair, Adam was the first one to recover from the confusion. His transformation happened a split second after the fall, and his scream turned into an angry roar!


    Orienting himself in midair, he went down feet first onto the ground. And on impact, his knees buckled, and he turned it into a military roll. It still looked like he took considerable damage though, as there was a big, black scorched mark on his back.


    On the other hand, Viola didn¡¯t fare nearly as well. It was about a second before she reacted, but when she realized what was happening, it was already almost too late. She barely formed a pillar of red light from the ground before she hit!


    ¡°Crack!¡±


    Letting out a cry of pain, Viola started to clutch one of her legs tightly! It was bent at an odd angle.


    Although Viola was immobilized, Adam looked at me with fear. He then turned around and started to limp away. But I wasn¡¯t just going to let him leave like that¡­


    Moving hastily to climb down the ladder, I started the hunt!


    But I didn¡¯t notice the cruel smile that was beginning to play along my lips...


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter Next Chapter


    Author¡¯s note 2- So¡­ Got nothing to say¡­ I hope you enjoyed the chapter. And as for the time the next one will out, I don¡¯t really know. I¡¯ll try to get it in as soon as possible, but this is thanksgiving¡­


    I¡¯ll promise I won¡¯t let laziness get me again though!

 Vol. 1 Chapter 22- Orbs of Blood (3)

    Author¡¯s note- Warning, this chapter is a bit graphic. And I mean bloody graphic. Oh yeah, my physics class has been recently teaching on how to calculate impact force. And now it seems interesting because I could calculate roughly the amount of damage my main character is dishing out.


    For example, from that fall Viola would realistically not have only a broken leg, lol. The force was enough to break lots of her bones at once, even up to her thigh. She wasn¡¯t surviving that fall, even without the main character¡¯s interference¡­ And for my research, this chart was really helpful. (Nerdy document incoming)</a>


    __________________________________________________________________


    <h1>Orbs of Blood (3)</h1>


    I had climbed down about 3/4ths of the way before I jumped the rest of the way down. Landing, I saw Adam limping away as fast as he could, ignoring the cries for help of Viola who he left behind. I didn¡¯t blame him; she would only be dead weight. And I would deal with her first¡­


    Taking a cursory glance at the fleeing Adam, I walked towards Viola in a relaxed manner. And when she saw this, she shuddered. Was it fear? Or rage. I didn¡¯t know, but at the same time I didn¡¯t care. She was going to die.


    Me- ¡°Any last words?¡±


    Viola gritted her teeth.


    Viola- ¡°Ahhh! F*ck you!¡±


    She materialized a knife in mid air, and sent it flying towards me! But, it seemed she had forgotten one of the most basic rules about abilities. They repel¡­


    Summoning my golden aura, the knife flew backwards, powerless to harm me. But the very act of her futilely trying to stab me pissed me off. So with an intention from my mind, a flame point X10 exploded right above her body.


    ¡°BOOM!!!¡±


    She went in deeper to the ground, but a deformed red light surrounded her. She wasn¡¯t dead. Yet.


    ¡°BOOM!!!¡±


    The concrete around her body cracked, but somehow the barrier was still intact! I frowned, and set off yet another explosion.


    ¡°BOOM!!!¡±


    The barrier was now incredibly deformed, and at parts it pierced into her body. But suddenly, laughter mixed with coughing came from underneath the rubble. Was she driven insane?


    Deciding that my explosions weren¡¯t enough to truly finish the job, I stepped forward and stomped towards her throat!


    At the point of contact with my foot, the barrier instantly shattered. My foot continued without obstruction, and then it felt like I had stepped on a pillow. A slight squishing sound was heard, and blood started to seep from under my foot.


    The area that was once filled with insane laughter now descended into eerie silence. It was finished¡­


    Suddenly, her unrecognizable body was covered in a blue light, and she was turned into a streak of light that flew towards the Tower of Resurrection. All that was left of her was a steel disk and a bloody orb. The orb rose up to float in front of my head, and the orb I already had was summoned out as well.


    And at that time, a voice sounded within my head.


    ???- ¡°Congratulations, a contestant has obtained two Orbs of Blood. Thus, this game has advanced to the second stage! As contestants, your goal is still the same: to make it to the tower alive and hopefully with as many orbs as you can. One thing is different though. The outsider has started hunting. It wants the orbs, but it doesn¡¯t know which contestant has them. However, it does know where each and every one of you are, so once again, be careful, and stay alive. The best of luck to all of you!¡±


    Once the voice finished speaking, the orbs stopped levitating, and they fell to the ground. I stooped to pick them up, and placed them back within my pocket. But once I did, I felt the back of my neck start prickling. Was someone watching me!?


    I whipped around, summoning my golden aura! But no one was there¡­ I murmured to myself,Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Me- ¡°The outsider¡­ He said the outsider was hunting...¡±


    Deciding I wasn¡¯t in danger just yet, I refocused my attention upon the escaping Adam. He had already vanished from my line of sight, but I could still hunt him down. Killing him would silence any notion that I wasn¡¯t the negotiator, so he was the next target.


    Kicking another rock, I began to run after him.


    *********************


    Adam didn¡¯t get very far. It took me about 45 seconds before I found Adam. He was positioned behind a car, and he seemed to be trying to ambush me. Unfortunately, my ears easily picked up his heavy breathing, so that plan of his failed before it started.


    I set off a flame point X10 to the right of him.


    ¡°BOOM!!!¡±


    He was sent sprawling in front of me, and I kicked him so hard he was sent flying back! Landing about 6 feet away from me, it seemed like he completely lost his ability to fight. He reverted back to his normal self, and started to cough pitifully.


    Me- ¡°So. It comes to this. Are you ready to die?¡±


    I walked forward, the golden aura swirling around my hand. But his answer was delayed, and he started to look at something behind me.


    Adam- ¡°Oh, so it started hunting already? Ha ha ha!¡±


    What? Did Adam become crazy as well? Or was there something going on?


    Me- ¡°Why are you laughing?¡±


    Adam sneered,


    Adam- ¡°When a family targets someone, they make sure they have the assurance of success, so from the beginning, you were marked to be its target. I guess I could say, you ran out of luck¡­¡±


    I was about to respond, before suddenly, I heard something rapidly approaching me from behind my back!


    An unprecedented sense of crisis rose up within me, and I immediately dropped to the floor!


    ¡°Whoosh¡±


    A black shadow passed over me and landed about 7 ft in front of me. And I rose up from the ground immediately, getting a good look at the thing.


    It was a humanoid being made of a material like shadow, and its limbs were sharpened, like weapons. In its ¡®hands,¡¯ it held a giant broadsword with red runes etched along the middle of the blade. Chains connected the sword to its hands, and they seemed to extend further into depths of shadow. Standing about 7ft tall, it dwarfed me considerably, and the scythe in its hands added to the image, making it look like death itself.


    Suddenly, its voice resounded through the surroundings, and it sounded grim, emotionless.


    ???- ¡°Give them back...¡±


    Its face turned to look at the side, but its aura wasn¡¯t directed at me. It was directed at, Adam?


    Adam¡¯s face turned pale with fear, and he started to back away hurriedly.


    Adam- ¡°No! This shouldn¡¯t be happening; he¡¯s your target, not me! I don¡¯t have any orbs, he does!¡±


    What he said however, seemed to fall on death¡¯s ears. It tilted its head and brandished its broadsword menacingly. And I stood there, frozen in shock. Was it about to¡­?


    Suddenly, Adam seemed to be moving in slow motion compared to the being. It started moving at a rate even my grandfather couldn¡¯t keep up with, and then with a single slice, Adam was gone. Nothing was left of him.


    With this, my mind reeled, and suddenly, I was broken out of my stupor. What if he came at me next!?


    Activating the flame tornado and the hot feeling simultaneously, I immediately fled with the fastest speed I could muster!


    But suddenly, I heard the slight sound of the grinding of a chain on metal, and I moved to the side without hesitation.


    ¡°Whoosh!¡±


    The broadsword had slashed into the area where I was moments before, and then it was pulled back to the being. Its footsteps rose into a tempest, and I knew it was giving chase! How would I escape?


    Summoning my golden aura without restraint, I let it flow all over my body! And with my desire to survive flooding forth from every area of my body, I kicked out at a piece of rubble! Please work!


    But when my foot touched the rubble, I felt my sense of balance shifting. And instinctively, I knew what was happening. I was tripping! What kind of bullcrap luck ability do I have to trip at this time! And in a situation as this!?


    But whatever regrets I had were not able to be expressed at the time, as I tried to find my sense of balance again by using my other leg. However, who knew that there would coincidentally be another rock disrupting the way my other foot hit the ground?


    Before I could react, I had already fallen halfway to the ground. And in that moment, something passed over my head, taking a couple hairs with it. I was not able to see the object, but I knew it was the sword! My ability saved me!


    The resentments on my ability immediately turned to gratitude, and I resumed trying to run from the being. And strangely enough, his footsteps didn¡¯t seem to follow. What was going on?


    Turning my head back as I ran, I could see that the being seemed to be huddled over the sword, pulling on it. It was stuck in the ground!


    With a massive pull, the being dislodged the sword from the ground and continued the pursuit. But I was currently a bit faster than the being, and I was already out of the broadsword¡¯s range!


    Realizing my apparent safety for the time being, my body started to instinctively relax. But my mind was still on full alert, knowing the battle could reignite at any wrong move¡­ So I continued to let my ability define my path of where I ran.


    ************************


    Eventually, I had shaken it off of my trail. And in hindsight, it should''ve been simple.


    The being was blind. It found the direction of us by using sound. For example, when I dodged the preemptive strike, it had no idea where I was. Instead, it tried to use its aura to feel around in an attempt to find me. But when Adam spoke, it confirmed his position.


    That spelled his doom, as he was powerless to resist being cut in half. And that was when I started running.


    The heavy sound of my feet striking the pavement was enough for the outsider to find me. And when I dodged the first strike, it had a full grasp on my position. If it had not been for my ability, that second strike would of killed me.


    It was blind then, but the fact that it found us means it has some other way of knowing where we are. A tracker maybe, but I think it is more likely that it is following the orbs. And the fact that I have two makes me its prime target. I would need to abandon getting the third if I didn¡¯t want to die to that thing.


    I was also tired of all the killing that had been happening recently. I just wanted to finish this mission, and go back home¡­ At least Chloe was there, no doubt waiting for me. And I had just abandoned her, abandoned the whole situation because it was too much.


    But after this mission, I could come back. Therefore, I needed to finish it as soon as possible. My next target was the Tower of Resurrection¡­


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter Next Chapter


    Author¡¯s note 2- Ok, I¡¯m sorry if this felt a bit rushed. This chapter has not been delayed because of my laziness as I promised; I worked on it every chance I had. But the problem is my SAT is coming up, and every time I go to a public place to write, I¡¯m being bombarded with questions on why I¡¯m working on my story and not studying for the sat¡­ Lol, rip me.

 Vol. 1 Chapter 23- Orbs of Blood (4)

    Author¡¯s note- Ok, so there was some confusion in the last chapter on what Adam said about Nathaniel being marked. It was not the stone clan that did this; it was the Lynch family. I showed this before the trial actually started through the dialogue through Natalie and Nathaniel. Sorry for not making this clear in the story.


    __________________________________________________________________


    Orbs of Blood (4)


    While I ran, I kept the golden aura active. Without my luck aiding me, I had no idea what I would encounter. And the fact that it protected me from both dangers I could foresee and couldn¡¯t foresee made keeping it active worth it. Plus, keeping my abilities active had no negative effects, so there was no reason not to.


    Other than following the path set by my ability, I also kept my eyes on the gigantic tower that extended upwards way past the clouds. It drove my thoughts, to think about it¡¯s role in this game. The Tower of Resurrection¡­


    Its role was obvious from its name: to resurrect those killed in this trial. But there was definitely something hidden about that tower, otherwise it would of been stated clearly in the introduction about the tower. But instead, he just mentioned the name of the tower in passing when he was talking about bringing the orbs to the tower. Did the orbs have something to do with the resurrection aspect?


    Suddenly, the tracker in my pocket started to vibrate, notifying me of the passing of the ten minutes. So I pulled it out, checking my relative position compared to the others.


    The center was my position, and three dots blinked behind me. Two were green dots, and the last one was a dark red. The red dot was moving rapidly towards a green dot, and the distance between them was like nothing to the red dot. It overtook the green dot to my right, and suddenly the green faded away. Did the outsider get another kill?


    Suddenly, I saw a flash of blue light coming from behind me, and in a next moment it was almost at the tower. But suddenly, shadowy chains extended from a place I couldn¡¯t see and pierced the blue light.


    The light distorted, and reformed into a human figure struggling fiercely against the chains. Stewart!


    The standstill only lasted for a second, and then more chains arrived! They pierced his limbs and then wrapped around them, digging deep into the light that was Stewart. He continued to struggle, but now he was being dragged backwards!


    His light shone even fiercer, and he fought back much harder than before. However, a last chain extended from the edge of the world, streaking out like black lightning!


    Piercing the back of his neck, Stewart let out a terrible scream!


    Stewart- ¡°AHHHH!!!!!¡±


    It dragged him back to the edge of the world, and then his screams were stifled¡­ A bloody light started to radiate from the edge of the world at the end of this, and I froze, my skin crawling. What was that!?


    ???- ¡°A warning to the two of you who are left. The outsider has fed upon the blood of three contestants, and now it has almost awakened. Do not, by any means, allow it to get an Orb of Blood!¡±


    Glancing at my tracker to see who its next target was, I noticed that the blood red dot that represented the outsider had doubled in size! It now moved towards the closest target. And the only other person alive should be Stella, right? Then what happened to Natalie?


    Wait¡­ It said the outsider has fed upon the blood upon 3 contestants¡­


    Suddenly, I felt sick to my stomach. The outsider had killed her!


    Looking back at the red horizon, I played around with the thought that she was still in this trial, that it was Stella that died. However, I already knew that couldn¡¯t be the case. The voice had already revealed it to me. When it said, ¡°Do not, by any means, allow it to get an Orb of Blood,¡± it involuntarily gave another message: ¡°It hasn¡¯t gotten an Orb of Blood yet.¡±


    Based on my earlier deductions, Stella possesses an orb. And the fact that I already have acquired two orbs of blood rules out any possibility of a different orb carrier. Stella was the only other person left alive.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    So I had three options. One, I could go back and lure the outsider away from Stella. That would have the benefit of keeping the outsider from getting another orb, and I would prevent a devastating catastrophe. However, I would be inviting disaster by helping my enemy, and considering the strength of that thing, whether I could escape from the outsider once again was debatable.


    Two, I continue on my path to the Tower of Resurrection. That would have the benefit of immediately completing my objective, and it would allow me to avoid the risk of keeping Stella alive. But, this method also had its drawbacks. By leaving the smaller threat, Stella, I would be making the outsider become a serious threat to my life! After all, it was already strong enough¡­ Giving that thing an Orb of Blood was insane.


    Three, I go back and kill Stella before the outsider does, take her orb, and then race back to the tower. If I could pull it off, I would receive a much greater reward than the other two options. But this option has a similar drawback to the first option, and that was I wasn¡¯t sure if I could outrun that thing once again. This was a serious issue as well as the added risk of killing Stella within the time limit.


    After considering them carefully, I was more inclined towards the 2nd and 3rd options. Honestly, the very thought of helping her, even if it was for my potential gain, disgusted me. That alone was enough for me to completely discard it.


    And as for the second option, its disadvantage seemed to be debatable after second thought. It really came down to whether getting to the tower with an Orb of Blood would end the trial or not.


    The only evidence I had regarding the subject was the voice, yet what would happen was still somewhat unclear. On one hand, it said that our goal was to bring an Orb of Blood to the tower, and then we would win. But what did it mean by the word, win? Does winning dictate the end of the trial for the person who brought the orbs? Or was what it said applicable to all the orbs as a whole, meaning they would all have to be taken to the tower in order to end the trial?


    On the other hand, it also mentioned something pertaining to the outsider, stating that it must not be allowed to obtain an Orb of Blood at all costs. This statement was pretty absolute, but it didn¡¯t mention any consequences, just that it should not happen, or else. Unfortunately for the voice, the lack of consequences mentioned inevitably made me want to disobey. However, I also knew that in order to win, I needed to obey the voice. And ironically, I could see a parallel to the voice in the trial, and the organization¡¯s demands in real life.


    Above all, the organization prioritized obeying orders, and the consequences of disobeying their orders led to a death order with your name written on it. Furthermore, even in the trials, this was part of the criteria. For an example, take Natalie.


    For something as simple as finishing up a sentence after the teacher said silence, she was tortured and given the lowest ranking for the expressed reason of disobeying orders¡­ So I concluded it would be in my best interests to obey the voice, even if I didn¡¯t know the reason. I would execute option 3.


    Turning around, I ran into the blood red horizon. And slowly, my surroundings became increasingly red, like they had been bathed in blood. I had a bad feeling about this¡­


    ********************


    My ability ended up leading me to an alleyway, and further infusion of my ability made the rock unable to bounce. I assumed this meant I was to stay. And I waited for about 30 seconds before the sound of feet smashing into pavement came into my hearing range. She was here.


    Quieting my breathing, I readied myself to ambush her, and as soon as the footsteps became close enough that I could read her position, I knew it was almost time¡­ Now!


    I dashed out of the alleyway at full speed, and I aimed a punch backed with both my flame tornado and my body strengthening at her head!


    ¡°Bam!¡±


    She was unable to react in time, and flew backwards! I followed up with a flame point X10!


    ¡°BOOM!¡±


    The explosion temporarily made me unable to astern how much damage I had dealt. But soon after, a flash of blue light told me the battle was over. Well that was quite anticlimactic; she didn¡¯t even get to fight back! However, I wasn¡¯t complaining. This left me with more time to escape the outsider!


    Not willing to waste another moment, I picked up the last orb. And immediately, all the orbs flew out of my pocket to circle around me. What was going on!


    They started to radiate a bloody light that resonated with the surroundings, and the orbs themselves seemed to start to absorb this light. They continually grew stronger and stronger until they let of a pulse of concentrated energy that I was unable to resist! My legs crumpled, and I fell to the ground. Leaving the orbs to rest upon me, radiating an evil aura. My vision blackened soon after.


    ************************


    Waves. An endless sea. I stood gazing over all of it; looking as if I was staring into the eyes of a lover. Then a grin slowly crept onto my face¡­ Yes, I created this sea. A sea of blood!


    I looked over it kindly, yet after a moment passed, I heard something displeasing¡­ All of the killing, it was never enough! They still kept coming like moths to a flame!


    I turned around to face the next army, summoning my broadsword to hand. But what I faced was not another army, but a single man. My enemy!


    Roaring out a mighty battle cry, I charged! But unexpectedly, chains extended from behind him, piercing into all parts of my body!


    I struggled, but it was to no avail! And the man approached¡­


    ???- ¡°You will serve me now.¡±


    He extended his hand out to mark my forehead, but I roared in defiance! And suddenly, the sea exploded forth, rushing to defend its creator!


    But it was all for naught. With a wave of his hand, the mighty sea became 3 orbs. And when his hand touched me, the redness faded from my skin, turning me black as the night. I was now his¡­


    Me- ¡°Master. How shall I serve?¡±


    ???- ¡°As you have been the sword that killed my servants, so you shall now become my sword, to kill my enemy. Serve me well. Ah ha ha ha!¡±


    He left, leaving me filled with unwillingness. But then something approached me from behind. Who?


    ???- ¡°So, how does it feel, Nathaniel? Dreaming within a dream?¡±


    I paused, confused. That wasn¡¯t my name, was it?


    ???- ¡°Well, it¡¯s time to wake up anyways. I am unable to free you from the first dream, but they¡¯d be dreaming if they thought they could trap us completely¡­ Come back to the real world soon, ok? You¡¯re keeping everybody waiting.¡±


    The world shattered, and I was awakened to the angry roar of the outsider. It shook the buildings, and I felt a presence lock onto me. And at this moment, the voice came to me.


    ???- ¡°As the last contestant alive, you have obtained all 3 Orbs of Blood. Please make your way hastily to the Tower of Resurrection, before the outsider catches up with you. The trial will end upon your safe arrival at the Tower of Resurrection, or upon your death by the hands of the outsider. And by the way, if you die the rewards obtained through the Orbs of Blood will not apply. So good luck!¡±


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter Next Chapter


    Author¡¯s note 2- Sorry this came out so late. As you could garner from the previous author¡¯s note, I was preparing for the SAT. And after I had taken it, final¡¯s week rushed upon me suddenly, leaving me no respite to write this chapter.


    But now that all that¡¯s all said and done, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as the start of winter break comes along! (By the way, I may or may not become lazy during this break and procrastinate. But only time will tell, so hope for the best!)

 Vol. 1 Chapter 24- Orbs of Blood (Final)

    Author¡¯s note- So¡­ I mean it every time I apologize for not making these chapters quickly like I used to. And I¡¯d like to say sorry again for this late release, even if it may mean nothing right now. Anyways, again, I¡¯m really sorry for this. But the good news is that the court case has finally started, so it won¡¯t be long before I¡¯m able to write like I used to.


    __________________________________________________________________


    Orbs of Blood (5)


    After the voice was done speaking, I shook my head groggily and grabbed the orbs from the ground. Then, I got up to my feet. And just as I was about to start running to the tower, I heard a world shaking shriek that echoed all around me. My surroundings became a shade darker, and I could feel an evil presence watching me. It was coming¡­


    I immediately bolted away, dashing through the alley. Letting my golden aura guide me, I made a sharp turn into another alley. And just then I started to hear its footsteps rapidly approaching! It was faster than me!


    Kicking another piece of rubble as I ran, it directed me towards a clearing. I ran with all my might towards the area, and hearing the outsider pounce, I dove forward!


    A black streak grazed past my body in midair, missing me by a hair. But before I could let out a sigh of relief, I realized I was still falling! What the-


    ¡°SPLASH¡±


    Surprised and shocked by the development, I tried to take in a breath of air. But suddenly, water started to pour into my lungs!


    At this moment, I realized that I had landed in the Lake surrounding the tower. But that realization only slightly helped my situation, as I had already taken in a lot of water. I was suffocating!


    Attempting to get a breath of air, I swam to the surface. But as soon as my head surfaced, I heard another enter the water. And I didn¡¯t have to look behind to guess who it was. It was the outsider!


    I started swimming frantically away in panic, but my senses seemed to scream danger! Diving back under the water, I attempted to dodge the incoming blow. But I was too late.


    Me- ¡°Ugh!!!¡±


    The giant broadsword sliced deeply into my shoulder! Agh, it hurts so much!


    I inhaled more water instead of air, and with it came the coppery taste of my own blood. But this time, I couldn¡¯t swim back up. My left arm wasn¡¯t moving anymore!


    Suddenly, the outsider pulled back on the chain, bringing both the broadsword and my body towards it! And it held a scythe like limb at the ready, waiting to slice me again. If this continued, I would end up dying!


    My brain started to work faster than ever before as I thought of a way to survive! And in moments, I seemed to grasp something¡­ Water! Yes, that¡¯s right! I was in a lake!


    I froze the water beneath me, and in the next instant I was sent flying. Then I started to freeze the water at my landing area, but I didn¡¯t have enough time. The ice looked too thin!


    ¡°Crack¡±


    It cracked upon my landing, but thankfully it held.


    ¡°Cough Cough¡±


    Spitting out all the water, I began to breathe once more. Thank god!


    My head started to clear up after the danger of imminent suffocation was resolved, and the pain from my shoulder was effectively numbed. And with that covered, I began to size up my opponent. The outsider was approaching; step-by-step it was walking on the water. But unfazed by this, I extended my domain of ice across the whole lake.


    While I was doing this, the outsider started to brandish its broadsword menacingly.


    The outsider- ¡°You. Die. DIE!¡±


    Twirling its broadsword around with the chain, it sent the sword flying at me at breakneck speeds!


    Using my enhanced eyesight to determine its trajectory, I set off a flame point X10 in its path. And the broadsword flew straight into the ice lake I had created, cracking it in an innumerable amount of places. But that was easily fixed.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    With an intention from my mind, I froze a large portion of the underwater lake. Then water started to surge violently out of the cracks in the ice, especially the ones closest to the sword! Once this started to happen, the outsider seemed to realize something was wrong. It attempted to pull out the sword, but it was too late! Grinning darkly, I uttered involuntarily,


    Me- ¡°Checkmate.¡±


    I froze the water, and suddenly the black, runic broadsword was encased in ice. With it, the outsider was trapped; the chains were of no help to it any longer. It could only move freely within a certain radius, giving me time to escape!


    Grasping my injured shoulder, I ran as fast as I could towards the tower. And that speed was becoming faster and faster as my body healed at an exponential rate! It wouldn¡¯t be long before I fully recovered!


    I was convinced of my imminent victory as I ran, but suddenly, loud cracking sounds started to resound throughout the whole area. What in the world!?


    Glancing back as I ran, the outsider was shrouded with a swirling aura of darkness and blood, and it was sending the aura through the chain! No, it couldn¡¯t be¡­


    ¡°Ba-dump¡±


    A tremor shook the whole lake, sending ice shards flying everywhere! And the sword started to glow with a deadly light. Was it planning on shattering the whole lake to free itself!?


    Using the same tactic as before, I sent water gushing out of the cracks. And then I froze it, reinforcing its defense. But in response to this, the outsider let out an earth-shattering roar!


    ¡°RRRAAAGGHHHHH!!!!!¡±


    The world suddenly shifted to black and white, and a shockwave exploded out, sending me flying!


    Smashing into the tower, my vision went dark for a second. And when I was able to regain my bearings, I saw the outsider rushing at me with an unimaginable speed!


    Me- ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Reaching for the orbs in my pocket, I attempted to place them on the tower as a last ditch effort, while simultaneously creating a flame point X10 and an explosion of ice in hopes of delaying it. But a sudden jolt of pain from my shoulder prevented me from getting the orbs!


    My other hand immediately reached for the Orbs of Blood, but when I had grasped them, the outsider was right in front of me! It slashed, and all I could do was position my injured shoulder in front of the blade.


    ¡°Shluk¡±


    I stared blankly as I watched my limb get severed from my body. Blood started to spew like a geyser from the open wound, and then the pain came crushing down like a heavy mountain.


    Me- ¡°AHHHHHH!!!¡±


    The sound coming out of my mouth didn¡¯t even seem like my own voice because it was so wretched. And the outsider seemed to respond to my scream, slashing its broadsword towards my head! But I wasn¡¯t in any state to care about that as I used my only remaining arm to place the orbs on the tower, my last remaining hope!


    Time seemed to slow down as the broadsword inched towards my head. 5 inches left, 4, 3, 2, 1¡­


    When the broadsword had just pierced my skin, the tower started to shine with a golden, radiant light! And my body turned into a stream of blue light, evading the broadsword!


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    The broadsword hit the golden light surrounding the tower and was rebuffed. Moments later, I felt something dragging me upward. And, as if summoned by an unseen force, my form began to snake upwards along the tower as a streak of blue light! But in response to this, the outsider stood frighteningly still, before a dark aura extended past the horizon, and the chains started to hover ominously around its body. And in this moment, I remembered what happened to Stewart. It couldn¡¯t be...!


    The chains shot towards me like bolts of black lightning, and I couldn¡¯t move to dodge! So summoning my golden aura, I let it know my hearts desire. To survive!


    A moment passed while nothing happened, and then the black chains reached me, wrapping around my arms. And at this, I chuckled bitterly. Was there really a 0% chance of survival, even after I brought the Orbs of Blood to the tower?


    The final chain extended towards my neck, piercing through the sky! But when it almost encountered me, the golden light inside the tower pulsated, as if provoked. The radiant light let out a wave of showering power that extended across the world, shattered the chains, killed the outsider, and brought about a new horizon!


    Runic lights shone from the ancient wall, and they connected with the wave of power that now existed as a dome. I looked on with awestruck wonder, and then it came to me. This illusionary trial, it wasn¡¯t just some fabrication from someone¡¯s mind.


    (Author¡¯s musings: Oh really? I might like to disagree with you there Nathaniel.)


    It was a question that came to me earlier on during the trial. If my luck ability influenced the chances of something happening through the smallest means possible, then how would it work in an illusionary trial? After all, I myself didn¡¯t even know the information before hand, and neither would the illusionary trial maker. So where did the input of information come from? It wasn¡¯t made up; it was proved right every time!


    This explanation is also reinforced by my previous experience, where the illusionist made the gym I entered an exact replica of the normal gym. So much so I was unable to tell that it was fake until the very end.


    But all of this speculation would be baseless if not for one of the five rules about abilities. That is, one¡¯s ability is activated and controlled using thought and/or an action. How can one thought be complex enough to include and define the infinite number of complexities that is called, reality? And the answer is surprisingly simple. To ¡®copy¡¯ a place in real life.


    And after I realized this, the next thought that came to mind was of its significance. What did this mean for me?


    As I was musing over the possibilities, the voice came back, interrupting my thoughts.


    ???- ¡°Congratulations! You have achieved great results in this trial of Charm and Intelligence. There were three criteria being assessed in this trial. One, the ability to adapt in the face of unforeseen situations and circumstances. Two, the degree of manipulation you achieved over the other contestants. And three, the degree of success achieved according to your role. Results will sent upon your return to the class tomorrow.¡±


    After the voice finished, the world started to shift into a yellowish color. And slowly, I started to see a pulsing, earthen yellow light. Wait, what?


    Forcing myself to get up, I moved my lethargic body to a position where I could sit up. Ugh, why am I so groggy?


    I rubbed my eyes and then looked around, to see if I could get a clue about what was going on. And I met multiple pairs of eyes looking at me. Why were they glaring like that?


    I looked around the room in a sort of confused state, until something in my mind clicked. This place!


    A wave of memories crashed into my head, and I remembered everything. And seeing this, Daydream looked over into my direction.


    Daydream- ¡°Have you finally come to your senses, Nathaniel?¡±


    I nodded my head slowly, now feeling on guard again.


    Daydream- ¡°Good. This trial is over; you may go back now. The results will be announced tomorrow.¡±


    With a wave of his hand, the teleportation portal on the other side of the room suddenly activated, pulsating with a purple light. And as I rose to go into the portal, so did Viola. I glanced at her with this, and she sat right back down, her face pale.


    I froze for a second, my gaze lingering on her for a bit longer. Had she finally learned her lesson?


    A small grin involuntarily appeared on the side of my face as I thought of all the threats that Viola and her family made towards me. They didn¡¯t amount to much in the end, didn¡¯t they. Hah!


    Then my gaze turned over to Adam, who met my provocation with an equally intense gaze. I don¡¯t know what I was seeking when I looked over at him, but the reaction made me a little irritated. Well, fine. I had already bested him in the trial; I¡¯d like to see what he can do against me next time!


    And with that thought, I stepped into the portal, starting my journey home.


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter Next Chapter


    Author¡¯s note 2- Well, as you can see, I like to explore into the mental state of the main character. And you may notice that Nathaniel is becoming somewhat crazy, even though I don¡¯t think he realizes it himself. But then again, who wouldn¡¯t become somewhat insane after all this? He he he¡­

 Vol. 1 Chapter 25- Return

    Author¡¯s note- Man, after posting the previous chapter, it was really, really nice to see some ¡®thanks for the chapter¡¯ at the list. It gave me the feels on the inside, knowing all the instability for chapters I¡¯ve put you guys through. So really, thank you all for your continued support. It means a lot to me!


    __________________________________________________________________


    <h1>Return</h1>


    The purple crystal hovering in midair from the power of teleportation slowly faded away, and I descended into the middle of the room. Then in moments, the room was shrouded by darkness. Startled, I exclaimed to myself,


    Me- ¡°Ah, I forgot there were never any lights in here.¡±


    With an intention from my mind, a flame appeared above the palm of my hand, lighting the way. I used it to navigate my way through the blast doors and through the fake wall. The ¡®gang members¡¯ at the door nodded to me, and I walked past them, noting that there were more people. All new. It seems no-one survived that incident¡­


    A sense of indescribable guilt welled up from my heart as I realized my actions back then caused them to die. All of them!


    Even though I hadn¡¯t known them, they were still people. People who weren¡¯t trying to take my life. They were even on my side! Why was I so inconsiderate, not even thinking about them after a simple cremation? Am I a cold-blooded killer now? Am I just like the people who tried to kill me for money?


    The question remained unanswered for a while, until a thought came in from the corner of my mind. ¡®I survived, they didn¡¯t. That¡¯s the difference.¡¯


    Immediately my heart reeled back in shock! Who could believe something so cold, so cruel!?


    But what horrified me is that somewhere in my mind, I was beginning to accept this proposal as reality. And the thought of it scared me. How would Chloe feel about me if she knew what I really thought? Would she leave me?


    My heartbeat started to race, and my palms became sweaty. Then an indescribable fear took hold of my mind from memories past. Memories I had long locked away¡­


    Shaking my head vehemently, I spoke softly to myself in order to calm down,


    Me- ¡°No-no-no. She would never leave us; she promised!¡±


    Us? Sh*t, I was really going crazy!


    Slapping myself for the misuse of the word, I started to realize that this couldn¡¯t go on. I needed to toughen up and see what happens. I couldn¡¯t predict what she¡¯d feel; I¡¯m not Chloe! And even so, if she never found out, it wouldn¡¯t matter, would it?


    With that resolution, I made my way home.


    *****************


    It had started raining again on my way back, but the incoming rain did not faze me. The only price of it was getting my clothes drenched; far less than most of the consequences I have to deal with daily. And so what I did was, get home, go upstairs, and take a shower.


    The shower gave me some time to think about what had been happening recently, but I didn¡¯t indulge in it. Recently my thoughts had been leading me in a cold, terrible direction that I was quite frankly, terrified of! Even thinking about thinking about it gives me the shudders. Wait¡­ Did I just? Never mind.


    Walking out of the shower, I took a towel and wrapped it around my body. Then, I walked into my room, but there was an inquisitive girl looking around my room.


    She was currently looking through a couple of books I had under my desk. Once she read through the summary, she moved onto the next while placing the book back at its set place. And when she was done looking through my books, the girl jumped on my bed without even acknowledging my presence.


    Unfortunately for her, when I saw the girl start to wrap herself in my covers, I couldn¡¯t bear the embarrassment any longer. I lightly coughed out of shame,


    Me- ¡°Cough, Chloe, cough-cough.¡±


    She had just been taking in a deep breath of satisfaction before I coughed, yet when she heard me, her body froze. Moments later one eye slowly started to open, and when she saw me, she jumped up like a cat that had its tail stepped on. Then Chloe asked in bewilderment, her faced flushed with a bright shade of red.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Chloe- ¡°W-What are you doing here Nathaniel? I thought you were in the shower; why did you come in here!?¡±


    Lol! She was asking me why I came in my room? Guilty!


    Me- ¡°I was in the shower, but this is my room! Why were you in my covers?¡±


    Chloe- ¡°I was just checking your room out, that¡¯s all,¡± Chloe responded shamelessly, ¡°Plus, you were in my room too, dummy. How am I supposed to know what you did while you were there?¡±


    Me- ¡°You were in the room with me the whole time!¡±


    Chloe- ¡°So?¡±


    I was struck speechless.


    Me- ¡°But¡­ That doesn¡¯t even make sense! If you were in the room with me, obviously you know what I did in there!¡±


    At this, Chloe giggled happily.


    Chloe- ¡°Face the facts, Nathaniel. You could of done anything to a poor young lady while alone in her room. An-y-thing. Why are you trying to argue with me? You¡¯re only digging yourself into a deeper pit.¡±


    I backed away in mock fear, murmuring resentfully,


    Me- ¡°Girl logic¡­¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Huh? What was that? Can you say it louder for me Nathaniel, so I can hear what you said?¡±


    Me- ¡°It was nothing.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Mm-hm. So, anyways, I heard you left the house while I was unconscious. What¡¯d you do?¡±


    A bit of the paranoia sprung up from before, making me fearful of how¡¯d she react if I told her I went to the organization again. So I ended up telling her the truth, just not the whole story. Its not lying anyways, so it should be fine.


    Me- ¡°I went for a run, thought about some things. I came back when it started to rain.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°And?¡±


    Again, she put me on the spot for no apparent reason. Did she know already, or was it just that she cared? I hoped it was the latter.


    Me- ¡°And, I got drenched because I was too late. That¡¯s why I got into the shower again, to clean myself off. Which reminds me, I still need to change into some clean clothes!¡±


    Chloe looked somewhat embarrassed, seeming to note that the only clothing I wore was a white towel.


    Chloe- ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be waiting downstairs. Call me when you¡¯re ready; I have something to show you!¡±


    Me- ¡°Sure thing!¡±


    She left the room after that exchange, and I proceeded to get a pair of pants and a green shirt out of the drawer. Once I put them on, I grabbed the pendant from the top of a shirt with 3 golden triangles on it. I placed it on my neck gently, and suddenly a sense of safety and calm rose within me. I had forgotten to put it on while I was stressed earlier, but with it on now, my mind finally felt at ease.


    Walking downstairs with a small, confident smile, I found Chloe sitting next to Grandma on the couch. The black lines that signified her awakening as a contractor had appeared on her skin, and she was concentrating on producing something on the palm of her hand. Grandma was assisting.


    Grandma- ¡°You can do it! Hold it, for just a bit longer¡­ Now!¡±


    The golden aura arose from her hand and swirled out to encompass her whole body. Chloe seemed to be concentrating hard to remain in that state, but when she saw me, her concentration was broken and the golden aura immediately vanished.


    Chloe- ¡°Nathaniel! Did you see it? I created the golden thingy!


    Me- ¡°Golden aura.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Well anyways, did you see it? Your grandma tells me that with enough practice, I can summon it with only a thought!¡±


    I think she wants me to get excited for her, but honestly, I¡¯m getting mixed feelings about this¡­ Whatever, I¡¯ll just go with what she wants.


    Responding with a smile, I said,


    Me- ¡°That¡¯s pretty cool! So Grandma, can you give me a time estimate on when she¡¯ll be able to use the golden aura whenever she wants?"


    My question was innocent enough, but I had hidden motives behind asking it. I wanted to know so I could have a legitimate reason to refuse her before she was ready.


    Grandma- ¡°It will go slowly at first, but after about a week, her body should be adapted to the needs of a contractor. That is, if she practices for about an hour each day. You know what that means, right?¡±


    Me- ¡°You want me to act as a charger?¡±


    Grandma- ¡°Correct. Currently, she can go for only about 5 minutes. Our training will extend that period, but even then, it will be no more than an hour once we finish. So, I need you to charge her up once she runs out of your ability.¡±


    Me- ¡°¡­Alright.¡±


    Grandma- ¡°And Chloe?¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Yes?¡±


    Grandma¡¯s face grew stern.


    Grandma- ¡°You need to concentrate! If it can waver by simply having another person come into view, then you are not trying hard enough! A half-hearted attitude training will come out with half-hearted results!¡±


    Chloe- ¡°¡­Yes ma-am.¡±


    Grandma- ¡°Alright then. Nathaniel, if you would start?¡±


    Me- ¡°Sure.¡±


    Activating my abilities, I moved over to Chloe. Our outstretched hands joined, and my abilities swirled around the black lines that encompassed her body. When they touched, it was like her body had become a whirlpool, drawing both my aura and the hot feeling within.


    Moments later, the process was finished without incident, and Grandma started her training right after. I didn¡¯t really do anything special; I just charged her up when she ran out. And the tedious task went on¡­


    *************************


    After we were done, I charged Chloe up once more, and then she went back home. It doesn¡¯t need to be stated, but she had been away from home too long. She said her parents weren¡¯t there, so it was fine. But, she looked somewhat anxious for some reason¡­


    When she left, Grandma pulled me over to talk.


    Grandma- ¡°This may be a little self explanatory, but Nathaniel, I¡¯m going to have to ask you to make sure she doesn¡¯t try and use her powers on her own, especially if she starts to use them in a non-private setting. If you used it in a public setting, even if it wasn¡¯t necessary, at most you¡¯d be put in a prison. And that is because you are an ability user. But for a contractor? That¡¯s a guaranteed way to get killed! Make sure you get her to keep her ability hidden. It wouldn¡¯t mean anything if I told her, but please. Make sure she knows in clear terms.¡±


    Me- ¡°Alright, I will.¡±


    Grandma- ¡°And one more thing. The clan is sending bodyguards over; they¡¯ll be here by tomorrow. So don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±


    Me- ¡°Like what?¡±


    It was a legitimate question. I already knew the do¡¯s and the do not¡¯s for the organization, but I was like a complete newbie to the ability world. But Grandma¡¯s reaction seemed somewhat strange.


    She looked from side to side suspiciously, as if she were afraid of unseen eyes and ears behind every corner.


    Grandma- ¡°Honey, don¡¯t use your ability. They can¡¯t trace our body strengthening for certain reasons, but using abilities like that flame lets everybody know of your approximate location. Remember how they found you before, in that ¡®kidnapping¡¯ incident?¡±


    A slight frown appeared on my face.


    Grandma- ¡°Yeah, I heard about it from your father once some suspicions arose. Anyways, you¡¯ll need something special to mask your ability signature, and I won¡¯t be able to acquire it for you. It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t use it at all until tomorrow.¡±


    Me- ¡°Alright.¡±


    Grandma- ¡°Good.¡±


    She gave off a warm smile.


    Grandma- ¡°Now that that¡¯s covered, I¡¯d like to catch up with my grandson. How have you been? It has been a while since I last saw you!¡±


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter Next Chapter


    Author¡¯s note 2- Alright, I have something to say to the Legend of Zelda fans among my readers. Breath of the Wild should be coming out in March! So excited!

 Vol. 1 Chapter 26- Back to the Dreamspace

    Author¡¯s note- I have another chapter ready for you all! And although the hiatus is still in effect, I don¡¯t plan on dropping this story. It¡¯s pretty fun for me to write it, so I do it whenever I have access to a public computer. And as for comments about Breath of the Wild, don¡¯t worry about it. If this situation continues, I¡¯ll only be able to play it about 1 day every week. That shouldn¡¯t be too much, right?


    __________________________________________________________________


    Back to the Dreamspace


    We talked for a while, before our conversation was interrupted by a loud voice that cried out,


    Mom- ¡°DINNER!¡±


    Dinner? Oh, did I miss lunch? Thinking back, I realized that I had left after breakfast, and it seems during my absence, lunch was served.


    I didn¡¯t think too deeply about the events, but instead I got up from the couch. What was for dinner?


    It was a simple meal that consisted of mashed potatoes along with ground beef. Shepherd¡¯s pie, I believe.


    I sat down at the dining table, the fancier table in the house that we used only when we had guests. It was ironic, considering the fact that we had a simple shepherd¡¯s pie to eat. But I digress. At the head of the table was Dad, to his right was Mom, and Grandma and Granddad sat to the left and right of me respectively.


    Thinking back to the events from earlier, I looked over at Mom. There were no signs of the emotional breakdown from before, but instead, she looked even more vibrant than before. But that was only on the surface. I knew for a fact that this was the result of applying extra makeup, not from an improvement of mood. Perhaps it was simply a mask of beauty to hide her insecurity.


    Sticking my fork into the food, I asked probingly,


    Me- ¡°So Mom. How are you feeling?¡±


    Yes. I knew that the question was somewhat blunt. But it expressed my feelings of sympathy, as well as allowing me to better determine how she was really feeling.


    Her expression didn¡¯t change as she smoothly responded,


    Mom- ¡°Fine. Thanks for asking.¡±


    The first part of her response was normal, but the second part was overly polite, much politer than normal. Was she really ok? Or am I reading into it too far?


    Me- ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    The dinner continued on, and we made small talk with a bit of humor added within. Looking in from the outside, this could be considered a happy family reunion. But with the knowledge of recent events, an unspeakable heaviness seemed to form an invisible pressure that weighed heavily upon me. Therefore, it was to my delight when everyone had finally finished their food.


    As a show of courtesy, I gathered the finished plates of everyone at the table. Then, I brought them to the sink and rinsed them thoroughly. Once this was done, I went upstairs to my room without dismissing myself. And as I went up, I heard comments on how well mannered I was. Unfortunately, I could garner no joy from this.


    *************************


    As soon as my eyes closed, I opened them again to find myself staring into the clouds while lying in a pool of water. This again!?


    Sitting up immediately, I found myself observing me with a serious expression on his face.


    Me- ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Me?- ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just, this is the same expression you had when you asked Mom on how she was feeling. Too obvious¡­¡±


    The corner of my mouth twitched, as I tried to keep up an indifferent expression.


    Me- ¡°So? I got my point across, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    The other me smiled knowingly,


    Me?- ¡°True. But you didn¡¯t get the answer you wanted to hear either. I¡¯m sure that Mom was just putting up a front to calm you down. To make sure that you didn¡¯t do anything crazy again.¡±


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Me- ¡°Crazy? What do you mean?¡±


    Me?- ¡°¡­ Did you lock that memory away as well? Was it really so terrible that you can¡¯t even think about it?¡±


    A conflicted expression appeared on my face, as it felt like something dark was tugging at the corners of my mind. But just before I could figure out what it was, my thoughts suddenly went blank.


    Me- ¡°Crazy? What do you mean?¡±


    Me?- ¡°Never mind. If you learn to use our power well enough, this won¡¯t of concern.¡±


    This? What is he talking about?


    Me- ¡°You aren¡¯t making any sense.¡±


    He smiled mysteriously, and started to step back.


    Me?- ¡°Come. You want to get stronger, so we can protect both Chloe and our pride as men, right? Well, you¡¯re going to have to get better at using our powers in order to do so.¡±


    I knew that he had changed the subject, but for some reason, I didn¡¯t want to explore deeper into it. And plus, getting stronger was more important than that, right?


    Me- ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±


    In response to my question, the other me summoned the golden aura in a way that it covered his whole body.


    Me?- ¡°I think I told you already, but our golden aura is literally ¡®liquid¡¯ luck. And the way you have been using our ability tells me you don¡¯t truly understand what luck really is.¡±


    Me- ¡°Just get to the point already. No need for all the background information.¡±


    He frowned.


    Me?- ¡°Listen to me. I have a full 8 hours to talk. 8 hours! And I could extend our time even further if I wished. We have all the time in the world, so if you keep interrupting me, I won¡¯t even say anything. I¡¯ll just extend the time we have together in here.¡±


    I shut my mouth, but not because of his threat. In reality I chose to do so because I knew that without his guidance, it would take me much longer to train my ability.


    Me?- ¡°Good. Now back to the point. You have been using the golden aura to provide information about the present, like ¡®what¡¯s the best way to reach this location¡¯ or ¡®where is this person.¡¯ That¡¯s all fine and dandy, but I would advise you to not take this route any further. Especially when it comes to the future; things like that are better left unknown.¡±


    I tilted my head in confusion.


    Me- ¡°Are you implying that it would work?¡±


    My other self¡¯s face turned solemn.


    Me?- ¡°Listen carefully when I say this; the day that you try to divine something pertaining the future with our ability is the day that we die. And a simple mistake in the wording in which you choose to express your desire can lead to our deaths. That¡¯s why I suggest that you stray away from obtaining information from the present; there is a fine line between the present and the future.¡±


    Me- ¡°Ok.¡±


    Me?- ¡°Good. Now luck at its core is not a combat ability, so it will not be nearly as effective as our body strengthening to attack or defend against the enemy. But, it is a very effective support. For example, take a man who wins the lottery. He gets millions of dollars, but that money can be useless to him if he squanders it on gambling, or some other ineffective means. But if he uses it to buy something, he can transform that money into something useful to him.¡±


    He paused.


    Me?- ¡°You¡­ Have only begun using this concept. The flame tornado, the flame point series, even the ice bullets are like transformations of your ¡®money.¡¯ But why are you so focused on ways to directly attack or defend with our ability when indirect means suit our ability so much better?¡±


    Me- ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    He gave off a toothy grin and said playfully,


    Me?- ¡°Watch.¡±


    The golden aura emerged from his skin, swirling around to areas without much aura. Soon it enveloped his whole body in a golden radiance, yet I could still see his features. Was that how I looked when I tried to make a golden mask with my aura?


    Suddenly, I felt a sense of shame, and I started to remember those events as clear as day-


    Me?- ¡°Focus!¡±


    I looked back up as his voice awoke me from my thoughts. But there was no one there...?


    Me- ¡°What in the world? Where¡¯d you go?¡±


    Me?- ¡°Over here.¡±


    The voice came from my right; so my head whipped around to face, empty air?


    My scalp prickled at the eeriness of the situation. Had he merged with the dreamspace?


    My other self taunted me, saying,


    Me?- ¡°No. This is something you can do in real life.¡±


    Behind me!


    Instead of turning around only to face empty air again, I froze the water that surrounded me until I heard an exhalation of surprise.


    Me?- ¡°No fair!¡±


    I turned around to face empty air once again, but I wasn¡¯t surprised. Instead, I looked down at the ice, seeing two small pools of water that each looked big enough around to encompass a foot. Got him!


    Me- ¡°So you turned invisible?¡±


    He seemed to materialize from thin air, and then a flame appeared from mid-air, melting the ice around his feet.


    Me?- ¡°Well, the phrase ¡®turning invisible¡¯ isn¡¯t entirely accurate. Instead the phrase ¡°bending light¡± would be a better word to use.¡±


    I frowned.


    Me- ¡°Doesn¡¯t light spread out uniformly? How is it that my ability can influence chance to make the light bend around me?¡±


    Me?- ¡°¡­ I guess this is my fault for not explaining things clearly. As long as it isn¡¯t part of something living, our ability can manipulate it. But although all abilities can draw on the limitless world energy existing everywhere, the power of each is also limited. In our case, the power threshold for our ability is incredibly low. However, our ability can also manipulate things in the most efficient way possible in order to achieve your desire. Even though light goes incredibly fast, its mass is also incredibly small, so it is easy to manipulate.¡±


    I slowly nodded my head; I was starting to get it.


    Me- ¡°So I can go invisible whenever I want now?¡±


    The other me frowned,


    Me?- ¡°Not exactly. The more things you choose to do with our ability at the same time, the lower your power threshold will be for each thing. So if you choose to create something like a flame point X10 while you have invisibility active, you will become visible, and the point will be weakened drastically.¡±


    Me- ¡°Anything else to worry about?¡±


    Me?- ¡°Yes. The faster you move around, the more likely you will become visible. So invisibility is not something that I recommend using during open conflict. In fact, I wouldn¡¯t worry about using the flame point at the right time, or freezing something to fire out during combat either. All of that is actually lowering your combat effectiveness.¡±


    This statement kinda ticked me off. If I didn¡¯t use my ability in the way I did, then how would I ever survived?


    Me- ¡°Then what would you suggest, oh smart one?¡±


    He smiled irritatingly.


    Me?- ¡°The smart one would suggest that you voice a simple desire such as, ¡®first priority, ensure survival and second priority, eliminate threats.¡¯ Although it kind of sounds robotic, it would use your ability to its full effectiveness in almost every situation. There is no need for freezing a whole lake, or worrying about manually avoiding bullets from a sniper. Almost everything can be taken care of.¡±


    Me- ¡°Then what is my role? Just to try and avoid getting hit?¡±


    Me?- ¡°No. That would be making complete waste of our other ability, the body strengthening. What you need to do is to learn how to fight and fight well.¡±


    Me- ¡°But aren¡¯t I good enough to beat both dad and granddad? I already know how to fight well.¡±


    Me?- ¡°Oh please! You¡¯re just a freaking beast that relies solely upon basic moves and its strong body to fight. If you didn¡¯t cheat with your ability, then you never would of won against dad. And plus, that¡¯s only close combat. If some dudes with sturdier weapons come to play, you won¡¯t stand a chance.¡±


    My voice rose a bit in anger from the provocation, especially because it was the truth.


    Me- ¡°So what am I supposed to do!? Just sit down in sorrow because of my incompetency?¡±


    Me?- ¡°No. We fight. I¡¯ll teach you what you have forgotten over the past few years!¡±


    He launched a roundhouse kick at me, and we began my training.


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter Next Chapter


    Author¡¯s note 2- So¡­ I kinda said everything I wanted to in the first author¡¯s note, so you guys can read that one if you haven¡¯t already and if you care.

 Vol. 1 Chapter 27- Bodyguards

    Author¡¯s note- Sorry for the late chapter release. A combination of the fact that this chapter actually got corrupted right as I was about to finish (I wasn¡¯t even able to recover anything D;), and the fact that yet another huge scale conflict occurred caused me to lose motivation to write for a while. But, here I am, writing again. Lucky you.


    __________________________________________________________________


    <h1>Bodyguards</h1>


    The training went on for a while in the dreamspace, but I continued to be unable to best him. I got close, but it seemed like he could read my thoughts, always a step ahead. Although, I might of won this last time if my alarm clock didn¡¯t start beeping really loudly.


    ¡°Smack¡±


    The kick sent me flying onto the ground.


    Me?- ¡°Looks like our time in here has come to an end. Have a great day at school!¡±


    The space shattered, and my eyes flipped open. Turning off my alarm clock, I decided to get ready.


    After I had taken a shower, I got dressed, put on the pendant, and walked downstairs to get some cereal. But to my surprise, I found two unfamiliar people sitting at the table.


    One was a man around 30 years of age with a muscular build. He had a moustache, clean-cut brown hair, and a vibrant smile; he was chatting with my grandfather at the time. The other was a woman of a muscular build as well, but she stood a little less tall than the man. She had black hair and glasses, and she also looked to be around 30 years of age. The woman was currently chatting with my mother at the time, and they seemed to be acquaintances.


    Grandma- ¡°Nathaniel, you were asleep at the time, but these people arrived last night.¡± Grandma spoke from the couch, ¡°They¡¯re here to protect you.¡±


    I looked back at the people, and they stood up, smiling in greeting. The man put out his hand for a handshake.


    The man- ¡°Hello, my name¡¯s Gabriel Stone. Just call me Gabe.¡±


    I nodded my head and replied,


    Me- ¡°Nathaniel.¡±


    Gabriel stepped back, and then the woman stepped forward. She put out her hand as well, and I shook it.


    The woman- ¡°The name¡¯s Sparrow. Nice to meet you.¡±


    Me- ¡°Nathaniel. Nice to meet you too.¡±


    After the greetings were over, I went over to the kitchen to prepare my breakfast, cereal. The awkwardness from our meeting hadn¡¯t faded, so I decided to sit by the couch to eat. That didn¡¯t seem to bother the bodyguards, but mom gave me a glare as if trying to say, ¡®Come sit at the table and talk with them right now!¡±


    I didn¡¯t end up going to the table, but in my defense, they were already having a conversation. Why would I butt in just to make the situation more awkward?


    After the last bite of my cereal, I placed the dish into the sink and rinsed it. Then, right as I was about to leave out the door, a voice came from the kitchen.


    Mom- ¡°Nathaniel, you aren¡¯t walking to school. Gabriel and Sparrow will drive you from now on.¡±


    Sigh. I figured that would be the case, but I wanted to walk anyway. Whatever.


    Me- ¡°So what time will I be able to leave?¡±


    Gabe- ¡°Right now.¡±


    Gabriel and Sparrow walked forward to the door, while Sparrow was spinning car keys around her finger.


    Sparrow- ¡°The car¡¯s outside.¡±


    I opened the door and the first thing I saw was a red, newly painted Ferrari. The machine looked simply awesome, and I actually felt a change of heart. If I had to go out, I would go in style! No need for walking when you could ride in a Ferrari!


    Walking over to the Ferrari, I said conversationally, trying to suppress my excitement.


    Me- ¡°What are you waiting for? Unlock the car!¡±


    Sparrow snickered, while Gabriel kept a stoic, blank look on his face.


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    Gabe- ¡°We won¡¯t be riding in that car. It¡¯s too eye catching, and it¡¯s not gas efficient. We¡¯re riding in the car to your left.¡±


    What?


    Looking over to my left, there was a completely black, ugly looking, mini van. It had only 2 windows, both were on the front. The back had a thick looking metal plated door that slid open, and all the glass on the thing was tinted black so nobody could look into the vehicle.


    Me- ¡°Isn¡¯t this thing a bit¡­ much?¡±


    Gabriel looked at me with a straight face.


    Gabe- ¡°What? Look, even the windows on this thing can defend against grenades, sniper rounds, heck, even a tank has nothing on this baby!¡±


    Sparrow added, trying to keep a straight face but not succeeding.


    Sparrow- ¡°Look, our priority is to keep you safe. So what if it¡¯s a little unsightly?¡±


    Me- ¡°Well then,¡± I spoke darkly, ¡°let¡¯s just get this over with.¡±


    Sparrow and I got in the back of the van, and Gabriel got in the front. The driver was someone I hadn¡¯t met before, but he didn¡¯t seem to have much of a reaction when we got in the car. He just started the engine and started driving without a word.


    We got to school quickly, and slinging my car-torn backpack over my back, I walked out of the car. Thankfully the bodyguards didn¡¯t follow me out, so I was free to go to class. But since I went by car instead of by foot, I had arrived at the school early. So, to combat my boredom, I decided to text Chloe.


    Me- ¡°Hey. How are you doing?¡±


    About a minute passed before she responded,


    Chloe- ¡°Fine. But where are u? I didn¡¯t see u walking.¡±


    U? That¡¯s cute.


    Me- ¡°I¡¯m in the library, and I wasn¡¯t walking because apparently, it¡¯s not safe enough. I had to ride in an armored black van comparable to a tank.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Really? A tank!? Cool! Well, I¡¯ll be here a bit late, so don¡¯t wait for me. Go ahead and go to class; I¡¯ll see you at gym.¡±


    Me- ¡°Ok.¡±


    I waited at the library for a bit longer seeing if she would send any more messages, but after a little bit, I decided to go to my class. There was nothing else to do at the library, anyways.


    *******************


    When I got to my next class, I froze at the door. Why were they here?


    The bodyguards were sitting in the back of the classroom, chatting with each other. They didn¡¯t acknowledge me, so I was sure they had some excuse to be here, but¡­ It just felt uncomfortable knowing they¡¯d go wherever I¡¯d go.


    Unfortunately, there was nothing that I could do about them right now, so I sat down and pretended like they weren¡¯t there. And just at that moment, the bell rang.


    Physics Teacher- ¡°Good morning class. Today, we have a couple guests who will be following the schedule of a random student because of a research project issued by the school board. Just be mature high school students and pretend they aren¡¯t here.¡±


    My physics teacher had an expression on like he had just found his cats were found dead. And the killer was his dog! I assumed this just meant that he wanted us to be on a best behavior, but he was acting like we had already sealed his grave! Were we really that bad?


    Refraining to answer the question internally, I started to stare off into space while he was going on about how we were smart, compassionate, mature¡­ Yeah, I think he went a little too heavy on the icing there. But he started teaching after a minute or two, and then the lesson started.


    **********************


    Julian- ¡°How could you do this to me! I thought you were my friend!¡±


    Right as I got into the locker room, Julian started yelling off things like this to me. Apparently, I had beaten up his dad at my dad¡¯s dojo, The School of Martial Thought, and now his dad was training him harshly. Or in his words, beating him into shape, literally.


    Julian- ¡°He¡¯s always saying stuff like ¡®Nathaniel can do this,¡¯ and ¡®why do I have such an incompetent son!¡¯ And then he beats me up! Look at me for god¡¯s sake!¡±


    He lifted up his shirt to reveal rows of bruises around his ribs. But I was unimpressed. I had my freaking arm ripped off in that world, and while it was illusionary, the pain I felt was real. A couple bruises? Pssh.


    Me- ¡°Ok¡­ It¡¯s just a couple of bruises, stop making such a big deal about it.¡±


    His face blanched in shock before he yelled out angrily,


    Julian- ¡°I¡¯ll fight you to death!¡±


    He punched my stomach, and then reeled away out of pain. I smiled to myself, grinning. Leaving my ability on for my everyday life had it¡¯s disadvantages, but the results didn¡¯t disappoint. Now I was wondering how my body would fare against something stronger, like a knife.


    Unfortunately, I was unable to test my conjecture at this point in time, as Julian had recovered. Thus, I decided to finish the conversation before letting him spout off any more nonsense. Flexing my muscles that had just begun to show through all the flab, I replied,


    Me- ¡°I work out.¡±


    Julian- ¡°Mother-!¡±


    ¡°Bee doo bee doo ~ Bee doo bee doo.¡±


    Just then, the bell rang, signifying we had one minute left to get into the gym before she locked us out. And Julian and I still had to get dressed into our gym clothes.


    Julian- ¡°We¡¯ll finish this another time!¡±


    Julian was my friend, but he could be a real bother at times. Thankfully, he knew when to stop. Therefore, I was able to get my clothes on quickly, and when I got inside, I saw an amusing scene.


    At the entrance, Chloe was holding an official-looking document and limping over to the gym teacher, who wasn¡¯t very pleased to see her there.


    Gym Teacher- ¡°What do you want?¡±


    With a smug smile on her face, Chloe responded,


    Chloe- ¡°I have a doctor¡¯s note~!¡±


    Gym Teacher- ¡°Let me see.¡±


    She grabbed the papers from Chloe¡¯s hands and scrutinized them closely, as if searching for something that would make the papers invalid. But to her disappointment, there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary. So she looked up from the papers and growled,


    Gym Teacher- ¡°¡­ Alright.¡±


    Chloe responded cheerily, seemingly unaware of the gym teacher¡¯s dark tone,


    Chloe- ¡°So I¡¯m exempt from gym today, right?¡±


    Gym teacher- ¡°Yes. Now get in line, or else I¡¯ll mark you as absent.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Yes Ma-am!¡±


    She gave a military salute that I could only describe as incredibly sarcastic, and then she walked over into her place in line. The gym teacher took this chance to call role, and after this was done, we went outside. It seemed today, we were doing an outside sport. But what was it? Soccer? Flag football? Kickball?


    Me- ¡°Hey Chloe, what do you think we¡¯re playing today?¡±


    Chloe responded pragmatically,


    Chloe- ¡°Who knows? Either way, it has nothing to do with me.¡±


    My eyebrow involuntarily twitched. Well, fine. If you don¡¯t even want to have a conversation, then why should I even bother?


    Me- ¡°¡­¡±


    Chloe continued to look at me as we were walking, seemingly expecting me to ask something else¡­


    Chloe- ¡°¡­¡±


    Me- ¡°¡­¡±


    Chloe- ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    WHAT DO YOU WANT WOMAN!!!


    Me- ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Chloe looked displeased.


    Chloe- ¡°Nathaniel. Aren¡¯t you going to ask me about the doctor¡¯s note? I was with you for almost the whole day, wasn¡¯t I?¡±


    Where did she pull that out from? That¡¯s like an entirely different subject; how was I supposed to know she wanted me to ask that? Whatever, I guess I¡¯ll follow along.


    Me- ¡°You got the note from the doctors before meeting me at the dojo, right?¡±


    Chloe seemed taken aback. She asked curiously,


    Chloe- ¡°Yeah, how¡¯d you know? I don¡¯t remember telling you.¡±


    I grinned mischievously,


    Me- ¡°It was an educated guess. After all, there was no way you just showed up in the downtown area for no reason, it¡¯s a 30-minute walk! Plus, they place dojos pretty close to hospitals in case of any incidents that might occur. Of course, you also could of gone after returning from my house, but if that were the case, I¡¯d doubt you¡¯d have a doctor¡¯s note. After all, one of my abilities is speed regeneration. Which brings me to the question, why did you seem in such a hurry to leave yesterday?¡±


    Chloe smiled mysteriously,


    Chloe- ¡°You¡¯ll have to find out later. But anyways, have fun! It looks like you¡¯re playing soccer today.¡±


    I started muttering about how people shouldn¡¯t slack off, but Chloe playfully pushed me away.


    Chloe- ¡°Now now, Nathaniel. I have a doctor¡¯s note; I can¡¯t be playing with my ankle like this! You wouldn¡¯t force your poor, hurt, girlfriend into the playing field, right?¡±


    She looked at me with puppy eyes that could of come straight out of an anime, and I could only begrudgingly turn away.


    Me- ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll see you after the game, I guess?¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Mhm-hm!¡±


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter Next Chapter


    Author¡¯s note 2- Super depressed right now¡­ Whatever, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

 Vol. 1 Chapter 28- A Recognition

    Author¡¯s note- Sorry guys, breath of the wild and spring break really got to me. On last Monday, when I was able to finally acquire the game, I played for a whole day and night without even eating a thing. But getting back into school reminded me of the story, and now this chapter is coming out. Enjoy~!


    __________________________________________________________________


    <h1>A Recognition</h1>


    After my conversation with Chloe, I walked over to the line of people who were waiting to be picked. The people who were good at soccer, whose names I forget, were already picked. There were only a few people left, but as soon as I got into the line, I was immediately noticed.


    ???- ¡°Pick him, that guy¡¯s a complete savage!¡±


    I recognized the person speaking as one of the busybodies that surrounded Helen and I on Friday. He was a man of small stature, with wavy blonde hair and blue eyes. I didn¡¯t have much of an impression of him before the incident, but now it was slightly negative, given that he was one of the people that added fuel to the fire.


    Team Captain- ¡°You sure? Is he any good?¡±


    The blonde dude brushed the hair that dangled in front of his eyes to the side, as he glanced over at me.


    Blonde haired dude- ¡°He was pretty good at dodge-ball.¡±


    The team captain nodded, and then pointed at me.


    Team Captain- ¡°Nathaniel.¡±


    I walked over to his side and waited for everyone to be picked. And while I was waiting, I observed the layout of the teams. The other team had some good people, but so did ours. My team had Julian, a couple of good soccer people, and of course, me. The other team had a couple of good soccer people as well, along with a few generally athletic people. The teams were pretty well matched.


    But I wasn¡¯t really too enthusiastic about this game. Although my general rule of thumb was to try your best and have fun when it comes to athletics, things had changed since my previously normal life. For one, it had just rained yesterday. I guess that¡¯s quite self-explanatory. And for two, even without my ability my body was considerably stronger than it was before, meaning if I decided to go all out, I¡¯d literally crush them all.


    Thinking back to all the shattered glasses and broken pencils, I smiled sheepishly. Yeah, I really couldn¡¯t go all out. But then, how was I supposed to play this game?


    Suddenly, a perfect idea popped up within my head. What if I used this as part of my training on controlling my strength? That would be like killing two birds with one stone!


    Just as I finished thinking about it, teams had already been decided. And we were about to start the game.


    The playing field seemed to stretch outwards before me, and I took in everything within an instant. The green turf that made our makeshift playing field, the positions of the players, the ball hovering in mid-air. Suddenly, time seemed to shift, and everything turned back to normal. Start!


    The ball hit the ground, and in moments everything turned into chaos. The people rushed forward to the ball, kicking wildly without abandon. And the ball ended up flying towards the other team¡¯s side, allowing one of them to start dribbling the ball towards our side. One of our teammates ran to block him, and the ball ended up flying back to the center.


    The captain of our team obtained the ball and started dribbling it to the other team¡¯s side. He shot, but the ball was blocked by the goalie. The goalie threw the ball to an area devoid of people, and one of his teammates started rushing towards the ball. But he wasn¡¯t going to get it. My turn!


    Just as he was about to get to the ball, I appeared like a fleeting shadow. With a fake to the left, I shook him off and drove past him. Two people from the other team moved to intercept me, but in my eyes they were just too slow¡­


    I tapped the ball with my foot, and it flew off like a rocket! It passed in between the two people and went straight towards the goal. And although the goalie was already diving to catch the ball, it was moving too fast! Goal!


    I made a victory gesture, but no one seemed to notice. Instead, they were staring blankly at the goal. Even our team captain was rubbing his eyes in disbelief! I could imagine them thinking, ¡®How did he make it from there? That¡¯s too much, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ Maybe I needed to tone it down a bit; I don¡¯t think I controlled myself enough¡­


    I decided to treat the game as if I was playing with children, and it felt almost as if I was a robot. Every movement was mechanical and calculated, but ironically, I still had some trouble. Controlling the power and speed of my movements was easy enough, it was only when my body just ¡®reacted¡¯ that my power and speed just exploded.


    This ¡®reaction¡¯ mainly happened when I was doing something habitual. For example, say I normally had to get the ball that was at a certain distance. So I would normally push off with say, 50% of my power to run and get that ball. But now that my ability has increased my base power by about 3 times, that normal 50% is actually 150% of what I would previously do. See the problem here?


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    I shook my head and concentrated in front of me.


    Nick- ¡°Hah, hah, whew.¡±


    The other team captain, Nick, had finally gotten to our goal by getting past all our defenders. And he was about to shoot at our goal. But this time, I was the goalie.


    I intended to move up slowly and kick the ball away from him, but with only a single bound, I was right in front of him. His eyes narrowed sharply,


    Nick- ¡°Not this time!¡±


    He launched a kick at the ball, but I kicked the ball at the same time!


    ¡°Bam!¡±


    The ball went flying towards the other side, and my kick had also caused his leg to shoot out, causing him to fall onto the ground. Right after this the gym teacher blew the whistle and screamed out,


    Gym teacher- ¡°Time to get inside! When I unlock the door, I¡¯m not waiting for any of y¡¯all, so you better finish whatever you¡¯re doing and get over here!¡±


    We stopped the game there, but I was not satisfied with the results of that practice. Obviously, I was still unable to control my power properly, especially when running. It¡¯s easy to adjust when it¡¯s something like walking, where all you have to do is move at the same speed as the other person and keep both feet on the ground. But running? That¡¯s a whole other game.


    In combat, this would be a serious problem. Say I tried to dodge in between two flying knives, or some other projectiles. Would that move be very effective if I ended up dodging past one and getting stabbed by the other? But I never really had this problem in combat before, even when I did use my ability¡­ I¡¯m missing something here.


    In the dreamspace combat, I¡¯ve found that my body moves with my thoughts, which normally wouldn¡¯t be much different than reality. So is there some kind of disconnect between my thoughts and my body?


    Thinking back to my most recent fights with my body strengthening playing a role, I really didn¡¯t have to do much weaving in or out of their blows. I created an opening with a flame point of some kind, and smashed in with my golden aura.


    Pretty easy, but¡­ It seems that close combat won¡¯t be a problem with my abilities. The biggest issue will be getting close; with my control like this, I wouldn¡¯t be able to effectively dodge. Invisibility might work, but I would have to be moving slow enough to keep it active. And I don¡¯t know what that speed is exactly either¡­


    Whatever. I¡¯ll have time to test all of this out later; it¡¯s not like my bodyguards are there just for show. Right?


    I put it on my to-do list to test the ability of my bodyguards, and then I decided it was time to talk to Chloe. But she was already over at the door, and I was on the field. I needed to hurry.


    I was about to jog over when a hand clasped over my shoulder. And what was my instinctual reaction, having being brought up in dojos and with martial art fanatics? It was a shoulder throw of course!


    I grabbed their hand to sling the person over my back, but mid-way, I realized what I was doing. So I tried to soften the throw as much as possible, yet all that really did was make them fall off my back. But it was either that, or getting slammed into the ground so¡­


    (Author¡¯s musings- I come from a martial arts background, and I¡¯m basing this off of personal experience. Stop typing that comment about how unrealistic the situation is; this actually happens!)


    The person fell to the ground with a gasp of surprise, and I immediately apologized before I got to see who the person was.


    Me- ¡°Oh my gosh, I¡¯m sorry! Are you ok?¡±


    The person rolled over and said angrily,


    Julian- ¡°Nathaniel! What the heck was that for!?¡±


    Oh¡­ Him. He seems to be having a lot of bad luck lately, and I think some of it (most of it actually) might be my fault. Sorry Julian, I¡¯ll make it up someday.


    Me- ¡°Sorry, force of habit. Here, do you need some help?¡±


    I extended out my hand to pull him up, but he angrily tried to shove my hand away. However, my hand didn¡¯t move as a result of his pathetic attempts to move it away, and at this he only got angrier. After about a second of struggling with my hand, he exclaimed angrily,


    Julian- ¡°I can get up myself!¡±


    With that, he jumped to his feet and dusted himself off. Then he quickly walked off to the door, not sparing me another word. I wanted to chase after him, but I was too busy stifling my laughter. Am I a bad friend?


    I looked back at the doorway for Chloe, but she wasn¡¯t there anymore. Speaking of which, there weren¡¯t many people at the door anymore. I would probably be locked out if I didn¡¯t hurry.


    With that thought, I moved forward like a gust of wind and arrived at the door. Then I got dressed in the locker room quickly and headed out to the main gym, where we had to wait until we were dismissed. But when I got there, I didn¡¯t see Chloe. Was she still getting dressed?


    I was kinda new to having a girlfriend, and I assume you can tell. Is this normal? Or was it just a girl thing to spend so long getting dressed? But last time, she was here before me¡­ Hrmm.


    I reclined against the wall in thought, waiting for her to come. But then it hit me; was Helen bothering her? No offense to Chloe, but she doesn¡¯t really seem to have many friends that she can talk to. And getting dressed really doesn¡¯t take that long, unless there was something else she was preoccupied with.


    I reclined further into the wall, hoping to relax a bit, telling myself I shouldn¡¯t have to wait much longer. And it worked for some time: until the bell rang. Then suddenly, they rushed out like the bursting of a dam.


    Questions filled my mind, yet I didn¡¯t have any answers. But she would be at our next period, I could ask her then. ¡®Don¡¯t worry about it Nathaniel. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a good reason for this.¡¯


    I walked through the hallway quickly; evidently my stress was manifesting itself physically. And this was ironic, it seemed, because she was gone for only a small period of time. What reason, other than she wasn¡¯t where she was supposed to be, called for worry? Had I become so insecure, depending on her to follow my every expectation? I used this logic to forcefully calm myself down, and by that time I had arrived at the tech theater class.


    Chloe wasn¡¯t here yet, so I decided to do something that even I found quite unusual. It had no prompting, yet I for some reason I found it relevant at the time. I started to watch the video of our fight against Helen.


    The start of the video was a picture of my face with some Mlg style sunglasses on one side, and Helen¡¯s beet red face on the other. A red zigzag line, the type that you¡¯d see in a game like mortal combat before the fight would start, separated us in a stark contrast. And then the video began.


    It seemed the taker of the video already knew something was about to go down for real, so he had even captured the beginning, where Helen walked towards me for the showdown. It was worth noting that the circular red imprint the dodge-ball made on her face was clearly visible during the video, making me chuckle slightly.


    Helen- ¡°Who told you to hit me in the face!? Don¡¯t you have any pride as a man, hitting a girl like that!?¡±


    Her blonde hair was in disarray, and she looked incredibly aggressive. But this seemed to mean absolutely nothing to the me in the video, as my face remained cold. Extremely cold. I retorted back with biting words,


    Me- ¡°When did this become about my pride as a man? What you said earlier about Chloe was absolutely horrible, and I thought maybe hitting you with a ball would shut you up for once!¡±


    Horns started to flare off in the background, and a sniper scope appeared on screen, coincidentally coinciding with the shape of the circular imprint on her face. They showed the scene of a nuclear bomb exploding, and then it switched back to her, who was now going all out in absolute rage!


    Helen- ¡°You and that slut! Why don¡¯t you settle down in real life for once, and realize that you¡¯re not all that! You think you fooled anybody by trying to tell the gym teacher that she really fell? She never tries in the first place, and everybody knows that you two are a couple now. Who are you trying to fool!?¡± She shrieked.


    My eyes seemed to spit out flames, and I stepped forward aggressively. She was scared, and started to back away into the corner. And in that moment, I switched the video off.


    The way I looked then reminded me too much of the gazes I received when I killed those people. I remember them clearly. The mercenaries in the auditorium, the winged man, the hulky lady, the military men outside of the racetrack, the rabbit girl, the black eyed lady, even Viola¡¯s death in the illusionary space. Was it hatred? Contempt? Disgust? Either way, I didn¡¯t like seeing it on my own face one bit. It made me feel no different than the killers who came to take my life¡­


    I put away my phone, and decided to apologize to Helen if I could after school. The decision was almost meaningless; whether I apologized or not would really have no effect on the past. But yet, it put my mind at ease, knowing that I still had a conscience, I was still myself at my core. Nothing could change that!


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter Next Chapter


    Author¡¯s note 2- Oh yeah, btw, I have only completed about 22% of the game so far. I guess there¡¯s quite a long road to finishing the game, but this time I¡¯ll make time for my story as well. Seeing as how I finished this chapter, there¡¯s not much reason to doubt my words, I hope¡­

 Vol. 1 Chapter 29- Sinking...

    Author¡¯s note- So its 8:30 Friday after work, and I haven¡¯t started on the chapter yet. I get an email saying, ¡°You have three new comment notifications on a chapter you posted, would you like to read them?¡± So of course, I click yes. And then I¡¯m reading messages like ¡®nice to see you back,¡¯ ¡®enjoying your novel,¡¯ and ¡®please write more!¡¯ I completely pause in like the middle of the streets (I walk home), and then I start to guilty walk faster, cursing under my breath. Why u guys have to make me feel guilty like this?


    __________________________________________________________________


    <h1>Sinking¡­</h1>


    After making that resignation, it was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. But as soon as Chloe came back in, another weight fell right back down to take its place. Where had she been?


    She looked absolutely exhausted, something you wouldn¡¯t expect from someone who had basically skipped gym. Drained, even. And she just plopped right down in the chair next to me without even a word.


    Me- ¡°What happened?¡±


    She stayed silent, not even reacting to my question. I spoke a little louder, worry evident in my voice,


    Me- ¡°Chloe?¡±


    She slowly turned to me with dead eyes, and looked at me with a deadpan expression.


    Chloe- ¡°Whaat¡­¡±


    Me- ¡°Chloe, are you ok???¡±


    She just stood up, and motioned for me to come closer. I leaned my head in, and she whimpered quietly,


    Chloe- ¡°I need¡­ to recharge¡­¡±


    I whispered back to her, not clearly understanding what she meant.


    Me- ¡°Recharge?¡±


    Instead of answering my question, she pulled me out of my seat with surprising strength and walked me out of the classroom. The teacher gave us a glance, so I embarrassedly said,


    Me- ¡°I¡¯m sorry, just give us a secon-.¡±


    She suddenly pulled me around the corner, so my sentence was cut off. Normally I would be kind of irritated after receiving this kind of treatment from anyone, including Chloe, much less allowing her to pull me around. But my worry was preventing me from getting angry over such a trivial thing; I just hoped she was ok.


    We ended up walking all the way to the end of the hallway before she turned around and spoke,


    Chloe- ¡°Nathaniel. Your ability. I need it.¡±


    Her face was as deadpan as ever, but I could feel the urgency in her voice. And since she had already mentioned the need to ¡®recharge,¡¯ I knew what to do. Looking around for any cameras or people, I refocused on Chloe. This might take a bit of time, and although nobody was in our immediate vicinity, our position was still too open.


    I whispered quietly to Chloe, saying,


    Me- ¡°Don¡¯t move, I need a second before we can start.¡±


    With a thought, I summoned my golden aura. At its current form it was more apt to call the golden aura a liquid, due to the fact that it had condensed greatly since I first named it. And at the moment, it was flowing around my skin and clothing freely. I kept the teachings from my other self in mind, as I decided to voice my desire within my head. ¡®Don¡¯t let anyone notice us.¡¯


    As if responding to my thought, the golden aura moved to envelop Chloe, turning gaseous in the process. But once it barely managed to cover the both of us, I touched the shield tattoo on Chloe¡¯s arm.


    Suddenly, the black lines moved to pervade every inch of her skin. But instead of glowing faintly like embers, they were all dark black, like ashes flaked across her skin. I asked quietly,


    Me- ¡°Did you try using the ability while I wasn¡¯t there?¡±


    I had started to fill her up with my abilities while I asked this, and the lines began slowly light up from her wrist. She answered back with a voice as small as a mosquito; apparently she hadn¡¯t recovered from her weakness yet.


    Chloe- ¡°Yeah. I only used it for 5 minutes though~, cough-cough.¡±


    She had a voice crack at the end of her sentence, and I doubt it was because of puberty. It seems that grandma wasn¡¯t exaggerating about losing life-force from using the power too long. Otherwise, how could Chloe be in such a weak state?This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Me- ¡°Chloe. Don¡¯t push the limits when using my ability; it will use up your lifespan! What were you doing with it anyway?¡±


    Chloe was silent for a little while, but after a second or two, she said,


    Chloe- ¡°Practicing.¡±


    Me- ¡°Chloe, if you were practicing, we need to set a limit on how long you will practice, so I¡¯m not bringing you back from the brink of death every time. And you weren¡¯t seen, right? If someone sees me using my ability, I might get a fine or something. But for you, the punishment is death!¡±


    Chloe looked at me weirdly, as if saying, ¡®Where is this coming from; aren¡¯t you overreacting?¡¯


    Me- ¡°Chloe, I¡¯m serious! Were you seen?¡±


    Chloe shook her head no, which allowed me to let off a slight sigh of relief. I continued, my tone being a little less tense,


    Me- ¡°Good. But still, by practicing like this¡­ You could die. Can you at least always keep a minute or two in reserve? It would not just be to avoid the risk of exhaustion, but to also keep in reserve for emergencies. And¡­¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Yeah, ok.¡±


    Me- ¡°¡­¡±


    I could tell she was getting kind of irritated, and I didn¡¯t want to antagonize her. So I just continued recharging her while keeping an eye out for people who may be passing by. Thankfully, my luck held out; nobody came during the process. And once the recharging was done, I retracted the golden aura.


    (Author¡¯s musings: Due to stupid pop culture references, I had to use golden aura instead of golden liquid, even though it is really a ¡®liquid¡¯ now¡­)


    Without a word, I turned and walked back to the classroom with Chloe.


    When we got back inside, nothing seemed to have changed in the classroom. Everybody was sitting around, doing their own thing.


    Director- ¡°We haven¡¯t started on the new play yet, so today you just have a study hall. Do whatever you feel like doing, as long as it¡¯s school appropriate.¡±


    He sat back in his chair after he was finished, leaving us to do whatever. And my first instinct was to continue talking with Chloe about what happened, but I didn¡¯t want to make her upset. And I had nothing else to talk about.


    So I decided to start working on my homework for the day; I hadn¡¯t done any of it for a while now. In fact, I knew I had a physics worksheet and an English paper due tomorrow, but I was going to do the physics one now.


    I pulled the worksheet from my backpack, and placed it on the table. But even though the content was completely unfamiliar to me, it seemed¡­ easy?


    My hand started moving at breakneck speeds, and every answer seemed to come to my head as soon as I looked upon the problem. But right as I came to the final answer, I paused. The answer wasn¡¯t coming to me.


    I dismissed it as nothing, and moved on to my English work. Obviously, I wasn¡¯t some sort of physics god; it was already a wonder that I was able to finish this much this fast. And searching up the answer would be cheating. I wasn¡¯t some sort of saint either, but I still had a moral and honor code.


    So thinking of that no longer, I took out my laptop and pulled up the document. I was currently working on this prompt on whether recess should be reinstated, but out of habit, I read what I had already wrote. And reading it now, I found so many issues.


    Me- ¡°No, wrong wording here. That¡¯s too simplistic. How did I spell that wrong?¡±


    I muttered to myself, while spamming the backspace key. Soon, I ended up with a blank document. And I began to type again.


    It took me about 10 minutes until I was satisfied with it. And by that time, I had already written a page and a half. Then I shut my laptop and placed it back within my backpack. But¡­ Now that I was done with my homework, I still had nothing to do.


    Taking a glance over at Chloe, she was reclined back in her chair with her ear buds in, and her eyes were shut. Upon closer inspection, I could clearly hear the sound of her breath slowly softening. She was actually sleeping!


    I looked over the time and confirmed that I still had about half an hour of class time remaining. I guess it wouldn¡¯t be a problem if I went to sleep as well.


    With that, I closed my eyes. And then a mysterious beckoning drew my consciousness into a deeper darkness than the one that would just result from closing my eyes. I didn¡¯t resist.


    **************


    A blurry voice resounded out through the darkness,


    Me?- ¡°Well. You came earlier than expected.¡±


    I tried to open my eyes, but my body wasn¡¯t listening to me. And then I started to panic! What was going on!?


    Me?- ¡°You¡¯re not fully asleep yet, so this isn¡¯t working properly. Let me fix that for you.¡±


    He drew me deeper and deeper into the darkness, until I reached the point where I could no longer feel any sensations from my body. And then a lurching feeling appeared in my stomach, like I was falling. Endlessly falling.


    The process may have taken seconds, but it felt like hours passed in those long moments. But after this, I started to regain feeling within my body. The warmth of sunlight on my face, the wet coldness at my feet, the wind riffling through my hair all confirmed one thing. I had entered the space.


    My consciousness blurred for a moment, and before I knew it he was standing before me. Pushing myself off the surface of the water, I stood before the other me. He was sitting in a throne of ice, fashioned from god knows where. But he still wore my school attire, creating a sense of discord. I don¡¯t know why, but I had this unexplainable irritation that welled up within me upon seeing this. I commented sarcastically,


    Me- ¡°Why, you look so majestic on that throne my lord! Should I bring you your robes?¡±


    He gave me a cheeky grin, something that caused my irritation to grow stronger.


    Me?- ¡°No. This is good enough.¡±


    He surrounded himself with golden aura, then ignited a couple of flame points around his shirt, causing it to burn off. Surprisingly, his chest was well muscled with just the right amount of fat. And his abs even had the beginnings of a six-pack.


    I smirked,


    Me- ¡°Are you trying to show off?¡±


    He responded with a straight face.


    Me?- ¡°What you¡¯re seeing is only a reflection of yourself. But I can go back to our previous appearance, if you so wish.¡±


    Looking at him was like looking at myself in the mirror. I wasn¡¯t impressed, but it was hard to say any insulting words about him. And even if he returned to my previous appearance, I would only hurt my self esteem by roasting him.


    Me- ¡°This way is fine. But what did you call me in here for? I wanted to sleep.¡±


    His irritating smirk faded away, leaving a slight and solemn frown.


    Me?- ¡°It came to my attention that I might have a problem staying here doing nothing. We are having a disconnect between our thoughts and body, and this might be a serious problem. I called you here in order to fix this as soon as possible.¡±


    He walked closer to me while talking, his footsteps creating ripples in the water.


    Me- ¡°How?¡±


    Me?- ¡°If the problem is subconscious habits, then one must fix these habits through their subconscious, right?¡±


    Me- ¡°I¡¯m already asleep; is this world not my subconscious?¡±


    He placed his finger onto my forehead, smiling gently.


    Me?- ¡°It¡¯s further within here. But Nathaniel, promise me this. Stay on the golden path. There are darker forces within that world that you cannot hope to withstand.¡±


    Even though usually, I would disregard his advice at the drop of the hat, something about him, or his expression made me feel an unnatural sense of trust. Unexpectedly, I nodded my head yes.


    Me?- ¡°Good. Just follow the golden path to the end, and then you¡¯ll know what to do.¡±


    Me- ¡°Wait. What do you mean?¡±


    Without responding to my question, he continued to smile. But instead of his gentle smile, this smile contained a trace of, excitement?


    Me?- ¡°See you later!¡±


    He pushed forward with his finger, and my body fell back into the water. But instead of landing like I usually would, I started to sink. Further and further down¡­


    As I was sinking, I saw my other self happily waving goodbye. A radiant cloud of light slowly surrounded him, while I sunk further into the darkness. Soon, the light from beyond the clouds of the space became indistinct, and my other self had become a sun that lit the waters of darkness around me.


    Me?- ¡°You may be in there for a while. But don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll live in your place for the time being. And remember, don¡¯t step off the golden path~!¡±


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter Next Chapter


    Author¡¯s note 2- I seemed to have writer¡¯s block for a while, and I was unable to write romance as I had originally planned. So I decided I needed a change of pace, and this happened. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing what happens next!

 Vol. 1 Chapter 30- Spying

    Author¡¯s note- He he, so I decided to write a chapter from the other Nathaniel¡¯s PoV. It was quite interesting to write, and I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I did when writing it.


    __________________________________________________________________


    Spying


    Chloe- ¡°Nathaniel, the bell is ringing! It¡¯s time for lunch.¡±


    An ugly and annoying girl was shaking my shoulder, clearly both annoyed and nervous. Ahh¡­ Aside from that, it¡¯s good to be back. My eyes suddenly opened with a golden glint, but I quickly let the light fade. Pretending to be like that careless idiot, I exclaimed sleepily.


    Me- ¡°What?¡±


    Chloe looked somewhat annoyed. She exclaimed in an exasperated voice,


    Chloe- ¡°Nathaniel, lunch!¡±


    ...She was interrupting my monologue. Well, I¡¯m sure she doesn¡¯t care; I don¡¯t even know while Nathaniel bothers anyway. She¡¯ll only betray us later on.


    Me- ¡°...¡±


    Chloe frowned, clearly even more pissed for no apparent reason. But I wasn¡¯t paying attention to this. Something was off¡­


    Shifting to second gear or as that idiot would put it, activating the hot feeling, I listened for any suspicious sounds. I could hear the sound of suppressed breathing, one coming from outside the door, and the other coming from outside of the classroom. We were surrounded¡­


    But what were their intentions? They didn¡¯t seem to be performing surveillance. Deciding I¡¯d make my move after understanding the situation more clearly, I smiled back to Chloe. I didn¡¯t want to make her nervous; a girl with such intelligence would definitely alert the enemy.


    I took out a water bottle from my bag, and Chloe and I started to walk towards the door. Upon hearing our actions in the classroom, they started moving. The one outside the classroom door positioned him/herself behind one of the hallway, while the other moved up onto the roof. They were trained¡­


    ¡°Growl.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°You hungry?¡±


    I shrugged my shoulders, attempting to keep track of their locations in my mind. But unfortunately, I probably had to respond to avoid making the girl suspicious.


    Me- ¡°You?¡±


    I opened the classroom door, and streams of students were starting walking down the hallway. I cursed under my breath. These people would hinder my movements, but they didn¡¯t have much value as meat shields. Although, with my ability they would constitute a big variable¡­


    Chloe- ¡°Yeah. But I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to eat; it depends on what they¡¯re selling at the cafeteria. What about you?¡±


    Me- ¡°I dunno.¡±


    At this point, we had slipped into the crowd. I activated the golden aura underneath my darker clothing; we might need the extra luck. But Chloe smiled, still unaware of the potential crisis that could fall upon us at any moment. Obviously, she wasn¡¯t taking the one-word answers as hints to stop talking.


    Chloe- ¡°Their pizza isn¡¯t the best, but if they have hamburgers then get those. They¡¯re delicious.¡±


    One person was within the crowd as well now, while I had lost track of the other¡¯s position due to her stupid insistence on talking. Adding to the confusion, this was a school with 3 floors, and sound doesn¡¯t travel well over long distances. I couldn¡¯t find his traces easily again... Hoping the one on the roof had lost track of our position as well, I responded while thinking of the best way to shake our unwanted admirers.


    Me- ¡°Really?¡±


    I looked over my shoulder, but a f*t*ss was blocking my line of sight. I smiled darkly, if you wanted to block my way that was fine. Their bullets would have to get through you to hit me.


    Chloe- ¡°Yeah. Well they aren¡¯t really good per se, just decent.¡±


    The pursuer in the crowd had started to shorten the distance between us. It seems that fatty was bothering more than one person, and I could use that chance.


    Me- ¡°Hey, just go on ahead to the lunch table. I have to use the restroom.¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Chloe- ¡°Ok, but is anything wrong? You¡¯ve been acting slightly strange lately.¡±


    I put on a fake frown.


    Me- ¡°I have a stomachache; was it that obvious?¡±


    The other me had certain qualms about lying, especially to Chloe. But I personally thought that was just stupid; just as long as there were foreseeable benefits, why shouldn¡¯t I lie?


    I could hear her heartbeat calm down. It seemed like she didn¡¯t have any suspicions.


    Chloe- ¡°Ok, just don¡¯t keep me waiting too long.¡±


    Finally, I shook one quite annoying unwanted guest. Now it was time to shake the others as well.


    I turned into the bathroom, and went into an open stall. The toilet was clogged, and there was a large amount of toilet paper floating on the surface of the water. No wonder the boys bathroom smells so bad¡­ Luckily, I wasn¡¯t here to use the bathroom.


    Closing the stall, I sent my mental farewell for the janitor who has to clean this up. But now, it was time to disappear. The golden aura responded to my desire, and my body vanished from sight.


    The only way for me to exit the stall unnoticed was to crawl under it. And I have to say, I will be filing a complaint to the school about the cleanliness of their floors.


    But sanitary matters aside, I exited the bathroom when another student pushed open the door (without washing his hands). And then I heard the distinctive footsteps I identified to belong to the person following me in the hallway. The person was still walking with the crowd, heading towards the lunch area.


    I didn¡¯t hold any value to that girl, but the other me would probably abhor me if I let anything happen to her. Ugh. Annoying.


    With the help of invisibility, I weaved my way through the crowd unnoticed. And I finally found my target, the one who was stalking Chloe and I, right behind the f*t*ss. It was a 30 year old woman with black hair and glasses, someone you would mistake for a teacher if you didn¡¯t know any better. But I did. It was Sparrow.


    I noted her way of walking as a friendly, but I still continued to follow her around. I had no interest in honoring my promise with Chloe; it would be more fun to surprise my bodyguards. I wonder how¡¯d she react.


    Using my ability to make my footsteps so light even I couldn¡¯t hear them, I tailed her to the library. She sat next to a tinted window with a clear view of the table Chloe and I sat at. Unwanted surveillance, but I have to say, she was good at her job.


    I chose a bookshelf out of sight to cancel my ability, only leaving the golden aura underneath my clothes to eliminate unwanted sounds. Then I snuck towards Sparrow soundlessly.


    She didn¡¯t notice me even when I got within inches of her. A combined result of both my body strengthening and the golden aura helped me achieve this, but it doesn¡¯t excuse her negligence. If I was an enemy, I could take her out just like this, and then I would have a clear shot at Chloe.


    Upon realizing this, my other half surged with feelings of anger, betrayal! This incompetent woman didn¡¯t deserve to guard me; I would have to get rid of this dead weight! Before she dragged both my life and Chloe¡¯s to hell, I would take her down first!


    A pitch black aura surrounded my hand as I reached out to the back of her neck, but then I seemed to regain some semblance of control over my irrational anger.


    No. There¡¯s no point in killing her. Chloe didn¡¯t matter to me; only about as much as a random stranger on the streets would. In fact, she mattered even less because she was trying to get close to me. I had already seen what happens when you let one get close to you, and it would never happen to me again. If she died, that would be a result of her own incompetency. At least I could keep my life.


    After I reached this resolution, the black aura, which was on the verge of taking her life, receded back into my skin with the suppression of the golden aura. I retracted my hand, and instead I moved my head right next to her ear.


    Me- ¡°Boo.¡±


    Her reactions were undoubtedly that of a professional, but I sort of already expected them. The first thing she tried to do was to smash her head backwards, aiming to disorient me with the head-but. To avoid this, I kicked at the inside of her chair, making her miss her mark.


    Almost the second after I hit the chair, she put her hand in her purse. Seemingly harmless, but if you thought that wasn¡¯t lethal you¡¯d be sorely mistaken. There was a handgun within the bag! My hand shot out like a snake, pressed the pressure point on her wrist, and thereby made her unable to pull the trigger.


    But at this point, she must of realized something was wrong, as she stopped her attempts at attacking me. I then deactivated the golden aura.


    Sparrow- ¡°Nathaniel? What are you doing!? I could have¡­¡±


    Me- ¡°I was testing you. You failed.¡±


    Sparrow looked at me for a second, contemplating the significance of what I said and the disappointment in my tone. She responded pragmatically,


    Sparrow- ¡°How did you get here?¡±


    Was she trying to learn from her mistakes? Sorry, but life doesn¡¯t give second chances. You only live one life, and her life would have been lost if I lost control to Blackmist.


    Me- ¡°I tailed you after I realized there was someone observing me. From the hallway.¡±


    Sparrow nodded her head.


    Sparrow- ¡°It seems I had an oversight. When you disappeared, I should have been more alert.¡±


    Me- ¡°Yes. You should of.¡±


    Honestly, she wasn¡¯t as bad as I made it seem. She definitely exceeded the level of the mercenaries who accompanied the hunters in reaction speed, and her specialty seemed to be in subterfuge and intelligence, not close combat. However, the fact that I was able to both tail and catch her off guard left me hesitant about leaving my body¡¯s safety in their hands.


    Me- ¡°It¡¯s getting hard to trust in your ability as a bodyguard.¡±


    Sparrow frowned,


    Sparrow- ¡°You would regret firing me.¡±


    My voice became cold and apathetic. Was she still attempting to redeem herself?


    Me- ¡°Why.¡±


    Sparrow- ¡°My last name is not Stone. My ability allows me to detect the various intents toward my target, and their source locations to a certain degree of accuracy. If you were an enemy, then I would be able to find and eliminate you before you even got within a mile of me.¡±


    ¡­She had no reason to lie. But I was still suspicious.


    Me- ¡°Why didn¡¯t you sense me? If you can read the intent and location, then surely you would have been able to sense my approach, no matter what my intent was.¡±


    She pursed her lips.


    Sparrow- ¡°Do you know how eyes work? You can perceive general information about your surroundings, but you will not be able to understand what you need to know without specifically looking at that object. My ability is the same way. But instead of looking at certain objects, I was looking for killing intent.¡±


    Interesting¡­ Well, I guess I could pardon this mistake. It¡¯s not like anything valuable was at stake.


    Me- ¡°Well then. I guess grandma didn¡¯t hire you for nothing. And I assume Gabriel is the one on the roof.¡±


    Sparrow smiled mysteriously, neither denying nor affirming my statement.


    Sparrow- ¡°Would you like to witness us in action?¡±


    She was implying that it wasn¡¯t their man? Did they already discover the person?


    I nodded my head, and she pressed a button by her collar bone. Whispering, she said,


    Sparrow- ¡°Change of plans; the boss in training wants to see a show. Have you locked down their position?¡±


    I didn¡¯t hear a response even with my boosted senses, yet Sparrow seemed to receive some sort of confirmation from Gabe. She then flipped out a cell phone, and on her screen a 4-digit pin lock-screen appeared. She typed in 11 numbers in rapid succession, and then placed her finger on the home button.


    Suddenly, the phone screen changed from an ordinary background to a screen bearing a remarkable resemblance to the inside of a CPU.


    ¡®Linking to device, please wait a moment. Loading.¡¯


    ¡®10%¡¯


    ¡®50%¡¯


    ¡®¡­100% Loading complete¡¯


    The screen switched to a bird¡¯s eye view of a school building. It wasn¡¯t in color, but from the various details within the picture I could tell it was my high school. And as I had realized this, Sparrow turned to me with a slight smirk on her face.


    Sparrow- ¡°Want to play a game with me?¡±


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter  Next Chapter


    Author¡¯s note 2- If you¡¯re like me, then you probably skipped the author¡¯s note at the beginning and went straight to the chapter. But humor me for a moment here, and take the time to realize how insanely fast this chapter came out. This is my apology for the ultra long wait from before. Sorry for being an unreliable author.

 Vol. 1 Chapter 31- What Lurks in the Dark

    Author¡¯s note- Guilt express incoming, it¡¯s the speedy chapter release! Enjoy~!


    __________________________________________________________________


    What Lurks in the Dark


    Sparrow- ¡°Do you want to play a game with me?¡±


    She swiped down on the screen, and an interface of options popped up. Enabling the HUD, she closed out the options and handed me the phone.


    There were two ¡®control sticks¡¯ on the right and left sides of the screen, and there was an ¡®X¡¯ in the middle. I quickly figured out that the left side controlled movement, and the right side of the screen controlled the direction I was looking in. I positioned the sight of the screen towards the roof of the school building and moved closer.


    Sparrow- ¡°This drone is equipped with both regular bullets and tranquillizers. You are currently using the tranquillizer function, so just align the ¡®X¡¯ with your target and tap it to shoot.¡±


    In the view, there was a human figure on the roof. The person was using some kind of equipment, but he was clearly being very cautious. He had a pistol lying next to him, and he always kept one hand on the trigger. It was ironic, really. The person had all that preparation, yet he was totally oblivious to the machine behind. It was actually kind of sad. I aligned the ¡®X¡¯ with his back and clicked fire.


    The drone positioned itself to the best angle possible and then took a shot.


    The air in front of the drone blurred for a moment, and less than a second later, the person jerked. Success!


    He tried to roll around to take a shot at the drone, but I started making the drone gain altitude. The further away I got, the less likely he would be able to hit me. After all, when at far distances even millimeters out of alignment can cause a missed shot.


    The man fully turned around and tried to shoot me, but even from the drone¡¯s bad quality camera, I could tell that his hand was visibly shaking. He was definitely going to miss.


    ¡°Pop pop pop.¡±


    The sound didn¡¯t come from the phone, but I could hear it coming from above. It was only due to my body strengthening that I could hear it though. The sound was greatly muffled; luckily, his silencer and the thickness of the school building made it very hard to hear.


    The person then tried to bring the gun to his head, but he dropped it midway. Then he lay there still, unmoving. At this Sparrow revealed a cruel smile.


    Sparrow- ¡°Mission accomplished. Gabriel, if you would retrieve the suspect.¡±


    I handed the phone back to her, and she placed her finger on the home button, exiting out of that screen. Then I asked, intending to delay my return as much as possible,


    Me- ¡°Where is Gabe?¡±


    Sparrow responded with an indifferent expression,


    Sparrow- ¡°He¡¯s in the surveillance room of this school. See, public government buildings always have a ton of cameras, even when it¡¯s a place as inconspicuous as a school. Look.¡±


    She pointed to a camera in the corner of the library. As soon as I looked at it, the camera moved up and down as if to nod at me.


    Sparrow- ¡°Usually no-one will ever really review this footage, save for when there is an incident in the area. We can use this to our advantage, as long as there isn¡¯t an advanced hacker on our trails. But even if they hacked into our systems, we could always manually shut down the power.¡±


    Her reasoning was a bit optimistic. Hackers have many ways to get around unnoticed, and in the situation where their only obstruction was a crappy high school firewall, they could review the footage whether we liked it or not. But it wasn¡¯t really my place to comment, so I didn¡¯t say anything.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Sparrow- ¡°But anyways, how¡¯s your relationship with that contractor girl you¡¯ve been hanging around with lately? She still seems to like you a lot, but from you I can only feel¡­ disgust. Did something happen?¡±


    My face turned cold, and I slowly placed my hands behind my back. This woman¡¯s curiosity would be the death of her¡­


    Me- ¡°Mind your own damn business. You are a bodyguard, nothing more. When did it become your job to pry within my affairs?¡±


    Sparrow flinched, and a deep frown appeared on her face. She looked like she wanted to say something back, but held it all except for a short reply,


    Sparrow- ¡°It didn¡¯t.¡±


    My fist, which had been surrounded by Blackmist, slowly unclenched. I moved my hands from behind my back, and shoved them within my pockets. I responded through clenched teeth,


    Me- ¡°Good. Keep it that way.¡±


    I walked away, opting to leave before I lost control over my body. It seemed like the Blackmist would take control over me if I didn¡¯t keep a firm grip on my emotions. And who knew what horrors I would commit if that happened. Nathaniel! I need you to hurry up and come back soon¡­


    ********************


    The water surrounded me, caressed me as a mother would her child. And then my body was gently laid on a small, green hill teeming with life.


    Suddenly, a large suctioning force appeared within my body, and it was as if I had shifted from passively observing my situation to experiencing it first hand. I slowly opened my eyes.


    Me- ¡°What¡­is this place?¡±


    As I looked out with my eyes, I could see a vast expanse of starry sky. Within that sky, there were 3 celestial bodies that seemed to orbit around me. The first one was a giant, golden sun, the second was a pale, partly transparent moon, and the third was an abstract circle of pure darkness. The golden sun was overhead shining light upon the hill. And as I looked at it, I felt¡­comfortable.


    I stared deeper and deeper into the golden sun, and suddenly, strands of light seemed to start swarming around me. They were almost playful in nature, and as they started to dance around the corners of my mouth curled up slightly. I reached out to grab a strand of the light, and it happily rested in my hand.


    The golden strands then started to superimpose into a golden bridge of light. A bridge that stretched out across the starry expanse of sky into the golden sun. The road!


    The golden road was mostly transparent, and I could see the starry sky beneath. It seemed as if I took a step forward, I would tumble off the hill and fall infinitely through the starry sky. So I tested the bridge by placing one foot on it and slowly increasing the force I used to press upon it. The bridge stood firm.


    Me- ¡°This seems solid¡­¡± I said, voicing my thoughts out into nowhere.


    Stepping forward, I began to walk step by step on the road of light. The road spiraled upwards as I continued to walk closer and closer to the golden sun, and the green hill I had started out on slowly faded into mist. The thought of being that high started to frighten me, so I stopped looking down. But strangely, the celestial bodies always seemed to stay to my right and left, seeming as if I could easily walk to them if I wanted. I found that quite strange.


    Me- ¡°They couldn¡¯t be following me, right? It almost seems as if they¡¯re coming closer¡­¡±


    I spoke to myself, expecting a response from the other me, but nothing answered me back. Was this how he felt, just sitting alone in this space for so much time? I didn¡¯t like it.


    The golden strand of light in the palm sent a warm pulse of an innocent happiness, and I smiled. That¡¯s right, I wasn¡¯t alone. All these happy children were with me!


    Along with these thoughts, a couple motes of light seemed to float up from the golden bridge to follow me around. They flew onto my head, floated around the strand of light in my palm, they even phased through my body at certain points when we were playing an (improvised) game of tag. It seemed like the longer I stayed around them, the more their happiness also became my happiness, and their innocence my innocence.


    But after an innumerable amount of time passed happily going up the road, I started to hear whispering coming from all around me. At first I thought it was coming from the balls of light, but when they phased into me, I could feel their fear. They hid within my chest, not coming out even with my urging. What was going on?


    The incoherent whispering grew louder, and black flakes seemed to slowly float within the surrounding atmosphere. They were strange, 2 dimensional fragments of darkness and ashes, and if I tried to inspect these flakes closely, a black figure would dart in and out of my peripheral vision, causing me to look in its general direction. But I never found anything¡­


    The golden rays of sunlight seemed to grow perceptively paler in their brilliance, and the golden light of the bridge seemed to lose its color. At this, the motes of lights¡¯ fear grew exponentially stronger. Was something about to happen!?


    I instinctively activated both the golden aura and the body strengthening, as a result of the recent battles with my life on the line. And at the same time, I attempted to grasp around my chest for something precious. But strangely, it was not with me.


    After I did this, the darkness surrounding me seemed to swirl around in a tempest as if provoked. And activating the golden aura did nothing but cloak my body within a flimsy barrier of white light. The body strengthening didn¡¯t even have an effect.


    The dark flakes of ashes ripped through the white light surrounding me like paper, and there were some giggles mixed in with the whispering, as if someone was mocking me. And then I noticed a dark figure darting around me out of the corner of my eye. A strange force made me unable to turn my head, and it started to creep forward. Closer, closer, even closer.


    I could feel its dark presence crashing down fully on my body, the kind that makes your skin crawl and your hair stand on its end. And yet I could do nothing to stop it from approaching.


    The whispering grew louder, to the point where the sheer magnitude seemed to start driving me insane! And as if it could sense my fear, the creature¡¯s teeth suddenly flashed amidst the darkness.


    It was approaching me faster now. Its stalking, skin crawling appearance turned into a blur, getting to within a few feet of my body in an instant!


    No! Get away from me!


    My head finally broke free, and I immediately turned to look at it directly and reeled back from the figure. As soon as my eyes almost looked upon its true form, the creature vanished like black smoke fading away into mist. But its eyes, its dark, blood red eyes lingered for a moment in the air above my neck. Then they faded, and the whispering stopped.


    Me- ¡°What on earth was that!?¡±


    A discernable whisper echoed in from the darkness,


    ???- ¡°Close your eyes.¡±


    Me- ¡°Sh*t.¡±


    Suddenly, a black hand reached out from the darkness behind my neck and covered my eyes. Then the world went dark¡­


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter  Next Chapter

 Vol. 1 Chapter 32- What Lurks in the Darkness (2)

    <h1>What Lurks in the Darkness (2)</h1>


    A hand reached out from the darkness, and grabbed me by the head. Then the world shifted to darkness¡­


    The whispering suddenly became coherent, and it turned into screams of wrath and hatred!


    ???- ¡°Kill her!¡±


    ???- ¡°She doesn¡¯t deserve to live!¡±


    ???- ¡°Death to the incompetent!¡±


    Their voices rang within my head, disorienting and frightening me. What was going on?


    It lasted for an innumerable amount of time, but gradually, the darkness faded away, dispelled by the light of the golden sun. Gradually color returned to my vision, and the bridge became gold once more. But the dark fragments remained within the air, as if waiting for a chance to reform.


    The golden lights still didn¡¯t want to come out. But I could feel them strongly urging me to continue walking up the bridge. Before it was too late.


    The black sun was looming down below, spreading its suffocating black light across the entire space. It was getting closer.


    ***************


    As I was walking away from Sparrow, my face was expressionless, but the gears of my mind were rapidly churning. This bodyguard had a really loose mouth, and even without Blackmist¡¯s prompting, I would still consider getting rid of her. Of course, it couldn¡¯t be personally. But isn¡¯t the golden aura perfect for situations like this?


    I continued to let the golden aura flow freely underneath my clothing and voiced my desire,


    ¡®Keep Sparrow¡¯s mouth shut about this issue.¡¯


    Suddenly, a sizable portion of the golden aura started fluctuating violently! Wait. That shouldn¡¯t be happening!


    Pulling at the neck area of my shirt, I looked down to see a shocking sight. Black specks were boiling up through the golden aura, and when they surfaced, they rapidly dispersed. Shit.


    I focused on suppressing the Blackmist, keeping it under control. It was difficult, but I was able start pressuring the black shards with my aura, forcing them back into my body.


    But while I was doing this, Chloe showed up in front of me. I didn¡¯t acknowledge her presence.


    Chloe- ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you standing in the middle of the rotunda like this?¡±


    God damn it! Out of all times, why now!? I have to concentrate!


    The black specks, which I had almost gotten under full control, slipped under that momentary loss of concentration. They were once again on the verge of coming out, and they would most assuredly attempt to ¡®silence¡¯ Sparrow in the easiest way possible. Most likely with her accidental death.


    And at this point, Chloe began to hammer in the final nails of Sparrow¡¯s coffin.


    Chloe- ¡°Nathaniel, it feels like you are trying to avoid me. Is it because I practiced without your permission?¡±


    After a second or two passed of waiting for me to try to respond to that loaded question, she started deeply scowling. Her tone became accusatory,


    Chloe- ¡°Are you ignoring me? At least act like you care!¡±


    She pushed up my chin, and we locked eyes. But at that moment, the Blackmist exploded out! The temperature surrounding me immediately dropped by several degrees, and my eyes flashed with a dark, cold glint.


    Chloe backed off immediately, and looked at me, bewildered. I didn¡¯t know what sort of thoughts were going through her head, but suddenly, I felt a sense of regret. Not at hurting her, but at the fact that I was letting Nathaniel down.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Yet Chloe seemed to take this regret the wrong way. I felt a warm touch on my hand that slowly transformed into a tight grip. She wanted to hold hands?


    I had two options at this point. Either I could pull my hand away, or I could let her have my way with me and by extension, Nathaniel.


    Emotionally, I was leaning towards the first option. You may call me a heartless b*st*rd, but I just didn¡¯t have any sort of trust towards this girl. She blew up on me, and at such a critical time too! Sure she could of seen me from the cafeteria, but why would she walk up and start asking questions?


    Was it concern? Maybe, but it was more likely that she was motivated by some sort of selfish ego, just like the rest of them. Revenge is best served cold¡­


    Of course, by letting go of her hand I would be badly damaging her relationship with Nathaniel, and thereby his relationship with me. And trust, once lost, is hard to regain.


    While I was making my decision, my eyes momentarily swept across those cherry red lips of hers. I could still remember his excitement, his happiness, and his conviction from that day. I couldn¡¯t take that away from him.


    I returned her grip in full, and she smiled brightly at me. And at this, I could only sigh. If I were Nathaniel, I would be totally captured by that smile, without being able to clearly recognize the manipulative intent behind it. She was clearly planning to use this smile to disarm me, and then she would attempt to drag out why I was acting strangely while my guard was down.


    I smiled back at her, using my years of residence within our subconscious to force my eyes to ¡®smile¡¯ as well. A fake smile, but it was one that couldn¡¯t be differentiated from a real one.


    With this, Chloe walked back to our lunch table, and on it was a half eaten sandwich. I took out my lunch as well, but as predicted, Chloe initiated a conversation. I waited, prepared to distinguish her manipulation and counteract it.


    Chloe- ¡°Hey, I just want to apologize for blowing up on you like that. Its just, I was waiting for you at the table for a while. And¡­¡±


    I shifted into second gear. The world slowed down by a couple orders of magnitude, and I could see the different sorts of emotions displayed on her face. Worry. Irritation. Her tone slightly fluctuated at the end when she said ¡®a while.¡¯ It seemed she was prompting me to explain. What would Jesus Nathaniel do?


    He would tell her the truth, but I couldn¡¯t explain anything without making myself seem more suspicious. So I just gave an apology.


    Me- ¡°Sorry for making you worry¡­¡±


    After waiting for a few seconds in silence, I think she realized that she was unable to get anything else out of me. But before she could attempt to force me into a corner, I changed the subject.


    Me- ¡°Are you enjoying your lunch?¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Yeah...¡±


    She didn¡¯t seem interested in the food, as she gave a half-hearted reply. She was probably still focused on what happened earlier. But I could change that.


    I looked solemnly at her food, and said with my best poker face,


    Me- ¡°You know, my grandma always said that if you don¡¯t finish your food, you won¡¯t ever grow to be big and strong.¡±


    Chloe stayed silent. I ate a big bite of my meal, and barely swallowed it down before continuing,


    Me- ¡°But why is it that whenever I take a big mouthful, I feel so fat!?¡±


    She burst into a somewhat strange laughter, something I am unable to definitively describe. Then between her gasps of breath, she said humorously,


    Chloe- ¡°Why is this so funny!? Your joke is so bad!¡±


    She continued laughing in the same manner, but why was it sounding more and more like the snorting of pigs?


    I angrily kept my silence, and waited for the laughter to die down while I was eating my food. A pointless activity, given that the body strengthening restores my energy infinitely, but it allowed me to keep up appearances with Chloe. She needed to be appeased before Nathaniel came back.


    Chloe- ¡°I get it now. You were probably just doing something with your ability, and you have to keep it confidential. I was just being stupid¡­ Sorry.¡±


    I was pleasantly surprised. She was actually helping to make excuses for me! Was it naivety? Optimism? Or was she trying to defuse the situation to manipulate me further? Either way, it was just what I needed to bring this under control.


    Me- ¡°You aren¡¯t stupid. Its my fault¡­¡±


    Chloe smiled happily, and using my ability I could tell that it wasn¡¯t a fake one either. And then she subconsciously sat closer to me, to the point where I could almost feel the heat radiating off her body. She started talking about anime, books, and other such things that Nathaniel used to be into. It was a pleasant discussion, and I got to know a little more about Chloe as a person. I still don¡¯t trust her though¡­


    ***************


    I had been running up the golden bridge for a while now. Once another episode with the darkness happened, I didn¡¯t dare to stop moving. The balls of light didn¡¯t dare to come out either, but their pitiful trembling within my chest had stopped. And it was for a good reason too.


    I was almost at the golden sun. Right now, it had already covered the entire sky, such that it now just looked like a golden celling in front of me. All I had to do was to ascend a little further, and I¡¯d be safe within the pure confines of that golden, holy light. But the figure within the dark sun wasn¡¯t willing to let me go so easily. He was going to do something; I could feel it. And it would be soon.


    Suddenly, the black flakes started to move as if they were leaves caught in a swirling tempest. They twirled, danced, and spun upwards. I looked on curiously, realizing that their target wasn¡¯t me. It was the golden sun.


    The flakes started to gather together, eventually resembling dark pillars of shadow. They shot upwards from the black sun into the golden celling!


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    The space I was in started to tremble greatly as the black pillars smashed into the golden sun, making me unable to keep my balance. I fell flat on my face, thankfully on the long side of the bridge.


    What was going on!? I raised my head in horror, watching the black pillars slowly penetrate the golden aura. Once they fully entered, they acted as points of¡­injection?


    Bulges of darkness were traveling up these pillars, and they went up through the golden celling into a place I couldn¡¯t see. What was it doing?


    In response to this, the Golden Celling started to fluctuate violently, and it actually forced back some of the black pillars, making their pitch black tips a sort of grey. Yet, its defenses weakened for a short moment, and this proved fatal for the golden sun.


    A central, huge pillar pierced upwards from the very core of the dark abyss. At its tip I could see the black figure that tormented me so long during my travel to the golden world! For an instant, his red eyes seemed to shine darkly as he passed by me, and then in the next moment he had already slammed into the golden celling, shattering it into oblivion!


    ¡°BOOM!!!¡±


    The space began to shake once again like a hippie on drugs, and I desperately held onto the surface of the golden bridge!


    Once the shaking passed, I hesitantly got to my feet. Obviously, there was some sort of danger within the golden sun now, and would traveling to it really keep me safe?


    I glanced over at the central dark pillar that had passed by me when it shot towards the golden celling. It had barely missed. Would I be so lucky next time?


    I looked back up at the golden celling, and no longer found its light able to make me feel comforted. But at this point in time, I could either keep going on the light road, or I could tread the more powerful, dark road.


    As I considered the option, the golden road that existed in front of me started to become more illusory, and the black road seemed to start drawing in all of the color in the surrounding space. Shit.


    I refocused on the golden road within my mind, and it re-materialized into its previous majesty and grandeur. Seeing this, I started to run along the road once again. Just a little bit more, and I¡¯d be at the top. Once there, I could probably leave whenever I wanted¡­


    __________________________________________________________________

 Vol. 1 Chapter 33- More Important Things to Do

    <h1>More Important Things to Do</h1>


    After lunch, Chloe didn¡¯t have any more classes with me (thank god), so I was able to do my own activities in peace. And did that entail listening to the teacher lecture? No.


    School wasn¡¯t the most important thing for Nathaniel and I right now, nor was talking to Chloe something paramount. Nathaniel had become arrogant after continuously besting those rookies, and there was no way I was going to let something like this get us killed. I needed to make preparations¡­


    Taking a sip from one of my many water bottles, I took out Nathaniel¡¯s phone and browsed the app from C.H.I.B.I. Walls of green code flooded my screen, and it lasted for a moment before the word ¡®safe¡¯ popped up in the very middle. Then it switched back to the browser, where a list of missions could be seen.


    Nathaniel had strayed away from the mission screen, out of both fear and an unwillingness to go with the organization. But I knew the stone clan wouldn¡¯t welcome us back in, not under our situation. They must of realized something was fishy with the amount of people coming after me, and sent people to provide temporary protection while they investigated my situation.


    The results would definitely be inconclusive; the true secret obviously lay in C.H.I.B.I. And my clan was definitely not at the level to be able to contend with it. So they would have two options.


    The first option would be to take us in immediately. After all, Nathaniel was not far removed as family went, and the variance in our ability made us an innately strong contender for the position of the head. But the Stone clan was not just some family clan; it was an organization. Why would they willingly bring in another variable to worry about when they could keep things as is?


    So hence comes the second option. They would extend the goodwill that stemmed from our blood ties, and once the struggle was over, they would try and rope me in and train me as a powerhouse of the clan. Of course, my variance in ability might also be able to be passed down, so they would attempt to arrange a marriage for me within the clan. That means no Chloe.


    Obviously, this outcome was undesirable. I would be unable to take my revenge, and Nathaniel would encounter his eventual heartbreak much sooner than imagined. The only way I could prevent this was to become stronger, or to tie myself in with C.H.I.B.I. And so far, it seemed like becoming stronger went hand in hand with tying myself in with the organization.


    Upon reaching this conclusion, I logically moved on to gather what information I could about this organization. How does it work, what are the rewards promised? Is it all cash? Or was there special equipment that I could use to increase my strength?


    I was unable to get the information just by residing within his subconscious; Nathaniel refused to even open the app after accepting the training mission! So, I had to explore it myself. And going by the logic from before, the missions closest to the top would have the easiest difficulty with the smallest amount of rewards. Like the first mission, the one I¡¯m taking right now.


    ¡®Drawing out your ability¡¯


    ¡®Meet with Charm instructor Joyce Kim to work on drawing out specifics of your ability. This will help with ability classification and overall combat power. Her number is xxx-xxx-xxxx</a>.¡±


    The reward was in crappy, vague terms like ¡®help with ability classification¡¯ and ¡®increasing overall combat power.¡¯ The helping with ability classification for terms of the class was a letter grade, and increasing overall combat power was undoubtedly the rewards given for your ability classification at the end of the mission. It was basically a staple mission that was meant for newbies to attend in order to acquire a bit of combat practice and allow them a year¡¯s worth of buffer time before they¡¯re forced to choose their next mission.


    The second mission, however, seemed a little more substantial in value.


    ¡®Discipline¡¯This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡®Our intelligence has determined that a man, 45 years of age, has been using his ability to obtain and deal certain drugs illegally. He will be at 4567 Apple Street, Chicago Illinois, selling what he calls pot. Find him and bring him back alive to the extraction point where he will be dealt with accordingly.


    ¡®Ability index- D¡¯


    ¡®Ability description: Bodily transformation land type, increases his speed by 2-3 times.¡¯


    ¡®Ability Requirements: N/A¡¯


    ¡®Reward: 500$, 1 point for completion without maiming the man. Reward is invalid if he is dead.¡¯


    ¡®Status: Unaccepted¡¯


    The reward was substantial enough. 500$ was equivalent to around 54 hours of work for minimum wage, and the mission didn¡¯t seem too hard. The only thing I was questioning was the point. What did it mean by 1 point for completion?


    I clicked on the word point, and it took me to a screen displaying my profile. It had my name, contact information, ability index (which read unevaluated), and clearance rank (which read level 0) displayed. The stuff below that, the private information, had my point level, cash in my account, and a list of my accepted missions and their descriptions. Then a description of the points popped up. It read,


    ¡®Points¡¯


    ¡®Points are only obtained through completing missions, and they are used for obtaining greater clearance levels, buying ability related items, and (greater clearance level needed).¡¯


    I didn¡¯t have any points currently, but it took 1 point to raise my clearance rank to level one. I tapped the word clearance rank and another pop-up description appeared on my screen. It read,


    ¡®Clearance Rank¡¯


    ¡®This can be raised through spending a certain amount of points. Your clearance level is used to obtain a wider and rarer range of items and information from C.H.I.B.I., reduce punishment for violating one of the disciplinary laws, and raises your respective position in the organization.¡¯


    Interesting¡­ But what can I do with my current clearance rank? I tapped on the level zero rank.


    ¡®Clearance: level zero¡¯


    ¡®A limited number of items to make completing a mission easier are provided at the shop; if the item is marked in red, then the item was acquired illegally. Illegal items are double the market price, but you do not have to acquire a license. One can accept a maximum of 2 missions at a time, and there is no reduction in disciplinary action if you break the organization¡¯s law.¡¯


    The shop¡­ It takes me directly to a mission acceptance screen, where would I be able to access the shop? I checked around on the phone, and after a little bit, I realized that at the very bottom of the screen there were links to My profile, The Shop, and Mission list. I tapped the shop.


    It brought me to a screen with a small amount of items. These could be split into 3 categories, weapons, armor, and intelligence.


    ¡®Weapons¡¯


    ¡®$10 Switch blade, $50 Stun gun, (Illegal from here on) $120 Stun Baton, $200 Taser (5 cartridges), $1300 Glock 22 (3 magazines).¡¯


    ¡®Armor¡¯


    ¡®$80 Armored gloves, (Illegal from here on) $200 Armored Combat boots, $300 Bullet Proof Vest, $400 Bullet Proof Helmet, $3000 for full bullet proof armor (includes vest, arms, legs, and neck).¡¯


    ¡®Intelligence¡¯


    ¡®$50 Hidden microphone, (Illegal from here on) $500 Micro Camera, $2500 Recon Drone.¡¯


    Unsurprisingly, the items were surprisingly expensive. However, due to my recent encounters with those murderers, I had sufficient funds. Or at least, I thought I did.


    ¡®Account Balance¡¯


    ¡®$2500¡¯


    Why was it so low? As far as I could recall, we had obtained $12,000 for killing the ability users who came at us when we were in the theatre, and we should have even more, now that we had killed the hunters at the Racetrac.


    Pulling up my account balance, I took a look at my history.


    ¡®Account history¡¯


    ¡®+$12,000¡¯


    ¡®-$250¡¯


    ¡®-$9250¡¯


    ¡®New account balance, $2500¡¯


    Ok¡­ That doesn¡¯t make any sense. Why was so much money deducted at the end? I know Nathaniel spent $250 at his date with Chloe, but the $9250 dollars? Shouldn¡¯t that be added to my funds instead?


    I tried to bring up a detailed description by clicking the negative $9250, but nothing popped up. However, I could infer that this negative number was due to the death of the personnel stationed outside the Racetrac. Which meant I didn¡¯t have enough funds to buy everything I wanted.


    I scratched my head while choosing the best item to obtain, but then I paused. Everyone in the classroom was staring at me, and the teacher was standing directly in front of my desk with his hand out. I asked with a deadpan expression,


    Me- ¡°What.¡±


    The teacher glared at me, clearly somewhat offended.


    Pre-Cal teacher- ¡°Did you hear what I said? Hand me your phone!¡±


    It was funny that he asked that question. In fact, he must suppose he could coerce me to hand him my phone and pay more attention in class. Too bad there were more important things than satisfying a high-school math teacher¡¯s inflated ego.


    Me- ¡°Why?¡±


    I heard a couple sharp intakes of breath throughout the classroom, and the man¡¯s face became redder.


    Pre-Cal teacher- ¡°Do you want me to write you up? Hand me the phone Mr. Belair.¡±


    I didn¡¯t care what he said; I wasn¡¯t going to hand him the phone right now.


    Me- ¡°Sorry, no can do. Would you like my pencil instead?¡±


    Pre-Cal teacher- ¡°Some people are actually trying to learn here, and you¡¯ve just wasted some of both my time and theirs. Oh, and by the way, I don¡¯t want your stupid pencil. Get out of my class.¡±


    I smirked, those were the exact words I wanted to hear. The stupid teacher was getting all self righteous, believing I was wasting his time. Well, to get facts straight, I was just sitting there, minding my own business. He came over just to have a confrontation, and the ensuing disruption was apparently all my fault. And also, he actually seemed to think the subject he was teaching would be useful!? Anything but!


    Anyways, now that I was given permission to leave, there was no way I would sit there and listen to more of his abuse. I got up straight-away, and wished him some ¡®good¡¯ luck on my way out.


    Once I was out of the classroom door, my thoughts shifted away from the totally insignificant situation within the class. This was my last period, so I decided to leave school a little bit early. And as for apologizing to Helen? F*ck that. I had more important things to do.

 Vol. 1 Chapter 34- Discipline

    <h1>Discipline</h1>


    Me- ¡°So¡­ What do I do now?¡±


    The bridge of light just faded into nothingness at this point; there was no way forward. I had reached the end. But now that I was here, what was I supposed to do? I observed the area, looking for clues.


    Golden light was swirling around my location, and the golden ceiling was so close that I could touch it if jumped. Should I?


    Not seeing a reason not to, I gathered strength within my legs before springing upwards. Reaching my hand upwards as high as possible, the edge of my middle finger barely grazed the ceiling. There was some sort of rippling when I touched it, but other than that, there was no reaction.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Well. That didn¡¯t work.


    *******************


    The school building, with my newfound powers of invisibility, was easy to escape unnoticed. Even the cafeteria, which wouldn¡¯t even let a rat pass by without being discovered, was an area that I could escape through easily.


    The design of the cafeteria¡¯s surveillance system was undoubtedly well made. The cameras, peppered across various walls of the cafeteria, overlapped in such a way that they could watch both the student¡¯s activities at the lunch tables and the only path to an exiting doorway. There was no fault with the system that I could point out; it simply wouldn¡¯t encounter any problems when dealing with your average high schooler. Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t so average.


    This ingenious 360-degree surveillance system turned into something designed by someone with the insight of a toddler under the absolute tyranny of my abilities. The fact that the door wasn¡¯t directly watched proved to be its downfall, as I could simply push open the door and walk out with none being the wiser. And from there, it was a simple matter to escape the school¡¯s premises.


    I opened the cafeteria doors after making sure no-one was in the surrounding area, and then, I slipped through them and closed it silently. Safe¡­


    A few minutes later, I had already arrived within the vicinity of the Racetrac. But I wasn¡¯t going there for the training mission; that only happened on weekends at 10:00 am. It was for the more serious mission, Discipline.


    ¡®Discipline¡¯


    ¡®Our intelligence has determined that a man, 45 years of age, has been using his ability to obtain and deal certain drugs illegally. He will be at 4567 Apple Street, Chicago Illinois, selling what he calls pot. Find him and bring him back alive to the extraction point where he will be dealt with accordingly.


    ¡®Ability index- D¡¯


    ¡®Ability description: Bodily transformation land type, increases his speed by 2-3 times.¡¯


    ¡®Ability Requirements: N/A¡¯


    ¡®Reward: 500$, 1 point for completion without maiming the man. Reward is invalid if he is dead.¡¯


    ¡®Status: Accepted¡¯


    I walked in-between the replacement under cover agents and went through the fake wall. Within moments, I opened the blast doors and stepped into the empty room.


    It was dark, dusty, and the only light in the room came from the soft flickering glow of the teleportation circle on the ground. From this light, I could see a couple of objects in the center of the circle.


    Me- ¡°You know, I never thought I¡¯d be using one of these again.¡±


    Picking up one of the objects, I looked at it and smiled. It had a sleek, long muzzle, lengthened by a couple of add-ons I had purchased for around $200 extra. The object was black, dangerous, powerful, and it came with 3 lightweight and easy to carry magazines. It was the Glock 22.


    With a little less interest, I picked up some of the other objects: armored gloves, a bulletproof vest, and most importantly, a bulletproof helmet (with a facemask attached). It would protect me from ending up as splattered brains across the pavement. But of course, that wasn¡¯t all.


    I picked up the last items, a Taser and its cartridges. And with that I had completed my arsenal.


    Armor! I would use it to help prevent my battle strength from temporarily declining from wounds, and it would also protect me from getting 1 shot insta-killed from a hidden position.


    Weapons! With the addition of a Taser and a gun, I had become much more versatile in combat.


    Putting on my black hoodie, I hid the armor beneath my clothes. Then I pulled up the mission on my phone and created a flame point in mid air.


    ¡°Whoosh¡±


    The purple lines, which had been dimming down after transporting my equipment, flared back to life! And as I stepped into the center of the violet circle, shimmering words appeared in front of me.


    ¡®New teleportation destination created, Chicago, Illinois. Teleport?¡±


    ¡®Yes¡¯


    ¡®No¡¯


    I pointed at yes, but there was no reaction. Waving my finger through the words had no effect.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Me- ¡°Yes.¡±


    That didn¡¯t do anything either. Finally, I moved my flame to the center of the word, ¡®yes,¡¯ and the teleportation portal activated.


    ****************


    The purple light faded away, and I took a moment to observe the room. It gave off a comfy feeling, and the room was lit by a slightly dim candlelight. Like the underground room at the racetrack, the area was closed off by a pair of blast doors, so with a thought, I caused them to open.


    What greeted me was a long, dark hallway. Walking through it, I turned at the end of the corridor and saw a glass panel. It showcased the back of an old, dusty bookshelf, and there were no people in sight.


    Pushing at it, the glass swiveled around so I was able to walk to the other side. Then it closed back on its own, revealing an old-fashioned mirror. Fancy.


    The area I was transported to was a library. An old one at that. It barely had any people visiting, and as I passed the receptionist¡¯s desk, a woman in her twenties came up to me with a professional smile. Her nametag identified her as Nancy.


    Nancy- ¡°Hi. How may I help you?¡±


    Deciding I¡¯d play around a little bit, I asked,


    Me- ¡°Hi. I¡¯m here to renew an overdue book for my friend. Do you know a man around 45 years old who sells apples around here?¡±


    A sharp glint passed through her eyes, before it was replaced by a disarming smile. She asked with a sort of certain tone, almost as if she was confirming something,


    Nancy- ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s been by here a couple times. Did he tell you the pin he used for his account?¡±


    Me- ¡°I believe it was 4567?¡±


    Nancy- ¡°Let me see¡­¡±


    A couple of seconds passed before Nancy sighed.


    Nancy- ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t renew the book while your friend isn¡¯t here. Could you bring him back here with the overdue book? I saw him on my way here, but I didn¡¯t think to call. If you could get him for me, I would be very grateful.¡±


    She emphasized the word, ¡®very.¡¯ I assumed she was alluding to the reward.


    Me- ¡°Of course! It will be no problem.¡±


    Nancy- ¡°And incase you didn¡¯t know, you take a right from this building, and continue straight until you see a Mc Donald¡¯s on your left. Then you will cross the street to the Mc Donald¡¯s, and he¡¯ll be in the next alleyway you see.¡±


    She clicked something on the computer a couple of times, and I turned to walk to the door. But as I did this, she said in an offhanded way,


    Nancy- ¡°Now that I think about it, he¡¯s in quite the unpopular place. I¡¯m surprised his stall hasn¡¯t closed down already!¡±


    My footsteps paused, and I turned around to give the lady a reassuring smile.


    Me- ¡°I¡¯ll get him to close it down soon. If he can¡¯t even return a library book, what business does he have running an apple stall in such an out of the way place?¡±


    Nancy- ¡°Right!? Good luck!¡±


    I didn¡¯t respond to her well wishes, but a small chuckle passed my lips. Good luck? I already had it!


    *******************


    I followed Nancy¡¯s instructions to find my way to an out of the way, dark alley. At the end of one of its pathways, a suspicious looking stall stood. A middle-aged man was sitting behind the stall, and there was someone talking with the man. She was a girl around my age.


    The girl- ¡°Can you get me more?¡±


    The man rubbed his fingers together, as if asking for cash. The girl pulled out a couple of Washingtons. At this, the man scowled,


    The man- ¡°Da f*ck! Do you think I¡¯m some sort of low-life n*gg*r? Pull out some franklins, and maybe we can talk.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t see what sort of facial expression the girl was making, but the man¡¯s face was full of contempt. But while they were negotiating, I was approaching with the golden aura set to ¡®stealth¡¯ mode. The bulletproof helmet was now on my head under the hoodie, and I had my Glock at the ready.


    The girl- ¡°You know, maybe we could get together at a later time. Get something worked out.¡±


    The man¡¯s pupils dilated, and his breathing became a bit heavier. He was clearly seriously considering her ¡®arrangement.¡¯ The man disgustingly said,


    The man- ¡°We¡¯d have to ¡®talk¡¯ for the whole night, but I¡¯d give you somethn¡¯ for it. How about 8 ounces?¡±


    I could see some hesitation on the part of the girl; she was clearly debating on whether she¡¯d really go through something like this. Unfortunately, the addiction won over, so she nodded her head yes.


    The man gave off a lecherous smile, and he offered, clearly much more politely than before,


    The man- ¡°I¡¯ll see you outside the McDonald¡¯s here then, at 9:00. From there we can find a place to ¡®talk. Does that sound good sweet-heart?¡±


    I had arrived behind the middle-aged man now, and I silently raised the Glock to the man¡¯s head.


    The girl smiled and looked to the side for a second. Then she was about to say something in tacit agreement before her eyes widened in horror!


    The man- ¡°What?¡±


    The girl- ¡°Th- there¡¯s a person with¡­¡±


    The man- ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    The girl- ¡°B-b-behind you, a gu-¡°


    ¡°Click¡±


    The man jolted suddenly, and under the dim light of the alley, I could see his face pale. One of his hands tried to sneak into the shack¡¯s shelves, but I pressed the cold, hard muzzle of the gun on the back of his head. His hand froze.


    Me- ¡°Get the f*ck away from the stall, and get on your knees!¡±


    I pointed the gun towards the girl.


    Me- ¡°And you too. Don¡¯t make a sound¡­¡±


    I backed away slightly, giving the man room to step backwards away from the stall. He slowly retracted his hands, and slowly inched away from the stall. The girl, however, seemed to have no experience in these kind of situations; she was standing there, frozen. I growled,


    Me- ¡°I said, get on your f*cking knees you addicted sl*t!!!¡±


    She suddenly dropped to her knees, and lay there, trembling. The man however, had stopped, and he was eyeing my gun.


    The Man- ¡°I don¡¯t know what the f*ck you¡¯re playing at kid, but I don¡¯t think you know who you¡¯re dealing with. My homies will find you and kill yo little b*st*rd *ss, if you don¡¯t stop this sh*t right now!¡±


    Did he really think he could intimidate me into letting him go with just a bit of colorful language? It seems that I need to show him who exactly is in control.


    I kicked at the inside of his knees, causing him to kneel on the ground. Then I rammed the gun into his ear while holding his head close in. The girl let out a small shriek, while the man groaned loudly. I whispered in his ear,


    Me- ¡°Your buddies ain¡¯t gonna find sh*t, and if you keep talking like this, all they¡¯re gonna find of you is some f*cking b*st*rd¡¯s brains splattered all across this stall here! Do you understand me!?¡±


    The man fearfully nodded, and I kicked him sprawling next to the girl. The teenage girl seemed to be hyperventilating, and she looked like she was about to pass out. So, as I rummaged through the stall to collect his ¡®merchandise,¡¯ I spoke softly to the both of them,


    Me- ¡°Now, nobody has to get hurt. All you have to do is walk with me to a certain location with your mouths shut, and you will keep your hands where I can see them. Do you understand?¡±


    The terrified girl nodded vigorously, while the man grunted in assent. So I stood them both up, and patted down the two for weapons. I found a switchblade, their wallets, and their phones. Putting them in my pant¡¯s pocket, I seethed,


    Me- ¡°Walk.¡±


    I put away the gun and took of the helmet (it covered my face as well). I only intended to use it for intimidation, and it seemed to be working. But I was sure that the man wouldn¡¯t go down without at least trying to escape once, so I remained vigilant.


    Surprisingly, the two didn¡¯t make a scene as we walked to the library, but once we arrived, I could see the shock in the man¡¯s eyes.


    The Man- ¡°Sh*t, you¡¯re one of those newbie C.H.I.B.I. f*ckers aren¡¯t you!? Looking for a bit of cash, are we?¡±


    Me- ¡°That doesn¡¯t change the fact that I have a Glock on your ass. Get the h*ll in the f*cking door!¡±


    The girl started hyperventilating again, and I could tell she would cause a scene if I left her unchecked. So while the man was going into the library, I pulled the girl in close.


    Me- ¡°Go into that bathroom over there, and lock the door. You don¡¯t want to see what happens next.¡±


    As soon as I said these words, the girl rushed into the bathroom and slammed the door. And at this, the man remarked,


    The Man- ¡°You¡¯re going to kill me?¡±


    He was surprisingly calm, for a man with no weapons vs a trained professional who is armed to the teeth.


    Me- ¡°Not if I can help it. Just turn yourself in at the desk over there. It¡¯ll save me a lot of trouble.¡±


    The man- ¡°Anything you sa-¡°


    He attacked me with a backhand mid sentence, and he had already grown some fur around his arm. The speed was shockingly fast, but I was prepared and ready for his attack. Without any unnecessary words, I shocked the man with my Taser!


    ¡°BZZZZ¡±


    The electricity arced violently around his skin, but it was only slightly effective! His attack faltered shortly, and this gave me enough time to tilt my head backwards. His blow only grazed my face, yet he was able to use this momentary distraction to follow up his attack with a claw to my chest!


    Unfortunately for him, I totally ignored the blow, absorbing it with the help of my Kevlar vest. Then I squeezed the pressure point on his clawing arm, and followed up with a quick jab to his windpipe!


    The blow wasn¡¯t strong enough to kill him, but it disrupted his breathing, causing the man to involuntarily bring his free hand to protect his throat, leaving his body defenseless!


    I bent the man¡¯s arm around to his back, and then I held the switchblade at an exposed area of his jugular.


    Me- ¡°You just had to choose the hard way, didn¡¯t you. Yield!¡±


    The man- ¡°MAKE ME!!!¡±


    He bashed backwards with his head, and this made me very tempted to just slash his jugular and get this over with. But instead, I dodged the head-butt and kneed him away from me. The man staggered and turned around to face me.


    The man- ¡°Sh*t¡±


    His hand remained slack at his side, bleeding profusely. Instead of cutting at his neck, I ended up slicing the tendon off of his right arm as I kicked him away. It would hurt like h*ll, but it wouldn¡¯t kill him.


    Me- ¡°Ready to turn yourself in?¡±


    The man looked surprised that I even asked that. He yelled angrily,


    The Man- ¡°Do you even know what they¡¯ll do to me!? You f*cking newbies, all of you, clueless!¡±


    He rushed at me again, but this time he ended up slipping on some of the blood that dropped to the floor. His head smashed to the floor, and he stopped moving. Well then. That was anti-climatic.

 Vol. 1 Chapter 35- Speculations

    <h1>Speculations</h1>


    Did the man die from that?


    I went forward to check his pulse, but he let out a low moan and rolled over right as I came to him. While doing so, he exposed the arm that I had cut pretty badly. It was kind of clotting, but to be safe, I started emergency treatment for the wound.


    After treating the man, I looked around the area to determine if I had any unwanted witnesses. And although I could see people walking across the street through the tinted area of the door, no-one was peering into the small window or freaking out. Good.


    I moved back from the window and started to drag the man by his armpits to the receptionist¡¯s desk. Nancy watched me, smiling. I laid the man in the middle of the floor and grumbled,


    I continued to drag the man over, and once I had finished, I held out my hand.


    Nancy smiled, and walked over from the receptionist desk over to me.


    She checked the man¡¯s pulse, and after confirming he was alive, she then took out her phone and pressed it to the man¡¯s hand. A few seconds passed before the phone made an affirmative beep.


    Nancy gave me a glare.


    I¡¯m not paying that fee; that¡¯s about 1/5<sup>th</sup> of my reward!


    Nancy sighed and rolled her eyes.


    Taking that as my cue to leave, I walked directly to the girl¡¯s bathroom.


    There was silence on the other end for a while, and then the girl said fearfully,


    Was she serious? How would I get her to come out of that bathroom? ¡­Wait a minute, if she was desperate enough to have sex with a stranger for a measly 10 ounces, maybe I could tempt her with the drug.


    I left a bag of the man¡¯s pot a couple feet away from the door. Speaking loudly, I said,


    The girl said with an annoyed tone,


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    I walked out of the library building, but as the door was closing, I slipped back into the library while using the golden aura to conceal the sounds of my footsteps. Getting into a nondescript corner of the room, I vanished from sight.


    A few minutes passed in waiting, but after a few more, the girl couldn¡¯t withstand the temptation any longer. The door opened a crack, and the girl surveyed the room. But her eyes locked on one thing, and she started to slowly move forward. Her target? The bag of drugs.


    Its bulging, tempting allure made the girl totally unable to draw her eyes away from the bag. I decided it was time to move and slipped into the bathroom door quietly. Choosing a stall, I sat on one of the toilet seats within.


    After a few seconds, the girl rushed back into the bathroom, drugs and phone in hand. She shut and locked the door quickly, and then she rushed into the corner of the bathroom.


    I stood up on the toilet seat to get a better grasp on what she was doing. If she didn¡¯t call the cops now, then it was likely that she wouldn¡¯t do so in the future. I would just trail her for a bit to make sure, and then leave her to her own life. However, if she immediately went to call the cops, then it would be likely that even if I took away her phone and threatened her, she would still do so later. I would need to take more drastic measures.


    I saw the light of Katie¡¯s phone on her face as I stood up. Alarm bells rang within my head, but I continued to bide my time, waiting. Her screen was not on a call, but it was on a group chat. It read,


    Interesting¡­ Was she trying to cover up her involvement in the incident? Her friend responded with,


    Gang conflict? Looks like she found herself a reasonable explanation for today¡¯s events. There was no need for my interference.


    I got back down from the stall, and walked near the door. I had to wait for a few minutes longer before the girl finally decided it was safe to go out. She fled the building, and I slipped through the door behind her.


    Deactivating my invisibility, I went back to the teleportation portal. And with a flash of light, I vanished.


    ¡­What do I do?


    Nothing had really changed after I had touched the ceiling. In fact, it would be more accurate to say my hand had inched through instead of using the word touched. It was almost like dipping my finger into water, yet it wasn¡¯t like this realization helped me. Little¡¯ Goldies 1 and 2! I need your help!


    Responding to my summoning, the golden motes of light flew out from within my chest and swirled around me. Then they jumped up and down within the air in front of me and dashed over to the area where the bridged faded away, spiraled up, and merged into the golden light.


    Was I supposed to follow them?


    I held tightly on the end of the bridge and extended my foot into the nothingness in front. The golden strands of light that made up the end of the bridge swirled around my foot, but nothing else of note happened. So I shifted forward a bit more, thinking that I wasn¡¯t close enough.


    I almost lost my center of balance! I quickly moved back within the safety of the bridge, not daring to try anything like that anymore. But what else was I supposed to do?


    Suddenly, a warm strand of light appeared in my hand. It was slowly growing hotter and hotter, and it was tugging away from my grip. But I wasn¡¯t falling for it¡¯s innocent urgings. The other motes of light had left me as soon as I let them, and this strand of light was my only clue on how to get into golden ceiling.


    My grip grew tighter on the stand of light, and I held onto it strongly, despite it¡¯s increasingly strong tugging upward. But suddenly, I realized that it was lifting me off the ground!


    I held on tightly as the golden strand pulled me upwards into the golden sun.


    As the violet light faded into nothingness, I was greeted by the thick darkness that permeated the underground room. The familiar bookshelf behind and the blast doors in front told me that this was the room under the Racetrac. I was back.


    I looked around the room, deciding what I should do. Nobody would be looking for me¡­ Right?


    Suddenly, the bodyguards came to mind. I had left them at school, with no explaination. It would seem as if I had just ¡®vanished.¡¯


    I debated going back to the general area to see if they were still at school, but I decided against it. Going back to school would require an explanation, and I wasn¡¯t inclined to do so. Alternatively, I could just make my way home, and bullsh*t crap to them and my parents. They would be unable to refute me, and it would also help with getting rid of the bodyguards before Blackmist could do anything. But first¡­


    Taking out my phone, I opened my profile and did the only thing I could do with the points at this time: upgrading my clearance level. One of the points was spent, and then the clearance level moved up from 0 to 1. The value to upgrade my clearance level also changed from 1 point to 10 points.


    The description of the clearance rank was as follows,


    ¡®Clearance Rank¡¯


    The key words here are ¡®wider and rarer range of items and information.¡¯ What did this entail, exactly? I opened up the shop to get a better idea of what could acquire.


    So there weren¡¯t any new items in the ¡®weapons¡¯ and ¡®armor¡¯ sections. However, there was an entirely new category, and there were some new additions to the intelligence section. Interesting.


    ¡®Intelligence¡¯


    ¡®Special¡¯


    A beginning to your Ability (Vol. 1), $500 A beginning to your Ability (Vol. 2), $2500 A beginning to your Ability (Vol. 3)¡¯


    Looking at the special section, the corner of my mouth twitched. Why were these novels so expensive? Have they ever heard of libraries before?


    I tapped the A beginning to your Ability (Vol. 2) and reluctantly watched my funds drop to zero. A second or two passed, and then the circle started to shine with a purple light. Had the teleportation started?


    As I waited for the guide to be transported, I mentally went through the information from A beginning to your Ability (Vol. 1). One, abilities would repel each other when they got within a certain range, except for a couple of exceptions.


    Two, the relation between the strength of your ability and the strength of your thoughts was proportional. If the thought was stronger, so was your ability. If the thought was weaker, so was your ability. That was why my concentration allowed me to temporarily block the Blackmist, and the lack thereof allowed him to slip through. It also explained why Viola was able to withstand so many explosions in the illusionary space, whereas before she was unable to withstand two without getting a concussion.


    Three, continually using your ability could make it stronger than before. That was self-explanatory.


    Four, having an exceptionally strong attachment or desire towards something can allow for your ability to be ¡®imprinted¡¯ on whatever that something was. The implication of this was that your ability could then be activated and used independent of the ability user. Chloe, a contractor, was a good example of this.


    Five, gaining the recognition of your subconscious could increase the strength of your ability. Now that I think about it, this¡­


    The purple light reached a crescendo, and a book surrounded by a purple crystal came hovering within my view. Once the light faded away, the book dropped directly to the floor. I picked it up and glanced over it with a small smile. What sort of secrets does this book hold?

 Vol. 1 Chapter 36- True Self

    <h1>True Self</h1>


    My body pierced through the golden membrane surrounding the ceiling, and it felt as if I had dove into a pool of water. Headfirst.


    My eyes had involuntarily closed, and I was holding my breath. The only thing I was able to do was to hold onto that golden thread, and hold it with a stronger grip.


    I was taken further upwards. And as I went the liquid became thicker, and thicker. Soon, it became so thick that I couldn¡¯t move, couldn¡¯t even open my eyes. This feeling lasted for a while, before all the pressure suddenly disappeared. My eyes immediately flipped open.


    The scene before me was somewhat, familiar. I was sitting on a green, grassy hill, under a gigantic tree. The tree was about 10 ft tall, and it was filled with green leaves. Each leaf had a golden imprint of lines on its surface, and I discovered that every leaf was unique in some way. Some were larger, some had a different shape, whereas others had a different golden imprint. Looking closely the imprint seemed to form, a picture?


    I looked closely at one of the largest golden leaves near the bottom of the tree, and saw that was a picture of a dictionary. Acting on an impulse, I touched the leaf, and suddenly, it expanded out into millions of words. If I focused on one word, I could feel the distinct impressions I had of it, and the words that I associated it with came closer to form a sphere around it.


    Slightly intrigued, I moved my finger off the leaf to find that the words in midair just disappeared, like they never even existed! I moved my finger on and off the leaf, watching the words appear out of thin air and disappear just as quickly as they came. After doing this, my eyes moved onto the other leaves. Each of them had a different image, and I was quite interested in trying some of them out. But just as I was about to move to a leaf with the image of food on it, my eyes swept across the tree trunk, and I stopped. What would happen if I put my hand on the source of all of the leaves?


    Closing my eyes, I gently laid my hand on the tree trunk.


    ¡­Nothing happened. I took my hand away, but suddenly I felt this strange feeling around my belly, almost as if I had just been stroked by some sort of hand. Strange. So this tree was connected to me by some means?


    Focusing back on the task at hand, I drew my attention back onto the leaves. Obviously, my other self wanted me to do something at this tree. Apparently, I could fix my co-ordination here.


    I looked along the myriad of leaves for pictures relating to movement, and I found 3. The first was a picture of someone performing a martial art, the second a picture of a kid reaching for a ball, and the third a picture of a toddler imitating his parent¡¯s walking posture. I chose the second one first.


    With that decision, the leaf snapped off from the tree and floated onto my hand. Then it expanded into a gigantic sphere of every situation where I had to use one of my limbs to affect the outside world. For example, in a couple of images I was reaching out towards a thrown object, whereas in others, I was kicking at a ball after running towards it. But looking at these images now, a question popped up within my head. What was I supposed to do to fix my co-ordination?


    I couldn¡¯t just mentally disregard all the images before I got my ability. That would probably just make my co-ordination even worse than before! But maybe I could¡­


    To make things less jumbled, I moved the memories before I got my ability behind my body. Then I sorted out the images where I preformed the actions correctly from the images where I used too much power, went too fast, etc. And with a thought, those images disappeared.


    I wasn¡¯t sure of its effects just by arbitrarily looking at what I had done, but the memories of my failures were rapidly disappearing, leaving only the correct actions in their place.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    After doing this, my next thought was to do this with all my memories. Since I was already here, why shouldn¡¯t I further perfect myself? It couldn¡¯t do any harm¡­


    I started to sort through the leaves one by one, eliminating any mistakes I had ever committed within the past. And bit-by-bit, the individual inscriptions on the leaves became more and more perfect¡­


    ****************


    I picked up the thin book from the floor, and looking at its poor, unadorned appearance, I still couldn¡¯t believe the book was worth $500. Begrudgingly flipping the book open, I read the first page.


    ¡®A Beginning to Your Ability (Vol. 2)¡¯


    ¡®This book aims to expound and add upon the truths discussed previously in this series.


    To start off, I will define the 3 types of abilities that one may have. The first one is manipulation. Manipulators are able to control and transform certain materials and energies already in existence with ease, and their advancement widens their ability to control, to transform, and to manipulate a wider variety of things. Manipulators are relatively uncommon, yet their unusual abilities make them a force to be reckoned with.


    The second type is augmentation, or more commonly known as transformation. They liken themselves to an animal, or less commonly to a certain object, and this transformation gives them additional strength, speed, etc in exchange for parts of their humanity. Their advancement brings them greater abilities at a lower cost, along with a base, overall strengthening of their body.


    Augmenters are the most common type of ability users; 9/10 of the people you find will have some sort of augmentation as their ability. This may sound mundane, but when equipped with modern technology and firearms, Augmenters become quite deadly.


    The last type is called the Deviants. Being a special class of ability users, Deviants have a wide range of abilities, but they all have one thing in common. Their ability can bypass the ¡®repel¡¯ effect to a certain extent. Not only this, but their abilities are generally much more powerful than most augmenters and manipulators.


    Deviants are the least common ability users found naturally, with their numbers making up less than one percent of people who awaken. However, do not think that because of this, they are uncommon. Due to the fact that abilities can be passed down through descendants, although rare, this makes Deviants such as illusionists much more common than one might think.¡¯


    I flipped the page, but as I was doing so, the motion suddenly became crisp and refined. Was Nathaniel almost ready to come out?


    Shutting the book, I exited the Racetrac. From there I made my way to the house as quickly as possible without alarming any pedestrians. It helped, I might add, that I took the paths off the well-beaten road. I appeared at the door like a gust of wind, and opened the door to walk in. But before I could go to our room, I caught Gabe glancing at me from the corner of my eye. Sparrow wasn¡¯t with him.


    Me- ¡°I assume Sparrow is interrogating the man I tranquillized?¡±


    Gabe nodded,


    Gabe- ¡°Yeah, her ability is more suited than mine for that sort of thing. But where did you go?¡±


    I responded in a roundabout way, not answering the question. Like some slippery politicians I knew of¡­


    Me- ¡°You were watching the cameras, correct?¡±


    Gabe- ¡°Yes. And?¡±


    Me- ¡°I just walked out of the school, and tried a new way home.¡±


    Gabe could obviously see a few problems with my explanation, but he didn¡¯t call them out. I also wasn¡¯t willing to placate his worries; I didn¡¯t have much time left. But at least he had courtesy befitting of a bodyguard, something I couldn¡¯t say about Sparrow.


    Taking advantage of his momentary silence, I promptly walked up to our room. And then I closed the door.


    My movements became astonishingly quick as I placed down my backpack and took out a notebook to write on. A mechanical pencil was flipped out of my pocket quickly, and I started to narrate the events that had happened while he was gone along with a few of my speculations on paper.


    My writing was crisp, elegant, noble, and every word was written almost as neatly as if I had printed it onto the paper. And suddenly, in the middle of my narrative, a pounding feeling came from within my head. He wanted out!


    Going into second gear, the sounds of my pencil scratching paper turned into a constant blur of writing. And within moments, I finished the last line. It read,


    ¡®Burn this after you have finished reading, and scatter its ashes.¡¯


    Then I slipped out of control of my mind, and my head slumped over onto the bed. My vision went dark moments later, and I didn¡¯t resist the transition.


    ******************


    What felt like years passed by in mere minutes as I modified my memories at lightning fast speed. The slightly out of sync image of a child learning table manners went fully in sync, and the many images of training in a martial art were perfected. Then, I was finished.


    My vision swam for a second, and suddenly I realized I was staring at my room¡¯s ceiling. I lifted up my hands to examine them, and they were filled with all the familiar creases and lines. I pinched myself, and I felt a sharp jolt of pain. This was most definitely the real world.


    Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a slip of paper filled with writing laying on top of a thin book. I picked it up, and started to read the note.


    So¡­ While I was gone, he skipped school, bought illegal firearms and armor, bribed a teenage girl with drugs, and used up all of my money? Not only that, but he ended up placing Sparrow in a life threatening situation, and worsened my relationship with Chloe?


    I was pissed. Incredibly pissed! As I imagined that stupid smile across his face while he was running around and having fun, I wanted to smack the crap out of him!


    Taking a few breaths to calm myself down, I continued to read the note. He had left the helmet and visor at the Racetrac, and he also explained certain details about what he had read so far from A Beginning to Your Ability (Vol. 2).


    He encouraged me to read the book, and then he closed off by telling me to burn the note into cinders.


    Taking my anger out on the poor sheet of paper, I immediately burned it to a crisp without a second thought.

 Vol. 1 Chapter 37- Ability (2)

    <h1 align="center">Ability (2)</h1>


    After throwing the ashes of my note out of the window, the first thing I chose to do was to get in contact with Sparrow. I wasn¡¯t sure what the black aura really was, but I assumed it was like the golden aura, except it was controlled by something else. If that was the case, I just needed to counteract it with my own desire, and then the two would cancel each other out. Then I could potentially expel the black aura as well to rid myself of future problems.


    I walked downstairs and sat on the couch. In order to keep from alarming either of the two, I had to go about this in a roundabout way. Maybe I could start the conversation with something about the show.


    Gabe was watching the news. It was a sequel to the previous broadcast when the FBI made an official statement about the situation at the Racetrac.


    Reporter #1- ¡°Chief Ronald, what is the current situation with New World?¡±


    The man stared at the reporter with cold eyes, the kind that you could only have once you took a human life. But it was only for a moment, before he signaled one of the many S.W.A.T. team members with impressive looking guns. The person came forward with a document.


    Chief Ronald accepted the document and placed it on the podium. He read, saying,


    Chief Ronald- ¡°Citizens, patriots! I am here to declare a state of national emergency! New world and its affiliates have come out and declared war on the United States of America!¡±


    The reporter didn¡¯t look too happy. He adjusted his glasses, before giving another question.


    Reporter #1- ¡°Any specifics?¡±


    Suddenly, a rumbling flood of agreement filled the crowd of reporters, and they all started to harass the chief at the same time.


    Reporter #2- ¡°The American people deserve to know what they¡¯re truly dealing with!¡±


    Reporter #3- ¡°How can we verify what you¡¯re saying?¡±


    Reporter #4- ¡°Sir, please answer the ques-¡°


    Chief Ronald- ¡°Settle down,¡± he quelled the reporters, ¡°I have been authorized to reveal some previously classified information!¡±


    Like a pack of hungry jackals, the reporters shoved a bunch of microphones into the man¡¯s face. Unperturbed by this, the man slowly and methodically reached down into one of the shelves at the podium. Under their eager eyes, he pulled out a couple of high-definition pictures.


    Immediately, the reporters started taking pictures crazily. They each wanted the best shot for their paper, but the combined flash from their cameras made me unable to clearly see what I was supposed to be looking at. Despite this, they started firing off questions like they were injected with Chicken blood!


    Reporter #5- ¡°What does this mean!!!¡±


    Reporter #3- ¡°Have they infiltrated our school system!?¡±


    Reporter #1- ¡°Chief Ronald, can you explain these images for us?¡±


    Evidently, addressing the man by name did the trick. He faced the reporter with a charming smile, and held up the first photo for all to see. It was the ruins of a familiar school bus¡­


    The windows were riddled with holes, and glass shards littered the area surrounding the school bus. A giant, gaping hole tore through the middle of the school bus, presumably from some sort of explosive. The yellow paint had torn off at many places, revealing the ash black metal underneath. It was obvious that a huge battle had taken place within.


    Chief Ronald- ¡°This bus, a school bus originally meant for our children, was used to house a multitude of illegal Chemical weapons. Chemical weapons best suited to wiping out vast swaths of human life, quickly and efficiently.¡±


    Murmurs of shock ran through the crowd of reporters, but before they could ask any questions, the Chief pressed on with the next photo.


    He held the second one to the camera. It was a picture of an aircraft.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    With sleek, black wings, a powerful jet engine, and massive artillery guns, this monster of the skies was the culmination of generation¡¯s efforts at achieving absolute perfection. My enhanced vision was immediately able to detect a blue inscription underneath the nose of the plane, and it read, ¡®Harvester of the fallen, the Angel of Death.¡¯


    Unlike the school bus, this machine of war remained relatively undamaged. However, my keen eyes could see remains of some bullets, and blackened areas of the ground likely to be the aftermath of grenades. It too, went through the tests of war.


    Chief Ronald- ¡°This is a Ac-130 Hercules, A.K.A. the Angel of Death. It is named such for the shape its anti-missile flares take when fired, and this thing is loaded with artillery cannons and cluster bombs. Its best usage is a devastatingly swift and deadly surprise attack, during the night.¡±


    The reporters started shooting off questions like rounds from a machine gun, but Chief Ronald displayed a calm and cold bearing, befitting of a general. He waited for them to stop speaking, before he pulled out the third and final photo.


    Gabe and I- ¡°Oh, sh*t¡­¡±


    Chief Ronald- ¡°This, is a picture of a new type of human. They are called harbingers, and they are the kind of people the New World aims to bring about as leaders. But this one is one of ours.¡±


    It was a photo of a person I had seen before, come into contact with. It was a photo of a woman, dressed in black. It was a photo of the woman with the words of power active, code-named Song. The black gas swirled about her and held a myriad of objects hovering in midair. Objects like a microphone, and, a name. Alice¡­ Her sharp, cold eyes pierced through the limits of the photo to stare directly at the camera.


    Reporter #1- ¡°Chief, is this a joke?¡±


    Reporter #4- ¡°What in the world¡­? That¡¯s¡­¡±


    Reporter #2- ¡°Mr. Ronald, I don¡¯t believe in fairy tales¡­¡±


    Reporter #3- ¡°This is¡­!¡±


    Reporter #3 and #4- ¡°Alice Praetor!!!¡±


    The other reporters looked at number 3 and 4 with confusion; obviously, they attached no significance to the name. But Chief Ronald smiled. Apparently, their prior knowledge would make things that much smoother for him.


    Chief Ronald- ¡°This is one of our contacts. And I would like to welcome her onstage. Please welcome the harbinger who doubles as a newly rising celebrity star. Alice Praetor!!!¡±


    He stepped off stage, and the S.W.A.T. team members who came onstage with him backed up slowly. Then there was a great cry raised among the reporters, and a couple of cameras shot upward.


    Reporter #1- ¡°Oh my Gawd! She¡¯s falling!!!¡±


    The slow-witted reporter who held the camera I was watching through finally angled it upwards to see what they were looking at. A black blur soared downwards from the sky. It¡¯s a bird, a plane! No¡­ Its superman!!! Not.


    Within about 20 ft. from falling to her doom, a cloud of black gas surrounded her, drastically slowing her falling speed. She slowed to a stop a few inches above the ground, but suddenly the wind from her fall caught up to her. It spun around chaotically, and the aircraft photo covered her face for a short moment. Alice Praetor, the Angel of death.


    A subtle grin inched across her face as she watched the shock from the crowd. She deactivated the words of power, and spoke with what was supposed to be a warm smile,


    Alice- ¡°Thank you for having me everyone. Do you have any questions about harbingers?¡±


    The mass of reporters were still in shock, but a few of the reporters recovered quickly, namely, her fan.


    Reporter #4- ¡°Mrs. Praetor, how~?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. But Alice nodded like she understood, and she put out her hand. Her words were saturated with power, and they echoed a few times after she spoke each word.


    Alice- ¡°Fireball¡±


    A black gas flooded forth from her sleeves, and it condensed into a point above her palm. It ignited, forming a fireball that flickered brightly above her hand.


    Alice- ¡°Water ball¡±


    The fireball suddenly blinked out of existence, and replacing it came a globe of water. She started to speak again, but this time her words only echoed on certain parts. Obviously, she was using her ability on certain parts of her sentence to influence the listener.


    Alice- ¡°This may seem surreal, but I can assure you that it is very real. Do any of you wish to touch it?¡±


    A particularly brave reporter stretched out his hand to touch the ball of water.


    Reporter #3- ¡°Ah! My hand is wet!¡±


    He pulled out his hand and watched the water droplets drip down his fingers with fascination. As he was frozen in place, the other reporters finally reacted. Their inner curiosity was awakened, and they flooded her with questions.


    Reporter #1- ¡°Are there others like you?¡±


    Reporter #4- ¡°Can I have your autograph?¡±


    Reporter #5- ¡°What is your connection to to the government, and how do you relate to this New World terrorist group?¡±


    Reporter #2- ¡°What are you!?¡±


    Alice took note of each of their question calmly, as if she had great experience with these kinds of situations. She then endeavored to answer each question methodically, one by one.


    Alice- ¡°I was a human way before I became a harbinger. Just like all of you, I lived my life with aspirations, hopes, dreams. But when I awakened to my power, I was finally able to achieve them. Yes, at our core, you and I are no different. Thus, as a citizen of the United States of America, and a close friend of many of our congressmen, I was a patriot way before I got my power.


    And I still am today. Therefore, I am against New World! I will fight those that will threaten my way of life and those around me, and I will win! And I am not alone. I know there are some of you listening to me right now, who have not awakened their power yet. Awaken! I also know some of you are listening right now, who have awakened to their power but have not shown it to the world because you just want to fit in. Embrace it! And both of you must fight with me, to save our country! Thank you¡­¡±


    Alice walked off the stage with a determined and heroic expression, and she shook the hand of Chief Ronald as she walked off the stage.


    The reporters tried to block her way off the stage, as they pushed multiple mikes in her direction. But with a brush of her hand, the mikes found their way back into the hands of their owners. She took off in the same way that she came leaving the reporter¡¯s hair in disarray from the wind she produced.


    But what she may not have considered is that this wind not only made the reporters have a bad hair day, but the veil was finally blown off the world¡¯s eyes. Was this a good thing? I didn¡¯t have an answer to that question. But one thing was for certain. A new era was beginning. An age defined by those with Ability.


    End of Vol. 1

 Vol. 2 Chapter 1- Chaos (1)

    <h1 align="center">Chaos (1)</h1>


    ¡°What do you mean by rebirth?¡±


    A young, immature voice asked innocently. An older, motherly voice responded back with,


    ¡°Well, I mean that after your death in this life, you will be born into another. Born into a time where you are truly needed. This is what makes you truly special.¡±


    The slow, methodical flipping of page after page was the only sound within the room for a while. But suddenly, a pair of hands, a pale, white pair of hands that had never seen sunlight, snapped the book shut. Two glaring and teary red eyes stared at the woman angrily.


    ¡°Special? Is that why I can¡¯t see daddy anymore!?¡±


    Unlike most in her position would, the woman did not respond to the loaded question in a roundabout, soft, and caring way. Instead, she glared back at the boy and seethed out a direct answer that wouldn¡¯t spare a cent¡¯s worth of his feelings.


    ¡°Of course. Now get back to reading, you spiteful brat!¡±


    ****************


    After Alice had left, Chief Ronald spoke a few words in closing. Basically, he referred those with an ability to their local public library, where they¡¯d be tested and classified. He also gave the name of their website to those who were attempting to understand more about the topic, and with that, the broadcast ended.


    Me- ¡°Gabe?¡±


    Gabe¡¯s eyes were cloudy, as if he was in a daze. What was going on? But suddenly, they cleared up. I repeated, assuming he didn¡¯t hear me.


    Me- ¡°Gabe?¡±


    Gabe- ¡°Yeah?¡±


    Me- ¡°Where¡¯s Sparrow?¡±


    Gabe looked at his phone for a second, and then responded absentmindedly,


    Gabe- ¡°She should be at some abandoned warehouse¡­ What, don¡¯t look at me like that! She needs to interrogate the guy we found stalking you at the school. Her ability is useful for things like that.¡±


    Stalking me at school? Oh yeah, that was in the note he left behind¡­


    Me- ¡°Has she sent back any results?¡±


    Gabe checked his phone again, and replied,


    Gabe- ¡°Not yet. But she should shortly¡­¡±


    I relaxed onto the couch, hoisting my arms onto the armrest, while Gabe went back onto his phone. Seeing him do this, I decided to check on Chloe. How was she doing? Did she hear the broadcast? Was she ok after the other me treated her badly at lunch?


    Me- ¡°Hey Chloe, how are you doing? Did you see that broadcast?¡±


    There was complete silence on the other end for a few minutes, so I put my phone away and moved on to other matters.


    Me- ¡°Gabe. Is it possible that you could find out which warehouse she would be staying at?¡±


    Gabe was pretty chill at the moment. He looked over and responded calmly, without any trace of worry,


    Gabe- ¡°No need. She just finished, and she should be arriving here shortly.¡±


    Me- ¡°And? The results?¡±


    Gabe- ¡°We¡¯re not entirely sure. It seems this guy is connected with New World, but he works under a certain sect of it. She called it the Scars, or something like that.¡±


    Scars? Doesn¡¯t ring a bell.


    Me- ¡°Weird. Do you know when she¡¯s gonna get here?¡±


    Gabe looked at me quizzically,


    Gabe- ¡°You seem worried. Is there something going on?¡±


    Well¡­ I don¡¯t know how to answer that question. I don¡¯t know exactly what¡¯s wrong, but apparently my other-self accidentally let Blackmist go loose? And apparently that would put Sparrow in danger?


    The more I thought about it, the less worried I became. Who was this Blackmist guy anyways, and why was he so dangerous? Isn¡¯t it just another one of my abilities? I would be able to control him eventually; it was only a matter of time. Plus, I bet the black aura is kinda like the golden aura, in the fact that it can¡¯t affect ability users unless I make contact with them. What danger would there even be to speak of?


    I made an excuse to cover up for my hesitation to answer,


    Me- ¡°Sorry. I was just thinking about the news broadcast. If she was in an abandoned warehouse, how would she be able to see it?¡±


    Gabe was still overly calm. Was this a trait from being trained as a bodyguard?


    Gabe- ¡°Either way, what happened doesn¡¯t affect Sparrow and I. All we have to worry about right now is protecting you, and that means you can¡¯t go disappearing for no reason. If not for the fact that Chloe didn¡¯t have any abnormal emotional reactions, I would have had to call your grandparents.¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Ah, I see. They were using the link between Chloe and I to determine my state of being while my other self was in control. Smart thinking. Speaking of which, why hasn¡¯t she texted me back yet? It has been at least 5 minutes. Ah whatever, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s doing something right now. She¡¯ll probably get back to me later.


    I responded absentmindedly, still thinking about possible reasons on why she hadn¡¯t texted me back yet,


    Me- ¡°Alright, I¡¯m sorry. So, what do you think we should do about Song?¡±


    Gabe- ¡°Song? What do you mean?¡±


    Oops. I used jargon from C.H.I.B.I.


    Me- ¡°Alice Praetor. The woman who spoke on television.¡±


    Gabe moved from his relaxed position on the couch. He sat up, leaned forward, and looked me straight in the eye. Clearly, he thought this was an important matter.


    Gabe- ¡°She¡¯s from your organization!?¡±


    I nodded my head. Gabe cursed under his breath,


    Gabe- ¡°Sh*t¡±


    He immediately jumped to his feet, and without a word he began to half walk¡ªhalf run to the door.


    Gabe- ¡°We¡¯re going to find Sparrow. Right now. Get inside the van.¡±


    I shot to my feet, clearly alarmed by his behavior. I immediately went to the door as well, and we walked together to the bulletproof minivan. He took out a key and unlocked a compartment on the underside of the minivan. Inside was a row of equipment: guns, ammunition, body armor, the like.


    Gabe- ¡°Here, take this.¡±


    He handed me a bulletproof vest. I started to put it on while he explained.


    Gabe- ¡°Even with our bodies strengthened, we are nowhere near the level needed to tank bullets, much less dodge them. Even with your regeneration, this vest should save you a lot of trouble¡­ Wait why are you putting it on top of your clothing!? Even a beginner will start aiming for your head if he sees a bulletproof vest; put it underneath your clothes!¡±


    Ah. In my anxiety, I hadn¡¯t thought it through. But excuses wouldn¡¯t help the situation, so I started furiously unbuckling the vest.


    Gabe- ¡°Here, do that in the car. We need to hurry up and find Sparrow.¡±


    He grabbed a gun that looked similar to a Desert Eagle, and then he closed the compartment. With a swift movement, he circled the van and entered the driver¡¯s seat. I entered the back seat and closed the door.


    For how urgent the situation was, I was surprised we were still going the speed limit. But that wasn¡¯t the only thing I was surprised over. People were using their abilities, in broad daylight! I couldn¡¯t help but think back to the rules listed out from the organization.


    You could not use your ability in public with the exception of two circumstances: one, you or a family member was in identifiable danger, or two, you were instructed by a higher up to do so. Otherwise, punishment would be administered harshly, and the memories of the affected would be erased. But they couldn¡¯t possibly erase the memories, actions, and thoughts of millions, especially since that number was presumably growing at an astronomical rate!


    I couldn¡¯t think of any rational reason for this decision to come out in public if she was not ordered to do so. It was obvious then, that this was a decision made by the higher ups. But then the question was why, and why now!?


    And then there was the fact that she used her ability during the speech as well. What worries me most is the ¡°awakening,¡± she said on the broadcast. Ability users, I had found, were few and far in-between. At least that was without any other influences. But now that she used her ability on such a thing, I had a nagging suspicion that¡­


    A person flew past the van, laughing loudly as he did so. I watched his retreating figure from my tinted window.


    Suddenly, he flew in front of a car in front of us, causing them to come to a screeching halt in the middle of the road. The problem was, he was at an intersection. When he stopped in the middle of the road, a few idiots tried to use that chance to turn around him at the same time and bumped into each other.


    Their horns went blaring, they walked out of their cars, and they started to yell at each other. But in the process, they had blocked off the whole road! Just like that, a traffic jam was created.


    Gabe slammed the horn to vent off his annoyance, as did most of the other spectators. But seeing as the issue didn¡¯t seem like it would resolve itself anytime soon, Gabe texted something on his phone and then drove onto the side of the road. An annoyed driver quickly filled in his place.


    Gabe- ¡°Come on, we¡¯re going there on foot. You can keep up, right?¡±


    My body was filled with nervous energy; when he said that, I had finally found a place to vent. Not only that, but I had full confidence in my speed.


    Me- ¡°Of course.¡±


    Gabe- ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Walking around the traffic jam, all I saw was a straight, empty road. Perfect. Gabe turned to me and said dismissively,


    Gabe- ¡°If you can¡¯t keep up, just stop running. I¡¯ll come back to you.¡±


    What?


    Before I could express my discontent at his attitude, he turned around and started to fall straight down to the ground. Which was an action that was, to say the least, questionable. Especially at his level. Although our ability can increase his reaction speed to superhuman levels, the acceleration due to gravity remains the same. Thus, he would have more than enough time to stop himself. So why was he just letting himself fall to the ground?


    Stepping into second gear, I dashed after him immediately. However, I was a step too late*. When he was inches from the ground, he suddenly took a powerful step forward with his right foot! The asphalt beneath him suddenly cracked, and his body flew forwards at unimaginable speeds! He was practically flying!


    *(Author¡¯s Musings- Ha! I didn¡¯t even make this pun intentionally)


    ¡®Let me catch up to him as quickly as possible!¡¯


    A sudden strong gale appeared at my back, and I flew forwards, trying to match his speed. But I could not catch up to him. No, I was even falling behind!


    I watched his broad back leave me in the distance; the disparity was simply too great! Although we had similar levels of pure speed, his running style was simply worlds apart from mine. My style was simply, running, as would a normal human.


    But now that every step sent me multiple feet upwards into the air, it was completely laughable. It was like a child trying to leapfrog his way into beating a professional sprinter. Simply¡­ impossible. If I wanted to catch up to him, I would have to run like he did.


    Instead of taking my next step, I let myself start falling. The ground became closer and closer to my eyes, yet I resisted the urge to stick my hand down to stop myself.


    2 ft. I placed my hands at my sides, refusing to let my instincts get the better of me.


    1 ft. My pupils contracted, and I focused on one point of the asphalt. That would be where I would step.


    6 inches. I extended my leg upwards in relation to my body, touching part of the pavement.


    ¡°Crack!!!¡±


    My body shot forward like a bullet!


    ¡°WHOOSH¡±


    The air stuck to my face like glue, and the shockwave I created boomed forward. Due to this, Gabe turned his head around, and his eyes grew wide like saucers. He said something in his surprise, but I wasn¡¯t able to hear it due to the screaming of the wind.


    I took a second step in rapid succession, accelerating myself even further. This running style not only maximized the amount of steps I could take in rapid succession, but it also decreased the amount of air resistance I had to take on, allowing my body to move at incredible speeds!


    ¡°Vrrrooooomm!!!


    An excited man on a motorcycle sped up over to me and screamed,


    Moto man- ¡°Oh mah gawd! How are you running so fast! You¡¯re going like, 90 mph!¡±


    I looked over at him, silent. But suddenly his face changed, and he pulled into a stop. While doing so he yelled,


    Moto man- ¡°WHOA! WATCH OUT!!!¡±


    A truck in front of Gabe suddenly veered around the corner and fell on its side. He jumped over it, but his misfortune was not over yet. The gas tank exploded right as he soared over it, causing his body to be sent further up in the air!


    Shoot! I have to catch him!


    Miraculously, the truck bounced right over me, and I went straight under it. Gabe was still in the air at this point. Helpless. While in the air, people can shift their center of mass to a certain extent by moving their arms and legs, turn by making use of air resistance, and position their arms and legs. But that was it.


    Unlike the ground, people could not leverage force, move to a different area as quickly, nor effectively defend. I doubted he could hit the ground at an effective angle like this.


    I reached out my arms, and flooded them with the golden aura. And suddenly, we were a few feet apart. A distance that could be crossed in the blink of an eye.


    Gabe positioned his arms into a defensive posture. But I didn¡¯t have the time to worry about that right now. With the golden aura surging around my arms, I smashed right into him.


    ¡°Bam!!!¡±

 Vol. 2 Chapter 2- Chaos (2)

    <h1>Chaos (2)</h1>


    ¡°Bam!¡±


    I slammed into Gabe, and kept him from hitting the ground. Although, after the collision, I wasn¡¯t sure which was better. Him hitting the ground, or me slamming into him.


    Thinking about it logically, trying to catch him while going at such a fast speed was idiotic. Thankfully, he was going at similar levels of speed before the explosion, so the collision hadn¡¯t seemed to break anything. Speaking of which, was the truck driver ok?


    I put Gabe down, where he winced and stood up, and then I walked over to inspect the driver¡¯s seat of the truck. Given that the gas tank was in the far back of the truck, it didn¡¯t seem to affect the truck. And strangely enough, the door to the truck was slightly ajar; no one was inside. A bag filled with bricks had fallen over, and a couple of them were in the driver¡¯s seat area.


    Welp. As I looked over the bricks guiltily, it dawned upon me that my desire to ¡®catch up¡¯ to Gabe resulted in this. I think that¡¯s why my other self warned me, saying, ¡°a simple mistake in the wording in which you choose to express your desire can lead to our deaths.¡±


    I went back to Gabe. I wasn¡¯t too worried about him; given his level of body transformation, he probably wouldn¡¯t be hurt by something as weak as diesel fuel. Especially since it had not come into direct contact with him. But just to make sure, I asked,


    Me- ¡°Are you ok?¡±


    Gabe shook his head, slapped himself in the face a couple of times, and responded,


    Gabe- ¡°Yeah, I should be ok.¡±


    He didn¡¯t elaborate, so I took that as there was nothing serious. He continued,


    Gabe- ¡°We¡¯ve delayed long enough. Come on, let¡¯s get going.¡±


    Gabe fell down to do the speed-dash, and I followed him.


    *****************


    On the way, I ended up recognizing our route. We were en-route to the library, meaning we were checking out what was happening, getting Sparrow out of there, or both. Which brings to question, why was I being brought along? There should be no motivation as a bodyguard to put my life in danger if we were already in a safe place to begin with. Or was our house even safe to begin with?


    I started to question myself incessantly. There were endless possibilities, but the most reasonable solution I could think of was that I was a member of C.H.I.B.I. It was a fairly obvious conclusion, but nonetheless a valid one.


    Being a member might give me certain privileges, or at least it would earn me a level of trust. And even if I was wrong, and it was the government directly doing these checks, the organization was the one currently cooperating with the government. Surely since I was an American, and a member of a friendly organization, they wouldn¡¯t become hostile, right?


    But it was definitely better to have a certain level of cautiousness when dealing with such powerful entities. The bulletproof vest I was wearing would definitely help, but it was only useful when dealing with direct conflict. I would need to make preparations along the side that decided whether I would even enter conflict or not. Preparations along the line of intelligence.


    I activated the golden aura, and chose my words carefully. I would make sure that nothing like the truck situation would ever happen again. ¡®First priority, prevent them from getting the idea to harm me, Gabe, Chloe, or anyone else that I care greatly about. Second priority, do not negatively involve any unrelated persons or party that is not hostile to me, or anything defining me.¡¯


    I figured that was pretty all encompassing. It dealt with my protection firstly, and it also kept my ability from unnecessarily hurting other people as long as it didn¡¯t violate the first condition. And as I thought of this, suddenly huge portions of the golden aura turned into a gas and spread out like a shockwave around me. It left only a fist sized portion remaining.


    Weird. That never happened before¡­ Maybe it¡¯s because I never used anything that would require so much energy before? But that wouldn¡¯t make sense. I froze a whole lake, and nothing like this ever happened. Was this a representation of my power threshold?


    Suddenly, the dashing was no longer nearly as simple as before. If the angle of my body from the floor was too big, the wind would lift me up, making me unable to take another step without starting over. If my angle was too low, I would have to over compensate with my legs. And while second gear now gave me at least 7 times the ¡®being*¡¯ of a normal human, I still had a limit. Doing such a thing did not deplete my stamina, but I would have to slow down if I wanted to keep running.


    (Author¡¯s musings- Strength, speed, intelligence, defense, reaction speed, agility basically all the qualities of a person except wisdom and knowledge. Those are only gained through experience.)


    I fell behind, struggling, and I think Gabe could tell. He slowed down for me, and ran at my pace. Screaming over the howling of the wind, he asked,This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Gabe- ¡°WHAT¡¯S WRONG?¡±


    Me- ¡°GIVE ME A SEC!¡±


    Tagging on another wish to my previous desire, I added, ¡®third priority, allow me to run as fast as possible.¡¯


    The glob of golden aura I had all but disappeared, leaving a fingernail¡¯s width of it left. But thankfully, my running stabilized, and I was running as fast as Gabe again.


    We arrived at the library¡¯s outskirts a short 2 minutes later, and we slowed down to walking speed. And strangely enough, the library parking was packed full with cars. Most of the people there looked normal, besides the occasional tail, ears, the like¡­ WTF was going on!!!


    As I looked over the crowds, I realized that most of them could not control their abilities at all. Some had materials of all kinds whirling around them, while most of the others were clearly within an augmented state. Wait, ¡®augmented?¡¯ Where have I heard that before?


    My head started to hurt when I thought about it, so I moved on. The group of people had formed a line, but many more were sitting in their cars with the cold AC. But from a few deformed figures that I could see through slightly tinted windows, I could tell that a few of them were hiding for more private reasons.


    I gazed over the crowd once more, looking for familiar faces and cars. Maybe I could find Sparrow. I spotted a couple of familiar cars, but none that I could immediately identify. My body enhancement had happened quite recently after all, and my memorization abilities only came into effect then. However, I couldn¡¯t help but look over one of the cars over and over.


    It was an average car with tinted windows, the kind you would see many duplicates of if you were to take a thirty-minute drive. In fact, there was another car just like it here as well, with only minute differences like the tires, various marks, etc. But there was something about this car that gave me a strong feeling of de ja vu.


    Gabe- ¡°<sub>Nathaniel</sub>.¡±


    I wanted to see who was inside, so I switched to second gear. The world around me immediately seemed to slow down, and suddenly the indistinct figures in the car became much clearer. A man and a woman were sitting in the driver¡¯s and passenger¡¯s seat respectively, but the person in the back¡­ A girl¡­ She was sitting with her head reclined backwards; presumably, she was asleep. She somehow seemed so familiar¡­ CHLOE!!!


    Gabe- ¡°<sub>NATHANIEL!?</sub>¡±


    The girl jolted awake at my mental scream, and I started walking briskly over to the car! But as soon as I did this, a powerful hand grasped my shoulder!


    Gabe- ¡°NATHANIEL!!! What are you doing!?¡±


    I turned to him, irritated,


    Me- ¡°What are you yelling for? Hold on for a moment, I think I see Chloe.¡±


    Gabe- ¡°Wait, involving that girl would only complicate matters. Do you see that car?¡±


    He pointed over to a group of cars that were all parked together. Evidently, this was the first batch of cars as most of them were completely empty. But there was one car that stood out from the rest. A-


    Gabe- ¡°You see that Toyota Scion, yeah, the one shaped like a box?¡±


    The Toyota Scion xB, nicknamed, ¡®The Box</a>,¡¯ was a car that gained unprecedented popularity for its ridiculous shape, cheap price, and comfortable insides. Complete with tinted windows, this car was perfect for anyone who wanted to remain unique in this age of sleek and cool cars.


    Me- ¡°¡­Yes, I see it.¡±


    Gabe- ¡°Sparrow is in that car. Go over there while I infiltrate and find out what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Wait, what? Did he bring me all the way over here just so I could sit in some crappy car? Nuh uh, not happening.


    Me- ¡°Why? I want to see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Gabe gave a slight, menacing chuckle.


    Gabe- ¡°You want to see what¡¯s going on!? Do you have any idea~!¡±


    He calmed himself down before continuing,


    Gabe- ¡°Look, my job is to protect you. And I want to see what¡¯s going on isn¡¯t a good enough reason to risk both your life and mine from a single newbie mistake. Now well this might not be a life or death scenario, what we do or don¡¯t do here can put us in a position where we might have to take serious risks.¡±


    Me- ¡°But-¡°


    Gabe- ¡°No buts. Now get in the car, so- Sh*t¡±


    His phone vibrated, and he picked it up. After looking at it, he dismantled the phone with obviously practiced movements. Then he took out the desert eagle. He demonstrated the shooting position to me.


    Gabe- ¡°I¡¯ve been ordered to infiltrate. Hold the gun with your supporting hand pulling towards your body, and your shooting hand pushing away. Align your thumbs together against the barrel and keep a tight grip on the gun. Even with your strength, you won¡¯t break it.¡±


    Then he put the gun closer to my face and showed me a little slider.


    Gabe- ¡°Do you see that? That¡¯s the safety. Slide it forwards with your thumb to shoot; it will be locked otherwise. And right now the gun is unloaded, as indicated by this open chamber on the top.¡±


    He took off a belt, and it had 10 magazines attached to it. Gabe handed me the belt.


    Gabe- ¡°This is your ammo. Just wrap it around your waist, and tighten it with these straps. Give one of those mags a pull.¡±


    The magazine slid off the belt smoothly.


    Gabe- ¡°Each magazine carries 5 rounds; when you run out, the mag will automatically discharge. You¡¯ll have to put in a new one. Now, when you¡¯re ready, reattach that mag to your belt and show me what you¡¯ve learned.¡±


    I looked at the gun, and felt the cold hard sensation in my hands. Something about it seemed to awaken a memory deep inside of me¡­


    Yes¡­ It has been so long. Is it time to kill?


    Suddenly, I was in a heavy rain. The stormy clouds lit up the night sky, and I was crouched down, looking down at a pair of cold, clammy hands. Rain droplets washed over both of us when suddenly a crimson, crystal clear liquid suddenly dropped down onto the hands. It wasn¡¯t particularly eye catching during such a heavy rain, but to me, it was quite strange.


    I wiped my eyes, and suddenly my hands were drenched with not water, but blood!


    ¡°So you still felt some attachment for her huh? You cold-blooded monster!!!¡±


    Getting up from my crouching position, I turned around to face a pale-faced woman holding a big, black gun with a wing design around its barrel. The wings of a desert eagle. She was pointing it directly at my forehead, but unlike most who would cower at the face of death with their eyes fixated on the barrel, I looked directly in her eyes.


    ¡°Any last words, demon?¡±


    Her face was drenched, but my eyesight could see through it all. She was starting to cry¡­


    ¡°You could never kill me.¡±


    ¡°BANG!!!¡±


    My head shot back, brain matter and shattered pieces of my skull scattering everywhere.


    ¡°BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!!!!!!¡±


    She emptied a whole magazine directly into my head, completely blowing off a side of my face and causing the other side to droop down in a mangled mess of flesh and gore. Then she attempted to grab for another magazine, but my hand shot out like a venomous serpent around her wrist.


    My nails, which were now at the strength and sharpness that exceeded the deadliest of knives, suddenly severed her tendons! Her grip immediately slackened, and I grabbed the gun in one swift movement. In another, I already had it in a shooting position.


    Fear and terror immediately took root in her eyes, and she turned around and fled for her life! But now, it was too late. How regrettable¡­


    My hands were now moving at lightning speeds. Before she even took her first step, my hand had already loaded the gun with the magazine. And the instant it clicked into place, I took aim.


    KILL!!!


    ¡°BANG!¡±


    With her head blasted open, she simply fell to the ground. She didn¡¯t move from there.


    Well, that was painful. I touched at the places I was shot, but new, soft skin was in its place. Because of this, I could never die. But others¡­


    I took a long look at the owner of those long-dead, cold, and clammy hands. She was simply an old woman, with a jagged, crimson red line at her jugular. But she was also my teacher, mentor, the one who taught me everything. How fitting was it that she met her end in the way she dedicated her entire life to teaching. The art of murder.


    A few more drops of red liquid fell to the ground, right onto her wrinkled old hands. The heavy rain washed them away as soon as they landed. Our relationship was now washed away, separated by the cold hands of death.


    I turned around and walked away, stepping on many bodies in my wake. As I did so, I ended up stepping on something warm that squelched as I walked over it. That girl¡¯s head.


    I dropped the gun onto it nonchalantly, causing specks of brain matter and gore to splatter out, and I looked back to that old woman one last time. Sniffling quietly, I rubbed my eyes; they were still bleeding. It was really just too sad¡­

 Vol. 2 Chapter 3- Oblivious

    <h1>Oblivious</h1>


    Me- ¡°<sub>Too sad¡­ So sad¡­</sub>¡±


    When I came to, I was pointing the gun at Gabe¡¯s head. There was still momentary shock and surprise on his face, so I could deduce that I had just pointed the gun at him. Was I having another episode?


    I had practice in defusing situations like these; after all, we hadn¡¯t moved just so I could repeat the same mistakes. I gave off my brightest smile and placed the gun at my sides.


    Me- ¡°How was I?¡± I said with a chuckle, ¡°You looked like you thought I was about to shoot you!¡±


    Gabe exhaled sharply, and he frowned seriously,


    Gabe- ¡°Don¡¯t joke like that. With the safety off, a single mistake could of become fatal. But definitely do that if an enemy comes. If you shot like that, I can already tell. You¡¯d never miss.¡±


    He waved goodbye, and went towards the library building. Looking at him walking away, I still felt a slight sense of anger on how he treated me like a child, not allowing me to go with them. But, in the end, I would be proving just how childish I was if I chased after him just to fulfill my curiosity.


    I went to the car and sat down in the passenger¡¯s seat, next to Sparrow. She was currently in a state of unawares, as she was focusing, concentrating hard on something. I assumed she was feeling out the emotions relating to Gabe. I, however, had no reason to worry. I had already insured his safety with my ability.


    Thus, in a relaxed state, I went to check my phone. There were no particularly interesting notifications that came up, Chloe hadn¡¯t even messaged me back yet. Considering that I had just seen her asleep in the car, she probably hadn¡¯t checked her phone or she simply didn¡¯t bring it. Given that we were both teenagers, I assumed it was the former.


    So with a lot of time on my hands, I decided to practice with the gun. I turned on the safety, and pointed the gun like I was going to shoot. It felt completely natural, like eating or sleeping. Strange.


    Practicing with something one was already completely proficient at was an incredibly boring thing, and after reloading the magazines a couple of times, I stopped messing with the gun. I ended up staring off into space, wishing I had something better to do.


    ********************


    About an hour later, Gabe came back to the car unscathed. Evidently, the process had gone well. And at this time, Sparrow suddenly opened her eyes.


    Sparrow- ¡°How¡¯d it go. Did you find anything interesting?¡±


    Exhaustion was evident in her voice. Remaining in deep concentration for over an hour would do that to you.


    Gabe- ¡°Those people, they¡¯re all new ability users, awakened right after that lady¡¯s speech. The officials seem well prepared for the situation too. They first tested for the type of ability, classified it, and then inputted it onto their identity profile. Next, they offered positions in law enforcement for combat and support types, with compensation in forms of benefit like tax deductions, health benefits, retirement plans, that sort of stuff in the form of a document.¡±


    He handed a paper over to Sparrow, and she looked over it with an impassive expression.


    Gabe- ¡°Finally, they sent them away, and called for the next person. But that¡¯s only on the surface¡­ There were multiple suspicious points about the situation.¡±


    Sparrow- ¡°Like?¡±


    Gabe- ¡°I won¡¯t go into too much detail here, but the people registering the people who came? Those were military personnel. Not only that but a few people didn¡¯t ever come back out of the building. Each of them had an aura surrounding them, meaning they were deviants.¡±


    Gabe stopped, pausing to recollect his thoughts. A look of absolute seriousness came upon his face as he said his next words,


    Gabe- ¡°The way they registered a person also had some problems. They were not going off of some list of the regional population and seeing if they had an ability or not. No, they were checking to see if the person, out of a comprehensive list of newly awakened, actually showed up.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Sparrow gulped nervously.


    Sparrow- ¡°Do you think they¡¯re¡­?¡±


    Gabe nodded his head.


    Me- ¡°They¡¯re what?¡±


    She shot a questioning glance at Gabe, and he nodded his head. So she started, saying,


    Sparrow- ¡°Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but I believe they already know what abilities were awakened. The process is going entirely too fast for how many people have shown up. Look, do you see that line?¡±


    I looked to where she was pointing.


    Sparrow- ¡°The size of the line has gotten shorter.¡±


    I asked, trying to catch onto her train of thought,


    Me- ¡°Why is that important?¡±


    Gabe- ¡°It¡¯s after work hours. People are now arriving in much greater quantities than before, yet the line has gotten even shorter? Classifying so many abilities shouldn¡¯t be this fast; the rate they¡¯re doing this at is even faster than the time it takes for voting!¡±


    My eyes flickered with an almost indiscernible glint. This was evidence confirming Gabe¡¯s earlier point, but now that it was restated, I started to really think about it. Assuming they really were just checking for attendance and already had prior knowledge of each ability, the government was definitely doing something else, openly or covertly. Now as to what that something was, I could only imagine.


    Sparrow continued,


    Sparrow- ¡°Now once this is confirmed, we can draw out quite a few conclusions. But considering what happened before, I believe they are marking them. An insignia of sorts. Am I correct?¡±


    Gabe responded,


    Gabe- ¡°Almost, but your thinking is slightly too archaic. It is simply a chip that can be mounted on a hand, or a forehead. From what I gathered, it¡¯s basically a mix of a debit card, id, and a gps. If a person paid $20, they could acquire one.¡±


    Hearing this, I instinctively felt something was wrong. An instinct like the one I felt when I first awakened the golden aura, the kind of feeling I just knew was true. Was my ability trying to tell me something? But that wouldn¡¯t make sense; the aura is in no way sentient¡­


    (Author¡¯s musings- I had a huge writer¡¯s block here. Couldn¡¯t write any further on this scene, decided to wait for inspiration, came back, couldn¡¯t write, waited again, etc¡­ I decided to end this scene here.)


    ***************


    After discussing the events at the library in the car, I was made to give up the gun, and then we left. Sparrow was feeling exhausted after using her ability for so long, so Gabe ended up driving again. We were heading towards where we left the bullet-proof van.


    Chloe still hadn¡¯t responded to my text, so it was basically confirmed that she didn¡¯t bring her phone with her to the library. And although I definitely felt quite uncomfortable knowing there was might be a chip inside her, or her parents, I also knew that it was an informed decision. Now the only question was: what ability was awakened?


    As I was thinking about this, we passed a cop car stationed on the highway. They were stationed everywhere; another indication to the fact that revealing the world of abilities was planned and carefully orchestrated. It was understandable then that I hadn¡¯t received any abnormal messages from C.H.I.B.I.


    The box pulled over to the place we were stopped at. Apparently, the crash had been handled quickly and efficiently, so there was no further traffic jam when we arrived. But there was one problem. A man was sitting in the front seat of the van.


    With the windows tinted, I could not clearly make out what the person was doing. But he was fiddling with something, completely oblivious to the fact that its owners were right next to him.


    Sparrow, being in the passenger¡¯s seat, was the first to step out of the car. She closed the door behind her, and with a smile that wasn¡¯t really a smile, she knocked on the van¡¯s window.


    Just then, the man successfully started the van. He rolled down a window and responded,


    The Hijacker- ¡°What is it milady?¡±


    Sparrow took a step back, stunned. She clearly wasn¡¯t expecting that level of politeness from someone who just hijacked a car.


    Sparrow- ¡°Excuse me,¡± she asked, ¡°do you need any help?¡±


    She was playing around with the man? Unable to ascertain her purpose for beating around the bush, I continued to watch their conversation from the safety of the box. Meanwhile, Gabe started to get out from the other side of the car.


    The Hijacker- ¡°No, but thanks for asking. Now if you would excuse me-,¡±


    Sparrow interrupted him,


    Sparrow- ¡°Are you sure? I saw you on the side of the road, and you were clearly having a lot of trouble starting the van.¡±


    The man began to lose patience.


    The Hijacker- ¡°Yeah, the car just wouldn¡¯t start. But now that I¡¯ve finally started it, I need to drive it for a bit to charge the battery. You understand, right?¡±


    Gabe arrived to the side of Sparrow and smiled at the man.


    Gabe- ¡°But that doesn¡¯t seem to be what you¡¯re doing at all. Having a little trouble unlocking the steering wheel?¡±


    The man froze. Using this brief instant of shock, Gabe reached a dexterous hand into the window. In an instant, he had unlocked the door and started to drag the man out.


    Without giving the man a chance to retaliate, Sparrow grabbed onto his arms and held them in a joint-lock position.


    The man thrashed about like a wild fish on the chopping board. His legs went kicking wildly, attempting to find some form of leverage. His body twisted and turned within Gabe¡¯s arms, yet even this was unable to set the man free.


    Gabe grabbed onto his arms as well, and applied a force so strong that I heard some cracking sounds. The man was clearly in pain, though it didn¡¯t look like his bones were broken. After doing this, he let the man go and placed him on the ground, against the van.


    Gabe- ¡°You won¡¯t be able to move; I¡¯ve dislocated your joints. Now tell me, why are you hijacking my car?¡±


    The man¡¯s forehead and face was turning extremely red now, while his muscles seemed to strain themselves through effort. He clearly ignored Gabe¡¯s advice, and was trying to move his arms. The only result gained from this was that he rolled his neck around, and then fell over on one of his arms.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    He gasped out of pain. Sparrow squatted down to sit him back up and turned her head away from the man to look at Gabe.


    Sparrow- ¡°Why are you questioning him? Lets just call a hospital and leave.¡±


    ¡®Thump¡¯


    I felt the golden aura begin to activate on it¡¯s own. The fingernail sized bit of aura danced in front of my eyes, as if trying to warn me of something. But what?


    ¡®Thump¡¯


    Unconsciously looking outside the car, I saw a giant cloud of black gas arise from the earth and invade the hijacker. His eyes turned black, yet both Gabe and Sparrow seemed oblivious to this momentous change.


    ¡®Thump¡¯


    Recalling my other self¡¯s cryptic warning about Blackmist, I reacted quickly. I immediately opened the door, drawing the eyes of both Sparrow and Gabe onto me. Simultaneously, the man¡¯s mouth opened wide!


    ¡®Thump¡¯


    I tried to jump out of the van to stop the man, but my seatbelt temporarily restrained me. Sparrow shot me a questioning glance, completely oblivious to the threat from behind her. NO!


    The man lunged.


    __________________________________________________________________

 Vol. 2 Chapter 4- Recovery

    <h1>Recovery</h1>


    It all happened in an instant! The man lunged forward at Sparrow, and she started to turn her head. When she started to see the man, her reaction was too slow. Undoubtedly, the hours of concentration had taken its toll. Even though her training as a professional allowed her to try and push the man away, his mouth was already at her neck!


    ¡®Smack¡¯


    Her fist landed right at the sweet spot, the underside of the hijacker¡¯s jaw. Even 30 pounds of force exerted at this spot could knock out a trained boxer, much less a petty criminal.


    The man flew back and landed on the floor, unconscious. But Sparrow wasn¡¯t unharmed either. Blood seeped out of her hands as she tightly held her neck, and Gabe rushed to her quickly. I finally got my seatbelt off and came over as well, unsure of what to do.


    Before my ability had awoken, I had been aiming to become an orthopedic surgeon. My knowledge however, was limited. As a junior in high school, I had learned how to do vital tests, preform CPR, and deal with basic wounds such as small lacerations of tissue and broken bones. As such, I knew that the most important thing to do on cuts was to apply pressure using some sort of cloth; gauze was preferable. But the neck?


    I would likely end up choking her to death before doing anything worthwhile. And I also knew she had 5 minutes before she would suffer permanent brain damage.


    All this contradictory information flew through my mind as I stood completely still. But suddenly, a voice resounded in my head. ¡®Tic tock, down counts the clock. 4 minutes and 45 seconds till she drops.¡¯


    ¡®Sh*t!¡¯


    I flew into action immediately, tearing off portions of my shirt to press on the side of her neck. At this time, I couldn¡¯t care about accidentally choking her. It was make it or break it, and the best I could do was to try and avoid the trachea<sup>1</sup> when applying pressure.


    (Author¡¯s Musings: Just a short FYI incase you didn¡¯t know, but the trachea is a medical term for your windpipe.)


    Sparrow had already sunk into an unconscious state; a lack of blood flow to the brain would do that to you. I hurriedly supplied my shirt scraps to the side of her neck, performing it exactly as I had practiced. Then I looked over to Gabe, who was already on the phone. He was calling for help.


    *****************


    I sat on a chair next to the hospital bed. Sparrow was lying on top of it. Breathing. It had taken them some time for them to arrive and rescue her, but thankfully my first aid delayed her death by quite a bit. She was also helped by the fact that her cardioid artery and trachea remained somewhat intact, but they were obviously damaged by the bite. Estimates by the hospital were still somewhat unclear, but one thing was for certain. Sparrow would never let out a single chirp again.


    Right now, she was only breathing properly due to a tube stuck down her throat. And I felt horrible about it. If I hadn¡¯t opened that door so suddenly, she would have been able to properly react to the person biting at her. If I had taken off my seatbelt first, I might have been able to push the man away before he could do any real damage. If I had some f*cking common sense, I would of used a flame point x10 to separate the two!


    I was angry at myself, at my own inadequacy in the whole situation. But most of all, I was pissed off at my other self. Even if I was incompetent, this would not of been an issue in the first place if not for my other self!


    That¡¯s right. I clearly saw the Blackmist invade the man before he attacked Sparrow. Sure, the man wanted to hijack our car. But he was not at fault for Sparrow¡¯s brush with death. My other self had been the one to let Blackmist out to wreak havoc upon my life. My other self had been the one that voiced his hateful desire to ¡®silence her.¡¯ Guess what? He succeeded. Was he happy now!?


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    As I gazed upon the mangled figure on the bed, anger flooded my body. I needed to do something, anything!


    Storming out of the hospital room, I noticed something I didn¡¯t think of before when we arrived. This is the same hospital that I was taken to when that woman kidnapped me!


    The discovery irritated me further. I just Using the new method of running that I had learned, my body fell forward and a foot slammed onto pavement. The golden aura was summoned, and just then I realized it had returned to its full splendor. So after the task was ¡®complete,¡¯ my power threshold would return to full? But why hadn¡¯t the golden aura protected Sparrow!? I recalled my exact words through my now powerful memory.


    ¡®First priority, prevent them from getting the idea to harm me, Gabe, Chloe, or anyone else that I care greatly about. Second priority, do not negatively involve any unrelated persons or party that is not hostile to me, or anything defining me.


    At the time, I thought this was pretty thorough and all encompassing. But reviewing it again, I found several loop holes. Loopholes that kept the golden aura from preventing Sparrow from getting hurt. The second priority did not cover Sparrow, because she was part of the ¡®related persons¡¯ group. And ¡®the people I greatly care about?¡¯ This was literally my first day meeting her. Our relations were shallow at best¡­


    That¡¯s the reason why I felt anger and guilt upon her injury, not sadness. That¡¯s why I was focused on my own inadequacy instead of her hurt. Truly I was probably thinking, what if that was Mom, Dad, or Chloe. What would I do then?


    I had inadvertently stopped running and had slowed to a stop. At my core, I was a selfish, cold-hearted person. I could not empathize with anybody, but I mimicked empathy with my reflections on why I wasn¡¯t normal. Even now my thoughts were self-centered. And¡­


    The only reason I was averse to killing was because of what was mentioned above, and the fact that Chloe might see me differently. That she might see me as a monster. So by criticizing myself for feeling little remorse, I am in actuality not a monster, and my fears are unfounded. Right?


    I didn¡¯t want to attempt to answer that question. My mind moved onto other things, like how late it was already. When we were driving back from the library, it had already started turning dark. It was nighttime, outside of the hospital. And again, I was running away from my problems and fears.


    *******************


    At a speed of 90mph, getting home was a breeze. My parents were still awake; undoubtedly, they were worried about me. Grandma, however, was a little distraught. Sparrow had been like a niece to her, and hearing about her present condition was devastating. Granddad was not that close to Sparrow, but he also had a certain position within the clan. A position that came with select advantages.


    Granddad- ¡°Can you check the ability usages within a certain area for me? Yeah, its coordinates are 31.9686¡ã N, 99.9018¡ã W. The time should be around 9:11. Oh? You said three? Interesting¡­ Thank you for your time, and have a good rest¡­ Ok, bye.¡±


    After he finished the conversation on the phone, Granddad came to the couch and sat next to me. His arm was still wrapped in bandages, but it didn¡¯t look to bad. More concerning was the ugly look on his face.


    Granddad- ¡°Nathaniel, did you notice anything abnormal about the situation with the hijacker? Anything at all?¡±


    Of course. The black gas invaded the man, and then he bit out her throat. I was not going to say that however, because it could be linked back to me. And since it technically wasn¡¯t my fault, I wasn¡¯t going to give any details that might make him have a misunderstanding.


    Me- ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ But the man looked like he had suddenly gone insane.¡±


    Granddad mumbled to himself,


    Granddad- ¡°<sub>Influence type maybe¡­?</sub>¡±


    He turned to me and consoled,


    Granddad- ¡°I know it must be tough for you, having to deal with this kind of thing. But try to get some sleep. You might need it.¡±


    I recognized this as my cue to leave. I went to bed, and my eyes closed.


    *************


    My eyes opened. I was now in the dreamspace.


    I didn¡¯t take any time whatsoever to admire the natural beauty of the place, nor did I slowly get up. Instead I jumped to my feet and roared,


    Me- ¡°YOU!!!¡±


    I stormed up to my other self, and the golden aura surrounded my fist! Using the strongest punch I could, I slammed him in the face!


    ¡°Bam!¡±


    He flew outwards, skipping on the water at least 5 times before he smashed against the mirror defining the edge of the space. His bloodied body faded underneath the water.


    As I watched this, I looked at my fist that had cuts and abrasions all over it. It healed quickly.


    Me?- ¡°Now that wasn¡¯t very nice.¡±


    The voice came from an area near my foot. I looked back only to see his body emerging from the water. I growled,


    Me- ¡°Stop playing around!¡±


    I stomped, pushing his head back into the water.


    ¡°Splash¡±


    Me- ¡°I don¡¯t want to see your face again!¡±


    I heard the sound of something falling through the air, and then the water rippled out in waves behind me. I turned around,


    Me- ¡°Leave me alone!¡±


    Me?- ¡°It¡¯s not my fault.¡±


    Was he really trying to push the blame!?


    Me- ¡°What do you mean its not your fault! It was your desire!¡±


    Me?- ¡°Think about this for a moment. A doorman is outside a hotel, letting guests in. If one of those guests turns out to be a terrorist, is the doorman at fault?¡±


    Me- ¡°That isn¡¯t even related to the situation!¡°


    He continued on that train of thought, seemingly oblivious to my rejection.


    Me?- ¡°No, right? Then let me ask you another question. If that doorman was trying to keep the terrorist from getting in, but he failed, would he be at fault!?¡±


    I sneered,


    Me- ¡°But if the doorman called the terrorist to come in and then said he tried stopping him, he would still be at fault.¡±


    Me?- ¡°No. Blackmist is always looking for an opportunity to strike, searching the heart while one is unaware. In time, you will come to understand this too.¡±


    He leaned in closer to me, scowling as he spoke,


    Me?- ¡°Personally.¡±


    Me- ¡°Bullcrap.¡±


    Deciding not to contest me further on my words, my other self stepped back and danced into the edge of the space. The endless reflections of myself faded away, but his voice echoed into my ears,


    Me?- ¡°Heed my words. Distance yourself from Chloe; her presence will become a hindrance to your goals, our goals. And remember, I will be watching you¡­¡±


    __________________________________________________________________


    Previous Chapter Next Chapter

 Vol. 2 Chapter 5- Awakening

    Awakening


    My dreams were not at all pleasant. I wasn¡¯t sure whether or not it was the interference of my other self, but in the dream I was alone, in a room. There was nothing wrong with the room. In fact, if you looked at it aesthetically, it actually looked quite beautiful. But I couldn¡¯t get out, wouldn¡¯t get out. Near the end, someone even started to knock on the door.


    I didn¡¯t like it¡­


    ¡°KNOCK KNOCK!!!¡±


    Sitting up immediately, I asked in a tone a bit too loud for the situation.


    Me- ¡°Who is it!?¡±


    I wrapped myself in the cover and came forward to the door. I don¡¯t know if you guys had figured this out yet, but as a male bachelor in his teens, I never wore pajamas. I didn¡¯t sleep like I was brought into this world either, but I did go barbarian style. Loincloth only. It was basic courtesy then, to keep myself covered while I answered the door. It wasn¡¯t because I felt insecure or cold, or anything like that, so stop asking!


    A hand came out from the wrappings of my cover, and unlocked the door. Then right as I was about to open it, my alarm went blaring.


    ¡°BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!!!¡±


    I hurriedly went to shut it off, but in that moment the door creaked open. I whirled around in my covers to face the intruder.


    Chloe- ¡°Is this a bad time?¡±


    Me- ¡°No, no, of course not!¡±


    I smiled. It was taking me a bit of time to get used to the fact that she would show up at my room¡¯s doorstep in the morning, but it was definitely something I would miss being taken away.


    Me- ¡°Sorry for waking up so late.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she remarked casually, ¡°I get up quite early, so there isn¡¯t much to do.¡±


    I stood there awkwardly for a short amount of time, but the fact that time was ¡®slower¡¯ for me now allowed to make that short amount of time a single moment for her. Not so awkward now huh!


    I nodded,


    Me- ¡°Thanks. Did you already have breakfast?¡±


    I was a bit of a foodie, so of course my thoughts switched to this after a short while. But there was nothing that could be done about that.


    Chloe- ¡°No, but Nathaniel. Can I talk to you about something?¡±


    I accepted without thinking much about it,


    Me- ¡°Sure.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Thanks.¡±


    She went downstairs, leaving me ample time to get ready. I washed up quickly, and then I got dressed, making sure to put on the pendant. A mental to do list ran through my mind right before I went downstairs to have breakfast.


    1. Talk with Chloe.


    2. Check into more details about C.H.I.B.I.


    3. Use the golden aura¡¯s protection ability, with a fool-proof desire.


    I decided I would do option 3 now. The golden aura swirled about my body in preparation. ¡®Stop following any of my previous commands.¡¯


    All of a sudden, a surge of golden gas flew up from the ground and merged into my body. The golden aura increased in radiance and splendor, and it had also become much bigger. For a simple test, I extended the golden aura as far as I could from my body in a cone.


    It took about 5-10 seconds, but it reached about an arm¡¯s length away from my body before it could go no further. Thinking back to my previous result, a foot, I could determine that my ability had gotten much stronger. And if the aura available represented the power threshold like I thought, then¡­


    ¡®First priority. Protect me from any type of harm. Second priority. Protect everyone who has good intentions towards me from any type of harm, and scale the protection up linearly on the basis of how much good intention they have towards me.¡¯


    The golden aura instantly vanished. There was not a scrap left on my body, so I concluded this task exceeded my power threshold. Therefore, it would not be accomplished.


    ¡®Stop following any of my previous commands.¡¯


    The golden aura returned to my body, and I was once again cloaked in its radiance and glory.


    ¡®First priority. Protect those I care greatly about and I from potentially lethal harm. Second priority. Create ¡®accidents¡¯ for those seeking to greatly hurt me or those I care greatly about. Detect them by spiking in their direction from my right palm if they are within 5 meters of me. Reserve at least six inches for this purpose.¡¯


    Responding to my commands, the golden aura gasified and spread out beyond my body. About six inches of the golden aura was preserved, remaining in spike form. I released it, letting it flow freely. Then, with a smile, I walked downstairs.


    For a moment, it seemed as if my life had returned to normal. Mom and Dad had already left for work. Grandma and Granddad weren¡¯t home. Breakfast wasn¡¯t made; I had to get cereal. Normal¡­


    I walked over to the pantry to grab a cereal box. Then I poured the cereal, added milk, and proceeded to eat it. Mechanically. Ever since I got the body strengthening, I pretty much never got hungry, nor did I have the desire to sleep. I did so because it was habitual, and I enjoyed it. Today however, the cereal felt tasteless¡­


    Deciding to grab some Coca Dinochomps next time I went to the store, I walked over to the trashcan to dump my bowl out. Damn Raisin Dran and your healthy to the heart nonsense!


    Once I was finished with that, my phone vibrated. A text message. My heart started to thump quickly as I pulled up my phone. No one really had my contact number except Chloe anyways, so I knew who it was. She said,


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Chloe- ¡°Are you ready? I¡¯m waiting outside my house, so I¡¯m ready when you are.¡±


    Her house¡­? I recalled back to Friday, and I remembered that her house was a few blocks away.


    Me- ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    I quickly rinsed my bowl and walked out of the door. Gabe was waiting in the van, but I waved him off. And before he could say anything to me, I went into second gear and ran away.


    Although I didn¡¯t execute the running style, it still took only seconds for me to reach her home. Chloe was currently picking up her school backpack, and she didn¡¯t see me. So I let the wind resistance slow me down until I landed ¡®gracefully¡¯ by her side.


    Me- ¡°You called?¡±


    Chloe didn¡¯t turn her head. But for some reason, I felt like she was smiling. I smiled back.


    Chloe- ¡°Your mistress is in need of an escort.¡±


    Ah, was she roleplaying as someone? A list of the animes and mangas that I had seen went through my mind, but I wasn¡¯t able to pinpoint exactly which one she was referring to.


    Me- ¡°Then, let us be on our way.¡±


    She held out her hand quietly, expecting me to take it. But this time I didn¡¯t just want to play along. Let¡¯s add a bit of spice to this¡­


    I put my phone on front facing camera mode and handed it to her. She grabbed onto it, and then made a short exclamation. Thankfully she didn¡¯t drop the phone.


    Chloe- ¡°What¡¯s this! Your phone?¡±


    She turned around. Her silky black hair whirled around with her, and now tied into twin pigtails, it made her look as cute as can be. Not that I would say that out loud of course, but I couldn¡¯t stop from smiling a little wider.


    Me- ¡°A picture. It just occurred to me that I still didn¡¯t have a single picture to your name. Could you take a picture for me?¡±


    Chloe suddenly looked bashful and nervous, but her mouth still had a trace of a smile. She replied,


    Chloe- (Nervous laughter) ¡°Thank you. I feel flattered, but asking for something like that feels¡­ Creepy.¡±


    Ouch. Those words felt like a knife had been stabbed into my gut, and tiny needles started to prick me everywhere. Sweat started to pour from different areas of my body, and I felt unbearably hot and itchy. The smile I had was now frozen on my face.


    In a desperate attempt to salvage the situation, I tried to moderate my words,


    Me- ¡°Eh? I¡¯m only going to use it as a contact photo. You know, so it doesn¡¯t feel strange when I¡¯m texting you, and all I see is a blank face replying back?¡±


    Chloe- ¡°What are you talking about? No, that¡¯s weird!¡±


    I literally almost started crying! I just wanted a photo! I spoke, trying to justify myself,


    Me- ¡°We are together almost all the time now! It shouldn¡¯t be that big of a deal!¡±


    Chloe- ¡°About that¡­¡±


    The knife in my gut suddenly twisted, and then pulled out only to stab at my heart! It was super effective!


    Chloe- ¡°I guess we could take one. But only if you¡¯re in it as well, and if you send the picture to me too. Deal?¡±


    I nodded my head vigorously,


    Me- ¡°Of course!¡±


    I held up the camera, and I tried to get it in the best position possible. I took what I thought to be a good photo. Apparently, it wasn¡¯t good enough.


    Chloe- ¡°Geez, you¡¯re terrible at this! Have you even taken a selfie before.¡±


    Me- ¡°That would be my first.¡±


    What? I wasn¡¯t a picture crazy type of guy. The only pictures I had taken were family photos; the old fashioned kind that simply aimed to catch a group¡¯s figures in a suitable light. I had gotten pretty good at that, but I had no idea what was required for a selfie.


    Chloe sighed,


    Chloe- ¡°Here, you have to hold the phone up like this. Try not to get your face in the wrong light. Smile!¡±


    She scooted in a little bit closer to me until our bodies were touching. She felt soft. Warm. I tried not to think about it while I smiled for the photo, but the thought of it warmed my heart.


    The photo was taken, and she backed away. Our previous contact was now a mere memory. Chloe blushed,


    Chloe- ¡°Make sure to send the photos to me, alright?¡±


    Me- ¡°Of course.¡±


    We started walking to school. At first we didn¡¯t say a word. But it was sort of pleasant, listening to the ambient atmosphere of nature and admiring the beauty of it. Together. But when we got to walking by the roadside, the sub-urban type atmosphere was ruined. Chloe broke the silence.


    Chloe- ¡°So Nathaniel, I wanted to talk with you about something.¡±


    Me- ¡°Yea?¡±


    I felt a weird feeling in my chest. What was this about? Why was she acting all serious? I gave her my full attention.


    Chloe- ¡°Yesterday, you texted me.¡±


    Me- ¡°I did.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°No, that¡¯s not the point! Why are you making this so difficult?¡±


    I scratched my nose in bewilderment. What exactly was I making difficult? She continued,


    Chloe- ¡°¡­I watched the news broadcast.¡±


    She looked at me as if that explained everything. I¡¯m sorry sweetie, but that really doesn¡¯t say anything.


    Me- ¡°And?¡±


    Chloe- ¡°I saw your text the other day, but I didn¡¯t respond.¡±


    Is that what this is all about? I smiled,


    Me- ¡°That¡¯s nothing. Forget it. You¡¯re talking to me right now, right?¡±


    Chloe flipped back her hair in frustration.


    Chloe- ¡°You¡¯re not getting the point! I had to talk to you in person because¡­ I awakened.¡±

 Vol. 2 Chapter 6- Momentous Changes

    Momentous Changes


    She awakened¡­


    My mind initially went blank. I had subconsciously removed the possibility that she might of awakened, given that she was a contractor. Could contractors awaken? Could they use both abilities? Was there a drawback to either? Would she be able to better protect herself? Wait, first things first. What¡¯s her ability!?


    Me- ¡°What did you awaken to?¡±


    Chloe- ¡°Look.¡±


    She held out her arm like she was about to do something. But nothing happened.


    Chloe- ¡°That¡¯s weird. Why isn¡¯t it working?¡±


    Her eyebrows furrowed in frustration, but nothing happened.


    Chloe- ¡°I swear to god I awakened! I could make this red glass appear out of nowhere; they said it was called barrier.¡±


    So it was like Viola¡¯s¡­ I knew abilities could be passed down, but was she related to the Lynch family? I didn¡¯t exactly have the best of relations with them¡­


    Me- ¡°It might be because I¡¯m standing here.¡±


    Chloe whined,


    Chloe- ¡°Stop making fun of me~! It¡¯s just not working.¡±


    I didn¡¯t bother to explain my thought process. I backed away from Chloe, and suddenly a red light appeared right next to her hand. It materialized quickly, forming a 2 dimensional wall of light red glass. It slightly sparkled under the morning sunlight, and with further concentration she made it into a glass panel of sorts.


    Me- ¡°See? Well, I¡¯m happy for you! If you¡¯d like, I can talk to you about the in¡¯s and out¡¯s of using abilities.¡±


    Chloe- ¡°That totally doesn¡¯t sound like you, but of course! That would be awesome!¡±


    I was trying to tone down on my ultra-overprotective side, and it seemed to be getting good results. Maybe I should keep acting like this? ¡­ Naaahhh


    *******************


    I explained to her about basic stuff, like how people had an ability field, and that you could not actively use your abilities while being within the radius of another¡¯s field. This radius became much larger once someone actually started using their ability, and when they had unlocked greater powers from their unconscious.


    I then moved to how your ability gets stronger the more you use it, and how it grows in sync with your will power. I wasn¡¯t however, able to properly explain the bottleneck a person would experience after their ability grows to a certain level. I certainly hadn¡¯t experienced the stagnation described in the book, but I had the lingering suspicion that I had already broken through after my fight with the black figure.


    We were just arriving at the school as I moved onto details on how to use the golden aura.


    Me- ¡°¡­express your desire precisely and make sure there aren¡¯t any loopholes within your words. Now that I think about it, your ability as a contractor should only be able to be used for a bit upwards of 5 minutes. Has that changed after you got your ability?¡±


    Chloe responded,


    Chloe- ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t tried it before; I¡¯m still trying to get used to barrier.¡±


    As she spoke, a red light fluttered about her, changing into different two-dimensional shapes such as a triangle, circle, star, and other simple things. It was much more difficult to control barrier than the golden aura. Instead of simply expressing her ¡®desire¡¯ to shape the light into a circle, she had to physically imagine the red light as a circle before it would actually turn into a circle.


    I now had a newfound respect for Viola, at least in the terms of her being able to manipulate barrier seemingly effortlessly. That did not however, reduce the hostility I felt towards her as a person. And thus I was not going to introduce Chloe to that clan.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Don¡¯t get me wrong; I wasn¡¯t potentially restricting her growth due to my own personal vendetta with Viola. It was just, knowing that girl and her attitude, she must have not of gotten a good upbringing. That was the fault of her family. If I were to recommend them against my own better judgment, Chloe might get hurt.


    I opened the door for Chloe and followed her in. School seemed to be operating on a normal schedule despite the likely-hood that a great number of people had just awakened their abilities. It wasn¡¯t a very wise decision in my opinion, but I could see the rationale behind them keeping us in school.


    Chloe and I were a little bit later than usual, as we had kinda stopped at the beginning and walked pretty slow the rest of the way. So I said my good byes and went into my first period classroom.


    The atmosphere was quite rowdy when I came in. Everyone had gathered into a group, watching this popular kid who had seemed to have awakened. Whatever animal he had likeness to, his fur seemed quite soft. The girls were rubbing his golden fur and squealing, while the guys were attempting to drag him out of the crowd to get a short feel. Awakening, I realized, was not as common as I expected it to have become. But it was still quite significant.


    I sat to my seat, immune to the commotion that was going on. I opened C.H.I.B.I.¡¯s app.


    The icon looked updated. Before it was a simple symbol of a perfect circle, but now the circle was the well-known symbol of a runic snake biting its tail. Ouroboros. The loading screen wasn¡¯t nearly as bare bones as before, a wall of green terminal text that would quickly switch to the app¡¯s true screen. Instead, there was an actual loading bar! It even had a percentage indication of how far it was in progress!


    After the app finished loading, a screen popped up asking if I would like to check out the tutorial, with a ¡®yes¡¯ and ¡®no.¡¯ Wow, why had the organization suddenly become so user friendly?


    I tapped ¡®yes,¡¯ and the screen switched to a sort of tutorial mode. It moved to the first screen.


    ¡®This is your mission screen. It lists out different tasks with various rewards in the order of easiest to most difficult that you can access at your current clearance rank. Your current clearance rank is (Rank 1- Novice). Please work hard at raising this, as acquiring a better rank comes with many benefits. Swipe right when you are ready to continue.¡¯


    I was a pretty fast reader, and I already knew the first part of the content. I swiped to the right pretty quickly.


    The bar at the top switched to ¡®Shop.¡¯ A slightly transparent description popped up, reading,


    ¡®This is the Shop. You can buy many different things here, and more useful and expensive items will be added to the shop as you acquire more clearance points. Anything you buy will be teleported to the initiation room once you arrive, so make sure to pick them up.¡¯


    That reminds me. My other self wrote that he stored the stuff he bought in my bag before we switched. What did he buy?


    I unzipped my bag, and looked in. There was a book covering a bunch of stuff, so I put that on my desk. But when I reached for the next item, I froze, and my eyes widened from shock!


    Armored boots, armored gloves, a bulletproof vest, a helmet with a drop down visor and facemask, a taser, a switchblade with bloodstains on it, and a freaking gun with multiple cartridges! I could get arrested for the armor alone, much less the freaking switch blade and gun. Why in h*ll would he put all this in my bag!?


    I immediately zipped the bag right back up, thankful for the fact that most of the classroom had their attention still focused on the guy with fur. And with the bag closed and secure under my feet, I continued the tutorial.


    ¡®This is your profile. Here you can manage your clearance rank, monetary funds, friends, and a list of accepted missions. You will not, however, be allowed to write information about yourself. That will be compiled by related personnel and posted publicly here. Would you like to receive a list of the reviews you have so far?¡¯


    ¡®Yes¡¯   ¡®No¡¯


    I chose the option on the left out of an instinctive curiosity. There were a total of two reviews, one by an unfamiliar name, Nancy, and the other by Joyce Kim. I reviewed the one by Joyce first.


    ¡®A hot-blooded amateur with a bit of experience. He¡¯s quite arrogant, and thus he unknowingly offends those he probably shouldn¡¯t. However, he has the talent to back it up. A few set-backs will put him on the right track.¡¯


    Huh. I was expecting something much more negative, coming from her. But other than showing favoritism, she never really did anything that was per say¡­ hostile towards me. Borderline definitely, but not quite. We¡¯ll see what happens later.


    I checked the second review.


    ¡®Practical. Intelligent. Although inexperienced with our rules, he can and will do the job quickly and efficiently. A man who has no qualms getting his hands dirty. Recommended for strong-arm type missions, or assassinations.¡¯


    Well. That was not the impression I got from my other self. At least the first part wasn¡¯t true¡­


    With that, the tutorial ended. I swiped over to review the available missions, and there was a lot of stuff. The first mission after the one I took was apparently the easiest available. It also was outlined in a purple color, marking it as special compared to all the other colorless borders. It read,


    ¡®Law enforcement¡¯


    ¡®Crime is now running rampant with the new ability user¡¯s, and your police stations are sorely understaffed. Please help keep your city safe, and help Sherriff Tanner to do his job. Give us access to your information by pressing the button below, and we will contact qualified users if an unexpected situation arises. You will be paid 100$ for each resolved issue, and 500$ more for every rank past D.¡¯


    ¡®Ability Index- N/A¡¯


    ¡®Ability Description- N/A¡¯


    ¡®Status- Press here to accept¡¯


    That mission sounds good. I was genuinely surprised that there was such a good intentioned mission, given the dark and frankly, above the law nature of the organization. I applied immediately.


    After I was done with that, I took a glance over to the guy who awakened a body transformation. He was using his ability to impress girls, but I was using mine for the betterment of society.


    What? I¡¯m not jealous¡­


    ****************************


    Physics literally turned into gossip day. The teacher simply couldn¡¯t teach with how riled up the students were, so he just let us do whatever. Good for them I suppose, but boredom never felt good. I was practically rejoicing when the bell rung, and we transitioned towards our next class. This transition however was much different than normal.


    What happens when you give a group of immature teenagers powers straight out of an author¡¯s imagination? I now knew the answer.


    It wasn¡¯t like some ecchi anime where every girl had on a short skirt that exposed forbidden sights every time the wind blew or when they bent down to pick something up. This was a public high school, in America. People just wore whatever they wanted, as long as it didn¡¯t violate the dress code too much.


    This made harassment pretty much impossible to go unnoticed unless the girl was ultra oblivious, or they were people they didn¡¯t want to break off relations with. Even with abilities, this stayed pretty much the same. I didn¡¯t see anything, and that was the way I liked it. But there was certain mischief that suddenly went haywire.


    ¡°Splash¡±


    ???- ¡°Oops, my bad. I was aiming for my friend over there.¡±


    For some reason, the man thought it was a good idea to surprise his friend with his new ability. Water blast to the face style¡­ I didn¡¯t like people like him at all, but unfortunately, he seemed to be telling the truth about his friend. My ability didn¡¯t react to show him as having any malicious intent towards me. So I had no justifiable reason to surprise him with my ¡®fireball to the face style¡¯ either. A shame¡­